South Africa: Government, private sector called to coordinate transformation programmes

As the country observes Womens Month, the Portfolio Committee on Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities has called on government and the private sector to coordinate their transformation programmes to achieve the desired outcomes.

Committee Chairperson, Nonhlanhla Ncube-Ndaba, emphasised that implementing policies to achieve gender transformation is of paramount importance.

Womens empowerment talk and policy reviews have not helped the situation. These programmes must translate into sustainable development and impact on the lives of women and the girl child, Ncube-Ndaba said.

Ncube-Ndaba also called on South Africans to replicate the revolutionary behaviour of women who marched to the Union Buildings in 1956, and their vision for a better life for all South Africans.

These gallant women were united and spoke in one voice in their struggle for the empowerment and emancipation of women, she said.

The chairperson welcomed Womens Month on a sad note amid several violent crimes committed every day against women and girl children in the country.

She said that South Africa has become an unsafe place for women and girl children.

It is unacceptable that every day acts of violence are committed against children as young as two. Our country has become a haven for thugs, men who behave as reliable fathers during the day, who speak against Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and all forms of abuse and promote human rights for women and children, but who abuse women and girl children in their homes.

Something drastic needs to happen and those who are responsible for perpetuating crimes against women and children must face severe consequences. Work places, schools, institutions of higher learning, government institutions and political parties are all affected by this demon, Ncube-Ndaba said.

She added that while the government and civil society search for the root causes of GBV and other crimes against women and children, the perpetrators of these crimes should be dealt with harshly.

Ncube-Ndaba further urged organisations involved in activities that fight against GBV to also conduct their programmes in prisons and rural areas.

This years Women Month is celebrated under the theme Womens Socio-Economic Rights and Empowerment: Building Back Better for Womens Improved Resilience.

The concept of Generation Equality is a global campaign and links South Africa to global efforts to achieve gender equality by 2030.  SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2022-08-03. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Chinese FM makes remarks on U.S. violation of China's sovereignty

Xinhua) 08:24, August 03, 2022

PHNOM PENH, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) -- In disregard of China's solemn representations, U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi brazenly went ahead with her visit to China's Taiwan region, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said.

This move seriously violates the one-China principle, maliciously infringes on China's sovereignty and blatantly engages in political provocations, which has aroused strong indignation among the Chinese people and widespread opposition from the international community.

It proves once again that some U.S. politicians have become "troublemakers" of China-U.S. relations, and that the United States has become the "biggest destroyer" of peace across the Taiwan Strait and for regional stability.

The United States should not dream of obstructing China's reunification. Taiwan is a part of China. The complete reunification of China is the trend of the times and an inevitability of history. We will leave no room for the "Taiwan independence" forces and external interference.

No matter how the United States supports or connives at the "Taiwan independence" forces, it will be all in vain. The United States will only leave more ugly records of gross meddling in other countries' internal affairs in history. The Taiwan question arose when the country was weak and chaotic at the time, and will surely end with national rejuvenation.

The United States should not fantasize about undermining China's development and revitalization. China has found a correct development path in line with its own national conditions. Under the leadership of the Communist Party of China, 1.4 billion Chinese people are striding towards the Chinese-style modernization.

We put the development of our country and nation on the basis of our own strength, and are willing to coexist peacefully and develop together with other countries. But we will never allow any country to undermine China's stability and development.

Provoking trouble on the Taiwan question in an attempt to delay China's development and undermine China's peaceful rise will be totally futile and will surely lead to total failure.

The United States should not fantasize about manipulating geopolitical games. Seeking peace, stability, development and win-win cooperation are the common aspirations of regional countries.

The introduction of the Taiwan question into the regional strategy by the United States, which inflates tensions and stokes confrontation, is against the trend of regional development and goes against the expectations of the people in the Asia-Pacific. This is very dangerous and stupid.

The one-China principle has become a basic norm governing international relations and an integral part of the post-Second World War international order.

What the United States should do is to immediately stop violating the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and stop playing the "Taiwan card" to disrupt the Asia-Pacific region.

The United States should not fantasize about distorting facts at will. The U.S. side claimed that China is escalating the situation, but the basic facts are that the United States first provoked China on the Taiwan question and blatantly violated China's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The U.S. side claimed that there was a precedent of the U.S. House speaker visiting Taiwan. Yet the basic truth is that past mistakes cannot be used as an excuse to repeat them today.

The U.S. side claimed that it cannot restrain the Congress due to the separation of powers. But the basic norm of international law is that the United States must fulfill its international obligations, and key politicians should not misbehave.

It also claimed that China's pursuit of reunification is a "threat" to Taiwan, but the basic logic is that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory and the Taiwan question is purely an internal affair of China. It is lawful and justified that China upholds territorial integrity and opposes secession.

I want to stress that the one-China principle is the key stabilizing force for peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, and the three China-U.S. joint communiques are the real "guardrails" for peaceful coexistence between China and the United States.

Clinging to the United States to seek "independence" is a dead end, and attempts to use the Taiwan question to contain China are doomed to failure.

In the face of the great cause of national unification, the Chinese people have the gut not to be misled by fallacies or scared by evils, the ambition to never be intimidated or crushed, the determination to unite as one, and the ability to resolutely safeguard national sovereignty and national dignity.

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Superstar Akshay Kumar who has always been fastidious about paying his taxes was reportedly honoured recently by the Income Tax department as the country's "highest taxpayer". When asked about it, Akshay told ANI: "Ji mujhe kaha to yehi gaya hai (about being the highest taxpayer). I am really honoured. It feels great that the Income Tax department recognises the whole thing and gives credit to people. Also, It's good that when you earn, you give it back to the country." "It's one of the best feelings," the elated 'Khiladi' actor said. Reportedly, in 2015 and 2019, Kumar was on the Forbes list of highest-paid entertainers in the world, ranking 52nd with earnings of USD 48.5 million (Rs 386 crore approx). Apart from films, a major source of his income also comes from brand endorsements. After reports surfaced that Akshay Kumar was felicitated by the Income Tax department, his fans hailed the actor as a "responsible citizen." "According to haters, some journalists, fans of other actors he is not a Global superstar, he is Canadian and many more things but still he is paying highest income tax than rest of the industry from last 5 years. My superstar," a Twitter user wrote. Another one tweeted, "Income Tax Department has felicitated Superstar @akshaykumar with a Samman Patra and termed him highest taxpayer from the Hindi film industry. Haters must see this before calling him Canadian." Meanwhile, on the work front, Akshay will be seen sharing screen space with Bhumi Pednekar in 'Raksha Bandhan', which is scheduled to release on August 11. To note, 'Raksha Bandhan' marks Akshay's second collaboration with Bhumi after their 2017 release 'Toilet: Ek Prem Katha'. Directed by Aanand L Rai and written by Himanshu Sharma and Kanika Dhillon, the film is produced by Colour Yellow Productions, Zee Studios, and Alka Hiranandani in association with Cape Of Good Films. Apart from Akshay and Bhumi, 'Raksha Bandhan' also stars Sahejmeen Kaur, Deepika Khanna, Sadia Khateeb and Smrithi Srikanth who will be seen as Khiladi Kumar's sisters. The film was shot in Delhi last year. (ANI)
Arjun Rampal has completed over two decades in the Hindi film industry as his debut film "Pyaar Ishq Aur Mohabbat" released 21 years ago on this day. The actor calls the film "life-changing" as he says he doesn't know what would have happened if he had not got this break. Released in 2001, "Pyaar Ishq Aur Mohabbat" was directed by Rajiv Rai. The film, which also starred Suniel Shetty, Aftab Shivdasani and Keerti Reddy, is loosely based on Hollywood movie "There's Something about Mary". Talking about the milestone, Arjun said: "I am immensely grateful to my dear friend and brother, Rajiv Rai, for his faith and belief in me then and even now. "I don't know what would have happened if he hadn't given me this break because the film is very special and life-changing. Maybe, I would have broken. Pyaar, Ishq aur bhaut sara Mohabbat to the entire team Shabbir Boxwala, Sunil Shetty, Aftab S, Kirti, Vinod everyone." In his 21-year-long career, the actor has delivered several films such as "Aankhen", "Dil Hai Tumhaara", "Housefull", "Rajneeti" and many more. He was also feted with the National Award for his much-appreciated film "Rock On". The actor has also been one of the most loved villains of Bollywood with films like "Om Shanti Om", "Ra.One" to his most recently released film "Dhaka". He will soon be in Abbas Mastan's "Penthouse", the period war drama "Battle of Bhima Koregaon", and "The Rapist" which won the Kim Jiseok award at 26th Busan International Film Festival. Apart from this, he will also be seen in an upcoming South movie, details of which are currently under the wraps. --IANS aru/sks ( 291 Words) 2022-08-03-19:14:01 (IANS)
Even as it is increasing precautionary measures, the government of Karnataka has urged people not to be unduly worried about the monkey pox threat looming over the world. "There is no need to panic about Monkeypox. The government is taking all precautionary measures including thermal screening at airports and strict surveillance in districts bordering Kerala, Karnataka Health Minister K. Sudhakar said on Tuesday. Speaking to the media after the high-level meeting chaired by Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on monkeypox, Sudhakar said: "No cases have been reported in Karnataka so far. There were 3 suspects out of which two in Bengaluru have turned out negative and another suspect -- a Belgium national, found in Uttara Kannada district is subjected to test and his report is awaited." Six monkeypox cases have been reported in India so far. This includes two in Delhi and four in neighbouring Kerala. The minister said that vigil is being kept on the borders with neighbouring states, especially Kerala. "Our government has already issued circular for mandatory thermal screening at airports and other entry points. All district administrations have been alerted and instructed to take precautionary measures and particularly strict vigil is kept on districts bordering Kerala," he explained. The state government has also earmarked two hospitals as designated monkeypox treatment centres. "Epidemic Diseases Hospital in Bengaluru and Wenlock Hospital in Mangaluru are identified as designated hospitals for isolation of monkeypox suspects. Confirmed cases will be isolated and treated for 21 days until the rashes on skin are cured," minister said. On July 22 this year, the World Health Organisation had declared the monkeypox outbreak as public health emergency of international concern. About 20,000 cases have been reported in 80 countries across the world. Pointing out that studies indicate that monkeypox is not as contagious as Covid and it spreads only when a person is in prolonged contact with the infected person, Sudhakar appealed to people to maintain hygiene and follow all precautionary measures. --IANS pvn/pgh ( 341 Words) 2022-08-02-22:32:02 (IANS)
At least 15 girl students fell unconscious during a mock fire drill in St Xavier School Bettiah in West Champaran district on Wednesday, officials said. The mock drill was conducted by the district Fire Department in the school premises. The students were asked to gather on a playing ground right under the sun around 10.30 a.m. as experts sought to train them on how to deal with a fire that broke out in a LPG cylinder. As there was intense heat, the girls fell unconscious one by one on the ground. There was no ambulance at the school when the mock drill was taking place. Six students were taken to the hospital after the arrival of an ambulance. The remaining nine students recovered a few minutes after they were brought inside the school building. "We have immediately rescued the students and taken them inside the school premises. The victims are safe and recovering well. They fell unconscious due to heat and probably not having eaten food. We have called the doctors and sent six students to the hospital," the school Principal said in a written statement. --IANS ajk/vd ( 200 Words) 2022-08-03-21:22:05 (IANS)
Defence sources said that the Governor also stressed on goodwill civic actions and welfare of the people by the armed forces in the rural and far-flung areas.

They discussed the issues of national security, road connectivity, Agnipath scheme and recruitment of local youth in the Indian Army.

The Governor appreciated the contribution of the Indian Army towards the wellbeing and security of the people living in the northeastern region, especially in Arunachal Pradesh.

He also complimented Kalita for his and his staff's help in recruiting local youth in the Army.

Mishra suggested that the armed forces should organise more awareness and motivational camps for the recruitment of local youth in different parts of the state.

Mishra also reiterated that soldiers from the state would be the best defenders of safety and security of Arunachal and the nation.

Kalita, who is on a two-day visit to Arunachal Pradesh, assured his best cooperation in the recruitment process and for instilling a sense of security among the people.

--IANS sc/arm

( 222 Words)

2022-08-02-22:46:03 (IANS)
Three minor boys were forced to spend an entire night atop a tree in a dense forest in Assam's Dhemaji district after a herd of wild elephants blocked their way in the jungle. As per reports, the incident took place on Sunday in the Jonai area of the district when the trio went to the forest to bring back their domestic cattle. But a herd of wild elephants suddenly appeared before them, terrifying the boys who took shelter atop a tree. Much to their despair, the elephants did not leave the spot and stood right below the tree due to which the trio was compelled to spend the entire night on top of the tree. The Superintendent of Police of Dhemaji district, Ranjan Bhuyan, told IANS that after the locals realised that the boys were missing, they informed the police late in the night. The police along with the local people entered the jungle at around 3 a.m. on Monday and rescued the minor boys. "All the three boys are doing well now," informed the officer. --IANS tanuj/arm ( 194 Words) 2022-08-02-22:58:01 (IANS)
Telangana Bharatiya Janata Party leader Natcharaju Venkata Subhash on Tuesday, while stating that the people of the state will give a chance to the party in the upcoming Assembly elections scheduled next year, claimed that numerous MLAs from ruling TRS and Opposition Congress will join the BJP. "TRS MLAs are unable to go to their respective constituencies because of the false promises which KCR made, as they cannot face the public ire. They have decided that around 15 to 18 TRS MLAs will join the BJP. Not only from TRS, but around five MLAs from Congress have also given their consent. According to their time, they are going to join," Subhash told ANI. "In this connection, it is very clear and evident that BJP where Praja Sangrama yatra of Bandi Sanjay, where huge crowd joined shows that people are very confident that only BJP will fulfil the aspirations of Telangana people and many people have decided to because there is a double engine government at the centre," he added. The BJP leader stated that the people of the state will vote for the party as they have given chance to all the political parties except for the BJP. "In the upcoming days the people of Telangana have decided to vote for the Bharatiya Janata party because they have given chance to all the political parties except BJP, under the leadership of Bandi Sanjay and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the people of Telangana have decided that BJP is the only party that will fulfil the aspirations of Telangana," he said. Meanwhile, BJP Telangana unit chief Bandi Sanjay Kumar embarked on phase three of Praja Sangrama Yatra on Tuesday to "expose the misdeeds and corrupt rule" of the state government, said party leader P Sudhakar Reddy. "In Telangana, the TRS government totally failed under the leadership of CM KCR. They are busy with selfish political games. He was there in Delhi for seven days and nobody knows for what he went to Delhi, he only met a couple of leaders like Akhilesh Yadav," said Reddy while speaking to ANI. The BJP leader said that the people from every section of the society are facing problems in Telangana. "Every section of people is facing problems, one side IIIT students in Basara and other side food poisoning incidents are also reported. People are still facing hardships in Bhadrachalam with recent floods," he said. Calling the TRS government a "total failure", the BJP state chief alleged that KCR made false promises. "The TRS government is a total failure government and farmers are not getting loans and it is very unfortunate as many false promises were given. They also allege that the Centre is not giving any money, instead of accepting their failures, they want to throw mud at the central government," he said. (ANI)
The gas leak affected staff of Seeds Apparel India in the Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in Atchutapuram area.

The women complained of vomiting, nausea, and breathlessness. Some of them fainted.

About 50 women were shifted to hospitals in ambulances while others were being provided first aid within the factory premises.

Seeds Apparel India, which employs only women is located on the 1,000 acres campus of Brandix, which is located next to Porus Labs, the chemical company.

Industries Minister Gudivada Amarnath spoke to the district Collector over phone and directed officials to provide best possible treatment to the affected.

This is the second incident of gas leak from the same company in two months. On July 3, more than 200 women employees were affected.

Seeds Apparel and Porus Labs were shut down for a week. The government had ordered an inquiry after closing down the factory

--IANS ms/vd

( 190 Words)

2022-08-02-23:00:05 (IANS)
The second phase of Common University Entrance Test (CUET) examination that has to be cleared by the candidates to seek admission to under-graduate (UG) courses in colleges is scheduled to begin from August 4. This year it has been made mandatory to clear the CUET exam for seeking admission in colleges affiliated to central universities. All central universities such as Delhi University, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Jamia Millia Islamia, Banaras Hindu University have been included in this programme. Let's discuss a bit in details on how and why this exam is considered crucial to get admission in colleges. Like earlier, this time also, the merit list will be prepared by different universities and their respective colleges. However, the only difference this time is that the merit list will be made on the basis of marks obtained in CUET exam, and not on the basis of Class 12 exam marks. A separate cut-off will be released by all 44 central universities in the country accepting CUET scores. Students who have appeared in this examination for admission in any particular university will get admission on the basis of cut-off issued by that university and its colleges. This cut-off will be made on the basis of marks secured in CUET. Prof. Hansraj Suman of Delhi University said that the information about the marks secured by the students in CUET will be given to the university by the National Testing Agency. On the basis of these marks, the merit list of the students with highest marks will be prepared. Different colleges of Delhi University will prepare the cut-off list like before. After this process, Delhi University will release the cut-off list. Similarly, other central universities of the country will also proceed with the admission process. The UGC has clarified that the CUET exam is being conducted for undergraduate courses in colleges on the basis of Class 12 syllabus only. No questions will be asked in the entrance test for admission in colleges based on the syllabus of any other class. According to UGC President M. Jagadesh Kumar, only Class 12 syllabus is valid for the CUET. The Union Ministry of Education, with the help of UGC, has also encouraged private universities to be a part of the CUET. Institutions like Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai and Gurukul Kangri, Haridwar have shown interest in being a part of CUET in the meeting with UGC. The UGC has appealed to all state governments and private universities to adopt the CUET for admitting students. It has asked private educational institutions to try to implement CUET in undergraduate programmes from the 2022-23 academic session. The decision of the UGC taken on CUET is applicable to all 44 central universities in the country. As per the decision taken by the UGC, all the central universities in the country will have to conduct the CUET for admission to the undergraduate courses. --IANS gcb/uk/pgh ( 499 Words) 2022-08-02-23:02:01 (IANS)
Congress workers who swarmed Hubballi airport gave a rousing welcome to the Gandhi scion.

Rahul Gandhi came here along with Karnataka Congress president D.K. Shivakumar, Karnataka Congress in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala, and K.C. Venugopal.

Opposition leader Siddaramaiah, Opposition leader in Council B.K. Hariprasad and other top leaders were present and extended a warm welcome to their leader.

Rahul Gandhi will chair the Political Affairs Committee meeting in Hubballi with state Congress leaders and address the issue of internal conflict between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar camps which is threatening to pose a challenge to the Congress party's prospects in the upcoming assembly elections in 2023.

Party workers are hopeful that Rahul Gandhi would look into the simmering discontent between both leaders who have their eyes on the chief ministerial post.

Rahul Gandhi is also scheduled to visit Sri Muruga Rajendra Mutt in Chitradurga and then participate in a public meeting to celebrate the 75th birth anniversary of Siddaramaiah in Davanagere city on Wednesday.

--IANS mka/pgh

( 197 Words)

2022-08-02-23:24:04 (IANS)
Putting an end to suspense and speculation, senior Congress leader MLA from Telangana's Munugode constituency, Komatireddy Rajagopal Reddy on Tuesday announced his resignation from the Congress party and also as a legislator. Reddy said he will seek an appointment with the Telangana Legislative Assembly Speaker and submit his resignation in one or two days. Rajgopal Reddy is the younger brother of Komatreddy Venkat Reddy who is a senior Congress leader and MP from the Bhongir constituency. "I am unhappy. Even people who voted for me are also unhappy. Is Munugodu not in Telangana? I have got nothing in the last three years as an MLA. I have tried my best to bring our issues to the limelight, but it's unfortunate that the state government didn't care about our issues," Reddy said while addressing a press conference. "Congress leaders are saying that the party will take action against me. What will they do? I have given my life to the Congress party. I fought for the party, however, they made a man who has been against the party all his life, to be the Telangana Congress president," he said in an apparent reference to Revanth Reddy. The rumours are rife that he may join the BJP, however, he has not confirmed it yet. Notably, Reddy recently met Union Home Minister Amit Shah in the national capital. After the resignation of Reddy to the Congress party, the AICC has approved the constitution of a strategy and campaign committee for the Munugode Assembly Constituency with immediate effect. (ANI)
The farmer unions on Tuesday called off their proposed protest against the Punjab government after meeting Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann who accepted "most of the demands". The decision was taken after a meeting with the Chief Minister at the Punjab Bhawan. Notably, several farmer organisations including Bharti Kisan Union (Sidhupur) had announced to protest against the Mann government on many issues which included the non-payment of sugarcane dues. Speaking to the reporters here, Mann said that all pending dues of sugarcane will be cleared by the state government by September 7. The Chief Minister announced that his government has decided to cancel the FIRs registered against farmers for stubble burning and agitation. "A compensation of Rs 5 lakh each to families of farmers who had died during the course of the agitation will be given by August 5," Mann said. Meanwhile, speaking to ANI, Jagjit Singh Dallewal, BKU Sidhupur said, "Most of our demands have been accepted. We have temporarily suspended our protest. We have been assured that the arrears will be cleared by September 7. Our next meeting will be on September 7". Earlier on July 31, farmers across Punjab held a four-hour 'rail roko' protest from 11 am to 3 pm in response to a call given for a nationwide protest by the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), an umbrella group comprising around 40 farm organisations, primarily demanding the proper implementation of minimum support price (MSP) for crops. The decision to hold the protest was taken at a state body meeting at the office of the Bharti Kisan Union (Lakhowal) in Ludhiana on July 11. Earlier Harinder Singh Lakhowal, BKU general secretary and SKM state committee member, had told media persons that the farmers' bodies would hold district-level conventions from July 18 to 30 to mobilise support for the protest. The SKM had also announced its intention to hold a protest against the Aam Aadmi Party-led government on August 3 over several issues including the non-payment of sugarcane dues and compensation for cotton crop damaged by whitefly. (ANI)
General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Command, Lieutenant General Rana Pratap Kalita called on Governor of Arunachal Pradesh Brig. (Dr) BD Mishra (Retd.) on Tuesday and discussed the issues relating to national security, Agnipath scheme and recruitment of the local youth in the Indian Army. "The Governor appreciated the contribution of the Indian Army towards the wellbeing and security of the people living in the North Eastern Region, especially Arunachal Pradesh. He also complimented Army Commander for his and his staff's help in the recruitment process of local youth," read a statement by PRO (Defence), Tezpur, Lt Col A S Walia. The Governor suggested that the armed forces should organise more awareness and motivational camps for the recruitment of local youth in different parts of the state. "The pre-recruitment rallies are important for more youth of the State joining the armed forces. He reiterated that State's homegrown soldiers will be the best defenders of the safety and security of the State and the nation," said the statement. Brig. (Dr) BD Mishra (Retd.) also took up the issue of constant review of the plans for strengthening the Border Areas. He emphasised on goodwill civic actions and the welfare of the people by the armed forces in the rural and far-flung areas. Lieutenant General Rana Pratap Kalita, who is on a two-day visit to Arunachal Pradesh, assured of his best cooperation in the recruitment process and instilling a sense of security amongst the people. (ANI)
Ahead of the Independence Day celebration, Union Home Minister Amit Shah chaired a meeting with National Investigation Agency (NIA) and Delhi Police in the Capital on Tuesday. Delhi Police Commissioner Sanjay Arora, NIA DG, Home Secretary, and other top officials were present at the meeting. Delhi Police Commissioner Sanjay Arora went to the Parliament to meet Amit Shah. "The Police Commissioner of Delhi, Shri Sanjay Arora called on Union Home Minister Shri @AmitShah," Shah's office tweeted. Sanjay Arora, a 1988-batch IPS officer of Tamil Nadu cadre, took charge as Delhi Police Commissioner on Monday. Arora was appointed as Delhi Police Commissioner after Rakesh Asthana retired on Sunday. Arora was welcomed by senior police officers earlier in the day with a guard of honour at the Delhi Police Headquarters in the New Delhi area. Hours after assuming the office as the Delhi Commissioner of Police, he tweeted, "Today, I took charge as CP, Delhi. The rich legacy of @DelhiPolice is marked with the highest citizen services & sacrifices for ensuring the National Capital's safety and security. I am confident that together, we will carry forward this spirit and also set new benchmarks in policing," he said from the official Twitter handle of the Delhi Police chief, the @CPDelhi." In a video message to the Delhi Police, Arora said that it was a moment of pride for him to work with the Delhi Police which has witnessed various incidents and events in the past 75 years. Arora has served as the Superintendent of Police of the Tamil Nadu Police Special Task Force, which was set up to hunt down forest brigand Veerappan and he was awarded the Chief Minister's gallantry medal for his bravery. Yesterday, the Delhi Police Commissioner visited Red Fort to inspect the security arrangements ahead of Independence Day on Tuesday evening. On Monday, Sanjay Arora chaired a meeting with senior police officers and took stock of the security situation in the national capital ahead of the Independence Day celebrations. The CP instructed the officers to be more vigilant during the period. (ANI)
In view of incessant rainfall in the state, Maharashtra Leader of Opposition Ajit Pawar on Tuesday urged the state government to provide immediate assistance to farmers from Marathwada and Vidarbha areas whose land has been damaged due to heavy rains. Speaking to reporters here, Pawar said Marathwada and Vidarbha regions received heavy rains in mid-July and due to which, the fertile layer of soil has been washed away. Pawar mentioned that he met Maharastra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshiyari and discussed the same. "Today, we met the Governor and discussed the losses faced by farmers due to extreme rainfall in several parts of Maharashtra. Around 125 people died and many animals were drowned. They didn't get any help from the government. We request the Governor to provide them help," said Ajit Pawar. "Several farmers will not be able to till their land for the next couple of days because of the loss of fertile layer. The state should make some provisions for such farmers," the NCP leader said. Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department on Monday informed that Maharashtra may receive above normal rainfall during the second half (August-September) of the monsoon season. However, for most parts of Maharashtra, including the Pune district, the rainfall is likely to be below normal in August. Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, director general, meteorology, said, "Central Maharashtra, Konkan and Goa, Vidarbha and Marathwada are likely to report below normal rainfall in August as per the model forecast. A few isolated parts are likely to receive normal rainfall in August." He said that the total rainfall for August and September is likely to be above normal for Maharashtra. "The rainfall scenario is likely to be different for the August-September months. Rainfall in central Maharashtra, Marathwada and west Vidarbha for both months is likely to be above normal. For some parts of Konkan and Goa and east Vidarbha, the tidal rainfall may be below normal," said Mohapatra. The India Meteorological Department (IMD), in a tweet, on Monday, also said that isolated places over Lakshadweep, Kerala and Mahe are likely to receive heavy rainfall during August 1-5, 2022. The weather forecast agency further predicted that heavy downpour is also likely over Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Karaikal, Konkan, Goa and South Interior Karnataka. (ANI)
Rajya Sabha member Pramod Tiwari gives zero-hour notice in Rajya Sabha on the issue of what he termed as a surge in Indian money held in Swiss banks. Wednesday marks day 13 of the Monsoon session and proceedings in both Houses which will commence at 11 am and Rajya Sabha member from the congress party has asked for a zero-hour session to address the issue. Earlier on July 29 also, he gave the zero-hour notice to discuss the same and had written to the Secretary-General of Rajya Sabha. "It is a matter of grave concern that other foreign banks including Swiss Bank funds are being diverted to more institutions in an uncontrollable manner, increasing the risks of black money," the MP said in the letter.During the 2014 elections, the present government had made "big claims" to bring back the "black money" stashed in foreign banks, the MP said."Far from bringing money back, Indian funds got deposited in Swiss Bank. According to the annual report released by the Central Bank of Switzerland, Indian individuals and firms deposited 3.83 billion Swiss francs i.e. Rs 30,500 crore in Swiss banks in the year 2021, which is at a record level of the last 14 years," the letter read.Apart from this, savings of Indians in savings or deposit accounts have reached a record high of Rs 4,800 crore, he said. As per the reply given by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on that day, there was no official estimate of the amount deposited under various foreign accounts, he added. In reply to a question on whether there has been a steep rise in the amount of money deposited by Indian citizens and companies in Swiss banks, Sitharaman said there is no official estimate of the amount of money deposited by Indian citizens and companies in Swiss banks. "However, certain recent media reports have stated that funds of Indians in Swiss Banks have risen in 2021 as compared to 2020," Sitharaman said. These media reports have also mentioned that these deposits do not indicate the quantum of the alleged black money held by Indians in Switzerland, the minister said further in her reply."The existing measures taken in dealing with black money are insufficient. Therefore, through this house, I urge the government I want that consider the immediate and negative impact on the economy, which After all, affects the poor and weaker sections, and take appropriate steps in this regard," the letter by the Rajya Sabha member further read. (ANI)
According to the sources, the I-T sleuths had been carrying out raids at 40 places including Chennai and Madurai since 5 am on Tuesday. At Chennai, a team of sleuths reportedly raided a location in the Nungambakkam Kamthar Nagar area where Cheziyan is known to live.

The raids came five months after the grand wedding of Chezhiyan's daughter in Chennai which was graced by various celebrities from across India.

Personalities ranging from Rajinikanth, Kamal Hassan, and Suriya to Boney Kapoor were all present at the venue. Many politicians also attended the wedding.

Chezhiyan, who is a native of Madurai, is a very influential and top financier in the Tamil film industry.

He received public attention in 2017 when Ashok Kumar, cousin of director Sasikumar, died by suicide with a note alleging mental torture and trauma over financial issues by Chezhiyan.

After this, Chezhiyan got public attention in 2020 when I-T raids were carried out on personalities linked to the movie "Bigil" which was released in 2019. At that time, the entire crew of the movie came under the I-T scanner which included raids on Actor Vijay and AGS Production house.

The Income Tax Department has now raided multiple locations linked to the powerful film producer after two years. (ANI)
India recorded 17,135 fresh cases of Coronavirus infection in the last 24 hours, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare informed on Wednesday. Earlier on Tuesday, the country had recorded 13,734 cases of Covid-19. As per the Union Ministry, India's active caseload currently stands at 1,37,057 at the rate of 0.31 per cent. India has also seen 19,823 recoveries in the last 24 hours. The total number of recoveries from Covid-19 infection are now at 4,34,03,610, taking the country's current recovery rate to 98.49 per cent. The Health Ministry, in its official statement, further informed that the daily positivity rate and weekly positivity rate stand at 3.69 per cent and 4.67 per cent, respectively. A total of 204.84 crore Covid-19 vaccine doses--which included 93.36 crore Second Dose and 9.47 crore Precaution Dose-- have been administered to the people under the Centre's Nationwide Vaccination Drive. 23,49,651 doses against Coronavirus infection were administered to the people in the last 24 hours, the ministry said. Further, it said 87.63 crore Total Tests have been conducted in the country so far of which 4,64,919 were conducted in the last 24 hours alone. As India continues to report over 10,000 COVID-19 cases over the last few days, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said the country's fight against COVID is still on, and holistic healthcare has made an impact across the globe in this fight. "Our fight against COVID is still on, and holistic healthcare has made an impact across the globe in this fight. AYUSH is now gaining prominence worldwide, leading to an increase in AYUSH exports," said Prime Minister Modi while addressing his monthly radio programme 'Mann Ki Baat'. (ANI)
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday said that if the countrymen fulfil resolutions for the development of the country in the next 25 years, India will become a Vishwa guru. "How will India be in 2047? How will it be in every field? How will it be in the field of education, health, and development? This year is the year to make India better in every field. If we work on these core sectors and fulfill its goals in the next 25 years, then after 25 years, India will become Vishwa Guru," Union Home Minister Amit Shah said while addressing an event in the national capital. Urging every citizen to hoist the national flag at their houses during 'Har Ghar Tiranga' campaign (August 13 to 15), Amit Shah on Tuesday said the programme gives a message to the world about the determination of the people of India for the prosperity of the nation. He said the call for flag hoisting at each household under Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav (AKAM) is also to tell the younger generation about the sacrifices made by the freedom fighters during the 90-year-long struggle and inculcate a feeling of patriotism among them. "This campaign Har Ghar Tiranga is a message to the world that each Indian citizen will work unitedly for the next 25 years, according to the assertion of people who drafted the Constitution and expectation of the Constitution, for the development, accomplishment, security and carrying forward the Indian culture," said Shah. He was speaking at 'Tiranga Utsav', an event held to celebrate the 146th birth anniversary of freedom fighter Pingali Venkayya, who designed the national flag. On the occasion, Shah also launched 'Tiranga' anthem and video. The family of Venkayya was felicitated at the event. A commemorative postage stamp in honour of Venkayya was also released. Also, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday changed his profile picture on his social media handles to 'Tiranga' ahead of Independence Day celebrations in the country. "It is a special 2nd August today! At a time when we are marking Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, our nation is all set for #HarGharTiranga, a collective movement to celebrate our Tricolour. I have changed the DP on my social media pages and urge you all to do the same," tweeted PM Modi on Tuesday. PM Modi on Sunday called upon all citizens to turn the 'Har Ghar Tiranga' campaign into a mass movement by hoisting or displaying the national flag at their homes and using the 'Tiranga' as a display picture on their social media accounts between August 2 and August 15 to commemorate the 75th anniversary of India's Independence. "Under the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, from the 13th to the 15th of August, a special movement - 'Har Ghar Tiranga' is being organized. Let us further this movement by hoisting the National Flag at our homes," said Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday while addressing the monthly radio programme 'Mann Ki Baat'. "August 2 is the birth anniversary of Pingli Venkhaiya who designed the National Flag. I urge all to use 'Tiranga' as profile picture in social media accounts between August 2 and August 15," he said. 'Har Ghar Tiranga' is a campaign under the aegis of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav to encourage people to bring the Tiranga home and to hoist it to mark the 75th year of India's independence. Addressing the 91st edition of the monthly radio programme, Mann Ki Baat, Prime Minister Modi stated that India is set to witness a glorious and historic moment as it completes 75 years of Independence. Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav is an initiative of the Government of India to celebrate and commemorate 75 years of independence and the glorious history of its people, culture and achievements. (ANI)
The Lower House of the Parliament has been adjourned till 2 pm on Wednesday amid a ruckus created by the Opposition over the "misuse" of central agencies and other issues. Shortly before the adjournment, the Energy Conservation (Amendment) Bill, 2022, was introduced in the Lower House. Earlier, Congress MPs Manickam Tagore and K Suresh submitted adjournment notices in the Lok Sabha, demanding a discussion over the recent searches at the offices of the National Herald by the Enforcement Directorate. In the Rajya Sabha, Chairman Venkaiah Naidu refused to allow a discussion over the "misuse" of central agencies. Leader of the Opposition and senior Congress leader M Mallikarjun Kharge and his colleague Deepender Singh Hooda, Shiv Sena's Priyanka Chaturvedi, and AAP's Sanjay Singh and Raghav Chadha gave notices under rule 267 but they were not admitted. "You know my position. These are all notices not worth to be taken up under 267," Naidu said. Rule 267 provides for setting aside the business of the day to take up discussion on the issue being raised in such notice. The Monsoon Session convened on July 18 and will conclude on August 12. Meanwhile, Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Pralhad Joshi on Tuesday said that a meeting will be held on August 5 regarding the upcoming Vice-presidential polls. Addressing the media persons after attending the BJP Parliamentary Party meeting, Joshi said, "We will be meeting again on August 5 regarding vice-presidential polls." The Bharatiya Janata Party Parliamentary party meeting began on Tuesday morning in the Parliament Library Building in the presence of BJP national president Jagat Prakash Nadda. Union Ministers Rajnath Singh, Ashwini Vaishnaw, S Jaishankar, Anurag Thakur and Pralhad Joshi were among those who were seen arriving for the meeting at the Parliament Library building. Rajnath Singh is chairing the meeting. Notably, the election for the Vice President's post will be held on August 6. This comes just as the tenure of Vice President Venkaiah Naidu comes to an end on August 10, 2022. The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has announced Jagdeep Dhankhar as its vice-presidential candidate while opposition parties have announced Margaret Alva as their candidate. The vice president of India, which is the second-highest constitutional post in the country, is elected through an electoral college consisting of members of the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha. (ANI)
Expelled Congress MLA Kuldeep Bishnoi resigned as the legislator from the Adampur Constituency in Haryana on Wednesday. He tendered his resignation to the Haryana Assembly Speaker Gian Chand Gupta. He is likely to join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday. "Congress is no longer the party of Rajiv Gandhi and Indira Gandhi. I will work in the BJP as an ordinary worker," Bishnoi said. Holding Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Leader of Opposition in the Haryana Assembly responsible for his exit, Bishnoi said, "Disputes happen in a family but enmity should not arise. BS Hooda had challenged me to resign, and I accepted his challenge. Now, I challenge him to contest elections and win from Adampur constituency." Bishnoi said he was impressed by the working style of Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal. Earlier, while addressing a gathering in Hisar, he said, "Rapid work for development can only be done while being in power. We need to strengthen the work done by the CM. I'll give my resignation (from Congress). We should give a good message even to BJP that a popular leader is joining the party." Bishnoi on Tuesday tweeted, "Today, before a new political journey, I reached out to my loved ones and discussed in detail and as always got a lot of love and support, for which I will always be grateful to the people of Adampur. I will never let Adampur lose its honour and respect." Last month, expelled Congress MLA from Haryana, Kuldeep Bishnoi met Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP national president JP Nadda. Bishnoi who cross-voted in the Rajya Sabha polls in Haryana was expelled from all party positions including his status as a special invitee to the Congress Working Committee (CWC). After the Congress expelled Bishnoi, he had said that rules of the party existed only for some leaders while there others were exceptions. "Congress has rules for some leaders and makes exceptions for others. Rules are applied selectively. Indiscipline has been repeatedly ignored in the past. In my case, I listened to my soul and acted on my morals," he had tweeted. He also claimed that because of inaction, the party had missed out on critical opportunities. "Had @incindia acted this swiftly & strongly in 2016 and on every other critical opportunity they've missed, they wouldn't have been in such dire straits," he added in another tweet. The expulsion came after Congress candidate Ajay Maken lost the Rajya Sabha elections to media baron Kartikeya Sharma, a BJP-backed independent candidate, by a "narrow margin". Maken's loss came as huge shock to the grand old party which was confident of winning the seat. Polling was held on June 10 to elect two members to the Upper House of Parliament from Haryana. BJP's Krishan Lal Panwar scored a comfortable victory with 31 votes, leaving the battle for the second seat between Maken and Sharma. (ANI)
Prominent preacher and chief of Haryana Sikh Gurudwara Management Committee (HSGMC) Baljit Singh Daduwal has urged Sikh youths, especially the baptised ones, to shun radicalism and violence and stay away from dollar dreams shown by secessionist organisation in the name of Khalistan. In a video message, the prominent Sikh preacher said that several Sikh families were suffering because their children were getting lured by payment of a few hundred to thousand dollars and promise of a job made by a US-based secessionist organisation, which is banned in India, in exchange for hosting Khalistan flags or writing its slogans. He repeatedly urged the youth not to waste their life on radicalism and take care of their family. "Lured by dollars, many lands in jails. It is tragic that the Sikhs, mainly Amritdhari (baptised) youths, have got swayed by these promises and end up in jails. They are not even getting bail. Many youths have been in jail for over two years. The organisation that got this unlawful work done, didn't even pay them," Daduwal said. The US-based organisation had reportedly asked youths from Haryana and Punjab to hoist Khalistan flags and paint its slogans. Daduwal appealed for foreign organisations to open factories or invest in projects in India to help the Punjabi youths instead of luring them into radicalism. "If the foreign organisations are so concerned about unemployment, they should come here and open factories or invest in projects to help Punjab youths," the Sikh preacher said. Dadulwal also asked other religious leaders to spread the same message to youths. In July, Patiala Police arrested two persons who were lured by a banned organisation into pasting its posters and hoist its flag. Karnal Police in July arrested a Patiala-based man for writing "pro-Khalistan slogans" on the walls of two educational institutions on June 20. Police said that the accused was promised to pay USD 1,000 by a US-based person for accomplishing the job. In May this year the Punjab Police's intelligence headquarters building in Mohali was targeted with a rocket propelled grenade and central intelligence agencies found the role of suspected overground workers of Khalistani extremists group associated with Pakistan-based terrorists. Besides this, in May this year, 'Khalistan' flags were found tied on the Himachal Pradesh Assembly main gate and walls. Following this, the state police booked the banned organization outfit's general counsel and held him as the "main accused" in the case. (ANI)
A day after a 35-year-old man of African origin with no recent history of foreign travel tested positive for Monkeypox in Delhi thereby taking the total count to 8 in the country, a top scientist has said that Indian Council of Medical Research's (ICMR) Viral Research and Diagnostic Laboratories (VRDL) has tested about a 100 samples till Wednesday morning. Speaking to ANI today, Dr Pragya Yadav, a senior scientist at ICMR-NIV, Pune said, "Till August 2 morning, we have tested approximately 100 samples at ICMR-NIV Pune and VRDL." Notably, the National Centre for Disease Control in Delhi has also started testing samples for detecting Monkeypox as ICMR-NIV is sharing reagents with NCDC and with a network of 15 laboratories spread across the country. "There are 15 Virus research and diagnostic laboratories (VRDLs) trained to undertake the diagnostic testing with ICMR -NIV Pune. We have shared reagents to NCDC, Delhi and AIIMS Delhi for performing testing. ICMR-NIV, Pune is a nodal center for testing and coordination," said Dr Pragya Yadav. Upon being questioned whether samples are still pending for testing, she said, "We do not have any samples pending for testing as of now. Sample testing is a continuous process and it is being processed." "Samples are collected on the basis of guidelines issued by the Union Health Ministry," she said Upon being asked whether ICMR- NIV has isolated the virus and what is the next step that it is most likely to take to control the spread of the virus, Dr Pragya further opined, "Isolation of Monkeypox virus is carried out in Vero cells using the clinical specimens of Monkeypox virus positive confirmed case." "To characterize further, Monkeypox virus isolates in cell culture and animal model. To develop indigenous serological assays for Monkeypox diagnosis and for sero-surveillance studies and to develop a vaccine candidate and assess its immunogenicity in animal models." On surveillance, she said, "VRDL network is already strengthened to undertake the surveillance as well as a differential diagnosis of the suspected cases." India's monkeypox tally touched eight on Tuesday with two more cases being confirmed -- one in Kerala and the other in Delhi. The case in Kerala is of a 30-year-old man who returned last week from the UAE. The state's Monkeypox tally has now touched five. Notably, all 5 of them have a history of travel to the UAE. (ANI)
The cyber wing of the south east district police arrested thirteen people for allegedly running a fake international call center and duping Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) in Delhi on Wednesday. The police conducted a raid and busted the center. As per the police, it was found that a setup of computers and accessories were installed to communicate with the NRIs. These alleged persons used to call them posing as officials and ask for money. "Twenty mobile phones, eleven computer monitors, eleven CPUs, eleven keyboards, ten headphones, one wi-fi router, one Mahindra Thar, and one i-20 car were recovered from their possession," the police said. When the location was raided, the accused were talking to Indians who are living abroad, the police added. Following the case, an FIR was registered at P.S. Cyber Police Station under sections 419, 420, 120, 120, and 34 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Further investigation of the case is in progress. South East Deputy Commissioner of Police Esha Pandey said, "On sustained interrogation, accused persons disclosed that they used to communicate with the Indians living abroad (NRIs) to dupe them by impersonating as police or government officials of that respective country." "They used to tell them that their national identity number has been found involved in criminal activities and if they wanted to get acquitted from those criminal charges, they would have to pay a certain amount as a fine. The victims used to pay them through cash or online gift cards to emancipate themselves from such fake charges," the DCP further said. Earlier on June 4, the Cyber Police station of Outer District busted another international fake call center, in which the accused persons were cheating US citizens by pretending themselves as executives of Microsoft support. After that raid, Delhi Police raided the call center premises located in Engineers Enclave. (ANI)
Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) on Wednesday declared its support for the opposition's vice presidential candidate Margaret Alva. The vice-presidential poll is slated to be held on August 6 as the tenure of incumbent M Venkaiah Naidu comes to an end on August 10. The JMM released a communique for its leaders saying that '...All the MPs are directed to vote for the vice-president candidate Margaret Alva in the upcoming polls on August 6.' Alva filed her nomination for the Vice Presidential election on July 19. Opposition parties on July 17 decided to field the former Rajasthan Governor as their joint candidate for the vice presidential election. The decision to field Alva was taken at a meeting of opposition leaders of 17 parties at the residence of NCP supremo Sharad Pawar. Meanwhile, the ruling NDA has fielded West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar as its joint candidate for the post of Vice President. Dhankar, who is a lawyer by profession, entered into politics in 1989. He became the governor of West Bengal in July 2019 and has made headlines since then over his tumultuous relations with the Mamata Banerjee government. He tendered his resignation as the Governor of West Bengal, following the nomination for the vice president post. The vice president of India, which is the second-highest constitutional post in the country, is elected through an electoral college consisting of members of the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha. Meanwhile, Trinamool Congress said that the party will abstain from voting in the upcoming Vice Presidential poll. In 2017, the NDA had nominated Venkaiah Naidu as its candidate for the vice-presidential election and he went on to become India's 15th vice president. (ANI)
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday offered his prayers at Sri Jagadguru Murugharajendra Vidyapeetha in Karnataka's Chitradurga district. Gandhi posted many of his photographs on Facebook and wrote, "Offered my humble respects at Sri Jagadguru Murugharajendra Vidyapeetha, Chitradurga in the presence of its President Dr Sri Shivamurthy Murugha Sharanaru and senior leaders." Rahul, in his post on Facebook, appreciated the contribution of Vidyapeetha in empowering people throughout the state. "The Vidyapeetha is engaged in commendable efforts to empower people from rural and remote areas through 150 educational and cultural institutions. Their work has helped uplift countless lives and is an inspiration for all," Rahul Gandhi further said in the same Facebook post. Congress leader also honoured the president of Vidyapeeth Dr Sri Shivamurthy Murugha Sharanaru, offering him a shawl. Gandhi received the 'Ishtalinga Deekshe' from the Murugha Sharanaru. He was also felicitated by the seer and gifted a portrait of Basavanna. Later, the leader took Twitter to say, "The teachings of Guru Basavanna are eternal and I am humbled to learn more about it from the Sharanaru of the Math." Notably, Sri Jagadguru Murugharajendra Vidyapeetha is an apex body established under the Societies Act to organize and manage educational and cultural institutions with an intention to take education to the doorsteps of common people in rural and remote areas. This was started in the year 1964 by His Holiness Jagadguru Sri Sri Mallikarjua Murugharajendra Mahaswamiji, the then pontiff of Srimath and now It runs 150 institutions. During his last visit to the state in April, the Wayanad MP had set a target of winning 150 seats and urged for unity among the party's rank. (ANI)
The encounter occurred in the Manja area in Karbi Anglong district on Wednesday morning.

KULA is a newly floated militant group in the state which was founded by youths and is organized by them.

After getting the information about suspicious activity by the group in the Marea, The Assam Police reached the location and then, the militants opened fire at the police. In this encounter, a member of the KULA got injured. No police personnel is injured.

Police also arrested three militants including the self-styled Chairman of the outfit and recovered arms and ammunition in possession from them.

Pushpraj Singh, Superintendent of Police (SP) of Karbi Anglong district, told ANI that Karbi Anglong district police had launched the operation based on intelligence input.

"The self-styled Chairman of the militant outfit identified as D. P. Kronjang alias Daniel Teron was injured during the encounter and he was rushed to hospital. We have arrested two other leaders of the newly floated militant outfit and recovered arms, ammunition, dresses, letter pad, etc from the site," Pushpraj Singh said.

The arrested militants were identified as Sedeng Tungan alias Pronob Timung, General Secretary of KULA and Arak Ejang alias Thengtom Hanse, Finance Secretary of KULA. (ANI)
Union Roads, Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari on Tuesday said that good governance and development is Modi government's mission and it will provide ample employment opportunity to the youth. "Our government has taken a resolution to eradicate poverty from the country. We will provide employment to youth. We are working for the country. Good governance and development is our mission," Gadkari said addressing a programme of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav organised by the Republican Party of India. Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav is an initiative of the Government of India to celebrate and commemorate 75 years of independence and the glorious history of its people, culture and achievements. Addressing the same event, Union Home Minister Amit Shah emphasised on vital sectors of development and asserted that if the countrymen fulfil resolutions for the development of the country in the next 25 years, India will become a Vishwa guru. "How will India be in 2047? How will it be in every field? How will it be in the field of education, health, and development? This year is the year to make India better in every field. If we work on these core sectors and fulfil its goals in the next 25 years, then after 25 years, India will become Vishwa Guru," Union Home Minister Amit Shah had said while addressing an event in the national capital. Shah was speaking at 'Tiranga Utsav', an event held to celebrate the 146th birth anniversary of freedom fighter Pingali Venkayya, who designed the national flag. On the occasion, Shah also launched 'Tiranga' anthem and video. The family of Venkayya was also felicitated at the event. A commemorative postage stamp in honour of Venkayya was later released. Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday changed his profile picture on his social media handles to 'Tiranga' ahead of Independence Day celebrations in the country. PM Modi on Sunday called upon all citizens to turn the 'Har Ghar Tiranga' campaign into a mass movement by hoisting or displaying the national flag at their homes and using the 'Tiranga' as a display picture on their social media accounts between August 2 and August 15 to commemorate the 75th anniversary of India's Independence. "Under the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, from the 13th to the 15th of August, a special movement - 'Har Ghar Tiranga' is being organized. Let us further this movement by hoisting the National Flag at our homes," said Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday while addressing the monthly radio programme 'Mann Ki Baat'. (ANI)
The Delhi Government has told the Delhi High court that the state is making all possible efforts to ensure the creation of separate toilets for the use of Transgenders adding that the task will completed on a fast track basis. The submissions of the Delhi government counsel came during the hearing of a public interest litigation (PIL) that sought directions for separate public toilets for transgenders. After taking note of the submissions made by its counsel, the bench of Justice Satish Chander Mishra and Justice Subramoiumn Prasad granted the state government six weeks to file a fresh status report on the construction of new toilets for the use of Transgenders or Third Gender persons. The Court listed the matter for November 14, for a detailed hearing. According to the recent status report of the Delhi Government, as many as 505 toilets meant for Persons with Disabilities have also been designated for the use of Transgenders. The Status Report further revealed that nine new toilets for the use of Transgender/Third Gender persons have already been constructed and the construction of 56 more toilets solely for Transgender/Third Gender persons is underway. The Delhi government also filed a detailed chart furnishing minute details with respect to the separate toilets for Transgender persons. The Delhi High Court had earlier sought a response from the Centre, Delhi Government, Civic Bodies and others on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking direction to respondents to take necessary actions for building separate washrooms for transgender/ third genders. The Petitioner, Jasmine Kaur Chhabra, a Law Student through Advocate Rupinder Pal Singh sought direction to respondents for necessary actions as per the Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban) Revised Guidelines dated 5 October 2017 specifying the need to make separate seats/toilets for trans-genders. The plea further sought direction to maintain the hygiene of the washrooms, so that every citizen of India gets equal rights and facilities for accessing the basic things, needed for a standard living. The petition sought proper implementation of the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019 which criminalises the discrimination against a transgender person in education, employment, healthcare, movement and right to reside. The plea further stated that the Centre has released funds but there are still no separate toilets for the Transgender/Third gender community in Delhi. Mysore, Bhopal and Ludhiana have already started taking action on the matter and have built separate public washrooms and that Delhi was still nowhere in taking such an initiative, it added. There are no separate toilet facilities for transgenders, they have to use male toilets where they are prone to sexual assault and harassment. Discrimination on the ground of sexual orientation or gender identity, therefore, impairs equality before law and equal protection of law and violates Article 14 of the Constitution of India. They don't even have any remedy available for the same as there are no provisions in the IPC,1860 that protect transgender from sexual assault by any male, female or another transgender, the plea read. (ANI)
A special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court in Kochi on Monday sentenced two persons to seven years of rigorous imprisonment and a third to six years in prison after they were found guilty in a 2005 case in which a Tamil Nadu state government bus was set on fire. The case was initially registered on September 9, 2005 the at Kalamassery Police Station, in Ernakulum, Kerala but moved to NIA for invertigation on January 22, 2010. The NIA filed a charge sheet on December 17, 2010 against 13 accused. The convicted accused have been identified as Nazeer Thadiyantavidatha alias Ummer Haji alias Haji from Kerala's Kannur while Sabir Buhari and Thajudin hailed from Ernakulam. Nazeer Thadiyantavidatha and Sabir Buhari have been sentenced to seven years of rigorous imprisonment (RI) and a fine of Rs 2,35,000 for offences under sections 120B (punishment of criminal conspiracy), 121A (conspiracy to commit offences, like waging or attempting to wage war or abetting waging of war, against the Government of India), 323, 364, 435, 506 (ii) of IPC section 4 of PDPP Act besides sections 16(1)(b) (punishment for the terrorist act) and 18 (punishment for conspiracy, etc.) of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). Thajudin has been sentenced to six years of RI and a fine of Rs. 1,60,000 for the offence under section 120B, 121A, 323, 364 of IPC, 435, 506 (ii) of IPC, section 4 of PDPP Act besides sections 16(1)(b) and 18 of UAPA Act. The NIA claimed that the accused persons had entered into a criminal conspiracy in the first week of September 2005 to wage war, strike terror, and damage government property in retaliation to the continued detention of Abdul Nasar Madani, Chairman of PDP who was detained in Coimbatore jail at that time. The accused persons had assembled on September 8, 2005, at Aluva Masjid and chalked out a plan at the instigation of another accused person to set fire to a Tamil Nadu government-owned bus. Trial against eight other accused persons, including one absconding, is in progress. (ANI)
The troops recovered one pistol and eight rounds from the cadre, said a press release on Tuesday.

After questioning the cadre was handed over to police for further investigation.

Earlier in July, an Eastern Naga National Government (ENNG) cadre was apprehended by Assam Police and Indian Army in a joint operation at New Balijan in Sadiya.

The apprehended ENNG cadre was identified as Rangashor Chakma (25), a resident of Changlang district in Arunachal Pradesh.

One 7.65 mm pistol, one magazine and four live rounds were recovered from him.

According to the police, Chakma was involved in extortion activities in the Sadiya area.

Acting on a tip-off, a team of Army and police launched an operation in the Sadiya area and nabbed the cadre of the proscribed outfit.

While in another case, security forces nabbed a 24-year-old ENNG rebel from Arunachal Pradesh's Changlang district.

A joint team of nine Assam Rifles and Changlang police have apprehended the cadre identified as self-styled Sergeant Major Sampan Harap alias Jugli of Eastern Naga National Government (ENNG) outfit from Changlang.

According to police, he was attempted to recruit new members and involved in extortion cases in Changlang town.

Security forces have launched operations against the insurgents hiding in Arunachal Pradesh.

"We have apprehended many cadres of insurgent groups operating from Myanmar. The rebel outfit wants to disturb the peace of the region by carrying out subversive activities," said a police source.

Arunachal Pradesh shares its boundary with Myanmar and very easily the insurgent groups enter Arunachal through a jungle route. (ANI)
Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday sealed the Young Indian office at the Herald House building in the national capital. ED sealed the Young Indian office at the Herald House building in Delhi as no one was available in the office during the search and thus they were not able to complete the search. The order put outside the Young Indian office reads that the "premises not be opened without prior permission" from the agency. Earlier reports said that the Herald House office was sealed. The probe agency took action a day after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) carried out raids at 12 locations in the national capital and at other places in connection with the National Herald case in which top Congress leaders are accused of violating norms. "Delhi Police blocking the road to AICC Headquarters has become a norm rather than an exception! Why have they just done so is mysterious...," Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said. The National Herald case pertains to the alleged financial irregularities under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and was registered about nine months ago after a trial court took cognisance of an Income Tax department probe carried out on the basis of a private criminal complaint filed by former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Subramanian Swamy in 2013. The petitioner had approached the court alleging that the assets of Associated Journals Limited (AJL), which published the National Herald newspaper, were fraudulently acquired and transferred to Young Indian Pvt Limited (YIL), in which Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul Gandhi owned 38 per cent shares each. Swamy had alleged that the Gandhis cheated and misappropriated funds, with YIL paying only Rs 50 lakh to obtain the right to recover Rs 90.25 crore that AJL owed to Congress. The raids were conducted days after the investigative agency questioned Congress interim-president Sonia Gandhi for nearly three hours on July 27. It was the third round of questioning of the senior leader in the case. Following the summoning of Sonia Gandhi by the ED, Congress workers and leaders staged protests in various parts of the country alleging misuse of probe agencies by the government. Sonia Gandhi was questioned by ED on July 26 also. She had reached the ED office accompanied by her daughter Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. Officials said on that day, the party president's response was sought to around 30 questions regarding her involvement with the National Herald newspaper and Young Indian Pvt Ltd. During her questioning, the Lok Sabha MP from Rae Bareli was asked about the functioning and running of the newspaper, the role of its various office bearers. Prior to that, she was also questioned by ED on July 21. Meanwhile, in June, the ED questioned Rahul Gandhi for five days. Rahul Gandhi was questioned by the ED for over 27 hours for three straight days from June 13 to June 15 and was again summoned on June 20. On June 20, he was questioned for around 14 hours. The Congress leader deposed before the ED investigators in the case for the first time on June 13. He initially sought an exemption from appearance on June 16, following which he was called on June 17. But the senior Congress leader wrote to the ED to postpone his questioning citing the illness of his mother Sonia Gandhi. The ED then allowed him to join the probe on June 20 at his request. (ANI)
Keeping in view the interest of sugarcane farmers, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs on Wednesday approved the Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) of sugarcane for sugar season 2022-23. (October - September) at Rs 305/qtl for a basic recovery rate of 10.25 per cent, providing a premium of Rs. 3.05/qtl for each 0.1 per cent increase in recovery over and above 10.25 per cent, and reduction in FRP by Rs. 3.05/qtl for every 0.1 per cent decrease in recovery. However, the government with a view to protect interests of sugarcane farmers has also decided that there shall not be any deduction in case of sugar mills where recovery is below 9.5 per cent. Such farmers will get Rs. 282.125/qtl for sugarcane in ensuing sugar season 2022-23 in place of Rs. 275.50/qtl in current sugar season 2021-22. The A2 + FL cost of production of sugarcane (i.e actual paid out cost plus imputed value of family labour) for the sugar season 2022-23 is Rs. 162/qtl. This FRP of Rs. 305/qtl at a recovery rate of 10.25 per cent is higher by 88.3 per cent over cost of production, thereby ensuring the promise of giving the farmers a return of more than 50 per cent over their cost. The FRP for sugar season 2022-23 is 2.6 per cent higher than current sugar season 2021-22. Due to proactive policies of Central Government, sugarcane cultivation and sugar industry has come a long way in past 8 years and now reached a level of self-sustainability. This is outcome of timely government interventions and collaboration with sugar industry, State Governments, various departments of Central Government as well as farmers. Salient measures taken by the Government for Sugar Sector in recent years are as under: FRP of sugarcane is fixed to ensure a guaranteed price to sugarcane growers. Government has increased FRP by more than 34% in past 8 years. Government has also introduced the concept of Minimum Selling Price (MSP) of sugar to prevent fall in ex-mill prices of sugar & accumulation of cane arrears (MSP was fixed initially at Rs 29/ kg w.e.f 07-06-2018; revised to Rs 31/kg w.e.f. 14-02-2019). Financial assistance of more than Rs 18,000 crore extended to sugar mills to facilitate export of sugar, for maintaining buffer stocks, to augment ethanol production capacity and for clearance of farmers' dues. Diversion of surplus sugar for production of ethanol led to improved financial conditions of sugar mills. As a result, they are able to clear cane dues early. Due to exports and diversion of sugar to ethanol, sugar sector has become self-sustainable and budgetary support for export and buffer are not required to improve liquidity of mills. Further, due to various others measures taken for the Sugar Sector during past few sugar seasons which inter-alia included introduction of high yielding varieties of sugarcane, adoption of drip irrigation system, modernization of sugar plant and other R&D activities, the area of sugarcane cultivation, production of sugarcane, cane crushed, sugar production & its recovery percentage and the payment to farmers have increased considerably. Government committed to increase income of farmers: Decision will benefit 5 crore sugarcane farmers (Ganna Kisan) and their dependents, as well as 5 lakh workers employed in the sugar mills and related ancillary activities. 9 years back, FRP was only Rs. 210/ qtl in sugar season 2013-14 & only about 2,397 LMT of sugarcane was purchased by sugar mills. Farmers were getting only about Rs 51,000 crore from sale of sugarcane to sugar mills. However, in past 8 years Government has increased FRP by more than 34 per cent. In the current sugar season 2021-22, about 3,530 lakh tons of sugarcane of worth Rs. 1,15,196 crore was purchased by sugar mills, which is an all-time high. Keeping the increase in the acreage & expected production of sugarcane in the ensuing sugar season 2022-23, more than 3,600 lakh tons of sugarcane is likely to be purchased by sugar mills for which the total remittance to the sugarcane farmers is expected to be more than Rs 1,20,000 crore. The Government through its pro-farmer measures will ensure that sugarcane farmers get their dues in time. In the previous sugar season 2020-21, about Rs 92,938 crore cane dues were payable, out of which Rs. 92,710 crore has been paid & only Rs. 228 crore arrears are pending. In the current sugar season 2021-22, out of cane dues payable of Rs. 1,15,196 crores about Rs. 1,05,322 crores cane dues have been paid to farmers, as on 01.08.2022; thus, 91.42 per cent cane dues have been cleared which is higher than earlier seasons. India is the largest producer & second largest exporter of sugar in the world: India has surpassed Brazil in sugar production in the current sugar season. With the increase in the production of sugar in past 8 years, India apart from meeting its requirement for domestic consumption has also consistently exporting sugar which has helped in reducing our fiscal deficit. In last 4 sugar seasons 2017-18, 2018-19, 2019-20 & 2020-21, about 6 Lakh Metric Tonne (LMT), 38 LMT, 59.60 LMT & 70 LMT of sugar has been exported. About 100 LMT of sugar has been exported till 01.08.2022 in the current sugar season 2021-22 & exports likely to touch 112 LMT. Sugarcane farmers & sugar industry now contributing in energy sector: India's 85 per cent requirement of crude oil is met through imports. But with a view to reduce import bill on crude oil, to reduce pollution & to make India Atmanirbhar in petroleum sector, Government is pro-actively moving ahead to increase production & blending of ethanol with petrol under the Ethanol Blended with Petrol programme. Government is encouraging sugar mills to divert excess sugarcane to ethanol which is blended with petrol, which not only serves as a green fuel but also saves foreign exchange on account of crude oil import. In sugar seasons 2018-19, 2019-20 & 2020-21, about 3.37 LMT, 9.26 LMT & 22 LMT of sugar has been diverted to ethanol. In current sugar season 2021-22, about 35 LMT of sugar is estimated to be diverted & by 2025-26 more than 60 LMT of sugar is targeted to be diverted to ethanol, which would address the problem of excess sugarcane as well as delayed payment issue because farmers would get timely payment. Government has fixed target of 10 per cent blending of fuel grade ethanol with petrol by 2022 & 20 per cent blending by 2025. Till year 2014, ethanol distillation capacity of molasses-based distilleries was only about 215 cr litres. However, in past 8 years due to the policy changes made by the Government, the capacity of molasses-based distilleries have increased to 595 cr litres. Capacity of grain based distilleries which were about 206 cr litres in 2014 have now increased to 298 cr ltrs. Thus, the overall capacity of ethanol production has doubled in past 8 years from 421 cr ltrs in 2014 to 893 cr ltrs in July' 2022. Government is also extending interest subvention to sugar mills/ distilleries for loans availed from banks for augmentation of ethanol production capacities. About 41,000 cr investment is being made in ethanol sector which will create employment opportunities in rural areas. In ethanol supply year (ESY) 2013-14, supply of ethanol to OMCs was only 38 crore litres with blending levels of only 1.53 per cent. Production of fuel grade ethanol and its supply to OMCs has increased by 8 times from 2013-14. In ethanol supply year 2020-21 (December - November), about 302.30 cr ltrs of ethanol has been supplied to OMCs thereby, achieving 8.1 per cent blending levels. In the current ESY 2021-22, we have been able to achieve 10.17 per cent blending levels. More than 400 cr ltrs of ethanol likely to be supplied by sugar mills/ distilleries for blending with petrol in the current ESY 2021-22 which will be 10 times in comparison to supplies in year 2013-14. Sugar industry becoming self-sustainable: Earlier, sugar mills were dependent primarily on sale of sugar to generate revenues. Surplus production in any season adversely affects their liquidity leading to accumulation of cane price arrears of farmers. Government interventions were made from time to time to improve their liquidity. However, in past few years due to Central Government's proactive policies including encouragement to export surplus sugar & to divert sugar to ethanol, the sugar industry has now become self-sustainable. Since, 2013-14 about Rs 49,000 crore revenue generated by sugar mills from sale of ethanol to Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs). In the current sugar season 2021-22, about Rs 20,000 cr revenue is being generated by sugar mills from sale of ethanol to OMCs; which has improved liquidity of sugar mills enabling them to clear cane dues of farmers. Revenue from sale of sugar & its by-products, ethanol supplies to OMCs, power production from bagasse based cogeneration plants & sale of potash produced from press mud has improved topline & bottom line growth of sugar mills. The measures taken by the Central Government and FRP enhancement have encouraged farmers to cultivate sugarcane and facilitated continued operation of sugar factories for domestic manufacturing of sugar. Due to proactive policies made by the Government for sugar sector, India is also now becoming atmanirbhar in energy sector. (ANI)
Telugu Desam Party (TDP) on Wednesday announced its support for the National Democratic Alliance's (NDA) candidate Jagdeep Dhankhar in the upcoming Vice Presidential elections. Earlier, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati announced her party's support for Dhankhar. Biju Janta Dal (BJD) also announced its support for NDA's Vice Presidential candidate Jagdeep Dhankar in the upcoming election. Meanwhile, Trinamool Congress said that the party will abstain from voting in the upcoming Vice Presidential poll. The election for the Vice President's post will be held on August 6. This comes just as the tenure of Vice President Venkaiah Naidu comes to an end on August 10, 2022. The NDA has announced Jagdeep Dhankhar as its vice-presidential candidate while opposition parties have announced Margaret Alva as their candidate. On July 18, Dhankhar filed his nomination papers before Returning Officer and Secretary General, Lok Sabha in Parliament House. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union ministers Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh, Nitin Gadkari, and BJP chief JP Nadda were present when Dhankar filed his nomination. Immediately after filing the nomination, Dhankhar said that he will strive for the democratic values of the country. "I will always strive to enhance the democratic values of the country. Never thought even in my dreams that a person with a humble background like me will get this opportunity." The vice president of India, which is the second-highest constitutional post in the country, is elected through an electoral college consisting of members of the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha. Born in an agrarian household in a remote village in Rajasthan's Jhunjhunu district, Dhankhar completed his school education from Sainik School, Chittorgarh. Dhankhar, who is a lawyer by profession, entered into politics in 1989. He became the governor of West Bengal in July 2019 and has made headlines since then over his tumultuous relations with the Mamata Banerjee government. He tendered his resignation as the Governor of West Bengal. After finishing his graduation in Physics, he pursued LLB from the University of Rajasthan. Despite being a first-generation professional, he became a leading lawyer in Rajasthan. Dhankhar has practiced in both the Rajasthan High Court and the Supreme Court of India. He entered public life after getting elected as a Member of Parliament from Jhunjhunu in the 1989 Lok Sabha elections. Subsequently, he also served as a Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs in 1990. In 1993, he was elected to the Rajasthan Assembly from the Kishangarh constituency in the Ajmer district. In July 2019, he was appointed as the Governor of West Bengal. In 2017, the NDA had nominated Venkaiah Naidu as its candidate for the vice-presidential election and he went on to become India's 15th vice president. His term ends on August 10, 2022. (ANI)
A Special Court in Kolkata on Wednesday extended the Enforcement Directorate (ED) custody of former West Bengal Minister Partha Chatterjee and his close aide, Arpita Mukherjee, by two days till August 5 in connection with the School Service Commission (SSC) recruitment scam. The duo was produced before the court as their 10-day ED custody was coming to an end. The ED unearthed many disproportionate assets of Partha Chatterjee since his arrest, of which were three flats in West Bengal's Diamond City. The ED sleuths have recovered around Rs 50 crore in cash, along with jewellery, from Mukherjee's two flats in southwest Kolkata and Belghoria. The arrest of Partha Chatterjee followed Rs 21 crore in cash and jewellery worth above Rs 1 crore being recovered from the Kolkata residence of Arpita Mukherjee, a close aide of the former education minister. The Enforcement Directorate July 23 recovered over Rs 21 crore in cash from the house of an associate of West Bengal Minister Partha Chatterjee. The ED raided Arpita Mukerjee's house in connection with an alleged teacher recruitment scam. Earlier, Rs 20 crore was recovered from her residence in South Kolkata. ED officials also conducted a raid at the residence of businessman Manoj Jain in Ballygunge. Jain is reportedly an aide of state minister Partha Chatterjee. Trinamool Congress, which has distanced itself from Chatterjee, axed him as a minister and suspended him from the party leaving it solely to him to defend himself in the Enforcement Directorate probe. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee also suspended Chatterjee from the party and removed him from all the party posts. Party leader Abhishek Banerjee told the media that Chatterjee has been suspended till the investigation is underway. "Partha Chatterjee has been removed from TMC along with the post of General Secretary, National vice president and three other posts. He has been suspended till the investigation is underway," Banerjee said. However, Chatterjee had denied his involvement in the School Service Commission (SSC) scam and asserted that the "money does not belong to him". "When the time comes, you will know...the money does not belong to me," he told media persons. Arrested Bengal minister Partha Chatterjee - who is now suspended from the Trinamool Congress - and his aide Arpita Mukherjee have separately been claiming that they are "victim(s) of a conspiracy." (ANI)
The Lok Sabha on Wednesday passed a bill that seeks to convert the National Rail and Transportation University, a deemed university, into Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya, an autonomous Central University under the administrative control of the Ministry of Railways. Replying to the debate Central Universities (Amendment), Bill 2022 in Lok Sabha, Union Minister for Education and Skill Development Dharmendra Pradhan said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi always works with a vision for the future and under his leadership, a future-ready workforce to embrace the fourth industrial revolution and challenges of the 21st century is being prepared. He also spoke about steps being taken for India to be self-reliant in frontier technologies. Pradhan spoke about the transformations taking place in the infrastructure and transport sectors including roads, railways, shipping and aviation. He said that the growth of transport sectors, building of airports across nation in smaller cities and increasing air traffic is reflective of aspirations of the people of India. The minister said that the transformations taking place in the transport sector call for building an institution to build a knowledge repository, conduct research, curate best practices, facilitate skill development, work on capacity building and facilitate the growth of transport sectors. He also said that the students of future would need to learn about environment, commerce, and social sciences, in addition to STEM to succeed in the infrastructure sector and a world-class, multi-disciplinary, multi-dimensional futuristic institution called Gati Shakti University has been envisioned. The Minister also spoke about the need to bring more and more youth in the mainstream education and skilling ecosystem in line with the vision of National Education Policy. "Our endeavour is to create a generation of job creators and not only job seekers," he said. Pradhan also said that a new work culture is being developed in India in which what is promised, will be delivered. Gati Shakti is another example of that work culture, he added. The bill seeks to amend Central Universities Act, 2009, which was enacted to establish and incorporate universities for teaching and research in various states.The National Rail and Transportation University is located in Vadodara. Pradhan said Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya will address the need of talent in the strategically important and expanding transportation sector and meet the demand for trained talent to fuel the growth and expansion of the sector. The statement of objects and reasons of the bill states that the proposed University will reverse brain drain and create critical capability and capacity by developing masters and doctoral degrees in transportation and go a long way in making the nation self-reliant in the transportation sector through its programmes for skilling and digitising India. It will carry out critically-needed research and development by creating innovative technologies to encourage local manufacturing and substitute the imports of expensive technology, equipment and products. It will also take additional measures for providing high-quality teaching, research and skill development in diverse disciplines related to transportation, technology and management including establishing centres in India and abroad. The scope of the proposed University will also extend beyond the railways to cover entire transport sector to support the ambitious growth and modernisation of the sector. (ANI)
Bharatiya Janata Party leader Aparna Yadav, who is also Samajwadi Party founder Mulayam Singh Yadav's younger daughter-in-law, on Wednesday spoke out in support of Mulayam's brother Shivpal Yadav who is estranged from his nephew and SP chief Akhilesh Yadav. Shivpal Yadav took to Twitter and said, "Why this fight for justice is incomplete? Why is there no mention of Azam Khan sir, Nahid Hasan, Shahzil Islam and other activists?" Supporting the statement made by Shivpal Yadav on Twitter, Aparna Yadav said, "Chacha Ji (Uncle) has made his point and has also put forward his letter and many people agree with the things that he has said." Aparna Yadav further slammed SP general secretary Ramgopal Yadav saying that in the governance of CM Yogi Adityanath, the law is same for everyone and there is no extortion of any class or religious group in the state. She also mentioned that choosing a tribal woman as a presidential candidate is in itself an example of no-discrimination policy in BJP's ideology. "Ramgopal Ji has said that the backwards n minorities are suppressed, they should see that if a tribal woman has become the president today, which is not seen in other countries, it is a big thing that Droupadi Murmu Ji has become nation's President, this is a big thing and there is no case of extortion, no injustice is being done." Speaking on Ramgopal Yadav's meeting with Uttar Pradesh CM, she said that meeting the CM was his way of approaching the Chief Minister and like everyone Yogi gave him his ears. "Any person who wants to meet the head of the state has the freedom to meet respected Maharaj Ji (Yogi)... Here everyone wants to meet him, he also chose a medium for his expression and put his point in front of Maharaj Ji and he listened to him." Earlier, Samajwadi Party (SP) tweeted that the party's general secretary held a meeting with Yogi and handed over a letter regarding alleged extortion and cases of suppression going on in the state against the "backwards and Muslims" and the alleged fake cases against them. "Today, the chief national general secretary of Samajwadi Party, Professor Ram Gopal Yadav, met Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in Lucknow. Talks were held in the context of the persecution of backwards and Muslims across the state by filing false cases unilaterally. The government should take back the fake cases," the SP tweeted. (ANI)
Police in Manipur's Imphal arrested a man accused of murdering his childhood friend in Hyderabad on Wednesday. Earlier on July 27, a woman in Manipur complained to the police that her brother had been missing for the last two days. A dead body was found in Tukaram Gate, Hyderabad on the same day. Priyajith Namasudra (21) was arrested in Imphal in connection with the murder. He had earlier fled Hyderabad with his wife after the crime. The police found out that the deceased and accused were childhood friends. Biswas and his family migrated to Hyderabad four years ago and were living in the Addagutta area. Namasudra and his wife also came to Hyderabad after a while and started living in a nearby house. However, an extramarital relationship developed between Biswas and Namasudra's wife, Shilpi. Despite Namasudra's warnings, Biswa did not change his behaviour and decided to kill the latter. On June 25, Namasudra and Biswas went to an under-construction house at Trimurthy Colony to consume liquor. While Biswas was inebriated, Namasudra hit him on his head with a wooden block, due to which he died on the spot. After the commission of the offence, the accused along with his wife fled away to their native place by flight as planned. The city police apprehended him in Imphal, brought him to Hyderabad on a transit warrant, and presented him in court on Wednesday. (ANI)
A new study used functional magnetic resonance imaging to examine the brain activity of 51 male-female romantic couples as they experienced intimate partner aggression in real-time. They found that aggression toward intimate partners was associated with aberrant activity in the brain's medial prefrontal cortex, or MPFC, which has many functions, but among them is the ability to foster perceptions of closeness with and value of other people. A new study led by Virginia Commonwealth University researchers used functional magnetic resonance imaging to examine the brain activity of 51 male-female romantic couples as they experienced intimate partner aggression in real time. They found that aggression toward intimate partners was associated with aberrant activity in the brain's medial prefrontal cortex, or MPFC, which has many functions, but among them is the ability to foster perceptions of closeness with and value of other people. "We found that aggression towards intimate partners has a unique signature in the brain," said lead author David Chester, Ph.D., an associate professor in the Department of Psychology in the College of Humanities and Sciences. "There is something distinct happening at the neural level when people decide whether to harm their romantic partners, a process that differs in a meaningful way from decisions about whether to harm friends or strangers." The research was led by Chester's Social Psychology and Neuroscience Lab, which seeks to understand the psychological and biological processes that motivate and constrain aggressive behavior. The study, "Neural Mechanisms of Intimate Partner Aggression," will be published in the journal Biological Psychology. The researchers were able to observe couples' brain activity during intimate partner aggression by asking participants to play a computer game against three people, one at a time: their romantic partner, a close friend and a stranger. In reality, they were playing against a computer. The participants were tasked with pressing a button faster than their opponents. The loser, they were told, would be punished with a nasty blast of sound in their headphones. The researchers measured aggression by giving participants, and their fictitious opponents, the opportunity to select the volume of that sound blast, with higher volume representing more aggression, and lower volume representing less aggression. "Basically, we gave participants repeated opportunities to hurt or not hurt each of these three people, and we examined how brain activity changed based on who they thought they were hurting," Chester said. "But ... no one was actually hurt by this computer game, participants unknowingly played against the computer." The researchers' findings also extended beyond the lab into the real world. They had participants fill out a validated questionnaire that asked whether they had perpetrated acts of intimate partner violence prior to the study. They found that blunted medial prefrontal cortex activity predicted some of the participants' real-world acts of intimate partner violence. "We expected to see that intimate partner aggression was linked to a unique signature of brain activity," Chester said. "What we were surprised about was the ability of this brain signature to predict real-world intimate partner violence." They also investigated how men's and women's neural activity affected each other's aggression. They found that women's intimate partner aggression was predicted by their male partner's brain response to perceived provocation. "This result fits with the well-established finding that women's intimate partner aggression may very often be in self-defense," Chester said. Taken together, he said, the study's results provide new insights into brain regions that are likely to be fruitful targets for interventions that aim to reduce intimate partner aggression and help science build an accurate brain model of such harmful acts. Chester added that the researchers approached this study with utmost care. Couples were pre-screened to ensure they were not at elevated risk for intimate partner violence. The researchers carefully debriefed each participant individually to make sure they felt comfortable to be reunited with their partner. And they carefully debriefed both partners again as a couple to make sure there were no lingering, negative effects of the study. "We had robust protocols in place in case anything went wrong, to safeguard the well-being of our participants," Chester said. "It is of paramount importance that studies into intimate partner aggression prioritize the safety and well-being of their participants, and we believe we achieved this goal." While this study focused on male-female intimate partner aggression, Chester said future work is needed to examine these dynamics across a greater diversity of gender identities and sexual orientations. (ANI)
The Delhi High Court on Wednesday dismissed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking direction for the Delhi government to reconsider its decision to withdraw Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) bus services to schools. The bench of Justice Satish Chander Sharma and Justice Subramonium Prasad on Wednesday decided to dismiss the petition. The plea stated that the Delhi government's decision to withdraw the DTC buses from schools would have adverse effects on not just the parents and students, but on every Delhiite, as this decision impinges on the right to a clean environment, which is an implicit aspect of Article 21. The Petitioner, Baba Alexander a native of Kerala and a resident of Delhi stated that being a parent, he is deeply concerned for fellow parents whose children are studying in schools which are affected by the decision of the DTC to withdraw its bus services to schools. The plea stated that the decision of DTC to withdraw its services to schools has come as a disappointment for parents and children at large. The plea mentioned that DTC had been providing its services to schools in Delhi for years and there is no justified reason for now discontinuing its service to schools. The decision of the respondents is also one which will aggravate traffic congestion on Delhi roads. There are already reports that since unlock phase began from March 2022, the traffic situation in Delhi is even worse than what it was prior to COVID. The decision to withdraw bus services to schools will thereby increase vehicular pollution and make the air quality worse. It will also increase traffic woes and may result in a lot of time wastage in travelling, the plea said. From the perspective of the safety of the child; the decision of DTC is one that causes anxiety to parents. The said decision will also increase the financial hardship of parents as they would have to pay more in the name of transportation charges during these precarious times when Covid-19 is still around us, the plea added. Appearing for petitioner Advocates Robin Raju, Deepa Joseph and Blessan Mathews had submitted that the lack of profit or loss should not be taken as a valid ground for taking the decision to withdraw bus services to schools, as the Delhi Government is a public transport company and ultimately the objective of a state-run department should be to serve maximum citizens and improve it service in a periodic manner. (ANI)
Amid rising tensions with China, India and the US will come together for a two-week high altitude military exercise at Auli in Uttarakhand, less than 100 km from the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the central region. The Indo-US joint exercise is known as 'Yudh Abhyas' which is in its 15th edition this year. Sources in the defence and security establishment said a joint exercise is being planned from October 14 to 31, where both the forces will conduct 'maneuvers to exploit the full scope' of the high altitude warfare. The sources said that the location (at 10,000 feet) where the exercise will take place falls in Phase 1 of adaptation to high altitude. "This time it is a very important exercise as the Indian side will be showcasing its high altitude warfare strategies, while the US will demonstrate a number of techniques that can be used in such scenarios. This exercise is planned in such a way that both the sides can come together for any scenario," said a source. Another source said that various activities have been planned for both sides to take full advantage of the two-week military exercise and to see how the troops can work together. India and China have seen escalating tensions along the LAC in the last two years following the standoff in Ladakh. Meanwhile, tensions mounted between the US and China over House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan on Tuesday. --IANS anil/uk/bg ( 258 Words) 2022-08-03-19:26:04 (IANS)
A day after announcing his resignation from the Congress, MLA Komatireddy Rajagopal Reddy launched a counter attack on state party chief A. Revanth Reddy. Hitting back at the state chief for calling him a traitor, Rajagopal Reddy said that Revanth Reddy has no Congress blood in him. The MLA from Munugode dubbed Revanth Reddy an outsider and a political opportunist who insulted party chief Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and other Congress leaders. Rajagopal Reddy stated that under Revanth Reddy's leadership, the Congress' votes in Huzurabad constituency came down from 60,000 in 2018 to a mere 3,000 in the recent by-election. He said the Congress had to face humiliating defeat as its candidate forfeited his deposit. Rajagopal Reddy, who also announced resignation as an MLA, dared Revanth Reddy to win the by-election in Munugode. He said the Congress cadres in the constituency will stand by him and they will never back Revanth Reddy. He said if Revanth Reddy comes to Munugode, the Congress will not be able to save the deposit. On Revanth Reddy's allegation that he was switching loyalties to the BJP to get a contract, the MLA challenged him to prove his allegation. "If Revanth Reddy proves his allegation, I will retire from politics," he said. Rajagopal Reddy also called Revanth Reddy a blackmailer. "His brand image is a blackmailer. Collecting money through blackmail is his quality," he remarked and wondered how Revanth Reddy amassed crores of rupees without any business. The MLA also reiterated the allegation that Revanth Reddy became state unit chief by offering money to some central leaders of the party. He alleged that the TPCC President was looking to loot the state by becoming the Chief Minister. Rajagopal Reddy also said that Revanth Reddy changed four parties. "If such a person targets me, people will not believe him. He was jailed in cash for vote fraud. Do I need to learn principles from such a person," he asked. The MLA claimed that he resigned for self-respect of Telangana and to fight against family rule of K. Chandrasekhar Rao. "I am joining the BJP for a battle," he said. --IANS ms/vd ( 366 Words) 2022-08-03-20:16:03 (IANS)
A team of West Bengal Police's CID is now in Assam to collect CCTV footage and other proof in connection with the arrest of three Congress MLAs of Jharkhand, who were nabbed with huge quantities of cash in Howrah district on July 30 evening. Police officials in Guwahati said that the Bengal CID team has collected CCTV footage from the Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International (LGBI) Airport in Guwahati and a hotel. "The Bengal CID team has been in Guwahati since Tuesday. We are extending all kinds of cooperation to them. This is a very funny matter that a section of the media reported that the Assam Police detained the Bengal CID team due to non providing of the FIR of the case," a senior police official said. On Saturday evening, the three MLAs -- Irfan Ansari, Rajesh Kacchap and Naman Bixal Kongari -- were nabbed by the police at Howrah's Panchla, with the cash in their vehicle. The MLAs told the police that the cash was meant for purchasing sarees from the wholesale market at Burrabazar in central Kolkata to distribute in their constituencies on the occasion of the forthcoming World Tribal Day. The MLAs and two of their associates, arrested with them, including the driver, have been remanded to CID custody till August 10. The Congress on Sunday suspended three MLAs accusing them of conspiracy to topple the state government.The matter rocked politics in Bengal, Assam, and Jharkhand. --IANS sc/vd ( 253 Words) 2022-08-03-20:54:04 (IANS)
Amid speculation of a cabinet expansion of the Narendra Modi-led Central government, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is aiming for two ministerial posts this time. Nitish Kumar, who has recovered from the Covid-19 infection, is likely to go to New Delhi after the Independence Day celebrations. Sources have said that the expansion of the Union Cabinet was put on hold due to the preparation of independence day and Azadi Ka Amrit mahotsav programmes. At present, Nitish Kumar's JD-U has no representation in the Modi government after the resignation of R.C.P. Singh. This time, Nitish Kumar wants two Cabinet Minister posts with probable candidates like his party's national President Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh and Nalanda MP Kaushalendra Kumar. The name of Lalan Singh is almost final while the second name is either Kaushalendra Kumar or Santosh Kushwaha. During the last cabinet expansion of the Modi government, Nitish Kumar had given R.C.P. Singh the responsibility to negotiate with the BJP for the two posts of Cabinet Ministers. Singh, however, put the party's interest aside and took one post for himself and became Union Steel Minister. In wake of this, Nitish Kumar refused to renominate Singh to the Rajya Sabha after his tenure ended on July 6, forcing him to resign from the Union Cabinet. --IANS ajk/vd ( 229 Words) 2022-08-03-21:16:03 (IANS)
CID sources confirmed that Agarwal was arrested on Wednesday afternoon from an undisclosed location near the Eastern Metropolitan Bypass.

He was first taken to the CID headquarters at Bhabani Bhavan from where he was shifted to state-run SSKM Medical College and Hospital after he complained of chest pain during the course of interrogation.

On Tuesday afternoon, the CID sleuths had raided Agarwal's office at Bikaner House in central Kolkata and recovered cash to the tune of around Rs 3.5 lakh along with 250 silver coins. A number of bank passbooks, passports and hard discs were also seized by the CID on Tuesday.

Last week, three Jharkhand MLAs -- Irfan Ansari, Rajesh Kacchap and Naman Bixal Kongari -- were nabbed by the police from Howrah with large amount of cash to the tune of Rs 49 lakh in their vehicles.

The MLAs told the police that the cash was meant for purchasing sarees from the wholesale market at Burrabazar in Kolkata for distribution in their constituencies on World Tribal Day on August 9.

The three MLAs along with two others have been remanded to CID custody till August 10.

--IANS src/arm

( 231 Words)

2022-08-03-21:56:03 (IANS)
The Supreme Court on Wednesday overruled an order by the Madras High Court directing the CBI to investigate corruption allegations against former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami. A bench headed by Chief Justice N.V. Ramana told the high court to decide the complaint against the former CM without being influenced by the observations or orders passed in this regard earlier. The bench, also comprising Justices Krishna Murari and Hima Kohli, said: "Let the high court examine the (inquiry) report. Without going into the details of the matter, we request the high court to look into the reports submitted there and pass an appropriate order after examining the report... We set aside all the observations that will not come in the way of the fresh consideration of the matter." As per the 2018 case, the Madras High Court had passed an order against Palaniswami while dealing with a petition by DMK leader R.S. Bharathi, seeking a CBI probe into the irregularities related to the contracts given by the state Highways Department. --IANS jw/vd ( 189 Words) 2022-08-03-22:28:01 (IANS)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday underlined that Maldives occupies a special place in the hearts of Indians and also in the country's "Neighbourhood First" policy as he reaffirmed strong ties with the island nation in a range of fields. Modi made these remarks during Maldivian President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih's visit to India. This was Solih's third visit to India since assuming office on November 17, 2018. During the visit, Solih had restricted and delegation-level talks with PM Modi during which the two leaders expressed satisfaction at the rapid expansion of the bilateral partnership in recent years. The two leaders reiterated their commitment to further strengthen and deepen the ties. "The India-Maldives bilateral partnership is underpinned by geographical proximity, historical, cultural ties and shared values. Prime Minister Modi underlined that the Maldives occupies a special place in the hearts of Indians and in India's 'Neighbourhood First' policy. President Solih reaffirmed his government's 'India-First Policy," the MEA said in a statement. President Solih thanked Prime Minister Modi and for standing by Maldives during the Covid-19 pandemic. The medical and financial assistance from India helped the Maldives overcome the health and economic fallouts of the pandemic. Both leaders agreed to further deepen institutional linkages for cooperation in the areas of defence and security, investment promotion, human resource development, infrastructure development including climate and energy They welcomed the growth in people-to-people ties through implementation of visa-free travel, better air connectivity, exchange programmes, and growing cultural and economic linkages. India has emerged as the top source of visitors for the Maldivian tourism market, contributing to its economic resilience. The leaders acknowledged the role of the bilateral air travel bubble, created during the pandemic, in the expansion of tourism ties. The two leaders welcomed the ongoing work to operationalize the usage of Rupay Cards in Maldives and agreed to consider further measures to boost bilateral travel and tourism and economic inter-linkages. Both leaders also acknowledged the valuable contribution of Indian teachers, nurses, medical workers, doctors, workers, and professionals in the Maldives. They welcomed the recent launch of National Knowledge Network in Maldives and directed the officials to work towards expanding its reach. The two leaders welcomed the engagement among business leaders from both countries during the visit, noting that fisheries, infrastructure, renewable energy, tourism, health, and IT among others were key sectors for greater economic linkages between the two countries through cross-border investments and partnerships. Both leaders acknowledged India's potential as a frontier market for Maldivian tuna products under the SAFTA. According to the MEA statement, India-Maldives development partnership has witnessed rapid growth in recent years and covers large infrastructure projects, community-level grant projects and capacity building programmes which are based purely on requirements of the Maldives, implemented through transparent processes and in a spirit of cooperation between the two Governments. Both leaders participated in the virtual "pouring of the first concrete" ceremony of the USD 500 mn Greater Male' Connectivity Project being built under grant and concessional loan support from India. The two leaders directed the officials to ensure timely completion of this largest landmark infrastructure project in Maldives - that will enhance mobility between Male', Villingili, Gulhifalhu and Thilafushi islands, cut down logistics cost and drive people-centric economic growth- which will be a symbol of enduring friendship between the two countries. Prime Minister Modi announced offer of a new Government of India Line of Credit of USD 100 million to finance infrastructure projects in Maldives. President Solih thanked Government of India for this offer and expressed confidence that this additional fund would enable implementation of several large infrastructure projects that have been under various stages of discussion. Both leaders reviewed the progress achieved in the development of the 4,000 social housing units being built in Greater Male under Buyer's Credit financing of Exim Bank of India. These housing units are in line with the Government of Maldives' focus of providing affordable housing for its citizens. The two leaders welcomed the approval of Exim Bank of India Buyer's Credit funding of USD 119 mn for construction of another 2000 social housing units in Greater Male and exchange of a Letter of Intent to this effect between Exim Bank of India and the Government of Maldives. President Solih expressed appreciation to the Government of India for the generous assistance for additional housing units. The two leaders expressed satisfaction at the progress achieved in other Indian funded projects including the Addu Roads project, provision of water and sewerage facilities at 34 islands, and restoration of Hukuru Miskiy (Friday Mosque). The two leaders welcomed the approval of the revised DPR of the Gulhifalhu Port Project and directed officials to commence implementation at the earliest as it will provide world class port facility for Greater Male' replacing the existing port and relocation of facilities from Male' City. The two leaders also welcomed final approval of the Indian side for signing of the Hanimaadhoo Airport Development project EPC contract and expressed happiness that implementation would commence shortly. The two leaders noted with satisfaction the finalisation of the feasibility report of the Cancer Hospital building project in Laamu and its financial closure through the Government of India Line of Credit. Both leaders welcomed the positive contribution to island communities from the 45 Community Development Projects, being implemented through grant assistance from India. Prime Minister Modi and President Solih noted with satisfaction that capacity building and training had emerged as a key pillar of the bilateral partnership in the past few years. Alongside ITEC training scheme, hundreds of Maldivians undergo special customized training in India, facilitated by institutional linkages between civil services, customs services, parliaments, judiciaries, media, health and education institutes, and defence and security organisations. The two leaders welcomed the MoU signed between the Local Government Authority of Maldives and the National Institute for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj of India which would strengthen the capacities of local government institutions in the Maldives. (ANI)
China accused Pelosi, the most senior US politician in 25 years to visit the island nation, which China claims as its own, of "playing with fire", the BBC reported

"Those who play with fire will perish by it," Beijing warned in a statement, the report said.

Pelosi said her visit "honours America's unwavering commitment to supporting Taiwan's vibrant democracy" and it did not contradict US policy.

As her plane touched down, Chinese state media reported that its military jets were crossing the Taiwan strait. However, Taiwan has denied any such action to have happened.

China, which sees Taiwan as a breakaway province which will one day reunite with its mainland, had previously warned that its armed forces "will not stand by idly".

In her statement, Pelosi said: "America's solidarity with the 23 million people of Taiwan is more important today than ever, as the world faces a choice between autocracy and democracy."

In an article published in the Washington Post, Pelosi also wrote that Taiwan's "robust democracy is under threat".

"In the face of Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) accelerating aggression, our Congressional delegation's visit should be seen as an unequivocal statement that America stands with Taiwan, our democratic partner, as it defends itself and its freedom," she said.

--IANS san/arm

( 242 Words)

2022-08-02-22:52:03 (IANS)
China on Tuesday warned the US that it should give up the attempt to play the "Taiwan card" and abide by the One-China principle and three Joint Communiques, shortly after US Representative Nancy Pelosi arrived in Taiwan on the day. The Chinese Ministry claimed that the US is using "Taiwan to control China" and warned that it should, "Stop interfering in Taiwan affairs and in China's internal affairs, stop supporting and condoning "Taiwan independence" separatist forces in various forms, and stop talking and acting on the Taiwan issue," an official statement issued by the Chinese Foreign Ministry said. "Stop distorting and hollowing out the one-China principle, abide by the one-China principle and the provisions of the three Sino-US joint communique with practical actions... don't make mistakes. And go further and further down the dangerous road," the statement added. Beijing said that Pelosi's visit gravely undermines peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and sends a seriously wrong signal to the "separatist forces for Taiwan independence" and if the US insists on pursuing the wrong path, it will assume full responsibility for all serious consequences arising thereof. "China will take all necessary measures to resolutely defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity in response to the US House Speaker's visit to Taiwan, China, and the US and the "Taiwan independence" separatist forces must be responsible for all the consequences," the Chinese ministry said. Foreign Ministry Spokesperson, Hua Chunying called the US, the biggest danger to world peace and said, "The US has reneged on its commitment on the Taiwan question. This is contemptible and will only further bankrupt the US's credibility as a country. Certain US politicians care about nothing but selfish gains and openly play with fire on the Taiwan question." Pelosi's plane landed in Taiwan on Tuesday on the highest level US visit in more than two decades. She arrived in Taipei as part of a Congressional delegation's tour of the Indo-Pacific region in the face of the China threat. Minutes after her aircraft landed in Taipei, the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) announced that it would hold six live-fire military drills in waters around Taiwan, scheduled to take place from Thursday to Sunday. Shortly after the US speaker landed, she reaffirmed her country's unwavering commitment to supporting Taiwan's democracy and said this trip in no way contradicts a longstanding United States policy on the self-governed island. "Our discussions with Taiwan leadership will focus on reaffirming our support for our partner and on promoting our shared interests, including advancing a free and open Indo-Pacific region," she added. The US House Speaker, who is second in line to the Oval Office after the US vice-president also expressed US solidarity with 23 million people of Taiwan in the face of the increasing threat from China. "Our visit is one of several Congressional delegations to Taiwan - and it in no way contradicts longstanding United States policy, guided by the Taiwan Relations Act of 1979, US-China Joint Communiques and the Six Assurances. The United States continues to oppose unilateral efforts to change the status quo," she added. (ANI)
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Amid the heightened tensions between China and the US over US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan, China has decided to avoid meeting US Secretary of State Antony Blinken at the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Cambodia. "Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister, Wang Yi has no plans to meet with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken although both are attending the 55th ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting and related meetings in Phnom Penh this week," Global Times quoted Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying as saying. The decision comes as a signal that reflects the severity of the visit, as well as China's outrage toward US 'provocations'. Deputy Director of the Department for Asia-Pacific Studies at the China Institute of International Studies, Zhang Tengjun said, "There's no need for Wang to meet and talk with Blinken anymore. We've said what we need to say, did what we should do... the US has received all information it needs, but Blinken insisted on making wrong comments." US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday said that it is Pelosi's decision whether she visits, adding, "we do not know what Speaker Pelosi intends to do." "And if the speaker does decide to visit and China tries to create some kind of crisis or otherwise escalate tensions, that would be entirely on Beijing," adding, "We are looking for them, in the event, she decides to visit, to act responsibly and not to engage in any escalation going forward." Responding to Blinken's remarks on Tuesday, the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said that the world sees clearly that it is the US who started the provocation first and caused tension, thus the US should take full responsibility for the situation, Global Times reported. Zhang Tengjun underscored that, what the US Secretary of State said, showed he has no sincerity, no desire to listen to China, and that it has totally ruined the atmosphere for a possible meeting between Blinken and Wang. The US House Speaker, Nancy Pelosi, who is second in line to the Oval Office after the US vice-president, arrived in Taiwan on Tuesday on the highest level US visit in more than two decades.Pelosi arrived in Taipei as part of a Congressional delegation's tour of the Indo-Pacific region in the face of the China threat. Minutes after her aircraft landed in Taipei, the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) announced that it would hold six live-fire military drills in waters around Taiwan, scheduled to take place from Thursday to Sunday. Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense (MND) confirmed that on Tuesday late evening, 21 Chinese military aircraft flew into the southwestern part of Taiwan's air defence identification zone (ADIZ). Beijing said that Pelosi's visit gravely undermines peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and sends a seriously wrong signal to the "separatist forces for Taiwan independence" and if the US insists on pursuing the wrong path, it will assume full responsibility for all serious consequences arising thereof. In a recent update, China's Vice Foreign Minister Xie Feng summoned US Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns to protest against Pelosi's visit stressing that the nature of her visit is extremely vicious and the consequence is very grave. Xie said the Chinese side will not sit idly by. The US must pay the price for its own mistake. China will take necessary and resolute countermeasures and "we mean what we say". He maintained that the US government should have restrained Pelosi's unscrupulous move and prevented her from going against the historical trend but instead indulged her and colluded with her, which exacerbates the tension in the Taiwan Straits and seriously damages China-US ties. The Chinese officials and experts warned that all the consequences of this highly dangerous and provocative move will be borne by Washington, and such a visit will also forever change the cross-Straits situation and deliver a destructive impact on the already-difficult China-US relations. (ANI)
Displeased by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan, China on Wednesday announced to halt the exports of Natural sand to the island, CGTN News reported, citing the Chinese Ministry of Commerce. US House speaker Nancy Pelosi arrived in Taiwan on Tuesday, despite Beijing's continuous security threats. Beijing maintained that Pelosi's visit is a serious violation of the one-China principle and the provisions of the three China-US joint communiques. It said the visit gravely undermines peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and sends a seriously wrong signal to the "separatist forces for Taiwan independence". Shortly after Pelosi landed in Taipei on Tuesday, she reaffirmed her country's unwavering commitment to supporting Taiwan's democracy and said this trip in no way contradicts longstanding United States policy on the self-governed island. Irked by the United States' move, China announced economic sanctions and import bans on several Taiwanese companies producing pastries, baked goods and sweets. On Tuesday, China temporarily halted imports of products from multiple Taiwanese food companies, Taiwan's Council of Agriculture (COA) confirmed, Focus Taiwan reported. The COA confirmed that the blacklisted companies include producers of tea leaves, dried fruits, honey, cocoa beans, and vegetables, as well as catches from around 700 fishing vessels, the agency said. Data from China's General Administration of Customs, however, suggests that multiple Taiwanese companies whose registration status is up to date have also been affected by the ban. On its website, the customs administration lists a total of 107 registered Taiwanese brands under the category "crackers, pastries and noodles," of which 35 companies are currently labelled "imports temporarily suspended," despite having up-to-date registration, Focus Taiwan reported. The US House Speaker, who is second in line to the Oval Office after the US vice-president landed in Taiwan on Tuesday on the highest level US visit in more than two decades. She arrived in Taipei as part of a Congressional delegation's tour of the Indo-Pacific region in the face of the China threat. Minutes after her aircraft landed in Taipei, the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) announced that it would hold six live-fire military drills in waters around Taiwan, scheduled to take place from Thursday to Sunday. The Chinese ministry opposed Pelosi's visit to Taipei saying that "Pelosi disregarded China's strong opposition and solemn representations and visited Taiwan, China.." "China's sovereignty and territorial integrity have seriously undermined the peace and stability of the Taiwan Strait and sent a serious wrong signal to the "Taiwan independence" separatist forces," the ministry said. China reiterated that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory, and the government of the People's Republic of China is the only legitimate government representing the whole of China, and Nancy Pelosi, disregarded China's strong opposition and solemn representations and visited Taiwan, China. The Chinese officials and experts warned that all the consequences of this highly dangerous and provocative move will be borne by Washington, and such a visit will also forever change the cross-Straits situation and deliver a destructive impact on the already-difficult China-US relations. (ANI)
The Tibetan Community-in-exile in Shimla organized special prayers on Tuesday for better business after the Tibetan traders shifted to a new market in the city. The Tibetan trade community-in-exile in the city has shifted from a 50-year-old market to the new Aajivika Bhawan built by the Shimla Municipal Corporation in Shimla. The Tibetan traders were running the business in the Lakkar-Bazar area of Shimla over the past 40 years as vendors and now the Shimla Municipal Corporation has allotted new shops to them in Ajivika Bhawan near the Lift road in Shimla City. The Tibetan garment traders in Shimla now are hoping for good business in the coming days. However, these Tibetan Units are happy to get a new and better place after shifting from a four-decade-old place. On Tuesday, these Tibetan traders offered special prayers for good fortune and trade in years to come. So far out of the total 70 shops allotted to the Tibetan 80 per cent of them have shifted and have started the trade here. Tibetan readymade garments are popular among young customers in the region. "We have organized special prayers to start our business after over 45 years. We have shifted to a new market as the Shimla Municipal Corporation has allotted us a new vendors market. We are happy to be here and are expecting good business ahead. We have been doing this business for over 40 years and this is a new place, with the blessings of His Holiness the Dalai Lama we want to start our business here. Today we offered Tibetan Buddhist prayers for good trade fortune and also to dispel evil," said the President of the Tibetan Association of Traders. Tibetan readymade garment business is not only providing them with a good business but also helping to build relations between both local Indian and Tibetan community in exile. One of the local Tibetan women in exile who has been in the garment trade for over 20 years, said this helps them to build a good relationship with the customers. "We have been doing garment trade here for many years; we build friendly relations with our customers and try to get them good quality options at affordable prices. We are now again in the process of beginning trade. We have organized special prayers for future trade and relations in the near future. We hope for better business in the days to come," said a woman trader of the Tibetan market. The buyers are happy to get a good place and they will have a better option as the Tibetan market has got sufficient space and varieties. They will be able to get a variety of options at affordable prices. The buyers here are happy as the new look and space of the Tibetan market in Shimla will provide them with good quality clothes and will have fashionable options here. "I am happy to be here, we just got to know that this Tibetan Market has shifted here. We get good quality and options here as all we get fashionable items here. I saw these Tibetans offering prayers today, we will have a better place for shopping with better options, and it is good. We are exploring it," said a young girl. (ANI)
The United States has sanctioned Russian President Vladimir Putin's rumoured girlfriend Alina Maratovna Kabaeva in a fresh round of sanctions targeting Russian elites over Moscow's actions in Ukraine. According to the Treasury Department, the 39-year-old Kabaeva was in a "close relationship to Putin." She is a former member of the State Duma and is the current head of the National Media Group, a pro-Kremlin empire of television, radio, and print organizations. "Kabaeva was designated today pursuant to E.O. 14024 for being or having been a leader, official, senior executive officer, or member of the board of directors of the Government of the Russian Federation. Kabaeva has a close relationship to Putin and is the current head of the National Media Group, a pro-Kremlin empire of television, radio, and print organizations. She has also been sanctioned by the EU and the UK," a Treasury Department statement said on Tuesday (local time). CNN reported citing the Wall Street Journal, that sanctioning Kabaeva was under consideration by the US, but there was concern that such a move would inflame tensions given her close proximity to Putin. Earlier in May, Kabaeva was blacklisted by the European Union and the United Kingdom. Supporters of jailed Russian human rights campaigner Alexey Navalny have been calling for sanctions against Kabaeva for her campaign against Ukraine. In April, the US had also imposed sanctions on Putin's daughters Katerina Vladimirovna Tikhonova and Maria Vladimirovna Vorontsova. Moreover, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced sanctions on three oligarchs, a Russian state-owned company overseen by the Ministry of Transportation, "four individuals and one entity illegitimately operating in Ukraine's territory in collaboration with Russia," and 24 Russian defence and technology-related entities. The US is also imposing visa restrictions on 893 Russian Federation officials and "31 foreign government officials who have acted to support Russia's purported annexation of the Crimea region of Ukraine and thereby threatened or violated Ukraine's sovereignty," Blinken said. Since the start of Russia's 'military operation', the UK has sanctioned over 1,000 individuals and 100 entities, including hitting oligarchs with a net global worth of over 117 billion. (ANI)
The US State Department has issued a worldwide alert after the death of Al-Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahiri. Yesterday, President Joe Biden announced that the most wanted terroriast Ayman al-Zawahiri was killed in a drone strike in Kabul and added that "Justice has been delivered." "On July 31, 2022, the United States conducted a precision counterterrorism strike in Afghanistan that killed Ayman al-Zawahiri, Osama bin Laden's deputy and successor as leader of al-Qa'ida. Al- Zawahiri was one of the masterminds of the attacks against the United States on September 11, 2001, and had continued to urge his followers to attack the United States," the US State Department alert on Tuesday (local time) said. "Following al-Zawahiri's death, supporters of al- Qa'ida, or its affiliated terrorist organizations, may seek to attack U.S. facilities, personnel, or citizens. As terrorist attacks often occur without warning, U.S. citizens are strongly encouraged to maintain a high level of vigilance and practice good situational awareness when traveling abroad," it further said. Zawahiri was one of the world's most wanted terrorists and a mastermind of the September 11, 2001 attacks was killed in a drone strike carried out by the US in the Afghan capital Kabul on Saturday. Zawahiri, an Egyptian surgeon, was deeply involved in the planning of 9/11 and he also acted as Osama Bin Ladens personal physician. The strike was conducted by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and was carried out by an Air Force drone. An official claimed that al-Zawahiri was the only person killed in the strike and that none of his family members was injured. Meanwhile, the Taliban confirmed the killing of Zawahiri and condemned the drone strike carried out by the United States in Kabul over the weekend. In a statement, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said that a strike took place on a residence in the capital and called it a violation of "international principles." A loud explosion echoed through Kabul early Sunday morning, according to Tolo News. "A house was hit by a rocket in Sherpoor. There were no casualties as the house was empty," Abdul Nafi Takor a spokesman of the Interior Ministry had claimed earlier. US secretary of state Antony Blinken said that the Taliban had grossly violated the Doha Agreement by hosting and sheltering the Al-Qaeda chief. "By hosting and sheltering the leader of al Qa'ida in Kabul, the Taliban grossly violated the Doha Agreement and repeated assurances to the world that they would not allow Afghan territory to be used by terrorists to threaten the security of other countries," Blinken said in a statement. The US and the Taliban signed a peace agreement in February 2020 under the Presidency of former US President Donald Trump. The deal stated the withdrawal of the US troops from Afghan soil and the Taliban would abate violence and guarantee that its soil will not be a safe haven for terrorists. In the statement, Blinken said the Taliban also betrayed the Afghan people and their own stated desire for recognition from the international community and normalisation of ties. Zawahiri's targeted killing comes a year after the US military withdrawal from Afghanistan and the Taliban's takeover of the country. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) added a "deceased" caption under the profile image of Al Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahiri on its website. (ANI)
Japan on Wednesday expressed concern about Chinese military exercises around Taiwan in response to US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to the self-governed island. Hiroakazu Matsuno, a top Japanese government spokesman said peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait is important not only for the security of Japan but also for the world. "We hope issues concerning Taiwan will be resolved peacefully through dialogue," Matsuno said at a press conference as quoted by Kyodo News. Shortly after Nancy Pelosi landed in Taipei on Tuesday, 21 Chinese military aircraft flew into the southwestern part of Taiwan's air defence identification zone (ADIZ), as confirmed by Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense (MND). Taking to Twitter the Defence Ministry said, "21 PLA aircraft (J-11*8, J-16*10, KJ-500 AEW&C, Y-9 EW and Y-8 ELINT) entered Taiwan's southwest ADIZ on August 2, 2022." In response, Taiwan scrambled a combat air patrol, sent radio warnings, and deployed defence missile systems to track the Chinese military planes, the MND said. Pelosi arrived in Taiwan as part of a Congressional delegation's tour of the Indo-Pacific region. Minutes after her aircraft landed in Taipei, the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) announced that it would hold six live-fire military drills in waters around Taiwan, scheduled to take place from Thursday to Sunday. In response to China's announcement of the drills, Taiwan's Defence Ministry said that China's plans to hold six live-fire military drills in waters around Taiwan over the next few days are an attempt to threaten Taiwan's major ports and metropolitan areas. Meanwhile, Pelosi on Wednesday morning met with Taiwan's President, Tsai Ing-wen and reiterated Washington's support to the island country and said that the US' determination to preserve Taiwan's sovereignty is "iron-clad". "America has made a bedrock promise to always stand with Taiwan. On this strong foundation, we've a thriving partnership grounded in self-government and self-determination focused on mutual security in the region and the world committed to economic prosperity," Pelosi said. Earlier in the day, Pelosi visited Taiwan's parliament and also held a meeting with Tsai Chi-chang, the deputy speaker. During the meeting, she said, "We come in friendship to Taiwan, we come in peace for the region." Over the US-Taiwan economic cooperation, Pelosi said that her new US legislation aimed at strengthening the American chip industry in Taiwan which will compete with China. (ANI)
At least 30 Afghan Sikhs including children and infants, fleeing from the Taliban are scheduled to arrive in Delhi on Wednesday as religious persecution escalates in Taliban-ruled Afghanistan. A non-scheduled commercial flight from Kabul, operated by Kam Air is set to arrive at Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi. After their arrival, the entire group will leave for Gurdwara Sri Guru Arjan Dev in Tilak Nagar of the national capital, Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) said. Religious minorities in Afghanistan, including the Sikh community, have been repeated targets of violence in Afghanistan after the Taliban took control of the country. SGPC in coordination with the Indian World Forum and the Government of India are evacuationg distressed Afghan minorities - Hindus and Sikhs. On July 14, a total of 21 Afghan Sikhs, including an infant, were evacuated from Kabul to New Delhi on Kam Air, the largest private Afghan airline. Over the past month, 32 Afghan Hindus and Sikhs have been evacuated from Afghanistan. There were about 700 Hindus and Sikhs in Afghanistan in 2020, but a large number of them left the country following the Taliban's takeover on August 15, 2021. It is pertinent to mention that 110 Afghan Hindus and Sikhs are still remaining in Afghanistan and there are 61 e-visa applications pending with Government of India for issuance.SGPC provides humanitarian assistance to Afghan minorities by paying for their airfare. SGPC will also provide aid to legitimate persons seeking rehabilitation in India. They are likely to be rehabilitated by World Punjabi Organisation , Sobti Foundation and other social organisations. There were a spate of attack on Sikhs in Afghanistan recently. On June 18 this year, Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP) attacked Karte Parwan Gurdwara in Kabul which claimed the lives of about 50 people. In October, last year 15 to 20 terrorists entered a Gurdwara in the Kart-e-Parwan District of Kabul and tied up the guards. In March 2020, a deadly attack took place at Sri Guru Har Rai Sahib Gurudwara in Kabul's Short Bazaar area in which 27 Sikhs were killed and several were injured. Islamic State terrorists claimed responsibility for the attack. (ANI)
The voting for the next Prime minister election was delayed after Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) warned that cyber hackers could alter the people's ballot, according to various media reports. The postal ballots were due to be sent out from Monday to the around 160,000 Tory members but members have now been warned they could arrive as late as Aug 11. Earlier, the Conservative Party members were going to be given a postal ballot which had a code with it, and they could select their preferred PM between Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak by post or online but the advice of the National Cyber Security Centre changed their plan. A UK-based publication referring to an email on Tuesday evening said, "Your ballot is now on the way - but it will arrive with you a little later than we originally said. "Please do not worry. This is because we have taken some time to add some additional security to our ballot process, which has delayed us slightly," it adds. Under the first online voting system, cyber hackers would possibly amend a large number of ballots online near the end of the contest. Additionally, there was a chance that someone who completed a postal vote and put a picture of their ballot online could be vulnerable to it being changed if there was a visible code on it. Truss and Sunak, both contenders have to undergo bouts of 12 nationwide events as the first bout took place in Leeds, Northern England as the members elect a new leader. The result will be announced on Sept 5. According to Smarkets, British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss is leading the race to replace Boris Johnson as UK's next PM by 90.91 per cent whereas Rishi Sunak's chance of becoming the next UK PM has shrunk to 9.09 per cent. Sunak's support shrunk as his party members believed that Sunak has stabbed Boris Johnson in the back. Tory members who back Truss and want her to build the cabinet include Jacob Rees-Mogg, Nadine Dorries and Boris Johnson. On the other hand, Tory members who support Sunak include Tom Tugendhat, Michael Gove, Sajid Javid and Jeremy Hunt, according to the latest YouGov survey. Notably, Truss and Sunak who are fighting for the UK Prime Minister post have gone head-to-head in a debate in their first official grilling in the presence of conservative party members in Leeds on Thursday. Former Chancellor Sunak faced a tough evening during the hustings for his lifestyle and dishonesty towards PM Boris Johnson whereas Truss had a fairly good time as she was backed by maximum support for the Prime Ministerial candidature. Earlier, the YouGov survey also revealed that Truss extended her lead over Rishi Sunak as she gained 24 points. Now, the two had finally announced their summer campaign, a new YouGov poll of Tory members suggests that Truss retains her strong advantage. Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss traded blows at each other over economic policy, and foreign relations in the first-ever TV debate on July 25. The candidates reportedly clashed over Britain's future ties with China after cutting ties with Russia. The second Tory leadership debate between Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss, however, got cancelled on Tuesday (local time) after presenter Kate McCann fainted and collapsed live on air. The leadership race was triggered after Johnson was forced to step down on July 7 amid an avalanche of resignations of government officials, who protested against his scandal-plagued leadership. Johnson will continue to serve as caretaker prime minister until a new Tory leader succeeds him. (ANI)
Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying, on Wednesday, said that the visit of US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan is not about democracy, but about China's sovereignty and integrity. "The nature of her (US Speaker Nancy Pelosi) visit to the Taiwan region is not about democracy. This is an issue about China's sovereignty and territorial integrity," the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said. This statement came in response to Pelosi's comment during a press conference that there was a struggle between democracy and autocracy in the world. "There's a struggle between democracy and autocracy in the world. We cannot back away from that. As China uses its soft power in order to gain support, we've to talk about Taiwan in terms of its technological advancement and show people Taiwan's courage to become more democratic," Pelosi said in a response to a question about how a Taiwanese invasion can be avoided. She said that the "demonstration of democracy offers a strong contrast to what's happening in mainland China. No more evidence is needed on what happened in Hong Kong, one country two systems didn't happen. We don't want anything to happen to Taiwan by force." During the conference, Pelosi took a dig at China's sharp reaction to her visit and said that the country didn't say anything when the men had arrived in Taiwan. A reference to the fact that in April, US senators Lindsey Graham leading a delegation of 6 US lawmakers visited Taiwan. Earlier in the day, US reiterated Washington's support to the island country and said that the US' determination to preserve Taiwan's sovereignty was "iron-clad". "America has made a bedrock promise to always stand with Taiwan. On this strong foundation, we've a thriving partnership grounded in self-government and self-determination focused on mutual security in the region and the world committed to economic prosperity," Pelosi said. During her meeting with Tsai Ing-wen at the presidential office in Taipei, Pelosi termed Taiwan as a flourishing country and said that Taipei had proved the world that hope, courage and determination can build peaceful and prosperous future despite challenges that the country faced. "Now, more than ever, America's solidarity with Taiwan is crucial, that's the message we bring in today," she added. According to The New York Times, Pelosi is also likely to hold discussions with a number of human rights leaders on Wednesday afternoon, before she departs. The US House Speaker had touched down in Taiwan on Tuesday night amid repeated condemnation by China, which claims self-ruled Taiwan as its territory.Shortly after Pelosi landed, 21 Chinese military aircraft flew into the southwestern part of Taiwan's air defence identification zone (ADIZ), as confirmed by Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense (MND). Taking to Twitter, upon her arrival, Pelosi said, "Our Congressional delegation's visit to Taiwan honours America's unwavering commitment to supporting Taiwan's vibrant Democracy." "Our visit is part of our broader trip to the Indo-Pacific -- including Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea and Japan -- focused on mutual security, economic partnership and democratic governance. Our discussions with Taiwan leadership will focus on reaffirming our support for our partner and on promoting our shared interests, including advancing a free and open Indo-Pacific region," she added. Pelosi also expressed US solidarity with 23 million people of Taiwan in the face of the increasing threat from China. Meanwhile, China on Tuesday firmly opposed the US House Speaker's Taiwan visit terming the trip a serious violation of the one-China principle and the provisions of the joint communique signed between the two countries. "On 2 August, in disregard of China's strong opposition and serious representations, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi visited China's Taiwan region. This is a serious violation of the one-China principle and the provisions of the three China-US joint communiques," Xinhua news agency quoted the Chinese Foreign Ministry as saying. (ANI)
Following the killing of Al- Qaeda chief Ayman-al- Zawahiri in the heart of Kabul despite a United States-Taliban deal laid out before the withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan, questions are being raised whether Pakistan played a role in providing the location details of the terrorist to US. Last week, Pakistan army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa sought help from the US to secure an early loan disbursal from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Furthermore, sources revealed that Bajwa held a telephonic conversation with US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman in a highly unusual move. Bajwa's appeal to the US came as he is making efforts to pull Pakistan out of its economic mess. As dwindling foreign reserves sparked a scramble in Islamabad Bajwa reached out to the US to avoid a default. Experts believe that the White House may have used pressure tactics and sought a trade-off, with the country - US backing for Pakistan's emergency loan in exchange for Pakistan disclosing the whereabouts of the Al Qaeda's terrorist, mentions a publication in the Times of Israel. It further raises questions if the United States felt comfortable forcing Bajwa to hand over Zawahiri, while not holding Pakistan accountable for its involvement. Likewise, it also raises concerns about what the Pakistan military will be willing to do in future if it has agreed to this trade-off. Michael Rubin, a Senior Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), writing for the Times of Israel notes it is uncertain from where the drone that fired two missiles into Zawahiri's residence flew. If the American drone flew from Pakistan, it would be much more obvious that Bajwa was involved in Zawahiri's killing, but it would also imply that Biden is giving Pakistan a de facto veto over American over-the-horizon counter-terrorism efforts in Afghanistan. Michael further wrote that the Biden administration should exercise caution while permitting Pakistan to make money off its ongoing support for terrorism, and added that it's time to warn Pakistan to deliver all of Al Qaeda's assets immediately, follow all FATF counterterrorism recommendations, or risk being labelled a terror sponsor and going bankrupt. At the FATF, Pakistan is due to be assessed in October 2022 in Paris. However, when it comes to counter-terrorism, Pakistan made limited progress on the most difficult aspects of its 2015 National Action Plan, specifically in its pledge to dismantle all terrorist organizations without delay or discrimination Pakistan has been on the Paris-based global money laundering and terrorist financing watchdog's grey list for deficiencies in its counter-terror financing and anti-money laundering regimes since June 2018. This greylisting has adversely impacted its imports, exports, remittances, and limited access to international lending. In June 2021, the country was given three months to fulfil the remaining conditions by October. However, Pakistan was retained on the FATF 'grey list' for failing to effectively implement the global FATF standards and for its lack of progress in the investigation and prosecution of senior leaders and commanders of UN-designated terror groups. (ANI)
The attack took place at a private kindergarten in Anfu county of Ji'an in southeast China's Jiangxi province, at 10:22 am. The suspect a 48-year-old man, surnamed Liu is currently at large and being hunted by the police, reported China Daily.

Notably, China has seen a number of attacks on schools in recent years.

In 2020, a school security guard stabbed 39 children and staff in a kindergarten in the Guangxi region.

Last year, an unidentified person staged a knife attack on a kindergarten in China's southern Guangxi autonomous region, leaving 16 children and two nursery teachers injured

In 2018, a woman armed with a kitchen knife injured 14 children in the city of Chongqing

Meanwhile, in another stabbing attack last year, as many as five people were killed and another 15 were wounded in China's Anhui province. (ANI)
China is unable to establish a meaningful economic lead over the US as the country continues to register receding growth and grim performance in the second quarter amid the ongoing housing crisis and the economic slowdown. The growth rate in the country has dropped to 0.4 per cent in the second quarter of 2022. The zero-covid policy of China might be a factor leading to the latest fall in growth rate, a slump in the real estate sector of the economy, a policy of inducing growth through investment in infrastructure that has little productive use, and sinking of resources in bad investments overseas through the Belt and Road Initiative, The Financial Post reported. In April the retail sales in China slumped by 11 per cent amid continuous coronavirus lockdowns and uncertain business conditions. It will be difficult for the Chinese economy to revive in the coming months as the Communist Party of China on July 28 announced that there would be no let-up in the anti-Covid measures. It will be difficult for the country to achieve the growth target of 5.5 per cent, which last year stood at only 2.5 per cent, the publication reported. Experts believe that the emergence of the Chinese economy as the prima donna of all nations is just fiction as the country is unable to overtake the U. S. economy. "Slowing growth would make it clear that China cannot really establish a meaningful economic lead over the US. It has important implications for perceptions about where the world is headed," chief economist Ronald Rajah said, the publication citing Lowy Institute Think tank said. Several bizarre stories from the real estate sector reflect the desperate situation in the country. One such story is of a real estate developer in east China allowing buyers to pay for dwelling units in watermelons; 5,000 kg of fruit and 100,000 yuan. Another story states that the authorities in China demolished 15 skyscrapers with five tonnes of explosives in the second half of 2021. Even though real estate boomed in the country in 2008, it has started to recede since 2015, it added.There is a deep slump in the country's property market. China's ailing property market is one of its biggest economic headaches. As of June 2021, China Evergrande Group had more than USD 300 billion in debt and other liabilities, such as unpaid bills to suppliers. Notably, numerous Chinese citizens are boycotting mortgages because they are not getting possession of their accommodation units on time. Cash-strapped builders are not in a position to complete projects. The primary cause behind the housing crisis is that house buyers are not confident and don't trust that their housing units will be completed. The housing sector is an essential sector of the Chinese economy as new home purchases constitute over 80 per cent of China's property industry. Even though the country is investing in commercial projects to gain a geo-strategic advantage, the recipient countries are now registering debt defaults and are unable to pay back the Chinese companies' debts, the article read. (ANI)
China's envoy to the United Kingdom, Zheng Zeguang on Wednesday strongly condemned US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan region, stating that "those who play with fire will get burnt". Addressing a press conference in London on Tuesday, Zheng Zeguang, the Chinese Ambassador to the UK, said Pelosi's visit to Taiwan "seriously violated the one-China principle and the provisions of the three China-US joint communiques." "It seriously infringes upon China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and seriously undermines the peace and stability in the Taiwan Straits. We firmly oppose such a highly irresponsible, provocative and dangerous act," Zheng said as quoted by China Daily. Meanwhile, ahead of Pelosi's potential visit to Taiwan, China's permanent representative to the United Nations Zhang Jun on Monday termed the trip as "provocative". "Such a visit is apparently very much dangerous and very much provocative... If US insist on making the visit, China will take firm and strong measures to safeguard its national sovereignty and territorial integrity," Zhang told journalists. "The one-China principle is a red line in China's relations with other countries, and we allow no one to cross this red line," Zhang said as quoted by CGTN News. Noting that Taiwan is part of China's territory, Zhang said that China opposed any such move towards "Taiwan independence"and also any interference by the external forces. He pointed out that recently China has repeatedly made clear to the US its serious concerns over Pelosi's potential visit to Taiwan as well as its firm opposition to it, adding such a trip would send a seriously wrong signal to the secessionist elements seeking "Taiwan independence." Ambassador Zhang added such an act would undermine the one-China principle, China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, peace and stability in the Taiwan Straits, and the relationship between China and the US. The US House Speaker touched down in Taiwan on Tuesday night amid repeated condemnation by China, which claims self-ruled Taiwan as its territory. Shortly after Pelosi landed, 21 Chinese military aircraft flew into the southwestern part of Taiwan's air defence identification zone (ADIZ), as confirmed by Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense (MND). Pelosi also expressed US solidarity with 23 million people of Taiwan in the face of the increasing threat from China. Meanwhile, China halted trade with Taiwan and said it is suspending imports of citrus fruits and fish products from Taipei. Taking to Twitter, Li Bijian, China's Consul General in Karachi said, "Chinese mainland suspends imports of citrus fruits, chilled white hairtail and frozen horse mackerel from Taiwan region from Wednesday: General Administration of Customs." China's General Administration of Customs said in a statement that they will suspend two types of fish products from the Taiwan region starting Wednesday, Xinhua reported. The entry of citrus fruits, including grapefruits, lemons, and oranges, as well as chilled large head hairtail and frozen horse mackerel from Taiwan, will be suspended in accordance with the mainland's relevant regulations, the GAC said in an online statement Wednesday. (ANI)
China has expressed concern over the remarks of South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin about the US-made anti-missile systems- THAAD, which it said might lead to a gradual shift in Seoul's foreign policy towards Beijing. Addressing the national assembly, foreign minister Jin said that the principle of the "Three No's" policy on the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) issue was not a commitment to China or an agreement between the two sides but a statement of South Korea's own position, The Singapore Post reported. The "Three No's" policy over THAAD refers to no participation in the US missile defence network, no establishment of a trilateral military alliance with the US and Japan, and no additional THAAD deployment, Global Times reported. South Korea's defence minister Lee Jong-sup May said that South Korea will push for the "normalization" of a U.S. THAAD missile defense unit as an environmental assessment along with several other reasons that caused the country to be in a state of "temporary installation." The remarks are in line with South Korea's President Yoon Suk-yeol foreign policy which leans towards a deeper alliance with the US, the publication said. President Yoon Suk-yeol had promised to participate in the US-led Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, or Quad, which includes Japan, India, and Australia. Yoon Suk-yeol, the newly elected president, has reiterated South Korea's interest in deploying advanced US weaponry, especially the THAAD system. The South Korean President called for bolstering South Korea's missile defence capabilities and recently agreed to increase joint military exercises with the United States, it added. However, China urged Seoul to uphold the commitment of former President Moon Jae-in and to abstain from installing more US-made anti-ballistic missile systems, the publication reported. Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian criticized the US and called it Washington's "ill intent to damage China's strategic security." Lijian said "new officials cannot ignore past debts", and asked the country to "act prudently" and "seek fundamental solutions". China and South Korea have been engaged in a conflict over the THAAD missile defence system in the past well, which Seoul called "purely defensive and aimed against the threat of North Korean missiles," it added. The THAAD system is operated by the US army stationed in South Korea. China was angered in 2017 after North Korea test-fired a few missiles in the direction of US bases in Japan, as a result, the country imposed unofficial economic sanctions on South Korea. The systems were moved by the US to its army base in Osan, South Korea. The economic sanctions were eased after the former President accepted the "Three No's" agreement. China is worried that the US might interfere with Beijing's long-term military, diplomatic and economic interests in the region, the publication said. China would take corresponding actions to safeguard its interests if South Korea continues to push for the "normalization" of a U.S. THAAD missile defense unit. (ANI)
US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's trip to Taiwan came to an end on Wednesday as she departed from the self-ruled island after a short and gripping trip which raised tensions in the Taiwan Strait. "Our delegation had the distinct privilege of meeting with the President of Taiwan Tsai Ing-wen today. We discussed how America and Taiwan can deepen our economic ties, further strengthen our security partnership and defend our shared democratic values," Pelosi said in a tweet. The US House Speaker, the highest-level US official to visit Taiwan in over twenty years, reaffirmed America's commitment to the people of Taiwan for decades to come. "It was also my high honor to receive from President @iingwen of Taiwan the Order of Propitious Clouds with Special Grand Cordon: a symbol of our treasured friendship. Make no mistake: America remains unwavering in our commitment to the people of Taiwan- now and for decades to come," she added. The US Congressional delegation landed in Taiwan on Tuesday night. The US House Speaker Pelosi has since held several discussions with top leadership in Taiwan including President Tsai Ing-wen. "There is a struggle between democracy and autocracy in the world. We cannot back away from that. As China uses its soft power in order to gain support, we've to talk about Taiwan in terms of its technological advancement and show people Taiwan's courage to become more democratic," Pelosi said in a response to a question about how an invasion can be avoided. Responding to the aggressive response from China over her visit, Pelosi said that the demonstration of democracy offered a strong contrast to what's happening in the country. She also said, "No more evidence is needed on what happened in Hong Kong, one country two systems didn't happen. We don't want anything to happen to Taiwan by force." During talks with Taiwanese leadership, Pelosi reiterated Washington's support for the island country and said that the US' determination to preserve Taiwan's sovereignty is "iron-clad". "America has made a bedrock promise to always stand with Taiwan. On this strong foundation, we have a thriving partnership grounded in self-government and self-determination focused on mutual security in the region and the world committed to economic prosperity," she said. On Tuesday night, Pelosi had expressed US solidarity with 23 million people of Taiwan in the face of the increasing threat from China. She reaffirmed her country's unwavering commitment to supporting Taiwan's democracy and said this trip in no way contradicts long-standing United States policy on the self-governed island. "Our Congressional delegation's visit to Taiwan honours America's unwavering commitment to supporting Taiwan's vibrant Democracy," Pelosi said in a statement. China firmly opposed the US House Speaker's Taiwan visit terming the trip a serious violation of the one-China principle and the provisions of the joint communique signed between the two countries. It has also announced live firing as part of its military operations near Taiwan in response to Pelosi's visit. (ANI)
Amid dwindling foreign reserves, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Tuesday announced the approval of USD 1.2 billion in loans on the condition that Pakistan should timely secure adequate assurances from friendly countries in order to tackle the widening financial gap. The statement from IMF came two days after the Ministry of Finance and the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) had claimed that they had met the financing requirements for the current fiscal year, the Express Tribune reported. In a statement, Resident Representative of the IMF, Esther Perez, said "with the increase in PDL (Petroleum Development Levy) on July 31, the last prior action for the combined 7th and 8th review has been met". "The board meeting is tentatively planned for late August once adequate financing assurances are confirmed," Esther Perez said. As per the Express Tribune, the loan deal will pave the way for the release of nearly USD 1.2 billion against the original schedule of USD 2 billion. Pakistan Finance Minister Miftah Ismail said last month that the gap was USD 4 billion against the estimated financing requirements of over USD 35 billion. However, Miftah Ismail said on Tuesday that "there is no financing gap and the USD 4 billion will actually end up in increasing the foreign exchange reserves by over USD 6 billion in this fiscal year". The minister also shared a plan for arranging these funds from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar in the shape of oil and gas on deferred payments. Notably, there is no progress being made which has held back the IMF from officially announcing the August 24 board meeting date. Furthermore, Islamabad will also have to convince three main bilateral creditors to assure the IMF that they are willing to chip in USD 4 billion in financings. Esther remained short of giving a confirmed board meeting date due to what the IMF sees as a gap against Pakistan's gross external financing requirements. According to the Express Tribune, Pakistan is trying to arrange USD 2 billion to USD 2.5 billion from the UAE through the emergency sale of two LNG-fired power plants and offloading stakes in its blue-chip companies whereas the ambassador of the UAE also showed interest in strengthening the bilateral relationship between both countries on economic fronts. Amid the worsening crisis due to shrinking foreign reserves, Pakistan Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa recently approached the US for help in securing an early disbursement of funds from the IMF to prevent the south Asian country from a looming economic disaster. In order to seek support on the economic front, Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif persuaded Bajwa to talk to US authorities and use his influence for the early disbursement of IMF funds. The move by the Army Chief comes as Pakistan is gripped by a deep economic slump due to a shortage of foreign reserves. Due to the existing elevated uncertainty in the global economy and financial markets, the IMF staff wants the Pakistani authorities to stand ready to take any additional measures necessary to meet the objectives of the programme. On the fiscal side, there have been deviations from the policies agreed upon in the last review, partly reflecting the fuel and power subsidies announced by the authorities in February. An extension of the EFF (Extended Fund Facility) until the end of June 2023 and an augmentation of access by SDR 720 million bringing the total access to about USD 7 billion will be considered by the IMF board in order to support programme implementation and meet the higher financing needs in FY23, as well as catalyze additional financing. (ANI)
The new federal programme passed by the US Congress provides USD 52 billion in support for the semiconductor industry, however, it restricts companies that are accepting the funding for expanding their chip production capacity in China. The Chips and Science Act is a USD 280 billion package that was passed by both the houses of the US Congress last week, but it prevents the companies that are receiving the federal subsidies from expanding their chip-making capacity in China or any other foreign country of concern for 10 years, Asia Nikkei reported. Semiconductors are the "brains" of electronic devices like smartphones or laptops and they also play an important role in sophisticated weapons systems such as the Javelin antitank missiles the U.S. is supplying to Ukraine, it added. The Act provides exceptions to "legacy semiconductors" and allows them to continue investing in China if those investments are aimed at protecting existing and significant business interests in the country. Legacy chips, used in several electronic devices, are required in much larger quantities than cutting-edge processor chips and they are generally viewed as companion chips. Intel is a dominant player in the market for premium core processors for Chinese computers whereas Qualcomm is a dominant handset maker. Intel said that Congress had recognized that the US is competing against other countries for technology leadership by passing the Chips Act. TSMC, a semiconductor manufacturing company in Taiwan, did not comment on the restriction to expand production in China, the publication said. South Korean semiconductor company SK Hynix said, "Our company complies with regulations in countries where we do our business. We will respond flexibly to market circumstances in [our] investment and production plan." Clinton Yu, a Washington-based partner specializing in international trade and export control regulations, said that penalties can include not only losing the funding, but also other penalties 'in the national interest' adding that there is a reputational impact if a company misuses these funds. Notably, several companies have committed to investing in America. TSMC and Samsung have committed to investing at least USD 12 billion in Arizona and USD 17 billion in Texas respectively. An investment plan worth USD 15 billion was announced by SK Hynix last week for US and Intel and Micron are also ramping up investment, the article read. Director of investment at Brandes Investment Partners Louis Lau said, "In the long run, China's ambition is really to replace all the cutting-edge chips with domestically made chips. So there will be a question as to whether TSMC and Samsung can really continue to dominate high-end manufacturing in China." Lau added that the US is a captive customer as the domestic manufacturers are very weak adding that they've long lost the edge in manufacturing." The semiconductor companies are willing to invest in the US rather than China as Beijing is trying to increase the country's share of homemade chips to 70 per cent by 2025. The manufacturing sector will receive USD 39 billion of the total funding under the act and the remaining 13 billion will be allocated to research and development, and innovation. (ANI)
India's new permanent representative to the United Nations Ruchira Kamboj presented her credentials to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and said it was a "privilege to be the first Indian woman to be given the honour". "Today, have presented my credentials to the Secretary General of the United Nations @antonioguterres as Permanent Representative/Ambassador to the @UN. A privilege to be the first Indian woman to be given the honour to hold this position To the girls out there, we all can make it!" She tweeted. After the recent deaths of peacekeepers in Congo, India has emphasized peacebuilding and sustaining peace at the United Nations Security Council. "The Peacebuilding Commission (PBC) should exercise its convening role more effectively. It must involve itself more proactively in the activities of the Peacebuilding Fund to address the financial deficit," Ambassador R Ravindra, Charge d'affaires, at UNSC had said. India has acknowledged PBC's significance since its inception and deeply appreciated its advisory, bridging and convening roles. India has always played a constructive and significant role in the context of peacebuilding through its extensive development partnership with countries of the Global South. India continues to assist countries through bilateral and multilateral fora in post-conflict situations by providing substantial grants and soft loans. Two Border Security Force (BSF) personnel on a UN peace-keeping mission in the Democratic Republic (DR) of Congo in July succumbed to fatal injuries they had received during violent protests. The Border Security Force (BSF) Director General and all ranks on Wednesday expressed condolences on the demise of HC Shishupal Singh and HC Sanwala Ram Vishnoi, deployed with the UN Peacekeeping contingent (@MONUSCO) in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Both the deceased personnel were from Rajasthan and held the rank of head constable.Two platoons of the BSF, comprising 70-74 personnel, had been deployed in the area and were inducted in May. (ANI)
Why should China be so concerned about US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's Taiwan visit as she had never said that the self-governed island is not part of China, said Dolma Tsering, Deputy Speaker of the Tibetan parliament-in-exile on Wednesday as she rebuked Chinese aggression over Pelosi's high-level visit. Pelosi's high-stakes trip to Taiwan came to an end today as she departed from the self-ruled island after a short and gripping trip which raised tensions in the Taiwan Strait. Beijing announced live firing as part of its military operations near Taiwan and also scrambled jets in the air identification zone of the island. "To visit a country, by a head of parliament, I think that shows the freedom in the democratic world," Dolma Tsering told ANI. She also rebuffed reports of Chinese incursion in Taiwan's Air Defence Identification Zone and she said "What more can China do?" "Whenever a free country shows its freedom in the free world, the only thing China can do is show their military might to the world and try to intimidate. Will the spirit of the free world be intimidated by the jets flying in the no fly zone? It's a bit of a question," she said. "Even if they ban trade or something, it is reciprocal. If Taiwan is being targeted and their goods are banned in China, China will also suffer the shortage of it. So it's always reciprocal," she said while adding that "China needs to understand how the democratic and free world works." Penpa Tsering, President of the Tibetan government-in-exile, also slammed China's aggressive behaviour. He said ratcheting up Pelosi's Taiwan visit does not bode well for the future relationship between the US and China. Penpa Tsering told ANI that Pelosi's visit to Taiwan is completely justified from a US point of view. "China ratcheting up this issue does not bode well for the future relationship between the US and China," he said. "China has already banned more than 100 products from Taiwan. This may also have future impact on US-China relations and it is something to watch out for," he said amid reports of China's ban on certain imports from Taiwan. The President of the Tibetan government-in-exile said that he fails to understand why China needs to exert its sovereignty over Taiwan when the self-governed island was never ruled at any time by any Chinese dynasty. "I don't understand when Taiwan is living so peacefully in a democratic set up where the leaders are elected by the people, why China needs to exert its sovereignty over Taiwan because Taiwan was never ruled at any time by any Chinese dynasty. Therefore, Taiwan belongs to the indigenous people of Taiwan," he said. Besides intimidating Taiwan, China's authoritarian government under the Chinese Communist Party systemically represses fundamental rights in occupied Tibet. Under President Xi Jinping, the government has detained human rights defenders, tightened control over civil society and media. Rights groups say China imposes particularly heavy-handed control in Xinjiang and Tibet. (ANI)
US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi's statement after meeting with leaders in Taiwan on Wednesday about the US not abandoning its commitment to the self-governing island has infuriated China. "Today the world faces a choice between democracy and autocracy," Pelosi said in a speech after meeting with Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen. "America's determination to preserve democracy, here in Taiwan and around the world, remains ironclad," Pelosi added. China which claims Taiwan as its territory and opposes any engagement by Taiwanese officials with foreign governments, announced multiple military exercises around the island, issued a series of harsh statements and even summoned the US ambassador to Beijing, Nicholas Burns, to protest against Pelosi's visit to Taiwan. The Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Xie Feng, described the nature of Nancy Pelosi's visit as "vicious", vowing swift and severe consequences. As Pelosi's plane touched down in Taipei on Tuesday, Chinese state media reported that its military jets were crossing the Taiwan strait. Taiwan denied those reports at that time, but later said, that more than 20 Chinese military planes had entered its air defence zone on Tuesday. In retaliation, China's customs department announced a suspension of imports of citrus fruits, chilled white striped hairtail and frozen horse mackerel from Taiwan, while its commerce ministry banned the export of natural sand to Taiwan. Pelosi's trip has heightened US-China tensions more than visits by other members of Congress because of her high-level position as leader of the House of Representatives. She is the first speaker of the house to come to Taiwan in 25 years since Newt Gingrich in 1997. Meanwhile in Washington, US national security spokesperson John Kirby said there was "no reason for this visit to become a spurring event for a crisis or conflict". "China appears to be positioning itself to potentially take further steps in the coming days and perhaps over longer time horizons," Kirby told reporters Tuesday. He warned provocations could include firing missiles in the Taiwan Strait or around Taiwan and large-scale breaches of Taiwan's air defence identification zone by warplanes. He said that China might also make public assertions similar to those it made recently to the effect that the Taiwan Strait is not an international waterway. US national security adviser Jake Sullivan said that China "should think very carefully" about escalating the situation and warned the US would do whatever was necessary to protect its interests. Supporters of the visit unusually included many Republican lawmakers said, it's critical for the Speaker to show support for Taiwan and to underscore Washington is serious about its legal commitment to offer the island the means of its self-defence. Some analysts say such a shift could not only risk dragging the United States into a war in the Pacific against China that Americans are not prepared for, but that it could also make Beijing even more aggressive. Pelosi's said her visit is also about human rights and what she called dangerous technology transfers to "rogue countries." Pelosi is visiting a human rights museum in Taipei later Wednesday before she departs for South Korea, the next stop on an Asia tour that also includes Singapore, Malaysia, and Japan. (ANI)
In an emotional testimony, a 62-year-old woman who is a victim of religious persecution in Taliban-ruled Afghanistan narrated the ordeal of being called 'Kafir' after living in Afghanistan for three generations. On Wednesday, a total of 28 more Sikhs including women, children and infants, arrived at Indira Gandhi International Airport from Kabul. A non-scheduled commercial flight from Kabul, operated by Kam Air arrived at Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi. The entire group will be leaving for Gurdwara Sri Guru Arjan Dev in Tilak Nagar of the national capital, Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) said. Surjeet Kaur, who has arrived along with her three-year-old granddaughter and other family members said that it has become difficult to survive in Kabul where they have lived there for three generations. "Whatever be the situation in Afghanistan but Sikhs were never targeted. We have lived here peacefully for generations but things have worsened after the Taliban took over. I thank the Indian government and Sikh people in India for rescuing them," she said. Religious minorities in Afghanistan, including the Sikh community, have been a victim of repeated targets of violence in Afghanistan after the Taliban took control of the country. "Situation was bad, what to say. We left everything there, we don't want to get killed there," said Harbans Kaur and Jagtar Kaur. All Sikh people who arrived at the airport told that for the last one year they were staying in Gurudwara because it is unsafe to live outside but on June 18 Taliban attacked Gurdwara Dashmesh Pita Guru Gobind Singh Karte Parwan in Kabul. Mahender Singh, who was in the business of herbs in Kabul, said that situation is very bad in Afghanistan. He is thankful to the Indian Government and his Sikh brothers for bringing them back to India where he can live safely. "The situation is very bad there (Afghanistan), it's getting worse day by day. We are very thankful to the Government of India, the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) for helping us and bringing us to Delhi in such precarious times. This has been the situation under the Ashraf Ghani government too. It's not just the Taliban, other organizations too try to harm us in Afghanistan. They are targeting Sikhs to bring a bad name to Afghanistan. Some of our relatives are still stranded there, around 7-8 guys, who were born there. We urge GoI to issue them the visa at the earliest," said Mahender Singh. Another Afghan Sikh, Manmohan Singh said that he doesn't want to talk about the situation that he and his family has suffered in Kabul. "Our lifetime savings have been destroyed in a couple of months. Fearing for our life, we have just fled leaving behind all memories, home and business. We will make a fresh start in India with the help of the Indian Government," said Singh. "I had to come here as there were no jobs there. Around 100 more Sikhs are stranded there. I would like to thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi, SGPC for flying us back safely here to India. We would like to settle in India now," said Manmohan Singh. All Afghan Sikhs who have arrived at Delhi airport have thanked the Indian government and requested to bring back the remaining Sikh people stranded in Afghanistan. Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandak Committee, Amritsar continue to facilitate the evacuation of Afghan Hindus and Sikhs to India in coordination with the Government of India and the Indian World Forum. In the last two months, Afghan monitories have been repeatedly targeted there. Their airfare has been borne by Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandak Committee (SGPC). 32 have been evacuated earlier. It has been informed that 110 still remain in Afghanistan and 61 e-visa applications are pending with the Government of India for issuance. The evacuees have been accommodated in Gurdwara Sri Guru Arjan Dev Ji in Tilak Nagar, New Delhi. They are likely to be rehabilitated by World Punjabi Organisation, Sobti Foundation and other social organisations. There were about 700 Hindus and Sikhs in Afghanistan in 2020, but a large number of them left the country following the Taliban's takeover on August 15, 2021. (ANI)
After the US House of Representatives opened the way for India-specific waiver under the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) last month, the Joe Biden administration is now expected to exempt its major defence partner from punitive measures that intend to deal with countries who buy military systems from Russia. The US House of Representatives on July 14 approved an amendment with an overwhelming majority to the National Defence Authorization Act (NDAA) that proposes the deepening of India-US defence ties. This amendment was offered by Khanna, a progressive Democrat from California. In an exclusive interview with ANI, American Congressman Ro Khanna last week said a waiver to India of CAATSA, which penalises countries that engage in significant defence transactions with Russia, is in the best national interest of the US and the US-India defence partnership. Speaking about the waiver in the national security interests of the United States, Khanna divulged that it was the most significant vote to strengthen the US-India relationship since the civilian nuclear deal that was passed with overwhelmingly 300 bipartisan votes. Writing for the Diplomat magazine, Husain Haqqani and Aparna Pande, contended that the aim of CAATSA was to punish the United States' enemies, not punish its friends. Both Haqqani and Pande, who are part of the Washington-based Hudson Institute, said the threat of CAATSA sanctions against India would have been self-defeating and would not have advanced US interests. "If the amendment is voted upon in the US Senate, it is likely to get overwhelming support. But it is likely that the Biden administration will take the lead from the House of Representatives and reaffirm ties with India without necessarily waiting for a Senate vote," they said. India had inked the USD 5.43 billion deal with Russia for five squadrons of S-400s in October 2018. Marking the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the Russian-Indian diplomatic ties, Russian Ambassador to India Denis Alipov in June said that the S-400 Triumf air defence missile system is proceeding well and in accordance with the schedule. According to Washington-based experts, India remains important to US strategy, notwithstanding reservations over India's slower-than-expected military modernization and economic growth. They also pointed out that India-US security relations have grown rapidly over the last decade and a half. "India imported USD 21 billion in military equipment from the US over the last decade though, in 2008, military imports from the US were virtually non-existent. India has signed four foundational agreements that bind close American military partners and allies," Haqqani and Pande said. Given the strategic importance of the India-US ties, they argued that India and the United States are close enough to discuss any differences of views through quiet diplomacy. (ANI)
China sent 27 aircraft to Taiwan's air defence identification zone (ADIZ), the island's Defence Ministry said on Wednesday hours after US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi left Taipei following a high-stakes visit that has spiked tensions in the Taiwan Strait. As many as six J-11 fighter jets, five J-16 multirole fighters and 16 SU-30 multirole fighters entered the air defence zone today. "27 PLA aircraft (J-11*6, J-16*5 and SU-30*16) entered the surrounding area of R.O.C. on August 3, 2022," Taiwan Defense Ministry tweeted. This incursion after 21 Chinese military aircraft flew into the southwestern part of Taiwan's air defence zone on Monday night. In response to Chinese aggression, Taiwan sent an air patrol to monitor the situation, and also deployed anti-aircraft missile systems. Pelosi's trip to Taiwan came to an end today as she departed from the self-ruled island after a short and gripping trip that upped the ante in the Taiwan Strait. The US House Speaker, who is second in line to the Oval Office after the US vice-president, reaffirmed her country's unwavering commitment to supporting Taiwan's democracy and said this trip in no way contradicts longstanding United States policy on the self-governed island. China, meanwhile, says Pelosi's Taiwan visit was a serious violation of the one-China principle and the provisions of the joint communique signed between the two countries. On Tuesday, Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) announced missile tests and live firing as part of its military operations near Taiwan. "The Chinese armed forces will begin military operations around Taiwan, long-range live firing will be held in the Taiwan Strait, and conventional missile tests will be organized in the sea area of the eastern part of the island," Sputnik news agency quoted Eastern Theater Command spokesperson Shi Yi as saying. "These actions are a fair deterrent to the recent major escalation of US negative actions on the Taiwan issue and a serious warning to the pro-Taiwan independence forces," Shi Yi said. In the recent past, China has increased its use of gray zone tactics by routinely sending aircraft into Taiwan's ADIZ, with most occurrences taking place in the southwest corner. In 2021, Chinese military planes entered Taiwan's ADIZ on 961 instances over 239 days. Gray zone tactics are defined as "an effort or series of efforts beyond steady-state deterrence and assurance that attempts to achieve one's security objectives without resort to direct and sizable use of force." (ANI)
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Wednesday said US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan reflects Washington's desire to prove its "impunity and display their lawlessness. He made these remarks during a press conference with Myanmar's Foreign Minister Wunna Maung Lwin, Russian state news agency TASS reported. "I cannot tell what was their motivation but there are no doubts that it reflects the very same policy we are talking about with regards to the Ukrainian situation," Lavrov said during his Myanmar visit. "This is a desire to prove to absolutely everyone impunity and display their lawlessness. 'I do whatever I want' - it's about like this," he explained. The Russian foreign minister stressed that he did not see any other "reason to create such an irritant literally out of nowhere, fully aware of what it means for the People's Republic of China. "Pelosi's high-stakes trip to Taiwan came to an end today as she departed from the self-ruled island after a short and gripping trip which raised tensions in the Taiwan Strait. Beijing announced live firing as part of its military operations near Taiwan and also scrambled jets in the air identification zone of the island. On Tuesday, the Russian Foreign Ministry said that Russia considered Pelosi's visit a clear provocation in the spirit of the United States' aggressive policy of an all-out effort to contain China. Moscow, whose ties with Washington have strained since the start of the Ukraine war, called on the Biden administration "to refrain from actions that undermine regional stability". The ministry also asked Washington to recognize the new geopolitical reality in which there is no longer any place for American hegemony." (ANI)
India and Belarus on Wednesday held the seventh round of Foreign Office Consultations (FoC) in New Delhi where both sides reviewed the entire gamut of bilateral relations. During the FoC, both sides reviewed the entire gamut of bilateral relations, including political, economic, cultural, tourism, education and consular matters. The two sides also exchanged views on regional and global issues of mutual interest, read the Ministry of External Affairs press release. The Indian side was led by Sanjay Verma, Secretary (West) and the Belarusian side was led by Sergei Aleinik, First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus. It was agreed to hold the next round of consultations at a mutually convenient time. Recently, India congratulated Belarus for celebrating its 78 years of Independence on July 3rd 2022. India's relations with Belarus have been traditionally warm and cordial. India was one of the first countries to recognize Belarus as an independent country in 1991 after the break-up of the Soviet Union. The cooperation between the two countries is visible at many multilateral fora such as UN Security Council (UNSC) and the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG). Belarus was one of the countries whose support helped in consolidating India's candidature for the non-permanent seat at the UNSC in July 2020. India has also reciprocated Belarus's support at various international fora, such as Belarus's membership in the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) and other international and multilateral groups like IPU (Inter-Parliamentary Union). The two countries enjoy a comprehensive partnership and have established mechanisms for exchanging views on bilateral, regional and multilateral issues through Foreign Office Consultations (FOC), Intergovernmental Commission (IGC), and Joint Commission on Military Technical Cooperation. The two countries have signed a number of Agreements/MoUs on various subjects, including trade and economic cooperation, culture, education, media and sports, tourism, science & technology, agriculture, textiles, Avoidance of Double Taxation, Promotion and Protection of Investments, and defence and technical cooperation. In the economic sector, the annual bilateral trade turnover in 2019 stands at USD 569.6 million. India's special gesture in 2015 that granted Belarus the Market Economy Status and a USD 100 million Line of Credit has also helped in the growth in the economic sector. Market Economy status is a status conferred on the country exporting the goods accepted as the benchmark. Prior to this status, the country is considered a Non-Market Economy (NME). India's encouragement to the Belarusian businessmen to invest in 'Make in India' projects is bearing fruits. The Indian Community in Belarus consists of around 112 Indian nationals and 906 Indian students pursuing studies in medicine in State medical universities in Belarus. Indian art and culture, dance, Yoga, Ayurveda, films, etc. remain popular among Belarusian nationals. Many young Belarusians also take a keen interest in learning Hindi and dance forms of India. Taking into account the gradual shift of the global geopolitical and geo-economic centre of gravity to Asia, cooperation with India creates additional opportunities for international trade and investment. Belarus needs several footholds in Asia diversified by geographical subregions. India could become one of such pillars in South Asia, but Belarusian initiatives should definitely fall into the "matrix" of India's national interests and sacred meanings. There are also certain hidden reserves for cooperation in the field of cybersecurity. Belarus may become an "entry point" for Indian pharmaceutical companies to the Eurasian market. The potential of military and technical cooperation, including shared developments, has not been fully disclosed. Cinema (Bollywood) could stimulate the interest of the Indian business community and tourists. An additional increase in the export of tourism and medical services could be ensured by recreational centres being established in Belarus based on Indian traditional medicine models (Ayurveda + Yoga). (ANI)
Pakistan's ruling coalition government wants Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan to be banned and disqualified after the Election Commission of Pakistan's (ECP) verdict over the foreign funding case that confirmed charges against his party. Terming the ECP's verdict in the prohibited funding case of the PTI a "charge sheet" against the party, members of the ruling coalition claim it has proved 'anti-Pakistan forces' were behind the establishment of the party and labelled party chief Imran Khan everything from a liar, corrupt, foreign agent to a money launderer, reported Dawn. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday maintained the ECP decision declared Khan a "certified liar" for submitting false affidavits, while Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman and foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari's spokesman said the verdict proved the former PM was a corrupt person and running his political party under the name of Shaukat Khanum Cancer Hospital. "The ECP verdict on PTI foreign funding case charge-sheets Imran Niazi for violating the Constitution, submitting false affidavits, and accepting foreign money," the prime minister tweeted after the ECP announced its decision on Tuesday morning. "Proven yet again that he is a certified liar," he added and urged the nation to ponder over the implications of Khan's politics funded by foreigners. Meanwhile, Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz (PML-N) supremo, Nawaz Sharif took a dig at Khan and said that how the person who would lecture on honesty had been exposed as the 'biggest thief in history', reported Dawn. From London, Nawaz Sharif urged the federal government to take "immediate legal action" against Imran Khan following the ECP verdict. PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz said that Imran Khan took money from foreign powers to create anarchy. "This foreign agent was launched to stop CPEC and the progress of Pakistan. This man who used to give sermons on liberating the nation from slavery, in fact, turned out to be a slave of foreign powers. He took money from these foreign powers to create anarchy in Pakistan," Maryam Nawaz said in a series of tweets. Recently ousted Punjab chief minister and the prime minister's son, Hamza Shehbaz, said the ECP verdict had exposed the alleged foreign conspiracy involving Imran Khan, reported Dawn. "Taking money from citizens and companies of countries like the US and India, Imran Khan created anarchy in his own country," he said. Speaking at a press conference, PML-N leader Tallal Chaudhry demanded a lifetime ban and imprisonment for Khan. Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb said a "thief, liar involved in foreign funding and money laundering" has finally been caught after eight years. In a statement, she demanded Khan resign from the party chairman post immediately, reported Dawn. Minister for Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Shazia Marri of the PPP, which is an ally of the PML-N in the ruling coalition in the Centre, stated legal action would be pursued after the ECP proved financial crimes committed by the PTI. The PTI chief submitted false affidavits before the ECP and delayed the decision for eight years through writ petitions, she remarked. "Now a legal process will be followed in light of this decision," Marri declared. Pakistan Democratic Movement head and chief of his own faction of the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam, Maulana Fazlur Rehman, demanded the PTI be banned and Imran Khan disqualified, reported Dawn. In a press conference, he said, "The ECP decision has proven that Imran Khan has been working against the country's interests and the PTI working against the country by using funds from foreign sources." (ANI)
Moscow [Russia], August 3 (ANI/Sputnik): The UK, EU, Canadian sanctions and the inconsistency of the current situation with the obligations of Siemens make it impossible to deliver a turbine for Nord Stream, which was repaired in Canada and is now in Germany, Gazprom said. "The sanctions regimes of Canada, the EU, the UK and the inconsistency of the current situation with the current contractual obligations on the part of Siemens make the delivery of the 073 engine to the Portovaya CS [compressor station] impossible," the company said on Telegram, as quoted by Sputnik. On Monday, Gazprom said the global gas demand fell by 35 billion cubic meters since January. It also informed that the EU gas demand decreased by 31 billion cubic meters. "According to the first preliminary estimates ... the decrease in global gas demand for seven months of 2022 amounted to about 35 billion cubic meters compared to the same period in 2021. At the same time, gas consumption in 27 countries of the European Union decreased by 31 billion cubic meters over the same period," Gazprom wrote on its Telegram channel. (ANI/Sputnik)
the height of Sarybaba, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a report on the activities of Russian peacekeepers of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

"The situation in the zone of responsibility of the contingent is aggravated. In the area of

the height of Sarybaba, the ceasefire regime was breached by the armed forces of Azerbaijan."

"The command of the Russian peacekeeping contingent, together with representatives of the Azerbaijani and Armenian sides, is taking measures to stabilize the situation," the ministry said. (ANI/Sputnik)
According to the ministry, Armenian soldiers committed sabotage against the Azerbaijani military in violation of trilateral agreements between Baku, Yerevan and Moscow.

"As a result of the response operation carried out by the units of the Azerbaijan military, several heights in Karabakh were taken under control," the office said. (ANI/Sputnik)
Amid growing China concerns in the Indo-Pacific, Indonesia and the United States along with other countries have begun joint combat exercises on the Indonesian island of Sumatra, signalling stronger ties amid growing maritime activity by China in the region. More than 5,000 soldiers from Indonesia are taking part in the drill which usually takes place annually, but this year's are the largest ever amid rising tensions with China in the region, Al Jazeera reported. The annual military training, known as Garuda Shield has been taking place since 2009 but this year it marks the participation of several other countries, including Australia and Japan, making it the largest ever. The joint military exercises began on Wednesday, and are designed to strengthen interoperability, capability, trust and cooperation in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific, the US embassy in Jakarta said in a statement, reported Al Jazeera. "It's a symbol of the US-Indonesia bond and the growing relationship between land forces in this consequential region," Charles Flynn, commanding general of US Army Pacific, said in the statement. "Because land forces are the glue that binds the region's security architecture together." The joint drills were opened by Flynn and Indonesia's military chief General Andika Perkasa with a ceremony on Wednesday morning in Baturaja, a coastal town in South Sumatra province. The exercises, encompassing army, navy, air force and marine drills, will last until August 14, according to Al Jazeera. While Indonesia and China enjoy generally positive ties, Jakarta has expressed concern about Chinese involvement in its exclusive economic zone in the South China Sea, which China claims virtually in its entirety. The US-Indonesia military exercises coincided with US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's arrival in Taiwan late on Tuesday, as the highest-ranking American official in 25 years to visit the self-ruled island. During Pelosi's controversial visit to Taiwan, hashtags related to Pelosi's visit, such as "the resolve to realise national reunification is rock solid", went viral on China's Weibo microblogging platform. Pelosi's trip to Taiwan came to an end on Wednesday as she departed from the self-ruled island after a short and gripping trip which raised tensions in the Taiwan Strait. (ANI)
The Election Commission of Pakistan's (ECP) verdict on Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI's) foreign funding case has created a new problem for Imran Khan as well as other party stalwarts. There can be potential implications on Benami accounts and the fate of PTI stalwarts who operated them and in whose name the accounts were opened but disowned by the party, reported The News International. One of the Benami accounts was opened and operated by Mian Mehmood Ur Rashid. He was the PTI Lahore president at that time. The account title was 'PTI Lahore'. From this account, an amount of Rs 16.182 million was withdrawn and an amount of Rs 20.372 million was deposited. Another account from Lahore titled 'PTI Punjab' at Muslim Commercial Bank was being operated by Mian Mohammad Farooq, then party's secretary general of Punjab. The authorisation and request letter with the names of signatories was signed by Imran Khan. From this account, Rs 14.097 million were withdrawn and Rs 15.149 million were deposited, reported The News International. Former Speaker of National Assembly Asad Qaiser opened and operated an account in Habib Bank, Peshawar, together with Muhammad Ashfaq and Mohsin Wadud. A sum of Rs 0.782 million was withdrawn and Rs 0.860 million was deposited. Qaiser operated yet another account titled 'PTI NWFP' in Bank Islami's Peshawar branch together with former governor Shah Farman and Imran Shehzad. An amount of Rs 2.11 million was withdrawn and an amount of Rs 2.127 million was deposited into it. Details of an account at Bank of Khyber, Peshawar, were not available as to who was operating it, reported The News International. Former governor Sindh Imran Ismail operated an account together with MNA Muhammad Najeeb Haroon and MPA Samar Ali Khan in Habib Bank's Karachi branch. An amount of Rs 39.471 million was withdrawn and an amount of Rs 40.224 million was deposited into the account titled 'PTI Sindh'. The party's MPA from Sindh Seema Zia operated an account in Habib Bank Karachi together with Roshna. It was titled 'PTI Women Wing Sindh'. An amount of Rs 300 was withdrawn and an amount of Rs 1.077 million was deposited into it, reported The News International. Former deputy speaker of National Assembly Qasim Khan Suri held an account in Bank of Punjab's Quetta branch when he was PTI's provincial president. Syed Abdul Wahab and Dawood Khan were co-operators. An amount of Rs 5.350 million was withdrawn and an amount of Rs 5.556 million was deposited in the account. An account in Bank Islami, Islamabad, was opened with the 'PTI Federal Capital' title. The account opening documents were not available; hence, the operator remained unknown. A sum of Rs 0.769 million was withdrawn and Rs 1.154 million was deposited into it, reported The News International. Another account in the Karachi branch of the same bank was being operated but the account opening record was not available as it was purportedly burnt during riots that occurred after the assassination of Benazir Bhutto. Two accounts in Habib Bank Islamabad were opened at the request of Imran Khan. The signatories were Sardar Azhar Tariq, Col. (R) Younas Ali Raza and Saifullah Khan Niazi. An amount of USD 51,750 was withdrawn from one of those accounts; whereas, an amount of Rs 84.14 million was withdrawn and an amount of Rs 86.89 million was deposited into the other account, reported The News International. The sword of disqualification hangs over Imran Khan and their party members for consecutive misdeclaration in the account statements submitted for five years before the Election Commission of Pakistan. Out of 13 undeclared accounts, two were opened on the request of Imran Khan while 11 were being operated by other party leaders. But the PTI in a statement before the ECP disowned them. Consequently, the ECP graded them as disowned/benami/fake accounts and the investigation found out that the money was transferred from them into the declared accounts, reported The News International. "As these accounts have now been disowned by PTI, therefore, all these accounts come under the category of illegitimate/fake accounts (benami accounts). Further examination indicates that the contention of the respondents is devoid of any force due to the reason that inter-bank transfers have been found to be made by PTI in their declared accounts from the accounts disowned and are termed as 'unknown by PTI,' reads a relevant excerpt from the verdict in foreign funding case. (ANI)
Second Deputy Prime Minister of Taliban, Abdul Salam Hanafi on Wednesday slammed the US for the drone strike that killed Al-Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahiri. He said that the US drone attack in Kabul violated both national sovereignty and the Doha Agreement and that Afghan territory will not be used against any country, reported Tolo News. "These issues are still unclear to us, the only thing we know for sure is that a drone attack has taken place, which is against international law and the Doha Agreement. The Islamic Emirate's policy, which has been repeatedly stated to the people, is that our soil is not used against our neighbours," he said. Analysts said that the US drone attack in the centre of Kabul may harm relations between the international community and Afghanistan, reported Tolo News. "This (drone strike) means the non-recognition of the Islamic Emirate, now it is 1,000 per cent clear that no one will recognize it, and the US, which has shown some flexibility to give Afghanistan's money, now will definitely not give it," said Sayed Ishaq Gailani, leader of the Afghanistan Solidarity Movement. One of the terms of the Doha Agreement was to not provide sanctuary to terrorist groups like Al-Qaeda in Afghanistan. After a drone strike was conducted by the US in the Kabul "green zone" of Sherpoor, in which the US said Ayman al-Zawahiri, leader of the Al-Qaeda network, was killed, Kabul and Washington have accused each other of violating the Doha agreement. "After this, every claim the Taliban foreign minister has made or will make at international meetings will be considered false," said Aziz Marij, former diplomat. "America is trying to use the matter of the existence of Al-Qaeda and the violation of the Doha Agreement to put political pressure on Afghanistan to achieve its aims using this sort of propaganda," said Najibullah Jami, a university lecturer. The announcement made by American officials stated that the goal of this attack was to kill Al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri. Meanwhile, Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid in a statement confirmed that a strike took place and strongly condemned it, calling it a violation of "international principles," reported Tolo News. "On August 1, 2022, an air strike was carried out on a residential house in the Sherpoor area of Kabul city. At the outset, the nature of the incident was not revealed. The security and intelligence agencies of the Islamic Emirate investigated the incident and found in their preliminary investigations that the attack was carried out by American drones. IEA strongly condemns this attack on any cause and calls it a clear violation of international principles and the Doha Agreement," read the statement of Taliban. (ANI)
Taiwan on Wednesday welcomed the visit of the US Congressional delegation, led by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and said this visit "once again emphasizes the rock-solid US commitment to Taiwan." This high-stakes visit marks the first visit by a US House Speaker in 25 years since Newt Gingrich came to Taiwan in April 1997. It was also Speaker Pelosi's first trip to Taiwan in 22 years. "The fact that the delegation included key Congressional leaders from the House Committees on Foreign Affairs, Veterans' Affairs, and Ways and Means underscores the high level of support for Taiwan-US relations from the US Congress and the wide scope of bilateral cooperation across all fields," Taiwan foreign ministry said in a statement. "The inclusion of Taiwan in the itinerary of Speaker Pelosi's first Asian tour since the US Congress resumed overseas travel this year fully demonstrates the high regard that the Congress has for Taiwan and once again emphasizes the rock-solid US commitment to Taiwan," the statement added. The ministry said Speaker Pelosi and other prominent members of Congress will enhance the close and cordial relations between Taiwan and the United States and further deepen global cooperation between the two countries across a broad range of areas. Pelosi today said the Congressional delegation's visit should be seen as a strong statement that America stands with Taiwan. "We came to Taiwan to listen to, learn from and show our support for the people of Taiwan, who have built a thriving Democracy that stands as one of the freest and most open in the world," she said in a statement. Congresswoman Pelosi has served as Speaker of the House of Representatives since 2019, and previously from 2007 to 2011. She is the first and as yet the only woman to hold this position in US history. In her capacity as Speaker, she has often publicly expressed support for Taiwan. Pelosi's trip to Taiwan came to an end today as she departed from the self-ruled island after a short and gripping trip that upped the ante in the Taiwan Strait. The US House Speaker, who is second in line to the Oval Office after the US vice-president, reaffirmed her country's unwavering commitment to supporting Taiwan's democracy and said this trip in no way contradicts long-standing United States policy on the self-governed island. China, meanwhile, has said that Pelosi's Taiwan visit was a serious violation of the one-China principle and the provisions of the joint communique signed between the two countries. It had also announced live firing as part of its military operations near Taiwan in response to Pelosi's visit. (ANI)
People of Federally Administered Tribal Area (FATA) are facing lots of trouble since the merger with Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP). Tribal people are not at all happy even after three years of merger and are not satisfied with the measures and policies adopted by the governments as their problems are increasing day by day, reported Pak vernacular media. Many tribes prefer Jirga over the judiciary for settling their issues. People against FATA's merger with Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa are getting active in this situation and are trying to convince tribes that the merger was a mistake and the results are in front. In the tribal system, all decisions were taken in accordance with local customs and practices which provided immediate and timely justice to the people. These decisions, it is noteworthy, were also gladly accepted by all parties involved. The government has forgotten the promises made to the people of FATA before the merger and those who used to take credit for this merger are now silent, reported local media. A former special force of FATA is complaining with its 22 points that the government has not fulfilled its promises, demanding that the government should cater to all the benefits of the merger by spending developmental funds for resolving the problems of tribal people. The educated and politically active people had thought that the merger would bring them into the national stream but it has proved wrong for now, reported local media. On May 21, 2018, Pakistan made FATA part of KP under the 25th Amendment to reform tribal areas and to bring it within constitutional jurisdiction, but rather than solving the problem, it has become an obstacle in the way of development. Rifatullah Orakzai, writing in Friday Times of Naya Daur said that despite being mainstreamed under the Pakistani constitution, former FATA remains marred by lawlessness. The vacuum used by terror outfits is still volatile, with the locals being troubled by draconian policies. Tribal people who have been relocated to the area complain of delays in hearing property cases and high expenses. Sahibzada Bahauddin, a local journalist from Bajaur tribal district, can't help but juxtapose the systems pre- and post-FATA's merger with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. "The jirga system was better: money was spent in it too but at least justice was provided immediately," Bahauddin told Naya Daur Media. He said the promises made by the government to the tribal people have not been fulfilled, and hence the locals are disappointed. He insists many locals think they have been hard done by and also reiterates that the previous system was cheaper and quicker. "We used to think that the abolition of the Frontier Crimes Regulations or FCR would solve most of the problems of the people in the former tribal areas, but that did not happen. In fact, so many new issues have been created, and one can't see any solution to them," he added. The FCR, introduced in 1901 by the British, has commonly been referred to as the Black Law. In the former tribal areas, the whole system was run under this law and the convicts had no right of appeal in the high courts. One clause of this law could have bound the whole tribe for many years under territorial responsibility, reported Naya Daur. "People had high hopes regarding the integration of FATA. The government's narrative implied that the merger would lead to canals of milk and honey flowing in the merged areas. It was all a sweet deception," added Bahauddin. No ledgers are kept of the property in the merged districts. Locals have started to bring years-old disputes before the local courts, which has further aggravated territorial issues. "A mechanism should have been set up to provide relief but there is no such thing on the ground which shows frustration on all sides," he maintained. (ANI)
War-torn Afghanistan is witnessing an economic crisis and is under huge debt since the Taliban took control of the country as now it owes Tajikistan USD 28 million for electricity. Da Afghanistan Breshna Sherkat (DABS) of Afghanistan owes Tajikistan USD 28 million for electricity, said Mohammad Omar Asuzada, the head of the national electricity company of Tajikistan, Barqi Tojik. In a press conference held on August 1, the Tajik energy official said that transferring money from the DABS company to Barqi Tojik became quite challenging after the banks responsible for purchasing electricity encountered sanctions, Khaama Press reported. "We have received USD 2 million in cash", however, the outstanding balance remains at USD 28 million to be paid by DABS," Asuzada said. The Afghan company, DABS, "is working on the matter," he further added. Tajikistan provided Afghanistan with more than 734 million kWh of electricity during the first half of the year, Khaama Press reported citing a Barqi Tojik senior official. Due to the destruction of Afghan transmission lines in recent years, Afghanistan occasionally experienced interruptions in the provision of electricity, however, comes as according to a statement from the Uzbek Energy Ministry, Afghanistan has paid off its substantial debt to Uzbekistan for electric power imports. Since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in mid-August, many electricity supply projects in the country have been halted and several have shut down as well. The main reason for halting these projects is the suspension of funds from the Asian Development Bank, the World Bank and the United States development aid to Afghanistan. Due to four decades of conflict, severe drought, and pandemics, Afghanistan's economy was already collapsing. After the Taliban seized power following the hasty withdrawal of US soldiers, the international community froze Afghanistan's assets and withheld help. Moreover, women work, and especially female breadwinners, have struggled to make ends meet since the Taliban took control. Female employees in government offices are currently housed in the majority of cases. (ANI)
New York [US], August 3 (ANI/Sputnik): The United Nations is launching a fact-finding mission to investigate a strike on a prison in the Russian-controlled Donetsk region which killed Ukrainian POWs, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Wednesday. The Olenivka detention centre, hosting Ukrainian prisoners of war, was attacked by Ukrainian troops with US-supplied High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) in late July, the Russian Defense Ministry said. The strike killed 50 people and wounded over 70. "I decided in line with my own competencies and powers to launch a fact-finding mission. I have no authority to do criminal investigations but to launch a fact-finding mission. Terms of reference for the fact-finding mission are being prepared at the present moment. They will be shared with the government of the Russian Federation and the government of Ukraine," Guterres told a briefing. (ANI/Sputnik)
Ukraine can end the ongoing conflict at any time by conceding to Russias non-negotiable terms, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday, media reports said. "Russia is ready [for a peace deal], and the Ukrainian side is well-aware of our terms. One way or another, they will be fulfilled," the official told journalists, RT reported. Peskov went on to explain that back in late March, the two countries were close to settling their differences in a way that was acceptable to Russia, but the draft agreement prepared during a meeting in Istanbul was torpedoed by the Ukrainian side. Kiev broke off talks with Moscow after accusing Russia of committing war crimes, an allegation that Russia said was based on fabricated evidence. The Ukrainian leadership has since insisted that negotiations can only be resumed after Russia is defeated on the battlefield with the help of Western weapons, RT reported. Peskov also commented on the recent visit to Moscow by former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, who, the Kremlin spokesman confirmed, met Russian President Vladimir Putin. Despite media speculation that the former German leader could serve as a mediator in the Ukraine conflict, the 78-year-old "expressed no desire" to do so, Peskov said. Russia sent troops into Ukraine on February 24, citing Kiev's failure to implement the Minsk agreements, designed to give the regions of Donetsk and Lugansk special status within the Ukrainian state. The protocols, brokered by Germany and France, were first signed in 2014. Former Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has since admitted that Kiev's main goal was to use the ceasefire to buy time and "create powerful armed forces". --IANS san/arm ( 286 Words) 2022-08-03-19:10:02 (IANS)
Minister of State for External Affairs Meenakashi Lekhi on Wednesday met with the Deputy Foreign Minister of Belarus in New Delhi and discussed bilateral cooperation between New Delhi and Minsk. In a tweet, Lekhi wrote, "Glad to meet H.E. Sergei Aleinik, First Deputy Foreign Minister of the Republic of Belarus within the framework of his visit to India for Foreign Office Consultations. Noted bilateral cooperation in various spheres and exchanged views on the situation in the region." The meeting comes as India and Belarus Wednesday held the seventh round of Foreign Office Consultations (FoC) in New Delhi where both sides reviewed the entire gamut of bilateral relations. During the FoC, both the nations reviewed the entire gamut of bilateral relations, including political, economic, cultural, tourism, education and consular matters. The two sides also exchanged views on regional and global issues of mutual interest, read the Ministry of External Affairs press release. The Indian side was led by Sanjay Verma, Secretary (West) and the Belarusian side was led by Sergei Aleinik, First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus. It was agreed to hold the next round of consultations at a mutually convenient time. Recently, India congratulated Belarus for celebrating its 78 years of Independence on July 3rd 2022. India's relations with Belarus have been traditionally warm and cordial. India was one of the first countries to recognize Belarus as an independent country in 1991 after the break-up of the Soviet Union. The cooperation between the two countries is visible at many multilateral fora such as UN Security Council (UNSC) and the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG). Belarus was one of the countries whose support helped in consolidating India's candidature for the non-permanent seat at the UNSC in July 2020. India has also reciprocated Belarus's support at various international fora, such as Belarus's membership in the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) and other international and multilateral groups like IPU (Inter-Parliamentary Union). The two countries enjoy a comprehensive partnership and have established mechanisms for exchanging views on bilateral, regional and multilateral issues through Foreign Office Consultations (FOC), Intergovernmental Commission (IGC), and Joint Commission on Military Technical Cooperation. The two countries have signed a number of Agreements/MoUs on various subjects, including trade and economic cooperation, culture, education, media and sports, tourism, science & technology, agriculture, textiles, Avoidance of Double Taxation, Promotion and Protection of Investments, and defence and technical cooperation. In the economic sector, the annual bilateral trade turnover in 2019 stands at USD 569.6 million. India's special gesture in 2015 that granted Belarus the Market Economy Status and a USD 100 million Line of Credit has also helped in the growth in the economic sector. Market Economy status is a status conferred on the country exporting the goods accepted as the benchmark. Prior to this status, the country is considered a Non-Market Economy (NME). India's encouragement to the Belarusian businessmen to invest in 'Make in India' projects is bearing fruits. The Indian Community in Belarus consists of around 112 Indian nationals and 906 Indian students pursuing studies in medicine in State medical universities in Belarus. Indian art and culture, dance, Yoga, Ayurveda, films, etc. remain popular among Belarusian nationals. Many young Belarusians also take a keen interest in learning Hindi and dance forms of India. Taking into account the gradual shift of the global geopolitical and geo-economic centre of gravity to Asia, cooperation with India creates additional opportunities for international trade and investment. Belarus needs several footholds in Asia diversified by geographical subregions. India could become one of such pillars in South Asia, but Belarusian initiatives should definitely fall into the "matrix" of India's national interests and sacred meanings.There are also certain hidden reserves for cooperation in the field of cybersecurity. Belarus may become an "entry point" for Indian pharmaceutical companies to the Eurasian market. The potential of military and technical cooperation, including shared developments, has not been fully disclosed. Cinema (Bollywood) could stimulate the interest of the Indian business community and tourists. An additional increase in the export of tourism and medical services could be ensured by recreational centres being established in Belarus based on Indian traditional medicine models (Ayurveda + Yoga). (ANI)
Prime Minister of Cambodia Hun Sen said that all ASEAN Member States are deeply disappointed by the execution of opposition activists in Myanmar and noted that if more prisoners are executed, they will be forced to rethink about the role vis-a-vis ASEAN's Five-point consensus. These were the opening remarks of the 55th ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting as foreign ministers of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) met at Cambodia's Phnom Penh for the 55th time. Notably, the 10-nation bloc had been pushing for Myanmar to adhere to a five-point peace "consensus" however in a digress from this, Myanmar's military junta executed four men in the country's first death sentences carried out in over three decades. "Cambodia as well as all ASEAN Member States, are deeply disappointed and disturbed by the execution of those opposition activists, despite the appeals from me and others for the death sentences to be reconsidered for the sake of political dialogue, peace and reconciliation. If more prisoners are to be executed, we will be forced to rethink about our role vis A vis ASEAN's Five-point Consensus," the Cambodian PM said. The Prime Minister said, "the political and security, and now economic and humanitarian crisis in Myanmar, one of our own families, has challenged the ASEAN unity, and solidarity and shaken the region's stability." He added that in Myanmar, the ASEAN nations have spent so much time and energy and braved so many difficulties and criticism to help the country and its people find some political solutions. "We will continue to do so without placing at risk, in any way, our ASEAN unity. Here I wish to add that even the implementation of the Five-point Consensus has not advanced as everyone wishes, but our efforts have yielded some progress, especially in providing humanitarian aid to those who need the most. However, the current situation has changed dramatically, which can be said that is even worse than the time prior to the Five-point Consensus after the execution of four opposition activists," he stated during his opening remarks. On South-China sea, the Cambodian PM said that ASEAN nations are working hard to conclude an effective code of conduct which should be in line with international law. "Another milestone is the 20th year anniversary of the Declaration of the Conduct (DOC) of Parties in the East Sea, which is an important document in managing relations between all parties concerned in the South China Sea." "We are also working hard to conclude a substantive and effective Code of Conduct (COC) that is in line with international law, including United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)," he added. Furthermore, the Cambodian PM said that the ASEAN nations are optimistic about Timor Leste's ASEAN membership by next year. "Timor Leste's accession process is advancing well and I am optimistic that by next year we could welcome this country to the ASEAN family." While exuding in ASEAN, the Prime Minister said that ASEAN was a region struggling with its security, stability and development however now it is a thriving region where, together, we have turned suspicion into trust, hostilities and confrontation into cooperation and development. "With decades of relative peace and stability, ASEAN has prospered way beyond our expectations, with high growth development and a steady improvement of the people's well-being." (ANI)
terrier dog outside

IzaLysonArts / Getty Images

If you have a dog, you likely enjoy spoiling your four-legged friend in a variety of waysfeeding them treats throughout the day, taking them on walks, and giving them a lot of belly rubs. While this type of puppy love spans across all dog breeds, there is one species that is more spoiled than the rest according to new data: American Staffordshire Terriers.

To identify the most spoiled dog breeds across the country, Bark, an organization that advocates for fostering and dog-friendly spaces, dug through over 10 years of customer data and purchasing trends. The data was culled from dog owners that have subscribed to BarkBox and Super Chewer, and then filtered by breed. With the data, they were able to identify the most spoiled breeds, most popular breeds, and the most popular dog names in each state.

Related: 10 Dog Breeds That Look Like Puppies Even When They're Fully Grown

While we know the top spot goes to American Staffordshire Terriers, there are a few other dog types that get some extra love from their owners, according to Bark's data. German Shorthaired Pointers, Bernese Mountain dogs, Labrador Retrievers, Catahoula Leopard dogs, English Bulldogs, Boston Terriers, Pembroke Welsh Corgis, Great Danes, and Belgian Shepherd dogs, rounded out the top 10.

The data also identified the most popular breeds across the nation, which included Labrador Retrievers, Pit Bulls, and Doodles. In fact, Utah was the only state that didn't have Pitbulls or Labrador Retrievers as its top dogtheir number one spot went to the Doodle. Another fun fact? Alaska's most-owned dog isn't an Alaskan breed; it's the Labrador, but the Alaskan Husky claimed the second slot.

In addition, the date revealed that pet owners in the United States gravitate towards the same dog names. "Regardless of region or political leaning, we have commonality in what we name our pups as Americans, and the most popular name is Luna," notes data authors. Followed by Luna is Bella, Charlie, Daisy, Max, Lucy, Sadie, and Kona.

The Most Spoiled Dog Breeds in the United States
To help his single father during summer break, an 11-year-old boy dedicates up to 17 hours a day helping run multiple food stands in eastern China.

The boy, who resides in Zaozhuang city, Shandong province, has been spending his summer break helping his father run three food stands from early in the morning to late at night. While his father cooks, the boy sells various food items, including shredded pancakes, soy sauce pancakes and porridges, reported Henan Broadcasting System.

In a video uploaded to Weibo on Wednesday, the boy slices the pancakes and swiftly packages them into plastic bags while simultaneously preparing other food items. When asked how long he works at the food stand each day, the boy stated: If I get up earlier, I will start at 7 or 8 a.m., otherwise I can postpone to 8 or 9 a.m. I will finish it by 11 p.m. or midnight.

Although he would like to have fun with his friends, the boy expressed that he helps his father as he is concerned about him. He added that he understands the difficulty that his father faces as a single parent and does not want his father to have to tolerate the work alone.

More from NextShark: Tibetan Man Lands Job After Going Viral for Being 'Handsome'

There is an old saying that There is no sweet without sweat. And no matter how tired I am, my dad must be much more tired than me, the boy said.

The father plans on sending his son to Songshan Shaolin Temple to learn dance. The boy expressed that he hopes to become a firefighter in the future.

Weibo users praised the boys maturity.

More from NextShark: Video of toddler diligently feeding birds with a chopstick goes viral

His maturity doesnt match his age, one user commented.

The 11-year-old speaks and thinks more maturely than some adults. Hope he can have a perfect and comfortable life in the future, another user wrote.

The video has garnered over 2.2 million views and 48,900 likes since being uploaded.

More from NextShark: Indian Doctor Gets Over 5 Million Views Dancing for His Patients

Featured Image: Weibo

More from NextShark: Ulzzang Hong Young-ki, 31-year-old mother of 2, looks so young that middle school boys asked for her number
A election sign opposing Amendment 2 is seen in Wichita, Kansas on Tuesday August 2nd, 2022 as voters decide on a constitutional amendment regarding abortion. Nathan Posner/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

Most of the counties that rejected Kansas' anti-abortion amendment voted for Trump in 2020.

Kansas voters turned out in high numbers to decisively reject an anti-abortion ballot measure.

An analysis from Insider's partners at Decision Desk HQ illustrates the broad coalition opposing the measure.

Fourteen Kansas counties that voted for President Donald Trump in 2020 joined all five counties that backed President Joe Biden to reject an anti-abortion ballot measure on Tuesday night, according to an analysis by Insider's partners at Decision Desk HQ.

Kansas voters turned out in droves on Tuesday to defeat Amendment 2, the first anti-abortion ballot measure put to voters since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in late June.

Over 900,000 people voted on the amendment on Tuesday, shattering turnout estimates for what was expected to be a low-turnout primary. Voters rejected the amendment by a margin of 59% to 41%.

A "yes" vote on the measure would have eliminated the right to abortion and established no right to public funding abortion under the state constitution. The "no" vote left the constitutional protections to abortion in Kansas unchanged  preserving the status quo and signaling both the unpopularity and the galvanizing impact of abortion in the post-Roe era.

Biden won just Kansas five counties in the 2020 presidential election while "no" prevailed in 19 counties on Tuesday night, meaning that the remaining 14 "no" counties backed Trump in 2020  and were likely decisive to the amendment's failure at the ballot box. "No" on the amendment also significantly outperformed Biden's margins against Trump in those five counties he carried in 2020.

The 14 counties that backed Trump in 2020 but voted "no" on Amendment 2:

Cowley County backed Trump with 68% of the vote compared to 30% for Biden in 2020, but voted "no" on Amendment 2 by 52% to 48% on Tuesday.

Crawford County backed Trump 60% to 40% in 2020 and voted "no" 55% to 45%.

Franklin County backed Trump 68% to 30% in 2020 and voted "no" 56% to 44%.

Geary County backed Trump 55% to 41% in 2020 and voted "no" 61% to 39%.

Greenwood County backed Trump 79% to 18% in 2020 and narrowly voted "no" 50.16% to 48.84%.

Harvey County backed Trump 59% to 39% in 2020 and voted "no" 53% to 47%.

Jackson County backed Trump 69% to 29% in 2020 and voted "no" 52% to 48%.

Jefferson County backed Trump 65% to 33% in 2020 and voted "no" 55% to 45%.

Leavenworth County backed Trump 59% to 38% in 2020 and voted "no" 59% to 41%.

Lyon County backed Trump 54% to 43% in 2020 and voted "no" 63% to 37%.

Miami County backed Trump 68% to 29% in 2020 and voted "no" 52% to 48%.

Osage County backed Trump 71% to 27% in 2020 and voted "no" 56% to 44%.

Saline County backed Trump 64% to 44% in 2020 and voted "no" 55% to 45%.

Sedgwick County backed Trump 54% to 43% in 2020 and voted "no" 58% to 42%.

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"No" on Amendment 2 outran Biden in the five counties he won in 2020:

Douglas County backed Biden 68% to 29% in the 2020 presidential election and voted "no" on Amendment 2 81% to 19%.

Johnson County backed Biden by 53% to 45% in 2020 and voted "no" 68% to 32% in 2022.

Riley County backed Biden 51% to 46% in 2020 and voted "no" 68% to 32%.

Shawnee County backed Biden by just three points, 50% to 47%, in 2020 and voted "no" 66% to 44%.

Wyandotte County backed Biden 64% to 31% in 2020 and voted "no" 74% to 26%.

Read the original article on Business Insider
The North Carolina Zoo said a 23-year-old African lion, who had been battling renal disease for several years, has died.

Reilly was the oldest male lion in an Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA)-accredited institution.

He was so tolerant of his rambunctious offspring and was fiercely devoted to his lady lion, Mekita, said Zookeeper Beth Malott, who worked with Reilly for eight years. Reilly was a one-of-a-kind soul, and his morning roars will be greatly missed.

Seeing red: Michigan zoo welcomes red panda cub

Reilly had been battling renal disease for several years, but as he got older and his physical state weakened, the animal care team and veterinarians made the decision to euthanize him.

Renal disease is not uncommon for a cat of Reillys advanced age, be it a domestic cat sitting on your chair at home or a lion at the Zoo, says Director of Animal Health and Chief Veterinarian, Dr. Jb Minter. We had been extremely fortunate to be able to monitor the advancement of Reillys renal disease over the years using operant conditioning to get blood from his tail, but unfortunately, the progression of the renal disease along with his previously diagnosed spinal disease proved to be too much. I will surely miss hearing his roar from across the park.

Zoo officials said Reilly was born at Lincoln Park Zoo on February 7, 1999, and came to the zoo in Asheboro on March 23, 2001. He fathered a total of nine offspring.

As the oldest male in AZA zoos, he far exceeded the average lifespan for lions under human care, said Animal Management Supervisor Jodi Wiley, who worked with Reilly for seven years. This speaks volumes of the amazing care the keepers have given him over the years.

According to officials, a lions average lifespan in the wild is about 10-15 years, while male lions under human care have a median life expectancy of 17 years.

African lions are listed as Vulnerable species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), with populations continuing to decrease due to habitat loss and poaching. An estimated 23,000 to 39,000 lions remain in the wild.

(WATCH BELOW: Tiger at Ohio zoo dies after contracting COVID-19)




One person, after being assessed by an SCDF paramedic for smoke inhalation, refused to be sent to the hospital. (PHOTOS: Singapore Civil Defence Force/Facebook)

SINGAPORE  About 50 residents had to be evacuated on Wednesday (3 August) morning after a fire broke out at an HDB flat in Telok Blangah.

The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) in a Facebook post said it was alerted at about 11.40am to a fire on an 11th-floor unit at Block 92B Telok Blangah Street 3.

Upon arrival, the fire was "raging" with thick black smoke emitting from the unit, SCDF added.

Firefighters from the Alexandra Fire Station forced their way into the unit and extinguished the fire using two water jets, it added.

As a result of the fire, the entire unit was affected by heat and smoke damage. Damping down operations are ongoing, said SCDF.

One person, after being assessed by an SCDF paramedic for smoke inhalation, refused to be sent to the hospital. Some 50 residents were evacuated by the police and SCDF as a precautionary measure.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Do you have a story tip? Email: sgnews.tips@yahooinc.com.

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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
A former Abilene man wanted on warrants and listed on the Texas Department of Public Safety's Top 10 Most Wanted Fugitives list has been captured.

John Robert Havener, 52, was arrested July 24 in Durant, Okla., following a traffic stop conducted by the Durant Police Department, according to a DPS news release Wednesday.

He had warrants from Taylor and two other counties and has been convicted of several crimes.

Havener has been wanted since March, when the Fannin County Sheriffs Office issued warrants for his arrest for aggravated assault against a public servant with a vehicle and evading arrest with a vehicle.

In April, the Taylor County Sheriffs Office issued a warrant for Haveners arrest for a probation violation.

The Grayson County Sheriffs Office issued a warrant in June for his arrest for possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver.

In 2011, Havener was convicted of having a prohibited substance in a correctional facility and bail jumping/failure to appear, the release said. In 2015, he was convicted of possession of a controlled substance and sentenced to eight years confinement. Havener was released on parole in 2018.

He was convicted in 2020 of assault of a family/household member with previous conviction and received probation.

In March, Havener was arrested for possession of a controlled substance and subsequently bonded out.

This article originally appeared on Abilene Reporter-News: Abilene man on Texas Top 10 Most Wanted Fugitives captured
By Jamie Freed, Norihiko Shirouzu and Tim Hepher

(Reuters) - Boeing Co faced added uncertainty over crucial plane deliveries to China on Wednesday as a visit to Taipei by U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi angered Beijing and risked stoking Sino-U.S. trade tensions.

With the highest-level U.S. visit to Taiwan in 25 years pushing rhetoric to new levels, experts cautioned it was too early to say exactly how the row will play out for Boeing, which historically relies on China for a quarter of jetliner sales.

But the visit will do nothing to ease near-term industrial and political gridlock for the planemaker whose CEO said last week 737 MAX deliveries to China remained blocked by COVID-19 and a "geopolitical overhang", in a reference to simmering trade tensions between the world's two biggest economies.

"Quite apart from Pelosi's Taiwan visit, Boeing already faces a tough environment in China," said Greg Waldron, Asia managing editor of industry publication FlightGlobal.

"For years it has lagged Airbus in both deliveries and orders on the mainland, and the 737 MAX has yet to resume flying for Chinese airlines, more than six months after it received regulatory approval there following a safety crisis, he added.

Boeing shares fell 3.4% on Tuesday compared to the 0.7% drop of the S&P 500 index.

In the meantime, both Boeing and European rival Airbus must juggle a rapidly changing diplomatic backdrop with a pressing quandary over Taiwan itself, as Pelosi's trip falls in the midst of a separate contest for a multi-billion-dollar plane deal.

The president of Taiwan's government-backed China Airlines told Reuters last week it is "actively" looking at options to renew a fleet of 22 Airbus A330 jets in a competition widely expected to pit the upgraded A330neo against Boeing's 787.

'DELICATE SITUATION'

While a deal with Taiwan's biggest carrier would be a boon to Boeing as it nears the resumption of 787 deliveries after manufacturing flaws, sources said it could risk upsetting authorities in China, a much larger market.

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That means Boeing is seen as unlikely to use Pelosi's trip, which has not been formally authorised by the White House, to lobby actively for a 787 deal. "It's a really delicate situation these days," a person familiar with the process said.

Airbus might appear to be better placed than Boeing in the evolving China-Taiwan situation, having won a major order from China just a month ago. But it is also looking for approval for its small A220 jet in China and must mind its strategic presence there.

Both companies tend to keep a discreet distance between Taiwan negotiations and their much larger business with China, but Pelosi's visit adds a potentially unwelcome spotlight.

"Nobody is going to want to be too visible on Taiwan right now," one industry source said, asking not to be named.

U.S. President Joe Biden cast doubt last month on the wisdom of the trip in a rare break with close ally Pelosi, though the White House said on Monday she had the right to visit Taiwan.

It is not the first time geopolitics have threatened to disrupt big-ticket jet deals or curb deliveries to China.

Once an emblem of detente as President Richard Nixon flew to Beijing on a 707 in 1972, Boeing later complained via former Chief Executive Phil Condit that it had become "the designated hostage" in U.S.-China ties, according to the New York Times.

Airbus too has been left out in the cold by past friction over French arms sales to Taiwan or other disputes, but analysts say Beijing has historically sought to balance jet purchases between its major Western trade rivals over the long term.

In the short term, buying patterns are harder to predict.

"Another headwind is reduced air traffic - both domestic and international - in China owing to the zero-COVID policy, Waldron of FlightGlobal said. This hurts demand for new aircraft and also the demand for support services."

(Reporting by Jamie Freed in SYDNEY, Norihiko Shirouzu in BEIJING and Tim Hepher in PARIS; Writing by Tim Hepher and Jamie Freed; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman)
Kelli Ward (L), the chair of the Arizona Republican Party, greets President Donald Trump as he arrives to deliver remarks on immigration and border security at the international airport in Yuma, Arizona on August 18, 2020. BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images

Arizona GOP officials planned to install fake electors to overturn the state's 2020 election result.

The chair of the Arizona GOP and a state senator both raised concerns about the plan.

The officials worried their actions "could appear treasonous," The New York Times reported.

Two Arizona GOP officials who helped plan to overturn the 2020 election worried their actions "could appear treasonous," The New York Times reported.

The officials planned to install an alternate set of electors to vote in favor of Donald Trump after a vote count had determined Joe Biden had won the presidential election. A similar plan was in place in Georgia, where some of the would-be electors could face charges for election interference, conspiracy, and racketeering.

Kelli Ward, the chair of the Arizona Republican Party, and Kelly Townsend, a state senator, both raised concerns about the plan that Trump's legal team circulated, according to emails published by The New York Times.

"Ward and Townsend are concerned it could appear treasonous for the AZ electors to vote on Monday if there is no pending court proceeding that might, eventually, lead to the electors being ratified as the legitimate ones," Kenneth Chesebro, a lawyer working for Mr. Trump's campaign, wrote in a 2020 email published by The New York Times.

The word "treasonous" appeared in bold.

The email was sent to a group that included Trump's personal lawyer, Rudolph Giuliani.

Ward, despite her concerns, ultimately supported the plan and signed a document that falsely claimed to be a "certificate of the votes of the 2020 electors from Arizona" and falsely asserted that Trump won the state's 11 Electoral College votes.

Townsend did not sign the document.

Representatives for Ward and Townsend did not immediately respond to Insider's requests for comment.

Read the original article on Business Insider
China calls for rejection of double standards in nuclear non-proliferation

Xinhua) 08:34, August 03, 2022

UNITED NATIONS, Aug. 2 (Xinhua) -- The international community should reject double standards in the area of nuclear non-proliferation, a Chinese official told the 10th Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) on Tuesday.

The nuclear-powered submarine cooperation between the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia poses severe nuclear proliferation risks, in contravention of the purposes and principles of the NPT, said Fu Cong, head of the Chinese delegation.

This review conference should conduct in-depth discussions on its implications in all aspects, including its challenges to the safeguards system of the International Atomic Energy Agency, in order to firmly uphold the international non-proliferation regime, he said.

On the Iran nuclear deal, he said all parties concerned should stay committed to bringing the deal back on track at an early date through diplomatic negotiations, and reject the practices of pressuring with sanctions and threat of force. The United States should completely lift its relevant illegal sanctions on Iran and long-arm jurisdiction measures on third parties. On that basis, Iran should return to full compliance with its nuclear commitments.

The security situation on the Korean Peninsula remains complex and severe. There is a need to follow the dual-track approach and the principle of phased and synchronized actions in advancing the process toward the establishment of a peace mechanism and the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, said Fu, who is the director-general of the Department of Arms Control of the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

"The so-called nuclear sharing arrangements run counter to the provisions of the NPT and increase the risks of nuclear proliferation and nuclear conflicts," he said. "The United States should withdraw all its nuclear weapons from Europe and refrain from deploying nuclear weapons in any other region."

The relevant non-nuclear-weapon states should earnestly fulfill their NPT obligations and their own commitments, and stop instigating nuclear sharing or other forms of nuclear deterrence arrangements. Any attempt to replicate NATO's nuclear sharing model in the Asia-Pacific region would undermine regional strategic stability and would be firmly opposed by the countries in the region and, when necessary, face severe countermeasures, he said.

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun)
Arnitta Holliman, director of the Office of Violence Prevention, speaks during a news conference stressing the importance of community resources for suicide prevention at the Sixteenth Street National Ave. Clinic in Milwaukee on Wednesday, March 30, 2022.

Arnitta Holliman's removal as the director of Milwaukees Office of Violence Prevention comes after simmering tensions and mounting scrutiny over the office's effectiveness in recent months.

Holliman was notified Wednesday that her appointment had concluded, Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnsons chief of staff, Jim Bohl, said in a statement.

The Mayor's Office and the Common Council have for the most part been tight-lipped about the specific reasons and timing behind her removal.

Holliman declined to comment. She had an annual salary of $105,000, according to the city.

In the last several months, Holliman had been under pressure from some elected leaders at City Hall and community members to prove the impact the office was making, as homicides continue to climb and an influx of state, local and philanthropic aid has flowed to its programming.

Even with that infusion, defenders of the office have argued that its operation is far too small, especially in comparison to the Milwaukee Police Department, and should not be held responsible for the city's continued violence.

The office has a $4.25 million budget and 15 positions, six of them funded with federal pandemic aid, this year. Its team of violence interrupters, called 414Life, which is contracted out of the Medical College of Wisconsin, is staffed by fewer than 25 people and concentrates only on select neighborhoods with a long history of gun violence.

The Police Department's 2022 budget, in contrast, is about $280 million and city officials expected its sworn strength to average 1,657 over the course of this year.

"It is the administrations intent to continue the work underway in the violence prevention office, while, at the same time, increasing the offices responsiveness to changing demands and expectations in public safety," Bohl said.

Over the past year, additional millions of dollars have been directed to the Office of Violence Prevention through the State of Wisconsin, city resources, and philanthropic sources," the statement continued. "Looking forward, we want those new resources effectively deployed to make Milwaukee safer.

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In October, Gov. Tony Evers announced that $8 million in federal pandemic aid would be allocated to the office out of $25 million that would go to violence prevention across the state. Soon after, the city budgeted more than $3 million in federal pandemic aid for the office.

Bohl's statement did not elaborate further on the reasons behind her departure.

Johnson's spokesman, Jeff Fleming, declined to provide additional details about the reasons for her removal and said he would expect a new director to be announced in the coming weeks.

In the meantime, he said there are still staff in the office and support from the Health Department, where the Office of Violence Prevention is located.

But the position will not be an easy one to fill, according to Vaun Mayes, a violence prevention community activist who has worked with the office. He said the offices relatively small size requires its director to raise the profile of its work and establish a range of partnerships.

Everybody does not have the same relationships, or the ability to make adequate relationships, when it comes to preventing violence and sending people out to neighborhoods, Mayes said. Arnitta did a great job. I have no idea of who they think could hold that role properly.

Holliman, whose background is in psychology and counseling, was appointed to the position by then-Mayor Tom Barrett in May 2021 following the resignation of Reggie Moore.

At that time, she said she planned to focus on mental health, preventing gun violence and gender-based violence, and engaging youth.

Ald. Michael Murphy, who has pushed for better tracking of the office's performance metrics, said it is natural for a new mayor such as Johnson to install his own personnel at high level positions.

He said he believes Johnson wants to see the office focus more on disrupting the citys homicide rate, shootings and domestic violence in a way that could be more easily measured.

As Milwaukee wades through a third straight year of historic and worsening levels of gun violence, Holliman's office began to receive more scrutiny for the effectiveness of its work outside City Hall as well.

In response, Holliman repeatedly said that even with a recent influx in government funding, the office was underfunded in comparison to the magnitude of violence plaguing Milwaukee. Her position on that was supported by other city officials and community members who work with the office in Milwaukee.

"In terms of the scope of the problems that were talking about, its not as much funding as people think it is," Murphy said. "You can't, certainly, lay all the blame on the Office of Violence Prevention in any shape, form or fashion.

Contact Elliot Hughes at elliot.hughes@jrn.com or 414-704-8958. Follow him on Twitter @elliothughes12.

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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee mayor announces change at Office of Violence Prevention
PHNOM PENH (Reuters) - Foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) expressed concern on Wednesday over rising tensions concerning Taiwan, an official from chair country Cambodia said.

ASEAN hopes all sides will try their best to de-escalate tensions on Taiwan and avoid actions that contribute to an escalation, Kung Phoak, Secretary of State of Cambodias foreign ministry, told a news conference.

(Reporting by Reuters staff; Writing by Martin Petty; Editing by Andrew Heavens)
(Reuters) -The Australian Securities Exchange said on Wednesday it would delay an overhaul of its main share trading software by up to 20 months, citing problems achieving "scalability and resilience".

The delay until late-2024, among several, takes it to nearly a decade of ASX Ltd's project to modernise its equities clearance software Clearing House Electronic Subregister System (CHESS).

The CHESS software enables ASX's registry to manage settlement of transactions, and the exchange has strived since 2017 to replace with blockchain technology in a bid to cut costs for customers.

ASX, which has been battling with several software glitches, said it will engage Accenture to provide an independent review of the new CHESS application.

The bourse operator and its application software provider, Digital Asset, realised that the application required more work than anticipated.

In a joint statement, the Reserve Bank of Australia Governor Philip Lowe and the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) Chair Joseph Longo expressed their disappointment on the further delay.

The review initiated by ASX was an "important step in providing assurance that the new CHESS application software will be fit for purpose," Lowe added.

"It is critical that Accenture now undertake this review to provide assurance on the delivery of a resilient replacement for CHESS and a high degree of confidence in a revised go-live date," Longo said.

(Reporting by Indranil Sarkar in Bengaluru; Editing by Sherry Jacob-Phillips)
Its not all about the potato chips.

But The Whole Shebang kettle-cooked potato chips, the crispy snacks that initially were available only in U.S. prisons, are among myriad exotic, hard-to-get items at TJ Exotixs, a specialty convenience store at 479 Farmington Ave.

Owner TJ Persaud opened the business a little over two years ago, slightly before the pandemic, after seeing a similar store while he was out in California.

Nobody else around here had it, and when I came back and looked into it, there was one in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, he said. I went out there and looked at it and decided to open something like this.

Though The Whole Shebang Chips and Faygo sodas are available in the U.S., the overwhelming majority of items on sale at the store  candy, chips, chocolates and sugary drinks  come from, or are available solely in far-flung places such as Brazil, Australia, Turkey, Japan, China, England and Germany.

In the age of the internet and online retailers such as Amazon, its fairly easy to obtain Avocado and Cheese Doritos or shrimp-flavored, black-truffle-flavored or scallop-butter Lays potato chips (all from Japan), but they typically have to be bought in bulk and there can be a substantial wait, weeks if not months, for the shipment to arrive.

At TJ Exotixs, however, patrons can walk in and purchase one bag of Twix Pods (Australia), Pudding or Green Tea Kit-Kats (Japan) or Skittles Chewies (the popular candy without shells from the U.K.) to satisfy even the most extravagant sweet tooth.

Everything here youre mostly going to see online and its nice to see in the store and just buy it for yourself rather than order it on Amazon or a third-party sending you a box, said Persaud, who grew up in Hartford and graduated from Bulkeley High in 2011.

You can pick what you want, he said. I have a supplier in Japan, who sends me most of the stuff. And he has some contacts from other places and I order from him. We all work together.

Story continues

Persaud has a couple of coolers stocked with bubbly delights such as white peach soda, Orange Yogurt Fanta, and Mjito 7-Up.

There is, however, a premium to be paid for the indulgences. Bags and cans (there are hard-to-find Pringles) of chips can run $3 to $5 more than whats typically offered in the U.S. The same holds true for the candies and the sodas, Persaud said, adding that the markup is largely due to shipping costs.

Not that customers seem to mind. Persaud said his store is doing well, and hes had people travel up to two hours to shop at his store, which is less than 700 square feet.

Its been going good, he said, noting he wants to find a location in downtown Hartford so he can expand. I cant complain. [The store] is different. Its for people who want to try something different.

For adventurous souls who want to try an eclectic mix of whats on offer, TJ Exotixs has mystery bags filled with treats that go for $15.

In addition, TJ Exotixs also takes orders through its website and delivers via UberEats and DoorDash.

Paul Sanborn, a Farmington resident and potato chip maven who posts chip reviews on social media, says The Whole Shebang kettle-cooked chips are worth the trip alone.

These chips are awesome, Sanborn raved upon the first crunch. They are kettle cooked so the crunch is in there and the flavor is similar to all dressed. I would say these arent fully dressed yet, but they are like when your kid is ready to go but just cant seem to find that sock they had on earlier in the day.

TJ Exotixs, 479 Farmington Ave., is open Monday to Saturday, noon to 9 p.m., and Sunday, noon to 7 p.m. For more information, visit tjexotixs.com

Ted Glanzer can be reached at tglanzer@courant.com.
Zawahiri (R) was considered Bin Laden's right-hand man and then became al-Qaeda's leader

Last year, during the chaotic US withdrawal from Afghanistan, President Joe Biden pledged his administration would not allow the new Taliban-led regime to make the country a safe-haven for terrorists.

The remarks were intended to indicate that, as far as Mr Biden's White House was concerned, the decades-old war on terror was far from over.

Almost a year later, the president's top security advisers approached him and suggested that intelligence officials may have located the leader of al-Qaeda, Ayman al-Zawahiri, in Afghanistan.

Identifying a high-value target

In background briefings, senior administration figures told reporters that they believed Zawahiri had returned to Afghanistan in the past year, following the collapse of the Western-backed government.

US spies had been carefully watching Afghanistan ever since the US withdrawal for signs that al-Qaeda leaders were slowly filtering back into the country, an adviser to Mr Biden said.

It's unclear what happened to Zawahiri's body in the wake of the strike

Zawahiri is said to have settled in a large compound with high, protective walls, in downtown Kabul with his wife and daughter.

The neighbourhood Zawahiri chose, a relatively well-to-do area called Choorpur, was home to foreign embassies and diplomats under the previous administration. Now, most of the Taliban's senior officials live in its plush surroundings.

In early April, CIA officers first briefed Mr Biden's advisers, and then the president himself, informing him that they had identified a network supporting the al-Qaeda leader and his family through multiple streams of intelligence, according to the briefings.

The spies had slowly established patterns of behaviour from the house's residents, including the unique mannerisms of a woman that spies identified as Zawahiri's wife.

Officials said they had recognised her use of terrorist "tradecraft", which she used in an attempt to avoid leading anyone to her husband's safehouse in Kabul.

They observed that after arriving at the house, Zawahiri never personally left the premises. But they did note his habit of appearing periodically on a balcony overlooking the property's walls for short periods of time.

Story continues

Plotting an historic raid

For Mr Biden, the opportunity to kill one of America's most wanted men was fraught with risk.

Zawahiri was living in a dense residential neighbourhood, and the drone strike that accidentally killed 10 innocent people in Kabul, including an aid worker and seven children during the final days of the US presence in Afghanistan, will undoubtedly have played on his mind.

A graphic showing the location of Ayman al-Zawahiri's home

Throughout May and June, the US leader was focused on the war in Ukraine and pushing through landmark legislation on gun control and climate change. But secretly a "very small and select" group of top intelligence officers began preparing several options to present to him.

Mr Biden had tasked intelligence officers with ensuring that civilians - including Zawahiri 's family and Taliban officials - weren't accidentally killed in the attack.

On 1 July, Mr Biden gathered several top officials, including CIA Director William Burns and Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines, for a briefing.

Mr Biden was said to be "deeply engaged in the briefing and immersed in the intelligence" as he and his advisers gathered around a scale model of Zawahiri's home that intelligence officials had constructed and brought to the White House.

"He was particularly focused on ensuring that every step had been taken to ensure the operation would minimise that risk," a senior adviser said.

Mr Biden asked for information about the building's structure and how a strike could affect it, before flying to Camp David for a weekend break.

Over the next few weeks, officials met at the White House situation room - a bunker-like command centre below the White House set up to allow the president to monitor crises at home and abroad.

They methodically planned the operation, trying to anticipate any questions the president could ask.

Meanwhile, a small team of lawyers came together to assess the legality of a strike, ultimately concluding that Zawahiri was a legitimate target based on "his continuing leadership role in al-Qaeda and his participation and operational support for al-Qaeda attacks".

On 25 July, after convening his team one final time and asking his top advisers for their views, Mr Biden authorised the strike.

Taliban leaders scramble as US strikes

At 06:18 local time (01:38 GMT), two hellfire missiles fired by a drone smashed into the balcony of Zawahiri 's home, killing the al-Qaeda leader. Members of his family were unharmed, intelligence officials said.

In the aftermath of the raid, the windows of the house appeared to have been blown out, but astonishingly little other damage seemed to have been done.

There are suggestions a little-known version of the Hellfire missile was used, one without an explosive warhead. This version - called the AGM-114R9X - instead deploys six blades which swing out from the side of the missile as it approaches the target.

A graphic showing the unique hellfire missile

It is the kinetic energy from this multi-bladed weapon's speed that causes the destruction, as they slice through whatever they hit and minimises collateral damage.

Thousands of miles away in Washington, the president was informed of the strike's success.

On Sunday, the Taliban's ministry of the interior told the local Tolo news outlet that a rocket strike had hit an empty house, causing no casualties. They refused to provide additional details at the time.

But the Biden administration said soon after, fighters from the Haqqani network, an ultra-violent wing of the Taliban, rushed Zawahiri's family away from the site and engaged in a broader effort to cover up his presence.

When a BBC reporter arrived at the house on Monday morning a Taliban cordon sharply brandished him away, aiming rifles at him and insisting that there was "nothing to see".

This is the suspected location of the strike in Kabul

US officials said "multiple streams of intelligence" had confirmed Zawahiri 's death, but emphasised that no American personnel were on the ground in Kabul. They refused to elaborate as to how they had confirmed the attack's success.

Intelligence agencies jealously guard the identities of their spies, and James Clapper, a former director of national intelligence under President Obama, told the BBC that former US allies in Kabul may have provided some information.

It's unclear what happened to Zawahiri's body in the wake of the strike. Biden administration figures said the US had made no effort to retrieve Zawahiri's remains, as they did in the wake of the raid that killed Osama Bin Laden.

Special forces retrieved Bin Laden's body to confirm his identity, before burying it at sea to prevent his grave becoming a shrine to Islamists.

However, given the Taliban have cleaned the area, it is possible his remains have been retrieved.

As Mr Biden's television address from a balcony of the White House beamed around the world, Taliban leaders issued a sharp condemnation of the US incursion into their territory. But their comments made no mention of Zawahiri.

There will now be speculation about how much knowledge senior Taliban leaders had about Zawahiri's presence in Kabul and what assistance they might have been providing.

One resident told the BBC that Taliban fighters had been guarding the street and that the presence of "non-Afghan residents" was common knowledge among locals.

The suggestion seems likely to raise tricky questions for Taliban leaders.

Additional reporting from Chris Partridge on the Hellfire system
Each year on August 1, the Republic of Benin celebrates its Independence Day commemorating the day in 1960 on which it gained its full independence from France. It is celebrated as the countrys National Day, a public holiday.

Located on the Gulf of Guinea, the hot and humid West African nation shares borders with Togo to the west, Nigeria to the east, and Burkina Faso and Niger to the north. Here are 5 interesting facts about Benin.

Benin was once known as the Kingdom of Dahomey

Taneka Beri Village, Benin

The Kingdom of Dahomey was a powerful African kingdom that saw its pinnacle in the 18th and 19th centuries. In 1975, the nation became known as Benin. The name derives from the Bight of Benin, a bay of the Atlantic Ocean lying within the Gulf of Guinea, and extending from Ghana to Nigeria.

Over 1 million people were taken from Benin as slaves

Aduke Africa

For 100+ years, more than 10,000 Africans were shipped from Benins southern coast to the Americasprimarily Haiti and Brazil, but also the United States. The last of these ships left for Brazil in 1885.

The city of Ouidah was one of the most active slave trading ports in Africa. Today, tourists can visit the Slave Route, the Ouidah Museum of History, the Door of No Return, and various other monuments dedicated to the memory of those forced into slavery.

Benin is home to the "Venice of Africa"

Iwaria Inc.

With around 20,000 residents, Ganvie is Africas largest lake village and a UNESCO World Heritage site. The town was erected on stilts in Lake Nokoue about 500 years ago by people evading being captured and sold into slavery.

Over the years, the people of Ganvie have developed a thriving society with a network of more than 3,000 buildings, including a hospital, post office, school, mosque, church, and bank. The residents of Ganvie get around by boat and rely on underwater fencing to corral and farm different types of fish.

The practice of Vodun originated in Benin

James Wainscoat

Benin is known as the birthplace of Vodun. Today, roughly 17% of the countrys populationaround 1.6 million peoplepractice Vodun.

Story continues

In tribute to the powerful serpent god Dan, snakes are revered in Benin. Visitors will find snake symbolism throughout the country. The Temple of Pythons in Ouidah is a Vodun temple where dozens of snakes roam freely. Each year on January 10, thousands of followers congregate in Ouidah to celebrate the Vodun Festival.

Benin has one of the youngest populations in the world

Alessandro Sacchi

With a median age of just 17, Benin has one of the youngest populations in the world. In fact, almost 65% of the countrys population is under 25 years old.

These statistics can be attributed to high fertility rates, low rates of contraceptive use, and the fact that there is an average of five children per woman.

Related: How Aduke Africa Is Encouraging You To Visit Africa Through The Lens Of Benin
President Joe Biden on Wednesday lauded voters in Kansas for rejecting a constitutional measure that would have stripped abortion protections from the states constitution.

The amendments defeat on Tuesday was the first ballot-box reflection of voters beliefs on access to abortion since the Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade in June. The measure was handily rejected, by a margin of nearly 20 points as of Wednesday morning, in an election with an unusually high turnout for a midterm primary.

In the opinion of the Dobbs case, the extreme majority of the Supreme Court wrote  women are not without electoral or political power, Biden said on Wednesday, referring to the Supreme Courts ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization. The court practically dared women in this country to go to the ballot box and restore the right to choose. ... In Kansas, they found out women and men did exercise their electoral political power with a record turnout.

Biden made his remarks virtually at the first meeting of the interagency Task Force on Reproductive Healthcare Access, while he is dealing with a rebound case of Covid-19 and after again testing positive on Wednesday morning.

Vice President Kamala Harris, Attorney General Merrick Garland, Health Secretary Xavier Becerra, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough also attended the meeting.

The failed Kansas amendment comes as the Biden administration makes a move to protect pregnant people who travel for access to reproductive care. Biden signed an executive order at Wednesdays meeting that would examine ways to protect pregnant people who have to travel out of state for an abortion if their state bans it.

The order directs Becerra to work with states to help people who need to travel out of state for reproductive healthcare. It also directs HHS to look into providing Medicare waivers for abortion procedures for pregnant people who have to travel out of state for the procedure.

Story continues

What we know is that there is a need for clarity around the rights of individuals and states in this moment, Harris said. We know that there are concerns about the kind of support that is available in terms of federal resources to the various states that are protecting the rights of women, and what our administration can do to support that.

Speaking about the Tuesday election, Harris said: The people of Kansas spoke yesterday, and they spoke loud and clear. They said this is not a partisan issue. The women of America should not be the subject of partisan debate or perspective.

The people of Kansas spoke, and so this is a matter of defense of basic principles of liberty and freedom in America, Harris added. And they spoke loudly in saying that they trust women to make decisions about their own lives and their bodies.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre also addressed the Kansas vote during her daily briefing.

We have seen a lot of momentum in the last 24 hours in our fight to restore Roe, she said. Americans in Kansas showed up to challenge views that would move the country backward, with fewer rights and politicians invading our most personal decisions, and they won.



The states rejection of the amendment represented somewhat of an upset victory for abortion rights activists. Kansas is a state that voted for Donald Trump twice, and registered Republicans outnumber Democrats by nearly a 2-to-1 ratio.

The president was very clear that in order to protect our rights or codify Roe, we need to make sure our voices are heard, Jean-Pierre said. Thats what you saw, you saw the power of the American people last night. That is incredibly important. It was not expected, what we saw last night.

The administration and abortion rights activists also filed lawsuits in Florida and Idaho on Tuesday, challenging restrictive anti-abortion laws in the respective states.

Faith-based groups are suing in Florida, claiming the states 15-week abortion ban violates the constitutional rights of free speech, freedom of religion and the separation of state and church.

The Justice Department is leading the legal fight in Idaho, arguing that the states law violates federal law requiring doctors to provide pregnant people medically necessary treatment, including abortion.



There have also been a pair of victories for both sides of the argument this week in Michigan and Kentucky. On Monday, a Michigan judge blocked the state from enforcing a more than 90-year-old law on the books that would ban abortions. The same day, just a few states south, a Kentucky court reinstated a near-total ban on abortions.

Ultimately, Congress must codify the protections of Roe as federal law, Biden said Wednesday. And if Congress fails to act, the people in this country need to elect senators and representatives who restore Roe and will protect the right to privacy, freedom and equality.
Joe Biden, Xavier Becerra, Merrick Garland. MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images

President Biden on Wednesday signed his second abortion access-related executive order, this one intended to help those who travel out of state for the procedure now that the Supreme Court has overturned protections under Roe v. Wade.

As for directives, the new order asks the Department of Health and Human Services to figure out how such travel assistance might work, The New York Times writes. One provision calls on HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra to "consider inviting states to apply for Medicaid waivers when treating patients who cross state lines for reproductive health services," The Washington Post summarizes.

Speaking with the Post, one anonymous senior administration official declined to elaborate on the minutiae of a possible waiver, but said it would apply to low-income women enrolled in Medicaid, and would help cover some costs.

The president also said Wednesday that the order will ensure health care providers comply with federal law, as well as further research and data collection, CNN writes.

Last month, Biden signed his first abortion-related executive order with the goal of protecting procedure access and guarding patient privacy. This second order also notably arrives just one day after Kansans overwhelmingly voted to reject an amendment to the state constitution that would have given the Kansas Legislature the power to regulate (and likely ban) abortion.

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Bills Donut Shop in Centerville is collecting supplies that will be sent to those affected by the flooding in Kentucky.

>> RELATED: Kentucky flooding: Death toll rises to 37, hundreds of people still missing

In many areas, rescue operations are still underway to search for people reported as missing in the floods.

>> RELATED: Kentucky Flooding: Ohio Task Force 1 group moves focus to ground search for the missing

The donut shop is seeking help from the community to fill a U-Haul truck with items such as cleaning supplies and personal hygiene products. Donations will be collected during the next week.

The following items are needed:

Cleaning supplies

Rubber gloves

Rubber boots

Shovels

Trash bags

Disinfectant

Tooth paste

Toothbrushes

Soap

Baby supplies

Diapers and wipes

New socks and underwear

Paper products

Personal hygiene products

Deodorants

Water and clothes are not being accepted at this time.

>> RELATED: Kentucky Flooding: How you can help in the recovery

Bills Donut Shop is located at 268 N. Main St. in Centerville.








One person was injured and another is in custody following a shooting incident Tuesday on Binghamton's Northside.

Around 4 p.m., officers from the Binghamton Police Department patrol division responded to the area of 511 Chenango St. for a report of a man who had been shot.

Responding officers located the victim, who police say suffered a non-life-threatening gunshot wound to his arm and chest. The victim was later transported by EMS to an area hospital for treatment of his injuries.

During the ongoing investigation, police developed information on a potential suspect and vehicle, which was broadcast to responding officers.

Two police detectives who were responding to the area located the suspect vehicle and stopped the car in the area of 150 Moeller St., police said.

The detectives took a passenger of the vehicle, Carheem Felton, 38, of Binghamton, into custody.

Police also conducted a search of the suspect vehicle and found a loaded 9mm ghost gun, a firearm privately assembled with individual parts and no serial number.

My thanks to the @BinghamtonPD for great police work after a North Side shooting this afternoon, taking quick action to make an arrest and recover an illegal firearm. 1/4  Mayor Jared Kraham (@MayorKraham) August 2, 2022

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As a result of the investigation, police charged Felton with second-degree attempted murder and criminal possession of a weapon.

No information was available about the victim's condition or what, if any, relationship the victim had to Felton.

The investigation into the shooting is continuing and anyone with information is asked to contact the Binghamton Police Department Detective Division at 607-772-7080.

Follow Jeff Murray on Twitter @SGJeffMurray. To get unlimited access to the latest news, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.

This article originally appeared on Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin: Binghamton shooting leaves one person wounded, suspect arrested
The Daily Beast

Courtesy of Marvel StudiosThink back to the worst, most haphazardly-made, monetary glue trap you saw that also cost hundreds of millions of dollars to produce. Chances are, youre landing on something in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The latest Thor entry was middling; Ms. Marvel squandered a promisingly progressive tale; Eternals was a visually bland superhero link-up; and Black Widow was a confoundingly boring letdown that arrived long after its star hero was already dead.The MCU has garnered
Burkina Faso's army said on Wednesday that civilians had been killed in an air strike against jihadists, as local inhabitants reported around 30 people had died.

In a statement, army headquarters said "targeted actions" were carried out in the east on Monday against "terrorist groups responsible for several atrocities".

"During these operations, which enabled several dozen terrorists to be neutralised, the strikes unfortunately caused collateral victims among the civilian population," it said.

The civilians were close to a jihadist hideout on the Kompienga-Pognoa highway when they were hit by "projectiles", the text said.

It gave no other details, but expressed "sincere condolences" to relatives of the dead and said an inquiry had been launched.

Local residents said around 30 people had died, most of whom were women.

"They had gathered for the inauguration of a mill when the tragedy happened," said one, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Monday's operations were undertaken at Djamanga, Djabiga, Mandeni, Bounou, Obiagou and Pognoa-Sankoado, the army statement said.

The military typically use the term "terrorist" for armed groups behind a ruthless jihadist insurgency.

One of the poorest countries in the world, Burkina Faso first came under attack in 2015 from militants operating in neighbouring Mali.

Since then thousands of people have died, around two million have been displaced and more than a third of the country's territory lies outside government control, according to official figures.

Attacks have increased since the start of the year, despite a coup by colonels whose declared priority is to restore security.

Air raids have been increasingly used against the jihadists in recent months.

The army has previously acknowledged the death of a civilian which it said occurred on June 11 during a strike on armed traffickers in the south. Military prosecutors have opened an inquiry.

- Blockaded town -

Meanwhile, inhabitants of a town in northern Burkina which has been cut off by jihadists said that food was running out.

Story continues

Islamist militants on June 25 damaged a bridge providing the only road access to the town of Sebba, the administrative seat of Yagha province.

Residents swiftly repaired the damage but the bridge was attacked again last week and destroyed, leaving Sebba cut off from the rest of the country.

Local traders have commissioned 14 trucks to bring in supplies, but they are stranded in the town of Dori.

"The food situation is critical," Sebba inhabitant Abdoulaye Ly told AFP.

"We've sounded the alarm, but at the moment we don't see the light at the time of the tunnel... people here justifiably feel abandoned."

MSF (Medecins Sans Frontieres - Doctors Without Borders) confirmed that hunger was worsening.

"There is a desperate need for food -- people are eating leaves every day," said the charity's project manager in Burkina, Ulrich Crepin Namfeibona.

"If really nothing is done to give these people food, in the coming days we could be witnessing a disaster, a nutrition crisis which will hit children most of all."

Sebba, with a population of 30,000, had become a haven for many people in Yaghan who have fled their homes because of jihadist attacks.

ab/stb/ri/bp
By Thiam Ndiaga

OUAGADOUGOU (Reuters) -Burkina Faso's army said on Wednesday that it had accidentally killed civilians during a counter-terrorist operation in the country's southeast earlier this week, without saying how many.

Residents of the area told Reuters that as many as 37 people were killed in the strike on Monday near the village of Pognoa, about 10 km (6 miles) from the border with Togo, where some fled afterwards.

The West African country has been battling an insurgency by Islamist militant groups, some linked to al Qaeda and Islamic State, which control large swathes of territory and wage frequent attacks.

"During operations which made it possible to neutralize several dozen terrorists, the strikes unfortunately caused collateral victims within the civilian population," the army said in a statement.

It did not say how many civilians were killed. The victims were hit by projectiles in the zone between Kompienga and Pognoa, it said.

One man from Pognoa said he had attended the burial of 37 people following the strike. A woman from the same town said about 30 people were killed, including women and children. Both sources requested anonymity out of fear of repercussions.

Nine people with injuries were admitted to the regional hospital in Dapaong, Togo, after the incident, a medical source said.

"According to the victims and those accompanying them, it was drone strikes. Some spoke of two strikes and others three," said the medical source, who also requested anonymity.

Togo, which has been contending with the spillover of militancy from Burkina Faso, accidentally killed seven civilians in an air strike last month in the same border zone.

Burkina Faso in June ordered civilians to evacuate two large areas in its northern and southeastern regions ahead of anticipated operations against Islamist militants.

The strikes that hit civilians on Monday were near but outside one of those zones.

(Reporting by Thiam Ndiaga; Additional reporting by Alice Lawson in Lome, Writing by Nellie PeytonEditing by Tomasz Janowski and Philippa Fletcher)
The Department of Transportation (DOT) proposed a new rule on Wednesday that clarifies when airlines owe passengers refunds. The regulation is the departments latest move to strengthen refund enforcement amid re-surging flight demand that has left the industry scrambling and sent passenger complaints soaring.

Existing regulations guarantee refunds if a flight is canceled or experiences a significant delay and the passenger chooses not to travel, and the proposal would define that threshold to include when the departure or arrival time changes by at least three hours for a domestic flight and at least six hours for an international flight.

Passengers would also be entitled to refunds if airlines change the departure or arrival airport, increase the number of connections or alter the type of aircraft if it causes a significant downgrade to the air travel experience.

When Americans buy an airline ticket, they should get to their destination safely, reliably and affordably, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a release. This new proposed rule would protect the rights of travelers and help ensure they get the timely refunds they deserve from the airlines.

The move comes as demands for flights surge higher than any other point since the start of the pandemic.

But airlines have struggled to accommodate the growing number of passengers after downsizing their staffs near the start of the pandemic.

The problem has led to a chaotic summer travel season and increased industry scrutiny as passengers grapple with high levels of cancellations, delays and schedule changes.

Buttigiegs department has made enforcing federal refund policies a cornerstone of DOTs response, making Wednesdays announcement the departments latest move to increase airlines accountability.

DOT received more than 4,300 complaints about airline service in May, which was 237 percent above pre-pandemic levels, and complaints about refunds were the most frequent topic.

Story continues

The federal government has blamed airlines for the snafus after they received billions of dollars in stimulus funds to keep employees on their payrolls and still cut staffing levels. Trade groups representing the airlines have said the funds werent sufficient to maintain their entire pre-pandemic staffs.

The proposal would require airlines and ticket agents to issue flight credits or vouchers that do not expire if passengers are unable to fly for pandemic-related reasons, like travel bans, closed borders or health advisories recommending against travel.

But for those airlines that receive significant government assistance related to a pandemic, the rule would require them to offer refunds rather than credits or vouchers.

The rule-making process allows 90 days for public comment.

When reached for comment, Airlines for America (A4A)  a trade group that represents major airlines  noted that U.S. airlines have issued $21 billion in cash refunds since the start of the pandemic.

A4A member carriers comply with federal laws and regulations regarding cash refunds, an A4A spokesperson said. Carriers strive to provide the highest level of customer service and are committed to working with travelers to address their individual circumstances.

Some lawmakers have put forth separate legislative proposals in response to consumers complaints.

A group of Democratic lawmakers on Monday introduced a bill that would codify DOTs existing regulation mandating cash refunds.

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) in late June proposed imposing fines on airlines for significant delays. Pennsylvania Democratic Senate nominee John Fetterman similarly called for the Biden administration to impose fines on airlines for scheduling flights they know they cannot staff.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
A California police departments "Detective of the Year" is now risking jail time after prosecutors say he sent graphic messages to a civilian pretending to be a 14-year-old girl  sometimes while on duty.

Gregory Beaumarchais of the Santa Ana Police Department faces a maximum sentence of one year in Orange County Jail and will be required to register as a sex offender if convicted on a misdemeanor count of annoying or molesting a victim believed to be under the age of 18, the Orange County District Attorneys Office announced Tuesday.

"Police officers are entrusted with the sacred responsibility to safeguard society from harm," Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer said in a statement. "It is beyond disturbing that a sworn police officer would engage in inappropriate conversations with someone he believed to be a child. Our children should not have to worry about being preyed upon by the very people we teach them who are there to protect them."

Beaumarchais, who was identified by the Santa Ana Police Department as its 2019 "Detective of the Year," has since been placed on administrative leave. The 43-year-old has served there since 2011.

FORMER BALTIMORE COP ARRESTED FOR NEARLY A DOZEN CHILD SEX CRIME CHARGES

"The U.S. Department of Homeland Security assisted in the investigation after the decoy contacted OC Crime Stoppers to inform them of the messages that were being sent by someone claiming to be a 45-year-old police officer," the district attorneys office said.

GEORGIA DEPUTIES ARRESTED AFTER ALLEGEDLY SMUGGLING CONTRABAND INTO JAILS

"Beaumarchais is accused of sending graphic messages with the civilian decoy between December 2021 and January 2022," the office added, alleging that "some of the inappropriate communication [happened] while on duty."

"After access to his social media platform was cut off by the provider, Beaumarchais is accused of creating another account under a similar social media handle," the office also said.

The Santa Ana Police Department said it will cooperate with the criminal investigation and that Beaumarchais will remain on administrative leave until its conclusion.

"Our Department will not tolerate inappropriate behavior or alleged criminal conduct that infringes on the trust provided by the community we are hired to serve," Chief David Valentin said.
A generic police badge. Douglas Sacha/Getty Images

Prosecutors accused a California cop of sending inappropriate messages to a decoy teen girl.

Prosecutors alleged some messages were sent while the previous "Detective of the Year" was on duty.

If convicted, he'll face up to a year in jail and will be a registered sex offender.

A Santa Ana, California, police officer previously named "Detective of the Year" was accused of sending inappropriate and graphic messages to who he thought was a 14-year-old girl online, the Orange County District Attorney's Office said in a press release.

Gregory Beaumarchais, 43, turned himself in Tuesday and was charged with one misdemeanor count of annoying or molesting a victim believed to be under the age of 18, the Orange County District Attorney's Office said. If convicted, he will face up to a year in Orange County Jail and will have to register as a sex offender.

A May 2021 tweet from the Santa Ana Police Department account applauded Beaumarchais for being named the department's 2019 Detective of the Year.

Prosecutors allege that Beaumarchais sent someone posing as a 14-year-old girl online "graphic" messages from December 2021 to January 2022. Prosecutors said that when Beaumarchais' social media account was shut down by the website, he created a new one to keep communicating with who he thought was a child.

Prosecutors also accused Beaumarchais of "engaging in some of the inappropriate communication while on duty."

"It is beyond disturbing that a sworn police officer would engage in inappropriate conversations with someone he believed to be a child," Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer said in the statement. "Our children should not have to worry about being preyed upon by the very people we teach them who are there to protect them."

The Santa Ana Police Department was made aware of the allegations on December 17, 2021, and Beaumarchais was "immediately" placed on administrative leave, according to a press release from the department that was shared with Insider.

Story continues

The department said Beaumarchais will remain on leave until the end of the investigation.

When contacted for comment, Beaumarchais' defense attorney, Paul Meyer, told Insider that it's "premature to comment."

Read the original article on Insider
PORTAPIQUE, Nova Scotia  Twice a day, every day, the tide rises to fill the Bay of Fundy and falls to leave it empty, baring its red clay seabed.

One night in April 2020, in the time it took for the bay's high tide to drain into the Atlantic and swell back up again to the wooded coast, a deranged man gunned down 22 people in their homes and on the street, in Portapique and the idyllic communities that line the west shore. The murderous rampage lasted 13 hours and became the deadliest mass shooting in Canada's history.

There were echoes of El Paso's Aug. 3, 2019, mass shooting tragedy nine months earlier: the same number of initial victims, a shooter with easy access in the U.S. to "assault-style" firearms, a hashtag ending in "strong."

Made with Flourish

But the quick public response following the tragedy in Canada  from nation's highest authorities to local community members  differed starkly from the response in the U.S. or Texas in the aftermath of mass shootings.

Canadians had the benefit of being truly shocked by the horror of its worst mass shooting  and alarmed their country could go the way of the United States, where officials have more often responded to an epidemic of gun violence with thoughts and prayers instead of bold action.

Within weeks of the Nova Scotia mass shooting, the Canadian government banned 1,500 different assault weapons. The country strengthened its already strict red-flag laws, extending sales restrictions to people convicted of domestic violence. Conservatives criticized the Liberal Party for how it went about tightening gun control, but even many conservative, rural gun owners felt something had to be done.

In the wake of the El Paso mass shooting, Texas loosened gun restrictions, allowing people to openly carry a firearm without a permit. The U.S. Congress took its first bipartisan action on gun control in nearly 30 years in June when it increased background checks for gun buyers under 21  a move gun control advocates, gun violence survivors and the parents of slain children applauded but criticized as not going nearly far enough.

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"We don't ever want to get used to things like this," said Michael Scott, a partner at Patterson Law in Halifax, which is representing families of 14 of 22 victims of the Nova Scotia mass shooting. "And I think the one thing that we all agree on is that we'll do whatever we need to do to make sure that it doesn't happen again."

Attorney Michael Scott is pictured in June 2022 at the Halifax offices of Patterson Law, where he and his law partners are representing families of 14 of 22 victims of the Nova Scotia mass shooting.

It was the Nova Scotia tragedy that brought Tessa Young, Dave Fulton, Sherry Turner and other locals to a Saturday morning farmer's market in Portapique, population about 125, in late June.

People lined up at a grill, where Fulton, who owns the local general store, was putting together bacon-and-egg sandwiches for a donation. Young handed him fresh eggs from the coop at her Red Clay Farm down the road. Turner sold bottled water, juice and soda for $1 Canadian from a cooler. There was fresh maple syrup bottled in Mason jars, bouquets of kale, homemade rhubarb jam and bundles of asparagus thick as cigars.

More:Why we remember Aug. 3, 2019: state Rep. Joe Moody

Many of the locals didn't know each other well two yearsago. They belonged to different generations; some were born and raised on the bay's west shore, while others were newcomers; they didn't share the same politics. But everyone knew someone who had died in the massacre; they now shared a bond in sadness and anger and determination to reweave a community that had unraveled with the tragedy.

After sharing a meal on a warm Saturday in June 2022, Tessa Young, third from left, and Sherry Turner, at far right, discuss the changes their community faced after the massacre in Portapique that became Canada's deadliest mass shooting. The community is working to heal by building a new community center.

Where the farmer's market popped up on Saturdays, a recently dismantled 200-year-old hall had served as a resources center in the wake of the shooting. Hopes were high the community would break ground on a new community center in the same clearing, using the old hall's refurbished roof beams. A playground had already gone up, and children were running over sod they and their parents helped lay.

"The space is wonderful, but really, it's a symbol," Young said. "With the tragedy, everything was kind of shattered apart and, with COVID, too, people were just in this state of trauma and separation. And the point of this is to give the community a place to come back together and re-energize what we already have, which is a really vibrant community of people."

"It's not even built yet, and it has already changed people's lives," Turner said.

She grew up along the shore, but her sense of belonging was stronger than it had ever been after the tragedy, which happened in walking distance of her home. She began volunteering with the community center project, then joined the board. Forging relationships with her neighbors, in her eyes, was now a matter of life or death.

"Look what happened because we didn't know each other," she said.

It just kept getting worse and worse

Nova Scotia springs are cloudy and wet, leaving the bay glistening in the soft gray colors of a dove. Tom Taggart woke up around dawn on Sunday, April 19, 2020, unaware the county he represented at the time as a municipal councilor was eight hours into an unimaginable tragedy.

He poured himself a cup of coffee and sat down at his computer to cruise Facebook. Friends were posting about an active shooter, but he didn't think much of it.

"People just don't go get guns around here," he said. "But I worried that somebody that I knew might have got, you know, out of hand, and they're gonna be in trouble with the police. That's what I thought."

'They will never be forgotten': El Paso city leaders honor Aug. 3, 2019, shooting victims

The bay's western shore is a rural place of strawberry farms and antique stores, red-roofed barns and a white-painted wood schoolhouse for 115 children, pre-K to ninth grade. A two-lane road called Highway 2 runs through the coastal communities of Bass River, Great Village, Portapique  pronounced "port-a-pick"  Upper Economy and Five Islands. Taggart lived in Bass River.

Tom Taggart, a legislator in the Nova Scotia House of Assembly, represents the district that includes Portapique and other coastal communities affected by the April 2020 mass shooting.

The mass shooter was a wealthy white man, a denturist with a home on the bay. He had a history of domestic abuse against his common-law spouse and a stash of weapons he obtained illegally in Maine and smuggled into Canada.

On Saturday, April 18, 2020, he donned a uniform of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police purchased online and drove Highway 2 in a decommissioned RCMP car he meticulously outfitted with the red, yellow and blue decals of the force. After murdering two neighbors, he killed another neighbor, Lisa McCully, Turner's close friend and a teacher to Turner's then-12-year-old daughter.

Taggart stayed glued to Facebook all morning. By 9 a.m., "suddenly it was real."

People were saying "so-and-so was murdered and you know, and it just kept getting worse and worse and worse and worse and worse," he said. "But every bit of information I got was from was from social media."

The RCMP posted two vague messages to Twitter, one late at night about a "firearms complaint" and another in the morning, but police never sent an emergency alert to cellphones warning the public an active shooter was armed and dangerous and still at large.

The massacre lasted roughly 13 hours before police shot the gunman dead at a gas station. They recovered five firearms at the scene, three smuggled from the U.S.: a Glock 23 pistol, a Ruger P89 pistol and a Colt Carbine 5.56 semi-automatic rifle.

The victims reflected Nova Scotia's service-oriented society. Among the victims were an RCMP constable; two nurses, including one who was pregnant; two correctional officers; a retired firefighter; a retired couple from New Mexico; a family of three, including a high school senior; parents and grandparents.

At the site of one of the murders, a gazebo was strung with heart charms, one for each of the victims:

Lisa McCully

Heidi Stevenson

Heather O'Brien

Jolene Oliver, Emily Tuck and Aaron Tuck

Kristen Beaton and Baby Beaton

Sean McLeod and Alanna Jenkins

Tom Bagley

Joey Webber

Greg and Jamie Blair

John Zahl and Elizabeth Thomas

Lillian Hyslop

Dawn and Frank Gulenchyn

Gina Goulet

Corrie Ellison

Joy and Peter Bond

The difference in gun violence rates in Texas, Canada

A person is 18 times more likely to die by firearm in the U.S. than in Canada, and the likelihood of dying from a bullet is even greater in Texas.

The rate of firearm-related homicide in Canada was 0.73 per 100,000 people in 2020, compared to 13.6 people per 100,000 in the U.S. and 14.2 people per 100,000 in Texas the same year, according to Statistics Canada, the Pew Research Center and U.S. Centers for Disease Control.

Canadians  unaccustomed to deadly gun violence  have been alarmed by an increase in firearm-related deaths in recent years. Rates of firearm-related violent crime started an upward climb in 2014. The Nova Scotia massacre contributed to a 22% increase in gun violence in the province in 2020.

"We're learning from the lessons of the United States," said Paul Wozney, president of the Nova Scotia Teachers Union, which lost one of its own in the mass shooting when McCully died. "We are being proactive legislatively. There was a faith that the goodness of small town people will prevent a mass killing, until a small town is the site of a mass killing and we realize the goodness of people isn't enough."

Conservatives weren't happy about the way the government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau rapidly pushed through the assault weapons ban, but their objections weren't strong enough to stop it.

Conversations around gun restrictions in Texas have been stomped out as quickly as they flared after mass shootings.

Since the 2019 El Paso massacre, Texas has loosened gun restrictions. Gov. Greg Abbott pushed for and signed a bill in 2021 into law that allows Texans to openly carry a gun without a permit. He broadened the school marshal program, allowing more teachers to carry guns in school.

Criminals in Texas don't have to cross state lines or a national border to get a gun. In 2020, the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms successfully traced the firearms used in more than 31,000 gun-related crimes in Texas, including 910 homicides. In 86% of the crimes, or more than 27,000 of them, the gun was bought in Texas.

In El Paso in 2019, people arrived at MacArthur Elementary looking for family and friends during the aftermath of a shooting at the Walmart near Cielo Vista Mall on Saturday, Aug. 3, in El Paso. The school was being used a re-unification center.

Once buoyed by loud pledges from public officials to take actions to curb mass shootings, many survivors and their families in Texas feel betrayed, forsaken by Abbott and Republican legislative leaders who refuse to act on their promises to push policy solutions to prevent future gun violence.

In El Paso, "we lost our passion and zeal that we had in the early days of the carnage," said Pastor Michael Grady, whose daughter Michelle was wounded in the Walmart shooting. "What we've done is we've assimilated into an environment where we're silent. We've missed several opportunities to bring attention to the plight of humanity and the pain that we're experiencing in our souls, and it's coming out in gun violence, coming out in division."

Canada successfully traced 30 firearms recovered in 277 gun-related homicides in 2020. Nearly 20% of the firearms came from the U.S., according to Statistics Canada.

"Our gun debate  if you want to call it that  is not about you know, those assault-type weapons or that sort of thing," said Taggart, who said he keeps seven hunting rifles locked in a steel cabinet upstairs at his home. Law requires they be stored unloaded, with the ammunition in separate place. Canadians have no right to own a firearm for self-defense.

"We have no need," he said. "Every country has different lifestyles, I guess, but we don't need or care to have a gun to protect ourselves. God help us if we ever get to that place. We're in big trouble if we ever get to that place."

A desire for real answers by Nova Scotia shooting victims families

The principal demand by the families of victims in the wake of the Nova Scotia mass shooting was a public inquiry that could deliver real answers about what happened and recommendations about how to prevent another mass shooting. People in Nova Scotia were watching developments in Uvalde, Texas, with special empathy for the families' anger over police accountability and Abbott's admission that recent state actions wouldn't have prevented the deaths.

The families' pressure resulted in Canada convening a "Mass Casualty Commission," in which three independent commissioners are spending the better part of two years gathering information about the mass shooting  including evaluating the police missteps that may have cost lives.

During a recent hearing in June at a Best Western in Truro, Nova Scotia, attorney Josh Bryson listened to the day's witnesses recount breakdowns in law enforcement communications.

"It was seen as a disastrous event," said Bryson, who represents the family of Joy and Peter Bond. "The police weren't ready for it and did not react as they should have. The Mass Casualty Commission is investigating what happened and what can be done in the future. That gives some comfort to the families of the deceased and gives guidance to police forces across the country."

Chairs set up for survivors and family members were all empty that day. According to their attorneys, many are furious that the commission has allowed top law enforcement figures to testify remotely without undergoing the sort of cross-examination that could force them to admit their failures.

"As a representative of this community I'm hoping that at some point there's a recognition of what went wrong, you know, and why it went wrong," Taggart said. "I know the victims' families want to move on to some degree, but they want real answers. They need that closure. But whether we get that or not remains to be seen."

SUBSCRIBE: Help support quality journalism like this.

Were definitely not forgetting

After the farmers market that evening, Young invited everyone over to her farm up the road in Upper Economy. She served up pans of roasted potatoes and cherry tomatoes, sausages and salad.

Turner wore a Portapique Strong tank top she had special-made and brought her husband and two teenage children along. Fulton brought beer and entertained people with piquant stories of his travels, including the time he drove a truck full of goat hides to Ciudad Juarez to trade for cow hides and drank micheladas on the Strip.

A receding tide is seen leaving the Bay of Fundy in Nova Scotia, Canada, in late June 2022.

Young built a bonfire. At 9:30 p.m., sunlight still slipped through towering trees. The conversation turned to the tragedy.

What were they going to do with all the memorial items stowed in an antique store's shed?

Just like in El Paso in the wake of the Walmart massacre, people from far and wide had come to pay their respects and left mounds of flowers, notes, art and pictures. Someone had made benches with photos of each of the victims.

Turner stood behind her daughter and nervously twisted the teen's hair. McCully's bench was still in storage, and Turner had considered placing it in her own backyard, to see her friend's smiling face every day. But McCully's sister, with whom she had grown close, couldn't bear it. Turner kept the bench out of sight, honoring her wishes.

"We lived through it, too," she said, "but they lived in it."

"I think you don't forget something by avoiding it," she said. "We're definitely not forgetting. We are still living it every day."

They no longer passed by the gunman's home, as they once had.

The charred remains of the house were razed and gone. The provincial government had purchased the land to ensure no one would turn it into an attraction. There were burn scars on a few birch trees, but a carpet of tall grass and purple lupine covered whatever stones remained.

Saplings had begun to reclaim the land as woods, as earnest and inevitable as the tide.

El Paso Walmart shooting victims

Jordan Anchondo

Maribel Campos

Arturo Benavidez

Andre Pablo Anchondo

Javier Amir Rodriguez

David Alvah Johnson

Sara Ester Regalado Moriel

Angelina Silva Englisbee

Adolfo Cerros Hernandez

Juan de Dios Velaquez Chairez

Gloria Irma Marquez

Maria Flores

Maria Eugencia Legarreta Roth

Raul Flores

Jorge Calvillo Garcia

Alexander Gerhard Hoffman

Elsa Mendoza de la Mora

Luis Alfonzo Juarez

Ivan Filiberto Manzano

Margie Reckard

Leonardo Campos Jr.

Teresa Sanchez

Guillermo "Memo" Garcia

This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Texas gun laws vs. Canada: Nova Scotia, El Paso shooting compared
Montreal (Reuters) - Canada is extremely concerned with heightened tensions after U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's Taiwan visit this week, Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly said on Wednesday, calling on China to de-escalate the situation.

"We think that legislators do visits around the world and clearly the visit cannot be used as a justification for heightened tensions or a pretext," Joly, speaking alongside her German counterpart Annalena Baerbock, told reporters in Montreal.

"So, in that sense we call on China to de-escalate because we think that there may be risks of not only heightened tensions, but also destabilizing the region," Joly said.

(This story corrects spelling of China in headline)

(Reporting by Allison Lampert in Montreal and Ismail Shakil in Ottawa)
Baltimore police are continuing to interview at least 93 children who attended a day care facility where a 57-year-old man allegedly abused minors. Police said James Weems already faces 13 charges, including three counts each of sexual abuse of a minor. Investigators examined forensic evidence and conducted interviews with some of the children at Owings Mills daycare, which is owned by the suspects wife.

According to CBS News, the investigation opened on July 3 after a 10-year-old girl brought complaints to her parents, saying Weems showed her pornography on a day care bus and touched her inappropriately at the facilitys playground. Police said a search of Weems browsing history on his phone corroborated the girls statement.

A 7-year-old boy who attended Owings Mills day care also spoke with the Department of Social Services and said he was touched inappropriately at the day care. More allegations came out on July 23 when the parents of a 12-year-old girl said their daughter complained about Mr. James, saying he touched her in a very inappropriate way. According to police, the girl said Mr. James also asked her to take explicit pictures of herself, but she said no.

Court documents reveal more details about the allegations, stating that Weems ordered two of the victims not to speak about what happened. Additionally, another child said Weems showed her where to find pornography.

The victim went on to tell her family that Mr. James showed her pornography on his cell phone while they were on the day care bus, court documents state.

Weems, who had been driving the day care van for two years, worked at the facility for the past four years. The 57-year-old left the police force in 2008.

As Blavity previously reported, the day care owner, Shanteari Weems, was arrested at a Washington, D.C., hotel after she allegedly shot her husband. When police asked the 50-year-old to explain why she shot her husband of five years, she said because he was a child molester.
By David Brunnstrom

TOKYO (Reuters) - The prospect of U.S. house speaker Nancy Pelosi visiting Taiwan was raised with the Chinese government's top diplomat recently and there are no plans for the U.S. and Chinese foreign ministers to meet this week in Cambodia, a senior U.S. official said on Wednesday.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken discussed the potential for Pelosi's visit with counterpart Wang Yi during a G20 meeting in Bali that lasted more than five hours, and said any such trip would be entirely Pelosi's decision and independent of the Biden administration.

"The question is whether Beijing will try to use the trip as some kind of excuse to take steps that could be escalatory or that could somehow produce conflict," the senior State Department official told reporters in Tokyo, adding that Beijing should not overreact to a trip that was neither unusual nor unprecedented.

"China should not use this as a pretext to continue what it's been doing, which is seeking to change the status quo with regard to Taiwan," the official said.

"And if any escalation or crisis were to somehow follow her visit, it would be on Beijing."

The Chinese foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

China vented its fury on Wednesday over what was the highest-level U.S. visit to Taiwan in a quarter of a century, stepping up military activity in surrounding waters and suspending imports of some products from Taiwan.

China considers Taiwan part of its territory and has never renounced using force to bring it under its control.

Blinken was en route to Cambodia for a series of meetings that will culminate in Friday's ASEAN Regional Forum, a security-focused gathering of 27 countries including China, Japan, Russia, Britain and Australia.

The official said he would not meet Wang Yi and also that there would be no direct meeting in Phnom Penh with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. Russian-U.S. relations have been severely strained by Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Story continues

"If we actually saw any kind of meaningful diplomatic opening to help end the aggression, we would, of course, engage, but we've not seen that," the official said.

The 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which is hosting this week's gathering, on Wednesday expressed concern about the Taiwan situation adding, "we hope that all sides will try their best to de-escalate tensions".

ASEAN members also sharply criticised Myanmar's ruling junta on Wednesday for failure to advance a peace plan agreed last year. The generals are barred from ASEAN meetings.

The official said United States hoped it can discuss in Cambodia how to "both sustain and increase pressure" on the military in Myanmar to stop its crackdown on opponents.

(Reporting by David Brunnstrom; Writing by Martin Petty; Editing by Kanupriya Kapoor and Philippa Fletcher)
Chuck E. Cheese's corporate office said the company was "deeply saddened" after a family posted a video showing its mouse mascot ignoring a Black child during a party at a New Jersey location over the weekend.

Natyana Muhammad, 29, posted a video Sunday of her 2-year-old daughter, Safa, at a Chuck E. Cheese birthday party in Wayne the day before. In the video, the mascot comes out and offers high-fives to a group of children on the stage, who all appear to be white, and then ignores a small Black girl who tries to get the character's attention.

The video has been viewed more than 3 million times on Twitter.

I stopped recording. I actually tapped Chuck E. on his arm to let him know that Safa was standing right there, and he ignored me," Muhammad told NBC News on Wednesday.

Safa had never seen Chuck E. Cheese in person, so her mother was excited to get her reaction on camera.

Related video: Black family sues Sesame Place over claims of discrimination

Muhammad said their family was in the party room because Safa was a guest of one of the birthday parties. She said the mascot didn't go to their table at all until a manager pushed it to.

The location's manager told Muhammad that the mascot hadn't seen her daughter and insisted on arranging a photo for Safa with Chuck E. Cheese, but Safa was visibly upset. Muhammad said she was looking for a lawyer to discuss her options about a potential lawsuit.

You dont do that, Muhammad said. Not only was it unnecessary, it was inhumane to do that to a toddler.

PLEASE RETWEET On July 30 at Chuck E Cheese in Wayne, NJ, my 2yo was racially discriminated against. As you can see, he gives all of the yt kids hi-5s & PURPOSELY ignored my black baby. When confronted, he ignored me as well. The manager, Angie Valasquez, made excuses for him.. pic.twitter.com/QMmE3wmti1  Umm Safa  (@belllahijabi) July 31, 2022

Muhammad was a guest of Tawan Thompson, 51, who was hosting a birthday party for her 2-year-old grandson that afternoon. Thompson said the mascot ignored her grandson's entire party and then walked past their table and interacted with a family who was having an event at another table.

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I dont know the reason why it happened," Thompson said. "I dont know whos behind that costume and why they did what they did. But it wasnt pleasant. It wasnt nice.

Thompson spoke with two managers at the location who offered to have Chuck E. Cheese come back and spend time with their party, but she declined. The next day, Thompson's daughter spoke with a general manager who said they were unaware of the incident.

Their family has not been given explanation or an apology, she said.

"This is an establishment thats well-known, that invite people in, that invite children in, and we were mistreated," Thompson said. "And no one has responded to that, and no one has given us a reason as to why we were mistreated.

Chuck E. Cheese's corporate office said in a statement it was "deeply saddened" and thanked the family for speaking with the manager.

"As home to millions of families and kids every year that celebrate the big and small milestones, including fun, our goal is to create an inclusive experience for children and parents of all ages, races, ethnicities, religious backgrounds, and learning differences," the statement said.

"Our mission is to provide a fun and a safe place Where A Kid Can Be A Kid, and all cast members are trained to ensure that we live up to this promise," it continued.

Chuck E. Cheese did not immediately respond to a question Wednesday about what protocols employees are trained in regarding interactions with children at its parties.

Character experiences at children's venues and theme parks have come to the forefront in recent weeks since a woman accused mascots at Sesame Place Philadelphia of intentionally ignoring her Black daughters last month.

Days after that video went viral, a Maryland father filed a federal lawsuit accusing Sesame Place Philadelphia, which is owned by SeaWorld, of "pervasive and appalling" racial discrimination.

The suit accuses the characters of intentionally refusing to engage with the his child during a June meet-and-greet at the park and of ignoring other Black guests while they were performing for white people.

A video of Pixar's "Toy Story" character Woody was trending Wednesday after the mascot appeared to run over to another character, Jessie, when a Black child called for her. Woody appeared to point out the small child, who was on the other side of the parade line, and Jessie ran over to give them a hug.

"Woody said we not getting sued today," a Twitter user joked.
The Prosecuting Attorneys Council of Georgia has chosen Columbus District Attorney Stacey Jackson to be the special prosecutor in the Washington County case of three fired sheriffs deputies, accused of causing a mans death by tasing him as they investigated complaints of a suspicious person.

Jackson confirmed Wednesday that he was appointed to the case. I havent received the file yet, he said. I got the order last week. He was notified Friday, he said.

Ex-deputies Henry Lee Copeland, Rhett Scott and Michael Howell were previously tried for murder and other charges, but that case ended in a mistrial. The three former deputies will now be tried again with Jackson representing the state. According to reporting by Georgia Public Broadcasting, they are accused of killing Eurie Martin, 58, along a highway in the town of Deepstep, where Martin was walking through in July 2017 when a neighbor called police, finding the pedestrians conduct suspicious, authorities said.

Martin, 58, whose family said he had a history of mental illness, was Black. All three deputies are white.

Video evidence showed that Martin would not stop when the deputies confronted him, and ripped away Taser prongs when they first tried to stun him, investigators said. They then surrounded him and tased him again for up to 90 seconds until he was handcuffed and stopped moving, and realized minutes later that he had no pulse, the video showed.

Fired for violating agency policies, the former deputies went to trial in October 2021, accused of felony murder, involuntary manslaughter, false imprisonment and aggravated assault, among other charges. A jury deadlocked after three days of deliberation, causing a mistrial, GPB reported.
SmartAsset: Congress Could Change Your Retirement Plans.

The House of Representatives and Senate are working along similar lines to reform laws governing retirement plans like 401(k)s and traditional IRAs. Initiatives in both bodies raise the age cap for retired minimum distributions (RMDs). And they both let employers treat student loan payments as an elective contribution for the purposes of matching 401(k) plans, which could expand retirement savings for younger workers who often prioritize debt payment over 401(k) contributions. But these House and Senate initiatives also differ. Heres a comparison.

Consider working with a financial advisor as you create or update your own retirement plan.

Similarities Between House, Senate Efforts on Retirement Reform

In March, the House of Representatives passed the SECURE 2.0 Act. Intended as a follow-up to 2019s SECURE Act, the bill makes significant changes to 401(k) and 403(b) plans. Now the Senate is moving forward with its own updates to worker retirement plans. The bodys version of SECURE 2.0, called the Enhancing American Retirement Now (EARN) Act, passed the Senate Finance Committee in June, while a companion bill called the RISE & SHINE Act was introduced in the Senate earlier the same month.

At time of writing the EARN Act had not yet been drafted into a formal bill, and so has no legislative number. Instead the Senate Finance Committee passed a legislative summary, which now has to be redrafted as a formal bill and will likely be combined with the RISE & SHINE Act into the Senates version of SECURE 2.0.

EARN and Secure 2.0 overlap in many, if not most, significant ways. They both raise the age cap for RMDs and allow employers to treat student loan payments as an elective contribution for the purposes of matching 401(k) plans. This has the potential to significant expand retirement savings for younger workers, who often prioritize debt payment over 401(k) contributions.

Differences Between House, Senate Efforts on Retirement Reform

Despite these similarities there are several differences between initiatives in the House of Representatives and the Senate on improving the nations laws that govern retirement savings plans:

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Required Minimum Distributions

Under the House bill, the age cap for RMDs would phase up gradually over a 10-year period. Currently, retirees must begin drawing on their retirement account no later than age 72. The House SECURE Act 2.0 would increase that to 73 beginning in 2022, then age 74 beginning in 2029, and finally age 75 beginning in 2032.

The Senates EARN Act would eliminate the intervening steps, raising the age cap for RMDs directly to 75 effective as of 2032.

Automatic Enrollment

SmartAsset: Congress Could Change Your Retirement Plans.

Under the House version of SECURE 2.0, most employers would be required to adopt what is known as automatic enrollment. This means that for employers that offer a 401(k) or 403(b) retirement plan, all employees would be enrolled in the plan automatically at a contribution rate of 3 percent. Employees can opt out of participating in this retirement plan, or can adjust their contribution level as they see fit.

Current law allows an employer to automatically enroll all employees in its 401(k) plan, but it is discretionary. Comments from members of the House of Representatives indicate that this provision is intended to increase retirement plan participation, since employers that run automatic enrollment programs almost always see significantly higher rates of employee participation.

The Senate bills do not require automatic enrollment. However, the RISE & SHINE Act requires that if an employer does run an automatic enrollment plan, it must re-enroll any employees every three years unless they choose to opt out again.

Emergency Distributions

The House SECURE 2.0 Act includes a provision that allows victims of domestic abuse to draw on their retirement accounts, however it does not include language regarding generalized emergency funds.

The Senate bills include the same provision regarding domestic abuse victims. They also allow individuals to draw on their 401(k) and 403(b) accounts for emergency funds. Each does this in a different way.

Under the EARN Act, an individual would be allowed to withdraw up to $1,000 in a single year for personal or household emergencies. They would not pay any tax penalties so long as they repaid the money within three years, and cannot take out a new emergency loan until after they have repaid the last one. This act would also allow a maximum $22,000 distribution from employer retirement plans or IRAs to individuals who have been effected by a declared disaster.

Under the RISE & SHINE Act, a 401(k) or 403(b) plan could include a $2,500 emergency fund. Individuals could withdraw from that fund once per month on an after-tax basis.

Terminal Illness

The EARN Act would eliminate early distribution tax penalties in the case of terminally ill individuals. This would allow patients to draw on additional money for medical care, or for generalized end of life expenses.

The Savers Tax Credit

SmartAsset: Congress Could Change Your Retirement Plans.

The Savers Credit is a tax credit designed to help low income households save for retirement. At time of writing, it allowed qualifying, low-income taxpayers to take a nonrefundable tax credit of either 10% or 20% of their eligible retirement plan contributions. While not discussed in the SECURE 2.0 bill, the EARN Act would expand on this credit significantly. Under this proposal, the credit would become a refundable tax credit that gets paid directly into the taxpayers retirement account. As under current law, it would apply to 401(k), 403(b) and IRA plans. This would apply to households earning up to $71,000 per year, and taxpayers could receive a maximum credit of $2,000.

It is important to note that neither the EARN Act nor the RISE & SHINE Act have been passed by the Senate. The EARN Act has not even been drafted into a formal bill, and is at time of writing only a statement of legislative intent. As a result both can change significantly before any vote takes place.

Bottom Line

Like the House of Representatives, the Senate is gearing up to take significant action on retirement savings plans. From automatic enrollment to required minimum distributions, many different pieces of this system seem likely to change. Among those changes are waiting longer to begin taking required distributions and easing terms for emergency withdrawals.

Tips on Retiring

How do your retirement savings stack up? Take a look at where Americans land on average retirement savings to see how your own account compares.

Dont panic if youre behind on retirement savings! Even a little bit more work can make a big difference, no matter where you are in your work life. And a financial advisor can help you get back on track. Finding a qualified financial advisor doesnt have to be hard. SmartAssets free tool matches you with up to three financial advisors who serve your area, and you can interview your advisor matches at no cost to decide which one is right for you. If youre ready to find an advisor who can help you achieve your financial goals, get started now.

Photo credit: iStock.com/Douglas Rissing, iStock.com/olm26250, iStock.com/marchmeena29

The post Congress Could Change Your Retirement Plans. Heres What You Need to Know appeared first on SmartAsset Blog.
Greenville County Sheriff's Office

Cops have nabbed a South Carolina couple they say shot and killed a 19-year-old college student before dumping his body on the side of a rural road outside Wichita, Kansas, in 2010.

Kristopher and Candance Valadez, both 32, were taken into custody this weekend on murder charges in the death of German Luis Clerician Argentine immigrant known for having a thick New Jersey accent in the heart of the midwest.

At the time, Clericis death shocked his loved ones, including his girlfriend, Shauna McKee, who vowed in 2010 that her partners killers would be found one day.

SO...... any one know anything about my boyfriends murdered that wants to come clean? McKee wrote to Facebook. Just know, the truth will come out one day.

Twelve years later, that day has arrived, according to police.

The couple were arrested in South Carolina over the weekend, where they shared a 5-bedroom home outside of Greenville, property appraiser and arrest records show.

Local deputies and cops sent from the Butler County Sheriffs Office in Kansas made the arrestsCandance on Saturday and Kristopher on Sunday. Both will be extradited to Kansas to face murder charges.

Grief and Relief as Suspect Charged in L.A. Cold Cases

McKee didnt respond to interview requests, but acknowledged her former boyfriends alleged killers on Facebook. She commented on Monday that both Candance and Kristopher used to work with her at a KwikTripa gas station chainin Kansas but transferred immediately after Clericis murder.

KwikTrip confirmed to The Daily Beast on Wednesday that Candance remained an area supervisor for the chain. A spokesperson declined to comment further on her current status with the company or how long shed been employed there.

Authorities said they reopened their investigation into Clericis murder last year after new evidence appeared, but declined to tell The Daily Beast in a phone call exactly what that evidence was.

The Wichita Eagle reported at the time that police werent able to identify Clerici until the day after his body was discovered on Feb. 6, 2010.

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German Luis Clerici, 19, was missing for a week before a woman found his body abandoned next to a rural Kansas road. Butler County Sheriff's Office

Clerici, whod been missing for a week, was finally found by a woman out for a walkhis body abandoned next to a rural dirt road, shot to death. But his shoes remained clean, prompting investigators to believe he was killed elsewhere before his body was dropped, The Wichita Eagle reported. His wallet also remained in his pocket, ruling out a robbery-gone-wrong as a possible reason he was slain, cops said.

Authorities have released little information about the arrested couple. Candance, who has a public Facebook page, regularly posted pictures of a young girl and of her work at the KwikTrip. Her bio says she studied criminal justice at Wichita State University.

Clerici was known as both Luis, his middle name, and Jersey, for his thick New Jersey accent, McKee told The Wichita Eagle in 2010. She told the paper her last conversation with Clerici was about him moving back into a house they shared. They had been fighting recently, she said, but they were working through it.

I have no idea what happened, McKee, whose last name was Herrick in 2010, said. This is a complete and total shock to mefor everyone.

Cops have not released why Clerici was targeted. At the time, McKee said she had no clue why anyone would want her partner killed, while the local sheriff confirmed Clerici had no prior record or known enemies.

He was the best guy in the world, she said. He had the best heart. He was on the right track  his friends were not bad people.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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A crew of contractors tore the entire roof off a Kansas home before disappearing  as they were at the wrong place, according to the homeowner.

The Overland Park man believes the workers left when they realized it was the wrong house. He took to Nextdoor and Facebook in hopes of finding out who was actually supposed to get their roof replaced the morning of Tuesday, Aug. 2.

In the meantime, Steve Kornspan says he has contacted police and his insurance company. He also now has his own roofer working on his home.

A public information officer with the Overland Park Police Department confirmed Kornspan filed a report the same day.

Right now were looking at this as a civil matter, Officer John Lacy told McClatchy News. Were not looking at this as a criminal matter because this was a mistake that they made. They were supposed to get another home and were supposed to rip up that roof but they got the addresses switched.

Police are unsure if there was damage to the inside of the home, but rain is expected to hit Aug. 3.

McClatchy News reached out to Kornspan for additional information on Aug. 3 and was awaiting a response.

Overland Park is about 10 miles southwest of downtown Kansas City.

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Cristiano Ronaldo played 45 minutes on Sunday (Dave Thompson/PA) (PA Wire)

Erik ten Hag says it was unacceptable for Cristiano Ronaldo and other Manchester United players to leave Old Trafford before the end of Sundays friendly against Rayo Vallecano.

After taking a strong team to Oslo to face Atletico Madrid on Saturday, the Red Devils wrapped up the pre-season preparations against another Spanish side the following day.

United drew 1-1 with Rayo at Old Trafford as star man Ronaldo made his first appearance of pre-season, playing the first 45 minutes.

Happy to be back  pic.twitter.com/Fp6dpBTXcb  Cristiano Ronaldo (@Cristiano) July 31, 2022

The 37-year-old missed the pre-season tour of Thailand and Australia due to a family issue, and the wantaway forward was pictured with Diogo Dalot leaving Sundays game before full-time.

Ten Hag did not speak to the media after the match but has now laid bare his annoyance to broadcaster Viaplay.

There were many more (as well as Ronaldo) who went home, the United boss said.

Asked if he condoned it, Ten Hag said: Certainly not, this is unacceptable for everyone. I tell them that its unacceptable, that we are a team, a squad and that you should stay until the end.

Ten Hag will take charge of his first competitive match as United manager on Sunday when Brighton arrive at Old Trafford in the Premier League.
Comedian Dane Cook recently announced his engagement to girlfriend Kelsi Taylor.

On Tuesday, the funnyman posted a video and photo montage of the proposal, which was set by a body of water. She said yes! Cook captioned the post. Taylor describes herself as a pilates instructor, musician and nutritionist.

Later in the day, Cook posted a black-and-white photo of him and Taylor, where he leans into her ear and she laughs.

Making my fiancee @itskelsitaylor laugh is my favorite sound, he wrote. I love her with all my heart. Weve made beautiful memories over the last five years. Theres so much to celebrate as we look forward together.

Dane Cook and Kelsi Taylor in 2019. (Matthew Simmons / Getty Images)

Taylor posted a pair of photos from the proposal, including a shot of Cook on bended knee and another one of them kissing.

"Fiance has a nice ring to it," she captioned the post. 'The secrets out! @danecook and I are engaged. A couple weeks ago, Dane got on one knee and asked me to be his wife and I couldnt have asked for a more perfect moment. I love this man and love spending my life with him. I cant wait for whats to come."

While a celebrity popping the question is not anything out of the ordinary, this impending union drawn scrutiny online because of the couples age gap, which is close to 27 years. Cook, born in 1972, is 50 and Taylor, born in 1998, is 23. In his post, Cook said they had been together for "five years."

Dane Cooks favorite band is Underage Against The Machine, one person wrote, a play on the band name Rage Against the Machine.

Dane Cooks favorite band is Underage Against The Machine.  The Volatile Mermaid (@OhNoSheTwitnt) August 3, 2022

Did you know Dane Cook plays guitar? His favorite scale is A Minor, quipped someone else.

Did you know Dane Cook plays guitar? His favorite scale is A Minor pic.twitter.com/h1r8cpcBZq  kai (@kaicomedy) August 2, 2022

Dane Cook and his fiancee are registered at Build-A-Bear, comedian Christian Finnegan wrote.

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Dane Cook and his fiancee are registered at Build-A-Bear.  Christian Finnegan (@ChristFinnegan) August 2, 2022

While the Twitterverse may have had a lot to say, Cook sounds thrilled to be getting ready to walk down the aisle. He said he was totally calm about asking her to marry him.

I was so ready to ask her. I was completely zen about it, Cook told People. The evening of the proposal was incredibly beautiful, the weather was perfect, sunset was spectacular, and I was just quite simply very happy.

I was asking my best friend, the woman who Ive shared some of the greatest times of my life with, to marry me so we can start the next chapter our of lives together, he added. I was also thinking of how absolutely stunning she looked.

Cook said he popped the question in York Beach, Maine.

When we started dating, we went there on our first trip together so to return five years later was meaningful to us, he said.

Cook has been upfront about the couples age gap in the past. During an appearance on The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon, Cook joked about being older than Taylor.

Heres the thing about it: I look at her, shes the kindest, sweetest; I love her. Every once in a while Ill be like, I dont deserve this girl, he said.

And then (every) once in a while Ill say to myself: Where have you been all of my life? And then I realize she wasnt alive for the first 28 years of it, he said. (Ed. note: Based on their birthdays, the couple is closer to 27 years apart than 28).

Addressing the same topic in an interview with Jimmy Kimmel in 2019, Cook said, People are like, Youre robbing the cradle. I was like, She hasnt slept in the cradle for like nine years. Relax.
Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) landed in Taiwan on Tuesday for a historic visit, rebuffing repeated warnings from China.

Well talk about the trip. Plus, well tell you the latest developments on the Senate burn pits bill and talk about why the Pentagon didnt retain some text messages about Jan. 6, 2021.

This is Defense & National Security, your nightly guide to the latest developments at the Pentagon, on Capitol Hill and beyond. For The Hill, Im Jordan Williams. A friend forward this newsletter to you? Subscribe here.

Pelosi lands in Taiwan, ignoring Chinas threats

Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) arrived in Taiwan on Tuesday, capping off days of speculation regarding whether the third-highest ranking official in the U.S. government would visit the self-governing island amid criticism from China.

Pelosis arrival in Taipei was broadcast on major television networks. It is her latest stop on a days-long trip to Asia with a congressional delegation.

Who joined the speaker? Pelosi on Tuesday was joined by a delegation of House Democrats including Foreign Affairs Chairman Gregory Meeks (N.Y.), Veterans Affairs Chairman Mark Takano (Calif.) and Reps. Suzan DelBene (Wash.), Raja Krishnamoorthi (Ill.) and Andy Kim (N.J.).

Republican applause: Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), along with 25 other Republican senators, released a joint statement praising her decision to visit to Taiwan minutes after she landed on the island.

We support Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosis trip to Taiwan, the statement reads.

For decades, members of the United States Congress, including previous Speakers of the House, have travelled to Taiwan, it continues. This travel is consistent with the United States One China policy to which we are committed. We are also committed now, more than ever, to all elements of the Taiwan Relations Act.

Chinas response: The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a statement condemning Pelosis trip to Taiwan, saying it gravely undermines peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, and sends a seriously wrong signal to the separatist forces for Taiwan independence.

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In addition, China is also reportedly planning large-scale military drills around Taiwan. The live-fire drills will begin on Thursday, and not end until Sunday.

GOP senators agree to deal on veterans bill

Senate Republicans have reached an agreement to pass legislation expanding benefits for veterans suffering illnesses due to toxic exposure, after they blocked the bill last week and sparked outrage from the veterans community.

We expect to have an agreement on the PACT Act with amendments, Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) said. I believe it will pass and pass this evening. So, thats very good news.

A vote on the measure is expected early Tuesday evening.

Schumer said that the Senate will vote on three amendments to the bill, with 60 votes being needed to pass those bills. The upper chamber will then move to finally pass the bill.

Read more here.

DOD wiped phones of Trump-era leaders

The Department of Defense (DOD) failed to retain text messages from a number of its top officials relating to Jan. 6, 2021, because it wiped their phones during the transition, a watchdog group that sued for the records said Tuesday.

American Oversight filed a public records request for the communications of former acting Defense Secretary Chris Miller and former Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy in the days after the attack on the Capitol.

But they were informed during litigation that the records were not preserved.

About the suit: The suit sought the military leaders communications with former President Trump, Vice President Mike Pence and Trumps chief of staff Mark Meadows. The request also asked for communications from Kash Patel, Millers chief of staff; Paul Ney, DODs general counsel; and James E. McPherson, the Armys general counsel.

Patel was also subpoenaed by the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol.

American Oversight sent a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland to investigate, noting that each officials phone appears to have been wiped after their records request was filed.

Messages not preserved: DOD and Army conveyed to Plaintiff that when an employee separates from DOD or Army he or she turns in the government-issued phone, and the phone is wiped. For those custodians no longer with the agency, the text messages were not preserved and therefore could not be searched, the agencies wrote in a March court filing.

More lost texts: The disclosure follows news that numerous officials at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) also had their messages erased during the transition, including former acting Secretary Chad Wolf and his deputy Ken Cuccinelli. Both had their phones reset following the inauguration, losing any texts from Jan. 6 in the process.

The inspector general at DHS also notified Congress last month that text messages from Jan. 5 and Jan. 6 were erased as part of a device replacement program.

The agency contends any text messages that might be missing were lost through a software transition.

Read more here.

ON TAP FOR TOMORROW

The U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission will hold a hearing on Challenges from Chinese Policy in 2022: Zero-COVID, Ukraine, and Pacific Diplomacy at 9:30 a.m.

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee will hold a nominations hearing at 10 a.m.

WHAT WERE READING

US sanctions Putin girlfriend, Russian billionaires

GOP agrees to deal on veterans bill

Judge refuses to delay Oath Keepers seditious conspiracy trial

National security adviser: Strike on al Qaeda leader undoubtedly made US safer



Thats it for today! Check out The Hills Defense and National Security pages for the latest coverage. See you tomorrow!



READ THE FULL VERSION HERE

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Election 2022 House NY Distirct 12 (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

The chair of the powerful House oversight committee, Representative Carolyn Maloney, said on Tuesday that she does not think President Joe Biden will mount a campaign for a second term in 2024.

Speaking during a primary debate for candidates vying for the Democratic Partys nomination in New Yorks 12th congressional district, Ms Maloney and other candidates were asked whether Mr Biden should run for re-election.

She responded: I dont believe hes running for re-election.

Another 12th district candidate, Representative Jerrold Nadler, said it was too early to say whether Mr Biden should throw his hat into the ring for 2024.

Mr Biden is 79, and is the oldest person ever to be sworn-in as Americas chief executive. He would be 82 years old on the day he would be sworn in for a second term, a full five years older than the next-oldest president, Ronald Reagan, was when he left office in 1989.

The 46th presidents age has long been a point of attack for his critics in the Republican Party, many of whom frequently suggest without evidence that Mr Biden is senile or suffering from unspecified ailments which have resulted in a decline in his cognitive functions.

Behind closed doors, Democratic insiders have groused about Mr Bidens low approval ratings and his advanced age, and some have privately suggested that he step aside after one term. Ms Maloney is among the highest-profile Democrats to say Mr Biden should not seek re-election, and her statement comes just after two of her Democratic colleagues, Representatives Dean Phillips and Angie Craig of Minnesota, said Mr Biden should stand down after a single term.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Independent, but Mr Biden has repeatedly said he intends to stand for election in 2024.
Dev Patel has starred in Slumdog Millionaire, The Green Knight and Lion, for which he received an Oscar nomination

Dev Patel successfully broke up a knife fight in Adelaide earlier this week, his representatives have confirmed.

The actor, who has starred in Slumdog Millionaire, witnessed the fight in Adelaide on Monday (1 August).

A man and a woman were reportedly fighting in the street and in a convenience store when the man was stabbed in the chest.

Patel's spokesman said the star "acted on his natural instinct". The man who was stabbed is expected to survive.

"We can confirm that last night, in Adelaide, Dev Patel and his friends witnessed a violent altercation that was already in progress outside of a convenience store," representatives for Patel told BBC News.

"Dev acted on his natural instinct to try and de-escalate the situation and break up the fight. The group was thankfully successful in doing so and they remained on site to ensure that the police and eventually the ambulance arrived."

Officers were called at around 8.45pm (local time), following reports of a man and woman fighting in the street, South Australia Police said.

The couple continued fighting inside a nearby service station where witnesses attempted to break up the fight, before the woman allegedly stabbed the man in the chest.

A 32-year-old man from Glengowrie was treated at the scene by ambulance officers before being taken to the Royal Adelaide Hospital.

The statement from Patel's team continued: "There are no heroes in this situation and sadly this specific incident highlights a larger systemic issue of marginalised members of society not being treated with the dignity and respect they deserve.

"The hope is that the same level of media attention this story is receiving (solely because Dev, as a famous person, was involved) can be a catalyst for lawmakers to be compassionate in determining long-term solutions to help not only the individuals who were involved but the community at large."

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Further details about the situation and the motivation of the alleged attacker have not been made clear.

Patel got his big break in British teen drama Skins and has also starred in The Green Knight, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and Lion, for which he received an Oscar nomination.

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Mendocino's new Sparkling Wine Trek

Courtesy of Visit Mendocino County

It was afternoon on the tasting-room terrace at the Roederer Estate in Mendocino County's Anderson Valley, and the bees and I were having a time of it. As they feasted on pollen in a nearby stand of lavender, I nibbled a lavender honey and goat cheese crostini while sipping from a magnum of creamy, honeyed Brut. A multi-vintage blend containing a percentage of reserve wine aged in neutral oak, the sparkling wine had a fleshy lusciousness that wrapped its mineral spine. It reaffirmed what I've long believed: This little-traveled AVA in Northern California produces the nation's best bubbles. Now, Mendocino's new Sparkling Wine Trek, a self-guided tour of more than 20 of the county's 90-plus wineries, is proving as much.

Champagne Louis Roederer's Jean-Claude Rouzand had searched for years for the right terroir for his French house to make a California sparkling. In 1982, he found it in what locals call the Deep End, the valley's northwestern tip, where chilly Pacific fog slows grapes' maturation, helping retain the acidity that is so important in champagne-style wines. "The Anderson Valley is one of California's coldest winegrowing regions. In the 1970s and early '80s, it was mostly planted to Alsatian varieties. It was risky thinking Pinot Noir and Chardonnay would be suited to the area, but the gamble paid off," director of hospitality Gregg Lamer told me. "It was also a bargain compared to Napa, which is why Roederer Estate overdelivers for the money."

As illustration, he poured a 2013 L'Ermitage Rose. The 50/50 Chardonnay-Pinot blend was made in the traditional method, which is typically used for Champagne. Only the cuvee, or first portion of the pressing, was used in the fermentation  that's the juice with the most sugars and acids, but the least color and bitter phenolics. The wine had gotten its salmon color and berrylike aromatics instead from the addition of some still red wine. The 2013 vintage had a sweet-savory, nearly meaty character that meshed with a dish of prosciutto-draped potato chips. It was worth the $100 it was listed for.

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Mendocino's new Sparkling Wine Trek

Courtesy of Visit Mendocino County

Still, a Franklin is a lot to drop for an American sparkling  even one made by the producers of Cristal. For $85, I picked up a 2013 Grande Cuvee, a 70% Chardonnay, 30% Pinot blend, at Lichen Estate, 10 minutes southeast on Highway 128, the valley's one main road. Owner Doug Stewart cribbed lessons from producers in Champagne and planted his organic vines densely to decrease their vigor, so they put more energy into the fruit than the shoots. Even though the grapes are picked early to maximize their acidity, they're flavorful.

He refines the cuvee to "capture the cleanest, most acidic fraction of the pressing" and leaves the Grand Cuvee on the lees for up to five years to add weighty texture. Then he finishes it with a good amount of sugar  around 10 grams per liter to Roederer's eight  to temper its zing with richness. That level of dosage gives his Pinot-based bubbles a lovely floral quality and adds a caramel-apple note to his snappy Pinot Gris sparkler. "If we had lowered the dosage, they would get more herbaceous," he says. "The secret sauce is balance."

But not everyone on the trail is a fan of dosage. At Goldeneye, where I indulged in a pairing of bubbles and sustainable caviar, winemaker Kristen McMahan poured wines containing half as much dosage. Her 2018 Brut Rose has a berry-forward vibe brightened by citrusy notes. The 2019, from a cooler year, is more refined with touches of stone fruit. She's holding back 80 cases of her 2020 vintage to disgorge in 2025. "I'm hoping, because the wine has been of exceptional quality, that I can get away with zero dosage and still get those toasty brioche notes reminiscent of Champagne," she said.

Mendocino's new Sparkling Wine Trek

Courtesy of Visit Mendocino County

As climate change warms up even this northern valley, riper grapes make foregoing dosage more possible. "But we still get that diurnal swing. Even during harvest, it's 38 degrees in the mornings and 85 during the day," McMahan explained. "We have less of a problem than, say, Napa where you get that jamminess. Our grapes retain the minerality that's the Anderson Valley's regional identity. You get earthiness and elegance."

Even in the AVA's warmer spots, the sparkling wines have verve. At Pennyroyal Farm on the valley floor at the southeastern end, the Blanc de Noir offered a bright, clean sip to refresh my palate as I sampled cheeses made from the charismatic goats and sheep that visitors can meet on a farm tour.

The electricity in the area's sparklers might be nowhere more pronounced in its Brut Natures and Pet-Nats. Foursight Wines pours a zero-dosage Brut Nature that contains Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier from Sonoma in a blend with estate Pinot Noir, but it's deliciously herbaceous with that crispness you expect from the Anderson Valley. Cloudy and apricot-hued, Maggy Hawk Winery's wild-fermented Pet-Nat is a bright, fresh fruit salad of wine, with candied peach nose and a bittersweet jujubee flavor.

At Handley Cellars, winemaker Randy Schock goes for fruitiness, too. "I'm not trying to make a French-model sparkling wine. My neighbors are so damned good at it, why would I make one just like Roederer?" he asked as we sat on the terrace overlooking the vines and the forested mountains. He explained that his bubbles are "very fruit forward, very dry, lower in acid, with less time on the lees." Schock followed the style of the very first sparkling wine made in the Anderson Valley in the modern era, in 1981 at Scharffenberger Cellars, a house now owned by Roederer that makes a fuller, more American-style sparkling. His 2016 Brut Rose tastes like candied apple tempered by earth.

Mendocino's new Sparkling Wine Trek

Courtesy of Visit Mendocino County

But though the Anderson Valley has long been an exceptional place for growing fruit, it's not the only AVA in Mendocino where sparkling wine is produced. I drove inland where, near the dusty town of Ukiah, Parducci, the county's longest-lasting winery (established in 1932) makes a Brut Reserve with a green apple snap and lemony juiciness. Down the highway at the boutique winery Rivino, owner Jason McConnell was recovering from one of the frequent parties he throws to lure visitors to Mendocino's interior.

"Last night was Bacon, Boujee, and Blues. Boujee is our fanciful name for bubbles," he said. Although daytime temperatures along the Redwood Highway where he's located climb into the hundreds during the day, acid develops well in grapes here because mornings are chilled by the nearby Russian River; ocean breezes course in through mountain gaps in the early evening. A Brut Nature with a bittersweet orange pith flavor, his 2018 Boujee Blanc de Blanc is a bright summer pounder.

I ended my sparkling wine trek just outside the old railroad town of Hopland, where Terra Savia hosts the Mendocino County Sparkling Wine Festival, which happens on August 6th. But any time of year, this certified-organic winery is a chill place to sip "and just be," as owner Yvonne Hall puts it. She's decorated her soaring tasting room in comfortable furniture and big, exuberant paintings to reflect her Dominican roots. "We do like color," she said.

With 48 months on the lees and several years in the bottle, Terra Savia's 2010 Blanc de Blanc had had the time to develop a winning personality. It started off exceptionally bright with a mineral austerity and finished with friendly, toasty, caramelly edges. At $40, this aged methode champenoise wine was a bargain find from a county that deserves a premium reputation for its sparkling wine.

"Our old-school Mendocino winemakers still see themselves as poor cousins to Napa," said Hall. "I keep trying to tell them all, "Guys, you have to get that chip off the shoulder. We are a hidden gem.'"
Olga Kachur aka Korsa

Kachur used to be a commander of the Grad MRLS division, which fired on civilians in Donbas.

Read also: 41,350 Russian troops have been killed in Ukraine, reports General Staff

Ukrainian journalist Denis Kazanskyi drew attention to the reports of her death.



The Strategic Communications Department of the Armed Forces of Ukraine confirmed that Kachur had been killed.

According to the department, Kachur often disguised herself as a member of the Armed Forces of Ukraine while committing war crimes in order to discredit the Ukrainian army.

Read also: A high ranking officer from Crimea eliminated in Ukraine

During interviews with Kremlin propaganda, Kachur openly admitted that she enjoyed killing Ukrainians.

According to Kazanskyi, the terrorist previously worked in the Horlivka Police department, but in 2014 she defected to Russian invading forces.

Read also: Ukrainian Air Force hits high-value Russian targets

(She was) guilty of the shelling of the cities of Donbas and the deaths of civilians, Kazanskyi said. In Ukraine, she was sentenced to 12 years in prison in absentia.

Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
A bill to outlaw abortion at nearly all stages of pregnancy is nearing its final passage in Indianas state legislature, marking one of the first states to consider severe restrictions on abortion care in the weeks after the US Supreme Court revoked the constitutional right to abortion.

Dr Cailtin Bernard  an Indianapolis-area obstetrician-gynecologist who came under attack following reporting that she performed an abortion on a 10-year-old rape survivor from Ohio after that states abortion ban went into effect  said she is deeply disturbed by her states bill, which she said will harm her patients and worsen health outcomes in the state.

Ive practiced medicine for 12 years and follow a code of ethics, so I know that medicine is not about exceptions, she said in a statement through her attorney on 3 August.

Every person deserves to have equal access to the best medical care as they make decisions about their health and elected politicians should not be the ones making those decisions, she said. This bill will hurt my patients and Hoosiers are going to have worse health outcomes as a result.

Indiana lawmakers are considering Republican-drafted legislation to outlaw nearly all abortions with limited exceptions. A draft cleared a key House committee following several hours of debate on 2 August and is expected to advance to the full state House within the week.

A state Senate version of the bill passed over the weekend. The bill allows exceptions only in pregnancies from rape or incest or when the patients life is at risk. Indiana currently allows for abortions up to about 20 weeks of pregnancy.

State lawmakers in Indiana and West Virginia are currently advancing bills to restrict abortion care in the wake of Americas first statewide referendum on abortion rights in Kansas, where a clear majority of voters voted to affirm that women should have the right to make decisions about their own bodies and that those decisions are between them and their medical providers, Dr Bernard said.

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On behalf of the Hoosiers I care for each and every day, I hope elected leaders in Indiana reconsider and do what is right for my patients, she added.

Neighboring Ohio  among at least 10 states that do not provide any exceptions for abortions from pregnancies resulting from rape or incest  enacted its law prohibiting abortion at the detection of a so-called heartbeat at roughly six weeks of pregnancy. Notably, that period of time is before many patients know they are pregnant, or about two weeks after a missed period. The 10-year-old rape victim in Dr Bernards care was reportedly six weeks pregnant.

All states have people who are pregnant who need abortion care, in the most extreme circumstances and in the most common circumstances, and everyone deserves to have access to comprehensive reproductive healthcare in a state in which they live, she told The Independent last month.

A suspect in the Ohio case has been arrested and charged with two counts of felony rape. He remains held without bond in Franklin County Jail. He has pleaded not guilty.

Meanwhile, the National Right to Life organisation, the nations largest anti-abortion group, and its Indiana affiliate have argued that the states legislation does not go far enough.

The bill goes through the motions on paper, but lacks any teeth to actually reduce abortions in Indiana by holding those who perform abortions or would intentionally skirt the law accountable with criminal consequences, Indiana Right to Life said in a statement.
Edith Bowman (BMW Play Next/Handout/PA)

For Edith Bowman, one of the best bits of her job is helping nurture talent.

Theres nothing better than that feeling of being able to give someone a break, says the radio, TV and podcast presenter and mum-of-two. Whether thats just talking about them, playing their music within a podcast, having a conversation with them about their process and their creativity. Ive always loved that part of what I do, and I dont take that responsibility lightly.

She knows how this stuff can make a difference. Bowman recalls the moments in her early career when somebody gave her a boost  including a screen test for MTV in the mid-1990s, her break into TV.

Up until that point, Id had nothing but negative feedback about my regional Scottish accent, Oh maybe you should have elocution lessons, that kind of thing, says Bowman, who grew up in a small coastal town in Fife. I fought against that, because it felt like they were trying to turn me into something I wasnt, and almost erase part of me, so I stood my ground.

But Christine Boar, who was boss at MTV at the time  I remember that screen test and asking her, What did you like about my reel? And she said, I like that your accent is part of your personality.

It was the opposite of everything Id had before, and that was so encouraging, and made me feel even more confident to be true to myself.

Right now, Bowman  who moved from London to Gloucestershire shortly before the pandemic started, along with her husband, Editors frontman Tom Smith, and their sons, Rudy and Spike  is back hosting the BMW Play Next podcast ahead of Londons All Points East Festival later this month (August 19-28), where shell front the Play Next stage.

Featuring a mix of emerging artists as well as established names, the budget allows for songs to be played in their entirety, so for Bowman, the podcast feels close to radio  And thats where Im at my happiest (shes fronted shows across the BBC, 5 Live and Virgin Radio over the years). She also gets to go deep with the interviews.

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This is our second year running the podcast. We sat down and spoke about what we thought worked and what we needed to improve on, and what we got from last year was people really connected to the conversations we were having, because it wasnt just, Tell us about your new track. There was real context, [and] conversation which was insightful and inspiring for people, she shares. So weve extended that side of it this year, to more long-form chats.

Talking to Bowman, theres a strong sense shes someone who likes to do things properly and do them well. At 48, after more than two decades in the industry, that drive hasnt waned.

I never want to be complacent. Even now, I still crave and seek out constructive criticism and feedback, because you can never stop learning, she reflects. I think thats something I can really see in artists  where theyre open to things, whether its collaboration, or where they go with the next record. Its moving themselves forwards. I still feel like that as well, and its hard sometimes, you dont really get much feedback sometimes. But thats the only way Im going to get better.

There have certainly been shifts with age though.

I think Ive got to the point where I dont feel like Ive got anything to prove, to myself or to anybody else. Im on this journey of discovery  and theres still a list the length of my arm of things I want to do, but I feel like now Im enabled with the tools to do those things  but its still learning who you are and discovering who you are as well.

Bowman (BMW Play Next/Handout/PA)

She recalls a recent interview for the podcast with actor Lena Dunhams husband Luis Felber, Whos making the most brilliant, brilliant music. Hes had this really interesting journey, where he made mistakes, kind of went off the rails a bit, but all this has been part of getting to the point where he is now, where hes making and doing the thing he knows hes meant to be doing.

She continues: Its also like being a mum. Where you have that thing where you go, Does this change me? How does this change me? My responsibilities are different.

I just really love what I do. In lockdown, the thing that kept me sane was being able to work. I feel theres a kind of therapy in what I do, it keeps me me, it reminds me of who I am. It keeps me alive and excited. And I never take it for granted, I never expect things to come my way. But listen  when it feels like arghh and its a chore, thats when its time to move on.

But I think Im a better mum because I work, because Im doing something I love. If I wasnt, I would probably have much bigger mental health issues than I do, because its definitely something that keeps me excited. And I feel very lucky that I still feel the way I do.

The boys are at an age now where they can share more in what she does too. Bowman lights up recalling taking her 14-year-old to Glastonbury earlier this summer: That was one of the most life-affirming moments Ive had in recent years. Taking my firstborn to Glastonbury, watching music through his eyes  oh my God, it was one of the most magical things in the world.

But as someone who adores their job, how does she get on with setting boundaries? Badly! she exclaims, laughing. Im so bad at saying no. I am the worst.

It cant be all that bad though  Bowman has discovered the joys of wild swimming since moving to Gloucestershire. Theres a lake nearby, where the boys take a paddleboard and kayak while Bowman swims. Even their dog gets involved, which she says is hilarious.

She also sneaks in some swims without the brood when she can.

Its been a revelation, I absolutely love it. Last week I had quite a lot of work from home, so I went wild swimming three days in a row  and my God, it was heaven. I do it all year round as well, I like it when its colder, Bowman says.

Theres a domino effect  my friend Millie got me into it, I got my mum into it. You come out and just feel so much good.

Edith Bowman is host of hit music discovery podcast BMW Play Next, showcasing groundbreaking music from the next generation of talented artists alongside headline acts. Listen to latest episodes here: discover.bmw.co.uk
Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. George Gascon at a Hall of Justice news conference on June 18, 2021. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

The final tally of verified signatures on petitions to recall Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. George Gascon is expected within days. If county officials report that there are at least 566,857 valid, nonduplicative signatures among the 715,833 collected since Jan. 27, voters will be asked to weigh in on Gascon for the second time in two years  and the distracting, destructive season of California recalls will stretch on.

The D.A. has become the latest vessel into which residents wrestling with anxiety over disease, lockdowns, political turmoil, violence and societal disruption have poured their fears  and into which opponents of criminal justice reforms, and opportunists of various political stripes but most notably from the far right, have placed their hopes.

A similar dynamic played out in the attempted recall last year of Gov. Gavin Newsom, which culminated in the governors landslide retention by voters on Sept. 14. On June 7, San Francisco Dist. Atty. Chesa Boudin was recalled after a campaign that blamed him for a supposed wave of violence and property crimes in the city  even though crime actually dropped during Boudins tenure.

Boudin was a high-profile target of justice reform opponents, in part because his city is a leading bastion of progressive politics, and in part because his parents were convicted of killing police officers in the 1980s, making him a potent symbol for police, prosecutors and others who feel threatened by criminal justice policies that depart from the status quo.

Gascon, by contrast, is himself a former police officer, having spent most of his career in the Los Angeles Police Department, before serving as chief of police in Mesa, Ariz., and San Francisco.

To many in the movement to roll back reform, that background makes Gascon an even bigger target than Boudin, because his reform orientation smacks of professional betrayal. Thats the charge inevitably leveled against reformers in any field who through experience and reflection identify flaws in the system of which they are a part and commit to fixing them.

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L.A. County voters have repeatedly expressed their desire for a crime-and-punishment system that is more just, more equitable, more efficient and more constructive. They voted against the death penalty in 2016 as the rest of the state retained it. They supported reforms like Proposition 47 (co-written by Gascon), which ended felony charges for simple drug possession and adjusted the line separating misdemeanor and felony property crimes (although its still far easier to charge felony theft in California than in supposedly tough-on-crime states like Texas and South Carolina). They elected Gascon to protect and extend those and other reforms, as well as to hold police accountable for criminal misconduct  a job to which he brings particular professional insight.

The increase in crime in Los Angeles County is real and deeply troubling, and requires an official and meaningful response from government. Crime is frightening and corrosive even to people who are not directly affected. Increases in violence and theft over the last two years parallel nationwide trends and are minuscule when compared with the crime wave of the 1990s, but those facts do not lessen the public's legitimate desire for safety.

Yet the notion that its the prosecutors  not the police, the mayor, county supervisors and other players or criminal laws and policies regarding health, economics, education  that control crime is fairly new and somewhat odd. The D.A.s role comes on the back end of a case, after the rest of government has failed and a criminal defendant has been arrested and accused. A D.A. making charging decisions can begin the slow process of making the system more responsive and equitable over a course of many years. But the notion that a D.A. can make crime rise or fall over a period of months is absurd.

If the recall against Gascon qualifies for the ballot, the process wont operate like the one required by the combined city-county charter in San Francisco, where voters booted out the D.A. and the mayor filled the vacancy.

The L.A. County charter calls for the process to follow state law, as in the attempted recall of Newsom, with replacement candidates on the same ballot as the yes-or-no question to remove Gascon. If the gubernatorial recall is a guide, it's likely that most of the replacement candidates will offer a 180-degree reversal of the direction Gascon and voters have set.

We will know shortly whether Los Angeles County voters must spend the next three months arguing yet again over reforms they have endorsed again and again  or whether their district attorney will be allowed to continue putting them in place.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
The Department of Corrections officials who will oversee executions by the electric chair and firing squad in South Carolina do not have the expertise to know how electric voltages or bullets affect the human body to the point of death, argue attorneys who represent three men awaiting their fates on death row.

Without that expertise, the lawyers say, state officials cant know whether killing someone by electrocution or a bullet that splits into fragments used to cause instantaneous death wont cause unacceptable levels of mutilation and damage to the body.

These arguments are at the center of a Richland County bench trial happening this week that will decide whether South Carolinas execution law violates the states constitution  and whether the three inmates will be put to death.

What this case is, is ensuring that we dont inflict cruel, unusual, corporal punishments by electrocuting inmates with an antique contraption or shooting them to death, attorney Josh Kendrick  who, with attorneys from Justice360 is representing inmates Richard Moore, Freddie Owens and Brad Sigmon  told the court Tuesday.

Judge Jocelyn Newman is considering the case of the three inmates sentenced to death, whove challenged the states execution methods, arguing the state has not done enough to get the drugs for lethal injection, and that execution by electrocution or by firing squad is cruel and unusual and violates the state constitution.

The inmates have exhausted nearly all of their appeals, and their execution dates have been postponed.

Freddie Owens, Richard Moore and Brad Sigmon, currently on death row, had their executions stayed after South Carolina ran out of lethal injection drugs. In 2021, the executions of Brad Sigmon and Freddie Owens, who legally changed his name to Khalil Divine Black Sun Allah, were delayed again when the S.C. Supreme Court ruled the Department of Corrections needed to offer the firing squad as an alternative method to the electric chair so the men could have a choice in the manner of their death.

The focus of the multi-day trial isnt so much what the judge decides, given that lawyers are likely to appeal Newmans ruling to a higher court. But whats perhaps more important is the evidence, or discovery, about executions the court will see.

Newman on Monday directed the Department of Corrections, via the agencys lawyers, to hand over all electrocution autopsies as far back as possible despite arguments from state attorney Daniel Plyler that over the past several decades the electric chair has been redesigned and moved from its original location to where its currently housed on Broad River Road; therefore, Plyler said, past autopsy reports wont be reflective of what occurs in the future.

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Those autopsies wont be made public, but were touched on in Tuesdays hearing during questioning of the plaintiffs expert witness John Wikswo, a professor at Vanderbilt University who has a background in in biomedical engineering, molecular physiology and biophysics, who testified he believes theres no proof to show an execution, whether botched or not, results in instantaneous or painless death.

It is without question that the death penalty is constitutional. Theyve even admitted it; theyre not challenging that, Plyler told the judge, motioning to the plaintiffs table. And the law on that is it does not guarantee a painless death, just like none of us in this courtroom or in this state are guaranteed a painless death.

The state has carried out 284 executions since 1912 but only started executing people by lethal injection in 1995. By that year, the facility that housed the electric chair had moved from the now-closed Columbia Correctional Institution to where its currently housed at Broad River Correctional Institution.

Lawmakers voted to change the states execution law in 2021, due to the corrections departments inability to obtain the necessary drugs to carry out a lethal injection, which is argued to be a safer and more humane way to kill people.

Drug suppliers have in past years cracked down on selling drugs used for lethal injection so as to avoid being associated with executions. Past legislative attempts to shield those pharmaceutical drug companies, therefore making it easier to buy the necessary drugs, have failed.

The state, which ran out of lethal injection drugs in 2013, has not been able to buy or compound them since, officials have said.

The Legislature, elected publicly by voters, held robust public debate and themselves added the firing squad option  not in a small courtroom occupied by a select few, Plyler told the judge.

Corrections Director Bryan Stirling, who was first appointed in 2013 to run the states prisons agency  two years after the states last execution by lethal injection and more than four years after the last execution by electrocution  told the court he was called to testify before legislators but did not advocate one way or another.

They (legislators) openly declared firing squad an addition to electrocution is the public policy of this state, Plyler added.

Circuit Judge Jocelyn Newman speaks with attorney Daniel Plyler during the trial on Tuesday, August 2, 2022, concerning execution laws in South Carolina.

Prison officials testify about electric chair, firing squad protocols

On the stand Tuesday, Stirling told the court hes never witnessed an execution and did not have a hand in drafting the electrocution or firing squad protocols, leaving the latter to agency experts. Stirling could not say whether the electric chair had been updated over the years.

Stirling said he was not involved in two separate instances in June 2021 and again in April 2022 when the corrections team tested the electric chair. He also said he did not receive a report afterward.

Do you have the required knowledge to tell us which phase (out of three) the inmate is expected to die? Kendrick asked.

I do not, Stirling replied.

As to the firing squad method, Stirling said he had a general understanding of how it works.

The person is put in a chair, just like the protocol said. ... Theyre shot, Stirling testified. Im not trying to make light of this. Its a very serious thing. Theyre shot.

Attorney Josh Kendrick questions South Carolina Department of Corrections Director Bryan Stirling during a trial concerning the constitutionality of South Carolina execution laws, on Tuesday, August, 2, 2022 in the Richland County Courthouse.

Colie Rushton, a nearly 49-year veteran of the corrections department who in 2007 became director of the security and emergency operations, said he inherited the electrocution protocol and did not know why a certain voltage of electricity was used over another.

Rushton testified the current chair is likely at least the states second chair, and when asked whether any changes had been made, said if any changes had been made it would have been to replace a strap. He said he witnessed the chairs testing and was there only for observation.

Asked what level of electricity expertise he had, Rushton said he knows electricity helps keep his home cool at night.

Unlike the electric chair protocols, Rushton testified he had been involved in drafting protocols for the firing squad method using online research and information from officials in Utah, which, like South Carolina, offers the firing squad method of execution.

The Department of Corrections has denied a public records request for the states firing squad protocols and any qualifications required of firing squad volunteers, arguing they constitute security plans and devices and are therefore exempt from disclosure.

The agency also has said it has no record of any protocols, guidelines, materials or consultants from other states, agencies or institutions that were used in the development of South Carolinas firing squad execution protocols.

In April, the S.C. Department of Corrections announced the agency could start carrying out the firing squad method at its Broad River facility. To carry out the execution, the agency said volunteer shooters will stand behind a wall and use rifles.

At the time, the department did not say what kind of ammunition it planned to use.

However Rushton, who said he did not attend any specific ballistics-type formal training, told the court Tuesday he came to the decision the agency would use .308 Winchester TAP URBAN ammo, a fragmented bullet, because it expands and causes more instantaneous death versus a more solid bullet that could induce a more prolonged death.

Did you do any research into Chinas use of the firing squad? ... How about Iran? Iraq? Egypt? Kendrick asked Rushton.

No country outside of the United States, Rushton said.

The South Carolina Supreme Court has asked Newman to rule within 30 days after the trial ends Thursday.

Plaintiffs attorneys include Hannah Freedman, Josh Kendrick, Christopher Mills and Lindsey Vann. The defense attorneys for the corrections department, Stirling and the governor are Grayson Lambert, Thomas Limeouse, Daniel Plyler and Austin Reed.

Reporter Zak Koeske contributed to this article.
Johnny Depp and Amber Heard's defamation trial ended more than two months ago, yet the case is still making headlines. More sensational details continue to emerge from those newly unsealed court documents, the latest of which involves Ellen Barkin.

Barkin, who dated Depp in the '90s, was introduced as a witness by Heard's team during the six-week trial. While the jury listened to several minutes of what Barkin had to say in her video deposition, like how she called Depp "a jealous man" and "controlling," The Daily Mail unearthed more of the actress's testimony about her Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas co-star in the 6,000 page pre-trial documents.

Johnny Depp apparently asked Ellen Barkin if she wanted to take a quaalude and have sex. (Photos: Getty Images)

According to Barkin, Depp first asked to have sex with her on drugs.

"He gave me a quaalude and asked me if I wanted to f***," she testified.

Barkin was asked about the wine throwing incident, claiming she "wasn't surprised" when the actor hurled a bottle across the room as "there was always an air of violence around him."

"He's a yeller, he is verbally abusive. And those things you can see," she alleged, noting he would yell at "his assistant."

"People who would work on the film maybe in what he would view as a lower capacity than he functions at. There is just a world of violence," she said.

Related video: Unsealed Johnny Depp v. Amber Heard court docs reveal even more ugly allegations between exes

Although Depp didn't address Barkin's claims directly at the trial, he did during his libel case in the U.K. The actor sued The Sun's parent company for referring to him as a "wife beater" in a headline. (He lost that case with a judge ruling it's "substantially true" he abused Heard.) The Pirates of the Caribbean star claimed Barkin held a years-long grudge as he was the one that ended their romantic relationship.

"She wanted more than a relationship, she wanted a proper relationship with me and I did not want that," Depp told London's High Court. "I didn't feel the same about her as she did me and I suppose from that moment on she became very, very angry and since then I have not spoken to Ms. Barkin."

Depp lost that case, but it's basically been forgotten in the court of public opinion. On June 1, a jury awarded the actor $15 million finding that Heard defamed him in an op-ed by claiming she was the victim of abuse. (Due to Virginia state law, he was ultimately awarded $10.35 million.) Heard won $2 million in damages for one of her counterclaim's of defamation against Depp, but the verdict is considered a massive win for the actor.

Heard accused Depp of physical, emotional and sexual abuse throughout their five year relationship. The actor vehemently denied all of her allegations. Depp's victory in Virginia court meant the jury didn't believe she was ever physically or verbally assaulted, even once. Heard is appealing the verdict.
Joe Raedle/Getty

Former Trump administration official Peter Navarro is facing yet another uphill court battle after repeatedly ignoring the feds demands that he turn over official emails sent from a personal account because prosecutors wouldnt guarantee him immunity, according to a federal lawsuit filed Wednesday.

Navarro began his work in the Trump White House on the former presidents first day in office, and remained until the last. He spent the first few months of 2017 as deputy assistant to the president and director of the National Trade Council, then was appointed director of the Office of Trade and Manufacturing Policy. In March 2020, Trump directed Navarro to coordinate the federal governments use of the Defense Production Act to respond to the spreading COVID-19 outbreak.

Under the Presidential Records Act (PRA), Navarro and all other similarly situated officials are required to preserve all official communications, which are considered the property of the United States, the 52-page lawsuit filed by the Department of Justice explains.

But DOJ lawyers say Navarro did not respond to requests for the material from the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) at the end of Trumps term last year, and that the DOJ asked Navarro for the communications again at the beginning of the summer in an effort to avoid litigation.

Navarro Seriously Cites His Jan. 6 Book Tour in Bid for Trial Delay

Discussions with Mr. Navarros counsel to secure the return of Presidential records ultimately proved unsuccessful, the filing states. Mr. Navarro has refused to return any Presidential records that he retained absent a grant of immunity for the act of returning such documents.

Reached by phone shortly after the lawsuit hit the public docket, Navarrowho pleaded not guilty in June to a contempt of Congress charge for disregarding a subpoena from House committee investigating the Capitol riotsaid he wasnt aware he was facing additional legal headwinds until being contacted by The Daily Beast.

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I would have to look at the suit first, Navarro said when asked for comment. When was it filed?

A short time later, attorneys John Irving and John Rowley told The Daily Beast in an email: Mr. Navarro has never refused to provide records to the government. As detailed in our recent letter to the Archives, Mr. Navarro instructed his lawyers to preserve all such records, and he expects the government to follow standard processes in good faith to allow him to produce records. Instead, the government chose to file its lawsuit today.

During Navarros time in the Trump administration, he used at least one non-official email accountan account hosted by the non-official service ProtonMailto send and receive messages constituting Presidential records, the governments lawsuit says.

Following the end of the Trump Administration, the Archivist, through the General Counsel of the NARA, attempted to contact Mr. Navarro to secure the Presidential records that Mr. Navarro had not copied to his government email account, it continues. Mr. Navarro did not respond to NARAs communications.

In June, a lawyer hired by Navarro contacted the DOJ to say an outside firm would be performing a document review to identify which ones fell under the PRA, the filing states.

Over the next several weeks, Navarros attorney provided periodic updates on the endeavor.

In order to assist and expedite the search, on July 18, 2022, NARAs General Counsel provided Mr. Navarros counsel with a list of search terms, the lawsuit says. NARA requested that Mr. Navarro prioritize the return of any PRA records responsive to those search terms.

Four days later, Navarros attorney told the DOJ that they had turned up more than 1,700 documents under the prioritized search parameters, and that of those, about 200 to 250 of them constituted presidential records.

But on July 29, Navarros lawyer sent a letter to the DOJ saying that Navarro was refusing to produce any of the emails without being granted full immunity for anything within.

Mr. Navarro is wrongfully retaining Presidential records that are the property of the United States, and which constitute part of the permanent historical record of the prior administration, the lawsuit states. Mr. Navarros wrongful retention of Presidential records violates District of Columbia law, federal common law, and the PRA.

Navarro Rants About Our Republic as Hearing on Contempt Charges Goes Off the Rails

Navarros use of private email, after his one-time boss won the presidency in large part by slamming Hillary Clinton for doing the same, first came to light last fall, when the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis said it obtained copies of electronic messages from individuals, other than Mr. Navarro, as part of its investigation into the governments response to the coronavirus pandemic.

In a Sept. 14 letter, subcommittee chairman Rep. James Clyburn (D-SC) told Navarro that he and his colleagues were investigating the Trump administrations response to the pandemic and haphazard efforts to obtain critical supplies.

As detailed in information released by the Select Subcommittee on March 30, 2021, you were intimately involved in these poorly managed efforts, the letter says, noting Navarros alleged use of private, encrypted email accounts to conduct White House business.

The government wants the emails to get to the bottom of alarming questions about whether you and other Trump Administration officials were attempting to hide information about the federal response to the coronavirus crisis from public view, the letter continues. This conduct hampers the ability of the American people to understand the failures that contributed to the tragic loss of hundreds of thousands of American lives and may violate federal law mandating preservation of Presidential records.

With Wednesdays lawsuit, the feds will now try to pry loose what Navarro has thus far failed to deliver. Specifically, the filing alleges, Navarro has unjustly retained property of the United States in the form of Presidential records.

Under federal common law, any Presidential records retained by Mr. Navarro should be taken from him and delivered to the United States, it concludes, and the United States should be awarded damages in an amount to be determined at trial.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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Sens. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Krysten Sinema (D-Ariz.) are in discussions over a climate and tax package, while the Biden administration is launching a pilot program dealing with rural wastewater.

This is Overnight Energy & Environment, your source for the latest news focused on energy, the environment and beyond. For The Hill, were Rachel Frazin and Zack Budryk. Someone forward you this newsletter? Subscribe here.

Manchin, Sinema discussing reconciliation

Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) says he is exchanging materials with Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) to help her better understand the broad tax reform and climate bill he negotiated with Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) and that he is open to her suggestions as Democrats seek 50 votes to put the bill on the floor.

Manchin finally got a chance to speak to Sinema after lunch Tuesday, when she was scheduled to preside over the chamber.

Manchin was tight-lipped about the details of the conversation but made clear that hes willing to consider changes she might want to make to the deal, which would raise $739 billion in new revenue over the next decade and reduce the deficit by more than $300 billion.

We had a nice time. We had a nice time. Next? Manchin said Tuesday when reporters pressed him for details of his chat with Sinema while she sat at the Senate dais.

Asked again to shed any light on whether Sinema will vote for the bill, which would give President Biden the biggest legislative victory of this first two years in office, Manchin said his colleague would make her own decision.

Were exchanging text back and forth, he said, adding that Sinema is extremely bright. She works hard. She makes good decisions based on facts. Im reliant on that.

Manchin said Schumer is working with all the caucus to get buy-in to get the budget reconciliation bill to the floor later this week.

Even though Sinema played a major role in negotiating the prescription drug reform component of the bill and set the broad parameters of the tax chapter, she learned about the deal at the same time as all of her colleagues and the general public  through a press release.

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Manchin said hes open to considering changes suggested by Sinema, including on a proposal to close the carried interest tax loophole, one of his priorities.

Were just basically exchanging back and forth whatever I have that she hasnt seen. And our staffs are working together very closely, he said, adding that hes also exchanging materials relevant to the bill with other Democratic and Republican senators.

Read more here from The Hills Alexander Bolton.

EPA, USDA take on rural water sanitation

The Biden administration announced plans on Tuesday to leverage financial and technical tools to ensure that historically underserved communities can access wastewater sanitation resources.

The pilot initiative, a joint effort between the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), will focus on 11 rural communities across the country where residents lack basic wastewater management.

The America that we all believe in is a land of opportunity, EPA Administrator Michael Regan said in a statement. But, for historically marginalized communities from Alabama to Alaska, that opportunity is stolen when basic sanitation doesnt work  exposing adults and children to backyard sewage and disease.

Through the Closing Americas Wastewater Access Gap Community Initiative, the EPA and USDA will be working with Mississippi, New Mexico, North Carolina, West Virginia and tribal nations to help communities take advantage of relevant federal funding opportunities.

One such resource comes from last years bipartisan infrastructure bill, which provides $11.7 billion in loans and grants for water infrastructure initiatives, including wastewater management projects, the initiatives partners said.

President Biden has been clear  we cannot leave any community behind as we rebuild Americas infrastructure with the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, White House infrastructure coordinator Mitch Landrieu said.

This includes rural and Tribal communities who for too long have felt forgotten, he added.

About 2.2 million people in the U.S. lack basic running water and indoor plumbing, while even more live with inadequate sewage infrastructure that endangers the health of residents, according to the groups.

The new collaboration, the agencies said, will help communities access the financing and technical assistance that is available to improve wastewater infrastructure  aiming to close the gap for underserved populations.

The 11 communities included in the pilot program are Bolivar County, Miss.; Dona Ana County, N.M.; Duplin County, N.C.; Greene County, Ala.; Halifax County, N.C.; Harlan County, Ky.; Lowndes County, Ala.; McDowell County, W.Va.; Raleigh County, W.Va.; San Carlos Apache Tribe, Ariz.; and Santo Domingo Pueblo, N.M.

Read more here from The Hills Sharon Udasin

SENATORS AGREE TO PACT ACT VOTE

Senate Republicans have reached an agreement to pass legislation expanding benefits for veterans who are suffering illnesses due to toxic exposures, after they blocked the bill last week and sparked outrage from the veteran community  and comedian Jon Stewart.

We expect to have an agreement on the PACT Act with amendments, Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) said. I believe it will pass and pass this evening. So, thats very good news.

A vote on the measure is expected early Tuesday evening.

Schumer said that the Senate will vote on three amendments to the bill, with 60 votes being needed to pass those bills. The upper chamber will then move to finally pass the bill.

The deal will also allow the upper chamber to vote on Finland and Sweden joining NATO on Friday.

The agreement comes as Republicans have been trying to find a way to end a standoff over the bill after blocking the measure by a vote of 55-42 last Wednesday.

Read more here from The Hills Jordan Williams.

A FLOOD OF NEWS

High-tide flooding broke or tied records in three locations in U.S. coastal areas in the past year, according to data released Tuesday by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

This type of flooding has become increasingly frequent across the country but will likely decline this year, according to NOAA. The administration attributed the decrease to the La Nina weather phenomenon.

The increases are likely to be concentrated along the East Coast and Gulf of Mexico, where NOAA is predicting a 150 percent increase from the year 2000.

Since May of this year, three different NOAA-monitored locations have tied or broken previous records for number of high-tide flooding days. Reedy Point, Del., saw a new high of six events, while Kwajalein Island in the Pacific broke its 2021 record with four days. South Carolinas Springmaid Pier saw 11 events, tying its 2021 high.

High-tide flooding occurs when ocean water floods into low-lying areas during high-tide periods, usually following tides of between 1.75 and 2 feet above the daily average. In years past, these events have been limited to storms, but they have recently become common during prevailing-wind changes or even full moons.

Read more here.

WHAT WERE READING

EPA whistleblowers provide new evidence of ongoing failure to assess dangerous chemicals (The Intercept)

Sewage sludge contaminated with toxic forever chemicals spread on thousands of acres of Chicago-area farmland (Chicago Tribune)

How corn fields are about to make the Midwest unbearably humid (The Washington Post)

Power Companies Enter Peak Hurricane Season Lacking Enough Transformers (The Wall Street Journal)

BLM agrees to reconsider grazing at sensitive Ariz. site (E&E News)

Thats it for today, thanks for reading. Check out The Hills Energy & Environment page for the latest news and coverage. Well see you tomorrow.

VIEW FULL VERSION HERE

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Missouri Attorney General and Republican Senate candidate Eric Schmitt (Getty Images)

Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt won the Republican Senate primary on Tuesday after former president Donald Trump simply endorsed Eric, which is also the first name of one of his opponents.

Mr Schmitt beat disgraced former governor Eric Greitens, as well as conservative activist Mark McCloskey and Representatives Vicky Hartzler and Billy Long.

Mr Trump declined to throw his support behind a specific candidate in the race and announced on Monday his support for Eric, after which both candidates celebrated his endorsement.

I trust the Great People of Missouri, on this one, to make up their own minds, much as they did when they gave me landslide victories in the 2016 and 2020 Elections, and I am therefore proud to announce that ERIC has my Complete and Total Endorsement! Mr Trump said in a statement.

Mr Schmitt will head to the general election, where he is likely to win given how the former bellwether state has become reliably Republican in recent years. He would replace retiring Republican Senator Roy Blunt.

Many Republicans worried that Mr Greitens could cost Republicans the seat. The former governor resigned in 2018 after he faced allegations that he reportedly tied a woman to an exercise machine, stripping her clothes off, blindfolding her and then snapping an explicit photo. He has denied any wrongdoing.

After he left office, Mr Greitens became a regular fixture in right-wing media before announcing his Senate race. However, his ex-wife Sheena alleged that Mr Greitens abused her and their children. Mr Greitens denied the charges and alleged that Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and Republican strategist Karl Rove plotted to bring him down.

Conversely, Senator Josh Hawley, who said that Mr Greitens should be in jail for abuse, endorsed Ms Hartzler.

But the former president said explicitly that he would not endorse Ms Hartzler, who called him unpresidential for his role in the January 6 riot, despite voting to object to the 2020 presidential election results.
The search for two Erie men wanted on charges of shooting at law enforcement officers during a pursuit in the city in late June ended for one of the suspects at an apartment complex in Mercer County.

Shadarryl P. Jones, 29, was apprehended at about 5 a.m. Friday when authorities acting on tips found him at the complex in the 1500 block of Parke Drive in Hermitage, officials involved in the apprehension reported on Tuesday.

Jones was brought back to Erie County and was arraigned Friday afternoon on charges including attempted homicide in the June 25 shooting. His bond was set at $1 million.

Jones was also arraigned Monday morning on attempted homicide, robbery and other charges in a robbery and shooting that Erie police said happened outside of a city social club shortly before the the pursuit with police. His bond was set at $100,000 in that case.

The second suspect in the two cases, 29-year-old Rakeem M. Jones, remained at large Tuesday. A $4,500 reward is being offered for information that leads to his apprehension.

An Erie Bureau of Police patrol vehicle was struck twice by gunfire on the early morning of June 25, 2022, when an officer attempted to stop a fleeing sport-utility vehicle whose occupants had fired gunshots at a Pennsylvania State Police patrol vehicle on Chestnut Street in the city. Authorities have apprehended one of the suspects but are still searching for the second suspect.

The shooting

According to the Pennsylvania State Police, two troopers who were working a roving DUI enforcement detail were in Erie on the early morning of June 25 when they spotted a Mitsubishi traveling at high speed and began following it as it headed north on Chestnut Street from West 26th Street.

Investigators said before the troopers could activate their patrol vehicle's lights and siren, the Mitsubishi stopped in the 2300 block of Chestnut Street, a person exited from the passenger side and began firing gunshots at the patrol vehicle. One of the troopers returned fire before the passenger got back into the Mitsubishi and the vehicle sped off heading north, according to state police.

An Erie Bureau of Police officer who was on patrol spotted the speeding Mitsubishi and began pursuing it as it continued traveling north on Chestnut Street. The Mitsubishi crashed into a parked vehicle in the area of West 16th and Chestnut streets, and as the suspects got out of the vehicle gunshots were fired at the Erie police officer, investigators reported. The Erie police officer did not return fire.

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At least one of the shots fired at the Erie police officer hit a nearby house, where an 11-year-old boy found a bullet in his bedroom, according to city Police Chief Dan Spizarny.

The suspects ran off after the shooting. Police recovered the crashed Mitsubishi and said they found a pistol with a drum magazine, capable of holding 50 rounds of ammunition, in the area where the suspects ran.

Roughly 20 shots were fired at the state police troopers and the city police officer during the incident, authorities reported several days after the shooting.

The trooper who returned fire and the trooper's partner, whose names were not released, were placed on administrative duty while the shooting was investigated.

Erie County District Attorney Elizabeth Hirz said Tuesday that, after reviewing investigative reports, video from the patrol vehicle and other surveillance video, her office determined the actions of the trooper who returned fire were found to be reasonable and lawful.

More:Police say robbery suspects who shot at troopers are at large, considered armed and dangerous

Earlier robbery

Erie police accuse Rakeem and Shadarryl Jones of robbing another man and firing a gunshot at him shortly before state police encountered them on June 25.

According to information in the criminal complaints filed by Erie police in the case, the victim told officers that he was getting a pool stick out of his vehicle in the 2600 block of Poplar Street when he was struck in the head by what he believed was a gun and was knocked to the ground. The man said one suspect went through his pockets and took $80 in cash and two gold chains that were around his neck while the other suspect pointed a gun at him.

The man said as the suspects ran away after robbing him, the suspect with the gun fired a shot at him but did not hit him, Erie police reported.

Investigators said they identified the suspects in the robbery through surveillance video.

More:Erie pair wanted for shooting at state, city police in June pursuit charged in robbery

The search

State police reported after the shooting that the two suspects were considered armed and dangerous, and they asked the public to report any possible sightings immediately.

State police and the U.S. Marshals Western Pennsylvania Fugitive Task Force received information that Shadarryl Jones might be staying in a housing development in Mercer County, and they were able to confirm his presence at the apartment complex in Hermitage, Lt. Mark Weindorf, crime section supervisor for state police Troop E in Lawrence Park Township, said Tuesday.

Members of the state police Special Emergency Response Team, with assistance from the fugitive task force, the Erie police SWAT Team and a SWAT Team from Mercer County, served a search warrant on the residence where Jones was staying on Friday morning and took him into custody, Weindorf said. Jones was with two young adults when he was apprehended, he said.

There was no indication that Rakeem Jones had also been staying at the apartment complex, Weindorf said Tuesday.

A $4,500 cash reward is available through Pennsylvania Crime Stoppers and the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives for information leading to the apprehension of Rakeem Jones. Confidential tips can be made by calling 1-800-4PA-TIPS or online at p3tips.com/tipform.aspx?ID=107.

Contact Tim Hahn at thahn@timesnews.com. Follow him on Twitter @ETNhahn.

This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Erie man wanted in police shooting nabbed, other suspect still at large
Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, and over the last two years, the need for mental health services and therapists has sharply increased.

"More than 8 in 10 (84%) psychologists who treat anxiety disorders said they have seen an increase in demand for anxiety treatment since the start of the pandemic, compared with 74% a year ago," said a survey completed by the American Psychological Association, "Demand for treatment of depression is also up, with 72% of psychologists who treat depressive disorders saying they have seen an increase, compared with 60% in 2020."

Because of this increase in need, Etowah County Schools has decided to step up when it comes to the mental health of the system's faculty and students.

Etowah County Schools: Watch Etowah County officers take part in an active shooter training

Mentors: Big Brothers/Big Sisters marks 40 years of matching mentors and making lives better

"Two years ago, thanks to the state funding we received from COVID-19, we were able to hire a mental health services coordinator to focus on a mental health initiative within our schools," superintendent Dr. Alan Cosby explained.

This initiative, named "C-Squared" by Cosby, is focused on promoting "wellness and instills a readiness to teach and learn within the school system."

"We are living in a time where stress and anxiety are at an all-time high for all generations and all populations in society," said Tanya Ragan, the district's mental health coordinator. "There have been a number of stressors associated with the last two years for both students and faculty and staff, such as developmental delays, shifts in social norms, and exposure to trauma from lost loved ones, and a prolonged stay in an unhealthy environment."

Ragan explained that faculty and staff will be trained to identify concerns with a child through several professional development sessions that help them understand behaviors from trauma or diagnoses of mental and behavioral disorders.

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"We also want to help teachers understand the importance of connecting to every child in their classroom, understand that every behavior is an unmet need and create a safe learning environment for children to have the most optimal opportunity to learn," Ragan said.

When those situations are identified, the school will "immediately reach out to that student's family and assess the needs."

"Based on the needs, we provide mental health support through our mental health providers," she said. "Within our community, there are a plethora of wonderful counseling services that we share with families if the families would like to privately seek treatment. We also have three school social workers who are instrumental in linking resources to meet the needs of our families."

The program also has a state collaboration with CED Mental Health, Quality of Life, UAB's Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology and six other contracted licensed professional counselors.

"For specific counseling needs, we have a partnership with Shepherd's Cove for grief counseling and The Bridge for substance abuse counseling. We have additional support services through Family Success Center and Extended Family for Kids," Ragan added.

"It's pretty wide-ranging and includes things that address the needs of our students, especially those who are in need of counseling services," Cosby said. "It allows us to address things that we weren't able to address before within our system."

Reagan said the initiative not only focuses on taking care of students' mental health needs but puts a priority on staff as well.

"One of our short-term goals is that every administrator and teacher ... understand the importance of self-care so they can meet the needs of their students," she explained. "By taking care of themselves, it will keep them mentally and physically healthy. We know that stressed brains cant teach and stressed brains cant learn; therefore, we want to negate as much stress as possible."

As for the program's long-term goals, Ragan said that they want to create a "family" of support for students and faculty.

"We want to create a sense of community within each school where children are connected to the adults and their peers in a way that they feel a sense of safety and security," she said. "We hope through the next three years, the core values are instilled in our communities, and through this initiative the lives of young people are changed forever."

"We want to have an overall good mental health that overarches all of those involved with the Etowah County School Systems," added Cosby. "This initiative helps address those needs and lets us show everyone that they are not alone when it comes to dealing with their mental health."

This article originally appeared on The Gadsden Times: Etowah County Schools implements new mental health initiative
Jungfrau, in Switzerland, where climbing tours have been cancelled for the first time in a century. Dirk Beyer via Wikipedia

European mountain guides are cancelling climbs up some of the most iconic peaks in the Alps, including Mont Blanc and the Matterhorn, as a series of heat waves and rapidly melting glaciers have made the routes too dangerous.

Alpine guides in Switzerland, France, and Italy say that a series of heat waves starting in May, coupled with the ongoing effects of global warming, have led to climbing cancellations on about a dozen peaks, AFP reports. Among them is the Jungfrau in Switzerland, which saw climbing tours cancelled for the first time in a century. Guides also closed climbing tours on both the Italian and Swiss sides of the Matterhorn and said they were suspending ascents on the classic routes up Mont Blanc, which straddles France, Italy, and Switzerland.

In previous years, during warm summers, some of these routes were closed in August, but the glaciers are now in a state that they are usually in at the end of the summer or even later, said Andreas Linsbauer, a glaciologist at Zurich University, adding, It is sure that we will break the record for negative melts.

The heat and accelerated glacial melt can make climbing treacherous, mountain guides say. Last month, 11 people were killed at Italys Marmolada glacier by falling ice and rocks. The cause for that disaster has not been definitively determined, but Mylene Jacquemart, a glacier and mountain hazard researcher at Zurichs ETH university, told AFP, The general theme is definitely that more meltwater makes things complicated and potentially more dangerous.

ALSO ON YALE E360

As Italys Glaciers Recede, a Stunning World of Ice Is Being Lost


WASHINGTON (AP)  For a year, U.S. officials have been saying that taking out a terrorist threat in Afghanistan with no American troops on the ground would be difficult but not impossible. Last weekend, the U.S. did just that  killing al-Qaida leader Ayman al-Zawahri with a CIA drone strike.

Other high-profile airstrikes in the past had inadvertently killed innocent civilians. In this case, the U.S. carefully chose to use a type of Hellfire missile that greatly minimized the chance of other casualties. Although U.S. officials have not publicly confirmed which variant of the Hellfire was used, experts and others familiar with counterterrorism operations said a likely option was the highly secretive Hellfire R9X  know by various nicknames, including the knife bomb or the "flying Ginsu."

That potential use of the R9X, said Klon Kitchen, senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and a former intelligence analyst, suggests the U.S. wanted to kill al-Zawahri with limited likelihood of collateral death and destruction and for other relevant political reasons.

A look at the Hellfire, and how al-Zawahri likely was killed:

WHAT IS A HELLFIRE MISSILE?

Originally designed as an anti-tank missile in the 1980s, the Hellfire has been used by military and intelligence agencies over the last two decades to strike targets in Iraq, Afghanistan, Yemen and elsewhere.

The precision-guided missiles can be mounted on helicopters and unmanned drones and are used widely in combat around the world. More than 100,000 Hellfire missiles have been sold to the U.S. and other countries, according to Ryan Brobst, an analyst at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, a Washington think tank.

It can do enough damage to destroy most targets such as vehicles and buildings while not doing enough damage to level city blocks and cause significant civilian casualties, Brobst said.

The U.S. military has routinely used Hellfire missiles to kill high-value targets, including a senior al-Qaida leader in Syria last year, and al-Qaida propagandist Anwar al-Awlaki in Yemen in 2011.

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WHAT KILLED AL-ZAWAHRI?

The U.S. had multiple options for the attack. It could have used a traditional Hellfire, a bomb dropped from an manned aircraft, or a far more risky assault by ground forces. U.S. Navy SEALs, for example, flew into Pakistan on helicopters and took out Osama bin Laden in a raid.

In this case, the CIA opted for a drone strike. And while the CIA generally doesnt confirm its counterterrorism missions and closely guards information about strikes it conducts, U.S. government officials have said that two Hellfire missiles were fired at the balcony of the building where al-Zawahri was living in Kabul.

Online images of the building show damage to the balcony, where the U.S. says al-Zawahri was, but the rest of the house is standing and not badly damaged.

Unlike other models of the Hellfire, the R9X doesnt carry an explosive payload. Instead, it has a series of six rotating blades that emerge on its final approach to a target, Kitchen said. One of their utilities is in opening up vehicles and other obstructions to get to the target without having to use an explosive warhead, he said.

AVOIDING CIVILIAN CASUALTIES

U.S. officials and experts made clear this week that avoiding civilian casualties was a crucial element in the choice of weapon.

Less than a year ago, a U.S. drone strike  using a more conventional Hellfire missile  struck a white Toyota Corolla sedan in a Kabul neighborhood and killed 10 civilians around and near the car, including seven children. In the midst of the chaotic U.S. military withdrawal from Afghanistan, American forces believed there were explosives in the car and that it posed an imminent threat to troops on the ground. It was, military leaders said, a tragic mistake

One former U.S. official said the likely choice of an R9X is an example of the administration's effort to find ways to minimize collateral damage and prevent the loss of innocent life. That missile is a very accurate weapon that strikes in a very small area, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss counterterrorism operations.

An administration official said Monday that the U.S. investigated the construction of the house where al-Zawahri was staying in order to ensure that the operation could be done without threatening the structural integrity of the building and also minimizing the risks of killing civilians, including members of his family who were in other parts of the house.

The choice of missile is ultimately one part of reducing the possibility of killing civilians or causing other collateral damage.

I would say this is by far a lower-risk option, said Tom Karako, an expert on missile defense at the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies. Using the Hellfire, he said, "reflects a high degree of caution as opposed to a riskiness.

IS THE US PROVIDING UKRAINE WITH DRONES THAT CAN FIRE HELLFIRE MISSILES?

No. While the U.S. has delivered billions of dollars in military assistance to help Ukraine fight the invading Russian troops, it is wary of providing weapons that could fire deep into Russia, potentially escalating the conflict or drawing the U.S. into the war.

As a result, the U.S. so far has not provided Hellfire missiles or drones that could fire them. Instead, the U.S. has delivered smaller, so-called kamikaze drones, such as the Switchblade and Phoenix Ghost, which instead of firing missiles, explode when they hit a target.
Ames, IA --News Direct-- Farmers Risk

Today, Farmers Risk ushers in the next generation of tools for farmers through their trade execution tool.

Originally founded in 2021, Farmers Risk is a platform that helps growers track their current financial position and profitability. With todays product launch announcement, farmers on the platform will not only be able to track their financial position and risk portfolio, but they can now also actively trade futures and options through their own account, with a small convenience fee of $10 per turn.

We believe Farmers Risk is THE solution to empower grain farmers to track, manage, and execute their risk management strategies. Farming is hard enough and the tools should not add to the complexity. We believe that farmers need simple solutions to help solve complex problems. says CEO Dakota Hoben.

The web based application includes a free profitability tracking tool for farmers, regardless of size, and allows them to track insurance levels, sold bushels, and bushels hedged. The new trading tool will allow all farmers to trade futures and options and see the impacts of their decisions on their overall risk. In addition farmers who are already working with a broker can integrate their brokerage account and aggregate their farm risk data in one convenient location.

"Weve worked incredibly hard to get our product to where it is today. We truly feel that the technical foundation and capabilities that weve established within Farmers Risk will continue to speed our innovation cycles and deliver increasingly delightful experiences to our customers" says Eric Barnard, CTO & Co-Founder. "The team weve built over the past year impresses me everyday, and I couldnt be more excited about this milestone in our journey" he adds.

Farmers who grow corn, soybeans, or wheat are encouraged to sign up for a free account at farmersrisk.ag to start aggregating their farm risk portfolio.

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About Farmers Risk

Farmers Risk was launched in 2021 by Dakota Hoben and Eric Barnard, CTO, to put farmers back in the drivers seat. Both Barnard and Hoben grew up on family farms, and have worked in the ag tech industry and saw needs that were not being addressed in the industry so they set out on a mission to change that.

For more information, or to schedule an interview, please contact delaney@farmersrisk.ag

Disclaimer: This material should be construed as the solicitation of trading strategies and/or services provided by Farmers Risk Inc. These materials represent the opinions and viewpoints of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the viewpoints and trading strategies employed by Farmers Risk Inc. The trading of derivatives such as futures and options involves substantial risk of loss and you should fully understand those risks prior to trading. Farmers Risk Inc. is not responsible for any redistribution of this material by third parties, or any trading decisions taken by persons not intended to view this material. Information contained herein was obtained from sources believed to be reliable, but is not guaranteed as to its accuracy.

Contact Details

Farmers Risk

Delaney Howell

delaney.howell@farmersrisk.ag

Company Website

https://www.farmersrisk.ag

View source version on newsdirect.com: https://newsdirect.com/news/farmers-risk-releases-new-commodity-trading-tool-that-will-revolutionize-grain-marketing-748611838
Vanessa Ragland, co-owner and co-artistic director at Dynasty Typewriter, gets ready to celebrate five years of comedy in November at the Wilshire venue. (Chris Behroozian / For The Times)

For the record:

11:13 a.m. Aug. 4, 2022: A previous version of this story had a photo caption that said the comedy show UnCabaret had been hosted at El Cid since the 1990s. While the show has been around since the 90s, El Cid is just its latest venue.





One unexpected effect the COVID-19 pandemic had on the comedy industry is the boom of diverse, inclusive and quality shows that fill up the calendar of L.A.'s comedy scene. That's thanks in large part to the women who run the shows behind the scenes. Female bookers and producers increasingly moved into positions of greater power in recent years and play a vital role in the growth of L.A. stand-up comedy. Some have kept venues running on fumes; some have even started their own outlets amid ever-darkening times. Looking back over the last two and a half years, 10 women who book comedy shows across L.A.  from the long-established stages like the Improv and the Comedy Store to newer spots like the Crow and the Hollywood Comedy  discuss how far the scene has come and where they see it evolving going forward.

How long have you worked in comedy and what do you consider your duties to be?

Erin von Schonfeldt at the Improv. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

Erin von Schonfeldt, executive vice president of programming at the Improv: 31 years with the Improv; 27 years booking. I oversee the programming for 15 Improvs across the country and a fleet of seven ships for Norwegian Cruise Lines. Basically I identify, source, schedule talent, negotiate deals with agents and try my best to maintain my sanity.

Beth Lapides, producer, host and "creatrix" of UnCabaret since 1990: Inspiration, decision-making, vibe creation, question-asking, discovering, encouraging, educating, changing, laughing. Creating the work that sets the tone onstage. Booking. Content creation. Posting. Finding other people to do some of it. Staying in a good mind-set while I do it all.

Nicole Blaine, owner, founder and comedy curator of the Crow: I opened up the Crow on June 1, 2022. I have been a theater producer since 2000; indie TV and movie writer and producer since 2007; live comedy producer and booker since 2013; and comedy festival executive producer since 2014. Other than making sure that everyone who steps foot in the Crow feels happy, comfortable and safe, I oversee all things, including booking our main house shows, finding hardworking and successful producers that have shows that match our clubs mission statement, marketing and advertising, backend administration, corporate booking, teaching comedy classes to adults, teens and kids, watering the plants, and mopping the floors. Its glamorous.

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Nichelle Murdock is the talent booker, showrunner, producer and promoter for Crack'Em Up Thursdays at the Comedy Store. (Christina House / Los Angeles Times)

Nichelle Murdock, executive producer/talent curator for CrackEm Up Thursdays: Ive been producing and working with comedic talent since 2002. I got my start in comedy while working as a producer on "ComicView," a long-running stand-up comedy show on BET Networks. I shine the light on some of the countrys and the worlds best rising comedy stars. I am the talent booker, showrunner/producer and promoter for CrackEm Up Thursdays at the Comedy Store. This show was created in 2003 to provide a safe space for the professional comedian to work out their new material. I also had a three-month run with the Laugh Factory as the talent booker/producer, managing the bookings for the Hollywood and Long Beach locations.

Sam Varela, talent booker and producer/promoter at Naked Comedy Productions: I have been running live comedy shows, podcasts and more for over 14 years in Los Angeles and New York and festivals around the country. I feel it is my role to hold a space in this comedy world where I can protect performers and audiences from the negative elements of this business. A space where sexual assaulters are not welcomed on the stage, where the venue space is accessible for all body types and mobilities, and where the vibes will be as good as possible despite whatever is happening in the world.

Emilie LaFord has been director of talent at the Comedy Store for more than a year and with the venue for seven years. (Christina House / Los Angeles Times)

Emilie Laford, director of talent at the Comedy Store: Ive had this position for over a year. Ive been working at the Store for about seven years, working in comedy here in L.A. for 14-ish years. I'm responsible for creating, curating and cultivating a comedy community inside the walls of the building. To watch, develop and challenge every comic who gets up on our stages. I do all the lineups with our impressive list of amazing paid regulars, scout and develop comics to be paid regulars, deal with all talent on any and all talent-related issues within the club.

Katherine Swope, producer of Good Heroin: Nine years of general duties for a weekly show include booking talent, acting as the main point of contact for venue, talent and auxiliary staff (A/V tech, photographer, etc.), audience management, promotion and endless amounts of troubleshooting.

Vanessa Ragland, co-owner and co-artistic director at Dynasty Typewriter: Ive been doing this with Jamie Flam since we opened. (Itll be five years in November; get the big cake ready!) The role is a little all over the place, in a good way: talking to people who want to bring shows to Dynasty, helping curate the calendar, writing our correspondences, keeping an eye out for exciting new voices, joyfully playing in the space and creating worlds and working to ensure everyone on our team is happy to be there and a beacon of the lovely things we hope Dynasty represents.

Activist and actor Jiaoying Summers is the owner of the Hollywood Comedy. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)

Jiaoying Summers, comedian, entrepreneur, actress, activist, mom and owner of the Hollywood Comedy: Keeping it all moving. Booking the Hollywood Comedy, booking my special nights at the Laugh Factory, Improv, etc. Making sure my team is organized. And communication is key.

Kate Banford, executive and producing artistic director at the Elysian: I started doing comedy in 2009, producing shows in 2012. Ive had this role since 2021. I book shows at the theater; were pushing day-by-day more toward a space that produces and develops shows. I spearheaded the launching of the theater and now oversee that everything is building and growing and supporting the shows. It ebbs and flows. I respond to a zillion emails. I ignore a zillion other emails.

Kate Banford at the Elysian Theater. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

What are the biggest changes youve seen within the industry since you started out?

Von Schonfeldt: I mean, the internet, smartphones. I came up in the '90s when clubs were one of maybe two or three platforms comedians had to grow their audience. We found comics on "The Tonight Show," HBOs "Young Comedians" specials. More often than not, comedians had to rely on their agents and managers to break them into clubs. Then came the exposure from Comedy Central, then came Netflix, now we find them on YouTube and TikTok. There are just so many more platforms for comedians to get their content out now than when I started and many of those platforms dont have gatekeepers, so youre hearing so many new and different voices.

Varela: When I first started, Twitter was a new app that I decided to use in place of an email list. Now jobs are being given and lost based on follower counts, engagement, views and many other uncontrollable metrics that are not fully reflective of someone's talent as a comedian. Performers now have to decide how much energy to invest just in running successful social media accounts on top of the energy put into improving their craft.

Katherine Swope outside the Stories Books & Cafe. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)

Swope: I have seen most bookers make a concerted effort to diversify talent. The terrain has changed now that social media functions as an international stage, creating a new avenue for talent outside of the major cities. However, comedy geared towards the algorithm doesnt always translate to the stand-up stage, regardless of how many followers someone has. Changes to the overall media landscape, especially the advent of streaming and podcasting, have also opened up new inroads for fledgling comedians. Now comedians have the option to roll the dice on self-released specials.

Laford: I feel there is a stronger sense of community. Comics felt that they had to have a loyalty to a specific club or specific scene to get up. Now it feels like we are all in this together, that there are opportunities for everyone, everywhere. Industry-wise, it felt that there was this weird standard that you had to operate like "Entourages" Ari Gold to get stuff done. Yell. Belittle. Bully. Now everyone is way more chill. A lot more problem-solving together and less screaming to get stuff done.

Lapides: The comedy world  both the performers and the audiences  is thankfully more diverse. And more open to stories. And hipper, meaning more in the now. Higher consciousness. When I created UnCabaret, it was because there were no shows that were un-homophobic, un-xenophobic, un-misogynistic. We made a show for us so comedians could stretch out way past their tight 10sand showcase sets. For the worse, the unsafety of public venues in general. The prevalence of recording devices. Back in the day, people would share at the level of Its never leaving this room. Thats hard to get now.

Beth Lapides has been producing and hosting UnCabaret since the 1990s. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)

Ragland: How constantly it is changing and evolving, getting weirder and truer in all the best ways. In addition to all the great homegrown talent, weve also got tons of comics moving to L.A. from other cities, so we are often on the receiving end of a performer who has put in tons of work who lands here ready to take off. That energy keeps so many new voices coming and new styles emerging.

Murdock: Stand-up comedy has become a lot more sophisticated since I started in 2001. Comedians along with the audience are now more educated and worldly. Anyone can laugh at the simple jokes, but I do believe the audience is craving and expecting a higher grade of content/jokes/material.

Summers: Cancel culture is playing a big part. I'm trying my best to speak my mind and push boundaries, but hearing that censor voice in my head makes it a challenge.

Blaine: Doing comedy through the #MeToo era. We are finally talking about important standards that comics and comedy clubs need to uphold to keep the workplace safe for all  Id like to think that a woman starting out today will have an easier time finding stage time and other comics that will help support them. Its one of the reasons I opened up my own club, specifically to create a safe space for comics who dont feel like they fit into the historic mold of a stand-up comic.

Nicole Blaine gets comfortable under portraits of her favorite comedians at, "The Crow," the comedy venue she co-owns and operates with her husband Mickey Blaine at Bergamot Station in Santa Monica. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

Do female bookers/producers evaluate comedians in a different way than male counterparts?

Von Schonfeldt: Funny is funny. Comedy will always be subjective, but if you have found yourself in the position of being a booker regardless of your sex, youve proven yourself to have an eye for talent. In delivering that evaluation, yes. The comedy business is hard. Comedians dont choose it lightly. There is a fire inside of them that drives them, and I think theres a sensitivity that is essential when you are dealing with that level of passion. In my experience women have more of that sensitivity, are infinitely more patient and have less of the ego.

Banford: Ive heard [stories about a male booker] who wouldnt book a woman if she was wearing boots and a skirt. But I dont think thats a gender difference, thats more of a cause of him giving in to some sexism. I also care a lot about not booking s people who make people feel bad around them. But again, I dont think thats a gender thing. I think its just generally the more ethical way to book shows.

Sam Varela is a producer/promoter and talent booker at Naked Comedy Productions. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)

Varela: I personally love to hear from voices that have not been present in mainstream media, such as LGBTQIA+, people of color and disabled performers. But I would not say my taste in comedy is defined by me being raised and perceived as female, rather it comes from my personal life experiences and past traumas. How much of my life experiences were informed by being female-presenting is incalculable, but I can generalize to say that women in this industry are more aware of pay and opportunity discrepancies between men and women, with women of color like myself being more aware of pay/opportunity discrepancies between white men and women and POC men and women.

Ragland: Were fortunate to have a great, progressive audience whose appetite really matches what we love to put together, which is programming that is truly unique. People with particular stories to tell who are also, you know  funny. This criteria as a jumping-off place naturally leads to a wildly diverse group of people. If a lineup or programming lacks diversity, its certainly due to the person doing the pickin, not the actual options that are available. Gross dudes and biased bookers surely still exist out there, but I dont think theyre really traveling in our circles thankfully.

Summers: Female bookers generally have more understanding of how unfair the industry is to female comics. I'm so tired of hearing Women arent funny. We are funny, but we do not have the same opportunities as our male counterparts. We dont get the same amount of stage time, which is one of the reasons I opened the Hollywood Comedy, to provide stage time for everyone.

Murdock: It takes a lot to make a woman laugh, so I believe our choice of comic and their content/jokes is well-rounded, thoughtful and intentional. We tend to seek out funny women for our rosters and maybe by virtue of being able to see ourselves in comics, are more open to booking funny women. Women tend to laugh more freely and are always open to hearing something fresh, which I believe helps to bring a necessary balance and much-needed perspective to the scene. Women appreciate a top-quality joke versus something offensive.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Tuesdays primaries, in many ways, upended expectations.

In Kansas, voters rejected a proposed amendment that would have opened the door for state lawmakers to restrict  or even ban  abortions. Meanwhile, in Arizonas GOP gubernatorial primary, Republicans appear poised to break with former President Donald Trump and his candidate of choice.

And in Missouri, a late effort to weaken former Gov. Eric Greitens in the GOP Senate primary proved successful.

Here are five takeaways from the primaries in Arizona, Michigan, Missouri, Kansas and Washington.

Kansas gives new momentum to abortion rights

Kansas voters became the first in the nation on Tuesday to make a decision on abortion rights since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June. The result: They rejected a proposed amendment that would have paved the way for the Republican-led state legislature to ban the procedure.

The failure of the ballot referendum came as something of a surprise. Recent polling from the Kansas City-based firm Co/efficient showed that 47 percent of Kansans planned to vote in favor of the proposed amendment, compared to 43 percent who said they would vote no.

Kansas isnt the only state where abortion rights are on the ballot this year. But the sound rejection of the so-called Value Them Both amendment  and the stunningly high turnout for a midterm election primary  was a significant victory for abortion rights advocates and an early sign of the political backlash against the Supreme Courts decision to do away with the precedent set by Roe v. Wade.

The defeat of the proposed amendment is also likely to be seen by Democrats as a sign that their strategy to home in on abortion rights just might work.

Facing otherwise tough political headwinds this year, the party and its candidates are hoping that anger over the Supreme Courts decision and efforts by several states to ban abortions could help motivate their voters in a year in which Republicans believe they have the momentum.

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Republicans successfully shut out Greitens

Former Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens spent much of the past year as the apparent frontrunner in the race for the states GOP Senate nomination, worrying many Republicans who believed that the many controversies and scandals surrounding the former governor could jeopardize their hold on the seat in November.

Greitens ultimately finished in third place on Tuesday, falling to Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt, who took the lead in polling in recent weeks.

The collapse of Greitenss Senate prospects came on the heels of an aggressive push to weaken him ahead of the primary. One group, Show Me Values PAC, spent heavily in the final weeks before the Tuesday vote on advertising highlighting allegations of domestic violence against Greitens.

That effort drew donations from top GOP donors, including Pete Ricketts, the wealthy governor of Nebraska.

Greitens had hoped that a possible endorsement from former President Donald Trump might help push him across the finish line in the primary. But even that didnt play out the way he had hoped. On Monday, Trump endorsed an unspecified ERIC, prompting both Greitens and Schmitt to claim that they had the former presidents support.

Greitenss loss on Tuesday put an end to the latest chapter in a controversial political career, much to the relief of many top Republicans.

A mixed night for Trump

For a former president who likes to boast about his winning streak, Trump may be dealt at least a couple losses in Tuesdays primaries.

In Arizona, Trump-endorsed former local TV anchor Kari Lake is trailing Republican Karrin Taylor Robson in the states GOP gubernatorial primary. Among Robsons notable endorsers: Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey and former Vice President Mike Pence. Still, that race remains too close to call and theres time for Lake to pull ahead.

Meanwhile, in Washington State, Trumps picks to oust Reps. Jaime Herrera Beutler (R) and Dan Newhouse (R), two House Republicans who voted to impeach him last year, dont appear likely to advance to the general elections.

Its not all bad news for Trump. Blake Masters, his endorsed candidate in Arizonas GOP Senate primary, is still the favorite to capture the nomination, while Tudor Dixon, whom Trump backed just last week, clinched the Republican nod for governor in Michigan.

Then theres Missouri, where Trump vaguely endorsed an ERIC in the GOP Senate primary. Eric Schmitt won that race, while Eric Greitens lost. Regardless, Trump will likely tout that as a victory.

Pro-impeachment Republicans dealt differing fates

For the 10 House Republicans who voted last year to impeach Trump for his role in the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol, the outlook has been bleak this year. Four have opted not to run for reelection, while one other has already been ousted in a primary.

But in Washington State, two of those House Republicans, Herrera Beutler and Newhouse, appear likely to survive another day. Both are currently sitting in the top two in their districts all-party primaries, and if they stay there, theyll advance to the November general elections.

For Rep. Peter Meijer (R-Mich.), however, the outlook isnt so good. The first-term congressman is on track to lose his primary to Republican John Gibbs, a former Trump administration official who has the backing of the former president  and who was also boosted by Democrats.

If Meijer loses  and that appears the likely outcome, as of now  hell be the second pro-impeachment House Republican to fall in a primary this year after Rep. Tom Rice (R-S.C.).

And Meijer may also not be the last casualty of Trumps revenge campaign. Rep. Liz Cheney (Wyo.), one of the former presidents most prominent GOP critics, is facing a Trump-backed primary challenge later this month.

Progressives fall short

Progressives have had a mixed track record in 2022 defined by a series of high-profile victories and high-profile losses. Tuesday, however, wasnt a good night for them.

In Michigans 11th District, Rep. Haley Stevens (D), a second-term representative with a moderate reputation, defeated fellow incumbent Rep. Andy Levin (D), who had been endorsed by the progressive heavyweights like Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.).

Meanwhile, in Missouri, another Sanders-backed candidate, Lucas Kunce, lost the Democratic Senate nomination to Trudy Busch Valentine, a philanthropist and heiress to the Busch family beer fortune.

Of course, there were at least a couple bright spots for the Democratic Partys left flank. Reps. Cori Busch (D-Mo.) and Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), two members of the so-called Squad of progressive House members, easily won their primaries on Tuesday, though neither faced a dire threat to their renominations.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
A Florida woman has been sentenced to life behind bars after being found guilty of assisting in the murder of a law professor eight years ago.

In May, Katherine Magbanua, 37, was convicted of first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder and solicitation to commit murder.

On Friday, she was sentenced to life in prison without probation or parole, as well as two consecutive 30-year prison terms.

According to prosecutors, Magbanua acted as the contact point between her ex-boyfriend, dentist Charlie Adelson, and the men he allegedly hired to kill Florida State University law professor Daniel Markel in 2014.

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Markel was shot inside his car in Tallahassee, Florida, shortly before 11 a.m. on July 18, 2014. He died the next day. At the time, he was in the process of divorcing Adelsons sister, Wendi.

Investigators found that prior to the shooting, a Toyota Prius had been trailing Markels car as he dropped his children off at daycare and made a trip to the gym.

One of the accused shooters, identified as Sigfredo Garcia, previously lived with Magbanua and had two children with her.

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In June 2016, Garcia and his alleged accomplice, Luis Rivera, were charged. Garcia was convicted in 2019 for first-degree murder, while Rivera pleaded guilty to second-degree murder.

Magbanua was arrested in October 2016. Adelson, who was arrested in April, was charged with first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder and solicitation to commit murder.

Lawyers representing Markels parents said Magbanuas sentencing marks another important step toward accountability and justice.

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Featured Image via Tallahassee Democrat

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FREETOWN (Reuters) - More than a dozen people are presumed to have drowned in two separate boat incidents in Sierra Leone this week, authorities said on Wednesday.

Five people died when two makeshift passenger boats collided off the southern district of Bonthe on Monday, the head of the country's maritime administration told Reuters.

Another nine people are missing from an overloaded passenger boat that capsized off the capital Freetown on Tuesday.

Fisheries Minister Emma Kowa-Jalloh told Reuters the vessel was weighed down by the crews of four fishing trawlers returning from weeks at sea.

"We have invited the survivors and the bereaved families to a meeting to know our next steps," she said.

Freetown's port is not equipped to receive and offload fishing trawlers, which usually rely on smaller boats to bring their catch and crew to shore.

Authorities accuse trawlers of ignoring safety protocols and overloading carrier boats.

Maritime safety has improved in Sierra Leone since dozens of people died in a boat incident in 2013.

But accidents remain relatively common in the West African country with a long coastline and many riverine communities, particularly during the height of the rainy season that runs from July to September.

(Reporting by Umaru Fofana; Editing by Sofia Christensen and Bill Berkrot)
Luis Daniel Lopez, a Fresno barber who was acquitted in February of first-degree murder for the May 2021 death of Alex Solorio, 23, was not as fortunate Wednesday as a new jury found him guilty of second-degree murder.

Lopez, 31, could receive a maximum of 16-years-to-life for the stabbing death of Solorio, his co-worker.

Both men were hair cutters at Colimas Fade Shop, in the 6700 block of North Blackstone Avenue, near Herndon Avenue. Police said the two men were drinking in the shop after hours when they got into an argument that turned deadly.

Evidence presented at the recent trial indicated Lopez was badly beaten during the fight and Solorio was stabbed 35 times with a pocket knife.

Lopezs attorney Antonio Alvarez said his client did not intend to kill Solorio and was trying to protect himself. The jury during the first trial believed that scenario and found Lopez not guilty of first degree murder, but they couldnt agree on the lesser charge of second-degree murder.

Prosecutor Tim Galstan vowed to continue seeking justice for the Solorio family.

The jury during the second trial began deliberating about 11 a.m. Tuesday and returned its verdict about the same time on Wednesday.

Galstan said he was pleased with the outcome of the verdict. I am looking forward to giving the victims family a call right now, he said after the trial was over.

Lopez will be sentenced on Aug. 31 in Dept. 62.
The gang violence that has erupted in Erie during the pandemic has been connected to the killing of one of the city's youngest victims.

One of the four defendants charged in the April shooting death of 7-year-old Antonio "Espn" Yarger Jr. has been associated with youth gangs, a juvenile probation officer testified at a court hearing for the defendant, Abbas K. Al-Harbi, 17, charged as an accomplice in Antonio's death.

The names of the gangs did not come up in the testimony, and officials at the hearing provided no additional information on whom the accused gunman, Abdullah O. Ismael, 17, might have been targeting when Antonio was killed in a drive-by shooting while Antonio was walking with a group of friends in his Downing Avenue neighborhood on April 14.

Police have said Antonio was an innocent victim in the shooting, which occurred at about 7:40 p.m. at the northwest corner of Fairmount Parkway and Downing Avenue. He was walking among a group of six children, age 13 and younger, police said.

However, the testimony and other evidence at the hearing pointed to the possibility that Antonio was killed when he inadvertently got caught in the middle of a violent dispute between two groups, which might have been gangs. A total of four people, ages 17 to 20, have been charged in Antonio's death. The juveniles are charged as adults due to the nature of the charges.

Two sets of arrests:Two more suspects charged in killing of Erie boy; police say another person was targeted

Al-Harbi is accused of driving a car that was helping another car look for the intended target on April 14, according to arrest records. The other car was carrying the accused gunman, Ismael, who is charged with opening fire from the back seat of that car, police said. Al-Harbi had a gun with him as he drove his car, police said.

The defendants, "cruised the neighborhood looking for an individual they wanted to shoot and kill," the prosecutor, Assistant Erie County District Attorney Jeremy Lightner said at the hearing, before Erie County Judge John J. Mead on Monday.

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Al-Harbi was "driving around, essentially as a hit man, looking for a target," Lightner said.

One of the prosecution's witnesses, William Fromyer, an Erie County juvenile probation officer, testified that Al-Harbi had a juvenile record, including for an unprovoked fistfight in the Erie High School cafeteria in October 2019, and was on juvenile probation under his supervision in the spring of 2021. During that time, Al-Harbi was shot in the groin during a confrontation with another juvenile at a Buffalo Road gas station in March 2021, according to Fromyer's testimony and court records.

Also at that time, Fromyer said, Al-Harbi's name had been associated with "multiple gangs. Fromyer said Al-Harbi's name and the names of other juveniles were brought up "with gang-related activities."

Lightner declined to comment after the hearing. More details on Antonio's death are expected to become public at the Aug. 25 preliminary hearing for Al-Harbi and the other three defendants charged in the killing.

Balloons and toys are shown, on April 19, left in remembrance of Antonio "Espn" Yarger Jr., who was shot in the head on April 14 near this spot on the northwest corner of Fairmount Parkway and Downing Avenue in Erie. Antonio, 7, died on April 18.

The police charged Al-Harbi, Ismael and the others based partly on video surveillance and information from one of the co-defendants, Yassin A. Ibrahim, 20, who is accused of driving the car from which police said Ismael fired the fatal shot, according to court records. A fourth defendant, Yussuf M. Hassan, 20, is accused of providing a Glock 43 handgun to Ismael right before the shooting and being in the other car with Al-Harbi, who was driving.

'Interest-of-justice' hearings and rise of youth gangs

Monday's hearing was known as an interest-of-justice hearing. Mead held it to comply with a new federal law that requires judges to decide whether juveniles charged as adults should stay at juvenile detention centers or get moved to adult prison while they await trial.

Al-Harbi, charged with conspiracy to commit criminal homicide as well as other counts, had been at Erie County's Edmund L. Thomas Adolescent Center without bond since his arrest in July. At the request of the prosecution, Mead on Monday agreed to transfer Al-Harbi to the Erie County Prison.

Mead cited Al-Harbi's age of 17 years and six months, saying that he soon would be an adult under the law. Mead said the prosecution had presented evidence that Al-Harbi played a key role in the shooting of Antonio Yarger, and he said Al-Harbi's "crimes have been increasing in severity" since he was charged in the fight in the Erie High cafeteria in 2019.

Pretrial issue:Juvenile detention or adult prison? New federal law lets Erie County judges decide

Al-Harbi's lawyer, Gene Placidi, argued against a transfer to the Erie County Prison. He questioned the accuracy of the allegations that Al-Harbi might have been involved with gangs, and he said Al-Harbi would benefit by staying at the Edmund L. Thomas Adolescent Center, on the campus of the former Pleasant Ridge Manor East in Millcreek Township.

The center has the capacity for holding 20 juveniles. Twelve were there as of Monday, according to testimony.

Interest-of-justice hearings for juveniles charged as adults have become regular occurrences since the hearings started in the Erie County Court of Common Pleas in April. A number of juvenile defendants have been charged in homicides, shootings and other violent incidents.

Anti-violence initiative:Rise in juvenile offenses leads Unified Erie anti-crime effort to focus on middle school kids

The District Attorney's Office has alleged that many of the incidents were related to disputes among gangs of juveniles, with some of the members as young as middle-school age. Authorities in Erie said the growth of street gangs exploded during the pandemic, as students lacked the structure of school for long periods of time when classes went virtual.

More from court:Prosecution ties shootings to gangs as teen sentenced to state prison in two Erie cases

Two cars and one shooting

In the case of Antonio Yarger Jr.'s death, Erie police used surveillance video from houses and other locations to connect two cars to the fatal shooting: a a gold Chevrolet Cruze and a stolen black Honda CR-V. Police said Ismael fired from the CR-V, which Ibrahim was driving, and that Al-Harbi was driving the Cruze, with Hassan as a passenger.

Ibrahim, who cooperated with police, told investigators that, shortly before the shooting, he was driving the CR-V and following the Cruze as both vehicles headed north on Downing Avenue toward Fairmount Parkway, according to a criminal complaint and probable-cause affidavit filed in the case.

Another case:Feds say Erie 'street gangs' helped deal drugs in 25-defendant trafficking case

As the vehicles approached Fairmount Parkway, the Cruze stopped and backed into Linwood Avenue, just south of Fairmount Parkway, Ibrahim told the police, according to the arrest records. Ibrahim told investigators that Ismael told him to keep driving toward Fairmount Parkway, where Antonio Yarger was walking with his friends just south of Antonio's house on Downing Avenue. Ismael opened fire as the CR-V turned right and headed east on Fairmount Parkway.

At Monday's interest-of-justice hearing, Lightner, the prosecutor, offered an explanation for why the Cruze stopped and backed into Linwood Avenue before the shooting. He said Al-Harbi, upon seeing the group that included Antonio, was concerned that the group would recognize the Cruze, which Lightner said Al-Harbi was known to drive in the neighborhood. The black Honda CR-V was stolen and not as easily recognized, based on what Lightner said in court.

Al-Harbi shot in groin in 2021

On April 14, before the shooting, the defendants congregated at the Speed Check service station at 1505 Buffalo Road, near Camphausen Avenue, according to the arrest records. That was the service station where Al-Harbi was shot in the groin during a confrontation near the gas pumps at about 3:15 p.m. on March 21, 2021, according to court records.

In that case, police said Ismael, the accused shooter in the Yarger case, was with Al-Harbi when another juvenile, Tayveon D. Gillespie, then 17, shot Al-Harbi in the groin. Ismael was charged in that incident with firing at Gillespie, with one of the shots striking an occupied residence.

Shooting from 2021:Police arrest Erie teen wanted on adult charges in attempted killing outside gas station

Ismael was out on bond in the shooting when he was charged in the killing of Antonio Yarger. Gillespie, now 18, pleaded guilty to a felony count of aggravated assault. Judge Mead sentenced him in January to serve 4  to 10 years in state prison.

Awaiting prosecution:17-year-old charged in Erie boy's killing was out on bond in another shooting

Al-Harbi recovered from the gunshot wound. Lightner, the prosecutor, referred to the injury as he asked Mead to transfer Al-Harbi to the Erie County Prison.

Al-Harbi, Lightner said, had been "trying to hunt down individuals in this community" when Antonio was shot. "He knows more than anyone the damage that a firearm can do," Lightner said.

Staff writer Tim Hahn contributed to this report.

Contact Ed Palattella at epalattella@timesnews.com. Follow him on Twitter @ETNpalattella.

This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Gangs linked to fatal shooting of Erie 7-year-old Antonio Yarger Jr.
BERLIN (Reuters) -The value of German exports jumped by 4.5% in June to hit a record level, though economists cautioned that much of the increase was likely due to soaring prices.

Exports rose for a third month in a row, beating forecasts for a 1% increase and pushing Germany's seasonally adjusted trade surplus to 6.4 billion euros ($6.51 billion) in June, well above consensus for a 2.7 billion euro surplus.

Preliminary data last month had shown Germany posting its first trade deficit in more than 30 years, but the May figure of -1.0 billion euros was revised on Wednesday to a surplus of 0.8 billion euros.

"These figures should be taken with a grain of salt," Thomas Gitzel of VP Bank said, saying that price increases could increase nominal export volumes without more goods actually having been exported. "Adjusted for prices, little is likely to remain of the export growth."

The German economy stagnated in the second quarter, with the war in Ukraine, the pandemic and supply disruptions bringing Europe's largest economy to the edge of a downturn.

The Association of German Chambers of Industry and Commerce (DIHK) warned that Germany's export-reliant industry faced a difficult second half of the year.

"Supply chain disruptions and high costs for energy, raw materials and imported inputs continue to hamper production," said DIHK foreign trade expert Carolin Herweg.

"Also, the cooling of the economies of important export partners, such as the United States, China or the euro zone, is also dampening demand for products 'Made in Germany'."

Exports to the United States, Germany's biggest exports market, rose by 6.2% in June compared with May, while those to European Union member states were up by 3.9%. Exports to China edged up by 2.4% in June.

June imports to Germany increased by 0.2% on the previous month in calendar- and seasonally-adjusted terms, the federal statistics office said. Analysts polled by Reuters had pointed to a month-on-month increase of 1.3%.

($1 = 0.9833 euros)

(Reporting by Rene Wagner; Writing by Rachel More and Maria Sheahan; Editing by Andrew Heavens and Toby Chopra)
MarketWatch

Under the current structure, Social Security and Medicare budgets are automatically approved and paid out, but under Wisconsin Republican Sen. Ron Johnsons plan, Congress would have the chance to review and edit these programs budgets every year. If you qualify for the entitlement, you just get it no matter what the cost, Johnson said during an interview on The Regular Joe Show. What we ought to be doing is we ought to turn everything into discretionary spending so its all evaluated so that we can fix problems or fix programs that are broken, that are going to be going bankrupt.
By Travis Hartman, Ally Levine and Anurag Rao

(Reuters) - For millennia, giant sequoias  the largest trees on Earth  have resisted and relied on fire. But today's wildfires are far more frequent and intense due to climate-fueled droughts.

In July, the Mariposa Grove of giant sequoia trees in Yosemite narrowly avoided disaster in the Washburn Fire due to quick action and long-term planning.

Here are some ways sequoias co-exist with fire and how humans are protecting them from the increased threats they face:

Graphic on "Saving the Sequoias": https://graphics.reuters.com/USA-WILDFIRES/YOSEMITE/zjvqkbqodvx/index.html

FIGHTING FIRE WITH FIRE

Drought across the western United States and high winds, amplified by the slow creep of climate change, are only two of the many factors contributing to why wildfires have grown in severity over the last few decades.

Related video: Wildfires threatened Yosemite's giant sequoia trees in July

Fire prevention tactics from 1870 to 1970 created an excess of fuel material on the forest floor that would have otherwise been consumed by the natural wildfire cycle. Combined with years of drought, the forests are now extremely susceptible to lightning or a careless human starting a blaze.

Over the last half century, fire experts at Yosemite have attempted to mitigate wildfire spread and intensity by deliberately setting smaller fires, a technique called a prescribed burn that was used by the indigenous populations in the area before settlers and fire suppression arrived.

Having to protect sequoias from fire is a very new phenomena, so were trying things out, said Garrett Dickman, a biologist with Yosemite National Park. And really the thing that seems to work is prescribed fire.

ANCIENT GROVES

Located in the southern portion of Yosemite National Park, the Mariposa Grove is home to over 500 mature giant sequoias. It is the largest group of sequoias in the park, with many trees over 2,000 years old.

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Mariposa Grove is one of only about 75 giant sequoia groves on the west slope of the Sierra Nevada, and its one of the most important, said Athena Demetry, a restoration ecologist at Yosemite National Park. Its where the national park idea was born.

This grove, along with Yosemite Valley, were among the first lands to become national parks when President Abraham Lincoln signed legislation protecting the countrys natural beauty and resources.

URGENT ACTION NEEDED

Another potential threat to the sequoias, the Oak Fire ignited just 10 miles (16 km) from Yosemite about two weeks after the Washburn Fire, destroying more than 190 structures and prompting thousands of evacuations. The Oak Fire has been largely corralled but further highlights the wildfire danger in the area.

In just six years, between 2015 and 2021, more than 85% of giant sequoia groves burned in wildfires, compared with 25% in the 100 years prior, according to the National Park Service. The United States Forest Service has responded to the threat, declaring they will strive to reduce severe wildfire likelihood in 12 of the 37 groves under their jurisdiction.

Without urgent action, wildfires could eliminate countless more iconic giant sequoias, said Forest Service Chief Randy Moore in a statement released by the U.S. Department of Agricultures Forest Service.

Teams of Forest Service employees, firefighters and contractors will reduce surface and ladder fuels, remove small trees and conduct prescribed burns on approximately 13,000 acres where fire experts have determined the giant sequoias are most susceptible. Efforts beginning this month are expected to conclude in November 2023.

This emergency action to reduce fuels before a wildfire occurs will protect unburned giant sequoia groves from the risks of high-severity wildfires, said Moore.

This tactic proved effective in the case of the Washburn Fire where prescribed fires and ground clearing in Mariposa Grove sent the fire around instead of through the grove of ancient trees.

Its such a sacred ground, and protecting those trees is so important to us, said Sarah Platt, a spokesperson and wildland firefighter for Yosemite National Park.

Giant sequoias are the root of Yosemite National Park.

(Reporting by Travis Hartman and Ally Levine in New York; Illustrations by Anurag Rao in Bangalore; Editing by Fielding Cage and Lisa Shumaker)
Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas watching Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri at a hearing on March 22. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Josh Hawley's opposition to adding Finland and Sweden to NATO is facing criticism from Republicans.

Hawley argued in an op-ed article that enlarging NATO would limit the US's ability to counter China.

Ted Cruz said Hawley was "mistaken," and Marco Rubio wrote an article contradicting Hawley's points.

Sen. Josh Hawley's opposition to adding Finland and Sweden to NATO amid historic tensions with Russia over its invasion of Ukraine is leading even fellow Republicans to criticize his position.

In a recent op-ed article that echoed former President Donald Trump's "America First" approach to foreign policy, Hawley contended that enlarging NATO would spread the US too thin in terms of its security commitments in Europe. The Missouri Republican said the US should instead prioritize challenging China.

"We must do less in Europe (and elsewhere) in order to prioritize China and Asia," Hawley wrote. "Russia is still a threat, but the Chinese Communist Party is a far greater one."

But Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas told Politico that Hawley was "mistaken."

"We don't beat China by retreating from the rest of the world," Cruz said. "We beat China by standing with our allies against our enemies."

Similarly, Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida wrote an op-ed article that served as a rebuttal to Hawley's stance on the matter. Rubio's article was titled "A stronger NATO allows America to focus on the threat of Communist China."

"A strong and unified NATO is a powerful asset in the contest with Beijing," Rubio wrote. "When Finland and Sweden join the alliance's ranks and the free peoples of Europe become stronger than ever, more US resources will be available to focus on countering Communist China. If we do not rise to the challenge, it will be too late, and Americans will be held hostage by a totalitarian regime half a world away."

The Senate on Wednesday approved a resolution to ratify NATO membership for Finland and Sweden in a vote of 95-1-1. Hawley was the lone "no" vote, and Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky voted "present."

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Indeed, there's strong support on both sides of the aisle for adding the Nordic countries to the alliance as the West continues to back Ukraine against Russia. Finland and Sweden have historically been neutral, or militarily nonaligned countries, and their move to join NATO stands as one of the most significant consequences of Russia's military offensive in Ukraine.

In May, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said Finland and Sweden would be "important additions to NATO."

"I think the United States ought to be first in line to ratify the treaty for both these countries to join," he said.

McConnell on Wednesday reiterated his support for enlarging NATO by adding Finland and Sweden, taking a veiled swipe at Hawley in the process. "If any senator is looking for a defensible excuse to vote no, I wish them good luck," the Kentucky Republican said. "This is a slam dunk for national security that deserves unanimous bipartisan support."

GOP Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas on Wednesday also appeared to offer indirect criticism of Hawley as senators debated the resolution on Sweden and Finland's accession to NATO.

"It would be strange indeed for any senator who voted to allow Montenegro or North Macedonia into NATO to turn around and deny membership to Finland and Sweden," Cotton said. "I would love to hear the defense of such a curious vote." Hawley in 2019 voted to allow North Macedonia into NATO, which seemed to be what Cotton was alluding to in his remarks.

The schism between Hawley, who has been floated as a contender for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination, and his fellow Republicans on the matter may be indicative of Trump's ongoing influence in the Republican Party.

Trump was openly critical of NATO during his time in the White House, often going after fellow members on the issue of defense spending. Hawley also zeroed in on defense spending in his op-ed article, writing: "It's time for our European allies to do more. In particular, they must take primary responsibility for the conventional defense of Europe by investing more in their own militaries."

Rubio countered this point in his op-ed article, writing: "Finland and Sweden are strong, stable countries with a long history of security cooperation with NATO allies. They are committed to national defense and would more than live up to their NATO obligations. Finland already spends more than the required 2% of gross domestic product on its military, and Sweden is on a fast track to do the same. Both nations require military service of their citizens."

Hawley has repeatedly been an outlier among Republicans in terms of his stance on how the US should approach Russia's aggression toward Ukraine.

He was among a small group of Republicans who voted against a $40 billion aid package to Ukraine in May, for instance, and also sparked controversy in February for suggesting the US should withdraw its support for Ukraine joining NATO. The White House accused Hawley of "parroting the talking points of Russian propagandist leaders." Russia firmly opposes the addition of Ukraine to NATO and has blamed the alliance, in part, for its unprovoked invasion of the former Soviet republic.

Hawley's office didn't offer a comment when contacted by Insider.

Read the original article on Business Insider
The new research 'virtually eliminates' other theories, the researchers say (Getty)

Ever since the dawn of the COVID-19 pandemic, rumours have swirled that the source of the virus was a lab leak - either of a manufactured bio-weapon, or of a natural virus.

But a new study has traced the start of the pandemic, and concluded that live animals sold at the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market were the source of the virus.

The market saw foxes, raccoon dogs and other live mammals susceptible to the virus on sale immediately before the pandemic began.

Two papers on the research were published in the journal Science.

Read more: WHO issues warning as COVID cases triple across Europe

The publications virtually eliminate alternative scenarios that have been suggested as origins of the pandemic, the researchers say.

The researchers say that the first spread to humans from animals likely occurred in two separate transmission events in the Huanan market in late November 2019.

The first, led by Worobey and Kristian Andersen at Scripps Research Institute in San Diego, California, examined the geographic pattern of COVID-19 cases in the first month of the outbreak, December 2019.

The team was able to determine the locations of almost all of the 174 COVID-19 cases identified by the World Health Organisation that month, 155 of which were in Wuhan.

Analyses showed that these cases were clustered tightly around the Huanan market, whereas later cases were dispersed widely throughout Wuhan.

The researchers found that people with no direct connection to the market  meaning they neither worked there nor shopped there  turned out to live near the market.

Read more: Melting snow in Himalayas drives growth of green sea slime visible from space

Worobey said: "In a city covering more than 3,000 square miles, the area with the highest probability of containing the home of someone who had one of the earliest COVID-19 cases in the world was an area of a few city blocks, with the Huanan market smack dab inside it.

By January and February 2020, cases were spreading in the areas of the highest population density in Wuhan.

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Worobey said: "This tells us the virus was not circulating cryptically. It really originated at that market and spread out from there."

The study also looked at swab samples taken from market surfaces like floors and cages after Huanan market was shuttered.

Samples that tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 were significantly associated with stalls selling live wildlife.

The researchers determined that mammals now known to be susceptible to SARS-CoV-2, including red foxes, hog badgers and raccoon dogs, were sold live at the Huanan market in the weeks preceding the first recorded COVID-19 cases.

Read more: A 1988 warning about climate change was mostly right

The scientists developed a detailed map of the market and showed that SARS-CoV-2-positive samples reported by Chinese researchers in early 2020 showed a clear association with the western portion of the market, where live or freshly butchered animals were sold in late 2019.

The second study, an analysis of SARS-CoV-2 genomic data from early cases, was co-led by Jonathan Pekar and Joel Wertheim at the University of California, San Diego and Marc Suchard of the University of California Los Angeles, as well as Andersen and Worobey.

The researchers determined that the pandemic, which initially involved two subtly distinct lineages of SARS-CoV-2, likely arose from at least two separate infections of humans from animals at the Huanan market in November 2019 and perhaps in December 2019.

The authors used a technique known as molecular clock analysis, which relies on the natural pace with which genetic mutations occur over time, to establish a framework for the evolution of the SARS-CoV-2 virus lineages.

They found that a scenario of a singular introduction of the virus into humans rather than multiple introductions would be inconsistent with molecular clock data.

Watch: Global governments bracing for future COVID variants
I'm A Celebrity looks set to go back to the jungle. (ITV)

I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here! is officially making its long-awaited return to the jungle as its temporary home at Gwrych Castle bid farewell to the show.

The ITV series had spent 19 seasons in Australia before COVID travel restrictions put a stop to the 20th run setting up camp in 2020.

Read more: All the winners of I'm A Celebrity so far

In 2020 and 2021, the show went ahead but in an alternative setting at Gwrych Castle in Abergele, North Wales, while they waited for the pandemic restrictions to lift.

Hosts Ant and Dec have spoken about how keen they are to return to Australia and earlier this year, ITVs director of content Rosemary Newell said she expected the show to be back at the original camp for the 2022 launch in November.

The show moved to Gwrych Castle for two years. (ITV)

Now, Gwrych Castle bosses appear to have confirmed that I'm A Celeb has officially left the castle in a farewell tweet thanking them for the opportunity to be featured on prime time TV.

The tweet read: It was such an honour to host Im A Celebrity Get Me Out of Here! for the last two years.

As a small charity, we will always be grateful to ITV and Im A Celebrity for the opportunity to host one of the most watched shows in the UK.

Read more: Which former campmates are rumoured for All Stars I'm A Celebrity?

The show has showcased the true beauty of the Castle to millions of people, and has enabled us to carry out urgent repairs after years of neglect, vandalism and arson.

It was such an honour to host Im A Celebrity Get Me Out of Here! for the last 2 years. As a small charity, we will always be grateful to ITV and Im A Celebrity for the opportunity to host one of the most watched shows in the UK. pic.twitter.com/tJjRcCNzst  Gwrych Castle (@Gwrych_Castle) August 2, 2022

We have a huge amount to do to bring the Castle back to its former glory, but were excited for the future.

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We will continue to collaborate with ITV and Im A Celebrity, and we still have many items and set pieces in place from the past the 2 years such as The Clink, the Im A Celebrity throne, privy and the telephone box.

Celebrities taking part in the show over the last two years had a very different experience from the jungle casts, as they struggled with the harsh weather conditions of a Welsh winter.

The 2021 series saw the show forced off air for the first time ever as havoc wreaked by Storm Arwen's high winds led to celebrities being removed from camp for their own safety.

I'm A Celebrity will return to ITV in November, with an all stars spin-off confirmed for early 2023 in South Africa.

Watch: Ant and Dec hope I'm A Celebrity returns to Australia in 2022
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Representative Peter Meijer conceded to Trump-endorsed primary challenger John Gibbs for the Republican Party's nomination in a Michigan congressional district.

"This was a hard-fought primary campaign, .... I also want to congratulate my opponent John Gibbs on his victory tonight," Meijer said in a statement.

Gibbs is a former official in ex-President Donald Trump's administration and was endorsed by him. Gibbs will face a Democrat in the Nov. 8 midterm election.

Meijer is a moderate and one of ten Republicans who voted to impeach Trump, and the district is considered a potential pickup for Democrats.

(Reporting by Kanishka Singh and Moira Warburton; Editing by Scott Malone and Alistair Bell)
The Indian government has withdrawn its long-awaited Personal Data Protection Bill that drew scrutiny from several privacy advocates and tech giants who feared the legislation could restrict how they managed sensitive information while giving government broad powers to access it.

The move comes as a surprise as lawmakers had indicated recently that the bill, unveiled in 2019, could see the "light of the day" soon enough. New Delhi received dozens of amendments and recommendations from a parliamentary panel, which includes lawmakers from Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling party, that "identified many issues that were relevant but beyond the scope of a modern digital privacy law," said India's Junior IT Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar.

The government will now work on a "comprehensive legal framework" and present a new bill, he added.

The Personal Data Protection Bill sought to empower Indian citizens with rights relating to their data. India, the world's second-largest internet market, has seen an explosion of personal data in the past decade as hundreds of citizens came online for the first time and started consuming scores of apps. But there has been uncertainty on how much power the individuals, private companies and government agencies have over it.

"The Personal Data Protection Bill, 2019 was deliberated in great detail by the Joint Committee of Parliament 81 amendments were proposed and 12 recommendations were made toward comprehensive legal framework on digital ecosystem. Considering the report of the JCP, a comprehensive legal framework is being worked upon. Hence, in the circumstances, it is proposed to withdraw 'The Personal Data Protection Bill, 2019' and present a new bill that fits into the comprehensive legal framework," India's IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said in a written statement Wednesday.

The bill drew criticism from many industry stakeholders. New Delhi-based privacy advocacy group Internet Freedom Foundation said the bill "provides large exemptions to government departments, prioritises the interests of big corporations and does not adequately respect your fundamental right to privacy."

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Meta, Google and Amazon were some of the companies that had expressed concerns about some of the recommendations by the joint parliamentary committee on the proposed bill.

The bill also mandated that companies may only store certain categories of sensitive and critical data, including financial, health and biometric information in India.

"I hope that the bill isn't junked altogether, given all the work that went into it. Junking the bill altogether will create a limbo of sorts from a privacy protection standpoint. Nobody wants that," said Nikhil Pahwa, the editor of MediaNama, which covers policy and media, in a series of posts on Twitter.

"The new bill should be put up for public consultation. Government should realise that civil society and wider industry participation helps improve laws and rules. The JPC didn't involve many key civil society stakeholders. Government has already made a mess with IT Rules 2021 and CERT-in directions. It needs to be reasonable with regulations else this will hurt India's digital future."
Rep. Jackie Walorski (R-Ind.) speaks on Capitol Hill on July 19, 2018. Her office announced that she was killed in a car accident Wednesday. (J. Scott Applewhite / Associated Press)

Republican U.S. Rep. Jackie Walorski was killed Wednesday in a car crash in her northern Indiana district along with two members of her congressional staff and another person, police said.

The crash happened about 12:30 p.m. when a car crossed the center line on a state highway and collided head-on with the SUV Walorski was riding in, the Elkhart County Sheriffs Office said. Three people in the SUV, including Walorski, 58, were killed, as was a woman driving the other car, authorities said.

Walorski, who served on the House Ways and Means Committee, was first elected to represent Indianas 2nd Congressional District in 2012. She previously served six years in the state's Legislature.

She has returned home to be with her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Please keep her family in your thoughts and prayers, Walorskis chief of staff, Tim Cummings, said in a statement.

Walorski and her husband, Dean Swihart, were previously Christian missionaries in Romania, where they established a foundation that provided food and medical supplies to impoverished children. She worked as a television news reporter in South Bend before turning to politics.

Also killed in the crash were Zachery Potts, 27, of Mishawaka, Ind.; Emma Thomson, 28, of Washington, D.C.; and Edith Schmucker, 56, of Nappanee, Ind., according to the sheriff's office.

Cummings confirmed that Potts and Thompson were members of Walorskis congressional staff. Thompson was Walorskis communications director, while Potts was her district director and the Republican chairman for northern Indianas St. Joseph County.

Schmucker was driving the other car, according to the sheriff's office. The crash, which occurred in a rural area near the town of Wakarusa, is still under investigation.

Walorski was seeking reelection this year to a sixth term in the solidly Republican district.

She was active on agriculture and food policy in Congress, often working across the aisle on those issues. A co-chair of the House Hunger Caucus, she introduced legislation with Democrats to bring back a Nixon-era White House event on food insecurity.

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President Biden pointed to that work in a statement crediting Walorski for years of public service.

We may have represented different parties and disagreed on many issues, but she was respected by members of both parties for her work, Biden said. My team and I appreciated her partnership as we plan for a historic White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health this fall that will be marked by her deep care for the needs of rural America.

Indiana Republican U.S. Sen. Todd Young said he was devastated by Walorskis death.

Jackie loved Hoosiers and devoted her life to fighting for them, Young said in a statement. Ill never forget her spirit, her positive attitude, and most importantly her friendship. All of Indiana mourns her passing, along with the tragic deaths of her staff Emma Thomson and Zach Potts.

Walorski was a reliable Republican vote in Congress, including against accepting the Arizona and Pennsylvania electoral votes for Biden following the Capitol insurrection.

As a member of the Indiana House, Walorski pushed antiabortion legislation and opposed gambling expansion proposals. She became a favorite of the conservative tea party movement.

Walorski lost a close 2010 congressional race to Democrat Joe Donnelly before narrowly winning the seat in 2012 as Donnelly made a successful run for the Senate. She had easily won her reelection campaigns since then.

House Republican Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy called Walorski a no-nonsense, straight shooter."

Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Walorski lived a life of service.

She passionately brought the voices of her north Indiana constituents to the Congress, and she was admired by colleagues on both sides of the aisle for her personal kindness, Pelosi said in a statement.

Pelosi ordered the flags at the U.S. Capitol to be flown at half-staff in Walorskis honor. The White House said its flags would be lowered Wednesday and Thursday, and Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb issued a similar flag directive for the state.

At every level of public service Jackie was known to be a positive force of nature, a patriot, and a relentless policymaker with an unwavering loyalty to her constituents," Holcomb, a Republican, said.

Democratic Rep. Annie Kuster of New Hampshire said she and Walorski bonded as newly elected members of Congress in late 2012 over their husbands shared love of jazz music and became friends.

I was proud to work with her on a variety of critical issues, including legislation to address the addiction crisis, end sexual violence, and help military sexual assault survivors access the care they need, Kuster said.

Davies reported from Indianapolis. Associated Press writer Mary Clare Jalonick contributed from Washington.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Southern Brave eased to victory (Adam Davy/PA) (PA Wire)

James Vince continued his brilliant white-ball form as Southern Brave began their Hundred defence with a nine-wicket hammering of Welsh Fire.

Brave captain Vince was the Vitality Blasts leading scorer with 678 runs and began the second edition of the Hundred with 71 off 41 balls, with opening partner Alex Davies hitting a complementary 26.

Earlier, Fire skipper Ben Duckett struck 40 off 31 deliveries, with the next highest score just 11, as Fire struggled to a below par 107 for seven in their 100 balls.

Craig Overton dominated the top order with two for 21 before Chris Jordan picked up two for 16 before Vince, Davies and Marcus Stoinis were all the batters needed to finish the job with 31 balls to spare.

James Vince starred for Southern Brave (Adam Davy/PA) (PA Wire)

Vince had come off the back of a brilliant Vitality Blast campaign with Hampshire  where he also captained his county to their third title.

It was imperative not to pass up the opportunity to dismiss him early. Unfortunately, Ryan Higgins fluffed his chance and dropped Vince to the boundary with the fifth ball.

A pair of boundaries through midwicket and point quickly pronounced the error, as Davies struck back-to-back fours off David Payne  the second a stunning straight drive.

Davies swatted a short delivery from Higgins to fall with 36 runs needed in 51 balls while Vince quickly cut firmly to bring up his half-century in 31 deliveries.

He waited until he was on 55 before slog-sweeping his first six before Brave quickly scuttled to victory to maintain their perfect Ageas Bowl record  Vince bettering his best of 60 in 2021.

Craig Overton took two wickets (Adam Davy/PA) (PA Wire)

Earlier, Brave won the toss, decided to bowl and cut the Fire top order down to 31 for three in the 25-ball powerplay, after a spectacular firework display had delayed proceedings.

Brave were without lightning quicks Jofra Archer, Tymal Mills and George Garton for various injury and illness-related issues but it mattered little thanks to their depth.

Overton had Joe Clarke stretching to miscue to cover for a four-ball duck and Tom Banton hoicking to deep square-leg, with 41-year-old Michael Hogan bowling Ollie Pope  who missed a reverse sweep.

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Duckett and Sam Hain put on 25, the innings highest stand, but wickets continued to fall regularly.

Ben Duckett top-scored for Welsh Fire (Adam Davy/PA) (PA Wire)

Jake Lintott spun his way into the attack and his googly tickled Hains glove with his second ball, while 17-year-old leg spinner Rehan Ahmed and James Fullers analysis while wicketless went at under a run-a-ball.

Fuller got the final touch to a chaotic run-out to see Josh Cobb perish and Quinton de Kocks stand-in easily held on to Higgins on the square boundary.

Left-handed Duckett held things together, although he survived a run-out and dropped catch but dominated on the sweep as all five of his boundaries came behind the wicket.

He lobbed Jordan to mid-on before seeing the teenage Afghan Noor Ahmad jab the first, and only, six of the innings, although it was never going to be enough.
Arizona state Rep. Rusty Bowers (R), who gave emotional testimony describing former President Donald Trumps efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election to the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol, was defeated Tuesday in the Republican primary for a state Senate seat by a Trump-backed candidate.

Former state Sen. David Farnsworth easily won the contest for the seat representing areas east of Mesa. Bowers served in the state legislature for 17 years and is speaker of the Arizona state House. Farnsworth had a lower profile in the state and less campaign money but had a powerful weapon: Trumps endorsement.

Rusty Bowers is a RINO coward who participated against the Republican Party in the totally partisan unselect committee of political thugs and hacks the other day and disgraced himself, and he disgraced the state of Arizona, Trump declared at a rally in Prescott Valley last month, using the acronym for Republican in name only. He endorsed Farnsworth on Truth Social earlier in July, saying Bowers needed to lose and that highly respected David Farnsworth is the man to do it.

There were relatively few policy differences between the two men, save for their starkly different views on the 2020 election. Bowers defeat is another road sign on the Republican Partys journey toward a fully anti-democratic entity willing to brush aside fair elections, fueled by a personality cult fully dedicated to Trump and his political fortunes.

During a recent debate, Farnsworth said of the 2020 presidential election results: This is a real conspiracy headed up by the devil himself. He has also expressed positive views of QAnon, the far-right conspiracy theory that holds most Democrats are in thrall to a global network of pedophiles. I have talked to quite a few people who really believe they are good people who are trying to bring out the truth, he said in text messages to a then-friend who revealed the exchange in 2020.

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Bowers became an instant object of scorn among Trump-aligned conservatives when he testified before the House select committee in June. The Arizona GOPs executive committee formally censured Bowers in July. He is no longer a Republican in good standing & we call on Republicans to replace him at the ballot box in the August primary, tweeted state party chair Kelli Ward.

President Joe Biden won Arizona by only about 10,000 votes, which made the state an immediate focus for Trumps efforts to overturn the results of the election. There is zero evidence that any meaningful voter fraud occurred, and subsequent Republican-backed audits found that Biden actually won the state by more than the initial November tally.

Bowers told the Jan. 6 committee that Trump and his lawyer Rudy Giuilani initiated an extreme pressure campaign immediately after the election, urging Bowers to use his powers as House speaker to substitute Biden electors with electors loyal to Trump to change the Electoral College count. During a phone call, Bowers said, he pressed the duo for their evidence of voter fraud, but they provided none. Weve got lots of theories, but we dont have the evidence, Giuliani ultimately admitted, according to Bowers testimony.

Bowers refused to play along, and he appeared to choke up when he explained to the committee why. I will not play with laws I swore allegiance to, he said. How else will I ever approach [God] in the wilderness of life, knowing that I ask of this guidance only to show myself a coward in defending the course he led me to take?

Democrats did not put forward a candidate in this heavily Republican district, so the November election will be a formality for Farnsworth.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.

Related...
Joey King: In Bullet Train, Brad Pitts the chump, and Im the villain (Stuart Hardy/Shutterstock)

Joey King is only 23, but seems to have been around forever. Even before her starring role in the Kissing Booth movies, she appeared as the young Marion Cotillard in The Dark Knight Rises, and as a china doll in Oz the Great and Powerful. She was five when she appeared as a little girl at a party on an episode of Malcolm in the Middle. Thirteen, when she was spooked by ghosts in The Conjuring. This is a Hollywood veteran. And yet she still often feels undermined.

It last happened not even a couple of months ago, she says, with a shrug that suggests shes used to it. Because of how I look. Because Im a young woman. Because Im very polite to people. I think Im often underestimated or overlooked in a way that Im just like, Guys? Dont f****n do that! She half-wails, pointing to herself comically. Im right f****n here!

Whether shes playing The Kissing Booths teenage wallflower, or a child abused by her mother in the acclaimed limited series The Act  for which she received an Emmy nod in 2019  King has brought an every girl spirit to her roles so far. Her characters feel grounded. Relatable. Absolutely not extraordinary. Perhaps thats why she believes some try to downplay her potential off-camera. Her newest role is one she hopes will bring her days of being underestimated to an end.

In the action-comedy Bullet Train, she stars as one of several hired killers on separate, clashing missions aboard a high-speed train across Japan. Headed up by Brad Pitt but also starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Brian Tyree Henry and a cameoing Sandra Bullock, the zippy blockbuster is adapted from KAtarA Isakas graphic novel and is gearing up to be one of the summers biggest movies. Its a project that King immediately knew she wanted to be involved with.

I remember auditioning, and I thought to myself: Oh thats nice, Ill never get this part but, yknow, Ill give it my best, she says, demurely. But I also really wanted this. I had that feeling in my stomach like, I have to have this. Were speaking in a luxury London hotel room, King dressed in a black velvet mini-dress, with thick black boots and tiny replica daggers hanging from her ears. She makes an immediate statement. It also feels like a perfect nod to the fierceness of her character in the film. As Prince, King is one of the most unnerving of the bullet trains assassins  shes creepy, cut-throat and nearly pantomimically evil. Her ruthlessness  hidden just under the surface  is an intentional subversion of her assumed damsel-in-distress status. Thats my one connection to Prince, she explains. Shes really underestimated because of her appearance alone, and I think thats the thing that I, personally, feel. Otherwise, shes just a sociopath and a b***h.

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Where Prince feels like the outright malevolent force of the film, Pitts character  an assassin codenamed Ladybug  is the reluctant hero were meant to root for. Brad always says the most fun roles you can play are the chump or the villain, King notes. He says hes the chump, and Im the villain. King says she finds herself talking about Pitt often. But thankfully, she doesnt mind: This man, he embodies true leadership, she gushes. Hes an amazing person but really such a good example of how you should treat people: on set, in life. Hes wonderful  I never get tired of [talking about him]. But could you imagine if he sucked?

I carried a movie at nine years old  thats like, insane

Born and raised in Los Angeles, King was in a prime position to get her career started early, as her elder sisters were also actors  Hunter King, 28, still works today. Early auditions led her to playing a round of daughters to Hollywoods A-list: Adam Sandler (in Reign Over Me), Steve Carell (in Crazy, Stupid, Love), Channing Tatum (in White House Down). One of Kings most notable child roles came in 2010, with the childrens comedy Ramona and Beezus. The film adaptation of Beverly Clearys novels saw King star as plucky nine-year-old Ramona, a lovingly annoying little sister to Selena Gomezs Beatrice (or, Beezus). As well as giving King what was then her most prominent acting credit, the film flipped an internal switch in the young star; acting wasnt just a hobby anymore, but now something she wanted to do long term.

I carried a movie at nine years old  thats like, insane, King says. It was such a huge responsibility, but it was so much fun. That was the movie where I thought, I know that this is what I wanna do forever. You cant contextualise that moment as a kid, but when you get older, youre like, wow, that was really how I felt then. Ive never felt differently from that point on. I feel very lucky to have known at such a young age what I wanted to do and then had been able to do it.

King and Brad Pitt in Bullet Train (Scott Garfield)

Its clear that her years in the industry have only deepened her love for making films and TV  there are no hints of jadedness in sight. Shes animated and alert, peppering her stories with gags and expletives in a way that feels off-the-cuff, rather than stiff or rehearsed. While she admits that shes been part of some projects that shes not as proud of as others, she has no time for anyones hate towards The Kissing Booth.

The 2018 Netflix film  sequels followed in 2020 and 2021  starred King as a teenage girl who finally gets close to her crush when she signs up to run a kissing booth at the spring carnival. It turned King into something of a tween icon: 19 million Instagram followers later, her young fans are vocal with their adoration, often flooding her comments sections with high praise. Yet the franchise was also critically panned, with some branches of social media taking pleasure in meme-ing earnest scenes and branding the series pure hate-watch fodder. King, though, has no time for any of that. I couldnt be prouder of those movies, she says, sitting up a little straighter in her chair. I loved them so much and playing that character made me happy. Ill never regret those movies, and I love them so much no matter what anyone says.

King and Jacob Elordi in last years The Kissing Booth 3 (Marcos Cruz/Netflix)

Kings unmistakable air of confidence feels hard-earned, the result of professional experience and recent personal growth. In the past couple of years Ive really stepped into myself in a way where I feel much more comfortable with who I am, she says. I feel good about who I am as a person. With that comes the ability to stand up for yourself and what you believe in, because you actually believe in yourself at that point. For King, the anxieties of adolescence made it harder for her to stand up for the things she really cared about. When youre going through your own insecurities, youre like, Oh, I guess theyre right, I dont deserve She drifts off. [That] I should just be quiet. Now, Im like, I know what Im doing here, Ive been in this a long time. I have so much to learn, always, but I do know a thing or two about a thing or two.

After stepping into the action space this year with Bullet Train and the fantasy film The Princess  which is currently streaming on Star via Disney+ in the UK  King is looking forward to changing gears with her next roles. That includes the limited series adaptation of We Were the Lucky Ones, about a Jewish family separated during the Holocaust, and a currently untitled romcom with Nicole Kidman and Zac Efron. Another cool thing I get to shoot this year! she beams. Career-wise, theres no grand plan, but thats just how she likes it.

I think if I set too many goals for myself, I dont know if Ill ever be able to be happy until I reach them, she explains. I really do try to stop and realise how special this experience is. If I play too much of the same thing too many times, Im not gonna enjoy myself. Im not going to feel challenged enough. So Im just kind of doing whatever the hell I want.

Bullet Train is in cinemas now
Associated Press

The Oakland Athletics released veteran outfielder Stephen Piscotty on Tuesday and cleared way for top prospect Shea Langeliers to gain key experience down the stretch for the last-place team in the AL West. Langeliers, a 24-year-old catcher and left fielder selected ninth overall in the 2019 draft out of Baylor, hit .283 with 19 homers and 56 RBIs in 92 games for Triple-A Las Vegas after being acquired from Atlanta in the March trade that sent Matt Olson to the Braves. Langeliers was expected to make his major league debut as designated hitter for the A's at Texas on Tuesday night.
Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters

The Senate on Tuesday approved a bill to vastly expand health care resources and disability benefits for combat veterans exposed to toxic burn pits while serving overseas, dissipating the heartache and fury that erupted less than a week ago after the original legislation was stalled by a clump of backpedaling Republican senators.

Grown men were crying and hugging each other in the hallways of the Capitol building, according to a Bloomberg reporter. Known as the Honoring Our PACT Act, the bill will now go to President Joe Bidens desk for a signature. The Senates final vote tallied at 86-11, rocketing past the 60-vote minimum needed to pass in the chamber.

The passage of the act comes after days of intense campaigning from more than 60 veterans groups, many of whom camped out on the Capitol steps in defiance of Washingtons thunderstorms and humidity. Dozens of them filed into the Senates galleries to watch the vote on Tuesday evening.

You can go home knowing the good and great thing you have done and accomplished for the United States of America, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer told them after the vote, according to the Associated Press.

Present in the chamber alongside the veterans was comedian Jon Stewart, a longtime advocate for veterans rights, who sat in the Senate chamber galleries alongside a few dozen veterans on Tuesday evening. Visibly emotional, Stewart put his head in his hand and began to cry as the vote began.

I'm not sure I've ever seen a situation where people who have already given so much had to fight so hard to get so little, Stewart told reporters after the vote. And I hope we learn a lesson.

Stewart was one of many who ripped into the 25 Republicans who reneged on their support for the original bill, which had passed in the Senate by a bipartisan 84-14 back in June. But it had to be sent back to the House for some minor technical alterations, and by the time it arrived back at the Senate last week, more than two dozen yes votes had abruptly changed their minds.

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Outside the Capitol last Thursday, Stewart erupted: I'm used to the lies. I'm used to the hypocrisy, I'm used to the cowardice, I'm used to all of it, but I am not used to the cruelty.

Returning to D.C. on Monday, the comedian reiterated his stance. This is the lowest hanging fruit of a functioning society. Like, if we cant do this, the rest of us have no shot, he told reporters. This is the canary in the coal mine.

He wasnt the only one who didnt mince words after the bill was seemingly kneecapped. Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT), the chairman of the Veteran Affairs Committee, also voiced his frustration last week, taking to Twitter to call the move an eleventh-hour act of cowardice. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand was similarly incensed. This is total bullshit, she said at a press conference outside the Capitol. ... We had the votes.

Sen. Pat Toomey (R-PA) led the turncoat charge, rallying conservative votes to his side to seek an amendment to the bill that would provide a budgeting provision on the $280 billion package, apparently worried that the funds would be doled out by Democrats on completely unrelated programs.

I'm supposed to trust this and future congresses not to go on a spending spree? Seriously? That's unbelievable, Toomey said, according to NBC. Why did they design this feature so that they could go on a spending spree?

Democrats were swift to decry the blockage, saying it made little sense to protest the sound legislation. This is a bill that will work for this country, that will work for the taxpayers of this country and it will work, most importantly, for the veterans and their families, Tester said.

By Tuesday afternoon, Schumer announced from the Senate floor that he and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell had come to an agreement to vote on the PACT Act this evening. McConnell vaguely hand-waved away the Republican reversal in a weekly news conference, telling reporters that these things happen all the time with the legislative process.

Toomeys amendment failed several hours after Schumers announcement, with a final vote of 47-48. Two other Republican amendments on the bill also failed, including one led by Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) concerning limitations on foreign aid that failed 90-7.

The PACT Act is expected to expand medical care access to roughly 3.5 million people, including millions of sick veterans who served near burn pits, used by the military for toxic waste disposal in Afghanistan and Iraq. For the first time, theyll be able to obtain disability payments without having to jump through hoops to prove their illnesses stem from their time overseas, according to the AP. Veterans Affairs currently rejects roughly seven in 10 claims related to chemical exposure and cancer, studies have shown.

Hundreds of thousands of ailing veterans who served in Vietnam, as well as tens of thousands who served in places like Thailand, Cambodia, and Laos will also be able to claim increased disability benefits associated with exposure to the herbicide Agent Orange.

Michael Kirby, a 64-year-old Colorado-based stockbroker who lived on the Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune in North Carolina with his family, told The Daily Beast after the bill was initially blocked that lawmakers were playing politics with peoples lives.

After the bills passing, Kirby, who is a cancer survivor and whose father and mother both died from cancer, said the legislation was a long time in coming.

Im glad for all the families that were affected. I hope they all get some kind of relief. It wont right the major injustice, but its a step in the right direction, he said.

President Biden is expected to sign the bill quickly, having championed it in recent months. During a March visit to Texas, the president brought up soberly that his son, Beau Biden, was killed by a brain cancer that developed after his service in Baghdad.

Were following the science in every case, but were also not going to force veterans to suffer in limbo for decades, Biden said in Texas, according to The Washington Post.

The bill should have never been held up, Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) tweeted after the vote. This was always the right thing to do.

-- Diana Falzone contributed reporting

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Stewart Rhodes, leader of the far-right group the Oath Keepers. (Collin County Sheriff's Office via Associated Press)

Members of the far-right Oath Keepers extremist group charged in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol will face jurors this fall after a judge on Tuesday denied defense attorneys' bid to delay the high-profile trial until next year.

Lawyers for Stewart Rhodes, the leader of the Oath Keepers, and other associates of the antigovernment group argued that a trial beginning in September would be tainted by publicity surrounding recent Jan. 6 House committee hearings and that attorneys still have too much evidence to sort through.

But U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta said that he is confident the court will find a fair jury for the Oath Keepers case in Washington next month and that hes obligated to oversee a speedy trial for the defendants, who have been locked up for months. Moving the trial would also wreak havoc on the court's calendar, which is filled with trials into next year, he said.

This is a court of law; we cannot wait on the legislative process to unfold, Mehta said.

Rhodes and four co-defendants are heading to trial on Sept. 26 on charges including seditious conspiracy, a rarely used Civil War-era charge that calls for up to 20 years in prison. They are accused of plotting for weeks to block the peaceful transfer of power and keep President Trump in office despite losing the election.

Defense attorneys have argued that there was no plan to storm the Capitol and that any plans they made were only about providing security at the rally before the riot or protecting themselves against the purported threat of attacks from far-left activists.

Mehta suggested Tuesday that he believes the defense has a case, saying he didn't believe it was a laydown" case for prosecutors and he's "not sure jurors in the District of Columbia will either."

A different judge overseeing the other major case stemming from the Jan. 6 riot  involving members of the Proud Boys extremist group  agreed to postpone the start of that trial from Aug. 8 to Dec. 12 after attorneys for several of the men argued that their clients couldnt get a fair trial in the midst of the committees hearings. The committee has said its public hearings will resume in September.

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In a separate matter Tuesday, Mehta rejected Trumps request to dismiss lawsuits filed by four Capitol Police officers seeking damages arising from injuries they sustained while defending the Capitol from the violent mob.

Mehta cited a February ruling denying Trump's bid to dismiss other lawsuits filed by lawmakers and two Capitol Police officers. In that ruling, Mehta said Trumps words during a rally before the storming of the Capitol were likely words of incitement not protected by the 1st Amendment.

Only in the most extraordinary circumstances could a court not recognize that the First Amendment protects a Presidents speech, Mehta wrote at the time. But the court believes this is that case.

Trump's lawyers are appealing that ruling, saying in court papers filed last week that the Supreme Court has made clear that when acting in his official capacity, a President of the United States is immune from civil suit.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Infowars founder and host Alex Jones Sergio Flores/Getty Images

The judge in Travis County overseeing the Sandy Hook defamation trial admonished Alex Jones during his testimony.

Judge Maya Guerra Gamble said Jones was not being truthful about providing discovery and being bankrupt.

Jones is being sued by two parents who lost their child Jesse Lewis, during the Sandy Hook massacre in 2012.

A Travis County judge reprimanded Infowars founder and host, Alex Jones, Tuesday, saying he needed to be truthful on the stand and that he was using the trial to "make asides" that were not relevant.

Jones is standing trial in Texas after being sued by the parents of Jesse Lewis, who died during the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre. After Sandy Hook, in which 20 children died, Jones spread the false message to his audience that the shooting was a hoax staged by the government.

Jones has already been found guilty in four defamation trials brought by Sandy Hook families.

Judge Maya Guerra Gamble told Jones during the end of the trial session that he was "abusing her tolerance" after he took to the stand to tell the jury that he was bankrupt and that he provided evidence during the discovery process. Gamble said both of these assertions were not true.

Gamble also referenced "comments about the larynx, or whatever," which may refer to earlier during Jones' testimony, when he testified that he had a "torn larynx."

"You're already under oath to tell the truth," Gamble said. "You've already violated that oath twice today. In just those two examples. It seems absurd to instruct you again that you must tell the truth while you testify. Yet here I am."

Jones' parent company Free Speech Systems filed for bankruptcy protection on Friday, but Gamble said that did not mean that he was bankrupt. During previous lawsuits, three companies associated with Jones filed for bankruptcy. A lawyer for one of the families who sued Jones previously told Insider that it was used to stall the trial.

Gamble also accused Jones of using the stand to try to "further the message you're wanting to further" instead of honestly answering questions put forth during the trial.

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"You must tell the truth while you testify," Gamble said. "This is not your show."

Jones rebutted and said that he believed everything he was saying was true, to which Gamble replied: "Just because you claim to think something is true does not make it true."



Earlier Tuesday, Lewis' father Neil Heslin, called Jones "cowardly" after he did not show up to hear his testimony and said that Jones did not have the courage to face him.

Read the original article on Insider
Kansans decided to keep abortion protections in their state constitution after a Tuesday vote  a huge win for pro-choice advocates that will likely set the tone for whats to come on abortion rights nationally.

Voters in the Midwest state voted against the Value Them Both amendment, which was created by anti-abortion Christian groups to strip protections for abortion care from the states constitution. The vote, which was held during a primary election, had a historic turnout  as high as the 2008 presidential election. Voters chose to preserve abortion rights in the state by a double-digit margin.

President Joe Biden hailed the outcome in a statement late Tuesday. The Supreme Courts extreme decision to overturn Roe v. Wade put womens health and lives at risk. Tonight, the American people had something to say about it. This vote makes clear what we know: The majority of Americans agree that women should have access to abortion and should have the right to make their own health care decisions.

The amendment was proposed in response to a 2019 Kansas Supreme Court decision that ruled the states constitution fundamentally protects abortion rights.

If Value Them Both had passed, it would have opened the door for anti-abortion rights lawmakers to pursue a total abortion ban  a move that many Kansas Republicans denied, but were caught on tape discussing.

The ballot initiative, which attracted national attention, was an instant uphill battle for pro-abortion rights groups in Kansas, Ashley All, from the pro-choice group Kansans for Constitutional Freedom, told HuffPost last week.

Signs call on voters to vote for or against the Value Them Both amendment in Prairie Village, Kansas, on July 28. (Photo: CAITLIN WILSON via Getty Images)

Signs call on voters to vote for or against the Value Them Both amendment in Prairie Village, Kansas, on July 28. (Photo: CAITLIN WILSON via Getty Images)

Republican lawmakers included the vote in a primary election, which usually has a lower turnout than the general election and skews conservative. Additionally, Kansas has closed primaries, which means unaffiliated voters are not used to voting in primaries. This gave Republicans in the state an advantage since about 44% of registered Kansas voters are Republicans, 26% are Democrats and 29% are unaffiliated.

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Abortion rights advocates and lawmakers argued Republicans intentionally made the language of the amendment vague and confusing in order to mislead voters. The allegation from Democrats rang true after Kansas voters received a deceptive text message the night before the ballot vote, urging Kansans to vote yes on the amendment because it will give women a choice and protect womens health. A vote in favor of the amendment would have stripped abortion protections from the state constitution. The texts, which were unsigned, were later linked back to a Republican-aligned firm that had connections to former U.S. Rep. Tim Huelskamp (R-Kan.).

The outcome was a huge win for abortion supporters in Kansas and the region  and will likely set the tone for upcoming votes on abortion care around the country.

Words could never express the sadness and emotion myself and many Kansans are feeling after the Value Them Both amendment was not adopted. This is an enormous blow to efforts to protect the sanctity of life in Kansas, Sen. Roger Marshall (R-Kan.) said in a statement Tuesday night.

I want to thank everybody in the pro-life community who worked so hard to get this amendment passed, his statement added. Tonight, we must still go to bed with faith and hope, for tomorrow we must be as dedicated to the sanctity of life, and to the fight to protect the lives of moms and unborn babies.

The vote on the Value Them Both amendment attracted national attention because it was the first on abortion rights since the Supreme Court earlier this summer repealed Roe v. Wade, the 1973 ruling that afforded federal abortion rights.

Kansas is an unlikely sanctuary state for about half the country, said Dr. Allison Block, a provider at the Trust Women abortion clinic in Wichita. Much of the Midwest and South have already banned or severely restricted abortion since Roe fell: Texas, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Missouri and Arkansas all have total abortion bans in effect; and North Dakota, Nebraska, Wyoming and Iowa are in court challenging severe restrictions or waiting on bans to take effect.

If the Value Them Both amendment passed, it would have decimated abortion access in not only Kansas, but the entire Midwest and much of the South.

Abortion is already heavily regulated in Kansas: Its banned after 22 weeks except to save the life of the pregnant person, and government funding for abortion care is outlawed. There are only five clinics left in the state, and there are a slew of other barriers to get care, including a 24-hour waiting period, state-mandated ultrasounds and required religious counseling.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.

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Voters in Kansas rejected an amendment that would have weakened protections for abortion in the state, a huge win for reproductive rights advocates in the first test at the ballot box since Roe v. Wade was overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court in June.

The GOP-sponsored initiative, known as Amendment 2, would not have banned abortion in the state, but a yes vote would affirm there is no Kansas constitutional right to abortion or to require the government funding of abortion and would have opened the door for the Republican-controlled Legislature to pass further restrictions. At the time the Associated Press called the race, the no vote was winning by more than 20 points.

The initiative was an attempt to overturn a 2019 decision by the Kansas Supreme Court, which ruled 6-1 that the state constitution enables a woman to make decisions regarding her body, health, family formation, and family life, including the decision whether to continue a pregnancy.

Due in large part to that decision, Kansas continued to ensure abortion rights despite the U.S. Supreme Courts ruling that access to the procedure is not protected by the U.S. Constitution. Republican-controlled states bordering Kansas, such as Oklahoma and Missouri, now have near-total bans in place, making the state a safe haven for neighboring populations.

A billboard urges Kansans to vote "no" on a proposed amendment to the state constitution that would assert there is no right to abortion. (Gabriella Borter/Reuters)

This historic victory was the result of a groundswell of grassroots support and a broad coalition of reasonable, thoughtful Kansans across the state who put health care over politics, Planned Parenthood Great Plains CEO Emily Wales said in a statement. We have seen the devastation caused by a loss of access to abortion in neighboring states and tonight, Kansans saw through the deception of anti-abortion interests to ensure people in their state retained their rights. Now, more than ever, our work continues.

The victory comes in a state that former President Donald Trump won by 15 points in 2020. It also comes after Republican legislators specifically placed the initiative on the primary ballot, hoping the usual turnout  smaller and more conservative than Novembers general election, with fewer unaffiliated voters participating  would help the amendment succeed. The limited polling in the race had indicated a tight race, with a July survey finding 47% in favor of the amendment, 43% opposed and 10% undecided.

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Polls show that most Americans want abortion to be legal, and Democrats hope the issue will motivate voters to support their candidates this November. The victory comes on the same day the Justice Department announced it was suing Idaho over a restrictive abortion law that the federal government says prevents emergency room doctors from providing pregnant patients with adequate care.

In a statement following the result, President Biden said, This vote makes clear what we know: the majority of Americans agree that women should have access to abortion and should have the right to make their own health care decisions.

Congress should listen to the will of the American people and restore the protections of Roe as federal law, he added. While that is the only way to secure a womans right to choose, my Administration will continue to take meaningful action to protect womens access to reproductive health care.

Reproductive rights supporters on primary night in Overland Park, Kan., cheer as the proposed amendment fails on Tuesday. (Dave Kaup/AFP via Getty Images)

Anti-abortion advocates in the state expressed disappointment in the result. The Value Them Both Coalition, the main organization pushing for the repeal of protections, issued a statement in which it calls the outcome a temporary setback caused by an onslaught of misinformation from radical left organizations. Sen. Roger Marshall, a Republican and an ob-gyn, called it an enormous blow to efforts to protect the sanctity of life in Kansas.

Too many times Ive seen sadness and hurt, without an explanation why  this is one of those moments, Marshall said in a series of tweets. While I dont have an answer, I do know that God works all things for good for those who trust him.

While Kansas has consistently voted Republican for president and the U.S. Senate for decades, there have been Democrats in statewide office, including current Gov. Laura Kelly, who won election in 2018 by defeating Republican Kris Kobach, the controversial former Kansas secretary of state. Kelly, who opposed the amendment, will face Republican Attorney General Derek Schmidt this fall.

A July Yahoo News/YouGov poll found that 54% of Americans said abortion is a constitutional right that women in all states should have some access to, versus 30% who said individual states should be allowed to outlaw it. In a poll taken over the weekend, 43% percent of Americans said they felt Democrats would do a better job on abortion, versus 30% who said Republicans would.

Kansas is only the first state to vote on the issue in 2022, as other abortion-related initiatives will be on the ballot this November in California, Kentucky, Montana, Vermont and likely Michigan. Additionally, gubernatorial contests in states like Pennsylvania are likely to affect the legality of the procedure.
(Bloomberg) -- Ken Griffin, the billionaire founder of hedge fund Citadel, was added to a sweeping list of those Twitter Inc. has subpoenaed in its effort to force Elon Musk to complete his $44 billion purchase of the social media company.

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The subpoena notice for Griffin, whose involvement -- if any -- in Musks proposed takeover of the company is unclear, was filed Wednesday as part of a slew of document requests from both sides of the deal. Twitter has sought information from more than a dozen investment firms that committed equity to Musks purchase as well as the banks that had advised Musk and pledged billions in financing.

Twitter Subpoenas Musk Deal Investors, Digs Into Andreessen, VCs

Like many hedge funds, Griffins Citadel has owned both Tesla and Twitter stock. But the filings in Delaware Chancery Court are addressed to Griffin rather than his company and list Griffin as an actual or potential co-investor in the equity financing for the deal. Zia Ahmed, a spokesman for Griffin, declined to comment. The subpoena asks for documents and communications related to Musk and Twitters deal proposals, agreements, financing, and much more.

For his part, Musk has requested records from Twitters deal advisers, Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and JPMorgan Chase & Co., to gather information on how the two helped steer the company during its negotiations with Musk. His legal team wants documents related to discussions about the proposed merger and analysis of Twitters financial conditions, as well as information about any talks with or about other potential purchasers of Twitter besides Musk.

Both sides are seeking information to make their case ahead of the Oct. 17 trial in Twitters suit seeking to force Musk to complete the $44 billion acquisition. Musk claims hes trying to cancel the deal because Twitter failed to provide him with information about the number of spam and bot accounts on the platform. Twitter says his bot complaints were a pretext for him to walk away and that it has provided him with its firehose of data.

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Torrent of Subpoenas

Twitter and Musk have also been fighting over the schedule of the public filing of Musks counterclaims against Twitter, with the billionaire saying the social media company was using court confidentiality rules as a sword and a shield to keep defendants side of the story concealed. On Wednesday a judge ruled that Musk would have to wait until Friday to file a public version of his claims.

In addition to seeking details from deal financiers, Twitter sought information from one -- Key Wealth Advisors -- about communications with Silicon Valley investors Jason Calacanis, Steve Jurvetson, Joe Lonsdale, Chamath Palihapitiya, Keith Rabois and David Sacks. Jurvetsons DFJ Growth IV Partners was also served.

The documents say Twitter tried to serve Griffin at his home and office in New York. The billionaire said in June that he had moved to Miami, where he is establishing new headquarters for his $52 billion firm. The subpoena was received by Griffins attorney, according to Ahmed.

Twitter also subpoenaed Musks companies, Tesla Inc. and SpaceX. They were asked to turn over any documents about the Twitter deal, including communications with their boss. Twitter also sought information from Musks lawyers at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom and McDermott Will & Emery.

A unit of crypto-currency exchange Binance was also subpoenaed by Twitter. Binance put $500 million into Musks $7.1 billion equity raise for the deal in May. Twitters lawyers want to know about investment terms and the billionaires efforts to syndicate the package, according to court filings.

The case is Twitter v. Musk, 22-0613, Delaware Chancery Court (Wilmington).

(Updates with details from Griffins subpoena in third paragraph.)

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Kentuckys Air National Guard rescued 19 stranded residents and two dogs in the aftermath of horrific flooding in eastern Kentucky last week that claimed the lives of dozens of people.

Airmen from the Kentucky Air National Guards 123rd Special Tactics Squadron deployed to the region last Thursday and carried out a four-day rescue operation.

"We found out about the situation Thursday morning at approximately 8:10 a.m.," Maj. Ian Williams, squadron commander, said in a statement. "Before we had our tasking to respond, we started having our initial team show up to the squadron to prepare gear in the event that we would have to push out and support."

Some 17 STS members traveled over roads with boats and trucks. Another six operators and Callie, a certified search-and-rescue canine in the U.S. military, departed via helicopter transport provided by the Kentucky Army Guard 63rd Theater Aviation Brigade.

MCKINNEY FIRE: DEATH TOLL RISES AS MASSIVE BLAZE REMAINS 0% CONTAINED

"Our success at the 123rd STS wouldnt be possible without our mission support folks," Williams said. "They're the first to arrive at the unit when something happens because they know that the vehicles, boats, communications equipment and resupply coordination are make-or-break elements of this sort of mission."

Multiple agencies took part in the rescue effort, including the Kentucky State Police and Army National Guard troops from Kentucky, Tennessee and West Virginia.

Airmen with the West Virginia National Guard prepare for search and rescue operations at Big Sandy Regional Airport. Michael Swensen/Getty Images

The death toll from the massive flooding in eastern Kentucky stood at 37 on Tuesday after more bodies were found Monday in the ruined landscape. And while more than 1,300 people have been rescued, crews are still trying to reach some people who remain cut off by floods or mudslides. Hundreds were unaccounted for, a number that should drop as cellphone service is restored and people can tell each other they're alive, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said.

The National Weather Service warned that slow-moving showers and thunderstorms could provoke more flash flooding along waterways swollen by Sunday's heavy rain, a dismal coda to last week's historic floods. That includes communities just across the state line in Virginia and West Virginia, where some people also remain without power.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Shoppers, some in masks and others without, visit Santee Alley on July 14 in Los Angeles. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

The summer coronavirus wave in Los Angeles County  fueled by super-contagious Omicron subvariants  appears to be cresting as cases continue to fall, but the picture is far from good.

COVID-19 deaths  the result of weeks of substantial transmission  remain on the rise and aren't likely to decrease for some time. Moreover, cases remain highly elevated.

The latest data extend the trends health officials noted last week, when they canceled implementation of a long-looming mask mandate. And while the pandemic has regularly upended prognostications, metrics are moving in a promising direction almost across the board.

"Although we had three instances earlier in the spring and summer where we saw dips in cases that, unfortunately, were followed shortly by increases, this decline is more pronounced, and it's accompanied by decreases in our other metrics," county Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said Tuesday.

Over the week ending Wednesday, the nation's most populous county tallied an average of 5,200 new coronavirus infections per day, down 24% from mid-July  the apparent peak of summer's surge. It's "the largest drop in average case counts that we've seen since the end of the winter surge," Ferrer told the county Board of Supervisors.

On a per capita basis, L.A. County is reporting 363 new cases a week for every 100,000 residents, down 15% from the prior week. A rate of 100 or more is considered high.

The downward trend is evident across California, which is reporting 287 cases a week for every 100,000 residents, a 14% week-over-week decrease. The San Francisco Bay Area is reporting 256 cases a week for every 100,000 residents, a 10% decrease from the prior week. And Orange County is reporting 229 cases a week for every 100,000 residents, down 19% over the past week.

L.A. County's weekly test positivity  the proportion of conducted and reported tests confirming coronavirus infection  also dipped from 15% a week ago to 13.7% Wednesday, officials said. The number of new coronavirus outbreaks reported at worksites, nursing homes and homeless settings have all also declined.

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Hospitals, which have not been nearly as stressed as they were during the pandemic's previous waves, have also begun to see some relief. As of Tuesday, 1,273 coronavirus-positive patients were hospitalized countywide, down about 4% from last month's peak, recorded on July 20.

The share of emergency department visits associated with people seeking care for COVID-related symptoms has also fallen.

That's not to say that the still-widespread community transmission isn't having an impact, however.

"While the number of patients hospitalized for COVID are not currently putting strain on the DHS hospitals' overall census, we are quite busy in the emergency departments and urgent cares and are continuing to experience a number of call-offs among staff that are COVID positive and following isolation protocols," said Dr. Nina Park, chief deputy director of population health at the county Department of Health Services, which runs four public hospitals.

However, she added that the "latest test positivity rate and workforce member testing has decreased slightly over the last two weeks, which we hope to be a continuing trend."

One major metric still not heading in the right direction, however, is deaths. Over the last week, L.A. County reported 116 COVID-19 fatalities, a 7% increase from a week ago.

"Since deaths always lag behind cases and hospitalizations, we are hopeful that the recent declines in cases and hospitalizations will bring declines in deaths in a few weeks," Ferrer said. "Every death is heartbreaking."

The number of coronavirus-positive patients in L.A. County's intensive care units has not yet seen a sustained downward trend, though the figure remains low overall. There were 138 such patients as of Tuesday, roughly the same as the prior week.

One reason for the recent downturn in infections could be that, eight months into the rapidly evolving Omicron era, the coronavirus may have stabilized.

Since late April, three different Omicron subvariants  BA.2, BA.2.12.1 and BA.5  have, at times, been the most common version of the coronavirus circulating nationwide.

It's the last one that now has a stranglehold on viral transmission. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, BA.5 made up an estimated 85.5% of new cases for the week ending Saturday.

Given its dominance and transmissibility, it's possible BA.5 is simply running out of people to infect. And unlike earlier phases of this most recent wave  which were dominated by the BA.2 and BA.2.12.1 subvariants that transitioned directly into BA.5  there appears to be no readily visible successor on the horizon.

Still, there is uncertainty.

At a briefing Thursday, Ferrer said she had talked with state officials about whether BA.5 has run its course and has fewer people to infect.

The answers were unclear: "The models are all over the place. Some of the models that the state shared with us showed a little bit of an increase or some plateauing," Ferrer said.

Sequencing data determining the dominant variants for a given week is typically delayed, and so "we're always kind of behind on recognizing how much spread BA.5 has been causing or has been responsible for," she added.

"One thing is for sure: It's really crowding out everything else, clearly, both here and across the nation. Whether it's run out of people to infect, I don't know that we can tell that for certain," Ferrer said.

BA.5 has been the source of so much worry among public health officials because of its ability to reinfect those who had previously come down with an earlier Omicron strain.

It's too soon to say for certain that the worst is behind L.A. County. But should recent trends continue, it would mean that the region was able to navigate the pandemic's latest wave without resorting to the reimposition of universal indoor masking restrictions ordered by county officials.

Some businesses and institutions have decided on their own to impose restrictions, such as canceling large gatherings, moving events outdoors and instituting mask requirements.

Indoor requirements have been in place this summer at UCLA and in the TV and film industry in the L.A. area. The Television Critics Assn. shifted its in-person summer tour to virtual sessions, citing rising case rates while noting that "shows in production cannot or do not want to break COVID bubbles" and "producers, writers, talent and publicists are not willing to appear in person."

Many officials have said the one-two punch of vaccines and widely available treatments, along with general changes in the nature of the coronavirus itself, had rendered most infections relatively mild and lessened the urgency for strict public health measures.

Only one California county, Alameda, instituted a new public indoor mask mandate in response to rising infections this spring, but that measure was short-lived. L.A. County came close to reviving its mask requirements but decided not to after seeing enough improvement in its pandemic metrics last week

Residents should still protect themselves, officials said. It is still strongly encouraged that masks be worn in public indoor spaces. BA.5 remains highly infectious, and in a group of 50 people, there's a 60% to 70% likelihood that someone in that group is infected, Ferrer has said.

"While we're relieved with the steady improvements in the county metrics, transmission does remain significantly elevated ... and that means that there is considerable risk of viral spread," Ferrer said. "Being cautious and layering in protections such as testing before gathering, isolating away from others when infected or sick and masking indoors will continue to slow transmission."

Unvaccinated people in L.A. County are twice as likely to test positive for the coronavirus compared to people who have completed their primary vaccination series, according to figures presented Tuesday. They are also four times as likely to be hospitalized, and six times as likely to die, compared to those who have finished their primary vaccination series.

"Getting vaccinated and boosted remains a critical tool for staying as safe as possible, especially when transmission is so high," Ferrer said.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
NEW YORK  The televised debate between two longtime Democratic House incumbents and a political outsider vying to represent Manhattans newly drawn 12th Congressional District turned to biography Tuesday night, absent a partisan divide.

But one area of notable disagreement was whether President Biden should seek reelection, with the 38-year-old change candidate Suraj Patel embracing the idea and the elderly incumbents of three decades Carolyn Maloney and Jerry Nadler casting doubt.

Maloney and Nadler  who were thrust into a faceoff when district lines were redrawn this year  touted their experience chairing committees, drafting legislation and fighting Republicans in Washington, D.C., while three-time candidate Patel consistently sought to distinguish himself from his two opponents in the Democratic primary.

1990s Democrats have lost almost every major battle to Mitch McConnell and Republicans. Trumpism is on the rise, even if we defeated Trump, Patel said in his opening remarks of the 90-minute debate. To defeat it, we need people with new ideas and energy. Tonight youre going to hear two distinct arguments from three candidates: Two of them are going to be talking about the past, and I am going to be talking about the future.

By contrast Maloney, who bested Patels last two attempts to unseat her, rolled out her resume in nearly every answer to highlight experience over change in an unpredictable race.

Change does not come easily, but it will come if you never quit, Maloney said in her introductory comments. She proceeded to tick off a list of accomplishments, from advocating for improved medical care for first responders to pushing for funding for the Second Avenue Subway extension.



The only woman on stage, she also repeatedly reminded viewers of her history supporting abortion rights, while Nadler noted he was endorsed by NARALs political arm.

For his part, Nadler, who chairs the House Judiciary Committee, appeared to struggle at times to articulate his answers, though he evinced more confidence as the debate went on.

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I endorsed Carolyn, despite her unfortunate record on vaccines, because in a contest between you and her, I frankly thought she was the better candidate, Nadler said when Patel asked why he supported Maloney in 2020, given her past skepticism about vaccines. I still think so.

Nadler and Maloney, who call each other friends despite their current rivalry, at times teamed up against Patel, though the long-time Upper West Side congressman pointed to policy differences hes had with his House colleague.

He opposed both the U.S. invasion into Iraq and the post-Sept. 11 PATRIOT Act, both of which she supported; he embraced Americas Iran nuclear deal, which she opposed.



But the trio was largely aligned on policy in a primary contest that will all but certainly determine the ultimate winner in the deep-blue district.

All three agreed on the need to tackle climate change, though Patel called for more aggressive action than Nadlers focus on seawalls. Each admonished the Supreme Courts recent overturning of abortion protections and gun laws. They all took measured stances on police reform, said they feel safe riding the subway and opposed placing metal detectors in subway stations.

And each expressed varying degrees of concerns about casinos that are vying to open in the city.

I do respect the hell out of your voting record, Patel told Nadler at one point, when the elder representative asked him about the recent comment in a New York Times profile.

They also all supported House Speaker Nancy Pelosis trip to Taiwan.

One political area of disagreement: Whether President Joe Biden should run again in 2024.

Patel was the only candidate to declare he would back Biden. Nadler said it is too early to say and Maloney said she doesnt believe hes running for reelection  although Biden himself has indicated he will.

The first rule of any debate is do no harm to yourself. The second rule in a Democratic debate in a deep-blue seat is dont do anything that the Republicans will use to harm your president and his Democratic agenda, said consultant Stu Loeser, who represented former Mayor Mike Bloomberg and is not working for anyone in this race. The answers about Joe Biden tonight from some rather experienced Democrats were astounding on that count.
WASHINGTON (AP)  For a year, U.S. officials have been saying that taking out a terrorist threat in Afghanistan with no American troops on the ground would be difficult but not impossible. Last weekend, the U.S. did just that  killing al-Qaida leader Ayman al-Zawahri with a CIA drone strike.

Other high-profile airstrikes in the past had inadvertently killed innocent civilians. In this case, the U.S. carefully chose to use a type of Hellfire missile that greatly minimized the chance of other casualties. Although U.S. officials have not publicly confirmed which variant of the Hellfire was used, experts and others familiar with counterterrorism operations said a likely option was the highly secretive Hellfire R9X  know by various nicknames, including the knife bomb or the flying Ginsu.

That potential use of the R9X, said Klon Kitchen, senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and a former intelligence analyst, suggests the U.S. wanted to kill al-Zawahri with limited likelihood of collateral death and destruction and for other relevant political reasons.

A look at the Hellfire, and how al-Zawahri likely was killed:

What is a Hellfire missile?

Originally designed as an anti-tank missile in the 1980s, the Hellfire has been used by military and intelligence agencies over the last two decades to strike targets in Iraq, Afghanistan, Yemen and elsewhere.

The precision-guided missiles can be mounted on helicopters and unmanned drones and are used widely in combat around the world. More than 100,000 Hellfire missiles have been sold to the U.S. and other countries, according to Ryan Brobst, an analyst at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, a Washington think tank.

Airmen carry a practice AGM-114P Hellfire missile away from an MQ-9 Reaper at Creech Air Force Base, Nev. (Lance Cheung/Air Force)

It can do enough damage to destroy most targets such as vehicles and buildings while not doing enough damage to level city blocks and cause significant civilian casualties, Brobst said.

The U.S. military has routinely used Hellfire missiles to kill high-value targets, including a senior al-Qaida leader in Syria last year, and al-Qaida propagandist Anwar al-Awlaki in Yemen in 2011.

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What killed al-Zawahri?

The U.S. had multiple options for the attack. It could have used a traditional Hellfire, a bomb dropped from an manned aircraft, or a far more risky assault by ground forces. U.S. Navy SEALs, for example, flew into Pakistan on helicopters and took out Osama bin Laden in a raid.

In this case, the CIA opted for a drone strike. And while the CIA generally doesnt confirm its counterterrorism missions and closely guards information about strikes it conducts, U.S. government officials have said that two Hellfire missiles were fired at the balcony of the building where al-Zawahri was living in Kabul.

This file image broadcast April 17, 2002, by the London based Middle East Broacasting Corp, shows Osama bin Laden, right, and top deputy Ayman Al-Zawahri in an unknown location. (MBC via AP)

Online images of the building show damage to the balcony, where the U.S. says al-Zawahri was, but the rest of the house is standing and not badly damaged.

Unlike other models of the Hellfire, the R9X doesnt carry an explosive payload. Instead, it has a series of six rotating blades that emerge on its final approach to a target, Kitchen said. One of their utilities is in opening up vehicles and other obstructions to get to the target without having to use an explosive warhead, he said.

Avoiding civilian deaths

U.S. officials and experts made clear this week that avoiding civilian casualties was a crucial element in the choice of weapon.

Less than a year ago, a U.S. drone strike  using a more conventional Hellfire missile  struck a white Toyota Corolla sedan in a Kabul neighborhood and killed 10 civilians around and near the car, including seven children. In the midst of the chaotic U.S. military withdrawal from Afghanistan, American forces believed there were explosives in the car and that it posed an imminent threat to troops on the ground. It was, military leaders said, a tragic mistake

One former U.S. official said the likely choice of an R9X is an example of the administrations effort to find ways to minimize collateral damage and prevent the loss of innocent life. That missile is a very accurate weapon that strikes in a very small area, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss counterterrorism operations.

An administration official said Monday that the U.S. investigated the construction of the house where al-Zawahri was staying in order to ensure that the operation could be done without threatening the structural integrity of the building and also minimizing the risks of killing civilians, including members of his family who were in other parts of the house.

The choice of missile is ultimately one part of reducing the possibility of killing civilians or causing other collateral damage.

I would say this is by far a lower-risk option, said Tom Karako, an expert on missile defense at the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies. Using the Hellfire, he said, reflects a high degree of caution as opposed to a riskiness.

Is the US providing Ukraine with drones that shoot Hellfire missiles?

No. While the U.S. has delivered billions of dollars in military assistance to help Ukraine fight the invading Russian troops, it is wary of providing weapons that could fire deep into Russia, potentially escalating the conflict or drawing the U.S. into the war.

As a result, the U.S. so far has not provided Hellfire missiles or drones that could fire them. Instead, the U.S. has delivered smaller, so-called kamikaze drones, such as the Switchblade and Phoenix Ghost, which instead of firing missiles, explode when they hit a target.
SAO PAULO (Reuters) - Brazilian leftist Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva maintains a lead against incumbent right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro ahead of October's presidential election but is losing the strong lead he had in January, a Genial/Quaest poll released on Wednesday showed.

Lula is seen with 44% voter support in a first-round vote to Bolsonaro's 32%, a 12-point lead that has fallen from 14 points in the previous poll.

In an expected run-off, Lula, a former president, is seen winning with a narrower 14 percentage point gap - taking 51% of the vote versus 37% for Bolsonaro, the Genial/Quaest poll said.

The Genial/Quaest poll also showed that the negative view of Bolsonaro's government fell to 43%, down from the 47% seen in July, while the percentage of those who see the government in a positive light increased one percentage point to 27%.

For 40% of respondents, the country's economic situation remains the biggest issue the nation faces, a smaller percentage if compared to the 44% seen in July.

Pollster Quaest interviewed 2,000 voters in person between July 28 and July 31. The poll has a margin of error of 2 percentage points.

(Reporting by Alexandre Caverni; Writing by Carolina Pulice; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)
Rep. Peter Meijer (R-Mich.) narrowly lost to his Donald Trump-endorsed primary opponent Tuesday night, in the second defeat this year for a Republican who voted to impeach Trump in 2021. And two more members of that small group are locked in tight races further west.

The primaries are testing Trump's hold on the party. In Washington state, both Reps. Dan Newhouse and Jaime Herrera Beutler are in close contests in their districts' all-party primaries, hoping to hold off challengers who attacked them for their impeachment votes. It didn't work for Meijer, who conceded his race against John Gibbs early Wednesday morning.

Other big results from Tuesday include Missouri state Attorney General Eric Schmitt winning the Republican Senate primary in his state, blocking the political return of disgraced former Gov. Eric Greitens. Schmitts victory on a busy primary night likely takes the seat off the map for Democrats in November. Blake Masters won the GOP nomination to take on Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly in Arizona, one of the nation's biggest battleground races, while a Trump supporter who has spread election conspiracy theories got the GOP nomination to be the chief administrator for future elections in the state.



Democrats also have key primaries, including for the battleground Arizona governors contest. And in a race outside Detroit, Rep. Haley Stevens won a primary in a blue district that pitted two sitting House members against each other.

But one of Tuesdays biggest votes doesnt involve candidates. Instead, Kansans rejected a state a constitutional amendment that would have said there is no explicit right to an abortion, the first time voters have been able to weigh in on abortion policy since the Supreme Courts Dobbs decision earlier this year. The stunningly wide margin in the otherwise red state is an early sign that the Supreme Court's decision could totally upend the midterms.

Still uncalled, along with the key Washington state primaries, is the Arizona GOP gubernatorial nomination, with Trump-endorsed Kari Lake in the lead and counting continuing. Here is the latest.



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Schmitt wins in Missouri

Schmitt's path to victory in Missouri careened to a bizarre end Monday when Trump endorsed ERIC  a reference to both Schmitt and the former governor.

Trump hemmed and hawed about getting involved in a race, before ultimately trying to back both men on Monday.

It is a victory for both Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and his allies. Republicans in D.C. were pulling for anyone but Greitens to win the nomination, believing that the former governors checkered past  he is facing accusations of abuse and sexual assault from his mistress and his then-wife, which he denies  would put the seat in play.

Trudy Busch Valentine, an heir to the Busch beer empire, won the Democratic primary, and there is also an independent seeking a spot on the ballot: John Wood, who has support from a well-funded super PAC backed by former GOP Sen. John Danforth. But with Schmitt beating out Greitens, the Republican will likely be a strong favorite going into November.



Impeachment on the ballot

A trio of Republicans who voted to impeach Trump in the beginning of 2021 are facing voters Tuesday as well.

Meijer lost to Gibbs in the Republican primary, in a district that got significantly bluer during redistricting. Gibbs had a low-spending campaign on his own  but the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee swooped into the district in the closing weeks of the race to run TV ads attacking him, with the end goal of hoisting him over the finish line in the GOP primary. The Democrats are hoping Gibbs is easier to beat in November than Meijer would be.



And in Washington State, two other Republicans are facing impeachment-fueled primary challengers: Newhouse and Herrera Beutler. Both have the benefit of running in open, all-party primaries, where all voters cast ballots and the top two candidates of any party advance. Newhouse is in first place in his district, narrowly running ahead of a Democratic candidate and outpacing the 2020 GOP gubernatorial nominee by about 7 points. Herrera Beutler is fighting for second place in her district with the Trump-endorsed Joe Kent.



Setting up major statewide battleground races

Arizona has a trio of major statewide contests on the ballot, with Trump right in the middle of each of them.



Republicans also picked Masters to face off against Kelly in a race that could decide control of the Senate. Masters, a protege of tech titan Peter Thiel who also had Trumps endorsement, defeated a GOP field that also included Jim Lamon, a businessman who has spent millions of his own money to try to keep pace, and state Attorney General Mark Brnovich.



At the top of the ticket is the race for governor, which pits former TV anchor Kari Lake against former state board of regents Karrin Taylor Robson in the GOP primary. Trump backed Lake early, while term-limited Gov. Doug Ducey and former Vice President Mike Pence threw their support behind Robson. Lake has built a small lead through Wednesday morning as ballot counting continued through the night.



Democrats also had a primary, but Secretary of State Katie Hobbs  a sitting statewide elected official  easily won the nomination.



In the race to replace Hobbs as the states chief elections officer, Republicans nominated one of the most prominent election conspiracy theorists in the country. Mark Finchem, a state lawmaker who scored an early endorsement from Trump, outpaced a splintered field that also includes Beau Lane, an advertising executive running out of the business wing of the party, with Duceys support.



Another big statewide race is in Michigan, where Republicans landed on their nominee to face Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in November. After an incredibly messy primary, Tudor Dixon captured the GOP nod Tuesday evening.



Kansas voters reject abortion amendment

Voters in Kansas were the first since the Supreme Courts Dobbs decision to vote on a state ballot measure affecting abortion policy, rejecting the Value Them Both constitutional amendment on the ballot on Tuesday.

The amendment would have explicitly stated there is no right to an abortion in Kansas, after the state Supreme Court ruled in 2019 that there was one. Kansas voters rejected the amendment by a little under two-to-one, a stunning rebuke that could be the first sign of major voter backlash to the Supreme Court's decision.

Member-on-member clash highlights House battlegrounds

Tuesday features one incumbent-versus-incumbent race in Michigan, Stevens beating out Rep. Andy Levin for the Democratic Party's nomination in a deep blue district after redistricting. The race was a proxy war between different ideological wings of the Democratic Party, and it has also been a battleground over Israel policy, with the super PAC arm of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) spending millions on the race supporting Stevens, while Levin got backup from J Street.

Outside of the Republicans who voted to impeach Trump, Rep. David Schweikert (R-Ariz.) may be the Republican incumbent facing the most danger on Tuesday. Schweikert  who has faced ethics complaints over his campaign spending  is facing a well-funded primary from businessman Elijah Norton. The district, which narrowly tilted Democratic in the 2020 presidential election, could be competitive in the fall, too.



Three other Arizona districts could be competitive in November. The Republican primary winner in Democratic Rep. Tom OHallerans district will be favored in the fall in a seat Trump won by 9 points in 2020, while Republicans also hope to challenge for the Democratic-held 4th and 6th Districts, too.



Other competitive districts include one in Kansas, where Democratic Rep. Sharice Davids and Republican Amanda Adkins are headed to a November rematch. And in Washington, Democratic Rep. Kim Schrier is watching to see who will emerge to face her in November.


Aug. 3The Albert Lea man charged with stabbing three people in May at an apartment complex in Albert Lea pleaded not guilty Tuesday in Freeborn County District Court to his charges.

The trial for CK Kyle Kasio, 26, is slated for Dec. 12, with a pretrial hearing Dec. 2.

Kasio faces two counts of first-degree assault causing great bodily harm and three counts of second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon.

Court documents allege Kasio attacked three men as they were sleeping May 16 a 221 E. Main St. Two of the three victims were critically injured and flown by helicopter to St. Marys Hospital.

One of the victims told police he woke up to the other victim being stabbed and then he got stabbed himself. As he tried to run away, he got stabbed in the back of his shoulder, court documents state.

Police recovered a chef's knife with a blade approximately 7 inches long about 15 feet behind the back of 221 E. Main St. and the south wall of a building at 214 Elizabeth Ave. It was covered in a red liquid.

Kasio initially fled the scene but turned himself in at the Law Enforcement Center a little less than three hours afterward.
Aug. 2MANCHESTER  Weeks after confirming new water and sewer rates, selectmen have announced a ban on non-essential outdoor water.

All outdoor non-essential water use is forbidden until further notice. This includes lawn irrigation systems, sprinklers, car and boat washing, and hot tubs and pool filling. Residents mayhand-water plants between 5 p.m. and 8 a.m.

Those who violate the ban are susceptible to a fine of $200 per day.

Manchester is the latest Cape Ann community to adopt an outdoor water ban during the ongoing state-wide drought. State officials last week declared the northeast region of Massachusetts, including Cape Ann, in "critical drought" condition.

Gloucester was the first on Cape Ann to instate a ban on July 22, Rockport followed a week later.

Rockport selectmen voted to institute the ban at their meeting on Monday. Two weeks prior, they voted to raise town water and sewer rates by 3% in 2023  a steeper hike than the 2% increase from 2021 to 2022.

For sewer, residents will pay $15.55 per 100 cubic feet.

Water rates will start at $$6.55 per 100 cubic feet for first 900 cubic feet used. Rates per 100 cubic feet will increase to $6.66 for 900 to 1,700 cubic feet, $7.32 for 1,700 to 5,700 cubic feet, $7.95 for 5,700 to 16,000 cubic feet, $8.59 per for 16,000 to 39,000 cubic feet and $9.23 per for 39,000 cubic feet or more.

The sewer-only flat fee will rise to $121.60 per bedroom per quarter, up from last year's cost of $118.06. Sewer capacity fees will remain unchanged at $15 per gallon used per day determined by the Title 5 flow ratings.

Michael Cronin may be contacted at 978-675-2708, or mcronin@gloucestertimes.com.

Michael Cronin may be contacted at 978-675-2708, or mcronin@gloucestertimes.com.
Mark McCloskey, who became infamous in 2020 for waving a rifle at Black Lives Matter protesters who marched near his front lawn in St. Louis, lost his bid for a U.S. Senate seat in Missouri on Tuesday night.

McCloskey won just 3 percent of the vote, according to results from The Associated Press, while Missouris Attorney General Eric Schmitt earned 45 percent of the vote to clinch the GOP nomination.

Polls had showed McCloskey was running far behind his opponents headed into election day.

McCloskey, an attorney, brandished an assault-style rifle while standing outside his home with his wife Patricia McCloskey, also a lawyer, during the 2020 summer protests against police brutality that followed the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minn.

The couple became a symbol of the culture war in America, drawing praise at the time from former President Trump and conservatives who argued Mark McCloskey was defending his home, but also condemnation from the left who said he threatened peaceful protesters.

The McCloskeys pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges of assault and harassment over the incident, but were later pardoned by Missouris Republican Gov. Mike Parson.

A Missouri panel also filed an ethics complaint against the couple to suspend their law licenses, which the Missouri Supreme Court ruled on in February.

The court, calling the couples crimes a moral turpitude, sanctioned the McCloskeys and ordered them to complete 100 hours of pro-bono work. They were also ordered to a one-year probationary period, which if violated could result in an indefinite suspension of their law licenses.

The U.S. Supreme Court last month rejected an appeal from the couple, who argued the ruling violated their Second Amendment right to defend themselves in their own home.

In May 2021, Mark McCloskey announced his bid for Missouris open U.S. Senate seat to replace retiring GOP Sen. Roy Blunt.

At the time, he said Missourians were seeking a candidate like him who would fight back against the cancel culture mobs.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Martha Stewart is celebrating her birthday in style.

On 3 August, the lifestyle guru celebrated turning 81 years old by sharing a birthday selfie to her Instagram page. In the image, Stewart shows off a fresh face of makeup and a pursed-lip pout. The cookbook author revealed she celebrated her birthday with a delicious lunch and just a bit too much Marthas chard.

Of course, the mogul is referring to her wine collaboration with the brand 19 Crimes. The company also released a red wine collaboration with Stewarts pal Snoop Dogg.

Stewart has recently created some internet buzz around her iconic selfie-taking skills. In 2020, she broke the internet when she posted a sultry photo of herself in the pool at her home in East Hampton, New York.

My pool in East Hampton is the place to be on a 89 degree day! she captioned the photo. In the selfie, Stewart is seen wearing pink lipgloss and making her now famous pout.

The businesswoman has even offered lessons on how to create the perfect thirst trap selfie. Earlier this year, Stewart starred in an ad for Japanese beauty brand Cle de Peau Beaute, in which she gave viewers a short thirst trap 101 tutorial.

Oh yes, this was some of my best work, she said, poking fun at her now famous poolside selfie.

In an interview with People in 2020, the television personality admitted that she snapped the pool selfie by mistake. Really, she was just trying to take a picture of a planter in her yard.

I took a pool selfie photo by mistake. I was trying to take a picture of the beautiful turquoise planter at the end of the pool, but the camera was on me, so I just snapped it, she revealed. It looked so good, so I posted it.

I didnt know what a thirst trap was, but now I do. Now Im looking for the next thirst trap. I love doing those promiscuous, provocative things, because its just fun.
Good Morning America

In an exclusive interview with "Good Morning America," Amber Escudero-Kontostathis sits down to talk for the first time about being the sole survivor of a lightning strike near the White House earlier this month, on her 28th birthday, and her road to recovery. "I don't remember much of that day at all," Escudero-Kontostathis told "GMA" in her first interview since the incident. On Aug. 4, Escudero-Kontostathis, 28, was canvassing outside the White House for Threshold Giving, a nonprofit organization through the International Rescue Committee that helps refugees, when she and three others took cover underneath a tree at Lafayette Square after it began to rain.
Mayor Michelle Wu extended the heat emergency in Boston through Monday, August 8, as temperatures once again stay in the 90s for multiple days.

With the weather forecast now showing the high temperatures and humidity lasting through Monday, were extending the heat emergency to make sure all of our Boston residents and families are safe, said Mayor Michelle Wu. I encourage residents to continue to utilize our cooling centers and splash pads, and to check on your neighbors.

The heat index tied a record high in Boston on Saturday reaching 97!

Along with pools and splash pads, there are also16 cooling centers open throughout Boston in case people need a place to escape the brutally hot temperatures.

If you plan on going to a city pool, youll need a reservation. You can sign up online 24 hours in advance, and youre limited to your time slot to keep the pools from getting too packed.

During last months heat wave Boston EMS experienced a 15-20 percent rise in daily calls to 9-1-1.

We strongly encourage people to increase hydration and avoid outside activities during the hotter parts of the day, from 11 am-6 pm, said Boston Emergency Medical Services Chief James Hooley. With multiple days of high heat, we see people of all ages, including the young and healthy, who are affected by the heat.

Mayor Wu shared the following safety tips:

Children and pets should never be left alone in vehicles, even for short periods of time.

Stay hydrated. Drink plenty of fluids regardless of activity level. Avoid alcoholic beverages and liquids high in sugar or caffeine.

Keep cool with frequent cool showers, shade, and air conditioning or fans.

Limit outdoor activity to morning and evening hours. Rest often in shady areas and be extra cautious from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., when the suns ultraviolet (UV) radiation is strongest.

Know the signs of heat exhaustion. Heavy sweating, cool and clammy skin, dizziness, nausea, and muscle aches could all be signs of heat exhaustion. If symptoms persist, call 911 immediately. Do not delay care. Heat is the leading cause of weather-related deaths in the U.S. and can exacerbate underlying illnesses.

Adults and children should use sunscreen containing an SPF-30 or higher and wear protective, loose-fitting clothing including long sleeve shirts and hats.

If you have a child in your home, use child window guards in addition to screens on any open window on the second story or above. Falls are the leading cause of injury for children under the age of six.

Secure all window air conditioner units according to the manufacturers specifications.

If you are heading to a beach, lake, or pool to beat the heat, swim where lifeguards are present. Always watch children near the water and make sure theyre wearing a U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jacket.

Please call or check on neighbors, especially older adults and people with disabilities.

Please keep pets indoors, hydrated, and cool as asphalt and ground conditions are significantly hotter and unsafe during heat.

Story continues

For the latest forecast updates, visit the Boston 25 Weather page.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.

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A crew from the California Department of Transportation man a roadblock at Highway 262 and Highway 96 north of Yreka near the McKinney Fire on Monday.

After one media outlet entered a possible crime scene on the McKinney Fire this week, the Siskiyou County Sheriff's Office sent out a reminder to media not to violate state law when entering fire zones and other disaster areas.

The notice was prompted by an incident Monday in which a news outlet brought someone who was not affiliated with the media past a McKinney Fire closure checkpoint, went onto private property and televised a segment with that person, according to the sheriff's office.

Under the California Penal Code, the media has access into closed areas to report about events in disaster areas that are often closed to the public, including active fires.

The McKinney Fire, about 4 miles west of Yreka, has burned more than 57,000 acres since it started Friday afternoon. Four bodies have been recovered from the fire and it has destroyed numerous structures.

McKinney Fire updates: Thunderstorms bring rain, flash flooding; meeting tonight in Fort Jones

The incident Monday happened on a property where a body was later found, officials said.

"Further, the media televised the information prior to law enforcement properly processing the scene and notifying the family," the news release says. "This is unacceptable and disrespectful to fire victims and their families and will not be tolerated."

Residents of Klamath River west of Yreka evaluate their losses after the McKinney Fire swept through the forest, destroying lives and property.

The sheriff's office reminded members of the media they are not allowed to enter private property without permission and to only enter public areas cleared by law enforcement.

The sheriff's office said law enforcement will be checking the identification of all people claiming to be members of the media.

The sheriff's office said there are more than 60 officers working on the fire, working on assignments such as rescue operations and property protection.

Read more: Klamath River straddles heartbreak and hope after deadly McKinney Fire

Courtney Kreider, a spokeswoman for the sheriff's office, said the media no longer consists of just traditional television and newspaper teams.

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Bloggers, people with YouTube channels and social media site administrators can also claim to be media, and they may not know the law governing media access, she said.

"It (the news release) was just reminding media of the penal code. You know, here's what you can do and what you can't do. Please respect that," Kreider said.

Related: Evacuated McKinney Fire kittens go viral in adorable Facebook post

Reporters and photographers from the Record Searchlight and the USA TODAY Network have covered fires and other disasters in California and the West for decades and are trained to know the rules about access to restricted areas, said Silas Lyons, executive editor for Northern/Central California and Nevada.

Photographers and reporters from the USA TODAY Network have been covering the McKinney Fire for the Record Searchlight, Siskiyou Daily News and Mt. Shasta Area Newspapers since it ignited Friday.

USA TODAY Network journalists are thoroughly trained and experienced professionals who cooperate with authorities on access during public safety emergencies. They respect and do not enter private property and restricted areas, Lyons said.

Siskiyou County Sheriff deputies patrol the area along Highway 96 in the Klamath National Forest on the north edge of the McKinney Fire near Yreka on Monday.

Damon Arthur is the Record Searchlights resources and environment reporter. He is part of a team of journalists who investigate wrongdoing and find the unheard voices to tell the stories of the North State. He welcomes story tips at 530-338-8834 by email at damon.arthur@redding.com and on Twitter at @damonarthur_RS. Help local journalism thrive by subscribing today!

This article originally appeared on Redding Record Searchlight: Media covering McKinney Fire reminded of wildfire-access law
Metro Phoenix had four competitive justice of the peace races and one competitive constable race in Tuesday's election.

Justices of the peace preside over limited-jurisdiction justice courts and hear cases such as small claims, evictions, orders of protection, misdemeanor crimes and some traffic infractions.

Constables are the law enforcement side of the court, serving paperwork such as eviction notices and protection orders.

Each of Maricopa County's 26 justice courts has a justice of the peace and constable elected to four-year terms.

Justices of the peace do not need to be attorneys. Neither position requires any specific education. The elected justice of the peace positions come with salaries of about $100,000 annually.

Election coverage: Live updates across Arizona | Arizona election results

Here's where the competitive races stood Thursday as the vote count continues.

Tight race for West McDowell justice of the peace

Democrats Teresa Lopez and state Rep. Robert Meza are in a tight race for justice of the peace in the West McDowell Justice Court. Meza held a slight lead Thursday as the ballot count continues.

Lopez is seeking a second term. Before becoming a JP, she was a hearing officer in and around the Maricopa County Justice Courts. She also worked in communications and government relations, according to her bio on the county's website. She has an associates degree in legal arts and a bachelors degree in management, according to the site. "I believe in fairness as the foundation to an honorable justice court," she says on her campaign website.

Meza is a University of Notre Dame graduate, according to his campaign website, and a 19-year lawmaker who has served in the state House and Senate. His campaign site highlights his work to get money to seniors in affordable housing and to raise teacher pay. The site also mentions fairness, saying he would "make objective decisions through a fair application of the laws."

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East Mesa has most competitive justice of the peace race

Justice of the Peace Fred Arnett was leading in the Republican primary race for East Mesa JP.

Arnett was appointed as East Mesa's justice of the peace in February after Keith Russell retired. He also has served as JP in West Mesa and was a constable for 17 years.

Attorney Aaron Burroughs wasn't too far behind Arnett in early results on Tuesday. A third candidate, East Mesa constable Ken Allen, trailed further behind.

Longtime North Valley JP easily fending off challenge

Gerald Williams carried a significant lead over challenger Aimee Cvancara.

Williams is an 18-year justice of the peace in the North Valley Justice Court that covers parts of north Phoenix, north Glendale and Anthem.

Williams was appointed in 2004 and has been elected ever since. Before that, he was a staff attorney for the Arizona Commission on Judicial Conduct, according to the county's website.

He earned his degree from University of Oklahoma College of Law and served as a judge advocate general, or JAG, in the U.S. Air Force. Williams received the Justice Michael D. Ryan Award for Judicial Excellence from the State Bar of Arizona in 2019, according to the county site.

"A judge cannot apply the law if he or she does not know the law, and Judge Williams helped develop the procedures followed statewide for lawsuits, jury trials, residential evictions, constables and DUI case processing," according to his campaign website.

Cvancara is a small business owner whose run for justice of the peace came after she was sued by her HOA in the North Valley Justice Court in 2019 and ordered to pay more than $12,000. "He didn't even look at the evidence, but simply awarded the HOA and its attorneys everything they asked for," according to her campaign site.

The justice court ruling against Cvancara was overturned on appeal, Maricopa County Superior Court documents show. The filings show the case was transferred to another justice court in May 2020, and the Cvancaras and the HOA reached a settlement about three months later. The court documents don't detail the settlement, but Cvancara's campaign site says the HOA ended up paying her $1,000.

Cvancara's campaign website criticizes the court's filing fees, awarding of attorneys' fees and its physical location in Surprise, which is miles away from the residents it serves.

Election guide: 2022 primaries

Election results |Congressional races | State races |Mayor, city council races|How to vote

State senator challenges South Mountain justice of the peace

Results on Thursday show State Sen. Rebecca Rios, D-Phoenix, edging out Cody Williams in the Democratic primary for South Mountain justice of the peace.

Williams has served as JP in the South Mountain Justice Court since 2007. He previously served two terms on the Phoenix City Council and is the longest serving African American elected official in the state, according to his bio on the county website. He is married to retiring Phoenix Police Chief Jeri Williams.

Rios is a familiar figure at the state Capitol as she has served for years in both chambers of the Legislature. She was elected to the state Senate again in 2018, where she currently serves as minority leader. She opted not to run again for the state Legislature as she pursued the justice of the peace post.

The South Mountain Justice Court covers roughly 48th Street to 83rd Avenue between South Mountain and the Salt River.

1 competitive constable race in Hassayampa

Scott Blake, constable for the Hassayampa Justice Court, held a large lead over challenger Mitch Friedlander in the Republican primary.

The court serves the far northwest Valley, including Surprise, Sun City, Sun City West and parts of Buckeye, Peoria and El Mirage.

Blake, who was first elected to the post in 2014, is an Eagle Scout and a merit badge counselor for the Boy Scouts of America. He earned an electrical degree and has owned his own carpet cleaning business for more than 20 years, according to his bio on the county's website. "I am a Republican. However, constables cant set any policy and serve all political parties with equality," he says on is campaign website. He highlights his belief in "justice" and "mercy" by noting that sometimes his job requires him to serve eviction papers: Justice requires that the tenant leave the house and the locks be changed, but mercy is at times providing longer than 15 minutes to gather up their items.

Friedlander is active in the GOP and highlights Donald Trump rally photos and other items on his campaign website, including a reference to Trump having won the 2020 election. The campaign site says he has a bachelor's degree in criminal justice and lists his background as a probation officer in New Jersey, a retired officer for the Port Authority Police Department and a police lieutenant at National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency.

2 other courts will see new justices of the peace

While there are four competitive justice of the peace races in Tuesday's election, two other justice courts will get new judges.

One is Chandler's San Marcos Justice Court, where Democrat Jennifer Jermaine is running to replace former Chandler Mayor Jay Tibschraeny, who did not run again for justice of the peace.

And in the Downtown Justice Court in Phoenix, Democrat Jennifer Sama is running to replace the outgoing Enrique Medina Ochoa. Sama's father, Jimmie Hernandez, previously served as justice of the peace in the same precinct.

Reach the reporter Carrie Watters at 602-316-9261.

Support local journalism. Subscribe to azcentral.com today.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Maricopa County election results: Justice of the peace, constable
A Miami Beach man was taken into custody at his condominium home late Tuesday after police said a surveillance camera caught him grabbing a 25-year-old woman and killing her with one shot to the head in a North Miami-Dade alley.

Ron Donaldson, 43, was booked into Miami-Dade Corrections Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center Wednesday morning on a second-degree murder charge. Hes being held without bond.

Crime Stoppers later identified the woman as Wendy Daniel. One database identified her as being from Fresno, California.

Wendy Daniel was killed Tuesday morning, according to Miami-Dade police.

Police say the shooting happened just after 6 a.m. Tuesday. They say a surveillance camera spotted Donaldsons gray sedan roll into the alley at 9495 NW 27th Ave. After 26 minutes, police say the video shows a passenger side door open and the woman either falling out or being pushed out of the car while partially nude.

Donaldson, who also appeared to be nude, the report said, got out of the car through the same door. As the woman tried to stand up, the arrest report says, he grabbed her and fired one shot to the head. Then, he got in his car and left.

Police say investigators tracked the car to the six-foot-two, 225-pound Donaldson and his residence at 401 69th St. in Miami Beach, the 401 Blu condominium. Donaldsons discussion with police ended when he asked for a lawyer.

Donaldsons social media says hes an insurance agent with a wife and son.
Aug. 2DASHER  Ahead of the start of the regular season, Georgia Christian volleyball hosted nearby rivals Valwood and Highland Christian for Midnight Madness Sunday night.

The scrimmage consisted of continuous games to five for roughly an hour, giving each team a chance to get all of its players a chance to play.

Midnight Madness also signified the first official athletic activity for the newly-branded Georgia Independent Athletic Association (GIAA), formerly known as the GISA.

Valwood head volleyball coach Val Gallahan, the two-time reigning GISA Volleyball Coach of the Year and state champion, gave her thoughts on the preseason scrimmage.

"It was fun," Gallahan said of the event. "It's so nice to have people come out and support and encourage volleyball in our community. It's still something that's growing in South Georgia so it's awesome to be a part of it and get to represent that for the GIAA."

"The biggest thing I noticed is the number of schools that are now participating. We've got what seems like a lot of larger schools coming back from the Macon, Atlanta area. So, the state championship tournament play will now encompass more teams. It'll be a much more difficult road to get there, but we're excited for the challenge."

The road to another state title will get tougher for Gallahan and the Valiants, who lost several seniors from last season's championship team.

"I'm encouraged," Gallahan said of her team heading into the season. "It was nice to be able to see them this week. We really haven't done much over the summer. I try to give the kids a chance to be kids over the summer. This is positive. It was encouraging to see what we were able to do.

"We lost seven seniors last season. We only have five players returning from our last season, so there's a lot of new faces and I'm excited to watch them work hard and really get back to the fun part of coaching."

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Gallahan continued, "Oh no, I definitely feel like the bullseye is on our back. My husband (Chad) and I coach club travel ball and we have a pretty high level team of what will be juniors this year. I see some really successful kids on each of their respective teams at Valdosta, at Lowndes, that we've coached during the offseason then end up coaching against them. It's kind of a weird feeling and I'm sure some of those kids want to show out when they play against us."

Heading into her eighth season as the head volleyball coach at Georgia Christian, Carrie Johnson felt that Midnight Madness went well for her group.

"I thought it went well. We had a very good turnout as far as crowd response," Johnson said. "Everyone was super energetic so I think it was good."

As the interest in volleyball in the region continues to climb each year, Johnson acknowledges how well the sport has grown in recent years.

"I think it's grown tremendously," Johnson said. "Myself and also Val, we coach at the club level so we also coach the girls in the offseason from different schools. We're kind of building the entire program. I know there's several different clubs as well, so not only with our schools but we're building with our clubs as well."

Like Valwood, Georgia Christian has won a state championship recently and has seen a lot of its stars graduate and go on to play at the college level.

Johnson admits this season will kickstart a rebuilding project for the team as it looks to identify a new core of players to build around in the coming years.

"We are very young," Johnson said. "I do have one senior and she's less experienced than the rest of them so it's kind of a rebuilding year. We lost a couple of seniors last year, but we did make it to the Final Four so that was a big deal. (This year) is rebuilding, mainly."

Highland Christian head volleyball coach Kevin Phillips called Sunday's Midnight Madness with Valwood and Georgia Christian "very smooth".

"It doesn't really get much better from a competition standpoint than what we got in this gym," Phillips said. "Volleyball has definitely gotten better in the area with school ball, but also with PSVA. We've got some of the best coaches in town working for PSVA and some of the best players that we have around town really are all coming to PSVA. So, between the two, we've got great coaches and players at Valwood, Georgia Christian and Highland."

With the season approaching, Phillips is also fielding a younger team than in years past. The Eagles lost some key seniors from last year's roster. The challenge this season, Phillips said, is to fill in the gaps in experience.

"We've got some younger girls. We lost some really important, key seniors last year," Phillips said. "Obviously, like all new school seasons, we just have to fill in those gaps. We're trying to bring up some of the younger players and get them a little bit more experience."

Shane Thomas is the sports editor at the Valdosta Daily Times.
By James Oliphant

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The fight over abortion rights and former President Donald Trump's influence loomed large as voters in several states went to the polls on Tuesday. Here are some takeaways from the latest 2022 midterm election primaries:

ABORTION BATTLE LINES DRAWN IN MICHIGAN

In the Michigan governor's race, there will be no middle ground when it comes to abortion rights.

Tudor Dixon, a relative political unknown who received a last-minute endorsement from former President Donald Trump, emerged from the Republican pack on Tuesday to take on Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer in Novembers general election.

Whitmer has made the U.S. Supreme Court's overturning of constitutional protection for abortion a centerpiece in her re-election campaign. Dixon supports a near-total ban on abortion, including for child victims of rape and incest, with the only exception for cases when the life of the mother is at risk.

A legal battle is being waged in the state over enforcement of a 1931 abortion ban. At the same time, supporters of abortion rights are seeking to place a measure on the November ballot that would legalize abortion in the state.

With just three months until the election, longtime Republican pollster Steve Mitchell said Dixon has enough time to mount a competitive challenge to Whitmer and should see a strong flow of campaign funds from outside the state.

Dixon is a former businesswoman in the steel industry who has billed herself as a conservative mom of four who opposed COVID-19 lockdowns at schools. Mitchell said she could appeal to like-minded parents and make a strong foil to Whitmer, who often talks about her own role as a mother of daughters and also faced criticism for her coronavirus lockdown orders.

Its going to be a fascinating race, Mitchell said. In my opinion, none of the men (in the Republican field) could have beaten Whitmer.

KANSAS SENDS SIGNAL

With preserving abortion rights a rallying cry for Democratic candidates across the country, Republicans may have gotten a jarring wake-up call in Kansas about the issues potency.

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Voters soundly defeated a proposed state constitutional amendment that would have declared that there is no right to abortion. While the U.S. Supreme Court earlier this year overturned the Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion nationwide, the Kansas Supreme Court had found the state constitution independently protected abortion rights.

While Kansas is conservative-leaning state that consistently votes Republican in presidential elections, it does have a Democratic governor, Laura Kelly, and a large suburban voting population in the Kansas City area.

Since Roe was overturned, Democrats have hoped that the issue would galvanize voters nationwide, particularly in states such as Pennsylvania and Wisconsin where the legislatures are controlled by anti-abortion Republicans. Polls have consistently shown that a substantial majority of Americans support the right to abortion  at least during the first trimester of pregnancy.

Republican pollster Sarah Longwell, who regularly conducts focus groups on the issue, said on Twitter that the Kansas results should worry Republican candidates who support abortion bans without exception.

This has gotta send a chill up the spine of the many GOP candidates running campaigns saying there should be no exceptions for rape, incest, or life of the mother, Longwell posted.

ERIC VS. ERIC

One Eric won the Republican primary for U.S. Senate in Missouri and another Eric lost. As far as national Republicans are concerned, the right Eric prevailed.

Eric Schmitt, the state attorney general, defeated former Missouri Governor Eric Greitens, whose campaign was marred by allegations of abuse by his ex-wife.

Polls ahead of the primary showed that if Greitens were to win the nomination, he could struggle in a November matchup against the Democratic candidate and perhaps jeopardize a Senate seat that Republicans cannot afford to lose if they want to seize control of the chamber. A Republican-affiliated group launched a TV campaign to derail Greitens chances.

None of that dissuaded Trump from taking the unusual tack on Monday of endorsing ERIC without specifying which one, leading both candidates to claim Trumps support and giving Greitens a lifeline.

Schmitt is now expected to win the seat handily this fall, sparing the party from having to divert resources to Missouri that it had earmarked for other Senate races.

Republicans need a net gain of one seat to take control of the chamber.

(Reporting by James Oliphant; Editing by Colleen Jenkins and Cynthia Osterman)
Rep. Angie Craig (D-Minn.) on Tuesday sidestepped questions about whether shed support President Biden if he ran for reelection in 2024.

I would say we need new leaders in Washington up and down the ballot in the Democratic Party, Craig told MinnPost in an interview.

Last week, Craigs fellow Minnesota Democrat Rep. Dean Phillips said he wouldnt support Biden in a bid for a second presidential term.

I think the country would be well-served by a new generation of compelling, well-prepared, dynamic Democrats who step up, Phillips told WCCO-AM.

The White House shrugged off Phillips comments, saying Biden intends to be on the 2024 ballot but is focusing on the issues currently on his plate.

We are a ways away from 2024, Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said.

Craig and Phillips are both running for reelection in this years midterms.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Photo Illustration by Thomas Levinson/The Daily Beast/Getty

Donald Trump pulled more tricks out of his sleeve this week, leaving many to wonder what mental game the former president is running, notably in the Missouri Senate race.

On the latest episode of The Daily Beasts Fever Dreams podcast, host Will Sommer and guest host Anthony Fisher, senior opinion editor at The Daily Beast, discuss Trumps latest maneuverwhich, according to Sommer, will echo throughout the ages.

Earlier this week, Trump announced his endorsement for the Missouri GOP Senate primary, but the problem was, he appeared to endorse two by throwing his support behind simply Eric. There were two contenders named Eric in the race: Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmidt and Eric Greitens, the one-time governor who resigned while under criminal investigation amid allegations of sexual assault. The news plunged Trumpworld into chaos.

Its classic Trump and like an onion, there are many layers to this, Fisher says. My first thought was that it was just a straight-up troll and just a way to cause chaos and kind of a relatively novel way for Trump to insert himself into the political news cycle. Hes trolling Republicans; really, hes creating chaos.

However it shakes out, somebody is probably going to be able to claim that the Trump endorsement pushed them over the edge. And Trump gets to wave that flag.

Also on the podcast, Sommer reveals his thoughts behind the Alex Jones documentary Alexs War, and the reviews are not good.

I watched this movie and I gotta say this movie stinks. Its two hours. Its bad. Its not good, Sommer warns.

Alex Lee Moyer, the director, gets a ton of time with Alex Jones, but not in really enlightening ways. We dont see Alex Jones making his breakfast or really interacting with his kids or even really running his business from behind the scenes. We just get a lot of Alex Jones talking about what a put-upon guy he is and how he just loves finding out the truth.

Its a stinker, folks. Its just not good. We dont talk to his ex-wife, whos famously very critical of him. To me, theres tons of details out there thanks to these Sandy Hook lawsuits about how his business runs all this money hes made. It doesnt get into all of his various legal maneuvers, his unprecedented level of legal whining and scheming to avoid going to trial on this.

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That was the real issue with this documentary, just that he seemed to be constantly lying. There was really no counterweight presented.

The Trouble With Conservative Wild Cards

Elsewhere in the episode, Matthew Remski, co-host of the Conspirituality podcast, explains the meaning behind conspirituality and what it encompasses.

The term comes from a really fantastic academic paper in 2011, published by a sociologist of religion named David Voas and an independent researcher named Charlotte Ward, Remski explains.

They coined the term as a kind of portmanteau of the union that they were seeing between what they described as a male-dominated fascination with political cynicism and conspiracism with a female-dominated fascination with New Age aspirations and the coming enlightened way of life.

In the podcasts Fresh Hell segment, the hosts discuss the self-proclaimed Queen of Canada, Romana Didulo, and the small but very vocal segment of the Canadian population who claim she rules the land.

This is a woman who shes kind of an average person. She doesnt really have much claim to royalty, Sommer says.

She issues these decrees and encourages her followers to, for example, institute the death penalty for anyone involved in giving vaccines to children.

Listen, and subscribe, to Fever Dreams on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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PHNOM PENH (Reuters) - Myanmar's ruling military has been uncooperative and has frustrated everyone in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) with its lack of progress in implementing a peace plan, Malaysia's foreign minister said on Wednesday.

Foreign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah in a news conference on the sidelines of an ASEAN meeting in Cambodia said the peace process should be inclusive of the junta's opponents and its implementation should also involve international organisations.

(Reporting by Reuters staff; Writing by Martin Petty; Editing by Kanupriya Kapoor)
Nashville council members on Tuesday night voted down a draft agreement to host the 2024 Republican National Convention, effectively taking Tennessees capital city out of the running in its battle with Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to host the GOPs next presidential nominating convention.

Republican Gov. Bill Lee of Tennessee and Republicans in the state legislature heavily lobbied for Nashville to host the convention, but the citys Democratic dominated Metro Council voted down the draft agreement. According to numerous local reports, only 10 council members voted in favor, with 22 against and three abstentions.

Milwaukee approved its draft resolution in June, and two weeks ago the Republican National Committees (RNC) Site Selection Committee  which oversees the 2024 convention planning  recommended Milwaukee over Nashville.

The committee will make its formal presentation on Thursday to the full RNC membership in a closed session, as the national party committee holds its summer meeting in Chicago. The full RNC membership on Friday will vote in a public session on the Site Selection committees recommendation for Milwaukee to host the convention.

HEAD TO THE FOX NEWS ELECTION CENTER FOR THE LATEST PRIMARY RESULTS

Tuesday nights vote appears to be the final nail in the coffin for Nashvilles chances of hosting the convention. But a source familiar with the RNCs convention selection process told Fox News following Nashville council vote that "nothing has changed, and the final vote will still be on Friday."

The two national parties often hold their conventions in competitive general election states. While Tennessee is a reliably red state in presidential contests, Wisconsins a key battleground.

Earlier this year Salt Lake City, Utah and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania were dropped from contention to host the 2024 GOP convention.

Democratic National Committee officials are continuing to visit the cities hoping to host the Democrats 2024 presidential nominating convention. The DNC may announce their choice when they hold their annual summer meeting in early September.
Countries with largest nuclear arsenals should reduce warheads first: Chinese official

Xinhua) 08:38, August 03, 2022

UNITED NATIONS, Aug. 2 (Xinhua) -- The countries with the largest nuclear arsenals should further conduct a significant and substantive reduction in their nuclear arsenals in a verifiable, irreversible and legally binding manner, said a Chinese disarmament official on Tuesday.

The principles of "maintaining global strategic stability" and "undiminished security for all" should be followed in the practices of nuclear disarmament, Fu Cong told the 10th Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.

The countries with the largest nuclear arsenals taking the lead in reduction will create conditions for other nuclear-weapon states to join the nuclear disarmament process, he said.

Nuclear-weapon states also need to work together to reduce nuclear risks, said Fu, head of the Chinese delegation and director-general of the Department of Arms Control of the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

On Jan. 3 this year, the leaders of China, Russia, the United States, the United Kingdom and France issued a joint statement, stressing that a nuclear war cannot be won and must not be fought, and reaffirming that none of their nuclear weapons are targeted at each other or at any other state. This historic statement is helpful in enhancing mutual trust among major countries, preventing nuclear wars, and avoiding an arms race, he said.

On this basis, the five nuclear-weapon states need to further strengthen communication on strategic stability, and conduct in-depth dialogue on reducing the role of nuclear weapons in their national security doctrines and on a broad range of issues, including missile defense, outer space, cyberspace, and artificial intelligence, said Fu.

Nuclear-weapon states should also strengthen dialogue with non-nuclear-weapon states to enhance mutual understanding and support, he added.

China is firmly committed to the path of peaceful development and a nuclear strategy of self-defense, and undertakes not to be the first to use nuclear weapons at any time and under any circumstances, he said.

While firmly safeguarding its national sovereignty, security and territorial integrity, China always keeps its nuclear capability at the minimum level required for safeguarding national security, he said. "We never compete with any country on the input, quantity or scale of nuclear capability, nor do we participate in any form of nuclear arms race with any other country. With a high level of stability, consistency and predictability, China's nuclear policy in itself is an important contribution to the international nuclear disarmament endeavor."

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun)
The Onslow County emissions bill is in limbo as residents have to wait until the EPA signs off, if they even do.

A bill that could save many Onslow County residents some serious cash is still in limbo as the Environmental Protection Agency has stalled signing off on it.

House Bill 85, which was signed into law by North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper on June 5, 2020, was expected to go into effect on January 1, 2021. The bill removed emission inspections, and only required safety inspections for cars in Onslow.

However, several residents were upset to find the bill had not gone into effect when they were forced to spend hundreds of dollars in order to pass the test.

"I hate it because everybody thought that when we did our part, that would be it," said Rep. Phil Shepard, R-Onslow, who co-sponsored the bill. "And it would've been, it would've gotten it done on a specific date, but that didn't happen."

Previous Coverage: Drivers in Onslow left in the dark after emissions bill has stalled

So, what did happen?

Shepard said the emissions bill is passed, and they've done all they can do on the state side of things. The problem is that the EPA still has to sign off on it, and they're taking their time.

"At one time, there were about 12 counties in eastern North Carolina that were exempted by the federal EPA, and we were one of those counties," Shepard said. "But each county's legislative delegation had to go through and pass the bill in Raleigh to make it complete."

Shepard said Onslow was one of the 12 counties to never get it done, and so the House started running bills about three or four sessions ago to exempt Onslow County.

He said eventually, he ran a bill that passed the House and the Senate, however, by the time it was passed, the blanket coverage for all 12 counties, was no more.

"We got it approved on the House side several years ago, several of the other counties were exempted in a blanket coverage, but it was stalled in the Senate each year," Shepard said. "The Senate wouldn't move it. That's why it took as long as it did for us to get approved. Finally, the Senate approved it two years ago, but then, that blanket coverage had expired, so now we're having to wait on them to get it done again."

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Shepard said this could happen anytime, however, because the Biden administration is tougher on emissions, there's no guarantee it will even be approved.

"It wouldn't surprise me, because the Biden administration, that's one problem with our fuel today, he wants to do away with fossil fuels and all this kind of stuff," Shepard said. "It would not surprise me if they don't even approve it."

The Biden administration has set out to tackle climate change and cut the nation's carbon output in half, according to USA Today.

New Law: New law removes Onslow from emissions test

Originally, the bill was expected to be enacted this October. The EPA had steps they needed to take in order for the county to get final approval, but now that the EPA is stalling the process, October looks unlikely.

Shepard's office said the EPA has not completed their approval process at this time, but once the approval is complete, assuming they do approve the bill, the DEQ (Department of Environmental Quality) has 30 days to implement the change.

Although Shepard's office doesn't have a definite date as to when the change could take effect, they say it could possibly be November or December.

Shepard said he hopes the bill is approved, thoughbecause the average person is on a fixed income, and if they go in with a light on in their car, it keeps them from passing the emissions test.

He added it's not how much you pay to get the test done, but how much it costs to fix the problem in order to pass the test.

"It may cost anywhere from $300 to $700 to get it done," Shepard said. "And that is just so unfair to people when we've been exempted from it. It really hurts senior citizens and families that don't have an extra $300-$400 a month."

Reporter Morgan Starling can be reached at mstarling@gannett.com

This article originally appeared on The Daily News: Onslow County emissions bill stalls as EPA still has not signed off
On Monday the Senate officially confirmed Lt. Gen. Michael Langley as the nations first Black four-star Marine general.

Langley, who will now lead U.S. troops in Africa as the commander of U.S. Africa Command, was widely expected to land the confirmation following a hearing by the Senate Armed Services Committee in late July.

In the Marine Corps 246-year history, more than 70 white men have risen to the four-star ranking, according to The Washington Post.

The Senate unanimously confirmed Langley and a series of other military leaders to new roles Monday evening, according to a Tweet from the Senate cloakroom.

His confirmation was celebrated by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-New York, on social media.

NEWS: The Senate has just confirmed Michael Langley to be a four-star general in the United States Marine Corps. Hes been a Marine for more than 35 years. He's led an impressive career.



And hes now the first Black four-star general in the history of the Marines. pic.twitter.com/LKyszXVxnE  Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) August 2, 2022

Before receiving his nomination to the new role by President Joe Biden in June, Langley, a native of Shreveport, Louisiana, held several leadership roles during his 37 years in both the Pentagon and Marine Corps, according to his Marine Corps bio.

Langley will replace the outgoing commander of U.S. AFRICOM, Army Gen. Stephen J. Townsend. In late July, Townsend shared that the threat of violent extremism and strategic competition from China and Russia remain the greatest challenges to the combatant command, according to a Department of Defense news release.

Some of the most lethal terrorists on the planet are now in Africa, said Townsend, according to the release.

Langleys promotion comes as U.S. troops are once again operating in Somalia.

U.S. AFRICOM reported no new civilian casualties in its most recent quarter as of June 30 this year, according to a casualty assessment report released in July.
The Daily Beast

via GoFundMeIn the wake of the Highland Park Fourth of July parade mass shooting, the story of 8-year-old Cooper Roberts survival was embraced by many following updates on the boys recovery.And more than a month after the massacre, Roberts is long out of intensive carebut his family says he is now in constant pain and hopeless, sad, and angry at the realization he is paralyzed.In a sobering and gut-wrenching statement released Tuesday, the Roberts family said they want people to see the u
(AFP via Getty Images)

Producer Janet Yang has been elected the 36th president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

The news was announced by the organisations Board of Governors on Tuesday (2 August).

This is the first time a person of Asian descent has ever been elected for this position.

Janet is a tremendously dedicated and strategic leader who has an incredible record of service at the Academy, said Academy CEO Bill Kramer. I am thrilled that she is taking on the esteemed role of Academy President and look forward to working closely with her on our shared vision to serve our membership, celebrate the collaborative arts and sciences of motion pictures, and inspire the next generation of filmmakers.

Yang, 66, is succeeding outgoing president David Rubin, the veteran casting director, who is stepping down after three years due to term limits.

Along with Kramer, Yang will be tasked with shepherding the Academy through continued evolution in the film industry and with stabilising the Academy Awards, which in recent years have been beset by scandal and declining ratings.

Congratulations to our new President, Janet Yang, and all elected Academy officers! https://t.co/YkuBk3PnOP  The Academy (@TheAcademy) August 3, 2022

The Queens-born Yang, a daughter of Chinese immigrants, has long been a significant figure in Hollywoods Asian American community.

She has served on the Academys board of governors since 2019 as one of three governors-at-large who were added following the #OscarsSoWhite scandal to help boost inclusion in the film academy.

Yang is also the second person of colour to be the Academys president, following Cheryl Boone Isaacs. She also co-chairs the academys Asian Affinity Group.
QUETTA, Pakistan (Reuters) - Separatist insurgents in Pakistan's resource-rich Balochistan province said they shot down a military helicopter that went down during a flood relief operation on Monday, killing all six on board including a top army commander.

A senior military official dismissed the insurgents' claim as propaganda and fake news. The military said the helicopter crashed during bad weather.

The Baloch Raaji Aajoi Sangar (BRAS), an umbrella group of Baloch insurgent groups, said in a statement sent to Reuters late on Tuesday that its fighters shot down the "low flying helicopter" with an anti-aircraft weapon.

The group provided no evidence and Reuters could not independently verify the claim.

Ethnic Baloch militants have for decades waged an insurgency against the Pakistani government in the southwestern province, complaining that its rich gas and mineral resource are unfairly exploited to the benefit of other parts of the country.

The province is also home to deep-water Gawadar port, which neighbouring China has been developing as part of a multi-billion dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor to link road and sea routes with Beijing's Belt and Road Initiative.

The insurgents oppose those projects and try to attack them.

The commander of the south Pakistan-based 12 Corps, Lieutenant General Sarfraz Ali, was among those killed on the helicopter.

(Reporting by Saud Mahsud in Dera Ismail Khan; Writing by Asif Shahzad; Editing by Robert Birsel)
Parliament has deleted its TikTok account a week after opening it. (Getty Images/TikTok)

The UK Parliament has deleted its official TikTok account just a week after it was set up amid security fears linked to China.

In an embarrassing U-turn, the speaker of the House of Commons, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, said the account had been closed "with immediate affect" in a letter on Wednesday.

Concerns had been raised on 28 July by a number of MPs the day after it was set up over "considerable data security risks".

They warned the app was considered by many to be Chinese state-sanctioned spyware.

Read more: China wanted a secret TikTok account to spread propaganda in the West, report says

Hoyle said: "This account was an attempt to engage with younger audiences - who are not always active on our existing social media platforms - regarding the work of parliament.

"However, in light of your feedback and concerns expressed to us we have decided the account should be closed with immediate effect."

TikTok, a Chinese-owned company, is an immensely popular social media platform  particularly among those under 25; the company surpassed one billion users last year.

On Friday, six MPs sanctioned by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) said they were "surprised and disappointed" the account had been set up.

The account 'ukparliament' set its privacy settings to private on Wednesday. (TikTok)

The MPs warned there were "data security risks", and that parliament "should not legitimise the use of an app which has been described by tech experts as 'essentially Chinese government spyware'."

"The issue led to the United States government to restrict use of the app in 2020," they said.

"Only last month, US senators requested a further security review, in light of additional security vulnerabilities."

Read more: Truss says UK should crack down on Chinese firms like TikTok

The MPs said legislation in China forces companies based there to "yield data" to the government, and said companies are not permitted to reveal if requests have been made.

"The prospect of Xi Jinping's government having access to personal data on our children's phones ought to be a cause for major concern," they said.

Story continues

The letter was signed by: Nusrat Ghani MP, Sir Ian Duncan Smith MP, Tim Loughton MP, Tom Tugendhat MP, Lord Alton of Liverpool and Baroness Kennedy of the Shaws QC.

TikTok surpassed one billion users in 2021. (PA)

As of Wednesday afternoon, the UK parliament account was still live - albeit with the privacy settings changed to private.

Despite this, many MPs have live TikTok accounts - including transport secretary Grant Shapps and culture secretary Nadine Dorries.

Number 10 also has a TikTok account.

When approached by Yahoo News UK, a spokesperson: While it is important to reach people through a wide range of channels, we would never jeopardise our security and take all our arrangements extremely seriously.

It comes as an increasing number of UK MPs are sanctioned by the CCP for speaking out against human rights abuses to Uyghur Muslims in China.

A growing number of countries are referring to the situation as a "genocide" as defined by international convention - including the UK and the US.

However, the Chinese government has said accusations of genocide and human rights abuses come from those "maliciously spreading lies and disinformation".
JAKARTA (Reuters) - U.S. payments firm PayPal has registered as an electronic systems operator in Indonesia and its customers can now access its services, the company said on Wednesday.

PayPal was one of several websites that Indonesia blocked at the weekend because of their failure to comply with new licensing rules.

Companies were given a July deadline to register under new rules that would allow authorities to compel platforms to disclose data of certain users and take down content deemed unlawful or that "disturbs public order" within four hours if urgent, and 24 hours if not.

Johnny G. Plate, Indonesia's communications minister, on Wednesday urged people to avoid using unregistered services "to minimize a loss that may incur, if...illegal acts occur in those private services."

The Communications Ministry said it also unblocked access to services of the search engine Yahoo and video-game company Valve Corporation, including Steam and Dota 2, on Tuesday after it said it had blocked them on Saturday.

The new licensing rules have courted controversy as activists and the public fear that the government may police social media content.

Though the licensing rules were first introduced in 2020, companies like Meta Platforms Inc and its units - which include Instagram and WhatsApp - as well as Alphabet Inc's Google registered just hours or days before the deadline in late July. Spotify , Netflix , and ByteDance's TikTok have also signed up.

With a young, tech-savvy population of 270 million, Indonesia is a top-10 market in terms of user numbers for a host of social media companies.

(This story refiles to remove extraneous word in headline)

(Reporting by Ananda Teresia, Gayatri Suroyo and Stanley Widianto; Editing by Kanupriya Kapoor)
By Yimou Lee and Sarah Wu

TAIPEI (Reuters) -U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi left Taiwan on Wednesday after touting its democracy and pledging American solidarity during her brief visit, adding that Chinese anger cannot stop world leaders from travelling to the self-ruled island claimed by Beijing.

China demonstrated its outrage over the highest-level U.S. visit to the island in 25 years with a burst of military activity in surrounding waters, summoning the U.S. ambassador in Beijing and halting several agricultural imports from Taiwan.

Some of China's planned military exercises were to take place within Taiwan's 12 nautical mile sea and air territory, according to Taiwan's defence ministry, an unprecedented move that a senior defence official described to reporters as "amounting to a sea and air blockade of Taiwan".

Taiwan scrambled jets on Wednesday to warn away 27 Chinese aircraft in its air defence zone, the island's defence ministry said, adding that 22 of them crossed the median line separating the island from China.

Pelosi arrived with a congressional delegation on her unannounced but closely watched visit late on Tuesday, defying China's repeated warnings, on a trip that she said demonstrated unwavering U.S. commitment to Taiwan's democracy.

"Our delegation came to Taiwan to make unequivocally clear that we will not abandon Taiwan," Pelosi told Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen, who Beijing suspects of pushing for formal independence - a red line for China.

"Now, more than ever, America's solidarity with Taiwan is crucial, and that's the message we are bringing here today," Pelosi said during her roughly 19-hour visit.

A long-time China critic, especially on human rights, and a political ally of U.S. President Joe Biden, Pelosi met with a former Tiananmen activist, a Hong Kong bookseller who had been detained by China and a Taiwanese activist recently released by China.

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The last U.S. House speaker to go to Taiwan was Newt Gingrich in 1997. Pelosi's visit comes amid sharply deteriorating U.S.-Chinese relations. During the past quarter century, China has become a far more powerful economic, military and geopolitical force.

China considers Taiwan part of its territory and has never renounced using force to bring it under its control. The United States and the foreign ministers of the Group of Seven nations warned China against using the visit as a pretext for military action against Taiwan.

"Sadly, Taiwan has been prevented from participating in global meetings, most recently the World Health Organization, because of objections by the Chinese Communist Party," Pelosi said in statement issued after her departure.

"While they may prevent Taiwan from sending its leaders to global forums, they cannot prevent world leaders or anyone from travelling to Taiwan to pay respect to its flourishing democracy, to highlight its many successes and to reaffirm our commitment to continued collaboration," Pelosi added.

She later arrived in South Korea, according to local media.

China's customs department announced a suspension of imports of citrus fruits and certain fish - chilled white striped hairtail and frozen horse mackerel - from Taiwan, while its commerce ministry banned export of natural sand to Taiwan.

Fury on the mainland over Pelosi's defiance of Beijing was evident in Chinese social media, with one blogger railing: "this old she-devil, she actually dares to come!" Pelosi is 82.

MILITARY DRILLS

China's military announced joint air and sea drills near Taiwan and test launches of conventional missiles in the sea east of the island, with Chinese state news agency Xinhua describing live-fire drills and other exercises around Taiwan from Thursday to Sunday.

China's foreign ministry said Pelosi's visit damages peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, harms the political foundation of U.S.-Chinese relations and infringes upon China's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken discussed the potential for Pelosi's visit with counterpart Wang Yi during a G20 meeting in Bali last month, and said any such trip would be entirely Pelosi's decision and independent of the Biden administration, a senior U.S. official said on Wednesday.

The State Department confirmed that China delivered a formal protest to U.S. Ambassador Nicholas Burns in Beijing, and that Burns reiterated U.S. readiness to work with China to prevent escalation and keep lines of communication open.

The United States has no official diplomatic relations with Taiwan but is bound by American law to provide it with the means to defend itself. China views visits by U.S. officials to Taiwan as sending an encouraging signal to the pro-independence camp on the island. Taiwan rejects China's sovereignty claims, saying only the Taiwanese people can decide the island's future.

Taiwan's military increased its alertness level. Its defence ministry said China was attempting to threaten key ports and cities with drills in the surrounding waters.

"We can see China's ambition: to make the Taiwan Strait non-international waters, as well as making the entire area west of the first island chain in the western pacific its sphere of influence," a senior Taiwan official familiar with its security planning told Reuters.

Foreign ministers of the G7 - Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Britain and the United States, as well as the European Union  in a statement urged China to resolve the Taiwan matter peacefully and expressed concern over China's "threatening actions," particularly live-fire exercises and "economic coercion." They added that it is "normal and routine" for legislators to travel internationally.

(Reporting by Yimou Lee and Sarah Wu; Additional reporting by Simon Lewis in Washington; Writing by Tony Munroe and Michael Martina; Editing by Simon Cameron-Moore, Stephen Coates and Will Dunham)
WASHINGTON  House Speaker Nancy Pelosi highlighted strong support for Taiwan as she wrapped her visit Wednesday, while China announced it would conduct live-fire military drills in response to her controversial trip to the self-governed island.

Pelosi, who met with Taiwan's top leaders then departed, addressed threats from Beijing, saying she hopes its clear that while China has prevented Taiwan from attending certain international meetings, "that they understand they will not stand in the way of people coming to Taiwan as a show of friendship and of support.

Our congressional delegations visit should be seen as a strong statement that America stands with Taiwan," Pelosi said in a statement Wednesday. "We came to Taiwan to listen to, learn from and show our support for the people of Taiwan, who have built a thriving democracy that stands as one of the freest and most open in the world."

During a short speech in a meeting with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, Pelosi said she and other members of the U.S. congressional delegation would uphold their commitment to the self-governing island.

Today, the world faces a choice between democracy and autocracy, she said. Americas determination to preserve democracy, here in Taiwan and around the world, remains ironclad.

Taiwan denounced China's planned drills, saying they violate its sovereignty and equate to the "sealing off" of the island "by air and sea."

Hua Chunying, a spokesperson for China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, wrote on Twitter Wednesday: "China will do everything necessary to firmly defend our sovereignty and territorial integrity. What needs to be done will be done. These measures will be resolute, strong and effective and will be continuously felt."

U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi waves to journalists during her arrival at the Parliament in Taipei, Taiwan, on Aug. 3, 2022.

The latest:

Pelosi honored: Tsai, thanking Pelosi for her decades of support for Taiwan, presented the speaker with a civilian honor, the Order of the Propitious Clouds.

Beijing bites back: The trip has roiled the Chinese government, which warned that Pelosi was "playing with fire" and said it views the trip as a serious violation of the one-China policy the U.S. has pledged to adhere to.

No change in policy: In Washington, the Biden administration stressed that its policy toward Taiwan has not changed. Pelosi echoed that sentiment in an op-ed that published after she had landed.

25 years later: Pelosi is the first House speaker to visit Taiwan in a quarter century. Then-House Speaker Newt Gingrich, a Republican, visited in 1997.

Story continues

A U.S. government plane carrying Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi takes off from Taipei Songshan Airport on Aug. 3, 2022, in Taipei, Taiwan. Pelosi arrived in Taiwan on Tuesday as part of a tour of Asia aimed at reassuring allies in the region, as China made it clear that her visit to Taiwan would be seen in a negative light.

Top takeaways

Pelosis visit to Taiwan comes as tension between the United States and China continues to rise. And the White House has walked a tightrope in responding to the House speakers trip.

John Kirby, the strategic coordinator for the National Security Council, said Tuesday that Pelosis trip is totally consistent with United States policy. However, when asked whether the White House agrees with Pelosis statement that America stands with Taiwan, Kirby said he will let the speaker speak for herself.

Nothing has changed about our adherence to the One China policy, Kirby said. Nothing has changed about our stance on Taiwan independence, which is that we do not support Taiwan independence."

China's official Xinhua News Agency announced the military actions Tuesday night, along with a map outlining six different areas around Taiwan. Arthur Zhin-Sheng Wang, a defense studies expert at Taiwans Central Police University, said three of the areas infringe on Taiwanese waters, meaning they are within 12 nautical miles off shore. moving this down

Kirby said the White House expects Beijing's response to unfold over a longer term horizon beyond Pelosis trip, noting additional large-scale live fire exercises and economic coercion.

"The United States will not seek and does not want a crisis," Kirby said. We are prepared to manage what Beijing chooses to do. At the same time, we will not engage in saber-rattling.

We will continue to operate in the seas, in the skies of the Western Pacific as we have done for decades, he continued. We will continue to support Taiwan, defend a free and open Indo-Pacific and seek to maintain communication with Beijing..

What they are saying

Madam Speakers visit to Taiwan with the delegation, without fear, is the strongest defense of upholding human rights and consolidation of the values of democracy and freedom, Tsai Chi-chang, vice president of Taiwans legislature, said in welcoming Pelosi.

"He respects the speaker's decision to travel to Taiwan," Kirby said of Biden on Tuesday.

China's Defense Ministry said Pelosi "insisted on making the wrong move, maliciously provoking and creating the crisis."





Pelosi wrote in a op-ed in the Washington Post that the visit by U.S. lawmakers "in no way contradicts the long-standing one-China policy."

"Our visit reiterates that America stands with Taiwan: a robust, vibrant democracy and our important partner in the Indo-Pacific," she said in a tweet.

Sen. Bob Menendez, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, in an op-ed, highlighted Pelosi's visit as a reason Congress should pass a bipartisan bill that restructures U.S. policy toward Taiwan. He said Beijing may use Pelosi's visit as "a pretext for more aggressive steps that China has been preparing to take anyway. That is why Ms. Pelosi was right in not letting China decide who can and cannot visit Taiwan."

Chunying, China's foreign ministry spokesperson, accused Pelosi of trying to undermine Chinas stability."

This exposes her sinister motive of using human rights as a pretext to interfere in other countries internal affairs, undermine Chinas stability and containing Chinas development, Chunying wrote on Twitter.

Want to know more? Here's what you missed:

 Why Nancy Pelosi is visiting Taiwan despite China's threats and pleas from Biden

 Why Taiwan is the biggest flashpoint in the increasingly fraught US-China relationship

 Pelosi lands in Taiwan:Nancy Pelosi visits Taiwan, angering China, which warns she's 'playing with fire'

Contributing: Rebecca Morin, Associated Press

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Nancy Pelosi leaves Taiwan; China announces military drills
UPDATE 8/3/2 9:45 a.m.: Pittsburgh police said she has been found safe.

Previous coverage:

Pittsburgh police are searching for a missing 13-year-old girl.

According to a social media post, Alison Vivas is 410, weighs 70 pounds and wears glasses. Police said she has black hair with yellow in the back.

She was last seen wearing a black t-shirt, black and blue shorts and black flip flops.

Alison was last seen in Oakland around 6 p.m. on Tuesday. She could be heading to the Penn Hills area.

Anyone with information on her whereabouts is asked to call Pittsburgh police at (412)323-7141.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts.

Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW

TRENDING NOW:

Explosion at McKeesport building after crews hit gas line during construction Driver killed when garbage truck overturns, crashes into several homes in Wilmerding Man arrested after allegedly pulling gun on another person at local restaurant VIDEO: Local teacher facing charges after 18 kids found drinking alcohol at her home DOWNLOAD the Channel 11 News app for breaking news alerts
Police have identified the victims of an apparent murder-suicide inside a home in Orlandos East Park neighborhood Tuesday afternoon.

Investigators said the people killed were Stephanie Renee Ramirez, 39; Alyssa Berumen, 23; Sunny Ramirez, 11; and Shelby Rose Ramirez, 7.

Police said Donovan Michael Ramirez, 45, has been identified as a suspect in connection with the deaths.

Read: You feel touched by it; Neighbors react after family found dead in apparent murder-suicide

On Tuesday, Orlando police responded to a home along Lake District Lane for a well-being check around 1 p.m.

Officers who entered the home found the victims  three adults and two children  dead in an apparent murder-suicide.

See a map of the scene below:

Neighbor Justin Rossilini said the family had moved into the neighborhood only a couple of months ago.

They seemed very normal, Rossilini said. Very, very nice. Like I said, theyve only been there for two months.

Read: Shock, heartbreak on streets outside murder-suicide home

Heather Collins said she had no idea that anything had happened until they saw officers outside the home.

Its actually scary if you ask me, that something that horrific could be happening right there close to you and theres nobody there to help, she said.

Police said a firearm was found at the scene. However, the medical examiners office has yet to determine an exact cause of death.

Family told Channel 9 off camera that they were emotionally lost and speechless.

Read: Family of 5 found dead in apparent murder-suicide, Orlando police say

Detectives said it appears the deaths were the result of a domestic violence-related incident.

Mental health specialist Dwight Bain said he fears this type of violence will become more common as pressures in life keep building.

Just because people have economic opportunity does not mean theyre happy, Bain said. In terms of happiness, we dont score well in areas of mental health, Central Florida as a whole.

Story continues

WATCH: Domestic violence survivor advocates push for more funding for support programs

Officials remind the community that if you or someone you know is involved in a domestic violence situation, there are free resources to help.

 Harbor House of Central Floridas 24/7 confidential crisis hotline: (407) 886-2856.

 Victim Service Center of Central Floridas 24/7 helpline: (407)-500-HEAL.

 National Domestic Violence Hotline 24/7 (in English and Spanish): 1-800-799-7233.

 United Way of Central Florida 211 services: Call or text 211 for confidential domestic abuse support, and other services.

Click here to download the free WFTV news and weather apps, click here to download the WFTV Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
William Kit in an Jan. 6 image that prosecutors say was provided to the FBI by a tipster. The Justice Department

A pro-Trump YouTuber was arrested this week for his role in the January 6 Capitol attack.

Prosecutors said William Kit posted several videos of himself among the mob of rioters that day.

At least 880 people have been charged and more than 300 people have pleaded guilty in connection to the siege.

A right-wing social media influencer who posted videos of himself participating in the January 6 Capitol riot was arrested this week after an anonymous tipster flagged photos of the pro-Trump YouTuber to the FBI.

William Kit, better known online as "Semore Views," was charged with four misdemeanor counts last month, including entering and remaining in a restricted building, disorderly conduct, and demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building.

Kit's musings on patriotism and politics have garnered him a significant social media following, with more than 37,000 YouTube subscribers and 78,700 Instagram followers.

The Daily Beast and WUSA were first to report on Kit's arrest after court documents in the case were unsealed this week. The DC man made his initial appearance in court on Monday where he was released on a personal recognizance bond and with several conditions, WUSA reported.

Videos on Kit's Semore Views YouTube channel show him among the mob of Trump supporters outside the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, facing off against law enforcement officers.

"Are you willing to fucking die for this shit?" Kit can be heard shouting in one video. "We are here to die for this shit today."

Kit also filmed himself walking into the Capitol through the Senate Wing door. Once inside the building, he can be heard asking, "Where are those goddamn politicians at? [We're] taking over the goddamn Capitol."

Closed-circuit television footage captured Kit exiting the building through a broken window a couple of minutes later, according to court documents.

Prosecutors said Kit was first interviewed by a DC Metropolitan Police officer just two days after the siege, while he was at work at a Maryland convenience store. Nearly a year later, in December 2021, a tipster contacted the FBI about videos on Kit's "Semore Views" YouTube page, according to court documents. Investigators were able to identify Kit, who was pictured wearing an "I am Semore Views" shirt, as well as an American flag bandana during the attack.

Story continues

Kit did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

At least 880 people have been charged in connection with the Capitol riot and more than 300 people have pleaded guilty thus far.

Read the original article on Business Insider
PROVIDENCE  Rep. Ramon Perez has agreed to pay a $6,000 fine to the Rhode Island Board of Elections after it found he spent campaign funds on personal expenses.

Perez, a Democrat representing parts of Providence and Johnston, used campaign cash for $1,072 in personal purchases between 2021 and March 31, according to a Board of Elections consent order released Wednesday. State law prohibits candidates from using money raised for campaigning for non-political purposes.

The order does not say what was purchased with the money, but requires him to repay the $1,072 to his campaign account.

Campaign-finance violations: Two Republican state senators fined

Ramon A. Perez

In addition to the personal spending, Perez reported $6,574 in loans and $8,595 in campaign expenses that did not show up in bank records, according to the BOE audit report.

Over the same period, $7,831 in expenditures, including $4,500 in debits or withdrawals, appeared on campaign bank statements but not Perez' campaign finance reports, the BOE said.

"Perez explained that he would communicate the contribution and expenditure information to be included on each campaign finance report to his treasurer via phone and that the treasurer did not review source documentation or campaign bank account statements," the consent order said. "Perez acknowledged that he paid some campaign expenditures from his personal funds and now from funds in his campaign account. He further acknowledged that he made personal expenditures from his campaign account and reasoned that the campaign owed him money which allowed him to make personal expenditures."

Rhode Island Primary Voting Guide: Everything you need to know to get your ballot

One of the most conservative Democrats in the General Assembly, Perez was elected to represent House District 13 in 2016. He was defeated in the 2018 election, but won the seat back in 2020.

Perez faces independent Ivan Montanez in the November general election to represent the district that includes parts of the Silver Lake and Hartford neighborhoods plus a chunk of eastern Johnston.

Story continues

Election 2022 Updates: The latest news in the highest-profile races in Rhode Island

panderson@providencejournal.com

(401) 277-7384

On Twitter: @PatrickAnderso_

Political Scene: Here's where you can find state lawmakers at the beach this summer

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Providence state Rep. Ramon Perez fined for misusing campaign funds
(Bloomberg) -- A push in Washington to transform the US derivatives regulator into a top crypto watchdog is gaining steam with a Senate bill that would give the Commodity Futures Trading Commission sweeping new powers to oversee the asset class.

Most Read from Bloomberg

The CFTC, whose purview is now mostly limited to crypto derivatives, would get the ability to police trading in the largest digital assets under the plan introduced Wednesday by Democrat Debbie Stabenow and Republican John Boozman. The legislation backed by the two top members of the Senate Agriculture Committee carries particular heft because their panel oversees the regulator. Senators Cory Booker, a New Jersey Democrat, and John Thune, a South Dakota Republican, are also original cosponsors of the bill.

One in five Americans have used or traded digital assets -- but these markets lack the transparency and accountability that they expect from our financial system. Too often, this puts Americans hard-earned money at risk, Stabenow said in a statement. Thats why we are closing regulatory gaps and requiring that these markets operate under straightforward rules that protect customers and keep our financial system safe.

Stabenow and Boozman said Wednesday on a call with reporters that they want to advance their bill through the agriculture committee as soon as possible, potentially as early as September.

Crypto executives have been pressing for the CFTC to get more power as they resist Securities and Exchange Commission Chair Gary Genslers assertions that many digital coins are securities under the SECs purview. Industry trade groups, including the Blockchain Association and the Crypto Council for Innovation, put out statements in support of the senators efforts.

The new proposal would give the derivatives regulator direct oversight of tokens that qualify as digital commodities, which according to a summary of the plan include Bitcoin and Ether -- the two largest digital assets.

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Rostin Behnam, the chairman of the CFTC, has said his agency is well-positioned to take on a greater role. The agency has also been working with lawmakers crafting the plan, which is just one of a spate of crypto bills. To become law, it would require multiple votes in the Senate and a version would also need to pass the US House.

In addition to new powers, the senators bill would direct the CFTC to undertake a number of studies.

The regulator would have to write a report on energy consumption and sources used to create and trade digital commodities, and publish the findings on its website. Democrats have increasingly raised concerns about the amount of electricity used in crypto mining and how it might exacerbate climate change.

The regulator would also have to study the racial, ethnic, and gender demographics of customers participating in digital-asset markets to inform rulemaking, outreach efforts, and other related activities.

The digital commodity label would certainly be welcomed by crypto enthusiasts who have been desperately trying to avoid assets getting hit by the security tag, which carries a range of strict investor-protection requirements at the SEC.

Concerns that the SEC will assert more jurisdiction have been rising since last month when the agency took the unusual step of identifying nine assets that it considered to be securities as part of an insider trading case.

The senators plan would have the CFTC impose a series of new oversight measures. The requirements would preempt state rules, according to the overview of the bill.

Digital-commodity platforms, including brokers, custodians, dealers, and trading facilities, would have to register with the CFTC. Associated persons of dealers and brokers working with those assets would also have to meet registration requirements.

At the same time, the bill would require the CFTC to put in place customer-protection rules. Platforms would have to disclose major conflicts of interest and trading risks, as well as face marketing and advertising standards.

(Adds detail on timing for potential committee markup in fourth paragraph; prior version updated with quote from Senator Stabenow.)

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

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Read also: Russian army unable to tell dictator Putin they have failed in Ukraine, says military expert

The good news is that the Kremlin wants a negotiated settlement, said Schroder.

A diplomatic approach to resolving the conflict was already around  for example at the Istanbul (talks) back in March.

The former German chancellor lauded the recent grain exports agreement between Ukraine and Russia, adding that perhaps it could eventually be expanded to include a ceasefire.

Read also: Europe must be ready for Russian gas blackmail

While he called the war a mistake on Russias part, Schroder said its absurd to think that Kyiv could reclaim Russia-annexed Crimea by military means.

Besides the (Crimean) Tatar (ethnic) minority, the region is Russian; former Soviet Leader Nikita Khrushchev transferred it to Ukraine, which was then part of the Soviet Union, Schroder opined.

Schroder traveled to lovely Moscow for a vacation last week. He resigned from Rosnefts board of directors in May.

Schroder maintains his sympathies towards Russia, and said he has no plans to distance himself from Putin, whom he considers a friend.

The German government has cut off state funding of Schroder and his staff, citing his persistent efforts to lobby Russian interests.

The European Parliament voted for a resolution urging the EU to sanction Schroder on May 19.

Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul was one of 11 Republican U.S. senators to vote "no" on the PACT Act, which allocates funding to veterans who were exposed to toxic waste pits and Agent Orange, a defoliant used widely during the Vietnam War.

The act would allow these U.S. veterans to have more access to health care, but Paul said this could have dangerous economic implications.

The bill passed through the Senate in a vote of 86-11. It will now go to President Joe Biden to be signed into law.

"This bill puts our economy, though, at risk by creating presumptions of service connection for the most common ailments, he said in a video of his remarks on the Senate floor.

Paul went on to explain that hypertension and asthma had the potential to be covered, and said this had the potential to cost "hundreds of millions of dollars in a time where the national debt is climbing over $30 trillion and inflation is at a 40-year high." Instead, he suggested an amendment to the bill, which would cut foreign aid in order to pay for these services.

His amendment ended up failing 90-7.

We absolutely must take care of those who were harmed in service to our country, which is why I introduced an amendment yesterday to pay for hundreds of billions of dollars for veterans health care," Paul said. "Unfortunately my colleagues did not support my efforts."

Paul also cited other bills he has supported to care for veterans, including The Healthcare for Burn Pit Victims Act and the VA Mission Act.

More on Rand Paul:Rand Paul knocks Charles Booker for traveling to flood-ravaged Eastern Kentucky

The video of him discussing the potential economic impact went viral and drew criticism from many people, including former Kentucky state Rep. Charles Booker, Paul's Democratic opponent in the Nov. 8 election.

Rand Paul just announced that he opposes the PACT Act because veterans cannot prove they got health issues while serving in combat.



He is absolutely shameful, and has made a mockery of the office he occupies. I will defeat him.  Charles Booker (@Booker4KY) August 2, 2022

Podcast host and Army veteran Fred Wellman cited more specific numbers in his criticism of Paul, noting there are 7 million surviving veterans of the Vietnam War and millions more from the War on Terror that could benefit.

Story continues

There are about 7M surviving Vietnam vets. They are in their 70s now. Probably around 3M total GWOT vets. Rand Paul wants them to have a harder time getting healthcare for their illnesses becauseyou knowbudgets. We need to die faster and save those taxes! https://t.co/iSVVv6wtR2  Fred Wellman (@FPWellman) August 2, 2022

Comedian Jon Stewart is a large proponent of this bill, and went viral after passionately explaining his anger when several Republican senators voted against advancing this bill last week.

Reach reporter Eleanor McCrary at emccrary@gannett.com and follow her on Twitter @ellie_mccrary.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: PACT Act: Rand Paul votes 'no' on bill providing funding to veterans
Stock-trading app service Robinhood is closing its Charlotte office and laying off dozens of workers, according to a letter obtained by Channel 9 Thursday.

Robinhood sent a letter to the state saying effective Oct. 1, the company is laying off 82 people.

Channel 9 learned Thursday that the move is part of Robinhoods restructuring after reducing its head count by 23% throughout the company.

The office opened just last year in a building on South Tryon Street. Robinhood initially said they would invest $11 million and bring hundreds of jobs to the Queen City. The city and state has also offered millions in incentives to lure the company.

Councilman Tariq Bokhari has a background in fintech and said the city and state negotiated a strong deal. The states $3 million and the citys $157,000 hinged on job creation and investment.

If the goals arent met, the dollars arent approved.

We are not out a dime until the companies fulfill their obligations, Bokhari said.

PAST COVERAGE: Robinhood said to be looking at Charlotte for 300-job office

In a blog post on Tuesday, the company cited high inflation and the recent cryptocurrency crash as reasons for the layoffs.

The reduction of about 780 total jobs follows another round of layoffs announced earlier this year, which cut 9% of its workforce and did not go far enough in cutting costs, CEO Vlad Tenev said in the blog post.

As part of a broader company reorganization, we have decided to close our office in Charlotte, the company said in a statement. Employees in Charlotte who remain with Robinhood will begin working under our work from anywhere model.

Bokhari said its a tough time for tech companies, but he feels strong about Charlottes future. He said Charlotte has the workers, ecosystem and track record for the fintech companied to succeed.

ALSO READ: Layoffs hit Walmart corporate offices

We are going to take some lumps in this period, but we are the ones I believe are teed up for success, he said.

Story continues

For example, the software company Kingsmen announced Thursday that they will be double the size of their headquarters and move to Camp North End. Carolina fintech managing partner Pasha Maher said people shouldnt panic and that Charlotte will continue to compete with other major cities for these jobs.

We are going to recruit good companies here. Not all are going to have success, and that is a natural business cycle, Maher said.

Robinhoods stock has been mostly tumbling since its debut last year, The Associated Press reported. It has nearly halved so far in 2022 and closed Tuesday at $9.23, up 2.1% for the day. It slipped nearly 1% in after-hours trading.

The Associated Press contributed to this article.

(Watch coverage on Robinhoods expected move to Charlotte in the video below)




IRYNA BALACHUK  WEDNESDAY, 3 AUGUST 2022, 08:58

Russian forces struck the city of Kharkiv on the night of 2 August with missiles launched from the Russian city of Belgorod [in Belgorod Oblast, near the Russian-Ukrainian border - ed.].

Source: Oleh Syniehubov, Head of the Kharkiv Oblast Military Administration, on Telegram

Quote: "Around 04:00, the Russian occupiers carried out two strikes on Kharkiv. The missiles were launched from Belgorod  according to preliminary information, from an S-300 anti-aircraft missile system."

Details: Syniehubov said that one of the Russian missiles struck a civilian industrial facility in the Novobavarskyi neighbourhood, damaging the building. According to preliminary information, there are no casualties.

The other missile hit the ground in the Kholodnohirskyi district.

Earlier: Ihor Terekhov, Mayor of Kharkiv, said that two powerful explosions were heard during an air-raid in the city of Kharkiv on the night of 2 August.

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ECONOMICHNA PRAVDA  WEDNESDAY, 3 AUGUST 2022, 10:33

Russian occupiers have stolen the deposit boxes from the PUMB bank branch in temporarily occupied Mariupol.

This was reported by Petro Andriushchenko, the advisor to Mariupols mayor, on his Telegram.

"There were deposit boxes on the premises of the PUMB bank in Mariupol. It is unknown what and how much of it Mariupol residents kept there. But they definitely kept the most valuable [things there - ed.] and these deposit boxes were closed at the beginning of the second phase of the war. Currently, they have been completely cleaned out to zero," he writes.

According to Andriushchenko, the voluntary decision of banker A.Vysotskyi to stay and cooperate with the Russians is also connected with this theft [according to local media, Andrii Vysotskyi, who managed the PUMB Processing Center in Mariupol, has sided with the occupiers and will build the financial system of the self-proclaimed "Donetsk People's Republic" in Mariupol - ed.].

"Our sources report that it was him who directly contributed to the looting, ensuring the peaceful opening [of the deposit boxes - ed.] before the full occupation of the city," Andriushchenko added.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda!
Parents and students in Tennessee can get ready for the new school year and report school safety concerns through the SafeTN app.

SafeTN is a secure, open-door communications platform where you can send in tips and access useful resources to help keep your school and community safe.

Every Tennessean has an active role to play in ensuring school safety, and that starts with downloading the Safe TN app, Governor Bill Lee said in a press release from the state. As students return to school this month, the SafeTN app is an easy way for parents and guardians to quickly and confidentially report safety concerns.

The app gives every Tennessean a direct line for confidentially reporting suspicious or concerning activity within schools, the release said.

Concerns and tips are vetted by law enforcement 24/7 to address circumstances like:

 Violence or assault

 Threats of violence or a planned attack

 Physical injury or harm to self or others

In the coming weeks, the Lee administration will share data and next steps for the Governors recent executive order to enhance school safety throughout Tennessee.

Additional resources will be provided to parents, schools and law enforcement throughout the fall.

Learn more and download the app here.

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Trending stories:
In a candidate questionnaire, Ann Hsu cited unstable families and lack of parental encouragement as challenges to educating Black and brown students.

A San Francisco school board meeting was emotionally charged and at one point was halted for the room to be cleared before the board could take action against one of its members accused of making racist statements on a campaign questionnaire, the San Francisco Chronicle is reporting.

The board member, Ann Hsu, who has apologized for the comments and who was unanimously admonished (including by herself ), wrote on that questionnaire words about marginalized students that many felt were bigoted: Unstable family environments and lack of parental encouragement to focus on learning were among the biggest challenges in educating Black and brown students.

The San Francisco school board needed to denounce the harmful stereotypes, systemic racism and the bias reflected in one members words, the board president said.

I misspoke while trying to discuss these issues, Hsu said, referring to systemic racism, general poverty, housing insecurity and other issues facing marginalized children, the Chronicle noted. I am truly sorry. I look forward to getting back to the work I and my colleagues have committed to do.

Board president Jenny Lam said the action was necessary to send a clear statement to the community and to denounce the harmful stereotypes, systemic racism and the bias reflected.

Hsus apologies and the boards action were not enough for some parents, community members and teachers. Instead, during the public comment period of the meeting before the board vote, they called for her to resign. The Chronicle also noted that her comments on the questionnaire seemed to further inflame tensions between the Chinese American community and Black and brown communities.

The Rev. Arnold Townsend, vice president of the San Francisco NAACP, said that Hsus comments clearly suggested unfair treatment. It would seem so obvious to me that what were calling for is the right thing to do, Townsend said, referring to the request for Hsus resignation, which also comes from the local teachers union. Our children are not being treated the same and now theyve made it blatant.

Story continues

I made a mistake, and I am truly sorry.



Ann Hsu apologized again at the board meeting tonight.



She also voted yes to admonish herself at the unanimous board decision. pic.twitter.com/0dPmmMWBBD  Han Li  (@lihanlihan) August 3, 2022

Hsus supporters  those who do not believe she should resign, including more than 300 who signed a letter to that effect  also number community members, particularly various Asian American groups like AsianAmericanVoters.org, as well as students and parents.

A parent who identified herself as Ellie, who spoke after exchanges of verbal outcries between Hsus supporters and opponents led to a meeting recess, praised Hsu and criticized the board for lack of attention to student achievement.

There is so much work ahead, she said. Stop with the theatrics. Stop with the hypocrisy. I believe Commissioner Hsu has the qualities of true leader: one who listens, one who learns, one who leads.

Mayor London Breed, who is the first Black female mayor of San Francisco, appointed Hsu to the board. While Breed has criticized Hsus comments, she has not asked her to resign, according to the Chronicle.

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The post San Francisco school board admonishes member for racist remarks about Black families appeared first on TheGrio.
State election officials said election workers have faced growing threats of violence and harassment following the spread of unfounded election fraud claims from the 2020 election.

It was the focus of a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Wednesday.

Election workers throughout the country of both political parties, both, have been forced to take extraordinary steps to protect themselves and their families, said Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Election officials from both parties described the toll it has taken on everyone from Secretaries of State to everyday poll workers and clerks.

They stood outside my front door, waking my neighbors, shouting obscenities and graphic threats into bull horns, said Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, a Democrat.

An uptick in everything from concerning emails to actual physical threats, said Matt Crane, Executive Director of the Colorado County Clerks Association, who described himself as a conservative Republican.

The discussion included the damage caused by doxing  thats when private information is posted online.

Lawmakers said it happened to the former director of elections for the Secretary of State in Washington state.

The email and home addresses of Lori Augino were published on a website called enemies of the people along with a photo of her face, said Durbin.

It was unnerving, as you can tell when my elections directors information was put out, said Kim Wyman, Senior Election Security Advisor for the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), who used to work with Augino. Thats part of why I joined CISA.

Wyman fought back tears as she recounted the incident.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) created a task force last year to specifically focus on threats to election workers.

The task force unites the foremost subject matter experts across the government who have deep experience with election-related issues, said Kenneth Polite Jr., Assistant Attorney General in the Criminal Division of the DOJ.

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Republicans were critical of the task force and argued the focus of the DOJ should instead be on the rise in violent crimes across the country.

It appears that only four cases have been announced as a result of this task forces effort, said Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Thats after more than a years work.

The vast majority of communications directed at election workers, offensive though they may be, will not constitute true threats subject to criminal prosecution due to the robust protections afforded to political speech, said Polite during his testimony.

The election officials called for Congress to invest more funds in security for local election offices and to help those local officials access funds already available.

We need you to act because many states like Michigan are failing to do what is necessary to protect us, said Benson.

Download the FOX13 Memphis app to receive alerts from breaking news in your neighborhood.

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Trending stories:
State election officials say election workers have faced growing threats of violence and harassment following the spread of unfounded election fraud claims from the 2020 election.

It was the focus of a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Wednesday.

Election workers throughout the country of both political parties, both, have been forced to take extraordinary steps to protect themselves and their families, said Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Election officials from both parties described the toll it has taken on everyone from Secretaries of State to everyday poll workers and clerks.

They stood outside my front door, waking my neighbors, shouting obscenities and graphic threats into bull horns, said Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, a Democrat.

An uptick in everything from concerning emails to actual physical threats, said Matt Crane, Executive Director of the Colorado County Clerks Association, who described himself as a conservative Republican.

The discussion included the damage caused by doxing  thats when private information is posted online.

Lawmakers said it happened to the former director of elections for the Secretary of State in Washington state.

The email and home addresses of Lori Augino were published on a website called enemies of the people along with a photo of her face, said Durbin.

It was unnerving, as you can tell, when my elections directors information was put out, said Kim Wyman, Senior Election Security Advisor for the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), who used to work with Augino. Thats part of why I joined CISA.

Wyman fought back tears as she recounted the incident.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) created a task force last year to specifically focus on threats to election workers.

The task force unites the foremost subject matter experts across the government who have deep experience with election related issues, said Kenneth Polite Jr., Assistant Attorney General in the Criminal Division of the DOJ.

Story continues

Republicans were critical of the task force and argued the focus of the DOJ should instead be on the rise in violent crimes across the country.

It appears that only four cases have been announced as a result of this task forces effort, said Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Thats after more than a years work.

The vast majority of communications directed at election workers, offensive though they may be, will not constitute true threats subject to criminal prosecution due to the robust protections afforded to political speech, said Polite during his testimony.

The election officials called for Congress to invest more funds in security for local election offices and to help those local officials access funds already available.

We need you to act because many states like Michigan are failing to do what is necessary to protect us, said Benson.
The Senate on Tuesday passed legislation expanding care for veterans who suffer from illnesses because of exposure to toxins during their military service, ending a standoff after Republicans blocked the bill last week.

The Sgt. 1st Class Heath Robinson Honoring Our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act passed with a vote of 86-11 and aims to expand benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs to 3.5 million veterans.

The bill now heads to President Bidens desk, and he is expected to sign it.

While we can never fully repay the enormous debt we owe to those who have worn the uniform, today, the United States Congress took important action to meet this sacred obligation, Biden said in a statement shortly after the bills passage.

I have long said we have a lot of obligations as a nation, but we have only one sacred obligation  to prepare and equip those we send to war and to take care of them and their families when they come home, he added. I look forward to signing this bill, so that veterans and their families and caregivers impacted by toxic exposures finally get the benefits and comprehensive health care they earned and deserve.

Tuesdays vote comes after Senate Republicans unexpectedly blocked the bill during a procedural vote last week. The upper chamber on Wednesday voted 55-42 in favor of the bill, failing to reach the 60-vote threshold needed to overcome a filibuster. Twenty-five Republicans who initially voted to advance the bill in June changed their votes.

The upper chamber previously passed the bill in June by a vote of 84-14, and the House passed the bill in July on a bipartisan 342-88 vote. The measure had to go back to the Senate, as the House version included changes.

Republicans have argued that the bill would create a budgetary gimmick by moving $400 billion spent by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to mandatory spending, where it wouldnt be subject to annual appropriations like discretionary spending would.

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Earlier on Tuesday, GOP Senators reached a deal for votes on three amendments, with 60 votes needed to pass the measures, followed by a vote on final passage of the bill.

Veterans groups have been camping outside the Capitol since Thursday in a bid to pressure the Senate to pass the bill. Those same veterans, joined by comedian Jon Stewart, sat in the Senate Gallery to observe the vote.

Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) thanked the advocates for their efforts, saying they could go home knowing the good and great things youve done for America.

In addition to expanding VA eligibility for veterans exposed to toxins, the legislation also adds 23 burn pit and toxic exposure-related connections to the agencys list of presumptive service connections.

The bill also expands presumptions related to exposures to Vietnam War-era Agent Orange to veterans who served in Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Guam.

Updated at 8:14 p.m.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
(Bloomberg) -- Senator Kyrsten Sinema is seeking to preserve a tax break for investment managers and narrow a levy hike on large corporations in the economic package Democrats want to pass as soon as this week, people familiar with the discussions said.

Most Read from Bloomberg

The Arizona Democrat, a pivotal vote in the Senate, is asking to drop a provision from the bill that would scale back a tax break for fund managers, known as carried interest, according to one person, who asked for anonymity because the discussions are private. She is also pushing to narrow the 15% domestic minimum tax on financial profits, also known as the book tax, people said.

Democrats need Sinemas support to pass the bill using the fast-track budget procedure they are employing to bypass Republicans. Changing the tax provisions risks irking West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin, who negotiated the package with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. Manchin has said he is adamant that the carried interest change remain in the bill.

EXPLAINER: How the 15% US Minimum Corporate Tax Would Work

Manchin told reporters he has not heard of Sinema trying to remove the carried interest provision. Hannah Hurley, a spokesperson for Sinema, declined to comment about any requests to change the bill.

Politico and Axios previously reported details of Sinemas negotiations. Sinema is also looking to add $5 billion in drought relief to the bill, Politico reported.

Democratic Senators Mark Kelly of Arizona and Martin Heinrich of New Mexico said the drought issues in their states should be addressed but didnt say whether they want it in this bill.

Sinema has been faced with a barrage of lobbying from business interests and Senate Republicans. She has met in recent days with business groups representing her state as well as her GOP colleagues. Groups representing private equity and manufacturers have also been conducting advertising and advocacy campaigns to reach Sinema and Arizona voters since proposal went public last week.

Story continues

One way to make the corporate minimum tax less costly to businesses is to let companies still claim depreciation tax breaks for their investments in equipment and facilities. The levy, as currently drafted, doesnt allow businesses to claim those benefits.

The technology and manufacturing industries would be some of the most affected sectors from the book tax without the change. Companies, including Alphabet Inc.s Google and General Motors Co., could be subject to the tax if it were to become law in its current form.

Republican Senators John Thune of South Dakota and Rob Portman of Ohio, who have been speaking with Sinema, have both raised concerns with how the minimum tax could undercut tax breaks that are designed to help companies to innovate and grow. Portman, at a press conference Wednesday, pointed to a bipartisan bill that passed by the Senate last week to provide funding and tax incentives for semiconductor companies as an example of how Congress has repeatedly encouraged business investment.

Every developed country in the world helps to encourage their manufacturers to make more investments, he said. And here we are, less than a week later, saying, you know what? Weve changed our minds?

Sinema praised the corporate minimum tax last year when it was introduced in the Senate, without endorsing specifics. She was involved in the development of the proposal, but that was before inflation shot up and the threat of a recession materialized.

The changes Sinema is seeking could end up shaving tens of billions -- or more -- of revenue from the bill. That would likely mean that Democrats would have to cut into some of the roughly $300 billion worth of deficit reduction in the bill or trim some of the spending on climate and health initiatives.

Getting rid of the carried interest provision would only cut $13 billion from the $739 billion revenue expected to be raised by the package. The minimum corporate tax at 15%, however, is the biggest revenue generator in the bill, estimated at about $313 billion.

EXPLAINER: Why Carried Interest Is the Most Reviled Tax Break: QuickTake

(Updates with drought relief, in fifth and sixth paragraphs)

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

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Meta President Global Affairs, Nick Clegg, stands for a portrait at the IV CEO Summit of the Americas on the sidelines of the IX Summit of the Americas on June 7, 2022 - PATRICK T. FALLON/ AFP

Sir Nick Clegg is to join a string of senior Facebook executives moving to London after four years in Silicon Valley, despite predicting that an economically insecure Britain would hemorrhage tech businesses in the wake of Brexit.

The former Liberal Democrat deputy prime minister, 55, who is president of global affairs at Facebook's parent company Meta, is to divide his time between homes in London and California after his return to Britain.

Sir Nick  who left the UK to work for Facebook's billionaire founder Mark Zuckerberg after losing his seat as an MP  has made no secret of his longing to leave California, saying last year that his "heart belongs massively 5,000 miles away".

However, the decision is nonetheless likely to raise eyebrows given his history of outspoken warnings about the damage that Brexit would do to UK plc  particularly in the industry in which he is now employed.

In a 2017 interview, he said: "Pretty much everyone I speak to in the tech sector privately, they feel this sucking sound. Things that could have started here starting in Berlin.

"Investments that could be made here being put on ice. New innovations that could have flourished here are starting to flourish in Paris, Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Lisbon."

Meta has been expanding in London despite Sir Nick's previous concerns, opening a new 620,000 sq ft office in Kings Cross earlier this year to house 4,000 staff.

News of his relocation comes a day after it emerged Instagram chief Adam Mosseri is moving to London as the app battles to prevent an exodus of users to rival TikTok. Chief marketing officer Alex Schultz will also move to the UK this year.

Meta declined to comment.

Sir Nick is said to have chosen to move back for personal reasons, including being closer to his elderly parents.

Miriam Gonzalez Durantez, Sir Nicks lawyer wife, was also reluctant to leave the capital when they went to California, telling the Evening Standard in 2019: It is never a good time to leave London.

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Sir Nick joined Facebook in 2018 as head of global affairs and rose through the ranks to be appointed Mark Zuckerbergs number two  with the title of president of global affairs  when chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg stepped down earlier this year.

The former Liberal Democrat leader was promoted six months ago, with his new role giving him responsibility for the companys dealings with all governments globally.

He reports directly to chief executive Mr Zuckerberg and was awarded 10m of shares in Facebook parent company Meta, on top of his reported salary of 2.7m, as part of his promotion.

Mr Zuckerberg has embraced a shift to remote working at Meta since the onset of the pandemic, but it is only this year that a string of executives have decided to move from its headquarters in Silicon Valley.

Sir Nick's Californian mansion was worth around 7m when he and Ms Durantez purchased it in 2019. Forbes magazine described its location in Atherton, a town in Californias Silicon Valley, as the most expensive zip code in the entire United States.

Ms Durantez posted on Instagram in 2019, amid a litany of complaints about the US: One week and a half in California and I already had to fill in 63 registration forms  and no, not even all of them were online! Next time any Brexiteers complain about European bureaucracy, just point them to the US.

The former MP for Sheffield Hallam led Facebooks response to the invasion of Ukraine, banning Russian propaganda outlets RT and Sputnik from the social networking website. Sir Nick also relaxed Facebooks rules on violence to prevent moderators deleting posts by Ukrainians calling for armed resistance against the Russian invaders.

Russias response was to ban Facebook and Instagram from operating within its borders, costing Meta an estimated $1.7bn (1.4bn) in lost revenue.

Metas latest financial results recorded its first ever drop in revenues, down from $29bn to $28.8bn in the three months ending in June.
Six years after the passing of the legendary musician Prince, a ruling has ended the battle over his estate.

Since Prince had no will, children, or spouse, this placed six half-siblings as his legal heirs and catalyzed the probate process in court to divide Princes estate. In January, there was progress as the heirs closed a deal with the Internal Revenue Service marking the tax valuation of the estate to $156 million, according to Billboard. One month later, the judge recommended turning Princes holdings into limited liability companies (LLCs). The move decreased the estates tax exposure and solidified a management plan for how the parties involved could collaborate to administer music and other jointly-held assets.

Three of Princes half-siblings, Tyka Nelson, Omarr Baker, and Alfred Jackson, sold all or most of their shares of the estate to Prince Oat Holdings LLC (Primary Wave). The remaining three reportedly retained their stakes and partnered with advisors L. Londell McMillan and Charles Spicer.

Now a resolution has been reached after a long-fought battle.

A hearing on July 29, disclosed an agreement to distribute Princes estate, including $6 million in cash and more due to music rights and other intangibles, Billboard reports.

Primary Wave will split the funds with Prince Legacy LLC, which is the heirs plus McMillan and Spicer, and managed by McMillans NorthStar Group, after a hearing on Aug. 1 facilitated by a Minnesota judge, the outlet also reports. During the probate case, Comerica Bank & Trust served as a court-appointed administrator to oversee the handling of the estate.

Statement From Primary Wave, According to Billboard:

Prince was an iconic superstar and this transfer out of the courts jurisdiction puts in place professional, skilled management, Primary Wave said, according to Billboard. When we announced our acquisition of the additional expectancy interests in the estate last year bringing our ownership interest to 50%, our goal was to protect and grow Princes incomparable legacy. With the distribution of estate assets, we look forward to a strong and productive working relationship.

Story continues

The Court Battle

McMillan issued a statement that they were relieved and thrilled to finally be done with the Probate Court system and bankers who do not know the music business and did not know Prince and were looking forward to implementing things the way Prince did, Billboard reports.

I represented Prince for over 13 years and we led with innovation to reform the music industry  we hope to do the same with his amazing assets and catalog, from his music, film content, exhibits, merchandise, Paisly Park events, branded products and more, McMillan said in an email, according to the outlet. It is a historical and very exciting time. Prince is almost free to rest now.
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP)  A South Dakota government ethics board on Wednesday pressed forward with its investigation of two complaints against Gov. Kristi Noem, resisting an effort from the Republican governor to see them dismissed and extending the time it has to examine the allegations.

Noem, a potential 2024 White House contender, is under scrutiny from the state's Government Accountability Board for allegations that she misused the powers of her office by interfering in her daughters application for a real estate appraiser license and flying on state-owned airplanes to political events. She has denied any wrongdoing.

As attorney general, Jason Ravnsborg last year filed the complaints against Noem. Ravnsborg, a fellow Republican, was removed from office through impeachment in June for his conduct surrounding an unrelated car crash in which he killed a pedestrian. He has continued to bring the complaints as a private citizen.

After meeting in a closed-door executive session for roughly one hour, the board's three retired judges who are evaluating the complaints voted unanimously to deny the governor's requests to dismiss the complaints. They then voted to give themselves a 60-day extension for further investigation" to evaluate the merits of the complaints.

Ravnsborg said he was pleased the board had continued with its investigation, adding that the people of South Dakota deserve to know the truth of these two matters."

Noem's office said it would be a violation of state law to comment on the board's actions, referring to a statute that holds the board's files are confidential unless the board decides to hold a contested case hearing.

The governor's requests to the board, as well as the presence of an attorney for Noem for the first time, showed a willingness to take action to see the allegations dismissed. The board has broad powers, and if it decides the complaints have merit, could refer them for criminal investigation, subpoena evidence and witnesses or eventually hold a contested case hearing.

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The Government Accountability Board has taken steps to insulate itself from conflicts of interest while it takes up an issue that involves the state's most powerful political figures. Noem's appointee to the board, former state Supreme Court Chief Justice David Gilbertson, recused himself from evaluating the complaints. The board's attorney, Katie Mallery, was recused from advising the board because she works in the attorney general's office.

If the board decides laws may have been violated, state law calls for it to refer a criminal investigation to the Division of Criminal Investigation. That would put the investigation under the oversight of the interim attorney general, Mark Vargo, who was appointed by Noem after Ravnsborg was removed. The board could also choose to subpoena witnesses or hold a contested case hearing if it instead finds possible misconduct rather than criminality.

Vargo said in a statement, Decisions regarding recusal, either of DCI or the office in general, will be made when the issue squarely presents itself, not in advance of a possible, hypothetical situation.

It's not always the case that a prosecutor should recuse themselves from an investigation into someone who appointed them, said Kathleen Clark, a law professor who specializes in government ethics at Washington University in St. Louis. But, she said, the timing of Vargo's appointment  while the board's investigation was already underway  added an additional reason for recusal.

It seems to me that failure to recuse would undermine the credibility of any decision in Noems favor, particularly because she appointed this attorney general after this investigation already started, Clark said.

Noem has also forged a political partnership with the likely next attorney general, Republican Marty Jackley, with the pair exchanging endorsements earlier this year.

Ravnsborg showed an increasing willingness to bring the complaints against Noem after they fell out over his fatal car crash and she pushed hard for his impeachment.

Ravnsborg's first complaint came after The Associated Press reported that the governor took a hands-on role in a state agency soon after it had moved to deny her daughter, Kassidy Peters, an appraiser license in 2020. A Republican-controlled legislative committee concluded that Peters' application received special treatment, but did not say whether Noems actions were appropriate.

The director of the Appraisal Certification Program, Sherry Bren, was pressured to retire soon after Peters received her license and eventually received a $200,000 settlement from the state to withdraw an age discrimination complaint.

The former attorney generals other complaint was sparked after news website Raw Story found that Noem in 2019 used a state airplane to travel to events hosted by political organizations including the National Rifle Association and the Republican Jewish Coalition. South Dakota law bars state airplanes from being used for anything other than state business.

Noem has said she was traveling to the events as an ambassador for the state.
When Baltimore students sign into their school-issued laptops, the police log on, too.

Since the pandemic began, Baltimore City Public Schools officials have tracked students online lives with GoGuardian, a digital surveillance tool that promises to identify youth at risk of harming themselves or others. When GoGuardian flags students, their online activities are shared automatically with school police, giving cops a conduit into kids private lives  including on nights and weekends.

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Such partnerships between schools and police appear startlingly widespread across the country with significant implications for youth, according to the results of a national survey released Wednesday by the nonprofit Center for Democracy and Technology. Nearly all teachers  89%  reported that digital student monitoring tools like GoGuardian are used in their schools. And nearly half  44%  said students have been contacted by the police as a result of student monitoring.

The pandemic has led to major growth in the number of schools that rely on activity monitoring software to uncover student references to depression and violent impulses. The tools, offered by a handful of tech companies, can sift through students social media posts, follow their digital movements in real-time and scan files on school-issued laptops  from classroom assignments to journal entries  in search of warning signs.

Educators say the tools help them identify youth who are struggling and get them the mental health care they need at a time when youth depression and anxiety are spiraling. But the survey suggests an alternate reality: Instead of getting help, many students are being punished for breaking school rules. And in some cases, survey results suggest, students are being subjected to discrimination.

The report raises serious questions about whether digital surveillance tools are the best way to identify youth in need of mental health care and whether police officers should be on the front lines in responding to such emergencies.

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If were saying this is to keep students safe, but instead were using it punitively and were using it to invite law enforcement literally into kids homes, is this actually achieving its intended goal? asked Elizabeth Laird, a survey author and the centers director of equity in civic technology. Or are we, in the name of keeping students safe, actually endangering them?

Among teachers who use monitoring tools at their schools, 78% said the software has been used to flag students for discipline and 59% said kids wound up getting punished as a result. Yet just 45% of teachers said the software is used to identify violent threats and 47% said it is used to identify students at risk of harming themselves.

The findings are a direct contradiction of the stated goal of student activity monitoring, Laird said. School leaders and company executives have long maintained that the tools are not a disciplinary measure but are designed to identify at-risk students before someone gets hurt.

The Supreme Courts recent repeal of Roe v. Wade, she said, further muddles police officers role in student activity monitoring. As states implement anti-abortion laws, civil rights groups have warned that data from student activity monitoring tools could help the police identify youth seeking reproductive health care.

We know that law enforcement gets these alerts, she said. If you are in a state where they are looking to investigate these kinds of incidents, youve invited them into a students house to be able to do that.

A tale of discrimination

In Baltimore, counselors, principals and school-based police officers receive all alerts generated by GoGuardian during school hours, according to an October 2021 investigative report by The Real News Network, a nonprofit media outlet. Outside of school hours, including on weekends and holidays, the responsibility to monitor alerts falls on the police, the outlet reported, and on numerous occasions officers have shown up at students homes to conduct wellness checks. On multiple occasions, students have been transported to the hospital for emergency mental health care.

In a statement to The 74, district spokesperson Andre Riley said that GoGuardian helps officials identify potential risks to the safety of individual students, groups or schools, and that proper accountability measures are taken if students violate the code of conduct or break laws.

The use of GoGuardian is not simply a prompt for a law enforcement response, Riley added.

Leading student surveillance companies, including GoGuardian, have maintained that their interactions with police are limited. In April, Democratic Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey warned in a report that schools reliance on the tools could violate students civil rights and exacerbate the school-to-prison pipeline by increasing law enforcement interactions with students. Warren and Markey focused their report on four companies: GoGuardian, Gaggle, Securly and Bark.

In a letter to Warren and Markey, Gaggle executives said the company contacts law enforcement for wellness checks if they are unable to reach school-based emergency contacts and a child appears to be in immediate danger. In blog posts on the companys website, school officials in Wichita Falls, Texas, Cincinnati, Ohio, and Miami, Florida, acknowledged contacting police in response to Gaggle alerts.

In some cases, school leaders ask Securly to contact the police directly and request they conduct welfare checks on students, the company wrote in its letter to lawmakers. Executives at Bark said there are limited options beyond police intervention if they identify a student in crisis but they cannot reach a school administrator.

While we have witnessed many lives saved by police in these situations, unfortunately many officers have not received training in how to handle such crises, the company acknowledged in its letter. Irrespective of training there is always a risk that a visit from law enforcement can create other negative outcomes for a student and their family.

In its privacy policy, GoGuardian states the company may disclose student information if we believe in good faith that doing so is necessary or appropriate to comply with any law enforcement, legal or regulatory process.

Meanwhile, survey results suggest that student surveillance tools have a negative disparate impact on Black and Hispanic students, LGBTQ youth and those from low-income households. In a letter on Wednesday to coincide with the surveys release, a coalition of education and civil rights groups called on the U.S. Department of Education to issue guidance warning schools that their digital surveillance practices could violate federal civil rights laws. Signatories include the American Library Association, the Data Quality Campaign and the American Civil Liberties Union.

This is becoming a conversation not just about privacy, but about discrimination, Laird said. Without a doubt, we see certain groups of students having outsized experiences in being directly targeted.

In a youth survey, researchers found that student discipline as a result of activity monitoring fell disproportionately along racial lines, with 48% of Black students and 55% of Hispanic students reporting that they or someone they knew got into trouble for something that was flagged by an activity monitoring tool. Just 41% of white students reported having similar experiences.

Related: Nearly Half of LGBTQ Youth Seriously Considered Suicide in the Last Year, Survey Finds. A Simple Strategy Could Save Lives

Nearly a third of LGBTQ students said they or someone they know experienced nonconsensual disclosure of their sexual orientation or gender identity  often called outing  as a result of activity monitoring. LGBTQ youth were also more likely than straight and cisgender students to report getting into trouble at school and being contacted by the police about having committed a crime.

Some student surveillance companies, like Gaggle, monitor references to words including gay and lesbian, a reality company founder and CEO Jeff Patterson has said was created to protect LGBTQ youth, who face a greater risk of dying by suicide. But survey results suggest the heightened surveillance comes with significant harm to youth, and Laird said if monitoring tools are designed with certain students in mind, such as LGBTQ youth, that in itself is a form of discrimination.

In its letter to the Education Departments Office for Civil Rights Wednesday, advocates said the disparities outlined in the survey run counter to federal laws prohibiting race-, sex- and disability-based discrimination.

Student activity monitoring is subjecting protected classes of students to increased discipline and interactions with law enforcement, invading their privacy, and creating hostile environments for students to express their true thoughts and authentic identities, the letter states.

The Education Departments civil rights division, they said, should condemn surveillance practices that violate students civil rights and launch enforcement action against violations that result in discrimination.

Lawmakers consider youth privacy

The report comes at a moment of increasing alarm about student privacy online. In May, the Federal Trade Commission announced plans to crack down on tech companies that sell student data for targeted advertising and that illegally surveil children when they go online to learn.

It also comes at a time of intense concern over students emotional and physical well-being. While the pandemic has led to a greater focus on youth mental health, the May mass school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, has sparked renewed school safety efforts. In June, President Joe Biden signed a law with modest new gun-control provisions and an influx of federal funding for student mental health care and campus security. The funds could lead to more digital student surveillance.

The results of the online survey, which was conducted in May and June, were likely colored by the Uvalde tragedy, researchers acknowledged. A majority of parents and students have a favorable view of student activity monitoring during school hours to protect kids from harming themselves or others, researchers found. But just 48% of parents and 30% of students support around-the-clock surveillance.

Schools are under a lot of pressure to find ways to keep students safe and, like in many aspects of our lives, they are considering the role of technology, Laird said.

Related: After Huge Illuminate Data Breach, Ed Techs Student Privacy Pledge Under Fire

Last week, the Senate approved two bipartisan bills designed to improve childrens safety online, including new restrictions on youth-focused targeted advertising. The effort comes a year after a whistleblower disclosed research showing that the social media app Instagram had a harmful effect on youth mental well-being, especially teenage girls. One bill, the Kids Online Safety Act, would require tech companies to identify and mitigate any potential harms their products may pose to children, including exposure to content that promotes self-harm, eating disorders and substance abuse.

Yet the legislation has faced criticism from privacy advocates, who argue it would mandate digital monitoring similar to that offered by student surveillance companies. Among critics is the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a nonprofit focused on digital privacy and free speech.

The answer to our lack of privacy isnt more tracking, the group argued in a report. The legislation is a heavy-handed plan to force technology companies to spy on young people and stop them from accessing content that is not in their best interest, as defined by the government, and interpreted by tech platforms.

Attorney Amelia Vance, the founder and president of Public Interest Privacy Consulting, said she worries the provisions will have a negative impact on at-risk kids, including LGBTQ students. Students from marginalized groups, she said, will now be more heavily surveilled by basically every site on the internet, and that information will be available to parents who could discipline teens for researching LGBTQ content. She said the legislation could force tech companies to censor content to avoid potential liability, essentially making them arbiters of community standards.

When you have conflicting values in the different jurisdictions that the companies operate in, oftentimes you end up with the most conservative interpretations, which right now is anti-LGBT, she said.
A man is accused of taking a blind mans cane and beating him with it before stabbing him and two good Samaritans who tried to intervene late Tuesday afternoon in San Diego, police said.

The attack happened on a sidewalk in the citys busy Mission Valley shopping district, San Diego police said Wednesday.

James Anthony Thomas, 35, attacked the 72-year-old blind man from behind and stabbed him multiple times, resulting in a skull fracture and brain bleed, police said.

A couple witnessed the blind man getting pummeled and tried to help, police said. The bystanders, a 57-year-old woman and her 60-year-old husband, were also stabbed. The woman, police said, sustained a punctured lung.

The victims' injuries were initially considered so serious, police said, the department's homicide unit responded. The victims were expected to survive after receiving emergency treatment, police said.

Police called the attacks random and unprovoked.

A witness called 911 and provided a description of the suspect, and San Diego police located and arrested the suspect on a nearby bike path, police said.

NBC San Diego reported the suspect, who appeared to be transient, went up the street and sat down before he was taken into custody.

Thomas was booked into the San Diego County jail on three counts of attempted murder, police said. He also had an outstanding felony warrant.

He remained in jail Wednesday afternoon, according to jail records said. It was unclear if he had a lawyer.
TAIPEI (Reuters) - Taiwan's defence ministry said on Wednesday that Chinese military drills have violated United Nations rules, invaded Taiwan's territorial space and amount to a blockade of its air and sea, amid high tensions as U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi visits the island.

Taiwan's defence ministry said the island will firmly defend its security, counter any move that violates territorial sovereignty and enhance its alertness level with the principle of not asking for war.

The defence ministry added during a news conference on Wednesday that China continues to launch psychological warfare on Taiwan, and that citizens should not believe in rumours and report any fake news to the government.

(Reporting by Yimou Lee; Writing by Martin Quin Pollard; Editing by Tom Hogue)
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi's arrival in Taiwan has irked Beijing. Annabelle Chih/Getty Images

Some 7-Eleven stores in Taiwan said their TVs were hacked to tell Nancy Pelosi to leave the island.

Taiwan's Presidential Palace said it, too, was targeted by cyberattacks on Tuesday.

Pelosi arrived in Taiwan on Tuesday, despite threats of a military response from Beijing.

Some 7-Eleven stores in Taiwan reported on Wednesday that their store TVs had been hacked by an "unknown source" to display messages telling House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to leave the island, per local broadcaster TVBS.

"Warmonger Pelosi get out of Taiwan," the messages read, according to photos sourced by TVBS.

The outlet reported that the affected stores included one outside the Legislative Yuan, Taiwan's parliament building, which Pelosi visited on Wednesday.

A spokesperson for the 7-Eleven stores told TVBS that the displays had been tampered with by "an unknown source to broadcast the message." "The manufacturer has been immediately requested to repair it, and the store is operating normally," the spokesperson added.

The President Chain Store group, which operates 7-Eleven in Taiwan, did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Taiwan's Presidential Palace said on Wednesday that the palace's website was hit by an overseas DDOS attack with 200 times the regular cyberattack traffic it sees, according to an official statement.

"However, after being disposed of by the Presidential Palace, normal operations have resumed within 20 minutes," the statement read.

According to Radio Taiwan International, a spokesperson for Taiwan's ruling party said in a statement on Wednesday that the cyberattacks on the government and 7-Eleven stores were "unilaterally raising the situation in the Taiwan Strait."



The statement also accused China's ruling party of "unreasonable bullying" and "one-sided military action," and said the international community shouldn't accept Beijing's countermeasures.

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Pelosi arrived in Taiwan on Tuesday evening in the face of multiple threats from China, including a warning that Beijing may respond with military force. Her trip made her the highest-rank US official to visit the island since 1997, when then-Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich traveled there.

In response to Pelosi's trip, China has announced live-fire drills around Taiwan from Thursday to Sunday. Beijing also announced that it would ban food imports from Taiwan, potentially wiping out billions in trade value for Taipei.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Photo Illustration by Luis G. Rendon/The Daily Beast/Getty

It was a July afternoon on Duxbury Beach in Massachusetts, a perfect New England peak summer day, and things were getting heated. A young beach rangera college student home for the summer just trying to make a little cashstopped traffic to allow for a wildlife crossing. A minuscule bird, almost like a cotton ball walking on toothpicks, flittered its way across the road, from one side of this narrow barrier beach to the other.

One would-be beachgoer, however, was not having it. Leaning out the window of his Jeep, he berated the ranger: I am going to break through this crossing! I dont care if I kill someone or a bird! Ill plead my case in front of a judge!

Nevertheless, the beach ranger stood his ground. Having done this job for several summers, he already knew that verbal assaults were par for the course. Especially in the Northeast, where precious beach days only come so many times per year, anything that gets in the way of your fun in the sun can feel like a personal affrontand people dont like when beach days get interrupted.

Ive never seen it this bad, the ranger told us, on condition of anonymity. Ive been doing this job for a few years and people have never been this mad. Theres going to be a revolution.

Tell that to the piping plover, Charadrius melodus. A threatened species on both the Massachusetts and Federal Endangered Species Lists, this adorable, tiny shorebird loves to nest on prime swathes of beach just a few feet up from the waterline where it can indulge in a candy land of marine vegetation, mollusks and crustaceans. Plovers nest up and down the Atlantic coast, but their presence is most pronounced in New England, and specifically in Massachusetts, which has roughly 700 breeding pairs of plovers lining its beaches.

Photo Illustration by Luis G. Rendon/The Daily Beast/Getty

The bird was once abundant in the Northeast until the late 19th century, when their downy, sand-colored feathers became a sought after material for millinery. As the 20th century progressed and driving to the coast for a beach day became a popular American pastime, the increased use and development of beaches diminished plover habitat. As ground-nesting birds, plovers are unusually susceptible to human disturbances such as vehicular traffic and being chased by unleashed dogs, and by 1986, there were a mere 140 pairs left in Massachusetts. That number has since turned around thanks to local authorities conservation efforts, which include encircling plover habitats with fencing, and closing sections of beach during nesting season, which starts in March or April and continues until fledglings fly south for the winter in July or August. In 2019, the species reached a recovery goal of 2,000 pairs on the Atlantic coast.

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Its still not a lot of birds, said Corrie Folsom-OKeefe, bird conservation manager for Audubon Connecticut, the state office of the National Audubon Society. Four thousand birds is basically the number of grains in a bag of rice. Its not a large number at all, and these birds have so many threats they have to deal with.

So despite rising populations of plovers, the species remains threatenedand municipalities from Narragansett, Rhode Island, to Bar Harbor, Maine, continue to cordon off sections of beach to protect them. In a town like Duxbury which is known for its popular drive-on beach, much of the crossovers that visitors drive across to access the beach can be closed off for huge chunks of the summer if there are broods in the area. On July 22, a few weeks after that irate beachgoer made his feelings known to the ranger, the towns recreation director sent an email to residents updating that until the plover offspring fledge (or develop wing feathers capable of flight), the crossovers will remain closed until early to mid-August. This year, the crossovers have been closed since the plovers started nesting on June 1. For taxpaying residents who pay a premium cost of living to be in a town like Duxburygeographically like Cape Cod, yet close enough to commute into Bostonthe beach closures can be a tough pill to swallow.

I would remind everyone that these are wild animals and while there is much evidence/historical data about the timing of their fledging, nothing is concrete, said the directors email. We hope that you will continue to be patient and we pledge to provide you with any new information as quickly as we can.

Plover policies vary municipality to municipality and state to state. Although much of Duxbury Beach has been closed the majority of this summer, beaches in Connecticut, for example, rely on fencing and posted signs to preserve plover habitat, and almost never close completely when plovers nest. Over at the Cape Cod National Seashore, the Off-Roading Vehicle Corridor is closed to vehicular traffic because of plovers, yet the seashores six swimming beaches remain open to pedestrian recreation. A few miles north in Nauset, however, Nauset Beach is often completely closed for months at a time. The variability of plover regulations town to town can be a headache for visitors, and a problem for tourism-dependent seasonal businessesand it can be difficult for out-of-towners to keep abreast of which beaches may or may not have plover regulations season to season.

Conserving and rewilding our threatened species is crucial and worthwhile; but when protecting them infringes on precious leisure time, beachgoers cant help but feel slighted. Scolding a beach ranger just trying to save a tiny bird at his summer job only proves that the matter of plovers is deeply emotional for some. Since Europeans first colonized this continent, there has been an American understanding that land is something to be owned and enjoyed, not necessarily stewarded or saved. Whose beach is it anyway? Which species are worth saving? And is a day at the beachin the exact spot you want to be, when there are plenty of other spots that dont hurt species like ploversreally that big of a price to pay?

Luckily, said Folsom-OKeefe, beachgoers tend to understand the importance of preserving plover habitat and giving these fragile little birds their space. Generally, the response from the public is good, but there are a few rotten eggs out there, said Folsom-OKeefe. Most people are receptive. If you talk to 100 people, its maybe two that dont care.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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It has been a year and a half since former President Trump left the White House, but the results from the latest round of primaries proves that his immense grip over the Republican Party remains firm.

While the biggest headline from Tuesdays primaries in five states was the resounding victory in Kansas for abortion rights activists  in the first ballot box test of legalized abortion since the blockbuster June decision by the Supreme Courts conservative majority to overturn the landmark Roe v. Wade ruling  candidates backed by Trump came out on top in high-profile contests that grabbed plenty of national attention.

"Fantastic night in Michigan! Tudor Dixon will be a great Governor," the former president exclaimed on Truth Social, the social media platform founded by one of his companies.

Dixon, a conservative commentator and former online news host, won Michigans GOP gubernatorial primary by double digits over her rivals and will face off in November against Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in the key Midwestern battleground state.

HEAD TO THE FOX NEWS ELECTION CENTER FOR THE LATEST PRIMARY RESULTS

Tudor Dixon, Republican gubernatorial candidate for Michigan, speaks during CPAC in Orlando, Florida, Feb. 25, 2022. Tristan Wheelock/Bloomberg

Trump praised Dixon in April at a rally he headlined in Michigan, but he held off on endorsing the candidate until Friday, backing her after a new round of public opinion polls indicated her growing lead in the Republican nomination contest. The former president also held a tele-rally on Dixon's behalf the eve of the primary.

Meddling in the race by the Democratic Governors Association appeared unsucessful. The group, which supports Democratic incumbents and candidates in gubernatorial races, spent seven-figures trying to knock off Dixon in the final weeks of the primary campaign.

The former president also scored another big win in Michigan, with the primary defeat of Rep. Peter Meijer, one of the ten House Republicans who voted to impeach the then-president for inciting the deadly Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol.

Meijer, an Iraq War veteran who was elected to Congress in 2020, had been targeted by the former president over his impeachment vote and his comments that Trump was "unfit for office." The former president endorsed John Gibbs, a former software developer who served in the Trump administration as an acting assistant secretary in the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

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TRUMP-BACKED GIBBS DOWNS INCUMBENT MEIJER IN GOP PRIMARY IN MICHIGAN

Gibbs, a strong supporter of Trumps repeated unproven claims that the 2020 presidential election was "rigged" due to "massive voter fraud," narrowly edged Meijer in Michigans 3rd Congressional District, on the western side of the states lower peninsula, a seat House Democrats view as competitive in Novembers midterm elections.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, which is hoping to flip the district from red to blue as it tries to hold onto the partys razor-thin majority in the chamber in the midterms, sees Gibbs as a weaker general election candidate than Meijer. Additionally, the DCCC meddled in the Republican primary, spending big bucks to boost Gibbs conservative credentials.

"John Gibbs WON with a big surge in the end. Not a good time for Impeachers," Trump touted.

Meijer was not the only House Republican on the ballot on Tuesday who voted to impeach Trump. GOP Reps. Dan Newhouse and Jamie Herrera Beutler of Washington State were facing multiple primary challengers  including candidates backed by Trump. Election results were still being counted in Washington, and no calls were made in either race as of early Wednesday morning. Washington conducts what is known as a jungle primary, in which the top two vote-getters  regardless of party affiliation  advance to the general election.

The former president also celebrated in Arizona, where a handful of candidates he endorsed  and who heavily supported Trumps continued re-litigation of the 2020 election in a state that Biden narrowly won in the 2020 presidential election  came out on top.

MASTERS WINS COMBUSTIBLE GOP SENATE PRIMARY IN BATTLEGROUND ARIZONA

Trump-endorsed venture capitalist Blake Masters won the GOP Senate primary. Masters bid was also backed and heavily supported by tech billionaire Peter Thiel, his former boss. Thiel pumped $15 million of his own money into a super PAC that boosted Masters, who will face off in November against Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly in a key battleground state race that may determine if the GOP wins back the Senate majority.

Trump-backed Mark Finchem  who claims that the 2020 election in Arizonas Pima County was stolen  won the Republican nomination for Secretary of State.

Former President Trump applauds at a rally in support of the GOP candidates he endorsed in Arizona, on July 22, 2022 in Prescott Valley, Arizona. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images) Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images

In the gubernatorial primary, the race for the GOP nomination was still too close to call. Kari Lake, a former TV news anchor backed by Trump, held a slight edge early Wednesday over real estate developer and Arizona Board of Regents member Karrin Taylor Robson, who was endorsed by former Vice President Mike Pence and term-limited Arizona Republican Gov. Doug Ducey.

ARIZONA GOP GUBERNATORIAL PRIMARY STILL TOO CLOSE TO CALL

Trump also claimed victory in Missouris high-profile and combustible GOP Senate primary, where state Attorney General Eric Schmitt came out on top in the race to succeed retiring Republican Sen. Roy Blunt.

After teasing on Monday that he would be making an endorsement in the race, Trump declined to choose between Schmitt and former Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens, who were two of the three leading contenders in the primary race.

Instead, Trump gave his support to both of them, as he backed "ERIC" on the eve of the primary.

"Great going "Eric." Big Night. Thank you!" Trump wrote after Schmitts victory.

While some Trump-backed candidates went down to defeat in high-profile contests earlier this primary season, Tuesdays primaries once again prove that the former president remains the most popular, influential, and powerful politician in the GOP, as he continues to play a kingmakers role in party primaries and appears to move closer to announcing another White House bid in 2024.

"Trumps endorsed candidates had a good night. His endorsement record in GOP primaries remains very strong. Sometimes he rides the wave and endorses obvious winners late, sometimes he creates the wave. The more he wins, the more he is feared by GOP candidates," veteran Republican strategist Matt Mackowiak told Fox News.

However, Democrats view victories by some Trump-backed GOP contenders in Republican primaries as gifts, giving them what they view are easier targets to attack.

In a taste of things to come, Sen. Kellys re-election campaign blasted Masters, charging that Arizonas GOP Senate nominee has "dangerous beliefs that are wildly out of step with Arizona and harmful to Arizona families  like a national abortion ban with no exceptions for rape or incest and privatizing social security."

Mackowiak noted that "the more Trump pulls unproven GOP candidates over the primary finish line, the more he will be responsible for general election wins and losses with the stakes as high as they are."
Two Republicans in the House who voted to impeach then-President Donald Trump after the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol won their primaries Tuesday night, while another narrowly lost his.

So what does that tell us about Trumps continued influence over the GOP ahead of a likely 2024 comeback run? Perhaps not all that much.

Its very much muddled, said Liam Donovan, a longtime Republican strategist, of the picture that emerged Tuesday night.

In Washington state, Reps. Daniel Newhouse and Jaime Herrera Beutler appeared to have staved off Trumps attempts to replace them with MAGA (Make America Great Again) loyalists. But in Michigan, the freshman Rep. Peter Meijer  who had also been targeted by Democrats eager to flip his seat  lost a close race to a Trump-backed challenger.

Rep. Peter Meijer, R-Mich., on primary night Tuesday in Grand Rapids, Mich. (Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

Donovan, nevertheless, said Meijers narrow loss against a relatively unknown and underfunded challenger who walked into the race with little more than Trumps backing suggests that Republicans can oppose Trump and stay in office. Its not straightforward, though.

Its hard to look at these results and gain confidence that pointed public opposition to Trump is a net winner for an ambitious Republican, Donovan said.

The biggest target in Trumps ongoing vengeance campaign remains Rep. Liz Cheney, who will face Wyoming voters on Aug. 16. Cheney is the top Republican on the House panel investigating Trumps extensive efforts to overturn the 2020 election results.

Cheney has appeared at times to be fatalistic about her chances against her Trump-backed opponent, Harriet Hageman, in a state Trump won by more than 40 points in 2020. In nearly every poll, Cheney has been trailing Hageman by significant margins. Yet she refuses to make peace with Trump, describing him in a June speech at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library as a domestic threat that we have never faced before.

Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., vice chair of the Jan. 6 select committee, at a hearing on July 12. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call via Getty Images)

Other Republican lawmakers critical of Trump have held on despite primary challenges, sometimes after attempting to mollify the former president. South Carolina Rep. Nancy Mace criticized Trump repeatedly in the aftermath of Jan. 6, and although she did not vote for his impeachment, that was enough for him to back her primary opponent.

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Mace looked to mend fences with the former president, complimenting him at length and filming herself in front of Trump Tower in February. Trump mocked her gesture, but Mace was still able to win her June primary handily.

As for the Republicans who backed Trumps impeachment, Newhouse and Herrara Beutler are increasingly rare success stories. Four of the 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach decided to retire rather than face voters again. Of those who decided to run again, two have now lost primaries to Trump-backed challengers.

Of the seven Senate Republicans who backed his impeachment, two retired rather than seek reelection, and four do not run again until either 2024 or 2026. Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski is the only GOP senator who will be up against a Trump-endorsed Republican opponent this year.

Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

Behind the scenes, some Trump advisers have said the former president has grown weary of the kingmaker game. Hes helped some Republican Senate hopefuls win contested primaries, such as Ohios J.D. Vance and Pennsylvanias Mehmet Oz. In Arizona on Tuesday night, Republican primary voters appeared to nominate all the Trump-backed candidates for marquee statewide races this fall.

Other Trump candidates havent fared so well, most notably in Georgia, where his handpicked challengers to oust Gov. Brian Kemp and Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger both lost. Kemp and Raffensperger had both been close to the top of Trumps target list after they refused to go along with his scheme to reverse the election results in the Peach State.

But the results of individual primary contests may obscure how much of the GOP remains solidly behind Trump. Matthew Continetti, a conservative Trump critic who has written a new history of the American right, argued Wednesday that the former president remains the undisputed king of the Republican jungle.

Why does a sizable chunk of the Republican Party remain in his corner, when those voters could back a more disciplined candidate who shares the former presidents policies and attitude? Continetti wrote in the Boston Globe. The question assumes that voters are logical and that charismatic leadership is easily transferable. Neither assumption is true. The connection between populist tribunes and their followers is personal rather than intellectual. The leader becomes a symbol of resistance against everything the crowd despises.

Former President Donald Trump at the America First Agenda Summit in Washington, D.C., on July 26. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call via Getty Images)

Trump, for his part, shows no signs of leaving the field anytime soon, even as he hints at adjustments to his message. In the thick of the Jan. 6 hearings this summer, his team planned a return to Washington, promising a Washington-style policy speech.

When he returned to the capital last week for the first time since leaving office, he stuck closely to the teleprompter and hardly mentioned his refusal to concede the 2020 election, which has been his main hobbyhorse since he left office.

The flirtation with other topics may have been short-lived. This week, with the Jan. 6 hearings out of the news and a raft of other items claiming public attention, Trump was back insisting he won in 2020, again pushing the same election lies that led his supporters to storm the Capitol.

The Unselect Committee of Political Thugs has not devoted one hour to the massive Election Fraud and Irregularities that took place in the 2020 Presidential Election, the reason that hundreds of thousands of people went to Washington on January 6th, Trump wrote in a statement ahead of Tuesdays votes.

Whether Trumps fixation with the last election is a winning message in a 2024 GOP primary remains to be seen. In the meantime, he remains the most formidable, if not invincible, force in Republican politics.
Tudor Dixon, the Muskegon County woman who won the Republican nomination for governor Tuesday, remains a relative unknown in Michigan.

Dixon, who was endorsed Friday by former President Donald Trump, will seek to increase her profile as she faces off against Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in the November election.

Who is Tudor Dixon?

Dixon, 45, of Norton Shores, has worked in the steel industry and in media, including appearances in horror movies between 2008 and 2012 and a stint as a conservative commentator on cable TV's "Real America's Voice."

Tudor Dixon makes a victory speech after winning the Republican Party nomination for governor at the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel in downtown Grand Rapids on August 2, 2022.

Born and raised in Illinois, Dixon got a bachelor's degree in psychology at the University of Kentucky before moving to Michigan in 2002, after her father, Vaughn Makary, who died recently, purchased the West Michigan Steel foundry in Muskegon in a bankruptcy sale and began to operate it as Michigan Steel.

Tudor Dixon makes a victory speech after winning the Republican Party nomination for governor next to her husband Aaron William Dixon and their daughters at the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel in downtown Grand Rapids on August 2, 2022.

She says she worked for the foundry  starting in customer service and ending in sales, with time in-between on the shop floor  until 2009, when she left to start a family with her husband, Aaron, who works as a financial controller for a manufacturing company. After about seven years at home, Dixon also handled Michigan sales for Chicago-based Finkl Steel for less than two years.

Dixon is a mother of four school-age children who has survived breast cancer.

How did Tudor Dixon get into politics?

Dixon said she was drawn into politics through her work in media, after leaving the steel industry.

More: Tudor Dixon wins Michigan GOP primary for governor, predicts 'epic battle' with Whitmer

More: GOP candidate Tudor Dixon calls Whitmer 'Michigan's original insurrectionist' in video

A company co-owned by Dixon was a producer of the 2018 film "Dummycrats." The "documentary" attack on former Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton and longtime California congresswoman Maxine Waters, also a Democrat, featured Black conservative political activist sisters "Diamond and Silk." The film was written and directed by Kyle Olson, who operated a conservative website called "The American Mirror," is a longtime Dixon friend and adviser, and put together Dixon campaign videos attacking Whitmer.

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Did the pandemic also drive Tudor Dixon's politics?

Yes. Dixon says the election is "personal" for her, both due to school closures affecting her children and her grandmother's death in a Norton Shores nursing home during the pandemic.

Dixon said her grandmother died from "failure to thrive" because Dixon and other relatives were prohibited from visiting her under state pandemic policies, even though they were vaccinated.

Where does Tudor Dixon stand on other issues?

Dixon opposes abortion rights, with no exceptions for rape or incest.

On education, Dixon believes Michigan's per-pupil grant should follow the student, including to private schools, which would require a constitutional amendment. She was alone among the five Republican gubernatorial candidates in not calling for big cuts to higher education spending.

Tudor Dixon is congratulated by supporters after winning the Republican Party nomination for governor at the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel in downtown Grand Rapids on August 2, 2022.

Early in the campaign, Dixon said changes in election practices in Michigan created the potential for fraud, but did not say fraud affected the outcome of the 2020 presidential vote. Later, she said she believes Trump was the rightful winner of the presidential election, although as recently as Sunday she deflected that question.

Contact Paul Egan: 517-372-8660 or pegan@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @paulegan4. Read more on Michigan politics and sign up for our elections newsletter.

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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Who is Tudor Dixon? 4 facts on Michigan governor candidate
By Christoph Steitz

MUELHEIM AN DER RUHR, Germany (Reuters) -German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Wednesday said Russia had no reason to hold up the return of a gas turbine for the Nord Stream 1 pipeline that had been serviced in Canada but has since been stranded in Germany in an escalating energy standoff.

Standing next to the turbine on a factory visit to Siemens Energy in Muelheim an der Ruhr, Scholz said it was fully operational and could be shipped back to Russia at any time - provided Moscow was willing to take it back.

The fate of the 12 metre (13 yard) long turbine has been closely watched as European governments accused Russia of throttling gas supplies on spurious pretexts in revenge for Western sanctions after the invasion of Ukraine in February.

Moscow denies doing so and cited issues with the turbine as the reason for lower gas flows through Nord Stream 1, which have been cut to 20% of capacity.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov pushed back against Scholz's remarks on Wednesday, blaming a lack of documentation for holding up the turbine's return to Russia.

He also dangled the prospect of Europe receiving gas through the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, a Moscow-led project that was blocked by the West as Russia sent troops into Ukraine.

The turbine's movements had been shrouded in secrecy and its whereabouts unknown until Tuesday evening when the chancellor's visit to Siemens Energy was announced.

"The turbine works," Scholz said, telling reporters that the point of his visit was to show the world that the turbine worked and "there was nothing mystical to observe here".

"It's quite clear and simple: the turbine is there and can be delivered, but someone needs to say 'I want to have it'".

For Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly, whose government has faced criticism for returning the turbine in violation of its own sanctions, the present impasse was worth it as an illustration of the Kremlin's purpose.

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"We called his bluff," she said at a meeting with her German counterpart Annalena Baerbock in Montreal. "It is now clear that Putin is weaponising energy flows through Europe."

Even if Russia took back the turbine, Scholz warned that Germany could face more disruptions further down the line and that supply contracts might not be honoured.

He also said it "can make sense" for Germany to keep its three remaining nuclear power plants running beyond a planned shutdown at the end of 2022, a policy u-turn that has gained support given the risk of a total Russian gas cut-off in winter.

STANDING TOGETHER

A senior manager at Kremlin-controlled Gazprom has said the delivery of the turbine after servicing was not in line with the contract and that it had been sent to Germany without Russia's consent.

Standing next to Scholz, Siemens Energy CEO Christian Bruch confirmed that there were ongoing talks with Gazprom, "but no agreement".

Collapsing gas supplies and rocketing prices have sparked recession warnings for the German economy, Europe's largest, and raised fears of energy shortages and rationing going into winter.

After being forced to bail out the utility Uniper when it became an early casualty of the gas crisis, Scholz's government will have to amend newly introduced energy reforms, sources told Reuters on Wednesday. [L8N2ZF314]

Scholz has called for Germans to steel themselves for rising bills and his government has urged them to make energy savings wherever possible, such as taking shorter showers.

"This is now a moment where we have to stand together as a country. But it is also a moment where we can show what we are capable of," he said.

But he chose not to address questions about his Social Democrat predecessor, former Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, who has become increasingly derided in Germany for his pro-Russian views and friendship with President Vladimir Putin.

Schroeder said Russia was ready for a negotiated settlement to end the war in an interview published on Wednesday, after travelling to Russia to meet Putin last week.

Putin told Schroeder that Nord Stream 2 could provide 27 billion cubic metres of gas to Europe by the end of the year if allowed to operate, Peskov said.

"Putin explained everything in detail, and the former chancellor asked if it was possible to use Nord Stream 2 in a critical situation," Peskov said. "Putin was not the initiator, Putin did not offer to turn it on, but Putin said that it is technologically possible, and this complex mechanism is ready for instant use."

Scholz signalled that Nord Stream 2 would not be used as an alternative. "We have terminated the approval process, for good reason," Scholz said. "There is sufficient capacity at Nord Stream 1, there is no lack."

(Reporting by Christoph Steitz in Muehlheim, Allison Lampert in Montreal and Ismail Shakil in Ottawa, writing by Kirsti Knolle and Matthias WilliamsEditing by Madeline Chambers, Elaine Hardcastle and David Evans)
An estimated 2 million people Iive without running water in the US. Native American tribes, including the Navajo Nation in the Southwest, are among the hardest hit (Dig Deep)

For 76 years, Lucy Vandever lived without running water. Then one day, she could turn on the taps.

She bought herself a washer and dryer, and loves to water the trees that shes planted. Ill see her washing her car outside. Those are some things that I like to see, especially for our elderly people, Cindy Howe, Ms Vandevers niece, told The Independent.

Ms Vandever had been bottom of a waiting list to have her home hooked up to a water main for years and years, her niece said.

As a member of the Navajo Nation, the tribal elders experience is far from unique. A lack of clean, safe water affects around 30 per cent of the 173,000 people on the Navajo Nation, a vast territory equivalent in size to West Virginia, which spans Utah, Arizona and New Mexico in the American Southwest.

It is a shameful, lesser-known reality of the United States in 2022  where the wealthy fret over drought-stricken Koi ponds, celebrities drench the lush grounds of California megamansions, and luxury hotels boast water sommeliers  that about 2.2 million people Iive without running water.

The issue affects Native Americans at 67 times the rate of white Americans; Black and Latino people are twice as likely to be affected than white Americans.

From Californias Central Valley to the Texas border, Alabama and West Virginia to Puerto Rico, there are homes lacking this basic right.

The overarching theme is that the poor, historically disenfranchised and minorities are hit hardest.

My main concern is the snakes

If turning on taps, running a hot shower and flushing the toilet come as second nature, it can be hard to imagine life without.

Tina Becenti doesnt have to. Until recently, the manager of the Navajo Nations Baca/Prewitt community chapter was raising her three teenagers and twin four-year-old girls in a home without running water.

We used to pack buckets, empty milk plastic jugs, little pickle jars  whatever we could fill water in  and drive down the road to my moms house, she told The Independent. We would use her water to fill up and bring it back to the house.

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In lieu of an inside toilet, Ms Becenti has rented a Porta-potty. I didnt realise that it would cost over $100 a month, she said. To some people that might not be anything but for a parent who has five kids and raising them alone, its very hard to fit into your finances. But I make it work.

Not wanting to locate the Porta-potty too close to her home meant that the family has to contend with an icy trail and bitter cold to use the bathroom during winter. The summer brought other concerns.

[In] the warmer season my main concern is the snakes. At night you cant see whats on the ground. I have two younger children who are potty-trained but I dont let them go out there, she said.

Cindy Howe, manager of the Navajo Water Project, outside the Baca/Prewitt Chapter house in Prewitt, New Mexico (Gabriella Marks for The Independent)

Living without water goes beyond the physical hardship. It carries a mental burden.

If you run out [of water] in the evening, you have to get up earlier the next day to make sure that theres water for the kids to wash hands, brush their teeth, make breakfast, Ms Becenti said. It was time-consuming and took a lot of energy.

While Ms Becenti and her children are still showering at her mothers house, they now have hot and cold running water thanks to the Navajo Water Project (NWP), an Indigenous-run organisation which has installed hundreds of tanks in homes not connected to piped water or sewer lines across the reservation.

Ms Howe manages the NWP team in Thoreau, New Mexico.

[My team] like what they do, especially when its for a grandma or grandpa, she told The Independent. And they really love to help veterans.

The project is one of several run by Dig Deep, a human rights non-profit which expands access to clean, running water in the US. The groups latest research discovered that the economy loses $8.6bn each year due to lack of water access, in part due to health impacts like higher risk of waterborne diseases, diabetes, and mental health issues.

Theres also the Appalachia Water Project in McDowell County, West Virginia, where thousands have no running water, or water thats too dangerous to drink, after decades of coal mine pollution, neglected pipes  and lack of political will to do anything about it.

Dig Deep is also at work on the Cochran Mobile Home Park in El Paso. Lack of water impacts half-a-million people who live in colonias along the Texas-Mexico border.

The legacy of the Manhattan Project

In theory, the Navajo Nation has water rights as part of a treaty signed with the US federal government in the 19th century. But, for generations, those promises have been broken.

Tribes, including the Navajo, were also left out of deals made in the early 20th century over how to allocate water from the Colorado River, which supplies 40 million people across seven states and part of Mexico.

On top of this is chronic underinvestment in infrastructure. Many tribal members live in remote areas of the 27,000-square mile territory which can make extending lines from centralized water systems into a costly pursuit.

The Indian Health Service, responsible for medical and public health services to tribes, estimates it would cost $200m for basic water and sanitation access in all Navajo homes.

So instead, thousands of Navajo people drive up to several hours at a time to either buy expensive, bottled water from grocery stores or haul huge, 55-gallon barrels from wells and public taps, often rationing supplies until the next trip.

Others rely on thousands of unregulated wells, springs, or livestock troughs that are spread across the reservation, and can pose a serious health risk. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, these sources may contain bacterial or fecal contaminants, along with unsafe levels of uranium and arsenic  a legacy of mining on Navajo land which began with the US militarys Manhattan Project for nuclear weapons in 1944 and continued until 2005.

Safe or not, in many areas, these sources of water are also drying up.

The Navajo Nation is a landscape of dramatic red rock formations and sweeping high-desert expanses under a dome of magnetic, blue sky. But it is also unforgiving and exposed terrain where summer temperatures top 100 degrees  and rising due to the climate crisis.

The Southwest, among the fastest-warming parts of America, is predicted to get less rainfall in the coming decades. This will do little to help the current megadrought which has gripped the region for the past two decades, transforming semi-arid land into desert dunes.

The majority of the Navajo Nations rivers no longer flow year-round while lakes and smaller bodies of water have decreased by 98 per cent since the early 20th century.

Our elders wont call it climate change but they will tell you that the trees are dying, or we should have planted our squash and corn by now, Ms Howe says.

Her sentiments are echoed by Nicholas Chischilly, of the Navajo Nation Climate Change Program, who told The Independent that the organisations number one focus is coping with severe drought.

The ideal way would be to revert these changes and have plentiful water everywhere but this is not the case. Were seeing what projects we can start in our communities and carry on for years because were going to be in it for the long haul, he said.

Our elders speak from experience, and they say that we need to change, to adapt, and to teach the young ones to live in the natural world because theyre seeing us become so disconnected.

While a hotter world is the overarching threat to the Navajos long-term water security, the Covid pandemic illustrated the dangers of an immediate crisis.

A young boy gets a glass of water after having running water installed by the Navajo Water Project (Dig Deep)

In May 2020, the Navajo Nation had the highest Covid infection rate in the US, surpassing other hard-hit areas like New York City. Nearly 1,800 people on the Navajo Nation have died from Covid, a mortality rate of about 33 people per every 1,000 cases. In contrast, neighboring Utahs average is five Covid deaths per 1,000 cases.

The pandemic had another consequence: it sent many young Navajo back to their parents and grandparents homes (an estimated 127,000 tribal members live off the reservation), and added to the demand on already limited water supplies.

Regularly washing your hands was recommended as a protection against Covid - advice thats hard to heed in communities without running water, Ms Howe pointed out.

Covid is still here, its not going to go away. So [helping] people with no water is very important, she added.

A family on the Navajo Nation celebrate their new water supply (Dig Deep)

The Suitcase

The Navajo Water Project team is used to challenges in a place where hardship and few resources are common.

Some homes on the reservation are in really bad shape, Ms Howe says. Some are ready to fall over. Or [a home] could have a 10-inch wall thats leaning in, and were afraid to drill a hole because it might collapse. Those are the kinds of homes that people live in and thats the only place they have, so theyve got no choice but to stay there.

The team takes a day or less to install running water. A 1,200-gallon tank is buried outside a property before an existing sink is plumbed inside a home or a new sink is added. Then comes a water heater, filter and drain line, before solar panels to power the system, and the tank is filled.

But at the height of the pandemic, it was too risky for people to be in such close quarters inside homes.

Ken Chavez, a NWP technician, came up with a solution. He invented an insulated box to hold a water pump, filter, and an expansion tank (which protects closed water heating systems from too much pressure). The new design meant that a tank with an above-ground tap could be installed outside of peoples homes and social distancing maintained.

Mr Chavez told The Independent that the idea came about after an argument with his wife led to him deciding to spend a night away from home in his trailer.

I got a small suitcase, about 2x4, put clothes in there. I dont have running water at my trailer, so I put four bottles of water in there too. When I got down to Thoreau, I forgot about it, left it in the truck and just went to bed.

The Navajo Water Project team work on installing a 1,200-gallon tank at a familys home outside of Prewitt, New Mexico (Gabriella Marks for The Independent)

Next morning when I woke up, I was thirsty so I went outside for my suitcase. When I brought it in, [the water] wasnt frozen or anything, it was just cold. I started thinking about the pumps and suspension tank that we had been installing inside houses.

The so-called Suitcase was born. Mr Chavez also pointed out the designs minimal waste. During Covid, the lumber price was way high with one board close to $60 a sheet so we decided lets have no waste on it. One 4x8 can build two Suitcases, he added.

Mr Chavezs invention was named a finalist for Fast Companys 2021 Innovation by Design Awards. My guys are doing the work of engineers, Ms Howe said, proudly.

Since the project began eight years ago, several hundred families have received access to running water, and new project offices have opened in Utah and Arizona.

A Dig Deep water truck delivering freshwater in the Navajo Nation (Dig Deep)

The non-profits work is set to be bolstered after the US government announced this week the launch of a first-of-its-kind pilot program to tackle wastewater issues in 11 areas across America, , including rural and Indigenous communities. The program is built on the research and recommendations of Dig Deep.

It follows an agreement, signed in May by the government and Navajo leaders, to fund more drinking water infrastructure on parts of the Navajo Nation and protect the tribes reserved water rights.

Among the signatories was Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, a 35th-generation New Mexican and member of the Pueblo of Laguna, who is the first Native American woman to become a White House Cabinet member.

Having modern water infrastructure is not only crucial to the health of our kids and families  its also important to economic opportunity, job creation and responding to the intensifying effects of climate change, said Secretary Haaland.

Ms Howe echoed that sentiment, noting that our people have been without water for a long, long time. She said that for herself and her team, helping fellow Navajo people was the driving force.

Theyre out there every day, in the wind, the rain, the snow, it doesnt matter, because they want to help that person, she said.

Especially the kiddos. When they first turn on the faucet, just to see the look on their faces, it's really it's worth everything that we do.
Al-Zawahiri Illustrated | Gettyimages

The United States has killed Al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri with a drone strike in Afghanistan. Intelligence officials tracked al-Zawahiri, who planned the September 11 terrorist attacks with his predecessor Osama bin Laden, to a house in a secure neighborhood in the capital, Kabul, where he was hiding out with his family. President Biden reportedly approved a plan to take him out days ago, and the CIA-operated drone fired two Hellfire missiles when al-Zawahiri stepped out onto a balcony on Saturday. Nobody else was killed, the White House said.

President Biden announced the operation Monday night after U.S. intelligence assets on the ground confirmed the death of al-Zawahiri, who took over as Al Qaeda's leader after U.S. Navy SEALs killed bin Laden in a 2011 raid in Pakistan. Al-Zawahiri, who was responsible for many attacks along with September 11, reportedly was continuing to plot strikes against Americans, although his Islamist extremist organization has lost much of its ability to carry out attacks around the world. "Justice has been delivered, and this terrorist leader is no more," President Biden said. The U.S. withdrew from Afghanistan a year ago this month, and Biden said that he "made a promise to the American people that we would continue to conduct effective counterterrorism operations in Afghanistan and beyond. We've done just that." How important was it for the U.S. to get al-Zawahiri, and what does his death mean for the fight against terrorism?

Killing al-Zawahiri made the world safer

Al-Zawahiri, 71, was "a sociopathic maestro of mass murder," say the editors of the National Review, and "and all Americans should welcome this victory against an Islamist mass-murder cult that has waged war against the free world." Bin Laden is dead and "the threat of jihadism has faded to background noise in recent years" as China and Russia started posing growing threats to global security, but "the threat to the American homeland remained." The United Nations said as recently as last month that al-Zawahiri was "communicating freely" with his subordinates. This operation suggests the U.S. can still strike inside Afghanistan when justified, and there's no better justification than making a killer "pay the price he long ago deserved." Killing al-Zawahiri won't "reverse the evil he inflicted on innocent people. But it makes the world a safer place."

This shows Biden's Afghanistan withdrawal was a mistake

It's definitely "good that we killed Zawahiri  and Biden deserves credit for the strike," says Marc A. Thiessen in The Washington Post. "But he also deserves blame for creating the conditions that allowed the world's most-wanted terrorist to move to downtown Kabul and set up operations in a city that had been liberated from Al Qaeda and its Taliban allies with the blood of courageous American service members." If Biden had followed the advice of his generals and stopped short of an abrupt and complete withdrawal from Afghanistan, setting the stage for the Taliban's return, al-Zawahiri might never have considered returning to Kabul this year. "Killing Zawahiri is Biden's greatest foreign policy triumph. The fact that Al Qaeda's leader was in Kabul is Biden's greatest foreign policy disgrace."

The strike should serve as a warning to the Taliban

As Biden said, "the strike brings another measure of justice for the victims of the 9/11 attacks that killed nearly 3,000 Americans on U.S. soil," says The Wall Street Journal in an editorial. A Taliban spokesman condemned the drone strike, but "it's impossible to believe that Taliban officials didn't know Zawahiri was in their midst." Clearly, there's close collaboration between the Taliban and Al Qaeda, just as there was the last time the Taliban was in power, when they provided bin Laden and al-Zawahiri sanctuary as they plotted the 2001 attacks. "The strike should be a warning to the Taliban that abetting Al Qaeda is a bad survival strategy. If terrorists based in Afghanistan plot and kill Americans, the Taliban should understand that their leaders will also be targets."

Clearly, it's too soon to put Afghanistan in the 'rear-view mirror'

"If there was anything remotely positive about the retreat from Afghanistan," says Jeff Greenfield at Politico, "it was a widely shared sense that this misbegotten adventure was behind us." Our withdrawal wasn't pretty, but at least it got us out of a commitment that was never going to succeed, "and whose cost was measured in thousands of lives and countless dollars." But if al-Zawahiri was able to hide out in Afghanistan now that the Taliban have returned to power, there must be "others with malevolent intentions abiding there." So even if this gives Biden's approval rating a well-deserved bump  as Obama got when bin Laden was killed, and former President Donald Trump did when Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi detonated a suicide vest during a U.S. commando raid in Syria  the "specter of a terrorist sanctuary may limit that advantage." Unfortunately, "the idea that we can look at Afghanistan in a rearview mirror is sadly misplaced."

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UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Wednesday he will launch a fact-finding mission into an attack in the front-line Ukranian town of Olenivka that killed prisoners held by Moscow-backed separatists.

Russia and Ukraine both requested an investigation, Guterres told reporters. He said the terms of reference for the mission, which would need agreement from Russia and Ukraine, were being prepared.

(Reporting by Michelle Nichols; Editing by Rami Ayyub)
Ukrainian forces have taken out a Russian ammunition railway connecting Kherson to Crimea and further blocking Russian supply lines the U.K. Ministry of Defense said Wednesday.

The intelligence update said that Russian forces would likely be able to repair the line that logistically connects occupying forces in the south to more robust supplies on the Crimean Peninsula but noted it will "remain a vulnerability."

Russia has constructed at least two pontoon ferry crossings capable of transporting civilians, vehicles and supplies to its forces after Ukrainian troops damaged the strategically important Antonovsky Bridge last week using U.S.-supplied HIMARS.

RUSSIAN LOOKS TO ANNEX KHERSON AS UKRAINIAN COUNTER OFFENSIVE ADVANCES

Fighting in Kherson has intensified in recent weeks as Ukrainian forces make advances to push out Russian troops from what the U.K. defense ministry described as the "most politically significant population center occupied by Russia."

"It is likely we will see an increase in civilians attempting to flee Kherson and the surrounding area as hostilities continue, and food shortages worsen," the ministry said Wednesday.

Fleeing civilians will likely increase pressure on Kherson transport routes and force Moscow to impose circulation restrictions, British intelligence suggested.

KHERSON CUT OFF: UKRAINIAN COUNTER-OFFENSIVE GAINING MOMENTUM IN SOUTHERN CITY

On Tuesday, regional authorities said Ukrainian troops had retaken 53 settlements in the region, which has been occupied since early March, as Kyiv pushes forward with a large scale offensive in the south.

Repelling Russian forces from Kherson would be a major win for Ukraine as the region sits as the first line of defense across the Dnieper River and separates western and southern Ukraine from the Crimean Peninsula  which Russia has occupied since 2014.

However, as Ukraine makes advances west of the Dnieper River, forces fighting in the Donbas region north of Crimea continue to endure "hellish" conditions.

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President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the battlefield situation is "just hell" in the Donbas despite U.S.-supplied heavy artillery systems.

"The word HIMARS has become almost synonymous with the word justice for our country, and the Ukrainian defense forces will do everything to ensure that the occupiers experience more and more painful losses every week thanks to these very effective systems," Zelenskyy said in his nightly address Tuesday.

Ukrainian infantrymen train on May 09, 2022 near Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, Ukraine. Infantry soldiers learned scenarios to survive when potentially confronted with a Russian tank closing in at close range. The frontline with Russian troops lies only 70km to the south in Kherson Oblast, most of which is controlled by Russia. Photo by John Moore/Getty Images

"We still cannot completely break the advantage of the Russian army in artillery and in manpower, and this is very tangible in the battles, especially in Donbas," he continued. "It's just hell there.

"It can't even be described in words," he added.

The U.K. defense ministry assess that Russian forces control roughly all the Luhansk region in the northern Donbas, while Donetsk is still fiercely contested with Russia occupying roughly half of the region.
OLHA HLUSHCHENKO  WEDNESDAY, 3 AUGUST 2022, 07:23

The Armed Forces of Ukraine have forced Russian troops to retreat, with losses, on the Kharkiv, Avdiivka, and Bakhmut fronts and have neutralised a Russian reconnaissance group on the Sloviansk front.

Source: General Staff of the ArmedForces of Ukraine on Facebook, information as of 06:00 on 3 August

Details: The General Staff of the Belarusian Armed Forces held communications training on the Volyn and Polissia fronts. Russia continues to use the territory of the Republic of Belarus to transfer its sabotage and reconnaissance groups to the territory of Ukraine.

On the Sivershchyna front, Russian forces fired on the positions of Ukrainian troops in the area using tubed artillery, conducted aerial reconnaissance in the areas near the Ukrainian-Russian border in Chernihiv and Sumy oblasts, and deployed electronic warfare systems.

Russian forces are conducting hostilities in order to maintain their positions and to prevent the Ukrainian Defence Forces on the Slobozhanshchyna front.

On the Kharkiv front, Russian forces shelled the areas around Kharkiv, Prudianka, Pytomnyk, Ruski Tyshky, Nova Mykolaivka, Rubizhne, Pishchane, Borshchova, Zamulivka, Lebiazhe, Korobochkyne, Bazaliivka, and Basove.

The Russians attempted to advance on the Kochubeivka  Dementiivka axis, but were repelled by the Ukrainian Armed Forces and retreated.

On the Sloviansk front, Russian occupying forces used tubed and rocket artillery to shell the vicinity of Nova Dmytrivka, Bohorodychne, Chepil, Karnaukhivka, Dovhenke, Barvinkove, Shnurky, Husarivka, and Dmytrivka.

Meanwhile, a Russian reconnaissance group attempted to conduct reconnaissance to the south of Mazanivka, but was uncovered and neutralised by the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

Russias main efforts in Donetsk Oblast are focused on the Bakhmut front.

On the Siversk front, Russian troops used tubed and rocket artillery, as well as tank guns, to fire in the vicinity of Siversk, Serebrianka, and Hryhorivka and conducted aerial reconnaissance using UAVs near Nykyforivka and Tetianivka.

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On the Bakhmut front, the Russians attempted to push the Ukrainian units back by shelling their positions in the vicinity of Kodema, Semyhiria, Travneve, Vyimka, Berestove, Bakhmutske, and Opytne using artillery. In addition, Russian aircraft conducted airstrikes near Semyhiria and Bilohorivka.

Russian forces conducted assault operations on the outskirts to the west of Berestove, but were unsuccessful and retreated. The Russians similarly had to retreat on the Volodymyrivka  Yakovlivka and Semyhiria  Kodema axes.

Fighting is currently underway on the Volodymyrivka  Soledar and Pokrovske  Bakhmut axes.

The Ukrainian Armed Forces concerted fire on the Vidrodzennia  Kodema and Dolomitne  Semyhiria axes forced Russian troops to retreat.

On the Avdiivka front, Russian occupying forces shelled the area around the city of Avdiivka. Their attempts to improve their tactical positions were thwarted by the Ukrainian Armed Forces and the Russians retreated with losses.

On the Novopavlivka and Zaporizhzhia fronts, Russian troops shelled the areas in the vicinity of Kostiantynivka, Novosilka, Velyka Novosilka, Charivne, Mala Tokmachka, Novopole, Yurkivka and Huliaipole.

Due to the low level of staffing of the Russian reserve tank regiment, its military equipment  which was transferred to the Zaporizhzhia front in late May  has been handed over to replenish the tank battalions of the 58th Combined Arms Army of the Southern Military District of the Russian Federation.

Russia has deployed electronic warfare systems to prevent Ukrainian forces from conducting reconnaissance in the area.

On the Pivdennyi Buh front, Russian forces are attempting to pin down the Ukrainian Armed Forces by shelling their positions using tank guns, as well as tubed and rocket artillery, in the areas around Potomkyne, Topolyne, Kniazivka, Velyka Kostromka, Apostolove, Stepova Dolyna, Posad Pokrovske, Novohryhorivka, Lupareve, Lymany, Kobzartsi, Shyroke, Kvitneve, and Bilohirka. Russian aircraft conducted an airstrike on the Plotnytske tract.

Russian occupying forces conducted aerial reconnaissance in order to scout the positions of the Ukrainian troops in the area, adjust fire, and ensure appropriate masking of Russian units.

The Russians are continuing to take measures to ensure the security of bridge crossings over the river Dnipro.

Two high-precision missile carriers armed with Kalibr cruise missiles are on standby in the waters of the Black Sea.

Russian aircraft are conducting regular combat missions in order to support their ground forces, focusing in particular on targets on the Donetsk front. Aircraft have been less active due to the recent bout of bad weather.

Ukrainian rocket artillery units are continuing to fire on Russian strong points, concentrations of Russian troops and their logistical and supply bases.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda!
The visit of US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan has made her the most senior American official to visit the island in 25 years.

Pelosi, who was on a visit to Asia that included Singapore and Malaysia, landed in Taiwan on Tuesday night (2 August).

Her visit drew sharp responses from China, which issued a statement condemning her actions as a serious violation of the one-China policy that was adopted by the US.

The Chinese military on Thursday launched multiple ballistic missiles into waters around Taiwan as the largest-ever military drills around the island started.

The live-fire drills were held in six maritime areas around the island and include both the waters and the airspace.

Taiwan said that there were "multiple brief incursions" of the median line dividing the Taiwan Strait, Reuters reported.

Nancy Pelosi shortly after her arrival in Taiwan. (PHOTO: Associated Press)

Reactions to Pelosi's Taiwan visit

At the 55th ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting (AMM) in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, cross-strait developments were discussed "with concern", according to a statement from Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA).

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MFA added that stable US-China relations were vital for "regional peace and prosperity".

"Singapore hopes that the US and China can work out a modus vivendi, exercise self-restraint, and refrain from actions that will further escalate tensions," MFA added in its statement.

Taiwanese welcoming Pelosi to Taiwan. (PHOTO: Associated Press)

Why is Pelosi visiting Taiwan?

Pelosi defied warnings from China and concerns from the White House on her visit, but it is not the first time she has taken on Beijing.

As a representative from California, she visited Tiananmen Square in 1991, two years after the crackdown on protests in Beijing, doing so without the permission of her Chinese hosts and evading her official escorts.

While her plans were not backed by President Joe Biden, it was reported that White House officials had tried to dissuade her. As House Speaker, Pelosi is also the second in line for the presidency, after Vice-President Kamala Harris.

Ahead of her arrival in Taiwan, Pelosi penned an op-ed in the Washington Post that was published shortly before she landed, writing that the visit "should be seen as an unequivocal statement that America stands with Taiwan, our democratic partner, as it defends itself and its freedom".

Prior to landing in Taipei, Pelosi had visited Singapore and Malaysia in the past two days as part of her visit to the region, which also includes Japan and South Korea.

On Wednesday, Pelosi addressed Taiwan's parliament, thanking President Tsai Ing-wen's leadership and saying, "We commend Taiwan for being one of the freest societies in the world".

At a press conference later with Tsai on the same day, Pelosi pledged Americas crucial solidarity with Taiwan.

Demonstrators in Taiwan protesting against Pelosi's visit. (PHOTO: Reuters)

Why is Beijing upset over Pelosi's visit?

The Chinese government considers Taiwan as part of its territory and has repeatedly threatened to annex the self-ruled island by force if necessary.

In recent months, with Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Taiwan has stepped up air raid drills and exercises. Prior to Russia's invasion, the Kremlin had claimed that the military forces along Ukraine's border were conducting military drills.

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Vice President Kamala Harris traveled to Massachusetts on Thursday.

Harris stopped in Boston to meet with state legislators and local leaders to discuss reproductive rights.

After the roundtable, the vice president will travel to Marthas Vineyard for two DNC finance events.

Harris has been a top voice on abortion rights since early May, when a leaked draft opinion foreshadowed the overturning of Roe v. Wade, the Associated Press reported.

The leak prompted Harris to convene a virtual discussion with doctors and nurses providing abortion care in states with strict restrictions and meet with Democratic attorneys general from states supportive of reproductive rights.

Since then, Harris has been traveling across the country meeting with lawmakers, advocates and other supporters of abortion rights. Her stop in Massachusetts is a rare visit to a state where reproductive rights are not under threat.

Gov. Charlie Baker signed a bill late last month further protecting access to reproductive healthcare services in Massachusetts. The legislation codifies several measures that were first included in an executive order issued by Baker in June in the hours after Roe v. Wade was overturned. The law also adopts several new or expanded measures to protect access to reproductive health services in the Massachusetts.

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AUGUSTA COUNTY  Virginia State Police have identified a motorcycle driver who was killed over the weekend in a crash on Va. 42 in Augusta County.

According to a press release, the driver was Mark Braley, 53, of Amissville.

The fatal crash took place shortly after 11 a.m. on Saturday.

Police said Braley was on a 2015 Harley-Davidson Ultra motorcycle and headed south on Va. 42, just south of Badger Road, when he crossed the double yellow line and hit a 2012 Honda Pilot.

The impact caused Braley to slide across the roadway and strike a guardrail, police said. He died at the scene. The press release said he was wearing a helmet.

A 62-year-old Bridgewater woman driving the Honda suffered minor injuries, police said.

The crash remains under investigation.

As Staunton teen fights for his life, a group of friends keeps vigil at the hospital

Fort Defiance man who strangled woman with a string of Christmas lights gets prison term

Brad Zinn is the cops, courts and breaking news reporter at The News Leader. Have a news tip? Or something that needs investigating? You can email reporter Brad Zinn (he/him) at bzinn@newsleader.com. You can also follow him on Twitter.

This article originally appeared on Staunton News Leader: Virginia State Police ID motorcyclist killed in Augusta County crash
STORY: Afghanistan's Taliban government has not confirmed the death of Zawahiri, an Egyptian surgeon who had a $25 million bounty on his head and helped to coordinate the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the United States that killed nearly 3,000 people.

U.S. officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said Zawahiri was killed when he came out on the balcony of his safe house in the Afghan capital at 6:18 a.m. (0148 GMT) on Sunday and was hit by Hellfire missiles from a U.S. drone.

"Now justice has been delivered, and this terrorist leader is no more," U.S. President Joe Biden said on Monday.

Biden said he authorized the strike after months of planning and that no civilians or family members were killed.

"The world will be a safer place," said Britain's foreign minister Liz Truss.

Three spokespeople in the Taliban administration declined comment on Tuesday. The United States accused the Taliban of violating an agreement between them by sheltering Zawahiri.

White House National Security Spokesman John Kirby on Tuesday at the White House press briefing said: "We have made it clear that not we believe, not we think, not we supposed, but we know that's a violation of the Doha Agreement.

Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid previously confirmed that a strike took place in Kabul on Sunday and called it a violation of "international principles."
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said that the United States does not seek to turn House Speaker Nancy Pelosis visit to Taiwan into a crisis with China.

Ms Jean-Pierre made the remark during a White House press briefing on Wednesday after Ms Pelosi became the highest-ranking US government official to visit Taiwan.

There's no reason for Beijing to turn this visit, which is consistent with long standing US policy and into some sort of crisis, Ms Jean-Pierre told reporters.

The remarks come after state-owned media in China called Ms Pelosis trip an opening salvo of war. While Taiwan is a self-governing island off the coast of China with its own government and constitution, China considers it a breakaway province. In response, China vowed consequences for the visit, announcing military drills surrounding the island.

But the White House said that this was not reason for conflict.

There is no reason to do that, Ms Jean-Pierre said. We have been very clear there's no change in our one China policy, which is guided by the time the Taiwan Relations Act of 1979.

Ms Pelosi defended her visit in a statement, saying that Taiwan has been excluded from global meetings such as the World Health Organisation because of objections from the Chinese Communist Party.

While they may prevent Taiwan from sending its leaders to global forums, they cannot prevent world leaders or anyone from traveling to Taiwan to pay respect to its flourishing Democracy, to highlight its many successes and to reaffirm our commitment to continued collaboration, she said.

Despite concerns from the White House, 25 Senate Republicans defended her visit to Taiwan. Senator Roy Blunt of Missouri highlighted in a press conference on Tuesday that the last highest-ranking official to visit Taiwan was former Republican House Speaker Newt Gingrich.

I'm about to use four words in a row that I haven't used in this way before and those four words are 'Speaker Pelosi was right' when she decided to include Taiwan on her visit to Asia, he said.

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Fox Newss Peter Doocy asked during the briefing why Republicans were more enthusiastic about her visit than the White House.

Members of Congress have the right to travel wherever they choose are part of this, to make sure we give them a thorough and complete briefing when it comes to the geopolitics of the region or the state or when it comes to national security, she said.

-Sravasti Dasgupta contributed to this report.
CHICAGO (AP)  The Chicago White Sox activated center fielder Luis Robert from the 10-day injured list Tuesday after the slugger and Gold Glove winner was sidelined because of blurred vision and lightheadedness.

Robert was not in the lineup against the Kansas City Royals. General manager Rick Hahn said he would likely be unavailable to come off the bench in that game, though he could start on Wednesday.

Robert had not played since he exited Chicago's win at Minnesota on July 15. He was having trouble seeing from a distance and getting jumps on balls.

Hahn said the symptoms have subsided and were likely brought on by a virus that led to vitamin deficiencies. He said it's possible the symptoms crop up again, though the White Sox have far more confidence that this will be behind him.

A Gold Glove winner in 2020, Robert has been one of Chicagos most productive players this season. Hes batting .301 with 12 homers and 54 RBIs in 74 games.

The White Sox added reliever Jake Diekman to the active roster after acquiring him from Boston on Monday. They also reinstated third baseman Jake Burger (right hand) from the 10-day injured list and optioned him to Triple-A Charlotte; optioned right-hander Davis Martin to Charlotte; claimed righty Tobias Myers off waivers from San Francisco and assigned him to Triple-A; and sent right-hander Vince Velasquez (right index finger blister) on an injury rehabilitation assignment to Charlotte.

___

More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
When I was a young boy in grade school, I begged my mom to get me Trix Yogurt. First sold by Yoplait in a partnership with General Mills in the mid-'90s, the bright, colorful and sweet candy-colored dairy product hit all the buttons for me as a little one. Convincing my mother, a staunch advocate of turkey sandwiches on wheat bread and a granola bar for a childs lunch, was a task. But I succeeded after literal weeks of pestering, wearing her down with doe eyes and pointing at the television when its wacky commercial would come on. Success was sweet, and finally, so was my lunch.

One morning, off I went to school with a pack tucked into a brown bag lunch hastily stuffed into my backpack. In class, I counted down the minutes until lunch where all the kids at school would congregate in my schools cafeteria, a space which did double duty as an event space for school plays and band recitals. Unfortunately, that day it would be me that would be on stage.

Sitting at a table with friends, I peeled back the yogurts lining, dug in a spoon and took an enormous mouthful. I had never had yogurt before, and the texture was off to my adolescent tongue. I found it so repulsive to my palate that in front of my entire grade, I immediately threw up and had to go home sick.

Since that moment, I cannot handle everyday yogurts texture or anything remotely similar to it, whether its flan, Boston cream in a doughnut, or custards. Even just seeing an entremet on "The Great British Bake Off" is enough to put a frog in my throat. But why? It turns out, there are a few different reasons why certain textures affect certain people in both positive and negative ways.

How do humans interpret texture?

First, its helpful to know how textures are interpreted by you and I when we eat and how that affects what we like on our dinner plates. And the biggest name of the game in this arena is a concept known as mouthfeel.

Mouthfeel is the perception of texture in your mouth, Ellie King told me. King is a sensory director at MMR Research, a global consumer and research agency that works with brands to optimize the look and feel of their products, and regularly crosses this concept in her day-to-day work. It seems like a silly explanation, but thats what it is: the perception of anything that you put in your mouth that is perceived by all the elements of your mouth.

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Mouthfeel, like taste, is super important to the culinary experience  they work hand in hand to make up the eating experience. Mouthfeel also includes anything you put into your mouth, like your toothbrush, for one. Even though youre not going to swallow that toothbrush, hopefully, past the toothpaste, the sensation of its bristles brushing against your tongue also constitutes mouthfeel.

When something is perceived on your tongue, its mouthfeel, but its also much more than that, King said, adding that the physical sensation of the product, how that relates to your cheeks, if it sticks to your soft palate or gets stuck in your teeth is also mouthfeel, and that includes parts of your mouth you likely have never heard of.

Going deeper, there are flavors that arent only tasted by your tongue but your whole jaw, believe it or not, called trigeminal sensations. You may have thought your tongue was doing all the tasting work, but you would be wrong. And dont worry, I promise you will understand what that big term means in a minute, especially if you like Texas barbecue.

The trigeminal is actually a nerve that runs through your jaw, and so trigeminal sensations are also considered mouthfeel, King said, adding that this would be something like the sensations of heat, cold and astringency (how you perceive acidity or bitterness) you feel in your jaw. For instance, if you taste a peppermint and it has menthol in it, it has a cooling effect in your mouth, and thats the same as when you have a chili. When you get that heat, thats actually your pain receptor, which is part of that nerve. Spice and heat are part of how you generally use it to perceive spicy foods as well.

You may be asking yourself what this nerve has to do with texture. If you love or hate a dry glass of wine, for instance, its the sensation of astringency that is part of deciding whether you go for a glass of crisp chenin blanc or an oaky chardonnay. The sensation of a tannin-rich texture also comes into play with a bunch of other foods like apples, persimmons, cinnamon and much more. Subtle textures are textures just the same.

What are the different textures people like, anyway? Well, theres four.

There are four groups of consumer preferences when it comes to texture and we call them segments, King said. It could be cultural, but can also just be individual preference.

Everyone fits into one of these four textural groups, and thats a scientific fact. A 2015 research article in the journal Food Science Nutrition found that people have a preferred way to manipulate food in their mouths and that this behavior determines the food textures they prefer.

The article found that while texture alone doesnt determine whether or not you like something, usually, textures that fit with the preferred mouth behavior do influence the foods you end up liking. For me, at least, this plays out with the texture of coconut, a flavor I thoroughly enjoy but a texture I dont enjoy in its most natural state. Im sorry, shaved coconut, you taste like sweet, shredded office paper to me.

The researchers findings indicated that individuals fall into four mouth behavior groups. They named this texture quartet Crunchers, Chewers, Suckers, and Smooshers.

The largest group of consumers, Chewers, really likes to masticate. That was consistent across all of the markets, King said. Think chewing gum. These people like to chew something over a long period of time.

The next group, Crunchers, is a group where auditory feedback or textural rumble is part of the pleasure of eating. So when they crunch down, this group gets the sound perception of a flaky croissant, crunchy double-fried kettle chip or crispy Tater Tot sound that resonates through their head.

That takes us to the next group, Smooshers, who like things that are very soft, King said. Think ice cream, yogurt or creme brulee with a very smooth texture and not a lot of sound.

The last group likes to work, and those are the Suckers. Those are the ones that dont want to necessarily crunch or chew, but they want to have the food in their mouth over a long period of time. A good example of that is a lollipop or a butterscotch, King said. She also added that even though these consumer groups had a primary preference doesnt mean they dont live in other areas, too.

Lets say you were very angry and youre like crunching away, King said. By the end of that, youre less angry because youve sort of taken out a bit of that physical violence out on a food product. Whereas if you were in a calm mood, you might be more of a Smoosher or a Sucker in that moment, not wanting to be loudly breaking something down.

A lot of it is just personal preference, but King said theres also an element of mental health in what foods you gravitate towards and what foods you avoid. Personally, I fall into two categories: Smoosher and Sucker, with a dash of the other two. When I was in high school, I worked at a Jewish deli where I ate most of the new foods that surrounded me with joy as a child with Caribbean parents. While I constantly devoured the hamantaschen, the knishes and especially the lox and cream cheese, I avoided the gelatinous-looking texture of gefilte fish, even without taking a bite. But why?

Jars of Gefilte Fish sit on the shelves awaiting purchase on April 2, 2004. (William Thomas Cain / Getty Images)

It turns out, Im not the only one at TODAY that has this specific issue.

Why are so many people not into certain textures?

If youre going to give me something crispy and crunchy, I cant get enough, Dylan Dreyer told me. Something like overcooked french fries, or something crispy that melts in your mouth, like the crispy, fatty edge of a piece of steak or pork chop."

I typically like most foods, but anything with a gloopy, gloppy texture kind of grosses me out  like oysters or sea urchin or boba tea, Dylan said, adding that she also doesnt like anything too chewy. If I have to chew it more than five times, I just want to spit it out.

Just like Dylan, I can eat almost anything, but mushier and gelatinous textures, those that sit halfway in between liquid and solid, are also an issue for me. This puts a lot of preserved fish or meat dishes that jiggle in the no pile for me. It would be remiss to not say that even the word aspic makes me want to go drink a tall glass of water. But whats the deal here?

If you ever watch a baby exploring its world, one of the ways it does it most often is by picking things up, and mouthing them, John Prescott, a research professor of psychology at the University of Newcastle and author of Taste Matters: Why We Like The Foods We Do told me. Prescott said that we humans start exploring our environment from a very early age with the sense of touch, and that using the mouth to do so is something a baby does to learn about the world.

One of the important things about touch, even as adults, is that we can explore foods using a sense of touch before we actually swallow the food, Prescott said. Thats an evolutionary advantage: to determine before we eat something thats going to be safe to eat. To some extent we learned that in terms of liking textures, we learned that certain textures are likely warning signs.

My lifelong yogurt fear makes so much more sense now.

In Prescotts book, he speaks of another researcher-author, Charles Darwins The Expression of Emotions in Man and Animals from 1872. In it, Prescott connects Darwins research on disgust to our harm-minimization impulses. Taking off my professor cap now, basically what that means is that we dont eat things that we find gross because usually its the gross things that are dangerous to us or have made us sick.

If something is a bit slimy, for example, it may be an indication of something thats perhaps past its prime, and it could maybe be a bit off, Prescott said. He pointed out that perishable food like vegetables and deli meats often have a slimy texture as they get old and inedible, even sitting in the relative safety of your fridge. People learn that its a bit of a warning signal that something is off or contaminated. And people generalize from that.

So, for example, part of the reason why eaters in the West typically put a Japanese food like natto in the no pile is that its slimy, stringy texture causes an innate sense of worry. Most of us have no cultural connection to its centuries-old history to tell us that natto is in fact perfectly edible. This same reason might be why the McRib or meatloaf and other highly processed meats are OK for a large segment of the American population, but reviled the world over as gross American food.

Natto, soybeans fermented with bacterium Bacillus subtilis, is displayed at the Disgusting Food Museum in Sweden on Nov. 4, 2018. (Johan Nilsson / TT News Agency/AFP via Getty Images)

The fact of the matter is that we judge texture visually first, Prescott said. So, we look at some food, at its surface characteristics and judge its wetness, shininess, et cetera, and we make judgments about its likely texture based on vision even before we bring it to our mouth.

And thats why I was unfairly afraid of gefilte fish, even though its completely safe to eat  and tasty, too.

Is there a way to change your texture versions?

So now that we know why we avoid certain textures, and that some of them have less to do with what you need to avoid rather than what you are avoiding based on skewed memory. If youre like me and want to expand your horizons a bit, is there any way to train yourself?

We dont have an innate dislike of texture, particularly, said Chris Lukehurst, a food psychologist at The Marketing Clinic, a consumer psychology agency. The only exception would be if you couldnt chew sufficiently to get it down to a size where you feel you can swallow it and clearly, youre going to spit it out.

Lukehurst asks to imagine taking a big mouthful of overdone brisket and trying to chew it. If you cant break it down, eventually, youre either going to gag on it and choke to death or youre going to spit it out. That becomes an innate and learned behavior, just like Dylan with chewy food.

Going back to my experience in the lunchroom all those years ago, my brain learned distinctly to avoid that yogurt because of my bad experience with it. The mind is a powerful organ, and in terms of food, it's been getting influenced by your surroundings since before you were even born.

Mind-blowing fact time: We start learning what we like to eat in the womb, before we take our first breath, a fact explored in a study by the National Institutes of Health.

When youre still in the womb, your mother eats and drinks and that flavors the amniotic fluid, which of course is flowing in and out of your mouth in utero, Lukehurst says. You become familiar with the flavors that your mother consumed.

So if youre born in Mexico, you probably become quite used to chile peppers and if youre born in India, youve become quite used to spices. If youre born in America, unfortunately, youre probably used to modified cornstarch, he said.

Theres a cultural element to what you like, because of your exposure to it, King added. If youre repeatedly exposed to something over time, youre more likely to enjoy it. That starts from childhood.

The earlier you expose a kid to something, the more theyre going to integrate it into their lifestyle. For me, flavors like garlic, green pepper, mango and coffee were introduced to me very early on as the child of Haitian immigrants. In fact, I asked my mother what she ate while she was pregnant with me and she mentioned two of my favorites: cinnamon and peanuts.

Whereas Im Australian, and spicy food for me is a no-go because I had never been exposed to it, King said. And so when I came to the U.S. and tried a Mexican meal for the first time, I said, 'Never again.' With time here, obviously, Ive gone back and now I love it. But I still keep it mild.

This technique of training your body to like something over time is called exposure therapy, and while its used for many of the serious issues people face, such as disordered eating and food allergies, the same ideas can be used to train your body out of avoiding foods you might actually enjoy if it wasnt for their texture. While King hasnt been able to use exposure therapy for her spice aversion just yet, she said that it can be helpful if you want to try to enjoy foods youve avoided, like me with Trix yogurt  especially now that the treat is back on store shelves.

Also, there are people who get on board with a food item once they realize theyre the only one they know who doesnt like it. An NIH comparative study found that kids in high school may only start drinking coffee because their classmates did.

Theres a lot of debate about whether you can change or not when it comes to your taste preferences and if youre just born with preferences that will never change, King said. Part of that might be the psychology of it. Your conscious bias can force you to physically reject the decision to try it or maybe, like you said, youve had a bad experience.

King said getting over the first hurdle is easy: Just put a little bit of it in your mouth. Perhaps say, Actually, this isnt too bad! out loud. Even if you dont believe it.

King suggests trying to acclimate to an item gradually. For me and my yogurt, I can do things to change the texture: adding fruit or granola to it. Changing what you hate about it can cause you to incrementally train yourself to get over that aversion.

By then youre engaged in the process of discovery, King said.

Still, there are people who will never be open to trying new things. And thats OK.

Whats really important is the journey that the product takes you on in getting to that end point, said Lukehurst. Taste is a journey, one that involves many senses, but one that triggers an emotional response as well. Taste is akin to riding a roller coaster: You get off at the same point you get on, but actually, its the journey that changes your mood.

Joy, calm and anger are all emotions that texture can induce and simply put, the key to avoiding disgust, especially when it comes to texture, is to know why your body is doing it and making a logical decision for yourself, whether or not youre going to chow down.

Its totally OK to be not willing to go outside your comfort zone, just like some people will always live in the town where they grew up, and others will be worldwide explorers, King added. The world needs both.
The Daily Beast

NewsmaxNewsmax host Eric Bolling pounced on Laura Ingrahams apparent skepticism of former President Donald Trumps potential run for office, using the opportunity to knock his former Fox News colleague and the network itself.Regarding another Trump presidential campaign, Ingraham said on a podcast Monday that well see whether thats what the country wants.The country, I think, is so exhausted, theyre exhausted by the battle, the constant battle, that they may believe that, well, maybe its
The wife of a US Navy lieutenant who was jailed for three years in Japan for killing two pedestrians after suffering a medical episode says she plans to stay in Washington DC as long as it takes to secure his release.

Brittany Alkonis called on President Joe Biden to intervene after exhausting legal efforts to prove her husband Ridge Alkonis had been denied a fair trial.

This is really about my kids, while it is hard for us, the ones really paying the price for this and for the alliance and politics are my kids, she told Fox News.

The Navy officer and Mormon missionarys nightmare began when he was returning from a hike on Mount Fuji with his wife and two children in May 2021, days before he was about to begin a deployment on the USS Benfold.

Mr Alkonis, 34, lost consciousness at the wheel and struck several parked cars, that then hit and killed an elderly Japanese woman and her son-in-law.

Brittany Alkonis told Fox News her husband had started to feel nauseous and passed out mid-conversation with his daughter prior to the crash. There were no drugs or alcohol involved, and he had only been driving at 25mph.

His lawyers provided evidence in court that he was diagnosed with acute from altitude sickness.

Brittany Alkonis, right, is trying to secure the released of US Navy Lt Ridge Alkonis from a Japanese prison (via Fox News)

His family agreed to pay $1.65m and apologise to the victims families, at the advice of their attorney, who told them that the Japanese custom of showing remorse usually results in a lenient sentence under.

However, the judge rejected their appeal and imposed a three-year sentence earlier this year. Mr Alkonis reported for prison to begin his sentence last month.

Utah Senator Mike Lee said the Japanese judicial system was trying to make an example of Lt Alkonis in a speech in Congress last month.

I find it inexcusable that an American who experienced a medical emergency be treated so poorly by an allied Nation that he protected.

California Congressman Mike Levin said he was deeply concerned about the Japanese governments handling of the case in a speech on the House floor.

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Ms Alkonis told Fox News she hoped the backing of the lawmakers meant that the momentum was starting to shift in our direction.

She said she would travel to DC to try to secure a meeting with Mr Biden or National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan.

I will stay there as long as it takes, she told Fox News.

The 1960 Status of Forces Agreement requires Japan to release US military members to US custody unless they can prove adequate cause and necessity to hold them.

It has become a point of contention between the close allies because of incidents in which US service members have committed violent crimes against Japanese nationals and were discharged from the military rather than serving jail time.

Ms Alkonis said she would never stop trying to secure her husbands release.

It is important for the kids to see we are fighting for justice. We arent asking for special treatment, we just want to be treated as any Japanese national would be treated.
BEIRUT (Reuters) -The World Bank accused Lebanese politicians of being cruel by asserting that deposits in the country's collapsed banking sector are sacred, saying such slogans "flagrantly contradict the reality" in a report on Wednesday.

Lebanon is in the third year of a financial meltdown that has left eight in ten people poor and which the World Bank says is deliberate and may be one of the three worst in modern times.

The new report marked the second time this year the World Bank has berated Lebanon's ruling politicians, having accused them in January of "orchestrating" the country's catastrophic economic meltdown through their exploitative grip on resources.

The collapse has frozen depositors out of savings in the paralysed banking system, and led the local currency to lose more than 90% of its value.

"Political slogans for the sacrosanct of deposits are hollow and opportunistic; in fact, the constant abuse of this term by politicians is cruel," the World Bank said in a report.

"Not only does it flagrantly contradict reality, it prevents solutions to protect most, if not all small and medium depositors, in dollars and in cash," the report said.

Lebanese politicians often say depositors' rights must be preserved in any plan to address losses of some $70 billion in the financial system, even as their savings have lost around 80% of their value due to the collapse.

"Losses should have been accepted and carried by bank shareholders and large creditors, who have profited greatly over the last 30 years from a very unequal economic model," the World Bank said.

"This should have occurred at beginning of the crisis ... to limit the economic and social pain."

Lebanese banks lent heavily to the state, which wracked up huge debts largely due to corruption and bad governance. The World Bank report said "a significant portion" of people savings had been "misused and mispent over the past 30 years".

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The former government drew up a plan to address the losses in 2020, but it was torpedoed by sectarian factions that have the final say in Beirut, and objections from the banking sector and the central bank.

A new plan approved in May has also run into objections.

The International Monetary Fund wants Lebanon to approve a banking restructuring plan as one of a list of preconditions to move forward with a draft funding agreement.

The World Bank report questions to what extent authorities met financing needs through a Ponzi scheme - a type of scam that pays back investors with money from new investors.

The earlier necessary "reforms will be initiated, the less painful the cost of Ponzi Finance will be on the Lebanese people", it said.

A Lebanese government spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

(Reporting by Timour Azhari and Tom Perry; Editing by Toby Chopra, Alexandra Hudson)
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP)  New Zealand's government on Wednesday released its first-ever climate adaptation plan, which includes the possibility of moving some communities to higher ground.

But the six-year plan, which runs nearly 200 pages, comes up short on some important details, including how much the changes will cost and who will pay.

Climate Change Minister James Shaw told reporters that about 70,000 coastal homes in New Zealand were at risk from rising seas, and many more inland homes were at risk from flooding rivers. He said New Zealand had been slow to adapt to climate change, which would end up costing more money over time.

I am frustrated that for the last three decades, successive governments have not paid any attention in any real form to the challenges that we face from the effects of climate change, Shaw said. We had to start somewhere.

The National Adaptation Plan includes the possible relocation of low-lying homes and assets as rising seas and increased storms make flooding more common.

In some highly exposed areas, the risk from natural hazard and climate impacts may become intolerable, the report says. Inundation of buildings and infrastructure will start to occur, leading to direct damage and loss of some facilities like roads or other lifeline services, and public open space.

The report says that a managed retreat from such areas will often be considered a last resort, to be used in conjunction with other adaptations such as installing seawalls and raising houses on stilts.

Shaw said the costs for adaptation will be borne by a combination of homeowners, insurers, banks, local councils and central government. He said the government was taking hardship into account, and would target help to those least able to pay for changes themselves.

The plan also aims to make granular climate-change data more widely accessible, which in some cases could impact insurance rates and property prices.

Luke Harrington, a senior lecturer in climate change at the University of Waikato, said in a statement the report was a timely reminder that New Zealand needed to contend not only with rising seas, but also with other climate impacts such as more severe droughts and extreme rainfall.

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This National Adaptation Plan is a great first step towards addressing some of these challenges, though paucity remains in some of the details," he said.

The adaptation plan comes two months after the government released a plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, which includes a trial program to help lower-income people scrap their old gas guzzlers and replace them with cleaner hybrid or electric cars.

The National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research said that the first six months of 2022 were the second-hottest ever recorded in New Zealand, with temperatures averaging 15 Celsius (59 Fahrenheit), about 1.2 C (2.2 F) above normal.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called on NATO and the international community to declare Russia a "terrorist state" following the missile strike on a detention center that killed some 50 Ukrainian prisoners of war last week.

On Tuesday Zelenskyy met with the head of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe Zbigniew Rau and NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg in Kyiv and said he "paid special attention to the issue of our prisoners of war kept by Russia."

RUSSIA CLAIMS 40 UKRAINIAN POWS KILLED IN STRIKE WITH US HIMARS, UKRAINE DECRIES 'BRUTAL EXECUTION'

"In particular the Russian terrorist attack in Olenivka, which must become [the] ultimate argument for all civilized countries of the world to officially recognize Russia as a terrorist state," Zelenskyy said in his nightly address.

"Isn't this a sufficiently brutal and obvious act of terrorism?" he questioned.

Zelenskkys outrage stems from a missile strike that hit a Russian detention center holding Ukrainian POWs outside of Donetsk Friday.

Russia immediately attempted to lay the blame on Ukrainian forces and claimed U.S.-supplied HIMARS were behind the attack.

Ukrainian officials denied the accusation, with one telling Fox News Digital this was a "brutal execution of POWs."

Ukraines defense ministry later confirmed that the "Armed Forces of Ukraine did not launch missile [or] artillery strikes in the area of Olenivka settlement."

A combination photo shows satellite images of a prison before a strike on a facility in Olenivka, Ukraine, on July 27, 2022, top, and after an attack on July 30, 2022. Satellite image 2022 Maxar Technologies/Handout via Reuters

NORTHERN UKRAINE PUMMELED WITH TWO DOZEN MISSILES ON STATEHOOD DAY

Ukraine claimed that some 40 Ukrainian soldiers were killed with another 75 injured, though Russia reportedly released a list of 53 Ukrainian soldiers killed and 73 injured in the attack that appeared to only hit the housing area where the POWs were held.

Exact details surrounding the attack remain unclear largely due to Russias refusal to allow for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to gain access to site.

The ICRC did not respond to Fox News Digital's questions but pointed to comments it made Wednesday.

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"We learned about the alleged attack on Friday 29th July, at which point we immediately requested access to the Olenivka penal facility and to all places where victims are being treated or where the bodies may have been transferred, as well as to facilities where other POWs might have been moved to," the ICRC said.

"As of yet, we have not been granted access to the POWs affected by the attack nor do we have security guarantees to carry out this visit," it added, pointing out that gaining access to POWs is mandated under the Geneva Convention.

WARNING GRAPHIC IMAGE

Burnt bodies of detainees lie among debris following the shelling at a pre-trial detention center in the settlement of Olenivka in the Donetsk Region, Ukraine, July 29, 2022. Reuters/Alexander Ermochenko

U.S. defense officials countered Russian claims that the attack was carried out by U.S.-supplied HIMARS and told Politico this week that, according to satellite images, the site of the attack did not show signs that a HIMARS was used.

Another official reportedly assessed that the missile strike was not ordered by Kyiv.

Russias accusation comes as Ukrainian forces have increasingly made gains in areas like Kherson with the help of U.S. systems like HIMARS.
Try to identify a different piece of Lynchburg-area history every week. If you have any mystery pictures of your own (or any old photos of Lyn
The ongoing heatwave is gripping wide areas of western through eastern Japan on Wednesday, with the mercury reaching 39 degrees Celsius in some cities near Tokyo. Officials are urging people to take full precautions against heatstroke.

The Meteorological Agency said scorching heat had hit western through eastern Japan.

As of 1:30 p.m., temperatures had reached 39 degrees in the city of Koshigaya in Saitama Prefecture near Tokyo, 38.9 degrees in the central Japanese city of Kuwana in Mie Prefecture and 36.1 degrees in central Tokyo.

Heatstroke alerts have been issued for areas from the Okinawa region in the south through the Kanto-Koshin region in eastern Japan.

An increasing number of people are being rushed to hospital with suspected heatstroke.

Authorities are advising people to refrain from unnecessary outings and exercising during the day. They are also urging people to use air conditioners as needed and to stay hydrated.

Officials are warning that senior citizens tend to be less sensitive to heat, making them susceptible to heatstroke. Family members and other people in the community are encouraged to advise them to use air conditioners properly.
Japan's Meteorological Agency has issued an emergency heavy rain warning for Niigata Prefecture, next to Yamagata Prefecture, where the same warning was issued on Wednesday night. It's a level 5 alert, the highest on the emergency scale.

The heavy rain caused a wide variety of damage in Yamagata Prefecture and other areas.

Police say a bridge collapsed in the town of Iide in Yamagata. A car was reportedly swept away.

Town officials say the collapse damaged water pipes connected to the bridge, leaving hundreds of households without water.

They say emergency water supplies can't reach some residents because many roads are flooded.

Telecom company NTT East says landline phone service was down in some areas in the town. The company believes the heavy rain brought down telephone lines.

A video taken by a viewer shows muddy rainwater flowing like a river across a road.

The town of Kawanishi says it has received reports of landslides and fallen trees blocking roads. A hill behind a house has collapsed. Officials say its residents evacuated.

Local fire officials say multiple buildings in the town were reported to be flooded. They also say people were stranded in their homes, and they were trying to rescue them.

Houses and roads were flooded in other parts of Yamagata, and also in Niigata and Fukushima prefectures.

... continue reading
Japan will consider revamping its quotas for visas issued to skilled foreign workers, putting more emphasis on production of ready-made meals and less on restaurants and hotels to reflect changes in demand amid the pandemic.

A government proposal presented to the ruling Liberal Democratic Party would more than double the number of "specified skilled worker" visas available for food production to 87,200 from 34,000, on higher demand for bento boxes and prepared foods. As of April, 74% of the quota had been filled, raising concerns that the limit could be reached.

The skilled-worker visa program was launched in April 2019 to address chronic labor shortages in many areas of Japan's economy. Under the proposal, caps would increase for two out of 12 industries, with nine to be lowered. The overall total would not change. ...continue reading
A Japanese prison that banned a convict from wearing his glasses because they made him look "menacing" has come under fire from lawyers who call the decision a rights violation.

The jail in northern Japan stopped the prisoner bringing in his half-rimmed specs -- with a silver bar on top, and no visible frame underneath -- while serving his sentence, according to the Sapporo Bar Association, which has issued a warning to the facility.

Tsukigata Prison disallowed the glasses because they "lent a menacing aura" to the man that risked "intimidating and inviting derision from" other prisoners, the association cited the jail as saying.

The style of eyewear in question "could have a bad influence on his incarcerated life, by triggering undisciplined behaviour such as fights and bullying," it said.

A prison official defended the move when contacted by AFP.

"We believe there is nothing illegal or unjust in the way we handled the situation," the staff member said, declining to be named due to the jail's internal policy.

The prisoner, a man in his 40s who has since been released, lived without glasses for months while jailed for a traffic law violation, said the lawyers' official warning, filed in June.

His eyesight was so bad that he ended up "bumping into other inmates" and suffering "bouts of strong headaches". ...continue reading
The Iowa Department of Public Health has confirmed the first probable case of monkeypox in Pottawattamie County, according to a statement released Wednesday afternoon by Pottawattamie County Public Health.

Pottawattamie County Public Health is working closely with IDPH to conduct contact tracing. PCPH is also communicating with local health partners to identify anyone who may be at risk due to close contact with the patient while infectious. People who have been confirmed to have had direct close contact are instructed to watch for symptoms of illness and are offered a vaccine series. The series is used to prevent symptoms from developing or developing severe illness.

Monkeypox is a viral infection that can spread through skin-to-skin contact, body fluids or shared items (such as clothing and bedding) that have been contaminated with fluids or sores of a person with monkeypox, the press release stated. The virus can also be spread through respiratory secretions during prolonged, face-to-face contact or during intimate physical contact, such as kissing, cuddling or sex. Although monkeypox is not generally considered a sexually transmitted infection, it can be transmitted during intimate contact and sex by skin-to-skin and other intimate contact, regardless of gender or sexual orientation.

People with monkeypox sometimes develop a flu-like illness with fever, fatigue and enlarged lymph nodes followed by a characteristic rash. In other instances, people just develop a rash with or without swollen lymph nodes, which can occur in localized areas, such as the genitals and/or around the anus. People usually develop monkeypox 7 to 14 days (and up to 21 days) after being exposed.

PCPH encourages the following individuals to call and seek guidance from their medical provider:

Recently traveled to an area where monkeypox cases have been reported and you have symptoms of monkeypox, especially if you have a rash or lesions. You can find a list of the countries where monkeypox has been reported on the CDC website: cdc.gov/poxvirus/monkeypox/response/2022/world-map.html

People who have symptoms of monkeypox, particularly the characteristic rash or lesions.

Contact with a confirmed or suspected monkeypox case.

Healthcare providers should continue to maintain vigilance and consult with their infection prevention support or Pottawattamie County Public Health with any questions or concerns.
Seventy years after they graduated from Abraham Lincoln High School, the class of 1952 reunited at the Council Bluffs Country Club on Saturday to celebrate their platinum jubilee.

The 87- and 88-year-old classmates looked at old photographs and shared memories about their time at AL, like that one teacher everyone referred to as Chipmunk.

We have held many reunions at the country club, said Sissy Silber, one of the reunion organizers. She went by the last name Katelman when she roamed the halls of the school.

Spending time together at the country club was a nostalgia trip, Silber said.

It brings back lots of memories of our youth, she said. Fishing, boating, sunning, swimming.

Silber paused, almost as if embarrassed to continue the list of activities she and her cohorts got up to.

Partying, she said.

When asked to elaborate on the partying, Silber demurred, noting that the reunion was age appropriate.

While most of the 17 attendees live in and around Council Bluffs, a few of them made the trek back to town.

Ken Perdew  whom Silber credits for maintaining the web of connections with their classmates  took the train from his home in Canon, Colorado, while former University of Georgia economics professor Al Danielsen made his way from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

The AL class of 52 has met every five years since their 10 year reunion in 1962, but many of the classmates who live in the area make it a point to meet for lunch on the third Thursday of every month at Tishs Restaurant.

And the ones who live elsewhere know that if theyre visiting the city, they try to time it with our third Thursday lunch, Silber said. Theyre always welcome.
The month of August has taken on a new meaning for Kristi Casteel of Marion, one marked now not only by sorrow but poetic justice.

I looked up the definition and it means fitting or deserved retribution for ones actions  and felt how true is that for everyone of the soldiers there (who camped out at the U.S. Capitol) that have been impacted, Casteel said.

Facing increasing pressure from Democrats and veterans advocacy organizations, the U.S. Senate passed a bill late Tuesday expanding health care and disability benefits for millions of veterans exposed to toxic burn pits. The Senate passed the measure, 86-11, with Iowa Republican U.S. Sens. Joni Ernst and Chuck Grassley in favor.

Ernst, a combat veteran, had previously objected with some other Republicans to a budget provision in the bill, which briefly blocked its passage. Casteel said explanations given for objecting didnt make sense to her and seemed like a distraction.

Not knowing 100 percent what caused them to change their minds, I just have to say Im glad they did, she said. Its been the right thing to do from the beginning and theyve done what is right and Im just very happy about that.

Democratic President Joe Biden has pushed for the legislation and is expected to sign the bill into law.

Ernst switches vote, again

Casteels late son, Joshua, died in August 2012 at age 32 of lung cancer his family believes was caused by toxins from the burn pit at Iraqs Abu Ghraib prison, where he served as an interrogator from 2004 to 2005.

August is the month Joshua passed away and is always a month that is a difficult month, Casteel said. This is something that I can be happy about. This adds a different meaning to August for me.

She added her son, were he still alive, would feel the same.

One of the last things he said  was we would work towards eliminating the potential of using burn pits ever again, just knowing the hazardous nature of them, and its happened, Casteel said. For that, Im grateful.

Tuesdays vote ended a brief stalemate when the process derailed after some Senate Republicans, including Ernst, made a late attempt last week to change a budget provision in the bill and blocked it from advancing, infuriating veterans advocacy groups. A key voting bloc in the Nov. midterm elections, the advocacy groups ramped up the political pressure over the last five days on GOP lawmakers to act.

The Honoring Our PACT Act first passed the Senate in June, 84-14, and by a 342-88 vote in the House. But technical corrections sent the measure back to the Senate for another procedural vote July 27. Twenty-five Republicans who supported the previous version of the bill  including Ernst  changed their vote over how the government accounts for spending slated for veterans programs.

The bill is projected to increase federal deficits by about $277 billion over 10 years and does not include offsetting spending cuts or tax increases. When the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office scored the bill, it projected that nearly $400 billion slated to be spent on health services would move from discretionary to mandatory spending.

The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, a nonpartisan fiscal watchdog, said a reclassification of the $390 billion from discretionary to mandatory spending would both reduce the pressure to keep those costs under control and make it easier for appropriators to spend more elsewhere in the budget without offsets.

Those dynamics, however, also applied to the bill when Senate Republicans had overwhelmingly approved the measure in June.

Ernst votes to pass after amendments fail

Ernst blamed Democrats for not allowing the chance to offer amendments to strengthen the bill, and sided with Pennsylvania Republican U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey, who sought a vote on an amendment he said would not reduce spending on veterans but would limit the ability of Congress to increase spending on unrelated, nondefense programs down the road.

The amendment, which Ernst supported, would have kept the $390 billion in spending in the discretionary budget. Senate Republicans claim doing so will save Americans significant costs in the long run without sacrificing a dollar for veterans.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer struck a deal Tuesday with Republicans to let the Senate vote on the Toomey amendment as well as two others, with 60 votes needed for passage, the same number that was needed to advance the bill itself.

After voting for the Toomey amendment, which failed, Ernst voted with Grassley and others Tuesday to pass the PACT Act without it.

Our veterans, who have sacrificed so much and continue to pay the price for their service, deserve the life-saving benefits in this bill, Ernst said in a statement. The PACT Act works to fulfill our duty to care for those who put on the uniform in the name of protecting our freedom, both past and present.

Grassley has consistently supported the PACT Act and voted in favor of advancing the bill last week.

The bipartisan Honoring Our PACT Act is a critical investment in our veterans, who deserve the best care possible, Grassley said in a statement. By making much-needed improvements to the VA, including strengthening its workforce and health care facilities, this bill will help ensure veterans who have sacrificed so much to defend freedom, peace and prosperity will be well taken care of.

Veterans who served in the post Sept. 11, 2001, era and were exposed to toxic burn pits will get 10 years  rather than five  of enhanced health care coverage through the Department of Veterans Affairs upon their separation from the military.

The PACT Act also adds 23 illnesses to the VAs list of toxic-exposure-related ailments presumed to be connected to military service, ending the need for veterans with those conditions to prove to the VA their illnesses were linked to their deployments. And it would expand care for veterans who were exposed to Agent Orange during the Vietnam War.

More Iowa veterans exposed to toxins during their military service will qualify for benefits and have an easier time having claims processed under recently passed federal legislation, according to the Iowa American Legion.

We are happy to get additional coverage for veterans with respiratory issues and, essentially, get them the compensation they deserve for the exposure to the chemicals and toxin they were exposed to during their military service, said John Derner, department adjutant of the American Legion of Iowa.
Iowas Republican nominee for attorney general Brenna Bird said, if elected, she would challenge the Biden administration on various executive and administrative rules around climate change and the environment that she sees as hurting farmers.

Bird held a press conference Wednesday with Republican Agriculture Secretary Mike Naig criticizing both the Biden administration and Attorney General Tom Miller, a Democrat, for what they said was federal overreach on agriculture.

Bird pointed to several administrative rules which she said shed challenge in court as Iowas attorney general, including plans to change the Waters of the U.S. rule, implementation of the Endangered Species Act, and Environmental Protection Agency rules regulating the use of herbicides.

Those are unconstitutional overreaches that have to be stopped, and theyre stopped in court with a federal judge, and thats exactly what I aim to do as attorney general, she said.

Naig said climate and environmental rules from the Biden administration have hampered farmers controls over their land and warned that more regulation would hurt farmers at a time when input prices are historically high.

Weve seen that this administration has not been friendly to the ag sector and further efforts along this line could make things worse, he said.

Waters of the U.S. is an administrative rule that defines which waterways can be regulated by the EPA under the Clean Water Act. During President Barack Obamas presidency, the rule was extended to small streams and wetlands, which affected what farmers could do near those waterways.

The rule became a common rallying point for Republican politicians, and it was temporarily blocked by a federal judge in 2015. President Donald Trump in 2020 implemented a narrower reading of the rule. Under President Biden, the EPA is currently in the process of rewriting the rule.

The EPA is also considering adding or changing rules around common herbicides and pesticides, which has been challenged by some farm groups and Republicans.

In an interview, Miller said hes been focusing on agriculture issues for his whole career, and he said Bird was running a campaign focused on ideology and politics.

"We think we have a strong and broad record on serving farmers," he said. "That's always been a huge concern and priority of mine."

Miller pointed to a study he commissioned in February into the causes of high fertilizer prices to determine whether price gouging was occurring in the market. In 2021, he filed an amicus brief with the Supreme Court over exemptions for some fuel refineries from blending renewable fuels into their gasoline and diesel, and he said he has led antitrust efforts against the meatpacking industry.

I care deeply about farmers, Ive worked with them for 40 years and Im working very closely with them as we speak on the fertilizer industry, he said.

Bird also took issue with the structure of Millers farm division, a division of the office dedicated to farm issues. The division does not have dedicated attorneys, which she said shows a lack of focus on the area.

The current attorney general says he has a farm division, but there are no lawyers in it at all," she said.

Miller said the structure of the farm division allows for streamlined handling of agriculture issues based on the issue. Lawyers assist with the division based on their expertise, such as consumer protection and environmental law.

So we're able to access the right people and the right resources when we need them for farmers, he said.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Midlands needs MentorU mentors for the upcoming 2022-2023 school year. MentorU is a technology-enhanced mentoring program that gives holistic support to high school students in Iowa and Nebraska.

MentorU is more important than ever to have in the classroom, said Kristin Mihalo, MentorU program coordinator. Through the use of the classroom and mentoring, we support and empower youth after theyve had years of academic and societal upheaval. MentorU guarantees that there is someone in a students corner- whether its a mentor, teacher, or Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Midlands staff. This program is unique because of its holistic focus on listening to what a student needs and what a student wants.

Mentors only need two and a half hours a month to help a student gain confidence, purpose and define what success means for them. Students learn lessons in the MentorU classroom and message their mentors weekly on various topics related to their passions and interests. Big Brothers Big Sisters is hoping to double the number of matches made last year. People interested in mentoring need to schedule their interview by the end of August.

What I have been most impressed with is how well the program coordinators matched my mentee and me, said Dani, a MentorU mentor. The prompts we were given each week was a great way to start a conversation but also helped cultivate a relationship of trust between my mentee and me. Being a part of this program as a MentorU mentor has helped me grow in so many ways as a person, parent and professional and I am grateful.

To learn more about Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Midlands and to get involved as a MentorU mentor, visit www.bbbsomaha.org.
CEDAR RAPIDS  For six months, Kristi Casteels son slept 100 yards from an open-air burn pit in Iraq that incinerated everything from plastics and paint to electronics.

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 Iraqs Abu Ghraib prison, where Casteel served as an interrogator from 2004 to 2005.

The military routinely used open burn pits set ablaze with jet fuel to dispose of tires, batteries, medical waste and other materials during military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Such fires are illegal in the United States.

I think it should have been passed 10 to 15 years ago, Casteel said of federal legislation providing health care for military veterans impacted by burn pits.

The Honoring Our PACT Act was set to pass Congress last week, but some Senate Republicans  including Iowa U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst, a combat veteran  changed their vote over an added provision.

The measure first passed the Senate in June, 84-14, and by a 342-88 vote in the House. But technical corrections sent the measure back to the Senate for another procedural vote last Wednesday.

Twenty-five Republicans who supported the previous version of the bill, including Ernst, did not support a vote to advance the bill.

Fellow Iowa Republican U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley voted in favor of advancing the bill and also had voted to pass the bill in June.

I think what happened is unconscionable, Casteel said of Senate Republicans blocking passage of the bill.

The PACT Act would expand U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs benefits to veterans who served in the post Sept. 11, 2001, era and were exposed to toxic burn pits during their military service.

It also would add 23 illnesses to the VAs list of toxic-exposure-related ailments presumed to be connected to military service, ending the need for veterans with those conditions to prove to the VA their illnesses were linked to their deployments. And it would expand care for veterans who were exposed to Agent Orange during the Vietnam War.

Senate Republicans raised objections because the bill would reclassify nearly $400 billion in current Veterans Affairs spending from discretionary to mandatory accounts, thereby potentially freeing up more budget authority to increase discretionary spending on other domestic programs unrelated to veterans.

The text of the legislation, however, indicates the allocated money has to be spent only on health care for veterans.

The bill is 100 percent dedicated to health care and benefits for toxic-exposed veterans. Any inferences or accusations to the contrary are untrue, the Veterans of Foreign Wars posted on Twitter. These senators supported or voted yes on final passage of the PACT Act in June, but flipped their support on the recent vote. They pulled the rug out from under veterans who are sick and dying from toxic exposure.

Veterans advocacy organizations, including the VFW, contend the only part of the bill that changed was the necessary technical removal of a single sentence; that no additional sections were added; and that the funding structure of the bill  which Ernst and other GOP senators supported in June  has not changed.

Ernst, though, blamed Democrats for not allowing the chance to offer amendments to strengthen the bill.

I strongly support the PACT Act which will provide critical, life-saving care to thousands of heroes suffering from toxic exposure, Ernst said in a statement. Now, due to more Democrat mismanagement, it is back before the Senate. At least this time we have an opportunity to strengthen this vitally important bill without sacrificing a single dollar of care for our veterans. I agree with the VFW that the Senate should not go on August recess without this opportunity.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., was expected to schedule another procedural vote Monday to break a filibuster.

Pennsylvania Republican U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey has pushed for an amendment to fix what he called a budget gimmick. The amendment, which Ernst supports, would keep the $400 billion in spending in the discretionary budget and keep the Toxic Exposure Fund in place only for new funding resulting from the bill. Senate Republicans claim doing so will save Americans significant costs in the long run without sacrificing a dollar for veterans.

Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough told the CNNs Jake Tapper on Sunday that proposed GOP amendments to the legislation would lead to rationing of care for vets.

We want to see this thing passed

Kristi Casteel said an oncologist told her that her son died of lung cancer without having any of the conventional risk factors such as smoking, asbestos exposure or radiation.

The type of cancer was extremely rare for a healthy young man to have  and the VA doctor in Iowa City said he was the only young male he had ever seen have this type of cancer, Casteel said.

While her son did receive compensation and some acknowledgment that his cancer was military-related prior to his death, there was never an official acknowledgment that his cancer was the result of exposure to toxins from the burn pit.

 (A)t least he did get some (compensation), and we were appreciate of that, but not everyone had the advocate that we did, Casteel said of a VA employee.

Its always surprising to me when a combat veteran for any reason does not stand up for veterans rights, Casteel said of Ernst.   Its discouraging to me and I dont understand it. It feels unconscionable to me.

John Derner, department adjutant of the American Legion of Iowa, joined other veterans advocacy groups in criticizing Ernst and Senate Republicans for blocking passage of groundbreaking legislation aimed at expanding care for veterans exposed to hazardous chemicals during their military service.

We want to see this thing passed so those Iraq and Afghanistan veterans dont have to wait as long as those Vietnam veterans to receive compensation for the chemical exposures and hazards they were exposed to during their military service, Derner said.   This is a commitment we owe to our veterans. They couldnt leave their post when exposed to these chemicals and we shouldnt be leaving them behind when providing them compensation for injuries and illnesses as a result of that exposure.
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Photo: The Canadian Press Fred Everitt of Tupelo, Miss., is all smiles after his cat, "Bandit", alerted him in the middle of the night that two men were trying to break into the back door of his home, July 29, 2022, in Tupelo, Miss. (Thomas Wells/Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal via AP)

A Mississippi man said his pet cat helped prevent a robbery at his home, and he credits the calico with possibly saving his life.

Bandit, a 20-pound (9.1-kilogram) cat, lives with her retired owner Fred Everitt in the Tupelo suburb of Belden. When at least two people tried to break into their shared home last week, the cat did everything she could to alert Everitt of the danger, he told the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal.

You hear of guard dogs, said Everitt, 68. This is a guard cat.

The attempted robbery occurred sometime between 2:30 and 3 a.m. on July 25, Everitt said. He was first awoken by Bandit's meows in the kitchen. Then, she raced into the bedroom, jumped onto the bed and began pulling the comforter off of him and clawing at his arms. Everitt knew something was wrong.

She had never done that before, Everitt said. I went, What in the world is wrong with you?

Everitt got up to investigate and saw two young men outside his back door. One had a handgun, and the other was using a crowbar to try and pry the door open, he said.

Everitt said by the time he retrieved a handgun and returned to the kitchen, the would-be intruders had already fled. Everitt told the newspaper that he did not call the police.

He said the situation could have been different without Bandit.

It did not turn into a confrontational situation, thank goodness, Everitt said. But I think its only because of the cat.

Everitt adopted Bandit from the Tupelo-Lee Humane Society four years ago.
UK start-up Xlinks has chosen Canadian engineering consulting firm WSP to provide technical advisory services for the tendering process for four HVDC converter stations and ancillary works for the Morocco-UK Power Project.

WSP will support the procurement process for converter stations in the UK and Morocco, UK grid connection works, connection to the generation assets in Morocco, and an interface between the converter stations and the HVDC cable systems in the UK and Morocco.

The Xlinks Morocco-UK Power Project is a multi-technology renewable energy project of approximately 10.5 GW of generation capacity to be constructed in Morocco, with a combination of solar and wind generation assets coupled with energy storage, connected exclusively to the UK through dedicated 3,800km HVDC sub-sea cables with a combined capacity of 3.6GW at the receiving end.

The generation assets in Morocco will enable Xlinks to maximize the use of the subsea transmission system and deliver a dedicated, near-constant source of flexible and predictable clean energy to Britain for an average of 20+ hours a day. Xlinks will provide up to 8% of Great Britains electricity needs.

Ben Jones, Non Regulated T&D Construction Director at WSP, said: Were delighted to support Xlinks on what is a truly significant opportunity for the UK to increase its use of renewable energy and move away from fossil fuel dependency. A project of this magnitude will require a multi-disciplinary, collaborative approach and were excited to play an important part in its delivery.
The United States government has commended the important role of King Mohammed VI in consolidating regional stability, security, and prosperity.

In a statement issued on the occasion of Throne Day celebrated by Moroccans on July 30, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken extended his best wishes to the Monarch and to the people of Morocco on this occasion.

This year marks the 23rd anniversary of the Kings accession to the throne as we continue to expand the historic and long-standing U.S.-Morocco friendship, said the U.S top diplomat.

Over the past year, we have continued our unwavering friendship, and we commend King Mohammed VI for his role in furthering regional stability, security, and prosperity, underlined the Secretary of State.

On July 29, U.S. President Joe Biden also sent the Moroccan Sovereign a message extending, on behalf of the United States and the American people, his congratulations to the King on the occasion of Throne Day.

In his message, Biden said the exceptional relationship between Morocco and the United States continues to grow thanks to the strong foundations of our shared history.

This year marks the 16th anniversary of our Free Trade Agreement, adding to Moroccos hosting of the Ministerial meeting of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS and the 14th U.S.-Africa Business Summit, said the U.S. president.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Tuesday, met up in Ankara with Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aqila Saleh, and member of the Presidential Council, Abdullah Al-Lafi to discuss the situation in Libya where Turkey wields a sway.

Al-Lafi on Twitter said the meeting with the Turkish President dealt with political developments, noting that the views agreed on preserving Libyas unity, expediting the holding of elections, through one strong government, and emphasizing the exclusion of a military solution, Libya Update reports.

Saleh travelled to Turkey Monday to seek rapprochement with Ankara to break the political deadlock in the oil-rich country which currently has two rival governments.

Ankara currently backs the Government of National Unity led by Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh while Saleh and the Libyan parliament endorse the Government of National Stability led by former Ankara protege and former interior minister Fathi Bashagha.

The HoR removed Dbeibeh in February and replaced him with Bashagha.

Saleh, on July 20 told Al-Massar TV, that politics are flexible and subject to development and change, there is no permanent rivalry, and that the interests of the Turks are linked to our interests.
Ethiopias government should resume essential services in the conflict-torn Tigray region in the north of the country, the United States and European Union envoys for the Horn of Africa have said, after a rare visit to the war-torn region facing dire conditions.

Tigray, a region in the north of the country, has been struggling to cope with food shortages and no access to basic utilities since June 2021 when Tigrayan rebels recaptured it from federal forces. In recent weeks, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmeds government and the Tigray Peoples Liberation Front (TPLF) have both raised the prospect of negotiations to end the brutal conflict, which erupted in late 2020.

New US envoy Mike Hammer and EU envoy Annette Weber have lately renewed diplomatic efforts by visiting Ethiopia to hold talks in Tigray, including with TPLF leader Debretsion Gebremichael.

A swift restoration of electricity, telecom, banking, and other basic services in Tigray is essential for the people of Tigray, the US and EU diplomats said in a joint statement. Equally, unfettered humanitarian access to Tigray and the Afar and Amhara neighboring regions affected by the conflict is imperative, accompanies by the lifting of restrictions on cash, fuel and fertilizers. The two envoys also called for unfettered aid deliveries to Tigray and the neighboring conflict-hit regions of Afar and Amhara, and urged the government to lift restrictions on cash and fuel to Tigray. More than 13 million people need food assistance across northern Ethiopia, according to the United Nations.
Photo: TC Energy handout image. This map shows the roughly 670-kilometre route of the Coastal GasLink natural gas pipeline currently under construction in northern B.C.

Construction of the Coastal GasLink natural gas pipeline is expected to ramp up to peak construction, according to information released by TC Energy on July 28.

There were 4,923 workers on the project as of June 30, and that number was expected to increase to more than 6,000 over the summer months, according to the company. Once complete, the roughly 670-kilometre-long natural gas pipeline will deliver up to 2.1 billion cubic feet per day of natural gas from northeast B.C. to the LNG Canada liquified natural gas export terminal under construction in Kitimat.

Our prime contractors are mobilizing crews to various sites to continue to progress our most important construction season yet, a statement issued by the company said. At the end of June, Coastal GasLink was 66 per cent complete overall and now approaching 70 per cent overall completion.

Construction of the Wilde Lake Compressor Station is nearly 90 per cent complete. Once operational, the Wilde Lake facility, located at Groundbirch west of Dawson Creek, will be TC Energys largest compressor station.

On Section 3 of the project, a 104 km stretch from east of McLeod Lake to north of Prince George, 56.3 per cent of the pipeline had been installed and 62.5 per cent of the grading work had been completed, as of June 30. There were 494 workers operating out of the Parsnip Lodge, east of Bear Lake, as of June 30.

Section 4 of the project, running 93 km from north of Prince George to north of Vanderhoof, was complete as of June 30.
Ahead of COP27 to take place in Egypt in November 2022, the first African Regional Roundtable on Climate Initiatives took place July 1-3 in Ethiopias capital, focusing on how to chart a new and sustainable economic model, accelerate financial flows to the projects needed to reduce emissions, build climate resilience, and advance the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.

This is the first in a series of five regional forums jointly organized by the incoming Egyptian Presidency of COP27, the United Nations Regional Commissions, and the UN Climate Change High-Level Champions for COP26 and COP27 that will take place across Africa, the Middle East, Asia, Latin America, the Caribbean regions, being conceived as a targeted initiative to drive greater public and private investment in the regions where the need is greatest.

The UN Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), Vera Songwe alongside African finance and trade ministers are amongst the stakeholders taking part in the forum in Addis Ababa. Africa COP is not just a COP where we go and meet and talk, but that it has to be a club that delivers, Songwe said.

Were looking at this COP being really the clarion call, the wake up post-COVID recovery. Were all going to be in a different economic setting. Unfortunately, that is not where we are. The ministers also discussed the African Trade Exchange Platform highlighting the need for fertilizers across Africa, especially since the continent has been heavily impacted by Covid-19, the Ukraine conflict and rising food prices.
Rio Tinto Groups subsidiary in Guinea has formed an infrastructure joint venture with Winning Consortium Simandou (WCS) and the government to develop a railway and port, paving the way for work to resume on the worlds largest undeveloped iron ore project.

The joint venture for the Simandou is a milestone for Rio and WCS, whose shareholders include a unit of China Hongqiao, but the firms said they must still negotiate final agreements, without giving a timeline. The parties will now work on next steps including shareholding agreement, finalizing cost estimates and funding, and securing all necessary approvals and other permits and agreements required to progress the co-development of infrastructures, Rio Tinto said in a statement.

Moreover, in a concession to Guineas ruling military junta, the companies gave the government a 15% free carried stake in the joint venture, The TransGuinean Company. The junta, frustrated with the companies pushback over the government stake, ordered all work on the Simandou project to stop in early July.

Getting the massive Simandou project under development would be a second major win for Rios CEO Jakob Stausholm, after striking a deal with Mongolia earlier this year on Rios flagship copper project. But Simandou offers a potentially huge new source of supply not just for Rio, the worlds largest iron ore producer, but also for China that sees the project as key to easing its steel industrys dependence on Australian output.
Moroccan women victims of sexual assault filed a lawsuit against Human Rights Watch which issued recently a report that denied their right to seek justice while whitewashing their agressors as dissidents targeted by the state.

Human Rights Watch has recycled old anti-Moroccan allegations by a group of dissidents, including some who are facing the judiciary for sexual assault and embezzlement of funds in addition to other penal code charges that have nothing to do with the freedom of expression.

Head of the Association of sexual assault victims, known by AMDV, Aicha Guellaa denounced the report as unfair in treating the case of many journalists who have been indicted by the Moroccan judiciary on sexual assault charges.

Human Rights Watch preferred to turn a blind eye to the grievances of rape victims and their legitimate right to seek justice and showed contempt for the Moroccan judiciary and its independence in claiming that the verdicts against Omar Radi, Soulimane Raisouni and Taoufiq Bouachrine were due to their views as political dissidents.

In so doing, HRW, a rights watchdog ironically, confiscated the right of the victims to seek justice arguing between the lines that opponents should have preferential treatment above the law!

Guellaa deplored that HRW did not bother to listen to the victims or include their testimonies against the dissident reporters or sexual aggressors.

She along with other speakers at a conference highlighted the political character of the report which only serves the interests of anti-Morocco lobbyists in the US and the West, in a failed attempt to deliberately smear Moroccos human rights record.
IMPERIAL  A Chase County jury found Kevin S. German guilty of killing a 22-year-old Imperial woman in November 2019.

Late Wednesday morning, the 26-year-old Colorado Springs, Colorado, resident and 2014 Chase County High School graduate, was convicted of both second-degree murder and the kidnapping of Annika Swanson.

In addition, German  who showed little emotion as he sat at the defense table  was also found guilty of first-degree false imprisonment for abducting Eve Ambrosek and holding her captive for three days.

Swansons body was found Nov. 24, 2019, at the bottom of an 8-foot irrigation drainage pipe beside an earthen dam in a rural area near Imperial.

The verdict, which came during the third week of the District Court trial, was reached just before 11 a.m. after about roughly four hours of deliberation over two days. The jury of seven women and five men received the case late Tuesday afternoon.

Doug Warner and Mike Guinen, from the state attorney generals office were special prosecutors in the case, and the office responded to the verdict by email.

We are pleased with the jury verdict and greatly appreciate the serious time and deliberation given by the jury in considering this important case, the email from Suzanne Gage, the attorney generals director of communications, read. Our sympathies are extended to the Swanson family for their loss of Annika, and also to Eve Ambrosek for the harm she suffered at the hands of the defendant. Hopefully this verdict will provide some form of justice.

German, who was initially charged with first-degree murder and two counts of kidnapping, is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 18. The Swanson family declined to comment after the verdict.

Second-degree murder was among the four options the jury was allowed to consider in the case, along with manslaughter and a not guilty verdict. It states German, either independently or while aiding and abetting another, did kill Swanson, but without premeditation.

For both kidnapping charges, jurors could also consider charges of first- or second-degree false imprisonment as well as a not guilty verdict.

First-degree false imprisonment states that German, either independently or while aiding and abetting another, did knowing restrain or abduct Eve Ambrosek and did so under terrorizing circumstances or under circumstances which exposed her to the risk of serious bodily injury.

Obviously we are disappointed with the verdict, Germans attorney, Clarence Mock III, said. We were hoping that the jury would have found that this was a case that was more akin to a manslaughter then second-degree (murder). We really hoped that on Count III, which was the Eve Ambrosek accusation, that we might have been able to obtain an acquittal.

Mock indicated there are grounds to file an appeal in the case, a motion which must be completed within 30 days of the verdict.

There may be some legal issues that are present in the record that we may raise and that Im really not at liberty to identify at this time, Mock said.

Germans co-defendant, Keonna N. Carter, 24, of Taylorsville, Utah, was initially charged with first-degree murder and kidnapping in the case. She cooperated with the prosecution in the case and testified against German.

Testimony during the trial indicated her murder charge will be amended to first-degree assault, but a search of court records does not show a change in her case yet.
I can't tell from that response if he knew already or not but I wish the reporter had asked him to name the college - would've been clear then!





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He 100% had no idea. Those kids do not talk to him.

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I dont doubt that the kids didnt tell him personally but I'd imagine that his PR team prepped him on it before a big red carpet.

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The media reported on it widely. It didn't need to come from them for him to be aware of it.

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Waiting for people to blame Angie for a 17/18 year old choosing to not talk to their parent

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the comments on tiktok were doing exactly this and it was disgusting

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Last time I spoke to my dad he tried to blame my mum for me not talking to him. I was 30 

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wait is he a deadbeat dad or does she just hate him? how do we know this info before him?

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The older kids want/wanted nothing to do with him. His younger children were required to see him by the court, but at a certain age they can request to stop visitation.

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iirc, in california, that age is 14 and guess what the twins just turned...

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I wouldn't be down with anybody who has been harassing/abusive to my mom and put hands on my brother.

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apparently Maddox testified in a custody hearing last year that he straight up wants his legal name changed so his last name is just Jolie...you put that together with the airport incident where Brad hit him and CPS got called, Zahara making that jewelry capsule a few years ago that donated the proceeds to a battered women and children's shelter in LA, etc and all signs point to none of the kids really fucking with Brad at this point and I don't blame them

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Hes an abuser. The kids all hate him.

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well the title sure makes an assumption lol but I wouldn't be surprised if it were true. He DOES react in a panicky way, which is weird... like that's your daughter lmao

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People Magazine describes Pitt as 'emotional,'



Omg yeah, so emotional. Like rein it in, Brad, jfc. For someone whos trying to improve his public image hes really pulling out all the stops.

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Lmao he gave the most laidback stoner response Im not even sure he understood the question.

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I'm far from an expert but this read as "high" to me, too.

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I was wanting to see something happen in the clip. The title doesnt fit the video.

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Do you think that's the response of someone who is involved in her life and knew where she was going to college before this question got asked lol

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Nothing about his response makes me think it was the first time he heard the news.

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His response is weird imo like why not just say youre proud instead of thats beautiful ???

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seriously. it's very "lovely gowns. beautiful gowns." maybe she told him not to speak of her and that was his way of handling it.

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Okay so I googled because I was curious and he did say he was proud to Vanity Fair, so maybe he was just stoned and out of it here lol



Im so proud of her, said Pitt about Zaharas enrollment at Spelman while conducting interviews at the premiere of his latest film, Bullet Train, in Los Angeles on Monday. Shes so smart. Shes going to flourish even more at college. Its an exciting and beautiful time to find her own way and pursue her interests. Im so proud.

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This is sounds pretty generic actually, although more coherent than the video lol

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i think you have to take this clip in the context of all his other fumbles when talking about his kids, particularly around his oscar campaigning/win and win I think Maddox (?) went to school in SK. when all put together its very clear he's not an active part of the older kids lives and has very little idea what they're doing.



because if he'd known about her announcement/choice of school he would have had a better prepared answer--on how proud he was of her/the importance of hbcus/etc. because it would have been a great soundbite to promote his "good father with a crazy ex" facade. and he was at a premiere and, if he had known, would have expected a question on some level since it was a big announcement.

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absolute piece of shit, the deadbeat vibes radiate out of him like poison

couldn't even come up with anything of value to say about his own child's big life change

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it's giving me "sending my love to shakira!...shahira?...shahara"

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His facial blindness was acting up again.

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I know this is ONTD but this makes me really sad? I remember when Zahara was his favorite and all the pics they took when she was younger that showed how much he adored her. To see them go from that to...whatever the fuck is going on now (and we don't know what's going on with that either because all the court stuff is sealed) really makes me feel for these kids.

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did you get the vibe that Zahara was his fave? I always thought it was Shiloh.

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There was a point where he and Zahara were like 2 peas in a pod. He was there when Angelina first brought her home and he immediately signed up to legally be her father once everything legal cleared because Angelina had to adopt her as a single woman. He seemed to also be close to Shiloh as well; strictly speaking he seemed to favor his girls over the boys.

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You would be surpriseda lot of men like small children who dont have agency but as soon as their kid becomes their own person and doesnt just cower to their every whim, they switch up fast.

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That's really sad, I find the whole situation really sad, too. I'm glad the kids have Angelina, though. I have never been a big fan of her and find her humanitarian work comes off self-aggrandizing sometimes? Like I scratched my head at her Ukraine visit recently. But she is clearly devoted to being a mom. Transracial adoption is really tough to do right by the children, and I often question how someone like Madonna treats her adopted children (I'm sure they are comfortable and healthy though). But there's no questioning Angelina's dedication to getting it right.

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i was my father's "favorite", but my older brother has fairly severe cerebral palsy and my younger brother is adopted and biracial, so that favoritism always felt gross to me, even as a kid. i remember one christmas we spent with my dad's family where i received a bunch of gifts and my older brother got one tshirt and the youngest a small set of building blocks, that's it. i vividly remember the guilt i felt. i broke off contact with my dad for a multitude of reasons, but the straw that broke the camel's back was when he called for my older brother's birthday 3 days late and when i asked him why he said my brother "wouldn't know the difference anyway".



if it's the case that brad did really favor zahara and shiloh and ignored the older boys, they would both grow to see that. it's painful to see your siblings mistreated by someone who purports to love them, so i can absolutely see why - even if he never laid hands on maddox - the kids wouldn't want to involve themselves with brad.



(obviously, there's a lot of speculation and projection here)

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I think what luvthatdrtywata said above makes total sense, it was like that with my dad. I don't feel sad for me, I feel sad for him actually, bc he's honestly missing out. The moment I realized what kind of person he was, I never looked back.

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I get what you're saying. It is really sad to see what's happened, even if this is the best outcome for the kids because of Brad's actions.

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Its only in recent years that Ive realised Brad Pitt is the most inarticulate celebrity there ever was. If you go back and watch his old interviews in the 2000s - my god is he an airhead on top of being a piece of garbage

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there's really nothing going on between the eyes

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I feel like this is most celebs tbh.

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I don't think he's very bright plus I think he's always high. Jen Anniston more or less said as much.

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He seriously once said, "I speak best in shapes. It's my best vocabulary. Much better than English."

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Isnt that why he became interested in architecture, to try to appear smarter??

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He must have lucked into a great agent/manager and/or has good enough people skills to realize who to hire, because his current Hollywood brand is almost entirely the result of Jeremy Kleiner and Dede Gardner shepherding his production company into total respect. Meanwhile, a lot of his other business endeavors flounder.

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lol i think the title is assuming a lot. it's not clear if he already knew or not, though i have to imagine there is no way he just found out. even if Zahara didn't tell him, it was reported on in the media, lol, so i'm sure he found out that way. i do think that he has no idea wtf to do or say when his kids come up and that he purposefully is vague and treads lightly to avoid any sort of commentary either way. i don't think he is an active part of any of the older kids lives, tbh, which seems to be their choice and is def for the best

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Its going to be iconic. I just heard it a couple days ago in Ibiza. Its insane.



That endorsement doesn't fill me with enthusiasm but I hope it's a great duet.

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LMAO same but I will say, I do appreciate how publicly (and seemingly privately) supportive Paris has been of her

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Oh yeah, definitely. I just don't rate Paris's opinion when it comes to music.

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this sounds like complete bullshit lmao



Edited at 2022-08-03 04:09 pm (UTC)

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I heard a song in Ibiza...

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My actual first thought upon reading that quote lol

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It reminds me of the way Paris hyped up her own album right before it was released. "I, like, cry every time I listen to it."

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Yes, miss, this is how you do it. Work out your angst thru creative channels, not by writing rants on your Insta that you delete in an hour.

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I wonder if she has full control of her Instagram or if that's her management deleting those posts.

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I think she deletes some especially ones with mean comments. She recently uploaded a picture of her dream wedding venue she couldnt get married in (Catholic Church) and the comments werent positive. That one was deleted.



The ones of her lashing out might be done by her legal team, though.

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I do think her management still has some control over her. I don't want to be a conspiracy theory, I just don't get the impression everything is great now and she is totally free. There were people that found some of her recent photos were taken in one of her rehab facilities that she hated being in? And her recent stuff about selena makes it sound like she didn't get to plan her own wedding.

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She deletes them to purge the nasty comments and reposts. Sometimes.

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Okay I'm excited!!!! Give me Me Against the Music pt 2 please!!!!



No but seriously I'm glad she's able to make music she wants to make on her own terms. That's always how it should've been, fuck Jaime and the managers he hired (looking at you Tri-star I hope y'all end up in jail!!)

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GREAT NEWS: Mat Rosengart says Tri Star has been ordered to turn over all documents related to the electronic surveillance of Britney! #JusticeForBritney pic.twitter.com/c7lnWo7V4K  Britney Stan  (@BritneyTheStan) July 27, 2022

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Get them!!!

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I don't trust Tri Star one fucking bit.

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When you think of the other stars they manage it all adds up.

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I wouldn't hate Jagged Little Brit to be honest.

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Ooh... that would be fantastic!!

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Ugh, I wish she would release a studio version of this.

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Rockney was my first thought.

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RELEASE 'REBELLION' WHILST WE WAIT, PLEASE!

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i don't believe this, but her woman scorned anthems are top tier:









Edited at 2022-08-03 04:09 pm (UTC)

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her writing on Cinderella is superior

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You're leaving out one of her best songs ever TBH





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oh i love "lonely," i just didn't want to post too many videos in one comment haha!

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quando a britney e o elton lancarem a versao latina de tiny dancer em parceria com a tini a incrivel TINI DANCER  pic.twitter.com/mrN8qQgue4  radinho is a TINY DANCER! (@fabfroot) July 26, 2022

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The only thing I can understand on this tweet is "tiny dancer" and for some reason that (along with this image of Britney and Elton) has me in stitches!

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YEAH BRIT!!! LETS GET TO IT

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y'all slept on glory, there were some cute lil singles on there. but im here for a revenge album, give us that blackout/in the zone fire ms spears

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I think Glory is such a sexy album tbh

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glory is her best post-blackout album and i will die on this hill

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I don't think you'll need to die, we're all camped out here on the same hill having a cookout

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Is that the one that has the song with G-easy? I hate myself for loving that song lol

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Good for her! I feel like this will be so important in her healing process.

Snatch their wigs, Brit!

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Is it just me or has she not posted anything current on insta since her wedding? All these old pics and videos, it's weird.

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She def shares old videos like her dancing videos at home or fashion montage but theres a lot of recent photos and videos, too.



She shared a video of her on the beach during her honeymoon. She uploaded several stories, most recently out at a bar with her assistant.



The pics/video of her on the sail boat are from that trip which was a few days ago.



She also shared meeting Taron and that was recent since Sam refers to her as his wife in the video.

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Im sure Vicky T will find a way to weasel herself onto it

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Original Doll is coming!

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is she finally gonna release REBELLION (britney's version)???

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Photo: Chung Chow. This summer, for the first time in three years, British Columbians may be able to buy B.C. sockeye off the boat or in grocery stores.

Commercial fishermen in B.C. who have been shut out of the Fraser River sockeye fishery for the last three years are gearing up for what could be a decent harvest.



Fraser River sockeye experienced the lowest returns on record in 2019  just 590,000 -- and then broke that record in 2020 with just 398,000 fish returning.



Returns in 2021 were a bit higher than expected  2.5 million  but the estimates came in too late to allow for commercial openings.



Fisheries managers need to let 1 million sockeye escape to spawn. So in 2019 and 2020, not enough Fraser River sockeye returned to even meet escapement targets.



But every four years, Fraser River sockeye tend to return in relative abundance, and this is expected to be one of those abundant years.



This years pre-season forecast is for 9.8 million Fraser River sockeye, which would be more than enough to support commercial openings.



Its expected this should be one of our better return years, said Fiona Martens, chief of fisheries management programs for the Pacific Salmon Commission (PSC).



People are fairly optimistic, and none of our data would indicate that they shouldnt be optimistic at this time.



The lions share of this years Fraser River sockeye is expected to come from the summer and late summer runs.



The largest run would normally expected to be the late summer run, which includes Adams River sockeye. But early indications are that the summer run could actually eclipse the late summer run in size.



It is still too early to say if the summer and late summer runs will come in as forecast, but test fisheries for Fraser River early Stuart sockeye, as well as Skeena River and Barkley Sound sockeye, are looking promising, said Greg Taylor, a fishery adviser for Watershed Watch Salmon Society.



As of July 29, test fisheries reported 442,800 Fraser River sockeye returns. The early Stuart run -- forecast to be 105,000  actually came in at 230,000.



Early Stuarts came in really good  like huge, Taylor said. Way, way better than expected.



It certainly suggests we are going to have a fishery this year, he said.



Sockeye returns in the more northern range  from Bristol Bay in Alaska to Barkley Sound on the west side of Vancouver Island -- have been phenomenal, Taylor said.



Skeenas phenomenal  double  Barkley Sound was double, and the Fraser River looks OK, Taylor said.



Skeenas better than forecast, Martens said. Nass is better than forecast. I think Barkley (Sound) did better than forecast, and theres areas in Washington State, like Baker Lake, that is better than forecast. So a lot of those other sockeye returns are doing better than forecast.



Taylor suspects sockeye are coming back this year in relative abundance thanks to the La Nina system, which has cooled ocean temperatures for the last couple of years.



Were seeing these decreased ocean temperatures and we know that that benefits salmon, Taylor said.



When water temperatures went up, we saw salmon productivity collapse. Were seeing it the other way around now, and that bodes well not only for this year, but maybe for the next couple of years.



Despite relatively strong Skeena River sockeye returns, Taylor said commercial fishermen may not be able to fully exploit a total allowable catch (TAC) for that region, because the northern commercial fishing sector has been devastated after years of commercial closures.



Thats an interesting story into itself -- the collapse of the infrastructure in the north to the point that they cant even catch the commercial allocation. They might catch half the TAC.



Part of it is there is absolutely no infrastructure left. That includes boats, processing, ice, and also the gillnetters are faced with new PSSI (Pacific Salmon Strategy Initiative) rules in terms of how they do fish.



Theyre not going to come anywhere near catching the commercial TAC, and that is because there is a lack of a fleet up there now. No infrastructures left. They cant even load the few boats they have that are fishing and get them ice.



As for salmon species other than sockeye, pink salmon returns for the north coast have been dismal, Taylor said.



You drop down from there into the top of Johnstone Strait, the real good news story there, looks like theres some pink salmon there. Sport fishermen are reporting quite a few  a good body of pinks in the northern Georgia Strait and Johnstone Strait.



Hatchery Chinook for the west and east coast of Vancouver Island appear to be fairly abundant, Taylor said, though wild spring Chinook for the Fraser River appear to be doing poorly.


The OPEC+ group gave the go-ahead to lift their oil production targets for September by 100,000 bpd as recommended by the Joint Ministerial Monitoring Committee (JMMC) which met earlier today, Amena Bakr, Chief Opec Correspondent & Deputy Bureau Chief at Energy Intelligence, reported just as the ministerial meeting of OPEC+ began on Wednesday.

Today's OPEC+ meeting is the first meeting since the group decided to roll back by the end of August all the cuts from May 2020, when the current agreement started.

Analysts had expected the alliance to endorse either flat targets for September compared to August, or a slight increase.

Ahead of the meeting on Wednesday, the U.S. Department of the State approved on Tuesday a possible Foreign Military Sale to Saudi ArabiaOPEC's top producerof PATRIOT MIM-104E Guidance Enhanced Missile-Tactical Ballistic Missiles (GEM-T) and related equipment for an estimated cost of $3.05 billion. The State Department also cleared a possible Foreign Military Sale to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for an estimated cost of $2.245 billion.

Saudi Arabia and the UAE are believed to be the only two producers in OPEC+ and in the world currently holding enough spare capacity to raise their oil production. A 100,000 bpd increase for the entire group will likely mean less than a 30,000 bpd increase for Saudi Arabia, and a less than 10,000 bpd increase for the UAE.

Earlier this week, a Fox Business correspondent reported that Saudi Arabia was planning to advocate for higher oil production at Wednesday's OPEC+ meeting. Fox Business' White House correspondent Edward Lawrence cited an unnamed source as saying that Saudi Arabia's King Salman had made the assurance to U.S. President Joe Biden during their meeting in the Kingdom on July 16.

Higher oil production was one of the reasons for President Biden's visit to the Kingdom last month, although the White House refrained from stating it openly.

Oil prices jumped after the announcement.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
Shale pioneer Chesapeake Energy will focus on its key shale gas plays in the United States and will consider its oil-producing acreage in the Eagle Ford as non-core business in a shift toward gas and deals with LNG exporters.

Chesapeake Energy, which went through bankruptcy in 2020 when oil and gas prices crashed, said in its Q2 results release this week that it is solidifying its strategic focus on its gas assets while reducing its Eagle Ford position.

Chesapeake Energy, the pioneer of shale gas production during the first shale revolution, is looking to position its Haynesville assets for future growth, it said in a statement. At the same time, it will reduce activity in the Eagle Ford shale, which the company now views as non-core to its future capital allocation strategy.

"Given we now view our Eagle Ford assets as non-core to our future capital allocation strategy, we are increasing our capital allocation to the Haynesville in the second half of the year and into 2023 to position the asset for returns-driven growth," said Nick Dell'Osso, Chesapeake's President and Chief Executive Officer.

Chesapeake is now doubling down on natural gas and the opportunities to supply U.S. LNG export facilities as Europe is scrambling to get its hands on LNG cargoes and reduce its dependence on pipeline gas from Russia.

Chesapeake said it had entered into a term gas supply agreement with Golden Pass LNG Terminal Responsibly Sourced, independently certified gas, from Haynesville to Golden Pass's LNG terminal near Sabine Pass, Texas. Golden Pass, a joint project of ExxonMobil and QatarEnergy, is expected to begin operations in 2024.

"We stand to help the world through the gas that we deliver as much as anyone else," Chesapeake's Dell'Osso said, as carried by the Financial Times.

"The US is now connected more fully to the rest of the world through LNG exports and that connectivity is going to nearly double over the next five to seven years."

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

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Hochstein notes this is the 50th day that gasoline prices have gone down in the United States.

After touching the highest level since 2009 above $130/bbl, oil prices have pulled back sharply over the past two months with both Brent and WTI crude currently trading at sub-$100/bbl, and the Biden administration is gunning for a much bigger drop.

In an interview with Bloomberg, Amos Hochstein, the White Houses senior adviser for global energy security, has said that gas and oil prices need to go even lower while U.S. producers and OPEC+ need to raise output.

As of 13:02 p.m. EST, Brent crude was trading down 3.32% on the day at $97.20, while WTI was down 3.58% at $91.04 in response to a slight output increase announced by OPEC+ and surprise US crude oil inventory build reported by the API.

Hochstein notes this is the 50th day that gasoline prices have gone down in the United States, allowing average national gasoline prices to fall from historic highs above $5 per gallon to $4.16 currently. The energy expert says that its remarkable the oil price trajectory has reversed that much amid a war and tight crude supplies but also says the Biden administration will continue trying to bring oil prices even lower.

Also in a new twist, the presidential energy adviser says that U.S. energy companies ought to invest back to increase production here in the United States after posting record profits.

The U.S. energy sector is enjoying one of its most bountiful periods with high oil and gas prices helping the sector post triple-digit earnings growth during the second quarter of the current year. Previously, the Biden administration was strongly opposed to domestic companies growing production, with Biden famously revoking the permit for the Keystone XL pipeline project immediately after he ascended into the Oval Office.

However, Russias war in Ukraine, years of underinvestment and high demand have led to unusually tight energy markets leading to sky-high crude and fuel prices. This has forced the Biden administration to make a 180-degree turn on its energy policy, going as far as begging OPEC to ramp up production and also making a historic release of 180 million barrels of oil from the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve.

By Alex Kimani for Oilprice.com

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Note: According to Reuters' sources, CATL is pressing ahead with plans to deliver lower-cost lithium iron batteries to Ford Motor Co. and with plans for battery production in North America by 2026.

Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Ltd. (CATL), the biggest battery maker for electric vehicles and a supplier of Tesla, among others, is postponing the announcement of a multi-billion investment in North America as the U.S.-Chinese relations further soured with the visit of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan.

CATL was prepared to announce plans for an EV battery manufacturing site in North America, but has now delayed that announcement, sources with knowledge of the developments have told Bloomberg.

After days of speculation, the U.S. House Speaker did visit Taiwan on Tuesday in the highest-level U.S. visit to Taiwan in 25 years. China, which claims Taiwan, slammed the visit, saying that "It has a severe impact on the political foundation of China-U.S. relations, and seriously infringes upon China's sovereignty and territorial integrity. It gravely undermines peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, and sends a seriously wrong signal to the separatist forces for "Taiwan independence".

"China firmly opposes and sternly condemns this, and has made serious demarche and strong protest to the United States," the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Tuesday.

Following the new low in U.S.-China relations, CATL is now reportedly holding off on the announcement. CATL is headquartered in Fujian, across the Taiwan Strait from the island.

The Chinese battery maker was in advanced stages of discussions over the site and has been considering sites in the U.S. and at least two other plants in Mexico near Texas. The initial plan was to issue the announcement within the coming weeks, but CATL will likely wait until next month or October due to concerns over U.S.-China relations in the wake of Pelosi's visit to Taiwan, Bloomberg's sources said.

Pelosi's trip to Taiwan included meetings with leaders and was met on Wednesday with another reprimanding statement from China, whose Foreign Minister Wang Yi said that "those who play with fire will not come to a good end, and those who offend China will be punished," per the BBC.

"The United States is violating China's sovereignty under the guise of so-called democracy," the Chinese minister added.

By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com

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Germanys government has held firmly onto the belief that its nuclear power industry must be retired, even in the midst of an energy crisis. But today, it appears that could change, with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz saying for the first time that the country could put off the retirement of its nuclear power fleet, according to the Wall Street Journal.

It could make sense to keep its nuclear power plants operating, Scholz said on Wednesday, despite the current plans to retire the final three plants come December, and despite Germanys economy and environment ministries in March recommending against extending the life of the reactors.

At the time, the German ministries concluded that extending the life of the nuclear reactors would have a very limited impact on alleviating Germanys power crunch, and that it would come at a very high economic cost.

If someone decides to do so now, Scholz said about the potential for building new nuclear power plants as recenly as in June, they would have to spend 12-18 billion euros on each nuclear power plants and it wouldnt open until 2037 or 2038. And besides, the fuel rods are generally imported from Russia. As such one should think about what one does.

Germany has also restarted two power plans that run on oil as the country tries to conserve natural gas as Russian gas flows to Europe continue to be restricted amid an ongoing gas turbine repair situation. Coal-fired plants in Germany have also been resurrected.

Austerity measures have been implemented, with Stadtwerke Munchen reducing swimming pool temperatures and shutting saunas until further notice.

Germanys plan to phase out nuclear power generation spans decades and was hurried along by the Fukushima disaster.

For now, the German government has commissioned a stress test for nuclear plants, according to the WSJ, to determine if the life of the plants can be extended safely, and whether it will truly aid Germany with its tight energy situation.

By Julianne Geiger for Oilprice.com

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Electricite de France SA, Frances state-owned utility, announced on Tuesday that it is highly likely it will be forced to extend cuts to nuclear generation as scorching weather pushes up river temperatures, making the water too hot to cool reactors.

The French utility says that power stations along the Rhone and Garonne rivers will likely produce less electricity in the coming days, but has promised there will be a minimum level of output to keep the grid stable, Bloomberg reports.

As Europes energy crisis deepens, most of the worlds attention is focused on Germany and gas flows from Russia. However, France is facing an even bigger crisis with Europes biggest energy exporter turning into a net importer thanks to the countrys imploding nuclear sector.

A deadly heat wave in Western Europe has triggered massive wildfires, displaced thousands of people and disrupted transportation as the continent grapples with the impact of climate change. According to the national weather forecaster, several areas in France have experienced record-breaking temperatures surpassing 100 degrees Fahrenheit with at least five countries in Europe declaring a state of emergency or red warnings. And now the extreme heat is having an unusual effect: its making Frances rivers too hot to be used in nuclear reactors.

Currently, Electricite de France SA is running just 26 of its 57 reactors, with more than half of its chain undergoing emergency maintenance after the discovery of cracked pipes.

Experts are now saying that France faces an electricity Waterloo with atomic reactors generating the lowest share of the countrys power in 30 years, according to Bloomberg.

The slump in nuclear availability is forcing France to rely on gas-fired plants more than ever, hydro, intermittent wind and imports. Thats in turn pushing up the cost of electricity in the wholesale market for the entire continent, with French forward prices surging to almost 1,000% above their 10-year average through 2020.

The crisis could get even worse in winter, with high consumption in the winter season likely to make electricity costs catastrophically expensive.

By Alex Kimani for Oilprice.com

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The saga with the notoriously late gas turbine delivery from Canada via Europe to Russia continues, as the turbine needed for a compressor station at the Nord Stream pipeline has not reached Russia yet.

The argument over who is shipping the equipment where and who is responsible for the delays has been going on for weeks now. The turbine is currently stranded in Germany.

Meanwhile, gas flows from Russia to the EU have slowed.

Russia has blamed Western sanctions for the fact that the turbine that was repaired in Canada was returned to Europe but hasn't reached Russia yet. Russia says that because of issues at other turbines, another one of which was also sent for repairs at the end of July, Gazprom slashed gas supply via Nord Stream againto just 20% of the pipeline's capacity. This happened days after Gazprom restarted the pipeline at 40% capacity on July 21 after regular 10-day maintenance.

Earlier this week, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that The Kremlin didn't have anything to add to what Gazprom had already said: there are equipment failures necessitating urgent repairs, and there are additional "artificial difficulties" caused by the "illegal sanctions and restrictions."

On Wednesday, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz laid the blame on Russia, again, saying that the turbine is ready for work and Germany is ready to ship it. Scholz was pictured by Reuters standing next to the turbine during his visit to Siemens Energy's site in Muelheim an der Ruhr in Germany.

Scholz's visit to the site of the turbine manufacturer was the show the world that the equipment works and that "there was nothing mystical to observe here," the Chancellor said.

"It's quite clear and simple: the turbine is there and can be delivered, but someone needs to say 'I want to have it'," Scholz said as carried by Reuters.

Germany and the EU are bracing for further reductions in Russian gas supply ahead of the winter, even if the turbine makes it to Russia.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

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The candidates for Douglas County sheriff shared their visions for improving the office at a debate Tuesday night.

Republican Aaron Hanson, an Omaha police sergeant, and Democrat Greg Gonzalez, a retired Omaha deputy police chief, discussed issues such as deputy recruitment and retention, public safety and patrol presence.

The debate, at the Aspen Room at 98th and M Streets, was hosted by the Nebraska Fraternal Order of Police Lodge #2, which represents the Douglas County sheriffs deputies. Union President Jason Mass said he wanted to host the debate to give members access to the candidates in what he sees as the first competitive sheriffs race in nearly two decades.

For the first time for most of us in our career, its an actual contentious sheriffs election, he said.

When asked what he thinks is different about his plan for the office compared with his opponents, Gonzalez focused on his campaign pillars of retention, community engagement and reducing violent crime.

Its going to be very important that you have a sheriff that, one, understands management, understands budgeting and understands what it takes to build relationships, he said.

Hanson said he and Gonzalez have similar ideas, but also some differences. He said he would focus on keeping Douglas County safe through growing the force in proportion with the countys population growth, promoting retention through attractive salary and benefits and implementing a pretrial supervised release program.

On his campaign website, Hanson proposes training a group of deputies to focus on people under court supervision and assist judges and probation officers with the individuals re-entry into society.

This is working in other communities around the country, Hanson said. Its helping individuals to rehabilitate and making our communities safer.

Gonzalez said he sees a pretrial release program as turning sheriffs deputies into glorified probation officers.

When asked about how they would address the number of deputies on patrol, especially given the effects of annexation in the county, Hanson and Gonzalez agreed that the force needs to be expanded.

Hanson said he thinks the office needs an additional 40 to 45 deputies in the long run, which he said likely would cost around $3 million. He said he thinks the pretrial release program could make up those costs.

That will give us the ability to do advanced traffic enforcement, just like the Omaha Police Department does, he said.

Gonzalez said he thinks an increased force could help emphasize community policing. He also noted that some of the smaller police departments in the county, such as the Valley department, often rely on deputies when they are short-staffed.

Were going to not de-emphasize patrolling because we cant, because the crimes are up, Gonzalez said.

Both candidates said they support increasing salaries and expanding employment benefits for deputies.

Hanson said while he values the countys dispatchers, he said he doesnt think they should be making more than some deputies. He also said deputies need disability leave and better retirement options.

We have got to honor our front-line deputies, sergeants, lieutenants, Hanson said. And I know by the numbers that your wage scale is too low."

Gonzalez agreed that wages need to be increased. He said he would be open to other changes to make the contract more attractive to deputies.

There are different positions within the county that may get paid more than a sergeant in this department, Gonzalez said. Thats troublesome to me, knowing that were law enforcement, we need to pay fair market valuation.
A wildfire near Gering, Nebraska, is about 85% contained, and firefighting operations are expected to be turned back over to local authorities Thursday.

The Carter Canyon Fire that began with several lightning strikes Saturday evening has destroyed an estimated 15,630 acres, Ben Bohall of the Nebraska Forest Service said Wednesday. Three homes were destroyed and seven more were damaged, but no lives have been lost, he said.

Bohall said a request has been made to survey the area with aircraft. That survey was expected to occur Wednesday afternoon.

Were hoping to have aircraft up to give us a good picture, Bohall said. Barring anything unexpected happening, the plan is to transfer the command back to the Gering (Volunteer) Fire Department on Thursday.

Thunderstorms moving through the area produced some rain Tuesday night, but only a minimal amount, Bohall said. Two lightning strikes from the storm did cause new fires to ignite, but they were quickly extinguished.

The first strike hit near Robidoux Road, Bohall said. That burned up about 3 acres, but an air tanker put it out right away.

Another lightning strike about 7 miles south of Carter Canyon in Banner County caused a fire that burned over 5 acres, he said. It was also put out with the aid of aircraft.

Utility crews with the Roosevelt Public Power District have restored power to all residences throughout the area. Crews are still working to repair damaged infrastructure such as downed power lines and utility poles, Bohall said.

Landowners impacted by the fires should contact the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service and Farm Services Agency for information about assistance programs. Assistance is available to help with fences, water structures, grazing lands and other issues, he said.

Bohall said the publics donations of food, water and other resources were essential to keeping up to 200 firefighters from 35 fire departments working. He said donations can still be made through the Firefighter Ministry of Scottsbluff, Nebraska.

The success that weve had can be attributed directly to the public support, he said. Everything they did was essential to keeping the firefighters on the fire line.
Ukrainian president, NATO secretary-general discuss aid for Kiev

Xinhua) 09:01, August 03, 2022

KIEV, Aug. 2 (Xinhua) -- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday held a phone conversation with Secretary-General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Jens Stoltenberg to discuss assistance for Kiev, the presidential press service reported.

At the talks, Zelensky informed Stoltenberg about the situation on the frontline in Ukraine and emphasized the importance for Kiev to get non-lethal military aid from NATO agreed upon during the alliance's 2022 Madrid summit.

Besides, Zelensky said that Ukraine is seeking to receive more heavy weapons from NATO member states.

The parties also discussed the resumption of grain exports from Ukraine via the Black Sea ports and the prospects of NATO's assistance in humanitarian demining in Ukraine.

At the NATO summit in the Spanish capital on June 29-30, the members of the alliance agreed to provide support for Ukraine in multiple areas, including secure communications, cyber defenses and resilience, fuel, and medical supplies.

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun)
Photo: The Canadian Press Author Stephen King autographs a book as he departs federal court after testifying for the Department of Justice as it bids to block the proposed merger of two of the world's biggest publishers, Penguin Random House and Simon & Schuster, Tuesday, Aug. 2, 2022, in Washington. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

Stephen King didn't break any legal ground on the stand Tuesday as he testified against his own publisher's efforts to merge with Penguin Random House. But he did know how to please a crowd and even get the judge to thank him for his time.

It was a real pleasure to hear your testimony," the otherwise businesslike U.S. District Judge Florence J. Pan told the author after he finished speaking as a government witness in a federal antitrust lawsuit against the merger of Penguin Random House and Simon & Schuster, King's longtime publisher.

The 74-year-old King had a haunting but gregarious presence, his gaunt features accented by his gray suit and gray sneakers, his walk tentative, as it has been since he was struck by a van and badly injured in 1999. But once sworn in, he was relaxed and happy to talk, and ever alert to how to tell a story,

My name is Stephen King. Im a freelance writer, King said upon being asked to identify himself. The Justice Department is bidding to convince Pan that the proposed combination of Penguin Random House and Simon & Schuster, two of the world's biggest publishers, would thwart competition and damage the careers of some of the most popular authors  a status King holds like few others.

King's remarkable career, with so many bestsellers he could only offer an estimate, has come amid waves of consolidation in the industry. As he noted in his remarks, there were dozens of publishers in New York when his breakthrough novel, Carrie," came out, in 1974, and he has seen many of them either acquired by larger companies or forced out of business.

Now, New York publishing is often a story of the so-called Big Five: Penguin Random House, Simon & Schuster, HarperCollins Publishing, Hachette Book Group and Macmillan. The publisher of Carrie," Doubleday, is now part of Penguin Random House. So is another former King publisher, Viking Press.

Over the first two days, attorneys for the two sides have presented notably contrasting views of the book industry. The Justice Department sees an increasingly limited market for bestsellers, with the Big Five well in command. Penguin Random House's side sees book publishing as dynamic and open to many, with the proposed merger having limited impact.

King's appearance in U.S. District Court in Washington  highly unusual for an antitrust trial  brought a narrative of the evolution of book publishing toward the dominance of the Big Five companies. As government attorney Mel Schwarz walked King through his history starting as a new, unknown author in the 1970s and his relationships with agents and publishers, King homed in on a critique of the industry as it is now.

King crisply answered Schwarz's questions, with some moments of humor and brief flashes of gentle outrage, as he testified during the second day of the trial expected to last two to three weeks.

The Big Five are pretty entrenched," he said.

Under questioning later in the day, Simon & Schuster CEO Jonathan Karp detailed a world of fiercely competitive bidding among publishers  including between his firm and Penguin Random House  for authors works, sometimes besting each other by millions of dollars for high-profile writers.

With his possible future boss, Penguin Random House Markus Dohle, among those looking on in the courtroom, Karp rejected the Big Five moniker, calling it parochial and ethnocentric.

I think there are a lot of good publishers all over the country. Its not all about us, Karp said.

As an example, he said the nearly 100-year-old Simon & Schuster has endured more aggressive competition recently from Amazons book publishing business.

But Justice Department attorney Jeff Vernon brought forward a message Karp had sent to John Irving, his favorite author, saying he didnt think the government would allow Simon & Schuster and Penguin Random House to merge. Thats assuming we still have a Department of Justice, Karp wrote in the message.

At one point, the judge appeared to support a core government argument  that greater concentration in the industry could reduce the compensation paid to authors. Through two days of testimony, Pan said, theres a sense that competition raises the amounts of advances and less competition lowers them.

King's displeasure about the proposed merger led him to voluntarily testify for the government.

I came because I think that consolidation is bad for competition," King said. The way the industry has evolved, he said, it becomes tougher and tougher for writers to find money to live on.

King expressed skepticism toward the two publishers commitment to continue to bid for books separately and competitively after a merger.

You might as well say you're going to have a husband and wife bidding against each other for the same house," he quipped. It would be sort of very gentlemanly and sort of, After you and After you,'" he said, gesturing with a polite sweep of the arm.

King's was entertaining and informative, although he had little specific to say over how the merger might harm bestselling authors, with the government's case focusing on those receiving advances of $250,000 or more. Attorney Daniel Petrocelli, representing the publishers, told King he had no questions for him and demurred on a cross-examination, saying instead he hoped they could have coffee together some time.

King has long been a public favorite, and spoke warmly Tuesday of living the dream," paying all the bills while working at something he loves. But the author of The Stand, The Shining" and many others wonders who else might have the chances he did. He was not chosen by the government just for his fame, but for his public criticism of the $2.2 billion deal announced in late 2021, potentially forming what rival CEO Michael Pietsch of Hachette Book Group has called a gigantically prominent" entity.

The more the publishers consolidate, the harder it is for indie publishers to survive," King tweeted last year.

King's affinity for smaller publishers is personal. Even while continuing to publish with the Simon & Schuster imprint Scribner, he has written thrillers for the independent Hard Case Crime. Years ago, the publisher asked him to contribute a blurb, but King instead offered to write a novel for them, The Colorado Kid," released in 2005. He has also written fiction for other small companies, saying some of his work doesn't have the kind of commercial power the Big Five might expect.

King himself would likely benefit from the Penguin Random House-Simon & Schuster deal, but he has a history of favoring other priorities beyond his material well-being. He has long been a critic of tax cuts for the rich, even as the rich" surely includes Stephen King, and has openly called for the government to raise his taxes.

In America, we should all have to pay our fair share," he wrote for The Daily Beast in 2012.
Cahokia Heights will receive nearly $10 million immediately from the state government to help fix the failed sewer system in the city, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced Wednesday.

In making the announcement, Pritzker said the people of Cahokia Heights have lived too long with sewer system problems that have flooded neighborhoods during heavy rains.

He said the grant "will upgrade the existing wastewater collection system and prevent the sewage flooding that has become notorious for area residents."

Pritzker said no community should have to live without a "functional waste infrastructure. "

"This $10 million grant is another step toward justice for Cahokia Heights families and residents," Pritzker said.

The state's $46 billion budget for the fiscal year that began July 1 includes over $20 million for water and sewer infrastructure improvements for Cahokia Heights.

For years, residents in at least 54 homes in the 4.29 square-mile area of the former north Centreville community have struggled with flash flooding and raw sewage in yards and homes that does not drain away. The community is now part of the new city of Cahokia Heights, formed last year by the merger of Centreville, Cahokia and Alorton.

Many have complained that the local, state and federal governments have failed to provide relief, even though the problems have been around for decades. The failed infrastructure and long-time neglect by government agencies have made it almost impossible to live there, they said.

Mayor Curtis McCall Sr. has pledged to residents of the state's newest city that fixing the infrastructure issues that have led to the flooding and questions about the drinking water is his top priority.

In June, he said the city is about to make more progress with new state and federal funding on its way.

"We have identified over $35 million to address our water and sewer problem, something that has plagued this community for over 70 years," McCall said. "I've lived in this community all my life. I'm 60 years old, and this problem has plagued this community since I've been alive." "We're finally about to address this problem for these cities. It takes a team approach. It takes local government, it takes county government, state government and federal government."

The flooding and sewer problem has spurred two lawsuits filed on behalf of residents against local governments and a public utility, along with visits by Pritzker, U.S. Sens. Tammy Duckworth and Dick Durbin. McCall is listed as a defendant on one of the lawsuits.

In their remarks at Wednesday's press conference in Cahokia Heights, Pritzker and McCall acknowledged the efforts by Duckworth, state Sen. Christopher Belt, state Rep. LaToya Greenwood and state Rep. Jay Hoffman to get state and federal money for infrastructure in Cahokia Heights.
There is uneasy calm at Vodafone Ghana following the announcement by the Group to offload its 70 per cent stake to Telecel Group.



There are fears among a cross-section of workers of the company about potential job losses when the deal is finally consummated and a new shareholder takes over the business.



When Vodafone Group first took over from Ghana Telecom, there were assurances from the government to protect workers of the company but that was not to be as hundreds were laid off albeit with juicy severance packages.



Graphic Business has gathered that although it is early days yet, the fears of the workers who spoke with the paper on grounds of anonymity linger as they await official communications from the government or their employer on the way forward.



Since the announcement broke last Friday, the company has refused to comment on the matter.



The development has also been dwarfed by the SIM re-registration saga which took center-stage over the weekend amid fears that the deadline was going to be upheld and those who had not registered were going to lose their numbers.



Attempts to reach government sources for comment have also failed as they maintain a tight-lip over the matter.



Under normal circumstances, the Vodafone Group is obliged under the agreement that offloaded the biggest share of the company to give the government the first right of refusal before going public.



The Graphic Business has information that although the move was known to the government, it has not officially communicated its position to Vodafone Group on its next line of action.



Vodafone losing subscribers



The company has been losing ground to its competitors as far as its subscriber base is concerned since the beginning of the year.



For instance, the companys mobile voice subscribers decreased from 7.7 million as at the end of March this year to 7.5 million in April, representing a percentage decrease of 2.44 per cent.



Although it maintained it position as the second biggest telcos in the country with 18.26 per cent of the market as at the end of April, there are signs that the company is facing some serious financial challenges.



For instance, there are reports that the budget of Vodafone Foundation, the CSR wing of the company has been drastically slashed.



No investment



Graphic Business has also gathered that the Group has refused to inject funds into the operations of the company because the minority shareholder, the government of Ghana with 30 per cent, has also since the takeover, not invested any monies into the business.







The announcement

Vodafone Plc agreed a sale of its operations in Ghana to Telecel Group, as the British telecommunications giant looks to refocus on key markets according to a Bloomberg report.



The London-listed company will sell its majority stake in Vodafone Ghana to Africa-focused Telecel, subject to certain conditions, a spokesperson for Vodafone said in an emailed statement.



Vodafone entered Ghana in 2008 when it paid US$900 million for 70 per cent of Ghana Telecommunications Co. The government retains a 30 per cent holding in the business.



Telecel, the report said, plans to help fund the acquisition by later offloading the Ghana businesss mobile towers, according to people familiar with the matter, who asked not to be identified discussing confidential information.



A representative for Telecel confirmed the talks with Vodafone, but declined to comment further according to Bloomberg.



Nick Read, Vodafones Chief Executive Officer, is reported to be focusing the group on Europe and Africa as he streamlines a sprawling operation that once extended from its Newbury, England headquarters all the way to New Zealand.

Source: graphic.com.gh









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The Government has successfully renegotiated Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) with six Independent Power Producers (IPPs) in the country, the Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, has announced.



The IPPs are Karpower, Cenpower, Early Power, Twin City Energy (formerly Amandi), AKSA Energy and Cenit.



In what has been described by analysts as a positive step towards saving the country some funds for other developments, he said the action was expected to save the country about $13.2 billion over the life span of the PPAs.



Presenting the 2022 Mid-year Budget Review to Parliament, Mr Ofori-Atta said for balanced, sustainable energy partnerships that provide affordable power for industrial, commercial and residential use we have kept our promise and successfully negotiated PPAs with six IPPs.



These renegotiated agreements are expected to have savings estimated at $13.2 billion over the life of the PPAs through a combination of reduced capacity and energy charges, he stated.



The Finance Minister also noted that the raft of sanctions imposed on Russia were tightening supply conditions for energy products.



In response, he said the government was closely monitoring the stock of products at all depots.



He said the timely intervention of the Bank of Ghana through the Special Forex Auction mechanism was also expected to sustain continuous supply of petroleum products in the country.



Railway infrastructure



Mr Ofori-Atta also noted that the government would continue to make significant investments toward the development of a modern railway network.



We believe in this because we know that creating an alternative means of transport, especially for goods, will ease the pressures on our roads and future impacts of global crude price hikes on farm produce, for example, he stated.



He said the government was within target to complete the construction of the new Tema to Mpakadan Railway line by the end of this year.



The project is currently about 92 per cent complete. The operationalization of the project is expected to enhance efficiency at the Tema Port and provide the shortest transportation route between the southern and northern parts of Ghana, he said.



Strategic Anchor Industries



The Finance Minister pointed out that despite global supply chain disruptions, the Ghana Automotive Development Programme under the Strategic Anchor Industries Initiative continued to attract investments.



In April 2022, Nissan commissioned the largest automotive assembly plant in Ghana (in Tema), with the capacity to assemble over 31,000 vehicles per annum.



The expected commissioning of four additional plants this year, bringing the total to nine global brands, will make this nation a true hub for automobiles in the sub-region, he noted.

Source: graphic.com.gh









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Nigerias government says it has banned the importation of Sim cards used in mobile phones.



Communications Minister Isa Pantami said at an industry conference on Monday that the cards are now produced in Nigeria.



He added that the ban was part of the governments efforts to promote local manufacturing following the launch in June of a Sim card factory in Lagos.



He explained that Nigeria, as the most populous nation in Africa, should not be importing goods that could be made domestically, adding that the government wanted Nigerias technology sector to be 80% self-reliant by 2025.



Observers say having locally made Sim cards might reduce costs, but with only one manufacturer over-pricing could be a problem.

Source: BBC









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The Minerals Income Investment Fund (MIIF) in line with its mineral investment diversification strategy is positioning to invest in the industrial salt sector.



According to the Chief Executive Officer of MIIF, Mr Edward Nana Yaw Koranteng, salt is set to become one of Ghanas major foreign exchange earners by 2026 and a top industrial earner by 2030 if the resuscitation plan of the Ada Songhor Salt project follows through as planned.



This follows the plan of the Minerals Income Investment Fund (MIIF) to strategically focus on the sector. The plan to boost salt production and the development of its allied value chain should yield about $2billion to the Ghanaian economy beginning 2027, with the potential to create more than 10,000 direct and indirect jobs in the next five years from just the Songhor Salt pans alone Edward Nana Yaw Koranteng said after a one day working visit to the Ada.



Classification of Salt as High Priority Mineral by MIIF



The Chief Executive Officer of MIIF, Edward Nana Yaw Koranteng is optimistic that the planned focus on the mineral will generate new economy vibrancy for the areas known for salt production such as Ada, Sege, Keta, Ningo and Winneba. Mr Koranteng intimated that, MIIF is developing a classification strategy for high priority minerals such as lithium, limestone, granite, diamond and salt.



Classifying Salt as a high priority mineral means we will invest in the mineral value chain development, we will de-risk its funding methods and help with the acquisition of relevant technology that revitalises the industry.



Mr Koranteng said, Ghana and Senegal are the only countries in West Africa with the potential for large-scale industrial production of salt. He decried the fact that Nigeria with a demand in excess of 1.5 million metric tons (MT) per annum, imports 80% of its industrial salt needs from Brazil while the Songhor salt pans alone has the capacity to produce over one million tons at just 60% capacity.



The Global Salt Market



Salt has at least 14,000 uses with the chemical industry most reliant on the mineral to produce various chemicals. It is frequently used as a raw material in the production of chlorine, caustic soda, and soda ash. Aside from these, industrial salt is used to make sodium sulphate, sodium carbonate, hydrochloric acid, sodium bicarbonate, liquid sodium, metallic sodium, chlorine, and sodium nitrate. Salt is also used for detergents, de-icing, textiles, fertilizers and is used heavily in oil and gas processing.



The worldwide market for salt was valued at circa $28.5 Billion in 2020 with 270 million metric tons (MT) of salt produced that year. The market is projected to grow to $36 Billion in 2026 with China controlling 22.48% of the worlds production. Africas leading salt producing countries are Egypt, Tunisia, Namibia, Morocco and South Africa. Egypt produced 1.75 million MT of salt while Tunisia produced 1.6 million MT of salt. The total amount of salt produced in Ghana has remained relatively flat since 2013 at about 250,000 MT.



The Ada Songhor Salt Resuscitation Project



The Ada Songhor Pans, a 41,000-acre salt project is currently being resuscitated by Electrochem, a fully owned Ghanaian company. The Ada Songhor Project in terms of acreage is the largest in Africa. It has been lying dormant as an industrial salt producing area since 1982 but has the potential to produce more than 1.75 million MT and to be the largest salt producing area in Africa.



The resuscitation project by Electrochem which started in late 2016 with initial production starting in early 2021 has led to the full restoration of the Songhor lagoon which had dried out for eight years.



The resuscitation project which includes construction of evaporating and crystallisation ponds, extensive civil works, restoration of the lagoon, desilting and development of new pans has seen an initial investment of $58 Million dollars through a combination of debt and equity from a local bank and Electrochem. The current state has created employment for 2,800 people directly and indirectly, Electrochem has developed a community salt mining scheme for the local community with Electrochem itself as the offtaker. Although current production is just about 12% capacity now, the redevelopment has garnered interest from the sub-region region and led to the first ever sea export of salt from Ghana through the Tema ports.



The MIIF Initiative with Ada Songhor Salt



MIIF intends to partner and support the full restoration of the Ada Salt project to its full capacity with an equity investment. The place was completely dead. The lagoon had dried up, the ponds were heavily silted and the project previously looked like a high risk or a death knell for any investor to engage especially with factions among the chiefs and people of the various communities. It was considered in financial circles as a poisoned chalice for anybody to take on, Edward Nana Yaw Koranteng said of the state of the project before the new investors arrived.



Electrochem seem to have succeeded in reducing the daunting task into manageable pieces. Its chairman, Daniel McKorley told the MIIF team; We realised the problem of factionalism the moment we conceived the project. We worked on uniting the community and seeking their support and that of the chiefs for more than two years before moving to site. We needed to get it right with the community. Among other things, we created a beneficial financial scheme especially for the women and assured the leaders that there would be several hundreds of jobs for the youth in the area over the sixteen-year lease. It was when we started the process of trying to prepare the ponds for production through desilting that we realised we had taken on an unbelievably huge project. We are creating a wealthy ecosystem that feeds the community first and then business. Remember, Salt production is primarily from the sea and as long as the sea never dries, the community and the business will both progress, Daniel McKorley said.



For us at MIIF, the fact that this project is wholly owned by Ghanaians and could integrate several parts of our development agenda such as the 1D1F where salt is used in virtually every industry excites us greatly. The focus for MIIF is to create value and derive even greater value to the community and to Ghana as a whole. We do this by building local participation into our mining model at the ownership level as well as developing the value chain to the benefit of Ghanaians. The Africa Continental Free Trade Area provides immense possibilities not only to Songhor but to a well-developed salt mining sector in Ghana. The Songhor salt project and the sponsors, Electrochem, tick the boxes for long term viability, environmental, social and governance, export potential, high salt density, infrastructure plans and the fact that all the engineers on site are Ghanaians. The corporate management suite is all Ghanaian and the project is supported by one of the best salt design and project managers in the world, Serra of Spain which is also responsible for the technical construction. This nexus of global experience and Ghanaian knowledge is what will make this project thrive and we believe with MIIFs proposed investment, Ghana should be Africas largest salt producer by 2027, said Edward Nana Yaw Koranteng.



Mr Koranteng further emphasised that, in line with ongoing discussions with the Ghana Stock Exchange, there is a plan of development to list most of MIIFs investments on the Stock Exchange. This has been included in the proposed Electrochem investment plan. This would allow a greater number of Ghanaians to own a part of the company. Mr Koranteng concluded.



The Electrochem concession spreads through several communities including Sege, Ada Foah and Big Ada.



About the Minerals Income Investment Fund (MIIF)



MIIF is a sovereign minerals fund mandated by the Minerals Income Investment Fund Act 2018, (Act 978) as amended, to maximise the value of dividend and royalties income accruing to the Republic of Ghana in a beneficial, accountable and sustainable manner and to monetize Ghanas mineral wealth in a manner which would bring long term value to Ghana.



MIIF also has 100% ownership of Agyapa Royalties Company, the only state-owned gold royalties company in Africa. MIIF has plans to list Agyapa on the London Stock Exchange and the Ghana Stock Exchange. MIIF has invested in the Toronto, Frankfurt and now Ghana listed Asante Gold Corporation which has just opened the lucrative Bibiani gold mine and is on the verge of acquiring the Kinross Chirano gold mine in Ghana. The acquisition will create one of the largest gold mining companies in West Africa. MIIF is also planning to invest in lithium and other upcoming gold projects.









Source: Peacefmonline.com









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The Eastern Regional Education Service Directorate has honored Nana Adepa Yeboah Amponsah I, Kyedomhene of Akyem Tafo for her selfless support to the Ghana Education Service, especially for the school children in her enclave.



Nana Adepa, some years ago, donated a fully furnished ultramodern KG complex to aid the best upbringing of children in her area.



Notwithstanding that, she has also provided a lot support to teachers and children including schorlaship for needy but brilliant children.



Nana Adepa Amponsah Yeboah I, Kyedom hene of Akyem Tafo's effort and contribution towards quality standard academic environment was highly recognized and appreciated by the Directorate as the impact has been great.



She was honoured amongst 21 other awardees both teaching and non-teaching staff drawn from various performing school's during the maiden Eastern Regional Excellence Awards organized by the Ghana Education Service.



In her appreciative speech, Nana Adepa Amponsah Yeboah hinted that better upbringing of the next generation should be a shared and collective responsibility and not solely government's alone.



She expressed her appreciation for the recognition by GES and called on other well-doing Ghanaians to stretch their hands and support good course.



Guest speaker for the awards ceremony in Koforidua who is the Registrar of Ghana Scholarships Secretariat, Dr. Kingsley Agyemang, on his part, commended the hardworking teachers for their outstanding contributions towards quality education.



He highlighted government's policies and reforms aimed at improving best education delivery in the country as steps in the right direction which need a collective effort from both teachers and students to make it a success.



He lauded the Regional Directorate for the motivation and urged all to take advantage of the opportunity.



He also commended the Kyidomhene of Akyem Tafo, Nana Adepa Amponsah Yeboah 1, for her immense contribution to education in her area.









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A 2017 survey has established that some sachet water products sold in Ghana are contaminated with faecal matter, raising questions about the regulation of the product in Ghana. Interestingly, data gathered from the 2021 Populations and Housing Census (PHC) has established that Ghanaians are increasingly depending on sachet water as their main source of drinking water.



Per data from the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS), the sachet water national consumption average in Ghana has ballooned from about seven million (31.7% ) in 2010 to over eleven million in 2021, representing 37.4% in 2021.



The GSS reports that as high as 71% of the population of Greater Accra was depending on sachet water. The Greater Accra, Western, Central, Eastern and Ashanti regions have surpassed the national average of sachet water usage, which is 37.4%, as the other regions inch closer to the abovementioned regions.



These startling revelations were made known by Dr. Peter Takyi Preprah, Director for Field Operations of the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS), during a presentation on the 2021 Population and Housing Census (PHC) Data on Basic Sanitation in Ghana.



Organised by the Ministry of Sanitation and Greater Kumasi Metropolitan Area Sanitation and Water Project (GKMA-SWP), in collaboration with the Ashanti Regional Coordinating Council and the Resources Centre Network (RCN), it aims to deepen the understanding of the most recent data on Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) in Ghana from 2021 PHC to facilitate sector learning.



From [a] 2017 survey, a reasonable percentage of even sachet water has E coli, thus faecal contamination. It is scary so lets read the books and see how best we can put all of them together and find solution to them.



During his presentation, Dr. Takyi Preprah, stated that even though the North-East Region was the least on regional pairings, the situation could change ten years later, as they would also be drinking more sachet water.



Are we just sitting there and enjoying it or we are collaborating with the Food and Drugs Authority to monitor those producing this type of water for us to drink to ensure that they follow the right standards and methods so that we embark on water quality testing. Maybe every three months or six months to ensure that the water is free from E-coli, he said.



Now that majority of us are patronizing sachet water, what can we do, health-wise, so that we do not get sick, because sometimes when they produce it and it runs under the sun for some time, you pick it; you shake it, and you see some particles in it, he added.



The Director of Field Operations at the GSS said at the event that: If you look at urban and rural disparity, those in the urban areas are enjoying sachet water most, so if there is any outbreak, it will affect urban dwellers than those in the rural areas, a trend, he opined, was reminding Ghanaians to pay attention to these kinds water.



Touching on basic water statistics, Dr. Preprah disclosed that it was high for Greater Accra, recording 97%, and 94.5% for the Ashanti Region, with the Savanah and North-east being the highest regions relying on unimproved source of water, which he termed as Reds.



On the state of quality water in Ghana, the GSS official said: Ten out of 261 districts are with worse situation when it comes to unimproved drinking water sources, and Savanah Region, North-East Gonja having about 96.7% of the people relying on unimproved water source.



In a presentation by Ing Fiifi Boadi, Senior Public Health Engineer at the GSS, he explained that, open defecation was on a decline in Ghana, except some four regions that were unable to reduce the menace.



According to Ing Boadi, in 2010, Oti recorded less than 40% on open defecation, but in 2021, it had yielded above 41%, calling for the need to pay some attention to the region.



On Bono East, he disclosed that it recorded 33%-36% in open defecation, a development he labeled as descriptive and which calls for attention as to why the region was retrogressing and not progressing. He said: Bono Region had 10%-11% , with Ahafo recording 7%.



These areas, according to Fiifi, said to be the Bono Ahafo and Oti regions, which had been delineated from the Volta Region.



He asked: What is happening in these areas, which are middle belt? As a sector player, most of our projects are in the southern or middle belt. We are neglecting our middle belt, and it is about time we pay attention, so that once the middle belt becomes a serious catastrophe, migrating into both north and south is very plausible.

Source: thechronicle.com.gh/









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The Parliamentary Select Committee on Education has promised to make a strong case for the removal of import duties on raw materials for the local printing industry.



It is the conviction of the committee that the removal of the duties will help boost the printing industry to enable it to compete with foreign printers.



The Chairman of the committee, Kwabena Amankwah Asiamah, gave the pledge during a visit by the members of the committee to G-PAK Limited, a subsidiary of the Graphic Communications Group Limited (GCGL), yesterday to apprise themselves of the progress of work on the printing of textbooks for primary schools.



He was responding to an appeal by the Managing Director of the GCGL, who is also the Board Chairman of G-PAK Limited, Ato Afful, to Parliament to consider the removal of import duties on printing materials to boost the activities of local printers, since the duties resulted in increased production cost.



G-PAK Limited is a leading printing and packaging company which has been in the business for the past 49 years.



Mr Asiamah, who is also the Member of Parliament (MP) for Fanteakwa North in the Eastern Region, said taxes on raw materials such as paper and ink increased the production cost of companies engaged in the printing of textbooks and newspaper production and so it was time the situation was critically examined to make the local printing industry competitive.



First time



He noted that it was the first time the need for taxes to be removed from imported raw materials for the local printing industry had been raised with the committee.



Consequently, he said, the committee would include it in its report and table it before Parliament when the House reconvened for consideration.



Satisfaction



Mr Asiamah expressed satisfaction with the work done so far by G-PAK and hoped that the company would meet the timelines for the printing of the textbooks.



Benefits



Welcoming the committee members, Mr Afful said the zero tax rating on finished printed products into the country, compared to duties on imported raw materials, made it difficult for the indigenous printing industry to remain competitive and break even.



He said some time ago, the GCGL took up the issue with the Commissioner-General of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) but the commissioner indicated that it did not fall within the mandate of the GRA and that it was Parliament that could consider the matter.



While expressing gratitude to the committee for the visit, Mr Afful was of the conviction that the conversation on taxes on imported raw materials would be taken further up for consideration.



He said when that was done, it would boost the local printing industry, generate more jobs and contribute significantly to the general economy.



The Ranking Member on the committee and MP for Akatsi North, Peter Nortsu-Kotoe, commended G-PAK for the work done so far and expressed the hope that by the beginning of the next academic year in September this year, primary school pupils would have access to the textbooks to enhance teaching and learning in schools.



The Vice-Chairman of the committee and MP for Kwesimintsim, Dr Prince Hamidu Armah, said the issue of taxation on raw materials raised was legitimate and needed to be looked at, since it made the cost of production expensive, which also had an impact on the prices of textbooks.



Presentation



Earlier in a presentation, the acting General Manager of G-PAK, Kingsley Mate-Kole, had told the committee that the company had the capacity to take up any printing job.



He said G-PAK was contracted by Afram Publications and Kabkork Publications to print English and Science textbooks for pupils from primary four to six, adding that so far the company had delivered all the 272,300 textbooks it was contracted by Kabkork to print.



With regard to the Afram Publications contract, which involved 808,282 copies of textbooks, he said G-PAK had delivered 245,000 textbooks, with 172,371 ready to be picked up, adding that the company would meet the August 27, 2022 deadline for the contract.



Appointed Time



The committee members also visited the Appointed Time Printing Company, where they expressed satisfaction with the quality of books being printed for primary schools.



Appointed Time is mandated to print science textbooks for primary one to six for two local publishers, Prof. Quarm Publications and NNF Esquire Limited, with 600,000 of the books having already been completed and distributed to schools.

Source: graphic.com.gh









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The President has in accordance with article 78 of the 1992 constitution appointed the deputy Minister for Gender Children and Social Protection, Hon. Lariba Zuweira Abudu, Member of Parliament for Walewale as Minister-designate for Gender, Children and Social Protection.



Her appointment is however subject to the approval of parliament.



In a statement signed by the Director of Communications at the Presidency, Eugene Arhin, he noted that Hon. Francisca Oteng Mensah, Member of Parliament for Kwabre East has also been appointed as deputy Minister-designate for Gender, Children and Social Protection.



He noted that the president is hopeful that parliament will expedite the approval of his nominees for the ministry so that they can assist in the effective delivery for his second term in office.



Former Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, and Member of Parliament for Dome Kwabenya, Sarah Adwoa Safo was sacked from her role by President Nana Akufo-Addo.



The decision by the President came at a time when Parliament was debating her continuous stay in the House after absenting herself for more than 15 sitting days without approval from the Speaker of Parliament.

Source: Peacefmonline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Photo: The Canadian Press The cargo ship Razoni sails after being inspected by Russian, Ukrainian, Turkish and U.N. officials at the entrance of the Bosphorus Strait in Istanbul.

The first grain ship to leave Ukraine and cross the Black Sea under a wartime deal passed inspection Wednesday in Istanbul and headed on to Lebanon. Ukraine said 17 other vessels were loaded and waiting permission to leave, but there was no word yet on when they could depart.

A joint civilian inspection team spent three hours checking the cargo and crew of the Sierra Leone-flagged ship Razoni, which left Odesa on Monday carrying Ukrainian corn, a U.N. statement said.

The Joint Coordination Center team included officials from Ukraine, Russia, Turkey and the United Nations, who signed deals last month to create safe Black Sea shipping corridors to export Ukraine's desperately needed agricultural products as Russia's war upon its neighbor grinds on.

Ukraine is a major global grain supplier but the war had blocked most exports, so the July 22 deal aimed to ease food security around the globe. World food prices have been soaring in a crisis blamed on the war, supply chain problems and COVID-19. Mistrust between Kyiv and Moscow has kept a cloud over the deal, which lasts for 120 days but can be renewed.

Although U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken called Razoni's journey a significant step, no other ships have left from Ukraine in the past 48 hours and officials on all sides have given no explanations for that delay.

A U.N. statement said three Ukrainian ports are due to resume exports of millions of tons of wheat, corn and other crops. It said inspectors gained valuable information from the Razoni's crew about its voyage through the Black Sea maritime humanitarian corridor.

The Joint Coordination Center is fine tuning procedures and processes, it said.

Pictures tweeted by the Turkish Ministry of National Defense showed an inspector reaching into the Razoni's open hold and touching the grain. The Razonis horn rang out as the inspectors left the ship. The Razoni, carrying 26,527 tons of corn for chicken feed, then headed to Lebanon.

The checks seek to make sure that outbound cargo ships carry only grain, fertilizer or related food items and not any other commodities, and that inbound ships are not carrying weapons.

An estimated 20 million tons of grain  most of it said to be destined for livestock  has been stuck in Ukraine since the start of the 6-month-old war. The U.N.-brokered agreement provided for the establishment of safe corridors through the mined waters outside Ukraines ports.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says the resumption of grain exports will reduce Russia's ability to extract concessions from the West. They are losing one of the opportunities to terrorize the world, he said in his nightly video address late Tuesday.

Russia's war against Ukraine has also disrupted energy supplies in western Europe, with Moscow drastically cutting how much it sends amid fears it could stop sending any at all.

Meanwhile, the U.N. nuclear chief warned that Europes largest nuclear power plant in Ukraine is completely out of control and urgent steps are needed to avoid a nuclear accident. He issued an urgent plea to Russia and Ukraine to quickly allow experts to visit the sprawling complex.

Rafael Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, said in an interview Tuesday with The Associated Press that the situation is getting more perilous every day at the Zaporizhzhia plant in the southeastern Ukrainian city of Enerhodar, which Russian troops seized in early March.

Every principle of nuclear safety has been violated at the plant, he said. What is at stake is extremely serious and extremely grave and dangerous.

Meanwhile, Russian forces kept up their bombardment of the southern Ukrainian city of Mykolaiv, hitting it with shells twice over the past 24 hours  around 9 p.m. on Tuesday and 5 a.m. on Wednesday, Mykolaiv regional governor Vitaliy Kim reported.

The shelling damaged a pier, an industrial enterprise, residential buildings, a garage cooperative, a supermarket and a pharmacy, Kim said.

Mykolaiv is a southern port city on the Black Sea. The Russians said in April they wanted control over not just eastern, but southern Ukraine, cutting off the country from its Black Sea coast and creating a possible land corridor to the breakaway Moldovan region of Transnistria.

The mayor of Mykolaiv, Oleksandr Sienkevych, told The Associated Press that 131 civilians, including a child, have died so far in the city from Russian rocket and artillery shelling and another 590 others were seriously injured, including seven children.

In eastern Ukraine, Russian shelling killed at least four civilians in Donetsk province in 24 hours, Ukraines presidential office said Wednesday. Amid the relentless onslaught by Moscows forces, Zelenskyy issued an order to all those remaining in the embattled province to evacuate as soon as possible.
Some members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) have appealed to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to do a ministerial reshuffle to help inject what they describe as fresh energy into the administration.



In late June 2022, speculation was rife that the President was going to do a reshuffle on his return from the 15th Edition of the European Development Days (EDD) Forum in Brussels, Belgium and the 26th Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Kigali, Rwanda, but that did not happen.



On Monday (August 1, 2022), a pressure group within the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), the Alliance For Footsoldiers Advocacy (AFFA), in a press statement appealed to President Akufo-Addo to reshuffle his ministers as a matter of urgency.



According to the group, the appeal was a passionate one to President Akufo-Addo to shake up his government and reshuffle his appointees (particularly non-performing Ministers, Deputy Ministers, Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives as well as some CEOs of some state institutions) to pave way for more competent and selfless hands to bring their expertise to bear on his administration.



The group, in a statement signed by the Executive Secretary, D.T. Adomako, said the ministers of state who have almost abandoned their ministerial duties to chase presidential dreams must either be forced to resign or be fired from the government.



The group said the ministers have been tolerated for far too long, and their continuous stay in office was distracting government business, adding that it was time to show them the exit, and give opportunity to those who are ready and prepared to serve in the interest of the party and the government.



Inarguably, the NPP is known to have the men and women, and rightly so! It cannot be the case that we have suddenly run out of human resources such that we are compelled to maintain the same old crop of appointees for six years. Ghanaians expect much from us and we cannot fail them. Mr. President, there is an urgent need for a shakeup in your government, the group said.



The group, however, urged the President to listen to them and act immediately to make his government vibrant and proactive for ordinary Ghanaians to have confidence in the NPP administration.

Source: graphic.com.gh









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Kidnappers of prominent Nollywood actors and members of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), Cynthia Okereke and Clemson Cornel, have made contact with the families of the stars demanding a total of $100,000 to release them.



This contact according to the Guild was via 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 in Nigeria.



Both actors are renowned for starring in movies shot in Enugu and Delta States.



On Saturday, the AGN national president, Emeka Rollas, told a source that 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.



He continued; 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.



Mr Rollas added, the kidnappers cleared the monies in Cynthia Okerekes account this morning.



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 press statement.



Ms Chinda said their kidnap had increased fear amongst members about the safety of actors filming in the country.

Source: thechronicle.com.gh









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Long fibrils of teixobactin (yellow arrows) and lipid II (red-blue dots) lead to weak spots in the cell membrane of the bacterium. Credit: Barth van Rossum

Scientists at Utrecht University have discovered a new mechanism antibiotics use to kill bacteria. The antibiotic teixobactin uses a dual molecular strategy: it blocks the bacterial cell wall synthesis and destructs the cell membrane, the researchers write in the scientific journal Nature. The new insights will enable the design of powerful antibiotics against which bacteria do not readily develop resistance.

Antibiotics are used to treat bacterial infections and are among the most widely used drugs worldwide. They are vital to combat many infections in the respiratory and intestinal tracts, and various skin conditions. However, bacteria have become increasingly resistant to antibiotics, as most antibiotic classes currently used in clinics have been in use for about half a century. In 2015, scientists from Boston (U.S.) succeeded in isolating teixobactin, the first novel antibiotic discovered in about 40 years.

Isolated from 'unculturable' bacteria

Teixobactin came from so-called "unculturable" bacteria that do not grow under conventional laboratory conditions and shows extraordinary efficacy against bacterial pathogens without detectable resistance. However, how teixobactin killed bacteria was not understood. Most antibiotics bind to the ribosome, and by doing so, they inhibit the protein production of the bacteria. But there are also antibiotics that hinder bacteria's production of peptidoglycan, a sort of protective envelope that surrounds the bacteria. Teixobactin also does this, it soon appeared, but not in the usual way.

Long fibrils

Now, seven years after its discovery, a large international team led by Associated Professor Markus Weingarth from Utrecht University has discovered how teixobactin kills bacteria at a molecular level. The team used several advanced structural biology techniques and collaborated with the discoverers of teixobactin Prof. Kim Lewis of Northeastern University in Boston and the company Novobiotic.

"Bacteria need a special lipid called lipid II to build their protective envelope around them. We show at atomic level that teixobactin targets and sequesters lipid II. Afterwards, teixobactin and lipid II together form long fibrils on bacterial cell membranes," says Weingarth. "Gradually, this creates a kind of valley in the landscape of the cell membrane, which then breaks down and damages the membrane." The Utrecht researchers turned out to have found a biomolecular mechanism that was unknown to science until now. "It is a unique killing strategy."

Better drugs against certain respiratory diseases

Ph.D. candidate Rhythm Shukla, who is the first author of the study, and Weingarth used the technique solid state nuclear magnetic resonance (ssNMR) to solve the complex formed by teixobactin and lipid II at atomic level in lipid membranes. Subsequently, the team was able to visualize the fibrils in membranes and directly in bacteria using different microscopy techniques.

Weingarth: "This is a first time to use this powerful approach to elucidate the action of membrane-active antibiotics. Antibiotics that act on the cell membrane are very difficult to understand. Now that we know how teixobactin works, it will be possible to rationally design better drugs against pneumonia, tuberculosis, or infections with MRSA bacteria. For all of these respiratory diseases, resistance to current antibiotics is a huge problem."

Explore further Uncovering the tricks of game changer antibiotic teixobactin

More information: Markus Weingarth, Teixobactin kills bacteria by a two-pronged attack on the cell envelope, Nature (2022). www.nature.com/articles/s41586-022-05019-y Journal information: Nature Markus Weingarth, Teixobactin kills bacteria by a two-pronged attack on the cell envelope,(2022). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-05019-y
An air quality monitoring station in Guangdong province, China. Credit: Shen Jin

During a two-year installation, the number of observation stations of China's environmental air quality monitoring network has significantly increased, growing from more than 300 in 2013, when the project was launched, to more than 1,000 in 2015. Scientists have placed these stations in densely populated core urban areas as well as relatively low-density suburbs. With more than three times the number of original stations, there is uncertainty regarding the ability of the much larger network to assess air quality compared to previous data.

Luo Hongyan and Associate Professor Tang Xiao from the Institute of Atmospheric Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences have analyzed the air quality assessment impact of increasing the number of monitoring stations. Their study, recently published in Advances in Atmospheric Sciences, focuses on both national and regional levels between 2013 and 2018.

Luo and Tang evaluated change of fine particulate matter (PM 2.5 ) and ozone (O 3 ) concentrations from 2013 to 2018 by comparing data from the number of stations available in each year as the network expanded. By collecting data this way, they were able to analyze the year-to-year impact of the change in the number of stations during and after the installation period compared to the original, smaller network.

"Our results show that changes in the number of monitoring stations have relatively low impact on the assessment of national and regional PM 2.5 concentrations," said Dr. LUO. "But the change has a relatively large impact on the assessment of O 3 concentration, which affects long-term O 3 trend evaluation."

Furthermore, the researchers noted significant seasonal variation during and after increasing the number of stations assessing O 3 concentration. They suggested that this might be related to the different O 3 sensitivity in the precursor signals in both winter and summer.

They emphasized that they only used only the daily peak value of O 3 , O 3 _Max, for O 3 concentration assessment, which is different from existing national assessment methods.

"Overall, our results suggest that the change in the number of monitoring sites is an important uncertainty factor in national and regional air quality assessments," said Luo. "Future studies need to consider this aspect of long-term air quality trends and their driving forces."

Explore further Extending coverage of PM2.5 monitoring to improve air quality

More information: Hongyan Luo et al, The Impact of the Numbers of Monitoring Stations on the National and Regional Air Quality Assessment in China During 201318, Advances in Atmospheric Sciences (2022). Hongyan Luo et al, The Impact of the Numbers of Monitoring Stations on the National and Regional Air Quality Assessment in China During 201318,(2022). DOI: 10.1007/s00376-022-1346-5
Lakes Beach is covered in sargassum in St. Andrew along the east coast of Barbados, Wednesday, July 27, 2022. More than 24 million tons of sargassum blanketed the Atlantic in June, up from 18.8 million tons in May, according to a monthly report published by the University of South Floridas Optical Oceanography Lab that noted a new historical record. Credit: AP Photo/Kofi Jones

Near-record amounts of seaweed are smothering Caribbean coasts from Puerto Rico to Barbados, killing fish and other wildlife, choking tourism and releasing stinky, noxious gases.

More than 24 million tons of sargassum blanketed the Atlantic in June, shattering the all-time record, set in 2018, by 20%, according to the University of South Florida's Optical Oceanography Lab. And unusually large amounts of the brown algae have drifted into the Caribbean Sea.

A raggedy carpet of vegetation recently surrounded an uninhabited island near the French Caribbean territory of St. Martin that is popular with tourists, forcing officials to suspend ferry service and cancel kayaking, paddleboarding and snorkeling tours. The normally translucent turquoise waters around Pinel Island turned into a prickly yellowish-brown slush.

Oswen Corbel, owner of Caribbean Paddling, said he had to close his St. Martin business on July 22 and doesn't expect to reopen until late October. He estimated he has lost at least $10,000.

"Maybe I should give up. ... Sometimes I think I should go into the mountains and herd sheep, but this is what I know to do," he said. "What's next? We had Hurricane Irma, we had COVID, we had the sargassum, and now I'm pretty scared of global warming."

Seaweed covers the Atlantic shore in Frigate Bay, St. Kitts and Nevis, Wednesday, Aug. 3, 2022. A record amount of seaweed is smothering Caribbean coasts from Puerto Rico to Barbados as tons of brown algae kill wildlife, choke the tourism industry and release toxic gases, according to the University of South Florida's Optical Oceanography Lab. Credit: AP Photo/Ricardo Mazalan

Scientists say more research is needed to determine why sargassum levels in the region are so high, but the United Nations' Caribbean Environment Program said possible factors include a rise in water temperatures as a result of climate change, and nitrogen-laden fertilizer and sewage that nourish the algae.

"This year has been the worst year on record," said Lisa Krimsky, a university researcher with Florida Sea Grant, a program aimed at protecting the coast. "It is absolutely devastating for the region."

She said large masses of seaweed have a severe environmental impact, with the decaying algae altering water temperatures and the pH balance and leading to declines in seagrass, coral and sponges.

"They're essentially being smothered out," Krimsky said.

The "golden tide" also has hit humans hard.

A bird stands on seaweed covering the Atlantic shore in Frigate Bay, St. Kitts and Nevis, Wednesday, Aug. 3, 2022. A record amount of seaweed is smothering Caribbean coasts from Puerto Rico to Barbados as tons of brown algae kill wildlife, choke the tourism industry and release toxic gases, according to the University of South Florida's Optical Oceanography Lab. Credit: AP Photo/Ricardo Mazalan

The concentration of algae is so heavy in parts of the eastern Caribbean that the French island of Guadeloupe issued a health alert in late July. It warned some communities about high levels of hydrogen sulfide gas emanating from the huge rotting clumps of seaweed. The gas, which smells like rotten eggs, can affect people with breathing problems such as asthma.

The Biden administration declared a federal emergency after the U.S. Virgin Islands warned last month of unusually high amounts of sargassum clogging machinery at a desalination plant near St. Croix that is struggling to produce water and meet demand amid a drought.

In addition, the U.S. Virgin Islands' electricity generating station relies on ultra-pure water from the desalination plant to reduce emissions. The loss of such water would force the government to use a type of diesel fuel that is more expensive and in limited supply, officials said.

Chuanmin Hu, an oceanography professor at the University of South Florida who helps produce the seaweed reports, said sargassum levels for the eastern Caribbean were at a near-record high this year, second only to those reported in July 2018. Levels in the northern Caribbean are at their third-highest level, he said.

Seaweed covers the Atlantic shore in Frigate Bay, St. Kitts and Nevis, Wednesday, Aug. 3, 2022. A record amount of seaweed is smothering Caribbean coasts from Puerto Rico to Barbados as tons of brown algae kill wildlife, choke the tourism industry and release toxic gases, according to the University of South Florida's Optical Oceanography Lab. Credit: AP Photo/Ricardo Mazalan

Experts first noted large amounts of sargassum in the Caribbean Sea in 2011, and the problem has occurred practically every year since then.

"We don't know if this is a new normal," Krimsky lamented.

Sargassum in moderation helps purify water and absorb carbon dioxide and is a key part of the habitat for fish, turtles, shrimp, crabs and other creatures. It is also used in fertilizer, food, biofuel, construction materials and medicinal products.

But it is bad for tourism and the environment when too much accumulates just offshore or on beaches.

"This is the worst we've ever seen it for sure," said Melody Rouveure, general manager for a tour company in the Dutch Caribbean territory of St. Maarten, which shares an island with St. Martin. "It did ruin my personal beach plans."

On Union Island, which is part of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, the seaweed invasion has forced some resorts in recent years to close for up to five months.

Long Beach is covered with sargassum in Crest Church parish along the south coast of Barbados, Wednesday, July 27, 2022. A record amount of seaweed is smothering Caribbean coasts from Puerto Rico to Barbados as tons of brown algae kill wildlife, choke the tourism industry and release toxic gases. Credit: AP Photo/Kofi Jones

Masses of sargassum also have strangled the Caribbean's fishing industry. It damages boat engines and fishing gear, prevents fishermen from reaching their vessels and fishing grounds and leads to a drop in the number of fish caught. Barbados, where the beaches are piled with reddish-brown seaweed, has been hit especially hard.

An overabundance of sargassum was blamed for the recent deaths of thousands of fish in the French Caribbean island of Martinique. It also has activists concerned about the plight of endangered turtles. Some are dying at sea, entangled in the seaweed or unable to lay their eggs because of the mat of algae over the sand.

In the Cayman Islands, officials launched a trial program in which crews pumped more than 2,880 square feet (268 square meters) of seaweed out of the water. But on Tuesday, the government announced it suspended the project, saying the seaweed had decomposed so much that it had rendered the pumping useless.

Some island nations use heavy machinery to remove seaweed from the beach, but scientists warn that causes erosion and can destroy the nests of endangered turtles.

Lakes Beach is covered in sargassum in St. Andrew along the east coast of Barbados, Wednesday, July 27, 2022. A record amount of seaweed is smothering Caribbean coasts from Puerto Rico to Barbados as tons of brown algae kill wildlife, choke the tourism industry and release toxic gases. Credit: AP Photo/Kofi Jones

A tractor sweeps a beach lined with seaweed along the Atlantic shore in Frigate Bay, St. Kitts and Nevis, Wednesday, Aug. 3, 2022. A record amount of seaweed is smothering Caribbean coasts from Puerto Rico to Barbados as tons of brown algae kill wildlife, choke the tourism industry and release toxic gases, according to the University of South Florida's Optical Oceanography Lab. Credit: AP Photo/Ricardo Mazalan

Seaweed covers the Atlantic shore in Frigate Bay, St. Kitts and Nevis, Wednesday, Aug. 3, 2022. A record amount of seaweed is smothering Caribbean coasts from Puerto Rico to Barbados as tons of brown algae kill wildlife, choke the tourism industry and release toxic gases, according to the University of South Florida's Optical Oceanography Lab. Credit: AP Photo/Ricardo Mazalan

Many Caribbean islands are struggling financially and do not have the means to clear the vast amounts of seaweed.

Gov. Albert Bryan of the U.S. Virgin Islands said he asked President Joe Biden to declare a federal emergency for the entire three-island territory, not just St. Croix, but that didn't happen. Bryan said he is now trying to find local funds to clean beaches, "but a lot of things need money right now."

 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Gaia color-magnitude diagram showing ELM WD candidates selected from the Gaia. Credit: Wang et al., 2022.

Using data from the Large Sky Area Multi-Object Fiber Spectroscopic Telescope (LAMOST) and ESA's Gaia satellite, astronomers have detected 21 new high-probability extremely low-mass white dwarfs. The finding is reported in a paper published July 27 on the arXiv pre-print server.

Extremely low-mass (ELM) white dwarfs (WDs) are rare objects, found with only few exceptions in short-period binaries. In ELM WD binaries, one of the stars has a mass lower than 0.3 solar masses. It is assumed that such a low mass cannot be a result of canonical single-star evolution; therefore, these systems are thought to undergo signicant mass loss during their evolution.

To date, only about 100 ELM WDs are known, so finding new ones and studying them in detail could be essential to advance knowledge of stellar evolution. Some systems of this type are also predicted to emit gravitational waves, and could hence shed more light on the nature of this phenomenon.

Now, a team of astronomers led by Kun Wang of China West Normal University in Nanchong, China, reports the discovery of 21 new ELM WDs by investigating more than 100 known candidate objects of this type.

"Based on the LAMOST DR8 spectral database, we analyzed 136 ELM WD candidates selected from Gaia DR2 data and 12 known objects previously identified by the ELM Survey," the researchers wrote in the paper.

All in all, Wang's team inspected a total of 188 LAMOST low-resolution spectra, 172 of which belong to 136 ELM WD candidates and 16 of which come from 12 previously known samples. They obtained atmospheric parameters and radial velocities (RVs) for each of the 188 LAMOST spectra. The results indicate a large variety of stars for all the 136 ELM WD candidates, most of which may be hot subdwarf stars or canonical white dwarfs.

The study identified 21 new high-probability ELM WDs with masses below 0.3 solar masses and parallax estimates that agree to within a factor of three. Two of the newfound ELM WD candidates, designated J0338+4134 and J1129+471, exhibit significant RV variability and the researchers suppose that they are very likely binary systems containing at least one ELM WD. J0338+4134 and J1129+471 are also the only two new high-probability ELM WDs that have more than one spectrum.

Moreover, the astronomers found that J0338+4134 showcases a relatively high projected rotation, which may be the result of rotation, line blending, or orbital smearing. However, further high-resolution follow-up spectroscopic observations are required to confirm this finding.

The authors of the paper noted that their study demonstrates the potential of using LAMOST to search for and investigate new ELM WD.

"LAMOST RVs from multiple epochs will allow us to confirm their nature as ELM WDs and obtain their physical parameters," they concluded.

More information: Kun Wang et al, Extremely low-mass white dwarf stars observed in Gaia DR2 and LAMOST DR8. arXiv:2207.13401v1 [astro-ph.SR], Kun Wang et al, Extremely low-mass white dwarf stars observed in Gaia DR2 and LAMOST DR8. arXiv:2207.13401v1 [astro-ph.SR], arxiv.org/abs/2207.13401

 2022 Science X Network
Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain

Chinese investments in research and development (R&D) have burgeoned since the turn of the century, increasing more than tenfold in absolute terms since 2000 and reaching a high of 2.4 percent of GDP in 2020. As the world's second biggest spender on R&D after the United States, China is certainly a force to be reckoned with on the global innovation landscape. Its fresh push toward innovation-led growth and stated ambition of becoming a technological innovation powerhouse by 2050 have prompted questions: is China on course to attain its goals, and will greater investments in R&Das promised by Premier Li Keqiangget it there?

In a study published in the July 2022 edition of Econometrica, Yale economist Fabrizio Zilibotti and coauthors Michael Konig, Zheng Michael Song, and Kjetil Storesletten tackle this question through the lens of misallocation.

Results at a glance

Despite the extensive labor and capital market distortions emphasized in the literature on Chinese economic development, R&D investments have been an important driver of China's productivity growth.

Nevertheless, alleviating distortions in the Chinese economy would boost the productivity of innovation, by creating the conditions for the "right firms" to invest in R&D.

Hence, reducing misallocation not only promises significant static efficiency gains (gains when the economy is in equilibrium), but also dynamic gains (gains as the economy adjusts toward equilibrium), because it spurs the firms with a natural comparative advantage in innovation to undertake R&D.

efficiency gains (gains when the economy is in equilibrium), but also gains (gains as the economy adjusts toward equilibrium), because it spurs the firms with a natural comparative advantage in innovation to undertake R&D. The targeting of innovation-based policy matters. Heavy expenditure on R&Dfor instance through government subsidiescannot guarantee high growth and could backfire, if it incentivizes unproductive firms to innovate and pass up the more suitable innovation strategy of imitating.

Misallocation in Chinese R&D

"In China, firms with the strongest connections to the state have more access to resources than more efficient but poorly connected firms," explained Fabrizio Zilibotti, Tuntex Professor of International and Development Economics, in an EGC interview. "This gives rise to resource misallocation, as resources (labor and capital) are soaked up by relatively low-productivity firms, while competitive forces are jammed." If firms with limited potential for growing through innovation undertake R&D anyway, perhaps due to government inducements, R&D misallocation results. Higher productivity firms that are better suited to innovative activity are deprived of resources for conducting it, impeding economic growth.

Zilibotti and his coauthors' study of R&D misallocation and its implications is the first of its kind, advancing both a theoretical model featuring endogenous technical change and testing their predictions through its application to a novel firm-level dataset.

A theory of technical change: imitating vs. innovating

In the study's theoretical model, profit-maximizing firms aiming to improve their technology interact with other firms at random in each time period. They are grouped into different industries and have varying levels of productivity. Firms have two options: imitate or innovate. Imitating requires fewer resources and is suitable for less productive firms: there is a high chance they encounter a more productive firm and pick up best practices from them. In contrast, innovating demands specific investments and befits more productive firms. These firms have little to learn from their peers, so they can best enhance their productivity by designing new products and uncovering new processes. Ultimately, the most efficient firms push the frontier of innovation while the rest follow their lead.

Distortionswhich occur when interference in the market affects prices and undermines efficiencyplay a key role in the model. Firm-specific labor and capital market wedges discourage firms from investing by reducing how much they stand to profit from a future productivity improvement.

Four testable predictions emerge:

All else equal, more productive firms are more likely to engage in R&D; Among firms with the same productivity level, bigger firms are more likely to engage in R&D; The more productive a firm is, the less productivity growth it can expect in the future, meaning that convergence takes placethis is especially the case for non-R&D firms; and The gap in average productivity growth between R&D and non-R&D firms widens at higher levels of productivity.

A key result of the model is that in equilibrium, the distribution of productivity moves in the direction of increasing productivity over time. In mathematical jargon, it can be described as a "traveling wave". The intuition is clear: the curve representing the distribution of productivity ripples from left to right, representing technical change. All firms below a certain threshold of productivity imitate; the rest innovate.

Bringing theory to bear on the data: catching the wave

The authors use an estimation strategy known as the simulated method of moments to match their theoretical model to data on Chinese manufacturing firms from 2007-2012. In essence, the stationary total factor productivity (TFP) distribution depicted in Panel A has several parameters; the authors select values for these parameters that allow them to obtain the best reproduction of the Chinese firm-level data. Their model fits the data even better after being augmented with "innovation wedges" (which make R&D cheaper for some firms and costlier for others), and accounting for the misreporting of R&D expenditure by firms.

Measurement errorwhich arises when values are imprecisely measuredhas long been a bugbear of the literature on misallocation. The authors bring an exciting methodological development to the field by proposing an explicit model of measurement error. Under certain assumptions, their model allows them to assess how much of the data is attributable to measurement error.

The authors' analysis indicates that measurement error creates the false impression of stronger convergence in the data than exists in reality: it overstates the extent to which less productive non-R&D firms catch up to more productive non-R&D firms due to the former having higher productivity growth rates. This underscores the importance of correcting for measurement error for accuracy's sake.

The model's predictions are borne out in the data. For instance, the share of firms engaged in R&D nearly doubles as one moves from the least productive firms to the most productive ones, and larger firms are more likely to conduct R&D. The authors' results inspire confidence in their estimation method: not only do the qualitative predictions of their model hold up, but also, many aspects of their model fit the data commendably even without deliberate adjustment.

The authors' analysis suggests that R&D investments were an important determinant of productivity growth in the 2007-2012, despite the headwinds imposed by widespread policy-induced labor and capital market distortions (for instance, restrictions on labor mobility through the hukou system, and heavy intervention in capital allocation through administrative credit plans).

China vs. Taiwan:

The Taiwanese and Chinese economies bear strong similarities in their export-orientedness and manufacturing sector importance. "One question we're interested in is, what would happen if China had access to the same technology as Taiwanese firms?" Zilibotti said. The authors corroborate the validity of their theoretical model by testing it on a dataset of Taiwanese firms, and then compare results across their Chinese and Taiwanese samples. While estimated parameters for the authors' Taiwanese sample are qualitatively similar to that of their Chinese sample, the quantitative differences turn out to be striking: innovation and technology diffusion are more rapid in Taiwan than in China.

Counterfactual policy experiments and their implications

To study the implications of misallocation, the authors conduct counterfactual analysis, meaning they consider hypothetical 'realities' where certain aspects of the economy are tweaked. In one counterfactual, they investigate the effect of a reduction in misallocation. Reducing misallocation generates dynamic efficiency gains, by triggering an adjustment towards a new equilibrium with higher growth. Growth accelerates and the distribution of firm productivity becomes more dispersed. This suggests that reducing misallocation, for instance, by toning down state support to politically-linked firms or easing credit constraints, could enhance the productivity of innovation and boost growth considerably.

In another counterfactual, the authors find that non-targeted R&D subsidiessubsidies that are accessible to all firms rather than specifically targeted at just a subset of firmsspeed up productivity growth at moderate levels, but can backfire if excessively generous. In other words, R&D subsidies can be too much of a good thing: when R&D subsidies are dished out indiscriminately, the "wrong firms" innovate even if they would have been better off imitating, inhibiting TFP growth.

"An important policy implication is that throwing money at firms to conduct R&D is not enough guarantee productivity growth," Zilibotti said. "Above all, the resources must induce the 'right firms' to innovate. To this aim, market-oriented financial developmentventure capital, grass-root entrepreneurship, investor protection, etc.have historically proven a very powerful medium to promote innovation-led growth. It is at best unclear whether a top-down approach with a strong role of the government can be a good substitute for that."

Explore further The role of resource misallocation in productivity decreases since the 2007 financial crisis

More information: Michael Konig et al, From Imitation to Innovation: Where Is All That Chinese R&D Going?, Econometrica (2022). Michael Konig et al, From Imitation to Innovation: Where Is All That Chinese R&D Going?,(2022). DOI: 10.3982/ECTA18586
Timber walks past the remains of a lodge that burned in the McKinney Fire, Tuesday, Aug. 2, 2022, in Klamath National Forest, Calif. The property owner, whose adjacent home survived the blaze, was surveying damage. Credit: AP Photo/Noah Berger

Roger Derry, 80, and his son have lived together in the tiny scenic hamlet of Klamath River in Northern California for more than 40 years.

They know most of the town's 200 or so residents.

Now, they're one of the few families left after California's largest and deadliest wildfire of the year raged through the modest homes and stores of the riverside town.

"It's very sad. It's very disheartening," Derry said. "Some of our oldest homes, 100-year-old homes, are gone. It's a small community. Good people, good folks, for the most part, live here and in time will rebuild. But it's going to take some time now."

The McKinney Fire that erupted last Friday remained out of control, despite some progress as firefighters took advantage of thunderstorms that dumped rain that temporarily took a bit of heat out of the parched, scorched region not far from the Oregon border.

The area saw another thunderstorm Tuesday that dumped heavy rain and swelled rivers.

The fire has burned nearly 90 square miles (233 square kilometers), and is the largest of several wildfires burning in the Klamath National Forest.

The blaze grew very little Tuesday, and fire officials said crews were able to use bulldozers to carve firebreaks along a ridge to protect homes and buildings in and around the small city of Yreka.

Sydney Corrales passes a lodge that burned during the McKinney Fire, Tuesday, Aug. 2, 2022, in Klamath National Forest, Calif. Credit: AP Photo/Noah Berger

But several thousand people remained under evacuation orders, 100 buildings ranging from homes to greenhouses have burned and at least four bodies have been found in the region.

The destruction of a small community has sadly become a real possibility as wildfires become fiercer in the Western United States.

Wildfires in Montana, Idaho and Nebraska have destroyed some homes and continue to threaten communities.

Just four years ago, a massive blaze in the Sierra Nevada foothills of California virtually razed the Butte County town of Paradise, killing 85 people.

Scientists have said climate change has made the West warmer and drier over the last three decades and will continue to make weather more extreme and wildfires more frequent and destructive.

When it began, the McKinney Fire was only a couple hundred acres and firefighters thought they would quickly have it under control. But then, a thunderstorm cell came in with ferocious wind gusts that within hours had pushed it into an unstoppable conflagration.

Sheriff's deputies search a scorched residence following the McKinney Fire on Tuesday, Aug. 2, 2022, in Klamath National Forest, Calif. Their team did not find any fire victims at the property. Credit: AP Photo/Noah Berger

Roger Derry and his son, whose name is spelled Rodger Derry, decided not to evacuate when the fire broke out and said their home, which they'd tried to safeguard by trimming away nearby bushes, survived. Firefighters also showed up and dug firebreaks around the neighborhood.

But they could see the fire as it tore its way through the places around them.

"When that fire came over that ridgeline, it had 100-foot flames for about 5 miles and the wind was blowing. It was coming down like a solid blowtorch," Roger Derry said. "There was nothing to stop it,"

The fire destroyed most of the homes, including those in a trailer park, along with the post office, community hall and other scattered businesses.

The cause hasn't been determined.

In northwestern Montana, a fire that started Friday near the town of Elmo on the Flathead Indian Reservation has burned some structures, but authorities said they didn't immediately know if any were homes. The blaze measured 25 square miles (66 square kilometers) on Tuesday, with 10% containment, fire officials said. Some residents were forced to flee Monday as gusting afternoon winds drove the fire.

A chimney stands at a home destroyed by the McKinney Fire on Tuesday, Aug. 2, 2022, in Klamath National Forest, Calif. Credit: AP Photo/Noah Berger

A helicopter drops water on a hot spot while battling the McKinney Fire on Tuesday, Aug. 2, 2022, in Klamath National Forest, Calif. Credit: AP Photo/Noah Berger

A sheriff's deputy searches a scorched property following the McKinney Fire on Tuesday, Aug. 2, 2022, in Klamath National Forest, Calif. His team did not find any fire victims at the location. Credit: AP Photo/Noah Berger

Sheriff's deputies search a scorched residence following the McKinney Fire on Tuesday, Aug. 2, 2022, in Klamath National Forest, Calif. Their team did not find any fire victims at the property. Credit: AP Photo/Noah Berger

Flames burn inside a tree along Highway 96 which remains closed due to the McKinney Fire on Tuesday, Aug. 2, 2022, in Klamath National Forest, Calif. Credit: AP Photo/Noah Berger

A helicopter carries a water bucket while battling the McKinney Fire, Tuesday, Aug. 2, 2022, in Klamath National Forest, Calif. Credit: AP Photo/Noah Berger

A search and rescue canine leaves a home leveled by the McKinney Fire on Monday, Aug. 1, 2022, in Klamath National Forest, Calif. Credit: AP Photo/Noah Berger

Sheriff's Deputy Johnson stands at a burned home as search and rescue workers recover the remains of a McKinney Fire victim on Monday, Aug. 1, 2022, in Klamath National Forest, Calif. Credit: AP Photo/Noah Berger

Sheriff's deputies leave a home where a McKinney Fire victim was found on Monday, Aug. 1, 2022, in Klamath National Forest, Calif. Credit: AP Photo/Noah Berger

Sheriff's Deputy Johnson carries remains of a McKinney Fire victim from a destroyed home on Monday, Aug. 1, 2022, in Klamath National Forest, Calif. Credit: AP Photo/Noah Berger

The Moose Fire in Idaho has burned more than 85 square miles (220 square kilometers) in the Salmon-Challis National Forest while threatening homes, mining operations and fisheries near the town of Salmon. It was 23% contained Tuesday, according to the National Interagency Coordination Center.

And a wildfire raging in northwestern Nebraska led to evacuations and destroyed or damaged several homes near the small city of Gering. The Carter Canyon Fire began Saturday as two separate fires that merged. It was more than 30% contained by Tuesday.

Explore further Firefighters race to protect California town threatened by wildfire

 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Wednesday's eruption came after a period of intense seismic activity.

A volcano erupted in Iceland on Wednesday near the capital Reykjavik, spewing red hot lava and plumes of smoke out of a fissure in an uninhabited valley after several days of intense seismic activity.

The eruption was around 40 kilometers (25 miles) from Reykjavik, near the site of the Mount Fagradalsfjall volcano in southwestern Iceland that erupted for six months in March-September 2021, mesmerizing tourists and spectators who flocked to the scene.

On Wednesday, a strip of glowing red lava could be seen gushing from the ground, spouting 20-30 meters (65-100 feet) into the air before spreading into a blanket of smoldering black rock.

As it cooled, blueish smoke rose up from the hilly landscape on the Reykjanes peninsula.

About 100 curious onlookers quickly made their way to the scene, bewitched by the sight of the bubbling lava and the intense roar that could be heard rising up from the ground as the lava erupted, an AFP reporter at the scene said.

The Icelandic Meteorological Office (IMO), which monitors seismic activity, estimated the size of the fissure at about 300 meters. It said the eruption started in the Meradalir valley, less than one kilometer (0.6 miles) from the scene of last year's eruption.

Wednesday's eruption came after a period of intense seismic activity, with about 10,000 earthquakes detected since Saturday, including two with a magnitude of at least 5.0.

While there was no ash plume, the IMO said it was "possible that pollution can be detected due to the gas release".

Gases from a volcanic eruptionespecially sulfur dioxidecan be elevated in the immediate vicinity, and may pose a danger to health and even be fatal.

A strip of glowing red lava could be seen gushing from the ground, spouting 20 to 30 metres into the air.

Gas pollution can also be carried by the wind.

"Risk to populated areas and critical infrastructure is considered very low and there have been no disruptions to flights", the Icelandic foreign ministry said on Twitter.

More than an hour after the start of the eruption, a commercial passenger jet could be seen flying over the eruption site at low altitude heading for Reykjavik's main airport Keflavik.

Tourist magnet

Last year's eruption saw more than 140 million cubic meters of magma spilled into the area over a period of six months before it was officially declared over after nine months, in December 2021.

Relatively easy to access, the site became a major tourist attraction, drawing more than 430,000 visitors, according to the most recent figures from the Icelandic Tourist Board.

Wednesday's eruption was believed to be five to 10 times bigger than last year's eruption, with about 20-50 cubic meters of magma spewing out per second, Magnus Tuma Gudmundsson, professor of geophysics at the University of Iceland, told Icelandic media.

On Wednesday, rescue teams and police rushed to the scene to assess the danger and possible gas contamination, and discouraged people from visiting.

Iceland President Gudni Johannesson, who happened to be driving near the scene of Wednesday's eruption when it occurred, echoed that appeal.

"I just want people to be careful and know more before they go there into the unknown. If this eruption will be anything like the last one, there will be enough time, so there is no need to rush," he told the English-language media Iceland Monitor.

Map of Iceland locating the Meradalir valley where a volcano erupted in a fissure near the capital Reykjavik, on August 3.

Awakening

Mount Fagradalsfjall belongs to the Krysuvik volcanic system on the Reykjanes peninsula in southwestern Iceland.

Known as the land of fire and ice, Iceland has 32 volcanic systems currently considered active, the highest number in Europe. The country has had an eruption every five years on average.

Wednesday's eruption was the country's seventh in 21 years.

However, until last year, the Reykjanes peninsula had not experienced an eruption since the 13th century, when a volcano erupted for 30 years from 1210-1240.

Geophysicists have said that the 2021 eruption could signal the beginning of a new period of eruptions lasting centuries.

A vast island near the Arctic Circle, Iceland straddles the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, a crack on the ocean floor separating the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates.

The shifting of these plates is in part responsible for Iceland's intense volcanic activity.

Explore further Icelandic volcano subsiding after first eruption in 900 years

 2022 AFP
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

Researchers from University of New Hampshire, University of Kentucky, Texas A&M University, and Florida State University published a new paper in the Journal of Marketing that examines the effect among salespeople of three negative personality traitsMachiavellianism, narcissism, and psychopathy. The study is authored by Cinthia B. Satornino, Alexis Allen, Huanhuan Shi, and Willy Bolander.

What makes a good salesperson?

Ads for sales jobs usually emphasize a preference for positive personality traits such as self-motivation, ability to be a team player, ethical behavior, and enthusiasm. Academic research also has traditionally focused on positive performance drivers, such as adaptiveness, conscientiousness, openness, and extraversion. Allen says that "While hiring people with these traits is desirable, it ignores the importance among salespeople of three negative traitsMachiavellianism, narcissism, and psychopathycollectively known as the dark triad (DT)." Except for CEOs, lawyers, and celebrities, salespeople score higher on these dark traits than all other professions, which has led to sales professionals being characterized as conniving snakes.

That these dark personalities are employed by sales organizations suggests the ability of some salespeople to mask the dysfunctional manifestations of DT traits, such as callous self-interest, with more functional ones, such as charisma, during the hiring process. DT traits can offer significant advantages for some salespeople to get ahead and secure longer tenures. But there are downsides in the long run, too. Over time, the self-interested, antagonistic behaviors associated with DT traits are likely to undermine their relationships with colleagues, diminish their social capital, and subsequently reduce their performance.

The researchers conducted two studies to explore how and why dark salespeople persevere, and even thrive, in organizations. They investigate: (1) how dark salespeople perform over time relative to their low DT peers and (2) how ambient social structures, such as organizational social networks into which salespeople are embedded, influence these salespeople's performance.

The first study provides empirical evidence that narcissism and psychopathy allow dark salespeople to succeed in the short term, but eventually lead to a "fall from grace," including lost performance gains. In contrast, results show that Machiavellianism produces little in the short term, but manifests in long-term performance benefits.

The second study measures the reach efficiency of the dark personality's social network. When a person's network exhibits high reach efficiency, information about their actions becomes socially visible to others (i.e., friends of friends) who are indirectly connected to the dark personality. Low reach efficiency, however, impedes the spread of information and delays the social visibility of individual actions. Satornino explains that "If the network structure obscures information regarding the misdeeds of a dark salesperson, it enhances the probability for performance-enhancing cooperation between the dark personality and his or her unsuspecting peers."

Results show that narcissism and psychopathy influence performance similarly, while Machiavellianism has the inverse effect. When reach efficiency is high, narcissism and psychopathy lead to decreased sales performance in subsequent periods. On the other hand, those with Machiavellianism benefit from high reach efficiency, which results in enhanced performance in subsequent periods.

The research team offers three key recommendations for chief sales officers:

Hiring managers should be trained specifically to recognize signs of DT traits in the interview process using tools such as behavioral questions that highlight past or potential behaviors and characteristics typical of dark personalities.

Sales managers should be trained to be cognizant of the performance patterns that may signal a dark personality to determine if interventions are needed.

Sales managers should leverage social networks and peer feedback to facilitate unmasking dark personalities.

More information: Cinthia B. Satornino et al, EXPRESS: Understanding the Performance Effects of "Dark" Salesperson Traits: Machiavellianism, Narcissism, and Psychopathy, Journal of Marketing (2022). Journal information: Journal of Marketing Cinthia B. Satornino et al, EXPRESS: Understanding the Performance Effects of "Dark" Salesperson Traits: Machiavellianism, Narcissism, and Psychopathy,(2022). DOI: 10.1177/00222429221113254
Photo: CTV News

Montreal police are investigating the shooting deaths of two men within the span of about an hour in neighbouring boroughs.

Const. Caroline Chevrefils says there is no link between the two homicides, which occurred Tuesday night, and no arrests have been made.

A first victim, 64, was known to police and was declared dead at the scene at an intersection near a park the city's St-Laurent borough around 9:45 p.m.

A second victim, 48, wasn't known to police and was killed a few kilometres northeast of the first shooting, at an intersection in the city's Ahuntsic-Cartierville borough around 10:50 p.m.

Investigators and crime scene technicians are combing the two scenes today.

The shooting deaths are the 16th and 17th homicides reported on Montreal police territory in 2022.
Patches of land housing oil pumpjacks dot the landscape of the Permian Basin in Midland, Texas, Monday, Oct. 11, 2021. Carbon Mapper, a partnership of university researchers and NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory, 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. Credit: AP Photo/David Goldman

The Environmental Protection Agency says it will conduct helicopter overflights to look for methane "super emitters" in the nation's largest oil and gas producing region.

EPA's Region 6 headquarters in Dallas, Texas, issued a news release about a new enforcement effort in the Permian Basin on Monday, saying the flights would occur within the next two weeks.

The announcement came four days after The Associated Press published an investigation that showed 533 oil and gas facilities in the region are emitting excessive amounts of methane and named the companies most responsible. Colorless and odorless, methane is a potent greenhouse gas that traps 83 times more heat in the atmosphere over a 20 year period than an equivalent amount of carbon dioxide.

EPA spokesman Tim Carroll said the timing of the agency's announcement was not related to AP's story and that similar overflights had been conducted in years past. EPA officials made no mention of an upcoming enforcement sweep in the Permian when interviewed by AP last month.

EPA Region 6 Administrator Earthea Nance said the Permian Basin accounts for 40 percent of our nation's oil supply and for years has released dangerous quantities methane and volatile organic compounds, contributing to climate change and poor air quality.

A flare burns off methane and other hydrocarbons as oil pumpjacks operate in the Permian Basin in Midland, Texas, Tuesday, Oct. 12, 2021. Massive amounts of methane are venting into the atmosphere from oil and gas operations across the Permian Basin, new aerial surveys show. The emission endanger U.S. targets for curbing climate change. Credit: AP Photo/David Goldman

"The flyovers are vital to identifying which facilities are responsible for the bulk of these emissions and therefore where reductions are most urgently needed," Nance said, according to the agency's media release.

AP used 2021 data from the group Carbon Mapper to document 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.

A partnership of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and academic researchers, Carbon Mapper used an airplane carrying an infrared spectrometer to detect and quantify the unique chemical fingerprint of methane in the atmosphere. Hundreds of sites were shown persistently spewing the gas across multiple overflights.

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.

Carbon Mapper identified the spewing sites only by their GPS coordinates. The AP then 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.

Flares burn off methane and other hydrocarbons at an oil and gas facility in Lenorah, Texas, Friday, Oct. 15, 2021. Massive amounts of methane are venting into the atmosphere from oil and gas operations across the Permian Basin, new aerial surveys show. The emission endanger U.S. targets for curbing climate change. Credit: AP Photo/David Goldman

Just 10 companies owned at least 164 of those sites, according to an AP analysis of Carbon Mapper's data.

AP also compared the estimated rates at which the super emitting sites were observed gushing methane with the annual reports the companies are required to submit to EPA detailing their greenhouse gas emissions. AP found the EPA's database often fails to account for the true rate of emissions observed in the Permian.

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.

EPA recently enacted restrictions on how much methane can be released from new oil and gas facilities. But proposed regulations on the hundreds of thousands of older sites responsible for the bulk of emissions are still under review. What are restricted under current federal regulations are toxic air pollutants such as hydrogen sulfide, sulfur dioxide and cancer-causing benzene that often accompany methane and are sometimes called "ridealong" gases.

EPA said this week it too would collect data from its airborne observations in the Permian and use the GPS locations to identify the facilities releasing excess emissions. The agency said it will initiate enforcement actions against the companies responsible that could include administrative enforcement actions and referrals to the Justice Department. EPA said companies found to be violating federal law could face significant financial penalties as well as future monitoring to verify corrective action was taken.

Explore further Hidden Menace: Massive methane leaks speed up climate change

 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Shaun the Sheep has been assigned a seat on the Artemis I mission, which will be the first flight of NASAs Orion spacecraft with an ESA European Service Module, planned to go around the Moon and back. Astronauts of all sheeps and sizes must go through the same training, and here is Shaun on the special Airbus Zero G A310 aircraft during one of its parabolic flights in 2019. These flights recreate 'weightless conditions similar to those experienced in space. Credit: ESA/Aardman

A specially trained wooly astronaut, Shaun the Sheep, has been assigned a seat on the Artemis I mission to the Moon. Shaun's assignment was announced by ESA's Director for Human and Robotic Exploration Dr. David Parker.

David Parker said, "Shaun's mission assignment rounds off the first phase for the latest members of our astronaut corps, with Italian ESA astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti currently on the International Space Station on her second spaceflight, Danish ESA astronaut Andreas Mogensen named for his second flight and before we introduce our new astronauts from the 2021 call for selection later this year."

"This is an exciting time for Shaun and for us at ESA. We're wooly very happy that he's been selected for the mission and we understand that, although it might be a small step for a human, it's a giant leap for lambkind," added David Parker.

Shaun will be flying on the Artemis I mission, which will be the first flight of NASA's Orion spacecraft with an ESA European Service Module, planned to go around the Moon and back. This mission is not carrying a human crew but will instead be controlled from the ground with its wooly specialist as a passenger.

Orion and its European Service Module will be launched by the Space Launch System from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, U.S. The spacecraft will enter a low-Earth orbit before the rocket's upper stage fires to take it into a translunar orbit.

The specially trained woolly astronaut, Shaun the Sheep, has been assigned a seat on the Artemis I mission to the Moon, which will be the first flight of NASAs Orion spacecraft with an ESA European Service Module. How far will Shauns career in space go? Only time wool tell. Shaun is pictured here in front of a model of the Orion/European Service Module spacecraft. Credit: ESA/Aardman

The spacecraft will perform a flyby of the moon, using lunar gravity to gain speed and propel itself 70,000 km beyond the Moon, almost half a million km from Earthfarther than any human, or sheep, has ever traveled.

In preparation for this flight, Shaun began a program of astronaut training and familiarization with the Orion spacecraft and its European Service Module in 2020, traveling to various locations across Europe and the U.S. to see different aspects of the mission. This training was documented and will be presented in a series of ESA blog posts leading up to launch.

With a keen passion for exploring, Shaun took flight on the special Airbus "Zero G" A310 aircraft during one of its parabolic flights that recreates the "weightless" conditions similar to those experienced in space.

Under the supervision of an ESA team, this flight prepared Shaun for his role as a space traveler in his film "A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon," released in 2019. It offered insight into the rigorous training that all astronauts undertake to prepare for spaceflight, which he will now experience for real.

Lucy Wendover, Marketing Director at Aardman says, "Aardman is excited to be joining ESA in making history by launching the first 'sheep' into space. As one of the first astronauts to fly an Artemis mission, Shaun is leading the way in lunar exploration, a great honor for our wooly adventurer! 2022 marks the 15th anniversary of Shaun's first TV series, so what better way to celebrate than by traveling farther than any sheep has gone before."

Follow Shaun's training for Artemis I and preparations for the first European Service Module flight to the Moon here.

Explore further A European push to the moon
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

What drives youth to run away from foster care placements? In a new study conducted by University of Kansas researchers, youth reported running away to have a say in their own lives, to connect with family and to escape untenable placement environments. And sometimes, they ran simply out of anger or impulse. Most striking among these messages from the study, KU researchers said, was the need for family connection, belonging and normalcy.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General issued a report in 2022 that more than 7% of Kansas foster children went missing during a 30-month period, placing it as one of the highest such rates in the nation. TFI Family Services Inc., one of the state's contracted case management providers for youth in foster care, partnered with School of Social Welfare researchers at KU to better support children in their care. The goal was to identify and mitigate the factors that contribute to youth decisions to run away from care and better protect young peoples' safety and well-being.

Through a mixed-methods study that included interviews with 20 youth ages 1217 in Kansas foster care who both had and had not fled their foster placements, the research team identified five key findings.

"These findings from youth highlighted the significance of family and kin connections while in foster care and the critical importance of maintaining those connections, even if they are not placed with their family," said Kaela Byers, research faculty at KU's School of Social Welfare and principal investigator. "Youth should have a voice in determining what family is, and the system should work to ensure that stays intact safely."

The study revealed five themes:

Historical family bonds or attachments can serve as an important protective function related to youth placement stability.

Fear and/or lack of control of their own circumstances perpetuated by the system and/or placement constraints increased risk of runaway decisions.

Supportive placements, extending beyond basic needs, and promoting belonging and a sense of normalcy mitigated risk factors related to runaway decisions.

Family bonds and their role in meeting youth needs influenced decisions to run away or return.

System shortcomings (such as worker turnover, bias, resource scarcity) fail to protect against risk of decisions to run away.

The study also identified groups of youth with varying levels of risk and protection related to running from care. Those most at risk had experienced a high number of placements, more hospitalizations and were often removed from their parents' homes due to neglect. Youth with higher levels of runaway risk also had more trauma experiences than their peers, more often had behavioral issues and were more likely to be male. Those at lower risk were more likely to have access to family, siblings and kin and felt they had a voice in the decisions made about their care.

"One of our main questions was, "Are there different groups in this population that experience different outcomes, and can those differences tell us something about how to better support youth in the future?'" said graduate research assistant Jessica Wesley. "We found there are. Some of the things that were most protective were placements with siblings."

Youth who go missing are at risk for exploitation, trafficking, negative health outcomes, arrest and many other potential problems.

"For the same reasons we would not want our own children to run away and to protect the most vulnerable people in our society, we want to prevent this from happening," said Jared Barton, research faculty in KU's social welfare school and co-principal investigator.

"It is also important to understand that runaway events are likely a red flag for other underlying issues," said Becci Akin, associate professor of social welfare and co-principal investigator. "In addition to immediate safety and stability issues, our prior research has shown that youth who run away are also less likely to exit foster care to a permanent home. These young people may be vulnerable to other poor outcomes and deserve more attention and resources to support them in staying connected to family and kin."

In 2021, the Kansas Department for Children and Families announced its intentions to become a "Kin-First State," which strives to keep youth placed with their families and kin whenever possible, and if a child is placed in foster care, to keep people they are close to accessible to them. However, that is often not the reality as youth are unable to see close relatives because of geographical distance, legal issues, workforce limitations and a host of other reasons. For those reasons, youth said they ran from foster care.

The study included recommendations for practice and policy for action by the agency, and for the larger child welfare system, to address issues that youth presented. Among the recommendations:

Improving family visitation and maintaining youth connections with self-identified family and nonrelative kin

Supporting service approaches for youth that honor and amplify their voices, choices and family connections

Improving the quality of placements and individualization of services.

Next, the team will reconvene the youth who took part in the study to confirm if the results and recommendations accurately represent their experiences.

"One of the key findings from the interviews was the lack of youth voice in placement decisions. As such, we want to honor and lift youth voice in the research to ensure their experiences are accurately reflected and understood to better inform policy and practice changes," said Whitney Grube, associate researcher in the social welfare school.

The findings also will be translated into action to support youth in foster care.

"TFI is invested in reducing the incidents of missing youth in foster care," said Rachelle Roosevelt, senior vice president for permanency services. "We are using the recommendations and results from this research to make changes to our practice to build protective factors and address risks factors for our youth."

For example, TFI began implementing Placement Stability Team Decision Making in January 2022 to hear from both youth and their families in making placement decisions.

"TFI has seen some positive progress in reducing frequency of missing youth and recently had 45 consecutive days in Area 8 where no children were missing from placement for 24 hours or more," Roosevelt said.

Having a say in their own care, ties to family and the importance of belonging are key takeaways, KU researchers said.

"When those conditions were available to youth, they shared with us the growing sense of self-actualization and well-being that you expect and want for a young person," Byers said. "It's not enough to just feed and clothe these youth. They need a home and a family."

Explore further Risk of homelessness or incarceration among foster youth varies by type of disability
Diglis Weir with the fish pass visible to its left. Credit: Skynique/Severn Rivers Trust, Author provided

Over 1 million dams and culverts (tunnels that encircle rivers passing under roads) block the movements of fish and other wildlife in Europe. Scientists estimate that less than 1% of catchments in the U.K. are free of obstruction. A report released in 2020 showed the effect this trend is having worldwide: a more than 75% decline in the abundance of 247 migratory fish species globally since 1970.

Brown trout, for example, must swim upriver into streams to spawn. Adult European eels meanwhile need to make their way downriver and out to sea to do the same. Even small dams like weirs that are a meter tall can prevent fish from swimming upstream because they are higher than most fish can jump.

Suitable spawning areas aren't found everywhere in a river: every fish species has its own needs. If a dam prohibits fish from reaching those habitats, the shortfall in offspring can cause populations to decline. Species living on the edge of suitable habitats are more vulnerable to droughts and pollution and are therefore at greater risk of extinction.

One solution is to remove dams. The EU plans to reconnect at least 25,000km of river across the continent by 2030, restoring the pathways migratory fish take to reproduce or feed. Completely removing a dam isn't always possible, though, particularly where they are still used to help boats navigate. Instead, fish passesalso called fishways or ladderscan be built alongside dams to help fish swim up and around. So how do fish passes workand what can they do to help river ecosystems recover?

Credit: The Conversation

Go, fish!

The River Severn is the U.K.'s longest. Like the Mississippi in the U.S., the Severn has a lock and dam system on its main stem. This was built in the mid-19th century to help barges move from one section of the river to another, and is still used today. Dams raise the water level behind them and locks (giant gates) open and close to raise boats up and over.

Damming caused populations of Twaite shada silvery, herring-like fish which must move up and down the Severn to feed, grow and reproduceto crash almost overnight. Today, it remains one of the country's rarest species.

The Severn Rivers Trust and partners set out to help the Twaite shad reach its historical spawning habitat upriver. Scientists tracked the fish returning to the Severn from the sea to spawn and found that the Diglis weir near Worcester was blocking their passage. Just months after the largest fish pass in England opened in May 2021, Twaite shad were recorded making their way upstream and beyond the locks and dams for the first time in over a century.

A series of steps offers a more gentle ascent over the nearby dam, but some species may still struggle. Credit: Frank Hecker/Alamy Stock Photo

Fish passes come in different designs and sizes, but all are supposed to allow fish to ascend rivers through lower gradient channels or smaller steps around the side of a dam they cannot swim or jump over. Fish swimming upriver must find a narrow entrance to the pass, and the water flowing out of it is often the clue they need. Just like the river, water flows from upstream to downstream in a fish pass. If the flow is too gentle for most fish to notice or it's too fast or turbulent for them to swim up it, the pass will either be used by some species or none at all.

Fish passes tend to have small, subdivided sections that act as areas for fish to rest during their journey too. The incline, the number of resting places and the flow of water both inside and at the entrance are all important for determining whether fish use the pass and if they can make it upriver.

The fish pass at Diglis weir was designed for Twaite shad, which are not strong swimmers or leapers. A fish pass that this species can traverse will probably allow fish of various sizes and swimming abilities to make their way upriver too. Not all fish passes are designed to accommodate weaker swimmers, however. Globally, fish passes have largely been built to benefit a single species or group, particularly those that are economically important, like salmon.

To begin to reverse the plunge in migratory fish populations, countries should build fish passes and remove dams in ways which benefit the greatest number of species. This will require governments establishing appropriate design standards and making it a national priority to reconnect their many disjointed rivers.

Explore further The freshwater pearl mussel favors the original salmon fish populations of the home river

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
A kid walks along fresh water fogger system along the Seine river, as Europe is under an unusually extreme heat wave, in Paris, France, Tuesday, Aug. 2, 2022. Credit: AP Photo/Francois Mori

Paris' regional authorities warned residents to be vigilant Wednesday, with temperatures soaring to 36 degrees Celsius (97 Fahrenheit). In a tweet, the Ile-de-France prefecture also asked residents to moderate their water consumption amid a "major dry spell."

Elsewhere in France, some 27 departments have now been placed on "orange alert" with a heat wave spreading mainly to the east of mainland France. Temperatures are set to hit up to 40 C (104 F) in some places in the south. The heat will reach its peak Wednesday, and begin to decline Thursday.

This August heat wave episode should be shorter than that of July, according to the French weather agency.

Paris employee moves the sun umbrella along the Seine river, as Europe is under an unusually extreme heat wave, in Paris, France, Tuesday, Aug. 2, 2022. Credit: AP Photo/Francois Mori

Parisian and tourists take sun baths along the Seine river, as Europe is under an unusually extreme heat wave, in Paris, France, Tuesday, Aug. 2, 2022. Credit: AP Photo/Francois Mori

A woman shelters from the sun with an umbrella along the Seine river, as Europe is under an unusually extreme heat wave, in Paris, France, Tuesday, Aug. 2, 2022. Credit: AP Photo/Francois Mori

Explore further Spain bakes on fifth day of early heatwave

 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain

Researchers are studying the way warming water temperatures will impact the Great Lakes region. Their work shows that small differences in lake surface temperatures can have a big impact on summer climate and can fuel extreme weathercrucial information.

The Great Lakes have a profound impact on the country's identity, economy and its climate. But the long-term influence of the Great Lakes on regional weather patterns, especially under a changing climate, has not been well understood. That's because most climate models don't realistically consider how the temperature or movement of six quadrillion gallons of lake water interact with the atmosphere.

A project called Coastal Observations, Mechanisms, and Predictions Across Systems and Scales (COMPASS), funded by the Office of Biological and Environmental Research in the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Office of Science, is working to address this knowledge gap. In a new study, a team of collaborators including Jiali Wang of DOE' s Argonne National Laboratory used high resolution regional model experiments to explore how lake surface temperatures may affect the climate of the Great Lakes region. The team found that a small difference in lake surface temperaturesjust 1.4 C of warmingcan have a big impact on summer climate, including:

Increasing near-surface air temperature.

Increasing evaporation over the lakes.

Reducing large thunderstorms upstream of the Great Lakes region.

Increasing smaller, more frequent thunderstorms downstream of Great Lakes region.

This warming is equivalent to the potential warming of the lake water surface temperatures predicted to occur by mid-century. Rising lake surface temperatures have the potential to destabilize regional climate conditions throughout the Great Lakes basin. This could increase extreme weather events, causing larger storms and flooding in an area that is home to 30 million people. With so many lives and so much infrastructure in the potential path of storms, accurate predictions are essential. That's where Wang and her team come in.

"Much of the work we do at Argonne involves making the country more resilient to the impacts of climate change," said Wang, "but we can't talk about becoming resilient until we truly understand the risks."

Scientific speed and accuracy are crucial to climate resilience

Climate scientists need highly accurate climate models that will allow them to make projections for the long-termthe next 20 to 30 years.

To inform the global climate model development on their more accurate representation of the Great Lakes, Wang's new study used more precise measurements of the lakes' surface water temperature to design numerical experiments. Instead of looking at regional climate from a global perspective, their study uses local and regional simulation output to "zoom in" on the Great Lakes region. Rather than seeing a resolution down to an area of a few hundred miles, the models can look even closerdown to an area of about two miles.

Another breakthrough of the COMPASS project will come from its two-way coupled, atmospheric and 3D hydrodynamic model with atmosphere-lake feedbacks. Here's why this is a game-changer in climate modeling:

The two-way coupling means the model considers the real-time interplay of how the lake effects the air and how the air effects the lake.

The 3D model considers the patterns of the lake currents as well as the horizontal and vertical mixing of the lake water, which is especially important for deep and large lakes.

These improvements are key to a highly accurate climate model, but they amount to an extremely large number of data points that need to be processed. This is where another essential tool comes in: the supercomputer.

Better tools, better data, better outcomes

Wang credits her team's success to their strong collaboration and their use of the Argonne Leadership Computing Facility (ALCF) and the National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center (NERSC), which are home to some of the world's fastest and most powerful supercomputers. "These simulations would not be possible without supercomputers," Wang said. "The calculations would have taken people years to complete on a laptop. However, with the supercomputing facilities at Argonne and NERSC we can scale up our science and test big, complex data sets very quickly." The ALCF and NERSC are DOE Office of Science user facilities.

Thanks to these computing facilities, the team is now running improved climate models to understand how climate change will impact water levels in the Great Lakes.

Wang stressed that when it comes to climate resilience, speed of discovery is key. "We can't wait. We need reliable data right now to prepare to meet tomorrow's challenges."

A paper based on the study was published in The Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, on May 17, 2022. In addition to Wang, other authors include Pengfei Xue, Argonne; Michigan Tech, Houghton; William Pringle, Argonne, and Zhao Yang and Yun Qian, PNNL, Richland, Washington.

Explore further Great Lakes levels are likely to see continued rise in next three decades

More information: Jiali Wang et al, Impacts of Lake Surface Temperature on the Summer Climate Over the Great Lakes Region, Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres (2022). Journal information: Journal of Geophysical Research - Atmospheres Jiali Wang et al, Impacts of Lake Surface Temperature on the Summer Climate Over the Great Lakes Region,(2022). DOI: 10.1029/2021JD036231
Cryo-electron tomography technology provides a view of a jumbo phage-infected bacterial cell (top left) with the nucleus-like compartment outlined in blue (top right). A close-up of the cell (bottom left) reveals the newly discovered chimallin protein and the chimallin protein's square lattice design (bottom right), with yellow highlighting an individual chimallin shell component. Credit: Villa Lab, UC San Diego

Humans aren't the only targets for viruses. Like us, bacteria become infected by many types of viruses. In fact, across billions of years, bacteria and viruses have engaged in a non-stop evolutionary arms race for survival that includes countless innovations and counter-adaptations.

Recently, biomedical scientists have ramped up interest in viruses known as bacteriophages, or phages, which can infect and kill dangerous bacteria. Phages, the most abundant organisms on the planet, are now recognized as a promising tool for combating bacterial infection as science seeks new therapies for rising waves of antibiotic resistance. Scientists would like to unlock the secrets of phages' evolutionary strategies in their ongoing conflict with bacteria.

A group of researchers with various specialties across the University of California San Diego campus has now leveraged new technologies to offer insights into previously unrecognized phage biological structures and processes. Publishing in the journal Nature, they offer an unprecedented look into an under-studied family known as "jumbo phages" and their remarkably evolved defenses against bacteria.

Among their discoveries, scientists from the laboratories of Elizabeth Villa, Kevin Corbett and Joe Pogliano found that jumbo phage cells construct a shielded compartment that acts similar to a nucleus in human and animal cells and protects the virus's core genetic material, which is needed to replicate and spread. The research team characterized the structure of the nucleus-like compartment for the first time using leading technologies, including cryo-electron microscopy and tomography at the highest resolution possible for cell imaging.

A cryo-EM depiction of jumbo phage compared with a T4 phage virus and a ribosome particle. Credit: Villa Lab, UC San Diego

"It's a different kind of compartmentunlike anything we have ever seen in nature," said Villa, an associate professor in the UC San Diego School of Biological Sciences and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator. "We were able to characterize this compartmenthow it assembles and functions at the most basic levelfrom each atom to the scale of the entire organism."

Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry Professor Rommie Amaro and her colleagues then applied state-of-the art computational techniques to simulate the phage structure's functions and remarkable flexibility. The researchers found that the compartment allows certain key components inside, while simultaneously serving as a defense mechanism against bacterial threats.

"These discoveries present us with a whole new era of phage biology," said Villa. "The shell serves as a growing shield for protection but it also has to import and export some things, and it does this with exquisite precision and selectivity. It's really weird biology."

The researchers discovered that the phage's nucleus-like shell assembles from a single protein. Given its role in phage defense, they named the protein chimallin after the shield carried by ancient Aztec warriors.

A fluorescence microscopy image reveals a bacterial cell infected by jumbo phage revealing the bacterial cell membrane (red), phage nucleus shell (green) and phage DNA (blue). Credit: Pogliano Lab, UC San Diego

Study co-author Joe Pogliano, a professor in the Department of Molecular Biology, has been studying these phages for more than 10 years. He believes nucleus-forming phages could be better for phage therapies against bacterial infections because they evolved to be naturally resistant to many types of bacterial defense systems.

"As we move toward the development of phage therapies, we'll need to learn more about this newly discovered phage nucleus since it appears to make them better at attacking bacteria," said Pogliano. Researchers, including Pogliano and Villa, will be collaborating with experts in UC San Diego's Center for Innovative Phage Applications and Therapeutics, the first dedicated phage therapy center in North America. "Now that we know certain phages have a shield, we could give it to other phages and make 'super phages' that are better at phage therapy and overcoming bacterial defenses. The first step in that process is understanding the structure of the chimallin protein which makes up the shield, which is one reason this work is so important."

Professor Kevin Corbett, a member of the Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, added biochemistry and structural biology expertise to the research team. He describes the findings as an example of convergent evolution in which distantly related organisms find similar ways to solve problems.

"The nuclear pore in eukaryotes is a gigantic, complex structure with very distinctive ways of keeping most proteins out but specifically importing others. What we're probably looking at with the jumbo phage is a dramatically simpler method of solving the same problem," said Corbett. "It's an amazingly creative solutionsimilar but simplerto protecting its genome from the outside world by building a wall to separate it from bacterial defenses."

Twenty-four individual chimallin proteins assemble as a cube inside cells of infected bacteria. Thousands of chimallin components assemble into tiles that ultimately make up square sheets of the phage nucleus shell. Credit: Villa Lab, UC San Diego

Co-first author Thomas Laughlin, a Biological Sciences postdoctoral scholar, led the visualization of the jumbo phage compartment. Using facilities and technological resources unique to UC San Diego, and in coordination with co-first author Amar Deep and other members of collaborating labs, they helped characterize the compartment from the scale of microns to atoms to help decipher its functions.

Laughlin said he was most surprised at finding that the compartment is formed with multiple copies of the chimallin protein arranged as a square lattice, or fishnet-like configuration. Since honeycomb (hexagonal) configurations are much more common in nature, Laughlin and the other members of the team did not anticipate such a simple structure underlying the compartment's structure.

Laughlin and the other researchers say their findings about the jumbo phage and its compartment lead to many more questions, including how certain components are processed inside and outside the shell.

"We now know the principle structure of the compartment of a mature phage nucleus, but we'd like to know how it assembles to begin with," said Laughlin. "What is the biogenesis (or "prequel") at the early stages of infection? How does it all start once the virus injects its genome into the host bacteria?"

The Nature paper's full author list includes Thomas Laughlin, Amar Deep, Amy Prichard (graduate student), Christian Seitz (graduate student), Yajie Gu, Eray Enustun (graduate student), Sergey Suslov, Kanika Khanna (recent Ph.D. recipient), Erica Birkholz (graduate student), Emily Armbruster (graduate student), J. Andrew McCammon, Rommie Amaro, Joe Pogliano, Kevin Corbett and Elizabeth Villa.

Explore further Understanding how bacteria have developed a new defense mechanism against phage infection

More information: Thomas G. Laughlin et al, Architecture and self-assembly of the jumbo bacteriophage nuclear shell, Nature (2022). Journal information: Nature Thomas G. Laughlin et al, Architecture and self-assembly of the jumbo bacteriophage nuclear shell,(2022). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-05013-4
E-bikes may help riders take more trips by bike. Credit: Dongho Chang

Replacing more car trips with bike trips can be a great way to reduce carbon emissions, but biking can be tough if you have physical limitations, have a long way to travel or just don't want to get sweaty on your way to work. For many people, an electric bicycle (or e-bike) can solve all these problems. In fact, one study found that people who owned e-bikes replaced 62% of the trips they would normally take by car with their e-bike. Unfortunately, e-bikes are too expensive for many people.

So what's the best way to help more people access e-bikes?

That's what John MacArthur, sustainable transportation program manager at Portland State's Transportation Research and Education Center (TREC), wants to know. MacArthur has been studying e-bikes for many years and is a leader in the field. Recently, he teamed up with Cameron Bennett, a master's student in transportation engineering at PSU, Chris Cherry at the University of Tennessee Knoxville and Luke Jones at Valdosta State University in Georgia, to conduct an ambitious three-phase study on e-bike incentives.

In the first phase of the project, MacArthur and Bennett compiled a live tracker of current and proposed e-bike incentive programs in North America (see the e-bike incentive tracker here). In their research, they were surprised to learn that the design of many of the incentive programs for e-bikes has been somewhat arbitrary.

"Generally, it seems that little thought was given to the potential of the specific incentive value to induce new purchases that would not otherwise have happened for particular groups or income brackets," Bennett said.

This lack of strategic program design likely limits the effectiveness of these incentives and prevents getting more e-bikes to people who normally would not consider them or be able to buy them.

To see what works and what doesn't when it comes to incentives, MacArthur and Bennett conducted a deep dive analysis of 75 current, past and proposed e-bike incentive programs in North America for the second phase of their study. The researchers interviewed program managers, industry leaders and academics to develop a set of recommendations for how to design an effective e-bike incentive program. They published their findings in a publicly available white paper.

In their research, MacArthur and Bennett came across some elements common to many incentive programs that may limit their effectiveness. These include:

only 25% of incentive programs restricted incentives to low and middle income riders, which means incentive money is likely going to people who can already afford e-bikes

most programs provided $200-600 in incentives, which leaves the $2,600 average cost of an e-bike unaffordable for many people

half of the incentive programs require participants to purchase their e-bike from a local dealer, which is good for bike shops but prevents people from being able to buy less expensive e-bikes online

With more information and planning, policy makers may be able to design better e-bike incentive programs. MacArthur and Bennett distilled their findings into a program development flowchart that guides policy makers through steps they can use to design an equitable and effective e-bike incentive program.

These steps include:

Define guiding principles : What are the goals of the incentive program and how will progress be assessed? Identify a target population: Is the program open to everyone? To people below a certain income level? A particular group of people? Define the types of e-bikes to be included: Are cargo e-bikes, which are more expensive but may attract more participants, included? Select the incentive amount: Will everyone get the same amount regardless? Is the subsidy a flat amount or dependent on the price of the e-bike? Define the process: How will the incentive be implemented? Identify strategic partners: Will the program include community organizations? Local bike shops? Financial institutions that can offer low-interest loans? Administer program and track relevant metrics Evaluate program performance: Did the program reach its goals and target the right populations?

For the final phase of the project, MacArthur and Bennett are conducting a study of potential e-bike buyers to see how the design of incentive programs could influence their decision-making. The team is interested in identifying the potential effects of different rebate methods, cash amounts, demographics and other factors.

This study will yield even more insight into what affects people's decision-making, and which types of incentive programs may hit the sweet spot. You can help the team out by taking the survey here.

"Our research shows that e-bikes have the potential to get more people biking for everyday use," says MacArthur. "Getting people out of cars and onto bikes has net positive impacts on carbon reduction, increases physical activity and health, and offers our communities more options for getting around. Increasing access to e-bike incentives, especially for people on a low-income, can help us meet our climate goals faster and improve people's quality of life."

Explore further Bringing emerging transportation options to underserved communities
A researcher holds a perovskite module. Credit: Penn State

As demand for solar energy rises around the world, scientists are working to improve the performance of solar devicesimportant if the technology is to compete with traditional fuels. But researchers face theoretical limits on how efficient they can make solar cells.

One method for pushing efficiency beyond those limits involves adding up-conversion nanoparticles to the materials used in the solar devices. Up-conversion materials allow solar cells to harvest energy from a wider spectrum of light than normally possible. A team of scientists testing this approach found the nanoparticles boosted efficiency, but not for the reason they expected. Their research may suggest a new path forward for developing more efficient solar devices.

"Some researchers in the literature have hypothesized and showed results that up-conversion nanoparticles provide a boost in performance," said Shashank Priya, associate vice president for research and professor of materials science and engineering at Penn State. "But this research shows that it doesn't matter if you put in up-conversion nanoparticles or any other nanoparticlesthey will show the boosted efficiency because of the enhance light scattering."

Adding nanoparticles is like adding millions of small mirrors inside a solar cell, the scientists said. Light traveling through the device hits the nanoparticles and scatters, potentially hitting other nanoparticles and reflecting many times within the device and providing a noticeable photocurrent enhancement.

The scientists said this light scattering process and not up-conversion led to boosted efficiency in solar devices they created.

"It doesn't matter what nanoparticles you put in, as long as they are nanosized with specific scattering properties it always leads to an increase in efficiency by a few percentage points," Kai Wang said, assistant research professor in Department of Materials Science and Engineering, and co-author of the study. "I think our research provides a nice explanation on why this type of composite light absorbing structure is interesting for the solar community."

Up-conversion nanoparticles work by absorbing infrared light and emitting visible light that solar cell can absorb and convert into additional power. Almost half of the energy from the sun reaches the Earth as infrared light, but most solar cells are unable to harvest it. Scientists have proposed that tapping into this could push solar cell efficiency past its theoretical ceiling, the Shockley-Queisser (SQ) limit, which is around 30% for single-junction solar cells powered by sunlight.

Previous studies have shown a 1% to 2% boost in efficiency using up-conversion nanoparticles. But the team found these materials provided only a very small boost in perovskite solar devices they created, the scientists said.

"We were focused initially on up-converting infrared light to the visible spectrum for absorption and energy conversion by perovskite, but the data from our Penn State colleagues indicated this was not a significant process," said Jim Piper, co-author and emeritus professor at Macquarie University, Australia. "Subsequently we provided undoped nanocrystals that do not give optical up-conversion and they were just as effective in enhancing the energy conversion efficiency."

The team performed theoretical calculations and found the boost in efficiency instead resulted from the nanoparticles' ability to improve light scattering.

"We started to basically play around with nanoparticle distribution in the model, and we started to see that as you distribute the particles far away from each other, you start to see some enhanced scattering," said Thomas Brown, associate professor at the University of Rome. "Then we had this breakthrough."

Adding the nanoparticles boosted the efficiency of perovskite solar cells by 1% in the study, the scientists reported in the journal ACS Energy Letters. The scientists said changing the shape, size and distribution of nanoparticles within these devices could yield higher efficiencies.

"So some optimum shape, distribution or size can actually lead to even more photocurrent enchantment," Priya said. "That could be the future research direction based on ideas from this research."

Explore further Enhancing solar efficiency with upconversion

More information: Yuchen Hou et al, Homogenization of Optical Field in Nanocrystal-Embedded Perovskite Composites, ACS Energy Letters (2022). Journal information: ACS Energy Letters Yuchen Hou et al, Homogenization of Optical Field in Nanocrystal-Embedded Perovskite Composites,(2022). DOI: 10.1021/acsenergylett.2c00608
Researchers from Japan used a peptide-based pharmacophore to identify a potent molecule that binds to and inhibits the bacterial Shiga toxin, Stx2a. Results suggest that the novel compound #6 may be an effective therapeutic agent against enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC) infections. Credit: Prof. Kiyotaka Nishikawa from Doshisha University, Japan. Scientific Reports (2022). DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-15316-1

A strain of E. coli bacteria called enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC) is known to cause several gastrointestinal disorders, which include bloody diarrhea and abdominal cramps, by damaging the intestinal lining. When accompanied with fatal systemic complications, it can even cause acute renal failure in children. The EHEC exerts these deadly effects by producing the Shiga toxin (Stx), of which the Stx2a subtype is particularly virulent and deadly. Compounds that can inhibit these toxins are, therefore, desirable as potential therapeutics against EHEC infections.

To this end, a group of scientists from Japan led by Professor Kiyotaka Nishikawa from Doshisha University has recently discovered a molecule that inhibits Stx2a toxicity by binding to its "A-subunit"the part of the toxin responsible for its lethality.

"The catalytic A-subunit of Stx2a toxin inhibits protein synthesis and its inhibition could be crucial for slowing EHEC pathogenesis," says Prof. Nishikawa, explaining their motivation behind the study, which was published in Scientific Reports. The same group had earlier developed an inhibitory molecule that can bind to the B-subunit of Shiga toxin and reduce its toxicity.

Professor Nishikawa and his colleagues, including Assistant Professor Miho Watanabe-Takahashi of Doshisha University, Dr. Miki Senda and Dr. Toshiya Senda of the Institute of Materials Structure Science at High Energy Accelerator Research Organization (KEK), and Dr. Kentaro Shimizu of the University of Tokyo, among others, identified the potent compound from a database with over 7,400,000 molecules.

To do this, the researchers had to first identify the basic 3D arrangement of molecules (the peptide motif) that can occupy the catalytic cavity in the A-subunit. In a stroke of luck, they stumbled upon a synthetic molecule with a high affinity for A-subunit. This molecule, a peptide called "MMA-mono," helped identify the compound that could bind to the A-subunit of Shiga toxin by serving as a template.

The researchers next outlined the molecular and electronic structure that a possible inhibitory compound must have using structural analysis and X-ray crystallography. These features of a potential inhibitor, known as a "pharmacophore," was then confirmed using molecular dynamics simulations.

Finally, they screened a chemical database for compounds that resembled the pharmacophore and identified nine candidates using docking simulations. Of these, a compound identified as "compound #6" showed effective binding to the A-subunit of Stx2a.

Further, in vitro cytotoxicity assays using Vero cells showed that compound #6 significantly reduced the destruction of cells caused by Stx2a. Additionally, mice models treated with a lethal dose of Stx2a and compound #6 survived longer than those injected with only Stx2a.

Prof. Nishikawa is optimistic about the future applications of this study. On being asked how the compound might work in the infected cells, he explains, "The hydrophobicity of compound #6 may facilitate penetration through the cell envelope, allowing it to inhibit the toxin present in the cells. We believe that it holds promise as a novel therapeutic agent for treating EHEC infections."

The team has even suggested that their studied pharmacophore could help design more inhibitors for similar toxins, such as the bioterrorism agent ricin, whose catalytic region has a structure similar to that of Stx.

Explore further Toxin promotes cattle-to-cattle transmission of deadly Escherichia coli strains

More information: Miho Watanabe-Takahashi et al, A unique peptide-based pharmacophore identifies an inhibitory compound against the A-subunit of Shiga toxin, Scientific Reports (2022). Journal information: Scientific Reports Miho Watanabe-Takahashi et al, A unique peptide-based pharmacophore identifies an inhibitory compound against the A-subunit of Shiga toxin,(2022). DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-15316-1

Provided by Doshisha University
What makes me really sad is to see veterans, seniors and disabled who deserve any help that they can get, left to fend for themselves.

I just read (the letter) Time for Change on Council by C A Kloster (Castanet July 28) and the writer calls for the mayor and council to spend time in understaffed, non-air conditioned nursing homes and eat the meals residents get.

Most of the seniors in these places worked all their lives and this is how they spend their final years, Kloster writes.

I agree with this, but maybe we should all be forced to live a couple days in the lives of others to gain an appreciation of what others have to go through on the day-to-day.

I guarantee you would never speed past a tow truck driver offering assistance to a traveller in a broken down vehicle if you spent a weekend with a tow truck driver. I would bet you'd be willing to spend more of your tax money if you spent a weekend living in an overcrowded seniors lodge. You would probably never yell at a flagger again, after spending your weekend getting insulted by impatient drivers. How different would you treat your fast food, coffee shop or other behind-the-counter worker if you spent a weekend in their shoes.

Anyone in the right state of mind should be able to remove themselves from a situation, consider the consequences of their actions and how they would feel if they were on the receiving end of whatever it is they are about to dobreak into a single mothers car for $1.50 in change, yell at a Timmie's worker for forgetting you wanted a honey dipped doughnut, not a honey cruller, drive 120 km/h past a guy whos trying to get a family of four to safety from the fast lane on Bridge Hill only to have 80 cars a minute not slow down and refuse to use one of the other three empty lanes but instead drive a foot from them at double the speed limit.

Before you do anything, think of how you would feel in their shoes. Correct your horrible behaviours because the reality is, the world can really suck at times, humans are animals, you can't believe in anyone, help is never just a phone call away and sometimes people you trust are going to screw you over and people you would never trust will go out of their way to help you.

Treat others how you wish to be treated.

Troy Gangl
Husker biochemist Ed Cahoon and colleagues are researching vegetable oils with the potential to become environmentally friendly bioproducts. Credit: Craig Chandler | University Communication and Marketing

Plant science is opening up promising opportunities to create environmentally friendly bioproductsfuels, lubricants and other products that substitute for petroleum-based ones. Researchers with the University of NebraskaLincoln's Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources are exploring a range of innovative approaches.

A key focus involves new types of vegetable oils with fatty acid structures that enable production of biomaterials in significant quantity. To create those oils on the needed scale, scientists first must conduct complex research to understand the oils' enzymes and genes.

Research by Husker biochemist Ed Cahoon and colleagues is advancing this scientific knowledge. The journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences recently published the findings by Cahoon and his collaborators in Nebraska's Center for Plant Science Innovation and Department of Biochemistry, the Brookhaven National Laboratory in New York, Prince of Songkla University in Thailand and Huazhong Agricultural University in China.

The IANR project studied a specific, unusual fatty acid in Thunbergia, a tropical vine. The acid is unusual in that the plant chemicals have unconventional molecular chains that give new functional properties to vegetable oils. Understanding the enzymes that create the fatty acid was essential for the researchers. Because of their distinct properties, these enzymes are particularly suited to produce genetically engineered plants rich in the fatty acid.

Genetically modified sorghum, for example, lends itself well to such genomic modification and is a focus of Cahoon and his IANR colleagues. Once modified in that way, sorghum's fatty acid has strong potential for facilitating production of biofuels and biomaterials.

"Nature makes enzymes do certain things," said Cahoon, George W. Holmes Professor of biochemistry. "If we can learn from the plants that do something different, we can design the enzymes to have new functions," such as creation of specialty chemicals. Such efforts are known as protein engineering, stemming from the understanding of the oilseed enzymes and their three-dimensional structures.

As Cahoon and his colleagues write in their new paper, studies of unusual monounsaturated fatty acids "have provided a wealth of biochemical information and biotechnological utility." (Monounsaturated fats have a "double bond" in their molecular structure, resulting in the oil being liquid at room temperature but solid when chilled.)

Petroselinic acid was the main unusual fatty acid studied by Cahoon and his colleagues in their analysis of Thunbergia. The scientists found the plant's seeds to be extraordinarily rich in the acid, which has strong biomaterials potential. Petroselinic acid accounted for more than 90% of the seed oils' weight.

Thunbergia "is a nice ornamental vine and looks beautiful, but we could never grow it as a crop in Nebraska," said Cahoon, director of the Center for Plant Science Innovation. "But we can find the genes that make the unusual fatty acid, and we can then engineer them into sorghum and oilseed crops to create higher-value oils."

The IANR research was funded through a $3.8 million, five-year grant from the U.S. Department of Energy's Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation. Cahoon and Thomas Clemente, Eugene W. Price Distinguished Professor of Biotechnology at Nebraska, are among the array of scientists nationwide contributing to research for the center.

Among the focuses of the Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation is a "plants-as-factories" concept by which genetic engineering produces plant cells with bioproducts-related properties. Sorghum, along with sugarcane, is one of "the world's highest biomass producers," the center notes, "with demonstrated potential for accumulation of oil in vegetative biomass after successful metabolic engineering."

The IANR research "has both a fundamental aspect to it of learning new things about fatty acids and enzymes," Cahoon said. "The second part is trying to use that information to design new types of oils that might have increased-value industrial applications and biofuels."

This research project featured a basic three-part division of labor. Cahoon, the principal investigator, made the initial discovery of Thunbergia oilseed's extraordinarily high level of petroselinic acid. Lu Gan and Kiyoul Park, postdoctoral scientists in Cahoon's lab in the Center for Plant Science Innovation, isolated the genes for enzymes the plant uses to make the fatty acid. Among the enzymes identified was an enzyme known as a fatty acid desaturase that introduces double bondsunsaturationin novel places in fatty acids. As a result, those fatty acids have new functional properties of vegetable oils.

Structural biologist Qun Liu and biochemist John Shanklin at Brookhaven National Laboratory carried out complex analyses of the enzyme's three-dimensional structure. This information guided the design of "new" fatty acid desaturases that can create monounsaturated fatty acids not found in nature.

Nebraska's Gan and Park then genetically engineered camelina oilseed to produce petroselinic acid-rich vegetable oils.

Cahoon has had a longtime interest in developing new oilseeds with innovative benefits. That interest, going back to his grad school days three decades ago, has regularly led him to pursue "bioprospecting"exploring a wide range of plants in search of seeds with a high level of unusual fatty acid that may have novel nutritional or industrial value.

Bioprospecting isn't anything new in the scientific community, he noted. Plants produce thousands of chemicals and that has spurred bioprospecting study by generations of researchers. Some drug discoveries have stemmed from medicinal properties long associated with particular plants. The development of aspirin, for example, arose from long-noted properties of willow bark.

Cahoon's discovery of Thunbergia oilseed's high level of unusual fatty acid came after he studied several species of Thunbergia he had ordered online. A few years earlier, his bioprospecting led him to study the oilseed of the Chinese violet cress, a flowering plant native to central China. Working in collaboration with a scientist at Huazhong Agricultural University, he identified two new unusual fatty acids.

The scientists agreed to name one of the fatty acids after the Chinese researcher's city in Chinahence, the name wuhanic acid.

And the other fatty acid? It's now officially designated nebraskanic acid. It's an excellent lubricant, perhaps one that in the future could help substitute for petroleum-based ones.

More information: Lu Gan et al, Divergent evolution of extreme production of variant plant monounsaturated fatty acids, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2022). Journal information: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Lu Gan et al, Divergent evolution of extreme production of variant plant monounsaturated fatty acids,(2022). DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2201160119
(a) Boundaries of Sentinel-3 (blue circle) and CryoSat-2 (yellow loop). The study region is indicated in light blue. (b) Comparison between the elevation changes in the study region extracted without filtering (left) and with filtering (right). Filtering removes outliers via data clustering, improving the accuracy of the results. Credit: Song Li et al, Journal of Applied Remote Sensing (2022), DOI: 10.1117/1.JRS.16.034514.

The Antarctic region is particularly vulnerable to climate change, and studies have shown that the melting of Antarctic ice sheets has accelerated considerably in recent years. As a result, sea levels continue to rise globally, threatening the lives of coastal inhabitants.

Given the potentially devastating effects of the melting ice sheets in Antarctica, scientists have been closely monitoring their topography and height for decades. This is usually done using satellites equipped with special altimeter radars, which provide a nearly continuous coverage of most of the Antarctic region. In many cases, data from multiple satellite missions are combined to achieve higher accuracy and precision as well as to compare data from different periods. However, combining these data is not a straightforward process because of the different instrumentation and processing techniques involved.

In a recent study, researchers led by Professor Jingjuan Liao from the Chinese Academy of Sciences tested a new approach that combined elevation data of the Antarctic ice sheet from two different satellites. As explained in their paper published in SPIE's Journal of Applied Remote Sensing, their goal was to obtain a more accurate map of the latest elevation changes in the Antarctic ice sheet as well as validate their data analysis methods.

The data used in the study came from radar altimeters installed in CryoSat-2 and Sentinel-3, and corresponded to surface elevation changes in the ice sheet between 2016 and 2019. CryoSat-2, which was launched in 2010, provides greater coverage of the Antarctic ice sheet and has better accuracy in complex edge regions of ice sheets. In contrast, Sentinel-3, launched in 2016, offers higher resolution under most conditions and performs better in large flat areas.

To improve the accuracy of the results, the team first filtered the data using a clustering algorithm. Essentially, the algorithm divided up the input data points into clusters according to their value and rejected clusters containing outliers (which likely represented large measurement errors).

Additionally, the team employed a fitting model designed to extract elevation changes from the combined satellite data while correcting for measurement biases. To validate the results of this model, they compared them with reliable elevation data gathered using other altimeters.

Their analyses showed that the average elevation of the ice sheets had decreased at a rate of 4.3  0.9 cm/year during 2016-2019. However, the inner continental ice sheet, where the terrain is mostly flat, had shown a milder decrease of only 1.1  0.3 cm per year. "We derived a correlation between elevation changes and the surface slope, with rapid elevation changes occurring more often in areas with large terrain undulations, such as mountainous and marginal ice shelves," Liao said.

With these results, the researchers are hopeful that their approach would find applications in future investigations of Antarctic ice sheets. "Our study presents an effective method for improving the measurement accuracy by combining elevation information from new radar altimeters. This could enable a long-term monitoring of global climate change in the Antarctic region," Liao said.

Continued efforts on this front could help mitigate the adverse effects of global warming in the poles.

Explore further New satellite keeps close watch on Antarctic ice loss

More information: Song Li et al, Extraction and analysis of elevation changes in Antarctic ice sheet from CryoSat-2 and Sentinel-3 radar altimeters, Journal of Applied Remote Sensing (2022). Song Li et al, Extraction and analysis of elevation changes in Antarctic ice sheet from CryoSat-2 and Sentinel-3 radar altimeters,(2022). DOI: 10.1117/1.JRS.16.034514
Graphic showing mechanisms of Nepenthes gracilis. Credit: Anne-Kristin Lenz

Scientists at the University of Bristol have uncovered the deadly workings of a carnivorous plant.

In the steaming jungles of Borneo, plants have evolved innumerable tricks to help them survive and outcompete their neighbors. The Slender Pitcher Plant, Nepenthes gracilis, is amongst the most ingenious: Its elaborate cup-shaped leaves are equipped with a canopy-like hanging lid that turns into a deadly springboard for ants when it is hit by a falling rain drop.

The findings, published today in Biology Letters, reveal for the first time how the lethal spring works.

The team were surprised to find that rather than bending in the lid itself or in the narrow constriction between pitcher cup and lid, the spring is located far down in the back of the tubular pitcher wall. The off-center location at the rear of the tube has two effects.

The Slender Pitcher Plant capturing prey using raindrops. Credit: Anne-Kristin Lenz

First, it makes the spring direction-dependent, and as a result, the lid moves easily down, but not up. When a rain drop hits, the lid is accelerated quickly downwards, flicking any insects sitting on its underside into the fluid-filled trap below. On the way up though, the increased resistance of the spring slows the lid down, so that it stops moving sooner and the trap is quickly ready to capture again.

Second, the off-center spring prevents the lid from twisting or wobbling, thereby maximizing the transmission of impact energy into downward movement.

The Slender Pitcher Plant known as Nepenthes gracilis. Credit: Dr Ulrike Bauer

Lead author Anne-Kristin Lenz of Bristol's School of Biological Sciences explained, "If you look at the pitcher shape you would assume that the deformation happens at the smallest cross section, which is the transition point from lid to pitcher tube, but in fact it also deforms further down at the back of the pitcher tube.

"Pitcher plant traps are lightweight, but sturdy. Nepenthes gracilis uses small changes in the trap shape to transmit impact energy with astounding efficiency. We can learn from these plants how to optimize structures geometrically, which could help to save material and weight, while still having a functional spring. The springboard trapping mechanism might even provide inspiration for designing new mechanical devices for harvesting energy from rain or hail."

The Slender Pitcher Plant known as Nepenthes gracilis. Credit: Dr Ulrike Bauer

This clever use of geometry makes Nepenthes gracilis the only known plant to exploit an external energy source to achieve extremely fast movemententirely free of metabolic costs.

Explore further New kind of plant movement discovered in a carnivorous pitcher plant

More information: Pitcher geometry facilitates extrinsically powered 'springboard trapping' in carnivorous Nepenthes gracilis pitcher plants, Biology Letters (2022). Journal information: Biology Letters Pitcher geometry facilitates extrinsically powered 'springboard trapping' in carnivorous Nepenthes gracilis pitcher plants,(2022). royalsocietypublishing.org/doi  .1098/rsbl.2022.0106
While most spaghetti worms live inside a tube or burrow, Biremis crawls along the seafloor and has even been observed swimming above the bottom. Credit: MBARI

MBARI's remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) have helped shed new light on the mysteries of the deep. We have logged over 6,100 deep-sea dives, yet every time our vehicles descend into the depths, we manage to learn something new. From time to time, we come across an animal that stumps our scientists.

During one of MBARI's expeditions to Mexico's Gulf of California, researchers observed what looked like small pom-poms lying on the seafloor. These mystery masses turned out to be a spectacular type of spaghetti worm: Biremis.

This shaggy species was previously known solely from the Bahamas. Upon further examination and DNA testing by our expert collaborators at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, we realized we had encountered a new species of Biremis.

Biremis has no eyes, no gills, and lacks obvious chaetae, or bristles, along its body segments. It is also unusual because its tentacles are inflated, giving it the pom-pom appearance that caught the researchers' attention. The Gulf of California species is deep-dwelling, with the majority of our observations deeper than 2,000 meters (6,600 feet). It remains undescribed, but the team is hoping to formally publish a detailed description in the scientific literature after we know more about its appearance, genetics, and natural history.

Spaghetti worms are a type of polychaete worm grouped in the family Terebellidae. Scientists have described about 400 different species of terebellids, which are found worldwide. They're relatively common and characteristically have numerous grooved tentacles for feeding. Like other terebellids, Biremis lives on the ocean bottom, but while most live in a tube or burrow, this species has been observed resting on the seafloor or swimming just above it. Swimming freely allows the worm to easily move around and find new places to feed. Biremis uses its bountiful bundle of non-retractile tentacles to harvest particles of marine snow that have settled on the seafloor. If you look closely at the video, you can see the trail the animal has made in the mud.

Credit: Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute

Scientists have discovered and named more than 12,000 living species of polychaetes. MBARI's ROVs have given us many opportunities to observe the unique polychaetes that live in the deep sea, including worms that "dance" in the midwater, drop bioluminescent bombs, or digest decomposing bones.

No doubt many more wonderful worms like Biremis await discovery in the ocean's mysterious depths. Although giving a species its own name would seem to be a simple process, it actually takes a lot of time and dedication to collect specimens, examine key features that distinguish each species, sequence the DNA, and assign a scientific name. Over the past 35 years, MBARI researchers have discovered more than 240 new species, including 30 new worms.

Biremis is an unusual type of spaghetti worm. They are so named for their sweeping tentacles, which are used to collect morsels of food. Credit: MBARI

Although we have yet to discover and describe the majority of species living deep beneath the ocean's surface, these animals face a fragile future. Threats like overfishing, pollution, and climate change extend to the waters deep beneath the surface too. Because we know so little about the deep ocean, MBARI's efforts to document the diversity of life in this realm are laying the foundation to understand how these threats will affect deep-sea communities.

Explore further Glowing to the bottom
Credit: CC0 Public Domain

COVID-19 Lockdowns provided an opportunity for many more people to bring a pet into their lives but new research has found that rudeness towards veterinary staff is linked to increased levels of anxiety and depression, alongside a greater risk of burnout and may prompt some to re-consider their future in the profession.

Led by psychologists at the University of Aberdeen the research, published in the journal Veterinary Record looked at both client and co-worker incivility towards vets and veterinary nurses based across the UK and Ireland.

The research follows previous studies which have highlighted aggressive clients as a stressor for vets working alone, particularly when working on-call or at night.

The initial Aberdeen-led interview study focused on client incivility published in Veterinary Record in December was followed up with a more detailed questionnaire-based study examining client and co-worker incivility completed by 252 veterinary staff, currently in-press with Veterinary Record.

Dr. Amy Irwin from the University of Aberdeen's School of Psychology led the research. She said: "Previous studies have looked at incidents of aggression but we wanted to establish the impact of low-level but more regular adverse behavior towards veterinarians, how this is affecting their work and mental health and how they can be supported.

"The first study highlighted the importance of client behavior, with veterinarians reporting that experiencing multiple instances of client rudeness could lead to them withdrawing from clients, either through reducing working hours or on-call commitments, or via a change in career focus.

"With reports showing that more than three million UK households have acquired a pet since the start of the pandemic, vets are under increased pressure.

"Clients themselves might also be struggling, with the financial aspect of veterinary care provision highlighted as a sensitive area, with several participants describing incidents that began when the client received the bill. Participants suggested this type of reaction could sometimes be based on client guilt, where the client chooses not to proceed, or refuses a treatment, because they cannot afford it."

However, despite recognizing that negative behaviors from pet owners often arose from difficult circumstances, vets reported that rudeness towards them still had a detrimental impact, especially when they felt the target was themselves or their clinical abilities.

Dr. Irwin added: "We found that self-identity as a veterinary professional, linked to the desire to protect and help animals, was a contributing factor to responses to incivility.

"When that desire was questioned, or the veterinarian was blamed for a poor outcome, this had an adverse impact."

The questionnaire results expand on the interview findings, illustrating veterinary staff can experience rudeness from both clients and co-workers with varying effects. Client incivility was linked to increased anxiety and risk of burnout, potentially explained by the concept of emotional labor where veterinary staff must provide professional 'service with a smile' even if the client is behaving rudely.

Rudeness from senior colleagues was tied to reduced job satisfaction and increased likelihood of quitting. Veterinary nurses in particular may be more at risk of leaving their practice or the profession if they are not provided with support from their organization.

The studies recommend a number of actions to reduce the impact on incivility upon vets including generating a supportive workplace environment by encouraging staff to discuss rude incidents to gain support from colleagues and building procedural support mechanisms, such as guidelines for managing uncivil clients, protocols for taking additional staff into a consult and re-allocating client consults to allow veterinarians time to recover after an uncivil interaction.

Explore further Study helps veterinarian mental health

More information: Amy Irwin et al, Ruminating on rudeness: Exploring veterinarians' experiences of client incivility, Veterinary Record (2021). Journal information: Veterinary Record Amy Irwin et al, Ruminating on rudeness: Exploring veterinarians' experiences of client incivility,(2021). DOI: 10.1002/vetr.1078
Grace Halferty, a senior graduating this summer with a bachelor's degree in aerospace and mechanical engineering and the paper's lead author, with the instrument researchers built to measure the brightness and position of SpaceX Starlink satellites. Credit: Kyle Mittan/University of Arizona

As satellites crawl across the sky, they reflect light from the sun back down to Earth, especially during the first few hours after sunset and the first few hours before sunrise. As more companies launch networks of satellites into low-Earth orbit, a clear view of the night sky is becoming rarer. Astronomers, in particular, are trying to find ways to adapt.

With that in mind, a team of University of Arizona students and faculty has completed a comprehensive study to track and characterize the brightness of satellites, using a ground-based sensor they developed to measure satellites' brightness, speed and paths through the sky. Their work could be helpful for astronomers, whoif notified of incoming bright satellitescould close the shutters of their telescope-mounted cameras to prevent light trails from tainting their long-exposure astronomical images.

The research team was led by professor of planetary sciences Vishnu Reddy, who also co-leadswith professor of systems and industrial engineering Roberto Furfarothe university's Space Domain Awareness lab, which tracks and characterizes all kinds of objects orbiting Earth and the moon.

Grace Halferty, a senior graduating this summer with a bachelor's degree in aerospace and mechanical engineering, is the lead author of the study, which is published in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. The study details how the team created a satellite tracking device to measure the brightness and position of SpaceX Starlink satellites and compared those observations to government satellite tracking data from the Space Track Catalog database.

"Until now, most photometricor brightnessobservations that were available were done by naked eye," Halferty said. "This is one of the first comprehensive photometric studies out there to go through peer review. The satellites are challenging to track with traditional astronomical telescopes, because they are so bright and fast-moving, so we built what's basically a small sensor with a camera lens ourselves because there was nothing off the shelf available."

The team made 353 measurements of 61 satellites over two years and found that the position of Starlink satellites as recorded in the government's Space Track Catalog only differed by an average of 0.3 arc seconds from the UArizona calculations. An arc second on the sky is about the size of a dime held 2.5 miles away. The tiny difference is probably due to natural lag times in the government data, Reddy said. Because that data is based on estimated orbits calculated days earlier, rather than on real-time observations, positioning errors can build up.

"This suggests that there is hope that astronomers can use these data to close the shutter of their telescopes in time amid the growing chaos in the skies above," Reddy said.

A stellar traffic jam

Starlink is a large network of satellites, also called a mega constellation, operated by SpaceX with the goal of providing global internet coverage. SpaceX started launching Starlink satellites in 2019. Today, more than 2,700 Starlink satellites have launcheda fraction of the intended total of 42,000 satellites.

Other examples of satellite constellations include 31 GPS satellites and 75 iridium satellites for communication. Other entities have plans to launch more satellites into low and medium Earth orbit in the next few years. Amazon, for example, plans to launch 3,000 satellites, and the Chinese government plans to launch 13,000. These satellites will orbit no higher than 22,000 miles above Earth.

The problem with satellites is that they require power harvested from solar panels, which can reflect sunlight at ground-based telescopes, and in turn, impact astronomical observations from telescopes around the world. About 30% of all telescope images will be impacted by at least one satellite trail once the Starlink constellation is complete, said research team member Tanner Campbell, a graduate research assistant in the Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering.

"As other constellations are added, the problem will only get worse for ground-based astronomical surveys," he said.

These satellites are even more reflective right after launch, while they are still relatively low and tightly clustered before they spread throughout their orbit over time. They are often as bright as Saturn or Jupiter, two of the brightest objects in the night sky. As they maneuver into higher orbits, they become slightly fainter.

A moving target

SpaceX has deployed a few different methods to darken its Starlink satellites. For example, VisorSat satellites rely on a shade to block additional sunlight, making them 1.6 times fainter. DarkSat satellites, on the other hand, rely on an anti-reflective coating that makes them 4.8 times fainter. However, DarkSats got too hot, so SpaceX moved away from that specific method. Since August 2021, all Starlink satellites are VisorSats.

"While these modifications are steps in the right direction, they also don't dim the satellites enough for astronomical surveys," said research team member Adam Battle, a graduate student studying planetary science.

In July, SpaceX announced new strategies. One involves mirrors that reflect sunlight away from Earth and another involves using darker building materials. Reddy's team plans to study how effective these methods are at reducing sunlight reflection back to Earth.

While knowing exactly where satellites are is helpful to astronomers, the act of shutting the cameras adds overhead costs for telescope operations. Surveys become less efficient when astronomers have to close the shutter or throw away contaminated images. For example, a survey that would take five years to complete could take 10% to 20% more time if survey efficiency is down. Costs will continue to increase as more satellites are launched, Reddy said.

The team plans to build upon its success by studying the brightness of the latest generation of Starlink satellites in four different colored filtersthe same ones used in astronomical surveys of the sky to tease out different information from stars, planets and more. To achieve this, the team has worked with Tucson-based small business Starizona to build a sensor that can take pictures of satellites in four colors simultaneously.

"Working with local small businesses is a win for us as it provides our students an opportunity to rapidly prototype and bring a new system online," Reddy said.

Explore further SpaceX launches Starlink satellites from California

More information: Grace Halferty et al, Photometric characterization and trajectory accuracy of Starlink satellites: implications for ground-based astronomical surveys, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society (2022). Journal information: Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society Grace Halferty et al, Photometric characterization and trajectory accuracy of Starlink satellites: implications for ground-based astronomical surveys,(2022). DOI: 10.1093/mnras/stac2080
Credit: CC0 Public Domain

Seattle weather was in the sunny 70s in mid-July when weather forecasters saw the heat wave that has driven 90-degree highs last week was on its way.

That's a change from decades past, when heat could hit or miss by surprise. Advances in technology and technique have turned weather into a booming piece of the tech sector with satellites, radars and developments in artificial intelligence.

Forecasters today can tell what the weather will be with more accuracy and longer lead times thanks to a much improved system of weather satellites and increasingly complex algorithms. The opportunity for artificial intelligence-driven advances and the growing intensity in catastrophic weather events due to climate change have drawn more innovators and entrepreneurs into weather forecasting, claiming they have access to more information than ever before.

The heat wave that hit the Pacific Northwest was predicted early through data from the satellites that measure the atmosphere over parts of the Pacific Ocean, said University of Washington state climatologist Nick Bond. The satellites gathered data on humidity, temperature and wind, and computers analyzed those conditions through complex equations that predicted that the heat would soon hit the region.

"It's really pretty remarkable what we can do in that way, from satellites that are way above the air looking down," Bond said.

The models are not easy to build. According to journalist Andrew Blum in his book "The Weather Machine," "Landing a spacecraft on Mars requires dealing with hundreds of mathematical variables. Making a global atmospheric model requires hundreds of thousands."

Bond said weather-prediction technology was able to accurately forecast the 2021 Pacific Northwest heat wave that lasted from the end of June to the beginning of July. The heat wave resulted in at least 100 heat-related deaths, according to the Washington State Department of Health.

Forecasting has always had a level of uncertainty. For example, it is difficult to predict rain because it can be spotty and hit different parts of the geographical grid forecasters analyze to tell the weather. And as extreme events such as thunderstorms and tornadoes become more intense because of climate change, forecasting becomes even more challenging, Bond said.

The challenge, he said, is forecasting early enough for people to prepare or evacuate.

While the National Weather Service has long been, and continues to be, the dominant player in U.S. forecasting, private-sector companies including Microsoft are pursuing technologies they believe can deliver more accurate, more prescient weather reports.

Last year, Microsoft entered into agreements with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the U.K.'s national weather service to build technology that will help in modeling storms and other extreme weather.

Startups specializing in weather forecasting are also rushing into the space. Cambridge, Massachusetts-based Salient Predictions raised $5.3 million in seed funding. Salient claims its technology is more accurate than that offered by other companies and governments.

When Erik Moldstad founded Seattle-based Precision Forecasting in 2003, private weather forecasts were rare and hard to access. Moldstad's company emails them to a list of paying subscribers every morning. Now, he said, boutique forecasts and satellite images are everywhere and available to almost everyone.

"There was some internet information back then, but most information (forecast models, satellite imagery) was available only via a subscription," Moldstad said. He said the internet has made weather forecasting more widely available.

Moldstad said he uses information from radars, weather stations and satellites to create the daily reports he sends to clients. The reports note the weather from the previous day, the current weather and the next day's forecast.

But new technologies aim to advance the lead times and accuracy of the existing models. Testifying in Congress last month, Brad Colman, director of weather strategy at Bayer, says that "there is some slowing of forecast skill improvement across all major global modeling efforts," as the technology is reaching its limits. Bayer has a subsidiary, The Climate Corporation, that focuses on crop development.

Colman said that a system that includes oceans, glaciers and land models would contribute to expanding forecasting skills, as the data would be available with longer lead times.

Artificial intelligence has been growing in the forecasting space for the past three years with promise to increase weather accuracy, said UW professor Dale Durran.

The computers that process datasets from satellites are limited in how much they can digest, and it can take a long time. AI would use more data from, for example, stressed crops, and process it more quickly as the machine learns from similar weather patterns that can be applied to the current weather, Durran said.

The technology is still in development and can't be used yet, he said, but it shows promise that forecasting can become more accurate. The lead time for forecasting, however, has a limitation that AI can't yet solve. Weather, Durran said, is just "too chaotic."

Still, weather forecasting has improved significantly since the times when people had to sit down and use equations, Bond said. The models used now were "only dreamed about decades ago."

Explore further Heatwave: Why extreme weather forecasts have improved so much

2022 The Seattle Times.

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Credit: Weiwei Chen

A new study by Jeroma Adda (Department of Economics) finds that the acquisition of skills is the main contributor to higher salaries for workers, with the magnitude of the effect differing according to the type of skill and the career stage of the worker. Although workers can acquire skills on the job, those who undergo training before entering the job market generally obtain greater wages and are in unemployment less often.

People make a series of choices throughout their careers: whether to get educated/trained before working, which job offers to accept, or whether they should quit their current job. Each decision has an impact on earnings that may unfold over many years, and understanding their effects requires not only examining immediate returns but longer-term outcomes. With this aim, Professor Adda and Christian Dustmann (University College London), in a forthcoming paper in the Journal of Political Economy, estimate a mathematical model to understand the determinants of wage growth. Using comprehensive data on labor market outcomes of German men over several decades, they find that workers' ability levels, their accumulation of human capital, and changing of jobs across different sectors and firms all have significant positive contributions to earnings.

To unpack their findings, it is first important to understand that research on labor markets distinguishes the tasks workers perform into two categories: routine-manual (RM) tasks, which follow well-defined and repetitive procedures that require a modest amount of training; and cognitive-abstract (CA) tasks, which require more technical and creative capabilities. To estimate the returns for each type of skill, the authors classify each occupation according to the predominant type of task. Thus they are able to go beyond the differentiation of returns to different jobs and can estimate the returns to task-specific work experience. Their results indicate that the accumulation of RM and CA skills over the course of an individual's career is the most important driver of wage growth. RM skills contribute more significantly to increases in worker productivity and earnings in the first years of their careers, but once a set of basic skills has been acquired their contribution to wage growth reduces to zero. On the other hand, CA skills take a longer time to be accumulated, and thus take longer to affect earnings, but have a longer-lasting impact, sustained throughout the individuals' career. These differential returns translate to workers in the CA sector earning, on average, higher wages than those in predominantly RM sectors.

Such skills can also be accumulated through a training period that takes place before labor market entry, and the authors estimate the impact of undertaking such a program. When compared to untrained workers, trained individuals are able to accumulate more CA experience, which besides the direct wage benefits, also improves other aspects of job matching: trained workers become unemployed less often and receive competing job offers at a higher rate. This increased permanence in the labor market provides the opportunity to accumulate more experience, which in turn yields greater returns. Even when controlling for the difference in levels of innate ability of workers, the returns to training in apprenticeships remain positive and significant, both for the individual and society. Comparing outcomes of trained and untrained workers throughout their careers is essential, according to the authors, as focusing on immediate returns may lead to underestimation of the true benefits.

The authors also find that mobility of workers across the labor market contributes to higher salaries. Switching between different jobs generates a significant increase in earnings, but this is concentrated in the early years of the worker's career, namely the first job move. Though this change produces large gains, these quickly decline and additional mobility does not seem to contribute to larger returns. However, the authors also observe the existence of lock-in effects: workers are initially allocated to a sector for which they are not the most suited, but the accumulation of experience specific to that sector disincentivizes them from moving to jobs in other sectors.

Thus, the authors provide a comprehensive overview of the variables that affect labor market outcomes, and their conclusions about the impact of training, experience, and mobility have important practical consequences. For workers, we learn the longer-term advantages of accumulating CA skills and the substantial returns individuals may obtain from undergoing training, which may not materialize immediately but have a significant impact later in their careers. For policymakers, we learn that returns to experience can generate inefficiency by locking workers into specific sectors, which may disproportionally affect workers who enter the job market during periods of restricted choices, such as recessions.

Explore further How sectoral employment training can advance economic mobility for workers who face barriers to employment

More information: Jerome Adda et al, Sources of Wage Growth, Journal of Political Economy (2022). Journal information: Journal of Political Economy Jerome Adda et al, Sources of Wage Growth,(2022). DOI: 10.1086/721657

Provided by Bocconi University
Lucys massive solar arrays completed their first set of deployment tests in January 2021 inside a thermal vacuum chamber at Lockheed Martin Space. Credit: Lockheed Martin Space

Following the successful launch of NASA's Lucy spacecraft on Oct. 16, 2021, a group of engineers huddled around a long conference table in Titusville, Florida. Lucy was mere hours into its 12-year flight, but an unexpected challenge had surfaced for the first-ever Trojan asteroids mission.

Data indicated that one of Lucy's solar arrays powering the spacecraft's systemsdesigned to unfurl like a hand fanhadn't fully opened and latched, and the team was figuring out what to do next.

Teams from NASA and Lucy mission partners quickly came together to troubleshoot. On the phone were team members at Lockheed Martin's Mission Support Area outside of Denver, who were in direct contact with the spacecraft.

The conversation was quiet, yet intense. At one end of the room, an engineer sat with furrowed brow, folding and unfolding a paper plate in the same manner that Lucy's huge circular solar arrays operate.

Credit: NASAs Goddard Space Flight Center

There were so many questions. What happened? Was the array open at all? Was there a way to fix it? Would Lucy be able to safely perform the maneuvers needed to accomplish its science mission without a fully deployed array?

With Lucy already speeding on its way through space, the stakes were high.

Within hours, NASA pulled together Lucy's anomaly response team, comprising members from science mission lead Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) in Austin, Texas; mission operations lead NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland; spacecraft builder Lockheed Martin; and Northrop Grumman in San Diego, solar array system designer and builder.

"This is a talented team, firmly committed to the success of Lucy," said Donya Douglas-Bradshaw, former Lucy project manager from NASA Goddard. "They have the same grit and dedication that got us to a successful launch during a once-in-a-lifetime pandemic."

United in their pursuit to ensure Lucy would reach its fullest potential, the team began an exhaustive deep dive to determine the cause of the issue and develop the best path forward.

Given that the spacecraft was otherwise perfectly healthy, the team wasn't rushing into anything.

"We have an incredibly talented team, but it was important to give them time to figure out what happened and how to move forward," said Hal Levison, Lucy's principal investigator from SwRI. "Fortunately, the spacecraft was where it was supposed to be, functioning nominally, andmost importantlysafe. We had time."

Staying focused during many long days and nights, the team worked through options. To evaluate Lucy's solar array configuration in real time, the team fired thrusters on the spacecraft and gathered data on how those forces made the solar array vibrate. Next, they fed the data into a detailed model of the array's motor assembly to infer how rigid Lucy's array waswhich helped uncover the source of the issue.

At last, they closed in on the root cause: A lanyard designed to pull Lucy's massive solar array open was likely snarled on its bobbin-like spool.

After months of further brainstorming and testing, Lucy's team settled on two potential paths forward.

In one, they would pull harder on the lanyard by running the array's back-up deployment motor at the same time as its primary motor. The power from two motors should allow the jammed lanyard to wind in further and engage array's latching mechanism. While both motors were never originally intended to operate at the same time, the team used models to ensure the concept would work.

The second option: Use the array as it wasnearly fully deployed and generating more than 90% of its expected power.

"Each path carried some element of risk to achieve the baseline science objectives," said Barry Noakes, Lockheed Martin's deep space exploration chief engineer. "A big part of our effort was identifying proactive actions that mitigate risk in either scenario."

The team mapped out and tested possible outcomes for both options. They analyzed hours of the array's test footage, constructed a ground-based replica of the array's motor assembly, and tested the replica past its limits to better understand risks of further deployment attempts. They also developed special, high-fidelity software to simulate Lucy in space and gauge any potential ripple effects a redeployment attempt could have on the spacecraft.

"The cooperation and teamwork with the mission partners was phenomenal," said Frank Bernas, vice president, space components and strategic businesses at Northrop Grumman.

After months of simulations and testing, NASA decided to move forward with the first optiona multi-step attempt to fully redeploy the solar array. On seven occasions in May and June, the team commanded the spacecraft to simultaneously run the primary and backup solar array deployment motors. The effort succeeded, pulling in the lanyard, and further opening and tensioning the array.

The mission now estimates that Lucy's solar array is between 353 degrees and 357 degrees open (out of 360 total degrees for a fully deployed array). While the array is not fully latched, it is under substantially more tension, making it stable enough for the spacecraft to operate as needed for mission operations.

The spacecraft is now ready and able to complete the next big mission milestonean Earth-gravity assist in October 2022. Lucy is scheduled to arrive at its first asteroid target in 2025.
Photocatalyst sheet containing light-absorbing particles and bacteria. Credit: Northumbria University

Scientists have created a novel technology that can help to tackle climate change and address the global energy crisis.

Northumbria University's Dr. Shafeer Kalathil is among a team of academics behind the project, which uses a chemical process that converts sunlight, water and carbon dioxide into acetate and oxygen to produce high-value fuels and chemicals powered by renewable energy.

As part of the process, bacteria are grown on a synthetic semiconductor device known as a photocatalyst sheet, which means that the conversion can take place without the assistance of organic additives, creation of toxins or use of electricity.

The aim of the project is to curtail the rise in atmospheric CO 2 levels, secure much-needed green energy supplies and alleviate the global dependence on fossil fuels. A paper detailing the findings of the team's research has been published in Nature Catalysis.

Dr. Kalathil, Vice Chancellor's Senior Fellow, is working on the project with Erwin Reisner, Professor of Energy and Sustainability at the University of Cambridge, Dr. Qian Wang, associate professor at Nagoya University in Japan, and partners from Newcastle University.

Dr. Kalathil says that "several incidents have demonstrated the fragility of the global energy supply, such as recent soaring gas prices in UK, the outbreak of conflicts and civil wars in the Middle East and the ecological and humanitarian threat of a nuclear meltdown in Fukushima, Japan. The search for alternative energy sources is therefore of major global importance."

"Our research directly addresses the global energy crisis and climate change facing today's society. We need to develop new technologies to address these grand challenges without further polluting the planet we live on."

"There has been an increase in electricity generation from renewable sources such as wind and solar, but these are intermittent in nature. To fill the gap when the wind doesn't blow or the sun doesn't shine, we need technologies that can create storable fuels and sustainable chemicals. Our research addresses this challenge head on."

"As well as securing additional much-needed energy supplies, our sustainable technology can reduce greenhouse gas emissions and play a key role in the global drive to achieve net zero."

The project was supported by funding from the European Research Council, UK Research and Innovation, and Research England's Expanding Excellence in England Fund, which supports higher education research units and departments to expand and increase their activity. The Research England grant was secured via the Hub for Biotechnology in the Built Environment (HBBE), a joint initiative between Northumbria and Newcastle University, which has received a total of 8 million from Research England to conduct project work. Launched in August 2019, the HBBE develops biotechnologies to create environmentally friendly buildings that can metabolize waste, reduce pollution, generate sustainable energy and improve human health and well-being.

Dr. Kalathil, who is heavily involved with the HBBE, says that "the aims of the HBBE fit with what we're trying to achieve with our researchto address key environmental concerns facing our society today and in the future. This emerging field of research represents an interdisciplinary approach that combines the strengths of microbes, synthetic materials and analytical techniques for chemical transformation, and provides an excellent platform to produce high-value, environmentally friendly fuels and chemicals at scale. We're already in discussions with international chemical manufacturers and cosmetics producers, and the ultimate aim is to develop our technology on a commercial scale."

Explore further Hydrogen production policy critical to net-zero emissions

More information: Qian Wang et al, Bacteriaphotocatalyst sheet for sustainable carbon dioxide utilization, Nature Catalysis (2022). Journal information: Nature Catalysis Qian Wang et al, Bacteriaphotocatalyst sheet for sustainable carbon dioxide utilization,(2022). DOI: 10.1038/s41929-022-00817-z
Photo: The Canadian Press Melanie Joly rises during Question Period in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Thursday, June 16, 2022. The foreign affairs minister is calling for calm as the Chinese government announced a series of military exercises around Taiwan following U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosis visit to the island this week.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang

Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly is calling for calm as the Chinese government announced a series of military exercises around Taiwan following U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosis visit to the island this week.

Joly says at a news conference that Canada is concerned about what she describes as Chinas threatening action and economic coercion when it comes to Taiwan.

She adds that Pelosis visit should not be used as a pretext for any action that could destabilize the Asia-Pacific region.

China claims Taiwan as its territory and opposes any engagement by Taiwanese officials with foreign governments, leading to concerns about how Beijing would react to Pelosis visit.

The planned Chinese military exercises are set to kick off on Thursday, parts of which are expected to enter Taiwanese waters, which has prompted complaints and concern from Taipei.

Pelosi for her part defended her visit during a short speech in Taipei before departing the island, saying she and other members of Congress in her delegation showed they will not abandon their commitment to the self-governing island.
HUDSON FALLS  The EPA announced Tuesday that it will oversee the demolition of the old Allen Mill and powerhouse buildings in Hudson Falls in order to prevent the release of PCBs or other potentially harmful chemicals into the Hudson River.

The powerhouse deconstruction work is scheduled for this month.

The work will start at the powerhouse and continue with the Allen Mill. If the powerhouse work cannot be completed before the winter months, it will begin again in the spring.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reached an agreement with General Electric Co. and facility owners Niagara Mohawk Power Corp. to monitor the demolition of the deteriorated buildings, which need to be carefully dismantled in accordance with conditions in a document signed by both companies, according to a news release from the EPA.

In the agreement, conditions listed include avoiding releasing PCBs or other substances into the river, as the nearby GE facility once did. PCBs, or polychlorinated biphenyls, are a suspected carcinogen compound once used in oil for electric transformers.

In costs covered by GE and Niagara Mohawk, the EPA will monitor the air, surface water and groundwater while the deconstruction takes place.

EPA Regional Administrator Lisa Garcia said the plan will protect the river as well as surrounding areas.

This agreement minimizes any release of hazardous materials such as PCBs into the river as these buildings are taken apart carefully and safely, said Garcia. It is also important to guard against introducing contamination from areas next to and underneath the buildings into the river as the buildings come down.

GE released a statement on Tuesday regarding its involvement and responsibilities during the process, noting that the agreement was a collaborate effort with Niagara Mohawk, the EPA and state Department of Environmental Conservation.

GE will conduct environmental monitoring during NMPCs work. The data GE collects will be provided to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the companys news release stated.

The release said the company is in support of the deconstruction of the former powerhouse built more than 100 years ago on the banks of the Hudson River.

The Allen Mill is a former textile mill that was constructed in the mid-1800s and borders the former GE facility in Hudson Falls.

The powerhouse, which is immediately downstream from the Allen Mill, was constructed in 1907 and supplied hydroelectric power to the mill through a system of raceways and tunnels that were excavated into the bedrock.

Until 1977, for 30 years, PCBs were discharged into the Hudson River from GEs two capacitor manufacturing plants located in the villages of Fort Edward and Hudson Falls.

PCB releases from the plants caused significant surface and underground contamination. The former GE Fort Edward and Hudson Falls plant sites are currently being addressed under New York States Superfund program.

Under New York State DEC supervision, a tunnel drain collection system was installed at the Hudson Falls site in 2007-2009 to stop the migration of site PCBs into the river.

GE also performed dredging in the upper Hudson River to remove PCB-contaminated sediment, under EPA supervision, between 2009 and 2015.

In addition, the DEC directed GE to undertake an extensive soil cleanup program at the Hudson Falls site, which removed contaminated soil down to the bedrock. However, PCB contamination remains in the bedrock and is being controlled by the tunnel drain collection system and the groundwater extraction and treatment system operating at the GE Hudson Falls facility.

DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos, in the news release, said the agency continues to monitor the facilitys work.

New Yorks DEC continues to oversee the Hudson Falls site cleanup to ensure the final remedy is protective of public health and the environment. In partnership and coordination with EPA, the demolition project is advancing safely to prevent PCBs from migrating into the river, Seggos stated.
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The Ocean County Prosecutors Office on Tuesday released body camera footage of a police-involved shooting in May outside an Absecon Dollar General.

Multiple video clips were released, showing the moments before and after police shot 37-year-old Jalial Whitted.

Whitted is accused of entering the store on New Road armed and firing at least one shot inside, then confronting police outside before they began shooting at him when authorities say he brandished a gun.

Whitted was ordered to remain in jail during a June 29 detention hearing. He is scheduled to return to court Friday for another appearance before Judge Bernard DeLury, according to the Atlantic County Superior Court.

Each clip released is from varying police body cameras, providing investigators with multiple angles of the incident.

The first officer to approach Whitted encounters him walking with his hands up coming out of the store, the video footage shows. The officer points his gun at Whitted, demanding he surrender and keep your hands up. Whitted can be seen with both of his hands raised while holding a cellphone.

Judge detains Absecon man shot by police The Absecon man accused of entering a city Dollar General armed before being shot by police 

The officer in the footage then informs dispatch that he believes Whitted may have had a fake gun in his pocket, with Whitted telling the armed officer to shoot.

The standoff moves to the stores parking lot, where the officer continues pointing his gun at Whitted before backup arrives.

Dont reach, the first officer shouts.

In several clips, other responding officers can be heard repeatedly pleading with Whitted to stand down while he was behind a sedan in the parking lot, addressing him by his first name.

Dont do it, Jalial, dont do it, one of the officers can be heard saying on a clip.

His mother, Kim Whitted, has said her son was diagnosed with schizophrenia and was previously being treated for it.

Absecon man shot by police is charged again The Absecon man who was shot May 24 by police outside Dollar General has been charged again,

Another officer believed Whitted was holding a phone, urging him to drop the device. Then, an officer in one of the clips can be heard shouting that Whitted had a gun, indicating that the weapon is in the right pocket.

Moments later, dozens of shots are fired, followed by the officer ordering Whitted to stay on the ground to secure him.

After the shots were fired, Kim Whitted can be seen in one of the clips questioning the officers actions.

In speaking with one of the officers, Kim Whitted said her son didnt have a gun on him, but the officer directed her to a firearm on the ground.

Theres a gun on the floor, an officer said.

Where did that come from? Kim Whitted replied, with the officer responding, I dont know.

Absecon man's charges in police-involved shooting dismissed MAYS LANDING  Charges against an Absecon man who was shot by police May 24 outside a Dollar

Kim Whitted in May said her son was staying at her home at the Clayton Mill Run townhouse complex next to the store when she woke up to him missing around 9 a.m. She began searching for him and found that he was in a standoff with multiple agencies, she said at the time.

She can also be seen on camera telling the officers the same story.

While Kim Whitted continued speaking with police, officers and an EMT rendered medical aid to Whitted. He was eventually taken to AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center, where he underwent hours of surgery, his family previously said.

Initially, Whitteds charges were dropped through an administrative dismissal, but they were reinstated. He was taken to the Atlantic County jail after he was released from the hospital.
SEA ISLE CITY  Games, emergency vehicles and free pizza were among the attractions at National Night Out at Excursion Park on Tuesday, one of a number of events held throughout the area and the country.

Police, firefighters and emergency services invited the community to come out for the annual event, offering a chance to meet kids and parents in a relaxed atmosphere on a summer night.

Multiple communities hosted similar events for National Night Out, introduced in 1984 as an outgrowth of the Town Watch movement. About 16,000 communities participate, including 190 in New Jersey, according to the organizations website.

A line of firetrucks, ambulances and emergency vehicles could be inspected along Pleasure Avenue, where a few families peaked inside, but there were longer lines at the face painting table and for the food. Beach Patrol members and Cape May County sheriffs officers also participated

Cooper Gallagher, a Sea Isle City police officer and a sniper with the Cape May County SWAT team, showed off some of the tools of the trade to a series of fascinated children. He had a gas mask, helmet and other tools, along with a battering ram used to force in doors.

There were also artists making balloon animals and two inflatable rides, a bounce house and a slide.
Augustana College announced a new innovative financial aid program called "Augustana Possible," aimed to meet 100% of financial need for newly enrolled students who qualify.

The program uses available funds from federal, state and college sources. High-achieving students whose expected family contribution (EFC) that doesn't meet the direct cost of attendance will benefit from the program, according to Executive Vice President W. Kent Barnds.

They can achieve their dream of a high-caliber education with Augustana Possible, Barnds said in the news release. This will be a game changer for a segment of students.

Augustana Possible is the largest effort in the college's 162-year-old history to address affordability and create access and opportunities for all students. Many Augustana Possible beneficiaries will be first-generation college students. This was Augustana College graduate Murry Gerber's vision.

Gerber made the $40 million commitment to provide financial aid and scholarships to Augustana students with similar backgrounds to his own  his commitment inspired other donors to bring Augustana Possible to life.

The Augustana College Board of Trustees endorsed the initiative.

We believe in the potential of this college, and we believe deeply in the incredible potential of todays students, said Barnds. The commitment to meeting 100% of a high-achieving students demonstrated financial need allows us to open our doors more fully, and in turn it helps us build an even stronger Augustana.

Augustana offered over $60 million in financial aid and scholarships in the 2021-2022 school year.

To determine eligibility for Augustana Promise, students must submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), available October 1, 2022. Or, students can submit the Alternative Application for Illinois Financial Aid, available to some students living in Illinois.

For more information, contact Keri Rursch at 309-738-2628 or kerirursch@augustana.edu. Additional details, qualifications and examples can be found at augustana.edu/possible.
SIOUX CITY  The late Tommy Bolin, a legendary musician from such groups as Zephyr, the James Gang and Deep Purple, earned a posthumous spot on the Iowa Rock 'n Roll Music Association (IRRMA) Hall of Fame, based on his work as a teenager in a band called A Patch of Blue.

That honor came in 1999, 23 years after the guitarist's death.

Tommy Bolin's brother Johnnie Bolin has three IRRMA Hall of Fame plaques from his work with the bands DVC (2010), Sioux City Rockestra (2012) and Instant Blues Machine (2014).

Surprisingly, neither brother, both Sioux City natives, have been honored individually for their achievements in Iowa's rock and roll history.

That will all change on Sept. 4, when both Tommy and Johnnie Bolin, as well as 28 other individuals, businesses and organization will take their place as 2022 Iowa Rock 'n Roll Hall Inductees during ceremonies taking place at Arnolds Park, Iowa.

In addition to the Bolins, Siouxland musicians Robby Vee, T. Wilson King and Maddie Poppe, a Clarksville, Iowa native and the "American Idol" Season 16 winner, are also 2022 IRRMA Hall of Fame class members.

Johnnie Bolin said he was shocked by IRRMA's oversight when it was brought to his attention.

"I just assumed Tommy had already be an individual Rock 'n Roll Hall of Famer until a lady called me up," he explained with a smile, inside his Sioux City home. "She said both Tommy and I would be awarded this year."

Which came as good new for Johnnie Bolin, 67, who has spent most of his life as a musician, including a nearly 30-year stint with the Southern rock band Black Oak Arkansas.

More significantly, he has been a steward of Tommy Bolin's music, which continues to attract fans of all ages.

"Some rock bands sound like there from a certain era but that wasn't the case with Tommy," Johnnie Bolin said. "When you hear my brother's music, it feels as contemporary today as it was years ago."

Indeed, Bolin Fest -- an annual public celebration commemorating Tommy Bolin's musical legacy -- will bring in musicians from across the country and around the world.

This year's Bolin Fest, featuring the Lucas Parker Band, Funk Trek, Russell Bizzett's East West Band, Perfect Strangers, Bang Gang and an all-star Tommy Bolin tribute band, will take place from 3 p.m. to 1 a.m. Saturday at the Ickey Nickel, 4700 41st St.

"My family and friends started using Tommy's Aug. 1st birthday as a way to celebrate his life more than 30 years ago," Johnnie Bolin said. "Since opening it to the public, the tradition has only grown bigger."

Bolin Fest always brings back memories of family as well as Sioux City's role in rock and roll history.

"Our dad (the late Richard Bolin, a meatpacking plant employee) always wanted Tommy to grow up to become a rock star like Elvis Presley," Johnnie Bolin remembered with a chuckle. "That was also Tommy's dream. Even at a very young age, Tommy wanted his life to evolve around rock and roll.

About four years younger than his brother, Johnnie's childhood included participating in sports. But he was also drawn to the life of a musician.

In fact, Bolin continues to be a rock and roller to this day.

"I'll be a part of the tribute band at Bolin Fest, which now be the dry run for the Iowa Rock 'n Roll Music Association's Hall of Fame induction spectacular on Labor Day Weekend," Johnnie Bolin said.

Much of Johnnie Bolin's house is made up of photos, memorabilia and awards, highlighting his career as well as the career of his older brother.

However, there will always be room for plaques lauding the Bolin Brothers' significance in Iowa's rock and roll history.

"To be honored is always nice," Johnnie Bolin said. "Knowing that our music still connects with people is even better."
Re. Patrick MacDonalds letter Canadas dirty oil (Castanet, Aug. 3)

Over the past couple of months, Castanet has published a number of your letters.

Let me just say, we get it, you dislike the oil industry (to say the least), you like the job that the federal Liberals are doing in running the country and you disagree with many people in the Okanagan on the topics of COVID response and government debt. Theres no need to keep repeating yourself, we hear you loud and clear.

Sadly, you don't provide any practical suggestions. You say that you like facts. OK, let's talk facts. If/when we decimate the oil and gas industry, where is the electricity going to come from to run our cars, run our railroads and trucks, heat our homes, and run our industries?

How many dams, solar panels and windmills will we need in order to replace dirty oil and gas?

Is nuclear OK or is that bad, too?

What is all this going to cost and who is going to pay that cost?

Is the timeline proposed by (Prime Minister Justin) Trudeau feasible?

Shouldn't we start pretty soon with all this construction?

You appear to be OK with government deficit financing. If so, how much is "too much" when it comes to government debt? It is currently about $1.2 trillion. Are your children and grandchildren OK with $1.5 trillion? How about $2 trillion? Where is the ceiling in your mind?

Once the oil, farming, mining and forestry industries are decimated and capital investment completely dries up, where will all the good high-paying jobs beother than building subsidized cars in Ontario and subsidized airplanes in Quebec, that is? And other than working for the government.

Where will the tax money come from to pay for education, health care, infrastructure, etc? Thats not to mention paying the interest on government debt.

(Green Party MP) Elizabeth May and Trudeau like to talk about "high-paying green jobs" to replace those dirty jobs in the dirty oil industry but even though they've been talking about them for years, I still don't see evidence of them. Where are these green jobs? Who is filling them? And how much do they pay?

I have a science background and I like research as much as the next guy. But I have not found any politician or environmentalist in Canada, as yet, who is providing answers to these questions.

You call yourself a "humanist". According to Google, a humanist "seeks rational ways of solving human problems". God knows we could use some rational solutions right about now.

Perhaps you can help?

Lloyd Vinish, Kelowna
The State Library of Iowa awarded the Scott Community College (SCC) Library a $5,000 grant Wednesday morning, which will be used to update technology and expand digital inclusion for students.

"It was quite a wonderful opportunity for us," Debra Lowman, assistant dean of library and learning resources at Eastern Iowa Community College, said. "It's always great to have something that will help you serve students better."

The State Library of Iowa received federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to use for community college libraries.

We are excited to offer these ARPA grants to community college libraries and anticipate the positive outcomes that will result, especially because we believe the ones who will benefit most are our college students. State Librarian of Iowa Micheal Scott said in a news release.

The grant funds must be used toward materials or technology to support digital inclusion efforts, enabling libraries to make information and educational material more accessible. According to Lowman, digital inclusion is a key component of the college's diversity, equity and inclusion strategic plan.

"Sometimes students need a textbook in their hands, other times students prefer to read digitally. Or, maybe a student needs a text-to-speech accommodation or needs a searchable PDF. We try and offer their educational materials across a wide variety of formats," she said. "They took the ARPA funds and turned that into mini grants; they did a round for public libraries and ended with rounds for community colleges specifically, and they put up a list of eligible items. I looked how it paired with our strategic plan, and the State Library wanted their monies to support digital inclusion  it aligned quite nicely and I was happy to apply for it."

The SCC Library will use grant monies in several ways, one being the purchase of a digital key-coded lock box to place at each SCC campus (Belmont, West Davenport, the Blong Technology Center and the downtown urban campus) for hands-free drop off and distribution of materials.

"We're hoping to improve access. We circulate not only books and typical library materials, we also circulate a lot of technology," Lowman said. "So, that's going to be a nice bridge for students who might not have the time or resources to get to our main Belmont campus for us to distribute materials or technology items they would need to complete their coursework."

The money will also fund the purchases of portable laptop chargers for short-term check to use during class, multi-use eBooks to reduce student material costs and multi-use eBooks and audio formats to support the Great Scott Reads classroom sets.

"We want to be able to leverage library materials in the classrooms to help reduce that student cost  student textbooks and accessory materials can get quite pricey," Lowman said. "So we're going to turn some of that money toward classroom licensing. For example, if an English class is reading 'Parable of the Sower,' the library could go out and secure the rights for a multi-user at our cost, and therefore the students wouldn't have to buy the book for class."

SCC will also use the grant to bolster access to eBooks focused on diversity, inclusion and mental health.

The Institute of Museum and Library Services determined the rules and priorities surrounding how the ARPA funds could be used by library recipients and gave an an allotment to the State Library of Iowa. ARPA is a federal program that was approved by congress and signed by President Joe Biden in March 2021.
U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley, Iowa's senior Republican, said he'd most likely support a measure that aims to ensure a peaceful transition of power from one president to the next after attempts to overturn the results of the 2020 election.

A bipartisan group of lawmakers proposed rewrites of the 1887 Electoral Count Act, the vague wording of which allies of former President Trump based their arguments on in an attempt to reverse the results of the 2020 election. A U.S. Senate committee held hearings on the proposed bill on Wednesday, for which University of Iowa Law Professor Derek Muller provided testimony.

The proposed rewrites would clarify that the vice president doesn't have discretion over the results, raises the objection threshold in Congress, and clarifies procedures.

"Now, I have not read the bill, but I have read a lot about the bill and I think that I'm going to vote for it," Grassley told reporters on a press call Wednesday. "I believe that they made some good changes, particularly the one in both houses where you have to have 20% of the body raise an objection to receiving the (electoral) ballots from the states."

Muller, the UI professor, told Congress in prepared remarks that the Electoral Count Reform Act of 2022 was a "good bill" with bipartisan support that is "sufficient to handle the pressing challenges in presidential elections, for this moment and for the future."

"The risks of failing to enact the ECRA are, in my judgment, significant," he continued. "Some have attempted to exploit ambiguities in the ECA over the years, most significantly in the 2020 election. To leave those ambiguities in place ahead of the 2024 election is to invite serious mischief. No law can prevent all mischief. But the ECRA significantly strengthens several important areas of the ECA and offers greater confidence."

Grassley said another reason to put him in the "yes" column is the bill clarifies that the vice president's role in certifying elections is very limited.

"People thought, well, maybe the vice president has some discretion. He should not have had this discretion ever," Grassley said. "And this law will make it clear that he won't have that discretion."

"So that's two out of maybe several reasons I might vote for it now," Grassley continued. "Just give me one opportunity here too if I vote no when this bill comes up, and that's when I read it. I may come to a different conclusion. But that's everything I know about it."
As a federal judge Tuesday granted a lengthy extension for Michael Madigans racketeering case, the former Illinois House speakers state pension has risen to nearly $149,000 a year, a more than $63,000 increase since he retired last year, records show.

The windfall is the result of both Madigans 50-plus years in the House and an often-beneficial state pension formula for lawmakers that Madigan himself helped push through. It also comes as the former Southwest Side lawmaker continues to battle a federal bribery-related case that will likely not see any significant court action until next year.

But while the case works its way through court, Madigan will continue to collect more than $12,400 per month from his state pension, a development one good government advocate said represented an example of how out-of-whack the pension system is in Illinois.

Madigan, the longest-serving state speaker in U.S. history, was indicted March 2, a year after he retired and started collecting pension checks at an annual payout rate of about $85,000. That figure was based on his annual speakers salary of about $100,000  a standard payout of about 85%for a legislator with 20 years of service.

But under laws passed by the state during Madigans 36 years as speaker, that percentage goes up annually for lawmakers who have served beyond 20 years. For Madigan, the formula translated to the $63,000 bump, which took place in July, and explains why he is able to receive more in his pension than he did through his salary.

Moving forward, Madigan is eligible for 3% annual raises each July  unless he is convicted of crimes related to his legislative duties.

So far, records show, Madigan has collected $125,902.70 in pension payments since he retired in 2021 after he was ousted from being speaker amid an alleged scheme by utility giant Commonwealth Edison to bribe him.

Madigan, 80, and longtime ComEd lobbyist Michael McClain, 74, of Quincy, were charged in March in a 22-count indictment alleging they conspired to participate in an array of bribery and extortion schemes from 2011 to 2019, including a plot to steer payments from ComEd to members of Madigans vast political operation in exchange for the speakers help with legislation in Springfield.

The indictment also accused Madigan of illegally soliciting business for his private property tax law firm during discussions to turn a state-owned parcel of land in Chinatown into a commercial development.

Both Madigan and McClain, also a former state representative, have pleaded not guilty. Their attorneys have accused prosecutors of trying to criminalize legal political actions such as job recommendations in a quest to bring down the once-powerful speaker.

On Tuesday, in the first status hearing in the case in four months, U.S. District Judge Robert Blakey set a Feb. 1 deadline for attorneys to file pretrial motions. The judge said he was granting the delay upfront so defense attorneys wouldnt have to come back and ask for more time.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Amarjeet Bhachu had asked for pretrial motions to be due sometime this year. The prosecutor said discovery was substantially complete in the case, and noted that Madigan is being represented by a large and prestigious law firm and has six criminal defense attorneys that have entered appearances for him.

But Patrick Cotter, who represents McClain, said he and his team are busy preparing for McClains upcoming trial in March on separate charges involving the alleged scheme.

Cotter said hed be at a significant disadvantage trying to go through the discovery in the Madigan case  including 201 discs of material turned over by the U.S. attorneys office in the last five weeks alone  and preparing motions while also gearing up for a jury trial. Blakey set a status hearing for Jan. 9.

As the case wends its way through the court, the pension dollars will continue to flow because Madigan, like other criminal defendants, is considered innocent until proven guilty.

Susan Garrett, chair of the Center for Illinois Politics, a nonprofit, nonpartisan advocate of good government, said the increase for Mike Madigan is an example of how out of whack the pension system is in Illinois.

Its a steep increase, said Garrett, a former Democratic lawmaker from Lake County. To the average person, this might seem unfair.

Kent Redfield, a longtime political analyst, acknowledged lawmakers often work hard and House legislators must run every two years to keep their jobs, but he considered the Madigan pension overly generous, particularly since it is almost $50,000 more than his final salary as speaker.

Legislative pensions for long-serving members are more generous than other state employees, said Redfield, a political science professor emeritus at the University of Illinois at Springfield. I dont see how you can justify that on an equity basis.

Legislative pensions have been reined in for newer lawmakers, but Madigans retirement checks are grandfathered in. A law Madigan championed to scale back state pensions overall was tossed out unanimously by the Illinois Supreme Court.

In a 6-1 opinion, the Illinois Supreme Court ruled in 2010 that former Republican Gov. George Ryan should forfeit his pension following his 2006 corruption conviction that grew out of a licenses-for-bribes scandal rooted in his two terms as secretary of state and spilled over to his actions as governor.

But Ryan was able to collect $635,000 in the three years between leaving office and his conviction. He also was able to get back a $235,000 refund for the contributions hed made to the system over the years.

The lone justice to oppose the ruling to take away Ryans pension was Anne Burke, who is now the high courts chief justice and is married to 14th Ward Ald. Edward Burke, who has pleaded not guilty to federal charges in his own separate corruption case.

Justice Burke had maintained Ryans corruption could be connected to his terms as governor and secretary of state. But, in her dissent, she ruled there was no such nexus to corruption during his time as lieutenant governor or House lawmaker and that pension benefits for those years should not be disqualified.

A pension oversight panel changed the rules following the Ryan flap and misdeeds by other public officials by limiting the amount of refunds a retiree could receive following a conviction based on how much money had been paid out in pension benefits.
Planning a weekend getaway or a road trip to South Dakota? Here is a list of the best scenic routes in the Black Hills to make your next road trip truly unforgettable. Aside from its top attractions, the Black Hills area is filled with natural beauty and a sprawling, unique landscape unlike any other. Luckily, the Black Hills is crisscrossed with routes to explore and can be enjoyed without leaving your car. Looking for a place to stay after a full day of driving? Liv Hospitality provides convenient and comfortable accommodations throughout the Black Hills to keep you close to the scenic routes.

Get ready to set your GPS, roll your windows down and enjoy the scenic drives of the Black Hills.

Skyline Drive is a 2-mile, curvy but scenic road located in the heart of Rapid City. With several parking areas, you can enjoy the panoramic views of the city and the Black Hills as the backdrop.

The 70-mile byway was named after South Dakota conservationist Peter Norbeck, who surveyed roads and created a figure-eight route in the Black Hills. The byway is made up of a series of roads including Highways 16A, 244, 89 and 87 that travel through parts of Custer State Park, Mount Rushmore National Memorial, Black Elk National Wilderness Area and Norbeck Wildlife Preserve.

Experience the dramatic landscapes and breathtaking rock formations that make up the Badlands National Park. The 39-mile loop consists of 16 scenic overlooks and is home to many species of wildlife including buffalo, bighorn sheep, deer, antelope and prairie dogs.

Custer State Park is South Dakotas largest and first state park offering abundant wildlife and natural Black Hills beauty. Take your time driving on the 18-mile Wildlife Loop to enjoy the surreal views and the nearly 1,300 buffalo that share the park with mountain goats, antelope, elk and begging burros. The park is famous for its welcoming burros as they approach visitors of passing cars expecting food. Do not be surprised if a burro sneaks its head into your car window in hopes of finding a snack!

Needles Highway includes 14 miles of scenic twists, turns and narrow tunnels nestled in the pine and spruce forests of Custer State Park. Do not worry  the speed limit is generally 25 mph or slower. The road earned its name from its needlelike granite peaks that line the highway, with one rock formation called the Needles Eye. This incredible drive is bucket-list worthy and will be remembered long after your trip.

Spearfish Canyon Scenic Byway is a hidden gem in the Black Hills. This 22-mile journey is filled with stunning views, waterfalls, hiking trails and thousand-foot-high limestone mountains. The Canyon is a must-see any time during the year, but fall season is notable when the foliage turns to beautiful shades of yellow, gold and red.

Located near the Wyoming border, Devils Tower is composed of igneous rock that stands tall in the open prairie surrounding the Black Hills. The formation contains hundreds of parallel cracks that are perfect for climbing. To get the full experience and best views, we recommend starting your journey west on I-90 toward Belle Fourche, South Dakota, then connecting to Highway 34 toward Hulett, Wyoming, and making your way south to Devils Tower. As you get closer, Devils Tower will peek across the rolling plains. Make sure you stop to get plenty of pictures!

If you are searching for a scenic drive that takes you through the Black Hills with many tourist attractions along the way, Highway 385, better known as the Black Hills Parkway, is your go-to route. The drive takes you through the ponderosa pines between Deadwood and Custer, South Dakota, with countless trails, shops, museums and restaurants along the way.

Iron Mountain Road is a winding 17-mile mountain road with 314 curves, 14 hairpin turns, three pigtail bridges and three single-lane tunnels. Built in 1933 by Peter Norbeck, this spectacular drive provides some of the best scenic views of Mount Rushmore at a slow pace of around 25 mph or slower. Wildlife including elk, bighorn sheep, bison and mountain goats can be seen along the route.

The beautiful scenery of Vanocker Canyon Road is very similar to the Spearfish Canyon Scenic Byway and the road is a favorite route for motorcyclists. The best part? No large crowds or sharp turns. This route cuts through the aspen and pine of the Northern Black Hills and provides some of the areas best views.

Want to track and plan your routes in the Black Hills? Download the Rever App to help with navigation, route planning and much more.

Ready to hit the road?

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After its first five years and into its next five, Elevate Rapid City hopes to bring the region's success to those who have not yet been able to benefit from it.

Elevate Rapid City President/CEO Tom Johnson presented the organization's goals for 2023-2027 at the Rapid City Council and Pennington County Commission meetings Monday and Tuesday.

He said between 2018 and 2022, Elevate Rapid City met and exceeded each of its goals including creating 4,305 jobs, increasing incomes by 26.3%, increasing annual consumer spending by $1.68 billion and reaching $393 million in annual capital investment. The goals were 4,000 jobs, a 15% increase in incomes, $125 million increase in consumer spending, and reaching $300 million in annual capital investment.

Johnson said the challenge continues to be making sure those who have not participated in the region's success and prosperity are able to do so.

The organization's next goals include creating 5,000 jobs, increasing the average weekly wage by 15%, making the labor force participation rate greater than the national average, increasing the gross sales per year by $250 million, and reaching $400 million in capital investment annually.

Johnson said the labor force participation rate is a new goal. He said right now the region has a participation rate a little lower than the national average and attributes it partially to having more retirees in the Black Hills community not going back to the work post-pandemic.

"What we've got to do in the next five years is target that population," he said.

Johnson said between 12-20% of the area's population is Native American. He said he expects, even with a margin of error, between 8-15% of the high-demand occupations to be held by Native Americans, but they are not. As an example, he said Native Americans make up 2% of registered nurses in the area and it should be higher.

He said they're spending a significant amount of dollars from the city to Elevate and what they are raising to "move that needle."

Johnson said businesses should recruit workers in the area, particularly for entry level jobs and a living wage.

"I'm telling you those workers are here right now," he said. "They're in our Native American brothers and sisters and our relatives, and we've got to find a way to help them get into the workforce and getting a living wage."

Johnson said Elevate does not create jobs directly, they try to create a climate in which jobs happen. He said they are partners with the city and everyone in the room to make that happen.

He said part of the organization's focus is to increase Native American wages by 15% as well and decrease area poverty by 5%. He said one of his board members said they will never decrease the poverty rate by 5%. Johnson said he replied that the board member may be right, but it is still the goal they should try for.

"Even if we get to 2, 3 or 3.5%, we want to try for the moon so we can clear the fence," Johnson said.

He said outcomes could also include 10,000 new residents, 1,000 high-demand jobs filled, 180 resource partner meetings, 1,000 workforce contacts, and 100 cultural awareness opportunities for businesses.

Johnson also said Elevate Rapid City just received board approval to launch child care funding programs. The pilot programs will likely release applications for businesses next week and will include a program for loans and grants for larger child care facilities and a program for small in-house grants that would be used for capital expenditures.

He said in a phone call Tuesday that it is hard for child care workers to get good hourly wages and for families to find child care, and this could help with the challenging and complex issue.

He said the pilot program would last for about six months, but the organization plans to make changes as needed.

Johnson said funding for the programs will come out of Elevate's Rapid Loan Fund.
The Oglala Sioux Tribe is requiring churches and missionaries to register with the tribe before entering the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota after a Rapid City-based evangelist was banned from entering the reservation for distributing a pamphlet that disparaged traditional Lakota spirituality.

The tribal ordinance, which does not apply to local churches and ministries run by tribal members, was passed in late July amid concern from some tribal council members over Christian ministries evangelizing on the reservation, working with children as well as a history of abuse against Native Americans by some churches. The tribe's leadership has insisted it remains open to all religions, in keeping with its Bill of Rights, but the action showed significant pushback against some Christian missionary groups.

The history of abuses by the churches on Indigenous peoples has caused generational trauma to Indigenous peoples across the world, the tribal council stated in its ordinance.

The council's actions were prompted by a South Dakota group called Jesus is King Missions creating a pamphlet that called Tunkasila a false god or demon, South Dakota Public Broadcasting reported. It also claimed that the late Lakota medicine man Nicholas Black Elk, who converted to Catholicism and continued to practice Lakota ceremonies, had a racist vision.

According to the Bible, Jesus is the way, the truth and the life and no one comes to the Father but by him, said Michael Monfore, a missionary with the group. I know that may not be considered politically correct, or it might be considered intolerant or bigoted, but thats what Christ said.

The tribe has banned Monfore from entering the reservation.
A retired South Dakota Department of Revenue fraud investigator is facing 14 fraud-related charges against himself in Rapid City federal court.

Steven Knigge, 76, of Rapid City, appeared in court Wednesday on multiple counts of bank fraud, money laundering and wire fraud. The government alleges he committed the crimes while on supervised release from the state penitentiary where he was serving a sentence for similar charges.

Judge Victoria Duffy released Knigge Wednesday afternoon on a personal recognizance bond after his initial appearance at the Rapid City federal courthouse. Duffy attended the hearing virtually from Sioux Falls. Knigge appeared in a Pennington County Jail uniform in chains escorted by a U.S. Marshal.

Knigge is charged with 14 total counts: five counts of bank fraud, eight counts of money laundering and one count of wire fraud. Bank fraud and wire fraud carry a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine. The money laundering counts carry a maximum sentence of 20 years and a $500,000 fine or twice the value of the transaction, whichever is higher.

The indictment accuses Knigge of defrauding banks and enriching himself between April 2021 and October 2021. The 14-page indictment states Knigge deposited five fraudulent checks totaling $142,100  a $10,000 check into a credit union checking account; a $4,550 check and a $40,000 check into a separate bank checking account; and a $47,550 check and a $40,000 check into another credit union checking account.

Knigge obtained $16,000 of the fraudulent funds by transfers or cash withdrawals before the banks determined the checks were fraudulent and returned the funds or froze his accounts, court documents allege.

In addition to the fraudulent checks, the government alleges Knigge submitted a fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program loan application in which he requested $20,833 of government funds related to a residential remodeling business he claimed he owned, when he knew he did not own any remodeling business.

He allegedly used fraudulent bank statements to show the income from sources related to the alleged remodeling business, as well as false W-2s showing personal income from the business.

He received the PPP funds on June 1, 2021 and withdrew $20,000 in cash.

Asst. U.S. Attorney Ben Patterson asked for Knigge to remain in custody due to his history and prior conviction in 2016 with similar charges read Wednesday.

According to Journal archives, Knigge pleaded guilty to bank fraud and money laundering. He admitted to sending emails to banks in Arizona, Georgia, Texas and Washington in which he pretended to be an account holder and asked bank employees to wire large amounts of money to Knigge's Rapid City bank accounts.

He requested a combined $146,000 between July and September 2015. Some $42,000 got through to his local accounts; the banks blocked the rest. He wired $30,000 from the funds to people overseas, including $9,500 to Nigeria. His defense attorney said Knigge committed the offense while struggling with marital problems and after meeting someone overseas on an online dating date.

Patterson said Knigge's alleged recent scheme began during his time on supervised released.

Patterson alleges Knigge violated the conditions of his release, including the condition of not opening a new account, unbeknownst to his probation officer. He said Knigge showed that he is willing to commit crimes "from the comfort of his own home."

Patterson also said Knigge is facing eviction at his current residence and was not sure how to prevent him from committing similar and more crimes.

Duffy instituted an additional condition that states Knigge is prohibited from opening additional financial accounts, lines of credit and credit cards, and must disclose financial accounts to pretrial services including signed waivers.

Patterson said the condition went a long way to "ease my mind." He said Knigge's only current account is one where he is listed as a beneficiary and is controlled by one of Knigge's family members.

Knigge's court-appointed defense attorney requested release and said Knigge is not a flight risk. He said his client is a long-time resident of Rapid City and has time to find other living accommodations before he is fully evicted.

The deadline for Knigge to make a plea agreement with the government is Sept. 23. Otherwise, a jury trial is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. Oct. 11.
An Oglala man was sentenced on July 22 to two years and three months in federal prison and one year of supervised release for possessing a bullet-proof vest.

U.S. District Court Judge Jeffrey Viken also ordered Kane Youngman, 27, to pay a mandatory $100 assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

A federal jury found Youngman, 27, guilty of one count of possession of body armor by a violent felon on April 7. An indictment filed on Feb. 17 states Youngman possessed the ballistic vest in January.

Exhibit photos show the navy-colored Armor Express brand Bravo Revolution vest, which was manufactured in April 2021 in Central Lake, MI. The vests tag shows it is compliant with the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) standards for body armor at a IIIA protection level.

According to the NIJ, IIIA level protection is tested to stop .357 SIG and .44 Magnum ammunition fired from longer barrel handguns. It does not protect against rifle ammunition.

Youngmans possession of the vest was illegal because of a 2015 conviction of assault with a dangerous weapon. According to a factual basis statement signed by Youngman, he stabbed a man at least four times on March 13, 2015 at a home near Pine Ridge after telling him, bro, Im going to kill you.

The man, Jim Clarke, barricaded himself inside a room in the home. Clarke survived and was taken to the hospital the next day. Youngman pleaded guilty on Oct. 30, 2015 and Viken sentenced him to a year-and-a-half in prison and three years of supervised release. Youngman was arrested three times for violations during his supervised release.

In 2016, he was convicted of escaping from custody and sentenced to a year in prison. In 2018, he pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a prohibited person and was sentenced to three years in prison and three years of supervised release.

According to the United States Attorney's Office, the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan Poppen represented the government. Jennifer Albertson with the Federal Public Defender's Office in Rapid City represented Youngman.
Rapid City police arrested one of the suspects Monday in a string of burglaries from July 15-19 in several west Rapid City neighborhoods.

Police arrested Edgar Bear Runner III, 20, of Rapid City, Monday evening while executing a search warrant at a home in the 2600 block of Castle Heights Drive. He is charged with first-degree burglary. The RCPD said in a press release Wednesday additional charges are pending.

Bear Runners initial appearance in court is set for 10 a.m. Thursday. He is being held at the Pennington County Jail, where he was booked at 2:50 a.m. on Tuesday. Bear Runner's cash-only bond has been set at $100,000.

Within the four-day string of July burglaries, the toll reached 12 vehicles burglarized, three vehicles stolen, an open garage burglarized and one incident of trespassing on Sunburst Drive, RCPD Lt. Christian Sigel confirmed on Wednesday.

There were no signs of forced entry in any of the cases, and the three stolen vehicles were unlocked with the keys in them, Medina said. They have all since been recovered.

"People need to secure their belongings," Medina said.

Video footage from the home on Sunburst Drive showed at least two suspects, both armed with pistols. Police sent out a freeze frame from the video showing a man they later identified as Bear Runner who they found out was residing at a home on Castle Heights Drive in Rapid City where they arrested him.

While executing the search warrant, officers said they found a number of stolen items in the home, including two stolen firearms. Sigel said those firearms are not the same two that were stolen from vehicles during the July burglaries, but they were both stolen from Rapid City at another time.

The RCPD is still looking for one to three other unidentified suspects who might have been involved in the burglaries, Sigel confirmed.

Details of what or who led police to Bear Runner will remain vague at this time because police typically try to protect those who give us information, said Brendyn Medina, spokesperson with the RCPD. As for Bear Runner, Sigel said he has been tight-lipped with police and asked for a lawyer.

Sigel said police are familiar with Bear Runner, although a search of Bear Runner's name in South Dakota court records show only two class two misdemeanors from 2017  one for speeding and one for driving without a license.

Sigel did not elaborate on how police know Bear Runner when asked by the Journal.

Police are also investigating other vehicle burglaries that may be connected to the July incidents. Sigel said three primary detectives are on the case and half of our (investigative) division is working on this including our evidence section.

Were still very early, still sorting through everything. Our detectives are working their butts off right now just trying to piece it all together and create timelines, Sigel said.

The RCPD sent DNA collected from the scenes to the state crime lab in Pierre for testing. Sigel said results could take months, depending on the backlog. The RCPD lab can test fingerprints, but the timeline on gleaning results is also dependent on backlog.

Anyone with information pertinent to the July burglaries can contact Detective Brendan Lenard at 605-394-4134. An anonymous tip can also be submitted by texting the letters "RCPD" and the information to 847411.

Sigel said if people believe they are victims of a crime should contact dispatch at 605-394-4131 or file a report online.

"If they feel like they're a victim of a crime, they should contact us," he said.
Moscow court mitigates Shaninka rector Zuyev pretrial restrictions to house arrest

MOSCOW, August 3 (RAPSI)  The Moscow Tverskoy District Court ruled to release rector of the Moscow School of Social and Economic Sciences (Shaninka) Sergey Zuyev, who is a defendant in a 21-million-ruble (about $300,000) embezzlement case, from custody to wait for the trial under house arrest, the press service of the court informs RAPSI.

Earlier, the Second Cassation Court of General Jurisdiction has overturned an appeal ruling of November 9, 2021, on changing Zuyev pretiral restrictions from house arrest to detention and forwarded the case for a new consideration to the Moscow City Court.

Zuev stands charged with committing a large-scale fraud. The defendant admitted guilt and began to cooperate with the investigation.

According to investigators, in 2018, Zuyev, together with ex-Deputy Minister of Education and the former vice-president of Sberbank Marina Rakova, as well as former Deputy CEO of the Federal State Autonomous Institution "The Fund for New Forms of Education Development" Eugeny Zak, entered into a criminal conspiracy to embezzle money from the RANEPA.

In abuse of their official positions, the defendants made false employment contracts between the RANEPA and twelve employees of the Ministry of Education with the aim of their fictitious employment as part-time researchers at the Institute of Social Sciences, which is a part of RANEPA.

Investigators believe that the defendants did not actually perform any work in the educational organization nevertheless receiving salaries on the regular basis and for a long time thus causing the RANEPA damages in the amount of more than 20 million rubles (about $326,000 at the current exchange rate).
Photo: The Canadian Press Premier John Horgan answers questions from the media in Victoria, B.C., on Tuesday, February 8, 2022. The premier says he's considering taking the same approach as a Victoria couple who placed a newspaper ad to find a family doctor in his attempt to pressure the federal government to increase health funding.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chad Hipolito

British Columbia Premier John Horgan says he's considering taking the same approach as a Victoria couple who placed a newspaper ad to find a family doctor in his attempt to pressure the federal government to increase health funding.

Horgan says the advertisement worked for Janet and Michael Mort, who now have a family doctor after months of searching, leading him to possibly employ the same tactic after previous failed attempts to secure more federal health dollars.

However, Janet Mort says she's not happy she and her husband had to resort to public actions to get health care and she's offended by Horgan's "tongue-in-cheek response."

Mort, who's an Order of B.C. recipient for her work in public education, says she's written a letter to Horgan asking for a meeting to discuss repairing health care in B.C., with or without federal help.

Mort says several doctors contacted her following the placement of the ad in the Victoria Times-Colonist and her 82-year-old husband now has an appointment Thursday with his new family doctor.

Horgan says Canada's premiers lobbied the federal government for increased health funding last month during meetings in Victoria.

About a million people in B.C. don't have a family doctor.
Moscow court sentences MP Belousov to 10 years in prison on bribery charges

MOSCOW, August 3 (RAPSI)  The Moscow Tverskoy District Court has sentenced State Duma deputy Vadim Belousov to 10 years in a strict regime penal colony in a criminal case over taking a bribe in the amount of more than 3 billion rubles (about $50 million at the current exchange rate), the press service of the court informs RAPSI.

The MP failed to appear for the announcement of the sentence on Wednesday. Belousovs lawyers cited busyness and previously scheduled working meetings, which allegedly prevented his presence in the courtroom. The judge clarified that if a probe by the Federal Penitentiary Service establishes no plausible excuse, the defendant is to be put on the wanted list.

The court also imposed on Belousov a fine in the amount of 500 million rubles (about $8 million) and deprived him of a state award. The property of the lawmaker in an amount equal to the amount of the bribe was turned into state revenue, according to the ruling.

A sentence was also announced in relation to the 80-year-old mother-in-law of the deputy, Margarita Butakova, the chief accountant of the First Khlebokombinat OJSC. The woman received a 5-year suspended sentence with a similar fine.

According to investigators, from 2010 to 2014, Belousov and Butakova, being members of an organized criminal group, together with ex-Governor of the Chelyabinsk region Mikhail Yurevich and other persons, received a bribe from representatives of a road construction holding for providing general patronage to the activities of its enterprises. Overall, the members of the said organized criminal group received bribes totaling more than 3 billion rubles.

The defendants were charged with taking a bribe on an especially large scale. Yurevich was put on international wanted list after he left his post in January 2014 and managed to flee justice.

In the course of the preliminary investigation, at the request of the Prosecutor General's Office, the consent of the State Duma of the Russian Federation was obtained to deprive Vadim Belousov of parliamentary immunity and bring him to criminal responsibility.
The Darby School District will be hosting a benefit concert fundraiser featuring Texas country star Harry Luge on Saturday, Aug. 6, at the Richard Cromwell Memorial Rodeo Grounds in Darby. This family-friendly event, Dreamin for Darby, is open to the public with a suggested donation of $25 per family at the door.

All proceeds from the evening will benefit Darby school infrastructure upgrades and the Darby Schools Excellence Fund (DSEF), which was established in 2003 with parallel goals of providing students and staff with the financial support needed to enhance school building objectives of assisting with classroom achievement. An advisor or representative from any school club, class, group, or organization may apply for financial support throughout the year.

This collaboration between the school district and our community is one of the pillars that will aid with the positive climate and culture that is being built not only in the district, but also the community, says incoming Darby Superintendent Tony Biesiot. There is encouraging momentum building right now by the individuals that call Darby home. We welcome all to join us at this event to enjoy the live music and celebrate our outstanding students, teachers, administration, and staff, and pride and tradition of Darby.

A silent auction will kick off when doors open at 5 p.m., followed by a short program and live auction starting at 6 p.m. The concert will start at 7 p.m. Dinner and drinks will be available for purchase from local Bitterroot businesses Double K Ranch and the Silver Coin, with free activities for kids including face painting, jewelry making and lawn games.

For more information about the event, contact Tony Biesiot at 406-821-3841 x 1314 or tbiesiot@darby.k12.mt.us. To listen to Harry Luge, visit harrylugemusic.com.
Veterans suffering from exposure to burn pits and other toxic sources are closer to health coverage Tuesday following Senate passage of the Honoring our PACT Act, a bill Republicans surprisingly walked away from a week earlier.

Veterans had camped outside the Capitol for several days following the bills unexpected rejection a week ago. They had gathered July 27 for the bill's expected passage. Tuesday, the Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring Our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act of 2022 passed 86 to 11. Robinson was in the Ohio National Guard when he served in Iraq and Kosovo. He died on 2020 from illnesses stemming from toxic exposure.

The Department of Defense estimates that 3.5 million combat veterans were exposed to toxic trash fires and other sources of toxic emissions in Iraq, Afghanistan and Southwest Asia over the past 20 years. Roughly half of those veterans dont have health coverage.

For hundreds of thousands of veterans of all generations, for our all-volunteer military, this bill puts us on a path to finally paying the cost of war, said Sen. Jon Tester after the vote. The Montana Democrat, chairman of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee had first introduced the comprehensive bill in early 2021, but it wasnt until seven months ago when the committees ranking member, Republican Jerry Moran of Kansas, agreed to partner on getting the bill passed, that the legislation stood a chance. Republicans had previously balked at the bills nearly $300 billion price, which was reduced through the process.

Billings veterans who met with Tester in May talked about stroke-like paralysis and burning skin sensation stemming from exposure to pits used by the military to burn waste, some of which emits toxic fumes. The bill also allows residents of Camp Lejeune to seek reparations for exposure to toxic water during a 30-year period from 1950 to 1980. Several toxic exposure deaths are associated with the Marine Corps base in Jacksonville, North Carolina. Vietnam War veterans exposed to the defoliant Agent Orange, also gain coverage under the bill.

Last week after earlier votes with strong, bipartisan support, the COST Act failed to muster the 60 votes needed to pass the Senate. A lobbying effort against the bill by Sen. Patrick Toomey, a Pennsylvania Republican, had flipped the outcome. Toomey objected to bill language that guaranteed health care would be covered for 10 years. The lawmaker wanted Congress to vote on the funding annually.

Montana Sen. Steve Daines was among the Republicans who sided with Toomey. A video of Daines and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz fist-bumping after the July 27 vote went viral. The moment was referenced in monologue of Late Show host Stephen Colbert on Monday.

Tuesday, Daines voted for the PACT Act without the amendment requested by Toomey, or any concession concerning the climate bill.

Today, I was glad to vote for the PACT Act to deliver disability and health benefits earned by Montana veterans suffering from toxic exposure that occurred during their military service, Daines said in a press release. In recent days, I worked to ensure the VA is held accountable for meeting the needs of these veterans while also preventing big spenders in Washington from funding unrelated programs. While Im disappointed these improvements did not pass, the PACT Act passed with my full support. I look forward to it becoming law in the very near future.

President Joe Biden will now receive the bill for signing. Biden has long supported health coverage for veterans exposed to burn pits. He has suggested that toxic exposure was a cause of the cancer the killed his son Beau, a veteran.
The comments come after an assistant commonwealths attorney on Wednesday said prosecutors had no evidence to present that the alleged mass shooting was planned at Dogwood Dell.
Police have released the name of the man they say fired a gun in a Henrico County apartment complex on Sunday.

Terrence Antonio Brawner, 35, has been charged with attempted malicious wounding, use of a firearm in the commission of an attempted malicious wounding, maliciously discharging a firearm in an occupied dwelling and felony vandalism.

Police were dispatched to the 600 block of North Laburnum Avenue just before 10:30 a.m. after there were 911 calls about a man outside shooting a gun, Henrico police said in a statement.

The statement said there were additional reports of gunfire at 11 a.m., which prompted Henrico Police to discharge their firearm.

The statement did not include details about how many gunshots were fired by police. As per department policy, the officers involved are on paid administrative assignments until the investigation is complete.

Police negotiated with Brawner until 1:15 p.m., when he was taken into custody, the statement said.
A Richmond prosecutor on Wednesday told a judge during a hearing for two Guatemalan immigrants charged in connection with an alleged July 4 mass shooting plot that he had no evidence that it was planned for Dogwood Dell, as the citys police chief and mayor had noted during a July 6 news conference.

Shortly after the hearing, during which it was disclosed that federal authorities will now prosecute the two suspects, the Richmond Police Department issued a statement that Chief Gerald Smith stands behind the investigative work done by Richmond Police Detectives to stop a mass shooting planned for July 4th.

Federal court documents show that Rolman Balcarcel-Bavagas, 52, was charged Monday in a federal criminal complaint with re-entering the U.S. after being previously deported and was indicted on the same charge Tuesday; and Julio Alvarado-Dubon, 38, was charged in a criminal complaint Tuesday with possession of a firearm by a person illegally and unlawfully in the United States.

The issue of whether Dogwood Dell was specifically targeted for the mass shooting arose Wednesday after Richmond General District Judge David Hicks asked Assistant Richmond Commonwealths Attorney Clint Seal about the targeted location.

Hicks noted in comments from the bench that two of his three sons had been at Dogwood Dell on July 4, and if there was evidence the shooting was planned for that location, he would have a conflict of interest that would require him to recuse himself from hearing the case.

Mr. Seal, Im asking as an officer of the court based off what I just told you, does the Commonwealth have information that either of these individuals were involved in something that could have potentially affected Dogwood Dell on the Fourth of July where my children were present, Hicks asked from the bench. I need to know that before I do anything else on this matter.

To that, Seal replied, No.

But Hicks pressed, asking if it was Seals representation that the commonwealth has no information that either of these individuals were involved in a potential shooting, a planned shooting at Dogwood Dell on Fourth of July here in the city of Richmond.

Seal replied that he believed there is evidence to support the potential for a shooting but not at a specific location.

Hicks also noted that when he granted bond to Alvarado-Dubon on July 6, it was represented to him at that time that there was a potential for an unspecified shooting at an unspecified location. Prosecutors appealed the decision to circuit court, and a judge revoked Alvarado-Dubons bond July 11 in an agreement signed by both the prosecution and defense.

During a news conference later on July 6, Smith hailed the actions of a hero citizen tipster whom he said helped police thwart the mass shooting planned for Dogwood Dell. An officer in the 2nd Precinct received the tip, police said.

Without mentioning Dogwood Dell, Richmond police quickly responded to Wednesdays court developments.

Following up on a tip from a concerned individual who heard a plot of a mass shooting planned for July 4th, the Richmond Police Department began an exhaustive investigation to determine its validity, police said in a statement. Based on the initial information and subsequent investigation, investigators recovered firearms and several hundred rounds of ammunition from the suspects residence.

Later Wednesday, Smith and Mayor Levar Stoney spoke to reporters outside Creighton Court to address the new developments.

I think the best thing to say about the case is that the same case that was presented to the state has been presented and accepted by the federal government right now, Smith said.

Smith stood by his officers investigation, which pointed to Dogwood Dells Fourth of the July celebration as the intended target, citing the departments internal knowledge and experience.

It comes from just your police department knowing what its doing and just the high probability that would be it, said Smith. Our organization looked hard and long at that, to the point where we actually put surveillance on the ones that we didnt have in custody yet.

Smith commended his officers for their hard work leading up to the arrest of Balcarcel-Bavagas and Alvarado-Dubon, saying hes glad that those officers recovered hundreds of rounds of ammunition as opposed to having to comfort the families of hundreds of victims.

Stoney also thanked the Richmond Police Department for their work leading up to this point, and that he remains confident in the departments investigation as it moves to federal court.

I have confidence in the chief of police and I have confidence in hard working men and women of the Richmond Police Department  bottom line, Stoney said.

The Times-Dispatch submitted Freedom of Information Act requests to Stoney and the Richmond Police Department seeking emails and other correspondence related to the July 6 news conference, where both the mayor and chief announced a mass shooting plot planned for Dogwood Dell had been thwarted.

Stoney declined to release several documents, citing a portion of the state FOIA law that allows elected officials to withhold documents that are for personal or deliberative use.

During Wednesdays hearing, Hicks withdrew state firearm charges against both men after Seal disclosed, and their attorneys confirmed, that both men now face federal charges.

The state charges that were withdrawn Tuesday accused both men of possession of a firearm by a non-U.S. citizen.

In an affidavit in support of the federal complaint against Alvarado-Dubon, a special agent with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security noted that Richmond police officers who responded to a tip at the house where he was living in the 3100 block of Columbia Street, located two firearms in his bedroom and a third in another part of the house. They included a Radical Firearms RFS-15 rifle; a Glock 26 9mm semiautomatic pistol; and a third unidentified rifle.

Alvarado-Dubon confirmed he had purchased all three firearms, and he had purchased the two rifles from a yard sale near Fredericksburg in March , according to the affidavit.

Police then contacted federal immigration authorities to determine Alvarado-Dubons legal status to determine whether he could legally possess a firearm. A federal record check showed that he had last entered the U.S. on a B2 nonimmigrant visa on Aug. 31, 2014, and overstayed his visa by more than seven years.

The affidavit in support of the criminal complaint against Balcarcel-Bavagas say he was previously removed from the U.S. and returned to his native Guatemala on two occasions  in October 2013 and August 2014.

Balcarcel-Bavagas made an appearance Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Richmond. Alvarado-Dubon is set to make his initial federal court appearance on Friday.
The superintendent of Hanover schools is apologizing about the district using a logo on T-shirts and other materials that resembles a swastika.

The logo was used in a Hanover County Public Schools professional learning conference this week.

One of our teachers designed the logo intending for it to represent four hands and arms grasping together  a symbol of unity for our all-county professional learning conference. Nothing more, Superintendent Michael Gill wrote in a message to families and staff.

While we are confident that the logo was created without any ill-intent, we understand that this has deeply upset members of our staff and community who see the logo as resembling a swastika.

Gill said the administration has stopped distributing the T-shirts that include the logo and staff are working to remove the logo from all conference materials.

We are deeply sorry for this mistake and for the emotions that the logo has evoked by its semblance to a swastika and, by extension, to the atrocities that were committed under its banner, Gill wrote.

Unquestionably, we condemn anything associated with the Nazi regime in the strongest manner possible.

Gill was not part of developing or reviewing the logo, according to district spokesperson Chris Whitley.

Moving forward, the administration will reevaluate the process by which logos are reviewed, Whitley said.

In a letter on Monday afternoon, the NAACP said that the incident is another example of the urgent need for required training and professional development in diversity, equity and inclusion for all HCPS employees, including the School Board and Board of Supervisors.

We stand in solidarity with our Jewish brothers and sisters in calling out this insensitivity, said the letter signed by Hanover NAACP President Patricia Hunter-Jordan. We appreciate and respect Superintendent Gills apology. However, mere oversight by one individual cannot explain this pattern of a lack of diversity, and the refusal to make substantive changes that would result in the new direction for our schools 

Last week, the NAACP wrote a letter urging the Hanover Board of Supervisors to reconsider some School Board appointments and to require both boards to participate in diversity, equity and inclusion training.

The Anti-Defamation Leagues regional office in Washington said in a statement to the Times-Dispatch on Wednesday that the ADL appreciates Gills swift response to the community and his acknowledgement of the impact the incident has on the Jewish community and other marginalized groups targeted by white supremacy and hate.

We were deeply disturbed when we saw the image, and with antisemitic incidents continuing to reach historic highs across the country and the Commonwealth, it was upsetting for many of our community members to see this symbol  which so closely resembles a swastika  being used for a conference for educators, the Washington ADL statement said in part.

According to an annual ADL audit, there were 46 antisemetic incidents reported in Virginia last year, a 6% decrease from the 49 incidents reported in 2020 and a 64% increase from the 28 incidents reported in 2019.

Virginia was the state with the 15th-highest number of antisemitic incidents reported in the U.S. last year, according to the ADL.
Photo: The Canadian Press FILE - In this July 19, 2018, photo, Rep. Jackie Walorski, R-Ind., speaks on Capitol Hill in Washington. Walorski's office says that she was killed Wednesday, Aug. 3, 2022, in a car accident. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)

Republican U.S. Rep. Jackie Walorski was killed Wednesday in a car crash in her northern Indiana district along with two members of her congressional staff and another person, police said.

The crash happened about 12:30 p.m. when a car crossed the center line on a state highway and collided head-on with the SUV Walorski was riding in, the Elkhart County Sheriffs Office said. Three people in the SUV, including Walorski, 58, were killed, as was a woman driving the other car, authorities said.

Walorski, who served on the House Ways and Means Committee, was first elected to represent Indianas 2nd Congressional District in 2012. She previously served six years in the state's Legislature.

She has returned home to be with her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Please keep her family in your thoughts and prayers, Walorskis chief of staff Tim Cummings said in a statement.

Walorski and her husband, Dean Swihart, were previously Christian missionaries in Romania, where they established a foundation that provided food and medical supplies to impoverished children. She worked as a television news reporter in South Bend before turning to politics.

Also killed in the crash were Zachery Potts, 27, of Mishawaka, Indiana; Emma Thomson, 28, of Washington, D.C.; and Edith Schmucker, 56, of Nappanee, Indiana, according to the sheriff's office.

Cummings confirmed that Potts and Thomson were members of Walorskis congressional staff. Thompson was Walorskis communications director, while Potts was her district director and the Republican chairman for northern Indianas St. Joseph County.

Schmucker was driving the other car, according to the sheriff's office. The crash, which occurred in a rural area near the town of Wakarusa, is still under investigation.

Walorski was seeking reelection this year to a sixth term in the solidly Republican district.

She was active on agriculture and food policy in Congress, often working across the aisle on those issues. A co-chair of the House Hunger Caucus, she introduced legislation with Democrats to bring back a Nixon-era White House event on food insecurity.

President Joe Biden pointed to that work in a statement crediting Walorski for years of public service.

We may have represented different parties and disagreed on many issues, but she was respected by members of both parties for her work, Biden said. My team and I appreciated her partnership as we plan for a historic White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health this fall that will be marked by her deep care for the needs of rural America.

Indiana Republican U.S. Sen. Todd Young said he was devastated by Walorskis death.

Jackie loved Hoosiers and devoted her life to fighting for them, Young said in a statement. Ill never forget her spirit, her positive attitude, and most importantly her friendship. All of Indiana mourns her passing, along with the tragic deaths of her staff Emma Thomson and Zach Potts.

Walorski was a reliable Republican vote in Congress, including against accepting the Arizona and Pennsylvania electoral votes for Biden following the Capitol insurrection.

As a member of the Indiana House, Walorski pushed anti-abortion legislation opposed gambling expansion proposals. She became a favorite of the conservative tea party movement.

Walorski lost a close 2010 congressional race to Democrat Joe Donnelly before narrowly winning the seat in 2012 as Donnelly made a successful run for the Senate. She had easily won her reelection campaigns since then.

House Republican Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy called Walorski a no-nonsense, straight shooter."

Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Walorski lived a life of service.

She passionately brought the voices of her north Indiana constituents to the Congress, and she was admired by colleagues on both sides of the aisle for her personal kindness, Pelosi said in a statement.

Pelosi ordered the flags at the U.S. Capitol to be flown at half-staff in Walorskis honor. The White House said its flags would be lowered Wednesday and Thursday, and Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb issued a similar flag directive for the state.

At every level of public service Jackie was known to be a positive force of nature, a patriot, and a relentless policymaker with an unwavering loyalty to her constituents," Holcomb, a Republican, said.

Democratic Rep. Annie Kuster of New Hampshire said she and Walorski bonded as newly elected members of Congress in late 2012 over their husbands shared love of jazz music and became friends.

I was proud to work with her on a variety of critical issues, including legislation to address the addiction crisis, end sexual violence, and help military sexual assault survivors access the care they need, Kuster said.
The Richmond-area community showed up Tuesday night as various neighborhoods across the region celebrated National Night Out festivities.

National Night Out is an annual event where local civic leaders and law enforcement come together to promote community-based partnerships.

Many neighborhoods throughout Richmond and the neighboring counties of Hanover, Chesterfield and Henrico held block parties, cookouts and other activities where police and first responders ingratiated themselves with the community at large.

Mayor Levar Stoney kicked off one of several stops of the night at Mt. Olivet Church in Richmonds East End to celebrate the citys 39th annual celebration.

Tonight we celebrate Richmond, said Stoney. But more than anything, we celebrate those officials in the public safety realm who contribute to keep our community safe.

Stoney said the city needs to come together as one to strengthen its public safety methods.

Earlier Tuesday during his weekly news conference, Stoney touted one such method with the citys gun buyback program.

Those willing to hand over a firearm will receive a gift card worth up to $250 to buy goods such as gas, groceries and clothing.

Public safety has been one of Stoneys priorities since his annual State of the City address and the introduction of the citys Gun Violence Prevention framework.

However, as Richmond police Chief Gerald Smith said, public safety isnt just about planning.

This is about community, said Smith. That has been our message over and over again.

In the spirit of community, Smith joined Stoney, City Council President Cynthia Newbille and state Del. Delores McQuinn to celebrate an East End icon whom everyone knows simply as Ms. T.

Mary Thompson, 85, was one of the driving figures behind organizing the East Ends first National Night Out in 1994 and has been a vocal leader in the community since then.

With Thompson having suffered a stroke in late May, her daughter Myra Washington wasnt sure if Thompson would have the strength to keep one of her favorite events going this year.

I just didnt know if she was going to get through this event, said Washington, But she knew I was going to be by her side.

Newbille, who represents the East End on Richmonds City Council, said thanks to people like Thompson, the community has only strengthened through hardships like the coronavirus pandemic.

It is critical that we come together to make a difference, said Newbille.

As Thompson received gifts from city leaders and a round of applause from the growing crowd, she thanked the community for sticking by her all this time.

It was my pleasure, said Thompson. I may have fussed the whole time, but I love doing this.

Seeing the community together, Thompson said, is what makes all the work worthwhile. Looking toward the future, Thompson said Tuesdays event was a building block for more activities in the East End and throughout Richmond.

She said she hopes that residents young and old can learn from this experience, treat one another with respect and, above all else, have fun.

We want our community to respect the officer in uniform, and we want them to respect us and be a part of community, Thompson said. The more we do that, the better off well be.
Wednesday on Capitol Square was all about state employees, as far as Gov. Glenn Youngkin was concerned.

He threw them a block party on Bank Street with food trucks, including much-appreciated shaved ice, and tickets to cash in for $5 worth of chili dogs, fries and Greek treats.

Earlier, he briefed several dozen new state board and commission members on his nearly completed promise to visit every state agency.

But then, it was time for the Electric Slide, fist bumps and cellphone photos with state workers from scores of different agencies on a long, hot walk down Bank Street in the afternoons fierce sun.

After some dance steps by a blaring loudspeaker, he bent close as Khalieda Willoughby, her 10-month-old propped on her hip, told him how hard it would be for her police officer husband and her to manage child care if she couldnt telework.

Youngkin said his aim in asking state employees to start coming back to the office starting July 5 wasnt intended to make things difficult. He pointed her to a program for which some 10,000 of the more than 20,000 state employees who are eligible to work remotely have applied. If she is eligible and it isnt a challenge for her office, it should be no problem, and she should get an application in, he said.

Youngkin administration behind deadline in reviewing telework requests Gov. Glenn Youngkin is lagging behind his own deadline for reviewing requests by state emplo

We wanted to have this appreciation day as people come back to the office, he said, later. Its something to see how happy people are when they see the people they work with and know.

He said hes been stunned that less than half the state workers eligible for teleworking actually applied and that some of them only wanted to telework for one or two days a week, mainly because of the same kind of child care challenges that Willoughby faces.

Several photos, handshakes and fist bumps later, a shy Shilpi Chawla gave a small wave and stepped forward. When Youngkin asked, she told him she had just joined the Department of Agriculture. He thanked her for making the move, leaving her beaming as he turned to offer fist bumps to the crowd gathering behind him.

How are you? How are you? he kept asking. Awesome was how he replied when people answered.

Virginia Lottery: Woo! he shouted as he came by its tent and the three capitol police officers waiting there.

State employee concerns mount over Youngkin telework policy State employees face a tight deadline on Friday for getting permission to work from their ho

Did ya win? Did ya win? he asked Officer Bret Webb.

He didnt, as it turned out.

Aw, the governor replied.

At the next tent, eyeing a foot-long car piled high with heavily laden circuit boards, Youngkin got a briefing from Nathan Reyes about how the Commonwealth Cyber Initiative is using the little car to research how vehicles could operate without drivers on Virginias busy roads, part of the states major effort to expand its high-tech industries.

Then came a talk with Antwon Jacobs, of the state Department of Veterans Services, about the range of programs that Virginia has set up to help active-duty service members make the transition to civilian life.

What were saying is we want you to stay in Virginia, Youngkin said, before another fist bump.

I really wanted to thank everyone, he said, at the end of his stroll through a crowd of several hundred state workers. Im always struck by how dedicated, how passionate they are about what they do.
VIRGINIA BEACH  His unsuccessful attempt to give a summertime break on the gas tax was Gov. Glenn Youngkins big disappointment with a state budget that delivered Virginias biggest ever package of tax relief, but Virginias chief executive plans to bring the idea of a gas tax cut back next year.

Speaking after a town hall to report on his legislative initiatives, Youngkin said Tuesday that he is concerned that the state tax  which rose July 1 from 26.2 cents a gallon to 28 cents a gallon  brings in too much money to the states main highway construction and repair fund.

But he said some level of a gas tax is needed, because it acts as a kind of user fee  it links the cost of dealing with wear and tear on state highways to drivers who cause it.

Still, his proposal for a gas tax holiday for the summer had a different aim: giving Virginians a break on record-high gas prices during the time of year when people drive the most.

I want people when they fill their tanks to think about Senate Democrats, he told a largely Republican crowd of 200 at Virginia Beachs Green Run High School, referring to the group that he blamed for blocking the gas tax break.

He said that was his biggest disappointment with his first program as governor.

Democrats have said the suspension would not necessarily have been passed on in terms of lower prices at the pump, arguing that it would simply be a kind of windfall for the industry.

Virginias average price for a regular gallon of gas hit record highs in May and June but has dipped in recent weeks. The average price for a regular gallon of gas in Virginia was $3.969 on Tuesday, down from $4.106 a week ago and $4.629 a month ago.

Youngkin told the audience he was proud that a bipartisan effort brought home the two-year budget that included tax reductions of nearly $4 billion, including increasing the standard deduction from $4,500 for single taxpayers to $8,000 and for joint filers from $9,000 to $16,000 as well as eliminating the 1.5% state sales tax on groceries. (The General Assembly preserved the 1% portion of the sales tax on groceries that goes directly to local governments to fund public services.)

He said he wants to push next year for the extra $1 billion of tax breaks he couldnt get through the General Assembly. Besides a gas tax break, that includes bumping up the standard deduction even more, he said.

Another big priority when the legislature reconvenes in January is tackling the high price of housing, Youngkin said.

Its basically a question of supply and demand, he told reporters after the town hall.

Youngkin has launched a listening tour, looking for a package of measures for the legislature.

His town hall was held next to the local communitys annual National Night Out event, and Youngkin said he was proud that the budget including an additional $400 million for law enforcement, including the largest raise yet for police officers, sheriffs deputies and other officials.

It is a big bold statement that Virginia backs the blue, he said.

Of the tax measures that passed, including an 80% rise in the standard deduction and one-time tax rebates of $250 for single filers and $500 for joint filers, Youngkin said he was most proud of the measure that gives military retirees relief on the first $40,000 of their income.

It says to veterans we want you here ... to stay and build a life in Virginia,  he said.

On the spending side, the budget provides state funds, which must be matched by local school boards, for a 5% increase in teacher pay in each of its two years as part of the largest ever sum for state aid to K-12 education.

It also provides $1.25 billion for school construction loans and grants, and provides $100 million to launch laboratory schools at colleges and universities.

The administration says these are schools intended to explore innovative teaching techniques for preschool to high school while demanding high standards.
Virginia Childrens Theatre is best known for such stage shows as The Addams Family and Madagascar, along with thought-provoking productions including Apologies, which dealt with teen suicide.

VCT will focus strictly on music Saturday and Sunday, with a concert at Elmwood Parks amphiteatre. The show will use family-friendly childrens literature and favorite musical theatre tunes to bring the audience together in order to celebrate life as one unified community, according to a news release.

Performers including local youth and adult professional actors will treat the audience to songs from Footloose, Waitress, Big Fish, Godspell, Hairspray and more.

The concert, called Brand New Day: A Celebration Of Unity is set for rain or shine. Patrons may bring their own seating and/or shade. Blue Cow Ice Cream and Debs Lemonade will have trucks on site. Picnics are allowed, but no pets or alcohol.

 The Roanoke Times
His first day as retired Roanoke College president, Michael Maxey said he dropped down to North Carolina for a visit with his namesake grandson.

Visits like those are the finer things Maxey looks forward to in retirement, now that Frank Shushok assumed the role of Roanoke Colleges 12th president on Monday.

I have told everyone that I will certainly bow out and stay out of president Shushoks way, Maxey said Tuesday. But Ill be available to him and anyone else that needs me, for whatever that is.

Maxey, who from 1985 until last week served in leadership roles for Roanoke College, said he is contemplating how best to involve himself in further community work beyond retirement. But hes taking a few months to formulate ideas, discipline his approach and pinpoint a worthy project.

I want to help my profession, I want to help colleges succeed, and I certainly want to help Roanoke succeed, Maxey said. And I want to help my community, because thats so important to me. To be able to tackle all that as my next project, its fun.

A 15-year stretch at the helm of Roanoke College required Maxey, 70, to focus on servant-style leadership, and to become a Swiss Army knife, he said.

That means you can do whatever the college needs, he said. Ill continue to try to do that.

Maxey said his successor faces a similar challenge as any other university president: balancing the tried and true traditions of a college campus with the innovation necessary to remain relevant through changing times.

Were great at mentoring students. We never want that to go away, Maxey said. Figuring out how to do that better, differently and in relevant ways for the lives that future students want to live, thats going to be the challenge.

That challenge is part of the how education is already changing, with schools such as Roanoke College emphasizing real world experience for students through internships, research placements and mentorship, he said.

Thats what gives students an edge in their future, having real world experience in addition to the kind of traditional education we give, Maxey said.

Continuing, he said: Youll see more and more emphasis on how we prepare you to enter the world.

Known for always wearing a bow tie, Maxey said hell still don a bow tie-emblazoned ball cap on those more relaxed retirement days when he isnt in formal attire.

He described his time with Roanoke College as a blessing, and repeated some advice he gave his successor:

When you live in a community where you have all these smart people with great ideas, a big part of your job is to help their good ideas emerge, Maxey said. I was fortunate to be around a lot of people with great ideas. Its important to listen to them and help the best of the ideas come along and grow.

Coming soon: An interview with Frank Shushok.
A $6 million residential complex on Campbell Avenue Southeast will open by the end of the year, continuing a creative push into an area that was long known for other uses.

Four stories of new apartments are under construction adjacent to industrial-scale railroading, small automotive shops and a few taverns, as infill development increases the housing supply.

The project, tentatively called Woodland Park, will offer a downtown address in a new building, setting it apart from the numerous renovated historic structures that characterize downtown housing. Thirty-five units are planned at the location, a 5-minute walk from Williamson Road.

A company associated with developer Lucas Thornton is building the complex beside The Lawson Building, an earlier Thornton-led renovation project that created 24 residential units and office space at 631 Campbell Ave. S.E. in a former warehouse. It was completed in 2009.

And, that initial decision helped to set a tone that led to the new project.

Thornton acknowledged a need for more housing, including more affordable housing, in Roanoke. All of the new units, which come with off-street parking, will cost what the market will bear. But Thornton noted that his company priced a third of the units in The Lawson Building so a household earning 80% of the area median income can afford to live there.

According to a history of Woodland Park from the History Museum of Western Virginia, executives who brought rail to what is now Roanoke bought 500 acres of land to facilitate community growth. A hill whose highest point was between Tazewell Avenue Southeast and Church Avenue Southeast was offered to the city as a park  Woodland Park  but that was later developed. The new apartment building is going into a space created by chipping and drilling out limestone from the hills north side. It will displace a contractors shop on a lot otherwise covered with trees and vegetation.

Some existing trees will remain and crews will plant new landscaping with more trees, Thornton said.

To Thornton, the views add interest to the location. In one direction is Roanoke industry including freight trains and former locomotive and car shops, but with a turn of the head, there are office towers and the Taubman Museum of Art.

Asked about his existing residents and those to come at the new complex, Thornton said people 28 to 35 years old appear to represent the largest demographic group living downtown. But broadly speaking, the people are diverse, except that downtown is not a cheap place to live or well-developed for families, he added.

Thornton commented on the project, calling it an indication of Roanokes continued success. Im excited about Roanokes direction and gratified to be part of it. We would not make a $6 million investment if we didnt think Roanoke was continuing in a good direction.

Thorntons development portfolio includes a number of completed projects in walking distance of the new project, including Gramercy Row, Big Lick Junction and Pinnacle Financial. His company is currently redeveloping the former site of the Campbell Court Transportation Center for housing, retail and offices.
BEDFORD  A Goodview man was sentenced Tuesday to eight years in prison for his role in a DUI-related wreck in Bedford County that injured a couple who had an infant in the vehicle.

Brandon Wayne Bateman, 36, pleaded no contest in March to two felony counts of maiming; one count of driving under the influence of alcohol, fourth offense in 10 years; and one count of driving without a license because of previous offense while under the influence.

The Farmville couple testified extensively Tuesday of their injuries and emotional trauma from the Nov. 6, 2021, wreck. Their daughter suffered only bruising from the incident, the mother testified.

Bateman drove a pickup truck that night from Timberlake Road into Bedford County and was observed by witnesses driving erratically and well over the speed limit on Virginia 122, Bedford County Commonwealths Attorney Wes Nance said. In the Bunker Hill plant area, his truck ran off the side of the road, overcorrected and struck the other vehicle at a high rate of speed.

The female passenger testified she saw Batemans truck approaching and yelled: Oh my God. Hes going to hit us!

She said she was airlifted to the hospital and suffered a broken arm and leg. She was hospitalized for four days, underwent surgery and was confined to a wheelchair for several months. She testified of her many negative psychological effects, including losing out on many important moments of her daughters first year and losing the ability to breastfeed, and she cant drive at night because of panic attacks from headlights in the opposite lane.

She said the wreck also crippled the couple financially with medical bills, and they both are still dealing with physical effects.

She has nightmares of the crash and thinks about how much worse it could have been.

The driver who was hit testified he was turning left off Joppa Mill Road and onto Virginia 122 when he saw lights flashing he went blank as he lost consciousness during the wreck. He, too, was airlifted, suffered three broken bones in his right foot, severely hurt his wrist and had brain hemorrhaging, according to his testimony.

He was out of work until late April and testified he has headaches, hears constant ringing in his ears and is at increased risk for Alzheimers because of the wreck.

Still walking with a severe limp, he said their injuries are a result of Batemans bad judgment and he feels a 10-year sentence is appropriate for a defendant in his sixth DUI offense who hasnt learned from previous incidents.

Batemans mother apologized in court to the couple and testified her son has dealt with alcohol abuse as a boy following the death of his father from cancer. She testified he is a wonderful person who turns into someone else when he drinks alcohol and he needs more intense treatment.

Bateman testified he has struggled with alcoholism since age 9, when his dad died.

When my father passed away, I didnt want to live life, Bateman said. I didnt want to be here.

He said he doesnt remember the wreck and said he wants to seek treatment through a Christian program he can afford. Bateman said he also has nightmares because of the event.

The guilt I hold is unreal, Bateman said.

Bateman read from a letter he wrote to the couple that said three years ago his mother was hit by a man who fell asleep at the wheel and he knows how it feels to be impacted by such an event.

I now have become that man, Bateman said, adding he has spent much time praying for forgiveness. There is no bigger wake-up call in the world than this.

Bateman said he never meant to hurt anyone, hopes the couple can find healing and vowed to stay sober one day at a time, so help me God.

Nance said Bateman ignored previous court rulings to stay away from alcohol and is not being prosecuted because of his disease or mental health but rather his decision to drive drunk that night.

If he fell off the wagon and stayed at home, we wouldnt be here today, Nance said.

Nance said Bateman had his first DUI offense 15 years ago and spoke in a frustrated tone of Batemans repeated behavior and endangering others, not just harming the victims, in a 15-mile trip at speeds of 80 to 100 miles per hour. He referred to all aspects of Batemans actions as aggravating and said his blood alcohol content was .19, more than twice the legal limit.

Nance asked for a 10-year sentence, adding it was rare for his office to request more than half above the high end of sentencing guidelines but this is the case for it.

Judge James Updike says in his opinion the guidelines that call for a low end of two years to a high of nearly four years are woefully low because of the circumstances and Batemans chronic history of alcohol-related recidivism.

Updike said one thing he knows from more than four decades in the legal profession: everyone makes mistakes, and two types of people are those who learn from them and those who keep repeating them; Bateman has shown he is the latter.

The couples medical bills combined exceed $304,000 and they are pursing civil litigation, according to Nance.

Updike, in sentencing Bateman, ordered he pay $5,000 apiece to both victims in monthly installments of restitution to go toward that figure and credited him with time served since his arrest following the wreck.
John Hinckley Jr. announced on social media Tuesday that he would be giving a free concert at the Williamsburg Regional Library theater this fall. Now, the library is saying the show, which was scheduled for Nov. 4, is canceled.

In a statement, the library said that based on the tenor of the communications the library received, it became evident that this event would be disruptive to library operations.

Since his release in June, 41 years after he attempted to assassinate President Ronald Reagan, has been attempting to perform his solo music at venues around the country.

Not long after Hinckley announced his Redemption Tour, three shows in Chicago, Connecticut and Brooklyn, New York, were canceled, prompting Hinckley to tweet, Im looking for a music venue that wont cave when theres backlash.

The library accepted Hinckleys application for rental of the Williamsburg Library Theatre on Aug. 2, the same day that Hinckley announced the free show on Twitter.

At 5:30 p.m., the library officially canceled the event after receiving hostile comments through chat and email, the statement continued. This alerted us that the concert was clearly going to become a major disruption to library operations that would impact our ability to serve our community.

Hinckley was 25 at the time of the shooting, wounded Reagan, Washington, D.C., police officer Thomas Delahanty and Secret Service agent Tim McCarthy. The shooting also paralyzed Reagan press secretary James Brady, who died in 2014.

Hinckley was reportedly seeking fame in order to impress actress Jodie Foster, whom he had stalked for several months by writing her poems, letters and calling her home.

He was found not guilty by reason of insanity in a federal court, and remained under institutional psychiatric care before his conditional release in 2016, when he went to live with his mother, Jo Ann Hinckley, in James City County. After his mothers death in 2021, a federal judge approved Hinckleys unconditional release beginning in June.
RICHMOND  One of Gov. Glenn Youngkin's appointees to Virginias Board of Historic Resources has resigned following her remarks about the Confederacy and slavery.

Ann McLean, an art historian who has criticized the removal of Confederate statues, resigned Monday, according to Youngkin spokesperson Macaulay Porter.

McLean has opposed the renaming of buildings and removal of monuments related to the Confederacy and slavery  telling The Virginia Star our heritage has come under a vicious attack.

McLean's resignation followed a discussion about our Administrations goals and priorities and Dr. McLeans," Porter said in an email.

The Governor had previously acknowledged that he did not agree with Ann McLean's statements and the Administration is focused on ensuring that our Commonwealth's rich history and resources are preserved, the good and the bad, for future generations of Virginians and visitors, Porter said. WRIC, the Richmond ABC affiliate, first reported that McLean was leaving the post.

On July 12 the administration had announced McLean's appointment to the board, which oversees historic site designations.

In a July 18 appearance on Richmonds Morning News with John Reid on WRVA, McLean said that many people want to just flatten the whole Civil War to slavery.

Youngkin appointee Flores leaves LGBTQ board, moving to Florida for job Casey Flores, one of Gov. Glenn Youngkins appointees to the states LGBTQ Advisory Board, who faced criticism over obscene tweets, has resigned from the job.

A central tension between northern and southern states that led to the Civil War, which lasted from 1861 to 1865, was disagreement over states rights  particularly whether states could permit individuals to own enslaved people.

McLean likened President Abraham Lincolns efforts in the Civil War to Russia invading Ukraine. She added that slavery would have eventually ended had the Confederacy remained a country.

Slavery would have been outlawed in the South within five or 10 years but they wanted to do it on their own time, she said.

Youngkin places Wheeler in charge of cutting regulations Gov. Glenn Youngkin issued an executive order Thursday tasking the official who was rejected for an environmental Cabinet post with reducing Virginia regulations by 25%.

In a Dec. 23, 2021, appearance on WRVA she also defended the erection of Confederate monuments.

This whole tragedy is that these statues were built to tell the true story of the American South to people 500 years from now after everything calmed down, McLean said. But we have forces right here 150 years later that want to destroy the evidence of that story.

McLean, who could not be reached for comment, was previously the head of Hunter Classical Christian School  which she founded  and she holds a Ph.D. in art and architectural history from the University of Virginia.

Frank Dukes, an architecture professor at UVa, said: If she had stayed on the historic resources board, then she would have been exposed to many different truths of history than then she obviously has been exposed to before."

Dukes is involved in Charlottesvilles efforts to reshape and contextualize its now-removed statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee.

McLean's statements in media outlets came amid several years of debates surrounding the removal of monuments and memorials that venerate slaveholders and key Confederate historical figures.

Charlottesville five years later, part 3 | After the Monuments podcast In this episode, Kelli and Michael Paul are talking with Dr. Wes Bellamy again. Dr. Bellamy, former vice mayor of Charlottesville and former member of the Charlottesville City Council, recalls the events immediately before, during and after the deadly Unite the Right Rally in 2017.

Virginia and localities removed a number of Confederate statues in 2020, a year of reckoning about racial injustice  sparked, in part, by the murder of Minneapolis resident George Floyd by a police officer.

Following a 2020 change in state law that gave localities authority to do so, a number of cities and counties throughout Virginia have removed their Confederate statues. Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney ordered the removal of city owned Confederate statues from Monument Avenue, after demonstrators already had taken down several statues.

Last September, Virginia removed the state-owned statue of Lee on Monument Avenue after then-Gov. Ralph Northam prevailed in a court fight.

Dukes said hes glad there has been more research and education over the years into more of the complexity of American history.

We have to be able to approach that knowledge with an open mind and to be prepared, you know, to learn. I'm still learning very much myself, Dukes said.

My hope is that they're going to get somebody who's willing to confront the authentic histories that are far more complex.

Porter did not give further details on when Youngkin might appoint a new person to McLeans slot on the board.
People listen to a performance by Nubya Garcia on Aug. 2, 2022, at the Salt Shed, a new performance space at the former Morton Salt complex in Chicago. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)

Adhering to Chicago tradition, Bruce Finkelman is making no small plans for the Salt Shed. The former Morton Salt complex in West Town is being transformed into a performance venue and had its first outdoor concerts this week, the first Tuesday and Fleet Foxes Wednesday. Andrew Bird and Iron & Wine are scheduled for Aug. 12.

Finkelman is the managing partner of 16 on Center  the hospitality group behind the project  and seeks to change how people go to concerts with the new venue. Though many parts of the reported $50 million renovation remain months away from completion, the space on display at the soft opening suggested Finkelmans goals are within reach. There is nothing like the Salt Shed in Chicago.

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Located directly across from Goose Island and framed on the east by the North Branch of the Chicago River, the Salt Shed occupies a 4.2-acre site thats long been a distance marker for anyone headed downtown along the Kennedy Expressway by train or car. The warehouse roofs iconic Morton Salt sign originally caught Finkelmans attention when he was a kid traveling in the back seat of his parents car. Its mystique held sway when he returned to Chicago after college and later, along with partner Craig Golden, became one of the entrepreneurs behind staples such as Thalia Hall, Revival Food Hall and the Promontory.

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Id be going from Longman & Eagle to the Empty Bottle, said Finkelman, who comes across with the unassuming nature of a laid-back music fan you meet while waiting in line for beer. I would drive by the Morton space three or four times a night. Id always think, I wonder whats in there? Then it became I wonder if we could do a show there? to I wonder if we could do many shows there?

Finkelman and Golden approached Thalia Hall  another property with landmark status  with a similar mindset before they opened it in 2013. When the Salt Shed opportunity arose five years ago, both knew they had to pursue it. For Finkelman, it represents the latest step in building music-oriented relationships that began in 1992 with the Empty Bottle.

The former Morton Salt complex opens Aug. 2, 2022, as the Salt Shed, a new music venue. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)

The idea of adaptive reuse with the Morton Salt complex was very appealing, said Finkelman. We wanted to turn it into something for the neighborhood and community.

As a manufacturing complex and warehouse for salt built in the 1920s, the buildings along the river were occupied by Chicago-founded Morton Salt from their construction until 2015, and sold in 2017. Zoning for their adaptive reuse was approved last year.

The Salt Shed aims to be an everyday local destination. For the remainder of the summer, during which it will host a slate of outdoor concerts, a rotating array of area food vendors and retailers will offer everything from pizza to cocktails, records to vintage apparel. Some businesses will set up shop in nooks built into the former packinghouse; others will spread out among bars and merch tents amid a north promenade that Finkelman envisions as the equivalent of a fairground.

A lot of people have never gone to a fair but think about it; its a pretty great concept with a multitude of happenings, he said. There should be multiple reasons to bring people together. Here, there can be a yoga class or motorcycle show or some sort of other event. Its almost as if the show can be an afterthought, like, Oh, that bands playing here tonight? Im going to put my bag in a locker and get tickets.

The Salt Shed anticipated 2,500 to 3,000 concertgoers for opening night (Makaya McCraven, Sons of Kemet and Nubya Garcia), for which it partnered with and donated $1 for every ticket sold to CIVL (The Chicago Independent Venue League), an organization of many of the areas leading independent clubs. In addition to nearby bus, L and Metra service, the venue has adjacent bicycle and parking lots.

Patrons also have ticket options. General admission grants standing-room admittance to the main grounds (ADA seating is available). A costlier premium ticket includes entrance to a VIP section, access to a platform viewing area and exclusive food and drink options.

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Pop-up shops at the Salt Shed music venue on its opening night Aug. 2, 2022. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)

On Tuesday, a diverse crowd  children under four get in free  was already on hand when opener Garcia sounded the first notes played on the outdoor stage. Located on the south end of the complex, its proscenium is framed by the skeletal remnants of the original east shed. The saxophonists band could even be heard with remarkable definition at the north edge of the facility at the entrance gate. That sonic clarity, combined with a roomy layout that invited people to mingle and grab a bite to eat, inspired some attendees to sit on steps or at picnic tables. Others wandered about.

One visual in particular is impossible to miss: a panorama of the Chicago skyline. The striking perspective  and the nearer-sighted activities of kayakers and boaters making their way on the river  underscores Finkelmans belief that Salt Shed symbolizes the epicenter of the city. Its another reason he and his partners preserved every detail they could.

Early on we couldve scrapped it all and put up a new building, Finkelman said. Doing that wouldve been cheaper, easier and faster. But thats not what we want. You pay homage to the Morton legacy. You have to see how it all fits into the history of Chicago.

The conveyor-belt mechanisms, truck weighing scale, steel frameworks and loading areas that punctuate the exterior space hint at the architectural elements that await patrons once the interior facility opens later. On a tour, Finkelman pointed out stretches of refinished hardwood floors comprised of two-by-fours turned on their side to support crushing weights; sliding fireproof metal doors; beefy columns and beams once coated with white salt powder; the remains of an enormous Erie City Iron Works boiler complete with an intimidating cluster of fire tubes and heat-charred bricks; exposed brick walls; and soaring ceilings.

Pegged for offices, retailers, private events, a kitchen, a lobby, a possible distillery and what Finkelman hopes will be a skateboard shop with a half pipe, those areas  located in the old packinghouse  are slated to supplement the interior performance venue. In addition to giving the complex a total capacity of about 6,000 people, the under-construction space will feature elevated boxes situated on a walkable platform that will allow fans views of the inside and outdoor stages. The crowning touch? The Clubhouse, a private VIP space adorned with an east-facing glass wall and door leading to a rooftop of the packinghouse  permitting a birds-eye view of the outdoor stage and vistas of the city.

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People arrive for a concert at the Salt Shed on opening night. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)

You can create Disneyland really quickly, but you have to let the history of the space be the interior design, observed Finkelman. Its often much better than anything you can create. You have to know when to stop (redesigning).

The Salt Shed isnt at that point yet. Finkelman noted a craft brewery will soon take up residence in the former garage located in the fairground area. More partnerships will be announced in the future. Theres also a strong desire to do more with its location on the river. For now, organizers are zeroed in on what the Salt Shed can bring to the Chicago music scene  including the possibility of hosting festivals.

The incredible production capabilities and size of Salt Shed will allow us to book some things we could not have done in the clubs, so it will be really exciting to push our musical boundaries a bit and welcome some audiences that may not come through our doors as frequently, said Jake Samuels, director of music. This summer will allow us to workshop lots of different ideas, bring in a variety of partners and find out how people interact with the space.

Such interaction inspires Finkelman to dream big. You rarely choose projects, but projects choose you, he said.

The Salt Shed is at 1357 N. Elston Ave.; tickets and more information at www.saltshedchicago.com
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FLORENCE  A ribbon cutting was held Monday at Yummy House, 1555A W. Palmetto St., celebrating its membership in the Greater Florence Chamber of Commerce.

Owner Amanda Yang cut the ribbon. She was joined by chamber staff and ambassadors and members of her team.

Yummy House has been open a week. Yang said this is her familys second restaurant location. They have another restaurant in Mullins.

This one is a little different, she said.

The menu includes seafood, chicken, wings and Hibachi. The seafood menu has tilapia, shrimp, catfish, lobster, snow crab legs, Cajun Boil and other seafood items, paired with chicken. Wings range from hot, mild, to lemon pepper, barbecue and other flavors. The menu includes Hibachi rice, chicken, steak, shrimp, and a mixed Hibachi. The menu also offers appetizers and desserts.

Yang said she wants to invite the public to come by and try the menu.

She said business has gotten off to a good start and is getting better every day. Yang said she is seeing repeat customers, and they are trying different items off the menu.

I like Hibachi; my kids like fried foods, she said.

There are five employees. Yang said she is looking to add to her staff as business warrants.

Yang is from China. She moved the South Carolina from Pennsylvania15 years ago. She now lives in Florence. She has two boys, 16 and 14.

Hours are 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and noon to 9:30 p.m. Sunday.

To order or for more information call 843-621-6683 or 843-621-6815.
Lydias Nest Community Resource and Development Center is organizing a Back To School Jam Fest and Community Health and Educational Fair from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at the Johnsonville High School gym, 237 S. Georgetown Highway, in Johnsonville.

Twenty-three vendors will be at the event. Duke Energy will be handing out free clear backpacks. HopeHealth will be conducting basic health screenings. WalMart will be providing COVID testing and pneumonia shots.

There also will be free school supplies, half-price haircuts, free hotdogs, chips and popcorn, music, face painting, and more.

For more information, contact Dr. Barbara Black at 843-489-4060 or by email at Barbara@lydiasnest.org.
FLORENCE, S.C.  Being a firefighter allows me to help people during their most frightening times, he said.

Lance Grabill has been a firefighter for three years. He moved to South Carolina from South Florida.

I want to make peoples day a little brighter in their time of need," Grabill said. "People are going through a lot. There are people out there who are really going through hard times and someone has to help them and I enjoy helping.

Helping people is the best part of the job, he said.

We are helping people that are truly in need. We are not talking about people who kind of need help, we are talking about people in emergency situations.

Grabill said after completing his first call as a firefighter, there was no turning back.

The instant gratification I received had me hooked, he said. Its not like building a house and you have to wait months to see the finished product. You are able to see your impact immediately. When you are done with a call you see how you helped that person and saved their house or property.

Grabill said he is a family man and treats people as if they are his son, mother, daughter, grandmother, grandfather, sister or brother.

I try to put myself in their shoes," Grabill said. "If I was in that situation I would hope that a guy like me would be there to assist my family with confidence and compassion.

Being a firefighter changed his life, he said.

Being a firefighter helps me release a lot of energy and you are able to do and see a lot of things that other people would not be able to see."

Grabill said millions of people watch television shows to see situations he is faced with every day.

We get to do those things that people are watching on television every day, he said. It eases your aggressions and life tension because of the physical activity and it gives your life true fulfillment.

Grabill said being a firefighter increased his self-worth.

Self-worth is not something you can purchase. The things you do on an everyday basis is what makes you happy.

My worth increases every time I help someone, he said. After I help someone I am on an entirely different level in my mind. The self-worth I have gained is more important than any monetary amount you can offer me.

Grabill said self-worth is an important quality to showcase to your families and children.

You have to take pride in yourself, he said.

Take pride in your work, take pride in your job and whatever you do, do it to the best of your ability. That is self-worth."

Grabill said he takes all calls seriously from someone needing help about chest pains to someone who just got out of a bad auto accident.

I treat all calls the same and treat them with a level of seriousness because you never know, he said.

Grabill said the hardest part of his job is watching families lose things that are irreplaceable.

I always try to put myself in their situations, Grabill said. It really bothers me when people lose things that can not be replaced. A couch or TV can be bought again, but pictures and documents are important. When we see documents and pictures that are important to your family and close to your heart, we try hard to take those things out of the home and preserve them.

Grabill said a firefighters job is more than putting a fire out.

We run everything from minor medical to major medical, he said. Firefighters are also called if theres a smell of gas. We also run electrical hazards. We dont just run fire calls. People assume that when they hear the fire truck sirens that we are going to a fire, but that is not always the case.

Our job is full gamut, he said.

Grabill said a lot of people believe firefighters are sitting around doing nothing.

We train a minimum of four hours every day in addition to running calls."

Before becoming a firefighter, Grabill said, he tinted windows.

Being a firefighter broke up the everyday monotony of tinting windows, he said. We work 24 hours on and we are off for 48 hours. With those 48 hours off you are able to get a second job and spend time with your family.

Grabill said he was meant to be a firefighter.

This is not one of those jobs that you can stick out if you dont like it, he said. If you dont like it, you are probably going to go somewhere else. Being a firefighter is one of those jobs you have to love doing because it takes a lot of work and focus.

Grabill said this is not a job you can perform halfway. He said it takes complete effort to do the job well.

If that radio goes off at 2:30 a.m., we are up, out of bed, and in the truck in 10 seconds."

Firefighters everywhere have the same passion and mission, he said.

I am a part of a bigger team worldwide. We are all passionate about serving our community and helping others.

Grabill said he is not afraid to lose his life in the line of duty. He said firefighters are trained to handle life-and-death situations.

Its natural to think about it, but I am not afraid of it, he said.  No, I dont want it to happen and I take all of the necessary precautions to prevent that from happening, but this is a job where you have to put fear aside.

Grabill said a firefighters job is to help people who are already afraid and it does not benefit the situation for a firefighter to be afraid.

People are already in frightening situations and they need someone who is calm and can get the job done."

Grabill said people should not fear the unknown because things happen that are out of our control.

Accidents happen every day, he said. I could do this job for 20 years and not get hurt on the job and I could be driving to work tomorrow and something bad could happen.

I cant live my life in fear when I could get hurt just as easily or more by something outside of my control.

Grabill said he is always relaxed and calm because being calm allows you to see a situation clearly.

If you panic you arent able to think clearly and you need to be able to think clearly in all situations, he said. You have to remain calm and I always tell myself that the situation I am in could be worse.

Grabill said the best thing to do in life is to loosen the reins and allow life to take its course.

I feel blessed to be able to help people, he said. Those are the things I focus on. I could be in a worse situation where I wouldnt be able to help anybody and that is how I remain calm. I remind myself that things could be worse and I press forward.
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 "Punishment as Communication" | Main | Oklahoma board recommends clemency for first of many scheduled to be executed in coming months 

The title of this post is the title of this interesting new paper authored by J.D. King now available via SSRN. Here is its abstract:

The right to trial by jury in criminal cases is basic to the design of American criminal justice and to the structure of American government. Guaranteed by Article III of the Constitution, the Sixth Amendment, and every one of the original state constitutions, the criminal jury was seen as critically important not only to the protection of individual rights but also to the architecture of American democracy. The vast majority of criminal prosecutions today, however, are resolved without even the prospect of community review by a jury. Despite the textual clarity of the guarantee, the Supreme Court has long recognized a petty offense exception to the right to trial by jury.

As systems of mass adjudication and hyper-incarceration have developed over the past several decades, a parallel process of collateral consequences has also arisen and is now well-documented. Recognizing that a conviction for even a low-level offense can have devastating effects, some courts have begun to narrowly interpret the petty offense exception, especially where a conviction could have severe immigration-related consequences. As a result, some jurisdictions now provide stronger procedural protections for non-citizen defendants than for citizen defendants charged with similar offenses. Although these courts are certainly correct in characterizing these offenses as serious and thereby providing those defendants a right to a jury trial, their reasoning imports a defendant-specific subjectivity that is in tension with prior Supreme Court guidance, and the results pose questions of legitimacy as different defendants are treated differently because of citizenship status.

As advocates push to expand the right to trial by jury, the Supreme Court should revisit the petty offense exception in light of the expansive web of collateral consequences that has developed in the past few decades. In Ramos v. Louisiana, the Court grappled with the question of stare decisis and overruled decades-old precedent on the constitutionality of non-unanimous jury verdicts, recognizing that the Court should be most willing to reconsider precedent in cases involving constitutional criminal procedure. At the same time, state legislatures should address the problem by extending the state right to jury trials to cover all criminal prosecutions. The implications of such changes would extend beyond a procedural reform that would affect the rights of individual defendants. Expansion of the jury trial right would constitute a meaningful structural reform in democratizing criminal justice at a time when such change is needed to establish the popular legitimacy of the criminal justice system.
 Ninth Circuit panel finds no improper enhancement when safety-valve-proffer information is considered with other information in setting below-guideline sentence | Main | "Juries, Democracy, and Petty Crime" 

August 3, 2022

"Punishment as Communication"

The title of this post is title of this new book chapter authored by R.A. Duff and now available via SSRN. Here is its abstract:

This chapter defends a communicative theory of punishment, as making plausible sense of the retributivist idea that wrongdoers should not enjoy impunity. In the context of criminal law, the wrongs that matter are public wrongs that concern the whole polity: the criminal law defines those wrongs, and provides for those who commit them to be called to formal public account, for them through the criminal process. That calling to account is a communicative process: it culminates in a conviction that censures the offender, and seeks an apologetic response from him. The punishment that typically ensues furthers this communicative exercise: the offender is required to undertake, or undergo, a penal burden that constitutes an apologetic reparation for his crime, and so communicates to him the need for such reparation. Central to this communicative conception is that punishment is a two-way process, which seeks an appropriate response from the offender, who has an active role in the process. The role of prudential deterrence in such an account is discussed: it is a necessary condition of a justifiable system that it has some dissuasive efficacy, and deterrence might be a dimension of that dissuasion  inextricably interwoven with the moral message that is the core of the communication. A purely communicative account that allows no room for deterrence might be implausible as an account of what human punishment ought to be; but one that portrays a two-way moral communication as the primary, distinctive aim of criminal punishment can be defended.

August 3, 2022 at 10:10 AM | Permalink

Comments

"... seeks an apologetic response from him" implies that the defendant will receive more punishment if he refuses to apologize. Unless all wrongful convictions can somehow be prevented, people should be punished only for their alleged crimes, not for refusing to admit guilt. Doing otherwise is rewarding people for lying and for being skilled at acting. Also, any ex-convict who has maintained a clean record for many years after his release from prison should have his conviction expunged, as he's either reformed or innocent, and in either case there is no benefit to anyone of further punishment or continued collateral consequences such as loss of rights.



Posted by: Keith Lynch | Aug 4, 2022 5:33:31 PM

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Despite wide-ranging sanctions and import bans, Russia's vast energy sector continues to thrive, with the country managing to export nearly a billion dollars worth of fossil fuels per day in the first 100 days since its invasion of Ukraine. Indeed, higher crude oil and fuel prices have allowed Russian oil and gas revenues to climb even after the sanctions forced export volumes to dip.

Ultimately, there is no shortage of willing buyers lining up for cheap Russian Urals, nor is there a dearth of middlemen connecting them with Russian energy companies.

Lurking behind the scenes are Switzerland's giant trading houses Vitol, Glencore, and Gunvor as well as Singapore's Trafigura, all of which have continued lifting large volumes of Russian crude and products, including diesel, amid wide-ranging Western Sanctions on Russia.

Vitol has pledged to stop buying Russian crude by the end of this year, but that's still a long way from today. Trafigura promised it would stop buying crude from Russia's state-run Rosneft by May 15th but is free to buy cargoes of Russian crude from other suppliers. Glencore has promised it wouldn't enter any "new" trading business with Russia, but appears willing to maintain previous deals.

Meanwhile, India and China have been making up for much of the lost markets for Russian fuels.

Fossil Fuel



Source: Visual Capitalist

Surging Imports From Russia

India has never been a big buyer of Russian crude despite having to import 80% of its needs. In a typical year, India imports just 2-5% of its crude from Russia, roughly the same proportion as the United States did before it announced a 100% ban on Russian energy commodities. Indeed, India imported only 12 million barrels of Russian crude in 2021, with the majority of its oil sourced from Iraq, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Nigeria.

But back in May, reports emerged of a "significant uptick" in Russian oil deliveries bound for India.

According to a Bloomberg report, India spent a good $5.1 billion on Russian oil, gas, and coal in the first three months after the invasion, more than five times the value of a year ago. However, China remains the biggest buyer of Russian energy commodities, spending $18.9 billion in the three months to the end of May, almost double the amount a year earlier.

Story continues

And, it's all about the money.

According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), Urals crude from Russia has been offered at record discounts. Ellen Wald, president of Transversal Consulting, has told CNBC that a couple of commodity trading firms--such as Glencore and Vitol--were offering discounts of $30 and $25 per barrel, respectively, for the Urals blend. Urals is the main blend exported by Russia.

The experts say simple economics is the biggest reason why White House pressure to curb purchases of crude oil from Russia have fallen on deaf ears in Delhi.

"Today, the Government of India's motivations are economic, not political. India will always look for a deal in their oil import strategy. It's hard not to take a 20% discount on crude when you import 80-85% of your oil, particularly on the heels of the pandemic and global growth slowdown," Samir N. Kapadia, head of trade at government relations consulting firm Vogel Group, has told CNBC via email.

Still, it will not be lost on many readers that India has maintained a cozy relationship with Russia over the years, with Russia supplying the Asian nation with as much as 60% of its military and defense-related equipment. Russia has also been a key ally on crucial issues such as India's dispute with China and Pakistan surrounding the territory of Kashmir.

Russia



Source: Bloomberg

Smaller trading firms

India's energy business with Russia has been booming, so much so that dozens of middlemen are muscling in, hoping to profit from the rapidly growing sector.

However, it's not the Trafiguras, Glencores, and Gunvors of this world doing the work; this time around, it's smaller, less well-known trading houses cutting supply deals with Indian refineries.

Bloomberg has reported that numerous mid-level commodity trading and energy firms, including Dubai's Wellbred and Coral Energy, as well as Singapore's Montfort and U.S.' Everest Energy, have entered the race to market Russian oil to Indian buyers.

And Indian oil buyers are loving it.

Bloomberg says that state-run refiners such as Indian Oil Corp. are warming to the idea of buying from lesser-known traders, while refinery officials say they are easier to work with due to less bureaucracy that slows negotiations with energy firms such as Rosneft PJSC. Trading houses usually serve the function of middlemen by bridging differences between sellers and buyers, and even offer different payment terms to assist in the movement of funds.

Switzerland's Golden Calf

That said, a lot of the companies helping finance Putin's war are based in Switzerland, with the lion's share of Russian raw materials traded via Switzerland and its nearly 1,000 commodity firms.

Switzerland is an important global financial hub with a thriving commodities sector, despite the fact that it is far from all the global trade routes and has no access to the sea, no former colonial territories, and no significant raw materials of its own.

Oliver Classen, media officer at the Swiss NGO Public Eye, says that "this sector accounts for a much larger part of the GDP in Switzerland than tourism or the machinery industry". According to a 2018 Swiss government report, commodity trading volume reaches almost $1 trillion ($903.8 billion).

Related: Saudi Arabias Real Production Capacity: Is 15 Million Bpd Possible?

Deutsche Welle has reported that 80% of Russian raw materials are traded via Switzerland, according to a report by the Swiss embassy in Moscow. About a third of those materials are oil and gas, while two-thirds are base metals such as zinc, copper, and aluminum. In other words, deals signed on Swiss desks are directly facilitating Russian oil and gas to continue flowing freely.

With gas and oil exports coming in as the main source of income for Russia, accounting for 30 to 40% of the Russian budget, Switzerland's role cannot be overlooked in this war-time equation. In 2021, Russian state corporations earned around $180 billion (163 billion) from oil exports alone.

Again, unfortunately, Switzerland has been handling its commodities trade with kid gloves.

According to DW, raw materials are often traded directly between governments and via commodities exchanges. However, they can also be traded freely, and Swiss companies have specialized in direct sales thanks to an abundance of capital.

In raw materials transactions, Swiss commodity traders have adopted letters of credits or L/Cs as their preferred instruments. A bank will give a loan to a trader and as collateral, receive a document making it the owner of the commodity. As soon as the buyer pays the bank, the document (and ownership of the commodity) is transferred to the trader. The system gives traders more credit lines without their creditworthiness having to be checked, and the bank has the value of the commodity as security.

This is a prime example of transit trade, where only the money flows through Switzerland, but actual raw materials usually do not touch Swiss soil. Thus, no details about the magnitude of the transaction land on the desk of the Swiss customs authorities leading to highly imprecise information about the flow volumes of raw materials.

"The whole commodities trade is under-recorded and underregulated. You have to dig around to collect data and not all information is available," Elisabeth Burgi Bonanomi, a senior lecturer in law and sustainability at Bern University, has told DW.

Obviously, the lack of regulation is very appealing to commodity traders - especially those that deal with raw materials mined in non-democratic countries such as the DRC.

"Unlike the financial market, where there are rules for tackling money laundering and illegal or illegitimate financial flows, and a financial market supervisory authority, there is currently no such thing for commodity trading," financial and legal expert at Public Eye David Muhlemann told the German broadcaster ARD.

But don't expect things to change any time soon.

Calls for a supervisory body for the commodities sector based on the model of the one for the financial market by the likes of Swiss NGO Public Eye and Swiss Green Party proposal have so far failed to bear fruit. Thomas Mattern from the Swiss People's Party (SVP) has spoken out against such a move, insisting that Switzerland should retain its neutrality, "We do not need even more regulation, and not in the commodities sector either."

By Alex Kimani for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:

Read this article on OilPrice.com
Given the central role of cathartic joke-telling, "The Clean House" could do to be a lot funnier than is the case in this production. Da Cunha's performance is engaging and honest, but this young actress hasn't cracked the character's outsize playfulness nor probed the depths of her determined resilience. On Monday night, I found the show underpaced. One felt ahead of the play, which is never ideal, although if you have not seen this fine American play before, you may find that is not so much of an issue. I cannot, of course, un-see having seen and so admired this play before.
  2022   17.38  1000-1500  1.15213.85% 7178.3 19.1%   6  4.3% 17 186 18% 71228.17 0.96%  3700 17%  35498 8.29 1%318 186.19 56% 0.46% 8% 1   20Donki    tcl17%8% 7 10% 1  13.8 4158%  8.71  5.727.12%  8291.94.98%
Top Southeast Asian diplomats meeting in Cambodias capital are intensifying efforts to stop the escalating violence in Myanmar. It's one of many of the region's pressing, and often divisive, issues. It is the first in-person meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations foreign ministers since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has weakened economies and complicated diplomacy. The meeting comes at a time of increased tensions between the United States and China, and as Russias invasion of Ukraine has led to global increases in food and energy prices. Cambodias foreign minister said Wednesday that the region and the world had never before been hit with so many perils at once.
Country superstar Dolly Parton is among the 2022 Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy recipients. Also being honored are Dallas entrepreneur Lyda Hill, Kenyan industrialist Manu Chandaria, and Lynn and Stacy Schusterman from the Oklahoma investment family. Partons $1 million donation to Vanderbilt University Medical Center in 2020 received plenty of attention once it yielded the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. However, her fellow honoree Hill, through her Lyda Hill Philanthropies, was also an early donor to what would become the Moderna vaccine. The 2022 honorees will receive their medals in a private ceremony in New York on Oct. 13.
"While I was confident in my innocence and had the support of those who know me well, fighting the resources of the federal government for the last five years and this trial were very difficult," Schmit said.
OMAHA  A Decatur, Nebraska, man pleaded guilty Tuesday of having sex with an underage girl on the Omaha Indian Reservation and fathering her child.

Juwan Grant, 24, entered his plea in U.S. District Court in Omaha to one count of sexual abuse of a minor in Indian Country.

According to court documents, Grant engaged in sexual acts with the girl, who was under age 16, in Macy in 2021 from about February through May.

The girl, who gave birth in November, initially denied Grant was the father, and Grant told authorities the father was probably someone who lived in Macy.

During an interview at the Child Advocacy Center in Sioux City in December, the girl identified Grant as the father of her child and said he also provided her with methamphetamine and marijuana on several occasions. DNA tests have determined Grant is the child's father.
SAC CITY, Iowa  An Early, Iowa, woman pleaded not guilty Monday in connection with the deaths of more than 1,000 pigs in Sac County hog confinement facilities.

Elana Laber, 33, entered her written pleas in Sac County District Court to two counts each of livestock neglect and first-degree criminal mischief.

Law enforcement officers discovered the dead pigs in two confinement sites in late June after receiving a report. The pigs were in different stages of decomposition and had had no access to feed or water.

According to the Sac County Sheriff's Office, Laber, whose job was to maintain both sites, told deputies someone had shut off the breakers that control the electricity the night before, causing the pigs' deaths. A veterinarian inspection determined the pigs had been dead for at least a week. Laber later told deputies she knew the pigs had been dead for a week but did not know what to do.

The pigs were owned by Corey AGR Inc., of Lytton, Iowa. The estimated loss is more than $150,000.
SIOUX CITY  Amanda Owen didnt know where her son, Dwight Evans, was, but he needed to come home.

When he arrived with Lawrence Canady, he had to be pulled out of the car and helped into their house.

They brought him home wasted, Owen testified Tuesday. He couldnt even walk.

Already on antibiotics for strep throat and taking medication for ADHD, Evans had obviously taken or drank something. His speech was slurred and he could hardly keep his head up, Owen said.

He was not himself, she said. I dont know what he was on.

When Owen left for work at about 9:30 p.m., Evans was in bed asleep.

More than three hours later, at 1 a.m., Evans was outside Uncle Daves Bar, where he shot Martez Harrison while Harrison fought with Canady.

Evans, 18, of Sioux City, has pleaded not guilty in Woodbury County District Court of first-degree murder and going armed with intent for the May 1, 2021, shooting death of Harrison.

Witnesses previously testified that Evans walked up to the fight and fired two shots that struck Harrison before fleeing from the scene at 1427 W. Third St.

Evans defense attorneys have conceded Evans fired the gun, but they assert he was intoxicated and acting in self-defense at the time.

After the state rested its case Tuesday morning, Evans attorneys called his mother to the witness stand, and she said she had believed her son was home sleeping that night. While at work, she made a video phone call to her daughter, Leticia, who took her phone into Dwights room to show he was sleeping.

Leticia, 15, testified that she had put pillows under her brothers blankets to make it appear as if he was in bed. She said that after her mother left for work, Canady and another friend came to their home, forced her brother to wake up and carried him out the door. Leticia said she faked Dwights presence because she didnt want him to get in trouble.

A couple hours later, he was seen on video taken by a convenience store security camera. In that video, shown to jurors, he walked into and out of the store effortlessly without assistance. Owen said he was intoxicated.

My son was not walking like hed normally walk when hes sober, she said.

Two police officers who helped apprehend Evans at approximately 4:30 a.m. that morning previously testified they did not observe any signs that Evans was intoxicated.

Prosecutors recalled one of the officers, Michael Sitzman, Tuesday and showed a video taken by an interior camera in Sitzmans police vehicle.

In the video, Evans is seated in the back seat and asks the officers questions. He spoke clearly without slurring his words and was silent while he was driven to the police station, where he exited the vehicle under his own power.

Prosecutors allege Canadys confrontation with Harrison was planned retaliation for Harrison previously hitting a friend's girlfriend.

A spent bullet recovered from the shooting scene was fired from the same revolver witnesses say Evans used to shoot Harrison.

Examination of the slug and another fired from the revolver in a state crime lab showed matching grooves and other identifying features, said Victor Murillo, an Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation criminalist who tested the gun and ammunition found in its cylinder.

A bullet recovered from Harrison's pelvis during his autopsy was too damaged to determine if it was fired from the same gun, Murillo said.

Forensic pathologist and associate Iowa State Medical Examiner Dr. Kelly Kruse, who performed the autopsy on Harrison's body, testified that one shot entered the right side of the upper abdomen, injured the liver and small bowel and went through Harrison's diaphragm and left lung before exiting his back on the left side.

The other shot entered Harrison's left flank and damaged the large bowel and an artery before lodging itself in the right side of his pelvis, fracturing it.

Kruse said both wounds were potentially fatal because of the internal damage and extensive bleeding they caused.

The gun was recovered about four hours later in an alley near 20th and Myrtle streets, where Evans was apprehended shortly after he had approached strangers around a bonfire and asked to use a phone.

Criminalist Michael Schmit said swabs taken from the gun showed a mix of DNA from at least two people, but the samples were not strong enough to determine whose DNA it was.
SIOUX CITY  Whether Dwight Evans shot Martez Harrison is not the question jurors will decide during their deliberations.

On more than one occasion during three days of witness testimony and evidence and again Wednesday during closing arguments, Evans' attorneys said he's the shooter.

Their defense: he was intoxicated at the time he pulled the trigger of the revolver that fired the two shots that killed Harrison, and the shooting was justified because Evans thought he might be in danger as his friend Lawrence Canady fought with Harrison outside Uncle Dave's Bar in the early morning hours of May 1, 2021.

Jurors received the case at 4:30 p.m. and spent 30 minutes deliberating before leaving for the night. They will return at 9 a.m. Thursday to resume their discussions.

Throughout the trial, jurors saw video of Evans taken at different times that night and heard his mother describe him as so "wasted" when his friends brought him home hours before the shooting that he could not hold his head up or walk without assistance.

Police officers who apprehended Evans three hours after the shooting said they saw no indications he was intoxicated, and he carried on a conversation with one of them in a police car after his arrest.

"He clearly was able to talk to the officer. There are no signs of intoxication," First Assistant Woodbury County Attorney Mark Campbell said.

Campbell told jurors the law says that even if a defendant is under the influence when committing a crime, he is responsible for his actions unless he's unable to form the specific intent to act.

When he left his house with Canady that night, Campbell said, Evans had the intent to shoot and kill Harrison as revenge for Harrison hitting a friend's girlfriend previously. He brought along a loaded gun, and, during the fight outside the bar, security camera footage showed him approach the scuffle, aim the gun and fire shots into Harrison's left flank and upper abdomen. He fled immediately after the shooting.

"The defendant had enough presence of mind to know he needed to get out of there," Campbell said. "He knew what he did was wrong."

Other videos shown during the trial tell a different story, public defender Michael Adams said. He showed footage taken more than four hours after the shooting in a police interrogation room in which officers twice entered and had a difficult time waking Evans, who then stumbled and swayed when they made him stand to have his picture taken and his hands swabbed. Adams encouraged jurors to watch the videos again and review photos of Evans taken that night.

"Decide for yourself if he looks intoxicated," Adams said.

Surveillance footage of the fight and shooting had no audio, Adams said, so it's not known what kind of danger Evans perceived, what Harrison might have said when he stepped outside the bar to confront Canady, who had just punched Harrison's fiancee in the face. But during the fight, Evans can be seen standing to one side, watching rather than participating.

"Dwight stood there because he was stoned out of his head. He wasn't looking for anyone. He might have been looking for a place to sit down and go to sleep," Adams said.

Campbell said Evans was standing in the shadows waiting for Canady to draw Harrison out into the street so he could shoot him. If Evans felt he was in danger, leaving the scene before firing the gun was a more reasonable alternative.

"The defendant in no way in this case was justified in what he did," Campbell said.

Harrison, 22, died later at a Sioux City hospital.

Evans, 18, of Sioux City, also is charged with going armed with intent.
UTE, Iowa  The Monona County Sheriff's Office has identified the pilot who died in an airplane crash Saturday near Ute.

The pilot, 45-year-old Brady Neil Penner, of Weatherford, Oklahoma, succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead on the scene, according to a press release from the sheriff's office.

Early information on the crash indicated that a sprayer airplane, piloted by Penner, struck electrical lines and crashed into the roadway near the intersection of 230th Street and Teak Avenue (County Road L37) south of Ute. The Monona County 911 center was alerted to the crash shortly after 1 p.m. Saturday.

County Road L37 south of Ute was closed for a time during the weekend pending a county engineer's examination of any damage done to the roadway by the plane crash. The road was reopened Monday.

It could be several months before a full report on the crash is released by the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board, which are investigating the crash, the Monona County Sheriff's Office said in its press release.
Coordination center to track 1st grain ship from Ukraine till arrival: official

Xinhua) 09:27, August 03, 2022

ISTANBUL, Aug. 2 (Xinhua) -- The Joint Coordination Center (JCC) in Istanbul will closely monitor the first commercial vessel that left the Ukrainian port of Odesa for Lebanon on Monday until it arrives at the destination, a JCC coordinator said on Tuesday.

"The route and the humanitarian corridor that the ship follows, possible needs, and the details and preparations regarding its inspection are carried out in line with the procedures and principles agreed at the center," Turkish Rear Admiral Ozcan Altunbulak said in a press briefing at the center.

The Sierra Leone-flagged dry cargo ship, Razoni, sailed for Tripoli in Lebanon on Monday morning from Odesa.

Carrying 26,527 tonnes of corn, Razoni will pass through the Bosphorus Strait in Istanbul to sail to the Mediterranean.

Razoni is expected to arrive at the entrance of the Bosphorus Strait on the Black Sea around midnight on Tuesday and anchor at the assigned anchorage, according to Altunbulak.

"After the necessary procedures, an inspection will be carried out on the ship Razoni by a delegation consisting of representatives from Turkiye, Russia, Ukraine, and the United Nations, and then it will continue on its way according to the results of the examination," he noted.

Turkiye's Defence Ministry said the team will board the ship for inspection at 8 a.m. local time (0500 GMT) on Wednesday.

Altunbulak also said currently, the preparations of the other ships that will carry grain and other foodstuffs from the three ports of Ukraine are continuing.

"We have undertaken a historical and humanitarian mission, and we will continue our duty and harmonious work at the center as we have done so far," he added.

Last week, the JCC was inaugurated in Istanbul with a total of 20 representatives from Ukraine, Russia, the United Nations, and Turkiye to monitor the implementation of the grain shipment process.

On July 22, Russia and Ukraine signed a deal with Turkiye and the United Nations to allow food and fertilizer exports from the Ukrainian ports in the Black Sea, namely Odesa, Chornomorsk, and Pivdennyi.

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun)
People walk along the lakefront near Oak Street Beach in Chicago on a hazy and humid July 5, 2022. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)

Chicagoans can expect hot temperatures, humid air and storms to hit the city Wednesday.

Possibly severe storms may bring frequent lightning, soaking downpours and damaging winds to the metro area in the afternoon, according to the National Weather Service. The heat index could rise to 100 degrees.

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The storms were expected to start along the Wisconsin-Illinois state line west of Rockford in the morning, National Weather Service meteorologist Jake Petr said.

As the front sags to the south, well expect expanding storm coverage into the metro, Petr said.

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The peak window for the storms to hit Chicago is from noon to around 5 p.m., Petr added. Residents should look out for lightning and strong winds capable of downing large tree limbs and fences. Rain could pond up roads and lead to localized flash flooding, Petr said.

The big thing for today is to have multiple sources to be able to get warning information, he added.

[4:17 AM 8/3] Thunderstorms will develop this afternoon and will bring a threat for severe weather and heavy rainfall to the region. Stay up to date with the forecast today, and be sure to have multiple ways to receive warnings! #ILwx #INwx pic.twitter.com/bCFFhoL5ep  NWS Chicago (@NWSChicago) August 3, 2022

Afternoon Briefing Daily Chicago Tribune editors' top story picks, delivered to your inbox each afternoon. >

Temperatures are expected to climb into the upper 90s. The heat index  the way the heat feels on the body  was expected to hit 100 degrees Wednesday because of humidity.

Its going to be hot and muggy out there today, Petr said.

The city should cool off Thursday, with temperatures in the lower to mid-80s. Winds that will bring down temperatures along the lakeshore might also build waves along southern Lake Michigans beaches.

Were expecting hazardous swimming conditions along the shoreline there, Petr said.

Temperatures should remain in the low to mid-80s Friday before warming into the lower 90s again Saturday and Sunday, with a potential for showers and thunderstorms Sunday.

jsheridan@chicagotribune.com

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SIOUX CITY  More than a dozen personnel from Sioux City Fire Rescue responded to a Monday afternoon call about a maintenance worker being injured and trapped on a cell tower.

According to a press release from Deputy Fire Marshal Ryan Collins, the worker was nearly 200 feet in the air when a temporary pole was dislodged and pinned the worker's foot.

"Two other workers on the tower were able to free the individual and lower him to a platform approximately 150 feet above the ground," the release said.

To rescue the man, Sioux City Fire used a "high-angle rope rescue team" to scale the tower and reach the staging platform. According to the release, once the worker was brought back down to the ground, he was treated for non-life-threatening injuries and transported to a local hospital for further evaluation and treatment.
SIOUX CITY  Transmission of the novel coronavirus in Woodbury County has risen from medium to high, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's COVID Data Tracker.

The level was calculated on July 28 using data from July 21 to 27. When community transmission is high, the CDC recommends the wearing of masks indoors in public and on public transportation, getting tested if symptoms develop and staying up to date with COVID-19 vaccines.

"COVID is likely not going away, but the severity has diminished significantly. The death rate from COVID is significantly less than it was early on in the course," Dr. Steven Joyce, a MercyOne Internal Medicine and Pediatrics physician, said Tuesday.

BA.5 is the most dominant strain of the virus circulating, according to Joyce. Even though positive tests have been ticking up, Joyce said he was seeing more patients infected with the virus two and three weeks ago. He said patients are reporting fatigue, sore throat, headache, fever, runny nose, congestion and cough.

"The strain is contagious, yet we're not seeing a lot of hospitalizations and serious illness from it," said Joyce, who said this is because 70% of the population has already had the virus and a vast majority of the population has been vaccinated against it to some degree. "It think both of those things are accounting for less severity of illness despite the higher numbers."

Data released by the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) last Tuesday, showed a 31% increase in the number of positive COVID tests reported in the last seven days in the county. Positive tests jumped from 267 to 351. However, both Sioux City hospitals haven't reported seeing an influx of patients with COVID-19.

Leah McInerney, a senior marketing communications specialist for UnityPoint Health -- St. Luke's, said Monday that she not aware of any uptick in COVID hospitalizations. Michaela Feldmann, MercyOne regional communications lead, said, "While we are seeing cases rise in the community, hospitalizations at MercyOne related to COVID-19 remain low."

The latest COVID-19 surge, which began nationwide in June, is driven by the highly transmissible BA.5 subvariant, which now accounts for nearly 86% of cases, according to the CDC. BA.5 and its cousin BA.4 appear to spread more easily than previous Omicron lineages.

Siouxland District Health Department Deputy Director Tyler Brock said the uptick in Woodbury County isn't tied to any specific event.

"Just about everywhere has seen rises in cases in the last couple months or so. We're just starting to get our rise now," he said. "It's just in the community. That's kind of been the story for the last 28 months."

If you're eligible for a COVID-19 booster shot, Brock said the guidance is that you should go get it, even though an omicron-specific vaccine is expected to be released in the fall.

"They haven't been as effective as we would like against omicron in general," Brock said of the original shots. "It does provide some protection, so I don't think it's a bad idea to get it. The reality is that you still could catch COVID even with that booster shot. It will hopefully give you a little bit of protection, but it's unlikely to radically change people's health at this point."

According to IDPH's website, as of July 25, 57.3% of Woodbury County residents were fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
PHOENIX (AP)  An Arizona lawmaker who embraces election conspiracies and was endorsed by former President Donald Trump won the Republican primary Tuesday for the top elections post in the presidential battleground.

Mark Finchem beat out three other GOP candidates in the race for secretary of state. His challengers included another candidate who repeated Trumps false claims that he lost the 2020 presidential election because of fraud, a longtime state lawmaker and a businessman endorsed by Republican Gov. Doug Ducey.

Democrats and election security advocates warned that a victory for Finchem in the November general election will be dangerous for democracy.

Finchem, who attended Trumps Jan. 6, 2021, rally that preceded the violent assault on the U.S. Capitol, has said he only intends to ensure that election laws are followed to address concerns by many Republicans about how elections are run. Still, he tried to get the Legislature to overturn the 2020 election results and has spoken about making major changes to election rules that are written by the secretary.

Arizona's was the most high-profile secretary of state's race in Tuesday's primaries. In Kansas, the top state elections official beat back a far-right challenger who promoted conspiracy theories, while in Washington voters were choosing from a mix of Democrats, Republicans and unaffiliated candidates in that states top-two primary.

The GOP primary elections for secretary of state are the latest this year to feature candidates who doubt the security of their states' elections despite the lack of evidence of any problems widespread enough to change the results. Republican voters elsewhere have split on sending those candidates to the November ballot.

The Democratic candidates in all three states reject the premise of a stolen 2020 presidential election and warn that victories in November by any of those who promote conspiracies would endanger free and fair elections. In all three states, the secretary of state is the top election official.

Finchem tried this year to get the Republican-controlled Legislature to notify Congress that Arizona wanted to decertify Democrat Joe Bidens election win. He won Trump's endorsement and said in a recent interview that worries about the effect of his potential victory on free and fair elections are unfounded. He said he will just enforce laws as written.

I think its interesting that there are people, particularly Democrats out there, claiming: Oh, hes going to ruin the system. Hes going to do this, hes a threat to democracy,' Finchem said. Still, he contends tens of thousands of fake ballots led to Biden's win, a claim for which there is no credible evidence.

The other Republican who backed Trumps claims also is a member of the Arizona House. Rep. Shawnna Bolick introduced a bill last year that would allow a simple majority of the Legislature to overturn presidential election results.

The other Republicans on Arizonas ballot were state Sen. Michelle Ugenti-Rita, who acknowledges Bidens victory but has worked for a decade to tighten election laws, and businessman Beau Lane, who was backed by the governor.

Two Democrats, House Minority Leader Reginald Bolding and former Maricopa County Recorder Adrian Fontes, are seeking their party's nomination.

Kansas had no significant problems with its 2020 elections and Trump carried the state handily. Yet Secretary of State Scott Schwab found himself on sometimes tricky ground politically because many Republicans have embraced Trumps baseless claims that massive fraud cost him the race nationally.

Schwab has repeatedly vouched for the safety of Kansas elections and touted new GOP-pushed laws, including ones that restrict the delivery of ballots by third parties. Hes also said he cant vouch for other states elections.

The message worked well for him in his primary against Mike Brown, a construction contractor and former county commissioner in the Kansas City area. Brown embraced election conspiracy theories and promised to rid the state of ballot drop boxes.

In November, Schwab will face Democrat Jenna Repass, who was unopposed in her partys primary.

Washington states top-two primary featured the incumbent, Democratic Secretary of State Steve Hobbs, who easily advanced to the general election. He was appointed by Gov. Jay Inslee last November and hopes to retain his seat for the remaining two years of former Republican Secretary of State Kim Wymans four-year term.

Also on the primary ballot were several Republican and unaffiliated challengers, including Tamborine Borrelli, an America First candidate who was fined by the state Supreme Court earlier this summer for making meritless claims alleging widespread voter fraud. Borrelli was lagging far behind other candidates Tuesday night.

There was a tight race for the second slot on the November ballot between Pierce County Auditor Julie Anderson, running as an independent, and several Republicans.

Under Washingtons primary system, the top two vote-getters advance to the general election, regardless of party. Results could take days to tally because its an all-mail election.

Associated Press writers John Hanna in Topeka, Kansas, and Rachel La Corte in Olympia, Washington, contributed to this report.

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.
TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP)  After a trip that drew Chinas wrath, a defiant Nancy Pelosi concluded her visit to Taiwan on Wednesday with a pledge that the American commitment to democracy on the self-governing island and elsewhere remains ironclad.

Pelosi received a euphoric welcome as the first U.S. House speaker to visit in more than 25 years, and China swiftly responded by announcing multiple military exercises nearby.

The speaker's departure for South Korea came just a day before China was scheduled to launch its largest maneuvers aimed at Taiwan in more than a quarter of a century.

Before leaving, a calm but resolute Pelosi repeated previous remarks about the world facing a choice between democracy and autocracy.

Americas determination to preserve democracy, here in Taiwan and around the world, remains ironclad, she said in a short speech during a meeting with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen.

The trip enraged China, which claims Taiwan as its territory and opposes any engagement by Taiwanese officials with foreign governments.

The Biden administration, and Pelosi, have said that the United States remains committed to the so-called one-China policy, which recognizes Beijing but allows informal relations and defense ties with Taipei. The administration discouraged but did not prevent Pelosi from visiting.

Nevertheless, China issued a series of harsh statements after the American delegation touched down in the Taiwanese capital, Taipei.

Taiwanese President Tsai pushed back firmly against Beijings military exercises, parts of which will enter Taiwanese waters.

Facing deliberately heightened military threats, Taiwan will not back down, Tsai said at her meeting with Pelosi. We will firmly uphold our nations sovereignty and continue to hold the line of defense for democracy.

The exercises, including those involving live fire, are to start Thursday and will be the biggest aimed at Taiwan since 1995, when China fired missiles in a large-scale exercise to show its displeasure over a visit by then-Taiwanese President Lee Teng-hui to the U.S.

In other activities, Pelosi visited a human rights museum in Taipei that details the history of the islands martial-law era. She also met with some of Taiwans most prominent rights activists, including an exiled former Hong Kong bookseller who was detained by Chinese authorities, Lam Wing-kee.

Thanking Pelosi for her decades of support for Taiwan, the president presented her with a civilian honor, the Order of the Propitious Clouds.

A day earlier, China's official Xinhua News Agency announced the military operations and showed a map outlining six different areas around Taiwan.

Arthur Zhin-Sheng Wang, a defense studies expert at Taiwans Central Police University, said three of the areas infringe on Taiwanese waters, meaning they are within 12 nautical miles (22 kilometers) of shore.

Using live fire in a country's territorial airspace or waters is risky, Wang said, because under international rules of engagement, it can be seen as an act of war.

In Washington, National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby sought to tamp down fears. He told ABCs Good Morning America on Wednesday that U.S. officials dont believe were at the brink now, and theres certainly no reason for anybody to be talking about being at the brink going forward.

Pelosi's trip heightened U.S.-China tensions more than visits by other members of Congress because of her position as leader of the House of Representatives. The last House speaker to visit Taiwan was Newt Gingrich in 1997.

China's response came on multiple fronts  military, diplomatic and economic.

Shortly after Pelosi landed Tuesday night, China announced live-fire drills that reportedly started that night, as well as the four-day exercises starting Thursday. The People's Liberation Army Air Force also flew a contingent of 21 warplanes toward Taiwan.

Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Xie Feng summoned the U.S. ambassador in Beijing to convey the country's protests the same night.

On Wednesday, China banned some imports from Taiwan, including citrus and fish. That night, China flew an additional 27 fighter jets toward Taiwan.

Chinese state broadcaster CCTV said a Taiwanese citizen was detained on suspicion of inciting separatism. Yang Chih-yuan, originally from the city of Taichung, was shown surrounded by police in a CCTV video. Yang had been a candidate for a legislative position in New Taipei City, according to local media.

Addressing Beijings threats, Pelosi said she hopes its clear that while China has prevented Taiwan from attending certain international meetings, that they understand they will not stand in the way of people coming to Taiwan as a show of friendship and of support.

Pelosi noted that congressional support for Taiwan is bipartisan, and she praised the islands democracy. She stopped short of saying that the U.S would defend Taiwan militarily and emphasized that Congress is committed to the security of Taiwan, in order to have Taiwan be able to most effectively defend themselves.

Her focus has always been the same, she said, going back to her 1991 visit to Beijing's Tiananmen Square, when she and other lawmakers unfurled a small banner supporting democracy two years after a bloody military crackdown on protesters at the square. That visit was also about human rights and what she called dangerous technology transfers to rogue countries.

On this trip, Pelosi met with representatives from Taiwans legislature.

The speaker's visit is the strongest defense of human rights, democratic values and freedom, Tsai Chi-chang, vice president of Taiwans legislature, said in welcome.

Pelosi's five-member delegation included Rep. Gregory Meeks, chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi from the House Intelligence Committee, as well as Reps. Andy Kim and Mark Takano.

Also traveling with the speaker was Rep. Suzan DelBene, whom Pelosi said was instrumental in the passage of a $280 billion bill aimed at boosting American manufacturing and research in semiconductor chips  an industry that Taiwan dominates and is vital for modern electronics.

Hours after leaving Taipei, Pelosi arrived Wednesday evening at a South Korea military base ahead of meetings with political leaders in Seoul, after which she will visit Japan.
YEREVAN, Armenia (AP)  Clashes between Armenian and Azerbaijani forces reignited Wednesday in the separatist region of Nagorno-Karabakh, where three soldiers were reported killed.

Nagorno-Karabakh military officials said drone attacks carried out by Azerbaijani forces killed two of their troops and wounded another 14.

Azerbaijan's Defense Ministry said one of the country's servicemembers died in what it alleged was a terrorist act by illegal Armenian military formations. The Azerbaijani military carried out a retaliatory operation" in response, killing and wounding an unspecified number of illegal Armenian militants.

Nagorno-Karabakh's separatist leader, Arayik Harutyunyan, announced a partial military mobilization Wednesday, further fueling tensions in the region.

Armenia and Azerbaijan have been locked in a decades-old dispute over Nagorno-Karabakh, which lies within Azerbaijan but was under the control of ethnic Armenian forces backed by Armenia since a separatist war there ended in 1994.

A 2020 war in the region killed more than 6,600 people. After six weeks of intense fighting, a peace deal brokered by Russia allowed Azerbaijan to reclaim control over large parts of Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding areas that the Armenia-backed separatists controlled.

Moscow has sent some 2,000 troops it called peacekeepers to the region.

Officials in Armenia and Azerbaijan traded blame for the renewed clashes on Wednesday. The Russian Defense Ministry alleged it was Azerbaijan that violated the 2020 cease-fire.

Tensions have been building on the two nations shared border since May of last year, when Armenia protested what it described as an incursion by Azerbaijani troops into its territory.

Azerbaijan has insisted that its soldiers were deployed in areas where the border has yet to be demarcated.

Sporadic clashes have taken place in the last year.
RICHMOND, Va. (AP)  A Virginia woman Gov. Glenn Youngkin appointed to the state Board of Historic Resources has resigned after making widely criticized remarks about Confederate statues and the Civil War.

Ann McLean stepped down from the board effective Monday after a discussion about the Youngkin administration's goals and priorities," Macaulay Porter, a spokeswoman for the governor, said in a statement Wednesday.

The Governor had previously acknowledged that he did not agree with Ann McLeans statements and the Administration is focused on ensuring that our Commonwealths rich history and resources are preserved, the good and the bad, for future generations of Virginians and visitors," Porter said.

McLean is a founder of a Christian school with an academic background in art and architectural history who has been outspoken in her defense of Confederate monuments.

I think that the Southerners knew that their story of why they fought the Civil War was not being told correctly, McLean said about Confederate monuments during an interview with a conservative radio host last year, according to Richmond TV station WRIC. Fake news, or false narratives, are not new, and this whole tragedy is that these statues were built to tell the true story of the American South to people 500 years from now."

Youngkin picked McLean in July to join the board that helps review new nominations of historic sites for listing in the Virginia Landmarks Register and the National Register of Historic Places. The board also considers new or proposed updates to historical highway markers and new preservation easements, according to a state website.

After her nomination, McLean returned to the radio show, where she defended secession by the Southern states, and said she believed the South would have eventually outlawed slavery, but they wanted to do it on their own time. Her remarks have drawn widespread criticism from Democratic elected officials.

McLean wrote in an email Wednesday to The Associated Press that its past time for Virginians to examine our complete history, but it has to be the actual full and honest history  not a simplified version used for political reasons.

I am excited to be completely free now to share that history with people and to speak up to stop the destruction of our shared cultural heritage, she wrote.
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP)  Kansas voters on Tuesday sent a resounding message about their desire to protect abortion rights, rejecting a ballot measure in a conservative state with deep ties to the anti-abortion movement that would have allowed the Republican-controlled Legislature to tighten restrictions or ban the procedure outright.

It was the first test of voter sentiment after the U.S. Supreme Courts decision in June that overturned the constitutional right to abortion, providing an unexpected result with potential implications for the coming midterm elections.

While it was just one state, the heavy turnout for an August primary that typically favors Republicans was a major victory for abortion rights advocates. With most of the vote counted, they were prevailing by roughly 20 percentage points, with the turnout approaching what's typical for a fall election for governor.

The vote also provided a dash of hope for Democrats nationwide grasping for a game-changer during an election year otherwise filled with dark omens for their prospects in November.

This vote makes clear what we know: the majority of Americans agree that women should have access to abortion and should have the right to make their own health care decisions, President Joe Biden said in a statement.

After calling on Congress to restore the protections of Roe in federal law, Biden added, "And, the American people must continue to use their voices to protect the right to womens health care, including abortion.

The Kansas vote also provided a warning to Republicans who had celebrated the Supreme Court ruling and were moving swiftly with abortion bans or near-bans in nearly half the states.

Kansans bluntly rejected anti-abortion politicians attempts at creating a reproductive police state, said Kimberly Inez McGuire, executive director of Unite for Reproductive & Gender Equity. Todays vote was a powerful rebuke and a promise of the mounting resistance.

The proposed amendment to the Kansas Constitution would have added language stating that it does not grant the right to abortion. A 2019 state Supreme Court decision declared that access to abortion is a fundamental right under the states Bill of Rights, preventing a ban and potentially thwarting legislative efforts to enact new restrictions.

The referendum was closely watched as a barometer of liberal and moderate voters anger over the Supreme Court's ruling scrapping the nationwide right to abortion. In Kansas, abortion opponents wouldn't say what legislation they'd pursue if the amendment were passed and bristled when opponents predicted it would lead to a ban.

Mallory Carroll, a spokesperson for the national anti-abortion group Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, described the vote as a huge disappointment for the movement and called on anti-abortion candidates to go on the offensive.

She added that after the U.S. Supreme Court ruling, We must work exponentially harder to achieve and maintain protections for unborn children and their mothers.

The measures failure also was significant because of Kansas' connections to anti-abortion activists. Anti-abortion Summer of Mercy protests in 1991 inspired abortion opponents to take over the Kansas Republican Party and make the Legislature more conservative. They were there because Dr. George Tiller's clinic was among the few in the U.S. known to do abortions late in pregnancy, and he was murdered in 2009 by an anti-abortion extremist.

Anti-abortion lawmakers wanted to have the vote coincide with the state's August primary, arguing they wanted to make sure it got the focus, though others saw it as an obvious attempt to boost their chances of winning. Twice as many Republicans as Democrats have voted in the state's August primaries in the decade leading up to Tuesday's election.

This outcome is a temporary setback, and our dedicated fight to value women and babies is far from over," the coalition leading the vote yes campaign said.

The electorate in Tuesdays vote wasnt typical for a Kansas primary, particularly because tens of thousands of unaffiliated voters cast ballots.

Kristy Winter, 52, a Kansas City-area teacher and unaffiliated voter, voted against the measure and brought her 16-year-old daughter with her to her polling place.

I want her to have the same right to do what she feels is necessary, mostly in the case of rape or incest, she said. I want her to have the same rights my mother has had most of her life.

Opponents of the measure predicted that the anti-abortion groups and lawmakers behind the measure would push quickly for an abortion ban if voters approved it. Before the vote, the measures supporters refused to say whether they would pursue a ban as they appealed to voters who supported both some restrictions and some access to abortion.

Stephanie Kostreva, a 40-year-old school nurse from the Kansas City area and a Democrat, said she voted in favor of the measure because she is a Christian and believes life begins at conception.

Im not full scale that there should never be an abortion, she said. I know there are medical emergencies, and when the mothers life is in danger there is no reason for two people to die.

An anonymous group sent a misleading text Monday to Kansas voters telling them to vote yes to protect choice, but it was suspended late Monday from the Twilio messaging platform it was using, a spokesperson said. Twilio did not identify the sender.

The 2019 Kansas Supreme Court decision protecting abortion rights blocked a law that banned the most common second-trimester procedure, and another law imposing special health regulations on abortion providers also is on hold. Abortion opponents argued that all of the states existing restrictions were in danger, though some legal scholars found that argument dubious. Kansas doesnt ban most abortions until the 22nd week of pregnancy.

The Kansas vote is the start of what could be a long-running series of legal battles playing out where lawmakers are more conservative on abortion than governors or state courts. Kentucky will vote in November on whether to add language similar to Kansas proposed amendment to its state constitution.

Meanwhile, Vermont will decide in November whether to add an abortion rights provision to its constitution. A similar question is likely headed to the November ballot in Michigan.

In Kansas, both sides together spent more than $14 million on their campaigns. Abortion providers and abortion rights groups were key donors to the no side, while Catholic dioceses heavily funded the yes campaign.

The state has had strong anti-abortion majorities in its Legislature for 30 years, but voters have regularly elected Democratic governors, including Laura Kelly in 2018. She opposed the proposed amendment, saying changing the state constitution would throw the state back into the Dark Ages.

State Attorney General Derek Schmidt, a Republican hoping to unseat Kelly, supported the proposed constitutional amendment. He told the Catholic television network EWTN before the election that theres still room for progress in decreasing abortions, without spelling out what he would sign as governor.

Although abortion opponents pushed almost annually for new restrictions until the 2019 state Supreme Court ruling, they felt constrained by past court rulings and Democratic governors like Kelly.

This story has been updated to correct the attribution for the quote that begins, This outcome is a temporary setback." It came from a statement issued by the coalition that led the vote yes campaign, not Emily Massey.

Stafford reported from Overland Park and Olathe.
James Thiel Sr. will serve fewer than 90 days in jail in relation to the fatal 2020 boat crash on the Mississippi River near LeClaire.

He received 365 days, concurrent, on each count, with credit for time served. All but 90 days are suspended, and Thiel will get credit for time served.

The crash was on Aug. 16, 2020, and involved Thiels 35-foot Triton and a 19-foot boat operated by Craig Verbeke, 61, of Moline, who was killed. His fiance, Anita Pinc, 52, of Moline, was also killed.

A minor, not Thiel, was operating the Triton, but Thiel was accused of unintentionally contributing to the fatalities by allowing the boat to be operated at a high rate of speed in a high-traffic area, resulting in a collision with another boat, according to authorities.

Thiel faced four counts of involuntary manslaughter at his April trial, two felonies and two misdemeanors. The jury found Thiel guilty on the two misdemeanor counts. Each of those misdemeanor counts carries a sentence of up to two years.

District Court Judge Patrick McElyea sentenced Thiel, 46, Pleasant Valley, during an afternoon court hearing.
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP)  A record amount of seaweed is smothering Caribbean coasts from Puerto Rico to Barbados as tons of brown algae kill wildlife, choke the tourism industry and release toxic gases.

More than 24 million tons of sargassum blanketed the Atlantic in June, up from 18.8 million tons in May, according to a monthly report published by the University of South Florida's Optical Oceanography Lab that noted "a new historical record."

July saw no decrease of algae in the Caribbean Sea, said Chuanmin Hu, an optical oceanography professor who helps produce the reports.

"I was scared," he recalled feeling when he saw the historic number for June. He noted it was 20% higher than the previous record set in May 2018.

Hu compiled additional data for The Associated Press that showed sargassum levels for the eastern Caribbean at a near record high this year, second only to those reported in July 2018. Levels in the northern Caribbean are at their third highest, following July 2018 and July 2021, he said.

Scientists say more research is needed to determine why sargassum levels in the region are reaching new highs, but the United Nations' Caribbean Environment Program says possible factors include a rise in water temperatures as a result of climate change and nitrogen-laden fertilizers and sewage waste fueling algae blooms.

"This year has been the worst year on record," said Lisa Krimsky, a researcher and faculty member with Florida Sea Grant and a water resources regional specialized agent at University of Florida. "It is absolutely devastating for the region."

Krimsky said large masses of seaweed have a severe environmental impact, with decaying algae altering water temperatures and the pH balance as well as leading to declines in seagrass, coral reef and sponge populations.

"They're essentially being smothered out," she said.

The "golden tide" also has hit humans hard.

The concentration of algae is so heavy in some parts of the eastern Caribbean that the French island of Guadeloupe issued a health alert in late July. It warned some communities about high levels of hydrogen sulfide emanating from huge rotting clumps of seaweed, which can affect people with respiratory problems including asthma.

The Biden administration declared a federal emergency after the U.S. Virgin Islands warned last month of "unusually high amounts" of sargassum affecting water production at a desalination plant near St. Croix that is struggling to meet demand amid a drought.

"We're consuming as much as we can produce right now," said Daryl Jaschen, director of the islands' emergency management agency. "We're very concerned about that."

In addition, the U.S. Virgin Island's electricity generating station relies on ultra-pure water from the desalination plant to reduce emissions monitored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The loss of such water would force the government to use a type of diesel fuel that is more expensive and in limited supply, officials said.

Experts first noted large amounts of sargassum in the Caribbean Sea in 2011 that Hu and other scientists think were created by stronger than normal winds and currents. The problem has worsened as clumps multiplied, fueled by nutrients and strong sunlight.

"In the tropical Atlantic, everything was right," Hu said. "Everything grows fast."

Sargassum in moderation helps purify water and absorb carbon dioxide and is a key habitat for fish, turtles, shrimp, crabs and other creatures. But it is bad for tourism, the economy and the environment when too much accumulates just offshore or on beaches.

A carpet of brown algae recently surrounded an uninhabited island near the French Caribbean territory of St. Martin that is popular with tourists, forcing officials to suspend ferry service and cancel kayaking and snorkeling tours. The normally translucent waters around Pinel Island turned into a prickly brown slush.

"This is the worst we've ever seen it for sure," said Melody Rouveure, general manager for a tour company in the Dutch Caribbean territory of St. Maarten, which shares an island with St. Martin. "It did ruin my personal beach plans."

Masses of sargassum also have strangled the Caribbean's fishing industry. It damages boat engines and fishing gear, prevents fishermen from reaching their boats and fishing areas and leads to a drop in the number of fish caught. Barbados has been especially hit hard since flying fish make up 60% of the island's annual landed catch, according to the University of the West Indies.

An overabundance of sargassum was blamed for the recent deaths of thousands of fish at the French Caribbean island of Martinique. It also has activists concerned about the plight of endangered turtles, with some dying at sea entangled in seaweed or unable to lay their eggs given the mat of algae covering the sand.

Since 2011, large amounts of sargassum have invaded the Caribbean every year except 2013  an anomaly that scientists believe may have resulted from a lack of nutrients and a change in wind strength and direction. And the record amounts reported in recent years are even more concerning for scientists and island governments.

"We don't know if this is a new normal," Krimsky said. "This has been devastating for over a decade."
As a kid, I loved fishing of the dock because it assured immediate action, since I could catch tiny fish as fast as my worm hit the water.

But my dad practiced real fishing. Hed pack a lunch and fish in a small boat all day even if nothing, but mosquitoes were biting. He was in it for the long term, and it paid off with big catches. If he didnt catch anything one day, hed try again the next. He understood big catches took patience.

Like my dads long-term fishing, Republicans understand culture wars arent about instant gratification. The best example is their 49-year battle against Roe. They eventually found a right-wing majority on the Supreme Court brazen enough to overturn settled law and rob women of privacy and thus choice.

But the new front in the culture war is clearly public education. The Hard-Right seems determined to chip away through multiple avenues of attack.

From the late 90s to the mid-2000s, multiple red states attacked public sector collective bargaining. In 2017, Iowa Republicans followed and gutted a 40-year-old law which all but silenced educator voices at the bargaining table.

At the same time, red state legislatures choked off public school funding, so it didnt even match the cost of living. In Iowa, public schools have been drastically underfunded for a decade, and If schools were people, theyd qualify for food stamps.

During the last legislative sessions in blood-red states, the Right opened another long-term weapon in its arsenal. They started to sow doubt about teachers in the public by claiming that an obscure theory developed in law schools and graduate history courses in the 1970s called Critical Race Theory, had invaded public schools.

It was a lie.

But it helped the Republican candidate for Governor win in Virginia so why not try it in other states? Even though Iowa Republicans who pushed bills to stop CRT, couldnt define it, they were sure it was bad. They also introduced bills that would criminalize books they didnt like and bills to limit discussion of divisive issues.

Now, theres yet another attack.

Arizona passed the most expensive private school voucher law in the country, and on its heels passed a law that allows students enrolled in a teacher education program eligibility to be hired as full-time teachers, with no college degree needed.

For more than 30 years, Republicans have tried to provide a pathway to teaching that doesnt require student teaching or pedagogy. They reached their long-term goal in Arizona.

Even during the one room school era of this country, teachers were at least required to have two years of college. Now, when teaching requires much more than it did then, Arizona has decided to devalue the profession. The next step will be to lower pay since no degree is required.

This front in the culture war wont stay in the land of cactus and sunshine. I expect, both issues to surface in Iowa. We know Kim Reynolds, our private school Governor, is ready to introduce her third private school voucher scheme. Its died twice but it will resurrect again, cost more, and will probably include vouchers for homeschoolers to appease reluctant, Republican, rural, lawmakers.

Theres no real teacher shortage. Theres a shortage of educated people refusing to work in a profession where theyre attacked often and earn less than a professional salary. Iowa Republicans will most likely attempt to cure the problem with a quick fix by obliterating teaching standards.

Lets not let one party chip away the future for our children. Weakening public schools is a formula for failure.

Bruce Lear lives in Sioux City. He has been connected to public schools for 38 years. He taught for 11 years and represented educators as an Iowa State Education Association Regional Director for 27 years until retiring.
Billie Joe Armstrong performs with Green Day on the final day of Lollapalooza, July 31, 2022, in Chicago. (Erin Hooley/Chicago Tribune)

An 18-year-old security guard remains behind bars after allegedly faking a mass shooting alert at Lollapalooza so she could leave work early, prosecutors say.

It was shortly before 3 p.m. Friday when Janya B. Williams sent a message via her TextNow number to a witness cellphone which read:

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Mass shooting at 4pm location Lollapalooza. We have150 targets, according to prosecutors during Williams bond hearing Sunday.

The witness immediately told her supervisors, setting off a chain of alerts to Chicago police and FBI Joint Counterterrorism Task Force.

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When the witness, who was a staffer supervising a security team, went back to her post about 4:15 p.m., Williams told the witness her sister told her she saw a post about a mass shooting threat on Facebook, prosecutors said.

After the witness told Williams to send a screen shot of the Facebook threat, Williams allegedly created a bogus Facebook page under the name Ben Scott, wrote a post that said, Massive shooting at Lollapalooza Grant Park 6 p.m., and snapped a screen shot of it, sending it to the witness cell, prosecutors said.

That was when the witness sent that screen shot to her supervisor, but investigators soon learned the Apple iCloud account and IP address of the TextNow number, both of which belonged to Williams, prosecutors said.

When Williams was found and brought to the police command center for questioning, she told police she sent the message and created the fake post because she wanted to leave work early, prosecutors said.

Williams, of the citys Lawndale neighborhood, was charged with making a false terrorism threat, which is a felony and on Sunday, Cook County Judge Mary Marubio ordered her held in lieu of $50,000 bail. Williams, who remained in custody as of Wednesday afternoon, is due back in court on Monday.

rsobol@chicagotribune.com
SOUTH SIOUX CITY  A modern townhome nestled in Flatwater Crossing, Ho-Chunk's up and coming housing and commercial development in South Sioux City, features striking views of the Missouri River and the Floyd Monument.

Those scenic views are visible the moment you walk through the single-story two-bedroom, two-bathroom home's front door and look down a long hallway that leads to the spacious open concept kitchen, living and dining area.

Three of Flatwater Crossing's existing five townhomes have already been sold.

The townhome at 2630 Flatwater Drive has more than 1,500 square feet of finished living space, as well as an unfinished basement. Its exterior features hardboard; and stacked stone frames the dark chocolate brown garage door.

"These townhomes that we've built have a very modern look to them," said Pat Wojcik, community manager for Ho-Chunk Capital. "They're comfortable. They're stylish."

Ho-Chunk, Inc., a development corporation owned by the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska, is developing 200 acres at 29th Street and Veterans Drive as a walkable urban neighborhood with a network of greenways, natural landscaping, plazas and trails. BluStone Homes, a subsidiary of Ho-Chunk Capital, built the townhomes.

"Whether it's the apartments or the townhomes or the single-family homes, everybody has access to the river," said Wojcik, who has 25 years experience selling real estate. "You get the views. You get to go down there to enjoy the water."

The flooring running from the hallway to the living, kitchen and dining area is high definition wood laminate, which Wojcik said is scratch-resistant and easy to care for. The color palette is clean and on-trend with light gray walls and white woodwork.

The kitchen has light quartz countertops, charcoal gray subway tile, white cabinetry around the stove and a spacious island with dark wood cabinetry and a deep sink. Pendant lighting hangs above the island, which could be used as an eating area. Currently, a long white table is positioned under a sparkling chandelier between the kitchen and living room to denote a dining room. A laundry room, which is conveniently placed just off the kitchen, can also be accessed from the two-car garage.

A mantle is perched over the gas fireplace, which is positioned in a corner of the living room and surrounded by stacked stone. The space boasts a large picture window, which light pours through, as well as a fan, recessed lighting, surround sound system, and a door that leads to a Trek composite deck.

"The open concept, entertaining, relaxing is what buyers really, really like. They like the simplicity. You're here. I'm here. We can talk and watch TV," Wojcik said. "And, just the simple finishes. It just makes it easy to decorate. It's soothing to their eye."

Down a hallway off the living room you'll find a large main bathroom and two bedrooms. The smaller of the bedrooms could be used as an office. It features pocket doors, a walk-in closet, recessed lighting, a ceiling fan and soft gray carpeting, which Wojcik loves.

"It feels good on my feet. It's got a neat look to it with the texture," she said. "The majority of people like carpet in their bedrooms."

The homeowner's suite has the same type of carpet, as well as a large walk-in closet with a custom-designed organizer and an attached bathroom with double sinks, quartz countertops and an oversized walk-in shower with a glass door and marble tile.

"You could have a dresser here, a TV," Wojcik said as she motioned around the bedroom. "Look at the windows up above!"

Wojcik said the original plans called for the townhome to have just a plain wall, where the headboard is placed up against, but she said, "No. You've gotta bring some light in." So, three small horizontal windows were added near the ceiling. A large window provides dramatic views of the river.

Wojcik said the property doesn't require flood insurance and offers maintenance-free living. The HOA fee includes mowing, snow removal and a sprinkler system.
SIOUX CITY  Children love trampolines and swimming pools with slides and diving boards. Homeowners' insurance carriers typically do not.

A number of insurance carriers won't cover homes that have trampolines or pools at all. Or they'll offer a policy on the property, but with an exclusion endorsement, which relieves the company of exposure to trampoline- or pool-related injuries, leaving the homeowners entirely on the hook.

Others might be willing to underwrite trampolines and pools, but with strings attached, and higher premiums due to the liability exposure.

"Usually what happens is, if it's a brand-new account we're writing, and you have a trampoline and/or swimming pool, that will make a difference which carriers we can write. Most will want a privacy fence with lockable gates, and that's to protect from average persons walking by, or kids in the neighborhood, just coming and jumping in the pool, or getting on the trampoline," said Tim McClintock, president of McClintock Insurance in Sioux City.

Insurance companies tend to be particular about these things. Chain-link fences do not qualify as "privacy fences," because it's rather easy for a passerby to see the enticing trampoline that's just beyond the fence. The fence has to obscure whatever is behind it -- a wood fence could suffice, if it's tall enough and has a locked gate. Privacy fences are also often a requirement for trampoline owners under many city codes.

Insurers are sometimes more lenient with trampolines situated on acreages out in the country, due to the fact that wayward children are less likely to wander over and injure themselves. Trampolines with nets around them can also be viewed more favorably, and pools without diving boards or slides might not be as much an impasse.

For insurers, pools and (especially) trampolines represent an "attractive nuisance" -- meaning they have a reputation for attracting children and then injuring them. According to American Family Insurance, "most insurance companies do not cover trampolines because they consider them too costly due to liability risks."

(As an aside, the legal concept of "attractive nuisance" was first applied in the U.S. in the 1873 Supreme Court case of Sioux City & Pacific Railroad Co. v. Stout, which determined that the Sioux City & Pacific Railroad was liable after a child was injured while playing on railroad property in Nebraska. The term "attractive nuisance" was not yet in use, but the concept was essentially the same; the term first appeared in another court case a few years later.)

The skittishness of insurance companies toward trampolines and pools stems entirely from the actuarial risk that a user will require costly medical care after an injury. Youthful exuberance can raise the stakes beyond an insurer's wildest nightmares.

"When you see like the TikTok videos, 'Hey let's try this challenge' and they run off the garage roof, onto the trampoline, into the pool, and the pool's only four foot, there's a lot of chances for injury that way. Especially if they overshoot the pool. So that can be a disaster," McClintock said.

And health insurance companies increasingly don't want to pay a bill that could be another entity's responsibility -- if, say, an injury occurred in a way that would make it a home insurance carrier's liability.

"That's what we've seen happening more and more, not only with homeowners', property issues, car insurance, and everything else," McClintock said.

"The health insurance carrier comes back and goes, 'Oh, this was an accident. We want this company to pay for it, and reimburse us,'" he added.

Installing a pool or trampoline without telling the insurance company is a poor idea. It can result in a cancelled insurance policy, even before the term is up, due to misrepresentation at the time the policy was written.

Insurance carriers don't joke around about this type of thing, McClintock said. Some of them use Google Earth and even drones to monitor for the existence of attractive nuisances on properties they insure.

"There are existing accounts, where if they add a trampoline or a pool, and they don't tell their agent, they'll get one loss -- say an injury -- and then the company will not renew, because they don't like those exposures," he said. "So if the renewal is coming up, or they could cancel mid-term due to increase in hazard."

Homeowners who take on the liability themselves (the aforementioned exclusion endorsement) may end up regretting that decision. You can't get blood out of a turnip, but that probably won't stop the plaintiff from trying after their child suffers a trampoline-induced fracture.

"Usually what ends up happening is, if it's a medical bill high enough, and they don't have the coverage, the family that has the property that has had the injury occur on the property, has to declare bankruptcy," McClintock said.

McClintock is no stranger to trampoline and pool horror stories. "Diving boards where they've dove in and hurt themselves -- we've had one where they broke their neck. That was a major lawsuit. The company paid out for it, and then set up to not offer renewal again, unless they took the diving board out."

"If somebody gets hurt, the injury could be substantial. So it can be a broken arm, we've had one where the kid's teeth got knocked out because he got them caught in the (trampoline) spring," he said.

It wasn't always this way. Decades ago, McClintock said, insurance carriers were somewhat less nervous about trampolines and pools. Things were different then.

"(In the past), lawsuits weren't as prevalent as they are now," he said. "Medical costs, medical bills are astronomical today compared to what they were then. You broke your arm, they'd set it in a cast, it might be $200, $300 back then. Now, you're talking: 'Well, we're going to do X-rays, we might have to have a plastic surgeon involved, how much injury are we talking about, oh gosh, you've got to go through therapy to get your arm strength back up.' Back then it was, put it in a cast, you're done."

Nobody ever thinks it's going to happen to them -- a person likely wouldn't buy a trampoline or a pool with a diving board if they saw it as a liability and a heartache waiting to happen.

"Everybody's your friend, your buddy and your pal when it comes time to being on the trampoline, but when somebody gets hurt, then they look at you like a bank account," McClintock said. "All these bills are going to be taken care of by you, not us, even though it's our kid, or us, jumping on the stuff or swimming in the pool."
We fundraised. We incorporated. We fundraised. We leased. We sublet. We fundraised. We made some weird decisions. We scheduled an IPOand then We collapsed.

That, in short, is the story of the spectacular rise and fall of the We Company, nee WeWork, whose founder and CEO Adam Neumann chose to step back on Tuesday. He will continue to serve as nonexecutive chairman of the board, but his empire is in ruins: WeWorks IPO has been delayed indefinitely, and its valuation has collapsed from $47 billion to as low as $10 billion.

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What is the lesson of WeWork? (Other than that it is a bad idea to self-deal to the almost comical extent that Neumann did.) One conclusion is that venture capital investors are not nearly as smart as they think they are. For years, WeWorks valuation has been way out of step with that of peer companies that sublet office space. Back in 2017, the Wall Street Journals Eliot Brownthe preeminent chronicler of WeWorks absurd business culturenoted that WeWorks valuation-per-desk was more than 20 times higher than its rival, IWG. Per square foot, WeWork was 40 times more valuable. Still, the money kept pouring in: $700 million in bond sales last year and $2 billion earlier this year from the Japanese telecom Softbank, which raised $100 billion for tech investments from sources like Saudi Arabias sovereign wealth fund.

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WeWork seems to symbolize the pinnacle of Silicon Valleys irrational exuberance, and no surprise, VCs are already trying to isolate its issuesits a New York firm; its Softbanks problem. WeWorks real issue is both more specific and more general: Its not really a tech company. And that distinctionmore than the scrutiny of public vs. private marketsmight be the important takeaway from its fall, because it is far from the only outfit that has pitched itself as a tech company just because it uses smartphones and computers.

Its hard to find many other companies, however, that claimed their mission was to elevate the worlds consciousness. The WeWork debacle has inspired a lot of schadenfreude, and its easy to spare some of it for the investors who helped inflate its value. If WeWork had gone public at the price suggested by IPO bankers at Goldman Sachsbetween $61 billion and $96 billionand then cratered, Uncle Bob would have lost his retirement savings. Instead, its Masayoshi Son and Mohammed bin Salman who are short a few bucks. Oh well!

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Capital invested in private companies has exploded over the past five years. Critics have sometimes said that the trend of tech companies delaying going public until they are worth 10 figures means that mom-and-pop investors are missing out on gains that get captured only by the rich and well-connected. Securities and Exchange Commission Chair Jay Clayton, for example, has complained that all the startup value creation happens before the IPO.

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WeWork, like Uber before it, offers a kind of counterpoint. Even if you could have invested in Uber in 2016, you would have lost money by now. Well-publicized crashing stock prices of consumer-facing companies like Lyft, Slack, Blue Apron, and Snapchat reinforce the perception that tech companies arent worth what they say they are.

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It turns out this perception isnt quite right. Yes, more unprofitable companies than ever are going publicand then, in some cases, plummeting in plain view. But according to Bloomberg, half of them are getting more valuable: Since 2017, in particular, the IPOs of unprofitable companies have outperformed the stock market by an average of 27 percentage points in their first month.

Its just not (with the exception of Beyond Meat) the names you know. The important distinction might be between software companies, like Facebook or Palantir or Oracle, and those that have to muddy their hands in the world of gig workers and real estate and manufacturing. In the latter group are companies like Pelotona business that makes stationary bicycles but calls itself an automated vehicle technology companyor Uber, which is a taxi and delivery company but says it just runs a marketplace. Or Sweetgreen, a salad chain valued at $1.6 billion that, according to its chief executive, doesnt consider [itself] just a salad place because, apparently, many salads are ordered through an app. Or Blue Apron. Or WeWork, which is evidently a real estate company with a founder who could convincingly play the role of tech CEO.

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As Ben Thompson points out in Stratechery, its in those hybrid firms that the big losses are occurringnot just a lack of profits (which again, appears to be par for the course), but a lack of confidence there ever will be profits. Looking at 29 U.S. tech IPOs over the past two years, 20 have increased in market cap over their offering price, and all of them are pure tech companies with high margins, Thompson writes. Adding an additional 100 users costs nothing to Adobe or Citrix; for WeWork, it requires a big new 10-year leaseand a huge red mark on the balance sheet. You cant code your way out of a skyscraper.

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Its a reminder that so much of the technological progress we take for granted in the worldcab rides on demand, electric scooters on every corner, grocery stores with no checkout lines, cars that can park themselvesrests on a whole lot of operating losses and cross-subsidy. Not all tech, but particularly the tech we can see: the corporeal, consumer-facing products we like to use. When the market turns, when the Masayoshi Sons of the world get fed up, it may all vanish.

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It makes me think of the Concorde, the supersonic passenger aircraft that flew so fast you could land in New York earlier than you left London. Only a gargantuan bi-state R&D program made it real, but forces were already turning against the plane before its infamous fatal run in 2000, when 113 were killed in an accident at Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris. The plane was too loud. The fuel was too expensive. No airlines wanted to buy the thing. Just because we had invented it didnt mean it was here to stay.

Obviously, WeWork did not invent anything so interesting as that. Which is why, ironically, its chances of survival seem high: WeWork offices do seem like places that would help you get work doneif not, perhaps, lift you to a state of higher consciousness.
Dan Friesenwho, with Jordan Holmes, hosts the five-year-old podcast Knowledge Fighthas made thinking about Alex Jones possible for me, a person who can barely listen to people yell, let alone yell, growl, threaten, and scream. Friesen creates the podcast by consuming hours and hours of Jones often-unhinged show InfoWars, then cutting clips of key moments, which he plays for Holmes. Holmes, occupying the less informed seat, reacts, often with a much-needed gale of laughter. These long, long episodes of Knowledge Fight (there are currently 710) follow the patterns of Joness rhetoric meticulously, piecing together motifs and noting falsehoods and the repetition of falsehoods. Jones is prolix; they never run out of material.

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The documentary Alexs War, directed by Alex Lee Moyer, which was released last week, has been applauded by some (including Jones himself) for its supposed even-handedness and fairness in its treatment of the InfoWars founder. Glenn Greenwald quizzed Jones and Moyer at a Q&A after the documentarys premiere in Austin in July, his presence a gift to Jones credibility that led to much furor in some online circles. But is Alexs War admirably veriteMoyer told New York that one of her influences was D.A. Pennebakers hands-off 1967 Dylan documentary Dont Look Backor is it oddly credulous of a figure who has done nothing to deserve that treatment?

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I asked Friesenwho, as a Jones completist, had already seen the documentary (and podcasted on it!)to help me understand what the film was really doing. I reached him in his hotel room in Austin, where he was covering Jones latest legal proceedings in the matter of the Sandy Hook parents he had accused of being crisis actorsa trial which has become quite the media spectacle this week, making Alexs Wars view from nowhere approach seem even stranger by comparison. Our conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity.

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Rebecca Onion: What is your first, birds-eye-level takeaway about this documentary?

Dan Friesen: To me, it was very weird, and, I think, bad. Theres a person whos lyingAlex Joneswhos the main subject of the documentary. And hes the only source of information about himself, and hes lying. And the film gives you no reason to suspect that hes lying. And so, taken at face value, unless you have an awareness of who Alex is, youre ill-equipped to deal with the material being presented in the documentary, and to me thats an indication of a lack of concerna lack of thoroughness? Im not exactly sure what it is, but its an irresponsible portrayal.

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Theres the inclusion of some critical voices, but they are always presented extremely briefly, and as a Greek chorus of naysayers. The documentary presumes that you, as a viewer, agree with some of the basic premises of Jones worldview: that there is a globalist conspiracy of elites, and so on.

Yes, the way the documentary includes critiques is not meaningful at all. There are clips of a couple talking heads, like Trevor Noah, and theyll say, Ah, look at this asshole. And flashes of out-of-context headlines you cant read, and then the clip of Obama joking about Alex saying he smelled like sulfur. And thats not meaningful critique of what Alex does, and its not any reason to call into question the premises that Alex is delivering to the documentary itself.

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I know that Alex Lee Moyer and some of her defenders, like Glenn Greenwald or Matt Taibbi, have really been relishing the idea of the movies non-judgmentalness. But I honestly think its uncritical. I think its an almost comatose approach to making a film. Its not engaging with whats being said to you at all, as a filmmaker. You have no reason to doubt the existence of these conspiracies from the film. You have every reason to think Alex does have sources, knows all these things, can prove X, Y, and Z. Its bizarre. Its not earned.

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Regarding the movies representation of Alex as a character, I was struck by the way that he tells his own story about his childhood, his adolescence. He lists all the different books he used to read, talks about reading Nietzsche and Greek philosophy. I know from listening to your show that he likes to talk about himself that way, as an autodidact, and its a self-mythologizinga self-hagiography. And I thought to myself, Oh, they are buying into his own story about his own specialness.

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I would love to get my hands on the raw interviews. I find myself conflicted because there is a censorship thats going on with this documentary, one way or another. Either Alex is presenting a curated fake version of himself, to make himself seem more respectable or more normal. Or, Alex gave his story the normal way he does, where he talks about the devil trying to seduce him when he was a young man, and how hes a psychic and God has revealed visions for him, and then the editors or Alex Lee Moyer decided to cut that stuff out, because it would make Alex look insane. I cant really make up my mind about where the deception is, without knowing that.

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That stuff is stuff he talks about all the time on InfoWars.

Constantly.

So clearly hes OK with saying it in certain contexts. But is he self-aware enough 

Oh, his audience eats it up. Like the woman in the film, at a rally, who says hes John the Baptist. The audience is already bought in to some of these premises, and Alex praying on air and fake crying is great for people who love him already. But I think this documentary is meant to hit audiences that arent indoctrinated. Its meant to spread and normalize him to people who dont know that much about it. And I think thats why you wouldnt want to have those things he does normally in the documentary. It would just turn normal people off.

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Another thing that was missing, or almost missing with the exception of one quick mention, is the constant advertising on InfoWars the shilling for supplements and food buckets and such. Theres one mention of one of the supplements hes advertising, where he talks about how the FDA investigated the InfoWars website because there were too many five-star reviews.

Yes! The ad pitch included in the documentary has that defensiveness. Its like, Everybody says Im bad, but actually Im good.

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Meanwhile, the way that the supplement advertising recurs on actual InfoWars, Alex could be saying the most grim, intense stuff, building up tension and terror, and then he is talking about a supplement sale in the very next breath.

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It highlights the insincerity of the intense shit hes saying previously. If you watch his show pretty consistently you see that this is essentially a trick he does, where he tries to ramp up tense feelings, and then offers his products as sort of a tension release for the intensity he builds up. Oftentimes, its some story hes telling about how youre not going to have food, and the governments going to take away your ability to buy anything, and the mark of the beast! and Satan will walk among us. And then: Hey! I have this survival bucket of food, and its insurance you can eat, and all this stuff. It reveals a lot of the intense content as a problem hes offering a solution to with his ads. And that wasnt captured at all in the documentary.

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Im interested in the younger footage of Alex in the documentary, because I know the transcription of Glenn Greenwalds question to him at that Q&A about the early footage, and how Alex made the choice not to try to use his good looks and charisma to go big time and look for a mainstream TV gig, has gone a bit viral. But its not the first time the internet has seen Young Alex and gone a little wild.

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Oh, sure, sure: Alex was hot!

But more than that, I think, the question was predicated on an insane premise, and that was that Alex could handle having a boss. Its so laughable to imagine. Ive listened to Alexs material recorded during many spans of his career, and the notion of him ever being able to successfully navigate an environment where he had a boss, or he had advertisers that might threaten to pull out of supporting his showhe couldnt handle that.

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He also doesnt actually have charisma. He has a lack of restraint that comes off as charisma sometimes.

Something thats in your podcast quite a bit that I did not see at all in the doc, and that you just referred to, is Jones many failures. Constantly being out of money, constantly berating the crew 

Quitting on air .

Events that InfoWars convenes that just dont have that many people at them, and it just kind of looks pathetic. He is constantly on thin ice.

He has that feeling generally, but that feeling doesnt work for the documentary. It wouldnt serve the purpose of the image thats being presented.

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In the documentary it feels like, if he ever has a problem, its coming from outside.

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Exactly. Its everyone elses fault! Theyre all afraid of how cool and charismatic he is and are trying to take him down!

I think the basic choice was to say what everyone else is not saying. Everyone already says hes a madman, so the thing to do is to make something that shows that the consensus is wrong.

Theres a self-servingness to thata narcissism behind it: Arent we so brave that were willing to give Alex a fair shake! All you people cant handle this kind of thing, but look, here we are. And its hollow to me, as someone whos studied Alex, looked at him for five years.

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Instead of a two-hour documentary, youve made hundreds of hours of podcasts, and youve come out with a completely different perspective.

I should say, Moyer never contacted me while making this, and if she had when she was thinking of doing this, I would have told her not to. I just dont think its possible to cover the subject matter responsibly in that amount of time. Alex is really complicated, and if youre going to have him talking in the film itself, you need to relay other information to the audience that allows them to make the kind of informed decision she says shes allowing the audience to make. You would need it to be a miniseriesyou need to deconstruct some of the stuff that hes doing or saying. Or youre just left with a liar lying.
In the spring, Brian, a 34-year-old New Yorkbased antiques dealer, took his first big international trip since COVID hit. (Brian isnt his real name.) He visited the U.K. on business before heading to Croatia to meet up with his girlfriend. All was going according to plan until just before they were set to return home, with a planned stop in Amsterdam, and they got the news that every traveler dreads in 2022: Brians girlfriend had tested positive for COVID-19.

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We had this tricky situation, Brian said. It seemed like Croatia was probably not going to be a very good place for her to bottle up and stay just because of limited access to all the things that she would need.

At the time, the United States still required a negative test for entry into the country, but there were no test requirements for intra-European travel. So they decided to board the first flight to Amsterdam together. With no proof of a negative test, she remained there. He feared he might be on the verge of getting sick, toobut decided to travel home to the United States anyway.

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I had a negative COVID test, but I also knew there was a significant likelihood that I had been infected and therefore might be contagious anyway, he said. I also thought, Well, I had better get back into the country while I have this negative test, because otherwise I could be stuck in Amsterdam for God knows how long. 

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It turns out, I flew back to the U.S., and the next day tested positive.

Meanwhile, his girlfriend recovered in Amsterdam, but was still testing positive. She tried to obtain a certificate of recovery, a doctor-approved statement affirming she was safe to fly. But when she ran into problems with that, she decided to just use fake results to get back to the U.S.

It was absolutely no problem, Brian said. In retrospect, I wish we had done that from the very start.

International travel is back, and COVID entry restrictions are now a thing of the past in much of the world. But the coronavirus hasnt gone anywhereor rather, it continues to be everywhere. Every traveler who books a trip this year knows that getting sick is a significant possibility. Many isolate before trips, hoping to avoid expensive cancellations after more than two years of limited travel. But when they test positive on their trips, travelers are taking very different approachesand the right and wrong thing to do is proving to be less well-defined than you might think.

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For Brians part, he told me, We werent terribly concerned about it from a public health, responsibility perspective for a variety of reasons largely having to do with the effectiveness of one-way masking, effective ventilation on aircraft, that sort of thing. (The risks on planes are complicated.)

Im hearing a lot of folks who are traveling and get COVID-19 and then have to isolate on their trip, figure out how to isolate away from family, said Saskia Popescu, an infectious disease epidemiologist in Arizona. Lots of folks returning home to test positive within a few days.

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Take it from Sam and Giselle. (Those arent their real names.) The married couple, both 65, split their time between Maryland and Massachusetts, where he is a professor; shes retired. At the end of June, they set out for Portugal.

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We had been dreaming about this trip since 2019, Giselle said. My concern was that no one get COVID before we left. That was my biggest source of anxiety. It never occurred to us that we would get sick in Portugal.

But get sick they did, a few days into the trip. They were staying in an Airbnb in the Alentejo, a region of southern Portugal, with their two adult daughters and their partners, and instead of activities like boat rides, hiking, and visits to nearby cities, they decided to quarantine and minimize contact with their kids so they wouldnt get sick, too.

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They quarantined for five days. When it came time for their flight home, they were still feeling a little sick. Sam was still testing positive, and while Giselle had tested negative, she wasnt well.

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The thought of traveling back before testing negative was really a huge concern, he said. They knew they Centers for Disease Control and Prevention only required five days of quarantine, but they still felt uneasy about it. (The Biden administration had dropped the negative test requirement in early June, with a plan to reassess after 90 days.) We really wrestled with what the consequences of our decision might be.

They decided to fly home. We were pretty confident that we were no longer infectious, but there was no proof of that, Sam said. On the flight, I was quite worried, he said. I was uncomfortable flying knowing my condition.

People would be like, Oh, thats amazing, youre stuck in Rome!   Ayla

Travelers all over the world are facing similarly tough calls. Some people in Sam and Giselles shoes opt to get on a flight home as soon as they get sick, positive test be damned, so they can get better at home and perhaps salvage what they can of the money they spent on the trip. As some have pointed out, by making it costly to cancel or reschedule a trip, airlines effectively incentivize travelers to fly sick. People who get sick later in a trip have to decide whether they can afford to extend their stays, with all that entails: more nights in a hotel, more days of work missed, changing plane tickets.

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That was the situation that Ayla, a 34-year-old from Vancouver who also didnt want to use her real name, found herself in at the end of her trip to Italy. She was about to leave when she tested positive for COVID. I was alone, without a phone, because it broke, and I dont speak Italian, she said.

She eventually was able to find a hotel room with a terrace so she could have a little air, room service, and an English-speaking concierge, and she camped out there for a week in early July. People would be like, Oh, thats amazing, youre stuck in Rome!  she said. Im not going to go to the Coliseum. I have nothing to do, and Im alone.

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The jury is out on whether being sick in an exotic locale is better than being sick at home, by the way. Contra Ayla, Mary Hickey, 67, of Washington, D.C., said she appreciated the novelty of being laid up in a cottage in the Irish countryside at the end of June. We kept saying, Well, if youre going to be lying around anywhere, its certainly nice to look out and see Galway Bay,  she said. (Luckily, she recovered by the time she was scheduled to fly home.)

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Ayla said that all she really did during that extra week in Italy was watch a lot of Chicago Med. For the pleasure of doing so, she ended up spending about $3,500 Canadian, she said, between the hotel, food, and flight costs.

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But even she had a limit. After all that quarantining, she didnt want to test positive again and have to wait another seven or 10 days in the country. I flew home without going back to test, she said. Thats the part I feel a little iffy about.

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Experts cautioned against flying back while positive but acknowledged it was probably happening with some frequency.

Everybody should push themselves to do their best, and that often includes testing if youre feeling sick, not going on the trip if youre feeling sick, and wearing a mask in any questionable situation, said Ashley Ritter, a nurse practitioner and CEO of Dear Pandemic, an online resource and community for COVID-19 information. If you must fly, Ritter said, Its incredibly important to think about as many options as you have to delay the time of getting on that airplane from the time that you become sick. Getting to Day 5 and flying is better than the day of your positive test and flying.

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Masking helps, but it isnt fool-proof, especially when so many people take their masks off on long flights, added Popescu, the epidemiologist. While airplanes have great ventilation and filtration systems, if youre within close proximity of some one for a long period of time, thats going to increase the risk.

On the money side, the most concrete way to protect against COVID ruining your vacation, apart from not going, is travel insurance, specifically a plan that covers COVID (not all do). Several of the people I spoke to said they planned to purchase policies for future trips.

Not incidentally, business is booming for travel insurance companies. Daniel Durazo, director of communications at Allianz, told me in an email, We certainly saw new interest and increased awareness around travel insurance when the pandemic began, and that interest has continued throughout 2022, especially during this busy summer travel season as more international destinations re-opened.

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One interesting shift has been that we are receiving more claims for post-departure benefitstrip interruption, travel delay, baggage loss/delaythan during the height of the pandemic, when we received more cancellation claims, he said.

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Durazo said travelers can expect an insurance policy to cost about 8 to 10 percent of the total trip cost. But travelers insurance will only get you so far.

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In April, Greg Wood, an infrastructure architect from Minneapolis, tested positive for COVID (on his 49th birthday, he lamented) a few days into a tour of Ireland. His girlfriend wasnt showing symptoms, so they got her a separate hotel room and she started looking at flights homeneither of which the policy covered.

Trip insurance covers COVID, but trip insurance doesnt cover avoiding getting COVID, Wood explained. His girlfriend ended up getting COVID anyway, and their 10- or 11-day visit ended up being 17.

We still have yet to get reimbursed from our insurance company for the trip, which was like an additional $5,000, Wood said. Theyre so backlogged with other cases that anytime I email them, I get a page-long out-of-office reply.
How to Do It is Slates sex advice column. Send your questions for Stoya and Rich to howtodoit@slate.com.

Dear How to Do It,

Since the Dobbs ruling, my partner has been justifiably outraged and upset, as have I. We are fortunate enough to live in one of the most liberal states in the nation, and abortion rights are not currently threatened here.

Just after the ruling, my partner and I had a discussion about our birth control optionsshe is not currently on any form of birth control, and I am not either. She has a condition that makes getting pregnant extremely unlikely for her, so we use a combination of condoms and pulling out.

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Until recently, we would begin intercourse without condoms, and then I would either put one on before finishing or I would pull out. We have had a great sex life, and no pregnancy scares. Since the ruling, though, my partner decided that she wants me to wear a condom every time we have sex for the entire duration of the sex. I will pause here to say that because she is the partner who is capable of getting pregnant, she unambiguously gets to unilaterally decide what type of birth control is acceptable to her. I have told her that as soon as non-surgical male birth control options become available, I will try them, and I am excited to, but those are still possibly years off. She has also urged me to get a vasectomy many times, which Ive repeatedly told her Im quite uncomfortable with.

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This change has greatly damaged our sex life. After years of having incredible sex, Ive been struggling to switch back to using condoms this way, and we have both been enjoying sex significantly less, partly because I often lose my erection when Im wearing a condom. I feel that this is her way of trying to make me understand how it feels to have bodily autonomy taken away by someone else.

In having these thoughts, I cant help but feel monstrous for thinking so much about my own pleasure. Nonetheless, we have not had enjoyable sex in weeks, when we used to have it almost every day, and I fear this is eroding at our relationship. Can I talk to her about my wishes to use a condom less, or would that be extremely insensitive, and should I just adapt to this new, less satisfying sex life?

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Struggling With Condoms

Dear Struggling,

Firstly, youre not a monster. Youre allowed to crave and pursue pleasure on your terms, and youre allowed to feel bad for people who have lost freedoms and the ability to have sex on their terms as a result of our politicized Supreme Court. Multiple things can be true at the same time. Here, they in fact are.

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I think a conversation about sexual dissatisfaction with a compassionate partner is a reasonable thing to have, provided you approach with the right tone and timing. If you want to set yourself up for success, though, youll try a little harder before pushing back on her request.

Different condoms yield different sensations, so you can try different sizes, levels of thinness, and materials (theres latex, lambskin, and plastic) before deciding these arent for you. You can also take an ED med before sexyou might not think you need boner pills and maybe you dont technically, but some assistance could be useful for staying hard (even if its largely psychological and what keeps you hard is the lack of anxiety over going soft that a pill can foster). You have every right to refuse a vasectomy but Im curious about why. There is, after all, a chance of reversal should you change your mind (the likelihood depends on how far out you are from the original procedure). Your vas deferens, your choice, but if you have a vague notion of discomfort regarding undergoing the procedure, you might want to work through that at least to something more concrete. Itll give you a better leg to stand on in a conversation, at any rate.

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Get the How to Do It Newsletter Sex advice from Rich and Stoya, plus exclusive letter follow-ups, delivered weekly. We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try again. Please enable javascript to use form. Email address: Send me updates about Slate special offers. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms Sign Up Thanks for signing up! You can manage your newsletter subscriptions at any time.

Dear How to Do It,

My wife and I have a child in the early years of elementary school. Prior to the birth of our kid, we had a fairly reliable formula for getting us both offwed do foreplay until everyone was nice and warmed up, and then move on to a few positions culminating with her on top, leaving me with one hand free to stimulate her clit while I used the other to help us grind back and forth so that my penis could stimulate her g-spot. Her orgasms have always been somewhat labor-intensivethe final act used to take up to 10 minutes of grindingbut it worked for both of us at the time.

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Since we had a kid (via vaginal delivery), it seems like her G-spot has moved. The old formula doesnt really work for her anymore. Her preferred way to have sex is now with her prone, her legs held tightly together, with me going fast and hard behind her. The downside of that position is virtually guaranteed to make me cum in about 30 seconds flat due to the additional depth and friction, and usually faster if its been a couple of weeks since our last session. I just cant last long enough to give her the stimulation she needs in that position, and I dont have the refractory period of a 17-year-old anymore.

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Id happily go down on her for hours if that was what it took, but she says that she really needs the penetration to get over the edge. Its gotten to the point of frustration for us both (this has been going on for years!) and I really, really want to avoid a vicious circle where we both avoid intimacy to save her from the frustration. Do you have any practical advice to help me last longer when railing her like she wants to be railed?

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Willing to Try Anything

Dear Willing,

Before we get to the practical advice, I wanted a bit of background on what might be going on with your wifes sexual response as a result of childbirth. I sent your letter to Dr. Sheryl Kingsberg, the division chief of behavioral medicine at University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Centers department of OB-GYN, and she responded via email:

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Vaginal deliveries are physically demanding. Consider that a womans pelvis has bones and ligaments that move and stretch as a baby travels into the birth canal. Pregnancy and vaginal delivery can damage the pelvic floor muscles, all of which can then interrupt a previously successful formula for achieving orgasm. Many women and couples need to alter their previously reliable forms of stimulation.

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And so, it seems, thats where youre at. I think you could approach this as one might any generic premature ejaculation situation. There are a bunch of tips in this past HTDI column, including numbing sprays and a low dose of SSRIs. You could look into kegel training, which some guys report helps them last. In her email, Kingsberg recommended your wife see a pelvic floor physical therapist (PFPT) to evaluate her pelvic floor muscles and help strengthen them. Also:

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The couple can try an internal vibrator while she is in the prone position to see if that is pleasurable for her and could be used prior to her husband inserting his penis to take the performance pressure off him since he cannot last the length of time she needs. But he could be in her vaginally when she is close to reaching orgasm.

So, theres lots to try. Get to it.

Help us keep giving the advice you crave every week. Sign up for Slate Plus now.

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Dear How to Do It,

Where to start? I (35M) have a pregnancy/birth fetish and my wife does not but she is fine with it; weve been together for 12 years. Over the years Ive let more and more about my fetish come out and to date, there really isnt anything she doesnt know, including that I like to write pregnancy erotica stories online. The fact I hadnt shared everything at the beginning of our relationship has been a problem for her before but she says she knows there is shame and embarrassment and it wasnt that I wanted to hide things from her, just that it was hard to share.

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A year or so ago, during her third pregnancy, we both thought it would be fun to chat with the fetish community and she was on board for a while but then just kind of dropped off from lack of interest. I, on the other hand, stayed talking with that community and enjoy being able to connect with like-minded people about it. Later on, I got into role-playing and I admit it was not OK for me to do it without telling her first so she was understandably upset. I stopped everything immediately and deleted accounts. The conversations that followed were always about why I hadnt asked her to do role-playing or engage with her about my fetish. I use the example of someone with cancer needing a support group to understand what theyre going through; that person wouldnt seek out someone thats never had cancer. She says she understands the difference but her actions and feelings say otherwise.

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I know this is hard for her to get over but at the same time I feel like being able to write and chat about my niche sexual fetish is healthy for me and if it were to stop because she doesnt like it I can already feel the resentment settling in. I wouldnt do role-playing again, I completely see how that was wrong, but for the rest how do I help her understand its not about dissatisfaction with her while being able to exercise my sexuality?

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Kink Versus Wife

Dear Kink Versus Wife,

Youve done just about everything you can to help her understand the draw for you here. That she understands the difference between you wanting to engage fellow kinky people and someone like herself, who isnt nearly as into pregnancy kink, but acts and feels in a way that betrays such understanding is actually not a contradiction. Intellect exists in one realm, emotions comprise another. These things sometimes align, but its hardly surprising when they dont because feelings arent rational. I think people can work through instances of such discord and arrive at acceptance, but that requires the drive to do so and considerable effort.

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Your wife may simply not be motivated. She may never come to peace with what youre into/the way you like to express it. You must face that possibility and determine how you would like to deal with itis that a dealbreaker? Is staying with your wife worth forgoing your kink? If it is fact a dealbreaker, dont be too hard on yourself about it. Sexual incompatibility is what it isthats whats frustrating about it, but it also makes it very difficult to counter. Openness, including the digital kind you have taken upon yourself to adopt, is one way to negotiate that kind of incompatibility, but all parties have to sign off in order for it to work ethically for any sustained period of time.

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It seems like you have your mind made up already. You write: I feel like being able to write and chat about my niche sexual fetish is healthy for me and if it were to stop because she doesnt like itI can already feel the resentment settling in. I dont think you have to ask yourself if you want to live with that kind of resentment.

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Convincing her to be OK with your online activity is further complicated by you surprising her multiple times with your kink/acting on it. It seems clear that she felt betrayed. This is already a sore spot. Any conversations on the subject moving forward you come to with deficit of trust. Time can rebuild that, though its hardly certain if it will. I think you either have to prove that youre really in it for the long haul by not engaging in your kink/bringing it up for a while (a minimum of six months). Or have the hard conversation. If she understands that being denied entirely will make you seriously rethink the relationship, it may put things into perspective for her and she may adjust accordingly. She may also decide this is not the relationship for her. I dont believe any of this will be easy, but I wish you luck.

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Did you write this or another letter we answered? Tell us what happened at howtodoit@slate.com.

Dear How to Do It,

Im a 35-year-old man who ejected out of an unsatisfying career and years-long depression about a year ago to be a full-time bicycle/van life hobo. A few years ago I had a very traumatic breakup that I allowed to destroy my confidence and zap my mojo with women. The last year has been incredibly transformative and allowed me to effectively date myself. Im in the best place I have been in years.

People dont write to sages like How to Do It with success tales, so heres the rub. Ive always been securely polyamorous for the entirety of my adult life. In my travels, I recently found myself in a long-distance situationship with a girl and after two months of talking decided to visit her for a week. I definitely caught feels.

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This girl is a true submissivelike is only comfortable feeling love through degradation and obedience in these caring, but brutal, one or two-day visits with her multiple doms. However, during my visit, which was very girlfriend/boyfriendesque she became anxious and uncomfortable with her feelings for me and I left early so that we could process on our own.

We spoke at length and with an uncommon maturity and have agreed that we want each other in our lives, but are unsure how to deal with the friction that exists between us. I dont fully understand her love style or how she can be so scared of feelings which to me are so thoroughly positive. I wonder what kind of insight you most knowledgeable of kinksters can shed on this situation.

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Ready to Love

Dear Ready,

First, I think you should approach the situation with caution. Catching feelings can distort perception, especially so early on before you actually know someone. You really want this to work, so youre more likely to take explanations at face value, and not everyone is straightforward and honest, particularly to people they just met. This woman has a lot going on. Shes not necessarily a liar, but shes also not necessarily telling the full story. Vagueness is a cause for pause.

Some skepticism could brace you for a worst-case scenario, but its also worth evaluating your subs words in good faith. I sent your note to Dr. Richard Sprott, kink researcher, professor at California State University, East Bay, and director/founder of the non-profit The Alternative Sexualities Health Research Alliance. Via email, Sprott pointed out that the kink relationship structure puts boundaries and guard rails around relationship issues like strong emotions or getting too close to people. For someone with anxiety about these things, kink may help organize those feelings, and that may be, in fact, something that draws a person to it.

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Sprott continued:

There is also the relatively common myth that love is somehow incompatible with a power exchange dynamic, since the overwhelmingly dominant understanding of love (pun intended) is that it needs or can only legitimately happen between romantic partners of equal power status, only in egalitarian relationships rather than negotiated hierarchical power exchange relationships. So if Im a submissive, and I start to feel a strong romantic love impulse, does that mean I dont want to be submissive anymore? And that can set up an internal conflict within a person, who is holding both the desire for submission and the desire for love. If the visit was very girlfriend/boyfriendesque, Im guessing that means any power exchange protocols or activities were at a minimum. Or vanilla creep had already started, which would not be a direction she wants to go in. The confusing messages about power exchange and love leaves everyone to try to figure out for themselves: How do I feel this romantic love AND maintain and enhance our hierarchical power structure? It means often really unearthing our unconscious assumptions about how both love and power work.

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Naturally, that unearthing is work that your love interest must do herself, if she is so inclined. But you wondered how she can be so scared of feelings which to me are so thoroughly positive, so Sprott posits, at least, a theory.

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I also reached out to certified sex therapist Shadeen Francis, who counsels on kink among things. She applauded you for slowing down and giving each other space, and offered a list of questions to ask yourself. Depending on the answers, they could also work as prompts for future conversations/actions with this partner:

How have the two of you talked about and negotiated your sexual roles or romantic desires? What is it that you want or need from a partner? How have you shared that with her so far, and what was her response? Do you consider yourself a kinkster of any flavor? If not, are you curious or open to learning and playing? Are you comfortable with the kind of submission that she is interested in? Do you take pleasure in leading or guiding a willing partner sexually, or otherwise? How is your command voice, your ability to hold folks accountable to their agreements, your follow-through on agreed upon consequences or discipline, your skillfulness in boundary-honoring degradation, your tenderness in aftercare and promptness with reward? If not, is she open to exploring a different sort of relationship than the ones she currently has with her other partners? Your situationship is still newly emerging, so if you havent yet asked these sorts of questions, thats OK! The friction is a sign that there is more to learn. It sounds like your meeting has inspired some more introspection and conversation from both of you which is a very good thing!

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Rich

More Advice From Slate

Recently, my husband and I accidentally attended a burlesque show. We knew there would be a few burlesque performances, but the advertisements suggested more of a variety show. Of the 10 performances, only two didnt involve a striptease. My husband offered to leave after it became clear that the remaining show was only going to be stripteases, but I was enjoying myself, so we stayed. I was a little surprised to realize at this point that during the performances he was closing his eyes and listening to the music, but whatever. It wasnt until we left that I realized how far apart we were in our experiences.
The 2022 primary season is winding down after a mere 800 months of laughs, tears, and poison. On Tuesday, Michigan, Kansas, Arizona, Washington, and Missouri held theirs, with nominations for some of the most critical races in the countryalong with a bunch of races no one cares abouton the line. Heres what we know.

The biggest news of the night comes in Kansas. A state referendum to remove Kansas constitutional abortion rights, and thus clear the way for the very Republican state legislature to impose a ban, failed. Its the first statewide referendum on abortion since the Dobbs decision in June, and a majority of this comfortably red state voted to protect abortion rights. Turnout was high. Republicans who convinced themselves that overturning Roe v Wade wouldnt activate otherwise disengaged Democrats ahead of the midterms will now be rethinking that.

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In Missouri, Attorney General Eric Schmitt won the Republican Senate primary to a collective sigh of relief from party leaders. Republicans worst fearthe nomination of disgraced ex-Gov. Eric Greitenswas averted, making the race a likely comfortable Republican hold in November. This may be a disappointing result for Donald Trump, who on Monday endorsed ERIC: of the three candidates named Eric in the race, only one won.

In Michigan, at least Republicans can be happy that its over. Conservative media personality Tudor Dixon, known internationally for her portrayal of Sheila Wolf in 2009s Buddy BeBop vs. the Living Dead, won the Republican gubernatorial nomination after all the good candidates were tossed off the ballot. Shell face Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in November in a race that Dixon can totally win!  but forecasters give Whitmer the early advantage.

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The Democratic primary in the states Detroit-area 11th District between two incumbentsprogressive Michigan scion Andy Levin and the more moderate Haley Stevensgarnered a lot of attention for AIPACs multimillion-dollar campaign against Levin. (The group did not like that Levin, son of one the most prominent Jewish political dynasties in America, had endorsed a two-state solution in Israel.) Well GUESS WHAT, AIPAC? Your little intervention well, it worked. Stevens won. The Levins are out of Congress for the first time in 50-plus years.

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Also in Michigan, Rep. Peter Meijerwho moved to a top spot on Trumps revenge list after voting to impeach the former president following the mob violence Trump inspired on Jan. 6looked for much of the evening like he might overcome the odds and hold onto his seat against the Trump-endorsed John Gibbs. Ultimately, he did not, though, and the number of House Republicans who stood up to Trump and are going to stay in Congress continued to shrink to less than a handful. (Through the quirks of Washingtons top-two primary system, Reps. Dan Newhouse and Jaime Herrera Beutlerwho also voted for the impeachmentdid advance to a general election where they will likely be favored.)

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In Arizona, meanwhile, Trump-endorsed candidates ran strong. In the GOP Senate primary, Trumps pick Blake Masters appeared to be in good shape to defeat Jim Lamon and state Attorney General Mark Brnovich. Masters seems poised to face Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly in the general election. Meanwhile in the governors race, the Trump-pick Kari Lake trailed Karrin Taylor Robson by more than 7 points as of 11 p.m. Pacific Time, but with lots of pro-Lake Election Day ballots left to count. As the New York Times reported, Robson buried the election denier Lake with $18 million in largely self-funded advertising. If Robson holds on, her race against Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs, who easily won the Democratic primary, could quickly become one of the more expensive gubernatorial races in the country. (Update, Aug. 3 9:20 a.m.: By Wednesday morning, Lake had taken the lead on the strength of those Election Day returns.) In one final win for Trump, though, state Rep. Mark Finchema genuine member of the Jan. 6 mobappeared to claim the Republican nomination to replace Hobbs in the critical election management position of secretary of state and appeared set to face former Maricopa County Recorder, Adrian Fontes, who led his primary contest with state Rep. Reginald Bolding.
How do you get a girlfriend?

By taking away the rights of women.

This exchange would be pretty familiar in the more squalid corners of the internet, but it might surprise most readers to find out that the misogynistic response here was written by an A.I.

Recently, a YouTuber in the A.I. community posted a video that explains how he trained an A.I. language model called GPT-4chan on the /pol/ board of 4chan, a forum filled with hate speech, racism, sexism, anti-Semitism, and any other offensive content one can imagine. The model was made by fine-tuning the open-source language model GPT-J (not to be confused with the more familiar GPT-3 from OpenAI). Having its language trained by the most vitriolic teacher possible, the designer then unleashed the A.I. on the forum, where it engaged with users and made over 30,000 posts (about 15,000 posted in a single day, which was 10 percent of all posts that day). By taking away the rights of women was just one example of GPT-4chans responses to posters questions.

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After seeing what it could do, the open-source code for the model received more than 1,500 downloads before it was taken down by the admins at HuggingFace, the site that hosted it. That suggests many people will be able to use and expand on this A.I. that espouses hate speechand that got the attention of the A.I. ethics community.

Condemning an A.I. that churns out hate speech was kind of a no-brainer for A.I. ethicists, and many A.I. experts even did so through a formal letter drafted by Stanford faculty. But there was one element of the whole ordeal that seemed even more disconcerting. GPT-4chan creator Yannic Kilcher responded to these criticisms of GPT-4chan by taunting A.I. ethicists, tweeting, AI Ethics people just mad I Rick rolled them. His social media accounts contain similarly irreverent attitudes toward the notion of ethical A.I., much like the attitudes of 4chan users that his A.I. sought to replicate. He referred to the release of the model as a prank and light-hearted trolling. This claim of trolling is just one example of growing phenomenon: irreverent and provocative online behavior using the powerful capabilities of A.I.

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Much of the A.I. community has come to embrace open-source development in which the source code is made publicly available and can be used, modified, and analyzed. This is contrary to closed-source software, a more traditional model where companies want to maintain control and secrecy over their code. Open-source tools are released to increase collaboration and catalyze development by crowd-sourcing the code to other engineers. In the case of open-source A.I., companies can then reap the benefits of having more people examine and modify algorithms or models that they create. It also serves to democratize the development of powerful A.I. applications by not restricting access to a small number of privileged tech companies.

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All this code sharing sounds warm and fuzzy, right? But if anyone can access the code to use or manipulate for their own aims, that includes bad actors. Having free access to A.I. models means that most of the upfront work to build a model has already been done, and someone could now tweak it to serve a malicious purpose. Lowering the barriers to A.I. access has a lot of benefits, but also makes it very easy to use A.I. for offensive and harmful purposes.

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The term trolling has become positively mainstreamas have its signature and effectsbut it grew out of online forums like 4chan. These grim forums contained a mixture of people posting anonymously from around the world, which attracted a lot of the computer-savvy and hacker crowds. This led to the founding of hacking collectives like Anonymous that began as coordinated efforts by 4chan users to troll and prank organizations, like defacing the Church of Scientologys website. That behavior evolved into more elaborate and consequential cyberattacks, like Anonymous launching Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attacks against government agencies like the Department of Justice and the FBI. It even recently claimed to have taken down Russian government websites and state media outlets in retaliation for Russias invasion of Ukraine. What began as ungovernable and disorganized groups of online trolls (which Fox News infamously first referred to as the Internet Hate Machine) grew into a legitimate social and political force.

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Just as online trolling culture fueled hacking groups like Anonymous, something similar will happen with A.I. applications as more people gain access to the education and open-source tools to develop them. But this will be more dangerous: The construction and use of A.I. models for the specific purpose of provoking or manipulating people goes past the traditional bounds of online trolling, enabling a new degree of irreverence and harassment. A.I. can make alarmingly realistic content and can amplify and proliferate that content to a degree that human users cannot. These are A.I. that I call mischief models, and we are already seeing glimpses of how they are being used.

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Mischief models often underpin the rapidly developing world of deepfake technology. Websites like 4chan have become hubs for deepfake pornography: sexually explicit A.I. generated content that is created for harassment, money, or usually just because people can. There are A.I. applications used to generate new images for no reason other than to provoke responses and spread offensive content, such as an A.I. that generates pictures of genitals. But intentionally built mischief models arent the only threat. Typically benign A.I. applications can be easily coopted for nefarious uses. The recent open-source publishing of DALLE Mini, which is an A.I. model that can generate original images based on text prompts you give it, has led to a viral trend of using the A.I. to generate all sorts of bizarre images, using a lot of willfully offensive, racist, and sexist prompts. Another example is from Microsoft, which in 2016 released its now infamous chatbot Tay on Twitter to conduct research on conversational understanding. Users fromwhere else?the /pol/ forum on 4chan manipulated the A.I. to spew a barrage of terrible tweets, causing Microsoft to shut the bot down within 24 hours of it coming online. A.I. is fundamentally a neutral tool and only becomes dangerous when built or used improperly, but that scenario is increasingly playing out in inflammatory online communities.

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During my pre-adolescence I spent a lot of time peering into wretched online spaces that were ripe with trolling and irreverence, curiously sorting through what I thought of the people and postings I saw. Every interaction on forums like 4chan was dripping with nihilism and sarcasm. Shock factor was users preferred currency; they would invite their fellow forum participants to prove they knew how to Internet. Are you willing to say some messed up shit to prove you should be on here? Do you get what were doing here? Are you one of us?

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Whitney Phillips and Ryan Milner address this kind of phenomenon in their book You Are Here: A Field Guide for Navigating Polarized Speech, Conspiracy Theories, and Our Polluted Media Landscape. They trace the rise of an internet culture that emphasized the negative freedoms to post whatever offensive or unhinged material one wanted. Members of this subculture saw themselves as protecting free speech while creating an in-group of people who lauded the ability to decode what certain language and concepts meant. Phillips and Milner argue that the deeply detached, deeply ironic rhetorical style that became standard in this online subculture laid the groundwork for violent white supremacism and other societal woes years later. Thats how online subcultures, which emphasize above all that the things they say shouldnt be taken seriously, contribute to horrible outcomes for real-world society. Nothing good will come of arming these irreverent online spaces with the capabilities of A.I.

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Learning how to build mischief models is only becoming more feasible, as resources that teach A.I. development continue to proliferate and become publicly accessible. Moreover, bad actors can get a jumpstart when looking to create mischief models by using or manipulating code from open-source A.I. tools that are available, or just by using existing A.I. inappropriately. There is already a concerning lack of care toward ethics and responsibility among many A.I. developers. If they dont account for how their tools could be misused, then the code they publish wont have sufficient safeguards in place to prevent abuse.

Many experts call for the integration of ethical reasoning and standards as a part of any A.I. training. But for the deviant crowd that weve seen will do anything to troll and harass online, were going to need firmer safeguards. When it comes to open-source A.I., there is little that organizations can do to prevent the abuse of open-source code once that code is made public. But companies can make judicious decisions about which code to publish as open-source, and establish standards and governance models that evaluate which models could, if publicly released, become problematic. Scholars have asserted that A.I. developers might need to look both upstream and downstream to do this evaluation, honing in on the difference between implementation harms that can be addressed through code verses usage harms that no amount of code can fix (which may require developers to rethink releasing their A.I. at all). If sober and reflective processes to evaluate A.I. in this way cant be implemented at scale, then mischief models have the potential to make a fresh hell out of the unrestrained internet.

Future Tense is a partnership of Slate, New America, and Arizona State University that examines emerging technologies, public policy, and society.
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In two fierce dissents in June, Justice Sonia Sotomayor blasted the Supreme Court for refusing to hear two Texas cases that granted qualified immunity to law enforcement officers. In the first, police officers were accused of igniting and killing a suicidal man drenched in gasoline, and in the second, jail staff were accused of failing to preventand in some ways facilitatingan incarcerated persons death by suicide.

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Created by the Supreme Court more than 40 years ago and made infamous following the murder of George Floyd, qualified immunity shields officers from being held liable for violating constitutional rights, unless a right is clearly established. To meet that bar, a right needs to be outlined in a previous court decision that has almost the exact same fact pattern (which is nearly impossible in practice). As a result, qualified immunity all too often robs victims and their families of their only chance at relief. It presents particular barriers to justice for people with mental illnessand indeed, blocks crucial reforms needed to improve the way the criminal justice system responds to mental health crises.

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For people with mental illness, the impunity tied up in qualified immunity typically surfaces in two types of cases: excessive force by police and deliberate indifference from jailers and prison guards. Both scenarios featured in Sotomayors recent dissents.

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The first case involved the tragic death of Gabriel Eduardo Olivas, who threatened to kill himself and burn down his house. When three officers from the Arlington Police Department arrived at his home, they found a clearly distraught Olivas in a bedroom, holding a gas can. According to court records, one of the officers, Caleb Elliott, warned his two colleagues, Jeremias Guadarrama and Ebony Jefferson: If we tase him, hes going to light on fire.

The encounter quickly grew even graver, when Olivaswith the officers, his wife, and son looking ondoused himself with gasoline. Thinking he saw Olivas with a lighter, first Guadarrama, then Jefferson, fired their Tasers. Olivas instantly ignited. He would die four days later, with more than 85 percent of his body covered in burns.

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Following his death, Olivas family sued the two police officers for excessive force, arguing their tasing violated Olivas Fourth Amendment rights. Although a federal district court initially sided with Olivas family, that decision was overturned in 2021 by the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals. Neither officers conduct was unreasonable, nor was the force they employed clearly excessive, the 5th Circuit declared, reasoning that the officers fired their Tasers to prevent Olivas from lighting himself on fire. The court argued that the reasonableness of a government officials use of force must be judged from the perspective of a reasonable official on the scene, not with the benefit of 20/20 hindsight.

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Of course, this handwaving ignores the fact that the officers had already been trained on the combustible consequences of Tasers and were warned at the scene by a fellow officer right before firing, court records document. As Sotomayor so scathingly put it in her dissent, to prevent Olivas from lighting himself on fire and burning down the house, the officers tased Olivas just after they were warned that it would light him on fire.

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Although the circumstances surrounding Olivas killing were unique, his death was not an outlier. According to the Washington Post, more than one-fifth of all people shot and killed by police had a mental illness. The Post later identified at least 178 cases from 2019 to 2021 where police shot and killed the people they were called to help. Many of those shootings involved people deep in mental health crises or who had threatened suicide.

The Olivas case also captures how many federal judges are reflexively deferential to police officers. Thats especially true in the 5th Fifth Circuit, which has jurisdiction over Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texasand is the most likely to accept qualified immunity in excessive force cases, according to a Reuters investigation. The Fourth Amendment, after all, only protects against unreasonable searches and seizures. So when a judge upholds even the most outlandish behavior as reasonable, the victim has no grounds to sue, thanks to qualified immunity. In fact, one federal judge even called the Olivas case textbook for granting qualified immunity.

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The second Sotomayor dissent featured another easily preventable tragedy. In September 2017, Derrek Monroe was arrested for a drug offense and booked at the Coleman County Jail in Texas. During intake, Monroe said he wished I had a way to kill himself. He also disclosed that he had been diagnosed with some sort of schizophrenia and tried to die by suicide just two weeks earlier. The jail promptly put him on suicide watch.

The very next day, Monroe suffered a seizure and was rushed to the hospital, where he was successfully treated. Within 17 minutes of his return to jail, however, Monroe began the first of two suicide attempts. He survived, but almost immediately tried again.

Only after Monroes second attempt did the jailer, Jessie Laws, intervene. According to court records, laws called Sheriff Leslie Cogdill, who was off-site. Upon arriving at the jail, the sheriff decided Monroe should be moved to the jails only single-occupancy cell.

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This was a catastrophically bad decision. The sheriff had recently completed a mental health training, which specifically urged jailers not to isolate people at risk of suicide. Jail policy also required transferring people at risk of suicide to facilities better equipped to handle such emergencies.

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That was not a high bar to meet. Due to budget constraints, the Coleman County Jail only had one jailer working nights and weekends. Yet jail policy also prevented a jailer from entering a cell without backup. In other words, the lone jailer wasnt permitted to intervene and assist an incarcerated person experiencing a mental health crisis at night or on a Saturday or Sunday.

Worst of all, the jail cell Monroe was moved into had a phone with a 30-inch corda blatantly obvious hazard. In fact, just two years earlier, the Texas Commission on Jail Standards issued a memo that warned against having telephone cords more than a foot long.

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Less than 24 hours after relocating Monroe, a predictable tragedy began. At 8:37 a.m., Monroe again attempted suicide. According to court records, Laws called both Sheriff Cogdill and Jail Administrator Mary Jo Brixey, but didnt call emergency medical services; when later asked why he didnt, he simply said, Honestly, I dont know.

Over the next five minutes, court records document, Laws looked through the bars of Monroes cell multiple times, saw his still body, and did not enter the cell. Only when the jail administrator arrivedalmost 10 minutes after the attempt begandid the jail staff finally enter the cell and call emergency medical services.

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It took another seven minutes before the paramedics arrived on the scene. Monroe died the next day.

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Following Monroes death, his mother filed a civil rights lawsuit, arguing the jail officials were deliberately indifferent to her sons suicide risk. That indifference, she asserted, infringed on his 14th Amendment right to due process. A federal district court sided with her and denied qualified immunity to the jailers, noting the evidence clearly demonstrates a high and obvious risk of suicide by maintaining a policy of housing suicidal inmates in a cell with a phone (and attached cord).

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For decades, suicide has been the most common single cause of death in local jails, with 355 people dying by suicide in jails in 2019, according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics. Given the disorienting shock of confinement and loss of autonomy, the first few days behind bars can be some of the most dangerous for people with underlying mental health conditions. Almost half of all local jail suicides happened with the first week of incarceration.

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And the smaller the jail, the higher the risk. Local jails with fewer than 100 beds have a suicide rate nearly 10 times that of the national average. The Coleman County Jail, by comparison, had nine beds.

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Moreover, a new database from the Institute for Justice (where I work) shows that in Texas, its long been clearly established that deputies, prison guards, and other law enforcement officers cannot act with deliberate indifference to people theyve detained with known suicidal tendencies or who show a serious risk of self-harm.

Nevertheless, in Monroes case, the 5th Circuit cast aside years of case law and overturned the lower courts ruling. In the 5th Circuits view, that precedent was irrelevant because it involved suicide attempts with bedding, not phone cords. According to the court, the danger posed by the phone cord was not as obvious as the dangers posed by bedding. And since none of those past cases specifically involved phone cords, the jailers were entitled to qualified immunity.

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Because the Supreme Court didnt hear the case, this is the precedent that standsdespite the fact, as Sotomayor wrote in her dissent, that the decisions to put a clearly suicidal man in a cell with a 30-inch cord and the failure to call 911 violated the Constitution in a manner that would have been obvious to any reasonable officer and clearly constituted deliberate indifference.

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The deaths of Gabriel Eduardo Olivas and Derrek Monroe are unfortunately emblematic of an unsettling lack of law enforcement accountability. With their officers legally immune, police departments and jails lack financial incentive to invest in proper de-escalation training or suicide prevention protocols, measures that could have stopped those tragedies. By refusing to take up the Olivas and Monroe cases, the Supreme Court decided it was OK with that.

If you need to talk, or if you or someone you know is experiencing suicidal thoughts, text the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 or call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.

State of Mind is a partnership of Slate and Arizona State University that offers a practical look at our mental health systemand how to make it better.
Pictures of the seven people killed during the Fourth of July parade shooting are displayed at a memorial in Port Clinton Square on July 11, 2022, in Highland Park. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)

Attorneys for Robert E. Bobby Crimo III entered a not guilty plea at his arraignment in Lake County Circuit Court Wednesday after a grand jury indicted him on 117 felony counts for the July Fourth mass shooting in Highland Park that killed seven people and wounded dozens of others.

During the hearing, Judge Victoria Rossetti informed Crimo, 21, of the range of sentences he could face, including natural life if he is convicted of first-degree murder. Manacled at the waist, wearing dark blue jail scrubs and a medical mask, Crimo answered in a clear voice that he understood.

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Prosecutors and defense attorneys agreed to return to court Nov. 1 for a case management conference.

Robert E. Crimo III, walks in to the courtroom during a hearing in Lake County Circuit Court on Aug. 3, 2022, in Waukegan. Crimo, charged with killing seven people and wounding dozens more in a shooting at an Independence Day parade in Highland Park pleaded not guilty oWednesday, a week after prosecutors announced he faces 117 felony counts in the attack. (Nam Y. Huh/AP)

Authorities allege Crimo, who grew up in Highland Park, climbed onto a store building and fired more than 80 rounds from an assault-style rifle into the crowd along the citys Independence Day parade route before fleeing in the ensuing chaos.

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Police said Crimo disguised himself as a woman and dropped the rifle while escaping.

He was arrested later that day after a police officer spotted him driving in North Chicago. Police have said that following the Highland Park shooting, Crimo drove to the vicinity of Madison, Wisconsin, where he allegedly contemplated attacking another gathering.

Among those in the Waukegan courtroom were Crimos parents, Robert Crimo Jr., and Denise Pesina. They left the courthouse without comment, but their attorney George Gomez answered questions after the hearing.

They wanted to show their support for their son, Gomez said when asked why the parents attended. Obviously, at the end of the day Bobby Crimo III is still the son of my clients.

They are devastated by what happened on July 4, he said.

Gomez said the parents had no indication Crimo could have committed the violence of which he has been accused. The parents, the attorney said, are cooperating as much as possible with law enforcement.

The family, at the end of the day, wants to help the community, he said.

Denise Pesina and Robert Crimo Jr., parents of accused Highland Park shooter Robert E. Bobby Crimo III, leave the Lake County Courthouse in Waukegan after their son's arraignment on Aug. 3, 2022. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)

Lake County Black Lives Matter President Clyde Mclemore told Gomez he believes Crimo was among a group of Proud Boys who accosted him and other protesters during a 2020 civil rights demonstration in Highland Park.

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Gomez, though, said he was not aware of any affiliation between Crimo and the Proud Boys, a right-wing extremist organization.

Months before the shooting, Crimo, an aspiring rapper, posted cryptic and sometimes violent YouTube videos that observers have scrubbed for clues about his political beliefs. The videos showed a symbol of interlocking triangles some have compared to a rune adopted by a Finnish far-right group, but the Southern Poverty Law Center has said its meaning was unclear.

As the court proceedings continue, officials in Highland Park, which bans the possession of assault-style rifles and large-capacity magazines within city limits, are pressing for a similar prohibition at the state level. Numerous legislators are co-sponsoring a bill to that effect and Gov. J.B. Pritzker has endorsed the concept.

Last week, Democratic House Speaker Emanuel Chris Welch announced the formation of a working group devoted to firearm safety and reform, saying he wanted to take a balanced and research-driven approach to meaningfully reform our laws in Illinois.

The states red flag gun laws could be one area ripe for review.

After Highland Park police investigated an allegation that Crimo threatened people at his house, they alerted the Illinois State Police. A state trooper reviewed their report but found no reason to designate Crimo as a clear and present danger, even though the local officers had been concerned enough to confiscate 16 knives, a dagger and a 24-inch samurai sword from Crimo.

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Finding that Crimo posed a threat would have barred him from getting the permit needed to legally purchase a gun. When he did apply months later, the record had been destroyed, per the state police interpretation of the clear and present law at the time. He allegedly went on to buy the high-powered rifle used in the Independence Day massacre.

Those and other circumstances around the shooting have prompted activists to call for changes to the states gun laws. Adding her voice Wednesday was Ashbey Beasley, a Highland Park resident who attended Crimos hearing. She and her 6-year-old son ran for their lives from the parade shooting, she said.

Beasley said some of her friends were wounded in the attack, and that she has traveled to Washington three times since July Fourth to meet with legislators to try to help pass legislation banning assault-style rifles like the one used by Crimo.

I go and I leave my family to do this because this shooter walked into a store and legally purchased his weapon and within a matter of seconds shot off nearly 100 rounds and destroyed families and broke many parts of our community, she said. And it will happen again if we dont pass a federal assault rifle ban.

Clifford Ward is a freelance reporter.

jkeilman@chicagotribune.com

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Twitter @JohnKeilman
Public acknowledgement improves, but legal recognition lags far behind.

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Welcome to your weekly commentary and overview of news from Slovakia. Bratislava was covered in rainbow colours for the first time since the pandemic. The prime minister says a minority government is a realistic scenario. The government declares an environmental emergency in the east. A fourth Covid vaccine dose is available to everyone over 50 now.

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Subscribers will find a link to the print version (in PDF form) of The Slovak Spectators July issue below.

Rainbow colours in Bratislava after three years

Slovakias biggest rainbow event of the year, Rainbow Pride in Bratislava, took place in the capital on Saturday for the first time since the pandemic hit. Though the festival atmosphere of the event left the organisers and the thousands of participants satisfied with how it turned out, Slovakia still has a long way to go before sexual minorities experience equal treatment.

Some progress has certainly been made in the last 30 years. Though it is still uncommon, public figures are increasingly open about their sexual orientation. Same-sex couples can find their place even in rural areas, though it remains the exception rather than the rule. Businesses and public institutions do not shy away from supporting the calls for equality made by Rainbow Pride: this years event was supported by President Zuzana Caputova, the National Bank of Slovakia, and the Economy Ministry. Justice Minister Maria Kolikova (SaS) addressed Pride participants from the stage.
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What do the founder of the iconic cosmetics brand Estee Lauder and the Israeli actress Ayelet Zurer, who starred alongside Tom Hanks in the blockbuster Angels and Demons, have in common? In addition to being exceptional women of Jewish origin, they both share links to Slovakia.

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But while Lauder denied her Slovak roots, Zurer is proud of her familys origins.

Lauder and Zurer are just two of 11 inspiring female personalities represented in the exhibition Women  The Stories of Women Who Influenced the World which is now open at the Museum of Jewish Culture in Bratislava.

Organisers, who focused their selection on those in various fields of science, art and business, say that the women portrayed in the exhibition are far from an exhaustive list and that it was difficult to select just 11, but that there is a special story behind each of them.

These women did ground-breaking and very progressive things for their time, Michal Budaj, curator of the exhibition, told The Slovak Spectator, citing just a few examples: Irena Bluhova, a photographer who influenced the development of photography, Marie Pappenheim, a revolutionary in sexual research and counselling, Melanie Klein, a founding figure of psychoanalysis and the study of child psychology, and Ruzena Bajcsy, an award-winning professor and leading figure in robotics.

Curator Michal Budaj (Source: Courtesy of SNM - Museum of Jewish Culture)

Little-known in Slovakia

Budaj came up with the idea for the exhibition while preparing biographies of various people. He came across many interesting women of Jewish origin who were born in the territory of todays Slovakia, lived here, or have some Slovak origin, but whose links to the country are not well-known.

Budaj, whose research involved poring through archives and visiting museums and private collections in Slovakia and abroad, said: Nothing or very little was published about these women in Slovakia.

But while the exhibition focuses on Jewish women, it highlights not just how the position of Jewish women has changed over the past century or more, that of women in general.

Budaj points out that until relatively recently women in many countries did not have the right to vote, had no access to university education, were not allowed to perform male professions - which were the majority of professions at that time.

Indeed, in Switzerland, for example, women only gained the right to vote at federal level in 1971, in Portugal it was in 1976 and in Liechtenstein not until 1984.

The position of women, who still had almost no rights in the 19th or early 20th century, is unimaginable [to us] today, said Budaj. Its not even history yet.

The first and second world wars brought a significant turning point in the status of women, he noted.

Fulfilling a grandmothers dream

Zurer, one of the most important contemporary Israeli actresses, made her debut in the film Munich by Steven Spielberg. She also starred in the film Milada, playing the title role of the lawyer and politician, Milada Horakova, who was executed after a show trial in communist Czechoslovakia in 1950.

In an interview with Travelgirl magazine in 2021, she said that when she got her first lead role in a film, her grandma grabbed her arm and proudly whispered, Your talent came from me.
A gay love story, largest developers, and Queen Elizabeth II exhibition.

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Good evening. The Tuesday, August 2 edition of Today in Slovakia is ready with the main news of the day in less than five minutes.

The little-known Roma Holocaust

Thirteen Roma, including four children, were murdered by Nazi German soldiers in Valaska Bela, Trencin Region, on November 6, 1944. (Source: TASR)

Slovak politicians and the European Commission have marked Roma Holocaust Memorial Day on social media. More needs to be done to root out discrimination against the Roma, they also said.

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The day falls on August 2.

Slovak Prime Minister Eduard Heger (OLaNO) posted on Facebook that people cannot face discrimination and prejudices because of their ethnicity and feel inferior.

"We must not tolerate this," he said.

PM Heger also noted on the memorial day that "many times the Roma are doomed to failure and side-lined by society." Around Slovakia, there are many Roma communities that are segregated and live in poverty.

Slovakia has been criticised many times for its failure to improve the lives of Roma people.

You can read more stories on the Roma community here.

Quote: "In our Union, we strive for openness, tolerance and respect for human dignity for all people. Only in this spirit can we fight racism and discrimination." (European Commission on August 2, 2022)

Virtual tour: Visit the places that honour the Roma Holocaust victims.

More stories from The Slovak Spectator website:

FEATURE FOR TUESDAY

Old gay love story without a happy ending

The Portrait of Balint Kurdi (1882-1885). (Source: Wikimedia)

Ladislav Mednyanszky, a Slovak-Hungarian painter and aristocrat, never forgot the love of his life, wagoner Balint Kurdi, and frequently pilgrimaged to Kurdi's grave in the Hungarian town of Vac.

The painter even bought a burial place beside Kurdi.

Read more about the painter's love for his "bunny".

If you like what we are doing and want to support good journalism, buy our online subscription. Thank you.

IN OTHER NEWS:

The public broadcaster RTVS has a new head from today. Lubos Machaj has officially replaced Jaroslav Reznik.

from today. Lubos Machaj has officially replaced Jaroslav Reznik. A middle-aged woman from the Topolcany district sent 110,000 to a man who pretended to be an American soldier . The second victim lost 5,000, the police said.

. The second victim lost 5,000, the police said. Total spending on health care in Slovakia is comparable to other countries in Central Europe (Czechia, Poland, and Hungary), the Finance Ministry's Financial Policy Institute writes in its latest report, "Reform Compass of Slovak Economy". However, the institute notes that the efficiency of spending is lower. Slovakia has slowed the pace of convergence to the most advanced EU countries, the institute also pointed out.

UK Ambassador Nigel Baker opens an open-air exhibition on Queen Elizabeth II on Hviezdoslavovo Square in Bratislava on August 2, 2022. (Source: TASR)

Colonel Marian Kurilla became the new commander of the NATO Force Integration Team in Slovakia.

in Slovakia. All EU member states must apply EU-wide rules to improve work-life balance for parents and carers adopted in 2019 from today.

adopted in 2019 from today. Slovakia reported 1,305 coronavirus cases on Monday, August 1, and 667 hospitalised coronavirus patients.

on Monday, August 1, and 667 hospitalised coronavirus patients. Only 900 people took part in a survey on the future of Petrzalka, the largest borough in Bratislava and in Slovakia. More than 100,000 people reside there.

If you have suggestions on how this news overview can be improved, you can reach us at editorial@spectator.sk.
Prices grew faster outside capital.

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Although Bratislava has in the recent past usually seen larger movement in real estate prices than in other parts of the country, new data suggests the opposite is now true.

National Bank of Slovakia (NBS) statistics for the second quarter of the year show that property in regions outside the capital have seen substantial price rises.

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The Index business magazine has prepared a set of questions and answers on the situation in the real estate market based on the latest NBS analysis.

In recent weeks there have been reports of a change in the real estate market. Do the NBS statistics confirm this?

Not yet. However, NBS analysts say that month-on-month price hikes have slightly slowed. While during the first three months of 2022, property prices increased quarter-on-quarter by 8.5 percent, in the second quarter it was just 6.4 percent.
Stay inside or relax in the shade and by the water.

The meteorological office has issued heat warnings for the upcoming days. (Source: TASR)

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Bratislava, Nitra and Trnava spent Wednesday, August 3, under a first-level heat alert.

Temperatures of around 33C hit the regions.

On Thursday, August 4, the first and second-level heat alerts will affect half of Slovakia, mostly in the west.

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Temperatures in Bratislava, Senec, Dunajska Streda, Galanta, Komarno, Sala, Nove Zamky, Nitra, Levice, Velky Krtis and Krupina are expected to reach 35C, the Slovak Hydrometeorological Institute (SHMU) has said.

The alerts remain valid also on Friday, August 5, during which a major portion of Slovakia - except for the Tatras region - will be under the first and second-level heat alerts.

Read also

Read also Bratislava offers plenty of places to swim and cool down in Read more

Western and southern Slovakia should expect temperatures from 35C to 37C.

Southern Slovakia will be under heat alerts also on Saturday, August 6.

Slovakia offers many swimming places during the hot days. In addition to several hundred swimming pools and water parks, Slovakia boasts plenty of lakes and reservoirs. Many are inspected on a weekly basis during the summer by the Public Health Authority.
WASHINGTON  Republican U.S. Rep. Jackie Walorski was killed Wednesday in a car crash in her northern Indiana district along with two members of her congressional staff and another person, police said.

The crash happened about 12:30 p.m. when a car crossed the center line on a state highway and collided head-on with the SUV Walorski was riding in, the Elkhart County Sheriffs Office said. Three people in the SUV, including Walorski, 58, were killed, as was a woman driving the other car, authorities said.

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Walorski, who served on the House Ways and Means Committee, was first elected to represent Indianas 2nd Congressional District in 2012. She previously served six years in the states Legislature.

She has returned home to be with her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Please keep her family in your thoughts and prayers, Walorskis chief of staff Tim Cummings said in a statement.

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Walorski and her husband, Dean Swihart, were previously Christian missionaries in Romania, where they established a foundation that provided food and medical supplies to impoverished children. She worked as a television news reporter in South Bend before turning to politics.

Also killed in the crash were Zachery Potts, 27, of Mishawaka, Indiana; Emma Thomson, 28, of Washington, D.C.; and Edith Schmucker, 56, of Nappanee, Indiana, according to the sheriffs office.

Cummings confirmed that Potts and Thomson were members of Walorskis congressional staff. Thomson was Walorskis communications director, while Potts was her district director and the Republican chairman for northern Indianas St. Joseph County.

Schmucker was driving the other car, according to the sheriffs office. The crash, which occurred in a rural area near the town of Wakarusa, is still under investigation.

Walorski was seeking reelection this year to a sixth term in the solidly Republican district.

She was active on agriculture and food policy in Congress, often working across the aisle on those issues. A co-chair of the House Hunger Caucus, she introduced legislation with Democrats to bring back a Nixon-era White House event on food insecurity.

President Joe Biden pointed to that work in a statement crediting Walorski for years of public service.

We may have represented different parties and disagreed on many issues, but she was respected by members of both parties for her work, Biden said. My team and I appreciated her partnership as we plan for a historic White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health this fall that will be marked by her deep care for the needs of rural America.

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Indiana Republican U.S. Sen. Todd Young said he was devastated by Walorskis death.

Jackie loved Hoosiers and devoted her life to fighting for them, Young said in a statement. Ill never forget her spirit, her positive attitude, and most importantly her friendship. All of Indiana mourns her passing, along with the tragic deaths of her staff Emma Thomson and Zach Potts.

Walorski was a reliable Republican vote in Congress, including against accepting the Arizona and Pennsylvania electoral votes for Biden following the Capitol insurrection.

As a member of the Indiana House, Walorski pushed anti-abortion legislation opposed gambling expansion proposals. She became a favorite of the conservative tea party movement.

Walorski lost a close 2010 congressional race to Democrat Joe Donnelly before narrowly winning the seat in 2012 as Donnelly made a successful run for the Senate. She had easily won her reelection campaigns since then.

House Republican Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy called Walorski a no-nonsense, straight shooter.

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Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Walorski lived a life of service.

She passionately brought the voices of her north Indiana constituents to the Congress, and she was admired by colleagues on both sides of the aisle for her personal kindness, Pelosi said in a statement.

Pelosi ordered the flags at the U.S. Capitol to be flown at half-staff in Walorskis honor. The White House said its flags would be lowered Wednesday and Thursday, and Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb issued a similar flag directive for the state.

At every level of public service Jackie was known to be a positive force of nature, a patriot, and a relentless policymaker with an unwavering loyalty to her constituents, Holcomb, a Republican, said.

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Democratic Rep. Annie Kuster of New Hampshire said she and Walorski bonded as newly elected members of Congress in late 2012 over their husbands shared love of jazz music and became friends.

I was proud to work with her on a variety of critical issues, including legislation to address the addiction crisis, end sexual violence, and help military sexual assault survivors access the care they need, Kuster said.

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Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita also issued a statement in light of Walorskis death.

Jackie Walorski was a woman who stood strong in her values, cared for her family, and served Hoosiers well. I have many great memories and stories of our time together in Congress and on the campaign trail. In addition to everything else, she had a great sense of humor. She will be missed, Rokita said. Our sympathies also go out to the families of Zach Potts and Emma Thomson who died in the same tragic accident. Hoosiers across the state mourn the loss of these public servants.

U.S. Rep. Frank J. Mrvan, D-Highland, released the following statement in response to the passing of Rep. Jackie Walorski, Emma Thomson, and Zachery Potts.

I am deeply saddened to learn of the sudden passing of my Indiana colleague and Congressional-district neighbor Rep. Jackie Walorski, Mran said. I am grateful for our all too brief shared time together in the U.S. House of Representatives and appreciate her consistent friendship, example of public service, and openness to conversation. My thoughts and prayers are with her family and friends during this difficult time, as well as with the loved ones of her staff member Emma Thomson and St. Joseph County Republican Chair Zachery Potts.

Davies reported from Indianapolis. Associated Press writer Mary Clare Jalonick contributed from Washington.
A man crossing the street in the Lawndale neighborhood was killed Tuesday night after two cars struck him, police said.

The driver of the first car that hit the 58-year-old man fled the scene, police said. The silver car headed south down Pulaski Road after the 9:30 p.m. collision, witnesses said. The second driver whose car hit the pedestrian, a 20-year-old man, remained on the scene in the 4000 block of West 5th Avenue and awaited authorities.

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The 58-year-old pedestrian was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. He was not at a crosswalk when he was killed, police said.

No arrests have been made and detectives continue to investigate.

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Tuesdays fatal hit-and-run follows a string of similar pedestrian deaths earlier in the summer.

[ Shouldnt have happened: Family of 11-year-old boy hopes driver comes forward after fatal hit-and-run in Lawndale ]

In Lawndale 11-year-old JaLon James had just completed fifth grade and was on the honor roll when he was fatally struck by a car in a mid-June hit-and-run.

Earlier in June, 75-year-old Peter Paquette was fatally struck by a car in an Irving Park Road crosswalk in the North Center neighborhood.

In the two weeks prior, 3-year-old Lily Grace Shambrook and 2-year-old Raphael Rafi Cardenas were fatally struck by cars in separate accidents. Shambrook was on a bike in the Uptown neighborhood, and Cardenas had been crossing a street on a mini-scooter in the Lincoln Square neighborhood.

[ After recent traffic deaths, including 2 toddlers, communities clamor for safety improvements for bikers and walkers ]

Following the string of summertime pedestrian deaths, community members rallied for road improvements that would keep cyclists and walkers safer and put a spotlight on city streets that are by and large not designed with foot and bike traffic in mind.

City officials have since announced concrete-protected bike lanes will be installed across Chicago. The City Council also narrowly rejected a proposal that would have raised the speed camera over-the-limit threshold from 6 mph to 10 mph, a move proponents said protects pedestrians from racing cars.
The University of Chicago campus in the Hyde Park neighborhood is seen in November 2021. (E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune)

After disappearing nearly three months ago, a Chinese University of Chicago student has been found safe and has reunited with his family, according to a university email sent to students Friday.

Diwen Fan and his family visited the universitys campus that same day to show their gratitude to the entire University community, wrote Jay Ellison, dean of students at the school.

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Diwen Fan, a student at the University of Chicago, was found safe. (Family photo)

The University will continue to support Diwen and his family moving forward, Ellison added. He thanked investigators at the University of Chicago Police Department for their help locating Fan.

Fans parents had offered a $10,000 reward for anyone with information about their sons whereabouts, concerned he was experiencing a mental health illness.

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The 20-year-old student, who was finishing his sophomore year at U. of C., had last been seen on May 5. His parents, who were in China, hadnt been able to contact him and hired attorneys John Z. Huang and Yilun Hu, of the Huang & Hu PC law firm, to help find their son.

The lawyers hired a private investigator to help look for the student.

The attorneys had told the Tribune they believed Fan was somewhere between Kansas and Dallas after learning hed possibly bought a Greyhound ticket with a final destination to San Antonio.

On Wednesday, Fans family declined to comment.

Chicago Tribunes Jake Sheridan contributed.
Cook County Assistant State's Attorney James Murphy talks with reporters following bond court at the Leighton Criminal Court Building in Chicago on Jan. 27, 2022. Murphy resigned from his position Friday. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)

A longtime prosecutor who resigned last week told the Tribune on Tuesday he stands by a letter he penned faulting Cook County States Attorney Kim Foxxs administration for deep-seated issues in the office.

James Murphy was just one of the latest in a growing number of high-ranking prosecutors to leave one of the nations busiest states attorneys offices.

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A supervisor in the states attorneys unit overseeing the early stages of murders and other serious cases, Murphy was often the face of the offices most noteworthy felony cases, publicly recounting them in bond court and handling many through the process.

Since the letter was first reported by the crime website CWBChicago and later confirmed by the Tribune, Murphys departure has raised eyebrows as one of the rare examples of a departing prosecutor openly criticizing Foxxs leadership, though it never mentions her by name.

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Murphys resignation came four days after a Tribune story detailing high turnover and rock-bottom morale in Foxxs second term, including a growing list of high-ranking attorneys. Roughly one-third of assistant states attorney spots have been vacated and refilled from January 2020 to June of this year, according to official figures.

Academics have noted a recent backlash against so-called progressive prosecutors across the country who have embraced reform platforms during a national increase in homicides and shootings in major cities such as Chicago. Last month, The New York Times noted that Foxx was one of three liberal prosecutors reelected to second terms despite a rise in homicides.

Murphys letter represents one of the first public rebukes of Foxxs leadership as resignations continue.

This administration routinely claims that they have shifted their focus from prosecuting low level crimes so that they can focus their resources on fighting violent crime and drivers of violence. This is simply not true, Murphy wrote in an email titled Good Bye that was sent to dozens of prosecutors Friday.

If this administration was truly concerned with effectively fighting violent crime, then they would fully staff those courtrooms and units. Not create more useless policy positions on the executive staff at the expense of hiring more (assistant states attorneys) who can work in the trenches.

I wish I could stay. I would love to continue to fight for the victims of crime and to continue to stand with each of you, especially in the face of the overwhelming crime that is crippling our communities, Murphy wrote. However, I can no longer work for this administration. I have zero confidence in their leadership. He later added: This administration is more concerned with political narratives and agendas than with victims and prosecuting violent crime. That is why I cant stay any longer.

Cook County Assistant State's Attorney James Murphy talks to reporters, Oct. 14, 2019, at the Leighton Criminal Court Building. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)

During a telephone interview with the Tribune on Tuesday, he stood by his strongly worded letter to fellow supervisors and subordinates that he helped train and continued to not refer directly to Foxx by name.

That portion of the letter speaks for itself. I just didnt have confidence in the administrations leadership, that being the executive level of the administration, Murphy said.

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Murphy insisted his letter was more of a show of support for his prosecutors in addition to being an explanation for his retirement. He said rank and file prosecutors havent received the appreciation they deserve for their work despite continuously heavy caseloads.

I dont want this to be about me, Murphy said. Everybodys head is down and I just wanted to help people keep their heads up (and let them know) what you do matters.

Just since Murphys surprise resignation last Friday, another veteran prosecutor, Ted Lagerwall, gave notice of his resignation effective Monday. In his formal resignation to Foxx, Lagerwall, a supervisor at the Bridgeview Courthouse who helped prosecutors clear nine unsolved murders in south suburban Harvey, thanked her and spoke of his finest moments with the office.

But Murphys resignation continued to resonate even with the defense bar.

His departure means a whole hell of a lot of integrity and institutional knowledge thats walking away from the office, said longtime defense attorney and former public defender supervisor, Kulmeet Bob Galhotra, who faced Murphy in court a handful of times over the last 15 years.

Galhotra, now in private practice, said the states attorneys action against Murphy and his supervisor related to the Adam Toledo case worsened morale in the office.

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In April 2021, Murphy was put on leave after Foxxs office suggested that his wording in a court proffer connected to the shooting death of 13-year-old Adam Toledo by a Chicago police officer was misleading. But Murphy was brought back to duty after an internal investigation found that he hadnt been purposefully loose with the facts.

Foxxs second in command, First Assistant Jennifer Coleman, then resigned after an internal investigation found that she hadnt reviewed the proffer.

The checks and balances that should have been in place for someone to be able to review, to ensure that what was being said in court aligned with the information that the office had, it didnt work, Foxx told the Tribune in an interview.

I think Jim unfortunately got hung out to dry on that, Galhotra said. I think Jennifer Coleman paid the price for it, but then ultimately, what it did was it led to a complete evisceration of morale at that office. Not that it wasnt headed that way to begin with.

Afternoon Briefing Daily Chicago Tribune editors' top story picks, delivered to your inbox each afternoon. >

Murphy said the Toledo case had very little to do with his resignation, but said it was an example of political whims and leadership not having his back. Probably not much, he said of its impact on his choice. Im not going to lie  my feelings were hurt on that. Its just the stupidity of everything. None of that had to happen.

In a statement to the Tribune late Tuesday , Foxxs office echoed comments she recently made in an online newsletter to her attorneys, calling her office a premiere employment opportunity for aspiring prosecutors seeking to make meaningful change in one of the largest and most complex court systems in the country, despite the turnover. The statement said Foxxs office has made hiring strides, including 91 legal hires this year alone, along with 45 lateral hires and 25 more in the pipeline. The statement doesnt mention Murphy.

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Murphy, 50, who grew up in the citys Sauganash neighborhood and graduated from Loyola Academy, said he hasnt decided what his next chapter will be, saying his first priority was to de-stress and relax with his children. After that Im not sure. I can go make a difference in some way. Im not exactly sure right now, but something will come, Murphy said.

I know its tough times right now, but I love this town, he said. This is where I was born and raised. I love the good, the bad, I love it all.

Chicago Tribunes Megan Crepeau contributed.

wlee@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @Midnoircowboy
Lt. Gov. Winsome Sears has endorsed GOP challenger Yesli Vega in her race for Virginias 7th Congressional District seat.

I am proud to endorse Yesli Vega in Virginias 7th Congressional District race. As a law enforcement officer, Yesli already puts service above self since she puts on her uniform every day not knowing if she will return home that night, Sears, Republican, said in a lengthy statement released Monday by Vegas campaign.

Yesli is a Board of Supervisor member, a wife and mother, and a product of the American Dream! she said. She is exactly the congresswoman we need to ensure the needs of the people of the 7th District are front and center and to get our country back on track.

Sears said the Republican nominee challenging U.S. Rep. Abigail Spanberger, D-7th, is a no-nonsense leader who works tirelessly for her constituents at every Board of Supervisors meeting.

She respects your right to speak your mind, and doesnt cut you off. Yesli respects your right to engage with your elected officials. She is not going to be any different as your congresswoman, the lieutenant governor said.

I have no doubt that she will continue to fight for us and our American values in Washington. Im thrilled to support Yesli in her race for Congress and encourage all freedom-loving Americans to get behind her in this competitive race, Sears said.
A new mural downtown celebrates the Rappahannock River, the city of Fredericksburg, the citys relationship with Kathmandu, Nepal, and strong, independent womenall on two walls inside River Rock Outfitter.

Everybody who comes in here has a story about the river, said artist Jennifer Manfre, an art teacher at Wilderness Elementary in Spotsylvania. I hope people coming in can see themselves in the mural.

Manfre works on weekends at River Rock, which sells supplies and gear for outdoors and river-based adventuring and is celebrating eight years in business in downtown Fredericksburg.

Owner April Peterson wanted to do something special with two blank walls inside the shop and Manfre, who was looking for a way to get back into being an artist in addition to teaching art, broached the idea of a mural.

The two women collaborated on what the mural would look like. Peterson wanted it to be an expression of the store and to include the river, Virginia flora and fauna, the city of Fredericksburg and Nepal.

Peterson and her husband have traveled to Kathmandu, Nepalwhich is one of Fredericksburgs Sister Citiesseveral times to hike in the surrounding Annapurna mountain range. On their first visit, they formed a relationship with a school they encountered on one of their treks.

Since then, the Petersons have contributed funding to the maintenance and upkeep of the school, installing new flooring and solar panels and fixing the unpaved path to the school so students could get there safely.

Its a great mission for our customers, Peterson said.

Manfre said she worried about being able to convey all of Petersons vision.

I would draw and erase, draw and erase, she said. It was hard to get it all in there so it flowed.

But Peterson said she knew Jennifer would get my vision.

And its a million times better than I even thought it would be, she said.

The mural, which Manfre started painting in July and which she hopes to finish early this month, takes viewers on a journey from the Blue Ridge mountains, where the Rappahannock rises near Front Royal, to Motts Run Reservoir, through Fredericksburg to City Dock and then to Kathmandu by airplane.

It depicts dogwood blossoms, a river otter, the railroad bridge and Gary the Goose. Since River Rock Outfitter is a dog-friendly store and most of the staff are dog owners, a dog features prominently.

The mural also includes figures kayaking and paddle-boarding on the river. Manfre chose to paint female figuressince the store is female-owned and female-staffedand to show them from back, so viewers can imagine themselves enjoying the river.

Women can get out and do things on their own on the river, Manfre said.

Peterson said she hopes the mural will encourage viewers to explore the river and the recreational opportunities it has to offer, as well as ways they can preserve it and ways they can seek connection with other countries and cultures.

I hope it inspires people, she said.
Elizabeth Hanes, a Roanoke native and two-time graduate of the University of Richmond, received confirmation by the U.S. Senate on Tuesday to serve as U.S. District Court judge for the eastern district of Virginia.

The Senate voted 59-37 to confirm Hanes, who has served as U.S. magistrate judge in the eastern district for two years, handling administrative appeals, overseeing discovery of evidence, adjudicating cases and mediating disputes in more than 100 cases.

Sens. Mark Warner and Tim Kaine, both Virginia Democrats, had recommended Hanes to President Joe Biden, who nominated her for the seat on May 19.

"With her previous experience and commitment to public service, we know she will serve our commonwealth and country with great distinction," the senators said in a joint statement on Tuesday.

While Hanes did not receive the votes of all Republicans, University of Richmond law professor Carl Tobias called the bipartisan confirmation "one of the strongest votes for any of the judicial nominations that Biden has sent to the Senate."

The Senate Judiciary Committee endorsed her nomination by a 15-7, bipartisan vote. "She did a superb job at her hearing," Kaine, a former civil rights lawyer, said in a press briefing on Tuesday.

Tobias credited Hanes' "very broad and very deep experience," both inside and outside of the federal court system.

"I think she's ready to start right away," he said.

Hanes' experience includes seven years as assistant federal public defender in the eastern district and four years as a civil litigator for consumer protection. While working as a public defender, she helped incarcerated people receive access to mental health and medical care, and other treatment programs.

After graduating summa cum laude with a bachelor of arts degree from UR in 2000, she worked in corporate finance in New York and then became an AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer in West Virginia, helping to establish a non-profit organization to serve abused children and crime victims there.

"Together, these experiences qualify Judge Hanes for this nomination and we are honored to recommend her," Warner and Kaine said in their letter of recommendation to Biden last fall.

Hanes graduated from the T.C. Williams School of Law at UR in 2007 and clerked for federal judges at both the district and appellate court levels

She was born in Roanoke in 1978.
Former Rep. Dave Brat, who staged one of the biggest upsets in national political history by unseating then-House Majority Leader Eric Cantor in a Republican primary in 2014, is returning to the public policy stage as an economic adviser to Gov. Glenn Youngkin.

Brat, now dean of the business school at Liberty University after losing his congressional seat to Rep. Abigail Spanberger, D-7th, four years ago, will join the Joint Advisory Board of Economists as it advises Youngkin on Virginias economy and revenue estimates for the governors first proposed budget revision in December.

Before he served in Congress, Brat served on the same economic advisory board under Govs. Tim Kaine and Bob McDonnell.

Youngkin did not comment directly on his appointment of Brat, who was among a long list of people he named to state boards, councils and commissions on Monday.

Joining Brat on the advisory council will be University of Virginia economics professor Ed Burton, who was the longest-serving member in the history of the Virginia Retirement System board of trustees; David Kohl, professor emeritus of agriculture and applied economics at Virginia Tech; and Sonya Ravindranath Waddell, vice president and economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond.

The governor also reappointed two area economistsChristine Chmura of Hanover County and Fletcher Mangum of Henrico County.

Im proud to appoint these dedicated individuals, the governor said. Their work will move our commonwealth into the future and help create a best-in-class government.

The advisory council will meet next month to help Youngkin develop revenue estimates for the revised two-year budget that he will propose to the General Assembly money committees on Dec. 15 for the legislature to consider in its session next winter.

The budget process also is expected to include an elevated role for the Governors Advisory Council on Revenue Estimates because of Youngkins background as co-CEO of the Carlyle Group and his business-friendly policy agenda.

Among new Richmond-area appointees to GACRE, as it is known, are Mark Hourigan, CEO and founder of The Hourigan Group; Rob Estes, CEO of Estes Express Lines; Chad Eisele, senior vice president and chief financial officer of Card at Capital One; B.K. Fulton, founding chairman and CEO at Soulidify Productions; Thomas Ransom, president of Truist Bank for the Virginia region; and Jeff Ricketts, president of Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield.

The council no longer includes Bob Blue, president and CEO of Dominion Energy, which has had a tense relationship with Youngkin since giving money to a political action committee that ran ads attacking the GOP gubernatorial candidate last fall. Blue said then that Dominion had not properly vetted Accountability PAC before donating $200,000 to it.

Youngkin reappointed Tom Barkin, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, and Neil Amin, CEO of Shamin Hotels, to GACRE.

Separately, the governor appointed Ann Goettman of McLean, wife of his chief of staff, Jeff Goettman, to the board of trustees at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.
After a couple years of construction and inspections, the Monument Valley Pathway through Scottsbluff is a reality and has been signed off by the city.

The Scottsbluff City Council accepted the resolution signifying the final acceptance for the Scottsbluff Monument Valley Pathway North project construction plan during its regular meeting Monday, Aug. 1. Public works director Mark Bohl provided an update to the council on the inspection process before the council approved the resolution.

Final inspections were conducted on the bridge, walls, path, plants and signage to ensure the product met the specifications acceptable to the city.

Interim city manager Kevin Spencer said the project will be audited to ensure everything is paid for and has been reimbursed to close out the project.

Bohl explained that process to the council.

We will be audited at the end of this to ensure all the funds we should receive we will receive and if we owe any, well pay after. We are complete and this is the official resolution.

The multi-million dollar project was budgeted with a combination of city, grant and matching funds to construct the nearly 5.7-mile trail.

It was a good project and Im glad it turned out the way it did, Bohl said.

Spencer also expressed his satisfaction with the final product.

Its pretty impressive the pathway we have, he said. I see people walking on it and the pedestrian bridge is pretty awesome.

The City of Scottsbluff in conjunction with Paul Reed Construction of Gering and M.C. Schaff & Associates of Scottsbluff began the Scottsbluff Monument Valley Pathway North project on Monday, July 20, 2020. The contract listed a completion date of mid-July 2022. The path winds through the city, ending near Western Nebraska Community College.

The path heads north from the current pathway south of the Riverside Discovery Center before taking a turn to the west along West Overland to Avenue V, where it turns north. Coming back to the east on West 20th Street, the next turn takes pedestrians north along Avenue I. A route through Northwood Park will take the route to 33rd Street, then to the north near Avenue F. The path continues east along Highway 26 where a pedestrian bridge is constructed near Scottsbluff High School to allow for safe passage over the highway. The path continues again to the east along the north side of Highway 26 to East 27th Street before ending northwest of WNCC.

I hope the community gets a lot of use out of the pathways, Spencer told the Star-Herald. I think its a huge asset to our community to make it walkable. I hope that everybody has an opportunity to take advantage and walk the pathway. The pedestrian bridge over Highway 26 is really neat. I think it was a very successful project and well worth the time and effort.

The idea of constructing the pathway project started off as an idea on paper over a decade ago.

The foundation work began on the pedestrian overpass that connects the Monument Valley Pathway across Highway 26 in late January 2021. Work began on the wall on the south side of the highway first, before workers constructed the north side wall.

Councilman Jordan Colwell asked if there was an irrigation system installed to water the plants along the pathway. Bohl said there is a drip system on both sides of the path.

With no further discussion, the council unanimously approved the resolution.

By approving the resolution, the city accepts maintenance of the project and agrees to meet environmental and other commitments related to the project. The citys parks department and public works department will be responsible for snow removal on the 10-foot wide pathway.

Spencer said there are no plans for additional pathways at this time, although it is likely in the future.

We do have a pathway plan, he said. Here in the near future  it wont be when there is an interim city manager  we will dust off that plan and see if there is another leg of the pathway we should be starting.
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With trial just two weeks away, the Chicago federal case against R. Kelly took yet another strange twist Wednesday when it was revealed that the onetime lead prosecutor used a burner email account and a fake name to communicate with the author of a book on Kellys sexual misconduct.

But the author, Jim DeRogatis, told the Tribune he was the one who was fishing for information from the prosecutor  Assistant U.S. Attorney Angel Krull  and that he got nowhere.

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The emails were revealed in a motion filed early Wednesday by an attorney for Kellys co-defendant, Derrel McDavid. The motion alleged Krull had used the pseudonym Demetrius Slovenski and username piedpiper312 to create a Gmail account on April 16, 2019, three months before Kelly was indicted.

On the day the account was created, Krull began communicating with DeRogatis, a former Chicago Sun-Times reporter and author of the book Soulless: The Case Against R. Kelly, according to the motion filed by attorneys Beau Brindley and Vadim Glozman.

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The emails, which prosecutors turned over in discovery on Monday, indicated that DeRogatis sent Krull a copy of his book, which at that time had not been released to the public, according to the motion. In her response, Krull referenced an earlier oral conversation with Mr. DeRogatis that occurred that same day, according to the motion.

Two weeks later, DeRogatis sent an email to Krulls burner account asking if the book was any help, the motion stated. He also provided information about a conversation hed had about the ongoing criminal investigation with a prominent enabler mentioned (in his book).

Krull left the case in 2020 when she transferred to another district of the U.S. attorneys office. Sources told the Tribune she left Chicago to be closer to an ailing relative.

Due to the extraordinary nature of these communications, Mr. McDavid asks the court to compel additional discovery about the circumstances of the conversation, how it came to light and its disclosure, the defense motion stated.

At a pretrial conference on Wednesday morning, Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeannice Appenteng said the materials were turned over out of an abundance of caution but have no bearing on the criminal trial, which is set to begin on Aug. 15. Appenteng said DeRogatis is not a witness and that the government has never interviewed him.

Brindley, however, wasnt buying it. Were troubled by this, he said. We want to get more information. It is very, very strange.

DeRogatis told the Tribune on Wednesday that he was the one to reach out to federal prosecutors in 2019, in an attempt to develop sources in the office. Ultimately, that effort was unsuccessful, he said.

Angel never gave me a damn thing, he said. No federal prosecutor ever did.

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When DeRogatis reached Krull by phone in spring 2019, introducing himself as a journalist who had been reporting on Kelly for decades, she said she could not speak to him, according to DeRogatis.

I said, Its a really complicated story, it goes on 20 years, my book is coming out, DeRogatis told the Tribune. Krull said she would be interested in seeing the book and gave him the piedpiper email address, according to DeRogatis.

The amount of skulduggery I had to deal with from sources, attorneys and other people for 20-plus years, was I surprised I (got) a weird email? No, DeRogatis said. So I sent her the book and I said, Heres the book, Id love to chat. And a couple weeks later I said, Was the book helpful? Id love to chat. And I never heard back. Nothing.

DeRogatis emphasized that federal prosecutors have not contacted him about being a possible witness in the upcoming trial, and he did not provide anyone with information that had not already been reported.

U.S. District Judge Harry Leinenweber told prosecutors to file a written response to Brindleys motion by the end of the week.

Kelly, 55, was indicted in July 2019 on charges of conspiring with McDavid and another associate, Milton June Brown, to rig his 2008 child pornography case in Cook County and hide years of alleged sexual abuse of underage girls.

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In June, Kelly was sentenced to a 30-year prison term for his racketeering conviction in U.S. District Court in Brooklyn. Hes appealing both the jurys verdict and the judges sentence.

At the hearing Wednesday, Leinenweber revealed that a pool of 100 potential jurors would arrive at the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse next week to fill out questionnaires ahead of jury selection  an attempt to weed out ineligible or potentially biased jurors before any in-court questioning. All of the jurors coming in have already indicated that they would be able to sit for a lengthy trial.

Over defense attorneys objections, Leinenweber ruled that jurors names, occupations and other identifying information would not be revealed to the public. Prosecutors said they worried that Kellys die-hard fans would harass jurors if their identities were made known; attorneys for the defense said jurors could get the idea that they should fear for their safety, which could bias them against the defendants.

Leinenweber noted that there is, in fact, a rather large group of people  quite active in expressing disagreement with (Kellys) treatment, and so the jurors identities would remain concealed. But in an effort to address the defenses concerns, Leinenweber said he will tell jurors they are anonymous simply so that the media does not contact them.

The trial is the biggest to take place since the beginning of the pandemic at Chicagos federal courthouse, where many COVID-19 restrictions remain in place, including masks for anyone not speaking in court, frequent COVID testing for jurors, witnesses and lawyers, and strict social distancing guidelines.

To accommodate all the parties, the trial is being held in the large ceremonial courtroom on the 25th floor, which has been in high demand. In fact, Leinenweber was adamant on Wednesday that the trial could take no longer than a month, since another trial is slated to start in the ceremonial room in late September.

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Were going to get it done in four weeks come hell or high water, Leinenweber said. I have a reputation of moving a case along.

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Security is also being beefed up in and around the courthouse to accommodate the throng of media and Kelly supporters expected to attend the trial. Phones will likely not be permitted at all in the courtroom, and court security officers are expected to tightly control the use of electronic devices in an overflow room.

Kellys fans and detractors have for years created an echo chamber of bickering on social media, and as Wednesdays telephone hearing drew to a close, some of them began to chime in.

Love you, Robert Kelly! said one.

Free Kellz! Free Kellz! added another.

At least one detractor also had something to say:

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Keep that pedophile locked up! Lock him up!

jmeisner@chicagotribune.com
A night out on the town might get easier in the city of Statesville if it considers an ordinance to create social districts downtown.

At Monday nights city council meeting, Brittany Marlow of Downtown Statesville Development Corporation spoke to the council to encourage it to consider an ordinance to create a social district which is a defined outdoor area in which a person may consume alcoholic beverages sold by an ABC permittee. The hope is that added social districts would encourage more businesses to stay open longer if patrons spent more time downtown in the evenings.

One of the biggest complaints we hear about retail businesses in downtown is that they dont stay open late enough in the evenings, or enough hours on the weekend, of course, thats a cyclical problem as business owners dont feel they have the traffic to warrant staying open in the evening, and later hours on the weekends and people complain that businesses are only open during typical business hours while theyre at work and cant shop there, Marlow said. The purpose of a social district is to create foot traffic, keeping people downtown longer, by grabbing a glass of wine in the early afternoon or evening and visiting their favorite shops.

Marlow said the aim would be to bring more vibrancy to downtown in a responsible way while making downtown Statesville a destination for the evening.

Joe Bondi, the owner of Red Buffalo Brewery, said for him it was less about selling beer and more about seeing the downtown community grow instead of waiting and watching as other cities adopt similar policies.

I dont think this is a big thing about whether it be DLaneys or Red Buffalo or any other establishment selling more beverages, in my personal opinion, this brings more people to downtown Statesville, Bondi said. The retailers are suffering and if we can get more foot traffic downtown, it helps everybody, whether their an ABC permit (holder), or retail.

The districts would be noted with signage that indicates the area included, days and hours in which alcoholic beverages can be consumed, the telephone number for the ALE division and local law enforcement jurisdiction over the social district, and a clear statement that alcoholic drinks can only be consumed within the social district and would be disposed of before the person possessing the alcoholic beverage exits the social districts unless the person is reentering the licensed ABC premises where the alcoholic beverage was purchased.

Cups with the districts logo would be used to mark the cups used in the district. Businesses would have the choice of whether to allow patrons to enter their stores with drinks. ABC permitted establishments would also have the choice of whether or not to serve the to-go drinks for the district.

According to DSDCs presentation, the district would span the main streets of downtown Statesville while excluding the proposed Broad Street UMC, First ARP and First Presbyterian playgrounds, as well as the Statesville Civic Center, but includes Pecan Park. The hours would be from noon to 10 p.m., under DSDCs proposal.

Council expressed a few concerns about ensuring government buildings are excluded from the district, but the DSDC pointed out that while the proposal would include the sidewalks of areas downtown, it would be up to businesses to opt into the social district. Steve Johnson suggested changing Sundays hours from 1 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Mayor Costi Kutteh said after the DSDC considers a few of the concerns, the city will consider adopting it as an ordinance.

The stage was set for the change as House Bill 890 was passed by the NC House and Senate in September of 2021. According to the request, House Bill 890 is a provision that allows the creation of social districts in North Carolina, which was encouraged by the North Carolina Retail Merchants Association. The NCRMA hopes the passage of this legislation to drive foot traffic to downtown businesses and level the playing field for brick-and-mortar businesses without ABC permits.

Other items on the agenda

There were public hearings and first readings of the following annexation requests, which were approved by the city council:

An ordinance to annex a property on Baker Street, owned by the Movement Group, Inc. According to the city, the current total taxable value of the parcel is approximately $144,920.

An ordinance to annex the Helmsman Homes Properties on Holly Street and Greencrest Lane. According to the city, the current total taxable value of the combined subject parcels is approximately $36,000. The applicant estimates the value with improvements to be $340,000 per lot ($1,020,000).

An ordinance to annex a property on U.S. 70/Business Park Drive/E. Old Well House Road, owned by GRP 1770 Union Ave LLC & GRP 1780 Union Ave LLC. According to the city, the current total taxable value of the parcel is approximately $373,790. The estimated value of a future project is unknown at this time.

Waterline Spline Replacement: The city accepted an amendment to the existing agreement fee proposal for Waterline Spline Replacement. According to the citys action request, the fee is $880,000 to Highfill Infrastructure Engineering, noting the total design phase fees of $1,754,400 are within the normal range for project scope and size.

According to the city, the waterline construction project has been approved for American Rescue Plan (ARP) funding in the amount of $19,551,200. The amendment added to the final project design to Phases 2 and 3.

Postponed: The city postponed the second reading of a rezoning request for property on East Greenbriar Road, which changes it from R-A (Residential-Agricultural) District and R-8 MFM (Medium Density Multi-Family/Manufactured Housing Residential) District to R-8 CZ Cluster Subdivision (Medium Density Single-Family Residential Conditional Zoning) District.

Consent Agenda

Rezoning: The city approved the following rezoning requests:

A portion of a property on West Front Street at Miller Avenue from LI (Light Industrial) District to the B-5 CZ (General Business Conditional Zoning) District.

A property on U.S. 70/Newton Drive at Candy Drive from CU-22 LI (Light Industrial) conditional use zoning district to the R-10 (Urban Low-Density Residential) District.

A property on U.S. 70/Salisbury Highway near Business Park Drive from Iredell County RA (Residential Agricultural) District to City of Statesville HI (Heavy Industrial) District.

City-owned property on Winston Avenue; Iredell County Tax Parcel Identification from R-5 MFM (High-Density Multi-Family/Manufactured Housing Residential District) district to the HI (Heavy Industrial) District.

A property on U.S. 70/Newton Drive at Baker Street from R-20 (Suburban Residential) District to the R10 (Urban Low-Density Residential) District.

A portion of a parcel on South Lackey Street from R-5M (High-Density Single-Family/Manufactured Housing Residential) District to the B-5 (General Business) District.

Three properties at 3517, 3523 & 3529 Cambridge Place from Iredell County R-20 (Rural Residential) District to Statesville R-15 (Urban Fringe Low-Density Residential) District.

Annexations: The city approved the following annexation requests.

NAR Services Inc. property on Johnson Drive near Buffalo Shoals Road.

Davis & Davis Buffalo Properties on Buffalo Shoals and Park Drive

Clark Equipment Co. DBA Doosan Bobcat property on Glenway Drive.

Water Sewer Fund: The council also approved a budget amendment to increase the overall budget of the Water Sewer Fund and authorize payments for the System Development Fee (SDF) lawsuit settlement.
These charges stemmed from the shooting that occurred on July 24 at 1411 Salisbury Road. The whereabouts of Sylvester is unknown at this time and anyone with information about his location or the incident is encouraged to call the Statesville P.D. at 704-878-3406.

Around 5:11 a.m. on July 24, the Statesville Police Department received a report of a gunshot victim at Iredell Memorial Hospital. The victim, later identified as William Ryan Beam, 45, of Statesville, was transported to the hospital in a personal vehicle. Beam had sustained a single gunshot to the abdomen and was later transported by Iredell County EMS to a trauma center for care. Beam advised officers that he was shot by an unknown assailant in the parking lot of Lisas Restaurant at 1411 Salisbury Road. The Statesville Police Departments Criminal Investigations Division responded to the scene and located evidence of a shooting in the parking lot.
Cowlitz County commissioners Tuesday OKd contracts involving substance-use treatment plans for people in therapeutic courts, as well as parents exiting drug treatment and in need of housing.

Commissioners approved three contracts with local providers for substance-use treatment and recovery services for criminally involved offenders, primarily drug court participants.

The one-year contracts run from July 1 to June 30, 2023, with Awakenings for a maximum of $65,000, Cowlitz Family Health Center for $63,000, and Columbia Wellness for $49,000.

The services are funded by money the Legislature sets aside in the states Criminal Justice Treatment Account and passed through the countys contract with the Washington State Health Care Authority. The money is intended to fill insurance gaps so people can complete treatment programs, said Gena James, county deputy director of Health and Human Services.

James said use of these funds, as well as Drug Court participation, decreased over the last couple years because of an expansion of health insurance coverage for treatment, as well as the Blake Decision, which found the states simple drug possession law unconstitutional. The states new possession law focuses on voluntary treatment before forced treatment through courts.

Cowlitz County Drug Court participation recently has risen to about 50 to 60 participants, and James said she hopes to see use of treatment services increase as well.

Housing

The commissioners also approved a contract with Cowlitz Family Health Center to provide permanent, supportive housing and case management support for Phoenix House residents for a maximum of $127,970 through December 2023. The contract is funded by document recording fees.

The Phoenix House includes 20 units for low-income parents who are exiting drug treatment programs and have children or are pregnant, according to Housing Opportunities of Southwest Washington.

About 24 women and 19 children live at the Phoenix House right now, James said. The average stay is about two years, but some residents live there longer to make sure they are stable before leaving, she said. Women participate in weekly case management sessions to set and work toward goals, James said. About 67% are working or going to school and the rest are working toward that goal, she said.

Housing Opportunities of Southwest Washington provides vouchers to pay most of the rent, James said. The women pay a small portion of rent based on their income.
Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler will keep her reelection hopes alive after Tuesday night's early primary results show her positioned for a top two finish in a highly competitive House of Representatives race.

The initial results are too early and close to call but Herrera Beutler remains in the top two for Washington's District 3 House race with roughly 25% of the total vote as of 8:40 p.m., Tuesday. The Donald Trump-endorsed Republican challenger Joe Kent was running in third place with 20% of the initial votes.

A split Republican field leaves the most prominent Democrat in the race, Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, with the early initial lead and 31.8% of the total votes.

This year's primary became a referendum on Herrera Beutler when she was one of 10 Republican House members who voted to impeach President Donald Trump in January 2021 after the Jan. 6 insurrection. Herrera Beutler had represented the district since 2010 and is facing her largest number of primary challengers.

In the first batch of results from Cowlitz County, Herrera Beutler received 25.9% of the initial count. Perez followed closely behind with 25.2% of the votes.

Just outside the top two were conservative Christian author Heidi St. John at 21.4% of the early votes, while Kent trailed at 18.7%.

Kent, a former U.S. Army Ranger who moved to Washington two years ago, has criticized the Republican establishment and the military-industrial complex during his campaign for the House seat. Kent has signed onto the series of lawsuits that have so far failed to establish proof of major fraud in Washington during the 2020 election.

The initial results back up concerns by local Republicans that the aggressive campaigns by Kent and St. John split the vote for the Republican opposition to Herrera Beutler. St. John and several other conservative candidates chose not to drop out of the race after Kent received the endorsement from Trump. An influx of spending by PACs in the weeks before the primary poured a late surge of money into St. John's campaign.

This year has been the closest campaign since Herrera Beutler's first time running for the seat in 2010. During that election she came in second place during the primary vote behind Democrat Denny Heck before winning the district in the general election.

The field of candidates in 2010 was just as heavily divided as this year's electorate: neither Herrera Beutler or Heck received more than a third of the total votes cast, while three other candidates received at least 10% of the primary vote.

Election results will be updated on The Daily News' website throughout the week as more vote totals come in for Cowlitz County and the rest of District 3.
CASTLE ROCK  A levy officials say would help maintain emergency services and staff in Castle Rock's fire district is likely passing after early election results came in Tuesday evening.

Unofficial election results from the Cowlitz County Elections Office show the levy got 58.15% of the vote and the levy needs a simple majority to win. These results could change by the time the election is certified on Aug. 16.

Cowlitz County Fire Protection District No. 6 asked voters to once again approve a levy of $1.02 per $1,000 of assessed property value. For the median resale price of a home in Cowlitz County, which is currently $374,000, this would cost $450 per year.

"We're just glad to have the support," said Chief Bill LeMonds about the replacement levy.

It's the same tax voters OK'd in 2016, said LeMonds, and would go toward medical services, equipment and fulltime staff. The levy has passed each year since it was first proposed.

Matthew Keeling sent an argument against the levy to the county asking whether having an ambulance in Castle Rock was necessary.

LeMonds said it is, and without the ability to fund emergency services, those living in Castle Rock and northern Cowlitz County would likely have to rely on and wait for services from Kelso or Longview.

Voters have previously shown support for the fire district. In 2016, the levy passed with 61% of voters who approved increasing the fire district tax rate from 42 cents to $1.20 per $1,000 of assessed property value.

About 20% of voters turned out to vote on the proposition, according to the early election results.
According to NASA, a 1,200-feet wide gigantic asteroid is hurtling towards the Earth today, August 3. NASA has classified it as a potentially hazardous asteroid. Is there a chance of impact? Find out.

The last few days have seen asteroid activity increase exponentially. Last weekend, two massive asteroids zoomed past the Earth on consecutive days and our planet just narrowly escaped the event. And now, continuing the asteroid bombardment, NASA has confirmed that yet another asteroid will be approaching the Earth today, August 3. And this asteroid might be the most dangerous of them all. The asteroid is 1,200-feet wide, which is larger than the previous two asteroids combined. Even NASA has classified it as a potentially hazardous asteroid, realizing the threat potential it carries. So, is an asteroid strike possible? Will this large space boulder smash into the Earth? Read on to find out.

According to the NASA Center for Near Earth Object Studies (CNEOS) database, the asteroid has been named as 2022 OE02. Moving at a mind-numbing speed of 72000 miles per hour, the asteroid is estimated to come as close as 3.2 million miles of Earth. The speed of the asteroid is also astonishing as most asteroids move around between 30,000-40,000 miles per hour mark. At this speed, a last moment deviation due to any unforeseeable reason would see this asteroid cover the 3.8 million miles of distance in just 52 hours. And this is why space agencies across the world are observing this space rock.

A 1,200-feet wide asteroid is speeding towards the Earth today

The date 2022 in the name of the asteroid highlights that this year is the first time scientists have been able to observe it. In fact, the asteroid eluded from the eyes of the telescopes until a few weeks back. Due to that, not enough data about the asteroid has been collected, which concerns NASA even further.

At its size, this asteroid can cause continental level of impact damage and produce enough shockwaves and tectonic waves that will impact the entire planet with earthquakes and tsunamis. However, at the moment, the space agency is confident that the asteroid will make a safe passage across the planet and there is no threat of an asteroid strike. However, things can change at the last moment, so we will have to wait till it passes our planet.
In conjunction with Acer Day 2022 today, Acer Malaysia is releasing a catalogue of new laptop for our local market, one of which is the new Acer Swift 5. Featuring the latest 12th Gen Intel Core i7 and i5 processors, the laptop offers performance and portability for busy on-the-go professionals, students and family needs.

In terms of design, Acer lauded the Swift 5 as being sleek and contemporary thanks to a unibody CNC-machined chassis made of Aerospace Aluminium. It is relatively light too at just 1.2kg despite being 14.95mm tall.

Offered in 3 variants, the Swift 5 packs a 14-inch IPS WQXGA display with a resolution of 2560 x 1600 pixels and 425 nits brightness for the higher end models and 1920 x 1200 pixels and 340 nits brightness for the base model. All variants has a 92.22 percent screen-to-body ration, support for Acer CineCrystal LED-backlit FT LCD, multi-touch, Antibacterial cover glass, 16:10 aspect ratio as well as 100 percent colour gamut sRGB.

Under the hood, the higher end models are powered by the 12th Gen Intel Core i7 while the base model packs the 12th Gen Intel Core i5. All variants utilise Intel Iris Xe graphics, up to 16GB dual-channel LPDDR5 RAM and up to 1TB PCIe NVMe SSD storage.

Besides that, the Swift 5 comes with a built-in fingerprint reader on the power button, an Antimicrobial Corning Gorilla Glass for touch surfaces protection and an air inlet at its backlit keyboard for better cooling. Speaking of the latter, the laptop packs an upgraded TwinAir dual-fan system with D6 heat pipes.

Acer also ensured that the Swift 5 is verified with Intel Evo to meet key experience targets, inclduing instant wake from sleep, 10 hours of real-world battery life and a 30-minute charge that yields over 4 hours of battery. Moreover, the laptops OceanGlass touchpad is made from ocean-bound plastic waste, providing a glass-like tactile feeling while supporting multi-finger gestures.

You can check out the available variants and their respective specs set below:

Available for purchase starting today at Acer eStore, Acer official store on Shopee and Lazada as well as authorised Acer resellers, the new Acer Swift 5 retails starting from RM4699. Moreover, customers who purchase the new Swift 5 before 30 September 2022 will be eligible to redeem a Sleeve Case, Urban Backpack and RM120 worth of Touch n Go eWallet credit, while an additional RM100 off will be available during the ongoing Acer Day roadshow until 7 August 2022.

For more information on the Swift 5 and other products by Acer, do visit the companys official website or Facebook page. As always, make sure to stay tuned to TechNave for the latest tech news and releases in Malaysia and beyond!
Aside from the new Acer Aspire series and Swift 5, Acer Malaysia also introduces some new Vero series. In the lineup, there is a brand new eco-friendly Acer TravelMate Vero, as well as the Veriton Vero Mini and Vero All-in-One Desktop. In this article, we will be focusing on the TravelMate Vero which is a first of its kind.

Specifically made for organizations and businesses looking for an eco-friendly commercial laptop, the TravelMate Vero maintains its Vero brand and features with 30% postconsumer recycled (PCR) plastic in its make and ships in 100% recyclable packaging. At the same time, it's also built with MIL-STD-810G standards to withstand accidental drops.

In terms of tech specs, it's powered by Intel Core i5 and Intel Iris Xe, 8GB of RAM and 1TB PCIe NVMe SSD of storage. As per the TravelMate series, the TravelMate Vero offers enterprise-level security with Trusted Platform Module (TPM) to protect confidential business data. Acer ProShield Plus is also available for encryption, decryption and biometric authentication measures.

The TravelMate Vero is now available at the Acer eStore, Acer official store on Shopee and Lazada for RM3999. Customers who purchase it before 30 September 2022 will be eligible to redeem a free Acer Thin & Light USB Wireless Mouse, Urban Backpack as well as RM120 worth of Touch n Go eWallet credit. Furthermore, purchases made during the Acer Day 2022 roadshow in Pavilion Bukit Jalil will enjoy an additional RM200 off.

So what do you think? Let us know in the comments below and stay tuned for more trending tech news at TechNave.com.
Cooper Roberts, an 8-year-old boy paralyzed from the waist down after being wounded at the Fourth of July parade shooting in Highland Park, has been transferred to Shirley Ryan Abilitylab to begin rehabilitation. (Roberts family)

Cooper Roberts, the 8-year-old boy who was paralyzed at the July Fourth mass shooting in Highland Park has been released from pediatric intensive care after almost a month of turbulent recovery.

The boy was transferred from the University of Chicagos Comer Childrens Hospital last weekend to the Shirley Ryan Ability Lab where hell begin his rehab, the family said.

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In the first photo taken and shared of Cooper following the massacre, he is wearing a light green shirt, smiling and hugging the family dog while sitting in his wheelchair.

Please keep following along and praying for Cooper and for Luke. They are good, sweet boys who love everyone and want good for everyone they know. They believe in the best in people and in the world. Their lives are so much more and better than this terrible thing that was done to them. Their lives are not a tragedy, they are a triumph, said Keely Roberts, the mother of Cooper and his twin brother, Luke.

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This week, the Roberts family will meet with the medical team at Ability Lab to conduct a series of assessments to determine the appropriate physical and occupational therapy that Cooper will need. They will also assess and provide the boy with other rehabilitation and mental health services to support Cooper in regaining his strength and reaching his maximum potential moving forward.

Cooper Roberts, an 8-year-old boy paralyzed from the waist down after being wounded at the Fourth of July parade shooting in Highland Park, has been released from pediatric intensive care after almost a month of a turbulent recovery. In the first released photo of Cooper following the massacre, the boy wearing is seen smiling and hugging the family dog while sitting in his wheelchair. (Roberts family)

As Cooper gets closer to returning home, the Roberts family said they feel all the prayers being sent their way and are grateful for and humbled by the outpouring of support.

Last week, Coopers mother shared a video statement in which she recalled the morning of July Fourth when her family joined the family of victims of mass shootings that have traumatized Highland Park and the rest of the country.

Though she remained optimistic about Coopers recovery, the painful memory of the shooting reminds her that his life will never be the same as he learns to live paralyzed and deals with emotional stress over the situation. Coopers twin brother, Luke, was also injured.

We were shot.  I can hardly say it.  None of us  Cooper, Luke, me, our family, the other victims and their families, our community  will ever be the same, Roberts said in a written statement. Seven people were murdered that day, and our hearts go out to their families, friends and all whose lives they touched. And we are among the dozens of others  injured, shattered, hanging on and fighting through.

Like hundreds of other families, Keely Roberts, her husband, Jason, and their twins attended the Independence Day parade in their hometown of Highland Park. Just minutes after it began, a gunman began to shoot at the crowd from a rooftop along the route.

Keely Roberts, a superintendent at Zion Elementary School District 6, was shot in the foot and leg, and Luke was wounded in the leg by shrapnel. Their four older daughters did not attend the parade.

In face of the tragedy, she highlighted the humanity and decency of those who didnt think twice and ran back into the scene and helped us, she said.

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It was a beautiful act of kindness  it saved my life, it saved my children. Cooper would not be alive today if it were not for the act of these people who just risked everything, she said.

Even though Luke suffered minor physical injuries, she said what he has to carry is devastating.

Afternoon Briefing Daily Chicago Tribune editors' top story picks, delivered to your inbox each afternoon. >

She recalled Luke had to hold a tourniquet on her leg and see his twin brothers lips go gray. He sat covered in their blood as good Samaritans provided first aid and kept both Cooper and Keely alive.

Im heartbroken and Im sad, the mother said, but it is a losing question to ask why  there is no good answer and that is not productive.

A day after the shooting, even after undergoing several procedures for injuries suffered in the mass shooting herself, Roberts told doctors she needed to be discharged from the hospital she was in so she could be with Cooper, who was at a different hospital. The mother of six has injuries that will require ongoing orthopedic treatment.

A GoFundMe page to cover the medical and financial needs the Roberts family will face as their journey of healing continues has collected nearly $2 million.

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I am human, I am a mom. I feel shocked, angry and very, very sad  but I am so grateful and appreciative; this is a view and a lesson I never wanted to learn, but mostly I am humbled by the amount of love and kindness coming our way, Roberts said.

larodriguez@chicagotribune.com
The Curvahedra sculpture in the courtyard of Geartart Hall. Credit: University Relations

On a scorching day in July, representatives from multiple colleges at the University of Arkansas, as well as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, gathered at the University of Arkansas Harvell Civil Engineering Research and Education Center to conduct a stress test on a concrete beam. Typically, a beam testing doesn't draw a crowd, but this test was a showcase for a collaborative new approach to beam design and optimization.

The man most responsible for the beam's design was Mohamed Ismail, a Ph.D. student in building technology at MIT, a discipline residing at the intersection of architecture and engineering. Ismail had flown in to witness the test in person and seemed vaguely nervous that the beam might not perform as expecteda feeling perhaps heightened by the unusual degree of attention the stress test was receiving. The fruits of research are not always immediately evident, but the nature of the testhydraulic press versus concrete beambrought out the various colleges' social media staff, who recognized strong visual content when they saw it.

Perhaps a dozen people were assembled to see how Ismail's beam performed.

Among Ismail's research interests is increasing the structural efficiency of building materials. In the case of concrete beams, that means reducing the amount of concrete and steel used to a minimumremoving concrete from where it isn't needed, retaining it where it is. This resulted in his beam having a flat top but a base that curved in unanticipated ways. He estimates that the beam in question contained 40% less embodied carbonthe amount of carbon burned to produce the concrete and steel used in the beamthan standard rectangular beams.

This is important for reasons of both sustainability and economy. Ismail has his eye on the developing world, where urban growth is expected to surge. "You're looking at places where there's going to be a need for high density construction," he explained. "So that means going up, going vertical and doing it safely. And really, the only material that's widely available and accessible to most of those regions is concrete, so concrete's expected to be the number one material we use today. And it's expected to just go up in use because we really haven't found a material that's able to meet demands and still be safe."

Bette Poblete, a graduate research assistant in civil engineering at the U of A who was conducting the stress test, noted it was one of the more interesting beam shapes she'd encountered. "Ordinarily, we test rectangular beams," she said. "There are a couple reasons we do this: it simplifies some of our calculations and makes the construction more straightforward. In terms of calculations, we rely on the geometric dimensions to help predict the strength of the beams. Before we test any member, we calculate the predicted load at which it will fail. Then, we'll compare our predicted loads to the actual loads. Since we use simpler shapes ordinarily, it makes the entire process easier."

Formwork designed through the Zip-Form system allowed a concrete beam to be poured using less concrete but maintaining strength. Credit: Cameron Murray

In terms of testing Ismail's beam, she remarked, "This beam was longer than we usually test, so getting it into our load frame posed a fun challenge. We ended up using our crane and forklift simultaneously to place it on our supports. Also, since the beam was trapezoidal at the ends, we had to be especially careful not to chip the corners."

By now most readers are probably wondering why Ismail, who resides in Boston and is a doctoral student at arguably the best research university in the world, flew to Fayetteville, Arkansas, to crush his beam. Surely there are testing facilities closer to Boston?

There are actually two reasons why he came to Fayetteville: Emily Baker and Edmund Harriss.

Baker is both an alumna and a current assistant professor in the Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design while Harriss is a clinical assistant professor in math in the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences. They've been working together on something they've dubbed the Zip-Form system. It arose out of an art project Harriss created through the Honors College, which ultimately became the 12-foot Curvahedra sculpture outside the U of A's Gearhart Halla spherical structure composed of a few curving steel strands that is largely void space.

Harriss, whose primary work is in geometry, also holds an appointment in the School of Art. His stated desire is "to put mathematics in a playful, choice-driven space where people can play with or appreciate mathematics through art and sculpture."

Harriss needed someone who could help fabricate the shapes he was dreaming up through the use of complex geometry. So he reached out to Baker for assistance.

Designed to carry 8,500 pounds, the beam eventually cracked after 12,000 pounds of load were added. Credit: Shawnya Meyers

"I am deeply interested in exploring and innovating new ways of making physical objects and buildings," Baker explained. As such, making Harriss's sculpture a reality posed a fun challenge for her. She ultimately created a jig, or clamping setup, to allow flat sections to be successfully attached, or "zipped," into curving steel forms. This jig method, paired with Harriss's computational formulations, became the basis for their Zip-Form construction system, which can produce highly accurate 3D curves with greatly simplified fabrication techniques. This highly efficient and economical software and manufacturing process proved so novel that the University of Arkansas, through its Technology Ventures office, subsequently filed a provisional patent.

While the Zip-Form system was clearly innovative, and could produce pleasing structures, Baker and Harriss knew there were more practical applications. As Harriss said, "We can apply these principles to materials that already have a flatness to them and manufacture pieces that are more efficient in strength and yet use fewer resources."

The opportunity to prove it came when Baker ran into Ismail at a conference, found they had common research interests, and invited him to speak to her class. While Ismail was talking to her class about beam optimization, a lightbulb went off in her head. Maybe the Zip-Form system could be used to help Ismail create a beam of complex curvature?

Thus began months of collaboration. Inherent in the discussion was that fabrication methods were inextricable from the design. As Ismail explained, "We're trying to develop methods that are fabrication aware. When we're actually designing and optimizing the structure, we know how it's going to be built, and the rules of how it's going to be built go back into the design process so it's more circular and not as linear. So, we had months of conversations with Emily and Edmund about the actual mathematical principles behind their Zip-Form system. What were the limits? What were the constraints? And then we found a way to put that into our structural model."

Finally, Ismail was ready to see his unorthodox beam design become a reality. Harriss's computations and Baker's jig-system were essential to shaping the formwork, which was created at the Fay Jones School's Build Lab on Government Avenue, where Baker oversees the digital steel lab. Her method allowed them to make steel formwork with complex curvature like Ismail desired almost as easily as she could make formwork for a flat beam. "This is a vast improvement on other methods that might be used to make curving formwork," she said.

Cameron Murray, an assistant professor of civil engineering who advises Poblete, assisted with the pouring of concrete into the formwork the week prior. While he said there was nothing unusual about the concrete used, he noted "all of the materials were made in Arkansas. The coarse aggregate was quarried in Hindsville. The sand was from the Arkansas River in Van Buren. The cement was made in Foreman, Arkansas. The water was from Beaver Lake. Concrete is generally inherently a local material."

From left, Mohamed Ismail, Emily Baker and Bette Poblete at the U of A Civil Engineering Research and Education Center. Credit: University of Arkansas

Nothing unusual, yet this underscored Ismail's larger goal: He's interested in more efficient and sustainable design, but not necessarily revolutionary new materials. While he's excited about the potential for things like 3D printed housing, that's decades away. People need homes now.

"Our group is interested in what is applicable today," he explained, "like what can we go out and build right now. And that's why we're looking at regular strength concrete, regular strength steel and fabrication methods that are relatively cheap and affordable, which is why this Arkansas project was so exciting. Emily and Edmund had been working on a method that can be replicated anywhere in the world quite easily."

The actual test proved uneventful in the way success often does. The beam was designed to carry 8,500 pounds. Beyond that, the goal was to fail safely, in what Ismail describes as a "slow, ductile manner. You don't want it to collapse suddenly and in a scary way." Ismail's beam performed as expected, exhibiting small cracks and minor bowing, or what Poblete described as "flexural cracking and deflection." The test proceeded through a series of steady weight increases followed by temporary plateaus, the spidering cracks documented by graduate students wielding black markers crawling under and around the beam. Finally, the load was increased to 12,000 poundsfar beyond its design strengthat which point an obvious failure occurred when a large chunk finally broke off.

Ismail was visibly relieved: his beam had done what it was designed to do. And with a lot less concrete than usual.

All in all, he was delighted with the process. "Emily was a fantastic collaborator and incredibly generous and was able to pull off a lot that I would not have been able to do on my own." He also thinks this test was just the tip of the iceberg: "There's so much more we can do. There are more complex structures we can design, and then there's more testing that we can do that gets into much more rigorous things like dynamic loading, testing for vibrations, and all sorts of things that the Arkansas structures lab is definitely capable of. So, this was, in a lot of ways, proof that this idea can work and now we need to actually develop it further."

Explore further Long-term study of bonded steel reinforcements on a concrete beam enters 50th year
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

Digital privacy is often framed as an issue for consumers, but Ruslan Momot argues that companies need to consider the concept as a key element of their business.

Momot, an assistant professor at the University of Michigan's Ross School of Business, has published several papers on privacy issues. He shares insights about how companies should start to approach privacy, including a major shift in the way websites use cookies and how to think about data as something to be sourced sustainably.

Why should companies, as well as individual consumers, be interested in privacy issues?

Three reasons come to mind immediately.

First, it can affect the bottom line. We consumers are quite smart, and if we know that a company is not using our data in a responsible way, some of us will use that product less or stop using it entirely. That means the company earns less revenue from its advertisers.

We've seen this happen with Facebook and Cambridge Analytica, and with WhatsApp revealing some not-very-responsible use of data. In both cases, consumers changed their behavior, and that affected the companies' bottom line.

Second, brand-new data privacy laws and regulations require companies to act on this issue. These laws will become even more stringent and more widespread in the near future.

A lot of places currently have no privacy regulations, but the most stringent regulations, such as in Europe (the European General Data Protection Regulation) and California (the California Consumer Privacy Act), say things like, "You cannot handle this data in this or that way; you need to ask for explicit consent from the consumer. You cannot just grab the data like you did 10 years ago." Companies may not want to pay attention to this, but these new laws and regulations force them to do so.

Third, companies may be able to use privacy to gain a competitive advantage in the market. If Apple is pushing their privacy agenda quite extensively, and I'm producing Android phones, maybe I should react and improve privacy for Android users. A substantial number of consumers are quite sensitive to these issuesas we've seen when 96% of Apple users chose to use Apple's newest privacy feature and opted out from their behavior being tracked across appsand we're likely to see companies trying to compete more and more on their privacy efforts.

Is it fair to say that most companies today do not really understand privacy issues?

It is very fair to say. In most locales, there is no proper regulation. In the places where there is at least some regulation, most companies try to comply so they can just check a box. But they rarely go above and beyond the basic requirements.

One reason for this is most companies don't have the resources. Only the biggest companies have the resources to really address privacy. For instance, one of the most well-developed computer science techniques for privacy preservation is called differential privacy.

It's like a guaranteeif an algorithm used by a company is differentially private, there is only a small chance for an adversary/hacker to infer something meaningful about its customers. To implement differential privacy throughout all a company's algorithms, you have to hire a bunch of data scientists who will rethink the algorithms that you use and will design the new ones. Apple has the opportunity to do that; Google has the opportunity to do that; but smaller companies don't.

In addition, companies may not even have proper incentives to implement privacy-preserving techniques such as differential privacy. None of the current existing regulations require differential privacy as a standard, nor do governments have enough resources to check compliance of every company. Thus, there is a natural tendency from the companies' perspective to escape privacy preservation entirely by slacking and doing nothing.

If you had the attention of all the world's CEOs for five minutes, what is the biggest thing that you would try to convey to them about privacy?

You need to start thinking about it now (or, actually, yesterday). For the past 20 years or so, we've been pushing this big-data agenda, collecting more data, using the data, harnessing the power of the data.

Now we have a movement in the opposite direction, what we could call sustainably sourced data. The cycle resembles that of sustainability issues. Suddenly consumers started paying attention, and companies started to sustainably source things.

Now we have all these organic, sustainably sourced goods. Why don't we have the same thing with data? The message is that you need to start thinking about how to sustainably source your data and how to responsibly use that data.

Is this idea of sustainable data taking hold?

We're starting to see a little bit of this. Next year, I think what we'll see is that third-party cookies will disappear, and that means that we will be left with what is called zero-party cookies and first-party cookies.

These are pieces of information that consumers give to a company with explicit consent. So in a sense, it's sustainably sourced data because we didn't collect this data from third parties like data brokers. Instead, consumers give explicit permission to use this data. I think we'll be moving toward that.

What steps can a company take, if its leaders want to be smart and responsible and start sustainably sourcing their data?

First, companies need to be up-front with consumers about what is happening with their data. Will it be sold to the brokers the moment they receive the data, or will it be used for the internal purposes of the companyfor example, to make the product better for the consumer?

Another starting step would be to comply with the most stringent privacy regulations. Take a look at the European General Data Protection Regulation and try to comply with it, even if you're a U.S.-based company, because it's a good framework.

Then, there are broker companies that are collecting this zero-party and first-party data, where consumers explicitly provide the data to the companies. You can source your data from those brokers.

You can also think about what you do with the data. Where does this data go? You need to understand the supply chain of the data, so you can make sure that the data doesn't go to the irresponsible brokers, and it's used in a responsible manner.

So you think about data as a supply chain?

It is a supply chain. Let's say you use a weather application. The app tracks your GPS location, and this GPS location is sold to a data broker. The broker uses this location, matches it with other data and infers something about you. Then this list of inferences about you is sold to some other companies and so on. So the data travels.

What else should companies be aware of when they start thinking about privacy?

Many companies operate with a disconnect when it comes to privacy. A lot of companies think about privacy from the legal perspective; the people who are responsible for privacy are law people.

At the same time, we have a computer science community which has been developing all these concepts like differential privacy for many years. There has to be this bridge between the two. Improving consumer privacy has to be done by people who are familiar with both sideswith the regulations, but at the same time with the theoretical and engineering component.

Similarly, when we think about privacy, it should not be only about IT departments. Preserving consumer privacy should be embedded into the business model of the company, in the same way that sustainability should be part of the business model.

Management should be centered on consumer privacy. It should not be a patchwork, like, "Hey, yeah, we are creating this product, let's ask our IT guys to protect privacy." It will never work. For it to work, it has to be deep inside the business model of the company.

Explore further 9 in 10 Americans want their health info kept private
Artificial Intelligence. Credit: University of Missouri

Throughout the course of history, technology has continually transformed the news media industrytelegraph, radio, television and then the internet. Yet despite these evolutions, technology remained the medium and human journalists the messengers.

The introduction of Artificial Intelligence has changed that model.

Today, AI machines designed to perform the communicator role are generating news content independent of humans. That means AI is the medium and the messenger, giving human journalists a new synthetic partner programmed to aid in news gathering.

But a new study from the Missouri School of Journalism has found many Americans are unaware of the role AI plays in their world, including in the production of news.

The findings come at a challenging time in the news media industry when news makers are facing historically low levels of public trust in their product. More Americans than ever before report getting their news from the very social media platforms using AI to provide them with their media while, at the same time, news makers are reporting on the dangers AI can pose to privacy, fairness, equality, safety and security. It's a conundrum.

"So, how do we help people trust AI but still report on companies that use AI to the detriment of the public?" asked Chad S. Owsley, a doctoral student at the School of Journalism and co-author of the recent study. "How do you separate the two?"

Using an online survey in 2020, Owsley and co-author Associate Professor Keith Greenwood found that less than half the respondents48%were certain that they had read, seen or heard something about AI in the past year, another 40% could only say it was possible and only 25% of participants claimed to perceive AI as capable of writing or reporting news equal to or better than human journalists.

The 48% was consistent with a European study that was conducted three years earlier, which Owsley said was interesting considering the high rate of technology usage the participants claimed in the 2020 study. For example, 61% reported owning a smartphone. He expected that as people's use of technology increased, so would their awareness of AI.

"We seemed to have stalled for three years and that is worth asking why and how," Owsley said, adding that the study did not seek to answer those questions, which he is addressing in his dissertation. "Some of this stuff is pretty geeky. There might be a general disinterest in a high level of detail [about AI]. People might be thinking: 'I just want it to work. I don't care how it works.'"

Despite this lack of awareness, some forms of AI are replacing journalists, while others serve as an aid to newsgathering.

In 2018, Forbes introduced a publishing platform called "Bertie," which uses AI to aid reporters with news articles by identifying trends, suggesting headlines and providing visual content matching relevant stories. The Washington Post and Associated Press are also using AI to perform the role of journalist. Among the topics most often aided by AI is financial reporting.

"The way an AI machine thinks or operates is based on constructed data," Owsley said. "It has to have the information in tabulated form, such as spreadsheets and tables."

AI then takes that knowledge and generates a human language story.

Greenwood said a longstanding criticism of innovations is that news organizations often jump into the "next best thing" without important considerations, such as "what does our audience think and how will they interact with this?"

"If organizations are going to be thinking about adopting these AI technologies, one of the things they need to be asking is, 'OK, how does this fit with what our audience needs or expects or how does it fit with who they think we are?''" he said, "rather than thinking, 'Well, this is the future, and we need to go that way.'"

The research was published in AI & Society.

Explore further Researchers find the public correlates the word 'storytelling' with deception

More information: Chad S. Owsley et al, Awareness and perception of artificial intelligence operationalized integration in news media industry and society, AI & SOCIETY (2022). Chad S. Owsley et al, Awareness and perception of artificial intelligence operationalized integration in news media industry and society,(2022). DOI: 10.1007/s00146-022-01386-2
Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain

Colorado's soaring mountains and its sparsely populated rural areas make it difficult to provide high-speed broadband and wireless services consistently across wide swaths of the state.

Many of the technologies now available to boost connectivity are prohibitively expensive or just not commercially viable, and the number of underserved people in the state, when it comes to broadband connectivity, is greatly understated by as much as a four-to-one ratio, according to one study last year by a consumer group.

A new Denver company, Eucast Global, is introducing "network in a box" technology from South Korea which it claims can bridge the state's digital divide in a more affordable and robust way than other alternatives on the market, providing access to LTE and 4G cellular, internet and soon 5G services in parts of the state that have lacked it.

"You turn it on and you have instant connectivity," said Chris Medina, one of four founding directors of the company. "We don't have to create cell towers or dig fiber."

The beige metal boxes, about the size of a toaster oven, require a little more work than flipping a switch. A power source is needed, and so is a broadband connectioneither a fiber optic node, a link to a low-earth-orbit satellite, or a reachable cellular tower. Once a connection is established, the base stations, which have a radius of a mile to five miles depending on the terrain, can be linked together to create a much larger network.

Base stations cost around $11,000, making them a much more cost-effective alternative than digging fiber optic cable to every home in an isolated town or building new cellular towers that won't ever pay for themselves. The units cost a fraction of what some better-known rivals like Nokia charge, and they don't come with the national security concerns tied to lower-cost and less reliable equipment made in China.

And because the networks created are private, they are safer from hacking efforts and eavesdropping than public Wi-Fi networks, allowing them to have commercial as well as consumer uses.

Each box can handle up to 200 devices at the same time, making them an option for rural factories and large farms that are using remote sensors and robotics, Medina said. One early application of the technology will be to hook up oil and gas well sites in remote areas, providing producers with huge savings on cellular bills that can run tens of thousands of dollars a month.

A key mission of the company is to expand broadband connectivity into areas where it is severely lacking, such as on Indian reservations and rural communities, said Gary Sumihiro, CEO of Sumihiro Investments, who said he quickly realized he had to bring the technology to the United States after witnessing it at work in South Korea and Japan.

"There are 17 million kids in the U.S. who don't have access to the Internet at home and 44% of low-income adults who have limited broadband access," he said. Eucast may not cover that gap completely, especially in urban areas, but it could put a dent in it in rural ones.

The Federal Communications Commission recently released a range of wireless spectrum known as Citizens Broadband Radio Service, or CBRS, for public use at no charge. Purchasers of CBRS and other wireless spectrum have first priority, meaning Eucast equipment would have competition in dense urban areasalthough Glendale is looking at the boxes to boost cellular connectivity on parts of Cherry Creek trail below street level.

The big players, however, aren't as active in rural areas, leaving a door open for lower-cost alternatives to establish a foothold. But that requires equipment that is relatively affordable, durable and easy to operate, a niche Eucast is trying to fill. Next year it plans to roll out a box offering 5G cellular services.

Given that carriers have focused on providing the fastest 5G in more densely populated areas, the technology could allow rural areas to speed up deployment by months, if not years.

Eucast also sells a self-contained "network in a backpack," which runs about $95,000 and is designed for very remote areas. The packs come with batteries and satellite antennae. Once onsite, the packs can create a broad-reaching network within minutes, allowing fire or search crews to use the devices they already carry rather than having to use specialized radios.

Eucast successfully created a telecommunications network using a drone. Sumihiro envisions turning trucks purchased at local dealerships into mobile units that could reach remote outdoor events, say the Rainbow Family gathering, or disaster areas, like the Glenwood Canyon after rock slides sliced fiber optic cable lines and stranded motorists in more ways than one.

"Eucast's solution is really promising because of the cost and its use of the CBRS spectrum, which is also free to operate compared to a cellular network that might get stood up temporarily in an emergency," said Tyler Svitak, executive director of the Colorado Smart Cities Alliance. "I see a lot of potential for emergency response, rural and mountain connectivity, and other markets that are underserved by traditional carriers because of a lack of density."

Bringing Cellular on Wheels into an insolated area might run around $4,000 a month or $48,000 a year, he said. Buying a single Eucast box would save $37,000 and provide a more permanent solution.

"Municipalities or special jurisdictions that have an interest in operating a private network now have an opportunity that was too expensive and hard to stand up" in the past, he said.

Complete independence

Earlier this year, Eucast Co. Ltd. established a separate Denver company, Eucast Global, with full rights to market and sell its technology in the Americas and Europe. The Denver company also has rights to the South Korean intellectual property and can manufacture Eucast equipment domestically, which it plans to do with help of Arrow Electronics, a metro-area Fortune 500 company that has access to components from around the globe.

Sumihiro is on the board, as is Medina, who is the chief strategy officer at Clovity, a San Francisco company that provides software solutions related to the Internet of Things, or the connecting of multiple devices and sensors into a unified network. Betsy Markey, a former Colorado congresswoman and past director of the Colorado Office of Economic Development, is also on the board and helping with government relations. The fourth board member is Jaehyeong Kim, CEO of Eucast Co.

Eucast Global has the right to sell equipment made in South Korea in the Americas and Europe initially and eventually plans to start selling gear that it makes in Colorado. Even though South Korea is considered a close ally, U.S. ownership and manufacturing should eliminate national security concerns that have plagued the adoption and sale of Chinese telecommunications equipment.

Eucast Global also plans to do its own research and development to advance the technology, bringing American ingenuity into the equation. To that end, it has signed an agreement with the University of Denver, which is using students to test the equipment and come up with applications and strategies for how it can best be used.

"It is an opportunity to put technology like this in the hands of students to start testing it and learning about it and get involved in deploying it," said Jim Ducay, program director at Colorado Universities Innovation Council and an adjunct professor at the University of Denver.

His hope is that his students will bring original thinking to the task, allowing them to become some of the early hires at Eucast Global, which Medina said is looking to employ 50 people over the next two years.

One use DU students are studying is whether the Eucast equipment can fill in dead spots along the Interstate 70 mountain corridor that have created problems for the Colorado Department of Transportation and Colorado State Patrol. A particularly nasty stretch, given the terrain, runs from the Bakerville to Silver Pume exits.

"They demonstrated it for me and my team and the initial review looked positive. They would like to test it in an area that is on a highway," said Bob Fifer, deputy director of operations at CDOT. "If this is the technology we can use on a state level, we will explore it and see where it goes from there."

Fifer said CDOT radios have good coverage but gaps do exist. Although a network that is up and running could serve the public in theory, the state doesn't want drivers distracted trying to connect to a CDOT or Eucast network as they move at full speed down the highway.

Hee does envision using the network, if it proves itself, to keep state workers connected. And if the need arises, stranded motorists could also be told via signage how to access the network. That would allow them to request help on their phones or call friends or family about their status even in dead zones. Surfing the internet could also help pass the time while snow plows or other crews do their work.

Explore further Trial of high-speed broadband delivered through water pipes

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Members of the College Station City Council approved the 2021 Brazos Valley Economic Incentive Compliance Report during a July 28 council meeting.

After the report was presented, the council approved an incentive to one of two companies in College Station who were in compliance to receive a cash incentive from the city. The other company did not receive an incentive because they did not meet the criteria for the year.

Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies of College Station did meet compliance needs and received a $153,000 cash incentive, while College Station internet provider Viasat did not meet performance needs, according to Natalie Ruiz, the citys chief development officer.

As part of our partnership with the Brazos Valley Economic Development Corporation, some of the services that they provide is [a] compliance report, she told the council. This report was also given to the city of Bryan and the Brazos County Commissioners Court. It is for all of our joint incentive agreements that we have currently.

According to tax service and consulting firm Ryan LLC of Dallas, which performed the inquiry for each company, three primary metrics were measured when it collected data to confirm an incentive certification: payroll, employee headcount and investment for that year.

Viasat, when we reached out to them, they made clear that they were not going to be in compliance and because of that they were not going to request any kind of incentive for this year, Shawn Portales, senior consultant for Ryan LCC, told the council. They did not meet their employee headcount of 280 employees  they are only at 120  and as a result they didnt meet their payroll of $17 million; they were only at about $10 million. Fortunately, they did meet their investment value.

Fujifilm was in compliance in terms of its payroll, Portales said, fulfilling a $54 million payroll. The investment value was also met, and the employee headcount threshold of 100 was well surpassed at 677, he said.

Ruiz noted that Viasat was not requesting payment this year, because it realized it did not meet the necessary employment numbers.

The other four companies included in the report were Advanta Seeds Biotech Center, Axis Pipe, Wayfair and Tube, Lubrizol Specialty Products.

Across all six companies, they have created over 1,300 jobs [and] over $93 million in payroll, Portales said. In their respected jurisdiction they have invested over $394 million.

Advanta and Wayfair also werent in compliance, Portales said, because Advanta did not meet its payroll or investment requirements; Wayfair did not meet its payroll and employment numbers. Axis Pipe and Tube and Lubrizol Specialty Products were in compliance, he said.

Resident Brian Alg of College Station spoke during the meeting, and requested the council look into auditing College Station companies through city staff, because he believed the employee count for Viasat was incorrect.

I just wanted to point out that I know of some of these numbers and they are wrong. I dont know if there is an expectation that these numbers are reliable, he told the council. Bring this in house so that city staff can have oversight and we will have better oversight as citizens.

Council member Elizabeth Cunha said last year was a tough year for Viasat, and also commended Fujifilm for the economic development and presence it has brought to the city.

Council member Dennis Maloney thanked Ruiz and Matt Prochaska, the president/CEO of the Brazos Valley Economic Development Council, for their due diligence in having a prepared report. He also commended Fujifilm for surpassing its numbers.

These six companies will have another opportunity to meet compliance requirements next year in order to receive a financial incentive from College Station, Bryan and Brazos County, according to city staff.

Brazos County Commissioners were presented the compliance report during a June 19 meeting and will take action at a future meeting.

Members of the Bryan City Council will be presented the report at a future meeting.
A College Station man was sentenced to 28 years in prison last Thursday after a Brazos County jury found him guilty of sexually assaulting his stepdaughter.

According to the Brazos County Attorney's Office, Martin Guzman, 34, was found guilty of aggravated sexual assault of a child. Guzman was arrested in May 2020 for the charge, but was released a day later after he posted $20,000 bail. He was taken into custody again last Wednesday after he was found guilty by the jury.

In April 2019, the victim, who was 13 at the time, told her school counselor she was being sexually abused by Guzman, according to the Brazos County Attorney's Office. School officials reported the abuse to the College Station Police Department, which began an investigation. Detectives spoke with the school counselor and the victim, who was also taken to Scotty's House for a forensic interview.

Guzman had been the victim's stepfather for nine years and lived with the victim, her mother and two younger siblings, according to the Brazos County Attorney's Office.

According to the Brazos County Attorney's Office, during Guzman's trial, testimonies were heard from the victim; her mother, who said she left Guzman after she learned about the abuse; and a friend of the victim, who encouraged and accompanied her to speak to the school counselor for the first time.
ISLAMABAD  The U.S. drone strike that killed al-Qaida leader Ayman al-Zawahri on the balcony of a Kabul safe house intensified global scrutiny Tuesday of Afghanistans Taliban rulers and further undermined their efforts to secure international recognition and desperately needed aid.

The Taliban had promised in the 2020 Doha Agreement on the terms of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan that they would not harbor al-Qaida members or those seeking to attack the U.S.

Yet a mastermind of the 9/11 terror attacks, who has called for striking the United States in numerous video messages in recent years, lived for months apparently sheltered by senior Taliban figures.

The safehouse where al-Zawahri was staying in Kabuls upscale Shirpur neighborhood was the home of a top aide to senior Taliban leader Sirajuddin Haqqani, according to a senior U.S. intelligence official. Haqqani is deputy head of the Taliban, serves as interior minister in its government and heads the Haqqani network, a powerful faction within the movement.

Still, there have been persistent reports of unease among Taliban leadership, particularly tensions between the Haqqani network and rivals within the movement.

The Taliban initially sought to describe the strike as America violating the Doha deal, in which the U.S. committed not to attack the group. The Taliban have yet to say who was killed in the strike.

The killing of Ayman al-Zawahri has raised many questions, said one Pakistani intelligence official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to The Associated Press as he wasnt authorized to speak publicly to reporters. Al-Zawahri took over as al-Qaidas leader after Osama bin Laden was killed in Pakistan in 2011, in an operation by U.S. Navy SEALs.

The Taliban were aware of his presence in Kabul, and if they were not aware of it, they need to explain their position, the official said.

Pakistans Foreign Ministry issued a very carefully worded statement, which referred to a counter-terrorism operation by the United States in Afghanistan but did not mention al-Zawahri. Pakistan condemns terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, it said. Pakistan has been lobbying for the world to give greater recognition and support to the Taliban government.

The strike early Sunday shook awake Shirpur, once a district of historic buildings that were bulldozed in 2003 to make way for luxury homes for officials in Afghanistans Western-backed government and international aid organizations. After the U.S. withdrawal in August 2021, senior Taliban moved into some of the abandoned homes there.

The targeted safe house is only a few blocks from the British Embassy, which has been closed since the Taliban takeover last August. Taliban officials blocked AP journalists in Kabul from reaching the damaged house on Tuesday.

The U.N. Security Council was informed by monitors of militant groups in July that al-Qaida enjoys greater freedom in Afghanistan under the Taliban but confines itself to advising and supporting the countrys new rulers.

A report by the monitors said the two groups remain close and that al-Qaida fighters, estimated to number between 180 to 400, are represented at the individual level among Taliban combat units.

The monitors said its unlikely al-Qaida will seek to mount direct attacks outside Afghanistan, owing to a lack of capability and restraint on the part of the Taliban, as well as an unwillingness to jeopardize their recent gains such as having a safe haven and improved resources.

During the first half of 2022, al-Zawahri increasingly reached out to supporters with video and audio messages, including assurances that al-Qaida can compete with the Islamic State group for leadership of a global movement, the report by the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team said.

IS militants have emerged as a major threat to the Taliban over the past year, carrying out a series of deadly attacks against Taliban targets and civilians.

The Haqqani network is an Afghan Islamic insurgent group, built around the family of the same name. In the 1980s, it fought Soviet forces and over the past 20 years, it battled U.S.-led NATO troops and the former Afghanistan government. The U.S. government maintains a $10 million bounty on Serajjudin Haqqani for attacks on American troops and Afghan civilians.

But the Haqqanis, from Afghanistans eastern Khost province, have rivals within the Taliban leadership, mostly from the southern provinces of Helmand and Kandahar. Some believe Sirajuddin Haqqani wants more power. Other Taliban figures have opposed the Haqqanis attacks against civilians in Kabul and elsewhere during the insurgency.

The timing of the strike also couldnt come at a worse time politically for the Taliban. The militants face international condemnation for refusing to reopen schools for girls above the sixth grade, despite earlier promises. The United Nations mission to Afghanistan also criticized the Taliban for human rights abuses under their rule.
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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 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.
Researchers have disclosed a new offensive framework referred to as Manjusaka that they call is a "Chinese sibling of Sliver and Cobalt Strike."

"A fully functional version of the command-and-control (C2), written in Golang with a User Interface in Simplified Chinese, is freely available and can generate new implants with custom configurations with ease, increasing the likelihood of wider adoption of this framework by malicious actors," Cisco Talos said in a new report.

Sliver and Cobalt Strike are legitimate adversary emulation frameworks that have been repurposed by threat actors to carry out post-exploitation activities such as network reconnaissance, lateral movement, and facilitating the deployment of follow-on payloads.

Written in Rust, Manjusaka -- meaning "cow flower" -- is advertised as an equivalent to the Cobalt Strike framework with capabilities to target both Windows and Linux operating systems. Its developer is believed to be located in the GuangDong region of China.

"The implant consists of a multitude of remote access trojan (RAT) capabilities that include some standard functionality and a dedicated file management module," the researchers noted.

Some of the supported features involve executing arbitrary commands, harvesting browser credentials from Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Qihoo 360, Tencent QQ Browser, Opera, Brave, and Vivaldi, gathering Wi-Fi passwords, capturing screenshots, and obtaining comprehensive system information.

It's also designed to launch the file management module to carry out a wide range of activities such as enumerating files as well as managing files and directories on the compromised system.

On the other hand, the ELF variant of the backdoor, while including most of the functionalities as its Windows counterpart, doesn't incorporate the ability to collect credentials from Chromium-based browsers and harvest Wi-Fi login passwords.

Also part of the Chinese language framework is a C2 server executable that's coded in Golang and is available on GitHub at "hxxps://github[.]com/YDHCUI/manjusaka." A third component is an admin panel built on the Gin web framework that enables an operator to create customized versions of the Rust implant.

The server binary, for its part, is engineered to monitor and administer an infected endpoint, in addition to generating the appropriate Rust implants depending on the operating system and issuing the necessary commands.

That said, the chain of evidence suggests that it's either under active development or its components are offered to other actors as a service.

Talos said it made the discovery during its investigation of a maldoc infection chain that leverages COVID-19-themed lures in China to deliver Cobalt Strike beacons on infected systems, adding the unnamed threat actor behind the campaign also used the implants from the Manjusaka framework in the wild.

The findings arrive weeks after it emerged that malicious actors have been observed abusing another legitimate adversary simulation software called Brute Ratel (BRc4) in their attacks in an attempt to stay under the radar and evade detection.

"The availability of the Manjusaka offensive framework is an indication of the popularity of widely available offensive technologies with both crimeware and APT operators," the researchers said.

"This new attack framework contains all the features that one would expect from an implant, however, it is written in the most modern and portable programming languages. The developer of the framework can easily integrate new target platforms like MacOSX or more exotic flavors of Linux as the ones running on embedded devices."
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.
Brothers and sisters in blue, fellow soldiers and friends gathered this morning to pay tribute to Grand Island police Officer Chris Marcello, described during his memorial service as a a leader, father, uncle and teddy bear.

About 1,000 people, many in uniform and all wearing solemn expressions, attended Marcello's memorial service at Third City Christian Church. The father of four died of natural causes July 27 at the age of 42.

Michael Belleci, who served with Marcello in both the Nebraska National Guard and the Grand Island Police Department, described Marcello as "the greatest man I ever knew."

The other speaker was GIPD Sgt. Jason Allan. Pastor Scott Jones officiated.

The crowd was so large that some attendees parked across the street at Westridge Middle School. The Grand Island Fire Department's large American flag flew high in the air outside the church.

As the mourners headed for Hastings Parkview Cemetery, some people lined the route to pay their respects. Law enforcement officers in uniform cordoned off the route along Highway 281. Fire trucks were also parked along the route in Marcello's honor.

Stay with TheIndependent.com for additional coverage from Officer Marcello's memorial service.
Anheuser-Busch and Eagle Distributing of Nebraska, are providing more than 25,000 cans of emergency drinking water to select volunteer fire departments across their distribution territory as they continue to protect our communities and prepare for upcoming wildfire relief efforts.

Volunteer fire departments receiving emergency drinking water include the Barneston Rural Volunteer Fire Department, Chapman Volunteer Fire and Rescue, Grand Island Rural Fire Department, Minden Fire Department, Oxford Volunteer Fire and Rescue, Plainview Fire and Rescue, Schuyler Fire and Rescue, Spencer Volunteer Fire Department and St. Paul Volunteer Fire Department.

With volunteers comprising 67% of firefighters in the United States, they are local communities first line of defense in a range of emergencies, while often operating with limited resources and staffing.

For these local heroes, clean drinking water is essential to ensure they can be at their peak performance when protecting our communities.

Eagle Distributing of Nebraska is proud to support all first responders, but especially volunteers, Bruce Nelsen, CEO of Eagle Distributing, said in a news release. 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 emergency drinking water was sourced from Anheuser-Buschs brewery in Fort Collins, Colo., which periodically pauses beer production to can clean and safe drinking water to be delivered to communities in times of need.

Anheuser-Busch and Eagle Distributing of Nebraska operates facilities in Fremont, Norfolk, Grand Island and Fairbury, and 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 inception 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 its partnership with the National Volunteer Fire Council, 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 and healthy when protecting the communities where we live and work.

Eagle Distributing of Nebraska, Inc., founded in 2001, is based in Fremont. 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.
For families affected by the Carter Canyon wildfires in the Nebraska Panhandle, the weekend was emotion-filled as they watched flames surround their rural neighborhoods for the second summer in a row.

Cassy Eskam, together with her husband and children, live on a ranch at the base of Carter Canyon Road near Gering.

When Eskams father, Todd Ouderkirk, and other neighbors first heard about the fire, she said, they started discing near a dam west of the properties.

Every time I hear theres a fire, it scares me, she said. We have barely gotten any rain out by us this year. I prayed over and over for them to please get (the fires) contained before it spreads to our farm.

Unfortunately, the discing ended up being for naught as the fire advanced up the eastern side of a hill.

It all happened super quick, Eskam said. The wind changed and the east fire spread very fast.

The family had been stationed at the end of the driveway, watching the fire, when law enforcement notified them they needed to evacuate at about 10 p.m. Saturday, about four hours after the fire started. She had already started packing, just in case, and they grabbed a few other items. Her parents took vehicles and tractors to a nearby hay field in an effort to move them away from the fire. The familys dogs were quickly grabbed and the Eskams had to move lambs, which her children are scheduled to show this week in fair.

Four hours away, Michelle Schaneman Perkins felt hopeless as she and her husband learned that their home was being threatened by the wildfire. They had traveled to Colorado to take their son to the airport and learned about the fire through family and neighbors. Most of the communication they received indicated that their home, and the homes of other family members, had been destroyed.

For Perkins, this news became particularly emotional due to the longstanding ties that her family had to the homes, which have stood for more than a hundred years in some cases.

Perkins great-grandparents, Emerson and Daisy Ewing, homesteaded on Carter Canyon Road in 1910. Her grandmother, Goldie Ewing Wilson Bixby, lived in the house that stood for four generations until it was destroyed Saturday.

Most of it was the original house, Perkins said. It was renovated in the 1970s, and after her grandmothers death, the family rented it until recent years when they stopped due to needed maintenance.

All that stands now is a chimney and a wood-burning stove, Perkins said. Though the family believes they may have gotten most important mementos out of the home well before the fires, she said, they worry that they didnt get everything that may have had sentimental value.

Perkins and her husband live across the road in a house that had once been her parents home. They were having dinner in Denver when they received word from neighbors about the fire. In one text, she said, a neighbor said he tried to get to their home to turn on water at the house to keep the flames at bay, but it was just too bad.

The couple immediately got into their vehicles, she said, went to a hotel to pick up their belongings and returned to Gering. After a stop at the Gering Fire Station, where she said they were told that their home was likely gone, they slept in their pickup truck until heading out, hopeful they could check on it.

At that point, she said, all she could think about were the items she had been given from her grandmother and other family members that she feared had been destroyed in the fire.

My grandma was a big historian, she said. We have a family tree that traces back to the coasts and documents that one of our family members was killed by Indians. ... I have kept every single document (given to her by her grandmother). I even have things like my great-great-grandfathers Bible and my grandmothers Bible. I must have like 20 family Bibles. All I could think of was those Bibles going up in smoke.

As they traveled down Carter Canyon Road, she said, they could see their home was still saved  it stood out with the ugly yellow house roof because my dad liked yellow. But they looked to the right to see her grandmothers home had been destroyed. Other family members, such as her second cousin David Ewing, also live in nearby homes that had been passed down for generations. The home that David lived in with his wife, Carolyne, was also destroyed.

Fire officials reported a third home had been destroyed Saturday and several homes sustained damage.

Like Perkins, the Eskams and the Ouderkirks also returned Sunday morning to find their homes still standing. But next to a cabin on the family property, they could see charred grass and trees just feet away. They are still holding their breath until the fire is completely contained.

As of Monday, fire officials were reporting the fire to be only about 33% contained and some estimates were that more than 15,000 acres had been burned.

For many of the families, like the Ouderkirks, the fire is also threatening their livelihood, with cattle ranched in the canyons. On their Carter Canyon property, buildings including a barn and supplies such as hay burned. On Sunday, they found themselves again watching the fire with bated breath as the approaching fire endangered property on Robidoux Road. Fortunately, on Monday, Eskam said, they returned to find tractors and everything intact, and her mom and dad got back to work, relocating the tractors and other things back to the family ranch.

Perkins and her husband are staying in their fifth-wheel camper as the fire took out their well and some of their water lines. Damage cant be fully assessed until power is returned to the area.

Having grown up knowing many of the families who live in the area, Perkins expressed appreciation for the firefighters who have saved her home and others.

She said many have heard from people offering generous help to those impacted by the fire. She has been passing along those resources to her cousin, and a GoFundMe has also been started for his family. Donations can be made at bit.ly/3zpIGv5.

Locally, Firefighter Ministry has also reached out to families impacted by the fire. Organizer Carissa Schank said anyone affected by the fire can contact her at 308-631-9674. The organization, which is a nonprofit under the Oregon Trail Community Foundation, is also accepting donations online at www.aplos.com/aws/give/OTCF/Firefighter-Ministry.
KEARNEY  A woman said her once Kearney psychiatrist put his hand down her pants from behind, felt her buttocks and groped her breast during a counseling session in August 2021.

The testimony came on the first day of the misdemeanor third-degree sexual assault trial against Reynaldo A. De Los Angeles, 77, of Kearney. He is accused of having sexual contact with a victim at his office on Aug. 25, 2021, without consent that didnt cause serious personal injury.

De Los Angeles is a board certified psychiatrist with certification in addiction and forensic medicine and provides professional psychiatric services, care and treatment, individual and family.

Chief Deputy Buffalo County Attorney Melanie Young argued De Los Angeles used his position as a psychiatrist and addictionist to take advantage of a patient. An addictionist is a physician who deals with prescription medical management.

De Los Angeles attorney, Aaron Bishop of Kearney, argued the accusations are false.

The alleged victim testified for 2 1/2 hours Monday about how she went to De Los Angeles office on Aug. 25, 2021, to straighten out her prescription medications that he had ordered for her days earlier.

The woman has been a patient of De Los Angeles off and on since 2004, when she was 24, for counseling and medication management. At the time of the alleged incident, the woman had been a regular patient of De Los Angeles for about five years and relied on him for her medications.

On August 23, 2021, the woman said she had a regular appointment with De Los Angeles where he adjusted her prescription medications. Two days later, the woman said she met with him again because she felt the dosage was decreased to the point where she said she was nonfunctional and she felt like she may relapse.

It was during that Aug. 25, 2021, appointment, which the woman estimated lasted three hours, that she alleges De Los Angeles inappropriately touched her. The woman confronted De Los Angeles about her prescriptions being significantly smaller dosages and that they started causing her withdrawals.

Feeling weak that day, she asked De Los Angeles to give her similar medications shed had in the past. Instead, the woman said De Los Angeles avoided her concerns and asked her inappropriate personal questions, including what is was like to kiss someone with dentures, which the woman has.

At one point De Los Angeles gave the woman a box of magazines, which she took to her car. When she returned to the office, De Los Angeles was sitting in a chair in his office lobby and tried to pull the woman to sit on his leg, then he tried to kiss her and hold her hand.

The moment was cut short by a woman coming into the office to pick up a package from De Los Angeles. The topic of conversation was changed, and the alleged victim, who works in automotive sales, went outside to look at De Los Angeles pickup, which was leaking fluid in the parking lot.

She opened the hood and inspected the engine, telling De Los Angeles what he needed to do to fix it. The two returned to the office, where the woman said she again asked De Los Angeles to correct her prescription.

De Los Angeles gave the woman more magazines, which she held in her left arm along with her keys and purse. De Los Angeles wrote the woman another prescription, and as she tried to leave the office, the woman claimed De Los Angeles hugged her from behind. He then stuck his hand under the untucked shirt she was wearing and into her jeans, under her panties and rubbed her buttocks.

The woman said De Los Angeles then reached around the right side of her body, put his hand under her shirt and groped her right breast as she turned away from him. The moment caught her at a loss for words. I didnt know what to say.

The woman then left De Los Angeles office and drove to a Kearney pharmacy to fill her prescription. Instead she sat in her car for some time trying to absorb what had just happened.

I was upset about being physically violated and not being able to trust my doctor again, she said.

The woman eventually took her prescription into the pharmacist and was asked by staff why she was upset. Pharmacy staff and the womans mother, who was also at the pharmacy, encouraged the woman to report the incident, but the woman was upset, overwhelmed and unsure about what to do.

I feel doctors kind of have a power over their patients and their word might be better than mine, she recalled feeling.

The woman eventually reported the incident to Kearney police and was interviewed at the Family Advocacy Network (FAN) in Kearney.

During cross examination, defense attorney Bishop questioned the woman to clarify the date De Los Angeles gave her the different prescription. The woman corrected her testimony saying De Los Angeles changed her medication on Aug. 16, nine days before the alleged incident, not Aug. 23 as she first told prosecutor Young.

Bishop also questioned the woman about her alleged timeline of events while in De Los Angeles office on Aug. 25, what medications she thought her new prescriptions were for and how many prescriptions he wrote her.

Bishop also questioned the woman about her medications being destroyed before Aug. 25, and if that was the reason she needed a different prescription. The woman said her boyfriend took her medications and De Los Angeles gave her another prescription for a week.

Mondays hearing ended with the womans testimony. Additional witnesses, including pharmacists who saw the woman after the alleged incident, have been summoned to testify.

A jury of six men and one woman are hearing the case. At the end of the trial, one person will be dismissed as the alternate.

The trial is expected to last through Tuesday.
MARION  Before the pandemic, Chef Wayne Arment grew a following for his gourmet meals served at Heartland Regional Medical Center. When the pandemic hit, the hospital was not allowed to let visitors in to eat lunch.

As things started to open up, the hospital was discussing corporate menus and Arment decided to leave.

Chef Waynes Food Truck, his new venture, opened Monday. Now, fans of Arments food can find him cooking in the parking lot of the Urology Institute, at Dr. R. Lawrence Hatchetts office, just west of Heartland Regional Medical Center at 3401 Heartland St. The food truck will be open from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. or until they are sold out for the day.

Arment said working for a corporation meant he could only venture out so far. In the beginning, the hospital let him develop a variety of dishes. When they started talking about a standard, corporate menu, which meant he would not be able to cook all of those dishes.

With a new food truck, he can cook his fan favorites and add to the menu.

I can do whatever Wayne wants to do. It will be a better way of life, he said with a laugh.

Arment will develop a month-long menu. The menu is set for August, which features some of the best sellers from his hospital menu, including Philly cheese steak, shrimp po' boy sandwiches and shrimp scampi.

Were using all fresh ingredients. Our beef has no antibiotics or hormones. Its fresh, good food, Arment said. Im using quality ingredients for a quality meal.

Wednesday will feature burritos as big as your head in either chicken or ground beef. Thursday will be a pasta bar with shrimp or chicken in alfredo, cajun, or marinara sauce. Fridays special is pulled pork sandwiches with homemade fries.

Arment said other popular items will be on the menu, including: surf and turf on Aug. 11 and Italian beef on Aug. 18.

Arment has two employees: Faye Frost, who is the other chef, and Rog.

He is trying to keep the cost of dishes down. Most dishes are $9 or $10. Surf and turf will be a little more at $12. Drinks are $1.

I dont want to overcharge, but food is pretty high right now, Arment said.

Business was slower than Arment would really like, but he said it was giving him time to perfect his food preparation. He believes business will pick up as word spreads about his food truck.

Arment said he could serve as many as 2,000 people a day.

Arment already has drawn interest from other towns. He was approached to bring his food truck to Murphysboro and to the Apple Festival.

Arment is also working on a Facebook page for the business

Youve got to do what you want to do and what you love, Arment said.
MARION  The Williamson County Board of Commissioners are doling out $2,368,000 in federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) grant monies to 13 municipalities and agencies within the county.

Johnston City is receiving $300,000 that will be applied to its $4 million-plus new water tower and meters project.

"The only way I could be happier is if we had gotten even more money," said Mayor Doug Dobbins. "This is a fantastic help to us. It's that much less that we have to pay off on the 30-year bank loan. We are very grateful for this award."

Dobbins explained that the new water tower and the replacement of meters within the city was a much-needed project to upgrade the community's infrastructure.

Spillertown mayor Dustin Eldridge was ecstatic that the board funded 100% of its funding request or $262,000.

"This is absolutely fantastic news," Eldridge said. "It will most definitely ease our pain financially. Our budget will not be impacted. What this money allows us to do is purchase three new sewer lift stations to replace the three we have that were put in back in the 1990s."

Eldridge said the lift stations will be equipped with new pumps and valves, as well as a new circuit board.

"We will no longer have to keep repairing old worn out equipment," Eldridge said. "Plus, with the purchase of these new lift stations, we will be able to monitor them from our cellphones. In the event there's a problem with one of them, we can get a repairman out much quicker to cut down on our cost."

Herrin's House of Hope was granted $75,000 meeting the agency's request.

"I'm speechless. I was praying about this yesterday and got a call from the county today telling me that we had received what we had asked for - the full amount. That means a lot to our organization, community and region," said agency director John Steve.

Steve said all of the money will be used to purchase food and kitchen supplies.

"This assures that we will have enough food to feed those who visit our soup kitchen through the biggest part of next year. This is a very impactful gift."

Steve said Herrin's House of Hope will celebrate 10 full years of service to the community on Sept. 13.

Since opening in 2013, the agency has doled out more than 400,000 meals and remained open throughout the pandemic.

"There was a period of time when so many people were out of work that we were providing double meals, or about 600 a day to 300 different people," Steve said. "We were even open six days a week there for a period of time. Today, we're back to serving about 150 meals Monday through Friday."

Also receiving ARPA funding in Williamson County were:

Lake of Egypt Water District ($100,000)

Village of Pittsburg Water District ($300,000)

City of Herrin ($162,000); North Highway Water District ($235,800)

City of Carterville ($300,000); Office of the Public Defender ($90,000)

Burnside Water District ($300,000)

Williamson County Sheriff's Department ($138,000)

CASA of Williamson County ($58,000); and Children's Advocacy Center ($52,000)

In a joint statement, Commissioners Jim Marlo, Brent Gentry and Tim Atkisson said it was a pleasure to "touch as many lives as possible" through the awarding of the ARPA grants.
The United States has a 250th birthday coming up, and South Carolina is positioning itself to play a vital role in the celebration.

On July 4, 2026, the U.S. will celebrate 250 years of independence from Great Britain.

Bill Davies, whos part of the S.C. Revolutionary War Sestercentennial Commission, spoke to a small group of Calhoun County residents on Monday night about how each county can help spark interest in residents and tourists alike.

Honest to goodness, what were trying to do is hook every one of you to being part of this because we think its really important, Davies said.

The S.C. American Revolutionary War Sestercentennial Commission  or SC250 for short  along with the Liberty Trail are working to promote two goals ahead of the nations upcoming milestone.

The first goal is education. Education should always be first, Davies said.

The education we need to focus on is winning back the heritage that South Carolina had before 1860 for having a pivotal role in winning independence from Great Britain, he added.

If you read all the books before 1860, its recognized that the South is where the war was won. After that, the South got written out of the war. This is something we need to educate people on and reeducate us  all of us, not just some  school children and everybody about our role in that war, Davies said.

We also need to educate the visitors because the visitors are coming, he said.

The second goal is technically called cultural heritage tourism. What that really means is local economic development. We want to get literally hundreds of thousands of people who are going up and down our interstates, who tour our state every day. We want to get them off the highway  somewhere other than Myrtle Beach and Charleston  we want to get them to rural South Carolina. And when we get them off the highway, we want them to stop and buy gas. We want them to buy T-shirts, belts, hats and maybe a pocketknife or something. And we want them to eat lunch in our restaurants and we want them to spend the night here, Davies said.

At least 400 Revolutionary War incidents took place in South Carolina, Davies said.

He noted there were two battles each in Charleston and Camden, and everything else was out in the country.

When people go to Revolutionary War sites, they will be in rural South Carolina, he said.

Davies said tourists and residents are heading to rural areas to visit Revolutionary War sites.

In 2020, Star Fort, a national park in the Ninety-Six district of South Carolina, saw 95,107 visitors. Davies said the visitors invested an estimated $5.7 million in the state.

Cowpens National Battlefield, just outside of Chesnee, saw 227,000 visitors during 2020, bringing an estimated $14.9 million in revenue to the state.

As the state gets ready for the nations 225th birthday, each county needs to form a committee to tell of its Revolutionary War sites, contributions and other significant impacts, he said.

Once your county council recognizes you as the official Calhoun County committee, we have a $3,000 grant thats not competitive or anything else, Davies said. Weve got grants that will help you locate sites in your county. Grants that will help research history and find the place and provide the archaeology, that will help you set up the pull-offs and will help you with signage.

Davies said the SC250 Commission is focused on telling factual stories of the Revolutionary War to not only focus not only on the people who fought in battles, but capture the diversity of people who contributed to the efforts.

St. Matthews Mayor Helen Carson noted, Im happy to see this. It would be a wonderful thing for our children and grandchildren to know South Carolina played such a vital role.

Weve got to bring others to the table, to the drawing board, because thats whats going to make the horse run down the road, she said.

To learn more about South Carolinas efforts to celebrate the nations upcoming 250th birthday, visit: www.southcarolina250.com

The Liberty Trail is a free, interactive phone application that allows users to plan tours of Revolutionary War sites across South Carolina.
Kenya commences shipment of fresh avocados to Chinese market

Xinhua) 09:43, August 03, 2022

Staff members work at Sunripe factory in Limuru Town, Kiambu County, Kenya, on Aug. 2, 2022. The first batch of fresh avocados grown in Kenya and destined for the Chinese market was flagged off Tuesday at a ceremony attended by senior government officials, diplomats, and industry executives. Kenya became the first African country to export fresh avocados to China in a move set to further boost the economic ties between the two countries. (Xinhua/Dong Jianghui)

NAIROBI, Aug. 2 (Xinhua) -- The first batch of fresh avocados grown in Kenya and destined for the Chinese market was flagged off Tuesday at a ceremony attended by senior government officials, diplomats, and industry executives.

Kenya became the first African country to export fresh avocados to China in a move set to further boost the economic ties between the two countries.

David Osiany, the Chief Administrative Secretary for the Ministry of Industrialization, Trade and Enterprise Development said that by exporting fresh avocados to China, Kenya's foreign exchange earnings were set to spike and unleash economic vitality in the country.

"The export of fresh avocados to China is a monumental feat that will boost our economy and benefit key players across the avocado value chain including farmers," said Osiany.

Other dignitaries who attended the flagging-off ceremony included Zhang Yijun, Minister Counsellor at the Chinese Embassy in Kenya.

"We believe that Kenya's fresh avocados export to China has huge potential," Zhang said.

Senior officials drawn from regulatory agencies, industry leaders, and farmers' representatives graced the ceremony which set the stage for the bulk export of fresh avocados to China.

Chinese firm Greechain has inked a deal with its Kenyan counterpart, Sunripe to facilitate the shipment of fresh avocados. This has come after the two countries in January signed two protocols to foster bilateral trade in avocados and aquatic products.

Under the two protocols, Kenya received a green light to commence the export of avocados that meet phytosanitary standards set by Chinese regulators.

The General Administration of Customs of China in partnership with the Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service has been involved in certifying the safety and quality standards of avocados grown by local farmers before their export to the Asian country.

Garry Du, the Managing Director of Greechain said that thorough inspection combined with investment in advanced cold chain technology paved way for the export of Kenya's fresh avocado to China.

Kenya is among the world's top avocado producers, ranking number one last year in Africa in the export of the fruit valued for its nutritional and medicinal properties.

Benjamin Tito, the Director of the Horticultural Crops Directorate, said that in July, the country exported 11.2 million kilograms of avocado, earning 1.5 billion shillings (12.6 million U.S. dollars) to the exchequer.

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun)
Roughly one year ago, Leah Davis Lokan was mauled to death in her tent by a 4-year-old male grizzly. The tragedy made international headlines and sparked conversations about how humans and bears can coexist.

Two hundred years ago, grizzly bears dominated the Montana landscape. But today, people have taken that throne and relegated the animal to a fraction of its former range. But the bears  backed by legal protection and decades of recovery effort  have begun reasserting themselves, in some cases wandering through areas they havent been spotted in for many years. The slow expansion has led to an increase in bear conflicts that run the gamut in severity  trash can rummages, chicken coop break-ins, attacks on large livestock and fatal maulings of humans. And as both human and bear populations continue to swell, experts say the number of conflicts will grow as well.

On this episode, Missoulian Reporter Josh Murdock and Missoulian Editor Rob Chaney, discuss a recently-released report that focuses on the fatal mauling of Leah Lokan, and what the incident means for our relationship with grizzly bears in the West.

This podcast is created in partnership across five newsrooms  the Billings Gazette, the Helena Independent Record, the Missoulian, the Montana Standard and the Ravalli-Republic. You can support this podcast and our efforts by subscribing. Visit any of these newspapers websites, and click on the Become a Member button at the top of the home page. We appreciate your support of local journalism.

California woman victim of rare predatory grizzly attack A new report found that a California woman who was fatally mauled by a grizzly bear in Montana last summer was the victim of a rare predatory attack by bear that had learned to seek out human food. The Interagency Grizzly Bear Committees Board of Review concluded the bear was likely attracted to food and scents near her tent. Leah Davis Lokan of Chico was mauled in the pre-dawn hours of July 6, 2021, in Ovando. The investigation found Lokan moved some food out of her tent but two bags that previously held dried blueberries remained. The bear was shot two days later.

Griz gone: Ovando reacts to fatal attack Two steel culvert traps, each big enough to hold a riding lawnmower, sit in the campground where the tents used to be. Signs on the trees warn Closed: Bear management action in progress.

Grizzly shot, killed after fatal attack of woman in Montana The woman and her party were camped near the town's post office and museum when a grizzly bear pulled her out of her tent and killed her early Tuesday, officials said.
(TBTCO) - Thi truong chung khoan hom nay co them mot phien xanh vo o long. Ap luc ban a ro hon trong phien hom nay do khong co nhom co phieu nao noi bat dan dat, viec thi truong con giu uoc thanh qua trong phien la do luc keo tu cac co phieu tru, voi cong au en tu VIC.
Myguichet.lu now has the form necessary for businesses to request government aid around high energy prices.

There are two types of aids:

One helping to cover higher gas and electric costs for businesses that are high energy consumers;

and for businesses that are high energy consumers; One helping with higher diesel costs for businesses in freight road transport, construction and food production

Applications for specific months have to be submitted by their respective dates:

 by 30 September 2022 for the months of February to June 2022;

 by 9 December 2022 for the months of July to December 2022
The call to action is aimed both at current donors as well as new ones. The Luxembourg Red Cross stresses that a lot of blood donations are needed at the moment.

The Luxembourg Red Cross calls on residents to donate blood to prevent a shortage.

On Wednesday 3 August, the Red Cross published a statement stressing that stocks "are at their lowest". The current reserves could only supply Luxembourg's hospitals for six days, the Red Cross warns.

"Even in the middle of summer, the demand for blood products remains high: we don't stop treating the sick and injured," explained Anne Schuhmacher, medical director of the blood transfusion centre.

As a combined result of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic and the holidays, some donors are not available. "All in all, the result is simple: we have an exceptionally low stock."

The Red Cross recommends donating before going on holiday. This avoids any delay in the event of a trip to a high-risk country (tropical diseases, dengue, chikungunya, malaria, etc.).

There are several ways to give blood:

make an appointment on the dondusang.lu website

go spontaneously to the blood transfusion centre (42, boulevard Joseph II in Luxembourg City). The centre is open from 8am to 4pm on Monday, Tuesday and Friday. And from 8am to 6pm on Wednesday and Thursday.

More information by phone on 27 55 4000.
Wyomings Emergency Rental Assistance Program  which uses federal relief money to help tenants struggling to pay their rent  has streamlined part of its application process for landlords.

The program now uses DocuSign, an online document management service, to keep landlords in the loop when tenants have their rental assistance extended.

The change follows complaints from tenants and landlords about application snags and spotty communication from the Department of Family Services, the state agency running the program.

Most tenants who apply to ERAP use it to cover their rent. Those tenants  and their landlords  each fill out applications on the Department of Family Services website. (Tenants can also apply for help with utilities and moving costs.)

Both parties can keep tabs on the progress of their applications online. Once they are approved, the Department of Family Services sends a check to the landlord reimbursing the tenants rent.

But federal regulations require tenants to reapply for ERAP money every three months. They can get up to 18 months of assistance.

Landlords werent originally notified when their tenants applied to extend their ERAP. They expressed frustrations with little to no communication during the extension process, Rachel Girt, a contracted spokesperson for the program, said in an email.

The new platform also gives landlords the chance to opt out of ERAP extensions, Girt said in the email.

If a landlord refuses to participate in ERAP, the tenant can still get rental assistance  the agency just sends the check to the tenant instead.

ERAP launched in spring of 2021. Its currently funded by the American Rescue Plan of 2021, which President Joe Biden signed into law last year.

Due to its nature as an emergency assistance program, Department of Family Services didnt have much time to plan for ERAP  which the agency has said contributed to some of the hiccups in its application process.

The program has smoothed out since its start last year, applicants told the Star-Tribune in April. But mistakes as simple as typos in addresses or photocopies of documents being too dark could still cause applications to stall for weeks, they said.

Anyone with questions about applications can reach out to the Department of Family Services hotline, 1-877-WYO-ERAP.

The programs also launched an email address where landlords can direct questions about the program, erap-landlord@wyo.gov.

The Department of Family Services also sends out ERAP updates and application tips in a weekly newsletter. To subscribe, visit the agencys website.

As of Friday, ERAP has provided about $47 million in assistance to Wyoming residents  including $37 million paid directly to landlords, $6.8 million to renters, $2.8 million to utilities companies and $11,000 to reimburse moving costs, according to the Department of Family Services website.

Under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, Wyoming has access to up to $152 million in federal rental assistance. That money is set to expire in 2025.
Former Secretary of State Max Maxfield has filed a federal complaint against Rep. Chuck Gray, R-Casper, whos currently running to be Wyomings next secretary of state.

The complaint stems from financial disclosures that Gray made when he was a candidate in the states U.S. House race (he dropped out of that race nearly a year ago).

The complaint, submitted to the Federal Elections Commission on Tuesday, alleges that loans Gray reported as being made to the campaign by himself were actually not funded by the candidate, therefore violating federal campaign-finance law.

Maxfield states in the complaint that because Gray only listed roughly $10,000 of earned income in 2021 and the first few months of 2022, loans that amount to nearly $300,000 must have come from another source, not Gray himself.

It is highly unlikely that an individual with no notable assets and income levels far below the poverty level could have the cash on hand to loan himself nearly $300,000, the complaint reads.

Gray also reported receiving $100,000 from his father, Jan Charles Gray, whose mailing address was listed as Custer, South Dakota, through a donation to a political action committee  Protect Wyoming Values PAC  supporting the state representatives bid for Congress. The elder Grays hefty donation was the only contribution listed.

It is far more likely that, just like the Protect Wyoming Values PAC, the $300,000 allegedly loaned to the campaign by Mr. Charles Gray was actually a donation from his father Mr. Jan Charles Gray in violation of federal campaign laws.

Gray is running as somewhat of a 2020 election denier, without outright saying that it was stolen for President Joe Biden. Gray frequently homes in on banning ballot drop boxes, which have become a target after the movie 2000 Mules was released, a film that unsuccessfully claims to demonstrate widespread voter fraud in the 2020 presidential election. Gray has also sponsored numerous showings of the movie throughout Wyoming while on the campaign trail.

This frivolous filing is just liberal insiders who are trying to get Tara Nethercott elected working with the dishonest media at the Star Tribune to distract from Nethercotts record, Gray said in a statement to the Star-Tribune.

Gray refused to comment about the source of the nearly $300,000 in loans, simply resending his earlier one-sentence statement.

Grays main opponent in the race is Sen. Tara Nethercott, R-Cheyenne, who Maxfield has endorsed.

I just think its an issue of fairness and being straightforward in your reports, Maxfield told the Star-Tribune. Coming from my time in the secretary of states office, I strongly support that.

Maxfield has also not been shy about his opposition to Grays secretary of state candidacy.

I think thats dangerous to be secretary of state and come in with such a viewpoint like that, Maxfield previously told the Star-Tribune. Its ludicrous. Its hard to believe that he would want to be the chief election officer of the state while denying that elections are legitimate and I havent seen any problems in Wyoming.

Despite the timing of the federal complaint, Maxfield denied it had anything to do with his opposition to Grays candidacy.

Gray also alleges that his opponent may have broken the rules, too.

Nethercott has also not put the paid for line in her signs and there have been meetings with the Secretary of States office to begin investigation on that, he said.

Nethercott did not immediately respond to request for comment Tuesday.

If the FEC finds that a violation occurred, possible outcomes can range from a letter reiterating compliance obligations to a conciliation agreement, which may include a monetary civil penalty.

The filing comes exactly two weeks before the Aug. 16 Republican primary.
The North and Northeast entrances to Yellowstone National Park are expected to reopen to the public in mid-October after suffering damage during a 500-year flood event, officials said Wednesday.

Just over a week after the June 13 flood, the park restored access to all three southern entrances. A month and a half later, 93% of roads and 94% of the backcountry are navigable again. Visitors are currently allowed to enter the two northern entrances only on foot, bicycles and horseback.

Temporary projects are ongoing near both entrances in an effort to reconnect both gateway towns and minimize the closures economic harm. Theyre being funded primarily by $65 million in emergency relief authorized by the U.S. Department of Transportation.

The federal government wants to be extremely responsive following extreme weather events like the flooding in Yellowstone, Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg told the Western Governors Association last week.

Permanent repairs to the roads are also in the works, but will likely take years to complete, the park said in a press release. Funding for those efforts has yet to be announced.

The park asks the public to understand the differences in timelines between short-term construction solutions that will reopen the North Entrance and Northeast Entrance roads to the public later this year, and the long-term reconstruction efforts that will take place over the upcoming years, the press release said.

At the North Entrance, between Mammoth Hot Springs and Gardiner, Montana, the park is working to widen and stabilize the formerly one-lane, unpaved Old Gardiner Road for temporary use. A second lane has already been added to about 1.5 miles of the 4-mile road. Its on track to be passable for regular traffic by Oct. 15, according to the park.

This road will be used as the primary access route until a permanent reconstruction option is completed in upcoming years, the park said. Upgrades will continue as weather allows after regular travel resumes.

Portions of the main road to the North Entrance remain washed out and unnavigable. The National Park Service and the Federal Highway Administration are still evaluating their permanent options, factoring in cost, efficiency, visual and environmental impacts and proximity to undamaged parts of the road, as well as their future roads ability to withstand future natural disasters exacerbated by climate change.

The road linking Tower Junction to Cooke City, Montana, was damaged in five places between Slough Creek and Barronette Meadows, the park said. It expects the road to also be accessible by Oct. 15.

Like on Old Gardiner Road, the park anticipates making additional improvements to the Northeast Entrance Road after that date. Its still assessing potential long-term alternatives.

Officials will issue additional updates, including re-openings, construction timelines and opportunities for public comment, as temporary repairs continue and final decisions are made.
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.
DETROIT (AP)  State Rep. Shri Thanedar won Michigans 13th Congressional Democratic primary, topping a field of nine candidates in a district that covers most of Detroit and potentially leaving the predominantly Black city next term without Black representation in Congress for the first time since the early 1950s.

Results from Tuesdays election show Thanedar, an immigrant from India, defeating state Rep. Adam Hollier and attorney Portia Roberson. Martell Bivings, who is Black, ran unopposed in Tuesdays Republican primary for the 13th District, but is a longshot to win the general election in the heavily Democratic district.

Detroit has not been without a Black representative in Congress since before Charles Diggs Jr. took office in 1955. Diggs was joined in Congress in 1965 by Democrat John Conyers, who retained his congressional seat for more than 50 years.

Detroit is about 80% Black and all of the other candidates in the primary were Black.

This race was not about me, Thanedar said in a statement Wednesday. Michigans 13th Congressional district is one of the poorest in the country, and I will fight for economic and racial justice in Congress.

The 13th District  redrawn through redistricting after Michigan lost a seat following the census  is currently represented by Democrat Rashida Tlaib, who ran in the redrawn 12th Congressional District and won Tuesday.

The Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission in January finalized the U.S. House and legislative maps that will last 10 years. The plans are fairer politically to Democrats but have drawn criticism from Black legislators and the states civil rights department because they slash the number of seats where African Americans account for a majority of the voting-age population.

A federal lawsuit subsequently filed on behalf of a group of current and former Black state lawmakers in Detroit seeks to block the newly drawn districts, contending they illegally dilute the voting strength of African Americans. Thanedars victory confirms that claim, according to Nabih Ayad, an attorney for the group.

The suit alleges violations of the U.S. Voting Rights Act and the Michigan Constitution. The No. 1 map-drawing criteria for the panel was to comply with the 1965 law, which bans discriminatory voting practices and procedures.

Weve been alleging this all along, that it will take a miracle for some of these individuals to win, Ayad said Wednesday. This is no surprise. Why should they be the sacrificial lambs. It's a very, very sad day for the African American power base that worked for decades to get where they are.

Former state Rep. Sherry Gay-Dagnogo has been vocal against the redrawn districts and was one of the candidates who failed to advance in the Democratic 13th Congressional District primary Tuesday.

"At a time when the Black community is reeling from a rollback of voting rights and Black women  who already face inequity with maternal health and barriers to safe abortion care  deal with the impact of the Roe v. Wade reversal, Black representation in Congress for Michigan and for Detroit matters now more than ever, Roberson said Wednesday. Many people woke up this morning justifiably concerned.

University of Michigan political science professor Ken Kollman said the crowded field of candidates, and a lack of coordination in the district and among groups of voters, may have been major factors in Thanedar's win.

I would assume to many voters in Detroit it's a big deal and I'm sure it is something that's a big disappointment for many voters in Detroit, Kollman said of the possibility of the city having no Black voices in Congress. Whether it will lead to different representation on substance or issues depends a lot on how the particular people who represent Detroit act in Congress.

Detroit members of Congress have been very important and active in things like the Congressional Black Caucus, and very visible Black leaders in the country, he added.

Roberson said there would be talk about Black candidates dividing the vote in the primary, and that the political establishment had tried to "manufacture a consensus African American candidate.

The first step in having a consensus candidate is picking the most qualified candidate, she said. That did not happen in this race.

Thanedar, an entrepreneur, moved to Detroit from Ann Arbor and was elected in 2020 to Michigan's 3rd House District. He spent more than $10 million of his own money to run for governor in 2018 but finished third that year in the Democratic primary. Thanedars campaign website says he contributed $5,040,404 to his campaign for Tuesday's race.

The story has been corrected to say Rashida Tlaib represents the 13th Congressional District, not Brenda Lawrence.
Political newcomer Nancy Gutierrez and incumbent Chris Mathis were leading in the Democratic primary in unofficial results late Tuesday night to represent the party in the Arizona House Legislative District 18 in the Nov. 8 general election.

Gutierrez is a teacher and has taught in Paradise Valley, Sierra Vista and since 2013 has taught yoga at Tucson High Magnet School. Her campaign worked "to ensure that Arizona puts public education, teachers, staff and students as a priority." She supports reproductive freedom and care for all women, and is a sensible gun candidate who believes guns should never be allowed on any campus, and loopholes must be closed for sales at gun shows.

Mathis was appointed in December to represent District 9 after Rep. Randall Friese resigned. Mathis is a practicing attorney who teaches health care law at the University of Arizona law school. He campaigned as a legislator to fight back to protect voting rights, womens reproductive rights, and fully fund public schools.

Gutierrez was leading with 34% and Mathis had 22% of the vote.

The other three Democratic candidates are Nathan Davis with 20%, Kat Stratford with 20% and Charles "Charlie" Verdin trailing with 4%.

Davis is a Tucson Unified School District teacher, who left the classroom a year ago and now is filling in as a substitute teacher, so he can run his familys small interior and design business. He campaigned to reinvest in public education; support workers rights and our small, local businesses; fight for bills that combat climate change; and protect legal abortion care in Arizona.

Stratford works as a political consultant and field organizer. She campaigned on protecting the environment, voting rights and reproductive rights.

Verdin is the owner of Fangamer, a local video game merchandising company. He campaigned to support teachers with pay increases and investing in education for students who will become the future workers, innovators and entrepreneurs.

District 18 covers the Catalina Foothills, Casas Adobes and a swath of Tucson north of Broadway, east of Country Club Road and west of Camino Seco.
Democratic candidates Consuelo Hernandez and Stephanie Stahl Hamilton were leading in Arizona House Legislative District 21 in unofficial primary election results late Tuesday night.

The two candidates, Hernandez with 46% of the vote and Hamilton with 33%, have strong leads over Akanni "Oye" Oyegbola, a third Democratic candidate with 21%. The three candidates are from Tucson.

Hernandez serves as president of the Sunnyside Unified School District Governing Board and campaigned on her commitment "to restoring funding for education, rebuilding Arizona's economy, and investing in infrastructure and renewable energy."

Hamilton is an ordained minister and serves as parish associate at St. Mark's Presbyterian Church. She was elected in 2020 as a state representative, and last October she was appointed to replace District 10 Sen. Kirsten Engel who resigned to run for Congress. As a result of redistricting, she is running in District 21 as a representative instead of the state senate. She has campaigned to fully fund education, protect the environment, and access to reproductive health care and contraception.

Oyegbola has served as acting mayor of the city of South Tucson, as a council member and also served on several committees for the city, having six years of government experience. Oyegbola is originally from Lagos, Nigeria, and was raised in Washington, D.C. He supports teacher raises, a well-funded educational system, and affordable, quality health care.

District 21 encompasses western Pima County, about half of Santa Cruz County and the city of Bisbee in Cochise County.
Pima Countys primary election wrapped up Tuesday with only a few minor problems reported throughout the day, county officials said.

Vote centers experienced an hour-long delay in casting provisional ballots without the proper envelopes needed for the ballots to be cast, while two ballot-on-demand printers experienced technical issues, according to Pima County Communications Director Mark Evans.

Voters who cast provisional ballots between 7-8 a.m. were directed to return later and the correct envelopes were received by 8 a.m., Evans said. He said the missing envelopes were an oversight and did not know how many provisional voters had been directed to come back later.

Of the 197 new ballot printers deployed Tuesday, two experienced technical issues  one printer went offline and another had issues with its ink cartridge. Both were replaced with backup printers with no delay at all, Evans said.

Tuesdays election marked the countys debut of e-pollbooks and voting centers, where poll workers check in voters with an iPad, or e-pollbook, that scans voters IDs and confirms their eligibility to vote. The e-pollbook then sends a ballot specific to each voter to a ballot-on-demand printer.

The new voting model also replaces the precinct-based polling system where voters were required to vote at the location assigned to them based on their residence. Pima County voters could show up at any of 129 vote centers across the county to cast a ballot on Aug. 2 regardless of the precinct they live in.

A total of 136,108 votes were counted in the first drop of unofficial results Tuesday night, resulting in a voter turnout of about 22%. The number of ballots left to be counted likely wont be known until Thursday morning.

For the most part, most voters were able to check in and get their ballot and vote with no problem whatsoever. We thought it went very smoothly today, Evans said. So you know, we plan for the worst. And we didn't come anywhere near those issues.

The county plans to course-correct for the general election on Nov. 8 by reviewing issues poll workers ran into Tuesday.

We're definitely going to do a post-mortem on this, get together and say, Okay, where were the hiccups, where are things we could improve our communications? Evan said. We expect November to go much, much better, not that today was all that bumpy. But for the little things that happened, we believe those won't be repeated in November.
Republican candidates Rachel Jones and Cory McGarr were leading the Arizona House Legislative District 17 primary race in unofficial results late Tuesday night.

Jones, of Tucson, was leading with 23.72 % of the vote. She is a former teacher and business executive who campaigned on supporting "low taxes, the right to bear arms and small government" saying that is what has made Arizona great. She said Arizona values are under attack and is against vaccine mandates, critical race theory and believes "the Socialist Democrats in Phoenix are threatening our rights, families and very way of life."

Jones says she is part of the Arizona Freedom Team, candidates who are conservative fighters in LD17, including fellow nominee McGarr. McGarr, of Marana, was closely behind Jones with 23.16 % of the vote. He is district manager of a Tucson pest control business. He is involved with anti-abortion organizations and his platform includes running for the state House to fix the broken election system, to eliminate fraud and to ensure that something like the 2020 election never happens again. McGarr says Im a rock-solid defender of the Second Amendment.

Both had leads over Tucson Republican nominees Anna Orth, who had 20.23%; Kirk Fiehler, who had 19.02%; and Sherrylyn Young, who trailed with 13.88%, in early unofficial results.

Orth has a real estate license, and is a longtime business owner, most recently working as an organizational behavior consultant. She advocates strong and effective conservative leadership to defend our constitutional rights and freedoms.

Fiehler is a constitutional conservative who grew up in Scottsdale and has worked in corporate business for more than 30 years. Currently, he is district manager for Jackson Hewitt Tax Service in southern Arizona.

Young is a retired OB-GYN physician who ran a small medical practice. She is a serious constitutional conservative, with experience in education, health care, and business.

District 17 includes much of the northwest side, the far eastside and the Rita Ranch area.
A close race is shaping up in Arizona Senate District 17 between two Republican primary hopefuls who were less than 200 votes apart when the first batch of election results was released, preliminary data show

With about 16,000 votes counted, candidate Justine Wadsack had 37% support, followed by 36% for Vince Leach, who is seeking a third Senate term. A third candidate, Robert Barr, was in third place with 27% support.

The newly created District 17 encompasses much of Tucson's northwest side, the far east side and the Rita Ranch area.

Wadsack, 48, of Tucson, a licensed real estate agent, is making her second attempt at a state Senate seat after losing in 2020 in District 10. Wadsack took part in storming a Vail School District board meeting last year to protest face mask requirements for students during the pandemic. Her campaign website arizonafreedomteam.com says she supports improved border security, a ban on critical race theory and an anti-abortion law that says life begins at conception.

Leach, 73, of Tucson, served two terms as a member of the Arizona House of Representatives before becoming a state senator. He holds a bachelors degrees in history and political science from the University of Wisconsin at St. Point and worked in sales and business management for more than 35 years. Leach says he has worked to increase education funding in the state and promoted reforms to improve student achievement. He has pushed unsuccessfully for measures to reduce the availability of medical marijuana.

Robert Barr, 52, of Tucson owns and operates several investment firms and favors reduced regulations for small businesses. His candidate website barr4az.com says Americans should be free to choose their own lives especially in matters involving health and education. Barr supports school choice and is anti-abortion, and said if elected he would work to ensure tax dollars are not spent on abortion or other controversial medical procedures.
PHOENIX  An Arizona lawmaker who embraces election conspiracies and was endorsed by former President Donald Trump won the Republican primary Tuesday for the top elections post in the presidential battleground.

Mark Finchem beat out three other GOP candidates in the race for secretary of state. His challengers included another candidate who repeated Trumps false claims that he lost the 2020 presidential election because of fraud, a longtime state lawmaker and a businessman endorsed by Republican Gov. Doug Ducey.

Democrats and election security advocates warned that a victory for Finchem in the November general election will be dangerous for democracy.

Finchem, who attended Trumps Jan. 6, 2021, rally that preceded the violent assault on the U.S. Capitol, has said he only intends to ensure that election laws are followed to address concerns by many Republicans about how elections are run. Still, he tried to get the Legislature to overturn the 2020 election results and has spoken about making major changes to election rules that are written by the secretary.

Arizona's was the most high-profile secretary of state's race in Tuesday's primaries. In Kansas, the top state elections official beat back a far-right challenger who promoted conspiracy theories, while in Washington voters were choosing from a mix of Democrats, Republicans and unaffiliated candidates in that states top-two primary.

The GOP primary elections for secretary of state are the latest this year to feature candidates who doubt the security of their states' elections despite the lack of evidence of any problems widespread enough to change the results. Republican voters elsewhere have split on sending those candidates to the November ballot.

The Democratic candidates in all three states reject the premise of a stolen 2020 presidential election and warn that victories in November by any of those who promote conspiracies would endanger free and fair elections. In all three states, the secretary of state is the top election official.

Finchem tried this year to get the Republican-controlled Legislature to notify Congress that Arizona wanted to decertify Democrat Joe Bidens election win. He won Trump's endorsement and said in a recent interview that worries about the effect of his potential victory on free and fair elections are unfounded. He said he will just enforce laws as written.

I think its interesting that there are people, particularly Democrats out there, claiming: Oh, hes going to ruin the system. Hes going to do this, hes a threat to democracy,' Finchem said. Still, he contends tens of thousands of fake ballots led to Biden's win, a claim for which there is no credible evidence.

The other Republican who backed Trumps claims also is a member of the Arizona House. Rep. Shawnna Bolick introduced a bill last year that would allow a simple majority of the Legislature to overturn presidential election results.

The other Republicans on Arizonas ballot were state Sen. Michelle Ugenti-Rita, who acknowledges Bidens victory but has worked for a decade to tighten election laws, and businessman Beau Lane, who was backed by the governor.
Pima County Supervisors took action Tuesday to put gun control measures into the hands of local jurisdictions.

The Board of Supervisors voted 3-2 to call on the Arizona Legislature to repeal a law that bars local governments from adopting rules restricting gun use and direct the Pima County Attorneys office to assess a potential legal challenge.

ARS 13-3108 has been the main hurdle in the way of the county requiring private gun sellers to run background checks at gun shows on the Pima County Fairgrounds, where unlicensed dealers can anonymously sell guns without conducting background checks on purchasers.

It is wrong, due to the existence of this statute, for state government to stand in the way of local governments who seek to take action to address mounting public concerns about gun safety, gun violence and the need for common sense gun regulations, Supervisor Rex Scott, who proposed the motion, said at the meeting. If the people who represent us in Phoenix do not act to repeal this statute, we will see them in court.

A potential legal challenge

The board adopted a resolution in December 2019 to call on the U.S. Senate to approve a bill requiring background checks on all private firearms sales, including those at gun shows. Tuesdays resolution, however, gives specific direction to the county attorney to analyze potential legal challenges to the states law prohibiting the county from taking on its own gun reform measures.

The resolution asks the county attorneys office to look into how the countys authority as a public health agency could create a legal argument in its ability to enforce regulations necessary for the public health and safety of the inhabitants, per another state statute, the resolution says.

Pima County Attorney Laura Conovers office has a little over three months to come back to the board with legal options by Nov. 15.

With the state law standing in the way of county gun reform measures, Scott decided it was best to take on the hurdle itself instead of finding ways to work around it.

Because of those situations, it then became apparent to me that the only logical course of action was to try and take on the statute and to try and take it on politically, he said. What Ive heard from Ms. Conover and her team is that theyre going to look at every possible strategy that we can use if we decide to challenge the statute legally.

However, the board also voted Tuesday to release previously attorney-client privileged memos about the countys authority to cut contractual ties with gun show operators.

In one of the memos, Samuel Brown, the county attorneys offices chief civil deputy, told supervisors that the prospects for success if the county were to challenge Arizona statutes preempting local governments are not high.

Even though the County has broad public health authority, this specific statute (section 13-3108) likely preempts County action, Brown wrote, later adding, The County would need to show that the statute is unconstitutional, and we have yet to identify a viable argument to challenge its constitutionality.

Two supervisors opposed

Board Chair Sharon Bronson said she wouldnt support Scotts motion and that action against gun violence needs to start with the federal government.

I think (the motion) has unintended consequences, I think it will directly impact our state shared revenue and I think its too broad in its scope, she said.

Any rules local governments adopt in violation of the state law could result in a civil penalty of up to $50,000 and actual damages up to $100,000. Plus, the states attorney general could rescind the millions of dollars in state aid the county receives from shared revenues if a violation of state law is found.

Supervisor Steve Christy, the other dissenting vote, called the portion of Scotts motion citing public health concerns a ham-fisted deception and said it puts all gun ownership rights at risk.

Why couldnt Supervisor Scott just be honest and state the truth? Through his resolution presented before us today, Supervisor Scott wants to take away everyones guns, Christy said.

Scott said Christys comments are unfounded and that he has no intentions to completely strip Second Amendment rights.

That kind of rhetoric and tactics are familiar to anybody in this country who has called for common sense gun regulations, because anytime something like what Im discussing today is brought up, immediately folks like my colleague from District Four will say that we are coming after the Second Amendment in total  That is nonsense, Scott said.

The supervisor said although Arizonas legislature has historically rejected gun reform measures, he thinks his bid to give the county control could be successful.

This country leads the world in every gun violence statistic that you can find, and our public, the people who put us in office, expect us to deal with this issue, Scott said. So if the legislature is not going to lead on this issue, they need to get out of the way of local governments that would like to take some purposeful action to protect our people.
El Jefe, the adult male jaguar repeatedly photographed in the Santa Rita and Whetstone mountains years ago, has turned up again in central Sonora, conservationists say.

Two photos of a jaguar the groups say is the cat known around Tucson as El Jefe, were captured in November 2021 by the Mexican nonprofit group Profauna, a conservation group announced in a news release Wednesday. It took some time after that to confirm that the photos were of El Jefe. But a biologist working for the Tucson-based Northern Jaguar Project said in the release that shes convinced theyre of the same animal that was photographed near Tucson from 2012 through 2015.

That conclusion came from visual analysis and software analysis of spot patterns of photographs, said Juan Carlos Bravo, Conservation Programs Director of the Wildlands Network. This would be the first time El Jefes location has been publicly confirmed since the cat was last photographed in the Santa Ritas.

The photos were actually very distinctive, because over the years, the Northern Jaguar Project has accumulated so many photos of jaguars in the region, said Bravo of the group that runs a major jaguar preserve in a sparsely populated area of Sonora, about 120 miles east of Hermosillo.

Bravo declined to disclose the mountain range in which the jaguar was photographed. He said only that the location was in Central Sonora, more than 120 miles south of the Santa Ritas and more than 100 miles south of the U.S.-Mexico border.

Were not releasing that information right now for the sake of the jaguar, until the partner who got the picture feels comfortable about it, Bravo said.

These photos demonstrate the ability of jaguars to repatriate their historic range, the Wildlands Network said in the news release. Its at least the second adult male jaguar known to have been photographed on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border since 1996. The other was Macho B, who was photographed in 1996 and again in 2008 and 2009 before being captured and subsequently euthanized in the winter of 2009.

El Jefe, believed to be at least 12 years old, is the third oldest jaguar known to have lived in Sonora, conservationists said. Macho B lived at least 14 years. A third male, Zapatos, was photographed in 2008, 2010 and in 2018 and 2019 in various places. He was believed to be at least 13 at the time, but its not known if hes still alive.

The new photos were taken as part of a coordinated project known as the Borderlands Linkages Initiative. The initiative involves eight conservation groups in the U.S. and Mexico, led by the the Wildlands Network, a Salt Lake City-based, international group. The initiatives goal is to protect the northernmost corridors of jaguar habitat through coordinated landowner outreach and wildlife monitoring, the news release said.

The effort involves more than 150, motion-sensitive cameras employed to track wildlife across Sonora. Because the groups got so many photos from that many cameras, it took a considerable time to determine the two photos were of El Jefe, the groups said. Also, the logistics of the places were monitoring are exceptionally difficult. Bravo said.

Software used by the conservation groups compared these two photos with over 2,400 pictures of jaguars representing 176 individuals over 20 years, Bravo said.

When our software showed a 100% match with El Jefe, I was skeptical, but after making a detailed visual revision, skepticism gave way to surprise and then excitement, said Carmina Gutierrez-Gonzalez, research coordinator for the Tucson-based Northern Jaguar Project, in the news release. There is no doubt this is the same animal photographed in Arizona.

The Star contacted the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Arizona Game and Fish Department and two University of Arizona wildlife researchers who have monitored jaguars to seek confirmation of the conservationists conclusions. Wildlife Service officials said they had no one available with expertise in reviewing jaguar spots.

Susan Malusa, a research biologist for UAs Jaguar Project, said she and a team of experts will review the new photos.

Game and Fish looked at the photos and agreed that it is the same jaguar that roamed here, Mark Hart, a Game and Fish spokesman in Tucson, said Wednesday afternoon.

El Jefe was first photographed in Arizona in November 2011 in the Whetstones near Benson by a mountain lion hunter. Later that month, the U.S. Border Patrol disclosed that one of its agents had briefly spotted a jaguar from a helicopter in the Santa Ritas in June 2011. It was later determined that was the same jaguar found in the Whetstones.

From 2012 through 2015, the same jaguar was repeatedly photographed in the Santa Ritas, at times within a half-mile of the site of the proposed Rosemont Mine and in federally designated jaguar critical habitat. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service later determined in a formal biological opinion that the mines presence wouldnt destroy or severely modify the jaguar critical habitat. That decision helped clear the way for the mines eventual approval by the U.S. Forest Service in 2017.

But U.S. District Judge James Soto overturned that decision in February 2021 and ordered the wildlife service to revisit that issue. That ruling added to delays in the project caused by a previous ruling by the same judge  a ruling upheld in May 2022 by the federal 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.

Speaking of the jaguars ability to repatriate U.S. habitat from Mexico, Bravo said three gaps exist in the U.S.-Mexican border wall in Arizona through which a jaguar could possibly pass. One is in the Pajarito Mountains, leading to the Atascoasa and Baboquivari Mountains where Macho B was photographed regularly prior to his capture.

Another potential pathway would be in the Patagonia Mountains, lying south of the Santa Ritas. A third lies in the San Rafael Valley farther south, assuming he could cross a vehicle barrier at the U.S.-Mexican border in that area, Bravo said.

Based on what has been learned about how far jaguars can move, it is within the realm of possibility that El Jefe could someday return to Arizona, Bravo said.

His Sonoran presence means that jaguars in central Sonora can make it all the way to designated critical habitat in Arizona. Theres no question about the capacity of individual animals to make that kind of travel, Bravo said. Macho B also traveled extensively in Southern Arizona and Sonora.

But we dont have enough information to say the likelihood that that will happen, with El Jefe, he said.
Remember when election day really felt like a festival of democracy?

There was a buzz of excitement at polling places. There was a feeling that, win or lose, we were all taking part in something important and affirming together.

The days of the festival of democracy are over.

And it isnt just mail-in balloting that sapped the excitement.

Its the deep suspicion, fear and rage that characterize American politics now. Mail-in voting reduced the significance of Election Day, and fraternal hatred has killed the thrill.

I thought of that while Star photographer Mamta Popat and I visited three Tucson-area polling places early Tuesday. Voters drifted in and out, mostly dropping off early ballots they had received in the mail, but also using the countys new voting-center system that allows a voters individual ballot to be printed at the polling site.

People were happy to talk, and among the dozen or so we spoke with, they reported no significant problems with voting. But they were worried about each other  specifically, about their rivals on the other side of our great political divide.

Some Democrats feared Republicans would try to intimidate voters.

At Donaldson Elementary School, near North La Cholla and West Ina roads, Democrat John Mallie said: I was a little nervous coming here. I didnt know who might approach.

He told me he remembers the more festive election days.

I dont feel that anymore.

At Church of the Painted Hills, on far West Speedway, Popat was standing outside the 75-foot limit with her camera hanging around her neck when Rodolfo and Cecilia Gallego pulled up. Rodolfo Gallego yelled something about feeling intimidated by her. She was mystified.

Later, I spoke with them and got context for Gallegos comment, which his wife said was a joke.

Asked about his feelings this election, Gallego said: Its more of an angry feeling with the Republican Party. Im unhappy with the fact that theres an effort to discredit the American voting system.

Back at Donaldson Elementary, I heard a good bit about how the Democratic Party is supposedly facilitating a communist takeover of the United States.

Jerry and Sandy Trout, Republicans in their 80s, told me that their votes were not counted in the 2020 election and neither were the votes of other Trump supporters they knew. They said they learned this from someone they met who worked at Pima County.

Sandy Trout said she was hoping for a big red wave this year.

Added Jerry Trout, If we dont get a change in this country, were headed for becoming a socialist country.

When I asked how that would happen, the mechanics were vague, but it definitely involved electing members of the Democratic party, which he termed a socialist/Communist party.

Bob Rosenberg, who was waving a sign supporting Jim Lamon for U.S. Senate outside Donaldson school, felt similarly worried about the United States being destroyed by communists.

The country has gone totally the wrong way, he said. If we (Republicans) can get the Senate back, we can do a lot to put a lid on Bidens wrong-thinking governance.

I encountered cooler heads, too, at the polls  people less worried about the stakes of this and the coming general election.

When I asked Eva Pena why she felt this election was important, she attributed it to growing deeper into adulthood and seeing the effects of her vote, not necessarily her perceptions of the opposition.

Maybe because Im older now, I see the impact, she said outside the west-side church.

And Heather Charles, a voter outside the Knights of Columbus Hall at 601 S. Tucson Blvd., said that her concerns were as much with the perceived ineptitude of the Democratic Party  her party  in promoting its candidates, as with fear of the more extreme Republicans winning the primary.

At the end of the day, she said, I wouldnt be worried about Karrin Taylor Robson if that Republican won the governorship. She said it would likely be more of the same we have now.

But overall, the feeling was one of unease with the other side  certainly not excitement and affirmation as it used to be.

We are too scared of what our fellow Americans in the rival camp might do to take much pleasure in the process these days.

Tim Steller's column: Beware of sheriffs inserting themselves into election issues For Star subscribers: Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb, a raw partisan, wants to insert sheriffs into election investigations.

Tim Steller's column: Double-murder unsolved anew as prosecutors review cases For Star subscribers: The Pima County Attorney's Office review of old cases and asking them to be rebuilt demands a lot from investigators and witnesses.

Tim Steller's column: Political use of Jan. 8 shooting feels stale, painful Daniel Hernandez has led with the most memorable part of his biography in the videos for this campaign for Congress  his heroism on Jan. 8, 2011. It would be nice to see him move on.
HINDMAN, Ky. (AP)  Withering heat was descending on a region of eastern Kentucky already reeling from massive flooding, forcing residents laboring to clean up after the deluge to cope with an oppressive new threat.

The grim task of cleaning up from the flooding continued, but rising heat and humidity prompted officials to open cooling centers Tuesday as forecasters warned of the risk of heat-related illnesses and some residents remained without power.

In Knott County, Kirsten Gomez said her flood-ravaged doublewide trailer was being gutted by her husband and cousin. They were stripping drywall, flooring and cabinets ruined by floodwaters from nearby Troublesome Creek that engulfed their home early last Thursday.

It is so miserable. The humidity is so high, it takes your breath," Gomez said Tuesday. "Your clothes stick to you. Your hair sticks to you. This mud is caked on you.

"But Im just blessed that we dont have rain anymore.

The blast of heat and humidity comes as some residents try to salvage what they can, and as search-and-rescue crews continued looking for people unaccounted for days since the floods hit.

Extreme heat, extreme humidity, thats stressful in itself," said Jerry Stacy, the emergency management director in hard-hit Perry County, Kentucky. Were just fighting through this and hoping that this weather dont make it too stressful. It dont get a lot worse than what it is.

A heat advisory was issued for flood-ravaged regions of eastern Kentucky from midday Wednesday until Thursday evening, with heat index readings expected to approach triple digits, the National Weather Service said.

Weve got to make sure that those that are vulnerable either have a cool place with family ... or that we get them to cooling stations," Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said Tuesday. We didnt make it through the worst flooding that we have ever seen in our lifetime to lose somebody now in the heat."

The death toll stood at 37 on Tuesday after more bodies were found Monday in the devastated landscape, and while more than 1,300 people have been rescued, crews were still trying to reach some people who remain cut off by floods or mudslides.

It is absolutely devastating out there," Beshear said. "Its going to take years to rebuild. People left with absolutely nothing. Homes that we dont know where they are, just entirely gone. And we continue to find bodies of our brothers and sisters that we have lost.

On a positive note, Beshear said most of the people reported as missing to Kentucky State Police had been found and that cellphone service had been restored though much of the region.

In Perry County, Kentucky, search and rescue teams scouring debris-littered creek banks were expected to wind up their work by Wednesday, Stacy said.

The historic flooding that inundated communities in eastern Kentucky also hit areas just across the state line in Virginia and West Virginia, where some people also remained without power.

Beshear said about 7,500 power outages remained in eastern Kentucky as of Tuesday afternoon.

Meanwhile, he warned Kentuckians to be mindful of the heat as the cleanup continues.

I know you may be out there working to salvage whatever you can. But be really careful Wednesday and Thursday when it gets hot, he said. "Were bringing in water by the truckloads. Were going to make sure we have enough for you. But youre going to need a cool place at least to take a break.

For hundreds of people whose homes were damaged or destroyed, that place was an emergency shelter. As of Tuesday, nearly 430 people were staying at 11 such shelters, and 191 more were being housed temporarily in state parks, Beshear said.

Meanwhile, the flooding has forced some eastern Kentucky districts to delay the start of school. Several schools in the region were damaged, officials said, and the focus now is on helping families whose homes were damaged or destroyed.

Just that in and of itself is going to take time before we can even start the conversation with the community about where kids are going to go to school, said John Jett, superintendent in Perry County, where classes were supposed to start Aug. 11 but have been delayed.

Two of the Perry County districts nine schools suffered severe damage and one will likely have to be rebuilt because of a partial collapse, he said.

In Knott County, Superintendent Brent Hoover said classes would be delayed until the district can assess damage at the high school, an elementary school and the technology center. In Letcher County, Superintendent Denise Yonts said six of the districts 10 schools were damaged by flooding and two staff members died. The district is committed to getting students back into classrooms as soon as possible to restore some sense of normalcy, she said.

Our community as a whole is devastated, Yonts said.

President Joe Biden declared a federal disaster to direct relief money to counties flooded after 8 to 10 1/2 inches (20 to 27 centimeters) of rain fell in just 48 hours in parts of eastern Kentucky, southern West Virginia and western Virginia.

The disaster was the latest in a string of catastrophic deluges that have pounded parts of the U.S. this summer, including St. Louis. Scientists warn that climate change is making such events more common.

Schreiner reported from Frankfort, Ky., and Reynolds reported from Louisville, Ky.. Other Associated Press contributors include Dylan Lovan in Louisville and Leah Willingham in Charleston, West Virginia.
Kansas voters resoundingly protect access to abortion

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP)  Kansas voters have protected abortion rights by rejecting a measure that would have allowed the Republican-controlled Legislature to tighten abortion restrictions or ban it outright. The vote Tuesday was the first test of voters feelings about abortion since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in late June. Voters rejected a change in the Kansas Constitution to ensure that it does not grant a right to an abortion so that legislators could regulate it as they see fit. The measure was a response to a 2019 state Supreme Court decision protecting abortion rights. Supporters of the change would not say whether they would pursue a ban, while opponents predicted one would be coming if the measure had passed.

Takeaways: Abortion backlash in Kansas, Greitens' collapse

WASHINGTON (AP)  In one of the biggest days of this year's primary campaign season, red-state Kansas rejected a measure that would have made it easier to restrict abortion, and voters in Missouri repudiated a scandal-tarred former governor seeking a Senate seat. Meanwhile, a political newcomer emerged from Michigans messy Republican gubernatorial primary, setting up a rare woman-vs.-woman general election matchup between conservative commentator Tudor Dixon and incumbent Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. And Democratic Rep. Andy Levin of Michigan was ousted from Congress after redistricting forced him into the same primary as a fellow Democrat, Rep. Haley Stevens.

US House Speaker Pelosi arrives in Taiwan, defying Beijing

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP)  U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has arrived in Taiwan. She is the highest-ranking American official in 25 years to visit the self-ruled island claimed by China, which quickly announced that it would conduct military maneuvers in retaliation for her presence. Pelosi arrived aboard a U.S. Air Force passenger jet and was greeted on the tarmac at Taipeis international airport by Taiwans foreign minister and other Taiwanese and American officials. She posed for photos before her motorcade whisked her unseen into the parking garage of her hotel. Her visit has ratcheted up tension between China and the United States.

The downside: US strike shows Afghanistan still terror base

WASHINGTON (AP)  The Biden administration is holding out the CIA operation that killed al-Qaida leader Ayman al-Zawahri as a monumental strike against the global terror network responsible for the Sept. 11 attacks of 2001. But the moment is also putting into stark relief mounting evidence that after America's withdrawal, Afghanistan has once again become an active staging ground for Islamic terror groups looking to attack the West. The Biden administration says it shows Americans at home and allies abroad that the United States hasnt lost focus, or the ability, to strike against terrorists in the region  and validates its decision to end two decades of fighting in Afghanistan.

Senate approves bill to aid vets exposed to toxic burn pits

WASHINGTON (AP)  The Senate has given final approval to a bill enhancing health care and disability benefits for millions of veterans exposed to toxic burn pits while serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. The bill now goes to President Joe Biden's desk, and he says he is looking forward to signing it into law so those veterans "finally get the benefits and comprehensive health care they earned and deserve. The Senate had overwhelmingly approved the legislation once before, but the process briefly derailed last week when Republicans made a late attempt to change the bill. The GOP objections delayed final passage, infuriating veterans groups and advocates, including comedian Jon Stewart.

Arizona GOP primary tests power of Trump's election lies

PHOENIX (AP)  The Republican Partys embrace of Donald Trumps election lies is being tested in Arizona. Voters on Tuesday are choosing between candidates who say they wouldnt have certified the results of the 2020 campaign and those who argue its time to move on. The Arizona races are poised to provide important clues about the GOPs direction. Meanwhile, voters in Kansas decided not to allow the Legislature to restrict or ban abortion. In Michigan, conservative commentator Tudor Dixon won the GOP primary for governor days after Trump endorsed her. In Missouri, Attorney General Eric Schmitt won the Republican nomination for senator.

Some flee eastern Ukraine, others defy govt order to leave

KRAMATORSK, Ukraine (AP)  Hundreds of evacuees have left Ukraine's Donetsk region days after the Ukrainian government issued an order to evacuate as soon as possible. Continued fighting in the region and potential shortages of heating, electricity and water have authorities worried that cold weather this fall and winter could make a bad situation even worse. Yet while many are following the order to leave, others in Ukraine say they have nowhere else to go, and are willing to take responsibility for their own lives regardless of the cost. The Ukrainian president warned that the more people leave the Donetsk region now, "the fewer people the Russian army will have time to kill.

Sandy Hook parents: Alex Jones claims created 'living hell'

AUSTIN, Texas (AP)  The parents of a 6-year-old boy killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre say conspiracy theorist Alex Jones made their lives a living hell by pushing claims that the murders were a hoax. Neil Heslin and Scarlett Lewis, whose son Jesse was killed at Sandy Hook, testified Tuesday on the final day of testimony in the two-week trial. Theyre seeking at least $150 million from Jones. Jones was not in court when Heslin began testifying, but he was there when Lewis took the stand. Both parents said they had received death threats and harassment and experienced ongoing trauma because of Jones. Jones later testified and apologized to the parents, saying he never intended to hurt them. The 2012 attack killed 20 first-graders and six staffers at the Connecticut school.

Vin Scully, Dodgers broadcaster for 67 years, dies at 94

LOS ANGELES (AP)  Hall of Fame broadcaster Vin Scully, whose dulcet tones provided the soundtrack of summer while entertaining and informing Dodgers fans in Brooklyn and Los Angeles for 67 years, died Tuesday night, the team said. He was 94. Scully died at his home in the Hidden Hills section of Los Angeles, according to the team, which spoke to family members. As the longest tenured broadcaster with a single team in pro sports history, Scully saw it all and called it all. He began in the 1950s era of Pee Wee Reese and Jackie Robinson.

Padres obtain Juan Soto from Nationals in blockbuster deal

SAN DIEGO (AP)  The San Diego Padres have acquired superstar outfielder Juan Soto from the Washington Nationals in one of baseballs biggest deals at the trade deadline. The Padres vaulted their postseason chances by adding one of the games best young hitters. The Padres also obtained first baseman Josh Bell while sending a haul of players to Washington that included left-handed rookie MacKenzie Gore, first baseman/DH Luke Voit and prospects James Wood, C.J. Abrams, Robert Hassell III and Jarlin Susana.Voit was a late addition to the trade and was scratched from the lineup shortly before the first game of a day-night doubleheder.
PHOENIX (AP)  Republican Arizona House Speaker Rusty Bowers lost his bid for a state Senate seat after refusing then-President Donald Trumps pleas to help overturn the 2020 election results and testifying before Congress about the efforts.

Bowers tried to move to the state Senate because of term limits. He lost to former state Sen. David Farnsworth, who criticized him for refusing to help Trump or go along with a contentious 2021 audit that Republican leaders in the Senate commissioned.

Farnsworth automatically will win the Senate seat because no Democrat is running in the heavily Republican district.

Bowers faced an uphill battle in the eastern Phoenix suburb of Mesa, especially after the state Republican Party censured him following his June testimony before the panel investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on Congress and Trump endorsed Farnsworth.

Im well aware that Im highly distrusted, Bowers told The Associated Press before the election. My district is a very Trump district, and who knows how this is all going to work out.

And if it doesnt work out, great, Id do it all again the same way, Bowers said.

Trump pressured Bowers to help with a plan to replace electors committed to now-President Joe Biden during a phone call weeks after Trump lost the 2020 election. Bowers refused.

Bowers insisted on seeing Trumps evidence of voter fraud, which he said Trumps team never produced beyond vague allegations. He recalled Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani later told him, Weve got lots of theories, we just dont have the evidence.

Bowers is a conservative Republican, but Farnsworth said hes not conservative enough and has become less so since becoming speaker following the 2018 elections.

Of course, the big issue, I think, for everybody is the fact that I strongly believe that there was fraud in the 2020 election, Farnsworth said in an interview last week. And I feel like Rusty failed ... to take responsibility as speaker of the House and look into that election.

The Farnsworth-Bowers battle was one of several brewing that involved current or former Arizona lawmakers.

In another eastern suburban district, GOP Sen. Tyler Pace was trailing his challenger after an outside group targeted him and Bowers.

Redistricting put two Trump-supporting state senators, Kelly Townsend and Wendy Rogers, into the same district. Rogers was leading in early returns, but the race was too early to call.

It featured bitter recriminations as Rogers has faced repeated ethics charges for her inflammatory rhetoric, support for white supremacists and conspiracy-theory laden tweets.

Townsend said she felt compelled to run against Rogers when she refused to refute white nationalism after speaking at a conference in Florida in February.

If I dont run against her and make that statement, win, lose or drawn then her actions become our own, Townsend said Monday. It sort of spoils the whole (Republican) party.

Rogers has earned a national following, raising a whopping $3 million from donors across the country since taking office in early 2021. Townsend had raised about $15,000, much more typical for a state legislative race.

In the west Phoenix suburbs, former Rep. Anthony Kern, who attended Trumps Jan. 6 rally that led to the attack on Congress and unsuccessfully sued Democrats who asked the Department of Justice to investigate him, was leading in his effort to return to the Legislature. He was defeated in his 2020 House primary and is now aiming for a Senate seat. If his solid lead holds, hell get it, since no Democrat is running.

Also trying for a political comeback is former Rep. Steve Montenegro, whose 2018 run for Congress was upended by a sexting scandal. He was leading among four Republicans running in a west Phoenix House district for two open House seats.
OXFORD, Mich. (AP)  An armed security officer told investigators she thought an active shooting at a Michigan high school was a drill and that one of the bleeding students simply was wearing really good makeup, an attorney suing the school district said Wednesday.

Attorney Ven Johnson said he is asking a judge to add the security officer's name to a lawsuit he filed in January against Oxford Community Schools. The suit also names Oxford High School's dean of students, two counselors and three teachers as defendants.

Johnson said in an amended complaint that school surveillance video he recently reviewed shows the security officer casually walking around in the hallway" during the Nov. 30 shooting at the high school about 30 miles (50 kilometers) north of Detroit.

She apparently, according to what she told investigators, she was confused because she heard on the radio that there was an ALICE drill, Johnson told reporters.

ALICE is an acronym for Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter and Evacuate.

Johnson said the explanation makes no sense because there is no indication that anyone else at the school was notified that a drill was scheduled that day. Such notifications are routine to prevent panic.

The security officer, who also is a retired deputy with the Oakland County sheriff's office, can be seen in the surveillance footage opening a door to a bathroom and saw two of the students  one who was later killed and one who was later injured. She did not go inside, Johnson said.

Prosecutors have said student Ethan Crumbley entered a bathroom with a backpack and came out with a semi-automatic handgun, firing at students while moving down the hallway. The four students who were killed were 16-year-old Tate Myre, 14-year-old Hana St. Juliana, 17-year-old Madisyn Baldwin and 17-year-old Justin Shilling.

Had she done her job, at least the death of Justin (Shilling) would have been prevented for sure," Johnson said.

He wrote in the complaint that the officer also "saw Tate Myres body on the floor with him bleeding to death and informed the investigators that she thought he had really good makeup on.

Timothy Mullins, an attorney for the school district, dismissed Johnson's allegations as untrue, suggesting that not only did the security officer not believe the shooting was a drill but suggested she acted courageously.

When the facts are known, a single woman without any backup will be shown to be going towards the shooter, Mullins told The Associated Press Wednesday. No backup, unaided, no Kevlar, no waiting, (but) singularly exposing herself to the event."

Crumbley, now 16, faces murder and other charges. His trial is expected to start in January. His parents, James and Jennifer Crumbley, are charged with involuntary manslaughter and accused of failing to keep the gun used in the shooting secure at home and failing to reasonably care for their son when he showed signs of mental distress. They have pleaded not guilty.

Also, at least two lawsuits have been filed on behalf of the families of the students who died, were injured or traumatized by what happened.
A federal judge on Tuesday tossed out a public records lawsuit on the 2020 census based on a Webster's dictionary definition of one obscure word: whereby.

The lawsuit was over an even more obscure concept: how a statistical method was used to fill in details when information was lacking about people residing in dorms, nursing homes, prisons and other group living spaces.

A Republican-leaning redistricting advocacy group had sued the Census Bureau and the Commerce Department, which oversees the statistical agency, in an effort to get records showing by state the number of times the statistical method was used for group quarters. Fair Lines America Foundation had said it had significant implications for our nations redistricting and electoral process and demanded transparency in how the method was implemented.

In group quarters, the method known as imputation involves using already available information about the facility, such as its maximum capacity, to fill in missing details.

People living in group quarters were particularly difficult to count during the 2020 census because the coronavirus pandemic sent college students fleeing campuses and put nursing homes and prisons in lockdown. In response, the Census Bureau unexpectedly decided to use the statistical technique for group housing, where about 3% of the U.S. population lives. Because of concerns over the group quarters count during the pandemic, the Census Bureau set up a separate program for governments to appeal that count in their jurisdictions.

The census determines how many congressional seats each state gets, as well as the distribution of $1.5 trillion in federal spending each year.

The Census Bureau had argued that releasing the records to Fair Lines would violate a law protecting census participants' privacy and confidentiality. Bad actors could reconstruct the larger data set and identify people's private information if the information was released, the statistical agency argued.

In her order, U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson conceded that releasing the aggregated data itself wouldn't jeopardize participants' privacy or confidentiality. But the law prohibits any publication whereby the data furnished by any particular establishment or individual under this title can be identified,'" she wrote, quoting from the law.

The interpretation of this sentence hinges on the word whereby,'" she wrote.

Citing a Webster's dictionary definition from 1953, a year before the law was enacted, the judge said the meaning of whereby' led her to believe that publication of the data was prohibited. An attorney for Fair Lines didn't respond to an email and text seeking comment.

Follow Mike Schneider on Twitter at https://twitter.com/MikeSchneiderAP
BELDEN, Miss (AP)  A Mississippi man said his pet cat helped prevent a robbery at his home, and he credits the calico with possibly saving his life.

Bandit, a 20-pound (9.1-kilogram) cat, lives with her retired owner Fred Everitt in the Tupelo suburb of Belden. When at least two people tried to break into their shared home last week, the cat did everything she could to alert Everitt of the danger, he told the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal.

You hear of guard dogs, said Everitt, 68. This is a guard cat.

The attempted robbery occurred sometime between 2:30 and 3 a.m. on July 25, Everitt said. He was first awoken by Bandit's meows in the kitchen. Then, she raced into the bedroom, jumped onto the bed and began pulling the comforter off of him and clawing at his arms. Everitt knew something was wrong.

She had never done that before, Everitt said. I went, What in the world is wrong with you?

Everitt got up to investigate and saw two young men outside his back door. One had a handgun, and the other was using a crowbar to try and pry the door open, he said.

Everitt said by the time he retrieved a handgun and returned to the kitchen, the would-be intruders had already fled. Everitt told the newspaper that he did not call the police.

He said the situation could have been different without Bandit.

It did not turn into a confrontational situation, thank goodness, Everitt said. But I think its only because of the cat.
MUNCIE, Ind. (AP)  The mother and father of a 6-year-old eastern Indiana boy who fatally shot his 5-year-old sister in their home were each charged Tuesday with four counts of neglect, a prosecutor said.

If convicted of the most serious charge  level one felony neglect of a dependent resulting in death  Jacob Grayson, 28, and his 27-year-old wife, Kimberly Grayson, could each face 2040 years in prison and fines of up to $10,000.

The Graysons were formally charged in Delaware Circuit Court, Delaware County Prosecutor Eric Hoffman said in a statement. Online court records did not list attorneys who could comment on their behalf.

First responders discovered the girl with a gunshot wound to her head on the afternoon of July 26 at the home in Muncie, 60 miles (100 kilometers) northeast of Indianapolis. She was taken to IU Health Ball Memorial Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

The boy said he went to a safe in his parents' bedroom while his mother was napping, turned a key to unlock the safe and accidentally shot his sister while playing with the gun, Muncie Police Officer Andrew Sell said in an affidavit.

Jacob Grayson said his son had accessed the safe previously and that he had taken the boy to a shooting range and showed him how to shoot a gun, Sell wrote.

The living conditions in the home were deplorable. There was food, trash, animal feces, and furniture strewn throughout the house. The children's beds were mattresses on the floor with no sheets or blankets. Both mattresses had various stains on them. The walls of the home appeared to have feces smeared on them in multiple places," Sell said.
CONCORD, N.H. (AP)  A survivor of a crash that killed seven fellow members of a Marine motorcycle club acknowledged Wednesday that the lead rider had an unsafe blood alcohol level but denied that the club president swerved into the path of the oncoming truck.

Josh Morin was the final witness for the prosecution, which has rested in the trial of Volodymyr Zhukovskyy, the truck driver charged in connection with the June 21, 2019, crash in Randolph, New Hampshire. A judge dismissed eight charges Wednesday related to whether Zhukovskyy was under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time of the crash, but ruled there was sufficient evidence to support the 15 more serious charges of negligent homicide, manslaughter and reckless conduct.

Prosecutors have argued that Zhukovskyy, 26, who had taken heroin, fentanyl and cocaine that day, repeatedly swerved back and forth before the head-on crash and told police he caused it. But his attorney blames the lead biker, saying he lost control of his motorcycle and collided with the truck while driving drunk.

Albert Woody Mazza, president of the Jarheads Motorcycle Club, had a blood alcohol level well above New Hampshires legal limit of 0.08%, said defense attorney Steve Mirkin.

What part of safety was being at the front of the line of motorcycles with a blood alcohol concentration of .135? he asked Morin. Would you agree with me thats not consistent with safe driving?

Morin, a registered nurse, agreed but said Mazza did not appear impaired. And he insisted that Mazza stayed in his lane and that it was Zhukovskyy who crossed the line and caused the crash.

He veered into our lane and hit Al, Morin said. We were close to the center line, so it wouldnt have been all the way in our lane, but in our lane.

Mazza and the six other motorcyclists who died were from New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Rhode Island and ranged in age from 42 to 62. They were part of a larger group that had just left a motel along the highway and were headed to an American Legion Post for a fundraiser.

Morin, who was riding directly behind Mazza, suffered a severe leg injury and has undergone 25 surgeries since the crash. He said he remembered asking for his wife at the crash site as he bled, but in retrospect, is glad she wasnt there.

I think if I would have seen her, I would have said goodbye and died, he said.
SEATTLE (AP)  The medical examiners office in Washington state's most populous county, which includes Seattle, has reported six heat-related deaths following a heat wave that encompassed much of the Pacific Northwest last week.

In Oregon, the state medical examiners office has said it was investigating 14 deaths as possibly heat-related during the hot spell.

According to the King County Medical Examiner's office in Washington, three people  ages 64, 65 and 77  died from hyperthermia between July 27 and 30 and three people  ages 22, 23 and 67  died from accidental drownings during the heat wave, The Seattle Times reported.

The data is preliminary and more heat-related deaths might be reported later, according to the medical examiner.

The National Weather Service issued an excessive heat warning for the Puget Sound region from July 26-31, and Seattle set a new record with six consecutive days of high temperatures above 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32.2 degrees Celsius).

Additionally, between Tuesday and Friday, 61 emergency department visits for heat-related illness were recorded in King County, according to Public Health  Seattle & King County. And emergency medical services in King County responded to over 50 suspected heat-related illness reports between July 26 and July 31.

Climate change is fueling longer heat waves in the Pacific Northwest, a region where weeklong heat spells had been rare, according to climate experts.

Last year, about 800 people died in Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia during a heat wave in late June and early July. The temperature hit an all-time high of 116 F (46.7 C) in Portland.
PHOENIX  Blake Masters will lead the bid by Republicans to take back control of the U.S. Senate.

The venture capitalist who said Congress should not have certified the 2020 election of Joe Biden, combined the backing of Donald Trump and financial support from tech giant and PayPal founder Peter Thiel to roll over businessman Jim Lamon, who largely self-funded his campaign.

The high-profile fight between the two largely left state Attorney General Mark Brnovich in the dust, trailing a distant third. Trump specifically snubbed Brnovich, claiming he had not done enough to investigate alleged irregularities in the 2020 race in Arizona.

Much further back were Mick McGuire, the former adjutant general of the Arizona National Guard, and Justin Olson, a member of the Arizona Corporation Commission.

The outcome sets the stage for what is likely to be a bruising  and very expensive  fight with incumbent Mark Kelly who was unopposed in the Democratic primary.

As of the last report, Kelly, who already had taken to the airwaves months ahead of the GOP primary, had collected more than $51 million and still had almost $25 million on hand.

More money is likely to be pumped into the race.

The Senate is barely in Democratic hands, with only the presence of Vice President Kamala Harris providing the tie-breaker in the 50-50 body. And as much as Democrats want to maintain control, Republicans are anxious to be put back in charge.

Congressional roundup

Republicans also are expected to make a run at regaining control of the U.S. House, with two potentially promising races playing out in Arizona.

It starts with the open seat created in CD 6 by the decision of incumbent Democrat Ann Kirkpatrick not to seek a new term in the district that stretches from parts of Tucson through southeast Arizona.

Republican Juan Ciscomani, who works for Gov. Doug Ducey in his Tucson office, rolled over four others to become the partys nominee.

He will face off against former state Sen. Kirsten Engel who bested state Rep. Daniel Hernandez, himself a former aide to Gabrielle Giffords who once occupied the seat.

The campaign already is beginning, with Tom Emmer, chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee seeking to tie Engel to the currently largely unpopular Biden and the Democratic Congress and the reckless spending that caused the price of gas and groceries to skyrocket.

The other place where Republicans hope to gain some traction is in CD 2 where incumbent Democrat Tom OHalleran finds himself in a district with a distinctly Republican edge after the lines were redrawn following the 2020 census.

Eli Crane, endorsed by Trump, came out ahead in the six-way race to be the Republican nominee in the district.

And in CD 1, incumbent Republican David Schweikert shook off a bruising campaign that aired findings of ethical violations on his part by his prior campaign, defeating two primary challengers. He will face off against Democrat Jevin Hodge.

In CD 3, Democrat Ruben Gallego had no primary opposition, with Jeff Zink running unopposed on the Republican side.

Incumbent Democrat Greg Stanton also faced no opposition in CD 4, with Kelly Cooper leading the five-person field among Republicans hoping to take him on in a district that, with new lines, leans a bit more Republican.

Rep. Andy Biggs also had no opposition in the Republican primary in CD 5, with Javier Ramos set to be his Democratic foe in November.

Also running unopposed in his primary in CD 7 was Raul Grijalva. with Luis Pozzolo winning the right to take him on in the heavily Democratic district.
Republican Gov. Doug Ducey has a word of advice for people who believe Arizona elections lack integrity: You're being lied to and deceived.

"I think there have been people out there misleading them. And they continue to mislead,'' Ducey told Capitol Media Services on Tuesday as he showed up at a polling place in Paradise Valley.

He was not naming names. But Ducey already had made it clear by his endorsements in Tuesday's Republican primary that he would not back those who have campaigned on claims there was fraud in the 2020 election, gubernatorial hopeful Kari Lake and secretary of state candidate Mark Finchem. Instead, he backed Karrin Taylor Robson and Beau Lane in those two races.

He said others need to speak up. "It's up to leaders, other leaders, to talk about the confidence in our system, the improvements that we've made,'' said Ducey who, after serving two terms as the state's chief executive, cannot seek reelection.

Some of the controversy that occurred two years ago in the presidential race was related to the fact that Arizona's final results weren't known for days.

Early tallies showed Democrat Joe Biden with a lead of more than 100,000 votes over Republican incumbent Donald Trump. When all results were in, Biden hung onto his lead  barely  besting Trump by just 10,457 votes statewide.

Ducey said those changing numbers in the hours and days after the polls close should not undermine voter confidence in the final tally.

The governor said he expected about 70% of the vote to have been reported about an hour after the polls closed. He thinks that provides a "real good indication'' of the ultimate outcome.

Still, he acknowledged there's a reason that vote tallies, and projected winners, change over time.

Some of it has to do with party affiliation.

In general, Democrats vote in stronger numbers in early ballots than Republicans. That's what occurred in 2020 when 92.1% of the votes for Biden were by early ballot, versus 84.4% for Trump.

And those mailed-in ballots, which are counted ahead of Election Day, are the first reports released by county and state election officials.

The dynamics may be a bit different in a primary than in a general election.

But they can be affected by factors such as Trump, who endorsed Lake, having claimed that mail-in ballots can lead to massive electoral fraud.

If Lake supporters followed suit and did not vote early, that could mean votes for the former Fox affiliate news reader may not be in the initial counts, even though she herself sent a Twitter message to supporters last month urging those who have an early ballot to "fill it out and mail it in ASAP.''

Ducey said people should not be worried as vote totals change over time.

"If people jut take a few minutes to understand the process, they'll know that we do it right here in Arizona,'' he said.

For his part, Ducey said he always gets an early ballot mailed to him. But the governor said that he has never dropped his voted ballot in the mail and prefers to take it to a polling place on election day.

"To me, it's a civic holiday of holy obligation,'' he said.

"I like to walk into election headquarters,'' Ducey continued. "And I like to see the people, thank them as well.''

And the governor said there's something else about hanging on to his early ballot as long as possible.

"I like to wait until the last minute because I want to know all the information on the candidate,'' said Ducey.

"I think sometimes early voting is similar to putting a verdict in a jury trial before you have all the evidence,'' he continued. "So that's why I prefer election day.''

Still, Ducey acknowledged that nothing he has seen or heard in the past few days caused him to reopen that ballot envelope and change his votes.
PHOENIX  Kari Lake declared victory Wednesday in the Republican gubernatorial primary even as votes were being counted and as she continued to insist there is evidence of fraud in Arizona elections  evidence she would not share with the media at a news conference she called.

Im not going to release it to the fake news, she told reporters in front of her campaign office. Why would I release it to a bunch of people who denied there was fraud when there was obviously fraud?

Instead she vowed to release it to the authorities.

Lake late Wednesday had a lead of about 12,000 votes  less than 2 percentage points  over Karrin Taylor Robson, who had been leading in early results Tuesday night.

But Lake pointed out she actually was far behind on election night when the only votes counted were from people who had cast their ballots early and by mail.

Lake said it was always her position that her supporters, suspicious of early voting just like both her and Donald Trump, who had endorsed her, would be the people who decided to go to the polls on primary election day. And those votes are counted later.

That proved to be the case.

As of Wednesday, only about 65% of Lakes votes were cast by early ballot. By contrast, the figure for Robson was nearly 87%.

Still being tallied are the votes of people who did get early ballots but dropped them off on Tuesday at polling places.

Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer said these take time as the signatures need to be compared on envelopes with what the county has on file. Then they need to be scanned into the system.

The results, if they hold, set the stage for what promises to be a pitched battle with Democratic nominee Katie Hobbs. Lake cast the first salvo on Wednesday, blasting Hobbs, who is the secretary of state.

She ran a horrible election yesterday, Lake said.

She embarrassed the state of Arizona, she continued, disregarding that it is officials in each of the 15 counties who actually run the event. And she wants to take that incompetence that shes shown as secretary of state and move it to the governors office?

Hobbs, for her part, is seeking to distinguish herself from Lake  and Robson  particularly over the issue of abortion, promising if elected governor to do what she can to keep the practice legal.

That, however, may not be her choice.

Lake pointed out Wednesday that when the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade the justices simply sent the issue back to the states. And Arizona has had a law on the books since before statehood that makes it a crime for a doctor to terminate a pregnancy other than to save the life of the mother.

Put another way, absent a court ruling voiding the pre-existing law, the new governor will have nothing to say about the issue.

Lake, who has called abortion the ultimate sin, sidestepped the issue of whether her views on abortion are in the mainstream, especially after voters in very Republican Kansas on Tuesday refused to remove protection for the procedure from their state constitution.

Were going to follow the laws on the books, she said.

If people dont like the laws on the books, then they need to elect representatives who will change the law, Lake continued. Im running for governor, not God.

But to defeat Hobbs, Lake acknowledged she will first have to unite the Republican Party after a particularly bruising primary where Taylor called her fake Lake and Lake called Robson a RINO  a Republican in name only.

On Wednesday, Lakes rhetoric had cooled as she held out an olive branch of sorts.

I believe that Karrin will come in because I know for a fact that Karrin loves this state, she said. Robsons campaign had made no public statements about the race as of Wednesday afternoon.

Lake also was reaching out to former Congressman Matt Salmon who quit the race even before early voting began and threw his support behind Robson in a bid to keep Lake from winning the primary. But his name remained on the ballot and he picked up 25,000 votes.

All that still leaves Lake with what has been a central issue for her as it was  and remains  for Trump: Elections are not conducted fairly.

I am not satisfied with how the election was run, she said.

We had major issues yesterday, major issues, Lake continued. And theyre being reported every day by voters.

Pressed for specifics, Lake brought up Tim LaSota, her campaign attorney.

Didnt you hear what happened in Pinal County? he said.

That refers to the fact that more than a dozen precincts ran out of ballots.

County officials rushed to print new ones and said anyone who was in line when the polls were set to close at 7 p.m. would be allowed to vote. But that doesnt address the question of how many people, told there were no ballots, simply left and never returned.

Lake spurned questions of whether that simply reflects incompetence versus actual fraud.

I dont expect, guys, to sit here with the fake news that has denied that weve had issues with our elections, fraud and corruption, she said.

I dont expect to turn you guys around, Lake continued. Youre a lost cause.

She said, however, that Arizona voters know whats going on.

Thats why we won, she continued. Thats why they showed up. Thats why they came out in droves.

Separately, Lake is a plaintiff along with Republican nominee for secretary of state Mark Finchem in a lawsuit asking a federal judge to disallow the use of automated counting equipment and requiring that ballots be counted by hand. No date has been set for a hearing.

Lake made separate accusations in a Tuesday night speech to supporters decrying election procedures.

I wish they didnt give us the felt-tipped pens we know we dont like, she said, a reference to claims that the markers bleed through ballots or, more recently, that they dont properly record votes.

That became an issue Tuesday as the Maricopa County Attorneys Office sent a cease-and-desist letter to Gail Golec, a candidate for county supervisor, telling her she must stop advising people to steal the felt-tip pens that were being provided at polling places.

In a letter to the Scottsdale resident, Deputy County Attorney Joseph LaRue told her that telling people to steal the pens, specifically recommended for use, is a deliberate attempt to interfere with election administration. And he said it will delay vote tabulation of ballots cast at polling places as the west ink (from regular pens) harms the vote center tabulation machines.

For her part, Golec said she was never intending to urge a criminal act.

I never thought of it that way, she told Capitol Media Services. I did say replace it with a blue pen.
The following is the opinion and analysis of the writers:

Southern Arizona communities are appalled at the level of racism and abject lies around migration, and specifically our US-Mexico border, being displayed by campaigns for political office. As members of community organizations, faith-based, labor and social justice groups, we are deeply alarmed and concerned with the hate, bigotry and violence against our immigrant communities that have become a must-go-to political scapegoat.

Campaigns for elective office are expected to be about how to better our lives, from the ongoing drought and other impacts of the changing climate, to the urgencies facing the public schools, yet these political campaigns have decided that migrant and Mexican-bashing is the key to their election.

Without actual knowledge about the border nor of the rich, yet painful, history around the establishment of our current border, these narratives that demonize migrants and Mexicans have filled our television screens for over two months in the run-up for the primaries in August. Resorting to outright lies that we are being invaded, to frightening imagery, these political TV and sign ads have continued to poison the political discourse, damaging our community and our entire state. From the image of a woman locking her door in dark shadows while the narrator compares it to our border and eliciting fear, to shadowy imagery of people rushing the border, and the newest signs stating no trespassing zone, violators will be prosecuted, all elicit fear based on lies and xenophobia.

We call for an acknowledgment of the historic and continuing contributions made by immigrants who have answered the call for cheap labor for generations, providing the economic lifeline and cultural diversity that have enriched all of us. The heroic DACA recipients are the latest to make such great contributions to our country.

We call on those who are running for office to speak out against bigotry and racism, and show respect for human rights to everyone including our immigrant communities.

We call on our elected officials in the city, county and state offices to speak out as well and show their respect and support of immigrant communities, including the full protection of civil and labor rights. It is also very important that they oppose the continued militarization of our borderlands that causes great damage to the environment, harms Indigenous Peoples and directly causes hundreds of migrant deaths every year.

We call on people of conscience and those who care about justice in our community to rise up and resist the culture of hate, racism and bigotry and join us to organize and work for equality, justice and true democracy.
The first day of classes for Tulsa Public Schools and many other districts in the area is Aug. 18.

Let the countdown begin.

But if you want to cram some more fun in the dwindling days of summer, weve got a few ideas.

Take a road trip to Silver Dollar City

You still have time to go back in time at Silver Dollar City.

Promotions are available if you want to visit the old-school theme park in Branson, Missouri.

Moonlight madness tickets are $40 after 5 p.m. The promotion lasts through Sunday, Aug. 7. The park is open until 10 p.m. and will remain open until midnight on Sunday, Aug. 6.

This promotion is online only: For a limited time, every visitor pays the kids price on a single-day ticket  or you can save up to $20 on Silver Dollar City and White Water multi-day tickets. Go to silverdollarcity.com for more information.

Check out some beautiful spaces

Oklahoma has its share of heavenly places. We focused on 14 of those places in a Tulsa World Magazine article. Check out our list of the most beautiful places our state has to offer on tulsaworld.com, and enjoy a relaxing view before classes start.

Stroll First Friday in the Arts District

The August First Friday Art Crawl has exhibit openings this month at 108 Contemporary, ahha, Henry Zarrow Center and TAC Gallery.

Here are some food and drinks specials to find:

Antoinette Baking Co., 5-10 p.m., Pie Night

in the raw vu, 3-11 p.m., weekend specials for food and drink

Elgin Park, 4-6 p.m., $2 happy hour beers

The Chowhouse, Happy Hour 2-6 p.m., $2 off glass of wine/$4 off bottle of wine, $3.50 mules and half-price appetizers with any bar purchase.

See these musical acts, too:

Chimera: 7-9 p.m., Michael Campa on guitar

Club Majestic: 9 p.m.- 2 a.m., Latin Infusion & Bosstons Tea Party, and Hoe You Think You Can Dance! contest

Duet Restaurant: 7-9 p.m., First Friday live music

Gypsy Coffeehouse and Cyber Cafe: 79 p.m., Ellie Grace Herrold

The Hunt Club: 10 p.m.-1 a.m., JT and the Dirt Wailers

The Soundpony Bar: 10 p.m. 1 a.m., DJ Sir Mike

Check out a couple of cons

You can sample comic con experiences this weekend at Enid Comic Con, scheduled Saturday, Aug. 6 and Sunday, Aug. 7 at Stride Bank Center in Enid, and OKCs Horror Con, scheduled the same days at Remington Park in Oklahoma City.

Vendors, artists, cosplayers, contests and an esports tournament will be among attractions in Enid. Actor Lou Ferrigno from The Incredible Hulk TV series will be among celebrity guests at the horror con (horrorconokc.com).

Take a quick trip to Yellowstone

On Saturday, Aug. 6, kids are taking over the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City for an expedition into Yellowstone.

A promo for the event said its time to put on your adventure gear and set out to explore one of the worlds greatest natural parks. Kids can make puppets of different types of wildlife that call Yellowstone home, plus they can take part in a scavenger hunt to find those animals in the museum and see geysers in action.

Because it all happens on National Root Beer Float Day, enjoy a free one on the museum.

The event lasts from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and its free with museum admission.

Make a splash

Oklahomans love to beat the summer heat by heading to a swimming hole. The state is blessed with many creeks, including Blue Hole east of Salina. Ask just about anyone from a small town in the 918 for a recommendation of a family-friendly swimming spot.

Get ready for school

Community Back to School Bash

Check out the Community Back to School Bash Aug. 9, 5-7:15 p.m. at the OSU Tulsa parking lot, 700 N. Greenwood Ave. There will also be performances from local high school bands, dance groups and youth organizations. This event is free and open to the public.

Families and students pre-K through 12th grade can:

Hear about programs and services to help students have a successful school year

Receive free school supplies while supplies last

Get free immunizations provided by the Tulsa Health Department

Meet members of the OSU-Tulsa Police, Tulsa Police Department, EMSA, Tulsa Fire Department and Tulsa Water Quality Assurance Department

BA Back to School Bash

The Broken Arrow Police Department is hosting a Back to School Bash on Saturday, Aug. 6, from 9 a.m. to noon, at The Assembly, 3500 W. New Orleans St. The event is free and open to the public.

Students will receive backpacks, school supplies, haircuts by Clary Sage, Blue Bell Ice Cream, popcorn provided by the Shriners, and food coupons.

Free immunizations will be provided by The Caring Van for students who have their shot records, vision screenings will be performed by the Lions Club Mobile Unit and the CHILD ID program will be available including DNA, video and fingerprints.

A Broken Arrow firetruck and ambulance will be on site for tours.

Cuts for kids

Clary Sage Barber and Cosmetology students and faculty will provide free haircuts to school-aged kids Aug. 9-10, 8 a.m.-8 p.m. at Clary Sage College, 3131 S. Sheridan Road. Walk-in only, no appointment necessary. For more information go to clarysagecollege.com.

See Frida Kahlo

Philbrook Museum of Art will host two showings of the documentary film Frida Kahlo, 7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 5, and 2 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 6, at the museum, 2727 S. Rockford Road.

The film, produced by Exhibition on Screen, is considered a definitive look at the life and art of Frida Kahlo, whose work is also featured in the museums current exhibit, Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera and Mexican Modernism.

Filmed extensively at Kahlos Mexico City home, known as The Blue House, the documentary features commentary from experts who knew Kahlo and have studied and curated her work, as well as employed the latest visual technology to provide in-depth looks at some of her most important works, several of which are on display at Philbrook.

Kahlos own letters help reveal the emotions and ideas that underlie the dense symbolism in her work, as well as the source of her feverish creativity, her resilience, and her unmatched lust for life, politics, men and women.

Tickets for the film are $12 adult, which includes general admission to the museum. Timed-admission tickets to Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera and Mexican Modernism are available at an additional charge. To reserve seats, and more information: 918-748-5300, philbrook.org.

Look up at the Will Rogers & Wiley Post Fly In

Watch more than 100 small aircraft fly in and land on the 2,000-foot grass airstrip on the Will Rogers Birthplace Ranch Aug. 13, just east of Oologah and bordering Oologah Lake. Bring your own lawn chairs, talk to the pilots and see their planes up close at Will Rogers Birthplace Ranch, 9501 E. 380 Road, Oologah. For more go to willrogers.com.

Kick it at a Jason Aldean concert

Country music star Jason Aldean brings his Rock N Roll Cowboy Tour to Tulsa with special guests Gabby Barrett and John Morgan at BOK Center, 200 S. Denver Ave. on Aug. 6. For more go to bokcenter.com.

Enjoy the last Summers Fifth Night

Utica Square wraps up its 2022 season of Summers Fifth Night concerts with an evening of smooth jazz and pop music by Tulsas own Grady Nichols, Thursday, Aug. 4, at the shopping center at 21st Street and Utica Avenue.

The free outdoor concert will begin at 7 p.m.

Nichols has been a mainstay of the Tulsa music scene for years, while also earning high praise from national jazz critics and fellow musicians. His most recent recording, his eighth, is Grady Nichols & Friends: Live! featuring collaborations with such artists as Jeff Lorber, Bill Champlin and Andy Chrisman.

Shop til you drop

Tax-Free Weekend: Aug. 5-7

Enjoy tax-free shopping on select back-to-school-related items. Eligible items include most shoes or clothing including jackets, gloves and scarves. Retailers arent required to collect state and local taxes on most items under $100. Baby blankets and diapers are also exempt.

Just Between Friends

One of Tulsas favorite back-to-school shopping events is Aug. 11-14 at in the former Sears at Woodland Hills Mall, 6929 S. Memorial Drive.

Come shop over 200,000 name-brand items, at 50-90% off retail. Brand new baby equipment up to 25%-50-% off retail. For additional information, visit tulsa.jbfsale.com.
Internet giant Tencent will invest 10 billion yuan ($1.48 billion) over the next decade to support select scientists in making original breakthroughs in basic research in two major scientific fields: mathematics and physical sciences, and biology and biomedical sciences.



The project, the New Cornerstone Investigator Program, recently generated a buzz in China's scientific community for its unconventional conditions and targets. It is led by scientists, funded by Tencent and supervised by the China Association for Science and Technology.

The program's most distinctive feature, compared with other research grants, is that it essentially gives scientists up to 5 million yuan per year to pursue their research without worrying about publishing a large number of papers or meeting research goals and deadlines.

Applications for the program will be taken from July 1 to Sept 30, and the candidates will be screened by a committee of well-known scientists. The program aims to identify 60 suitable scientists this year, and the list would be published early next year.

Candidates working in the program's experimental category can receive up to 5 million yuan per year, while those in theoretical fields of study can receive a maximum of 3 million yuan annually. The two major categories each contain dozens of secondary subjects, and interdisciplinary research is encouraged.

Wang Wurong, vice-president of Tencent and secretary-general of the program, said the initiative is "people-oriented", with the aim of supporting 200 to 300 deserving scientists to freely explore and forge original breakthroughs in basic research.

Wang noted that in developed countries, nongovernmental sources can play a substantial role in supporting basic sciences. In China, however, the vast majority of funding for basic sciences has come from the central government.

For years, China has been optimizing its funding structure for basic research. In 2018, the State Council, China's Cabinet, issued a document to encourage companies and society to support basic research undertakings. These actions were further highlighted in China's newly amended Science and Technology Progress Law, which went into effect this year.

Shi Yigong, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and president of West Lake University, said that looking back at two centuries of scientific development, almost all the biggest scientific discoveries are rooted in breakthroughs in basic sciences.

"With this program, I really want to see how bold and intrepid our young scientists can be," said Shi, who will serve as chairman of the program's science committee.

"Our most important criteria for selecting candidates are to see whether their past research had global impacts, and whether their future research would be at the forefront of basic sciences," he said. "We want the candidates to be ambitious and go in a research direction that no one else has tried."

Pan Jianwei, a quantum physicist and executive vice-president of the University of Science and Technology of China, said the Chinese scientific community has always been hoping for a program that can provide stable, substantial support for scientists working in basic sciences.

"Making original breakthroughs is the hardest part of basic research. But exploring scientific frontiers can be unpredictable, highly risky and take a long time. Hence, it is difficult to secure stable funding," he said. "We hope the program can allow scientists to focus on their work and explore risky but hopeful scientific directions."

Zhang Jie, a physicist and president of the Tsung-Dao Lee Institute at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, said the program sets a historic milestone in China's effort to create an innovative ecosystem conducive to making original breakthroughs.

Zhang said the program hopes to find scientists who are confident in their work, but also clearheaded enough to concentrate on tackling some of the world's biggest scientific challenges.

Sunney Xie Xiaoliang, a biophysical chemist and a professor at Peking University, said the new program will save capable scientists from being distracted by work not related to research, such as pursuing financial support and resources.
Tom Gilbert Chief Photographer I joined the Tulsa World in 1988 after graduating from the University of Central Oklahoma. I lived in Saudi Arabia before graduating from Broken Arrow High School. I'm married to Karen Gilbert and have three grown children. Phone: 918-581-8349 Follow Tom Gilbert Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today

Wild Brew, the Sutton Avian Research Centers fundraiser, is set for Aug. 27 at the Cox Business Center.

Oklahomas oldest and largest craft beer event brings statewide breweries and local restaurants together in an air-conditioned space for you to sample their products. There will be hundreds of craft beers to sample and tons of food.

The George Miksch Sutton Avian Research Center in Bartlesville is known for its work with bald eagles and now works on behalf of the endangered Attwater prairie chicken, the masked bobwhite and other conservation efforts.

We have been raising Attwater prairie chickens for the last couple of years, and we actually made a couple of changes and discovered that when weve been fostering the young chicks with an adult bird, its made a huge difference. The health of the birds, the viability of the birds, all of that has just gone through the roof, said Audra Fogle, assistant director of the Sutton Center.

The center recently transferred 60 birds for release after being checked out. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife came with a special trailer designed to transport the birds to a prairie chicken refuge outside of Houston.

Those birds will be tracked so that we can monitor survival this year because Sutton has been so much more successful at raising the birds. I think last year we released like 80 birds. This year, well have three different transfer days, and were going to release around 160 birds, Fogle said.

The center will also be releasing around 1,500 masked bobwhites this year. They will be transported via a donated airplane to reduce the stress of getting to the Arizona wildlife research center.

Both of the species are two of the most critically endangered birds in North America. And so, if we were not captive-raising and releasing, theyd be gone because their genetics have become so narrow. We are pairing everything so that we can get the birds that have the best chance at surviving and breeding and living in the wild, Fogle said.

The Sutton Center isnt just about helping the birds. It also educates the public about conservation, so birds dont get on the endangered list.

We are talking about what science is using from how birds live and function to better the human world, Fogle said.

Wild Brew started 22 years ago with another conservation group called the Nature Conservancy. Then, it was a hot event in an un-airconditioned hanger at Tulsa International Airport. Every year, the event has grown.

For the past few years, Wild Brew has honored a brewery and a restaurant that has partnered with the event. Last year, Wild Brew didnt happen due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but it did have a beer release by Dead Armadillo.

Dead Armadillo received the Golden Tap award, and Hideaway Pizza received the Golden Spoon award.

Dead Armadillo brewed the Wild Brews beer this year. It will have a beer release on Aug. 4 from 4-8 p.m. at its taproom, 1004 E. Fourth St.

The beer is a tangerine IPA that a Wild Brew committee voted on. The release date is set for National IPA day. Tony Peck, brewmaster of Dead Armadillo, has been supporting Wild Brew since before he had an actual brewery. The beer will be out in the market and available in the taproom. The brewery also has bingo every Tuesday and will be giving away Wild Brew tickets to the winner.

We did our very first (Wild Brew), even before we were a company in 2012. We donated all the products. I think we brought like five or six beers and back then, the beer market was a little different in Oklahoma. It was burgeoning. There were crazy lines with super excited people to see all the different beers. We were excited to make that our very first event, but its always been like that. Dead Armadillo started in 2013 and weve never looked back, said Peck.

Hideaway Pizza has also been a partner with Wild Brew. It started selling craft beers in its restaurants and even has its own beer made by Marshall Brewing Co., Highway 57 Ale.

Were committed to serving others in the communities that we serve, said Jenny Grigsby, director of digital Marketing for Hideaway Pizza. Weve been donating pizza and serving at this event for the past 10 years. It not only impacts our natural areas in Oklahoma but in other areas of the United States. So we feel like its very, very important.

Like good conservationists, think global, but then drink and eat local because you want to support your local community, you want to think about the global impact on everything, said Rex Thompson, Wild Brew committee chair. And thats what Wild Brew gives the Sutton Center  the opportunity to basically give back and be good stewards of this planet and the planets inhabitants that weve been gifted with. Thats the real reason  its to protect what we have and preserve what we have.

Tickets for the event can be purchased at wildbrew.org.

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AMSTERDAM (AP)  The Anne Frank House museum is releasing an English-language version of three videos in which an actress playing the young Jewish diarist describes the last six months of her life, from her arrest to her death in a Nazi concentration camp.

The English version of Anne Frank - After the Arrest is set for release on Thursday, 78 years to the day since Anne, her parents, her sister and four other Jews who hid with them in a secret annex of an Amsterdam house were arrested. Two non-Jewish helpers also were arrested.

The Frank family members hid in the annex from July 1942 until they were arrested in August 1944 and deported to concentration camps. Only Anne's father, Otto Frank, survived.

After the war, Otto had his dead teenage daughters diary published, and it has since been translated into more than 70 languages. The building housing the secret annex was turned into a museum in 1960.

The videos being released Thursday were previously available in Dutch. They pick up where the diary ends, depicting what happened to Anne and her family after their arrest. Eyewitness accounts provided some of the information.

The actress playing Anne speaks to the camera in between harrowing scenes of the arrest, transportation and the inhuman conditions and treatment of Jews in the camps  first Camp Westerbork in the eastern Netherlands and later Auschwitz and Bergen-Belsen. Anne, 15, and her older sister, Margot, both died of typhus shortly before Bergen-Belsen was liberated.

The video's creators worked with the museum and Dutch public broadcaster NTR to develop the series.

It makes a deep impression to look through Annes eyes at the last months of her life; the terrible time in the camps, the Amsterdam museums executive director, Ronald Leopold, said in a statement Wednesday.

With this sequel, weve answered the questions of many young people about what happened to Anne after her arrest, the period she couldnt describe in her diary, he added. "We hope to reach even more young people worldwide with the English-language version of Anne Frank  After the Arrest.

The three episodes, each about 15 minutes long, will be available to view on the museum's YouTube channel from 9 p.m. (1900 GMT) on Thursday.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP)  The husband of U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi pleaded not guilty Wednesday to misdemeanor driving under the influence charges related to a May crash in Northern California wine country.

Paul Pelosi, 82, did not appear in person at Napa County Superior Court Wednesday. His attorney, Amanda Bevins, entered not guilty pleas on his behalf on charges of driving under the influence of alcohol causing injury and driving with a .08% blood alcohol level or higher causing injury.

The complaint comes as Speaker Pelosi makes global headlines with a trip to Asia this week, including a controversial visit to Taiwan that heightened tensions with China. The powerful Democrat said the U.S. will not abandon the self-governing island and will defend democracy around the world.

Paul Pelosi was arrested following a May 28 crash in Napa County, north of San Francisco, after a DUI test showed he had a blood alcohol content of .082%.

Officers responding to the crash after 10 p.m. near the wine country town of Yountville said they found Pelosi in the driver's seat of a 2021 Porsche Carrera and the other driver standing outside a sport utility vehicle, according to the complaint made public Wednesday.

California Highway Patrol officers reported that Pelosi was unsteady on his feet, his speech was slurred, and he had a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage."

Pelosi offered to officers his drivers license along with an 11-99 Foundation card when asked for identification, the complaint says. The 11-99 Foundation supports CHP employees and their families.

The complaint charges Pelosi with being under the influence of an alcoholic beverage and a drug but both Bevins and Paul Gero, assistant district attorney for Napa County, said the drug reference was boilerplate language generated by the case management system.

Prosecutors filed the case as a misdemeanor because of injuries to the 48-year-old driver of the SUV. They have declined to identify the driver, saying the person has requested privacy.

In an interview with investigators from the district attorney's office, the driver reported pain in his upper right arm, right shoulder and neck the day after the crash. He said he also had headaches.

Pelosi was released on $5,000 bail after his arrest. Speaker Pelosi was in Rhode Island to deliver the commencement address at Brown University at the time. Her office has declined to comment.

If convicted, Pelosi faces up to a minimum of five days in jail and up to five years of probation. He would also be required to complete a drinking driver class and install an ignition interlock device in his vehicle that requires the driver to blow into it to travel, prosecutors said.

State law allows for DUI misdemeanor defendants to appear through their attorney unless ordered otherwise by the court.
The driver who eluded Sand Springs police officers and Oklahoma Highway Patrol troopers for more than seven hours on Monday has been identified and will be charged with multiple offenses, authorities said.

Brandon Beaty, 31, and two women were apprehended Monday evening after a daylong search that began after a larceny from the Sand Springs Tractor Supply store.

Police will ask that he be charged with eluding officers while endangering others, possession of a stolen vehicle, running a road block, petit larceny from a retailer and driving under suspension, Sand Springs Assistant Police Chief Todd Enzbrenner said.

Sand Springs officers notified the Oklahoma Highway Patrol about 10:20 a.m. Monday that officers were in pursuit of a stolen Chevrolet Tahoe on U.S. 412 and had entered Pawnee County, and after an OHP trooper attempted a tactical vehicle intervention, the Tahoe spun out and crashed into the OHP vehicle, OHP Trooper Eric Foster said.

The fleeing car, which police say was driven by Beaty, then rammed a Sand Springs police car. A Sand Springs officer or officers then fired shots and hit the Tahoe, according to an Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation news release.

Beaty ditched the SUV about two miles away and escaped on foot.

He and the two women were found walking along U.S. 412 near the Westport airport and Keystone Lake about 5:30 p.m., the Pawnee County Sheriffs Office said.

Enzbrenner said Beaty is in the Sand Springs municipal jail on complaints related to the pursuit. He could also be facing charges from the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation.

The women, who are not in custody and were not suspects in the Tractor Supply larceny, could be charged with joyriding, authorities said.
OKLAHOMA CITY  The Oklahoma Attorney Generals Office is racing to get Victor Manuel Castro-Huerta back into state custody, worried that the subject of a recent U.S. Supreme Court case could be released and even deported next week.

In a brief filed late Monday, Oklahoma Attorney General John OConnor asked the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals to reinstate Castro-Huertas state conviction as soon as possible so that the State may reacquire custody of him before federal authorities are forced to release him.

Castro-Huertas state conviction for child neglect was one of several reversed under the U.S. Supreme Courts 2020 McGirt v. Oklahoma decision, which has led to six tribal reservations being reaffirmed. The Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals ruled last year that Castro-Huerta was improperly tried in state court because the victim was a Native American and the crime occurred on the Cherokee reservation.

After the reversal, the U.S. Attorneys Office in the Northern District of Oklahoma, based in Tulsa, filed federal charges against Castro-Huerta, a Mexican national, and reached a plea agreement with a seven-year sentence. He is scheduled to be formally sentenced on Aug. 8.

But the U.S. Supreme Court reversed the decision by the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals in Castro-Huertas case last month, ruling that the state shares criminal jurisdiction on tribal reservations when the accused is a non-Indian and the victim is a tribal citizen.

The Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals received the Supreme Courts order and mandate on Monday and must reconsider its decision in Castro-Huertas case based on the new high court ruling on concurrent jurisdiction.

On Monday, OConnor told the state appeals court, The United States Attorneys Office for the Northern District of Oklahoma believes it likely that (Castro-Huerta) has discharged his seven-year sentence, in which case they will be forced to either release him outright or release him to the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for deportation to Mexico.

The attorney general said the Supreme Courts ruling automatically reinstated Castro-Huertas judgment and sentence but that the state believes it prudent to get an order formally reinstating the conviction before taking custody of him.

Castro-Huerta received a 35-year sentence in Tulsa County and had served less than six years when his state conviction was overturned.

U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson, in Oklahomas Northern District, told a federal judge Monday that Castro-Huerta is currently subject to only one sentence: the federal term to be imposed in this case.

Johnson said Castro-Huerta should be sentenced to the seven-year term that is part of his federal plea deal, with credit given for the time he has served in state and federal custody since Dec. 14, 2015.

According to Johnsons brief, the U.S. Attorneys Office and Castro-Huerta agreed previously that if the state conviction is reinstated, the federal sentence should run concurrently with his state sentence and the Court could recommend a non-federal place of confinement for the duration of the federal sentence.

Chad Johnson, the attorney handling Castro-Huertas state case, filed a brief Tuesday objecting to OConnors request for reinstatement of the state conviction and arguing that it would be unlawful for the state to take custody of Castro-Huerta. The attorney said the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals had issued a mandate after reversing Castro-Huertas conviction in 2021 and that appeals courts can only recall mandates in extraordinary circumstances and as a last resort.

The Supreme Courts decision in the Castro-Huerta case last month immediately impacted several similar cases in which a non-Indians conviction was overturned for a crime against a tribal citizen on one of the reservations in Oklahoma. Federal prosecutors had already filed charges in those cases, as well, meaning more sorting out will be required.
OKLAHOMA CITY  A vote by Kansas residents that effectively allows abortion in that state left Oklahoma reproductive rights supporters hopeful.

Kansas voters voted 59% to 41% on Tuesday to defeat an amendment that said there was no constitutional right to an abortion in that state.

The vote came on the heels of a U.S. Supreme Court decision that overturned Roe v. Wade and left the issue of whether to allow abortions up to the states.

Oklahoma outlawed abortion in almost all circumstances this year after having placed numerous restrictions on the procedure year after year.

It would take 177,958 signatures on a petition to get a state question on a ballot in an effort to make a constitutional change that would legalize abortion in Oklahoma.

I think these conversations about doing a proactive constitutional amendment have been in the works for some time, said Tamya Cox-Toure, ACLU Oklahoma executive director and co-chairwoman of Oklahoma Call for Reproductive Justice. What Kansas is showing is there is a path to victory that maybe Oklahomans can emulate and follow.

She said most progressive policies enacted in Oklahoma have been done through the initiative petition process, adding that the Oklahoma Legislature has tried to create obstacles to thwart the will of the people.

The initiative petition process led to the legalization of medical marijuana and the expansion of Medicaid.

Amber England, owner of Strategy 77, a political consulting and public affairs company, managed the campaign to get Medicaid expansion passed. She also worked on a failed ballot measure to increase taxes in part to provide pay raises for teachers.

I think what happened in Kansas will create a lot of enthusiasm from voters to see what might be possible in Oklahoma, England said.

She said it is extremely hard to get something on the ballot, but she remains cautiously optimistic that something can be done.

I think Kansas is a wake-up call for everyone, including the people of Oklahoma, that voters are not as extreme as the policies that are being pushed by state lawmakers in Oklahoma City, England said.

House Minority Leader Emily Virgin, D-Norman, said a lot of people across the country had been watching to see what voters in Kansas would do.

She said supporters of reproductive rights had argued that a ban was extreme and that doctors and patients should have the right to make decisions without the interference of government.

It is a sign that even in conservative states, people think this has gone too far, Virgin said.

Senate Pro Tem Greg Treat, R-Oklahoma City, who has authored several abortion bills, said he doesnt think Oklahoma voters would legalize abortion here.

Oklahomans are overwhelmingly pro-life, Treat said. Given the sentiment mutually shared among our citizens, I personally believe that an initiative petition wouldnt gather enough signatures to be on a ballot in the first place.

However, I am confidant if a state question were to be on a ballot, our citizens would advocate for the unborn and vote against the measure.

Sen. Julie Daniels, R-Bartlesville, has authored bills putting more restrictions on abortion.

She said the circumstances in Kansas are different from those in Oklahoma because the Kansas Supreme Court had handed down an opinion that said the right to an abortion is included in the state constitution.

In addition, it was unclear what actions the Kansas Legislature would take if the state question passed, she said.

So a different set of circumstances and lack of clarity from the Legislature I think is what resulted in that (vote), she said.

Emily Wales, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Great Plains, said that Kansas chose not to put themselves in the same crisis that we have in neighboring states like Missouri, Oklahoma and Arkansas, where abortion is now almost entirely inaccessible.

Wales said her organization is committed to restoring abortion access across the four states it serves, including Oklahoma.

There are only five places in Kansas to access abortion, she said, adding that abortion in Kansas is still regulated.

Meanwhile, the organizations clinics in Kansas are seeing an uptick in those seeking services from Oklahoma and Texas, she said.

Gallery: Abortion legislation in Oklahoma through the years
More efforts are needed to strengthen the classification of data and establish a digital information security protection system, as data are now widely seen as the fifth most important element in an economy after land, labor, capital and technology, experts said.

The comments came after the market size of China's cybersecurity industry exceeded 200 billion yuan ($29.56 billion) last year, and a new report showed that small and medium-sized enterprises are facing increasing data security risks amid accelerated digital transformation.

Sui Jing, head of the cybersecurity administration of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, said more efforts will be made to strengthen the top-level design of data security and improve supportive policies and standards systems.

"We will speed up the drafting of fundamental rules such as data classification and protect them accordingly, as well as enhance the supervision of cross-border data flows," Sui said at a cybersecurity discussion during the 2022 Global Digital Economy Conference in Beijing, which wrapped up on Saturday.

Wu Hequan, an academician at the Chinese Academy of Engineering, said as digital technologies get increasingly intertwined with both society and economy, there is an urgent need to promote a new round of transformation and upgrading of the digital security industry.

"Digital security is no longer a purely technical issue, but a systematic project involving businesses, corporate management, processes, teams and other aspects," Wu said at the 10th Internet Security Conference.

His views were echoed by Zhou Hongyi, founder and chairman of cybersecurity company 360 Security Group. "Data security companies should shift from being product-centric to service-centric," Zhou said.

Zhou said it is of great importance to build security systems that can help clients "see" data security risks and focus on offering services to them.

As digital transformation accelerates, Chinese SMEs are facing increasing data security risks, according to a report jointly released by 360 Dipper Research, the company's think tank, and organizations including the China Association of Small and Medium Enterprises.

More than 85 percent of small, medium and micro-sized enterprises surveyed for the report said they have encountered digital security problems and suffered more cyberattacks than before. And about 77 percent of them said they themselves cannot effectively deal with digital security risks.

SMEs have specific security needs in terms of digital business scenarios, budgets, security capabilities, emergency responses and other aspects. As a result, security products and services that used to be applicable to large enterprises cannot be directly offered to them, experts added.

Amid such a context, Zhou said that for SMEs lacking sufficient funding, talent or relevant technologies in the process of digital transformation, the company hopes to offer affordable solutions to help them solve data security problems.

"For big enterprises that have their own data security teams, we should provide data to empower them to better see risks," Zhou added.

He said that in the past 20 years, the company has invested 20 billion yuan in cybersecurity, and gathered 2,000 data security experts and a large quantity of security data, which can help it better offer business-oriented cybersecurity services.
The political action committee of a billionaire options trader from Pennsylvania has put another $1.17 million into Oklahomas 2nd Congressional District, according to Federal Election Commission reports.

The School Freedom Fund, which according to FEC filings received all $15 million contributed to it in the past year from businessman Jeff Yass, reported spending $600,000 on the cause of former state Sen. Josh Brecheen before the June 28 GOP primary and has spent almost twice that in the five weeks since.

One of the nations largest political donors, Yass campaign contributions have helped him avoid $1 billion in federal income taxes over the past six years, according to ProPublica.

A former professional poker player and horse bettor, Yass is one of the largest financial supporters of Club for Growth, an anti-tax organization that helped elect the late Tom Coburn to the U.S. Senate in 2004.

Brecheen once worked for Coburn.

On its website, the School Freedom Fund complains of COVID school shutdowns and countless abuses of power by education bureaucrats such as school closures, mask mandates, (and) critical race theory. It promotes School Choice as the structural solution to dramatically improve education in America.

It is unclear whether Yass is truly enthusiastic about school choice or sees it as a way to elect members of Congress sympathetic to his views on taxes and markets.

Brecheen, R-Coalgate, finished second by a narrow margin to state Rep. Avery Frix, R-Muskogee, in the June primary. Between them, Frix and Brecheen received less than 30% of the vote in a field of 14. The two will meet again in the Aug. 23 runoff election.

Frix is also getting outside assistance  about $425,000 in anonymous expenditures funneled through a PAC called Fund for a Working Congress.

Independent expenditures  usually advertising in some form  are made by individuals or groups other than a candidates campaign committee and may support or oppose a candidate. They are not supposed to be coordinated with candidate campaigns.

There are no financial limits to independent expenditures.

By law, independent expenditures in federal election campaigns must be reported to the FEC, but political operatives have found ways to hide donors identities, usually by sending the money through a 501(4) entity.

To some extent, that is true of Fund for a Working Congress.

Of the $680,000 it had received through the end of June, $200,000 came from a pass-through called Prosperity Alliance. The only Oklahoma donor was Master Cable Corp. Inc., which listed a Lawton address and gave $15,000.

The PAC has been involved in a handful of other races, notably in Ohio and Georgia, but not to the extent it is invested in CD 2.

Other donors have included the American Values Fund, which was involved in trying to topple Oklahoma Auditor and Inspector Cindy Byrd, and Newsmax Media.
Correction: This story originally misstated the amount of proposed aid for Ukraine. The story has been corrected.

The two Republican U.S. Senate runoff candidates on Tuesday repeated debunked claims about the 2020 presidential election, discounted the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, supported a national abortion ban with few if any exceptions, and agreed that the answer to gun violence is not making it harder to get guns.

About the only things on which 2nd District Congressman Markwayne Mullin and former Oklahoma Speaker of the House T.W. Shannon disagreed were whether the United States should have sent $40 billion in aid to Ukraine and which of them is best suited to replace U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe when he retires early next year.

Appearing on Griffin Communications Oklahoma City and Tulsa television stations, including KOTV, Channel 6, ahead of the Aug. 23 election, Shannon and Mullin pitched standard conservative warnings against the radical left and career politicians but did try to draw substantive differences between themselves.

Mullin, who has actually spent two years more in elected office, portrayed Shannon as a careerist and offered Shannons law degree as proof.

What is needed, said Mullin, is real-world experience such as his, acquired during decades of running his plumbing businesses.

Youre never going to change Washington if we dont change the resume of the people we send there, Mullin said, repeating one of his favorite phrases.

Shannon, contrasting his own demeanor with Mullins combative language and some would say style, cast himself as someone with experience resolving issues.

We dont just need people who are willing to fight, said Shannon. We need to bring people together.

In a dig at Mullin, Shannon said many members of Congress can tell you whats wrong in Washington but they cant tell you what theyve done to fix it.

Both did their best to prove themselves to former President Donald Trumps many Oklahoma enthusiasts.

Asked about the 2020 election and the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, Shannon said he absolutely believes that the election was stolen, and Mullin said he couldnt imagine President Joe Biden getting the most votes in U.S. history.

Both repeated debunked voting fraud charges, with Mullin claiming that Democrats pulled out boxes of ballots after everyone went to bed and Shannon insisting that the opposing party somehow used illegal immigrants to win the presidency.

Shannon said he doesnt think Oklahomans care what happened on Jan. 6.

Mullin, who was present when a police officer shot dead a rioter breaking into the House chamber, said the assault on the seat of government never should have happened.

Both said they would support a national abortion ban with few if any exceptions, although in Shannons case it came with a pretty big caveat.

Shannon said he didnt think Congress could enact a federal ban without a constitutional amendment, which is a big hill to climb. The U.S. Constitution has only been amended 27 times, with 10 of those adopted immediately after the document itself was ratified. The last amendment, having to do with congressional compensation, was adopted 30 years ago.

Both candidates, each of whom has young daughters, indicated that they would oppose allowing abortions for minors who have been raped. Mullin suggested that he would be morally opposed to abortion to save the life of a woman.

When it comes to the death of the mother or a child, I can tell you what my wife would say, he said.

I dont make a distinction between babies that are born and babies that havent been born, said Shannon.

Shannon said the rape of a child would be the worst a parent can imagine. But I believe life begins at conception.

He then changed the subject, saying, What we should be having is a discussion about what to do with the perpetrator.

The pair passed quickly over questions about gun violence, saying restrictions on ownership make Americans less safe and at any rate violate the U.S. Constitution.

Mullin said people are afraid of guns for the same reason hes afraid of Washingtons public transportation system  they dont understand them.

The only real confrontation between the two was over the $40 billion Ukraine aid package.

Mullin, who voted for it, said the bill was necessary to replenish U.S. arsenals and ramp up intelligence efforts in the region. Mullin is a member of the House Select Committee on Intelligence.

Shannon contends that much of the money was sent in the form of cash to Ukranian officials. Tuesday he said regarding $16 billion that we dont know where it is going.

That seems to be a reference to $16 billion categorized by the highly respected Center for Strategic and International Studies as humanitarian assistance, general support to the Ukrainian government, and efforts to mitigate the effects of the war globally.

According to the CSIS, that money is to be spent to assist Ukrainian refugees in the U.S. and elsewhere, to help eastern European countries dealing with an influx of Ukrainian refugees, and to provide food and other humanitarian aid to countries affected by the curtailment of Ukrainian exports.

The package also included $19 billion in immediate and long-term military aid to Ukraine, almost $4 billion to support expanded U.S. forces in the region and $2 billion for NATO.

Democrat Kendra Horn, who will oppose the runoff winner and two other candidates in the Nov. 8 general election, blasted Mullin, whom she expects to be the Republican nominee.

Referring to an interview with New Tang Dynasty Television, an affiliate of the Falun Gong religious movement, in which Mullin says employers willing to help employees get legal abortions should leave the state, Horn said, Telling major American companies to get out of Oklahoma (if they) dont agree with his extremist policies and voting against critical high-tech manufacturing jobs in the U.S. to prove a political point may help his standing with the D.C. powerbrokers, but they hurt hard-working Oklahomans.

Featured video: T.W. Shannon and Markwayne Mullin face off in Republican runoff for U.S. Senate
OKLAHOMA CITY  The Oklahoma Department of Veterans Affairs on Tuesday announced the largest pay increase for nursing staff in agency history.

The pay hikes range from 10% to 23% and average $12,385 yearly per nurse, according to the agency.

The raises come from a legislative appropriation of $1.276 million and agency operating funds, said Joel Kintsel, executive director of the department.

The raises will go to 210 nurses, Kintsel said.

Currently, the agency is short 177 nurses but has used contract nurses to fill the void, which is very, very expensive, Kintsel said.

He said he hopes the raises will help recruit and retain nurses who are state employees.

Future raises will address compensation for other caregivers, he said.

In the past year, agency leadership has announced several new initiatives to bridge the gap between state and private-sector compensation levels.

The initiatives include referral incentives, skill-based pay for advanced training and certification, and student loan repayment.

However, more is needed to attract and retain the best nurses in the business to care for our veterans in a highly competitive labor market, said Sarah Lane, Oklahoma Department of Veterans Affairs deputy director.

These raises are intended to convey to our current team members that we are grateful for your commitment to serving veterans and to prospective team members that ODVA cares for those who care for our veterans.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, a number of veterans centers saw outbreaks of the illness and had patients who died from it.
HANOI -- Vietnam on Tuesday imposed an anti-dumping levy of 47.64% on some sugar products imported from five Southeast Asian countries but originating from Thailand for a period of four years, the country's trade ministry said.

Last year, Vietnam imposed similar measures on sugar imports from Thailand, effective for five years.

However, local firms said that to get round the measures some sugar products originating from Thailand were being imported via Laos, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia and Myanmar.

"The decision was made after a careful and fair investigation launched last September following international practices," the trade ministry said in a statement.

"In the case products imported from those countries have sufficient proof of being produced and harvested in their own countries anti-dumping tax measures will not be applied," it said.

The ministry said the taxes will be applied between Aug 9, 2022 and June 15, 2026.

The ministry said data showed that subsidised sugar shipments from Thailand surged 330.4% to 1.3 million tonnes in 2020 and this was undermining the domestic sugar industry.

Vietnam removed duties on sugar imported from Southeast Asian countries in 2020, in accordance with the commitments of the ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement.

However, provisions allow Association of Southeast Asian Nations to impose import duties to protect the rights and interests of domestic industries against anti-competitive behaviour.

Thai authorities could not immediately be reached for comment.
Vietnam adheres to the one-China policy and hopes the relevant parties to exercise restraint and not to escalate tension in the Taiwan Strait area, the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Wednesday.

The foreign ministrys spokesperson Le Thi Thu Hang was speaking at a press briefing in Hanoi in response to reporters questions about the current situation of the Taiwan Strait.

Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, had landed in Taiwan for a visit on Tuesday.

Reiterating that Vietnam continues to follow the one China policy, Hang requested all relevant parties to contain themselves and contribute to maintaining peace and stability in the region and the world.

One-China means there is but one China in the world, stated the Chinese Embassy in Vietnam.

Taiwan is an inseparable part of Chinas territory and the government of the Peoples Republic of China is the only legal government representing the entirety of China, the embassy stressed.

Tension in the Taiwan Strait has been heightened after U.S. House Speaker Pelosi's plane touched down in Taipei on Tuesday evening, despite previous warnings from mainland China.

Pelosis visit to Taiwan is a serious violation of the one-China principle and the provisions of the three China - U.S. joint communiques, Chinas Xinhua News Agency cited the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a statement on Tuesday.

Around 15 minutes after Pelosi arrived at Songshan Airport in Taipei, Xinhua News Agency reported that the Chinese Peoples Liberation Army would conduct drills in six areas surrounding Taiwan from August 4 to 8.

Meanwhile, Chinas Eastern Theater Command announced that military operations began on Tuesday evening with the participation of J-20 stealth fighters.

A video aired later on the China Central Television showed the fighters taking off in the dark with missiles under their wings.

On late Tuesday night, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Xie Feng summoned U.S. Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns to protest over Pelosis Taiwan visit and asked Washington to immediately address its wrongdoings."

In a press conference held later at the White House, U.S. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby underlined that Pelosi's visit to Taiwan did not change Washington's stance on the one-China policy, which recognizes Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan as part of China.

The visit was within Pelosis rights and did not violate Chinas sovereignty, Reuters cited Kirby as saying.

The U.S. acknowledged the one-China policy and established official diplomatic relations with mainland China in 1979.

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The government of Vietnam has awarded 'The Fatherland Acknowledges the Merit' Certificate to three firefighters for sacrificing their lives in an effort to extinguish an inferno at a karaoke parlor in Cau Giay District, Hanoi this week.

The decision was signed by Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh on Tuesday in recognition of the bravery of Colonel Dang Anh Quan -- the 45-year-old leader of the fire prevention and control team of the Cau Giay public security division -- 24-year-old Lieutenant Do Duc Viet, and 19-year-old corporal Nguyen Dinh Phuc.

Earlier, State President Nguyen Xuan Phuc signed a decision posthumously conferring the First Class Victory Medal on the three officers.

They were also posthumously promoted to higher rankings under a decision signed by Minister of Public Security To Lam on the same day.

Many leaders from the central to local administration levels and people across Vietnam extended their deepest condolences to the Vietnam Peoples Public Security Forces and the bereaved families.

The three firefighters were killed while fighting a blaze and rescuing victims at a five-story karaoke bar building, which has been temporarily closed for repairs, in Cau Giay District on Monday.

It took functional forces more than eight hours to put out the fire.

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An exhibition in Hanoi recently attracted art lovers with its novel display of design ideas by local architects that were rejected by investors.

Exhibitions featuring successful design proposals that have been built have long been commonplace events for the wider public.

Nguyen Ha, a Hanoi architect, embarked on her own journey to go against the crowd's interests by showing 24 design models rejected by investors for a variety of reasons, some of which are rather amusing.

A 3D printed architectural model of an accommodation compound that was rejected since the client changed the investment strategy. Photo: Thien Dieu / Tuoi Tre

The exhibition is taking at Manzi Art Space on Hang Bun Street in Ba Dinh District, Hanoi, and will last until August 21.

Despite being rejected by investors, the architecture designs on display astonished other architects and art enthusiasts with their distinctive ideas that surpass standard architectural thinking.

A 3D printed architectural model of a dormitory that was rejected by clients. Photo: Thien Dieu / Tuoi Tre

According to the organizers, since these 24 designs have never been constructed, they represent original, unconstrained creative concepts of architects that were never influenced by requests for concessions and adjustments from other participants.

In this exhibition, visitors can also uncover endless humorous reasons why investors turned down architect designs.

A house reclamation project that was not constructed due to its complicated design. Photo: Thien Dieu / Tuoi Tre

For instance, an investor refused the design of a worker's boarding house, partly because it was too magnificient and dreamlike, causing them not to recognize it as a worker's boarding house.

A 3D printed architectural model of a museum that was rejected by clients since it cost three times the budgeted amount. Photo: Thien Dieu / Tuoi Tre

A 3D printed architectural model of a childrens cultural center that was turned down due to its obscure design. Photo: Thien Dieu / Tuoi Tre

A 3D printed architectural model of a hospital that was refused by clients. Photo: Thien Dieu / Tuoi Tre

A hotel design that was rejected after the investor realized that constructing a hotel would not be financially sustainable. Photo: Thien Dieu / Tuoi Tre

A 3D printed architectural model of a hotel that was rejected by clients. Photo: Thien Dieu / Tuoi Tre

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The British original version of Im a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here! has confirmed it is returning to Australia for its upcoming season.

For the past two years the show has been confined to Gwrych Castle in Wales, due to the pandemic.

ITV said: Returning to its home in Australia after a two-year break, our celebrities will leave their plush pads and luxuries far behind as they spend up to three weeks taking on the Australian jungle with a whole host of surprises created for them.

Ant and Dec will be returning to host the show. The cast is yet to be announced.

The plan is, were going back to Australia, we dont want to go elsewhere. Its got to go back to it. Back to its spiritual home, back to where it all started, Ant said recently.

Everyone wants to see a bit of sunshine at that time of year on the telly.

Dec added: We had two lovely years in Wales, we really enjoyed our time in Wales, but this show has to be in Australia. We have to go back.

The Australian site at Dungay, New South Wales, subsequently became home to the 10 series hosted by Julia Morris and Dr. Chris Brown -also used by the German production.

10 is rumoured to be returning Im a Celebrity to Africa, but yet to confirm.

Source: Digital Spy
In S2 of UK drama Baptiste, Tcheky Karyo is joined by Fiona Shaw (Killing Eve).

This screened on Foxtel just over a year ago.

This season Julien Baptiste travels to Hungary to help Emma Chambers, the British Ambassador. Her whole family is missing but this is no ordinary kidnapping: dark forces are at work.

Tcheky Karyo (The Missing) resumes his role as retired police investigator Julien Baptiste, and Fiona Shaw (Killing Eve, Fleabag) makes her debut appearance in the series as British Ambassador Emma

Chambers, for a brand new gripping case which will take viewers into Budapests secretive and corrupt underworld.

Julien Baptiste is not the man we knew before. After enduring a horrific personal tragedy, Julien has pushed his wife Celia away and is looking for any distraction  whether that be the bottom of a bottle or a new case  to consume him.

When British Ambassador Emma Chambers whole family disappears whilst on a skiing holiday in the Hungarian mountains, Baptiste immerses himself into Emmas world, committed to finding her husband and two sons. However, when the case turns into something far more brutal and desperate, Julien must navigate a Hungarian police force he doesnt trust and unrelenting media who are hungry for information on such a high-profile international case. Julien must remain rational in the face of chaos in order to find Emmas family. Will he be able to solve his most complex case yet?

Friday 19 August 8.30pm on ABC.
The first batch of fresh avocados grown in Kenya and destined for the Chinese market was flagged off Tuesday at a ceremony attended by senior government officials, diplomats, and industry executives.



Kenya became the first African country to export fresh avocados to China in a move set to further boost the economic ties between the two countries.

David Osiany, the Chief Administrative Secretary for the Ministry of Industrialization, Trade and Enterprise Development said that by exporting fresh avocados to China, Kenya's foreign exchange earnings were set to spike and unleash economic vitality in the country.

"The export of fresh avocados to China is a monumental feat that will boost our economy and benefit key players across the avocado value chain including farmers," said Osiany.

Other dignitaries who attended the flagging-off ceremony included Zhang Yijun, Minister Counsellor at the Chinese Embassy in Kenya.

"We believe that Kenya's fresh avocados export to China has huge potential," Zhang said.

Senior officials drawn from regulatory agencies, industry leaders, and farmers' representatives graced the ceremony which set the stage for the bulk export of fresh avocados to China.

Chinese firm Greechain has inked a deal with its Kenyan counterpart, Sunripe to facilitate the shipment of fresh avocados. This has come after the two countries in January signed two protocols to foster bilateral trade in avocados and aquatic products.

Under the two protocols, Kenya received a green light to commence the export of avocados that meet phytosanitary standards set by Chinese regulators.

The General Administration of Customs of China in partnership with the Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service has been involved in certifying the safety and quality standards of avocados grown by local farmers before their export to the Asian country.

Garry Du, the Managing Director of Greechain said that thorough inspection combined with investment in advanced cold chain technology paved way for the export of Kenya's fresh avocado to China.

Kenya is among the world's top avocado producers, ranking number one last year in Africa in the export of the fruit valued for its nutritional and medicinal properties.

Benjamin Tito, the Director of the Horticultural Crops Directorate, said that in July, the country exported 11.2 million kilograms of avocado, earning 1.5 billion shillings (12.6 million U.S. dollars) to the exchequer.
After a lifetime spent between his birthplace of Lahore, Pakistan; the United States; and Great Britain, Mohsin Hamid is an expert at not only observing the world around him, but in using his surroundings to feed his art. In 1993, he was a relatively newly arrived transplant to the States and wrote his debut novel Moth Smoke about Pakistan. When he moved to London in 2000, he wrote about the New York City hed recently left in The Reluctant Fundamentalist. And when he found himself back in his native Lahore, he began to conceive of the idea for The Last White Man, which he wouldnt sit down to write for many years.

The book, which just hit shelves, imagines a world in which white people begin to turn dark-skinned  slowly at first, a few people waking up without their whiteness in disparate cities across the country, and then quickly, when suddenly entire communities are as similar on the outside as theyve been on the inside. I was thinking about the post-9/11 realization that, where before if you occupied a racial position that wasnt clearly white or Black, it was possible to go through life with only minor annoyances in terms of discrimination  but then afterwards, youd be pulled into an interrogation room at the airport, he says. And I was thinking about a world in which we realize that race is a fictional construct that weve willed into existence, but that doesnt actually exist on its own.

More from The Hollywood Reporter

As Hamid speaks to The Hollywood Reporter over Zoom for this interview, hes back in New York  incidentally, the author and his family are borrowing the home of the director of the film version of Fundamentalist  where hes been preparing for the publication of The Last White Man. Hell embark on a national book tour, an abbreviated version of the long, grueling trips to visit readers across the country that hes used to, but given that Hamids novels have sold millions of copies and his last book is currently being adapted by Higher Ground, the production company run by Barack and Michelle Obama, he has a lot of fans waiting to ask him questions. Here, he gives a few answers about the inspiration for his latest work and what hes learned in the process of turning his books into films.

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From an American perspective, its easy to interpret The Last White Man as a reaction to the last presidential administration. But I imagine thats not the whole story of this books inspiration 

I did have the specific idea early on in the Trump administration of, what if this guy suddenly wakes up and hes no longer white? And what if that begins to spread, and what would that feel like? But that was more the narrative way into the ideas Id been thinking about for almost two decades. After 9/11, my racial category became much less neutral; people would get nervous when you got onto the subway, and it felt like something out there had changed, but that I myself hadnt changed. I had a feeling of loss, that I wanted to go back to how things were before, but also the realization that I was complicit in the system. There were always people who were experiencing this assumption of threat, but its just that up until then I hadnt been experiencing it  so is that really the system I want to go back to?

Both The Last White Man and Exit West (which is in the works as a film) have an element of unreality to them; the skin-color changes in White Man and the magic doorways that allow people to escape their country in Exit. Why do you think youve become drawn to this style?

I think that what we imagine to be real isnt actually real. Colors arent actually those colors; its just our brains interpretation of them. Or we imagine ourselves to be a certain way, and when we act in opposition to that, well justify it by saying, Oh, I wasnt myself. And fiction allows us to relinquish that tyrannical adherence to reality. I also dont think my books are that far from the truth: Exit West is about a world where distance collapses, and here you and I have collapsed distances through these devices were using to talk to each other. What Im often doing in my work is making emotionally real what technology has already done. I think it makes for an interesting way to explore whatever our current moment is.

What is your relationship to adaptations of your work? Do you feel invested in them, or do you prefer to sit back and watch someone else take the creative wheel?

The first international film that was made of one of my books was The Reluctant Fundamentalist and I suppose you could say I have a very good relationship with that movie given that Im speaking to you from the living room of our director, Mira Nair. What I set out to do 15 years ago when we began collaborating was sort of send my child off to school, creatively speaking. I thought I would hand my book over and see how it turned out. I trusted Mira and felt a strong personal connection and said, Just reach out if you have any questions. But then they asked me to collaborate on the first couple of drafts of the script, and then during filming, they asked me to advise from time to time. So I had more of a role than I expected to have, but I learned a great deal.

What did you learn that was most valuable?

I write novels that allow readers to imagine a lot of what is happening in the story. All of my novels try to create an ambiguous space that the reader gets to make their own. When a film is made, suddenly things have to become much more concrete  the reader cant be the director because theres an actual director. With Fundamentalist, the book was about being suspicious without knowing if were right in our suspicions; it had to become a film where we know who that suspicious character, played by Liev Schreiber, is. The project became something very different, but beautiful in its own way, as its a very cosmopolitan film with people coming together from all over to make it: an Indian director, a Pakistani writer. Subsequently now when I work with filmmakers I realize how difficult it is for people to fill in the blanks of what Ive created. Someone will tell me, oh, my book feels like a film, but then years will go by with numerous screenwriters and versions of the screenplay and still not be coming together.

From the outside, as a fan of a book, it can feel like it takes forever for adaptations to come together successfully 

I actually just had a very interesting conversation with some writer-directors and what they said has really stayed with me. They pointed out that the novels I write are already quite small and have gone through an enormous amount of compression  if you try to make them into feature films and compress them even more, its hard to make it stand up. So its started me thinking about the value of limited series, and I think it would be worth trying, and also that I should try to be more active in the team thats trying to bring The Last White Man to life. Its a huge perspective shift for me, but after so many years of hovering on the periphery, I should probably begin to see if I have any ability or skill in the area.

Is Exit West still confirmed as a feature film?

Its on track at the moment to be a film. Its in development by the Obamas Higher Ground Productions, for Netflix, with Riz Ahmed attached to star in it. That process has been underway for a while, so hopefully soon itll reach a point where it can move forward. I think everybodys appetite has been to move forward for quite some time.

Did you make a concerted effort to work with Riz again?

We collaborated on Reluctant Fundamentalist, of course, and hes a personal friend and somebody I have enormous respect for. I think that artistically, he has so much integrity. He takes the meaning of what hes doing very seriously, and so hes always looking for other people to collaborate with whose hearts are in the right place. We tend to speak about books and films and world events, but hell also give me his thoughts on my books. Well bounce around ideas. Hes somebody that I view as a collaborator not just on particular projects but in our lives and thinking about the work that were doing.

I cant let you go without asking if youve met Barack and Michelle Obama 

You know, I havent met them yet. I hope I do, but there are probably several hundred million other people who would like to meet them. But I really admire what theyre doing in this work. Theyre both serious writers, which is rare in political figures. Without being able to speak from personal experience, I have the sense of them approaching the work as authoring something. That theres authorship in the kinds of projects they take on. So Im excited to see what happens.

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British actor Dev Patel broke up a fight in which a man was stabbed in the chest, a spokesperson has confirmed.

A spokesperson for Patel, who starred in Slumdog Millionaire and Lion, told local outlet 7NEWS.com.au he and his friends had witnessed "a violent altercation that was already in progress outside a convenience store".

In a statement to the outlet, they said: "Dev acted on his natural instinct to try and de-escalate the situation and break up the fight.

"The group was thankfully successful in doing so and they remained on site to ensure that the police and eventually the ambulance arrived."

The 32-year-old actor was pictured talking to police after the stabbing on Monday night in Adelaide, Australia.

Officers were called around 8.45pm following reports of a man and woman fighting in the street, South Australia Police said.

The couple continued fighting inside a nearby service station, where witnesses attempted to break up the fight, before the woman allegedly stabbed the man in the chest.

A 32-year-old man from Glengowrie was treated at the scene by ambulance officers. He was then taken to the Royal Adelaide Hospital. His injuries are not considered life threatening.

Patel's spokesperson added: "This specific incident highlights a larger systemic issue of marginalised members of society not being treated with the dignity and respect they deserve.

"The hope is that the same level of media attention this story is receiving (solely because Dev, as a famous person, was involved) can be a catalyst for lawmakers to be compassionate in determining long-term solutions to help not only the individuals who were involved but the community at large."

Patel lives in Adelaide with his girlfriend, actress Tilda Cobham-Hervey, whom he starred alongside in the 2018 film Hotel Mumbai.
Adverts for two funeral providers have been banned after they misleadingly implied that their MDF coffins were more eco-friendly than alternative options.

Golden Leaves and JC Atkinson & Son advertised environmentally-friendly, eco-friendly or green funerals including wooden or MDF coffins, with Golden Leaves adding that choosing an environmentally-friendly funeral not only assists your loved ones, but also makes a positive statement of intent to help preserve the world in which we live.

After selecting Eco on the JC Atkinson & Son site, consumers saw a selection of coffins including the Reflections catalogue which stated: The eco-friendly Reflections range is for those wanting a truly personalised tribute.

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) and LifeArt Coffins challenged whether the eco-friendly claims were misleading and could be substantiated.

JC Atkinson & Son said that they would remove the claims that their coffins were eco-friendly, but said they believed they could be substantiated.

The Golden Leaves web page (ASA/PA)

Golden Leaves said the claims that their coffins and also funerals were green or eco-friendly should be understood as part of their whole package offer of a funeral plan, which they had designed to promote an environmentally conscious message.

This included the promotional material itself, produced with water based inks on recycled paper, the sustainable nature of the coffin types used and carbon offsetting strategies, for example replacement tree planting and rainforest conservation donations.

In relation to JC Atkinson, the ASA said: Because the evidence that had been provided to us did not demonstrate that there was no negative impact on the environment over the full life cycle of the coffins, we concluded that the ad was misleading.

And of Golden Leaves it said: Because we considered that consumers would understand the terms green and environmentally-friendly in the context of the ad to be absolute claims about the whole life cycle of the funeral, and because the evidence did not support that purchasing a funeral plan from Golden Leaves would have a net neutral or positive impact on the environment, we concluded that the claims had not been substantiated and were misleading.

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It added: The ad must not appear again in its current form. We told Golden Leaves not to state or imply that their products had a net neutral or positive environmental benefit unless they held substantiation that demonstrated this across their whole life cycle.

We also told them to ensure that the basis for the environmental claims were made clear to consumers.

A Golden Leaves spokesman said: Golden Leaves had marketed environmentally-friendly funeral plans, that helped you minimise the environmental impact of your funeral.

The ASA deemed that consumers would believe that the plans would prevent or neutralise all environmental impacts of the funeral rather than just minimising it.

Considering this finding (which Golden Leaves do not agree with) Golden Leaves have decided to remove this particular product range from circulation until further research on the particular matter in question can be conducted.
In more bad news for travel chaos, Portuguese civil aviation workers have threatened to go on a three-day strike in late August in a dispute over pay and better working conditions.

The strike is set to take place from 19 August to 21 August, which is set to be an unusually busy summer weekend for travel, the Portugals Civil Aviation Workers Union (SINTAC) and the Commercial Aviation Staff Union (SQAC) said in a joint statement.

The unions have accused ANA - the airport conglomerate that manages 10 airports in Portugal including in Lisbon, Porto and Faro - and French group Vinci, which controls ANA, of not paying workers decent wages, despite making multi-million euro net profits.

They have also demanded that ANA and Vinci adopt urgent measures to ensure workers feel safe while doing their jobs.

In a statement, ANA said it regretted the unions decision to strike, as salaries were reviewed in April and bonuses were given to workers.

ANA will continue to promote dialogue with social partners and will continue the ongoing negotiation, the airport operator said.

The unions represent cabin crew as well as ground handling services and other companies related to the aviation sector.

The proposal is the latest in a series of walkouts at a time Europes transport sector continues to struggle handling a return to travel after the Covid lockdowns and the increased demand in travel.

Spanish airline workers have also threatened Ryanair with industrial action this month, also demanding higher pay and better working conditions.

Meanwhile, UK holidaymakers have been hit by a series of rail strikes during the summer holidays, some at weekend that are typically popular for staycations in the country.

Yesterday, British Airways stopped selling short-haul flights from Heathrow airport for at least a week due to a cap on daily passenger numbers imposed over the summer.
An example of the silver Audi Q2 believed to be used by thieves (Met Police handout)

Police are on the hunt for a gang of thieves allegedly driving across London in a silver Audi after a spate of luxury watch thefts.

A group of two to three people are believed to be responsible for 12 incidents across the capital between May and July.

Eleven men and one woman were targeted in the violent thefts, ranging in ages between 24 and 64 years old.

They occured in Bermondsey, Brixton, Parsons Green, Norbury, Clapham, Tooting and Camberwell among other locations.

During these offences the victim was usually injured by being struck with an object, before their watch was stolen, Met Police said.

Detectives believe that the offences are being committed by two to three people, and that they are using a silver coloured Audi Q2 as their mode of transport.

Detective Inspector Vicky Allen said the effects of the thefts can run far deeper than a loss of property or pride.

Anyone with information is asked to call 101 or tweet @MetCC, quoting CAD6723/02AUG. Information can be given anonymously via the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
New Zealand has released its first national plan to prepare for the floods, fires and rising seas it expects to be unleashed by the climate crisis in the coming years.

Climate minister James Shaw, releasing the plan on Wednesday, said that while New Zealand would do its best to start reducing emissions, it was also preparing for a likely scenario of enormous climate disruption, and said it was crucial the country was prepared.

Related: Climate crisis insufficient to halt oil and gas exploration, says New Zealand government

We have already seen what can unfold. Severe weather events that had previously seemed unthinkable, even only a few years ago, are now happening at a pace and intensity we have never experienced before, he said. The plans release comes after weeks of wild weather and flooding across New Zealand.

Even with 1.5 degrees of warming, we are going to see the impacts of climate change on our communities and the way we live our lives, Shaw said.

Climate minister James Shaw Photograph: Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images

The national Climate Adaptation plan is the countrys first, and is a sprawling document that provides a roadmap for trying to protect infrastructure, housing, cities and cultural treasures as the planet heats.

Much of the plan is focused on preparing people, businesses, local governments and developers by ensuring they are adequately informed of risks and have to account for those risks in the planning process. Some of the changes include forcing councils to provide information about climate risks to prospective homebuyers, making councils account for climate change in planning regulations, and creating national mapping and public portals for people to see up-to-date information on how the climate crisis will affect their area.

Our government has taken steps to support those communities affected, and will continue to do so, Shaw said. But rather than having to deal with these events as and when they happen, what people want are the tools to prepare, so that when climate events occur their lives can continue.

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What the plan doesnt provide, however, is an answer to one of the most crucial questions facing the country: when houses, streets or entire communities become uninhabitable due to climate change, who pays to shift them?

The question of managed retreat  who foots the bill when sea level rise or flooding renders a community unsafe or uninsurable  has become increasingly pressing in New Zealand. One in seven New Zealanders, or 675,000 people, live in areas prone to flooding, and another 72,065 live in areas projected to be subject to extreme sea level rise. A 2020 government-funded report by Deep South Challenge  a national science collaboration  found at least 10,000 homes in New Zealands biggest cities would be in effect uninsurable by 2050. The government has committed to legislation on managed retreat by the end of 2023.

Scientists say the plan, while welcome, is light on detail.

Paucity remains in some of the details, said Dr Luke Harrington, senior lecturer in climate change at University of Waikato. There also remains uncertainty about how a warming planet will modify climate hazards at the neighbourhood scale. Some of these uncertainties are unavoidable, but many can be reduced if the right scientific questions are asked. Unfortunately, this is not one of the knowledge gaps identified, he said.

Dr Nick Cradock-Henry, a senior scientist at Manaaki Whenua  Landcare Research, said the new plan was overdue, but welcome.

As we clean up following recent flooding, and face another potentially record-breaking year of extremes, this plan is a reminder that we still have a long way to go, he said. Adaptation to climate change is one of the most complex societal and environmental challenges we face, but with this plan we are at least moving in the right direction.
Argentina's "Pbustos14 Sun Runs To Win The Festival Online Main Event

August 03 2022 Matthew Pitt Editor

The final events of the 888poker The Festival Online concluded on August 1, including the eagerly anticipated Main Event. Some 813 players bought into the Main Event and created a guarantee-busting $162,600 prize pool, but only nine of those starters navigated their way to the final table, which was streamed on the 888poker Twitch channel on August 1.

Commentators Nick Wealthall and David Tuchman relayed all of the action, which was fast and furious from the get-go. It took just over an hour for Argentina's "Pbustos14" to accumulate all the chips in play, and become The Festival Online Main Event champion, and receive a wallet-filling $26,552 in prize money.

The Festival Online Main Event

Place Player Country Prize 1 Pbustos14 Argentina $26,552 2 vpedote Brazil $19,349 3 IOwnU888 n/a $14,194 4 MindgaugasKR Lithuania $10,438 5 Jerry "Perrymejsen" Odeen Sweden $7,723 6 DantonGomes Brazil $5,723 7 xFink_Ploydx Canada $4,260 8 Mr.Exploiter Montenegro $3,170 9 skirdan Lithuania $2,406

"Pbustos14" was the shortest of the nine finalists but their ace-seven of diamonds cracked the pocket aces of "x_Fink_Ploydx" after turning a flush to give himself some breathing room.

"skirdan" of Lithuania was the first player heading to the rail, doing so with a $2,406 prize in tow. skirdan open-shoved for a shade more than 8.5 big blinds with pocket nines from the small blinds, and Pbustos14 looked them up in the big blind with ace-king of diamonds. An ace on the turn sent skirdan to the rail and Pbustos14 into second in chips.

Montenegro's "Mr.Exploiter" was the chip leader at the start of eight-handed play, yet they were still the next player to bust. First, they lost with ace-ten versus the pocket kings of "IOwnU888" before getting their last 12.5 big blinds into the middle with ace-jack against the dominating ace-king of "MindgaugasKR" one hand later. Eighth place came with $3,170.

888poker Qualifier Thiago Pirani Turns $22 into Over $60k in "Magical" WSOP Experience

Seventh place and $4,260 went to xFink_Ploydx, who never recovered from having their aces cracked. They open-shoved for 4.5 big blinds from the cutoff with ace-five, and IOwnU888 called from the big blind with queen-jack. The ace-five remained the best hand right up to the river, which is where the queen of clubs made an appearance and reduced the player count again.

The final six became five with the untimely demise of Brazilian "DantonGomes." "vpedote" min-raised with ace-queen in the cutoff, DantonGomes ripped in their 12.6 big blinds from the button with ace-jack, only for Pbustos14 to also move all-in for 19.3 big blinds with ace-queen. The original raiser ducked out of the way and looked on as the community cards ran out with four clubs, with Pbustos14 holding the ace of clubs. DantonGomes headed into the night with $5,723 for their efforts.

Sweden's Jerry "perrymejsen" Odeen got his hands on the $7,723 fifth place prize after a clash with Pbustos14 did not go to plan. Odeen raised seven of his 13.8 big blinds with suited king-jack before calling the shove of Pbustos14, which was made with the superior ace-jack. A jack on the flop and ace on the river sent the dangerous Odeen to the sidelines.

The surviving four players were now guaranteed a five-figure score, and it was MindaugasKR who collected the first of them, namely $10,438. The hot-running Pbustos14 open-shoved for 10 big blinds effective from the small blind, and MindaugasKR called off their stack. It was ten-eight versus ace-nine, and an eight on the river was a cruel way to end MindaugasKR's participation.

Heads-up was set soon after that last elimination, with IOwnU888 crashing out in third place for $14,194. Pbustos shoved from the small blind with pocket deuces, and IOwnU888 called off their 13 big blind stack with ace-nine. It was a classic coinflip scenario. However, there was only ever going to be one winner. The deuces held, IOwnU888 busted in third, and Pbustos14 took a 65.8 big blind to 15.5 big blind chip advantage into the heads-up clash with vpedote.

Ian Simpson Wins Online On His Return to the 888poker Tables

Unsurprisingly, Pbustos14 ran out the winner, and it was quite fitting that they won The Festival Online Main Event with pocket aces after coming from behind on several occasions on their way to victory. The final hand saw Pbustos14 min-raise with pocket aces, and vpedote defend with queen-six. The queen-jack-five flop saw vpedote check-call a 1.5 big blind bet. A nine on the turn saw vpedtoe check again, then call off their last 7.3 big blinds when they were shoved on. The river was a brick and it was all over. Vpedote banked $19,349 for their runner up finish, leaving Pbustos14 to scoop the title of champion and $26,552 in prize money.

Final The Festival Online Champions Crowned

Two other The Festival Online events crowned their champions, bringing the curtain down on what has been an excellent series. Lithuania's "TheAudrius" won the $525 buy-in Texas High Roller Finale, outlasting 106 opponents to scoop $14,739, while "fanatmalini" took down the $109 Afterparty and got their hands on $4,685.
Children aged between six months and three years in Hong Kong will be able to receive Sinovac COVID-19 jabs from Thursday, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government said Tuesday.

As the fifth wave of COVID-19 infections in Hong Kong has led to deaths and severe cases among children, the HKSAR government urged parents to schedule vaccinations for their young children as early as possible so as to lower the risks.

Starting Aug. 4, people in Hong Kong aged 50 to 59 who have received third doses of Sinovac or Comirnaty vaccine may also receive a fourth dose of the vaccine at least three months after the last dose.

Since the start of a mass inoculation program in February last year, about 6.77 million people, or 93 percent of the eligible population in Hong Kong, have taken at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccines, while over 6.5 million, or 89.6 percent of the eligible population, have taken two doses.

As of Tuesday, 67.5 percent of the eligible people in Hong Kong have taken the third dose, and a total of 210,159 people have taken the fourth jab.

On Tuesday, Hong Kong registered 3,889 confirmed locally transmitted cases of COVID-19 and 234 imported cases, official data showed.
Could Strict New Gambling Laws in Melbourne Spell the End of the Aussie Millions?

August 03 2022 Matthew Pitt Editor

The fallout from the damning royal commission into Crown Melbourne's affairs continues with Crown Resorts' flagship property facing a new raft of strict gambling laws that could spell the end for the long-running Aussie Millions. Loss limits and restrictions on the use of cash at Crown Melbourne is aimed at players of slots, or pokies as the Australians call them, but the new rules will undoubtedly spread to other areas of the casino's operations.

An investigation into Crown Resorts lasted more than two years and ended with regulators declaring the Australian gambling giant unfit to hold a casino operating license for its Melbourne, Perth, and recently-opened Sydney properties. However, those regulators allowed Crown to continue operating in Melbourne and Perth after the group showed a willingness to change, including almost entirely replacing its Board of Directors and executive directors.

Crown Sydney, built in Barangaroo at a cost of AU$2.2 billion, opened its doors on December 28, 2020, but its high-roller-focussed casino remains under lock and key; an August 8, 2022, date is penciled in for the grand opening.

The Bergin Inquiry, whose report highlighted catastrophic failures throughout Crown Resorts, highlights 33 recommendations to the Australian government. Several of those are already in place, but the latest additions are extremely restrictive, although some will argue entirely necessary.

First, Crown Melbourne patrons wishing to play on the casino's slots must first set themselves a loss limit. The amount is down to the player, although it is highly likely the new rules will force Crown's hand in setting an upper limit. In addition, players' time gambling will be tracked by the casino's electronic gaming machines.

Second, there is a hard limit regarding the use of cash to fund play on Crown Melbourne's slots. This is currently set at AU$1,000 within a 24-hour period, with customers required to provide photographic identification should they wish to spend more than AU$1,000 using cash.

Revenue from "pokies" makes up a significant percentage of Crown Resorts' revenue. COVID-19-related closures at Crown Melbourne saw revenue and profit severely hindered during the 2021 financial year. Revenue at Crown Melbourne stood at AU$97.1 million for H1 FY2021, down 90.5%. Revenue from electronic gaming machines accounted for AU$23.4 million of that sum.

Crown Melbourne houses approximately 2,600 gaming machines, although 10% of the 26,321 spread across the state.

Why Could The Rules Affect the Aussie Millions' Future?

This latest flurry of new rules and regulations could spread to other areas of Crown Melbourne's business, including its casino table games and popular poker room. However, the company is in the business of making money and these customer-imposed loss limits and the restriction of cash usage will have a negative effect on Crown Melbourne's bottom line. The casino will have to make up the shortfall somehow, especially as the group has new owners after the American investment giant Blackstone Group, owners of The Cosmopolitan Las Vegas, completed an AU$8.9 billion takeover in late June 2022.

It is difficult to imagine Blackstone's accountants allowing the company's main revenue stream to be hampered without making up the shortfall elsewhere. While there are other strict rules regarding the number of slots allowed at the property  Crown cannot simply install another few hundred machines  there could be scope for more casino table games or other features that pull in guaranteed money.

The bottom line for casino operators is that poker does not generate enough money compared to slots and table games. Even prestigious poker tournaments, such as the 2020 Aussie Millions Main Event, do not create vast sums of money. Look at the 2020 Aussie Millions Main Event as an example. It attracted 820 entrants paying AU$10,600 with $600 taken as rake. That equated to AU$492,000 in rake for the one tournament, which sounds plenty on the surface, but then one must consider the staffing costs and the fact those 820 players paid $600 in rake but probably not much else for the week they were grinding. Replace those 90+ tables with blackjack, roulette, and baccarat, and the latter would likely make more money in addition to them only requiring a handful of staff.

Why Is This Happening To Crown Melbourne?

The whole Crown Resorts saga started in 2019 when then majority shareholder, James Packer, attempted to sell 19.99% of his stake in Crown Resorts to fellow businessmen Lawrence Ho of Macau-based Melco Resorts. Lawrence Ho is the son of the late Dr Stanley Ho, who was a powerful man that once enjoyed a monopoly on the casinos in Macau, but who was also heavily linked to triad activity and organized crime. Stanley Ho denied such links to the day he died on May 26, 2020, but the New Jersey Casino Control Commission said in 2009 that Stanley Ho's links to the triads was so strong that they put the brakes on him obtaining a gambling license.

Crown Resorts had signed an agreement with the New South Wales authorities while building its Sydney casino that it would have no dealings with Stanley Ho or a myriad of companies where he and his people were linked. Despite being Stanley Ho's son, Lawrence Ho had no business interests linking him with his controversial fatheror so Packer thought. It turns out Lawrence Ho was listed as a company director of one of the blacklisted companies, resulting in the launch of an investigation.

As investigators delved into the inner workings of Crown Resorts, they uncovered countless instances of wrongdoing, including money laundering, underpaid tax, and unscrupulous business operating methods. The Australian government launched a royal commission, the highest level of investigation, into Crown's operations, and yet more failings were uncovered.

Crown Resorts was deemed unsuitable to hold a gambling license and fined AU$80 million; it is on the hook for another AU$100 million, too. A similar investigation into Crown Perth unveiled similar failings and misgivings.

The company has since undergone dozens of changes and reforms, including a brand-new Board of Directors and changes to the way the company operates. It no longer uses "junket operators" to bring in well-heeled Chinese VIPs, for example. Here is hoping that an upcoming change is not to scrap the Aussie Millions for good.

Previous Ten Aussie Millions Main Events

The Aussie Millions has, for many year, been a staple part of the live poker tournament calendar. Traditionally taking place in January each year, poker's elite stars often headed from the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure (PCA) to compete in the Aussie Millions festival, especially the AU$10,600 Main Event.

Vincent Wan is the reigning champion, having won in 2020. Lam came out on top of an 820-strong crowd and banked AU$1,318,000 ($910,447). other Aussie Millions Main Event champions include Bryn Kenney, Toby Lewis, Ari Engel, and Ami Barer.

The 2021 edition of the Aussie Million fell victim to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was a similar story in 2022 with the landing page on Crown Melbourne's website simply stating "on hold until further notice.
Photo credit: CHRIS JACKSON - Getty Images

The Duchess of Cambridge is inspiring our summer dressing for the second time this week, this time with the perfect seasonal suit.

Kate made an appearance at Sandwell Aquatics Centre to watch the Commonwealth Games, accompanied by her husband the Duke of Cambridge and their daughter Princess Charlotte, wearing an elegant Alexander McQueen suit with a white tank top and Camilla Elphick pumps.

Photo credit: Stephen Pond - Getty Images

Photo credit: CHRIS JACKSON - Getty Images

The duchess wore her hair in her trademark glossy waves, and finished her look with sparkling Mappin & Webb jewellery.

Photo credit: Chris Jackson - Getty Images

Kate has always been an advocate for re-wearing and this outing was no different; she previously wore the pumps to the polo earlier this summer, while the Alexander McQueen suit made an appearance during her royal tour of Jamaica in March, and then again on Windrush Day in June.

It's also not the first time we've seen that particular jewellery: she first wore the Mappin & Webb 'Empress' earrings and necklace at Princess Charlotte's Christening  a fitting tribute for her daughter's first solo public engagement with her parents.

Over the weekend the royal inspired our summer daywear wardrobes, in a nautical-inspired look for a visit to Sail Grand Prix in Plymouth.

Photo credit: Samir Hussein - Getty Images

Kate opted for a classic Breton striped top, worn with tailored white Holland Cooper shorts, gold hoops, and her favourite white Superga trainers. Her style is a constant reminder of how relying on capsule classics and finding your own signature style is key to achieving a chic wardrobe.

It's little wonder she opts to rewear pieces from her wardrobe so regularly: timeless classics never go out of style.

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HA NOI  Longan grown in the northwestern province of Son La will be served on in-flight meals on Vietnam Airlines flights under an agreement signed on August 2 between local cooperatives and the Noi Bai Catering Services Joint Stock Company (NCS) and Vietnam Air Catering Services Joint Stock Company (VINACS).

NCS Director General Nguyen Van Dung said that the Son La longan meets strict food safety standards.

He said this is one of the efforts of the relevant units to join hands to bring regional fruits to domestic and foreign passengers as well as expand cooperation with businesses, localities and farmers to promote Vietnamese agricultural products to global customers.

In the coming time, the NCS will continue to coordinate with Son La Province to select more agricultural products to serve on flights, Dung added.

Nguyen Thanh Cong, deputy chairman of Son La provincial People's Committee, said this is the first time Son La longan has been served to passengers on flights.

It not only affirms the quality of products but also is an opportunity to introduce Son Las agricultural products in particular and Vietnamese agricultural products in general to the world, thereby contributing to raising the brand and value of local agricultural produce, he said, adding that the province will create the most favourable conditions for businesses.

Last year, Son La exported over 25,000 tonnes of fruit, an increase of nearly 20 per cent compared to 2020.  VNS
The Eastern Theater Command of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) will launch a series of joint military operations around the Taiwan Island starting from Tuesday night.

The PLA Eastern Theater Command will stage joint training exercises in the maritime areas off the northern, southwestern and southeastern coasts of the island and their air space, conduct long-range live-fire drills in the Taiwan Strait and conventional missile tests in the waters off the eastern coast of the island.

The military operations are a stern deterrent against the recent major escalation of the negative acts by the United States on the Taiwan question, and a serious warning against separatist activities seeking "Taiwan independence."
PHNOM PENH  Vietnamese Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son attended the 55th ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting (AMM-55) which opened in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on Wednesday.

This is the first in-person gathering of the ASEAN top diplomats along with major partner countries after two years of disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Addressing the opening ceremony, Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen recalled the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)s 55-year history and its beyond-expected achievements, making Southeast Asia a region of cooperation, development and trust.

He underscored the regional and global uncertainties caused by the multidimensional impacts of COVID-19, tensions among major countries, and crises in Myanmar and Ukraine. Non-traditional challenges, such as climate change, natural disasters, energy security, and food security, have put ASEAN and the region at large through such an ordeal, according to the PM.

More than ever, ASEAN needs to unite, promote its centrality, and strive to build a cohesive, inclusive, and cooperative community with the spirit of Unity in Diversity, Hun Sen urged.

With the motto ASEAN: Addressing Challenges Together, the bloc must show commitment to surmounting hardships together, particularly boosting post-pandemic recovery, implementing the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), and finalising a Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (COC) that is effective and consistent with international laws, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), he said.

He called on ASEAN to strengthen coordination in responding to climate change and environmental degradation, consider the establishment of an ASEAN Green Deal, and bring the RCEP into full play.

Shortly prior to the opening ceremony, Son and the FMs of other ASEAN nations paid a courtesy call to PM Hun Sen.

The ministers expressed their thanks to Prime Minister Hun Sen and the Cambodian Government for the warm welcome, affirming that they will contribute to the overall success of this meeting, and support Cambodia in fulfilling the task of ASEAN Chair 2022.

Vietnamese foreign minister also had a meeting with Prak Sokhonn, Cambodia's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, during which the officials discussed how the two sides can coordinate to successfully organise the event.

Talking about how to step up the long-standing friendship and partnership between the two countries, they agreed to further reinforce the ties by maintaining and increasing the exchange of high-level delegations and meetings, as well as comprehensive cooperation mechanisms. Viet Nam and Cambodia are aiming to achieve more than US$10 billion in two-way trade value this year.

The two countries plan to host a variety of activities during the Viet Nam  Cambodia Friendship Year 2022 to mark the 55th founding anniversary of diplomatic ties and beef up a partnership in defence-security, agriculture, education and training, tourism, and people-to-people exchanges.  VNS
HA NOI  Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has instructed the Peoples Committees of cities and provinces to issue instructions on the prevention and control of monkeypox immediately.

In the face of dangerous infectious diseases like COVID-19 and dengue fever, among others, the Government leader said proactive prevention and control of monkeypox must be carried out with the spirit of one step ahead, one level higher to avoid concurrent outbreaks, protect peoples lives and public health.

Supervision should be tightened at border gates and among the community, the PM said, stressing that drugs, equipment, human resources and finance should be available to implement preventive measures and treatment.

He urged municipal and provincial Peoples Committees to put forth plans and scenarios, organise training courses for health workers, diversify communication methods, and establish hotlines.

The Ministry of Health should keep a close watch on the situation to take suitable measures and quickly deal with monkeypox clusters, with attention paid to health workers and vulnerable groups.

The ministry was also asked to set out a plan in response to the disease, perfect professional guidelines, improve its testing and diagnosis capacity, and instruct and inspect localities in monkeypox prevention and control.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development should coordinate with the health sector and agencies to prevent infection from wild animals.

The PM requested the Ministry of Information and Communications, Vietnam Television, Radio The Voice of Vietnam, Vietnam News Agency (VNA), Nhan dan (People) newspaper and other press agencies to coordinate closely with the health ministry.

The leader said that the Ministry of Finance needed to ensure funding for monkeypox prevention and control, asking relevant associations and organisations to coordinate with all-level authorities to encourage people to join activities to prevent the disease in line with guidelines issued by the health ministry.

Training session

The Ministry of Health on Monday held an online training session to guide medical facilities nationwide on the diagnosis and treatment of monkeypox in the context that the number of cases worldwide is topping 22,000.

Deputy Health Minister Nguyen Truong Son underlined the need to make careful preparations for responding to monkeypox, saying that although no cases of monkeypox had been recorded in Viet Nam, the risk of this disease entering the country was very high.

He requested health facilities to prepare necessary conditions for preventing the disease, including clinical-based early detection and sourcing diagnostic tests to detect cases early for timely quarantine and treatment.

Son also emphasised the need to promote communications activity to raise public awareness of signs of illness and strengthen training for medical examination and treatment establishments at all levels towards taking effective and timely measures to prevent monkeypox infections at medical facilities and ensure effective quarantine and treatment.

Nguyen Luong Tam, deputy director of the Department of Preventive Medicine under the health ministry, said the ministry is currently developing guidelines for monitoring monkeypox cases in the country and reactivating the border quarantine system.

Nguyen Trong Khoa, Vice Director of the Department for Medical Examination and Treatment under the health ministry, said the ministry had developed a plan to respond to emergencies, adding scenarios to deal with this disease have also been taken into account by the health ministry.

On July 23, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus declared monkeypox a global public health emergency due to its rapid transmission rate and the risk of it spreading further to other countries.

The world has recorded over 22,000 instances of monkeypox in nearly 80 countries, with a steady increase in cases, including in countries and territories in the Western Pacific region.  VNS
ONG NAI  State President Nguyen Xuan Phuc on Wednesday inspected the implementation of the 2022 special amnesty work at Xuan Loc Prison in the southern province of ong Nai.

The leader highlighted the political and social significance of the policy, saying that it manifests the humanitarian advocacy and special leniency of the Party and State towards prisoners who have shown good behaviour and high determination to rehabilitate themselves.

He noted that since 2007, seven amnesty decisions have been implemented, allowing more than 87,000 prisoners to be released early.

In recent times, amnesty work has been carried out cautiously, objectively and democratically, in accordance with regulations and ensuring political and legal requirements, helping cement the consistent guidelines and policies of the Party and State in promoting and protecting human rights in a fair and equal way for all citizens, including those serving their prison sentences.

President Phuc asked prisons and detention centres to ensure that the amnesty benefits the right people without causing wrongdoings, mistakes or violations of regulations, ensuring the humanitarian meaning of the policy.

He also stressed the need to organise courses for prisoners eligible for amnesty, on community reintegration and leniency policies of the Party and State.

Party committees, authorities, and relevant organisations in localities should enhance their support for released prisoners so that they can quickly reintegrate into society, he added.

The leader signed a decision on amnesty on the occasion of the 77th anniversary of National Day (September 2, 1945-2022).  VNS
On August 1, the Ministry of Industry and Trade issued Decision No.1514/QD-BCT on the application of measures to prevent the evasion of trade remedies for some cane sugar products originating from Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, and Myanmar (AC02.AD13-AS01).

The conclusion from the Ministry of Industry and Trade on six businesses not being subject to anti-circumvention tax on trade remedies, including two customers of ASL LAW

According to Decision No.1514, Vietnam will apply measures to prevent the evasion of trade remedies for a number of cane sugar products under HS codes 1701.13.00, 1701.14.00, 1701.91.00, 1701.99.10, 1701.99.90, and 1702.90.91.

The above cane sugar products are imported into Vietnam from Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, and Myanmar.

The order and procedures for applying anti-circumvention measures of trade remedies to Vietnams cane sugar products will be implemented in accordance with the Law on Foreign Trade Management.

This decision will take effect after seven days from the date of issuance  August 8 until June 15  unless it is changed or extended by to other decisions from the Vietnam Ministry of Industry and Trade.

According to Decision 1514, there are a total of six companies that are not subject to anti-circumvention measures, including Kebun Tebu Mas, Mitr Lao Sugar Co., Ltd., Savannakhet Sugar Corporation, TTC Attapcu Sugar Cane Sole Co., Ltd., Than Daung OO Co., Ltd., and Ngwe Yi Pale Sugar Co,. Ltd.

Among the above six companies, two have used the services of ASL LAW.

Lawyer Pham Duy Khuong, founder and managing director of ASL LAW said, We have successfully protected two customers in an anti-circumvention investigation. This not only ensures the interests of foreign businesses in Vietnam that are complying with the laws of the host country but also confirms ASL LAWs response to the trust of its partners.

On February 9, 2021, the Vietnam Ministry of Industry and Trade issued Decision No.477/QD-BCT applying temporary anti-dumping and anti-subsidy duty on cane sugar products originating from Thailand.

On June 15, 2021, the Vietnam Ministry of Industry and Trade continued to issue Decision No.1578/QD-BCT applying official anti-dumping and anti-subsidy measures to some cane sugar products imported into Vietnam originating from Thailand.

On September 21, 2021, the Vietnam Ministry of Industry and Trade issued Decision No.2171/QD-BCT investigating the application of anti-circumvention measures of trade remedies to a number of cane sugar products originating from Thailand that were accused of evading through Laos, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Myanmar.
Electricity purchases from Laos expanded to avert shortages. Photo: VNA

At the meeting of the Government Office on the implementation of key projects of state-run Electricity of Vietnam (EVN) a fortnight ago, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh requested the group to absolutely not let power shortages happen.

According to calculations by the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT), the electricity shortage was estimated at 3.7 billion kWh in 2021, which increased to nearly 10 billion kWh in 2022. The most stressful time is currently expected in 2023, when the shortfall could reach about 15 billion kWh, before gradually decreasing to seven and 3.5 billion kWh in the years 2024 and 2025, respectively.

Extreme weather has rendered the assurance of electricity supply beyond the capacity of EVN as shortages of peaked in the north in May-July when the heat of the dry season combined with the output decline of hydroelectric power plants.

With the current proportion, new power sources expected to be completed annually in the next few years are calculated to always be lower than the growth in grid load.

EVN expects that by 2025, Vietnam will buy electricity from Laos with a minimum of 3,000MW, increasing to 5,000MW by 2030, following the commitment between the two governments, in which power plants in Laos will sell electricity directly to EVNs grid.

To increase the capacity and buy electricity from Laos, EVN is accelerating all related processes. In August, the Nam Mo 220 kV transmission line project between Laos and Tuong Duong area with a length of 74.4km will be put into operation, synchronised with the cluster of the Nam Mo hydropower plant. The line will contribute to ensuring electricity supply to Vietnams northern region of in the coming years, as well as investment efficiency for both sides.

The government has approved 89 per cent of the committed capacity to buy electricity from Laos by 2025, and both sides have signed a power purchase agreement (PPA) until 2025.

According to the MoIT, EVN has signed 18 PPAs from 23 projects in Laos. Meanwhile, Phongsubthavy Group signed a number of power supply contracts with EVN. Two power transmission line projects in Laos funded by the former company are also expected to be completed this year, ensuring electricity supply as committed. Meanwhile, Electricite du Laos is working on connecting the Laotian power grid with 27 connection points of Vietnams grid.

The promotion of electricity imports from Laos to Vietnam is being carried out urgently. However Tran Dinh Nhan, general director of EVN, remains concerned whether the electricity price bracket for hydroelectricity, thermal power, and wind power imports from Laos to Vietnam will remain valid until the end of 2025.

A suitable policy is necessary for EVN to have peace of mind when buying electricity from Laos, Nhan said. The price calculation and the PPAs should be promulgated by the competent authority in a timely manner.

Dr. Nguyen Manh Cuong from the MoITs Institute of Energy predicts that Vietnam will increasingly depend on imported energy. However, the complicated procedures of the Vietnamese side, along with the low average electricity price, are a huge barrier for the import of electricity, Cuong said.

Previously, Vietnam was importing electricity from Laos at a cheaper price than domestic production. In 2020, the average purchase price of electricity from Laos was around 6 US cents per kWh, as data from the National Assemblys Economic Committee showed. In the same year, the cost of electricity domestic production was at almost 8 US cents per kWh, according to the MoIT. The ministry has not announced the cost of electricity production in 2021.
A recent report by SSI Research expected that the industry's profit after tax will grow by 47.3 per cent compared to the same period last year thanks to industrial land demand which is forecast to recover positively after the economy reopened post-pandemic.

These positive signals also open up many expectations for industrial real estate stocks in the second half of 2022.

Speaking on a talkshow organised by Vietnam Investment Review newspaper, Ngo Thi Kim Thanh, senior Investment strategy specialist at the Center for Analysis and Investment Consulting of SSI Securities, believes that in the first period of 2022, cash flow into the stock market witnessed a strong divergence and a circulation between industry groups.

Khai Quang Industrial Park in Vinh Yen City, Vinh Phuc Province.-VNA/VNS Photo Hoang Hung

Recently the group of industrial real estate stocks recovered quite strongly, boosted by positive growth in demand for rental in industrial real estate when FDI flows tend to return to Viet Nam after two years of being interrupted by COVID-19 and causing rent prices in industrial parks to rise.

Although industrial real estate stocks have sharply rebounded, it is no longer as easy as in the previous period to choose the right stocks for investment due to different business results among companies.

However, SSI experts said that there are still attractive valuation stocks that investors may be interested in, which are those with large land banks available for lease and large cleared lands.

A forecast report of SSI Research showed that profit after tax of listed companies in the last six months of 2022 will grow by more than 24 per cent, mainly thanks to the strong increase in the rental land area during the period.

In addition, some industrial zones changed from regular recording to one-time recording, leading to a sharp gain in profits.

In 2023, SSI Research expected that the net profit of listed industrial park developers grows by about 18 per cent year-on-year due to many factors. The first is that the total area of land for lease rise by 10 per cent per year. Second, land rents are expected to pick up 8 per cent in the south Viet Nam and 6 per cent in the north in 2023.

Of which, Kinh Bac City Development Holding Corporation (HoSE: KBC)s profit after tax is estimated at VND3.7 trillion (nearly US$158.4 million), up 25 per cent on year, as current projects continue to be the main source of revenue. Moreover, phase 3 of Trang Due Industrial Park project and other industrial zones in Long An Province can start to generate income.

Meanwhile, IDICO Corporatio (HNX: IDC)s net profit is expected to edged up 24 per cent year-on-year to VND2.2 trillion, mainly thanks to profits from the expanded Huu Thanh and Phu My Industrial Parks, and the divestment in subsidiary companies.

SSI experts also noted that revenue on the financial statements of enterprises has long-term unrealised revenue.

For some industrial park developers, the value is very large such as IDC has VND5.9 billion in unrealised revenue. The reason is that in the past, revenues from leasing of industrial parks were recorded in the long-term unrealised revenue section and will be distributed over the remaining time of the industrial park.

For a large long-term unrealised revenue, if the investor does not have a land fund for lease, as well as a new project, this is a rather large source of money and will be used to pay cash dividends. This is also an investment trend to minimise risks when the market fluctuates, especially for investors who prefer a high dividend policy.
Hanoi  Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on August 3 urged stronger determination, efforts and actions to disburse public investment as part of the Governments main priorities.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh addresses the Government's meeting in Hanoi on August 3. (Photo: VNA)

At the Governments monthly meeting held in Hanoi, the Ministry of Finance reported that nearly 186.85 trillion VND (7.98 billion USD) of investment capital sourced from the state budget had been disbursed as of July 31, equivalent to 34.47pc of this years target, down slightly from the same period last year.

Some central agencies and 11 provincial-level localities recorded a disbursement rate of over 50pc. Meanwhile, 41 of the 51 ministries and central agencies, and 18 of the 63 localities, saw a rate below the nationwide average of 34.47pc.

PM Chinh said the disbursement of public investment is a difficult task, so it has been continually prioritised by the Government.

Over the last five years, the seven-month disbursement rate often stood at around 35 - 40pc. It was relatively high in 2020 and 2021. But this year, apart from medium-term investment capital, funding for the socio-economic recovery and development programme also needs to be disbursed.

Therefore, strong determination, efforts, and actions are required, he stressed.

He demanded ministers, heads of sectors, and chairpersons of provincial-level Peoples Committees to promote their role and sense of responsibility towards the work.

The PM assigned duties to ministries, sectors and localities, noting that after the meeting, the Government will issue a resolution on boosting the disbursement, as well as the national target programmes on poverty reduction, new-style countryside building, and socio-economic development in ethnic minority and mountainous areas.

Public investment to offer backbone for infrastructure With the economy gradually bouncing back, Vietnam will continue speeding up the disbursement of public investment this year, with a focus placed on infrastructure development in order to spur on economic growth this year and beyond.

Hanoi: disbursement of public investment up 6.2 percent in February Hanoi disbursed some 2.2 trillion VND (96.44 million USD) worth of investment sourced from the State budget in February, equivalent to 66.5 percent of last months figure, but an increase of 6.2 percent year-on-year, the municipal Statistics Office reported.

Government sets up six working groups to boost public investment disbursement Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh signed Decision No.548/QD-TTg on May 2 establishing six working groups to solve problems related to the disbursement of public investment.
While a day spent on the water should be a relaxing escape from the heat, for some people, summer fun can quickly turn into their worst nightmare.

This was the case for Laci Avant, who lost her 10-year-old daughter, Lily Mae, to a brain-eating amoeba in 2019 after swimming in the Brazos River that flows through their Waco-area backyard.

The culprit in Lily Maes death is a common freshwater pest, Naegleria fowleri. Ongoing hot and dry conditions only work in favor of the heat-loving amoeba having a presence in Wacos water this year, with two cases seen in the United States already this summer. The country records about three infections caused by the amoeba each year, but almost all are fatal, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Its not a pain or a heartache you ever want to live with, Avant said.

Naegleria fowleri is an amoeba commonly found in underwater soil and in warm fresh water across the world, especially in shallow, stagnant water.

Lake Waco is the lowest it has been in almost a decade, and water temperatures could be as high as 80 degrees, said Mike Champagne, Lake Waco manager for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Were more than 8 feet lower than we were before, so it definitely changes the conditions, Champagne said.

Naegleria fowleri infection only happens when contaminated fresh water enters through the nose. This allows the amoeba to migrate to the brain via olfactory nerves in the roof of the nasal cavity, giving it the nickname of the brain-eating amoeba. Infection causes primary amoebic meningoencephalitis, a disease that affects the central nervous system once the amoeba reaches the brain.

The amoeba cannot live in salt water and does not infect people if it enters through the mouth or ears.

However, in rare instances, infections have been traced to nasal rinses using drinking water without secondary treatment, said Vaidehi Shah, senior epidemiologist for the Waco-McLennan County Public Health District. She encourages people to only use filtered water if water must enter the nose.

With an infection that boasts a 97% fatality rate, Shah said swimmers in the area should always assume there is a small risk.

The temperature is so high this summer and for such an extended period of time, Shah said. It provides a good environment for the amoeba to thrive.

Shah said the most common way people are infected with the amoeba is by swimming or diving in untreated fresh water, including lakes, rivers and streams, without using a nose plug. Avant said the amoeba could even be present in improperly treated pools and splash pads.

According to the CDC, almost half of all recorded infections in the U.S. happened in Texas and Florida, common places for families seeking relief during brutal summers. Avant and Shah both said more cases are popping up in northern states as well. Shah said this could be a result of changes in the climate, causing northern bodies of water to be hotter than in the past.

With our current climate conditions, unless you know the temperature is very, very low, theres always a risk, Shah said.

Avant said she hates that officials refer to the disease as rare and believes many cases are misdiagnosed and mistreated, leading to false case reporting. The CDC reports the disease is hard to detect because it progresses rapidly and only a few labs have the necessary tests. While diagnosis is difficult in time to inform treatment, about 75% of cases are diagnosed after a patients death, according to the CDC.

Early detection

Early symptoms are comparable to meningitis and include headache, fever, nausea and vomiting. Later symptoms may include seizures, hallucinations and coma. Avant said her daughter started seeing symptoms five days after exposure to water.

Physicians in the area did not know what was happening to Lily Mae, prompting Avant to take her daughter to Cook Childrens Medical Center in Fort Worth, where they finally took a sample of spinal fluid, necessary to test for the amoeba. According to Avant, early detection is key to survival, and doctors should know what to look for.

Doctors didnt know anything about it. Then when Lily got to Fort Worth and they did the spinal tap it was too late, Avant said.

According to the CDC, only four people survived primary amoebic meningoencephalitis in the United States between 1962 to 2021. It also states the most effective route of treatment has been with a drug called miltefosine in combination with therapeutic hypothermia, a technique used to cool the body below a normal temperature and reduce brain swelling.

The treatments work best with early detection and immediate administration. However, Avant said many hospitals do not have the medication on hand, another hurdle in the battle against time.

Although Lily Mae eventually received both treatments, the medication was not readily available at diagnosis.

Thats one of the main reasons why we advocate for this, Avant said. We want all hospitals to know what to look for.  If the medication isnt administered in time theres really no chance.

#Lilystrong

Now Avant advocates for amoeba awareness through her Facebook group, Lily Strong Family #Lilystrong, and cautions all fresh water users to be safe. Avant said during the summertime she gets calls at least once a week from people who believe they or someone else has been infected.

We dont want to scare anyone from being in the water. Lily loved being in the water, Avant said. We want people to know the dangers of being in fresh water.

Considering the heat and drought many places in Texas are experiencing, Avant said the only true way to protect yourself is by staying out of fresh water entirely.

But there are safer ways to enjoy the water, she said.

If it is unavoidable or someone is willing to take the risk, Avant said swimmers should keep their head above the water and use a nose plug.

Especially with as low as everything is and as hot as its been  nose plugs, Avant said.

Shah also said nose clenching and nose plugs as essential for anyone going in untreated fresh water at any time. Both Shah and Avant said there is always a risk when entering fresh water.

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality even suggests avoiding disturbing the sediment in shallow, warm freshwater areas, as the amoeba lives in the soil as well.

Anyone who starts seeing symptoms of primary amoebic meningoencephalitis should alert a doctor immediately and tell them they were in fresh water, Avant said.

Dont think that it cant or wont happen to you, because its happened to us and so many others, Avant said.
Firefighters from fourteen agencies, together with four state aircraft, battled a 75-acre wildfire southeast of Marlin on Tuesday that threatened 10 to 15 families and their homes.

The fire was an estimated 40% contained by 6:30 p.m., Texas A&M Forest Service spokesperson Emery Johnson said.

The fire burned mostly heavy timber and threatened homes east of State Highway 6 between County Road 220 and County Road 236, Johnson said by phone. She said two outbuildings had been destroyed, no main structures had been lost and no one had been injured.

The Rosebud Volunteer Fire Department was the first to respond, and the Marlin Volunteer Fire Department took lead from Rosebud shortly after 6 p.m. in a unified command with the forest service, Johnson said.

Three fixed-wing aircraft and a helicopter with a water bucket flew circular patterns, skimming nearby lakes for water to drop on the fire, Johnson said by phone. Fixed-wing aircraft dropped water on the tree line, and the helicopter maneuvered buckets of water onto direct sources of heat, she wrote in an email. The aircraft operated from McGregor Executive Airport, she said.

Bulldozers from the forest service and a strike team of fire engines called in through the Texas Intrastate Fire Mutual Aid System supported the paid and volunteer fire departments on the ground, working on the active perimeter, she said.

The fire started when a tree on a power line caught an outbuilding on fire, Johnson said. The fire spread to surrounding grass and timber, she said.
Schulenburg tour

St. Paul United Church of Christ near Marlin is planning a trip to the Schulenburg area Oct. 4 to see the acclaimed painted churches built more than 100 years ago by Czech and German immigrants.

The day trip, led by M&M Tours of Hewitt, will pick passengers up at St. Paul Church, 212 Farm-to-Market Road 2307, 5 miles north of Marlin. It will include transportation and lunch at the Oakridge Smokehouse in Schulenburg. For more information, email rememberstpaul@yahoo.com.

Dog body language class

Bare Arms Brewing will host a free dog body language class at noon Saturday.

The Humane Society of Central Texas be on hand with pets up for adoption, and Camp Bow Wow Waco will also be there to answer any questions.

Proceeds benefit the HOT Dog Park Waco.

Homebuyer workshop

NeighborWorks Waco will host a free Homebuyer Education Workshop from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Aug. 13 at 922 Franklin Ave.

Attendees will learn about the homebuying process from industry professionals covering mortgages, home inspections, homeowners insurance and shopping for a home.

Breakfast, lunch, drinks and snacks will be provided.

Feast Day Festival

A Church of the Assumption Feast Day Festival will run from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Aug. 14 at West Knights of Columbus Club, 2547 Jerry Mashek Drive in West.

A home-cooked fried or baked chicken and sausage dinner with all of the trimmings will be served. Dine-in will start at 11:30 a.m. Plates cost $12.

A live auction is will start at 12:15 p.m. There will be playground equipment, water slides, bingo and a country store.
Visit to Central Asian countries boosts stability, cooperation: Chinese FM

Xinhua) 09:49, August 03, 2022

DUSHANBE, Aug. 2 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Tuesday had an interview with media after concluding his visit to Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.

During his visit, Wang attended the meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, during which he reached broad consensus with foreign ministers of SCO member states and achieved the expected goals.

Wang said this year marks the 20th anniversary of the signing of the SCO Charter and the 15th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty on Long-Term Good-Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation of the SCO Member States, which is of great significance to the organization.

During the meeting, Wang said he had in-depth exchanges with his counterparts regarding how to enhance the organizational building of the SCO under new circumstances, better cope with major international and regional challenges, and reached broad consensus on fostering unity, seeking cooperation, boosting development and maintaining stability.

The foreign ministers agreed to make the best efforts to prepare for the summit scheduled for September, to strengthen unity and mutual trust, to firmly build safety protection, to strengthen development and cooperation, to push forward organizational building, and to safeguard fairness and justice in the international community.

This year marks the 30th anniversary of the establishment of China-Uzbekistan diplomatic ties.

During Wang's visit to Uzbekistan, both sides agreed to take the consensus reached by the two heads of state as a guide to deepen political mutual trust, strengthen the alignment of development strategies, and make joint efforts towards the vision and goal of building a China-Uzbekistan community with a shared future so that bilateral relations could build on past achievements and strive for new progress.

The two sides agreed to promote high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, realize as soon as possible the annual trade volume of 10 billion U.S. dollars and put forward new goals.

Wang also expressed China's support for Uzbekistan's WTO accession.

Both sides stressed that they will continue to deepen cooperation in connectivity, poverty alleviation, as well as healthcare.

Wang said during his visit to Kyrgyzstan, he had full communication with Kyrgyz President Sadyr Zhaparov and Kyrgyz Foreign Minister Jeenbek Kulubaev and reached broad agreement on deepening mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries.

The two sides agreed to promote China-Kyrgyzstan relations to a higher level, focus on the development of bilateral relations in the next 30 years and build a China-Kyrgyzstan community with a shared future, so as to better plan long-term and comprehensive bilateral cooperation in various fields, and lead the China-Kyrgyzstan comprehensive strategic partnership to a new stage, he said.

The two sides look forward to the implementation of the Global Development Initiative and the Global Security Initiative proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping and agreed to continue high-quality Belt and Road cooperation.

Since the establishment of China-Tajikistan diplomatic ties 30 years ago, bilateral relations have withstood the test of international and regional situation, achieved leapfrog development and reached a high level of comprehensive strategic partnership, said Wang.

The two sides agreed to speed up the implementation of the important consensus reached between Xi and Tajik President Emomali Rahmon, and plan the long-term development of China-Tajikistan relations in accordance with the strategic guidance of the two heads of state.

The two sides are ready to cooperate in implementing the Global Development Initiative and the Global Security Initiative proposed by Xi. They will also continue to support each other on issues concerning each other's core interests and continue to advance the Belt and Road cooperation.

The two sides attach great importance to and are willing to deepen security cooperation.

According to Wang, during the visit to Central Asia, the Chinese side exchanged views with his colleagues from Central Asian countries on how to deepen and consolidate cooperation between China and the five Central Asian countries.

As for the Afghan issue, Wang said all participating parties recognize that a peaceful, stable, inclusive and developing Afghanistan is in their common interest, adding that the final settlement of the Afghan issue should respect Afghanistan's independence and sovereignty and implement the principle of "Afghan-led and Afghan-owned."

As a friendly neighbor of Afghanistan, China is ready to strengthen communication and coordination with all parties and continue to play a constructive role in Afghanistan's reconstruction and development, Wang said.

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun)
Most people remember the excitement of receiving the first letter from their pen pal. The beauty of the letter is the anticipation, the waiting and the curiosity of what is in the note.

Chen Man-lin, a 15-year-old Hong Kong student, was over the moon. Her pen pal was orbiting in the Tiangong Space Station when he wrote inspiring words to her.

Chen, a Form 3 student, or ninth-grader, at Pui Kiu Middle School in North Point, Hong Kong, learned in June about a national campaign of writing to astronauts in the Tiangong space station in a campaign called "Bring my dream to Tiangong".

She drafted an outline of her letter that evening and detailed every moment of her planned journey and how she gradually got to know what astronauts do and about the nation's aerospace development program.

It was not done on impulse. The seed was planted back when Chen was 6-years-old. She had watched a live broadcast of a science lecture by female astronaut Wang Yaping, which was beamed back from space in 2013.

Over 60 million primary and middle school students watched the class. The scene of floating water balls and spinning tops, experiments performed by Wang in space to demonstrate the concepts of weight and mass in a zero-gravity environment, captured the heart of Chen and many other youngsters.

Since then, Chen has paid special attention to news and developments in aerospace. She put her passion for space into writing, along with her frustration and doubts about her studies and making choices in life.

A three-page letter of reply arrived in about a month.

Shenzhou XIV astronaut Chen Dong responded to the student. Chen Man-lin was one of the 30,000 students from all over China who took part in the campaign and became the only one chosen in Hong Kong to receive a letter sent from space.

Her school threw a big party on July 19, when Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry Sun Dong hand delivered the letter of reply.

Along with the letter, Chen Dong also recorded a video in the space station to share the student's letter and his reply. Teachers and students from the school gathered to watch the video together.

In encouraging the student, Chen Dong recalled how he fumbled along the way to becoming an astronaut. He shared how he had conquered drowsiness when he had to start over to learn astronomy, physics, aerospace technology and everything necessary to become an astronaut. He told her how he was tested to the limit during hypergravity training, a technique that largely involves wearing weights for several hours a day.

"During the training, every inch of my skin, my cells was put under unbearable pressure. It felt like my internal organs were being 'displaced'," he said.

His intense training went on for six years. He almost cut himself off from the outside world during that time and was finally able to qualify for the mission in space.

It was his dream that kept him going when he was feeling lost and fatigued, he wrote.

On Oct 17, 2016, during his first space mission, Chen Dong was amazed when he saw the universe unfold in front of his eyes for the first time.

"To level with you, life is like the sky, which comes with different weather. It is not all sunny days. There will be rainy, snowy and stormy days, making the sky a riot of color. Don't worry about stumbling blocks in life, or you will not have been at your best. Every day you encounter is a valuable sight to behold, making you one of a kind. Please cherish those days, which will reward you with great surprise," he said.

"Before I went to bed in the space station, I would always like to search for our country through the windows of the spacecraft. In the gleams of the lights of every household, it is a thriving country. That is what I have been fighting for," he added.

The letter from space was also a fitting tribute to mark the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland. Recalling the joy of celebrating the return of Hong Kong 25 years ago, the astronaut also encouraged young people in Hong Kong to follow their dreams and contribute to the development of the city and the country.

The letter stuck in Chen Man-lin's mind.

"I'll do what he said in the letter-study harder and work out to keep healthy and stay curious about the universe and make contributions to the nation's aerospace development in the future," she told China Daily.

Sun, Hong Kong's secretary for innovation, technology and industry, encouraged the students in the city to contribute to the nation's legacy of aerospace development by challenging themselves, getting to know the nation's development, and getting more involved in the field of technological innovations.

Jack Ng Wun-kit, the principal of Pui Kiu Middle School, was also among those feeling the encouragement from space.

Ng told China Daily that Hong Kong students need not become astronauts themselves to contribute to the legacy. They could also contribute via Hong Kong based satellite and communication companies in order to help aerospace development.

The connections can be small but meaningful. In October 2003, China's first man in space, Yang Liwei, visited the school and planted a tree on the school grounds. That tree now stands tall and strong on the campus.

Last year, a delegation of leading aerospace experts and scientists visited the city. During the visit, they met with students, gave lectures on the nation's aerospace development and brought along samples collected from the moon during the country's fifth lunar exploration mission in late 2020 for exhibitions in the city.

Professor Quentin Parker, who teaches physics and directs the Laboratory of Space Research at the University of Hong Kong, said the letter campaign is crucial in promoting subjects in the natural sciences to Hong Kong students.

As for Chen Man-lin, she had already made up her mind to become a researcher and hopes she can contribute to China's aerospace development.
ASHLAND  For more than two months before the annual quilt auction at Carol Joy Holling Camp takes place, a group of women work diligently to catalogue, photograph and store the pieces of textile art in preparation for the big event.

The Quilt Ladies, as they are affectionately known to CJH staff, spend 10 Tuesdays from May to July in a room on the lower floor of the Carol Joy Holling Camp office sorting through the nearly 500 quilts that come from across the state and country for the auction, which nets tens of thousands of dollars for Nebraska Lutheran Outdoor Ministries (NLOM), which operates the camp.

This team of volunteers has been the behind-the-scenes heroes of this event for more than a decade, said Dani Hatfield, director of marketing for NLOM.

Shirley Splittgerber of Omaha began cataloguing auction quilts more than 15 years ago. She was retired and saw a blurb in her church newsletter that volunteers were needed to prepare for the quilt auction, an event she had attended previously.

At first, Splittgerber was on her own when it came to receiving the quilts, documenting the information and assigning the quilt a number.

Next thing I knew, I was doing this all by myself, she said.

There were 400 quilts donated to the auction that year. Splittgerber realized she needed to put together a team to handle the volume of quilts, so she recruited help from her congregation at Rejoice Lutheran Church in Omaha.

Inez Petrie, Jan Fuglsang and Nancy Riley answered the call just over a decade ago. For the past two years, they have been joined by Diane Heller, who fills in when needed.

Quilts begin arriving at Carol Joy Holling Camp in May. Some are delivered via mail or are dropped off when families they bring children to camp.

When each quilt arrives, there is a sense of wonder as the fabric masterpiece is unveiled.

Its really cool to hear them when they open one up, said Gera Schultz, NLOM associate director of marketing.

This is Schultzs first year working at a quilt auction, and shes learned quite a bit from the Quilt Ladies.

I have asked them so many questions, said Schultz, who admits she knows nothing about quilting.

The Quilt Ladies are full of information.

Its like having a walking encyclopedia, Schultz said.

Not all of the Quilt Ladies are quilters, however.

Im not a quilter, said Petrie. But I sew.

Riley only dabbles in quilting, but these fabric gems hold a special place in her heart. There is a quilt with a water lily pattern thats been handed down in her family.

Splittgerber calls herself a casual quilter who makes t-shirt quilts for her grandkids.

Fuglsang is the real quilter in the group.

I quilt a lot, she said.

Although the majority of the quilts donated for the auction are made by individual quilters and groups across the state, not every quilt that is up for bids is brand new. They receive many vintage, or well-loved, quilts that have warmed generations of Nebraskans.

One year, a handwoven coverlet made in 1840 was among the auction items, the ladies recalled. They also remember a quilt that they assumed had been used in a barn, because a whiff of tell-tale odor remained.

Of the newly-constructed quilts, there seem to be trends each year in patterns or styles. In some years, Christmas quilts are prevalent. Husker-themed quilts have also dominated at times.

This year, there were several quilts embellished with embroidery, but no real trend emerged. But the Quilt Ladies have recognized that the COVID-19 pandemic has had an effect on the quilts that have been completed since 2020.

You can tell during COVID people were cleaning out their stashes of fabric, Splittgerber said.

After examining each quilt for the past 15 years or so, Splittgerber remembers one in particular that was unique. It was in the shape of a grand piano and had fingers quilted on the keyboard, with a red rose for embellishment. The quilter had purchased the unfinished project at a garage sale and completed the quilt.

The Quilt Ladies have developed a well-organized system for cataloguing the quilts. After the quilt is received, it is inspected.

Stains or tears are noted so the buyer is aware, said Hatfield.

The quilt is photographed by Riley. She shoots a close up view of the pattern and long shots of the front and back. These photos are used for the online posting and for cataloguing purposes.

Every quilt comes with a form filled out by the quilter or donor. Many times, there is a story attached. This year, Janet Huenink of Hickman made a quilt called the Rowdy Flat Library Quilt. The 84 x 85 masterpiece was made with a mixture of machine sewing, hand sew-

ing and embroidery. Tiny flowers, lady bugs and butterflies were appliqued carefully by hand. It took Huenink over two years to make.

I pray that the child who attends camp will be blessed by this donation, Huenink wrote in her story. I also pray that the new owner of this quilt is blessed as well.

The quilt is also measured to confirm the dimensions provided on the form are correct. If the quilter has not designated a name for the quilt, the Quilt Ladies will do so, often with a little whimsy involved.

If they send it in without a name, we have to be creative, Splittgerber said.

Once the quilt has been property documented, it is assigned a number. The corresponding form and photographs are placed in a three-ring binder by Petrie.

The quilt is then carefully folded with the corner that bears the tag left on top. Then it is placed in order on a shelf to wait for the auction.

The ladies work diligently to prepare for the auction. Their quitting time each Tuesday preceding the auction depends on how many quilts arrived that week.

We work until we get done, said Splittgerber. Sometimes its 4, sometimes its 6, sometimes its 8.

Theyre amazing! said Hatfield.

This year, there were 449 quilts to catalogue for the auction. The Quilt Ladies worked until after lunch on July 26, their final day before Saturdays big event.

By Saturday, they were ready to relax and watch everyone else work.

Suzi Nelson is the managing editor of The Ashland Gazette. Reach her via email at suzi.nelson@ashland-gazette.com.
FREMONT  A woman has died after a four-vehicle accident Sunday afternoon on U.S. Highway 77 between Nebraska Highway 109 and the Platte River Bridge.

Multiple people needed extrication out of their vehicles and were taken to medical facilities.

The Saunders County Sheriffs Department said a preliminary investigation shows a silver 2020 Mazda was northbound on U.S. Highway 77 and a white 2017 Ford F250 was behind it.

A black 2006 Kia Sorento was southbound on U.S. 77 and a red 2012 Kia Forte was behind it.

The silver Mazda and the black Kia Sorento drifted toward the center line of the roadway where a collision occurred, causing the silver Mazda to veer into the southbound lane of travel and cause a secondary collision with the southbound red Kia Forte.

The black Kia Sorento veered into the northbound lane and caused a secondary collision with the northbound white Ford F250.

A female occupant of the silver Mazda and two occupants of the black Kia Sorento were flown by medical helicopter to Nebraska Medicine Hospital with serious to life-threatening injuries.

The single woman occupant of the silver Mazda later succumbed to her injuries and was pronounced dead at Nebraska Medicine.

A single occupant of the red Kia Forte and a single occupant of the white Ford F250 were transported to Methodist Fremont Health with non-life-threatening injuries.

At this time, alcohol is not believed to be a factor in the accident. Seatbelts were in use, and the investigation is ongoing.

Next of kin had not been fully notified as of Monday.

The Saunders County Sheriffs Office received assistance from the Cedar Bluffs Fire and Rescue Department, the Dodge County Sheriffs Office, Wahoo Police Department and the Nebraska State Patrol at the accident scene.
MADISON, Wis. (AP)  Two years ago, the city of Racine became the first  and only  municipality in Wisconsin to purchase a mobile voting truck.

City Clerk Tara McMenamin said she pushed for the truck because it was too difficult to set up equipment at remote sites for early in-person voting. The city used the truck for the first time for municipal elections this past spring. No one seemed to pay any attention.

But with a slate of hot races on the battleground state's Aug. 9 fall primary ballot, including GOP primaries for governor, attorney general and secretary of state, conservatives online have in recent days raised questions about the truck, asking how such an operation can be legal and accusing Democrats of using the truck to cheat.

Here's a closer look at some of their claims:

CLAIM: Racine has been using multiple mobile voting vans since June 2021.

THE FACTS: There's only one truck, and it wasn't used until this year. The Common Council approved funding for one truck to serve as a movable early voting site in June 2020. The city used it for the first time in the state's spring primary this past February, McMenamin said.

CLAIM: The city bought the truck using Zuckerbucks from the nonprofit Center for Tech and Civic Life.

THE FACTS: It's correct that the truck was purchased using money from the Center for Tech and Civic Life, according to Racine Mayor Cory Mason's chief of staff, Shannon Powell. The nonprofit seeks to help election officials update technology and to increase civic participation and got a $350 million donation in 2020 from Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and his wife.

Wisconsins five largest cities all received CTCL grants in 2020. Racine was one of them, accepting almost $950,000.

Some conservatives have derided the CTCL grants as Zuckerbucks and called them election bribery, saying they tilted the 2020 presidential election toward Democrat Joe Biden. But judges have rejected legal challenges to the grants.

CLAIM: The truck has been functioning as an absentee ballot drop box in defiance of a state Supreme Court ruling in July outlawing them.

THE FACTS: No, it hasn't. McMenamin said the truck is used only to facilitate early in-person voting during the two weeks prior to an election as per state law. She wanted the truck because it was becoming too cumbersome for her staff to set up their equipment in remote polling sites.

The city posts notices at City Hall, online and in the Racine Journal Times newspaper of the truck's planned stops, meeting a requirement in state law that municipalities give public notice of the times and locations of early in-person voting sites, McMenamin said. Often the truck parks outside of buildings that have traditionally been used as early voting sites such as community centers, she said. Using the truck allows voting at the site without interrupting functions within the building, she said.

People can walk up to the truck, register to vote if they haven't done so, vote in one of the truck's five built-in booths and hand their ballot to a city staff member manning the vehicle, she said. The ballots are then secured in a locked container. People can turn in absentee ballots at the truck, just as they're allowed to do at brick-and-mortar early voting sites, but the truck doesn't have a slit for a drop box and isn't available 24 hours a day like a drop box, McMenamin said.

CLAIM: The city doesn't allow Republican observers in the truck, enabling Democrats to cheat.

THE FACTS: False. McMenamin said state law allows observers to watch in-person early voting, so observers are allowed in the truck. She said GOP observers have been in the truck since the fall primary early in-person voting window opened July 26th.

It would be exactly the same as if it was in the brick and mortar (early voting site), she said. (I would tell) people who are more skeptical of the process, this follows state law.

If election observers feel they've been unjustly barred or thrown out of an early voting site, they can file a complaint with the Wisconsin Elections Commission.

Some online blogs claimed Democrats were staffing the truck and would cast phony ballots from it. But the truck is staffed by city election officials and has the same rules as any other early voting site.

This is part of AP's effort to address widely shared misinformation, including work with outside companies and organizations to add factual context to misleading content that is circulating online. Learn more about fact-checking at AP.
The Kremlin has refused to announce a full-blown mobilization as Russia suffers military losses in its invasion of Ukraine which is nearing its sixth month. Such a move could be very unpopular for President Vladimir Putin. Russia is engaged instead in a covert recruitment effort that includes using prisoners to make up for the manpower shortage. This also is happening amid reports that hundreds of soldiers are refusing to fight and are trying to quit the military. Authorities seem to be pulling out all the stops to bolster enlistment although the Defense Ministry denies any mobilization activities are happening. Billboards urge men to join up and authorities have set up mobile recruiting centers.
JESUP  The Iowa Court of Appeals has upheld the conviction of a former Jesup man sentenced to life in prison for allegedly repeatedly molesting a teen.

On appeal, Clarence Elton Widner, now 64, argued there wasnt sufficient evidence to back his conviction for third-degree sexual abuse as a repeat offender.

Authorities said Widner had sexual contact with a 17-year-old boy in 2018 and 2019 against the teens will and once while the teen was asleep, according to court records.

Widner was arrested in December 2019 after the teen told school officials and others about the abuse.

During the investigation, Widner said he had consensual sexual contact with the teen and denied having sexual contact while the teen was asleep.

Widner waived a jury trial and allowed a judge to render a verdict in a trial based on investigative records and reports.

Punishment in the case was enhanced because Widner had two prior sex crime convictions  for having sexual contact with a 4-year-old girl in 1985 and fondling a 9-year-old girl in 1994  and he was sentenced to life in prison plus 30 years for failing to register as a sex offender in October 2021.
WATERLOO  A woman who purchased and possessed firearms as a marijuana user was sentenced Friday to more than a year in prison by U.S. District Court Judge C.J. Williams in Cedar Rapids.

Information disclosed at the sentencing showed that in the summer of 2020 Allyssa Jo Stovall, 23, of Waterloo, purchased two firearms and knowingly and intentionally lied about her drug use to purchase the firearms.

Less than a month after purchasing the firearms, they were used in two separate shootings in Waterloo, one July 26, 2020, and the other Aug. 2, 2020.

She purchased the SCCY Industries CPX-2 semi-automatic 9 millimeter pistol from Scheels in Cedar Falls and a Ruger ECF 9 millimeter pistol from Mr. Guns in Waterloo.

The SCCY was used in a July 26, 2020, shooting in the area of Iowa and Saxon streets, and the Ruger was used in an Aug. 2, 2020, shooting on Argyle Street, according to court records.

Livestock station manager used crowbar to alter hog scales, charged WAUCOMA  A livestock station manager who allegedly used a crowbar to rig hog scales is the 

Law enforcement seized the firearms from Stovall in July 2021, and in September 2021, Stovall attempted to flee from law enforcement officers that were attempting to arrest her on the federal charge.

She was eventually taken into custody.

Stovall was found to be guilty by a jury Feb. 1 on one count of being a drug user in possession of firearms.

She was sentenced Friday to 12 months and 1 day imprisonment. She must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term.

There is no parole in the federal system.

Stovall is being held in the United States Marshals custody until she can be transported to a federal prison.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lisa Williams and investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Waterloo Police Department.

Man arrested for firing pistol, asks to get gun back WATERLOO  A Waterloo man has been arrested for allegedly firing a gun in July.
WATERLOO  After originally stating a local economic development group would be denied community outreach funding from Black Hawk County, the Board of Supervisors has reversed course.

On Tuesday, a week after a vote to allocate funding to Grow Cedar Valley fell short of a majority of the five-member board, officials said they made an error and amended their minutes. Now, the economic development organization will receive $25,000 from the county.

Last week, supervisors Dan Trelka and Linda Laylin abstained from voting on how much money the organization would receive. That left three supervisors to vote on the issue. Craig White and Chris Schwartz agreed on giving the organization $25,000. Supervisor Tom Little voted no.

With a vote of 2-1, board members believed the measure had failed.

But Black Hawk County attorney Michael Treinen said he did some research after the meeting. He learned that a 2-1 vote with two abstaining is a vote to pass and approve the motion.

At the July 26 meeting, Grow Cedar Valley asked for $50,000. Now that a smaller amount has been confirmed for the organization, officials plan to continue looking at work force options. CEO Cary Darrah said the organization is having conversations with Evansdale and La Porte City to look at business retention expansion programs with businesses there.

I know its important to (the supervisors) we reach out to the rural communities, Darrah said. Well continue to serve the Waterloo Cedar Falls area, but we know its important we strengthen rural areas, too.

In an email sent to Grow Cedar Valley member businesses after the meeting, she added that Grow Cedar Valley is also having very positive conversations with the cities of Hudson and Elk Run Heights about how we can collaborate and work together to grow our county and regional economy.

A strong relationship with our surrounding municipalities as well as the County has been a priority for several years and this is a step in the right direction, wrote Darrah.
Home-Grown Jam has new time, date

CEDAR FALLS  Home-Grown Jam has a new time. The event will take place from 1:45 to 4:45 p.m. Aug. 13 at the Cedar Falls Community Center, 524 Main St.

Home-Grown Jam is a group of musicians who play the second Saturday of each month at the community center. A variety of music from the 1920s to the 1970s is played. A light lunch is served around 2:30 p.m.

The jam and the refreshments are free, although donations are encouraged to help cover building rental and food costs.

Donation upgrades Wapsie Valley security

FAIRBANK  Oran Mutual Telephone Company donated $50,000 to Wapsie Valley Community Schools to improve the security on each campus.

At all buildings, the donation covered upgrades to the video surveillance storage systems and the duress alarm system as well as installation of additional exterior and interior high definition cameras.

Along with those ijmprovements, the Junior/Senior High School will have the door access controls installed on the buildings remaining eight exterior doors.

The improvements will be in place for the 2022-23 school year.
Conducted innovative drone and field reconnaissance projects in Europe is now a line Logan Banks 24 can add to her resume.

In June, she was among five Willamette students who spent six weeks in Athens and the island of Naxos to improve their understanding of marble use and extraction in ancient Greece.

Funded by a National Science Foundation grant and led by Professor of Environmental Science and Archaeology Scott Pike, the group was the first of three cohorts to earn the opportunity to conduct joint and independent research there every summer until 2024.

Despite the historical significance of the quarries they visited  some were the source of Greeces most famous monuments  little is known of the areas. Hundreds of aerial and ground footage captured by students, run through a mapping software, will help develop more accurate 3D models of the quarries as a basis for future research.

Banks, an archaeology and environmental science double major, called the trip life changing.

It sounds so cliche, she said. But I would have never imagined being able to do something like this.

For her project, Banks wanted to know whether the extent of vegetative growth could indicate relative age of the quarry walls. She studied the quarries at Mt. Pentelikon, a location northeast of Athens famous for providing marble for the Parthenon and the Acropolis.

A multispectral sensor attached to the drone she used records narrow wavelength bands of visible and infrared light, so when she ran the images through the software, she could differentiate the presence of specific vegetation  lichen, shrubs, trees  as well as dry earth and rock surfaces.

Multispectral image analysis is commonly used in farming and agriculture, but this is the first time its been used in ancient quarry studies.

While Banks didnt find a direct correlation between vegetation and age, its always nice to try to find new methods of discovering how the ancient world was created, she said.

CJ Lane 23, an anthropology and archaeology double major, shot photos of unfinished kouroi  a kouros is a statue of nude youth  located in Naxos quarries. In the village of Melanes, two kouroi are believed to have been cracked while in transport and abandoned during the move. Another kouros, situated on the north shore of Naxos in the village of Apollonas, was abandoned during its carving and is still attached to the rock.

Melanes kouros. Above photo: faragi Kouros.

Lane was trying to figure out what could have happened to the kouros. In the process, he became more fascinated by marble than he would have ever thought, he said.

In addition to their research, students explored the country, formed connections with industry experts and visited the Wiener Laboratory of the American School of Classical Studies at Athens, of which Willamette is a member.

The trip was a one-way ticket to an amazing grad program, said Lane. Truly the best opportunity I could ever ask for.






Speaker:







Wang Chunying, deputy administrator and spokesperson of the State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE)





Chairperson:

Shou Xiaoli, deputy director general of the Press Bureau of the State Council Information Office (SCIO) and spokesperson of the SCIO





Date:

July 22, 2022

Shou Xiaoli:

Ladies and gentlemen, good morning. Welcome to this press conference held by the SCIO. This is a regular briefing on China's economic data. Today, we are delighted to be joined by Ms. Wang Chunying, deputy administrator and spokesperson of the SAFE, who will introduce China's foreign-exchange receipts and payments data in the first half of 2022 and take your questions.

Now, let's give the floor to Ms. Wang for her introduction.

Wang Chunying:

Good morning. Welcome to today's press conference. I'll begin by introducing China's foreign-exchange receipts and payments data in the first half of 2022, and then answer your questions.

Since 2022, the international landscape has been complex and challenging, with continued COVID-19 outbreaks and the prospect of global economic growth weakening. Under the strong leadership of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, China has effectively coordinated pandemic prevention and control with socio-economic development. Recently, major macroeconomic indicators have stabilized and picked up, and the economy has shown a general trend of recovery and development. Against this backdrop, China's foreign exchange market has become more resilient, the RMB exchange rate has been relatively stable and sound, and cross-border capital flow has been generally steady. In the first half of 2022, foreign exchange settlement and sales by banks registered $1.33 trillion (or 8.6 trillion yuan denominated in RMB) and $1.24 trillion (8.1 trillion yuan), respectively, creating a surplus of $85.2 billion (545.2 billion yuan). The cross-border receipts and payments by non-banking sectors stood at $3.16 trillion (or 20.5 trillion yuan denominated in RMB) and $3.08 trillion (20 trillion yuan), respectively, resulting in a surplus of $83.4 billion (533 billion yuan). In the first half of this year, China's forex receipts and payments showed the following main features:

First, forex settlement and sales by banks as well as cross-border receipts and payments by non-banking sectors continued to create surpluses, with both recording a surplus of over $80 billion in the first half of this year as I said just now. This is mainly because the basic surpluses in trade in goods, direct investment and other fields were kept at a high level. Specifically, in the first quarter, forex settlement and sales by banks as well as cross-border receipts and payments by non-banking sectors maintained high-level surpluses of $58.7 billion and $62.2 billion, respectively. In the second quarter, when the domestic situation and external environment were more complicated, the two indicators created surpluses of $26.5 billion and $21.1 billion, respectively.

Second, forex selling rate edged up and cross-border financing of enterprises remained stable. In the first half of this year, the forex selling rate measuring the willingness to buy forex, which is the ratio of forex customers buying from banks to their foreign-related forex expenditure, reached 66%, up by 2 percentage points over the same period last year. In terms of foreign investment financing, by the end of June this year, the forex loans of Chinese enterprises and other market entities at home amounted to $351 billion, which was basically the same as that at the end of 2021. Cross-border trade financing, including import payments by overseas agents and forward letters of credit, registered $116.4 billion, slightly lower than that at the end of 2021. This is the second feature.

Third, forex settlement rate increased steadily and enterprises' forex deposits were basically stable. In the first half of this year, the forex settlement rate measuring the willingness to settle forex, which is the ratio of forex customers selling to banks to their foreign-related forex income, was 67%, up by 0.4 percentage point from the same period in 2021. By the end of June this year, the forex deposits of Chinese enterprises and other market entities at home amounted to $695.1 billion, basically in line with that at the end of 2021.

Fourth, forex derivative transactions maintained growth and market players' awareness of exchange rate risk management steadily increased. In the first half of this year, to manage exchange rate risks, enterprises employed forward derivatives, options and other derivatives of more than $750 billion, an increase of 29% year on year, which was significantly higher than the growth rate of forex settlement and sales in the same period. As a result, the hedge ratio of enterprises rose to 26%, 4.1 percentage points higher than that of last year. This shows that market entities are more aware of averting exchange rate risks and are better able to adapt to fluctuations in the RMB exchange rate.

Fifth, the amount of forex reserves remained basically stable. At the end of June, China's forex reserves registered $3.07 trillion. Since the beginning of this year, the U.S. dollar index has risen remarkably and the prices of financial assets in major countries have fallen sharply. Forex reserves will drop in amount when denominated in dollars. This, coupled with changes in asset prices, constitutes a vital reason for the changes in the book value of forex reserves.

Going forward, the State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE) will conscientiously implement the decisions and arrangements of the Party Central Committee and the State Council. We will act on the general principle of pursuing progress while ensuring stability, continue to deepen the reform and opening up in the field of foreign exchange, further facilitate cross-border trade and investment and financing, and serve the development of the real economy. Meanwhile, we will strengthen the study and judgment of the situation of foreign exchange revenue and expenditure. We will improve the regulatory framework underpinned by both macro-prudential governance and micro-prudential supervision for the foreign exchange market, and maintain the steady operation of the foreign exchange market and national economic and financial security. These efforts will enable us to pave the way for a successful 20th CPC National Congress.

The above is the main statistical data for foreign exchange revenue and expenditure in the first half of 2022. You are now welcome to ask questions about foreign exchange revenue and expenditure.

Shou Xiaoli:

The floor is now open for questions. Please identify the media outlet you represent before raising questions.
Sammy the Volga has an interesting combination of tires. Original tires from the factory are 195R/15/65 series. While these tire size is good and do the job and the size is plentiful, like wheat in the fields around the Moscow area? They just are lacking in perfection

I have worn out a set of 195R/15/65 series and a set of 185R/15/65 series and a set of 205R/15/70 series. The latter is by far the best for the car. During this shifting of tires in many years. I have discovered that 205R/15/70 series is the best and yet I finally due to money went to several years ago, 195R/15/65 series front and 205R/15/70 series rear

The car found perfection in running that combination, mileage and happiness with that combination. Sammy just is a different bird when 205s on the rear and 195s on the front

The 205 is rare and yet the guys that sell tires know that you will put these tires on a Volga. It is the largest tire that a Volga will hold and function properly without issues. Nothing else uses these tires and since Volgas are now extinct? The tire is made less and less often and or considered a truck tire and a small one at that

Therefore, is the quandary

Since my last set of 205s are now worn out and have become dangerous, with sidewall sun cracks and too many cuts/splits deep into between the tread. I have been forced to go on an expedition to the Big Village and procure two 205R/15/70 series for the rear of Sammy

I have been relegated to as it sits now 185R/15/65 series on the front and 195R/15/65 series on the back. This works and is very stable and if I stay with that? All is good and wonderful, except she is not happy and if Sammy is unhappy, I am unhappy. Thus, the excursion to find utopia for Sammy

The roads in Russia are interesting, much better than when I moved to Russia many many years ago, but when you get off the beaten trail, as our Tiny Russian Village is. Even a few centimeters of clearance is vital. The difference between a set of originals and just changing the rear larger, is so amazing in handling, clearance issues and the way the car sits in real time is phenomenal. The old guys selling tires know this. Volga use to be the cats meow in the Soviet Union

Yesterday, I spent all morning digging around the Big Village and looking for that tire store that carries and or can get this holy Grail of tires for me. In Moscow, this is not an issue. All tires and every tire is available. But since I have put a serious 3000 kilometers on nothing but goat trails this summer, due to the break-in of a new engine rebuild? I have also worn out tires that should have given me another year. The roads are brutal and unforgiving around these here parts

Store one said, Volga huh? Sorry cant get. How about 195?

Store two said, Nope and they went back to sleep! ZZZZZZ

Store three said, Volga, yes very good and excellent! Nope took a shot of Vodka in his coffee and went to sleep also! ZZZZZZ

Store four (and last store available) said, Volga, hmm.yes, Thursday!

Then he with his sidekick showed me the tires. Snow tires, 205 70 series, good Russian brand and 7000 rubles each. He had them on his smartphone and verified that they were available at that given moment. They had to be ordered. Thus, it was Tuesday and I will get them Thursday at 2 p.m.?

I even involved Svetochka at the last store, because my weakness in Russian makes me nervous at times on exact details. So, yes, yes and yes and yes 2 p.m. Thursday. We hope? I question it, because in Russia? Things kinda go sideways at times when it comes to the locals and what they really can do!

I understood correctly and I usually do, but Russian language is not my cup of tea, so to say. I spend too much time with English, as I write and write and write in English

It is not that Sammy is a problem running right now. The tires are okay, but will not be okay soon. The roads are hell at times. The front needs at least the 195s to be perfect and the old 185s I am running were removed due to being basically worn out years ago. Still viable, but have seen better days and too small. My front excellent tires are on the rear, 195s and they need to get back to the front. The 205s that I have removed are still usable and I suspect that I can find someone to enjoy them locally? For a trip to Moscow is out of the question with them at this point

So now you know what the best combination is for a Volga, yet who drives a Volga? I do and thus, I know what is best. The old-timers all know this same tidbit, but that does not make it easy to do now. Maybe it never was easy to do? Not sure why the factory did not set Volgas up with 205R/15/70 series in the first place and I suspect that the 195 was just that much cheaper and easier to make? Everyone has 195s, even the babushka selling pears on the side of the byway can find you a set of 195s for a Volga 

Another tidbit: I have learned that when pricing, nothing is as it seems. You must ask questions to get the whole picture. So, I asked, mounted and balanced, price? Blank looks from both guys. It does not registered that I might want them installed immediately. They have all the equipment and I was looking at all of it. Yet, they still had not thought about pricing for mounting and balancing. 300 rubles per tire. Okay!

It is not the Russian way. You buy tires, you leave and think about the tires you bought, then when your back is against the wall? And bad tires go flat You decide where to put them on later. Maybe you and your friend change them, most likely when the original tires blow up on the highway? But, you got the tires!

It is a Russian for you and that is why I love Russia

WtR
Beijing will see it as a declaration of (hybrid) war against them, by the Empire of Lies and Chaos. Just like how Russia saw it, when it happened to them

So the USA did it and treated China like they treated Russia. Like crap and what you think does not matter treatment

Xi was personally humiliated by the Empire of Chaos. And so was the CCP. Realization and loss of face. Now Chinese are all facing a fait accompli

(fait accompli definition: 1. something that has already happened or been done and cannot be changed)

The Chinese are very not into loss of face

The response will happen, planned, exact and deep-rooted. As so many humans wanted an aircraft sent to the graveyard and war to begin, thats not the Chinese way. It will happen  but it takes time, because Beijing is not completely ready, as Russia was not in 2014

Sorry keyboard warriors, you are gonna have to be patient

Sometimes reality has to slap you in the face and China just tasted what Russia has been going through. An Empire of Lies and Chaos whom is mentally unstable and wants to rule the world

Russia had to wait to act. Russia had to accept the humiliation and gather its ducks in order

I see the Chinese Ducks lining up as I write this

Chinas time will come. For like Russia? China does not bluff

Now China and Russia have just been given even more common bond and reason to take the Empire in the West to its knees

WtR
The manner in which Hindi films are flopping one after the other has raised a security of concern for the industry people in Mumbai.

Also, the media is hyping south projects and is making sure that Hindi films are pushed down time and again which has hurt many.

Speaking in an interview, star heroine, Alia Bhatt has asked the media to be kind to Hindi films and not trash them right away.

She also adds that this is just a phase and things will be fine once big films with huge stars come and entertain the audience.

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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.
People who encounter racism in their life may be more likely to experience declining memory in middle age, according to new research presented Aug. 1 at the Alzheimers Association International Conference. The link is especially prominent among Black adults, who in the U.S. are about twice as likely to develop Alzheimers disease or other related dementias as whites.

A team of researchers based out of Columbia University assessed experiences of racism among 942 middle-aged white, Latino and Black adults. They found that the Black participants were most exposed to racism on a personal level and a societal one: They were more likely to grow up and live in segregated, resource-deprived communities; and they were also more likely to experience civil-rights violations and routinely endure discrimination. And these exposures were associated with lower memory scores at midlife. 

The studys results suggest that efforts to increase systemic equality may also decrease risk for cognitive impairment later in life, said Jennifer Manly, a professor of neuropsychology at Columbia University Irving Medical Center and the studys senior author. More than 16 million Americans are living with cognitive impairment, a condition that affects memory, thinking and everyday decision-making, according to a 2011 statistic from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

While its important to focus on what individuals can do to improve their own brain health, health providers need to be aware that many accumulated risks are historical and structural, and are not controlled by the individual, Manly added. 

Previous research has uncovered similar findings. For example, Boston University researchers found an association between racism and decreased memory and cognition among a large cohort of Black women. 

The study, published in 2020 in Alzheimers & Dementia: Diagnosis, Assessment and Disease Monitoring, found that women who experienced the highest levels of interpersonal racism  like racial slurs, for example  were 2.75 times more likely to report worsening or more frequent confusion or memory loss, compared with women who experienced the lowest levels of interpersonal racism. And those who reported the highest levels of institutional racism  for example, having been discriminated against in pay or promotions at work  had 2.66 times the risk of experiencing a decline in their memory and functioning. 
 Flash

Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Xie Feng urgently summoned the U.S. Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns late Tuesday night and lodged stern representations and strong protests over Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi's visit to China's Taiwan region.

Noting that Pelosi risks universal condemnation to deliberately provoke and play with fire, Xie said that this is a serious violation of the one-China principle and the three China-U.S. joint communiques.

It has a severe impact on the political foundation of China-U.S. relations, and seriously infringes on China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, Xie said, adding that it gravely undermines peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, and sends a seriously wrong signal to the separatist forces for "Taiwan independence."

"The move is extremely egregious in nature and the consequences are extremely serious. China will not sit idly by," Xie noted.

Xie said the U.S. government must be held accountable. For a while, the U.S. has said one thing and done another thing, constantly distorted and hollowed out the one-China principle.

It deleted the key expressions such as Taiwan is part of China from the U.S. State Department website, put Taiwan in its so-called "Indo-Pacific strategy", openly upgraded its ties with Taiwan and increased arms sales to the region and supported separatist activities for "Taiwan independence," according to Xie.

He said the U.S. government has indulged rather than restrained Pelosi's willful act, leading to the escalation of tensions across the Taiwan Strait and seriously undermined the China-U.S. relations.

Noting that the U.S. side shall pay the price for its own mistakes, Xie urged the U.S. to immediately address its wrongdoings, take practical measures to undo the adverse effects caused by Pelosi's visit to Taiwan.

The United States must not go further down the wrong path, escalating tensions and making the situation across the Taiwan Strait and China-U.S. relations irreparable, Xie said.

He added that the United States should stop playing the "Taiwan card", stop using Taiwan to contain China in any form, and stop interfering in China's internal affairs.

The United States must take concrete actions to observe the one-China principle and the provisions of the three China-U.S. joint communiques, deliver on the "five noes" commitment made by the U.S. leadership (i.e. not seek a "new Cold War"; not seek to change China's system; the revitalization of its alliances is not against China; not support "Taiwan independence"; not look for conflict with China), and not go further down the wrong and dangerous path, Xie noted.

Xie stressed that the trend of the times cannot be reversed, the will of the people is not to be defied, and those who play with fire will perish by it.

"Taiwan is China's Taiwan, and Taiwan will eventually return to the embrace of the motherland. Chinese people are not afraid of ghosts, pressure and the evil," Xie said.

In the minds of the Chinese people, nothing is more sacred than to protect China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and nothing is more important than safeguarding and realizing national reunification, Xie noted.

He added that no country, no force and no individual should ever underestimate the firm resolve, strong will and great capability of the Chinese government and people to defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity and to achieve national reunification and rejuvenation.
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PHOENIX  Vote counting continued Wednesday in the close race to determine the Republican nominee for governor in Arizona, with former television news anchor Kari Lake narrowly leading lawyer Karrin Taylor Robson.

The contest is seen as a barometer of Donald Trumps enduring influence after establishment Republicans came out in force behind Robson. Lake is closely aligned with the former president, who could gain allies with influence over how elections are run as he considers a 2024 White House campaign.

The winner will advance to the November general election to take on Secretary of State Katie Hobbs, who defeated Marco Lopez, a former mayor of Nogales and border enforcement official during Obamas administration, in Tuesdays primary.

Trump endorsed and campaigned for a group of candidates who supported his falsehoods about the 2020 election, including Lake, who says she would have refused to certify President Joe Bidens narrow Arizona victory. Robson said the GOP should focus on the future despite the election from two years ago that she called unfair.

Trump-backed state lawmaker Mark Finchem won the Republican primary to oversee elections as secretary of state  Hobbs current job. Finchem was at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021  the day of the riot  and claims Trump was cheated out of a second term. Trump-backed candidates for attorney general and legislative races also were leading.

Mail ballots favored Robson, but Lake overwhelmingly won polling place votes. Ballots left to count are mainly mail ballots turned in at the polls on Tuesday, including 125,000 from Maricopa County, which includes Phoenix.

Arizona, a longtime Republican stronghold, has become more favorable to Democrats in recent years because of explosive growth in and around Phoenix. The primary and the fall election will provide insight into whether Bidens success in 2020 was a onetime event or the onset of a long-term shift away from the GOP in the state.

With such high stakes, Arizona has been central to efforts by Trump and his allies to cast doubt on Bidens victory.

Federal and state election officials and Trumps own attorney general have said there is no credible evidence the 2020 election was tainted. Trumps allegations of fraud were also roundly rejected by courts, including by judges he appointed. A hand recount led by Trump supporters in Maricopa County, Arizonas largest, found no proof of a stolen election and concluded Bidens margin of victory was larger than the official count.

Though Trump is still the most popular figure inside the GOP, his efforts to influence primary elections this year have yielded mixed results. His preferred candidates in states such as Ohio and Pennsylvania prevailed in their primaries.

But in Georgia, also central to Trumps election lies, his handpicked candidate for governor was defeated by more than 50 percentage points, and the GOP secretary of state was also renominated over a Trump-backed primary rival.

Trump hoped for more success in Arizona, where Republican Gov. Doug Ducey could not run for reelection.

Lake is well known in much of the state after anchoring the evening news in Phoenix for more than two decades. She ran as a fierce critic of the mainstream media, which she says is unfair to Republicans, and of those who oppose Trumps Make America Great Again movement, including the family of the late Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz.

Lake claimed her campaign was already detecting some stealing going on in her own race, but she repeatedly refused to provide any evidence for the claim. She said Tuesday night that changing election laws was her top priority.

This is why were in this race, Lake said. This is why we have this movement right here.

Robson, whose housing developer husband is one of the states richest men, mostly self-financed her campaign. The GOP establishment, growing increasingly comfortable creating distance from Trump, rallied around her over the past month with a series of endorsements from Ducey, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and former Vice President Mike Pence.

You have entrusted me with your most sacred possession in a constitutional republic  your vote, Robson told supporters Tuesday night as she awaited election results.

Robson ran a largely old-school Republican campaign focused on cutting taxes and regulations, securing the border and advancing school choice. She also emphasized Lakes prior support for Democrats, including a $350 contribution to the last Democratic president.

I cant vote for someone who supported Barack Obama, said Travis Fillmore, 36, a firearms instructor from Tempe who planned to vote for Robson. He said he remains a Trump backer and believes the 2020 election was stolen from him, but Lakes support for Obama was disqualifying.

Democratic nominee Hobbs, as Arizonas top elections official, endeared herself to party voters with an impassioned defense of the integrity of the 2020 election, a stance that has drawn death threats. But she has been weighed down by a discrimination case won by a Black policy adviser from Hobbs time in the Legislature.

In the Senate race, Trump-backed Blake Masters emerged as the Republican nominee, The 35-year-old first-time candidate has spent most of his career working for billionaire Peter Thiel, who is bankrolling his campaign. Masters emphasized cultural grievances that animate the right, including critical race theory and allegations of big tech censorship.

Until Trumps endorsement, the race had no clear front-runner among Masters, businessman Jim Lamon and Attorney General Mark Brnovich, all of whom jockeyed for his support.

Masters will take on Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly in the fall.

Republican state House Speaker Rusty Bowers, who gave testimony to the Jan. 6 committee in Washington about Trumps pressure campaign following the 2020 election, was defeated by a Trump-backed challenger in his bid to move to the state Senate.
Copyright  2022 Albuquerque Journal

Police seized 14,000 fentanyl pills, firearm silencers, a Bernalillo County sheriffs badge and nearly $30,000 in separate incidents  a traffic stop and warrant arrest  last week in Southeast Albuquerque.

Rebecca Atkins, an Albuquerque Police Department spokeswoman, said the drugs, guns, cash and other items were found on Timothy Carrera, 35, and Valentina Martinez, 37, in unrelated arrests on July 21 and 27.

Carrera  who was initially pulled over for speeding  is charged with drug trafficking, reckless driving and two counts each of being a felon in possession of a firearm and receiving stolen property.

Martinez is charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, shooting at or from a motor vehicle, being a felon in possession of a firearm, and drug trafficking.

Carrera and Martinez have been booked into the Metropolitan Detention Center. It is unclear if either has an attorney.

According to separate criminal complaints filed in Metropolitan Court:

On July 21, an Albuquerque police officer was patrolling near Copper and Vermont SE when they saw Carrera speeding in a Cadillac with no license plate. Police say Carrera nearly t-boned another vehicle before he was pulled over.

Carrera told police he was driving recklessly because he and his girlfriend were arguing and he was mad. Police noticed a gun and cash inside the Cadillac and the car was sealed pending a search warrant.

Police searched the vehicle last Wednesday and found $13,000 in cash bundles, a Bernalillo County sheriffs badge in the glove box and more than 7,000 fentanyl pills. Police also found three guns, two silencers  one of them stolen out of Rio Rancho  and a pistol-to-rifle conversion kit.

Carreras criminal history includes multiple arrests for drug trafficking, aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, armed robbery and stolen vehicle charges, among others. At the time of the latest arrest, Carrera was under conditions of release in a pending 2021 trafficking case where he allegedly sold meth to an undercover State Police officer on three occasions.

Martinezs arrest stemmed from a neighbor dispute.

On July 18, police responded to Gold and Sycamore after a woman reported Martinez had pointed a gun at her and shot her vehicle. The woman told police Martinez, who was her aunt and neighbor, sells fentanyl outside the apartments and she had told her to stop before the shooting occurred.

She said Martinez shot at her vehicle, said she would be back and drove off.

In the days that followed, Martinez allegedly went to the womans apartment threatening to kill the kids if she pressed charges. Police relocated the woman, her children and boyfriend from the apartment for their safety, and tracked Martinez to an apartment near Vassar and Garfield SE.

Police arrested Martinez, who denied pointing a gun at her niece or shooting the vehicle, and said she buys fentanyl to support her own habit, but doesnt sell. Martinez told police she had received a notice in the mail stating she was being charged in the shooting.

Police searched Martinezs SUV, her apartment and the apartment where she was found. The search turned up two guns, dozens of fentanyl pills and a purple safe in a duffel bag.

Police obtained a search warrant for the safe and found another gun, more than 7,000 fentanyl pills and $14,000 in cash bundles.

Martinezs criminal history includes arrests for drug possession, shoplifting, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, rabies violations related to ferrets, assault, and shooting at a dwelling or occupied building.

Prosecutors have filed a motion to detain Martinez, saying she has no regard for the safety of others.
Copyright  2022 Albuquerque Journal

District Attorney Raul Torrez on Tuesday lauded a new ruling that GPS tracking records for criminal defendants released pending trial arent confidential, but he cautioned that law enforcement may still face legal obstacles in obtaining such data to solve crimes.

He pointed to wording in legislation passed by lawmakers this year that puts limits on when law enforcement can have access to GPS records.

Nevertheless, Torrez said he hoped the ruling by James Noel, a Sandoval County state district judge, would send a message to the 2nd Judicial District Court in Albuquerque to make such information available upon request by prosecutors and police.

Noel sided with Torrezs office, which filed a lawsuit alleging the 2nd Judicial District Court had violated the state Inspection of Public Records Act in refusing to turn over GPS data last year on two defendants who Torrez alleged are violent repeat offenders.

I can tell you that when I first came into office, Torrez said, if someone told me that I would actually be forced to file a lawsuit against the district court to get access to GPS information on defendants that the court itself has deemed dangerous and placed on GPS monitoring, I would have said, Youre crazy. 

He said the ruling makes it clear that pretrial GPS records are public records and added that law enforcement ultimately hopes to gather GPS information on all defendants under GPS supervision and cross reference those coordinates with any outstanding criminal conduct in the city.

Whether the court ruling would be appealed was still up in the air on Tuesday.

The Second Judicial District Court is committed to fully responding to all records requests that come in from the public and to diligently comply with the Inspection of Public Records Act, said spokesman Sidney Hill in an email to the Journal.  While the Second Judicial District Court respects the analysis and decision in the Order issued August 1, 2022, the Second Judicial District Court is evaluating its right to appeal.

Court officials contended the GPS records sought by the DAs office were confidential based on the constitutional rights of defendants, Fourth Amendment protections and a judicial deliberation privilege. Defense attorneys also raised privacy concerns on behalf of their clients.

The vast majority of people on pretrial release comply with their restrictions, the state Law Offices of the Public Defender said in a statement Tuesday.

Even if you think that people who have been charged with a crime should lose their privacy rights, there is a legitimate question whether their minute-by-minute whereabouts should be visible to absolutely everyone, said the agencys general counsel Adrianne Turner.

Torrez said Noels ruling is especially important where GPS monitoring of dangerous, repeat offenders is so heavily relied upon instead of pretrial detention. He appeared at a news conference with Albuquerque Police Department Deputy Cmdr. Kyle Hartsock and Angel Alire, whose 22-year-old son was allegedly killed by a man who was supposed to be monitored via GPS while awaiting trial in a pending case.

On screens behind the DAs podium were mug shots of three defendants, including a murder suspect, who have absconded in recent months while wearing such monitors. Torrez said his office has no idea how many defendants a year are placed on pretrial GPS ankle monitoring by judges.

Torrez said Noels ruling didnt address new legislation that went into effect July 1. A provision, inserted into the major public safety bill, HB 68, states that officers need to have reasonable suspicion to believe the data will be probative. And the data must relate to a pending criminal investigation that isnt older than a year. Such information also cant be made part of a public record unless admitted during a criminal trial.

Torrez, who is the Democratic candidate for state attorney general, said he hopes the Legislature will revise that provision given Noels ruling that such data is public  without such restrictions.

Otherwise, Torrez said, It would be bizarre, because law enforcement would have to show reasonable suspicion, while you as members of the public can just say, heres my IPRA request,  Torrez said. So theres a tension in the law. Under that interpretation of HB 68, you would actually have a higher standard for law enforcement.

Torrez faces Republican attorney Jeremy Gay in the general election.
Copyright  2022 Albuquerque Journal

Tears of joy flowed freely as dozens of people greeted Rudy Lucero and his wife, Deborah, Tuesday evening.

Many held signs saying Welcome back, Rudy while others arrived at Mariposa Basin Park on the West Side in their classic cars for the homecoming celebration.

It had been exactly three months to the day since Rudy underwent a double lung transplant surgery at the University of Colorados Anschutz Medical Center in Aurora, and just one day since he got the all-clear from doctors to drive home to Albuquerque, where his medical crisis began.

I feel really good now that Im home, said Rudy, 55. Its been a long journey. Too long, but Ive been so blessed. Im so happy that everyone is here. I just need some chile, man.

A teary-eyed Deborah, 53, also expressed joy at being home. Im just happy to be home and to bring Rudy home and to all his friends and family, she said. We havent had this in almost two years.

On New Years Day 2021, Rudy and Deborah, then his longtime girlfriend, both tested positive for COVID. Vaccines had just started to become available and the couple did not yet have access to them. Over the next five days, as Deborah recovered, Rudy, who has diabetes, was struggling to breathe. He was rushed by ambulance to a hospital.

The couple had been planning an elaborate wedding and a Hawaii honeymoon, but suddenly unsure of his future, Rudy suggested that he and Deborah get married right away. On Super Bowl Sunday last year, they exchanged vows via an audio-video connection, with Rudy in his hospital bed, and Deborah in the parking lot below, surrounded by about 100 mask-wearing friends and a procession of classic cars.

COVID scarred Rudys lungs so badly that by the time he was released from Lovelace Medical Center in June, he expected to spend the rest of his life on oxygen. By March, his condition had become even more dire, forcing them to travel to the hospital in Aurora, where Rudy, with his oxygen levels still falling, was placed on the transplant list.

On May 2, a pair of lungs became available, and Rudy was wheeled into an operating room for the eight-hour surgery. When he awoke 24 hours later, it was a revelation.

I was breathing normal. It was crazy. The way I was living before, there was no quality of life, he said at the time.

They still dont know much about the donor, other than he was a 33-year-old man, said Deborah, but we are just so grateful and appreciative for that gift and for giving Rudy a second chance.

Another teary-eyed person was Rudys brother, Tony Lucero Jr.

Theres six of us, he said. We were all so worried, but seeing him now  this is the way he looked before he got sick. Its a miracle.

Robert Benavidez grew up with Rudy and has known him since they were 10 years old. Hes here and hes walking and thats a blessing, he said. We were scared to death wed lose him. Hes a great guy and would do anything for anybody. This is just awesome.

Couri Clay considers Rudy her uncle. Ive known him since I was 4, so hes like family. I was pretty scared for him for a while. I got to spend some one-on-one time with him in Colorado recently, but Im really glad thats hes back here now.

Although Rudy is no longer on supplemental oxygen, he will have to take a handful of anti-rejection medications daily for the rest of his life, and for the time being has to return every month to the hospital in Colorado to meet with his doctors. Eventually, those visits will get spread out over larger intervals, said Deborah.

In the meantime, Rudy said, his plans for the future are pretty simple:

Im just going to live.
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday held a phone conversation with Secretary-General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Jens Stoltenberg to discuss assistance for Kiev, the presidential press service reported.

At the talks, Zelensky informed Stoltenberg about the situation on the frontline in Ukraine and emphasized the importance for Kiev to get non-lethal military aid from NATO agreed upon during the alliance's 2022 Madrid summit.

Besides, Zelensky said that Ukraine is seeking to receive more heavy weapons from NATO member states.

The parties also discussed the resumption of grain exports from Ukraine via the Black Sea ports and the prospects of NATO's assistance in humanitarian demining in Ukraine.

At the NATO summit in the Spanish capital on June 29-30, the members of the alliance agreed to provide support for Ukraine in multiple areas, including secure communications, cyber defenses and resilience, fuel, and medical supplies.
PARIS  Fanning out like urban guerrillas through Paris darkened streets well after midnight, the anti-waste activists shinny up walls and drain pipes, reaching for switches to turn off the lights.

Click. Click. Click.

One by one, the outdoor lights that stores had left on are extinguished. Its one small but symbolic step in a giant leap of energy saving that Europe is trying to make as it rushes to wean itself off natural gas and oil from Russia so factories arent forced to close and homes stay heated and powered.

Engineer Kevin Ha and his equally nimble friends had been acting against wasteful businesses in Paris long before Russia started cutting energy supplies to Europe in a battle of wills over Moscows invasion of Ukraine. As such, the campaigners were precursors of the energy economy drive becoming all the rage in France, Germany and elsewhere. Their message  that everyone can contribute  is almost word-for-word what public officials from cabinet ministers to mayors are saying now, too.

Everyone can have a positive impact at their own level, by adopting good practices, by doing the right things to reduce their overall energy footprint, the 30-year-old Ha said on a recent night of light-extinguishing on the Champs-Elysees boulevard.

The stakes are high. If Russia severs the supplies of gas it has already drastically reduced, authorities fear Europe risks becoming a colder, darker and less-productive place this winter. Its imperative to economize gas now so it can be squirreled away for burning later in homes, factories and power plants, officials say.

Europe needs to be ready, said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. To make it through the winter, assuming that there is a full disruption of Russian gas, we need to save gas to fill our gas storages faster. And to do so, we have to reduce our gas consumption. I know that this is a big ask for the whole of the European Union, but it is necessary to protect us.

And although Europe is scrambling to get energy from elsewhere, any difficulties this winter could be a harbinger of worse to come if Russian gas supplies are completely severed and stay off through 2023, said Frances minister overseeing energy, Agnes Pannier-Runacher.

If gas deliveries are cut by the end of the year, that will mean well have a full year without Russian gas, so the following winter could be even harder, Pannier-Runacher told French senators.

Hence the mounting appeals  already familiar to exasperated parents of wasteful teenagers everywhere  for Europeans to take shorter showers, switch off power sockets and otherwise do what they can.

Germany had been getting about a third of its gas from Russia, making the EUs biggest economy and most populous nation conspicuously vulnerable. Energy saving is in full swing, with lights going off, public pools becoming chillier and thermostats being adjusted.

The glass dome of the Reichstag, the parliament building in Berlin, is going dark after it closes to visitors at midnight, and two facades will no longer be lit. Legislators office temperatures will drop by 2 degrees to 20 Celsius (68 Fahrenheit) this winter. Berlin City Hall, the Jewish Museum, two opera houses and the landmark Victory Column with panoramic views are among about 200 sites in the German capital that will no longer be lit at night.

Saunas are closing in Munichs municipal swimming pools, which have chillier water now, too. Therell only be cold showers at public pools in Hannover, part of a plan by the northern city to cut its energy use by 15%.

The sum of all the contributions will help us get through this winter and be prepared for the next one, said Robert Habeck, Germanys vice chancellor and economy minister. He also told news weekly Der Spiegel he has slashed the time he spends showering.

It will be a demanding, stony road, but we can manage it, he said.

With a campaign dubbed Flip the Switch, the Netherlands government is urging showers of no more than five minutes, using sun shades and fans instead of air conditioning, and air-drying laundry.

Under a law passed Monday in often-sweltering Spain, offices, stores and hospitality venues will no longer be allowed to set their thermostats below 27 degrees Celsius (81 degrees Fahrenheit) in summer, nor raise them above 19 degrees Celsius in winter.

Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez asked office workers to ditch neckties, presumably to lessen the temptation to use air conditioning. He led by example, appearing at a news conference in an open-necked shirt.

The Italian government also is recommending limits on heating and cooling in public buildings.

In France, the government is targeting a 10% reduction in energy use by 2024, with an energy sobriety drive. Mayors are also waging their own war on waste, with fines introduced for air-conditioned or heated stores that leave front doors open; others are working to limit the pain of soaring energy prices.

The 8,000 residents of Aureilhan, in the foothills of the Pyrenees in southwestern France, have been adjusting to nights without street lights since July 11. Extinguishing all 1,770 of them from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. will save money that Mayor Yannick Boubee would rather spend on roads and other maintenance. Otherwise, he said, the towns 84,000-euro ($86,000) lighting bill in 2021 was on course to nearly triple next year.

When it comes down to it, theres no reason to keep the lights on at night, he said by phone. It is shaking up our way of thinking.

Next will be convincing townspeople to agree to less-heated classrooms when schools reopen.

Were going to ask parents to put a pullover on their children, all measures that dont cost anything, he said. We have no choice, unfortunately.



Associated Press writers Geir Moulson in Berlin, Mike Corder in The Hague, Colleen Barry in Milan and Frances DEmilio in Rome contributed.



Follow the APs coverage of the Russia-Ukraine war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
Muhammad Afzaal Hussain had lived in a two-story apartment complex a couple of blocks south of the University of New Mexico for the past four years.

The Pakistan native moved to the United States in 2017 to get a masters degree in community and regional planning at UNM and while there served as president of the Graduate and Professional Student Association from 2019 to 2020.

By all accounts the 27-year-old was a passionate leader and a dedicated community organizer who worked with Melanie Stansburys campaign for Congress and then got a job as the planning and land use director for the city of Espanola. For the past year he had been commuting  nearly a 90-minute drive each way  but he was on the cusp of moving to the northern New Mexico city.

On Monday around 9:20 p.m., Muhammad Afzaal was shot to death less than a block from his home on the 400 block of Cornell, south of Coal SE.

His older brother, Muhammad Imtiaz Hussain, told the Journal that neighbors recounted seeing a car pull up alongside Muhammad Afzaal as someone inside opened fire  shooting once, and then between four and six more times.

My brother  he was such a decent, lively young man, an unmarried person involved with the community, all the time helping everyone, Muhammad Imtiaz said. So what is the motive. Why did they shoot him? If hes shot, how are we safe?

An Albuquerque Police Department spokeswoman confirmed that Muhammad Afzaal was killed but said she could not provide any other details about the crime.

Late Wednesday night, APD announced its leaders, the 2nd Judicial District Attorneys Office and the FBI will meet with members of the Muslim community Thursday morning to discuss recent violent crime. A news conference will be held afterward.

A tragic evening

Muhammad Imtiaz, who had been a prosecutor in Pakistan before moving to the U.S. in 2014 to continue studying law, said Monday evening started just like any other.

Muhammad Imtiaz had been staying with his brother  younger than him by 12 years  and that night Muhammad Afzaal took care of his two children, 12 and 8 years old, until he got home. Shortly before 9 p.m. as Muhammad Imtiaz made dinner his brother stepped outside, most likely to talk on the phone with family back in Pakistan  where it would have already been morning  or with friends. At some point Muhammad Imtiaz saw police lights flashing outside, but he didnt start to worry until several hours passed and Muhammad Afzaal still hadnt returned. He called the police and told them his brother was missing.

Thats when they told him Muhammad Afzaal had been killed.

Muhammad Imtiaz spent the next morning talking to neighbors and the detectives trying to figure out what happened.

The brothers were the youngest of five siblings. Muhammad Imtiaz said it took him a full day to get up the courage to tell family members back home what happened. He dreaded talking to his father about it.

I want a proactive, rigorous investigation, detailed and speedy trials so that those people who want to take life for another person for nothing  maybe they were stealing his phone, I dont know, whatever, Muhammad Imtiaz said. But this is life and many lives are connected to him.

Community in mourning

Muhammad Afzaals one year anniversary working for the city of Espanola would have been Tuesday.

That morning when he didnt show up for work his colleagues called and texted him.

Then the mayor heard from Muhammad Imtiaz about the shooting.

In a news release, Mayor John Ramon Vigil said APD is still investigating but it appears Muhammad was randomly targeted in a senseless act of violence.

Jordan Yutzy, the Espanola city manager, said Muhammad Afzaal was supposed to move into a city-owned house this weekend and had already started moving in some furniture.

He is going to be truly missed by the city, Yutzy said. He was very smart, very dedicated, and really cared about the community as a whole. His will be very big shoes for the city to fill.

Javier Sanchez, the former mayor of Espanola, said Muhammad Afzaal was hired during his administration and his death is a sign that violent crime in the state has reached unprecedented levels and is out of control.

And yet perhaps the solutions lay in what Muhammad tried to do for the City of Espanola  create greater opportunities for more of our citizens and visitors. He fought hard to create the housing developments that we require and the parks and open spaces that bring us together , Sanchez wrote in a statement. Through his lens of city planning, Muhammad tried to find the answers to human fragility, loneliness and eventually crime.

Muhammad Afzaal had studied law and human resource management at the University of Punjab before moving to Albuquerque to attend graduate school. At UNM he was very active with the international student community.

In a statement, the university said it was deeply saddened to hear about the tragic and sudden loss of a cherished alumni who was a prominent student leader and vibrant human being.

Muhammad was an inspiring leader and a really special Lobo who touched so many lives, UNM President Garnett Stokes said. It was my privilege to know and work with him.

In a statement Stansbury, now a U.S. representative, said Muhammad Afzaal worked as a field organizer for her campaign. She said he inspired countless people with his compassion and dedication to working in partnership with our communities and was one of the kindest and hardest-working people I have ever known.

His contributions to our communities stretch beyond what we can say here, Stansbury said. As a dedicated urban planner for Espanola, he was committed to making our public spaces work for every person and cleaning up legacy pollution. Our team was privileged every day to witness firsthand Muhammads passion for lifting up the voices of our community members and celebrating their contributions, accomplishments, and dreams.
WASHINGTON  U.S. Senators delivered overwhelming bipartisan approval to NATO membership for Finland and Sweden Wednesday, calling expansion of the Western defensive bloc a slam-dunk for U.S. national security and a day of reckoning for Russian President Vladimir Putin over his invasion of Ukraine.

Wednesdays 95-1 vote  for the candidacy of two Western European nations that, until Russias war against Ukraine, had long avoided military alliances  took a crucial step toward expansion of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and its 73-year-old pact of mutual defense among the United States and democratic allies in Europe.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer invited ambassadors of the two nations to the chamber gallery to witness the vote.

President Joe Biden, who has been the principal player rallying global economic and material support for Ukraine, has sought quick entry for the two previously non-militarily aligned northern European nations.

This historic vote sends an important signal of the sustained, bipartisan U.S. commitment to NATO, and to ensuring our Alliance is prepared to meet the challenges of today and tomorrow, Biden said in a statement Wednesday evening.

I look forward to signing the accession protocols and welcoming Sweden and Finland, two strong democracies with highly capable militaries, into the greatest defensive alliance in history, the president added.

Approval from all member nations  currently, 30  is required. The candidacies of the two prosperous Northern European nations have won ratification from more than half of the NATO member nations in the roughly three months since the two applied. Its a purposely rapid pace meant to send a message to Russia over its six-month-old war against Ukraines West-looking government.

It sends a warning shot to tyrants around the world who believe free democracies are just up for grabs, Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., said in the Senate debate ahead of the vote.

Russias unprovoked invasion has changed the way we think about world security, she added.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, who visited Kyiv earlier this year, urged unanimous approval. Speaking to the Senate, McConnell cited Finlands and Swedens well-funded, modernizing militaries and their experience working with U.S. forces and weapons systems, calling it a slam-dunk for national security of the United States.

Their accession will make NATO stronger and America more secure. If any senator is looking for a defensible excuse to vote no, I wish them good luck, McConnell said.

Sen. Josh Hawley, a Missouri Republican who often aligns his positions with those of the most ardent supporters of former President Donald Trump, cast the only no vote. Hawley took the Senate floor to call European security alliances a distraction from what he called the United States chief rival  China, not Russia.

We can do more in Europe  devote more resources, more firepower  or do what we need to do to deter Asia and China. We cannot do both, Hawley said, calling his a classic nationalist approach to foreign policy.

Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas, like Hawley a potential 2024 presidential contender, rebutted his points without naming his potential Republican rival.

That included arguing against Hawleys contention a bigger NATO would mean more obligations for the U.S. military, the worlds largest. Cotton was one of many citing the two nations military strengths  including Finlands experience securing its hundreds of miles of border with Russia and its well-trained ground forces, and Swedens well-equipped navy and air force.

Theyre two of the strongest members of the alliance the minute they join, Cotton said.

U.S. State and Defense officials consider the two countries net security providers, strengthening NATOs defense posture in the Baltics in particular. Finland is expected to exceed NATOs 2% GDP defense spending target in 2022, and Sweden has committed to meet the 2% goal.

Thats in contrast to many of NATOs newcomers formerly from the orbit of the Soviet Union, many with smaller militaries and economies. North Macedonia, NATOs most recent newcomer nation, brought an active military of just 8,000 personnel when it joined in 2020.

Senators votes approving NATO candidacies often are lopsided  the one for North Macedonia was 91-2. But Wednesdays approval from nearly all senators present carried added foreign policy weight in light of Russias war.

Schumer, D-N.Y., said he and McConnell had committed to the countrys leaders that the Senate would approve the ratification resolution as fast as we could to bolster the alliance in light of recent Russian aggression.

Sweden and Finland applied in May, setting aside their longstanding stance of military nonalignment. It was a major shift of security arrangements for the two countries after neighboring Russia launched its war on Ukraine in late February. Biden encouraged their joining and welcomed the two countries government heads to the White House in May, standing side by side with them in a display of U.S. backing.

The U.S. and its European allies have rallied with newfound partnership in the face of Putins military invasion, as well as the Russian leaders sweeping statements this year condemning NATO, issuing veiled reminders of Russias nuclear arsenal and asserting Russias historical claims to territory of many of its neighbors.

Enlarging NATO is exactly the opposite of what Putin envisioned when he ordered his tanks to invade Ukraine, Sen. Bob Menendez, a New Jersey Democrat and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said Wednesday, adding that the West could not allow Russia to launch invasions of countries.

Wednesdays vote by Republicans and Democrats stood out for the normally slow-moving and divided chamber. Senators voted down a proposed amendment by Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., intended to ensure that NATOs guarantee to defend its members does not replace a formal role for Congress in authorizing the use of military force. Paul, a longtime advocate of keeping the U.S. out of most military action abroad, voted present on the ratification of Sweden and Finlands membership bid.

Senators approved another amendment from Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, declaring that all NATO members should spend a minimum of 2% of their gross domestic product on defense and 20% of their defense budgets on major equipment, including research and development.

Each member government in NATO must give its approval for any new member to join. The process ran into unexpected trouble when Turkey raised concerns over adding Sweden and Finland, accusing the two of being soft on banned Turkish Kurdish exile groups. Turkeys objections still threaten the two countries membership.

___

Follow APs coverage of NATO at https://apnews.com/hub/nato.
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The first grain-laden cargo ship leaving the Ukrainian port under a UN-brokered deal anchors off Istanbul on the Black Sea on Tuesday, waiting to be inspected by the Joint Coordination Center (JCC) before it resumes the voyage to Lebanon.

The Turkish Defence Ministry tweeted that the Sierra Leone-flagged ship Razoni, which left Odesa early on Monday with 26,527 tons of corn, has reached the Black Sea entrance of the Bosphorus Strait and anchored at an assigned point.

The ship will receive an inspection by representatives from the JCC at 10 a.m. local time (0700 GMT) on Wednesday.

The ministry is organizing a special program at a location on the shore with a perfect view of the site to enable press members to cover the delegation's boarding the ship.

Once cleared, it will pass through the strait, sailing toward the Mediterranean as planned, and the JCC will closely monitor the vessel until it arrives at the destination.

"The route and the humanitarian corridor that the ship follows, possible needs, and the details and preparations regarding its inspection are carried out in line with the procedures and principles agreed at the center," Turkish Rear Admiral Ozcan Altunbulak told reporters at the center on Tuesday.

He also said currently, the preparations of the other ships that will carry grain and other foodstuffs from the three ports of Ukraine are continuing.

The JCC was inaugurated in Istanbul last week. It has a total of 20 representatives from Ukraine, Russia, the United Nations and Turkiye to monitor the implementation of the grain shipment process.

On July 22, Russia and Ukraine signed a deal with Turkiye and the United Nations to allow food and fertilizer exports from the Ukrainian ports in the Black Sea, namely Odesa, Chornomorsk, and Pivdennyi.
International content producer, distributor and channel operator, Blue Ant Media, announced the promotions of Craig Junner to SVP, Programming + Content Strategy, Global Media and Andrea Harrick to VP, Content Acquisitions, Global Media. Both promotions arrive on the heels of a year filled with significant growth in the free streaming arena for Blue Ant Media, which saw both Craig and Andrea playing integral leadership roles in the creation and launch of four new free-streaming channels in the U.S and Canada, including the recently announced HistoryTime now available in the U.S. and Canada.



In less than one year, Blue Ant Medias expanding FAST portfolio has seen us building four new media brands, HauntTV, Total Crime, Homeful and HistoryTime, and distributing them alongside Love Natures free streaming channel, said Jamie Schouela, President, Global Media. Craig and Andreas promotions are not only a reflection of their leadership in Blue Ants current content strategy but also the work ahead as we continue to create new free streaming channels for platforms around the world.



In his role as SVP, Programming + Content Strategy, Craig will continue to lead programming strategy for Blue Ant Medias portfolio of pay TV and FAST channels. Since joining the company in 2011, he has successfully led all areas of the companys content team in Canada from channel partnerships to acquisitions and development of original series to content scheduling. Over the past year, Craig has been critical to the ideation and creation of Blue Ants new FAST brands and will continue to assume a leadership role in the companys global free-streaming expansion.



Andrea Harrick, VP, Content Acquisitions, Global Media also joined Blue Ant Media in 2011 and during her tenure supported the companys content pipeline for all of its media channels in Canada and internationally. During the companys growth in the FAST category, Andrea is credited for securing thousands of hours of programming, much of it exclusive, via her deep network of industry relationships with partners worldwide. Andrea will continue to lead acquisitions for Blue Ant Medias growing global portfolio.
The News Broadcasting & Digital Standards Authority (NBDSA) gave its rulings on complaints received against one news programme each appearing on Zee News and News18 Rajasthan.

Zee News

Complainant Utkarsh Mishra stated that the anchor was hosting a show, titled Taal Thok Ke Live: ''  -? on a critical issue of identity politics in Kashmir while condemning any attempts to downplay the violence against the Kashmiri Pandits demonstrated in the movie. In the programme, videos of certain politicians who had expressed their criticism against the movie The Kashmir Files were broadcast.

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According to the complainant, the anchor has violated the following guidelines and must apologize for the same.

Fundamental principle number 4 which "broadcasters shall in particular ensure that they do not select news for the purpose of either promoting or hindering either side of any controversial public issue. News shall not be selected or designed to promote any particular belief, opinion or desires of any interest group."

Principles number 1,2 of Self Regulation regarding impartiality and objectivity in reporting and ensuring neutrality, respectively.

In its reply, news broadcaster Zee News stated that various false, misleading, frivolous, and motivated allegations had been levelled against the contents of the news programme, wherein it had fairly and objectively conducted a panel discussion and debate on the issues and controversy surrounding the movie The Kashmir Files.

Zee News asserted that the present complaint was not maintainable as the impugned programme did not violate any of the guidelines, Code of Ethics and principles of self-regulation.

After giving due consideration to the arguments of the complainant and the broadcaster and reviewing the footage of the broadcast, NBDSA observed that in the impugned programme, the anchor gave equal opportunity to each panellist to express their views on the topic of debate.

In the absence of any fault on the part of the anchor or the channel, NBDSA found no specific violation of the Code of Ethics & Broadcasting Standards and Guidelines in the broadcast, and decided to close the complaint.

News18 Rajasthan

The Election Commission of India [ECI], vide letter dated 15.3.2022, forwarded a report dated 26.4.2019 of confirmed cases of paid news related to electronic media mentioned at News18 Rajasthan and local channel Den Mewar, regarding the 2019 General Elections to the Lok Sabha in Rajasthan.

With regard to News18 Rajasthan, the report was about a programme aired on the channel on 20.4.2019 titled      -  ,  , wherein ECI alleged that the broadcast was not neutral; it was one-sided and favoured one particular candidate.

In its reply, the broadcaster denied each and every averment that was made in the complaint. The broadcaster stated that News18 Rajasthan had covered the 2019 general elections extensively through its various programmes, which featured/ covered the campaign of different political parties and candidates at different places while also showing the mood of the voters, among other things. The broadcaster maintained that the said programme was not a case of paid news, which is clear from the fact that Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore was not the only candidate whose campaign was covered.

NBDSA, at its meeting held on 15.6.2022, considered the complaint, response from the broadcaster and also gave due consideration to the arguments of the broadcaster. On examination of the report of ECI, NBDSA found that the findings of the Media Certification and Monitoring Committee were given without giving the broadcaster an opportunity to be heard, nor was the broadcaster given an opportunity to give any response.

In the absence of any direct evidence of any payment of consideration to the broadcaster and the specific denials by the broadcaster that the telecasts were not for consideration, NBDSA was of the view that it was not possible to hold that there was any violation of its Norms and Guidelines on Paid News. NBDSA decided to inform the Election Commission of India accordingly and close the matter.
Disney Star recently released the Responsible Digital Citizenship and Online Safety report, in collaboration with Wranga, an Indian start-up focused on cyber safety for kids. The objective of the report was to assess the proficiency of young online users with the safety tools at their disposal and identify their preferred mode of learning. The study was undertaken to understandand contribute tothe domain of digital education for creative expression, learning and participation of students as responsible digital citizens, and to ensure their digital wellbeing. The survey is one of the main elements in the first phase of this programme, alongside workshops, training, focus-group discussions and the design of curricula.

This study is a great starting point for the discussion on digital safety in India. As we and our children increasingly spend time online, it is a matter of urgency that digital safety becomes a central theme. I believe the report should go a long way towards strengthening online security, said Mihir Rale, Chief Regional Counsel, Disney Star.

According to Amitabh Kumar, CEO, Wranga, I feel that this report, compiled with the invaluable co-operation of Disney Star, can be the start to a conversation we must all be having. Because our children are spending a lot of their time online, it is imperative that we understand the particular challenges and threats they face, and that we resolve to make the digital world as safe as possible for them.

Present at the launch of the report was chief guest Honble Annapurna Devi, the Minister of State for Education, Government of India, who gave a special address stating, The National Education Policy, under the guidance of Honble Shri Narendra Modi Ji, has been created by honorary literates and equips the Indian youth and masses with Ed-tech. Wrangas efforts towards digital citizenship and online safety are being reflected in the project report taken up in collaboration with Disney Star, which is truly commendable.

She further added, In the present times, the digital presence of students and educational institutes has significantly increased. Thus, educating our youth about the safety and security of utilizing the Internet is imperative to make them responsible digital citizens. Along with the teachers, it is also the responsibility of the youths guardians to steer them in the right direction. I believe that this project will be beneficial, and congratulate the stakeholders from both Team Disney Star and Wranga for this achievement.

Conducted among school students, the report found that the greatest threat students face in the online space is the inappropriate sharing of images. Another key takeaway from the many conclusions drawn was that 84% of users have come across fake news online. Students also revealed that although topics like cyberbullying and misinformation are touched upon in the classroom, more must be done to have a real-life impact. Topics were taught but not enforced in any way. So they didnt have any real-world impact, the report revealed.

70% of respondents were worried about their online privacy and safetybesides improper use of photos, they also raised concerns over setting up fake profiles or misrepresenting profiles, taking screenshots without permission and circulating, stumbling upon inappropriate visual and textual content, and unwanted approaches in chat rooms, on social networking sites or email.

On the positive side, however, an overwhelming 80%-90% of students believed that the Internet has helped broaden their horizons, and prefer to use the World Wide Web for learning new subjects and for creative expression. Interestingly, the respondents listed specific topics they would like to deep-dive into through their school curriculum, including Legal Protection, Internet Privacy and Cyber Wellness.

This initiative is a step towards building a secure digital space for Indias youth. It also highlighted apprehensions that users have while reflecting on the measures that need to be taken to enhance their online experiences, and identifying the resources required to build capacities that can guarantee safe digital surfing.

Wranga collaborated with various stakeholders such as teachers, parents, institutions, the Government and its agencies NGOs/SOs, online platforms and legal and cyber security experts for a comprehensive consultation. The survey was carried out amongst children of school-going age in India, from January to April 2022. Altogether, 842 responses from students from grades IX-XII were documented and analysed.

The virtual event also saw panel discussions on the many aspects of digital citizenship, in which domain experts discussed existing gaps in online safety and shared recommendations on how young adults can become vigilant and accountable for their online actions.
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Ukraine has started a mandatory evacuation of people living in parts of eastern Donetsk, Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said Tuesday.

The first train carrying evacuees arrived in the city of Kropyvnytskyi in central Ukraine, Vereshchuk wrote on Telegram.

Most of the evacuees are women, children, elderly people and persons with limited mobility, Vereshchuk said.

On July 30, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced a mandatory evacuation from Donetsk amid the Ukraine crisis. In mid-July, authorities were reportedly ready to evacuate up to 395,000 people.
iD Fresh Food, Indias largest and most loved consumer fresh food brand, today announced its foray into the INR 10,000 crore ghee market with the launch of iD Ghee in Mumbai. The company is looking at an additional revenue of INR 100 crore, as it plans to venture into key Indian markets with its latest product in the coming months.

Made from milk cream and non-preserved butter, iD ghee is rich in aroma and taste, setting it a class apart from the existing products in the market. A spoonful of iD Ghee is guaranteed to fill your mealtimes with enticing flavour and, of course, delicious memories!

Commenting on the companys decision to enter this new product category, P.C Musthafa, CEO and Co-founder of iD Fresh Food, said, At iD Fresh Food, we are constantly exploring new ways to innovate. Innovation, for us, means addressing consumer needs using common sense. Therefore, our Ghee package is designed to include a spout which makes it easy to store and a mess free transfer.

We believe that the packaged ghee market in India is ripe for disruption. Our product team has successfully extracted cream from milk and made ghee, without any freezing, keeping it fresh  sans any added colours, flavours, or additives. This is why iD Ghee holds great promise. We are looking at capturing the top markets across India within a year.

Currently, Mumbai is the largest packaged ghee market in India followed by Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai, Pune and Hyderabad, accounting for more than half of packaged ghee sales in the country.

Rahul Gandhi, Chief Marketing Officer, iD Fresh Food, said, As preservatives-laden and processed foods increasingly become the way of life, consumers today are keen to make conscious food choices. iD Fresh Food is committed to preserving the goodness of traditional Indian foods, and pure ghee  is considered to be one of the most nutritionally beneficial products due to its medium-chain fatty acid content, deserves a pride of place in every household. Made with the purest of ingredients, iD Ghee is good for your heart health, immune system, digestive system, and overall sense of wellbeing.

Since iD Fresh Food owns its entire supply chain, the company has the ability to exercise strict quality control and faster speed to market. Since its inception in 2005, the company has been at the forefront of innovation to revolutionise the way customers consume fresh food at home.

Earlier this year, iD Fresh Food bagged one of the largest funding deals in the food start-up space with its Series D round of INR 507 crore. The funding round was led by NewQuest Capital Partners, a global private equity firm focused on the Asia-Pacific region, along with the existing investor, Premji Invest.

Currently, iD caters to over 45 cites, across 30,000 retail stores in India, UAE, US and UK. The Bengaluru-based brands extensive natural and healthy product range includes Idly and Dosa Batter, Ragi Idly and Dosa Batter, Rice Rava Idly Batter, Malabar Parota, Wheat Parota, Wheat Chapati, Natural Paneer, Natural Thick Curd, Squeeze and Fry Vada Batter, Smart Sip Tender Coconut, Grated Coconut in a Coconut and three customised blends of Instant Filter Coffee Liquid.

iD Ghee to be available in one kg pouch (INR 689), 500gm pouch with spout (INR 350) and 500gm pet jar (INR 375).
The Indian Performing Right Society Limited (IPRS) has always been appreciated for its core values, amongst which a sense of camaraderie and compassion rank ahead of much else. Being a non-profit organisation that stands for the rights of the music creators, including the Composer, songwriters, and Publishers, IPRS is fully aware of the sacred bond between the creators nurtured by one of the purest emotions recognised by the human heart-the overwhelming emotion of friendship.

There have been, over the years, several beautiful melodies conjured by gifted composers and lyricists who have together hit upon many euphoric highs in their creative pursuits. It can be averred, that most of this magnificent music emanated from their affinity and friendship.

What then is the IPRS, if not a friend of the creators and a catalyst in promoting the vibrant music ecosystem, that has given us so much to celebrate?

It is therefore only in the true nature of things that IPRS adds a new dimension to the musical journey, by helping the creators tote up something that will go beyond their world of dreams and creativity and help them secure a future irrespective of the oncoming graph of their professional careers.

Taking a cue from this involving repartee, it is on this coming World Friendship Day, 7th August, that IPRS, India's only Copyright Society representing the authors, composers, and publishers of music, seeks the support of its members to get their special creative partners - music composers or songwriters enrol as members of the IPRS.

This unique initiative #CreatorsHelpCreators - a referral program-will see the IPRS take a definite step towards fostering the development of the 'community of music creators in India'.

The #CreatorsHelpCreators program emphasizes the need of music creators to go beyond their usual realm of fashioning enduring music together and deepening their friendship by gifting their partners the much-needed elixir of awareness of their rights and subsequently ensuring fair compensation for their works, presently and in the long run.

All this is made possible by the friendliest piece of advice that any music creator would give to his/her partner Music Composer or Songwriter; which is of becoming an IPRS Member.

This referral program is only the beginning of the multiple engagement initiatives to be conducted by IPRS through the launch of the IPRS Community Club. The IPRS Community will play a vital role in creating a platform for music makers in India to network, learn and engage with the whos who of the music industry.

Mr. Javed Akhtar, IPRS Chairman, vocalising the concern says While creating music is a great way to spread joy, being unaware of one's rights and compensation as creators is a glaring lacuna we need to fill. The IPRS Community Club will touch the right chords and create the perfect path for raising this awareness and also help better networking amongst the creators for continued career growth.

Elaborating on the campaign, Mr. Rakesh Nigam, CEO, IPRS says Unfortunately, many creators are unaware of their rights and know little about protecting their work and earning their rightful dues. As a friend of the creators, we need to correct this and have launched the #CreatorsHelpCreators campaign to spread awareness within the creator community about music rights and the long-term benefits of enrolling as a member of a copyright society like IPRS. We also take this opportunity to launch the IPRS Community Club, which would offer our members a platform to network, collaborate and share enriching domain knowledge for career benefit is just around the bend."
Cheryl King, the founder of King & Co. PR, will act as a consultant to the IT agency's operations in the region. King has spent the previous eight years in Dubai as the regional director of broadcast consultant Markettiers.

Jargon's first overseas office has opened in the United Arab Emirates, bringing the agency's total number of operations to four. The others are in London, Manchester, and Reading, where the company is based.

The technology market in the UAE is growing at an incredible rate, with a projected 6.5% increase in IT spend to $8.2 billion between 2020-2023, King added. Jargon PRs international client base and established reputation means the agency is perfectly positioned to take advantage of the market opportunity in the UAE. Im excited to have the opportunity to support here and to provide some market knowledge to the international focus of the team.
Hakuhodo, an integrated marketing and innovation firm, has acquired digital creative agency Kingdom Digital in order to expedite Kingdom Digital's development in Southeast Asia. According to Kingdom Digital, no important staff changes will occur inside the agency, and there are presently no clashing clients. Kingdom Digital declined to reveal the purchase price.

Kingdom Digital specialises in social media and content marketing, digital 360 campaigns, online experiences, and video creation, among other things, and has a diverse customer base that includes Grab, Digi, Tohtonku, KyoChon, and Mead Johnson Nutrition. It presently employs 160 professionals. Meanwhile, Hakuhodo has offices in 20 countries and regions, as well as a global pool of 10,000 professionals.

Kingdom Digital's chairman, Vin Chinnaraja, stated that with Hakuhodo's regional presence, Kingdom Digital can provide transnational work for its clients and brands. We are looking forward to combining Hakuhodos sei-katsu-sha data driven marketing with our innovative digital services like our Digital Creative Automation (DCA) platform to deliver hyper-personalised experiences for our clients and brands, Chinnaraja said.

Shuntaro Ito, Hakuhodo's senior corporate officer and president and CEO of Hakuhodo International, stated: We are absolutely delighted to welcome Kingdom Digital, which is regarded so highly in the industry, as a member of the Hakuhodo Group at this milestone juncture. Im certain Kingdom Digital will be able to contribute to our clients growth by providing them with sophisticated digital solutions in a Malaysian digital marketplace that will only continue to develop in the future. I look forward to Kingdom Digital being a leading presence, alongside Hakuhodo Malaysia, in further strengthening our digital capabilities in Malaysia and ASEAN.

Meanwhile, Kingdom Digital CEO Ryan Ong stated: With Hakuhodo's acquisition of Kingdom Digital, we will be able to draw on their infrastructure, creativity, and insights to continue deliver the high standard of work that we are known for. Most of all, both Hakuhodo Inc. and Kingdom Digital share the same vision and values and us coming together will broaden and deepen our services for all our clients.

Hakuhodo purchased a controlling share in Growww Media in 2020 to strengthen its expertise in providing integrated marketing in Taiwan, where many Japanese corporations have a presence. The acquisition also aims to strengthen the group's capabilities in areas other than advertising, such as big event and exhibition planning and operation, the development of UX-heavy digital campaigns, and public relations.

Separately, Woon Hoh, Hakuhodo's regional chief creative officer, left the firm last month after 17 years. He began his career with Hakuhodo in Indonesia and worked his way up to handle ASEAN markets such as Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, and Thailand. During his stint with the firm, he also received a spate of local and international honours.
According to new Omdia data, nonlinear watching continues to gain predominance in the daily viewing habits of TV viewers throughout the US, Europe, and Australia, with online long form and social media video viewing exceeding the previous year's viewing time surge.

According to Omdia's latest Cross-Platform Television Viewing Time Report - 2022, the overall daily viewing time reached 362 minutes per person per day in 2021 (6 hours and 2 minutes), a 0.5 percent decrease from the previous year. Declines in linear TV, online short form, and pay TV VoD contribute for this modest dip in viewing, with the former experiencing the steepest drops. Growth in online long form and social media video viewing, however, offset these declines, resulting in a 2 minute drop in overall viewership.

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Linear TV watching time declined in all areas in 2021, with the major cause being the absence of limitations and lockdowns that characterised most of 2020, with the ongoing transition toward on-demand viewing also contributing.

Rob Moyser, a Senior Analyst in Omdia's TV & Online Video division, shared his thoughts, in highly developed markets such as the US and the UK, 2021 will likely be the last year where linear TV predominates over non-linear TV viewing. On a platform-by-platform level, however, linear TV still remains by some distance the most popular way to watch TV in the markets covered.

Online long form was a crucial area of development across all regions, fueled mostly by incumbent online subscription services like Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Disney+, as well as the debut of many new OTT providers like Discovery+ and Paramount+. Long-form viewing increased by 8 minutes in total, reaching 68 minutes, 8 minutes ahead of social media video viewing.

In 2021, time spent watching video material on social media platforms grew by 9 minutes, reaching an average of 60 minutes per person per day across the nine markets studied. TikTok was the year's top performance for video growth, with the platform on track to surpass Facebook in total time spent for the first time in 2022.
Celebrating the 75 years of Independence, News 18 organized Amrit Ratna samman to honor individuals, who with their path-breaking accomplishments have contributed immensely to the Indias development. The prestigious honor was presented at a grand ceremony held at the Taj Palace, New Delhi. The channel aims to establish the Amrit Ratna Samman as an annual celebration of the achievements of Indian icons across different fields who made the country proud, and an occasion to express the nations gratitude towards these stalwarts.

The event was brightened by the presence of Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, where he discussed various policies introduced during his tenure. He said, When Modi Ji gave me the responsibility, it was an emotional moment for me as my father had also held this position once. I am committed to work with utmost integrity. We all know that corona pandemic affected the aviation industry but the way we have recovered under the leadership of Modi Ji is really commendable. We are all set to give 2 more airlines to our citizens, where one is a brand new airlines and the other is getting revamped.

Speaking on the technical fault in the planes, Union Minister Scindia said that strict action has been taken against those. We are strengthening our monitoring mechanism giving more emphasis on safety measures. For the Ministry of Civil Aviation, the safety of passengers is paramount. Under the UDAN scheme, 2 lakh flights took off and many people got a chance to travel, who had never travelled in an airplane.

On being questioned on the current Congress crisis, Jyotiraditya Scindia refused to comment on the political upheaval. He said he will only talk about his present and future. Why Congress is getting weak, it will have to think about it.

On asking about the loss of BJP in Gwalior seatJyotiraditya Scindia said about the defeat of BJP in Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh civic elections, defeat and victory are two aspects of life. If you accept victory, you should also accept defeat. We had to face difficulties in many municipal corporations in Madhya Pradesh. We will analyze it. He said that he does not aspire for the post. They are trying their best to do the work that they have got. On the question of leaving Congress for the post, he said that I had taken that step for self-respect and not for the post.

Taking the event ceremony ahead, Union Minister for Heavy Industries, Mahendra Nath Pandey was called for a discussion on the ongoing political turn of events in the country. On being asked on the Uttar Pradesh Yogi Model, he stated, There is equal respect for all classes in UP, bulldozer runs only on land mafia. There is no compromise with criminals in UP. In the Yogi model, there is respect for all classes, only the land mafia runs on bulldozers, common people should not be afraid of it.

On Owaisi's statement questioning the administration of showering flowers on Kanwariyas, Mahendra Nath Pandey said, "If someone is tired of doing padyatra, like the general public comes to his service, if a police officer applied ointment on the wounds of Kanwariyas, then that's good. In the earlier governments, the leaders and ministers used to get the shoes lifted from the officers. Respect for Kanwariyas is respect for citizens. The system is also seen in the programs of other religions. There is no appeasement of any kind.

Jammu & Kashmir, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha joined the event through video conference. He said that on August 5, 2019, Parliament made a new system for Jammu and Kashmir, whose benefits are being given to the people of the state. A new era of development has started in Jammu and Kashmir. We have completed more than 50 thousand projects in Jammu and Kashmir. Today 20 km of road is being built in the state every day. 7 new medical colleges are being built under the Modi government. New AIIMS are being built.

On being asked regarding the development of J&K, he informed, The state has received proposals for investment of 56000 crores in the last 1 year. Since independence till one year ago, the total private investment in Jammu and Kashmir was 14 thousand crores. We implemented a new industrial policy in the state with the help of the central government. Since then, the state has received proposals for investment of 56000 crores. Out of this, investments worth more than 38000 crores have been approved. When Prime Minister Modi came to Palli village in Jammu and Kashmir in April, a ground breaking ceremony was also held.

Speaking on the attacks on the migrants and Kashmiri Pandits, he further added, "Sporadic incidents definitely happened, due to which an attempt was made to spoil the atmosphere." The security system in Jammu and Kashmir has improved under Modi ji. GST collection has increased. Investment is coming. Bandhs and stone pelting have become a matter of history. Jammu and Kashmir is on the path of development. This thing is not being digested by the enemies of the country. So they try to spoil the atmosphere. There are no big terrorists left here. Earlier the terrorists used to declare which organization they are associated with, now they are afraid that they will not be able to escape, the army will kill them.

In another session, Union Cabinet Minister for Environment, Forest & Climate Change, Bhupendra Yadav was invited on the stage. Speaking on the ease of doing business and compliances he said that before the new wage code came, if someone tried to run an industry, then 15,000 laws had to be taken care of. But we have provided ease of doing business. We initiated boards on Social Security, health benefits and others, so that facilities can be made available easily. Earlier there were more than 15000 compliances. We reduced it to 22, so that an environment of giving and doing employment is created. Implemented equal pay for women and men.

Speaking on the policy bit, Bhupendra Yadav said, More than 90 percent of the workers work in the unorganized sector. The biggest challenge was to collect data. We started e-shram scheme and we have registered more than 28 crore people who have also been provided free insurance. In the new law that our government has brought, the unorganized people will get equal benefits as the people of the organized sector. We also have an air quality monitoring committee to check the pollution coming out of industries. This committee search for measures to keep the pollution on check.
On Monday, the UAE cabinet authorised the foundation of the Higher Committee for Government Digital Transformation.

The committee, led by Ohood Khalfan Al Roumi, minister of state for government development and the future, is to supervise and guide the development of the digital ecosystem for the UAE government, according to a WAM release.

According to the statement, this will improve federal government agencies' preparedness, competitiveness, flexibility, and digital alignment of projects and digital systems.

One of the committees core goals is to raise the efficiency of its use of infrastructure and digital assets, while enhancing integration between government agencies and institutions to maximise the impact of the comprehensive digital transformation.

According to the statement, the upper committee will be in charge of drafting policies for digital transformation in the federal government, as well as reviewing and following up on relevant strategies, programmes, and initiatives as part of the transformation process.

The committee will also give guiding components for initiatives aimed at digitising government services, business, and operations, among other things.

According to WAM, the committee will include the director general of the telecommunications and digital government regulatory authority (TDRA), the director general of the federal authority for government human resources, the UAE's head of cyber security, the chief of government services, the deputy director general for the telecommunications sector, and a representative from the finance ministry.

The committee's vice chairman will be Omar bin Sultan Al Olama, minister of state for artificial intelligence, digital economy, and remote work applications.
 Flash

China and Greece pledged here on Wednesday to further deepen mutually beneficial cooperation and jointly work for better bilateral relations for the next 50 years.

While meeting with Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias on the sidelines of the East Asia Summit Foreign Ministers' meeting, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said it has been 50 years since China and Greece established diplomatic relations between the two countries.

As the friends of mutual respect and mutual trust and the partners of win-win cooperation, both China and Greece have demonstrated their responsibility of ancient civilizations, pushed for further and solid development of their comprehensive strategic partnership, and contributed to the building of a community with a shared future for mankind, Wang said.

Wang hoped that the two countries should continue to promote strategic mutual trust, support each other's legitimate demands and consolidate the political foundation for the development of bilateral ties, so as to work for better bilateral relations for the next 50 years.

Both China and Greece stand for upholding the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations, safeguarding the international order based on international law, and putting true multilateralism into practice, said Wang.

China is willing to work with Greece to promote mutual appreciation, mutual learning, mutual reference and common progress among different civilizations, so as to contribute their wisdom and strength to peace and development of the world, he said.

China appreciates Greece for taking an objective and friendly view of China's development and revitalization and for upholding justice in international affairs, hoping that Greece will continue to play a constructive role in promoting the healthy and stable development of China-European relations, he said.

For his part, Dendias said that with mutual respect and understanding, Greece and China have successfully established a comprehensive strategic partnership and witnessed sustained development of pragmatic cooperation in various fields.

Greece attaches great importance to China's important influence in international affairs, speaks highly of China's contribution to global economic recovery and human civilization, sees great opportunities brought by China's development, and appreciates China's firm support in its time of difficulty, Dendias noted.

Greece is willing to continue to deepen mutually beneficial cooperation with China, expand exports to China and welcome investment by Chinese companies, he said, adding his country will remain committed to pushing for the sound and steady development of EU-China relations.

Wang said China is ready to work with Greece to advance a three-year cooperation plan, expand cooperation in such areas as transportation, energy, communications, finance, green and digital economy, advance the key Belt and Road projects, produce high-level achievements of cooperation among civilizations, and increase more direct flights between the two countries in an orderly manner.

China stands ready to share development and market opportunities and encourage Chinese companies to invest in Greece, and hopes the Greek side will provide a sound business environment, he added.

Wang also elaborated on China's firm position on the Taiwan question.
Things are going so poorly for the Biden administration that the CIA had to carry out a drone strike to kill a terrorist -- not just any terrorist, the terrorist. Ayman al Zawahiri was the most wanted terrorist; an al Qaida leader who was not only one of the masterminds behind the September 11th attacks, which killed more than 3,000 innocent Americans, but who was Osama bin Ladens number two.

According to CNN, the drone strike that killed Zawahari on his balcony in downtown Kabul, Afghanistan was the product of months of highly secret planning by Biden and a tight circle of his senior advisers.

While the execution of al Zawahari is certainly a victory, its also a clear and desperate effort by the Biden administration to give Biden a victory. But the execution of one mass murderer doesnt erase Bidens failures -- past, present, or future.

The irony of the Biden administrations successful execution of an al Qaida leader is that it highlights the failures of the Biden administration.

Exactly one year ago, in August of 2021, Biden defended his hasty, chaotic, and irresponsible withdrawal from Afghanistan: What interest do we have in Afghanistan at this point, with al Qaida gone? We went to Afghanistan for the express purpose of getting rid of al Qaida in Afghanistan as well as -- as well as -- getting Osama bin Laden. And we did.

One year later, the Biden administration is celebrating killing an al Qaida leader in Kabul, Afghanistan. I thought that al Qaida was gone, Joe? Furthermore, one year ago, Biden claimed that our business in Afghanistan was finished after we got Osama bin Laden.

After the execution of al Zawahari, COVID-positive Biden wandered in front of the teleprompter to read that people around the world no longer need to fear the vicious and determined killer. But I thought that we already got rid of al Qaida, Joe? We got rid of bin Laden.

Again, its a good thing that al Zawahari is dead, but CNN reports that U.S. Intelligence had been monitoring the most wanted terrorist in his safe house in Kabul since April. What does that tell you about the state of Afghanistan? After Bidens botched withdrawal, Afghanistan not only became a Taliban stronghold, but a safe haven for bin Ladens number two.

While we can all celebrate the death of the monster al Zawahari in Kabul, was it worth the deaths of 13 American servicemembers, who were killed by a suicide bomber during Bidens withdrawal from Afghanistan? Had the U.S. not handed Afghanistan over to the Taliban, would al Zawahari have sought and found refuge in Kabul?

The truth is, Biden created the circumstances by which al Zawahari came out of hiding and assumed residency in Kabul, where he presumed he would be safe.

The propagandist media is doing everything in its power exploit the drone attack that killed al-Zawahari to counteract the truthful narrative that Biden is an empty suit, feebly wandering the halls of the White House, searching for his next nap stop.

This media wants us to believe that Biden was intimately involved in the planning of this victory. CNN reports that throughout the months-long effort to plan this weekends strike, Biden repeatedly tasked his officials with ensuring civilians -- including members of Zawahiris family -- werent killed.

However, one year ago, in retaliation for the murder of 13 American service members, the Pentagon carried out a drone strike that left 10 innocent Afghans, including seven children dead. The Pentagon lied, saying theyd killed two high-level ISIS-K planners. That drone strike also took place in Afghanistans capital of Kabul.

I dont recall reports from the propagandist media back then of Bidens intimate involvement with that drone strike, or the medias efforts to paint Biden as cautious and concerned with potential civilian casualties.

The Biden administrations latest victory is nothing more than a desperate effort to rebrand Biden as a capable and energized leader. But Biden himself undermined that very narrative when he attempted to claim victory on Monday.

Biden appeared more feeble and unprepared than ever before as he read the victory speech some staffer wrote for him. He repeatedly touched his face and looked confused. As Biden struggled and slurred, it seemed evident that he was hearing the words written for him for the first time as they tumbled out of his mouth.

A speech that should have rallied a nation was delivered with zero enthusiasm. Biden was dull and robotic. He turned a celebration into a funeral, a brilliant firework display into a mundane and forgettable moment more akin to watching the paint dry on the wall.

While al Zawaharis execution was a victory for Americans, it was yet another failure for the Biden administration. The most wanted terrorist may be dead, but so is our economy, thirteen of our service members, and ten innocent Afghan civilians. Joe Biden is responsible for that, too.

Drew Allen is the host of The Drew Allen Show podcast and a widely published columnist and political analyst. He is the Vice President of Client Development at Publius PR and also the Editor of the Publius National Post. His work can be read and seen and heard at drewallen.substack.com. Twitter: @drewthomasallen

Image: Hamid Mir
Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) came into prominence with the Right to Try law. This law was another way for patients who had been diagnosed with life-threatening diseases, who had tried all approved treatment options and who were unable to participate in a clinical trial, to access certain unapproved treatments.

What is the difference between FDA Approval and Emergency Use Authorization?

FDA Approval from the Food and Drug Administration is an independent, scientifically reviewed approval for medical products, drugs and vaccines. Approval is based on substantial clinical data and evidence, the product is deemed safe, effective and able to be produced within federal quality standards. Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) is a mechanism used by the FDA to facilitate making products available quickly during a public health emergency, when there is no other adequate and approved medical product available.

Sen. Kamala Harris of California said during a vice presidential debate that she does not trust the Trump Administrations push to rush a coronavirus vaccine into production. When she was asked if Americans should take a vaccine, she responded with, If the public health professionals, if Dr. Fauci, if the doctors tell us that we should take it, Ill be the first in line to take it. Absolutely. But if Donald Trump tells us that we should take it. Im not taking it.

What is the difference between an EUA vaccine under President Trump and the same one under President Biden? One was available and the other became mandatory.

Democrats so frightened at least 81 million of their voters that when Joe Biden was elected, they and billions of others around the world raced to get jabbed with what they thought was a typical vaccine. These are either the inactivated vaccines, which are used for polio and influenza, which kill or inactivate the germ, but retain their ability to produce antibodies to fight future infections; or the attenuated vaccinesthose that are used for measles, mumps and rubella as well as chickenpox, which contain a weakened version of the virus, again, to boost antibodies.

What was Sen. Harris going to take? What is in the EUA vaccine exactly? This new technologymRNAhas not been FDA approved after over 20 years of research?

Consider there was no vaccine for HIV after 40 years of research. There were no vaccines for cancer after 100 years of research. No vaccines for a coronavirusthe common cold or some derivative which historically lasts two years before dying outsuch as SARS and MERS. And yet when a mysterious deadly coronavirus from China appeared on Americas shores, within a year we not only have a COVID-19 vaccine but a vaccine found by four pharmaceutical companies within a weekwith new technology that you will be impressed with. But there is a catch: we cannot ask any questions, like asking your doctor if 32 pages of side effects is right for you.

The unvaccinated wanted to know whats in the vaccines. Are they inactivated vaccines or attenuated vaccines? No one knows because there are no documents to attest the EUA concoctions are Wuhan wet market sewer water or the biological equivalent of the FDA Approved vaccine or something else, like mRNA. It is revealing that the pharmaceutical companies have been unwilling to reveal the contents of their mRNA EUA vaccines. They want to wait 75 years before telling anyone. Dr. Robert Malone, the inventor of the mRNA technology said the vaccine is gene therapy.

When you have to be poked, prodded, pressured, persuaded, cajoled, guilt-tripped, shamed, lied-to, coerced, threatened, criminalized, dehumanized, and destroyed, you have a tyrant on your hands. If all of this is necessary to gain your compliance, then you can absolutely be certain that what is being promoted against your will and common senseno voluntary informed consent allowedis not in your best interests.

Why were they so hellbent in trying to get every single person on the planet vaccinated when Drs. Fauci and Birx knew from the beginning that the vaccines were deeply problematic? They knew there was over twenty years of research on messenger RNA gene therapies that killed all the lab rats and test animals. Did Fauci and Birx ignore the science and hoped it would work on humans?

Why didnt the government constantly inform its citizenry of the difference between FDA Approved and EUA?

Why did the FDA suddenly proscribe and prohibit the use of proven coronavirus therapeutics and prophylaxes immediately after President Trump extolled the virtues of off-label medicines like hydroxychloroquinesee Dr. Anthony Faucis 2005 paperand before any EUA vaccines became available? You didnt have to be a conspiracy theorist to know something was going wrong when in a political year people were racing to flatten the curve but the FDA pulled medicines that had been approved for decades and in use across the globe. People in the malaria belt didnt take what the Drs. Fauci and Birx prescribed. So called experts still do not understand why Haiti and Sub-Saharan Africa enjoy the lowest number of COVID cases. The ladies on The View are clueless on the benefits of hydroxychloroquine.

The unvaccinated recognized the tyranny of the Food and Drug Administration when they flipped their shingle for Biden. The government of Joe Biden viciously attacked the unvaccinated with the full force of government with inducements, confiscations, mandates, lockdowns, firings, and bad conduct discharges.

For the unvaccinated, to remain a pureblood was no idle pledge. As the vaccinated boasted and threatened, they were being maimed by the EUA vaccine side effects. Even when fired or quarantined, the unvaccinated held fast. Many lost everything. Few of the unvaccinated defected. Their honor and blood remained unsullied as their fellow vaccinated Americans are now recording record breaking excess deaths. The EUA vaccines are killing people. Drs. Fauci and Birx and Joe did that.

In the short-run, the tyrants lost in their scamdemic-engineered coup attempt. Now they are back at tilting at unconstitutional windmills trying to abolish AR-15s. We do not need a poll to determine how many of the unvaccinated are gun owners. But to tyrants, gun ownership is anathema to their cause. For once you take the guns from law-abiding citizens, the tyrant will steamroller the population and all will be lost. See Nazi Germany and Zimbabwe.

Our grandfathers didnt sleep in muddy foxholes and wear gas masks in faraway lands, clutching pictures of grandma as they fought the tyrants in Europe just so we could let Biden, Birx, and the buffoons in Congress strip away our citizenship, our First Amendment rights, and our right to protect ourselves.

The courts are overturning their tyrannical edicts; here, here, here, and here and even overseas, and there will be many more in the coming months. The midterms are nigh. With Republicans in charge, there will be investigations. Democrats will need lawyers. Lots of lawyers.

Photo credit: Gov. Tom Wolf CC BY 2.0 license
E pluribus unum, the traditional motto of the United States, means Out of many, one. It asserts that our strength is in assimilation of shared values, goals, and vision. It unifies our diverse races, religions, and other groups by appealing to the ideals of a constitutional republic  freedom, equality, the pursuit of wealth, happiness and excellence through free market competition.

But the hackneyed shibboleth of the Left  Diversity is our strength  stands in direct contradiction to our original national motto. It serves their destructive aim of Balkanizing us by race, gender, sexual orientation, and other sub-groups du jour. Denigrating and rewriting our history, the Left aims to radically transform our culture: discounting merit, hard work, knowledge and experience, it wants to make identity the ubiquitous sine qua non of representation in American society.

This strategy is reified in the so-called social justice components of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) criteria; diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) guidelines; and critical race theory (CRT) based programs. Such programs try to cure historical discrimination with more discrimination  in the form of quotas based on race, sex, and other increasingly complicated factors  a disastrous strategy that only intensifies social discord instead of ameliorating it. Under such programs, educational institutions, government, businesses and other employers are forced to sacrifice quality and excellence in favor of a diversity that discriminates de novo and is unconstitutional.

One front in the fightback against such quotas is the Californians for Equal Rights Foundation (CERF) v. Alameda County case, recently brought before the Superior Court of California. It exemplifies the conflict between woke rhetoric and the enduring legal framework protecting the rights of all citizens  regardless of race, sex, or national origin. CERF, represented by the non-profit Pacific Legal Foundation, is challenging race-based quotas for awarding contracts, contending that this amounts to using taxpayer funds to promote discrimination.

Two Alameda County programs  the Construction Compliance Outreach Program of its Public Works Agency (PWA) and the Enhanced Construction Outreach Program of its General Services Agency (GSA)  seek to demonstrate good faith in meeting ostensible equity goals through quotas for minority- and women-owned businesses. Of all contracted projects over $100,000, the PWA is required to award 15% to minority business enterprises (MBEs) and 5% to women-owned businesses (WBEs). Similar quotas are required of the GSA in projects over $125,000.

Past legal challenges to racial quotas cited the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The 14th Amendment, ratified after the Civil War, proscribed discrimination against blacks. Central to the protection of civil rights, it guarantees that a government agency will not deny equal protection under the law and that individuals in similar situations will be treated equally under the law. The Civil Rights Act bans employment discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin, and guarantees non-discrimination in the distribution of federal funds.

The key point is that, read together, these laws can be seen as prohibiting all discriminatory practices  including quotas that, in the name of affirmative action, privilege members of certain groups and rob other competent individuals of opportunity. It means initiatives like affirmative action must demonstrate a legitimate non-discriminatory objective that cannot be achieved by other means.

But the Equal Employment Opportunity Act of 1972 changed the equation, amending the Civil Rights Act to give the Equal Employment Opportunity commission (EEOC) the ability to influence judicial interpretation of civil rights. It paved the way for affirmative action programs seeking to correct past underutilization of minorities and women. Courts have since been engaged in a debate on whether it is constitutional to make race a deciding factor in university admissions, employment, and government contracting. The following are three important precedent-setting court decisions:

a) Regents of the University of California v. Bakke (1978) was a landmark case. Allan Bakke, a 35-year-old white male, had been rejected twice by the University of California Davis School of Medicine. His admissions score was above average; but for the quota reserving 16 seats out of 100 for racial minorities, hed have been accepted. The Supreme Court ruled that the quota violated the Equal Protection Clause and the Civil Rights Act. It said there are other ways  instead of a blatant quota system  to improve representation of minorities in the classroom. Excluding a candidate based on his race, it ruled, is discriminatory. The university failed to satisfy the court that there was a compelling need for a quota and that it had exhausted other means to achieve diversity.

b) Coalition for Economic Equity v. Wilson was a challenge to the California Civil Rights Initiative (CCRI) or Proposition 209, overwhelmingly approved by voters in 1996. Although Californias state constitution, Article 1, Section 7, stated that a person may not be denied equal protection under the law, affirmative action programs were using race and other personal characteristics to determine college admissions, public hiring decisions and contract awards. To eliminate such practices, Prop. 209s approval further strengthened the constitution by amending it to include Section 31. This new provision explicitly prohibited state governmental institutions from considering race, sex, ethnicity or national origin in public employment, public education and public contracting. It essentially put an end to affirmative action programs.

The day after Proposition 209 was approved, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) filed the Coalition for Economic Equity v. Wilson case alleging the initiative violated anti-discriminatory laws. Although Prop. 209 was initially ruled a violation of anti-discrimination laws, on appeal, Governor Pete Wilson was victorious, based on the argument that a law furthering anti-discriminatory laws cannot itself be discriminatory.

c) Hi-Voltage Wire Works, Inc. v. City of San Jose was a challenge to a 2000 program to ostensibly eliminate discrimination against minorities and women in city public construction contracts. It required bidders for city projects valued over $50,000 to meet outreach and participation guidelines for subcontractors. Hi-Voltage Wire Works, a general contracting firm, sued the city alleging that the requirements were discriminatory. It won, affirming that programs that exclusively hire minorities or women violate the state constitution, amended by Proposition 209.

Several other courtroom attempts to interpret federal and state equal protection clauses as approving affirmative action have proved unsuccessful. An attempt to annul Proposition 209 with an affirmative action amendment, Proposition 16, was defeated by voters. By abundant precedent, it has been established that preferential treatment based on race, sex, or national origin is unconstitutional. It is also a remedy opposed by most constituents. In all likelihood, CFER v. Alameda County will also be decided in favor of equal protection under the law and equal opportunities for all, regardless of race, color or sex.

Historical discrimination cannot be cured with more discrimination  that is, with special set-asides for one group over another. Equality under the law, as enshrined in our statutes, must be preserved, and so must equality of opportunity. Quotas are unjust and jeopardize the exercise of free market competition to promote excellence. In addition, they diminish the targeted population by bringing their competency into question. Sans quotas, would they have been selected as the entity best suited to perform the work in question?

In Fools, Frauds and Firebrands, a 2015 critique of the New Left, Roger Scruton writes that the goal of social justice is no longer equality before the law, or the equal claim to the rights of citizenship, as these were advocated at the time of the Enlightenment. The goal is a comprehensive rearrangement of society. But isnt that what the Left wants? E pluribus chaos, a complete inversion of uniquely American ideals that seek unity while respecting diversity.
One of the things Republicans are finally figuring out, in large part thanks to Donald Trump, is that the media are their enemies. This is not hyperbole. Since Kennedy's presidency, the media have put their weight behind Democrats while consistently undermining Republicans. Before Trump, though, they pretended this slanted coverage flowed from objective analytics. With Trump, the gloves came off, which is a good thing. Now smart Republicans are figuring out that they can fight back...and win. Ron DeSantis's recent open correspondence with The View illustrates this perfectly.

ABC's The View (which really means Disney's The View) is a weekly daytime show. Whoopi Goldberg, Joy Behar, Sara Haines, and Sunny Hostin, with periodic help from Ana Navarro, sit around a table and talk about politics and social issues. They are a hardcore mix of ignorance and leftism. For reasons that will forever remain unclear to me, they have managed to hold an audience for 25 years, and their loudly stated opinions affect people's thinking about important issues.



Image: The View. YouTube screen grab.

On Monday, Bryan Griffin, who is the deputy press secretary for Florida governor Ron DeSantis, let it be known that The View had invited Governor DeSantis to appear on the show:

.@TheView emailed our office on Friday asking for us to arrange an appearance from Governor DeSantis on the show. "We would be honored," they wrote.



Thoughts? https://t.co/lhcTxfB4TN  Bryan Griffin (@BryanDGriffin) August 1, 2022

Before Trump, a Republican politician would almost certainly have said "yes" to the request, operating on the theory that any exposure to the voters is good and acting in the hope that the media figures would, at the very least, be polite. Since Trump, though, with the media having abandoned even the appearance of fairness or respect, only a very foolish Republican would say "yes." DeSantis is no fool. But what makes DeSantis and his staff just that much better than the average politician is that he didn't merely say "no" to The View's "we would be honored" offer. Instead, he explained precisely why he had to pass on that honor:

Thanks for the invite. I understand that you are sending this request on behalf of your team. But are the hosts of the View really interested in hearing from Governor DeSantis about all of the important work he is doing on behalf of Floridians to protect their health and livelihoods, to stand up for parents and children, and to defend freedom? Which of the below statements from the hosts of the View do you recommend our team consider when deciding if the interview will be a genuine pursuit of the truth? Or worth the time? Joy Behar, August 2021 : "You're just short of calling [Governor DeSantis] a negligent, homicidal sociopath, because that's what he is." She added: "What is he doing? He's risking the lives of children, children's parents, their grandparents, anyone they may come into contact with, so he can appeal to his white supremacist base, so he can continue in his career and get reelected." Sunny Hostin, June 2022 : "Death-Santis... I think he's a fascist and a bigot." Ana Navarro, April 2022 (on Governor DeSantis's policies): "It's anti-Black, it's anti-gay, it's anti-LGBTQ+ community. And for some reason, the Republican base responds to it." And "It's anti-American. It's what happens in Venezuela. It's what happens in Nicaragua." Sunny Hostin, February 2022 (on Governor DeSantis's policies): "It started with CRT. Let's remember that  and those are anti-history laws, anti-Black history laws, really," she said. "If you start coming after Black people, what comes next, right? Of course the LGBTQ+ community, and then women, and then other marginalized groups." We will pass on this offer. Also please note  we don't coordinate appearances or events of a political nature from the official office. Our role is to serve the people of Florida. Thank you, Bryan Griffin Deputy Press Secretary Executive Office of the Governor

And that, my friends, is how you do it. The media do not deserve respect. They deserve to be exposed at every turn.

It's only fair to note that political partisans on Twitter stated that DeSantis was refusing to appear solely because he couldn't cope with the intellectual wattage of the women on The View:

He couldnt school them. They would eat him up or he would go on the show. He is a coward and it shows.  girlontherun (@Magfly926) August 2, 2022

When you can't respond to these critiques, the easy solution is to ignore them.

If he had good answers, he'd go.

He doesn't.  Todd Cuddington (@cuddington_todd) August 2, 2022

Normal Americans, however, understand that people who refer to you as "a negligent, homicidal sociopath" and "Death-Santis [and] a fascist and a bigot" are not doing to treat you with respect. More significantly, they are not interested in a substantive conversation about politics and policies. They simply want to insult DeSantis to his face.

Any time spent slinging insults with people like this is time wasted. Despite the partisans' complaints, this one is a pure win for Governor DeSantis.
As of August 2, Nancy Pelosi's Taiwan trifecta can be summarized as follows:

(1) Ignoring the wishes of President Biden, Speaker Pelosi lands in Taiwan and publicly states, "Our visit reiterates that America stands with Taiwan: a robust, vibrant democracy and our important partner in the Indo-Pacific."

(2) President Biden declares through a spokesman that "we do not support Taiwan independence."

(3) China fumes, stamps its feet, and puts on a demonstration of military power, but otherwise does nothing, precisely as one would predict from the insight into Chinese behavior that Daniel Jia detailed  namely, that Chinese military decisions are made by carefully contemplating their effect on American public opinion, which would be outraged if China targeted an American woman.

All of this surely bodes ill for Taiwan, as the Chinese chairman has been humiliated and the American president has been confirmed a weakling. My heart grieves for Taiwan, but there can be little doubt now that China will seize Taiwan sometime during the Biden presidency. Although world events do not necessarily follow the path of geopolitical logic, that is the way to bet.

From Chairman Xi's point of view, the configuration of factors clearly confirms the feasibility of this course of action.

(1) The seizure of Taiwan will not involve combat with American forces unless the Americans initiate it.

(2) Chairman Xi sees President Biden as weak.

(3) Taiwan's proximity to mainland China is highly advantageous to China.

(4) Chinese forces near Taiwan are stronger than American forces in the vicinity.

(5) Surface ships are highly vulnerable to modern missile technology. The U.S. Navy knows well that the American plan to rescue Taiwan relies upon a Naval voyage across the western Pacific into the mouth of Chinese anti-ship missiles.

(6) It is public knowledge that the U.S. has repeatedly war-gamed Taiwan's rescue, and, in every game, the U.S. has been defeated by China.



Image: Nancy Pelosi in Taiwan. YouTube screen grab.

So is Taiwan doomed? No. It still has two options: deterrence and diplomacy.

To pursue deterrence, it is necessary to understand what deterrence is. It is an enormous blunder to think defense is deterrence. Thus, a February 12, 2022, editorial in the Taipei Times declared, "Deterrence needed to deal with China" and then called for more Patriot and drone-based air-to-air missiles.

The Times is correct that deterrence is needed but dead wrong in thinking the ability to shoot down attacking aircraft is deterrence. That's defense, not deterrence. Deterrence is the capacity for offense  that is, the capacity to strike hard at Beijing. For Taiwan to earnestly pursue deterrence, it must beef up its strike-at-Beijing capability, harden itself against EMP, give itself a hair trigger, and leak that information to Beijing.

But once Taiwan is empowered by deterrence, a diplomatic settlement is possible. China has long been wedded to the "one China" principle, to which the U.S. has promised to adhere and that China insists Taiwan repudiates.

But exactly how does Taiwan reject that principle? Consider the fact that Outer Mongolia and Tibet are sovereign states and yet are Chinese. They don't offend China's "one China" principle because China recognizes that one Chinese nation can be implemented in multiple Chinese states.

So why can't Taiwan be another of those Chinese states? The problem with this is that Taiwan calls itself the "Republic of China," whereas the mainland calls itself the "People's Republic of China." Were Taiwan to rename itself the "Republic of Taiwan" (or whatever), and establish some deterrence to military attack, a diplomatic settlement might be reached.

Note from Andrea Widburg: Such a step would mean Taiwan would abandon its claim to be the true government of mainland China. However, if doing so meant mainland China abandoned its claim to Taiwan and backed off a war footing, it could well be worth the change in Taiwan's posture.
Yesterday, Project Veritas published a leaked internal FBI document in which the FBI sets out the hallmarks of suspected "militia violent extremists." Unsurprisingly, in Joe Biden's America, those indicia significantly overlap with broadly-held, longstanding conservative values.

The Project Veritas post reprints a two-page document that rejoices under the following heading:

UNCLASSIFIED/LAW ENFORCEMENT SENSITIVE FBI INTERNAL USE ONLY FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION Domestic Terrorism Symbols Guide (U//LES) Militia Violent Extremism

In other words, the document is intended to alert agents to the symbols and words associated with "Militia Violent Extremism" (MVE). The image on the Project Veritas website is smudgy, but Project Veritas helpfully identifies what the FBI tells its agents to be on the lookout for.

A common "symbol" shows "2A" (for Second Amendment) above the silhouette of a pistol. The FBI handout helpfully explains that "MVEs justify their existence with the Second Amendment, due to the mention of a 'well regulated Militia,' as well as the right to bear arms."

In the section entitled "commonly references historical imagery or quotes," we are told that the following are symbols of military violence: the Gadsden Flag, Revolutionary War imagery, the Liberty Tree, and the Betsy Ross flag. All of these are standard historic tropes that have been proudly shown in America for 250 years. The FBI also contends that caring about Ashli Babbitt is a sign that a person is a potential Militia Violent Extremist.



You can see larger images at the Project Veritas site.

It's true that, just as "the Devil can cite Scripture for his purpose," people intent upon evil can drape themselves in the indicia of American liberty. However, this FBI cheat sheet seems to be going the extra mile to turn traditional American iconography into symbols of evil.

Thus, in terms of identifying potentially violent militia groups and members, the FBI could have focused solely on images tied tightly to one group or another. Most extremist groups, whether left or right, have created logos unique to their organization.

Instead, the FBI chose to focus on traditional American images  the Betsy Ross flag, the Liberty Tree, etc.  that have been embraced by hundreds of millions of Americans over the centuries and are revered as symbols of liberty to the present day. According to the FBI, though, they must be interpreted according to the tiny minority of people inclined to violence.

Likewise, the FBI is intent upon criminalizing support for the Second Amendment, the only right so important that it got an amendment all to itself. It would also have us believe that only violent extremists are troubled by the fact that a Capitol Police officer murdered a woman in cold blood without getting so much as a black mark on his record.

Think about it: on the one hand, the Biden government is aggressively normalizing so-called transgenderism, sexually grooming children, erasing borders, pretending we can "change" the Earth's climate, and dividing people by race. On the other hand, the Biden administration is equally aggressively criminalizing the ideas and iconography of America since its inception.

I'm troubled. You should be, too.
There is an ominous buzz in the new Australian Parliament  Albo and the Greens are planning to pass 40 new bills, quick smart.

Each bill will probably need 100 new regulations and 200 new inspectors, auditors, and enforcers plus many new taxes and fees. They will not deliver "Net Zero"  they are "Net Negative." They will divert labor and capital from productive activities to bureaucracies and green energy speculators.

Where are the 40 old bills that Green-Albo will repeal to make room for these 40 wordy additions to Australia's already overflowing legislative sewer?

We need a new political party dedicated solely to repeal of costly, destructive, and useless legislation.

Australia has thrived for over 200 years without Green-Albo's forty new laws. So they can be safely rejected or repealed, and followed out the door by most of the legislation introduced under the baleful gaze of the Green Quad  Gillard, Rudd, Turnbull, and Morrison. A safe policy for the new Repeal Party is "Last in, First Out."

Not only is it imperative to start the domestic repeal movement, but Australia also needs to back out of the international agreements swamp. Top priority here is to withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement.

Probably the worst bill in Green-Albo's legislative avalanche is "The Climate Change Bill." This dreadful piece of legislation gives the government the ability to "ratchet up" green targets without new parliamentary approval but makes it difficult for future governments to ratchet back these targets. This will clutter rural Australia with imported solar panels and windmills and destroy forests and grasslands with spider-webs of roads and transmission lines. It will make blackouts more likely and destroy any heavy industry we have left. Filling our cities with electric cars will stress the electricity grid and add greatly to urban fire risks. And in 15 years (or after every cyclone), we will have an enormous problem trying to dispose of the worn out, non-degradable wind and solar generator debris.

Wind and solar are almost useless without big battery storage. But Turnbull's Green Elephant, the Snowy 2 pumped hydro, is way behind in time and way ahead in costs.

Australia survived booms and busts, two World Wars, and the Great Depression only to see the Builder Generations outvoted by the Spoiled Brat generations  the Baby Boomers, the Millennials, Blockade Australia, and the Thunbergs.

Not only have Albo and the Green-Teals captured Australia's Parliament, but they also dominate the schoolrooms, the education departments, and most of the media. Climate activism is encouraged in schools at the expense of maths, science, and engineering. The Builder Generations are depicted in education propaganda not as wise elders, but as "Cranky Uncles".

No wonder we are cranky.

Further Reading:

Australia's activist children are the next apocalypse by Charlie Chadwick:

https://www.spectator.com.au/2022/07/australias-activist-children-are-the-next-apocalypse/



Green Energy Herd Hysteria:

https://www.cfact.org/2022/07/28/green-energy-policies-offer-no-help-to-the-most-desperate/



Labor's Net Zero bill to further push up power prices and erode energy sovereignty:

Daniel Wild, IPA:

https://ipa.org.au/publications-ipa/media-releases/labor-net-zero-bill-to-further-push-up-power-prices-and-erode-energy-sovereignty

The Day the Electricity Died:

https://townhall.com/columnists/townhallcomstaff/2022/05/28/the-day-the-electricity-died-n2607923

Viv and Judy Forbes have watched and actively opposed the political decline of Australia since the Baby-Boomers elected Gough Whitlam in 1972 and Malcolm Frazer in 1975.
Alexander Graham Bells greatest invention was the telephone. But if you told that to Mr. Bell, he would have disagreed.

On June 3, 1880, Alexander Graham Bell transmitted the first wireless telephone message on his newly invented photophone, a device that allowed the transmission of sound on a beam of light. This took place 19 years before the first wireless radio transmission.

Bell described the invention of the photophone as his lifes greatest achievement, but the significance of Bell's work was not entirely recognized at that time. It would be another century before Bells work would be fully appreciated.

Illustration of the photophone's transmitter.

What is the photophone?

The photophone was a device similar to a contemporary telephone, except that it used modulated light as a means of wireless transmission instead of modulated electricity that was carried over wires. In its simplest form, the apparatus consisted of a plane mirror of flexible material, against the back of which the speaker's voice was directed. Air pressure generated by speech caused the flexible mirror to vibrate becoming alternately convex and concave, thus alternately scattering and condensing light.

A strong beam of light was reflected off this vibrating mirror. When observed from the location of the receiver, the light beam seemed to pulsate corresponding to the audio frequency of the sound waves acting upon the mirror. Converting the pulsating light beam back to sound proved to be harder. In one experiment, Bell built a receiver using a deposit of lampblack. It produced a tone that Bell described as "painfully loud" to an ear pressed close to the device.

Illustration of a photophone receiver.

In 1878, while honeymooning in Europe with his bride, Bell read a paper by Robert Sabine, published in Nature, where he discussed the newly discovered property of selenium having a variable resistance when acted upon by light. In his experiments, Sabine used a meter to see the effects of light acting on a selenium bar connected in a circuit to a battery. Sabine wrote:the slightest shadow or other variation in the intensity of the light caused a considerable variation in the electromotive force of the couple and a consequent indication.

Sabine suggested that selenium could be used as one of the elements in a wet galvanic cell, but Bell found a more practical application for the discovery. Bell reasoned that by adding a telephone receiver to the same circuit he would be able to hear what Sabine could only see.

Bell hired Charles Sumner Tainter, an instrument maker, and together the pair managed to make a functional photophone in their laboratory by attaching a set of metallic gratings to a diaphragm, with a beam of light being interrupted by the gratings movement in response to spoken sounds. When the modulated light beam fell upon their selenium receiver Bell, on his headphones, was able to clearly hear Tainter singing Auld Lang Syne.

On April 1, 1880, Bell and Tainter successfully communicated over a distance some 79 meters. A few months later on June 21 they succeeded in communicating clearly over a distance of some 213 meters using plain sunlight as their light source. Tainter stationed himself on the roof of the Franklin School and spoke to Bell, who was in his laboratory listening. Bell then signaled back to Tainter by waving his hat vigorously from the window.

Franklin School where the first wireless communication took place. Photo: Difference engine/Wikimedia

Bell and Tainter eventually devised more than fifty means for voice modulating a light wave before moving on to the development of improved sound recording methods and other projects. The popular press of the period was not overtly impressed. The New York Times was openly hostile to the idea. In August 1880, the paper wrote:

The ordinary man ... will find a little difficulty in comprehending how sunbeams are to be used. Does Prof. Bell intend to connect Boston and Cambridge ... with a line of sunbeams hung on telegraph posts, and, if so, what diameter are the sunbeams to be ....[and] will it be necessary to insulate them against the weather ... until (the public) sees a man going through the streets with a coil of No. 12 sunbeams on his shoulder, and suspending them from pole to pole, there will be a general feeling that there is something about Professor Bell's photophone which places a tremendous strain on human credulity.

Bell, however, was very enthusiastic over his new invention. He dashed off a letter to his father where he announced:

I have heard articulate speech by sunlight! I have heard a ray of the sun laugh and cough and sing! ...I have been able to hear a shadow and I have even perceived by ear the passage of a cloud across the sun's disk. You are the grandfather of the Photophone and I want to share my delight at my success.

Bell hoped his new photophone could be used by ships at sea. He could also see wireless communication displacing the tangle of telephone lines that were blooming along busy city boulevards. Can imagination picture what the future of this invention is to be, Bell asked. We may talk by light to any visible distance without any conduction wire.... In general science, discoveries will be make by the Photophone that are undreamed of just now.

Unfortunately, Bell failed to protect its transmissions from outdoor interferences such as clouds, fog, rain, snow and such, that could easily disrupt the transmission of light. Before long, Marconi's radio transmissions started to far surpass the maximum range of the photophone.

Photophone saw a brief revival and adoption in the German Navy at the turn of the 20th century, thanks to German-Austrian experiments. The German physicist Ernst Ruhmer created a superior receiver using which he achieved sending distances as far as 15 kilometers using high-powered searchlights provided by the Navy. The German Siemens & Halske Company produced units commercially for the German Navy, which offered communications up to 11 kilometers using voice-modulated ship searchlights. The British and the United States governments also worked on technical improvements to Bell's system during World War 1.

Today, light beams are the major carrier of information globally, although not in the form Bell had envisaged. Instead of wirelessly transmitting light signals, these are now carried by optical fibers across continents.
Amazon is reportedly not doing a great job of meetings the emissions portion of its environmental goals. Thats based on figures found in the companys annual sustainability report.

The worlds largest online retailer has reiterated its goal with regard to reaching a net-zero level of carbon emissions. But that isnt slated to be reached until 2040. For the full year of 2021, Amazon operations released no less than 71.54 million metric tons of carbon dioxide. Thats a growth of 18 percent compared to the previous year.

Amazon emissions are likely worse than reported, falling well short of its goals

Now, the primary cause for the increase in emissions from Amazon  in opposition to its goal of lowering those  is arguably the still-winding-down COVID-19 pandemic. The crisis caused a dramatic uptick in shipments from Amazon over its course.

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That resulted in Amazon essentially doubling the number of its fulfillment centers.

In addition to increasing emissions for Amazon, the new fulfillment centers also resulted in other losses. Namely, the company reported a $3.8 billion net loss in the first quarter of this year. Meanwhile, orders through the company have continued to decline towards normal levels. As a result, Amazon has effectively put as many as 18 warehouses in 12 states on hold.

However, the initial figures provided by Amazon on emissions may not be wholly accurate at all. The company has, in fact, likely been under-reported by a significant amount. Amazon, unlike many key competitors such as Walmart and Target, doesnt include all products it sells in its emissions numbers.

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Only around one percent of products sold through Amazon are made by the company or bear its branding, whether Amazon, Alexa, Echo, or Prime. Those are the only products included in the above figure. Leaving approximately 99 percent of products sold by Amazon unaccounted for on the emissions front. And that likely means that emissions associated with Amazon activities are actually much higher than reported.
Samsung is rapidly rolling out the August 2022 Android security patch to its eligible devices. First released to the Galaxy S22 series last week, the company has already seeded the latest security update to dozens of smartphone models, including the Galaxy S21, Galaxy S20, Galaxy Note 20, Galaxy Z Fold 3, and Galaxy Z Flip 3. More Galaxy devices are joining the party today, with the Galaxy Note 10 and Galaxy Note 10+ being the newest entrants.

The August SMR (Security Maintenance Release) for the Galaxy Note 10 series is currently rolling out to users in Switzerland. The update comes with firmware version N97*FXXU8HVGA and brings the usual system stability improvements. There arent any new features or user-facing changes in tow.

However, the latest security patch has plenty to talk about when it comes to vulnerability fixes. Starting with Android OS vulnerabilities, the August SMR patches more than three dozen of those. These fixes come from Google, with the Android maker labeling one issue as critical. Identified by the tracker CVE-2022-20345, it is an Android system flaw that allowed remote code execution over Bluetooth.

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Additionally, Samsung has patched 31 Samsung Vulnerabilities and Exposures (SVE) items this month. These issues only affect the Korean firms Android products, including smartphones and tablets. SVEs patched this month concerned core device components such as Samsung DeX, NFC, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Knox VPN, and App Lock. The company labeled a few of those as critical flaws.

If youre using either Galaxy Note 10 model in Switzerland, these fixes are on your way now. Users in other regions, including the US, will also get the latest security update soon. As usual, you will be notified by your phone once the OTA (over the air) package becomes available to you. You can also manually check for updates from the Settings app.

The Galaxy Note 10 series will not get Android 13

Android 13 is almost here. Google is expected to release the stable build for Pixel devices early next month. Other brands will also follow soon. But if youre using Samsungs Galaxy Note 10 or Galaxy Note 10+, youre out of luck. The latest Android version will not come to your phone.

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Launched with Android 9 Pie back in August 2019, the Galaxy Note 10 series have already received the three major Android OS updates that Samsung promised  Android 10, Android 11, and Android 12. They will no longer receive major feature updates. Even security updates will come less frequently going forward. Perhaps its about time you upgrade to a newer phone.
(ANSA) - ROME, AUG 3 - Italy's leading climate scientists signed an open letter published in Wednesday's edition of La Repubblica calling on the nation's political leaders and parties to prioritize action to address the climate emergency ahead of the September 25 general election.

Nobel Prize-winning physicist Giorgio Parisi publicly backed the appeal in an interview in the daily newspaper.

The open letter highlighted how the effects of global heating were already manifest in the Mediterranean area with heat waves, droughts like the severe one Italy is currently suffering, the melting of glaciers and extreme bouts of rainfall.

It called for structural measures to adapt to the changes taking place and action to prevent the emergency getting even worse by reducing greenhouse gas emissions, decarbonising the economy and making it circular and "accelerating the path towards a true energy and ecological transition.

"We strongly call on the political world to consider the climate crisis a priority problem to address, because it undermines our whole future at the foundation," it continued.

"We hope for manifestos that address these issues in depth and for rapid action by the next government on the climate crisis and its impacts".

Parisi said voters should prioritize the climate emergency too.

"It is important that the parties clearly put their projects for the fight against climate change in their manifestos," Parisi told La Repubblica.

"But it is equally important that the electors decide on who to vote for on the basis of which of these projects they find most convincing". (ANSA).


(ANSA) - ROME, AUG 3 - Right-to-death campaigner Marco Cappato on Wednesday reported himself to Carabinieri police in Milan after accompanying a terminally ill cancer patient to a clinic in Switzerland to commit assisted suicide.

The case of the woman, a 69-year-old named Elena, has moved the nation after she recorded a video message explaining her decision before she died. (ANSA).


Ukraine involved in arranging possible reverse gas supplies Via Trans-Balkan Corridor

(ANSA) - TRIESTE, 03 AGO - Ukraine said it is participating in the organization of possible reverse gas supplies through the Trans-Balkan Corridor, which transported Russian gas to Southern Europe and Turkey before the launch of the TurkStream pipeline, as reported by Russian Agency Interfax.



Natural gas metering capacity at the Grebeniki connection point with Moldova has been increased by 50% to 6.12 million cubic meters per day from 3.96 mcm, the Gas Transmission System Operator of Ukraine (GTSOU) said on its website. Increasing the amount of gas metering opens up greater possibilities in future for both Ukrainian and European traders, the company said. For example, European Union countries will be able to import gas from liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals in Greece and Turkey via the Trans-Balkan Corridor through Ukraine to Hungary, Slovakia and Poland. Romania and Moldova will also benefit by getting access to new markets and more gas volume in the system, GTSOU said.



The capacity of the pipeline could potentially be expanded to 20 billion cubic meters per year, the company said. "For this it is extremely important for Bulgarian and Turkish operators to sign a cooperation agreement, and for Moldova to introduce virtual reverse natural gas flow as provided for by European legislation," the company said. In order to transport gas along this route, customers will have to book capacity from the south to the north at connection points between Turkey and Bulgaria or Greece and Bulgaria, depending on which LNG terminal supplies the gas; Bulgaria and Romania; Ukraine and Romania; and Moldova and Ukraine.



"Azerbaijan, which is interested in expanding exports to the region, could become another possible source of gas for the Trans-Balkan Corridor," GTSOU said. "We hope that our international partners will also take reciprocal steps for launching the Trans-Balkan route as soon as possible. It will facilitate European countries' accelerated rejection of Russian gas, which will strengthen the energy situation in the region," GTSOU chief executive Sergiy Makogon said in the press release, as reported by Interfax. (ANSA).





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CAIRO - Fady Francis, an upcoming Egyptian artist who has distinguished himself particularly for the realization of miniatures of historic figures, exhibited his work at the Italian Cultural Institute (ICI) in Brussels. The institute's Director, Paolo Sabbatini, Dean of the ICI Directors is already known in Egypt where he directed the local Institute for six years.

It was the artist himself, Fady Francis, to inform ANSAmed news wire of his exhibit, highlighting that, in addition to ten of his famous miniatures, at the end of July for approximately ten days he had shown 50 traditional pictures and works of "light, painting photography". This form of art uses light to trace a drawing through long exposure photography.

Fady, the son of Francis Amin, is a cultural point of reference in Cairo for Egyptology and vintage photography. He mentioned his proposal for the ICI to show his miniatures of one hundred famous world historic figures, realized over the period of three years: from Pharaoh Ramesses II to Albert Einstein, to Confucius, Mozart, Nagib Mahfuz and Picasso, only to mention a few on exhibit in Brussels. The project has already drawn attention of international media in the past such as Reuters.

The tribute to Italy is represented by figures made of polymer clay, between 6 and 15 cm in height, of Leonardo da Vinci, Dante Alighieri, Giuseppe Verdi and Andrea Bocelli.

The show's inauguration, titled 'Around the world', was shown in a short film in which the miniatures are associated to their historic places, which is the subject of many of the pictures also shown at the exhibit.

Director Paolo Sabbatini has paid homage to the cultural role of the family's artist, organizing a concert with the Institute's Chamber Orchestra (a first in the history of Italian cultural diplomacy), where the artist's brother, Shady Amin, played the piano at the inauguration.
ROME - A total of 112 migrants arrived last night, after being rescued 12 miles off the coast of Lampedusa by Cp327 Coast Guard patrol boats and by Pv7 patrol boats of the Finance Police. The group was composed of people fleeing Egypt, Syria, Bangladesh and Pakistan. They were on a 12 m dinghy which had set sail from Zawiya (Libya). Yesterday, the number of arrivals were two for a total of 83 persons.

At present, there are 1,665 migrants hosted at the hotspot in Lampedusa which is only designed to hold a maximum of 350. Today multiple transfers are scheduled: 152 people this morning will be placed on the Sansovino ferry with destination Port Empedocle, in Sicily. Two Carabinieri battalions will escort them. Twenty Tunisians will be transferred to the Cpr in Torino on a charter, while this afternoon 600 migrants will be embarked on the Diciotti Coast Guard ship. This evening an additional 80 persons will be transferred via the Cossyra ferry, scheduled to reach the Empedocle port tomorrow morning.




TEL AVIV - For the second day in a row, the border crossing between Gaza and Israel is marked by strong tension. Yesterday, the Islamic Jihad threatened retaliation following the capture of its leader, Bassam a-Saadi, by the Israeli army in Jenin, a city in the West Bank.

Due to fear of possible Palestinian anti-tank missiles being fired by Palestinian militia, the Israeli army has partially blocked traffic on some of the roads around Gaza and on train line. Kan public radio announced that 100 reservists were recalled to service to strengthen protection of Israeli villages at the border. The Erez and Kerem Shalom border crossings between Israel and the Strip remain closed today.

According to media in Gaza an Egyptian delegation is brokering a negotiation between Israel and Islamic Jihad and Hamas. Gaza media added that Israel has warned that Gaza would pay a high price should it initiate any attacks.




The mother of Archie Battersbee, Hollie Dance, arrives at the Royal Courts Of Justice in London.

The mother of Archie Battersbee has described the rejection of her bid to postpone the withdrawal of her sons life support as another heart-breaking development and suggested the legal battle is at an end.

Hollie Dance and Archies father Paul Battersbee had submitted an application to the European Court of Human Rights but it was refused on Wednesday evening.

The 12-year-old has been in a coma since he was found unconscious in April and is being kept alive by a combination of medical interventions, including ventilation and drug treatments, at the Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel, east London.

His parents application to the Strasbourg-based court had been submitted just a few hours before Barts Health NHS Trust had been expected to withdraw their sons life support on Wednesday morning.

But shortly after 6.30pm, the European court said it had refused the parents request, adding that it would not interfere with the decisions of the national courts to allow the withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment from (Archie) to proceed.

There has not yet been confirmation from Barts Health NHS Trust as to when life support will be withdrawn.

Ms Dance said she wont allow anything to be done before his father returns to his bedside at the hospital, and vowed to fight to get her son moved to a hospice.

Archie Battersbee with his mother Hollie Dance (Family handout/PA)

Following the European courts decision, in a statement released through Christian Concern, Ms Dance said: This is another heart-breaking development in our fight for Archies right to live.

She restated that they had been contacted by doctors in Japan and Italy regarding her sons condition, adding: Why cant we give him a chance?

Ms Dance repeated her vow to fight to the end for Archies right to live, and said the family had wanted to take the boy to a hospice but the hospital have said that we cannot do that despite previous promises.

Some minutes later, asked by reporters outside the hospital whether this defeat felt different, she said: Its the end. It was the last thing, wasnt it? And again our country have failed a 12-year-old child.

She added: Weve now got to fight to see whether we can get him out of here to have a dignified passing at a hospice. Its just unfair.

Archie Battersbees parents have been involved in a series of legal efforts regarding their sons condition (Hollie Dance/PA)

She claimed the hospital had failed her son, saying: I would like him out of here as quick as possible really, and in a peaceful hospice to say goodbye and spend time with his family, uninterrupted by the noise and chaos.

Becoming tearful, she said: The one thing I will say is, I promised him Id fight to the end and thats exactly what Ive done.

UK Supreme Court judges have previously said they have great sympathy with Archies parents but added there is no prospect of any meaningful recovery.

Ms Dance and Archies father, Paul Battersbee, have been involved in a series of legal efforts regarding their sons condition.

She said she wont allow anything to be done before Mr Battersbee returns to his sons bedside at the hospital on Thursday.

She added: They definitely wont be doing anything until tomorrow because I definitely wont allow that. So, yeah, weve got to wait for everybody to come back up again now.

Hollie Dance vowed to fight for her son to the end (Dominic Lipinski/PA)

The boy was found unconscious at his home by his mother on April 7 and has not regained consciousness since. She believes he was taking part in an online challenge.

Ms Dance and Mr Battersbee were granted a Court of Appeal hearing on Monday after the Government asked judges to urgently consider a request from a UN committee to keep treating Archie while it reviews his case.

However, after considering the matter, three judges refused to postpone the withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment beyond midday on Tuesday.

They also refused to grant permission to appeal against their ruling at the Supreme Court.

They filed an application directly with the Supreme Court, asking for his treatment to continue so the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) could have time to consider their complaint, made last week.

But, refusing permission to appeal, a panel of three justices concluded the Court of Appeal made the correct decision.
Sir Patrick Vallance, who played a crucial role guiding the UK through the coronavirus pandemic, is to stand down as the Governments chief scientific adviser.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said it was impossible to fully convey the scientists impact as it was announced he will leave the role at the end of his five-year term next April.

Sir Patrick acknowledged his tenure was both challenging and immensely rewarding as a search for his successor was about to begin.

Sir Patrick Vallance and chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty regularly appeared alongside Boris Johnson at Covid briefings (Toby Melville/PA)

Sir Patrick, 62 and originally from Essex, was an academic and a consultant physician before joining GlaxoSmithKline, where he became president of research and development.

He replaced Sir Chris Whitty as chief scientific adviser in 2018, and two years later they both became household names as leading experts and communicators in the fight against Covid-19.

Mr Johnson said: It is impossible to fully convey the impact that Sir Patrick has had as chief scientific adviser.

Sir Patrick may not have bargained for becoming a household name when he signed up for the job, but I am immensely grateful for his advice and expertise throughout the pandemic and beyond.

He will be missed by all when he leaves next year, and I wish him the very best in all future endeavours.

Sir Patrick was seen as a calm voice who delivered the hard scientific evidence to the politicians making the decisions during the pandemic.

He is expected to feature prominently during the official inquiry into the response to coronavirus.

Sir Patrick said he remains fully committed to the role, which also entails advising ministers on science and technology policy, until his replacement takes over.

Science and engineering remain vital for the future prosperity of the UK, and high-quality evidence and science advice should be at the heart of all government decision-making, he said.

Appointing the GCSA for fixed periods is an important way to ensure independence and my five-year term has been both challenging and immensely rewarding.
Archies parents Paul Battersbee and Hollie Dance (Jonathan Brady/PA)

A last-ditch bid by the parents of Archie Battersbee to postpone the withdrawal of his life support has been refused by the European Court of Human Rights.

The 12-year-old has been in a coma since he was found unconscious in April and is being kept alive by a combination of medical interventions, including ventilation and drug treatments, at the Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel, east London.

His parents submitted an application to the Strasbourg-based court on Wednesday morning, just a few hours before Barts Health NHS Trust had been expected to withdraw their sons life support.

But shortly after 6.30pm, the European court said it had refused the parents request, adding that it would not interfere with the decisions of the national courts to allow the withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment from (Archie) to proceed.

His parents, Hollie Dance and Paul Battersbee, have been involved in a series of legal efforts regarding their sons condition.

He was found unconscious at his home by his mother on April 7 and has not regained consciousness since. She believes he was taking part in an online challenge.

Ms Dance and Mr Battersbee were granted a Court of Appeal hearing on Monday after the Government asked judges to urgently consider a request from a UN committee to keep treating Archie while it reviews his case.

However, after considering the matter, three judges refused to postpone the withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment beyond midday on Tuesday.

They also refused to grant permission to appeal against their ruling at the Supreme Court.

Ms Dance and Mr Battersbee filed an application directly with the Supreme Court, asking for his treatment to continue so the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) could have time to consider their complaint, made last week.

Hollie Dance vowed to fight for her son til the bitter end (Dominic Lipinski/PA)

But, refusing permission to appeal, a panel of three justices concluded the Court of Appeal made the correct decision.

Supreme Court judges said they have great sympathy with Archies parents but added there is no prospect of any meaningful recovery.

Earlier on Wednesday, Ms Dance vowed to fight til the bitter end for her son.

She said: I promised Arch, same with his dad, that we will fight til the bitter end, and thats exactly what were going to do.

Were going to fight for the right for my son to live.
Some renters could be left at the mercy of their landlord when it comes to passing on the benefits of Government cost-of-living support, a housing charity has claimed.

Households are due to receive a 400 discount on their energy bills from this autumn.

Polly Neate, chief executive of Shelter, said: Tenants whose energy bills are included in their rent or service charge cannot directly claim the energy discount. Instead, they will be at the mercy of their landlord passing on this much-needed support.

Theres no specific legal obligation for landlords to pass on this support, but they arent allowed to overcharge tenants for the energy theyve used or make a profit on it.

This could be the case if they pocket the Government support and continue to charge the same rate for utilities.

Landlords can only charge for energy used, the standing charge and VAT. So, its worth making a note of how much energy youre using to make sure youre not paying more than you should.

It is unfair that those at the very sharp end of this crisis could miss out on this much-needed support.

A spokesperson from the National Residential Landlords Association pointed out there will also be cases where bills included rents have been set without reflecting the recent surge in costs.

The spokesperson said: In most cases tenants pay their energy bills separately from their rent. As such, they will receive the Governments support payments directly.

Where rents include the cost of utilities, and tenants incur the cost of increased energy bills, the savings from the support scheme should be passed on to them.

However, there will be instances where all-inclusive rents have been set without reflecting higher energy prices.

The Government needs to ensure that its scheme recognises such cases where it is the landlord who is ultimately paying the cost of increased bills, rather than the tenant.

A UK Government spokesperson said: The Government is working hard to ensure as many households as possible receive the 400 benefit of the energy bills support scheme.

Under Ofgems maximum resale price rules, landlords must not make a profit on energy they are reselling and must pass on the 400 discount to their tenants.
The Irish premier has said the controversy over a letter about the Ukraine conflict written by the presidents wife has not caused embarrassment for the Government.

Micheal Martin said Sabina Higgins has clarified the matter after she issued a statement in defence of the letter which critics claimed drew an equivalence between the actions of Russia and Ukraine.

Mrs Higgins, the wife of President Michael D Higgins, condemned Russias illegal invasion of Ukraine and said she was dismayed at the criticism she has received in recent days.

Mr Martin said Ireland is a democracy and people are entitled to their own viewpoints, and everyone agrees on the need for peace in Ukraine.

Mrs Higgins wrote a letter to the Irish Times last week to criticise an editorial on the conflict.

The letter said the fighting would go on until the world persuades President Vladimir Putin of Russia and President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine to agree to a ceasefire and negotiations.

Government senators and commentators criticised Mrs Higgins for the letter, which was also published on the presidents official website, before being removed a short time later.

Mr Martin said Mrs Higgins has clarified the situation.

Asked if the matter had caused embarrassment for the parties involved, Mr Martin said it had not.

I think the president, to be fair, also reiterated his strong condemnation of the Russia invasion of Ukraine, Mr Martin added.

President Michael D Higgins and his wife Sabina attended the official opening of the Fleadh Cheoil na hEireann in Mullingar, Co. Westmeath. Picture date: Sunday July 31, 2022.

The Irish Governments position has been consistent from the outset, and remains the position that the invasion is both illegal and immoral and was a terrible act against the people of Ukraine.

We live in a democracy too, and we have to be conscious people are entitled to their viewpoints. I think we are all agreed on the need for peace, so theres no argument there.

I think we need to keep everything in perspective. I think clarity has come from the president, clarity has come from Sabina Higgins herself, and I think everybody accepts there is no equivalence between Putin and President Zelensky.

The spouse of a president may go to a particular opening or a adopt a particular cause for the benefit of communities so that has been happening for some time. That informal practice has built up over the years.

The Fianna Fail leader said he did not speak to Mr Higgins about this issue.

I think in my view, its time to move on from it now, Mr Martin added.

I visited Kyiv myself and met people whose families were very affected by the terror of the war and the crimes that were committed in terms of the murdering of innocent civilians.

The towns I visited had no military installations.

Our position, along with others in the European Union, is unequivocal, that Russia should withdraw to a minimum to the positions before the war started.

Many efforts were made by European leaders to get Vladimir Putin to deter him from starting the war in the first instance.

There were many engagements with him. Unfortunately he has a imperialist 19th-century view of life and he resolved to invade Ukraine and he did.

The Governments view is that Russia has to stop the violence, stop the war and withdraw from the territories that it is now occupying.

The fundamental point is that I dont think anyone is in any doubt of the Irish Governments position. I dont think the Ukrainian government is.
jacoblund / Getty Images/iStockphoto

Whether you're 20 years old or 10 years away from retirement, it's important to plan how you're going to supplement your income and spend your money during your golden years. For many soon-to-be retirees, this means making a plan for their Social Security checks.

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Americans 65 and older spend an average of about $48,791 annually between 2016 and 2020 on essentials such as food, housing, transportation and healthcare, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistic's 2019 Consumer Expenditure Survey. But the average monthly Social Security benefit for retired workers is $1,619.67  which comes out to only $19,436.04 annually. If you plan to rely on Social Security alone, you'll quickly realize that this amount probably isn't enough to fully fund your retirement lifestyle.

Still, you don't want to blow through your Social Security check. That's why it's important to carefully budget and spend your benefits wisely. Keep reading to learn more about what you should do with your Social Security check.

Jovanmandic / Getty Images/iStockphoto

Defer It

Even if you've just turned 62 and qualify for Social Security retirement benefits, it's important to keep in mind that you don't have to take them right away. In fact, for some people, waiting as much as an additional eight years is a smart financial move.Why would anyone wait to receive benefits they're entitled to? In a word: money. The longer you wait, the bigger your monthly payment. For those born in 1943 or later, Social Security checks increase by 8% per year for every year of deferral after age 62, up until age 70. If you don't need the money right away and have other income or savings to live on, do the math and see if waiting longer to draw your checks makes sense.Take Our Poll: Are You Concerned That Social Security Benefits Will Be Reduced During Your Lifetime?

Ridofranz / Getty Images/iStockphoto

Verify Your Income Record

Your Social Security payout is based on your highest 35 years of earnings, as recorded by the Social Security Administration. Because any record can have errors or gaps, you should verify your Social Security income record before you file for benefits. If the Social Security Administration is missing one or two of your highest-earning years, for example, your benefit could be permanently reduced by a significant amount.To verify your Social Security record, create an account. This is where you can see your earnings record and other important information, such as your estimated future retirement, disability and survivors benefits. If you find any mistakes, you can contact the SSA at 1-800-772-1213.

mixetto / Getty Images

Create a Monthly Budget for Your Social Security Check

The first thing retirees should do with their Social Security check is confirm they received the correct amount, said Kimberly Foss, certified financial planner and founder of Empyrion Wealth Management. After you confirm that your payment is accurate, it's time to budget it properly.Bill Kearney, owner of Integrated Financial Concepts, recommends creating a spending plan before spending your Social Security checks. Here's how:Assess your expected monthly costs, including rent or mortgage payments, food, healthcare, debt and other living expenses.

Tally expected income and where the income will come from.

Match up your expenses with your expected income sources. In other words, figure out what your Social Security payments cover vs. your pension or withdrawals from retirement accounts.



DGLimages / Shutterstock.com

Keep Your Income in Check

If you want to maximize your Social Security benefits, you'll have to keep an eye on your outside earnings. For 2022, if you're younger than full retirement age, your Social Security benefit will be reduced by $1 for every $2 you earn above $19,560. If you reached full retirement age in 2021, your benefit will be reduced by $1 for every $3 you earn above $50,520 until you hit the month of full retirement age. After you hit full retirement age, there are no Social Security benefit reductions.

PredragImages / Getty Images

Prioritize Your Basic Needs

Next, it's time to allocate your Social Security benefits. Leonard Hayduchok, CEO and president of Dedicated Financial Services, suggests treating your Social Security check as you would a paycheck. Use the benefits to pay for regularly occurring expenses such as housing costs and groceries. According to the BLS survey, people 65 and older spend an average of the following amounts on food and related housing expenses a year:Housing: $17,472

Utilities: $3,810

Food: $6,599

You should try to allocate about 60% to 70% of your annual Social Security benefits to pay for these expenses, though that won't be possible for many retirees. If your annual benefits equal the national average of $1,619.67 a month or $19,436.04 a year, that means 60% of your Social Security check  which comes out to $11,633.83 annually  won't be enough to cover the expenses above.Still, it's a good idea to dedicate as much as you can to food and housing. After all, these are your basic needs  without them, you won't live well. Just keep in mind that once you've used your check to cover these basic expenses, you'll likely need to dip into your additional income sources to cover other costs.Retirees whose food and housing costs are greater than their Social Security checks should look for ways to cut back on these expenses. For example, one option might be to move to a city where you can live comfortably off Social Security.

fstop123 / Getty Images

Use Your Social Security Checks To Cover Healthcare Expenses

After budgeting to cover your basic needs, you should next pay for your medical expenses. Let's assume that you'll spend close to the national healthcare cost average for Americans 65 and older, which the BLS estimates at $6,833 per year. If you spend close to this amount, it's wise to dedicate the remainder of your check toward this expense. But it's also important to plan for rising healthcare costs that your Social Security checks likely won't cover.The 2021 Retirement Health Care Costs Report by HealthView Insights recently reported that a healthy, national average couple, 65 or older, paid an average of $662,156 on retirement health care in 2020. Most 65-year-old couples in 2021 can spent between $156,208 and 1,022,997 on heath care depending on the state they retired in and the type of health care they needed.

Shutterstock.com

Put What You Have Left in Your Savings

After you've paid for necessities and healthcare, you might only be left with a few hundred dollars a year if you get the average retirement benefit. So what should you do with that leftover cash?Edwin Cruz, owner of Prosperity Financial Group, tells his clients to set aside 10% to 20% of their Social Security checks to cover the unexpected. He also recommends adjusting this amount over time until the retiree has six to nine months of living expenses built up.Following this strategy  and assuming you get the average retirement benefit  you should aim to save at least $1,825.91 each year until you reach your six to nine months' worth of emergency savings. But since you've already used your Social Security checks to cover other high-priority expenses, you'll likely need to tap into other income sources to build an emergency fund.

Shutterstock.com

Don't Forget To Claim for Your Children

If you claim retirement, disability or survivors benefits and have dependent children, you can file a claim for them as well. A qualifying child can receive up to 50% of a parent's full retirement or disability benefit, and up to 75% of a deceased parent's benefit. However, there's a limit to the amount of money that can be paid to a family, with the maximum amount determined as part of every Social Security benefit computation. To qualify, a child must be either younger than age 18, age 18-19 and a full-time student in grade 12 or lower, or 18 or older with a disability that began before age 18. Although this is not technically your Social Security benefit, it's still an SSA payment that can help your family make ends meet.

Jacob Lund / Shutterstock.com

Other Expenses Your Social Security Benefits Likely Won't Cover

Retirees must be mindful of how they allocate their retirement spending to make sure they can cover everything. In addition to basic necessities, healthcare and savings, there will likely be other expenses that your Social Security benefits might not be large enough to cover. This will be especially important to remember if benefits get cut in the future.For example, you'll still have to pay taxes in retirement. Depending on your financial situation, you might have to pay taxes on your Social Security benefits, which can make it even harder to cover retirement expenses. You'll also need to make a plan for transportation costs and any vacations you want to take.Although Social Security might not be enough to fund every aspect of your retirement, you can still find ways to lower your expenses and generate income. By doing so, you'll improve your chances of enjoying a comfortable retirement.More From GOBankingRates22 Side Gigs That Can Make You Richer Than a Full-Time Job

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Barbara Friedberg contributed to the reporting for this article.

This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Social Security: Whats the First Thing You Should Do With Your Check?
More than half of Sri Lankas economy relies on apparel exports, and industry organizations are pledging their support to the country amid ongoing economic hardship.

In a letter dated July 26, trade unions and worker rights organizations, including the Clean Clothes Campaign, Labor Behind the Label, Maquila Solidarity Network, War on Want and Workers United, expressed their solidarity with the people of Sri Lanka who, amid a debt crisis in the country, have faced food, fuel and power shortages, and resulting protests led to President Gotabaya Rajapaksas resignation last month.

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Few brands have followed labor organizers swift efforts to denounce the fallout, although the mass protests against the government sparked violence last week.

Citing decades of international debt and recent political strife, including attacks on protesters, the groups led a call to action to get the fashion industrys attention.

The letter affirmed, We endorse and support the trade unions call, and we call upon national governments, international financial institutions, private sector enterprises (including international brands and retailers sourcing garments from Sri Lanka) and other stakeholders to support a program of emergency relief, mid- and long-term financial support, and a democratic political solution to the crisis.

The hope, according to the letter, is to amplify worker voices in the garment and sportswear industry while raising awareness of the hardships. It was posted formally on the Clean Clothes Campaigns website, where a number of campaigns drawing attention to alleged wage theft and malpractice in the industry are also underway.

According to the Business and Human Rights Resource Center, Sri Lankas garment industry employs more than 400,000 garment workers directly and some two million workers are indirectly employed through webs of subcontracting.

Major brands, among them Nike Inc., Uniqlo, Gap Inc., Everlane and others, manufacture in the country.

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Pelosi's trip to Taiwan draws criticism in US

09:56, August 03, 2022 By LIA ZHU in San Francisco and ZHAO HUANXIN in Washington ( China Daily

Activists from Pivot to Peace, ANSWER Coalition, CODEPINK, Veterans for Peace and leaders of the Chinese community in San Francisco hold a demonstration in front of US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's office at the San Francisco Federal Building on Monday. LIA ZHU/CHINA DAILY

Protesters: Cold War tactics, agenda of leaders in Washington unwarranted

Peace activists and community members in San Francisco protested on Monday ahead of United States House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan, demanding that she stop provoking tension and focus on issues facing ordinary Americans.

The rally included members of Pivot to Peace, the ANSWER Coalition, CODEPINK, Veterans for Peace and leaders of the Chinese community. People from different walks of life participated, holding signs saying that "China is one", "US hands off Taiwan", and chanting, "China is not our enemy".

"China is not an existential threat. What is an existential threat is racism and American policy that drives us to war.  The Cold War tactics and agenda by leaders, particularly Pelosi, are unwarranted," said Julie Tang, co-founder of Pivot to Peace and a retired Superior Court judge in San Francisco, at the rally outside Pelosi's local district office.

In past decades, US-China relations have had ups and downs, said David Ewing, San Francisco chapter president of the US-China Peoples Friendship Association.

"China has always sought peace and friendship with the American people," he said, but he added that the actions of the US in the past year or two were "very reckless".

Douglas H. Paal, who served as the director of the American Institute in Taiwan from 2002 to 2006, said the visit should not be viewed narrowly, but should be viewed in a "broader strategic context".

"If the prairie grass is green, lighting a match is not dangerous. If the prairie is dry and covered with combustible material, lighting a match is not a good idea if you want to avoid a conflagration," Paal, who is now a distinguished fellow of the Asia Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, told China Daily.

Jon Taylor, chair of the department of political science and geography at the University of Texas-San Antonio, said it's a mistake for Pelosi to visit Taiwan, a move that he said exacerbates already chilly China-US relations and is "needlessly provocative".

The visit raises concerns in China because it relates to one of its fundamental interests, namely national sovereignty and territorial integrity, according to Taylor.

"We keep claiming our one-China policy hasn't changed, but a Pelosi visit would clearly be precedent-setting and can't be construed as in keeping with 'unofficial relations'," Susan Thornton, the former acting assistant secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs at the US State Department, was quoted by Business Insider as saying earlier on Monday. Thornton is now a senior fellow at the Paul Tsai China Center at Yale Law School.

In a statement, the San Francisco protesters said that there is "no basis" for Pelosi "to travel to Taiwan in disregard of the commitments made by our government".

In the three joint communiques issued by the United States and China in 1972, 1978 and 1982, the US acknowledged that there is only one China, and that Taiwan is a part of China. That one-China policy was echoed by the protesters on Monday.

"By disregarding the advice of many experts and forging ahead with her plan to visit Taiwan, Nancy Pelosi has imperiled regional and even global peace. History will judge her very harshly. And we will all pay the price for her shortsightedness," Stephen Roddy, professor of East Asian Studies at the University of San Francisco, told China Daily.

Chang Jun in San Francisco contributed to this story.

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun)
Photo credit: Image courtesy of Fyerool Darma and One of One/Frieze Seoul

When asking collectors and gallerists about the world's best art cities, you'd surely expect them to name a few classics such as Paris, New York City, or Tokyo. However, there's a surprising beloved city that art lovers can't stop talking about: Seoul, South Korea. The capital has long been known for its bustling districts, award-winning restaurants, and thriving music scene, but now, it will also play host to Frieze's first ever fair in Asia from September 2 to 5, 2022.

Each year, Frieze hosts five renowned art gatherings which bring together artists and collectors from across the world to see the latest works, from both icons and newcomers making waves in the contemporary art scene. To outsiders, the announcement of Frieze Seoul may have come as a shock since these art fairs were only previously held in London, New York, and Los Angeles. Yet, Patrick Lee, the director of Frieze Seoul, notes that Seoul's emergence as a leader in contemporary art has been a long time coming.

Photo credit: Deniz Guzel

"The contemporary art scene in Seoul really grew up in the 1980s with collecting becoming a popular activity, rising rapidly over the past 30 years," Lee says. "Seoul is a dynamic place with a sophisticated and inquisitive collector base and art world infrastructure. The country boasts incredibly talented artists, world-class museums, corporate collections, non-profits, biennales, and galleries."

Lee further details that Korean art lovers have always been open to learning and educating themselves about the newest galleries, but they also love to share their own information and thoughts on certain works. With the help of social media, word of these new artists and showings has been able to spread quickly and has garnered a younger audience constantly ready to talk about contemporary art. Paired with South Korea's rich traditions in folk art and ceramics, it only felt fitting for Frieze to officially name Seoul as its new art hub.

"Frieze looks to cities where there is a vast appreciation of culture," explains Lee. "Korean culture has already gained recognition on a global scale, and this is fueling interest in visiting the country and paying attention to everything that is coming out of Koreaall of this makes it a great place for a fair."

Photo credit: Image courtesy of the artist and Kiang Malingue/Frieze Seoul

The new fair at the COEX center will feature over 110 galleries mostly stemming from Asian countries, along with many well-recognized international names. Frieze Seoul will also introduce a new section called "Frieze Masters" which illustrates thousands of years of art history through a contemporary lens. Another highlight includes the "Focus Asia" exhibit, curated by Christopher Y. Lew and Hyejung Jang, which features 10 solo artist presentations from young Asia-based galleries, including some of the most promising Korean galleries.

Beyond showcasing some of the world's greatest contemporary artists, Lee sees Frieze Seoul as a platform to introduce international art fans to the countless museums, non-profit organizations, and galleries accelerating Korean art to the front of everyone's mind.

"I cant wait for our opening dayto bring everyone together under one roof in Seoul. I also cant wait for the visitors reaction to the city itself, and I am happy this provides an opportunity for the city to shine."

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Missouri Treasurer Scott Fitzpatrick defeated state Rep. David Gregory Tuesday in the bitter Republican primary race to succeed Missouri Auditor Nicole Galloway as the GOP looks to flip a position that Democrats have held since 2015.

Throughout the campaign, Fitzpatrick, who was appointed treasurer by Gov. Mike Parson in 2018 before winning a full term 2020, touted his political and financial background as the states chief financial officer. He vowed to get rid of wasteful spending and root out financial fraud.

The Associated Press called the race for Fitzpatrick at 10:15 p.m. According to the Missouri Secretary of States Office, he had 64% of the vote with 3,256 of 3,592 precincts reporting.

Gregory, first elected to the Missouri House in 2016, received 36% of the vote.

Galloway, who announced last year that she would not seek reelection after her unsuccessful run for governor, is Missouris lone Democratic statewide officeholder.

Fitzpatrick now represents Republicans choice to take back the position as Missouri has experienced a seismic shift from bellwether to deep red in the last 10 years, particularly in rural parts of the state.

He will face two opponents in the general election. Former state Rep. Alan Green of Florissant is running as a Democrat, while John Hartwig Jr., a certified public accountant from St. Charles, is running as a Libertarian.

In the races final weeks, Fitzpatrick and Gregory, neither of whom are certified public accountants, sparred over whether their opponent was experienced enough for the position and attacked the other for inflating their financial expertise. While being an accountant is not a requirement, Galloway, the incumbent state auditor, is a CPA.

The auditors office serves as Missouris top financial watchdog agency in charge of conducting financial and performance audits of state agencies, boards and commissions and the states court systems. The audits look for waste, fraud and financial accountability.

The office has at times been used as a launching pad for politicians seeking higher office. Democrat Claire McCaskill, for example, used her two terms as auditor as a pathway to the U.S. Senate in the 2006 election.

While Gregorys campaign promoted rhetoric around conservative social issues like a plan to audit school district curriculum, he failed to gain major support against Fitzpatrick who heavily touted his entrepreneurial background.

Fitzpatrick works as the CEO of MariCorp, a marine construction company based in Shell Knob that he started while in high school.

Fitzpatrick previously told The Star that one of his main priorities as auditor would be to increase oversight of how federal COVID-19 money is allocated and spent and holding people accountable when its misused. He also said he would conduct audits of under-performing schools to figure out how to fund them so students can be successful.
Customers shop at a fruit stall in Taipei, Taiwan. (Chiang Ying-ying / Associated Press)

China blocked imports of citrus and fish from Taiwan in retaliation for a visit by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, but has avoided disrupting one of the world's most important technology and manufacturing relationships.

The two sides, which split in 1949 after a civil war, have no official relations but do boast multibillion-dollar business ties, especially in the flow of Taiwanese-made processor chips needed by Chinese factories that assemble the world's smartphones and other electronics.

They built that business while Beijing threatened for decades to enforce the ruling Communist Party's claim to the island by attacking it.

Two-way trade soared 26% last year to $328.3 billion. Taiwan, which produces half the world's processor chips and has technology the mainland can't match, said sales to Chinese factories rose 24.4% to $104.3 billion.

The global economy cannot function without chips that are made in either Taiwan or China, said Carl B. Weinberg of High-Frequency Economics in a report.

On Wednesday, Beijing blocked imports of citrus fruits and frozen mackerel from Taiwan after Pelosi (D-San Francisco) arrived in Taiwan. Those products are only a fraction of Taiwan's total exports to the Chinese mainland. Beijing has avoided disrupting the flow of chips and other industrial components, a step that would send shock waves through the shaky global economy.

Beijing also announced four days of military exercises with artillery fire in waters around Taiwan. That might delay or disrupt shipping to and from the island, one of the biggest global traders.

The potential disruption adds to concerns over weakening global economic growth.

The Communist Party says Pelosi's visit might embolden Taiwan to make its decades-old de facto independence permanent. Beijing says that would lead to war.

The Biden administration has sought to turn down the volume on the visit, insisting that theres no change in Americas long-standing one-China policy, which recognizes Beijing but allows informal relations and defense ties with Taipei.

The ban on imports of citrus fruits and frozen mackerel will hurt suppliers seen as supporters of Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen.

Taiwan plays an outsized role in the chip industry for an island of 23 million people.

Beijing has invested billions of dollars in developing its own industry, which supplies low-end chips for autos and appliances but cannot support the latest smartphones, tablet computers, medical devices and other products.

Chips are Chinas biggest import at more than $400 billion a year, ahead of crude oil.

That concentration has fueled concern in the United States and Europe about relying too heavily on supplies that might be disrupted by conflict. The U.S. government is trying to expand its domestic chip production capacity.

Overall, China is Taiwans biggest trading partner, taking more than twice as much in exports as the United States, the islands No. 2 foreign market.

Beijing has tried to use access to its markets to undermine Tsai and other Taiwanese leaders it accuses of pursuing independence.

The customs agency blocked imports of cookies and other food products from more than 100 Taiwanese suppliers on Monday ahead of Pelosi's visit, according to the Global Times and other Chinese news outlets. There was no official announcement.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Florida GOP targets intellectual diversity on campus with survey about beliefs





Miami Herald headline, 4/06/2021

DeSantis signs bill dubbed dont say gay, says that its about parents rights

Herald headline, 3/28/2022

Florida targets school math textbooks over critical race theory objections

Herald headline, 4/15/2022

The start of classes this month will have some educators looking over their shoulders. Teachers say headline-grabbing measures adopted by Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Florida Legislature have moved the culture war into the classroom. The above initiatives, respectively, seek to gauge whether universities have become leftist bastions, limit discussions of sexuality in the classroom and prevent critical race theory from creeping into the curriculum.

Could a teacher get into trouble for an off-hand comment in response to a student? Will a passage in an assigned book run afoul of Moms for Liberty, the conservative organization fighting for greater control of the educational agenda? In a signal of support, the governor spoke at their Tampa convention last month, as teachers protested outside.

Alyssa Knight, left, 31, Dunedin Highland Middle Schools teacher of the year, protests outside the Moms for Liberty National Summit Friday, July 15, 2022, in Tampa. Gov. Ron DeSantis spoke inside.

What about teachers displaying photos of their same-sex partners? How much instruction about slavery and Jim Crow policies is considered too much and a case of teaching children to hate America?

The governor has called the new laws a justified antidote to woke practices in education, but some educators are bristling at what they see as stifling overreach as the governor seeks reelection and  maybe  a run at the Republican nomination for president.

Education Poll (1) by Casey Frank on Scribd

A poll published this past month  one commissioned by Democrats and conducted by Hart Research Associates  suggested that the Republican moves are politically effective even as school boards struggle with what they can and cant do. Conducted May 21-30, the survey, previously published by NBC News, sought the views of 1,758 likely voters in seven swing states, including Florida.

Poll question:

When it comes to education becoming too politicized do you consider this to be a very big problem today, a fairly big problem, just somewhat of a problem, or not really a problem today?

Answers:

Very big problem: 42%

Fairly big problem: 39%

Just somewhat of a problem: 15%

Not that much of a problem: 4%

Gov. DeSantis has seized the narrative, claiming that education has become politicized and that he intends to reverse that.

He has also endorsed a slate of 29 local school board candidates  candidates he says are pro-parent and pro-student.

In a document analyzing the survey results, the pollster recommended that Democrats expose Republicans extremism, especially their efforts to ban books from schools, and highlight the importance of providing children an honest and accurate education, to undercut GOP culture war attacks.

Polling Memo (2) by Casey Frank on Scribd

It added that the Democratic messaging should stress that instead of banning books and censoring curricula, Democrats are focused on investing in schools and that we work with parents and teachers to make the investments our kids need to thrive

Upheaval over college surveys

The implementation of a yearly survey of students and professors at public colleges and universities to gauge their political views and whether diverse political outlooks are welcomed on campus stirred a social media storm among DeSantis critics. The requirement was passed on 2021.

A headline in the online news site Salon.com stated it required students to register political views with the state. That headline and accompanying story, shared across social media platforms, elicited outrage. The headline was incorrect and has since been modified.

When the first such surveys were conducted this past spring after a judge let implementation proceed, students werent actually mandated to take the survey  or required to sign their names if they did. There was no actual registering political views.

I'm a conservative and have been watching Ron DeSantis and I'm very concerned about the law he just signed requiring professors and students in the Florida College System to register on an annual basis their political views. Supposedly, this is so students are presented with 1/3  Buds Mom (@budsma2021) July 8, 2022

The new Salon headline accurately states: DeSantis signs bill requiring survey of Florida students, professors on their political views

Still, some educators are uneasy.

Faculty really feel that they are under siege right now, said Mathew Lata, professor and president of the Florida State Universitys United Faculty of Florida (UFF) Chapter. Theyre asked to state their political preferences. And then particularly those who teach courses in areas that might be considered controversial are feeling pressure to reexamine their syllabi and teach in a way that is not most advantageous to their students, but that follows the policy of the state of Florida and the governor.

Florida Representative Spencer Roach, a sponsor of the bill, said the legislation was drafted because of anecdotal reports from students saying they were being punished for sharing unpopular views. The surveys are meant to provide data to determine the status of intellectual freedom and viewpoint diversity on Florida college campuses.

We sort of followed the lead here from a couple of other states that have worked on this, Roach said.

The initial survey asked students questions like: Agree or disagree: Students at my institution are not shielded from ideas and opinions they find unwelcome, disagreeable or even deeply offensive, while professors were asked: Agree or disagree: An expectation of receiving continuing contract/tenure is that faculty ascribe to a particular political viewpoint, and Students at my institution are encouraged to consider a wide variety of viewpoints and perspectives.

Survey results are expected by Sept. 1

Parents Rights vs. Dont say gay

Hart Research poll question:

Are you satisfied with the say that parents have in what their children are taught?

Total Satisfied: 38%

Total Unsatisfied: 50%

The bill touted by DeSantis and passed by the Legislature this past session carries the name the Parental Rights in Education Statute. Critics branded it Dont say gay.

The bill bars classroom instruction about sexuality in kindergarten through third-grade classrooms, and in higher-level grades says the education needs to be age-appropriate.

In response to Dont say gay, DeSantis supporters point out that the word gay appears nowhere in the bill.

Critics say the purpose of the measure is to chill any discussion of homosexuality and transgender issues  as well as any discussion of sexuality as a whole. The bill has had an impact, even in cosmopolitan South Florida.

Two weeks ago, the Miami Herald reported: Sex-ed textbook rejected by Miami school board after parents invoke Dont say gay bill.

A week later, the board reversed itself and approved the book, titled Comprehensive Health Skills.

Parents and teachers in four Florida school districts  Orange, Indian River, Duval and Palm Beach  filed suit last month over the lack of specificity in the law. They were joined by the Lambda Legal, the Southern Poverty Law Center, Southern Legal Counsel and the law firm Baker McKenzie.

There is some broad language in there that could trickle into other grade levels that are not kindergarten through third, said Alexandria Martin, a teacher at Carol City Senior High. So, with the political climate, we have right now, everyone in education is really concerned about navigating education in the wake of these.

Andrew Spar, Florida Education Association (FEA) president, said the new legislation could have sweeping consequences.

In Duval County, a student-produced video titled All in For Safe Schools that among other things encouraged creating a safe and supportive environment for LGBTQ classmates was pulled from the districts website.

The materials youve referenced have been removed for legal review to ensure the content complies with recent state legislation, said Sonya Duke-Bolden, Duval County Public Schools.

Scott Sowell, a teacher at Darnell-Cookman Middle/High School of the Medical Arts in Duval, said that one of his students was involved in creating the video, helping write the script, which Sowell said used appropriate language when discussing LGBTQ issues.

The main message was it had two audiences, said Sowell, a gay/straight alliance sponsor. Number one, it was an audience of LGBTQ students to indicate that they were seen and appreciated and valued as students in our public schools. The second part were resources for teachers and allies of those students with the overall flavor of creating a more safe and welcoming environment for all our students.

Race in the classroom

Hart Research poll question:

The way students are taught about racial issues and the role of race in America

Total Satisfied: 27%

Total unsatisfied: 60%

On April 15, the Florida Department of Education issued a press release titled Florida Rejects Publishers Attempts to Indoctrinate Students.

In a surprise move, the state said it was rejecting 41% of math textbooks whose publishers had applied for state DOE approval. The reason was due to impermissible content, including critical race theory (CRT), as determined by a panel of reviewers, ranging from math teachers to parent activists.

That set off a scramble by publishers to find out what the state found objectionable and remove it from the textbooks, so the books could be state approved. A subsequent Herald examination of the reviewers work found that only three of 125 reviewers had determined that a total of four math books violated a state rule that prohibits the teaching of CRT.

Since the announcement, denouncing books that teach woke math has become a DeSantis staple as he speaks before conservative groups.

DeSantis press secretary, Christina Pushaw, sent out a tweet in April in response to those questioning the review process, which included reviews by people connected to Hillsdale College, a conservative institution in Michigan..

The state declining to purchase certain textbooks isnt banning them, she tweeted. If you want to teach your kid Woke Math, where 2+2=4 is white supremacy, youre free to buy any CRT math textbook you want.

Meanwhile, a law known as HB 1467 has, in the words of the governor, preserved the rights of parents to make decisions about what materials their children are exposed to in school.

It has also, arguably, made it easier to ban certain books, which some districts have been busy doing.

Among books forbidden in at least one Florida district, according to the organization PEN America, a group of writers and human rights activists, are the classics Beloved and The Bluest Eye by the celebrated Black novelist Toni Morrison, who died in 2019.

In Florida, our parents have every right to be involved in their childs education. We are not going to let politicians deny parents the right to know what is being taught in our schools. Im proud to sign this legislation that ensures curriculum transparency, DeSantis said at the signing.

These 29 candidates are committed to advancing a bold education agenda in Florida.



Parents can rest easy knowing that these candidates will fully support their rights, support good curriculum, and ensure that students reach their full potential in our K-12 system. pic.twitter.com/y60h9ekmrl  Ron DeSantis (@RonDeSantisFL) July 28, 2022

What started as an aversion to critical race theory has been broadened to the exclusion of anything related to Common Core, a teaching standard once championed by then-Gov. Jeb Bush but now derided as federal overreach, and Social Emotional Learning, an educational method that aims to foster social and emotional skills within school curricula.

A large part of what is teaching is creativity and being able to respond to the students, said Alexandria Martin, the Carol City High teacher. And the questions that kids are raising in the classroom, and really have the kids be authentic and allow for them to be inquisitive. And a lot of times when you have outside entities trying to curate what is taught in the classrooms, it really impacts education in an extremely negative way.

Likewise, the state declining to purchase certain textbooks isn't "banning" them. if you want to teach your kid Woke Math, where "2+2=4" is white supremacy, you're free to buy any CRT math textbook you want. You just cannot force Florida taxpayers to subsidize this indoctrination  Christina Pushaw (@ChristinaPushaw) April 18, 2022

Spar of the FEA said the bills could be contributing to what is a growing shortage of teachers. According to the Florida Education Association, Florida has more than 9,000 school personnel openings, with approximately half being teacher positions.

The situation is of such concern that, effective July 1, the state announced it would issue five-year temporary teaching certificates for military veterans who have not yet earned a bachelors degree.

They must have at least 48 months of active-duty military service, 60 college credits with a 2.5 minimum GPA, and a passing score on a subject- area exam.

Martin said combing through books to ensure that no forbidden material slips through is not an effective use of an educators effort.

If it was me, I wouldnt think that was a great use of my time and talent, she said.
Just as the Biden administration is becoming more aggressive in prisoner trade negotiations with the Kremlin, WNBA star Brittney Griner seems to be taking a similar approach to her legal defense.

Hoping for a lenient sentence, Griner and her attorneys have shown a newfound willingness to risk making waves by challenging evidence that Russian prosecutors present.

In her testimony on July 27, Griner made a point of highlighting the alleged failure of Russian authorities to adhere to their countrys rules. Griner said that she was not read her rights after her arrest at a Moscow airport in February, that she did not have access to an attorney and that she was told to sign Russian-language documents without fully understanding what they were or the consequences of signing them.

The focus of Tuesdays hearing was the states examination of the cannabis oil in the two vape cartridges that Griner allegedly carried in her luggage when she flew into Moscow on Feb. 17. An expert witness summoned by the defense called into question the states measurement of how much of the banned substance was actually in those cartridges, testifying that the analysis was flawed and did not meet Russian legal standards.

While Griner has previously confessed to accidentally bringing cartridges containing cannabis oil into Russia, the amount she had should theoretically impact the sentence she receives. Prosecutors allege that she had .702 grams of cannabis oil and that what she had is enough to exceed the significant amount threshold under Russias criminal code, which is punishable with a prison term of 5-10 years.

Yahoo Sports asked a pair of experts whether Griners increasingly vigorous defense will help or hurt during sentencing. The responses indicate what Griner is up against: she is a defendant in a show trial meant to lend a veneer of legitimacy to Russias efforts to hold her until a trade can be made.

Attorney and Russian legal expert Jamison Firestone said that Russia routinely breaks its own laws and that usually a court wont overturn anything just because the police, investigators, prosecutors or lab techs broke procedural law.

This is particularly true, Firestone said, in politically important trials.

At the same time, former State Department foreign services officer David Salvo argued that Griners defense strategy wont hurt her either  albeit not for an encouraging reason. Salvo suspects that high-ranking Russian officials have already long since instructed the judge to hand down a guilty verdict and a lengthy sentence to preserve Russias leverage in subsequent prisoner exchange negotiations with the U.S.

Whatever is going to happen to her has already been decided at the highest levels, said Salvo, the deputy director of the Alliance for Securing Democracy and an expert on Russian foreign policy. I dont think what her defense team is doing is going to make things any worse because I dont think they can markedly change the landscape.

Griners trial is scheduled to resume on Thursday with closing arguments, according to Reuters. Her attorney, Maria Blagovolina, previously told Yahoo Sports that a verdict and sentencing are expected to occur by mid-August.

Brittney Griner speaks to her lawyers in a courtroom for a hearing, in Khimki just outside Moscow, Russia, Tuesday, Aug. 2, 2022. (Evgenia Novozhenina/Pool Photo via AP)

Griners sentence will arrive at a time when U.S.-Russian relations are at their lowest point since the Cold War. Supporters of Griner have alleged that Russia took the two-time U.S. Olympian as a political pawn and have put immense pressure on the Biden administration to negotiate a deal to secure her freedom.

Last Friday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov to urge him to accept the U.S.s substantial proposal to secure the release of Griner and Whelan. Blinken has declined to share details of the offer, but he has not denied reports that President Biden has signed off on trading Viktor Bout, a notorious Russian arms trafficker currently serving a 25-year sentence in an Illinois federal prison.

While Russian officials have not shot down the possibility that a deal can eventually be reached, they have insisted they wont entertain any offer until the conclusion of Griners trial. On Tuesday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov again criticized the U.S. for going public with its offer, telling reporters that megaphone diplomacy and a public exchange of views wont work here."

As Griner awaits a deal, she and her lawyers have tried to make a case for a lenient sentence. Theyve presented doctors notes, summoned character witnesses and introduced evidence that her arrest and the evidence collection were improper.

Unfortunately, most experts consider that an exercise in futility. In a case this politically charged, they suspect Russian officials have already scripted Griners fate

They are going to give her a lot of time, Firestone said. Then they are going to trade her.
Former Fox 4 anchor Mark Alford defeated a crowded field of opponents Tuesday in the Republican primary race to fill U.S. Rep. Vicky Hartzlers seat in Congress, a victory fueled by Alfords name recognition and his appeals to strict social conservative rhetoric.

Alford, who spent two decades in television, centered his campaign around being a strong conservative voice for the mostly rural district. While money poured into his campaign throughout most of the race, he still trailed former Boone County Clerk Taylor Burks in individual fundraising.

Ive overwhelmed by the support and the trust the people of the 4th Congressional District have in me to be the loudest, strongest, most unwavering conservative voice, Alford told The Star Tuesday evening. Its about listening to the people and taking their story to Washington and the national media.

Much of Alfords campaign focused on social conservative issues like gun control, COVID-19 mandates and border security. While he touted a previous visit to the southern border with Mexico to promote national security, Alford mostly focused on issues at home during his campaign.

Alford, like Hartzler, does not have any military experience.

The Associated Press called the race for Alford at 10 p.m. According to the Missouri Secretary of States Office, Alford had 36% of the vote with 327 of 353 precincts reporting.

In the general election in November, Alford will face Democrat Jack Truman, a resident of Lamar in southwest Missouri and creative director of a film company, and Libertarian Randy Langkraehr, a medical technician from Warrensburg.

Democrats held the 4th Congressional District from the 1950s until 2010 when Hartzler, a Republican, first won the seat as part of a national GOP wave. It has since become a safe seat for Republicans as Missouri has shifted to the right.

Alford will likely try to succeed Hartzler in serving on the powerful House Armed Services Committee, which funds the U.S. Department of Defense.

The committee has been key for the district, which stretches from the Kansas City metro to central Missouri. It houses the states two largest military bases: Whiteman Air Force Base in Johnson County and the U.S. Armys Fort Leonard Wood in the Ozarks.

The hotly contested primary included Burks, cattle farmer Kalena Bruce, state Sen. Rick Brattin, former St. Louis Blues player Jim Campbell, retired police officer Bill Irwin and entrepreneur Kyle LaBrue.

Brattin, a Harrisonville Republican, came in second with 21% of the vote. Bruce came in third with 14%.

The race was largely defined by its crowded field of candidates who each tried to distance themselves from the pack. Hartzlers decision to run for U.S. Senate left the seat open, allowing for seven Republicans to enter the fray.

However, only four of the seven debated each other in public: Alford, Brattin, Bruce and Burks.

Throughout the campaign, the candidates made appeals to the districts large farming base and other key Hartzler constituencies like anti-abortion advocates.

The race also became bitter at times. The candidates traded jabs over immigration reform and national security. Bruce in March called on Alford, Burks and LaBrue to drop out of the race after the states new congressional map briefly carved their homes out of the district.

But no issue appeared to be more vital than gaining the support of the districts strong military electorate. Despite his lack of military experience, Alfords campaign promised to fully fund the military, improve veteran health care services and protect the states military bases.

The other competitive congressional primary was in southwest Missouri, where eight Republican candidates vied to fill U.S. Rep. Billy Longs seat.

The Associated Press called the race for state Sen. Eric Burlison at 10:13 p.m. According to the Missouri Secretary of States Office, Burlison had 36% of the vote with 177 of 278 precincts reporting.

The Republican race featured former state Sen. Jay Wasson and current state Sen. Eric Burlison and Mike Moon. Also in the race were Alex Bryant, a conservative pastor; Sam Alexander, a CoxHealth emergency physician; retired Col. Paul Walker; Audrey Richards, a former independent write-in candidate; and Camille Lombardi-Olive, who has run for the seat in the past as both a Democrat and Republican.

Burlison will face business owner Kristen Radaker-Sheafer, the winner of the Democratic race, in the general election.
North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein went to federal court to overturn a state law that criminalizes political misinformation.

Why? Prosecutors were using that law to investigate Stein himself.

In some catastrophizing corners of the left, that behavior would be called an attack on democracy. Callous self-preservation seems a more appropriate description, but the incongruence between Steins maneuvering and Democratic rhetoric on misinformation is striking. And it reinforces a long-simmering suspicion that the ruling class decrees one set of standards, then changes them when they become inconvenient.

State law makes it a misdemeanor to publish claims designed to impact the results of an election knowing such report to be false or in reckless disregard of its truth or falsity.

Considering the rhetoric from left-leaning groups and politicians  including Stein  on the danger of political misinformation, one would think North Carolinas law would be cause for celebration.

After all, Democrats in Congress held a hearing just last month titled, A Growing Threat: How Disinformation Damages American Democracy. Stein said after the 2020 election that we all have work to do to nurse our democracy back to health because of disinformation. The N.C. Democratic Party said politicians spreading misinformation is a threat to our country and democracy.

But in 2020, Stein, a Democrat, ran an ad claiming his Republican opponent, Forsyth County District Attorney Jim ONeill, left 1,500 rape kits sitting on a shelf. Prosecutors dont test rape kits, ONeill countered in a complaint to the State Board of Elections, so Steins accusation couldnt possibly be true.

As investigators closed in on Stein this month over his political misinformation, he sought emergency action from a federal judge to rule North Carolinas anti-misinformation statute unconstitutional. The SBOE argued that Stein ask(s) this Court to declare an unabridged, First Amendment right for anyone to lie about candidates for office.

But the law punish(es) core protected political speech, Stein claimed, in clear violation of the First Amendment.

Minutes before prosecutors presented the case to a grand jury, U.S. District Court Judge Catherine Eagles granted Steins wish by finding the anti-misinformation law unconstitutional, halting the criminal proceedings.

Either Stein believes misinformation is a mortal threat to American democracy or he doesnt. Which is it?

To a casual observer, this fact pattern only confirms a long-simmering undercurrent in American politics: The party in power ignores long-held standards the moment they become inconvenient.

Gathering in large groups during a pandemic is a danger to your fellow man  until youre protesting the police, then its a public health necessity.

Hunter Bidens emails were Russian disinformation  until the 2020 election passed, now theyre authenticated.

Spreading lies to sway an election endangers our republic  until the N.C. Attorney General is under investigation, then its protected by the First Amendment.

And on and on.

I think back to an excellent series from the New York Times Opinion section last week in which eight columnists analyzed their own misjudgments. One, Bret Stephens, wrote he was wrong in 2015 to allege, If by now you dont find Donald Trump appalling, youre appalling.

In last weeks mea culpa, Stephens wrote, What Trumps supporters saw was a candidate whose entire being was a proudly raised middle finger at a self-satisfied elite that had produced a failing status quo In my dripping condescension toward his supporters, I was also confirming their suspicions about people like me  people who talked a good game about the virtues of empathy but practice it only selectively.

Hypocrisy corrodes trust. It slowly rusts institutional foundations until, eventually, they break. Theres short-term gain to be had by operating in this way, but the long-term consequences are severe  and certain.

Contributing columnist Pat Ryan is a former spokesperson for Republican N.C. Senate leader Phil Berger.
Voters in Kansas rejected an amendment that would have weakened protections for abortion in the state, a huge win for reproductive rights advocates in the first test at the ballot box since Roe v. Wade was overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court in June.

The GOP-sponsored initiative, known as Amendment 2, would not have banned abortion in the state, but a yes vote would affirm there is no Kansas constitutional right to abortion or to require the government funding of abortion and would have opened the door for the Republican-controlled Legislature to pass further restrictions. At the time the Associated Press called the race, the no vote was winning by more than 20 points.

The initiative was an attempt to overturn a 2019 decision by the Kansas Supreme Court, which ruled 6-1 that the state constitution enables a woman to make decisions regarding her body, health, family formation, and family life, including the decision whether to continue a pregnancy.

Due in large part to that decision, Kansas continued to ensure abortion rights despite the U.S. Supreme Courts ruling that access to the procedure is not protected by the U.S. Constitution. Republican-controlled states bordering Kansas, such as Oklahoma and Missouri, now have near-total bans in place, making the state a safe haven for neighboring populations.

A billboard urges Kansans to vote "no" on a proposed amendment to the state constitution that would assert there is no right to abortion. (Gabriella Borter/Reuters)

This historic victory was the result of a groundswell of grassroots support and a broad coalition of reasonable, thoughtful Kansans across the state who put health care over politics, Planned Parenthood Great Plains CEO Emily Wales said in a statement. We have seen the devastation caused by a loss of access to abortion in neighboring states and tonight, Kansans saw through the deception of anti-abortion interests to ensure people in their state retained their rights. Now, more than ever, our work continues.

The victory comes in a state that former President Donald Trump won by 15 points in 2020. It also comes after Republican legislators specifically placed the initiative on the primary ballot, hoping the usual turnout  smaller and more conservative than Novembers general election, with fewer unaffiliated voters participating  would help the amendment succeed. The limited polling in the race had indicated a tight race, with a July survey finding 47% in favor of the amendment, 43% opposed and 10% undecided.

Polls show that most Americans want abortion to be legal, and Democrats hope the issue will motivate voters to support their candidates this November. The victory comes on the same day the Justice Department announced it was suing Idaho over a restrictive abortion law that the federal government says prevents emergency room doctors from providing pregnant patients with adequate care.

In a statement following the result, President Biden said, This vote makes clear what we know: the majority of Americans agree that women should have access to abortion and should have the right to make their own health care decisions.

Congress should listen to the will of the American people and restore the protections of Roe as federal law, he added. While that is the only way to secure a womans right to choose, my Administration will continue to take meaningful action to protect womens access to reproductive health care.

Reproductive rights supporters on primary night in Overland Park, Kan., cheer as the proposed amendment fails on Tuesday. (Dave Kaup/AFP via Getty Images)

Anti-abortion advocates in the state expressed disappointment in the result. The Value Them Both Coalition, the main organization pushing for the repeal of protections, issued a statement in which it calls the outcome a temporary setback caused by an onslaught of misinformation from radical left organizations. Sen. Roger Marshall, a Republican and an ob-gyn, called it an enormous blow to efforts to protect the sanctity of life in Kansas.

Too many times Ive seen sadness and hurt, without an explanation why  this is one of those moments, Marshall said in a series of tweets. While I dont have an answer, I do know that God works all things for good for those who trust him.

While Kansas has consistently voted Republican for president and the U.S. Senate for decades, there have been Democrats in statewide office, including current Gov. Laura Kelly, who won election in 2018 by defeating Republican Kris Kobach, the controversial former Kansas secretary of state. Kelly, who opposed the amendment, will face Republican Attorney General Derek Schmidt this fall.

A July Yahoo News/YouGov poll found that 54% of Americans said abortion is a constitutional right that women in all states should have some access to, versus 30% who said individual states should be allowed to outlaw it. In a poll taken over the weekend, 43% percent of Americans said they felt Democrats would do a better job on abortion, versus 30% who said Republicans would.

Kansas is only the first state to vote on the issue in 2022, as other abortion-related initiatives will be on the ballot this November in California, Kentucky, Montana, Vermont and likely Michigan. Additionally, gubernatorial contests in states like Pennsylvania are likely to affect the legality of the procedure.
The leader of the anti-embargo group Bridges of Love denied the organization has ties to the Cuban government, following accusations made by U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio that its members are acting as unregistered foreign agents of Cuba.

In a letter Monday, Rubio asked the FBI to open an investigation into the organizations activities.

In a phone call from Havana, Carlos Lazo, the high school teacher who founded the group, said he was not aware of any work he or other members have carried out that would be considered a breach of the Foreign Agents Registration Act, which requires people and entities working as agents acting under the direction of foreign governments or organizations to register with the U.S. Department of Justice.

We do not believe that we are in violation of any law, Lazo said. Puentes de Amor, as the organization is known in Spanish, does not receive funding from any government or anyone.

Puentes de Amor, registered in the state of Washington as a nonprofit in November 2020, advocates for lifting U.S. sanctions and for the Biden administration to fulfill campaign promises to expand remittances and travel to Cuba and fully reopen the U.S. Embassy in Havana.

Lazo said that Puentes de Amor is a humanitarian organization that carries powdered milk and medicines to Cuba. The organization is raising funds to deliver more powdered milk to the island through the website of the far-left organization Code Pink.

But following a rally in Coral Gables on Sunday, where members of the group flew flags of Fidel Castros July 26th movement, Rubio, a Cuban American Republican, urged the FBI to look into the groups well-known associations with the Cuban regime.

In his letter to the FBI, Rubio called members of the group malign actors working in coordination with the Cuban government to sow division, incite conflict, and influence the foreign policy of the United States.

Lazo has met twice with Cubas handpicked president, Miguel Diaz-Canel, at the Palace of the Revolution, the government headquarters in Havana, an honor usually reserved for heads of state and other high-level officials.

Lazo said he met at the request of the Cuban authorities and that he didnt have a problem with meeting the Cuban leader.

I met in Cuba with President Miguel Diaz-Canel, first because they told me they wanted to invite me to talk about the existing problems and Cubas position, he said. I meet with whomever I have to meet to ask for improvements and to create bridges of love between the peoples of Cuba and the United States.

The first meeting in August last year happened amid a crackdown on anti-government protesters who took to the streets on July 11, which drew international condemnation. But Lazo said he didnt raise the issue because his organization has a narrow, non-political agenda.

Our organization is a humanitarian one, he said. There are many humanitarian organizations that have an agenda that is not political. We are asking for the sanctions to be lifted, and we have nothing else on our agenda.

But he said he has also made other petitions to Cuban authorities, including lifting an eight-year ban on entering the country for Cubans who have abandoned official posts abroad, such as doctors on government medical missions.

.@DiazCanelB: Lo que ustedes estan haciendo, ademas del aporte que significa en ayuda, en solidaridad, es tambien un despertar de conciencias, eso al final es lo que hace mas fuerte al movimiento. #PuentesDeAmor pic.twitter.com/nnelnmWdJX  Presidencia Cuba (@PresidenciaCuba) June 30, 2022

Lazo also denied involvement in the Cuban governments use of the group for propaganda efforts. The activities of Bridges of Love are usually covered by state media, and Diaz-Canel turned the groups name into a hashtag he and his followers have adopted on social media.

Let Diaz-Canel publish it, let Cuba publish it, let Spain publish it, Lazo said. Look, that has nothing to do with us. We fight for the lifting of the sanctions, and we fight so that the agenda that Biden promised is fulfilled.
The states leading business group says it has been falsely misrepresented as supporting the court-ordered transfer of $785 million to fund North Carolinas Leandro education plan.

An amicus brief filed last week listed the current chair of the N.C. Chamber among more than 50 business and community leaders who say the N.C. Supreme Court should require the money transfer over the objections of Republican legislative leaders.

But in a letter sent Tuesday to the N.C. Supreme Court, the N.C. Chamber says Sepi Saidi did not authorize her name or her title as chamber chair to be included in the brief. Saidi is the president and CEO of Sepi Engineering & Construction but is listed in the brief under her previous last name of Asefnia.

The inclusion of this title seems calculated to create confusion for the Court, if not outright misrepresentation, Ray Starling, the Chambers general counsel, writes in the letter. The NC Chamber had expressly stated to those organizing the amici effort that the NC Chamber would not appear in the case.

Starling asks that the Court delete Saidis name from its records and eliminate any suggestion that the Chamber has taken a position on the case.

On Wednesday, John Wester, one of the attorneys representing the business leaders, sent the Court an amended brief that removes Saidis name. But Wester says the brief was always intended to be on behalf of individuals and not to any groups affiliated with them.

Our brief neither states nor implies that the NC Chamber has taken any position on our brief, Wester writes in the letter. Mr. Starling identifies no indication that the NC Chamber has supported our brief, and the title of the addendum to our brief is Business Leaders Who Submit the Brief.

Providing a sound basic education

The long-running Leandro school funding lawsuit was initially filed in 1994 by low-wealth school districts to get more state funding.

Over the years, the state Supreme Court has ruled that the state Constitution guarantees every child an opportunity to receive a sound basic education and that the state was failing to meet that obligation.

The Supreme Court will hear oral arguments on Aug. 31 over whether it should order the transfer of $785 million from the treasury to fund the Leandro education plan. The funding would pay for things such as expanded access to Pre-K, higher salaries for teachers and more funding for low-wealth districts.

The transfer is opposed by Republican legislative leaders who say only the General Assembly has the authority to appropriate state funds.

Multiple briefs have been filed by outside parties ahead of this months oral arguments.

[Business leaders] refuse to accept that another generation of students should be denied the opportunity for a sound basic education, according to last weeks brief from the business leaders. All North Carolinians deserve the opportunity to collectively achieve the economic success that will come from fulfilling the constitutional guarantee of a quality education.

The briefs signees include Don Curtis, founder and CEO of Curtis Media Group; Jimmy Goodmon, chair and CEO of Capital Broadcasting Company; James and Ann Goodnight of SAS Institute; Hugh McColl, former chair and CEO of Bank of America; and Orage Quarles III, former president and publisher of The News & Observer.

The signees also include multiple past chairs of the N.C. Chamber, including former Raleigh Mayor Thomas Bradshaw Jr.

In Starlings letter, he says Debra Derr, the NC Chambers education lead and lobbyist, told Bradshaw on July 11 that the group would not participate in the case. Starling includes a July 18 email that Derr sent to the N.C. Public School Forum that was copied to Bradshaw saying the Chamber was not signing onto the brief.

The North Carolina Supreme Court will hear oral arguments on Aug. 31 whether it should order the transfer of $785 million from the state treasury to fund the Leandro plan.

Differing accounts of conversation

Starling also includes a July 21 email that Gerry Hancock, an attorney for the business leaders, sent to Saidi saying he was delighted to hear from Bradshaw that they could add her to the brief. Hancock also mentioned in the email that Bradshaw said Saidi offered to contribute $1,000 to cover the legal fees for the brief.

But Starling says Saidi had a single, five-to-six-minute conversation with Bradshaw on June 29 about him looking for financial support of an initiative to support education.

While I, along with the NC Chamber, am fully supportive of a continued dialogue on investment in education, it was never my intention to authorize my personal participation in this legal filing or the NC Chambers, especially when the primary issue is whether the N.C. Supreme Court has the authority to direct the appropriations process, Saidi said in a statement Wednesday.

The separation of powers clearly directs this discussion to take place on Jones Street, not Morgan Street. Our letter of clarification to the North Carolina Supreme Court Clerk speaks for itself.

Bradshaw did not immediately return an email Wednesday from The News & Observer requesting comment. But Wester, an attorney for the business leaders, said Bradshaw was crystal clear after his conversation with Saidi that she was willing to sign onto the brief.

Wester said the first indication that they got that Saidi didnt want to be involved was Starlings letter on Tuesday.

We dont want her to be on there if she doesnt want to be, Wester said in an interview Wednesday..
Monday was a huge win for the North Carolina Green Party. After the party was removed from the ballot in 2021, conducted a petition effort to return and filed a First Amendment rights lawsuit, the leftist third party was unanimously certified by the North Carolina Board of Elections Monday morning. While North Carolinas filing period concluded July 1, theres still a chance a judge will extend the deadline so that the party will be able to field candidates in the 2022 election.

It was a win that was immediately met with pushback from the North Carolinas Democratic Party, which announced it intends to file a lawsuit in state court over the boards decision. The Democrats allege that the state is ignoring its own ongoing investigation into the party amid allegations of fraudulent signatures.

In making this allegation, Democrats ignored a major point from Mondays board decision: even with the questionable signatures, the party still has 1,600 people more than needed to make its way onto the ballot. The 100 county boards of elections were required to validate all the signatures they received. That information was given to the state board. The state board decided unanimously that the party was good to proceed.

Its disappointing that a party that calls itself the Democratic Party would engage in this blatant anti-democratic effort to suppress voter choice, Green Party lawyer Oliver Hall told the News & Observer.

We agree. If Democrats are campaigning on saving democracy, as many are in this election, they shouldnt simultaneously try to take down another party simply petitioning to be on the ballot.

It isnt the first tactic the Democrats have used against the Green Party. In June, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (an arm of the national party) began calling petitioners advocating for the Green Partys inclusion on the ballot, asking them to remove their names in favor of backing Democratic candidates. One of these requests even went to Matthew Hoh, the Green Partys likely nominee for U.S. Senate.

North Carolina Republicans, for their part, have been supporting the Green Party. The DSCCs GOP counterpart, the National Republican Senatorial Committee, filed an amicus brief on behalf of the Green Party in its federal lawsuit against the Board of Elections, saying that the Green Party presents a separate option for left-leaning voters in the General Election.

This support seems slightly disingenuous, given how North Carolina Republicans have actively and consistently pursued restrictive legislation that disproportionately affects voters who traditionally support Democrats. Republicans would benefit from progressives choosing to vote for a third party candidate, of course. But whatever their motives are in this case, they arent wrong.

It seems like the fight over North Carolinas Green Party is a political proxy war between Republicans and Democrats. The Senate race between Republican nominee Ted Budd and Democrat Cheri Beasley is tightening; what was once a right-leaning race has veered closer to the middle in recent polls, and Beasleys fundraising efforts have been paying off. Theres the potential for a supermajority in the General Assembly. Democrats see the almost 14,000 signatures the Green Party needed as 14,000 fewer votes for them. Republicans see it as 14,000 votes they might not have to worry about.

Each party may want to emphasize noble reasons behind their Green Party maneuvering  whether its examining fraudulent signatures or ensuring everyone has a choice  but at the end of the day, its likely that the only people who genuinely care about the Green Partys place on the ballot are the partys members themselves.

In this fight, however, its Democrats who are trying to keep legitimate candidates off the ballot in North Carolina. Trying to take down the Green Party may help Democrats win this election, but itll further erode the democracy they say theyre fighting for.
Newcomer Anthony Ealy defeated first-term incumbent Annette Turnbaugh in Tuesdays Democratic primary for a Missouri House district covering southwest Jackson County including Grandview.

Ealy will face Republican Kurt Lauvstad in the general election in November for the 36th District.

The Associated Press called the race at 10:25 p.m. Tuesday. With 96.5% of votes counted, Ealy led the primary with 61.1% of the votes compared to Turnbaughs 35.2%. John Boyd trailed with 3.6%.

Ealy is a lawyer with what he describes on his campaign website as working-class roots as the son of a mail union leader. He has campaigned for a pro-union economy as well as criminal justice reform and investments in infrastructure, education and agriculture.

The district was redrawn as part of this years redistricting.

Turnbaugh, a Grandview native, was first elected to the Missouri House in 2020 in the old District 37.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, left, and Taiwanese President President Tsai Ing-wen meet in Taipei on Wednesday. (Taiwan Presidential Office)

The expressions of mutual support and admiration were broadcast on live TV and went off without a hitch.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi re-affirmed her support for Taiwan, declaring Wednesday that American resolve to preserve democracy on the self-governed island remained iron-clad. A grateful Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen then bestowed on the San Francisco Democrat the turquoise sash and medal of the Order of Propitious Clouds in honor of Pelosi's contribution to U.S.-Taiwan relations.

But while those ties might have been strengthened during a visit lasting less than 24 hours, the biggest consequences of Pelosi's trip are expected to unfold in the coming days, weeks and even months, analysts say, as China reacts furiously to what it deems an affront to its sovereignty over Taiwan. The result is likely to be increased instability in Asia  home to more than one-third of the world's population  and greater challenges for the U.S.

Beijing began rolling out punitive measures even before Pelosi left for South Korea on Wednesday, adding hundreds of products, including fruit and fish, to a list of banned Taiwanese exports to China to step up economic pressure on the island of 23 million, which counts the mainland as its largest trading partner. Taiwanese government websites also experienced a spate of cyberattacks while Pelosi was in Taipei.

On Thursday, China is scheduled to launch an unprecedented four-day military exercise in waters surrounding Taiwan. The live-fire drills, which will include naval assets and missile tests, are expected to paralyze one of the world's most important commercial waterways and normally busy air traffic.

While experts say China has no intention of starting a war for now, the risk of a miscalculation leading to an errant encounter with nearby U.S. or Taiwanese military units is uncomfortably high. On Wednesday, Taiwan's Ministry of Defense said China's plans were tantamount to a blockade, infringing on Taiwan's sovereignty and international laws. In addition, U.S. allies such as Japan and South Korea are increasingly unnerved by Chinas willingness to project its military strength.

Bonnie Glaser, director of the Asia Program at the German Marshall Fund, a nonpartisan public policy think tank, said Pelosi's visit has inflicted potentially irreparable damage to the already-tense ties between Washington and Beijing.

"We all know how bad this relationship has been in the past year, Glaser told reporters Tuesday. This visit by Nancy Pelosi is just going to take it to a new low. I think that it's going to be very difficult to recover from that.

Pelosi's visit  which was aimed at strengthening democracy in Asia  has threatened to upend the delicate balance that governs U.S. and Chinese dealings with Taiwan. China claims the island as part of its territory, although Taiwan is ruled by a democratically elected government that considers itself politically and culturally separate from Beijing. The U.S. acknowledges Chinas position but doesnt endorse it, maintaining informal relations with Taiwan.

As the U.S. and China spar over everything from tariffs to technology, Taiwan is possibly the most inflammatory point of discord between the two countries, and the one experts consider most likely to lead to military conflict.

Chinese leader Xi Jinping has staked part of his credibility on the idea of unifying with Taiwan, by force if necessary, and has little incentive to moderate his stance. His hard-line approach has helped put him on the verge of securing a historic third five-year term as president.

Hes benefited so much from behaving this way. It only reinforces this behavior in the future, said Alfred Wu, a professor of Chinese politics at the National University of Singapore. Theres no reason to reverse course.

Equally, Pelosis visit and Chinas aggressive response to it has likely strengthened support for Taiwanese leader Tsais administration and driven more voters to her Democratic Progressive Party ahead of local elections in November. In a sign of how political support for China has dissipated, even the more China-friendly Kuomintang opposition party said it welcomed Pelosis visit Tuesday.

The Tsai administration and DPP will tout Pelosis visit as a foreign policy success, that it was able to strengthen its relations with the U.S., said Brian Hioe, a founding editor of the Taiwan-based media outlet New Bloom.

Greater electoral success for Tsais coalition, known as the pan-green camp, will inflame Beijing further at a time when its already convinced that Washington is driving Taiwan toward independence with visits by high-level officials such as Pelosi.

The U.S. disagrees and says it still adheres to its long-standing one-China policy. U.S. officials have repeatedly said they support the status quo.

One major concern for China is that Pelosis stop in Taiwan will embolden high-ranking officials from other countries to visit as well, strengthening diplomatic support for an island that Beijing works hard to isolate.

The Guardian reported this week that Britains parliamentary foreign affairs committee is planning its own trip to Taiwan to show its support later this year. According to the British newspaper, Chinas ambassador to the U.K. has opposed that possibility, warning of severe consequences and not to dance to the tune of the United States.

Speaker Pelosi opens up the door more widely for Taiwan," said Fang-Yu Chen, assistant professor of political science at Soochow University in Taiwan. I think there will be more high-level visits for Taiwan in the coming years.

Another consequence of Beijings strong reaction to Pelosis visit could include a re-thinking of security policy for Chinas neighbors.

The U.S. has already bolstered defense ties with countries such as Japan, South Korea and Australia in response to Chinas growing power, but that could extend to other countries if the Taiwan situation becomes more volatile. On Wednesday, Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles announced a strategic review of his country's military, driven by rising geopolitical risks and China's own military buildup.

Countries in Southeast Asia are also watching with great interest because if the Chinese are able to pull off a drill of this scale around Taiwan, they can imagine similar scenarios in the South China Sea, said Collin Koh, a research fellow at Singapores Institute of Defense and Strategic Studies.

Given its proximity to Taiwan, Japan has tried to deepen security ties with the island, sending a delegation there last month that included former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba.

On Wednesday, Japans Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno expressed concern over Chinas planned military drills, which could serve as a dress rehearsal for a blockade that extends to Japanese and South Korean waters.

Such fears failed to dispel the excitement of some Taiwanese over Pelosis brief presence among them. One bakery in Taiwans Changhua county garnered attention for adding a free egg-yolk pastry to box orders for every hour Pelosi remained on the island.

As Pelosi prepared to depart, she shook hands and posed for photos with Taiwanese officials, U.S. representatives and airport workers on the tarmac before her 6 p.m. flight to South Korea. With a few final waves, she and the rest of her delegation disappeared into the aircraft, leaving Taiwan in potentially graver peril than when she arrived.

Pierson reported from Singapore and Yang from Taipei.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
It was once billed as the call center of the future. But now its very future is in doubt.

TELUS International Inc. has given 267 employees layoff notices at its Folsom call center, where workers provided technical help for customers of Google, TikTok and other Silicon Valley companies.

The center, which featured a Ford Mustang shaped pool table and retro diner themed conference rooms, is now mostly empty of employees.

The idea was to create a fun working environment that would result in atypically strong customer service that would be especially attractive to high-tech companies willing to pay more than the typical call center services in The Philippines or India or in rural parts of the U.S.

TELUS International also owns some of those centers overseas, operating in more than 25 countries.

So what went wrong? The company wouldnt discuss specifics but winning new business from tech companies and then losing it has been the standard course for the Folsom call center since operations started in late 2015.

The center could accommodate around 650 call center workers on two floors, but the work force never exceeded 400 or so at its maximum.

In reviews on various web sites that rate companies, some former workers blame employee unhappiness for the center not operating as promised. The employees say they encountered poor managers and low pay and work schedules that were not flexible as promised.

In 2019, the call center lost its largest client, technology company NEST, makers of various home technology products. resulting in the termination of 238 employees.

New contracts with tech companies ensued. But the end came quickly over the last few months with the center losing its last two major contracts.

Notices filed by TELUS International with the state Employment Development Department show the the latest layoffs have come in two batches. In the latest notice last month, TELUS said 180 employees would be terminated beginning Sept. 6, because of the end of a client relationship and expiration of a contract.

This mass layoff is expected to be permanent, the company said.

The previous layoffs were announced on May 1. TELUS International informed the state EDD that it would be terminating 87 employees on June 30 because of the ending of another contractual relationship with an employer.

The companies that did not renew contracts with TELUS International were Google and TikTok, according to workers affiliated with the call center. Representatives of the two companies did not respond to emails from The Sacramento Bee.

On Tuesday afternoon, only four cars dotted the several hundred space parking lot by the call center at 255 Parkshore Drive off Folsom Blvd. Doors to the two-story call center building were locked and security guards could be seen roaming the lobby.

Several months ago, the parking lot was full, and several hundred people filled seats inside the call center, according to people connected to the center who could not give their names, because they were not authorized to speak.

TELUS International spokeswoman Leslie Clavin said the center is not closed. She said Telus International moved to a remote work model at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020.

She said the remote work policy applied to the majority of U.S. employees, including those in Folsom. She said some Folsom employees work on-site in a hybrid model.

Whats unclear is how many employees remain in the Folsom facility or are working remotely in California. Claven refused to offer specific numbers.

In an email, addressing the latest work reduction, Clavin said that the client employing the laid-off Folsom employees, is reducing its overall global workforce.

Unfortunately, that decision extends to employees providing customer support through third-party vendors, including TELUS International.

Clavin said TELUS International is looking to find work for the employees with other teams, including remote work.

The TELUS International website shows no open positions in California.

What is clear is that TELUS International has been focusing on new job creation at a new location in North Charleston, South Carolina.

The company in August 2021 promised to create 1,200 new jobs in South Carolina by 2022 investing more than $3 million in opening a new call center and creating new jobs.

It also operates a U.S. call center in Las Vegas.

In announcing the opening of the South Carolina facility last August, a top TELUS International official promoted working inside the facility, not the remote work philosophy that Claven said the company adheres to.

TELUS Internationals 80,000-square-foot North Charleston delivery center features spacious workspaces filled with natural light, as well as a long list of amenities for employees, including ergonomic workstations, a 24/7 gym, a coffee shop, and an open-air BBQ area with a fire pit, said TELUS International Chief Operating Officer Chuck Koskovich

The COO did say that TELUS supports remote work as needed, due to the on-going challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The call center in Folsom was originally connected to another firm, Dublin-based Voxpro. It was sold to TELUS International in 2017. TELUS International is owned by Telus, which is based in British Columbia and is a Canadian phone and Internet provider.

Back in late 2015, Voxpro officials emphasized they chose the Sacramento area for its first U.S. call center because its close to Silicon Valley.

A lot of (clients) are weary of taking plane journeys to remote parts of the U.S., Dan Kiely, Voxpros founder, co-owner and chief executive, said during a visit to the Folsom facility.

Kiely also made a promise that Voxpro officials would be committed to Folsom, keeping the center in operations for years to come
South Carolina now has 23 monkeypox cases spread across the Midlands, Lowcountry and Upstate, the state health department said Wednesday.

The only part of the state still spared from the virus is the Pee Dee and Myrtle Beach area.

The location data came as part of a briefing by South Carolinas state epidemiologist Dr. Linda Bell Wednesday afternoon. Bell shared details from the state Department of Health and Environmental Control about exposures, vaccines, seeking treatment and what to do after testing positive.

Who is most at risk and what to do if exposed

Heres what to know about risk of exposure to monkeypox.

The primary way of catching the virus is through prolonged skin-to-skin or face-to-face contact with someone who has the virus, particularly if they have open sores or lesions from the virus.

The virus can also spread through the air but only after a long exposure over several hours. Being in an elevator, for example, would likely not spread the virus.

Right now, the people most at risk for catching the virus are those who have been near a confirmed positive case and members of the gay, trans, queer and gender-nonconforming communities who have sex with men because the majority of cases have been within that demographic group.

However, Bell urged the public to remember that there is no such thing as a gay disease and that anyone is at risk of catching the virus if they are exposed to someone who has it.

Be careful around pets: Bell recommended anyone who has tested positive for the virus or thinks they might have it should not only isolate from other people, but pets as well. Monkeypox did originate from exposure to animals in rain forests and could possibly spread back to them from humans.

Who is eligible for the vaccine and how many are available?

There are two criteria for vaccine eligibility.

People who have had a confirmed contact with a positive case of the virus

Adult (18+) gay, trans, queer and gender-nonconforming people who have sex with other men and have had multiple sexual partners in the last 14 days.

So far, South Carolina has received at least 1,500 doses of the vaccine, and the federal government has allocated another 5,200 doses to the state. Bell said the state health department is finishing its application to the federal government so it can formally receive those doses in the coming weeks.

The vaccine, Jynneos, requires a two-dose regimen to achieve peak efficacy. However, due to limited availability, the second dose might not be given on the usual schedule  28 days after the first dose.

Because there has been relatively low demand for the vaccine at the moment, the health department is scheduling appointments for the second dose. If doses become scarce before someones second vaccine appointment, that dose will be pushed out as long as possible while keeping with the guidelines for ensuring the highest level of efficacy.

Even with only one shot, the vaccine is effective at preventing infection even after exposure to the virus, a quality known as post-exposure prophylaxis.

The low demand for the vaccine in South Carolina stands in stark contrast to North Carolina, where in Charlotte, the local health department has a waiting list of thousands of people who have requested a shot.

When asked if people from other states would be allowed to get a vaccine in South Carolina, Bell said if the person is in South Carolina and meets the eligibility requirements, they would be given a vaccine or treatment as necessary.

This is the public health effort to prevent spread wherever it occurs, Bell said. Were not as much focused on whos the resident of where. We want to make sure that the vaccine is readily available.

Testing and treatment availability

Bell said the state has plenty of capacity to test for the virus and does not foresee a shortage in testing capacity at the moment.

One hiccup could affect testing: the virus frequently starts out with flu-like symptoms before the rash and sores develop. At the stage before the rash appears, a test cannot be run because current tests require one of the pox sores to be swabbed.

Treatments, like vaccines, are also limited and will likely be saved for more severe cases of the virus. However, just a couple of the confirmed cases of the virus have been resulted in hospitalizations so far, Bell said.

Anyone with concerns that they are at risk or might have been exposed can call the state health departments CARE line, 1-855-472-3432, for more information and to make an appointment. Another option is to call your primary care physician or local doctors office and they can provide support, as well.
U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen arrive for a meeting in Taipei, the capital, on Wednesday. (Taiwan Presidential Office)

U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi left Taiwan after a visit that heightened tensions with China, saying Wednesday that she and other members of Congress in her delegation showed they would not abandon their commitment to the self-governing island.

Pelosi (D-San Francisco), the first U.S. speaker of the House of Representatives to visit the island in more than 25 years, courted Beijing's wrath with the visit and set off more than a week of debate over whether it was a good idea after news of it leaked. In Taipei, she remained calm but defiant.

Today the world faces a choice between democracy and autocracy, she said in a short speech during a meeting with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen. Americas determination to preserve democracy, here in Taiwan and around the world, remains ironclad.

China, which claims Taiwan as its territory and opposes any engagement by Taiwanese officials with foreign governments, announced multiple military exercises around the island and issued a series of harsh statements after the delegation touched down Tuesday night in Taipei, the Taiwanese capital.

Taiwan decried the planned actions.

Such an act equals to sealing off Taiwan by air and sea  and severely violates our countrys territorial sovereignty, said Capt. Jian-chang Yu at the National Defense Ministrys media briefing Wednesday morning.

The Chinese military exercises, including live fire, are to start Thursday and be the largest aimed at Taiwan since 1995, when China fired missiles in a large-scale exercise to show its displeasure at a visit by then-Taiwanese President Lee Teng-hui to the U.S.

Tsai responded firmly Wednesday to Beijings military intimidation.

Facing deliberately heightened military threats, Taiwan will not back down, Tsai said at her meeting with Pelosi. We will firmly uphold our nations sovereignty and continue to hold the line of defense for democracy.

China's official Xinhua News Agency announced the military actions Tuesday night, along with a map outlining six different areas around Taiwan. Arthur Zhin-Sheng Wang, a defense studies expert at Taiwans Central Police University, said three of the areas infringe on Taiwanese waters, meaning they are within 12 nautical miles of shore.

Using live fire in a country's territorial airspace or waters is risky, said Wang, adding that, "according to international rules of engagement, this can possibly be seen as an act of war."

Pelosi's trip has heightened U.S.-China tensions more than recent visits by other members of Congress because of her high-level position as leader of the House of Representatives. She is the first speaker of the House to come to Taiwan in 25 years, since Newt Gingrich in 1997. However, other members of Congress have visited Taiwan in the past year.

Tsai, thanking Pelosi for her decades of support for Taiwan, presented the speaker with a civilian honor, the Order of the Propitious Clouds.

Facing deliberately heightened military threats, Taiwan will not back down, Tsai said. We will firmly uphold our nations sovereignty and continue to hold the line of defense for democracy.

China's response has been loud and has come on multiple fronts: diplomatic, economic and military.

Shortly after Pelosi landed Tuesday night, China announced live-fire drills that reportedly started that night, as well as the four-day exercises starting Thursday.

The People's Liberation Army Air Force flew a contingent of 21 warplanes, including fighter jets, toward Taiwan. Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Xie Feng summoned the U.S. ambassador to Beijing, Nicholas Burns, to convey the Chinese government's displeasure.

State broadcaster CCTV published images and video of PLA drills Wednesday, although it was unclear where they were being conducted.

On Wednesday, China also banned some imports from Taiwan, including citrus fruit and fish.

Pelosi addressed Beijings threats Wednesday morning, saying she hoped it was clear that, while China has stood in the way of Taiwan going to certain meetings, that they understand they will not stand in the way of people coming to Taiwan as a show of friendship and of support.

Pelosi noted that support for Taiwan is bipartisan in Congress and praised the islands democracy. She stopped short of saying that the U.S would defend Taiwan militarily, emphasizing that Congress is committed to the security of Taiwan, in order to have Taiwan be able to most effectively defend themselves.

Her focus has always been the same, she said, going back to her 1991 visit to Beijing's Tiananmen Square, when she and other lawmakers unfurled a small banner supporting democracy, two years after a bloody military crackdown on protesters at the square.

That visit was also about human rights and what she called dangerous technology transfers to rogue countries.

Pelosi visited a human rights museum in Taipei that details the history of the island's martial-law era and met with some of Taiwan's most prominent rights activists, including an exiled former Hong Kong bookseller who was detained by Chinese authorities, Lam Wing-kee.

Pelosi, who is leading the trip with five other members of Congress, met earlier Wednesday with representatives from Taiwans legislature.

Madam Speakers visit to Taiwan with the delegation, without fear, is the strongest defense of upholding human rights and consolidation of the values of democracy and freedom, Tsai Chi-chang, vice president of the Legislative Yuan, as the legislature is officially known, said in welcome.

The Biden administration has sought to turn down the volume on the visit, saying theres no change in Americas long-standing one-China policy, which recognizes Beijing but allows informal relations and defense ties with Taipei.

Pelosi said her delegation has heft," including Gregory W. Meeks (D-N.Y.), chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.) from the House Intelligence Committee.

She also mentioned Rep. Suzan DelBene (D-Wash.), who Pelosi said was instrumental in the passage of a $280-billion bill aimed at boosting American manufacturing and research in semiconductor chips  an industry dominated by Taiwan that is vital for modern electronics.

Reps. Andy Kim (D-N.J.) and Mark Takano (D-Riverside) are also in the delegation.

She departed Wednesday evening for South Korea, the next stop on an Asia tour that also includes Singapore, Malaysia and Japan.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Family members can only touch fingertips through the fence at Friendship Park during reunion weekends when Border Patrol agents open up a gate to a small area for no more than 25 families at a time. But it's been shut down since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. (Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times)

On the U.S.-Mexico border, where San Diego ends and Tijuana begins right next to the Pacific Ocean, there's a place called Friendship Park. It opened over 50 years ago and was meant to be a symbol of the binational community that stretches across the border. Friendship Park eventually became an unlikely place for poignant cross-border reunions.

But since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Friendship Park has been shut down. And there's a good chance it might not reopen. We get into its history and future today. Read the full transcript here.

Host: Gustavo Arellano

Guests: San Diego Union-Tribune border reporter Kate Morrissey

More reading:

Once a symbol of binational unity, Friendship Park could close to cross-border reunions forever

Wall going up in Friendship Park at U.S.-Mexico border

U.S. side of a binational garden at Mexico border bulldozed

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Joanna Haynes remembers the day one of her patients cried in her office because his best friend had died from AIDS. He didnt even know his friend was sick.

I asked, Well, did you tell him you had it, too? And he said, No, said Haynes, a social worker and the CEO of the HIV-focused clinic Careteam+ in the Grand Strand. This is someone that he trusted with his life. Thats how stigmatizing it is in this state.

Haynes fears monkeypox, a derivative of smallpox spreading around the world right now, soon will turn into a similar tale. Men who have sex with men make up the majority of the 5,811 cases of monkeypox in the U.S., according to the latest data available from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. There is already concern among medical professionals around the globe.

The World Health Organization has already declared that the virus is a problem the entire planet needs to focus on, designating it a global health emergency last week.

So far, patients in South Carolina make up just 0.36% of all cases in the country, but doctors and public health professionals in the state fear that could quickly grow. Driving those fears are two chief concerns:

If heterosexual people dont take any precautions to protect themselves, then once the virus starts spreading outside the queer community, it will be able to spread rapidly unconstrained.

If the virus becomes considered to be a gay disease, then it could become harder to secure funding and support to fight it.

Unlike HIV, monkeypox is not a sexually transmitted infection, but it is spread through prolonged skin-to-skin contact and skin sores.

When infected with the virus, people may experience flu-like symptoms such as fatigue, fever and headaches followed by swollen lymph nodes and a rash. The virus isnt deadly, but anyone who gets it could experience pain and discomfort for weeks.

One of the things that weve been messaging to this community is for people to be mindful about being with a new partner and asking them if theyve had any symptoms or looking for any rashes, said Dr. Jonathan Knoche, a medical consultant for South Carolinas health department.

Most infections last two to four weeks. As of Aug. 1, South Carolina has just 21 cases. However, doctors and public health workers in the state fear that number could quickly increase if the broader population doesnt take the virus seriously.

Reminiscent of HIV

Monkeypox itself isnt related to HIV in any biological way, but the nation may see similarities in how parts of society handle it. The virus is already viewed by some heterosexual people as a gay disease that they dont have to worry about, Haynes said.

Haynes said politicians, doctors and public health workers in the 70s and 80s did the world a grave injustice by initially naming HIV Gay-Related Immune Deficiency.

Cultures across the world have always found a group to blame, she said. What happened (with HIV) was that many of the groups grew in numbers of infections, while the general population heard this as a gay mans disease, so millions of people ignored the risks.

Im afraid we are doing that again, she added. The truth is that anyone can contract monkeypox.

Haynes went a step further  not only can anyone become infected with monkeypox, it is almost guaranteed that sooner than later the majority of cases will be among heterosexual people.

At the same time, just like with HIV, simply being near gay people will not cause someone to suddenly be infected with monkeypox, said Marty Player, a family medicine doctor at the Medical University of South Carolina.

One of the most troublesome features of monkeypox is its incubation period. Haynes said the virus can take up to two weeks to show symptoms. The severity of symptoms also ranges widely. One person might only have a single monkeypox sore, while another might have hundreds of them all over their body.

You start out with flu symptoms, so that doesnt tell you anything. Everything seems to start with flu symptoms these days, Haynes said. That is followed by a rash or pimple-like lesions. You could have pimples over large parts of your body or you can have one ... and the rash looks like red ant bites.

SC gears up public health response

Communication is key with any public health emergency, experts say. South Carolinas Department of Health and Environmental Control said it is utilizing its partnerships with community groups and local governments as it pushes vaccination efforts for those who are at high risk and education for the broader population.

So much of it comes back to education. In this moment, theres just the need to encourage education around this topic, both for providers, so that they understand the virus and understand the risks, said Chase Glenn, the director of LGBTQ+ Health Services at the Medical University of South Carolina.

Knoche, the medical consultant for the state health department, believes that risk to the general public is low and most cases are occurring among men having sex with men. However, Knoche notes that its not exclusive to that population.

Weve seen it spread to household family members, Knoche said. Theres some risk there for stigma or concern (about) how it will be perceived by the general public.

If someone is exposed to monkeypox, DHEC will interview the person to determine how long contact was, what symptoms the exposed person may be experiencing and whether theyre eligible for a vaccine.

I feel like everyone knows about (monkeypox), but then I talk to friends I have, and they say, Oh, what is that? Player said, showcasing how education is still important even as headlines have swirled about the virus in recent weeks. Not everyone reads everything the way Im reading things all the time.

If a person develops symptoms after an interview, then health officials will order a lab test to determine whether they have contracted the virus. The state health department also has launched a website about monkeypox that alerts health care providers throughout the state about new cases and provides additional information about vaccines.

South Carolinians are eligible for the monkeypox vaccines if they are at high risk for the virus or have been a close contact with someone who has tested positive. Currently, people considered at high risk and eligible for the vaccine include adult men who have sex with other men and have had two or more sexual partners in the last 14 days.

The state has 1,700 vaccine doses, a small amount, but enough to ward off Players fear that the state would be left out altogether in favor of bigger states like New York and California.

Haynes said she was impressed with how, on a recent conference call with community health providers, officials were focused on making sure everyone had everything necessary to educate and combat monkeypox.

There was a great deal of attention given to monkeypox, she said. Most of it was about teaching people to be careful and washing your hands, like with COVID, often.

Having a website, a phone line and vaccines available to deal with monkeypox in just a few weeks, Player said thats an astronomical effort for the state and something to be proud of.

That speaks to some of the lessons learned in the past and the desire to be more responsive and to get it right, but that is within the constraints of the limited number of vaccines and such, Glenn said. Nothings perfect. Theres always room for improvement and for evolution in how we communicate these things.

Player praised current messaging and marketing around monkeypox for talking about how battling it is a community effort, thereby opening doors to utilizing the resources and partnerships with LGBTQ+ community organizations that can directly reach people better than the state health department could, for example.

This messaging is targeting that community, but its also an opportunity for the community to own the message and say, This is what were doing within our community to protect our own, Glenn said. Its that balance of finding the right messaging to be really direct, that this is a segment of the community that is at highest risk right now because this is where its most prevalent. But also doing what we can to dispel misinformation and educate that this obviously isnt just a gay virus.

Community efforts

While the approach to monkeypox so far has gone well, LGBTQ+ organizations have felt the need to step up as a backstop since, historically, governmental resources to support health issues facing queer people and public health at large have been severely lacking, they say.

Dr. Smitty Heavner, who sits on the board for 864Pride, a clinical nonprofit serving the LGBTQ+ community South Carolina, said the issue of underfunding public health initiatives frequently leads to miscommunication, such as seeing HIV or monkeypox as gay diseases.

Theres always a risk of someone misusing the data, said Heavner, noting how some have used the fact that the majority of cases have been among gay and bisexual men as a weapon against that community. As a public health scientist, and as an advocate for disadvantaged communities, as a member of a minority community  the queer community  its something Im always conscious of, and we see it all the time.

To combat the spread of incorrect information, Heavner encourages people in health care, the queer community, in the media or anyone in the position of advocacy to explain properly how monkeypox poses a risk for everyone.

The queer community, however, might be better equipped than most to deal with monkeypox, LGBTQ+ health experts said. As a result of HIV circulating for more than 50 years now, much of the community is used to having frank discussions about health and health-related behaviors. Queer-focused dating apps such as Grindr encourage users to get tested for sexually transmitted diseases and start taking PrEP, a drug that is highly effective at preventing HIV infections.

I just feel sorry for the rest of the population when were hearing on the news that gay men seem to be stigmatized now about monkeypox just like they were with HIV, Haynes said. Its not going to stay there. ... The next thing you know its spreading like wildfire.

Direct and careful community outreach will be crucial to fighting the virus in South Carolina, Haynes said. While the queer community broadly is likely better equipped to fight monkeypox, that isnt going to be true everywhere, especially in places that are less accepting of LGBTQ+ people, including South Carolina.

Because the virus already has a homophobic stigma attached to it, health care providers will need to work on reassuring people who have been exposed that they wont be outed.

Ive been doing this in South Carolina for 17 years, and I know what a horrible stigma it is, Haynes said. I know that people in Williamsburg and Georgetown Counties dont tell their primary care providers that they have HIV because they know somebody in the office.

The vaccine, for example, is available to men who have sex with men, but those same people also have to disclose their sexuality to a stranger over the phone to get the shot. As vaccines become more available, Player suggested the state health department switch to less-invasive questions that make vaccine recipients more comfortable, such as by simply asking if they feel they are at risk and nothing more.

If there is shame around it, then we know from experience that things worsen, Player said.

Changing behaviors

One of the first steps to fighting the virus, Haynes said, is getting the vaccine for those who are eligible.

But right now, vaccine supplies are limited. Doses will become more available over time, but access to them could remain a challenge, as there is currently only one manufacturer with an approved vaccine for monkeypox, and that company is based in Denmark. The vaccine also is supposed to be a two-part series, Player said, but health officials are rationing supplies and handing out just one dose until more become available.

Haynes notes for those who do get the monkeypox vaccine, that doesnt mean they are completely immune to the virus. Past data from Africa, where monkeypox has spent much of its time before this most recent wave of infections, shows the Jynneos shot is about 85% effective at preventing illness, according to the CDC.

If I were a gay man, I would go get it because its available to me, but please dont think that because you have a vaccine, youre safe, Haynes said.

With that in mind, Haynes said those most at risk should consider being more careful. Anyone who is immunocompromised should consider avoiding skin-to-skin contact with people they dont know. For those planning to go out drinking or dancing at a nightclub, for example, this could mean avoiding dancing shirtless or dancing near other people who are.

For anyone who is sexually active, or frequently comes into prolonged contact with people they dont know, Haynes said the most important issue to remember is that you are the only person you can be 100% sure about. Yes, its always good to ask others about their activities or who they might have been exposed to, but that doesnt mean they will tell the truth, Haynes stressed.

This is not AIDS, and it will not kill you, but you will hate it, Haynes said.

Anyone with concerns that they are at risk or might have been exposed can call the state health departments CARE line, 1-855-472-3432, for more information and to make an appointment.
Lakes Beach along the east coast of Barbados is covered in sargassum. (Kofi Jones / Associated Press)

A record amount of seaweed is smothering Caribbean coasts from Puerto Rico to Barbados as tons of brown algae kill wildlife, choke the tourism industry and release toxic gases.

More than 24 million tons of sargassum blanketed the Atlantic in June, up from 18.8 million tons in May, according to a monthly report published by the University of South Floridas Optical Oceanography Lab, which noted it as a new historical record.

July saw no decrease of algae in the Caribbean Sea, said Chuanmin Hu, an optical oceanography professor who helps produce the reports.

I was scared, he recalled feeling when he saw the historic number for June. He noted that it was 20% higher than the previous record set in May 2018.

Hu compiled additional data for the Associated Press that showed sargassum levels for the eastern Caribbean at a near record high this year, second only to those reported in July 2018. Levels in the northern Caribbean are at their third-highest, following July 2018 and July 2021, he said.

Scientists say more research is needed to determine why sargassum levels in the region are reaching new highs, but the United Nations Caribbean Environment Program says possible factors include a rise in water temperatures as a result of climate change and nitrogen-laden fertilizers and sewage waste fueling algae blooms.

This year has been the worst year on record, said Lisa Krimsky, a researcher and faculty member with Florida Sea Grant and a water resources regional specialized agent at the University of Florida. It is absolutely devastating for the region.

She said large masses of seaweed have a severe environmental impact, with decaying algae altering water temperatures and the pH balance as well as leading to declines in seagrass, coral reef and sponge populations.

Theyre essentially being smothered out, Krimsky said.

The golden tide also has hit humans hard.

The concentration of algae is so heavy in some parts of the eastern Caribbean that the French island of Guadeloupe issued a health alert in late July. It warned some communities about high levels of hydrogen sulfide emanating from huge rotting clumps of seaweed, which can affect people with respiratory problems such as asthma.

The Biden administration declared a federal emergency after the U.S. Virgin Islands warned last month of unusually high amounts of sargassum affecting water production at a desalination plant near St. Croix that is struggling to meet demand amid a drought.

Were consuming as much as we can produce right now, said Daryl Jaschen, director of the islands emergency management agency. Were very concerned about that.

In addition, the U.S. Virgin Islands electricity-generating station relies on ultra-pure water from the desalination plant to reduce emissions monitored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The loss of such water would force the government to use a type of diesel fuel that is more expensive and in limited supply, officials said.

Experts first noted large amounts of sargassum in the Caribbean Sea in 2011, which Hu and other scientists think were created by stronger-than-normal winds and currents. The problem has worsened as clumps multiplied, fueled by nutrients and strong sunlight.

In the tropical Atlantic, everything was right, Hu said. Everything grows fast.

Sargassum in moderation helps purify water, absorb carbon dioxide and is a key habitat for fish, turtles, shrimp, crabs and other creatures. But it is bad for tourism, the economy and the environment when too much accumulates just offshore or on beaches.

A carpet of brown algae recently surrounded an uninhabited island near the French Caribbean territory of St. Martin that is popular with tourists, forcing officials to suspend ferry service and cancel kayaking and snorkeling tours. The normally translucent waters around Pinel Island turned into a prickly brown slush.

On Union Island, which is part of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, the seaweed invasion has forced some resorts to close for up to five months in the past.

Masses of sargassum also have strangled the Caribbeans fishing industry. It damages boat engines and fishing gear, prevents fishermen from reaching their boats and fishing areas, and leads to a drop in the number of fish caught. Barbados has been especially hit hard since flying fish make up 60% of the islands annual landed catch, according to the University of the West Indies.

An overabundance of sargassum was blamed for the recent deaths of thousands of fish at the French Caribbean island of Martinique. It also has activists concerned about the plight of endangered turtles, with some dying at sea entangled in seaweed or unable to lay their eggs given the mat of algae covering the sand.

In the Cayman Islands, a thick carpet of sargassum had prompted officials to launch a trial program in which crews pumped more than 2,880 square feet of seaweed out of the water. But on Tuesday, the government announced that it had suspended removal efforts because the level of decomposition made it impractical.

Other island nations have opted to use heavy machinery to remove seaweed from the beach, but scientists warn that that causes erosion and could destroy the nests of endangered turtles.

Attempts to use sargassum as fertilizer, food, biofuel, construction material or medicinal products continue, but many Caribbean islands are unable to remove the vast amounts of the seaweed because they are struggling financially and have limited resources.

Gov. Albert Bryan of the U.S. Virgin Islands said he asked President Biden to declare a federal emergency for the entire three-island territory, not just St. Croix, but that didnt happen. Bryan said he is now trying to find local funds to clean beaches, but a lot of things need money right now.

Since 2011, large amounts of sargassum have invaded the Caribbean every year except 2013  an anomaly that scientists believe may have resulted from a lack of nutrients and a change in wind strength and direction. And the record amounts reported in recent years are even more concerning for scientists and island governments.

We dont know if this is a new normal, Krimsky said. This has been devastating for over a decade.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
National abortion-rights advocates hailed the surprise results of the Kansas constitutional referendum Tuesday, arguing that the victory for their side proves that even red-state voters reject outright banning access to abortions.

Its another sign, they say, that the issue will be a major factor across the country during this years midterm elections.

In the heartland of the United States, protecting abortion access is galvanizing voters like never before, and that mobilization is only just beginning, said Mini Timmaraju, president of NARAL Pro-Choice America, in a statement. Reproductive freedom is a winning issue, now and in November.

Tuesdays vote was the first major electoral test for the abortion rights movement since the Supreme Court in June revoked the constitutional right to an abortion.

The referendum asked voters to support or oppose adding an anti-abortion amendment to the states constitution, which, if successful, would have nullified a 2019 Kansas Supreme Court ruling that establish a right to the procedure. State lawmakers would then be allowed to approve new abortion restrictions, including an outright ban like the one in neighboring Missouri.

The vote was closely watched across the country, with both political sides looking to it for clues over how the Supreme Courts landmark ruling, which overturned Roe v Wade, could affect the upcoming elections in November.

Progressives said Tuesdays results make clear the issue is a winning one for them.

Make no mistake, abortion is on the ballot across the country in November, and voters will be holding Republicans accountable for their efforts to strip us of our rights  the success of blocking this anti-abortion ballot initiative is proof of that, said Laphonza Butler, president of EMILYs List, in a statement. Voters will not stand by while Republicans play politics with our bodies and our futures.

EMILYs List, a well-funded national organization, supports female Democratic candidates who back abortion rights. It has endorsed Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly, who herself again won the partys gubernatorial nomination during Tuesdays primary.

National political organizations took a heavy interest in Kansas ahead of Tuesdays vote. Officials with Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America said late last month that it and its affiliated political action committee had made a quarter-million visits to the homes of prospective voters and spent more than a $1 million promoting the referendum, including on digital ads.

In a statement, the conservative group called the loss a huge disappointment that could enable the state become a place of unrestricted abortion on demand.

The stakes for the pro-life movement in the upcoming midterm elections could not be higher, and there will be many more factors in play, said Mallory Carroll, spokeswoman for SBA Pro-Life America. It is critical that pro-life candidates go on offense to expose the extremism of Democrats policy goals for nationalized abortion on demand paid for by taxpayers.

NARAL officials said their own members in the state knocked on more than 1,200 doors, made over 30,000 phone calls, and sent over 5,000 texts to encourage this outcome.

Other abortion-rights supporters said they considered the successful Kansas referendum a model for how other states can protect access to abortion rights.

As the first state to vote on abortion rights following the fall of Roe v. Wade, Kansas is a model for a path to restoring reproductive rights across the country through direct democracy, said Alexis McGill Johnson, president of Planned Parenthood Action Fund, in a statement. From Michigan to Nevada, we have the opportunity to protect abortion access at the ballot box in November. We know that Kansas will not be our last fight, or our last victory.

Kansas voters, Johnson added, rejected a dangerous amendment that would have let anti-abortion politicians eliminate access to essential health care.

They protected their right to decide what is best for their own bodies, lives, and futures, she said. And they made it resoundingly clear that they dont want politicians involved in their medical decisions or abortion bans in their state.

Abortion is expected to be a major issue in this years midterm election, with Democrats hoping that the publics uneasiness about striking down Roe can help them overcome an otherwise challenging national political climate.

Republicans, for their part, point to polls that show a large share of voter want at least some restrictions on abortion and argue that overturning Roe simply lets the public, and not the courts, set reasonable limits on the procedure.
WASHINGTON (AP)  A bill enhancing health care and disability benefits for millions of veterans exposed to toxic burn pits won final approval in the Senate on Tuesday, ending a brief stalemate over the measure that had infuriated advocates and inspired some to camp outside the Capitol.

The bill now goes to President Joe Bidens desk to be signed into law. He has said the bill makes good on our sacred obligation to care for veterans and their families.

The Senate approved the bill by a vote of 86-11.

It had also approved the legislation back in June, but the legislation required a do-over for a technical fix. That process derailed when Republicans made a late attempt to change another aspect of the bill last week and blocked it from advancing.

The abrupt delay outraged veterans groups and advocates, including comedian Jon Stewart. It also placed GOP senators in the uncomfortable position of delaying the top legislative priority of service organizations this session of Congress.

A group of veterans and their families have been camping out at the Capitol since that vote. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said he had good news for them when he announced the final vote for Tuesday evening.

Veterans who were exposed to the toxic fumes of burn pits will be treated by the VA like they should have been from the beginning," Schumer said.

The legislation directs the VA to presume that certain respiratory illnesses and cancers were related to burn pit exposure, allowing veterans to obtain disability payments to compensate for their injury without having to prove the illness was a result of their service.

Roughly 70% of disability claims related to burn pit exposure are denied by the VA due to lack of evidence, scientific data and information from the Defense Department.

The military used burn pits to dispose of such things as chemicals, cans, tires, plastics and medical and human waste.

Hundreds of thousands of Vietnam War era veterans and survivors also stand to benefit from the legislation. The bill adds hypertension, or high blood pressure, as a presumptive disease associated with Agent Orange exposure.

The bill is projected to increase federal deficits by about $277 billion over 10 years.
The cargo ship Razoni, laden with Ukrainian grain, anchors at the entrance of the Bosphorus Strait in Istanbul on Wednesday. (Khalil Hamra / Associated Press)

The first grain ship to leave Ukraine and cross the Black Sea under a wartime deal passed inspection Wednesday in Istanbul and headed on to Lebanon. Ukraine said 17 other vessels were loaded and waiting permission to leave, but there was no word yet on when they could depart.

A joint civilian inspection team spent three hours checking the cargo and crew of the Sierra Leone-flagged ship Razoni, which left Odesa on Monday carrying Ukrainian corn, a United Nations statement said.

The Joint Coordination Center team included officials from Ukraine, Russia, Turkey and the U.N., the signatories of deals last month to create safe Black Sea shipping corridors to export Ukraine's desperately needed agricultural products as Russia's war upon its neighbor grinds on.

Ukraine is a major global grain supplier, but the war had blocked most exports. The July 22 deal is aimed at easing food insecurity around the globe, with world food prices soaring because of the war, supply-chain problems and COVID-19. Mistrust between Kyiv and Moscow has kept a cloud over the deal, which lasts for 120 days but can be renewed.

Although U.S. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken called the Razoni's journey a significant step, no other ships have left Ukraine in the last 48 hours, and officials on all sides have given no explanation for that delay.

A U.N. statement said three Ukrainian ports are due to resume exports of millions of tons of wheat, corn and other crops. It said inspectors gained valuable information from the Razoni's crew about its voyage through the Black Sea maritime humanitarian corridor.

The Joint Coordination Center is fine-tuning procedures, it said.

Pictures tweeted by the Turkish Ministry of National Defense showed an inspector reaching into the Razoni's open hold and touching some of its cargo: 26,527 tons of corn for chicken feed. The Razonis horn rang out as the inspectors left the ship, and it then headed off to Lebanon.

The checks seek to make sure that outbound cargo ships carry only grain, fertilizer or related food and not any other commodities, and that inbound ships are not carrying weapons.

An estimated 20 million tons of grain  most of it said to be destined for livestock  has been stuck in Ukraine since the start of the 6-month-old war. The U.N.-brokered agreement provides for the establishment of safe corridors through the mined waters outside Ukraines ports.

A Black Sea voyage entails significant risks because of the war. Two civilian ships hit explosive devices there last week near the Danube Rivers Bystre estuary, according to Bridget Diakun, a data reporter at Lloyds List, a global shipping news publication.

It appears that the first priority for authorities is bringing out vessels that have been stuck for months at the three Ukrainian ports covered by the deal, analysts say. Sixteen ships loaded with grain have been stuck at the ports of Odesa and Chernomorsk since Russia's invasion began Feb. 24, according to Lloyds List data.

Even slower than that is an effort to bring ships into Ukraine's ports to extract the millions of tons of grain.

Insurance brokers are being cautious, slow, so far, said David Osler, insurance editor at Lloyds List. At this stage, everyones hesitant."

Meanwhile, Russian forces kept up their bombardment of the southern Ukrainian city of Mykolaiv, shelling it twice over the last 24 hours  around 9 p.m. Tuesday and 5 a.m. Wednesday, Mykolaiv regional Gov. Vitaliy Kim reported.

The shelling damaged a pier, an industrial enterprise, residential buildings, a garage cooperative, a supermarket and a pharmacy, Kim said.

Mykolaiv is a southern port city on the Black Sea. The Russians said in April that they wanted control over not just eastern but southern Ukraine, cutting off the country from its Black Sea coast and creating a possible land corridor to the breakaway Moldovan region of Transnistria.

The mayor of Mykolaiv, Oleksandr Senkevitch, told the Associated Press that 131 civilians, including a child, have died so far in the city from Russian rocket and artillery shelling and another 590 were seriously injured, including seven children.

In eastern Ukraine, Russian shelling killed at least four civilians in Donetsk province in 24 hours, Ukraines presidential office said Wednesday. Amid the relentless onslaught there by Moscows forces, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky issued an order to all those remaining in the province to evacuate as soon as possible.

Officials said that because of Russian attacks, people in areas still held by the government are unlikely to have heat, electricity or running water this winter.

Russias war against Ukraine has also disrupted energy supplies in Western Europe, with Moscow drastically cutting how much it sends amid fears that it could stop sending any at all. All across Europe, nations are rushing to cut energy use this summer so they can fill up gas storage tanks for the cold winter ahead.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Jewish community leaders and faith leaders in Centre County, along with local elected officials, came out in full force Tuesday against the Republican nominee for Pennsylvania governor and his ties to a hate site.

Doug Mastriano, a Pennsylvania state senator and Republican candidate for governor, has recently been in the national spotlight for his ties to a far-right social media site, Gab.com, and its founder, Andrew Torba. Because the site is a champion for free speech, individual liberty and the free flow of information online, its lenient content management has allowed the site to run rampant with misinformation, antisemitism and conspiracy theories. Torba has also been under fire lately for antisemitic comments.

Jesse Barlow, State College Borough Council president, had strong views on the site, calling it a hate site. The person accused of killing 11 people during a 2018 Shabbat service at a Pittsburgh synagogue used the site.

Its a haven for white supremacist, antisemitism, Islamophobia, and just about every other kind of bigotry you can name. It helped inspire the Tree of Life synagogue murderer. Its CEO Andrew Torba is a rabid antisemite and Islamophobe. Senator Mastriano has participated in Gab for some time, Barlow said.

State College Borough Council president Jesse Barlow speaks against Doug Mastriano and his association with Gab during a gathering on Tuesday, Aug. 2, 2022.

Last week, Mastriano tweeted that he rejects antisemitism in any form and distanced himself from Torba.

His campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday for this article.

Evan Myers, former president of Congregation Brit Shalom, said after the Tree of Life Synagogue shooting, he was asked to stand at the pulpit at Congregation Brit Shalom and offer remarks. Its a spot hes stood in many times, he said, but this one was the most significant. He and his wife were there to not only stand with the community, but also to remember the anniversary of his father-in-laws death, four years earlier.

My father-in-law was proud of his faith and his heritage. He was also proud of being part of the US Army in Europe in World War II that liberated the continent from fascists and put an end to the Holocaust, Myers said. He would have been shocked if he would have had to have been gathered there on that night four years ago, and also again, here this morning to confront the forces of hate, but he would not have shrunk from that responsibility. And we must not also shrink from that responsibility.

Evan Myers speaks against Doug Mastriano and his association with Gab during a gathering on Tuesday, Aug. 2, 2022.

Paul Takac, Democrat candidate for Pennsylvanias 82nd House District and College Township Council member, said discrimination or hatred against any religious or cultural group goes against the very fiber of our moral being.

Im going to come out and say it: antisemitism has no place in Pennsylvania or anywhere, Takac said. For a gubernatorial candidate to espouse Christian nationalism as the base of his ideology, utilizing a social media platform that aided and abetted the deadliest attack on Jewish people in our nations history and right here in Pennsylvania, is out of line with the folks here. Its alienating. Its divisive, and its just plain wrong.

Others, like Suzanne Weinstein, board president of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Centre County, said Pennsylvanians need an explanation as to why Mastriano used and paid Gab, and why he associated with someone who is openly antisemitic, such as Torba.

In a filing, Mastriano said he paid $5,000 for campaign consulting fees to the platform.

Mastrianos association with this hateful site and Christian nationalism is appalling and frightening and he owes the people of Pennsylvania explanations for his connection to the site, Weinstein said. Why did he pay a site known to espouse hateful rhetoric aimed at Jewish people? Could it be that his perspective aligns with the users of the site?

Ezra Nanes, mayor of State College, is Jewish. He said hes faced antisemitism, and has had demeaning and denigrating words and ideas used toward him.

Now an elected official in our state of Pennsylvania, Doug Mastriano, is courting and encouraging antisemitism in a desperate attempt to win an election for the office of Governor, a role of great honor and trust that because of his actions  to undermine our elections and trust in government, to stoke hatred of Jews, and quite frankly, anyone who does not identify as a specific religion of his choice  because of these actions, he is unqualified for, Nanes said.
A U.S. drone strike that killed al Qaedas leader has underscored both the capabilities and the consequences of ending the U.S. military presence in Afghanistan nearly one year ago.

President Biden and his team hailed the drone strike that took out a key planner of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, Ayman al-Zawahiri, as proof that the U.S. can conduct over the horizon strikes in Afghanistan and eliminate terrorists without having boots on the ground.

But al-Zawahiris presence in Kabul  seemingly in plain sight in the countrys capital  also raises questions about whether al Qaeda leaders and other terrorist group members might be able to find safe harbor in Afghanistan once again under Taliban rule.

The killing of al-Zawahiri comes just a few weeks before the anniversary of the complete U.S. military withdrawal from Afghanistan, which led to massive criticism of Biden over the chaotic departure of civilians and the Talibans overrunning of the government.

Zawahiris presence in downtown Kabul  and the Talibans knowledge of it  shows elements of the Taliban continue to protect al Qaeda. Its no secret that Afghanistan has become safer for al Qaeda members under the Taliban. Thats why Zawahiri was in Kabul, with his family, in the first place, said Katherine Zimmerman, a fellow focused on counterterrorism at the American Enterprise Institute.

Zimmerman said the U.S. showed its reach with the drone strike but noted that al Qaeda has survived such strikes against its leadership before. The difference now is the lack of boots on the ground in Afghanistan.

What has changed is the U.S. can no longer exploit intelligence from the ground, something that the U.S. ground presence brought, making it harder for the U.S. to compound the effect of the strike by taking out other key leaders, she said.

A senior administration official said the strike that killed al-Zawahiri followed months of careful planning and intelligence gathering. Officials were able to develop a model of the safe house where the terrorist leader was living and build a pattern of life that determined he spent extended periods on a balcony.

The time and energy put into gathering information ahead of the strike allowed it to be completed without civilian casualties, officials said.

The precise nature of the strike, according to the official account, stood in contrast to the havoc seen in the wake of the American military withdrawal, in which the U.S., in one of its last missile strikes in the country after 20 years of war, claimed it had thwarted a terrorist operation but later acknowledged it had mistakenly killed 10 civilians.

Biden on Monday said that killing al-Zawahiri will help prevent Afghanistan from becoming a terrorist safe haven.

When I ended our military mission in Afghanistan almost a year ago  I made a promise to the American people that wed continue to conduct effective counterterrorism operations in Afghanistan and beyond, Biden said. Weve done just that.

White House national security spokesman John Kirby argued on Tuesday that the strike proves that Afghanistan is not a safe haven for terrorists, adding that the U.S. is mindful of the Talibans moves.

Were going to stay vigilant to the threat. Weve made it clear to the Taliban that we know what they did. And we know who they harbored. And we know some steps they tried to take after the strike to cover up the evidence of it. So were mindful of it, he said.

Kirby argued that if the Taliban is serious about its desire for financing and a relationship with the United States, it would behoove them to pay close attention to what we just did over the weekend.

Still, some lawmakers have expressed concerns about what al-Zawahiris presence in Kabul could mean for Afghanistan under Taliban leadership.

Sen. James Risch (Idaho), the top Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, called the strike against al-Zawahiri the right move but argued that surveillance of terrorist groups like al Qaeda is weakened because of the withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Visibility on terror threats in Afghanistan remain greatly diminished after the Biden Administrations hazardous withdrawal last year. Only through continued pressure will we keep al-Qaeda and the Islamic State Khorasan from threatening Americans, Risch said in a statement.

Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, told reporters on Tuesday that al-Zawahiris presence in Kabul is a blow to the credibility of the Taliban and violates the Doha agreement established under the Trump administration.

You cant have al-Zawahiri, No. 1 al Qaeda, residing in the capital city and say you didnt know it. So we have to treat the Taliban as what they are, which is allowing al Qaeda elements to be in their country, Menendez said.

But other Republicans agree that the nature of the withdrawal from Afghanistan has led to terrorist leaders like al-Zawahiri attempting to find a safe haven there.

Eric Ueland, the under secretary of State for civilian security, democracy and human rights under former President Trump, argued that Biden needs to give a clear warning to the Taliban that it will pay a price if it is hosting or supporting such individuals.

Im not talking about bluster from the podium, as Im talking about direct engagement with  a full suite of tools to engage to make crystal clear to the Taliban leadership that resuming the former habit of using Afghanistan as a refuge for groups and individuals who want to target the United States and its citizens would be viewed with grim dimness by the United States, he said.

Experts and lawmakers credited the Biden administration with carrying out the strike, saying at minimum it carries symbolic importance, even if al Qaeda is not the operational terrorist threat it once was.

Anthony Cordesman, who previously served on the National Security Council and as national security assistant to the late Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), said a broader issue in Afghanistan is a consequence of the United States publicly telegraphed desire to withdraw, a plan first devised during the Trump administration.

In some ways since the Taliban took over you still dont have any clear structure of Taliban governance, he said. You basically dont have the idea that they have some clear concept of what they intend to do about the economy, which is in near collapse. They have not established a clear or stable structure of governance.

Mychael Schnell contributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Primary Election Day in Sedgwick County was marked by strong voter turnout and some problems at the polls, including long lines at several precincts and an incident in Maize where as many as 150 voters were turned away.

Sedgwick County Election Commissioner Angela Caudillo called the roughly 43% of registered voters who cast ballots a county record for a statewide primary election. She said 90,000 people voted in person Tuesday.

I know that some people did wait in line but were just excited that they came out to vote, Caudillo said at a news conference Wednesday afternoon.

Roughly 20 minutes before polls closed at the Maize Recreation Commission precinct, two poll workers told voters standing in line that they needed to leave and go to another precinct.

Caudillo called that decision a mistake that was made unilaterally, without her offices knowledge. She said Wednesday that she is in communication with the workers about why they gave the directive, but would not say if her office is taking any disciplinary action against them.

After learning of the incident, the election office notified supervising judges at other precincts that if voters came from the Maize Rec site, they must be allowed to vote provisionally.

Caudillo said about 70 of those voters cast provisional ballots at the nearby Life Church polling site in Maize but could not say how many of those who were wrongfully turned away had a chance to vote Tuesday night.

A number of sites saw long lines, which appeared to be exacerbated by a shortage of poll workers and several malfunctioning machines. The last voter at the Linwood Recreation Center precinct cast her ballot at 9:45 p.m. Tuesday after standing in line for more than two hours and 45 minutes.

Jane Bell, 76, of Wichita, said she got to the crowded Linwood location around 4 p.m. She walked out the door after voting at 7:58 p.m. She said although the wait was a long, she appreciated seeing so many people showing up to vote.

Well, the good part is that there are so many that turned out to vote. This the biggest crowd Ive seen in a very long time during an election. There were a lot of people, young people all the way up to people my age, Bell said.

Wait times of more than two hours were common for voters all day at the understaffed Linwood polling station, and voters at several other precincts reported similar delays.

Lines were long at some places. Lines were not long at all places, Caudillo said.

She said moving forward, her office will reassess its allocation of poll workers and voting machines at each of the countys 81 polling sites.

At a news conference earlier Wednesday, Bryan Caskey, director of elections for Secretary of State Scott Schwabs office, said an abnormally high number of poll workers called in sick Tuesday in both Sedgwick and Johnson County, where some voters also faced long wait times.

Caudillo said between 500 and 600 election workers manned the polls Tuesday. She could not say how many would-be workers called in sick. Poll workers are expected to arrive at precincts at 4:45 a.m. and stay to clean up after the last voter in line at 7 p.m. casts their ballot

All across the state, were going to make a concerted effort to have a bigger backup pool in case we have last-minute cancellations like we did this time, Caskey said.

In the last three midterm primary elections, between 20% and 27% of Sedgwick County voters have turned out. Tuesdays showing comfortably outpaced the 34% who cast ballots in the 2020 presidential primary.

High turnout was largely driven by the referendum on a proposed constitutional amendment that would have said there is no right to an abortion in the Kansas Constitution. That ballot measure failed by a margin of more than 17 percentage points statewide, with about 58% of Sedgwick County voters in opposition.

Caudillo, who replaced Tabitha Lehman as the countys top election official in July 2021, told the county commission in June that her office was expecting 50% voter turnout and preparing for 65%.

With every election, theres something to learn, and I think weve definitely learned something this election, Caudillo said Wednesday. Well be debriefing and looking at all of the things that went right and all of the things that went wrong. Definitely voter engagement, voter participation, voter turnout went right. If theres anything we can do to alleviate long lines, well do that.

Contibuting: Eduardo Castillo of The Eagle
The United States included Russian President Vladimir Putin's reported girlfriend, Alina Maratovna Kabaeva, in the latest round of sanctions announced Tuesday.

The Treasury Department noted that Kabaeva, a 39-year-old former member of the state Duma and Olympic gymnast, has "a close relationship to Putin" and currently leads the National Media Group, which produces pro-Kremlin content across a range of platforms.

The United Kingdom and European Union have previously sanctioned Kabaeva, who the Wall Street Journal reports is the mother to at least three of Putin's children.

RUSSIAN OLIGARCH, KNOWN AS PUTINS CHEF,' TARGETED WITH SANCTIONS IS ON FBI'S MOST WANTED LIST

While the sanctions might make a dent in Putin's pocketbook, his interest in Ukraine trumps any economic considerations, according to Rebekah Koffler, a former Defense Intelligence Agency officer and author of "Putin's Playbook: Russia's Secret Plan to Defeat America."

"Sanctioning Kabayeva will have some impact on Putins personal finances because he is keeping his fortunes spread out among the bank accounts of closest friends and family. But Putin is possibly the richest person in the world, possibly wealthier than Jeff Bezos, Bill Gates or Elon Musk, with his wealth ranging from $100 billion to $200 billion," Koffler told Fox News Digital.

"So sanctioning his girlfriend and mother of several of his children will almost certainly do nothing to change his policy and strategy towards Ukraine, the United States, or the West."

Other people close to Putin have also been hit with sanctions in recent months, including two of his adult daughters, Mariya Putina and Katerina Tinkonova.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

"As innocent people suffer from Russias illegal war of aggression, Putins allies have enriched themselves and funded opulent lifestyles," Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said Tuesday.

"The Treasury Department will use every tool at our disposal to make sure that Russian elites and the Kremlins enablers are held accountable for their complicity in a war that has cost countless lives."
Kansas primary election saw monumental turnout in Johnson and Wyandotte counties as voters flocked to the polls to choose nominees for the November general election and to overwhelmingly reject the amendment on the ballot, preserving Kansans right to abortion in the state constitution.

Statewide, turnout was around 47%. A total of 908,745 people voted on the abortion amendment, out of 1,950,971 registered Kansas voters. As many as 18.6% of these voters may have been unaffiliated with either major political party.

Turnout was especially impressive in Johnson County at 53.7%: a tally nearly unheard of in a primary election. Nearly a quarter of a million votes were cast244,818 to be precise. Around half of these votes were cast in person on Election Day, while nearly 100,000 were cast early in person. The rest were absentee ballots, some of which will continue to arrive at the election office in the coming days.

The number of votes cast in Johnson County this election was more than double those cast in the 2018 primary, about 100,000 more than for the 2020 presidential primary election and about 90,000 votes shy of the countys total votes in the 2020 general election, when turnout was 74%.

Wyandotte County ended the night with a turnout rate just shy of 35%. A total of 31,521 people voted, with around two thirds of ballots cast on Election Day. The rest were split between early votes and absentee ballots.

We had close to 22,000 [people] vote today, which is pretty good considering in 2018 we only had about 20,458 ballots cast total, Wyandotte County election commissioner Michael Abbott told The Star. Thats pretty big for us. The countys final tally of in-person Election Day votes was 21,935.

Secretary of State Scott Schwab said early in the evening that anecdotal evidence indicated statewide turnout could match the 2008 presidential race, which had a turnout of 63.3%. He had previously predicted turnout would be around 36%.

Hes expecting voter turnout to be well above what he predicted, Kansas Secretary of State spokesperson Whitney Tempel told The Star Tuesday evening at 8:30 p.m.

The Associated Press called the abortion amendment race at 9:40 p.m central. The vote no campaign led with 61% to 39% with 2540 of 3994 precincts reporting.

Missouri had a statewide turnout of about 24%, according to state election officials. At least 1,026,074 people cast ballots out of the 4,224,952 voters registered in the state.
A woman accused of driving drunk is facing a hate crime charge after threatening female police officers based on their race and gender, Oregon officials say.

Police responded to a car wreck in North Portland on Saturday, July 30 at around 6 p.m., the Portland Police Bureau said in a news release.

Upon arrival, officers found a flipped Nissan Altima, police said. Two adult passengers had minor injuries, while another adult and 5-year-old looked unharmed.

One of the injured passengers, a 27-year-old man from Portland, tried to leave the scene, police said. Police believed he may have been the driver and asked him to stay, but he refused.

Officers went to arrest the man, but two other occupants, a 33-year-old man and 35-year-old woman both from Portland, tried to intervene by pushing past officers, according to police.

The commotion caused neighbors to come outside, police said. Officers were soon closely surrounded despite orders to give them space.

The situation became hostile, according to police. Officers called for assistance and additional officers, and as many as 16 officers and sergeants arrived.

Despite attempts to calm the situation, the female passenger began to target a female sergeant and a female officer, threatening to assault them because of her perception of their race and gender, according to police.

The female officers tried to move away from the woman, but she continued advancing on them in a physically threatening manner, police said.

The woman and the two male passengers were cited, according to police. The child was reunited with a parent.

Police said they learned that the woman was the driver of the Nissan that hit a parked car while turning a corner, causing the car to flip.

Alcohol and speed were factors in the crash, according to police.

The woman is facing charges of bias crime, DUI-alcohol and menacing, police said. Both men were given a criminal citation on a charge of interfering with a peace officer.

Its ignorance: Antisemitic propaganda found in several Horry County neighborhoods

Vandals paint over newly-installed plaque honoring Jewish community in Nevada County

Swastikas spray painted in Boise, adding to string of antisemitic incidents in one year
Big Sky is kicking off an eerie new mystery -- and Reba McEntire may be at the center of it.

In season 3, which will be titled Big Sky: Deadly Trails, private detective Cassie Dewell (Kylie Bunbury), undersheriff Jenny Hoyt (Katheryn Winnick) and newly appointed sheriff Beau Arlen (new series regular Jensen Ackles, who was introduced in the sophomore finale) maintain order in Helena, Montana, with their unparalleled investigative skills. But when a local backcountry trip led by charismatic outfitter Sunny Barnes (McEntire) goes awry, the trio faces their most formidable mystery yet -- in which no camper can be trusted and where danger lurks around every jagged rock and gnarled tree.

"Welcome to Montana, a place where the horizon never ends full of friendly folk just trying to do right," McEntire opens the teaser. "But in the untamed wilderness, you never know what's going to be coming around the bend."

"One thing's for certain, once you set foot in this place, you may never want to go home again," she warns with a devilish glint in her eye. "And you might not."

In addition to McEntire and Ackles, season 3 will also star Jamie-Lynn Sigler, J. Anthony Pena, Henry Ian Cusick, Luke Mitchell, Seth Gabel, Anirudh Pisharody and Madalyn Horcher.

Watch the creepy season 3 teaser below.

Big Sky: Deadly Trails premieres Wednesday, Sept. 21 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on ABC.

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Marysville, CA (95901)

Today

A mix of clouds and sun during the morning will give way to cloudy skies this afternoon. Near record high temperatures. High around 105F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 69F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph.
YEREVAN, AUGUST 3, ARMENPRESS. Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan held a meeting with the new World Health Organization (WHO) Representative to Armenia Jihane Tawilah on the occasion of the presentation of credentials.

FM Mirzoyan praised the WHO activities in Armenia and thanked for the organizations support in the COVID-19 response and overcoming the consequences of the pandemic, the foreign ministry said in a press release.

Views were exchanged over the ongoing healthcare reforms in Armenia and cooperation with the WHO in this regard. FM Mirzoyan underscored that the Armenian Government is taking concrete steps in the direction of continuously improving the quality of life in Armenia, including in the direction of increasing the quality of healthcare.

During the meeting FM Mirzoyan also presented to Jihane Tawilah the humanitarian challenges caused by the 44-day war, namely attaching importance to the involvement of international specialized organizations in the context of solving healthcare issues.
YEREVAN, AUGUST 3, ARMENPRESS. President of Armenia Vahagn Khachaturyan had a meeting with Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport Vahram Dumanyan, the Presidential Office said.

The Minister introduced the President on the ongoing activities, the strategic directions of education system reforms and the future plans.

The meeting also touched upon the general results of university entrance exams in Armenia in 2022.

Views were exchanged also on the current programs in sport and culture fields.
YEREVAN, AUGUST 3, ARMENPRESS. The Polish Chairmanship of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) is "extremely concerned about reports of armed incidents and casualties in the South Caucasus", ARMENPRESS reports the Chairmanship of the OSCE Poland announced this on its official Twitter page.

"We call on Armenia and Azerbaijan to take all necessary measures to bring de-escalation and resume dialogue. We remain committed to support all efforts aimed at consolidating peace in the region," the Polish presidency said in a statement.

The tension in Nagorno-Karabakh started on August 1, when, according to the Artsakh Defense Army, Azerbaijani units resorted to provocation in a number of parts of the northern and northwestern border zone of the Artsakh Republic starting at 09:00 in the morning, trying to cross the contact line. As a result of the Azerbaijani provocation, the serviceman Albert Bakhshiyan was injured. Aggressive actions of the Azerbaijani side continued in the following days. On August 3, around 3:00 p.m., Azerbaijani units launched a new attack in the northwestern direction of the contact line, using attack drones, as a result of which two servicemen of the Artsakh Defense Army were killed, and 14 more servicemen were wounded in various degrees.
A NATO customer has placed an order with the Groups South African subsidiary Rheinmetall Denel Munition to supply 155mm ammunition from its tried-and-tested Assegai product line. Awarded in July, the contract is worth a figure in the upper-two-digit million-euro range. Delivery will take place over the next two years.

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The new order encompasses the complete 155mm Assegai ammunition system, including fuses, different projectile types such as high-explosive service rounds, and Assegai artillery propelling charges. (Picture source: Rheinmetall)

The new order encompasses the complete 155mm Assegai ammunition system, including fuses, different projectile types such as high-explosive service rounds, and Assegai artillery propelling charges. The Assegai family of artillery ammunition can be fired from any NATO STANAG-compatible artillery system, including the PzH 2000 self-propelled howitzer.

Were known worldwide for our long-range Assegai indirect fire technology and are pleased to be able to welcome a new partner nation to the Assegai family, says Jan-Patrick Helmsen, managing director of Rheinmetall Denel Munition.

As a systems maker, we work constantly to improve our cutting-edge technologies so that we can provide our customers soldiers with the best possible, most reliable solution.

Back in 2019, Rheinmetall succeeded in setting a new maximum range record in South Africa with the Assegai family and other Group products like the new Topcharge. Thanks to the Assegai system approach  from fuse to projectile to propelling charges  long ranges were attained with various artillery systems. A non-NATO 155mm artillery gun with 52 calibre lengths and a 25-litre propelling charge chamber achieved a record range of 76 kilometres.

Rheinmetall Denel Munition is already working on other future artillery technologies. For example, the rocket motor in conventional 155mm Assegai projectiles is being improved. In addition to this, a new development is on the way that will boost the maximum range to over 155 kilometres.
According to information published by the United States Department of Defense (DoD) on August 2, 2022, the U.S. State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia of PATRIOT MIM-104E Guidance Enhanced Missile-Tactical Ballistic Missiles (GEM-T) and related equipment for an estimated cost of $3.05 billion.

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The Guidance Enhanced Missile, or GEM-T, is one of the Patriot missile variants available to both U.S. forces and international customers. The GEM-T missile provides an improved ability to defeat tactical ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, or enemy aircraft in complement to the PAC-3 missile. (Picture source Raytheon)

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has requested to buy three hundred (300) PATRIOT MIM-104E Guidance Enhanced Missile-Tactical Ballistic missiles (GEM-T). Also included are tools and test equipment; range and test programs; support equipment to include associated publications and technical documentation; training equipment; spare and repair parts; New Equipment Training; Transportation; Quality Assurance Team support; U.S. Government and contractor technical assistance; engineering, and logistics support services; Systems Integration and Checkout (SICO); field office support; International Engineering Services Program Field Surveillance Program; and other related elements of logistics and program support. The total estimated cost is $3.05 billion.

The proposed sale will improve the Kingdom of Saudi Arabias capability to meet current and future threats by replenishing its dwindling stock of PATRIOT GEM-T missiles. These missiles are used to defend the Kingdom of Saudi Arabias borders against persistent Houthi cross-border unmanned aerial systems and ballistic missile attacks on civilian sites and critical infrastructure in Saudi Arabia. These attacks threaten the well-being of Saudi, International, and U.S. citizens (approximately 70,000) residing in the Kingdom.

The principal contractor will be Raytheon Corporation, Tewksbury, MA. The purchaser normally requests offsets. Any offset agreement will be defined in negotiations between the purchaser and the contractor.

According to the Military Balance 2021, the Saudi armed forces have a total of 6 battalions of air defense equipped with an undisclosed number of Patriot MIM-104 D/F and Patriot PAC-2 GEM /PAC-3.



The PATRIOT is an American-made air defense missile system designed to counter tactical ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and advanced aircraft. It is produced by Raytheon in Massachusetts and Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control in Florida.

The Guidance Enhanced Missile TBM (GEM-T) is one of the latest in-production series of the highly successful Raytheon Patriot missile variants available to both U.S. forces and international customers. The GEM-T deliveries to the U.S. Army began in 2006. This capability adds a low-noise oscillator for improved acquisition and tracking performance in clutter.

The GEM-T missile provides an upgraded capability to defeat tactical ballistic missile (TBM), aircraft and cruise missile threats in complement to the PAC-3 missile. A modernized digital fuze design eliminates obsolescence and introduces significant performance improvements against TBM targets. This design also increases sensitivity for improved performance against high-speed TBM targets. The PAC-2 is able to intercept targets up to an altitude of 20 km while the PAC-3 can destroy incoming missiles at an altitude of 40 km.

The low noise front end (LNFE) of the GEM-T has increased seeker sensitivity, improving acquisition/track performance. The new low noise oscillator design has a modified down-link, which provides an increased signal-to-interference ratio, improving acquisition/ track performance against small ABT and cruise missile targets in clutter.
The 71-year-old Egyptian surgeon, on the FBI's Most Wanted Terrorist list, had a USD 25 million bounty on his head

Washington: Al-Qaeda's reclusive emir Ayman al-Zawahiri, who played a key role in the 9/11 attacks and later formed the group's regional affiliate in the Indian subcontinent, has been killed in a US drone strike in Kabul, in the biggest blow to the global terror network since its founder Osama bin Laden was eliminated in Pakistan in 2011.

Zawahiri, who assumed the leadership of al-Qaeda after the death of bin Laden, was killed in a drone strike carried out by CIA on Saturday evening at a house in a posh locality in the Afghan capital where he was sheltering to reunite with his family, US President Joe Biden said on Monday, declaring that "justice has been delivered and this terrorist is no more."

The 71-year-old Egyptian surgeon, on the FBI's Most Wanted Terrorist list, had a USD 25 million bounty on his head, was bin Laden's second-in-command during 9/11 attacks and took over as the head of al-Qaeda after his killing. He remained a visible international symbol of the terror group, 11 years after the US killed bin Laden during a raid in Pakistan's garrison city of Abbottabad in May 2011.

"My fellow Americans, on Saturday, at my direction, the United States successfully concluded an airstrike in Kabul, Afghanistan, that killed the emir of al Qaeda, Ayman al-Zawahiri," President Biden said.

"I authorised a precision strike that would remove him from the battlefield, once and for all," Biden, still isolating due to a Covid-19 reinfection, said in a speech from a balcony of the White House.

According to officials, Zawahiri was on the balcony of a safe house in Kabul when the drone fired two Hellfire missiles at him. Other family members were present, but they were unharmed.

"He was deeply involved in the planning of 9/11, one of the most responsible for the attacks that murdered 2,977 people on American soil. For decades, he was the mastermind of attacks against Americans, said Biden, referring to the victims of the 2001 attacks in which hijackers crashed passenger jets into landmark buildings in New York and Washington.

"Now, justice has been delivered and this terrorist leader is no more. People around the world no longer need to fear the vicious and determined killer," Biden said.

"The US continues to demonstrate our resolve and our capacity to defend the American people against those who seek to do us harm. We make it clear again tonight, that no matter how long it takes, no matter where you hide, if you are a threat to our people, the United States will find you and take you out," he said.

Biden said the precision strike targeting was the result of the "extraordinary persistence and skill" of the nation's intelligence community.

The strike comes one year after Biden ordered the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan, prompting Taliban forces to rapidly seize control of the war-torn nation.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the world is a safer place following the death of Zawahiri as he accused the Taliban regime of grossly violating its commitments to the international community by "hosting and sheltering" the al-Qaeda chief in Kabul.

Blinken said the US will continue to act against those who threaten the country, its people and its allies.

Zawahiri comes from a distinguished Egyptian family, according to the New York Times.

His grandfather, Rabia'a al-Zawahiri, was an imam at the prestigious al-Azhar University in Cairo. His great-uncle, Abdel Rahman Azzam, was the first secretary of the Arab League.

He played central role in the attacks on US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania in 1998, and eventually helped to mastermind the deadliest terror attack on American soil, when hijackers turned US airliners into missiles.

In September 2014, Zawahiri had announced the creation of Al-Qaeda's regional affiliate - the Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS), taking advantage of sanctuaries in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh.

"A new branch of Al-Qaeda was established - Qaeda al-Jihad in the Indian subcontinent, seeking to raise the flag of jihad,...and return the Islamic rule across the Indian subcontinent," Zawahiri had said at the time.

The al-Qaeda's regional affiliate was led by Asim Umar - an Indian and former member of Harkat-ul-Jihad al-Islami. Umar was killed in a joint US-Afghan military raid in the Afghan Province of Helmand in September 2019.

In April, Zawahiri's 8.43-minute video clip was released by the terror group online in which he had praised a Karnataka college student for confronting a group of students opposing hijab in her college in early February.

However, the girl's father distanced himself from Zawahiri's comments, terming them as "wrong" and said he and his family were living peacefully in India.

Meanwhile, the Taliban condemned the drone attack that killed Zawahiri.

Taliban senior spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said in a statement that the attack occurred on a residential home in the Sherpur area of Kabul, a diplomatic neighbourhood where several Taliban commanders currently reside.

Such actions are a repetition of the failed experiences of the past 20 years and are against the interests of the US, Afghanistan, and the region, Mujahid was quoted as saying by Afghanistan's Khaama Press News Agency.

Zawahiri was constantly on the move once the US-led invasion of Afghanistan began after the September 11, 2001, attacks. At one point, he narrowly escaped a US onslaught in the rugged, mountainous Tora Bora region of Afghanistan.

He made his public debut as a Muslim militant when he was in prison for his involvement in the 1981 assassination of Egyptian President Anwar Sadat.

By that time, Zawahiri, a young doctor, was already a committed terrorist who conspired to overthrow the Egyptian government for years and sought to replace it with fundamentalist Islamic rule. He proudly endorsed Sadat's assassination after the Egyptian leader made peace with Israel.

He spent three years in prison after Sadat's assassination. After his release, he made his way to Pakistan, where he treated wounded mujahideen fighters who fought against the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan.

That was when he met bin Laden and found a common cause, the CNN reported.

"We are working with brother bin Laden," he said in announcing the merger of his terror group, Egyptian Islamic Jihad, with al-Qaeda in May 1998.

"We know him for more than 10 years now. We fought with him here in Afghanistan," he had said.

Together, the two terror leaders signed a fatwa, or declaration: "The judgment to kill and fight Americans and their allies, whether civilians or military, is an obligation for every Muslim."
Pelosi, second in line to the presidency, is the highest-profile elected US official to visit Taiwan in 25 years

U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, center, walks with Taiwan's Foreign Minister Joseph Wu, left, as she arrives in Taipei, Taiwan, Tuesday, Aug. 2, 2022. Pelosi arrived in Taiwan despite threats from Beijing of serious consequences (AP)

TAIPEI: US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi landed in Taiwan late Tuesday, defying a string of increasingly stark warnings and threats from China that have sent tensions between the world's two superpowers soaring.

Pelosi, second in line to the presidency, is the highest-profile elected US official to visit Taiwan in 25 years and Beijing has made clear that it regards her presence as a major provocation, setting the region on edge.

Live broadcasts showed the 82-year-old lawmaker, who flew on a US military aircraft, being greeted at Taipei's Songshan Airport by foreign minister Joseph Wu.

"Our delegation's visit to Taiwan honors America's unwavering commitment to supporting Taiwan's vibrant democracy," she said in a statement upon her arrival, adding that her visit "in no way contradicts" US policy towards Taipei and Beijing.

Taiwan said the trip displayed "rock solid" support from Washington.

Reaction from Beijing was swift with US Ambassador Nicholas Burns summoned by the Foreign Ministry late Tuesday and warned that Washington "shall pay the price" for Pelosi's visit.

"The move is extremely egregious in nature and the consequences are extremely serious," China's Vice Foreign Minister Xie Feng was quoted as saying by the state news agency Xinhua. "China will not sit idly by."

Pelosi is currently on a tour of Asia and while neither she nor her office confirmed the Taipei visit in advance, multiple US and Taiwanese media outlets reported it was on the cards -- triggering days of mounting anger from Beijing.

China's military said it was on "high alert" and would "launch a series of targeted military actions in response" to the visit.

It promptly announced plans for a series of military exercises in waters around the island to begin on Wednesday, including "long-range live ammunition shooting" in the Taiwan Strait.

"Those who play with fire will perish by it," Beijing's foreign ministry added.

Taiwan's defence ministry said more than 21 Chinese military aircraft had flown on Tuesday into Taiwan's air defence identification zone -- an area wider than its territorial airspace that overlaps with part of China's own air defence zone.

No need for 'crisis'

China considers self-ruled, democratic Taiwan as its territory and has vowed to one day seize the island, by force if necessary.

It tries to keep Taiwan isolated on the world stage and opposes countries having official exchanges with Taipei.

In a call with US President Joe Biden last week, Chinese President Xi Jinping warned Washington against "playing with fire" on Taiwan.

While the Biden administration is understood to be opposed to Pelosi's Taiwan stop, White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said she was entitled to go where she pleased.

"There is no reason for this to erupt into conflict. There's no change to our policy," he told CNN shortly after Pelosi's arrival.

The last speaker of the US House of Representatives to visit Taiwan was Newt Gingrich in 1997.

Kirby reiterated that US policy was unchanged toward Taiwan.

This means support for its self-ruling government, while diplomatically recognising Beijing over Taipei and opposing a formal independence declaration by Taiwan or a forceful takeover by China.

Russia's foreign ministry called Pelosi's visit a "clear provocation," and said Beijing "has the right to take necessary measures to protect its sovereignty and territorial integrity over the Taiwan issue."

China has refused to condemn Russia's invasion of Ukraine and has been accused of providing diplomatic cover for the Kremlin by blasting Western sanctions and arms sales to Kyiv.

All eyes on Taiwan

Pelosi left Kuala Lumpur Tuesday after meeting Malaysian Prime Minister Ismail Sabri and Foreign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah.

So many people were tracking the US military plane ferrying her on FlightRadar that the website said some users experienced outages.

The plane took a circuitous route that avoided the South China Sea -- which Beijing claims -- before heading up the east coast of the Philippines.

Press access around Pelosi has been tightly restricted and limited to a handful or short statements confirming meetings with officials.

The capital's famous Taipei 101 skyscraper was illuminated with the words "Speaker Pelosi... Thank You" on Tuesday night an hour before Pelosi's plane arrived.

'Seek to punish Taiwan'

Taiwan's 23 million people have long lived with the possibility of an invasion, but that threat has intensified under Xi, China's most assertive ruler in a generation.

"Beijing shouldn't get to decide who can visit Taiwan or how the US should interact with Taiwan," Wang Ting-yu, a lawmaker from the ruling Democratic Progressive Party, told AFP ahead of the visit.

"I think China's open intimidation is counter-effective."

Bonnie Glaser, director of the Asia programme at the US-based German Marshall Fund think tank, said the probability of Beijing choosing war was "low".

"But the probability that... (China) will take a series of military, economic, and diplomatic actions to show strength & resolve is not insignificant," she wrote on Twitter.

Taipei's Council of Agriculture on Tuesday said China had suspended the import of some Taiwanese goods, including some fishery products, tea and honey. The council said China cited regulatory breaches.
The BJP is planning a host of activities ahead of Independence day

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday put the Tiranga, the Tricolour, as the display picture on his social media accounts. (Photo: PTI Photo)

New Delhi: Urging people to unfurl the National Flag at their homes between August 13 and August 15 as part of the Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday put the Tiranga, the Tricolour, as the display picture on his social media accounts.

Earlier, in his monthly radio broadcast Mann ki Baat, the PM had urged people to put the Tricolour as the profile picture of their social media accounts as India will be celebrating its 75th Independence Day this year.

Following the PM, many senior BJP leaders, including Union ministers Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh, Nirmala Sitharaman, Ashwini Vaishnaw, G, Kishan Reddy and BJP president J.P. Nadda changed their DPs.

"It is a special 2nd August today! At a time when we are marking Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, our nation is all set for Har Ghar Tiranga, a collective movement to celebrate our Tricolour. I have changed the DP on my social media pages and urge you all to do the same," the PM tweeted.

Paying tribute to Pingali Venkayya, who had designed the flag, on his birth anniversary, the PM said, "Our nation will forever be indebted to him for his efforts of giving us the Tricolour, which we are very proud of. Taking strength and inspiration from the Tricolour, may we keep working for national progress."

The BJP is planning a host of activities ahead of Independence day. At the BJP parliamentary party meeting, Nadda listed a number of activities for the party members.

Briefing the media after the meeting, parliamentary affairs minister Pralhad Joshi said the culture ministry will be organising a Tiranga bike rally from the Red Fort to Parliament on Wednesday morning for MPs and appealed to MPs of all political parties to attend it.

During the meeting, Nadda asked party members to take out "prabhat pheri" (morning procession) between 9 am and 11 am to publicise the "Har Ghar Tiranga" campaign and its youth wing to carry out "Tiranga yatra" on bikes across the country.

"Our National Flag is a symbol of our independence. In furtherance of the appeal by PM Narendra Modi, we have all decided to hoist our flag in every house from Aug 13th to 15th. I urge everyone to display our Tiranga on their social media accounts," tweeted Nadda earlier in the day.

The BJP members will also undertake "prabhat pheri" at the booth level between August 11 and August 13, playing Mahatma Gandhi's favourite devotional song "Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram" or India's national song "Vande mataram".

Nadda asked the BJP MPs to ensure their presence in party programmes and called for working to strengthen the organisation during the week at booths where the BJP has not done well in recent polls.

The party will also be observing "Partition Horrors Remembrance Day" on August 14. Modi had announced it last year in the memory of the struggles and sacrifices of people during the country's division, saying the pain of partition can never be forgotten.
The Opposition party condemned it as vendetta politics, while the BJP said the law would take its own course

Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee members stage a protest outside the office of National Herald newspaper amid a raid by Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials as part of an ongoing money laundering probe, in New Delhi, Tuesday, Aug. 2, 2022. (PTI Photo)

New Delhi: Days after questioning Congress president Sonia Gandhi, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday raided the head office of the Congress-owned National Herald newspaper in the national capital and 11 other locations as parts of its money-laundering investigation. The Opposition party condemned it as vendetta politics, while the BJP said the law would take its own course.

The searches are being carried out under the criminal sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) to gather additional evidence with regard to the trail of funds and they are against those entities who were involved in the National Herald-linked transactions, officials said adding that the action was being undertaken in light of fresh evidence obtained by the ED after the questioning of various people.

Several Congress members held a protest outside Herald House. Party workers accused the Narendra Modi government of indulging in vendetta politics and using the Central probe agencies for political gains. The protesters also raised slogans like Sonia Gandhi zindabad and Rahul Gandhi zindabad.

Terming it a political vendetta, AICC general secretary Jairam Ramesh said: The raids on Herald House, Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg, are a part of the continued attack against Indias principal Opposition  the Indian National Congress.

We strongly condemn this vendetta politics against those who speak up against the Modi Govt. You cannot silence us! he said.

Reacting to Rameshs allegation, BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla asked if the denial of any relief to the Gandhi family by the courts in this matter was also a vendetta.

Congress MP Karti Chidambaram claimed that the ED has become a weapon of mass destruction and was known as the hatchet agency of the government. He made these remarks while hitting out at the BJP government over the ED raids.

Comparing the ED with the Stasi of East Germany and Schutzstaffel of Nazi Germany, Chidambaram said: During the Second World War, the Schutzstaffel was used as a hatchet agency by Nazi Germany. When the history of this country is written, the ED will be known as the hatchet agency of the BJP.

Senior Congress politicians Mallikarjun Kharge and Pawan Bansal were also questioned in April by the ED in the same investigation. Kharge said: I am saying the same thing. This is a politics of vendetta. They should not have done that  just because they want to suppress the voice of the Congress Party and to create an atmosphere of fear They want to demoralise Congress workers. The Congress people arent going to be afraid of these things and they will keep on fighting.
by Vladimir Rozanskij

Although independence is not on the agenda of the Moscow-controlled World Congress of Tatars, interest in Mirsaid Sultan-Galiev, one of the fathers of modern Tatarstan purged by Stalin, is reviving. Many Tatars are tilting against Putin's neo-imperialist ideology.

Moscow (AsiaNews)  Putin's war in Ukraine has seen many young Tatars sent to the front to die in great numbers, only to have their bodies repatriated almost furtively. This, in turn, is reviving a strong separatist mood among Tatars, some of whom would like to see a complete break from the Russian Federation.

The World Congress of Tatars (WCT), an organisation created after the end of the Soviet regime in the Russian republic of Tatarstan, is currently celebrating 30 years of activity, at a very critical moment in recent history.

According to Kazan-based political scientist Ruslan Aysin, the Tatar nation is currently very divided. One side, those tied to the political establishment, supports Moscow's aggression against Kyiv, while the majority is opposed to the current regime.

The current WCT meeting is sticking to the Putin line defended by the United Russia party and the Communist Party of the Russian Federation (CPRF), backing the war without heeding the views of the seven million Tatars in Russia and the world.

Tatars are officially part of the Russian world, a hint to the rebirth of Holy Russia against medieval Asian invaders. But most pro-autonomy Tatar intellectuals and ordinary Tatars have left the country long ago, leaving the WCT in Moscows control.

It was initially established as a transnational organisation to allow Tatars in the homeland and the diaspora to connect.

Organisers of this years meeting kept some sensitive topics off the agenda, like the use and teaching of the Tatar language, and matters that touched the social and cultural development of the Tatar people.

The previous meeting was held five years ago, and when many still hoped for a major change after 25 years of relative autonomy within Russia, but now it is but a facade giving nothing to grassroots expectations.

Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Tatar National Council (Milli Shura) was re-established, echo of the organisation Muslim Tatars founded more than 100 years in Petrograd in May 1917, shortly after the February Revolution but later suppressed by the Bolsheviks.

The Council wanted to set up world union for the Tatar people. Now the past is making a comeback with renewed interest in Mirsaid Sultan-Galiev, one of the founding fathers of modern Tatarstan. Born 130 years ago, he ended up a victim of Stalins purges.

Popular among Tatars, Sultan-Galiev backed the project of a Tatar nation, supporting it even during the power struggles in the early years of the Soviet Union.

He was able to get the Communist Party to respect Islam in Ural region and combine it with the ideals of socialism and Bolshevism against colonialism and greater Russian chauvinism, a position that was supported by Lenin in the 1920s, and later coopted by Stalin when he came to exert absolute power.

Galiev was among the founders of the University of the Peoples of the East, where he taught to a large following. His political and cultural influence spread far beyond the Ural region; in fact, both Egypts Gamal Abdel Nasser and Algerias Ahmed Ben Ali are said to have had a picture of him next to them in their office.

Although he was eventually crushed at home, his legacy is still nurtured in several Arab countries and in Turkey, where new books about him are regularly published.

Despite formal meetings by official Tatar organisations under Moscows thumb and neo-imperial ideology, the defence of Islam and Tatar national identity echo anew in Kazan, Ufa and elsewhere in the world. Indeed, the distortions that have led to the Ukrainian tragedy are driving a certain review of history as much in Ukraine as in Tatarstan whose effects will be felt for a long time.
The other news of the day: Russias foreign minister arrives in Myanmar. Iran expels nearly 6,000 Afghan refugees. Crown prince dissolves Kuwaits parliament. In Odessa petitioners want to replace the statue of Russian Tsarina Catherine II with that of a gay porn actor.

INDIA

Hindu radicals blame Muslims for recent floods in the north-eastern Indian state of Assam, claiming that they declared a flood jihad and are thus guilty of environmental disaster. Police arrested some men on suspicion of damaging riverbanks, while Hindu radicals began making false accusations on social media. Floods in May and June killed at least 192 people.

MYANMAR  RUSSIA

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov landed in Myanmar today for talks with the countrys military government. Lavrov said he had arrived in the capital Naypyidaw for a working visit. His next stop will be Cambodia for a meeting of ASEAN foreign ministers, from which Myanmar was excluded.

SOUTH KOREA

According to the latest data, South Koreas population has begun to shrink with 91,000 fewer people in 2021 over 2020. Deaths have exceeded the number of births and very few foreigners have moved to South Korea permanently due to the pandemic. South Korea's birth rate of 0.81 is the lowest among OECD member countries.

AFGHANISTAN  IRAN

While the Taliban continue to demand recognition for the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan by the international community, almost 6,000 Afghans fled to Iran last week but at least 5,600 were sent back in violation of international law on the right of asylum. Likewise, 66 Afghan families were expelled from Pakistan in recent weeks.

KUWAIT

Crown Prince Sheikh Meshal al-Ahmad Al Sabah dissolved Kuwaits parliament with the election set for two months from now. This follows a standoff between the government and parliament over tax reform. Several attempts to strike a deal led to a government reshuffle, failing which the legislature was dissolved, hindering investment and reforms.

UKRAINE

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky asked the City of Odessa to consider removing the statue of Russian Tsarina Catherine II. A petition was addressed to the president signed by more than 25,000 Ukrainian citizens. Most signatories asked that it be replaced by US gay porn actor Billy Herrington.

RUSSIA  INDIA

At the invitation of the Catholicos of the Malankara Church, Baselios Marthoma Mathews III, a representative of the Patriarchate of Moscow, Hieromonk Stefan (Igumnov), took part in an important Christian ceremony in India, namely the consecration of new bishops, an event that is held every 12 years in this Church with the participation of the entire Synod of Bishops.
During the general audience, Francis turned his thoughts to the families of the victims of Lebanons unprecedented catastrophe. He also spoke about his recent apostolic journey to Canada, which provided an opportunity for reflection, repentance, and reconciliation. IN his greetings, he urged the faithful to pray for peace in the world, especially in Ukraine.

Vatican City (AsiaNews)  Pope Francis resumed his weekly general audiences this morning, the first in August, following his return from a week-long apostolic journey to Canada (24-30 July).

In his address, the pontiff expressed closeness to the people affected by the Port of Beirut explosion two years ago, almost to the day, leaving more than 220 people dead and more than 6,000 wounded.

My thoughts go to the families of the victims of that disastrous event and to the dear Lebanese people, the Holy Father said at the end of the audience in the Paul VI Hall in the Vatican. I pray that each one may be consoled by faith and comforted by justice and truth, which can never be hidden.

I hope that Lebanon, with the help of the international community, may continue on the path of rebirth, remaining faithful to its vocation to be a land of peace and pluralism, where communities of different religions can live in fraternity.

Speaking about his visit to Canada, he explained that it was a journey different from ant other, during which he expressed closeness and sorrow to the Indigenous peoples and ask[ed] for forgiveness for the harm done to them by those Christians, including many Catholics, who in. the past collaborated in the forced assimilation and enfranchisement policies of the governments of the time.

Francis noted that in Canada, the Church, together with indigenous peoples, is engaged in a path of reconciliation and healing, which presupposes historical knowledge, listening to the survivors, awareness and above all conversion, a change of mentality.

His Canadian pilgrimage was penitential in nature, marked by reflection, repentance, and reconciliation with major steps focused on remembrance, reconciliation and ultimately healing.

The first stop was in Edmonton (western Canada), followed by Quebec City (eastern Canada), ending in Iqaluit (northern Canada), 300 kilometres from the Arctic Circle.

In Masqwacis (Alberta), he met with members of indigenous groups (First Nations, Metis and Inuit). Together we remembered: the good memory of the thousand-year history of these peoples, in harmony with their land. [. . .] And we recounted the painful memory of the abuse they suffered, also in the residential schools, as a result of cultural assimilation policies.

The second step, that of reconciliation, will allow us to be reconciled by Christ, who is our peace (cf. Eph 2: 14). The third and last was on the shores of Lac Saint-Anne, because Jesus too was familiar with the lake environment.

We can all draw from Christ, source of water, and there, in Jesus, we saw the proximity of the Father who heals wounds and also forgives sins, Francis said. From this journey of remembrance, reconciliation, and healing springs hope for the Church, in Canada and everywhere.

Speaking before government officials, Indigenous leaders, and the diplomatic corps, the pope reiterated the willingness of the Holy See and local Catholic communities to promote Indigenous cultures, following appropriate spiritual paths attentive to the customs and languages of Indigenous peoples.

By the same token, the Holy Father sought to open his eyes to the ideological colonization threatening the traditions, history and religious bonds of peoples, urging everyone to recover harmony between modernity and ancestral cultures, between secularization and spiritual values."

This directly challenges the Church, whose mission is to travel the world bearing witness and sowing a universal sense of brotherhood that is respectful of the local dimension while promoting its many riches.

Addressing directly the bishops of Canada, he thanked them for their unity: where there is unity one can proceed, he said.

Last but not least, in his meeting he listened to seniors tell their stories of abuse and missing family members. It was a very painful moment, he said, but one we must face up to [it]: we must face up to our errors, our sins.

In closing the audience, Francis greeted Polish pilgrims, noting that this month many of them will undertake their own journey to Jasna Gora and other Marian shrines.

"I ask you to offer your efforts on this journey to the Church, peace in the world, especially in Ukraine, he said.

I salute the Sisters of Saint Elizabeth, who are currently engaged in spiritual renewal here in Rome; many of them work in Ukraine. May the Mother of God bestow plenty of divine graces upon them and the people to whom they bring help.
Best Pajamas for Men

7 Comfy, Breathable Pajama Sets to Help You Sleep Better

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.

A good nights sleep is just about the best hack we know of to help you function better as a human being. Doctors recommend a minimum of seven hours a night, and the average American isnt even reaching the bare minimum, with fully one in three of them chronically under-rested, according to the CDC.

RELATED: How to Get Better Sleep

Theres plenty of behavioral changes you can make to help yourself get better sleep, from cutting down on caffeine consumption to using blue-light-blocking glasses when viewing screens in the evening, but one very overlooked area for improvement is sleepwear. If youre accustomed to just putting on an old t-shirt and boxers, youre doing it wrong.

The right sleepwear will help keep you cool during the warmer months and warm during the cooler months. It will regulate your body temperature, minimize or eliminate itching or discomfort, and give you the feeling of coziness you need to let your mind shut down for the night. Even something as simple as the ritual of putting on your pajamas will help you signal to your mind that the day is done with and its time to prepare for sleep.

There are no shortage of pajamas for men, but theyre not all built to the same standards of design and quality. To help you find the perfect pair for your needs, weve scoured the Internet to find some of the most comfortable and stylish pajama sets for guys.

Lacoste Long Stretch Cotton Pyjamas Set

Lacoste

Lightweight, extremely comfortable, stylish  what more could you want from one of our go-to pajamas for men? These Lacoste options are made from stretchy, breathable cotton, and cut to a relaxed fit. Small details, such as the embroidered crocodiles on the chest or the fitted leg bottoms, add a little flair as well.

$65.99 at Lacoste.com

Bedfellow The Short Set

Bedfellow

An entire company dedicated to making mens sleepwear? Not so long ago, it wouldnt have been possible, but Bedfellows devotion to quality materials has earned them a global fanbase, and The Short Set is a perfect illustration of why. Looks like a humble shorts-and-shirt set, right? Think again. Flat stitch seams, a stretchy, breathable fabric that feels like a second skin on your body, and absolutely no irritating paper laundry labels or stickers  this is your ultimate sleepwear option.

$114.99 at BedfellowDreams.com

L.L. Bean Scotch Plaid Flannel Pajamas

L.L. Bean

Every man needs a comfortable pair of flannel PJs, especially those who live in colder climates, and no one does it better than L.L. Bean. With three fit options, six size options, and ten color choices, the Scotch Plaid Flannel Pajamas have something for everyone, and their extra-strength flannel (with fibers about a quarter-inch longer than the competition) is both durable and comfortable. With added convenience features like pockets and an elastic waistband, these are perfect for everyday wear.

$79 at LLBean.com

Hanes Plain-Weave Pajama Set

Hanes

This pajama set from Hanes offers ultra-lightweight and streamlined sleepwear for a bargain price. The cotton-polyester fabric blend keeps you cool and allows your body to breathe, while the styling is straight out of 1950s Americana, right down to the button-up top with chest pocket.

From $18.21 at Amazon.com

Sleepy Jones Henry Pajama Set

Sleepy Jones

If youve got deep pockets and want a versatile, comfortable and stylish pajama set, you cant do better than the Henry Pajama Set from Sleepy Jones. Made from a luxurious, soft cotton fabric, with folded cuffs, contour stitching, front and back pants pockets and a chest pocket on the button-up shirt, these are the ultimate pajamas.

$198 at SleepyJones.com

Parachute Waffle Lounge Set

Parachute

If you like to blur the lines between sleepwear and athleisure, youll love these extra-comfy joggers and matching pullover from Parachute. Theyre made from 100% cotton in a waffle weave engineered not to lose its fit over time. We love the deep pants pockets and the finished cotton rib cuffs on both the pant legs and top sleeves.

$89 at ParachuteHome.com

Hugo Boss Stretch-Modal Pajama Set

Hugo Boss

If youve been tossing and turning in the summer heat each night, you might find some relief with the Stretch-Modal Pajama Set from Hugo Boss. The semi-synthetic fabric known as modal comes from beach tree pulp and is famous for its durability, flexibility and breathability  all things you want in your sleepwear. We cant talk about this set without also mentioning the styling: a color-blocked top and light beige shorts, offering light, summer-appropriate tones.

$98 at HugoBoss.com

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Mike Montgomery works with RV Technician Amanda Seiver as she works on an RV repair. The shop has six RV technicians.

Share This: Two significant and correlated businesses in Prineville, OR, have recently changed ownership.

High Desert RV and Auto Repair and Dave Barlow's Auto Body Shop were recently acquired and taken over by Mike Montgomery, who also has RV repair shops in Bend, OR, and Vancouver, WA. High Desert RV and Auto Repair is now branded to Pro RV Repair, Prineville.

"I bought it April 1," said Montgomery. "I have two other RV repair shops. I saw an opportunity when this one came for sale, and I wanted to expand anyway. I am trying to create a geographic brand."

He was familiar with Prineville, as he has an uncle and cousins who live in the county. With the amount of people moving from large cities to small towns, and the expectation of 10,000 people per year moving to Central Oregon, Montgomery said it made sense to have an RV repair.

"Everyone has an RV here," he said of the Crook County.

Montgomery added Pro RV Repair also services horse trailers and stock trailers, including those that have living quarters. Other offerings include servicing systems on RVs for electrical, hydraulic and plumbing; repair and replacement of all appliances; roof and ceiling replacements and repair; and repair of chassis and brakes on RVs.

On the other side, it provides full RV collision repair, including body repair and collision repair for RVs and trailers. It has a full paint room and can fabricate fiberglass.

"We do that in all of our shops," he added.

Montgomery explained the decision to buy his uncle's auto body shop also made sense and was a strategic move.

"It became opportunistic to buy my uncle's business, Dave Barlow's Auto Body, in town. We outsourced that collision repair to them, so they would...
SUV

Probably not, yet if they did, then it will look very similar to these renderings that have Theottle behind them. The digital artist rearranged the pixels of the workhorse, turning it into a more family-friendly proposal.Looking like it is a few modifications away from conquering some of the most arduous terrains out there, the Coloradoproposal looks identical to the pickup up to the B pillars. Further back, it has a longer roofline, ending with a spoiler, slightly bigger rear windows, and rear quarter windows.The rear overhang has become a hair shorter, and the quarter panels have been reshaped in order to fit the new design. Moreover, the tailgate is new and doesnt feature the Chevrolet name in the middle, as that is where the rear license plate holder sits. Finally, the rendering artist gave it a much cleaner-styled bumper at the back and seems to have forgotten about the fuel filler cap.Back in the real world, the 2023 Chevrolet Colorado will enter production at the Wentzville factory, in Missouri, and the first units are expected to start arriving at dealers nationwide in the first half of next year, with pricing and specifications to be announced in due course.Power will be supplied by a new 2.7-liter four-pot , shared with the Silverado. The engine will be available in three versions, making 237 hp and 259 lb-ft (351 Nm) of torque in the base model. A 310 hp and 390 lb-ft (529 Nm) of torque variant will be available too, and in its most potent offering, on the ZR2, it will crank out 310 hp and 430 lb-ft (583 Nm).
It is obvious that the German auto marque doesnt want to mess around with a popular product , as the updates, partially visible from beneath the camouflage on the scooped prototype, are minimal.Although they sport a similar shape, the headlights are new and feature revised graphics. The grille will be updated too, and so will the bumper. In all likelihood, the three-pointed star will tweak the side trim, and the central air intake.Expect a new bumper at the other end, too, with a diffuser-like piece attached to it, different exhaust trim, and maybe repositioned reflectors. For now, however, the 2024 GLB only has different taillights here, and nothing else. Mercedes could round off the updates with new colors and wheels, while also tweaking the software of the infotainment system and digital dials and perhaps introducing additional upholstery and trim options.We wouldnt expect any major upgrades in the power department, where it should feature the same units, some of which could be updated in order to burn less fuel and become less polluting. This is only a mid-cycle refresh, so it will retain its original nuts and bolts, otherwise shared with the brands entire compact family, such as the A-Class, B-Class, CLA, and GLA.Still positioned as a more spacious alternative to the GLA, with optional seating for seven, the facelifted GLB is supposedly a few months away from being unveiled. It will probably arrive in the United States as a 2024 model.On a related note, Mercedes is understood to pull the plug on the A-Class and B-Class after 2025, but it appears that the rest of the range, including the GLB, will live on for the next generation.
It didn't take Cotter long to find a classic car collector in the city of Nashville. It was an old garage closing up and clearing out its inventory."We just had a great lunch, and while we were eating lunch, we found out that there's an old garage in town closing down. They're emptying out all the merchandise. Maybe there are cars, maybe there are parts," Cotter revealed.The garage was an old hot rod shop, and it was filled with classic gems from as early as the 1930s. There were all kinds of classic cars and parts. Most of the vehicles weren't running, but will make good parts for cars since they are flood-recovered units.The old garage also had a Fraser luxury car. These cars are instrumental in American luxury car history, with a production that ran between 1946 and 1951. They were the flagship line of upper-medium prized luxury cars developed by Kaiser-Frazer Corporation in Michigan.The garage owner Stanley also had a C2 Corvette (a first-year 1963 model) with 112,000 miles on it. He got it for $1,750 but later sold it to a brother-in-law. He repurchased it later from the widow.Nashville had so much to offer in classic cars. On his way to meet a classic motorcycle collector, he bumped into a bunch of other classic cars parked in front of a locked property. There was a Crossley Chassis, a Studebaker Wagoniare, and a couple of Pontiacs.Cotter also met Summer Hooker, an expert in the world of vintage motorcycles. He had an exciting collection of classic Honda motorcycles and rare Alfa Romeos. We recommend watching the video below for a glimpse of the vintage treasure hidden in his barn.
According to Bloomberg, CATL will wait until September or October to talk about the new factory. It would be a way to avoid issues with the Chinese government. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) claims that Taiwan belongs to China and sees Pelosis visit as a provocation, such as establishing embassies on that island. That would be equivalent to recognizing it is an independent country, which the CCP does not accept.Taiwan can be considered the last bit of resistance to Communist rule in China. When the CCP took control of the mainland, Chiang Kai-shek and the Republic of China government members took refuge on the island, which remained under martial law until 1987. The democratic days started only after that. For a long time, Taiwan claimed to be Chinas legitimate government, which shows how complicated the situation is. Bloomberg reports that CATL did not give up on the factory. It just decided not to be one more cause for controversy while the situation does not cool down. Having a plant in North America is crucial for CATL to remain the largest battery manufacturer in the world. BYD is its main competitor, and it already has several plants across the globe, including in Canada and the U.S. Expanding an existing plant could be a way not to cause the CCPs anger and an effective way to win the customers CATL wants to serve with its LFP cells In CATLs case, it will invest $5 billion in its new plant. Although it is investigating sites in the U.S., establishing in Mexico will give it access to the American market and may ensure CATL an excuse to say it is not investing in the enemy. Bloomberg noted that Ciudad Juarez and Saltillo are among the favorite sites to get the new factory.Nancy Pelosi has already left Taiwan. Were yet to understand all the consequences of her visit. For the time being, it shows how sensitive it is for all countries to lower their dependence on resources from abroad  especially if you have any reason not to trust them.
The entire world has been struggling to find a way to reduce the disruptions caused by the constrained chip inventory for more than a year, and yet, here we are with carmakers still selling cars without certain non-critical systems and temporarily halting the production at some plants.Many believe the chip shortage could come to an end  or, at least, ease off  in the second half of this year. Industry analysts also predicted a significant improvement in the global chip inventory towards the end of the year.But Bosch doesnt seem to believe this is going to happen. Speaking with Automotive News , Bosch chairman and CEO Stefan Hartung has nothing but horrible news for those who hoped to see the chip crisis coming to an end sooner rather than later.Hartung doesnt believe the semiconductor nightmare would come to an end earlier than 2023  in fact, he says late 2023 is the time when we should be able to predict the path of the crisis more accurately, so theres a chance the disruptions would continue for a little longer.The Bosch CEO, however, seems to be very confident that the lack of semiconductors would continue to be a big headache for the automotive industry through 2023, despite all the investments in capacity. He does expect Bosch to be part of more partnerships, but on the other hand, the industry will have to wait until 2023 to figure out how the chip inventory can be stabilized in the long term.Tech giant Intel has recently shared a similar forecast , predicting that the constrained inventory would continue to be a problem in the car production business until 2024. The company, however, admitted that some industries may see signs of recovery earlier.
In early June 2022, the French Ministry of the Armed Forces announced it would order a single prototype of a new laser-based drone neutralization system capable of sniping remote-controlled drones, potentially ones with malicious intentions, out of the sky over Paris during the 2024 Summer Olympics. Dubbed the HELMA-P, it's due to debut at that year's event."The HELMA-P system provides a calibrated response to the drone threat, from dazzling the drone's observation instruments to the neutralization of a mini or micro drone (from 100g to 25kg) by altering its structure, causing it to fall in a few seconds," the French Ministry of the Armed Forces said in a statement. The International Olympic Committee has heavily stressed that the security of each year's Olympic games, be it winter or summer, is under the jurisdiction of the host nation's local and national authorities.Apart from a powerful chemical laser, the HELMA-P will deploy either from trailers or on top of trucks and use advanced radar sensors to identify, track down, and neutralize suspect-looking drones. French authorities are concerned these drones could be used for everything from spying, espionage, or even terrorist activity by dropping bombs.While such a notion may sound silly to the uninformed, the everlasting legacy of the 1972 Summer Olympics massacre in Munich still weighs heavily on the minds of a Parisian police force, ever mindful of an increasingly charged geopolitical situation. Even a minute chance of disrupting the 2024 games in Paris is enough to warrant such a novel piece of police/military technology to make its global debut.
ECU

Although it is still under disguise, we can see interesting details of the body, such as the split headlights and the shape of the hood. Between the square Maverick and the more daring Santa Cruz, the Montana adopts more straight lines, which will probably give it a more robust look. Buyers in this market segment tend to prefer that.According to GM, the new unibody pickup truck will beat all its Brazilian competitors in fuel efficiency. Considering both the Toro and the Oroch currently have updated 1.3-liter, three-cylinder turbocharged engines, the Montana would probably fulfill this promise by being lighter or more aerodynamic, right? GM did not mention any of these possibilities.The secret of making the new pickup truck need less fuel than its competitors would be a new engine control unit () that allows it to have three times more calibration variables than other vehicles. In other words, the engine could work better in more situations, which will eventually pay off in the gas station bills.Thats what GM promises for the version with an automatic transmission. The Montana will also be sold with a manual gearbox. In this case, the American automaker promises that the new unibody pickup truck will accelerate much faster than its opponents, from 0 to 100 kph (62 mph).Unlike its previous generations, based on the Chevrolet Corsa, the new Montana is considered the pickup truck of the Tracker . Both are based on the Global Emerging Markets (GEM) platform. Were still curious if GM will just export it to Mexico or if the U.S. will also have the chance to buy the new vehicle. That should be answered in a few months.
Modern vehicles seem so fragile with all their plasticky parts and sensitive components. Designed to act like crumple zones in a crash to protect the occupants, they seem close to disintegrating at the slightest impact. Older cars are less prone to breaking in minor accidents, even though you wouldnt want to be inside one in a crash.A recent video posted on Reddit shows a second-generation Honda CR-V chased by the police continuing to speed even after hitting a truck and going through a fence. With the drivers right foot firmly pinning the accelerator to the floor, nothing seems to stop the crossover from demolishing everything in its path, like a tank. The video ends just before the Honda hits a warehouse building, so were unsure whether thats still standing.We dont know how this all started, but the video begins with a police vehicle driving fast behind a Honda CR-V. As the police close in, the Honda driver makes an uninspired choice to pass a semi on the right. He almost manages, but he soon discovers that swift steering wheel corrections are not good for driving at speed. Without a stability control system, the CR-V oversteers and slams into the side of the semi.From there, the crossover gets pushed out of the road, where it speeds past a fence and gets airborne after it hits an embankment. The car lands hard and is about to hit a building, but the video ends without showing the outcome. Hopefully, the drivers foot unjammed, and the car stopped before doing any more damage.According to the Reddit post comments, the incident occurred in Nebraska and involved an inmate charged with willful reckless driving , operating a motor vehicle to avoid arrest, refusing a preliminary breath test, and driving under the influence. This doesnt look good, and theyll surely face serious consequences.
Like most other things humans create, all of it is because of necessity; after all, it's the mother of invention. Let's take the Kumulus One as the perfect example of what can be achieved when tech and science are used to attack problems that communities around the world may be facing. In this case, that problem is a lack of drinking water.Folks, Kumulus One is nothing more than an apparatus that has been designed by a group of people that seek to shape our eco-friendly future. In the process, giving rise to a machine that can harness the power of the Sun and the humidity in the air around it to create pure drinking water. Simple.Suppose you haven't heard of this gadget yet. In that case, it's because the Kumulus is a rather fresh contraption on the market , having only recently popped up in Tunisia and in a diverse range of fairs and exhibitions. It's here the Kumulus team raised awareness of the lack of drinking water around the world, why it's a right to have clean water, and how their solution works. I'm guessing that finding investors is also part of this plan.Now, the precise inner working of Kumulus seems rather tricky to find out, but what is clear is that this little invention could possibly solve one of the world's largest problems. According to the Kumulus website, over "1 billion people don't have access to clean drinking water," and 31% of schools also don't provide clean drinking water to their students, and not because they don't want to, it just simply isn't an available resource.And this contraption, with its ability to manifest clean drinking water out of nothing but thin air, seems to be one solid solution. In Tunisia, the country where this crew started applying their abilities first, they have supplied countless schools with their magical machines . Considering they require no more than one cubic meter of space to be set up and function and can produce between 20 liters (5.3 gallons)and 30 liters (7.9 gallons) of drinking water daily, I feel like the bottled water industry may not like this contraption one bit.Think about it. While there's no price visible for this technology, if I owned one of these in the area I live, I wouldn't need to purchase bottled water ever again. What does this mean for companies with a monopoly on some of our society's water? It means way less business, near to none, actually. Personally, it's going to take a lot of effort to get this Kumulus cloud rolling into your neighborhood.Speaking of neighborhoods, imagine a city where people can access free drinking water in designated areas, all because of this Atmospheric Water Generator (AWG). Personally, I love the idea and don't see what issues could come about from such a device; it's the sort of technology that can only be used to help, and I'd love to have it as a part of my daily life.If I, a human being blessed with access to clean drinking water, can hold this machine in such high regard, how would someone with no access to water feel about it? Probably going to be a lifesaver if you ask me. Oh, and don't worry about the quality of the water ; it's perhaps captured by some sort of condensation process, and the word filters have been seen floating around on the manufacturer's website. Sounds like a device that we really need.
EV

While other automakers plan to go all-electric by 2030, including parent company Volkswagen AG, Lamborghini CEO Stephan Winkelmann is clinging to a very slim hope the European Parliament will change its all-electric posture and allow cars running on a carbon-neutral synthetic fuel to be produced and sold.If this is not going to happen, we will be fully electric by the latest beginning the 2030s, he said, according to Tech Crunch. Lamborghini's first electric model is planned for 2028.For the big automakers, the cost of transforming from a gas-powered manufacturer to anmanufacturer is staggering. Volkswagen alone may be spending upwards of $100 billion (98 billion euros) to bring electric vehicles to market. For a niche market, low-volume manufacturer like Lamborghini, the cost may not be quite as exorbitant as they rely less on robotics and other automated assembly functions.For now, it appears the future of gasoline-powered vehicles is of no concern at all as the company moves full speed ahead by introducing the Huracan Sterrato, a bulky, off-road version of its V10-powered coupe, later this year.The company stands firm in its place in the gasoline-powered supercar market for good reason. They are celebrating the best six months since Ferruccio Lamborghini founded the company in 1963. In terms of production, turnover, and profitability, the company posted impressive numbers when other mass-market manufacturers experienced supply chain issues and parts shortages that led to production cuts.Worldwide auto sales reached 5,090 vehicles for the first six months of the year, representing a 4.9% increase from the first half of 2021. Operating profitability reached $432 million ($425 million euro), a 69.6% increase over the same period.
DJ Marshmello, whose real name is Christopher Comstock, has just had a show in Las Vegas, Nevada, and it was incendiary. But it looks like the entire affair was top-notch, as he shared a video of himself arriving at the nightclub XS Las Vegas in a Rolls-Royce Phantom.When youre one of the most famous DJs in the world, its only natural to get some preferential treatment. And surely his manager, Moe Shalizi , is on top of that, especially when it comes to finding the best rides for his client.And there are few options better than a Rolls-Royce, which is all designed with the customer in mind, meant to also be enjoyed from the back seat. It offers a lot of space, luxury features, and is advertised by the luxury carmaker as the most silent motor car in the world. Which is exactly what you need after a big show. The one Marshmello used in Vegas came in black, with tan leather seats.But the Phantom isnt all just about looks and comfort in the back seat. The model is currently in its eighth generation , one that was introduced in 2017, and comes with quite a performance, too. The sedan is powered by the British luxury carmakers 6.75-liter V12 twin-turbocharged engine, mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission. The power unit sends 563 horsepower (571 ps) at 5,000 rpm and 664 lb-ft (900 Nm) at 1,700 rpm to the rear axle.The luxury sedan can go from zero to 60 mph (0-96 kph) in 5.1 seconds and maxes out at 155 mph (250 kph).Its unclear whether Marshmello owns this Phantom or he just rented it for his show, but it looks like a great choice for his gig in Vegas.
Zipline and NASA have recently signed a Space Act Agreement to pursue a future vision of U.S. aviation, one that includes aircraft such as delivery drones and those highly-awaited air taxis everyones talking about for years now.What the U. S. space agency wants to achieve through this agreement is to learn more about Ziplines autonomous operations and to develop tools and techniques that enable the so-called m:N operations used by the drone logistics company. The m represents a small number of humans capable of effectively managing many autonomous vehicles, represented by the N.NASAs researchers will examine various use cases for UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) and will address all the potential hindrances, from technical barriers to regulatory, safety, and community acceptance. NASA plans to make use of Ziplines experience in the field, while the drone logistics company will also benefit from this partnership by leveraging NASAs research to learn what it takes to expand its fleet operations in the U.S. Ziplines goal is to speed up the growth of the drone delivery sector not just in the United States but also abroad.Last month, Zipline announced that it received FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) Part 135 air carrier certification, authorizing it to make the longest range, on-demand drone deliveries in the U.S. Zipline says that the FAA approval allows it to cover the largest area and greatest distance on any uncrewed commercial aircraft delivery system in the country. Zipline s delivery drones have a robust design and offer ranges of up to 50 miles (80 km) per charge. They are equipped with an advanced detection and avoidance system that uses onboard acoustic-based technology that allows the drone to fly safely even in the most uncontrolled airspaces. The system consists of a series of small mics and processors that offer 360-degree awareness and help the drone accurately and autonomously monitor its surroundings within a range of up to 6,560 ft (2,000 m).
Listed on eBay a few hours ago, this Torino was parked by its owner back in 1980. The reason was as simple as it could be: they just wanted to change the oil.The car was eventually forgotten in storage, and it never returned to the road again. The original owner passed away, so the Torino was left to his brother, who didnt actually want the car in the first place.So there you go, this very solid and very original Ford Torino is now searching for a new owner in a shape that makes it an incredible survivor overall.Needless to say, given its such an old car, it doesnt come in tip-top shape, but this isnt necessarily surprising anyway. The car is powered by the 351 (5.7-liter) Cleveland engine, and eBay seller don963g says the V8 started right after even after the 42-year nap.Its not a mint-condition Torino, but its not a complete wreck either. It needs some occasional parts that have obviously failed to pass the test of time, such as the headliner, the trunk carpet, and the hood insulation, but other than that, it looks to be a very solid candidate for someone who wants a classic daily driver.The mileage is the one that could easily catch the attention of collectors as well. The odometer indicates just a little over 14,800 miles (23,800 km), and of course, they are all original.Now lets talk money. The seller is very optimistic they could sell the car for big bucks, so on eBay, the Torino is listed with an $18,000 tag. On the other hand, some other offers could also be taken into consideration, so you know what you have to do if you want this Ford
British-German millionaire Dean Kronsbein, the owner of Heredfordshire-based mask supplier Ultrafilter Medical, was on vacation with family and friends, on board a luxury yacht presumed to be his. That yacht is described by the Italian media as a Sanlorenzo Magnum-type of a yacht measuring 27 meters (88 feet), but aside from the fact that it was named Amore (love in Italian), not many details about it are public as of the time of press.The accident occurred on Sunday night, at Il Nibani, near Porto Cervo, off the coast of Sardinia. Kronsbein, his wife, his daughter and four other people were on the deck, as Amore crashed into a rock wall; police believe the severity of the crash indicates the vessel was traveling at high speed.Kronsbein was thrown off the deck into the water, where he went into cardiac arrest; he was recovered still alive but passed away shortly after. His wife and daughter suffered serious injuries and have been transported to specialized units in the UK, while the other guests received only minor injuries It is believed that Amore was traveling side by side with another vessel, Sweet Dragon. At one point, the captain of Amore swerved, presumably to prevent collision with Sweet Dragon. That evasive action sent Amore full-speed into the rocks, with the force of the impact so strong that the bow of the vessel was completely destroyed . The captain and crew of Sweet Dragon were the first responders to the scene.Reports in the Italian media note that the captains of both ships have been included on the list of suspects and are being questioned by the police. Amore partially sunk after the accident, but has since been recovered and towed into Porto Cervo, where investigators will try to determine the circumstances of the accident The Kronsbein family has issued a statement to confirm the passing of the 61-year-old businessman. Richard Hammond is also expressing his regrets, in a statement to British publication The Daily Mail . The two were very close friends, it would seem, drawn together by a mutual love of classic cars, of which Kronsbein owned several.I'm genuinely shocked at this heartbreaking news, Mr. Hammond says. He really was a larger than life character and I know people often say that but he really was and the world needs more people like him. He was big hearted, fun character who wanted people to enjoy themselves when they were with him and he was also an astute businessman.
Shenandoah has lived, as reads its long description on the official website (yes, it has one of those). It has lived a life of adventure and turmoil. It sailed the world, circumnavigating the earth several times, cruised in icy waters, in the Med, and even into Africa, it was the hangout of royals and celebrities, and of the richest playboys and their ladies, it was used for smuggling drugs and guns, and was left to rot two separate times, coming very close to being sent to the junkyard.More than 100 years ago, one man had a dream of sailing around the world in a vessel so stunning that it would make people on land stop open-mouthed to watch it glide past them, a vessel so unique that every day on deck would make him wish that he was nowhere else on earth, the same description reads. Stories are not just something we tell our children, the best ones are alive. Shenandoah is one of those stories. She is a dream that came true.That sounds like a lot of fancy words for a boat, but Shenandoah is anything but a regular boat. If only you consider the fact that it was delivered in 1902 or the more spectacular fact that it is still sailing today and has been restored almost to its original specifications, Shenandoah emerges as a true dream come true.The man with the dream was American investment banker Harris Charles Fahnestock, who wanted a vessel that he could spend his retirement on, but that would also attract attention for its looks and performance. Shenandoah was delivered in 1902 and was built at the Townsend & Downey Shipyard in Staten Island, New York, with a naval architecture and exterior design by celebrated designer Theodore Ferris, and interiors by Terence Disdale Design.With a steel hull and a wood superstructure, and inspired by sister ship Meteor III, which was under construction at the shipyard for the German Emperor and King of Prussia, Kaiser Wilhelm II, Shenandoah started out as a three-masted topsail schooner. Subsequent refits and rebuilds along the years have turned it into an ordinary schooner, once the topsails were taken down.With a total length of 54.4 meters (178.3 feet), Shenandoah has sailed under different names, depending on ownership, but now bears the original name, Shenandoah of Sark. Its last refit was in 2018, following its complete rebuild in 2005, and many of the elements onboard are original, but the electronics, the engines, and the navigation system are all modern. The current owner, Italian businessman Francesco Micheli, has also installed a state-of-the-art audio system and brought in a Steinway & Sons baby grand piano in the dining room below deck.Shenandoah can sleep up to ten guests and holds a permanent crew of 12 people, which captain Russell Potter described in an interview with Boat International as the ships most impressive asset. The main deck holds the cockpit with the original wheel, a large dining area that can be opened completely, and the toys for watersports and tenders. With the sails down, it also boasts plenty of lounge and tanning space, including at the bow, where netting extends over the hull Below deck is another dining room, with a self-leveling three-piece dining table, built-in furniture, the Steinway piano, bookcases, and a level of sophistication and elegance youre unlikely to find on any recent built. There are three guest suites with en suite bathrooms, and the master cabin, which also features an office, sleeping quarters for a child, and a bookcase with a secret passageway to the nav station and the captains quarters.Each room below deck has natural light from overhead skylights, manually operated to open and allow proper ventilation. The porthole windows, few as they are, become submerged when the vessel is at keel when sailing, providing an unparalleled view underwater.While its a sailing yacht thats been raced as one countless times throughout the years, Shenandoah features two diesel Lugger engines of 500 hp each, which give it a top speed of 12 knots (14 mph / 22.2 kph) on engine power alone, and a cruising speed of 10 knots (10.5 mph / 18.5 kph). It wasnt originally designed with engines: gas engines were first added under the ownership of Sir John Esplen, after it was seized by British authorities at the end of World War I from German aristocrat Landrat Walter Von Bruining.Shenandoah has seen two World Wars, extended periods of disuse and decay, and periods of glory that few other vessels can boast of  and that are still sailing today. It is a window into a glorious past much like a museum piece, with the exception that its not on display but it is still being enjoyed as it was meant to. Its a beautiful piece of naval design and a piece of history, and the perfect combination of poetry and performance. Again, that might sound like a lot of overdramatic bull, but the video below, showing Shenandoah of Sark in action, will show you that it is not.
Needless to say, cars are among the hottest topics on this continuously-growing service, so when insurance comparison platform Confused.com decided to run an analysis in this regard, we were intrigued.What the folks over at the company tried to do was figure out what are the cars and the brands that are the most popular on TikTok right now. And the results are surprising, to say the least.Given TikToks audience, we wouldnt blame you if you believed Lamborghini , Ferrari, or Tesla are the top cars on the service. But no, thats not the case, as the leading spot goes to none other than Ford Maverick.Thats right, the Maverick has racked up no less than 10.9 billion views on TikTok, just ahead of the Ford Mustang with 10.7 billion views. Toyota Supra is third with 9.4 billion views.When it comes to car companies, the results arent necessarily so surprising. BMW is number one with 49.2 billion views, followed by Mercedes with 27.1 billion views, and Audi and Honda, each with 20.4 billion views.But again, theres no sign of Lamborghini, Bugatti, or any other super-expensive and luxury car manufacturer, even though its TikTok were talking about here.If youre wondering how come the Maverick is such a popular car on TikTok, its all probably thanks to the 2022 truck rather than because of the classic compact sold between 1970 and 1977. The new Maverick is already available in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, and even though its sales arent necessarily impressive (last year, Ford sold just a little over 13,200 units in the United States), it looks to be an Internet sensation on TikTok these days.
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The Carroll School of Management graduate, who earned a degree in management with concentrations in marketing and information systems and a French minor, took five semesters of German at Boston College and learned about the CBYK fellowship from Professor Michael Resler in the Eastern, Slavic, and German Studies Department.



I knew I wanted to live abroad for a period of time following my graduation from BC, especially since I didnt get to study abroad due to the pandemic, said Flanagan, who departs on July 30. Ive always had a connection with Germany because my grandmother immigrated from Germany to the United States when she was around my age. I saw this fellowship as an opportunity to explore that part of my identity and it really is a culmination of everything I involved myself in and worked for at BC.



During my year in Germany, I hope to boost my fluency in German, establish my own individual ties to the country, kickstart my career, and also positively represent my generation of Americans.



Flanagan is interested in the consumer-packaged goods industry, specifically skincare and beauty companies, and hopes to intern for a small sustainable company to gain insight into how this industry that produces a lot of waste in production and consumption can adapt to do its part in combating climate change.



To become better acquainted with Germans in her host community, she plans to join a German synchronized skating team, a skill she practiced as a member of the synchronized skating club team at BC.



Our newest cohort of young professionals, including Pauline, is well-equipped to further our core missioncreating lasting ties between the United States and Germany, said CBYX for Young Professionals Senior Director Daniel Villanueva. We are thankful these promising young leaders will be representing us in Germany this year.



Christine Balquist | University Communications | July 2022


Aboard the speeding locomotive of Bullet Train ride at least five assassins, one venomous reptile (a snake on the train), countless glib Guy Ritchie-esque slo-mo action sequences, and one bucket-hat wearing Brad Pitt.

It's a lot of ingredients that go into this candy-colored, battle royale of a movie. But the only one that really matters is that last one. At 58, Pitt's star power has never seemed so easy and so natural. Radiant in Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood, delicious in The Lost City," Pitt glides into Bullet Train in an rarified state of cruise control. Seldom has a movie star seemed to be having so much fun.

In Bullet Train, which opens in theaters Friday, Pitt plays a hired gun by profession but little else. His code name is Ladybug. He doesn't like guns. And in his first job back after a hiatus of self-reflection and therapy, he goes into lethal fights with great reluctance, spouting self-help slogans like Hurt people hurt people" in the midst of hand-to-hand combat. Pitt, a maximum movie star with a minimalist bent, is a hitman with no taste for hitting.

Ladybug, tasked to grab a very particular briefcase off a train headed from Tokyo to Kyoto, might not be up for the job, but the bigger question is whether Bullet Train" is a good enough vehicle for its biggest star. Director David Leitch, the stuntman-turned-director of Atomic Blonde and Deadpool 2, has brought the style and energy of a John Wick film (he co-directed the first) to a setting that has traditionally been associated with more subtle methods of killing.

But with films like Bong Joon Ho's Snowpiercer and the Liam Neeson-led The Commuter" greasing the wheels, train movies have chugged along since the original Murder on the Orient Express. Adapted from Kotaro Isakas pulpy novel, MariaBeetle," Bullet Train amps the carnage further and shifts the action to Japan.

But the location here is mostly just a neon-lit stage for a high-speed melee with an international ensemble, including Brian Tyree Henry (best of the bunch) and Aaron Taylor-Johnson as bickering British twins"; Andrew Koji as a Japanese assassin; a Mexican cartel veteran named the Wolf (Benito A. Martinez Ocasio, a.k.a. Bad Bunny); a dangerous young woman called Prince who fake cries her way out of nearly everything (Joey King); and Zazie Beetz's killer known as the Hornet.

All are on the train for various criminal reasons ultimately connected to a Russian kingpin named the White Death. The actor playing this most fearsome character is best left to the third-act reveal, but that's just one way Bullet Train plays around with star persona. There's a cameo that answers Pitt's in The Lost City. Another Lost City star, Sandra Bullock, is mostly only heard on the other end of a phone line, as Ladybug's handler.

The copious flashbacks and quirky banter (Henry's character has an outlook based around Thomas the Tank Engine) that accompany the juggling of all these characters in between bloody encounters is a familiar kind of framework recalling a long line of Quentin Tarantino knockoffs. In Bullet Train, a movie that proudly opts for style over substance, characters are introduced like videogame fighters, running gags get run into the ground and a winking irreverence lands somewhere in between playful and exhausting.

It's no train wreck. Leitch's film is colorful, cartoonish and well-choreographed. But the more-is-more manic energy of Bullet Train" eventually peters out, since that's all the movie was ever running on. Well, that and Pitt. His charm alone does wonders for the movie, raising it at least to the level of watchable. When, in the finale, Ladybug sails comically unharmed through the wreckage, it captures the situation exactly. Bullet Train might go off the rails but Pitt remains bulletproof.

"Bullet Train, a Columbia Pictures release, is rated R by the Motion Picture Association of America for strong and bloody violence, pervasive language, and brief sexuality. Running time: 126 minutes. Two and a half stars out of four.

___

Follow AP Film Writer Jake Coyle on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/jakecoyleAP
Beaumont ISD teachers, administration and staff converged on the Montagne Center Tuesday for their annual convocation to kick off the new academic year.

The event is a cross between setting serious goals for the year ahead and a pep rally to invigorate the spirits of staff, whether it's their first year or their last before retirement.
GULFPORT, Miss (AP)  A man has pleaded guilty to shooting and injuring a police K-9 during a chase in Mississippi earlier this year.

Richard J. McGuire, 44, pleaded guilty Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Gulfport, Mississippi, to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and one count of animal crushing.

The plea stems from an incident in March, when Moss Point police officers responded to an alarm call at a restaurant and gas station in southern Mississippi, the U.S. Attorneys Office said in a news release. After searching the area, police found McGuire behind another business. He fled when officers approached him.

A police K-9 named Buddy was released to find McGuire. The dog pursued McGuire into a wooded area when officers heard two gunshots. Buddy was later found to have been shot in the chest.

Officers apprehended McGuire and said they found him with a sawed-off shotgun and body armor. As a previously convicted felon, McGuire was prohibited from possessing the weapon.

Buddy survived and will return to work soon, prosecutors said.

McGuire, who is from Mobile, Alabama, will be sentenced in November. He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison for possession of a firearm and seven years for animal crushing.

An attorney for McGuire could not immediately be reached for comment.
A Jefferson County grand jury has declined to criminally charge two Port Neches Police Officers involved in the shooting death of a 20-year-old Port Arthur man.

Jefferson County District Attorney Bob Wortham said the grand jury spent its time looking at every element of the case before making a unanimous decision on Wednesday.

Jefferson County District Attorneys Intake Chief Cory Kneeland said the grand jury ultimately concluded that the July 5 shooting was justified following a thorough presentation by the investigating agency, the Texas Rangers. The Rangers completed its investigation and delivered it to the Jefferson County District Attorneys office late last week.

Related: Port Neches officer-involved shooting heads to grand jury

Trevon Darion Hull, who would have turned 21 last month, died in the July 5 shooting. Port Neches Police Chief Paul Lemoine previously said responding officers encountered a wanted suspect, who attempted to drive away from officers in a stolen vehicle and crashed into the patrol vehicle. Lemoine said the suspect, now identified as Hull, allegedly left the vehicle with a handgun at which time the officers fired their guns.

Its sad. I hate to see anybody lose their life, but our job is to explore whatever criminal violations there are and in this case the shooting was ruled as justified, Kneeland said.

The grand jury deliberated in private before announcing its decision, Kneeland said.

People are concerned allegedly that there could be a cover up or that this was a backroom deal -- this was a decision made by the community, Kneeland said. What I love about our grand jury system is the grand jury is made up of people from the community. They dont work in our office, they are not employed by our office, I am not their boss. This was the community speaking to a community issue."

We cant get mad at that, when the community speaks the community speaks  its as simple as that," he continued.

The case will now be closed, and all of the relevant information will be sent back to Port Neches Police Department, Kneeland said.

meagan.ellsworth@beaumontenterprise.com

twitter.com/megzmagpie
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Spindletop Center clients in Hardin County now have one more venue to access care.

The center opened its RV mobile clinic Tuesday in Kountze. It's part of an effort by Spindletop to reach more rural communities in Southeast Texas.

The Kountze clinic is one of three that Spindletop obtained through funding from the Moody Foundation, Blue Cross Blue Shield and other grants.

A second mobile clinic will open in Chambers County within a couple months, according to Spindletop Center Chief Executive Officer Holly Borel.

RELATED: Spindletop Board gets new member

The third clinic, which doesn't have a set location, is used for traveling to public events for awareness and can also be used for disaster response and recovery.

The Kountze clinic, located in front of the Hardin County Courthouse, will be available for Spindletop clients to visit every other Wednesday, starting Aug. 10, so the center can see what kind of demand the area has.

"(People see us) for major depressive disorders, schizophrenia, bipolar, posttraumatic stress disorder -- as long as they're a Spindletop client, no matter what the diagnosis is, if they are in this area or they just want an appointment for whatever reason, they can come to this clinic," said Spindletop Center Clinical Supervisor of North Region Jennifer Earp-Thornton.

Spindletop, which in serves about 12,000 people annually, currently has a facility in Silsbee. However, some clients can't afford to travel from Kountze to Silsbee, much less to Beaumont, Port Arthur or Orange, due to high gas prices, Earp-Thornton said.

RELATED: Photos: Fun Day celebrates abilities of all Southeast Texans

"(Clients) had to choose between eating and coming to the doctor," she said. "Some people are in walking distance of this clinic which makes it way more accessible when they'll be able to come and get their medicine. And if they get their medicine through us, we bring it out here, so they don't have to drive to Silsbee to get it either. It's really increased accessibility."

Two clients can utilize the mobile clinic at a time. In the RV, there's a station for a customer service representative where clients can fill out paperwork, another station for clients to meet with a caseworker, a separate nurse's station where clients can have their vital signs and assessment taken before they meet with their provider virtually in another separate area of the clinic.

Appointments must be scheduled since the space is limited, Earp-Thornton said. Clients can call the Silsbee location at 409-385-7463 to set up an appointment.

Currently, since the clinic's soft opening in June, Earp-Thornton said they've seen about seven clients a day.

RELATED: Jefferson Co. eyeing mental health and substance abuse diversion facility

The clinic isn't just for Hardin County clients, however. Earp-Thornton said Beaumont clients can choose to visit the Kountze location for services if they wish to.

Borel said the idea for the mobile clinic came when she took her position in 2018.

"A lot of the initial access to services was really centralized in the Beaumont region," she said. "So, if individuals in Port Arthur or Orange, Kountze, Silsbee wanted to access mental health care, they had to actually physically come to Beaumont to do an intake and those intakes can take all day long. Sometimes it really was a hardship for individuals that needed care."

Borel said she wanted to decentralize the access and make services available in the various locations they serve: Hardin, Jefferson, Orange and Chambers counties.

RELATED: Sen. Nichols updates East Texans on issues he is working on

Hardin and Chambers counties, however, are more rural and therefore more challenging because Spindletop doesn't necessarily have physical locations in those areas.

"We had the opportunity after (Tropical Depression) Imelda, the Moody Foundation, the Episcopal Health Foundation together had some grants going out in response to those disasters," Borel said. "That, as well as (Tropical Storm) Harvey, (there were) several (grants) that came in a row and we saw that opportunity to be able to purchase the mobile clinics."

Spindletop Center Regional Director of Hardin and Orange counties Amber Woods said that the staff is figuring out how to operate and manage the mobile clinic as they go with no blueprint to follow.

But, she said with a supportive team, anything can happen.

RELATED: OPINION: County needs new jail facility for inmates with drug or mental health problems

"There was no blueprint, but what was there was a pool of people who had specialties came together and helped make it happen," she said.

There's still a lot of work to be done to complete Borel's vision, she said, but it's rewarding to see some ideas come to fruition.

"When we've worked a couple of years on something like this, to be able to see it roll out and get started is so exciting," she said. "People just are really energized around it, our staff love it. When you work in social services, you don't do it for money. We will never be able to pay (our employees) what they're worth, the funding just isn't right for that. But they work because they've got a heart for it, it's their personal mission to help people."

For more information or to reach out for help, contact Spindletop Center on their website spindletopcenter.org, or the toll-free number 1-800-317-5809.

If you are in a crisis, reach out to Spindletop's 24-hour toll-free crisis hotline 1-800-937-8097.

The Hardin County Courthouse is located at 300 W Monroe St in Kountze.
China's countermeasures against Pelosi's Taiwan visit won't be one-off

By Global Times editorial (Global Times) 09:59, August 03, 2022

Illustration: Liu Rui/GT

On Tuesday night, US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi sneakily landed in China's Taiwan island like a thief, detonating the mine she has thrown over the situation in the Taiwan Straits and China-US ties. China has repeatedly warned on how egregious the nature of the visit and how serious the consequences could be. But Pelosi turned a deaf ear, neither did Washington take effective measures to stop it, which triggered a new round of tension and severe challenges across the straits.

This time, the whole world has seen clearly who is changing the status quo in the Taiwan Straits, who provoked first, and who is undermining cross-Straits peace and stability. It is a great irony that these three points have been exactly US and Western public opinions' targets of attacks against China for some time. The Taiwan Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities have taken the chance to make itself the "victim" and play the pity card. All of a sudden, the international public opinion concerning Taiwan was stirred into pandemonium.

But in the face of Pelosi's visit to Taiwan, US' rhetoric to call black white, its hegemonic mentality and gangster logic, as well as the essence of the DPP authorities' moves to "rely on US support for their independence agenda", are all exposed. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken's false countercharges could not even convince US allies and partners, nor could they explain US' behaviors. Former Australian prime minister Paul Keating, Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and others have expressed concerns about a possible conflict broken out between China and the US, which is certainly not an endorsement of Pelosi's behavior. The DPP authorities, which normally have strong desire to put up a show, is unusually low-key this time before the visit, which tells how diffident it is.

Pelosi's stupid, reckless, dangerous provocative actions welded the entire responsibility for undermining peace and stability across the Taiwan Straits to the US and the DPP authorities. This is a new escalation of collusion between the US and the Taiwan island, a serious and destructive change to the status quo in the Taiwan Straits, and it is also betrayal of US' serious political commitment to China. In addition to violating the one-China principle and the Three Communiques between China and the US, the visit also violates the United Nations Resolution 2758. Some politicians in the US use the so-called separation of powers as a guise to try to shirk responsibility. Their argument doesn't hold water at all.

Any independent sovereign country will never allow external interfering forces and internal separatist forces to jointly conspire to undermine its sovereignty, security and territorial integrity, let alone a big country like China. To defend China's core interests, any countermeasures taken by China are legitimate and necessary, and are exercising the rights that a sovereign country has. In fact, compared to the forms, the effect of the countermeasures is more important.

First of all, the great risk Pelosi created must backfire on herself. In other words, we should create the risk of Pelosi's Taiwan visit to significantly increase the cost of her political performance and enhance the price she has to pay. We should make people like Pelosi understand that Taiwan is not a place where they can visit at will. The route of the plane Pelosi took on Tuesday shows that the aircraft circled over the South China Sea in apparent fear of the PLA conducting live-fire exercises in the relevant waters. China's military deterrence actions have made Pelosi feel the danger.

Second, China's countermeasures will not be one-off but a combination of long-term, resolute and steadily advancing actions. Just as Pelosi was on her way to Taiwan, the PLA Air Force has sent its Su-35 fighter jets to cross the Taiwan Straits. PLA Eastern Theater Command will hold joint military operations around Taiwan island with joint maritime and air drills in north, southwest, southeast of island, long-range artillery shooting in Taiwan Straits, and conventional missile test firing in sea regions east of island starting Tuesday night. PLA will also conduct important military exercises and training activities including live-fire drills surrounding the island of Taiwan, from Thursday to Sunday.

From the de facto breaking of the "median line" of the Taiwan Straits, to PLA's regular patrols in Taiwan's southwest "airspace" and full circle flights around the island, to the clear emphasis that the Taiwan Straits are not international waters, every provocation by the US and Taiwan in recent years has been countered by the mainland's further strengthening of actual control over the Straits. This time won't be an exception.

Third, China's countermeasures fundamentally aim to promote the process of national reunification. The time and momentum to achieve the reunification of the motherland are always firmly in our own hands. No matter what form they take to support Taiwan and contain the mainland, forces like Pelosi cannot change the historical and legal fact that Taiwan belongs to China, nor can they hinder the trend of China realizing full reunification. It should be noted that every step external forces, such as the US, and the DPP authorities take to upgrade their collusion and provocations, the faster China will realize the full reunification.

Like a "political god of plague," Pelosi didn't do any good to the region except bringing risks and tensions to Taiwan. Some media in Taiwan have revealed that the DPP authorities had secretly withdrawn its invitation to Pelosi, but had to continue to arrange the reception under the censure of the US politician. This piece of news is quite intriguing, as it vividly demonstrates the DPP authorities' low and shady mentality and Pelosi's peremptory and selfish attitude toward Taiwan. It is a true microcosm of the relationship between the US and Taiwan. It is also a disgrace and sorrow, to which the reunification of the two sides of the Taiwan Straits will put a complete end.

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun)
Trent Nelson/AP

SANDY, Utah (AP)  Police said on Wednesday that an attack against a gay couple in suburban Salt Lake City is being investigated as a hate crime.

Stefanie Peacock said her 18-year-old son, Christian, and his boyfriend Jacob Metcalf, also 18, were attacked just after midnight Saturday. They were standing outside of the Peacocks' home in Sandy, a 97,000-person suburb southeast of Salt Lake City. A video recorded by Metcalf and posted on social media shows young men using homophobic slurs while Christian Peacock demands they leave.
Xavier Lorenzo/Getty Images

The cost of literally everything seems to be going up in 2022, and particularly with gas prices. If you're looking to take the sting off everywhere else in your weekly budget, Sams Club and Costco are still two of the top places to fill up your tank (and find other deals on homewares, groceries, and other essentials too, since you have the membership and all).

According to Consumer Reports, gas prices at warehouse clubs like Costco and Sams Club are typically always lower than filling up from a regular gas station pump  sometimes savings can be up to 25 cents per gallon, which adds up to pretty significant savings.
Taiwan Foreign Minister Joseph Wu (left) gestures while speaking with U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi as she prepares to leave Taipei, Aug. 3, 2022.

Southeast Asian governments on Wednesday urged China and rival superpower the United States to hold back from provocative actions that could inflame tensions, saying they were watching the situation around Taiwan after U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosis controversial visit.

From Manila to Jakarta, Bangkok, Hanoi and other capitals, governments across the region reiterated their support for the One China Policy, under which Beijing is recognized as the sole government of China.

The United States also holds this policy, but maintains close unofficial ties with Taiwan and is obligated by law to provide defense support. Washington only acknowledges Chinas sovereignty claim over Taiwan rather than endorsing it.

The foreign ministry of Indonesia, Southeast Asias largest country, expressed grave concern about the increasing rivalry among major powers, without naming the U.S. and China.

If not managed well, it may lead to open conflict and disrupt peace and stability, including in the Taiwan [S]trait, Jakarta said in a statement as it called on all parties to refrain from provocative actions that may worsen the situation.

The world is in dire need of wisdom and responsibilities of all leaders to ensure peace and stability are maintained, said Indonesia, which has faced its own territorial tensions with China in waters around the Natuna Islands in the far southwestern reaches of the South China Sea.

In Bangkok, Thailands Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed similar concern in the wake of Pelosis visit to Taiwan.

We do not wish to see any actions that would aggravate tensions and undermine peace and stability in the region, ministry spokesman Tanee Sangrat said.

We hope that all parties concerned exercise utmost restraint, abide by international law and principles of respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity and resolve their differences through peaceful means.

As the military jet carrying Pelosi and her delegation touched down in Taipei on Tuesday evening after a flight from Kuala Lumpur, Chinas Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) announced live-fire drills at six locations around Taiwan later this week, some overlapping the islands sovereign territorial waters.

In addition, 21 Chinese military aircraft, including 10 J-16 fighter-jets and two reconnaissance airplanes, flew into Taiwans air defense identification zone (ADIZ).

While in Taipei, Pelosi visited Taiwans parliament before meeting with President Tsai Ing-wen who called her one of Taiwans most devoted friends.

During a brief speech following their meeting, Pelosi praised Taiwan for its resilience.

Americas determination to preserve democracy here in Taiwan and around the world remains ironclad, the house speaker said, adding that the U.S. will not abandon our commitment to Taiwan.

Pelosi was the highest-ranking American official to visit Taiwan in 25 years. In the days leading up to her visit, Beijing had issued stern warnings against it, claiming that the trip would encroach on Chinese sovereignty.

The Philippines, which has also had confrontations with China in the South China Sea and maintains a Mutual Defense Treaty with the United States, said it was tracking Pelosis visit over concerns that it could escalate tensions with Beijing. The Pelosi-led U.S. delegation left Taiwan Wednesday evening and traveled on to South Korea.

Our military and our DFA (Department of Foreign Affairs) are closely monitoring the situation as they would in any other similar circumstance, said Trixie Cruz-Angeles, spokeswoman for President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

On matters of international relations, reactions are studied. We dont make knee-jerk reactions because they could adversely affect international relations, she said, stressing that loose words could impact Philippine-China relations.

Cruz-Angeles said Chinas envoy to Manila, Huang Xilian, had reminded officials to adhere to the One China Policy.

There is only one China in the world. Taiwan is an inalienable part of Chinas territory, Huang said Tuesday ahead of Pelosis visit.

The Chinese ambassador said he hoped the Philippines would handle all Taiwan-related issues with prudence to ensure sound and steady development of China-Philippines relations.

Malaysias foreign minister, meanwhile, said his government wanted to ensure peace, stability and prosperity in the region as officials in Kuala Lumpur seek to maintain good relations with their counterparts in Beijing and Washington.

[W]e want everyone concerned to look at the situation and address it in the best way because we appreciate and weve put a lot of value in both the U.S. and China when it comes to trade and technology in the region and want to be friends to both, Minister Saifuddin Abdullah said from Phnom Penh, where foreign ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations were assembling for the ASEAN Regional Forum Meeting and meetings this week with the top Chinese, American and Russian diplomats, among others.

A pro-Beijing protester stamps on an image of U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi during a protest outside the U.S. Consulate in Hong Kong, Aug. 3, 2022. [Peter Parks/AFP]

Maximum restraint

Late on Wednesday, the foreign ministers of the 10 ASEAN members-states prepared a collective statement about the cross strait development.

The bloc, it said, was concerned with the international and regional volatility, especially in the recent development [] adjacent with the ASEAN region.

That situation could destabilize the region and eventually could lead to miscalculation, serious confrontation, open conflicts and unpredictable consequences among majors powers, the top ASEAN diplomats said.

Elsewhere, officials in Cambodia, the Lao Peoples Democratic Republic, Myanmar and Vietnam reaffirmed support for One China policy while also calling for peace and stability in the region.

The Lao PDR reiterates its support for the policy of the government of the Peoples Republic of China on the national reunification by peaceful means, it said in a Facebook post.

The military government in Myanmar, for its part, reaffirmed its belief that Taiwan is an integral part of the Peoples Republic of China while expressing concern over Pelosis visit, which is causing escalation of tensions on the Taiwan Straits.

Myanmar calls all concerned parties to deescalate the tensions through constructive dialogue and peaceful negotiation for peace and stability across the Taiwan Straits, the junta said in a Facebook post.

China has become the largest source of foreign investment in Myanmar since Western businesses pulled out after the February 2021 military coup.

Like a frontline soldier

In northern Thailand, an analyst at Chiang Mai University lauded Pelosi while casting doubt on some media reports suggesting that her Taiwan visit could have ignited a new cold war.

As the U.S.s third most influential figure after President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, Pelosi could have laid a milestone on the U.S.s new approach in Asia. Her trip to Taiwan is a strong political gesture and is vitally important for the relationship of the U.S. and East Asia in the future, Isa Gharti told BenarNews. She is like the first U.S. soldier who lays milestones to locate flash points.

By reading some analysis lately, I am surprised that they think this is the start of a new cold war, he said. I dont think so because the superpowers have yet to get their economies recovered and cannot afford to lose any partners.

Nani Yusof in Washington, Tria Dianti in Jakarta, Jason Gutierrez in Manila, Nontarat Phaicharoen and Wilawan Watcharasakwet in Bangkok, Kunnawut Boonreak in Chiang Mai, Thailand, and Radio Free Asia staffers contributed to this report.
Anas Abdulrahman (center), the head of the panel representing Barisan Revolusi Nasional rebels in peace talks with Thailand, and fellow BRN delegates take part in a post-meetings press conference at a hotel in Petaling Jaya, near Kuala Lumpur, Aug. 3, 2022

Negotiators for the main rebel group in Thailands Deep South are asking for diplomatic immunity so they can consult the public in the border region about the peace process without being arrested, they told reporters Wednesday.

Barisan Revolusi Nasional chief peace negotiator Anas Abdulrahman said his side made the request to Thailands government during two days of meetings with their Thai counterparts in Malaysia this week, and that BRN was considering the main proposal from the other side  a second pause in violence, but one that would last at least three months.

We discussed about the mechanism  for the public consultations on the ground  that our representatives involved in the peace talks and the public consultations be given diplomatic immunity, Anas said during a post-meetings press conference at a hotel in Petaling Jaya, near Kuala Lumpur.

He said the two sides also discussed the Ramadan Peace Initiative, a successful 40-day truce that they had observed in April and May after agreeing to a pause in hostilities following their previous round of in-person talks brokered by Malaysia.

Technical teams from both sides will meet soon to discuss these matters in detail before the next round of official talks  the fourth this year  that will likely take place in October, Anas told BenarNews.

When BenarNews asked him about it on Wednesday, Lt. Gen. Thira Daehwa, the secretary for the Thai peace talks panel, said the Thai side was open to discussing the immunity issue more with BRN.

In response to questions about the Thai sides new proposal for a 108-day truce  which would go from Aug. 15 to Nov. 30 and cover much of the Buddhist Lent  Anas, who is also known as Hipni Mareh, said BRN needed time to consider the matter.

BRN is the largest of armed separatist groups in Thailands far south. Many of its leaders, members and officials are believed to be living across the border in neighboring Malaysia, and are the targets of arrest warrants in the heavily militarized Deep South.

Such immunity for wanted BRN members was necessary to let its representatives participate in bilateral monitoring of peace-related measures in the conflict zone and to enable them to consult with communities in the Deep South without fear of being stopped or arrested, a retired former member of Thai delegations in past peace talks with southern rebel groups had explained to BenarNews.

Under past agreements, the government waived all criminal charges against wanted BRN officials to let them take part in consultations with the public, and even allowed them to stay at Thai military premises for the duration, Thai Army Maj. Gen. Nakrob Boonbuathong had said.

BRN and other separatist groups have been waging a decades-long insurgency against Buddhist-majority Thailand in the Deep South, a predominantly Muslim and Malay-speaking region that encompasses Pattani, Narathiwat, Yala provinces, and four districts of Songkhla province.

Since the insurgency flared up again in January 2004, more than 7,000 people have been killed and 13,500 others injured in violence across the region, according to Deep South Watch, a local think-tank.

Nontarat Phaicharoen and Mariyam Ahmad contributed to this report from Bangkok and Pattani, Thailand.
U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi departed Taiwan Wednesday after meeting its president and praising the democratic islands resilience as China voiced anger and state media trumpeted an unprecedented missile barrage and blockade.

Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen presented Pelosi with a special award on Wednesday, calling her one of Taiwans most devoted friends who helped strengthen Taiwan-U.S. relations.

Tsai met Pelosi in the morning after the U.S. House Speaker visited the Legislative Yuan, or Taiwans parliament. Pelosi praised the island for its success in battling the COVID pandemic and called Taiwan one of the freest societies in the world.

Taiwan has been an island of resilience, Pelosi said in a brief speech during her meeting with President Tsai.

Americas determination to preserve democracy here in Taiwan and around the world remains ironclad, the U.S. House Speaker stated, adding that her visit made it unequivocally clear that the U.S. will not abandon our commitment to Taiwan.

In response, Tsai said Taiwan will firmly uphold our nations sovereignty and continue to hold the line of defense for democracy.

Facing deliberately heightened military threats, Taiwan will not back down, Tsai said, referring to the latest developments across the Taiwan Strait.



A screen shot of a tweet by The Global Times announcing live-fire military drills in seas around Taiwan later this week.



As Pelosi touched down on Tuesday evening in Taipei, Chinas Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) announced unprecedented live-fire drills at six locations around Taiwan, some overlapping the islands sovereign territorial waters as defined in the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea. On the same day, 21 Chinese military aircraft, including 10 J-16 fighter jets and two reconnaissance airplanes, flew into Taiwans air defense identification zone (ADIZ). Southeast Asia nations expressed concerns about the rising tensions in the region after the visit. The Philippines, which has a military alliance with the U.S. but maintains a one-China policy, was closely monitoring the situation, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.s spokeswoman Trixie Cruz-Angeles told reporters on Wednesday. In a statement, Indonesias foreign ministry also expressed deep concerns with the increasing rivalry among major powers. If not managed well, it may lead to open conflict and disrupt peace and stability, including in the Taiwan Strait, it said. Thailand said it was closely following developments in the Taiwan Strait with much concern. Unprecedented military drills The PLAs Eastern Theater Command is to conduct a series of joint military operations around the Taiwan Island from the evening of Aug. 2, said Sr. Col. Shi Yi, the Commands spokesperson. Naval and air joint drills will be carried out in the northern, southwestern and southeastern waters and airspace off Taiwan, while long-range combat fire live shooting will be conducted in the Taiwan Strait and conventional missile firepower test-launched in the waters off Eastern Taiwan, according to Shi Yi. The Communist Party tabloid Global Times said ongoing exercises were unprecedented as the PLA conventional missiles are expected to fly over the island of Taiwan for the first time, the PLA forces will enter area within 12 nautical miles of the island and that the so-called median line will cease to exist. If the conventional missiles of the PLA were to be launched from the mainland toward the west of Taiwan and hit targets to its east, this means that the missiles would fly over the island, which is unprecedented, the Gobal Times quoted Chinese military expert Zhang Xuefeng as saying. Taiwans Ministry of National Defense on Wednesday condemned what it called the reckless behavior by Communist China of conducting live fire drills in waters and skies close to Taiwan, some of which are in the neighboring waters. The drills will essentially seal off Taiwans airspace and violate its territorial waters, the ministry said. The Ministrys spokesperson Sun Li-Fang said China threatens international aviation routes, challenges the international order, damages the status quo in the Taiwan Strait and destroys regional security. Activities around Taiwans territory are closely monitored, the Defense Ministry said, vowing appropriate responses when needed. China dismissed Taiwans criticism of the military drills. Foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told reporters in Beijing on Wednesday Chinese military actions were legitimate and meant as a deterrent to Taiwan. Taiwans Ministry of Transportation and Communications is coordinating with Japan and the Philippines to plan alternative cargo flight routes for goods as the Chinese planned drills amount to an air blockade, the official Central News Agency (CNA) reported. Washington officials said Chinas announced military drills were an overreaction. Theres no reason ... for Beijing to turn this visit, which is consistent with longstanding U.S. policy into some sort of crisis or use it as a pretext to increase aggressiveness and military activity in or around the Taiwan Strait now or beyond her travel, national security council spokesman John Kirby said. Grant Newsham, a retired U.S. Marine colonel turned political analyst, said prior to Pelosis visit he did not expect China to launch attacks on the U.S. or Pelosi herself. But, he said, they could lash out at Taiwan. The Chinese Communists are now willing to apply serious pressure  including possible military force  against America's friends and partners, and dare the United States to respond, he told RFA.

Military police officers get into position for a drill on how to guide citizens to safety in the event of an attack, in Taipei, July 22, 2022. [Ann Wang/REUTERS]



A new crisis?

Beijing considers Taiwan an inalienable part of China that must be reunited with the mainland at all costs.

Analysts say, however, despite the noisy saber-rattling by Beijing, a new crisis may not happen as nobody wants war.

While China has said Pelosis visit would challenge its red line for Sino-U.S. relations, its unlikely that Beijing will do something risky in the Taiwan Strait during her visit, said Baohui Zhang, Professor of Political Science at Lingnan University in Hong Kong.

Beijing has no interest in triggering scenarios that may lead to miscalculations by all sides and inadvertent military conflicts, Zhang said, adding: As a rising power, war is the last thing China wants now.

During the most recent virtual meeting between Xi and Biden, the two leaders both confirmed the need for bilateral efforts to contain and manage crises.

In Zhangs opinion, Pelosis visit will have little practical implications for U.S.-China relations, as its trajectory of strategic rivalry has already been set.

The Taipei-based China Times cited leaked diplomatic cables from Taiwans representative office in Washington, saying they showed both the White House and the Pentagon sought to discourage the House Speaker from visiting Taiwan.

The Biden administration is not in favor of the visit and China knows that, said Baohui Zhang.

So the visit is largely a symbolic event showing rising Congressional support for Taiwan. It will not redefine U.S.-China relations.

This report was produced by Radio Free Asia (RFA), an online news service affiliated with BenarNews, and with contributions from BenarNews staff in Manila and Jakarta.
Bennington, VT (05201)

Today

Partly cloudy skies during the morning will give way to cloudy skies and light rain late. Thunder possible. High near 70F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 70%..

Tonight

Rain early...then remaining cloudy with showers overnight. Low 58F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 60%. Rainfall near a quarter of an inch.
AMMAN, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) -- Jordan welcomed the renewal of a truce in Yemen for another two months, the Jordanian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Wednesday.

Jordan's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Haitham Abou Al-Foul said Jordan repeatedly calls for supporting steps to end the crisis in Yemen through a political solution based on all agreed-upon references and initiatives.

Such a political solution, he said, should lead to the unity and the territorial integrity of Yemen and ensure ending the suffering of all Yemenis.

Jordan highly values the efforts exerted by the UN Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg and will continue to support the UN mission on Yemen, he added.

Grundberg on Tuesday announced a two-month renewal of the truce in Yemen from Aug. 2 to Oct. 2. 
FILE - In this July 19, 2018, photo, Rep. Jackie Walorski, R-Ind., speaks on Capitol Hill in Washington. Walorski's office says that she was killed Wednesday, Aug. 3, 2022, in a car accident.
U_S_ House Speaker Nancy Pelosi concluded her visit to Taiwan with a pledge that the American commitment to democracy on the self-governing island and elsewhere remains ironclad.
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Winds of change are blowing through the Boston Symphonys summer home this season, but one family-friendly tradition, Tanglewood on Parade, appears sturdy and adaptable enough to endure.

Originally designed by BSO music director and Tanglewood founder Serge Koussevitzky as a 1940 wartime relief-fund event, TOP returned in 1946 and has been presented annually since 1950, in part as a showcase for the most-impressive talents of young players in the Tanglewood Music Centers summer training academy.

Its also a benefit  and on Tuesday night, returning for the first time since 2019 because of the pandemic, there was an aura of celebration. The BSO, Boston Pops and TMC musicians took the stage in turns, then gathered, nearly 200 strong for Tchaikovskys 1812 Overture, cannon-free this summer but packing its customary wallop.

Here are six of the evenings highlights:

 Boston Pops Conductor Laureate John Williams, at 90 remarkably energetic and spry, took the podium following the customary heros welcome, leading a tribute to retiring TMC Director Ellen Highstein by honoring her request to reprise his vivacious JUST DOWN WEST STREET, on the left  composed in 2015 for the centers 75th anniversary.

The music, a clever blend of his film score and concert hall styles, is celebratory. Addressing the audience, Williams called Highstein a woman I adore and loved working with all these years.

 Introducing Potter Triptych, a suite of three memorable cues from the first two Harry Potter films (Hedwigs Theme, Fawkes the Phoenix and Harrys Wondrous World), Williams noted that I get a little bit nostalgic about Harry Potter because I wrote the score for the first film [Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone, 2001] at Tanglewood.

Concluding whats likely to be his only conducting appearance here this summer  though hell be feted on Aug. 20 at a BSO concert  Williams gallantly handed a bouquet presented to him by a fan to Assistant Concertmaster Elita Kang, who was visibly moved and tearful over the gesture.

 Making a long-overdue Tanglewood debut, esteemed American conductor JoAnn Falletta led the Tanglewood Music Center Orchestra in Paul Hindemiths Symphonic Metamorphosis. A member of the TMC faculty in 1940, Hindemith wrote his score as a powerful workout for every section and individual player of an orchestra  particularly percussion, brass and winds.

Falletta, the first female conductor of a major ensemble when appointed music director of the Buffalo Philharmonic in 1998, is on the conducting faculty of the TMC this summer, leads a BSO concert this Saturday night, and its high time that she becomes a regular here.

 Conducting the BSO in a whirlwind, demonic performance of Ravels La Valse, the orchestras Artistic Partner, British composer Thomas Ades, demonstrated once again his conducting prowess. Hell lead the orchestra this Sunday in a personal favorite, Holsts The Planets.

 Thomas Wilkins, the BSOs Youth and Family Concerts Conductor, led the Pops in Tico-Tico, the vividly rhythmic orchestration of Zequinha De Abreus 1917 Brazilian song that became a hit in the U.S. during the 1940s. Following that with film composer David Raksins haunting Laura soundtrack theme and America from Bernsteins and Sondheims West Side Story, the melange seemed ill-conceived on paper but surprisingly effective in performance.

 In retrospect, the decision to include the 1812 Overture this summer, as first advocated by Pops Conductor Keith Lockhart for the annual Independence Day concert on Bostons Esplanade, seemed entirely appropriate despite its militaristic, nationalistic Russian themes. Preceded by the Ukrainian National Anthem conducted by Wilkins, the perennial crowd-pleaser was given a rousing, swift performance by the combined BSO-TMCO players led by Stefan Asbury, the TMC Artist in Residence and Head of the Conducting Program.

As Lockhart has pointed out, Tchaikovskys 1880 work celebrating the retreat of Napoleons forces from Russia following the French leaders unprovoked aggression is all about triumph over adversity. The Boston Pops and the Boston Symphony stands with the people of Ukraine, and salutes all who stand for democracy and against injustice, and are willing to sacrifice everything for their freedom, Wilkins told the audience, partially quoting Lockhart.

Tanglewood on Parade, which also showcases the work of the Boston University Tanglewood Institute for teenage musicians during pre-concert afternoon events, remains a welcome, accessible festival that draws a wide range of age groups, including many full-time Berkshire residents. Its return Tuesday was most welcome.
WILLIAMSTOWN  Morgan the goat, the smallest of his family, got a whole lot of attention Tuesday afternoon at the celebration of National Night Out at The Spruces.

Fenced into a little corral, Morgan and his friends, owned by Town Clerk Nicole Beverly, were passed around and cuddled by dozens of admirers. Between the goats and their fans, it tended to get a bit crowded.

Meanwhile, lots of kids, including human ones, took a tractor-powered hayride through the park and along some of a new bike trail.

Since 1984, National Night Out has been an annual community-building campaign that promotes police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie through a community gathering. The point is having down time and family fun.

Williamstown revived the event last year after more than a decade, at a time when there was heightened tension between some in the community and the police department. Since then, the department has made progress in strengthening its bond with the community.

Quote "No politics, no tensions. Just hanging out. Its nice for a change. Randal Fippinger, Select Board member

We wanted to do it again this year to continue heading in the right direction, to build on that progress, said interim Police Chief Michael Ziemba. He noted that hosting the event is in itself a community-building exercise.

It takes a big volunteer effort to set up and take it down, Ziemba said.

The bouncy slide was popular and Bowie the balloon artist was kept busy.

There were information tables, lots of first responders, both on and off duty, emergency vehicles for kids to climb around in, and burgers and hotdogs grilled up by members of the Select Board.

I think this is a great way for the community to come together, said Select Board member Randal Fippinger. Its so nice just enjoying each others company. No politics, no tensions. Just hanging out. Its nice for a change.
TEHRAN, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) -- At least 90 people have been killed and eight people went missing in flooding across Iran, Iran's Red Crescent Society (IRCS) announced on Wednesday.

The IRCS's relief operations are underway, IRCS chief Pir-Hossein Kolivand told the official IRNA news agency.

The floods, which began in Iran two weeks ago and were caused by the monsoon phenomenon, have affected 24 provinces across the country, according to Iranian media. 
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Christians look forward to the return of Jesus Christ, as they will be reunited with their Savior, Lord, and King. While they wait for that, they hold onto and obey His last words that He said before He ascended back to the right hand of God the Father.

The Gospels record the visits He made to many people after the Resurrection, including one to 11 of His disciples. There He said many things to them, including the phrase, Peace be with you. He repeated this phrase several times. It was a common greeting among the Hebrew people during that period of history, but it also had significance when Jesus said it after the Resurrection.

He was both greeting His friends, and encouraging them that Gods peace would be with them at all times.

What Does Peace Be with You Mean?

The word for peace used in both usages by the Lord in the Greek Septuagint translation of the New Testament is eirene. It is a feminine noun that generally was used to mean, peace, peace of mind; invocation of peace, a common Jewish farewell, in the Hebraistic sense of the health (welfare) of an individual (Strongs Concordance). It also had the connotation, being derived from the root eiro, to join, to tie together into a whole, or wholeness.

The Hebrew word that was commonly used for this greeting, and is still used today, was shalom, which is often used for hello and goodbye.

What Is the Context of This Verse?

The chapter commonly organized in the Bible as John 20 recounts the resurrection of Jesus Christ after He died on the cross for the sins of the world, and several of His appearances to His followers. The passage where the phrase is found three times is when He makes Himself known to His disciples, including the eleven remaining who were most close to Him. The Bible recounts He first said it as a greeting.

He issued it both as a greeting, but probably to assure them as well. During His first encounter, He entered a room despite the doors being locked. On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, Peace be with you (John 20:19). To show them He was Himself, and probably to calm them down, He showed them His nail-pierced hands and side and the scars He still bore.

The second time He said it, He began instituting the Great Commission, and did an act which was the precursor to Pentecost.

When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you. And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, Receive the Holy Spirit (John 20:20-22).

When Jesus said Peace be with you a second time, He more than likely was indicating the Fathers peace was going to be with them in a more permanent and sustainable way after He ascended. At this moment, He gives them the Holy Spirit, and begins the process of instituting the church. This moment did not formally give every believer the Holy Spirit, just the disciples present in the room. However, it did empower the ones there to begin acting in His name.

The Holy Spirit is also called the Comforter in many translations of the Bible into English, because it is Gods permanent presence in the believer, bringing peace.

Do We See This Verse Anywhere Else in Scripture?

Not all of the remaining eleven disciples were present that day when Jesus appeared in the room with the locked doors. Thomas was not present, and did not believe the others when they told Him about the incredible moment, and the miraculous resurrection of Jesus. So later, when Jesus appeared before them with Thomas in the room, He once again repeated the greeting.

Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, Peace be with you. Then he said to Thomas, Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe. Thomas answered him, My Lord and my God! (John 20:26-28).

Here, again, this phrase most likely served as a common greeting, and as an extension of Gods peace.

This phrase, or the use of the word eirene for peace in a similar context, is repeated several times during the Gospels. These instances include:

Matthew 10:13 And if the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it, but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you.

In this context, Jesus was commissioning the disciples early in His ministry to go out and spread the good news of God. When determining which houses they should spend time in, and which ones they should leave, Jesus encouraged them to discern whether or not the peace of God was in the home.

Mark 5:34 And he said to her, Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.

When the woman with the bleeding disease believed that just touching Jesus garment would heal her, her faith was rewarded. Jesus also blessed her, telling her to go in peace, the same peace He greeted His followers with, physically and spiritually whole.

Luke 7:50 And he said to the woman, Your faith has saved you; go in peace.

In a Pharisees home, a woman approached Jesus and cleaned His feet with her tears and precious oils. She was known to be sinful, and the Pharisee looked down on her. Jesus, however, saw that she repented and believed in Him for the right reasons. He sent her with peace. While this was a common farewell, He was also sending her with the assurance of His love and forgiveness  eternal peace.

John 14:27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

Even before His crucifixion, Jesus was letting His disciples know that He would be sending them an ever-present peace in the Holy Spirit. He assured them of a complete peace, one that would come from Heaven, and be with them regardless of what was going on in life or in the world.

While many Christians today, especially those from a gentile, non-Jewish, background, do not use shalom as a greeting anymore, Jesus use of it can still be an assurance for them.

When Jesus speaks of peace, He speaks of eternal salvation, of Gods love, and assurance. The Holy Spirit brings peace because of these things, guaranteeing the believer of their relationship with Christ.

For anyone who does not have this peace but wishes to have it, there is only one way. The Lord Jesus said, I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me (John 14:6b). People are separated from God and lack His peace because they are sinful, and cannot perform any works good enough to erase the wickedness from their own hearts. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, came to earth and died after living a sinless life, to pay the price for those sins. Anyone who repents of that sin, and accepts that Jesus Christ is the Lord of their life and that His death and resurrection provide salvation from sins and eternal life, can have a relationship with God, and know His peace forever.

Sources

Grassi, Joseph. Jesus is Shalom A Vision of Peace from the Gospels. New York: Paulist Press, 2006.

Strong, James. Strongs Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible: Updated and Expanded Edition. Peabody: Hendrickson Publishers Marketing, LLC, 2007.

Walvoord, John F. and Roy B. Zuck. The Bible Knowledge Commentary An Exposition of the Scriptures by Dallas Seminary Old Testament and New Testament. United States of America: Victor Books, 1987.

Wilmington, H.L. Wilmingtons Guide to the Bible. Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, 1981.

Photo credit: Getty Images/ChrisHackett

Bethany Verrett is a freelance writer and editor. She maintains a faith and lifestyle blog graceandgrowing.com, where she muses about the Lord, life, culture, and ministry.




First up, Joe Biden is thinking about dropping tariffs against China. But theres a spy in prison this morning that helps us understand why he shouldnt. Ill explain.





Your second brief, If youre looking for a good paying job, you might consider being a CEO for a health insurance company. One executive made $142M dollars last year. Let's talk about that.





And as always, Im keeping an eye out for developing stories. Put this one on your radar. Mexican cartels are grooming American kids online and paying them cash to traffic illegals or run drugs across the border. Ill share details.





If you enjoyed this episode of the President's Daily Brief, remember to subscribe and listen daily at podfollow.com/pdb.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The results of this year's Trophy Spirits Show, now sponsored by Investec, have been announced. Launched in 2019, the liquor competition is open to all producers and importers of spirits and liqueurs.

Source: Supplied

This year's breadth of entries indicates recovery among producers and distributors who were hard-hit during the pandemic. The 128 entries received this year from 34 producers and distributors were spread through nine categories: amongst the whisky submissions there were brands from Scotland, Ireland, South Africa and the United States. There were malt whiskies, grain whiskies and blended whiskies.

There were potstill brandies from France (Cognac) and South Africa, rums, tequilas, vodkas and aperitifs, and there was grappa and absinthe, creme de cassis and cream liqueurs.

For the first time since the inception of the competition, the trophy for the shows best brandy went to a South African single pot still, the Van Ryns Single Potstill Brandy aged 15 years, and in fact, all of the top award-winning brandies were single pot stills from the cellars of the Cape.

Entries from craft gin producers are slowly getting back to pre-Covid levels, and yielded trophies and gold medals in the London Dry and well as in the Distilled Gin classes.

There was wide and substantial representation from the world of whisk(e)y, with gold medal and trophy-winning entries in the malt, Irish and blended Scotch categories, with some of the biggest names in the world of whisky represented on the winners podium.

Source: Supplied

Global representation

As in previous years, entries came in from producers in places as far afield as the Americas, England, Japan, Scandinavia, Cuba, Italy, Germany, the sun-washed islands of the Caribbean, the highlands of Scotland, the deserts of Mexico, the villages of Cognac and pretty much everywhere in between. Included among these exotic origins were at least 50 different brandies, liqueurs, whiskies and gins from the Cape, Gauteng and Mpumalanga.

"Unsurprisingly, South Africa's share of the gold medals and trophies was important enough to serve as a tribute to the craft and skill of our domestic distillers, and a vindication of Investecs commitment to this very vital industry," said the show organisers.

There was an equally broad representation of international judges  back at the tasting benches for the first time since 2019. David T. Smith from England, widely regarded as the world gin expert; George Harper (Scotland and Ireland) and Eric Goettelmann from France shared their expertise with local judges and associates (all graduates of the spirits judging academy run by Michael Fridjhon on behalf of the Trophy Spirits Show).

The South African judges were Neil Paterson, Kobus Gelderblom, Kurt Schlechter, Mare-Loe Prinsloo and Dave Gunns. The associate judges were Lisa de Beer, Kudzai Kupeta and Wellington Muromba. Show convenor Michael Fridjhon was chairman of the judges.

There were nine gold medals, 39 silvers, 40 bronzes and just 10 trophies awarded.

All the Trophy winners

 Investec Trophy for Best Brandy of Show:

Van Ryns Single Potstill Brandy aged 15 years

 Investec Trophy for Best London Gin

Triple Three Just Juniper Berry Gin

 Riedel Trophy for Best Gin of Show:

Triple Three Just Juniper Berry Gin

 Investec Trophy for Best Distilled Gin:

Monkey 47 Schwarzwald Dry Gin

 Investec Trophy for Best Blended Whisky:

Johnnie Walker Blue Label Blended Scotch Whisky

 Investec Trophy for Best Malt Whisky:

The Glenlivet 18 Years of Age Single Malt Scotch Whisky

 Investec Trophy for Best Whisky of Show:

The Glenlivet 18 Years of Age Single Malt Scotch Whisky

 Vinolok Trophy for Best Premium Spirit:

The Glenlivet 18 Years of Age Single Malt Scotch Whisky

 Investec Trophy for Best Single Pot Still Whiskey:

Redbreast Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey Aged 12 Years

 Investec Trophy for Best Liqueur of Show:

Amarula Cream with Marula Spirit  Ethiopian Coffee

Gold medal winners

 Aberlour A'Bunadh Speyside Single Malt Scotch

 Whisky anCnoc 2006 bottled for WhiskyBrother&Co

 Gabriel Boudier Dijon Creme de Cassis

 Gabriel Boudier Dijon Saffron Infused Gin

 Johnnie Walker Black Label Blended Scotch Whisky  Aged 12 Years

 Johnnie Walker Gold Label Reserve Blended Scotch Whisky

 KWV Fifteen Alambic Blend Potstill Brandy

 Poetic License Old Tom Gin

 Van Ryn's Single Potstill Brandy aged 12 years

Visit the Trophy Spirits Show online for lists of all trophy, gold, silver and bronze medal winners and scores.
BAGHDAD, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) -- Four soldiers were killed and one wounded in an attack by the extremist Islamic State (IS) militants in the province of Diyala in eastern Iraq, a provincial police source said on Wednesday.

The attack occurred late on Tuesday night when IS militants attacked an army convoy outside the village of Kashkool near the town of Qara-Tappa, some 175 km northeast of the Iraqi capital Baghdad, Alaa al-Saadi from the provincial police command told Xinhua.

The attack started with a roadside bomb to stop the convoy and followed by gunfire from machine guns, al-Saadi said.

Over the past months, Iraqi security forces have carried out deadly attacks against IS militants to crackdown on their intensified activities.

The security situation in Iraq has improved after Iraqi forces defeated the IS in 2017. Yet IS remnants have since melted into urban centers, deserts, and rugged areas, carrying out frequent guerilla attacks against security forces and civilians. 
Bongani Mageba has been appointed as the chief executive officer of Telesure Investment Holdings (TIH) advisory services.

Source: Supplied. Bongani Mageba, chief executive officer of TIH's advisory services.

Mageba joins TIH from the Absa Group where he was chief executive for non-banking financial services.

TIH is part of the international BHL group. BHL has a vast global footprint, operating in eight countries including South Africa, the UK, Australia, France, Turkey, China, Thailand, and Singapore.

Commenting on the appointment, TIHs group chief executive officer, Tom Creamer says: Mageba will lead TIHs new multiproduct, multi-branded tied agent network.

"It is a disruptor model - a hybrid of the financial advisor and traditional models that builds on our digital assets and capabilities, optimises cost efficiencies associated with distribution while offering clients peace of mind. We are excited to work with Mageba and to welcome him to TIH.

Mageba holds law degrees, an MBA degree, executive education from Harvard Business School and investment and portfolio management from Wharton University.

He is currently in his final year of his doctoral studies (PhD) with a focus on the investment and banking industry and the role of emotional intelligence in predicting performance.

Merging advanced technology that allows for real-time underwriting and straight-through processing, with financial advisors who can offer a full suite of leading insurance and financial-services brands, instead of just one, is an exciting proposition with massive potential for growth.

"I look forward to challenging the traditional status-quo and disrupting the industry with TIH, says Mageba.
The annual 'speed dating' Talking Heads event at Spier Wine Farm is set to go later this month.

Ryan Fortune and Bielle Bellingham are amongst the creatives at Talking Heads

The annual event, hosted at the historical Stellenbosch Wine Farm, spans two evenings and invites the curious seeker to engage with scintillating minds at the top of their respective fields. And there will be wine.

The theme of the event is: What you are about to hear could change the way you see things. On each of the two nights, 30 experts  or Talking Heads  will share fresh perspectives with attendees and new lenses through which to see the world.

What to expect

Audience members are randomly assigned to four different tables. At each table is a Talking Head, who has prepared a 20-minute session that addresses the theme, based on their professional and personal vantage points.

Where will chance lead you? To Tapiwe Guzhe, the entrepreneur, philosopher and scientist who makes truly African ice cream? How about the infamous satirist Zapiro? Perhaps it will be the expert on all matters related to cannabis and psychedelics, Tony Budden, who cofounded the Hemporium. Or maybe it will be the sangoma, sociologist and activist, Lindy Dlamini.

Whether the Talking Head is an animal whisperer or a conspiracy theorist, an existential philosopher or a quantum physicist, the evening is a mystery left to the hands of fate. Expect an intimate and interactive session that stimulates conversation: like speed dating for the brain.

To recharge the brainwaves, there will be a half-hour refreshment break with a light dinner and Spiers award-winning wines midway between the evenings four sessions.

There are so many fascinating people in Cape Town, with diverse views and specialised interests. But the opportunity to talk with them directly, to get a real understanding of their perspectives, is rare. At Talking Heads you engage with four such folks, meeting other curious people in a cosy setting along the way, while your brain is gently fried, said event creator Brett Bailey.

A light dinner and Spiers award-winning Creative Block wines will be served. This event is not suitable for under-18s.

The event will take place on 26 and 27 August from 7pm to 9.30pm at Spier Wine Farm. Tickets are R250 and include a light dinner and glass of wine, and can be bought here.
According to the Global Sheconomy Research Report 2022 , women are emerging as the leading decision-makers when it comes to consumer spending, with real estate being one of their main focuses.

Source: Supplied

Women tend to drive the home buying process and are more likely to scroll through listings online than their male counterparts. In fact, 61% of our website traffic comes from female users, explains Adrian Goslett, regional director and CEO of Re/Max of Southern Africa.

Furthermore, the report adds that women from countries like South Africa represent one of the highest investment growth opportunities. We have already seen that the typical property investor profile, based on 2020 data from TPN, is young - under the age of 30, Black and female, says Carl Coetzee, CEO of BetterBond.

There are several reasons for this strong shift towards women property buyers. According to the latest General Household Report by Stats SA, 41% of households are headed by women. As property is viewed as a stable asset class, especially during challenging economic times, women opt to buy a home for financial security.

Financial independence

Female buyers account for almost 43% of BetterBonds successful home loan applications. And single women account for up to 60% of its bond approvals for women. Women seem to be delaying marriage and establishing their financial independence as soon as they have career stability.

While the average age of BetterBonds first-time buyers is 36, TPN data suggests that women investors start building their property portfolios in their mid-twenties to early thirties. A 2020 report by BrandMapp found that almost 52% of women earning more than R10,000 a month owned a home compared with 48.8% of men.

Although South Africa still has work to do when it comes to gender pay parity - UASA puts the median gender pay gap at between 23% and 35% - women are earning more than they did 10 years ago. Given that women are less likely to default on their credit payments, according to 2021 data from Experian, and 51% of credit active consumers are women, which helps when applying for a bond, its not surprising that women account for a significant portion of BetterBonds successful bond applications.

Women dominating sectional title market

Theres anecdotal feedback from our real estate partners that women dominate the sectional title market, especially if they are single or responsible for a household, says Coetzee.

In Port Elizabeth, for example, 62% of sectional title owners are women. These properties, often in new developments, offer security and easy access to amenities, childcare and educational opportunities.

Generally, women buyers want homes that have at least two to three bedrooms to accommodate children and extended family, and an outside area.

Young professional women who dont want to be burdened with maintenance responsibilities tend to prefer lock-up-and-go properties, says Coetzee. Micro-apartments of up to 32m2 that are often located in the inner city close to work and transport will appeal to these buyers.

The pandemic has also seen more women opting to work either to supplement the household income or to pursue their own careers now that flexible working arrangements are more commonplace, adds Coetzee.

Bolstering womens buying power

While affordability is always a concern, there are opportunities for women to flex their spending power in the property market. Buying a new development or a home below the R1m threshold will save on costly transfer duties, says Coetzee.

The main banks also offer a range of loan products that include loans of as high as 110% for young professionals younger than 35 and who meet the relevant criteria.

Anything that bolsters womens buying power is good news for the housing sector given the considerable influence of the sheconomy in South Africa and globally, says Coetzee.
Leading political journalist Matshidiso Madia has been appointed associate editor: politics at Primedia Broadcasting. Madia has been at the coalface of politics for many years, as a broadcast and print specialist political journalist. Her journey began at Primedia's 702. During her time at Power FM, Madia was a popular voice. She also played an instrumental role in developing a top-notch political reporting team at News24.

EWNs editor in chief, Sibusiso Ngalwa said: We are thrilled that Tshidi came home to Primedia last year. She has added immense value to the political coverage on our talk stations 702 and Cape Talk and also on EWN, and her brand-new podcast of interviews with top political leaders and personalities makes for compelling listening.

Ngalwa said: At Primedia we guard our credibility fiercely, for credibility is the cornerstone of Primedias brand of journalism. Tshidis insightful and informed coverage of critical political events over the past few years has seen her become a trusted and credible voice among listeners and well across a broad spectrum of political parties.

Madia has conducted high level interviews with top political leaders in South Africa, including President Cyril Ramaphosa. Her dedication to providing an accurate picture and balanced perspective of political organisations and happenings has gained her support and admiration among politicians and audiences.

In her own words Madia says: The best way to describe me is that I am an equal opportunity offender, I am fair and hard on everyone in the political landscape, and their inability to place me politically is testament to that. The fact that I can walk into any room, with any political party or faction of political parties and have a frank and robust conversation has worked to my advantage. I have always managed to rise above the white noise, to not get caught in any particular narrative. Rather I have always tried to get to the essence of whatever strategy is at play and unpack how it impacts the political discourse in the country. My journey as a political journalist has always been guided by a compass of honesty and authenticity. There is no greater respect that we can give to our audiences than by reporting with moral integrity.

Objectivity and professionalism is Madias signature tune. South African journalism can at times get caught up in factional battles, we must always ensure that we avoid falling into that trap. A total commitment and dedication to the noble craft of journalism, and an open ear, to all, even those we disagree with, will ensure honest and responsible reporting. We owe that to politicians and the public, says Madia.

The other attribute Madia wants to infuse into the newsroom is a sense of connectivity and empathy with our audiences. She says: The ability to empathetically understand how political events impact our audiences day to day lives is a mark of good, socially responsible journalism.

Ngalwa said: Tshidi will elevate and cement Eyewitness News (EWN) as a political agenda setter. We have been able to break stories that later find expression in other newsrooms. As an acclaimed journalist, who has gained the confidence of politicians across the political divide, Madia is well poised to lead our team in delivering breaking news on major political events on a regular basis. Her depth of understanding of the fundamental dynamics in the political landscape and the impact of ordinary South Africans, is extraordinary.

Madias weekly podcasts (Politricking with Tshidi Madia) are set to be crucial conversation pieces, not only on political matters but on social and cultural issues. Top leaders across the political, social, cultural, and sporting arena will be interviewed.

Madia said: Through these podcasts we will tell the South African story that is unfolding. It is a multi layered, multi-emotional saga of a young democracy, and we will tell it in all its complexity, all its colours, in its splendour, its majesty, its failings and its triumphs. As a host, I can be serious and firm, but I am also quite cheeky, mischievous, and feisty, all of this must find expression in the podcast.

With her bold and insightful interviews, Madia is fast becoming a 'not to be missed' voice in the unpacking and analysis of current day South African politics. As the country heads towards critical elections, with the upcoming ANC elective conference in December and the general election in 2024, Primedia is ensuring that we have the strongest political team in place, and Madia is set to play a pivotal role in ensuring a premium political team, second to none.




The Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) in partnership with South African Tourism and the Tourism Business Council of South Africa, have brought together select establishments, airlines, and tour operators to launch a travel campaign aimed at stimulating economic recovery and activity in the tourism sector.

The campaign comes on the back of Covid-19, whose impact is estimated to have cost the sector R54.2bn in income between mid-March 2020 and the end of May 2021. For the year 2020, the sector faced a 75% revenue reduction impacting more than 438,000 jobs.

Prior to the global pandemic, inbound tourism generated approximately R82.5 billion in direct foreign spend (R126.7bn total), contributing an equivalent of 9.2% of GDP. This positioned tourism as the second most important export sector in the economy in 2018. Domestic tourist activity contributed a further R9.49bn in direct expenditure.

"We recognise the importance of this sector to the countrys economic recovery and job creation prospects. Prior to the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, the numbers confirm the importance of the sector in relation to GDP contribution. The subsequent economic lockdowns significantly disrupted the growth momentum in the sector," says Tshokolo Petrus Nchocho, IDC CEO.

Encouraging South Africans to explore

As part of the campaign, travellers have an opportunity to secure holiday and leisure travel at a significantly discounted rate of up 35% to selected destinations spread across the country. "We are delighted to present South Africans with an opportunity to explore the many tourism products that our country has to offer, and this is more important especially as we emerge from economic lockdowns and travel bans imposed at the height of the pandemic from May 2020 up to August last year. We are hopeful that this campaign will also help the sector recover some of the jobs lost during lockdowns."

Nchocho reiterated IDCs commitment to the sector saying that the Corporation will continue with its initiatives to support the domestic tourism industry through various but structured interventions. Soon after Covid hit our shores, the IDC unveiled a funding package through which it ringfenced R250m from the Covid Relief fund in support of IDC investee companies in the sector.

"As the economy opens up, we anticipate an increase in local travel across South Africa. Our investment in this initiative demonstrates our confidence in the tourism sector as a key contributor to South Africas economy, he added".

To register visit saishome.co.za.
Twelve of us were sitting around a table. It was a strategy session, and it was going well... until we stopped for lunch. It was then that I made the mistake of asking if anyone watched the president who had addressed the nation on the energy crisis the night before. No one had. And not one person was up to date as to what he had said.

Howard Feldman, head of marketing and people at Synthesis

Why? I asked, shocked. Loadshedding is arguably one of the most serious issues the country has faced. I imagined across the country those with electricity had huddled around their TVs in order to listen to the president. And yet, in a small sample group, not one person had done so.

Because I dont want to be depressed, said one. Because I dont trust him, said another. Another suggested that it didnt matter what he said, it was all just words. And a final person said that he didnt care, as long as it was solved.

A speech worth tuning into

The irony is that if any speech by the president was worth tuning into, it was this one. Because after way too long, appropriate and important steps have been introduced that should change the face of the industry in a positive way.

As a rule, South Africans can be a little too complacent. Or lazy. It takes a lot to get the nation moving and to really complain. For years we have been known to accept poor service delivery and to err more on the side of understanding than on being too demanding.

Which is why its taken so long for a meaningful plan to solve the electricity crisis to be announced and to be put in place. The Eskom crisis has been one of the slowest train wrecks in history. It was first noticed in 2008 and has taken 14 years for little to be achieved, if anything. Whether it was incompetence, corruption or an unwillingness to do anything about it, the result is that the country is currently dealing with a calamity that should and could easily have been avoided.

Calls for changes to the legislation have been ongoing for years. Various potential independent power producers have attempted to enter the market and, in each case, have not been allowed to do so. A concession was finally allowed last year, but has not practically assisted, perhaps as a result of the associated red tape.

Removing the red tape

Until recently. According to the president, the government will be completely removing the licensing threshold for new generation projects. Additional power would be procured from South Africas neighbours and Eskom will be allowed to undertake the maintenance that is required.

It has now been decided that over the next 12 months, Eskom will increase the budget allocated for critical maintenance to increase the reliability of its generation capacity," Ramaphosa said, and red tape will be cut to buy spares.

He said the point was raised by the power station managers as they detailed to him how difficult it has been for them to repair the units that break from time to time.

"Neighbouring countries in southern Africa, such as Botswana and Zambia, have more electricity capacity than they require for their economies. Eskom will now import power from these countries through the Southern African Power Pool arrangement," the president said.

"The utility is now recruiting skilled personnel, including former senior Eskom plant managers and engineers from the private sector," Ramaphosa added.

Acknowledging positive change

The significance of these concessions cannot be overstated. Whereas many would argue that its too little too late, the reality is that it is as important to acknowledge positive change as it is to complain when we are unhappy.

It is not an easy balance to achieve, especially for a country whose citizens are traditionally complacent, very used to poor service delivery and who dont like to make too much of a fuss. The balance of the carrot and stick is not something that we have ever managed to achieve, and given the response, it is unlikely we ever will.

What is important is to acknowledge that the announcement of the changes is positive. But they need to be implemented. There is little value in focussing on how long they took, provided there is clear progress and the problem moves to a quick resolution.

Which is what I told those around the table. Only they were no longer listening.
Comair's closing has had a widespread impact on domestic travel in South Africa, wiping out about 40% of aircraft capacity. Amid fears of price hikes, Airlink is taking steps to grow their fleet and add new routes to make up the shortfall faster. Keep reading for the latest news on booking Airlink flights to new destinations.

Airlink takes steps to add capacity

Airlink is currently one of the biggest operators in Africa and has the largest fleet of Embraer aircraft on the continent. Out of 56 aircraft available, 50 are from the Embraer range, including 3 E170s, 28 E145s, and 19 E190s.

Now, Airlink has embarked on a lease for three E195s from Nordic Aviation Capital, which will replace the E190 as Airlinks largest aircraft, and increase their offering considerably.

This will help satisfy some of the growing demand for airline seats and keep prices as low as possible for passengers booking airlink flights in future.

Airlink and Qatar Airways adding international destinations

A recent codeshare agreement with Doha-based Qatar Airways, one of the Middle East's largest airline networks, has enabled Airlink to take steps to increase capacity for foreign visitors to Hoedspruit, Skukuza, George, Gqeberha, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe.

Likewise, South African travellers will enjoy enhanced connectivity between 45 destinations across 13 countries worldwide.

The comprehensive codeshare agreement means travellers may enjoy seamless connecting flights using a single reservation thanks to coordinated ticketing, boarding, check-in, and baggage checks for the duration of their journey.

Passengers can book their flights in one place with travel agencies either online or in person.

Now, customers can book appealing offers from Southern Africa to destinations like New York, Dallas, London, Copenhagen, Barcelona and more. Sought-after Asian destinations like Manila, Cebu, and Jakarta are also accessible by means of the codeshare agreement.

According to Airlinks chief executive, Rodger Foster, the agreement endorses Airlink as a relevant provider for enabling air access to the entire region via its expansive network of destinations. As Southern Africas leading airline, Airlink offers reliable, safe, and comprehensive air transport for connecting people and facilitating trade.

Likewise, Qatar Airways group chief executive, Akbar al Baker highlighted that expanding Qatars network with Airlink allows customers a wider variety of destinations, serving to speed up the recovery of the travel industry.

The latest codeshare agreement with Airlink adds to Qatar Airways consistent efforts to enhance African travel. Since 2020, Qatar Airways has added eight new destinations to its portfolio.

More new routes for Airlink in 2022

After the demise of Comair, Airlink has been actively involved in adding and re-instituting more African destinations to its offering. These include:

Airlink keen to resume flights to Madagascar

Prior to 2020, Airlink was the only local operator offering flights to Madagascar, with daily return flights between Johannesburg and Antananarivo and seasonal weekly flights to Nosy Be.

When Madagascar lifted restrictions for air travel on 5 March 2022, it specifically excluded South African flights. Since then, Airlink has campaigned tirelessly to get their access reinstated, and Madagascars foreign minister has implied this may soon be the case.

Unfortunately, while the ban has subsequently been lifted, there is as yet no confirmed date for resumption of this service.

Mozambique

On 28 July, Airlink announced that it will implement a direct route between Maputo and Cape Town on 31 August 2022. The airline will harness the modern 37-seater Embraer 135 for this journey which should take place three times weekly at first.

Airlink already offers several weekly flights from Johannesburg to Mozambican destinations, including Vilanculos, Beira, Nampula, Pemba, Tete, and Maputo. Additionally, Airlink also offers flights between Mbombela and Vilanculos.

St Helena

In the wake of loosening travel restrictions, Airlink is preparing to increase the frequency of flights between Johannesburg and Jamestown, St Helena Island.

The airline plans to increase its fortnightly service to weekly flights from 15 October 2022.

Zimbabwe

From 15 August 2022, Airlink will offer daily direct return flights between Victoria Falls and Johannesburg after receiving approvals from both countries aeronautical authorities.

The daily flights will take place on a 98-seater Embraer E190 jetliner and will connect with Airlinks other Johannesburg services, including the applicable Qatar codeshare destinations.

Improved prospects for the South African travel industry

The importance of increased flight availability cant be overemphasised in relation to the South African economy.

Flight shortages and high fares pose a threat to both business and leisure travel in South Africa, creating yet another setback for the long-suffering travel industry.

In this regard, Airlinks efforts are an important stepping stone toward economic recovery, by boosting both tourism and trade between important economic hubs.




The entire global financial system is now essentially a technocommunist black ops money laundering crime scene. Central banks, their wall street coconspirators and the major corporations are all colluding in ushering in their hyper-centralized CBDC dystopia. This central bank currency will of course be inextricably tethered to the A.I. social credit score system which will algorithmically surveil and control the genetically modified debt-slave tax mules.

The perdurable emergency pandemic scheme has emboldened the banksters such that they are now showing their hand, goading the public with their cashless power grab.

Pfizers petri dish nation of Israel is leading the way. Not only is the Israeli populace undergoing a slow motion holocaust by slow kill bioweapon injection currently at dose 6, but they are now being aggressively herded into a CBDC hell.

Cash deals exceeding 6,000 NIS ($1,700) will be illegal, as part of the effort to fight against money laundering and criminal activity; the law will exempt charitable institutions and trade with West Bank Palestinians

By invoking money laundering and criminal activity these illegitimate anti-human governments are simply projecting their very own crimes, while attempting to steal away the last vestiges of peoples freedoms.

We want the public to reduce the use of cash money, Adv. Tamar Bracha, who is in charge of executing the law on behalf of Israels Tax Authority, told The Media Line. The goal is to reduce cash fluidity in the market, mainly because crime organizations tend to rely on cash. By limiting the use of it, criminal activity is much harder to carry out. Source.

In other words, reduce freedom fluidity and remove all privacy. And it is no coincidence that Israel has one of the most advanced vaccine passport programs which will seamlessly integrate with their CBDC scheme.

The goal is to not only link every human to their social credit score, but to tax, inflate (stealth tax), debank and deperson at will. Building on the DEATHVAX program, everyone will be injected with nano-microchips which will assimilate the posthuman digital-chattel into the AI. The elites will then finally gain control of the very lifespans of their pod dwelling synthetic bug sludge eating subjects.

Ironically, the BIS General Manager happens to be a man whose lack of impulse control as it pertains to his eating addictions directly carries over to his insatiable compulsion for tyranny:

We do not know who is using a hundred dollar bill today. Busybodies likeAgustin Carstens have less than zero authority to know anything about what anyone is using, or doing, or anything about them, whether it be cash, medical records, communications or anything else for that matter.

Not that the NSA and CIA have these rights, nor does the Constitution allows for internationalist technocommunist banksters; quite the contrary, but we digress.

Theft via taxation is nothing more than social engineering, and so too is this rush to a cashless brave new world. CBDCs represent one of the last steps in the final social engineering solution.

And just like the UN, WEF and WHO, the BIS operates outside of all sovereign government laws. It is the monetary arm of the One World Government, leading with the requisite environmental, social and governance criteria as outlined in the UNs Agenda 21 and Agenda 2030. Because a cashless society perfectly paves the way for a propertyless society.

It is also no coincidence that the CBDC is the high tech apotheosis of the 5th Plank of the Communist Manifesto:

Centralization of credit in the hands of the state, by means of a national bank with state capital and an exclusive monopoly.

Today this Plank may be updated to read as follows: Hyper-centralization of the singular global CBDC in the hands of internationalist technocrats with exclusive monopoly. The other Planks require similar revision for todays technocommunism.

WEF eviscerated nations like Israel, Canada, Australia and New Zealand will be the CBDC trial balloon experiments. The obvious goal upon successful abolition of cash in each respective nation is to port the respective CBDC into a singular crypto-SDR CBDC for a true one world currency.

Which brings us to Richard Werners must see presentation: The Central Bank Gam Plan In Under 3 Minutes.

Do NOT comply.
TEHRAN, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) -- The Iranian negotiating team will leave for Vienna soon for talks on the removal of anti-Iran sanctions, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani said here Wednesday.

"Within the framework of the policy of lifting cruel sanctions against our country, the negotiating team of the Islamic Republic of Iran headed by Ali Bagheri Kani, the chief negotiator of the Islamic Republic of Iran, will leave for Vienna in a few hours," Kanaani was quoted as saying by the ministry's website.

In this round of talks, which will be held with the coordination of the European Union, the viewpoints and ideas of the parties, including those of Iran, will be discussed, he added.

The spokesman emphasized the determination of Iran to reach a stable agreement that guarantees the rights and interests of the Iranian people and expressed hope that the opposite parties will also prepare the situation for effective progress by taking necessary decisions and focusing seriously on solving the remaining issues.

The European Union foreign policy chief and coordinator of the JCPOA Joint Commission Josep Borrell recently offered a proposal to the negotiating parties, seeking to break the impasse in Vienna talks.

Iran signed the JCPOA with world powers in July 2015, agreeing to curb its nuclear program in return for the removal of sanctions on the country. However, former U.S. President Donald Trump pulled Washington out of the agreement in May 2018 and reimposed unilateral sanctions on Tehran, prompting the latter to drop some of its commitments under the pact.

The talks on reviving the JCPOA began in April 2021 in the Austrian capital but were suspended in March this year because of political differences between Tehran and Washington.

After a three-month pause, the talks resumed in late June in Qatar's capital Doha but failed to settle the differences. 
TEHRAN, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) -- Iran's remote sensing satellite "Khayyam" will be launched by Russia's Soyuz satellite carrier next week, Iranian Space Agency (ISA) said Wednesday.

The satellite, which will be launched from the Baikonur space station in Kazakhstan, can help smarten different parts of the country by virtue of its accurate sensors that can be used in different areas, according to a report published on the ISA website.

Khayyam will monitor the country's agricultural productivity as well as mining and mineral discoveries, and deal with deforestation and natural or environmental hazards, said the report. 
Melbournes Arts Centre has announced its new CEO, just as the organisation prepares for a massive transformation of its own structures and the surrounding Melbourne Arts Precinct.

Its an interesting time to get started. Karen Quinlan takes on the role on October 3 and just over a year later, in early 2024, the Arts Centres State Theatre will close for several years for major renovations  though its two smaller theatres will remain open amidst neighbouring construction.

Incoming Arts Centre Melbourne CEO, Karen Quinlan. Credit:Mark Mohell, National Portrait Gallery

The renovations are part of a $1.7 billion project to rebuild the surrounding arts precinct, featuring a new promenade past Hamer Hall, the Arts Centre and NGV towards a new contemporary art gallery.

With audiences only just starting to return to live performance after two years of lockdowns, the companies that use the venue are concerned about the projects impact. Quinlan isnt fazed by the challenges this might pose for the Arts Centre itself, however. Theres short-term pain for long-term gain, she says matter-of-factly. These are works that are very, very necessary.
Michael Caine must be the most imitated actor in film history; every pub quiz show-off can muster a recognisable version of his cockney accent and famously flat, halting delivery. So when Joe Cole  familiar to us from Peaky Blinders  was called upon to reprise one of Caines signature roles in a new adaptation of The Ipcress File, he thought he should get as far away from Caine as possible.

Between them, he and director James Watkins hatched a plan to turn Harry Palmer, the reluctant Cold War spy with the instincts of an East End barrow boy, into a lad from the north of England. In Len Deightons books the character is actually from Burnley in Lancashire, says Cole. His grandfather came from Lancashire; he knew he could nail it. I was initially interested in going down that route, taking it away from Caine entirely.

Joe Cole, best known for Peaky Blinders, steps into the role of Harry Palmer in a new adaptation of Len Deightons Cold War thriller The Ipcress File. Credit:ITV/Seven

But it just didnt work. We realised the street-smart London accent suited the character. We could play the humour better. I dont know what it was, but when I was doing it northern, the humour was coming across as quite sarcastic. Cole dealt with it by bringing as much of himself to the character as he could and sinking into John Hodges script, which he says had its own cadences. There were certain rhythms that just naturally came up, he says.

The new version of The Ipcress File is, however, full of knowing allusions to the film and to Caine himself. Harry Palmer in Deightons books is a decidedly smooth customer, but Hodge gives him Caines own ornery class chippiness. Even the black-rimmed glasses are back; we see them sitting on Palmers bedside table, our introduction into his character, before we see Harry himself. Clearly, the mark of Caine was indelible.
Singapore: As Nancy Pelosi prepared to board her plane to leave Taiwan on Wednesday night, Chinese state media was working overtime to justify all the fuss.

The Chinese people are infuriated by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosis visit to the Taiwan Island, thundered China Daily as Pelosi took off.

But are generally optimistic and confident in Chinas ability to handle the situation and thwart any secession efforts by Taiwan separatist forces and foreign interference.

US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in Taipei on Wednesday. Credit:Getty

The first sentence tells us of the scale of mainland outrage - manufactured or otherwise - at Pelosis 18-hour trip to Taipei, which ended with Taiwanese exports being sanctioned and 27 Chinese warplanes crossing Taiwans median line.

The second tells us how despite the threats of Taiwan being sent into the abyss by the Peoples Liberation Army, the uneasy peace between Beijing and Taipei may just hold.

Most people are cautiously optimistic, says Wen-Ti Sung, an Australian National University political scientist based in Taipei. They have seen this movie before.

The tell is in Beijings emphasis on Taiwan separatist forces.

The term is a favourite of Chinese government-controlled media, ministers and their departments because it allows China to create an enemy it can use to drive nationalist sentiment at home. It was repeated at least 20 times in Chinese government announcements condemning Pelosis visit.

Read more here.
by Bai Lin and Naftali Mwaura

NAIROBI, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) -- When construction of the 480-km Mombasa-Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) begun in 2014, Ali Mohamed was impressed by the thoughtfulness of the Chinese contractor in protecting local habitats from any harm.

The 44-year-old resident of a serene village overlooking a mangrove swamp on the northwestern edges of Kenya's coastal city of Mombasa is proud of the modern railway project for the high importance it attaches to the conservation of marine life.

The Mombasa-Nairobi SGR -- which connects Mombasa, the largest port in East Africa, and Nairobi, Kenya's capital city -- is Kenya's largest infrastructure project since its independence in 1963.

MANGROVE FORESTS WELL PROTECTED

Mohamed, also the founder of Bidii Creek Conservancy, a Mombasa-based green lobby, said during a recent interview with Xinhua that the SGR has provided best practices on blending conservation with infrastructure development.

"I visited the SGR when its construction started and witnessed restoration of the previously degraded sections of the mangrove forest in our locality," said Mohamed.

"The installation of overpasses and culverts ensured there was minimal disturbance to the mangrove forest which is an important fish breeding site, besides regulating coastal weather," he added.

Adjacent to Mohamed's ancestral village, tall concrete pillars support an overpass snaking through pristine beaches and mangrove swamps to allow seamless movement of SGR passengers and cargo trains.

Mohamed and his conservation peers lauded efforts made by China Road and Bridge Corporation, contractor of the Mombasa-Nairobi SGR, to ensure that ecological integrity of the marine ecosystems including mangrove forests and estuaries was not harmed by the infrastructure project.

Five years since its launch, the SGR has earned accolades from local officials and conservationists for prioritizing ecological protection along its corridor.

Philip Jamuhuri Mainga, managing director of Kenya Railways Corporation, said that green ethos has been placed at the center of SGR operations, bringing benefits to local communities in terms of clean air and tranquil landscapes.

"We have performed very well in terms of environmental conservation. The SGR corridor has reduced carbon emission, the trains are well maintained and do not produce waste," said Mainga.

Unlike trucks, the SGR trains plying along the corridor have not been emitting smoke to the atmosphere, boosting Kenya's quest for improved air quality, said Cosmas Makewa, station master at the Mombasa SGR Terminus.

According to Makewa, the design and execution of the modern railway project adhered to local environmental protection laws, ensuring a healthy relationship between the contractor and local communities.

"The project had a positive impact on the environment. It did not cut through the sea nor interfered with mangroves. We made temporary culverts to make sure water flowed from the sea to the other side," said Makewa.

He added that SGR bridges cause minimum disturbance to the ground even as the contractor strengthens partnership with coastal communities to restore depleted sections of mangrove forest.

WILDLIFE TAKEN GOOD CARE OF

At the idyllic plains that dot Tsavo National Park, Kenya's oldest and largest wildlife sanctuary, iconic species including elephants, giraffes and zebras are always spotted passing through underpasses installed by the SGR contractor, to ensure they can migrate uninterruptedly.

The Mombasa-Nairobi SGR snakes through Tsavo National Park, a world-famous tourist destination.

To enhance safety of wildlife, the SGR contractor erected electric fences on both sides of the track besides installing wide underpasses at short intervals to facilitate movement of both large and small animals.

Nancy Githaiga, country director for Kenya at Nairobi-based African Wildlife Foundation, said that establishment of bridges and underpasses aided protection of iconic wildlife species at Tsavo National Park.

Initial fears that the SGR could harm biodiversity, including wildlife, were laid to rest, thanks to the erection of safe passways by the contractor, Githaiga said.

Wildlife protection measures initiated by the SGR contractor should inform future efforts to develop mega infrastructure projects while safeguarding integrity of biodiversity hotspots in Kenya, she added.

CHINA'S ECOLOGICAL CIVILIZATION VISION

In the view of Leopold Omondi, a campaigner with Nairobi-based green lobby Pan African Climate Justice Alliance, the Mombasa-Nairobi SGR project highlighted the viability of China's vision of ecological civilization.

"The SGR contractors somehow tried to prevent environmental harm as they laid down the rail from Mombasa to Nairobi. Wild animals' habitats and the animals themselves were taken care of," said Omondi.

By learning from China's ecological civilization model, Kenya stands a better chance of achieving nature-positive growth, he added.

Isaiah Andebe, programs coordinator with Pan-African Media Alliance for Climate Change, said commendable protection of mangroves and wild animals points to successes of the ecological protection plan adopted by the contractor.

He commended the SGR contractor for providing migration corridors for wildlife at Tsavo and Nairobi national parks, and encouraging rainwater harvesting to cater for the animals.

"The SGR adopted greening measures as grass and trees were planted at various sections along the railway line. This not only helps in beautification but also in environmental protection," said Andebe. 
Dr Colleen Lewis, an honorary professor with the ANU Australian Studies Institute and an associate of the Centre for Public Integrity, said it was doubtful the Coalition would have a credible agenda on political integrity, which is likely to be a crucial issue at the November election. Jonathan Munz pictured at Inglis Easter yearling sale in 2008. Credit:Martin King In an opinion piece in The Age, she wrote that on this occasion and the infamous lobster with a mobster affair before the last election, Guy had displayed abysmal judgment and poor management practices. As voters go to the polls, they will be wondering if he can be trusted to run the state, Lewis wrote. She said that the governments integrity record is arguably worse than Guys and that many will be confused about where to place their vote.

The government continued its attack on Guy on Wednesday, while the Coalition accused Labor of hypocrisy and attempting to deflect from its own integrity problems. Deputy Premier Jacinta Allan said Guy needed to come clean ... about his role in this extraordinary secret arrangement that would have sought to subvert the strict donation laws in our state. Victorian Liberal president Robert Clark and state director Simon Frost (right) in 2019. Credit:Chris Hopkins Several Liberal sources said Frost, an ally of former federal treasurer Josh Frydenberg, was the frontrunner to replace Catlin as Guys chief of staff. Frost, who last year unsuccessfully contested a position in the Senate, previously ran the Victorian state division of the Liberal Party. Jackson Whiteley, a former staff member at federal Liberal MP Michael Sukkars office, was also in contention, but may join the office in another role. Catlin unsuccessfully sought payments from Munz in addition to his publicly funded salary, according to a leaked email to Guys private Hotmail account and a proposed contract obtained by The Age.

Hey MG. Attached is the proposed agreement between [the donor] and Catchy Media Marketing and Management, Catlin wrote. Its as per the original email agreement between you and me. Can I leave you to forward onto him? Guy on Wednesday refused to provide further details about the proposal because it was being assessed by authorities including Victoria Police, the Victorian Electoral Commission (VEC), the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission (IBAC) and the Victorian Ombudsman. When questioned on Wednesday about the chain of events, Guy said he was unaware of key details. In the email reported by The Age, Catlin asked Guy to forward the contract to Munz. Guy said he did not do this and was unaware about how the contract was put to Munz. The businessmans camp said Catlin forwarded the email unsolicited.

I hadnt responded to or forwarded any emails. Thats what it comes down to, Guy said. Loading The Coalition leader said he could not explain why Munz rejected the arrangement because he did not have any conversations with the donor about the proposal. I havent spoken to either of the two about that and I dont intend to because nothing was signed, he said. On Tuesday, Guy admitted he had discussed with Catlin how to secure more money to employ him, but decided against doing so. He did not answer a question on Wednesday about whether the proposal would have breached donation laws. He has also not explained what was meant by Catlin when he wrote to Guy saying the contract was as per the original email agreement between you and me. The MP claimed every employee in his office was entirely paid out of the regular fund with not a single amount topped up. Catlins salary increased from the initial level of $140,000 after some staff left the opposition leaders office and were not replaced, or were replaced by lesser-paid staff, a senior Liberal source told The Age.

Guy said on Wednesday that he knew Munz, a plumbing supplies baron and horse racing figure. Ive met him a couple of times  but I certainly havent had this conversation with him, he said. In a written statement, Munz said on Tuesday: I do not know how many people received this unsolicited and unwanted email, but when I got it, I rejected it out of hand. Munz declined to comment further on Wednesday. Jacinta Allan with Daniel Andrews. Credit:Paul Jeffers A spokeswoman for the VEC, which on Tuesday announced it was inquiring into whether the proposal was designed to circumvent donation laws, said she would welcome anyone who wishes to come forward and provide us with information that they have regarding the matters raised. It is difficult to provide a timeframe at this early stage of any investigation, as there are multiple lines of inquiry, she said.
A 28-year-old man shot by police in Pingelly on Sunday morning is still recovering in Royal Perth Hospital, but his family and Western Australias top cop believe the officer who pulled the trigger made the right call.

Coen Rogers was acting in an aggressive and erratic manner when the shot was fired, hitting him in the abdomen. Exclusive CCTV footage obtained by Nine News Perth shows the incident unfolding in the Wheatbelt town.

Rogers mother can be seen approaching the police officer to explain the situation.

He was drinking and I told him to keep the noise down. Then he went off... he started grabbing knives and saying lots of stuff like hed cut my throat and everything, she can be heard saying.
Labor is now questioning Investment NSW chief executive Amy Brown about the recruitment process for the trade commissioner role based in London.

While it does not relate directly to former NSW deputy premier John Barilaros appointment to the New York position, the opposition is focusing on whether candidates for other trade roles were given special treatment, and whether that involved any government ministers.

Brown has told the inquiry that the London process was run out of NSW Treasury in 2020 and 2021. She said the successful London candidate had been added to the process late and, when he was negotiating his contract, felt he had an elevated status.

When negotiations got particularly difficult he said, Ill just escalate this to the deputy premier or the premier, Brown said.

This has been the dialogue:

Labor: Has there been a situation in which a person has been appointed to a [trade commissioner position] who wasnt a shortlisted candidate?

Brown: I dont have visibility of the process that occurred inside NSW Treasury for the first two appointments ... My understanding is that they had a first go at the shortlisting and interview process [for the London position]. There was a front-running candidate and the view was taken that that person was not acceptable.

Labor: The view was taken by whom?

Brown: Im not sure precisely. [Former treasury secretary Mike] Pratt was running the process.

Labor: The first process wraps up and there is no suitable candidate found. Is that fair?

Brown: Im not able to give very much detail because I wasnt involved ... The process was transferred to me once [successful candidate Stephen Cartwright] had been identified as the preferred candidate and reference checks were under way in contract negotiations.

Amy Brown during the inquiry into the appointment of John Barilaro as senior trade and investment commissioner to the Americas, at NSW Parliament. Credit:Kate Geraghty

Labor: How was Mr Cartwright identified, because I cant see any repeat of the process?

Brown: Im not entirely sure of the process, I just know that he was recommended into the process by [former] secretary Pratt and considered late, and then was the preferred candidate.

Labor: Do you believe Mr Pratt would have had conversations with [then-treasurer Dominic Perrottet and then-trade minister John Barilaro] in relation to this appointment?

Brown: I cant provide any knowledge or understanding on that ... In contract negotiations with Mr Cartwright, I got the impression that he felt he had some sort of an elevated status.

Labor: What do you mean by elevated status?

Brown: When negotiations got particularly difficult he said, Ill just escalate this to the deputy premier or the premier.

Brown said the contract negotiations took place in late October last year, meaning Dominic Perrottet was the premier being referred to at the time.
A senior public servant feared controversy would follow the appointment of John Barilaro to a plum US trade role, telling an inquiry that dumped trade minister Stuart Ayres did not keep himself at arms length from the process.

Investment NSW boss Amy Brown on Wednesday said she was nervous when the former deputy premier emerged as the successful candidate, and took steps to inform Premier Dominic Perrottet.

Investment NSW chief executive Amy Brown at the parliamentary inquiry today. Credit:Kate Geraghty

Barilaro had some history with the NSW government that may make it difficult for him to take up the role without media and public controversy, she said. I was nervous about it.

Brown faced her second gruelling day of evidence to the inquiry examining the trade job fiasco, which is probing the process that led to Barilaro being appointed to the New York post. He has since withdrawn from the role and will front the inquiry on two days next week.
The jobs scandal paralysing the NSW government has widened beyond the John Barilaro appointment, with the newly revived agent-general role in London under the spotlight after the rolling crisis claimed the scalp of senior minister Stuart Ayres.

The under-siege trade minister reluctantly agreed to resign from cabinet on Wednesday morning, ending more than six weeks of defiance in which he insisted he played no role in securing a $500,000-a-year New York posting for Barilaro, a controversial former Nationals leader and deputy premier of the government until last year.

The former New South Wales trade minister Stuart Ayres departs his property in Mulgoa. Credit:Sam Mooy

Ayres hand was forced after a draft report from the independent inquiry into the appointment, led by former public service commissioner Graeme Head, suggested Ayres may have breached the ministerial code of conduct.

Premier Dominic Perrottet called a snap press conference on Wednesday, ahead of Investment NSW boss Amy Browns second appearance before a parliamentary inquiry also investigating the Barilaro job, to announce Ayres resignation.
Queensland Attorney-General Shannon Fentiman approved a second request for legal indemnity from former deputy premier Jackie Trad in her court action against the release of a corruption watchdog report.

The government had previously declined to answer questions about the nature of support being provided to the former South Brisbane MP, with Fentiman on Wednesday refusing to detail those costs to date.

Attorney-General Shannon Fentiman has told an estimates hearing she approved a request for legal indemnity for collateral proceedings by former deputy premier Jackie Trad. Credit:Lydia Lynch

The secretive Supreme Court judicial review was only made public after a suppression order was lifted amid a row over parliamentary privilege and rare comments from the chief justice earlier this year.

The ministerial indemnity scheme can fund legal representation and cover damages or costs awarded against serving or former ministers for matters relating to their role  including before inquiries or courts.
Washington: US President Joe Biden has declared that the fight is not over on abortion rights, signing a new executive order to make it easier for women to travel between states to secure the procedure after countless clinics were forced to close.

The order, his second in less than a month, comes after one of Americas most conservative battlegrounds voted to protect reproductive rights, in a stunning rebuke of the US Supreme Courts decision to wind back abortion access nationally.

Protests following the US Supreme Courts decision to overturn Roe v Wade. Credit:Jacquelyn Martin

The Republican-led state of Kansas blocked a plan on Tuesday night, Washington-time, that would have allowed its government to pass severe abortion restrictions and bans - a surprise result that Democrats hope could energise their base ahead of Novembers midterm elections.

About 60 per cent of more than 900,000 voters who turned up for the referendum, chose to ensure abortion remained protected in the states constitution.
Latest News Asset finance applications tumble But business loan demand up, says credit bureau

Reserve Bank announces two key appointments One becomes head of international department, the other of the financial stability department

The Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) has been called to reconsider closing its Drysdale branch  a decision slammed by Federal Member for Corangamite Libby Coker as disrespectful of customers.

Coker said the news was a bitter blow for the people of Drysdale just a few months after NAB closed its Drysdale branch.

Im very disappointed to hear news of a second bank in Drysdale closing  customers clearly come second to profits for the big banks, Coker told Geelong Independent. The Drysdale CBA is an important branch for many in that community. The closure will particularly impact the elderly, and those who are less skilled at online technologies. There are times people need to go into a branch for personal assistance. Many local businesses will still want to continue doing their weekly or daily banking in Drysdale. To announce that the Drysdale branch will now become part of the Ocean Grove Branch is not only impractical, its insulting. I am also concerned about the future of the staff.

David Castle, CBA regional manager, said the closure, set on Sept. 9, was a difficult decision.

This branch has had transactions drop by a third over the five years before the coronavirus pandemic, Castle said.

Staff from the Drysdale branch will be offered redeployment opportunities, the CBA leader said.

We recognise some senior customers prefer to do their banking face-to-face and this is one of the reasons why CBA is proud to maintain the largest branch network in the country, Castle told Geelong Independent. Weve ensured customers who prefer over-the-counter service still have access to this option. For Drysdale customers, we have other branches in the region at Ocean Grove, Geelong, Geelong West, and Belmont. Weve found a quarter of customers from Drysdale are already visiting these other branches.
NAIROBI, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) -- The World Health Organization (WHO) has appealed for 123.7 million U.S. dollars to respond to the urgent health needs of millions of people in the greater Horn of Africa facing an acute food crisis until December.

The funds will go toward urgent measures to protect lives, including shoring up the capacity of countries to detect and respond to disease outbreaks, procuring and ensuring the supply of life-saving medicines and equipment, identifying and filling gaps in health care provisions, and providing treatment to sick and severely malnourished children, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a statement issued in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi on Tuesday evening.

"WHO is looking to the international community to support our work on the ground responding to this dual threat, providing treatment for malnourished people, and defending them against infectious diseases," the WHO director-general said.

According to WHO, more than 80 million people in the seven countries spanning the region - Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, and Uganda - are estimated to be food insecure, with upward of 37.5 million people classified as being in a stage of crisis where people have to sell their possessions to feed themselves and their families, and where malnutrition is rife.

The Horn of Africa region, beset by conflict, changes in climate, and the COVID-19 pandemic, has become a hunger hotspot with devastating consequences for the health and lives of its people.

WHO said it has already released 16.5 million dollars from its Contingency Fund for Emergencies to ensure people have access to health services, treat sick children with severe malnutrition, and prevent, detect, and respond to infectious disease outbreaks.

It warned that the situation is worsening with the upcoming rainy season expected to fail amid reports of avoidable deaths among children and women in childbirth.

Michael Ryan, executive director of WHO's Health Emergencies Program, said services like therapeutic feeding programs, primary health care, immunization, safe deliveries, and mother and child services can be the difference between life and death for those caught up in these awful circumstances.

"Ensuring people have enough to eat is central. Ensuring that they have safe water is central. But in situations like these, access to basic health services is also central," Ryan said. 
Elon Musk's wealthy high tech allies don't seem too happy about receiving subpoenas from as part of the company's legal battle with the CEO.

San Francisco-based is suing Musk in Delaware in an attempt to get him to complete his USD 44 billion acquisition of the social media company, a deal Musk is trying to get out of. According to a report from The Washington Post, Twitter's legal team on Monday asked for information about a host of tech investors and entrepreneurs connected to Musk in a wide-ranging subpoena. declined to comment.

According to the Post, the subpoena includes "extensive requests for communications, including 'checklists, timelines, presentations, decks, organisational calls, meetings, notes, recordings' related to the deal's financing.'"



Well-known venture capitalists included in the subpoena, according to the report, are Marc Andreessen, founder of VC firm Andreessen Horowitz; former Facebook exec and CEO of Social Capital Chamath Palihapitiya; and David Sacks, the founding chief operating officer of PayPal and current general partner at Craft Ventures.

Sacks posted Monday on Twitter that " that I am being subpoenaed by Twitter's lawyers reminded me of this issue of Mad Magazine, I don't know why." He included a photo of the magazine's cover showing a hand raising a middle finger.

Joe Lonsdale, general partner at 8VC, called Twitter's subpoenas sent to "friends in the ecosystem" surrounding Musk, Andreessen and Sacks a "giant harassing fishing expedition."



"I have nothing to do with this aside from a few snarky comments, but got a "YOU ARE HEREBY COMMANDED" document notice," he tweeted on Monday.

Representatives for Sacks, Andreessen and Palihapitiya did not immediately respond to messages for comment on Tuesday. Lonsdale did not immediately respond to a message sent through LinkedIn.

(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.)
Exponent Energy, a start-up focused on developing fast charging technology for electric vehicles (EVs), on Wednesday announced that the company has partnered Propulsion Labs to introduce rapid charging battery for electric .

Other than Reliance New Energy, family office of Pawan Munjal  chairman and CEO of Hero MotoCorp, is an investor in Exponent Energy.

The have unveiled an electric three-wheeler that rapid charges from 0-100 per cent battery capacity within 15 minutes at Exponents e-pump network and claims to deliver a city drive range of 80-85 kilometres. The neEVHD has an 8.19 kWh e^pack - a proprietary battery by Exponent, the partners said.

According to company statement, the rapid charging is achieved by the e-pump delivering 600 ampere of current to the e-pack while managing individual cell characteristics including thermals to ensure safety, long battery life, and performance consistency even at 50 degrees Celsius.

The flexibility in uptime is one of the most critical aspects for electric three wheelers and thats the vital link that has been missing, Exponent co-founder Arun Vinayak told Business Standard, adding that expensive cell chemistry was restricting rapid charging usage on a wide scale.

Amitabh Saran, co-founder of Altigreen, said the company was very clear about having a partner who would be agnostic of cell chemistry. "We needed someone who has built a tech stack for fast charging," Saran told Business Standard.

When started nine years ago, the idea was to compete with powered vehicles. It realised the only way to do so was to focus on the entire electric stack including the software, gearboxes and batteries which was right-sized, said Saran.

The partnership with Exponent will have implications not just on the existing needs of Altigreen but in future vehicles that it comes out with, including the passenger versions, he added.

In March 2022, Altigreen received a fund infusion of Rs 300 crore investment led by Sixth Sense Ventures, Reliance New Energy, Xponentia Capital and others. The company is setting up a factory with a capacity to make 40,000 electric three wheelers per annum. It is also setting up a pan-India distribution network which would also be used to offer the benefits of Exponents rapid charging across India.

Exponent claims it has collected data for thousands of charging cycles (equivalent to many lakhs of kms) in 18 months of e^packs evolution. After six months of joint development and on-road testing with Altigreen, the solution has reached maturity to hit the market, the company said.

With their recent fundraise that included the family office of Munjal, Exponent is ramping up its e^pack production and setting up 100 e^pumps across Bengaluru in its first leg. It has raised a total of $6 million so far from prominent investors including Motherson Group, YourNest VC, 3one4 Capital among others.
Low cost carrier is said to be in active discussion with a Middle Eastern carrier for a possible stake sale.

promoter Ajay Singh holds a stake of around 60 per cent in the budget carrier. Sources said a big Middle Eastern airline has expressed interest to pick a 24 per cent stake and a board seat in . A big Indian business conglomerate has also approached Singh for a stake in the airline.

Reacting to the development, a SpiceJet Spokesperson said, "The company continues to be in discussions with various investors to secure sustainable financing and will make appropriate disclosures in accordance with applicable regulations."

Earlier, on Tuesday, SpiceJet said that it entered into a full and final settlement with the Airports Authority of India (AAI) and has cleared all outstanding principal dues of the airport operator. With this, SpiceJet will no longer remain on 'cash and carry' at AAI run airports across the country and will revert to advance payment mechanism for daily flight operations. SpiceJet's ability to clear the pending dues reflects the airline's improved cash flow in recent times.

SpiceJet's domestic network covers the length and breadth of the country with the airline operating to 51 domestic destinations. Pioneer of the regional connectivity scheme, SpiceJet is the country's largest regional player helping connect the remotest parts of the country by air.

The airline's focus on providing direct flight connectivity to regional hubs not only ensures better connectivity, it also has a cascading effect on tourism and economic activity in the region. SpiceJet has added multiple UDAN destinations to the country's aviation map including Pakyong, Jharsuguda, Kandla, Darbhanga, Kanpur, Ajmer (Kishangarh), among others.

--IANS

kvm/dpb

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
(Reuters) - Alterna Aircraft Ltd, an Ireland-based lessor of budget-airline SpiceJet Ltd, has asked India's aviation regulator to de-register its plane.

Alterna, in its request dated Monday to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), did not specify the reason to de-register one of its Boeing 737-800 aircraft.

"This aircraft is part of early termination agreement executed with the lessor way back in November 2021," a SpiceJet spokesperson said. "This aircraft has already been removed from our fleet for over eight months and does not in any manner affect our operations or schedule".

The airline has been under the spotlight lately after a slew of incidents related to technical snags on its flights. One of its Dubai-based lessors had also asked the Indian aviation regulator to de-register three of SpiceJet's planes.

Lessors typically apply for de-registration when lease agreements are terminated for reasons such as nonpayment of lease rentals.

India's aviation regulator last month ordered SpiceJet to slash its approved fleet to 50% this summer for eight weeks citing safety snags and said it will subject the domestic airline to "enhanced surveillance".

(Reporting by Aditi Shah in New Delhi and Jaiveer Singh Shekhawat and Jahnavi Nidumolu in Bengaluru; Editing by Krishna Chandra Eluri)

(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.)
employees will be allowed to work on external projects for money or pro-bono, said the food delivery firm on Wednesday about a moonlighting policy that it claimed is the industrys first.

Moonlighting should be outside office hours or on weekends, must not affect productivity or clash with Swiggys business. The Bengaluru-based company has around 5,000 employee and it works with more than 200,000 restaurant partners and stores in India.

Our goal is to encourage employees to pursue their passion without any constraints due to their full-time employment with us, said Girish Menon, head of human resources at .

During nationwide lockdowns to contain the spread of the coronavirus, many people started new hobbies or activities for an additional source of income. said it believes that such projects help in professional and personal development.

The policy is available to all full-time employees of Bundl Technologies (Swiggys parent company), subsidiaries, affiliates, associates, and group . Projects that risk conflict of interest or interference with employees' duties to Swiggy are subject to an approval process.

Swiggy last week announced a permanent work-from-anywhere policy for the majority of roles after taking feedback from several managers and employees.





ALSO READ: Swiggy announces permanent work-from-anywhere policy for most roles

Swiggys employees policies come at a time when falling valuations, slowing funding and investor sentiment have prompted many Indian start-ups to lay off employees and conserve cash. The founders of edtech unicorn Unacademy took a salary cut; the firms offices discontinued complimentary meals and snacks; and certain businesses will be shut. Earlier this year, the edtech firm laid off more than 1,000 employees.

Asked if such policies would help productivity and growth, Menon said that Swiggy is careful about spending and it invests in employees.

We trust our employees. For example, we dont have swipe in and swipe out (for recording login hours). Even now we dont track productivity or use those online tools, said Menon, in an interview. Some of our best work in terms of the Instamart launch and expansion has happened almost remotely in the last two years.

As long as we are able to understand and empathize with the (employees), we are able to create relevant policies, said Menon. "And these policies are not detrimental to the business, but actually beneficial to the organisation.

Swiggy recently said it has reached its first milestone in implementing a two-year ESOP (employee stock ownership plan) liquidity programme. This year eligible Swiggy employees had the option to receive liquidity of up to $23 million against their .
IndiGo Q1 results: Net loss narrows to Rs 1,064 cr; revenue surges 328%

Interglobe Aviation, which operates IndiGo airline, on Wednesday said its net loss narrowed to Rs 1,064.3 crore for the quarter ended June 30, 2022. It reported net loss of Rs 3,174.2 crore in the year-ago period.

The airline's revenue from operations rose 328% to Rs 12,855.3 crore. Read more

Q1 net profit surges 16-fold to Rs 4,780 cr; stock rises 3.5%

on Wednesday reported 16-fold jump in consolidated net profit at Rs 4,780 crore for the quarter ending June 30, 2022. It reported consolidated net profit of Rs 278 crore in the year-ago period.

The company's consolidated revenue from operations rose 109% to Rs 13,723 crore as compared to Rs 6,569 crore in Q1FY22. Read more

Rupee plummets 68 paise at 79.21 against USD as macro data disappoints

The rupee slumped 68 paise to close at 79.21 (provisional) against the on Wednesday, as disappointing weighed on investor sentiment.

At the interbank foreign exchange market, the local currency opened lower at 78.70 and fell further to settle at the day's low of 79.21. Read more

West Bengal: Five cabinet ministers sworn in, including Babul Supriyo

Nine MLAs, including Babul Supriyo, took oath as ministers in on Wednesday, in a major reshuffle of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's cabinet.

Supriyo, along with Snehasis Chakraborty, Partha Bhowmik, Udayan Guha and Pradip Majumdar were sworn in as cabinet ministers at Raj Bhavan by Governor La Ganesan. Read more
Telecom firm on Wednesday reported its net loss marginally narrowed to Rs 7,297 crore for the quarter ended June 30, 2022. It reported net loss of Rs 7,319 crore in the year-ago period.

The company's revenue from operations rose 14% to Rs 10,410 crore as against Rs 9,152 crore in Q1FY22.

Average revenue per user (ARPU) for the quarter stood at Rs 128 versus Rs 104 in Q1FY22, up 23.4% aided by tariff hikes.

Ravinder Takkar, MD & CEO, Limited, said We are pleased to announce fourth consecutive quarter

of revenue growth. We continue to witness 4G subscriber growth on the back of superior data and voice experience offered by Vi GIGAnet as well as due to our focus on creating differentiated digital experience for our customers. In the recently concluded spectrum auction, we have acquired sufficient spectrum in our key markets to offer superior 5G experience to our customers.



"We also completed the first tranche of fund raising in the form of preferential equity contribution of Rs 4,940 crore from our promoters, including the incremental infusion of Rs 4,400 crore by Vodafone Group in July 2022. We continue to remain engaged with lenders and investors for further fund raising.





Capex spend for Q1FY23 was Rs 840 crore versus Rs 1,210 crore in Q4FY22.

"The total gross debt (excluding lease liabilities and including interest accrued but not due) as of June 30, 2022 stands at Rs 1.99 trillion, comprising of deferred spectrum payment obligations of Rs 1.1 trillion and AGR liability of Rs 67,270 crore that are due to the government, and debt from banks and financial institutions of Rs 15,200 crore. Cash and cash equivalents were Rs 860 crore and net debt stood at Rs 1.98 trillion," the telco said in a stock exchange filing.

On Wednesday, the telco's scrip on BSE closed 3% lower at Rs 9.11.

"ARPU improved to Rs 128, up 3.6% QoQ vs Rs 124 in Q4FY22. On a YoY basis, ARPU witnessed strong growth of 23.4% aided by tariff hikes. The subscriber base declined to 240.4 million vs 243.8 million in Q4FY22. However, the 4G subscriber base continued to grow and with 1 million customers added in Q1, 4G base now stands at 119 million. Subscriber churn was marginally higher at 3.5% vs 3.4% in Q4FY22. We continue to see high data usage per 4G customer at 14.3 GB/month with the total data traffic witnessing healthy sequential growth of 3.6%," said VIL in an exchange filing.

"We actively participated in the spectrum auction to strengthen our pan-India 4G footprint and embark on our 5G roll-out journey in the country, in line with our long term vision. We have successfully acquired mid band 5G spectrum (3300 MHz band) in our 17 priority circles and mmWave 5G spectrum (26 GHz band) in 16 circles, which will enable us to offer superior 5G experience to our customers as well as strengthen our enterprise offerings and provide new opportunities for business growth in the emerging 5G era. We have also acquired additional 4G spectrum in 3 circles of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Punjab. The total commitment for the spectrum acquired in this auction is Rs 18,800 crore, with annual instalment of Rs 1,680 crore," added VIL.
About 50 people were shifted to hospital after they fell ill due to gas leak at a company in Atchutapuram in .

The gas leak reportedly took place at the premises of Brandix. Employees ran out from the company due to panic.

"The gas leak reportedly took place at the premises of Brandix. 50 people have been shifted to hospitals, and evacuation is underway at the premises. More details awaited," SP Anakapalli said. Some women employees were rushed to local hospital for treatment.

Earlier in June, about 178 women workers fell sick after a gas leak at a laboratory in Atchutapuram area of Visakhapatnam in . More patients were admitted to hospital later for treatment. Following the incident, government set up a joint committee to ascertain the cause of the gas leak.

(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.)
Following the poisonous gas leak incident in a company in the Brandix area of Andhra Pradesh's Atchutapuram, a total of 53 people were admitted to the hospital so far.

"At present, 53 people are admitted here. All have been examined and their condition is stable. They are undergoing treatment," said Hemanth, District Medical and Health Officer, Anakapalle.

He further added that most of the patients complained about the difficulty in breathing, nausea, and vomiting.

As per the reports, about 50 people were shifted to hospital after they fell ill on Tuesday due to the leaked gas.

The gas leak reportedly took place at the premises of Brandix. Employees ran out of the company due to panic.

"The gas leak reportedly took place at the premises of Brandix. 50 people have been shifted to hospitals and evacuation is underway at the premises. More details awaited," SP Anakapalli said.

Some women employees were rushed to a local hospital for treatment.

Earlier in June, about 178 women workers fell sick after a gas leak at a laboratory in the Atchutapuram area of Visakhapatnam in . More patients were admitted to the hospital later for treatment.

Following the incident, the government set up a joint committee to ascertain the cause of the gas leak and they suspected leakage from the air conditioner.

(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.)
Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) president has urged the government to come out with India Millennial Bonds to boost forex reserves as was done in 2008. He also asked the government to put more money in the pockets of the consumers by reducing personal income tax rates to revive consumption demand in the economy. He was talking to reporters in Bangalore.
BRI has improved livelihood of Lao people: retired principal of Lao primary school

11:05, August 03, 2022 By Sun Guangyong ( People's Daily

A few Lao children recently had a trip on the Lane Xang electric multiple unit train (EMU), also known as Lancang, along the China-Laos railway. The trip was a total thrill for the children.

They felt the thrill because the trip was a dream coming true.

Then principal of the China-Laos Friendship Nongping Primary School in Laos Bounmy Vilaisan presents a letter written by students and teachers of the school to Chinese President Xi Jinping in May 2019. (People's Daily/Sun Guangyong)

On April 29, 2019, Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a reply letter to students from the China-Laos Friendship Nongping Primary School in Laos. In the letter, he welcomed the students an early trip to Beijing by taking the train on the China-Laos railway.

Two years later, the railway was officially put into service as the two countries celebrated the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations.

"It never happened before that a leader of a major country sent a reply letter to Lao primary school students and teachers. The Lao children are so in happiness that they are cared for by President Xi," said Bounmy Vilaisan, former principal of the China-Laos Friendship Nongping Primary School.

In April 2019, Bounmy, together with several students, attended a sub-forum on people-to-people exchanges during the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing.

As witnesses to and beneficiaries of China-Laos friendship and the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), they expressed their gratitude to China.

"Our dormitory buildings, blackboards and even desks and chairs were built and donated by China. We didn't know how we should repay the kindness, so we decided to write a letter to President Xi," said Bounmy.

"We were so grateful that we wrote so long," Bounmy told People's Daily, pointing to the letter that covered four pieces of A4 paper.

Then principal Bounmy Vilaisan and students of the China-Laos Friendship Nongping Primary School in Laos read a reply letter from Chinese President Xi Jinping in May 2019. (People's Daily/Sun Guangyong)

At the sub-forum, she also sent a picture album to the Chinese President on behalf of her school. The album included 58 pictures drawn by the students from the school portraying the changes brought by the BRI to their school and hometown.

"I gave the letter and album to a Chinese staff on April 25, 2019, and unexpectedly, I received President Xi's reply just four days later. It was like a dream," Bounmy recalled.

Strengthening bilateral cooperation in promoting people's livelihood and that within the BRI framework features in the efforts towards a China-Laos community with a shared future, Xi said, adding that carrying out more cooperation projects can bring tangible benefits to people.

"To enhance China-Laos cooperation and implement more livelihood projects will make our life better. President Xi's remarks demonstrated to the Lao people the caring of a major country's leader," Bounmy said, adding that the BRI has improved the livelihood of the Lao people.

"President Xi's letter was like one wrote by a kind elder to his children. It carried sincerity though it was short. All the students and teachers were happy and proud receiving it. The letter reflected the profound traditional friendship between Laos and China, as well as President Xi's care for Lao children," Bounmy noted.

She told People's Daily that the students were studying even harder after reading President Xi's letter. They hoped to learn Chinese and visit China someday, Bounmy said.

Bounmy has retired, but she always goes back to the China-Laos Friendship Nongping Primary School. For the woman, the picture album is a reminder of her past memories, which demonstrates Lao children's aspiration for a better life and their good wishes for Laos-China relationship.

Students of the China-Laos Friendship Nongping Primary School in Laos pose for a picture with a calligraphy work sent by a primary school in Beijing in May 2019. The calligraphy work says "Long live our friendship." (People's Daily/Sun Guangyong)

The album includes a Chinese-style painting by a girl in the fourth grade that showcases the development of her hometown. She said she wanted President Xi to know that the BRI has made the life of the Lao people happier.

"The school is prettier, and villages are connected to power supply and flat roads. We also built solid brick houses. Our life is just getting better," said Bounmy.

There is also a painting drawn by a fifth-grade boy in the album which portrays himself and his schoolmates taking the China-Laos railway to see their friends in Beijing. According to Bounmy, the boy made a lot of Chinese friends during a visit to a Beijing primary school.

"The children think they share similar dreams. They recently made a watercolor to express their gratitude to the constructors of the railway," Bounmy said.

She said drastic changes are taking place at the China-Laos Friendship Nongping Primary School and villages along the China-Laos railway. "Our life will become only better," she told People's Daily.

(Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun)
CAIRO, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) -- At least 17 people were killed and four others injured late Tuesday in an accident involving a micro bus and a truck on the desert road of Sohag Province in southern Egypt.

"Fifteen ambulances rushed to the scene of the accident to take the injured to the Sohag Public Hospital," Tarek al-Fiqy, governor of Sohag, told Xinhua.

"Initial investigations blamed the high speed of the microbus driver for the accident when he attempted to avoid collision with the coming truck from the opposite side," he added.

Road accidents are common in Egypt because of poorly maintained road infrastructure and loosely enforced traffic regulations.

Over the past few years, Egypt has been upgrading its road network, building new roads and bridges, and repairing old ones to reduce traffic accidents. 
The on Wednesday said it recently carried out search and seizure operations on several groups engaged in healthcare services by running hospitals.

A total of 44 premises were covered during the search action in Delhi-NCR.

"The search operation has led to the seizure of unexplained cash of over Rs 3.50 crore and jewellery valued at Rs 10 crore. So far, the unaccounted income of all the groups detected in these operations is estimated to be more than Rs 150 crore. More than 30 bank lockers have been put under restraint," an official said.

He said that during the course of the search operation, huge incriminating physical and digital evidence has been seized.

"The analysis of evidence revealed that one of the groups was maintaining a parallel set of books of account, indicating systematic under-reporting of receipts received from patients in cash. The modus operandi adopted by this group included removal of invoices or deflation of the invoice amount by marking them as "Discounts/Concessions" etc, at the time of discharge of patients from the hospital," the official said.

The IT department said that this practice, resulting in evasion of income, was being followed across all the hospitals of the group.

The other healthcare groups covered in the search operation have been found to be engaged in obtaining either bogus or inflated invoices for pharmaceutical drugs and medical devices such as stents, leading not only to suppression of actual profits, but also overcharging from the patients.

The money trail found during the investigations has further corroborated the fact that the groups have been receiving back cash in lieu of payments made through banking channels for these inflated invoices.

One of the hospitals of these groups was also found to be claiming wrong deduction over the years without fulfilling the necessary conditions for the hospital to be eligible as specified business.

The seized evidence has also revealed the practice of referral payment to doctors and clinics without duly recording these in the books of account. The referral payment has been fixed at a percentage of invoices raised to the patients. Evidence pertaining to benami transactions have also been uncovered.

--IANS

atk/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.)
Vice-President M along with Union ministers Pralhad Joshi and Piyush Goyal flagged off Tiranga Bike Rally for from on Tuesday.

Union Minister Smriti Irani was seen on her scooty at the bike rally.

"Every citizen of the country is celebrating as India is completing 75 years of Independence. PM Narendra Modi's resolve is that the next 25 years should be full of resolutions, full of duties and every Indian should live up to the expectations," Irani said.

"The power of the tricolour is to unite 130 crore Indians. Today you can see that all have joined the unitedly. Many Union Ministers, and leaders of different parties have participated in this campaign. I wanted that the opposition parties should also join in large numbers but they didn't. We are trying to send out a message to the coming generations that we will all keep India united, take India forward and make India stronger," said Union Minister Anurag Thakur.

"It is a special 2nd August today! At a time when we are marking Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, our nation is all set for #HarGharTiranga, a collective movement to celebrate our Tricolour. I have changed the DP on my social media pages and urge you all to do the same," tweeted PM Modi today.

PM Modi on Sunday called upon all citizens to turn the 'Har Ghar Tiranga' campaign into a mass movement by hoisting or displaying the flag at their homes and using the 'Tiranga' as a display picture on their social media accounts between August 2 and August 15 to commemorate the 75th anniversary of India's Independence.

"Under the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, from the 13th to the 15th of August, a special movement - 'Har Ghar Tiranga' is being organized. Let us further this movement by hoisting the Flag at our homes," said Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday while addressing the monthly radio programme 'Mann Ki Baat'.

'Har Ghar Tiranga' is a campaign under the aegis of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav to encourage people to bring the Tiranga home and to hoist it to mark the 75th year of India's independence.

Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav is an initiative of the Government of India to celebrate and commemorate 75 years of independence and the glorious history of its people, culture and achievements.

(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 (ED) on Tuesday said it has attached 75 immovable properties including 67 windmills valued at Rs 113.32 crore belonging to the Chennai-based Surana Group of Companies in connection with three cases of Rs 3,986 crore bank fraud.

The ED had initiated money laundering investigation on the basis of three FIRs filed by the CBI, Bengaluru against Surana Industries Limited, Surana Power Limited, Surana Corporation Limited and others.

The ED learnt during the investigation that these three companies of Surana Group had defrauded the banks by floating a web of shell companies wherein they appointed its employees, relatives as directors and proprietors, partners and indulged in paper transactions with them without actual movement of goods.

The ED also found in the investigation that Surana Group have companies in Cayman Islands as well as British Virgin Islands in the name of dummy directors and siphoned off money to park in those companies.

For this purpose, they established four companies in Singapore and exported goods to them and the money receivable from them were written off in the book of accounts in India.

Further, some of the diverted funds were used to purchase movable, immovable properties in the names of various benami companies.

These actions of the promoters of the Surana Group led to the accounts becoming irregular which ultimately led to accounts becoming NPA and leading to an amount of Rs 3,986 crore as the principal outstanding amount to the banks.

Based on the investigations conducted, Dinesh Chand Surana, MD of Surana Industries Limited and Surana Power Ltd, Vijay Raj Surana, MD of Surana Corporation Limited and two dummy directors of shell companies viz. P Anand and I Prabhakaran, were arrested on July 12.

During the course of Investigations, it was revealed that 67 windmills of Surana Group which were being auctioned by banks to recover their dues were again purchased in the name of one benami company.

--IANS

atk/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.)
Several farmer bodies on Tuesday decided to call off their proposed agitation on August 3 after Chief Minister accepted most of their demands, including clearing pending payments of .

Mann held a four-hour-long meeting with farmer leaders led by Bharatiya Kisan Union (Sidhupur) president Jagjit Singh Dallewal here on Tuesday evening.

Farmers had earlier announced to block highways at three places in Majha, Malwa and Doaba regions on August 3 in the state in case the state government failed to address their issues, including non-payment of sugarcane dues.

After the meeting, CM Mann said, I am committed to farmers' welfare, and during my tenure they won't have to stage protests for their genuine demands.

Mann said sugarcane dues stand at Rs 195.60 crore and out of which Rs 100 crore will be paid by August 15 and the remaining Rs 95.60 crore will be cleared by September 7.

He further said the pending payment of government and cooperative sugar mills will be cleared by September 7.

Mann said the private sugar mills, except Phagwara sugar mill, have assured that they will pay arrears by September 7.

The Phagwara sugar mill owed Rs 72 crore to farmers and a sum of Rs 20 crore would be realized after auctioning its land.

Mann said the state government will withdraw all the cases registered against farmers during the Covid-19 pandemic, or for agitation and stubble burning.

We have decided to cancel the FIRs registered against farmers, be it during Covid-19 pandemic, for stubble burning or agitation, said Mann.

Regarding cases registered by Railway Police Force against farmers during their agitation, Mann said he will take up this matter with the government of India.

The CM further said the state government is also finding ways and means to evolve a viable mechanism for ensuring that farmers do not adopt the practice of stubble burning by duly incentivising them.

He said the process of verification of direct seeding of rice is going on and farmers will be given the due amount soon.

Mann said the state government was making all out efforts to make agriculture a profitable venture by bringing out farmers out of the wheat-paddy cycle.

He said the process of giving jobs to the family members of farmers who lost their lives during the agitation against the now-repealed farm laws is already going on, adding that all the remaining families of farmers will also be handed over compensation soon.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A splinter group of the Bharatiya Kisan Union on Tuesday held a major farmers' congregation in western Uttar Pradesh's Bijnor to highlight the woes of the peasant community.

The BKU (non-political) raised issues pertaining to sugar mills, pending sugarcane dues, power supply and electricity bills among others during the 'kisan mahapanchayat', its office-bearers said.

"During the run up to the elections earlier this year, the BJP had promised relief to farmers but the Yogi Adityanath government has not delivered on them yet," BKU (non-political) leader Digamber Singh said.

"If the government does not provide relief to farmers on these issues, we will launch a campaign against it across the state," Singh said, addressing hundreds of farmers at the Bijnor mahapanchayat.

BKU (non-political), a registered group, was formed earlier this year after its split from the Naresh Tikait-led BKU.

Saurabh Upadhyay of the BKU (non-political) said the new faction is not part of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha but has pledged support to it and the BKU.

(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.)
Stating that crackdown on drunken driving was a good step for tourism, state Minister Rohan Khaunte on Wednesday said that everyone should drive responsibly.

Chief Minister Pramod Sawant had directed the police officials last week to crackdown against drunken driving following some fatal accidents that took place in the state.

"Laws are to protect people. For safe driving it is a welcome step to ensure that we are heading in the right direction. We are speaking about aggregator to come and play (a role), I think everyone has somewhere a role to play. We have taxis, People who want to enjoy the evening and don't drive, they can use the service we are looking at," he said.

Tourism minister Khaunte said, "The decision (to fine drunk and driving) will definitely support tourism. As we welcome, we don't say to get intoxicated and drive and then don't reach home. Drive carefully 'someone at home' is waiting for you. It is the responsibility of everyone to drive responsibly. The government decision is good which will discourage drunk driving," said.

--IANS

sanjay/dpb

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The government is looking at new technologies to replace toll plazas in the country and the new system will be introduced in the next six months, Transport minister informed Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.

Replying to supplementaries during the Question Hour in the upper house, the minister said toll plazas have created many problems like traffic snarls and long queues, which the government wants to end.

He was responding to questions from members on the issue of toll plazas within 60 km in the same direction which is not as per law.

The government, he said, is now searching for two options - satellite based toll system where the GPS will be there in a car and the toll will be directly subtracted from the passenger's bank account and the other option is through number plates.

"We are in the process of introducing GPS instead of FASTag while using satellite and on the basis of which we want to take the toll. Technology is also available on number plate and there is good technology available in India," he said.

"We will select the technology.Though we have not taken an official decision, but in my view on the number plate technology there will be no toll plaza and there will be a sophisticated computerised digital system by which we can give relief. There will be no queues and people will get great relief," the minister also said.

But for that, he said, we need to bring a bill in Parliament because if anyone is not paying the toll then there is no law available yet to penalise them.

Gadkari said they are in the process of selecting the best technology for collection of toll, and will also bring an important legislation in Parliament.

"Within six months, I will try my level best to do it as this is the need of the hour. This is important for the people of the country and to rid the problem of traffic," he said when asked when the new system for toll collection will be brought into effect.

Gadkari said number plates with new technology have been introduced and it is mandatory for the manufacturer to have new number plates and there will be a computerised system by which one can collect toll using new software.

He said that one will have to pay toll for the exact time of car driven on the tolled highways and only that much toll will be subtracted from the account.

"We have not made up our mind as far as selection of technology is concerned. But as early as possible and within a month we will select the technology and we will use all the sophisticated technology of the world by which it will be useful for people and there will be no queues and no problems of traffic," he told the House.

"As early as possible we will resolve the issue of toll plazas and find a solution to this," he said.

Gadkari also informed that after the introduction of FASTag which is one of the remarkable contributions to the country, toll revenues have risen substantially to Rs 120 crore in a single day.

Till date, 5.56 crore FASTags have been issued and its penetration is 96.6 percent, 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.)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his monthly radio programme Mann ki Baat' addressed the audience to support the Har Ghar Tiranga initiative by hoisting or displaying the national flag in their homes, and by using the tricolour as social media display pictures. The government has introduced the Har Ghar Tiranga campaign as a part of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav.

Amit Shah, the Union home minister, addressed a gathering during the 'Tiranga Utsav' event in New Delhi to commemorate Pingali Venkayya, the designer of the Indian flag. He claimed that a "Naya Bharat" is being built under PM Narendra Modi's leadership, since 2014.

The participative nature of this initiative leads to more people participating in the event. pleaded with people to participate in the 'Har Ghar Tiranga' campaign with more enthusiasm and show the world that India has "risen from slumber" and is on the way to becoming a "great" power.

"Since 2014, the stature of India has grown abroad, and the respect for the Indian flag has increased globally since. On any problem that arises in the world, until PM Modi has made his statement, the world does not decide its thoughts on it," says .

Why has Har Ghar Tiranga been introduced?

Har Ghar Tiranga has come into existence to celebrate Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav to motivate people to bring the flag home and hoist it to mark the 75th Day of India.

As per the government, the idea is to build a personal relationship with the flag and represent unity. The motive behind this campaign is to summon the feeling of and promote awareness about the national flag.

How to register for the Har Ghar Tiranga campaign?

If you are participating in the Har Ghar Tiranga campaign, you can upload your pictures on harghartiranga.com and get featured on the portal. Citizens are eligible to download the Har Ghar Tiranga certificate online from harghartiranga.com.

Till August 1, around 5.3 million national flags have been pinned and more than 700,000 selfies with tricolours have been uploaded on the official portal. Besides, Har Ghar Tiranga quizzes, drawing and other contests are being organised in different parts of India by educational institutions to evoke patriotic sentiments.

How to download the Har Ghar Tiranga certificate?

You can download the Har Ghar Tirange certificate online by following these steps:


Live news updates: India on Wednesday recorded 17,135 new cases of Covid-19, taking the tally to 44,067,144. With 47 new deaths, India's death toll has now reached 526,477. India's tally of recovered cases reached 43,403,610 with 19,823 new cured cases reported in the last 24 hours. India's active cases now stand at 137,057 after a net decline of 2,735. India on Tuesday administered 2,349,651 doses of vaccine, taking the total count of vaccination to 2,048,430,732.



US House of Representatives Speaker arrived in late on Tuesday on a trip she said was intended to express American solidarity with the Chinese-claimed island, the first such visit in 25 years and one that risks pushing relations between Washington and Beijing to a new low. Pelosi and her delegation disembarked from a US Air Force transport plan at Songshan Airport in downtown Taipei and were greeted by Taiwan's foreign minister, Joseph Wu and Sandra Oudkirk, the top US representative in .

A 35-year-old man of African origin with no recent history of foreign travel has tested positive for in Delhi, making it the country's eighth case and the city's third, official sources said on Tuesday. The man was admitted to the Delhi government-run LNJP Hospital on Monday, they said, adding that he is in stable condition.

Former UK Chancellor is closing the gap to catch up with rival, Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, in the race to 10 Downing Street, with only five points separating the two in a latest poll of the Conservative Party members on Tuesday.
Over 4,500 faculty positions are vacant in 23 Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), the Ministry of Education informed the .

According to data shared with the Upper House of Parliament, in Kharagpur with 798 vacancies and Bombay with 517 vacancies have the most faculty positions vacant.

The top-ranked IIT-Madras too has 482 faculty positions lying vacant. A total of 4,596 teaching positions are vacant in the .

"Filling up of vacancies is a continuous process and issue rolling advertisements, which are open throughout the year for all candidates, who fulfil the required qualifications and experience for faculty positions in IITs, said Union Minister of State for Education, Subhas Sarkar in a written reply.

"The Ministry of Education has requested all IITs to fill up the vacancies in faculty cadre through a special recruitment drive in mission mode and most of the IITs have initiated the process," he added.

The other over 300 vacancies are IITs from ISM-Dhanbad (446), Roorkee (419), Kanpur (382) and Guwahati (307). While all the old IITs have over 300 vacancies, IIT-Delhi has the least with 52. Among the new IITs, the one in Tirupati with 15 and Palakkad with 27 have the least number of vacancies.

(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.)
Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen speaks during the 55th ASEAN (the Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on Aug. 3, 2022. The 55th ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting and related meetings kicked off here on Wednesday, with a focus on post-COVID-19 pandemic recovery and key regional and global challenges. (Photo by Ly Lay/Xinhua)

PHNOM PENH, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) -- The 55th ASEAN (the Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Foreign Ministers' Meeting and related meetings kicked off here on Wednesday, with a focus on post-COVID-19 pandemic recovery and key regional and global challenges.

Cambodia is the chair of ASEAN for 2022, which groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen said the post-COVID-19 pandemic recovery, regional security, Myanmar issue, the war in Ukraine, and climate change, among others, would be high on the agenda during the meetings.

"ASEAN needs to exert its utmost care to ensure that its unity remains strong and its centrality is respected," he said.

Hun Sen said it is necessary for all ASEAN member states to pool collective efforts and combine a sense of "togetherness" to tackle the above-mentioned issues in the most effective way possible.

"Cambodia emphasizes our stance in 'unity for cooperation' and not in 'unity for confrontation'. We strive to focus on issues that bind us rather than those that divide us," he said.

Meanwhile, the Cambodian leader said the war in Ukraine has caused serious economic disruptions, exacerbated food and energy security, and threatened to divide the world once again.

Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn said it is remarkable that foreign ministers of ASEAN and its dialogue partners are able to meet face-to-face for the first time in two years since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Our gathering here today reflects the success of our collective efforts to overcome and recover from the crisis and its adverse effects on public health, social, economic and the daily livelihood of the people," he said.

Sokhonn said over the course of three days, the participants would deliberate on many key regional and international issues, especially the pressing security challenges that could destabilize regional peace and stability if they are not handled properly. 

Attendees of the 55th ASEAN (the Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Foreign Ministers' Meeting pose for a group photo in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on Aug. 3, 2022. The 55th ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting and related meetings kicked off here on Wednesday, with a focus on post-COVID-19 pandemic recovery and key regional and global challenges. (Photo by Ly Lay/Xinhua)

Attendees of the 55th ASEAN (the Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Foreign Ministers' Meeting pose for a group photo in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on Aug. 3, 2022. The 55th ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting and related meetings kicked off here on Wednesday, with a focus on post-COVID-19 pandemic recovery and key regional and global challenges. (Photo by Ly Lay/Xinhua)
The city government has informed the that 505 toilets meant for persons with disabilities (PwD) have been designated for the use of transgenders and creation of separate washrooms for the third gender persons will be done on a fast track basis.

The state government also informed the court that nine new toilets have already been constructed for the use of transgenders and the construction of 56 more washrooms for them is underway.

A bench of Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Subramonium Prasad granted six weeks time to the to file a status report informing the court about the new toilets constructed for the use of transgenders/ third gender persons.

It listed the matter for further hearing on November 14.

The court was hearing a PIL by Jasmine Kaur Chhabra, a law student at that time, seeking direction to construct separate washrooms for the third gender on the ground that the absence of separate public toilets for transgenders makes them prone to sexual assault and harassment.

The petition has said that the absence of gender-neutral toilets goes against the directions of the Supreme Court and in spite of funds from the Centre, no separate toilets are being made for the or third gender community in Delhi.

The high court had earlier issued notice to the Centre, and municipal authorities on the petition.

The Delhi government, in its latest status report, said that as per the Action Taken Report submitted by various departments a total of 505 toilets meant for persons with disabilities have been designated for use of persons.

With regards to creation of separate identified public toilet facilities for persons, it was submitted that nine new toilets have been created, 56 toilets are under process and six are yet to start.

The state government said in the report that earnest efforts are being made to ensure that work on creation of separate toilets for transgender persons is completed on a fast track basis.

The high court had earlier told the that wherever new public spaces were being developed, there should be separate toilets for transgenders and directed it to look into this aspect without any delay.

The Delhi government counsel had informed that some time was required for building the infrastructure and for the time being, transgender may use the toilets built for physically disabled persons.

The counsel for the petitioner had stated that the present issue has been pending for a long time and the government has set a timeline of two years for building the toilets.

The petition has further said Mysore, Bhopal, and Ludhiana have already started taking action in this regard and have built separate public washrooms for them but the capital is still seen nowhere taking such an initiative.

There are no separate toilet facilities for transgenders, they have to use male toilets where they are prone to sexual assault and harassment. Discrimination on the ground of sexual orientation or gender identity, therefore, impairs equality before the law and equal protection of the law and violates Article 14 of the Constitution, the petition, filed through advocate Rupinder Pal Singh, has said.

People, including men, women, and transgenders, feel uncomfortable and hesitate when the third gender uses washrooms which are made for others, the plea submitted, adding this also violates the 'right to privacy of the third gender.

(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 (SC) said on Wednesday that the Centre should take the opinion of stakeholders like the NITI Aayog, Finance Commission, Reserve Bank of India, of India, and the to come up with constructive suggestions to address the issue of irrational freebies.

The government, on the other hand, told the court that the distribution of freebies inevitably leads to future economic disaster. It was in response to a petition against the so-called freebies culture in the country, particularly during .

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the government, said, Populist schemes distort the decision-making of voters. This is the way we are heading towards an economic disaster, he said.

The plea sought directions to the to not permit to promise or distribute irrational freebies from the public fund before elections, and to deregister which do so.

Directing all parties to make suggestions about the formation of a body that can be constituted by the court to examine the issue, the SC scheduled the next hearing for August 8.

Experts said the is not a permanent body. So how can its opinion be sought if it has not been constituted now? asked Alok Prasanna Kumar, co-founder and team lead of Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy.

Siding with the petitioner, the Solicitor General suggested that the EC apply its mind to look into the issue. The court refused to entertain this suggestion, saying that the EC cannot be forced to look into the issue if it does not want to.

The counsel for the EC said they had already filed their reply, saying such regulations on freebies can be included in the (MCC).

Meanwhile, Prasanna said it is not possible to regulate how states spend their funds. Eighty to ninety per cent of the funds are released to the states by the Centre. A part of it is tied and the other part is the untied fund. So how can the law regulate how the states spend this untied fund? he said.

Referring to a judgment 19 years ago, the court said the EC had not done anything about this issue. There are benefits to the downtrodden people, and it is not that the rich are deprived of such benefits. the court said.

The court observed that regulating freebies via MCC may not be feasible. MCC comes into play just before . The four years before MCC comes into play are unaccounted for, the court said.

Disagreeing with the Centre, Senior Advocate and politician said the EC should be kept out of this matter as it is an economic and political issue. Let there be a debate in Parliament, Sibal suggested.

The court expressed its apprehension about the debate, saying that everyone wants freebies these days. These are all-policy matters. Let the Finance Commission, political parties, opposition parties, and other stakeholders interact, come up with suggestions and submit their report, the court said.

Meanwhile, Prasanna said it is not possible to regulate how states spend their own funds. For most states, a large per cent of the funds they receive are released to the states by the Centre. A part of it is tied to specific programmes and schemes and the other part is untied. So how can the law regulate how the states can append this untied fund? he asked.
In a curious case of fraud, the US authorities is trying to figure out how a couple of Indians with student visa ended up with IELTS scores between 6.5 and 7 bands and yet, cannot mutter a word in .

IELTS, or International Language Testing System, is an internationally standardised language proficiency exam for non-native speakers. To secure a visa, Indian citizens need to score about 4 and above in IELTS.

On Tuesday, the US authorities have asked Police to launch an investigation on how some institutes are helping students to obtain high IELTS scores to get college admissions abroad, the PTI reported.

The matter was brought after six people, residing in Canada with a visa, were arrested by US authorities in March this year from a sinking boat, near the border state of Akwesasne in US. The students were unable to speak in English in front of the judge despite having IELTS scores between 6.5 and 7.

According to the PTI report, while four of these people were from Mehsana, two were from Gandhinagar and Patan in . These Indian citizens, of age between 19 and 21, obtained IELTS scores to secure admission into colleges in Canada in order to be smuggled into the US, the report added.

Leading the probe, Inspector Bhavesh Rathod of Mehsana police said the agency who undertook the exam maintained no transparency as CCTVs of the hall were turned off during the held in September last year, it reported.

Rathod added that the agency, which conducted the exam, was based in Ahmedabad and the owner has been asked to appear before the police.

According to a report published in the Economic Times, there has been a 15 per cent rise in the number of Indian candidates who undertook the exam since pre-Covid years.

In India, the IELTS exam is conducted by several agencies, some of which include the British Council, Jamboree, Mega Mind, and Camford Academy, among others.

Candidates appearing for IELTS are evaluated on four aspects and their proficiency in the same. The four parts of the include listening, reading, writing, and speaking. The overall score is then calculated, based on which the candidates can either obtain a visa or have to appear again, in case of a low score.
After three senior of cadre sought voluntary retirement from service (VRS) within one week, the bureaucracy is abuzz with speculation.

This is probably the first time that three senior have sought to quit the service within days of each other.

The three officers are Renuka Kumar (1987 batch), Juthika Patankar (1988) and Vikas Gothalwal (2003).

Renuka Kumar was due to retire from service on June 30, 2023 and was repatriated to her parent cadre UP on July 28.

She played a key role in the UP IAS Association campaign in the nineties to identify three most corrupt in the state cadre.

Sources in the know said that she was unwilling to return to and applied for voluntary retirement.

Juthika Patankar, who was also on deputation to the Centre, had worked as principal secretary to Governor during Ram Naik's tenure.

She sought VRS though she was due to retire in January 2024.

Vikas Gothalwal, who is on study leave in the UK, reportedly sought VRS on health grounds.

It is learnt the three officers have sent copies of their letter seeking VRS to chief secretary Durga Shankar Mishra and the state appointment department.

Meanwhile, the internal WhatsApp groups of IAS officers are abuzz with possible reasons for the development.

Officers are debating on the service conditions that are making bureaucrats stay away from Uttar Pradesh and also the intense politicisation of the bureaucracy in the state. A few top bureaucrats are also being blamed for the state of affairs.

--IANS

amita/dpb

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The government on late Tuesday increased the windfall tax on domestically produced crude to Rs 17,750 a tonne from Rs 17,000 a tonne earlier, a move that will hit producers like ONGC and Vedanta Ltd. Meanwhile, Reliance Jios decision to acquire 700 MHz in combination with the possible use of an advanced standalone (SA) 5G network could give it an edge over its rivals. Read more on these in our top headlines.

Govt cuts windfall tax on fuel export, raises levy on domestic crude oil

The government on late Tuesday increased the windfall tax on domestically produced crude to Rs 17,750 a tonne from Rs 17,000 a tonne earlier, a move that will hit producers like ONGC and Vedanta Ltd. Also, government lowered the export tax on diesel and aviation turbine fuel in line with softening international petroleum product prices. Read more

Reliance Jio's purchase of 700 MHz likely to give it edge over rivals

Reliance Jios decision to acquire 700 MHz in combination with the possible use of an advanced standalone (SA) 5G network could give it an edge over its rivals, according to most analysts. The dissenters argue that the stiff price tag touching Rs 40,000 crore to grab 10 MHz of spectrum in 700 to provide coverage for its SA 5G network. Read more

Delhi, Mumbai may lead as Jio eyes 5G launch in 9 cities by January

is considering plans to offer 5G services in nine cities in the country by January 2023, probably starting with Delhi and Mumbai sometime later this year, said sources who have held discussions with the telecom player. The other cities are Chennai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Jamnagar, Ahmedabad, and Lucknow. Read more

to target premium customer base for its 5G services

On the brink of bankruptcy until recently, (Vi) has won the 5G spectrum for Rs 18,800 crore in 17 circles. But this will not be enough for the telecommunication (telecom) operator to retain its customer base, observe analysts. Telecom analysts say the industry is moving into a duopoly with (Jio) and Bharti Airtel (Airtel) taking the lead, while laggards like Vi and owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam compete for customers at the bottom of the pyramid. Read more

I-T dept likely to make PAN mandatory for investors

The income-tax department may make a permanent account number (PAN) mandatory for investors, in line with the demat account rules for stock market transactions, according to two people privy to the discussion. At present, disclosure of crypto holdings and related gains is voluntary. Read more

Serum Institute plans pandemic facility to stockpile vax for the world

The drive through the sprawling 100-acre campus of (SII) at Manjari on the outskirts of Pune is striking as you see pride in the eyes of people whove contributed to the making of Covid vaccine some way or the other. The worlds largest vaccine maker, which supplied about 80 per cent of the doses used in Indias Covid vaccination programme, is now working on the next plan. Read more
In line with the climate commitments made by India at the 26th session of the Conference of the Parties, commonly called COP26, the Centre has introduced amendments to its the Energy Conservation Act, 2001, to meet the targets embracing green fuels, industrial energy efficiency, and build the countrys own carbon credit market.

The Energy Conservation (Amendment) Bill , 2022, text said the amendments have been proposed in the context of energy transition being planned by India with focus on promotion of renewable energy and the National Green Hydrogen Mission. It said the Bill will help meeting the five targets announced by Prime Minister at COP26 in Glasgow in 2021.

Tabled in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday, the Bill proposes mandatory threshold for consumption of green fuels such as green hydrogen, green ammonia, and biomass in all industries.

It is considered necessary to have legal provisions to prescribe minimum consumption of non-fossil energy sources as energy or feedstock by designated consumers. This will help in the reduction of fossil fuel-based energy consumption and resultant carbon emissions to the atmosphere, said the proposal in the Bill.

The proposal to increase consumption of green fuels in the economy comes at a time when sector majors ranging to renewable energy companieshave announced their foray into green manufacturing.





ALSO READ: Open access II: India's attempt to expand scope of green energy initiatives

Adani New Industries plans to invest over $50 billion (Rs 3.9 trillion) over the next 10 years in green hydrogen and the associated ecosystems and will develop a green hydrogen production capacity of 1 million tonne per annum before 2030.

RIL, which has forayed into the green energy and green business last year, had announced earlier it would bring down the cost of green hydrogen to $1 per kilogram in under a decade.

To incentivise the private sector for emission reduction, the Centre also plans to bring in a legal framework for the countrys first-ever carbon trading market.

Globally, the carbon credit market collapsed in 2012 as prices plummeted, failing to revive again. Also, the developed nations stopped financing the clean development mechanism under which the market was introduced.

The Union government in its proposal said a legal framework for a carbon market was needed to meet the objective of incentivising actions for emission reduction, leading to increased investments in and energy efficiency areas by the private sector.



RUB OF THE GREEN Carbon certificates to be introduced for trading

Use of green fuels across industries to be mandated

Scope of energy conservation building code widened to include large residential complexes

Penalty provisions to include automotive sector as well

Members increased in the governing council of Bureau of Energy Efficiency

A carbon credit trading scheme for reduction of carbon emissions will be launched and certificates issued to those who meet their emission targets. These certificates can then be traded with those unable to meet their emission targets.

The Bill has also amended the penalty provisions to include more sectors. While the penalty remains the same for those defaulting on energy conservation and auditing, automobiles have been added to the list.

Any automobile manufacturer who fails to comply with consumption norms will be liable to pay additional penalty per unit of vehicles sold in the corresponding year.

The Bill has laid down a penalty of Rs 25,000 per vehicle for non-compliance of norms up to 0.2 litres per 100 kilometre (km); Rs 50,000 per vehicle for non-compliance of norms above 0.2 litres per 100 km. Any default over and above this will be penalised Rs 10 lakh per vehicle.

The ambit and scope of the energy conservation building code has been widened to include large residential complexes as well. The Centre will prescribe energy conservation building codes for efficient use of energy and its conservation in building complexes.

The Centre plans to amend the energy conservation building codes to suit regional and local climatic conditions, the Bill said. The central and state governments have been empowered under the Bill to direct the owner or occupier of a building to comply with the provisions of the energy conservation building code.


After four years of deliberations, the government on Wednesday withdrew the Personal (PDP) Bill, 2019, which is to be replaced with one that has a comprehensive framework and is in alignment with contemporary digital privacy laws.

According to the statement shared by Electronics and IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, the government withdrew the Bill because the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) had recommended 81 amendments to it, which has 99 sections. The had made 12 recommendations.

The Joint Parliamentary Committees report on the Bill had identified many issues that were relevant but beyond the scope of a modern digital privacy law, Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) Rajeev Chandrasekhar said on Twitter.

This will soon be replaced by a comprehensive framework of global standard laws including digital privacy laws for contemporary and future challenges and catalyze PM Narendra Modis vision of India Techade, Chandrasekhar said.

The Bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha on December 11, 2019. It was later referred to the JPC, which tabled its report in the Lok Sabha on December 16, 2021.

The report stirred a debate after it proposed a single law for dealing with both personal and non-personal datasets and mandating a complete local storage of data. The Bill had alarmed big tech, and several advocacy players had stated it gave sweeping powers to the government in certain segments. Various industry stakeholders are disappointed.

We suspect a lack of agreement between two factions within the government has led to the scrapping of the Bill, a person familiar with the matter said.

He said: One faction is pushing for a specific Bill and another is pitching for a broad-based one.

Amol Kulkarni, director (research), CUTS International, said: This is a setback not only for big tech or the corporate world but also for individuals and consumers and privacy-first organisations that had worked hard on engaging with the government and consumers and other stakeholders.





Some large tech firms are in wait-and-watch mode.

Its like going back to the drawing-board, said Rama Vedashree, chief executive officer, Council of India.

Seeing the developments since Justice Srikrishna submitted his report in 2018, this outcome was a given, she said. A lot of time and effort has been invested in the past five years, and we need to expedite enacting a comprehensive data privacy law in consultation with industry.

Apar Gupta, executive director, Internet Freedom Foundation, said the decision had rendered unavailing 10 years effort.

The withdrawal causes uncertainty and indecision when such a Bill is urgently needed.

The existing draft and the recommendations were concerning but the withdrawal should have been matched with a commitment on the floor of the house as to when a new Bill will be introduced, he said.

When asked if this meant there would be another round of consultation or if the reintroduced Bill would be based on the report, Gupta said: The JPC feedback may result in material alteration not only in acceptance but also in rejection thereby public consultation is essential to maintain the public trust as well as increased foresight on a better which will come through scrutiny and input from experts.

Kumar Deep, country manager, ITI Council, said: We have participated in all consultative processes during the framing of the Bill, 2019, and are eager to continue our engagement. We are certain that the government will consider all the views once the consultation on the framework begins and look forward to participating.

Salman Waris, managing partner at TechLegis Advocates & Solicitors, said: It was a bad draft from the inception. There was a huge pushback from civil society and with the 81 amendments proposed, including one to the title itself, it made sense to do away with the draft than have a loosely-worded piece of legislation. However, its a pity it has been done at this advanced stage, and after such a huge lapse of time. Nearly three years of deliberations were wasted.
Demand for Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) work dropped nearly 35 per cent in July. This is attributed to above-average rainfall in several parts of the country and pick-up in kharif sowing.

July is usually considered a lean month for work because worksites get impacted by heavy monsoon. Yet 20.43 million households sought work under the scheme that month, according to the official website.

The latest Centre for Monitoring (CMIE) data corroborates this drop. Agriculture absorbed 9.4 million people in July, but it also shed 8 million in June.





However, despite the fall in work demand it is still higher than any of the comparative pre-pandemic periods, the official website showed.

In April, around 23.26 million households demanded work under . This figure rose to 30.74 million in May before dropping to 31.67 million and further sliding to 20.43 million in July.

Until August 3, the expenditure on the scheme has been close to Rs 40,000 crore. Turns out that nearly 55 per cent of the 2022-23 Budget for the scheme at Rs 73,000 crore has been expended in the first four months itself.

This has triggered calls for adequate funding of the programme to stop payment delays and artificial suppression of demand. As on August 3, the Centres net balance is negative to the tune of around Rs 2,201.75 crore.

In June, India received almost 8 per cent below-normal rains. This jumped to 17 per cent above normal in July.

Since half of Indias farmland doesnt have irrigation management, the monsoon accounts for about 75 per cent of Indias annual rainfall. Revival of monsoon also pushed up sowing of kharif crops, which went past last years levels for the first time this season around July 15, with the exception of paddy and arhar.

This seems to have contributed in pushing down work demand in July.

In a related development, NREGA workers from more than 15 states have gathered for a three-day protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi under the NREGA Sangharsh Morcha banner, to press for adequate funding.

Two years into the pandemic, NREGAs demand remains high. Yet the governments scheme is under attack for consistent lowering of budgetary allocations, delayed wage payments, negligible compensation, and woefully low wages.

An analysis of 1.8 million wage invoices in the first half of 2021-22 showed that only 29 per cent of payments were processed within the mandated seven-day period by the government. There is enough evidence suggesting that inadequate fund allocation led to wage delays, read a statement from NREGA Sangharsh Morcha.

Anuradha Talwar from Paschim Banga Khet Mazdoor Samity said that the NREGA wage should be Rs 600 per day  roughly equal to the monthly salary of the lowest-paid government employee  in line with the recommendations of the Seventh Pay Commission.
The National Institutional Ranking Framework and the Ministry recently released their India Rankings 2022. The rankings list the top ten higher educational institutions (HEI) across separate subjects, and overall.

topped the overall list. Miranda House topped the for the fourth year in a row; the Indian Institute of Science was number one among universities and aced the ranking for engineering institutions, while IIM-Ahmedabad topped the management list. also released subject-wise lists for HEIs in medical, pharmacy, dental, law, and architecture.

What do these rankings really mean for students? How do they help in college and university admissions? With the new academic year having just begun, does the ranking provide a clear picture of the institution you have chosen?

Business Standard helps you understand.

Parameters

The engages five preliminary parameters for evaluating each educational institution: teaching and learning, weighted at 30 per cent; research and professional practice, also 30 per cent; graduation outcome, worth 20 per cent; outreach and inclusivity, 10 per cent; and perception, weighted at 10 per cent. Each of these five has more specific criteria--total publications, student-teacher ratio, support for economically and socially challenged students--that define these parameters and are similarly weighted. The lays more weight on easily quantifiable data. This is in contrast to the perception- and internationalisation-dependent global rankings.

As the NIRF explainer says, in a large higher system like Indias, hard quantifiable data provides a more reliable basis for building a ranking matric, as compared to perception data, which can be misleading and amenable to manipulation.

The reliance on quantifiable data presents a result- or output-oriented approach in defining top colleges and universities. The ranking is helpful in evaluating institutions based on what they have achieved over the last year, like higher numbers of academic publications, better faculty- ratio, higher or more lucrative placements, a more regionally diverse population, etc.

Miranda House, the college, is ranked the top college for the past four years because it has managed to improve its total score. This is even though the colleges performance in individual parameter categories has varied and often gone down. For instance, Mirandas score has gone down in both Financial Resources and Utilisation as well as the Publications matrices, among a few others. However, the college performed much better in the matrices for Median Salary received by on placement, and Regional Diversity sub-parameters.

The second-ranked Hindu College, which climbed seven rungs from the ninth position in NIFR 2021, registered improved scores across the board. It especially showed a marked improvement in the Publications, Placement and Higher Studies, and Outreach and Inclusion of Economically and Socially Challenged Students sub-parameters.

Thus, a looking to choose between the two top-placed colleges would have to research the thorough breakdown of each parameter and sub-parameters to understand how the colleges stand on the individual aspects most relevant to the student.

N Ramaswamy, KPMGs National Leader in and Skill Development, said that it is worthwhile spending a few hours looking at specific parameters and comparing colleges with the help of the NIRF.

NIRF doesnt make this process easy. A breakdown and explainer accompanying the rankings cite complex formulae used in the calculation rather spelling simply how the data translates to daily practices in the institutions it reviewed and ranked. For instance, does a higher number of publications imply institution support for mentorship, guidance, and infrastructural resources required for research publications? Similarly, how does Outreach and Inclusion of Economically and Socially Challenged Students translate on the ground level: reservations in hostels based on students financial background, meal coupons, scholarships?

The process becomes even more complicated when a student expands her search to a larger number of institutions and down to lower-ranked HEIs. It's cumbersome to trawl through hundreds of institutions for their individual scores in each parameter, especially during the heat and hurry of the admission season. The process becomes only slightly manageable in the shorter subject rankings of NIRF, like the ones for dental, architecture, and pharmacy institutions.

The National Board of Accreditation, in charge of the research and NIRF rankings, has not replied to Business Standards questions around this aspect.

A college being No 1 may not necessarily be true since it actually is a better reflection of how closely the criteria are followed and how well these are reported and reflected by the institution, said a professor at the University of Delhi.

The professor added that it was necessary for applying for a place based on the rankings to be alert and not be guided by a ready-made review/ranking. While they may be opting for the best, they may miss out on a gem that either not complied or come up short in compliance despite intrinsic soundness and qualities.

Ramaswamy too emphasised that ranking should not be the only input based on which she [a student] can select a university.

What is needed in NIRF

After the new National Education Policy in 2020 and the impact of pandemic-related restrictions, NIRF has included a separate sub-parameter for Online Education under the Teaching, Learning, and Resources parameter. Apart from this, the ranking has remained loyal to its usual parameters for gauging its participant HEIs. Revisions too havent been uniform, with the only major revisions coming in 2021 for the Research and Medical institute rankings. Are more changes necessary?

Ramaswamy said changing the parameters often is not a good idea: If the basis changes every year, how do we know if a particular HE has been consistent or not?

When there is a significant external trigger, the parameters need to reflect it. Also, the credibility and veracity of data presented in NIRF should improve.

We should have a single source of data from HE institutions for Accreditation, Ranking, Compliance reporting, Funding application, etc. As for credibility, while a central review for all institutions could be expensive, time-consuming, etc., a random peer-review could be considered.

With NIRFs focus on objectively quantifiable data, one wonders if the ranking process could have had a more active role for . Would an institution-wide Multiple-Choice-Question-type questionnaire have helped to factor in student perception on the quality of courses, infrastructural resources, diversity?

A survey makes the whole process time-consuming and expensive, said Ramaswamy. Implementing such a survey system is not easy. According to the All-India Survey of (AISHE) 2019-20, there are 38.5 million students pursuing in India in 1,043 universities. The sheer volume of data to be mined would be enormous. And even after that the survey cannot include the subjective questions of all concerned. How do you define the quality of course material? How do we know what material was evaluated for the subject? Also, there will be claims and counterclaims, the KPMG scholar said.

About students

Is there then an alternative way of incorporating student feedback? Dr Raghu Raman, Dean of Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, believes that the current perception survey that NIRF conducts with peers from the industry, can include a student component. I think its a must. An HEIs ultimate goal is to serve the students. Their feedback is very important. The National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC), conducts similar student surveys, but within HEIs rather than across the board. The surveys are conducted by the institution, and the anonymous student responses are then sent back to NAAC, who then tally the results. I think a similar model can be followed, with some stratifications and tweaks so that we have responses from a multidisciplinary pool of students, he said.

Dr Raman, who has spent close to seven years with global ranking agencies like Times index and QS, said NIRF is unmatched not only in the depth and breadth of its research but also in transparency. He suggested expanding three broad areas: internationalization, Multidisciplinary Education and Research Universities (MERU), and entrepreneurship.

Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, too, has emphasised the inclusion of a section on innovation and entrepreneurship. The NEPs emphasis on MERUs, like Amrita Vidyapeetham, also demands the ranking includes an evaluation of the participant HIEs scope and strength as a MERU.

Finally, if we are to attract international students for our HEIs, the NIRF should also embrace internationalisation as a salient parameter, Dr Raman said. This parameter could count for the mobility of our students and faculty abroad, collaborative projects, grants, and papers. This would clearly indicate which Indian universities are most prepared to welcome and nurture the ceducation and research of international students.

The DU professor advised caution in this approach, saying: data is not everything. The ranking system seems to suggest it is.

While (the present) criteria are all very well, these can in no way encapsulate all that is important in the process of imparting education. It is more important to reckon the infrastructure that an institution has to offer, the content and quality of the course material, and the best pedagogical practices. Even student surveys will not supply a final solution since these too are mired in extra-academic limitations.
Union & Skill Development Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, while addressing an event, said that India will invite capital from everywhere to provide quality infrastructure as the central government will very soon release new guidelines for foreign players in the sector.

Pradhan, at ET Roundtable, said India is open to capital to improve infrastructure, which can educate and skill more than 255 million youth in the age group of 15-25 and improve the nation's Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) for higher education to 50 per cent to 27 per cent by 2030.

"UGC's primary work is completed and consultations are on with stakeholders to deregulate. We are also talking to various prestigious institutions," Pradhan said, quoted ET.

The government is working with a 2030 timeline for the education sector, to augment its quality, capacity and infrastructure, keeping sight of its demographic advantage, the union minister said.

He added, "Our overall GER is 27 per cent. This must be increased up to 50 per cent by 2030 for us to achieve productivity as a nation. For this, we need to augment the existing strength, capacity and infrastructure in the education system. How do we do that? We must invite capital from everywhere. We must also ensure that market forces don't overpower the institutions and there is no commercialisation. So, anyone is welcome to our system with one expectation-that it should not be exploited."

There are currently almost 255 million youth in the 15-25 age group, out of which only 110 million are in educational institutions, said Pradhan, adding, "This means that another 14 crore (140 million) are either at work or not gainfully employed. India cannot be a superpower unless we focus on all these 25.5 crore (255 million) students and give them the right orientation, training, knowledge and opportunity. The State has the responsibility to do so," quoted The Economic Times.

The central government allows 100 per cent in the education sector through the automatic route but foreign have hardly shown any interest.
JAKARTA, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) -- Indonesia had emphasized the importance of strengthening institutional capacity and effectiveness of the ASEAN (the Association of Southeast Asian Nations) in dealing with health and food security issues, said the country's Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi on Wednesday.

"Health challenges will remain in the future, therefore, ensuring ASEAN's readiness to address current and future health challenges is very important," Marsudi said at the plenary session of the 55th ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting held in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

Existing regional mechanisms must be fully utilized, including accelerating operations and ensuring the availability of funds for the ASEAN Center for Public Health Emergency and Emerging Diseases, which will have centers in Indonesia, Thailand, and Vietnam, Marsudi added.

Regarding food security, Indonesia has submitted concept notes on the importance of strengthening the ASEAN Plus Three (China, Japan, and South Korea) Emergency Rice Reserve Agreement to propose the number of earmarked rice stocks and the addition of other types of food commodities.

Furthermore, Indonesia emphasized the importance of continuing to mainstream women, peace, and security issues in the ASEAN work agenda and expressed its hope to expedite the process of Timor-Leste's membership in the regional organization. 
The Board of Secondary (MPBSE) has declared the MP Board Supplementary result 2022 on Wednesday. The were declared for students of Class 10th and Class 12th. Students who appeared for the MP Board Supplementary exam can check and download their score card from the official website- mpresults.nic.in and mpbse.mponline.nic.in.

MP Board Supplementary exam 2022 were held from June 21 to June 30, 2022. Students who were unable to clear their MPBSE Class 10th and 12th exams were given an opportunity to appear for the supplementary exams.

To check the results, candidates who appeared for the MPBSE Supplementary exam 2022 for Class 10th and Class 12th, will need their login credentials.

Here's a complete step-by-step guide on how to download the MPBSE Supplementary Result 2022:



Step 1: Visit the official website of Board - mpresults.nic.in and mpbse.mponline.nic.in

Step 2: On the homepage, click on the 10th, 12th supplementary link

Step 3: After being redirected, candidates will have to login by entering their exam roll number and enter application number

Step 4: Once the result is displayed online, students can check and download their results

Step 4: Take a printout of your score card for future reference

According to a report published in Jagranjosh.com, as many as 287,642 students failed in class 10th, whereas 87,429 failed in the MP Board class 12th exam 2022.
Its 2025 in Beijing, five years since the start of the pandemic, and Chinese President Xi Jinpings Covid Zero policy is still an inescapable part of daily life.



Residents must get PCR tested every few days at one of the booths on nearly every street corner. A personalized health code app determines who can move around the capital, and where. Children have to test negative to go to the park. Something as simple as a visit to a coffee shop or supermarket can result in being locked down in your apartment, not even allowed out for food  which the state instead provides.

Because a few positive cases prompt officials to restrict movement in all or parts of the city, CEOs assume they must deal with several shutdowns a year. Companies, universities and cultural institutions that once thrived on contact with the rest of the world are isolated, with flights into limited and travelers still facing compulsory quarantines. Multinationals struggle to convince foreign staff to relocate and put up with the nuisances of Covid Zero that locals largely accept as their unaltering reality.

Such a scenario  where Chinas absolutist approach to the virus remains in place years from now  until recently would have seemed far-fetched.





Other Covid Zero havens like Singapore and Australia have given up trying to stamp out the pathogen, with global investors, economists and a host of expecting to inevitably follow suit. Every move viewed as an easing of the policy has generated rallies in travel stocks and optimism that would soon join the world in dropping most pandemic-related restrictions.

But while the strategy has been tweaked around the edges, optimized to staunch some of the fallout for the worlds second-largest economy, the core premise has held fast. As omicron sub-variants become ever-more infectious, Xis resolve to avert virus fatalities is growing stronger  leading many experts to warn that Covid Zero could continue well beyond 2022.

All of us may have underestimated how strong the Chinese states will is in continuing with its so-called dynamic-zero Covid policy, said Tianlei Huang, a research fellow at the Peterson Institute for Economics, a Washington-based research group. Everything must serve the utmost goal of achieving zero Covid.





For Xi, unlike most global leaders, the political risks of opening up are still far greater than the benefits.

Missteps in early 2020 to minimize  and in some cases obscure  the initial outbreak in Wuhan undermined the social contract that underpins the Chinese Communist Partys legitimacy: An acceptance of one-party rule in return for competent governance that keeps the public safe and improves overall quality of life.

To win back trust, Xi used powers largely unavailable to democratic leaders to keep the virus out and limit fatalities. And its worked: While questions persist about the reliability of Chinese data, the country has reported just 5,226 Covid deaths since the pandemic began, compared with more than 1 million in the US.





Chinas success gave Xis government ammunition to fire back at criticism over the viruss origins. As Donald Trump repeatedly blasted China during the 2020 US presidential campaign, decried the soaring death counts in America and Europe, using them to showcase the superiority of Communist Party-led rule.

Its also made the policy popular among many Chinese, who have been willing to put up with unpredictable lockdowns and the ubiquitous testing now required in major cities as the price of being protected. The fact outbreaks  and the Covid Zero disruption that follows them  havent touched everyone in the vast country has also emboldened Xi.

The conundrum now for Xi, however, is that China has staked so much on avoiding virus fatalities, it cant exit the pandemic as other countries have  by accepting greater death as a reality of living permanently with Covid.

Shanghai's 25 million residents are still required to be tested every 72 hours, and sometimes more frequently, as part of the city's quest to keep a lid on Covid. (Photo: Bloomberg)

Many elderly people in China remain vaccine holdouts: In early July, about 30% of Shanghais seniors still hadnt received even one dose. And Hong Kongs experience earlier this year showed what could go wrong, as omicron tore through nursing homes, giving the under-prepared city the worlds highest death rate in March.

Given the size of Chinas population, the stakes are even higher.

More than a million people might die if China - which has little natural immunity - were to abandon Covid Zero, according to an analysis by researchers at Shanghais Fudan University. The absenteeism and economic chaos seen in Western countries after they reopened would also pale in comparison to what China might experience.

From the Chinese leaderships perspective, Hong Kongs exceptionally high death rate in the spring provides stark proof of that possible scenario, J. Stephen Morrison, Yanzhong Huang and Scott Kennedy wrote in a commentary published June 27 for the Center for Strategic and Studies, a Washington-based research group.





The trade-off for Xi in going all-out to quash Covid is slower economic growth, which has traditionally been the prime concern of Party officials.

Economists surveyed by Bloomberg News predict Chinas gross domestic product will grow at 4% this year, down from 8.1% in 2021 and below the official target of about 5.5%. The consumer and services sectors have been battered by two years of restrictions and shutdowns, with curbs crippling domestic tourism and slashing incomes. Premier Li Keqiang has repeatedly warned of a grave jobs situation, often a recipe for civil unrest in democracies and single-party regimes alike.

Foreign business groups say companies are looking to divert investment away from China and move headcount to other parts of Asia to avoid disruption like that seen during Shanghais two-month lockdown earlier this year.

For Lance, a biotech executive in Beijing, the specter of Covid Zero has altered the way he socializes and consumes. The capital was under threat of lockdown for much of May and June, with work-from-home orders in place and restaurants shuttered amid an outbreak of some 2,000 cases.

Lance, who asked to be identified only by his first name due to the risks of criticizing Xis signature policy, now makes most of his purchases online rather than risk going to the store.

The work I do means I need to socialize a lot, but I barely go anywhere these days, he said.

Affluent and well-educated Chinese like Lance will be looking to exit if Covid Zero continues longer term, according to Amy Gadsden, associate vice provost for global initiatives at the University of Pennsylvania and a former special adviser on China to the US State Department.

Living cut off from the world is not the future they signed up for, she said. Its going to be hard to retain talent and its going to be hard to lure talent.





Yet so far Xi is unmoved. In fact, hes doubling down.

In a recent address from Wuhan heavy with symbolism, Xi repudiated the Wests embrace of herd immunity, saying the consequences of lying flat against the virus would be unimaginable for China.

Even if there are some temporary impacts on the economy, we will not put people's lives and health in harm's way, he said in June in the city where Covid first emerged. The epidemic response measures, he added, are correct and effective, and must be upheld unwaveringly.

Coming after China reduced the number of days travelers need to spend in quarantine, the comments jolted financial markets. Reinforced a month later by the Politburo, the Communist Partys top leadership, the unequivocal commitment to Covid Zero has led to a reassessment for some who expected the country to reopen once Xi secured a third term at the once-in-five-year Party congress due to be held later in 2022.

Covid Zero will remain in place for at least another year because its now inextricably tied to Xi, said Joerg Wuttke, president of the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China, during a July 20 webinar sponsored by the Peterson Institute.

My guess is China can at the earliest open up late 2023, he said. Officials are in a deep hole and they keep digging.

Still, does have tools at its disposal to ease some of the economic pain from prolonging Covid Zero indefinitely, including spending more on infrastructure and supporting the property market, said Wei Lit Yew, lecturer in the Department of Government and International Studies at Hong Kong Baptist University.

The government has also found ways around some of the policys most disruptive measures. Factories were able to resume operations during Shanghais intensive two-month lockdown by using closed loops  systems where workers are consistently tested and only allowed to go from their company-run dormitory to the plant and back. That enables exports to be maintained.

China is counting on the fact that the world needs China more than China needs the world, Yew said.





And while some companies may be threatening to leave, plenty of are increasing their bets.

Foreign direct investment into China during the first six months of 2022 rose to 723 billion yuan ($112 billion), on track for another record year. Tesla Inc., which saw its factory shuttered for three weeks during the lockdown, reopened using a closed loop and is now expanding the plant. Planemaker Airbus SE is also investing in more China capacity.





Chinese health advisers have outlined potential exit strategies, saying over the months that opening up hinges on improved vaccination rates, increased access to antivirals and greater capacity at hospitals.

Yet progress in these areas has been slow, with mixed messages from government officials.

Some experts have flagged boosting ICU capacity as key to China being able to normalize, but theres been nothing said publicly about bolstering acute care.





While China has approved Pfizer Inc.s Covid anti-viral pill, it hasnt permitted foreign-made mRNA vaccines shown to have higher efficacy rates than its home-grown, inactivated shots. The Politburos recent reinforcement of Covid Zero suggests China will continue to prioritize it over economic growth, Australia & New Zealand Banking Group Ltd. senior China economist Betty Wang and senior China strategist Zhaopeng Xing wrote in a report published July 29.

It appears to us that any change in the zero-Covid policy will only happen when authorities are convinced that mutations are less virulent and vaccines and medicines are proven to be more effective, they wrote. Both are unlikely to happen in the near term.

The biggest challenge for Xi could still come from how long Chinas 1.4 billion people are willing to be shut off from the world.

In June, a report that mistakenly indicated would keep strict virus controls in place for the next five years spurred backlash online in China, prompting authorities to swiftly edit the article. Shanghais lockdown was met with protests and heavy criticism online.

Another wild card is the virus itself. While China has been largely successful in reducing cases, even after omicron hit, the lackluster elderly vaccination rate still makes it vulnerable to an even more contagious variant that is also more virulent.

Thats a major risk in a political system in which displaying an aura of competence is absolutely essential to maintain the faith of the Chinese public, said Rajan Menon, director of the Grand Strategy program at Defense Priorities, a think tank in Washington.

The bet theyre taking is that somehow Covid Zero will defeat the virus, things will open up some day and economic losses can be recouped, Menon said.

What if that bet is wrong? What is then their Plan B? Menon said. That is not clear to me or them. They have bet the house on Covid Zero.
rolled out curbs Wednesday on the import of fruit and fish from while halting shipments of sand to the island in the wake of a visit by US House Speaker .

The trip by Pelosi, who is second in line to the presidency and the highest-profile elected US official to visit Taiwan in 25 years, has ignited a diplomatic firestorm. Pelosi has left after a brief but controversial visit.

She landed in late Tuesday in the wake of increasingly stark warnings from China, which considers the island a part of its territory to one day be reclaimed, by force if necessary.

Chinas Customs Administration said Wednesday it would suspend some citrus fruits and fish imports from Taiwan over alleged repeated detection of excessive pesticide residue and positive coronavirus tests on packages.

After a whirlwind two-day journey that included a gathering with Taiwans president and vows to protect democracy in Taiwan within the face of rising threats from mainland .

Today the world faces a choice between democracy and autocracy, Pelosi mentioned. Americas determination to preserve democracy here in Taiwan and around the world remains ironclad.

Beijing is preparing live-fire military exercises this week in areas encircling Taiwan, a significant step up from its responses to previous crises and one that underscores Chinas fast-growing combat capabilities.

The Peoples Liberation Army said naval, aerial, strategic-missile and other forces conducted joint training on Wednesday to the north, southwest and southeast of Taiwan in the run-up to the live-fire drills, which would involve the use of long-range weapons and conventional missiles.

While the designated live-fire zones mainly lie in waters, some of them are close to Taiwans major ports and overlap with what Taipei claims as its territorial waters, which means the drills could disrupt civilian shipping. Depending on the launch sites and missile types, experts say the PLA projectiles could fly over Taiwana gesture that would be seen as a major escalationon their way to waters east of the island.
China's Vice Foreign Minister Xie Feng on Wednesday summoned US Ambassador to Nicholas Burns to protest against US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to island on Tuesday, stressing that the nature of her visit is extremely vicious and the consequence is very grave.

Xie said the Chinese side will not sit idly by. The US must pay the price for its own mistake. will take necessary and resolute countermeasures and "we mean what we say", Global Times reported.

He maintained that the US government should have restrained Pelosi's unscrupulous move and prevented her from going against the historical trend but instead indulged her and colluded with her, which exacerbates the tension in the Straits and seriously damages China-US ties.

Minutes after US House Speaker Pelosi's aircraft landed in Taipei, the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) announced that it would hold six live-fire military drills in waters around Taiwan, scheduled to take place from Thursday to Sunday.

Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense (MND) confirmed that on Tuesday late evening, 21 Chinese military aircraft flew into the southwestern part of Taiwan's air defence identification zone (ADIZ).

According to Chinese media reports, announced to carry out the drills in waters north, northeast, northwest, east, south and southwest of the nation in the Strait, the Bashi Channel, the East China Sea and the Pacific. It further said that one of the locations of the planned drills is less than 20 kilometres from Kaohsiung in southern Taiwan.

Angered by Pelosi's visit despite Beijing's strong opposition, China said, "This is a very dangerous act of playing with fire, and those who play with fire will set themselves on fire."

China reiterated that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory, and the government of the People's Republic of China is the only legitimate government representing the whole of China, and Nancy Pelosi, disregarded China's strong opposition and solemn representations and visited Taiwan, China.

The Chinese officials and experts warned that all the consequences of this highly dangerous and provocative move will be borne by Washington, and such a visit will also forever change the cross-Straits situation and deliver a destructive impact on the already-difficult China-US relations.

(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.)
Furious over the US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's high-profile visit to Taipei, the first by a top American official in 25 years, on Wednesday announced punitive measures on outfits seeking " independence, banned imports of some Taiwanese food products and suspended the export of natural sand.

China, which claims as its territory and opposes any engagement by Taiwanese officials with foreign governments, announced a series of military exercises around the self-ruled island on Tuesday night after Pelosi landed in the Taiwanese capital, Taipei.

By allowing the 82-year-old top Democrat to visit Taipei, accuses the US of violating the 'One China' policy under which Beijing regards as part of the Chinese mainland.

The Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, a Chinese official body which looks after Taiwan affairs, announced the punitive measures on organisations related to die-hard elements seeking "Taiwan independence".

Under the guise of "democracy" and "cooperation and development", "Taiwan Foundation for Democracy" and " Cooperation and Development Fund" have wantonly carried out "Taiwan independence" separatist activities in the arena.

They have gone all out to ingratiate themselves with external anti- forces, Ma Xiaoguang, spokesperson for the office said.

They have also attacked and smeared the mainland, and used money and other means as bait to expand the so-called " space" of Taiwan, attempting to undermine the international support for the one-China principle, Ma said.

The mainland has decided to take punitive measures against the above-mentioned foundations, banning them from cooperating with mainland organisations, enterprises or individuals, he said.

The mainland will also punish, in accordance with the law, organisations, enterprises or individuals that offer funds or services to the foundations, and take other necessary measures, Ma was quoted as saying by official media here.

The mainland will prohibit mainland organisations, enterprises or individuals from any transaction or cooperation with Speedtech Energy, Hyweb Technology, Skyla, SkyEyes GPS Technology and other enterprises that have donated money to the foundations. Heads of relevant enterprises will be banned from entering the mainland, Ma said.

Ma also announced the suspension of the imports of certain fruits and fish products from Taiwan.

China will suspend the entry of citrus fruits and two types of fish products from the Taiwan region starting Wednesday, said a spokesperson.

The entry of citrus fruits including grapefruits, lemons and oranges, as well as chilled large head hair tail and frozen horse mackerel from Taiwan will be suspended in accordance with the mainland's relevant regulations, and food safety requirements, Ma said.

In the meantime, the export of natural sand from the mainland to Taiwan will also be suspended, he added.

Despite its acrimonious approach towards Taiwan, China remained Taiwan's largest trading partner, with bilateral trade increasing to 26 per cent year on year to USD 328.3 billion last year.

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In order to expand its public surveillance capabilities, Myanmar's military regime is using facial recognition technology, raising fresh concerns about the safety of democracy activists and resistance groups in .

The cameras, sourced from Chinese tech conglomerates Huawei, Dahua and Hikvision, are equipped with artificial intelligence technology that automatically scans faces and vehicle license plates in public places and alerts authorities to those on a wanted list, DW reported.

Experts believe that the increased access to this technology could have consequences for the safety of anyone opposing Myanmar's military junta.

"This is another threat coming, not just on the ground. We are now resisting a digital authoritarian regime," Thinzar Shunlei Yi, a Yangon-based activist said.

In March, Human Rights Watch (HRW) released a report on Myanmar's use of Chinese-made facial recognition systems, warning of a "serious threat" to human rights.

The report said that hundreds of cameras were installed in townships around the capital Naypyidaw in December 2020, before the military took power in a coup, in the first phase of a security initiative called "safe city." Cameras were also installed in Myanmar's largest city, Yangon, DW reported.

HRW Deputy Asia Director Phil Robertson told DW the cameras are the "epitome of intrusive surveillance," and would allow the junta to remotely monitor, track and ultimately raid the operations of opponents, DW reported.

"We expect the systems will be used to identify persons of interest, follow their movements, identify their motorcycles and cars, and ultimately follow them to resistance safe houses where junta forces can attack, arrest, and kill those opposed to the military regime," he said.

By controlling the biggest telecommunication company in Myanmar, Telenor, the junta has restricted internet access and censored online content. There have also been reports that the junta has installed spyware on telecom services and internet providers to further monitor and combat online "traitors."

"We are not safe. Basically, all our information can be exposed. The junta heavily uses its digital power to spread misinformation and disinformation, as well as to detect where we are and what we are doing," Thinzar Shunlei Yi added.

And the impact of the junta's surveillance can already be seen across Myanmar: "We see an increasing number of arrests every day, especially in our strike committees," said activist Yi.

"Apart from that, it has become more difficult to organize a large strike in different urban areas," she added.

The use of surveillance technology for security is used by governments around the world to fight crime. This is by no means confined to authoritarian regimes, and the democratically-elected civilian government led by Aung San Suu Kyi also used Chinese-made technology before the coup.

However, in the domestic political context of Myanmar, HRW argues that the junta is applying this technology to strengthen its hold on power.

The people of were accustomed to military rule in the past but the volatile situation in following the February 1, 2021 coup, has increased armed conflict and subsequent population displacement within and across borders, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), DW reported.

The military on February 1, 2021, seized the democratic power and overthrew the democratically-elected civilian government led by Aung San Suu Kyi.

Military commander Min Aung Hlaing then imposed a state of emergency and arrested elected leaders, including Suu Kyi, which triggered one of the biggest pro-democracy protests in Myanmar's history.

The security situation continues to deteriorate in Southeast Myanmar with the intensification of armed clashes reported between the Tatmadaw and ethnic armed organizations (EAOs) or People's Defence Force (PDF) in several areas. The Military continues to deploy security forces and has increased the use of heavy artillery.

According to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP), more than 2,100 people have been killed since the military regime took power and over 14,800 have been arrested, charged or sentenced by the junta, DW reported.

As of June 30, the total number of internally displaced people (IDPs) in Myanmar displaced since February 1, is 758,500, of whom 244,500 are in the southeast provinces - Kayah, Shan, Kayin, Mon States, and Tanintharyi and Bago regions. In Kayah State, more than 4,000 people were able to return to Loikaw and Demoso Townships.

Since the junta executed four activists namely, Phyo Zeya Thaw, Kyaw Min Yu, known as "Ko Jimmy," Hla Myo Aung, and Aung Thura Zaw, calls have grown for the community to cut off the military from oil and gas revenue flows, and other sources of income.

"Democratic countries need to be united. We are all here watching it, reporting it and then what? The people in Myanmar cannot stop it, yet," said Yi.

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US House Speaker departed on Wednesday after meeting with the president and other officials in a visit that heightened tensions with China.

Pelosi and five other members of Congress were headed to South Korea, the next stop on an Asia tour that also includes Singapore, Malaysia and Japan.

In Taiwan, she said her delegation was showing their commitment to the self-governing island that China claims and says must come under its control.

China staged military drills after her arrival and called her visit a provocation that infringes on its sovereignty.

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strongly denounced Nancy Pelosi's visit to on Wednesday, calling it an "impudent interference" by Washington into another nation's internal affairs.

The speaker of the US House of Representatives arrived in on Tuesday night despite fierce protests from China, becoming the highest-level official to make a formal trip there in decades. In a statement, she said her move "honours America's unwavering commitment to supporting Taiwan's vibrant democracy".

In a quick response, however, Pyongyang's foreign ministry said that the visit is "arousing serious concern of the community", as it stated support for China, which labeled Pelosi's trip as infringing its "sovereignty and territorial integrity", Yonhap news agency reported

"The current situation clearly shows that the impudent interference of the US in internal affairs of other countries and its intentional political and military provocations are, indeed, the root cause of harassed peace and security in the region," a spokesperson for the ministry was quoted as saying by the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). " is an inseparable part of and the issue of Taiwan pertains to the internal affairs of ."

"We vehemently denounce any external force's interference in the issue of Taiwan, and fully support the Chinese government's just stand to resolutely defend the sovereignty of the country and territorial integrity," the unnamed spokesperson added, according to the KCNA's English-language report. "The US scheme to disturb the growth and development of and its efforts for accomplishing the cause of reunification is bound to go bankrupt."

Pelosi is leading a congressional delegation in its Asia swing. It traveled to Singapore and Malaysia with plans to visit South Korea and Japan as well.

has openly stressed its strong ties with China amid an intensifying Sino-US rivalry.

--IANS

int/shs

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US House Speaker on Wednesday morning met with Taiwan's President, Tsai Ing-wen and reiterated Washington's support to the island country and said that the US' determination to preserve Taiwan's sovereignty is "iron-clad".

"America has made a bedrock promise to always stand with . On this strong foundation, we've a thriving partnership grounded in self-government and self-determination focused on mutual security in the region and the world committed to economic prosperity," Pelosi said.

The US House Speaker had touched down in on Tuesday night amid repeated condemnation by China, which claims self-ruled as its territory.

Shortly after Pelosi landed, 21 Chinese military aircraft flew into the southwestern part of Taiwan's air defence identification zone (ADIZ), as confirmed by Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense (MND).

During her meeting with Tsai Ing-wen at the presidential office in Taipei, Pelosi termed Taiwan as a flourishing country and said that Taipei had proved the world that hope, courage and determination can build peaceful and prosperous future despite challenges that the country faced.

"Now, more than ever, America's solidarity with Taiwan is crucial, that's the message we bring in today," she added.

"Today the world faces a choice between democracy and autocracy," Pelosi said adding "America's determination to preserve democracy here in Taiwan and around the world remains ironclad."

According to The New York Times, Pelosi is also likely to hold discussions with a number of human rights leaders on Wednesday afternoon, before she departs.

Earlier in the day, Pelosi visited Taiwan's parliament and also held a meeting with Tsai Chi-chang, the deputy speaker.

During the meeting, she said, "We come in friendship to Taiwan, we come in peace for the region."

Over the US-Taiwan economic cooperation, Pelosi said that her new US legislation aimed at strengthening the American chip industry in Taiwan which will compete with .

"Now we look forward to our conversation about how we can work together to save the planet from the climate crisis. We thank you for your leadership and we want the world to recognise it. Our visit was about human rights, unfair trade practices, security issues," she added.

Pelosi further said that she is here to listen and learn from Taiwanese people as to how can they come together. She also congratulated Taiwan for addressing the issue of Covid.

"We congratulate you on successfully addressing the issue of Covid which is also an issue of health, economy, security & governance," Pelosi said.

Taking to Twitter, upon her arrival, Pelosi said, "Our Congressional delegation's visit to Taiwan honours America's unwavering commitment to supporting Taiwan's vibrant Democracy."

"Our visit is part of our broader trip to the Indo-Pacific -- including Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea and Japan -- focused on mutual security, economic partnership and democratic governance. Our discussions with Taiwan leadership will focus on reaffirming our support for our partner and on promoting our shared interests, including advancing a free and open Indo-Pacific region," she added.

Pelosi also expressed US solidarity with 23 million people of Taiwan in the face of the increasing threat from .

Meanwhile, on Tuesday firmly opposed the US House Speaker's Taiwan visit terming the trip a serious violation of the one-China principle and the provisions of the joint communique signed between the two countries.

"On 2 August, in disregard of China's strong opposition and serious representations, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives visited China's Taiwan region. This is a serious violation of the one-China principle and the provisions of the three China-US joint communiques," Xinhua news agency quoted the Chinese Foreign Ministry as saying.

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Russia has accused the of direct involvement in the Ukraine war, while the first ship carrying Ukrainian grain to world markets since Moscow's invasion is due to be inspected in Turkey on Wednesday.



Russia's defence ministry, headed by an ally of President Vladimir Putin, said comments made by Vadym Skibitsky, Ukraine's deputy head of military intelligence, to Britain's Telegraph newspaper showed that Washington was entangled in the conflict despite assertions it was limiting its role to arms supplies.



Skibitsky told the paper there was consultation between U.S. and Ukrainian intelligence officials before strikes and Washington had an effective veto on intended targets, but that U.S. officials were not providing direct targeting information.



"All this undeniably proves that Washington, contrary to White House and Pentagon claims, is directly involved in the conflict in Ukraine," the Russian defence ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.



"It is the Biden administration that is directly responsible for all Kyiv-approved rocket attacks on residential areas and civilian infrastructure in populated areas of Donbas and other regions, which have resulted in mass deaths of civilians." There was no immediate reaction from the White House or Pentagon to the ministry's assertions.



The Pentagon did deny, however, Moscow's claims that Russia had destroyed six U.S.-made HIMARS missile systems since the start of the Ukraine war. Russia regularly claims it has hit HIMARS but has yet to show proof.

Ukraine and the West accuse Russia of carrying out devastating missile attacks on civilian targets on an almost daily basis. Both sides deny deliberately targeting civilians.

DONBAS: 'JUST HELL'

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Tuesday said that despite arms supplies from the West, his country's forces could not yet overcome Russian advantages in heavy guns and manpower.

"This is very much felt in combat, especially in the Donbas.

... It is just hell there. Words cannot describe it." Donbas, Ukraine's traditional industrial heartland in Ukraine's east, has seen some of the war's heaviest fighting.

Russia sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine on Feb. 24 in what it calls a "special military operation". Kyiv and the West have condemned it as an unprovoked war of aggression.



At a U.N. conference on Tuesday, Igor Vishnevetsky, deputy director of the department for non-proliferation and arms control of the Russian foreign ministry, refuted all allegations of "unprovoked aggression". He also added that Moscow was convinced a nuclear war "must never be fought".

Russian diplomat Alexander Trofimov told the United Nations that Moscow would only use nuclear weapons in response to weapons of mass destruction or a conventional weapons attack that threatened the existence of the Russian state.

"None of these two hypothetical scenarios is relevant to the situation in Ukraine," said Trofimov, a senior diplomat in the non-proliferation and arms control department of Russia's foreign ministry.

SAFE PASSAGE

Meanwhile, a July 22 U.N.-brokered deal to unblock Ukrainian grain exports had an initial success as the first loaded ship since Russia's invasion safely anchored off the Turkish coast.

The vessel, the Sierra Leone-flagged Razoni was at the entrance of the Bosphorus Strait, which connects the Black Sea to world markets, around 1800 GMT on Tuesday, some 36 hours after leaving the Ukrainian port of Odesa.

A delegation from the Joint Coordination Centre (JCC) in Istanbul, where Russian, Ukrainian, Turkish and U.N. personnel work, is expected to inspect the ship at 0700 GMT on Wednesday, Turkey's Defence Ministry said.

It was loaded with 26,527 tonnes of corn.

U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters in New York there were about 27 ships in the three Ukrainian ports covered by the export deal that were ready to go.

The exports from one of the world's top grain producers are intended to help ease a global food crisis.

Known as Europe's breadbasket, Ukraine hopes to export 20 million tonnes of grain held in silos and 40 million tonnes from the harvest now under way, initially from Odesa and nearby Pivdennyi and Chornomorsk.

Russia has called the Razoni's departure "very positive" news. It has denied responsibility for the food crisis, saying Western sanctions have slowed its exports.

(Reporting by Reuters bureaux; Writing by Michael Perry; Editing by Himani Sarkar)

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JAKARTA, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) -- The administration of the Indonesian island of Batam said on Wednesday that its target for international tourists by the end of 2022 could exceed 1 million.

The number of international tourist arrivals in Batam, which is situated close to neighboring countries Singapore and Malaysia, continued to increase every month following ease of travel COVID-19 restrictions.

Head of Batam's Culture and Tourism Agency, Ardiwinata, said that in 2019 the island received 1.9 million of foreign tourists. "We hope this year's visits will rise, hopefully, to more than 1 million."

Over the first half of this year, visitors from Singapore and Malaysia topped the number of visits to Batam with about 22,600 and about 4,700 respectively, followed by India with about 2,200.

"Events are the fastest way to bring in foreign tourists and can increase the length of their stay," Ardiwinata said, adding that infrastructure development in Batam also plays a role in attracting more tourists.

"Many new tourist destinations are also being prepared," he said. 
Newly elected Sri Lankan President on Wednesday thanked India which he said under the leadership of Prime Minister has provided the crisis-hit island nation "a breath of life" in tough times.

President Wickremesinghe made the remarks while presenting the government's policy statement during the third session of Parliament during which he invited political parties to form an all-party government.

"I wish to specially mention the assistance provided by India, our closest neighbour, in our efforts of economic revitalisation. The Government of India under the leadership of Prime Minister has given us a breath of life. On behalf of my people and that of my own, I convey the gratitude to Prime Minister Modi, the government and the people of India," said Wickremesinghe in his address.

The Sri Lankan Parliament met for the first session under President Wickremesinghe after he was sworn in on July 21. Wickremesinghe in his address reiterated the formation of an all-party government to help the country tide over its economic crisis.

He said that Parliament must be united and not divided to address the current crisis and added that some political parties have already expressed interest to join the all-party, according to Colombo Gazette, which published Wirckremsinghe's full speech.

"An All-Party Government is not a government that acts on the sole opinion of one party. It is a government that comprises the views of all parties within a common policy framework, and implemented after decisions are made.

I wish to reiterate to this House, the importance of an All-Party Government in order to resolve this crisis and establish stability in an expeditious manner," the Sri Lankan President said.

He said that they are preparing a National Economic Policy for the next 25 years, which "lays the foundation for a social market economic system, securing development for the poor and underprivileged groups and encouraging small and medium entrepreneurs."

Since the beginning of 2022, Sri Lanka has experienced an escalating economic crisis and the government has defaulted on its foreign loans. The United Nations warned that 5.7 million people "require immediate humanitarian assistance."

With many Sri Lankans experiencing extreme shortages of essentials including food and fuel, peaceful protests began in March. The protests led then-Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa to resign on May 9, and his brother, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, to flee the country on July 13 and resign the following day.

Wickremasinghe became acting president, and parliament elected him as the new president on July 20 with the support of the Rajapaksas' political party, the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna.

Meanwhile, India under its 'Neighbourhood First' policy, has always come forward to help the debt-ridden island country. Recently, India has extended 8 Lines of Credit (LOCs) to Sri Lanka amounting to USD 1,850.64 million in the past 10 years.

"Government of India has extended 8 Lines of Credit (LOCs) to Sri Lanka amounting to USD 1,850.64 million in sectors including railways, infrastructure, defence, renewable energy, petroleum and fertilizers in the past 10 years," External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said in a written reply to question put by DMK Lok Sabha MP S Ramalingam.

"In January 2022, India extended a USD 400 million currency swap to Sri Lanka under the SAARC Framework and deferred successive Asian Clearing Union (A.C.U.) settlements till July 6, 2022. A Line of Credit of US$ 500 million was extended to Sri Lanka for importing fuel from India," the minister added.

More than 25 tons of drugs and medical supplies which were donated by the government and people of India during the last two months are valued at close to SLR 370 million. This is in addition to the economic assistance of around USD 3.5 billion and supply of other humanitarian supplies such as rice, milk powder, and kerosene.

These humanitarian supplies are in continuation of the government of India's ongoing support to the people of Sri Lanka in multiple forms such as financial assistance, forex support, material supply, and many more. These efforts prove that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Neighborhood First' policy which places people-to-people engagement is still active.

India is becoming a stronger and more mutually beneficial partner to Sri Lanka. Apart from assistance during the pandemic and fertilizer chaos, India is also donating basic products to the island nation.

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scrambled jets on Wednesday to warn away 27 Chinese aircraft in its zone, the island's defence ministry said, adding that 22 of them crossed the median line separating the self-ruled island from amid rising tensions.



demonstrated its outrage over the highest-level U.S. visit to the island in 25 years by U.S. House of Representatives Speaker with a burst of military drills around Taiwan, summoning the American ambassador in Beijing and halting several agricultural imports from the island.



In the latest uptick in tensions across the sensitive Strait, said it dispatched aircraft and deployed missile systems to "monitor" the Chinese activities into its identification zone, or ADIZ.



Taiwan, which claims as its own territory, has complained in recent years of repeated missions by the Chinese air force near the democratically governed island, often in the southwestern part of ADIZ.



The latest Chinese mission included 16 Chinese Su-30 fighters and 11 other jets, Taiwan's defence ministry said.



A source familiar with Taiwan's security planning told Reuters that the 22 jets that crossed the median line did not fly too far into the unofficial buffer from the Chinese side.



Neither side's aircraft normally cross the median line.



Earlier on Wednesday, Taiwan said some of China's planned military exercises this week were to take place within Taiwan's 12 nautical mile sea and air territory, an unprecedented move a senior defence official described as "amounting to a sea and air blockade of Taiwan".



China has ramped up military and political pressure to try and force the island to accept Chinese rule. Taiwan rejects China's claims to the island and vows to defend itself.

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The Biden administration is holding out the CIA operation that killed al-Qaida leader Ayman al-Zawahri as a monumental strike against the global terror network responsible for the Sept. 11 attacks of 2001. But there's a downside, too.

The drone strike also is putting into stark relief the mounting evidence that after 20 years of America's military occupation and then sudden departure has once again become an active staging ground for Islamic terror groups looking to attack the West.

Thel operation, carried out over the weekend after at least six months spent monitoring movements by al-Zawahri and his family, came just weeks before the one-year anniversary of the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from the country.

The Biden administration is making the case that the operation shows Americans at home and allies abroad that the hasn't lost focus or the ability to strike terrorists in the region and validates its decision to end two decades of fighting in with its withdrawal.

Announcing the strike from the White House, President said Monday night that justice had been exacted on a leader who in recent weeks had recorded videos calling for his followers to attack the and allies. And the White House on Tuesday framed the operation was an enormous counterterrorism win.

The president has made good on his word when we left. He said the did not need to keep sending thousands of American men and women to fight and die in Afghanistan, White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said on NBC's Today" show. After 20 years of war to keep this country safe, he said we would be able to continue to target and take out terrorists in without troops on the ground. And over this weekend, with this swift and decisive action that he ordered, he delivered on that promise.

But as details of the operation continue to emerge, the administration has also revealed troubling evidence of al-Qaida's presence and of the Taliban once again offering refuge to the group that was behind the 9/11 attacks on the United States.

White House officials believe that senior members of the Haqqani Network, an Islamist terror group with strong ties to the Taliban, were aware that al-Zawahri was in Kabul. Sullivan said that while al-Zawahri wasn't involved in day-to-day planning at the time of his killing, he continued to play an active role in directing al-Qaida and posed a severe threat" against the U.S. and American citizens.

Concerns about al-Qaida efforts to regroup inside Taliban-controlled Afghanistan are hardly new.

Before the strike, U.S. military officials, including Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, had said al-Qaida was trying to reconstitute in Afghanistan, where it faces limited threats from the now-ruling Taliban. Military leaders have warned that the group still aspired to attack the U.S.

Al-Qaida leadership has reportedly played an advisory role since the Taliban returned to power in the leadup up to the U.S. withdrawal, according to a U.N. Security Council report last month.

The U.N. report also noted that ISIS-K the group that carried out a massive attack that killed 13 U.S. troops and dozens of Afghans near the Kabul Airport just days before the U.S. completed its withdrawal last year has become increasingly active in northern and eastern Afghanistan. That's a worry for the West though ISIS-K and the Taliban espouse different ideologies and interests, with ISIS-K carrying out a bloody insurgency against the Taliban and religious minorities across Afghanistan.

Zawahri's presence in post-withdrawal Afghanistan suggests that, as feared, the Taliban is once more granting safe haven to the leaders of al-Qaida a group with which it has never broken, said Nathan Sales, ambassador-at-large and coordinator for counterterrorism during the Trump administration who is now a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council. Zawahiri was living in a safehouse in the heart of Kabul, which only happens with the Taliban's approval.

That al-Zawahri was living in a Kabul neighborhood and not in rural Afghanistan as previously believed, tells you that he got really comfortable under the protection of the Taliban, said Colin Clarke, director of research at The Soufan Group, a global intelligence and security firm.

These entities work hand in glove, Clarke said of the Taliban and al-Qaida. There's not the separation that would have you believe.

The Taliban had promised in the 2020 Doha Agreement on the terms of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan that they would not harbor al-Qaida members or those seeking to attack the U.S.

The Taliban were quick to condemn the U.S. strike as a a clear violation of principles and the Doha Agreement," though they did not acknowledge that al-Zawahri was killed. The U.S. gave no forewarning to the Taliban government, which the United States does not recognize, that it was carrying out the operation.

Such actions are a repetition of the failed experiences of the past 20 years and are against the interests of the United States of America, Afghanistan, and the region, the Taliban statement said.

Whether the United States takes any further action against the Taliban for harboring al-Zawahri remains to be seen. Sullivan told NBC that the U.S. had already engaged with the Taliban about al-Zawahri's presence following Sunday's strike, but he wouldn't preview any specific steps the administration might take.

The Taliban remain sanctioned by the U.S. government for its role harboring al-Qaida before the 9/11 attacks. After the collapse of the U.S.-backed government in Kabul last summer, the Biden administration froze billions of dollars in assets belonging to Afghanistan's central bank to prevent the assets from falling under Taliban control. Some of that money has since been freed for humanitarian aid to address the country's dire hunger crisis.

Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell was quick to congratulate Biden on the operation, but also made the case that it further indicates that Afghanistan is again becoming a major thicket of terrorist activity following the president's decision to withdraw U.S. forces."



Killing al-Zawahri is a success, but the underlying resurgence of al-Qaida terrorists into Afghanistan is a growing threat that was foreseeable and avoidable, McConnell said. "The administration needs a comprehensive plan to rebuild our capacity to combat it.

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Former President has endorsed a little-known Republican challenging Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, accusing Vos of doing too little to overturn 2020 election results in the swing state.

Trump on Tuesday called Adam Steen a "rising patriotic candidate" ahead of Wisconsin's August 9 primary, in which Vos, the state's most powerful Republican, is heavily favoured.

Also on Tuesday, the Trump-backed candidate for governor said he would back Trump for president in 2024, less than 24 hours after he wouldn't commit to supporting a Trump presidential run. Trump is hosting a rally for gubernatorial candidate Tim Michels in on Friday.

"If President Trump runs again in 2024, I will proudly endorse him," Michels said on Twitter in a message promoting his rally with Trump on Friday in suburban Milwaukee.

That's a change from what he said Monday at a televised town hall when Michels was asked whether he would endorse Trump should he run for president in 2024.

"2024? I'm focused on this election right now," Michels said. "I have made no commitment to any candidates in 2024. What I am focused on is beating Tony Evers."



Michels, co-owner of the state's largest construction company, faces former Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch in the August 9 primary. Kleefisch is endorsed by former Vice President Mike Pence who will be campaigning with her on Wednesday, two days before Trump arrives.

The winner of the primary will face Democratic Gov. Tony Evers in November in what is expected to be one of the most hotly contested governor's races nationwide. The winner will be in place in battleground Wisconsin for the 2024 presidential election and will be able to enact, or reject, voting law changes passed by the Republican-controlled Legislature.

Vos has supported a wide array of election law changes that Evers vetoed. But he hasn't gotten behind decertification of Wisconsin's 10 Electoral College votes that went to President Joe Biden. Trump has repeatedly pushed for decertification.

But Vos has refused calls to decertify Biden's win, saying it isn't possible, even as Trump targeted him on social media earlier this month. Steen has said one reason he decided to challenge Vos was because he wouldn't take up a resolution to decertify Biden's win, which has been confirmed by multiple reviews and court decisions.

Vos said in a statement Tuesday that he won't try to decertify the election results because he believes in "upholding the Constitution." He didn't say if he was referring to the Wisconsin Constitution or the US Constitution. He said Trump's decision to endorse Steen changes nothing and his constituents are focused on the future, not a past election.

"I will continue to knock on doors and discuss the issues they care about," he said.

Vos has been Assembly speaker since 2013, spearheading almost every major Republican initiative since then. But he's still drawn fire from Trump for not doing enough to overturn Biden's victory. He tried to appease Trump last year by hiring a former state Supreme Court justice to investigate the 2020 election and shepherded a package of election reform proposals through the Legislature, though Evers vetoed them.

Trump dubbed Vos a RINO a pejorative for "Republican in Name Only."



"The Democrats haven't even bothered to put up a candidate to run against Vos because he does everything they say he is their dream candidate a Republican who does the job of a Democrat," Trump said in announcing his endorsement.

The Steen endorsement comes as primary voters in Arizona prepared Tuesday to choose between Republican candidates who support Trump's election fraud lies and those who feel it's time to move on. Trump has endorsed a slate of contenders in that state who support his falsehoods and the primary results promise to illustrate how much influence Trump still exerts on the party.

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The UN nuclear chief warned that Europe's largest nuclear power plant in Ukraine is completely out of control and issued an urgent plea to Russia and Ukraine to quickly allow experts to visit the sprawling complex to stabilise the situation and avoid a nuclear accident.

Rafael Grossi, director general of the Atomic Energy Agency, said in an interview Tuesday with The Associated Press that the situation is getting more perilous every day at the Zaporizhzhya plant in the southeastern city of Enerhodar, which Russian troops seized in early March, soon after their Feb 24 invasion of Ukraine.

Every principle of nuclear safety has been violated at the plant, he said. What is at stake is extremely serious and extremely grave and dangerous.

Grossi cited many violations of the plant's safety, adding that it is in a place where active war is ongoing, near Russian-controlled territory.

The physical integrity of the plant hasn't been respected, he said, citing shelling at the beginning of the war when it was taken over and continuing information from Ukraine and Russia accusing each other of attacks at Zaporizhzhya.

There is a paradoxical situation in which the plant is controlled by Russia, but its Ukrainian staff continues to run its nuclear operations, leading to inevitable moments of friction and alleged violence, he said. While the IAEA has some contacts with staff, they are faulty and patchy, he said.

Grossi said the supply chain of equipment and spare parts has been interrupted, so we are not sure the plant is getting all it needs. The IAEA also needs to perform very important inspections to ensure that nuclear material is being safeguarded, and there is a lot of nuclear material there to be inspected, he said.

When you put this together, you have a catalog of things that should never be happening in any nuclear facility, Grossi said. And this is why I have been insisting from day one that we have to be able to go there to perform this safety and security evaluation, to do the repairs and to assist as we already did in Chernobyl.

The Russian capture of Zaporizhzhya renewed fears that the largest of Ukraine's 15 nuclear reactors could be damaged, setting off another emergency like the 1986 Chernobyl accident, the world's worst nuclear disaster, which happened about 110 km (65 miles) north of the capital Kyiv.

Russian forces occupied the heavily contaminated site soon after the invasion but handed control back to the Ukrainians at the end of March. Grossi visited Chernobyl on April 27 and tweeted that the level of safety was like a 'red light' blinking. But he said Tuesday that the IAEA set up an assistance mission at Chernobyl at that time that has been very, very successful so far.

The IAEA needs to go to Zaporizhzhya, as it did to Chernobyl, to ascertain the facts of what is actually happening there, to carry out repairs and inspections, and to prevent a nuclear accident from happening, Grossi said.

The IAEA chief said he and his team need protection to get to the plant and the urgent cooperation of Russia and Ukraine.

Each side wants this mission to go from different sites, which is understandable in light of territorial integrity and political considerations, he said, but there's something more urgent and that is getting the IAEA team to Zaporizhzhya.

The IAEA, by its presence, will be a deterrent to any act of violence against this nuclear power plant, Grossi said. So I'm pleading as an civil servant, as the head of an international organisation, I'm pleading to both sides to let this mission proceed.

Grossi was in New York to deliver a keynote speech at Monday's opening of the long-delayed high-level meeting to review the landmark 50-year-old Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty aimed at preventing the spread of nuclear weapons and eventually achieving a nuclear-free world.

In the interview, the IAEA chief also spoke about efforts to revive the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and major powers that the Trump administration abandoned in 2018 and the Biden administration has been working to renew.

Grossi said there is an ongoing effort to try to go for yet another meeting or round to explore possibilities to come to an agreement. He said he heard the meeting could be soon.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told the NPT review conference on Monday that Iran has either been unwilling or unable to accept a deal to return to the 2015 agreement aimed at reining in its nuclear programme.

Grossi said there are important differences among the negotiating parties and important verification issues related to past activities that Iran needs to address. It's not impossible, it's complex, he said.

If the nuclear agreement, known as the JCPOA, is not extended, he said some IAEA inspections will continue. But the JCPOA provides for additional transparency and inspections which I deem as extremely important, very necessary, because of the breadth and depth of the nuclear programme in Iran, he said.

Grossi stressed that cooperating with the IAEA, answering its questions, allowing its inspectors to go wherever they need to be, is essential for Iran to build trust and confidence. Promises and good words will not do, he said.

On another issue, Grossi said last September's deal in which the United States and Britain will provide Australia with nuclear reactors to power its submarines requires an agreement with the IAEA to ensure that the amount of nuclear material in the vessel when it leaves port is there when it returns.

He said Australia hasn't decided what type of vessel it will be getting, so while there have been preparatory talks, substantive talks can't begin.

Because it's a military vessel, Grossi said, there are lots of confidential and protection of information measures that need to be embedded into any such agreement, so it's very complex technologically.

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A Russian official has twice repeated President Vladimir Putin's new message that a nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought, apparently trying to roll back on Putin's warning after the Ukraine invasion that Russia is a potent" nuclear power and any attempt to interfere would lead to consequences you have never seen.

Putin's comment then dramatically escalated global tensions, which rose even further days later when he ordered Russian nuclear forces put on high alert.

Igor Vishnevetsky, deputy director of the Russian Foreign Ministry's nonproliferation and arms control programme, on Tuesday started his country's address to the pandemic-delayed conference to review the 50-year-old Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty by reading Putin's message to participants against a nuclear war. And he repeated the same words later.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in his speech at Monday's opening called Putin's warnings after the Ukraine invasion reckless, dangerous nuclear saber-rattling.

What impact Putin's new commitment has remains to be seen.

Ukrainian Deputy Foreign Minister Mykola Tochytskyi told Monday's high-level meeting that Putin's open threat to the world on Russia's ability to use nuclear weapons had been backed by clear calls to do so by the Russian state media."



Think tanks and experts widely argue on what type of nuclear weapons tactical or strategic Russia will use during the ongoing war against Ukraine," he said. This is the background for our NPT review conference."



Defending Russia's military intervention in Ukraine, Vishnevetsky cited an expanded NATO that he said is seeking undivided military, strategic and geopolitical dominance and forced Moscow to defend its core security interests.

Russia has been subjected to a hybrid military campaign fraught with a slide into a direct armed conflict between nuclear powers, he said. Moreover, the arms control system, which has traditionally been a core pillar of security and stability, is currently facing a crisis that has no precedent in recent history in terms of its scale.

Vishnevetsky made no mention of Putin's warning and action after invading Ukraine, but he said given the current situation it is more critical than ever that the nuclear powers behave with restraint and responsibility.

He noted that in a joint statement in January the five nuclear powers Russia, United States, China, Britain and France reiterated that a nuclear war should never be fought and can't be won and emphasised the need to prevent not only a nuclear confrontation but also any military confrontation between nuclear powers.

It is imperative that all signatories demonstrate in deeds their commitment to these provisions, the Russian official said.

The review conference, which ends Aug 26, is aimed at strengthening the NPT, which is considered the cornerstone of disarmament efforts. Its goal is to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons and eventually achieve a nuclear-free world, and it has the widest support of any arms control agreement, with 191 parties to the treaty.

Under the NPT's provisions, the five original nuclear powers agreed to negotiate toward eliminating their arsenals someday and nations without nuclear weapons promised not to acquire them in exchange for a guarantee to be able to develop nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.

Chinese Ambassador Fu Cong, head of the Foreign Ministry's arms control department, whose country has close ties to Russia, told delegates Tuesday that the NPT is significantly strained and even faces new and the most severe challenges since the end of the Cold War.

The specter of Cold War mentality is there to stay, he said, pointing to a deteriorating global strategic security environment, the outdated approach to security based on military alliances and the growing risk of an arms race and conflicts.

Fu called for the five nuclear powers to work together to reduce nuclear risks, strengthen communications on strategic stability and conduct in-depth dialogue on reducing the role of nuclear weapons in their national security doctrines and on a broad range of issues including missile defence, outer space, cyberspace, and artificial intelligence.

Blinken, America's top diplomat, said Monday that the US chose to act with restraint in response to Russia's actions and avoid anything that could unintentionally raise nuclear tensions. As examples, he said the US abandoned previously scheduled tests of intercontinental ballistic missiles and did not raise the alert status of its nuclear forces in response to Russia's saber-rattling.

There is no place in our world no place in our world for nuclear deterrence based on coercion, intimidation or blackmail, Blinken said. We have to stand together in rejecting this.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres sounded the alarm at Monday's opening over the war in Ukraine, nuclear threats in Asia and the Middle East, and other tensions, warning that humanity is just one misunderstanding, one miscalculation away from nuclear annihilation.

Blinken said the US, United Kingdom and France have released a set of principles and best practices that all NPT nuclear weapon states should adhere to, among them that every effort has to be made to ensure that nuclear weapons are not used again.

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Ukrainian President held a phone conversation with Secretary-General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Jens Stoltenberg to discuss assistance for Kiev.

At the talks, Zelensky on Tuesday informed Stoltenberg about the situation on the frontline in Ukraine and emphasised the importance for Kiev to get non-lethal military aid from agreed upon during the alliance's 2022 Madrid summit, Xinhua news agency reported, citing the presidential press service.

Besides, Zelensky said that Ukraine is seeking to receive more heavy weapons from member states.

The parties also discussed the resumption of grain exports from Ukraine via the Black Sea ports and the prospects of NATO's assistance in humanitarian demining in Ukraine.

At the summit in the Spanish capital on June 29-30, the members of the alliance agreed to provide support for Ukraine in multiple areas, including secure communications, cyber defences and resilience, fuel, and medical supplies.

--IANS

int/shs

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Member states must ensure that measures taken to counter terrorism comply with their obligations under law, a spokesperson for the UN Secretary General has said, asserting that the global body had no information about the whereabouts of chief Ayman al-Zawahiri killed by a US drone strike in Kabul.

Al-Qaeda's emir Ayman al-Zawahiri, who played a key role in the 9/11 attacks and later formed the group's regional affiliate in the Indian subcontinent, was killed in a drone strike carried out by CIA on Saturday at a house in a posh locality in the Afghan capital where he was sheltering to reunite with his family. US President Joe Biden made the announcement of his killing on Monday, declaring that "justice has been delivered and this terrorist is no more".

Zawahari had assumed the leadership of after the death of its founder Osama bin Laden.

"No, not at all. We had absolutely no knowledge, Stephane Dujarric, Spokesman for Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said, when asked at the daily press briefing on Tuesday whether the UN had any knowledge that Zawahiri was in Kabul, Afghanistan's capital.

In response to a question on the UN's reaction to Zawahiri's killing, Dujarric said the world organisation remains committed to fighting against terrorism and strengthening cooperation in countering that threat.

"Member states must ensure that any measures taken to counter terrorism comply with their obligations under law, he added.

Zawahiri's death is the biggest blow to the global terror network since Laden was eliminated in Pakistan in 2011.

Dujarric noted that the UN is not a party to the 2020 Doha agreement, which had outlined terms of US withdrawal from Afghanistan and under which the Taliban had to ensure that the group will not allow any of its members, other individuals or groups, including to use the soil of Afghanistan to threaten the security of the and its allies.

Our relations with the de facto authorities in Kabul will continue, and we will continue... for the sake of the people of Afghanistan, we will continue to press them on human rights, especially on the rights of girls, on the rights of women, and on the need to meet the many, many overwhelming, one could say, humanitarian needs of the Afghan people, he said.

Dujarric reiterated to make it very clear, we, of course, had no idea, information about Zawahiri's whereabouts, the fact he was in Kabul or whatever. I mean, that's not something we would have been aware of. Obviously, we're not... no information on that.

The New York Times reported that American intelligence agencies tracked down Zawahiri in Kabul earlier this year and then spent months determining that it really was him hiding out in a house in a crowded section of the Afghan capital.

Once the CIA received authorisation from Biden for the operation a week ago, two Hellfire missiles were used to kill Zawahiri on a balcony of the house without killing anyone else, including members of his family or any nearby civilians, the NYT report said.

Zawahiri's killing raised immediate questions about the terrorist leader's presence in Afghanistan a year after Biden withdrew American forces from the war-torn country, clearing the way for the Taliban to recapture control of the country, the NYT said.

Al-Zawahiri moved back to Afghanistan earlier this year, evidently believing he would be safe there, the NYT report quoted officials as saying.

However, the report quoted an American official as saying that Zawahiri's presence in Kabul was a clear violation of the agreement over the American withdrawal from Afghanistan by former President Donald Trump and later accepted by Biden that the Taliban would not provide safe haven for al-Qaeda to launch further attacks against Americans.

The NYT said it was not evident if Biden would take any action against the Taliban due to Zawahiri being located and killed in Kabul despite what the Taliban had committed to.

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The Biden administration has approved two massive arms sales to and the United Arab Emirates to help them defend against .

The more than USD 5 billion in missile defense and related sales follow President Joe Biden's visit to the Middle East last month, during which he met with numerous regional leaders in . Both and the UAE have been hit in recent months with rocket attacks from the Iran-backed Houthi rebel movement in Yemen.

Although Tuesday's approvals are for defensive weapons, they may be questioned by lawmakers who had supported Biden's decision last year to cut Saudi Arabia and the UAE off from major purchases of offensive US arms because of their involvement in the war in Yemen.

The new sales include USD 3 billion for Patriot missiles for Saudi Arabia specifically designed to protect itself from rocket attacks by the Houthis, and USD 2.2 billion for high-altitude missile defense for the UAE.

"The proposed sale will improve the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's capability to meet current and future threats by replenishing its dwindling stock of PATRIOT GEM-T missiles," the State Department said in its notice informing Congress of the sale.

"These missiles are used to defend the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's borders against persistent Houthi cross-border unmanned aerial system and ballistic missile attacks on civilian sites and critical infrastructure in Saudi Arabia," the department said.

For the UAE, the department said the sale would "support the foreign policy and national security of the United States by helping to improve the security of an important regional partner. The UAE is a vital US partner for political stability and economic progress in the Middle East."



Early in his administration Biden had pledged to cut off or cut back weapons sales to both Saudi Arabia and the UAE because of their actions in Yemen.

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The United States and Indonesian militaries began annual joint combat exercises Wednesday on Indonesia's Sumatra island, joined for the first time by participants from other partner nations, signalling stronger ties amid growing maritime activity by in the Indo-Pacific region.

More than 5,000 soldiers from the US, Indonesia, Australia, Japan and Singapore were participating in this year's exercises, making them the largest since the drills were established in 2009. The exercises are designed to strengthen interoperability, capability, trust and cooperation in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific, the US Embassy in Jakarta said in a statement.

It's a symbol of the US- bond and the growing relationship between land forces in this consequential region, Gen Charles Flynn, Commanding General of US Army Pacific, said in the statement. Because land forces are the glue that binds the region's security architecture together.

Flynn and Indonesia's Military Chief Gen Andika Perkasa opened the joint drills with a ceremony on Wednesday morning in Baturaja, a coastal town in South Sumatra province. The exercises will last until Aug 14, encompassing army, navy, air force and marine drills.

The planned two-week drills opened after China's Defence Ministry said Tuesday night it would conduct a series of targeted military operations to safeguard national sovereignty in response to US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to self-governed Taiwan, which claims as part of its territory to be annexed by force if necessary.

has also been increasingly assertive over its claim to virtually the entire South China Sea.

US Gen Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the number of intercepts by Chinese aircraft and ships in the Pacific region with US and other partner forces has increased significantly over the past five years, and the number of unsafe interactions has risen by similar proportions.

The message is the Chinese military, in the air and at sea, have become significantly more and noticeably more aggressive in this particular region, Milley said last month during a trip to the Indo-Pacific that included a stop in .

Milley said is strategically critical to the region and has long been a key US partner. Earlier this year, the US approved a $13.9 billion sale of advanced fighter jets to Indonesia. And in Jakarta last December, Secretary of State Antony Blinken signed agreements for enhanced joint naval exercises between the US and Indonesia.

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.

The US-Indonesia military exercises coincided with Pelosi's arrival in Taiwan late Tuesday, as the highest-ranking American official in 25 years to visit the self-ruled island. Beijing views visits by foreign government officials as recognition of the island's sovereignty.

Japan's Ground Self-Defence Force is participating for the first time in the exercises, saying it promotes a free and open Indo-Pacific vision of security and trade with the US and other democracies in the region.

The expanded drills are seen by China as a threat. Chinese state media have accused the US of building an Indo-Pacific alliance, similar to NATO, as a means to intentionally provoke conflict.

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SYDNEY, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) -- As monkeypox case numbers rise in Australia, a leading infectious disease specialist has urged the government to prioritize its scarce allocation of vaccines.

Writing in The Conversation on Tuesday, Jaya Dantas, professor of Curtin University and dean international in the Faculty of Health Sciences, noted that although there was no specific treatment for the infectious disease, Australia has "secured small supplies of two smallpox vaccines, which provide some protection."

To date, Australia has confirmed at least 45 cases, mainly within the densely populated states of New South Wales and Victoria, with most being men aged under 40 who have traveled overseas and had had sex with other men.

Aside from members of the gay community, Dantas said vaccines need to be readily available to high-risk groups including sex workers and people visiting destinations such as Central and West Africa, where the disease is most common.

Along with vaccinations, Dantas said it is necessary to have an informed public health campaign about the virus, adding that "it's absolutely crucial we do this in a way that is not stigmatizing" to the victims.

Among the key points are that the disease can be caught even by people without common symptoms, which include fever, headache, fatigue, sweats and chills, coughing and sore throat.

The disease also often causes a painful rash that looks like blisters or pimples with the lesions evolving through several stages before falling off.

Light dressings should be applied to such rashes which usually last from two to four weeks, during which time the patient should remain in isolation.

Although there have been several deaths worldwide in this latest outbreak, most people with healthy immune systems do not have long-term harmful effects.

Dantas said monkeypox does not spread as easily as coronavirus and, as such, believes it can be kept under control, "if we are cautious." 
Export restrictions being considered by Washington to halt China's advances in semiconductor manufacturing could come at a substantial cost, experts say, potentially disrupting fragile global chip supply chains - and hurting U.S. businesses.

Reuters reported on Monday that the United States is considering limiting shipments of American chipmaking equipment to memory chip producers in China that make advanced semiconductors used in everything from smartphones to data centres.

The curbs would stop chipmakers like South Korean giants Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix from shipping new technology tools to factories they operate in China, preventing them from upgrading plants that serve customers around the world.

Samsung and SK Hynix, which control more than half of the global NAND flash memory chip market, have invested heavily in China in recent decades to produce chips that are vital to customers including tech giants Apple, Amazon, Facebook owner Meta and Google. As well as computers and phones, the chips are used in products like electric vehicles that require digital data storage.

"Samsung's China production alone accounts for more than 15% of global NAND flash production ... If there's any production disruption, it will make chip prices surge," said Lee Min-hee, analyst at BNK Securities.

The potential for fresh turmoil - the curbs have yet to be approved - comes just as a global chip supply shortage that has disrupted businesses from autos to consumer devices for more than a year is finally showing signs of easing. Supply chain adjustments and weakening consumer demand amid the slowing global economy have combined to repair damage.

But the shortage has yet to be fully resolved. Any signs of fresh disruption could rekindle supply uncertainty, triggering a price surge - as seen earlier this year when China imposed COVID-19 restrictions in Xian where Samsung manufactures chips.

Chipmaking equipment has to be installed and fully tested months before production is due to start. Any delay in shipping the gear to China would pose a real challenge to chipmakers as they seek to manufacture more advanced chips in China facilities.

"Many U.S. companies, like Apple, use Samsung and SK Hynix memory chips. No matter what strategy (the South Korean firms) end up choosing, it will have global implications," said BNK Securities analyst Lee.

Samsung and SK Hynix declined to comment. Apple, Amazon, Meta and Google didn't respond to emails seeking comment outside regular U.S. business hours.

AMBITIONS, COMPLICATIONS

In Samsung's memory chip operation in Xian, central China, one of the largest foreign chip projects in the country, the company has invested a total of about $26 billion since it broke ground on the site in 2012, including chip production as well as testing and packaging.

The tech giant makes 128-layer NAND flash products in Xian, analysts said, chips that store data in devices such as smartphones and personal computers, as well as in data centres.

The facility accounts for 43% of Samsung's global NAND flash memory production capacity and 15% of the overall global output capacity, according to TrendForce late last year.

The U.S. crackdown, if approved, could also complicate SK Hynix's ambition to expand its presence in the NAND market where it is ranked third as of first quarter behind Samsung and Japan's Kioxia Holdings, which was spun out of Toshiba Corp .

SK Hynix completed late last year the first phase of its $9 billion purchase of Intel's NAND business, including its Dalian, China NAND manufacturing facility.

CHINA STRATEGIES

The move being considered by the United States is one of several recent signs of deepening tensions between Beijing and Washington over the tech sector.

Congress last week approved legislation to subsidise semiconductor production in the United States. It bars any company that receives federal subsidies from investing in certain chip technology in China during the subsidy period.

The deepening tensions could leave Samsung and SK Hynix having to review strategies on China investments, analysts and industry sources said.

"Until now, companies tended to invest in countries like China, where costs were cheap," said Kim Yang-jae, analyst at Daol Investment & Securities.

"That's no longer going to be the only consideration. The biggest change these potential limits will bring will be where the next chip factories are built."

They could also face potentially diminishing returns from their multi-billion dollar China plants, which could be stuck making older-technology, less lucrative chips.

SK Hynix has not been able to upgrade its DRAM memory chip production facilities in Wuxi, China with the latest extreme ultraviolet lithography (EUV) chipmaking machines made by Dutch firm ASML as U.S. officials do not want advanced equipment used in the process to enter the country.

The EUV machines are used to make more advanced and smaller chips that are used in high-end devices such as smartphones.

(Reporting by Joyce Lee; Editing by Miyoung Kim and Kenneth Maxwell)

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The State Department on Tuesday warned American citizens traveling overseas of possible retaliation by and its supporters after the organizations leader was killed in a US missile strike.



In a Worldwide Caution Update, the department said it believed there is a higher potential for anti-American violence given the death of Ayman al-Zawahiri on July 31, 2022.

Current information suggests that terrorist organizations continue to plan terrorist attacks against US interests in multiple regions across the globe.



Also Read: Who was Al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahri and why did the US kill him?

As terrorist attacks often occur without warning, US citizens are strongly encouraged to maintain a high level of vigilance and practice good situational awareness when traveling abroad, the department added in the update.

Zawahiri was killed Sunday in Kabul, the Afghan capital, when he stepped out onto the balcony of his residence and a drone fired Hellfire missiles, according to a senior administration official, who added that there were no other casualties.

The US operation involved several months of intelligence work to track his family to and identify the target, according to National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby.

This mission really took shape over the course of the last six, seven months. It was really sort of early this year, as you heard the president say, that we got indications that Mr. Zawahiri had moved into Afghanistan, Kirby told CNN on Tuesday.

The Egyptian-born Zawahiri, 71, took control of after Osama bin Laden, the terrorist organizations founder, was himself killed by American forces in Pakistan in 2011.

President Joe Biden, in remarks Monday night at the White House, described Zawahiri as an instrumental player in the planning of the on the US and the mastermind behind multiple assaults against Americans, including the 1998 bombings of US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, and the USS Cole in 2000.

Biden said the strike showed the US was committed to preventing from again becoming a haven for terrorist groups a year after the chaotic pullout of American forces from the country, comments echoed by Kirby on Tuesday.
US House Speaker on Wednesday said that she came to as she seeks "peace for the region" after her visit irked and started its diplomatic games.

"We come in friendship to Taiwan, we come in peace for the region," Pelosi said during the meeting with Tsai Chi-chang, the deputy speaker of Taiwan's parliament.

Despite China's warning, US House Speaker arrived in Taipei on Tuesday night and said that this trip in no way contradicts longstanding policy on the self-governed island.

During the press conference, over the US- economic cooperation, Pelosi said that her new US legislation aimed at strengthening the American chip industry in which will compete with .

"Now we look forward to our conversation about how we can work together to save the planet from the climate crisis. We thank you for your leadership and we want the world to recognise it. Our visit was about human rights, unfair trade practices, security issues," she added.

Pelosi further said that she is here to listen and learn from Taiwanese people as to how can they come together. She also congratulated Taiwan for addressing the issue of Covid.

"We congratulate you on successfully addressing the issue of Covid which is also an issue of health, economy, security & governance," US House Speaker said.

Taking to Twitter, upon her arrival, Pelosi said, "Our Congressional delegation's visit to Taiwan honours America's unwavering commitment to supporting Taiwan's vibrant Democracy."

"Our visit is part of our broader trip to the Indo-Pacific -- including Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea and Japan -- focused on mutual security, economic partnership and democratic governance. Our discussions with Taiwan leadership will focus on reaffirming our support for our partner and on promoting our shared interests, including advancing a free and open Indo-Pacific region," she added.

Pelosi also expressed US solidarity with 23 million people of Taiwan in the face of the increasing threat from .

"Our visit is one of several Congressional delegations to Taiwan - and it in no way contradicts longstanding policy, guided by the Taiwan Relations Act of 1979, US-China Joint Communiques and the Six Assurances. The continues to oppose unilateral efforts to change the status quo," she added.

Pelosi's plane touched down in Taiwan amid a heightened security threat from China.Meanwhile, China on Tuesday firmly opposed the US House Speaker's Taiwan visit while calling the trip a serious violation of the one-China principle and the provisions of the joint communique signed between the two countries.

"On 2 August, in disregard of China's strong opposition and serious representations, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives visited China's Taiwan region. This is a serious violation of the one-China principle and the provisions of the three China-US joint communiques," Xinhua news agency quoted the Chinese Foreign Ministry as saying.

Beijing said the visit gravely undermines peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, and sends a seriously wrong signal to the "separatist forces for Taiwan independence".

"The Taiwan question is the most important and most sensitive issue at the very heart of China-US relations. The Taiwan Strait is facing a new round of tensions and severe challenges, and the fundamental cause is the repeated moves by the Taiwan authorities and the United States to change the status quo," the Chinese ministry said in a statement.

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State-owned CIL dispatched 152.49 million tonnes (MT) of coal to the power sector during April-June 2022, a year-on-year rise of 19 per cent, Parliament was informed on Wednesday.

(CIL) is the largest producer and supplier of the dry fuel in the country.

"CIL has dispatched 152.49 MT of coal to Power Sector in the first quarter of the current fiscal surpassing all the previous highs of the same period and achieving a growth of 19 per cent over last year in the same period," Coal Minister Pralhad Joshi said in a reply in the Lok Sabha.

At 14.43 MT, Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) dispatched 4.1 per cent higher coal to the power sector in the first quarter of the current fiscal.

As per Central Electricity Authority (CEA), coal stock at power plants has improved from the level of 25.6 MT as on March 31, 2022 to 29.5 MT on July 26, 2022.

According to the minister, in the financial year ended March 31, 2022, India's non coking coal output was at 726.488 MT and imports stood at 151.77 MT.

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Shares of Devyani International (DIL) hit an over six-month high of Rs 188.40, gaining 7 per cent on the BSE in Wednesdays intra-day trade after the company reported a strong performance across its core brands in the quarter ended June 2022 (Q1FY23).

The stock of the quick service restaurant (QSR) company was trading at its highest level since January 21, 2022. In the past one week, it has rallied 21 per cent as compared to a 4 per cent rise in the S&P BSE Sensex. The stock had hit a record high of Rs 199 on December 14, 2021.

DIL is the largest franchisee of Yum Brands in India and is among the largest operators of chain QSR in India on a non-exclusive basis. It operates 1,008 stores across more than 215 cities in India, Nigeria and Nepal, as of June 30, 2022. In addition, DIL is a franchisee for the Costa Coffee brand and stores in India.

In Q1FY23, the companys revenue from operations grew 100 per cent year-on-year (YoY) to Rs 705 crore from Rs 353 crore in the year ago quarter. Reported earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (ebitda) rose 167 per cent YoY to Rs 164 crore, translating to an ebitda margin of 23.3 per cent during the quarter.

Margin has improved 590 bps YoY from 17.4 per cent in Q1FY22. However, it was down 100 bps sequentially from 24.3 per cent in Q4FY22. Profit after tax (PAT) stood at Rs 74.5 crore as against Rs 33.4 crore in previous year and Rs 75.9 crore in the preceding quarter.

The strong store additions coupled with early signs of demand revival supported growth during the quarter. This was also the first quarter without any Covid-related disruptions. The company recorded healthy cash flows and is debt-free on a net debt basis.

The encouraging performance delivered during the quarter came on the account of buoyant contribution from the core brands. KFC posted the highest average daily sales per store (ADS), surpassing pre-pandemic levels. Pizza Hut posted a 30 per cent plus same-store sales growth or SSSG with a sequential improvement in ADS.

On the economic front, the management is seeing early signs of recovery in consumer sentiment. The sectors like FMCG & retail are likely to report marginal volume growth over the next few quarters.

While input prices have remained elevated, well-established businesses with scale have been able to navigate the same with some pricing initiatives and protect margins. This bodes well for organized players across industries, the management said.
By Rajendra Jadhav

MUMBAI (Reuters) - India's soyoil imports in July more than doubled from a month ago to a record high as refiners ramped up purchases to take advantage of New Delhi's move to allow duty free imports of the vegetable oil to calm all-time high prices, five dealers said.

Higher soyoil purchases by the world's biggest edible oil importer will support U.S. soyoil prices, but will dent rival palm oil's share in Indian buying and force Malaysian and Indonesian sellers to offer discounts to regain the market share, trading sources said.

The country's soyoil imports in July jumped 113% from a month ago to a record 493,000 tonnes, according to the average estimate from five dealers with global trading firms that account for more than 80% of India's soyoil imports.

"Refiners rushed to buy soyoil after government allocated tariff-rate quota for the imports," B.V. Mehta, executive director of Solvent Extractors' Association of India, said.

India in late May allowed duty-free imports of 2 million tonnes each of soyoil and sunflower oil for the current and next fiscal years ending March 31, as part of efforts to keep a lid on local edible oil prices.

Through the end of June, soy oil's premium over palm oil was less than $150 per tonne, but since palm oil attracts a 5.5% import tax, palm oil was effectively more expensive for Indian buyers, Sandeep Bajoria, chief executive of Sunvin Group, a leading vegetable oil broker, said.

"Then palm oil supply was also limited because of Indonesia's export restrictions. Buying soyoil was then easy and profitable as well," he added.

The Solvent Extractors' Association of India, a Mumbai-based trade body, is likely to publish its import estimate for July in mid-August.

India has also allowed imports of 2 million tonnes of sunflower oil without import taxes, but availability of sun oil has been limited due to shipment disruptions from top exporter Ukraine, said a Mumbai-based dealer with a global trading firm.

Soyoil imports look set to remain robust in the coming months and India could import a record 4.5 million tonnes of soyoil in 2021/23 marketing year ending on October 31, compared to 2.87 million tonnes a year ago, dealers said.

Soyoil usually accounts for a fifth of India's total vegetable oil imports, but this year its share could rise to one third, dealers said.

India traditionally buys soyoil from Argentina and Brazil, but in the past few months has also made purchases from the United States, Russia and Turkey, said a New-Delhi-based dealer with a global trading firm.

(Reporting by Rajendra Jadhav; Editing by Christina Fincher)

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Shares of moved higher by 18 per cent to Rs 52.40 on the BSE in Wednesday's intra-day trade amid heavy volumes on report that the company's promoter Ajay Singh is exploring possibility of a partial stake sale in the company. Currently, Ajay Singh and his family hold 59.40 per cent stake in .

At 11:36 AM, stock of the airline company was trading 16 per cent higher at Rs 51.60, as compared to 0.52 per cent decline in the S&P BSE Sensex. Trading volumes on the counter jumped over six-fold with a combined 30.12 million equity shares having changed hands on the NSE and BSE till the time of writing of this report.

A big Middle Eastern airline has expressed interest to pick a 24 per cent stake and a board seat in SpiceJet, IANS reported quoting sources. A big Indian business conglomerate has also approached Singh for a stake in the airline, the agency said. CLICK HERE FOR FULL REPORT



Meanwhile, in the past four trading days, the market price of has zoomed 42 per cent on the back of positive developments. The stock has recovered 51 per cent from its 52-week low level of Rs 34.60, touched on July 28, 2022.

SpiceJet, on Tuesday, said it has entered into an agreement with the Airports Authority of India (AAI) and has cleared all outstanding principal dues of the airport operator.

"With this, SpiceJet will no longer remain on 'cash and carry' at AAI run airports across the country and will revert to advance payment mechanism for daily flight operations. SpiceJet's ability to clear the pending dues reflects the airline's improved cash flow in the recent times," the company said in a press release.

AAI will release SpiceJet's Rs 50 crore bank guarantee following the airline clearing all its principal dues. This will result in additional liquidity for the airline, the company said. The Centre-run AAI had in 2020 put SpiceJet on a 'cash and carry' basis as the carrier was unable to clear its previous dues.

On Monday, SpiceJet said that flight operations remain absolutely normal. "The company is operating with excellent loads and the daily ticket bookings remain strong. Our load factor on July 30, 2022 and July 31, 2022 was 81 per cent and 82.4 per cent respectively," the company said.




The company said on Tuesday it had cleared all of its outstanding principal dues with the state-run airport operator Airports Authority of India

Shares of Ltd closed nearly 13% higher on Wednesday, following a report that promoter Ajay Singh was exploring the option of selling a portion of his stake in the budget carrier.

is in talks with a Middle Eastern carrier for the sale and discussions are also ongoing with a large Indian conglomerate, Indian business channel CNBC-TV-18 reported, citing sources. Singh holds a stake of about 60% in the airline, it added.

did not respond to a Reuters request for comment. Dubai's Emirates has no plans to acquire a stake in any airline in India or elsewhere, a spokesperson for the company said.

Abu Dhabi's Etihad Airways, which has held stakes in nine different carriers, including India's Jet Airways, declined to comment when asked by Reuters if it was in talks to take a minority stake.

Etihad has largely walked away from investing in other carriers after the strategy failed and contributed to billions of dollars in losses at the state-owned carrier, forcing a change in management five years ago.

Qatar Airways and Saudia did not immediately respond to emailed requests for comment. SpiceJet shares, which have fallen nearly 24% so far this year, posted a record intra-day jump in early trade on Wednesday.

The domestic airline has been under the scanner lately, following incidents of technical snags that prompted India's aviation regulator to order it to halve its approved fleet this summer for eight weeks.

The company said on Tuesday it had cleared all of its outstanding principal dues with the state-run airport operator Airports Authority of India.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The and indices are eyeing a quiet open on Wednesday as global peers decline. US closed lower for a second day Tuesday on rising tensions between the US and China amid US House Speaker Nancy Pelosis visit to Taiwan.

At 7:30 am, the SGX futures were quoting at 17,370 level, up around 25 points from futures previous close.

That said, here are some stocks that will likely be on investors radar today:

Q1 Earnings: Lupin, Adani Power, InterGlobe Aviation, Vodafone Idea, Godrej Consumer Products, Aditya Birla Capital, Adani Transmission, Adani Wilmar, BASF India, Birlasoft, Chambal Fertilisers, and Devyani International, among others will release their today.

ONGC, Reliance: The government on late Tuesday increased the windfall tax on domestically produced crude to Rs 17,750 a tonne from Rs 17,000 a tonne earlier, a move that will hit producers like and Vedanta Ltd. Also, the government lowered the export tax on aviation turbine fuel and diesel, which is a positive for Reliance. This is the second round of the revision of the newly-introduced windfall tax. The new changes will come to effect from August 3. Read here

Zomato: Uber has decided to put its entire 7.8 per cent stake in the restaurant aggregator on the block, according to sources. According to a term sheet, total 612 million shares of would be up for sale at a price band of Rs 48- Rs 54 apiece. At the lower end, the share sale would fetch Rs 2,939 crore, while at the top end, the deal size could be Rs 3,305 crore. This block transaction is likely to take place on Wednesday. Read here

Adani Green: The company has posted a fall of over 2 per cent in consolidated net profit at Rs 214 crore in the April-June quarter of FY23, due to higher expenses. The company's total income rose to Rs 1,701 crore in the first quarter of the current fiscal. It was at Rs 1,079 crore in the same period last year. Read more

Voltas: Air conditioning and engineering services provider reported a decline of 10.47 per cent in its consolidated net profit at Rs 109.62 crore in the first quarter ended June 30, 2022. However, its revenue from operations increased 55.05 per cent to Rs 2,768 crore during the period under review as against Rs 1,785.20 crore in the corresponding period of the previous fiscal. Read here

Adani group: The will digitally integrate its businesses, link data centres, build globally largest industrial cloud operations and develop a super app to offer a suite of services across its 400-million customer base, it said on Tuesday. The announced its foray in industrial 5G space after acquiring 400 MHz of spectrum in the 5G airwaves auction that concluded on Monday. Read more

Godrej Properties: Godrej Properties June quarter consolidated net profit nearly tripled to Rs 45.55 crore while sales bookings jumped five times to Rs 2,520 crore. The Mumbai-based developer announced that company's Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Mohit Malhotra has resigned with effect from December 31 this year. Gaurav Pandey will become the new MD and CEO from January 1 next year. Read more

Yes Bank: will convene an extraordinary general meeting on August 24 to seek shareholders' approval for the proposed capital infusion of Rs 8,900 crore by US-based private equity investors Carlyle and Advent. Read here

ITC: The company on Tuesday said it has exited the lifestyle retailing business following a strategic review of the business portfolio. The company entered the lifestyle retailing business more than two decades ago under the Wills Lifestyle brand. It sold a range of apparel including formal, casual, evening and designer wear under the brand. Read here

Subex: Reliance Jio Platforms announced a partnership with for its AI Orchestration Platform, HyperSense, which can enable telcos to deliver on the promise of AI across the data value chain.

Paradeep Phosphates: The company reported a 4.7 per cent year-on-year increase in consolidated profit at Rs 62.77 crore for the quarter ended June 2022. Revenue from operations grew 85 percent YoY to Rs 2,434.66 crore during the same period.

Lemon Tree Hotels: The hotel chain operator has recorded a consolidated profit at Rs 13.57 crore in Q1FY23, as against loss of Rs 59.8 crore in year-ago period. Revenue rose 356 percent YoY to Rs 192 crore for the quarter.

Thermax: The company recorded a 39 per cent YoY growth in consolidated profit at Rs 58.95 crore for the Q1FY23 supported by top line and operating performance. Revenue surged 57 percent YoY to Rs 1,654.48 crore in Q1FY23.

Aurobindo Pharma: The company's API non-antibiotic manufacturing facility in Andhra Pradesh has received a 'Form 483' with 3 observations, but none of these observations is related to data integrity. The US FDA inspected the company's Unit XI from July 25 to August 2.

Jubilant Pharmova: The US FDA has issued six observations to the company's solid dosage manufacturing facility at the Roorkee plant.

BEML: The firm has received nod from the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) sanctioning the scheme of arrangement for the demerger between the company (demerged) and Land Assets.

Deepak Nitrite: The company has reported revenue of Rs 2067.60 crores during the period ended June 30 as compared to Rs. 1875.89 crores during the period ended March 31, 2022. Its net profit came at Rs 234.62 crores when compared to net profit of Rs 267.21 crores last quarter.

F&O ban: Escorts is under F&O ban on Wednesday.
American ride-hailing giant Uber, on Wednesday, sold its entire 7.78 per cent stake in domestic food-delivery company to mop up Rs 3,088 crore ($390 million). A total of 612 million shares were sold at Rs 50.44 apiece to over a dozen institutional investors. Fidelity Investments bought shares worth Rs 274 crore and ICICI Prudential Life Insurance bought another Rs 226 crore, showed block deal data.

Shares of whipsawed, hitting a low of Rs 50.25 and high of Rs 56.85, where Rs 3,662 crore worth of stock got traded. Shares finally closed at Rs 55.4, which was little change over previous days close of Rs 55.6.

is the first major shareholder of to cash out after the one-year lock up on its pre-IPO shares ended last month. The sale comes close on heels of a 35 per cent jump in Zomatos shares of its all-time lows of less than Rs 41 last week. BofA Securities was the sole bookrunner for the deal.

Shares of the company got a boost after it reported strong results for the June 2022-23 quarter (Q1FY23) where the management guided that it expects to achieve a break-even (ex-Blinkit) by March 2023 (outer limit: September 2024) driven by rise in take-rate and cost efficiencies.

Improvement is not sudden or based on just a quarter's work  instead it's the effort from the past. The Blinkit loss is likely to be lower than earlier guidance, Jefferies had observed in a note on Tuesday. The brokerage has a buy rating on the stock with a price target of Rs 100.

had acquired the stake in Zomato in January 2020 when it sold its India food-delivery business, Eats, to the company in a non-cash deal. The transaction was valued at Rs 1,376 crore. While Ubers exit price was 34 per cent below Zomatos IPO price of Rs 76, it still made about 2.4 times gains on its implied acquisition cost.

Zomato got listed in July 2021. Post-listing, the company had hit a peak market cap of Rs 1.26 trillion ($16 billion), which has currently declined to Rs 43,655 crore ($5.5 billion).

Through its maiden share sale, Zomato had raised Rs 9,000 crore in fresh capital and only early-stage investorInfo Edgehad parted with a small portion of its stake worth Rs 375 crore in the IPO.

Zomato doesnt have any identifiable promoter. The shareholding of its founders and all investors is part of public shareholding. Exit by large marquee investors could weigh on shares of the company, fear market watchers.

Chinas Alipay and Antfin held a 7.1 per cent and a 6.99 per cent stake, respectively, in Zomato at the end of the June 2022 quarter. Info Edges shareholding stood at 15.17 per cent. Tiger Globals Internet Fund held 5.11 per cent and Sequoia Capital held 5.1 per cent.
PARIS, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) -- At least eight people were injured in a factory explosion in southwest France Wednesday afternoon, local media reported.

Explosions were heard at around 2 p.m. Wednesday from the factory which produces explosives in Bergerac, a commune of the southwestern Dordogne department.

Local police have identified at least eight victims, one of whom was seriously injured and the others suffered slight injuries.

The Dordogne department said on the social media that a fire broke out after the explosion and emergency services were at work. 
Aurobindo Pharma fell 1.61% to Rs 565.60 after the company said that US drug regulator issued Form 483 with three observations after inspecting its manufacturing facility at Pydibhimavaram in Andhra Pradesh.

Form 483 is issued to a firm's management at the conclusion of an inspection when the investigator has observed any conditions that in its judgement may constitute violations of the Food Drug and Cosmetic (FD&C) Act and related Acts.

The Pydibhimavaram unit was classified as OAI (official action indicated) on 17 May 2019, and subsequently given a warning letter on 20 June 2019 by the United States Food and Drug Administration (USFDA), Aurobindo Pharma said in a regulatory filing on Tuesday, 2 August 2022.

The company responded to the warning letter and carried out the committed corrections. The USFDA authorities inspected the facility from 25 July to 2 August 2022.

"At the end of the inspection, we have been issued a Form 483 with three observations and none of these observations are related to data integrity," Aurobindo Pharma said.

The company will respond to the USFDA within the stipulated timeline and work closely with the regulator to address the observations at the earliest, it added.

Aurobindo Pharma develops, manufactures and distributes generic pharmaceuticals, branded specialty pharmaceuticals and active pharmaceutical ingredients.

The company's consolidated net profit declined 28.1% to Rs 576.46 crore on a 3.3% fall in net sales to Rs 5,795.34 crore in Q4 FY22 over Q4 FY21.

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Hong Kong share market finished session significantly down on Tuesday, 02 August 2022, as worrying manufacturing data from across the globe raised concerns over a potential recession. Meanwhile, risk off mood intensified amid concerns over U. S.-China relations following reports that U. S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi will visit Taiwan later in the day.

At closing bell, the benchmark Hang Seng Index stumbled 476.63 points, or 2.36%, to 19,689.21.

The Hang Seng China Enterprises Index was down 174.64 points, or 2.54%, to 6,702.07.

Stocks were in negative territory throughout the day as investors sought safer assets on caution ahead of Pelosi's potential arrival in Taiwan during her trip to Asia. China, which regards Taiwan as a renegade province awaiting reunification with the mainland, by force if necessary, has warned that Pelosi's visit would escalate bilateral tensions.

The United States said on Monday that it would not be intimidated by Chinese "sabre rattling" over the visit.

The Taiwan issue added to a sense of unease sparked by China, Europe and the United States on Monday reporting weakening factory activity, with that in the United States decelerating to its lowest level since August 2020.

Hong Kong is facing slowing exports and investments, as the city still enforces anti-COVID measures, as part of China's zero-COVID policy. Its borders have been mostly shut since 2020. HSBC Holdings PLC dropped about 1.5%, even after the bank logged a bumper profit and promised to raise dividends back to pre-COVID levels. The bank struggled to convince shareholders to vote against a potential proposal to spin off its Hong Kong business into a separate entity. The move has been bought up by Chinese insurer Ping An, which holds an 8.26% stake in the bank.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President of Maldives Ibrahim Mohamed Solih held one on one level talks in New Delhi.

Both sides reviewed bilateral ties and discussed ways to strengthen linkages in areas of development partnership, trade, connectivity and P2P ties, among others.

In the joint press statement after the talks, Modi said, they reviewed projects for the construction of 4,000 social housing units in Greater Male.

Six agreements were exchanged following the delegation level talks yesterday in areas including cyber security, disaster management, and infrastructure.

The two leaders expressed satisfaction at the progress achieved in other Indian funded projects including the Addu Roads project, provision of water and sewerage facilities at 34 islands, and restoration of Hukuru Miskiy (Friday Mosque).

Prime Minister Modi and President Solih reviewed the progress achieved in the development partnership domain despite the COVID-19 pandemic and other global economic challenges. India-Maldives development partnership has witnessed rapid growth in recent years and covers large infrastructure projects, community-level grant projects and capacity building programmes which are based purely on requirements of the Maldives, implemented through transparent processes and in a spirit of cooperation between the two Governments.

The High Commissioner said that development cooperation has evolved as a central pillar and large and mid level projects are being executed which are benefiting the people of Male.

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Reliance Industries Ltd is quoting at Rs 2591, up 0.25% on the day as on 12:44 IST on the NSE. The stock is up 23.16% in last one year as compared to a 6.18% jump in NIFTY and a 38.49% jump in the Nifty Auto.

Reliance Industries Ltd is up for a fifth straight session today. The stock is quoting at Rs 2591, up 0.25% on the day as on 12:44 IST on the NSE. The benchmark NIFTY is down around 0.47% on the day, quoting at 17263.85. The Sensex is at 57996.81, down 0.24%. Reliance Industries Ltd has gained around 7.35% in last one month.

Meanwhile, Nifty Auto index of which Reliance Industries Ltd is a constituent, has gained around 11.61% in last one month and is currently quoting at 27038.5, down 0.61% on the day. The volume in the stock stood at 37.4 lakh shares today, compared to the daily average of 78.56 lakh shares in last one month.

The benchmark August futures contract for the stock is quoting at Rs 2591.5, up 0.34% on the day. Reliance Industries Ltd is up 23.16% in last one year as compared to a 6.18% jump in NIFTY and a 38.49% jump in the Nifty Auto index.

The PE of the stock is 38.34 based on TTM earnings ending June 22.

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Voltas fell 3.26% to Rs 967 after the company's consolidated net profit declined 10.6% to Rs 108.88 crore despite of 55.2% rise in net sales to Rs 2741.22 crore in Q1 FY23 over Q1 FY22.

On a consolidated basis, profit before tax (PBT) slipped 4.6% year on year to Rs 160.32 crore in the quarter ended 30 June 2022.

Total expenses rose 56.69% year on year to Rs 2,603.48 crore in Q1 FY23. Cost of raw materials consumed rose 31.3% to Rs 1,155.03 crore while employee benefits expenses were up by 2% to Rs 150.48 crore in Q1 FY23 over Q1 FY22.

The unitary cooling products segment reported higher revenue of Rs 2,182.20 crore as compared to Rs 963.11 crore in the corresponding quarter last year. Voltas continues to be the market leader and is at No.1 position in ACs with exit market share of 24.1% as of June 2022.

The electro-mechanical projects and services segment has reported lower Revenue of Rs 455 crore as compared to Rs 688 crore in the corresponding quarter last year owing to the lower carry forward order position. Segment loss was Rs 12 crores as compared to profit of Rs 31 crores last year due to cost overruns and provisions in some projects. Carry forward order book of the segment was at Rs 5,811 crore as compared to Rs 6,149 crore in the corresponding quarter last year.

Engineering products and services segment continued to show improved performance. segment revenue and result for the quarter were higher at Rs 124 crore and Rs 51 crore as compared to Rs 115 crore and Rs 38 crore, respectively in the corresponding quarter last year.

Meanwhile, the company completed the transfer of domestic B2B businesses comprising projects to its wholly owned subsidiary Universal MEP Projects & Engineering Services for a consideration of Rs 1,190 crore.

Voltas is the global air conditioning and engineering services provider of the Tata Group.

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The and the Shiv Sena on Wednesday tried to raise the issue of alleged misuse of central investigating agencies by the government in the but Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu disallowed them from doing so.

Leader of the Opposition and senior leader M Mallikarjun Kharge and his colleague Deepender Singh Hooda, Shiv Sena's Priyanka Chaturvedi and AAP's Sanjay Singh and Raghav Chadha gave notices under rule 267 but they were not admitted.

"You know my position. These are all notices not worth to be taken up under 267," Naidu said.

Rule 267 provides for setting aside the business of the day to take up discussion on the issue being raised in such notice.

Kharge charged the BJP-led government of misusing the Enforcement Directorate, Central Bureau of Investigation and Income Tax to target political rivals.

The government is using the investigating agencies with a vengeance as part of a plan to target political opponents as well as bring down democratically elected state governments, he alleged seeking a discussion.

"I am not admitting it," Naidu said.

The notice by leaders came a day after the ED raided the head office of the Herald newspaper here and 11 other locations as part of an ongoing money laundering investigation. The ED had earlier questioned Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and her son and party leader Rahul Gandhi in the case.

Chaturvedi said her party leader and sitting MP Sanjay Raut was arrested by the ED without informing the chairman.

"As per rule 220 of rule book, they should have kept you informed. Were they doing? Are they undermining your constitutional position," she asked Naidu.

She alleged that the country was moving towards ED-raaj without any accountability, which is worrying.

But her notice too wasn't admitted.

After rejecting the 267 notices, Naidu took up Zero Hour where MPs are allowed to make mention of public interest issues.

Santanu Sen of the Trinamool Congress raised the issue of falling levels of women literacy while Rajni Ashokrao Patil of the Congress highlighted the drought-like situation in parts of Maharashtra.

DMK's Vaiko raised the issue of a Chinese military survey ship visiting a strategic port in crisis-hit Sri Lanka later this month.

The vessel - Yuan Wang 5 - involved in space and satellite tracking can be used to spy on India and the government should take note of it and make a statement, he demanded.

Brijlal (BJP) wanted the government to enforce UGC guidelines for qualifying markets for reserved categories in the recruitment of Assistant Professors by various universities in the country.

Mamata Mohanta (BJD) sought repair of the Elephant corridor in Odisha to prevent deaths, while Luizinho Joaquim Faleiro demanded pension for Goan Seamen.

Rajmani Patel of Congress raised the alleged corruption and other irregularities in the construction of Gaushala under MNREGA in Madhya Pradesh.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Senior Congress leader on Wednesday got initiated into the Lingayat sect by the seer of Muruga Mutt in this district headquarters town in central in the presence of various party leaders.

After a conversation with Lingayat seers of various mutts, the seer of Muruga Mutt, Shivamurthy Muruga Sharana initiated him into Lingayat sect.

The ruling BJP in Karnataka, where Assembly elections are due in April-May next year, considers Lingayats as its key vote-base.

"It is an absolute honour to visit Sri Jagadguru Murugharajendra Vidyapeetha and receive the 'Ishtalinga Deekshe' from Dr. Sri Shivamurthy Murugha Sharanaru", Gandhi tweeted.

"The teachings of Guru Basavanna are eternal and I am humbled to learn more about it from the Sharanaru of the Math", he added.

On this historic occasion today at the Muruga Mutt, the Muruga Sharanaru gave the 'Ishta Linga Deeksha' to . This is an extraordinary moment, a Mutt official said. State Congress chief D K Shivakumar was among those present on the occasion.

The pontiff put Shiva Linga' around Gandhi's neck and put the three lines of 'Vibhuti' (ash) on his forehead horizontally as worn by the Lingayats, the Pradesh Congress Committee said in a statement.

On the occasion, Gandhi said, I have been following a little bit and reading a little bit about Basavanna Ji for some time now. So, it's a real honour for me.

I will make a request to you if you can send me somebody to teach me a little more in detail about 'Ishta Linga' and the practice of Shiva Yoga, he urged the Muruga Mutt seer.

Shivakumar said, This is a historic occasion. Muruga Sri gave Deeksha (initiation) to just as he initiated you all. I often say that the crux of all the faiths is one. There can be many names but the ultimate goal is one.

Gandhi also paid homage to the previous heads of the Muruga Mutt. He then had an interaction with seers of various Lingayat mutts at the Muruga Mutt, the KPCC said.

The Lingayat sect was founded in the 12th century by social reformer and poet Basaveshwara, who has a huge following in and some neighbouring regions of the state such as Maharashtra, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.

The northern part of Karnataka is largely dominated by Lingayats.

Gandhi arrived in Karnataka on Tuesday to take part in the Political Affairs Committee (PAC) meeting of Congress at Hubballi, and also the 75th birthday celebrations of the former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah at Davanagere on Wednesday.

At the PAC meeting on Tuesday night, Gandhi had a discussion with Congress leaders from Karnataka regarding preparation for the 2023 Assembly election.

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CID on Wednesday claimed that allegedly restrained its team from conducting a search operation in the capital at a property associated with one of the three arrested MLAs in the cash seizure case.

Three Congress MLAs from -- Irfan Ansari, Rajesh Kachchap and Naman Bixal Kongari were arrested by Police after Rs 49 lakh in cash was seized from a car in which they were travelling.

"On Wednesday morning, a team of Criminal Investigation Department (CID) was restrained by from carrying out a search operation at a property associated with an accused in MLAs cash seizure case despite having a court warrant.

"They had gone to the capital in connection with the probe into the cash seizure case. This restraining is completely illegal," a senior CID official told PTI.

The CID earlier claimed that the cash seized from the three MLAs was delivered to them by a Kolkata-based businessman through hawala.

The agency on Tuesday raided the office of the businessman, identified as Mahendra Agarwal, at Lalbazar area of Kolkata and recovered Rs 3 lakh in cash, several bank passbooks and around 250 silver coins.

The businessman has been absconding since the arrest of the three MLAs.

The grand old party, which is a part of the JMM-led government in Jharkhand, alleged that the BJP was trying to topple the Hemant Soren government by offering Rs 10 crore each and a ministerial berth to MLAs.

The Congress has also dragged in the name of Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma in the alleged conspiracy, but these allegations were rubbished by the BJP, which claimed that the grand old party was trying to hide its own corruption after the cash was found.

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The on Wednesday alleged the party was "under siege" by the government which, it said, surrounded its headquarters and the residences of party chief Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi as if they were "terrorists".

Addressing a hurriedly-convened press conference at the party office in the evening after roads leading to its headquarters were barricaded and police deployed nearby, leaders Jairam Ramesh, and Abhishek Singhvi said it will not be intimidated by this kind of "cheap and petty politics" and will continue to raise people's issues.

This came soon after the ED temporarily sealed the premises of Young Indian (YI) in the Congress-owned Herald office in Delhi.

The police said it was a preventive measure to avoid any untoward situation as there was information some protesters might gather at the office in Akbar Road. The barricades were later removed.

The Congress said the sole objective of this "siege mentality" of the "fearful" Narendra Modi regime is humiliation, insult and intimidation at one level and diversion, digression and sensationalism at another level.

"Today you have created a siege mentality, a climate of fear. The entire country watches as investigative agencies are deployed mindlessly against the leadership of India's oldest political party.

"You are treating this institution, this party, these leaders as terrorists. It is the worst form of petty and on the contrary, you blame us," Singhvi told reporters, alleging that platoons of policemen have been deployed all over the Congress offices and residences of its leaders.

He said with the police deployed near the party headquarters and around the residences of Sonia and Rahul Gandhi, what is being witnessed is an "an open ended investigation" on events that took place over 10 years ago.

"What we are seeing today is a siege mentality in the heart of the capital," he said, adding that the world is watching this unfortunate situation in India, which is a proud democracy of the world.

"The only sole object of this exercise is humiliation, insult and intimidation at one level and diversion, digression and sensationalism at another level. They do not want the issues of price rise, unemployment and GST to be raised in the media," Singhvi said, adding that fear is not there in the dictionary of the Congress and its leadership.

"We will never relent whatever be the cost. We will never obligate our responsibility as a responsible opposition. We believe that these are the actions of a frustrated political regime. We believe that these are the actions of a regime which is losing its balance and is frustrated. You can try and suppress as much as you like, you will receive a resilience and reaction which is completely democratic. We will continue to expose you," he alleged.

He asked whether Sonia or Rahul Gandhi have ever evaded anything and alleged that this does not satisfy their lust for sensationalism.

He said all law has been thrown to the winds and all sense of decency, democratic values and all sense of balance also has been thrown to the winds. "This is reprehensible and we cannot find stronger words to condemn this," he said, noting that their voices will not be silenced or scared by cheap .

Maken said the AICC had issued a circular that on August 5, the party would organise a nationwide protest on price rise, unemployment and GST hike, with party leaders marching to Rashtrapati Bhavan and workers gheraoing the prime minister's residence.

However, the Delhi Police DCP sent a letter to the Congress saying the party cannot hold any protest on August 5.

"Everything done by the central government is to intimidate us and change the narrative," he claimed.

"We want to tell the government, you may try and suppress us but the Congress party will not back off and will continue to raise issues of price rise, GST and unemployment," he said.

Ramesh said this is of vendetta and this has never happened in the past and is being witnessed for the first time.

"This is vinash-kaal, vipreet buddhi," he said, adding that we have raised our voice inside and outside Parliament on issues of price rise, unemployment and GST hike and will continue to do so.

"Those who believe in the politics of revenge are fearful. Those who intimidate others are themselves full of fear," he alleged.

"It is very clear that the prime minister believes in the politics of fear and intimidation. This is not democratic. We will continue to protest against the Modi government's economic policies. We have earlier protested against the divisive policies of this government," he said.

Ramesh earlier shared a video showing heavy police presence outside AICC office and the road sealed for traffic.

"Delhi Police blocking the road to AICC Headquarters has become a norm rather than an exception! Why have they just done so is mysterious...," Ramesh tweeted.

"The Congress is under siege. Delhi police has surrounded our HQs, and homes of INC President and ex-President. This is the worst form of vendetta politics. We will not submit! We will not be silenced! We will continue to raise our voice against injustices and failures of Modi Sarkar!," he said in another tweet.

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot claimed the action was to convert 10 Janpath, the Congress headquarters and Sonia Gandhi's residence into a police cantonment and termed this an undeclared emergency.

(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.)
Congress MP Pramod Tiwari on Wednesday gave zero-hour notice in the on the issue of the 'surge in Indian money held in Swiss banks'.

Tiwari said, "It is a matter of grave concern that other foreign banks, including Swiss Bank funds are being diverted to more institutions in an uncontrollable manner, increasing the risks of black money."

Aam Aadmi Party(AAP) MP Sanjay Singh gave suspension of business notice on the demolition of a temple in Gujarat's Navsari. And another AAP MP Raghav Chaddha has given suspension of business notice on the issue of GST on Sarai around Harminder Sahib.

"I hereby give notice under Rule 267 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Council of States (Rajya Sabha) of my intention to move the following motion for suspension of business listed for 3rd August 2022:

"That this House do suspend and other relevant rules relating to Question Hour and other businesses of the day to have a discussion on the imposition of 12 per cent GST on Sarai's around Shri Harmandir Sahab (Golden Temple) in Amritsar."

--IANS

miz/dpb

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Drug major Sun Pharmaceutical Industries on Wednesday said its Chairman Israel Makov will retire from the company on August 29, 2022.

Makov is retiring upon the completion of his current term post the company's Annual General Meeting after having led the Mumbai-based company for ten years.

He was appointed a Board member and the Chairman in 2012.

"Makov has played a significant role in the company's global expansion in the last decade. He guided the company into its next phase of growth with focus on innovation and adoption of newer technologies," Sun Pharma MD Dilip Shanghvi said in a statement.

Under Makov's leadership, Sun Pharma transformed from a USD 1.7 billion organisation focusing on India and the US into the world's fourth largest specialty generic pharmaceutical company operating across 100 plus markets with a turnover of over USD 5 billion, the drug firm said.

Leading the company's global expansion, he guided the acquisition of Ranbaxy in 2014, making Sun Pharma the leader in the Indian pharmaceutical market and a strong player globally, it added.

Makov also helped steer the company to pursue its strategy of building a global pipeline of specialty products, Sun Pharma stated.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Amid rising complaints against mobile apps, the Centre has identified and blocked 348 apps developed by various countries, including China, for allegedly collecting user information for profiling citizens and transmitting it overseas in an unauthorised manner, the Parliament was told on Wednesday.

"The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has identified 348 mobile applications which were collecting users' information and transmitting it in an unauthorised manner to servers located outside the country for profiling.

Based on the request from MHA, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has blocked those 348 mobile applications since such data transmissions infringes the sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India and security of the state," Minister of State for Electronics & Information Technology, Rajeev Chandrasekhar told the Lok Sabha in a written reply.

These apps are developed by various countries including China, he added.

--IANS

kvm/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.)
India is the worlds second-biggest consumer and importer of gold, buying about 800-850 tonnes per annum. The country accounts for 25% of the worlds demand. But, so far, India has not been a global price setter for the yellow metal. Recent launch of the India International Exchange in Gujarats is a step in that direction.

Indias first global exchange, the IIBX will facilitate efficient price discovery and ensure standardisation, quality assurance and sourcing integrity. Until now, only certain banks and nominated agencies were allowed by the Reserve Bank of India to import and sell it to dealers and jewellers.

The exchange will allow qualified jewellers to directly import . Qualified jewellers with net worth of 25 crore and 95 per cent of revenue from jewellery and NRIs with $5 lakh net worth can trade in the exchange, provided they want to take delivery.

The biggest gold consumer, China, runs such a bourse where all domestic production and imported gold have to be bought and sold. Established along the lines of the Shanghai and Borsa Istanbul, Indias bullion exchange is aimed at making the country a key regional hub for bullion flows. It has already on-boarded over 60 jewellers. And many more are in the pipeline.

Ashok Gautam, the CEO of the bullion exchange, said that silver trading will be allowed on the exchange in the future. In the early stage, 1 kg gold of 995 purity and 100 gram gold of 999 purity will be traded with a settlement period of T+0. The settlement period will be later extended to T+2 days. The trade will be in the form of bullion depository receipts denominated in dollars. The exchange has also roped in three companies to provide vault services.

Apart from enabling price transparency for gold, the India International Bullion Exchange will also help in bringing foreign traders to Indian shores.
A heatwave in China has brought drought to regions that rely on the Yangtze river, the countrys longest. In Southwest Chinas Chongqing, local media reports more than 600,000 people and 36,000 hectares of crops are affected. Further east, the extreme weather is also threatening crops in Jiangxi province. Local authorities have issued warnings for high temperatures and carried out drought relief measures in parts of the country

Aug 17, 2022 05:59 PM
South Africa: NPA serves freezing order in SAPS slush fund abuse case

The National Prosecuting Authoritys Asset Forfeiture Unit (NPA AFU) has been granted and served an order to restrain at least R13 million on former South African Police Service (SAPS) Crime Intelligence Head, Richard Mdluli, Head of Supply Chain Management, Heine Barnard, former SAPS Crime Intelligence CFO, Solomon Lazarus, and others.

The other accused are Mdluli's former wife, Theresa Lyons, and his current wife, Vusiwane Mdluli, John and Heena Appalsami of Daez Trading CC, Barnards wife Juanita Barnard and Lazarus's wife, Sandra Lazarus.

According to the NPA, the restraint is linked to the fraud, theft and corruption case the accused are facing in the Gauteng High Court.

The matter pertains to charges of gross abuse of the police crime intelligence slush fund, which ultimately benefited Richard Mdluli and his family.

They include payment of private trips to China and Singapore, private use of a witness protection house in Boksburg and conversion of this property for his personal use [and] the leasing out of Mdlulis private townhouse at Gordon Villas in Gordons Bay as a safe house to the State and using the monthly rental to pay his bond.

[Charges also include] paying [Mdlulis] financing costs owing on his private BMW through an intricate scheme to the detriment of the SAPS, coercing a SAPS supplier into giving Mdluli a special deal on the use and purchase price of a Honda Ballade, paying transfer costs to an attorney on the purchase of a house in Cape Town and having family members, without adequate qualifications or experience, appointed in crime intelligence [as well as] getting them on the payroll and paying their salaries, providing them with motor vehicles and cell phones.

The offences are alleged to have been committed between 2008 and 2012, said the NPA.

NPA AFU head, Advocate Ouma Rabaji-Rasethaba, said the prosecutorial body is determined to ensure that not only are those alleged to be corrupt brought to court but that they hand over any illegal benefits back to the state.

The NPA has a two-pronged strategy for prosecuting those responsible for looting State coffers -- through criminal prosecution and also by taking away the proceeds of crime through asset forfeiture proceedings.

We will not allow those who benefited from crime to hold onto the ill-gotten gains and they must feel that crime does not pay, Rabaji-Rasethaba said.  SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2022-08-03. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
China renews yellow alert for high temperatures

Xinhua) 13:32, August 03, 2022

BEIJING, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) -- China's national observatory on Wednesday continued to issue a yellow alert for high temperatures as a scorching heatwave lingers in many regions of the country.

During daylight hours on Wednesday, parts of Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, Henan, Shandong, Shaanxi, Hubei, Anhui, Jiangsu, Shanghai, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Hunan, Guizhou, Chongqing, Sichuan, Guangdong and Guangxi are expected to experience temperatures of over 35 degrees Celsius, the National Meteorological Center said.

Temperatures in parts of Chongqing may surpass 40 degrees Celsius, according to the forecast.

The center has advised the public to avoid outdoor activities during high-temperature periods in the afternoon and suggested workers exposed to high temperatures, or who work outdoors for a long time, take necessary protective measures.

China has a four-tier color-coded weather warning system, with red representing the most severe warning, followed by orange, yellow, and blue.

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun)
Calling US House speakers trip as vicious whose consequence is very grave, Beijing says it won't sit idle

ISTANBUL (AA)  China has summoned the US ambassador to Beijing over House Speaker Nancy Pelosis trip to Taiwan.

Chinas Foreign Ministry, early on Wednesday local time (Tuesday night GMT), lodged a protest with US Ambassador Nicholas Burns over the unannounced visit by Pelosi to Taiwan which Beijing calls its breakaway province.

The nature of Pelosis visit is extremely vicious and the consequence is very grave, Chinas Vice Foreign Minister Xie Feng told Burns.

"The US must pay the price for its own mistake. China will take necessary and resolute countermeasures and we mean what we say," the Chinese diplomat told the US ambassador.

Calling Pelosi's trip an "unscrupulous move," Xie told Burns that the US should have "prevented her (Pelosi) from going against the historical trend but instead indulged her and colluded with her which exacerbates the tension in the Taiwan Straits and seriously damages China-US ties."

The Chinese side will not sit idly by, Xie told Burns, saying the visit is a serious provocation and violation of one-China principle, Chinese daily Global Times reported.

Despite a string of warnings, including military action, Pelosi flew to Taiwan from Malaysia on Tuesday.

Pelosi was received by Taiwanese Foreign Minister Joseph Wu as she landed at the Taipei Songshan Airport at around 10.44 p.m. local time (1444GMT). Two hotels have been booked to host the accompanying delegation of US lawmakers and officials.

This came as Beijing ratcheted up its messages urging the senior US lawmaker to abandon her trip, which was not on the official agenda of Pelosi's four-nation Asia tour.

Pelosi, the first speaker of the US House of Representatives to visit Taiwan in 25 years, will meet Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen and also engage with Taiwanese lawmakers.

In 1997, Republican Newt Gingrich was the last House speaker to visit the self-ruled island, which has insisted on its independence since 1949.

Soon after Pelosi landed in Taiwan, the Chinese military announced to hold military drills around the self-ruled island, home to over 24 million people.

The Taiwanese Defense Ministry said around 21 Chinese military aircraft entered its air defense identification zone  a buffer zone outside a country's airspace, where it has the right to ask incoming aircraft to identify themselves.

Chinese state media released videos showing that the People's Liberation Army commenced joint military exercises surrounding the island of Taiwan.

The drills featured J-20 stealth fighter jets and test firing of conventional missiles that analysts said could fly over the island.
After debuting its technology and its merits for everyday driving , Nissan Philippines has now revealed everything you need to know about i...
Photo: Jim Kinnear/Delta Optimist

Although the Canadian government says its COVID tests at the border are random, some going to Point Roberts are feeling picked on.

Partly as a result, visits by Canadians have dropped, and with it, the economy, says the local chamber of commerce.

Bill Calder grew up in Point Roberts but now lives in Tsawwassen. The pandemic has reduced the number of times hes crossed the border. In the past three months, hes visited four times and has been issued a random COVID test twice.

The Public Health Agency of Canada announced that random COVID tests at airports would resume as of July 19, after about a four-week break, but random tests at land borders have continued as usual.

I just dont want to go through it again. Its ridiculous, said Calder.

His cousin Brian Calder is president of the Point Roberts Chamber of Commerce and says COVID restrictions continue to hurt the tiny community of 800 or so people.

For instance, before COVID, about 900 boats were docked at the marina. Now, there are 300.

Hes hearing complaints about the number of people receiving random COVID test requirements when they cross over into Canada, estimating that 30 per cent of residents have had to take a test when crossing the border.

Thats my best guess. They wont give us the numbers, he said last week.

Its totally disturbing our economy in a negative way.

He said that 90 per cent of the community has been vaccinated, while he hasnt heard of a COVID case.

So what good is it doing?

Calder added that if the tests were needed from a scientific point of view, hed support it. He wants the government to show how many people have been spared contracting COVID thanks to someone being randomly tested.

Two tests in four visits

One visitor from Vancouver, who has a cabin in Point Roberts, said that she and her husband, in their 70s, have visited four times in May and June.

On the second visit, her husband was issued a random COVID test when he came back into Canada.

On the fourth visit, she was issued a random COVID test.

The couple only stayed the night before heading back. And each COVID test request meant they had to go to a pharmacy in Vancouver, get a nasal swab, and ensure the pharmacy sent it into the lab. Both tests were negative.

Thats not random. Thats way higher percentage than there should be for the border. Its like they were doing a blitz on Point Roberts.

Its going to kill Point Roberts, she said.

She says the number of people being tested is disproportionate to the size of the community.

800 random travellers is the national daily land crossing target

However, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada, a computer algorithm randomly selects a pre-determined number of eligible travellers per day, at each crossing. That could mean more than one person in a group could be selected for random testing.

The target is 4,600 travellers each day, including 3,800 at airports and 800 at land borders, said Tammy Jarbeau, senior media relations adviser.

The sample size was chosen to ensure that representative, reliable and robust estimates of COVID-19 test positivity, are produced at the border.

Neither border officers nor the public health agency have any role in the selection of travellers for random testing, she said.

Positive samples are sent to public health laboratories for whole genome sequencing  the laboratory test used to identify COVID-19 variants of concern, Jarbeau said.

Virtual testing is possible but the government says that in-person testing is the fastest and most convenient.
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Tennessee appellate courts livestreamed their 1,000th case, greatly improving accessibility and transparency in the court system. While the Tennessee Supreme Court began video recording oral arguments in October of 2018, these recordings were posted several days to weeks later. The first appellate case was livestreamed in April 2020.

The Supreme Court is always looking for ways to improve transparency. Livestreaming is one of the great advances to come out of the pandemic, Chief Justice Roger A. Page said. Transparency builds confidence and trust in the court system. We have always welcomed the public into the courtroom, but livestreaming opens the doors to thousands of more viewers.

In total, appellate oral arguments have been viewed over 140,000 times on the judiciarys two YouTube channels, which were necessary because the different appellate courts often hold oral arguments simultaneously. Oral arguments have been watched for over 41,000 hours. Prior to the pandemic, the three appellate courts provided audio files of oral arguments 21 days after the proceeding.

Livestreaming started as a way to ensure public access when oral arguments were held virtually early in the pandemic. The Tennessee Supreme Court and Court of Appeals opted to keep livestreaming when oral arguments returned to the courtroom.

After appearing on Zoom for just over two years, it felt natural to start livestreaming our in-person cases too when we returned to the courtroom, said Judge Michael Swiney, the Court of Appeals presiding judge. Inviting the public to watch vastly improves understanding of how the appellate courts and entire judiciary operate. I think for clients in particular it was always this great mystery as to what happened at oral arguments. Now they can pull it up on YouTube and see for themselves what questions were asked and what issues were the focus of discussion.

The Court of Appeals leads the way with over 633 cases livestreamed in the past two years. More than 3,000 people subscribe to the two TNCourts YouTube channels.

The Court of Criminal Appeals was the first Tennessee appellate court to livestream an in-person hearing and has livestreamed several high-profile cases that garnered thousands of views each.

I am always in favor of increasing the visibility and understanding of our court, Judge John Everett Williams, presiding judge of the Court of Criminal Appeals, said. We know lawyers are using the previous cases to prepare for oral arguments. By seeing the types of questions asked, the decorum in the courtroom, and the overall process, they come in better prepared. We also know teachers and professors at all levels are playing clips during class and assigning specific cases as homework. Our country and communities benefit when there is better understanding of the courts and our constitutions.

Livestreams can be viewed at: https://www.youtube.com/user/TNCourts/featured and https://www.youtube.com/c/TNCourts2. Archives are available on YouTube and in each courts section of the www.tncourts.gov website. A highlight reel is included here https://www.tncourts.gov/press/2022/08/02/tennessee-appellate-courts-livestream-1000th-case
Officials in Red Bank are establishing ways of getting citizens involved in the citys planning and decision making. At the commission meeting Tuesday night, three new boards were approved. The Red Bank Jubilee Committee will be rebranded as the Red Bank Festival Citizens Advisory Board. The new, expanded board will now assist with the planning and execution of not only of the Red Bank Jubilee but also the Christmas Parade and festival and all other festivals sponsored by the city.

A Citizens Advisory Board to help identify the transportation needs in Red Bank was also given approval by the commissioners. This committee is a requirement of a grant that the city applied for and received. This new Citizens Urban Transportation Advisory Board will be made up of professionals from several transportation planning organizations around the Chattanooga area and one Red Bank commissioner, one member of the citys planning commission and three residents that will be selected by the board of commissioners. Applications for these positions will be available on Red Banks website for interested residents. The duration of this advisory board is tied to the grant project itself, then will cease to exist.

Another citizens advisory board was established to assist with the care and maintenance of cemeteries on the citys property. City Manager Martin Granum said there are four cemeteries in Red Bank, two are private and are in very good shape, he said. Two others that are on city owned property are the Red Bank Cemetery on Oakland Terrace off of Morrison Springs Road. This one-and-a-half-acre cemetery has headstones from the 1890s until the 1990s. And the Stringers Ridge Cemetery, he said, is rather hidden off of the eastern side of the White Oak Park Connector Trail. Mr. Granum plans to set up a 10-member board and to include representatives from the Trust for Public Land, SETD and an historical group that will work together and advise the commissioners and staff how to be stewards of the cemeteries at the highest possible level, he said.

The Red Bank fire department will be getting 28 new portable radios and accessories from Motorola Solutions to replace the ones for which support is no longer available. The new radios will be the newest technology available. The cost of $245,822 will be paid from American Rescue Plan funds. The fire department was also given the commissions approval to apply for the 2022 Firefighting Support Grant of up to $1,000, from Tennessee American Water that will require no matching funds from the city. Some uses that this grant is eligible for include protective gear, equipment and tools and training.

Commissioner Ed Lecompte, who is on a committee with the goal of having a city park within a 10-minute walk for every resident, announced that a public meeting will be held on Aug. 11 from 5-7 p.m. at the community center. He said he is hoping for a good turnout of citizens to see a presentation and to talk about the initiative and gather ideas.

Marty Hawkins was reappointed for another two-year term to be the city of Red Banks representative to the management committee of the Hamilton County water quality program.
Chattanoogas Fallen Five were honored at their final resting places by the Daughters of the American Revolution during the weekend of July 16, the seventh anniversary of one of the most tragic days in Chattanoogas history. Logistics Specialist Second Class Randall Smith (NAVY), Staff Sergeant David Wyatt (USMC), Sergeant Carson Holmquist (USMC), Gunnery Sergeant Thomas Sullivan (USMC), and Lance Corporal Squire Skip Wells (USMC) are the men who sacrificed their lives that day for the safety of the community.

Chief John Ross Chapter, NSDAR, coordinated a collaboration with DAR Chapters in Massachusetts and Georgia, as well as the Foxhole American Legion Post 185 Grantsburg, Wi., to honor these valiant men, and participating parties scheduled a number of commemorative events.

Regent Jennifer Harvey and Chief John Ross Chapter hosted a remembrance in Chattanooga. Chapter members placed a wreath at the Wreath of Honor Memorial at 4101 Amnicola Hwy. at the Riverpark. The program honored all five servicemen. Following this ceremony, chapter members traveled to the Chattanooga National Cemetery to place flags at the final resting places of Logistics Specialist Second Class Randall Smith and Staff Sergeant David Wyatt.

Regent Samantha Seamans-Frizzell and Past Regent Margaret Superneau of the Mercy Warren Chapter in Massachusetts hosted two wreath-laying events in honor of Gunnery Sergeant Thomas Sullivan. The first was at the memorial plaza at Pope Francis Prep School in Springfield, Ma. This plaza has been named in honor of Gunnery Sergeant Sullivan. Later that same day, the chapter hosted a second wreath-laying program for local veterans to attend.

Regent Susan Pulse and Honorary Regent Pam Dover of the Hightower Trail Chapter in Georgia planned a remembrance ceremony to honor Lance Corporal Skip Wells. The Hightower Trail Chapters program included a flag placement and wreath laying to honor his memory. Lance Corporal Well is laid to rest in the National Cemetery, Canton Ga.

Foxhole American Legion Post 185 Grantsburg, Wi, participated in the remembrance to honor Sergeant Carson Holmquist. Larger flags were placed at Sergeant Holmquists final resting place to honor his memory during this remembrance. The community in Grantsburg, Wi., always keep his memory alive by maintaining flags at his resting place located at a private cemetery in Grantsburg, W.. A motorcycle ride was planned that was sponsored by Sergeant Holmquists brother and a wreath was placed at Sergeant Holmquists final resting place.

Chief John Ross Chapter in Chattanooga has grown steadily in membership since its founding almost 100 years ago and is proud now to be the third largest chapter in the state of Tennessee with 181 members. Any female 18 years or older who can prove that a Revolutionary War patriot is in her direct line is eligible and welcome to join the Chief John Ross Chapter, NSDAR.

The National Society Daughters of the American Revolution is a womens service organization whose members can trace their lineage to an individual who contributed to securing American independence during the Revolutionary War. Todays DAR is dynamic and diverse, with over 185,000 members in 3,000 chapters in the United States and abroad. DAR members annually provide millions of hours of volunteer service to their local communities across the country and world. DAR chapters participate in projects to promote historic preservation, education, and patriotism. Over one million members have joined the organization since its founding in 1890.

To learn more about DAR membership, visit www.tndar.org/-chiefjohnross/ or contact

Jennifer Harvey, regent, at jenniferharveydar@yahoo.com.


The Greater Chattanooga Navy League Council will hold their Aug. 11 dinner meeting at the Walden Club at Republic Center, 633 Chestnut St., Suite 2100 in Chattanooga. Parking is available there in the building access drive.



"The highlight of this dinner meeting is that we will have Deputy State Director - Military Advisor John M. Clement from Senator Marsha Blackburn's legislative staff reporting to us on military affairs," organizers said. "One of the Navy League's key goals is to be aware of actions going on at the federal level concerning the sea services and communicating with those 'in the halls of power' about what we as Navy Leaguers think is important. Now is your chance."



Mr.

Clement is a retired Blackhawk helicopter maintenance test pilot who served 21 years in the U.S. Army, with multiple combat deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. After retiring from the Army, he created the Fort Campbell Soldier Transition Program with the Tennessee Department of Labor for transitioning service members, helping them to gain licenses and certifications and meaningful employment to bridge the gap between veterans and their spouses and the civilian workforce. Mr. Clement continues to mentor and develop programs within military units around the U.S., most recently advising 160th SOAR and 5th SFG.He joined Senator Blackburn in 2017 and has served in many roles, to include field representative, field director, senior field director, military advisor and now deputy state director/military advisor. During this time, Mr. Clement has continued to lend his network and expertise to Fort Campbell and the many soldiers and civilians who call Fort Campbell home.He, his wife and their two daughters, are proud to call Tennessee home and are forever grateful for the opportunity to serve.Make reservations directly with Stacy Kehoe. Her email is slk40ax@gmail.com and her cell phone and text line is 423-902-0309. The address to mail dinner reservation payments ($35 payable to Navy League Chattanooga) is Chattanooga Navy League, PO Box 91104, Chattanooga, Tn. 37412, or you can use the Council's PayPal account: https://paypal.me/NLUSGC?country.x=US&locale.x=en_US.

When you mail a reservation payment, also email or text Ms. Kehoe at 423-902-0309. Reservations and payments are requested by noon on Monday, Aug. 8.
The city of Chattanooga Wednesday announced a partnership with Trust for Public Lands 10-Minute Walk Park Equity Accelerator, a new initiative designed to expand residents access to parks.

The 10-Minute Walk campaign was created to help cities ensure that every resident can access a park or green space no farther than a 10-minute walk from their home. According to Trust for Public Lands ParkServe database, only 39 percent of Chattanooga residents currently live within a 10-minute walk of a park, and only 8 percent of the citys land is used for parks, compared to the national median of 15 percent.

As Chattanooga finalizes its Parks and Outdoors Plan, participation in the accelerator will help ensure the city is using best practices and high-impact policies to scale-up quality park creation and address barriers to park access. Chattanooga joins Cleveland, Ohio; Fort Worth, Texas; Lexington, Ky.; Los Angeles, Calif.; and Scranton, Pa. in the inaugural cohort of the initiative, which will provide direct resources and technical assistance over a period of 12-15 months.

Quality parks and green spaces advance the mental and physical health of our communities, revitalize our neighborhoods, and create a more sustainable future for our city, said Mayor Tim Kelly. I am committed to making sure every resident has close-to-home access to the extensive benefits parks provide, and the 10-Minute Walk Campaign's Park Equity Accelerator will help make this possible for Chattanooga.

In partnership with Trust for Public Land, the city will develop and field-test innovative ideas to tackle inequitable park access, from gaps in safe routes and green space connections to finding ways to better engage residents in park planning. The results will help the Parks and Outdoors team implement the most effective policies and strategies to advance local park access and quality in Chattanooga.

"I am excited and proud to join the 10 Minute Walk Campaign's Park Equity Accelerator, said Scott Martin, administrator of Chattanooga Parks and Outdoors. As we look to finalize our Parks and Outdoors Plan, this innovative collaboration will help ensure we provide every Chattanoogan with access to quality green spaces, regardless of their zip code."

Trust for Public Land will leverage its experience with Chattanooga and others in the inaugural cohort to scale the model to additional cities. The initial cohort of cities were chosen based on their commitment to advancing local park goals; readiness to explore, experiment with, and adopt new strategies or approaches; and potential to advance field understanding around a common issue or challenge.

We know parks are vital for healthy communities, and that investment in parks is game-changing for resilient and thriving cities. However, years of policies and practices have resulted in underinvestment in neighborhoods, exacerbating this park equity gap, and denying millions the health, climate, and social benefits of close-to-home access to the outdoors, said Bianca Shulaker, senior director of Trust for Public Lands 10-Minute Walk program. Given the urgency and scale of this nature gap, were excited to be launching these partnerships with communities to advance policy and other systems changes that will accelerate equitable access to quality park spaces.

"All residents in Chattanooga should be able to enjoy the benefits of parks - from improved mental and physical health, to greater connectedness and social cohesion, to better protection from the risks of heat and pollution - regardless of where they live, said Noel Durant, Tennessee state director for Trust for Public Land.

In June, Chattanooga opened its Parks and Outdoors Plan for resident input to give community members a voice in the future of the citys parks system. The final plan will provide a road map to reinvent Chattanooga as a city in a park, with a system of parks and protected open spaces that provides all residents the opportunity to easily connect with each other while enjoying nature and its benefits. Residents can add their voice to the Parks and Outdoors Plan by completing a survey at cha.city/pop.
I am writing to support my friend, Judge Kevin Wilson, whom I have known for many years. He has served as city judge of Collegedale for 32 years and has served as special judge for General Sessions Court, Chattanooga City Court as well as other Municipal Courts.

He is currently serving as East Ridge City Court judge since his appointment in August, 2021. He has been a member of the General Sessions Court Judges Conference for 32 years.

I hope the residents of East Ridge will support Judge Wilson so that he can continue to serve as city judge for East Ridge. I have known him to serve with fairness and integrity as he has been a special judge in Chattanooga City Court on many occasions over the years.

Please vote for Judge Kevin Wilson for City Court judge for East Ridge and also vote in support of Ordinance #1166.

Sherry Paty

Chattanooga City Court Judge






Teachers Peter Vlaming, Pamela Ricard and Byron Cross have something in common. They were removed from their jobs-not for failing to teach the approved curriculum or for alleged inappropriate physical contact with students. They were removed for failing to use the progressives idea of an acceptable pronoun for certain students.

In Wisconsin, sexual harassment charges were filed against three eighth graders for allegedly refusing to call another student by preferred pronouns. Eventually charges were dropped (Daily Mail, Alyssa Guzman, 8/7/2022).

Distractions like these result from progressive school board members fixations on pronouns and not on academic achievement and vocational training. Hamilton County has a choice Thursday as to which direction this school system will go-forward academically or spiraling down into the morass of progressive social engineering and bizarre rules.

Look carefully as you vote on Thursday at school board candidates and the political party that is fixated on indoctrination. Hamilton County does not need these distractions as we train our students to compete in the world market of the 21st Century.

Ralph Miller






The Walker County Board of Commissioners will hold three public hearings in August to provide citizens with a better understanding of a proposed millage rate reduction to offset the impact of higher property appraisals. Surging home sales have continued to enhance the value of many properties in Walker County, resulting in an average 25 percent increase in value.

The Board of Commissioners proposes to roll back the millage rate used to calculate property taxes to the lowest point since 2013 to balance taxes associated with higher property values. However, due to the substantial growth, the new millage rate will trigger state requirements to advertise a minor property tax increase.

The proposed millage rate of 7.200 mills in the unincorporated area represents a 13.39 percent reduction over 2021 when the rate was 8.313 mills. In addition, the proposed rate of 10.293 mills in the incorporated areas represents a 13.96 percent decrease compared to 11.963 mills last year.

Georgia requires advertisement of a property tax increase when the proposed millage rate is higher than the rollback rate, a complex state formula used to compute millage based on the value added from reassessments. In this instance, the Walker County Board of Commissioners proposes a millage rate 6.64 percent above the rollback rate of 6.752 mills in the unincorporated area. The proposed rate in the incorporated areas is 3.97 percent higher than the rollback rate of 9.900 mills.

Public hearings on the millage rate will take place on the following dates/times and locations:

Thursday, Aug. 11, 8 a.m. - Walker County Civic Center (10052 Hwy 27, Rock Spring)

Thursday, Aug. 11, 6:30 p.m. - Walker County Courthouse Annex III (201 S Main St., LaFayette)

Thursday, Aug. 25, 7 p.m. - Walker County Courthouse Annex III (201 S Main St., LaFayette)

The proposed millage rate for a home with a fair market value of $225,000 would result in a property tax increase of approximately $34.92 in the unincorporated area and $34.58 in the incorporated areas, which is less than $3 a month.

The millage rate will be set at the Board of Commissioners regular meeting at 7 p.m. on Aug. 25.
Paramount+ has just released the second season of Never Seen Again. The true crime series covers the sudden and inexplicable disappearances of people. Each episode covers a different missing person, digging deep into the strange events leading up to their disappearances and all that has happened since. Some cases remain cold decades after the missing person was last seen. Weve collected three of the most baffling cases that season 2 has covered.

Ali Gilmore went missing in 2007; Her story was covered in season 2 of Never Seen Again

In 2006, Ali Gilmore was pregnant and working two jobs. The 30-year-old worked for Floridas Department of Health during the day and had picked up a second job at a supermarket to make her dream of homeownership a reality. According to friends and family, Gilmore was high-achieving and hard-working.

On February 2, 2006, Gilmore left her night job and drove home. What happened after that remains a mystery 15 years later. Coworkers grew concerned when she didnt show up for work the following day and reported her missing. Police entered her home and found nothing out of place. Gilmores car was in the driveway, and her purse was inside the house. There didnt appear to be a struggle inside the home, but Gilmore was gone. Her estranged husband was initially considered a person of interest but has since been cleared of involvement. While there was a massive search for the then 30-year-old pregnant woman, no trace of her has ever been found.

Police Tape | Dinendra Haria/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

Never Seen Again covered Ali Gilmores strange and sudden disappearance in episode 8 of season 2. Gilmore remains missing, although Tallahassee police named a person of interest in 2021. Still, nothing has come from the announcement. True crime buffs remain interested in Gilmores case.

Jon Rileys family believes he was the victim of a notorious serial killer

In May 2013, Jon Riley left his home in Meaford, Ontario, Canada, for a quick trip to Toronto. Meaford, a town of just 10,000, was Rileys home base, but he had previously spent time in Toronto. Short trips were not out of the norm. What was abnormal was the fact that Riley didnt return and didnt contact his family.

The Toronto skyline | Mark Blinch/Getty Images

Rileys sister, Judi Riley, reported him missing, but it would take years for police to really investigate. Judi described her brother as family-oriented and communicative. She insists he wouldnt just disappear. Rileys case is especially unsettling because body parts started appearing around Canada after Rileys disappearance. None belonged to him. Still, Judi believes her brother might have been one of Bruce McArthurs victims.

According to CBC, McArthur killed eight men between 2010 and 2018 before being apprehended. The serial killer, who worked as a landscaper and mall Santa, preyed on men in the LGBTQ community. You can watch Never Seen Again to learn more about Rileys case. The series spotlighted Rileys case in the 10th episode of season 2

The disappearance of Ashley Loring Heavyrunner highlights a significant problem facing Indigenous women

In June 2017, everything was going right for Ashley Loring Heavyrunner. The 20-year-old Indigenous woman was getting ready to move away for college. Before that happened, Heavyrunner, who also went by the name Ashley Loring, attended a party on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation. When she didnt return home, her family assumed she was with friends and had lost her phone.

A ranch on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation | HUM Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

When she failed to show up to see her father in the hospital, her family grew concerned. Her family reported her missing to both Blackfeet Law Enforcement and the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Neither law enforcement outfit launched a true investigation into her disappearance until reports of a woman running from a car around the time that Ashley Loring Heavyrunner disappeared surfaced. In 2018, the FBI joined the investigation, but little evidence materialized.

Lorings case highlights a significant issue facing Indigenous women and girls. Loring is just one of hundreds of missing or murdered Indigenous women. A study by the Urban Indian Health Institute identified more than 500 cases of murdered or missing Indigenous women or girls in recent years. Most of those cases were not logged by the Department of Justice.

Never Seen Again season 2, episode 3 highlighted the case of Ashley Loring Heavyrunner. The missing college students story was also featured on A&Es Cold Case Files.

RELATED: Girl in the Picture: What Happened to Phillip Steven Brandenburg?
Aarti Sequeiras Indian Omelet: Its the Kind of Thing I Whip up at Almost Any Hour of the Day

If you think youve tried every method of making an omelet, you likely havent tried Food Network star Aarti Sequeiras Indian Omelet.

Its just as fluffy and satisfying as most omelets, but where they part company is in the flavors Sequeira infuses into her egg dish. Oh, and theres also a surprise ingredient, but youll just have to read on to learn more about that.

Aarti Sequeira | Rodin Eckenroth/WireImage

Sequeiras Indian Omelet doesnt require any fancy ingredients

The Aarti Party stars recipe calls for eggs, finely minced red onion, a minced serrano chile, minced fresh cilantro leaves, turmeric, paprika and, of course, salt and pepper.

She writes in her cookbook Aarti Paarti: An American Kitchen with an Indian Soul, I dont know why it is, but I am not a fan of American-style omelets. I love eggs scrambled, coddled, poached, soft and hard boiled . . . but theres something about that thick carpet of egg in omelets that just doesnt sit right with me!

Her Indian-style omelet isnt folded over as is done in diners; instead, its thin (but not as thin as a crepe-like French omelet) and packed with fresh flavors. Its the kind of thing I whip up at almost any hour of the day (its really great after youve been out and had one drink too many!). To this day, Mum will make this as a light lunch when she doesnt feel like cooking anything too strenuous.

Her unexpected ingredient? Crushed potato chips. [Theyre] my American touch to this Indian standby.

Get the complete recipe and reviews on Food Networks site.

The chefs simple but elegant dish is a cinch to make

Sequeira instructs on the best way to make this easy dish that she says is a regular grab-and-go snack at Indian train stations.

The eggs are cracked into a bowl and beaten until lathery, about 1 minute. Next, she says to whisk in the onion, chile, cilantro, turmeric, and paprika until the mixture is well integrated. Dont forget to add the salt and pepper.

Pour the oil into a 12-inch nonstick skillet and warm it over medium to high heat until mildly shimmering but not smoking.

Add the egg mixture to the hot pan and in small, circular motions, add the onions, chile, and cilantro all over the egg in the pan, making sure its evenly distributed. Cover the pan and allow it to cook for about two minutes.

It should be noted that the potato chips are included in Sequeiras omelet recipe in her cookbook, but not in the Food Network recipe. So, if youd like that salty crunchiness in your omelet, now is the time to sprinkle the crushed chips on the dish.

Remove the lid and cover the skillet with a plate thats the same size. Sequeira notes that if the omelet is runny, it should be covered with the lid again and allowed to cook another minute or so.

Once its cooked, place the omelet onto the plate cooked side down; the less done side should be up. Then put the pan upside down onto the plate and flip it so it can continue to cook on the uncooked side. Cook it another minute, then slide it onto a plate, cut, and serve!

Reviewers loved Sequeiras flavorful omelet

With its spices and vegetables, this omelet was a hit with Food Network reviewers.

I scaled this omelet down to one serving and kicked it up by blooming some cumin seed in the pan before adding the egg mixture. The fantastic brown sugar bacon and naan completed the meal. Eggscellent!, one home cook wrote.

Another person said the recipe reminded them of unforgettable childhood eats: My dad made me this type of omelet as a kid! Brought back some great memories!

RELATED: Food Network Star Aarti Sequeiras New Book My Family Recipe Journal
Duggar family followers continue to keep a close eye on what Josh Duggars wife, Anna Duggar, is doing now that Josh has moved to federal prison. Anna supports Josh despite the guilty verdict and evidence stacked against him. More recently, she liked a post that rallied against using antidepressants, concerning followers. Heres what she liked on Twitter.

Where are Josh and Anna Duggar now? Josh Duggar recently transferred to federal prison

Anna Duggar and Josh Duggar | Kris Connor/Getty Images

Josh Duggar was arrested on suspicion of downloading child sexual abuse material in April 2021, and the trial that ended in December 2021 found him guilty. So, where is Josh Duggar now? As of July 2022, Josh moved to FCI Seagoville to serve his 151-month sentence. The prison stands near Dallas, Texas, and its about 350 miles from Springdale, Arkansas, where Josh lived before his arrest. The prison itself has 1,653 male inmates and an extensive sexual abuse program that Josh will hopefully enroll in.

As for Anna Duggar, she remains in Springdale for now. With their seven children, she and Josh lived in a warehouse on Duggar family property. Currently, theres little evidence to suggest that Anna moved. Its also possible that Anna gets assistance with her kids from Jim Bob, Michelle, and Jana Duggar, as they all live in the same area.

She liked a post against antidepressants on social media

Can't get anything past eagle-eyed fans! Online users quickly noticed #AnnaDuggar put her support behind a controversial #TuckerCarlson tweet.https://t.co/nzBTCwioPt  OK! Magazine USA (@OKMagazine) July 29, 2022

Anna Duggars Instagram went almost entirely inactive after Josh Duggars arrest. But shes slowly started adding new posts to her social media. More recently, she took to Twitter to like a post by Tucker Carlson claiming people shouldnt take antidepressants.

Drugs arent the answer to every human problem, the post from Carlson reads, according to Reddit. People are more than just a collection of chemicals. Theyre human beings. They have souls. The accompanying video then attempts to persuade the viewer why antidepressants do more harm than good.

Im reading this as a projection really, a Duggar family follower suggested, according to Reddit.

Antidepressants in conjunction with therapy have saved my life and my sanity, another Reddit user noted. Anna would benefit GREATLY from them.

Maybe shes just jumping on board with whatever issues others in her social group follow to stay relevant, yet another follower wrote.

Is Anna Duggar moving to Texas? She left clues on her Instagram

#JushDuggar will be receiving far fewer visits from his wife #AnnaDuggar now that he's been moved to a new prison. #RadarExclusivehttps://t.co/g9A6yVKqVc  Radar Online (@radar_online) June 29, 2022

While Anna Duggar liked the video of Tucker Carlson, Duggar family followers suspect shes looking for a major change to enhance her happiness. Anna posted evidence on her Instagram to suggest she might move to Texas.

Annas sister and brother-in-law, Priscilla and David Waller, both currently live in Fort Worth, Texas. Not only does the couple own a home in Big Sandy, Texas, but they also purchased land in 2020 and built a new home. The home has reportedly remained vacant, making Duggar family followers wonder if Anna will move in.

Anna visited Priscilla in Teaxas during summer 2022, and she seems to have a great relationship with her sister. If she moved, this would put her and her seven children much closer to Josh Duggar for the duration of his sentence.

How to get help: If you or someone you know has been sexually abused, text HOME to the Crisis Text Line at 741741 for free and confidential support.

For more on the entertainment world and exclusive interviews, subscribe to Showbiz Cheat Sheets YouTube channel.

RELATED: Anna Duggars Sister Builds House in Texas, Sparks Suspicion of Annas Future
TL;DR:

Bananaramas Cruel Summer was covered by several other artists, including Ace of Base.

Bananaramas Sara Dallin said theres a reason she knows the song is a classic.

Cruel Summer became a hit in the United States and the United Kingdom.

Bananarama | Ebet Roberts/Redferns

Bananaramas Sara Dallin said the music of the 1980s is more organic than todays music. In addition, she said Bananaramas Cruel Summer had a big impact on the musicians of subsequent decades. She also revealed what she thought of a rock bands cover of the song.

Bananaramas Sara Dallin said people used to tell her the 1980s were a terrible decade

Bananarama is a girl group that had a handful of hits in the 1980s. During a 2022 interview with Pink News, Dallin discussed that time period. When I think back, people used to say, Oh the 80s was a terrible decade, it was all backcombed hair and shoulder pads, but for me it was all very identifiable artists, Dallin said.

Dallin compared the 1980s to today. I think each person, each group or solo artist, we all wrote our own music, we all styled ourselves  we didnt have the big glam teams they do now  it was all quite organic, she opined.

RELATED: The Monkees Pleasant Valley Sunday Inspired This 1980s Rock Song

What Sara Dallin thought of Ace of Base, Lorde, Evanescence, and rappers making their versions of Bananaramas Cruel Summer

Dallin discussed one of her groups most famous tracks: Cruel Summer. I think Cruel Summer has proved to be a classic song because different artists cover it for each generation  and its quite a big hit, Dallin said. When Ace of Base did their cover, it went top 10 in America again.

Evanescence did it in lockdown on the keyboard, it sounded beautiful, Dallin added. Lorde has done it. There have been rap ones and all kinds of things. I dont know what it is about that song, but it really has taken on a life of its own now.

RELATED: Britney Spears Wanted Baby One More Time to Sound Like This Sexy 1980s Song

How Cruel Summer and its parent album performed on the pop charts in the United States and the United Kingdom

Cruel Summer became a hit in the United States. The track reached No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100, staying on the chart for 18 weeks. Other than Venus and I Heard a Rumor, none of Bananaramas other songs charted higher. The group released Cruel Summer on the album Bananarama. The album peaked at No. 30 on the Billboard 200, remaining on the chart for 36 weeks.

The Official Charts Company reports Cruel Summer became similarly popular in the United Kingdom. There, it hit No. 8 and stayed on the chart for 10 weeks. Meanwhile, Bananarama reached No. 16 and lasted on the chart for 11 weeks.

Cruel Summer was a hit in the 1980s  and other artists helped it stand the test of time.

RELATED: Bon Jovis You Give Love a Bad Name Is an Intentional Rewrite of Another 1980s Song
Jesse Palmer has his hands full hosting the first season of The Bachelorette with two leading ladies simultaneously. In week 4, Gabby Windey, Rachel Recchia, and the men headed to France for a romantic set of dates. Jesse flexed his French in front of the men, but is the TV host fluent in the language?

[Spoiler alert: The Bachelorette 2022 Week 4 spoilers ahead.]

Jesse Palmer | Craig Sjodin/ABC via Getty Images

Week 4 of The Bachelorette 2022 takes place in France

During Week 4 of The Bachelorette 2022, Rachel, Gabby, and the men headed to France to continue their journey to find love. Tino and Jason met Rachel and Gabby in Paris for a round of romantic one-on-one dates in the city of love.

Meanwhile, host Jesse Palmer greeted the rest of the men in the port city of La Havre, France. There he informed them that they would be staying on the Virgin Voyages Valiant Lady cruise ship during the next part of their journey, stopping for romantic dates in various parts of Europe.

And here we go.. the journey to find love on #TheBachelorette continues NOW on ABC @BacheloretteABC pic.twitter.com/f5cXIbk81r  Jesse James Palmer (@JessePalmerTV) August 2, 2022

Jesse Palmer greeted The Bachelorette contestants with a few sentences in French, leaving the men looking confused. Many fans may be wondering if Jesse learned his lines for the show or if he actually speaks fluent French.

The Bachelorette host Jesse Palmer is from Canada and speaks French

Jesse Palmer left his home in Canada to attend the University of Florida in Gainesville, after which he was drafted into the NFL. In 2005 he starred as the lead in season 5 of The Bachelor. Now, Jesse Palmer hosts several Bachelor Nation shows, leading men and women in their journey to find love.

Given that Canadas official languages are both English and French, its not too surprising that Jesse really does speak French. The TV host loves traveling and French culture, which he discussed in a 2018 interview with Lapalme Magazine.

I love traveling, but I have a home in Montreal where I love to go. Its not far from where I grew up in Canada. I grew up in Ottawa, and Montreal is not far away. Its about a 45-minute flight from New York City, so its very close. But because of its history and its culture, you feel like youre in Europe, Palmer stated.

Its obviously French. I speak French, the food and culture are fantastic, the history is outstanding, and the people are wonderful. If I had a long weekend, thats definitely a place that I try to escape to, he continued.

The Bachelorette 2022 heads to Belgium in week 5

After week 4 of The Bachelorette 2022, Jesse Palmer will accompany Rachel, Gabby, and the men to a new destination. The group departs France and heads for Bruges, Belgium, in week 5. Although their next stop looks quaint and exciting, theres still more drama in store. The teaser for episode 5 shows Logan hoping to switch from pursuing Rachel to team Gabby.

New episodes of The Bachelorette 2022 air Mondays at 8 p.m. ET.

RELATED: The Bachelorette 2022: Kaitlyn Bristowe Drags the Show on Twitter for Its Treatment of Gabby and Rachel
A synthesis procedure developed by NITech scientists can convert fish scales obtained from fish waste into a useful carbon-based nanomaterial. Their approach uses microwaves to break the scales down thermally via pyrolysis in less than 10 seconds, yielding carbon nano-onions with unprecedented quality compared with those obtained from conventional methods.

Thanks to their low toxicity, chemical stability, and remarkable electrical and optical properties, carbon-based nanomaterials are finding more and more applications across electronics, energy conversion and storage, catalysis, and biomedicine. Carbon nano-onions (CNOs) are certainly no exception. First reported in 1980, CNOs are nanostructures composed of concentric shells of fullerenes, resembling cages within cages. They offer multiple attractive qualities such as a high surface area and large electrical and thermal conductivities.

Unfortunately, the conventional methods for producing CNOs have some serious drawbacks. Some require harsh synthesis conditions, such as high temperatures or vacuum, while others demand a lot of time and energy. Some techniques can circumvent these limitations, but instead call for complex catalysts, expensive carbon sources, or dangerous acidic or basic conditions. This greatly limits the potential of CNOs.

Fortunately, not all hope is lost. In a recent study published in Green Chemistry (available online on April 25, 2022, and published in issue 10 on May 21, 2022), a team of scientists from Nagoya Institute of Technology in Japan found a simple and convenient way to turn fish waste into extremely high-quality CNOs. The team, which included Assistant Professor Yunzi Xin, Masters student Kai Odachi, and Associate Professor Takashi Shirai, developed a synthesis route in which fish scales extracted from fish waste after cleaning are converted into CNOs in mere seconds through microwave pyrolysis.

But how can fish scales be converted into CNOs so easily? While the exact reason is not altogether clear, the team believes that it has to do with the collagen contained in fish scales, which can absorb enough microwave radiation to produce a fast rise in temperature. This leads to thermal decomposition or pyrolysis, which produces certain gases that support the assembly of CNOs. What is remarkable about this approach is that it needs no complex catalysts, nor harsh conditions, nor prolonged wait times; the fish scales can be converted into CNOs in less than 10 seconds!

Moreover, this synthesis process yields CNOs with very high crystallinity. This is remarkably difficult to achieve in processes that use biomass waste as a starting material. Additionally, during synthesis, the surface of the CNOs is selectively and thoroughly functionalized with (COOH) and (OH) groups. This is in stark contrast to the surface of CNOs prepared with conventional methods, which is typically bare and has to be functionalized through additional steps.

This automatic functionalization has important implications for applications of CNOs. When the CNO surface is not functionalized, the nanostructures tend to stick together owing to an attractive interaction known as pipi stacking. This makes it difficult to disperse them in solvents, which is necessary in any application requiring solution-based processes. However, since the proposed synthesis process produces functionalized CNOs, it allows for an excellent dispersibility in various solvents.

Yet another advantage associated with functionalization and the high crystallinity, is that of exceptional optical properties. Dr. Shirai explains: The CNOs exhibit ultra-bright visible-light emission with an efficiency (or quantum yield) of 40%. This value, which has never been achieved before, is about 10 times higher than that of previously reported CNOs synthesized via conventional methods.

To showcase some of the many practical applications of their CNOs, the team demonstrated their use in LEDs and blue-light-emitting thin films. The CNOs produced a highly stable emission, both inside solid devices and when dispersed in various solvents, including water, ethanol, and isopropanol. The stable optical properties could enable us to fabricate large-area emissive flexible films and LED devices, speculates Dr. Shirai. These findings will open up new avenues for the development of next-generation displays and solid-state lighting.

Furthermore, the proposed synthesis technique is environmentally friendly and provides a straightforward way to convert fish waste into infinitely more useful materials. The team believes their work would contribute to the fulfillment of several of UNs Sustainable Development Goals. Additionally, if CNOs make their way into next-generation LED lighting and QLED displays, they could greatly help reduce their manufacturing costs.
A muon, center, spins like a top within the atomic lattice of a thin film of superconducting nickelate. These elementary particles can sense the magnetic field created by the spins of electrons up to a billionth of a meter away. By embedding muons in four nickelate compounds at the Paul Scherrer Institute in Switzerland, researchers at SLAC and Stanford discovered that the nickelates they tested host magnetic excitations whether theyre in their superconducting states or not  another clue in the long quest to understand how unconventional superconductors can conduct electric current with no loss.

Electrons find each other repulsive. Nothing personal  its just that their negative charges repel each other. So getting them to pair up and travel together, like they do in superconducting materials, requires a little nudge.

In old-school superconductors, which were discovered in 1911 and conduct electric current with no resistance, but only at extremely cold temperatures, the nudge comes from vibrations in the materials atomic lattice.

But in newer, unconventional superconductors  which are especially exciting because of their potential to operate at close to room temperature for things like zero-loss power transmission  no one knows for sure what the nudge is, although researchers think it might involve stripes of electric charge, waves of flip-flopping electron spins that create magnetic excitations, or some combination of things.

In the hope of learning more by looking at the problem from a slightly different angle, researchers at Stanford University and the Department of Energys SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory synthesized another unconventional superconductor family  the nickel oxides, or nickelates. Since then, theyve spent three years investigating the nickelates properties and comparing them to one of the most famous unconventional superconductors, the copper oxides or cuprates.

And in a paper published in Nature Physics today, the team reported a significant difference: Unlike in the cuprates, the magnetic fields in nickelates are always on.

Magnetism: Friend or foe?

Nickelates, the scientists said, are intrinsically magnetic, as if each nickel atom were clutching a tiny magnet. This is true whether the nickelate is in its non-superconducting, or normal, state or in a superconducting state where electrons have paired up and formed a sort of quantum soup that can host intertwining phases of quantum matter. Cuprates, on the other hand, are not magnetic in their superconducting state

This study looked at fundamental properties of the nickelates compared to the cuprates, and what that can tell us about unconventional superconductors in general, said Jennifer Fowlie, a postdoctoral researcher at SLACs Stanford Institute for Materials and Energy Sciences (SIMES) who led the experiments.

Some researchers think magnetism and superconductivity compete with each other in this type of system, she said; others think you cant have superconductivity unless magnetism is close by.

While our results dont settle that question, they do highlight where more work should probably be done, Fowlie said. And they mark the first time that magnetism has been examined in both the superconducting and the normal state of nickelates.

Harold Hwang, a professor at SLAC and Stanford and director of SIMES, said, This is another important piece of the puzzle that the research community is putting together as we work to frame the properties and phenomena at the heart of these exciting materials.

Enter the muon

Few things come easy in this field of research, and studying the nickelates has been harder than most.

While theorists predicted more than 20 years ago that their chemical similarity to the cuprates made it likely that they could host superconductivity, nickelates are so difficult to make that it took years of trying before the SLAC and Stanford team succeeded.

Even then, they could only make thin films of the material  not the thicker chunks needed to explore its properties with common techniques. A number of research groups around the world have been working on easier ways to synthesize nickelates in any form, Hwang said.

So the research team turned to a more exotic method, called low-energy muon spin rotation/relaxation, that can measure the magnetic properties of thin films and is available only at the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI) in Switzerland.

Muons are fundamental charged particles that are similar to electrons, but 207 times more massive. They stick around for just 2.2 millionths of a second before decaying. Positively charged muons, which are often preferred for experiments like these, decay into a positron, a neutrino and an antineutrino. Like their electron cousins, they spin like tops and change the direction of their spin in response to magnetic fields. But they can feel those fields only in their immediate surroundings  up to about one nanometer, or a billionth of a meter, away.

At PSI, scientists use a beam of muons to embed the little particles in the material they want to study. When the muons decay, the positrons they produce fly off in the direction the muon is spinning. By tracing the positrons back to their origins, researchers can see which way the muons were pointing when they winked out of existence and thus determine the materials overall magnetic properties.

Finding a workaround

The SLAC team applied to do experiments with the PSI system in 2020, but then the pandemic made it impossible to travel in or out of Switzerland. Fortunately, Fowlie was a postdoc at the University of Geneva at the time and already planning to come to SLAC to work in Hwangs group. So she started the first round of experiments in Switzerland with a team led by Andreas Suter, a senior scientist at PSI and an expert in extracting information about superconductivity and magnetism from muon decay data.

After arriving at SLAC May 2021, Fowlie immediately started making various types of nickelate compounds the team wanted to test in their second round of experiments. When travel restrictions ended, the team was finally able to go back to Switzerland to finish the study.

The unique experimental setup at PSI allows scientists to embed muons at precise depths in the nickelate materials. From this, they were able to determine what was going on in each super-thin layer of various nickelate compounds with slightly different chemical compositions. They discovered that only the layers that contained nickel atoms were magnetic.

Interest in the nickelates is very high around the world, Hwang said. Half a dozen research groups have published their own ways of synthesizing nickelates and are working on improving the quality of the samples they study, and a huge number of theorists are trying to come up with insights to guide the research in productive directions.

We are trying to do what we can with the resources we have as a research community, he said, but theres still a lot more we can learn and do.
On Wednesday, July 13, at their newly-purchased, fully-remodeled commercial property at 535 West Main St., Rebel Interactive Group celebrated the opening of their 25,00- square-foot office building.

The digital marketing agency had called Southington home for nearly eight years, but as the company has grown exponentially  even through the pandemic  and the needs of clients and employees have shifted, Rebel leadership has acknowledged that a change in space was needed to reflect the change in mindset.

From the first moment we met (Cheshire Economic Coordinator) Andrew Martelli and (Town Manager) Sean Kimball, we felt the warmth of the Town of Cheshire, said Allison Minutillo, president and owner of Rebel, who has also served the role as lead project manager on the renovation project. Since then, endless business owners, residents, local officials, and community members have reached out to congratulate us, introduce themselves, and collaborate on future initiatives. We have felt incredibly welcome the entire time, and Cheshire has felt like home since day one.

Rebels new headquarters will include state-of-the-art facilities for video and photography production, a podcast studio, warehouse space, and collaboration spaces.

However, the most important feature, says Bryn Tindall, CEO and owner of the agency, is how the space reflects the future of Rebel.

We needed a physical location that matched the vibe and vision for our brand. We only looked at this one property and knew the moment we walked in that this was it, said Tindall. We are confident a company like Rebel Interactive Group and our ecosystem of brands such as RebelWare (a SaaS company) and Rebel Academy (a mixed media learning/education platform) will bring forth the vibrancy of the Cheshire community.

We plan to be here for the long haul  bringing jobs to the area, young professionals to enjoy Cheshires businesses and activities, and to support businesses with the digital marketing expertise of a big agency with the feel of a family-run one, because we are one, said Minutillo.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony at Rebel Interactive Groups headquarters was hosted by the Cheshire Chamber of Commerce and included remarks by Rebel leadership and local and state officials.
Prem Chand has led a church for Dalit and non-Dalit Christians in Indias most populous state of Uttar Pradesh for years. But despite his title and experience, hes learned one painful lesson over and over.

A Dalit always stays a Dalit, an outcast, even if he is educated or has a good economic status, he said. Both believers and nonbelievers do not respect a Dalit pastor as they would a high-caste Hindu convert pastor.

Despite making up a significant number of the Christian populationboth Catholic and ProtestantDalit Christians have historically been shut out from church leadership. As Chand knows firsthand, many Christian Dalits face persistent caste discrimination in their congregations. Outside the church, the government denies them affirmative action benefits available to Hindu Dalits, keeping millions of believers stymied in poverty and shut out from formal education.

To this day, Christians from different castes worship in different locations and bury their dead in separate graveyards in some Southern Indian congregations. Dalit believers face less overt discrimination in the northern and central parts of the country, if only because many Christians in these regions are from the Dalit or Tribal background themselves. Yet a discriminatory line remains, even though some parts of community life are shared.

For generations people have been living following the set rules of caste, and it does not leave an individual even after they start to follow Christ, said Chand. Even after many years of faith and associating superficially with Dalits, when it comes to marrying their children, high-caste Christians will search for brides and grooms who belong to their own castes and not go for intercaste marriages.

Efforts are being made to address the discrimination, but no church or Christian leader has committed to any binding resolutions. These are only individual church efforts, and there is yet a long way to go.

When a Dalit hears [Genesis 1:27], it is the first time in their entire life that they feel like a human, said Ram Surat, an activist and Dalit scholar, who prefers to be addressed as a Balijan or Mulnivasi Christian (see sidebar). But it is heart wrenching when a Dalit converts to Christianity to gain dignity and to get away from the grip of untouchability and the caste system but finds that she or he continues to face discrimination, thus marginalizing them twice with respect to both caste and religion.

Whats in a name?



The word Dalit itself comes from the Sanskrit word Dalita, which means broken or scattered, and refers to the oppression that the so-called untouchables or outcasts faced.



Essentially Dalit is a self-designated term and is an assertion of an anticaste position, of identity and of struggle against the oppression in a society marred by Brahmanical caste system, said Ram Surat.



Prior to independence, the government referred to the community as the Scheduled Caste.



Today, while many choose to self-identify as Dalit, some in the community prefer words like the political term Bahujan (the majority) or Mulnivasi (original natives of the land). Followers of the ideology of 19th-century Hindu social reformer Jyotiba Phule refer to themselves as Balijan, after King Bali, whom Phule used as a symbol against caste discrimination and exploitation.

Left out

Numerous Indian Christians come from Dalit and Tribal backgrounds, many drawn to the gospel as a means of fleeing the Hindu social orders oppressive caste system.

In 2008, a government report by the National Commission for Minorities stated that 2.4 million Dalits are Christians but added, Most scholars and activists put the proportion at between 50 and 75 percent of all Indian Christians, although it is not possible to corroborate these claims in any decisive manner due to the difficulty of the category being officially unrecognized. Today, Dalits make up one third of Indias Christian population, according to Pew Research Center data released in 2021.

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For years, Indians from other castes considered Dalits so impure that their touch or even shadow was said to pollute other groups in the Hindu social ordera belief that justified expelling them from public life. Though the practice of untouchability was legally abolished by the Constitution of India, it continues to be practiced in India today and manifests itself in regular physical and structural violence against the Dalits.

Every 18 minutes, a crime is committed against a Dalit, leading to a disproportionate number of Dalit murder, rape, and arson victims. More than half the children in the community are malnourished, and 83 per 1,000 children die before their first birthday, noted a Catholic Bishops Conference of India (CBCI) report from 2016.

Dalit households often lack basic facilities like access to water, denied to them by the high castes living in the vicinity, notes the report. Public health workers refuse to visit Dalit homes. Police stations often refuse entry for Dalits, and they are made to sit separately while eating in school or at public gatherings.

In an attempt to circumvent such discrimination, many Dalits (from all religious backgrounds) have exchanged their easily recognizable surnames for more caste-neutral or high-caste ones. After changing their names, many move away from the areas where they grew up to avoid being identified.

While the Indian Constitution officially offers affirmation action (or reservations) to Dalits, these measures apply only to Dalits from Hindu, Buddhist, or Sikh communities and exclude Christians and Muslims.

In 2008, one government agency published a report arguing for equal treatment for all Dalit members. Several Christian bodies, like the CBCI, had petitioned the Supreme Court to demand justice for Dalit Christians and Muslims so reservation benefits could be restored. Filed in 2004, the petition is still pending.

As of today, Dalit Christians lack education, equal opportunities, and most do not own any agricultural land, said Bishop Pradeep Kumar Samantaroy of the Church of North India (CNI).

Though many Dalit Christians have embraced the faith for generations, conversion to Christianity has brought little change in their social or economic statussomething that even the Supreme Court of India observed.

Conversion does not change ones status or caste, though the heart and mind may change, said Surat. I do not notice any economic leaps in the lives of Dalit converts. They should be getting reservations.

An unequal church life

Throughout the history of the Indian Church, Christian leaders such as Saint Devasahayam, theologians Arvind P. Nirmal and James Massey, and others have been on the forefront of challenging these abuses.

Yet, according to Surat, most Christians, especially those not from the Dalit community, find it embarrassing to admit that caste discrimination is present in the church and Christian community at large.

Mahesh (who asked to be referred to only by his first name) is a Dalit pastor who leads 32 prayer houses in four locations in the eastern state of Bihar and works exclusively among the Dalit community. He says that he rarely shares the gospel with the non-Dalits.

They hear the gospel and get convinced. But when they come to attend church services, they are not able to accept the fact that Christ equalizes them with the Dalit sitting next to them, and thus they stop coming to church, he said.

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The fact that the church radically upends non-Dalits social circle makes it very challenging to do evangelism to this community, says Sanjay Kumar, a Dalit pastor who serves in the states of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.

They are hesitant as to how the villagers and their nonbelieving families would react to their faith in Christ, he said. They directly say that accepting Christ would mean that we will have to rub shoulders with the Dalit-background believers, intermarry, and such a binding is problematic for us.

In recent years, because of the rise of Dalit theology and rights movements within the church, Christian leaders in mainline churches, like the Methodist Church in India and CNI in Delhi, have sought for more equality in church life.

There is no distinction in the sitting arrangements in the church or eating arrangements. Neither is the church hesitant in giving them church memberships, said Surat. But though there is certainly an improvement, it is not sufficient.

Whose problem to solve?

Protestant Christian leaders in India acknowledge Dalit presence and participation in leadership roles but confess that many of them are not comfortable identifying themselves publicly as Dalit. Some, however, like former CNI bishop Karam Masih, proudly wear their Dalit identity and are activists for the cause.

If I start to name pastors and leaders from Dalit background, I can go on with a long list, but I would not like to name anybody unless they themselves are comfortable in accepting and identifying with their roots, said Surat.

Dalit representation in Catholic leadership is tiny. Of the countrys 31 archbishops, only two are Dalits, and of the 215 bishops, only 11 are Dalits, Crux noted in a recent report.

Still, many cheered when, earlier this year, Pope Francis nominated Anthony Poola, the previous Archbishop of Hyderabad, to become the Catholic churchs first Dalit cardinal.

This is good news for Dalit Catholics and for the entire Church in India, Poola told AsiaNews.

For years, few non-Dalit Christians have seen lack of Dalit leadership representation as a problem, says Samantaroy, pointing out the lack of initiative by the Christian community at large in bridging the gap.

The church has neglected their own community by only seeking support from the government and from outside. We [Christians] have prime institutions both in health care and education serving the country, but many of our own Dalit Christians did not have access to such education, he said. I dont see that we have made conscious efforts to groom Dalits to leadership.

Conscious efforts have begun in churches to build up Dalit leadership, but nearly every change exists only at the individual level, says S. Duraiswamy, the senior pastor at Chennai Diocese of the Evangelical Church of India.

In the local church committees, we make sure that Dalits are included in church decision-making committees and that there is a balance between the Dalit representation and others, he said.

A growing number of Dalit Christians are seeking higher education, cognizant that university is often a vehicle of upward mobility at least within the Christian community.

At Baring Union Christian College in Punjab, five years ago there were less than 25 total Dalit students receiving formal training in the college, but today we have 100 Dalit students, said Samantaroy.

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Many of the new independent churches and house churches throughout India are being led by Christians from Dalit background, but their experiences continue to point toward discrimination.

Congregations under Dalit pastoral leadership may struggle to stay afloat because their congregations are economically weak themselves and lack support from outside the church, says Chand.

Chand once approached a high-caste believer for some work-related advice.

That man asked me my name and confirmed from me if I was a Dalit. Immediately his way of talking with me changed. When I tried to place my views before him as we discussed, he said, Will you [a Dalit] teach me now?, said Chand.

Theres little hope for a strong Indian church if the disunity among Dalit Christians and their non-Dalit counterparts persists, says Surat.

If [this discrimination] continues to exist, then church will not make any progress. When they come together [to] the table to discuss the [Christian] community-related larger issues, they would be divided, he said. The division based on caste is very dangerous. It will divide the church and make it very weak.
This month, the United States Senate is considering a bill to protect same-sex couples right to marry. Seven years have passed since the historic Obergefell decision, so these initiatives might look like grandstanding or redundant efforts. But in late June, the Supreme Court overturned the 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling, hinting at the possibility of revisiting other cases.

The Dobbs ruling unleashed a flurry of legislation, as lawmakers rush to codify questions that had previously been settled through the courts. While Democrats at the federal level are working to enshrine same-sex marriage, Republicans in conservative states are working to restrict and prohibit elective abortion.

A political environment that didnt seem like it could get any more polarized suddenly has.

The swell of policy initiatives has also highlighted the need for discerning leadersthose who know not just how to win elections and judicial seats but how best to rule. Leaders like King Solomon.

Solomon assumes the throne of Israel after a season of political instability that included an attempted coup, a contested transfer of power, a political rival refusing to concede defeat, family drama, and hefty doses of palace intrigue. According to 2 Chronicles 1:1, Solomon eventually strengthen[s] his hold on his kingdom (CSB).

But once in power, he faces a new dilemma and asks himself: Once I secure the ability to reign, how should I reign? Once I gain power, what do I do with it?

Rather than lean on his own understanding, Solomon seeks the face of God, offering burnt sacrifices to inquire before the Lord. In response, God promises to grant him whatever he wants. Solomon famously asks for wisdom and knowledge:

Now, Lord God, let your promise to my father David be confirmed.  Give me wisdom and knowledge, that I may lead this people, for who is able to govern this great people of yours? (2 Chron. 1:910)

Solomons request is striking in part because he seems to understand that ruling is not simply a matter of implementing your own agenda or creating laws that enshrine certain positions. As king, Solomon is responsible to govern, and to do so, he needs a different set of skills than the ones that got him into power.

He knows that wisdom is more than holding the right positions. It involves knowing how to wield power for the good of the nation. It means applying policy in a lived context that has hundreds of variables and complications. And it means shepherding a group of people through the unknown.

Consider the most famous example of Solomons wisdom. First Kings 3 tells the story of two mothers who bring a case before him. Both had recently given birth, but one of the babies had died in the night. Both are now claiming to be the mother of the living child.

As the women stand arguing before him, Solomon calls for a sword. Cut the living child in two, he orders, and give half to one and half to the other (v. 25). Hearing this, one woman begs the king to stop and relinquishes her claim, preferring the child be alive in her rivals arms than massacred. The other woman is unfazed by the gruesomeness of Solomons solution.

Suddenly, the real mother is revealed. And Solomons wisdom is also exposed. He understands not just the law but human nature; he reaches a just ruling by going beyond the law to the truth not fully captured by the law.

In our polarized age, part of the reason we dont have wise leaders is because we often settle for law when we need something more. While enacting and adjudicating just laws is necessary work, its also limited work and not sufficient on its own.

Even more startling, a society so deeply convinced of the sufficiency of lawmaking will soon find itself content with a legalistic approach to other areas of life, counting on law to accomplish what only wisdom can.

Unfortunately, that method can neither establish goodness nor adequately punish evil. After all, if law is our hope, those who keep themselves within its letter cannot be condemned even if their actions harm others.

While our legislative systems play an essential, irreplaceable role, we need something beyond law. We need something beyond ourselves. We need what only God can give.

In James 1, the apostle writes, If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you (v. 5).

Echoing the request of Solomon, we would do well to fall on our faces before God and humbly beg him for the wisdom we need as a nation in this moment. This is especially true for those of us who follow Jesus Christ, the wisdom of God made flesh.

Hannah Anderson is the author of Made for More, All Thats Good, and Humble Roots: How Humility Grounds and Nourishes Your Soul.
There are two reasons to put solar panels on the roofs of Calvin University.

One, renewable energy can provide power for the private Christian campus in Grand Rapids, Michigan, without adding to the atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide, methane, chlorofluorocarbons, and nitrous oxide that are driving climate change.

Two, it will save the school some money.

At Calvin, the environmental reason is primary. The budgetary help is a bonus.

I think taking care of the planet is a prerequisite to being a Christian, Tim Fennema, vice president for administration and finance, told CT. And as a Christian university, its something we want to do.

Calvin is on a mission to be carbon neutral by 2057. The school got a little closer last month when it announced a partnership with the Indiana-based Sun FundED to come up with a plan to install solar arrays on university buildings, offsetting the high-carbon energy sources Calvin currently uses to heat, cool, and power the campus.

Solar panels on top of the buildings will be a visible sign to the Calvin community that theyre taking environmental concerns seriously, according to Fennema.

That sign is economically feasible because of advancements in the financing of renewable energy projects. Calvin wont have to go into debt or ask donors to raise the funds for alternative energy. Sun FundED, a private company backed by venture capital, is a tax-equity investment. It will provide the solar power array to Calvin with no upfront costs and then leverage tax credits that arent available to the nonprofit educational institution.

It allows us to do it on a larger scale on campus than we could have ever done by ourselves, Fennema said.

The school will pay Sun FundED a service fee that covers the companys costs, and Sun FundED will pass the benefits of the tax credits to investors.

When the equity investor comes in, theyre getting all of their tax credits, so theyre offsetting their tax exposure and theyre getting all of the depreciation in year one, Sun FundED cofounder Kelly Hipskind explained. Theyre essentially right out of the gate making their money back.

Investors will receive a portion of the profits in subsequent years, while Calvin, like other institutions that have done this, will pay less in service fees than it would have for fossil-fuel-generated electricity.

The system, according to Hipskind, is designed to address the environmental issue and cost management concerns while still benefiting investors.

As a Christian businessman who is concerned about climate change, Hipskind believes its possible to meet the needs of the market and the environment. Both his parents were teachers, so he also knew challenges educational institutions face. Thinking about those three factors together led him and his business partner, Patrick Poer, to launch a for-profit company providing solar power for schools.

He recalls it, now, a bit like Genesis 1:3:

And God said, Hey, how about solar? Hipskind joked. I heard at the dinner table the needs and challenges of education, and then we said, How can we impact the classroom and the bottom line?

Sun FundED, founded in 2018, is currently working with about 50 educational institutions in various stages of the path to solar energy. Hipskind estimates the systems theyve installed have already saved educational institutions about $50 million.

The environmental savings are harder to put a figure on, but for Christian colleges and universities, they seem more significant.

We know that it can help lower costs and keep tuition affordable for our students in the long runor at least be an aid in that. But also we know its just the right thing to do from an environmental standpoint, said John Jones, vice president for operations at Indiana Wesleyan University (IWU).

The evangelical school in Marion, Indiana, started looking at solar in earnest in 2019. Like Calvin, IWU officials were concerned about the initial outlay and whether renewable energy would be affordable. But administrators were motivated by a concern for creation and encouraged by student demands that the school take climate change seriously.

We know that people that are going to walk our campuses in the future are going to expect that, Jones said. We need to be prepared for that.

With Sun FundEDs plan, going green seemed like the right thing to do not only in the long term but also right away. The school has 2.3 million square feet of buildings and could save $1 million the first year the solar panels are in operation.

It takes a lot of energy to run this campus. Anything we can do to minimize that cost is helpful, Jones said.

IWU is currently working with Sun FundED to map out which buildings will best work for solar arrays. They are also considering creating a solar farma field of panels absorbing energy from the sunon university property.

While Jones is eager to see these plans become a reality and pleased with the progress thus far, there have been some roadblocks on the way. In Grant County, where the university is located, there have been some questions and concerns from the community and objections from the local utility companies.

Solar is somewhat new to our county, so there are a lot of emotions around solar and concerns about solar, Jones said. Some of them are real concerns, and some of them  may not have any legs.

Some in the community dont like the idea of a solar field taking up space that could be used to grow crops. Others have raised issues about how property values will be impacted by solar panel fields in their backyard. Some residents worry the panels will reflect light (though they are designed to absorb it) and cause a glare.

Jones, other university officials, and advocates for solar energy are doing their best to answer those concerns and advocate for alternative power. Talking to the community unfamiliar with solar energy is part of the process.

Jones is confident Grant County residents will be persuaded, like hes been persuaded, that this is the best way forward.

It is the future, so not doing something with renewable energy  is probably shortsighted on anybodys part, he said.

In Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, Messiah University is seeing the results of renewable energy right now. The school has reduced its carbon emissions by 38 percent since 2008.

Were inching up towards the 40 percent reduction mark, Brandon Hoover, Messiahs director of sustainability, told CT. We have a goal of 50 percent reduction by 2025.

Creation care has been a priority at the school for nearly a decade. The university has signed onto the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment, which includes a goal of complete carbon neutrality by 2050.

The speed of this transition is historic, Hoover said. Previous transitions in energy sourcesfrom wood to coal or wind to steam powerhave taken humans around 100 years.

What were talking about doing is making that transition in 30 years, Hoover said. Its never been done before.

But it does seem possible with rapid advancements in technology. And right now its actually saving the school money. Messiah pays less for utilities than it did eight years ago, despite adding about 90,000 square feet of buildings. The staff has developed a solar thermal system that heats the water for 500 students who live on campus and paid close attention to energy efficiency.

The savings are there, said Messiahs facility services director Bradley Markley.

And thats just a bonus.

The school is also fulfilling its Christian mission. At Messiah, concern about climate change connects to the schools Brethren tradition, with its historic commitment to peace. Climate change and energy shortages lead to violence, Hoover said. According to the UN, an annual average of 21.5 million people have been displaced by extreme weather events since 2008, and if weather extremes worsen as expected, the consequences for human suffering could be dire.

Christs call for his followers to be peacemakers also applies to creation care.

We see reconciliation as not just between people and people, but people and place, Hoover said.

Across the country, more Christian schools are working out plans to become that kind of placewhere reconciliation shines like the sun, absorbed into solar panels on university roofs.
4 kids among Nigerian Christians killed in attack on their homes Youth leader says a baby's hand was cut off

ABUJA, Nigeria  Suspected Fulani herdsmen on Sunday killed seven Christians, including four children, in an attack in Plateau state, Nigeria, following months of violence in neighboring Taraba state, sources said.

Following a July 21 attack in Fusa village, Plateau state that left five Christians dead, assailants on Sunday invaded Danda Chigwi village in the states Jos South County shortly after 7 p.m., said area resident Dagah Dung.

A Christian youth leader in the village, Rwang Tengwong, said in a press statement that two other people were injured in the attack southwest of Jos, including a 4-month-old baby whose hand was cut off. Tengwong identified the slain as Ruth Gyang Bot, 16; Chundung Pam Gyang, 9; Mercy James Gyang, 12; Benjamin Pam Gyang, 5; Pam Gyang Dawho, 59; Nvou Pam Gyang, 43; and Jah Dung Pam, 50.

Tengwong, spokesman of the Berom Youth Movement (BYM), said the four females and three males slain were members of two families and were attacked in their homes.

Wounded in the attack, he said, was Lyop John Dung, 40, and, David Pam Gyang, a 4-month-old baby whose hand was amputated by the attackers. They were being treated at Vom Christian Hospital, operated by the Church of Christ In Nations (COCIN).

Dachung Bagos, who represents Jos South/Jos East Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, described the attack as beastly in a press statement on Monday.

This incident has raised concerns over the readiness of security agencies to tackle once and for all the guerrilla style of killing which has been incessant in my constituency and Plateau state, Bagos said. Intelligence reports have it that the attackers had sent signals before now, and no action was taken on the part of the security agencies to curtail it; this is sad. I am angry and enraged by the daily killing within and around my constituency.

On July 21 in Fobur towns Fusa village, Jos East County, Fulani herdsmen killed five Christians, local residents said. Plateau State Command spokesman Alfred Alabo issued a statement confirming the attack.

The Commissioner of Police condoles with the people of Fobur town, Fusa village, and the families of the five persons who were killed on the July 21, Alabo said. He assures the families of the deceased and the entire local government that efforts are on top gear to arrest the perpetrators of the dastardly act for them to face justice.

Taraba state chaos

In northeast Nigerias Taraba state, Rimamnde Shawulu Kwewum, a member of the National Assembly who represents Takum/Donga/Ussa/Yangtu SDA Federal Constituency, said in a press statement that terrorists killed more than 30 people in predominantly Christian communities across two counties from July 5 to July 12.

Terrorists have continued the unabated destruction of settlements in Takum and Ussa Local Government Area of Taraba state, he said. The avoidable killings and destruction began on April 17, 2022.

Attacked since April in the Takum Local Government Area were Basank, Muji 1, Muji 2, Fawen, Tati, Flashin, Rikwen Tumu, Rikwen cwun, Tswen 1, Tswen 2, Kando, Kasiten, Kpashi, Shimta, Kwaben, Mbiya, Kakum, Tukok, Gaba and Mbafobani, among others, he said.

In Ussa Local Government Area, terrorists attacked the villages of Asik, Konkaen, Fangtae, Kujwaen, Kicha, Kusansang, Rikwentwen, Rikwen tsinya, Rikwen Makun, Tutuwa, Kampo and Ripaenchin, he said, while in Yangtu Special Development Area, Kwari, Boi, Kpaw, Nyifiye, Ruwa, Nyicwu and Ribasi suffered assaults.

The terrorists waylaid innocent and defenseless Christians, Kwewum said. These killings and destruction have become daily occurrences  and in several of the communities the terrorist attack, crops in the field are destroyed; houses including Christian worship centers are sometimes set ablaze.

Islamic extremist terrorists invade the areas in large numbers, simultaneously attacking several villages and settlements, he said.

All these attacks have kept occurring without any strong, coordinated and consistent intervention from the security agencies, Kwewum said.

On July 22 in Jenuwa Nyifiye village, at least nine Christians were killed in terrorist attacks, according to Habila Timothy Anderifun, representative in the Taraba State House of Assembly from the southern part of the state.

On July 18, Talatu Yaro was butchered at Kujwean by the suspected armed Fulani bandits, and her remains packaged in polytene bags like bush meat, Anderifun said in a statement. On the same day, Rimamsikwe Audu was shredded in pieces at Kujwean village, while Andenyangtso Adamu was butchered along the Takum-Lisam road by the same armed Fulani bandits.

Anderifun said 60 Christians were killed and 120,000 others displaced in two months of attacks by armed herdsmen and terrorists in Ussa and Takum counties and the Yangtu development area of Taraba state.

The killings and mutilation of the bodies of the victims in Ussa constitute crimes against humanity, and we urged the Nigerian government to take urgent steps to end these senseless killings, Anderifun said. It is imperative to state that communities such as Kujwean, Asik, Ripenchin, Kutuko, Kusansan and in fact, the entire Kwesati ward, Lissam II, Yangtu and Bika, among other communities, have been deserted.

Terrorist takeover

Since January, 300 Christians have been killed by herdsmen and other terrorists and 120,000 people have been displaced as 40 predominantly Christian communities were destroyed, said Anderifun and two other legislators of the Taraba State House Assembly, Garba Ajiya and Usman Danjuma Shiddi.

The attacks on Christians started in January this year have now become a total invasion and occupation of no fewer than 40 communities in my constituency by armed Fulani bandits, Garba Ajiya said.

In the last week of July, terrorists attacked Kpashimbe, Sabon-Gida Kpashimbe, Manya, Tati, Gandum I and II, Muji 1 and II, among several other communities along the Manya -Takum road, Ajiya said.

These villages have been deserted, while the Fulani herders now graze their cows freely on displaced peoples farms, he said. Thousands of Internally Displaced Persons have been forced to move to Markam and Fadama Primary schools and are using the schools classrooms as shelter. The Catholic church and other churches in that area have taken in some of the displaced Christians.

Shiddi added that Christians in the Ussa Local Government Area and the Yangtu Development Area have come under heavy attacks by suspected Boko Haram terrorists in the past three months.

Those attacks and massacres are very clear footprints of Boko Haram, for this was how it started in Borno and Yobe states, Shiddi said. Terrorist camps are now spreading over those communities from where they launch attacks and annex further communities. Terrorists are now advancing towards Takum Local Government Area. They have taken over Tati Village and Manyan, which is just about a 20-minute drive from Takum town.

The communities attacked, he said, were Basank, Muji 1, Muji 2, Fawen, Tati, Flashing, Rikwen Tumi, Rikwen Cwun, Tswen 1, Tswen 2, Kandi, Kpambo Puri, Kasiten, Kpashi, Shimta, Kwaben, Mbiya, Kakum, Angwan Government Lodge, Tukok, Gaba, Mbafobani, Asik, Konkaen, Fangtae, Kujwaen, Kicha, Kusansang, Rikwentwen, Rikwenntsinya, Rikwen Makun, Tutuwa, Kampo, Ripaenchin, Jenuwa Koji, Kwari, Boi, Kpaw, Kwambai, Nyifiye, Ruwa, Nyicwu,Ribasi, and Bika.

l view these security threats seriously as a potential danger to our existence, and if nothing effective is done now, the entire Taraba state starting from our area, would be taken over by Boko Haram terrorists, and from our area they would advance attacks on other areas and the neighboring states, Shiddi said.

Dantani Attahgani Useni, president of the Southern Taraba Youth Movement (STYM), said in a press statement that terrorists of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) in collaboration with Fulani herdsmen recently attacked Takum and Ussa counties.

Southern Taraba today has become a hostile environment and a den of killers, as our farmlands are being destroyed, villages are being sacked and razed on a daily basis, our children are being kidnapped and killed, Christians have become hostages in their homes, our land is under siege by transgressors who are armed with heavy artilleries, Useni said. It is on record that on several occasions, the security agencies have been furnished with detailed operational activities of these terrorists and herdsmen, but nothing has been done to bring the perpetrators of these acts to book.

Once peaceful, southern Taraba is fast sliding into chaos, he said.

The peace-loving Christians have become the target of those who seem to be above the law, Useni said. The unfolding situation has gone too far, and it has shown the lapses and collapse in our security architecture as a nation and a call for urgent action.

The Rev. Isaiah Magaji Jirapye, chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Taraba state chapter, said that prior to these attacks by Boko Haram and Fulani herdsmen, Islamic clerics outside of Taraba had threatened religious war and the establishment of a sharia (Islamic law) government in the state.

The attacks on Christian communities in Ussa and Takum local government areas of the state and Yangtu Development Area by the Fulani militias have had devastating effects on Christians in these areas and resulted in the death of dozens of Christians, the displacement of thousands of other Christians and destruction of whole Christian villages, Jirapye said. These attacks on Christian communities have now turned the southern part of Taraba state into a land of dry bones. Urgent steps must therefore be taken by the Nigerian government to put an end to ceaseless killings in Taraba state.

Numbering in the millions across Nigeria and the Sahel, predominantly Muslim Fulani comprise hundreds of clans of many different lineages who do not hold extremist views, but some Fulani do adhere to radical Islamist ideology, the United Kingdoms All-Party Parliamentary Group for International Freedom or Belief (APPG) noted in a recent report.

They adopt a comparable strategy to Boko Haram and ISWAP [Islamic State West Africa Province] and demonstrate a clear intent to target Christians and potent symbols of Christian identity, the APPG report states.

Christian leaders in Nigeria have said they believe herdsmen attacks on Christian communities in Nigerias Middle Belt are inspired by their desire to forcefully take over Christians lands and impose Islam as desertification has made it difficult for them to sustain their herds.

Nigeria led the world in Christians killed for their faith last year (Oct. 1, 2020 to Sept. 30, 2021) at 4,650, up from 3,530 the previous year, according to Open Doors 2022 World Watch List report. The number of kidnapped Christians was also highest in Nigeria, at more than 2,500, up from 990 the previous year, according to the WWL report.

Nigeria trailed only China in the number of churches attacked, with 470 cases, according to the report.

In the 2022 World Watch List of the countries where it is most difficult to be a Christian, Nigeria jumped to seventh place, its highest ranking ever, from No. 9 the previous year.

This article was originally published by Morning Star News.
Iranian propaganda turning public against Evangelical Christians, religious minorities: USCIRF Cleric: 'Evangelical Christianity is not a religion'

The Iranian government is actively inciting "derogatory public opinion" against Christianity and other faiths by using Iranian media outlets to spread religious propaganda, according to the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom.

A new report from the bipartisan federal advisory committee says Iran's government uses official media, government-linked media and social media to spread "falsehoods and misconceptions" about religious minorities to turn public opinion against these communities.

The report "Religious Propaganda in Iran" attributes the effort to a "systematic campaign to deny freedom of religion or belief to groups that do not conform to the government's singular interpretation of Ja'afri Shi'a Islam."

For instance, the government describes some Christians as belonging to an "Evangelical Zionist cult" and uses vague national security accusations to target Christian converts.

The phrase was referenced in the Nov. 3, 2021 ruling by Iran's Supreme Court, declaring that promoting Christianity and establishing home churches are not crimes and do not amount to national security crimes.

The court's opinion used the phrase "Evangelical Zionist cult" to refer to the Christian converts whose case it was addressing.

Under Iran's legal system, a ruling by a Supreme Court branch is not necessarily binding on lower courts.

"This misinformation campaign restricts freedom of religion or belief for religious minorities in Iran," USCIRF Commissioner Sharon Kleinbaum told The Christian Post.

According to USCIRF, Iranian state propaganda against Christian converts is often disguised as anti-Zionism, and Christian converts are regularly referred to as members of a "Zionist" network.

Officials say the reference to Zionism in this context does not refer to specific allegations of links between Christian converts in Iran and the state of Israel but rather "a broad conspiracy in which Evangelical Christians across the world promote political viewpoints that serve Zionist ideology."

The report also cites what USCIRF called "Iran's misinformation campaign against Christian converts," which officials say seeks to differentiate Christian converts from Armenians and Assyrians as recognized religious minority groups.

Hojjat al-Islam Kashani, a Muslim cleric who serves as the secretary of the Islam-Christianity Dialog Association, told an Iranian media outlet, "What is being promoted today as Christianity is not traditional Christianity, but rather it is Evangelical and colonial Christianity.

"Evangelical Christianity is not a religion. It is a policy-oriented towards colonialism."

According to the report, Kashani accused Evangelical Christian Iranians of pursuing a political agenda of expansion designed to undermine Iran's government.

Those political aims of Evangelical Christians have "resulted in their alienation from other Christians, and that Iranian Armenians are opposed to Evangelical Christians," Kashani said.

Iran's history is replete with examples of outside intervention by colonial powers in its domestic affairs, so this comment appeals to the sense of injustice some Iranians may feel about foreign meddling in Iranian politics, Kleinbaum said.

"The impact on Iranian Christians is that they cannot rely on the government to uphold its obligations under international law to protect freedom of religion or belief, and are more likely to face discrimination from Iranians who internalize the government's false messaging," she added.

In addition to Christian converts, the USCIRF report identifies and reviews the significant themes Iran's government deploys against Jews, Sunni Muslims, Gonabadi Sufis and Baha'is.

Besides providing data and analysis on religious freedom abroad, USCIRF also provides foreign policy recommendations to the president, secretary of state and U.S. Congress to fight religious persecution and promote freedom of religion and belief. Iran is one of 10 countries recognized by the U.S. State Department as a country of particular concern for tolerating and engaging in religious freedom abuses.

Just one year after Iran signed a historic nuclear deal with the U.S. and other Western nations in 2015, USCIRF reported that religious minorities in Iran, including Christians, continue experiencing severe human rights abuses.

The report found that religious freedom conditions "continued to deteriorate," with Christians, Baha'is and the minority Sunni Muslims facing the most persecution in the form of harassment, arrests and imprisonment.

Open Doors USA, a watchdog group that monitors religious freedom abuses in over 60 countries, ranks Iran as the ninth-worst country regarding Christian persecution.
Massachusetts establishes constitutional rights to abortion, 'gender-affirming' care Critics say law turns the state into an 'abortion sanctuary'

Massachusetts Republican Gov. Charlie Baker has signed into law a measure establishing abortion and "gender-affirming care" as constitutional rights, a move pro-life activists contend will turn the state into an "abortion sanctuary."

Baker approved Bill H.4930, "an Act expanding protections for reproductive rights," Friday. The bill's approval follows the U.S. Supreme Court's June 24 ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health, which reversed the Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion nationwide.

The bill passed in the Democrat-controlled House of Representatives on June 29. The House voted 136-17 to advance the legislation, with 119 Democrats, 16 Republicans and an independent supporting it, while six Democrats and 11 Republicans voted in opposition to the bill. The Senate approved H.4930 in a unanimous vote of 40-0 on July 25.

"Access to reproductive health care services and gender-affirming health care services is recognized and declared to be a right secured by the constitution or laws of the commonwealth," the bill declares. "Interference with this right, whether or not under the color of law, is against the public policy of the commonwealth."

The social conservative advocacy group Massachusetts Family Institute claims the legislation ensures the state will protect "abortionists who perform abortions out-of-state, even if they violate other states' laws." The group contends the bill will lower or eliminate "safety requirements for pharmacies to dispense abortion pills" and "force[s] state universities to provide the abortion pill to students."

The group stresses that the bill will also force insurance companies to cover abortion "even if they have religious objections" and prohibits insurance companies "from charging deductibles or copays for abortions but allows them to do so for all other pregnancy-related services."

"[The bill allows] late-term abortions when a doctor deems a baby 'incompatible with sustained life' outside of the womb, which decision is not subject to review by any medical board," the group stated in a statement.

"This is also an 'intersectional' bill, as its legal protections for abortionists extend to organizations who distribute puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones, even in states where they have been criminalized for use on children. You might not have realized that Planned Parenthood was also in the transgender hormone business, but they are aggressively so."

Baker signed an executive order on the day of the Dobbs decision proclaiming that the state government agencies may not assist other states seeking to impose civil or criminal liability against anyone who performs an abortion in Massachusetts.

The governor cited concerns that other states would "impose civil or criminal liability or professional sanctions on health care professionals who provide and persons who seek and obtain reproductive health care services in the Commonwealth as permitted by the laws of the Commonwealth."

He maintained that "health care professionals lawfully providing and persons lawfully seeking and obtaining reproductive health services in the Commonwealth should be protected from legal liability premised on and professional sanctions issued under the laws of other States."

"Massachusetts remains steadfast in its commitment to protect access to reproductive health care services, especially in the aftermath of the Supreme Court's decision overturning Roe v. Wade," Baker said in a statement.

"The Court's decision has major consequences for women across the country who live in states with limited access to these services, and our administration took quick action in the hours following that decision by issuing an executive order to protect access here in the Commonwealth," he added. "This new legislation signed today builds on that action by protecting patients and providers from legal interference from more restrictive laws in other states."

H.4930 contains language stating that "no person shall be subject to discipline by the board, including the revocation, suspension or cancellation of the certificate of registration or reprimand, censure or monetary fine, for providing or assisting in the provision of reproductive health care services or gender-affirming health care services."

The enactment of H.4930 occurred in the aftermath of failed efforts to pass the Women's Health Protection Act in U.S. Congress. The bill would codify the right to abortion into federal law and limit the ability of states to implement pro-life laws. The Women's Health Protection Act passed the Democrat-controlled House multiple times, most recently on July 15, three weeks after the Dobbs decision.

However, the bill failed to gain traction in the evenly divided U.S. Senate, where most legislation requires 60 votes to pass. On May 11, 51 of 100 senators voted against invoking cloture, a procedural step that would enable debate to begin on the Women's Health Protection Act. The Senate previously rejected the Women's Health Protection Act in a 48-46 vote on Feb. 28.

Even before Baker signed Bill H.4930 into law, Massachusetts had some of the most permissive abortion laws in the U.S.

In late 2020, the ROE Act became law over Baker's veto. The law codifies the right to an abortion into state law, allows abortions to take place after 24 weeks gestation in the case of a fetal anomaly and permits minors between the ages of 16 and 17 to obtain an abortion without parental consent. The pro-abortion Guttmacher Institute has identified Massachusetts as one of 16 states with laws protecting the right to abortion.

Massachusetts' establishment of a right to "gender-affirming health care" comes after a handful of states have passed laws restricting the ability of minors to obtain puberty blockers and gender transition surgeries.

Alabama, Arizona and Arkansas have implemented such laws while the head of the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services Commissioner Jaime Masters has classified gender transition surgeries for minors as child abuse. The state's Attorney General Ken Paxton issued an advisory opinion saying the same.
Over 750K displaced by Islamic insurgency in Mozambique

Growing violence by Islamic State-affiliated insurgents in the northern parts of Christian-majority Mozambique has internally displaced more than 784,000 people, according to the United Nations.

Announcing the latest statistics on the internal displacement in Southern African country, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees said in a statement that it is "concerned with the volatile security situation in Cabo Delgado, especially recent attacks in historically safe districts."

Islamic extremists have been exploiting a crisis in the coastal province of Cabo Delgado in the country's northeast. A civil war started in 2017 over the area rich with gas, rubies, graphite, gold and other natural resources. Protesters demonstrated against what they say is profits going to an elite in the ruling Frelimo Party, with few jobs for local residents.

"In 2017, jihadist insurgents began in the Cabo-Delgado province, winning over some locals due to the fact that they gave back resources to villagers from the government, and killed no one," the U.S.-based persecution watchdog International Christian Concern reported. "This did not last, however, as IS started setting fire to Christian villages, and killing those who lived there."

In March 2021, the U.S. labeled Islamic State-Mozambique as "Specially Designated Global Terrorists." ISIS-Mozambique is also known as Ansar al-Sunna, and known locally as al-Shabaab. The group reportedly pledged allegiance to ISIS as early as April 2018 and has killed hundreds, if not thousands, of civilians.

According to the State Department, the group orchestrated a series of large-scale attacks that led to the capture of the strategic Indian Ocean port of Mocimboa da Praia.

At least 24 countries have sent troops to support the fight against insurgents in Mozambique, whose army has been accused of being corrupt and having 7,000 "ghost soldiers," according to the BBC.

The northern province of Cabo Delgado is a mostly Muslim region where at least 300 Christians have been killed for their faith, according to ICC. There have also been over 100 attacks on churches in the area.

Last December, Human Rights Watch revealed that insurgents had enslaved more than 600 women and girls, many of which had been abused and sold as sex slaves for as low as $600.

HRW interviewed 37 people, including former abductees, relatives, security sources and government officials, between August 2019 and October 2021.

A 33-year-old woman stated that local Al-Shabaab fighters held her aunt at gunpoint so that she would identify houses with girls between the ages of 12 and 17 in Mocimboa da Praia. The source counted 203 girls but is unsure if all the girls were abducted.

"Some mothers were begging the fighters to take them instead of their daughters," a 27-year-old man who was interviewed said. "But one of the [militants] said they didn't want old women with children and diseases."

A former abductee from Mocimboa da Praia said he was forced to select the women and girls for sex with fighters when they return from military operations.

"Those [women] who refused were punished with beatings, and no food for days," he said.

In November 2020, ISIS-linked militants beheaded over 50 people, including women and children, and abducted others in weekend raids in the Miudumbe and Macomia districts of the Cabo Delgado province.
Large Arkansas church votes to leave UMC amid homosexuality schism: Pray for healing

A large congregation in Arkansas has voted to disaffiliate from The United Methodist Church, joining many others who are leaving the mainline Protestant denomination over its ongoing debate over homosexuality and same-sex marriage.

First United Methodist Church of Jonesboro voted Sunday evening to leave the UMC, with a reported 1,300 taking part in the vote and 69% voting in favor while 31% were against.

We all pray for healing in our congregation, stated the church in a Facebook post Sunday night that has been shared over 160 times as of Monday afternoon.

Stay UMC Jonesboro, a Facebook group comprised of members who did not want to leave the UMC, posted a statement on its page expressing disappointment over the vote result.

We are obviously disheartened and saddened that anyone would want to leave the UMC., We worked through a process that was problematic and challenging, said the group.

Our goal now is to be a resource to the Annual Conference should they have questions regarding the steps that were and were not followed.

In advance of the vote, First UMC held an 18-month long discernment process, with the churchs administrative board expressing its support for disaffiliation in a letter dated June 26.

The letter noted that the cost for keeping its property upon leaving the UMC will be approximately $650,000 and that it intends to join the Global Methodist Church, a recently launched conservative alternative to the UMC.

We affirm that the majority of the congregation opposes changing the belief structure and desires to remain the traditional Methodist Church we have always been, stated the letter.

By disaffiliating and joining the Global Methodist Church, Methodists continue to stay in this building and the belief structure remains the same.

The appeal of the GMC, according to the board, was that by joining the new denomination, it would remain a traditional Methodist congregation consistent with Wesleyan Theology, own all of our property and not be subject to a trust clause, have more autonomy in choosing pastoral staff, and have more accountability at the highest level of leadership because Bishops will not be appointed for a lifetime.

Our congregation has been consistently clear that the shifts in theological teaching and the failures of the UMC to enforce the doctrinal discipline do not reflect the beliefs of the strong majority of our membership, the board continued in its June letter.

By completing the process as outlined by the Discipline and our conference, we will be released from the United Methodist Denomination and retain full ownership of all of our church property and be free to join the Global Methodist Church.

In early June, it was reported that 35 of the 634 member churches of the UMC Arkansas Conference were considering disaffiliation from the mainline denomination.

This is not a battle to be won, its not a mixed martial arts cage match. Its a time of grief and discernment, said Arkansas Bishop Gary Mueller in a recent video posted online.

We need to respect the best intentions of others.
3 reasons why conservative Kansas voted to uphold abortion rights

High turnout among pro-choice voters and comparatively lower turnout among pro-lifer voters appear to have doomed a pro-life ballot measure in Kansas, leading to a result that pro-life activists characterize as a "huge disappointment."

Unofficial returns from the Kansas Secretary of State's office show that 59% of voters in Tuesday's primary election voted to reject the Value Them Both Amendment, while 41% voted in favor. If approved, the amendment would have amended the state's constitution so that it "does not require government funding of abortion and does not create a right to abortion."

Tuesday's referendum was the first opportunity voters in any state have had to weigh in on abortion since the U.S. Supreme Court's June 24 Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization ruling overturned the Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion nationwide. The Dobbs decision gives states the ability to regulate abortion.

Under existing Kansas law, abortions can only take place after 22 weeks of gestation to save the life of the mother or in cases of "severely compromised physical health." Additionally, the state prohibits abortion based on the sex of the unborn baby, requires a 24-hour waiting period for women seeking abortions, mandates that women wishing to obtain an abortion view an ultrasound and prohibits telemedicine administration of abortion pills.

The amendment would have enabled the state legislature to pass further restrictions on abortion. Existing Kansas abortion law will remain in place for the foreseeable future.

The following pages highlight three factors that impacted Kansas' election Tuesday.

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Celebrity Kat Von D tosses witchcraft books, wants to surround family with 'love and light'

Celebrity tattoo artist Katherine von Drachenberg, widely known in Hollywood as Kat Von D from the TLC reality show "LA Ink," said she has thrown away her extensive catalog of witchcraft literature because she realizes there is a spiritual battle underway.

The 40-year-old artist is known for her dark designs and style. She once offered a tarot-themed collection and named a shade of black lipstick "Witches." But in a recent Instagram post, she disclosed that she might be turning away from the darkness to embrace the light.

"In the last few years, I've come to some pretty meaningful realizations  many of them revolving around the fact that I got a lot of things wrong in my past." she wrote in the post that included a slideshow of photos.

"Today, I went through my entire library, and threw out books that just don't align with who I am and who I want to be," she noted.

Drachenberg emphasized that she no longer wanted to have content in her home that was grim or ghastly.

"I've always found beauty in the macabre, but at this point, I just had to ask myself what is my relationship with this content?" she questioned. "And the truth is, I just don't want to invite any of these things into our family's lives, even if it comes disguised in beautiful covers, collecting dust on my shelves."

The Mexican native's parents were Seventh-day Adventist missionaries. Drachenberg has described her family's religion as: "Christianity, with a few Jewish traits. We kept the Sabbath, went to church on Saturdays, followed the ten commandments, and didn't eat any pork or fish without scales."

Her father was a missionary doctor in Montemorelos, Mexico, and they lived a very humble life as he made it his mission to build a hospital there.

Drachenberg told her 8.4 million followers she wanted only "love and light" around her family now. She also assured her followers that a "spiritual battle is taking place."

"In no way is this post designed to put anyone down if you're into this stuff, because I think we are all on our own journey, and I love everyone regardless of where they might be at. But right now, it's never been more clear to me that there is a spiritual battle taking place, and I want to surround myself and my family with love and light," she wrote.

Drachenberg said she hopes others make "meaningful changes" in their lives also.

One of the photos captioned by Drachenberg on Instagram was of her home library. Another photo shows some of the books she removed, which included The Witches Way, A Treasure of Witchcraft, boxes of tarot cards and several other readings on Mystcisim, serpents and magic.

Insider reported that Drachenberg, who had a Hell and sacrilegious Heaven-themed wedding in 2018, sold her shares in her makeup company in January 2020. She began covering up some of her tattoos with dark ink in 2020. In a social media post, she described her tattoos as "landmarks in dark times."
Hit the floor: Bishop protects churchogoers as shooting breaks out after service

The bishop of a Milwaukee church possibly saved congregants' lives as they found themselves caught in a deadly crossfire outside the church building right after the Sunday service ended.

"Upon them coming out of the church, a car pulled right here and began to fire at another car that was behind them," Bishop Henry Kilpatrick of Reformation of Holiness Church told WISN 12 News.

"There was a massive shooting right here. Me and one of the deacons began to push the people back on inside and tell them to hit the floor, get down on the floor, and they got down on the floor," added Kilpatrick, who founded the church 24 years ago with his late wife, Rose.

No churchgoer was injured.

Kilpatrick further told WTMJ-TV, that were are a lot of kids in the area.

"And I'm just thanking God that no one got shot today. Because they could have, the way the bullets were flying," he said.

Several shootings have taken place in the neighborhood over the last few days, but the one on Sunday was the worst, Kilpatric said.

"People in this area know, as well as I know, that this is one of the worst areas in the city," he told WISN 12. "Why am I here? I chose to be here to help the people in this area."

Authorities found at least 17 shell casings, including one just feet from the church's stoop, MTMJ-TV reports. WISN 12 News cameras spotted at least 20 casings and more down the block.

"Most people would run away from an area like this," Kilpatrick said. "But this is an area God wants us in. An area you can witness to somebody and help better somebody else's life."

Kilpatrick said he wants an increased police presence in the area.

"Why not put patrols in the area where the crime is going on?" he asked. "They know this is a crime area."

Apostle Reginald Alston Sr. told WISN that he was upset with how long it took for police to respond.

"When I went to call 911, they said someone would be out here shortly," he said. "It was getting close to 15, 20 minutes. I used someone else's phone and called again."
Christian university sues Washington AG over probe into LGBT hiring policies

A Christian university is suing the attorney general of Washington state over an investigation into its hiring practices that university officials say violate the school's religious freedom.

Seattle Pacific University (SPU) filed suit on July 27 against state Attorney General Bob Ferguson, who is investigating potential illegal discrimination over the university's refusal to hire LGBT applicants based on its statement of faith.

In the 22-page complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Tacoma, SPU said Ferguson "is wielding state power to interfere with the religious beliefs of a religious university, and a church, whose beliefs he disagrees with."

"He is using the powers of his office (and even powers not granted to his office) to pressure and retaliate against Seattle Pacific University," the suit stated.

The complaint claims that Ferguson's investigation compels SPU to release "information on internal religious matters and decisions, detailed review of religious hiring practices, communications with ministerial employees, and even the selection of the University's president, senior leadership, and board of trustees."

A June 8 letter Ferguson sent to SPU requests that the institution to "[p]roduce any policies governing the hiring, promotion, discipline, and/or termination of University faculty, staff, and administrators, as it relates to their sexual orientation or status of being in a same-sex marriage and/or intimate relationship."

"The attorney general's probe inquires into confidential religious matters and is beyond the scope of authority granted under state law and the federal constitution," attorneys for SPU said in the complaint.

In response to the lawsuit, Ferguson released a statement confirming the civil rights investigation.

"We did not publicize the letter, nor did we announce our investigation. In response to our inquiry, Seattle Pacific University filed a federal lawsuit," the attorney general stated.

"The lawsuit demonstrates that the University believes it is above the law to such an extraordinary degree that it is shielded from answering basic questions from my office regarding the University's compliance with state law."

Ferguson launched the investigation after "[n]umerous Seattle Pacific University students, faculty, and others reached out to my office to file complaints or otherwise express deep concern that the University administration's policies illegally violate Washingtonians' civil rights."

The private evangelical Christian and Wesleyan institution is affiliated with the Free Methodist Church and enrolls around 3,500 students. The institution claims it adheres to the biblical definition of human sexuality.

Last year, SPU faced criticism after its board of trustees announced it would continue a hiring policy that prohibits hiring full-time faculty members who identify as LGBT.

SPU's Faculty Senate obtained responses from around 90% of the faculty on the board's decision to maintain that policy despite objections from some in the school community.

Around 72% of the faculty who responded agreed with the "no confidence" vote regarding the board and its decision, according to The Seattle Times.

"The Board's decision to maintain SPU's discriminatory hiring policy related to human sexuality, as well as its manner of delivering that decision, have regrettably compelled the faculty of SPU to pass a vote of no confidence in the SPU Board of Trustees," the faculty senate said.

In May, SPU's policies attracted national attention following a student protest over the board's vote to "retain Seattle Pacific University's current employee lifestyle expectations regarding sexual conduct."

"We want the community of SPU to know that this was a thorough and prayerful deliberation," Board Chair Cedric Davis said in a statement.

"While this decision brings complex and heart-felt reactions, the Board made a decision that it believed was most in line with the university's mission and Statement of Faith and chose to have SPU remain in communion with its founding denomination, the Free Methodist Church USA, as a core part of its historical identity as a Christian university."

SPU is a member of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities, which is opposing a lawsuit filed by former students from over two dozen Christian universities who say they felt discriminated against on their campuses. The lawsuit seeks to overturn religious exemptions to Title IX of the Civil Rights Act that allows faith-based institutions to adhere to scriptural beliefs on sexuality and gender.

Ferguson, who has served as attorney general of Washington since 2013, has a history of bringing charges against Christian entities deemed to have violated the state law barring discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

In 2013, Ferguson filed a consumer protection lawsuit against Christian florist Barronelle Stutzman for refusing to provide floral arrangements to a same-sex wedding on the ground that doing so went against her Christian convictions.

After a lengthy legal battle, Stutzman agreed to pay $5,000 to settle the lawsuit and announced her retirement.
Health system to pay over $10.3M for denying religious exemptions to COVID-19 vaccine mandate

A Chicago, Illinois-based healthcare system has agreed to pay over $10.3 million to settle a lawsuit filed by employees who were denied a religious exemption to a COVID-19 vaccine mandate.

NorthShore University HealthSystem agreed to a class action settlement last month in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division.

As part of the settlement, NorthShore will deposit $30,000 into a settlement fund within 30 days after preliminary approval of the settlement, followed by depositing $10,307,500.00 into the fund within 35 days of a final judgment being entered.

The healthcare system will also grant religious exemptions to the COVID-19 vaccine to employees who request it, including those who were initially denied their exemption request.

According to the settlement, around 520 employees had been denied a religious accommodation or exemption to the vaccine mandate between July 1 of last year and New Years Day 2022.

Of this approximately 520 team members, NorthShore itself estimated that 200 became compliant with the Vaccine Policys COVID-19 vaccination requirement while 269 were discharged or resigned based upon their religious declination of a COVID-19 vaccine.

Liberty Counsel founder and chairman Mat Staver, whose organization helped represent the employees suing NorthShore, released a statement Monday celebrating the decision.

Let this case be a warning to employers that violated Title VII. It is especially significant and gratifying that this first classwide COVID settlement protects health care workers, stated Staver.

Health care workers are heroes who daily give their lives to protect and treat their patients. They are needed now more than ever.

For its part, NorthShore explained in a statement published by CBS Chicago on Monday that the settlement was part of the new vaccine mandate policy at Edward-Elmhurst Health.

We continue to support system-wide, evidence-based vaccination requirements for everyone who works at NorthShore  Edward-Elmhurst Health and thank our team members for helping to keep our communities safe, stated NorthShore.

The settlement reflects implementation of a new system-wide vaccine policy which will include accommodation for team members with approved exemptions, including former employees who are rehired.

Last October, Liberty Counsel filed a lawsuit against NorthShore at the behest of several employees who were denied religious exemption requests from the systems vaccine mandate.

This included those who objected to getting the COVID-19 vaccine because its development included the usage of aborted fetal cells in research.
McKinney Fire in Northern California kills 2, engulfs over 55,000 acres

Two people were found dead in a burnt car in the path of the fast-moving McKinney Fire in the Klamath National Forest in Northern California, the largest in the state this year. Officials said the fire burned more than 55,000 acres as of Monday night and remained 0% contained.

The wildfire, which began Friday afternoon in Siskiyou County near the California-Oregon border, had led to the shutdown of Highway 96 and caused thousands to evacuate, Cal Fire said Monday.

"At approximately 9:57 a.m. (Sunday), fire personnel located two deceased individuals inside a vehicle that was burned in the path of the #McKinneyFire. The vehicle was in a residential driveway along Doggett Creek Road, off Highway 96, west of the community of Klamath River," Siskiyou County Sheriff's Office said in a statement.

The sheriff's office said life-saving efforts, protecting and patrolling evacuated areas would continue to be a priority, and all law enforcement agencies would assist with the wildfire.

According to fire officials, persistent drought conditions "caused extremely dry, receptive fuels which have resulted in rapid fire spread."

"Mother Nature wasn't very kind to us when this fire started," Cal Fire Unified Incident Commander Darryl Laws said in a community briefing Monday.

Fire officials initially believed there were enough resources to battle the blaze, Laws said, but "thunder cell came over the top of it and our dreams were shattered."

"It went to 18,000 acres immediately, in probably a very short time, a few hours, and it turned 180 degrees, and ran right at the community Klamath River."

At least a dozen residences had burned in the blaze near Yreka, a community of about 7,800 in Siskiyou County, The Wall Street Journal reported.

The National Weather Service issued red-flag warnings Sunday "for a threat of dry lightning and strong outflow winds associated with thunder cells," adding that these conditions "can be extremely dangerous for firefighters, as winds can be erratic and extremely strong, causing fire to spread in any direction."

Besides the McKinney Fire, three smaller fires  the China 2 Fire, the Evans Fire and Kelsey Creek fires  are also raging in the county.

At least 63 Pacific Crest Trail hikers on the California side of the Red Buttes Wilderness were evacuated Sunday due to smoke and ash from the fire, the Jackson County Sheriff's Office said.

The Oregon Office of State Fire Marshal said Sunday it was sending firefighters and support resources from Marion, Linn and Clackamas Counties to Northern California to help contain the wildfire. More than 1,300 firefighters were battling the blaze from multiple agencies by Monday, according to CNN.

OSFM said it received a request for resources from California through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact, KDRV.com reported, adding that three task forces, including 41 firefighters, 12 engines and three water tenders, would arrive late Sunday afternoon.

"Our office has a long-standing mutual aid relationship with Cal OES, and we are more than willing to lend a helping hand," Oregon State Fire Marshal Mariana Ruiz-Temple was quoted as saying. "Last summer, California sent resources to help on the Bootleg Fire in our time of need. The partnership between our two states has the same end goal, protecting communities and saving lives."

Another fire in California's Mariposa County, the Oak Fire, which started over a week ago in the Sierra National Forest, was only 64% contained and burned nearly 20,000 acres as of Sunday, the WSJ reports.
SPLC accused of pushing kids book that says kids can trans identify at age 2, sexualizes children

The Southern Poverty Law Center is facing allegations that the group is promoting a book for elementary school students that normalizes sexual behavior among children, drawing criticism from conservative Christian groups.

Conservative news website Breitbart published a report last week about the SPLC's "Learning for Justice" project, which includes an "LGBTQ Library" with a list of recommended books and practices that are controversial.

Jeff Johnston, the culture and policy analyst for the Colorado Springs, Colorado-based Focus on the Family, denounced the guide as promoting "false ideologies and damaging behaviors for children of all ages."

"It promotes the false idea that there are not two sexes  male and female  but a variety of 'gender identities,'" said Johnston in a statement emailed to The Christian Post on Monday.

"It encourages schools to violate privacy and safety in restrooms, locker rooms and showers by allowing students who 'identify' as the opposite sex into those spaces. And it urges schools to use curriculums that are radical and sexualized. This is ideology masquerading as education."

Senior Fellow for Education Studies at the Christian conservative activist organization Family Research Council Meg Kilgannon also took issue with the guide, telling CP that the SPLC "has been in the business of sexualizing children in the name of 'diversity' for years."

Kilgannon directed CP to a 2019 paper by the FRC, updated last year, which documented examples of the SPLC's "Learning for Justice" program engaging in controversial practices.



"When sexual progressives want to teach children with 'no normative pressures around sex,' parents should know that kind of thinking can include the idea that age restrictions on sexual behavior adults and children is a 'normative pressure,'" she explained.

"SPLC isn't interested in preserving childhood innocence when they train teachers to implement Queer Theory in classrooms in California and around the country. School systems that rely on teacher training materials from SPLC should be aware of the dangerous political and sexual ideologies SPLC's 'free materials' include."

One of the recommended books in the guide, which received considerable attention from Breitbart, is Sex is a Funny Word by Cory Silverberg, which is aimed at younger readers.

"Less controversial than its title suggests, this comic book for kids includes children and families of all makeups, orientations and gender identities, providing an essential resource about bodies, gender and sexuality for young children that will help caregivers guide difficult conversations," claims the guide.

The comic book features an illustration of a girl having an orgasm, with its author being quoted as wanting "a world with no normative pressures around sex."

Elsewhere, the guide claimed that "children often know their gender as early as 2 or 3 years old" and that they "do not need to be pubescent or sexually active to 'truly know' their gender identity or sexual orientation."

CP reached out to the SPLC for a response to the book, but a response wasn't received by press time.

Under the category of "Classroom Culture," the guide encouraged teachers to wear nametags indicating their chosen pronouns and encouraged the conducting of "pronoun check-ins."

"Collective pronoun check-ins help students learn peers' pronouns without forcing nonbinary students to come out repeatedly," the guide continued.

"You may say, 'To make sure we're referring to each other accurately, let's go around so everyone can share their name and pronoun.' This process can help transgender and nonbinary students feel seen, not singled out."

Launched in 1991 and originally named "Teaching Tolerance," "Learning for Justice" describes itself as an educational resource project helping schools combat discrimination and celebrate diversity.

"Our free educational resources  articles, guides, lessons, films, webinars, frameworks and more  help foster shared learning and reflection for educators, young people, caregivers and all community members. Our engagement opportunities  conferences, workshops, and school and community partnerships  provide space where people can harness collective power and take action," its website states.

"Through this continual cycle of education and engagement, we hope that we can build and maintain meaningful relationships with communities and we can all move from learning for justice to creating it."

A far-left civil rights group, SPLC has garnered much controversy and backlash over its labeling of several conservative Christian organizations, including FRC, as "hate groups."

This became a major point of contention in 2012 when a gay rights activist inspired by the SPLC entered FRC's Washington, D.C. headquarters and attempted to kill the staff.

The SPLC apologized to ex-Muslim activist Maajid Nawaz in June 2018 and paid him $3.3 million in a settlement after wrongfully including him in a report on anti-Muslim activity.

In March 2019, the SPLC fired its founder, Morris Dees, in response to several allegations of sexual misconduct, as well as claims of racist behavior within the progressive group.
7 traits of churches that overcome

The book of Revelation has an exhortation to seven churches in Asia Minor from our Lord Jesus. These exhortations are still relevant today as they reveal healthy and unhealthy cultures that congregations sometimes emulate. The following are 7 principle characteristics of overcoming churches:

1. They keep the main thing, the main thing (The Ephesian church of Revelation 2:1-7).

Even though the church in Ephesus was full of good works, vetted apostolic ministry, persevered under trial, and did not tolerate evil in their midst, Jesus still commanded them to repent. They left their first love. The lesson here is that an overcoming church keeps the main thing the main thing.

This means prioritizing its love and passion for the Lord.

Consequently, even with all the intense demands of work and ministry, seeking Gods face and ministering to the Lord must always be the most important ministry for every local church.

2. They endure persecution (Church of Smyrna in Revelation 2:8-11).

This church continued to proclaim the Gospel despite intense persecution. Jesus did not feel sorry for them but told them that to overcome they had to remain faithful unto death. Hence, during this season of fierce anti-christian sentiment, the overcoming church is called to continue to faithfully preach biblical truths despite all opposition. Christ's followers are either overcome with courageous proclamation or will commit treason by shrinking back.

3. They do not allow worldly values to penetrate their congregation (Church of Pergamum in Revelation 2:13-17).

Jesus rebuked this church

who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, so that they might eat food sacrificed to idols and practice sexual immorality.

This city was a center of imperial cult worship as well as the worship of a deity (Zeus). Consequently, there was cultural pressure for residents to sacrifice to idols and participate in sexual practices with temple prostitutes as part of connecting with people doing business in their city. The lesson here is that overcoming churches need to protect their congregation from embracing the values of the prevailing culture. Contemporary churches that adopt secular values of societal groups will find themselves opposing Jesus, who will

war against them with the sword of my mouth.

4. They dont tolerate false teachers and teachings (The church of Thyatira in Revelation 2:18-29).

Jesus corrected this church because

you tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and seducing my servants to practice sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols.

Jezebel was a female leader who embraced the sexual immorality and idol worship of the culture and influenced some in the congregation to do the same. The sin of this church was their tendency to tolerate a person and their teachings that were in opposition to the historic Christian faith. Since they did not remove her, Jesus was going to forcefully remove her and all her followers. The overcoming church is called to be intolerant of false teachers, teachings, and cultural compromise.

5. They have a good reputation in Heaven (The church of Sardis in Revelation 3:1-6).

Jesus rebuked the church in Sardis because,

You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead.

Since their reputation was that they were alive, they must have had a lot of good church activities. The lesson here is that mere church activities and good church attendance do not guarantee a congregation is truly alive in the sight of God. (There is no doubt that many churches today that have large youth groups, skilled worship teams, and large crowds, most people would consider alive, however, God would consider them spiritually dead!)

Also there are many churches that started great, had a great history of revival and mighty exploits. They looked to the past to validate their present and future. However, every new generation has to seek the Lord for themselves and cannot depend on their history to justify their existence. An overcoming church is continually alive with Gods presence, passion, and fire in every successive generation.

6. They are faithful under trial (The church of Philadelphia in Revelation 3:7-13).

Jesus commended this church when He said,

I know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name.

Perhaps saying they had little power means they were a small church with little money and influence, but despite this, they remained faithful through opposition and persecution. The lesson here is that overcoming churches depend upon Jesus to be their strength despite their lack of power. They depend on Him to open up doors they cannot open because of their lack of cultural influence.

7. They are effective witnesses to their community (The church of Laodicea in Revelation 3:14-22).

Jesus rebuked this church,

because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.

The hot water springs in the nearby city of Hierapolis were effective for medicinal purposes. In contrast, the cold water in the nearby city of Colossae effectively refreshed and quenched peoples thirst. However, when water from both these cities was directed into Laodicea, they were lukewarm and no longer effective for healing or refreshing. Jesus used this real-life situation in the city to illustrate how this church lost its effectiveness and was no longer a witness to the surrounding community. The lesson here is that overcoming churches must maintain an effective witness for Christ to their surrounding community.

A church overcomes or becomes self-sufficient and satisfied like Jesus described this church (For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing). Churches that do not overcome are assimilated into the culture and become part of the problem.
Can we hold the center?

Can the center hold?



That was the question I posed in my previous column on this topic. But there is an even more important question: Can we hold to the center?

I reflect on that concern and cant help but think of Elizabeth Willing Powell. It was she, who, according to James McHenry, a delegate to the convention that would write the American Constitution in 1787, put a question to Benjamin Franklin as he emerged from the deliberations: Well, Dr. Franklin, what have we got, a republic or a monarchy?

A republic, if you can keep it, Franklin shot back, according to McHenrys notes.

Now, the issue is even greater. This time the question is posed to the Throne of Heaven itself, from whence come the worldview and values that are sought after not only by the United States but the whole of Western civilization and all other societies that seek the virtues of the Kingdom of Heaven.

What kind of government have you given us?

The answer comes back: A Kingdom of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit (Romans 14:17-18).

Can we keep or hold to such a Kingdom?

In this turbulent age, the very foundations are trembling, and it seems many cannot hold to the center of that Kingdom, and the primary institutions whereby its attributes are ministered in the world: the Family, Church, and Education.

As I write, I think of a terrifying wintry night decades ago. I was crossing the North Atlantic on a Dutch freighter. The chill seas and winds were battering the vessel. If anyone dared go out on the deck he or she had to know and hold tightly to the structures that would hold fast because they were embedded in and joined to the whole structure of the ship.

I remember that night and survey the condition of the world we inhabit now. We still will be tempted to ask: Can the center hold in the socio-cultural tempests of our time? But as we feel the winds pulling at us, we will be driven to wonder: Can we hold on to the center that is joined to the mighty structure of the Kingdom of Heaven?

The evidence is not promising.

As for the Church, a recent Christian Post headline and story described the sad situation as the report related findings of Pew Research: Church Attendance Stagnates Amid Return to In-Person Services. The article went on to note that only 27% of those interviewed by Pew Research had resumed church attendance.

Families, so vital in stabilizing individuals, are being ripped apart because of a divorce rate that exceeds 40%.

Education is crucial for imparting knowledge about history and the intellectual necessities and skills for a quality life. Schools are being thrashed in the stormy currents of our day. Some even wonder if public education will survive as they push through the opposing waves of Critical Race Theory, genderism, and sexual behavior. Parents must consider whether schools where they send their children will actually groom them for abuse. The thought is so far-fetched it seems impossible  but there it is.

My 10-day ride across the Atlantic that winter decades ago, harrowing as it was, was nothing compared to another. Desperate passengers aboard the Titanicsearched for lifeboats sturdy enough to keep them afloat as the big ship sank. If they were able to scramble aboard one of those craft, the passengers would have to find something on which to take hold lest they be washed back into the icy sea.

So, the issue for us now is not only to wonder if the center can hold in our rough passage through time and history, but also whether we are holding tightly to the center of strength and stability and teaching our families what it is and how to lay hold of it.

The Bible tells us much about holding on that is especially relevant in a heaving age like ours. In light of the suddenness of His coming, the Lord says, hold on to what you have (Revelation 3:11).

The Apostle Paul had earlier warned that the Spirit of God explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons (1 Timothy 4:1). Thus the Bible, from the Old Testament to the New, urges repeatedly for Gods people to hold on and help all those who depend on us to share in that stability.

We noted in the last column that some 52% of Americans suffer from anxiety. Many search desperately to grab something that they can lay hold upon that will stabilize them midst the heaping waves of chaos in our time.

At some point our children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren may ask us: What kind of world has your generation left us?

Our answer to them hopefully could be: a world under the governance of the Prince of Peace, King of Kings, and Lord of lords ... if you can keep it."

That means that we must hold on to the strong center ourselves and instruct our progeny on the importance and skills of holding on.
Strive for the food that doesn't perish

When Jesus had ministered to the Samaritan woman, the disciples felt that He was hungry. When they offered Him food He replied, I have food to eat that you do not know about.

In their confusion, Jesus responded with a well-known exhortation: My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work. Do you not say, There are yet four months, then comes the harvest? Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest (John 4:31-35). Doing the will of the father by finishing the task of soul winning is the special food of Christ that many of us are not ready to eat.

Jesus said, Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him God the Father has placed his seal of approval (John 6:27). The food of Jesus is to give eternal life to humanity and every Christian is part of the meal by our involvement in giving the unsaved eternal life.

When Jesus was ministering to the Samaritan woman at the well of Sychar, though He was physically hungry, His deeper hunger was satisfied in ministering to and saving one soul from pain, condemnation, and eternal damnation. This was more satisfying than any food which the disciples could provide. Jesus was very enthusiastic in witnessing to the Samaritan woman to the extent that physical food meant nothing to Him.

I have personally experienced the satisfaction of the food of evangelism and soul winning. There were many occasions when I introduced Jesus to unreached communities where no one had preached or heard about Jesus. I have not experienced any joy as deep, satisfying, and overflowing as the joy of seeing the unsaved come to Christ through my ministration. This is Jesus kind of food that every Christian should aspire for. It is the food that endures to eternity.

That many Christians are not enjoying this food calls for sober reflection, because there are enormous benefits attached to evangelism and missions. According to Charles Spurgeon, Even I were utterly selfish, and had no care for anything but my own happiness, I would choose, if I might, under God to be a soul winner; for never did I know perfect, overflowing, unutterable happiness of the purest and most ennobling order, till I first heard of one who had sought and found the savior through my means. No young mother ever so rejoiced over her first-born child; no warrior was so exultant over a hard-won victory!

Why the procrastination? Why assume there is still time before the harvest ripens? Do we really have to wait for some time before we tend to the harvest? The harvest is not only ripe, it is decaying for lack of harvesters. Despite all the beauties attached to soul winning, comparatively few seem to care to experience this perfect, deep, and satisfying joy. Every Christian knows little of the joy of salvation until he or she continually brings souls to Christ.

Let us lift our eyes to the fields of the streets of America, the towns of Europe, and the villages of Africa. Many are perishing for lack of the true bread of life. If we belong to Christ, we know that the Spirit of Christ is the Spirit of evangelism, not procrastination and fear. The closer we get to Christ, the more our zeal for His Kingdom will grow.
Archie Battersbee's life support to end after UN appeal rejected

The Court of Appeal in the United Kingdom has refused a request from the United Nations to further delay the removal of life support from 12-year-old Archie Battersbee despite his parents' objections.

Battersbee's life support could be removed as soon as midday Tuesday after the court rejected an interim measures injunction from the United Nations Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities on Monday.

Sir Andrew McFarlane, president of the family division, granted parents Holly Dance and Paul Battersbee a brief stay until 12 p.m. Tuesday so they can appeal to the U.K. Supreme Court, according to a statement from the Christian Legal Centre, which is representing the family.

Battersbee was found unconscious with a ligature around his neck in April, suffering a "catastrophic hypoxic ischaemic brain injury." He has not regained consciousness. Doctors and judges have agreed that the child is brain dead.

"We continue to be shocked and traumatised by the brutality of the U.K. courts and the hospital Trust," Dance said in a statement. "Our wishes as parents continue to be trampled on and ignored."

"We do not understand the urgency and rush to end life-support. The hospital Trust has at no point given us time to come to terms with what has happened," she continued. "This is no way for a compassionate society to treat a family in our situation. We will continue to fight for Archie."



The Court of Appeal held an online hearing Monday following interventions from the United Kingdom government and the UNCRPD in Battersbee's case. His parents have been engaged in an ongoing legal battle to prevent the removal of his life support.

Barts Health NHS Trust, which is responsible for child's care at the Royal London Hospital, had initially set a deadline of 2 p.m. Monday to remove the life support. According to a CLC statement, a legal stay preventing the removal of Archie's life support was put back into place Monday.

In a statement Sunday, Battersbee's family responded to remarks from Chief Medical Officer of Barts Health NHS Trust, Alistair Chesser, who stated the hospital was giving time for the parents to accept the decision by the courts that Battersbee's treatment should not continue. Chesser also added that there shouldn't be any more delays to starting palliative care without an order from the court.

The family, however, argues that the trust has not given them enough time and refused to compromise with the family, forcing them into court.

Representing the family, Edward Devereux QC submitted a statement to the court, saying that "Interim measures made under the human rights treaties are binding under international law," and that "any failure to abide by the terms of a request for interim measures in accordance with the terms of the Convention and, in particular, Art 4 of the Optional Protocol would be a flagrant, egregious and unacceptable breach of international law."

The parents have argued that stopping their son's treatment is a breach of the U.K.'s obligations under Articles 10 and 12 of the U.N. Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities, and Article 6 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Children, according to CLC.

Dance submitted an open letter to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Rt. Hon. Stephen Barclay MP, urging him to prevent the removal of her son's life support following CRPD's intervention.

On Sunday, the Government Legal Department referred the case back to the High Court for "urgent consideration."

The move followed a request last week by the UNCRPD following a refusal from the U.K. Supreme Court to intervene in the case. Lower courts had previously ruled against an appeal to stop the removal of life support.

The UNCRPD said in response to Battersbee's parents that its special rapporteur on communications "requested the State party to refrain from withdrawing life-preserving medical treatment, including mechanical ventilation and artificial nutrition and hydration, from the alleged victim while the case is under consideration by the Committee."

"[T]his request does not imply that any decision has been reached on the substance of the matter under consideration," the response states. "The Committee may review the necessity of maintaining the request for interim measures once the State party's observations have been received.'"

Last month, Justice Emma Arbuthnot ruled that the Royal London Hospital could discontinue life support, writing that the boy is likely dead "on the balance of probabilities." Arbuthnot granted the parents permission to appeal.

In a July 15 judgment, Justice Hayden ruled that it is in the child's "best interests" for his life support to be removed. Last week, three judges of the Court of Appeal in Central London denied the parents permission to appeal the second high court judge's decision.

Dance claimed that a video she shared last week purports to show Battersbee attempting to breathe on his own.
Russia releases captive Christian ministry workers: 'Prayers are still needed'

A group of ministry volunteers and refugees taken captive in Ukraine were released after they were reportedly beaten by the Russian militia, although those familiar with the situation warn that the crisis is not over yet.

Orphans Promise is a nonprofit organization operating in over 65 countries that works to transform communities impacted by poverty, war or starvation. The group offers education and employment programs to help enrich families in addition to ensuring children receive a healthy meal to better their learning experiences.

The group is headquartered in Virginia Beach, and it has a center and residential home in Berdyansk, Ukraine.

As CBN News reported Friday, the ten ministry volunteers taken captive in Berdyansk were released. Orphans Promise director Nataliya Khomyak thanked everyone who prayed for the volunteers.

All are alive and have been released (even though they have been beaten severely and tortured and one is currently in a hospital after a heart attack), she said.

"Prayers are still needed for their recovery after being detained. But it's a miracle that they've been released... Thank you for all the prayers!"

One of the men from the group was elderly, and another man still being detained is a Mariupol refugee who attempted to escape to Ukraine-controlled territory, according to CBN News. The man passed through a filtration camp, which is reportedly similar to concentration camps, and those detained there are said to have been mistreated.

Another two people from the group who tried to evacuate are still being held captive, and while all the other volunteers have been released, they are not permitted to leave Berdyansk. This means those who were taken captive are still within occupied territory.

Yulia, an Orphans Promise worker in Ukraine, shared the details of the volunteers captivity in a Tuesday statement published by CBN News.

She explained that on Tuesday, a group of volunteers and a local church evacuated people from Mariupol in a van to Ukrainian territory before the Russian military seized them.

A group of ten people was then released after a few days, according to Yulie.

It turned out that the elderly man had a tattoo, the Orphans Promise worker said. The invaders did not like it, because they thought that this man was a military man from Azov.

They grabbed the whole group. They were holding them captive, she continued. Men were abused, beaten, humiliated, and tortured with electric current. They took a means of transport belonging to the church.

Yulie thanked everyone for their prayers, adding that everyone is alive.

However, another Orphans Promise volunteer taken captive earlier this year is still missing.

As CBN News reported, a volunteer named Valentina was abducted by the Russians last March. The woman worked in an area near Mariupol for Orphans Promise Children of War Project, helping to distribute food to people hiding in bomb shelters.

Eyewitnesses claim that they saw the people who took Valentina captive throw a bag over her head and abduct her in the street. Russian troops besieged the area where Valentina was volunteering, and it is believed that someone the woman knew betrayed her to the Russian troops by telling them she was helping the Ukrainians.

"No one knows where they took her, where she is. So please pray for Valentina, CBN's Terry Meeuwsen, who founded Orphan's Promise, said in a statement published in March. "We're asking that she would be released, asking God to send angels with her that she would be released without harm."

According to the United Nations, more than 6.5 million people from Ukraine have crossed international borders into neighboring countries since Russia began its military campaign in the country on February 24.

Over eight million Ukrainians have been displaced, and at least 13 million people are reportedly stranded in affected areas, unable to leave.
The OPEC oil cartel and its allies decided Wednesday to boost production in September by a much slower pace than in previous months at a time of high gasoline prices and unstable energy supplies exacerbated by Russia's war in Ukraine.

OPEC, led by Saudi Arabia, and its allies, led by Russia, said they will increase output to 100,000 barrels a day next month after raising it by 648,000 barrels per day in July and August. The group considered what effects staggering inflation and rising COVID-19 rates may have on global demand for fuel in the fall.

It comes after U.S. President Joe Biden visited Saudi Arabia last month, aiming to improve relations and encourage more oil production from the cartel to draw down high prices at the pump. While gasoline prices have been falling, they are still high and posing a political problem for him as inflation surges.

No oil production agreement was announced, but Biden said he expected OPEC to take steps to increase production in the coming weeks. Those hopes didn't materialize.

As a result, the U.S. may go looking for other sources of oil, whether its Venezuela or Iran, said Jacques Rousseau, managing director at Clearview Energy Partners.

Biden's administration also is encouraging the U.S. oil and gas industry to increase production.

Youve just seen the second-quarter results from some of these companies. They are record profits, Amos Hochstein, a senior adviser for energy security at the State Department, said Wednesday on CNBC. "They should be investing those dollars right back into production increases.

Despite the modest increase announced by OPEC+, the administration was trying to highlight that prices are already falling and could fall further with more domestic production.

Were pretty pleased with what were seeing on prices for oil and gas down from highs, but we know that this is not enough, Hochstein said.

A senior Biden administration official, who insisted on anonymity to discuss private conversations, called the OPEC+ announcement a step forward. The official said the group has restored all the production cuts it made in 2020 during the depths of the pandemic, when oil prices and demand plummeted.

The group has been gradually adding more oil and gas to the market as economies recovered.

Some OPEC nations, such as Angola and Nigeria, have been producing less than the agreed-upon amount. Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates, on the other hand, have the capacity to increase production.

OPEC's decision appears to be an attempt to appease those countries that can't produce more, Rousseau said.

Any time you increase the target, theres countries that cant participate, he added. If you only raise production by 100,000 barrels per day, thats just a small piece for everybody.

As a result, the amount of oil on the market might not keep up with demand, so high oil prices may persist for some time.

While the U.S. was probably hoping for a larger production increase, in terms of overall supply/demand management, OPECs decision is logical, Noah Barrett, research analyst for energy and utilities at Janus Henderson Investors, said in a note. Theres still a great deal of uncertainty on oil demand in the back half of this year, driven by questions around Chinese demand, and the potential for U.S. or even a global recession.

The price of oil rose sharply after Russia invaded Ukraine in February. It fell somewhat since OPEC+ last met but rose modestly Wednesday. A barrel of U.S. benchmark crude was selling for just over $94, compared with more than $105 per barrel a month ago. Brent crude, the international standard, was selling for just over $100 a barrel, also down about $110 from a month ago.

Russia's oil and natural gas exports to the world have declined as many nations imposed sanctions or curtailed buying from the major supplier due to its invasion of Ukraine. Russia also has reduced or cut off natural gas to a dozen European countries, further driving up energy prices, squeezing people's spending power and threatening to cause a recession if nations can't stockpile enough natural gas to get through the winter.

It was the first official monthly meeting of the OPEC+ group since its leader, Mohammad Sanusi Barkindo, died at age 63 in his home country of Nigeria last month. Haitham al-Ghais, a veteran of the Kuwait Petroleum Corporation, took over as secretary general of OPEC this week.

In the U.S., a gallon of regular gasoline was selling for $4.16 on average Wednesday. Thats substantially lower than in June, when the nationwide average surpassed $5 a gallon, but its still painfully high for many front-line workers and families to afford and about 31% higher than what drivers were paying a year ago.

___

Associated Press writers Josh Boak and Zeke Miller in Washington contributed to this report.
(THE CONVERSATION) White nationalists keep showing up in the hearings of the U.S. House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection.

Evidence is mounting that white nationalist groups who want to establish an all-white state played a significant role in the violent attack on the U.S. Capitol that left five dead and dozens wounded.

Thus far, the hearings have documented how the Proud Boys helped lead the insurrectionist mob into the U.S. Capitol building in Washington, D.C, journalist James Risen wrote in the Intercept.

Based on July 12, 2022, testimony from a former Oath Keepers member, the white nationalist group coordinated with the Three Percenters, another group of white nationalists, and the Proud Boys in mobilizing their extremists' groups to rally in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 6, as asked by President Trump in his Dec. 16, 2020, tweet.

As a cultural anthropologist who has studied these movements for over a decade, I know that membership in these organizations is not limited to the attempted violent overthrow of the government and poses an ongoing threat as seen in massacres carried out by young men radicalized by this movement.

In 2020, for instance, the Department of Homeland Security described domestic violent extremists as presenting the most persistent and lethal threat to the people of the United States and the nations government.

In March 2021, FBI Director Christopher Wray testified to Congress that the number of arrests of white supremacists and other racially motivated extremists has almost tripled since he took office in 2017.

Jan. 6 was not an isolated event, Wray testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee. The problem of domestic terrorism has been metastasizing across the country for a long time now, and its not going away anytime soon.

The Southern Poverty Law Center, a nonprofit civil rights group, tracked 733 active hate groups across the United States in 2021.

Based on my research, the internet and social media have made the problem of white supremacist hate far worse and more visible; its both more accessible and, ultimately, more violent, as seen on Jan. 6 at the U.S. Capitol and the shooting deaths of ten Black people at a Buffalo grocery store, among other examples.

An expansive, online network

In the 1990s, former KKK leaders including David Duke rebranded white supremacy for the digital age.

They switched KKK robes for business suits and connected neo-Nazi antisemitic conspiracies with broader anti-Black, anti-immigrant and anti-Islamic racism.

From the 1990s to the late 2000s, this movement largely built discreet online communities and websites peddling racist disinformation.

In fact, for years one of the first websites about Martin Luther King Jr. that a Google search recommended was a website created by white nationalists that spread neo-Nazi propaganda.

In 2005, the white nationalist website Stormfront.org had 30,000 members  which might sound like a lot. But as social media expanded, with both Facebook and Twitter opening to anyone with an email address in 2006, its views got a lot more attention. By 2015, 250,000 people had subscribed to become members of Stormfront.org.

Between 2012 and 2016, white nationalists on Twitter saw a 600% increase in Twitter followers. They have since worked to bring white supremacism into everyday politics.

The Tech Transparency Project, a nonprofit tech industry watchdog group, found that in 2020 half of the white nationalist groups tracked by the Southern Poverty Law Center had a presence on Facebook.

Without clear regulations preventing extremist content, digital companies, in my view, allowed for the spread of white nationalist conspiracies.

Racist activists used algorithms as virtual bullhorns to reach previously unimaginable-sized audiences.

Enter the alt-right

White nationalist leaders, such as Richard Spencer, wanted an even bigger audience and influence.

Spencer coined the term alt-right to this end, with the goal of blurring the relationship between white nationalism and white conservatism. He did this by establishing nonprofit think tanks like the National Policy Institute that provided an academic veneer for him and other white supremacists to spread their views on white supremacy.

This strategy worked.

Today, many white nationalist ideas once relegated to societys fringes are embraced by the broader conservative movement.

Take, for instance, the Great Replacement Theory. The conspiracy theory misinterprets demographic change as an active attempt to replace white Americans with people of color.

This baseless idea observes that Black and Latino people are becoming larger percentages of the U.S. population, and paints that data as the result of an allegedly active attempt by unnamed multiculturalists to drive white Americans out of power in an increasingly diverse nation.

A recent poll showed that over 50% of Republicans now believe in this conspiracy theory.

In 2016, during Trumps presidential campaign, Vice Magazine co-founder Gavin McInnes formed the Proud Boys to further the goals of the alt-right by protecting white identity with the use of violence if necessary.

Proud Boys members are affiliated with white nationalist ideas and leaders, but they deny any explicit racism. Instead, they describe themselves as Western chauvinists who believe in the supremacy of European culture but also welcome members of any race who support this idea.

Along with pro-gun militias such as the Oath Keepers and Three Percenters, the Proud Boys are an experiment in spreading white nationalist ideas to an online universe of potentially millions of social media users.

Why do people join these groups?

Data from manifestos posted online by white nationalist groups shows that many mass shooters share a few common characteristics  they are young, white, male and they spend significant time online at the same websites.

The alleged shooter in the killing of 10 Black people in a predominantly Black neighborhood in Buffalo on May 14, 2022, described his reason as wanting to stop what he feared as the elimination of the white race.

His fears that people of color were replacing white people came from 4chan, a social media company popular among the alt-right.

In 2019, nine African American church members were murdered in Charleston by a young white man who became radicalized through Google searches that led him to openly white supremacist content.

Massacres in a Walmart in El Paso, Texas, at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, and at a synagogue in Poway, California, all took place after the shooters began spending time on 8chan, an imageboard popular with white supremacists and the home of QAnon posts.

For many of these individuals, the most important part of their radicalization was not about their home life or personality quirks, but instead about where they spent time online.

A racially diverse democracy at stake

The reasons men join groups like the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers - and even some liberal groups  is less clear.

A former Proud Boy member offered one reason: They want to join a gang, Russell Schultz told CNN on Nov. 25, 2020. So they can go fight antifa and hurt people that they dont like, and feel justified in doing it.

Antifa is a loose-knit group of usually nonviolent activists who oppose fascism.

Other former extremist group members describe seeking camaraderie and friendship, but also finding racism and antisemitism.

But more than any other issue, racial demographic changes are providing recruitment opportunities for white nationalists, many of whom believe that by the year 2045 white people will become the minority in the United States.

In July 2021, the most recent date for which statistics are available, the U.S. Census Bureau notes that of the estimated population of 330 million American citizens, 75.8% are white, 18.9% are Hispanic, 13.6% are Black and 6% are Asian.

What is also becoming clearer is that the spread of white nationalism endangers the idea of a democratic nation where racial diversity is considered a strength, not a weakness.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article here: https://theconversation.com/fueled-by-virtually-unrestricted-social-media-access-white-nationalism-is-on-the-rise-and-attracting-violent-young-white-men-186896.
Jacy Lewis/Reporter-Telegram

Looking to get out of the house and soak up the last rays of summer but dont want to get too sweaty? Head downtown to Centennial Park for a family-friendly dose of live music Friday starting at 7 p.m. and playing until 9 p.m.

Part of the park's summer Music in the Park series, the night will showcase local dance band Brother Z. Bringing a classic mix of rock and electric soul funk, the trio  made up of vocalist and guitarist Bo Zertuche, drum man Josh Goates, and Jeremy James on vocals and bass  provide an exciting and encompassing show for all involved, so make sure to pack your dancing shoes.
Before you enjoy another cold brew with oat milk, you may want to double-check the milk and coffee labels. The parent company of many popular oat milk, protein shakes, and on-the-go coffee drink brands, Lyons Magnus, announced on Thursday that it is voluntarily recalling 53 nutritional beverages and other beverage products. The recall is due to the potential for microbial contamination from Cronobacter sakazakii, according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Lyons Magnus is recalling products that were sold nationally in individual containers and larger, multi-carton cases. Contaminated products fall under a variety of brand names and products including the popular Oatly oat-milk barista edition, Aloha plant-based protein in chocolate sea salt, coconut, vanilla, and iced coffee, Stumptown cold brew coffee drinks, and Intelligentsia cold coffee and oat latte products.

The complete list of brands that have been impacted by the recall can be found on the FDAs website, but include various products from Oatly, Premier Protein, MRE, Stumptom, Imperial, Lyons Ready Care, Lyons Barista Style, Pirq, Glucerna Original (sold at Costco, BJs Wholesale Club, and Sams Club), Aloha, Intelligentsia, and Kate Farms. You can check the FDAs complete list of recalled products to determine if what you have on hand matches the lot code and best by date on contaminated cartons.

If you are concerned you may have a contaminated product, the FDA recommends returning the product or throwing the item away. Do not consume the product. The FDA suggests contacting the Lyons Recall Support center with additional questions at 1-800-627-0557 or on their website . As of today, no illnesses or complaints have been reported related to these products.

This news comes months after Abbott Nutrition recalled several powdered infant formulas due to contamination concerns. The nutrition giant voluntarily recalled products over potential salmonella and Cronobacter sakazakii (the same bacteria Lyons Magnus is concerned about) contamination. According to the FDA, The Lyons Magnus recall does not include products intended for infants and is a separate case from that of Abbott Nutrition.

What is Cronobacter sakazakii?

Cronobacter sakazakii is a group of bacteria that exist in the environment, especially in dry conditions, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Infection from this bacteria is diagnosed by laboratory culture.

Infection from Cronobacter sakazakii is rare, but the FDA warns that symptoms may include fever, vomiting, and urinary tract infection. Those who are immunocompromised or more vulnerable to illness (such as infants or the elderly) may be more susceptible to infection. If you are at all concerned about potential infection or have knowingly consumed the impacted products, contact your healthcare provider and dispose of the recalled product.
Hourly workers at four locations (and counting) of Texas-based cookie delivery company Tiff's Treats are unionizing. Two shops in Austin, one in the Dallas-Forth Worth area and one in San Antonio have filed union petitions with the National Labor Relations Board since July 18.

According to statements on the union's site and on social media, Tiff's Treats Workers United is asking for a contract that would include a minimum $15 an hour wage for drivers, $18 an hour for kitchen staff and $22 an hour for on-duty managers; mileage reimbursement commensurate with gas prices; "no invasive surveillance practices," according to one post; among other worker priorities. Union organizers have not yet returned a request for comment.

Former University of Texas students Leon and Tiffany Chen founded Tiff's Treats in 1999 in the Texas capital. The Austin-American Statesman reported in November 2021 that the cookie company was worth $500 million.

"Tiff's Treats prides ourselves on being a great place to work," said Tiff's Treats chief operating officer and chief people officer Adam Huddleston in a statement. "Tiff's Treats team members are among the highest paid food service and delivery workers in the industry." The company added that non-driver hourly compensation ranges from $14 to $18 (compared to the $18-$22 the workers will bargain for) and delivery drivers make an average of $22 an hour when they work 30 or more hours a week.

The move to organize at Tiff's comes among a wave of similar efforts in all sectors across the country, from Starbucks coffee shops and Trader Joe's grocery stores to multiple newsrooms.

After filing petitions for stores known internally as A1, A7, D11 and SA3, the union posted on social media that they are expecting more stores to file "in coming days." While there is no word yet on any of Houston's 17 locations joining, a tweet accused an area sales manager in The Woodlands of "illegally removing our union literature from the break room and then returning it under your jacket to the store safe where employees could not read it."

Organizers have engaged their workers and followers on social media by using hashtags like #HotUnionSummer and creating a union-busting bingo card with squares including common company messaging such as "we are a family," "the union is a 3rd party" and "you can always come to us."

An email with the subject line "A Note to the Team" was sent July 29 by Huddleston, addressed to the company's employees, but accidentally sent to customers. A Tiff's Treats spokesperson confirmed that this was "a misfire" and apologized for the incident.

"We are not perfect," Huddleston wrote in the more than 1,100-word email that details multiple benefits they have given employees over the years, such as pay increases and training opportunities. "No person or company is. But we listen, we adapt, we grow, and we have been doing it that way for more than 20 years."

In response to the email, the Tiff's Treats Workers United Twitter account wrote: "Tiff's has been bombarding their employees with anti-union messaging like this for weeks."
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Commissioners agreed to add three positions at the Montgomery County Forensic Services to help with a growing caseload as the agency prepares to move into a new facility in October.

Dr. Kathryn Pinneri, the agencys director, requested four new positions in the 2023 budget she presented Tuesday during the countys first day of workshops. Pinneris $2.4 million budget up $2 million from this year.

We are really stretched thin on our personnel, Pinneri said. There is no overlap in our coverage so when we have people off, no matter what position, we have strains.

The court agreed to give Pinneri three new positions including a death investigator at $84,275, a morgue technician at $79,885 and an administrative assistant at $68,565.

The facility provides autopsies ordered by the countys five justices of the peace who respond to all crime scenes involving a death. The center also will house the Montgomery County Sheriffs Office Crime Lab and forensic lab. Employees of that agency conduct forensics testing of crime scenes and items collected at crime scenes.

The countys new $12 million, 25,000-square-foot forensic facility will give Pinneri and her staff more room to handle cases. The new center at 9900 Carl Pickering Drive is expected to be open in October.

On YourCourierNews.com: Burn ban extended in Montgomery County as drought conditions near record levels

Pinneri requested two additional death investigators, who conduct autopsies.

We need a minimum of four people in the morgue to handle caseload, Pinneri said.

In 2021, the center handled 1,042 Montgomery County cases, with 312 cases coming fromhospitals in the county. So far this year, the center has handled 571 cases with 320 from local hospitals.

In 2020, Pinneri said, her facility stopped taking cases from other counties due to the increasing caseload.

We just cant (take cases from other counties) she said, adding she is using a refrigerated truck to house bodies because the coolers inside the building are full. We dont have the room.

The increase in cases from local hospitals, Pinneri explained, is related to several factors including HCA Houston Healthcare Conroe now staffing a medical helicopter in Liberty County which has increased the number of people coming to Montgomery County hospitals.

Additionally, as the medical center area in The Woodlands has grown, those hospitals are seeing an increase in patients.

They are coming in from all over to these excellent hospitals we now have along that (Interstate 45) corridor, Pinneri said.

Precinct 2 Commissioner Charlie Riley saidthe new facility was designed to allow the agency to again take outside casesto generate revenue to help offset costs. Commissioners said getting the new facility up and running before adding those outside cases is the priority.

I dont know that I am interested in you having enough (staff) to have a revenue source, Precinct 3 Commissioners James Noack said. I want you to have enough staff to take care of people who die in our county first and foremost.

The commissioners are continuing budget hearings through Friday and will adopt its 2023 budget and tax rate later this month.

cdominguez@hcnonline.com
In early 2011, after huge protests in Cairos Tahrir Square ended Hosni Mubaraks three-decade autocracy, many activists who had taken to the streets found themselves in high demand. They were guests on The Daily Show. Hillary Rodham Clinton, then the U.S. secretary of state, visited the square, remarking it was extraordinary to be where the revolution happened, and met with some of the activists.

Alaa Abdel-Fattah, the Egyptian activist, intellectual and blogger described as synonymous with Egypts 25 Jan. Revolution knew the worlds attention would soon move on.

Theyll soon forget about us, he told me more than a decade ago.

He was right, of course. Alaa was always cleareyed and realistic, but somehow never became a cynic. He protested in Tahrir Square in 2011, when he was 29, but afterward, too. Charismatic, fluent in English, and funny, he gave well-received talks abroad, but always returned to Egypt, even when faced with the prospect of imprisonment for his outspokenness. His writings, some smuggled out of jail, were published this year as a book, You Have Not Been Defeated.

These days, I wonder even if he would turn into a cynic, observing how far the world has turned its back on the Arab Spring generation of young men and women who dared to hope. Many are languishing as political prisoners, often under horrendous conditions.

I cant ask what he thinks, though, because hes been in prison for most of the past eight years.

Last week, I didnt even know if he was alive.

After years of imprisonment under appalling conditions  he reports long periods of being deprived of exercise, sunlight, books and newspapers and any access to the written word  Alaa, a British citizen since 2021, started a hunger strike in April to protest being denied a British consular visit.

In late July, his family lost all access, with no proof if he was even alive since a visit in mid-July. After an international uproar, his mother finally got to see him on Sunday. Even then, it was through a glass partition. According to his family, they havent been allowed to hug even once for the past three years. What had exactly broken down, and why did it take so long to even confirm he was alive? Its an unending nightmare.

Alaas family is well acquainted with the cruelties of life under authoritarianism. Alaas sister Mona was born while their father, who later became a human rights lawyer, was in prison. Alaas son, Khaled, was born when Alaa was in prison. In 2014, both Alaa and his other sister, Sanaa, then only 20, were in prison and were not allowed to visit their dying father. In 2020, while waiting outside Alaas prison, Sanaa was attacked and then charged with disseminating false news and imprisoned for another year and a half  a case Amnesty International condemned as a fabrication.

Alaa has the dubious honor of having been a political prisoner, or charged, under Hosni Mubarak, Islamist leader Mohammed Morsi, and then Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, the general who is now Egypts president. During his brief release in 2014, Alaa kept saying how happy he was to finally get to change his sons diapers; he was imprisoned again just a few months later. In 2019 he was released, again deliriously happy to spend time with his son.

But he was put in detention without charges just a few months later. In 2021, when he finally got a trial, he received another five-year sentence for spreading false news. Alaa said he hadnt even been told what he was being charged with before being hauled to court.

Alaas family emphasizes hes but one unjustly imprisoned person. His mother often notes how many others arent even talked about.

But Alaas treatment is an indication of how little care there is left in the world. Hes internationally known, a British citizen, described by Amnesty International as a prisoner of conscience who has been unjustly imprisoned. There have been opinion essays and calls from human rights organizations  to no avail.

One need not be naive about international politics to understand why this is so devastating. We know that many countries with stated commitments to democracy and human rights routinely cut deals with terrible regimes because of their strategic goals or for access to resources or cooperation.

But here, though, countries professing to care about human rights are the ones with leverage, as Egypt depends on foreign aid, trade and tourism to keep its economy going, and theres no reason it cant release a few political prisoners and improve prison conditions, even if just for appearances sake, since it would pose no threat to the regime.

That Egypt is not pushed harder to do even this little is a moral stain that cannot be justified by realpolitik.

In November, Egypt will host a global climate change conference. About 120 world leaders, including President Joe Biden, went to the last one, in Scotland. They could, at least, ask for progress before showing up for this one and acting as if all is fine.

Britain could declare no high-level representatives will attend unless their wrongly imprisoned citizen, Alaa Abdel-Fattah, is allowed to leave. Unfortunately, Britain is embroiled in a political crisis, making U.S. leadership even more important.

Admirably, one senator and 13 members of the House have signed a letter urging action. More of their colleagues could join them, especially since the United States provides more than $1 billion in aid to Egypt and billions in military sales require administration approval.

Biden could pick up the phone and let the Egyptian government know that the maltreatment of political prisoners will be a consideration when approving future aid or military sales.

So what? a cynic might think. Even if Egypt releases a few people and improves the conditions for others, many remain behind, and the political conditions wont change. Thats true, and those thousands of political prisoners  the Arab Springs forgotten, abandoned children  would be among the least deluded about this reality.

But its also true that any limit, even a small one, to the impunity of a regime like this helps. Ive known many political prisoners, some released after external pressure, some left behind. Ive yet to meet one naive about the process, but I also dont know any who didnt welcome progress  each person is a life.

In 2011, three days after he was born, Alaas son, Khaled, was allowed to visit him in prison, for half an hour  10 minutes of which Alaa held him.

In half an hour I changed and the universe changed around me, Alaa wrote about the visit. Now I understand why Im in prison: They want to deprive me of joy. Now I understand why I will resist: Prison will not stop my love.

Alaa then wrote of his dreams for a future with his son: What about half an hour for him to tell me about school? he wondered. Half an hour for him and I to talk about his dreams?

Alaa Abdel-Fattah has been robbed of all those half-hours.

Someone with power has to let the Egyptian government know that while loftier goals may be abandoned, the world hasnt completely forgotten how it once admired those courageous young people who dared to dream of a better future. The least we owe them is more half-hours, to walk and breathe freely, to hold their children, and perchance to keep dreaming of a better world.

Zeynep Tufekci is a New York Times Opinion columnist.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP)  On a recent, scorching afternoon in Albuquerque, off-road vehicles cruised up and down a stretch of dry riverbed where normally the Rio Grande flows. The drivers weren't thrill-seekers, but biologists hoping to save as many endangered fish as they could before the sun turned shrinking pools of water into dust.

For the first time in four decades, America's fifth-longest river went dry in Albuquerque last week. Habitat for the endangered Rio Grande silvery minnow  a shimmery, pinky-sized native fish  went with it. Although summer storms have made the river wet again, experts warn the drying this far north is a sign of an increasingly fragile water supply, and that current conservation measures may not be enough to save the minnow and still provide water to nearby farms, backyards and parks.

The minnow inhabits only about 7% of its historic range and has withstood a century of habitat loss as the nearly 1,900 mile-long (3,058-kilometer) river was dammed, diverted and channeled from Colorado to New Mexico, Texas and northern Mexico. In 1994, the U.S. government listed it as endangered. Scientists, water managers and environmental groups have worked to keep the fish alive  as required by the Endangered Species Act  but the efforts haven't kept pace with demand for water and climate change.

Years of drought, scorching temperatures and an unpredictable monsoon season are zapping what's left of its habitat, leaving officials with little recourse but to hope for rain.

They're adapted for a lot of conditions but not to figure this out, said Thomas Archdeacon, a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologist in charge of a program to rescue the fish. When you have flow one day and no flow the next for miles, they dont know how to get out of that.

When parts of the river dry out, officials use hand nets and seines to pull fish from warm puddles and relocate them to still-flowing sections of the river. The minnow's survival rate after being rescued is slim  just over 5%  due to the stress of warm, stagnant water and being forcibly relocated.

Still, leaving the fish in the pools is a certain death sentence, said Archdeacon. He and the other biologists drove over miles of dried riverbed to where the water picked up again  at the outflow of a sewage treatment plant. Only a handful of the 400 rescued fish would survive, with their best chance swimming through treated sewage.

Over the years, the government has bred and released large numbers of silvery minnows, but for the species to recover, it always comes down to habitat, officials say.

And few options remain to get significantly more water into the river.

Climate change is coming at us so fast right now that its outstripping those tools that we developed over the last few decades, said John Fleck, a water policy researcher at the University of New Mexico.

Historically, one way to send more water into the river has been to release it from upstream reservoirs. But this year, New Mexico has been unable to store extra water because of a downstream debt it owes Texas as part of a compact. Deep into the driest period the West has seen in 1,200 years, the river wasn't replenished by rainstorms that came in June.

The timing and the placement of the storms weren't in the right place to keep the river flowing, said Dave Dubois, New Mexico's state climatologist.

To keep more water in the Rio Grande, the state and irrigation districts are offering to pay farmers to leave fields unplanted, but so far, few have opted in. In New Mexico, small-scale farming is the norm and many farmers water their fields with centuries-old earthen canals that run through their backyards, maintaining the land for cultural reasons, too.

By fallowing their fields, farmers would help save water for the minnow and alleviate the debt to Texas. But officials say that in one key district on the river, only 5% of land was left fallow this year.

We need more people to do it, said Jason Casuga, chief engineer for the Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District. But the program is just in its second year, and farmers want to grow crops, Casuga said.

For the past four years, Ron Moya has farmed about 50 acres (20 hectares) of hay and produce near Albuquerque. A retired engineer, Moya said he answered a calling to work the same land that generations of his family had cultivated before him. Last year, Moya left 10 acres (4 hectares) of his plot unplanted in exchange for several thousand dollars, but said he wouldnt do it this year  even though he was offered more money  because he wanted the moisture to keep the soil on his farm alive. Moya is skeptical that fallowing alone will achieve much.

Theres people whose livelihood depends on growing their hay. Thats what they know. Can you imagine the whole valley being fallowed? That just seems silly, he said.

Nor is there much water to squeeze out of New Mexico's biggest city, Albuquerque. Like other Western metropoles, the city of roughly 563,000 has dramatically cut its per-capita water use, from about 250 gallons (946 liters) per day in 1994 to to 119 gallons (450 liters) in 2019, according to data provided by the city's water utility. Albuquerque also uses groundwater and water from the Colorado River.

According to Mike Hamman, New Mexico's state water engineer, the low hanging fruit has already been picked in Albuquerque, so now it gets a little harder."

___

The Associated Press receives support from the Walton Family Foundation for coverage of water and environmental policy. The AP is solely responsible for all content. For all of APs environmental coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/climate-and-environment
NAIROBI, Kenya - The presidential candidate swiveled his hips and shimmied his shoulders, reggae music blasting from his campaign bus. As George Wajackoyah danced, an increasingly rowdy crowd sang along to what has become his campaign anthem.

"Yes I'm a ganja planter," blared Marlon Asher's hit song, "Ganja Farmer." "Call me di ganja farmer."

When Wajackoyah, 62, took the microphone in Tala, a town outside Nairobi, he talked about fixing Kenya's public corruption, the country's economic woes and its overreliance on China. But the line that earned the most applause - the one at the heart of Wajackoyah's campaign and which has turned the outlier candidate into a viral sensation - was the most simple.

"Bhangi, bhangi, bhangi," Wajackoyah shouted - using the Swahili word for marijuana. In the crowd, fists pumped and at least one puff of smoke trailed into the sky. Hundreds of people roared in reply, "Bhangi, bhangi, bhangi."

Kenya's election on Tuesday will ultimately be a contest between two of the country's most established politicians - former prime minister Raila Odinga and deputy president William Ruto - who recent polls show running neck-and-neck. Wajackoyah could, at most, earn enough votes to force Odinga and Ruto into a runoff, political experts say.

Critics have dismissed Wajackoyah, a longtime adjunct law professor and immigration lawyer, as insane, immoral or both. But during an election season in many ways characterized by disillusionment with the status quo, even Wajackoyah's critics agree that he is shaking up the race - and fueling a bigger conversation about marijuana, in Kenya and across the region.

"What Wajackoyah has done is to bring this discussion about marijuana legalization to the forefront," said Macharia Munene, a professor of history and international relations at the United States International University in Nairobi. "If it is legalized in Kenya, the possibility is that the region might also start talking about it seriously. . . so the effect is big, and other countries are watching this comical fellow."

Across Africa, a half dozen countries - with Lesotho the first in 2017 and Morocco the most recent last year - have legalized marijuana for medicinal and commercial purposes, but not recreationally. In South Africa, adults are allowed to possess, cultivate and use weed in private, but not in public.

The way Wajackoyah sees it, the criminalization of marijuana reflects one of the many Western values that's long been imposed on Kenya. Legalization for industrial and medicinal purposes, he says, would help the country break with its colonial past and allow Kenya to pay off its approximately $71 billion dollar debt. Experts say Wajackoyah's figures are wildly exaggerated. Jeffrey Miron, an economics professor at Harvard University, estimated that annual tax revenue from weed sales for Kenya would be closer to $60 million.

Although Wajackoyah's claims can be outlandish - he also talks about exporting hyena testicles and dog meat - his proposal to use the legalization of weed to boost the economy has struck a nerve, said Ledama Olekina, a senator from Narok County in Kenya who has been pushing in recent years for legalization.

"When you go see the expatriates who live in Nairobi, they are all smoking marijuana," said the senator. "Why is it that they are allowed to smoke and the poor people are not allowed to smoke?"

Kenyan society is still too conservative and religious for Wajackoyah to gain real traction, Olekina said, and Wajackoyah has not made any attempt to gain the experience or alliances necessary to succeed in Kenyan politics. But Olekina said he is confident that the tide will one day turn.

"Eventually, marijuana will be legalized in Kenya," he said. "We just need to have more crazy people like George Wacjackoyah, myself and others talking about it."

Despite his big talk, Wajackoyah said he does not smoke weed himself and is not actually pushing for recreational legalization. His focus is instead on industrial hemp and medical marijuana. But he's quick to add that he sees no problem with recreational use: "What is wrong with smoking? Our grandfathers have been smoking this thing." If he wins, he said, he looks forward to smoking his first joint in office.

One morning last week, Wajackoyah popped out of his white Lexus at a gas station on the outskirts of Nairobi wearing Adidas sandals, track pants and a neon yellow shirt emblazoned with the name of his party: "Roots." Peering over his sunglasses, the grey-bearded politician motioned with a wave of his hand for two Washington Post journalists to get in, quickly.

His campaign is small, he explained, and he doesn't like to let people know where he is ahead of time, lest the crowds get too big. The car doubles as an office, he said, and the rickety campaign bus - retrofitted to include a makeshift stage and DJ booth - was on loan from a friend.

Wajackoyah pulled out his phone, pulling up videos of the massive crowds he'd attracted in Western Kenya days before. "This," Wajackoyah said, "is the first time we have had a revolution of this kind in Africa. In recent months, his TV interviews have received hundreds of thousands of views and discussions about his message - both adoring and dismissive - have rapidly spread on Tik Tok. Sitting in the front seat of the car, Wajackoyah paused, listening to the growing number of young men gathered outside the car, shouting his name.

"We've been discovered," Wajackoyah said with a shake of his head.

He hopped out for an impromptu address. He told them that the wheelbarrow, a symbol of his rival Ruto's campaign, should be repurposed to transport weed. The crowd laughed. When he closed with his signature "bhangi eeeh!" those gathered cheered in response, throwing their fists in the air.

Among them was Jack Juma, a motorcycle taxi driver who smokes weed after breakfast and lunch. Juma, 26, said he believed Wajackoyah would be "a voice for the youth."

Taken in by Hare Krishna worshippers as a child after living on the streets of Nairobi for years, Wajackoyah said he does not drink alcohol or eat meat. He became a police officer after graduating from school, eventually joining the intelligence unit. But he was forced into exile after picking up information about the murder of a government minister in 1990, Wajackoyah said, fleeing to England - where he worked as a grave digger and security guard -then the United States. Along the way, he acquired a list of degrees so long it's led to some mockery along the campaign trail.

He returned to Kenya in 2012, saying he felt a pull to come home. He graduated in 2015 from the Kenya School of Law in Nairobi, enrolling after he said the legitimacy of his earlier degrees was questioned. In Nairobi, he established his own law firm, representing high-profile clients such as Stella Nyanzi, a Ugandan activist and critic of President Yoweri Museveni, and said he most recently served as an adjunct professor at United States International University Africa.

As the campaign bus wove through Nairobi's traffic and rattled along the highways outside the city, Wajackoyah chatted with his running mate, Justina Wamae, a 35-year-old businesswoman raised in the slum of Kibera, and shuffled and shimmied by himself as the DJ played a reggae stream of Lucky Dube and Bob Marley. Occasionally, he grabbed the handrail running alongside the perimeter of the bus and dropped it low.

He leaned over to fist bump a crowd of butchers who approached, blew kisses to beauty salon students who clambered onto a roof to see him, hugged young men sporting marijuana T-shirts and phone cases and danced with women who grabbed his hand over the railing. He attracted massive crowds in Grogan, one of the Nairobi slums where he sometimes begged as a child, telling the rapt crowd: " I lived along this river just like you . . . someone whose father is a nobody, just as you are perceived, can be president of Kenya."

Even when the bus was swarmed by young men - many of whom appeared to be high and some of whom tried at points to grab his microphone - Wajackoyah remained calm. Often, a little smile would appear on his face. He said he's content because the crowds demonstrate the impact he's already made, regardless of the election results.

The real goal, he said, is to transform minds, and on that: "We have already won."
IDLEWILD  More than half of the members of the Association of Black Judges of Michigan (ABJM) gathered July 22-24 in Idlewild for its inaugural retreat. The theme of the retreat was RESET: Restoration, Education, Service and Everyone Together.

The educational sessions included topics on judicial security, judicial ethics in a changing court environment, and emotional intelligence as a foundation to diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. There was also a judicial wellness activity where attendees participated in Tai Chi. The Retreat ended with a worship service Sunday at the First Baptist Church of Idlewild.
LONDON (AP)  British civil rights campaigner Roy Hackett, a leader of a bus boycott that played a key role in ending legal racial discrimination in the U.K., has died. He was 93.

The BBC and media outlets in Hackett's home city of Bristol, England, reported his death on Wednesday. The city's deputy mayor, Asher Craig, paid tribute to Hackett as a humble, principled, freedom fighter.

Born in Jamaica, Hackett came to Britain in 1952  one of the thousands of people from Britain's former colonies who helped rebuild the U.K. after World War II.

In 1963, he helped organize a boycott of the government-owned Bristol Omnibus Company over its refusal to hire Black or Asian drivers and conductors. Britain had no law at the time barring racial discrimination in employment or housing.

Partly inspired by the Montgomery bus boycott in Alabama and by the U.S. civil rights movement, British activists held street sit-ins to prevent buses from moving.

Hackett recalled later that the movement began after he was walking through Bristol and saw a Black man crying outside the bus companys offices. He had showed up for an interview only to be told the job was gone.

So I then went and spoke to the company and told them, If he cant be taught to drive the bus, then the buses wont be driven, Hackett said.

The boycott drew national attention, gaining support from student groups, local Labour Party lawmaker Tony Benn and Labour leader Harold Wilson, who went on to become prime minister. After four months, the company changed its policy and started hiring non-white drivers.

The boycott helped build momentum for a formal ban on discrimination. In 1965, Wilsons government passed the Race Relations Act, which made racial discrimination illegal in public places. Another act three years later included education and housing.

Hackett also was a co-founder of the Commonwealth Coordinated Committee, which set up St. Pauls Carnival, one of Britains oldest Caribbean festivals.

Though Hackett was a local hero, the story of the bus boycott is not commonly taught in British schools. The event gained new attention in Britain during the anti-racism protests that swept the world after the killing of George Floyd at the hands of police in the United States.

After protesters in Bristol toppled a statue of British slave-trader Edward Colston and dumped it into the harbor in June 2020, a petition was started to get a statue of Hackett erected in its place.

Labour Party lawmaker Thangam Debbonaire, who represents Bristol West in Parliament, said Hackett was a civil rights hero.

He was an inspiration to so many and taught us all so much about standing up for justice and equality, Debbonaire said.
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OKLAHOMA CITY (AP)  The Oklahoma Board of Pardon and Parole on Wednesday voted to recommend clemency for a death row inmate who has admitted to beating to death a friend and co-worker who refused to loan him $50 to buy cocaine.

The board voted 3-2 to recommend Gov. Kevin Stitt grant clemency to James Coddington, 50, who was convicted and sentenced to die for killing 73-year-old Albert Hale inside Hale's home in Choctaw in 1997. Coddington beat Hale on the head at least three times with a hammer.

Stitt said Wednesday that he hasn't been formally briefed on Coddington's case, but that with any clemency recommendation, he meets with prosecutors, defense attorneys and the victim's family before making a decision.

Sometimes there's not even a question of guilt  they're admitting it, but do they deserve mercy?" Stitt told The Associated Press. Those are all tough questions. What does mercy look like? What does justice look like? And I really take that very seriously and get by myself once I get all the facts and make that decision."

State Attorney General John O'Connor said in a statement that he will oppose the recommendation.

An emotional Coddington, who spoke by video and appeared on the verge of tears, apologized to the Hale family and told the board that he is a different man today.

I'm clean, I know God, I'm not ... I'm not a vicious murderer, Coddington said.

If this ends today with my death sentence, OK, Coddington said before the vote.

Coddington said Hale tried to get him to stop using drugs and had been a friend and "for that he lost his life.

Hale's son, Mitch Hale, read statements from himself and sister, Patricia Carey, urging the board to reject the clemency request.

Please give my dad justice and my family closure. Give James Coddington the same sentence he gave my dad, according to the statement from Carey.

Hale told the board that he initially hated Coddington, but let go of the hatred.

I forgive James Coddington, but my forgiveness does not release him from the consequences of his actions, Hale said in urging the board to reject the clemency request.

Assistant Oklahoma Attorney General Caroline Hunt told the board that Coddington killed Hale to rob him and to avoid going to prison.

There will be no justice if Mr. Coddington receives clemency from his death sentence, Hunt said.

Defense Attorney Emma Rolls told the panel that Coddington, who was 24 at the time, was impaired by years of alcohol and drug abuse that began when he was an infant and his father put beer and whiskey into his baby bottles.

The Board has acknowledged that his case exemplifies the circumstances for which clemency exists, Rolls said in a statement following the hearing. "We urge Governor Stitt to adopt the Boards recommendation.

Coddington was twice sentenced to death in the case, the second time in 2008 after his initial sentence was overturned on appeal.

The clemency recommendation now goes to Stitt, a Republican in his first term who is up for reelection this year. He has approved one clemency request, that of Julius Jones, and rejected one, that of Bigler Stouffer, who was put to death in December.

Coddington is set to be put to death Aug. 25, the first of six inmates scheduled for execution after a federal judge rejected a challenge by them and 19 other death row inmates to the states lethal injection method.

The chair of the Oklahoma Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty, Rev. Don Heath, said he is surprised but pleased by the board's recommendation.

"We ask Gov. Stitt to read the clemency packet, to watch the clemency hearing ... and we hope that he will allow James Coddington to spend the rest of his natural life behind bars, Heath said in a statement.

Oklahoma had one of the nations busiest death chambers until problems in 2014 and 2015 led to a de facto moratorium. Richard Glossip was just hours from being executed in September 2015 when prison officials realized they received the wrong lethal drug. It was later learned the same wrong drug had been used to execute another man in January 2015.

The drug mix-ups followed a botched execution in April 2014 in which inmate Clayton Lockett struggled on a gurney before dying 43 minutes into his lethal injection  and after the states prisons chief ordered executioners to stop.

_____

Associated Press reporter Sean Murphy in Oklahoma City contributed to this report.
State investigators continue to widen the net with their water sampling at and downstream of the area Tribar Manufacturing reportedly leaked hexavalent chromium into a sewage treatment system that discharges into the Huron River.

If hexavalent chromium sounds familiar, it should because it was the topic of discussion in the dramatized biopic Erin Brockovich, which told the story of her legal fight with Pacific Gas and Electric Company and its poisoning of one small town's groundwater.

"Hexavalent chromium is a known carcinogen that can cause a number of adverse health effects through ingestion, skin contact or inhalation," a Michigan Department of Heath and Human Services press release reads.

According to the release, at 3:21 p.m. Aug. 1, Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy was notified by Tribar Manufacturing that it had released "several thousand gallons of a liquid containing 5% hexavalent chromium into the sewer system."

"The sewer feeds the Wixom wastewater treatment plant, which discharges to the Huron River system," the release reads.

"The company says it discovered the release Monday but indicated it may have started as early as Saturday morning according to Wixom city officials," the release later read. "It is believed that much of the contaminant already made its way through the treatment plant by the time the release was discovered."

Following being notified of the release of hexavalent chromium, MDHHS issued a warning to area residents.

"MDHHS is recommending until further notice that all people and pets avoid contact with the Huron River water between North Wixom Road in Oakland County and Kensington Road in Livingston County. This includes Norton Creek downstream of the Wixom Wastewater Treatment Plant (Oakland County), Hubbell Pond (also known as Mill Pond in Oakland County) and Kent Lake (Oakland and Livingston counties)," the warning read.

The state began performing river water samples and on Aug. 3 expanded the area the samples were being collected.

"EGLE sampled nine locations today, with results expected tomorrow, to help track the pollutants location as it moves downstream," an Aug. 3 release read. "The agency, in concert with partners from across the watershed, is developing a testing plan for coming days and weeks. State investigators also met with Tribar Wednesday to gain information about how the release occurred and other details that may help regulators better protect the public."

The first two tests taken Monday did not detect the presence of hexavalent chromium. However, officials said the first two data points aren't sufficient to draw conclusions on the spill.

In the meantime, MDHHS issued the following recommendation for the section of Huron River impacted:
STATESBORO, Ga. (AP)  An elderly couple found dead in their Georgia home likely perished from heat stroke, according to the local coroner.

Authorities discovered the bodies of Larry and Mary Greer on Monday after someone called to request a welfare check.
The following list includes recent reports from the Midland County Sheriffs Office and the Midland Police Department. Compiled by reporter Tereasa Nims.

Tuesday, Aug. 2

11:59 p.m. - Deputies conducted a curfew check for a 41-year-old Lee Township man. The man was home when deputies attempted contact.

11:04 p.m. - A deputy was flagged down by a 51-year-old Coleman woman. The woman requested extra patrol due to suspicious activity.

11 p.m. - Police were called to the 2200 block of Virginia Street for a malicious destruction of property complaint.

9:56 a.m. - Deputies were dispatched to a Lee Township residence in reference to a third-party report of a domestic verbal dispute between an unknown man and woman. Deputies spoke with both parties and confirmed it was a verbal dispute only. Upon further investigation, Deputies found the 42-year-old man party involved had a warrant. The man was subsequently arrested and lodged for his warrant without incident.

9:46 p.m. - Police responded to the 2700 block of Isabella Street for a stolen property complaint.

7:29 p.m. - Deputies were dispatched to a Midland Township location reference a vehicle that was possibly broken down. Deputies checked the area, but the vehicle was gone prior to the deputies arrival.

4:47 p.m. - A 22-year-old man reported that an unknown subjects stole his trailer hitch from his truck while parked at a parking lot in Jerome Township. The trailer hitch was valued at $70.

4:38 p.m. - A deputy was dispatched to a Hope Township residence. A 38-year-old woman reported that her 11-year-old child's foster parents drove recklessly away from her residence and squealed the tires on the vehicle. The deputy contacted the 50-year-old man and 38-year-old woman foster parents who denied the situation. They did admit that the vehicle has a loud exhaust but denied ever squealing the tires or driving reckless. The deputy checked the area for squeal marks or other signs that someone drove recklessly through the area. Nothing was in the area. All parties were advised to video tape future encounters.

4:11 p.m. - Police were called to Eastman Avenue and West Wackerly Street for a property damage crash.

3:29 p.m. - Deputies were dispatched to a Mills Township residence regarding an unwanted guest. A 65-year-old man reported that his 29-year-old daughter was not welcome at his residence. Contact was made with the woman. She left the residence without incident. The remaining family members and Senior Services continued with a pre-arranged meeting.

2:36 p.m. - Deputies and Michigan State Police Troopers assisted the Coleman Police Department with a personal protection order violation investigation.

2:28 p.m. - Police responded to the 900 block of S Saginaw for a hit and run property damage accident.

1:06 p.m. - Police were called to the area of Rodd Street and Jefferson Avenue for a property damage crash.

12:23 p.m. - Deputies responded to a Jerome Township residence, reference a stolen catalytic converter. It was discovered that one catalytic converter was stolen worth $400.

12:09 p.m. - Deputies checked the wellbeing of children at a Jerome Township residence. Deputies spoke to the father and checked the residence. The children were all set and appeared healthy and unharmed.

11:55 a.m. - Police were called to the 2800 block of Ashman for a private property hit and run crash.

11:20 a.m. - A 56-year-old woman called 911 reference a civil complaint. She advised that the property owner of the farm field next to her trimmed a tree that was on the property line. She was advised to get her property surveyed since it hasn't been done yet.

11:58 a.m. - Deputies were dispatched to assist Michigan State Police Troopers on a call in Larkin Township.

12:01 p.m. - Deputies were dispatched to a Geneva Township residence for two stray Huskies that were found. Deputies transported the Huskies to the Midland County Humane Society without incident.

8:55 a.m. - A Midland County Sheriff's Office vehicle was minimally damaged in a construction zone within the City of Midland.

8:49 a.m. - Police responded to Ashman and E. Indian streets for a property damage crash.

9:09 a.m. - Deputies spoke to a 41-year-old woman regarding her disorderly behavior at the group home she resides in Porter Township. Deputies calmed the woman down and resolved the issue.

8:12 a.m. - Deputies were dispatched to a Lee Township residence regarding a third-party report of a delayed domestic assault between a 36-year-old mother and her 16-year-old daughter. Deputies spoke with both parties and a report is being sent to the prosecutor for further review.

4:14 a.m. - Deputies were dispatched to an Ingesoll Township location for a verbal domestic. Upon arrival Deputies contacted a 44-year-old Ingersoll Township man and a 48-year-old Ingersoll Township woman. The couple advised they had an argument and there were no assaults. The couple advised they were done arguing and headed to bed.

2:05 a.m. - A deputy assisted the Midland Police Department with a drug overdose complaint at a Midland residence.
NEW YORK (AP)  Country superstar Dolly Parton, who made a big donation to help fund coronavirus vaccine research in 2020, is among this year's Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy recipients.

Also being honored are Dallas entrepreneur Lyda Hill, Kenyan industrialist Manu Chandaria, and Lynn and Stacy Schusterman, from the Oklahoma investment family.

The award, presented by the international family of Carnegie institutions to honor innovative philanthropists, debuted in 2001 and is normally awarded every two years. It was not issued in 2021 due to the pandemic.

The 2022 honorees will receive their medals in a private ceremony in New York on Oct. 13. A priority of the ceremony is fostering personal meetings to encourage the exchange of ideas and spur potential collaboration  something this years honorees have already done, said Eric Isaacs, president of the Carnegie Institution for Science and a member of the medal selection committee.

Partons $1 million donation to Vanderbilt University Medical Center has received plenty of attention. But her fellow honoree Hill, through her Lyda Hill Philanthropies, was also an early donor to the work that would yield the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine.

I invested before it was anything, Hill told The Associated Press. One of the things that Warren Buffett said that stuck with me was, Dont do what other people can do and will do. Do what other people cant do and wont do. And take risks. I have had to apply that to my philanthropic investments.

Hill, who focuses her funding on advances in science and nature conservancy, as well as supporting women in those careers, said she never did get a Moderna shot.

Unfortunately, Hill said, when I went to get my vaccine, I rolled my sleeves up and said, What do you got? And she said, Pfizer. I said, OK.

Parton, in a statement, said she was honored to receive the Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy.

Ive always believed that if you are in a position to help, you should help, and I truly hope that I can be an inspiration for others to lift up those around them, said Parton, who will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in November, and makes most of her donations through her Dollywood Foundation. Whether through my Imagination Library or giving to COVID-19 research, I try to support things that have a special meaning for me. I hope everyone can find something theyre passionate about supporting and do what they can to help make this world a better place.

Considering the intense need created by COVID-19, the pandemic was top of mind while the selection committee was making its decisions, Isaacs said.

Obviously, this is a very difficult time with the pandemic, he said. But we think environmental issues are probably equally, if not more, impactful in the sense that pandemics like COVID-19 are likely to become more frequent as the atmosphere heats up. I think we take the long view in terms of our selections.

The Schustermans exemplify philanthropists whose donations have made a long-lasting impact, in addition to making timely grants to address current needs.

The Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation was established in 1987 to invest in systemic change in the United States and Israel on matters of justice and equity. When Charles died in 2000, Lynn Schusterman took over the foundation, expanding its work and becoming an outspoken advocate for inclusion, especially for the LGBTQ community. In 2018, their daughter Stacy Schusterman took over the foundation, which changed its name last year to Schusterman Family Philanthropies and now also includes work in reproductive equity, voting rights and criminal justice  all hot-button issues this summer.

I hope that work like this will inspire other people to give more now, Stacy Schusterman told the AP. Its important for people to give a meaningful percentage of their familys assets. And I think the partnership that can exist between philanthropy and the communities that were seeking to help is vital. Government cant address all problems.

She said shes thrilled to be carrying on her parents work and that she will be celebrated with her mom.

Im really excited that were being honored together, she said. Its fun to have it happen as a mother-daughter team.

The Chandaria Foundation had its start as a family enterprise in the 1950s, though the Kenyan-born industrialist of Indian descent had to do some convincing before it began.

When he first brought up the issue, Chandaria remembers his father asking if something was wrong with him and whether he had lived in the United States too long. We are not the Rockefellers, Chandarias father told him. You better get to work. Theres a big hole over there.

But by 1956, they had established a charitable organization providing scholarships in Kenya and, decades later, its work has expanded into building education and healthcare infrastructure in Africa.

Its a basic principle of the Gandhian philosophy: If you have wealth, you are not owners of the wealth, said Chandaria, who also attributes generosity to being a follower of the Indian religion Jainism. You really should go and help others who cannot help themselves.

Isaacs said the Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy is meant to recognize the work of the honorees in their various fields and locations. This year, the Carnegie institutions will also launch the Carnegie Catalyst award to celebrate the transformative power of human kindness, which will go to World Central Kitchen, the anti-hunger nonprofit founded by chef Jose Andres.

That award was inspired by the late Vartan Gregorian, the president of the Carnegie Corporation of New York and the co-founder of the Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy, who died in 2021.

World Central Kitchen is an outstanding model of how humankind can respond in times of dire need by activating the inherent goodness in others  an ideal that was embodied through the life and work of Vartan Gregorian, Thomas H. Kean, chairman of Carnegie Corporation of New Yorks board of trustees and former governor of New Jersey, said in a statement.

____

Associated Press coverage of philanthropy and nonprofits receives support through the APs collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content. For all of APs philanthropy coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/philanthropy.
GLEN ROSE, Texas (AP)  Fewer firefighters are needed as a stubborn two-week-old North Texas wildfire nears being fully contained, officials said Tuesday.

The multi-agency Southern Area Incident Management Team said it's turned management of the 10 1/2-square-mile (27 1/3-square-kilometer) Chalk Mountain Fire over to the Texas A&M Forest Service after firefighters brought containment from 89% on Monday to 93% on Tuesday.

Forces fighting the fire 50 miles (80 kilometers) southwest of Fort Worth have been drawn down from 250 firefighters on Sunday to 150 on Tuesday, the statement said.

There was little activity or heat occurring across the fire, the statement said. The occasional flareup is still possible on the Chalk Mountain Fire, but these flareups involve sporadic heat intermixed with pockets of burned or partially burned fuel on the interior of the fire."

Fire conditions remained explosive in the area with extreme drought combined with temperatures topping 100 degrees (38 degrees Celsius).
In the Klamath National Forest in Northern California, where the McKinney Fire has killed four people, residents have been confronted by a raging inferno and flooding rain.

On Tuesday night, slow-moving severe thunderstorms unleashed downpours near the McKinney Fire, which has consumed more than 57,000 acres and is California's largest fire of 2022.

The heavy rains helped slow the growth of the blaze but triggered flooding and mudslides in parts of the burned area.

The National Weather Service office in Medford, Ore., reported mud and debris on some area roads and flash flooding on the eastern side of the fire. It also issued a severe thunderstorm warning and a flash flood warning for Siskiyou County. The Siskiyou County sheriff reported a possible mudflow on Whitney Creek near Mount Shasta and urged residents to be ready to evacuate.

As barren ground absorbs less water and rainwater can easily pick up soil and sediments, charred areas are especially prone to debris flows and mudslides.

On Wednesday, fire behavior analyst Dennis Burns reported that some areas affected by the fire received as much as three inches of rain in just over an hour, leading to debris flows that compromised roads in the fire zone. "But other parts of the fire got no rain whatsoever," Burns said.

Meanwhile, ongoing thunderstorm activity has brought a rash of lightning to the broader region, possibly sparking new fires.

The McKinney Fire exploded Friday into Saturday near the town of Yreka, destroying structures and claiming at least four lives. While officials don't believe lightning sparked the fire, its growth was driven by erratic thunderstorm winds and fueled by extreme temperatures amid dense, drought-stressed vegetation in the Klamath National Forest.

Given moist conditions early this week, some progress is expected in the coming days on the McKinney Fire (57,500 acres) and the nearby Yeti Fire (2,980 acres), both of which have no containment at this time.

The rapid spread of the McKinney Fire notwithstanding, the fire situation in the Pacific Northwest and Northern California could have been even more severe.

Meteorologists had been bracing for a weather system with the potential to spark fast-moving fires in vegetation that was tinder-dry after record-breaking heat.

"We had been worried that the passage of an upper trough would bring lightning and winds all at the same time, which is an ugly circumstance," said John Saltenberger, fire weather program manager for the Northwest Interagency Coordination Center in Portland, Ore. "But it didn't come to pass."

Instead, that system remains off the coast, allowing moisture from the Southwest monsoon to continue to stream northward and trigger thunderstorms.

Thousands of lightning strikes have peppered California and Oregon over the past few days, though it remains unclear whether sufficient rain has fallen to prevent new wildfires. The National Weather Service in Medford noted that some lightning strikes were observed outside of rain cores, and there have been reports of small lightning fires in Northern California and Oregon. It is still possible that new fires will emerge in the coming days during windy weather.

"We're going into a warmer, drier period, so we expect to see the activity increase pretty significantly today through tomorrow," Burns said Wednesday.

Saltenberger said the summer fire season in the Pacific Northwest had been much slower than expected despite entrenched drought conditions - roughly half of Oregon is in severe drought or worse, according to the latest U.S. Drought Monitor map.

"We still have all of August and half of September to contend with. We're just at a relative respite at the moment," he said.

A robust Southwest monsoon has helped to ease fire risk across several Western states, but fire activity has been increasing in Northern California, the Pacific Northwest and in the Northern Rockies, which lie on the periphery of monsoonal surges and tend to receive drier and more sporadic storms. In the past week, wildfires in Idaho, Montana, Wyoming and western Nebraska have forced evacuations and threatened or destroyed structures.
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The U.S. Justice Department has charged five people for making threats of violence against election workers amid a rising wave of harassment and intimidation tied to the 2020 presidential election, a top official told U.S. senators Wednesday.

Assistant Attorney General Kenneth Polite said one charge has led to a conviction so far through a task force launched last year as reports of threats to election officials, workers and volunteers raised concerns about safety and the security of future elections.

Overall, the department has investigated more than 1,000 harassing and threatening messages directed at election workers. Roughly 100 of those have risen to the level of potential prosecution. Polite estimated at least three more people have been charged for such threats at the state level.

Sen. Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, said at a hearing of the Senate Judiciary Committee that those numbers likely do not account for countless more incidents nationwide, including election workers accosted on the street, that are not referred to federal prosecutors.

We have thousands and thousands of election workers all throughout our country, and yes there has been a rise in all kinds of threats, Hirono said. So the thousand referrals sounds like a very small number.

Polite said the department has tried to encourage election staff to come forward with any kind of harassing or offensive communication. As an example of one case, he detailed the charge against a Texas man who threatened to kill government officials in Georgia after the 2020 election.

He said he was threatening to end the lives of these traitors and take back our country by force, threatened to exterminate these people, and he threatened to put a bullet behind their ears," Polite said.

Polite said prosecutors have had to balance safeguarding free speech rights with the onslaught of troubling phone calls, emails and social media posts targeting election workers. The intimidation efforts have especially targeted election officials in the battleground states where Donald Trump contested his loss to President Joe Biden.

Michigan's secretary of state, Jocelyn Benson, recalled for committee when dozens of protesters were outside her own home in December 2020, shouting obscenities and graphic threats.

As a result, there is an omnipresent feeling of anxiety and dread that permeates our daily lives and those of our families, said Benson, a Democrat.

She said too many election officials feel unsafe and fear for the safety of their colleagues and the security of future elections. State lawmakers have failed to set aside enough money for election security, she said.

We are threatened with arrest for simply doing our jobs, for educating citizens about the right to vote. Or we are inundated with burdensome and often nonsensical, unnecessary demands for information and access to secure election equipment, Benson said.

North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis, a Republican who has had talks with Democrats about potential voting legislation, asked Polite if he supports increased penalties for people found guilty of threats against election workers. Tillis noted that he has received two voicemails in recent days from a man who threatened to kill him.

Any leverage that we can gain in terms of increasing the potential deterrence value of charges of enforcement actions here is absolutely critical, Polite said.

A bipartisan bill in the Senate would double the federal penalties to up to two years in prison for those who threaten election workers, poll watchers, voters or candidates.

Legal action is the last line of defense," said New Mexico's secretary of state, Democrat Maggie Toulouse Oliver, who spoke about receiving death threats during the 2020 election that forced her leave her home. "We will not stop such threats until the lies stop, the rhetoric gets racheted down and elected officials, the media, political parties and others find better ways to come together and educate the public about the realities of how elections are conducted.
A Northern Michigan man could be facing prison time if he is convicted of the sexual assault he is charged with.

Jamie Lee Gilde, 32, of Manton, was arraigned July 27 in 84th District Court in Wexford County on one count of criminal sexual conduct  first degree, with a victim under the age of 13. Gilde could face enhanced sentencing due to his habitual offender fourth status.
MECOSTA COUNTY  On the Aug. 2 primary election ballot, Mecosta County residents were asked to vote on two millage renewal proposals  the Emergency Medical Services and the Commission on Aging, both of which passed according to results from the county clerk's office.

The Emergency Medical Services millage ballot proposal requests the renewal of a levy up to .9342 mill, or 94.32 cents per $1,000 of taxable value for a period of eight years, that will support the continued operation of the EMS network for the tax years 2022 through 2029.
MEXICO CITY (AP)  Mexicos Attorney Generals Office said Tuesday that it has opened several lines of investigation against former President Enrique Pena Nieto, several weeks after the countrys anti-money laundering agency accused the former leader of handling millions of dollars in possibly illegal funds.

Pena Nieto is under investigation for election-related crimes tied to company, money laundering and illicit enrichment, according to a statement from the Attorney Generals Office.

The press statement referred to him only as Enrique P in keeping with Mexican policy of not identifying those accused of crimes. But an official with the prosecutors office confirmed that it concerned Pena Nieto.

Pena Nieto governed Mexico from 2012 to 2018 and has since been living in Spain. When the criminal complaint from the Financial Intelligence Unit was announced last month, Pena Nieto wrote in his Twitter account that his money was legally obtained.

No charges have been filed.

Last month, Pablo Gomez, the head of the unit said a company run by Pena Nietos family had a symbiotic relationship with a firm that received about $500 million in government contracts while he was president.

Tuesday's announcement did not add many details, but it did name Spanish construction company OHL, which has a subsidiary in Mexico, as being involved in a number of the allegations against Pena Nieto. It said charges could come in that investigation in the coming months.

Gomez had also said Pena Nieto received money transfers from a relative, apparently linked to two companies  his family's and one receiving government contracts  for about $1.3 million after leaving office.

In 2016, Mexicos National Banking and Stock Commission fined OHL the equivalent of more than $4 million over alleged accounting irregularities, the largest penalty ever issued by the body at the time.

OHL's Mexican subsidiary said at the time that it has always acted with transparency and with the best corporate practices.

A year earlier, OHL was embroiled in a scandal in Mexico over possible corruption related to highway contracts. Recordings surfaced that purported to show company executives discussing bribes and plotting to raise road tolls.
LANSING, Mich. (AP)  The Michigan Republican Party said it canceled a Tuesday evening primary watch party in Lansing after a man came to the party's headquarters and threatened to shoot up the building and burn it down.

Lansing police said officers went to the building Tuesday morning in response to a complaint about a threat, but that the person who allegedly made the threat was not still there. Officers will pay special attention to that area, said police spokeswoman Jordan Gulkis.
WOOD RIVER  Motorists seeking to renew drivers licenses and purchase vehicle stickers can attend a free mobile unit event 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday at the Wood River Police Department, 550 E. Madison Ave., sponsored by state Sen. Kris Tharp, D-Bethalto, in partnership with the Illinois Secretary of State.

The mobile unit offers a more convenient option for residents to receive necessary services without waiting for long periods of time at a driver services facility, said Tharp. I encourage anyone in need of an easy way to renew and obtain IDs and license plates to attend this upcoming event.
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TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP)  After a trip that drew Chinas wrath, a defiant Nancy Pelosi concluded her visit to Taiwan on Wednesday with a pledge that the American commitment to democracy on the self-governing island and elsewhere remains ironclad.

Pelosi received a euphoric welcome as the first U.S. House speaker to visit in more than 25 years, and China swiftly responded by announcing multiple military exercises nearby.

The speaker's departure for South Korea came just a day before China was scheduled to launch its largest maneuvers aimed at Taiwan in more than a quarter of a century.

Before leaving, a calm but resolute Pelosi repeated previous remarks about the world facing a choice between democracy and autocracy.

Americas determination to preserve democracy, here in Taiwan and around the world, remains ironclad, she said in a short speech during a meeting with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen.

The trip enraged China, which claims Taiwan as its territory and opposes any engagement by Taiwanese officials with foreign governments.

The Biden administration, and Pelosi, have said that the United States remains committed to the so-called one-China policy, which recognizes Beijing but allows informal relations and defense ties with Taipei. The administration discouraged but did not prevent Pelosi from visiting.

Nevertheless, China issued a series of harsh statements after the American delegation touched down in the Taiwanese capital, Taipei.

Taiwanese President Tsai pushed back firmly against Beijings military exercises, parts of which will enter Taiwanese waters.

Facing deliberately heightened military threats, Taiwan will not back down, Tsai said at her meeting with Pelosi. We will firmly uphold our nations sovereignty and continue to hold the line of defense for democracy.

The exercises, including those involving live fire, are to start Thursday and will be the biggest aimed at Taiwan since 1995, when China fired missiles in a large-scale exercise to show its displeasure over a visit by then-Taiwanese President Lee Teng-hui to the U.S.

In other activities, Pelosi visited a human rights museum in Taipei that details the history of the islands martial-law era. She also met with some of Taiwans most prominent rights activists, including an exiled former Hong Kong bookseller who was detained by Chinese authorities, Lam Wing-kee.

Thanking Pelosi for her decades of support for Taiwan, the president presented her with a civilian honor, the Order of the Propitious Clouds.

A day earlier, China's official Xinhua News Agency announced the military operations and showed a map outlining six different areas around Taiwan.

Arthur Zhin-Sheng Wang, a defense studies expert at Taiwans Central Police University, said three of the areas infringe on Taiwanese waters, meaning they are within 12 nautical miles (22 kilometers) of shore.

Using live fire in a country's territorial airspace or waters is risky, Wang said, because under international rules of engagement, it can be seen as an act of war.

In Washington, National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby sought to tamp down fears. He told ABCs Good Morning America on Wednesday that U.S. officials dont believe were at the brink now, and theres certainly no reason for anybody to be talking about being at the brink going forward.

Pelosi's trip heightened U.S.-China tensions more than visits by other members of Congress because of her position as leader of the House of Representatives. The last House speaker to visit Taiwan was Newt Gingrich in 1997.

China's response came on multiple fronts  military, diplomatic and economic.

Shortly after Pelosi landed Tuesday night, China announced live-fire drills that reportedly started that night, as well as the four-day exercises starting Thursday. The People's Liberation Army Air Force also flew a contingent of 21 warplanes toward Taiwan.

Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Xie Feng summoned the U.S. ambassador in Beijing to convey the country's protests the same night.

On Wednesday, China banned some imports from Taiwan, including citrus and fish. That night, China flew an additional 27 fighter jets toward Taiwan.

Chinese state broadcaster CCTV said a Taiwanese citizen was detained on suspicion of inciting separatism. Yang Chih-yuan, originally from the city of Taichung, was shown surrounded by police in a CCTV video. Yang had been a candidate for a legislative position in New Taipei City, according to local media.

Addressing Beijings threats, Pelosi said she hopes its clear that while China has prevented Taiwan from attending certain international meetings, that they understand they will not stand in the way of people coming to Taiwan as a show of friendship and of support.

Pelosi noted that congressional support for Taiwan is bipartisan, and she praised the islands democracy. She stopped short of saying that the U.S would defend Taiwan militarily and emphasized that Congress is committed to the security of Taiwan, in order to have Taiwan be able to most effectively defend themselves.

Her focus has always been the same, she said, going back to her 1991 visit to Beijing's Tiananmen Square, when she and other lawmakers unfurled a small banner supporting democracy two years after a bloody military crackdown on protesters at the square. That visit was also about human rights and what she called dangerous technology transfers to rogue countries.

On this trip, Pelosi met with representatives from Taiwans legislature.

The speaker's visit is the strongest defense of human rights, democratic values and freedom, Tsai Chi-chang, vice president of Taiwans legislature, said in welcome.

Pelosi's five-member delegation included Rep. Gregory Meeks, chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi from the House Intelligence Committee, as well as Reps. Andy Kim and Mark Takano.

Also traveling with the speaker was Rep. Suzan DelBene, whom Pelosi said was instrumental in the passage of a $280 billion bill aimed at boosting American manufacturing and research in semiconductor chips  an industry that Taiwan dominates and is vital for modern electronics.

Hours after leaving Taipei, Pelosi arrived Wednesday evening at a South Korea military base ahead of meetings with political leaders in Seoul, after which she will visit Japan.

Both countries are U.S. alliance partners, together hosting about 80,000 American personnel as a bulwark against North Koreas nuclear ambitions and Chinas increased assertiveness in the South China and East China seas.
Small details of the Washington Nationals' trade deadline that could get lost in the, uh, shuffle: There were four minor leaguers on a flight from Columbus, Ohio, to Reagan National Airport on Tuesday morning. Two of them, first baseman Joey Meneses and outfielder Josh Palacios, were activated before the Nationals faced the New York Mets. But the other two, relievers Reed Garrett and Mason Thompson, only came in case the club dealt relievers before 6 p.m.

And turns out the Nationals didn't. Garrett and Thompson were not in the bullpen for a 5-1 win. In sum, the Nationals made just a pair of trades after striking six deals a year ago, keeping a handful of controllable relievers (because the offers weren't right) and veteran hitters (because they spent the past four months playing themselves out of the market). Washington shipped out Juan Soto and Josh Bell in a blockbuster with the San Diego Padres. They sent utility man Ehire Adrianza to the Atlanta Braves a day earlier. That netted seven players in shortstop C.J. Abrams, left-handed pitcher MacKenzie Gore, outfielders Robert Hassell III and James Wood, first baseman Luke Voit and right-handed pitcher Jarlin Susana from the Padres; and outfielder Trey Harris from the Braves.

Could that be a longer list? Certainly. As the deadline approached, the Nationals had discussions about relievers Kyle Finnegan and Carl Edwards Jr., among others, according to multiple people familiar with the process. On Tuesday night, Manager Dave Martinez told reporters there was interest in a few of their bullpen arms. But they decided the returns were not worth it for pitchers who could return in 2023 and beyond. Edwards, 30, is under control for next season. Finnegan, also 30, is for the next three and has been the club's best reliever. But while they had at least some chance to be moved - as did righties Steve Cishek and Victor Arano - they're not what held Washington from a bigger deadline.

Or at the least, they're not the main reasons the last few hours were quieter than expected.

Those would be designated hitter Nelson Cruz and second baseman Cesar Hernandez. Notice there were no hitters in the contingency plans. Cruz and Hernandez were traded in July 2021 for players who have pitched in the majors this year. Both were signed by the Nationals with the idea of flipping them for prospects. But entering Tuesday, both were underperforming compared to their 2021 seasons. The differences are drastic.

Cruz in 346 plate appearances before he was dealt from the Minnesota Twins to the Tampa Bay Rays in July 2021: .294 batting average, .370 on-base percentage, .537 slugging percentage (for a .908 on-base-plus-slugging percentage) with 19 homers.

Cruz, 42, in 389 plate appearances before going o for 3 with a walk against the Mets on Tuesday: .233 average, .315 on-base percentage, .346 slugging percentage (for a .661 OPS) and eight homers.

Hernandez in 420 plate appearances before he was dealt from the Cleveland Guardians to Chicago White Sox in July 2021: .231 average, .307 on-base percentage, .431 slugging percentage (for a .738 OPS) and a career-high 18 homers.

Hernandez in 447 plate appearances before he went 1 for 3 with a triple against the Mets on Tuesday: .240 average, .304 on-base percentage, .304 slugging percentage (for a .608 OPS) with zero homers.

With the first set of numbers, Cruz helped the Twins get Joe Ryan, their Opening Day starter in April. With the second, he remains on a roster that will have three or four designated hitters when Voit arrives, depending on whether the Nationals option Meneses to make room for a player who has big league experience with the St. Louis Cardinals, New York Yankees and Padres. Cruz will finish his one-year, $15 million contract in D.C.

With his first set of numbers, Hernandez helped the Guardians get Konnor Pilkington, a right-hander who has logged 45 1/3 innings for Cleveland in 2022. With the second, he could soon be bumped from a starting job if the Nationals promote Abrams in the near future and slide Luis Garcia to second. Unless the Nationals designate him for assignment, he will finish his one-year, $4 million contract here.

Mike Rizzo, the Nationals' general manager, spoke with reporters at around 4 p.m. Tuesday. When asked whether he had more trades in him, he joked that's why he had to speed up the news conference and get back to the front office's war room. Two hours later, though, the Nationals stood pat with the rest of the roster. There's a chance Garrett or Thompson won't have traveled for nothing; Washington could swap them onto the roster for an overworked reliever. The business is cold like that. Sometimes there is nothing more important than a fresh arm.

But in a cold business, two plane tickets should be a reminder of a deadline that brought in a lot of talent and could have landed more. That wasn't because of decisions Washington made after parting with Soto and Bell. It was because of offseason signings that were a combination of unlucky and miscalculated - and maybe a conservative approach with a few of their better relievers. And it maybe kept them from marginal adds who might have contributed down the line.
One of U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's biggest critics has come out in favor of her recent trip to Taiwan, which has spurred international controversy this week against the backdrop of rising U.S.-China tensions in the Pacific.

Texas Sen. Ted Cruz is the latest Republican to praise Pelosi for her visit to the island nation, which included a meeting with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen in which Pelosi characterized her presence as a show of support for the nation's democratic governance. Cruz offered his approval for the speaker's mission and criticized President Joe Biden's administration for not coming out forcefully in support of Pelosi's trip.

"Speaker Pelosi was right to visit Taiwan," Cruz said in a Tuesday statement. "The Biden White House has managed to make an absolute mess of this, including leaking that the Biden Defense Department opposed Speaker Pelosi traveling to Taiwan, and then absurdly refusing to make unequivocally clear that any threats of violence against the Speaker would be met with overwhelming consequences."

In July Biden answered questions regarding the then-rumored trip by stating such a venture would not be considered wise by U.S. defense officials. "The military thinks it's not a good idea right now," Biden told reporters, per CNBC. "But I don't know what the status of it is."

Cruz's remarks on Pelosi come on the heels of a wave of approval for Pelosi's trip from prominent Republicans this week. Twenty-six GOP senators, including Texas Sen. John Cornyn, published a letter on Tuesday in support of the speaker's travels.

"We support the Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi's trip to Taiwan. For decades, members of the United States Congress, including previous Speakers of the House, have travelled to Taiwan. This travel is consistent with the United States' One China policy to which we are committed. We are also committed now, more than ever, to all elements of the Taiwan Relations Act."

U.S. relations with Taiwan have remained largely informal and at times rubbed against the One China policy, which was established in 1979 and recognized the People's Republic of China (PRC) as the sole and only China. It did not, however, agree to Chinese demands to affirm the island of Taiwan, officially known as the Republic of China (ROC), as part of mainland China ruled by the Chinese Communist Party.

Pelosi's trip appeared to echo and reify recent calls by Republicans for the U.S. to take a harder-line stance against China. This February Cruz himself bashed the speaker for warning U.S. Olympians against making overt statements against the Chinese government during the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.

"By the way Nancy Pelosi told Americans competing in the Olympics essentially 'Shut up and dribble," Cruz said during an appearance on FOX News' Watters World with Jesse Watters. "She said, 'Don't speak out about China's human rights atrocities.' These Democrats will silence you and take away your free speech."
Texas tax-free weekend is approaching, which means in the midst of a hot summer heat wave, Houston parents and their kids will need to hit pause on those weekend trips to Galveston to focus on back to school sale items. With some Houston public schools opening as early as August 8, theres no time like tax free weekend in Texas  August 5 through August 7  to stock up on all the cheap school supplies students will need throughout the school year.

Keep in mind that back to school still includes personal safety and protective products to help keep classrooms healthy and safer from the spread of COVID-19. For our top back to school sale items to protect against coronavirus, see our list here.

Back to school sale: binders & notebooks

Binders starting at $1.99  talk about back to school SALE! For kids going back to school and starting middle school or high school, these are great for individual subjects and you wont pay a cent more if you buy during Texas tax free weekend!

If cheap school supplies are what youre after for the upcoming school year, its hard to beat these classic composition notebooks for fifty cents a pop! Stock up and save big at Staples back to school sale.

We said the composition notebooks were hard to beat when it comes to cheap school supplies, but not impossible. One-subject college ruled notebooks are on sale now for thirty-five cents each! Take advantage of Texas tax-free weekend and it might feel like these notebooks are literally being given away!

Back to school sale: writing instruments

Because going back to school with mechanical pencils is just more fun! Grab these cheap school supplies for $1.99.

You can never have enough pens around, especially when the new school year starts. Stock up on these BIC ballpoint pens for all your schoolwork and homework needs!

Back to school sale: backpacks & lunch bags

This 17 backpack comes complete with matching lunch bag, BPA-free water bottle, headphones, and microphone carabiner clip, all for only $20! Cheap backpacks? Yes, please!

10% off all Swissgear backpacks Swissgear Backpacks target.com Assorted styles starting at $40. Shop Now

Take 10% off all Swissgear backpacks, known for their water-resistant durability and built-in padded laptop compartment. Great for high schoolers and even those hauling off to college. I know, were going to miss them, too!

As far as cheap backpacks and lunch bags go, Target has a great selection in their back to school sale section. Youll find plenty of stylish and functional options for around $10!

Back to school sale: arts & crafts

Crayola 24-pack crayons on sale now for only fifty cents! Help kids harness their creativity with these cheap school supplies.

Grab these Elmers glue sticks 2-packs in disappearing purple for only 55 cents at Target right now, or wait until Texas tax-free weekend and watch the tax disappear as well.

Classic Crayola 10-packs on sale for just under $1  add some color to your life while keeping the green in your pocket!

Hearst Newspapers participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites.

Pamela Mahler is an E-Commerce Writer for Local Commerce at Hearst Newspapers. Email her at pamela.mahler@hearst.com.
Chinese dancer Ma Jiaolong: Ambassador of traditional Chinese culture

(People's Daily App) 15:34, August 03, 2022

Chinese dancer Ma Jiaolong performed an impressive dance in Hyde Park, London, that appealed to many tourists. He wore an all-black dress with a purely white dance fan in his hand, suggestive of a splendid Chinese ink painting in black and white. He blended in pretty well with the scenery in the park and did a very good job of displaying Chinese culture.

Ma, from Shijiazhuang, North Chinas Hebei Province, now lives and dances in Britain, trying his best to introduce beautiful traditional Chinese dance to foreigners.

(Video source: [email protected], compiled by Sun Shulang)

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun)
WFO BURLINGTON Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Thursday, August 4, 2022

_____

HEAT ADVISORY

URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE

National Weather Service Burlington VT

302 AM EDT Wed Aug 3 2022

...HEAT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM NOON TO 7 PM EDT THURSDAY...

* WHAT...Heat index values 95 to 100 expected.

* WHERE...In New York, Eastern Clinton and Eastern Essex

Counties. In Vermont, Grand Isle, Western Franklin, Western

Chittenden, Western Addison, Western Rutland and Eastern

Windsor Counties.

* WHEN...From noon to 7 PM EDT Thursday.

* IMPACTS...Hot temperatures and high humidity may cause heat

illnesses to occur.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out

of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors. Young

children and pets should never be left unattended in vehicles

under any circumstances.

Take extra precautions if you work or spend time outside. When

possible reschedule strenuous activities to early morning or

evening. Know the signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat

stroke. Wear lightweight and loose fitting clothing when

possible. To reduce risk during outdoor work, the Occupational

Safety and Health Administration recommends scheduling frequent

rest breaks in shaded or air conditioned environments. Anyone

overcome by heat should be moved to a cool and shaded location.

Heat stroke is an emergency! Call 9 1 1.

_____

Copyright 2022 AccuWeather
Richard Brake, who played the Night King in Game of Thrones and was a guest at ThunderCon 2019, sits in a throne inspired by Game of Thrones and built by Jamie Young of J & K Creations for the 2019 event in Thunder Bay. Young's J & K crew will be back at ThunderCon 2022.
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Tarlok Singh Sahota, the director of the Lakehead University Agricultural Research Station, points out some of the facilitys crops on Tuesday to onlookers, including Thunder Bay Soil and Crop Improvement chair Andrew Brekveld, second from left, at the experimental farm on Little Norway Road.
The new language test is anticipated for early to mid-2023.

IRCC has approved new language test for Canadian immigration The new language test is anticipated for early to mid-2023.

IRCC has approved new language test for Canadian immigration The new language test is anticipated for early to mid-2023.

IRCC has approved new language test for Canadian immigration The new language test is anticipated for early to mid-2023. Shelby Thevenot Kareem El-Assal Aa Accessibility Font Style Serif

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IRCC has recently approved the designation-in-principle of a new language test for economic class immigration applicants.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) anticipates the test will be implemented by early to mid-2023.

The name of the new language test was redacted in a May 10 briefing note obtained by CIC News through an access to information request. There are currently only four designated organizations; IELTS and CELPIP for English, then TEF and TCF for French.

Discover if You Are Eligible for Canadian Immigration

IRCC says despite some initial challenges during the pandemic, the number of designated testing organizations continues to meet the demand of immigration and citizenship applicants. However, an increasing number of language test provider organizations seeking designation is cause for IRCC to seek improvements.

Currently, the process for an organization to get designated is long, complex, and insufficiently transparent.

The memo says IRCC will seek potential initiatives and improvements within the next 12 months. If implemented, these changes are expected to lead to even more organizations becoming interested in designation. Currently, there is no limit on the potential number of language testing providers and contractual agreements that IRCC can enter into.

The departmental roles and responsibilities related to language tests are currently not well defined and have overlapping policy and operational implications. The language designation team at IRCC, part of the Immigration Branch, has to balance file management work with advancing the new policy priorities.

Some details of the policy priorities were redacted. However, we know IRCCs immediate priority is to complete and sign the service agreement with the unnamed company so that an official designation is issued and the implementation process can commence. The mid-term priorities include undertaking policy analysis of emerging issues. Then the long-term priorities focus on the broader review of the language designation framework, including the core technical designation criteria and the emerging evidence outcomes related to language proficiency benchmark levels.

IRCC assessing aligning the CLBs with CEFR

IRCC is currently looking into the Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB), as some are concerned that it is too granular for testing purposes compared to the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR). Instead of scoring on a scale of one to seven, CEFR test-takers get scored on an alphanumeric scale: A1, A2, B1, B2, C1, and C2.

The memo says further research is required on the CLB levels to ensure that all approved language test constructs are equivalent in the level of difficulty and test purpose.

French testing must not be left out, IRCC says

The policy intent and design of these initiatives would need to be aligned and in accordance with other department priorities, especially IRCCs mandate to support francophone immigration across the country.

There will likely be more demand on French designated organizations to increase testing capacity, and greater interest from new French testing organizations seeking designation, the memo says. While organizations delivering the TEF and TCF are prepared to meet growing demand, this work will better position the Department for any potential increase in demand, including through a more efficient process for designation of additional French language tests.

A brief history of language tests

Since 2010, IRCC has only accepted language test results from designated organizations as evidence of language proficiency.

The current approach to only accept test results from designated independent testing organizations was intended to allow immigration applicants to prove their language abilities while at the same time ensuring a fair and transparent process.

The immigration minister has the authority to designate any language testing organization and to approve a specific language test for the purpose of evaluating the language proficiency of immigration applicants. This role has been delegated to the Director of Economic Immigration Programs and Policies.

While the immigration regulations provide the framework for the designation of organizations, the designation process was established by the department based on different factors, including regulatory requirements, policy and program objectives, as well as operational needs. Any language testing organization can seek designation by providing a submission demonstrating how they meet IRCCs criteria.

Who needs a language test?

Most of Canadas economic class immigration programs require that candidates complete a designated language test in English or French. The rationale behind testing language competency is that Canadian government research shows language proficiency is a major determinant of an immigrants ability to establish in Canadas economy.

Family and refugee class immigrants do not need to complete a language test since they are admitted to Canada for social and humanitarian purposes.

Upon applying for Canadian citizenship, individuals between the ages of 18 and 54 need to demonstrate their English or French language competency. They may submit the results of a language test, or demonstrate their proficiency in other ways approved by IRCC.

While temporary foreign workers do not need to demonstrate their language proficiency, international students must do so to provide evidence they will be able to flourish in Canadian academic settings. Rules for demonstrating language proficiency vary by each Canadian designated learning institution, but the Canadian government has its own rules on which language tests it accepts as part of the study permit approval process.

Next steps

The Immigration Branch of IRCC will develop forward-looking actions aimed at improving the language designation framework.

The key actions to support IRCCs ongoing priorities include a review of the designation process to increase efficiency and transparency, improving public facing as well as internal communication as it relates to overall framework and garnering interest for additional French language testing organizations.

In response to the growing demand for language testing, the Immigration Branch will also explore the feasibility of establishing a language designation program with dedicated management and program functions and sufficient capacity to support a more streamlined and coherent approach to language testing. A dedicated program would help IRCC expand its policy while maintaining the current open intake approach to language testing designation.

Discover if You Are Eligible for Canadian Immigration

 CIC News All Rights Reserved. Visit CanadaVisa.com to discover your Canadian immigration options.
Once a laggard in IT adoption, the healthcare industry now universally embraces digital transformation.

Consider the figures: According to a 2022 survey from healthcare consultancy The Chartis Group, 99% of the 143 US health system executives it polled agreed on the importance of investing in digital initiatives.

Research points to several drivers that are pushing healthcare entities forward on their digital journeys, with the need to improve patient outcomes and reduce the costs of care topping the list. Other motivations include the desire to provide better patient experiences, to better aid clinicians and support staff in their jobs, and to compete with digital natives that are entering the healthcare market.

The pandemic accelerated the healthcare sectors digital journey, forcing institutions to work remotely where possible and to find ways to keep up with the high demand for care brought on by COVID, notes Abhishek Singh, a partner at Everest Group and leader of the research firms cloud and legacy transformation practice.

Singh says healthcare is seeking transformation throughout its operations  from back-office processes through mid-office functions to front doortype engagements with patients, with digitalization initiatives in the first two areas supporting the last.

Organizations are more willing and able to spend, as theyre seeing the benefits of their [digital initiatives], he adds.

Like other sectors, the healthcare industry faces challenges such as financial and resource constraints as they move forward with tech projects, industry experts say. Healthcare also must contend with industry-specific challenges that can slow DX, says Taylor Davis, president of KLAS Research.

Its the most complex service industry the world has ever seen, Davis says. The sector rests on an extensive, complex body of knowledge thats rapidly increasing. Its core systems hold hundreds of thousands of data fields per individual  significantly more than the per-person count held by core systems in other industries. Its governed by complicated regulations. It has complicated funding and payment systems. And its a high-risk environment, where the consequences of being wrong can be catastrophic or even fatal.

Yet, despite that staggering complexity, experts are seeing leaps in digitalization and transformation to deliver better experiences, more efficient services, and improved care outcomes.

The following eight winners of CIO 100 Awards for IT Innovation and Leadership highlight the digital successes that the healthcare industry has delivered.

Atlantic Health taps AI to expedite critical radiology reviews

Sunil Dadlani, SVP and CIO, Atlantic Health System Atlantic Health System

Organization: Atlantic Health System

Project: Radiology Imaging AI Analysis Project

IT Leader: Sunil Dadlani, SVP and CIO

For radiologists at Morristown, N.J.-based Atlantic Health System, speed is critical when reviewing patients imaging studies.

But the radiologists saw that the work was taking longer than they wanted, particularly for highly advanced studies or studies from patients with previous imaging that also required reviews.

Moreover, while the images could reveal patients in need of immediate additional care  care that was being delayed by the time it took to interpret the images  radiologists didnt know which patients needed expedited treatment until they had reviewed their images.

Atlantic Health System turned to artificial intelligence to solve for that conundrum, teaming up IT with the radiology department to select software that uses AI to analyze images, with Food and Drug Administrationapproved algorithms trained to spot and flag acute abnormalities.

More specifically, the AI analyzes images in queue for review, looking for and identifying clinical abnormalities in those images and then flagging those images for priority review by the radiologists. The technology ensures that images that could indicate the need for time-sensitive treatment are seen first, enabling patients to get the care they need as quickly as possible.

The technology, now fully deployed, is delivering results: By November 2021, the AI prioritized 469 images out of the 8,479 scans it analyzed.

As with all technological innovations throughout our organization, the patient is always first and foremost at the center of anything we do. This program embodies that approach in a unique way  it is both virtually a clinical assistant to our radiologists, and at the same time an advocate for our patients with the most urgent needs, says Senior Vice President and CIO Sunil Dadlani.

CommonSpirit Health goes digital to enhance patient experience

Organization: CommonSpirit Health

Project: Connected Patient Journeys and Experiences

IT Leader: Suja Chandrasekaran, system SEVP and chief information and digital officer (Chandrasekaran has since left the company)

CommonSpirit Health has more than 1,000 care sites and 141 hospitals in 21 states. That made the creation and delivery of integrated, standardized, and connected patient experiences across a continuum of provided care essential.

With that in mind, its IT and digital teams in July 2020 embarked on a project to create connected, personalized patient journeys and experiences, with a goal to deliver better, more holistic healthcare for patients and to develop better operating models for providers.

Engaging all key stakeholders, processes, and systems, the teams created governance structures, working groups, cross-platform application architectures, common goals, and key performance indicators to ensure the project successfully progressed.

They then charted key patient journeys, infusing digital and human experiences in each journey to promote patient engagement and deliver a better care experience. The teams then identified, evaluated, and prioritized those experiences, working with operational and clinical teams to build new products and processes to further support them.

CommonSpirit Health has enjoyed positive returns on its investments. For example, in fiscal 2021 its Unified Web Experience served more than 6.5 million page views in two of its transitioned markets. And its Search and Schedule Experience served more than 2.6 million clinician profile views to patients, some 94,000 online appointment bookings and more than 720,000 click-to-call connections to care providers.

ChedMed IntuneHealth offers VIP care to senior patients, wherever they need it

Hernando Celada, chief innovation and strategic initiatives officer, ChenMed ChenMed

Organization: IntuneHealth  A ChenMed Company

Project: IntuneHealth

IT Leader: Hernando Celada, CIO

Miami-based ChenMed has created a new entity, IntuneHealth, that uses technology to deliver concierge, VIP care when and where its senior patients need it.

IntuneHealth is a fully-integrated system of care featuring a patient-facing app through which patients can access care at any time, including virtual visits with the touch of a button.

Patients can use the app to order medicines, schedule appointments, get lab results and their medical history. They can use the app to access concierge and support team members around the clock year-round.

Moreover, they can use the app to manage their care whether that care is delivered virtually, in office, or at their own homes, as well as whether the care is provided by their own primary care physicians (PCPs) or specialists.

IntuneHealth also uses technology to enable doctor-to-doctor coordination of care, so PCPs can guide their patients through specialty care and visits.

Other features include an easy-to-use interface with data-driven personalization; a patient portal featuring appointment scheduling and reminders; medication refill requests and reminders; referral management; and the capability to link with monitoring devices, wearables, and other such tools.

Patients can use the app to connect to their caregivers via video, phone, or in-app chat. Additionally, they can use it to access virtual events and social activities, such as cooking classes, fitness competitions, and games.

IntuneHealth is taking the hassle out of healthcare and delivering high-quality, convenient care to our members, whether thats in one of our centers, virtually through our app, or in the comfort of their own home, says CIO Hernando Celada. We believe healthcare should be accessible, simple, and coordinated to deliver the best experience and outcomes for our patients  and we look forward to providing that at IntuneHealth.

Jackson Health automates patient record-sharing

Michael Garcia, SVP and CIO, Jackson Health System Jackson Health System

Organization: Jackson Health System

Project: Medical Record Surveillance and Record Sharing

IT Leader: Michael Garcia, SVP and CIO

Miami-based Jackson Healthcare System faced challenges around efficiently sharing patient records with other entities. This was a particular problem when working with smaller medical organizations, such as private practices and nursing facilities, that referred their own patients to the larger Jackson Healthcare System for medical services.

More specifically, many of those smaller entities rely on manual processes to retrieve patient records from Jackson. That created additional work for Jackson Healthcare workers and those at referring organizations, which often had to manually match retrieved records with their own patient files. This manual work meant records requests could take weeks to complete.

To address those issues, cross-disciplinary teams turned to process automation, data manipulation, an integration engine, and other technologies for its Medical Record Surveillance and Record Sharing project. The in-house solution uses data surveillance to scan medical records in real-time, match them to the partner organizations, and then automate the medical record transfers.

This solution also sends medical records to the referral organization via the method of their choice, as files, direct messages, electronic fax, or even physical fax. Moreover, the technology can scale, thereby helping Jackson efficiently handle an increasing number of referrals.

For too long, healthcare has faced the hurdle of a challenging technological landscape and limited options to share patient records easily. The automation of medical record-sharing overcame this big hurdle for referring organizations and enabled Jackson to grow partnerships while simultaneously benefiting our patients and community, says Senior Vice President and CIO Michael Garcia.

He adds: This technology has become a strategic differentiator to keep Jackson as a community leader and a place for everyone to receive the highest-level care.

Marshfield Clinic turns to telehealth to overcome staffing shortages

Organization: Marshfield Clinic Health System

Project: Telehealth Solutions in Critical Access Hospitals

IT Leader: Jeri Koester, CIO

Marshfield Clinic Health System was facing a staffing challenge at its Neillsville, Wisc., facility. The healthcare organization had a shortage of physicians, mostly primary care providers and emergency department clinicians who supervised its nurse practitioner (NP) hospitalists and provided direct patient care.

MCHS saw telehealth as a solution to that problematic scenario. It deployed a TeleDoc Health RP-Vita Robot, which enabled MD hospitalists to conduct virtual visits with patients and virtually supervise and consult with NP hospitalists at the Neillsville facility.

Remote providers can move the self-driving robotic cart themselves by simply clicking a link to direct it to its destination, with onboard sonar keeping the cart from colliding with people or objects in its path.

Buoyed by the success of that program, MCHS expanded the use of telehealth in its facilities to enable remote specialty consults for patients. For example, the organization deployed InTouch TV pro devices to each patient room, first at MMC-Neillsville and later at its Ladysmith, Wisc., hospital. The technology converts every in-room television to a telehealth endpoint capable of offering video and audio visits with healthcare providers across a range of care  from medical specialties to nutrition needs to spiritual services. The InTouch TV Pro also enables patients to facilitate their own video visits with friends and family when in-person visitations arent possible.

According to MCHS, these telehealth solutions have helped increase healthcare access and quality while decreasing costs and provider dissatisfaction.

Part of our mission at Marshfield Clinic Health System is to bring affordable healthcare to our communities. We need to use innovation to meet the needs of such a rural healthcare population, says CIO Jeri Koester. In some of our communities, if we werent present, patients would drive hours for access care. By maximizing our capabilities with a telehealth solution, we are able to bring expert-level physician care to wherever our patients are.

Novant Health tele-ICU improves patient care virtually

Onyeka Nchege, SVP and CIO, Novant Health Novant Health

Organization: Novant Health

Project: Digital Enhancement and Virtualization of Traditional Care Channels and Processes

IT Leader: Onyeka Nchege, SVP and CIO

Novant Health, based in Winston-Salem, N.C., has focused on deploying technology to create virtually enhanced care in its own facilities, in its patients homes, and even in community locations.

Novant Healths tele-ICU program demonstrates this vision, enabling critical care physicians (called intensivists) and experienced critical care nurses to remotely monitor patients who are being seen onsite in community care facilities. These intensivists and nurses can work from Novant Healths two command centers, other care sites, or even their own homes.

Novant Health built this tele-ICU program on various technologies, including mobile advanced sensor capabilities that can be moved into standard hospital rooms to provide an intensive-care degree of monitoring for the patient; tele-ICU workstations in the command centers with multiple monitors, headsets, and webcams for intensivists; and an electronic medical record (EMR) system with tools tailored to support digital tele-ICU workflows.

To ensure the tele-ICU program enabled a seamless patient care experience, Novant Healths Digital Products and Services (DPS) team automated communication between care teams. The DPS team also worked with clinicians to develop and deploy algorithms to score medical and safety alerts based on patient acuity levels and then automated notifications.

Our work developing our tele-ICU program has enhanced the patient experience and virtualized our traditional care channels to deliver business value, increase access to care, and improve the quality of that care, says Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer Onyeka Nchege. This project was a transformative component of Novant Healths path through the pandemic surge and laid the foundation for virtual extensions now woven throughout all previously existing physical locations.

In addition to tele-ICU, Novant Healths DPS team has delivered other advanced technologies (such as AI/machine learning, advanced sensors, autonomous drones, and robotics) to support next-level healthcare and provide the foundation for a highly-advanced, interwoven composite care delivery method.

Penn Medicine digitally transforms DNA sample collection

Michael Restuccia, SVP and CIO, Penn Medicine Penn Medicine

Organization: Penn Medicine

Project: Accelerating Research by Integrating Clinical and Research IT Systems to Rapidly Expand Penn Medicines Biorepository

IT Leader: Michael Restuccia, SVP and CIO

As Penn Medicine anticipated a dramatic growth in patient DNA sample collections, officials concluded that the organizations existing processes were too labor-intensive to enable that expected expansion.

So Penn Medicine set out to develop a technology-enabled process that could support collecting large numbers of specimens as well as obtaining and storing patient consent  all without driving up costs and increasing manual work.

To deliver on that objective, multiple teams collaborated to design and implement a new process for managing the physical samples and the data associated with them.

This multidisciplinary project built a process that leverages electronic medical record (EMR) system and its patient portal to obtain patient consent; uses the clinical lab system to barcode samples; uses the laboratory information management system (LIMS) to process samples; and works across those multiple systems to link research samples to clinical identifiers.

In another key innovation, the LIMS and data analytics teams set up an integration with the EMR and clinical lab IS systems to identify the patients electronic patient identifier from the collected samples clinical accession number, with linking occurring automatically each night. The new setup increases quality and speed by eliminating high-cost manual efforts and ensuring a higher degree of accuracy over the legacy manual approach.

Penn Medicine officials said the project is now successfully supporting its expanding collection of biological samples. But they also noted that the collaborative effort to re-imagine a process leveraging established, centralized systems, staff, and processes was itself a key innovation.

Over the past decade, we have invested significantly in foundational technologies to support our clinical and research operations. When our research community proposed a significant expansion of our central sample bio-repository, we seized upon the opportunity to modernize their patient consenting and sample collection processes, says Michael Restuccia, Penn Medicine senior vice president and CIO.

University of Miami Health System enlists IoT to ensure COVID vigilance

David Reis, CIO, University of Miami Health System and Miller School of Medicine University of Miami Health System and Miller School of Medicine

Organization: University of Miami Health System

Project: Enhancing Tele-Vigilance

IT Leader: Dr. David Reis, VP of IT and CIO

Seeking to minimize COVID-19 transmissions as cases surged in Florida, the University of Miami Health System IT department developed what it termed tele-vigilance using IoT-enabled remote monitoring capabilities.

The IT department partnered with the IoT company TytoCare and Epic Systems, maker of electronic medical records (EMR) systems, to invent an end-to-end solution.

TytoCares all-in-one modular physical IoT device remotely monitors vital signs and breath sounds. Users can also use the device to pick up images of the skin, ears, eyes, and throats and then upload all that information to their medical record.

Doctors could enroll patients in the tele-vigilance program by using the EMR to order the TytoCare IoT device and establish for each patient which vitals to monitor and for how long. Each order would route to the tele-vigilance group, which would assist each individual  whether a student, employee, or patient  with device setup.

The IT department developed a new capability within the EMR to link the IoT device with each patients medical record and to automatically pull in the patients vital signs from the device.

IT developed automated data integrity methods, so that a real-time notification would be sent to the tele-vigilance team to contact patients if there were linking issues.

Additionally, the IT team integrated the IoT device with the patient portal, so individuals could see the vital signs that were sent to the tele-vigilance doctor.

And the team created a real-time push notification capability, which would send alerts to the tele-vigilance providers smartphone if any patients vital signs were out of range.

The University of Miami Health System deployed thousands of devices to students, employees, and patients, allowing them to be closely monitored at home after a COVID-19 positive test, thereby reducing unnecessary hospitalizations and exposing others to the virus while ensuring escalation of care if needed.
August 3, 2022 - Stephanie Crandall, Director of Intergovernmental Affairs for the City of Fort Wayne, was selected for the Senior Executives in State and Local Government program at Harvard Universitys John F. Kennedy School of Government. She spent three weeks on campus with 70 elected and appointed officials from around the world to consider current challenges and opportunities in public service. Crandall was the only representative from Indiana.

According to its website, the program provides a balance of traditional and hands-on learning experiences to help seasoned public officials better address the concerns of their constituents and communities.

This was an incredible opportunity to learn from and connect with leaders in government, brainstorm ways to tackle some of the common issues we face, and share Fort Waynes story of how were striving to move forward together, said Crandall. The potential of our City is being realized under Mayor Tom Henrys leadership and Im excited to be a part of that.

Her participation was made possible through support from the City of Fort Wayne, Ambassador EnterprisesCivic Engagement Initiatives, the Barbara Burt Innovative Leader Fund at Foellinger Foundation, and Accelerate Indianas Municipalities (Aim). Crandall also received assistance with her travel expenses from City Councilwoman Sharon Tucker, among others.
Kevin Taylor-McKnight set up the campaign groups Queer Trustees and Charity So Straight after working in the charity sector for more than 25 years. Despite being employed in the benevolent sector he has experienced homophobia in the workplace numerous times.

Taylor-McKnight spoke about the sometimes negative reactions he had experienced when bringing up these incidents with previous employers.

For example, one person had said homophobia is an issue in wider society, and asked 'what do you want me to do about it?'

"It was such a negative response," explains the campaigner.



He said it is for leaders of charity organisations to "set the culture" within the organisations they lead. It is a leader's responsibility, and they are in a position to do something about it, he explains.

These experiences motivated him to set up the LGBT+ campaign groups to help ensure those who are struggling with homophobia in the charity sector have somewhere to go for support, advice and allyship.

Around the same time Taylor-McKnight set up Queer Trustees, the Black Lives Matter movement was gaining traction and putting racial diversity and anti-racism at the forefront of equality conversations. Campaigns like CharitySoWhite were set up to ensure the benevolent sector was living up to its name. For Taylor-McKnight this highlighted the need for a campaign support group for LGBT+ individuals in the sector.

'When you prioritise one minority group, you're automatically deprioritising others'

Nobody within our sector seemed to be at that time, and still now to a certain extent, comfortable with talking about LGBTQIA inclusion and talking about diversity issues that affect queer people, he says.

This made him determined to put queer people on the diversity agenda. His first campaign, Queer Trustees, has amassed over 1,000 followers on Twitter and provided support to various charities on the topic of making trustee boards more inclusive.

Taylor-McKnight set up a second campaign, Charity So Straight, a couple of months ago and took over ACEVOs Twitter account for a day during Pride month. Lucy Straker, head of communications at the British Tinnitus Association, has since joined him in working on the campaigns.

Lucy and I both feel that an intersectional approach is absolutely essential when it comes to talking about diversity, Taylor-McKnight says.

When you prioritise one minority group, you're automatically deprioritising others, he says.

They are now considering the campaigns future development after being approached by a funder that is interested in building its capacity.

LGBT+ people experience a number of barriers entering the sector

LGBT+ people can face a multitude of barriers when entering any workplace, be that the charity sector or any other sector, Taylor-McKnight continues.

The Charity So Straight campaign aims to highlight that the charity sector is not necessarily always an easy place to be if you are LGBT+ and aims to move the dial on queer inclusion. We want to tell queer people's stories and share their experiences, with each other, and with a wider audience, to enable learning and to move the dial on LGBT+ inclusion in the charity sector workplace. To make the sector a safer, more welcoming place for queer people to be in, whether theyre working, volunteering or indeed service users.

The barriers LGBT+ people face entering the sector include unconscious bias preventing them from entering a role, to systems that enable this discrimination to be upheld, Straker and Taylor-McKnight say.

Indeed, heteronormative culture in an organisation is often a key issue. Therefore, inclusive language is paramount when charities are trying to attract people from LGBT+ backgrounds, the campaigners say.

Straker explains: The way you can be more inclusive in language is to actually remove the genderisation of words that we've all become used to using because we've all been brought up in this heteronormative patriarchal society, where we gender everything, and we centre heterosexuality as the main thing, and anything outside of that kind is seen as queer or abnormal.

One example of removing gender from words is by saying folks or team instead of guys when addressing a collective, Straker explains.

It feels awkward at first but once you start catching yourself a little bit more, it only takes around three weeks to change a habit. So, it's just being aware of the language that you're using.

She says: If you can start thinking about the fact that that person who you're talking to, or that you're trying to engage with might not come from the same place as you are, then you're already at a win because you're trying to make them feel more important.

Feeling like the odd one out

Straker shares that she has often been asked if she has a boyfriend. Once, someone asked her what her husbands name was, and she replied Kirsty.

She was fed up of hiding she says. Were told queer people can hide if you want to if you feel unsafe. But that's not good for us.

Inclusive language is all about making LGBT+ people feel safe and comfortable so they can bring their whole selves to work, she explains.

Straker advised charities to extend this inclusive language to policy-making, as it can make policies clearer for those in the community.

Straker says: Me and my wife, we've got two kids. And I've read maternity policies where it says the father can have this amount of leave, and the mother can have this amount. But where do I fit in? Do I fit in the mother leave? Or is that my wife? Or am I in the father leave? Just having that change of language means that it's clear for me, and doesn't make me feel like I'm the odd one out. It makes me feel that I've been considered.

You have to come out 500 times at work

Speaking of the damaging nature of heteronormative culture, Taylor-McKnight says he and Straker, who are in same-sex marriages, often default to using the word partner to describe their relationships.

You have to come out 500 times at work because you have to come out whenever you meet a new person. And you have to introduce yourself to a roomful of people that you don't necessarily know and you don't know how you're going to be received. So, it never really goes away, he reflects.

So, if people in the workplace are less likely to gender someone's partner, this could go a long way in making LGBT+ people feel more accepted.

Queer people will be looking for your EDI statement

Taylor-McKnight suggests LGBT+ people are more likely to look for a charitys equality, diversity and inclusion statement to ensure they will be accepted within an organisation because of their lived experience of homophobia and transphobia.

He says: We are probably a lot more likely to be looking for your equality and diversity policy on your website and other minoritised communities may do the same. If we do not see ourselves reflected that's a huge red flag, and will be a huge barrier to us possibly applying to work within your organisation.

Being a proud ally is also an important part of supporting the LGBT+ company, according to the campaigns.

Slack group for LGBT+ charity professionals

Charity So Straight and Queer Trustees now have a Slack group where LGBT+ individuals working in the voluntary sector can connect with one another.

Straker, who leads this group, says: You're faced with an awful lot of heteronormativity on a day-to-day basis and it can be draining. It can really feel like you're on your own and that you're only one who has to face it.

In our Slack group, everybody's on that same page because everybody knows the oppression that they have to deal with by being the only queer person in the room. A lot of us have experienced being approached saying: Prides coming up, or you're queer, you can do something for our organisation around Pride. We've all faced that and we all realise how that makes us feel. People are able to talk about this stuff without having to explain everything, because everybody already gets it. And its just so nice to have that.

sign up to receive the Civil Society News daily bulletin here . For more news, interviews, opinion and analysis about charities and the voluntary sector,
Marina Ovsyannikova was detained, then freed again. Those words were true in March after Ovsyannikova, then a staffer at a Russian state TV network, held up a sign on air opposing Russias war against Ukraine, and they were true again two weeks ago, after she spoke out publicly against the war again. Following her initial TV protest, Ovsyannikova was fined the equivalent of a few hundred US dollars, not for the protest itself but for a video message she posted to social media explaining her disenchantment. Last week, following her second arrest and release, she was fined again, this time in the region of eight hundred US dollars, for discrediting Russias armed forces. Whats going on here is absurd, she said in court, according to the BBC. War is horror, blood, and shame.

Ovsyannikovas TV protest in March catapulted her to international fame, with Western media quickly elevating her as a symbol of dissent and the limits thereupon in Putins Russia, even though she ultimately avoided imprisonment under draconian new laws criminalizing free speech about the war. At the time, there were plenty of such symbols to go around, and many of them suffered harsher fates than Ovsyannikova without necessarily capturing the same attention. The Russian regime had already restricted the space for free speech and independent journalism in the months and years leading up to the war, and following its invasion of Ukraine, it turned the screw tighter still. In the early days of the war, the authorities forced various news organizations offline or off the air, including the storied broadcaster Ekho Moskvy and the younger upstart TV Rain; journalists from those outlets and others were forced into exile, while others self-censored. In addition to the new speech laws criminalization of the words war and invasion, officials continued to brandish regulations that they had already weaponized against the press, including a law used to smear various news organizations as foreign agents and force them to comply with onerous disclosure rules. At the end of March, Novaya Gazetathe last prominent independent Russian newspaper in operation, which had already placed some limits on its coverage in the name of protecting its staffsaid it would stop publishing until the end of the war after receiving two warnings from Russias media regulator that it was out of compliance with the foreign-agents law. A third could have spelled the end for the paper.

New from CJR: The growing culture of censorship by PIO

Since that first month of the warand despite the totalizing breadth of its media clampdown during that timethe Russian regime has continued to target the independent journalists who are still working. Authorities have recently wielded the foreign-agent designation against individual reporters, one of whom was reportedly tagged with the label after foreign friends transferred her money for coffee and food; other journalists have been subjected to investigations, home searches, and fines. Others still have been arrested for spreading fake information about the war or discrediting the army. Their time in detention has sometimes been brief, as was the case for Ovsyannikova, but not always. In late April, Maria Ponomarenko, a journalist with the Siberian outlet RusNews, was ordered detained for two months pending an investigation; as of mid-July, she remained in pretrial detention, alleging in an open letter that she had been consigned to a psychiatric facility and tortured, including by forced injection. By one recent count, at least twelve journalists have been charged under Russias new speech law since it passed, with three remaining in detention.

In addition to going after individual journalists, the Russian state has continued to block, fine, and otherwise threaten smaller independent outlets that remain in operation. Russian lawmakers have considered legislation that would make it even easier for the authorities to strip independent outlets of their license to operate and to apply the foreign agent designation, without first requiring a court order, in the former case, or proof of foreign funding, in the latter. Prosecutors have threatened to disband a journalists union that has criticized the war. Last month, a new online magazine founded by staffers of Novaya Gazeta was blocked just days after it launched.

Not content with Novaya Gazeta itself pledging to go dark until the end of the war, the authorities are trying to shut it down completely. Last week, the media regulator filed a lawsuit demanding that the paper and its website be stripped of their license to operate. Officials cited a mundane-sounding regulatory pretext, but bosses at the paper said they didnt know why the regulator had chosen to go after it again four months after its last formal warning. Is it politics? What is not politics now? the paper asked in a statement. A hearing is scheduled for next month. Novaya Gazeta has pledged to carry on fighting, adding, We are not saying goodbye.

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After Russia passed its new speech law in March, there was some uncertainty as to how it would apply to correspondents for foreign media operating inside the country. Broadly, that uncertainty has persisted. In June, Russias foreign ministry summoned staffers from top US news organizationsincluding CNN, NPR, and the Associated Pressand warned them that they could face visa, accreditation, and financial problems if the US government didnt stop making Russian journalists lives difficult on US soil. (The US has sanctioned some media entities tied to the Russian state; independent US news outlets, of course, have no control over this.) Last week, a Kremlin spokesperson issued a similar broad threat about Western media as a whole after a European court upheld an EU ban on the French arm of the Russian state broadcaster RT. Also this past week, Russia slapped travel bans on several journalists from New Zealand and the UK, including Piers Morgan.

Meanwhile, an inverse and contrary dynamic has intensified as exiled Russian journalists have set up shop on European soil. Some prominent Russian outletsfor example Meduza, which has long been based in Latviaoperated from outside the country even before the war, and others have now joined them. TV Rain recently relaunched out of a studio in the same country, the government of which has made proactive efforts to welcome independent Russian journalists, as the Wall Street Journals Evan Gershkovich reported recently. Ekho Moskvy has yet to reestablish itself elsewhere, but former journalists on the station have started broadcasting again from Germany and Lithuania, sometimes with the support of top European outlets. One independent news site, Mediazona, is now also running out of Lithuania; another, iStories, is operating from a European location that it wont name for safety reasons, from where it is coordinating investigations of Russian war crimes in Ukraine. Dozens of exiled former staffers of Novaya Gazeta set up a separate European newsroom. No matter how much they are scattered, Kulle Pispanen, a former TV Rain staffer in Moscow, told Gershkovich of independent Russian media, they grow back, like the spores of a dandelion.

On the whole, related media trends that were not new during the early part of the war but intensified during itincreasing repression of independent journalism inside Russia, leading to a scattering and transplantation outside of ithave not yet let up. Independent outlets in exile have worked to serve both foreign audiences and those inside Russia, in the latter case trying to blow the truth back over the border and through the cracks in restrictions on the Russian internet. Part of their work, Gershkovich reports, now involves educating Russians about how to use VPNs to circumvent official Web blockages. To some extent, that appears to be working; demand for VPNs shot up inside Russia after the invasion. In the past, the authorities have been hesitant to clamp down on VPNsbut as Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reported recently, Russian free-speech activists have started to observe what they believe is a coordinated soft-power initiative aimed at scaring Russian users away from them, claiming that they facilitate foreign data theft and drain device batteries. Either way, exiled outlets face deeply challenging circumstances to reach their compatriots while themselves building new lives.

Ovsyannikova, too, went into exile for a timeafter initially rejecting an offer of safe passage to Europe, she left Russia, traveling around Europe and taking on a freelance gig as a correspondent for the German newspaper Die Welt. That has since endedsources at Welt told Agence France-Presse that the arrangement simply did not fit in terms of concrete collaboration and daily work processesand Ovsyannikova eventually returned to Russia, saying that she was going back to fight for access to her children after her ex-husband sued for sole custody. Ovsyannikova also found herself an object of suspicion, not least in Ukraine itselfVolodymyr Zelensky, the countrys president, thanked her after her on-air protest in March, but many Ukrainians are deeply skeptical of her and her intentions given her long career spent pumping out Kremlin propaganda prior to one day disavowing it. Some have even theorized that she is a Russian agent who staged a protest so that the authorities could claim to the world that they are lenient with dissenters, asking why else shed have gotten off so lightly.

Ovsyannikova has said that she understands the skepticism about her sudden change of heart, but has pushed back on the wilder assertions; she believes the authorities only handed her a mild punishment, she told Politicos Zoya Sheftalovich, because doing so would diminish international media coverage around her protest while also seeding doubts among foreign observers that Ovsyannikova might not be who she says she is. In any case, the things that Ovsyannikova has said about the war are true, and she has been punished for saying themtwiceeven if many other Russian journalists have paid and continue to pay a higher price. According to Sheftalovich, journalists who have spoken truth to Russias power for years and are continuing to do so now, domestically or from exile, have sometimes bristled at the sudden burst of global attention Ovsyannikova attracted. They deserve our continued attention, too.

Below, more on press freedom in Russia and around the world:



Other notable stories:

ICYMI: Kari Lake, and the danger of local news anchors jumping into politics

Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today

Jon Allsop is a freelance journalist whose work has appeared in the New York Review of Books, Foreign Policy, and The Nation, among other outlets. He writes CJRs newsletter The Media Today. Find him on Twitter @Jon_Allsop.
BOSTON (AP)  A former parishioner at a Massachusetts church has filed a lawsuit alleging he was sexually abused as a child more than 30 years ago by a Roman Catholic priest who is now an auxiliary bishop in the Archdiocese of Detroit.

The plaintiff, identified in court documents as John Doe No. 12, was a 12-year-old parishioner at Saint Mary of the Sacred Heart Parish in Lynn in 1989 and 1990 when he was sexually assaulted about 25 times by Paul Fitzpatrick Russell, according to the lawsuit filed Monday in Boston.

The Archdiocese of Detroit in a statement said Russell denied the allegations.

Abp. Russell is shocked and saddened by the claims that have been made, the statement said. He states that the allegations are totally without merit and that his conscience is perfectly clear.

Russell has been placed on limited ministerial duty, and Detroit Archbishop Allen Vigneron has pledged complete cooperation.

The suit also names as defendants the Archbishop of Boston and Russells supervisor at Saint Mary of the Sacred Heart.

Given it is a pending legal matter we will withhold comment at this time, a spokesperson for the Archdiocese of Boston said in an email.

The suit seeks a jury trial and unspecified damages.

Russell, who was ordained in 1987, went on to become priest-secretary for the late Boston Cardinal Bernard Law, joined the Vaticans diplomatic service where he served as the churchs top ambassador to Turkey, Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan, and was named auxiliary bishop in Detroit in May.

The plaintiff met Russell when he volunteered at the parish food bank, according to the lawsuit. Russell invited the boy back to the parish rectory where he began to groom him before sexually assaulting him, the suit said.

The man turned to alcohol and drugs as a coping mechanism, considered suicide, sought mental health treatment, and still experiences flashbacks as well as feelings of guilt and shame, according to court documents.

He did not understand he had been harmed by the conduct of the defendants until 2021. He wishes to remain anonymous because he believes it will cause him to be stigmatized, affect his personal relationships, and further harm him emotionally, according to court documents.

The plaintiff, now in his mid-40s and living outside of Massachusetts, was inspired to come forward by others who have reported allegations of abuse that occurred decades ago, said his attorney, Carmen Durso.

The age at which people have been coming forward has been getting lower, and mostly its because they have heard about other people coming forward, and that has given them the courage to talk about this, he said. Its not so overwhelmingly shameful as it was before.

Durso said to his knowledge Russell has never before faced abuse allegations.

According to the lawsuit, church officials in Boston have for decades hidden sexual abuse by priests, conspired to keep the information from becoming public, and protected suspected priests from criminal prosecution.

Boston became the epicenter of the Catholic clergy abuse scandal that spread worldwide when The Boston Globe published a series of Pultizer Prize-winning stories that showed priests suspected of abuse had been transferred from parish to parish without alerting parishioners.

The stories were the basis for the 2015 movie Spotlight, which won a Best Picture Academy Award.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
An earthquake in Japan, flooding in Australia and winter storms in Europe were among catastrophes that caused more than $30 billion in insured losses during the first half of 2022, according to preliminary estimates by two major reinsurers.

Swiss Re said insured losses from natural catastrophes reached $35 billion during the first half of the year, with another $3 billion in insured losses caused by man-made catastrophes. Munich Re pegged natural catastrophe losses at $34 billion for the first half of the year.

The severe weather events of the past six months once again highlight that natural catastrophes, particularly secondary perils, are increasing in frequency and severity in all regions, Swiss Re said.

Insured natural catastrophe losses in the first half year were better than the $46 billion in insured losses for the first half of 2021, but 22% greater than the 10-year average, according to Swiss Res report.

Martin Bertogg, head of catastrophe perils, said in a statement that the impact of climate changeis evident in increasingly extreme weather events, such as unprecedented floods in Australia and South Africa.

This confirms the trend we have observed over the last five years, that secondary perils are driving insured losses in every corner of the world, he said. Unlike hurricanes or earthquakes, these perils are ubiquitous and exacerbated by rapid urbanization in particularly vulnerable areas. Given the scale of the devastation across the globe, secondary perils require the same disciplined risk assessment as primary perils such as hurricanes.

Swiss Re highlighted several catastrophes that drove insured losses above the average:

$4 billion caused by heavy rain and hail in France.

$3.5 billion caused by a series of winter storms in Europe, bringing this key peril back on the insurance industrys agenda.

$3.5 billion caused by widespread flooding in Australia, a new record for flood losses in the country.

Munich Re provided similar insured loss estimates for those events and added two more in its report: $2.8 billion from a March 16 earthquake in Japan and $2.5 billion from severe convective storms in the US.

Munich Re also said that the impact of climate change is clearly evident in the insured loss numbers, and is displayed as well by the heat wave that descended on Europe in late July.

What used to be warm days will be hot days, what used to be hot days will be extremely hot days, Chief Climate Scientist Ernst Rauch said in a statement. Droughts and wildfires are a direct consequence of this.

About the photo: A car is surrounded by flood water in Hamburg, Germany, Sunday Jan. 30, 2022, after a powerful winter storm swept through northern Europe over the weekend. (Daniel Bockwoldt/dpa via AP)
Its no secret that the health care industry is a prime target for cybercriminals. Despite efforts to combat ransomware, legal experts have seen a 66% increase in ransomware claims compared to the average over the past four underwriting years[1]. And data breaches are as common as ever. A 2021 study [2]found that from 2018 to 2021, there was an 84% increase in the number of data breaches against health care organizations, impacting 14 million individuals in 2018 and jumping to 44.9 million in 2021.

To help protect from these attacks, knowledgeable claims directors, risk managers, and senior adjusters have an opportunity to help health care clients recognize and plan for the risks associated with cyber breaches and attacks.

Why Hack Health Care?

Cybercriminals are capitalizing on the increasing value of health care data and the industrys reliance on interconnected systems and devices. Medical records are a virtual treasure trove, containing the patients full name, address history, financial information, and Social Security numbersenough information for hackers to take out a loan or set up a line of credit under patients names.

Increasingly, hackers are selling the information for profit on the black market. According to a Trustwave report, a health care data record may be valued at up to $250 per record on the black market, compared to $5.40 for the next highest value record (a payment card)[3]. Black market buyers have all the information they need to use the information to create fake IDs to purchase medical equipment or drugs, or to file a false insurance claim.

IBM reports that the global average cost of an attack on a health system rose from about $7 million to over $9 million in 2021[4]. Further, remediating these violations can be far more expensive. High-profile cases provide insight: a breach at Universal Health Services cost $67 million, the University of Vermont spent $54 million to recover from an attack in 2020, and Scripps Health lost $112.7 million.

With the potential monetary impact on the rise, one can understand why cybersecurity has caught the attention of board of directors and C-suite executives at organizations across the country.

By educating health care leaders about the dangers of cybercrime, risk managers and senior adjusters can help them make informed decisions about how to protect their organizations.

Where are Health Care Organizations Most Vulnerable?

Examining how breaches occur can help to establish processes and procedures to mitigate risk.

Phishing, the practice of infecting a seemingly authentic email with malicious links, is health cares most prevalent cybersecurity threat. When a link in an email is clicked, users are directed to a web page that may look like a login screen for familiar software. Once the user submits their credentials, cybercriminals use the information to access health care systems. In spear-phishing attacks, the effort is personalized to the individual targeted, increasing the likelihood that the recipient will click.

As mentioned previously, ransomware attacks are also a growing threat amongst health care providers. During a ransomware attack, malware is injected into a network (usually through a phishing attack) to infect and encrypt sensitive data until a ransom is paid.

The health care industry also suffers a disproportionately large amount of data breaches compared to other sectors. HIPAA specifies strict requirements for protecting health records and additional sensitive information from unauthorized access, yet health entities struggle with implementing security controls.

In addition, distributed-denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks, which flood targeted servers with fake connection requests forcing the servers offline, pose devastating threats to operations and are an effective tactic as part of a ransom scheme.

Essential Factors

Health care leaders can make informed decisions about protecting their organizations from cybercrime with proper education and awareness. The answer lies in developing a multifaceted defense system.

To avoid the first phishing assault, organizations should:

Provide security awareness training to your staff, so they know not to click on links or open attachments from suspicious senders and not to examine emails for phishing indicators.

Provide phishing and spam filtering at the mail gateway.

Dont install/run programs unless theyre from a reputable source.

Prevent end-users from installing software on their own or only allow installation from whitelisted sources.

Only allow the use of trusted USB drives and dont allow execution from USB drives.

Implement endpoint detection and response products to stop malicious code from executing.

Require strong, unique passwords and multifactor authentication.

To defend systems against initial malware infiltration, consider two important modes of protection:

Domain name system filtering.

Next-generation firewalls used to block unauthorized egress traffic.

To thwart malware once it is past initial defenses:

Reduce access privileges so users have the minimum access needed to do their job.

Regularly patch operating systems and applications, including web browsers.

Harden endpoint systems and use endpoint detection and response products to stop malicious code from executing and privilege execution.

Suppose the malware was able to execute and encrypt data. In that case, the following tactics could identify what data was affected, whether it was exfiltrated from the network and whether it could be recovered:

Encryption

Audit logs.

Regular backups and testing of those backups.5

Not If, When

Forward-thinking organizations understand that its time to take proactive steps. In addition to disrupting operations and eroding consumer trust, the organization and its board of directors could face lawsuits in the event of a breach. As a breach is detected, response time is critical. Therefore, it is vital that health care organizations have a written plan for responding to potential data breaches, which includes whom to contact in the event of a cyber-incident and how that notification process works.

And it is equally vital to encourage health care organizations to invest in a good cyber insurance policy that will cover the cost of ransomware payments and other expenses. From understanding what exposures a cyber-liability insurance policy provides coverage for, to how much coverage is sufficient, one should not assume that one policy type will provide all the coverage needed. Look into D&O and general liability policies to see whether they cover cyber events, as well as cyber policies to see whether they cover board members within the Definition of Insured.

The health care industry is under constant attack from cybercriminals. Some days it feels like the wild west. Knowledgeable insurance professionals can help health care organizations recognize and plan for the risks associated with cyber breaches and attacks.

[1] https://www.coverys.com/Knowledge-Center/Cybersecurity-for-Healthcare-Providers

[2] https://cybersecurity.criticalinsight.com/2021_H2_HealthcareDataBreachReport

[3]https://www.fiercehealthcare.com/hospitals/industry-voices-forget-credit-card-numbers-medical-records-are-hottest-items-dark-web

[4] https://www.ibm.com/security/data-breac

5https://www.coverys.com/knowledge-center/healthcare-as-a-target-of-cybersecurity-issues
YREKA, Calif. (AP)  When ash began to fall and his throat was burning from the smoke, Franklin Thom decided it was time to leave the city where he grew up on the edge of the national forest in California.

He made it to a shelter with his daughter and just his medicine, some clothes and his shower shoes. Unlike some others, he was told that he had escaped Californias largest fire of the year with his home still standing.

Keep your prayers out for us, said Thom, 55.

At least two people have died and more than 100 homes, sheds and other buildings have burned in the McKinney Fire since it erupted last Friday. Rain on Sunday and Monday helped firefighters as they worked to control the spread of the fire, but the blaze remained out of control, authorities said.

Two bodies were found inside a charred vehicle Sunday in the driveway of a home near the remote community of Klamath River, the Siskiyou County Sheriffs Office said in a statement. Other details werent immediately released.

The blaze in Northern California near the state line with Oregon has burned nearly nearly 87 square miles (225 square km), and is the larger of two wildfires burning in the Klamath National Forest. The smaller fire near the tiny community of Happy Camp forced evacuations and road closures as it burned out of control Tuesday. Still more fires are raging in the Western U.S., threatening thousands of homes.

In northwestern Montana, a fire that started Friday afternoon near the town of Elmo on the Flathead Indian Reservation measured 20 square miles (52 square km), fire officials said. Some people were forced to flee their homes as gusting afternoon winds drove the fire.

The Moose Fire in Idaho has burned more than 85 square miles (220 square km) in the Salmon-Challis National Forest while threatening homes, mining operations and fisheries near the town of Salmon. It was 23% contained Tuesday, according to the National Interagency Coordination Center.

And a wildfire raging in northwestern Nebraska led to evacuations and destroyed or damaged several homes near the small city of Gering. The Carter Canyon Fire began Saturday as two separate fires that merged. It was more than 30% contained by Tuesday.

Californias McKinney Fire grew to become the states largest fire so far this year after it was fed by weekend winds gusting to 50 mph (80 kph).

Cloudy weather and rain helped firefighters Sunday night and Monday as bulldozers managed to ring the small and scenic tourism destination city of Yreka, with firebreaks. Crews carving other firebreaks in steep, rugged terrain also made progress, fire officials said.

The blaze was holding about 4 miles (6.4 km) from Yreka, populaton about 7,500.

Weve got the weather, said Todd Mack, an incident fire commander with the U.S. Forest Service. Weve got the horsepower. And were getting after it.

But lightning over the weekend also sparked several smaller fires near the McKinney Fire. And despite the much-needed moisture, forests and fields in the region remained bone-dry.

The temperature in Yreka could reach nearly 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32.2 Celsius) on Tuesday and the National Weather Service issued a red flag warning of extreme fire danger into Tuesday night because of the chance of lightning starting new fires and gusty outflowing winds from thunderstorms powering the flames.

Among those waiting out the fire at the shelter in Yreka on Monday was Paisley Bamberg, 33. She arrived a few months ago from West Columbia, South Carolina, and had been living in a motel with her six children, ranging in age from 15 to 1-year-old twins, when she was told to evacuate.

I started throwing everything on the top of my truck, but had to leave many things behind, she said.

Bamberg said she had just been hired at an Arbys restaurant and wondered if it will survive the fire.

There might not be much there when we get back, she said. I dont know if I have a job. The kids were supposed to start school and I dont know if the school is still standing.

Bamberg added: Im trying to keep up my spirits. I have six little humans that are depending on me. I cant break down or falter.

About 2,500 people were under evacuation orders but Thom said he knew many people remained in Yreka.

Theres still a lot of people in town, people who refused to leave, he said. A lot of people who dont have vehicles and cant go. Its really sad.

Thom has lived in Yreka all his life but said it was the first time he had been threatened by a wildfire.

I never thought it would ever happen, he said. `I thought, Were invincible.  This is making a liar out of me.

Scientists have said climate change has made the West warmer and drier over the last three decades and will continue to make weather more extreme and wildfires more frequent and destructive.

The U.S. Forest service shut down a 110-mile (177-km) section of the famed Pacific Crest Trail in Northern California and southern Oregon. Authorities helped 60 hikers in that area evacuate on Saturday, according to the Jackson County Sheriffs Office in Oregon.

Weber reported from Los Angeles. Associated Press reporters Amy Hanson in Helena, Montana; Margery Beck in Omaha, Nebraska; and Keith Ridler in Boise, Idaho, contributed to this report.

About the photo: A search and rescue canine leaves a home leveled by the McKinney Fire on Monday, Aug. 1, 2022, in Klamath National Forest, Calif. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Family members of some of the people killed or wounded during a 2019 shooting at a California garlic festival are suing the companies that distributed the rifle used in the attack, saying they did not take sufficient care to prevent misuse of the firearm.

Two similar lawsuits filed in U.S. District Court in Vermont on July 28 allege that manufacturer Century International Arms and Romanian firearm producer ROMARM failed to adopt reasonable safeguards that enabled a dangerous individual operating in and around California to legally acquire the firearm in Nevada, take it to California and use it in the attack at the Gilroy Garlic Festival that killed three and wounded 17.

Defendants knowingly breached the duty to exercise the highest degree of reasonable care in preventing the diversion of firearms to dangerous actors that they had voluntarily assumed when they entered the firearms business, said the lawsuits, filed on the third anniversary of the shooting.

The suit says Century Arms may have also violated Vermont laws that prohibit large capacity magazines.

Century Arms is based in Delray Beach, Florida, but it has a facility in Georgia, Vermont, where the ROMARM firearms, listed on the companys website as AK-style rifles, are modified to comply with U.S. law, according to the lawsuit.

Century Arms did not respond to a phone message seeking comment, nor did ROMARM respond to an email.

In most cases, federal law shields gun-makers from liability, but that could be changing.

Earlier this year, the families of nine victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting agreed to a $73 million settlement of a lawsuit against the maker of the rifle used to kill 20 first graders and six educators in 2012.

In June, in the aftermath of the mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas, that killed 19 students and two teachers, President Joe Biden called on Congress to end outrageous protections for gun manufacturers, which severely limit their liability over how their firearms are used, comparing it to the tobacco industry, which has faced repeated litigation over its products role in causing cancer and other diseases.

In the aftermath of the garlic festival shooting, Gilroy police said the shooter fired 39 rounds from an AK-47-style rifle.

A mass shooting like the Attack in which an individual like the Shooter uses a firearm like the Rifle to inflict catastrophic harm on parties like the Plaintiffs is a natural and foreseeable consequence of Defendants violations of the relevant standard of care, according to the lawsuit.

The suits are seeking a jury trial, but they did not specify the damages they are seeking.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
After losing the Republican primary election in June, legislative candidate Lynda Zamora Wilson raised more than three times her previous fundraising total to help fund a recount.

Zamora Wilson, a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel, challenged incumbent state Sen. Paul Lundeen, R-Monument, for his seat representing Senate District 9 in El Paso County. Lundeen won the primary election by a large margin, receiving 66.4% of the 30,848 votes to Zamora Wilsons 33.6%, according to official results from the Secretary of States Office.

Zamora Wilson shelled out just under $20,820 for a recount on July 28, as automatic recounts, which are state-paid, only apply when the difference between the winning candidate and second-place candidate is 0.05% or less of the winning vote.

Since the election on June 28, Zamora Wilson has raised over $17,311 from 193 individuals to help cover the cost, according to campaign finance reports filed Monday night. Before the election, Zamora Wilsons campaign raised less than $5,000 total from around two dozen contributions  including $2,052 that she gave to her campaign.

In total, Zamora Wilsons campaign collected just over $26,092, including $3,792 that she loaned herself. She had spent $7,821 as of the campaign finance deadline on July 27, leaving her with just $18,271 one day before she paid $20,820 on the recount. Zamora Wilson said she filled the $2,549 funding gap with another last-minute loan on July 28.

Zamora Wilson was one of three Republican legislative candidates to request a recount in El Paso County. The other two  Karl Dent for House District 21 and Summer Groubert for House District 18  both failed to submit the required funds to pay for the recounts before the July 28 deadline.

Dent and Groubert have been less successful in their post-primary election fundraising than Zamora Wilson. Dent has not received a single donation since losing his race in June, and, in fact, returned nearly $295 in contributions last month, according to Mondays campaign finance reports. Groubert has raised just over $800 since the election  a far cry from the $21,594.85 price tag for her and Dents recounts.

Of the 193 fundraising contributions made to Zamora Wilsons campaign since the election, 89.6% came from Colorado residents and 45.1% were from residents of Senate District 9, which covers the northwest corner of El Paso County, including Monument, Palmer Lake and part of Colorado Springs.

All but four of the 193 contributions were made between July 22 and July 27. During that period, on July 24, Zamora Wilson joined several other Republican candidates who lost their races for a Colorado Recount Fundraiser in Colorado Springs. Other featured candidates included Groubert, Secretary of State candidate Tina Peters and U.S. Senate candidate state Rep. Ron Hanks.

Zamora Wilsons requested recount is underway and expected to be completed by Thursday, the El Paso County Clerk and Recorders Office said on Monday.
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The Missourians Opinion section is a public forum for the discussion of ideas. The views presented in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Missourian or the University of Missouri. If you would like to contribute to the Opinion page with a response or an original topic of your own, visit our submission form
By Andrea Cordle

Grove City Editor

The city of Grove City will review options for an Interstate 71 overpass.

Council acted at the Aug. 1 meeting to appropriate $212,100 and enter into an agreement with the engineering firm EMH&T for an alignment and feasibility study for an I-71 overpass.

This overpass project was part of the Grove City 2050 Community Plan, which was adopted by council in 2018. Grove City 2050 is a blueprint to update the citys plans and policy to proactively shape where and how the city grows. It includes recommendations for land use, thoroughfare, and economic development.

The land use study area names a plan to link the east side of 71 to the western part of the city, said Grove City Mayor Richard Ike Stage. This is an evolution that has been going on for quite a while.

The goal is to have access over Interstate 71 in the southern part of the city. The 2050 community plan recommends an overpass at Holton Road. According to the document, this would allow a new frontage road to be developed on the west side of the interstate, like North Meadows Drive on the east side of 71. It would open land for development. An additional point of connectivity across the highway would also decrease the traffic on existing roadways.

The study would determine if a connection to Holton Road is possible. According to city legislation, the feasibility of the proposed overpass must be studied in terms of roadway alignment, bridge configuration, hydraulic modeling along with environmental and utility reviews. It must also be coordinated with the Ohio Department of Transportation.

One of the other challenges of the proposal is going into an area already partially developed with both residential and non-residential development.

According to Stage, city officials have already met with Mount Carmel and most of the other landowners who would be impacted by this project.

The meeting with Mount Carmel was quite productive because they had some good suggestions, said Stage.

The mayor said city officials have also met with representatives from the Buckeye Ranch and the Solid Waste Authority of Central Ohio (SWACO).

We had pretty good feedback from them, said Stage.

The city plans to apply for various funding sources to offset the initial capital cost for the improvements, including but not exclusive to, federal attributable funds through the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission and roadwork development funds.

Stage said the city needs to look into funding from the federal infrastructure bill.

We need to make sure we are queued up into the system if it makes sense to do so, said Stage. I believe if you dont have the attributable funds queued up, your chance of getting infrastructure dollars is pretty much eliminated.

To review the Grove City 2050 Community Plan, visit grovecityohio.gov.
In Greek mythology, Zeus punished Sisyphus for cheating death by forcing him to roll a huge boulder uphill for eternity. I suspect Apples operations teams feels similarly cursed. Not only have they had to adapt to the pandemic, but they had to mitigate the effect of Russias invasion of Ukraine and must now do what they can to salvage affairs as the situation in Taiwan decays, which could be an existential threat to the company and its business.

The incredible uphill journey

Its not just Apple, of course  the entire tech industry stands threatened by tension between Taiwan and China. Apple Silicon chips used across its product range are made by Taiwans own TSMC. TSMC Chairman Mark Liu recently warned that any further tension in Taiwan would generate big problems.

Liu also noted the sophistication of the tech industry supply chain, telling CNN: Because this is such a sophisticated manufacturing facility, it depends on real-time connection with the outside world, with Europe, with Japan, with US, from materials to chemicals to spare parts to engineering software and diagnosis.

When it comes to manufacturing, the importance of China to the Apple supply chain was really bought home when COVID-related lockdowns meant Apple couldnt make enough Macs or iPads to meet demand. In that context, it seems counterintuitive that Apple this week told corporate staff that they no longer need to wear masks to protect against COVID-19.

A risk to assumptions?

I imagine the ops teams take courage that their ability to manage and execute Apples business in challenging market conditions still enabled the company to achieve record results in its last quarter, and to anticipate growth into the September quarter. All the same, Apple CFO Luca Maestri was perhaps more realistic than hed hoped to be when he warned:

Given the continued uncertainty around the world in the near term, were not providing revenue guidance, but we are sharing some directional insights based on the assumption that the macroeconomic outlook and COVID related impacts to our business do not worsen from what we are projecting today for the current quarter.

The company must be praying relations between China and Taiwan dont deteriorate more. Such an outcome would devastate product manufacturing and would create terrible turmoil. FBI Director Christopher Wray recently warned that conflict between the two nations would represent one of the most horrific business disruptions the world has ever seen.

Can we diversify fast enough?

Apple is doing what it can to build a more resilient supply chain, but its an uphill journey. Digitimes suggests it is urging suppliers to set up manufacturing facilities in Vietnam and to diversify production across multiple factories. The company is also portioning out production of some of products among additional suppliers to help build resilience.

TSMC is expected to open a $12 billion Apple Silicon production facility in Arizona, with assistance under the at-last passed Chips and Science Act. But even this wont be operative for at least a year. In most cases, Apple (and everyone other than Apple) is not yet able to diversify production outside China, even if there were enough coders and engineers in those markets to staff these machines.

All the same, the huge demand for Apples products means that even as factories in India, Vietnam and (perhaps) Brazil and Mexico switch on the lights, they still cant scale to meet all that demand. (Pegatrons latest factory in Mexico wont be online until the end of 2023, according to local media reports.)

This is of particular importance as Apple allegedly prepares to introduce what it surely hopes will become its next "pillar" product, AR Glasses, probably next year. Its reasonable to think that if those products do appear, Apple will still be reliant on manufacturing from across that region, generating yet more headaches for that hard-working operations team.

Please follow me on Twitter, or join me in the AppleHolics bar & grill and Apple Discussions groups on MeWe.
US House Speaker Pelosi holds talks with Singapore officials during her Asian tour

US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi held talks with officials in Singapore on Monday at the start of her Asian tour, as questions swirled over a possible stop in Taiwan that has fuelled tension with Beijing.

Nancy Pelosi (left) with Singapore President Halimah Yacob. Photo courtesy: Twitter/@SpeakerPelosi

Pelosi met Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, President Halimah Yacob and other Cabinet members, the Foreign Ministry said.

Lee welcomed a US commitment to strong engagement with the region and the two sides discussed ways to deepen US economic engagement through initiatives such as the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, the ministry said in a statement.

Lee and Pelosi also discussed the war in Ukraine, tensions surrounding Taiwan and mainland China, and climate change, it said. Lee highlighted the importance of stable US-China relations for regional peace and security, it added, in an apparent allusion to reports that Pelosi may visit Taiwan, the Tribune reported.

In a statement over the weekend, Pelosi said she would visit Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea and Japan to discuss trade, the Covid-19 pandemic, climate change, security and democratic governance. She didnt confirm reports that she might visit Taiwan, which is claimed by Beijing as its own territory.

Chinese President Xi Jinping had warned against meddling in Beijings dealings with the island in a phone call last week with US President Joe Biden.

Read more USA News, Singapore News and Political News here
China's lithium-ion battery sector achieves rapid growth in H1

Xinhua) 15:52, August 03, 2022

BEIJING, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) -- China's lithium-ion battery industry logged rapid growth in the first half of 2022 as the country stepped up efforts to achieve its carbon peak and carbon neutrality goals, and the demand from downstream sectors remained strong.

It is estimated that country's output of lithium-ion batteries in the January-June period exceeded 280 gigawatt-hours, registering a year-on-year increase of 150 percent, data from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology showed on Wednesday.

The whole sector raked in over 480 billion yuan (about 70.78 billion U.S. dollars), the ministry estimated.

China's robust lithium-ion battery output echoes the country's booming production of new energy vehicles, which soared 120 percent in the first half of this year.

Exports of lithium-ion battery products spiked 75 percent year on year during the period, according to the ministry.

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun)
- Added Achievements page to overlay (while in-game press Steam button)

- Added Guides page to overlay (while in-game press Steam button)

- Added notification when Steam Deck temperature goes outside the safe operating range

- Added a scheduled night mode feature, allowing players to choose if and when theyd like night mode to automatically turn on

- Added a button to clear entered text in search bar

- Adaptive Brightness toggle is now active again

- Fixed notification for claiming digital rewards firing endlessly for some customers

- Fixed issue with medium length game names in the Main Menu Overlay not properly scrolling

- Fixed some issues with claiming Steam Deck digital rewards

- Fixed sound playing for achievement progress notifications

- Fixed washed-out colors in the Remote Play client when playing with specific hosts

- Fixed Xbox login window for Flight Simulator and Halo Infinite not rendering certain characters properly

- Added missing Deck buttons for Gyro Enable and Button Chord options

- Added support for game-bundled Virtual Menu icons in the in-game Deck UI

- Miscellaneous performance improvements

- Added support for Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Japanese, and Korean keyboard. We are still refining these keyboards, please provide feedback in the forums.

- Added initial IBus IME input support on the desktop for Chinese, Japanese, and Korean keyboards

- Fixed desktop mode keyboard sometimes failing to show or dismiss

- Fixed on-screen keyboard showing up under the Steam or Quick Access menu

- Updated keyboard behavior for improved fast typing on trackpad and touchscreen. (pressing a key while holding another key will now commit the held key instead of waiting for first to release)

- Fixed some touch styling issues with the virtual keyboard

- Added a new Steam Deck software update channel selector  there are now three options:

- Stable: Recommended experience for most users. This option will install the latest stable Steam Client and SteamOS.



- Beta: Testing for new Steam features. Updates frequently. This option will install Steam Client Beta and the latest stable SteamOS.



- Preview: Testing for new Steam and system-level features. Updates frequently. You may encounter issues. This option will install Steam Client Beta and the SteamOS Beta.

- You will only see patch notes for the update channel you've selected.

- Fixed some performance problems for users with many screenshots

- Fixed several crashes related to managing screenshots

- Fixed several crashes related to non-Steam shortcuts

- Fixed some native Linux games not exiting when force-quit through Steam

- Fixed flatpak Chrome closing improperly when quit through Steam

- Fixed a bug where some flatpak applications (like Edge) couldn't successfully quit

- Fixed a performance issue with some games when the backlight changes intensity

- Updated Firefox to be installed as a Flatpak, rather than from the OS repositories, to ensure timely updates

- First-time launches of Firefox from the desktop will now prompt for installation via the Discover Software Center, which will handle updates as they are published.

- Updated network connections created/edited on the desktop to default to system-wide, ensuring they are available in gaming mode

- Added VGUI2 Classic Plasma Desktop theme

- Resized virtual keyboard in Desktop mode to the appropriate dimensions

- Added support for the Qanba Obsidian and Qanba Dragon arcade sticks in Desktop mode

- Added an option to scale the Steam Deck user interface for external displays

- Added a toggle for automatic scaling of the Steam Deck user interface for external displays

- Added ability to adjust image display settings for external displays that have overscan issues

- Fixed the panel staying off when disconnecting from dock shortly after resuming from sleep

- Fixed the panel backlight staying on while docked

- Fixed Bluetooth profile selection not being saved when switching away from Desktop mode

- Fixed echo cancellation CPU overhead when the microphone isn't being used, improving power usage in idle or near-idle scenarios

- Fixed multi-channel audio on external displays

- Fixed audio out on some capture cards

- Fixed some instances of corrupt audio after resuming from sleep

- Fixed audio output with some 32-bit games that use ALSA

- Updated graphics driver with compatibility and performance fixes

- Updated wireless driver with fixes for WiFi disconnection issues on 5Ghz

- Updated controller firmware utilities to support future controller hardware revisions

Tres grosse mise a jour chezpour, qui passe desormais en versionavec de tres nombreuses modifications et corrections.Les possesseurs d'unpourront profiter de cette importante mise a jour directement depuis le canal stable, signe d'un travailpour. Jusqu'a la prochaine mise a jour, il va de soi.
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Heavy to very heavy rainfall continued to cause widespread damage to life and property in Kerala for the second consecutive day. Six persons died in rain related incidents on Tuesday taking the death toll to 12. Two persons including a two-and-halfyear-old girl were washed away following a landslide in Kannur district. Three persons were reported missing in separate incidents.

Relief camps have been opened by the revenue department in various districts to accommodate people being evacuated from rain and landslide hit areas. The Met Department has sounded a red alert for 10 districts from Alappuzha to Kannur. Alappuzha, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Idukki, Thrissur, Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Wayanad and Kannur districts. According to Met experts the state will receive widespread rainfall and extremely heavy rainfall for the next 72 hours.

The met department has already issued a red colour warning for Kerala for the next three days. Landslides and flash floods are likely to occur in many parts of the state during this period. However, the rainfall will start reducing from August 5 when it will move towards the Konkan area and further to Telangana.

The Monsoon has been very active over Kerala Karnataka and Lakshadweep this time. Over 1,000 people have been shifted to safer places in 50 relief camps opened in the state. The dams in the state are on high alert. A red alert has been sounded in seven dams after the water level rose due to heavy rains.

A red alert has been sounded in Idukki Ponmudi, Kallarkutty, Thiruvayar, Lower Periyar, Moozhiyar, Kundala and Pengalkoothu dams. Besides, an orange alert has also been sounded in Mangalam and Meengara dams. The Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) officials said there is no need for panic at this stage in the wake of rising water levels in reservoirs of large dams.
The Human Rights Forum (HRF) has urged the SP of Konaseema district to initiate a probe into the recent attack on prominent RTI and environmental activist Chavvakula Venkateswara Rao  Representational Image/DC

KAKINADA: The Human Rights Forum (HRF) has urged the SP of Konaseema district to initiate a probe into the recent attack on prominent RTI and environmental activist Chavvakula Venkateswara Rao by an MLAs gunman and some cops.

He was brutally beaten up by the Sakhinetipalli sub-inspector, the Malkipuram assistant sub-inspector and some other cops, the HRF said.

HRF state secretary Y Rajesh and its district president Mutyala Srinivasa Rao made the demand after they went to the spot and collected details of the incident.

They said Venkateswara Rao was talking to his friend by parking his vehicle on the left side of the road without creating any hurdle to the traffic -- near Mendupalem bridge in Kesavadasupalem village of Sakhinetipalli mandal, at night, on July 30.

Razole MLA Rapaka Varaprasad who was passing by stopped his car and abused Venkateswara Rao in filthy language. Later, the gunman of the MLA, Dilip, beat up the activist. The MLA called the Sakihinetipalli police and directed the cops to beat up the activist. Sakhinetipalli SI Phani kumar, Malkipuram ASI Satyanarayana and constable Prasad came in and beat up Venkateswara Rao severely.

The Malkipuram SI registered a case and the activist was produced before the judicial first class magistrate court at Razole. After observing the injuries on the body of the victim, the magistrate ordered a medical examination. Based on the medical report, the magistrate granted bail to the victim and released him, the HRF leaders said.

The human rights forum said the Malkipuram police registered a false case against the activist. They urged the government to order a detailed probe and take action against accused Sakhinetipalli SI Phanikumar, Malkipuram ASI Satyanarayana, constable Prasad, MLAs gunman Kalidas Dilip, Malkipuram SI Hari Sastry and the duty doctor who initially issued a wrong medical report to the victim.
Wahlburgers will once again have a Connecticut presence, as the casual restaurant will open at Foxwoods Resort Casino next summer.

The celebrity-founded restaurant and bar chain, focusing on burgers, previously had a location at the Westfield Trumbull mall, which closed in 2020 after three years in business.
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FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP)  Voters from the Navajo Nation will see familiar faces in the tribe's general election: their current president and a former vice presidential candidate, both of whom were on the ballot in 2018.

President Jonathan Nez and Buu Nygren garnered the most votes in Tuesday's primary among a field of 15. Whoever wins will oversee the largest Native American reservation in the U.S., and the second-highest tribal population.

Both have talked about the need for economic development and extending running water and electricity to the thousands of Navajos without it. Where they differ is on the approach to moving through the coronavirus pandemic.

The Navajo Nation once had one of the highest infection rates in the United States. Nez's administration enacted tough measures to slow the spread. Movie theaters, restaurants, casinos and gyms still aren't fully open yet, and a mask mandate remains.

Nez, a veteran politician, has defended the approach for keeping people safe. He said he would bring continuity in a second term, as the tribe works to spend more than $1 billion in federal virus relief funding that largely would address infrastructure.

I think the Navajo people saw that we are able to handle a difficult situation, Nez, 47, told The Associated Press. Not just coming from leadership but to rally the Navajo people to take care of our people, and they did an outstanding job.

Nygren was former President Joe Shirley Jr.'s running mate in 2018. The two lost to Nez and Vice President Myron Lizer.

Nygren left his job in construction management to seek the tribe's top elected post and contends Navajo businesses are hurting because of pandemic restrictions. He said the Navajo Nation hasn't been quick enough to respond to a huge loss of revenue from shuttered coal mines and coal-fired power plants and should capitalize on tourism. He has positioned himself as a diplomat who will bring a modern perspective to the presidency.

It's very clear new leadership is wanted across the Navajo Nation, the 35-year-old told The Associated Press. Just the amount of people who came to vote in a Navajo election where floods were happening, roads were terrible.

Nearly 48,000 Navajos cast ballots in the tribe's primary election  a turnout of almost 39% among more than 123,000 registered voters, according to unofficial results from the tribe's election office. The tribe generally sees a turnout of around 50%. The results still must be certified.

Nez garnered 17,073 in the primary election, and Nygren got 12,878 votes with all 110 precincts reporting, according to unofficial results. They'll choose their own running mates for the general election in the nonpartisan race.

Rounding out the top five were attorney Justin Jones, former Navajo Attorney General Ethel Branch and Greg Bigman, chairman of the Dine College Board of Regents, who collectively received nearly 14,000 votes.

Navajo voters also narrowed the list of candidates for seats on the 24-member Navajo Nation Council, ousting less than a handful of incumbents. Current Council Speaker Seth Damon is the only one who ran unopposed.

The reservation is bigger than 10 U.S. states, spanning 27,000 square miles (69,930 square kilometers) of high desert, forests, wind-swept mesas and mountains bordering New Mexico, Arizona and Utah. Its population of 406,000 is second to only the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma.

The slate of candidates agreed more jobs are needed on the reservation where unemployment hovers around 50%. Candidates pushed platforms that included finding ways to preserve the Navajo language and pressing the federal government to fulfill its duty to provide for public safety, health and education.

Supporters of the candidates set up tents across the Navajo Nation on Tuesday, offering fry bread and other food to voters as they made a final campaign push. Election day is a social event on the Navajo Nation, though some precautions were still in place because of the coronavirus pandemic. That included closing to the public the sports center in the tribal capital of Window Rock where election results are tallied.

The others candidates were educator Dolly Mason; scholar Leslie Tsosie; Chinle Chapter President Rosanna Jumbo-Fitch; Frankie Davis; former New Mexico state legislator Sandra Jeff; Emily Ellison; former Navajo Vice President Frank Dayish; Tsah Bii Kin Chapter manager Earl Sombrero; and Dineh Benally and Kevin Cody, both of whom sought the tribal presidency in 2018.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP)  Nashville's metro council has dealt a likely final blow to proponents of bringing the 2024 Republican National Convention to the city, leaving Milwaukee as the almost-certain winner to host the GOP's biggest party.

The council of the reliably Democratic city in a Republican southern state voted Tuesday night to spike a bill that would have set up a draft agreement for hosting the event. In the 40-person council, 10 members voted for the convention deal and 22 voted against it.

The RNC's site selection panel recommended last month that Milwaukee host the event after the Nashville council withdrew its proposed agreement to host the presidential nominating convention. A revived push for Nashville fared no better.

Milwaukee is also a Democratic stronghold, but, despite some mixed feelings, it approved a similar framework in June that runs through the logistics of hosting it there.

Whether and how Tennessee's Republican legislators take aim at Nashville in response to the RNC rejection remains to be seen.

GOP House Speaker Cameron Sexton dismissed the citys leadership on Wednesday as the most progressive, liberal council in America for voting down the convention, but said any decisions about metro Nashville can wait until the next legislative session starts in January. He said hes certain there will be ample discussions on this issue.

Lt. Gov. Randy McNally said the vote shows Nashville leaders do not wish to serve as ambassadors for our state. Republican Gov. Bill Lee's spokesperson, Casey Black, said the council vote was a real shame, calling the convention a "major economic opportunity."

Nashville Mayor John Cooper and others expressed concerns about security, the economic trade-off of having to mostly shut down the bustling downtown except for convention activity as well as the implications of tying up city resources for the event.

Some progressive leaders went further, arguing that hosting the massive Republican gathering would go against the citys values. Several council members wrote an open letter to state GOP chairman Scott Golden in June asking if Tennessee Republicans plan to remain outwardly hostile to Nashville's efforts to be a welcoming economic driver for the state while managing the citys massive growth.

Republicans split the city into three districts that wend into rural areas hoping to flip what has been a Democratic seat; passed a near-total ban that forced the city's Planned Parenthood clinic to stop offering abortions; and imposed many laws targeting the city, including a school voucher program applicable in just two areas that are both Democratic, Nashville and Memphis Shelby County.

Councilman Robert Swope, who sponsored the GOP convention proposal, questioned on Tuesday which groups the city might deny next.

The real and present danger of not supporting this ordinance is the international damage that saying 'no' will do to Nashvilles stellar, welcoming and inclusive reputation, Swope said.

For two decades, Republicans have placed their nominating convention in swing states  North Carolina, Ohio and Florida. Trump won his presidential contests decisively in Tennessee. He narrowly won Wisconsin in 2016, but lost to Biden by a nearly identical margin in 2020.

Milwaukee hosted the Democrats' 2020 convention, but the coronavirus pandemic forced that meeting to be held nearly entirely online, and Joe Biden accepted the nomination in Delaware.

Wisconsin could determine who wins in 2024, while Tennessee has not backed a Democrat for president since 1996.
DETROIT (AP)  State Rep. Shri Thanedar won Michigans 13th Congressional Democratic primary, topping a field of nine candidates in a district that covers most of Detroit and potentially leaving the predominantly Black city next term without Black representation in Congress for the first time since the early 1950s.

Results from Tuesdays election show Thanedar, an immigrant from India, defeating state Rep. Adam Hollier and attorney Portia Roberson. Martell Bivings, who is Black, ran unopposed in Tuesdays Republican primary for the 13th District, but is a longshot to win the general election in the heavily Democratic district.

Detroit has not been without a Black representative in Congress since before Charles Diggs Jr. took office in 1955. Diggs was joined in Congress in 1965 by Democrat John Conyers, who retained his congressional seat for more than 50 years.

Detroit is about 80% Black and all of the other candidates in the primary were Black.

This race was not about me, Thanedar said in a statement Wednesday. Michigans 13th Congressional district is one of the poorest in the country, and I will fight for economic and racial justice in Congress.

The 13th District  redrawn through redistricting after Michigan lost a seat following the census  is currently represented by Democrat Rashida Tlaib, who ran in the redrawn 12th Congressional District and won Tuesday.

The Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission in January finalized the U.S. House and legislative maps that will last 10 years. The plans are fairer politically to Democrats but have drawn criticism from Black legislators and the states civil rights department because they slash the number of seats where African Americans account for a majority of the voting-age population.

A federal lawsuit subsequently filed on behalf of a group of current and former Black state lawmakers in Detroit seeks to block the newly drawn districts, contending they illegally dilute the voting strength of African Americans. Thanedars victory confirms that claim, according to Nabih Ayad, an attorney for the group.

The suit alleges violations of the U.S. Voting Rights Act and the Michigan Constitution. The No. 1 map-drawing criteria for the panel was to comply with the 1965 law, which bans discriminatory voting practices and procedures.

Weve been alleging this all along, that it will take a miracle for some of these individuals to win, Ayad said Wednesday. This is no surprise. Why should they be the sacrificial lambs. It's a very, very sad day for the African American power base that worked for decades to get where they are.

Former state Rep. Sherry Gay-Dagnogo has been vocal against the redrawn districts and was one of the candidates who failed to advance in the Democratic 13th Congressional District primary Tuesday.

"At a time when the Black community is reeling from a rollback of voting rights and Black women  who already face inequity with maternal health and barriers to safe abortion care  deal with the impact of the Roe v. Wade reversal, Black representation in Congress for Michigan and for Detroit matters now more than ever, Roberson said Wednesday. Many people woke up this morning justifiably concerned.

University of Michigan political science professor Ken Kollman said the crowded field of candidates, and a lack of coordination in the district and among groups of voters, may have been major factors in Thanedar's win.

I would assume to many voters in Detroit it's a big deal and I'm sure it is something that's a big disappointment for many voters in Detroit, Kollman said of the possibility of the city having no Black voices in Congress. Whether it will lead to different representation on substance or issues depends a lot on how the particular people who represent Detroit act in Congress.

Detroit members of Congress have been very important and active in things like the Congressional Black Caucus, and very visible Black leaders in the country, he added.

Roberson said there would be talk about Black candidates dividing the vote in the primary, and that the political establishment had tried to "manufacture a consensus African American candidate.

The first step in having a consensus candidate is picking the most qualified candidate, she said. That did not happen in this race.

Thanedar, an entrepreneur, moved to Detroit from Ann Arbor and was elected in 2020 to Michigan's 3rd House District. He spent more than $10 million of his own money to run for governor in 2018 but finished third that year in the Democratic primary. Thanedars campaign website says he contributed $5,040,404 to his campaign for Tuesday's race.

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The story has been corrected to say Rashida Tlaib represents the 13th Congressional District, not Brenda Lawrence.
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WASHINGTON (AP)  In one of the biggest days of this year's primary campaign season, voters rejected a measure that would have made it easier to restrict abortion rights in red-state Kansas and repudiated a scandal-tarred former governor seeking a U.S. Senate seat in Missouri.

Meanwhile, a Republican congressman who voted to impeach then-President Donald Trump after the Jan. 6 insurrection lost to a Trump-backed opponent early Wednesday, while two other impeachment-supporting House Republicans awaited results in their primaries in Washington state.

In Michigan, a political newcomer emerged from the state's messy Republican gubernatorial primary, setting up a rare woman-vs.-woman general election matchup between conservative commentator Tudor Dixon and incumbent Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.

Takeaways from election results Tuesday night:

RED-STATE KANSAS REJECTS ANTI-ABORTION AMENDMENT

Kansas may seem like an unlikely place for abortion rights supporters to notch a major victory.

But on Tuesday, voters in the conservative state resoundingly rejected a constitutional amendment that would have allowed the Legislature to ban abortion. It was the first major test of voter sentiment since the Supreme Court ruling in June to rescind the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion nationwide.

The amendment would have allowed the Legislature to overturn a 2019 state Supreme Court decision declaring access to abortion a fundamental right under the state constitution.

Its failure at the ballot in a state Donald Trump won by nearly 15 points issues a stark warning to Republicans, who have downplayed the political impact of the high court's ruling. It also hands a considerable win to Democrats, who are feeling newly energized heading into what was expected to be a tough midterm election season for them.

Kansas currently 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.

Gov. Laura Kelly, a Democrat who supports abortion rights, has warned that the Republican-led Legislature's efforts to ban abortion would hurt the state. On Tuesday it became clear that many voters agree with her.

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TRUMP'S REVENGE

First-term Michigan Rep. Peter Meijer was one of 10 Republicans who joined Democrats to vote in favor of impeaching Trump after the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack. On Tuesday, he became the latest victim of the former president's revenge campaign.

Meijer, an heir to a Midwestern grocery store empire and a former Army reserve officer who served in Iraq, lost the GOP contest to former Trump administration official John Gibbs.

Im proud to have remained true to my principles, even when doing so came at a significant political cost," Meijer said in a statement.

Besides having Trump's endorsement, Gibbs also shared Trump's penchant for conspiracy theories: He parroted Trump's lies about a stolen 2020 election and once spread false claims that Hillary Clintons 2016 campaign chair participated in a satanic ritual that involved bodily fluids.

But Gibbs also drew support from an unusual source: House Democrats' campaign arm spent nearly $500,000 in the final week of the race on ads that played up his ties to Trump and labeled him too conservative. It was a ploy by the Democrats to boost a general election candidate who they believe will give Democrat Hillary Scholten a better chance of winning in the general election.

Meijer is the second of the 10 impeachment-supporting Republicans to lose his primary, joining South Carolina Rep. Tom Rice, who was defeated by a Trump-backed challenger in June. Four others opted to retire rather than face voters' wrath. And, so far, only California Rep. David Valadao has survived  just barely.

Also on the ballot Tuesday were Washington state Reps. Jaime Herrera Beutler and Dan Newhouse, who both faced Trump-backed challengers over their impeachment votes. But those contests were too early to call because Washington state conducts elections by mail, delaying the reporting of results.

Herrera Beutler's challengers include Joe Kent, a former Green Beret who has cultivated links to right-wing extremist groups and employs a campaign aide who was a member of the Proud Boys. Newhouse's opponents include Loren Culp, a former GOP gubernatorial nominee who falsely claimed that his 13-point loss to Democratic Gov. Jay Inslee in 2020 was the result of voter fraud.

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TRUMP'S SLATE

Trump's candidates in Arizona had a successful primary night.

Senate candidate Blake Masters, whose campaign was bankrolled by tech investor Peter Thiel, won his Republican primary after echoing Trump's lies of a stolen election and playing up cultural grievances that animate the right, including critical race theory and allegations of big tech censorship.

In the secretary of state race, Mark Finchem, an Arizona state lawmaker who worked to overturn Trumps 2020 loss in the state, defeated three challengers, including an establishment-backed rival.

In the state Legislature, Arizona House Speaker Rusty Bowers, who testified at a Jan. 6 committee hearing about Trumps pressure to overturn the 2020 election, lost his Republican primary for a state Senate seat to a Trump-backed former lawmaker, David Farnsworth.

The Republican gubernatorial contest between former TV news anchor Kari Lake, who was backed by Trump, and businesswoman Karrin Taylor Robson, who was endorsed by Trump's estranged vice president, Mike Pence, was too early to call on Wednesday, with Lake and Robson separated by a slim margin. Lake has aggressively promoted Trump's election lies.

Arizona has emerged as a key swing state. But it also carries significance to Trump after Joe Biden became the first Democratic presidential candidate in decades to carry what was once a reliably Republican state.

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GREITENS' COMEBACK COLLAPSES

Democratic hopes of picking up a U.S. Senate seat in deep-red Missouri faltered Tuesday after Republican voters selected Attorney General Eric Schmitt as their nominee over former Gov. Eric Greitens, who resigned in disgrace in 2018.

Greitens, they predicted, would be toxic in a general election. Democrats landed a strong recruit in beer heir Trudy Busch Valentine, who won her primary Tuesday. And the states Republican establishment prepared to put millions of dollars behind an independent candidate in the general election, potentially fracturing the GOP vote.

But Greitens came up short Tuesday, finishing a distant third behind Schmitt and U.S. Rep. Vicky Hartzler. His campaign's tailspin can likely be traced back to March, when his ex-wife submitted a bombshell legal filing in the former couple's child custody case.

Sheena Greitens said in a sworn statement that Eric Greitens had abused her and one of their young sons. She also said he displayed such unstable and coercive behavior in the lead-up to his 2018 resignation that others took steps to limit his access to firearms.

At the time, Greitens faced potential impeachment after his former hairdresser testified that he blindfolded and restrained her in his basement, assaulted her and appeared to take a compromising photo to pressure her to keep quiet about an affair.

He resigned from office  and avoided testifying under oath about the affair.

He launched his comeback campaign for Senate last year, marketing himself as an unabashedly pro-Trump conservative. And while many in Missouri wrote him off, one important political figure didn't: Donald Trump, who mused publicly about Greitens' attributes.

But in the end, Trump stopped short of issuing an endorsement, instead issuing a vague statement this week throwing his support behind ERIC.

And on Tuesday, the other ERIC in the race  Schmitt  won.

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MESSY RACE IN MICHIGAN

At its essence, Michigan's raucous Republican gubernatorial primary was a contest of which candidate's personal baggage was the least disqualifying. On Tuesday, conservative media personality Tudor Dixon was the victor, setting up a November general election against Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in the battleground state.

Dixon's past as an actor in a series of vulgar and low-budget horror movies became a campaign issue. But her career moonlighting in titles such as Buddy BeBop Vs. the Living Dead and a vampire TV series called Transitions paled in comparison to her rivals' problems.

One rival, Ryan Kelley, faces federal misdemeanor charges after he was recorded on video in Washington during the Jan. 6 insurrection directing a mob of Trump supporters toward a set of stairs leading to the U.S. Capitol. Kelley has pleaded not guilty.

Another, Kevin Rinke, is a former car dealer who settled a series of lawsuits in the 1990s after he was alleged to have made racist and sexist comments, which included calling women ignorant and stupid and stating that they should not be allowed to work in public.

A third, Garrett Soldano, is a chiropractor and self-help guru who has sold supplements he falsely claimed were a therapeutic treatment for the coronavirus.

Many in the state's Republican establishment, including billionaire former Trump education secretary Betsy DeVos, view Dixon as their best shot at defeating Whitmer. Trump endorsed Dixon in the race Friday, just a few days before the primary.

But her primary victory is an outcome few would have predicted months ago. In addition to the shortcomings of her rivals, her path was cleared when the two best-known candidates in the race were kicked off the ballot in May for submitting false petition signatures.

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Follow AP's coverage of the midterm elections at https://apnews.com/hub/2022-midterm-elections and on Twitter at https://twitter.com/ap_politics/.
As one Alex Jones defamation trial began Tuesday in Texas, a judge in Waterbury addressed a series of housekeeping matters related to Joness separate Connecticut trial, which is set to start in September.

During a virtual hearing Tuesday, Judge Barbara Bellis approved the withdrawal of one of Joness attorneys, Cameron Atkinson, who had cited a fundamental disagreement, with the defendant. Bellis initially appeared reluctant to grant Atkinsons wish to withdraw from the case, describing a musical chairs of attorneys representing the anti-government conspiracy theorist, but approved the request when informed that Atkinson will leave Pattis & Smith, LLC, the firm representing Jones, next month.

Atkinson had previously described an untenable position, in which communication with Jones has broken down.

Atkinsons withdrawal leaves Norm Pattis to represent Jones in his Connecticut trial, which concerns Joness repeated claims that the 2012 Sandy Hook massacre shooting was hoax. Pattis himself has attempted to withdraw from representing Jones on several occasions and earlier this month requested a greater role for Andino Reynal, a Texas attorney Jones trusts.

Bellis granted Reynal permission to sit at the defense table for Joness Connecticut trial but barred him from presenting evidence, examining witnesses or delivering arguments. Pattis said Tuesday that Reynal has decided not to attend, given that the judges order gives him no more rights than a spectator would have at trial.

Jones currently faces three separate defamation trials, including two in Texas and one in Connecticut, where the plaintiffs are an FBI agent who responded to the 2012 shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School, as well as eight families who lost loved ones in the tragedy. Jones has already lost all three cases, leaving juries to determine only what he owes the plaintiffs in damages.

Jury selection for Joness Connecticut trial will begin Tuesday, with the trial itself slated to start Sept. 6.

During Tuesdays hearing, attorneys for Jones and the Connecticut plaintiffs discussed a range of issues including how many alternate jurors to choose, how many peremptory challenges to allow and whether to conceal the towns where the plaintiffs live to protect their privacy. Both sides described these questions as minor and promised to reach agreements by Thursday.

Though Jones will not be required to be present for jury selection or trial, Bellis said she will not allow his attorneys to make excuses for his absence to the jury. Whereas Jones had previously objected to attending hearings due to business demands, his Texas attorney said Monday that his absence from the trial in Austin owed to medical issues.

I have no idea what the truth is, but I do know that I was previously misled about Mr. Joness attendance or lack of attendance at his deposition, Bellis said. So what I will not have is any excuses by any party as to why their particular client is or is not attending.

Pattis denied that he or his colleagues had misled the court but agreed to comply with the judges order.

alex.putterman@hearstmediact.com
HYDERABAD: Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao on Tuesday came under intense fire over the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme (KLIS) from Union jal shakti minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat who called the project an illegitimate child of KCR.

Shekhawat said the TRS governments demand that Kaleshwaram be declared a national project was like asking Prime Minister Narendra Modi to adopt the illegitimate child of KCR. He added, How can this be and said The name of the father should be of the one who committed the sin.

Shekhawat was addressing a public meeting at Vangapalli near Yadadri, marking the launch of the third phase of BJP state president Bandi Sanjay Kumars Praja Sangrama Yatra. Shekhawat said the Kaleshwaram projects pump houses were under water, adding that the project needed to be visited. It was not planned properly, and there were engineering faults, and investments in the project were not proper, he said.

Shekhawat also said the project did not have proper environmental clearances. It was taken up only as a money-making machine, which was turned into a milch cow, he said.

To cover up its failures and illegal activities, the TRS government wants to put the entire responsibility (of the project) on the government of India, he said.

He said the promises of the TRS have not translated into benefits for the people of the state. Charging the Chief Minister and his family with corruption, Shekhawat said, A BJP government must be elected here to send them to prison for their corruption.

Instead of working for peoples welfare and making the dreams of Telangana come true, KCR is busy preparing the ground to make his on the Chief Minister, but apparently there is a succession battle between the son and the daughter. But let us not get into it. KCR pushed the state into corruption. The TRS government must be rooted out in the next elections, Shekhawat said.
WASHINGTON (AP)  After 13 years, at least three crashes, dozens of scams and Ponzi schemes and hundreds of billions of dollars made and evaporated, cryptocurrencies finally have the full attention of Congress, whose lawmakers and lobbyists have papered Capitol Hill with proposals on how to regulate the industry.

The latest bipartisan proposal came Wednesday from Sens. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., and John Boozman, R-Ark. It would hand the regulatory authority over Bitcoin and Ether to the Commodities Futures Trading Commission. Stabenow and Boozman lead the Senate Agriculture Committee, which has authority over CTFC.

Bills proposed by other members of Congress and consumer advocates have suggested giving the authority to the Securities and Exchange Commission.

This year, crypto investors have seen prices plunge and companies crater with fortunes and jobs disappearing overnight, and some firms have been accused by federal regulators of running an illegal securities exchange. Bitcoin, the largest digital asset, trades at a fraction of its all-time high, down from more than $68,000 in November 2021 to about $23,000 on Wednesday.

While cryptocurrencies have had crashes before, most recently in 2018, this crash has been broader and more systemic. A major hedge fund filed for bankruptcy earlier this summer, which in turn has caused other cryptocurrency brokers to collapse as well. Some crypto brokers have falsely claimed that their customers' deposits are backed by deposit insurance, like banks are.

Lawmakers, who have run out of patience with the cryptocurrency industry's attempts to live out an unregulated Libertarian, bank-free world, are now desperate to implement stringent oversight. The industry spent $9 million in 2021 on lobbying fees, according to a report by Public Citizen, a figure that is certain to be higher with all the Congressional proposals this year.

The Stabenow-Boozman bill would be a win for the cryptocurrency industry, which sees the CFTC as more industry-friendly regulator than the SEC. The CFTC, which had a budget last year of $304 million with roughly 666 employees, is a fraction of the size of the SEC, which had a budget of nearly $2 billion and 4,500 full-time employees.

(The cryptocurrency industry is) trying to get anyone other than the SEC to regulate them, said Cory Klippsten, CEO of Swan Bitcoin. While an advocate for Bitcoin, Klippsten is deeply skeptical of much of broader crypto industry, which has produced a myriad of tokens and other coins that he considers to be nothing more than scams.

Cryptocurrency billionaire Sam Bankman-Fried, who has donated millions of dollars to mostly Democratic-leaning candidates and super PACs, tweeted his support for the Stabenow-Boozman bill.

Boozman, in a call with reporters, said the industrys preferred choice to regulate crypto is the CFTC.

They are fairly united on this, he said.

In a press conference, Stabenow and Boozman both acknowledged that while they have faith that the CFTC is up to the task of regulating cryptocurrencies, the agency would need support. The CFTC already oversees futures contracts for Bitcoin and Etherium, and the bill attempts to alleviate issues about staffing by imposing user fees on the crypto industry. Those funds in turn would fund more robust supervision of the industry by the CFTC. The bill would leave crypto-like products, like tokens or non-fungible tokens (NFTs), for the SEC to potentially assert its regulative authority.

Obviously if the CTFC is to move aggressively in this area, they are going to need more resources, Stabenow said.

Marlon Cumberbatch, who conducts consumer research on cryptocurrency and other digital assets for the National Research Group, says despite the crashes, consumers are still interested in putting their money in digital assets. "Some people believe this is the beginning of the end for crypto, Cumberbatch said, but we believe this is the end of the beginning in terms of investment interest.

There has been a growing list of proposals out of Congress this year that in various ways are trying to address the problems in the cryptocurrency industry. Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., in April introduced legislation, called the Stablecoin TRUST Act, that would create a framework to regulate stablecoins, which have seen massive losses this year. Stablecoins are a type of cryptocurrency pegged to a specific value, usually the U.S. dollar, another currency or gold.

In June, Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., and Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo., proposed a wide-ranging bill called the Responsible Financial Innovation Act. That bill proposed legal definitions of digital assets and virtual currencies; would require the IRS to adopt guidance on merchant acceptance of digital assets and charitable contributions; and would make a distinction between digital assets that are commodities and those that are securities, which has not been done.

Sens. Cory Booker, D-N.J., and John Thune, R-S.D., are also co-sponsors of the Stabenow-Boozman bill. Along with the Toomey legislation and the Lummis-Gillibrand legislation, a proposal is being worked out in the House Financial Services Committee, though those negotiations have stalled.

Committee chair Maxine Waters, D-Calif., said last month that while she, top Republican member Patrick McHenry of North Carolina and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen had made considerable progress toward an agreement on the legislation, "we are unfortunately not there yet, and will therefore continue our negotiations over the August recess.

President Joe Biden's working group on financial markets last November issued a report calling on Congress to pass legislation that would regulate stablecoins, and Biden earlier this year issued an executive order calling on a variety of agencies to look at ways to regulate digital assets.

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Follow AP's coverage of the cryptocurrency industry at https://apnews.com/hub/cryptocurrency.
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SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP)  Near-record amounts of seaweed are smothering Caribbean coasts from Puerto Rico to Barbados, killing fish and other wildlife, choking tourism and releasing stinky, noxious gases.

More than 24 million tons of sargassum blanketed the Atlantic in June, shattering the all-time record, set in 2018, by 20%, according to the University of South Floridas Optical Oceanography Lab. And unusually large amounts of the brown algae have drifted into the Caribbean Sea.

A raggedy carpet of vegetation recently surrounded an uninhabited island near the French Caribbean territory of St. Martin that is popular with tourists, forcing officials to suspend ferry service and cancel kayaking, paddleboarding and snorkeling tours. The normally translucent turquoise waters around Pinel Island turned into a prickly yellowish-brown slush.

Oswen Corbel, owner of Caribbean Paddling, said he had to close his St. Martin business on July 22 and doesn't expect to reopen until late October. He estimated he has lost at least $10,000.

Maybe I should give up. ... Sometimes I think I should go into the mountains and herd sheep, but this is what I know to do," he said. Whats next? We had Hurricane Irma, we had COVID, we had the sargassum, and now Im pretty scared of global warming.

Scientists say more research is needed to determine why sargassum levels in the region are so high, but the United Nations Caribbean Environment Program said possible factors include a rise in water temperatures as a result of climate change, and nitrogen-laden fertilizer and sewage that nourish the algae.

This year has been the worst year on record, said Lisa Krimsky, a university researcher with Florida Sea Grant, a program aimed at protecting the coast. It is absolutely devastating for the region.

She said large masses of seaweed have a severe environmental impact, with the decaying algae altering water temperatures and the pH balance and leading to declines in seagrass, coral and sponges.

Theyre essentially being smothered out, Krimsky said.

The golden tide also has hit humans hard.

The concentration of algae is so heavy in parts of the eastern Caribbean that the French island of Guadeloupe issued a health alert in late July. It warned some communities about high levels of hydrogen sulfide gas emanating from the huge rotting clumps of seaweed. The gas, which smells like rotten eggs, can affect people with breathing problems such as asthma.

The Biden administration declared a federal emergency after the U.S. Virgin Islands warned last month of unusually high amounts of sargassum clogging machinery at a desalination plant near St. Croix that is struggling to produce water and meet demand amid a drought.

In addition, the U.S. Virgin Islands' electricity generating station relies on ultra-pure water from the desalination plant to reduce emissions. The loss of such water would force the government to use a type of diesel fuel that is more expensive and in limited supply, officials said.

Chuanmin Hu, an oceanography professor at the University of South Florida who helps produce the seaweed reports, said sargassum levels for the eastern Caribbean were at a near-record high this year, second only to those reported in July 2018. Levels in the northern Caribbean are at their third-highest level, he said.

Experts first noted large amounts of sargassum in the Caribbean Sea in 2011, and the problem has occurred practically every year since then.

We dont know if this is a new normal, Krimsky lamented.

Sargassum in moderation helps purify water and absorb carbon dioxide and is a key part of the habitat for fish, turtles, shrimp, crabs and other creatures. It is also used in fertilizer, food, biofuel, construction materials and medicinal products.

But it is bad for tourism and the environment when too much accumulates just offshore or on beaches.

This is the worst weve ever seen it for sure, said Melody Rouveure, general manager for a tour company in the Dutch Caribbean territory of St. Maarten, which shares an island with St. Martin. It did ruin my personal beach plans.

On Union Island, which is part of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, the seaweed invasion has forced some resorts in recent years to close for up to five months.

Masses of sargassum also have strangled the Caribbeans fishing industry. It damages boat engines and fishing gear, prevents fishermen from reaching their vessels and fishing grounds and leads to a drop in the number of fish caught. Barbados, where the beaches are piled with reddish-brown seaweed, has been hit especially hard.

An overabundance of sargassum was blamed for the recent deaths of thousands of fish in the French Caribbean island of Martinique. It also has activists concerned about the plight of endangered turtles. Some are dying at sea, entangled in the seaweed or unable to lay their eggs because of the mat of algae over the sand.

In the Cayman Islands, officials launched a trial program in which crews pumped more than 2,880 square feet (268 square meters) of seaweed out of the water. But on Tuesday, the government announced it suspended the project, saying the seaweed had decomposed so much that it had rendered the pumping useless.

Some island nations use heavy machinery to remove seaweed from the beach, but scientists warn that causes erosion and can destroy the nests of endangered turtles.

Many Caribbean islands are struggling financially and do not have the means to clear the vast amounts of seaweed.

Gov. Albert Bryan of the U.S. Virgin Islands said he asked President Joe Biden to declare a federal emergency for the entire three-island territory, not just St. Croix, but that didnt happen. Bryan said he is now trying to find local funds to clean beaches, but a lot of things need money right now.
Connecticut parents will be encouraged to send students to school with minor cold symptoms this fall as long as they test negative for COVID-19, top state officials said Tuesday.

Under the new policy, called test, mask and go, parents are urged to test their children if they exhibit cold symptoms, then to send them to school in a mask if they test negative. Students who test positive for COVID-19 or show serious symptoms like high fevers should stay home, public health commissioner Dr. Manisha Juthani said Tuesday.

Unlike earlier in the pandemic, when the State Department of Education imposed strict statewide rules, school districts will have the choice whether to adopt the test, mask and go guidance. Juthani said the policy represents a relaxation of COVID-19 policy in schools, with the goal of maximiz[ing] the number of in-school days for any given child, Juthani said.

Up until now weve been saying if you have any symptoms, stay home, Juthani said. But what weve learned over these last couple of years is that we have the trifecta when it comes to an infection disease: We have diagnosis, we have treatment and we have prevention.

Juthani emphasized that masking is not mandatory but is instead an additional prevention strategy.

The new guidance comes as Connecticut grapples with an uptick in COVID-19 cases fueled by the BA.5 subvariant, as well as the threat of another surge this fall and winter. As of Monday, Connecticut had reported nearly 5,000 cases over the past week  not counting the likely thousands more recorded on at-home tests  with a positivity rate of 11.3 percent.

Still, officials have argued that the states relatively low number of hospitalizations and deaths in recent months indicates a new phase of the pandemic in which transmission is less of a concern.

Charlene Russell-Tucker, the states education commissioner, said she was thrilled with the new, looser policy regarding COVID in schools.

It allows families to have action steps they can take in order to make decisions about kids going to school, Russell-Tucker said. Weve learned from everything we know that being in person with our educators, with our school staff and with peers, is the best place for students to be.

State officials unveiled the new school policy Tuesday with the backing of both the Connecticut Education Association and the Connecticut chapter of the American Federation of Teachers. Kate Dias, a Manchester High School math teacher and president of the CEA, said the coming school year feels different from the previous few.

As we enter this school year, its not with the same level of anxiousness, she said. Are we aware and still concerned about some of our indoor air quality issues? Absolutely. Are we anxious a little bit about school staffing? Absolutely. But do we have the same sort of panic about COVID? I dont think so.

alex.putterman@hearstmediact.com
BRIDGEPORT  A city woman has been sentenced to three months in prison after routinely preparing false tax returns for clients of her local business, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office for Connecticut.

Torise Baker, 39, pleaded guilty in March to aiding and assisting in the preparation and presentation of false and fraudulent income tax returns, federal prosecutors said.

Baker prepared approximately 3,600 federal tax returns through her Bridgeport-based business, 101 Things 2 Do LLC for the 2014 through 2016 tax years, federal prosecutors said.

Many of these tax returns claimed false deductions, including unreimbursed business expenses, charitable contributions and tax preparation fees, prosecutors said.

Baker met with an undercover federal agent posing as a customer in April 2016, prosecutors said.

The agent provided Baker with a W-2 for the 2015 tax year, told Baker that he/she did not make any gifts to charity, and offered no information about any other valid deductions, prosecutors said. On the tax return that she prepared and filed for the agent, Baker included $5,520 in deductions for charitable gifts; $2,105 for parking fees, tolls, and transportation; and $2,660 for uniforms and protective clothing. Those deductions were false.

Baker also paid to file her own taxes for the 2015 and 2016 tax years, prosecutors said.

She was ordered Tuesday to pay $112,956 to the Internal Revenue Service, prosecutors said.

Attorney Frank Riccio, representing Baker, asked for a sentence of two years probation, noting his clients lack of criminal history, education and the difficulties of her childhood.

Despite her actions in this case, she is very proud with the successes she has had in life. She works hard and she also loves her family with every ounce within her, Riccio wrote in a sentencing document. She has not engaged in any criminal conduct whatsoever since 2017. She also has been in compliance with her release conditions since her arrest in 2021. Ms. Bakers focus is on her future and on her family.

william.lambert@hearstmediact.com
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MINEOLA, N.Y. (AP)  The driver in a hit-and-run crash that killed the father of rapper Nicki Minaj last year was sentenced Wednesday to a year in jail, in keeping with a promise the judge made when the man pleaded guilty in May.

Charles Polevich, who pleaded guilty to leaving the scene and tampering with evidence in the crash on New Yorks Long Island that killed Robert Maraj, was also ordered to pay a $5,000 fine and had his drivers license suspended for six months.

Polevichs lawyer, Marc Gann, suggested his client may have had a medical issue at the time of the crash and that he wasnt fully aware of what had happened when he fled.

Polevich, 72, said in court that hes been heartsick since realizing the extent of the tragedy and that there was no excuse for his behavior.

Marajs widow, Carol Maraj, said in court that Polevich had left her husband like a dog on the street and that sparing him a longer jail sentence was a slap in the face for the family, Newsday reported.

Polevich struck Maraj, 64, while Maraj was walking along Roslyn Road in Mineola in February 2021. Polevich stopped briefly to ask Maraj if he was OK, but didnt call for help, prosecutors said.

Instead, Polevich went home, parked the car  a white, 1992 Volvo station wagon  in his garage and covered it with a tarp, prosecutors said. Maraj was taken to a hospital and pronounced dead the next day.

Prosecutors sought a sentence of one to three years behind bars, but Nassau County Judge Howard Sturim said in May, when Polevich pleaded guilty, that he would get no more than one year in jail.

Brendan Brosh, a spokesperson for the Nassau County district attorneys office, said that given the severity of the defendants conduct, prosecutors felt a stiffer sentence was warranted.

We continue to express our condolences to the family of Robert Maraj, Brosh said.

Gann asked for a 90-day jail sentence, arguing that other factors outside of Polevichs control were partially to blame for the crash, including road construction, street lights that werent working and Marajs physical condition.

Marajs widow, Carol Maraj, is suing Polevich over the crash.

Polevich, who had been splitting time between Long Island and Guam, where he runs a drilling and water purification business, surrendered to police a few days after the crash.

Detectives said they used pieces of surveillance video to track the Volvo involved in the crash to Polevichs Mineola home.

Nicki Minaj, the platinum-selling, Grammy-nominated rapper of Anaconda, Super Bass and other hits, was born Onika Tanya Maraj in Trinidad and was raised in Queens.

In a post on her website, Minaj, 39, called her fathers death the most devastating loss of my life.
WASHINGTON (AP)  Republican U.S. Rep. Jackie Walorski was killed Wednesday in a car crash in her northern Indiana district along with two members of her congressional staff and another person, police said.

The crash happened about 12:30 p.m. when an SUV Walorski was riding in crossed the centerline on a state highway and collided head-on with a car, the Elkhart County Sheriffs Office said. Three people in the SUV, including Walorski, 58, were killed, as was a woman driving the other car, authorities said.

The sheriff's department initially reported that the car crossed the centerline, but a news release Thursday corrected that to say it was the SUV.

Walorski, who served on the House Ways and Means Committee, was first elected to represent Indianas 2nd Congressional District in 2012. She previously served six years in the state's Legislature.

She has returned home to be with her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Please keep her family in your thoughts and prayers, Walorskis chief of staff Tim Cummings said in a statement.

Walorski and her husband, Dean Swihart, were previously Christian missionaries in Romania, where they established a foundation that provided food and medical supplies to impoverished children. She worked as a television news reporter in South Bend before turning to politics.

Also killed in the crash were Zachery Potts, 27, of Mishawaka, Indiana; Emma Thomson, 28, of Washington, D.C.; and Edith Schmucker, 56, of Nappanee, Indiana, according to the sheriff's office.

Cummings confirmed that Potts and Thomson were members of Walorskis congressional staff. Thomson was Walorskis communications director, while Potts was her district director and the Republican chairman for northern Indianas St. Joseph County.

Schmucker was driving the other car, according to the sheriff's office. The crash, which occurred in a rural area near the town of Wakarusa, is still under investigation.

Walorski was seeking reelection this year to a sixth term in the solidly Republican district.

She was active on agriculture and food policy in Congress, often working across the aisle on those issues. A co-chair of the House Hunger Caucus, she introduced legislation with Democrats to bring back a Nixon-era White House event on food insecurity.

President Joe Biden pointed to that work in a statement crediting Walorski for years of public service.

We may have represented different parties and disagreed on many issues, but she was respected by members of both parties for her work, Biden said. My team and I appreciated her partnership as we plan for a historic White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health this fall that will be marked by her deep care for the needs of rural America.

Indiana Republican U.S. Sen. Todd Young said he was devastated by Walorskis death.

Jackie loved Hoosiers and devoted her life to fighting for them, Young said in a statement. Ill never forget her spirit, her positive attitude, and most importantly her friendship. All of Indiana mourns her passing, along with the tragic deaths of her staff Emma Thomson and Zach Potts.

Walorski was a reliable Republican vote in Congress, including against accepting the Arizona and Pennsylvania electoral votes for Biden following the Capitol insurrection.

As a member of the Indiana House, Walorski pushed anti-abortion legislation opposed gambling expansion proposals. She became a favorite of the conservative tea party movement.

Walorski lost a close 2010 congressional race to Democrat Joe Donnelly before narrowly winning the seat in 2012 as Donnelly made a successful run for the Senate. She had easily won her reelection campaigns since then.

House Republican Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy called Walorski a no-nonsense, straight shooter."

Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Walorski lived a life of service.

She passionately brought the voices of her north Indiana constituents to the Congress, and she was admired by colleagues on both sides of the aisle for her personal kindness, Pelosi said in a statement.

Pelosi ordered the flags at the U.S. Capitol to be flown at half-staff in Walorskis honor. The White House said its flags would be lowered Wednesday and Thursday, and Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb issued a similar flag directive for the state.

At every level of public service Jackie was known to be a positive force of nature, a patriot, and a relentless policymaker with an unwavering loyalty to her constituents," Holcomb, a Republican, said.

Democratic Rep. Annie Kuster of New Hampshire said she and Walorski bonded as newly elected members of Congress in late 2012 over their husbands shared love of jazz music and became friends.

I was proud to work with her on a variety of critical issues, including legislation to address the addiction crisis, end sexual violence, and help military sexual assault survivors access the care they need, Kuster said.

___

Davies reported from Indianapolis. Associated Press writer Mary Clare Jalonick contributed from Washington.

___

This story was first published on August 3, 2022. It was updated on August 4, 2022, to correct details about the crash that killed Warlorski. The sheriffs department now says the the SUV that Walorski was riding in crossed the centerline of a highway and into oncoming traffic crashing into a car driven by Edith Schmucker, 56, of Nappanee, Indiana. The agency previously said it was Shcmuckers car that crossed the centerline.
BRIDGEPORT  A homeless man, on probation less than a week for stealing a car, is accused of carjacking a Seymour woman at knifepoint after she stopped to talk to a friend in Bridgeport.

Julio Maldonado-Rivera, 47, was arrested after a chase with police through Trumbull and Bridgeport.

He was charged with carjacking, first-degree robbery, carrying a dangerous weapon, threatening, fourth-degree larceny and reckless driving.

During Maldonado-Riveras arraignment Wednesday afternoon, Assistant States Attorney Justine Moore urged Superior Court Judge Ididi Moses to set a high bond for the defendant citing his prior criminal record and the seriousness of the crime.

He pointed a knife at a woman. She was terrified, the prosecutor said.

The judge ordered Maldonado-Rivera held in lieu of $250,000 bond and continued the case to Sept. 27.

Shortly after 7:30 p.m., Tuesday, police said officers were dispatched to the intersection of Noble and Edna avenues.

When officers got there police said they found the woman sobbing on the sidewalk.

Police said the woman told them she had pulled her Volkswagen sedan to the side of the road and gotten out to talk to a friend, leaving the car running so the air conditioner would remain on in the car.

But while the victim was talking to her friend, police said Maldonado-Rivera jumped into the drivers seat of the car.

Police said the victim got into the passenger seat in an attempt to stop Maldonado-Rivera from stealing the car but the defendant pointed a knife at her and demanded she get out. He then drove off with the car.

Police said a short time later officers spotted the Volkswagen on Main Street in Trumbull and gave chase. Police said they pursued the car into Bridgeport where it hit a police car before coming to a stop. Officers pulled Maldonado-Rivera from the drivers seat and arrested him.

Police said they found a knife in the car.

On May 18, Newtown police said they arrested Maldonado-Rivera after he drove from the scene after causing a two-car collision there. He was subsequently found to be driving a car reported stolen in Danbury, police said.

On July 28, Maldonado-Rivera pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of fifth-degree larceny for the Newtown incident and was given a suspended sentence and two years of probation, according to court records.
STRATFORD  Police say they found hundreds of pills of ecstasy, 75 grams of methamphetamine and a high-capacity gun magazine while searching a home on Thompson Street Tuesday.

The suspect, Edward Johnson, 31, of Stratford, was taken into custody and charged with several related offenses. He is being held on a $750,000 bond, according to the Stratford Police Department.

The Stratford Police Departments Narcotics Vice and Intel Unit, assisted by the Drug Enforcement Administration in Bridgeport, executed a search warrant at the home stemming from an investigation that focused on narcotics sales and firearms-related crimes within the town.

Law enforcement saw Johnson, who is also known as CJ, leaving the home Tuesday. Detectives took Johnson into custody after a brief chase on foot, according to the police department.

Inside the home, police said they found 1 kilogram of ecstasy, or about 2,400 pills worth about $50,000; 75 grams of methamphetamine; pills of OxyContin and Adderall; several pounds of marijuana and a high-capacity magazine.

Detectives also seized about $32,000 in cash, which police believe Johnson obtained from narcotics sales, police said.

Police said Johnson was previously convicted of a felony, making it illegal for him to possess the high-capacity magazine.

At the time of his arrest, Johnson was on probation for narcotics sales. He also has six pending cases for which he is out on a total of $665,000 in bonds, according to police.

Johnson was charged with three counts of possession of narcotics with intent to sell, possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell, possession of marijuana with intent to sell, operating a drug factory, tampering with evidence, interfering with an officer and possession of a high-capacity magazine.

Johnson also has an outstanding warrant out of Bridgeport for failing to register in the Connecticut Deadly Weapon Offender Registry, police said.

Johnson is being held on a $750,000 bond. He is scheduled to appear in court on Aug. 11.
BRIDGEPORT  A former Stratford woman pleaded guilty in federal court Friday to committing health care fraud while she awaited sentencing in another case, according to prosecutors.

Nicole Steiner, 32, of Edison, N.J., was charged this year after U.S. Attorney Vanessa Roberts Avery said she served as a silent partner in another scheme that billed Medicaid thousands of dollars for services she did not perform.

Steiner, who was formerly known as Nicole Balkas, faces up to 20 years in prison in the new case. Part of her sentence must be imposed consecutively with the sentence she will receive in her initial health care fraud case, the U.S. Attorney's Office said.

The U.S. Attorneys office said Steiner is free on a $250,000 bond until her sentencing for both cases on Oct. 21. She is on house arrest and is under electronic monitoring until her sentencing.

In the first case, Steiner pleaded guilty to health care fraud in April 2021 related to her operation of Helping Hands LLC in Bridgeport. The business provided applied behavior analysis services to children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder and was enrolled as a participating provider in the states Medicaid program, according to the U.S. Attorneys office.

From December 2018 to October 2020, Steiner submitted fraudulent claims to Medicaid for services that were provided to Medicaid clients. However, the U.S. Attorneys office said no applied behavior analysis services of any kind had been provided to the Medicaid clients identified in the claims. Steiner also inflated the number of hours for certain claims even when these analyses had been provided, the U.S. Attorneys office said.

In 2020, Steiner submitted fake Medicaid claims using a former employees name and performing providing number, according to the U.S. Attorney's office.

The Connecticut Department of Social Services, which administers the Medicaid program, terminated Helping Hands Academy as a provider in August 2020, according to court documents.

Steiner then made several false statements and submitted an altered document to the state agency in an effort to rescind the termination and receive payment for previously submitted claims, the U.S. Attorneys office said.

Medicaid lost about $551,000 as a result of Steiners conduct, according to the U.S. Attorneys office.

After Steiner pleaded guilty in April 2021, she was released on a $50,000 bond. While waiting for her sentencing, Steiner was a silent partner in another company  New Beginnings Childrens Behavioral Health LLC  that also provided applied behavior analysis services to children diagnosed with autism, the U.S. Attorneys office said.

At this company, Steiner was responsible for billing claims to Medicaid, managing payroll and other duties, according to the U.S. Attorneys office.

Steiner and the company engaged in health care fraud by billing Medicaid for thousands of dollars in services not rendered and, in particular, billing for services not rendered by Steiner, the U.S. Attorneys office said.

Steiner was arrested in May.
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WASHINGTON (AP)  A bill enhancing health care and disability benefits for millions of veterans exposed to toxic burn pits won final approval in the Senate on Tuesday, ending a brief stalemate over the measure that had infuriated advocates and inspired some to camp outside the Capitol.

The Senate approved the bill by a vote of 86-11. It now goes to President Joe Bidens desk to be signed into law. Biden described the legislation as the biggest expansion of benefits for service-connected health issues in 30 years and the largest single bill ever to address exposure to burn pits.

I look forward to signing this bill, so that veterans and their families and caregivers impacted by toxic exposures finally get the benefits and comprehensive health care they earned and deserve," Biden said.

The Senate had overwhelming approved the legislation back in June, but a do-over was required to make a technical fix. That process derailed when Republicans made a late attempt to change another aspect of the bill last week and blocked it from advancing.

The abrupt delay outraged veterans groups and advocates, including comedian Jon Stewart. It also placed GOP senators in the uncomfortable position of delaying the top legislative priority of service organizations this session of Congress.

A group of veterans and their families have been camping out at the Capitol since that vote. They had endured thunderstorms and Washington's notorious summer humidity, but they were in the galleries as senators cast their votes.

You can go home knowing the good and great thing you have done and accomplished for the United States of America," Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., told them.

The legislation expands access to health care through the Department of Veterans Affairs for millions who served near burn pits. It also directs the VA to presume that certain respiratory illnesses and cancers were related to burn pit exposure, allowing veterans to obtain disability payments to compensate for their injury without having to prove the illness was a result of their service.

Roughly 70% of disability claims related to burn pit exposure are denied by the VA due to lack of evidence, scientific data and information from the Defense Department.

The military used burn pits to dispose of such things as chemicals, cans, tires, plastics and medical and human waste.

Hundreds of thousands of Vietnam War era veterans and survivors also stand to benefit from the legislation. The bill adds hypertension, or high blood pressure, as a presumptive disease associated with Agent Orange exposure.

The Congressional Budget Office projected that about 600,000 of 1.6 million living Vietnam vets would be eligible for increased compensation, though only about half would have severe enough diagnoses to warrant more compensation.

Also, veterans who served in Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Guam, American Samoa and Johnston Atoll will be presumed to have been exposed to Agent Orange. Thats another 50,000 veterans and survivors of deceased veterans who would get compensation for illnesses presumed to have been caused by their exposure to the herbicide, the CBO projected.

The bill also authorizes 31 major medical VA health clinics and research facilities in 19 states.

The bill is projected to increase federal deficits by about $277 billion over 10 years.

The bill has been a years-long effort begun by veterans and their families who viewed the burn pits used in Iraq and Afghanistan as responsible for respiratory problems and other illnesses the veterans experienced after returning home. It was named after Sgt. First Class Heath Robinson from Ohio, who died in 2020 from cancer he attributed to prolonged exposure to burn pits. His widow, Danielle Robinson, was first lady Jill Biden's guest at the president's State of the Union address earlier this year.

Stewart, the former host of Comedy Central's The Daily Show, also brought increased exposure to the burn pit maladies veterans were facing. He also was in the gallery watching the vote Tuesday. He wept and held his head in his hand as the final vote began.

Im not sure Ive ever seen a situation where people who have already given so much had to fight so hard to get so little," he said after the vote. And I hope we learn a lesson.

The House was the first to act on the burn pits legislation. An earlier version the House approved in March was expected to increase spending by more than $320 billion over 10 years, but senators trimmed some of the costs early on by phasing in certain benefit enhancements. They also added funds for staffing to help the VA keep up with the expected increase in demand for health care and an increase in disability claims.

Some GOP senators are still concerned that the bill will increase delays at the VA because of an increased demand for veterans seeking care or disability compensation.

What we have learned is that the VA cannot deliver what is promised because it does not have the capacity to handle the increase, said Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn.

Sens. Jon Tester, D-Mont., and Jerry Moran, R-Kan., led the effort to get the bill passed in the Senate. After passage, Tester told reporters he received a call from Biden, thanking him for taking a big weight off his shoulder.

For Biden, the issue is very personal. He has raised the prospect that burn pits in Iraq were responsible for the death of his son Beau.

We dont know for sure if a burn pit was the cause of his brain cancer, or the diseases of so many of our troops, Biden said at his State of the Union speech. But Im committed to finding out everything we can.

Moran said that when the bill failed to pass last week, he was disappointed but remembered the strength of the protesters who had sat outside in the scorching heat for days.

Thanks to the United States Senate for demonstrating when theres something good and a good cause, this place still works, Moran said.

___

Associated Press staff writer Farnoush Amiri contributed to this report.
ES Reporter

ITANAGAR, Aug 3: The Pro-Dam Movement of Arunachal Pradesh staged a protest while serving 15-days ultimatum to the state government demanding White Paper of detailed utilization of revenue collected @12% from commissioned hydroelectric projects.

Speaking to the media, President PDMAP, Tao Paul informed that the association has served representation many times to the authority but till date no response has been received which he said prompted the association to stage a sit-in protest.

The association is demanding White Paper on the details of upfront money collected from various power developers both from public and private sector amounting to Rs. 149573.72 (one thousand four hundred ninety five crores seventy three lakhs and seventy two thousand only) and immediate engagement of CBI for strict investigation on the same. Immediate terminate all the 142 numbers of MoU/MoA signed by the state government with private sector, he said.

"With so much of Hydro power projects, government should give free electricity to entire households of Arunachal Pradesh," Paul said.

The permanent NEEPCO corporate office should be shifted from Shillong (Meghalaya) to Itanagar and NHPC mini corporate office and establishments should be shifted within the territory of Arunachal Pradesh, he added.

The PDMAP is also demanding job reservation of 40% in group A&B category and 100% in group C&D category for indigenous unemployed youths of the state.

The Pro-Dam body also questioned the state government about the modalities adopted to repay the loan amount of Rs 225 crores that the state government had taken as a loan from NHPC Ltd. @ 9% interest per annum to revive the sinking Apex Bank of Arunachal in 2007.

While serving 15-days ultimatum, the association has also demanded immediate termination of all the 142 numbers of MoU/MoA signed by the state government with private sectors.

Kenter Joya Riba

She is a graduate in Science with post graduation in Sociology from University of Pune. She has been in the media industry for nearly a decade. Before turning to print business, she has been associated with radio and television.Email: kenterjoyaz@easternsentinel.in / editoreasternsentinel@gmail.comPhone: 0360-2212313

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DAHLONEGA, Ga. (AP)  University of North Georgia President Bonita Jacobs, the school's first woman to hold the position, said she plans to retire in June.

In a news release Monday, Jacobs said she announced her plans to ensure the Board of Regents has ample time to select UNG's next president and to provide for a stable transition over this next year as we celebrate North Georgia's sesquicentennial  our 150th anniversary.
Gun control has become an increasingly contentious debate in recent years as mass shootings have been on the rise. As of June, 948 school shootings have taken place since the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in December, 2012, according to Sandy Hook Promise, a nonprofit organization aiming to prevent gun violence. The recent shootings, including the May 24 Robb Elementary School shooting in Uvalde, Texas and the May 14 shooting at a supermarket in Buffalo, New York, have further entrenched these debates.

After the Uvalde shooting, Gisela Rivera, a UO rising sophomore with a major in psychology, made a poster in memory of the victims and put it in front of the EMU. In the weeks following, she saw people place flowers and candles by it.

I knew that there was a community within our school that [does] feel emotions for this and do want that community. And I just think [the response to Uvalde] was really the start of [me] wanting to make the community on campus, Rivera said.

Rivera is a founding member and group leader of the UO branch of Students Demand Action, a national nonprofit organization that aims to prevent gun violence. The organization is aimed at high school and college students who want to enact change in their communities. The UO branch is not yet an official club, but it anticipates approval before fall term.

In 2012, UO enacted policy IV.05.05, which bans all firearms on campus with few exceptions such as for the UOPD and research purposes.

While shootings at colleges are not unheard of, K-12 schools are more likely to get attacked. The 4J School Board decided on June 22 to enact the KGBB policy. The policy institutes a ban on firearms on all school grounds with the exception of when they are unloaded and placed securely in a locked vehicle.

Earlier this year the [Oregon] legislature passed a law that allowed school districts to now disallow concealed carry from being permitted on school grounds. And almost like dominoes, districts across the state enacted policy that prohibited concealed carry. We werent necessarily close to amongst the first, there were quite a few ahead of us. Portland, Beaverton, folks like that, Maya Rabasa, 4J School Board Chair said. In between that happening and us passing [the policy] there was the tragic  I have no better word for it  massacre that happened in Uvalde, Texas, but it wasnt a decision or a motion that started because or in reaction to that. It was something that was already in the works.

The policy was first proposed at a school board meeting on May 18. According to Rabasaa, at that meeting there was a disruption due to a lack of knowledge about the public input process. To ensure that community members had time to voice their opinions, the decision was delayed a month.

Rabasa moved to the Eugene area in the 1990s, a few years before the 1998 shooting at Thurston High School in Springfield which killed two students and injured 25. She saw the impact of that event on the local community and still sees it today; the students who were in the cafeteria at Thurston are now parents with students in public schools.

Riveras mom works as a school counselor, which has informed a lot of Riveras life. She hopes to use her degree in psychology to help students who may be more vulnerable to gun violence and to provide resources for those who are struggling.

This is definitely something in the realm of prevention and a desire to mitigate any potential risk with guns theres multiple varieties of risk involved. Theres intentional harm and theres also accidental harm. When you remove the medium by which accidental harm even is inflicted, then you raise the possibility for a safer environment, Rabasa said.

Rivera suggested following these organizations on Instagram for more information about gun violence prevention: @studentsdemand,@marchforourlives, and @everytown.

For more information about the UO branch, visit their Instagram @studentsdemanduo.
It is all too easy to view the past through the prism of the present and then use the new orthodoxy to settle old scores. Today that orthodoxy is called Diversity, Equality and Inclusion.

The new DEI sector came about as a by-product of the rights culture created by a combination of New Labours Human Rights Act and the Equality Act.

The plight of women like Maya Forstater, who lost her job after tweeting that transgender women could not change their biological sex, are all part of this long tail of Blairism.

Attorney General Suella Braverman, 42, was knocked out of the Conservative leadership race on July 14

Her legal fight ultimately ended in a triumph for common sense and freedom of speech. But how did we get to a point where stating the facts of biology could get you sacked?

Whenever ministers point out these problems, people - quite rightly - ask: What are you doing about it?.

And so, as the Attorney General, I ordered my officials to brief me on the diversity training going on in the Government Legal Department.

I was horrified to discover that hundreds of government lawyers spent nearly 2,000 hours of their taxpayer-funded time last year attending lectures on micro-incivilities, different lived experiences and how to be a straight ally, courtesy of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights charity Stonewall.

The experts on white privilege who shared their insights were cited as authoritative but they all subscribed to the left-wing view on race, gender and sexuality which permeated their training materials.

Id encourage other ministers to ask to see their departments diversity programmes and scrutinise the value for money they offer. After all, the diversity agenda thrives in darkness.

Government lawyers are told that if a black person says something is offensive, then it is offensive, and they dont have a right to question it. How does that fit with the rule of law, or due process?

The plight of women like Maya Forstater, who lost her job after tweeting that transgender women could not change their biological sex, are all part of this long tail of Blairism

This kind of thinking is harmful in other departments, but in legal cases its downright dangerous. It does nothing to create solidarity and encourage support but rather keeps emphasising difference, creates a sense of otherness and pits different groups against each other.

Well, Ive told my officials to scrap it. We really must get serious about taking on this divisive mindset and call it out for what it is: a new religion with a new priestly caste.

Some zealots believe in it. Like the witch-finders of the Middle Ages, they don the outfit of the inquisitor and never tire of rooting out unbelievers. Others wear the priestly robes to ward off their rivals, while still others nod along and recite the creed because they are too scared to dissent.

None of these approaches are acceptable in modern Britain. Im all for building an inclusive workplace which is meritocratic and welcoming, but to focus relentlessly on dividing us into different cohorts rather than on building camaraderie based on unifying values is misguided.

This is something Liz Truss has been very good on. She told the Tory conference that we reject the zero-sum game of identity politics, we reject the illiberalism of cancel-culture, and we reject the soft bigotry of low expectations.

Thats the kind of Conservative Party I want to be a member of. Its the kind of Britain that I believe in.

In government, Ive seen her working hard to fight this pernicious identity politics, which is stifling our potential just as surely as the high tax burden. Im especially glad shes committed to scrapping diversity jobs across Whitehall.

Britain needs a lot of things but it certainly doesnt need woke commissars policing our thoughts. We need to worry less about what people say on Twitter, and more about ensuring passports arrive on time, GP appointments are available when needed, and the police turn up when youve been burgled.

Diversity jobs may have been created with good intentions, but its clear they are now part of the problem, not the solution.

Suella Braverman has been the Attorney General for England and Wales since 2020

Ditch the woke 'witch trials': Attorney General Suella Braverman hits out at diversity training and reveals she scrapped it in her own department

BY MARTIN BECKFORD POLICY EDITOR FOR THE DAILY MAIL

The Attorney General today launches a fightback against woke witch trials.

Suella Braverman brands the diversity industry a new religion in which zealots seek to punish unbelievers while others are too scared to speak out.

In an article for the Daily Mail, she reveals she has scrapped equality training in her department after learning that staff had spent almost 2,000 hours on the courses last year.

They were being given lectures on micro-incivilities and how to be a straight ally.

Mrs Braverman, who stood for the Tory leadership last month, says it is downright dangerous for Whitehall lawyers to be taught they cannot challenge anyone who says they have been offended by a particular phrase.

This does nothing to create solidarity and support but rather keeps emphasising difference, creating a sense of other and pitting different groups against each other, she writes.

Attorney General Suella Braverman, 42, says she has cancelled equality training in her department after discovering her staff had spent 2,000 hours in Stonewall lectures

Her forthright comments come amid growing concern over the influence of Left-wing identity politics  particularly in the public sector  and the intolerance shown to those challenging the new orthodoxy.

Mrs Braverman cites Maya Forstater, who won an employment tribunal case last month over her gender-critical views, asking: How did we get to the place where stating the facts of biology can get you sacked?

In another legal ruling last week, barrister Allison Bailey was found to have been discriminated against by her legal chambers after she commented online about trans extremism.

Meanwhile, police continue to question and even arrest people for supposedly causing offence and anxiety through their social media posts and major organisations including the Bank of England remain signed up to lobby group Stonewalls diversity champions scheme despite ministers speaking out against it.

1,900 hours of woke lessons for lawyers Woke courses attended by hundreds of government lawyers last year included lessons on how to be an ally to minority groups. In one presentation they were told they must take on the struggle of others as your own and to recognise your privilege and transfer the benefits of it to others who lack it. The civil servants were urged to be aware of your implicit biases and find a way to acknowledge how you participate in oppressive systems. Staff were also given training on unconscious bias, even though ministers ordered the practice to stop back in 2020. One handout asked officials to consider who you say hello to in the mornings, warning that their attitudes and stereotypes can affect every area of your work if youre not careful. The 600 lawyers from the Government Legal Department who had 1,900 hours of diversity training last year were also taught about micro-incivilities. These are defined as activities that signal to someone from a minority group that they are not welcome, including not acknowledging their contribution to a discussion. Advertisement

The Attorney General praises the efforts of Tory leadership frontrunner Liz Truss in trying to turn the tide after she branded unconscious bias training a waste of time and pledged to ditch diversity roles in the public sector.

Mrs Braverman writes: In government, Ive seen her working hard to fight this pernicious identity politics, which is stifling our potential just as surely as the high tax burden. Im especially glad shes committed to scrapping diversity jobs across Whitehall. Britain needs a lot of things but it certainly doesnt need woke commissars policing our thoughts.

Just last month the Attorney General ordered officials in the Government Legal Department, which employed 2,769 people in 2021-22, to tell her what diversity training was being carried out. She was furious to discover that 1,900 hours of courses had taken place  much of it carried out by external, paid-for consultants  teaching the Left-wing view on race, gender and sexuality to staff including 600 lawyers. In one lecture, employees were told: Not being racist isnt enough, we must be anti-racist.

A slide said that if a black person tells you that a phrase is offensive to them then it is and added: It is not up to you as a white person to tell them that its not. Instead, educate yourself as to why the phrase is offensive and stop using it.

In a session on being an ally to LGBT people the civil servants were urged to recognise your privilege and transfer the benefits of it to others who lack it.

Mrs Braverman, who is the Governments chief legal adviser, is said to have been absolutely furious that taxpayers money was wasted on the instruction when it could have been spent on more lawyers or literally anything else more useful.

After telling her officials to scrap the training, she is urging other ministers to scrutinise the courses taking place in their departments.

We really must get serious about taking on this divisive mindset and call it out: a new religion with a new priestly caste, she writes today.

The Attorney General compares diversity zealots to the witch-finders of the Middle Ages.

She says some believe in the cause and don the outfit of the inquisitor and never tire of rooting out unbelievers but others simply wear the priestly clothes to ward off their rivals or nod along and recite the creed because they are too scared to dissent.

Mrs Braverman concludes: We need to worry less about what people say on Twitter, and more about ensuring passports arrive on time, GP appointments are available when needed, and the police turn up when youve been burgled. It emerged yesterday that another major Whitehall ministry has told senior officials to hold race ally discussions in team meetings. An email sent to staff at the Department for Work and Pensions from its Bame Inclusion Group, leaked to the Guido Fawkes website, states: It is too easy to think that personally you are not affected by racism, so it is not your problem, or that because you are not a racist person then you are doing enough. What you can do is be an ally. Not just a race ally, but an ally for all who may need your support.

The note also reminds civil servants there is a pronoun sheet with your names so please do not forget to go in and include how you would like to be called and how you pronounce your name.

Cabinet Office minister Jacob Rees-Mogg hit out at the woke rubbish being taught to officials this week, telling LBC radio he had discovered one course called Check Yo Privilege, while another offered to tell people about witchcraft.

A training video on the Department for Levelling Ups website tells civil servants to acknowledge they are part of a society, norm, culture or a system that is racist.
In the midst of life, yet again, I am in death. The mighty words of the old burial service  nowadays too grim and hard for most people  have stalked into my mind twice in recent days.

News came, by a roundabout route from Moscow via South-East Asia, that my old friend and colleague Igor Monichev, my companion on many wild and unlikely voyages around the Evil Empire, had died.

Then I was jolted out of semi-consciousness when the radio news announced the death of Sir Christopher Meyer, once our ambassador to the U.S., but also our envoy to Germany and twice posted to our beleaguered embassy in Cold War Moscow.

He was in my opinion one of the finest diplomats of modern times, but also one of those rare people who lights up the landscape around him, so crammed with life and vigour that his presence is a lesson in how to live.

It was my great good fortune to be a journalist in times where I could get to know both these extraordinary men. Let me explain what a gift it was.

Igor was perhaps faintly sinister. He was an educated Russian with good English, licensed to deal with Western journalists. You had to assume that he had at least made his peace with what Christopher Meyer would have called the organs of intelligence.

I got to know Igor when the old Soviet system was about to collapse, and he did once hint to me during a frustrating visit to Georgia that he might in the past have done one or two things that he wished he hadnt.

Id say, so what? Which of us soft Westerners, living all our lives under the protection of the deep blue sea and Magna Carta, had a clue about how we would have behaved in a Communist despotism?

Pictured above: Sir Christopher Meyer at the launch of his book Getting Our Way in 2009

My own guess was, just as badly as they did. Maybe this helped explain the vodka-fuelled trips to the dark side of the moon which he sometimes took, not accompanied by me.

Whenever I was around, he was a model of restraint. Nobody in my family ever forgot the sweetness and charm with which this gruff man congratulated my daughter on her eighth birthday.

They would meet again many years later when she returned to the Russian capital as a diplomats wife, taking her own small children on the same adventure we had inflicted on her.

Igor and I had an important thing in common.

Both our fathers had been naval officers, mine once serving on the wartime convoys to Murmansk, his a nuclear submarine captain living a life of cold hard secrecy, exposed to the sloppy safety standards and bleak conditions of a nation which acted at all times as if it was already at war.

But the similarities stopped there. He once told me of an incident in his life as a Soviet navy child, shuttled from grim base to grim base.

One day, the Monichev familys entire possessions, furniture and all, were being hauled on a trolley by Soviet sailors to their new married quarters. The sailors were drunk and managed to push the whole lot into a deep and oily dock, where everything swiftly sank, irrecoverably. And that was it. It was gone. No insurance, no compensation, no apologies, just start again. Tough.

Soviet life was so harsh in this and many other ways that Westerners living in Moscow were often afraid to find out the ages of their Russian acquaintances.

Pictured above: Igor Monichev in the Pole of Cold in Yakutia, Russia's coldest territory

It was a reliable rule that they were usually at least ten years younger than we thought they were, while we were ten years older than they thought we were. If they were educated  and Igor was a graduate of Moscow University  they put us to shame, knowing British history better than we did, and being as familiar with Shakespeare and Dickens as they were with Russias great literature.

Igor was superb at fixing up crazy trips for me to closed cities, such as the mysterious Kaliningrad or (one of my favourites) a huge park full of steam locomotives kept south of Moscow  in case they were needed after a nuclear war.

The theory was that the electromagnetic pulse of the H-bomb would put all other forms of transport out of action, leaving the world with nothing but bicycles and Thomas The Tank Engine to get around on.

He knew how to fix things and he either had, or knew how to fake, the thing called blat, the special form of influence which could get me aboard the last plane from Crimea back to Moscow in time to witness the KGB putsch of August 1991.

When I developed a fantasy about going and doing something rude on the grave of the traitor Kim Philby, Igor laughed heartily and drove me out to the cemetery where that wretched man is buried. I lost my nerve. I think hed known I would.

But in his spare time he supplemented the modest salary I paid him by translating English detective and spy stories into Russian. Russians love Agatha Christie, and Igor worked on some of her books. But his speciality was the more intellectual work of P.D. James. And, the last time we met, he gave me a signed copy of his translation of John le Carres The Spy Who Came In From The Cold.

This meeting took place at a cheerful Italian restaurant in the north of Moscow, something which we would both have thought virtually impossible when we first met 30 years before.

Igor, who despised the gangsterism of the Putin years, loved above all the new freedom to travel which came with the collapse of Communism.

Former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev pictured during an interview in December 2016

He must have been hugely dispirited by the narrowing horizons caused by Putins war.

If I had never met him, my life would have been immeasurably poorer. If I have any understanding of the world as it is rather than as we would like it to be, I owe a lot of it to him.

The same is true of Christopher Meyer, another man with a father in the Services  though his had been an RAF flyer, killed in action off the Greek island of Icaria in 1944, a few days before Christopher was born.

I first met him when he headed what was then still called the Foreign Office News Department, an operation wholly independent of Downing Street. I was trying to be diplomatic correspondent of my then newspaper, a hopeless task as my main competition came from the superb, totally unbeatable John Dickie of the Daily Mail.

I had faced the silly snobbery of some parts of Whitehall towards popular journalism. Christopher Meyer had none of that. Quite the opposite, bless him.

I noticed how, after he died, one establishment newspaper could not forgive him for his brio and originality. It used foul words such as coarse and embittered to describe him and accused him of breaking confidences.

Anybody who knew him would reject such hissing insinuations as the spite of an establishment which did not like his independent mind.

They probably did not like his free and dangerous wit either. I remember, when Germany was convulsed in the late 1980s with mad love for the Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, Christopher describing the resulting crowd scenes as a multiple Gorbasm.

He and the staff of the clever, thoughtful diplomats he gathered round him told the truth as far as was possible, with humour and wit as well as speed. They were friendly and responsive.

It was a lesson in how government can work well and do good, when the right people are running it.

Whenever I deal with their inferior equivalents today, I remember Christopher Meyers time and I am filled with regret.

He himself was a joy to meet and talk to, an ideal Englishman from another age, fluent in foreign languages, all-knowing about the world beyond our shores but unseduced by it, and so unhesitatingly and intelligently patriotic.

I sometimes wondered if he was not living his packed, high-octane life on behalf of the father he never met, one of the many thousands who did not live to help govern the country they saved, but who knew what they fought for and loved what they knew.

The world grew perceptibly dimmer for me in the moment I heard he was dead.
Had Jeremy Corbyn won the 2019 election, the Russian flag would probably already be flying over Kyiv, and President Volodymyr Zelensky would be mouldering in one of Putins dismal prisons.

If he were Prime Minister the former Labour leader would never have taken the lead in training the Ukrainian army and supplying military equipment, as Boris Johnson and the British Government have done since before the Russian invasion in February.

This much is clear from an interview which Corbyn gave on Tuesday to a Lebanese television station that is supportive of the pro-Russian Assad regime in Syria and the Iranian-supported terrorist group Hezbollah. Just the sort of broadcaster the grizzled old rascal is apt to favour.

Corbyn said that the West should stop sending weapons to Ukraine. Pouring arms into the country would only prolong and exaggerate the war against the Russian invaders, he declared.

Had Jeremy Corbyn won the 2019 election, the Russian flag would probably already be flying over Kyiv, and President Volodymyr Zelensky would be mouldering in one of Putins dismal prisons, writes Stephen Glover

That would be a virtual death sentence for Ukraine. For without continuing supplies of Western military equipment, its government would almost certainly be forced to capitulate in the face of Russias significantly greater resources.

Britain, it should be remembered, has sent more weapons to help President Zelensky than any other country except the United States. According to the Kiel Institute, the UK has supplied much more military aid  over 2.3 billion at the latest count  than France and Germany combined.

Not for the first time  and not for one reason alone  should we give thanks that Jeremy Corbyn was sent packing by voters nearly three years ago. If he had been in No 10, Vladimir Putin might not only be occupying the whole of Ukraine but also menacing Eastern Europe.

Im pretty certain, incidentally, that a Corbyn government would have made a pigs ear of the pandemic  which isnt to say it went smoothly under the Tories. I very much doubt that, with Jeremys trembling hand on the helm, we would have had a vaccine roll-out before the EU got its act together. Wed probably still be mired in lockdown.

However  and this is the nugget  if Jeremy Corbyn is saying that Ukraine can never win this war, and that its government must therefore think in terms of an eventual settlement with Putins Russia  well, in that case he is absolutely correct

But let me return to Ukraine. Here I should warn readers of a nervous disposition to take a deep breath, and maybe get hold of a wet flannel to apply to brows which may very shortly be fevered.

Much as it pains me to say so, there is a nugget of sense in what the old Marxist says. You have to dig deep for it, to be sure, burrowing your way through a load of anti-Western nonsense and pro-Russian sympathies and soggy thinking. But, buried deep down, a nugget there most certainly is.

Corbyn is wrong to imply that Britain should never have led the way by sending weapons to Ukraine. And, for the reasons I have mentioned, he is equally wrong to suggest that we should suddenly pull the plug.

However  and this is the nugget  if Jeremy Corbyn is saying that Ukraine can never win this war, and that its government must therefore think in terms of an eventual settlement with Putins Russia  well, in that case he is absolutely correct.

Numerous armchair generals, and several panjandrums of the British State, tell us from time to time that Russian forces have suffered continual setbacks. They are partly right. Putins encirclement of Kyiv was a fiasco.

It remains the case that Russia has increased its hold over much of the Donbas in eastern Ukraine and captured a sizeable slice of the southern part of the country. Nor does there appear to be the remotest possibility of its forces being driven out of the Crimea, which it seized in 2014.

Ukrainian forces have made tiny advances in recent days around the Russian-occupied city of Kherson in the southern part of the country

In June, President Zelensky said Russia had occupied some 20 per cent of Ukraine. In British terms, that is tantamount to the loss of the whole of Wales and of East Anglia, plus the entire area of Gods own county of Yorkshire, while throwing in neighbouring Lancashire by way of a bonus. Quite a chunk.

Ukrainian forces have made tiny advances in recent days around the Russian-occupied city of Kherson in the southern part of the country. I make no claims to be an armchair general, but the agonisingly slow progress doesnt augur well for the retaking of other cities occupied by Russian forces.

Perhaps I am wrong. Perhaps the brave Ukrainians  and, my goodness, they are brave  will recapture Mariupol and Melitopol, both in the south, before making inroads into lost territory in the Donbas. But somehow I doubt it.

There is, of course, no disputing that the Russians have often behaved like barbarians  with their indiscriminate use of missiles, their wanton killing of thousands of civilians, their rape of women and casual murder, and their countless cruelties on the battlefield. Mother Russia will bear the shame for generations.

To ask the Ukrainians to make peace with such savages is not an easy thing. In fact, western politicians hardly have a right to do so, in view of the brutal and pitiless onslaught mounted by Putins uncivilised forces on innocent people.

President Zelensky has proved himself a natural conciliator, both before the invasion (when he engaged in talks with the Russians over the Donbas) and in agreeing to intermittent though unproductive negotiations since then

But if land seized by Putin cant be recovered by Ukraine, then sooner or later its leaders will have to sit down with their Russian counterparts and negotiate a peace.

The Russians will presumably only do so when, or if, they realise that they cant make further advances without enduring unacceptable losses.

Is such a settlement possible? On the Ukrainian side, it would seem so. President Zelensky has proved himself a natural conciliator, both before the invasion (when he engaged in talks with the Russians over the Donbas) and in agreeing to intermittent though unproductive negotiations since then.

Yet at the same time he speaks the language of war. Two months ago, he stated that victory must be achieved on the battlefield, while also insisting that he was open to peace talks despite atrocities committed by Russian troops during their assault. Any war should be ended at the negotiating table, he said.

And so it must be. What troubles me about Liz Trusss approach  I am assuming that in a months time she will be our Prime Minister  is that it usually seems to be, to borrow from Churchill, all war, war, and no jaw, jaw.

She (Truss) appears almost entirely bellicose in her statements about Ukraine  more so even than Boris Johnson

She appears almost entirely bellicose in her statements about Ukraine  more so even than Boris Johnson. If only she could turn her thoughts a little more to the kind of peace that will have to be negotiated.

Needless to say, I accept that when a treaty is signed Russia will continue to pose a threat to Europe, and probably to Ukraine. Things cant return to what they were before the invasion. Russia is our enemy now, and will continue to be for the foreseeable future.

All the same, Ukraine needs peace  and so, of course, does Europe. This is not the language of appeasement or defeatism, but of realism. We will have to co-exist with the Russian bear since it is certain that we cant extirpate it.

Jeremy Corbyns misguided policy of cutting off the supply of weapons would put Ukraine under the subjugation of Russia. But perhaps the muddled old Marxist has glimpsed the undoubted truth that fighting blindly on for a victory that can never come would be equally disastrous.
The eruption of war between China and Taiwan would be a global catastrophe on a scale far greater than the Ukraine crisis.

Yet again Chinese military jets invaded Taiwanese airspace this week, this time following American politician Nancy Pelosis provocative visit to the sovereign island off the Communist mainland.

Beijing staged live-fire exercises close to Taiwan, effectively blocking those regions to traffic. Meanwhile, the secretary general of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, warned that the world was just one miscalculation away from nuclear annihilation.

Charles Parton OBE is a senior associate fellow at the Royal United Services Institute, who spent 22 years as a senior diplomat in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan

No one is more aware of the dangers of that miscalculation than the Chinese leadership. President Xi Jinping knows that if he takes a gamble and loses, the repercussions could destroy Chinas economy or might even bring down the Communist Party that has ruled since 1949.

We should not doubt the level of Chinese anger at the actions of Mrs Pelosi, speaker of the US House of Representatives and a figure so senior that she is third in line to the Oval Office, after the president and vice president. But neither should we kowtow to their anger.

Her high-profile visit is a declaration that the West regards this island north of the Philippines, with its 23.5 million inhabitants, as a sovereign state  the last thing that China wishes to admit.

We also must not underestimate Beijings international ambitions. President Xi has stated that he wants his nation to be the worlds greatest superpower by 2049  though of course this was dressed up in party-speak about a strong, democratic, civilised, harmonious, and modern socialist country.

But all that could be derailed if a military assault on Taiwan fails. And a seaborne invasion is an exceptionally risky business.

The sea between the mainland and the island is 100 nautical miles of rough water and unpredictable weather for most of the year. There are only 14 beaches that make feasible landing sites and the topography is much more easy to defend than to attack.

China has flown 27 fighters including six J-11 jets into Taiwan's air defence zone as Beijing continues to threaten Taipei over its ties with the US

China has announced military drills that will take place in these locations around Taiwan between midday Thursday and midday Sunday with the sea and airspace closed - effectively blockading the island

In the past, Taiwans defence strategies have been questioned by analysts. It could never match its superpower neighbour for ships, tanks or aircraft. But now it is switching to a porcupine defence, bristling with drones, high-speed boats and missiles of all sizes. These weapons are harder to take out in a pre-emptive strike.

Taiwan has also taken strides to safeguard its communication systems. Its possible that the island could hold off an invasion force indefinitely, though at a terrible cost to its own population. Defeat is unthinkable for Beijing. But the economic repercussions could be even more seismic. If China attacks, the West will surely impose onerous sanctions, just as we saw when Russia invaded Ukraine six months ago.

The loss of imported Taiwanese semi-conductors, the basis of all computer devices and mobile phones, would devastate Chinas economy on its own. About half the semi-conductors manufactured anywhere in the world  and two-thirds of the high-quality ones  come from the island.

Without those components, Chinas electronics sector is frozen. And that is the most profitable sector of its exports market.

Taiwans trade with Chinas businesses amounts to about 165billion. Much of that consists of components which go into Chinas own exports. Disrupting the Taiwan trade could thus affect ten times the amount of Chinas exports. The net effect of that could be to shrink the entire economy by trillions.

We would see a worldwide recession, on a scale not seen in our lifetime. But the epicentre would be China. And with a social security network hopelessly ill-equipped to support its 1.4billion people, if the Chinese economy collapses, untold millions would face unemployment, poverty and worse.

Already in the cities, youth unemployment is running at nearly 20 per cent. There is no way of knowing how much worse it is in the rural areas, because those figures are not available. Recent weeks have seen protests and riots. When people are angry in a one-party state, the government takes all the blame. The Communist Party will be held responsible  and this is an existential threat to its survival.

When Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine, it was the act of a desperate man. President Xi is not desperate. He has much better options and a long-term plan.

But China cannot afford to let the Pelosi visit go unchallenged. There will be much sabre-rattling to keep the pressure on Taiwan and deter the Americans from doing anything so flagrantly insulting again  and to ensure that other countries, including Britain, do not think of doing so either.

Thats bullying on a global scale. There are more ways to fight a war than all-out invasion, and the Chinese are experts at it.

Charles Parton OBE is a senior associate fellow at the Royal United Services Institute, who spent 22 years as a senior diplomat in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan
What's your idea of horseracing? A fun day out, but not for the likes of you?

If so think again, because modern horseracing is accessible, affordable, and open to everyone!

And this summer, you and your family are invited to join in the fun track-side. Be prepared for the time of your life!

Racing is for everyone! Bring the whole family, pack a picnic (or buy food there) and have FUN!

Britain boasts 59 racecourses, meaning there's one near you, and with more than 400 fixtures taking place between June and September, there are so many opportunities for you and your family to enjoy a fabulous day out.

Whether you're heading to Ayr, Bangor, Cartmel, Doncaster, or any of the other vibrant courses dotted around, you are guaranteed thrills, good food, and a family day trip unlike any other.

Seeing live sporting action up close is what racing is all about, and when you go horseracing, you'll be surprised by just how close you can get.

The noise as the animals thunder down the turf towards the winning post will make the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end.

Start your day watching the equine stars in the parade ring, also known as the paddock. Racehorses are beautiful animals, and so much work goes into looking after them, making sure they're fit, happy and healthy, and in perfect condition for their race.

Have a look at the racecard - you don't have to buy one but it really adds to the enjoyment of the day. It tells you so much about the horse, such as where it's come from, who's riding it, and how it performed in its most recent races.

It also shows you each jockey's 'colours', the silk shirt they wear, so you can identify them as they race.

Then it's time to watch the race! You can choose between watching from the stand, or getting right up close beside the track. There are often huge TV screens, too, so you can watch how the horses are doing even when they're at the furthest point from the stands.

The noise as the animals thunder down the turf towards the winning post will make the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end.

After the thrilling climax of the race, head off to see the placed (ie first, second and third) horses in the winners' enclosure. Watch the jockeys leap off, the stable staff cool the horses down with fresh water, and the delighted faces of the owners and trainers as they celebrate their win.

What surprises many first-time racegoers is just how affordable racing can be. Under 18s generally go free when accompanied by an adult, and there are often discounted rates for students and older racegoers.

You can keep the costs down even further by taking a picnic - many racecourses have special designated areas where you can enjoy an al fresco meal, and these are often in the cheapest enclosures, so the cost of entry offers great value, too.

Some courses offer picnic benches, others allow you to bring in blankets or chairs, so check before you go to make sure you've got everything you need (and don't forget the suncream!)

TV presenter Jermaine Jenas loves a family day out at the races - why don't you try it this year?

But if you fancy a day off the catering, you'll be spoilt for choice for places to eat and drink. Whether you fancy a sandwich or a sit-down three-course meal, an ice cream or some spicy street food, there's something for everyone. Just check the racecourse's website before you go to browse all the hospitality options.

What makes racing even more fun is the sheer range of things to do, beyond watching the magnificent racehorses up close.

You can dance to live music, enjoy watching circus acts, or treat the children to pony rides, face painting and so much more. Many racecourses lay on special 'Family Days', as well as live music events and Ladies' Days, when it's all about fashion.

Everyone is welcome, and there is something for everyone to enjoy.

TV presenter Jermaine Jenas loves going horseracing with his family.

He said: 'Nothing beats taking your family to see live sport and a day at the races is unique with the chance to see the horses and jockeys up close, be it at the parade ring or cheering them on at the finish line.

Standing by the rails watching the horses thunder past is a thrill everyone can enjoy

'All the racecourses make a real effort to make their racedays special and memorable by putting on activities for children to enjoy between racing too, and with under 18s going racing for free at all racecourses, its a no brainer when planning a family day out in the summer holidays.'

Take a leaf out of Jermaine's book and take YOUR family to enjoy a day out at the races! Click here to find a raceday near you.
A breastfeeding mother has gone viral on TikTok after posting a witty clip about how nursing her newborn has left her with a lopsided chest.

Bobbi Althoff, 25, from California, who welcomed her daughter four weeks ago, took to social media to highlight the side effect of nursing in a tongue-in-cheek video that saw her joking about shoving an avocado into her bra in order to make her boobs look more even.

The video - which has raked up more than 1.7 million views since being posted last week - struck a chord with many new mothers in the same boat.

Bobbi Althoff, 25, from California, has gone viral on TikTok after posting a jokey clip about uneven breasts caused by feeding a newborn

The video - which has raked up more than 1.7 million views since being posted last week - hit a spot with many new parents in the same boat

Promising a 'life hack for breastfeeding women', the young mother began the video on her account @bobbialthoff by saying: 'Finished getting ready to run a few errands today but I refuse to let my inconsistency hold me back from wearing tight tank-tops.'

Bobbi was referencing her uneven breasts - with one dropping lower than the other - understood to be a result of uneven milk production or a baby favoring one breast over the other.

Jokingly, the influencer continued: 'So today what I'm gonna be doing is taking an avocado and sticking it inside to make them look even.'

Bobbi Althoff, who welcomed her newborn daughter four weeks ago, took to social media to highlight the side-effect in a light-hearted manner

Plopping the fruit down her top, Bobbi jested: 'Alright I think that does the trick.

'I just hope...when I'm walking the avocado doesn't fall out because then I'd have to make guac and that'd be embarrassing.'

Viewers were left in stitches as they rushed to the comments to laugh and share similar experiences.

One user wrote: 'I am currently in the same boat ! My right side is an over achiever and my left side is slacking.'

Viewers were left in stitches as they rushed to the comments to laugh and share similar experiences

Another added: 'You make me feel better for having the same problem.'

A third user questioned: 'Mine are the same. Do you think they'll get even when we stop nursing?'

'I am currently in the same boat! My right side is an over achiever and my left side is slacking,' another penned.

Some candidly opened up about insecurities as a result of the natural occurrence.

'Mine are like this and it makes me so self conscious to wear tank tops,' a comment read. 'But it's summer...he favoured one side and now only uses one side forever.'

Others even admitted to trying out similar hacks in the past.

'No because when me and my husband went out I stuffed my left side so it matched my right,' one shared.

Bobbi was referencing her uneven breasts - with one dropping lower than the other - understood to be a result of uneven milk production or use by the baby

Others even admitted to trying out similar hacks in the past. 'No because when me and my husband went out I stuffed my left side so it matched my right,' one shared

Uneven or lopsided breasts can occur due to uneven milk supply while feeding.

According to parenting site Verywell Family, one breast may become larger if it is stimulated more, and hence produces more milk.

This can also occur as a result of one baby favouring one breast over another - thus leading to them appearing lopsided.

The site advises that the occurrence is very common. It adds: 'As long as your child is getting enough breast milk and growing at a steady rate, uneven breasts aren't anything to worry about...

'For most people who breastfeed, uneven breasts are not a medical concern. But, if one breast has been consistently smaller from the beginning and did not get any larger throughout your pregnancy or the early postpartum period, talk to your doctor.'

According to the NHS site, other common side effects of breastfeeding include sore or cracked nipples, breast engorgement, blocked milk ducts and thrush infections.
Tiffany & Co. is putting a spin on NFTs by turning digital tokens into custom gemstone pendants that cost a whopping $50,000 apiece  but at least they can be worn out in the real world.

The luxury jewelry company announced on Sunday that it's offering 250 'NTiff' digital passes exclusively to CryptoPunk holders who are willing to pay big bucks to see their NFTs, or non-fungible tokens, transformed into wearable jewelry.

The bespoke pendants 'will be designed and crafted by Tiffany & Co. artisans' and come with an NFT digital artwork of the fine jewelry design,' according to the brand's new website dedicated to the project.

Tiffany & Co. announced on Sunday that it's offering 250 'NTiff' digital passes to CryptoPunk holders who want to turn their NFTs into wearable jewelry

When the sale starts on Friday, eligible customers can only purchase a maximum of three NTiffs, which cost 30 ETH, or roughly $50,000

When the sale starts on Friday, eligible customers can only purchase a maximum of three NTiffs, which cost 30 ETH, or roughly $50,000.

The price covers the cost of the NFT, the custom pendant, and its matching 18k gold adjustable chain. Customers can breathe a sigh of relief knowing the shipping and handling are also included.

The pendants will come in either 18k rose or yellow gold and feature a mix of at least 30 gemstones and enamel, depending on the design.

The bespoke pendants 'will be designed and crafted by Tiffany & Co. artisans' and come with an NFT digital artwork of the design, according to the company

Tiffany & Co.'s executive vice president Alexandre Arnault actually shared photos of what the pendants would like on Twitter back in April (pictured)

There are 10,000 CryptoPunk NFTs and a total of 87 attributes and 159 colors found across the collection of pixelated characters.

What are NFTs? What is an NFT? A Non-Fungible Token (NFT) is a unique digital token encrypted with an artist's signature that verifies its ownership and authenticity and is permanently attached to the piece. What do they look like? Most NFTs include some kind of digital artwork, such as photos, videos, GIFs, and music. Theoretically, anything digital could be turned into an NFT. Where do you buy them? At the moment, NFTs are most commonly sold in so-called 'drops,' timed online sales by blockchain-backed marketplaces. Why would I want to own one? There's an array of reasons why someone may want to buy an NFT. They are seen as collectors' items and an investment opportunity because the value could increase. Advertisement

Tiffany & Co. designers will be tasked with finding the right gemstones to represent CryptoPunk colors as closely as possible.

Diamonds, sapphires, and amethysts are among the gemstones that will be used.

The website noted that select custom pendants will 'include fancy stone shapes' such as baguette stones to create 3D glasses.

The back of the pendants will be engraved with the CryptoPunk series number along with the Tiffany & Co. logo.

Customers are expected to receive a rendering of their piece by October, and the digital NFTiff will be available to view after the final rendering is completed.

However, the delivery of the physical pendant won't come until early 2023.

When Tiffany & Co. shared the news on Twitter on Sunday, the reviews were mixed.

'Seriously?! Punks are cool an all but whos gonna wear diamond punk pendants?.. worth 30 ETH,' one person responded.

'This looks awesome,' someone else gushed, while another asked: 'Why would I want an ugly pendant, based on an ugly jpeg?'

Tiffany & Co.'s executive vice president Alexandre Arnault actually shared photos of what the pendants would like on Twitter back in April.

'When punks go wild at @TiffanyAndCo,' he tweeted. '#3167 Rose gold and enamel Cryptopunk. Sapphire and Mozambique baguette Ruby glasses, yellow diamond round earring. LFG!'

Fans called it 'dope,' 'genius,' and 'epic' at the time.
An Australian woman has called out a group of Americans who weren't aware the sun visor in your car can be turned to block light from streaming through the driver side window.

Dermatologist Dr Alexis Stephens, who lives in Florida, took to TikTok to share her surprise at discovering the secret 'skincare revelation' in her vehicle.

'Ummmm am I the only person who didn't know their car sun visor extends?!? Better late than never. My hyperpigmentation prone skin will take all the additional sun protection I can get from this south Florida sun,' she wrote.

Plenty of the skincare guru's followers online said they'd also never flipped the sun visor around, thanking her for doing them a service with her announcement.

Dermatologist Dr Alexis Stephens, who lives in Florida, took to TikTok to share her surprise at discovering the secret 'skincare revelation' in her vehicle

'NEVER knew it extends! Much appreciated,' one fan wrote.

'Nope, didn't even know it until now. Thanks for sharing,' said another.

But not everyone was so 'enlightened' by the news, with Aussie skincare expert Leigh Campbell reposting the video with the caption: 'Wait is there really a generation that didn't know this?'

Another Aussie weighed in: 'Not every car has this ability but those that do are super helpful. I'm sort of surprised this wasn't common knowledge?'

Last month Australians took the time to mock their American counterparts for seemingly only just discovering that electric kettles exist.

But not everyone was so 'enlightened' by the news, with Aussie skincare expert Leigh Campbell reposting the video with the caption: 'Wait is there really a generation that didn't know this?'

It's long been a bizarre quirk of the United States that millions refused to move with the times on the topic of electric kettles, while the UK has been enjoying the tea-creating device for more than a century.

The New York Times recently published an article with the headline - 'A swift and easy way to heat water without using a stove' - sharing a list of products it recommended purchasing to make the most of the new 'trend'.

'Consider the electric kettle. Many models will even let you set a precise temperature - key for getting the best flavour out of your coffee or tea,' the article continued.

It's long been a bizarre quirk of the United States' that it refused to move with the times on the topic of electric kettles, while the UK has been enjoying the tea-creating device for more than a century

Australian journalist Benjamin Law shared a screenshot of the title on Instagram with many Americans forced to defend their 'new discovery'.

'Kettles are a new thing there? I knew they were living in the 1940s but I didn't know it was that bad ' wrote one person.

'They might even start drinking decent coffee one day,' added another.

'My grandparents used to destroy an electric kettle each visit to Australia, by putting it on the stove,' explained another.

One person savagely declared: 'All pointless, Americans are incapable of making decent tea or coffee anyway'.

'Kettles are a new thing there? I knew they were living in the 1940s but I didn't know it was that bad ' wrote one person (stock image)

'Look, we finally got chips on our debit and credit cards. Go easy on us here,' one said.

But some did leap to defend the American way, with one person writing: 'The voltage doesn't support using an electric kettle with the efficiency we enjoy in Australia. Everyone in my (American) family uses a stovetop kettle.'

The New York Times has changed the title of its article to 'the best electric kettle' after sighting the debate online.
A young Australian mother has outlined the five controversial rules she 'will never' enforce upon her two children, including physically disciplining them and forcing them to eat vegetables they don't like.

Indy Clinton, 25, who lives with her husband and one-year-old son Navy in Sydney, took to TikTok on Tuesday to discuss common parenting 'rules' - and the ones she'd never enforce.

Pregnant with her second child - a girl - Indy captioned the footage 'get your popcorn ready' to signal the 'rant' she was about to share with her 588,000 followers.

'Let's address the elephant in the room: discipline. I will never physically discipline my children ever. I was brought up with physical discipline - with a belt and a wooden spoon - and I just don't think that's the right way to discipline your children,' she started.

Indy Clinton, 25, who lives with her husband and one-year-old son Navy in Sydney, took to TikTok on Tuesday to discuss common parenting 'rules' - and the ones she'd never enforce

'I get back in the day they did it at schools and it was the thing to do but I'm speaking from first-hand experience and I know that it doesn't make a situation any better.

'If anything it will give them life-long trauma. If you do that it's your choice but your child is defenceless. I see comments all the time on my posts saying "you need to smack him" but that says more about you... I would actually be embarrassed writing that because it says you have some underlying problems you need to address.'

Indy has gained a large following on social media for sharing her 'real' parenting moments with Navy, who she describes as her 'crazy toddler'.

The second 'rule' she won't be following involves getting children to kiss and cuddle their older relatives.

'If he doesn't want to kiss and hug somebody he doesn't have to. I don't care if it's family he does not have to do it. I want people to know and respect his choices - its his body, his rules,' she said.

'I remember when I was younger and my parents would have dinner parties they would make me kiss everyone around the dinner table goodnight. I would think I don't know you and your whiskers are scratching my nose.'

Indy has gained a large following on social media for sharing her 'real' parenting moments with Navy, who she describes as her 'crazy toddler'

The young mum will also not be asking her son to cough up on rent as he grows up

Despite having a sponsorship deal with Hello Fresh and frequently uploading photos of her favourite cook ups and meals, Indy said she won't be forcing Navy and her unborn daughter to eat certain foods.

Poll Which of Indy Clinton's parenting rules do you agree with? I will never physically discipline my child I will never make my children pay rent I will never impose a strict curfew I will never make them eat food they don't like I will never make them kiss or hug older relatives Which of Indy Clinton's parenting rules do you agree with? I will never physically discipline my child 89 votes

I will never make my children pay rent 28 votes

I will never impose a strict curfew 4 votes

I will never make them eat food they don't like 24 votes

I will never make them kiss or hug older relatives 79 votes Now share your opinion





'I will never force him to eat anything he doesn't want to eat. Obviously I'm going to guide him to try foods he hasn't had before but I'm not going to blackmail him like "if you don't finish what's on your plate you don't get dessert,"' she said.

'If he doesn't like a certain food or meal I've made I'm not going to be offended. I'll say "you don't have to eat it, what do you want to eat instead?"

'Obviously I'm not going to feed him chocolate but I'm not going to force him to eat something he doesn't like.'

The young mum will also not be asking her son to cough up on rent as he grows up.

'I will never make him pay rent. I understand why families do make their children pay rent, it teaches them good like habits, but I brought this child into the world so I'm not going to make them pay rent at 15,' she said.

'When you're 18 and finished school and have a job or going to university than maybe I'd get him to pay $50 a week but that's not for me... that will be to go towards buying his own house.

Many of Indy's followers were in agreement with her parenting decisions, labelling her 'mum goals', but not everyone saw the merit in her relaxed style

'You brought that child into the world so you do not need to give them money stress.'

Finally, after growing up in what she described as a 'strict' household, Indy has decided to be lenient when it comes to curfews and late night parties.

'I don't want to be a strict parent when it comes to parties and curfews because I want him to be completely open with me. The stricter you are the more rebellious the kids are, it's just a fact,' she said.

'I was brought up in the strictest family ever and being the youngest of five I feel like I was always the baby... I want to be the mum that he feels comfortable calling first if he needs anything, at any time, and I'll be there in my pyjamas with some chicken nuggets.'

Many of Indy's followers were in agreement with her parenting decisions, labelling her 'mum goals', but not everyone saw the merit in her relaxed style.

'My mother makes us pay rent because there are seven of us but we only started paying rent at 18,' one woman said.

'I agree with everything except the rent paying. For my parenting anyway. I believe it helps teach them how to function and how to budget etc,' said another.

A third added: 'Your kids are going to be the most spoiled.'
Supermodel Stephanie Seymour has paid tribute to her late son Harry Brant on what would have been his 26th birthday - 18 months after he died of an accidental overdose.

Harry, a socialite and fashionista, died of an accidental prescription drug overdose in January 2021 at the age of 24, following a long battle with addiction, just days before he was due to re-enter rehab.

Seymour, 54, who is married to billionaire publishing magnate Peter Brant, 75, shared a photo of herself and her late son Harry on her Instagram with the simple message: 'Happy birthday Bebe.'

Supermodel Stephanie Seymour has paid tribute to her late son Harry Brant on what would have been his 26th birthday. She shared this photo and simple caption on Instagram

Harry, who was raised in ritzy Greenwich, Connecticut, was a prominent socialite who was close friends with Donald Trump's daughter Tiffany.

Along with his older brother, Peter Brant II, he became famous for experimenting with gender in fashion and beauty.

New York Magazine once referred to Harry and Peter II as 'NYC's Most Beautiful Teenage Brothers', while Vanity Fair called them 'Little Lord Flauntleroys'.

In 2015, the pair founded Brant Brothers, a unisex makeup line created in collaboration with MAC.

However, despite his professional success, Harry reportedly spent years battling drug addiction.

In 2016, Harry was arrested after refusing to pay a cab fare in Connecticut.

Harry, a socialite and fashionista, died of an accidental prescription drug overdose in January 2021 following a long battle with addiction, just days before he was due to re-enter rehab. He is pictured with his mother Stephanie in New York in April 2015

Harry, who was raised in ritzy Greenwich, Connecticut, was a prominent socialite who was close friends with First Daughter Tiffany Trump

Officers were called to the scene where they found the 'baggie of white substance in his wallet'. He was charged with larceny, interfering with an officer and drug possession.

The same year, his brother Peter II was charged with assault after allegedly getting into a fight with a Port Authority officer at JFK Airport.

Harry had a regular column in Interview Magazine - the famous culture publication started by Andy Warhol and now owned by Peter Brant.

Brant had reportedly planned to give Harry a larger role at the magazine in the near future.

For his final column for Interview Magazine published in May 2020, Harry interviewed fashion designer Marc Jacob about dismantling the stigma attached to men wearing make-up.

He wrote in the piece: 'Have you ever wondered why society has reserved makeup for the fairer sex?

Along with his older brother, Peter Brant II, pictured in 2015, he became famous for experimenting with gender in fashion and beauty, and the pair founded a unisex makeup line together

Harry pictured with mother Stephanie and sister Lilly in July, 2008, is a much missed son

'For generations, men who dared to disrupt this silly taboo not only had their masculinity questioned, but were more often than not met with a barrage of shaming, harassment, and ridicule.'

Seymour is married to billionaire publishing magnate Peter Brant (seen together in 2019), with whom she had three children - sons Peter and Harry, and daughter Lily

In addition to writing his own column, Harry was the subject of countless interviews in other illustrious titles including Italian Vogue.

In a statement released at the time of Harry's death, his parents said: 'We will forever be saddened that his life was cut short by this devastating disease.

'Harry achieved a lot in his 24 years, but we will never get the chance to see how much more he could have done.'

They continued: 'Harry was a creative, loving and powerful soul that brought light into so many people's hearts. He was truly a beautiful person inside and out.'

Stephanie Seymour and Peter Brand married in Paris in 1995 after being introduced by the photographer Sante D'Orazio.

Seymour filed for divorce in March 2009 after 15 years of marriage, but by September 2010 they had called off their divorce.

The couple share three children: Harry, Peter and a daughter, Lilly. Stephanie also has a son, Dylan, with guitarist Tommy Andrews.

Brant shares five children with first wife Sandra Simms. Their son, Ryan Brant, died in 2019.
A married couple who lived more than 5,000 miles apart when they first met, and didn't speak each other's languages, have revealed how Google Translate helped them fall in love.

Madina, 33, from Kazakhstan met Matthew Harbidge from Darwin, back in 2018 when she was visiting Australia from Kazakhstan.

Although they didn't speak the same language, sparks flew when friends interpreted for them and when Madina returned home, they turned to Google Translate to keep communicating.

After 18 months of long-distance dating the couple decided they wanted to live together, but then the pandemic struck and kept them apart for 18 months - meaning that even their engagement had to take place over video call.

Matthew and Madina are all smiles on their wedding day in June this year, four years after they first met.

Distance is no object: Matthew and Madina Harbidge pictured in Alamaty, Kazakhstan - which is one of the country's largest cities and Madina's home

The couple indulged in digital dining together as they learned each other's native tounges, enjoying the same meal at the same time - 5,000 miles apart

The one language that didn't need any translation was that of attraction, because the pair knew pretty quickly they fancied each other after meeting in a restaurant with friends on Madina's trip to Australia.

Madina said: 'We were sitting together on the same restaurant table and we didn't talk with each other.

'I didn't know English and he didn't know Kazakh or Russian.

'When I saw him he smiled and I remember his eyes. He looked at me with open eyes and it was a different view for me, I was like ''OK, hello''.

'And of course, he was handsome, I decided I liked this man.'

Matthew said of their first meeting: 'People on the table helped to translate between Madina and I, so they helped out a bit at the start.

'She's a beautiful lady and obviously very intelligent as well so we got to talk about a lot of different things before our friends got sick of translating.

'And then we had to go to Google Translate and other online translators.

At first, Matthew didn't think he would see Madina again, after meeting her at a restaurant with friends and was thrilled when she asked him to coffee the next day. However, they needed to translate most of their conversations via those around them or using apps.

'I had no idea it would work out to where we are now.'

Matthew didn't think he would see Medina again, and was over the moon when her friend reached out to him to ask if he'd meet up with her the following day for coffee.

The pair saw each other as much as possible during the fortnight Madina was in Australia before she eventually flew back to Kazakhstan.

When the 33-year-old returned had travelled back to her native country, 5,000 miles away from Australia the pair spoke daily via the online translator.

The official languages of Kazakhstan are Kazakh and Russian, with Kazakh also spoken in parts of Mongolia and China among Uighur Muslims.

The couple pictured when they met up in Amsterdam in the autumn of 2018 and became a couple officially

Madina is pictured in Frankfurt in 2019, on one of the couple's trips - which kept their love alive while living 5,000 miles apart

Madina speaks both Russian and Kazakh, with Matthew attempting to grapple both, while his beau learned English.

The lovers started to learn each other's languages as they communicated online - before eventually transitioning to video calls in English and indulging in romantic digital dates - sharing food and wine over Facetime.

The pair had to co-ordinate their video dates alongside the significant time difference, with Kazakhstan four hours ahead of Australia.

They officially became an item after meeting up in Amsterdam again later that year and dated virtually in between travelling to see each other in either Kazakhstan, Germany or Australia, every few months.

Madina and Matthew met in many different countries before the pandemic. They are pictured here in Germany around Christmas time.

The pair both made efforts to learn each other's languages - with Matthew trying his hand at both Russian and Kazakh, but Madina managed to pick up English a lot quicker within six months so they began to use it as their dominant language on video calls.

Before the pandemic, the pair decided they would talk every single day and make a commitment to see each other at least every three to four months.

The lovebirds out and about together in Madina's home city of Almaty - they want to 'thank Google Translate' for helping them fall in love with each other

Matthew looks delighted to be dressed in traditional Kazakh clothing next to Madina. The clothes are often made of materials suited to the region's extreme climate and the people's nomadic lifestyle. The clothing is decorated with elaborate ornaments made from bird beaks, animal horns, hooves and feet.Although contemporary Kazakhs usually wear Western dress, the Turkic people wear more traditional clothing for holidays and special occasions

The colossal transcontinental distance and the pandemic didn't prove to be barriers for the determined couple, even though they were unable to physically see each other for a year and a half.

In August 2020, Matthew decided to propose to Madina via video call, and she excitedly said yes.

After a grand total of 145,559 Facebook messages and 48 days spent on the phone, the long-distance element of their relationship ended when Madina eventually moved to Australia last May and the pair tied the knot in a ceremony in June this year.

Matthew and Madina are urging anyone who knows they've 'found the one but are separated physically to stick at it' - as difficult as it is, they say 'enduring temporary unhappiness is worth it to spend the rest of your days with the love of your life.'

Matthew said: 'We fell in love thanks to Google Translate, it really helped.

'Our relationship progressed from there, which was amazing, but the translator worked really really well.

'Sometimes Russian and English handle context very differently so I had to learn how write so it translated correctly to Russian and Madina had to do the same thing.

'Otherwise, it was excellent for doing that and we transitioned from writing in each other's languages to phone calls and video calls together.'

Madina's English became significantly better than Matthew's Russian after the first six months, so from that point onwards the pair mainly communicated in English.

It wasn't all plain sailing from the start, when Madina suggested a relationship- Matthew, despite having feelings for her was initially reluctant due to the obstacles in the way such as the visa process and the distance.

Madina said: 'One time I messaged him saying ''do you know that I like you, maybe we could try and have a relationship?'' he answered ''no'' and I was very upset.'

Matthew said: 'I really wanted to make it work but I thought ''this is going to be really bloody hard if we try to do this''

'That's why I said no to Madina and after that she didn't speak to me for two days.

'I knew friends who had been through the Australian visa process and at that stage I was really enjoying talking to her- but knew it would be incredibly difficult to be successful at the end of it.

'Follow me' the pair indulge in the online travelling trend 'follow me' where couples or friends take pictures with one in front leading the other into the wilderness.

Matthew and Madina take a trip up the mountains in Shymbulak,Almaty, near Madina's home together in 2019 before the pandemic. Around this time the couple were planning to live together and had no idea that a global tragedy was about to strike.

'And then there was the future - one of us would have to eventually have to move to the other's country which is monumental in itself.

'At the time I thought ''that's very hard work'' and not something to be like ''ok yeah, let's give it a shot''.

'But two days was the longest that we hadn't talked to each other and when that happened I thought it was over.

'It really affected me and after that I decided I absolutely want to spend the rest of my life with this woman.'

The pair then met up in Amsterdam in October 2018, where they became an official couple, however some of Matthew's message was lost in translation, as Madina was confused by the word 'partner'.

Madina said: 'He had a lot of roses, one bouquet of red roses and wooden tulips, and he asked "do you want to be my partner?"'

'And to be honest, I didn't really understand what he meant because in Kazakhstan we don't use 'partner' a lot, maybe boyfriend and girlfriend but not partner.

In Amsterdam autumn 2018, the couple became official, with Matthew meeting Madina with a bunch of roses and wooden tulips. She says she was confused by the word 'partner' despite brushing up on her English, so he had to ask twice!

'After the second time he asked, of course I said yes.

'When I saw him in Amsterdam, I saw him as the person I really loved.

'He had a clear soul, was very friendly, open, caring and respectful to everyone. I'd never met anyone like him.

'Every day in Amsterdam he showed me things, shared stories with me, and everything was so cool and easy.

'I felt at home with Matt and very comfortable.'

After an incredible week in the Netherlands, they returned to their home countries.

To make their relationship work, the new couple agreed to speak daily, scheduled a virtual date day every weekend and then tried to see each other physically every three to four months.

But after deciding they wanted to live together, the pandemic struck, meaning they didn't meet up again for a year and a half.

In the midst of the pandemic, August 2020, Matthew decided to propose to Madina via video call at a nearby beach that Madina had liked on her trip - but admits he was scared of dropping the Brilliant Earth branded ring in the sand!

Matthew said the pandemic was 'tough' for the couple, but their communication routine helped.

Matthew said: 'We were trying out hardest to make things work but we didn't know when covid was going to end.

'We kept saying "it will just be a few months" but it seemed there was no end in sight'

'The structures that we built in - saying good morning and good night to each other and spending as much time as we could together, it really helped but it was a tough.'

'In 2020, mid-pandemic, Matthew bought an engagement ring for Madina.

Matthew said: 'I lived quite close to the beach at the time, it was one that Madina really liked, and proposed to her there remotely from 5,000 miles away.

'We had no idea when we were going to see each other again.

'I got out the ring, turned the camera around and asked her to marry me. She was ecstatic.'

Despite the romance of it all Matthew admitted he was 'scared of dropping the diamond ring in the sand'.

The couple were eventually reunited after Madina's Australian visa was approved.

They were warned the process could take up to two years, but luckily they only had to wait eight months.

Their long-distance relationship officially ended in May of last year and they married this June at the same nature reserve in Australia where they spent their second date.

Madina said: 'Matt managed to stand outside my hotel when I was in quarantine for two weeks and he sent coffee, food and pictures to paint to my room.'

After a year and a half of not seeing each other Madina looked out of her hotel window where she was quarantined and saw her long distance Romeo, bearing coffee.

Mr and Mrs Harbidge on their wedding day this year. Matthew said 'What's a few years of unhappiness compared to fifty years of being with your soulmate?'

The couple on their wedding day in June of this year, they tied the knot at the same nature reserve in Australia that they visited when they first met

Madina stuns in her long sleeved white wedding dress with a thigh split, her dark hair in loose curls and gold shoes- ready to marry 'her person' after four years of long distance love

She said: 'After I left quarantine we saw each other and I don't know how long we stayed there crying, kissing and cuddling each other.

'If it's someone who you really love and know you'll be with them forever, you need to work on the relationship.

'Of course it will be hard and you will think of all the obstacles- but if you know it's your person, you need to do it.'

Matthew said: 'Long distance is really just a temporary thing and in comparison to the rest of your life, is it worth doing the hard yards?

'It will be hard but what's two years of mild unhappiness and doing the hard work to have 50 to hundred years of happiness with your life partner?

'The pay off is so worth all the hard stuff that the long-distance relationship brings.'

Google were contacted for comment.
Royal fans paid tribute to the late Duke of Edinburgh on the fifth anniversary of his final official engagement before retiring from public life.

Prince Philip, who died last year aged 99, made his last public solo appearance on August 2, 2017, at a Royal Marine parade in the forecourt of Buckingham Palace.

As a former Royal Navy officer, the event held particular personal significance to the Queen's Consort, who retired after carrying out 22,219 solo engagements since 1952.

A video of the event has gone viral on Twitter. Standing on a platform in the middle of a downpour, Prince Philip removes his bowler hat as the Royal Marine's march past and salute.

Royal fans paid tribute to the late Duke of Edinburgh on the fifth anniversary of his final official engagement before retiring from public life. Pictured, Philip at the Captain General's Parade

Prince Philip, who died last year aged 99, made his last public solo appearance on August 2, 2017, at a Royal Marine parade in the forecourt of Buckingham Palace, pictured

Joe Little, managing editor of Majesty magazine, shared a clip on Twitter with the caption: 'Five years ago this afternoon I was part of an increasingly bedraggled group of royal correspondents and photographers on the forecourt of Buckingham Palace to witness the 96-year-old Duke of Edinburghs final official engagement.

'The heavy rain bothered him not a jot. #legend.'

Followers reflected on the Duke of Edinburgh's lasting legacy, with one tweeting: 'They don't make them like that anymore.'

Another posted: 'Think a frail 96 year old could of had a more comfortable time. Yet there he stood. Legend.'

Joe Little, managing editor of Majesty magazine, shared a clip on Twitter and the post was met with an outpouring of support from royal fans

A third added: 'What a wonderful man he was!'

The Captain's General Parade marked the end of the 1664 Global Challenge, which recognises 1664, the year the Royal Marines were founded, and has seen marines push themselves to the limit with a series of physical exploits in aid of the Royal Marines Charity.

The Duke, at the time the Captain General of the Royal Marines, met Corporal Will Gingell and Corporal Jamie Thompson who had run 1,664 miles over 100 days.

He also chatted to Sergeant Matt Burley, a physical training instructor, who swam 1,664 lengths underwater over 10 days and Lieutenant Colonel Aldeiy Alderson, who ran 100 kilometres in 12 hours wearing his Royal Marines uniform and polished boots.

Looking at the group of marines he made them laugh with the quip: 'You all should be locked up.'

The Queen's Consort announced in May 2017 he would be retiring from royal engagements, a decision which was fully supported by the Queen.

He continued to appear alongside the Queen at a handful of high profile events in the year before his death.

The Queen, now 96, continues her official engagements although she has stepped back from some royal duties and pass the baton to other members of her family.
A dad-of-five has sparked furious debate after sharing a video of himself using a leash to take his five-year-old quintuplets on a walk.

Jordan Driskell, 31, from Kentucky, recently uploaded the clip to Instagram, which showed him walking with his five young kids - Zoey, Dakota, Hollyn, Asher and Gavin - whom he shares with his wife, Briana, 34.

However, the clip quickly sparked major backlash from viewers - many of whom were left up in arms about the fact that the toddlers were all wearing leashes, ensuring that they couldn't wander off, run away, or get lost.

'When people judge me for using child leashes,' he wrote in the video, as the song Vegas by Doja Cat played in the background.

A dad-of-five is being shamed online for using a leash with his five-year-old quintuplets

Jordan Driskell, 31, from Kentucky, uploaded a video which showed him walking with his five kids - Zoey, Dakota, Hollyn, Asher and Gavin - whom he shares with his wife, Briana, 34

However, the clip quickly sparked a major debate between viewers - since the toddlers were all wearing leashes, ensuring that they couldn't wander off, run away, or get lost

'You ain't nothin' but a dog, player, ah, get it,' the lyrics read.

The clip showed Jordan holding on to five ropes - which were each connected to a harness that one of his kids wore - as the family all walked calmly together outside of an aquarium.

The clip showed Jordan holding on to five ropes - which were each connected to a harness that one of his kids wore - as the family all walked calmly together outside of an aquarium

'Come walk a mile in my shoes,' he captioned it.

The Instagram video quickly went viral - gaining more than three million views - and it launched an argument between Instagram users, some of whom 'respected' the dad's decision to use a leash on his kids and others who slammed him for it, pointing out that they're 'humans not dogs.'

'I have nothing but respect for you sir,' wrote one supportive viewer.

Another added, 'Better safe than sorry. If I had that many I would do the same. Rock on!'

'With five kids you need that,' said someone else. 'Responsible parenting right here.'

'Considering my two-year-old tried to bolt into the street, yeah, we use leashes now too,' read a fourth comment, while a fifth said, 'Keeping them safe is priority number one. So you're all good, sir. It's not hurting them in any way.

'There's nothing wrong with this, I think it's brilliant. I always used baby harness with reigns on my two so they were always by me,' commented a fellow parent.

'Not going to lie, some kids really need leashes, nothing wrong with not wanting to lose your child every time you look away,' agreed someone else.

The Instagram video launched an argument between Instagram users, some of whom 'respected' the dad's decision and others who slammed him for it

'Don't blame you,' wrote a different user. 'Can you imagine no leash? And all running in different directions? Someone could get hurt.'

However, others were not here for child leashes and bashed the dad-of-five for treating his kids like 'animals.'

Poll Have you ever used a leash with your kids? Yes No Have you ever used a leash with your kids? Yes 900 votes

No 184 votes Now share your opinion





'Are they rescue?' asked one user, referring to rescue dogs that come from a shelter.

'But teachers can look after 30 kids without using leashes,' someone else pointed out.

Another person added, 'They are not dogs. How about teaching [them] what to do?'

'Are you gonna train them to pull a sleigh next? Which one has the red nose? Are any of them rescue?' read a different comment.

'Don't have so many kids,' quipped one commenter, while someone else said, 'Those kids are way too old to be walked on a leash like a d**n dog.'

While chatting with the Today show, Jordan explained that his kids love to 'run off and explore' due to their 'curiosity,' so he and his wife use leashes for their 'own peace of mind and sanity.'

While chatting with the Today show, Jordan explained that his kids love to 'run off and explore' due to their 'curiosity,' so he and his wife use leashes for their 'own peace of mind and sanity'

He added that it 'allows them to leave the house and do fun stuff as a family without being stressed'

Jordan explained that they used to push around a five-seat stroller, but that it wasn't practical since it was so 'bulky'

'The other thing is, they want to walk when we go somewhere crowded. A leash gives them the opportunity to do that - but were still in control. They love it,' he added

'Kids are so curious - they want to run off and explore. For our own peace of mind and sanity, we use a leash,' he told the outlet.

'It also allows us to leave the house and do fun stuff as a family without being stressed.'

What professionals say about child leashes Benjamin Hoffman, a pediatrician who is also chair of the injury prevention council at the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), told Good Housekeeping that he advices against child leashes due to the risk of falling. 'From an injury standpoint, I would worry about entanglement or choking - we know the risks of other loose cords, like on window blinds,' he said. 'I've personally witnessed parents pull back forcefully on a leash, resulting in a fall, often backwards. I worry about injuries to head and limbs in that scenario. As a pediatrician, I would never recommend them. I would rather see a child in a stroller than on a leash.' However, another doctor, named Deborah Gilboa described the leash as 'creative problem solving' while speaking to Today. 'This isnt treating kids like animals,' she insisted. 'This is creative problem solving. The alternative would be just staying at home. Its a great system for a parent with a neurodiverse child or a child who hasnt nailed all their listening skills. 99.99 per cent of moms and dads want whats best for their kids and theyre doing it to solve a problem. Just because you cant identify the problem, doesnt mean its not there.' Paige Safyer, Assistant Professor in the School of Social Work at Arizona State University, told Famly.com that it's important to let your kid explore so that they can learn about safety. 'Children need to be shown whats safe and whats not, and talk through these explanations with an adult. A leash cant take the place of these conversations,' she explained. 'When theyre young, children are able to understand a lot more than they can express, so its really important for adults to take the time to explain how things work. Just as you would explain to a child why you hold their hand as you cross a busy street, I think the same information should be given if the child is put on a leash.' Advertisement

He explained that they used to push around a five-seat stroller, but that it wasn't practical since it was so 'bulky.'

'It was just too bulky and ridiculous to take anywhere,' he said. 'The other thing is, they want to walk when we go somewhere crowded.

'A leash gives them the opportunity to do that - but were still in control. They love it.'

Benjamin Hoffman, a pediatrician who is also chair of the injury prevention council at the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), previously told Good Housekeeping that he advices against child leashes due to the risk of falling.

'As a pediatrician, I'm not happy to see children leashed like pets,' he said. 'As the father of three, I am well aware of how quick, impulsive, and unpredictable kids can be.

'But from an injury standpoint, I would worry about entanglement or choking - we know the risks of other loose cords, like on window blinds.

'I've personally witnessed parents pull back forcefully on a leash, resulting in a fall, often backwards.

'I worry about injuries to head and limbs in that scenario. As a pediatrician, I would never recommend them. I would rather see a child in a stroller than on a leash.'

However, another doctor, named Deborah Gilboa described the leash as 'creative problem solving' while speaking to Today.

'This isnt treating kids like animals,' she insisted. 'This is creative problem solving. The alternative would be just staying at home.

'Its a great system for a parent with a neurodiverse child or a child who hasnt nailed all their listening skills.

'99.99 per cent of moms and dads want whats best for their kids and theyre doing it to solve a problem. Just because you cant identify the problem, doesnt mean its not there.'

She added that by age eight or nine, your child shouldn't be using a leash anymore.

'By that point, you want to have another method in place to keep track of your kids in public,' she continued. 'It would be awkward to be on a leash in seventh grade.'

Paige Safyer, Assistant Professor in the School of Social Work at Arizona State University, told Famly.com that it's important to let your kid explore so that they can learn about safety.

'Children need to know that when theyre exploring, they have a safe base to go back to, which is often their primary caregiver or teacher,' she said.

'They need to be shown whats safe and whats not, and talk through these explanations with an adult. A leash cant take the place of these conversations.

'When theyre young, children are able to understand a lot more than they can express, so its really important for adults to take the time to explain how things work.

'Just as you would explain to a child why you hold their hand as you cross a busy street, I think the same information should be given if the child is put on a leash.'
Like so many sisters who shared bedrooms growing up, Clare and I had a lot of fun. We loved to put Kylie or Bananarama on the cassette player and I enjoyed plaiting her hair and trying my new lip gloss and eyeshadows out on her. But my favourite thing was our nightly routine.

When our parents had said goodnight, Id climb down from my top bunk into her bottom one and snuggle in close.

Id relish the comfort of her warm skin next to mine and the feeling of her heart beating as I whispered to her about whatever was on my mind  a girl at school whod been mean to me, a boy I had a crush on, or the happenings in the Aussie soap Neighbours. Clare would listen intently, hold my gaze and smile.

What she never did was reply. Clare, 18 months my junior, has a condition called Rett syndrome. Caused by a faulty gene, and affecting mostly girls, it means she is profoundly disabled and unable to speak. Ive never had a conversation with my only sibling.

Victoria Scott explains that her sister Clare has a condition called Rett syndrome. UK-based writer reveals that she has never had a conversation with her sister. They are both pictured here as children

For a short time, when Clare was about a year old, she said a few words, but then this cruel disorder ripped through her brain and stole them from her.

I dont remember how Clares first and only words sounded, although Ive often imagined them. I reckon shed have a throaty chuckle and a wicked sense of humour. Her eyes, the portal through which we speak, suggest as much.

I believe telepathy exists. I think when you really know someone, when you truly love them, its possible to know how theyre feeling, and how they might respond, without them speaking to you.

So, when we used to lie in bed together as children, I felt like I could hear her replies. They were warm, funny and occasionally a bit cutting, exactly as youd expect a cheeky little sister to be.

Victoria (pictured) spent many years trying to put herself in Clares shoes, wondering how it might feel to be fully aware of what is going on around you but unable to join in

Rett syndrome isnt hereditary and, currently, there are no diagnostic tests during pregnancy that can identify it. It affects about one in 10,000 girls.

Babies with Rett usually appear normal at birth and only begin to show signs of disability when they lose skills theyve gained at about one year old. Then a whole raft of symptoms reveal themselves, among them repetitive handwringing, abnormal breathing patterns, epilepsy and bending of the spine (scoliosis).

When Clare was tiny, our mum, Yvonne, a university lecturer, instinctively knew something wasnt right, but doctors sent her away time and time again, telling her to stop fussing, that children all develop at different rates and Clare was just slower than most.

It wasnt until she was five that a consultant at Great Ormond Street Hospital identified what was wrong, and she became one of the first people in the country to be diagnosed with the syndrome.

I felt like an only child, albeit without the attention

Growing up in rural Worcestershire, life revolved around Clares complex needs.

Mum and my dad Chris, a marketing executive, were adamant I shouldnt be involved in the nuts and bolts of Clares care. Even so, my family life was very different to that of my friends.

My parents were on a merry-goround of doctors appointments, meetings, referrals and endless letter writing in order to get the treatment Clare so desperately needed. Carers called twice a day. Some werent a great fit, but others became lifelong friends. Clare and I were even bridesmaids for one of them, a wonderful woman called Carol.

There were times, however, when I felt like an only child, albeit without the attention. I would sometimes resent the fact leaving the house was a military operation. There was no just popping out to the shops in our house.

Holidays were also hard. I still recall the trip to Filey, North Yorkshire, when I was ten and Clare was nine. Mum and Dad had to lift Clare in her wheelchair up the steps to our holiday rental and they both put their backs out. I remember them lying on the floor in agony as I looked longingly out of the window at the beach.

Victoria pictured with her sister Clare as children. She recalls how difficult it was for her parents, who had many doctors trips trying to help Clare

Aged 20, after finishing at her brilliant special school, Clare went into a full-time residential care facility, where she has been ever since, spending weekends with my parents. Anybody with a disabled child or relative will know that provision falls off a cliff once a disabled person leaves school.

In frustration at the lack of help, Mum founded the charity Rett UK when Clare was young, and was awarded an MBE for her work.

Ive spent many years trying to put myself in Clares shoes, wondering how it might feel to be fully aware of what is going on around you but unable to join in. It inspired the character of Patience, in my novel of the same name.

Patience also has Rett and lives with a family with whom she cant communicate. Writing from her perspective was an emotional experience for me.

Rett syndrome is so incredibly cruel. Theres a home video of Clare on her little tricycle, taken before her regression. Shes laughing away, looking like a normal, happy toddler. Mum catches her breath when she watches it now, because she had no idea then how bad things were about to get.

And yet, despite all Retts devastating symptoms, science is now offering hope. Gene therapy offers the tantalising possibility that Rett might, at some point in the future, be cured. And in recent years, eye-gaze technology  where people control a computer screen with eye movements  has shown that some Rett women, particularly young ones, are very capable of carrying out conversations when given the technical ability to do so.

Weve tried this with Clare. So far she hasnt cracked it, but we wont give up just yet and, in the meantime, well make do with our own telepathy. Despite doctors doomladen forecasts when she was a child  my parents were told to take her home, and keep her comfortable implying she wouldnt live long  Clare has now reached the age of 42.

She adores my husband Teil, 46, and my children Raphie, 12, and Gabriella, seven, are very close to their Auntie Clare.

When they were babies she loved to hold them on her lap and gaze adoringly at them as they babbled and giggled.

Music is another of her languages. She still loves Kylie, Bananarama and The Sound Of Music  but sadly not my own personal obsession, Take That.

If music is upbeat, she will start to rock backwards and forwards and her hand movements will be frantic. If its sombre, she is upset. Walking In The Air, from The Snowman, always makes her cry.

To know Clare is to love her. Shes joyful, pure and honest

Recently, Covid forced us to spend two years apart. Clare can get very ill, very quickly. Shes had sepsis twice and pneumonia multiple times. She was far too vulnerable for me to risk visiting her, and it was only when shed had two Covid vaccines that we were reunited, outdoors, with masks.

I was worried she might not remember me, might not connect the person shed seen on video calls with the person in front of her wearing a mask.

I neednt have worried. It felt like wed never been apart, and the warmth of her hand in mine was salve for my soul.

Yes, it takes years to get to know Clare, to understand her language. But its a labour of love. To know Clare is to love her. She is an extraordinarily pure, honest and joyful human being.

Thats why it is painful and frustrating that society often doesnt see her that way, pushing Clare and people like her into dark corners, ignoring their needs and reducing funding for their care.

I hope that telling Clares story might inspire people who see her, and others like her, in the street to say hello, or wave, or just smile, rather than simply pretending she isnt there.

Because if more people could listen to what people like Clare have to say, the world would be a far better, kinder, more joyful place.
Tins have always been useful, but only recently have they become desirable. Yes, now you can find top-quality gourmet food  everything from lobster to duck  in a can.

And the cans are seriously stylish. As a committed foodie, I confess to showing mine off in a special section of my larder with a fluted window.

Tins are also being hailed as a solution to food waste, with Waitrose advising shoppers to plan at least one meal a week using tinned food. And if youre stuck for ideas, chef Yotam Ottolenghis latest book, Shelf Love, advises on how to make top-notch meals using canned products and store-cupboard essentials.

Waitrose is advising shoppers to plan at least one meal a week using tinned food. The 3 most popular tins found in UK homes are tomatoes, baked beans and soup

Ill admit my memories of tinned food centre around terrible ravioli in tomato sauce, produced by a mother at the end of her tether. While the three most popular tins found in UK homes remain, unsurprisingly, tomatoes, baked beans and soup, there is so much choice now, from tasty quick fixes to truly gourmet offerings. So, which should you stash in your pantry?

SERIOUS MUSSEL

Rockfish Lyme Bay Mussels Escabeche, 5.95 for 115g, therockfish.co.uk

You get about 16 small mussels, ropegrown in Lyme Bay on the South Coast. They are steamed, fried and preserved in an escabeche marinade of sunflower oil, wine vinegar, spices and salt

WHAT IS IT? Chef Mitch Tonkss newly launched Rockfish brand raises tinned British seafood to an art form, as practised in Spain, France and Italy.

You get about 16 small mussels, ropegrown in Lyme Bay on the South Coast. They are steamed, fried and preserved in an escabeche marinade of sunflower oil, wine vinegar, spices and salt. Adventurous souls will like Rockfishs dramatic black Brixham Cuttlefish, too.

TASTE TEST The mussels are small, plump and juicy and the escabeche has beautifully balanced acidity, with a fruity tanginess. They taste as if someone made them to order. Very moreish eaten from the tin with crusty bread to mop up the juices. 10/10

DORDOGNE IN A TIN

Empire Bespoke Foods Duck Confit, 13.80 for 765g, waitrose.com

Sudi said that the duck legs turned properly crisp and tasted 'scrumptious'. She paried them with Mr Organic haricot beans

WHAT IS IT? Three slowcooked duck legs in duck fat and salt. The contents require heating in a hot oven for half an hour until the skin is crisp. For a true meal, I mixed in a tin of Mr Organic haricot beans for the last ten minutes, or you could add parboiled potatoes.

TASTE TEST The duck legs turned properly crisp and tasted scrumptious, transporting me to a warmly remembered holiday in the Dordogne. This is seriously impressive and worth the admittedly high price. It would serve three comfortably, four at a pinch, with plenty of tinned beans and a crisp green salad. And there is plenty of duck fat left to make a further confit dish or wickedly crunchy roasties. 10/10

BOURGEOIS BROCCOLI

Organic broccoli friarielli by Casa Marrazzo, 4.20 for 390g, souschef.co.uk

WHAT IS IT? An ingredient loved throughout Italy, these slender broccoli stems are preserved in oil, with a hint of chilli and garlic. The stems are known as friarielli in Naples and Campania, rapini in Tuscany and Puglia, while in Rome they are called broccoletti.

TASTE TEST Broccoli in a tin sounds unappetising but although these look rather unappealingly soggy, the friarielli are far more delicious than any childhood veggie in tins you may remember. The firm stems have a distinctive, slightly bitter taste.

Serve as a vegetable side dish heated with olive oil, garlic and lemon juice and rind  or scatter on pizza with spicy sausage. 7/10

TASTE OF THE TROPICS

Laila Mango Pulp, 1.75 for 850g, tesco.com

The tin is a good size and Sudi suggests to blend with yoghurt, milk and ice for a delicious treat similar to the Indian drink lassi

WHAT IS IT? 90pc mango pulp with sugar and water. A chefs trick for ripe mango even in winter.

TASTE TEST This looks rather viscous and syrupy, and is a little sweet for my taste. Still, it has a reasonably aromatic fragrance and a rich taste comparable with fresh, if not the very best, mango. Its also far easier to use. However, I was disappointed to find it contains mango flavour-enhancer.

The tin is a good size. Blend with yoghurt, milk and ice for a delicious treat similar to the Indian drink lassi.

Or  as its already sweetened  simply freeze it for a great soft, scoopable mango sorbet. 4/10

CRACKERS CRISPS

Bonilla A La Vista Spanish Crisps, 24.95 for 500g, fortnumandmason.com

These crisps have been produced in Spain for over 80 years by the same family and are made from thinly sliced, organic potatoes

WHAT IS IT? These crisps  yes, in a tin, which is supposed to keep them crisper for longer  have been produced in Spain for over 80 years by the same family. They are made from thinly sliced, organic potatoes cooked in extravirgin olive oil and a touch of sea salt.

TASTE TEST Look, they are ridiculously expensive. But they genuinely are light as air, and crunchy with no hint of greasiness. If you try them, share only with special friends. 10/10 (if you can ignore the price)

MARVELLOUS MEZZE

Baba ghanoush by Cortas, 1.99 for 380g, sousfood.com

WHAT IS IT? Baba ghanoush made with aubergines grilled whole until the skin crackles, lending a hint of smoky flavour. The soft aubergine is scooped out and blended with tahini to make a rich puree.

TASTE TEST This baba ghanoush tastes authentically smoky. Its really exceptionally good and great value  excellent for those of us who now have an induction hob and can no longer smoke aubergines over a gas flame. It is delicious straight out of the can  though to make it into an outstanding mezze dish, mix with a little lemon juice and zest, fresh crushed garlic, sea salt, black pepper and extra virgin olive oil to taste.

Scoop up with warm flatbreads as a light lunch or a starter. 9/10

LOBSTER IN A CAN

Lobster Bisque, La Belle Iloise, 10.50 for 400g, culverandnelson.com

There may be less than 10 per cent lobster in this bisque but it is full of langoustines, brandy, and a dash of curry

WHAT IS IT? There is less than 10 per cent lobster in this bisque but its also packed with langoustines, brandy, a dash of curry and plenty of tomato, carrot and celery. A tin should serve two for lunch, or four as a starter.

TASTE TEST With the aroma of a proper Breton fish soup, it has a deep yet delicate flavour and a beautiful velvety mouthfeel. Most impressive for a tinned soup. Add saffron aioli and crisp (stale) baguette croutons to make it more substantial. 8/10

ACE OF ANCHOVIES

Ortiz anchovies, 4.95 for 47g, brindisa.com

Sudi says that these anchovies are so good that you can eat them straight from the tin on good bread with fridge-cold butter

WHAT IS IT? These, in their cheery red, blue and yellow tin (pictured), are considered the sine qua non by anchovy connoisseurs.

TASTE TEST Plump, juicy, immensely savoury without being too salty  and incredibly moreish. So good you will want to eat them straight from the tin on good bread with fridge-cold butter and some radishes on the side, or use them as a flavour bomb in many dishes. Stir into hot spaghetti with capers, chilli flakes, garlic and lemon. 9.5/10

QUICK VEGAN TRICK

Banana blossom, 1.12 for 400g, tesco.com

Five segments of banana blossom which, like jackfruit, can be used as a substitute for fish or meat

WHAT IS IT? Five segments of banana blossom which, like jackfruit, can be used as a substitute for fish or meat. It has a rosy colour and separates into long flakes rather like tuna.

TASTE TEST An interesting vegan option and, to my mind, far more tasty than jackfruit  its a little bland, tasting rather like palm heart, but has an interesting, slightly fibrous texture. Roasted in a seasoned batter finished with breadcrumbs, it is quite acceptable and certainly good value. A convenient tin stand-by for vegan guests. 5/10

ROYALLY TASTY OLIVES

Gordal pitted olives by Perello, 3.25 for 350g, brindisa.com

WHAT IS IT? Gordal olives are a top Spanish variety with a bright green colour and an almost crunchy texture. These are tinned in brine and guindilla chilli.

TASTE TEST These have a mild kick but the chilli is not too pervasive for a lightweight like me. The texture copes well with the canning process  theyre not mushy at all. Enjoy with cold meats and cheese, or add to salad. 9/10

PEPPER SARDINES

Sardines Thym Citron et Poivre Vert, La Belle Iloise, 6, culverandnelson.com

These luxe sardines are turned during the preserving process and flavoured with delicate green pepper and lemon thyme

WHAT IS IT? The Conserverie la Belle-Iloise, a family business based in Brittany, has been preserving fine fish for nearly 100 years. These luxe sardines are turned during the preserving process and flavoured with delicate green pepper and lemon thyme.

TASTE TEST Packed with protein and flavour. The olive oil is noticeably high-quality and the fish holds together well without being too firm.

Simply add a squeeze of lemon and scoop onto toast. 8/10
A blind dog with a 'seeing-eye' cat has become a viral sensation - after his owner revealed that her feline guides him around the house by meowing.

Robin Wagner, originally from New York but now living in Vermont, adopted her German shepherd and Greyhound mix, named Blaze, in April 2019, but was told by the shelter that he was born blind in one eye.

By October 2020, he had lost his ability to see altogether due to an undisclosed illness - but that hasn't stopped the pup from living life to the fullest.

A blind dog with a 'seeing-eye' cat has become a viral sensation - after his owner revealed that her feline guides him around the house by meowing

Robin Wagner, from Vermont, adopted her German shepherd and Greyhound mix, named Blaze, in April 2019, but was told by the shelter that he was born blind in one eye

By October 2020, he had lost his ability to see altogether due to an undisclosed illness - but that hasn't stopped the pup from living life to the fullest

With the help of Robin's pet cat, Satin, Blaze can still get around, and the two animals' touching friendship has captured the hearts of thousands of people around the world

Robin shared a clip of Satin leading Blaze around by letting out small noises to TikTok and it quickly went viral, gaining more than 582,000 views in a matter of days

With the help of Robin's pet cat, Satin, Blaze can still get around, and the animals' touching friendship has captured the hearts of thousands of people around the world.

Robin explained that the cat would often get 'run over' by the canine, so she became more vocal in an attempt to let him know where she was

Robin shared a clip of Satin leading Blaze around by letting out small noises to TikTok and it quickly went viral, gaining more than 582,000 views in a matter of days.

'Blaze going blind wasn't just an adjustment for us, our cat Satin had to learn to navigate this challenge too,' she explained in the video.

Robin added that the cat would often get 'run over' by the canine, so she became more vocal in an attempt to let him know where she was.

'Over time, we noticed her talking more when he'd walk by, as if saying, "Here I am!"' she revealed.

'When Blaze would jump on the bed, she used to run out of the bedroom out of fear of getting stepped on.

'Now, she gives a little meow to let him know where she is. As you can see, their relationship has only grown stronger.'

'Over time, we noticed her talking more when he'd walk by, as if saying, "Here I am!"' Robin revealed

Robin told South West News Service that the cat soon started using her voice to help prevent Blaze from running into walls or furniture

'Every time hed be walking towards her, she would meow, and he would stop and redirect himself,' she said

At first, Robin told South West News Service that Blaze struggled to come to terms with losing his ability to see, and developed a lot of 'social anxiety'

Robin told South West News Service that the cat soon started using her voice to help prevent Blaze from running into walls or furniture.

'Every time hed be walking towards her, she would meow, and he would stop and redirect himself,' she said.

In another TikTok video, Robin recalled finding a picture of Blaze on the website Pet Finder and 'knowing right away that he needed to be hers.'

'He was born blind in his right eye, and needed corrective surgery in his left to preserve vision and prevent glaucoma,' she continued.

'Long story short, surgery didn't work and Blaze became fully blind in October of 2020.'

Now, she explained on TikTok that he's as happy as could be, especially with the help of his pal Satin

'He can do anything a normal dog can do, and he even goes on weekly pack walks and is learning how to make friends,' Robin added

As for Satin, who Robin admitted 'isn't the most affection and cuddliest of cats' with humans, her bond with Blaze is as strong as could be

At first, Robin told South West News Service that Blaze struggled to come to terms with losing his ability to see, and developed a lot of 'social anxiety.'

She said he became 'very anxious and reactive,' but working with 'trainers helped him gain his confidence back.'

Now, she explained on TikTok that he's as happy as could be, especially with the help of his pal Satin.

'He can do anything a normal dog can do, and he even goes on weekly pack walks and is learning how to make friends,' she added.

As for Satin, who Robin admitted 'isn't the most affection and cuddliest of cats' with humans, her bond with Blaze is as strong as could be.

'She for sure tells Blaze she loves him, and its the most beautiful thing to see,' she told SWNS.
A mother and daughter teamed up to pilot their first flight together  and made history in the process.

Captain Holly Petitt, 53, and First Officer Keely Petitt, 25, became the first mother-daughter duo to pilot a plane in Southwest Airlines' 55-year history when they flew Flight 3658 from Denver to St. Louis on July 23.

'It's been a dream come true,' Holly said in a statement. 'First, I found this career and fell in love with it, and then that one of my kids fell into this and in love with this career too. It's surreal.'

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Captain Holly Petitt, 53, and First Officer Keely Petitt, 25, became Southwest Airlines' first mother-daughter pilot team when they flew together last month

They took turns flying Flight 3658 from Denver to St. Louis on July 23, and the proud mom made a special announcement to commemorate the moment

Holly started her aviation career working as a flight attendant right out of college. After sitting up front in the plane's flight deck, she realized she wanted to be a pilot.

She welcomed three children and supported her family as a full-time mom while taking flight lessons.

With the support of her husband and mother, she was able to train and obtain the certifications she needed to achieve her dream of becoming a commercial pilot.

Nearly two decades ago, Holly attended a Women in Aviation (WAI) International conference and became interested in working for Southwest.

Holly was working as a flight attendant after college when she she realized she wanted to become a pilot and started taking flight lessons

With the support of her family, the full-time mother of three was able to achieve her dreams, and she has been working for Southwest for the past 18 years

Keely (pictured as a child with her mom and siblings) knew she wanted to follow in her mother's footsteps at age 14 after she was gifted a discovery flight

She applied for a scholarship with the airline and scored an interview that went better than she could have hoped.

'It was the most amazing interview of my life,' she recalled. 'Eighteen years later and Im still giddy to do my job.'

Holly worked for Southwest Airlines while Keely was growing up, and when her daughter was 14, she and her siblings were taken on a discovery flight.

It was a life-changing gift for Keely, who realized at that moment she wanted to follow in her mother's footsteps and become a pilot.

Keely went on to get her pilot's license and interned at Southwest in 2017 (pictured)

Keely was ready to start her career when she graduated from college in 2019

Keely was a pilot for seven years before being hired by Southwest in May

Keely went on to get her pilot's license and landed an internship at Southwest in 2017, while she was in college. She was a pilot for seven years before being hired by Southwest in May.

'Southwest was always the end goal for me,' she said in a statement. 'There was really never any other option.'

Holly and Keely's mother-daughter flight is one that they will never forget, and the proud mom marked the day by making an announcement on the plane. Southwest Airlines shared footage of her short in-flight speech with Good Morning America.

'I'm going to interrupt my normally scheduled briefing here for some exciting news. Today is a really special day for me,' Holly said in the announcement. 'I would like to introduce to you your first officer, a brand new member of the Southwest team of pilots, and my daughter, Keely Petitt.

'Southwest was always the end goal for me,' Keely said in a statement. 'There was really never any other option'

'It's been a dream come true,' Holly shared. 'First, I found this career and fell in love with it, and then that one of my kids fell into this and in love with this career too. It's surreal'

'Keely, come on out here,' she continued. 'So, thank you all for being here. This is a very exciting day for us, and for Southwest Airlines, a very special day. We are the first mother-daughter duo ever on the flight deck of Southwest Airlines. So thank you for being here.'

Holly and Keely each enjoyed some flying time during their trip last month, according to GMA. Holly took the first leg while Keely served as co-pilot, and they switched roles for the second leg.

'My whole life, I knew I wanted to fly with my mom and it was just, like my mom said, it was so surreal and so incredible,' Keely told the outlet.

'As a kid, I always watched her do her job and be at work, but getting to understand it and see it all again, just the way that she shared our joy with her co-workers and the customers, it was just the perfect day. It was incredible. I could not be more grateful.'
A nutritionist has revealed how you can save money by butchering your own chicken at home - and the simple task takes just three minutes.

Jordan Pie, known as Jordan Pieface on Instagram, shared a video of her partner Roy carving up a raw chicken piece by piece on Tuesday.

In the caption the young New Zealand woman explained the 1.6 kilo bird cost her just $23.99 - where buying each piece separately would have cost $36.80.

Jordan Pie, known as Jordan Pieface on Instagram, shared a video of her partner Roy carving up a raw chicken piece by piece on Tuesday

A nutritionist has revealed how you can save money by butchering your own chicken at home - and the simple task takes just three minutes

'By butchering it ourselves, were able to save 34% or $12.80,' she said.

She explained taking care of the job at home also means you can limit your food wastage by using the whole animal.

The nutritionist even renders the chicken fat, makes treats from the skin and boils the bones for broth.

'With a bit of practice, butchering a whole chook takes us less than three minutes,' she said.

The video begins with Roy slicing off the legs before removing the skin and chopping the carcass in half.

He then trims the chicken breast away from the bone and packs each carefully dissected piece into reusable containers.

The fatty tissue and skin is then fried off, with the rendered fat drained into a jar for cooking and the skin put to the side as a tasty snack.

The fatty tissue and skin is then fried off, with the rendered fat drained into a jar for cooking and the skin put to the side as a tasty snack

'From one whole chicken you will have; two drumsticks, two thighs, two wings, two large chicken boobies, one large chicken frame which you can save for bone broth or chicken soup and the skin and chicken schmaltz,' she said.

The video was described as 'mesmerising' by many of the young woman's 80,000 followers.

'Why have I never thought about this? It is so clever,' one woman said.

Some revealed they like to cut their own chickens up too - but don't make the job look 'quite as effortless' as Roy.

How can I dissect a chicken at home? Step 1: With chicken breast side up, pull each leg away from the body, then slice between the breast and the drumstick. Turn chicken on its side and bend each leg back until the thigh bone pops out of its socket. Cut through the joint to remove the leg completely. Step 2: Pull each wing away from the body. Cut through the joint and remove the wings. Step 3: Pull the chicken skin off and set this aside. Dont throw it out. Step 4: To make the next step easier, lift up the chicken and cut downward through the rib cage and shoulder joints to separate the breast from the back. This helps to stabilise the frame when removing the chicken breasts. Step 5: Carefully run your knife alongside the breast bone, making short scraping cuts as close to the bone as you can. Gently pull the breast meat away and cut the same way along the ribs to remove the breast completely. Repeat on the other side. Step 6: Leave the maryland whole, or cut through the joint and youll have a drumstick and thigh. To make the crispy skin treats and render the fat: Simply chop the skin, then render in either a saucepan or in the oven. Once its golden brown and crispy, pour through a sieve and collect the golden schmaltz (chicken fat) and sprinkle the crispy chicken bits with salt and enjoy. Advertisement

The couple like to use the carcass for bone broth after taking the meat off

'So therapeutic to watch, although I'm not this professional, mine looks like I've cut it with a spoon sometimes,' one woman said.

'Well you wouldn't want to see a video how I cut mine up.. its a mess no matter how perfect I try to be,' added a second.

Jordan said her partner, who is a photographer, likes to sharpen his knives before butchering a chicken and will 'often swap between two'.

While others decided the hack would be worth following up for the crispy chicken skin alone.

'It is the best, most crunchiest, yummiest savoury snack,' Jordan said in response.

'Can confirm that the cooked chicken skin is beyond amazing!! I'll buy a whole chicken for this reason only,' another woman added.
A popular baker has caused a stir after claiming she's discovered the 'right' way to light sparklers - sparking a heated debate.

Melbourne baker Tegan 'Tigga' Maccormack, who co-founded the business Cake For Days, posted a now-viral TikTok video responding to a comment from a viewer claiming sparklers are meant to be lit from the bottom, not the top.

In the video, Tigga can be seen with a confused look on her face and was left 'mind blown' after trying the recommended way.

The 34-year-old and thousands of others online were left 'mind blown' by the little-known method, but others weren't convinced.

Scroll down for video

Melbourne baker Tegan 'Tigga' Maccormack (pictured) posted a now-viral TikTok video responding to a comment from a viewer claiming sparklers are meant to be lit from the bottom, no the top

Poll How do you light sparklers? From the top From the bottom Either way How do you light sparklers? From the top 472 votes

From the bottom 52 votes

Either way 60 votes Now share your opinion





The comment read: 'You're meant to light them form the bottom so the sparkles go up.'

Using a baking blowtorch, Tigga ignites the sparkler form the bottom and the light finishes at the top.

In the comments on person was left in disbelief and wrote: 'Whaaaaaa???'

'How have I not known this!!!!,' another wrote, and a third added: 'So much less dangerous too.'

In the video, Tigga can be seen with a confused look on her face and was left 'mind blown' after trying the recommended way. In the comments on person was left in disbelief and wrote: 'Whaaaaaa???', but others failed to believe this method is 'better' than lighting the sparkler from the top

But some failed to believe this method is 'better' than lighting the sparkler from the top.

'Why is this mind blowing? If you light it in the middle it sparks both ways,' one person wrote.

'I've never met a single person that lights it from the bottom,' another admitted.

A third person said: 'Always light your sparkler at the tip, keeping the open flame the furthest away from the bare wire handle as possible.'

After less than 24 hours the video went viral exceeding a staggering 4.1million views.
A young traveller has revealed the stark difference between texting Australian and European men - and Aussie boys did not come out on top.

Alexa, who is from Sydney but has been travelling around Europe, compared the sweet messages she has received from men she met on her travels with the harsh texts she was sent while she was home.

In a now-viral TikTok video, the woman shared screenshots of the messages she's received over the years from both sides with an Australian texting her 'Who gives a f*** about you' while a European man was more romantic asking 'How is my beautiful girl?'.

Scroll down for video

Alexa (pictured), from Sydney, revealed what it's like dating Australian versus European men by comparing the types of texts they send in a now-viral TikTok video

Alexa shared screenshots of messages from men she'd dated with an Australian texting here: 'Stop asking me s*** you know' while a Europeans were more romantic saying 'wish I could be with you again'

Poll Are Australian men ruder than European men? Yes, absolutely Not at all It's the luck of the draw Are Australian men ruder than European men? Yes, absolutely 403 votes

Not at all 109 votes

It's the luck of the draw 204 votes Now share your opinion





'Should we all move to Europe?' Alexa captioned the clip that has amassed more than 41,000 views.

More brutal texts from Australian boys she got during her time dating in Sydney included: 'Stop asking me s*** you know', 'I made the effort of asking you', 'I was p***ed off' and 'This is so f***ing simple'.

On the contrary, suitors in Europe were far more suave sending the Aussie woman messages such as: 'Will always have you in my heart tho', 'I'm melting with our pics' and 'Wish I could be with you' complete with heart emojis.

Dozens of women both from down under and around the world in were in agreeance with Alexa and related to her problem with 'toxic' Australian men.

More brutal texts from Australian boys she got during her time dating in Sydney included: 'I made the effort of asking you', 'I was p***ed off' and ''Who gives a f*** about you''

'Sydney woman here. Can confirm this is truth,' one viewers said while another wrote: 'Ughhh this is so accurate'.

'This is so true!! Why are they so angry??,' a third asked.

'Can confirm: I'm from the UK and it's bizarre how men communicate in Aus,' responded a fourth.

'Boys in Sydney MESSAGE you???? this is already rare,' another laughed to which Alexa responded: 'Messages are barely worth reading dw'.

Others in the comments weren't so convinced and jumped in to defend the Aussie lads.

On the contrary, suitors in Europe were far more suave with messages such as: 'How is my beautiful girl?' and 'Will always have you in my heart tho' complete with heart emojis

'Maybe you're picking the wrong guys,' one person said and second agreed: 'You are speaking to the wrong Sydney guys!'

'It all depends on the boy, some are heartless and some are gracious and affectionate. It doesn't matter where they're from,' said another.

Someone also offered some sage dating advice: 'They don't deserve your beautiful best self. Don't bother explaining yourself to those who disrespect you like that. Disrespect them back and block'.
Feeling stressed can leave you tearing your hair out.

But scientists may now be able to detect how much pressure you really are under by inspecting the locks themselves.

Researchers have found they can accurately detect cortisol  the body's main stress hormone  levels in your hair.

Until now, scientists could only spot the stress hormone in blood, urine or saliva.

The team said the results suggest measuring the hormone in hair can be a good way of identifying chronic stress.

The condition can, over time, cause anxiety, insomnia, high blood pressure and even a weakened immune system.

A study of nearly 1,300 women in Mexico and Iceland found the top fifth stressed people had nearly a quarter more cortisol concentrated in their hair than those in the bottom fifth

What is the 'stress hormone' cortisol? Cortisol is considered nature's built-in alarm system. Although stress is not the only reason it is produced, it has been termed the 'stress hormone' because it is released when the body is in 'fight or flight' mode. It is produced in the kidneys secreted into the bloodstream. Normally, the body produces higher levels in the morning and lower at night. But if levels stay too high for too long, it can cause a range of health problems, including anxiety, depression, heart disease and trouble sleeping. It can also cause a condition called Cushing syndrome that causes rapid weight gain, skin that bruises easily, muscle weakness and diabetes. Advertisement

The study, published in PLOS Global Public Health, analysed hair samples from 881 women in Mexico and 398 women in Iceland.

Researchers took the hair from the root and analysed the 3cm-long section closest to their scalp in a machine.

Hair grows 1cm per month, so the area represented the last three months.

The same women were then given a 10-item survey asking them how stressed they felt they were.

Questions asked them the degree to which they 'found their lives unpredictable, uncontrollable and over-loading'.

They answered on a five-point scale and researchers split the respondents into five groups based on their total scores, which indicated how stressed they were.

Women who scored in the top fifth for stress levels had 24.3 per cent higher cortisol levels than those in the bottom fifth, results showed.

Study author Dr Rebekka Lynch, of the University of Reykjavik, said it suggests that measuring cortisol in hair could hold promise in diagnosing chronic stress.

The researchers wrote: 'An association between perceived stress and [hair cortisol concentration] was found in a sample of women from two diverse geographical and cultural backgrounds.

'[It supports] the hypothesis that [hair cortisol concentration] is a viable biomarker in studies of chronic psychological stress.'

Cortisol is considered nature's built-in alarm system.

Although stress is not the only reason it is produced, it has been termed the 'stress hormone' because it is released when the body is in 'fight or flight' mode.

Normally, the body produces higher levels in the morning and lower at night.
A new technology can keep organ cells alive for hours after the rest of the body dies in a breakthrough that experts hope can quell the dire need for more transplantable hearts, kidneys and livers.

Researchers at Yale University developed 'OrganEx' - an offshoot of the breakthrough 'BrainEx' technology designed by scientists at the New Haven, Connecticut school in 2019. The device delivers fluid containing compounds that boost cellular health and prevent inflammation into the organs - keeping them alive for up to six hours after the rest of the body dies.

This research was performed on pigs, but the team is hopeful that their experimental process will be effective on human organs as well. If so, it could significantly boost the supply of available hearts, kidneys and livers for transplant - and even help extend the lives of some people stuck on the waiting list.

With more than 105,000 Americans waiting for an organ transplant - and 17 dying each day - researchers are hoping these findings can help improve and extend the lives of millions down the line.

The study's lead researcher told DailyMail.com that these findings 'could one day significantly increase organ availability.'

Dr Robert Potre, who wrote a response piece to the study in Nature on Wednesday, told the New York Times that the effect of this process on the future of organ transplants 'would be huge', and is hopeful that it will have an impact on the global organ shortage.

A research team at Yale University found that a new compound OrganEx could maintain organs from a dead pig for up to six hours after death (file photo)

The research team, who published their findings on Wednesday in Nature, induced cardiac arrest on anesthetized pigs to determine how their bodily functions would react to the compound.

An hour went by, and then they used a device similar to machines that keep the heart and lungs pumping during surgery to prop the pigs' organs while delivering them the substance.

Six hours after death, areas of key cell function were still active in the pigs' bodies and some organ functioning had even been restored after death.

'We were also able to restore circulation throughout the body, which amazed us,' Dr Nenad Sestan, a neuroscience professor at Yale who led the study, said in a statement.

They also detected a return of electrical activity in the heart, allowing it to continue pumping.

Sestan explained that organs swell and blood vessels collapse when the heart stops - stopping the circulation of blood in the body as a result.

Two New York patients successfully receive pig organ transplants without showing signs of rejecting them Doctors have made a break through in the practice of xenotransplantation after successfully importing two genetically engineered pig hearts into human bodies. A team of surgeons at NYU Langone Health, in New York City, performed the operations on two patients that were brain dead but still breathing via life support on June 19 and July 9. In both cases, the person's body did not reject the heart and the pigs' hearts operated as normal without the need of any machinery - unlike previous patients that experimented with similar transplants. While the process of xenotransplantation - moving an organ from one species to another - is still in its early stages experts are hopeful that these types of breakthroughs will help close a shortage of available organs around the world, especially for children. The transplants were carried out on two patients that were already considered medically deceased. Their status makes them valuable to researchers as it allows them to perform experiments that may be too risky for a living subject, but on a person whose bodily operations are still somewhat functional. Previous trials on living people have led to death. Earlier this year a 57-year old man who receive a pig heart transplant at the University of Maryland died 49 days after the operation after his body rejected the vital organ. For the NYU patients, hearts from pigs that had at least 10 genetic modifications were used. Advertisement

Pigs that received OrganEx did not show these same signs of collapse after receiving the treatment, though, keeping their organs functionable - a most importantly transplantable - as a result.

Some of the pigs' motor functions were maintained as well, with the animals still spontaneously displaying muscle movement in the head and neck even after death.

These findings were built off of a medical breakthrough at Yale in 2019. A research team at the time was able to restore the brain functions of a pig four hours after it had died.

'The intact brain of a large mammal retains a previously underappreciated capacity for restoration of circulation and certain molecular and cellular activities multiple hours after circulatory arrest,' Sestan said in a statement at the time.

He then explained how the findings from the BrainEx experiment were applied to develop OrganEx: 'If we were able to restore certain cellular functions in the dead brain, an organ known to be most susceptible to ischemia [inadequate blood supply], we hypothesized that something similar could also be achieved in other vital transplantable organs.'

The research team is hopeful their findings will allow for a massive expansion in the number of organ transplants performed every year.

They can not be sure how much so, though, with Sestan telling DailyMail.com in an email that it would be hard to gauge but 'the technology could one day significantly increase organ availability and reduce logistical constraints of organ transplantation.'

Porte is hopeful as well. In his Nature piece he notes that many hospitals already wait significant periods of time to harvest organs - leaving many transplant recipients receiving sub-par organs.

This will allow for more organs to be harvested, and potentially make sure they are higher quality as well.

When a person dies, there is a limited period of time where their organs are harvestable. Depending on the cause of death, some of their organs may be deemed unusable all-together.

Maintaining and even potentially repairing organs using this new technology will open many doors for transplantation.

Researchers are also hopeful that OrganEx can be valuable before a person dies, and help expand the life-span of a person's organs who currently needs a transplant.

This could help prevent some of the 17 daily deaths waiting for organs each day in America.

'There are numerous potential applications of this exciting new technology... however, we need to maintain careful oversight of all future studies, particularly any that include perfusion of the brain,' Dr Stephen Latham, director of the Yale Interdisciplinary Center for Bioethics, said.

There are other questions to be answered as well. Sestan told DailyMail.com that his team still does not know if organs maintained with OrganEx are as durable, functional or safe to transplant as ones used now.

He also does not know if it could impact xenotransplantation - where organs from one animal are implanted into another. This practice has been experimented multiple times in recent years to varying degrees of success.
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Monkeypox has now been detected in almost every U.S. state as cases reached the 6,326 mark across 48 states, the District and Columbia and Puerto Rico  with only Montana and Wyoming not having logged an infection, official figures revealed today.

The national outbreak of the virus has spiraled since the first case was detected in Boston, Massachusetts, in late May. It has consistently surged by more than a hundred cases a day over the last three weeks amid ramped up testing with New York and California having emerged as national hotspots. Alongside Illinois, they have declared emergency states to handle the virus.

Dr William Hanage, an epidemiologist at Harvard University, told DailyMail.com that the virus likely arrived in many states much earlier than when it was officially detected. He points to anecdotal reports from Spain of monkeypox-like patients in February  three months before the outbreak began in Europe.

Hanage warned it was now 'very widespread' and 'not under control' across the United States, and that there was 'huge concern' it could spill over into other groups.

There is mounting concern that monkeypox  which spreads via physical touch  could already be transmitting into more vulnerable groups like children and pregnant women, who are most at risk from serious disease. Five cases have been spotted in under-18s so far and one in a mother-to-be, with experts warning there may be others that are not being picked up because of a lack of testing.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has repeatedly being slammed for its slow response to the virus, failing to ramp up testing quickly to spot cases and to roll out vaccines fast to stymie the tide of cases.

The above map shows the states that have reported monkeypox infections up to August 2nd, the latest date available. It reveals that almost every one has now detected it except Montana and Wyoming

MAY 18 (left) and JUNE 8 (right): The above maps show which states have detected cases of monkeypox virus, as it began to spread across the United States

JUNE 22 (left) and JULY 6 (right): The virus was detected in yet more states and in larger numbers following celebrations for Pride. It has mostly been detected among gay or bisexual men

JULY 20 (left) and JULY 27 (right): The CDC starts to report far more cases once testing is ramped up. It has recorded more than a hundred every working day for the past few weeks

The CDC has made monkeypox a nationally notifiable condition starting August 1, making all states and localities report case figures to federal officials each day. They hope is that this will not only give Americans a more accurate daily look at the state of the virus, but also smooth out reporting figures each day.

So far almost every infection has been detected in men, with the vast majority also identifying as gay or bisexual. But there are signs that the disease  spread via physical touch  may now be spreading to other groups.

Within a week of the first case being reported in a man who had recently returned from Canada, New York and Florida both reported their first patients.

By the end of June more than half of U.S. states  or 34  said they had detected the virus at least once. Cities including New York and Washington D.C. began to administer vaccines against the disease to gay or bisexual men to quell the growing outbreak.

Child in California becomes fifth pediatric monkeypox case in US A second child in California is thought to have been infected with monkeypox, health officials revealed today taking the U.S. tally to five. The youngster  under 17 years old  presented with unspecified symptoms of the virus at a clinic in Los Angeles. They received treatment, and have since recovered, they said. It is likely they became infected from a 'household contact', like in two other cases in children. Cases among children are sparking concern because those less than eight years are at heightened risk of severe disease and death if they catch the virus. Two cases were reported in children in Indiana this week, although no further information was given. A case has also been reported in a toddler in California and a baby that was travelling through Washington D.C. Advertisement

But the rollouts were dogged by delays receiving doses and there being too few to meet the 'enormous' demand to get inoculated.

Into July the situation only worsened with the U.S. infection tally crossing the milestone of 1,000 cases within the second week of the month. By the end of this month 48 states  even Maine, Vermont and Alaska  had all picked up the infection.

Cases spiraled over this month as testing capacity expanded from 1,000 to 10,000 swabs a day  with New York alone recording infections in four figures by the end of the month.

A record 1,048 cases were reported on July 27, but the CDC said this surge was down to 'historical cases' being reported mostly from California  which had not updated its count for days.

The growing sense of crisis led San Francisco to become the first city to warn it would declare an emergency over the outbreak.

Days later it was followed by New York City, alongside the states of New York, Illinois and California as a whole. No declaration has yet been made at the federal level though it has reportedly been considered by the Biden administration.

Several patients have been hospitalized so far  in some cases only because they could not isolate at home  but no deaths have been reported in the U.S..

There have been ten to date globally, including four outside Africa  with four in Spain and one each in Brazil and India.

Commenting on how the virus had spread, Hanage told DailyMail.com: 'We are not necessarily seeing spread, what we are seeing here is detection.

'There has been so little testing for so long and it has been so patchily applied... that what you are actually seeing is transmission chains that were already started some time ago and now finally people are cottoning on to them.

'That sounds like it is a positive thing, but it is not really.

'[The maps] show the outbreak is already very widespread and not under control. It really is only a matter of time before all states pick it up.'

There is mounting concern that the outbreak  now at 6,326 infections  could soon spill over into children and pregnant women, who are more vulnerable to the virus.

America has detected five cases in children to date, with the latest being in a child from Los Angeles, California. State officials say the youngster was 'symptomatic' but has now recovered. Two children have also tested positive for monkeypox in Indiana, while cases have been detected in a toddler in California and a baby that was 'travelling through' Washington D.C. Three of the cases likely caught the virus from 'household contacts'.

A pregnant woman has also tested positive for the virus in the U.S., but did not pass on the virus to her now-born baby. Experts say it poses the greatest risk early in the pregnancy, because it could lead to developmental abnormalities in the fetus.

Asked about it spreading to more vulnerable groups, Hanage said this was a 'huge question' that was causing 'a great deal of concern'.

Dr Bill Hanage, from Harvard University, (left) warned there was great concern that the virus would spill over into other groups. Dr Robert Murphy, the executive director for the Institute for Global Health at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, told DailyMail.com it was too early to tell whether cases had begun to peak because testing had been so inconsistent.

Pictured above are men queuing to get the monkeypox vaccine in Encino, California. It is being rolled out to the group as this is where the most cases have been detected

Pictured above are men queuing for the jab in San Francisco, California. The city has complained it is getting too few jabs

'It is unquestionably true that the virus can infect other groups,' he said, '[but] it is not clear how sustainable transmission is within those other groups.'

'The population as a whole remains at low risk, but we are going to have to be watching extremely closely to start checking how much transmission can occur within the other networks.

'At the moment, we are systematically under-identifying cases because we are not testing there.'

There is no sign in the data yet that cases may be slowing down, with CDC officials warning at a briefing last week that they expect the tally to keep rising for 'weeks'.

Timeline of monkeypox in the United States 1958: Monkeypox is discovered when an outbreak of pox-like disease occurred in monkeys kept for research. 1970: First human case of the disease is recorded in the Democratic Republic of Congo. It was later detected in a number of other central and western African countries. 2003: America's former largest monkeypox outbreak occurs. A total of 47 people are infected after having contact with pet prairie dogs that picked up the disease at a farm. July, 2021: Monkeypox case detected in the U.S. in a citizen who had recently returned from Nigeria. November, 2021: Monkeypox is detected in another U.S. resident who recently returned from Nigeria. May, 2022: A man in Massachusetts is diagnosed with monkeypox, becoming the first case in the current outbreak. There are now more than 2,000 cases nationwide. July, 2022: First cases are confirmed in children and a pregnant woman, who are more at risk from the virus. Advertisement

Dr Robert Murphy, the executive director for the Institute for Global Health at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, told DailyMail.com it was too early to tell whether cases had begun to peak because testing had been so inconsistent.

'Cases detected now were so under-report it is difficult to say what's happening now. There have been inconsistencies in testing, and this is also not a reportable disease in the United States which could impact the figures,' he said.

But he said it was possible that the roll out of vaccines and raised awareness of the disease  which may be sparking changes in sexual behavior  could be slowing the spread of the virus.

Even if the U.S. did get on top of the outbreak, however, it will likely need to brace for future introductions from other countries where the virus will continue spreading.

In particular, this includes Africa where several nations including Nigeria have been battling an outbreak of the disease for years.

America was recording less than ten cases a day during the first few weeks of the outbreak, but at the time medics were complaining they were struggling to get people with monkeypox-like symptoms swabbed for the disease.

But when private labs were brought in last month  ramping up capacity to more than 10,000 swabs a day  the number of cases spotted every 24 hours rocketed into the hundreds.

The CDC has been repeatedly blasted for failing to get swabs rolled out early leaving the United States unaware of the scale of the outbreak.

It has also  alongside the federal government  being criticized for failing to offer swabs against the virus rapidly to those who are most at risk from the disease.

Before the outbreak, the country's national stockpile was allowed to dwindle from 20 million to just 2,400 doses of the vaccine  a drop of 99.9 percent  in the years leading up to the outbreak.

Initially, the stockpile was expanded over concerns that bio-terrorists could weaponize smallpox  which the vaccines also work against. But as the jabs three-year shelf life came to an end instead of replacing them federal officials invested in developing a longer-lived vaccine.

This meant that by the time monkeypox struck there were very few doses still available in the country, slowing the roll out. This was then further hampered by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) taking weeks to complete an inspection of a new factory where the jabs were being put into vials before being shipped to America.

New York City, Washington D.C. and parts of California are among those currently rolling out the jab to all gay or bisexual men to help curb the outbreak  and have complained they are not receiving enough jabs.
A 50-year-old Indonesian man fractured his penis during 'vigorous' sex with his wife, doctors have revealed.

The unidentified man, who attended hospital on his own, complained that his penis had been swollen for four hours.

He told doctors he had been having sex with his wife when he felt his penis 'crack'  causing him to immediately lose his erection and start bleeding from his urethra.

Writing in a medical journal, experts said he was in 'extreme' pain and unable to pass urine.

Doctors who examined the man's 'urological emergency' described it as looking like an eggplant  purple in colour with a bend resembling that of the vegetable.

Doctors who examined the 'urological emergency' said the unidentified man's penis looked like an eggplant  with a bend to the right similar to the shape of the vegetable

HOW DOES A PENIS FRACTURE? A penile fracture occurs when the appendage is subject to a sharp, blunt force trauma, which can occur during vigorous intercourse or masturbation. Since 1924, around 2,000 cases have been recorded worldwide - roughly 16 instances per year. Researchers noted that in half of cases, a gruesome cracking sound can be heard. Four in five male victims lost their erection. Those who have already been traumatised from breaking their penis are often left with erectile dysfunction problems and a lifetime of painful sex. Blood flows into corpora cavernosa that runs along the penis and making it hard during an erection. The trick to stopping penile injuries is to thrust quite shallowly, according to sex expert Tracey Cox. Holding your partner close to you using a grinding rather than thrusting motion will also reduce the risk, she told MailOnline. Advertisement

They believe the patient was having 'vigorous' sex that saw his penis slam against either his wife's perineum or public bone.

Describing the case in the International Journal of Surgery Case Reports, doctors explained that he was rushed into to an emergency operation within two hours of arriving at the Dr Soetomo General Hospital in Java.

Medics 'degloved' his penis skin to reveal the damaged tissue underneath.

This revealed that he had ruptured his urethra, along with the erectile tissue in his penis and his Buck's fascia  the tissue, blood vessels and nerves around the penis.

Doctors repaired the damage and the man spent five days in hospital, with a catheter  a flexible tube used to empty the bladder  that was left in place for three weeks.

Hospital staff removed the device 21 days later and subsequent urine tests  which measured how quickly he passed urine and the volume released  were normal.

Four months after the ordeal, the patient 'had no serious complaints' and was left with only a 'minor' bend in his penis.

He was able to urinate and have sex without discomfort.

The medics said penile fractures are an uncommon injury, usually suffered during sex, that can be diagnosed from a physical examination and a patient's medical history.

However, they noted some fractures occur due to masturbation, falling out of bed with an erect penis or 'other penile trauma'.

They said surgery should be performed 'as soon as possible' and within 24 hours to avoid complications.
Oatly oat milk is among more than 50 products manufactured by Lyons Magnus that have been recalled for potential microbial contamination.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reports that poor commercial sanitation practices at Lyons plants have allowed for potential contamination of the bacteria Cronobacter sakazakii. The bacteria causes a rare infection that could be dangerous to immunocompromised people. There are no reported infections tied to the products yet.

Oatly has been at the forefront of a surge of popularity of oat milk in the U.S. in recent years. It has received backing from stars such as Jay-Z, Natalie Portman and Oprah who were each a member of a group which purchased a $200 million stake in the company in 2020. It reported $185.9 million in sales last year - a 50 percent increase from the previous year.

Americans that have any of the 53 recalled products at home are advised to either dispose of them or return them to a store for a refund.

Oatly oat milk is among the 53 products included in the recall of Lyons Magnus manufactured products. Poor commercial sanitary conditions are blamed for the potential Cronobacter sakazakii bacterial exposure (file photo)

Oprah Winfrey (left), Jay-Z (middle) and Natalie Portman (right) are among a group of high profile Oatly investors

The FDA did not give details as to how it became aware of the potential contamination and at which plants it occurred.

The Cronobacter sakazakii bacteria at the centers of the recall can cause infections which has symptoms that include fever, vomiting and a urinary tract infection.

While infections are rare, the FDA warns that people who are immunocompromised or a part of another vulnerable population are at most risk of suffering from the contamination.

Cronobacter: A rare infection that can be dangerous to infants and the elderly Cronobacter bacteria can be found in many dry foods - but not exclusively Infections caused by the bacteria are rare, with the CDC only reporting two to four confirmed cases each year It is most common, and most dangerous in infants aged two-months or younger The elderly or people with severe vulnerabilities are also at risk of severe symptoms or death from the infection Infected infants are likely to develop meningitis as a result Other symptoms that affect all who are infected include fever, vomiting and a urinary tract infection The bacteria is at the center of the recall of Abbott baby formula from early 2022 Source: CDC Advertisement

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports between two to four cases every year, though warns this is likely an undercount.

Infants are among the group most at risk from the infection. The recall does not include Lyons Magnus-manufactured products intended for infants.

It is the same bacteria famously at the center of the Abbott baby formula recall that sparked a shortage that has struck the nation in recent months.

The recall also includes Pirq protein products, Stumptown cold brew coffees, and Glucerna meal replacements designed for diabetics, among others.

Oatly is the most recognizable brand in the group. The Malmo, Sweden-based company arrived in the U.S. four years ago and quickly became a favorite among younger millennials and zoomers.

Oatly did not immediately responded to a DailyMail.com request for comment.

Demand for the drink was so high upon its expansion into the U.S. and across Europe that it even faced supply shortages early in its initial run.

The company reported 185.9 million in sales in 2021 - a 46 percent jump from the previous year.

It registered $55 million of those sales in the Americas, nearly doubling revenue year-over-year.

Oatly has benefited greatly from a push against standard cow milk in recent years.

It comes as part of increased concerns about lactose intolerance in the population and environmental concerns surrounding the dairy industry.

The brand has earned attention from massive investors as well. In 2020, a group that included Blackstone, one of the world's largest private equity firms, media mogul Oprah Winfrey, actress Natalie Portman and rapper Jay-Z plunged a $200 million investment into the company.

Progressive New York Rep Alexandria Ocasio Cortez has also promoted oat milk as a climate-friendly alternative to cow's milk.
Earth calling Metro Bank. Did you somehow miss the memo that Britain is at the centre of a global fraud epidemic?

Every day sophisticated scammers are seeking to rinse your customers' accounts for all they are worth. So how is it possible you have yet to introduce a basic yet vital fraud check to help prevent this from happening?

When making payments online, customers are asked to enter the recipient's name, account number and sort code.

Metro Bank still has to bring in the new system called 'confirmation of payee'

But  until recently  the name was just for show. Banks didn't actually check it matched what they had on record.

It meant that it was all too easy for scammers to convince victims they were transferring money to HMRC or a 'safe account' in their own name.

Most people assumed that, if the account holder's name differed from what they had entered, banks would block the transfer.

In fact, it could have belonged to Joe Fraudster and the payment would still have been made, as long as the account number and sort code were correct.

However, in a major step forward, most major banks have now introduced a new system called 'confirmation of payee'.

It's not rocket science. It just means firms now ensure the name and account details marry up.

And, if they don't, a warning message will flash up, alerting customers to the fact that something is amiss. The simplicity of it all makes you wonder why this check wasn't in place all along.

So it beggars belief that some banks are yet to bring it in. We're still waiting on around 11 firms to upgrade their systems, despite the idea first being mooted more than six years ago, and rolled out among the big players in 2019.

And, as I discovered last week when trying to pay a tradesman 250, Metro Bank  with around two and a half million customers  is among them.

It resulted in my bank issuing a stern warning: 'We can't check the details you entered, as their bank doesn't offer this service.

'By choosing 'Continue' you accept you could send money to the wrong account and may not get it back.'

Although I was confident I was not being scammed, it was still unsettling. My bank didn't like it either. I promptly received a voicemail demanding I answer a series of security questions over the phone before it would release the money.

While I appreciate that at least someone was paying attention  and, to my relief, picking up the phone  none of this should have been necessary.

If we are to have a chance at stopping scammers, some banks really do need to up their game.

Mixed messages

While on the topic of fraud, I was disconcerted to also receive a text message from my bank containing a telephone number to call.

The experts always say you must never trust numbers provided via text, and should instead use the one on the back of your card.

We've seen people caught out time and time again by scam text messages. This sort of inconsistency is very unhelpful when trying to raise awareness of simple fraud prevention steps we should all be taking.

Agents of chaos

Booking a holiday is enough of a faff right now, without online agents such as lastminute.com advertising sold-out flights.

Fortunately, I'd paid by credit card, otherwise I'd have been left waiting days for the money to be returned to my bank account after it later cancelled the booking.

In the end, we saved a packet by booking direct with the airline. Lesson learned.

I was also interested to see that lastminute.com  which already offers customers a plethora of insurance add-ons  hadn't wasted any time in cashing in on the ongoing lost luggage debacle at airports. 'What if your bags get lost? Protect your luggage for just 6.90 per person,' the advert said.

Apparently you'll get 1,000 if your suitcase doesn't materialise within 96 hours. I'd just check the small print first.

v.bischoff@dailymail.co.uk
Bain & Company has hit back at a decision by Jacob Rees-Mogg to ban it from working on UK government contracts.

The US management consultancy received a letter from the Cabinet Office minister explaining that it would not be allowed to tender for British state work for three years, following its involvement in a South African corruption scandal.

But in a fiery statement, Bain said it was 'disappointed and surprised'  and would be responding to address 'material inaccuracies' in Rees-Mogg's letter.

Bain & Company has hit back at a decision by Jacob Rees-Mogg, pictured, to ban it from working on UK government contracts

Bain, which is based in Boston and once counted former Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney as an employee, has been accused of playing a key role in a post-apartheid corruption scandal.

It was working on a restructuring of South Africa's tax authority, but an inquiry found that it 'colluded' with then president Jacob Zuma to precipitate a breakdown of the institution.

Zuma has denied accusations of corruption, and while Bain has admitted failings, it does not accept all the inquiry's findings. Britain is the first western country to penalise Bain, following pressure from anti-apartheid campaigner Lord Hain.

In a letter to Bain's UK managing partner James Hadley, seen by the Financial Times, Rees-Mogg said the company would be banned from taking on Cabinet Office contracts for three years from January 4, 2022.

Other departments have been advised to shun Bain too. Rees-Mogg added: 'I trust that after three years have elapsed Bain & Co will have restored its reputation.'

He accused the company of 'grave professional misconduct' in South Africa which 'renders its integrity questionable'. It is understood that Cabinet Office officials had steered Rees-Mogg away from imposing a ban, but that he sought further advice from a barrister.

Bain said: 'We are disappointed and surprised by the minister's decision. We will be responding to express our concern about the process and its outcome, where recommendations from the Cabinet Office were apparently overruled, and to address material inaccuracies in the minister's letter.

'If necessary, we will then consider other options for review of the decision. In the meantime, we will continue to work with the Cabinet Office to ensure that we do what is required to restore our standing with the UK government.'

Bain has taken on UK public sector contracts worth up to 63m since 2018, including 40m of Brexit-related consulting work for the Cabinet Office. It said it had repaid all fees from its work on the South African Revenue Service, and had not been found to have acted illegally.

It has also appointed a global risk officer and improved its risk controls, it added. A spokesman said: 'These steps have been scrutinised by the UK Cabinet Office and, prior to the minister's decision, we understood that these remedial measures met the UK government's requirements. 'This appears not to have not been taken into consideration by the minister.'
Kwasi Kwarteng is smack in the centre of the row over the future of satellite firm One Web, which is in danger of being swal - lowed by French rival Eutelsat.

The Business Secretary is being accused of a conflict of interest over the controversial deal by the chairman of Parliaments business committee, Darren Jones.

Jones said Kwarteng is clearly conflicted because the Cabinet minister is responsible for approving the merger and in charge of the Governments stake in One Web.

Kwasi Kwarteng is smack in the centre of the row over the future of satellite firm One Web, which is in danger of being swal - lowed by French rival Eutelsat

Kwarteng has overseen legislation meant to prevent firms important for our national security being sold to foreign buyers. But One Web risks being the latest firm on his watch to be sold to an overseas predator, raising fears over our tech and defence sectors.

This matters, and not just because of the security sensitivities. For Kwarteng is widely tipped to be the next Chancellor of the Exchequer if Liz Truss becomes prime minister in September.

The deal between One Web and Eutel sat is billed a merger of equals. The UK and French governments will hold similar stakes if it goes ahead, and any subsequent sale of the merged business could be blocked by Britain.

Ultimately, however, there is no get - ting round the fact One Web would be swallowed by the Paris-listed Eutelsat group. Worse, taxpayers are already out of pocket as the UK government agreed to sell its 18pc stake in One Web in return for shares in Eutelsat, which have tanked since the deal was announced last week.

Kwarteng, 47, last month cleared the way for two foreign takeovers of British defence firms. He was minded to accept the 6.3bn acquisition of Coventry-based Meggitt by U S conglomerate Parker Hannifin.

He also supported the 2.6bn takeover of Ultra Electronics by US private equity group Advent International, which bought defence group Cobham in 2020 for 4bn. Other takeovers have seen satellite company Inmarsat being gobbled up by Americas Viasat  a deal being probed by the competition watchdog  and Welsh chip maker Newport Wafer Fab bought by a Chinese-backed Dutch firm.

The deal between One Web and Eutel sat is billed a merger of equals

The latter is facing a national security review. City sources who have seen him recently say Kwarteng speaks as if his elevation to Chancellor is a foregone conclusion. He and Truss go back a long way.

Both entered Parliament in 2010, and together wrote a pamphlet advocating free mar - ket reform of the economy. As well as championing her tax-cutting agenda, he tweeted that Truss had consistently led from the front in Cabinet when it comes to warning of the threat from hostile international actors and measures needed to safeguard strategic British assets.

Born in London, Kwarteng won a scholarship to Eton and studied history and classics at Trinity College, Cambridge. There he made headlines when  as part of a winning University Challenge team on TV  he audibly muttered oh f*** while try - ing to remember an answer.

He was a columnist for the Daily Telegraph and has worked for banks in the City. Kwarteng is married to solicitor Harriet Edwards, and they have a baby daughter. In 2018 he became a junior minister in the Department for Exiting the European Union, and then Business Secretary two years later.

Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng

Critics say his free-market instincts get the better of him. We will never grow an innovation economy if we keep selling our best companies to our competitors, former science minister George Freeman said last week. He fears the One Web deal will hand another key UK industrial asset to our competitors.

Allies reject the charge. Any suggestion [he] is not prepared to step in to block takeovers that threaten our national security is absolutely ridiculous, a spokesperson said.

Under his watch we passed legislation to bring in a greatly strengthened investment screening regime, giving the Government far greater powers to scrutinise and intervene in deals. We will not hesitate to step in where necessary to protect national security. The deal between One Web and Eutelsat will be subject to UK and inter - national regulatory approvals.
Shell has handed out a bonus to its employees following bumper profits amid surging energy prices.

The oil giant has awarded most of its 82,000 staff a bonus equal to 8 per cent of their annual salary after reporting a record profit of 9.5bn in the second quarter of this year as it cashed in on higher oil and gas prices.

Executive vice-presidents or higher will not receive the bonus. The average salary for Shell UK employees is around 52,000 per year, meaning a British worker will get 4,200.

Shell has handed out a bonus to its employees following bumper profits amid surging energy prices

The payout is a turnaround for Shell, which suspended bonuses during the pandemic as a collapse in oil demand forced it to cap salaries and slash thousands of jobs.

Shell told staff it was recognition of their contribution against a challenging backdrop. But the payment risks further inflaming public anger towards energy firms as UK households face paying over 3,600 a year in energy bills at the start of 2023.

Opec oil output snub The OPEC+ cartel of some of the worlds biggest oil producers has snubbed pleas to reduce prices. The group, led by Saudi Arabia, agreed to increase output by 100,000 barrels of oil per day from September, equivalent to just 86 seconds of global demand. That is well below previous monthly rises of around 400,000 per day and has been seen as a slap in the face for US President Joe Biden, who visited the Middle East after pressure on the region to pump more oil to rein in surging prices. Brent crude, an oil price benchmark, has risen over 25 per cent this year.

The bonus also follows a hefty payout for Shell investors after it unveiled plans for a 5bn share buyback despite a separate 7bn repurchase programme last month.

Surging energy prices have sparked a massive windfall for the petroleum and energy industry following big losses early in the pandemic.

This week BP said profits for the three months to the end of June had tripled to 6.9bn from 2.3bn last year. British Gas owner Centrica reported that its profits in the first half of 2022 had jumped to 1.3bn from 262m the year before.

The surge in energy costs has been fuelled by war in Ukraine which has disrupted supplies of oil and gas from Russia, which has cut back supplies of natural gas to Europe.

This year, the Government introduced an additional 25 per cent levy on oil and gas producers in the North Sea for 12 months, expected to raise 5bn.
Billionaire Elon Musk is trying to drag Goldman Sachs and JP Morgan Chase into his bitter legal feud with Twitter

Billionaire Elon Musk is trying to drag Goldman Sachs and JP Morgan Chase into his bitter legal feud with Twitter. The Tesla chief executive is looking to grill the Wall Street giants over how they advised the social media platform during his proposed 37bn takeover.

Subpoenas have been sent to the two banks, which could disclose revealing messages between Twitter and its advisers.

Musk specifically wants details over the banks analysis of Twitters financials as well as correspondence about the merger.

He is trying to back out of a deal for Twitter, saying it failed to uphold its side of the merger agreement by not disclosing enough information on fake accounts. However, the company is suing to force him to complete the deal, with its lawyers having accused the him of attempted sabotage.

If he fails in his bid to back out of the deal, Musk will have to pay Twitter a substantial settlement or even buy it at $54.20 per share. A fast-tracked trial between the two is set for October.
A measure of UK inflation is expected to reach 'astronomical' levels this year and force the Bank of England to raise interest rates higher and for longer than initially forecast, a leading think-tank claims.

Gas price rises and the rocketing cost of food look set to send consumer prices index inflation to 11 per cent before the end of the year.

But the retail prices index, no longer an official statistic but used to set rail fares, student loans repayments and some payments to the government, is expected to hit 17.7 per cent, according to the National Institute of Economic and Social Research.

One in five households, at 5.3m, will have no savings by 2024, according to NIESR

CPI inflation is forecast to peak close to 11 per cent in the fourth quarter of this year, returning to around 3 per cent a year later, the think-tank said.

The NIESR has also warned that a lengthy recession could be on the cards, hitting millions of vulnerable people, particularly those in the worst-off parts of the UK.

With prices settling indefinitely at a higher level relative to incomes, real household incomes are forecast to fall by 2.5 per cent in 2022 and remain over 7 per cent below their pre-Covid trend beyond 2026, the think-tank said.

'Accumulated savings of poor households are predicted to fall sharply, leaving them with little or no headroom to cushion the impact of persistently high prices of necessities', the findings added.

Forecasts: The NIESR expects UK interest rates to stay higher for longer than initially forecast

Stephen Millard, the institutes deputy director, said the economy would contract for three consecutive quarters, shrinking 1 per cent by the spring of next year.

He said there will be 'no respite' for British households and businesses from rampaging inflation in the short term, adding 'we will need interest rates up at the 3 per cent mark if we are to bring it down.'

On Thursday the Bank of England's top brass are voting on whether or not to hike interest rates further. Many analysts think the Bank's Monetary Policy Committee will increase interest rates by 0.5 percentage points, pushing the base rate up to 1.75 per cent, and piling financial pressure on millions of borrowers.

The NIESR said: 'The Bank of Englands Monetary Policy Committee must continue to be cautious as it walks a fine line between tightening policy too quickly, worsening the recession, and too slowly, increasing the risk of high inflation becoming embedded in expectations.'

Twelve-month consumer price inflation rose to 9.4 per cent in June from 9.1 per cent in May, marking the eleventh consecutive month that inflation has overshot the Bank's target of 2 per cent.

More than 1million households will 'experience destitution' over the coming months as their food and energy bills top their disposable income, according to the think-tank.

Around 1.2million of Britain's lowest income families will have to choose between eating and heating as the cost of living soars, the NIESR said.

One in five households, at 5.3million, will have no savings by 2024  more than double the current level.

In total, NIESR estimated 6.8million will be living pay-cheque-to-pay-cheque with savings worth less than two months' disposable income.

Adrian Pabst, NIESR's deputy director for public policy, urged the new prime minister and chancellor to provide immediate emergency support to the most vulnerable households.

The bleak warnings came as the institute said a recession is likely to hit from October, when the price cap on energy bills jumps yet again.
After being booted out of the Love Island villa in 2017, narrowly missing out on a place in the final four couples, Montana Brown was determined to set up her own business.

Unlike many of her peers on the ITV reality show, she didn't want to use her new-found fame to stick her face to someone else's brand.

She wanted to create something of her own.

But as Brown  who has now been taken on as a business mentor by Virgin Start Up  quickly realised, founding your own firm isn't easy.

Montana Brown has now been taken on as a business mentor by Virgin Start Up

On top of all the usual challenges, 27 per cent of prospective entrepreneurs are being put off from following their business dreams because of the cost of living crisis, data from Virgin Start Up revealed.

Another 35 per cent said they didn't have the money, while confidence is a particularly big issue for women, deterring 27 per cent of would-be female founders compared to 18 per cent of their male counterparts.

But as the UK stares down the barrel of a recession, the Government will be increasingly reliant on Britain's entrepreneurial spirit and army of small businesses to push the economy through a tough few years.

Though it may sound surprising, an economic downturn can be a good time to start a business. Higher unemployment means workers are often easier to come by, while new opportunities can present themselves as behaviours shift. General Motors, Burger King, Uber and Airbnb all launched during a slump.

Likewise Brown started her business shortly before Covid struck.

The idea for Swim Society came when Brown, now 26, was on holiday with friends in the Maldives.

Having recently been thrown into the social media spotlight, and experiencing the trolling and abuse which that brings, Brown was having a body image crisis.

She and her friends found themselves complaining about the fit and quality of their swimsuits  and in 2019, she decided to do something about it.

Initially, Swim Society began working with fashion brand Skinnydip to create her own line. Most of the complexities of the business were taken care of by Skinnydip, and Brown was working around two days a week to help with the design and direction of the swimwear range.

Virgin Startup selects nascent businesses in need of money and advice, hands out loans from the government-backed Start Up Loans company, and provides mentoring for founders

But she was adamant that she wanted her swimsuits and bikinis to be made ethically, from recycled materials. Here, she butted heads with Skinnydip, whose staff were worried about the extra costs and complications this would introduce.

So in 2020, less than a year after starting the business, Brown decided to go it alone.

'It was definitely a really scary time for me,' she says. 'I had no business experience, and I'd never really had a full-time proper job.

'So it was a daunting time  and then Covid happened.'

So what spurred her on? 'I think a lot of it was naivety,' she laughs. 'I thought, 'Yeah, I can totally do this, it'll be fine.'

'I'm quite a spiritual person, so I just thought what will be will be. I was so passionate about representing people who were under-represented that I didn't really think about running the business.'

For a while, it was a struggle. But Brown managed to build a network of useful contacts, and had two staff with her from the beginning who proved to be invaluable.

Many other would-be entrepreneurs also suffer from the feeling of not knowing where to start  which is where mentoring comes in handy.

Brown is working with Virgin Start Up to advise other founders  and her role as an influencer means she is awash with knowledge on social media.

Part of Richard Branson's group of companies, and part-funded by the billionaire himself, Virgin Start Up is a not-for-profit organisation trying to build Britain's next generation of entrepreneurs.

It selects nascent businesses in need of money and advice, hands out loans from the government-backed Start Up Loans company, and provides mentoring and classes for their founders.

Aside from social media, Brown will also be offering budding entrepreneurs advice on how to raise finance after she successfully won over investors during the pandemic.

She says: 'I think there are so many ways to get investment now that some people are moving away from focusing on the figures and focusing more on a partnership where it's more of a collaboration.'

The Government  as well as venture capital firms and later-stage investors  still has a lot to do if it wants to help British firms grow from minnows to giants.

But with the likes of Brown championing entrepreneurialism, the UK's small business scene looks as vibrant as ever.
A Ryanair steward who has admitted to drinking alcohol while working on a flight has told a court: 'I am not a criminal'.

Sam Thompson, 26, was working on the plane flying from from Poland to Stanstead Airport in Essex on May 18 when a witness saw him drink Jack Daniels from the trolley and later consume a small bottle of wine, Chelmsford Magistrates' Court heard.

Last month, Thompson, of Warrenfield Close, Cheshunt, Hertfordshire, admitted to performing an aviation function as a member of cabin crew while his ability to do so was impaired by drink.

Thompson was due to be sentenced at Chelmsford Magistrates' Court in Essex on Monday but was instead committed for sentencing at Chelmsford Crown Court on August 31.

Prosecutor Ashley Petchey noted Thompson is of 'previous good character' but said it was an 'unusual case' because there are 'no sentencing guidelines', implying this was due to the rarity of the offence.

Sam Thompson, 26, arrives at Chelmsford Magistrates court this morning for the hearing

Sam Thompson, 26, was accused of drinking a mini bottle of wine and a shot of Jack Daniels whisky from a drinks trolley

The offence could lead to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years, a fine or both

Mr Petchey outlined that under section 95 of the Railways and Transport Safety Act 2003, the offence could lead to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years, a fine or both; or on summary conviction, to a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum.

As magistrates can only issue sentences of up to 12 months' imprisonment for a single offence, they agreed to commit the matter to Crown court.

Michael Carroll, for Thompson, said it was a 'great pity' the case could not conclude today as planned, but said he has 'glowing references' to show the crown court judge.

'We would like Mr Thompson to gain help,' chairman of the bench Stuart Cranmer said.

The alleged incident is said to have taken place on a flight from Rzeszow to Stansted

Ryanair crew are banned from drinking alcohol during a flight (stock image)

'Clearly there will be a punishment element to it but hopefully you will get help.'

Mr Carroll, who previously said the defendant and alcohol are 'not the best of friends', replied: 'I am grateful for you words, I'm sure they give some comfort to Mr Thompson.'

Mr Cranmer extended Thompson's unconditional bail but reminded him he must be at court for sentencing and not commit further offences in the meantime.

Thompson, wearing a white shirt, dark trousers and brown shoes, stood and said: 'I am not a criminal, sir.'

Police were called at about 6.10pm on May 18 after a witness reported seeing a uniformed member of cabin crew drinking while working on a flight, the court has heard.

Police took a breath test from Thompson at Stansted Airport, with a reading of 50mcg of alcohol in 100ml of breath, before he gave a lower reading of 39mcg at Harlow police station.

The legal limit is 9mcg of alcohol per 100ml of breath for aviation personnel, which is lower than the legal limit for driving of 35mcg of alcohol per 100ml of breath, the court has previously heard.
An ex-con barber accused of fatally shooting an Indiana police officer during a traffic stop had previously made a song about killing an officer, investigators said Monday.

Carl Boards II, 42, is also alleged to have video called his parents and girlfriend while fleeing the scene where he had shot and killed Elwood Officer Noah Shahnavaz before he had even got out of his patrol car.

He has been charged with murder a day after he is of gunning down the 24-year-old army veteran around 2am Sunday in Madison County, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) northeast of Indianapolis.

Now it comes to light that Boards, who suffers from bi-polar disorder, had recorded a song that bragged about killing cops before the killing of Shahnavaz.

Police went to Board's barber shop in Marion, Indiana after his arrest and interviewed a man who lives in an apartment above the business.

The man indicated that Boards 'made a recorded song making statements that if he was ever caught by police that he would kill them,' Richard Clay of the Indiana State Police said in a court filing.

Carl Boards II, 42, is also alleged to have video called his parents and girlfriend while fleeing the scene where he had shot and killed Elwood Officer Noah Shahnavaz

Elwood, Indiana, police Officer Noah Shahnavaz was fatally shot Sunday, July 31, 2022, during a traffic stop by an ex-convict who had allegedly recorded a song in which he bragged he would kill a cop if ever caught

The rookie officer who had been on the force less than a year was shot in the head after stopping Boards' car. Investigators found 36 rifle bullet casings and damage to the patrol car's hood, windshield and driver's door.

Shahnavaz' gun was still in its holster when he was taken to a hospital, Clay said.

His last radio call indicated that the driver of a white Buick Lacrosse 'had a gun,' according to the probable cause affidavit.

A highspeed car chase ensued with deputies from Hamilton County and Fishers joining in.

Deputies threw down Stop Sticks and deflated at least one of the tires, but Boards allegedly kept on going until disabled the car with a PIT maneuver, a police technique that forces the target car to turn sideways suddenly and lose control on the car.

Boards faces charges of murder, resisting arrest and felony firearms possessions after officers found a rifle with a high-capacity magazine in the car.

During a search of his building, police uncovered a loaded magazine and Black Hebrew Israelite-related pamphlets, a religious group that believes that African Americans are the true descendants of the ancient Israelites.

Boards was released from parole a year ago. His criminal record goes back to 1999 and includes convictions involving guns and drugs, Clay said.

It wasn't immediately know if Boards has an attorney yet who could comment on the allegations.

Shahnavaz served in the U.S. Army for five years before becoming a police officer about a year ago.

'His dream was to serve others and we are proud of what he accomplished in such a short time, both in the military and with Elwood police,' Fishers High School Principal Jason Urban said. 'The entire FHS Tiger family grieves this tragic loss of such a promising young man full of talent and potential.'
Qantas has been labelled a 'national disgrace' after cancelling a flight that ruined the reunion of two refugees who were separated nine years ago.

Betelhem and Ismail were fleeing war-torn Ethiopia and Somalia when they met and became friends on a boat bound for Australia in 2013.

Once their boat reached Australia, the pair were separated at the country's two offshore immigration detention centres - Betelhem was sent to Nauru while Ismail was detained on Manus Island, Papua New Guinea.

Betelhem (left) and Ismail's (right) emotional reunion was ruined when Qantas cancelled their flight. The pair first met on a boat in 2013 but were sent to separate offshore detention centres

On Tuesday, Betelhem and Ismail were scheduled to meet on a flight from Melbourne to Canberra but their emotional reunion was ruined after Qantas cancelled and put them on separate flights to the nation's capital.

The pair were part of Asylum Seeker Resource Centre's (ASRC) lobbyist group meeting in Canberra to discuss legislation which was introduced in parliament to end offshore detention centres.

ASRC founder and CEO Kon Karapanagiotidis told Daily Mail Australia the cancelled flight was 'absolutely devastating' as it meant Betelhem and Ismail missed important talks with key MPs and senators.

'Betelhem and Ismail bravely came to Canberra on behalf of asylum seekers and refugees,' Mr Karapanagiotidis said.

'They have been waiting nine years for this day - to see each other again and to talk to parliament and be heard.

'It was absolutely devastating because it was such an important day for them. It was their first chance to speak to the government and now they feel like they've let us down and have let down the refugees still in detention.'

Betelhem was sent to Nauru while Ismail was sent to Manus Island (pictured). The pair travelled to Canberra as part of a group campaigning for the end of detention centres

Mr Karapanagiotidis said the independent not-for-profit organisation paid 'top-dollar' for 'bottom-of-the-line service' and blamed Qanats for not fulfilling its role as the nation's largest airline.

'The rest of us are used to Qantas letting us down,' Mr Karapanagiotidis said.

'Qantas needs to understand that there is a human cost and consequence when it does not fulfill its social contract with the Australian public.

'It's an airline about bringing people together so how has our national carrier become our national disgrace?'

It comes after a Qantas computer glitch on Sunday caused hours of delays on a dozen domestic flights and disrupted the travel plans of thousands of passengers.

On Monday as the airline cancelled 15 domestic flights - eight out of Sydney and seven out of Melbourne - due to operational reasons, including resourcing challenges and engineering requirements.

Qantas said Betelhem and Ismail's flight from Melbourne to Canberra was cancelled due to 'crew sickness'

Asylum Seeker Resource Centre (ASRC) founder Kon Karapanagiotidis said Qantas was a 'national disgrace' and had destroyed a very important day for Betelhem and Ismail (pictured, Mr Karapanagiotidis (R) and ASRC Director of Advocacy and Campaigns Jana Favero (L) on the way to parliament)

Qantas told Daily Mail Australia that Betelhem and Ismail's 7:05am flight from Melbourne to Canberra was cancelled due to 'crew sickness'.

'Due to crew sickness we had to cancel a flight between Melbourne and Canberra this morning,' Qantas said.

'All passengers were reaccommodated onto other flights within three hours.'

Betelhem and Ismail were scheduled to arrive in Canberra at 8:30am to start meetings with MPs across the LNP, Greens, ALP and Independents but arrived five hours later.

Ismail missed the meeting with Independent Federal MP Zoe Daniels while Betelhem missed the meeting with Ms Daniels and newly appointed Minister for Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs Andrew Giles.

Betelhem and Ismail arrived just in time to hear Greens Senator Nick McKim address parliament on the need to evacuate the 216 people being held at Nauru and on Manus island.

'The people left behind in Papua New Guinea and Nauru need emergency evacuation here to Australia,' Senator McKim said.

'They need medical support, they need freedom, they need community support and they need permanent resettlement in a safe place.

Senator McKim called for a Royal Commission into Australia's detention centre regime.

'Let's reveal the horrors of Manus Island and Nauru. The murders, the rapes, the child sex abuse and the deliberate harming of innocent people,' Senator McKim said.

'The solution is there for us, let's take it.'

Betelhem (left) and Ismail (right) met in Canberra five hours after their scheduled arrival - just in time for Greens Senator Nick McKim's (second from right) address to parliament which demanded the government close detention centres

The Ending Indefinite and Arbitrary Immigration Detention Bill was introduced in parliament on Tuesday which would see an end to indefinite detention of asylum seekers.

The legislation, introduced by Independent MP Andrew Wilkie and seconded by MP Kylea Tink, would mandate timeframes on detention, independent oversight, introduce minimum conditions of detention and make detention a last resort.

Director of Advocacy and Campaigns at ASRC Jane Favero described Australia's detention system as 'a labyrinth in the dark' which needs urgent reform.

'Our immigration detention system is broken and is in urgent need of reform,' Ms Favero said.

'Once someone enters detention, it's like being forced into a labyrinth in the dark.

'Families are separated. Refugees are suffering. Years are wasted. Refugees don't know why they've been detained or for how long.

'It's time to put humanity into Home Affairs and we urge all Parliamentarians to support this Bill, release refugees and put an end to indefinite and arbitrary detention for good.'

Senator McKim called for a Royal Commission into Australia's detention centre regime

There are around 1,400 people in immigration detention with 216 at offshore centres.

Detention centre figures revealed 42 complaints of sex sexual assault against detention centre workers, 172 complaints of assault; and over 2,650 actual and threatened instances of self-harm since 2016.

Australia first introduced offshore processing', in 2001 at Nauru and Manus Island, under the Howard Government's arrangements referred to as the Pacific Solution.

Offshore processing was suspended by the new Labor government in 2008 but resumed, also under Labor, in August 2012.

Protests erupted outside Melbourne's Park Hotel on July 19 asylum seekers brought to Australia for medical care were removed

The group of 17 men were brought over through laws allowing doctors to treat sick asylum seekers in Australia

On July 19, hundreds of refugee advocates took to the streets outside Melbourne's Park Hotel - a private hotel the federal government calls APODS, or alternative places - to protest the detainment of a group of asylum seekers.

A group of 17 men were brought from an offshore detention centre for medical care and after spending more than a year in a detention at a Brisbane hotel were abruptly moved to the Park Hotel.

The Refugee Action Coalition organised the protest to advocate for the release of people in detention who are in need of medical care.
Two Saudi sisters stopped paying rent ten weeks before their decomposing bodies were found in a south-west Sydney unit, in a major timeline twist surrounding their mysterious deaths.

A letter sent on behalf of the landlord, exclusively obtained from a tribunal by Daily Mail Australia, show that Asra Abdullah Alsehli, 24, and Amaal Abdullah Alsehli, 23, racked up a $5,142.86 debt by May 13 - almost a month before their bodies were found, on June 7.

The sisters also owed $26.18 in outstanding water bills.

Their remains were uncovered in separate rooms of their $480-per-week Canterbury apartment by police during the last of three welfare checks.

The first check was conducted in mid-March - around the same time they stopped paying rent - after the property's building manager raised concerns for their wellbeing because food was left out in common areas.

Attending officers said the women appeared fine, and left the unit.

The second check was done between March and June, before their bodies were found during the final visit.

By the time the NSW Civil & Administrative Tribunal scheduled a hearing to address the rental debt on May 13, they were likely dead.

Daily Mail Australia is not suggesting the landlord was in any way responsible for the sister's deaths.

Pictured: Amaal Abdullah Alsehli, 23. Her body was found on June 7 in a Canterbury apartment

Pictured: Asra Abdullah Alsehli, 24. She and her sister were found dead in Sydney's south-west. She filed an AVO against a 28-year-old man in 2018, which was later withdrawn

READ THE EVICTION LETTER: On 13-May-2022 the following orders were made: The Residential Tenancy Agreement is terminated immediately and possession is to be given to the landlord on the date of termination. The order for possession is suspended until 20-May-2022 The tenant shall pay the landlord a daily occupation fee at the rate of $68.57 per day from the day after the date of termination, namely 14-May-2022 until the date vacant possession is given to the landlord. Within 60 days of the date for possession of the premises specified in these orders the landlord may request the relisting of the application to determine the amount of the occupation fee owing. The landlord's agent is to advise the tenant in writing by the delivery of a letter to the premises by 6:00 pm on 13-May-2022 of the orders made today. The tenant is to pay the landlord the sum of $5,169.04 immediately. Failure to pay any instalment in this order by the due date will result in the whole of the balance being payable immediately. The tenant has not appeared before the Tribunal in the hearing [on May 13]. Having regard to the Registrar's statutory declaration concerning notice and listing procedures in the Tribunal's registries, The Tribunal finds that a copy of the Notice of Hearing was sent to the tenant. It has not been returned to the Tribunal. There is nothing to suggest that it was not received by the tenant. The Tribunal is satisfied that the tenant has been served with notice of the hearing today. Advertisement

According to the letter addressed to Amaal from the Tribunal on May 13, the women did not attend the hearing and were subsequently ordered to pay any amount of the total sum 'immediately'.

Their lease was effectively torn up and they were given until May 20 to vacate the property, though it is unclear why the motion wasn't enforced.

For every day they remained at the property after May 14, they were charged an additional $68.57.

It wasn't until June 7 when police arrived to evict them that anyone realised they were dead.

There was no sign of forced entry, no clear signs of injury, and the cause of death remains undetermined - although is being treated as suspicious.

Police are hoping toxicology reports shed light on the situation.

The women, who lived on the corner flat above a burger shop, complained about a man 'acting weird' outside their building in the months before their deaths

Forensic police scoured the unit (pictured) in the wake of the grisly discovery on June 7 - a month after the women died

SYDNEY SAUDI 'MURDER' MYSTERY TIMELINE 2017: Asra Abdullah Alsehli, 24, and Amaal Abdullah Alsehli, 23, are believed to have fled Saudi Arabia. Upon arrival, they made contact with a refugee centre. 2019: Asra took an AVO out against a man, but it was later withdrawn. 2020: They frequently visited a service station around their flat, with locals describing them as 'friendly'. March, 2022: The sisters stopped paying $480/week for their Canterbury unit. Police conducted the first of three welfare checks. In one of the checks, the pair were described as 'timid' and refused to let anyone enter the apartment. They eventually allowed officers to enter, but stayed huddled together in the far corner of the unit. May, 2022: The owner of their unit filed a civil case against Asra on May 13 due to $5,142.86 in outstanding rent. That action was taken before sheriff's officers went to the apartment to serve the women with an eviction notice. June 7, 2022: Officers conducting a welfare check made the grisly discovery. There was no sign of forced entry. Police believe the sisters died in May, but have not been able to determine a cause of death. Advertisement

An employee from the company that manages the building said the women approached them with safety concerns earlier this year.

'They made a report that they saw a man 'acting weird' outside the building - standing between two cars and acting strange,' the worker said.

They explained the women checked their security footage, but it was difficult to determine whether the man had malicious intentions.

'We checked the CCTV and saw there was a man there,' the employee said.

'But that spot is busy. There is a burger shop there and Uber Eats drivers coming and going all the time. He could have been anyone.

'We couldn't determine why he was there, but he didn't look like he was doing anything untoward, so there was no need to chase it up further.'

According to the worker, the women did not say whether they knew the man.

Later in 2021, the sisters told building management they feared someone was tampering with their food deliveries.

However, surveillance cameras again found no evidence to back up their fears.

The building's surveillance was seized by police shortly after the women were discovered and is yet to be returned.

The latest development in the case comes as police backflipped on initial claims the sisters' family had been cooperating with investigators.

NSW Police continually assured media the sisters' family in the Saudi Kingdom were 'cooperating' and 'helping' with the investigation.

But police sources on Sunday alleged that the family blocked detectives from releasing photographs of the women as part of a public appeal to shed light on the baffling case.

Police confirmed to Daily Mail Australia their photos and identities were finally released in consultation with the coroner - not the family - almost two months after their bodies were found.

The coroner has not released the bodies of the sisters to their family, although it is understood they could be buried in Sydney.

Police are to yet rule out homicide or suicide as investigations continue.

It's also been revealed the sisters were both seeking protection from the Australian government as more details about their attempts to build a normal life here emerged.

They had an active claim for asylum in progress with the Department of Home Affairs, it has been confirmed.

A black BMW coupe covered in dust was removed from the garage of the apartment block the day after the women's bodies were found

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.

The sisters only left the Canterbury unit 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.

Detective Inspector Claudia Allcroft insisted 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.

Investigators spent days the apartment building with forensic teams poring over the scene

The landlord said the sisters, who fled Saudi Arabia in 2017, both attended TAFE in Wetherill Park.

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,' their landlord told The Guardian.

At last week's press conference, 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.

'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.'
The ex-boss of the last Indigenous advisory body to Parliament is fighting charges he defrauded Aboriginal organisations of $2million.

Geoff Clark, 69, was the chief of ATSIC, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission, when it was shut down by the government in 2004.

He is facing 380 charges of fraud and deception for allegedly misappropriating government funds for Indigenous groups between 2000 and 2010.

But he lashed out on Twitter when Indigenous senator Jacinta Price attacked ATSIC on ABC's Q+A Voice to Parliament special on Monday night.

He immediately threatened to sue the senator over the allegation, warning: 'I think there is a defamation case here, Jacinta.'

Geoff Clark, the ex-boss of ATSIC, the last Indigenous advisory body to Parliament, is fighting charges he fleeced an Aboriginal group of $2million

Burly white-haired Clark will return to Victorian County Court on August 18, four days before his 70th birthday, for a hearing to set a date for his trial on the fraud charges.

His wife Trudy, 66, and another son Jeremy, 49, also face a number of similar, related charges. Police initially laid more than 1100 charges against the family members.

Several hundred charges against Clark and his family members have since been dropped, but hundreds still remain, The Age reported last year.

Clark denies defrauding Framlingham Aboriginal Trust and other Indigenous community groups in south-west Victoria of $2million.

He is accused of using some of the cash for his own purposes, including $550,000 on legal fees, and paying for a 'lavish' deck at his home in Framlingham.

But much of the remainder of the cash is allegedly still lying in Aboriginal community accounts and assets he controls.

Geoff Clark (pictured with his wife Trudy, left) is facing 380 charges of fraud and deception for allegedly misappropriating government funds for Indigenous groups between 2000 and 2010

He was first charged in connection with the alleged fraud in 2018 but branded the investigation a 'witch hunt' which was conducted for political purposes.

At the peak of his power, Clark earned $240,000 a year as ATSIC chairman, presiding over a $1billion a year budget, after working his way up Indigenous leadership roles.

The son of an Aboriginal woman and a Scottish dockworker, Clark was raised by his grandmother and quickly shone as a teenage boxer.

He snubbed a career in sport to become an Aboriginal activist, despite being perceived as a 'white blackfella' because of his pale skin.

But his reign as the nation's most powerful Aboriginal leader was cut short.

After being elected ATSIC chairman in 2000 after joining in 1996, the commission was rocked by several controversies which led to it being disbanded and abolished.

Clark was defiant in the face of the accusations and was re-elected in 2002, insisting: 'There may be allegations, but that's all they are - allegations.'

But Prime Minister John Howard stripped some of ATSIC's power and budget in 2003 and in 2004, Labor joined a bipartisan push for it to be scrapped.

Senator Jacinta Price used the example of ATSIC as a warning over the consequences of the government's referendum on setting up a new Indigenous advisory body

Senator Price used the example of ATSIC as a warning over the consequences of the government's referendum on setting up a new Indigenous advisory body.

Labor's Voiced to Parliament proposal would enshrine the new advisory board in the constitution, which would require another referendum to remove it in future years.

'We can all get on board with recognition, but I don't trust a bureaucracy to be enshrined in our Constitution,' the former mayor of Alice Springs told the Garma Festival-themed Q+A on Monday evening.

'There's a lot of Indigenous organisations that are government-funded to have the responsibility to advance Indigenous Australians.

'There are many that have gone into administration because of corruption. There's accountability to be had by Indigenous organisations.

'Less bureaucracy as opposed to more bureaucracy is actually what creates economic independence,' the Country Liberal senator for Northern Territory added.

'The ability to stand on one's two feet, and not just entirely based on your identity as an Indigenous person, but simply just as a human being.'
Kansas residents voted to protect the right to get an abortion in their state, rejecting a measure that would have allowed their Republican-controlled Legislature to tighten abortion restrictions or ban it outright.

Voters in the majority GOP state rejected by almost a 20-point margin a proposed amendment to the Kansas Constitution that would have added language stating that it does not grant the right to abortion.

A 2019 state Supreme Court decision declared that access to abortion is a 'fundamental' right under the state's Bill of Rights, preventing a ban and potentially thwarting legislative efforts to enact new restrictions.

The referendum in the conservative state was the first test of U.S. voter sentiment about abortion rights since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June.

It was a major victory for abortion rights advocates following weeks in which many states in the South and Midwest largely banned abortion.

The referendum was closely watched as a barometer of liberal and moderate voters' anger over the June ruling scrapping the nationwide right to abortion.

President Joe Biden hailed the referendum result and said the 'vote makes clear what we know: the majority of Americans agree that women should have access to abortion and should have the right to make their own health care decisions.'

Pro-choice advocates cheered in Kansas as voters shutdown a possible pathway to a total ban on abortions in the state on Tuesday

Anti-abortion advocates who helped introduce the referendum were seen weeping and consoling each other after the measure failed

Members of the Kansans for Constitutional Freedom group celebrated after the referendum failed. The vote in the conservative state was the first test of U.S. voter sentiment about abortion rights since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June

The atmosphere was much more somber at the election watch party for Value Them Both, a group in favor of of the ban on abortion

Danette Searle, left, and Tricia Baldwin, right, watch as the amendment fails to pass

The measure's failure also was significant because of how conservative Kansas is and how twice as many Republicans as Democrats have voted in its August primaries in the decade leading up to Tuesday night's tilt.

Kristy Winter, 52, a Kansas City-area teacher and unaffiliated voter, voted against the measure and brought her 16-year-old daughter with her to her polling place.

'I want her to have the same right to do what she feels is necessary, mostly in the case of rape or incest,' she said. 'I want her to have the same rights my mother has had most of her life.'

Opponents of the measure predicted that the anti-abortion groups and lawmakers behind the measure would push quickly for an abortion ban if voters approved it.

Before the vote, the measures supporters refused to say whether they would pursue a ban as they appealed to voters who supported both some restrictions and some access to abortion.

Stephanie Kostreva, a 40-year-old school nurse from the Kansas City area and a Democrat, said she voted in favor of the measure because she is a Christian and believes life begins at conception.

'I'm not full scale that there should never be an abortion,' she said. 'I know there are medical emergencies, and when the mother's life is in danger there is no reason for two people to die.'

An anonymous group sent a misleading text Monday to Kansas voters telling them to 'vote yes' to protect choice, but it was suspended late Monday from the Twilio messaging platform it was using, a spokesperson said. Twilio did not identify the sender.

One women at the anti-abortion rally in Overland Park was seen crying and hugging a fellow advocate when it was announced that the measure was voted down

Kansas residents voted against a ban to abortion rights in the state. Pro-choice advocates Alie Utley (left) and Joe Moyer (right) cheered after the ballots were counted on Tuesday

Pictured: Pro-choice supporters celebrating the bans failure in Overland Park, Kansas

Voters sin Merriam casted their ballots on Tuesday on whether to allow further restrictions on abortion rights in the state

Jessica Porter, communications chair for the Shawnee County, Kansas, Democratic Party, discusses a sign in Spanish urging voters to oppose a proposed amendment to the Kansas Constitution to allow legislators to further restrict or ban abortion

The Value Them Both Coalition is a faith-based anti-abortion group that pushed for Tuesday's vote and urged for residents to approve the measure

President Biden hailed the result of the referendum and said in a statement: 'The Supreme Courts extreme decision to overturn,put womens health and lives at risk.

'Tonight, the American people had something to say about it. Voters in Kansas turned out in record numbers to reject extreme efforts to amend the state constitution to take away a womans right to choose and open the door for a state-wide ban.

'This vote makes clear what we know: the majority of Americans agree that women should have access to abortion and should have the right to make their own health care decisions.'

He added: 'Congress should listen to the will of the American people and restore the protections of as federal law.

'While that is the only way to secure a womans right to choose, my Administration will continue to take meaningful action to protect womens access to reproductive health care.

'We will continue to act where we can to protect womens reproductive rights and access to care. And, the American people must continue to use their voices to protect the right to womens health care, including abortion.'

The 2019 Kansas Supreme Court decision protecting abortion rights blocked a law that banned the most common second-trimester procedure, and another law imposing special health regulations on abortion providers also is on hold.

Abortion opponents argued that all of the state's existing restrictions were in danger, though some legal scholars found that argument dubious. Kansas doesn't ban most abortions until the 22nd week of pregnancy.

Backers of the measure began with advantage because anti-abortion lawmakers set the vote for primary election day, when for the past 10 years Republicans have cast twice as many ballots as Democrats. But the early-voting electorate was more Democratic than usual.

The Kansas vote is the start of what could be a long-running series of legal battles playing out where lawmakers are more conservative on abortion than governors or state courts. Kentucky will vote in November on whether to add language similar to Kansas' to its state constitution.

Meanwhile, Vermont will decide in November whether to add an abortion rights provision to its constitution. A similar question is likely headed to the November ballot in Michigan.

Pictured: Voters at the West Evangelical Free Church in Wichita

A sign in a yard in Merriam, Kansas, urges voters to oppose a proposed amendment to the Kansas Constitution to allow legislators to further restrict or ban abortion. Opponents of the measure believed it will lead to a total ban on abortion in Kansas

Ben Kennedy, left, and Alyssa Winters, left, wait at a door to speak with prospective voters about a proposed amendment. They are among about 300 college students brought into Kansas by the Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America group

In Kansas, both sides together spent more than $14 million on their campaigns. Abortion providers and abortion rights groups were key donors to the 'no' side, while Catholic dioceses heavily funded the 'yes' campaign.

The state has had strong anti-abortion majorities in its Legislature for 30 years, but voters have regularly elected Democratic governors, including Laura Kelly in 2018. She opposed the proposed amendment, saying changing the state constitution would 'throw the state back into the Dark Ages.'

State Attorney General Derek Schmidt, a Republican hoping to unseat Kelly, supported the proposed constitutional amendment.

He told the Catholic television network EWTN before the election that 'theres still room for progress' in decreasing abortions, without spelling out what he would sign as governor.

Although abortion opponents pushed almost annually for new restrictions until the 2019 state Supreme Court ruling, they felt constrained by past court rulings and Democratic governors like Kelly.
Int'l community blasts Pelosi's visit to Taiwan

Xinhua) 16:15, August 03, 2022

BEIJING, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) -- Overseas scholars and officials strongly rebuked U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan on Tuesday, saying that the move severely undermines China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, seriously threatens peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, and gravely violates international law and basic norms governing international relations.

The move is unpopular with the international community and is futile, they said.

CHINA'S SOVEREIGNTY &TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY ALLOW NO VIOLATION

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Russia is in solidarity with China on the Taiwan question, Tass reported.

"We respect China's sovereignty and territorial integrity and think that no country in the world should have the right to question (it) or undertake any steps of instigative or other nature," he said.

The United States lacks respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of other countries, and acts willfully for its own geopolitical interests, said Ghassan Youssef, a Syrian political expert and analyst.

China will take strong countermeasures to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity, he said.

Hassan Aslam Shad, a Pakistani international lawfare specialist, said the United States is trying to make Taiwan a bridgehead against China, and has repeatedly tested China's red line and challenged China's core interests with an essential aim to contain China's peaceful development.

The United States is not trustworthy at all as its actions do not match its words on the Taiwan question, he said, adding that Washington is responsible for all the problems created by Pelosi's trip to Taiwan, and the U.S. side should take the complete blame for this.

China had issued a serious warning previously and will "defend the Chinese national sovereignty and territorial integrity no matter the costs," said Noha Bakir, a professor in political science with American University in Cairo.

Mustafa Noyan Rona, a former Turkish diplomat to China, said that he hopes the United States will stop provocations against China, and that Pelosi's so-called "visit" will not bring any benefits to Taiwan.

CHALLENGING ONE-CHINA PRINCIPLE IS FUTILE

The United States has repeatedly stated that it will not change its adherence to the one-China policy, but some politicians are trying to challenge the one-China principle and break through this political bottom line, which shows that some in the United States are paying lip service to their political commitments, said Wilson Lee Flores, a columnist for The Philippine Star, an English daily newspaper.

Shad, the Pakistani international lawfare specialist, views Pelosi's visit as a blatant provocation and a clear violation. He said that the one-China principle is a norm universally recognized by the international community, adding that Taiwan is a part of China, which is an undeniable fact, and the one-China principle has to be adhered to by the U.S. side.

U.S. officials' visits to Taiwan seriously violate the one-China principle and endanger peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, said Bambang Suryono, chairman of Indonesian think tank Asia Innovation Study Center, adding that the United States talks about abiding by the one-China policy, but acts with double-dealing and gross interference in China's internal affairs, which should be strongly condemned.

The world has strongly supported the one-China principle for decades, said Joseph Matthews, a senior professor at the BELTEI International University in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

Pelosi's "illegal, futile and unscrupulous visit" to Taiwan will undermine the credibility of the United States, and has violated the one-China principle, he said.

William Jones, Washington bureau chief of the U.S. publication Executive Intelligence Review, described Pelosi's Taiwan visit as her "final act of folly."

He said that "we will experience the 'deluge,' which will no doubt affect the lives and livelihoods of all Americans."

"Some politicians of the U.S. want to challenge Chinese people" on the Taiwan question, Rangarirai Shoko, editor-in-chief of New Zimbabwe Inter-Africa News Agency (New Ziana), said. "The attempts will definitely fail."

INT'L LAW &BASIC NORMS GOVERNING INT'L RELATIONS BROOK NO INFRINGEMENT

Jose Luis Centella, president of the Communist Party of Spain, said Pelosi's visit to Taiwan is a serious provocation against the one-China principle.

The U.S. government is "on an irresponsible path of increasing tension with China," he told Xinhua.

He said the Communist Party of Spain believes that the visit "will not only affect relations between the United States and China, but creates a tension that will negatively affect the entire planet."

Pelosi's visit shows that the United States totally disregards principles and international law, said Zivadin Jovanovic, former minister of foreign affairs of Yugoslavia and current president of the think-tank Belgrade Forum for a World of Equals, adding that such a policy is dangerous.

Shad, the Pakistani expert, said that Pelosi's visit to Taiwan is a breach of certain principles of international law and China has all the rights under international law to respond accordingly.

Flores, the columnist for The Philippine Star, said the world is facing many uncertainties, yet the United States is trying to play with fire on the Taiwan question, which may raise tensions in the region, undermine regional stability and hinder recovery and development.

Kin Phea, director-general of the International Relations Institute at the Royal Academy of Cambodia, told Xinhua that Pelosi's visit to the Taiwan region is a provocation.

This visit would damage bilateral relations between China and the United States, and destabilize regional and global peace and security, he said.

The United States should work with China to keep global industrial and supply chains stable, fight the pandemic and contribute to economic recovery rather than inflaming regional and global instability, he added.

Selcuk Colakoglu, director of the Turkish Center of Asia Pacific Studies, said Pelosi's visit to Taiwan has escalated tensions between Beijing and Washington.

He said the visit has triggered a very unnecessary crisis between the two largest economies of the world -- the United States and China, and there may be disastrous results for the world economy and global supply chains.

Taiwan has always been Chinese territory, said Suleimane Cassama, Bissau-Guinean political scientist, noting Pelosi's visit to Taiwan can prove once again that the United States is a problem for the world.

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun)
An Arizona lawmaker endorsed by Donald Trump and backs his election fraud claims won the primary Tuesday for the top elections post in the presidential battleground.

Mark Finchem beat three other GOP candidates in the race for secretary of state.

His challengers included another candidate who repeated Trump's false claims that he lost the 2020 presidential election because of fraud, a longtime state lawmaker and a businessman endorsed by Republican Gov. Doug Ducey.

Finchem, who attended Trump's January 6, 2021, rally that preceded the Capitol riot, has said he only intends to ensure that election laws are followed to address concerns by many Republicans about how elections are run.

He tried to get the legislature to overturn the 2020 election results and has spoken about making major changes to election rules that are written by the secretary.

Arizona's was the most high-profile secretary of state's race in Tuesday's primaries. In Kansas, the top state elections official beat back a far-right challenger who promoted conspiracy theories, while in Washington voters were choosing from a mix of Democrats, Republicans and unaffiliated candidates in that states top-two primary.

The GOP primary elections for secretary of state are the latest this year to feature candidates who doubt the security of their states' elections.

Republican voters elsewhere have split on sending those candidates to the November ballot.

Arizona lawmaker Mark Finchem, who was endorsed by Donald Trump and backs his election fraud claims, won the primary Tuesday for the top elections post in the presidential battleground

Finchem is seen in the crowd at Donald Trump's January 6 rally, in the hours before supporters stormed the Capitol

The Democratic candidates in all three states reject the premise of a stolen 2020 presidential election and warn that victories in November by any of those who promote conspiracies would endanger free and fair elections. In all three states, the secretary of state is the top election official.

Finchem tried this year to get the Republican-controlled Legislature to notify Congress that Arizona wanted to decertify Democrat Joe Bidens election win.

He won Trump's endorsement and said in a recent interview that worries about the effect of his potential victory on free and fair elections are unfounded. He said he will just enforce laws as written.

'I think it's interesting that there are people, particularly Democrats out there, claiming: "Oh, he's going to ruin the system".

'He's going to do this, he's a threat to democracy,' Finchem said. Still, he contends tens of thousands of fake ballots led to Biden's win, a claim for which there is no credible evidence.

The other Republican who backed Trumps claims also is a member of the Arizona House. Rep. Shawnna Bolick introduced a bill last year that would allow a simple majority of the Legislature to overturn presidential election results.

The other Republicans on Arizonas ballot were state Sen. Michelle Ugenti-Rita, who acknowledges Bidens victory but has worked for a decade to tighten election laws, and businessman Beau Lane, who was backed by the governor.

Two Democrats, House Minority Leader Reginald Bolding and former Maricopa County Recorder Adrian Fontes, are seeking their party's nomination.

Kansas had no significant problems with its 2020 elections and Trump carried the state handily. Yet Secretary of State Scott Schwab found himself on sometimes tricky ground politically because many Republicans have embraced Trumps baseless claims that massive fraud cost him the race nationally.

Finchem, who attended Trump's January 6, 2021, rally that preceded the Capitol riot, has said he only intends to ensure that election laws are followed to address concerns by many Republicans about how elections are run

Schwab has repeatedly vouched for the safety of Kansas elections and touted new GOP-pushed laws, including ones that restrict the delivery of ballots by third parties. Hes also said he cant vouch for other states elections.

The message worked well for him in his primary against Mike Brown, a construction contractor and former county commissioner in the Kansas City area. Brown embraced election conspiracy theories and promised to rid the state of ballot drop boxes.

In November, Schwab will face Democrat Jenna Repass, who was unopposed in her party's primary.

Washington states top-two primary featured the incumbent, Democratic Secretary of State Steve Hobbs, who easily advanced to the general election. He was appointed by Gov. Jay Inslee last November and hopes to retain his seat for the remaining two years of former Republican Secretary of State Kim Wymans four-year term.

Also on the primary ballot were several Republican and unaffiliated challengers, including Tamborine Borrelli, an 'America First' candidate who was fined by the state Supreme Court earlier this summer for making meritless claims alleging widespread voter fraud. Borrelli was lagging far behind other candidates Tuesday night.

There was a tight race for the second slot on the November ballot between Pierce County Auditor Julie Anderson, running as an independent, and several Republicans.

Under Washington's primary system, the top two vote-getters advance to the general election, regardless of party. Results could take days to tally because its an all-mail election.
How soaring energy bills could compare to the cost of commuting MONTHLY ENERGY BILL 191 for gas and electricity if working from home in January MONTHLY COMMUTING COSTS LONDON BUS Any journey : 69.30 (42 journeys at 1.65 each) - CHEAPER LONDON UNDERGROUND Zone 2 to Zone 1: 134.40 (42 journeys at 3.20 each) - CHEAPER

134.40 (42 journeys at 3.20 each) - CHEAPER Zone 3 to Zone 1: 151.20 (42 journeys at 3.60 each) - CHEAPER

151.20 (42 journeys at 3.60 each) - CHEAPER Zone 4 to Zone 1: 180.60 (42 journeys at 4.30 each) - CHEAPER

180.60 (42 journeys at 4.30 each) - CHEAPER Zone 5 to Zone 1: 210.00 (42 journeys at 5 each) - MORE EXPENSIVE

210.00 (42 journeys at 5 each) - MORE EXPENSIVE Zone 6 to Zone 1: 231 (42 journeys at 5.50 each) - MORE EXPENSIVE CAR 20 miles: 137.76 (42 journeys at 3.28 each) - CHEAPER

137.76 (42 journeys at 3.28 each) - CHEAPER 25 miles : 172.62 (42 journeys at 4.11 each) - CHEAPER

: 172.62 (42 journeys at 4.11 each) - CHEAPER 30 miles: 204.96 (42 journeys at 4.88 each) - MORE EXPENSIVE

204.96 (42 journeys at 4.88 each) - MORE EXPENSIVE RAC mileage calculator used, based on 52.3mpg Ford Focus hatchback with petrol costing 191p a litre Advertisement

Millions of Britons opting to continue working from home after the pandemic are facing a difficult decision this winter with the cost of energy bills meaning it could be cheaper to be in the office.

Households across the UK have been warned of an annual energy bill in excess of 3,600 this winter, making it extremely expensive to heat and power properties.

Now, HR experts and council bosses say staff will consider whether to spend more days in the office in the colder months after the next price cap rise in October.

And Uswitch estimates households where people work from home will use an extra 25 per cent more electricity and 75 per cent more gas per day in winter.

Based on price cap forecasts, this adds up to a potential yearly increase of 686 per household over the winter period, including 191 in January alone for those on standard variable tariffs. The experts added that the cost would be 139 for November and 143 for December.

MailOnline has calculated that it would therefore be cheaper to go into the office during January for Londoners who work in Zone 1 but live as far out as Zone 4.

Looking specifically at January, there will be 21 working days, which means the cost of powering and heating your home in this month would be 9.10 every day.

Those commuting to work by bus in London would pay 69.30 a month, based on 42 journeys at 1.65 each.

Those commuting on Underground from Zone 2 to Zone 1 would pay 134.40 a month, based on 42 journeys at 3.20 each. Those travelling from further out in Zone 4 to Zone 1 would pay 180.60, based on 42 journeys at 4.30 each.

It is only when you get to Zone 5 that journeys into Zone 1 will be pricier than working from home  equating to 210 for the month, made up of 42 journeys at 5 each. From Zone 6, it would be 231 a month, that being 42 trips at 5.50 each.

Those commuting into London from further outside the capital are also unlikely to see any benefit in cost savings - with a monthly season ticket pricier in almost all cases. Taking the example of some commuter towns, Woking to London is 351.80 a month, Luton to London is 452.80 and Reading to London is 484.30.

If driving, the example of a 52.3mpg Ford Focus hatchback was used with petrol at 191p a litre. It would cost 6.56 a day or 137.76 a month for a 20-mile journey each day; 8.22 a day or 172.62 a month for a 25 miles; or 9.76 or 204.96 for 30 miles.

This means that those driving to work would possibly save money on not having to heat or power their homes while in the office, if their commute is under 30 miles.

In Manchester, an 'AnyBus' bus ticket costs 6.40 per day while an 'AnyBus & Tram' ticket is 9 - both of which would be cheaper than working from home. However, an 'AnyBus, Train & Tram' ticket is 10.40 - which would be more expensive than WFH.

In Leeds, a West Yorkshire 'FirstDay' bus ticket is 5.20 per day - which would be cheaper than WFH. A weekly train ticket between Bradford and Leeds is 29.30, or 5.86 per day - also cheaper than WFH. A monthly ticket for that route is 112.60.

Leeds City Council's director for resources Neil Evans said some of the authority's staff 'may actually decide it's cheaper to come in rather than heat their homes'.

And HR expert Sam Alsop-Hall said his colleagues have been discussing what to do, with one predicting his energy bills will be nearly 500 a month - 'more than my car'.

Others have suggested that community spaces could offer a warm base for those working remotely, which would be cheaper than heating lots of separate homes.

AVERAGE MONTHLY COST OF WORKING FROM HOME v GOING TO THE OFFICE Month Price cap at the time Average monthly home energy bill if working from the office Average monthly home energy bill if working from home Difference Nov-22 3,358* 391 530 139 Dec-22 3,358* 407 551 143 Jan-23 3,615* 492 683 191 Source: Uswitch.com. The working from home bill was calculated based on using 25% more electricity and 75% more gas per working day. *Based on Cornwall Insights predictions from August 2, 2022.

It comes as energy consultant Cornwall Insight said a regular gas and electricity bill in England, Wales and Scotland could reach 3,615 in the new year.

This is hundreds of pounds more than previous predictions, with Cornwall Insight predicting just last month that annual energy bills would typically rise to 3,244 from October and 3,363 from January.

Energy bills forecast to hit 3,615 as cost-of-living crisis worsens Households across Britain have been warned they could face an annual energy bill in excess of 3,600 this winter. Energy consultant Cornwall Insight said a regular gas and electricity bill in England, Wales and Scotland could reach 3,615 in the new year, which is hundreds of pounds more than previous predictions. In May, the Government announced an energy costs support package - worth 400 per household - in response to predictions that bills would rise to 2,800 for the average household in October. Last month, Cornwall Insight predicted that annual energy bills would typically rise to 3,244 from October and 3,363 from January, but circumstances have changed significantly since then. The company told BBC Breakfast yesterday that such a bill is now likely to rise to 3,358 from October and 3,615 from January. Cornwall Insight's principal consultant, Craig Lowrey, said surging gas prices and concerns about Russian supply had prompted the increase. Advertisement

The company estimated yesterday that such a bill is now likely to rise to 3,358 from October and 3,615 from January.

In May, the Government announced an energy costs support package - worth 400 per household - in response to predictions that bills would rise to 2,800 for the average household in October.

Mr Evans told a Leeds City Council scrutiny meeting last week that working from home in some form will probably stay permanently, reported the Yorkshire Evening Post.

But he added that while much of the workforce is still working remotely because of commuting costs, this could change from autumn when colder weather begins to take hold.

Mr Evans said: 'I've got lots of staff saying, 'Prove to me I need to come in'. I personally think there's a need for regular contact because of the quality of relationships between people, development of new staff and good supervision.

'We all need these things to be done in-person because it's quite difficult to do them remotely.

'But that challenge of showing those things are necessary is something staff are (asking for). People are now saying they're struggling with finances and the cost of transport.

'We may see more people come back in September and some people may actually decide it's cheaper to come in rather than heat their homes.'

Sam Alsop-Hall, chief strategy officer at Birmingham-based healthcare recruitment company Woodrow Mercer Healthcare, said he has heard colleagues including middle managers discussing energy bills and what impact this will have on working from home.

He told MailOnline: 'I've been leading teams for years, but this week is the first time I've heard a lunch time conversation about energy bills in the office.

'Even middle managers in our organisation seem alarmed and concerned about the increasing cost of energy and the next increase expected in October. One of our team predicts his energy bills will be close to 500 a month - 'more than my car'.'

He added that the company has office space in Birmingham city centre which is open 24/7 for employees, and he expects many staff will 'forgo the right to work from home this winter as they quickly weigh up the cost of fuel to get to work versus the cost of fuel to heat their homes'.

Can you still claim a tax relief on working from home? The Government has changed the rules on who can claim tax relief for working home. Here is the latest guidance taken directly from Gov.UK: Working from home You may be able to claim tax relief for additional household costs if you have to work at home for all or part of the week. If you previously claimed tax relief when you worked from home because of coronavirus (COVID-19), you might no longer be eligible. Who can claim tax relief You can claim tax relief if you have to work from home, for example because:

your job requires you to live far away from your office

your employer does not have an office Who cannot claim tax relief You cannot claim tax relief if you choose to work from home. This includes if: your employment contract lets you work from home some or all of the time

you work from home because of COVID-19

your employer has an office, but you cannot go there sometimes because it's full What you can claim for You can only claim for things to do with your work, such as: business phone calls

gas and electricity for your work area You cannot claim for things that you use for both private and business use, such as rent or broadband access. How much you can claim You can either claim tax relief on: 6 a week from 6 April 2020 (for previous tax years the rate is 4 a week) - you will not need to keep evidence of your extra costs

the exact amount of extra costs you've incurred above the weekly amount - you'll need evidence such as receipts, bills or contracts You'll get tax relief based on the rate at which you pay tax. Example If you pay the 20% basic rate of tax and claim tax relief on 6 a week, you would get 1.20 per week in tax relief (20% of 6). You'll usually get tax relief through a change to your tax code. Advertisement

Samuel Mather-Holgate, an independent financial advisor at Mather and Murray Financial in Swindon, said that a 'flexible approach' will probably be the preferred option of most staff and employers.

He told MailOnline: 'Although energy bills at home are going through the roof, the cost of commuting and the time it adds on to your day are real bugbears.

'If you do work from home you can claim some money back from HMRC for the cost of heating your home. It will mean doing a self-assessment, the entitlement isn't overly generous, but with bills going up it will be more worthwhile. '

However, the working from home tax break that saw people able to claim tax relief worth up to 125 a year during the pandemic has now become harder to claim.

You can no longer claim it if you choose to work from home, such as if your employment contract lets you work from home some or all of the time; you work from home because of Covid-19; or your employer has an office, but you cannot go there sometimes because it's full.

But you can claim the relief if you have to work from home because your job requires you to live far away from your office; or your employer does not have an office.

And you can only now claim for things to do with your work, such as business phone calls; and gas and electricity for your work area. You cannot claim for things that you use for both private and business use, such as rent or broadband access.

One suggestion that has been put forward for helping remote workers to save money on their energy bills this winter is to open up community spaces as co-working environments.

Dr Marianne Trent, clinical psychologist at Good Thinking Psychological Services in Coventry, told MailOnline: 'It's always nice to have choices and control.

'A church local to me have announced that they will be having an 'open door' programme where they heat their function room and make food freely available.

'People are welcome to come along to keep warm and get nourished too. It would be wonderful to see this rolled out across the country and being used by a cross-section of the community so that people working remotely could use it as a flexible work space too.

'This would be better for the environment than heating lots of separate homes too.'

Kirklees Council in West Yorkshire is among the local authorities considering whether community centres and libraries could offer warm spaces for people this winter, according to the Dewsbury Reporter.

Its chief executive Jaqui Gedman said last month that consideration was also being given around remote workers who may wish to return to the office to mitigate against of the financial problems posed by the cost of living crisis.

Latest figures on rail passenger numbers published by the Department for Transport last week revealed that they are now close to pre-pandemic levels.

Every day of the week between July 6 and 17 had numbers at between 90 and 93 per cent of pre-Covid levels  with the same figures seen between June 10 and 20.

On London's Underground, passenger numbers are now close to 80 per cent of pre-pandemic levels, although figures of between 85 per cent and 118 per cent have been recorded since May on weekends and bank holidays.

Louise Skittrall, HR expert at Swindon-based Robinson Grace HR Consultancy, told MailOnline: 'The cost of living increase is hitting hard, and with further energy price rises due in October, things are set to get worse.

BP sees earnings hits 14-year high amid anger over profits BP has revealed second-quarter profits more than trebled to a 14-year high as it joined rival Shell in reaping the benefits of soaring oil and gas prices. The oil giant yesterday reported underlying replacement cost profits - its preferred measure - jumping to a far better-than-expected 6.9 billion for the three months to June 30, up from 2.3 billion a year ago. BP delivered cheer to investors, with a 10 per cent rise in the dividend shareholder payout and by ramping up its share buyback plan with another 2.9billion due before the end of September. Yet the result comes as households are struggling to meet rocketing bills and anger is mounting anger over massive profits from oil and energy firms following bumper results from Shell and British Gas owner Centrica last week. BP also warned that there is not expected to be any let up with energy prices over the summer, forecasting that crude oil and gas prices will remain high over the third quarter due to supply disruption from Russia. But BP's reported half-year figures were impacted by a massive 19.9billion hit from the firm's move to ditch its near-20 per cent stake in Russian oil producer Rosneft in response to the Ukraine war. This left it with statutory replacement cost losses of 13 billion, against profits of 4.7 billion a year earlier. Advertisement

'For many who have embraced remote or hybrid working, this may prompt them to reflect on whether it's more cost effective to commute to a warm office, or remain working from home and heating their workspace.

'Whilst this may lead a few to transition back to the office, I think the more likely scenario is for staff to ask for a working from home allowance if one is not already paid by their employer, or for a review of the working from home allowance if they are already in receipt of one.

'In the same way that we have seen the National Living Wage embraced, it would be easy to see a wave of campaigning begin to ensure that all employers offer a working from home allowance, providing a contribution to electricity and heating.'

She said that Britons are used to the rush to buy fans and cool mats in the summer months, but retailers are now likely to see increased demand for portable heaters to enable households to heat just the office space rather than running the central heating all day.

Ms Skittrall added: 'The benefits of working from home post pandemic versus escalating fuel costs is yesterday's conundrum.

'Today's dilemma is focused on heating your home versus the cost of commuting to the office, and weighing up the financial impact of these options.'

But Liam Molesworth, co-founder at healthcare consultancy Mprove in Birmingham, said he does not think the public are yet thinking as far ahead as winter, given that UK's highest ever temperature of 40.3C (104.5F) was recorded just over a fortnight ago.

However, he told MailOnline: 'With the cost of heating a home predicted to rise up to 3500 per year, it will soon be on the forefront of everyone's minds.

'As a business we give our employees access to our offices 24 hours a day, 365 days a year which I hope helps any of our staff save money this winter and I would suggest any business owner, if possible, offers the same.'

While many workers are still reluctant to head back into the office full-time, the heatwave did lead some to go back in to enjoy the air conditioning in workplaces.

But, looking ahead to colder temperatures this winter, Rachel Hayward, managing director at business consultancy Ask the Chameleon in Derby, told MailOnline: 'I've always had a tendency to wear many jumpers when writing from home in the past rather than put the heating on, and I am left wondering how many more layers I will need to wear this winter, before I am unable to reach the keyboard.

'The biting cost of energy is looming large, and I will be weighing up the costs of hot desking in Derby versus the heating bill. My work has always been a rollercoaster in sales - tenders and bids wait for no woman - and I will need to make adjustments once more in my business outgoings.

Up to 645m available for money-saving green upgrades for buildings Up to 635million is being made available to schools, hospitals, leisure centres and town halls for green energy upgrades, the Government said. Environmental campaigners welcomed the move to insulate and install green energy tech in more public buildings, but criticised a failure to provide extra funding for upgrades for millions of households who face poverty this winter. The funding for public sector organisations in England will help install low-carbon heating such as heat pumps and energy efficiency measures including double glazing and loft insulation. It is the second part of more than 1.4billion due to be allocated through the public sector decarbonisation scheme between 2022 and 2025, the Business Department (Beis) said. Green upgrades will help public organisations and taxpayers save an average 650million a year on energy bills over the next 15 years, Beis officials said. Organisations such as NHS Trusts, schools and local authorities will be able to apply for grants from September. Installing low-carbon heating systems powered by cheap, clean renewable energy will help organisations cut their use of expensive polluting fossil fuels, and support thousands of jobs in the clean tech and energy efficiency sectors, the Government said. Advertisement

'Sensible practice though this may be, I am worried, but also extremely concerned for my fellow small business owners who are already struggling and vulnerable people in my community. These past few years would test Hercules.'

Cornwall Insight's principal consultant, Craig Lowrey, said surging gas prices and concerns about Russian supply had prompted the increase in its forecast for gas and electricity bills this winter.

'However, while the rise in forecasts for October and January is a pressing concern, it is not only the level - but the duration - of the rises that makes these new forecasts so devastating,' he told BBC Breakfast yesterday.

'Given the current level of the wholesale price, this level of household energy bills currently shows little sign of abating into 2024.'

Dr Lowrey joined other experts in saying Government support will 'only scratch the surface' for households.

'While the Government has pledged some support for October's energy rise, our cap forecast has increased by over 500 since the funding was proposed, and the truth is the 400 pledged will only scratch the surface of this problem.'

Last Friday, Richard Neudegg, director of regulation at Uswitch, called for the 400 Government rebate to be increased to at least 600, and for payments to vulnerable households to rise from 650 to 950.

'The Government did the right thing by stepping in with wide-reaching support to try to help ease the blow. However, this support now looks like a severe under-estimation of what consumers need,' he said.

'Households need clarity to help them plan for the most expensive winter in living memory.'

Charity National Energy Action last month predicted that, should the average bill reach 3,250 per year, 8.2 million UK households will be in fuel poverty, or one in three.

A spokesman for Uswitch told MailOnline: 'Working from home during the colder months often means having the heating on a lot more, and using extra gas and electricity for cooking, making cups of tea, televisions and computers.

'The amount of extra energy households use will vary from home to home, but assuming a household with medium annual usage is at home for an extra 50 hours per week, we've estimated that they could use around 25% more electricity and 75% more gas per day this winter.

'Across a whole year, this could increase bills for people on Standard Variable Tariffs by almost 686, hitting 191 extra a month in January.

'For most people who don't have a significant commute, working from the office is likely to be much more economical this winter.'

It comes as BP revealed second-quarter profits more than trebled to a 14-year high as it joined rival Shell in reaping the benefits of soaring oil and gas prices.

BP also warned that there is not expected to be any let up with energy prices over the summer, forecasting that crude oil and gas prices will remain high over the third quarter due to supply disruption from Russia.

Joshua Warner, market analyst at City Index, said the upcoming rise in the energy cap for households was a 'recipe that should continue to deliver bumper earnings for BP and other oil and gas giants'.

The Government is introducing a windfall tax on the profits of energy companies, but it has faced criticism for giving strong incentives to allow companies to invest in oil and gas, while there are no tax incentives in the policy for green investment.
A bombshell letter from Australian Federal Police warned Scott Morrison's government that former Nationals MP George Christensen was at risk of being blackmailed because of his 'activities' in the Philippines.

For the past three years, police and the recently retired MP have been fighting to keep details of the letter - sent to then-home affairs minister Peter Dutton in 2018 - private.

The letter came after a nine-month Australian Federal Police investigation into Mr Christensen's 'extensive' travel to the southeast Asian country, where he spent almost 300 days across 28 trips between 2014 and 2018.

George Christensen (with his wife April, above) was warned by Federal police in 2018 that his visits to the Philippines put him at risk of being blackmailed

The AFP recently lost its three year battle to keep a letter regarding Mr Christensen's 'activities' in the Philippines private

The AFP refused to release the letter, citing national security and privacy concerns, but was eventually forced to make the document public after the Nine Network won a lengthy legal fight to obtain it after an appeal to the Information Commissioner.

The letter to Mr Dutton in 2018 said the investigation found no evidence of criminal conduct by Mr Christensen but he was 'at risk of being targeted for compromise by foreign interests'.

'The AFP has completed a thorough assessment in relation to this matter, with no criminal conduct on the part of Mr Christensen being identified,' then-AFP deputy commissioner Ramzi Jabbour wrote.

'The assessment did reveal, however, that Mr Christensen undertakes extensive international travel to Southeast Asia during non-sitting periods and has engaged in activities that could potentially place him at risk of being targeted for compromise by foreign interests.'

George Christensen's passport photo, as captured during his visits to the Philippines

Mr Jabbour said the AFP met with Mr Christensen four weeks earlier to inform him of the 'potential risk of compromise'. 'The matter has now been concluded,' the letter ended.

Mr Christensen did not respond to requests for comment about the letter.

During the federal police investigation, Mr Christensen outed himself as the MP who the AFP was looking into for his regular visits to the developing nation.

Mr Christensen, who has a Filipino wife, attacked media coverage of his visits to the Philippines as a 'vile smear'.

At one stage, he famously turned to a reporter questioning him about it, exclaiming 'you're a grub'.

His frequent trips to Angeles City (pictured), 80 km north of Manila, raised AFP concerns

Once dubbed the 'Member of Manila', George Christensen (pictured) spent 294 days in the Philippines over four years from 2014-2018

His trips included frequent visits to Angeles City, 80km north of Manila, reports said.

Mr Christensen insisted he did nothing wrong while fighting to keep the AFP letter private.

'I am not happy with documents that basically falsely accuse me of a serious crime being made public because, therefore, people will get to then report what you are falsely accused of and that's just wrong for anyone,' he told Nine News last year.

The Mackay-based politician was first elected to federal parliament in 2010 after spending six years in local council.

Mr Christensen served three terms as the MP for Dawson before announcing in April he would not recontest his seat.

He said he had only intended to stay in parliament for three stints and wanted to spend more time with wife April Asuncion and their young child.

'While I've been repeatedly encouraged by the party, my staff, my colleagues and my voters to run again, the reality is in the past year I've been separated from my family who was caught up overseas with the pandemic,' he said in a video posted to Facebook.

'They're now here in the country so I want to focus more on them going into the future.'

Days later, Mr Christensen announced he had joined Pauline Hanson's One Nation and rescinded his retirement to contest the election.

He was on One Nations Senate ticket in a spot widely considered unwinnable and was defeated at the May federal election.
A snorkeller was left 'screaming for help' after being bitten by a shark off Cornwall in the first attack of its kind in 175 years - in what the victim branded a 'very scary incident' at sea.

The woman - who has not been identified - was in Penzance, Cornwall, with Blue Shark Snorkel Trips when the accident happened last Thursday.

According to the Sun, the woman may have required minor plastic surgery following the vicious bite, while witnesses told the paper she let out 'piercing screams', adding that there was 'blood everywhere.'

The unlucky adventurer had been swimming some 15 miles out to sea during the 180 per person excursion when the shark, unprovoked, suddenly bit her leg.

The swimmer was rushed back into the chartered boat where she was given immediate first aid and taken ashore for further treatment.

It is the first shark attack of its kind on a person in British waters since 1847. Several fishermen have been bitten in recent years but only after bringing the sea creatures on board their vessels.

The tour group said it was investigating how last week's attack could have happened.

In a statement put out by the trip company on Tuesday afternoon, the bite victim said: 'What was a very scary incident was made so much easier by the kindness and calmness of the people around me.

The woman - who has not been identified - was in Penzance, Cornwall, with Blue Shark Snorkel Trips when the accident happened on Thursday. She was swimming some 15 miles out to sea during the 180 per person excursion when the shark, unprovoked, suddenly bit her leg.

The female swimmer is said to have been on a snorkelling trip to see blue sharks in Penzance harbour. Pictured: Blue shark stock image

'Thank you to the trip team for getting me back to shore quickly and carefully and making me feel as safe as I possibly could.

'We all take these risks when we enter the habitat of a predator and we can never completely predict the reactions of a wild animal.'

The woman was rescued by the coastguard and left in the care of paramedics. HM Coastguard has confirmed that it is believed the injury was caused by a suspected shark bite.

The victim added that 'despite how the trip ended', it was 'amazing to see such majestic creatures in the wild'.

She said: 'I don't for a second want this freak event to tarnish the reputation of an already persecuted species.'

Trip organiser Victoria Walker, who runs Blue Shark Snorkel from Penzance harbour, told the Daily Mail last night: 'We immediately enacted our emergency response plan, with first aid being carried out on the person involved.

'Following advice and assessment from the coastguard, the person walked off the boat and received further treatment ashore.'

Miss Walker, who wants to 'help people overcome their fear of sharks', added: 'These occurrences can be blown out of control without a clear understanding and scientific back-up.

'They are extremely rare and can be easily misunderstood.

'These things can happen when we choose to interact with wild animals in their own environment. The last thing we want is to let speculation drive the media into a world of bad press for the sharks, under no fault of their own.'

Trip organiser Victoria Walker (pictured), who runs Blue Shark Snorkel from Penzance harbour, told the Daily Mail last night: 'We immediately enacted our emergency response plan, with first aid being carried out on the person involved.'

A local shark fisherman said yesterday that he saw 'massive' blue sharks at the same spot the day before the bite incident.

An coastguard spokesperson said: 'HM Coastguard sent Penzance Coastguard Rescue Team to meet a snorkeler who suffered a suspected shark bite.

'The coastguard was notified just before 12.30pm on Thursday (July 28). It is believed the swimmer suffered a leg injury.

'The coastguard team met the casualty at Penzance harbour to assist with passing them into the care of the ambulance service.'

Shark expert Richard Peirce told MailOnline: 'It was most likely an exploratory bite, sharks obviously do not have hands or feet, they have mouths. They are very inquisitive creatures.

'Hopefully this bite is relatively mild stuff but that is not to say that blue sharks cannot inflict much damage because they can.

'I started the shark diving trips off Cornwall in 2006 and myself and my guides were always in the water with those we were taking out.

'We used a Shark Billy, poles that we could prod away a shark if they got too close. You don't want to be using your hands to do it.

'I don't know what's happened on this occasion, I've heard that it was a tourist on a shark snorkelling trip who was injured, but the water would have been chummed first to attract the sharks.

'The blood in the water would have stimulated the sharks senses and they would approach initially looking for dinner.

'These sort of trips have to be handled both sensitively for the shark and also safely for those who are taking part. Hopefully the appropriate safety guidelines have been followed on this occasion.'

The victim had been swimming in the waters off Cornwall after sailing 15 miles out to sea on the Celtic Fox (pictured) as part of a snorkelling excursion

Blue Shark Snorkel Trips said in a statement: 'We want to make everyone aware that we have had an incident.

'These occurrences are extremely rare and can be easily misunderstood so we want this to be dealt with as sensibly as possible.

'As we know, these things can happen when we choose to interact with wild animals in their own environment. The last thing we want is to let speculation drive the media into a world of bad press for the sharks, under no fault of their own.

'We immediately enacted our emergency response plan, with first aid being carried out on the person involved.

'Following advice and assessment from the coastguard, the person walked off the boat and received further treatment ashore.

'We've tried to understand why it happened and are in continued talks with shark experts.'

The company did not respond to numerous phonecalls or messages and simply posted the information on its Facebook page.

Its website promises a 'unique and unforgettable wildlife experience' and the 'chance to have up close and interactive encounters with blue sharks in their natural environment.'

While you do not need to have a diving qualification, some previous experience with snorkelling is required.

A spokesman for Visit Cornwall told the Telegraph there was no reason for tourists to be concerned, adding: 'You don't have to worry as long as you swim on a lifeguarded beach.

'Sharks don't eat people off Cornwall and we certainly don't get Great Whites in our waters. There's no need to close the beaches at this stage.'

Penzance Harbour, where the organised excursion had set off from before the bit happened

Several species visit the Cornish waters every year, including blue sharks, porbeagle sharks and basking sharks - who do not tend to attack humans - but shark attacks remain rare, especially in the UK.

The British Sea Fishing website said: 'Blue shark attacks on humans are extremely rare but have been recorded. In total, on a world-wide basis, there are four confirmed cases of fatal blue shark attacks on humans with twenty-five confirmed non-fatal attacks.

'In August 2012 a beach in Ceredigion, Wales was closed to bathers due to the presence of a blue shark.

'The shark was spotted swimming in between boats and came very close to the shore, swimming past tourists in just a few feet of water.

'Later in the same month another beach in West Dorset had to be closed for an hour and a half due to another blue shark.'

In 2017 surfer Rich Thomson was also apparently bitten on the thumb by what was believed to be a smooth hound - a relative of sharks.

The last recorded unprovoked 'attack' was at Felixstowe when a windsurfer's board was bitten by a shark in 2016.

Despite this, the windsufer sustained no injures and shark bites tend to only happen when provoked during fishing or other activities.
High-flying real estate boss and potential Liberal candidate Danni Hunter has quit over a race row that has rocked the Property Council of Australia

A high-flying real estate boss and Liberal Party prospect has quit over a fake tan race row that has rocked the Property Council of Australia.

The council's Victorian executive director Danni Hunter stood down on Tuesday after allegedly making a racist remark to a co-worker at a gala dinner night on June 23.

Ms Hunter is said to have told a staff member at the function in Crown's Palladium ballroom that she needed more fake tan as she wanted to look 'Indian or Aboriginal'.

The shocked staffer reportedly asked Ms Hunter for an apology but she's alleged to have refused and it was dismissed as a light-hearted remark.

The comment sparked the resignation of the outraged senior colleague days later after the un-named woman made a formal complaint over the incident.

Ms Hunter resigned on Tuesday after having taken a leave of absence when details of the fallout from the council's function appeared in the media last week.

On Wednesday, Ms Hunter refused to discuss the row and referred Daily Mail Australia to the council.

'I don't have anything to add to what's been said so far,' Ms Hunter told Daily Mail Australia.

The Property Council of Australia's Victorian executive director Danni Hunter stood down on Tuesday after allegedly making a racist remark to a co-worker at a gala dinner night on June 23

The council is the nation's peak lobby group representing property developers and builders, and has an ethnically diverse staff in its national headquarters.

Flame-haired and pale-skinned Ms Hunter is said to have turned up at the glittering event with a deeper tan than normal before allegedly making her remark.

'Danni had a tan for the ball and told a staff member that she needed lots more fake tans because she wanted to look Indian or Aboriginal,' a staffer told the Herald Sun.

'That team member asked for an apology but Danni refused.

'The team member quit a couple of days later and didn't want to come back because of how she was made to feel.'

Some attendees who heard the comments said Ms Hunter made the alleged comments as a joke.

Danni Hunter is said to have told a staff member at the function in Crown's glitzy Palladium ballroom that she needed more fake tan as she wanted to look 'Indian or Aboriginal'

Ms Hunter is reported to have made an apology for the remark at a staff meeting after an internal investigation called in the wake of the row.

However her apology failed to quell the anger among some workers, despite PCA's insistence it took the matter 'very seriously'.

'I'm just so upset that the company has tried to pretend this never happened,' said one.

'There should be zero tolerance but reputation is more important to the company.'

Flame-haired and pale-skinned Danni Hunter is said to have turned up at the glittering event with a deeper tan than normal before allegedly making her remark

The council's ACT Executive Director Adina Cirson has been appointed acting Victorian executive director for an interim period from next week.

Once touted as a future Liberal MP, Ms Hunter described her council role as the property sector's key advocate across Victoria.

Previously, she was youngest person and first female to be Chief Executive Officer of the Urban Development Institute of Australia and held the role for six years.

Her LinkedIn biography boasts of her passion to increase diversity within business leadership.

Danni Hunter resigned on Tuesday after having taken a leave of absence when details of the fallout from the council's function appeared in the media last week

Ms Hunter held several key advisory positions to the Victorian state government, providing advice and input into economic strategies.

She worked hand in hand with current Victorian Liberal leader, Matthew Guy, when he was the state planning minister, which appeared set to fast-track her for election.

And she clashed with Premier Dan Andrews in March when she was accused of reneging on a deal to support his housing reform plan for a social housing tax.

Government sources claimed she had agreed to support the move - which would have raised $800million in revenue - but then lobbied against it.

The backlash caused a government U-turn on the policy and scrapped the proposal just days after it was announced.

On Wednesday, the Property Council of Australia told Daily Mail Australia they had accepted Ms Hunter's resignation.

'We thank Danni for her strong advocacy and contribution during her time with the organisation and wish her well for her future,' said a spokesman.

'Danni has made the decision to tender her resignation due to the stress and publicity that has surrounded recent events.

'A matter relating to the conduct of a senior staff member was raised following the June 23 event, and has been taken very seriously.

'The matter has been investigated confidentially in accordance with the Property Councils people and culture policies.

That process has resulted in a number of appropriate consequences and actions, including the senior staff member taking responsibility and issuing a full apology.'

A statement added: 'The Property Council is committed to our values. These set out who we are as an organisation and the standard we expect of our people.

'Throughout this period the Property Council has provided support to our staff and to Danni, and maintained confidential processes in accordance with our robust policies and procedures.

'The recruitment process for the position will commence shortly.'
Paul Pelosi, 82, pleaded not guilty to two counts of driving under the influence - two months after his arrest in Yountville, California

Nancy Pelosi's husband on Wednesday pleaded not guilty to two counts of driving under the influence, two months after his arrest in Napa County, California.

Paul Pelosi, who lives with the Democratic House Speaker in St. Helena, California, did not appear for the arraignment on Wednesday and was instead represented by his lawyer Amanda Bevin during the 10-minute hearing.

Twenty-year veteran Judge Monique Langhorne was a last-minute addition to the case, swapped in after being booted from a different trial at the request of the public defender.

The brief hearing concluded with a settlement conference being scheduled for August 23.

Pelosi could face up to one year of prison or license suspension for each count, according to the complaint.

Bevin declined to comment outside court, but District Attorney Allison Haley spoke briefly to deny reports that she is in cahoots with Langhorne.

She said she had made a $100 donation to the judge's election campaign in 2018 and noted that under California law, the defense can have her removed from the case if they think she cannot be impartial.

She said: 'I gave Judge Langhorne $100 in 2018. I believe she can be fair and impartial in this case.'

At the time of the crash on May 28, Pelosi was attempting to cross State Road 29 - a busy highway connecting Napa and Calistoga - when he slammed into a 2014 Jeep driven by Jesus Lopez at 10:22pm. He had pulled out of Walnut Lane, five miles south of his home with Nancy

DailyMail.com photos show the damage caused by the crash was still visible 48 hours after the accident, including a parking sign that had been knocked down and injury to the fence surrounding a vineyard

Paul and wife Nancy Pelosi own a vineyard in Napa County located five miles from the crash site. The Speaker of the House was traveling for work in Rhode Island at the time

DA Haley also revealed her staff had been subjected to death threats over the case, saying: 'This has been disruptive in the office. There have been thousands of phone calls and emails. Staff have been told they're going to hang from trees.

'These are some of the most dedicated people in Napa County.'

Pelosi, 82, was arrested on May 28 after he blew a stop sign in his 2021 Porsche and slammed into a Jeep shortly after 10pm.

He later told cops he had been attending a dinner party in Yountville.

A complaint filed ahead of the hearing revealed Pelosi had attempted to hand over a police courtesy card when asked for identification by cops.

He also failed a field sobriety test and had a Blood Alcohol Count of 0.08 per cent. He was found to have traces of drugs in his system.

The report stated that Pelosi was slurring his words and reeked of alcohol when he was picked up by cops.

Officers said he was sitting in the front seat of the car, failed a field sobriety test and his eyes appeared 'red and watery.'

It continued: 'He was unsteady on his feet, his speech was slurred and he had a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage emanating from his breath.'

Pelosi did not appear for the arraignment on Wednesday and was instead represented by his lawyer Amanda Bevin (left) during the 10-minute hearing

Pelosi was charged with one count of driving under the influence causing injury and one count of driving with a BAC level of 0.08% causing injury, according to the criminal complaint

The report goes on to describe the incident, revealing he had attempted to hand over a police courtesy card when asked for identification by cops

Pelosi could face up to a year of prison or license suspension for each count, according to the complaint

Pelosi was carted off to the Napa County Jail where he was booked at 12:32am and posed for a mugshot  that shows him shamefaced in a brown suit  shortly before he was released at 4:30am.

At the time of the crash, Nancy Pelosi was on official business in Rhode Island and swiftly distanced herself from the incident.

District Attorney Allison Haley spoke briefly outside the court to deny reports that she is in cahoots with Judge Langhorne

On Wednesday, the House Speaker departed Taiwan and was expected to travel to South Korea ahead of her husband's arraignment.

Napa County DA Allison Haley spent weeks mulling whether to charge Pelosi  eventually deciding to hit him with one count of DUI causing injury and another of driving with .08 per cent blood alcohol level or higher causing injury on June 23.

The 82-year-old had been at a dinner with friends prior to the crash and was driving back to his palatial vineyard home.

At the time of the crash, he was attempting to cross State Road 29  a busy highway that connects Napa and Calistoga  when he slammed into a 2014 Jeep driven by Jesus Lopez, 48.

Lopez, of Calistoga, California, was slightly injured in the crash and complained of having pain in his upper right arm, right shoulder and back when seen by investigators the following day. He also said he was suffering from headaches.

He has declined to speak about the case, later invoking California's Marsy's Law which protects the privacy rights of victims and also allows them to pursue restitution from the person who harmed them if convicted.

Pelosi pulled out onto the highway and was struck by another driver, Jesus V. Lopez, who was driving northbound in a 2014 Jeep

DailyMail.com photos show how the two vehicles came to rest at the intersection of Walnut Lane and S-29  just short of the Oakville general store

Paul Pelosi's blood alcohol level was over the California limit of 0.08% according to police. He is pictured toasting actress Nicole Kidman during a Futures Without Violence event in 2017

He is referred to in the complaint as 'John Doe' which also notes that he has since experienced headaches that he never did before as a result of the crash.

Both Lopez and Pelosi declined treatment at the scene.

CHP sources told DailyMail.com that both cars were written off in the smash.

DailyMail.com photos show how the two vehicles came to rest at the intersection of Walnut Lane and S-29  just short of the Oakville general store.

Damage caused by the crash was still visible 48 hours after the accident, including a parking sign that had been knocked down and injury to the fence surrounding a vineyard.

The dramatic new development comes after DailyMail.com revealed Pelosi has a history of driving incidents and was involved in a smash that killed his brother David when he was 16.

According to a 1957 report in the San Francisco Examiner, Pelosi, who was then a high school sophomore, had collected David, 19, from the home of a girlfriend at 12:30am and the brothers had decided to take a 'joy ride'.

The fatal crash happened shortly after 2:40am close to the Crystal Springs Dam just outside of San Mateo and left David trapped under the car where he was throttled by his neck brace.

The development comes after DailyMail.com revealed Pelosi was involved in a smash that killed his brother David when he was 16. Pelosi's accident made news at the time. The San Francisco Examiner reported it on Page 6 in its February 23, 1957 edition saying David had warned Paul to slow down

The 1957 fatal crash happened shortly after 2:40am close to the Crystal Springs Dam (pictured) just outside of San Mateo and left David trapped under the car where he was throttled by his neck brace

Paul Pelosi married Nancy D'Alesandro in the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen in Baltimore on September 7, 1963

Although a coroner's jury later dismissed manslaughter charges against Pelosi, a patrolman quoted in contemporary news reports said David had told his brother to slow down seconds before the crash.

He said: 'This is a bad stretch  better slow down,' as they approached a tight curve near the Crystal Springs Dam on the Skyline Highway  now California State Route 35.

Paul told Patrolman Thomas Ganley he tried to slow by shifting gears in the stick shift car, but lost control.

'The car veered across the road, bounced back from a small embankment, climbed 20 feet up another, spun around and somersaulted simultaneously and ended upside down on the shoulder with both youths underneath,' reported the Examiner.

David, a freshman at the College of San Mateo, was dead on arrival at the hospital.

The newspaper said David was probably strangled by a brace he wore to support a neck fracture he had sustained when he dived into shallow water in Lake Tahoe.

The San Mateo Times reported that Ganley and another patrolman Jack Rakestraw noted that David's brace was 'lodged tightly against his neck'.

'They jacked up the car to relieve the pressure but the youth apparently was already dead,' the Times reported.

Paul's wife, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, is currently on a tour of the Far East, which included a controversial visit to Taiwan. She is pictured alongside President Tsai Ing-wen Wednesday

News of Pelosi's visit to Taiwan drew controversy and sparked protests from locals in Taipei. Pelosi would be the highest-ranking U.S. elected official to visit Taiwan since 1997

Paul Pelosi broke his collarbone in the crash and was trapped under the car for a while. He managed to free himself and call for aid.

More recently, Pelosi has been cited twice- both times in 2011 - once for running a red light and once for veering over the center line while driving.

The fatal accident happened six years before Paul married Nancy D'Alesandro, the daughter of a former Baltimore mayor.

She took his last name and went on to be elected to Congress in 1987 and then became the first female Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Bill Roggio is a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and editor of FDD's Long War Journal. From 1991 to 1997, Roggio served as a signalman and infantryman in the US Army and New Jersey National Guard

One year ago this month, President Biden told Americans that Al Qaeda was 'gone' from Afghanistan.

On Monday, we learned that clearly was not the case.

'We went to Afghanistan for the express purpose of getting rid of Al Qaeda in Afghanistan as well as getting Osama bin Laden. And we did,' he told reporters on August 20, 2021, as American and allied forces hastily prepared to pull out of the country.

President Biden had set August 31st as the last day for US troops to leave Afghanistan after 20 years of war and the deadline had caught the world by surprise.

'Look, let's put this thing in perspective,' he insisted amid calls to delay the evacuation, 'What interest do we have in Afghanistan at this point, with al Qaeda gone?'

Days after those remarks, on August 26, 2021, a suicide bomb ripped through a crowd of soldiers and civilians at Hamid Karzai Airport in Kabul.

By that point, the Afghan military had melted away and the Taliban had overrun the country.

Desperate people - American and Afghan - crowded outside the airport gates, as US Marines stood guard on its concrete walls.

The world watched as Afghans stormed the runaways. Some clung to the landing gear of departing planes and fell to their deaths after the aircraft left the ground.

One year ago this month, President Biden (left) told Americans that Al Qaeda was 'gone' from Afghanistan. On Monday, the White House revealed a CIA drone strike killed Al Qaeda emir Ayman al Zawahiri (right) in Kabul, Afghanistan.

The suicide bomber's blast killed nearly 200 people, including 13 members of the United States military.

And still, Biden declared 'extraordinary success,' even as he recognized the loss of life.

According to Biden, after two decades of war, America's mission had been accomplished.

It hadn't.

It would have been more difficult to sell that narrative to American people if Al Qaeda's close ties to the new Taliban 'government' had been fully acknowledged.

But officials from the Biden administration, as well as the Trump administration, had assured us that the Taliban had cut ties with bin Laden's fanatics.

On Monday, the White House revealed a CIA drone strike killed Al Qaeda emir Ayman al Zawahiri in Kabul, Afghanistan.

Zawahiri wasn't found cowering in the remote, mountainous regions of northern or eastern Afghanistan, or camped out in the far-flung provinces of the south.

The 71-year-old was killed on the balcony of a house owned by a top aide to senior Taliban leader Sirajuddin Haqqani, arguably the most powerful and influential Taliban official.

Haqqani is one of two deputy Taliban emirs and the Taliban's interior minister.

His Haqqani Network played a key role in the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan.

To put it simply, the top tier leadership of the Taliban sponsored the top leader of Al Qaeda at a safe house in the heart of Taliban-controlled Afghanistan.

Far from being 'gone' from Afghanistan  Al Qaeda's Number One was being sheltered by the very government to whom Biden ceded control of the country.

The 71-year-old was killed on the balcony (above) of a house owned by a top aide to senior Taliban leader Sirajuddin Haqqani, arguably the most powerful and influential Taliban official.

Stunningly, Biden  once again - declared mission accomplished.

'Justice has been delivered and this terrorist leader is no more,' he announced from the White House balcony on Monday night. 'People around the world no longer need to fear the vicious and determined killer.'

If there wasn't champagne popping, there was undoubtedly plenty of congratulatory backslapping in the White House.

But peel back the layers and you cannot overlook the irrefutable fact that Al Qaeda  the terrorist group that carried out September 11th  is once again entrenched in the country from which it attacked America.

Biden had assured America that Afghanistan wouldn't again become a safe haven for terrorists.

But it has.

In fact, three successive American administrations have told the American people that Al Qaeda in Afghanistan has been 'decimated,' or 'degraded' or 'on the path to defeat.'

The Obama administration first sold that story to justify its secret negotiations with the Taliban.

The Trump administration did so for the same reason and eventually signed a deeply flawed deal that negotiated the pullout of US troops and helped seal that nation's fate.

Eventually, the narrative was put forth to justify the Afghanistan withdrawal.

The Taliban repeatedly said that it wouldn't harbor Al Qaeda and they gave each administration the political ammunition they needed to justify washing their hands of the whole mess.

The Taliban lied.

The truth is that Al Qaeda has been operating in Afghanistan all along.

While each administration negotiated with the Taliban, top Al Qaeda leaders were sheltered.

As the US military killed terrorists in operations over the years, Al Qaeda was brazen enough to run training camps with the support and approval of the Taliban.

Officials from the Biden administration, as well as the Trump administration, had assured us that the Taliban had cut ties with bin Laden's fanatics. (Above) Osama bin Laden sits with adviser Ayman al-Zawahiri during an interview in November 2001.

You wouldn't know any of this if you listened to National Security Council spokesman John Kirby on Tuesday.

He swept aside legitimate concerns about how the US withdrawal emboldened Al Qaeda, which is now operating freely in the country.

Kirby insisted that Al Qaeda leaders will now 'think again' about hiding out in Kabul.

I doubt it.

Even now, Zawahiri's death does not signal the death of Al Qaeda in Afghanistan.

He wasn't the only Al Qaeda leader in Kabul and he wouldn't have been hiding out in the capital city alone without his staff and support network.

History shows that, like the Taliban, Al Qaeda is a well-oiled machine that can continue to hum along despite the head being cut off the snake.

Many questions remain to be answered.

Author Bill Roggio is a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and editor of FDD's Long war Journal

Does the US have the capability - and more importantly, the will - to execute a sustained campaign against Al Qaeda's command?

Will President Biden order strikes against Al Qaeda training camps in Afghanistan?

Will he countenance the targeting of more Al Qaeda associates in Kabul and beyond?

Doing so would force US officials to admit they were wrong about the tight bonds between the Taliban and Al Qaeda.

It is impossible to properly address the threat that emanates from Afghanistan until U.S. political, intelligence and military leaders admit these mistakes of the past.

They must recognize that the Taliban - the very group the US relented to - is just as big a part of the problem as Al Qaeda.

As we approach another September 11th  in many ways  America finds itself back where it started 21 years ago.

So let me ask you President Biden: What interest do you have in Afghanistan now?
Alex Jones was arguing with the lawyers of Sandy Hook families, again, after the final day of testimonies in the $150 million defamation trial filed against him for pusing conspiracy theories.

After Neil Heslin and Scarlett Lewis - whose son Jesse, 6, was one of the 26 killed in the massacre - testified about Jones' theories turning their lives into 'a living hell', the InfoWars host approached their lawyers as they exited court.

Jones accused the lawyers of feeding the jury 'fake videos' during the trial, causing one of the attorneys to lash out against him.

'Oh shut your mouth,' the lawyer told Jones as he walked away.

Jones responded: That's what you're trying to do, shut my mouth, you'll never succeed.'

The incident comes just days after the InfoWars host got into a row with the family's attorney, with Jones' lawyer F. Andino Reynal flipping off attorney Mark Bankston in court.

Alex Jones, pictured (center) in court on Tuesday, got into another argument with the attorneys representing Sandy Hook families who told the InfoWars host to shut his mouth

Neil Heslin, father of Sandy Hook Victim Jesse Lewis, 6, said his family's life had been turned to a 'living hell' after Alex Jones spread conspiracy theories about the massacre

Jesse, 6, was one of the 26 victims shot and killed at the Sandy Hook Elementary School

The parents led a day of charged testimony that included the judge scolding the bombastic Jones for not being truthful with some of what he said under oath.

Heslin and Lewis both said they fear for their lives and have been confronted by strangers at home and on the street after Jones spread conspiracy theories about them.

Heslin said his home and car have been shot at as the jury also heard a death threat sent on the phone to another Sandy Hook family.

'I can't even describe the last nine and a half years, the living hell that I and others have had to endure because of the recklessness and negligence of Alex Jones,' Heslin said.

Lewis also described threatening emails that seemed to have uncovered deep details of her personal life.

'It's fear for your life,' Lewis said. 'You don't know what they were going to do.'

Pictured: Alex Jones arriving to court on Tuesday for the $150 million defamation trial against him over his claims that Sandy Hook was a hoax

F. Andino Reynal, the attorney representing conspiracy theorist Alex Jones in his defamation trial, flipped his middle finger at plaintiff lawyer Mark Bankston during a heated argument

Jones (pictured in court on Tuesday) had claimed Heslin and his wife were actors. The parents claim Jone's spreading of conspiracy theories led to them receiving death threats

Jesse's mother, Scarlett Lewis (above) said she feared for her life and confronted Jones on the stand as he said he did not believe she was an actor

In a gripping exchange, Lewis spoke directly to Jones, who was sitting about 10 feet away. Earlier that day, Jones was on his broadcast program telling his audience that Heslin is 'slow' and being manipulated by bad people.

'I am a mother first and foremost and I know you are a father. My son existed,' Lewis told Jones. 'I am not deep state... I know you know that... And yet youre going to leave this courthouse and say it again on your show.'

At one point, Lewis asked Jones: 'Do you think I'm an actor?'

'No, I don't think you're an actor,' Jones responded before the judge admonished him to be quiet until called to testify.

Lewis continued trying to impress on Jones that the Sandy Hook shooting and trauma inflicted in the decade since then was real.

'It seems so incredible to me that we have to do this - that we have to implore you, to punish you - to get you to stop lying,' Lewis said. 'I am so glad this day is here. Im actually relieved. And grateful... that I got to say all this to you.'

Jones visibly shook his head several times while Scarlett Lewis was addressing him.

Heslin and Lewis are among several Sandy Hook families who have filed several lawsuits alleging that Sandy Hook hoax claims pushed by Jones have led to years of abuse by Jones and his followers.

'My son existed,' Lewis told Jones while she spoke in the final day of testimony

Heslin called Jones a coward when he missed his half of the testimony on Tuesday

Heslin said he didnt know if the Sandy Hook hoax conspiracy theory originated with Jones, but it was Jones who 'lit the match and started the fire' with an online platform and broadcast that reached millions worldwide.

'What was said about me and Sandy Hook itself resonates around the world,' Heslin said. 'As time went on, I truly realized how dangerous it was.'

Jones skipped Heslin's morning testimony while he was on his show - a move Heslin dismissed as 'cowardly' - but arrived in the courtroom for part of Scarlett Lewis testimony. He was accompanied by several private security guards.

'Today is very important to me and its been a long time coming... to face Alex Jones for what he said and did to me. To restore the honor and legacy of my son,' Heslin said when Jones wasnt there.

Heslin told the jury about holding his son with a bullet hole through his head, even describing the extent of the damage to his son's body. A key segment of the case is a 2017 Infowars broadcast that said Heslin didn't hold his son.

The jury was shown a school picture of a smiling Jesse taken two weeks before he was killed. The parents didnt receive the photo until after the shooting.

They described how Jesse was known for telling classmates to 'run!' which likely saved lives.

An apology from Jones wouldn't be good enough, the parents said.

'Alex started this fight,' Heslin said, 'and I'll finish this fight.'

Pictured: Neil Heslin with his son, Jesse. Heslin said he was testifying to 'restore honor and legacy' of his son, whose death was questioned due to Jones' conspiracy theories

Jones said he never meant to hurt anyone with his claims

Jones later took the stand himself, initially being combative with the judge who had asked him to answer his own attorney's question. Jones testified he had long wanted to apologize to the plaintiffs.

'I never intentionally tried to hurt you. I never said your name until this came to court,' Jones said. 'The internet had questions, I had questions.'

Later, the judge sent the jury out of the room and strongly scolded Jones for telling the jury he complied with pretrial evidence gathering even though he didn't, and that he is bankrupt, which has not been determined.

Plaintiff's attorneys were furious about Jones mentioning he is bankrupt, which they worry will taint a jury decision about damages.

'This is not your show,' Judge Maya Guerra Gamble told Jones. 'Your beliefs do not make something true. You are under oath.'

Last September, Guerra admonished Jones in her default judgement over his failure to turn over documents requested by the Sandy Hook families.

A court in Connecticut issued a similar default judgement against Jones for the same reasons in a separate lawsuit brought by other Sandy Hook parents.

Heslin and Lewis suffer from a form of post-traumatic stress disorder that comes from constant trauma, similar to that endured by soldiers in war zones or child abuse victims, a forensic psychologist who studied their cases and met with them testified Monday.

Jones has portrayed the lawsuit against him as an attack on his First Amendment rights.

Jones has claimed the trial is a way for others to attack his Freedom of Speech. Pictured: Jones arrived in Texas court for his defamation trial on Tuesday with a piece of tape over his mouth that said 'Save the 1st' Amendment

At stake in the trial is how much Jones will pay. The parents have asked the jury to award $150 million in compensation for defamation and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

The jury will then consider whether Jones and his company will pay punitive damages.

The trial is just one of several Jones faces.

Courts in Texas and Connecticut have already found Jones liable for defamation for his portrayal of the Sandy Hook massacre as a hoax.

In both states, judges issued default judgements against Jones without trials because he failed to respond to court orders and turn over documents.

Jones has already tried to protect Free Speech Systems financially. The company filed for federal bankruptcy protection last week.

Sandy Hook families have separately sued Jones over his financial claims, arguing that the company is trying to protect millions owned by Jones and his family through shell entities.
Legislation expanding healthcare for military veterans exposed to toxic burn pits passed the Senate in an overwhelming 86 to 11 vote on Tuesday evening.

All of the 'no' votes on the Honor Our PACT Act were cast by GOP lawmakers, including Mitt Romney of Utah, Thom Tillis of South Carolina and Tommy Tuberville of Alabama.

Montana Democrat Senator Jon Tester, who led efforts to pass the bill, celebrated its bipartisan support after the vote.

'This bill puts us on a path to finally paying the cost of war,' Tester said. 'We put politics aside, we delivered results through action - through real action.'

'And we said thank you to the men and women who have served in our military. Thank you for what you've done for this country. Thank you for protecting our freedoms. Thank you for keeping us safe. And most importantly, we told them, You held up your end of the bargain. We held up ours.'

President Joe Biden also lauded passage of the bill in a statement, 'For the millions of veterans who may have been exposed to harmful toxins, this bill means quicker access to health care services and other benefits. This could be the difference between life and death for many suffering from toxic related illnesses.'

'I look forward to signing this bill, so that veterans and their families and caregivers impacted by toxic exposures finally get the benefits and comprehensive health care they earned and deserve,' Biden said.

It comes after 47 Republicans sunk the bill last week over a last-minute change by Democrats to switch the funds from 'discretionary' to 'mandatory.'

GOP lawmakers accused Democrats of creating a 'slush fund' with the move.

But the bill managed to pass with the change in tact, in a rare recent legislative victory for Democrats in the Senate.

Comedian-turned-activist Jon Stewart was seen visibly emotional when Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer thanked him for his efforts lobbying for the bill. He and a group of veterans watched the vote unfold.

Amendments made by Republican Senators Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania and Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee and Rand Paul of Kentucky all failed to net the 60 votes needed to pass.

An amendment by Paul to limit foreign aid to help pay for the bill failed with 90 votes against and just seven votes in favor.

The PACT Act to help veterans exposed to toxins in burn pits overwhelmingly passed the Senate after being derailed by Republicans last week

Another one by Toomey, who led the successful Republican opposition to the bill last week, would have returned the funds to their original 'discretionary' category.

Toomey said he would switch his vote if his amendment passed. It failed in a 47 to 48 vote.

Moderate Senator Susan Collins on Maine was the lone Republican to join Democrats in opposition to Toomey's measure.

Blackburn's measure, which would have added a privatization element to VA care, was the only one with more votes for it than against at a 48-47 margin - though it needed 60 votes to pass.

Toomey and Paul voted against the final bill.

Veterans, their families and other activists such as Stewart protested on the steps of the US Capitol for days after an attempt to pass the bill was derailed by Republican opposition last week.

Stewart publicly eviscerated the Republican lawmakers who voted against the bill.

GOP lawmakers had accused Democrats of adding unrelated spending into the legislation.

The bill now goes to President Joe Biden's desk for his signature, having cleared the House of Representatives in July.

The commander-in-chief has made clear on multiple occasions how personal the issue of toxic burn pits is. He blamed exposure to such toxins in Iraq for his son Beau Biden's death from brain cancer at age 46.

In June, the bill passed Senate with an overwhelming 84 to 14 vote but was forced back to the floor by a technical error - where it fell five votes short of the 60-count threshold.

Fifty-five senators voted for the bill while 42 Republican senators voted against it. Three lawmakers abstained.

Veterans, military family members and advocates rally outside the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Aug. 2

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (Democrat of New York), left, and United States Senator Jon Tester (Democrat of Montana), right, cheer with FealGood FoundationFounder John Feal, center, as the two Senators meet with veterans ahead of a vote on helping veterans with toxic exposure illnesses

Activist and entertainer Jon Stewart embraces fellow advocate Susan Zeier of Sandusky, Ohio, just after Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., assured veterans and military family members that the Senate will vote on the PACT Act on Tuesday

Toomey led GOP opposition to the bill, he told CNN's State of the Union, because of 'an unrelated $400 billion spending spree that has nothing to do with veterans and that won't be in the veterans space.'

The bill's text had moved the spending from the 'discretionary' to 'mandatory' category, while Toomey's amendment would reverse that.

Stewart had argued on ABC News' This Week that Toomey's amendment in reality would place a cap on the funds, forcing sick veterans to return to the Capitol after a certain amount of time to ask for the money to be renewed.

The PACT Act will remove the burden of proof from veterans who suffer from a litany of illnesses from asthma to terminal cancers after being exposed to toxins in Iraq and Afghanistan.

It would expand VA healthcare eligibility benefits for roughly 3.5 million veterans, according to the Pentagon.

The measures adds 23 respiratory sicknesses and cancers that have been linked to toxic burn pits into law, easing the path for veterans suffering them to get care.

All veterans would also get toxic exposure screenings at VA hospital appointments.
Al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri has been one of the primary targets of various presidential administrations since even before the Egyptian doctor turned terrorist helped to mastermind 9/11.

On Monday, the US announced that the 21 years long search for one of the most wanted men in the world had ended a few days previously with a drone strike in Kabul.

The terrorism chief had been tracked by the CIA to a safe house in Kabul after he moved his wife, her daughter and kids, into a safe home into an affluent suburb in the Afghan capital.

A security official told reporters following the attack that it was the Egyptian jihadist's consistent 'pattern of life' that included periods when he would 'linger' on a balcony in the home overlooking the city.

This allowed agents to tailor an airstrike particularly for the purpose of taking al-Zawahiri out.

President Joe Biden told the nation after the strike: 'Now justice has been delivered and this terrorist leader is no more.'

This was at least the fifth time that the CIA has attempted to take out the 71-year-old.

This is the timeline laying out how the US government got their man:

Prior to 2022

Since 9/11 and the US conquest of Afghanistan in 2001, the al-Zawahiri was thought to have been residing in Taliban-friendly areas of Pakistan. His bodyguards at times even marrying into local tribes in order to solidify relationships.

At one point, al-Zawahiri was even suspected to be living in Karachi, the Pakistani capital. Although, on multiple occasions since 2001, bin Laden's mentor has gone to ground for so long, rumors persisted that he was dead.

In February 2003, officials believed that they were close to capturing al-Zawahiri as the chief met with another al-Qaeda figure in Peshawar, Pakistan.

The operation failed because agents did not have a confirmed exact location for the meeting until the day after it occurred, reported CNN in 2010.

A year later, an assassination attempt on the terrorism chief failed. The US bombed a mountainous region of South Waziristan in Pakistan where he was thought to be hiding.

Al-Zawahiri was injured in that bombing but survived.

In 2006, a US bombardment of an area in the North West Frontier Province, near Pakistan's border with Afghanistan was direct attempt on al-Zawahiri's life.

Al-Zawahiri, an Egyptian surgeon who had a $25 million bounty on his head, helped coordinate the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people

Osama Bin Laden, left, was killed in a military attack by U.S. Navy Seals more than a decade before Ayman Al-Zawahiri, right, was killed in a drone attack

Despite rumors that the US had killed the then second-in-command of al-Qaeda, he appeared in a video two weeks later saying that 'Bush nor all the powers on earth could bring his death one second closer.'

In 2009, a Jordanian doctor named Human al-Balawi killed seven CIA agents after promising them that he could lead them to al-Zawahiri.

During a meeting with his handlers at a base in Khost, Afghanistan, al-Balawi detonated a suicide vest, killing a total of eight people and injuring six others.

It's not clear if al-Balawi was acting on Al-Qaeda's behalf nor is it clear how many other times US officials felt they were close to the terrorist leader.

Early 2022

Early in 2022, senior intelligence figures in the Biden administration learned that al-Zawahri's wife, daughter and her children, had been moved to a safe house in the Sherpur district of Kabul.

The area was formerly the home of western embassies and charities prior to the Taliban's overthrow of the US-backed government in August 2021.

Speaking to the London Times, an employee of an agency formerly based in the Sherpur district said that they had been unable to return to their place of work since August 15 last year.

Ayman al-Zawahiri, leader of Al Qaeda following Osama Bin Laden's death, was killed early Sunday in a drone attack on his safe house in the Afghan capital Kabul

Another person who lives in the area told the newspaper: 'I think there are some high-profile people nearby. Anyone visiting my place was searched and asked questions.'

This gave US intelligence operatives more than hunch that senior al-Qaeda figures had moved into the area.

During the previous 12 months, al-Zawahiri has made his presence felt in videos stressing that he was person to lead an Islamist revolution and praising Indian Muslim women following a dispute of hijab wearing in the country in a series of videos..

The United Nations reported that the increase in video appearances from al-Zawahiri indicated that he was more emboldened since the Taliban retook control of Afghanistan.

April 2022

Despite depleted numbers in the Afghan capital following the Taliban's return, the CIA were able to gather enough reliable information to confirm that al-Zawahiri was living in the same home as his family in April.

President Biden was briefed his senior security advisors that month. From there, the operation to take down the terrorist leader was hatched.

An official told the Times: 'We identified Zawahiri on multiple occasions for sustained periods of time on the balcony where he was ultimately struck.'

Ayman al-Zawahiri, is seen in this still image taken from a video released on September 12, 2011

The owner of the home has not been named. The Washington Post referred to him as a 'top aide' to Haqqani network leader Sirajuddin Haqqani.

A 2020 UN report said that al-Zawahiri had met with a senior member of the Haqqani network. The same report suggested that the al-Qaeda leader may have moved back to Afghanistan, possibly a remote region held by the Taliban.

The Haqqani network is a Sunni Islamist militant organization founded by Jalaluddin Haqqani in the 1980s. The group served as key allies to Osama bin Laden during the Soviet-Afghan war.

May - June 2022

Meetings during and May and June saw President Biden briefed on al-Zawahiri's daily routine and officials concluded that he could be killed without any collateral injuries.

Initially the meetings included only a few key security advisors as well as Vice President Kamala Harris.

The Taliban swept back into power last year after President Joe Biden ordered the withdrawal of all U.S. troops from Afghanistan, ending Washington's 20-year war in the country

By June, a United Nations report confirmed that senior al-Qaeda figures were back living in Kabul. The UN said that the group found 'increased freedom of action' in Afghanistan.'

In the weeks leading up to the strike, Biden had expanded the meetings to include other cabinet officials who would 'scrutinize the intelligence findings,' according to the Washington Post.

July 2022

On July 1, Biden held a meeting in the Situation Room that included a scale model of al-Zahahiri's safe house.

The final meeting on the subject involving the president occurred on July 25. Also present at the meeting were, CIA director Avril Haines, advisor William Burns and national security advisor Jake Sullivan.

All three were on board with the plan, and Biden gave it an okay. Prior to that meeting, the CIA were constantly tracking al-Zawahiri's daily movements, according to the New York Times.

The Times report suggests that al-Zawahiri had grown sloppy and despite not leaving his house, he didn't change his routine.

At breaking dawn on Sunday at 6:18 am, al-Zawahiri was killed by two R9X 'Ninja' Hellfire missiles fired from a CIA MQ-9 Reaper drone that was hovering over Kabul.

Aftermath

Following his death, the dead al-Qaeda's leader's family were moved out of the area. They were in a different part of the home when the strike took place.

Satellites and a CIA ground team were able to successfully identify al-Zawahiri as deceased in the aftermath of the strike, reports the Washington Post.

During an appearance on 'Good Morning America' on ABC on Tuesday, Biden national security advisor Jake O'Sullivan said: 'There was nobody on the ground in uniform when this strike occurred.'

He also said that the administration is 'in direct communication with the Taliban on this, and I'm not going to telegraph our next moves, but the Taliban well understand the United States is going to defend its interests.'
Australia has been lashed by wild weather with 130km/h winds ripping roofs off houses and triggering commuter chaos as trees were ripped down onto the tracks.

Western Australia and Victoria received the worst of the weather with Perth Airport plunged into darkness on Tuesday night after suffering a power outage, leaving hundreds of passengers stranded and forced to use their phone lights to navigate out of the terminal.

At one point there were some 35,000 people without power in Western Australia but that number dropped to around 10,000 on Wednesday morning after technicians worked through the night to fix downed power lines.

In WA, destructive winds wreaked havoc with tress knocked down and fences blown over. At one point there were some 35,000 people without power in WA but that number is understood to have dropped to around 10,000

Perth Airport was plunged into darkness (pictured) on Tuesday with dozens of international and domestic flights cancelled and people left stranded in darkness. Power to the airport was eventually restored shortly after midnight

Destructive winds wreaked havoc with tress knocked down and fences blown over.

Emergency crews across the state responded to more than 300 call-outs on Tuesday as several homes in Port Kendi and Joondalup suffered extensive damage.

In Victoria overnight, there were around 200 calls for help across the state with SES crews working non-stop.

The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) said the worst of the Victorian weather system was now over.

However, another weather system will kick in on Wednesday night, starting in the west of Victoria before sweeping towards the east.

Western Australia is also looking at another dangerous system, expected to pick up around 11am on Wednesday (local time) and last for about three hours.

The wild weather meant another chaotic day for Aussie travellers as Perth Airport was forced to cancel dozens of international and domestic flights over the power outage.

Electricity to the airport was eventually restored shortly after midnight.

In Victoria overnight there were around 200 calls for help across the state with SES crews working non stop

The outage impacted lighting in the terminal and left baggage carousels unable to operate with frustrated passengers left literally in the dark.

Flight information boards were blank and dozens of flights grounded on the tarmac, delayed or cancelled.

Footage posted online shows the terminal plunged into darkness with arriving passengers relying on phone lights to track their luggage being manually brought into the terminal due to the bag carousels not working.

'Sitting in the dark cold boarding gate at Perth Airport while starving. An international airport without sufficient back up power,' one woman tweeted.

Emergency crews across the state responded to more than 300 call-outs on Tuesday as several homes in Port Kendi and in Joondalup north of Perth suffered extensive damage

Other photos show the arrival and departure flight board blank with no information available.

'Massive crowd in airport. Departure gate closed and no communication. Been here for three hours,' one traveler told Daily Mail Australia.

A concerned relative tweeted: 'My 80 year old mother is on QF943 from Brisbane. It's in the air but no idea if it can land.'

Sydney is also predicted to be slammed with wet weather across the next four days.

The state is likely to experience significant rainfall and damaging winds in the coming days, according to the Bureau of Meteorology.

BOM's head of long-range forecasting Dr Andrew Watkins said above average rainfall is expected across most of the country in the next three months.

'With wet soils, high rivers and full dams, and the outlook for above average rainfall, elevated flood risk remains for eastern Australia', he said.
An off-duty senior cop allegedly bashed with a bike pole by three boys at a train station has been identified as a well-respected police chief.

NSW Police Chief Inspector Bob Fitzgerald approached the three boys, who were allegedly behaving in an offensive manner and abusing passengers and railway staff, at Rooty Hill train station in Sydney's west at about 4.25am on Monday.

After identifying himself as a police officer, Chief Inspector Fitzgerald, 60, who was on his way to work at Blacktown Police station, told the three boys to curb their behaviour, 9News reported.

NSW Police Chief Inspector Bob Fitzgerald (pictured) is the senior cop who was allegedly attacked on Monday

The alleged incident occurred at Rooty Hill train station in the early hours of Monday morning

Chief Inspector Fitzgerald was helped by a member of the public as he placed one of the boys under arrest.

However, the boy allegedly resisted before verbally abusing and assaulting the officer, who was struck repeatedly on the head with a bike seat pole, leaving him bleeding and injured.

More police arrived at the scene and arrested the boys who are aged 14, 13 and 12.

Paramedics from NSW Ambulance treated Chief Inspector Fitzgerald at the scene before he was taken to Blacktown Hospital with head injuries.

He was treated and later released.

Chief Inspector Fitzgerald has been in the force for nearly 40 years, and is a well-respected member of the community, offering his time to volunteer and regularly donated blood.

The officer was treated by paramedics and taken to hospital but later released

The member of the public helping Chief Inspector Fitzgerald was also allegedly assaulted but did not require medical treatment.

The boys were taken to Mt Druitt Police Station where they were charged with affray, resisting arrest and attacking a police officer.

All three were refused bail to appear at a children's court tomorrow on Tuesday.

Police are urging anyone who witnessed the incident or took mobile phone footage to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
Furious Ukrainian supporters have blasted Australia's Atlassian billionaire bosses for making money from a 'terrorist state' by doing business in Russia during the ongoing war.

A protest outside their Sydney HQ accused tech gurus Mike Cannon-Brookes and Scott Farquhar of still trading in Russia despite a vow to 'stand up for what's right'.

Dozens of pro-Ukraine activists demanded Atlassian fully withdraw from Russia, and held signs claiming the company was funding Russia's war.

One protestor angrily demanded: 'Atlassian, are you sponsoring terrorism?'

Another raged: 'Everyone knows Russia is committing war crimes so why is Atlassian still operating in Russia?

Furious Ukrainian supporters have blasted Australia's Atlassian billionaire bosses for 'making money from terrorism' by doing business in Russia during the ongoing war

Two Sydney-based founders Scott Farquhar (pictured left with his wife Kim Jackson) and Mike Cannon-Brookes (pictured right with his wife Annie Todd) - worth a combined $50billion - vowed the company would try to do the right thing

Atlassian announced on March 2 that they would be pausing all new sales in Russia in the wake of President Vladimir Putin's brutal invasion on February 21.

In a personal message on the company's website, the two Sydney-based founders - worth a combined $50billion - vowed the company would try to do the right thing.

They promised to suspend all Russian government licences as well as businesses which could support the war through combat, disinformation or cyber warfare.

But they admitted the firm - which specialises in business software like project management apps Trello and Jira - would still stay in Russia for other companies.

'We are not terminating the relationships and obligations we have to our existing small business customers in Russia,' they said in March.

Dozens of pro-Ukraine activists demanded Atlassian fully withdraw from Russia, and held signs claiming the company was funding Russia's war

Atlassian announced on March 2 that it would be pausing all new sales in Russia in the wake of President Vladimir Putin's brutal invasion on February 21 but they are still operating there

The protesters say the company has put profits before the people of Ukraine with its stance on Russia's invasion

'We believe focusing on businesses with positions of power and influence is the best way to live our mission and values.

'You have our commitment that we will lead with the Atlassian values and our own humanity.'

They added: 'We know we don't have all the answers, but we will continue to learn and be thoughtful through this challenging time.

'We have always believed in standing up for what's right, even when it's difficult to do so.

'We'll continue to make these decisions to use our voice, our technology, our skills, and our Foundation to help in situations that impact our people, customers, and societies we exist in.'

Protesters demanded the company mounts a total boycott of all business in Russia

Atlassian has vowed to donate all revenue from Russia and Belarus operations to Ukraine

An Atlassian spokesman admitted to Daily Mail Australia on Wednesday that the company was still trading in Russia

The Rich List pair have previously won praise for their progressive views including plans to build their new Sydney HQ with sustainable timber.

Mr Cannon-Brookes and his wife Annie Todd have been buying up huge tracts of land in the NSW Southern Highlands to develop eco-friendly framing techniques.

And Mr Farquhar and his wife Kim Jackson have been behind a push for Sydney's elite private school Cranbrook to open its door to girls for the first time in its 104-year history.

But protesters say the company has put profits before the people of Ukraine with its stance on Russia's invasion.

They demanded the company mounts a total boycott of all business in Russia and added: 'The war is not over. Russia is a terrorist state.'

An Atlassian spokesman admitted to Daily Mail Australia on Wednesday that the company was still trading in Russia.

Atlassian say they have donated US$5million and donated software to Ukrainian causes

But they have now promised to donate all revenue from Russia and Belarus operations to support Ukraine.

'We continue our commitment to our existing non-sanctioned and approved non-governmental customers in Russia,' a spokesman said.

'We recognise many of them are caught up in a war that they neither chose nor have the ability to stop. We continue to prohibit all new sales.

'Atlassian is also donating the equivalent of all forward revenue from customers in Russia and Belarus, starting with an initial donation of US$5million to causes that provide direct support to the people of Ukraine.'

A company statement added: 'Atlassian has taken several actions to further support Ukraine, and will continue to look for ways to use our technology and resources to serve as a force for good,

'To date, we have donated hundreds of thousands of dollars in humanitarian aid to Ukraine, through the Atlassian Foundation and through employee giving programs.

'At the direct request of the Ukrainian government, we have donated licences of Atlassian software to aid their humanitarian and relief efforts.

'We also remain faithful to serving civil and human rights organisations that are working at great risk within Russia and the surrounding regions.'
NSW Treasurer Matt Kean has blamed 'fat thumbs' after retweeting a message slamming his government's 'double standards' over the sacking of female minister - a woman he had previously been embroiled with in a sexting scandal.

Mr Kean retweeted a post blasting the NSW Government for taking 'swift decisive action against a woman' following the sacking of Eleni Petinos - comparing it to the treatment of Stuart Ayres and John Barilaro in the New York 'dream job' saga.

Mr Ayres was still Trade Minister at the time of the tweet, but he has since resigned after a draft report found he may have breached the ministerial code of conduct.

Ms Petinos was sacked over allegations of bullying, including that she called a staff member 'ret**ded' and 'stupid', which she strenuously denies.

The tweet shared by Mr Kean read: 'The perception among women: something very rotten in NSW govt.

'Swift decisive action against a woman accused over the 'possibility' of unsafe workplace practices, & yet the Barilaro/Ayres situation? Double standards.'

NSW Treasurer Matt Kean (left) is pictured with fellow Liberal MP Eleni Petinos, who he had previously sent an explicit sext message to

Pictured is the controversial retweet from Matt Kean that he subsequently deleted and blamed on 'fat thumbs'

The retweet was quickly deleted by Mr Kean, who later said he 'discovered my account here did some unauthorised retweeting earlier'.

'There's now an official ban on fat thumbs in my office, and I'm calling on Twitter to move the 'retweet' button safely to the top corner, out of harm's way!' he wrote.

On Wednesday morning 2GB radio host Ben Fordham said 'Apparently he's got a faulty thumb, or is there something deeper going on in the NSW government?'

Mr Kean's explicit sexting messages to Ms Petinos - he texted 'Really need to f**k you' - from December 2017 were previously exposed by his former girlfriend.

On Monday, NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet said Ms Petinos' situation and that of Mr Ayres' were entirely separate.

'One goes to behaviour and a safe workplace  I made the judgment call that Ms Petinos needed to stand down,' the Premier said.

Ms Petinos texted Mr Kean: 'Just got your Christmas card you're absolutely gorgeous - love you xx'

Eleni Petinos, who was sacked over bullying claims she strenuously denies, is pictured promoting a suicide prevention charity

Ms Petinos denied the 'allegations' against her at the time the sexts from Mr Kean were made public by his furious ex-girlfriend Caitlin Keage.

'I deny the allegations. It pains me to be making a statement about matters which are outside the scope of my work and are entirely personal,' she said.

Ms Keage shared copies of texts he sent to Ms Petinos on a private Instagram account.

The Innovation Minister's furious ex-girlfriend Caitlin Keage (pictured together left) posted copies of the texts (mock up right) on her private Instagram account

'When your boyfriend cheats on you when you're away with family,' Ms Keage, a former media adviser to Malcolm Turnbull, captioned the Instagram post.

'I was in Adelaide trusting my partner not to play up. But alas, here we are. Another minister getting away with his predatory behaviour,' Ms Keage said.

The messages revealed Mr Kean told Ms Petinos he was 'tempted to drive down to see' her, just after 10pm on December 27, 2017.

She replied: 'Miss me huh? lol,' before he said: 'Yup. Really need to f**k you.'

Miranda MP Eleni Petinos (pictured) was fired from the NSW Government ministry on Sunday

Ms Petinos said he already had 'CK for that' and when he asked 'is that a no?', she replied: 'It's that time of the month'.

Mr Kean said: 'OK come up later x.'

She later texted Mr Kean and said: 'Just got your Christmas card you're absolutely gorgeous - love you xx'.

'I was in Adelaide trusting my partner not to play up,' Ms Keage captioned the Instagram post, which was subsequently deleted

The messages revealed Mr Kean told Ms Petinos (pictured) he was 'tempted to drive down to see you' just after 10pm on December 27, 2017

Mr Kean's then boss, former NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian, said she would not sack him over the scandal.

'I'm personally disappointed in him and have told him so, but it is nonetheless a personal matter,' she said at the time.

Ms Petinos had previously made headlines after vomiting in the back of a government car after a State of Origin game in Sydney - an incident that became known as 'Barfgate'.

There was also a backlash after she flew to the Gold Coast to watch the Commonwealth Games as a bushfire ravaged her electorate.

Ms Petinos went to see a netball game despite the deliberately-lit blaze burning in the southern Sydney suburb of Alfords Point, in her electorate's west.
Slumdog Millionaire star Dev Patel says Australia should reflect upon how it treats disadvantaged members of society, after he witnessed a horrific alleged knife fight in Adelaide.

A 32-year-old man and 34-year-old woman were having an argument when the woman allegedly stabbed the man in the chest outside a petrol station on Gouger Street in Adelaide around 8:45pm on Monday.

The star of Hotel Mumbai and Lion was pictured speaking to police at the scene of the crime in his adopted home city, where the British actor is now living with girlfriend Tilda Cobham-Hervey.

In a statement, his agent said: 'We can confirm that last night, in Adelaide, Dev Patel and his friends witnessed a violent altercation that was already in progress outside of a convenience store.

The Slumdog Millionaire star was pictured speaking to police after a woman allegedly stabbed a man on Gouger Street on Monday night (pictured)

'Dev acted on his natural instinct to try and de-escalate the situation and break up the fight.

'The group was thankfully successful in doing so and they remained on site to ensure that the police and eventually the ambulance arrived.'

The statement continued: 'There are no heroes in this situation and sadly this specific incident highlights a larger systemic issue of marginalized members of society not being treated with the dignity and respect they deserve.'

'The hope is that the same level of media attention this story is receiving (solely because Dev, as a famous person, was involved) can be a catalyst for lawmakers to be compassionate in determining long-term solutions to help not only the individuals who were involved but the community at large.'

The English actor is understood to be spending time in SA with his girlfriend and Hotel Mumbai co-star Tilda Cobham-Hervey (the pair are pictured with their co-star Armie Hammer in 2018)

Police were called to the scene following reports of a couple fighting in the street.

The 32-year-old man was treated by paramedics before he was rushed to Royal Adelaide Hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

The woman has been arrested and charged with aggravated assault causing harm.

The 34-year-old from Park Holme, southwest of the city, was refused bail to appear in the Adelaide Magistrates Court on Tuesday.

Police said the pair are known to each other and that it was not a random attack.

Patel met Cobham-Hervey back in June of 2016 while filming the based-on-a-true-story drama, Hotel Mumbai.

The Australian-American thriller is based on the 2009 documentary Surviving Mumbai about the attacks at the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel in India in 2008.

Patel shot to fame on Skins alongside the likes of Nicholas Hoult, Daniel Kaluuya and Joe Dempsie and starred in The Lion alongside Nicole Kidman.
A British father-of-two has died after he was allegedly attacked by a group of bouncers in Spain before being 'knelt on by police officers as he begged for his life'.

Tobias White-Sansom, 35, from Nottingham, succumbed to his injuries after spending five days in hospital following the incident on the notorious Magaluf strip in Majorca.

His family said they are now battling to have his body flown home for further examination as they paid tribute to the 'well-loved' father, who leaves behind two daughters - four-year-old Jasmine and 11-month-old Poppy.

An autopsy by Spanish authorities is set to determine the cause of death while homicide detectives from the Guardia Civil lead the investigation.

The force claims they attended the scene following reports of an assault on a bouncer and that a suspect had to be restrained before being hospitalised and later dying.

However Tobias' millionaire brother Maximillian White, dubbed 'the king of medical marijuana' thanks to his hugely successful medical cannabis firm, claims his sibling had returned to a VIP area of the Boomerang club to retrieve his T-shirt, when he was told that it had been put away.

Tobias White-Sansom (pictured with his two young daughters), 35, from Nottingham, succumbed to his injuries after spending five days in hospital following the incident on the notorious Magaluf strip in Majorca

Bouncers are seen restraining White, who allegedly head-butted one doorman when asked to put his shirt on

The deceased was the brother of British cannabis millionaire Maximillian White, who is pictured here in Dubai

It was then, according witnesses who have spoken to Mr White, that Tobias went to the bar to get a drink with his girlfriend before a security guard 'grabbed him from behind.'

Mr White, who lives in Dubai but owns a holiday home in Majorca, told the Mirror that his brother began to resist because 'he didn't know who it was.'

He claimed his brother was attacked by the bouncers, adding: 'This ordeal went on for about 12 minutes, according to what the lawyers told me from getting witness statements.'

A Civil Guard spokesman said: A Civil Guard spokesman said: 'Officers responded to an incident at a nightclub in Magaluf (pictured) in the early hours of last Tuesday morning where a client had allegedly head-butted a bouncer after he asked him to put his top on'

Tobias White, 35, died at Son Llatzer Hospital on Sunday nearly a week after being admitted to intensive care and placed in an induced coma following an incident at the Boomerang nightclub in Magaluf (pictured)

The grief-stricken entrepreneur described chaotic scenes which saw 50 to 60 people gather as some reportedly screamed: 'You're going to kill him', as his brother 'pleaded for his life.'

He said Tobias went into cardiac arrest and that he was given a tranquiliser, before police allegedly began to 'beat tourists and people watching' before ordering them to 'disperse while breaking their telephones.'

Mr White paid tribute to his brother, describing his death as a 'pain that will never go away.'

He said he will 'buy the Magaluf strip' and 'close it down permanently' if his brother's body is not returned to the UK.

A Guardia Civil spokesperson said: 'Guardia Civil can confirm there is research ongoing about the facts.

'Guardia Civil received an emergency call about a physical assault with a header by an intoxicated person to the nightclub bouncer.

'Upon the arrival of the Guardia Civil police, this man was violent and police reduced him to be assisted by medical services. He was taken to the hospital for treatment.

'There, once while he was being assisted, he was arrested for a crime of injury.'

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said in a statement: 'We are supporting the family of a British man who has died in Mallorca and are in contact with the local authorities.'

A spokesman for the Civil Guard previously confirmed on Tuesday morning Mr White had died in hospital on Sunday.

He said: 'We are investigating the death of a British man who died at Son Llatzer Hospital on Sunday five days after being admitted to intensive care following an incident at a club in Magaluf.'

He also confirmed Mr White had been under police guard in hospital ahead of an anticipated court appearance on suspicion of assault if he had survived.

The spokesman said: 'Officers responded to an incident at a nightclub in Magaluf in the early hours of last Tuesday morning where a client had allegedly head-butted a bouncer after he asked him to put his top on.

Mr White's brother Maximillian (pictured), originally from Nottingham, has made a fortune by selling medicinal marijuana to wholesalers across the world

'That client, a well-built British man, was still acting very aggressively when officers arrived and he had to be restrained using appropriate force by four or five responders for his own safety and that of others around him.

'He was harming himself, hitting his head against the floor, biting and acting very violently.'

A well-placed source said: 'Medics also attended the nightclub as part of the emergency response and had to sedate the man arrested before he was taken to hospital.

'He had a cut to his lip from the incident involving the bouncer but wasn't in hospital because of any physical injuries as far as the authorities were concerned.

'A witness told the police he took cocaine on repeated occasions that night.'

No-one from Son Llatzer Hospital was immediately available for comment late Tuesday night.

Boomerang Nightclub has been contacted for comment.

Mr White's brother Maximillian, originally from Nottingham, has made a fortune by selling medicinal marijuana to wholesalers across the world.

The 41-year-old is now said to live in Dubai although he also owns a luxury property in Majorca.

He became Britain's youngest landlord at the age of 17. He snapped up 40 hectares of land in the Portuguese Algarve to build Europe's biggest medical cannabis farm.
The Tory leadership vote has been hit by a delay after spy chiefs warned that ballots 'could be vulnerable to hackers'.

Originally, Conservative party members were going to be given a postal ballot which had a code with it, individual to each voter.

Afterwards, they could then submit their choice by post or online for the first time- and were able to change their decision later in the contest.

According to the Telegraph, the chance to change the ballot was scrapped due to National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) advice, after the organisation raised concerns about online hackers changing votes online which could have thrown the process into disarray.

Advice from the NCSC was more general and focused on the vulnerabilities of the voting process- there is believed to have been no threat from a hostile state.

The new plans mean that each voter will have their unique code deactivated after they have made their candidate choice.

Originally, Conservative party members were going to be given a postal ballot which had a code with it, individual to each voter. Afterwards, they could then submit their choice by post or online for the first time- and were able to change their decision later in the contest

According to the Telegraph , the chance to change the ballot was scrapped due to National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) advice, after the organisation raised concerns about online hackers which could have thrown the process into disarray

Under the first voting system, cyber hackers would possibly have been able to amend a large number of ballots online near the end of the contest.

Additionally, there was a chance that someone who completed a postal vote and put a picture of their ballot online could be vulnerable to it being changed if there was a visible code on it.

Due to the change in the process, postal ballots have yet to be issued to the 160,000 Tory party members who will decide Boris Johnson's replacement.

These ballots were due to be sent out from Monday but members have been told that they could be as delayed as August 11 in arriving.

Part of the message sent last night to voters reads: 'Your ballot is now on the way  but it will arrive with you a little later than we originally said. Please do not worry. This is because we have taken some time to add some additional security to our ballot process, which has delayed us slightly.'

Members of the Tory party were informed of the voting delay last night, with no reasoning given for the security concerns.

If members of the Tory party have not received their voting slips by August 11, they have to inform the party.

As a result, there may be some voters who have to wait more than a week to make their choice.

The letter also said: 'It is an offence to vote more than once  any member found to have voted more than once will have their party membership withdrawn.'

Decisions to halt the opportunity for members to change their vote further down the line have followed weeks of talks.

These talks were between Tory party figures, national security cyber experts and the company which produced the voting papers for the leadership contest.

Under the first voting system, cyber hackers would possibly have been able to amend a large number of ballots online near the end of the contest. Additionally, there was a chance that someone who completed a postal vote and put a picture of their ballot online could be vulnerable to it being changed if there was a visible code on it

GCHQ's change in procedure for the leadership contest comes after China, Russia and Iran were previously accused of trying to influence polls.

A US intelligence chief also publicly accused the three countries of trying to interfere in the 2020 US presidential election.

Chiefs in the Conservative Party headquarters are now likely to face more questions about the warnings given by the NCSC and whether they have confidence in the new process.

It is unclear what the impact of the delay will have politically. In the leadership race, Rishi Sunak is behind Liz Truss.

A YouGov survey has revealed that Ms Truss has a backing of 60 per cent while Mr Sunak is on 26 per cent.

Allies of Mr Sunak had thought that early voting would have a positive impact on Ms Truss's leadership bid.

A National Cyber Security Centre spokesman said: 'Defending UK democratic and electoral processes is a priority for the NCSC, and we work closely with all parliamentary political parties, local authorities and MPs to provide cyber security guidance and support.

'As you would expect from the UK's national cyber security authority, we provided advice to the Conservative Party on security considerations for online leadership voting.'
Paul Pelosi was slurring his words and reeked of alcohol when he was picked up by cops after crashing his Porsche in May.

Pelosi, 82, is due to be arraigned in Napa, California Wednesday morning - two months after he blew through a stop sign following a boozy dinner party, totaling his car and slamming into a Jeep.

He attempted to hand over a police courtesy card when asked for identification by cops. He also failed a field sobriety test and had a blood alcohol level of 0.82 percent, a complaint filed ahead of the hearing has revealed.

The other driver, Jesus Lopez, 48, was lightly injured in the crash and complained of having pain in his upper right arm, right shoulder and back when seen by investigators the following day. He also said he was suffering from headaches.

His wife, House Speaker Nancy, was on official business in Rhode Island at the time and swiftly distanced herself from the incident.

She is currently in Taiwan and will meet Taiwanese president Tsai Ing-wen tomorrow as her husband appears in court.

Paul Pelosi was slurring his words and reeked of alcohol when he was picked up by cops after crashing his Porsche on May 28. He is pictured in his booking photo

Cops from the California Highway Patrol arrived on the scene at 10pm on May 28 and found Pelosi sitting in front seat of his car stinking of booze.

In the new court document, obtained by the New York Post, officers said he also failed a field sobriety test and his eyes appeared red and watery.'

It continued: He was unsteady on his feet, his speech was slurred and he had a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage emanating from his breath.

Pelosi was carted off to the Napa County Jail where he was booked at 12.32am and had a mugshot  that shows him shamefaced in a brown suit  taken shortly before he was released at 4.30am.

Napa County DA Allison Haley spent weeks mulling whether to charge Pelosi  eventually deciding to hit him with one count of DUI causing injury and another of driving with .08 percent blood alcohol level or higher causing injury on June 23.

Pelosi, 82, is due to be arraigned in Napa, California Wednesday morning - two months after he blew through a stop sign following a boozy dinner party, totaling his car and slamming into a Jeep

Pelosi failed a field sobriety test and a blood test found he had a blood alcohol level of 0.08 percent. A police officer is pictured on May 28 surveying the damage caused by the crash

Officers said his eyes appeared red and watery.' He was unsteady on his feet, his speech was slurred and he had a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage emanating from his breath

The 82-year-old had been at a dinner with friends prior to the crash and was driving back to his palatial vineyard home in nearby St. Helena.

At the time of the incident, he was attempting to cross State Road 29  a busy highway that connects Napa and Calistoga  when he slammed into a 2014 Jeep driven by Jesus Lopez, 48.

Lopez was left with minor injuries and has declined to speak about the case, later invoking Californias Marsys Law which protects the privacy rights of the victim and also allows them to pursue restitution from the person who harmed them if convicted.

He is referred to in the complaint as John Doe which also notes that he has since experienced headaches that he never did before as a result of the crash.

Both Lopez and Pelosi declined treatment at the scene.

CHP sources told DailyMail.com that both cars were written off in the smash.

DailyMail.com photos show how the two vehicles came to rest at the intersection of Walnut Lane and S-29  just short of the Oakville general store.

Damage caused by the crash was still visible 48 hours after the accident, including a parking sign that had been knocked down and injury to the fence surrounding a vineyard.

Cops from the California Highway Patrol arrived on the scene at 10pm on May 28 and found Pelosi sitting in front seat of his car stinking of booze

Pelosi was carted off to the Napa County Jail where he was booked at 12.32am and had a mugshot  that shows him shamefaced in a brown suit  taken shortly before he was released at 4.30am. A cop is pictured at the scene of the crash on May 28

The 82-year-old had been at a dinner with friends prior to the crash and was driving back to his palatial vineyard home in nearby St. Helena

The dramatic new development comes after DailyMail.com revealed Pelosi has a history of driving incidents and was involved in a smash that killed his brother David when he was 16.

According to a 1957 report in the San Francisco Examiner, Pelosi, who was then a high school sophomore, collected David, 19, from the home of a girlfriend at 12.30am and the brothers had decided to take a joy ride.'

The fatal crash happened shortly after 2.40am close to the Crystal Springs Dam just outside of San Mateo and left David trapped under the car where he was throttled by his neck brace.

Although a coroners jury later dismissed manslaughter charges against Pelosi, a patrolman quoted in contemporary news reports said David had told his brother to slow down seconds before the crash.

He said: 'This is a bad stretch  better slow down,' as they approached a tight curve near the Crystal Springs Dam on the Skyline Highway, now California State Route 35.

Pictured: Crystal Springs Dam, where Paul Pelosi crashed a vehicle in 1957

Pelosi has a history of driving incidents and was involved in a smash that killed his brother David when he was 16

Paul told Patrolman Thomas Ganley he tried to slow by shifting gears in the stick shift car, but lost control.

'The car veered across the road, bounced back from a small embankment, climbed 20 feet up another, spun around and somersaulted simultaneously and ended upside down on the shoulder with both youths underneath,' reported the Examiner.

David, a freshman at the College of San Mateo, was dead on arrival at the hospital.

The newspaper said David was probably strangled by a brace he wore to support a neck fracture he had sustained when he dived into shallow water in Lake Tahoe.

The San Mateo Times reported that Ganley and another patrolman Jack Rakestraw noted that David's brace was 'lodged tightly against his neck'.

'They jacked up the car to relieve the pressure but the youth apparently was already dead,' the Times reported.

Pelosi broke his collarbone in the crash and was trapped under the car for a while. He managed to free himself and call for aid.

More recently, Pelosi has been cited twice- both times in 2011 - once for running a red light and once for veering over the center line while driving.

The fatal accident happened six years before Paul married Nancy D'Alesandro, the daughter of a former Baltimore mayor.

She took his last name and went on to be elected to Congress in 1987 and then became the first female Speaker of the House of Representatives.
The Liberals will consider pushing to end Australia's ban on nuclear power, believing it could boost energy security and reduce power prices.

Leader Peter Dutton has launched a review into whether the party should back nuclear power at the 2025 federal election.

Despite being emissions free, nuclear power has been banned in Australia since 1998 under Commonwealth laws.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton addresses Coalition Members and Senators during a Coalition party room meeting on Tuesday

In Government the Liberal-National Coalition said bi-partisan support from both sides of politics was needed to reverse the ban.

While the Coalition now discusses backing nuclear, Labor remains opposed, insisting that solar, wind and hydro-electric power are cheaper and faster forms of low emissions energy.

Announcing his internal policy review on Tuesday, Mr Dutton said nuclear power could provide the 'reliable, emissions-free, base-load electricity Australia needs'.

It comes after energy prices soared due to rising demand for coal and gas prompted by the early onset of winter and Russia's war on Ukraine.

'Sixty per cent of the capacity of our coal-fired generators is expected to leave the market by 2030,' he said in a statement.

'This will leave Australian households and businesses vulnerable to a re-run of the chaos we are now seeing under Labor.

Pictured: A nuclear power plant in Neckarwestheim, southern Germany

'If we are serious about reducing emissions, while at the same time maintaining a strong economy and protecting our traditional industries, all technologies need to be on the table.

'The Coalition will show Australians that we are prepared to undertake this honest and informed debate, which has alluded our country for too long.'

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has pledged to reduce Australia's emissions by 43 per cent by 2030 compared to 2005 levels.

Labor also wants to increase the share of renewables in Australia's National Electricity Market to 82 per cent, up from about a third today.

How do nuclear power plants work? 1. Producing electricity from nuclear energy requires splitting atoms to release the energy. 2. Nuclear reactors fuelled by uranium pellets produce atom-splitting nuclear fission. 3. As they split, atoms release particles which cause other atoms to split, causing a chain reaction. 4. The chain reaction creates heat that warms a cooling agent such as water or liquid metal. 5. Steam is produced that powers turbines which feed energy to generators that produce electricity. Advertisement

But Mr Albanese wants to achieve these aims by expanding solar, wind and hydro power without needing nuclear.

Key National Party figures such as former leader Barnaby Joyce and leader David Littleproud have been vocal about the benefits of nuclear power.

Last year Mr Joyce described the nation as 'living in a cave' when it comes to the nuclear issue and has called for a repeal of laws blocking its introduction.

'I believe we should have nuclear power... and if people want zero emissions  well, this, this is it,' he said.

'I mean, you have your wind, you can have your solar, but if you want baseline, deliverable, 24/7 zero-emission power, then nuclear does it.'

But opponents, including Labor and the Greens, say nuclear power takes too long to build and is too expensive, with a large plant costing $40billion.

They also brand it dangerous and bad for the environment as it produces waste that must be buried.

Nuclear power has a PR problem following incidents at reactors such as Three-Mile Island (1979), Chernobyl (1986) and Fukushima (2011).

But in 31 countries around the world, more than 450 nuclear power plants are connected to the grid.

France counts on nuclear power for 75 percent of its electricity, and earns three billion Euros a year as a net exporter to other European nations because of its low cost of generation.

The French made the decision to embrace nuclear technology way back in the 1970s, after the OPEC oil crisis.

The US, Russia, China, the UK and Canada all include nuclear power in their energy mix, some of their reactors powered by uranium from Australia.

Australia is home to a third of the world's uranium, producing about 10 per cent of the world's exports worth over $730million a year.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (right on Tuesday) has pledged to reduce Australia's emissions by 43 per cent by 2030 compared to 2005 levels

Options more suitable for Australia's smaller population may lie in new-generation Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), or by following the example of the larger one-gigawatt plant with four reactors built by Korean company KEPCO at Barakah in the United Arab Emirates.

SMRs generating up to 300 megawatts of power are cheaper and quicker to build, helping nuclear compete with more economical renewables such as solar and wind.

They can also be built underground and cooled with air rather than water, enhancing safety in their operation.

SMRs also 'load follow', meaning the reactor adjusts output based on demand.

But the technology remains under development, with its use of new materials, innovative safety features and advanced construction techniques yet to be approved by most international regulators.

Peter Dutton's full statement on nuclear energy Today, I initiated a formal internal process to examine the potential for advanced and next-generation nuclear technologies to contribute to Australia's energy security and reduce power prices. This review will be led by Mr Ted O'Brien MP, Shadow Minister for Climate Change and Energy, who will report to the Coalition policy committee, chaired by Senator the Hon Marise Payne, and the Coalition party room. It is high time that Australia had an honest and informed debate on the benefits and costs of nuclear energy. The current energy crisis has shown the importance of getting more dispatchable power into the grid. The average wholesale electricity price in the second quarter this year was three times higher than the same time a year ago  a situation described by the Australian Energy Market Operator as 'unprecedented'. While renewables will play an important growing role in Australia's energy mix, they need to be balanced by sufficient investment in dispatchable generation. That is why the Coalition, when in office, supported projects like the Hunter Power Project. Sixty percent of the capacity of our coal-fired generators is expected to leave the market by 2030. This will leave Australian households and businesses vulnerable to a re-run of the chaos we are now seeing under Labor. If we are serious about reducing emissions, while at the same time maintaining a strong economy and protecting our traditional industries, all technologies need to be on the table. Nuclear energy is a mature, proven technology. It can provide the reliable, emissions-free, base-load electricity Australia needs. Estimates show that it would cost the world USD $1.6 trillion more to meet the Paris targets without nuclear energy. Australia is already a nuclear nation. The Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation has operated a nuclear research reactor at Lucas Heights for over 60 years. A national conversation about potential of nuclear energy is the logical next step. Many of Australia's international partners, including France, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Sweden and the United States of America, have adopted nuclear energy technologies. The UK Government, for example, has outlined plans to triple the size of its nuclear generation by 2050, providing 25 percent of its projected energy demand. The Coalition will show Australians that we are prepared to undertake this honest and informed debate, which has alluded our country for too long. Advertisement
The NSW State Government is in a state of rolling chaos after deputy Liberal leader Stuart Ayres resigned in the wake of the John Barilaro 'dream job' saga.

A draft review into the Barilaro US job scandal - where a senior public servant was promised a $500k job in New York, which was then given to Mr Barilaro - found Mr Ayres may have breached the ministerial code of conduct and a formal investigation is now under way.

Speaking at a lengthy press conference in Sydney, a stressed-looking NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet said Mr Ayres' 'intention to resign follows a briefing I received from the Department of Premier and Cabinet secretary yesterday afternoon'.

'I subsequently discussed the issues raised in that briefing with Mr Ayres,' said Mr Perrottet.

Stuart Ayres (pictured) resigned as a minister in the NSW Government in the wake of the John Barilaro US trade envoy job scandal

Just days ago, NSW Fair Trading Minister Eleni Petinos (pictured), was sacked after being accused of berating staff and calling one 'ret**ded' and 'stupid'

He added that the draft report 'raised a concern as to whether Mr Ayres had complied with the ministerial code of conduct ...

'When I put these matters to Mr Ayres, he offered his resignation from the ministry and as deputy leader Parliamentary Liberal Party ...

Stuart Ayres statement Last night, I read a section of the independent review being conducted by Graeme Head. This section is relevant to my role as Minister. It creates a question as to whether I breached the Ministerial Code of Conduct. In my view, no such breach has occurred. However, I agree it is important that this matter is investigated appropriately and support the Premier's decision to do so. I have always applied the highest levels of integrity in my conduct as a Minister. To maintain the integrity of the Cabinet, I have decided to resign as a Minister to allow the investigation to be completed. Accordingly, I will also be resigning as the Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party. I believe I have always acted in accordance with the Ministerial Code of Conduct and in the best interests of the people of NSW. I will continue to serve my community as the passionate Member for Penrith. Advertisement

'An investigation will now be undertaken to determine if Mr Ayres has breached the ministerial code of conduct,' said Mr Perrottet.

The Premier hinted that Mr Ayres had little choice but to resign, saying 'Very simply, I based my decision making on the information that I received'.

Mr Ayres is the second NSW ministerial casualty in just four days.

On Sunday Mr Perrottet sacked NSW Fair Trading Minister Eleni Petinos over bullying allegations.

Ms Petinos was accused of calling a staff member 'ret**ded' and 'stupid', which she strenuously denies.

In dreadful couple of months for the Liberal-National Coalition, the NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption also found former minister John Sidoti engaged in 'serious corrupt conduct' over family-owned properties.

And Kiama MP Gareth Ward resigned from the ministry and moved to the crossbench due to a police investigation into him.

In March, Ward was charged over allegations of sexual abuse against a man and a 17-year-old boy.

The appointment of the former NSW deputy premier and Nationals leader Mr Barilaro to a US trade job earlier this year has been an escalating scandal for the government.

Mr Barilaro was awarded the $500k job in New York City after it was promised to accomplished public servant Jenny West - and then taken away at the last minute.

The recruitment process is also the subject of a NSW parliamentary inquiry which resumes on Wednesday, with Investment NSW CEO Amy Brown to give evidence.

In a statement, Mr Ayres continued to deny any wrongdoing, saying 'In my view, no such breach (of the Ministerial Code of Conduct) has occurred'.

'I have always applied the highest levels of integrity in my conduct as a Minister,' he added.

Earlier this week, Mr Ayres insisted he did not help John Barilaro land a $500,000 trade job in New York.

That's even though it was revealed Mr Ayres had texted his former colleague the job listing in the first instance.

Labor accused Mr Ayres of lying after he said he did not meet with Mr Barilaro during the recruitment process and had maintained his distance.

'The selections of our Senior Trade and Investment Commissioners (STICs) appointed in India, Japan, Singapore and China, were conducted in accordance with the GSEA,' Mr Ayres wrote on Facebook

'It was an independent, transparent and meritorious selection process and the same process was used for the STIC - Americas role.

'Not liking Mr Barilaro or his style of politics is not a suitable reason to reject his application, let alone not select him for the role.'

Mr Ayres distanced himself from Mr Barilaro saying the pair did not consider each other close friends.

Deputy Liberal leader Stuart Ayres (pictured) has suddenly quit in the wake of the $500k John Barilaro dream job saga

'While I respected Mr Barilaro in his role as Deputy Premier, Leader of National Party and his passionate (and at times excessive) advocacy of regional NSW I don't think we ever called each other close friends,' he wrote.

'In fact I can't think of one time in the 11 years we were both in parliament together that we shared a meal or a beer together outside of a work function.'

Mr Ayres - the husband of former Foreign Minister Marise Payne - doubled down on his comments in a heated press conference on Monday, insisting he did not interfere with the recruitment process.

'I wasn't involved in this recruitment process,' he said.

'I was not involved in the selection panel. I wasn't engaged in the writing of any of those reports.

'That practice and that process entirely sits within the purview of the New South Wales public service and Investment New South Wales.'

Mr Ayres made a lengthy Facebook post dismissing accusations he helped Mr Barilaro land the plum trade job in New York

Mr Ayres admitted to having 'discussions' with Ms Brown but never influenced her decision making on who should be selected.

'The discussion was about people that were already on the list,' he said.

'It wasn't a request from me, it was merely a discussion that took place in the office about the people that were on the shortlist.

'The decision on who goes onto that shortlist is not for me.'

He insisted at the time that he would not step aside as Deputy Liberal Leader despite mounting pressure.

NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet has lost two Government Ministers in just four days, among a series of rolling scandals within the Liberal-National Coalition

The trade minister made the comments before the release of documents related to the appointment process on Monday by a parliamentary committee investigating how Mr Barilaro got the plum job.

The Labor opposition says the government's 'fingerprints' are all over the controversial appointment.

An email released last week raised more questions about the role played by Mr Ayres.

Tabled documents included the email sent by Ms Brown in February, in which she said she had discussed a shortlist of candidates with Mr Ayres.

She said Mr Ayres had requested adding a candidate to the selection process. The candidate's name has not been made public.

Another Investment NSW document showed Mr Ayres and Mr Barilaro met on or before June 16 - the day before it was announced the former deputy premier had secured the role - and Mr Ayres had indicated he supported the appointment.

Ms West has given evidence to the inquiry, saying she was told she had the job and that she subsequently lost her senior job at Investment NSW after the offer was withdrawn.

The $500,000 a year trade post based in New York was switched to a political appointment and went to Mr Barilaro, who last month relinquished it saying it had become untenable.

Mr Barilaro will give his side of the story to the inquiry next Monday.
An ancient impression on rock turned out to be an early aquatic animal predator that lived in the primitive past way back 560 million years, discovered recently.

The fossilized remnants showed the outline of an exoskeleton with a robust tubular structure and tentacles for catching prey, similar to several modern-day marine animals. Scientists figured out that it was a predatory animal due to its contrasting appearance to its neighbors.

Resembling Common Sea Creatures From the Past

It resembled a relative of corals, anemones, and jellyfish found in a sediment layer dated 20 million years before similar Cnidaria were expected to have originated, reported Science Alert.

According to Oxford University Museum of Natural History paleontologist Frankie Dunn, it is unlike anything else discovered in the fossil record at that time, per the British Geological Survey.

In comparison to fossils from this period, he continued, their extinct body plans are confusingly related to contemporary creatures.

With tightly packed tentacles waving around in the water collecting passing food as coral and sea anemones do now, this one definitely has a skeleton.

In 2007, a group of British Geological Society researchers retrieved debris from a slab from the Bradgate formation in Charnwood Forest, a well-known fossil location just outside of Leicester.

An Example of Ancient Marine Life

It is estimated to be between 557 and 562 million years old, a long time in millennia. This epoch is characterized by an explosion of adaptability that resulted in the strangest animals with the highest biodiversity that existed until these experimental body designs were generalized by evolution during the Cambrian Explosion.

Read Also: Cave Sealed Off for 5 Million Years Contains 33 Blind Creatures, Surviving Without Oxygen

When the researchers were looking for preserved impressions to investigate, they chose this specific remnant of ancient life because it was less alien than others. Even too similar to what is currently alive in the seas is this early aquatic animal predator that existed in seas 560 million years ago.

This is the first documented 20-centimeter-long predatory cnidarian, and it looks remarkably similar to what comparable species do now on coral reefs while seizing prey.

The Cambrian Explosion, according to Dunn, was extraordinary because it fixed the morphology of living animal groupings for the next half billion years.

According to research, the bodies of cnidarians such as corals, jellyfish, and sea anemones were determined to have been from 20 million years ago. It raises more questions about what caused the enormous diversity at the time.

Evolution in the Ediacaran Epoch

It was a brief but eccentric period in Earth's history, featuring fossils of species that are strange to us today. The discovery of fossils implies that the evolution of contemporary animals has begun. Cnidarians evolved here during the Cambrian period.

Scientists named it Auroralumina (dawn lantern) to identify it as a genus since it resembled a flaming torch. However, it was eventually dubbed Attenboroughii in honor of Sir David Attenborough.

It was similar to other early Cambrian cnidarians with similar architecture, but it was distinct with a robust yet smooth exoskeleton and no fancy features.

Dunn noted that it is the earliest known animal with a skeleton so far, but it holds the key to how more complex lifeforms emerged after the Cambrian Explosion, mentioned in a study published in Nature Ecology and Evolution.

Auroralumina Attenboroughii was an early aquatic animal predator that is a Cnidarian; it lived 560 million years ago and had a skeleton developed by other creatures as they evolved.

Related Article: Random and Quirky Chemical Processes on Protean Earth Provides Origin of Primordial Life

@ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
He claimed it would result in a 'more divided and less well governed' country

Tony Abbott has voice his opposition to an Indigenous Voice to Parliament

Tony Abbott has argued against the proposed Indigenous Voice to Parliament, claiming the current plan is 'fundamentally wrong' and imploring the Liberal Party to oppose it.

The former Prime Minister voiced his opinion over the issue in a piece he penned for The Australian on Wednesday, saying the body was racially divisive, risked upturning our system of governance, and would do nothing to fix the problems of Aboriginal communities.

'I'm all in favour of recognising Indigenous people in our Constitution, but not if it means making a race-based body part of our parliament and not if it means changing our system of government,' he began.

Mr Abbott claimed the 'problem' with an Indigenous Voice to Parliament is that it makes 'race an element' in who qualifies to sit on a body which will have broad powers to alter laws.

Former Prime Minister Tony Abbott (pictured) has opposed an Indigenous Voice to Parliament. He claimed he was not in favour of 'making a race-based body part of our parliament'

Mr Abbott applauded Anthony Albanese (pictured at the Garma Festival in the Northern Territory over the weekend) for 'wanting to do the right thing' but suggested that it was not the right way

He also said that it 'changes the way our government works' by replacing or rivalling parliament as the peak body for deciding the nation's laws and regulations.

Added to the potential danger is that the powers of the body will remain undefined leading up to a referendum on whether it should be established, because the government does not want that plebiscite to fail due to disputes over fine detail.

Mr Abbott said that meant the Voice would have 'an unspecified say over unspecified topics with unspecified ramifications'.

Mr Abbott applauded Anthony Albanese for 'wanting to do the right thing by Aboriginal people' but wrote that it was not lack of legislative power that gave rise to the problems that afflict indigenous communities.

'We all lament the ugly fact Indigenous people, on average, die younger and live worse than the rest of us. But it's no mystery why this is so.

'People with much worse educational outcomes, with much lower prospects for employment and living far away from the services most Australians take for granted are always going to have shorter, poorer lives than those in better circumstances.'

Anthony Albanese attended the Garma Festival last weekend, where he revealed the possible question that could be asked in a referendum for a Voice to Parliament.

The potential question was: 'Do you support an alteration to the constitution that establishes an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice?'

The early response from the Liberal opposition is that it will broadly support the proposal, but Mr Abbott has implored his former party colleagues in Canberra to oppose it.

Mr Abbott's public opposition to the change would cause some concern among proponents of the Voice, as he had past success at rallying support against a referendum.

In 1999, the staunch monarchist led a successful campaign against Australia becoming a republic.

Mr Abbott asserted that close consultation with Indigenous elders and leaders through representative bodies 'has been happening for decades', but enshrining a new body with constitutional power that may override parliament was excessive and dangerous.

'If this body really is, in the Prime Minister's words, to 'end 121 years of Commonwealth governments arrogantly believing they know enough to impose their own solutions on Aboriginal people' it's obviously going to have something approaching a veto over decisions the parliament might otherwise make.'

'How would this additional mechanism improve the final outcome or, indeed, add anything to the 11 Indigenous voices that are already present in the parliament?

Anthony Albanese (pictured) attended the Garma Festival and revealed the possible question that could be asked in a referendum for an Indigenous Voice to Parliament

Mr Abbott (pictured) claimed the 'degree of separation' between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people was at the heart of the issue behind the Voice and added that the government's push was about 'transforming governance'

'What it would certainly do, though, is make the legislative process more complicated and invite judicial interventions on how much weight might be given to the view of the Voice versus that of the parliament; and on what matters might (or might not) be relating to Indigenous peoples.'

The former Prime Minister said having a rival body to parliament that represented the interests of indigenous people would divide the population on racial grounds rather than bringing them together.

'Everything about the proposed voice drips with entrenching separatism as an atonement for dispossession, even though Indigenous people can never expect to achieve Australian outcomes without also embracing Australian standards,' he said.

'Inevitably, any referendum campaign will seek to exploit guilt about the past to overcome anxieties about the future, even though nothing this generation does now can alter the past but it certainly could prejudice our future.'

He concluded his piece by claiming the change in the constitution was about 'transforming governance'

'The last thing we should do is allow goodwill to cloud judgment and to be morally bullied into becoming a country that's more divided and less well governed.'
The two men were gunned down outside a home in Sydney's Dover Heights

A chilling message claiming credit for the assassination of two men outside a house more than 40 years ago has been released as police ask for public assistance to decipher the message.

NSW Police released the audio as part of its ongoing investigation into the unsolved shooting of Turkish Consul-General Sarik Ariyak and his bodyguard, Engin Sever outside a house in Sydney's harbourside suburb of Dover Heights back in 1980.

Detectives released an audio recording of the phone call, which was made to a media outlet a short time after the murders, where a woman claimed responsibility for the attack.

The voice can be heard taking credit for the assassinations on behalf of the 'Justice Commandos of the Armenian Genocide', saying the attacks were in retaliation for the injustice done to Armenians.

Turkish Consul-General Sarik Ariyak (left), 50, and his bodyguard, Engin Sever (right), 28, were assassinated outside a residence in Dover Heights on December 17, 1980

'The attacks are in retaliation for the injustice done to the Armenians by Turkey in 1915,' the woman's voice says.

'And Turkish institutions are our target, for the Armenian genocide.'

Turkish Consul-General Sarik Ariyak, 50, and his bodyguard, Engin Sever, 28, were shot outside a residence on Portland Street, Dover Heights, about 9.45am on December 17, 1980.

The pair were leaving the residence in different vehicles, when they were approached by two unknown assailants, who fired multiple shots at close range before escaping on a motorcycle.

Mr Ariyak died at the scene, and Mr Sever died a short time later at St Vincent's Hospital.

Shortly after the attack, responsibility was claimed by the Justice Commandos of the Armenian Genocide, however, despite extensive police investigations, no one has ever been charged over the attack.

Investigators are also seeking the public's help to decipher inaudible words spoken after, 'The authors of' in case they are of significance to the investigation.

The NSW Joint Counter Terrorism Team (JCTT), which includes the NSW Police Force, the Australian Federal Police, the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation and the NSW Crime Commission, restarted its investigation under Strike Force Esslemont.

Counter Terrorism and Special Tactics Commander, Assistant Commissioner Mark Walton, urged the community to listen to the recording carefully as it could greatly assist with the investigation.

As part of their ongoing investigation into the unsolved Turkish Consul-General and his bodyguard shooting, detectives released an audio recording of a phone call, which was made to a media outlet a short time after the murders, claiming responsibility for the attack. Pictured is a COMFIT image of a person of interest in the attack

'Identifying the female through her voice  or recognising any indecipherable words in the audio  will greatly assist us with this investigation,' Assistant Commissioner Walton said.

'Police have strong reason to believe that there are members of the public who are aware of who this person is, and we urge them to come forward.

'While we continue this investigation, we suspect there are people who know exactly what happened that day but have not yet been willing to speak with authorities.

'We'd like to hear from these people as soon as possible, as well as anyone whose memory may be refreshed by the audio we've released  no matter how insignificant the information may seem, it could be invaluable to the investigation.'

Police also announced up to $1million would be paid for any information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for the men's murders.
The son of a convicted Capitol rioter says his father 'absolutely' deserves his seven-year prison sentence for the 'off the rails violence' committed on January 6, 2021.

Jackson Reffitt, who turned his dad Guy Reffitt into the FBI, argued that while his father was is a 'narcissist' that made poor decisions, he was also 'used as a puppet' for then-President Donald Trump.

Guy, 49, of Wylie, Texas, was convicted by a jury in March of five felony charges, including bringing a gun onto the Capitol grounds and obstructing an official proceeding.

He never entered the Capitol, but video evidence showed him egging on the crowd and leading other rioters up a set of stairs outside the building.

Guy was also recorded saying he planned to drag House Speaker Nancy Pelosi out by her feet 'with her head hitting every step on the way down.

The father and known recruiter for the Three-Percenters, a right-wing militia group, was sentenced to seven years in prison, despite the recommended sentence for his crimes being nine to 11.25 years.

Jackson Reffitt, the son of convicted Capitol rioter Guy Reffitt, says his father 'absolutely' deserves his seven-year prison sentence for the 'off the rails violence' committed on January 6

Jackson, 19, said that Guy's actions during the insurrection were unacceptable and go beyond the scope of political protest.

'Realistically, this doesn't have a matter of political opinion. What my father did is far from politics,' he told CNN on Tuesday. 'This is completely off the rails violence'

'Whether it had a political motive at this point doesn't matter. It's more about what he does and who he did it for.'

The teen alleged that his father was 'used as a puppet' and 'manipulated' into helping Trump attempt to overturn the 2020 election.

'It is disgusting to see that someone with ... money and social power can just get away with manipulating thousands of people just for whatever reason, and have no outcome,' Jackson explained.

When asked why Guy would choose to join the riot, Jackson cited his father's 'ego.'

'I can't think of anything other than my own experience with my father, knowing he is a narcissist, and that he has a rather large ego, and it was horrible to see him make that decision,' he said.

Jackson said that he's 'not happy' about Guy's 87-month prison term but also isn't 'surprised' by his well-deserved punishment.

'I'm not happy at all. I haven't been happy to this whole situation. No one in my family has either, but to say I'm surprised would be a lie,' the 19-year-old said.

'I mean, everything my dad did, he's his own person. And his action has consequences. But I'm not happy at all.'

Jackson has spoken with his father since he was jailed and expressed he would speak with him again, telling the TV station: 'I still don't even know how to process right now in terms of what I'm actually feeling.

'But I would just like to talk about the most pointless stuff just to go have a one on one with him at least a couple more times before he gets out.'

Guy Reffitt, 49, was sentenced to 7.25 years in federal prison after he was convicted in March on five counts, including bringing a weapon to the Capitol grounds and disrupting an official proceeding

Guy Reffitt (pictured at the Capitol), 48, of Texas, who was arrested in connection to the riot at the Capitol earlier this month, allegedly threatened to shoot his children if they became 'traitors' and turned him in to the FBI

Texts from Guy show him bragging about being at the Capitol during the riot on January 6

Guy was the first Capitol rioter to face trial for the January 6th insurrection and was sentenced to seven years on Monday.

The judge presiding over his cause denied the Justice Department's request for a 'terrorism enhancement' which would have resulted in a lengthier prison sentence.

The rioter lost his swagger at the hours-long sentencing where the feds sought 15 years for his crimes.

Guy decided to address the court, reversing his previous decision, though he said that his anxiety over public speaking was 'crushing him,' according to NBC News.

'I don't want anything to do with any groups or militias or any stupid s**t like that,' he said. 'I do deeply regret everything.'

He was brought to tears at trial as Jackson told the jury about how his father threatened him if he dared to call the FBI.

'He said, "If you turn me in, you're a traitor,"' the teen told jurors. '"And traitors get shot."'

Guy wiped away tears as Jackson testified that he felt 'gross' when he googled 'FBI tip' in order to report his father.

Guy Reffitt, of Wylie, Texas, seen here during the riot carrying a Smith & Wesson pistol and black hand-ties

Guy's (far right) trial was seen as an important test case as the U.S. Justice Department attempts to secure convictions from the hundreds of defendants who have not taken plea deal

His wife told officials that Guy (pictured in blue with a helmet at the Capitol) was arguing about the incident with his son and daughter when he told them: 'If you turn me in, you're a traitor and you know what happens to traitors. ... Traitors get shot'

Supporters loyal to President Donald Trump clash with authorities before successfully breaching the Capitol building during a riot on the grounds on January 6

Later, after his sentencing, Jackson told The New York Times that he felt bad for turning his father in, but he doesn't regret it.

'I would say I'm sorry, because I don't feel like I put him in this situation, but I still feel guilty. I would do it again,' he told the paper.

Judge Dabney Freidrich doubted Guy's conversion from angry rioter to remorseful citizen.

'I can't help but wonder, whether like many other Jan. 6 defendants, [if] I'm hearing what I'd like to hear from you as opposed to what you really believe,' the judge said.

'I clearly f**ked up,' Guy replied.

Even after his arrest, he wrote a letter on behalf of other incarcerated rioters.

'I hope that was the only day in American history we would without doubt feel the need to notify our government they have transgressed much too far,' he said.

Freidrich said that the claims in his letter 'border on the delusional.'

'He hasn't walked back his statements about being a martyr,' she said. 'He hasn't walked back his statements about being a patriot. And so, as here he sits, I have to consider: what is this man going to do when he's released from prison?'

Guy Reffitt's wife, Nicole (C), with her daughters Sara (L), and Peyton (R), depart the federal court house in Washington, DC, on Monday after husband's conviction

Guy Reffitt, right, with his wife Nicole beside him. His son Jackson, center, turned him into the FBI after the January 6 riot on the Capitol Building. His daughters Sara and Peyton (far right) have stood by him through out the trial.

Still, his family stuck by his side after turning him in.

The insurrectionist's wife, Nicole Reffitt, said that she didn't think her husband would act on his statements, but said that the family was 'disturbed' by the comments.

His family set up a crowdfunding page on GiveSendGo asking for donations for his defense.

'Guy stood on the stairs of our Capitol that day not to cause terror, but to stand up to the corruption and evil that has eroded our government. You, the American people, have supported the Reffitts through some of the darkest days this family has endured, and I am now asking for a rally,' Nicole wrote.

After the sentencing, Nicole defended her husband, calling him a 'patriot' and saying the trial was 'political,' according to CBS reporter Rob Legare.

His daughters Peyton and Sara, defended their dad, after the sentencing, blaming Trump.

'Trump deserves life in prison if my father's in prison for this long,' Sara said.

The Texas dad was the first Capitol rioter to go to trial in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.

He was caught on camera with a Smith & Wesson pistol in a hip holster. He also carried zip-tie handcuffs

To date, federal prosecutors have prevailed and won convictions in all but one of 13 trials tied to the Capitol attack.
A Western Sydney man has gone viral with a video of the moment he evades police who were 'creeping up' in a car like they were 'going to do a drive-by' - as he runs out of his Mercedes and into his mother's house.

Sam Mario, who captioned the video 'Merrylands cops acting like gangsters', said he had just pulled up at the house when he noticed something strage.

In footage captured from a security camera at the house, a car can be seen slowing down near his Mercedes.

'I see this car creeping up like it's going to do a drive-by,' Mr Mario says in the video, which has racked up 70,000 views on TikTok since Tuesday night.

After realising it was a police car, Mr Mario quickly makes his way to the house as it continues up the street to do a U-turn.

Commentating over the the CCTV footage, Mr Mario says: 'Lock the car go straight inside, I'm like yeh mate I know you guys are coming but you have to be quick enough.'

When the officers return to the house, they get out of their car and approach Mr Mario's vehicle.

Sam Mario had just arrived at his mother's house in the Western Sydney suburb of Merrylands, only to notice a car driving slowly past him (pictured) which was captured on CCTV

Mr Mario says: 'Apparently my car is parked incorrectly so he wants to give me a ticket for that... yeh okay man.'

He said the officers tried to get him to come back outside: 'Nah f**k off, don't come near me, you can't do s**t I'm already in my private property.'

The officer walks around to see if the car is open, but Mr Mario quickly locks it.

As they return to their car, Mr Mario jokingly said as he watched them: 'What are you going to do now B1, the other one's said I don't know B2.'

The police car (pictured) went to the end of the street to do a U-turn before coming back and stopping out the front of the house and near Mr Mario's Mercedes

Mr Mario eventually goes back outside to confront the officers and tells them to f**k off.'

The officers then decide to drive off after Mr Mario continued to ignore them.

The video received a significant reaction from members of the public, with many praising the voice-over throughout the TikTok.

'The commentary is gold,' one person said.

A second expressed: 'Have you ever thought to be a commentator as a second job?'

'It's actually sick how they think they can do anything. Good on you for telling them to f right off,' a third said.
Campaigners have blasted pictures of a convicted killer and his sister who made 'gun signs' while posing inside a prison.

Alex Henry, 30, and his sister Charlotte - a lawyer - made the poses inside HMP Dovegate in Staffordshire.

Miss Henry explained that she was short of pictures of herself with her brother before making the poses in the prison photobooth, The Sun reports.

She then posted the images on her Twitter account.

Alex Henry, 30, and his sister Charlotte - a lawyer - made the poses inside HMP Dovegate in Staffordshire

Alex Henry (right) was jailed for 19 years in 2013 for murder under the Joint Enterprise Law

She said: 'When Alex went to jail I had hardly any photos of us.

'To document our lives now is important to me.'

Alex Henry was just 21 when he was jailed for 19 years in 2013 for murder under the Joint Enterprise Law.

Henry had been present at the scene when his friend stabbed a man in a west London shopping centre.

The convicted killer poses with his sister in a series of images taken in prison

Under the Joint Enterprise Law, the jury decided Henry was aware his friend was in possession of the knife.

Campaigners were less than impressed with the siblings' picture stances.

Mothers Against Guns said: 'What is the jail doing? And his sister should know better.'

A Prison Service spokesperson said: 'Strong family ties are proven to reduce reoffending and protect the public but prisoners can be punished for breaking rules on sharing photos.'
Michigan Rep. Peter Meijer, one of 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach Donald Trump over the US Capitol attack, lost in one of Tuesday's most closely-watched primary races against a Trump-backed candidate.

The supermarket chain heir and military veteran formally conceded the race to John Gibbs after midnight in the race for Michigan's Third Congressional District.

Meijer is one of three House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump who saw the end of his political careers on Tuesday evening, as Republican primary voters in Arizona, Kansas, Michigan, Missouri and Washington went to the polls.

Reps. Jaime Herrera Beutler and Dan Newhouse of Washington are also tough challenges from Trump-backed primary opponents.

As of midnight on the East Coast on Wednesday, Beutler and Newhouse hold modest leads above their Trump-backed opponents.

Army veteran and grocery store chain heir Rep. Peter Meijer (left) lost against Trump-backed opponent John Gibbs (right)

Michigan's newly-redrawn Congressional map recently made Meijer's district bluer, creating a target for House Democrats hoping to flip the seat - in an otherwise gloomy forecast for their chances of keeping the majority in November.

Their campaign arm, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), poured cash into Gibbs' campaign in a last-minute push to get the fringe candidate over the edge.

A former official in Trump's Housing and Urban Development Department, Gibbs is also known for once pushing a wild conspiracy theory that Hillary Clinton's 2016 campaign manager John Podesta engaged in satanic rituals using bodily fluids.

He's also spent significantly less on the campaign than Meijer has.

But unlike his other endorsements around the country, Trump did not campaign for Gibbs in the waning days of his race.

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Republican establishment figures have rushed to prop up candidates that would have a broader appeal among Independent and suburban voters amid concerns that Trump's more fringe-right picks could cost the GOP critical swing districts in November.

In Washington's Third Congressional District, Beutler is facing Trump-endorsed retired Green Beret Joe Kent, who believes the former president's election fraud claims and has claimed 'deep state' operatives were behind the violence on January 6.

Beutler, who was elected in 2010, is also up against Heidi St. John, a Christian podcaster competing with Kent for the district's most conservative voters.

Michigan Rep. Peter Meijer (left) and Washington Reps. Dan Newhouse (center) and Jaime Herrera Beutler (right) are three of 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach Donald Trump over the Capitol riot. They're now facing primary challengers backed by the ex-president

In the neighboring deep-red Fourth Congressional District, Newhouse faces seven primary challengers - including Trump-backed military veteran and former police chief Loren Culp.

Four other House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump have already announced their retirements.

GOP Rep. Tom Rice of South Carolina lost his primary in June after netting less than half the votes his Trump-backed challenger, Russell Fry, received.

California Republican Rep. Dave Valadao is the only one of the anti-Trump set to have won his primary. January 6 Committee Vice Chair Rep. Liz Cheney is projected to lose her primary later this month to Trump-backed Harriet Hageman.
Anthony Albanese has launched a review of Australia's defence force amid fears that war is looming as tensions over Taiwan escalate.

The review, led by former Defence Chief Sir Angus Houston and ex Labor defence minister Stephen Smith, will advise the Government on how to prepare for potential conflicts over the next decade from 2023.

It comes after China sent 21 military planes into Taiwan's air defence zone after US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi arrived in the capital Taipei for a congressional visit that has infuriated Beijing.

Demonstrators hold signs during a gathering in support of US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan

Anthony Albanese (right, today) has launched a review of Australia's defence force

China - which believes Taiwan is part of its territory and not an independent nation - has dispatched a destroyer and a frigate into international waters off the east of the self-governing island which Beijing has vowed to reclaim by force if necessary.

Beijing has planned impromptu military drills, sparking fears of the first firing of missiles into the Taiwan Strait since 1995, the last time there was deep concern about the possibility of all-out war.

Mimicking the US approach of 'strategic ambiguity', Australia is not committed to defend Taiwan if China attacks but needs to be prepared for a conflict that may extend across Asia and even into the Pacific.

Australia's defence review, which Labor announced before the election, is due to report by March and will be the most comprehensive in 35 years.

The terms of reference for the review say the world is facing higher likelihood of war.

'The world is undergoing significant strategic realignment. Military modernisation, technological disruption and the risk of state-on-state conflict are complicating Australia's strategic circumstances,' the document says.

Speaking in a press conference on Wednesday, Sir Angus said Australia is facing the worst strategic environment he has ever seen.

Pictured: HMAS Rankin conducts helicopter transfers in Cockburn Sound, Western Australia during training last year

'Clearly our circumstances have changed dramatically over the recent past. A land war in Europe, all sorts of issues in north-east Asia, particularly around Taiwan, east China Sea, issues in South-East Asia and issues up on the Himalayan border and northern India. So there's much happening,' he said.

'We also have disruptive technologies coming into play. It's a fast changing environment and it's absolutely imperative that we review the current strategic circumstances which I rate the worst I have ever seen in my career and life time, and what we need to do about it in terms of obviously the force structure, posture, and capability of the Australian Defence Force.'

The review will provide analysis of where and how defence assets and personnel are best positioned to protect Australia and its national interests.

It will also look at what more equipment needs to be purchased.

Defence Minister Richard Marles said the review will also consider how Australia's capabilities can be 'better integrate and operate' with the United States, the United Kingdom and other key partners.

United States House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was greeted by Taiwanese foreign minister Joseph Wu (left) as she stepped off the plane in capital city Taipei in the last few hours for a brief trip

The Taiwanese defence ministry posted images of Chinese planes violating its defence zone

Beijing's fifth generation J-20 stealth fighter jet is among the most advanced in the world (picture from September 2021 airshow). They were reportedly sent toward Taiwan tonight

Meanwhile in China, pictures posted on Chinese social network Weibo appeared to show tanks amassing on the coast of Fujian, the closest point on mainland China to the island.

In bizarre scenes, beachgoers stood watching as dozens of tanks rolled across the sand.

Columns of armoured vehicles were also seen moving through the nearby city of Xiamen, and a video posted on state media sites earlier this week showed off Chinese military hardware and urged troops to 'be ready to fight upon command, bury all incoming enemies'.

China considers Taiwan its territory and has indicated through repeated warnings that a visit from the US speaker of the House of Representatives is a major affront.

The Taiwanese defence ministry published this map of the Chinese planes' manoeuvres

Mrs Pelosi's US C-40C military aircraft took an indirect route to Taiwan from Malaysia yesterday in an apparent attempt to avoid being intercepted by Chinese jets before landing at 10.30pm local time.

Beijing's foreign ministry said: 'These moves, like playing with fire, are extremely dangerous. Those who play with fire will perish by it.'

Nathan Ruser, a researcher at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, said China's hastily announced military exercises, due to last until Sunday, were 'unambiguously escalatory' and 'the most provocative moves by China in decades [which] would qualify for the UN definition of state aggression.'

Taipei's defence ministry said the 'Chinese manoeuvres aim to intimidate our citizens psychologically [but] we are closely monitoring the situation and have strengthened our preparations'.

'We have confidence and the ability to protect our security,' it added.

Surrounded: China is planning live fire military exercises around Taiwan from August 4-7, the Xinjua News Agency announced

Mrs Pelosi's visit comes amid fears that China is preparing to invade Taiwan to 're-unify' the island with the mainland.

The US does not maintain formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan, but regards the island state as a bulwark against China's dominance in Asia.

In a statement released moments after she landed, Mrs Pelosi said the visit was to 'honour America's unwavering commitment to supporting Taiwan's vibrant democracy'.

The speaker, 82, said the trip to Asia, which includes stops in Singapore, South Korea and Japan, was 'focused on mutual security, economic partnership and democratic governance' rather than changing US policy.

Speaker Nancy Pelosi's Air Force plane - with its distinctive blue and white colors and American flag on the tail - touched down in Taipei at 10.45pm local time

She said: 'America's solidarity with the 23million people of Taiwan is more important today than ever, as the world faces a choice between autocracy and democracy'.

In an article for the Washington Post, which went online after her arrival, Mrs Pelosi escalated her rhetoric, saying that Taiwan's democracy was 'under threat'.

She wrote that the US Department of Defence had concluded that the ramping up of military activity by the Chinese meant they were 'likely' to be planning to use force to take the island.

Mrs Pelosi criticised China's 'abysmal human rights record and disregard for the rule of law', which continued as 'President Xi Jinping tightens his grip on power'.

In a telephone call with President Xi last week, Mr Biden explained that he could not rein in Mrs Pelosi because Congress is an independent branch of government.

Ordering her not to go would also have been seen as buckling to Chinese pressure.

The speaker has been a staunch critic of China throughout her three decades in Congress and 30 years ago unfurled a banner in Beijing's Tiananmen Square in memory of those killed in the bloody 1989 crackdown on pro-democracy protesters. Mrs Pelosi was also a strong supporter of the 2019 freedom protests in Hong Kong.

She was expected to meet Taiwan's president today and visit the country's parliament during the trip, which was not officially announced and will last at least a day.

Barricades were erected outside the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Taipei where Mrs Pelosi was expected to stay amid heightened security.

The visit showed 'rock solid' support from Washington, Taiwan said. But there were some protests against her presence. Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said there would be 'serious consequences' for America resulting from the trip. During his call with Mr Biden, President Xi warned him about 'playing with fire' over Taiwan.

Adding to the tensions, Russia spokesman Dmitry Peskov warned that Mrs Pelosi's visit would 'exacerbate the situation in the region' and that it fully supported its old communist ally China.

The US military is expected to increase its movements in the region during the visit.

The White House defended Mrs Pelosi's right to go to Taiwan even as President Biden's administration pointed out the speaker makes her own decisions, heads a different branch of government and that there have been no changes to the United States' one-China policy.

The administration also warned Beijing not to harm the speaker.

Eight US F-15 fighter jet and five tanker aircraft took off from a U.S. base in Okinawa to provide protection for Pelosi's flight, NHK reported.

Taiwan gave Pelosi a warm welcome. The island's tallest building, TAIPEI 101, lit up with a welcome message for Speaker Pelosi and supporters held welcome signs out of the hotel she will reportedly stay in.

Her visit, which was never publicly announced for security reasons, is part of a broader trip she is taking to Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea and Japan.

'Our discussions with Taiwan leadership will focus on reaffirming our support for our partner and on promoting our shared interests, including advancing a free and open Indo-Pacific region. America's solidarity with the 23 million people of Taiwan is more important today than ever, as the world faces a choice between autocracy and democracy,' Pelosi said.

And she reaffirmed America's one-China policy.

'Our visit is one of several Congressional delegations to Taiwan  and it in no way contradicts longstanding United States policy, guided by the Taiwan Relations Act of 1979, U.S.-China Joint Communiques and the Six Assurances. The United States continues to oppose unilateral efforts to change the status quo,' she noted.
Campers were flabbergasted to find a crocodile lying right across their caravan doorstep at a popular tourist holiday park.

The group woke up to a ruckus outside before being warned, 'don't come outside', by park staff and holidaymakers early on Tuesday.

Nyomi Hogan, from the Dundee Beach Holiday Park west of Darwin, told Daily Mail Australia she was woken up by a guest telling her there was a croc in the park.

The holidaymakers were asleep as the croc parked itself outside their caravan (pictured)

The reptile (pictured in the video) resisted arrest as it was filmed by campers in swags opposite

Dundee Beach Holiday Park @ 1230am - We woke to find a 2.5m croc walked through the park (we are at the back) looking for dinner and decided to stop opposite our site! One of Matt Wrights NT Croc Hunter ex Guides came to the rescue! Posted by Peta Sheree on Tuesday, August 2, 2022

'I thought it was going to be a small juvenile croc, which is not an issue usually, but it was a 2.5m croc - a completely different situation,' Ms Hogan said.

'It was serious, but also quite humorous at the time.'

The croc sat outside the caravan for an hour as the park manager rang around and spoke to others about subduing it.

Ms Hogan said the occupants of the caravan were initially livid as the group had car lights fixed on the reptile, blazing through their windows.

'They came out to give us a mouthful, saying 'can you go take your conversation somewhere else, we are trying to sleep.'

When they told the occupant the croc was there he slammed the door shut so hard the door bounced back. 'That was actually quite hilarious,' Ms Hogan said.

Footage of the beast later being rounded up with a rope in the middle of the night was posted to social media by another camper, Peta Sheree.

'We woke to find a 2.5m croc [walking] through the park looking for dinner and decided to stop opposite our site!' she wrote.

'We were directly opposite in our swags.'

The beast was caught and tied up before rangers came to collect it, who said it was rare to find a croc at the park.

Ranger Jaylan Marshall said: 'With the dogs and the food from the barbeques and everything like that, the smells would sort of entice him to come in as well.'

'Never a dull moment at Dundee Park,' Ms Hogan said.
Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt won the Republican primary election to replace retiring Senator Roy Blunt on Tuesday night, bringing an end to a crowded and expensive race.

Schmitt managed to come out on top of a 21-candidate primary field that also included sitting House Reps. Vicky Hartzler and Billy Long, the Associated Press and the New York Times project.

Hartzler finished second in the race.

Third was Missouri's controversial former governor Eric Greitens, who was trying to mount a political comeback after sexual assault and blackmail allegations involving a hairdresser he had an affair with in 2015 appeared to end his political career.

Greitens' defeat is a relief for Senate Republicans who worried the disgraced figure could put the reliably red seat in play for Democrats in November.

House Rep. Long said he congratulated Schmitt and endorsed him for the general, adding: 'Anything I can do to help I will and he and his great team know that. On the November!'

It comes the night after former President Donald Trump threw the race into confusion after offering an endorsement that seemed to apply to not one, but two candidates who share the same first name.

In a post on his Truth Social app, Trump simply touted that he was proud to endorse 'ERIC' - stylizing the name in all caps.

Both Schmitt and Greitens claimed the endorsement as meant for them, with the two each asserting they had spoken to the former head of state and were thrilled to have his support.

But Schmitt, now the winner, will go on to face Democrat Anheuser-Busch beer heiress Trudy Busch Valentine in the general election in November.

Valentine beat military veteran Lucas Kunce in her own primary race.

Josh Hawley, Missouri's junior senator and Schmitt's fellow Republican, congratulated him on the primary victory on Twitter. He added, 'now on to victory in November.'

Schmitt's fellow state attorney general, Derek Schmidt of Kansas, won his primary to face Democratic incumbent Governor Laura Kelly in November.

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Missouri Attorney General and Republican Senate candidate Eric Schmitt greets supporters in Hall Pavilion at Englar Park on July 31. Multiple outlets have projected him to have won the state's Senate Republican primary on Tuesday

Former President Donald Trump threw the Missouri GOP Senate race into chaos Monday. after offering an endorsement that seemed to apply to not one, but two candidates who share the same first name

Bizarrely vague, the backing came in the form of a statement posted to the Trump's social media platform TruthSocial, under the letterhead 'Missouri State Endorsement'

'We need a person who will not back down to the Radical Left Lunatics who are destroying our Country,' Trump, 76, said in the statement on Monday.

'I trust the Great People of Missouri, on this one, to make up their own minds, much as they did when they gave me landslide victories in the 2016 and 2020 Elections, and I am therefore proud to announce that ERIC has my Complete and Total Endorsement!'

Trumps announcement spurred a swift response from both candidates - with both seemingly battling it out over the former president's support.

Schmitt wrote on Twitter: 'It is truly an honor to have President Trumps endorsement in the Senate race.'

At his final pre-election rally at a St. Louis-area GOP headquarters, Schmitt, 47, told supporters that hed been 'endorsed by President Trump,' and that hed thanked him over the phone when he called with the news.

Eric Greitens, meanwhile - the state's former governor who was forced to resign in 2018 due to sexual assault allegations - finished third in Tuesday's primary

Not to be outdone, Greitens, 48, then tweeted that hed also spoken to Trump to confirm the endorsement, and thanked him for his support.

'I just had a GREAT phone call with President Trump, I thanked him for his support!' Greitens, the state's former governor who is trailing Scmitt by single digits in recent polls. 'Together we will MAGA & Save America!' he then touted.

Greitens' campaign was being chaired by Kimberly Guilfoyle, the girlfriend of the former president's eldest son Donald Trump Jr.

It was not immediately clear which candidate Trump had been referring to, but when reached for comment, reps for the ex-president did not provide any clarity as to which Eric he had been referring to, saying only the 'endorsement speaks for itself.'

The last-minute statement came on the eve of Election Day and follows reports that the Republican party remains very much divided on the race.

The latest polling data from SurveyUSA, Emerson College, and the Trafalgar Group had shown Schmitt in the lead, with a projected 28 percent of the vote.

Both candidates - who are embroiled in a hotly contested race - claimed the endorsement as meant for them, with the two each asserting they had spoken to the former head of state

Greitens, meanwhile - who has come under fire after his ex-wife accused him of abusing both her and the couples children, a scandal further compounded by the fact he was forced to resign as governor in 2018 - was close behind, with 20 percent of votes, according to. SurveyUSA

A former Navy SEAL and Rhodes scholar, Greitens had been looked at by both parties before choosing to run as a Republican.

However his meteoric rise was derailed after a St. Louis court indicted Greitens, who was governor at the time, on an invasion-of-privacy charge for taking a semi-nude photo of his hairstylist and mistress against her will.

The same woman later accused Greitens of tying her up in his basement and tearing her clothes off without her consent.
A man has been filmed taunting an Australian-Asian fisherman with racial slurs at an exclusive boat show - before his well-dressed lover told the victim he was 'embarrassing himself' and tried to kick him out.

John Lee, who runs angling YouTube channel JYL Fishing TV, shared footage online of him being harassed at the Sydney International Boat Show in Cockle Bay on the weekend.

The video shows Mr Lee signing in to a stall with a QR code when he was approached by another attendee who grabbed his fishing rod without permission and asked: 'What bait are you using?'

After Mr Lee answered 'I don't know', the man replied: 'Is some ting wong?'

The video showed Mr Lee calling the man out by telling him his comment was 'racist' joke, but the man continued, saying: 'Aren't you Aussie? Throw a shrimp on the barbie (BBQ) mate.'

Mr Lee, who is of Korean heritage, told Daily Mail Australia he wasn't surprised by the the racist attack because 'unfortunately these kind of incidents happen often'.

A man has been filmed making a racist comment towards an Australian man with Asian heritage

The video showed Mr Lee calling the man out by telling him his comment was 'racist' joke, but the man doubled down, saying: 'Aren't you Aussie? Throw a shrimp on the barbie (BBQ) mate.'

John Lee (pictured) was at the Sydney International Boat Show at the weekend when was harassed

The man's girlfriend interjected, saying 'Matt, just shut up please', as bystanders remained silent during the exchange.

The woman eventually grabbed her husband and dragged him away, telling Mr Lee to 'back off' as he turned to follow them.

'You f***ing liked it!' the man yells over his lover's shoulder.

'You f***ing a**hole,' Mr Lee responds, adding 'what's your name?'

As the pair walked away, his partner continues abusing Mr Lee.

'How embarrassing,' she said

'Grow a f***ing penis... seriously.'

The woman tried to get Mr Lee to stop filming before she reportedly complained to security

The man shouting the racist remarks was pushed away by his partner before him and Mr Lee began to argue again

The partner walked after her husband and Mr Lee and his friend returned to the stall, where a woman at the front desk apologised about the couple's behaviour.

But a short time later Mr Lee and his friend were approached by security, who told them the woman, who claimed to be the stand's owner, had complained and requesting they be removed from the show.

After explaining their side of the story, and suggesting the man appeared to be intoxicated, the security guards decide not to kick them out.

Security guards (pictured) at the boat show decided against kicking Mr Lee out after hearing his version of events

Mr Lee uploaded the footage to his channel on Monday.

'I probably could have handled the situation more calmly, but I lost it when he pinched me as the bloke was somewhat forced to walk off by the lady,' he wrote.

'My intention of this video of the incident after thinking through it thoroughly is to create awareness of casual racism and how often it happens.

'The whole incident did ruin 30 minutes of our day. I hope they [the couple] can learn from this or over time that there is no room for racism.'

Mr Lee was applauded for standing up to the couple but said the incident ruined his day

Many commenters applauded Mr Lee for calling out the behaviour, with some sharing their own similar experiences.

'This sort of casual racism Ive experienced my entire life growing up in Australia,' one man said.

'Thank you for standing up for yourself and calling that racist out! The way that woman treated you, John, and how she defended that racist was disgusting.'

Someone else added: 'Thank you for not taking it and standing up for yourselves.

'It's unfortunate that some think casual racism or racism altogether is still acceptable in today's society.'

Eyachts, the company with a stand in the background of the video, confirmed it had no involvement in the video - and the man and woman have no affiliation with the company.

'Eyachts is incredibly disappointed that such unacceptable behaviour took place,' the company said.

'Neither Eyachts nor any of our associated companies condone racist or discriminatory behaviour of any type or at any time and it is very disappointing that such casual racism still appears to be prevalent.'

'Eyachts have already extended our support to John following the incident and he has acknowledged that Eyachts were in no way involved with the unacceptable behaviour  in fact he states in his video description that Eyachts have been fully supportive throughout the ordeal.'
Russian authorities have warned the United States that Moscow would break off diplomatic relations with Washington due to the West's claims that it was sponsoring terrorism.

In a statement, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova called the proposed designation "naive" and a violation of international law. She said that the logical result of such a step becomes a break in diplomatic relations.

Point of no Return

The spokeswoman noted that Washington was risking finally crossing the "point of no return" with all the ensuing consequences. Zakharova said that lawmakers and leaders in Washington should well understand this situation.

The Senate passed a non-binding resolution last week urging Secretary of State Antony Blinken to label Russia a state sponsor of terrorism. Furthermore, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urged the United States to adopt the resignation. However, Blinken has balked at the plan, arguing that current sanctions are similar to what would be imposed with the designation, as per USA Today.

In a Twitter post, Zakharova said, "Make no mistake, if Washington decides to suspend its ties with Moscow, we can live with it." The bipartisan resolution identifying Russia as a sponsor of terrorism passed Thursday after it was introduced by U.S. Sens. Lindsey Graham and Richard Blumenthal.

In response to the resolution's passing, Graham said that all 100 members of the United States Senate are urging the Biden administration to designate Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism. He noted that there was an issue of getting 100 Senate votes, but they were able to get it.

Read Also: Vladimir Putin Vows To Back Xi Jinping Over Nancy Pelosi's Taiwan Visit; Joe Biden Calls on Russia, China To Engage Nuclear Arms Control Talks

According to the Jerusalem Post, on the other hand, Blumenthal said that the designation was more than just symbolism, arguing that it had practical significance. Furthermore, despite Blinken's resistance, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said that if the Secretary of State would not act, Congress would.

End of Diplomatic Relations

On Friday, Zelensky said that the deaths of dozens of prisoners in a Russian-controlled jail showed there should be legal recognition that Russia was a state sponsor of terrorism. In May, the Ukrainian parliament drafted a bill that was urging the United States government to take such actions.

In a video address on Friday, Zelensky said that he was appealing to the United States of America, arguing that a decision was needed now. On Thursday, Blumenthal noted that he would like to present a framed copy of the senate resolution to Zelensky.

When a nation is listed as a state sponsor of terrorism, having "repeatedly provided support for acts of international terrorism," US foreign assistance is restricted. Furthermore, it would be banned from US defense and export sales, controls over dual-use items are implemented, and other financial restrictions are leveled.

Currently, the only nations included in the list of state terrorism sponsors are Cuba, North Korea, Iran, and Syria. The Russian Supreme Court designated the controversial Ukrainian Azov Battalion as a terrorist organization on Tuesday.

The situation comes after Russia accused the US on Tuesday of direct involvement in the war against Ukraine while the first ship carrying Ukrainian grain anchored safely off Turkey's coast. Moscow said that it was responding to comments by Vadym Skibitsky, Ukraine's deputy head of military intelligence.

The issue was reportedly a result of the way Kyiv had used U.S.-made and supplied High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) launchers based on what he called excellent satellite imagery and real-time information, Reuters reported.

Related Article: Russia Claims US Provokes China, Sympathizes with Beijing Over Nancy Pelosi's Expected Taiwan Visit



Related Article: Russia Claims US Provokes China, Sympathizes with Beijing Over Nancy Pelosi's Expected Taiwan Visit

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A twisted Australian paedophile who paid to watch children as young as three be sexually abused in the Philippines has been thrown behind bars after 13 terrified girls were rescued from a remote village.

Ian Schapel, 67, was sentenced in Adelaide District Court on Wednesday to 16 years jail after his sickening crimes were uncovered by Filipino authorities and the Australian Federal Police.

The monster connected with poverty-stricken families in the Philippines on Skype and paid them $30 to force young girls to perform sexual acts on camera while he watched.

Ian Schapel, 67, was sentenced in Adelaide District Court on Wednesday to 16 years jail

Harrowing photos showed the young victims being led away from the village

Schapel, a veteran public servant, preyed upon at least 13 victims aged between three and nine years old who were abused on at least 74 occasions.

Harrowing photos released by the AFP showed the young victims being led away from the village by local officers and support workers.

Five women - some who were relatives of the victims and allegedly facilitated the abuse - were pictured walking behind the girls in handcuffs with their faces covered.

Schapel was arrested in February 2020 when police seized 260 electronic and storage items that included 1.2million files that had to be sorted through after a raid on his Adelaide home.

Schapel (pictured) was arrested and charged by police in 2020 after he paid cash to poverty-stricken families in the Philippines to force young girls to perform sex acts on camera

Older women who allegedly facilitated the abuse of the victims were also arrested

The squalid property was filled with floppy disks, DVDs, USBs, computers and printed images with pornographic material.

Some videos showed him ordering children to perform sex acts.

Leading Senior Constable Stephen Hegarty was tasked with sorting through the mountain of disturbing evidence that was uncovered at the monster's home.

'He had a controlling, demanding nature, he would direct the children,' Mr Hegarty told The Advertiser.

'Every now and then he would come into view, he would say things like "I want them to watch". He wanted these kids to watch him gratify himself. I found that particularly unpleasant.'

Philippines police raided properties at a remote village in an eastern part of the country in August 2020 . An alleged facilitator is seen being led away in a pink shirt

Authorities rescued 13 girls from the properties in the village (pictured, one of the victims being escorted)

Schapel would only transfer cash to the poverty-stricken once the 'shows' were over.

He told one of the victims 'now you starve' when he did not get what he wanted.

Australian Federal Police provided details about the abuse to Philippines police, including the faces of the victims, the older women who allegedly facilitated the abuse and features of the rooms and homes where the abuse took place.

Filipino police raided properties in a remote village in an eastern part of the country in August 2020.

They rescued the girls from the properties and arrested five older women.

Schapel's Adelaide home (pictured) was raided in February 2020 when police found more than 55,000 images and videos of child exploitation material

Some of the older women who allegedly took part in the abuse were mothers, aunts or cousins of the victims. They are currently before the courts.

The investigation by the AFP also led to the arrest of a 71-year-old man from Geraldton in Western Australia. He spent $443,000 on online child sex abuse.

He was sentenced to 14-and-a-half years in jail for 58 offences.

Meanwhile, Schapel pleaded guilty to 50 offences including 41 counts of engaging in sexual activity with a child outside of Australia, using a carriage service to access child exploitation material and possessing child exploitation material.

He has been jailed for 16 years.
Senate Minority leader Mitch McConnell has supported Speaker Nancy Pelosi's trip to Taiwan and slammed President Joe Biden and his team for voicing their opposition to the visit amid tensions with China.

'I believe she has every right to go, and it's been unseemly and counterproductive for President Biden and his aids to have publicly sought to deter her from doing so,' McConnell said on Tuesday.

While the Biden administration did not explicitly urge Pelosi to call off the visit, Biden has said it was not a 'good idea' as his team seeks to reassure Beijing the trip would not signal any change in U.S. policy on Taiwan.

Following her landing, McConnell praised the trip as he warned of China's aggression against Taiwan and the need to protect democracy.

'To hear [Biden]... complain that speaker Pelosis travel itinerary is provocative is utterly absurd,' McConnel added.

Senate Minority leader Mitch McConnell criticized President Joe Biden for not supporting Speaker Nancy Pelosi's trip to Taiwan on Tuesday

Speaker Nancy Pelosi (above) arrived in Taiwan in a visit that defied warnings from China

Biden (pictured on Tuesday) had previously said that it would not be a good idea for Pelosi to visit Taiwan during her tour of Asia amid tension with Beijing

Pelosi defied Beijing on Tuesday when she landed in Taiwan after repeated warnings from the Chinese not to visit the island nation, which they said marked a 'violation of the one-China principle.'

McConnell disagreed with the Chinese government and said their is 'significant precedent for high ranking officials visiting Taiwan' as he backed America's legislative leader.

He said the trip was necessary to ensure freedoms are protected from China's aggressions.

'Its true that China has stepped up its aggressive actions,' McConnell said. 'Theyre trying to change the status quo by force.

'Theyve expanded militarily in the South China Sea. Theyve invested in anti-ship and anti-aircraft capabilities that threaten US vessels.

Theyve manipulated and threatened neighbors and mannered an all out assault on democracy and autonomy in Hong Kong.

'Now Beijing wants to dictate Taiwans future to its people.'

Along with his speech, McConnell joined 25 other GOP senators in voicing their support for Pelosi's visit.

'We support Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi's trip to Taiwan,' the statement reads. 'For decades, members of the United States Congress, including previous Speakers of the House, have traveled to Taiwan.

'This travel is consistent with the United States' One China policy to which we are committed. We are also committed now, more than ever, to all elements of the Taiwan Relations Act,' he added, referencing the 1979 legislation ensuring peace is maintained in the Western Pacific.

Pictured: Speaker Pelosi disembarking from her Air Force jet on Tuesday

Speaker Nancy Pelosi tweeted a photo of the Congressional delegation's arrival in Taipei with the words: 'Our visit reiterates that America stands with Taiwan: a robust, vibrant democracy and our important partner in the Indo-Pacific'

Speaker Nancy Pelosi waves after her arrival on Taiwan

China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs immediately blasted the move, calling it a 'serious disregard of China's strong opposition and violation of one-China principle.'

'It has a severe impact on the political foundations of China-U.S. relations and seriously infringes upon China's sovereignty and territorial integrity,' the ministry said.

Pelosi's visit makes her the highest-ranking U.S. official to visit the island in 25 years. It enraged China, which sees the self-governing island nation as its own territory, despite never having governed it. Chinese President Xi Jinping has threatened to unite the two nations by force.

Pelosi said her trip was to show America's committment to democracy.

'Our Congressional delegation's visit to Taiwan honors America's unwavering commitment to supporting Taiwan's vibrant Democracy,' Pelosi said in a statement released shortly after she landed.

The exercises will take place from August 4 to 7, when the PLA 'will conduct important military exercises and training activities including live-fire drills in the following maritime areas and their air space bounded by lines joining,' according to the state Xinjua News Agency.

Additionally, Taipei claimed that more than 20 Chinese military planes entered Taiwan's airspace on day of Pelosi's visit. As the speaker's Air Force C40 approached Taipei, Chinese Air Force Su-35 fighter jets were crossing the Taiwan Straits, local media outlets reported.

And chilling footage shared on Chinese social network Weibo appears to show amphibious tanks on the coast of Fujian along the Taiwan Strait. Further footage showed military equipment on the move in the city of Xiamen.

The White House defended Pelosi's right to go to Taiwan even as President Joe Biden's administration pointed out the speaker makes her own decisions, heads a different branch of government and that there have been no changes to the United States' one-China policy.

The administration also warned Beijing not to harm the speaker.

Supporters hold a banner outside the hotel where U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is supposed to be staying in Taipei, Taiwan

Surrounded: China is planning live fire military exercises around Taiwan from August 4-7, the Xinjua News Agency announced

Chilling footage shared on Chinese social network Weibo appears to show amphibious tanks on the coast of Fujian along the Taiwan Strait

Amid the intensifying warnings from China over Pelosi's visit, four US ships, including the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (file photo), were positioned in waters east of Taiwan on 'routine' deployments

Beijing earlier warned that the United States will 'pay the price' if Pelosi visits Taiwan while Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi said on Tuesday that those U.S. politicians who 'play with fire' on the Taiwan issue will 'come to no good end'.

Moscow also weighed in and accused the U.S. of 'destabilizing' the world by allowing Pelosi to visit Taiwan.

Amid the intensifying warnings from China over Pelosi's visit, four US warships, including the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan, were positioned in waters east of Taiwan on 'routine' deployments.

The carrier USS Ronald Reagan had transited the South China Sea and was currently in the Philippines Sea, east of Taiwan and the Philippines and south of Japan, a US Navy official confirmed on Tuesday. The Japanese-based Reagan is operating with a guided missile cruiser, USS Antietam, and a destroyer, USS Higgins.

The US Navy official said the amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli was also in the area as part of a deployment to the region that started in early May from its home port of San Diego.

Taipei has vowed to defend itself and dispatch its military forces in reaction to 'enemy threats' as risk of Beijing attacking Taiwan grows.

Taiwan has also made strengthening its defenses a priority, with regular military and civil defense drills, including designating air-raid shelters where civilians can take cover if Beijing launches missiles at the democratic island.

Self-governed Taiwan's 23 million people live under the constant threat of invasion by authoritarian China, which views the island as its territory and has vowed to one day seize it, by force if necessary.

It comes as comes as signs emerge of military activity on both sides of the Taiwan Strait ahead of Pelosi's visit.

In a 'provocative' move, several Chinese warplanes flew close to the median line dividing the Taiwan strait on Tuesday. Meanwhile, several Chinese warships had remained close to the unofficial dividing line since Monday, a source briefed on the matter said.

A source said both Chinese warships and aircraft 'squeezed' the median line on Tuesday morning, an unusual move the person described as 'very provocative.'
A Colorado lifeguard brought life into the world after she was called into action when a swimmer went into labor on the pool deck where she was working.

Natalie Lucas, 18, was working as a lifeguard at a YMCA in Longmont, Colorado, 40 miles north of Denver on July 24 when the incident occurred.

Tessa Rider told the Washington Post that she was past her due when she went with her husband, Matthew Jones, for a swim.

Rider, 29, said that being in the water was one of the few things that relieved her pain as she waited to give birth.

She told the Post: 'We knew the baby was coming. We just didn't know if it was going to be a week, two weeks, or today.'

Prior to going to the Y, Rider said that she had experienced some mild contractions but didn't consider them to be a sure sign that her baby was on the way.

Moments after she entered the water, her water broke. Her husband, Matthew Jones, sat by the pool scrolling on his phone when the drama unfolded.

Rider said: 'All of a sudden I felt this need to push.' She called out to Jones, telling him to grab their things and to meet her at the car.

When the on-duty lifeguard, Lucas, noticed what was going on she ran to Jones who was on the phone with emergency services. He told Lucas: 'We're having a baby.'

Lucas, who has been working as a lifeguard for three years, said that despite not having any formal medical training, allowed her adrenaline to kick in. She grabbed some towels and a first aid kid.

The teenage hero alerted staff to what was going on via a walkie talkie and yelled for another swimmer to dial 911.

Lucas said: 'I stayed calm, and I didnt freak out, because thats what you need to do in this job. You cant really hesitate or wait for someone else to come. Youre the lifeguard; youre the lifesaver.'

Jones guided the baby into the world while Lucas held the expectant mother's head up.

A few minutes later, Tobin 'Toby' Thomas Rider, was welcomed into the world.

The YMCA of Northern Colorado said in a Facebook post: 'Her labor progressed so quickly that  with support from a Y Lifeguard and Tessa's husband, Matthew  this beautiful baby boy was delivered on the pool deck at the Y before EMS arrived.'

The parents kept the tot warm as they awaited paramedics to bring Rider to the hospital.

At the hospital, the family was greeted by the couple's other children, Lila, 6, and Abigail, 2, who were at church with their grandparents when their brother came into the world.

While Lucas admits she has saved the lives of a few kids over the years, she has no training in midwifery.

She told the Post: 'I stayed calm, and I didn't freak out, because that's what you need to do in this job. You can't really hesitate or wait for someone else to come. You're the lifeguard; you're the lifesaver.'

Lucas just graduated from high school and will attend San Diego State University to study criminality in the fall.

Her employer offered their congratulations to Rider and Jones while saying that Lucas' actions were 'surely not covered in the job description.'

In a statement on the bizarre incident, Northern Colorado YMCA said: 'We train our Lifeguards to respond in times of emergency, and thats exactly what Natalie did. When she realised Tessa was going into labour, she pushed passed the adrenaline, and she responded with compassion, caring and grit.'

The spokesperson added: 'The health of Tessa and Toby was and is paramount, and we are ecstatic that they are healthy and doing well.'

According to the Y, the family's new arrival has been given a lifetime membership to the fitness center.

Meanwhile little Toby will receive birthday cards from Lucas, she said. The teen added: 'I'm so glad the baby is okay, and they now have a new addition to their beautiful family. I was really happy to help them.'
The US State Department has issued a 'worldwide caution' alert following the death of al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri - warning Americans traveling overseas to be aware of potential retaliation for the successful assassination.

Issued Tuesday night, the travel advisory asserted there is a 'higher potential for anti-American violence after [Zawahri's] death' - the result of a drone strike carried out by US forces on the acting al-Qaeda leader's Kabul safehouse over the weekend.

The notice saw officials urge citizens against traveling in the wake of the drone-strike killing, citing 'that current information suggests terrorist groups are plotting attacks against US interests in multiple regions across the globe.'

The caution did not cite any heightened risk of attacks on American soil, or indicate any specific threats abroad - but it did warn Americans that kidnappings, hijackings, and bombings, as well as suicide operations and assassinations, are all possible.

The US State Department has issued a 'worldwide caution' alert following the death of al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri - warning Americans traveling overseas to be aware of potential retaliation for the successful assassination of the terror boss

Issued Tuesday night, the travel advisory asserted there is a 'higher potential for anti-American violence after [Zawahri's] death,' and 'that current information suggests terrorist groups are plotting attacks against US interests in multiple regions across the globe'

The announcement came just over 24 hours after President Joe Biden took to the airwaves to tout the assassination to the world - due to the fact the terror leader's crucial role in planning the September 11 terror attacks.

He succeeded Bin Laden as head of al-Qaeda after his assassination in 2011, and had evaded US forces until now. Al-Qaeda has yet to publicly acknowledge the assassination - which likely served as a decisive blow to the group's power structure.

The State Department seemed to have that in mind when penning the strongly worded alert, which warned travelers to be especially vigilant as the full consequences of the long-planned strike start to make themselves known.

al-Zawahiri, who was 72, succeeded Bin Laden as head of al-Qaeda after his assassination in 2011, and had evaded US forces until now. Al-Qaeda has yet to publicly acknowledge the assassination - which likely served as a decisive blow to the group's power structure

'The Department of State remains concerned about the continued threat of terrorist attacks, demonstrations, and other violent actions against U.S. citizens and interests overseas,' the agency's warning began.

'The Department of State believes there is a higher potential for anti-American violence given the death of Ayman al-Zawahiri on July 31, 2022.

'Current information suggests that terrorist organizations continue to plan terrorist attacks against U.S. interests in multiple regions across the globe,' it went on.

'These attacks may employ a wide variety of tactics including suicide operations, assassinations, kidnappings, hijackings, and bombings.'

It warned: 'US citizens are strongly encouraged to maintain a high level of vigilance and practice good situational awareness when traveling abroad.'

The notice went on to advise Americans in other countries to monitor local news and maintain contact nearby embassy or consulates as fallout over the assassination has yet to be seen.

Those planning a trip overseas, the department wrote, should consult country-specific travel advisories and information pages on the agency's website.

Labeled by US officials as Osama bin Laden's No. 2, al-Zawahiri, 71, was a key plotter of the September 11 terrorist attacks and took over as the leader of the notorious terror group following bin Laden's death in 2011

The State Department has so far declined to comment on the caution, but maintains a 'no double standard' policy on important threats - meaning that information shared with US officials is the same as what is released to the public.

The US government, meanwhile, asserts that the terror group remains one of the biggest threats to Americans and US interests overseas.

President Joe Biden repeatedly invoked the September 11th terrorist attacks when he revealed the CIA drone strike killed the al Qaeda leader - who befriended Bin Laden as a militant in Afghanistan in the late 80s - on Monday.

'Now, justice has been delivered, and this terrorist leader is no more,' he said. 'We made it clear again tonight that no matter how long it takes, no matter where you hide, if you are a threat to our people, the United States will find you and take you out.'

The address, aside from serving as a victory lap for the embattled president, saw Biden lay out al-Zawahiri's role in the terrorist organization, noting that, in addition to the 9/11 attacks, he was behind other attacks on US embassies in Africa and Europe as well.

The announcement came just over 24 hours after President Joe Biden took to the airwaves to tout the assassination to the world - due to the the terror leader's crucial role in planning the September 11 terror attacks

'He carved a trail of murder and violence against American citizens, American service members, American diplomats, and American interests,' Biden said.

Biden concluded his remarks with a warning: 'To those around the world who continue to seek to harm the United States, hear me now. We will always remain vigilant, and we will act, and we will always do what is necessary to ensure the safety and security of Americans at home and around the globe.'

It was the United State's most significant strike against al Qaeda since the killing of Osama bin Laden in 2011. Al-Zawahiri replaced bin Laden as the terrorist group's top leader.

Biden, who remains in isolation after a rebound case of COVID, made his address from the first floor balcony off the Blue Room of the White House.
Greens leader Adam Bandt has revealed his party will support Labor's climate change bill, meaning it will almost certainly pass parliament.

The government's bill enshrines an emissions reduction target of 43 per cent by 2030 and net zero by 2050, and will require the minister of the day to report annually to parliament on the nation's progress.

Negotiations between Mr Bandt and Climate Change Minister Chris Bowen had been ongoing after the Greens voiced concerns about the bill.

The Greens wanted faster action on climate change, calling for a 2030 emissions reduction target of 75 per cent during the election campaign.

Greens leader Adam Bandt is seen leaving Kensington Primary school with his partner after voting on Federal Election day

Labor needs the support of all 12 Greens senators plus one crossbencher in order for the bill to pass the upper house.

Independent David Pocock, former Wallabies captain, has indicated he will support the bill, meaning it will now almost certainly pass the senate.

Mr Albanese said he was 'very confident' the bill would pass, and urged the Coalition to also back it.

'This is an opportunity for the whole of the parliament to be on the right side of history,' he said.

Mr Bowen said: 'The climate wars may or may not be over, but they are certainly in retreat.'

Despite announcing his support for the bill, Mr Bandt has warned he will push Labor to stop opening new coal and gas mines, warning 'the planet will burn' if they are not stopped.

'This is round one in a three-year parliament,' he said.

Mr Bandt said not all Greens senators and members agreed but all will vote for the bill after reaching a consensus decision.

The Greens' decision to support the bill contrasts with its 2009 move to block the Gillard government's Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme, which the party said was not ambitious enough.

Labor does not need parliamentary approval for its emissions reductions targets but Mr Bowen said passing the bill was important for securing investment.

Greens leader Adam Bandt at a press conference with newly sworn in Greens senators and members last week

'The other thing that's important to get investment in renewable energy and to get the targets underway is certainty and policy frameworks being legislated,' he told parliament on Tuesday.

'Not only does Australia now have a government that gets it, we have a parliament that gets it too and will provide that policy certainty and framework for investors right around the world.'

In 2019 a paper published by the University of Melbourne estimated reducing emissions by 26 per cent by 2030 would cost $35.5billion - but inaction would cost $584.5billion in climate change related damage.

Independent MPs Helen Haines and Kate Chaney are absent from parliament this week after testing positive for Covid-19, but other crossbenchers will propose amendments in their names.

Ms Chaney's amendment aims to ensure the bill clearly states its intention is to actually drive climate action and is linked to science.

'The science shows a target of at least 50 per cent reduction in emissions by 2030 is needed,' she said in a statement.

'But I am keen to lock in this progress and continue to work with the government to pursue the opportunities presented by this necessary shift in our economic activity.'

Dr Haines' amendment would ensure regional Australia benefits from action on climate change.

A meeting of Liberal and Nationals MPs and senators on Tuesday affirmed the coalition's opposition to the bill.

The coalition plans to develop its own climate policy, including updated emissions targets beyond its existing 26-28 per cent reduction proposal, in time for the next federal election.
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The U.S and Indonesian militaries were joined by partner nations for the first time as they began nearly two week long drills on Sumatra Island and the Riau islands in Indonesia.

The planned drills opened after Chinas Defense Ministry said Tuesday night it would conduct a series of targeted military operations to 'safeguard national sovereignty' in response to U.S House Speaker Nancy Pelosis visit to self-governed Taiwan, which China claims as part of its territory to be annexed by force if necessary.

China has also been increasingly assertive over its claim to virtually the entire South China Sea.

Thanks to Taiwan's high levels of production of microchips, there are worries that the Chinese military could create a crisis by cutting off the island from the world's supply chain.

Pelosi is thought to be leaving Taiwan on Wednesday. The US/Indonesian drills are scheduled to run from August 1 until August 14.

In total, more than 5,000 troops from the US, Indonesia, Australia, Japan and Singapore, will participate in the drills. It will be the largest drill since the annual joint-exercise began in 2009. Around 2,000 of the participating soldiers are from the US.

The U.S and Indonesian militaries were joined by partner nations for the first time as they began nearly two week long drills on Sumatra Island and the Riau islands in Indonesia

The planned drills opened after Chinas Defense Ministry said Tuesday night it would conduct a series of targeted military operations to 'safeguard national sovereignty' in response to U.S House Speaker Nancy Pelosis visit to self-governed Taiwan

The US/Indonesian drills are scheduled to run from August 1 until August 14

In total, more than 5,000 troops from the US, Indonesia, Australia, Japan and Singapore, will participate in the drills

It will be the largest drill since the annual joint-exercise began in 2009. Around 2,000 of the participating soldiers are from the US

Around 2,000 of the participating soldiers are from the US, another 2,000 come from Indonesia

The drills are officially known as the 'Super Garuda Shield.' Previously, the operation only involved the army and paratroopers of the U.S and Indonesia

While Indonesia and China enjoy generally positive ties, Jakarta has expressed concern about Chinese encroachment on its exclusive economic zone in the area, which China claims virtually in its entirety.

On July 4, China's Silk Road Fund (SRF) has signed an agreement to invest up to 20 billion yuan ($2.99 billion) in Indonesia's sovereign wealth fund, a deal some analysts said could deter Western investors from the Indonesian fund.

The drills are officially known as the 'Super Garuda Shield.' Previously, the operation only involved the army and paratroopers of the U.S and Indonesia.

Japans Ground Self-Defense Force is participating for the first time in the exercises, saying it promotes a 'free and open' Indo-Pacific vision of security and trade with the U.S. and other democracies in the region.

According a statement from the U.S Embassy in Jakarta the drills include: 'Trainings, academic exchanges, and professional development workshops focused on the corps-level and below will focus on areas such as humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, as well as combating conventional, unconventional and hybrid threats.'

In addition to the countries who have soldiers participating, Canada, France, India, Malaysia, South Korea, Papua New Guinea, East Timor, and Britain, will have persons on the ground observing the operation.

According to the 7th Infantry Division of the U.S. Army, the drill 'reinforces the U.S. commitments to our allies, and regional partners, joint readiness, and the interoperability to fight and win together'

Japans Ground Self-Defense Force is participating for the first time in the exercises, saying it promotes a 'free and open' Indo-Pacific vision of security and trade with the U.S. and other democracies in the region

According a statement from the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta the drills include: 'Trainings, academic exchanges, and professional development workshops focused on the corps-level and below will focus on areas such as humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, as well as combating conventional, unconventional and hybrid threats'

In addition to the countries who have soldiers participating, Canada, France, India, Malaysia, South Korea, Papua New Guinea, East Timor, and Britain, will have persons on the ground observing the operation

U.S. Commanding General for the 7th Infantry Division Major General Stephen G. Smith looks on during a news conference ahead of the Super Garuda Shield 2022 joint excercise

The expanded drills are seen by China as a threat. Chinese state media have accused the U.S. of building an Indo-Pacific alliance, similar to NATO, as a means to intentionally provoke conflict.

The exercises are designed to strengthen technology, capability, trust and cooperation in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific, the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta said in a statement.

Gen. Charles Flynn, Commanding General of U.S. Army Pacific said of the drills: 'Its a symbol of the U.S.-Indonesia bond and the growing relationship between land forces in this consequential region.'

The general added: 'Because land forces are the glue that binds the regions security architecture together.'

Flynn and Indonesias Military Chief Gen. Andika Perkasa opened the joint drills with a ceremony on Wednesday morning in Baturaja, a coastal town in South Sumatra province.

Major General Stephen Smith, commander of the participating U.S. troops, told the media last Friday: 'This is really an exercise to build trust, build togetherness, mutual understanding, increase capability and other related matters.'

He continued: 'So this is really a military exercise and not a threat to any party.'

The exercises will encompass army, navy, air force and marine drills.

The exercises are designed to strengthen technology, capability, trust and cooperation in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific, the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta said in a statement

Gen. Charles Flynn, Commanding General of U.S. Army Pacific said of the drills: 'Its a symbol of the U.S.-Indonesia bond and the growing relationship between land forces in this consequential region'

Flynn and Indonesias Military Chief Gen. Andika Perkasa opened the joint drills with a ceremony on Wednesday morning in Baturaja, a coastal town in South Sumatra province

Major General Stephen Smith, commander of the participating U.S. troops, told the media last Friday: 'This is really an exercise to build trust, build togetherness, mutual understanding, increase capability and other related matters'

Speaking to Radio Free Asia, a senior Indonesian government official and maritime defense analyst Satya Pratama said: 'The point is to show that Indonesia can cooperate with whoever she wants

Speaking to Radio Free Asia, a senior Indonesian government official and maritime defense analyst Satya Pratama said: 'The point is to show that Indonesia can cooperate with whoever she wants.'

He added: 'Indonesia has a free and active foreign policy: free to engage with whichever partner and friend; and active in ensuring global security based on Indonesias national interests.'

While Indonesia analyst at public policy advisory firm Global Counsel Dedi Dinarto told RFA: 'The inclusion of the navy into the training agenda represents a shift in strategic thinking that Indonesias territorial waters and jurisdictions are now becoming more vulnerable to external threats.'

Dinarto went on to say that the selection of the Riau Islands for the drills was key as the area was the subject of tensions between Beijing and Jakarta in 2016 and 2020 when the Indonesian government began drilling in the area for oil and gas.

Dinarto said: 'It reveals the strategic weight defense policymakers are placing on strengthening the outer provinces as Indonesias defense frontier.'

While Indonesia analyst at public policy advisory firm Global Counsel Dedi Dinarto told RFA: 'The inclusion of the navy into the training agenda represents a shift in strategic thinking that Indonesias territorial waters and jurisdictions are now becoming more vulnerable to external threats

U.S. Army Soldiers assigned to the 1st Special Forces Group - Airborne demonstrate how to properly apply a tourniquet to an injury

Dinarto went on to say that the selection of the Riau Islands for the drills was key as the area was the subject of tensions between Beijing and Jakarta in 2016 and 2020 when the Indonesian government began drilling in the area for oil and gas

Dinarto said: 'It reveals the strategic weight defense policymakers are placing on strengthening the outer provinces as Indonesias defense frontier'

U.S. Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said 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, and the number of unsafe interactions has risen by similar proportions

'The message is the Chinese military, in the air and at sea, have become significantly more and noticeably more aggressive in this particular region,' Milley said last month during a trip to the Indo-Pacific that included a stop in Indonesia

Milley said Indonesia is strategically critical to the region and has long been a key U.S. partner

The relationship became strained following allegations of human rights abuses by the Indonesian military in East Timor. With the two countries International Military Education and Training program being abandoned between 1999 and 2002

U.S. Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said 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, and the number of unsafe interactions has risen by similar proportions.

'The message is the Chinese military, in the air and at sea, have become significantly more and noticeably more aggressive in this particular region,' Milley said last month during a trip to the Indo-Pacific that included a stop in Indonesia.

Milley said Indonesia is strategically critical to the region and has long been a key U.S. partner.

The relationship became strained following allegations of human rights abuses by the Indonesian military in East Timor. With the two countries International Military Education and Training program being abandoned between 1999 and 2002.

It was reinstated by former President George W. Bush in 2004. In 2006, the State Department funded an antiterrorism assistance program in 2006 to the tune of around $6 million.

Earlier this year, the U.S. approved a $13.9 billion sale of advanced fighter jets to Indonesia.

And in Jakarta last December, Secretary of State Antony Blinken signed agreements for enhanced joint naval exercises between the U.S. and Indonesia.
The 21-year-old man accused of killing seven people at the Highland Park Independence Day parade in Chicago has pleaded not guilty to 117 counts, including 21 first-degree murder charges.

Robert 'Bobby' Crimo, 21, appeared at Lake County's circuit court today and denied the charges after he was indicted for the fatal shooting at the July 4 parade in Illinois this year.

Lake County prosecutors last week announced that a grand jury had indicted Crimo on the charges. They had previously filed seven murder charges against the 21-year-old in the days following the shooting.

He has now pleaded not guilty to 21 counts of first-degree murder, 48 counts of attempted murder and 48 counts of aggravated battery.

The multiple first-degree murder charges allege Crimo intended to kill, caused death or great bodily harm and took action with a strong probability of causing death or great bodily harm on the seven people who died.

Robert Crimo (pictured) appeared in Lake County's circuit court today - and he entered a not guilty plea after seven people were killed on July 4 this year at the Highland Park Independence Day parade, Chicago

Prosecutors have said Crimo admitted to the shooting once police arrested him following a hours-long search for the gunman who opened fire from the rooftop of a building along the parade route. But he has today denied the 117 counts he was accused of

The multiple first-degree murder charges allege Crimo intended to kill, caused death or great bodily harm and took action with a strong probability of causing death or great bodily harm on the seven people who died

Crimo's mother, Denise Pesina and his father, Robert Crimo Jr., were in the Lake County court as their son pleaded not guilty on Wednesday

This is the moment Crimo was arrested at 6.30pm, eight hours after unleashing terror at the parade in Highland Park. His family had by this point spoken to the FBI and confirmed his identity

A representative for the county public defenders office, which is representing Crimo, has said the office does not comment publicly on any cases.

Prosecutors have said Crimo admitted to the shooting once police arrested him following a hours-long search for the gunman who opened fire from the rooftop of a building along the parade route.

But he has today denied the 117 counts he was accused of.

Seven people were killed and dozens more were injured in the July 4th attack after the gunman opened fire at 10.14am from a roof and took aim at paradegoers.

Crimo, 21, was indicted on 117 counts, including first-degree murder for shooting seven people dead and injuring more than 40 earlier this year. He has now pleaded not guilty

Among those killed were Irina McCarthy, 35, and her husband Kevin McCarthy, 37, whose two-year-old orphaned son was pulled from underneath his father's body.

Crimo is accused of using a rifle 'similar to an AR-15' to spray more than 70 rounds from atop a commercial building into a crowd that had gathered for the parade in Highland Park, an affluent community of about 30,000 on the Lake Michigan shore, police said.

It was later alleged that Crimo had dressed as a woman to carry out the deadly Independence Day attack and was able to flee in the crowd because of the disguise.

The 21-year-old owned multiple weapons, including two rifles - one that was allegedly used in the attack and another that was found in his vehicle when he was arrested at 6.30pm the same night.

Among the seven victims was also synagogue teacher Jacki Sundheim, a married mother, and grandfather Nicolas Toledo, 78.

Dr. David Baum, a long time obstetrician in Highland Park, was attending the parade with his wife and children to watch his two-year-old grandson participate. When the shots rang out and others fled, he ran into the fray to try to help the victims.

In an interview following the fatal attack, Baum described seeing victims with 'wartime' and 'unspeakable' injuries.

The shooter was on the roof of Ross Cosmetics, left, and fired into the parade after gaining access from a fire escape stairway in a nearby alley

The aftermath of the scene in Highland Park after a shooter opened fire on the parade. Chairs and strollers were abandoned by attendees

The family of an eight-year-old boy have since confirmed their son was 'paralyzed from the waist down' and will likely never walk again after being shot during the Highland Park parade attack.

Cooper Roberts' spinal cord was severed during the attack. His twin brother and mother were also wounded in the incident.

'It's going to be a new normal for him moving forward,' family spokesman Anthony Loizzi said in a statement earlier this month. 'It sounds (like) he'll have significant issues moving forward, especially with walking.'

Due to the severity of his spinal cord injury, doctors have now confirmed that it is unlikely Cooper will ever walk again.

'At this time, the doctors do not believe that he suffered any brain damage or cognitive impact from the shooting,' Loizzi told CBS.

Twin brother Luke was also hospitalized with shrapnel wounds in his lower body but was discharged after doctors removed some of the debris, although they were unable to remove it all.

Police do not yet know exactly what the motive for the killing spree was, but they previously confirmed Crimo had a fixation on the numbers 47 - the inverse of 7/4, the date of July 4th.

Lake County Major Crime Task Force Deputy Chief Chris Covelli said after Crimo's court appearance earlier this month: 'His motivation isn't necessarily clear, I don't want to go into specifically what he told investigators, however he had some type of affinity towards the number 4 and 7, and inverse 7 and 4.'

It was revealed earlier that Crimo's father supported his application for a FOID card - the license needed to buy guns - in 2019 when he was 19 and just two months after an incident when police were called to the family home.

Police confiscated 16 knives after that incident because Crimo had 'threatened to kill everyone'.

He was not arrested and his family say cops gave the knives back two weeks later.
A former White House counsel under former President Donald Trump who fought some of the politician's more extreme efforts to overturn the 2020 election has been subpoenaed by a federal grand jury investigating the January 6 riots at the Capitol.

Pat Cipollone, the highest-ranking White House official working for Trump during his waning days in office, was named in the federal summons.

The 56-year-old had already been called to testify about the events of the riots last month.

He was inside the White House when citizens loyal to the on-the-way-out president stormed the building, causing multiple deaths and widespread chaos.

The development, which was confirmed Tuesday by multiple sources familiar with the matter, serves as the latest sign that the Justice Department's yearlong investigation is heating up, as officials try to hold Trump accountable for the unrest.

It follows several appearances by senior members of former Vice President Mike Pence's staff before the grand jury two weeks ago, and an official accusation from top congressional Democrats that several Secret Service agents deleted potentially incriminating text messages in the days immediately after January 6, 2021.

The aide named in the federal summons was ex-counsel Pat Cipollone, the highest-ranking White House official working for Trump during his waning days in office

The development, which was confirmed Tuesday by multiple sources familiar with the matter, serves as the latest sign that the Justice Department's yearlong investigation is heating up, as officials try to hold Trump accountable for the unrest

Cipollone and his attorneys are now in talks about the prospective appearance before the grand jury, and are discussing how to deal with executive privilege issues, which could force him to keep mum about certain aspects of that day.

Cipollone has become a particular person of interest in the probe, due to the fact he was in the White House's West Wing during the rioting - as the president reportedly refused to call his supporters off.

The conservative attorney also attended several meetings in buildup to the riot, during which Trump and members of his team discussed ways they could overturn the election and keep him in power.

Cipollone, however, repeatedly pushed back on those efforts, according to several witnesses present at those meetings.

Last month, Cipollone was questioned about the riots in a closed-door interview at the Capitol, which lasted more than eight hours.

Parts of the interview have since been shown during two recent public hearings help by the committee overseeing the investigation.

In one clip aired by the committee, Cipollone asserted he had told Trump to intervene while the attack was underway, but was repeatedly rebuffed and ignored.

'I was pretty clear there needed to be an immediate and forceful response, statement, public statement, that people need to leave the Capitol now,' Cipollone said in his testimony.

He also spoke of how Cabinet secretaries contemplated staging a meeting to discuss Trump's decision-making during the rioting.

The news comes just three weeks after the 25-year-old former aide to Trump's final White House Chief of Staff, Cassidy Hutchinson testified Cipollone pressed her to keep Trump away from the Capitol on a day throngs of his supporters stormed the Capitol.

In one clip aired by the committee, Cipollone asserted he had told Trump to intervene while the attack was underway, but was repeatedly rebuffed and ignored

'Mr. Cipollone said something to the effect of, 'Please make sure we don't go up to the Capitol, Cassidy, keep in touch with me. We're going to get charged with every crime imaginable if we make that movement happen,'' she told the committee in her own explosive testimony.

Cipollone also took part in heated arguments inside the Oval Office before January 6 where he clashed with Trump lawyer John Eastman over his election overturn theories, according to other testimony.

The committee said when it issued its subpoena last week that it needed to 'hear from him on the record, as other former White House counsels have done in other congressional investigations,' in a possible reference to Watergate testimony by former White House counsel John Dean.

The person briefed on the matter, who spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity to discuss private negotiations, said Cipollone agreed to appear before the committee for a private, transcribed interview.

As Trump's top White House lawyer, Cipollone was in the West Wing on Jan. 6, 2021, as well as for key meetings in the turbulent weeks after the election when Trump and associates - including Republican lawmakers and lawyer Rudy Giuliani - debated and plotted ways to challenge the election.

Cipollone defended Trump during his first impeachment trial in the Senate. During the riot, however, he reportedly fought the president's more extreme efforts to retain power

Cipollone is seen during a meeting with President Donald Trump in the Oval Office of the White House, Thursday, Nov. 14, 2019, in Washington

Cipollone is said to have stridently and repeatedly warned Trump and his allies against their efforts to challenge the election, threatening to resign as Trump eyed a dramatic reshuffling atop the Justice Department.

According to the New York Times, the informal agreement covered conversations with Eastman, conversations with lawmakers, and the events of Jan. 6th  but did not include conversations with Trump, other than an explosive Jan. 3 meeting with former Justice Department official Jeffrey Clark.

One witness said Cipollone referred to a proposed letter making false claims about voter fraud as a 'murder-suicide pact.' Another witness said Cipollone had warned her that Trump was at risk of committing 'every crime imaginable' if he went to the Capitol on Jan. 6.

Cipollone is said to have stridently and repeatedly warned Trump and his allies against their efforts to challenge the election

But while his interview with the committee could prove to be a breakthrough, it remained unclear whether Cipollone would try to limit what he is willing to talk about. As the administrations chief lawyer, he could argue that some or all of his conversations with Trump are privileged.

Other former White House officials, including former Chief White House strategist Steve Bannon and former Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani, have made their own privilege claims.

As White House counsel, some of Trump's conversations with Cipollone could be covered by executive privilege claims or attorney-client-privilege claims, although his role is different than that of a personal attorney representing the president.

Cipollone and his former deputy, Patrick Philbin, each sat for 'informal' interviews this spring, amid the clash and Trump's own claims of executive privilege.

Nevertheless, a string of other witnesses who resisted Trump's election overturn effort described Cipollone as an ally.

The panel has used videotaped testimony of other officials in video montages that the panel has played during televised hearings to describe Trump's efforts to stay in power.
An elderly drunk driver told police he drove his luxury four-wheel-drive into the sand on a beach on the Queensland Sunshine Coast because he was following his GPS.

Victorian man Ian Malcolm Graham, 77, admitted to the Noosa Magistrates Court via phone on Tuesday that he was following the GPS while on holidays and didn't realise the road ended when he drove off the Noosa Spit about 7pm on July 17, 2022, The Courier Mail reported.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Allison Johnstone said that officers arrived at the scene to find to man had driven off the rock wall and became stuck in the sand.

Victorian man Ian Malcolm Graham, 77, told Noosa Magistrates Court on Tuesday he was following his GPS prior to drunkenly driving off the Noosa Spit and becoming stuck in the sand

The court heard that Graham had mixed his medication with alcohol before driving, later recording a blood-alcohol reading of 0.131 (pictured, Graham's car being lift to safety)

Sgt Johnstone said Graham had recorded a blood-alcohol level just under three times the legal limit, which was 0.131.

The court heard that Graham had mixed his medication with alcohol.

He had been seen by witnesses driving through several car parks as well as on the footpath and attempting to access the beach in his vehicle.

Graham had been observed by witnesses driving through several car parks as well as on the footpath and attempting to access the beach in his vehicle (pictured, stuck on a Noosa beach)

Graham pleaded guilty to drink driving and was fined $550, disqualified from driving for five months and had a conviction recorded.

This incident came weeks after a Queensland mayor who drank 'several' glasses of wine before smashing her car into a tree had spoken to the families of victims killed by drunk drivers just one hour before the crash on June 23.

She returned a blood alcohol test of more than three times the legal limit was ordered to do community service after watching graphic footage of crashes.

Redland Mayor Karen Williams, 55, pleaded guilty to drink-driving on Monday before saying she would return to work this week and describing the incident as a single lapse of judgment in 18 years of public service.

She drove her vehicle into a tree in Cleveland, southeast of Brisbane, at 8pm on June 23 after leaving the council offices after a 'stressful' day's work.

Williams faced especially harsh criticism over the incident as she had previously slammed youth drink drivers.

Redland Mayor Karen Williams pleaded guilty to drink-driving on Monday, before saying she would return to work this week and describing the incident as a single lapse of judgment in 18 years of public service

Cr Williams had been in the media earlier in June after launching a petition for safer roads following a 'lenient' sentence for a drink-driving teen who killed Kate Leadbetter, Matt Field and their unborn son (above)

Cr Williams had been in the media earlier in June after launching a petition for safer roads following a 'lenient' sentence for a drink-driving teen who killed Kate Leadbetter, Matt Field and their unborn son.

She was issued with a notice to appear in court on a charge of driving under the influence of liquor after returning a blood alcohol concentration of 0.177 per cent.

Up to 20 activists protested outside with numbers dwindling when it started to rain.

Cleveland magistrate Deborah Vasta sentenced Cr Williams to 80 hours of community service, saying she believed the mayor was deserving of forgiveness and a second chance.

The 55-year-old drove her vehicle into a tree in Cleveland, southeast of Brisbane, at 8pm on June 23 after leaving the council offices after a 'stressful' day's work

But first she showed a graphic drink-driving awareness video in court, saying it was a regular part of her proceedings for traffic offenders.

So far this year 172 people have been killed on Queensland roads, making it the state's worst road toll in 30 years, Ms Vasta said.

She also said Williams had paid and will continue to pay very heavily for the mistakes she made that day.

Ms Vasta said Williams had 'copped an avalanche of condemnation and vitriol' that included phone messages calling her a 'piece of s***' and a 'two-faced bitch' and hoping she would go to hell after the incident that occurred hours after an online meeting with families of road crash victims.

There was also a small group of very hurt people who felt betrayed by Williams' actions, Ms Vasta said.

'It seems to me there's a very real desire to see your client punished more than an average drink driver, not just because she's mayor and should be held to a higher standard, but because of what some people see as stunning hypocrisy and betrayal,' she told Williams' lawyer Calvin Gnech.

Mr Gnech earlier told the court the mayor crashed her luxury council Lexus after a 'stressful' day handing down the annual budget.

Ms Vasta said drink-drivers were usually fined, but there was a genuine feeling many people wanted to see Williams 'humbled and punished more than the average person'.

Police were called to an intersection in Cleveland where they found the road-safety warrior Mayor Karen Williams and breath-tested her

Williams had four glasses of wine after finalising the council's budget and not eating since 6pm the previous day.

No one was injured when the council car she was driving left the road, travelled through a fence and struck a tree.

Williams has been on unpaid leave since being given the notice to appear.

No conviction was recorded.
Speaker Nancy Pelosi became the highest-ranking American official to visit Taiwan in 25 years. Her visit precipitated a high-stakes dispute between the United States and China.

China, which is irritated by any perceived threat to its claims to the island, has replied by announcing preparations for live-fire military maneuvers near Taiwan's seas and airspace beginning on Thursday.

Pelosi Arrives in Taiwan

Chinese authorities had repeatedly told Pelosi not to go. Pelosi issued a statement shortly after her arrival on Tuesday, stating that the visit demonstrated America's unwavering commitment to Taiwan's democracy. However, China's foreign ministry stated that Pelosi's visit seriously threatens China's sovereignty, and the US has voiced fear that China may exploit the visit to justify military action.

The Taiwanese people have reacted positively to Pelosi's visit. Their stance reflects a political reality that has hardened over the last decade; many island inhabitants have grown tired of China's threats and seek US help, according to New York Times. China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement accusing Pelosi, D-Calif., of damaging US-China ties and aiding separatist forces for 'Taiwan independence.

The People's Republic of China has long claimed sovereignty over Taiwan and the Taiwan Strait, a thin swath of ocean separating Taiwan from the Chinese mainland. The Chinese military has often flown planes into the region, putting Taiwan's air defense zone to the test.

The United States maintains a One China Policy that acknowledges the People's Republic of China as the lawful successor nation to Taiwan, commonly known as the Republic of China. However, as China strives to isolate the island from global institutions, the United States has increased its involvement with it. Pelosi maintains that the diplomatic visit is not designed to destabilize US-China ties or to legitimize US-Taiwan cooperation.

Read Also: Ex-Pentagon Adviser Alleges Wild Spending for Kyiv by Washington, EU Will Eventually Run Out

China Claims Its Right to Take Action

China issued the latest ambiguous warning, threatening to protect itself from US involvement in Taiwan. The mainland country went on to say that all the ramifications of the visit should be laid solely on the US, as per Fox News. Under the rules of the decades-old Taiwan Relations Act, the US supplies Taiwan with defensive weapons while being purposely unclear on whether it would protect Taiwan in the case of a Chinese invasion - a tactic known as strategic ambiguity.

Qin Gang, China's ambassador to the United States, told CNN's John King that Beijing was within its sovereign rights to respond to Pelosi's visit. Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense reported on Tuesday, the day Pelosi arrived, that 21 Chinese jets flew into its air defense identification zone (ADIZ).

The intrusions were carried out by ten J-16 fighter planes, eight J-11 fighter jets, one Y-9 electronic warfare aircraft, one Y-8 electronic intelligence aircraft, and one KJ-500 airborne early warning and control aircraft, according to a statement issued by Taiwan's Defense Ministry on Tuesday night.

The Taiwanese military responded by issuing radio alerts and deploying air defense missile systems to monitor the activity, it claimed. China often deploys airplanes into Taiwan's self-proclaimed air defense identification zone (ADIZ). The most invasions were ever recorded on October 4, last year, when 56 military planes flew into the region at the same time. An ADIZ is imposed unilaterally and is separate from sovereign airspace, which is recognized by international law as extending 12 nautical miles from the shoreline of a territory, CNN reported.

Related Article: Russia Claims US Provokes China, Sympathizes with Beijing Over Nancy Pelosi's Expected Taiwan Visit

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Federal agents fear Comanchero bikie boss Mark Buddle could be busted out of custody or assassinated as he heads to Melbourne to face court over a major drug haul, as racy new images surface of his estranged wife's past.

Sources have told Daily Mail Australia that Australian Federal Police are determined to keep Buddle's movements while in custody secret out of fear his bikie mates might make a daring escape attempt or try to kill him.

Buddle, 37, was pictured being marched into a police station in handcuffs by masked AFP agents after being secretly deported to Australia from Turkey.

The nation's most wanted man was arrested after he touched down in Darwin on Tuesday morning. The AFP will allege Buddle imported more than 160kg of cocaine with a street value of $40million into Melbourne in May, 2021.

While criminal intelligence hierarchy are rumoured to be enjoying the publicity surrounding the high-profile bust, sources say agents on the ground are keen to avoid a media circus around Buddle.

The federal police fears come as Daily Mail Australia can reveal an insight into the past of Buddle's ex-wife Mel Ter Wisscha, who worked as a promotional model for racy restaurant chain Hooters and was pictured smiling at a red carpet event alongside celebrities.

She was pictured at the premiere of Will Ferrell's Talladega Nights in Sydney in 2006, posing with Hollywood megastar Chris Hemsworth and Australian Olympic legend Kieren Perkins.

Ms Ter Wisscha, who has two children with Buddle, admitted last month the pair split up more than a year ago, and said she had not seen Buddle in 12 months.

Buddle's estranged wife Mel Ter Wisscha (right) smiles with Chris Hemsworth at the premiere of Taladega Nights in Sydney in 2006

Buddle was walked into the station backwards, surrounded by at least five Australian Federal Police officers

A video released by AFP showed the measures police are taking to prevent Buddle being killed or busted out of custody as he arrived at a Darwin police station in an unmarked white four-wheel drive.

An officer sitting next to Buddle in the back seat jumped out of before the Comanchero kingpin was ordered to exit and put his hands on top of the vehicle.

While one officer checked his handcuffs, another placed their arm under his armpit and put their hand on his shoulder, to secure Buddle in a hold.

A second officer repeated the procedure on Buddle's other arm, before he was walked backwards into the police station.

At least five officers in face masks could be seen standing around him as he was checked in to the facility, where he was placed in cell to appear in a Darwin court.

Assistant Commissioner Nigel Ryan said Buddle, who was the subject of an Interpol red notice, arrived in Darwin after Turkey made an 'independent decision' to deport him.

'He was escorted by Turkish authorities by charter flight to Darwin where he was taken into AFP custody and arrested,' Assistant Commissioner Ryan told reporters at a press conference.

'The AFP was well placed to respond to his return due to the progress of an ongoing AFP investigation and the AFPs strong global law and enforcement intelligence networks.'

During his court appearance, the AFP will apply to have him extradited to Victoria, where he is facing two charges - one count of importing and another of conspiracy to import a commercial quantity of a border controlled drug.

Each offence carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.

Security in Victoria is again expected to be tight until Buddle can safely appear before the court.

The AFP will allege that Operation Ironside South-Britannic linked Buddle to a criminal syndicate operating out of Asia and Europe, which used dedicated encrypted communications to coordinate the shipment of the cocaine from Hong Kong to Melbourne via Sydney.

Five people were arrested in Australia in May 2021 under the same operation.

Buddle became leader of the infamous Comanchero motorcycle gang back in 2009

Federal police allege that in mid-2021, Buddle was identified as the sender of encrypted communications about the alleged cocaine import, leading the AFP to launch Operation Gain-Orion to target his activities.

In October, the AFP worked with with federal prosecutors to seek a warrant for Buddle's arrest, with a full brief of evidence submitted in January this year.

A Melbourne Magistrates Court issued an arrest warrant in relation to the alleged cocaine importation in mid-July, with an Interpol Red Notice put out days later.

Assistant Commissioner Ryan said Buddle had been a target of Operation Gain-Orion since March 2021.

'This is the first time the AFP has publicly revealed the existence of this taskforce, which targets Australias biggest organised crime threats offshore, disrupts their criminal activities and ultimately ensures these alleged criminals face prosecution,' he said.

'Operation Gain harnesses the AFPs extensive international network, sophisticated capabilities, and Australian law enforcement partners, such as the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission.'

Mark Buddle pictured with his former wife and the mother of his two kids Mel Ter Wisscha

Assistant Commissioner Ryan said the AFP had strong global partnerships and recently hosted Turkish authorities in Canberra, where crucial intelligence was shared between agencies.

'Australians who think they can hide offshore in perceived safe havens peddling drugs into Australian communities, destroying lives and making huge profits  take this as a warning  the AFP will be relentless in our pursuit to ensure you face justice.'

Mel Ter Misscha (right) smiles alongside a colleague at the red carpet event for Will Ferrell comedy Taladega Nights

Meanwhile, the images of Ms Ter Wisscha from 2006 show her wearing the iconic Hooters outfit, posing for pictures with A-list celebrities attending the screening of the 2006 Ferrell film.

Buddle's former wife and a group of other promo models smile for pictures with each other and those in attendance, which included Thor star Hemsworth and Olympic swimming champion Perkins.

Daily Mail Australia contacted Ms Ter Wisscha for a comment on the images and her former husband's arrest.

Ms Ter Wisscha spent three days in an immigration detention centre outside Istanbul in Turkey last week after more than a dozen police officers stopped her as she tried to leave a resort in Bodrum, where she had been living.

It is believed that her former links to Comanchero boss Buddle are related her capture.

A source close to Ms Ter Wisscha told the Daily Telegraph their relationship was over and that she was 'very upset' at being detained.

Ms Ter Wisscha (left) smiles alongside Australian Olympic legend Kieren Perkins at the Taladega Nights premiere in 2006

Mel Ter Wisscha posted this photo from a daybed resort in Bodrum Turkey after Buddle's arrest

'She was leaving a hotel in Bodrum and about 15 police pulled her over and began going through all her stuff, and checking passports,' the source said.

'They made her sign something in Turkish, even though she couldn't understand it, but she's not under arrest - she kept asking them 'am I under arrest' and they said no.

'Basically they've said to her that she's a risk because of her husband. She told them they aren't together and haven't seen each other in a year, but they took her to a police station and then to an immigration centre.

'She's very upset and very confused.'

After being questioned, Ms Ter Wisscha was then taken to a detention centre in south-western Turkey. The centre is secured by armed guards around the perimeter and holds adult men and women, children and disabled people. It has a capacity for 88 detainees.

Senior government sources said they were aware she had been detained and she said she had been deemed a foreigner who was inconvenient for public order or security.

The newly appointed national president of the Comanchero is Sydneysider Allan Meehan (right), who was mentored by Buddle (left)

Her family are said to have been using visits of 15 minutes a day to support her and to drop off fresh clothes.

Sources also revealed Buddle married a woman called Ozge, a few months after he arrived in Northern Cyprus.

According to the sources, Buddle's marriage to the woman - one of his former employees - is 'fake' and the pair were living together at one of his three properties in the Iskele area of Kyrenia, also known as Girne, where he was arrested.

Assistant Commissioner Ryan said Ozge was being detained in Turkey by local authorities, for a matter separate to the AFP investigation.

Buddle became leader of the infamous Comanchero gang in 2009 after the former leader, Mahmoud 'Mick' Hawi, was jailed for a fatal brawl at Sydney Airport.

He left Australia for Dubai in 2016 with his glamorous partner Ms Ter Wisscha and their two children.

A motorcade follows the coffin of Rebels bikie Nick Martin to Pinnaroo Cemetery in Perth in 2020

The AFP alleges Buddle moved overseas to avoid the scrutiny of Australian law enforcement.

Buddle then flitted between a range of countries including Greece, Turkey and Iraq before settling in the self-declared Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus where he received a residency permit on the grounds his 'high income' would bring wealth to the territory.

Australian authorities had been working tirelessly behind the scenes to extradite Buddle from Turkey.

The development comes after a tumultuous few weeks in Europe for Buddle after he was last month held at gun point and arrested in Turkey on visa violations.

After initially receiving a residency permit, authorities later ruled that the his presence was 'inconvenient in terms of public peace and security'.

That led to a top-secret mission involving the National Turkish Coast Guard Command, local police and Interpol agents raiding his alleged hideout.
Kristin Smart's former roommate claimed police didn't take her seriously when she reported the 19-year-old missing twice before police finally filed an official report.

Testifying in the 1996 murder case of her fellow CalPoly student on Monday, Crystal Teschendorf said she became concerned about her roommate after she left to go partying on May 24.

Teschendorf said she and several other residents in the dorm contacted police two days after Smart failed to return to her room, and then, again, two days later when she didn't show up for class, KSBY reported.

'We had talked about possible scenarios of why she would not have come back to the dorms,' Teschendorf said of the concerned students. 'We kind of thought it was unusual.'

She claimed police didn't take her concerns seriously at first, but following the second call on the fourth day of Smart's disappearance, police filed a missing persons report.

Smart was declared dead in 2002, but her body has never been found as Paul Flores, 45, and his father Ruben Flores, 81, stand trial for her murder.

Crystal Teschendorf (pictured), Kristin Smart's former roommate, said she and other students called police twice about Smart's disappearance on May 24, 1996

Teschendorf said police did not take her concerns seriously as they only filed a missing persons report after the students' second round of calls, four days after Smart disappeared

Paul Flores, now 45 (left), is charged with murder in the commission of a rape or attempted rape. His father, Ruben Flores, now 81 (right), is charged with accessory after the fact

Smart was last seen walking back to her dorm by fellow student Paul who is facing murder charges as prosecutors claimed her raped or attempted to rape the 19-year-old.

His father Ruben is charged with being an accessory to the alleged murder. The pair are accused of burying Kristin under the decking of their home after Paul allegedly killed Smart.

Testifying about her last interaction with Smart, Teschendorf said her roommate appeared to be in a 'good mood' as they parted ways on Friday, May 24.

When Teschendorf returned to their room, she noticed that Smart's keys and personal belongings that she normally took everywhere were still in the room, untouched, and her roommate was nowhere to be found.

Teschendorf said it was odd because although they weren't particularly close, Smart would usually tell her if she was going to spend the night out of their dorm.

Teschendorf said she and the other girls in the dorm grew uneasy when none of them heard from Smart as they decided to make their first call to police on Sunday, May 26.

When cross-examined by Paul's defense attorney, Robert Sanger, Teschendorf added that neither she nor Smart had been drinking alcohol when they were together before her disappearance.

Along with Teschendorf's testimony, the court also heard from James Camp, an investigator for the District Attorney's Office, who detailed the events of a party that Smart and Paul attended on the night she went missing.

Also testifying was Steven Flemming, a fellow CalPoly freshman who was friends with Smart.

Flemming said that many girls in his dorm building complained about Paul, saying he 'made them nervous,' and recalled an incident where Flores was inside Smart's room as she was sitting at her desk.

'Kristin was very uncomfortable she did not want him in there,' Fleming testified.

Pictured: Kristin Smart's room, where all her belongings were left in place after she went missing. A friend claimed he once saw Paul Flores bothering Smart in the room

A fellow CalPoly freshman who was friends with Smart claimed Flores (pictured in court in July) made many girls at the dorm nervous

Pictured: A sign asking for information on Smart. The YourOwnBackYardPodcast's coverage of her case reignited an investigation and helped bring charges against the Floreses

Smart's family said they were left heartbroken over the 19-year-olds disappearance

Both father and son have pleaded not guilty in the case. There will be two juries deciding two verdicts: One for Paul Flores and one for Ruben Flores. The trial is expected to last until October.

Prosecutors say Paul killed the 19-year-old during an attempted rape on May 25, 1996 in his dorm room at CalPoly.

His father allegedly helped bury the slain student behind his home in the nearby community of Arroyo Grande and later dug up the remains, moving them.

Smart's remains have never been found and the mystery of how she vanished from the scenic campus tucked against a verdant coastal mountain range is likely to be central to the trial.

Behind lattice work beneath the deck of his large house on a dead end street off Tally Ho Road, archaeologists working for police in March 2021 found a soil disturbance about the size of a casket and the presence of human blood, prosecutors said.

The blood was too degraded to extract a DNA sample. While a blood expert said it was human blood, the test used did not rule out the possibility it was from a ferret or ape, though court records said no remains of such an animal were found there.

Paul and Kristin were both freshmen at Cal Poly in 1996 when she vanished. He was staying in Santa Maria Hall and she was in Muir Hall, which are 0.2miles apart - a four minute walk

Paul Flores, 45, was arrested in April 2021 for Smart's murder

In February 2020, police executed a search warrant at Paul's San Pedro, California, home, and seized electronic devices containing homemade videos and rape porn, prosecutors say

Attorney James Murphy Jr., who has sued the father and son on behalf of Smart's parents, scoffed at the idea that it was anything other than human blood.

'The size of the area in which the blood was found would make it a prehistoric ferret that would be in Jurassic Park,' Murphy said. 'When was the last time you drove down Tally Ho Road in Arroyo Grande and saw a primate?'

The lawsuit Murphy filed against Ruben alleged that 'under cover of darkness,' the father and unnamed accomplices moved the body four days after investigators searched his house in February 2020.

Investigators didn't conduct their dig beneath the deck until more than a year later.

Paul had long been considered a suspect in the killing, but prosecutors only arrested him and his father in 2021 after the investigation was revived.

San Luis Obispo Sheriff Ian Parkinson acknowledged missteps by detectives over the years and he credited a popular podcast about Smart's disappearance called 'Your Own Backyard' for helping unearth new information and inspiring witnesses to speak with investigators.
Anthony Albanese has been roasted in Parliament for the five things he was 'caught not knowing' in the past four months.

The prime minister was hit with a rhetorical zinger from deputy Liberal Party leader Sussan Ley about his gaffes during question time on Wednesday.

'In the last four months alone, you were caught not knowing the cash rate, not knowing the unemployment rate, not knowing that Australia's borders were open, not knowing your own NDIS policy, and prioritising the CFMEU over women's safety on work sites,' she began.

'Now that you have been caught, giving families false hope about a $275 cut to their power bill, why wont you confess and apologise to struggling Australians?'

Ms Ley originally claimed the PM was caught 'not knowing how to keep women safe on worksites' but was told to rephrase her question under Parliament rules.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has been roasted in Parliament for the five things he was 'caught not knowing' in the past four months

Mr Albanese, as he often does when asked about his $275 power bills cut plan, ignored the question and stuck the boot into the Coalition.

'There is one day in particular that sticks in my mind over the last four months. It's the 21st of May,' he said, referring to his election victory.

The PM used the four months part of the question to rattle off what he'd done since getting elected, calling his government one 'that actually governs, as opposed to just engages in sheep tawdry politics every day'.

Ms Ley interjected to complain about 'all this shouting in a family-friendly Parliament', and Mr Albanese gloated 'Ive had worse four months'.

The opposition has on many occasions since Parliament resumed last Tuesday asked Mr Albanese about Labor's $275 policy, and he has never given a straight answer.

He was asked in question time both on Monday and Tuesday this week, and on both occasions pivoted to either restating his climate change plan or bashing the opposition - or both.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton opened Monday's question time berating the PM for 'dumping his promise to cut power prices for Australian families by $275'

'Can the prime minister cut the hubris and tell Australian families whether power prices will be higher or lower when they get their next bill?' he said.

Later in the session, Ted O'Brien pointed out that the $275 pledge was still on the Labor Party's official website.

'Will the prime minister please tell us why he's giving false hope to Australians, who are already struggling with their cost of living, that they're going to get a cut in their power bills?' he said.

Mr Albanese was hit with a rhetorical zinger from deputy Liberal Party leader Sussan Ley (pictured) about his gaffes during question time on Wednesday.

Mr Dutton followed up on this with the first question on Tuesday, asking if the $275 cut was still government policy.

Ms Ley later that day asked: 'Prime minister, given you've dumped your promise to cut power bills by $275, will you fess up and correct your mistake?'

The opposition leader had another go on Wednesday, pointing out that he made the promise 15 times during the campaign and zero since polling day.

'You said, and I quote, it is the job of the prime minister to deal with the challenges that Australia faces and not to constantly just blame someone else,' he said.

'Will you be honest with the Australian people and tell them whether they will be getting the $275 cut that you promised them?'

On all those occasions, Mr Albanese did not directly address the question, other than to confirm that it was still his policy.

His answered insisted that renewable energy was cheaper than coal and gas, and therefore power bills would go down when his government increased the proportion of Australian electricity generated using it.

The PM said the $275 figure was based on modelling by energy research firm RepuTex on what would happen after his policy was implemented.

'This isn't a difficult concept renewables are cheaper; if you have cheaper energy inputs, you get cheaper prices,' he said on Tuesday.

'RepuTex modelled the impact of Labor's plan on rewiring the nation, our plan on other elements of the grid.'

However, in June Mr Bowen admitted the modelling that produced the $275 figure was already out of date and couldn't be relied upon.

He blamed recently revealed delays to the Snowy 2.0 hydro-electric dam in NSW and power price increases of up to 18.3 per cent on the east coast.

Ms Ley's first two points referred to an infamous press conference on April 11 where he almost derailed his election campaign in its first week.

The Labor leader was asked if he knew what the cash rate was but dodged the question by saying: 'We can do the old Q and A over 50 different figures'.

He was later asked what the national unemployment rate is. He tried to guess but got it wrong.

'The national unemployment rate at the moment is... I think it's 5.4... sorry. I'm not sure what it is,' he said.

The unemployment rate was four per cent at the time, the lowest since 2008.

This disastrous press conference dominated headlines for the whole week and made the first week of the campaign a writeoff, but he rebounded and won the election.

A week later Mr Albanese made another gaffe when he said Australia's borders were still closed due to Covid, when they had opened two months earlier.

Mr Albanese mistakenly said on ABC News that the closed border was helping to keep unemployment down to four per cent.

Host Lisa Millar asked him: 'Two days before an election campaign, though, and an unemployment rate sitting so low will surely give the government a boost for their argument about how they run the economy?'

The Labor leader replied: 'Our borders are closed, Lisa. Our borders are closed. People are doing it tough.

Mr Albanese clarified in a press conference hours later that he meant to say the borders were closed.

'The borders were closed. The borders were closed,' he said.

'And I was asked a question about skills shortages, and one of things that business say is that they were impacted by the fact that the borders were closed.

Three weeks out from the election, Mr Albanese had another disastrous press conference where he had to be handed a cheat sheet by an adviser about his own policy.

The PM was asked about his six-point plan for the National Disability Insurance Scheme on May 3 when he was lost for words.

He could only say 'we will put people a the centre of the NDIS' before one reporter shouted: 'You do not know your own policy, Mr Albanese'.

After a few more questions on different topics, Mr Albanese went off camera and journalists saw an advisor hand him a document.

Reporters immediately accused the Labor leader of being handed the NDIS policy document which detailed the plan.

'You've just been handed a policy document,' one journalist said.

'Is that the six point plan there,' another asked.

'That's not right,' Mr Albanese said with a wry smile as he shuffled his papers. He then read out the six point plan.

Finally, Ms Ley's point about protecting women in the construction industry was one she frequently goes back to - abolishing the building watchdog.

Labor has already defunded the Australian Building and Construction Commission and will legislate to dismantle it in coming weeks - which the Coalition bitterly opposes.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton even went so far as to accuse Mr Albanese of condoning the harassment and assault of women on building sites.

'So when you see the next report from a building site of a female stop and go member who's just there to do her job being abused by some bikie or some member of the CFMEU, know that it is sanctioned by this prime minister,' he said last week.

'Know that the next act of assault of assault or unlawful conduct on a building site that results in a worker being injured, is the result of this PM.'

Mr Dutton on several occasions likened Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union officials to thugs who regularly committed crimes and had bikie friends.

However, Employment Minister Tony Burke pointed out in reply that investigating such matters was outside the ABCC's jurisdiction.
Anthony Albanese has refused to apologise after Labor scrapped its election promise to cut power bills by $275 by 2025.

The Prime Minister promised the cut during the election campaign, insisting that cheaper renewable energy would bring down prices.

But just six weeks into his term in office, Energy Minister Chris Bowen was forced to admit the figure would not be achievable amid a big spike in power prices.

Anthony Albanese (pictured today) has refused to apologise after Labor scrapped its election promise to cut power bills by $275 by 2025

In Question Time in Parliament on Wednesday, Opposition leader Peter Dutton blasted Mr Albanese over his broken promise.

'Before becoming Prime Minister you repeated your promise to cut electricity bills by $275 on no less than 15 occasions. After becoming prime minister, you have not mentioned it once,' he said.

'You said, and I quote, it is the job of the Prime Minister deal with the challenges that Australia faces and not to constantly just blame someone else.

'Will you be honest with the Australian people and tell them whether they will be getting the $275 cut that you promised them?'

Mr Albanese largely dodged the question, instead boasting about securing the passage of a bill to legislate a 43 per cent emissions reductions target with support from the Greens.

'Today we have another step closer to delivering our mandate,' he declared.

Mr Albanese insisted his energy policy would create 640,000 new jobs with five out of every six of them in regional Australia.

He said the the renewable sector would make up 82 per cent of the National Electricity Market by 2030 and Australia would reach net zero emissions by 2050.

The Prime Minister had promised the cut during the election campaign, insisting that cheaper renewable energy would bring down prices

Mr Albanese then attacked shadow treasurer Angus Taylor for also missing electricity price promises after failing to deliver on a pledge to cut prices by 25 per cent in the build up to the 2019 election.

He also attacked the Coalition for moving towards nuclear power after Mr Dutton launched a policy review into it.

'And now that they have come up with opposition to the cheapest form of energy, renewables, they come up with the most expensive solutions. Nuclear power, nuclear power,' he said.

Deputy Liberal Leader Sussan Ley also took Mr Albanese to task over the broken $275 promise, asking: 'Why won't you confess and apologise to struggling Australians?'

But again the Prime Minister dodged the question.

Labor's modelling ahead of the election predicted bills would come down by $378 by 2030 as the government invested in more renewable energy which is cheaper than power produced by burning fossil fuels.

During the election campaign Mr Albanese said his climate change policies would save families $275 a year by 2025.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton addresses Coalition Members and Senators during a Coalition party room meeting on Tuesday

In June Mr Bowen admitted the modelling which produced the $275 figure is already out of date and can't be relied upon.

He blamed recently revealed delays to the Snowy 2.0 hydro-electric dam in NSW and power price increases of up to 18.3 per cent on the east coast.

Asked if he still stood by Labor's $275 figure, which was modelled by private firm RepuTex and revealed in December, Mr Bowen said: 'Of course figures will move around.

'Since the modelling was done we've seen Snowy 2.0 running late, we've seen the default market offer going up.'

Coal and gas prices soared amid an early onset of winter and Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Earlier on Wednesday Greens leader Adam Bandt has revealed his party will support Labor's climate change bill, meaning it will almost certainly pass parliament.

The government's bill enshrines an emissions reduction target of 43 per cent by 2030 and net zero by 2050, and will require the minister of the day to report annually to parliament on the nation's progress.

Negotiations between Mr Bandt and Mr Bowen had been ongoing after the Greens voiced concerns about the bill.

The Greens wanted faster action on climate change, calling for a 2030 emissions reduction target of 75 per cent during the election campaign.

Greens leader Adam Bandt is seen leaving Kensington Primary school with his partner after voting on Federal Election day

Labor needs the support of all 12 Greens senators plus one crossbencher in order for the bill to pass the upper house.

Independent David Pocock, former Wallabies captain, has indicated he will support the bill, meaning it will now almost certainly pass the senate.

Mr Albanese said he was 'very confident' the bill would pass, and urged the Coalition to also back it.

'This is an opportunity for the whole of the parliament to be on the right side of history,' he said.
A popular kebab shop has been vindicated after its early morning opening hours were reinstated so it can serve food to late-night partygoers.

Woollahra Council had barred the Indian Home Diner from serving after midnight on Fridays and Saturdays in April after saying it was 'not in the 'public interest' for the outlet to stay open.

The Paddington go-to hub had been a drawcard for late-night crowds coming home from the city and had a loyal following in Sydney's eastern suburbs.

After the ban, a swell of supporters from online community Bondi Lines rose up in protest to get their early morning kebabs - the restaurant thanked the Instagram group for their help

The Paddington go-to hub (pictured) has been a drawcard to late-night crowds coming home from the city and has a loyal following in Sydney's eastern suburbs

The small family-run diner (pictured) will continue until 3am on Fridays and Saturdays from this weekend

After the ban, a swell of supporters from online community Bondi Lines rose up in protest to get their early morning kebabs.

Candidates for the federal seat of Wentworth at the time, Dave Sharma and Allegra Spender, also propped up the diner, with Spender calling it a 'national treasure'.

The Indian restaurant celebrated getting back to its 3am closing time after the council back-pedaled on Tuesday night.

An attendant from the Indian Home Diner told Daily Mail Australia: 'We are excited about the decision, not only us, everyone our customers, neighbours.'

On social media, the shop's page said: 'We are a small family-run business and from the very beginning it has always been about bringing great food to good people.

'Never did we imagine we would have such an impact on so many lives or that complete strangers would come together to rally beside us during our challenging times.'

The halal meat and saucy naan food with garlic and butter chicken flavours will continue to comfort weary night goers up to 3am from this weekend onwards.

Liberal councillor Sean Carmichael, who got 4000 signatures on a petition to restore the Indian food to the streets late at night, said a 'well-loved slice of Oxford Street has, for a change, been saved'.

He said there was 'widespread public anger' over the drop in Oxford street night life because of red tape.

The halal meat and saucy naan food with garlic and butter chicken flavours will continue to comfort night goers

'We are excited about the decision, not only us, everyone our customers, neighbours,' a shop attendant said on Wednesday
The return of Chinese car maker Chery to Australia is edging closer with a test vehicle spotted on an Australian road - albeit in disguise.

The manufacturer is set to arrive on Australian shores in late 2023, some seven years after leaving in the wake of an asbestos recall.

The new electric car, the Omoda 5, will be Chery's first new Australian model.

The Omoda 5 prototype was recently spotted driving in Victoria, cladded in heavy camouflage.

The sighting is the first time the car manufacturer has been seen testing right-hand-drive vehicles for Australian sale, on Australian roads.

The Omoda 5, a small SUV sized similarly to the Kia Seltos, will be the first of the Chery fleet to land in Australia with more vehicles - including a range of hybrid and electric cars- set to follow in the coming years.

Chery said it was using Hyundai's Kona Electric model as its main benchmark and claimed its first global electric car will be 'much better' than Australia's second bestselling electric vehicle last year, the MG ZS EV.

Given the price points of its competition - MG ZS EV and Hyundai Kona Electric- Australian buyers are likely expected to fork out between $50,000 to $60,000 drive-away for the Omoda 5 when it arrives.

Production of the car is due to begin in September next year, ahead of first arrivals in Europe and Australia by the end of 2023.

The Omoda 5, a small SUV sized similarly to the Kia Seltos, will be the first of the Chery fleet to land in Australia with more vehicles - including a range of hybrid and electric cars- set to follow in the coming years
A bar has sparked fury after posting a sexist job advert requiring applicants to have 'DD breasts'.

A photo of the ad in the window of Stumpers Bar & Cafe, in the sleepy New Zealand town of Hokitika, was widely condemned when it was posted to social media on Tuesday.

'Wanted: Part-time bar staff. Apply within. Must have double D breasts,' the sign read.

A bar has posted a sexist ad angering some social media users while others confidently planned to apply - even if only as a joke

Stumpers Bar & Cafe, in the sleepy west-coast New Zealand town of Hokitika

The job listing added that applicants needed 'a great smile and a good attitude'.

'Men can apply also,' it added.

The hotel offers 'a hassle-free stay' and says it caters to tourists and families in the town of 2,910 on New Zealand's west coast.

Reactions to the job ad ranged from outrage to amusement - to others who saw it as a challenge.

'It's clearly a joke to get attention. People need to chill,' one man said.

'Surely this is a joke?' a woman posted.

'I can hear the banjos from here,' said one commenter.

A Fremantle craft brewer joined in, offering themselves for the job with a corny joke: 'Im the best candidate bra none.'

One Kiwi woman pointed out the bar missed an opportunity to show some humour and fill a job at the same time.

'See, if it said "must have double D breasts, a great smile and a good attitude, but women can also apply" that could almost be funny. This is just gross.'

The hotel offers 'a hassle-free stay' and says it caters to tourists and families in the sleepy town of 2,910 on New Zealand's wild west coast

'Gross' was the word used most often to describe the ad.

'Is that for real?,' another said.

According to the NZ Human Rights Commission a job ad can only state physical requirements for a job if those characteristics would affect the person's ability to perform the job's essential tasks.

See, if it said "must have double D breasts, a great smile and a good attitude, but women can also apply" that could almost be funny. This is just gross.  Dr Lucy Telfar Barnard  (@LucyTelBar) August 2, 2022

'Perhaps "D" refers to their grade on the respect for women exam?' another person asked on social media.

One mum with young daughters was damning: 'I will assume that "good attitude" means willing to use great smile at all times in response to sexist comments and general groping?'

Some women noted they could apply but would choose not to.

'I'm over-qualified, but wouldn't go near it anyway,' one mum said.

'DD and a bad attitude. I guess I'll stay put,' another responded.

I know a guy who perfectly fits that job description. Bodybuilding is his thing and not only can he make a mean coffee, has a great smile, personality etc etc he would fill out a double d easily  Suzanne Kirkwood (@SuzanneKirkwo17) August 2, 2022

The men's uniform consists of this. pic.twitter.com/BOTMgxY5JH  Brett Cooper (@hellonearthis) August 2, 2022

Several commenters either knew men who filled the brief - or were men who did.

'Do the men have to be double D too? asking for a friend,' one said.

'Ive seen lots of men with DD breasts and a nice smile.'
A businessman and his lover filmed racially taunting an Australian-Asian fishing YouTube identity have claimed they are the real victims in the footage - and deny they're racist because they have 'Asian family members'.

Daily Mail Australia published footage of angler John Lee being subjected to the racial comments by Matthew Brown, who runs MBM Luxury Boat Sales, at the Sydney International Boat Show in Cockle Bay on the weekend.

Matthew Brown (pictured right) runs MBM Luxury Boat Sales. 'I am not a racist', he told Daily Mail Australia

The video shows Mr Lee signing into a stall with a QR code when he is approached by Mr Brown, who grabs his fishing rod and asked: 'What bait are you using?'

After Mr Lee answered 'I don't know', Mr Brown replies: 'Is some ting wong?'

Mr Lee then tells Mr Brown his comment is 'racist'.

Mr Brown replies: 'Aren't you Aussie? Throw a shrimp on the barbie (BBQ) mate.'

The dispute ends with Mr Brown's partner Honni Law dragging him away - before accusing Mr Lee of 'embarrassing himself'.

Mr Lee, shared the footage on his angling YouTube channel JYK Fishing TV on Wednesday.

However, Mr Brown told Daily Mail Australia he was 'not a racist' and said the stoush had been blown out of proportion.

He even claimed that Mr Lee was the 'aggressor' and he and his partner had 'walked away from the situation.'

He pointed to the end of the clip where Mr Lee is heard telling Mr Brown to 'go back' to his own country.

His girlfriend, Honni Law, told Daily Mail Australia there was more to the story than was seen on the footage, and claimed the video 'made me very upset as I'm being portrayed to be a racist person'.

'I know who I am and thats what matters,' she said.

'The video did not show him [Mr Lee] screaming and swearing at me - where I was in fear for my safety as he marched after me, yelling: 'Go back to your own country,' she claimed.

'(It's a) quick way to get some hits on a paid YouTube channel.

'Each to their own, but not at my expense.'

She also explained that she has Chinese, Filipino and Muslim family members 'who I love and cherish'.

'I also sponsor Chinese New Year at casinos, I support and promote the Chinese community, I also sponsor schools and charities internationally in Indonesia, Fiji, Philippines and Thailand.'

Asked for an explanation about the incident, Mr Brown twice insisted he was unavailable

Matthew Brown is pictured with his partner Honni Law. She says she did not give permission for the video to be shared online - something the YouTuber is under no obligation to ask for

Ms Law said she did not give permission for the video to be shared - something the YouTube is under no legal obligation to get as it was filmed in a public place - and has received a barrage of vile comments.

'[I] am concerned about the violent threats I'm receiving and now fear for my life,' she said.

Mr Lee, who is of Korean heritage, told Daily Mail Australia 'unfortunately these kind of incidents happen often'.

'I probably could have handled the situation more calmly, but I lost it when he pinched me as the bloke was somewhat forced to walk off by the lady,' he wrote.

'My intention of this video of the incident after thinking through it thoroughly is to create awareness of casual racism and how often it happens.

'The whole incident did ruin 30 minutes of our day. I hope they [the couple] can learn from this or over time that there is no room for racism.'

Video shows Mr Brown being pushed away by his partner before him and Mr Lee began to argue again

The woman tried to get Mr Lee to stop filming before she apparently complained to security\

John Lee (pictured) was at the Sydney International Boat Show at the weekend when was harassed

Many commenters applauded Mr Lee for calling out the behaviour, with some sharing their own similar experiences.

'This sort of casual racism I've experienced my entire life growing up in Australia,' one man said.

'Thank you for standing up for yourself and calling that racist out! The way that woman treated you, John, and how she defended that racist was disgusting.'

Someone else added: 'Thank you for not taking it and standing up for yourselves.

'It's unfortunate that some think casual racism or racism altogether is still acceptable in today's society.'

The incident occurred close to a stand ran by Eyachts, with a spokesman, Ross Turner, saying: 'Neither Eyachts nor any of our associated companies condone racist or discriminatory behaviour of any time or at any time and it is very disappointing that such casual racism still appears to be prevalent ... Nobody should be subject to any form of abuse or discrimination.'
The United Nations nuclear chief has warned that Europe's largest nuclear power plant in Ukraine 'is completely out of control', raising fears of another Chernobyl disaster.

The International Atomic Energy Agency issued an urgent plea to Russia and Ukraine to quickly allow experts to visit the sprawling Zaporizhia complex to stabilize the situation and avoid a nuclear accident.

Rafael Grossi, director general of the IAEA, said in an interview Tuesday that the situation is getting more perilous every day at the plant in the south-eastern city of Enerhodar, which Russian troops seized in early March, soon after their February 24 invasion of Ukraine.

'Every principle of safety has been violated one way or the other. And we cannot allow that to continue,' he said. 'What is at stake is extremely serious and extremely grave and dangerous.'

Grossi cited many violations of the plant's safety, adding that it is 'in a place where active war is ongoing'.

The physical integrity of the plant hasn't been respected, he said, citing shelling at the beginning of the war when it was taken over and continuing information from Ukraine and Russia accusing each other of attacks at Zaporizhia.

There is 'a paradoxical situation' in which the plant is controlled by Russia, but its Ukrainian staff continues to run its nuclear operations, leading to inevitable moments of friction and alleged violence, he said.

While the IAEA has some contacts with staff, they are 'faulty' and 'patchy,' he said.

The United Nations nuclear chief warned that Europe's largest nuclear power plant in Ukraine 'is completely out of control', raising fears of another Chernobyl. Pictured: Surveillance camera footage shows a flare landing at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant during shelling in Enerhodar, Ukraine March 4 - in the early days of Russia's invasion

Fire-damaged buildings at the Zaporizhzhya nuclear complex are pictured in March after coming under attack by Russian forces during the early stages of the invasion of Ukraine

Grossi said the supply chain of equipment and spare parts has been interrupted, 'so we are not sure the plant is getting all it needs.'

The IAEA also needs to perform very important inspections to ensure that nuclear material is being safeguarded, 'and there is a lot of nuclear material there to be inspected,' he said.

'When you put this together, you have a catalog of things that should never be happening in any nuclear facility,' Grossi said.

'And this is why I have been insisting from day one that we have to be able to go there to perform this safety and security evaluation, to do the repairs and to assist as we already did in Chernobyl.'

On Monday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken accused Moscow of using the plant as a 'military base to fire at Ukrainians, knowing that they can't and won't shoot back because they might accidentally strike a nuclear... reactor or highly radioactive waste in storage.'

'That brings the notion of having a human shield to an entirely different and horrific level,' he said.

The Russian capture of Zaporizhia renewed fears that the largest of Ukraine's 15 nuclear reactors could be damaged, setting off another emergency like the 1986 Chernobyl accident, the world's worst nuclear disaster, which happened about 65 miles north of the capital Kyiv.

Russian forces occupied the heavily contaminated site soon after the invasion but handed control back to the Ukrainians at the end of March.

Grossi visited Chernobyl on April 27 and tweeted that the level of safety was 'like a 'red light' blinking.' But he said Tuesday that the IAEA set up 'an assistance mission' at Chernobyl at that time 'that has been very, very successful so far.'

The IAEA needs to go to Zaporizhia, as it did to Chernobyl, to ascertain the facts of what is actually happening there, to carry out repairs and inspections, and 'to prevent a nuclear accident from happening,' Grossi said.

Rafael Grossi (pictured speaking in May), director general of the IAEA, said in an interview that the situation is getting more perilous every day at the Zaporizhia plant

Zaporizhzhia has six nuclear reactors, making it the largest of its kind in Europe, and accounts for about one quarter of Ukraine's power generation

The IAEA chief said he and his team need protection to get to the plant and the urgent cooperation of Russia and Ukraine.

Each side wants this international mission to go from different sites, which is understandable in light of territorial integrity and political considerations, he said, but there's something more urgent and that is getting the IAEA team to Zaporizhia.

'The IAEA, by its presence, will be a deterrent to any act of violence against this nuclear power plant,' Grossi said.

'So I'm pleading as an international civil servant, as the head of an international organization, I'm pleading to both sides to let this mission proceed.'

His organization has been trying for weeks to send a team to inspect the plant. Ukraine has so far rejected the efforts, which it says would legitimize Russia's occupation of the site in the eyes of the international community.

'Going there is a very complex thing, because it requires the understanding and cooperation of a number of actors,' particularly Moscow and Kyiv, as well as the backing of the United Nations since the plant is in a war zone, Grossi explained.

'I'm trying to put a mission back together to go there as soon as I can.'

Pictured: Zaporizhzhia's six reactors are shown in this 2019 photograph

Grossi was in New York to deliver a keynote speech at Monday's opening of the long-delayed high-level meeting to review the landmark 50-year-old Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty aimed at preventing the spread of nuclear weapons and eventually achieving a nuclear-free world.

In the interview, the IAEA chief also spoke about efforts to revive the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and major powers that the Trump administration abandoned in 2018 and the Biden administration has been working to renew.

Grossi said there is 'an ongoing effort to try to go for yet another meeting or round to explore possibilities to come to an agreement.' He said he heard the meeting 'could be soon.'

Blinken told the NPT review conference on Monday that Iran 'has either been unwilling or unable' to accept a deal to return to the 2015 agreement aimed at reining in its nuclear program.

Grossi said 'there are important differences among the negotiating parties' and important verification issues related to past activities that Iran needs to address. 'It's not impossible, it's complex,' he said.

If the nuclear agreement, known as the JCPOA, is not extended, he said some IAEA inspections will continue. But the JCPOA provides for additional transparency and inspections 'which I deem as extremely important, very necessary, because of the breadth and depth of the nuclear program in Iran,' he said.

CHERNOBYL: A Russian tank is seen in the contaminated Ukrainian city in the early days of the war, and before the northern parts of Ukraine were re-taken by Kyiv's forces

Servicemen of Ukrainian National Guard patrol area near the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine, in Chernobyl, Ukraine April 7, 2022

Pictured: A picture taken during a visit to Melitopol organized by the Russian military shows a woman walking past a Russian military truck in downtown Melitopol, Zaporizhia region, southeastern Ukraine, 14 July 2022

Grossi stressed that cooperating with the IAEA, answering its questions, allowing its inspectors to go wherever they need to be, is essential for Iran to build trust and confidence. 'Promises and good words will not do,' he said.

On another issue, Grossi said last September's deal in which the United States and Britain will provide Australia with nuclear reactors to power its submarines requires an agreement with the IAEA to ensure that the amount of nuclear material in the vessel when it leaves port is there when it returns.

He said Australia hasn't decided what type of vessel it will be getting, so while there have been preparatory talks, substantive talks can't begin.

Because it's a military vessel, Grossi said, 'there are lots of confidential and protection of information measures that need to be embedded into any such agreement, so it's very complex technologically.'
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Dozens of Chinese warplanes entered Taiwan's air defence zone today, shortly after Nancy Pelosi flew out of the country following a diplomatic visit that infuriated Beijing and drew threats of military retaliation.

In total, 27 fighters including 16 Russian-made Su-30 jets crossed into the zone, which prompted defensive measures from Taipei. The incursion comes amidst huge Chinese war games taking place until Sunday, which will surround the island in an effective blockade and cross into Taiwan's territorial waters.

But Taipei's generals have defied the threats, saying today that they are not looking for a fight with China but 'won't shy away from one' either. 'We are resolved to uphold our sovereignty, liberty and democracy' they said in a statement posted alongside a video of fighter jets, submarines, attack helicopters and warships on manoeuvres.

'We fear no threat or challenges. We are not eager for a fight, nor will we shy away from one. We have the capacity and the will to uphold our valued liberty and democracy, and maintain our region's stability,' the generals added.

Meanwhile, the G7 condemned the military drills announced by China around the island, saying in a statement: 'There is no justification to use a visit as pretext for aggressive military activity in the Taiwan Strait.'

Xi Jinping has reacted furiously to Pelosi's visit - the most-senior US politician to go to Taiwan in the last 25 years - which comes weeks before he is due to assume an historic third term as China's leader at the Party Congress.

Matthew Henderson, associate fellow at the Council on Geostrategy, told MailOnline: 'Xi has made so-called 're-unification' with Taiwan his chosen cause and hoped-for legacy as China's greatest leader since Mao.

'It would be as well to assume that in the run-up to the Party Congress, when he intends to secure permanent autocracy, Xi will be willing to take significantly greater risks than [Chinese governments of the past.]'

China has flown 27 fighters including six J-11 jets (pictured today) into Taiwan's air defence zone as Beijing continues to threaten Taipei over its ties with the US

A Xian H-6 Chinese bomber jet takes part in military drills in the skies near Taiwan today, as Beijing puts on an unprecedented show of force after Nancy Pelosi visited the island

China has announced military drills that will take place in these locations around Taiwan between midday Thursday and midday Sunday with the sea and airspace closed - effectively blockading the island. Three of the drills will breach Taiwanese territorial waters, in what Taipei has called a serious breach of international norms. Dozens of Chinese warplanes entered Taiwan's air defence zone today (demonstrated by purple, blue and green arrows on the above map)

A Chinese Type 052C destroyer is pictured taking part in military drills around Taiwan today, that will continue until Sunday and effectively blockade the island

The view from the deck of a Chinese missile destroyer taking part in military drills in the Taiwan Strait today, as Beijing menaces its democratic neighbour

Chinese anti-aircraft forces in its Eastern Theatre - which covers the Taiwan Strait - take part in live-fire exercises overnight in an effort to intimidate Taipei and the US

Anti-aircraft fire streaks into the skies over Fujian, the Chinese province closest to Taiwan, overnight in a show-of-strength intended to intimidate America and the democratic government in Taipei

A Chinese anti-aircraft crew open fire with a mobile gun during live-fire drills that began on Tuesday and will last until Thursday, when even larger sea and air drills begin

A Chinese anti-aircraft battery lines up for live-fire drills taking place in Fujian province - the closest region to Taiwan - as Beijing rattles its sabres over Pelosi's visit to the island

Putin 'will help China if it goes to war over Taiwan', Russian senator says A leading Russian senator has vowed that Vladimir Putin will come to China's aid if it goes to war over Taiwan. But Vladimir Dzhabarov also pleaded for more support from Beijing for the Kremlin's war in Ukraine. 'I see no grounds to refuse to help China,' said the politician who is first deputy chairman of the international committee in Russia's Federation Council, the upper house of parliament. 'But I would like to see a two-way movement with China. 'It means that we should have some benefits from this cooperation.' There is concern in Moscow that Putin's wooing of China has failed to produce better results in support for his war in Ukraine. Close Putin ally Dzhabarov made clear that Russia will ready back China in any conflict over disputed island Taiwan, revelling in an anti-Western alliance. 'I am convinced that in this case China hopes for a certain assistance from Russia,' he said. This was the case 'because it will be difficult for China to confront the United States without Russia's support.' Advertisement

While the risk of immediate conflict around Taiwan is low, Mr Henderson added that 'it would be an error to assume that the Xi regime is able to hold back from disastrous adventurism when it has painted itself into such a corner over the right to 'reunite' with Taiwan, whose people want nothing of the kind and which the liberal world must not allow.'

He continued: 'Xi is already using the whole gamut of coercive state powers- including hostile military activity, to try to erode Taiwanese resolve and that of Taiwan's supporters.

'Xi could bring down the Taiwanese government by blockading the island which depends heavily on imported food and other staples. But confidence and resilience is growing, and Xi will not welcome this.

'We should not rule out the possibility of sudden, devastating missile attacks on the central government that would bring a rapid collapse of resistance. Then the rest of the world could protest and sanction to no avail.

'Xi could, if he felt compelled to do so by threats to his personal authority, authorise such an assault at very little notice indeed. He may be counting in this as an element in his current campaign of bluff and coercive pressures on a global front.

'There is still time for the concerted energies of the free world to make it clear to Xi that his agenda to annexe Taiwan and impose unaccountable totalitarian rule on 23 million citizens of a vibrant democracy will never be allowed to succeed.'

Pelosi met with Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen in Taipei today, where she pledged continued US support for the island's democracy.

'Today the world faces a choice between democracy and autocracy' she said in a short speech during a meeting with Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen.

'America's determination to preserve democracy, here in Taiwan and around the world, remains ironclad.'

Ms Ing-wen added that the island of 23 million would not be cowed.

'Facing deliberately heightened military threats, Taiwan will not back down. We will... continue to hold the line of defence for democracy,' Tsai said at an event with Pelosi in Taipei.

She also thanked the 82-year-old US lawmaker for 'taking concrete actions to show your staunch support for Taiwan at this critical moment'.

Pelosi has now departed Taiwan, and will head to US allies Japan and South Korea next.

China tries to keep Taiwan isolated on the world stage and opposes countries having official exchanges with Taipei.

'Today, our delegation... came to Taiwan to make unequivocally clear we will not abandon our commitment to Taiwan,' she said at the event with Tsai.

In response to China's military drills, the foreign ministers of the The Group of Seven industrialised nations (G7) called on China on to resolve the tensions in a peaceful manner.

'There is no justification to use a visit as pretext for aggressive military activity in the Taiwan Strait. It is normal and routine for legislators from our countries to travel internationally,' the G7 foreign ministers said in a statement released in Germany. They added that China risked increasing tensions and destabilising the region.

Earlier, Pelosi said her group had come 'in friendship to Taiwan' and 'in peace to the region'.

Taiwan views itself as an independent nation separate from mainland China, but Beijing views it as a breakaway province that it has vowed to 'reunify'.

The island is home to the remnants of the Nationalist Party which fought against, and lost, a war to China's Communist Party after the Second World War.

America officially recognised the Communists as legitimate rulers of China in 1979 when they established diplomatic relations with Beijing, which also involved acknowledging that there is only 'one China' and Taiwan is part of it.

However, Congress passed a bill shortly afterwards that compels the US to supply arms to Taiwan to allow it to defend itself in the event it is attacked.

An uneasy truce has held around the island ever since, but tensions have been ramping up since President Xi Jinping said in 2019 that he reserves the right to 'reunify' Taiwan by force, if it is deemed necessary.

Pelosi's visit has prompted the Chinese to raise those tensions even further with military drills, going far beyond the last Taiwan Strait crisis in 1996.

On that occasion, China also held military drills around the strait - but much further from the island than its exercises planned for this week.

Chinese troops fire shoulder-mounted anti-aircraft launchers as part of military drills announced by Beijing yesterday

Beijing says the drills are being conducted in response to Pelosi's visit to Taiwan, which is the first by a House Speaker since Newt Gingrich travelled there in 1997

Chinese troops carry ammunition containers to their positions for live-fire exercises taking place on the mainland, in areas close to the self-governing island of Taiwan

Chinese troops fire anti-aircraft missiles during drills aimed at intimidating Taiwan and its US allies during Pelosi's visit to the island, which began yesterday

Chinese radar operators take part in live-fire drills by anti-aircraft forces in the eastern province of Fujian yesterday

Pelosi departs Taiwan on Wednesday following her flying visit, and will now visit fellow allies Japan and South Korea

Pelosi waves to crowds at Taiwan's main airport as she departs the country Wednesday, following a meeting with the island's president Tsai Ing-wen

China warns of 'criminal punishment' over Pelosi's 'brazen' Taiwan visit China has reacted with fury to US Speaker Nancy Pelosi's controversial trip to Taiwan that has inflamed tensions between the two superpowers. China's foreign minister, Wang Yi, branded the trip a 'complete farce' and repeated the much-used phrase by Chinese diplomacy that 'those who play with fire will perish by it.' Last week Chinese premier Xi Jinping had used the same expression in a phone call to US President Joe Biden. Early on Wednesday, the Chinese foreign ministry slammed Pelosi for 'brazenly' going ahead with the trip that was still unconfirmed as late as Monday, claiming it 'maliciously infringes on China's sovereignty and blatantly engages in political provocations.' 'It proves once again that some US politicians have become 'troublemakers' of China-US relations,' the statement said. China's Taiwan Affairs Office weighed in, threatening 'criminal punishment measures' targeted at 'die hard' Taiwanese supporters of independence. And late Tuesday night, after Pelosi's arrival, the Chinese Deputy Foreign Minister summoned the US Ambassador to China, Nicholas Burns, to protest the visit. Advertisement

None of the drills in '96 crossed Taiwan's territorial waters, and none took place on the eastern side of the island.

This time, three of the planned zones intrude into Taiwan's waters and three are positioned to the island's east - effectively cutting it off from the Pacific.

Taiwan officials said the live fire drills violate United Nations rules, invade Taiwan's territorial space and are a direct challenge to free air and sea navigation.

China's Eastern Theatre Command said a multi-force exercise involving the Navy, Air Force, Rocket Force, Strategic Support Force and Joint Logistics Support Force, took place in the air and sea to the north, southwest and southeast of Taiwan on Wednesday.

Chinese military practiced operations including seal and control, assault at sea and strike on land.

Analysts spoken to by Reuters say it remains unclear if China will fire cruise or ballistic missiles directly over the island, or attempt a blockade for the first time.

Song Zhongping, a Hong Kong-based military commentator, said it appeared the People's Liberation Army wanted to practise blockading the island if it had to in a later war.

'The goal of these exercises, to put it bluntly, is to prepare for the military fight with Taiwan.'

Unusually, the drills were announced with a locator map circulated by the official Xinhua news agency - a factor that for some analysts and scholars shows the need to play to both domestic and foreign audiences.

'We can see China's ambition: to make the Taiwan Strait non-international waters, as well as making the entire area west of the first island chain in the western pacific its sphere of influence,' said a Taiwanese official familiar with its security planning.

If China got what it wanted, the official said, the impact would 'be fatal for the safety and stability of regional countries, as well as for the regional economy.'

Singapore-based security scholar Collin Koh said the Pelosi visit had trapped China between having to show a resolute and sweeping response while avoiding a full-blown conflict.

'Even if they want to avoid that outcome, there are still significant possibilities for an accidental escalation,' said Koh, of the of the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies.

The administration of President Joe Biden said in the run-up to the visit that US policy towards Taiwan remained unchanged.

This means support for its government while diplomatically recognising Beijing over Taipei, and opposing a formal independence declaration by Taiwan or a forceful takeover by China.

A Chinese warship takes part in military exercises around the Taiwan Strait on Wednesday, the second in six days of drills that will effectively blockade the self-governing island in the most-serious threat to its independence in decades

Chinese jets from its Eastern Theatre, which borders Taiwan, are pictured taking off in early-morning drills on Wednesday as Beijing attempts to intimidate its democratic neighbour

Chinese sailors rush to battle stations on board a warship as drills take place in and around the Taiwan Strait as Beijing ramps up tensions over Nancy Pelosi's visit

Dawn breaks over the Taiwan Strait as seen from the side of a Chinese military plane circling above the island as massive exercises take place in a fresh threat to the self-governing territory

Chilling footage shared on Chinese social network Weibo appears to show amphibious tanks on the coast of Fujian along the Taiwan Strait

Further footage shows military equipment on the move in the Chinese city of Xiamen

The drills were announced in response to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visiting the island, becoming the most-senior US politician to do so since 1997

Pelosi stokes China's fury as she slams country for 'standing in the way of Taiwan' Nancy Pelosi has accused China of 'standing in the way' of Taiwan's participation in international affairs and cautioned that America's commitment to preserving democracy 'remains ironclad'. Pelosi also met with Taiwan's female president Tsai Ing-wen - telling her that the controversial visit shows the US 'will not abandon its commitment' to the island. The Democrat specifically called out China, whose leaders warned the trip was pushing Taiwan into a 'disastrous abyss,' by telling reporters: 'They didn't say anything when the men came.' Her remark referred to the surprise one-day visit made by bipartisan congressional delegation in April 2021. The group included Senators Lindsey Graham, Bob Menendez, Richard Burr, Ben Sasse and Rob Portman, as well as Rep. Ronny Jackson. Pelosi criticized Beijing for preventing Taiwan from 'participating and going to certain meetings' but noted the government would 'not stand in the way of people coming to Taiwan.' China furiously condemned the visit as Pelosi hailed self-ruled Taiwan as 'one of the freest societies in the world' in her speech to the parliament in Taipei. Advertisement

While the White House is understood to be opposed to Pelosi's Taiwan stop, its National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said she was entitled to go where she pleased.

After Pelosi touched down Tuesday night in a military aircraft following days of feverish speculation about her plans, Beijing summoned US Ambassador Nicholas Burns.

The Chinese military declared it was on 'high alert' and would 'launch a series of targeted military actions in response' to the visit.

The drills will include 'long-range live ammunition shooting' in the Taiwan Strait, which separates the island from mainland China and straddles vital shipping lanes.

The zone of Chinese exercises will be within 20 kilometres (12 miles) of Taiwan's shoreline at some points, according to coordinates released by the Chinese military.

'Some of the areas of China's drills breach into... (Taiwan's) territorial waters,' defence ministry spokesman Sun Li-fang said at a press conference Wednesday.

'This is an irrational move to challenge the international order.'

Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council, which sets the government's China policies, accused Beijing of 'vicious intimidation' that would 'seriously impact the peace and prosperity of the entire East Asia'.

It added that democratic countries should 'unite and take a solemn stand to punish and deter' Beijing.

Japan, a key US ally in the region, said Wednesday it had expressed concern to China over the exercises, while South Korea called for dialogue to maintain regional peace and stability.

Both countries are on Pelosi's Asia itinerary, following stops in Singapore, Malaysia and Taiwan.

Maps of the drills produced by China show they go far beyond the missile firings in the straits in 1996 when Beijing protested the island's first direct presidential election in what became known as the Third Taiwan Strait Crisis.

Significantly, in the north, east and south, the proposed exercise areas bisect Taiwan's claimed 12 nautical miles of territorial waters - something Taiwanese officials say challenges the international order and amount to a blockade of its sea and air space.

In 1996, the United States navy dispatched two aircraft carriers close to the straits to effectively end the crisis - a move many analysts consider more challenging now given China's military growth, including a vastly more capable missile inventory.

A U.S. Navy official confirmed to Reuters on Tuesday that the 7th Fleet had deployed the USS Ronald Reagan carrier and four other warships, including a guided missile cruiser, in the Philippine Sea east of Taiwan as part of a 'routine deployment'.

The Indo-Pacific Command in Hawaii did not immediately respond to Reuters' questions on the Chinese drills on Wednesday.

Koh said advanced U.S. and Taiwanese reconnaissance aircraft would see the drills as an opportunity to probe Chinese military systems and communications, potentially adding to risks if Chinese planes responded.

Nancy Pelosi speaks alongside Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen in Taipei on Wednesday, during which she said America's commitment to preserving democracy on the island is 'ironclad'

Pro-China demonstrators slam Pelosi during a march in Hong Kong, another autonomous territory where Beijing has begun exerting control thanks to a sweeping anti-democratic security law put in place in 2020

A police officer watches as pro-China demonstrators gather in Hong Kong to oppose Pelosi's visit to Taiwan
Russian Defense Ministry says that 250 foreign mercenaries were slain in a precision missile strike that hit their base. Ukrainians have been recruiting foreign fighters for months, but recent strikes have prevented many from joining.

Mercenaries Take Heavy Casualties in Combat

According to a Telegram post from the ministry, Russian Aerospace Forces deployed high-precision weaponry to annihilate a temporary base of the Ukrainian "foreign legion" near Nikolaev, reported RT.

More than 200 insurgents were slain, along with 20 units of military weaponry. Kyiv's woes were far worse, with 500 Ukrainian nationalist fighters annihilated in Kharkov by the same powerful missiles that attacked them, and even Western equipment was destroyed, noted Mass News.

A week earlier, Moscow reported the deaths of 40 Polish citizens working as mercenaries. They were killed by another rocket attack in their temporary base near Konstantinovka in the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR).

The Russian army asserted a week earlier that it had killed up to 250 foreign mercenaries in the same area with a precision missile strike.

Their International Legion of Territorial Defense of Ukraine includes foreign nationals. The unit was established in late February at the request of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Russian military estimated their number to be about 7,000 last April. Meanwhile, according to an updated estimate released by the Russian Defense Ministry earlier this month, only roughly 2,700 of these forces are in Ukraine.

Read Also: Donald Trump Net Worth 2022: Did Trump Get Richer Since Leaving the US Presidency?

Many were killed in action, and others escaped from fear of Russian forces, complaints about disorganization in the Ukrainian soldiers' ranks, and inadequate supplies.

Despite the foreign fighters' requests for mercy, Moscow has made it plain that they do not enjoy the rights of POWs under the Geneva Convention. If arrested while alive, a trial decision on extended prison terms may be made to avoid a severe sentence.

US Involved in Russia-Ukraine Conflict

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova accused the US of direct involvement in the Ukraine conflict. Based on statements from Vadim Skibitsky, Ukraine's Main Directorate of Intelligence spokesman, the US wants to drag out the conflict.

When interviewed by the Telegraph, Skibitsky did not specify whether US satellites were used to guide the HIMARS to hit civilian targets in Russian-held territory in Ukraine.

However, he stated that the Ukrainian military would inform Washington of the target and determine whether or not to continue the strike. He did, however, disclose that they communicated with Washington before initiating attacks and that Washington has veto power over decision-making.

She noted that no other indication of the US's direct engagement in hostilities on Ukrainian soil had been required since last Tuesday because the US not only arms and trains the Ukrainian military but also shoots the weapons.

Russian spokeswoman stated the US is involved and that Kyiv revealed their military engagement is involved in the attack on civilians in the DPR and LPR.

The Russian Defense Ministry informs the death of 250 foreign mercenaries in Konstantinovka located in the DPR, which a precision missile strike eliminated as part of Moscow's offensive.

Related Article: Two American Prisoners of War Captured in Kharkov Among Foreign Fighters Aligned with Kyiv's Forces

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The mystery of two Saudi sisters found dead in their beds has taken another strange turn with senior police claiming they believe the women planned their own deaths as part of a suicide pact.

Fresh theories emerged on Wednesday about the baffling case of Asra Abdallah Alsehli, 24, and Amaal, 23, who were discovered inside their Canterbury unit in Sydney's south-west in June.

It's believed the women had been dead for up to six weeks before police made the grim discovery of their decomposing bodies.

Bottles of chemicals such as bleach and other substances were found beside their bodies found in separate bedrooms, leading detectives to suspect the pair planned to take their own lives.

Interim toxicology results showed traces of the substances found in the bedrooms inside the women's bodies

'There's no indication of anyone else being in the unit...no forced entry. It really does appear to be a tragic suicide,' a police source told The Daily Telegraph.

Pictured: Amaal Abdullah Alsehli, 23. Her body was found on June 7 in a Canterbury apartment

More extensive testing is needed to determine an exact cause of death.

A NSW Police spokeswoman was unable to comment or confirm the new revelations.

'It will be up to the Coroner to determine the cause of death,' she told Daily Mail Australia.

Two months on from their deaths, police still have very few details about the two sisters who fled Saudi Arabia and arrived in Australia with $5,000 savings five years ago.

This is despite an extensive week-long public appeal and releasing the names and photos of the sisters at the request of the coroner.

It's also been revealed a black BMW coupe seized after the women's bodies were found remains in a police holding yard.

The car is expected to be sold to recover debts owed to the women's landlord after they stopped paying rent ten weeks before their fully clothed but decomposing bodies were found.

A letter sent on behalf of the landlord, exclusively obtained by Daily Mail Australia on Wednesday shows that the sisters racked up a $5,142.86 debt by May 13 - almost a month before their bodies were found, on June 7.

The sisters also owed $26.18 in outstanding water bills.

Their remains were uncovered in separate rooms of their $480-per-week Canterbury apartment by police during the last of three welfare checks.

The first check was conducted in mid-March - around the same time they stopped paying rent - after the property's building manager raised concerns for their wellbeing because food was left out in common areas.

Pictured: Asra Abdullah Alsehli, 24. She and her sister were found dead in Sydney's south-west. She filed an AVO against a 28-year-old man in 2018, which was later withdrawn

A black BMW coupe seized from the Canterbury unit is expected to be sold to repay the women's landlord after they stopped paying rent 10 weeks before their bodies were found

Attending officers said the women appeared fine, and left the unit.

The second check was done between March and June, before their bodies were found during the final visit.

By the time the NSW Civil & Administrative Tribunal scheduled a hearing to address the rental debt on May 13, they were likely dead.

Daily Mail Australia is not suggesting the landlord was in any way responsible for the sisters' deaths.

READ THE EVICTION LETTER: On 13-May-2022 the following orders were made: The Residential Tenancy Agreement is terminated immediately and possession is to be given to the landlord on the date of termination. The order for possession is suspended until 20-May-2022 The tenant shall pay the landlord a daily occupation fee at the rate of $68.57 per day from the day after the date of termination, namely 14-May-2022 until the date vacant possession is given to the landlord. Within 60 days of the date for possession of the premises specified in these orders the landlord may request the relisting of the application to determine the amount of the occupation fee owing. The landlord's agent is to advise the tenant in writing by the delivery of a letter to the premises by 6:00 pm on 13-May-2022 of the orders made today. The tenant is to pay the landlord the sum of $5,169.04 immediately. Failure to pay any instalment in this order by the due date will result in the whole of the balance being payable immediately. The tenant has not appeared before the Tribunal in the hearing [on May 13]. Having regard to the Registrar's statutory declaration concerning notice and listing procedures in the Tribunal's registries, The Tribunal finds that a copy of the Notice of Hearing was sent to the tenant. It has not been returned to the Tribunal. There is nothing to suggest that it was not received by the tenant. The Tribunal is satisfied that the tenant has been served with notice of the hearing today. Advertisement

According to the letter addressed to Amaal from the Tribunal on May 13, the women did not attend the hearing and were subsequently ordered to pay any amount of the total sum 'immediately'.

Their lease was effectively torn up and they were given until May 20 to vacate the property, though it is unclear why the motion wasn't enforced.

For every day they remained at the property after May 14, they were charged an additional $68.57.

It wasn't until June 7 when police arrived to evict them that anyone realised they were dead.

There was no sign of forced entry, no clear signs of injury, and the cause of death remains undetermined - although is being treated as suspicious.

The women, who lived on the corner flat above a burger shop, complained about a man 'acting weird' outside their building in the months before their deaths

Forensic police scoured the unit (pictured) in the wake of the grisly discovery on June 7 - a month after the women died

SYDNEY SAUDI 'MURDER' MYSTERY TIMELINE 2017: Asra Abdullah Alsehli, 24, and Amaal Abdullah Alsehli, 23, are believed to have fled Saudi Arabia. Upon arrival, they made contact with a refugee centre. 2019: Asra took an AVO out against a man, but it was later withdrawn. 2020: They frequently visited a service station around their flat, with locals describing them as 'friendly'. March, 2022: The sisters stopped paying $480/week for their Canterbury unit. Police conducted the first of three welfare checks. In one of the checks, the pair were described as 'timid' and refused to let anyone enter the apartment. They eventually allowed officers to enter, but stayed huddled together in the far corner of the unit. May, 2022: The owner of their unit filed a civil case against Asra on May 13 due to $5,142.86 in outstanding rent. That action was taken before sheriff's officers went to the apartment to serve the women with an eviction notice. June 7, 2022: Officers conducting a welfare check made the grisly discovery. There was no sign of forced entry. Police believe the sisters died in May, but have not been able to determine a cause of death. Advertisement

An employee from the company that manages the building said the women approached them with safety concerns earlier this year.

'They made a report that they saw a man 'acting weird' outside the building - standing between two cars and acting strange,' the worker said.

They explained the women checked their security footage, but it was difficult to determine whether the man had malicious intentions.

'We checked the CCTV and saw there was a man there,' the employee said.

'But that spot is busy. There is a burger shop there and Uber Eats drivers coming and going all the time. He could have been anyone.

'We couldn't determine why he was there, but he didn't look like he was doing anything untoward, so there was no need to chase it up further.'

According to the worker, the women did not say whether they knew the man.

Later in 2021, the sisters told building management they feared someone was tampering with their food deliveries.

However, surveillance cameras again found no evidence to back up their fears.

The building's surveillance was seized by police shortly after the women were discovered and is yet to be returned.

The latest development in the case comes as police backflipped on initial claims the sisters' family had been cooperating with investigators.

NSW Police continually assured media the sisters' family in the Saudi Kingdom were 'cooperating' and 'helping' with the investigation.

But police sources on Sunday alleged that the family blocked detectives from releasing photographs of the women as part of a public appeal to shed light on the baffling case.

Police confirmed to Daily Mail Australia their photos and identities were finally released in consultation with the coroner - not the family - almost two months after their bodies were found.

The coroner has not released the bodies of the sisters to their family, although it is understood they could be buried in Sydney.

It's also been revealed the sisters were both seeking protection from the Australian government as more details about their attempts to build a normal life here emerged.

They had an active claim for asylum in progress with the Department of Home Affairs, it has been confirmed.

A black BMW coupe covered in dust was removed from the garage of the apartment block the day after the women's bodies were found

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.

The sisters only left the Canterbury unit 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.

Detective Inspector Claudia Allcroft insisted 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.

Investigators spent days the apartment building with forensic teams poring over the scene

The landlord said the sisters, who fled Saudi Arabia in 2017, both attended TAFE in Wetherill Park.

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,' their landlord told The Guardian.

At last week's press conference, 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.

'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.'
Dog shelter workers are protesting President Ebrahim Raisi's regime in Iran after authorities allegedly stormed their compound and slaughtered up to 1,700 dogs.

Heart-wrenching footage shared on social media showed one volunteer in floods of tears as she clasped one of the dead hounds in her arms.

'This was the most vulnerable and obedient one,' she cried, before the camera panned to show several canine corpses strewn across the roadside and a nearby valley.

Masih Alinejad, an Iranian journalist who shared the footage, said of the slaughter: 'The ruthless rulers of the Islamic Republic of Iran spare no-one.

'In addition to repressing women, ethnic and religious minorities, LGBTQs, they also annually kill countless stray dogs. Animal rights activists in Iran need your attention.'

The massacre comes with Iranian lawmakers set to pass a bill which would restrict pet ownership without possession of a special permit.

It would also see considerable fines dished out for the 'import, purchase and sale, transportation and keeping' of many common pets, which some parliamentarians believe is a symbol of decadence which could 'replace' healthy family relationships.

Heart-wrenching footage circulating on social media showed one volunteer in floods of tears as she clasped one of the dead hounds in her arms

Masih Alinejad, an Iranian journalist who shared the footage, said of the slaughter: 'The ruthless rulers of the Islamic Republic of Iran spare no-one'

'This was the most vulnerable & obedient one,' the inconsolable volunteer cried, before the camera panned to show several canine corpses strewn across the roadside and a nearby valley

Many parliamentarians in ultraconservative Ebrahim Raisi's regime support a bill which would restrict pet ownership across the board without possession of a special permit determined by committee

The bill, initially proposed in December, pits growing numbers of people with pets against those who consider the practice a symbol of decadence and hold that, under Islamic law, dogs and other animals are unclean.

Authors of the bill condemn the practice of humans living under one roof with domesticated animals as a 'destructive social problem'.

Dogs are a common animal in Iran and have been kept in rural areas for centuries, but more urban dwellers began to develop an affinity for raising pets in the 20th century.

The middle eastern nation was once one of the most tolerant with respect to pets, passing animal welfare laws as early as 1948 and pushing for the development of animal rights.

But the 1979 Islamic Revolution drastically altered daily life for millions of Iranians, and dogs are now held in contempt by ultraconservative lawmakers.

The bill proposed late last year aims to rid Iranian society of the practice of keeping pets.

A man walks dogs in a park in Tehran, Iran, 08 July 2022. Tehran's police chief General Hossein Rahimi announced on 08 July 2022 that entering the parks with dogs will be forbidden and police will consider and deal with it as illegal action

A bill being considered in Iran would ban the keeping 'crocodiles, turtles, snakes, lizards, cats, mice, rabbits, dogs and other unclean animals as well as monkeys' (Iranian dog owner is pictured)

Anti-pet lawmakers say the practice could 'gradually change the Iranian and Islamic way of life' by 'replacing human and family relationships with feelings and emotional relationships towards animals'.

Their proposed law would prohibit 'importing, raising, assisting in the breeding of, breeding, buying or selling, transporting, driving or walking, and keeping in the home wild, exotic, harmful and dangerous animals'.

It lists the animals to be banned as 'crocodiles, turtles, snakes, lizards, cats, mice, rabbits, dogs and other unclean animals as well as monkeys'.

Offenders would risk a fine equivalent to 10 to 30 times the 'minimum monthly working wage' of about 80 and the 'confiscation' of the animal - though it is highly likely the animal would simply be killed.

However, there have already been reports in Iran of police officers making arrests on those walking their dogs or carrying pets in public.

Tehran's police chief General Hossein Rahimi announced on July 8 that entering the parks with dogs will be forbidden and police will consider and deal with it as illegal action.
Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak will face the Tory faithful tonight amid strong signs that the party has already made up its mind who it wants to become its next leader and prime minister.

Ms Truss, the Foreign Secretary, opened up an astonishing 34-point lead in the latest opinion poll of Conservative members who make up the electorate, suggesting Mr Sunak has a mountain to climb.

The survey by YouGov for the Times also pours cold water on the former chancellor's hopes of changing their minds, as he prepares for tonight's third hustings in Cardiff.

More than 80 per cent of those who say they will support his rival insist their minds are already made up and they plan to cast their votes for her as soon as possible.

Just 17 per cent say they might still change their mind while 29 per cent of Mr Sunak's supporters say they might still vote differently.

In another blow, the vote has been hit by a delay after spy chiefs warned that ballots 'could be vulnerable to hackers'.

Originally, Conservative party members were going to be given a postal ballot which had a code with it, individual to each voter.

Afterwards, they could then submit their choice by post or online for the first time- and were able to change their decision later in the contest.

But that is no longer possible because of fears the vote could be manipulated.

Ms Truss, who has for weeks been the favourite to succeed Boris Johnson as prime minister, is supported by 60 per cent of Conservative members.

Just 26 per cent said they were backing former chancellor Mr Sunak, who has been launching a policy blitz in a bid to catch up with his rival.

The Daily Mail has also endorsed Ms Truss for the leadership as 'an authentic standard-bearer for low-tax, small-state Conservatism'.

Ms Truss, the Foreign Secretary, opened up an astonishing 34-point lead in the latest opinion poll of Conservative members who make up the electorate, suggesting Mr Sunak has a mountain to climb.

Liz Truss, who has for weeks been the favourite to succeed Boris Johnson as prime minister, is supported by 60 per cent of Conservative members. Pictured: Liz Truss during her visit to Twelve Oaks Farm in Newton Abbot, Devon, as part of her leadership campaign

Just 26 per cent of Tory members said they were backing former chancellor Mr Sunak (pictured), who has been launching a policy blitz in a bid to catch up with his rival

A poll of Tory members revealed yesterday suggested that Mr Sunak was only five points behind Ms Truss

Tory leadership vote delay as spy chiefs warn ballots 'could be vulnerable to hackers' The Tory leadership vote has been hit by a delay after spy chiefs warned that ballots 'could be vulnerable to hackers'. Originally, Conservative party members were going to be given a postal ballot which had a code with it, individual to each voter. Afterwards, they could then submit their choice by post or online for the first time- and were able to change their decision later in the contest. According to the Telegraph, the chance to change the ballot was scrapped due to National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) advice, after the organisation raised concerns about online hackers changing votes online which could have thrown the process into disarray. Advice from the NCSC was more general and focused on the vulnerabilities of the voting process- there is believed to have been no threat from a hostile state. The new plans mean that each voter will have their unique code deactivated after they have made their candidate choice. Advertisement

A Truss campaign spokeswoman said: 'We have great momentum and Liz's message of economic growth, low taxes and her ability to deliver from day one is resonating with members.

'We are not complacent and will continue to fight for every single vote. Liz is out across the country meeting as many members as possible and showing why she is the candidate who will deliver on our 2019 manifesto promises, unleash the full opportunities of Brexit and unite the Party.'

Tory MP David Davis, who is backing Rishi Sunak in the leadership contest, has played down the significance of recent polls.

Speaking to Sky News he said: 'To be fair to the polls, these are difficult to do - how do you find Tory members? You know we don't publish their names. You ring someone up - ''Are you a Tory member?'', ''Well, I voted Tory so that makes me a Tory member'', ''No, it doesn't''.'

Mr Davis said the poll that does count is the one which comes in after around August 11 when people start sending their ballots in.

He added that the polls which came out on Wednesday were taken before Liz Truss's U-turn on restricting public sector workers' salaries.

'I think the public will come to a view on judgment on that,' he said. 'It's very, very important in this process.'

Miss Truss bolstered her lead despite pledging on Monday night to save 8.8billion by ending the process where civil servants' pay is set nationally.

Her campaign said the introduction of regional pay boards would not only save money, by paying staff in the North or South West less than those in London, but also boost growth in areas where private firms struggle to match state wages.

But the policy was criticised by many who claimed that it would mean a pay cut for millions of public sector workers.

Tees Valley's Tory mayor Ben Houchen said: 'There is simply no way you can do this without a massive pay cut for 5.5million people including nurses, police officers and our armed forces outside London.'

The policy unravelled within a few hours yesterday morning after critics  including many in Miss Truss's own party  warned it would undermine the Tories' drive to 'level up' the country including the areas of the North and Midlands that secured the party's majority at the last election.

Boris Johnson would win re-election if he was allowed to run - poll Boris Johnson would remain in No10 as prime minister if he was allowed to run for Tory leader again, a new poll shows today. Conservative members lashed out at party MPs who forced Mr Johnson to announce he was stepping down last month in a sign of the divisive nature of his leadership. Some 53 per cent of those polled by YouGov for the Times said that the more than 60 ministers who quit to bring down an administration cripple by sleaze has been wrong to act. Those MPs included leadership contender Rishi Sunak, who quit as chancellor, but not Liz Truss, who remains Foreign Secretary. However, the poll also suggested Mr Johnson would beat both of them, were he allowed to run. Some 40 per cent of those surveyed said they would back the current PM if the party altered its rules to allow him to defend his position. A grassroots campaign by some of Mr Johnson's closest allies has pushed for this to happen but there are no plans for the rules to be changed. Advertisement

St Austell and Newquay MP Steve Double said: 'This would be hugely damaging to public services in Cornwall where we already struggle to recruit NHS staff.

'The billions saved would be coming straight out of rural economies. This is levelling down, not up.'

Yesterday Miss Truss's campaign ditched the plan for regional pay boards. A spokesman said: 'Over the last few hours there has been a wilful misrepresentation of our campaign. Current levels of public sector pay will absolutely be maintained. Anything to suggest otherwise is simply wrong.

'Our hard-working frontline staff are the bedrock of society and there will be no proposal taken forward on regional pay boards for civil servants or public sector workers.'

Speaking for the first time about the U-turn, Miss Truss insisted: 'I never had any intention of changing the terms and conditions of teachers and nurses. But what I want to be clear about is I will not be going ahead with the regional pay boards. That is no longer my policy.'

And asked if it had been an error of judgment, she said: 'I'm being absolutely honest, I'm concerned that people were worried  unnecessarily worried  about my policies and therefore I'm being clear that the regional pay boards will not go ahead.'

Conservative former Northern Ireland secretary Brandon Lewis, who is backing Liz Truss, said 'there was never any risk to the pay of the brilliant public sector'.

Asked about the Truss campaign abandoning a flagship policy to slash 8.8 billion from public sector pay outside London, he told Times Radio: 'You do see during leadership campaigns obviously people putting out ideas - we've seen Rishi Sunak's team have put out eight or nine different things that they've changed around.

'The reality of yesterday is, what Liz was outlining was part of a package of dealing with Whitehall waste. We all want to see that dealt with, it's part of a programme of work actually to get the Civil Service - it's grown by about 91,000 just in the last few years, back down to levels where we're using taxpayers' money efficiently and effectively.

'What Liz was looking at yesterday and what the campaign was looking at is what you do in new contracts as people come in, but look, she made it very clear yesterday, we're not taking this forward, this isn't something that's going to happen and we value obviously all of the work - and there was never any risk to the pay of the brilliant public sector who've done so well through the Covid period and the challenges that we've seen over the last couple of years.'

'There is simply no way you can do this without a massive pay cut for 5.5million people including nurses, police officers and our armed forces outside London,' said Tory critic of Liz Truss Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen. Pictured: Rishi Sunak (left) speaks with Tees Valley Mayor, Ben Houchen, during a visit to Teesside Freeport, Teesworks, in Redcar

Mr Sunak's camp had hoped that the hostile reception to Miss Truss's plans and her U-turn would have helped turn the contest in his favour.

But the latest poll shows just 26 per cent backing for the former chancellor, while Miss Truss is 34 points ahead of Mr Sunak.

The Foreign Secretary is more popular among all age groups and regions across the country, with Mr Sunak only coming out on top with Remain voters, last night's YouGov poll revealed.

Conservative members said Miss Truss trounced Mr Sunak on the major issues, with 55 per cent saying she would handle the cost of living situation more effectively, while more than two-thirds backed her defence plans.

Some 74 per cent said she was in touch with ordinary people, which compared to just 11 per cent for Mr Sunak.

The findings suggest Miss Truss's campaign has gained huge momentum in recent weeks.

The previous YouGov poll  in the wake of Penny Mordaunt's elimination from the leadership race  had just an 18-point gap between the final two contenders.

Miss Truss then gained momentum after a series of Cabinet ministers and other big names in the Conservative Party threw their weight behind her.

Her calls for immediate tax cuts have also been well received while Mr Sunak initially rejected similar promises before belatedly saying VAT on energy bills should be removed.
The mother of bankrupt mining executive Ian Stolyar is back in court after a judge found she had been improperly transferred a portfolio of multimillion dollar Sydney homes by her son.

After mining executive Ian Stolyar and his wife Beth Ngoc Nguyen were declared bankrupt by the Federal Court on September 29, 2016, their trustee in bankruptcy Andrew Scott sought to recover any valuable assets, and recoup money owed to creditors.

In June this year, the Federal Court found Faina Stolyar had been holding onto a number of properties and millions of dollars in shares in her son's name which would have to be transferred to the trustee.

A court has found mining executive Ian Stolyar's mother guilty of hiding of $20million worth of her son's assets from a trustee after he was declared bankrupt in 2016 (pictured, Ian Stolyar with his mother Faina Stolyar)

The hidden assets included three coastal Sydney homes worth over $20million in North Bondi, Bondi Beach and Point Piper (pictured, one of the homes)

The judgment from Justice Brigitte Markovic found Ms Stolyar and her company Fanchel Pty Ltd held a $1 million property in North Bondi, a $6.75 million property in Bondi Beach, and a $13 million home in Point Piper on behalf of her son.

The judge also found Ms Stolyar was holding $3.5 million worth of shares in gaming business eBet which would have to be handed over.

Mr Scott has now launched new legal Federal Court proceedings against Ms Stolyar regarding further money allegedly transferred by Ms Nguyen from two tax refunds of around $171,000 and $70,000 in 2016.

Ms Stolyar was found guilty of hiding her son's assets when he was declared bankrupt, including three multi-million Sydney properties (pictured, one of Mr Stolyar's Sydney homes)

Around $165,000 of these refunds were improperly transferred to Ms Stolyar who had since refused to repay the money, the lawsuit claims.

Mr Scott has disputed that $70,000 of this amount was paid to cover rent for another property owned by the family in Rose Bay, and has claimed the transaction was void and should be refunded.
A mother, daughter and son have gone missing along one of Australia's most isolated roads after saying they would spend the night on a stranger's property.

Bonnie Edwards, 70, Eldride Edwards, 41, and Virginia O'Neil, 49, visited Alice Springs for an event on Saturday but have not been seen or heard from since.

It is understood the trio were likely travelling towards Western Australia, possibly back to their home in Halls Creek where Ms Edwards is a local Councillor.

Bonnie Edwards 70, Eldride Edwards, 41, and Virginia O'Neil, 49, have not made contact since travelling from Alice Springs to WA

Bonnie travelled to Alice Springs with her children to participate in a meeting for Indigenous people living in outlying communities.

Her husband Malcolm Edwards, the Shire President of Halls Creek, said the last he heard from the trio was from his daughter on Sunday morning.

'My daughter said they'd met this really nice guy and they were going to stay at his place. We don't know who that is. No idea who that person was,' he told ABC.

Cr Edwards made a report to police on Tuesday after the trio failed to make contact past their travel due date.

'They normally ring and tell us. This is out of character,' he said.

To add to worries, Cr Edwards said his daughter's phone was pinged at a caravan park near Alice Springs at about 2am on Monday.

'We're starting to think it was not Virginia who turned the phone on because if it was her she would have seen all those messages,' he said.

The group are travelling in a red Toyota Hilux with WA registration PH27156 (above), anyone who sees the vehicle is urged to contact police

No financial activity has been reported on any of their accounts.

Police said they are particularly worried for Bonnie as she requires regular medication.

There are no pre-existing health concerns for Mr Edwards and Ms O'Neil.

The group are travelling in a red Toyota Hilux with WA registration PH27156.

Watch Commander Michael Milde said: 'Anyone who has seen the vehicle or knows where the travellers may be is asked to contact police.'
University professors have applied trigger warnings to an 800-year-old religious text because the miracles described could be 'graphic'.

History students at Manchester Metropolitan University will now be alerted to the potentially graphic content in a translation of the Miracles of the Hand of St James - a medieval text that describes the alleged miracles attributed to the mummified hand of St James.

Students set to study the historical text are first told: 'Warning. Some of the miracles can be pretty graphic and may be off-putting to some.'

Staff also flagged 'outdated' language in the 1970s translation from Latin by Professor Brian Kemp which is 'now considered offensive', according to the warning note seen by The Telegraph.

History students at Manchester Metropolitan University will now be alerted to the potentially graphic content in a translation of the Miracles of the Hand of St James - a medieval text that describes the alleged miracles attributed to the mummified hand of St James (pictured)

Students set to study the historical text are first told: 'Warning. Some of the miracles can be pretty graphic and may be off-putting to some'

'Graphic' passages from the religious text 'Graphic and may be off-putting to some' Miracle II (c. 1155) Indeed, her very bowels were stirred up. She had passed some part of the night in this agony, when suddenly the pits of her stomach burst forth and the floodgates of her bowels were opened. Potentially 'offensive' in relation to 'mental and physical health' Miracle XX (Feb, 1173) At Estonie, near Seford, there lived a girl named Ysembela, daughter of John the fisherman... She entered the church and when she had lit her candle the hand of the Lord came upon her and His spirit was troubled within her. She shook her hair about, banged her head and dashed her body against the stone with so little consideration for herself that one might have thought that she wished to destroy herself and extinguish what life was left in her. After about three hours it pleased the Lord to remedy her distress and put an end to her sickness. 'Might be upsetting to some people' Miracle XXI (1154-89) Aquilina, daughter of Reginald de Courtenay and wife of Gilbert Basset, conceived and, after the normal period of pregnancy, came to the point of birth, but had not the strength to give birth. Water of St James was brought to her from Reading and given to her to drink. This forestalled the onset of death and eased the agony of her labour, for immediately the sweetest sleep settled on her agonising torment and flowed over her anguish. Advertisement

Only one manuscript copy of the text survives, which is held in Gloucester Cathedral Library.

One of the passages includes a description of a woman 'swollen with the disease of dropsy' who prays at St James's shrine in Reading Abbey until the 'pit of her stomach burst forth' and the 'floodgates of her bowels were opened'

And another talks of a woman who 'coughed up a great deal of blood' before her foot, with toes at the heel and a heel at the toes, was healed.

Vomiting poison, encounters with demons and a mother losing her child during a difficult birth are all labeled as potentially upsetting for students.

But Professor Frank Furedi from the University of Kent says: 'Young people are invited to feel like patients rather than students.

'Instead of something that is done to entertain or illuminate, they are seen as something traumatising and damaging to mental health.'

The supposed hand of St James the Apostle was brought to England by Queen Matilda and gifted in 1133 to Reading Abbey, where its healing qualities were attested to by the monks in a written miracula or log of miracles.

The hand of St James was hidden and saved during the dissolution of the monasteries, and was recently displayed in Reading.

A Manchester Metropolitan University spokesman said: 'Some of the Miracles can be pretty graphic and may be off putting to some.

'Miracle XXI in particular might be upsetting to some people (it deals with a woman surviving the stillbirth of her child).

'Also, Kemp wrote the article in 1970 and some of the language he uses, in reference to mental and physical health, is now outdated.'

The warning follows similar moves by other universities around the country, including Bristol, UEA and Aberdeen.

Last month, The Open University, which has the greatest number of students of all UK institutions,issued 'trigger' warnings for all but one of the texts studied in its 'English Literature from Shakespeare to Austen' module.

Undergraduates were informed that reading William Shakespeare's Hamlet, Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift, and Jane Austen's Persuasion may trigger feelings of 'distress' and 'trauma'.

Staff also flagged 'outdated' language in the 1970s translation from Latin by Professor Brian Kemp which is 'now considered offensive'. Pictured: Manchester Metropolitan University
Two brothers who chased after, decapitated and threw a dead duck across a RSL car park during a wild and drunken Saturday have copped heavy fines over the shocking act of cruelty which horrified Australia.

Jonathan Christopher Kolster, 24, and Benjamin James Kolster, 27, narrowly escaped jail time when they were sentenced at Moss Vale Local Court this week.

Both men pleaded guilty to behaving in an offensive manner within a public place over the appalling incident outside Mittagong RSL in the NSW Southern Highlands on January 22.

The court heard Ben was filmed by the brothers' associate chasing after a flock of ducks before grabbing a dead one by its neck in a sickening video posted on social media.

Ben handed the Australian wood duck over to his younger brother Jonathan, who ripped off its head with his bare hands.

The self-employed electrician was filmed throwing the duck's body on the ground and appears to play with the animal's head by opening and closing its bill while making quaking noises.

Electrician Jonathan Kolster (pictured) was sentenced this week over the shocking incident

The court heard his brother Ben then picked up the duck's body off the ground and threw it at the group.

They were then refused entry into RSL for being took drunk, The Bowral News reported.

NSW Police obtained footage of the incident at the time and launched a manhunt to find the culprits involved by sharing the brothers' images.

Animal Justice Party NSW MP Mark Pearson called on the community to help police find the men.

'Ultimately this isn't about one animal,' he said.

'This is now a larger story about how Australians don't accept animal cruelty in any form, and how the community wants to see people who intentionally hurt animals feel the full force of the law.'

The harrowing video showed the men chasing the ducks in the car park and grabbing one (pictured)

Following his arrest six days after the incident, Ben told police his motivation for picking up the duck while being filmed by his friend was to make it seem like he caught it.

His brother Jonathan had handed himself into police several days earlier.

He was also charged additional drink driving and speeding offences committed an hour after the duck incident.

The court heard Jonathan was captured on CCTV driving his ute along Colo Rd in Colo Vale 30km/hr over speed limit, veering all over the road and horn blaring.

He lost control on a turn and crashed into a fence, narrowly missing a power pole before the ute engine erupted into flames.

Jonathan fled the scene and later lied to police about his whereabouts by telling them he was 300km away in Mudgee at the time of the incident.

Benjamin James Kolster (left) and Jonathan Christopher Kolster (right) were fined $450 each

He was later charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, negligent driving, not giving particulars to an owner of damaged property and making a false statement.

Magistrate Mark Douglass described the men's behaviour as 'ugly, unnecessary and offensive.'

'Both brothers did act in a way that is wrong,' Magistrate Douglass said.

Ben was fined $450 fine for his involvement in the duck incident, re-sentenced over unrelated a domestic violence breach and placed on a 12 month community corrections order.

Magistrate Douglass acknowledged Jonathan did not have a criminal record but must be punished over 'bizarre, unusual offending.'

Jonathan was also fined $450 over the duck incident.

He was disqualified from driving for six months, put on a nine month good behaviour bond and ordered to complete 60 hours of community service.
A 16-year-old student has been rushed to hospital after he was stabbed in the back outside his school in Sydney's south-west.

Emergency services were called to La Salle Catholic College Bankstown shortly after school finished at around 3.15pm on Wednesday afternoon.

It's understood a group of students were crossing the road when they were confronted by another group of boys who didn't attend the school.

Witnesses told Nine News the group hassled the students for money and when they didn't oblige, the teen was knifed in the back.

Emergency services rushed to La Salle Catholic College Bankstown after a boy was stabbed (pictured a student after the incident)

It's understood a group of students were crossing the road when they were confronted by another group of boys who didn't attend the school

Teachers rushed from classrooms to assist the injured teen and provided first aid until paramedics arrived.

The teen was treated for lacerations to his back and was seen walking to the ambulance assisted by paramedics.

He was taken to hospital in a stable condition.

The students' attackers had fled the scene by the time police arrived.

A crime scene has been established.

Police were seen arriving at the school with evidence bags as an investigation was launched.

Anyone with information or witnessed the incident to come forward and contact Crime Stoppers.
A drag queen who took part in a reading event for children said he has been the target of death threats but the 'intimidation' will not make him quit.

Matt Cavan, better known as Cherrie Ontop, said the backlash he has faced after taking part in a storytime event in Belfast on Sunday has given him even more fire in [his] belly for events like these.

He said he had to get the police involved after he was sent death threats and called a 'paedophile' online.

But Matt vowed to continue reading to children in drag, telling BelfastLive he wants Northern Ireland to be a better society where it is accepted that you can 'wear a dress and still be a boy', something he was 'terrified' to do as a child.

The 33-year-old was taking part in Drag Queen Story Hour UK, which is run by Sab Samuel, who performs as Aida H Dee, and has been the subject of protests in recent weeks.

Matt Cavan was called a paedophile online and received death threats after reading to children in drag at an event on Sunday (pictured)

A group of protesters, organised by Parents Against Grooming, attended Sundays event and held banners which read: Leave those kids alone.

Northern Ireland Justice Minister Naomi Long showed her support for Cherrie Ontop on Twitter, saying people 'hating on drag queens reading stories to kids' have forgotten that pantomime dames have always been men and this was never a problem.

Matt said he has received a massive amount of support and the negative reaction has only convinced him of how important the event is.

Matt has been doing drag for 11 years and he hopes these events will help make society better for young LGBT people in Northern Ireland

He said: I want to make Northern Ireland a better society for young people. A better society that I grew up in where I was terrified that I was gay. I was terrified that I maybe wanted to wear a dress and still be a boy.

The books that I choose are all about acceptance and equality and diversity.

People think that I was trying to brainwash children. I don't really understand that because for me, being a gay person is not a choice, and it is nothing that can be forced upon you.

The Metropolitan Arts Centre in Belfast, which hosted the event, shared the positive feedback that they had received for the event.

One attendee said: Cherrie is a wonderful storyteller and teaches an important message in a way that is easy for children to understand. What a fun way to spend a Sunday!

Another parent added: Absolutely fabulous event. The stories were so lovely, my kids (9, 6) were mesmerised from start to finish, as was I.

The group Parents Against Grooming protested against the event in Belfast. Left: a Tweet advertising Sunday's protest. Right: Former TUV councillor Jolene Bunting holding a sign that read: 'Leave Those Kids Alone!'

Police have been called to other protests outside Drag Queen Story Hour events, which are being held across the UK during the summer holidays. Pictured: Pro LGBT activists confront the far-right Patriotic Alternative group outside an event at Welling Library in London last week

Drag Queen Story Hour UK is touring Britain this summer, with almost 70 events in 20 areas of the UK, including Bristol, Cornwall, Oxfordshire and Portsmouth.

Previous events have also provoked controversy, with a protestor arrested last Thursday amid clashes between opponents and supporters of the tour in Bristol.

Protests of Sundays event in Belfast also saw the police called.

Anti-event protesters claimed it was them who called the PSNI after the force issued the following statement: Officers remain in the area and monitored the protest. No offences were detected, however police subsequently received a report of a hate incident in the area.

The MailOnline reported last week that library staff have been urged to call drag queens 'pantomime dames' in order to confuse protesters and allow Drag Queen Story Hours to go ahead as planned.

Organiser Sab Samuel, 27, said he is determined to continue his library tour and said representation for LGBTQ+ youths is 'saving lives'.
British holidaymakers say their breaks away to a luxury hotel in Greece have been ruined after they were hit by a sickness bug.

Families complained they have been made to stay in their rooms for days at the plush Maritimo Beach Hotel in Sissi after dozens of holidaymakers felt sick and nauseous with vomiting and diarrhoea.

Staff at the four-star seafront hotel - where ambulances have been arriving to take people to hospital and paramedics have been on site treating those affected - told holidaymakers that the problem has been sweeping through the village for some time.

But travel firms EasyJet and Jet2 have continued to send customers to the hotel weeks after the bug was first detected, they claim.

Among those affected is district nurse Wendy Hampton, 44, from Leigh, Greater Manchester and her family.

She told MailOnline: 'After working all through Covid we booked a holiday with Jet2. We arrived on Sunday and ate dinner in the restaurant. By Monday morning we were all vomiting.

'As a nurse I knew it was imperative to isolate. But there is no way of contacting the reception to ask for clean bed linen after it had got sick on it. And I was told to wander into the restaurant to collect food to take back to the room. But that will just cause the bug to spread.'

Families complained they have been made to stay in their rooms for days at the plush Maritimo Beach Hotel in Sissi after dozens of holidaymakers felt sick and nauseous with vomiting and diarrhoea

Among those affected is district nurse Wendy Hampton, 44, from Leigh, Greater Manchester and her family (left to right: Wendy's mother Pauline Mason, 65, daughter Ruby, 14, husband Chris, 51, Wendy, 44, son Ross, 11)

A doctor is pictured arriving at the resort to treat sick holidaymakers suffering vomiting and diarrhoea

She added: 'The Jet2 rep at first denied there was a problem but then claimed that the bug was rife in the whole village. I later found out that ambulances had been taking hotel guests to hospital for the past four weeks.'

Wendy paid 6,330 for a two-week package of flights and accommodation with Jet2 for herself, husband Chris, 51, daughter Ruby, 14, son Ross, 11 and mum Pauline Mason, 65.

Clinical psychologist Dr Tamily Duggan told how her 12-year-old daughter became so dehydrated that she was about to be admitted to hospital before starting to recover.

She told MailOnline: 'Jet2 knew there was a problem at the hotel a good two weeks ago but no one told us about it. We were led like lambs to the slaughter. Like most people, this is our first holiday since before Covid. And to be stuck in your room, or wandering about feeling sick is just awful.

'I had to call the doctor to see our daughter on the second day because she was so ill. She had vomited 14 times in a couple of hours and could hardly stand.

'My husband, daughter and I were all ill within 24 hours of arriving at the hotel. We were stuck in the room for two days with no water and no means of contacting reception.

'When I went down there to report the illness I found a doctor there and seven other families all with the same symptoms.'

Dr Duggan, from Leicester, paid Jet2 2,900 for a 10-day package of flights and half-board accommodation.

Clinical psychologist Dr Tamily Duggan (centre) told how her 12-year-old daughter Aoife (left) became so dehydrated that she was about to be admitted to hospital before starting to recover (husband Huw Duggan right)

An ambulance is pictured parked up outside the Maritimo Beach Hotel

Mum Mel Lawrence, 46, and her family face a further seven nights of misery at the bug infested hotel after arriving on Saturday for an 11-day package with EasyJet.

She told MailOnline: 'Within 24 hours we started getting sick and it got worse throughout the evening. My husband Richard and my son Joseph can't get out of bed they feel so ill.

'We were all looking forward to a holiday after being stuck at home for two years. But we haven't been able to do anything or go out and about.

'What really annoys me is that the hotel and EasyJet knew there was a bug circulating in the hotel but they did nothing to warn anyone about it. Dozens of people have been struck down by it in the short time we have been here. Ambulances have been taking hotel guests to hospital because of it for weeks!'

Mel, from Much Wenlock, Shropshire, paid 2,200 for an 11-day flights from Luton and half-board package for herself, husband Richard, 46, son Joseph, 15, and daughter Rose, 11.

Careworker Amy Rogers from Camelford, Cornwall, claimed EasyJet had been completely unsympathetic.

She told MailOnline: 'I've saved for year for this holiday for my two kids. But everyone around the hotel is getting sick. My son Harry had to be sick in the bin because I was stuck on the toilet.

'EasyJet have shown no compassion. They knew there was a problem but they didn't warn anyone about it.'

Vomit stained bedding is pictured outside at the Maritimo Beach Hotel

The management of the Maritimo Beach Hotel (pictured) declined to comment when contacted by MailOnline

One holidaymaker said: 'What really annoys me is that the hotel and EasyJet knew there was a bug circulating in the hotel but they did nothing to warn anyone about it'

Amy paid Easyjet 1,500 for flights from Bristol and seven-days half-board accommodation for herself, daughter Willow, 11, and son Harry, 9.

EasyJet today claimed they had only just learnt of the outbreak but declined to discuss whether clients would receive compensation.

Spokeswoman Ruth Bishop said: 'We are aware of a small number of reports of sickness at the Maritimo Beach Hotel in Crete.

'Providing safe and enjoyable holidays is our top priority, and our teams are working to gather more details, to investigate these reports.

'We always work closely with our hotel partners to ensure that health, hygiene and comfort levels are maintained in line with industry standards.'

Jet2 told MailOnline they have tried to limit the spread of the illness.

A Jet2 spokesman said: 'Like some other tour operators, we have been made aware that some customers at this hotel have felt unwell.

'Upon learning this, we immediately put several steps in place to limit the spread of any illness, and we have not received notifications of any new cases in the past several days.

'Our teams have continued to provide support to our customers too. It is important to note that there is nothing to suggest that the cause of illness is anything to do with the hotel.

'In fact, we have spoken to a tour operator which has reported cases of illness amongst customers travelling from another country and, although unconfirmed, the cause of illness may have been from a customer feeling unwell in an airport in that country.

'It is likely that the illness is caused by a virus and, as such, the hotel management have implemented additional disinfection procedures to assist in limiting the spread of any virus.'

The management of the Maritimo Beach Hotel declined to comment when contacted by MailOnline.
Amber Heard and Johnny Depp's defamation trial finished in June, but the matter is still making headlines. The current wave of interest stems from previously sealed documents being leaked on social media.

These are papers that Judge Penney Azcarate refused to accept into evidence in the case in which Depp sued ex-wife Amber Heard for defamation for a 2018 op-ed in which she characterized herself as a public figure representing domestic abuse (though she did not name Depp in the piece).

The jury awarded Depp $15 million (albeit it was reduced to $10.35 million according to Virginia law) after concluding that the op-ed defamed him and led him to lose his job, while the jury awarded Heard $2 million after concluding that Johnny Depp was accountable for false accusations made by his lawyer against her. They've both opted to challenge the jury's verdicts.

Over the weekend, about 6,000 pages of documents filed in Johnny Depp and Amber Heard's defamation action were unsealed. The documents disclose information about the former Hollywood marriage that was not allowed to be discussed during the trial. It demonstrates how both parties' legal teams argued over allowable evidence during the discovery period. The following are the most surprising revelations from the released documents.

Johnny Depp's Team Claims Amber Heard Is a Former Escort

According to leaked records, Johnny Depp wanted Amber Heard's background as an exotic dancer and accusations that she was an escort be brought up in court. Amber Heard suggested that some evidence, such as her therapist's notes, might have influenced the trial's decision.

The 'Aquaman' star's counsel said that Depp's attorneys sought to bring up irrelevant personal things such as Amber's brief stint as an exotic dancer years before she met Johnny Depp. According to Deadline, they said the charges that she was an escort were unfounded, inflammatory, irrelevant, and meant to intimidate and denigrate Amber Heard.

The proof of Heard's job as a stripper before making it in Hollywood or rumors that she was an escort early in her career, according to Depp's lawyers, were crucial.

Amber Heard Alleged Johnny Depp of Suffering From Erectile Dysfunction

As per Amber Heard's attorneys, Johnny Depp suffers from erectile difficulties, which may have contributed to his claimed bottle rape of his ex-wife. AmberHeard, 36, claimed at trial that Johnny Depp, 59, had entered her with a Maker's Mark bottle in a drug-fueled rage in Australia in 2015 while filming the fifth 'Pirates of the Caribbean' film.

The 'Aquaman' actress sobbed as she told jurors Depp pulled her across a shattered glass floor, bent her over a bar, and repeatedly put the bottle inside her during a three-day hostage scenario. Elaine Bredehoft, Heard's main attorney, stated in the motion, Depp's erectile dysfunction makes it more likely that Mr. Depp would be upset or disturbed in contacts with Amber Heard, and that he would turn to a bottle, Fox News reported.

Read Also: Will Smith Makes Emotional Public Apology to Chris Rock After Oscars Slap; Fans React

Disturbing Texts with Marilyn Manson

While Depp's close connection with controversial shock musician Marilyn Manson came up frequently throughout the trial, the released records reveal that Depp's lawyers worked hard to keep text exchanges between them confidential, saying that it was an unjust attempt to depict Depp as guilty by association.

However, the now-unsealed March 28 motion revealed additional unsettling messages between Depp and Manson, who is presently suing his ex-girlfriend, actress Evan Rachel Wood, for defamation after she and others accused him of grooming and sexual assault.

Manson messaged Depp in 2016 about a lady called Lindsay, according to excerpts of the messages in the released court records. Manson is presently married to photographer Lindsay Usich.

The newly revealed records show that, while not always successful, Depp's attorneys worked hard to dissuade several of Heard's specialists from testifying. Although Elaine Barkin eventually testified, Depp's lawyers sought the court to prevent her from testifying because she claimed Depp tossed a bottle in her way during a dispute when they were dating in the 1990s.

They also attempted to keep heated messages between Depp and his actor pal Paul Bettany confidential, claiming the two were only joking when they discussed drowning Heard to know whether she was a witch, with Depp suggesting they also burn and mutilate her corpse, according to EW.

Related Article: Amber Heard Refuses To Pay Johnny Depp, Claims She Lost Up to $50 Million Due to Ex-Husband's Defamatory Statements Against Her

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The Archbishop of Canterbury has affirmed the validity of a 1998 church declaration that gay sex is 'incompatible with scripture', while insisting that he wont punish churches who conduct same-sex weddings.

In a speech to more than 650 bishops at the Lambeth Conference, Justin Welby tried to appease conservative bishops who want to insert an anti-gay marriage clause into the gatherings official resolution.

The Global South Fellowship, a group which includes all African Evangelical congregations - some in countries where homosexuality is still illegal - plans to hold an unofficial poll this week reaffirming the language of the 1998 declaration, known as Lambeth 1.10, which asserted that gay marriage is not condoned by the church.

The leader of the global Anglican church also tried to placate those in favour of LGBTQ inclusion by insisting that he does not have the authority to discipline or exclude a church if they conduct or bless same-sex marriages.

Mr Welby faced criticism for his attempt to please both sides, with one prominent Anglican saying he was trying to ride two horses at once, which is impossible.

Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby seemingly tried to placate conservative bishops from the Global South Fellowship by upholding the 1998 declaration that said 'gay sex is a sin'. Pictured: Mr Welby with bishops from around the world at the opening of the 15th Lambeth Conference last week

The conference, which first took place in 1867 and is supposed to convene once a decade, is being held for the first time in 14 years, having been postponed by the pandemic as well as fears of divisions in the church.

As part of the conference delegates were supposed to vote on the so-called Lambeth Calls but it was decided that voting on the resolution could lead to further division.

In the draft calls, published last week, the section on human dignity stated: It is the mind of the Anglican Communion as a whole that same-gender marriage is not permissible.'

The leader of the global Anglican church said he did not have the authority to stop churches from performing or blessing same-sex marriages

Mr Welby clarified his view on Lambeth 1.10 in his speech yesterday, saying: It is the case that the whole of Lambeth 1.10 1998 still exists. This Call does not in any way question the validity of that resolution.'

He said: For the large majority of the Anglican Communion the traditional understanding of marriage is something that is understood, accepted and without question.

For them, to question this teaching is unthinkable, and in many countries would make the church a victim of derision, contempt and even attack.

What is the Global South Fellowship of Anglican Churches? Formerly known as Global South, the Global South Fellowship of Anglican Churches is a worldwide group of approximately 25 orthodox Anglican provinces. The group claims to represent 75% of Anglicans across the globe, in Africa, South America, Asia and Oceania. The group presented a resolution to the Lambeth Conference which asked bishops to reaffirm Resolution 1.10 of the 1998 Lambeth Conference and plans to hold an unofficial poll of bishops this week on the matter. It also wants to see churches which ignore the resolutions sanctioned. Pictured: Anglican primates and bishops during the sixth Global South Conference in 2016 Advertisement

But he accepted that in other countries, questioning updated views on sexuality is unthinkable and for these churches not to change traditional teaching challenges their very existence.

The issue of sexuality is the most contentious in the 12-day meeting, with the archbishops of Nigeria, Rwanda and Uganda boycotting the conference due to what they see as an unwillingness of the communions leaders to take decisive action to affirm traditional teachings on this matter.

The Church of England forbids clergy to carry out same-sex marriages, while the Anglican Church in Wales and Scotland gives blessings to gay and lesbian relationships and the Episcopal Church in the U.S. has allowed same-sex marriage since 2015.

Jayne Ozanne, a campaigner for LGBTQ+ equality within the church, criticised Mr Welbys attempt to reaffirm the churchs traditional stance.

She said on Twitter: Archbishop @JustinWelby is trying to ride two horses at once, which is impossible.

It would be funny if it wasn't for the fact that one of the horses is trying to trample LGBT+ people underfoot!

I feel deeply angry that yet again priority has been given to saving a man-made institution over protecting LGBT+ people's lives.

Let us be clear that Lambeth 1.10 encourages 'conversion therapy'.

It is a stick with which many will continue to be beaten & suffer around the world.

The bishops, from around 165 countries, today visited Lambeth Palace in London for a day focused on the environment.

The Queen, who is Supreme Governor of the Church of England, said in a message to the conference today: It is with great pleasure that I send my warm greetings as you continue your meeting in the fifteenth Lambeth Conference.

As we all emerge from the pandemic, I know that the Conference is taking place at a time of great need for the love of God  both in word and deed.
Liz Truss's leadership campaign appeared to row back on claims that the UK should send weapons to Taiwan today, amid heightened tensions with China.

The Foreign Secretary raised eyebrows in June when she told a parliamentary committee the tiny island nation should be given the means to defend itself from a Communist invasion.

Britain currently has no defence or diplomatic ties with Taipei, which fears military action from an increasingly hostile and territorial Beijing regime.

China last night revealed it plans to surround Taiwan and effectively blockade the island with massive military drills in the most-serious threat to its independence in decades as Beijing escalates tensions over Nancy Pelosi's visit.

But asked today whether the Truss offer of military aid still stood, supporter Brandon Lewis would not commit to it.

The former Northern Ireland Secretary told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'The point Liz was making to the select committee was that we need to be giving the support early where people need it.

'Now, in different cases that will mean different things, it can be moral support, it could be economic support; in Ukraine's case, yes, that was about defensive weapons support.'

China's UK ambassador Zheng Zeguang last night vowed 'severe consequences' if British lawmakers visit Taiwan.

At a press conference he warned Britain not to 'follow the US's footsteps'. Responding to remarks about China by Sunak and Truss, he also urged British politicians to 'be realistic' about the fundamentals of bilateral relations.

Asked today whether the Truss offer of military aid still stood, supporter Brandon Lewis would not commit to it

The Foreign Secretary raised eyebrows in June when she told a parliamentary committee the tiny Island nation should be given the means to defend itself from a Communist invasion.

China is holding six days of military drills around Taiwan that will cross into its territorial waters in what Taipei has called a serious breach of international norms

The drills were announced in response to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visiting the island, becoming the most-senior US politician to do so since 1997

The Truss leadership campaign has previously highlighted her role as Foreign Secretary in helping 'lead the international response to increased Chinese aggression' and 'this will only continue when she becomes prime minister'.

In a BBC debate last week she accused rival Rishi Sunak of pushing for a closer relationship with China as the candidates were asked about foreign affairs.

The ex-chancellor said there was a need to acknowledge that Beijing is a threat to our national security, it is a threat to our economic security and thats why as chancellor I was pleased we could put forward the National Security and Investment Bill.

But the Foreign Secretary challenged his comments, saying: As recently as a month ago you were pushing for closer trade relationships with China.

This is not something youve advocated in government, Im delighted that youve come round to my way of thinking but it has been driven by the Foreign Office - the tougher stance that weve taken on China.

Six days of Chinese military exercises kicked off last night with live-fire drills in and around the Taiwan strait.

But US House of Representatives Speaker Pelosi - who on Tuesday became the most-senior politician to visit Taiwan since 1997, when China was last engaged in sabre-rattling - refused to back down, defiantly telling Beijing that the US 'will not abandon its commitment' as she met with President President Tsai Ing-wen in Taipei.

Officially the UK position has been to seek a 'peaceful resolution' between the countries.

If embarked upon, Ms Truss's plan would probably enrage the Chinese and leave Britain even shorter on military equipment.

Chinese anti-aircraft forces in its Eastern Theatre - which covers the Taiwan Strait - take part in live-fire exercises overnight in an effort to intimidate Taipei and the US

Anti-aircraft fire streaks into the skies over Fujian, the Chinese province closest to Taiwan, overnight in a show-of-strength intended to intimidate America and the democratic government in Taipei

A Chinese anti-aircraft crew open fire with a mobile gun during live-fire drills that began on Tuesday and will last until Thursday, when even larger sea and air drills begin

In June she told the foreign affairs committee: 'There is always a tendency, and we've seen this prior to the Ukraine war, of wishful thinking, to hope more bad things won't happen and to wait until it is too late.

'We should have done things earlier, we should have been supplying defensive weapons into Ukraine earlier. We need to learn that lesson for Taiwan. Every piece of equipment we have sent takes months of training, so the sooner we do it the better.'

China has more warships than the US and more than 2,000 combat aircraft. So it was unclear how the UK could change the balance of military power.

A parliamentary report published earlier this year revealed the Royal Navy cannot fulfil all the Government's existing ambitions  before any consideration is given to handing expensive equipment to the Taiwanese. The Royal Navy has increased its presence in the South China Sea in recent years, with vessels conducting freedom of navigation patrols intended to deter the Chinese.
Police are calling for anyone who missed work, doctors' appointments or 'significant life events' due to a Just Stop Oil M25 protest that brought toe motorway to a standstill to get in touch as they consider prosecuting the eco-campaigners.

Activists blocked three parts of the M25 when they scaled gantries and dropped Just Stop Oil banners just minutes after issuing a statement declaring the orbital motorway 'a site of civil resistance' on July 20.

Specialist climbing officers had to be called in to remove the protesters as drivers became stuck in nine miles of traffic after parts of the motorway were closed for several hours.

The protesters included Louise Lancaster, a 56-year-old former teacher and mother-of-three from Cambridge, who climbed a gantry just north of the Queen Elizabeth Bridge in Thurrock, Essex.

Essex Police today appealed to the 'substantial number of people' affected by the motorway blockade to come forward.

Detective Sergeant Harriet Ware, who is leading the investigation, said: 'We are aware this incident caused a significant amount of disruption to motorists and many people have been significantly inconvenienced by them.

Louise Lancaster, 56, a former teacher and mother-of-three from Cambridge, scaled a gantry in Thurrock just north of the Queen Elizabeth Bridge

Traffic chaos on the M25 as Just Stop Oil protesters blocked three parts of the motorway after scaling overhead gantries

Police at the scene of an empty stretch of the motorway on July 20 after parts of the road had to be closed

A Just Stop Oil banner hanging over the M25 anticlockwise in Surrey, between Cobham and Guildford during the protest

A police van waits as protesters from climate campaign group 'Just Stop Oil' climbed overhead motorway gantries on the M25 between junction 14 and junction 15 - causing both carriageways to be closed

'Our complex investigations are progressing and we would now like to hear from anyone who has not yet spoken to us but believes they have been inconvenienced by the disruption.

'I know a substantial number of people will have been simply delayed by the disruption but specifically I would like to hear from anyone who could not attend medical appointments, could not attend planned work and therefore missed out on payment, missed, or were severely delayed, attending any significant life events.

'Coming forward will help us progress our investigations and help ensure we can keep the countys roads moving freely in future.'

Essex Police says it is continuing to work with the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) on the issue along with other affected forces.

A statement added: 'Officers responded to an incident on the M25 on Wednesday, July 20, when a protester gained access to an overhead gantry near Junction 30 for Thurrock.

'This resulted in the motorway having to be closed and a specialist working at heights team having to be brought to the scene to get the protestor down safely.

'Their actions meant disruption was kept to an absolute minimum for motorists in Essex.

'The arrest has led to an investigation and, like other forces affected, we are continuing to work with the CPS.

The officer speaks to the protestor who climbed overhead motorway gantries on the M25 between junction 14 and junction 15 causing both carriageways to be closed by police

'Our investigations are progressing and we are now asking for anyone who was inconvenienced during these incidents to please come forward and do so.'

A spokesperson added that the appeal was to assist with a criminal investigation into the protests.

Any injunction brought against the protesters would need to be led by Highways England, which has jurisdiction over the motorway.

Protesters also climbed overhead gantries over the M25 at the Poyle Interchange between Junction 14 and Junction 15 near Heathrow Airport, with police having to close the motorway in both directions before a man and two women were arrested.

A similar demonstration took place near Junction 10 between Cobham and Guildford today, too, causing nine miles of traffic and hour-long delays.

It came shortly after Just Stop Oil said it was 'declaring the M25 a site of civil resistance' in response to the UK recording its hottest ever day as temperatures surpassed 40C for the first time ever.

Bus driver Ashley Reid, who takes special needs children aged seven to 10 to a school in Leatherhead by travelling between Junction 12 and 10, was among those caught up in the disruption.

He said his pupils who started at 9.15am were around 90 minutes late for their last day of term as a result of the disruption.

The 40-year-old, from Reigate, added: 'We joined [the motorway] just after 9am and we didn't arrive at school until 10.45am... with their autism [they] found it difficult to understand and stay calm.

'It was really disruptive and I felt so sorry for them... today was their last day before the summer break and they would all be changing classes so they just wanted to get to school and spend time with their teachers and friends.'

Mrs Lancaster pictured during a demonstration outside the Home Office in Marsham Street, Westminster, London in September last year

Former teacher Louise Lancaster and husband Tim, a director of a climate change research group, pictured taking part in an Insulate Britain protest on Southwark Bridge last year

'I am sympathetic to the cause that these people are protesting against; however, they are disrupting a lot of innocent motorists and (in my opinion) will lose more sympathy than they gain.'

At the time, Frank Bird, National Highways senior network planner, described the demonstration as 'extremely dangerous'.

He said: 'We respect peoples right to protest. However, protesting on the strategic road network is extremely dangerous, not just for the protesters but for people using the roads.

'Along with the police and other partners, we are working hard to limit the effects of protests on the strategic road network.'
A leading Russian senator has vowed that Vladimir Putin will come to China's aid if it goes to war over Taiwan.

But Vladimir Dzhabarov, the first deputy chairman of the international committee in Russia's Federation Council, said the Kremlin's backing would be offered on the understanding that Beijing would show support in kind for the war in Ukraine.

'I see no grounds to refuse to help China,' the politician declared.

'But I would like to see a two-way movement with China.

'It means that we should have some benefits from this cooperation.'

Putin and China's president Xi Jinping have seemingly fostered close ties in recent years, but there is concern in Moscow that Beijing has thus far declined to openly support the Kremlin's 'special military operation' launched on February 24.

It comes amid escalating tensions between China and Taiwan after US house speaker Nancy Pelosi made an unannounced diplomatic visit to the self-governing island nation which Beijing claims as its own.

Vladimir Dzhabarov, the first deputy chairman of the international committee in Russia's Federation Council, said the Kremlin's backing would be offered on the understanding that Beijing would show support in kind for the war in Ukraine

Putin and China's president Xi Jinping have seemingly fostered close ties in recent years in what some have dubbed an anti-Western alliance

A handout photo made available by the Taiwan Ministry of Foreign Affairs shows Taiwan Foreign Minister Joseph Wu (R) shaking hands with US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (C), before her departure at the Songshan airport in Taipei, Taiwan, Aug 3

The 69-year-old Dzhabarov, a former FSB officer, was in 2018 awarded the prestigious Alexander Nevsky order 'for services in strengthening Russian statehood'

Close Putin ally Dzhabarov made it clear that Russia is ready to back China in any conflict over disputed island Taiwan - a move which would consolidate its anti-Western alliance.

'I am convinced that in this case China hopes for a certain assistance from Russia... because it will be difficult for China to confront the United States without Russia's support,' he said.

'Sometimes it is a game of chance and a conflict may grow into a big war.

'But I think that China is behaving very cautiously in this sense, in a very restrained manner, while continuing to build up its defence potential,' Dzhabarov concluded.

The 69-year-old Russian lawmaker and former FSB officer was in 2018 awarded the prestigious Alexander Nevsky order 'for services in strengthening Russian statehood', thanks to a presidential decree from Putin.

Dzhabarov made his claim as China strongly condemned Pelosi's visit to Taiwan and launched a massive military exercise that will see air and maritime traffic cut off due to extensive live-fire drills which infringe on Taiwanese waters.

China's foreign minister, Wang Yi, branded the speaker's trip a 'complete farce' and repeated the much-used phrase by Chinese diplomacy that 'those who play with fire will perish by it.'

Last week, Chinese Premier Xi Jinping used the same expression in a phone call to US President Joe Biden.

Early on Wednesday, the Chinese foreign ministry slammed Pelosi for 'brazenly' going ahead with the trip that was still unconfirmed as late as Monday, claiming it 'maliciously infringes on China's sovereignty and blatantly engages in political provocations.'

'It proves once again that some US politicians have become 'troublemakers' of China-US relations,' the statement said.

Nancy Pelosi accused China of 'standing in the way' of Taiwan's participation in international affairs and cautioned that America's commitment to preserving democracy 'remains ironclad.' She is pictured with Taiwanese President President Tsai Ing-wen during a meeting in Taipei on Wednesday

Pelosi spent several minutes talking to officials and workers at the airport before climbing the steps of the jet and waving to the crowd of supporters ahead of her departure from Taipei earlier today

China is holding six days of military drills around Taiwan that will cross into its territorial waters in what Taipei has called a serious breach of international norms

China's Taiwan Affairs Office weighed in, threatening 'criminal punishment measures' targeted at 'die hard' Taiwanese supporters of independence.

Beijing's military exercises meanwhile kicked off Tuesday with live-fire drills in and around the Taiwan strait set to continue until Sunday.

The large-scale drills are taking place in six locations around the country - three of which cross into its territorial waters in what Taipei today called a serious breach of international norms.

Shipping and air traffic will also be closed in those areas in what amounts to a blockade, as experts say Beijing is rehearsing its ability to cut the island off from the outside world in the event of a war.

In a short speech during a meeting with Taiwan's president Tsai Ing-wen this week, Pelosi said: 'Today the world faces a choice between democracy and autocracy.

'America's determination to preserve democracy, here in Taiwan and around the world, remains ironclad.'

Ms Ing-wen added that the island of 23 million would not be cowed.

'Facing deliberately heightened military threats, Taiwan will not back down. We will... continue to hold the line of defence for democracy,' Tsai said.

She also thanked the 82-year-old US lawmaker for 'taking concrete actions to show your staunch support for Taiwan at this critical moment'.
As Beijing has erupted in anguished fury at Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan, the Speaker herself noted that a similar visit from an all-male delegation of US senators earlier this year failed to elicit such a firestorm.

'They made a big fuss because I'm the Speaker, I guess. I don't know if that was a reason or an excuse,' she said during a news conference with the Taiwanese president. 'Because they didn't say anything when the men came.'

Senators Lindsey Graham (R, SC) and Bob Menendez (D, NJ), Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, led a six-member group of US senators on the trip. They traveled on a US Air Force jet, meaning the Biden administration had sanctioned the trip.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian called the April visit 'condescending' and 'irresponsible' at the time - a far cry from the rage and fury and live-fire military exercises that Pelosi's visit has drawn.

Even four months ago, Chinese officials were more concerned about a potential visit from Pelosi than six male senators, with Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi calling the Speaker's planned trip a 'red line' for US-China relations.

A bipartisan group of lawmakers pose for a photo with Taiwan Foreign Minister Joseph Wu after arriving at Taipei Songshan airport in Taipei, Taiwan April 14 - a trip that elicited far less fury than Pelosi's

Even four months ago, Chinese officials were more concerned about a potential visit from Pelosi than six male senators, with Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi calling the speaker's planned trip a 'red line' for US-China relations

Pelosi's visit to Taiwan was met with rage and fury by Beijing, with amphibious tanks lining up on Chinese beaches across the Taiwan Strait and live-fire exercises around the median line that divides the two countries

China is holding six days of military drills around Taiwan that will cross into its territorial waters in what Taipei has called a serious breach of international norms

To compound matters, Pelosi flew to Taipei to meet with Taiwan's first female president, Tsai Ing-wen. The Speaker, who is third in line to the US presidency, said her meeting with Tsai was a moment to take 'pride in women's leadership,' noting that both politicians had smashed the glass ceilings in their respective governments.

But how threatened does the Chinese Communist Party feel by female empowerment?

'The Communist Party aggressively perpetuates traditional gender norms and reduces women to their roles as reproductive tools for the state, dutiful wives, mothers and baby breeders in the home,' Leta Hong Fincher, a Hong Kong-American writer, wrote in the Washington Post.

'The party also is carrying out an unprecedented crackdown on feminist activists because China's all-male rulers seem to think that China's entire security state would collapse were it not for the subjugation of women.'

Since 2015, women's rights in China have been rolled back under Xi Jinping, starting with the arrest of five female activists for 'picking quarrels and provoking trouble' after planning a multi-city protest aimed at bringing an end to sexual harassment on public transport.

While feminism is occasionally viewed as a controversial ideology in Western society, it is little-remarked how comprehensively the central tenets have been integrated into the thinking of the average person in comparison to cultures and societies in Asia.

All forms of activism are viewed as a form of civil disobedience that the CCP cannot afford to tolerate, meaning that progressive ideas such as gender equality are viewed as potentially destabilizing.

Since 2015, women's rights in China have been rolled back under Xi Jinping, who 'aggressively perpetuates traditional gender norms and reduces women to their roles as reproductive tools for the state, dutiful wives, mothers and baby breeders in the home'

'Xi Jinping has often stressed the importance of family values. He says "little family" but he has in mind the 'big family' [the nation],' Xinhua news agency once said, stressing the Chinese leader's reliance on a structure in which men are in charge.

What are sometimes referred to as 'traditional values' by authoritarian states often simply serve to entrench methods of control and repression over society.

Russia recently trumped its own 'traditional values' in a bizarre video extolling the virtues of the country in the name of promoting emigration.

'The gender stereotypes or the historical traditional norms are still there today very much,' Valarie Tan, an analyst at the Mercator Institute for China Studies in Germany, told Al Jazeera.

'I would say even more so under Xi Jinping, the expectation is that women eventually have to get married, they have to take care of the children, grow old and take care of grandchildren,' Tan said.

These top-down attitudes are reflected in wider Chinese society by statistics that see around one in four married Chinese women experiencing domestic abuse, according to a 2013 survey by the All-China Women's Federation.

A UN study from the same year involving 1,000 men in a county in central China found that half of the men interviewed reported using physical or sexual violence against a female partner during a lifetime.

Activists say victims' repeated complaints are often not taken seriously by police until it is too late, with the issue often regarded as a private family matter in the country's conservative culture.

There have also been concerns that a recent change to China's civil code - which introduced a mandatory 30-day 'cooling-off' period for couples wishing to divorce - may make it harder for victims to leave abusive marriages.

The situation is thought to be so bad that the city of Yiwu, in Zhejiang province, in China is even introducing a system that lets people getting married check if their partner has a history of abuse.

Vice Premier Sun Chunlan is the only woman among the men of the 25-person Politburo that runs the giant country

In politics, women made up just 83 of the 938 elite delegates at the most recent National Congress of the CCP in 2017 - an event held every five years, with the next one due in the autumn.

Even then, Vice Premier Sun Chunlan is the only woman among the men of the 25-person Politburo that runs the giant country.

In 70 years of the Chinese Communist Party, there has never been a single woman on the Politburo's elite Standing Committee.

'Why?' asks Hong Fincher. 'I believe that China's all-male rulers have decided that the systematic subjugation of women is essential to maintaining Communist Party survival.'
A Royal Navy sailor accused of groping and kissing a female colleague on HMS Prince of Wales has told a court martial it wasn't sexual because he 'knew she was a lesbian'.

Able Seaman Daniel Goffey, 25, who is accused of forcibly kissing the sailor after a Navy barbecue on the warship, insisted it was 'the kind of thing I would have done with a male colleague'.

The Navy engineer is also accused of sexually assaulting a second female sailor by grabbing her bottom as she stood in a group and again as she climbed a ladder.

But, AB Goffey has denied sexually assaulting either of the sailors and claimed he was acting in a 'gentlemanly way'.

Able Seaman Daniel Goffey (pictured at Bulford Military Court), 25, who is accused of forcibly kissing the sailor after a Navy barbecue on the warship, insisted it was 'the kind of thing I would have done with a male colleague'

The Navy engineer is also accused of sexually assaulting a second female sailor by grabbing her bottom as she stood in a group and again as she climbed a ladder. Pictured: Bulford Military Court

Bulford Military Court, Wiltshire, has heard the alleged attacks happened following an alcohol-fuelled barbecue on the deck of 3.1billion aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales.

The court heard AB Goffey was 'intoxicated' and made his two alleged victims - who can't be named for legal reasons - feel 'very uncomfortable' by squeezing their bottoms.

One sailor said she felt 'trapped' as he put his arm around her, groped her buttocks, and later 'grabbed her face and pecked her all over'.

The other sailor said she felt AB Goffey grab her bottom then tried to get rid of him by going up a ladder - only for him to grab her again as he followed her up it.

Now, giving evidence, AB Goffey has admitted he could be 'very confident' after a few drinks but denied abusing the sailors.

He said he ran out of alcohol and was trying to encourage the sailors to go to another party.

The alleged incidents all happened after an alcohol-fuelled barbecue onboard the 3.1billion HMS Prince of Wales aircraft carrier (pictured in February arriving into Portsmouth Harbour)

AB Goffey said he put his arm around one of them and said 'come on let's go' and had done so in a 'gentlemanly way' to 'usher her away' to the party.

AB Goffey also denied touching the woman's behind while he was following her up a ladder because he would not have been able to balance himself.

He said: 'You have to grab the handrails to go up those ladders.

'Everyone was drunk so you would definitely have needed to grab the handles.'

The engineer also told the court that later on in another mess, he had kissed one of the women on the forehead in a 'friendly way'.

AB Goffey said: 'It was in the spirit of the night, there was nothing sexual about it.

'I knew she was a lesbian. It's the kind of thing I would have done with a male colleague.'

It has been heard that AB Goffey was kicked out of the mess because of his behaviour and beaten by three male sailors - but he claims he does not know why he 'had his head kicked in'.

AB Goffey, now understood to be based at HMS Nelson, in Portsmouth, Hampshire, denies three counts of sexual assault.

The trial continues.
A reveller has been left fighting for his life after a baby bull severed an artery in his leg while goring and trampling him during a Spanish festival.

One onlooker captured the dramatic moment on video, showing that the man had to be dragged to safety with blood gushing down his leg.

A female onlooker could be overheard yelling: 'He's bleeding to death' as he was helped away before a Good Samaritan applied a life-saving tourniquet.

The 47-year-old remained in a serious condition in hospital on Wednesday after being operated on. It was confirmed that his femoral artery had been cut.

Footage of the moment he was gored showed him being tipped off a giant tyre by the animal as he taunted it in a closed arena filled with various obstacles.

WARNING: Contains graphic images and video

A reveller has been left fighting for his life after a baby bull severed an artery in his leg while goring and trampling him during a Spanish festival. Pictured: The man is seen trying to escape the bull on top of a pile of tyres in footage from the festival

He was upended a second time and attacked again as he lay helpless on the ground before being gored for a third time - this time in the upper part of his leg near his groin - as he tried to get back on the tyre with his energy sapped from the initial onslaught but failed to hoist himself up in time.

Other people in the arena with the bull noticed that the man was struggling, and rushed over to help him down off the tyres and away from the animal, with blood gushing from his leg.

At this point, he is shown collapsing to the ground before being carried away.

The drama happened at an annual festival in Pinoso near Alicante on the Costa Blanca, the same place where a 26-year-old man lost his life three years ago during the same festivities.

Pictured: The man can be seen taunting the young bull as it begins to make its approach

Footage of the moment he was gored showed him being tipped off a giant tyre by the animal as he taunted it in a closed arena. The bull did not relent in its attack, and also trampled him

Pictured: The bull is shown trampling on the man and using its horns against him

Pictured: The man is shown being speared into the air by the bull and against the tyres as he tried to get up off the floor, and as other people in the arena watch on

He bled to death on a hospital operating table after being gored in the left thigh and suffering an eight-inch gash in almost identical circumstances to the latest incident.

Pinoso's mayor Lazaro Azorin confirmed the man hurt in the latest goring underwent an emergency operation after his life was saved at the scene thanks to a tourniquet which stemmed the blood heaemorrhage.

He was forced to deny rumours the unnamed reveller, who comes from Yecla in the neighbouring province of Murcia, had died in hospital but admitted his condition was serious.

Baby bulls can do a lot of damage with their horns despite weighing far less than adult animals. They are aged between one and a half and two.

They have been known to break peoples' legs when they charge them.

Last month a reveller cheated death after being mauled by a bull during an annual event in the Costa Blanca resort of Moraira near Benidorm known as the Bous a la Mar, which literally means Bulls in the Sea.

Other people in the arena with the bull noticed that the man was struggling, and rushed over to help him down off the tyres and away from the animal, with blood gushing from his leg

The man (pictured being carried with a bloody leg) was carried into the crowd unable to walk by himself. One man was shown taking his shirt off, presumable in attempt to dress the wound

He suffered a gore injury to his groin as well as scratches and bruising after being pinned on the ground in a temporary bull ring set up by the marina quayside for nearly half a minute by the angry animal.

The animal's two-legged prisoner eventually managed to free himself from its clutches and jumped into the sea after running to safety.

The day before the scare it emerged three people had died in just 24 hours after being gored by bulls at other festivals in the area.

On July 20 it was confirmed a 56-year-old man had lost his fight for life in hospital after being rushed to intensive care with head and gore injuries on July 12 from an event in Picassent near the east coast city of Valencia.

The local town hall said at the time it had decreed a day of mourning after learning of the man's death.

On July 19 it emerged a 50-year-old man named as Josep Antoni Garcia Arnau had died at another Valencia hospital from injuries he suffered after being up-ended by a bull at a festival in Meliana a 40-minute drive north of Picassent.

He was diagnosed with seven broken ribs and one of the blows he suffered is said to have penetrated one of his lungs and caused a build-up of blood which eventually claimed his life.

Around the same time it was confirmed a Frenchman aged 64 had died in hospital nine days after being gored during an annual festival in Pedreguer on the Costa Blanca a half-hour drive from Moraira.

All three men had been taking part in annual events known locally as Bous Al Carrer, which literally means Bulls on the Street.
Three people were killed and six others wounded in a knife rampage on Wednesday at a kindergarten in southeast China's Jiangxi province.

A 'gangster wearing a cap and mask' stormed the private kindergarten in Anfu county at about 10:00 am local time (0200 GMT), police said.

The 48-year-old suspect is still at large. 'Public security organs are making every effort to hunt down the suspect,' a police statement added.

In a video of the scene shared by state-run Beijing Daily, a police officer can be seen carrying a small child in his arms to an ambulance.

Other children can also be seen being carried from the building by other adults - presumably either parents or teachers.

CCTV images of a man, believed to be the suspect, were also released to local media. They showed he was wearing a face mask, baseball cap, a white shirt and cream-coloured trousers and shoes. He was also carrying a black satchel bag.

The ages of the victims have not been announced.

Left: In a video of the scene shared by state-run Beijing Daily, a police officer can be seen carrying a child in his arms to an ambulance. Right: Police officers are shown gathered outside the kindergarten in southeast China 's Jiangxi province

The 48-year-old suspect is still at large, police said, with news channels carrying a picture of a man in a face mask and a baseball cap (pictured). 'Public security organs are making every effort to hunt down the suspect,' the police statement said

Mass violent crime is rare in China, which strictly prohibits citizens from owning firearms, but there has been a spate of mass stabbings in recent years.

And fatal attacks specifically targeting kindergarten and school students have occurred nationwide, carried out by people reportedly wishing to wreak revenge on society or because of grievances with colleagues.

The attacks have forced authorities to step up security and prompted calls for more research into the root causes of such violent acts.

Around 100 children and adults have been killed and hundreds injured over the past decade in apparently uncoordinated, 'lone wolf' attacks in which the motive was unclear and the overwhelmingly male assailants were either killed, ended their lives or were put on trial and executed.

Last April, two children were killed and 16 others wounded when a knife-wielding man entered a kindergarten in southern China.

Pictured: People are shown gathered outside the private kindergarten in Anfu county, which was stormed by an unidentified knifeman at about 10:00 am local time on Wednesday

Left: A police officer is shown taking an injured boy from his patrol car towards an ambulance. Right: A concerned boy watches on from outside the kindergarten

In 2020, a knife-wielding attacker wounded 37 students and two adults at a primary school in southern China. Local media identified a security guard as the perpetrator.

And later that year a man was sentenced to death for poisoning dozens of children in an act of revenge against a colleague that left one toddler dead.

A court in the central Chinese province of Henan said the accused, Wang Yun, put sodium nitrite into porridge being prepared for her colleague's students, causing 25 people to fall sick.

In other more recent attacks, four people were wounded in a stabbing at a major Shanghai hospital last month before the knife-wielding assailant was shot and subsequently arrested by the police.

Six people were also killed and 14 wounded after a man stabbed passersby on a pedestrian shopping street in the eastern Chinese city of Anqing in June last year.

Acts of violence against China's youth resonate especially strongly due to the country's chronically low birth rate, partly due to decades of population control policies.
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The man who allegedly broke into Windsor Castle armed with a crossbow on Christmas Day has been charged under a Victorian-era treason law, which was last used more than 40 years ago and has a fascinating history.

Prosecutions are very rare under the 1842 Treason Act, which makes it an offence to assault the Queen, or have a firearm or offensive weapon in her presence with intent to injure or alarm her or to cause a breach of peace.

The Act was last used in 1981, when Marcus Sarjeant was jailed for five years under section two after he fired blank shots at the Queen while she was riding down The Mall in London during the Trooping the Colour parade.

Sarjeant, who was 17 at the time, was tackled by a soldier and the police before being arrested and charged - and although the Queen had to control her horse Burmese during the attack, she continued with the ceremony.

The last person to be convicted under the separate and more serious 1351 Treason Act was William Joyce, also known as Lord Haw-Haw, a fascist supporter who collaborated with Germany during the Second World War.

Joyce was captured by the British army towards the end of the war in May 1945 and hanged at Wandsworth Prison in South London in January 1946, which also makes him the last person in Britain to be executed for treason.

The 1842 Treason Act was last used in 1981, when Marcus Sarjeant (left; and right, being arrested) was jailed for five years after he fired blank shots at the Queen while she was riding down The Mall in London during the Trooping the Colour parade

The Queen Elizabeth II comforts her horse Burmese after Sarjeant fired six blank shots during Trooping the Colour in 1981

Sarjeant, who was aged 17, was tackled by a soldier and the police before being arrested and charged in the 1981 incident

Detective Inspector Ian Blair holds the imitation gun used by Marcus Sarjeant, from which he fired blank shots at the Queen

The Treason Act was introduced by Queen Victoria after two men fired at her in 1842. John Francis aimed at Victoria but did not fire as she rode a carriage across The Mall.

The monarch went out again the following day to bait her would-be assassin, who this time did fire a shot before he was arrested by plainclothes policemen.

Shortly afterwards, John William Bean fired a pistol at Victoria, but it had been loaded only with paper and tobacco.

Prince Albert felt the death penalty was too harsh for the bungling shooters, so encouraged Parliament to pass a law fitting lesser crimes against the monarch - such as intending to alarm or wound - and a new, less serious offence, was created.

It is extremely rare for charges to be brought under the 1842 law.

But Jaswant Singh Chail, 20, of Southampton, has been charged under it after being accused of scaling the castle wall to injure or alarm the Queen while brandishing the weapon.

The Queen had been staying at Windsor Castle for Christmas last year rather than spending the festive period at the Sandringham estate in Norfolk as usual.

The last person to be convicted under the more serious 1351 Treason Act was William Joyce, also known as Lord Haw-Haw

Lord Haw-Haw (right, with his wife Margaret) was a fascist supporter who collaborated with Germany during World War Two

Joyce - pictured at a fascist meeting in Chiswick, West London - was captured by the British army towards the end of the war

She was joined for lunch by the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall, as well as the Earl and Countess of Wessex.

It was her first Christmas without her late husband Prince Philip, and a tribute to him was broadcast that day in the monarch's emotional Christmas Day address to the nation.

Scotland Yard said Chail had been charged with an offence under section two of the Treason Act 1842.

This is 'discharging or aiming firearms, or throwing or using any offensive matter or weapon, with intent to injure or alarm her Majesty'.

The Crown Prosecution Service added that he had been charged with 'being near to the person of the Queen, wilfully producing a loaded crossbow with intent to use the same to injure the person of Her Majesty'.

Chail has also been charged with threats to kill under section 16 of the Offences Against the Person Act 1861 and possession of an offensive weapon under section one of the Prevention of Crime Act 1953.

Jaswant Singh Chail (pictured), of Southampton, has been charged with an offence under section two of the Treason Act 1842

Armed police officers on guard outside Windsor Castle in Berkshire on December 27, two days after the alleged incident

The King Henry VIII gate at Windsor Castle in Berkshire is pictured being guarded by armed police in January this year

The Queen, who was in residence at Buckingham Palace, is pictured delivering her annual Christmas Day speech last year

The incident that allegedly involved Chail also brought back memories of an intrusion at Buckingham Palace in 1982.

On that occasion, 31-year-old painter and decorator Michael Fagan entered the Queen's private chambers at Buckingham Palace while she was in bed before police apprehended him - but he was not charged over the incident.

Nick Price, head of the Crown Prosecution Service special crime and counter terrorism division, said last night: 'The CPS has authorised the Metropolitan Police to charge Jaswat Singh Chail with offences after he was arrested in the grounds of Windsor Castle on 25 December 2021 carrying a crossbow.

'This decision has been made following an investigation carried out by the Met's Counter Terrorism Command.

'Mr Chail, 20, has been charged with making threats to kill, possession of an offensive weapon, and an offence under the 1842 Treason Act.'

Chail is in custody and will appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on August 17.
Shark fans have fearlessly taken to the sea again to go snorkelling despite a woman being hurt last week in the first shark attack of its kind in 175 years.

The Celtic Fox ship left Penzance, Cornwall with eight guests and three staff today at 9am after it was announced yesterday that a swimmer's leg had been bit by a shark.

The woman - who has not been identified - was with Blue Shark Snorkel Trips, who also ran the trip today, when the accident happened on Thursday, July 28.

She was left 'screaming for help' 15 miles off the coast in what she branded a 'very scary incident' at sea.

The 'freak accident' happened when the shark was spooked by something and caught its tooth on her wetsuit, MailOnline can reveal.

Reacting to the news one local tourist said today: 'Sharks or no sharks you wouldn't find me out there.'

Another local who was informed by a reporter about the attack after being in the sea today said: 'It's a good thing you told us about the sharks after we'd been swimming!'

Last week a woman was bitten by a blue shark on one of its tours - the first recorded shark attack off Britain in 175 years. Pictured: Blue Shark Snorkel Trips

Trip organiser Victoria Walker (pictured), who runs Blue Shark Snorkel from Penzance harbour, told the Daily Mail last night: 'We immediately enacted our emergency response plan, with first aid being carried out on the person involved.'

The Celtic Fox leaves the Penzance Harbour in Cornwall today

The woman - who has not been identified - was in Penzance, Cornwall, with Blue Shark Snorkel Trips when the accident happened on Thursday. She was swimming some 15 miles out to sea during the 180 per person excursion when the shark, unprovoked, suddenly bit her leg.

Those on board the Celtic Fox had a brief chat in the cabin before leaving to head out to sea - to swim among sharks.

They also told the MailOnline that they were not worried about last week's accident and were looking forward to seeing sharks up close in their natural environment.

People at the scene today also said the company and its patrons were 'cagey' about speaking.

One onlooker explained how people were feeling this morning, the said: 'The general mood is positive, one customer on the way to suit up in their wetsuit in the office nearby just chuckled when asked about the incident.

'Another woman, who said she worked with sharks, says she wasn't worried at all.'

Speaking to MailOnline, a local diver said: 'From what I gather it was a complete freak accident.

'The woman was in the water with the blue sharks, which were mainly around five or six feet in length, when one of them was spooked by something.

'It darted into the woman's leg and in its confusion appeared to get its teeth snagged on her wetsuit.

'As the shark briefly shook from side to side to release itself, it left a small cut to her leg which needed first aid.

'She was taken back onto the boat and given medical treatment and the trip was cut short to take her back to land.

'As far as I know, all the safety procedures were in place but for some reason one shark became spooked at something. Why? We don't know yet.

'But you have to understand that wild creatures can be very unpredictable. Luckily the woman wasn't seriously hurt. Something like this is an exceptionally rare occurrence.'

Swimmer Dave Fawcett, 65, who swims with the local 'guys and gals' swimming club, said sharks are not a concern

Several fishermen have been bitten in recent years but only after bringing the sea creatures on board their vessels.

The woman, who is a shark enthusiast, was taken back to Penzance harbour on Thursday afternoon where she was met initially by the Coastguard who gave her medical treatment aboard the chartered boat before an ambulance arrived and paramedics took over.

She was able to walk off the boat, up a small stone staircase opposite the Harbour Master's office and on to the ambulance, which took her to hospital so she could be looked over.

A guide who runs fishing trips from the harbour told MailOnline: 'I saw the boat coming back into the harbour last Thursday and I wondered why they'd finished up so early as they're usually out for a good few hours.

'The injured woman was being treated on the boat for around an hour before she was taken off. She was able to walk so the injury wasn't too serious.

'She seemed calm and collected, there was no panic.'

One local, who claimed the victim had been bitten on the calf, explained: 'The boat owner told me that the woman climbed back onto the ladder for the boat and said "I think I've been bitten!"

'He took a look and said it looked as if she had been. The wound was not massive, from what I've been told she just had teeth marks on her calf.

'The boat returned to shore a little later and she was taken to Truro hospital to be checked for her injuries.

'Doctors treated the wounds and said that the woman should return to the hospital the next day to be checked.

'Apparently if it was not infected, the wounds could just naturally heal or be glued together.

'She was really keen to say though that the company did a great job and there wasn't anything else that could have been done - it was just bad luck really.

'The owner of the boat had a very nice call with the girl and her father, and that was it really. If I liked the cold water I'd go and do it myself I think!'

Speaking today, Steven Goddard, 59, explained that he'd seen sharks in the area before but was unconcerned.

He said: 'I heard about what happened on the radio, I'm just down here sailing at the moment but I saw a shark just by the harbourside here yesterday.

'It was a basking shark, which you get quite a lot of down this way. It's the first one I've seen this year, but they're getting very rare these days.

'I've been sailing across the UK this year, I've been in Scotland, Wales, and down here, and I've seen very few sharks this year sadly.

'They don't bother me really, I'd go swimming with them. It's a blue shark, and blue sharks don't attack people. They eat mackerel - not people.'

Ian Wesley, 57, has lived in Penzance for years and says that local swimmers are more afraid of the seals than sharks

A couple of local swimmers who had just left the water said they hadn't even heard about the attack.

Ian Wesley, 57, has lived in Penzance for years and says that local swimmers are more afraid of the seals than sharks.

He explained: 'It's a good thing you told us about the sharks after we'd been swimming!

'We get basking sharks out in the bay and for the last few years have had a humpback whale visit us, but I've never seen a shark.

'One of the seals chases people every now and again, one woman even got her wetsuit torn by one and another man was chased across the entire bay a rather enthusiastic one.

'The seals are honestly more dangerous than the sharks - they're more interested and want to play with you. We get jellyfish too, but they are easy to spot.

'I've actually wanted to go in with the sharks for a while, last time I went swimming with seals though one tried to mount me so I'm not to worried about sharks.'

Adrian Downey, 58, was drawing the view of the Penzance sea front and said he didn't like the pool, let alone the sea

A fellow swimmer Dave Fawcett, 65, who swims with the local 'guys and gals' swimming club, agreed that sharks are not a concern.

He added: 'While of course it's a bit uncomfortable if you're swimming in the middle of a shoal of basking huge sharks with their mouths wide open, nothing around here is going to eat you.

'I've been scuba diving with sharks in the Red Sea, and they're much more dangerous, so it's not worrying to be around some blue sharks - I've never seen any.

'The main thing you want to avoid are the Portuguese Man of War jellyfish, 'the devils pasty', but they float on the surface so you can see them.'

One local tourist though was mildly concerned about the sharks, but admitted he didn't like the water anyway.

Adrian Downey, 58, was drawing the view of the Penzance sea front and said he didn't like the pool, let alone the sea.

He added: 'Sharks or no sharks you wouldn't find me out there. I read about the attack but I'm sure it's something you have to take a risk to do.

'I'm sure most people wouldn't be put off, I would be but people tend to go out there to see something dangerous - and it's a specialized tour, you'd think they would be ready to deal with bites.'

Speaking today, Steven Goddard, 59, explained that he'd seen sharks in the area before but was unconcerned

According to the Sun, the woman may have required minor plastic surgery following the vicious bite, while witnesses told the paper she let out 'piercing screams', adding that there was 'blood everywhere.'

The unlucky adventurer had been swimming some 15 miles out to sea during the 180 per person excursion when the shark, unprovoked, suddenly bit her leg.

The swimmer was rushed back into the chartered boat where she was given immediate first aid and taken ashore for further treatment.

It is the first shark attack of its kind on a person in British waters since 1847. Several fishermen have been bitten in recent years but only after bringing the sea creatures on board their vessels.

The victim had been swimming in the waters off Cornwall after sailing 15 miles out to sea on the Celtic Fox (pictured) as part of a snorkelling excursion

The tour group said it was investigating how last week's attack could have happened.

In a statement put out by the trip company on Tuesday afternoon, the bite victim said: 'What was a very scary incident was made so much easier by the kindness and calmness of the people around me.

'Thank you to the trip team for getting me back to shore quickly and carefully and making me feel as safe as I possibly could.

'We all take these risks when we enter the habitat of a predator and we can never completely predict the reactions of a wild animal.'

HM Coastguard has confirmed that it is believed the injury was caused by a suspected shark bite.

The victim added that 'despite how the trip ended', it was 'amazing to see such majestic creatures in the wild'.

She said: 'I don't for a second want this freak event to tarnish the reputation of an already persecuted species.'

The woman - who has not been identified - was with Blue Shark Snorkel Trips, who also ran the Celtic Fox trip today (pictured), when the accident happened on Thursday, July 28

A sign says shark fishing near the Penzance Harbour in Cornwall with people holding trophies

A local shark fisherman said that he saw 'massive' blue sharks at the same spot the day before the bite incident. Pictured: The Celtic Fox leaves the Penzance Harbour in Cornwall today

Trip organiser Victoria Walker, who runs Blue Shark Snorkel from Penzance harbour, told the Daily Mail last night: 'We immediately enacted our emergency response plan, with first aid being carried out on the person involved.

'Following advice and assessment from the coastguard, the person walked off the boat and received further treatment ashore.'

Miss Walker, who wants to 'help people overcome their fear of sharks', added: 'These occurrences can be blown out of control without a clear understanding and scientific back-up.

'They are extremely rare and can be easily misunderstood.

'These things can happen when we choose to interact with wild animals in their own environment. The last thing we want is to let speculation drive the media into a world of bad press for the sharks, under no fault of their own.'

Miss Walker, who is also an underwater photographer, declined to comment further today.

A local shark fisherman said that he saw 'massive' blue sharks at the same spot the day before the bite incident.

An coastguard spokesperson said: 'HM Coastguard sent Penzance Coastguard Rescue Team to meet a snorkeler who suffered a suspected shark bite.

'The coastguard was notified just before 12.30pm on Thursday (July 28). It is believed the swimmer suffered a leg injury.

'The coastguard team met the casualty at Penzance harbour to assist with passing them into the care of the ambulance service.'

The female swimmer is said to have been on a snorkelling trip to see blue sharks in Penzance harbour. Pictured: Blue shark stock image

Shark expert Richard Peirce told MailOnline: 'It was most likely an exploratory bite, sharks obviously do not have hands or feet, they have mouths. They are very inquisitive creatures.

'Hopefully this bite is relatively mild stuff but that is not to say that blue sharks cannot inflict much damage because they can.

'I started the shark diving trips off Cornwall in 2006 and myself and my guides were always in the water with those we were taking out.

'We used a Shark Billy, poles that we could prod away a shark if they got too close. You don't want to be using your hands to do it.

'I don't know what's happened on this occasion, I've heard that it was a tourist on a shark snorkelling trip who was injured, but the water would have been chummed first to attract the sharks.

'The blood in the water would have stimulated the sharks senses and they would approach initially looking for dinner.

'These sort of trips have to be handled both sensitively for the shark and also safely for those who are taking part. Hopefully the appropriate safety guidelines have been followed on this occasion.'

Blue Shark Snorkel Trips said in a statement: 'We want to make everyone aware that we have had an incident.

'These occurrences are extremely rare and can be easily misunderstood so we want this to be dealt with as sensibly as possible.

'As we know, these things can happen when we choose to interact with wild animals in their own environment. The last thing we want is to let speculation drive the media into a world of bad press for the sharks, under no fault of their own.

'We immediately enacted our emergency response plan, with first aid being carried out on the person involved.

'Following advice and assessment from the coastguard, the person walked off the boat and received further treatment ashore.

'We've tried to understand why it happened and are in continued talks with shark experts.'

The company did not respond to numerous phonecalls or messages and simply posted the information on its Facebook page.

Its website promises a 'unique and unforgettable wildlife experience' and the 'chance to have up close and interactive encounters with blue sharks in their natural environment.'

Penzance Harbour, where the organised excursion had set off from before the bit happened

While you do not need to have a diving qualification, some previous experience with snorkelling is required.

A spokesman for Visit Cornwall told the Telegraph there was no reason for tourists to be concerned, adding: 'You don't have to worry as long as you swim on a lifeguarded beach.

'Sharks don't eat people off Cornwall and we certainly don't get Great Whites in our waters. There's no need to close the beaches at this stage.'

Several species visit the Cornish waters every year, including blue sharks, porbeagle sharks and basking sharks - who do not tend to attack humans - but shark attacks remain rare, especially in the UK.

The British Sea Fishing website said: 'Blue shark attacks on humans are extremely rare but have been recorded. In total, on a world-wide basis, there are four confirmed cases of fatal blue shark attacks on humans with twenty-five confirmed non-fatal attacks.

'In August 2012 a beach in Ceredigion, Wales was closed to bathers due to the presence of a blue shark.

'The shark was spotted swimming in between boats and came very close to the shore, swimming past tourists in just a few feet of water.

'Later in the same month another beach in West Dorset had to be closed for an hour and a half due to another blue shark.'

In 2017 surfer Rich Thomson was also apparently bitten on the thumb by what was believed to be a smooth hound - a relative of sharks.

The last recorded unprovoked 'attack' was at Felixstowe when a windsurfer's board was bitten by a shark in 2016.

Despite this, the windsufer sustained no injures and shark bites tend to only happen when provoked during fishing or other activities.
Russian energy provider Gazprom has amped up its natural gas deliveries destined for China as EU supplies are dangerously low.

According to the sources, gas deliveries have made up for the loss of the EU, which received a lot of gas deliveries until the US pressed sanctions.

Beijing Brings in Lost Business

This year has seen a significant increase in Russian natural gas deliveries to China via the Power of Siberia, as state-owned Gazprom verified the increase in the volume transported last Monday, reported RT.

According to the data provided, there was a 60.9 percent increase from the same time last year. In July, Gazprom deliveries continuously exceeded daily contract quantities, breaking the historical record for daily export volume three times, noted Hi India.

The gas firm's deliveries to non-CIS nations total 75.3 billion cubic meters, which is 34.7 percent (40 billion cubic meters) less than the same period in 2021. Furthermore, they added they increased gas deliveries to their clients' needs.

According to research, demand for Russian gas will fall by 35 billion cubic meters in the first seven months of 2022 compared to the same period in 2021. Furthermore, they added the delivery of gas to their customers' needs.

Russian energy provider Gazprom said the majority of the reduced amount, 31 billion cubic meters, came from EU gas purchasers. Several causes, including the Ukraine crisis, Russian sanctions and counter-sanctions, and even the European Union's gas/oil embargo on Russian energy.

The pipeline, Power of Siberia, carries natural gas from Russia's Yakutia to Asia-Pacific countries.

Read Also: Vladimir Putin Children: Does Russia's President Have Kids?

Gazprom and the China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) collaborate to provide Russian energy to China under a 30-year arrangement inked in 2014. China gets a boost, but EU gas supplies languished in an economy-killing energy crunch.

The EU's top diplomat, Josep Borell, has warned that a gas shortage may occur this winter as a result of Gazprom limiting supply to its former client owing to sanctions imposed on Moscow, mentioned the Fast Newz.

He said that Europe is headed for a perfect storm before winter, with energy prices rising and economic development slowing.

In a blog posted Monday on the website of the EU Diplomatic Service, the EU's high representative for foreign affairs and security policy wrote. There is significant concern about whether the EU will have enough gas and will be able to afford it.

Russia, which used to fulfill the EU's energy needs, has reduced the flow to only 20%, crashing the bloc and allowing the Biden administration to impose economic sanctions on Moscow.

He warned that Moscow could approve a zero flow, jeopardizing much-needed natural gas supplies; Brussels bowed to Washington and is now paying the price.

Borell stated that gas resources are limited and that obtaining additional supplies will be difficult; Russia is the greatest source, imposing an energy-saving plan on all EU members who receive supplies.

The EU agreed to a proposal a month ago to have all members reduce gas use by 15% to save energy before a harsh winter. However, Brussels prefers to impose rather than make it optional.

Russian energy provider Gazprom has increased natural gas deliveries to China while the EU supplies are getting scanty; due to its actions with the US versus Russia.

Related Article: Austrian Chancellor Says US Influenced Russian Gas Embargo Is Detrimental to the EU

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Self-proclaimed psychic Uri Geller has stepped in to pull the world back from the brink of World War 3 with a truly mind-bending warning to Russian president Vladimir Putin.

The illusionist and TV personality, who has seemingly added master negotiator and savant of international geopolitics to his CV, yesterday posted a dramatic video to Twitter in which he personally called out Putin for nuclear sabre-rattling.

'I have a warning for you, Putin,' the British-Israeli spoon-bender proclaimed dramatically as he postured in front of a huge screen displaying a backdrop of the Kremlin chief and a nuclear mushroom cloud.

'I urge you all to read my warning, all of you,' he continued, before stepping forward and pushing his face to within an inch of the camera to declare: 'And I'm serious about it. Very!'

The bizarre video was quickly topped moments later when Geller posted an even more outrageous letter to Putin, threatening to use 'every last molecule of my mind power to prevent you from launching a nuclear attack'.

He went on to implore social media users to 'just take five seconds out of your day to visualise a radiant, energetic force field - like a dazzling, golden shield in the sky' that he claimed would deflect any nuclear warheads deployed by the Kremlin, turning them back to destroy Russia.

'I have a warning for you, Putin,' the British-Israeli spoonbender proclaimed dramatically as he postured in front of a huge screen displaying a backdrop of the Kremlin chief and a nuclear mushroom cloud

'I'm serious about it. Very!' the illusionist said, staring right into the camera lens before diving out of shot to cap off the extraordinary clip

Uri Geller's full warning to Putin posted to his official Twitter account declared that Mind Power could ward off nuclear intercontinental ballistic missiles

In his open letter to Putin, Geller said: 'I am issuing this statement as a serious warning to you:

'If you resort to the use of Nuclear Weapons your plans and your missiles will backfire on you!

'I will use every last molecule of my Mind Power to prevent you from launching a nuclear attack!

'And I am calling on all the wonderful, peace-loving people of the world to join me.

'Please stop what you are doing right now and just take five seconds out of your day to visualise a radiant, energetic force field - like a dazzling, golden shield in the sky - that will deflect and turn back any nuclear warheads that Putin attempts to deploy!'

The psychic, who claims to have a history of undercover work with the Mossad in his native Israel and even the CIA, spoke of rumours that Putin is considering targeting UK naval bases on the west coast of Scotland.

Speaking directly to the Kremlin chief in a tone reminiscent of Alec Guinness' Obi-Wan Kenobi in Star Wars: A New Hope, he continued: 'As well as harnessing this immense energy of all our combined Mind Power there are also forces far, far greater than you can imagine that I am sure will intervene to prevent you from starting a nuclear war.

'They are watching and waiting and they will STOP you.

'Do not contemplate this dire course of action.

'Please take heed: if you proceed it is Russia and its people who will suffer the most.

'Your mission control computers will crash, your navigation systems will fail and your missiles will malfunction!

'You have been warned.'

Uri Geller is pictured at Westfield London Shopping Centre, Shepherds Bush, where he delivered a spoon bending class in 2014

Geller, who lives in Israel with his wife but owns a small spit of land off the coast of Scotland he claims is a 'keystone of British mythology', rose to fame in the 1970s with an act based around his apparent psychic powers and telepathy skills.

He is best known for his trademark spoon-bending trick and is a proud collector of culinary implements used by world leaders and celebrities.

Former owners of some of the many spoons in his collection include Napoleon, John F. Kennedy, Elvis Presley, the Dalai Lama and Gandhi.

The eccentric TV performer says he had his first encounter with a extra-terrestrial entity when he was five years old, and shortly after found he could activate his powers.

However, a retired Israeli Air Force captain Ya'akov Avrahami claimed years ago to have witnessed Geller's UFO encounter, while the CIA in 2017 revealed it had subjected Geller to a series of tests and concluded 'he has demonstrated perceptual ability in a convincing and unambiguous manner.'

Geller has previously called on readers to rub Andy Murray's dodgy hip to help him beat an injury threatening his 2017 Wimbledon bid and implored Brits to send telepathic messages to Theresa May to stop Brexit - sadly, neither plea was effective.

His threats to Putin made this week quickly garnered a hailstorm of incredulous replies from other users, despite the obviously watertight scientific basis of Geller's touchingly humanistic plan.

Geller's messages quickly garnered a hailstorm of incredulous replies from other users, despite the obviously watertight scientific basis of Geller's touchingly humanistic plan

'I've now tried to project by radiant, energetic force field but it wasn't so much dazzling and golden, more sort of a 20 watt bulb glow,' one user quipped.

'It did startle a passing pigeon so I think I'm ready to take on a huge supersonic ICBM.'

'Are you off your meds again, Charles Xavier?' another retorted, referencing the fictional psychic professor portrayed by Patrick Stewart in the X-Men series.

Others meanwhile picked up on Geller's concern over the impact of a nuclear missile strike on Scotland.

'I know Nicola (Sturgeon) is a bit annoying at times but that would be overkill. Ps. we wouldn't really miss Glasgow. Might not retaliate.' one tweet read.
Millions of factory farm chickens died during the recent country-wide heatwave, according to whistle-blowers.

The birds, which were confined to large farm sheds, died of heat exhaustion in temperatures of up to 45C, it has been alleged by industry whistle-blowers who say little was done to protect them from the heat.

Some producers made little to no effort to cool down the sheds for the animal's welfare, according to the Independent.

Witnesses have claimed that the birds were panting and flapping in the heat which was even higher than usual due to the large amount of bird excrement as a result of diarrhoea, a warning of heat distress in chickens.

The birds, which were confined to large farm sheds, died of heat exhaustion in temperatures of up to 45C (Stock Image)

Anonymous insiders have said they are haunted by the scale and smell of the dead bodies of chickens that died.

One said: 'I often find that I suddenly start crying and shaking.'

Other insiders claim the birds were 'left to die in the heat' and 'written off' as a cost instead of investing prevention measures, such as better ventilation in the industrial sheds.

In a written statement, Richard Griffiths, chief executive of the British Poultry Council (BPC) said: 'Unfortunately extreme temperatures have led to very high mortality events in some poultry flocks.

'Industry have worked closely with Defra (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) and other government agencies to support farmers at this devastating time and establish how farms can be quickly cleared and birds safely disposed of.

'Mitigating measures exist to maintain the health and welfare of birds. As is the case for other industries, we are urging all poultry keepers to advance these measures to cope with extraordinary weather conditions in the longer term.'

The scale of the deaths has prompted an investigation by the Animal and Plant Health Agency and local government.

A spokesperson for Defra has said it is 'deeply concerned' about the recent events.

'It is vital the health and welfare of animals are protected,' they added.

'The Animal and Plant Health Agency is working to support local authorities in investigating what took place and in taking any appropriate further action.'

Thousands of birds died inside corrugated iron sheds on Moy Park farm in Newton on Trent, Lincolnshire in July 2019 as temperatures reached 38.7C (101F)

The incident is not the first of its kind, with similar reports of bird deaths emerging during a heatwave in 2019 (Pictured Moy Park Farm in Newton on Trent)

UK Heatwave hit record-breaking high Searing heat in Britain in July saw temperatures push past 104F (40C) for the first time in the country. Meanwhile a provisional reading of 40.3C (104.5F) at Coningsby in Lincolnshire on July 19 was marked a record high. Amid the record-breaking temperatures, people were warned to stay inside if possible and avoid driving as the Met Office issued amber and red warnings for extreme heat. Advertisement

Animal rights organisations have said they are aware of the incident and that the latest cases were not unheard of.

Abigail Penny, Executive Director of the Animal Equality organisation said: 'As the rest of the UK ground to a halt, avoiding public transport and the scorching sun, the meat industry failed to act.

'This 'business as usual' approach in a national emergency caused hundreds of thousands of chickens to quite literally cook to death'.

A spokesperson for the RSPCA said anyone who fails to meet animals' needs while in their care could face criminal action in court.

The extreme heat placed intense pressure on livestock across the UK.

James Mottershead, Poultry Board Chair and the National Famers' Union said: 'While we have systems on farm to regulate the temperature inside of poultry houses the recent extreme weather has overwhelmed some of them.

'It is truly devastating to witness any bird mortality and farmers continue to do all they can to look after their birds during these unprecedented and extreme temperatures.'

The incident is not the first of its kind, with similar reports of bird deaths emerging during a heatwave in 2019.

Anonymous witnesses have said they are haunted by the sheer scale of the deaths (Stock image)

Thousands of birds died inside corrugated iron sheds on Moy Park farm in Newton on Trent, Lincolnshire in July 2019 as temperatures reached 38.7C (101F).

The heatwave last month saw record breaking temperatures across the country, with some places hotter than some of the world's top beach destinations such as Hawaii, Jamaica, the Maldives and the Bahamas.

Famers were faced with the 'significant challenge' posed by the extremely dry weather as they tried to keep crops fully watered in the face of rising fuel, electricity and fertiliser costs during the heatwave.

One farmer on the Norfolk/Suffolk border said he would normally budget 80,000 for electricity to pump water around his crop fields, and that it had soared to 250,000 this season as a result of the weather.

But this is now set to increase to 300,000 because of an extra 25 to 30 per cent of water that he is having to pump due to the very dry weather.

Andrew Blenkiron, director of the Euston Estate near Thetford and chairman of the National Farmers Union in Suffolk, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme last month: 'We grow winter cereals here  so that's wheat and barley, we grow sugar beet for a British Sugar factory just down at Bury St Edmonds.

'And we grow about 1,200 acres of irrigated root crops  so that's parsnips, potatoes, carrots and onions, and that's where our significant challenge has arisen at the moment to try and keep those crops fully watered to ensure that they meet market specifications and indeed generate a yield.

'We started irrigating our crops here very early this year in the beginning of April.

'But it's been this last two week period where evapotranspiration rates have been so incredibly intense that water has just poured through the crops.'
Tributes have been paid today to civil rights campaigner Roy Hackett, who has died at the age of 93.

Mr Hackett, who was born in Jamaica and travelled to the UK at the age of 24, was one of the leaders of the Bristol Bus Boycott in 1963 - the first campaign of its kind aimed at ending discrimination in employment.

The boycott began after the Bristol Omnibus Company put a ban on employing black and Asian drivers and conductors.

Mr Hackett began his impassioned campaign after he saw a man crying, because the firm refused to give him a job, simply because he was black.

Inspired by Rosa Parks, he marched into the office and demanded the company overturn its policy.

The dogged campaigner later rallied protestors who marched along the streets of the city centre and stood in front of buses to stop them from moving.

The father-of-three once said: 'I lived in many places before I came to Bristol, and I never had racism as tough as back then.'

Mr Hackett (pictured) was one of the leaders of the Bristol Bus Boycott in 1963 - the first campaign of its kind aimed at ending discrimination in employment

The boycott (pictured) was set up after Bristol Omnibus Company put a ban on employing black and Asian drivers and conductors

Mr Hackett led the boycott alongside Paul Stephenson, Owen Henry and Guy Bailey in 1963 - when it was legal for British companies to discriminate in the hiring process over skin colour. Audley Evans, Paul Stephenson and Owen Henry, pictured in front of a 1960s Bristol bus

Mr Hackett, who was appointed an OBE in 2009 and an MBE in 2020, was the co-founder of the Commonwealth Coordinated Committee which set up the St Paul's Carnival in 1968.

Deputy mayor of Bristol, Asher Craig, said: 'The transition of Mr Hackett has hit many of us really hard.

'A humble, principled, freedom fighter - Bristol Bus Boycott, St Paul's Carnival, Bristol West Indian Parents & Friends Association, Bristol Race Equality Council - his legacy will live on.'

Mr Hackett led the boycott alongside Paul Stephenson, Owen Henry and Guy Bailey in 1963 - when it was legal for British companies to discriminate in the hiring process over skin colour.

He got the 3000-strong Caribbean community to join in the boycott, partly inspired by Rosa Parks in the US, who in 1955 refused to give up her seat for a white passenger.

Protestors marched in the streets of the city centre and stood in front of buses to stop them from moving.

The company then changed its policies and the boycott paved the way for the Race Relations Act of 1965.

Mr Hackett said it took months of disruption but on August 28, the day Martin Luther King Jr gave his 'I Have A Dream' speech in Washington DC, the union caved to the boycotters' demands.

Mr Hackett, who was born in Jamaica, travelled to the UK at the age of 24. He also led the West Indian Parents' and Friends' Association. The group challenged Bristol council, pressuring it to act on housing and employment

He also led the West Indian Parents' and Friends' Association. The group challenged Bristol council, pressuring it to act on housing and employment. But its most important campaign was the bus boycott.

Mr Hackett has said he was 'born an activist' and saw it as his duty to challenge racism whenever he saw it, according to Urban Kapital.

Bristol Lord Mayor, Paula O'Rourke, also paid tribute, saying: 'So very sad to hear Bristol civil rights legend Roy Hackett, organiser of the Bristol bus boycott 1963 and founder of St Pauls Carnival has passed away. My thoughts are with Roy's family and friends at this difficult time.'

Tributes were led by UK MPs and TV stars, and George Ferguson, former Mayor of Bristol, also reached out on Twitter.

Bristol West MP Thangam Debbonaire released a statement on her constituency website, which read: 'It was an honour to know Roy Hackett.

'He was a civil rights hero, rightly lauded for his leadership in the Bristol Bus Boycott and the St Pauls Carnival, which both say so much about who we are as Bristol.

'He was an inspiration to so many and taught us all so much about standing up for justice and equality.

'I will miss his warm smile, quick wit and charm as well as his deep and lasting commitment to the people of Bristol and to ending racism.'

Dame Floella Benjamin said: 'Its such a shame Roy Hackett the civil rights hero, who stood in front of a bus and changed Britain for ever, has died as Im working on a project to celebrate him as a Windrush 75th anniversary hero. May he rest in peace.'

Deputy Labour Leader Angela Rayner shared tributes to Mr Hackett and wrote: 'RIP Roy Hackett.'

Co-leader of the Green Party also paid tribute: 'Rest in power Roy Hackett. The world is better because of what you did.'

In a previous interview with BBC Ideas, Mr Hackett said: 'It [Bristol] was hard for us to find a place to live, it was hard for a black man to find a job.'

'I walked down Ashley Road looking for housing and found one house which didn't have a card on it to one that said 'no gypsies, no dogs, no Irish and no coloureds'.

'The lady opened the door, saw me, and without saying a word, just slammed the door. It was a struggle, people were blatantly racist.'

Mr Hackett previously recalled how he had stood up to the bus company to the Guardian.

'I was coming from Broadmead, Bristol, and saw this Jamaican bloke crying. I said, 'Why are you crying?',' he said.

In a previous interview with BBC Ideas, Mr Hackett said: 'It [Bristol] was hard for us to find a place to live, it was hard for a black man to find a job'

'He showed me the advert that the bus station put out for drivers, but when he went to apply for the job, he was told the job was gone, but it wasn't.

'So I then went and spoke to the company and told them: 'If he can't be taught to drive the bus then the buses won't be driven.'

'I then called my friend Owen Henry who lived in St Paul's and I said, 'get as many black men and women and come down here', and he did.

'A great deal of black men had married white women. So, they brought their wife and their kids.

'The buses didn't move in the roads because they saw that I did mean business. We blocked the bus station. I even stood in front of the buses.'
MP turned Facebook executive Sir Nick Clegg is set to start working in London again after three years in California just days after the boss of Instagram also relocated to Britain - where the world's biggest tech firms continue to expand.

Sir Nick, the former leader of the Liberal Democrats who works for Facebook's parent company Meta, will now divide his time between his 7million Silicon Valley mansion and 3million west London townhouse.

Sources told the Financial Times that Sir Nick has wanted to spend more time in the UK to be closer to his elderly parents Nicholas and Hermance, who are both in their mid 80s.

His wife Miriam Gonzalez Durantez, a senior lawyer also known as Lady Clegg, has already said how much she misses Britain and her native Spain since moving to America in 2019. The couple's three sons all moved with them and are in school or university there.

It came as Instagram chief Adam Mosseri announced that he is relocating to London, where the social network is looking to expand its team of more than 4,000 employees. Metas chief marketing officer, Alex Schultz, has also relocated to the UK.

Nick Clegg, pictured with his wife Miriam Gonzalez Durantez, is set to move back to London after several years working in the US for Facebook

Sir Nick has been promoted by Mark Zuckerberg, and now runs public affairs for Facebook's parent company Meta

Instagram boss Adam Mosseri, known for his close relationship with Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, pictured together, is also moving to London

Nick Clegg's 7 million mansion in Atherton, the wealthy suburb close to Facebook's Silicon Valley offices

Mosseri's move is part of the Meta-owned social platform's effort to grow its presence in the UK and will effectively make London the company's biggest engineering base.

One source familiar with the move suggested the plans were a 'cost saving measure' since engineers in the UK are paid up to three times less than in San Francisco.

Sir Nick Clegg was promoted by his boss Mark Zuckerberg at the start of the year to be in charge of all Meta's work with governments and was rewarded with a reported 2.7million-a-year salary and 10million in share options.

As well as seeing more of his mother and father, he is said to view London as an ideal base to travel to the Middle East and Asia, where he will be spending more time for work.

Lady Clegg is an international trade lawyer who has spoken of missing Europe and 'kissing the ground' after returning to her native Spain during the pandemic. She also says she loves London - but hinted that it has been tainted for her by Brexit.

Recently she said Silicon Valley is 'a bit like living in the Vatican', adding: 'It's slightly insular, massively wealthy. It's not so diversified and is mostly run by men'.

It is not known if she will also spend more time in the UK, but she already splits her time between offices in New York, Washington DC and London - and works from home in California.

London has attracted more new tech projects from the US than any other global city, including Singapore, Bangalore, Dublin and Paris, data released this year revealed, worth $24.9billion-a-year in new investment.

Adam Mosseri with his wife Monica last year. She is an interior designer in California having previously worked for Facebook, where they met

Mosseri's move is part of the Meta-owned social platform's effort to grow its presence in the UK. Pictured above is the company's King's Cross office

A wide range of users, including the Kylie Jenner (above), were not happy with changes announced by Instagram that put more emphasis on videos, sponsored posts and posts or videos from people you don't follow

Google has invested 1billion in a new West End office and Kings Cross Campus for their 7,000 UK staff. Facebook, Netflix, Amazon, Microsoft and LinkedIn have all expanded in London.

Instagram chief Adam Mosseri is relocating to London - as the company deals with backlash from over algorithm changes in its battle with TikTok for younger users - a place where average engineering salaries are up to three times lower than those in San Francisco.

Mosseri's move is part of the Meta-owned social platform's effort to grow its presence in the UK and will effectively make London the company's biggest engineering base since it already has more than 4,000 employees.

One source familiar with the move suggested to the Financial Times that the plans were a 'cost saving measure' since engineers in the UK are paid up to three times less than in San Francisco.

According to Glassdoor, the average software engineer at Meta in San Francisco is paid $169,000 and the salaries range up to $545,000. The average software engineer at Meta in London is paid about $69,000 and the salaries range up to $74,000.

His temporary relocation comes at a very challenging time for Instagram and its parent company, Meta, which recently posted its first-ever quarterly revenue decline - prompting CEO Mark Zuckerberg to say that 'many teams are going to shrink.'

The company could also take advantage of the UK government's research and development tax credits, which were recently overhauled. However, Mosseri has not met with any UK officials in the last year.

A spokesperson for Meta told DailyMail.com: 'Given the global nature of his role, Adam will be temporarily based out of London later this year. London is already Meta's largest engineering hub outside of the US, with over 4,000 employees across our offices, including a dedicated Instagram product team with people focused on building long term solutions for creators.'

Last week, Instagram reversed itself and admitted that recent changes to the app were 'not good' after Kim Kardashian joined a chorus of criticism from celebrity influencers and regular users who said Instagram needs to just be Instagram and stop mimicking its rival, the video-sharing platform TikTok.

Musician and actor Simon Curtis said: 'It now feels like Facebook- an ugly, Frankenstein's monster of an app, where old people go to get fed ads, be scammed, and get confused.'

Chrissy Teigen said: 'we don't wanna make videos Adam lol'

Author Roxane Gay tweeted: 'It sucks right now. Stop trying to be TikTok. I don't want to make videos.'

In addition, users were not happy with the higher number of sponsored posts and posts from people they do not follow in their feeds.

'Right now, about 15 per cent of content in a person's Facebook feed and a little more than that of their Instagram feed is recommended by our AI from people, groups, or accounts that you don't follow,' Zuckerberg recently said.

However, a recent test conducted by six reporters at DailyMail.com revealed that the numbers are notably higher.

Mosseri joined the tech firm in 2008 and led the team that developed Facebook's News Feed. He became Instagram's boss in 2018 after the app's co-founders left the company.

In its results last week, Meta's total costs and expenses increased 22 per cent year on year in the first quarter, while headcount was up 32 per cent. Net income plunged by 36 percent compared to the previous quarter, to $6.7 billion.
A big surge in venomous adder sightings is threatening families on staycation summer holidays on Britain's beaches.

Many of the reports have come from coastal areas where the snakes are basking in sand dunes close to crowded bucket-and-spade beaches.

Adders are Britain's only venomous snake and are not usually aggressive, preferring to slither away, but they will bite if they feel cornered, or threatened by dogs.

In Wales, Bridgend council has seen an increase, specially in the Rest Bay area of Porthcawl.

It follows new research published in the Clinical Toxicology journal which revealed that more people in the UK are reporting injuries caused by snakebites than ever before.

Most are said to have been caused as a result of exotic snakes being kept as pets, but the risk of adder bites in the countryside and along coasts will grow as the summer progresses.

Between 50 and 100 people in the UK are bitten each year, but three in four victims have only a 'negligible' reaction.

However the elderly and frail can die without urgent treatment and the Reptile and Amphibian Conservation Trust say there have been 14 recorded human deaths from adder bites since 1876, the last in 1975.

Adders are Britain's only venomous snake and are responsible for 14 recorded human deaths from 1876 to 1975

Bridgend council warned: 'With people flocking to the coast, the stunning bays and beaches of Porthcawl are proving to be popular with more than just tourists and visitors.

'If you think that you may have been bitten by an adder, stay calm and do as little walking as possible.

'Go directly to A&E or call 999 for assistance, and remove any jewellery and watches from the bitten limb. Never tie a tourniquet, try to cut or suck the venom out or attempt to catch or kill the snake.'

Councillor John Spanswick, cabinet member for communities, said: 'Most reported incidents involve dogs rather than humans, and in the vast majority of cases, a full recovery is made.

'Adders and grass snakes, which are also native but are harmless, can often be seen at the side of rural paths, and can be identified by their distinct markings.

'Adders have a zig-zag pattern running along their backs, while grass snakes have a distinctive yellow collar and two small black triangles just below their heads.

'The council and its partners have produced a handy guide called Snakes of the Bridgend Coast to help people spot snakes and other reptiles within Bridgend County Borough, and which offers advice on what to do if you come across one.

'The best advice for anyone who encounters a snake while out and about is to simply leave them alone, and try not to disturb them.

'All British reptiles are protected under law, and the adder is a species that is considered to be particularly at risk.'

In April the parents of eight-year-old Jake Closier, of Camden Town, London, told how they were on a day trip to Hemsby beach in Norfolk when he was bitten.

His hand ballooned to nearly five times the normal size and he needed anti-venom treatment at James Paget University Hospital in Great Yarmouth to stop him going into anaphylactic shock.

Pet owners were also warned in April after a dog on a Norfolk holiday beach was attacked by one of the hissing vipers.

Indi, a Hungarian Vizsla, was saved after treatment at the vets, but owner Rebekah Mann says it was a close-run thing.

Three-year-old Indi was being monitored for long-term effects after she was bitten in Winterton on the Norfolk coast.

Rebekah, a 38-year-old pharmacist, was walking the dog with friends along the sand dunes on the beach.

People are advised to keep their dogs on leads along sand dunes and to give the snakes, which are a foot to 18 inches long with a zig-zag pattern, a wide berth

Indi was bitten by an adder's fangs but surprisingly did not react at the time.

It was only when she was back at home in Norwich that Rebekah noticed her pet's leg was swollen and getting worse all the time.

Rebekah called the vets, not realising at the time what had happened.

At the surgery in Taverham, the dog's leg was shaved, revealing the tell-tale puncture wounds where the poison had entered.

Taverham Vets posted advice on its Facebook page advising people carry their dog if they suspect it has been attacked to prevent the venom circulating around the body.

Penmellyn Vet Group in Cornwall, who had to treat six dogs in a five-day spell after they were bitten last year, urged people to keep pets on leads, specially while walking in sand dunes or grassland.

The vets said: 'Keep your eyes to the ground and if you do see any black and white snakes do give them a very wide berth.'

Only about a foot to 18 inches long, their venom can even put humans in hospital though they rarely attack unless they feel threatened or they're defending their young.

There are two other species of snake found wild in Britain - the grass snake, which can grow to four or five feet, and the much smaller and rarer smooth snake - but they are harmless.

Adders love open heaths and grassy banks, and are often found on clifftops and seaside dunes.
'All bets are off' for Australia if the US gets involved in tensions between China and Taiwan, one of the country's leading security experts has warned.

American House Speaker Nancy Pelosi made a historic visit to Taiwan this week to mark the island's highest level US diplomatic visit in 25 years - a move which sparked outrage in Beijing and even threats of military action.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has repeatedly declared the Chinese Liberation Army will annex the democratic territory, 180km off its coast, as part of China's 'national rejuvenation plan'.

The island of about 25 million people, backed by the US and Japan, broke away from the mainland in 1949 when the losers of its civil war fled Mao Zedong's brutal communist regime.

Australia cut its diplomatic ties with Taiwan in 1972, recognising the People's Republic under the 'One China' policy. But western democracies have continued to support the island's struggle against China's dictatorial lurch.

The Project co-host Carrie Bickmore asked the Lowy Institute's International Security Program director Sam Roggeveen, if China's current sabre rattling over the Pelosi visit is just 'empty threats' or if they are 'serious'.

US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (pictured) reignited tensions between China and Taiwan with a made a historic visit to Taiwan

Self-governed Taiwan's 23 million people live under the constant threat of invasion by authoritarian China, which views the island as its territory and has vowed to one day seize it, by force if necessary

WHAT ARE THE CONSEQUENCES OF WAR FOR AUSTRALIA? If Australia is dragged into military conflict with China over Taiwan, there could be dire consequences for our way of life. Missile strikes: US military bases in the north of Australia will become prime targets for Chinese air strikes. Mass casualties: Australia will need to prepare for significant casualties, not seen since the Second World War. Cyber hacks and satellite attacks: Modern warfare will involve crippling 'soft kill' attacks on critical infrastructure which could collapse Australia's banking system, grind food distribution systems to a halt and shut off power grids. Sydney Harbour mined with explosives: Chinese forces may try to mine ports like Sydney Harbour with explosives to disrupt Australian supply chains. Source: Dr Malcolm Davis, a senior analyst with ASPI's Defence, Strategy and National Security Program Advertisement

Mr Roggeveen stressed Beijing has always been serious about Taiwan as he outlined the potential ramifications Ms Pelosi's visit could have for Australia.

'If the Americans do get involved then all bets are off,' Mr Roggeveen told the program.

'We are talking about certainly the largest war that we've in in Asia since Vietnam and potentially the biggest war we have seen in in the world since World War II that could involve the use of nuclear weapons.'

The warning comes as Australia announced its biggest defence review in decades, amid fears that war is looming as tensions over Taiwan escalate.

The review, led by former Defence Chief Sir Angus Houston and ex Labor defence minister Stephen Smith, will advise the Government on how to prepare for potential conflicts over the next decade from 2023.

'If the United States is determined to back Taiwan, then it seems obvious that the Americans will ask us to help,' Mr Roggeveen said.

'I think we really need to think twice about whether the relationship with the United States as important and as useful as it has been for many decades is to important that we want to take that risk.

'That's an incredibly sobering moment and Australian decision makers would be negligent if they didn't think through the full implications of that.'

During a press conference, Ms Pelosi accused China of 'standing in the way' of Taiwan's participation in international affairs and cautioned that America's commitment to preserving democracy 'remains ironclad'.

The Project Carrie Bickmore questioned whether China's response just another 'empty threat'

Lowy Institute's International Security Program director Sam Roggeveen warned Australia may need to take a hard look at its relationship with the US

Poll Should Australia fight on behalf of Taiwan? Yes, it's the right thing to do No, it's not our problem I'm not sure, it's complicated Should Australia fight on behalf of Taiwan? Yes, it's the right thing to do 385 votes

No, it's not our problem 221 votes

I'm not sure, it's complicated 121 votes Now share your opinion





She also met with Taiwan's female president Tsai Ing-wen - telling her that the controversial visit shows the US 'will not abandon its commitment' to the island.

Mr Roggeveen branded US First Speaker's visit to Taiwan as a empty gesture and 'not a great idea'.

'The best gloss you could put on that is at least Nancy Pelosi herself and the United States have shown it won't back down in the face of Chinese demands that it do so,' Mr Roggeveen said.

'It has shown resolve to that extent, but on the other hand it feels like an empty gesture to me. It is a showcase for Nancy Pelosi and the media.'

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and foreign minister Penny Wong distanced themselves from Ms Pelosi's landmark visit on Wednesday.

Chinese President Xi Jinping warned democratic nations to abide by the one China principle

'The level of US engagement with our Taiwanese counterparts is a matter for them,' Mr Albanese told reporters.

Ms Wong told ABC Radio: 'I think the most important thing to say is this: that all parties should consider how they best contribute to de-escalating the current tensions. And, you know, we all want peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.

'My view is we should continue to be asserting that all parties should de-escalate tensions, and we should continue with others in the region to urge the maintenance of peace and stability in the region and, in particular, across the Taiwan Strait.'

Mr Roggeveen believes Beijing is keen to to bring the democratic nation back under the control of its authoritarian regime.

'Having said that, China... doesn't yet have all the military capabilities it needs to mount an invasion of Taiwan,' he said.

One of Australia's leading security experts has warned China has always been serious about Taiwan (pictured Chinese military officers in Beijing)

'Think something akin to the opening scene of Private Ryan, but with 21st century weapons. China doesn't have enough ships yet to do that kind of job.'

He warned there will two 'not very good' versions if China gets to the stage where they can invade Taiwan - one involving the US and the other without.

'One version is where the Americans don't intervene and if that happens China has major advantage, but still has a lot of heavy fighting ahead of it,' he said.

'Taiwan probably has underinvested in recent years in its own military, but nevertheless has sufficient military capability to make a Chinese invasion bloody.

'The Chinese would be sobered by what they have seen happen in Russia and Ukraine. I think that would be a sobering reminder of how difficult it is to invade another country never mind that you'd have to cross a large body of water to do it.'

US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's historic visit to Taiwan sparked anger from China's communist regime (pictured, Chinese military troops)
British MPs will face 'severe consequences' if they follow Nancy Pelosi's lead and visit Taiwan, China's UK ambassador has said.

Zheng Zeguang, speaking at a news conference in London today, told politicians 'not to underestimate the extreme sensitivity of the Taiwan issue', and not to 'dance to the tune of the United States' by visiting.

Zheng spoke after Pelosi, US House Speaker, became the most senior American politician to visit Taiwan in 25 years when she arrived on the island yesterday.

Zheng Zeguang, China's ambassador to the UK, has warned British MP's 'not to dance to the tune of the US' by visiting Taiwan (file image)

The move provoked fury from Beijing, which launched a huge series of war games in response that will surround Taiwan and effectively blockade it for several days.

Zheng's comments also come amid rumours that Britain's House of Commons' Foreign Affairs Committee is planning a visit later this year.

Ministers could go to the island - which views itself as independent, but which Beijing views as a rebel province - in November or December, The Guardian said.

The committee has not confirmed whether or not the visit will take place.

Relations between the UK and China are at a low point after the pair clashed over Hong Kong - another region where Beijing is applying pressure.

Britain controlled Hong Kong from 1839 until 1997, when the territory was peacefully handed back to China under a 'one country, two systems' agreement.

Nancy Pelosi sparked fury in Beijing by visiting Taiwan this week, where she reaffirmed America's 'ironclad' commitment to its ally

China will hold six days of military drills in response to the visit, which started Tuesday when anti-aircraft batteries on the mainland held live-fire exercises

Chinese troops open fire with anti-aircraft launchers at a military based in Fujian, which is the closest province to Taiwan

It meant that Hong Kong would officially be part of China, but would rule itself under a separate legal system.

But in 2020, after years of quashing pro-democracy protests, Beijing succeeded in forcing through a sweeping security law that brought Hong Kong under its control.

Britain protested, and offered visas to anyone who wanted to flee the country and come to the UK - angering Beijing.

Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak, who are vying to replace Boris Johnson as the next Prime Minister, have also both talked a tough line on China.

Sunak recently branded the country 'the largest threat to Britain and the worlds security and prosperity this century' while pledging to ban the Confucius Institute - an educational institution accused of pushing state propaganda - from universities.

Meanwhile Truss has a record on speaking out against China's human rights abuses as foreign secretary and has allied herself with Tories who have a history of bashing Beijing, such as Iain Duncan Smith.

Zheng addressed those comments today, urging both candidates to 'be realistic' about the fundamentals of bilateral relations.
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An 80-year-old liquor store owner in California has called out politicians after his trigger finger helped him fend off armed robbers, claiming 'I'm not going to let them get the shot off first.'

Craig Cope, 80, said 'the crime rate is escalating and it's going to continue to escalate until they start putting the people away that are doing the bad things' after his harrowing shootout was caught in dramatic surveillance footage.

While he refrained from 'naming names,' he said 'there are a whole lot of them that are creating major problems for business owners,' and complained 'a lot' of criminals are 'career criminals, (and) they need to be locked up.'

The way to prevent crimes like this from repeatedly occurring is to 'put pressure on the politicians because they got no clue what's really going on out here in the real world.'

Cope was behind the counter of Norco Market & Liquor shop in Norco, Calif., when he noticed a gang of men armed with guns creeping up to the door just before 3 a.m.

'There wasn't much time to think about' what to do, Cope said, as a 23-year-old man entered the store with an AR-15 raised and ready to shoot, forcing Cope to immediately fire off his shotgun, hitting the man in the arm and sending the group scrambling.

Video shows a 23-year-old male aiming the rifle at the store clerk in Norco Market & Liquor on Sixth Street in Norco at 2:47 a.m. on Sunday

Craig Cope, 80, said 'the crime rate is escalating and it's going to continue to escalate until they start putting the people away that are doing the bad things' after his harrowing shootout was caught in dramatic surveillance footage

'He shot my arm off! He shot my arm off!' the man can be heard shouting as he frantically runs back to a black BMW SUV that deputies later said was reported stolen.

The store owner described being forced into action in an interview with Fox, saying: 'When you point that gun at me and you're that close to me and I see what you're carrying, I'm not waiting.'

Cope said the ordeal happened very quickly, estimating that entire encounter lasted around 10 seconds -- from the moment the men parked their car to the moment he shot the suspect; he had under a second to think when the man pointed his assault rifle during the attempted robbery, he said.

'There's people that choose to be burglars, there's people that choose to be armed robbers,' he said.

Cope suffered a heart attack right after the incident but says he doesn't know what caused it and joked, 'maybe I'm just old.' HE confirmed he's now 'doing better.'

The suspects were located a short time later at a local hospital, where one of the suspects, a 23-year-old male, was suffering from a gunshot wound consistent with a shotgun blast, according to a Riverside County Sheriff's Department release. He remains hospitalized in critical, but stable condition.

The three other suspects were taken into police custody and booked into the Robert Presley Detention Center for robbery and conspiracy. They are being held on $500,000 bail.

This surveillance image provided by the Riverside Sheriff's Department shows a suspect exiting the stolen vehicle they used with a large gun

Cope said the ordeal happened very quickly, estimating that entire encounter lasted around 10 seconds

Cope said 'when you point that gun at me and you're that close to me and I see what you're carrying, I'm not waiting,' as he described his quick thinking when faced with an assault rifle

Deputies identified the suspects as 22-year-old Inglewood resident Justin Johnson, 27-year-old Los Angeles resident Jamar Williams and 24-year-old Las Vegas resident Davon Broadus.

The 23-year-old man who was shot is in critical but stable condition. He remains unnamed.

Cope said the group gave themselves away with certain red flags he identified as suspicious, including not parking 'where a normal person would park... on the side of the building where they're basically out of sight.' He said the gloves and masks they were wearing also put him on high alert.

Deputies responded to reports of an attempted armed robbery around 2:47 a.m. at the store in the 800 block of Sixth Street in Norco, near San Bernardino.

Immediately following the incident, as the criminals attempted to flee the scene, the getaway driver hit the accelerator, nearly leaving behind one of his accomplices,

Back inside the store, Cope suffered a heart attack from the shock of the incident and had to be rushed to hospital. As he was home recovering, some of Cope's employees posted on social media that he is eager to get back to work.

Business owner Craig suffered a heart attack, having to be rushed to hospital after the shock of the attack

Hitting the accelerator, the driver almost leaves one of the accomplices behind. The suspects are now in custody after police found them at the hospital, identifying them from the gunshot wound

Back inside the store, Cope suffered a heart attack from the shock of the incident and had to be rushed to hospital

Tamara Gibbons, who has worked at the store since October, told DailyMail.com that Cope is loved by the community and is a great boss who gives anyone and everyone a chance.

'He's just very kind and never turns anyone away,' Gibbons said, adding that Cope has been known to help transients in the area. 'He treated everyone equally.'

Gibbons said her boss was the only one working on Sunday overnight when the would-be robbers crept up. But that he saw them coming - armed with weapons - and he was ready to defend his business of 55 years.

'He was on his toes, thank god,' another store employee Marnie Tapia, told ABC7. 'He just prepared himself. He's always prepared as far as weapons go.'

Tapia credits the store's newly installed, high definition security cameras with saving her Cope's life. She said her boss put the security system in place because of a recent uptick in convenience store robberies.

'The sheriff came in and warned me about eight months ago or so that this was going on and to keep an eye out and pay attention, be on your toes,' she said.

She added that having Cope as her boss makes employees feel safer.

Cope said his shooting skills come from being a young boy in Illinois, where he owned a single-shot rifle and hunted small game. 'Ammunition was expensive' he said, so 'you don't want to miss.'

As of Tuesday evening, the three suspects taken into custody remained behind bars on $500,000 bail despite being in the state of California, where Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon has been under fire for his progressive policies that have given some criminals a get-out-of-jail-free card.

The progressive prosecutor - who was elected in 2020 - has been vocal about the need to reform the criminal justice system to focus more on intervention and rehabilitation, blasting 'tough-on-crime' policies as racist and a failure.

Jose Alba (right) posed for a celebratory photo with Francisco Marte, President of the Bodega and Small Business Association of New York last month after DA Alvin Bragg dropped the murder charges against him

Cope will not face any charges in Riverside County, unlike the New York City bodega worker who was charged with murder for fatally stabbing an attacker in self-defense.

'In this case, a lawfully armed member of our community prevented a violent crime and ensured their own safety while being confronted with multiple armed suspect,' the sheriff's department said in a release referring to Cope's case.

However, in New York last month, store employee Jose Alba was arrested and initially charged after he fatally stabbed a man who physically attacked him over a bag of chips. The store employee said he was acting in self-defense.

Alba, 61, who had faced a second-degree murder charge, was working at the Blue Moon deli on July 1 when he fatally stabbed Austin Simon in the neck and chest.

Surveillance footage clearly showed that Simon, 37, had moved behind the counter at the convenience store in Hamilton Heights and pushed the store clerk into a stack of shelves before grabbing him.

It was only then that Alba reached over to a shelf and pulled out a knife to fight back.

Public outrage at DA Alvin Bragg's charges against Alba grew to such a level that he gave into pressure and dropped them.
A California cop who was once heralded as a Detective of the Year is now facing a misdemeanor charge after he allegedly sexted someone he thought was a 14-year-old girl.

Gregory Daniel Beaumarchais, 43, a married father of one, faces a maximum sentence of one year in prison on a misdemeanor charge of annoying or molesting a victim believed to be under the age of 18.

He will also have to register as a sex offender if convicted.

Authorities say the Santa Ana officer exchanged sexually explicit messages with someone posing as a 14-year-old girl on social media from December 2021 through January 2022.

Some of the text messages were even sent while he was on duty as an officer with the Major Enforcement Team, a division he helped form in 2020 to respond to various crimes throughout the city  including gangs, gun trafficking and narcotics.

When the unspecified social media network cut off his account, authorities say, Beaumarchais instantly created another account under a similar user name.

He turned himself into Orange County authorities on Tuesday after a warrant was issued for his arrest, and was released on his own recognizance.

Beaumarchais is now scheduled to appear back in court for an arraignment on October 13.

Santa Ana Police Officer Greg Beaumarchais, 43, faces a maximum sentence of one year in prison on a misdemeanor charge of annoying or molesting a victim believed to be under the age of 18 after he allegedly sent sexually explicit messages to someone he thought was a 14-year-old girl

Beaumarchais is a married father of one. If convicted, he will have to register as a sex offender

Officials with the Santa Ana Police Department say Beaumarchais has been placed on administrative leave, and will remain on leave until 'the conclusion of the criminal and administrative investigations,' according to a news release.

They said they were notified about his 'potential criminal conduct' last Friday, when a civilian decoy who posed as a 14-year-old girl contacted the Orange County Crime Stoppers.

She then shared the messages she received from someone claiming to be a 45-year-old police officer with the officers, who then contacted federal authorities.

'Upon assessing the information, the Department's Internal Affairs Unit determined the matter to be criminal in nature, and the police department took immediate and swift action in referring these allegations to the appropriate local and federal authorities.

'Our department learned of this information on a Friday, and the following Monday, we directly engaged with federal partners to initiate a criminal investigation,' the police department said in a statement.

Federal authorities often take jurisdiction over internet-based crimes, and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security helped with the investigation.

But it was the Orange County District Attorney's Office that announced the charges against Beaumarchais on Tuesday.

'Police officers are entrusted with the sacred responsibility to safeguard society from harm,' District Attorney Todd Spitzer said in a statement.

'It is beyond disturbing that a sworn police officer would engage in inappropriate conversations with someone he believed to be a child.

'Our children should not have to worry about being preyed upon by the very people we them who are there to protect them.'

Homeland Security Special Agent in Charge Shawn Gibson added: 'Today's filing of criminal charges for showing sexual interest in children shows no one is above the law when it comes to keeping communities free from predators.'

Beaumarchais has been with the Santa Ana police department for 11 years, and has responded to some of the most high-profile crimes in Santa Ana. He is now on administrative leave

Beaumarchais has been with the Santa Ana police department for 11 years, and has responded to some of the most high-profile crimes in Santa Ana, according to the Los Angeles Times.

He was named Detective of the Year in 2019, a video posted to Facebook shows, and was one of three officers involved in a police shooting in 2016.

He has now hired well-known defense attorney Paul S Meyer, who told Law and Crime it is 'premature' to comment about the charges against him.

DailyMail.com has also reached out for comment.
A 911 call from air traffic controllers reveals that a co-pilot jumped from a damaged plane from 3,500 feet before the other pilot made an emergency landing in North Carolina, according to a recording of the call released Tuesday.

It's unclear exactly how or why Charles Hew Crooks, 23, exited the small cargo plane on Friday afternoon, about 30 miles (48 kilometers) south of Raleigh-Durham International Airport.

Investigators haven't confirmed whether Crooks' jump was intentional. He didn't have a parachute. The Bucknell University student's body was found in the backyard of a family home in Fuquay-Varina.

Two unnamed Federal Aviation Administration employees can be heard telling a 911 dispatcher that the plane was heading to the airport.

The pilot onboard had apparently told them that his co-pilot had 'jumped out of the aircraft,' news outlets reported.

'We have a pilot that was inbound to the field,' a controller told the 911 dispatcher, according to the audio file. 'His co-pilot jumped out of the aircraft. He made impact to the ground and here are the coordinates.'

The small cargo plane, a 1983 CASA C-212 Aviocar, was forced to make an emergency landing after losing its right wheel during a previous landing attempt. The unidentified pilot on board is heard asking air traffic control for help in a 40-minute recording before a call to 911 is made

A photo of Charles Hew Crooks, 23, onboard an aircraft. The young pilot joined Rampart Aviation in March 2022, according to his LinkedIn page. His role was co-pilot, second in command

The exchange between 911 dispatchers and Federal Aviation Association (FAA) air traffic controllers at Raleigh-Durham International Airport was made when the plane was two miles away from landing (pictured) on Friday afternoon at around 2.40 p.m.

'All we can do is recovery at this point,' FAA personnel said at the end of the 911 call. 'I mean, I don't know. I've never heard...this is the craziest thing I've ever heard'

The call lasted about 13 minutes, with the controllers stating several times that the co-pilot had jumped.

Wake County Emergency Management Chief of Operations Darshan Patel said the initial 911 call prompted the search for Crooks.

The airplane had substantial damage to its landing gear and fuselage, according to preliminary information gathered by the National Transportation Safety Board. The investigation is ongoing.

The pilot, whose name has not been released, sustained minor injuries. He was taken to Duke Hospital and released last Friday night.

This map shows the area of North Carolina that Crooks' body was found in after the plane he was piloting emergency landed at Raleigh-Durham airport

In a 40-minute exchange between the unidentified pilot and air traffic control, there's oddly no mention or hint of Crooks falling from the plane.

The pilot can be heard saying: 'Emergency, we've lost our right wheel. We would like to proceed to Raleigh and make a landing at Raleigh.'

He adds: 'We have two persons on board. We have enough fuel on board that will last us for the next four hours.'

Air Traffic control responds: 'Raleigh-Durham Airport or Raleigh-General?' 'Rogers resume all navigation to Raleigh-Durham Airport.'

'More clarification, did you try landing on Raeford West?' he asks. 'Did it [the wheel] fall off while still in the air?'

'We were attempting to land,' the pilot said. 'We made contact with the ground and had a hard landing and decided to go around and at that point we lost the wheel.'

When air traffic control questioned how they intended to land, the pilot said: 'Going to go in as slow as we can and I guess we are going to put it on the belly.' He then repeated that the plane's right wheel had fallen off.

Crooks' body was found 30 miles south of Raleigh-Durham International Airport in the trees of a property in Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina

Hew Crooks', the 23-year-old's father - said that flying was his son's 'lifelong dream'. He said his son was a former flight instructor and was certified to fly in all types of conditions

Multiple law enforcement agencies were standing by once the plane hit Runway 5R-23L at Raleigh-Durham International Airport around 2:40 p.m.

But there was one person on the plane, with no sign of Crooks, the second co-pilot.

The family living on the property of where Crooks was found later told local news outlets they heard a loud thud and called police.

Hew Crooks, the 23-year-old's father, said flying was his son's 'lifelong dream' and that he was a former flight instructor who was certified to fly in all types of conditions.

Hew Crooks told WRAL that Crooks had recently told him how 'he wouldn't trade places with anybody in the world. He loved where he was.'

Crooks pictured standing by the side of a plane with a thumb's up, appearing euphoric with an unidentified friend

The aircraft was owned by Colorado-based Rampart Aviation. The company didn't respond to DailyMail.com's request for comment. Crooks started working at the company five months ago, according to his LinkedIn.

The 10-seater plane, a CASA C-212 Aviocar, made in Spain in 1983, wasn't making a commercial flight at the time of the incident.

The National Transport Safety Board (NTSB) is investigating the incident.
New satellite photographs suggest that Beijing may be beefing up its nuclear arsenal, raising worries that Chinese President Xi Jinping and the United States may soon engage in a new nuclear arms race.

This comes against the backdrop of leading US Democrat Nancy Pelosi opting to go through with her travel to Taiwan despite the Biden administration's misgivings about China's reaction to such a high-profile visit.

China Speculated Upgrading Its Nuclear Test Facilities

Analysis of new satellite images purports to show that Beijing is updating its nuclear test sites in the contentious Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, where explosive testing has been halted for the last 25 years.

The photos show the excavation of a new tunnel in a mountain, as well as muddy white roadways leading from a command post at the Lop Nur nuclear test site. This test site, which was created in October 1959 with the assistance of the Soviet Union, was the location of China's first nuclear weapon test in 1964.

The photographs also reveal power transmission lines and a cleared space for possible weapon storage. The complex was constructed in a desert approximately 1,200 miles west of Beijing, and specialists have warned that it might house 110 nuclear missile silos.

Meanwhile, tensions between the United States and China have risen. Beijing conducted military maneuvers near Taiwan, which experts believe were in retaliation to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to the island, Express reported. A concerning war signal was heard in official circles while China conducted military exercises near Taiwan. Last week, China conducted live fire drills in waters near Pingtan Island in Fujian province, which lies adjacent to Taiwan's self-governing island.

In recent days, US warships have been dispatched to the South China Sea as tensions rise over the visit and concerns of conflict. The visit was discussed at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences' Institute of Taiwan Studies, the country's highest-level think tank.

According to the strongly patriotic tabloid, the slogan "Don't say we didn't warn you" came up regularly in conversations. The phrase was first used in state media in 1962, before China went to war with India, and again in 1979, before the China-Vietnam confrontation. It comes as Britain's top security official has warned that the world is dangerously close to a nuclear war, citing threats from China, North Korea, and Russia, as per The Scottish Sun.

Read Also: Republicans Slam President Joe Biden's Victory Lap Over Death of Al Qaeda's Top Leader Ayman al-Zawahri

Russia Repeats Putin's Warning Over Nuclear War

On Tuesday, a Russian official repeated President Vladimir Putin's new message that "a nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought," attempting to backtrack on Putin's warning after the Ukraine invasion that Russia is a potent nuclear power and that any attempt to interfere would result in consequences you have never seen.

Putin's remark then substantially heightened global tensions, which were heightened further days later when he ordered Russian nuclear forces to be placed on high alert. Igor Vishnevetsky, deputy head of the Russian Foreign Ministry's nonproliferation and weapons control program, began his country's statement to the 50-year-old Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty review conference by reading Putin's message to attendees. Later, he said the same thing.

In his remarks at Monday's inaugural, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken termed Putin's threats during the Ukraine incursion reckless, deadly nuclear saber-rattling, according to the Washington Post.

Related Article: Russia Claims US Provokes China, Sympathizes with Beijing Over Nancy Pelosi's Expected Taiwan Visit

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The neonatal doctor charged with hiring hitmen on the dark web to maim a co-worker and kidnap and torture his estranged wife in a plot to win her back is expected to strike a deal with federal prosecutors next week.

Dr. Ronald Ilg, 55, of Spokane, Washington, previously pleaded not guilty to a slew of charges including cyberstalking, witness tampering, and attempted kidnapping.

Last week, his attorney, Carl Oreskovtich, inquired as to whether a court would soon be available if defense and prosecution could reach an agreement. A change of plea hearing is not scheduled for next Wednesday.

As recently as 2019, Ilg was a physician who treated infants as the chief medical director at a multi-state neonatology group in the northwest.

Dr. Ronald Ilg, 55, of Spokane, Wash., previously pleaded not guilty to a slew of charges including but not limited to cyberstalking, witness tampering, and attempted kidnapping

But his life began to fall apart in the spring of 2019, after co-workers filed behavior complaints against him and he was fired from his job in December 2020.

The previous spring his wife had filed for divorce, and after he lost his job he became erratic and obsessive, harassing her in an effort to win her back despite multiple restraining orders.

All the while Ilg was having a BDSM affair with a mistress, which involved a sex-slave contract signed in blood and a sex-dungeon bunker buried on his property.

In the months after he was fired, prosecutors allege Ilg tried pay hitmen on the dark web over $50,000 to give a 'significant beating' to a former co-worker and to kidnap his wife and inject her with heroin until she agreed to drop divorce proceedings and return to him.

Ilg was connected to the solicitations and transactions - which he conducted under the username Scar215 - by a team of British journalists investigating dark web activity. He was arrested in April 2021.

Ilg's alleged dark web solicitation for a hitman to kidnap and torture his estranged wife into returning to him

A user named Scar215 posted on a dark web murder-for-hire website in February of 2020. The user requested that somebody break into a woman's home to deliver a 'significant beating' to her, specifically asking they 'injure both hands significantly or break the hands.'

Scar215 said about $2,000 in Bitcoin had been placed in an escrow account and would be paid out upon completion of the attack.

Though the job was seemingly unfulfilled, a month later Scar215 posted another request on the same website asking for the kidnapping and torture of a woman.

Texts from Ilg's mistress expressing fear that he would hire a hitman to kill her, too. She had previously discovered his messages on the dark web about hiring someone to kidnap his wife

'The target destroyed two families and walked away as if she did nothing,' the post read, 'I want the target kidnapped for 7 days. While being held, she will be given injections of heroin at least two times per day. She will be taught to do it herself and pics and videos of her doing on her own should be collected.'

The request goes on to say 'all means necessary' must be done to get her to drop all her court proceedings, return to her family, and promise to tell nobody about the kidnapping.

'She should be told that her families health, including her father and her kids, depend on her completing these rules. It would be unfortunate if her older boy became addicted to heroin. Or her dad be severely beaten or her dog be slaughtered.'

The requested listed Ilg's wife's name and address as the intended target. Scar215 offered $55,000 in Bitcoin for the job.

For years, Ilg lived a seemingly normal life. He was a successful neonatologist, ran for a local school board while calling himself a 'moderate conservative,' and divorced his first wife and married a second with whom he had a son in 2018.

But in 2019, two co-workers at his office filed behavioral claims against him, one saying he had harassed them and another complaining about his scheduling practices.

Though Ilg denied the claims - the specifics are unclear - whispers began to spread throughout his office. According to the Daily Beast, employees were so revolted by the claims many said they felt they couldn't look Ilg in the eye; rumors that he was bringing a gun into the office began to swirl.

The doctor was asked resign from his job but refused to. He was subsequently fired.

After losing his job, Ilg became increasingly erratic. He had already placed tracking devices on his wife's phone and car - which he told her were for her protection - and tried to force her into sex by threatening to take away her possessions, but now he began harassing her with texts begging her to return to him, and would stake her out at work and offer to pay her to drop divorce proceedings.

'Ron is spiraling and continues to get worse, to where now he is threatening to come to my home despite my opposition,' she wrote in a restraining order application in December, 'This has to stop.'

Ilg responded to the restraining order proceedings by saying he was in a 'raw emotional state' from the recent tumult in his life, and that he would leave his wife alone. Despite that promise, he soon sent her a letter professing his love.

'I do love you, more than words can describe, more than actions can show,' he wrote, 'Every fiber of my body, every ounce of my life energy calls out for you.'
A young female jockey who was left on life support after a horrific racing accident has shared heartwarming photos of her patting and kissing some of her favourite horses while in her wheelchair.

Leah Kilner, 24, shared the Instagram post of her visit to trainer Robert Heathcote's racing stables on Tuesday as she continues her rehabilitation from a horror fall at Grafton on July 3.

Footage of the devastating incident shows her mount Stella Turn buckle while running at full speed in the home straight, sending Leah spearing into the turf before being trampled upon by following horses.

Young jockey Leah Kilner (above) shared a heartwarming photo of herself planting a kiss on regular mount Danezel from her wheelchair as she continues her rehabilitation from a horrific race fall in July

She was left in a coma with serious spinal and head injuries as well as a broken collarbone and broken ribs from the nightmare fall and is continuing her slow recovery, and Tuesday'ss visit showed she had not been soured on the sport.

Kilner captioned her new post: 'Ponies are the best medicine' and followers rallied around the positive post and congratulated her for making it out of hospital.

'Such a special moment, Im so happy you are out of hospital Leah,' one person wrote.

'Absolutely they are, so glad you're on the mend,' another said.

'Great to see you Leah, best wishes for your recovery,' a third wrote.

Kilner gives a pat to one of her regular rides, the gelding Danezel (above) during her visit to Robert Heathcote's stables following her tragic racing accident in July.

Kilner was thrown from her horse, Stella Turn, during a race in Grafton in an accident that left her in a coma (pictured right, Stella Turn stumbling during the race as Kilner falls)

During her treatment she underwent surgery at Brisbane's Princess Alexandra Hospital to 'release the pressure on her brain' and was reliant on machinery to stay alive.

Her horse, Stella Turn, was euthanised following the accident.

However, her father and trainer Greg Kilner said her continued love for horses was evident as soon as she woke from her coma.

'That visit to see the horses has got her up and got her going, I am so proud of her,' Greg Kilner said.

'It is unbelievable how she has come through, it's really a miracle, if you had seen her in the first couple of days it was just heartbreaking,' he told News Corp.

Kilner is regarded as one of Australia's biggest rising jockey stars, riding more than 200 winners during her short career.
The mother of a 20-year-old man who allegedly shot a McDonald's employee in the neck during an argument over her cold fries claims it was self-defense and says she doesn't know why he had a gun on him.

Michael Morgan, 20, was taken into custody shortly after the Monday evening shooting outside a Brooklyn McDonald's that left 23-year-old Matthew Webb clinging to life.

Morgan was charged late Tuesday with attempted murder and criminal possession of a weapon, police said.

But Morgan's mother, Lisa Fulmore, told DailyMail.com that her son was acting in self-defense and that the McDonald's employee was still on the clock when he left the restaurant and went looking for her son following the spat.

The tragic events unfolded around 7 p.m. on Monday shortly after Fulmore and the employees got into a heated argument when she returned to the fast-food joint in Bedford-Stuyvesant to complain about her fries being cold.

Fulmore, 40, said she was on FaceTime with her son who soon showed up at the store and stormed inside to defend his mother despite her pleas to stay away because she said she didn't want him to get into any trouble.

Morgan and one of the employees, Webb, got into a dispute of their own inside the restaurant that moved at some point spilled outside and resulted in Morgan allegedly shooting the victim in the neck. Morgan was later arrested and Webb remains in critical condition at Brookdale University Hospital Medical Center.

Michael Morgan, 20, was taken into custody shortly after the Monday evening shooting outside a Brooklyn McDonald's that left 23-year-old Matthew Webb bleeding on a nearby sidewalk (pictured)

The shooting occurred here along in Fulton Street in Brooklyn's Bed-Stuy neighborhood when a McDonald's employee became involved in a dispute that spilled on to the street

Morgan's mother told DailyMail.com that her son had left the store and 10-15 minutes had passed before the McDonald's employee came over to her and asked where her son was before walking out of the store.

'He went looking for my son,' she said. 'The next thing you know, maybe like 10 minutes later, you hear a gunshot. So I ran to the door.'

Fulmore added that her son and his girlfriend were at the nearby 'chicken spot' to get food when the McDonald's employee allegedly went looking for him.

Morgan's girlfriend Camellia Dunlap, 18, was also charged following the incident with two counts of criminal possession of a weapon, but her exact role in the shooting was not immediately known.

Fulmore told the New York Post on Tuesday that she had spoken to her son after the shooting.

'I talked to my son with the cops. My son is just saying that he gotta do what he gotta do and the [victim] came after him and whatever happened, happened,' she said.

Fulmore further explained to DailyMail.com that her son was only defending himself after the employee came looking for him several minutes after the heated spat.

'My son was gone from the restaurant and boy was asking me for my son while he was still on the clock... he went looking for my son,' she said.

She added that she didn't know about the 9mm gun he allegedly had on him.

'I dont promote him having a gun or shooting anyone,' she said. 'I feel really bad that this boy is fighting for his life, and very sad I cant fix this.'

The Brooklyn mom then explained what led up to the shooting after she ordered McDonald's on her phone and went to the location on Fulton Street to pick it up.

'The fries were cold,' Fulmore said. 'I asked the girl to change the French fries because the fries was cold. She went to the French fry machine for maybe 10 seconds and brought back fries, so I thought they was new fries, so I had left.'

The scene of the shooting at 1531 Fulton Street in Brooklyn where a man was shot in the neck after a dispute over cold fries

The 20-year-old assailant is in police custody and has been charged with attempted murder

'I asked her, 'Why would you give me the same fries and just put one or two on top to make me think that you gave me new fries?' She started laughing, and all of them started laughing, acting like it's funny,' Fulmore said.

'I was like, 'What's funny? I paid for food, and I should get what I asked for.' They laughed at me.

'One of them was like, 'All of this over fries?' So now I'm arguing with them back and forth.

The boy where they cook the food at was like, 'You got all this food in your teeth,' ' Fulmore recalled  speaking of the employee who was later shot.

'So I said, 'You wanna take it out? You're saying I got all this food in my teeth, you wanna take it out?'

When Fulmore asked to speak to the manager, she says she was met with laughter.

'Everybody started laughing again,' she said.

'This is when I was on the phone with my son. I was like, "They in this McDonald's playing with me." I was like, I got kids their age, I'm not going to sit here and keep arguing with these little kids.

'He was like, 'I'm coming down the block.

'I was like, 'All right.'  Then I told him, 'No, don't come to McDonald's because I don't want you to get in trouble,' ' the mom said.

But he had already arrived in her defense.

'He was like, "I'm coming in." So he came in. He heard them saying stuff to me, so he was like, "You all gotta back off my mother."

'My son said, "Come outside" to the boy in the back,' she said, referring to Webb, who was later shot.

She said Webb did not go outside at that point, and kept telling her son to leave so he wouldn't get in trouble.

'So I'm thinking my son was gone,' she said. 'I'm thinking it was over because my son left the store.'

But Fulmore said about 10 or 15 minutes had passed before Webb came over and asked where her son was. She responded that he had left and that the worker should mind his own business.

But 'he went looking for my son,' she said. 'The next thing you know, maybe like 10 minutes later, you hear a gunshot. So I ran to the door. I said, "Who's shooting?"'

Fulmore snapped a pictured of McDonald's employee Matthew Webb minutes before he was allegedly shot by her son. She claims he asked her where he had gone following their spat

The 23-year-old worker was shot in the neck following an argument over cold French fries

She said someone replied, 'Your son.

'I looked, and I seen a boy on the ground, and then I saw my son running the other way. I called 911, and then I sat there and waited.'

When asked if her son had a gun, the mom said she didn't know, adding, 'I don't even know if my son did that,' referring to the shooting.

'The only thing I know is that my son was arguing with the boy and the boy did go out looking for my son.'

She also told the Post that the victim changed his shirt at one point, 'and he had something under the blue shirt, that's why he put the big blue shirt on.'

Webb remained in critical condition at Brookdale University Hospital Medical Center Wednesday morning, police said.

Law enforcement sources told the Post the victim had no prior arrests and there is no indication he was carrying a weapon when he was gunned down.

Morgan has been previously arrested several times, including for grand larceny in 2019 and assault and theft of service in 2018, police sources said. He also has numerous sealed arrest cases, they said.

Morgan's mother told the Post that 'There was no reason for him to go outside looking for somebody.

'Whatever happened outside, you caused that to happen,' she added.

Thick streams of bright red blood were seen pouring down the sidewalk as the employee lay unconscious on his back Monday night.

A man cradled the young worker's head as witnesses waited for authorities. Other witnesses told the New York Daily News (NYDN) that a man used his own shirt to help stop the victim's bleeding.

The woman was FaceTiming with her 20-year-old son when the argument happened prompting him to show up at the McDonald's and open fire, police allege

At the time of writing, the McDonald's employee was said to be in critical condition at Brookdale Hospital in Brooklyn

A local business owner told the Post she heard a 'pop' and 'thought it was a firecracker' when the gun went off.

'I was scared. That's why I didn't run to the scene. You don't know who is around,' she told the Post. When she came outside, she saw the young man laying on the ground.

'I feel like crying. You shot someone over French fries?'

Another witness wondered where the 20-year-old got the gun before calling Fulton Street the 'craziest street.'

'It's getting worse, and the shooters are getting younger. They have lost their sense of direction,' he told the Post. 'It says something when a mother is with her son who is carrying a gun.'

The man also said there were two officers 'at the corner all week,' but they were not there at the time of the shooting.

'They should be at every single corner every day,' he said.

Another man told ABC 7 that 'we need to get the proliferation of guns out of New York City.'

'We got to teach people, once again, civility and how to respect each other and how important life is.'

New York City has been experiencing a heightened sense of crime over the past few years since the pandemic began and guns - especially ghost guns - have become an increasing problem in the five boroughs.

Outside the McDonald's on Fulton Street in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn

The shooting took place outside the Fulton Street McDonald's (pictured) in Bedford-Stuyvesant

Another witness wondered where the 20-year-old got the gun before calling Fulton Street the 'craziest street'

The Supreme Court recently struck down NYC's gun laws last month, overturning a 108-year-old law that required New Yorkers to have a 'proper cause' to carry a concealed weapon.

The 6-3 ruling on Thursday reversed a lower court's opinion, which had upheld the law restricting licenses to carry concealed weapons in public only to those demonstrating 'proper cause.'

Justice Clarence Thomas delivered the majority opinion, writing that the New York law prevented law-abiding citizens from exercising their Second Amendment rights.

New York is not alone in severely limiting who can get a license to carry a concealed weapon in public, and the new ruling will likely make it easier to legally carry a gun in major cities including Los Angeles, Boston and Baltimore.

Another man told ABC 7 that 'we need to get the proliferation of guns out of New York City'

Crime is up nearly 40 percent in the Big Apple, although shootings are down 5.8 percent. NYC does have an increasing gun problem and many young people are being found with weapons

Overall crime and robbery is up a shocking 39 percent. Rape and assault are also up 11 and 19 percent, respectively.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams, 61, has promised New Yorkers time and time again that he will crack down on crime, and even ran his election campaign on it.

A few weeks ago, he promised citizens again, stating: 'We're going to turn this crime thing around, and when we do so, people are going to really see the progress we've made in other parts of the city.'

He also went on to blame the city's criminal justice system for the increase in violence.

'It is unfortunate the climate we're working under  where the entire criminal-justice apparatus has turned away from the public and the rights of the public to live safe in their city,' he said. 'We took almost 3,800 guns off the streets, and many of the people who had carried those guns were able to return to the streets.'
An Ofgem IT expert who went off sick with an ear infection lost his tribunal case against the energy regulator for harassment after his boss joked lets play it by ear when asked about his return to work.

IT expert Rodolfo Soares 'unreasonably' took offence to manager Kyle Kuenzel's light-hearted and 'trivial' pun made when they were discussing him working from home.

Mr Soares, who is Brazilian, worked for the government regulator for gas and electricity markets from November 2019 and raised multiple grievances over the way he was treated by his boss.

He was later let go in August 2020 and launched tribunal claims of race discrimination and harassment due to his Latin American heritage.

But an employment judge has now ruled Mr Kuenzel's 'trivial' comment was appropriate in the 'context of uncertainty' surrounding his ear infection, and dismissed his claims.

Rodolfo Soares (pictured) began working as a developer for Ofgem in November 2019 and was sacked in August 2020 - He then launched his tribunal claims

The East London tribunal heard Mr Soares began working as a developer for Ofgem in November 2019 and he was one of two employees working in the team managed by Kyle Kuenzel.

Four months into his new job, the tribunal was told Mr Soares became unwell with an ear infection.

He reported to Mr Kuenzel one Friday that his ears were 'blocked' and that he was booked in for a procedure to resolve the issue the following week.

The tribunal heard Mr Kuenzel told Mr Soares to take the rest of the day and the weekend off to try to feel better.

Mr Soares replied asking if he would be able to work from home until his procedure, to which his boss responded: 'All kidding aside, let's play it by ear.'

Though this later formed an important part of his tribunal claims, the hearing was told Mr Soares raised no issue with the comment at the time.

During his mid-probation review in early March 2020, Mr Soares was told he was making mistakes in his work.

He was given four weeks to improve, and told his probation period was to be extended by three months.

The day after his meeting Mr Soares emailed bosses accusing Mr Kuenzel of telling 'untruths' about him, which his boss adamantly denied.

Mr Soares also complained a female colleague was 'not doing her fair share' of the work but an analysis by Mr Kuenzel showed she was completing far more of the tasks than he was.

At the end of March, just after employees were told to work from home following the announcement of a first Covid lockdown, Mr Soares raised a grievance against Mr Kuenzel.

However, he did not complain about the 'play it by ear' comment.

Mr Soares' grievance was later dismissed, and he began a sickness absence due to anxiety in late May.

The following month he attended a union meeting also attended by Mr Kuenzel, during which he accused his boss of 'discriminating, bullying and harassing' him and was asked to leave.

In mid-July Mr Soares launched a second grievance, saying he was treated differently by Mr Kuenzel as he was 'a Brazilian from South America' - though this was dismissed as a 'rehash' of his previous complaints.

He was later told he had failed to complete his probationary period, and was sacked by Ofgem in early August 2020.

Soares (pictured) took 'offence' to his boss Kuenzel's pun 'let's play it by ear' when asking about his return to work because of his ear infection

He then chose to launch tribunal claims of racial harassment and discrimination against his former employer, which included Mr Kuenzel's 'play it by ear' comment.

However, Employment Judge Bruce Gardiner ruled the 'trivial' comment was merely a 'one-off' and was appropriate in the circumstances.

Judge Gardiner said: 'Mr Kuenzel's remark 'let's play it by ear' was a one-off comment made during the course of a dialogue recorded and transcribed.

'It was an appropriate comment in the context of uncertainty as to how Mr Soares' health was going to evolve over the coming days, and so whether he would need to take time working from home.

'It was not a comment he objected to at the time, or in the grievance lodged within six weeks of this incident when he was complaining about the conduct of Mr Kuenzel.

'Saying "let's play it by ear" was Mr Kuenzel's attempt at a pun in circumstances where he considered it necessary to wait to see how the ear infection developed.

'In the context of the conversation as a whole, it was a trivial comment. Mr Soares ought to have appreciated that any offence caused was not intended.

'It was entirely because of Mr Kuenzel's sense of humour, in trying to make a pun given the discussion about his ear infection.'

Mr Soares's claims were dismissed in their entirety.
This is the terrifying moment a paraglider began falling to the ground when his lines got tangled in high winds, before managing to open his rescue shoot just 'one second' before it became too late to survive.

Kevin Philipp was paragliding in Organya, Spain, doing 'acro' - a freestyle discipline of paragliding that involves performing gravity-defying manoeuvres.

However, the Swiss daredevil got into trouble when he appeared to crash into his canopy (or wing) while pulling off a trick, causing him to get tangled in the cables.

To make matters worse, when he tried to release his first parachute, it failed to deploy because of the tangled lines - sending him plummeting towards the rapidly approaching ground.

Philipp posted footage - shot from a 360-degree camera on his helmet - of his near-death experience to YouTube on Monday, showing how the incident unfolded from a vantage point just above his head.

This is the terrifying moment paraglider Kevin Philipp began falling to the ground when his lines got tangled in high winds, before managing to open their rescue shoot just 'one second' before it became too late to survive

After crashing into the glider's canopy, the cables attaching Philipp to the paraglider became tangled around him and the canopy, causing the wing to crumple and trail behind him like a windsock (pictured) - as he began to accelerate towards the ground below

A separate video, shot from the ground, also showed just how quickly he was plummeting out of the sky - and his frantic scramble to save himself.

In the description of the video, he wrote on YouTube that his problems began when he encountered 'strong turbulence' while attempting an Acro paragliding trick.

'Acro paragliding trick in strong turbulence went wrong. Break line got stuck. Falling into the lines and wing made the rescue parachute throw quite hard,' Philipp said.

Footage from his helmet camera showed as he was performing a trick, Philipp lost control and crashed into his glider's canopy.

As he did so, the cables attaching him to the paraglider became tangled around him and the canopy, causing the wing to crumple and trail behind him like a windsock - as he began to accelerate towards the arid ground below.

Reacting to the danger, Philipp deployed his rescue parachute to begin his descent. However, the footage shows that his parachute failed to unfurl, instead just trailing above alongside the tangled wing.

Pictured: Extreme paraglider Kevin Philipp can be seen plunging towards the earth after his glider got tangled in its own cables and his rescue parachute failed to deploy

Kevin Philipp was paragliding in Organya, Spain, doing 'acro' - a freestyle discipline of paragliding that involves performing gravity-defying tricks in the air. When he went to deploy his parachute (shown right in red), it failed to unfurl causing him to plummet towards the earth

Pictured: Philipp was able to reach for his back-up parachute (pictured) in the nick of time

With the ground getting closer and closer, the paraglider had to think fast. Despite the flailing cables, he was able to reach for his back-up parachute.

The footage shows him pull the orange parachute away from his body and rip it open, releasing it in the nick of time for it to open above him - moments before crashing he would have crashed into the ground.

Instead, as the ground rises to meet him and his wing and initial parachute trail in a tangle above him, the footage shows him landing at speed - but safely - in a bush.

'The falling speed increased a lot due to the twisting wing,' Philipp wrote.

'Very last chance was to manually open the rescue package. Estimated time left about 1 second. This was not the day to die! Thanks!'

Pictured: Philipp is seen moments after unfurling his back-up parachute as he reaches ground

Pictured: Philipp holds his tangled glider up to show how the cables wrapped around the wing as he was falling from the sky

At the end of his YouTube video, Philipp is shown holding his tangled glider up the camera, showing how the lines had completely incapacitated the wing.

'In acro paragliding we face a lot of tries and errors in learning the tricks. With 2-3 rescue parachutes and a lot of height we can safely train this kind of sport,' he wrote.

'This occasion is quite unlucky and rare. Just to keep in mind. Fly high, land safe.'

Fans reacted in amazement to his incredible escape.

'Insane! This is what fighting for your life looks like. Glad you won!,' one YouTube user commented under the video. Philipp replied: 'Was a hell of a fight!'

Another user asked the dare-devil: 'Why didn't the first reserve open quickly? Packed too tight?' Philipp explained: 'The handle was stuck in the lines so it couldnt travel far enough to deploy.'

Another user said: 'Amazing video! I mean, omg how crazy, but just goes to show never give up no matter what. So glad you were able to walk away with your life!'
A Kansas woman has been charged with assaulting a teenage pro-life canvasser after she knocked on her door ahead of a referendum on abortion law.

Grace Hartsock, 18, had been going door-to-door in Leawood, Johnson County, when a woman became aggressive  allegedly screaming at her I hope you get raped.

The teenager, who had been volunteering for pro-life organization Students for Life (SFL), claims that initially a woman politely said sorry I dont think you want to talk to us.

But after turning to leave Hartsock, who returned to door knocking on Monday, claims that she heard a second woman shouting and swearing inside the property.

The second woman reportedly shouted dont apologize to her mom, before following Hartsock down the drive while berating her on July 31.

SFL claim that the woman shoved the teenager in the chest and began hitting her with closed firsts until her mother told her to stop.

Hartsock said: Its unfathomable that the pro-choice movement claims to be "pro-woman" and yet attacks women who dont agree with their narrative.

Its not surprising to me that a person who advocates for violence in the womb wouldnt hesitate to attack a pro-life woman like myself.

Grace Hartsock, 18, pictured, had been v volunteering for pro-life organization Students for Life, claims that a woman screamed at her 'I hope you get raped' and began attacking her

SFL claim that the woman shoved the teenager in the chest and began hitting her with closed firsts until her mother told her to stop. Hartsock managed to get footage of the woman, in gray, shouting expletives at her near the end of the attack

The assault came just days before Kansas voters blocked state legislature from expanding abortion restrictions. Hartsock had been canvassing the area of Kansas for a pro-life organization

Police confirmed that they arrested a 37-year-old woman and charged her with misdemeanor battery, after Hartsock made a complaint to the Leawood Police department.

The woman, who has not been identified, continue to shout at the teenager saying I hope you get raped and I hope you get run over.

Hartsock managed to capture the final moments of the incident on camera, where the woman can be heard hurling expletives at her while returning to the property.

Authorities said that the teenager was not injured in the attack, but SFL say that she is experiencing headaches and body soreness.

Spokeswoman for the SFL Kristi Hamrick told DailyMail.com: 'We are finding an increase in violence against Pro-Life Americans, and a shocking disregard for the crimes by the Biden Administration.

Sadly, the public discourse is changing for the worse, as peaceful protests turn more frequently into confrontations.

Threats and acts of violence against pro-life activists are becoming increasingly common.

The woman, who has not been identified, reportedly continue to shout at the teenager saying I hope you get raped and I hope you get run over. She is understood to have stopped the verbal and physical onslaught after another resident got invovled

Authorities said that the teenager was not injured in the attack, but SFL say that she is experiencing headaches and body soreness. Hartsock reported the incident to the police and a 37-year-old woman was charged with misdemeanor battery

Hartsock managed to capture the final moments of the incident on camera, where the woman can be heard hurling expletives at her while returning to the property. She shouted 'f*** off' to Hartsock and another woman who was seen leaving the property

'Students for Life students and team members have endured everything from physical attacks and arson to bomb threats and intimidation, making security issues a vital concern and expense for pro-life events.

When Justice Brett Kavanaughwho was seen as a possible pro-life votewas confirmed to the Supreme Court, protestors stormed the Court, banging on the doors.

Outside the U.S., violent protests broke out in Poland and Latin America when those countries contemplated pro-life policies. Antifa has protested my own speaking tours and recently the Chicago March for Life.

Some abortion supporters are pairing their advocacy for the violence of abortion with violent acts, which have a definite chilling effect on public discourse that must be overcome.

When people are afraid to use their free speech rights, those rights don't truly exist.

The assault came just days before Kansas voters blocked state legislature from expanding abortion restrictions.

Residents rejected a measure that would have allowed their Republican-controlled Legislature to tighten abortion restrictions or ban it outright.

Members of the Kansans for Constitutional Freedom group celebrated after the referendum failed. The vote in the conservative state was the first test of U.S. voter sentiment about abortion rights since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June

Anti-abortion advocates who helped introduce the referendum were seen weeping and consoling each other after the measure failed

One women at the anti-abortion rally in Overland Park was seen crying and hugging a fellow advocate when it was announced that the measure was voted down

Voters in the majority GOP state rejected by almost a 20-point margin a proposed amendment to the Kansas Constitution that would have added language stating that it does not grant the right to abortion.

A 2019 state Supreme Court decision declared that access to abortion is a 'fundamental' right under the state's Bill of Rights, preventing a ban and potentially thwarting legislative efforts to enact new restrictions.

The referendum in the conservative state was the first test of U.S. voter sentiment about abortion rights since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June.

It was a major victory for abortion rights advocates following weeks in which many states in the South and Midwest largely banned abortion.

The referendum was closely watched as a barometer of liberal and moderate voters' anger over the June ruling scrapping the nationwide right to abortion.

President Joe Biden hailed the referendum result and said the 'vote makes clear what we know: the majority of Americans agree that women should have access to abortion and should have the right to make their own health care decisions.'
Arizona Republican Senate candidate Blake Masters, a venture capitalist and military veteran who has been accused of espousing white nationalist beliefs, sailed to victory on Tuesday night with an endorsement from Donald Trump. He'll now face incumbent Democrat Senator Mark Kelly in November's midterm election

Donald Trump has been having a field day celebrating his litany of successful endorsements in Tuesday night's primary races, boasting to followers on his Truth Social app from the early hours of Wednesday and throughout the morning.

Voters in Michigan, Missouri, Kansas, Washington and Arizona went to the polls for several key primary races that will define the next three months ahead of the November midterm elections. On the GOP side, it was a referendum on whether voters want a Trump-led future or a return to more establishment principles.

Trump bragged he 'ran the entire board' with his endorsements.

In Michigan, one of the 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach the ex-president over the US Capitol riot lost to a former Trump administration official named John Gibbs.

A Trump-backed gubernatorial candidate also bested a crowded primary field to face incumbent Democrat Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer in the fall.

'Fantastic night in Michigan! Tudor Dixon will be a great Governor. John Gibbs WON with a big surge in the end,' Trump wrote just after Rep. Peter Meijer's loss was called.

'Not a good time for impeachers - 7 down, 3 to go!'

Trump-backed Arizona GOP Senate candidate Blake Masters, a venture capitalist who has promoted the white nationalist 'Great Replacement' theory in the past, was declared the winner of his race overnight.

Masters had a healthy lead in pre-election polls despite being outspent by his closest competitor, businessman Jim Lamon.

But some match-ups are still close to call as of Wednesday morning. Kari Lake, a former news anchor who secured Trump's endorsement by pushing his election fraud claims, is still locked in a tight race with businesswoman Karrin Taylor Robson.

Lake is leading, though the two are less than three points apart with 80 percent of ballots counted, according to the New York Times.

Former Trump administration official John Gibbs beat anti-Trump Rep. Peter Meijer after a last-minute boost from House Democrats' campaign arm - which was hoping for a more polarizing candidate than Meijer to make the seat more competitive in November

Meijer is one of 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach Donald Trump over the Capitol riot

Their widely-watched primary is a proxy battle between Trump and his former vice president, Mike Pence, who endorsed Robson last month after the ex-president already declared his support for Lake. Pence and Trump's relationship ruptured when the Indiana conservative refused to go along with his boss' plan to overturn the 2020 election results.

But Republican operatives have expressed concern about how fringe candidates Lake and Masters - who also believes Trump's election fraud lies - would fare in a general election.

House Democrats, seeing an opportunity to tip the scales in November, poured last-minute cash into Michigan's Third Congressional District to prop up Gibbs against Meijer.

If she wins, Lake will face the current Democratic Arizona secretary of state, Katie Hobbs, for the governorship in November.

Masters is now up against incumbent Democrat Senator Mark Kelly, a retired astronaut and husband of former Rep. Gabby Giffords.

'Congratulations to Blake Masters on a Great Arizona Win!' Trump also wrote on Truth Social on Wednesday.

Former local news anchor Kari Lake is still locked in a tight race against a candidate backed by Mike Pence

Karrin Taylor Robson was less than five points behind Lake as of Wednesday morning, with about 80 percent of Arizona GOP votes counted

Speaking more generally, he boasted: 'Endorsements don't get any more powerful or conclusive than the Endorsement of last night. I wonder if anyone will write or report that? Just asking?'

Trump also celebrated a pseudo-victory in Missouri, where state Attorney General Eric Schmitt came out on top of a field of 21 Republican primary candidates that included two sitting House Republicans.

After teasing his highly sought-after endorsement on Monday, Trump released a statement stating he was 'proud to announce that ERIC has my Complete and Total Endorsement!'

The first name was shared by two top rivals in the race, the other being disgraced former Missouri Governor Eric Greitens. Both thanked Trump for the endorsement.

But Greitens' loss provided a sigh of relief for Senate Republicans. The military veteran's campaign was an attempt at a political comeback after sexual assault and blackmail allegations involving a hairdresser he had an affair with derailed his rising GOP star in 2018.

Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt, who had joined a lawsuit challenging the 2020 election results, bested disgraced former governor Eric Greitens in the race to replace retiring Senator Roy Blunt

Schmitt was among the state attorneys general who signed onto a lawsuit challenging the 2020 election results on Trump's behalf.

And despite his wide successes, Trump still stands to lose in two big races that are still too close to call.

Washington's Third and Fourth Congressional Districts are home to two more House Republicans who voted to impeach the former president - Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler and Rep. Dan Newhouse, respectively.

Both are facing candidates backed by Trump.

Beutler and Newhouse are both roughly 5,000 ballots ahead of those Republican challengers.

Washington State holds open primaries, meaning the top two candidates regardless of party will move on to face each other in November.

Beutler is currently second to Democrat Marie Perez. Newhouse is leading the race for the Fourth Congressional District.

Pictured are just two of Trump's numerous Truth Social posts boasting about his primary sweep on Tuesday

But Trump didn't just have his hand in national races on Tuesday night.

A 2020 election denier endorsed by the ex-president, Mark Finchem, won the primary race for Arizona secretary of state. Finchem will likely be overseeing the 2024 presidential race in his state if he wins again in November.

Trump also posted on Truth Social about his successful mission to take down political foe Rusty Bowers, Arizona's outgoing House Speaker who refused to help overturn President Joe Biden's narrow 2020 victory there.

The Republican official also testified publicly before the House January 6 committee about attempted 'cheating' by Trump and his allies.

Bowers lost his state Senate race to Davis Farnsworth, a former state politician who was recruited by Trump to take Bowers on.

'David Farnsworth trounced RINO Rusty Bowers in Arizona,' Trump wrote on Truth Social.

'It was a race that they said couldn't be won, but it was, easily. People didn't believe Rusty Bowers when he testified in front of the Unselect Committee. Congratulations David, great job!'
Billionaire LA Mayoral candidate Rick Caruso has brushed off his opponent Karen Bass's endorsement by President Biden and VP Kamala Harris, saying it does nothing to eradicate her 'failing record' on tackling homelessness and safety in the city.

The formerly Republican Caruso, who made his fortune in real estate development, has been endorsed by celebrities including Kim Kardashian and Gwyneth Paltrow.

He is running on a platform of cracking down on crime and disorder in the increasingly lawless city, and wants to bring an end to the famously left-wing leaders who he says are to blame for the current state of affairs.

Among them, he says, is Bass - who has served as the Democratic congresswoman for California's 37th District since 2011.

In a tweet on Tuesday night, after Biden and Harris endorsed her, he said: 'No endorsement will hide the fact that Karen Bass has a track record of failing to address LAs homelessness, public safety, and corruption.

LA Mayoral candidate Rick Caruso said Biden and Harris's endorsement of his opponent does nothing to erase her record

Karen Bass with Joe Biden and Kamala Harris while President Biden signs an order to reform policing in May. The President and Vice President said Bass has their 'friendship'

Billionaire real estate tycoon Caruso, left, is running against career politician Bass, right. She beat him in the primary but only marginally, and now both will run for mayor in November

'These endorsements have absolutely nothing to do with what this campaign is really about.

'After 20 years of representation from Karen Bass, LA needs fresh leadership who can take our city in a positive direction and make it more livable.

'The same old from establishment politicians won't stop this city from sliding into an even more desperate situation,' he said.

Biden and Harris released a joint statement yesterday endorsing Bass.

They said: 'Karen Bass has our friendship, and she has earned our respect through her leadership in Congress on crime prevention strategies, effective and fair policing, and the welfare of children and families.'

She embraced their praise, claiming in her own subsequent tweets that the pair had delivered for American cities 'at an unprecedented level on infrastructure, the environment, economic recovery and so much more.'

It was a more glowing review of than a few weeks ago, when she said in an interview with The Ankler that her relationship with Harris was just 'fine'.

Bass attempted to pour cold water on speculation that she and Harris were 'frenemies'.

'My relationship with her is fine,' she said.

She added that they had always been 'pitted' against each other as black female politicians, and that neither wanted that to be the case.

'During the... We call them Veepstakes. During the Veepstakes, there were a number of efforts to try to pit the two of us against each other.

Bass claimed Biden and Harris had 'delivered for America's cities on an unprecedented level' on the 'environment and economic recovery' despite the US being in the grips of a recession

'There was one article that came out and called me the anti-Kamala, and I tweeted immediately, "Don't do that. I'm not anti-Kamala," and we both said that we were not going to allow this to happen.

'I considered it tabloid journalism. I was disappointed in it. I have no conflict with the Vice President. I admire the work that she's done. I think that the attacks against her have been relentless.

'I mean, just having come from going through a few months of attack, she's been attacked from the time she was named as the vice president,' she said.

Bass beat Caruso marginally in the June 7 primary, securing 43.1 percent of the city's vote over his 36 percent.

Neither won the 50 percent required to be named the candidate, and so will face off in the general election in November.

Caruso is a first-time politician who has vowed to fix the problems that career politicians like Bass have failed to address for years, a campaign strategy that is reminiscent of Donald Trump's successful 2016 bid for the White House.

Caruso is running on a platform of cleaning up the city, where crime and homelessness are out of control

Celeb support: Elon Musk endorsed Caruso on Twitter ahead of the primary in June

Both Gwyneth Paltrow and Kim Kardashian voted for Caruso in the primaries, and told their hundreds of millions of Instagram followers to do the same

Rick Caruso with Gwyneth Paltrow in 2017. Bass previously suggested celebrities only endorsed him because he leased them space in his commercial buildings

In the primaries, he was more popular among Latinos than Bass.

While Bass enjoys Democratic endorsement, Caruso's supporters include Elon Musk, Katie Perry, Snoop Dogg, Wolfgang Puck, Gwyneth Paltrow and Kim Kardashian, many of whom have taken to social media to advocate for him.

Bass has been similarly endorsed by Samuel L. Jackson, Jennifer Garner, Tiffany Haddish, John Legend and Kathy Griffin.

Yes. I don't know where this comes from. To me, it was almost tabloid-like.

My relationship with her is fine. You know what? During the... We call them Veepstakes. During the Veepstakes, there were a number of efforts to try to pit the two of us against each other. There was one article that came out and called me the anti-Kamala, and I tweeted immediately, "Don't do that. I'm not anti-Kamala," and we both said that we were not going to allow this to happen.

'I considered it tabloid journalism. I was disappointed in it. I have no conflict with the vice president. I admire the work that she's done. I think that the attacks against her have been relentless.

'I mean, just having come from going through a few months of attack, she's been attacked from the time she was named as the vice president,' she said.

Caruso is one of if not the most prolific landlords of commercial real estate in L.A.

He has brushed off comparisons to Trump in the past, despite having served as an adviser to him.
Jacob Foster (pictured), 29, shoved charity worker Charmaine O'Donnell off Helensburgh Pier in Argyll and Bute on April 23 last year.

A man has been convicted of killing a stranger by shoving her off a pier and into the sea before claiming 'it was just a bit of fun'.

Jacob Foster, 29, pushed charity worker Charmaine O'Donnell off Helensburgh Pier in Argyll and Bute on April 23 last year.

Charmaine, 25, from Glasgow, suffered severe neck injuries and drowned.

Foster, who has a learning disability, was today convicted of a culpable homicide - an offence in which a person causes the death of another by acting unlawfully but without intention to kill - following a trial at the High Court in Glasgow. He will be sentenced next month.

Charmaine's loved ones sobbed upon hearing the verdict before her mother Jacqueline Gallacher, 50, and stepfather William King, 54, insisted 'justice had been served.'

In a family statement they said losing their daughter had 'changed our lives forever', adding: 'We will never be the same again... our hearts have been broken.

'She had her whole life ahead of her. She had a great personality and sense of humour warming the hearts of all who met her.'

Foster's legal team had lodged a special defence of diminished responsibility after he was accused of Charmaine's murder.

The court earlier heard that Charmaine, from Glasgow, had been enjoying a day out with her friend Caitlin McTaggart.

She told jurors: 'I had wanted to go the Campsies where there is a waterfall. She said "no" because she would have ended up in the water.'

The pair had thought about travelling to Largs, Ayrshire, but decided to instead catch the train to Helensburgh.

Charity worker Charmaine O'Donnell, from Glasgow, suffered severe neck injuries and drowned when she was shoved off Helensburgh Pier

Jacob Foster (pictured outside the High Court in Glasgow) was today convicted of a culpable homicide following a trial

The incident took place at Helensburgh Pier in Argyll and Bute on April 23 last year, the court heard

When the pair arrived, they got into a conversation with some men fishing at the pier as Foster lurked nearby.

A group of youngsters had also been jumping into the water to swim at the time.

Caitlin told the court of how she suddenly heard 'commotion' because someone had gone over the railings at the pier.

Initially she did not know who it was, but then heard a person shout: 'That's your pal.'

She then peered over and, to her horror, saw Charmaine in the sea.

The court heard that the nearby youngsters in the vicinity attempted to rescue her.

Asked if she had said anything to the defendant, Caitlin said: 'I was screaming at him to help her. He just kept saying: "What have I done? I have taken it too far this time. I am going away for a long time."'

Police and paramedics rushed to the scene, but Charmaine died a short time later.

Stephen Cairns, 42, was one of the men fishing on the pier when the incident took place.

Charmaine's loved ones sobbed upon hearing the verdict before her mother Jacqueline Gallacher, 50, and stepfather William King, 54, insisted 'justice had been served'

He told the court that Foster had shoved Charmaine over the edge 'with both hands', describing the scene as 'chaos' immediately afterwards.

A jury heard that PC Gary Davidson spoke to Foster on the pier when emergency services arrived at the scene.

He told the court: 'He said that it was an accident. He said: "I just pushed her. It was just a bit of fun".

'He said that he had a few cans that day. I said to him the best thing was to stay calm and not say anything, but he said these things again and again.'

The officer said Foster had told him that he was not aware she could not swim.

Foster's lawyers had claimed that, due his mental health issues, he had misunderstood an alleged remark Charmaine had made about going into the water.

But in his closing speech Alex Prentice QC, prosecuting, said there was 'overwhelming' evidence Foster had pushed Charmaine, insisting it was 'deliberate conduct'.

Ms O'Donnell was on furlough at the time of her death and had been due to return to work the following week

Foster's lawyers had claimed that, due his mental health issues, he had misunderstood an alleged remark Charmaine (pictured) had made about going into the water

Sean Templeton, defending Foster, asked for the defendant to be completely acquitted, adding: 'It was a young man with learning difficulties who got it wrong.'

Following the verdict, it emerged that Foster has a number of previous convictions, including assaulting a staff member at a Costa coffee shop in Helensburgh in 2018.

Mr Prentice told the court that Charmaine had been on furlough at the time from her job as an assistant manager at a British Heart Foundation shop.

She was due to return to the charity shop a week after her death.

The advocate depute said: 'It is clear she was much loved and her death has brought untold and continuing grief. She was described as a loving and selfless person.'

Judge Lord Fairley told the court that, in the 'very unusual circumstances' of the case, he would continue bail and adjourn the sentencing for reports.

In their statement today, Charmaine's parents told of how she had a talent for music and art.

They also thanked those involved in the case paying special tribute to the 'selfless efforts' of the youngsters who tried to help Charmaine at the pier.

The statement concluded: 'Although no punishment will ever bring Charmaine back, we hope and pray that a sufficient sentence is served on the person responsible for taking her life.'

Foster, of Helensburgh, will be sentenced in September.
Dean Kronsbein, 61, was on the deck of his 70ft yacht Amore with his wife and daughter on Sunday when it ploughed into some rocks, throwing him into the ocean. He was pulled from the ocean, but could not be saved

Two yacht captains are under investigation after a British millionaire was killed when his boat ploughed into rocks off the coast of Sardinia, MailOnline can reveal.

Dean Kronsbein, 61, was thrown into the water after his 70ft Magnum yacht Amore smashed into a reef as the ship's skipper took evasive action to avoid another vessel.

Although he was pulled still conscious from the sea Mr Kronsbein, a close friend of TV presenter Richard Hammond, suffered a fatal heart attack onboard another passing yacht that rescued him.

MailOnline can now reveal that the ship's captain Mario Lallone and Luigi Cortese, the captain of a boat called Sweet Dragon owned by controversial former Italian PM Silvio Berlusconi, have both been placed under investigation by the Italian authorities.

Both skippers face possible manslaughter and wounding charges, and it comes as investigators probe the possibility the yachts were racing in a stretch of water out of bounds to them.

This terrifying image taken after the crash laid bare the full extent of the damage - with the bow of the Amore completely torn off with the force of the impact on the rocks

Pictured: Dean Kronsbein's 70ft yacht Amore is seen impounded by local authorities

Luigi Cortese, the captain of the Sweet Dragon (pictured in 2008) - owned by controversial former Italian PM Silvio Berlusconi - is under investigation along with the captain of Amore

Pictured: The damage to the yacht's bow is seen in pictures taken after it was towed ashore

The vessel (pictured after the crash surrounded by rescue vessels) ploughed into a stretch of rocks and lost its bow in the force of the impact which happened at Il Nibani, just off the coast of Porto Cervo on the island of Sardinia

The captain of Amore, Mario Lallone, has been placed under investigation by Italian authorities in connection with the incident

A pleasant day on the water off the coast of the Mediterranean island of Sardinia turned to tragedy late on Sunday as Mr Kronsbein's yacht headed towards the millionaire playground resort of Porto Cervo, where he owns a property.

Investigators are looking at the possibility the yachts were 'racing' each other as witnesses spoke of the two boats being on a 'parallel course' at the time of the incident.

There are also reports that both vessels were in a stretch of water by a tiny island called Il Nibani that is technically out of bounds for large vessels.

Both yachts have been seized by investigators while local prosecutors in Tempio Pausania investigate possible manslaughter and wounding charges.

Onboard Amore were Mr Kronsbein's wife Sabine, 59, and daughter Sophia, 27, who were both seriously injured and taken to hospital for treatment where they are still recovering.

The captain of the other yacht had been identified as Luigi Cortese and the vessel is owned by scandal-ridden Italian PM Silvio Berlusconi who has a home in Sardinia

Two other couples who were also on board - one British and the other Italian - were slightly injured and have stayed in Sardinia to be questioned by authorities and Mr Kronsbein's lawyer Egidio Caredda.

Caredda told MailOnline: 'The investigation is continuing, and we are speaking to witnesses and so are the relevant authorities.

'The family just want to know how Mr Kronsbein died and we have appointed our own pathologist to look at the autopsy reports as well as an independent maritime expert.'

The captain of the other yacht had been identified as Luigi Cortese and the vessel is owned by scandal-ridden Italian PM Silvio Berlusconi who has a home in Sardinia.

Sources said he was not aboard Sweet Dragon at the time of the incident but 'members of his extended family' were and they are expected to be questioned as witnesses.

The Sweet Dragon was at the centre of controversy in 2009 after pictures emerged of scantily clad women being ferried onboard to Berlusconi's nearby Villa Certosa.

Vessels are showed moored in Porto Cervo late on Sunday night after the stricken craft was towed back to shore, where it was met by emergency services

Pictured: The 70ft Amore is seen on-land in Porto Cervo, Sardinia after being seized by the local authorities while an investigation into the crash is carried out

Paint was also left imprinted on the rocks that the vessel hit, killing one and injuring six - two of them with serious wounds. Mr Kronsbien's wife Sabine, 59, and daughter Sophia, 27, were also seriously injured and taken to a hospital at Olbia before being transferred to a more specialist unit at Sassari 60 miles away

The crash happened near a set of islands called Il Nibani, which are around two miles off the coast from Porto Cervo, Sardinia

Mr Kronsbien's owns 5 million Cubberley House, a beautiful country home close to Ross on Wye and also a four bedroom villa on the outskirts of Porto Cervo (pictured)

Former Top Gear star Richard Hammond (left) told MailOnline on Tuesday how he had been left 'heartbroken' at news of Mr Kronsbein's death

Grimsby born Mr Kronsbein was director of Ultrafilter Medical, based in Ross-on-Wye in Herefordshire, which makes specialised medical equipment including surgical masks.

During the pandemic the company distributed millions of masks for free across the country and took part in the Big Mask Giveaway.

His family owns 5 million Cubberley House close to Ross-on-Wye as well as a four bedroom villa in Porto Cervo close to where he died.

Former Top Gear star Richard Hammond told MailOnline on Tuesday how he had been left 'heartbroken' at news of Mr Kronsbein's death.

'He really was a larger than life character and I know people often say that but he really was and the world needs more people like him,' Hammond said.

'He was big hearted, fun character who wanted people to enjoy themselves when they were with him and he was also an astute businessman. He opened factories in Ross-on-Wye, who does that for goodness sake!?'

'I just can't believe I won't see him again in his colourful waistcoat and looking at his pocket watch.'
A journalist claims that Prince Harry's memoir may contain "razor cutting" sections criticizing the royals.

The Duke of Sussex's long-awaited book is said to be finished, with a release date set for the lucrative Christmas market. However, facts about the work's contents, co-authored by journalist and novelist J.R. Mohinger has yet to appear.

Guy Martin, a Forbes senior contributor, cautioned that Mohinger's participation in Prince Harry's literary endeavor meant portions of the book critical of the royals will be razor sharp.

Last summer, Prince Harry revealed plans for the intimate and personal memoir, saying he would write it not as the prince he was born as, but as the man he has become. The book contract is said to have garnered him $20 million, with the earnings going to charity. However, the Prince's main concern is the impact of the memoir's eventual publishing.

While the Duke is unlikely to criticize Queen Elizabeth II, The Telegraph said that Prince Harry is certain to follow his countless excoriating television and podcast interview descriptions of his childhood with a similarly candid version in the paper.

Prince Harry may also use the book to address earlier concerns, such as alleged racism in the royal family, his relationship with Prince William, and a bullying complaint lodged against his wife Meghan Markle, according to Express.

Prince Harry Doesn't Want To Share Memoir Details to Prince Charles

Meanwhile, Prince Charles is said to have iced out Prince Harry when he refused to discuss his impending biography with him. Earlier this year, the Prince of Wales approached Prince Harry about his new book at a meeting before the Invictus Games, but he was obliged to break the discussion shortly after the latter refused to tell him about it.

According to royal analyst Neil Sean, the encounter at Windsor took place shortly before the Invictus Games in Holland. Prince Charles allegedly convened the meeting to question Prince Harry about the contents of his memoir, which is believed to include shocking information about the royal family.

In July of last year, Prince Harry initially revealed his memoir. The Duke also stated that he would write the biography as the man he has become, rather than the prince he was born as and that it would be true and fully truthful.

The memoir's draft has been completed. While the publication date has been pushed back once, the book is still expected to be released before the end of the year, as per Yahoo News.

Read Also: VIRAL: Australian Lawmaker Calls Queen Elizabeth II a 'Colonizer' While Taking Oath in Parliament

Prince Harry's Memoir Causes Anxiety to British Royal Family

According to a friend of Princess Diana, Prince Harry's forthcoming biography is creating great worry in Buckingham Palace, where courtiers fear it may be scathing of Britain's next queen. Conversations Harry had with his mother's acquaintances around the time of her death, according to Richard Kay, a writer and former close ally of Princes Diana, are raising special anxiety.

Kay said that the buddy thought Harry didn't like Camilla and was unlikely to forget anything they talked about that day. When the world remembers Princess Diana's legacy and the sad automobile tragedy that took her life in August 1997, stories about her saturated UK media in 2017. At the time, Prince Harry and Prince William had sit-down interviews for films about their mother with the BBC and ITV, and Princ Harry also talked with Newsweek and The Daily Telegraph.

According to Kay's version, Harry was researching for those films rather than his memoirs at the time, but there are still concerns that those talks will be incorporated into his book when it is ultimately released. Kay was known to provide Diana off-the-record media counsel, and she was one of the final individuals to call her the day before she died, Newsweek via MSN reported.

Related Article: Prince William Pegging: Prince of Cambridge's Rumored Affair Resurfaces After Hashtag About Him Trends Online

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A man and a woman have been arrested in Northern Ireland in an operation targeting a suspected people-smuggling gang.

A 40-year-old woman and a 26-year-old man were arrested as around 50 officers from the Government's Immigration Enforcement team and the Police Service of Northern Ireland searched two properties in Belfast.

The pair, described as naturalised British citizens, were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to assist unlawful immigration of non-UK nationals.

The woman was also arrested on suspicion of possession of criminal property. They have been taken into custody in Musgrave Police Station for questioning.

A 40-year-old woman and a 26-year-old man were arrested as around 50 officers from the Government's Immigration Enforcement team and the Police Service of Northern Ireland searched two properties in Belfast

The pair, described as naturalised British citizens, were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to assist unlawful immigration of non-UK nationals

The operation followed an investigation by the Home Office's Criminal and Financial Investigations team.

Two people have previously been arrested in connection with this investigation.

The British and Irish governments are working together through the Cross Border Joint Agency Taskforce to disrupt organised crime groups and tackle organised immigration crime, modern slavery and human trafficking.

Home Secretary Priti Patel said: 'By working hand-in-hand with our Irish partners, we will continue to stop those who seek to abuse the Common Travel Area to enter the UK.

'People smugglers put lives in extreme danger and I hope these arrests act as a stark warning to criminal gangs that they will feel the full force of our tougher laws.

Through our New Plan for Immigration, we can truly break their business model and suitably punish them for their callous crimes.'

The Common Travel Area is an open borders area made up of the United Kingdom, Ireland, Isle of Man, and the Channel Islands. The British Overseas Territories are not included.

The woman was also arrested on suspicion of possession of criminal property. They have been taken into custody in Musgrave Police Station for questioning

The operation followed an investigation by the Home Office's Criminal and Financial Investigations team

Police officers entering a property in Belfast, as a 40-year-old woman and a 26-year-old man were arrested

Ben Thomas, deputy director for Immigration Enforcement criminal and financial investigations, said: 'Today's operation is just one of the ways we are working with our policing partners to take action against those who are attempting to bring people illegally into the country hidden in vehicles.

'We are committed to dismantling people-smuggling networks and hope these arrests send a clear message to those involved in this type of criminality that we will stop at nothing to bring you to justice.

'We will continue to work closely with law enforcement colleagues to save lives and ensure that people smugglers and traffickers face the consequences of their despicable crimes.'

It comes as Taoiseach Micheal Martin has said the UK's new immigration policy has seen a surge in asylum seekers arrive in Ireland.

Mr Martin added: 'One can see, and maybe sense that that policy announcement, which I thought was a wrong policy announcement by the UK, a shocking sort of initiative in my view, to be doing some agreement with Rwanda, clearly may have motivated people utilising the Common Travel Area to come into the Republic  yes, I think it is one of a number of factors.'
An architect who designed Russian President Vladimir Putin's infamous '1billion Black Sea Palace' has had his assets worth over 118 million seized by Italy's tax police.

Lanfranco Cirillo, 63, had a helicopter, luxurious homes, huge piles of cash and jewellery seized after he allegedly broke Italian tax rules.

Italian police also confiscated works of modern and contemporary art by famous artists such as Picasso, Kandinsky, De Chirico and Cezanne.

Cirillo, who has designed properties for Putin and 44 Russian oligarchs, is under investigation for tax crimes, money laundering and the fraudulent transfer of funds, for a total amount of over 141 million euros (118 million).

Lanfranco Cirillo, 63, (pictured) had a helicopter, luxurious homes, huge piles of cash and jewellery seized after he allegedly broke Italian tax rules

Italian police with piles of cash seized from Cirillo, who designed Putin's infamous Black Sea estate

Cirillo, who designed Russian President Vladimir Putin's infamous '1billion Black Sea Palace' (pictured), has had his assets worth over 118 million seized by Italy's tax police.

The tax police said on Wednesday it had seized the assets from a 'well-known professional' from his villa in Brescia, a town in northern Italy, citing alleged tax offences, without naming Cirillo.

But a source familiar with the matter confirmed to Reuters that the assets belonged to Cirillo, who had designed a grand estate on the Black Sea in Russia that became known as 'Putin's palace' after a businessman alleged the estate was built for Putin.

Italian investigators found that Cirillo had amassed 'significant manifestations of wealth that were completely disproportionate to the declared taxable income', reports newspaper Il Messaggero.

Cirillo allegedly failed to declare an income of tens of millions of euros from 2013 to 2019.

A lawyer for Cirillo did not respond when contacted by Reuters.

Cirillo designed President Putin's 1billion palace and the jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny has claimed a strip club, casino and a theatre are among a series of luxurious rooms inside the estate.

The opposition figure has accused Putin of owning the estate, which he claims cost 1billion and was allegedly funded through an elaborate corruption scheme involving Putin's inner circle.

Italian police seized a number of pieces of jewellery from Cirillo's villa in Brescia, Italy

Cirillo is under investigation for tax crimes, money laundering and the fraudulent transfer of funds, for a total amount of over 141 million euros (118 million). Pictured: Piles of cash seized from Cirillo's villa in Italy

Italy's tax police have seized assets worth over 141 million euros (118 million) from an architect linked to Russian President Vladimir Putin (pictured) over allegedly breaking Italian tax rules, a source familiar with the matter said on Wednesday

Navalny claims the estate and grounds that Russian media had linked to Putin years ago was paid for 'with the largest bribe in history'.

He also alleges that Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) owns some 7,000 hectares of land surrounding the property and that the complex was financed by Putin's close allies, including Igor Sechin, chief of Russian oil giant Rosneft, and billionaire tycoon Gennady Timchenko.

In a 2017 YouTube video, Navalny accused then Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev of controlling a luxury property empire.

The existence of the Black Sea property and its links to Putin first became known in 2010 when whistle-blower businessman Sergei Kolesnikov described them in a public letter to Medvedev.

In an interview with Italian televison earlier this year, Cirillo said he had designed the building but said it was commissioned by a private group and he had had no dealings with Putin.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has brushed aside the claims in comments to the state news agency RIA Novosti, calling them 'untrue'.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi departed Taiwan Wednesday after her controversial visit that infuriated the Chinese government  only to have the geopolitical tensions follow her to South Korea.

Pelosi and her congressional delegation's next stop is Seoul, where she will meet her South Korean counterpart, National Assembly Speaker Kim Jin-pyo and other ruling party members on Thursday.

But South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol won't be meeting her. Yoon is taking time off at home in Seoul.

An official from the presidential office told the South China Morning Post Yoon would not be greeting the high-profile US visitor, whose stature as a powerful Democratic leader and second in the line of succession infuriated Beijing and caused a diplomatic row.

'In the first place, there was no such a plan (for Yoon' meeting Pelosi) as the president's vacation schedule coincides with her visit here,' the official said.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her 5-member congress delegation depart Taipei Songshan Airport to South Korea after Pelosi's visit within her Pacific tour in Taipei, Taiwan on August 3, 2022. The tensions over her visit are following her on her next leg, to South Korea

That prompted speculation online that Yoon's absence was designed to avoid further antagonizing China.

The PRC made its anger clear with a series of war games for August 4 to 7, which were revealed on a map to encircle Taiwan.

Chinese jet aircraft were also spotted repeatedly very close to the Taiwan Strait. China does not recognize Taiwan's airspace. A total of 27 fighter jets including 16 Russian-made Su-30 jets crossed into Taiwan's defense zone.

Before leaving Taiwan Pelosi met with Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen in Taipei today.

'Today the world faces a choice between democracy and autocracy' she said.

'America's determination to preserve democracy, here in Taiwan and around the world, remains ironclad,' said the speaker.

Pelosi traveled on a government plane, but the White House has emphasized that lawmakers make their own decisions on travel destinations

Chinese paramilitary policemen march past the U.S. Embassy in Beijing, Wednesday, Aug. 3, 2022

South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol won't interrupt his vacation to meet Pelosi, in a move prompting speculation he is seeking to avoid further antagonizing China

Pelosi's trip prompted a furious response from Beijing

Her trip earned domestic backing from many Republican elected officials, after Biden cautioned July 20 regarding her trip that 'the military thinks it's not a good idea right now.'

White House security spokesman John Kirby said Monday that Biden had never called Pelosi to ask her not to go, and that it was the prerogative of lawmakers to set their own trips.

That didn't stop Beijing from airing its resentment before and after Pelosi's government plane landed in Taipei.

'The US side will bear the responsibility and pay the price for undermining China's sovereign security interests,' foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said at a regular press briefing Monday.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said 'the US breach of faith on the Taiwan issue is despicable' in comments published on his ministry's website Tuesday that did not specifically mention Pelosi.

Kirby responded to China's moves in an appearance on Fox News Wednesday.

'We're certainly watching them as closely as we can. You might recall on Monday we said publicly that this is exactly what we would expect the Chinese to do in the wake of, or even during, Speaker Pelosi's trip. So this is pretty much the playbook we expected,' Kirby said.

'We'll be watching to see how they develop. Again, we urge Beijing not to escalate the tensions. There's no reason to. Nothing about Speaker Pelosi's trip was inconsistent with our longstanding approach to both China and supporting Taiwan's self-defense.'

Pelosi at a news conference poked Beijing more making much more of an incident for her trip than one by a congressional delegation of male senators in April.

'They made a big fuss because I'm the Speaker, I guess. I don't know if that was a reason or an excuse,' she said. 'Because they didn't say anything when the men came.'

The U.S. gave official recognition to the Chinese regime in 1979, opening the 'one China' policy. But the Taiwan Relations Act commits the U.S. to meeting Taiwan's defensive needs.
The mother of a 'caring' student nurse who vanished more than three weeks ago has urged anyone with information about her disappearance to contact police.

Owami Davies, 24, of Grays, Essex, was last seen 'in a vulnerable state' just after midnight on July 7 in west Croydon - three days after leaving her family home.

A video released by the Metropolitan Police shows Owami crossing Derby Road in west Croydon with a mystery man as a white van pulls out into the road.

A 32-year-old was arrested on suspicion of murder yesterday at an address in south Croydon. On Monday, two men aged 23 and 27 were also arrested in Croydon, Scotland Yard stated.

Owami's distraught mother Nicol Davies said: 'It is obvious that someone out there has seen something, someone out there knows something, someone out there heard something.

'I am begging, I am asking for the public's help, from the people, to say if you know, if you have heard or seen her, or she passed you, please speak up.'

Owami Davies, 24, of Grays, Essex, was last seen 'in a vulnerable state' just after midnight on Derby Road, west Croydon, on July 7 after leaving her family home three days earlier. Here she is pictured on CCTV in a shop the same night she disappeared

Owami (pictured) has been missing in south London for four weeks and three men have been arrested on suspicion of murder this week

Owami, who has now been missing for four weeks, was in the company of a man and crossed the road as a white van pulled out.

The van driver would have had a good opportunity to see them both clearly and officers are appealing the possible witness to come forward.

Owami's mother added: 'All we really want is to find her, all we really need is for her to come home or to know her whereabouts

'I sit here as a desperate mother at the mercy of anyone that knows or heard something to help me find my baby, that's all I'm asking, just help to find her.'

She added: 'Or her, if she's somewhere and hears this, to please come home.

'We miss her so much, her brothers and myself miss her, need her.

'We are not complete, we just want her to come home and, again, if she is listening she should know she's not in trouble.'

Owami's mother Nicol Davies (pictured) has pleaded for anyone with information to assist the police investigation

Mrs Davies said: 'There are many friends and family who love and care for Owami and all of them want to see her safe return'

She said her daughter was 'really happy', had about two months left of her studies and recently secured a job with Guy's and St Thomas'.

She said Ms Davies had worked in A&E during the Covid-19 pandemic and was interested in doing research on diseases.

Nicol, a mother of three, said they had holidays planned to Spain and Disneyland Paris, saying her daughter's nickname is 'Princess' due to her love of Disney.

She said: 'We had so many things on our calendar that we still needed to do.'

She added: 'She's a lovely person. Owami's caring, she likes to help. She doesn't hold grudges. She loves her brothers, she dotes on her brothers. She loves me. As much as we love her.

Owami's mother, Nicol Davies, said: 'There are many friends and family who love and care for Owami and all of them want to see her safe return. Owami - if you see this appeal please believe you are not in any trouble, we just want you to come back to us'

The Metropolitan Police released an image of Owami walking on Derby Road in west Croydon when she was last seen on July 7 and said to be 'in a vulnerable state'

A timeline of events from the moment Ms Davies left her family home in Grays, Essex, to the point where two men were arrested on Monday in the Croydon area

Detective Chief Inspector Nigel Penney said: 'Owami is very vulnerable and the longer she is missing the more we worry that she has come to harm. Owami's family are living through a nightmare and are desperate for news'

'Owami - if you see this appeal please believe you are not in any trouble, we just want you to come back to us.

'Please leave a message if you can to let us know you are okay, we are so very worried about you.

'This is such a terrible time for all those who love Owami and I am pleading for anyone who can help find her to contact police.'

Detective Chief Inspector Nigel Penney, said: 'We are working hard to find Owami but we really do need the public's help.

'Owami is very vulnerable and the longer she is missing the more we worry that she has come to harm.

'Owami's family are living through a nightmare and are desperate for news.

'I would ask anyone who thinks they can help to come forward - as the days pass the anxiety of Owami's family will only get worse and your call could be the one they are praying for.'

Police searched a property on Derby Road, west Croydon. Police launched a missing persons investigation last month to search for the student nurse

Police said the three men that have been arrested remain in custody at a station in south London.

Detectives from the Met's Specialist Crime Command have cordoned off a property on Derby Road, where Owami was last seen, as part of their inquiries.

Officers are at the scene where two gazebo tents have been erected to the side of the house and the window in the front door has been smashed.

Two gazebo tents have been erected to the side of the house and the window in the front door has been smashed

Student Omolade, 28, who lives next door, said he wants to move away from the area due to crime. Pictured: Police outside a property on Derby Road

Student Omolade, 28, who lives next door, said he wants to move away from the area due to crime.

Police launched a missing persons investigation last month following Ms Davies' disappearance and appealed for information on her whereabouts.

Announcing the third arrest on Wednesday, the Met Police said: 'This remains a missing person investigation and our priority is finding Owami.'

The force added: 'Owami's family are being kept updated about the progress of the investigation.'

Police appealed to the public for help in piecing together Owami Davies' movements. Pictured: Police tape outside a property on Derby Road

The force appealed to the people of Croydon to check their sheds and outbuildings for anything suspicious after she was last seen in a 'vulnerable state'.

The missing student has not had contact with family or work since her disappearance last month.

Detective Constable Marie Spear said: 'Owami was in a vulnerable state when she was last seen and we need the public's help in piecing together her movements on the night she went missing.

'I would urge anyone who has seen her, or knows where she is, to contact police immediately.

'I'd also ask people in the west Croydon area to check their sheds and outbuildings and report anything suspicious or out of the ordinary.'

On Monday they said: 'Detectives from the Met's Specialist Crime Command are now leading enquiries to locate 24-year-old Owami Davies because they have the resources and expertise required for a complex investigation.'

Any witnesses or anyone with any information is asked to call police on 101 quoting reference 22MIS025307 or contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously.
The short-lived UK Parliament TikTok account has been closed after backlash from MPs about the social media firm's links to China.

The account was set up on the popular app, owned by Chinese parent firm ByteDance, as a way of engaging young people with politics.

But tensions have been rising between Beijing and the West in recent years with Westminster banning Chinese firm Huawei from involvement in the UKs 5G network.

China has also sanctioned seven MPs and peers who have criticised Beijing over its treament of the Uighur Muslim minority group - claims China has described as 'malicious lies'.

The account, which went live on July 27, has been locked and its content has been deleted less than a week on.

A UK Parliament spokesman said: 'Based on Member feedback, we are closing the pilot UK Parliament TikTok account earlier than we had planned.

'The account was a pilot initiative while we tested the platform as a way of reaching younger audiences with relevant content about Parliament.'

The UK Parliament TikTok app has been locked and deleted just a week after being set up over concerns about the app's links to the Chinese

A letter signed by senior Tory MPs who called for the account to be closed

Followers of the account are met with an updated bio that reads: 'This account is now closed. Find us at www.parliament.uk.'

ByteDance is based in China and MPs have raised concerns about user data being sent to Beijing.

In a letter to the Speakers of the Commons and Lords, seen by the Politico website, a group of senior Tory MPs including Tom Tugendhat, Nus Ghani and Iain Duncan Smith - who have been sanctioned by the Beijing government for speaking out about human rights abuse - complained about the TikTok account.

Former Tory leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith welcomed the decision to close the account after he signed the letter calling for it to be deleted, as did Tom Tugendhat and Nus Ghani

What is TikTok and who owns it? TikTok is a social media app whose parent company ByteDance is Chinese. Users can live stream, create short videos and music videos and Gifs with a host of functions. TikTok's tagline is 'Make every second count'. In 2019, it became the second-most downloaded app globally behind Whatsapp. TikTok is known in China as Douyin where it was launched in 2016 and then made more widely available around the world in 2017. Douyin is still the version of the app used in China, available to download separately to TikTok. The app is most popular among children and young people who use it to film themselves dancing and lip-syncing to chart hits. It offers users a raft of colourful modification and editing tools including overlaying music, sound, animated stickers, filters and augmented reality (AR) for creating short videos. The Beijing-based social network TikTok reached one billion global users in the third quarter of 2021 and is expected to reach 1.8 billion by the end of 2022. Advertisement

'The prospect of Xi Jinping's government having access to personal data on our children's phones ought to be a cause for major concern,' the letter said.

Theo Bertram, the app's vice president for government relations and public policy in Europe, told MPs in July 'we have never been asked to provide TikTok user data to the Chinese government, nor would we if asked'.

TikTok confirmed that they had written to the members that had signed the letter to help them understand the data protection process, and reassure them that the data is stored in the US and Singapore.

A TikTok spokesperson said: 'While it is disappointing that Parliament will no longer be able to connect with the millions of people who use TikTok in the UK, we reiterate the offer to reassure those Members of Parliament who raised concerns and clarify any inaccuracies about our platform.'

Former Tory leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith welcomed the decision to close the TikTok account, which followed pressure from the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China.

He said: 'We are pleased that Parliament, immediately they were told, understood there was a problem and shut it down.

'It's important for others to look at that now and we need to start talking to people about not using TikTok.'

Just last month, there were also calls for the UK to ban two Chinese CCTV cameras that can recognise faces, eavesdrop on conversations and judge a person's mood.

A group of 67 MPs and Lords including Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey urged the government to ban the sale and use of Kikvision and Dahua cameras.

The question of the privacy of UK TikTok users grew with the eruption of hostilities over Huawei and Hong Kong after the UK Governments decision to previously ban the Chinese telecoms firm from the 5G network over security fears.

Telecoms firms were prohibited from buying Huawei 5G while all of the firm's existing 5G technology is set to be stripped out of the network by the end of 2027.

This sparked a further deterioration in relations between the UK and China, with tensions already strained over Beijing succeeding in forcing through a sweeping security law that brought Hong Kong under its control.

And the most recent tension comes over the independence of Taiwan. China claim Taiwan as their own as the UK looks to stand up and support the democratically run island along with the US.

Beijing has repeatedly warned against House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visiting Taiwan but after she did, it has urged Britain not to follow in her footsteps.
One of the UK's most dangerous terrorists jailed for plotting an attack on the London Stock Exchange could be free in just a few months after he was granted a parole hearing.

Nazam Hussain, a close friend of London Bridge killer Usman Khan, was part of a trio dubbed 'the more serious jihadists' when they were jailed in 2012.

Hussain, 35, and his gang were behind an al-Qaeda-inspired plot to blow up the London Stock Exchange on Christmas Eve.

The plans involved a coordinated bomb-and-gun attack similar to the November 2008 attacks in Mumbai, India, which killed 175 people and injured more than 300.

Nazam Hussain,35, was part of a trio dubbed 'the more serious jihadists' when they were jailed in 2012

London Bridge killer Usman Khan (pictured) was released in December 2018. He was close friends with Nazam Hussain

Mohammed Shahjahan (pictured), from Stoke-on-Trent, was arrested on December 20, 2010, alongside Hussain and Khan

At the time of his jailing, Hussain was considered as dangerous as his co-conspirator Usman Khan, 28, who went on to kill Jack Merritt, 25, and 23-year-old Saskia Jones at Fishmongers' Hall in central London in November 2019.

MailOnline can reveal the appeal was adjourned on July 19 for more reports by the intelligence service MI5, police and jail counter terrorism units.

No date has yet been set for the hearing to recommence, but it could be listed for later this year. If he wins the appeal, Hussain would be released on licence a few weeks later.

A spokesperson for the Parole Board said: 'There are a number of situations where an adjournment may be required, for example more information is required, the prisoner needs more time to complete a course, a witness is not available, or for some other unavoidable reason.

'The Parole Board does everything it can to avoid these delays.

Fishmongers Hall attacker Usman Khan is seen being detained by police and bystanders

Usman Khan, 28, went on to kill Jack Merritt (left), 25, and 23-year-old Saskia Jones (right) at Fishmongers' Hall in central London in November 2019

'Any decision to adjourn an oral hearing must be recorded in writing with reasons, and that record must be provided to the prisoner and/or their legal representative and the Secretary of State no more than 14 days after the date of that decision.

'Parole Board decisions are solely focused on what risk a prisoner could represent to the public if released and whether that risk is manageable in the community.

'The panel will carefully examine a whole range of evidence, including details of the original crime, and any evidence of behaviour change, as well as understand the harm done and impact the crime has had on the victims.

'Parole reviews are undertaken thoroughly and with extreme care. Protecting the public is our number one priority.'

Hussain, Khan and Mohammed Shahjahan, all from Stoke-on-Trent, were arrested on December 20, 2010.

The trio were part of a self-contained radical cell preaching an extreme version of Islam on the streets of Tunstall and Cobridge, in Staffordshire.

The intelligence services recorded them talking about blowing up pub toilets in Stoke-on-Trent and also discussing how they would raise funds for their terrorist training.

The three men - all British-born and of Pakistani origin - were also part of a terrorist network, which also involved cells in London and Cardiff who were planning to attack the London Stock Exchange.

Bugs hidden in their cars and other covert recording techniques allowed MI5 to listen in on many of their conversations after the three cells met up in Cwn Carn Country Park in Newport, Wales, in 2010.

On January 31, 2012, Hussain, Khan and Shahjahan pleaded guilty to engaging in conduct in preparation for acts of terrorism.

The November 2008 attacks in Mumbai, India, killed 175 people and injured more than 300

Judge Mr Justice Wilkie said at the time these three were 'the more serious jihadists' and said they should not be released until they were no longer a threat to the public.

Passing sentence, he added this was a 'serious, long-term venture in terrorism' that could also have resulted in atrocities in the UK.

'It was envisaged by them all that ultimately they and the other recruits may return to the UK as trained and experienced terrorists available to perform terrorist attacks in this country, on one possibility contemplated in the context of the return of British troops from Afghanistan.'

They were sentenced to either eight years or eight years and eight months, but under indeterminate sentences for public protection (IPPs).

These special sentences meant they could be kept in prison beyond their original minimum term.

Upon appeal they were given fixed terms.

Both Hussain and Khan were ordered to serve at least eight years of their new 16-year-sentence. Khan was released in December 2018 and it is believed Hussain was released at the same time.

(From L to R) upper row: Mohammed Moksudur Chowdhury, Mohammed Shahjahan, Shah Mohammed Rahman, middle row: Mohibur Rahman, Gurukanth Desai, Abdul Malik Miah, lower row: Nazam Hussain, Usman Khan, Omar Sharif Latif

Hussain was returned to prison in November 2019 following a review of terrorists released on licence in the wake of the London Bridge attack on November 29, 2019.

He was held in prison for a suspected violation of conditions of his release.

MailOnline can reveal that Hussain is currently held in maximum security HMP Wakefield, West Yorkshire.

Four others pleaded guilty to engaging in conduct in preparation for acts of terrorism by planning to plant a bomb in the toilets of the London Stock Exchange

They were Gurukanth Desai, 30 at the time, from Cardiff, jailed for 12 years, Abdul Miah, then 25, from Cardiff, sentenced to 16 years and 10 months, Mohammed Chowdhury, 22, from London, imprisoned for 13 years, 8 months and Shah Rahman, 28, also from London, who got 12 years.

At the 2012 trial, Omar Latif, then aged 28, from Cardiff, admitted attending meetings with the intention of assisting others to prepare or commit acts of terrorism. He was given a sentence of 10 years and 4 months.

Mohibur Rahman, 28, from London, was given a five-year sentence after he admitted to possessing two editions of an al-Qaeda magazine for terrorist purposes.

Since the introduction of the Terrorist Offenders (Restriction of Early Release) Act 2020, at least 117 cases have been referred to the Parole Board.
A 12-year-old girl escaped from her kidnapper who tied her to a bedpost and drugged her with alcohol, by chewing through her restraints. Her escape led police to find two decomposed bodies in his home.

Jose Paulino Pascual-Reyes, 37, has been charged with first-degree kidnapping, two counts of capital murder, and two counts of abuse of a corpse in Dadeville, Alabama, on Tuesday.

The girl, who was not identified by police, was found by a motorist around 8.30am on Monday while she was walking down County Road 34. After picking up the child, the driver immediately called 911, according to AL.com.

She was reportedly assaulted, drugged with alcohol, and tied to a bedpost during her week-long captivity and only managed to escape by chewing through her restraints, damaging her braces, according to WSFA.

The girl was not reported missing, according to The New York Times.

Jose Paulino Pascual-Reyes, 37, was arrested for allegedly kidnapping and assaulting a 12-year-old girl. He has been charged with kidnapping, as well as, capital murder and abuse of a corpse after police found two bodies in his home

The girl was reportedly bound to a bedpost and drugged with alcohol during her week-long captivity. She managed to escape by chewing through her restraining, damaging her braces

The little girl was found walking on the same road Reyes' mobile home was located and where the bodies were found

Authorities did not indicate whether or not the pair knew each other or how she was taken. However, they did report that she was 'safe now' and had received 'medical attention.'

'We want to keep her that way,' Tallapoosa County Sheriff Jimmy Abbett said at a press conference this week. Abbett also described the girl as a 'hero' and said they couldn't release much information, in order to protect the child.

The following day, Reyes was arrested by State Marshalls and the Auburn Police Department after state, local, and federal investigators worked to identify him and he was taken to the Tallapoosa County Jail.

While searching his mobile home, authorities discovered two decomposing bodies. The bodies were sent to the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences for identification.

There were other residents in the home when police arrived at the scene on Tuesday, but Abbett did not say whether or not they would be charged too.

Reyes is now awaiting a bond hearing.

Homeland Security is helping the local department with the investigation.
A Brazilian male model has been arrested for running over and killing a 16-year-old boy.

Bruno Krupp, 25, was riding his motorcycle at an excessive speed and without a license when he struck Joao Cardim in Rio de Janeiro on Saturday night, according to police.

Cardim was conscious and rushed to Lourenco Jorge Municipal Hospital where he died shortly thereafter.

Krupp was taken to the same medical facility for treatment for abrasions and was discharged Sunday. The social media influencer attended another hospital for follow-up care and was taken into custody Wednesday after a judge issued an arrest warrant on a homicide charge.

Judge Maria Isabel Pena Pierant indicated that failing to apprehend Krupp 'would compromise public order, being the its essential constriction to avoid the commission of crimes of the same nature, and it can be said that the measure also aims to protect society from conduct that he may practice.'

TV Globo reported that Krupp is expected to undergo clavicle surgery.

Brazilian model Bruno Krupp is facing a homicide charge after he ran over and killed 16-year-old Joao Cardim in Rio de Janeiro on Saturday night. The 25-year-old social media influencer was seen speeding on his motorcycle - which he was riding without a license - before he struck Cardim. The teen was taken to a local hospital where he died. Krupp was treated for injuries and released Sunday. But he visited a hospital Wednesday where cops took him into custody after a judge issued an arrest warrant

Brazilian 16-year-old Joao Cardim (right) was walking with his mother, Mariana Cardim (left), to a beach in the Rio de Janeiro neighborhood of Barra de Tijuca on Saturday night when he was run over by Bruno Krupp, a Brazilian model who was riding a motorcycle without a license. The teenager lost a part of his leg leg in the accident and was rushed to a local hospital where he died

Residents and police surround the motorcycle that Brazilian model Bruno Krupp was riding when he ran over and killed a teenager in Rio de Janeiro on Saturday

Krupp was allegedly traveling at over 90 miles per hour when he struck Cardim, who had just left a birthday party with his mother, Mariana Cardim, and was going for a short walk on the beach before heading back to their home.

Surveillance cameras showed Krupp racing down Lucio Costa Avenue in Barra de Tijuca neighborhood before he ran over Joao Cardim.

Bystanders dining on nearby sidewalk restaurant tables were shocked and rushed down the street to the site of the accident.

The crash impact amputated a part of Cardims left leg, which was found on a grass lawn next to the beach entrance about 165 feet away from where he was struck.

Brazilian model Bruno Krupp with his ex-girlfriend and social media influencer, Sarah Poncio

Restaurant customers (left) react after witnessing the moment Brazilian model Bruno Krupp ran over 16-year-old Joao Cardim in Rio de Janeiro on Saturday

A kiosk worker told Brazilian news outlet G1 that Krupp was known for speeding on his motorcycle on weekends.

Just three days before the deadly accident, Krupp was pulled over by the police and summoned for operating the motorcycle without a license.

The bike did not have any license plates either.
Dame Cressida Dick has escaped criminal and disciplinary proceedings despite a damning report finding she 'may have breached' police standards over the unsolved murder of Daniel Morgan.

No one has been brought to justice for the brutal killing of Mr Morgan in the cark park of the Golden Lion pub in Sydenham, south-east London in March 1987.

The 37-year-old was found with an axe lodged in his skull and 1,000 in banknotes in a pocket.

An independent panel set up to look into the case published a scathing report in June last year in which it accused the Met of 'a form of institutional corruption' for concealing or denying failings over the unsolved murder.

Today, the police watchdog published its own assessment of matters linked to that report.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said it had determined 'that there is an indication former Commissioner Cressida Dick, when she was an Assistant Commissioner and, from May 2013 to the beginning of 2015, the senior officer responsible for the inquiry, may have breached the standards of professional behaviour but which does not justify disciplinary action'.

It said there is 'no evidence to indicate Commissioner Dick intended to protect corrupt officers'.

However, Mr Morgan's family were left furious by the findings, describing it as a 'shabby exercise'.

Former Metropolitan Police commissioner Dame Cressida Dick (pictured) may have breached the standards of professional behaviour in relation to the case of murdered private investigator Daniel Morgan, a review has found

Mr Morgan was killed with an axe in the car park of the Golden Lion pub in Sydenham, south-east London, on March 10 1987

The top cop dogged by controversy: String of disasters at the Met under Dame Cressida's watch Jean Charles De Menezes pictured in Paris three months before he was shot dead on a train at Stockwell station on July 22, 2005 July 22, 2005: Jean Charles de Menezes is shot dead on a train at Stockwell Underground station in South London. The shooting happened when counter-terrorism officers mistook the innocent electrician for one of the terrorists behind an attack on the capital a day earlier. Mr de Menezes, a Brazilian working in the capital, was blasted in the head seven times by police at Stockwell station after being followed by officers from his home nearby. Mr de Menezes's family led a long campaign calling for police officers to be prosecuted for the shooting and criticising Scotland Yard for its handling of the operation, which was led at the time by Dame Cressida. Dame Cressida was cleared of all blame by later inquiries, but Mr de Menezes' family expressed 'serious concerns' when she was appointed Met Commissioner in 2017. The top policewoman told the Mail in 2018: 'It was an appalling thing  an innocent man killed by police. Me in charge. Awful for the family and I was properly held to account. We learned every lesson that was to be learned'. April 2017: Appointed as first female Metropolitan Police commissioner with a brief to modernise the force and keep it out of the headlines. April 2019: Extinction Rebellion protesters bring London to a standstill over several days with the Met powerless to prevent the chaos. Dame Cressida says the numbers involved were far greater than expected and used new tactics but she admits police should have responded quicker. September 2019: Her role in setting up of shambolic probe into alleged VIP child sex abuse and murder based on testimony from the fantasist Carl Beech (right) is revealed but she declines to answer questions. 2020: Official report into Operation Midland said Met was more interested in covering up mistakes than learning from them. February 2021: Lady Brittan condemns the culture of 'cover up and flick away' in the Met and the lack of a moral compass among senior officers. The same month a freedom of information request reveals an extraordinary spin campaign to ensure Dame Cressida was not 'pulled into' the scandal over the Carl Beech debacle. March: Criticised for Met handling of a vigil for Sarah Everard, where officers arrested four attendees. Details would later emerge about how her killer, Wayne Couzens (right), used his warrant card to trick her into getting into his car. In the first six months of the year, London was on course for its worst year for teenage deaths  30  with knives being responsible for 19 out of the 22 killed so far. The youngest was 14-year-old Fares Matou, cut down with a Samurai sword. Dame Cressida had told LBC radio in May her top priority was tackling violent crime. June: A 20million report into the Daniel Morgan murder brands the Met 'institutionally corrupt' and accuses her of trying to block the inquiry. Dame Cressida rejects its findings. Mr Morgan is pictured below. July: Police watchdog reveals three Met officers being probed over alleged racism and dishonesty. The same month the Yard boss is at the centre of another storm after it emerged she was secretly referred to the police watchdog over comments she made about the stop and search of Team GB sprinter Bianca Williams. Dame Cressida is accused of pre-empting the outcome of an independent investigation. Also in July she finds herself under fire over her woeful security operation at the Euro 2020 final at Wembley where fans without tickets stormed the stadium and others used stolen steward vests and ID lanyards to gain access. August Dame Cressida facing a potential misconduct probe over her open support for Deputy Assistant Commissioner Matt Horne who could stand trial over alleged data breaches. December: Two police officers who took pictures of the bodies of murdered sisters Bibaa Henry and Nicole Smallman (right) were jailed for two years and nine months each. Pc Deniz Jaffer and Pc Jamie Lewis were assigned to guard the scene overnight after Ms Henry, 46, and Ms Smallman, 27, were found dead in bushes in Fryent Country Park, Wembley, north-west London. Instead, they breached the cordon to take photographs of the bodies, which were then shared with colleagues and members of the public on WhatsApp. December: Dame Cressida apologises to the family of a victim of serial killer Stephen Port (right). Officers missed several chances to catch him after he murdered Anthony Walgate in 2014. Dame Cressida - who was not commissioner at the time of the murder - told Mr Walgate's mother: 'I am sorry, both personally and on behalf of The Met  had police listened to what you said, things would have turned out a lot differently'.' January 2022: She faces a barrage of fresh criticism for seeking to 'muzzle' Sue Gray's Partygate report by asking her to make only 'minimal' references to parties the Met were investigating. February 2022: Details of messages exchanged by officers at Charing Cross Police Station, which included multiple references to rape, violence against women, racist and homophobic abuse, are unveiled in a watchdog report. August 2022: IOPC report into the murder of Daniel Morgan found she 'may have breached police standards'. Advertisement

The IOPC added that Ms Dick appeared to have 'acted in the genuine belief she had a legitimate policing purpose' due to concerns about protecting information 'but may have got it wrong by prioritising those concerns over her duty to facilitate full and exceptional disclosure to the Panel'.

The watchdog concluded that the criticisms in the report 'do not meet the required threshold for a conduct matter to be recorded and there are no grounds on which to exercise the power of initiative'.

Despite five police inquiries and an inquest, no-one has been brought to justice over the father-of-two's death, with the Metropolitan Police admitting corruption had hampered the original murder investigation.

The inquiries so far are estimated to have cost more than 40 million.

The IOPC said that, following its detailed and thorough assessment panel's 2021 report 'there are no new avenues for investigation which could now result in either criminal or disciplinary proceedings'.

In a statement, Mr Morgan's family said they are 'disappointed but not surprised' by the IOPC's review.

They said: 'We have to ask: why did it take some 14 months for the IOPC to produce what is no more than a rather poor shadow of the findings published by the Daniel Morgan Independent Panel (DMIP) in June 2021?

'What we find here is a rather shabby exercise by the IOPC to avoid the implications of the police corruption and criminality which the panel's report compelled them to acknowledge.'

Regarding the specific finding about Dame Cressida, the Morgan family said it appeared the watchdog have looked for 'reasons not to use their powers to act on that finding'.

They added: 'In doing so, the IOPC shows that it suffers the very sickness within its own ranks that it purports to diagnose within the Met.'

Sal Naseem, IOPC regional director for London, said: 'From the first to last investigation into Daniel Morgan's murder there were failures to adequately challenge and investigate allegations that officers had acted corruptly.

'In coming to our decisions, we are acutely aware that not one single officer was ever successfully prosecuted or received significant disciplinary action as a result of corruption directly connected to the murder investigations.

'The wrongs that occurred can never be put right, but it may have served as some small comfort to Mr Morgan's family and loved ones if the officers involved had been held to account and suffered the consequences of their actions at the time.

'The circumstances of these matters must serve as a salient reminder to the Metropolitan Police and the police service more widely, of the importance of being constantly vigilant in challenging improper and corrupt behaviour swiftly, firmly and robustly.'

Dame Cressida stepped down from her role as commissioner in April, after criticism over her handling of racist, misogynist and homophobic messages shared by a group of officers based at Charing Cross police station and following a series of other scandals which plagued the Met during her time in post.

She said: 'After their assessment, the IOPC has concluded that there are not grounds for any misconduct investigation - and wouldn't be even if I were still serving.

'This conclusion concurs with the assessment made by the Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime many months ago.

'The IOPC recognise that everything I did was for a legitimate purpose.

'They also recognise that in providing 'full and exceptional disclosure' to the panel I had to fulfil other legal responsibilities - most importantly, not to disclose inappropriately information that would put lives at risk.

'I disagree with their analysis that my actions 'may give an indication of a breach of standards of professional behaviour' and that 'I may have got the balance wrong'.

'In the period from September 2014 to January 2015, the record shows I and my team acted professionally, flexibly, expeditiously, diligently and with integrity in a challenging, unprecedented and complex task.

'By December 2014, the Panel had received 133,000 pages of material.

'Finally, and most importantly, I deeply regret that no one has been brought to justice for Daniel's murder and regret everything the Met or any of its members have done which has added to the pain of Daniel's family of losing Daniel in such terrible circumstances.'

The Met said in a statement today that it notes the comments by the IOPC, and agreed that there are insufficient or no grounds to take any further action.

An indication that there may have been a breach of the standards of professional behaviour does not mean misconduct is proven, a spokesperson said.

Assistant Commissioner Amanda Pearson said: 'We deeply regret that we have been unable to bring those responsible for the murder of Daniel Morgan to justice. We profoundly apologise.

'Corrupt individuals, including police officers, played a significant part in undermining our ability to bring offenders to justice and we recognise the impact this has had on the public's confidence in us.

'In the years that have passed we've transformed how we investigate homicide, identify misconduct and drive out corruption. We continue to work on implementing the recommendations set out by HMICFRS's report relating to the Daniel Morgan Independent Panel and counter-corruption in the Met.

'We are always open to learning and are studying this report to understand how it can shape our work.'

Sir Mark Rowley was last month named the next Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police by Priti Patel and Sadiq Khan who have backed him to turn around the failing force.

Scotland Yard's former head of counterterrorism and ex-Surrey chief constable beat Nick Ephgrave, a Metropolitan Police assistant commissioner, to the 292,000-a-year job.

The Met was put into special measures earlier this summer after a devastating inspection revealed a catalogue of new failures including officers failing to record tens of thousands of crimes, ignoring almost all victims of anti-social behaviour, letting down vulnerable victims and neglected a huge backlog of online child abuse referrals.

Sir Mark said : 'Our mission is to lead the renewal of policing by consent which has been so heavily dented in recent years as trust and confidence have fallen.

'We will deliver more trust, less crime and high standards for London and beyond and we will work with London's diverse communities as we together renew the uniquely British invention of 'policing by consent'.'

Sir Mark said he was 'deeply honoured' to take up the role.

He said: 'Our mission is to lead the renewal of policing by consent which has been so heavily dented in recent years as trust and confidence have fallen.

'I am grateful that the Home Secretary and Mayor are both determined to support the urgent reforms we need to deliver successful community crimefighting in today's fast moving world. These reforms include our use of technology and data, our culture and our policing approach. We will fight crime with communities - not unilaterally dispense tactics.

'I also know that the majority of officers and staff retain an extraordinary sense of vocation and determination and want us to do better. It is my job to help them do that, whilst also being ruthless in removing those who are corrupting our integrity'.
Britain is the card fraud capital of Europe as we suffer the most cons with the highest losses, new figures released today show.

European Central Bank data shows that the UK boasts 134 card frauds per 1,000 population which is more than other major economies like France (115), Spain (37), Italy (19) and Germany (15).

Our 'shocking record' could mean both that Brits do not know how to protect access to their bank accounts and that criminal fraud gangs target the UK more.



Britons also suffer the highest value card fraud, with the cost of fraud per 1,000 people in the UK 8,833.20, compared to France (6,069), Spain (2,377.45), Germany (1,885.09) and Italy (965.60).

The Social Market Foundation (SMF), who analysed the data, are calling on the Government to recruit more staff to stop fraudsters in their tracks.

Britain is also not just the European capital of card fraud, but according to an investigation by the Daily Mail, is also the leading global location for all scams, and has seen 3billion losses a year.

European Central Bank (ECB) data shows that the UK boasts 134 card frauds per 1,000 population which is more than other major economies like France (115), Spain (37), Italy (19) and Germany (15)

Britons also suffer the highest value card fraud, with the cost of fraud per 1,000 people in the UK 8,833.20, compared to France (6,069), Spain (2,377.45), Germany (1,885.09) and Italy (965..60)

Richard Hyde, SMF Senior Researcher, said: 'Britain's shocking record on card fraud compared to major European economies is yet another reminder of how UK law enforcement has failed to keep up with the epidemic.

'Policymakers need to reflect further on why we're at this stage. Solving the crisis will take more than just increased police staff.

'Whilst specialist staff will certainly play a crucial role, the entire fraud law enforcement landscape needs an overhaul - with reforms that will transform the system and enact lasting change.

'There is no time to delay - fraud and economic crime is evolving to be more difficult to investigate and solve - so policymakers must start to make comprehensive system changes now.'

Our 'shocking record' could mean both that Brits do not know how to protect access to their bank accounts and that criminal fraud gangs target the UK more. Pictured: Stock of credit cards

The SMF's 2019 data on cards, inhabitants, transactions per card and transactions per inhabitant are taken from the ECB Statistical Data Warehouse.

It includes Card-Not-Present (CNP) fraud, where your card number is used for a purchase; Point of Sale fraud, where your stolen/cloned card is used to buy something; and ATM fraud, where your stolen/copied card is used to withdraw cash.

CNP fraud was 84 per cent of all UK card fraud, meaning most people do not knwo their card numbers are used without their knowledge or consent.

Card fraud is 45 per cent of all fraud losses, according to UK Finance. UK Finance also estimate the total number of fraud cases on UK issued cards was 2,835,622 in 2020 - up from in 2016 (1,820,726 cases).

According to the Crime Survey for England and Wales, between April 2021 and March 2022 there were 2.3 million 'bank and card frauds', 1.4 million 'consumer and retail frauds', 599,000 'advance fee frauds' and 245,000 'other frauds'.

The losses per person in the UK are also far higher than in other leading Western economies, including the United States, Canada and Australia.

The Daily Mail claims it is getting worse as criminals exploit the cost of living squeeze to find new ways to con the elderly and vulnerable.

Britain has become the global capital of fraud, with losses rocketing to almost 3billion a year, a Daily Mail investigation reveals today. Pictured: The scale of the issue in numbers

In April, thieves took 700million, compared with an average of 200million a month over the previous year and a Mail audit of official fraud figures in 2021 found the UK loses 36.02 per person.

This is more than double the amount lost per capita that year in the US, according to figures from the Federal Trade Commission, more than five times that recorded in Australia and almost six times the amount logged in Canada. New Zealand had a rate of just 1.73 per person in 2021.

The newspaper also explained that scammers use Britain as the perfect place to test new frauds before moving on two years later to the US and then around the world.

This is believed to be partly due to the UKs super-fast payments infrastructure  which makes it easy for smash and grab frauds  and our use of English, which is widely spoken by foreign-based phone scammers.

But critics say another major problem is the UKs disjointed and under-resourced policing of fraud

There are at least 23 police, governmental and other official bodies tasked with tackling fraud which also have to contend with much of the scammers being located oversees.

The figures for reported losses to scams are just the tip of the iceberg. Fraud costs individuals and businesses in the UK 137 billion a year, according to research published last year by accountancy firm Crowe UK in conjunction with the Centre for Counter Fraud Studies at the University of Portsmouth.
Belt and Road in eyes of an Argentine teacher

Xinhua) 16:33, August 03, 2022

NANJING, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) -- Esteban Zottele, a 51-year-old Argentine, has always been fond of China. As a child, he created a picture of China in his mind through reading books. When he grew up, he traveled to the mysterious oriental country and settled down. He now is also an ambassador for the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

Zottele has been in China for over 20 years. His first acquaintance with China was at the age of five at an acrobatic show performed by a Chinese troupe in Argentina. He said reading more about China "sparked his curiosity and fascination with everything about the country."

In 1999, Zottele made his first trip to China. During his month-long stay, he toured Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and other cities.

The trip changed his life. He began learning Chinese, eating Chinese food and even practicing Kung fu after returning to Argentina.

In 2010, he came to study at Renmin University of China in Beijing and obtained a doctoral degree. In his spare time, Zottele spent most of his time traveling around, with his footsteps having reached the cities of Baoding, Chongqing and Shenzhen.

"My study experience has made me more closely connected with China," he said.

He was stunned at the vast and rich culture and the rapid development and transformation of China over the years.

"Most cities are now connected by high-speed railway, unlike when I first visited here," Zottele said.

"My father is in Mexico, my mother is in Argentina, and I'm in China. We can video chat simultaneously through WeChat, which is very convenient," he said.

Currently, Zottele teaches Spanish at the School of Foreign Studies of Changzhou University in east China's Jiangsu Province. He is also the deputy director of the Latin American Studies Center of the university. Since 2013, he has been carrying out research on the China-proposed BRI.

To Zottele, the BRI is a good opportunity to help boost the development of Latin American countries.

"In recent years, more and more Latin American countries have joined China in constructing the BRI. During the process, Argentine companies can expand the market in China and improve commercial relations between the two nations," said Zottele.

Zottele believes that cultural differences should be recognized and cross-cultural interactions should be prioritized, so as to foster mutual understanding and trust among people of all countries.

"During daily teaching, I would help students develop their cross-cultural communication and management skills, as well as motivate them to participate in more cultural exchange activities between China and Latin America, and genuinely engage in international exchanges," he said.

He also led a team of teachers and businessmen from Latin America to visit Changzhou before the outbreak of COVID-19. Within two weeks, the team members improved their understanding of China and were eager to cooperate with Chinese enterprises.

"They found that China developed considerably more quickly than they thought. And people's living standards are improving rapidly," said Zottele.

Zottele's father, too, is devoted to the research of the BRI. In 2020, Zottele and his father co-authored a book on the BRI.

"I frequently explain to my family and friends in Argentina that hearing about China from others is insufficient. They need to visit China and learn about Chinese traditional culture, as well as the development of modern China and the hospitality of Chinese people," said Zottele.

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun)
Kansas residents have voted against lawmakers' efforts to eliminate the state's abortion protections after the Supreme Court's overturning of the landmark Roe v. Wade.

Voters opposed the amendment that would have allowed lawmakers to regulate abortion in the region. The vote on Tuesday means that Kansas has become the first state in the United States to vote on an abortion-related issue since the Supreme Court's decision.

Abortion Ban Amendment

The constitutional amendment, which was supported by a campaign named Value Them Both, would have given elected representatives the ability to pass legislation regulating abortion in Kansas. The process has been restricted after the state's Supreme Court previously found the 1859 Kansas Constitution grants a "natural right" to abortion.

The Kansas Supreme Court struck down a ban in 2019 on surgical abortions in a 6-1 decision, ruling that the state's constitution protected women's choice to engage in that activity as a "right." Furthermore, the court ruled that the state constitution incorporated language from the Declaration of Independence that recognized that certain rights predated the country, as per Fox News.

The court said that the Declaration's "natural, inalienable rights" included "personal autonomy," which covered decisions regarding abortion. The majority opinion read that the particular right allows a woman to make her own decisions regarding her body, health, family formation, and family life. These are all decisions that can include whether to continue a pregnancy or get an abortion.

Read Also: Indiana Protesters Swarm Statehouse as Lawmakers Meet in Special Session To Consider Abortion Ban

Prior to Tuesday's results, supporters and coalitions in favor of the amendment faced opposition on a local and national level. This came with out-of-state donors and pro-choice groups spending millions to protect abortion in the state.

According to the Washington Post, the vote results mark a major victory for abortion rights following the Supreme Court's ruling on Roe v. Wade. Despite being traditionally a conservative state, Kansas' vote on abortion rights bolsters Democrats' hopes that the historic ruling will animate voters in an otherwise difficult election year for the left.

Victory for Abortion Advocates

Furthermore, the vote signals that abortion is an energizing issue that could affect turnout in the November midterm elections. The question that was presented to Kansas voters was whether abortion protections should be stripped from the state constitution.

After 90% of the votes were counted, 60% of voters wanted to maintain those abortion protections compared with only 40% who wanted to remove them. The turnout for the Tuesday primary election far exceeded other contests in recent years, with roughly 900,000 Kansan residents voting. It is near twice as many as the 473,438 who turned out in the 2018 primary election.

Abortion rights advocates immediately pointed to the Kansas abortion vote as evidence that Americans are angry about the efforts to roll back women's rights in the country. In a statement, NARAL Pro-Choice America President Mini Timmaraju said, "At a time when reproductive freedom is under unprecedented threat across the country, Kansans said loud and clear at the ballot box: 'We've had enough.'"

A similar constitutional amendment is on the ballot this November in Kentucky, which is currently enforcing a total abortion ban on its residents. Montana residents will later vote on whether to grant legal rights for infants "born alive after an abortion," 19th News reported.



Related Article: Biden Justice Department Challenges Idaho Abortion Ban Over Medical Emergencies

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New pictures have emerged showing the first Kremlin official to quit over Vladimir Putin's war in Ukraine lying in hospital in Sardinia, partially paralysed and unable to close his eyes.

While Anatoly Chubais' condition was today formally diagnosed as being Guillain-Barre syndrome - a rare neurological disorder - there are reports that Italian secret services continue to investigate the case over possible foul play.

Chubais, 67, who was once the Kremlin chief of staff, deputy prime minister and Putin's climate envoy, was also visited by an Italian prosecutor today.

This follows multiple cases where enemies of Putin have suffered poisoning or died in suspicious circumstances with longstanding fears in Western intelligence that Russian laboratories have sought to create toxins that mimic real diseases.

New pictures have emerged showing Anatoly Chubais (pictured) - the first Kremlin official to quit over Vladimir Putin's war in Ukraine lying in hospital in Sardinia - partially paralysed and unable to close his eyes. Chubais' condition was today formally diagnosed as having Guillain-Barre syndrome, but some have suggested he was poisoned

The politician, who in the 1990s led the programme to privatise Soviet industry, has suffered partial facial paralysis and cannot walk or close his eyes.

Chubais is the most senior Russian official to quit in protest over Putin's brutal war in Ukraine after he resigned from his post in March and fled his home country.

He had served Russia for many years, and had been a top Kremlin official even before Putin was promoted to his first job in the federal government.

'His condition has stabilised, but Anatoly [Chubais] is still in intensive care, his legs and arms do not work well, his eyes cannot be closed, and he has partial facial paralysis,' said journalist and ex-presidential election candidate Ksenia Sobchak, who first broke the story of his illness.

She wrote earlier that specialists in hazmat suits had checked the location where he was taken ill, evidently amidst fears of poisoning.

Guillain-Barre syndrome, a highly rare and serious condition which can be life threatening, affects the nerves in the feet, hands and limbs.

It thought to be caused by a problem with the immune system, and predominantly causes numbness, weakness and pain.

It can be treated - and most people with the syndrome will eventually make a full recovery, although this can take up to 12 months. Some people are left with long-term issues relating to the condition.

Chubais is the most senior Russian official to quit in protest over Putin's war in Ukraine after he resigned from his post as the president's envoy to international organisations in March and fled his country. He had been a top Kremlin official even before Putin was promoted to his first job in the federal government. Pictured: Anatoly Chubais shakes hands with Boris Yeltsin

This follows multiple cases where enemies of Putin (pictured August 1 in Moscow) have suffered poisoning or died in suspicious circumstances with longstanding fears in Western intelligence that Russian laboratories have sought to create toxins that mimic real diseases.

A post from anti-Putin General SVR Telegram channel claimed that Chubais had been named on a draft hit list, while giving no evidence for such an allegation.

The list was supposedly made up of people hostile to Nikolai Patrushev - a close crony of the president who is secretary of the Russian security council.

The channel has previously claimed that last month there was a mysterious - and unannounced - assassination attempt against Patrushev, 71, a former head of the FSB secret service who is believed to be whom Putin hands power when he is absent for medical treatment, and also a key architect of the war in Ukraine.

'The list is large and contains 18 names of fairly well-known people, while Patrushev does not provide any evidence that would indicate that these people were directly related to the organisation of the assassination attempt,' said the channel.

'This is more like an attempt by the secretary of the security council to settle scores with old 'well-wishers' by eliminating people who are personally objectionable to him in competing clans.

Patrushev 'included in it several people to whom Putin feels personal dislike or has some doubts about sincere loyalty.

Chubais, 67, was once the Kremlin chief of staff, a former deputy prime minister and Putin's climate envoy. Pictured: Chubais (right) speaks with Putin (left)

Chubais is believed to be particularly disliked by Nikolai Patrushev, another close crony of the president who is secretary of the Russian security council. There are claims that his son Dmitry Patrushev (pictured) is being groomed as Putin's ultimate successor

'For example, Anatoly Chubais, the former chairman of the board of RUSNANO and special representative of the president for relations with international organisationswas included in the list.

'Judging by the fact that after talking with the president Patrushev was in a good and high spirits, Putin supported him and agreed to 'settling scores' with people from the list. And then, surprisingly, on Sunday, a number of information resources reported a sharp deterioration in Anatoly Chubais' health.

'Knowing how the system works, we can assume that this is most likely a coincidence, since there was simply no time to prepare an assassination attempt, and Patrushev prefers to carefully prepare special operations of this kind.'

Patrushev is, like Putin, a former head of the FSB security service.

There are claims Patrushev's son, Dmitry, 44 - the Kremlin's agriculture minister - is being groomed as Putin's ultimate successor.

General SVR channel has claimed that Putin is suffering from serious illnesses including cancer, Parkinson's disease and an schizoaffective disorder.

This channel is reportedly authored by an exiled Kremlin lieutenant-general, who is known by the alias Viktor Mikhailovich.

It claims insider knowledge despite being hostile to Putin.

However there is no clear evidence backing its claims, while the CIA has said there is no evidence to suggest that this is the case.

A number of Putin foes are alleged to have been poisoned by Kremlin hit squads - including Alexander Litvinenko and Sergei Skripal in Britain.
A fairground game in which people aim to throw hoops around the neck of a goose tied down to a stool has been condemned by animal rights campaigners.

Bizarre footage from the funfair in Yantai in eastern China's Shandong province shows a white goose strapped down to a stool precariously balanced on plastic crates.

Punters are encouraged to throw plastic hoops at the helpless bird, with prizes on offer should they manage to get one of the hoops its neck.

The footage recorded at the funfair last month shows fairgoers launching ring after ring at the animal, which ducks and moves its head frantically to avoid being hit by the oncoming objects.

Elisa Allen, a programme director at the animal welfare organisation People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) strongly condemned the incident.

'These videos of fairgoers throwing objects at helpless geese show that, regrettably, there are still people who see animals as commodities whose fears and feelings are of no consequence.'

She added: 'Geese are intelligent, sensitive birds who deserve to be respected as individuals, not as the sum of their body parts or as amusement.

'PETA Asia is pushing for stronger animal welfare legislation in China while working to change public attitudes towards our fellow animals.

'We remind everyone that the best way to help animals is by never eating or wearing them and always speaking out whenever you see them being abused.'

Bizarre footage from the funfair in Yantai in eastern China's Shandong province shows a white goose strapped down to a stool precariously balanced on plastic crates

The goose moves its neck to avoid the hoop thrown at it in Yantai, Shandong

The goose is strapped to a plastic stool which is balanced on top of a crate and could easily fall off if the bird struggles strongly enough
A grooming gang has been jailed for a total of 51 years after raping three vulnerable 13-year-old girls in Staffordshire.

Seven men were sentenced last week after being found guilty of offences including rape, child abduction and various sexual offences.

The gang carried out the sickening abuse between May and September 2018, and were eventually arrested by Staffordshire police on December 19.

David Korosi, 28, of Burton-upon-Trent, was given the longest jail sentence of 14 years

Maxim Hanko (left), 18, of Liverpool, was sentenced for nine years, and Dominik Beri (right), 18, of Burton-upon-Trent, was sentenced to six years in prison

All the assaults took place outside in Burton-upon-Trent.

David Korosi, 28, of Burton-upon-Trent, Maxim Hanko, 18, of Liverpool, Adrian Rihard Demeter, 22, of Burton-upon-Trent, Renato Daniel Nyari, 19, of Liverpool, Dominik Beri, 18, of Burton-upon-Trent, Jeno Pierre Maka, 21, of Stoke-on-trent and Mate Maka, 18, of Stoke-on-trent have now been jailed.

Detective Sergeant Julie Pointon, from the force's Child Protection and Exploitation team, said: 'We welcome these sentences and I would like to pay tribute to the girls' incredible bravery in coming forward initially and throughout this long and complex investigation.'

Adrian Rihard Demeter (left), 22, of Burton-upon-Trent, was jailed for seven and a half years, and Renato Daniel Nyari (right), 19, of Liverpool, was sentenced for seven years

The men, who were all friends beforehand, have been handed sentences between three years and 14 years.

Korosi was handed the longest jail sentence of 14 years after he was found guilty of the rape of a girl aged 13 to 15 and two counts of sexual assault on a child.

Hanko was was sentenced to nine years in jail, whilst Demeter was sentenced to seven and a half years.

Two brothers, Jeno Pierre (left), 21, and Mate Maka (rght), 18, both of Stoke-on-Trent were jailed for four and half and three years respectively.

Nyari was also found guilty of child abduction and handed a seven year prison sentence, and Beri was jailed for six years.

Two brothers, Jeno Pierre and Mate Maka, were jailed for four and half and three years respectively.

DC Darren Mattocks, of the force's Child Protection and Exploitation Team, said: 'We remained focused on seeking justice and providing support to the victims, who remained our first priority.

'I would urge anyone who has been a victim of such crimes to come forward and report this to us.

'We will listen to you, and you and your families will be supported.'
Pauline Hanson has claimed the Indigenous Voice to Parliament would be 'Australia's version of apartheid' in an extraordinary speech to the Senate.

The One Nation leader tripled-down on Wednesday on her strident opposition to voters being asked to enshrine the advisory body into the constitution.

The speech to a largely empty chamber while most were distracted by Greens leader Adam Bandt's National Press Club address was just a week after she sensationally stormed out of the Senate during an acknowledgement of country.

'The risk is very real that the sovereignty that all Australians have over their land and country will be handed to a racial minority,' she said.

'Why does this have to be in the constitution? What is the real ulterior motive? This can only be about power - creating a nation within a nation.

'This can only be about taking power from whitefellas and giving it to blackfellas. This is Australia's version of apartheid.

Pauline Hanson has claimed the Indigenous Voice to Parliament would be 'Australia's version of apartheid' in an extraordinary speech to the Senate

'Are they prepared for the compensation or reparations which will be demanded when the High Court decides that traditional ownership means sovereign control?'

Senator Hanson, without missing a beat, moved on to another attack on the entire concept of acknowledgement of country speeches.

One is read at the start of Parliament every day, and she after her walkout complained they were now even delivered on airplanes.

'Where will you stand, given that you acknowledge traditional ownership every day? Do you acknowledge that I, like millions of Australians, legally own my land and worked very hard for it?' she said.

'Do I have rights to my land, too? Can't you acknowledge my connection to my land and my love for my country?'

Senator Hanson then attacked her most forceful critic, Greens senator Lidia Thorpe, who caused her own scene on Monday by raising her fist in a 'black power' gesture and called The Queen a 'coloniser' as she gave her oath of allegiance.

'I note Lidia Thorpe's racist interjection in the past when she told me to go back to where I came from,' the One Nation MP continued.

'She can rest assured that I did, indeed, go back to where I came from - back to Queensland, where I was born and where I raised my children, and where my parents and grandparents were born.

'There is nowhere else for me to go. Australia is my home. Australia is our home - indigenous and non-indigenous alike.'

Lidia Thorpe strode into the Senate with her fist in the air and then mockingly called the Queen a 'coloniser'

Senator Hanson's entire five-minute speech was her most unequivocal rearguard against the Indigenous Voice to Parliament.

It included strong praise for controversial Aboriginal senator Jacinta Price, who is the lone indigenous MP who opposes the advisory body.

Senator Price claimed Australia was 'saturated' with tokenistic 'virtue signalling' like acknowledgement of country, and the Indigenous Voice was not universally accepted among her people.

'I personally have had more than my fill of being symbolically recognised,' she said in her maiden speech last week.

'No, prime minister, we don't need another handout and no, we indigenous Australians have not come to agreement on this statement.'

The Country Liberal former deputy mayor of Alice Springs even backed up Senator Hanson's walkout and position on the issue.

'I think I understand Pauline's frustrations. We don't want to see all these all these symbolic gestures. We want to see real action,' she said.

Senator Hanson stormed out as Senate President Sue Lines acknowledged the indigenous community at Parliament's opening, yelling; 'No, I won't and never will'

What is apartheid? Apartheid was an oppressive, racist system in South Africa between 1948 and 1991. Wide-ranging laws divided the country by race with the ruling white minority at the top and black Africans at the bottom. Sexual relations and marriage across races was banned and black people were denied the right to vote and discriminated against in housing and employment. Millions of black Africans were forced to live in segregated communities and forbidden to mix with other races. The system was eventually overturned after intense international pressure. Advertisement

Senator Hanson on Wednesday claimed Prime Minister Anthony Albanese had 'contempt' for anyone opposing the Indigenous Voice, even First Nations elders.

'His contempt for those who rightly and justly request details of the proposed voice, such as its powers, functions and costs, has also been very clear,' she said.

'He is not promoting unity at all. The prime minister is deliberately stoking division and stoking it on racial lines.'

She said elders contacted her saying they never had a say in the Uluru Statement from the Heart, on which the new initiative is based, and did not agree with it.

Mr Albanese hit back at Senator Price's concerns on Monday and maintained the Indigenous Voice would not delay practical solutions.

'I think with respect, when Senator Price has a look at what is proposed in terms of the wording, then the idea that this is anything other than a unifying moment for the nation is, I believe just doesn't stack up,' he said on Sky News.

Senator Hanson appeared to have based her speech around this comment, as she referred to its language and criticism of Senator Price.

'This comment has come from an Aboriginal woman. The prime minister has dismissed her comments saying, "they don't stack up",' she said.

'No. His comments do not stack up. That's because the prime minister is listening only to the Aboriginal industry, whose gravy train relies on separating Australians by race and entrenching indigenous disadvantage.

'I've been saying this for decades.'

Anthony Albanese said the Voice to Parliament would be an opportunity to 'uplift our nation'

Senator Hanson said nothing in the proposed Voice addressed practical issues like violence and poverty in Aboriginal communities, and there was no real detail about how it would operate.

'There is much in this proposal that is open-ended, ill-defined and fraught with peril,' she said.

She claimed a referendum would cost taxpayers $120 million and could wait until the next election in three years as 'what's the rush?'

Senator Hanson finished by turning to another of her frequent topics - claiming too many people said they were Aboriginal.

'We need a stronger definition of Aboriginality. From 2016 to 2021, the number of Australians identifying as indigenous rose by 92,000 or 26 per cent, while our overall population increase, including immigration, was only eight per cent,' she said.

'This is what we call "jumping on the bandwagon".'

This morphed into closing remarks suggesting the entire idea of an Indigenous Voice to Parliament was invented by white people wanting to pat themselves on the back.

'There is much in this proposal that reeks of the empty gestures and symbolism which make progressives feel good about themselves but otherwise achieve nothing,' she said.

'It's also reeking of the disgusting, patronising attitudes that privileged bureaucrats and lawmakers routinely adopt towards indigenous Australians proud members of a culture which has endured for tens of thousands of years.

'This is an attempt to rewrite the past, manipulate the present and destroy the future.

'Unlike both sides of this chamber, I have listened to indigenous Australians and their elders. Stop using them as fodder for your own purposes.'

New Aboriginal senator Jacinta Price has slammed welcome to country ceremonies for being token gestures and 'throwaway lines' after Pauline Hanson's walkout from the Senate

The debate about the Indigenous Voice to Parliament, which appears set to clear both houses and be put to voters, has been a huge distraction to Mr Albanese's agenda in the first two weeks of Parliament.

Senator Hanson's walkout last Wednesday also dragged the issue of displaying the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags in Parliament into the debate.

Displaying the two flags alongside the Australian one in both houses was one of the first acts of the Albanese Government last week.

The Indigenous Voice to Parliament is proposed to be an elected body of First Nations representatives enshrined in the constitution that would advise the government on issues affecting them.
Kansas voters sent a resounding message on Tuesday that they wanted to protect a womans right to an abortion  but they are not the only Americans who will be able to cast ballots on the hot-button issue.

By a landslide, roughly 20-point margin, Kansans rejected a constitutional amendment that would have empowered state lawmakers to restrict or ban abortions in the state of nearly 3 million people.

Even voters in many rural, conservative areas of Kansas voted against the proposal, in what was a big victory for pro-choice groups after weeks in which many southern and Midwest states restricted or banned the procedure.

It was the first big test of Americans views on abortion rights after the Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade and a sign of how unpopular abortion bans may be, even in Republican-leaning states.

In the coming months, voters in Montana, Kentucky, California and elsewhere will have a chance to weigh in on abortions, after the top U.S. court in June ruled there was no constitutional right to abortion and punted the issue to the states.

Aside from these referendums within states, the issue is likely to impact several House, Senate and governor races across the U.S., by driving turnout among angry pro-choice Democrats and others.

Some 55 percent of voters now say access to abortions is 'very important' to how they will vote in November, according to polling by KFF, a health policy group, higher than in previous surveys.

Drew Altman, KFF's president and CEO, said abortion access would 'make a difference' in November by 'motivating a lot of younger women to vote, and most Democrats, half of independents and even some Republicans'.

In the coming months, voters in Montana, Kentucky and elsewhere can weigh in on abortions, after the Supreme Court in June ruled there was no constitutional right to abortion and punted the issue to the states

Pro-choice advocates cheered in Kansas as voters shut down a possible pathway to a total ban on abortions in the state on Tuesday

Anti-abortion advocates who helped introduce the referendum were seen weeping and consoling each other after the measure failed

After Kansas, voters elsewhere have their say on abortion:

Kentucky: Access to abortions in Kentucky ended after the Supreme Courts decision set off a pre-existing trigger law. In November, voters will decide whether to add language similar to Kansas to its state constitution. Some 57 percent of Kentucky voters reject abortions, against 36 percent supporting the procedure, says Pew Research Center polling.

Vermont: Access to abortions is already protected in Vermont. Voters will in November decide whether to add abortion rights to the state constitution. It is expected to pass: 70 percent of Vermonters support abortion access, compared to 26 percent against, Pew says.

California: Abortion access is already protected in California. Voters in November will decide whether to enshrine that right in the states constitution. It is expected to pass: 57 percent of voters support abortion rights there, with 38 percent against, says Pew.

Montana: Voters will decide in November whether infants who are born alive are legal persons and are entitled to medical care, including those born alive after botched terminations. Some 56 percent of Montanans support abortion rights, versus 38 percent who want it outlawed, according to Pew.

Michigan: Pro-choice campaigners are collecting signatures in the hope of letting voters decide on state abortion rules in November. Voters there are split 54 percent behind abortion access versus 42 percent against, says Pew. The issue will also feature in the race for the governor, with pro-choice Democratic incumbent Gretchen Whitmer defending against Tudor Dixon, a staunchly pro-life Republican.

Colorado: Abortion is protected under state law in Colorado, but activists are pushing for a ballot initiative to be added in November to let voters decide on outlawing the murder of a child, with carve-outs to save the life of a mother. Some 59 percent of Colorado voters support access to abortions, with 36 percent against, Pew says.

Ohio: Republicans dominate state politics and are pushing for a ban on abortions. Democrats seek to collect enough signatures to put the issue before voters, but that is not likely to happen until at least 2023. Its a close-call state, with 48 percent in supporting abortion access and 47 percent against, says Pew.

Arizona: Campaigners failed to collect enough signatures to put an abortion access question to voters in November. Though they missed the deadline, they aim to try again for 2024. Its another close-call state, with 49 percent backing abortion access and 46 percent against, Pew says.
California Governor Gavin Newsom is set to decide on a new bill that would allow for more open-air drug sites across his state, despite the disastrous pilot attempt in San Francisco which is now due to be closed.

The bill, SB 57, was passed yesterday by the state senate and is now with Newsom's office where, if signed, it will be passed into law.

It would allow addicts to go take their drugs with needles and other paraphernalia that is paid for by the taxpayer. He has not yet indicated which way he is leaning.

The bill passed yesterday with 21 Democratic votes over 10 Republican rejections and eight no votes recorded.

It does not indicate how many sites are planned for each city, or how many people would be employed.

But it stipulates they all would have to provide clean needles, be trained in CPR and have access to overdose-reversing drugs.

They would also have to 'make public a good neighbor policy that facilitates communication from and to local businesses and residences.'

Drug addicts injecting at the Tenderloin Linkage Center in San Francisco, a city-run site that is due to close this year after failing to make a dent in the drugs epidemic in the city

The Tenderloin Linkage Center in San Francisco was billed as an avant-garde approach to tackling the city's drug epidemic but only one out of 1,000 addicts actually sought treatment there

The bill would create state-funded and supervised drug taking sites in three major cities; L.A., Oakland and San Francisco, which all have severe drug problems

The California Senate Republican Caucus had pleaded with Newsom's office veto it.

'Allowing people to get higher than a kite on heroin and other dangerous drugs, then turning them loose afterwards onto the streets is just crazy,' said Senate Republican Caucus Chair Brian Jones in a statement afterwards.

Newsom's office would not be drawn on whether or not he intends to side with his fellow Democrats.

'Legislation before the Governor will be evaluated on its merits,' a spokesman told The San Francisco Chronicle.

Fueling the drug epidemic with drug dens and needle supplies is like pouring gasoline on a forest fire. It merely worsens the problem California Senate Republican Caucus

A similar effort in San Francisco was launched by city officials last year but has already been axed due to the disastrous result.

The Tenderloin Linkage Center in San Francisco was billed as an avant-garde approach to tackling the city's drug epidemic but only one out of 1,000 addicts actually sought treatment there.

The center cost a whopping $19million in city taxpayers money.

DailyMail.com observed lines of drug addicts outside the facility injecting into their legs in broad daylight.

The city recently announced that it would not be renewing the $75,000-a-month lease for the site location.

San Francisco's new District Attorney, Brooke Jenkins, has vowed to crackdown on drugs in the city by targeting drug dealers rather than addicts or centers.

The bill was proposed by State Senator Scott Wiener, who says they are a 'proven' way to reduce overdose deaths.

In their letter to Newsom's office, the California Senate Republican Caucus pleaded: 'It is not humane, or compassionate, to allow individuals to live, shoot up, or die on the streets without providing them the assistance and help they need to recover and live fulfilling lives.

San Francisco's new DA Brooke Jenkins says she will tackle the city's drug problem by cracking down on drug dealers

'Fueling the drug epidemic with drug dens and needle supplies is like pouring gasoline on a forest fire. It merely worsens the problem. For all these reasons, we respectfully request your veto.'

State Senator Scott Wilk said: 'Instead of focusing on a strategy to help people get their lives back, get off drugs and into treatment, CA Dems focus on giving people free needles and a safe place to shoot up.'

The bill was proposed by State Senator Scott Wiener, who says they are a 'proven' way to reduce overdose deaths.

But San Francisco's site drew in only a tiny number of the thousands who need help.

In 2018, Governor Jerry Brown vetoed a similar bill on the grounds that it not only fueled the crisis, but that it opened up workers at the centers to federal criminal charges, despite protecting them from state prosecution.
An ex-RBS City banker who took his own life in the River Thames just one month after retiring had 'dreaded' giving up work, an inquest has heard.

Mark Nicholls, who retired as chairman of investment firm Rathbones in March 2020, left a suicide note for his wife Catherine on February 24 in which he said he was going to 'the weir' on the River Thames near their home in Little Wittenham.

One month later his body was found by two canoeists nine miles down the river at Cleeve Lock, near Goring.

Mrs Nicholls, 71, made a statement nine days after reporting her husband missing in which she said he 'dreaded his retirement and was questioning what he was going to do with his time'.

Mark Nicholls (pictured), who retired as chairman of investment firm Rathbones in March 2020, left a suicide note for his wife Catherine on February 24 in which he said he was going to 'the weir' on the River Thames near their home in Little Wittenham

Her husband had been admitted as an inpatient to the Nightingale Hospital - a private mental health facility in London, on April 11, 2021, an inquest into his death was told today.

He was admitted to the same hospital in 1995 after saying he wanted to end his life.

Senior Oxfordshire coroner Darren Salter reached a conclusion of suicide after hearing how the top banker had been in and out of private hospital for treatment to his mental health issues.

He was initially agitated following his admission last spring, consultant psychiatrist Dr Sean Cross said.

Summarising the doctor's statement, Mr Salter said: 'Towards the end of his period of admission, there is a reference to Mr Nicholls [being] open to the fact he has had a very difficult time and a mental health disorder episode similar to the one he experienced in 1995/96.

'He is open to the fact this is the way anxiety and depression manifests in him.'

Her husband had been admitted as an inpatient to the Nightingale Hospital - a private mental health facility in London, on April 11, 2021, an inquest into his death was told today. Pictured: Oxfordshire coroners' court

He was discharged from the hospital on May 11 last year but continued to be seen by his psychiatrists and prescribed medication.

'The longevity of the illness was noted to be draining for him,' Mr Salter told the inquest in Oxford.

Mrs Nicholls said in her statement that, prior to his disappearance, her husband had stopped taking his psychiatric medication.

She said: 'He doesn't believe in them anymore.'

The last time she saw him was at 10.30pm on Wednesday, February 23, when he said he was going to bed. The following morning Mrs Nicholls was walking their dog on Wittenham Clumps. As she returned to the house at around 8am, she saw the light in his study was on and assumed he was using the room.

He was admitted to the same hospital in 1995 after saying he wanted to end his life. Pictured: Nightingale Hospital in London

He was not in the study but had left a hand-written note in an A4 notebook on the desk.

Ms Nicholls said: 'I knew straightaway what this letter was.' She thought he had written it with the intention of taking his own life and called 999 immediately. His keys, mobile phone and bank cards had been left in the house.

Police were called to Cleeve Lock on March 24 - exactly a month later - by off-duty lockkeeper Stephen Lambley. A man had knocked at his back door shortly after 11.30am, telling him there was what appeared to be a body in the river.

An investigation by Thames Valley Police confirmed there was no evidence of third party involvement or suspicious circumstances surrounding his death.

Mr Nicholls' long career in banking included stints with the Royal Bank of Scotland and the City of London Investments Trust.

For confidential support visit Samaritans online or call them on 116 123
Marks & Spencer has today announced it will ban the sale of disposable barbecues across all its UK stores.

This follows a plea by the London Fire Brigade to retailers to stop selling them after a wave of wildfires in the July heatwave.

The authority said it had attended more than 1,000 grass fires since June because of the hot weather which topped 40C.

M&S tweeted: 'We'd already stopped selling disposable barbecues near national parks and in London but given the unusually hot and dry conditions, we've taken the precautionary step of removing them from sale across the UK.'

The London Fire Brigade praised M&S for taking action.

It said: 'Good news! @marksandspencer have announced they've removed disposable barbecues from stores. We want to work with retailers to stop the sale of disposable barbecues and reduce the risk of dangerous grass fires.'

Disposable barbecues like the one above were responsible for starting a large number of fires in July during the heatwave as people gathered outdoors

Marks & Spencer today tweeted they will extend their ban on the sale of disposable barbecues across all UK stores, not just London

The London Fire Brigade praised the retailer for banning the popular summer item and said doing so will reduce the risk of grass fires

New statistics show that week commencing Monday, 18 July the Brigade received 8,302 calls and attended 3,231 incidents.

In addition firefighters attended more than 1,000 fires.

The number of 999 calls received was more than double taken for the same period last year.

Thirty-four grass fires required an attendance of four fire engine and above.

London's Fire Commissioner Andy Roe has previously called for a total ban on disposable barbecues following recent hot weather.

He said they cause a 'significant fire risk' if they are not put out properly as they can cause grass fires in open spaces.

In addition, disposable barbecues also pose a health risk and heat can be retained for many hours after a barbecue has been put out.

Commissioner Andy Roe said: 'Despite our grass fire warnings, we've still seen some people behaving carelessly and recklessly.

'On Saturday (23rd July) firefighters prevented a serious blaze at Wanstead Flats caused using a disposable barbecue.

'We need urgent action now to see a national ban on the sale of disposable barbecues.

'They can be bought for as little as five pounds and can cause untold damage, especially when the grass is as dry as it has been over the last few weeks.

'Last week is another example of how we are increasingly being challenged by new extremes of weather as our climate changes and we're developing long-term strategies to deal with more incidents like this in the future.'
Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger blasted the Democratic Party on Wednesday morning after the House majority's campaign arm successfully tipped the scales in a Michigan GOP primary race.

'The [Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee] ought to be ashamed of themselves,' the Illinois lawmaker told CNN's New Day, referencing House Democrats' formal war chest.

'Thankfully some members of Congress, Democrats, have spoken out and said they're disgusted. I respect that.'

Kinzinger is one of four House Republicans who announced they are retiring this year after voting to impeach Donald Trump over the Capitol riot, out of 10 total.

Michigan Rep. Peter Meijer became the second of the set to lose re-election on Tuesday night. He was narrowly defeated by former Trump administration official John Gibbs.

Meijer accused Democrats of hypocrisy in an essay published by Common Sense where he highlighted the thousands of dollars his House colleagues who lauded his impeachment vote were now funneling in to defeat him.

'Watching this unraveling inside my party has been utterly bewildering,' Meijer wrote.

'The only thing that has been more nauseating has been the capacity of my Democratic colleagues to sell out any pretense of principle for political expediency - at once decrying the downfall of democracy while rationalizing the use of their hard-raised dollars to prop up the supposed object of their fears.'

Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger went off on House Democrats' campaign arm after his fellow moderate anti-Trump Republican Rep. Peter Meijer lost his Tuesday re-election bid

Democrats own that."



Rep. Adam Kinzinger on the GOP primary defeat of Rep. Peter Meijer, a Republican who voted to impeach President Trump.



The DCCC needs to be ashamed of themselves," he says. pic.twitter.com/7Pul80RvJM  Brianna Keilar (@brikeilarcnn) August 3, 2022

He said the DCCC spent $435,000 on an ad blitz to promote Gibbs in the hopes that the fringe candidate would be easier to beat in the general election in November - which Meijer denounced as a 'naked political gambit.'

It's more than Gibbs raised himself during the entire campaign cycle.

The far-right former Trump official, who carries the ex-president's endorsement, has cast doubt on President Joe Biden's 2020 electoral victory and previously accused Hillary Clinton's 2016 campaign chair of taking part in satanic rituals.

Kinzinger told CNN on Wednesday, 'If Peter's opponent wins - goes on to November and wins - the Democrats own that. Congratulations.'

'I mean here's the thing - don't keep coming to me asking where all the good Republicans [are] that defend democracy, and then take your donors' money and spend half a million dollars promoting one of the worst election deniers that's out there,' he said.

The moderate Republican conceded that others would write the tactic off as politics as usual.

'How cynical that is,' Kinzinger said. 'And that's why Americans are just sick of both parties, to be honest with you.'

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee funneled nearly half a million dollars into ads promoting John Gibbs, a former Trump official who denies the ex-president lost in 2020, ahead of Meijer

Meijer's narrow loss inspired bipartisan criticism and accusations of hypocrisy against the DCCC

Both moderate and progressive Democrats have come together in recent days to denounce the campaign strategy, particularly amid Republican outrage over Meijer's loss.

New York Rep. Ritchie Torres ripped the move as 'embarrassingly hypocritical' on ABC News this past Sunday, as well as a waste of House Democrats' resources.

Capitol riot committee member Rep. Stephanie Murphy of Florida, who is not seeking re-election, told Politico: 'Many of us are facing death threats over our efforts to tell the truth about Jan. 6.'

'To have people boosting candidates telling the very kinds of lies that caused Jan. 6 and continues to put our democracy in danger, is just mind-blowing,' she said.

The gamble Democrats are taking is on the risk of a far more radical Republican Party coming to power in 2023.

On the state level, the Arizona Democratic Party apparently attempted to tip the scales in favor of another Trump-endorsed candidate - this time for governor.

Last month, the Arizona Democratic Party was similarly accused of propping up Trump-endorsed gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake

In July, the party sent out a wide-blast email thanking Republican gubernatorial candidate Karrin Taylor Robson for her past left-wing donations.

It's thought to have been a bid to undermine her race against Trump-backed former local news anchor Kari Lake, according to NBC News.

'As the Republican primary for governor continues to stir toxic infighting, the Arizona Democratic Party will always be grateful for Robsons longtime support in helping elect Democrats up and down the ballot, including this November,' part of Democrats' message reads.

Lake's campaign and supporters seized on the email as a cudgel against Robson.

As of Wednesday afternoon on the East Coast, Lake is narrowly leading Robson by just over 10,000 votes with approximately 20 percent more ballots to be counted.

And in Pennsylvania, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Josh Shapiro - the state's attorney general - funneled money into the Trump-endorsed campaign of Doug Mastriano.

Democrats there hope Mastriano, who won his primary, will be more polarizing to moderate voters in the battleground state.
A couple who caught gastroenteritis after swimming in the sea have slammed the water company that dumped sewage nearby just a day before.

Georgia Hearn and her partner Chris were visiting Kent with their dog Sully when they went swimming off the coast of Herne Bay on Monday August 1.

All three were hit with a serious case of gastroenteritis shortly afterwards - ruining the rest of their holiday.

When Gerogia complained to Southern Water about the incident, a spokesperson replied on Twitter the company was 'sorry for the inconvenience'.

Georgia Hearn and her partner Chris were visiting Kent with their dog Sully on August 1

(Stock Image) Herne Bay is a beauty spot for tourists and swimmers across the country - but a swim in the area left Georgia Hearn and her partner Chris seriously ill

Last year, Southern Water was fined a record 90 million for illegally dumping sewage. Pictured: The 17 areas where Southern Water released raw sewage illegally. It is not yet known whether the sewage that caused Georgia's illness was legal

She tweeted: 'I mean I'm completely disgusted at Southern Water's response and utterly appalled about the lack of warning to tourists regarding sewage being dumped in the sea.

'If I had known I would have never have got into the sea - it's not just myself who is poorly. It is also my partner and our dog too.

What is gastroenteritis? Gastroenteritis is a illness which can cause severe vomiting and diarrhoea after a bacterial infection or tummy bug. The condition can be caused by food poising or swallowing sewage water. According to official NHS guidance, gastroenteritis can cause 'sudden, watery diarrhoea'. Other symptoms include 'projectile vomiting', nausea a fever, aching limbs and a headache. For anyone suffering from the illness, the NHS recommends drinking lots of water to cope with the dehydration caused by vomiting and diarrhoea, and resting at home. Source: NHS Official Guidance Advertisement

'It unfortunately has ruined our last day visiting the south coast. I'm extremely angry and frustrated about the lack of concern for public safety from Southern Water.

'There is absolutely no warning for locals or tourists about the potential risks you face by entering sea filled with raw sewage. I mean how are the water companies even allowed to dump raw sewage into the sea?

'Something has to change. It's completely unacceptable.'

The Southern Water representative who replied to her tweet said the company's Beachbuoy app gives almost real-time updates about wastewater releases.

SOS Whitstable, a campaign group which holds Southern Water to account for its sewage releases, asked: 'Why are water companies not legally responsible for making people ill?'

Southern Water was fined a record 90 million by the Environment Agency last year after pleading guilty to thousands of illegal sewage dumps.

It is not yet known whether the sewage that caused Georgia's illness was legal.

A spokesperson from Southern Water said: 'Two separate releases were made on the evening of July 31 via our Swalecliffe and Gainsborough Drive outfalls. They were heavily diluted with rainwater.

'These events followed a period of heavy rainfall, over a short period of time, in a small geographical area. This resulted in a significant increase in flows from our combined surface and sewer network to our treatment works.

'They were reported on our online Beachbuoy app within an hour of them taking place.

'The resultant releases were within our Environment Agency permit, and necessary to protect homes and businesses which otherwise would have been at risk of internal flooding.

'We are working hard to reduce our use of storm overflows at Southern Water, and have a number of ground-breaking pathfinder projects working with local communities to tackle this.'
Policing the World Is a Full-Time Job



China pushes back against US-led military intervention in Asia



By Philip Giraldi

August 03, 2022: Information Clearing House -- Every leader and top official now in power in the so-called Western World seems to have forgotten that the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) was founded in 1949 as an alliance that was ostensibly defensive in nature, intended to counter the expansion of Soviet style communism in Europe. That role continued to be the raison detre of the organization until communist governments themselves collapsed in both Russia and in the Eastern European states that collectively made up the Warsaw Pact during the 1990s. After that point, NATO no longer had any reason to exist at all as the alleged military threat posed by the Kremlin and its allies vanished virtually overnight.

But clever politicians were quick to put the alliance on life support instead of simply dismantling it. Lacking the threat posed by the Warsaw Pact, NATO was forced to come up with other reasons to maintain military forces at levels that could quickly be enhanced and placed on a wartime footing. Washington and London took the lead in this, citing the now shopworn defense of a rules based international order as well as of democracy and freedom. And fortunately for the national defense industries and the generals, it soon proved possible to find new enemies that provided justification for additional military spending. The first major engagement outside the obligations defined by the original treaty took place in Europe to be sure, but it was in the Balkans where of NATO during the 1995 Operation Deliberate Force. The war ended after the signing of the General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina in Paris on December 14th 1995. Peace negotiations were finalized a week later but fighting resumed between Kosovo and Serbia in the following year, which led to another NATO intervention that eventually ended with the restoration of Kosovos autonomy and the deployment of NATO forces, which bombed the Serbs to compel their compliance with a draft cease fire agreement.

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NATO also played a role improbably enough in the US invasion and occupation of Afghanistan, which was justified by claiming that an Afghanistan free to set its own course would become a hotbed of terrorism which would inevitably impact on the United States and Europe. It was a paper-thin argument, but it was the best they could come up with at the time and it also eventually involved soldiers from additional friendly countries like Australia. As we have subsequently seen, however, it was all an argument without merit as Afghanistan became a money pit and a graveyard for thousands of locals and foreign soldiers. It is now again in the hands of the Taliban after a bungled withdrawal of US forces and the collapse of the puppet government in Kabul that Washington had installed.

Turn the clock forward to the present. As everyone but President Joe Biden has recognized, Policing the World Is a Full-Time Job

By Philip Giraldi, which many observers already believe has some of the attributes of World War III. As Russia neither threatened nor attacked any NATO member state, the argument that the response in arming and training Ukraine was defensive was rendered irrelevant. Nor can it be credibly be claimed that Russia is a haven for terrorists, quite the contrary. Nevertheless, Biden has stated that the US will be in the fight on behalf of Ukraine for as long as it takes. Does he mean years, and all done without a declaration of war by Congress as required by the US Constitution?

And more appears to be coming. Joe Biden, during last weeks trip to Israel, made clear that the United States is prepared to use all elements of its national power to stop Iran from getting a nuclear weapon and has signed a pledge with the Israeli government to commit itself to do so. If Biden presses the argument that Iran is an international threat due to its impending development of nuclear weapons, will he appeal to NATO to support a joint military option to disarm it? I believe he just might do that. And he might just want to consider how the entire set-up and framing of the issue by Israel is somewhat of a trap. Israel considers Irans current nuclear program to be intended to create a weapon, which they continue to develop, and there are plenty in the US Congress who would agree with that.

So, if Iran is clearly creating a thermonuclear device, the time to strike is now, isnt it? And bear in mind how the US/Israeli campaign to condemn is multifaceted. Shortly before the meetings held by Biden and his crew with the Israelis, US government sources set the stage for what was to come by going on the offensive regarding reports that Iran may be selling highly capable offensive drones to Russia for use in Ukraine as well as subsequent claims coming out of Washington that the Iranians are seeking to assassinate senior US officials in revenge for the killing of Revolutionary Guards General Qassem Soleimani in January 2020. One wonders why they waited so long and why the White House has chosen to publicize these stories at this point.

And the US and NATO are also getting involved with Chinas geopolitical policies, on a path that Beijing is warning is extremely hypocritical and which might lead to armed conflict. The signs that the Chinese might be targeted by NATO, possibly over the Taiwan independence issue, came following a stark warning by US Secretary of State Tony Blinken delivered at the NATO summit in Madrid at the end of June. Blinken accused China of seeking to undermine the rules-based international order, the same type of critique recently leveled against Russia and Iran. Blinkens comment was elaborated on by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, who observed how China is substantially building up its military forces, including nuclear weapons, bullying its neighbors, threatening Taiwan  monitoring and controlling its own citizens through advanced technology, and spreading Russian lies and disinformation.

Stoltenbergs indictment of China was followed by a NATO issued strategic concept document last that declared for the first time that China poses a systemic challenge to the alliance, alongside a primary threat coming from Russia. The document copied Blinkens language, citing The deepening strategic partnership between the Peoples Republic of China and the Russian Federation and their mutually reinforcing attempts to undercut the rules-based international order run counter to our values and interests.

Finally, the US and British governments collaborated to condemn China as the biggest long-term threat to our economic and national security. The declaration came in a July 6th joint news conference in London, where Christopher Wray, director of the FBI, and Ken McCallum, director general of Britains MI5, accused China, like Russia, of interfering in US and UK elections. Wray also warned the business leaders in the audience that the Chinese government has been set on stealing your technology, whatever it is that makes your industry tick, and using it to undercut your business and dominate your market.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian initially responded a few days after the NATO summit, observing that the so-called rules-based international order is actually a family rule made by a handful of countries to serve the US self-interest, adding that [Washington]observes international rules only as it sees fit. Addressing the issue of the role of NATO specifically, Zhao accused Blinken of using NATO to hype up competition with China and stoke group confrontation. He added that The history of NATO is one about creating conflicts and waging warsarbitrarily launching wars and killing innocent civilians, even to this day. Facts have proven that it isnt China that poses a systemic challenge to NATO, and instead it is NATO that brings a looming systemic challenge to world peace and security. Thirty years after the end of the Cold War, [NATO] has not yet abandoned its thinking and practice of creating enemies  It is NATO that is creating problems around the world.

China has a point. What NATO is threatening is war, as it is a military alliance. The Chinese appear to understand that NATO is the worlds largest military bureaucracy which has developed since 1991 an overriding institutional commitment to ensuring its permanent existence, if not expansion, even after it has clearly outlived its own usefulness. So Beijing might justifiably wonder, how does China  on the other side of the globe  fit into NATOs historic defensive mission? How are Chinese troops or missiles now threatening Europe or the US in ways they werent before? How are the Americans and Europeans suddenly under military threat coming from China?

The Chinese appear to understand that if there is no threat to defend against, then a threat must be manufactured, and that is precisely what we are seeing vis-a-vis Russia, China, Iran and even Venezuela. Washington has become addicted to war and NATO is the chosen tool to give those wars the patina of legitimacy. To launch those conflicts requires either inventing an imaginary threat, or, as in the case of Russia, provoking the very threat the defensive bureaucracy was designed to deter or thwart. All indications are that NATO  now embracing 30 countries  is doing both and the results could easily be disastrous for all parties involved. Former congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard particularly abhors the cynical recklessness of the Biden Administration driving the process, explaining how The reality is, President Biden, members of Congress, leaders in our country, the wealthy, they will have a safe place to be in the event of a nuclear war that they are behind causing while the rest of us in America and Russia, people around the world, will be decimated from this event.

Prize winning journalist Chris Hedges has also defined the unthinkable that is at stake, and it is past time for Americans and Europeans to take note and stop the madness. Hedges opines that The massive expansion of NATO, not only in Eastern and Central Europe but the Middle East, Latin America, Africa and Asia, presages endless war and a potential nuclear holocaust. One might also note that New Yorkers are now being informed about what to do if there is a nuclear attack. Yes, that is precisely the problem  we have an administration in Washington that should be protecting the people living in this country, not setting up scenarios that might lead to their slaughter. Will someone please point that out to Joe Biden?

Philip M. Giraldi, Ph.D., is Executive Director of the Council for the National Interest, a 501(c)3 tax deductible educational foundation (Federal ID Number #52-1739023) that seeks a more interests-based U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East. Website is councilforthenationalinterest.org, address is P.O. Box 2157, Purcellville VA 20134 and its email is inform@cnionline.org.
Vice President Kamala Harris on Wednesday praised the voters of Kansas for rejecting tougher restrictions on abortions, as Republicans lamented their failure to move closer to an outright ban.

A day earlier Kansas residents voted by an almost 20-point margin against an amendment to the state constitution that would have added language stating there was no right to an abortion.

'The people of Kansas won a victory for freedom and liberty by standing with the majority of Americans who support a woman's right to make decisions about her own body,' said Harris in a tweet.

'Last night, Kansans used their vote to protect the right to an abortion and reproductive healthcare.'

A 2019 state Supreme Court decision declared that access to abortion is a 'fundamental' right under the state's Bill of Rights, preventing a ban and potentially thwarting legislative efforts to enact new restrictions.

The referendum in the conservative state was the first test of U.S. voter sentiment about abortion rights since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June.

It was a major victory for abortion rights advocates following weeks in which many states in the South and Midwest largely banned abortion.

Republicans said it was a defeat for the idea of the sanctity of life.

Vice President Kamala Harris on Wednesday praised the voters of Kansas for rejecting tougher restrictions on abortions, as Republicans lamented their failure

Pictured: Pro-choice supporters celebrating the ban's failure in Overland Park, Kansas

Roger Marshall, Republican senator for the state, said: Words could never express the sadness and emotion myself and many Kansans are feeling after the Value Them Both amendment was not adopted.

'This is an enormous blow to efforts to protect the sanctity of life in Kansas.'

Supporters of the amendment said their campaign was not over.

'This outcome is a temporary setback, and our dedicated fight to value women and babies is far from over,' said Emily Massey, a spokesperson for the pro-amendment campaign.

The referendum was closely watched as a barometer of liberal and moderate voters' anger over the June ruling scrapping the nationwide right to abortion.

President Joe Biden hailed the referendum result and said the 'vote makes clear what we know: the majority of Americans agree that women should have access to abortion and should have the right to make their own health care decisions.'

The measure's failure also was significant because of how conservative Kansas is and how twice as many Republicans as Democrats have voted in its August primaries in the decade leading up to Tuesday night's tilt.

Kristy Winter, 52, a Kansas City-area teacher and unaffiliated voter, voted against the measure and brought her 16-year-old daughter with her to her polling place.

Pro-choice advocates cheered in Kansas as voters shutdown a possible pathway to a total ban on abortions in the state on Tuesday

Anti-abortion advocates who helped introduce the referendum were seen weeping and consoling each other after the measure failed

Members of the Kansans for Constitutional Freedom group celebrated after the referendum failed. The vote in the conservative state was the first test of U.S. voter sentiment about abortion rights since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June

The atmosphere was much more somber at the election watch party for Value Them Both, a group in favor of of the ban on abortion

Danette Searle, left, and Tricia Baldwin, right, watch as the amendment fails to pass

'I want her to have the same right to do what she feels is necessary, mostly in the case of rape or incest,' she said. 'I want her to have the same rights my mother has had most of her life.'

Opponents of the measure predicted that the anti-abortion groups and lawmakers behind the measure would push quickly for an abortion ban if voters approved it.

Before the vote, the measures supporters refused to say whether they would pursue a ban as they appealed to voters who supported both some restrictions and some access to abortion.

Stephanie Kostreva, a 40-year-old school nurse from the Kansas City area and a Democrat, said she voted in favor of the measure because she is a Christian and believes life begins at conception.

'I'm not full scale that there should never be an abortion,' she said. 'I know there are medical emergencies, and when the mother's life is in danger there is no reason for two people to die.'

An anonymous group sent a misleading text Monday to Kansas voters telling them to 'vote yes' to protect choice, but it was suspended late Monday from the Twilio messaging platform it was using, a spokesperson said. Twilio did not identify the sender.

One women at the anti-abortion rally in Overland Park was seen crying and hugging a fellow advocate when it was announced that the measure was voted down

Kansas residents voted against a ban to abortion rights in the state. Pro-choice advocates Alie Utley (left) and Joe Moyer (right) cheered after the ballots were counted on Tuesday

Voters sin Merriam casted their ballots on Tuesday on whether to allow further restrictions on abortion rights in the state

Jessica Porter, communications chair for the Shawnee County, Kansas, Democratic Party, discusses a sign in Spanish urging voters to oppose a proposed amendment to the Kansas Constitution to allow legislators to further restrict or ban abortion

The Value Them Both Coalition is a faith-based anti-abortion group that pushed for Tuesday's vote and urged for residents to approve the measure

President Biden hailed the result of the referendum and said in a statement: 'The Supreme Courts extreme decision to overturn,put womens health and lives at risk.

'Tonight, the American people had something to say about it. Voters in Kansas turned out in record numbers to reject extreme efforts to amend the state constitution to take away a womans right to choose and open the door for a state-wide ban.

'This vote makes clear what we know: the majority of Americans agree that women should have access to abortion and should have the right to make their own health care decisions.'

He added: 'Congress should listen to the will of the American people and restore the protections of as federal law.

'While that is the only way to secure a womans right to choose, my Administration will continue to take meaningful action to protect womens access to reproductive health care.

'We will continue to act where we can to protect womens reproductive rights and access to care. And, the American people must continue to use their voices to protect the right to womens health care, including abortion.'

The 2019 Kansas Supreme Court decision protecting abortion rights blocked a law that banned the most common second-trimester procedure, and another law imposing special health regulations on abortion providers also is on hold.

Abortion opponents argued that all of the state's existing restrictions were in danger, though some legal scholars found that argument dubious. Kansas doesn't ban most abortions until the 22nd week of pregnancy.

Backers of the measure began with advantage because anti-abortion lawmakers set the vote for primary election day, when for the past 10 years Republicans have cast twice as many ballots as Democrats. But the early-voting electorate was more Democratic than usual.

The Kansas vote is the start of what could be a long-running series of legal battles playing out where lawmakers are more conservative on abortion than governors or state courts. Kentucky will vote in November on whether to add language similar to Kansas' to its state constitution.

Meanwhile, Vermont will decide in November whether to add an abortion rights provision to its constitution. A similar question is likely headed to the November ballot in Michigan.

Pictured: Voters at the West Evangelical Free Church in Wichita

A sign in a yard in Merriam, Kansas, urges voters to oppose a proposed amendment to the Kansas Constitution to allow legislators to further restrict or ban abortion. Opponents of the measure believed it will lead to a total ban on abortion in Kansas

Ben Kennedy, left, and Alyssa Winters, left, wait at a door to speak with prospective voters about a proposed amendment. They are among about 300 college students brought into Kansas by the Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America group

In Kansas, both sides together spent more than $14 million on their campaigns. Abortion providers and abortion rights groups were key donors to the 'no' side, while Catholic dioceses heavily funded the 'yes' campaign.

The state has had strong anti-abortion majorities in its Legislature for 30 years, but voters have regularly elected Democratic governors, including Laura Kelly in 2018. She opposed the proposed amendment, saying changing the state constitution would 'throw the state back into the Dark Ages.'

State Attorney General Derek Schmidt, a Republican hoping to unseat Kelly, supported the proposed constitutional amendment.

He told the Catholic television network EWTN before the election that 'theres still room for progress' in decreasing abortions, without spelling out what he would sign as governor.

Although abortion opponents pushed almost annually for new restrictions until the 2019 state Supreme Court ruling, they felt constrained by past court rulings and Democratic governors like Kelly.
I hope the Democrats are happy.

They financially aided and abetted the victory of a full-blown election denier in Michigan.

His name is John Gibbs and he defeated Republican Congressman Peter Meijer on Tuesday by riding on a wave of economic support from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC).

Why in the world would Democrats back a candidate in a Republican primary?

Well, because Congressman Meijer was just one of ten House Republicans, who voted to impeach former President Donald Trump and Democrats saw that as a vulnerability that could be exploited.

So, the DCCC shadow endorsed his far-right primary opponent, in the hopes that Meijer would lose.

They ran a $425,000 ad campaign that disingenuously attacked Gibbs as too conservative and endorsed by Donald Trump.

It quoted Gibbs calling Trump the greatest president and pointed out that he worked for the Trump White House.

It was pretty much the exact campaign commercial that Gibbs himself would produce if he had the money to do it.

But he didnt. So, the DCCC did it for him.

Democrats clearly believe that it would be easier to run against an extreme election denier than a legitimate opponent like Meijer.

His name is John Gibbs (above) and he defeated Republican Congressman Peter Meijer on Tuesday by riding on a wave of economic support from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC).

They may be right  they may be wrong.

But theres more at stake than a single congressional seat.

How about the integrity of our democracy?

Even some Democrats in Congress are disgusted by these tactics.

One anonymous Democrat told the Hill.com, Im so pissed I cant see straight, because I think Peter Meijer did the right thing Were sending a message to Republicans that if you do the right thing, or if you vote with us, now were going to go after you.

Is that really going to encourage people to work together? Try to find solutions? the lawmaker continued. Is that what our values are?

For his part, Meijer was stoic in defeat saying, Im proud to have remained true to my principles, even when doing so came at a significant political cost.

I, however, am going to call bullshit on this entire thing.

I thought Democrats cared about democracy and the fate of the republic.

I thought the few Republicans, who voted to impeach Trump were heroes to the left.

I thought they were voting with their conscience at a moment of paramount importance to America.

So, where are these same Democrats and media cheerleaders now?

Well, according to an op-ed published by Meijer himself, they are playing political jujitsu.

For his part, Meijer (above) was stoic in defeat saying, Im proud to have remained true to my principles, even when doing so came at a significant political cost.

The DCCC ad buy was more than Gibbs raised over the entire duration of his campaign. In other words, the Democrats are not merely attempting to boost a candidate over the finish line: They are subsidizing his entire campaign, he wrote.

Clearly, the left and their media allies only cheer for these Republicans when it suits their interests, and unfortunately Meijer has been caught in the wake of this hypocrisy.

And this is not the only campaign that Democrats are meddling in.

$627,000 was spent to boost a Trump-endorsed candidate in the Maryland gubernatorial race, and another $791,000 was spent attacking a moderate Republican in the Colorado Senate primary.

In Arizona, the state Democratic party stepping into to giving a helping hand to gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake.

She is also an election conspiracy theorist, MAGA disciple and endorsed by Trump.

This race has a gotten a bit personal for me, as Arizona is my home state. And Lake has publicly attacked my mother, my deceased father, my brother Jimmy and me multiple times.

I think she is a threat to Arizona and democracy (truly).

As the votes are counted, Lake is currently leading her opponent Karrin Taylor Robson  a moderate, who is endorsed by Vice President Mike Pence.

Well see what happens in that race, but as my dad used to say: The voters have spoken, the bastards.

(That is a joke for anyone unable to interpret humor in print.)

The Democrats are not only politically craven, but they are also playing with fire. Even worse, theyre playing Russian roulette.

It was not so long ago that Democrats saw a whole host of Republican candidates running for president in 2016 and some hoped that Trump would win, because they believed he would be the easiest to beat.

But they underestimate the American peoples disgust with party.

Who knows -- maybe an election-denying, MAGA Kool-Aid drinking fringe candidate may be a better option for some voters, who would back anyone that stands against the left's progressive cultural and economic agenda.

The electoral blood will be on their hands.

Don't forget this moment. Burn it into your brain forever. Democrats are absolutely and utterly full-of-it.

Lake (above) has publicly attacked my mother, my deceased father, my brother Jimmy and me multiple times. I think she is a threat to Arizona and democracy (truly).

As the votes are counted, Lake is currently leading her opponent Karrin Taylor Robson (above)  a moderate, who is endorsed by Vice President Mike Pence.

They only really want to defend the integrity of our democracy when it suits them politically.

Not only are they giving extreme candidates a chance, they are giving them a platform.

For the next three months, these candidates will be speaking to electorate  and not just Republicans, but independents.

Their views have now been legitimized by the electoral process.

Did I mention that Gibbs promoted the bizarre Spirit Cooking conspiracy that claimed Hillary Clintons campaign staff engaged in Satanic rituals that invovled bodily fluids?

Who knows how many minds he may influence?

Everyone at the DCCC who took part in this charade should be ashamed of themselves.

What they just did was gross and pathetic.

The DCCC (or Big Tech for that matter) should not be putting their fingers on the scales of the elections.

This only breeds more suspicion and election conspiracy theories.

It hardens generations of voters to think that their voice doesnt matter, because there are other, more powerful forces at play.

Consider all of this a warning shot as we enter into the general elections in November and onto the Presidential race in 2024.

The gloves are off, and the tribes have chosen sides.

According to the DCCC, the only good Republican is a politically dead Republican, no matter the collateral damage.

The American public and our democratic process deserves better.
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Alex Jones appeared shocked as he was told his lawyers had accidentally handed over hundreds of text messages by mistake after he told a court that they did not exist, after admitting that the Sandy Hook massacre did happen.

The InfoWars host squirmed in his seat after confirming his phone number was linked to the texts, after previously declaring under oath at the defamation hearing that there were no messages about Sandy Hook on his phone.

Jones was horrified to discover that his team sent a digital copy of every text and email about Sandy Hook, despite declaring under oath that they didn't exist.

Attorney Mark Banston, working for the Sandy Hook parents, revealed that they received the information 12 days ago, spanning years.

Jones called it their 'Perry Mason' moment during the trial, with Jones being accused of perjuring himself while giving evidence.

He previously testified that he was unable to find any emails regarding the Sandy Hook massacre, and was shocked when one was shown on screen to the court.

Jones was asked if he felt repeatedly claiming the shooting was a hoax was irresponsible, replying 'it was, especially since I've met the parents.'

He claimed he was 'under a lot of pressure' at the time he claimed the slayings were a hoax, adding: 'I truly meant it when I said those statements.

'When I say something, I mean it, that I really could believe that it was totally staged, that point.'

But the parents of Jesse Heslin, 6, who was among the 26 people killed in the 2012 attack at the school in Newtown, Connecticut, have said an apology will not be enough.

Neil Heslin and Scarlett Lewis said that Jones needed to be held accountable for repeatedly spreading falsehoods about the shooting, and are seeking at least $150million.

Alex Jones, pictured in court today, has admitted that the Sandy Hook massacre was '100 per cent real' and was not a hoax during his defamation trial

Taking to the stand yesterday, Jones told the court that he had complied with pretrial evidence gathering even though he didn't, and was scolded by the judge

Jones was shocked to discover that his lawyers had handed over messages by mistake to the attorney for the Sandy Hook parents

Jesse, 6, was one of the 26 victims shot and killed at the Sandy Hook Elementary School. His parents Neil Heslin and Scarlett Lewis have both testified against Jones in the trial

Judge Maya Guerra Gamble instructed the jury that the entire contents of the phone was 'not properly turned over when it should have been'.

The messages also reveals that InfoWars was making $800,000 a day in 2018, with the Sandy Hook parents lawyer adding 'after your platforming, your numbers keep getting better.'

His main company, Free Speech Systems, filed for bankruptcy on Friday, midway through his two week trial.

It is to determine how much the conspiracy theorist will have to pay the parents of a Sandy Hook shooting victim, in Austin, Texas.

Taking to the stand yesterday, Jones told the court that he had complied with pretrial evidence gathering even though he didn't.

The judge sent the jury out of the room and strongly scolded him for also telling the court that he was bankrupt, which has not been determined.

Plaintiff's attorneys were furious about Jones mentioning he is bankrupt, which they worry will taint a jury decision about damages.

'This is not your show,' Judge Maya Guerra Gamble told Jones. 'Your beliefs do not make something true. You are under oath.'

Judge Maya Guerra Gamble instructed the jury that the entire contents of the phone was 'not properly turned over when it should have been'

Neil Heslin, father of Sandy Hook Victim Jesse Lewis, 6, said his family's life had been turned to a 'living hell' after Alex Jones spread conspiracy theories about the massacre

#AlexJones testified that he was under a lot of pressure when he said that nobody died in the Sandy Hook shooting. "And I truly when I said those statements. When I say something, I mean it that I really couldn't believe that it was totally staged, that point," Jones said. pic.twitter.com/yul33bMC5d  Law&Crime Network (@LawCrimeNetwork) August 3, 2022

Jones repeatedly claimed that the 2012 massacre, which left 20 students and six teachers dead, was a 'hoax' and had been 'staged'

Last September, Guerra admonished Jones in her default judgement over his failure to turn over documents requested by the Sandy Hook families.

A court in Connecticut issued a similar default judgement against Jones for the same reasons in a separate lawsuit brought by other Sandy Hook parents.

Jones has portrayed the lawsuit against him as an attack on his First Amendment rights.

The parents have asked the jury to award $150 million in compensation for defamation and intentional infliction of emotional distress, with a jury deciding if Jones and his company will pay punitive damages.

Courts in Texas and Connecticut have already found Jones liable for defamation for his portrayal of the Sandy Hook massacre as a hoax.

In both states, judges issued default judgements against Jones without trials because he failed to respond to court orders and turn over documents.

Sandy Hook families have separately sued Jones over his financial claims, arguing that the company is trying to protect millions owned by Jones and his family through shell entities.

Yesterday he clashed with the lawyers of the Sandy Hook families again, accusing them of feeding the jury 'fake videos' during the trial.

Jones has claimed the trial is a way for others to attack his Freedom of Speech. Pictured: Jones arrived in Texas court for his defamation trial on Tuesday with a piece of tape over his mouth that said 'Save the 1st' Amendment

Jones referred to the bungle for handing over the documents as a their 'Perry Mason' moment, which was made famous by a fictional character created by Erle Stanley Gardner

Jesse's mother, Scarlett Lewis (above) said she feared for her life and confronted Jones on the stand as he said he did not believe she was an actor

After Neil Heslin and Scarlett Lewis, whose son Jesse, 6, was one of the 26 killed in the massacre, testified about Jones' theories turning their lives into 'a living hell', the InfoWars host approached their lawyers as they exited court.

Jones commented again on the footage, with one of the lawyers telling him 'shut your mouth'.

Jones responded: 'That's what you're trying to do, shut my mouth, you'll never succeed.'

It comes days after the InfoWars host got into a row with the family's attorney, with Jones' lawyer F. Andino Reynal flipping off attorney Mark Bankston in court.

The parents led a day of charged testimony that included the judge scolding the bombastic Jones for not being truthful with some of what he said under oath.

Heslin and Lewis both said they fear for their lives and have been confronted by strangers at home and on the street after Jones spread conspiracy theories about them.

Heslin said his home and car have been shot at as the jury also heard a death threat sent on the phone to another Sandy Hook family.

He told the court: 'I can't even describe the last nine and a half years, the living hell that I and others have had to endure because of the recklessness and negligence of Alex Jones.'
Students at a Manhattan private school have revealed how they were forced to attend a drag queen performance earlier this year.

The pupils at Grace Church High School, an independent Episcopal school that costs $57,000 a year, were required to attend chapel on April 27 for the school's Sixth Annual Pride Chapel event.

The event was sponsored by the school, the reverend as well as students and the faculty advisors for Spectrum, the school's LGBTQ club.

This year, it featured a performance by Jesse Havea as the drag queen Brita Filter, who was filmed strutting down the aisles of the chapel in bright orange go-go boots and a high-hemmed blue babydoll dress.

'I literally went to church to teach the children today,' the performer captioned the TikTok video.

Havea then spoke with the students about drag and his pansexual identity, as students said they were forced to dance in the pews.

'There was tons of social pressure to dance along and pretend like it was normal for sure,' one unnamed student told The Post Millennial, 'whether it be people tapping on shoulders and telling them to stand up or just a collective staring contest at whoever wasn't totally participating.'

Another student said: 'Immediately upon entering, there was a person handing out stickers with Pride flags on them unironically saying "take one or you're homophobic."'

Video posted online by drag queen Brita Filter shows her strutting down the aisles of the Grace Church chapel in bright orange go-go boots and a high-hemmed blue babydoll dress

She was at the private Episcopal school for its Sixth Annual Pride Chapel event on April 27

@thebritafilter I literally went to church to teach the children today  A Catholic High School here in NYC invited me to their Pride  Chapel. Visibility matters and Im so honored to have had the chance to talk to you about my work as a LGBTQ+ Drag Queen Activist. Comment if you want me to post part 2 #drag #church #dragqueen #lgbtq #pride  original sound - Brita Filter

Students told The Post Millennial how Havea  as Brita Filter  entered the church through the back entrance following remarks by a chaplain and faculty members, one of whom introduced Havea as 'the queen of New York.'

The performer then strutted down the aisle as I Will Survive played, and the students were forced to clap along.

One student even said that as Havea approached the altar, he was joined by other dancing students, some of whom were twerking along with the music.

'I wondered, "Is this really happening in a chapel?"' the student asked.

Havea then went on to perform a rendition of Somewhere Over the Rainbow, before sitting down with the school's Vocal Music Director Andrew Leonard 'to answer questions about drag representation and what pride month symbolizes,' according to the school website.

During the discussion, the Post Millennial reports, Havea discussed the importance of his Tongan and Polynesian ethnicity  and said he identifies as pansexual.

Throughout the discussion, one student said, 'this person consistently called themselves "fabulous" and "talented" and "beautiful," not just once or twice, but over and over this person reassured themselves that way."

Students in the Spectrum club also 'shared their own stories and experiences of identity and belonging at Grace,' the school's website says, at which point The Post Millennial reports a teacher resigned over improper pronoun use.

Students at the school have revealed how they were forced to dance along during the performance or they would be stared at, and how they had to grab Pride flags or they would be called homophobic

The event was sponsored by the school, the reverend as well as students and the faculty advisors for Spectrum, the school's LGBTQ club

The pupils recounted how math teacher Uyen Nguyen told the chapel 'how much they loved the gay kids at school, and how this has been the most inclusive and accepting place they've ever been.'

But Nguyen  who refers to themselves as The Gay Agender Teacher  said they cannot work with the school's administration.

'The administration is not supportive of their identity,' one student said. 'They kept just saying that they were getting misgendered and people weren't using their pronouns.

Nguyen had complained about the issue in the past, saying colleagues using the wrong pronouns was a 'stressor' for them and saying they faced no accountability when they did use the wrong pronouns.

They suggested in a March interview with the school's newspaper that the Episcopalian school had to have more training for faculty members to deal with nonbinary issues, saying 'It's mandatory that faculty do some anti-racism training.

'My first week of meetings were all just antiracism workshops,' Nguyen told the Grace Gazette. 'That's great and necessary and needed, I just wish that there was also gender diversity and acceptance training  how to be respectful of different identities and whatnot. That's not something that the school currently does.'

Nguyen added: 'It's really hard for me to be supportive and create a safe space for people if I, myself, am struggling to feel that for me.

The school newspaper reports that Nguyen 'wanted to be "authentic to [themselves]"' and began looking for respect and acceptance as a nonbinary person once they became full-time faculty.

'Teacher Nguyen feels that "students have been really accepting" and that this student-teacher relationship has felt "really great and validating and gender-euphoria promoting."

Havea has said how he enjoys taking innocent things and 'messing them up'

Havea has previously competed on RuPaul's Drag Race and is the national co-chair of Drag Out the Vote

Havea, meanwhile, has previously competed on RuPaul's Drag Race and is the national co-chair of Drag Out the Vote.

On social media, Havea markets himself with the hashtag #AnythingButPure, playing on the Brita Filter name.

And on his Instagram and YouTube pages, he consistently alludes to various kinks and high risk sexual practices including 'water sports,' 'fisting,' 'balls deep,' 'turning out,' 'glory hole,' and using the phrase '1 in the pink, 2 in the stink.'

In an interview with Get Out Magazine in 2017, Havea said: 'I love taking things that are very gentle, things that you're not really supposed to touch and f****** them up. That's truly what I like to do.'

He explained: 'I do this number from Cinderella called My Own Little Corner, In My Own Little Chair, and I mess it up by doing a mix out of it. But when Cinderella is in her own little corner, she is smoking a pipe and doing cocaine to get away from her step family.

'Everything I do is making fun of everything else, and turning it up a little.'

The April event marked the first time Havea has spoken at a church, he said, and comes amid a flurry of other videos showing children at drag shows at schools and restaurants across the country.

In June, a Dallas gay bar made national headlines when it threw a pride month event that invited kids to join.

And in New York City, officials have spent more than $200,000 on Drag Queen Story Hours since 2018. During those story hours drag queens read books to children promoting inclusivity, creativity, and acceptance of the self.

Florida Gov Ron DeSantis has now vowed to clamp down on the efforts in his state, saying recently: 'We said, "Wait a minute, having kids involved in this is wrong, that is not consistent with our law and policy in the state of Florida, and is a disturbing trend in our society to try to sexualize these young people.

'That is not the way you look out for our children.'

Grace School has come under fire in the past for its woke critical race theory policies

But the Grace School in Manhattan has had a history of woke policies.

The school's website says it is focused on integrating 'ethical consciousness and academic excellence by addressing the moral personal and spiritual development of students.'

It adds: 'The Episcopal school tradition recognizes the unique, intrinsic worth of every human being, bestowed upon each by a loving God.'

School officials therefore attempt to instill students with a 'deep respect' for not just race or religion, but sexual orientation and gender identity.

Last year, math teacher Paul Rossi accused headmaster George Davison of indoctrinating students with anti-racism ideology, after the school issued a glossary of terms they claim will make the facility a more 'inclusive' place.

The school offered the 12-page guide to staff, students and parents that encourages them to stop using 'mom' and 'dad', to stop asking classmates where they may have gone on vacation and urges them not to wish anyone a 'Merry Christmas' - or even a 'Happy Holidays'.

Its website even has a page devoted to antiracism where it outlines the programs offered to pupils and parents.
A British tourist drowned in the sea off the Canary Islands a day before he turned 30.

Nicholas Desmond, 29, from Gabalfa, Cardiff, flew to Tenerife for a holiday on the morning of July 29.

He had been there for just a few hours when he got into difficulties in the sea at Callao Salvaje and was rescued- showing signs of drowning.

The 29-year-old, known as Nicky, was flown to Adeje where he was to be taken to hospital by a waiting ambulance. However, Nicholas sadly died.

Nicholas Desmond, 29, from Gabalfa, Cardiff, pictured, flew to Tenerife for a holiday on the morning of July 29

Paying tribute to him, family friend Sacha Pugsley, 29, said: 'He was very bubbly, very outgoing. He always had a helping hand for everybody.

'He would literally walk the world for me if he could. He was always happy, always bubbly. I don't think I'd ever seen a time where he was upset.

'He'd never bring anybody down.'

He had been there for just a few hours when he got into difficulties in the sea at Callao Salvaje, pictured, and was rescued- showing signs of drowning

His friends are fundraising to bring his body home to rest, hoping to raise 10,000.

A post on their fundraising page reads: 'On the day of 29th July we lost our Nicky after he was rescued from the sea in south of Tenerife.

'The night before 30th birthday our boy was taken from us sent to fly his wings, the tragic accident had left a mark on us all I want to raise as much I can to bring him back from Spain and lay him to rest at home we're he belongs.

'The expenses to bring him home are extremely high let's bring him back. The unexpected death of a child is an unimaginable loss that no one could prepare for. Every parent's greatest fear is the loss of their child.

Friends of Nicholas, pictured left and right, are now fundraising 10,000 to bring his body back to the UK. His friend Sacha paid tribute to him, describing him as 'bubbly' and 'outgoing'

'It happened so suddenly and I know nothing will ever fill the void in their hearts.

'He was such a beautiful soul, a brother, a son loved by all that met him, has left us too soon.

'Our beloved friends & The Gabalfa community have suffered a significant loss with the recent passing of their precious friend Nicky.

'While we cannot take away their pain, we can help this loving family with the many financial burdens they now face. Please consider donating as they lay their son to rest and take the time away to grieve.'

A balloon release was held in Nicky's memory the day of his 30th birthday.
Another exclusive club for the elite is making its way to New York City, serving as a co-working space for millionaires.

The posh club opening in March 2023, Colette, is located on the 37th floor of New York's GM building on 59th Street. The club will feature an abundance of WeWork-like amenities, including 23 private offices measuring 400 square feet each, conference rooms, a members lounge, a fitness center, and a restaurant in the building, CoCo's.

Developer Edmond Safra and restaurateur Juan Santa Cruz will run the ritzy workspace.

'I've been thinking about this for a while,' Santa Cruz told Bloomberg. 'The world has been evolving for quite some time, and the pandemic has made it more evident that people do not use their offices as they think they do, or wish they did.'

The Colette is an exclusive co-working space located on the 37th floor of the New York GM building. The space is set to open in March 2023 for wealthy members willing to pay $125,00 on top of $36,000 in annual fees

The office located inside the GM building will overlook central park. The club will feature an abundance of WeWork-like amenities, including 23 private offices measuring at 400 square feet each

The Colette will cap at 300 members and grant them access to conference rooms, a members lounge, a fitness center, and a restaurant in the building, CoCo's

Developer Edmond Safra and restaurateur Juan Santa Cruz (pictured above) will run the ritzy workspace set to open in 2023

For $125,000 per year and an additional $36,000 in yearly dues, the city's richest residents can indulge in being waited on by Colette employees that will slyly bring coffee and snacks to members. Meanwhile, members can work around the breathtaking view of Central Park.

Santa Cruz seeks a commonplace for elites to meet for business meetings. He claimed that many people either lack an appropriate workspace or are forced to travel too far for business.

'So why don't we develop a co-working club, at the highest level, for people who are used to having an amazing office?'

Along with providing coffee and snacks, Colette staff will also make copies, bind printed presentations, and greet guests or members.

Club memberships with a cap at 300.

Santa Cruz's vision for the workspace is to draw in business people who generally have to travel out of state for business purposes

Along with the amenities, Colette employees will also offer various services for employees, including making copies, binding printed presentations, and greeting guests of members

Santa Cruz is an Argentina-born banker that sought a career as a restauranteur. He has a restaurant that serves the elite in London called Casa Cruz. Prince Harry and other celebrities are commonly spotted there.

The Colette isn't the only private club attempting to win over the city's elite. The Core Club is set to open a four-story location about a few blocks away from the Colette, according to the report. Both clubs share the same goal of appealing to the wealthiest in the city.

Meanwhile, Core offers a cheaper membership than Colette beginning at $15,000 and reaching $100,00. Annual fees for the club range from $15,000 and $18,000.

Another club, Aman, is also opening nearby with both clubs on Fifth Avenue. Aman is anticipated to serve as a lifestyle club rather than a workspace.
National Security Council spokesman John Kirby now insists that the number of al-Qaeda hiding out in Afghanistan under the shield of the Taliban is not 'very very large,' one year after President Biden insisted the terrorist group was 'gone' from the nation.

Al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri was killed in a U.S. drone strike Monday while he was hiding out in downtown Kabul, Afghanistan's capital and most populous city, at the home of a senior Taliban leader.

Kirby said Zawahiri, who had a heavy hand in the 9/11 attacks, had been hiding out not in the remote mountains but in bustling Kabul since around December 2021, just four months after the U.S. pulled out of Afghanistan and the Taliban took over.

Asked how many members of al-Qaeda were still hiding out in Afghanistan, Kirby told Fox News' 'America's Newsroom': 'I don't want to get too specific, we do not believe the number is very very large and we're watching it as closely as we can.'

Asked how many members of al-Qaeda were still hiding out in Afghanistan, Kirby told Fox News' 'America's Newsroom': 'I don't want to get too specific, we do not believe the number is very very large and we're watching it as closely as we can'

Zawahiri was targeted while hiding out in Kabul's Sherpur neighborhood, pictured above on Tuesday

Taliban fighters drive a car on a street following the killing of Al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri in a U.S. strike over the weekend, in Kabul, Afghanistan

Kirby then said it was 'not true' to insist the Biden administration claimed al-Qaeda was 'gone' at the time of the U.S. withdrawal in August 2021.

'We were very honest about the fact al-Qaeda had some presence in Afghanistan even before we left,' he said.

President Biden, however, did insist al-Qaeda was 'gone' at the time.

'We went to Afghanistan for the express purpose of getting rid of al Qaeda in Afghanistan as well as getting Osama bin Laden. And we did,' he told reporters on Aug. 20, 2021.

Biden had set Aug. 31 as the deadline for U.S. troops to be out of the nation. Amid calls to delay that deadline, he said: 'What interest do we have in Afghanistan at this point, with al Qaeda gone?'

In June, UN security intelligence experts revealed that al-Qaeda was enjoying a 'safe haven' in Afghanistan under the Taliban and warned the country could become a base for international terrorist attacks once again.

Security forces stand guarded at a checkpoint as security measures tightened after the US drone strike killed al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri

Security forces control vehicles at a checkpoint amid heightened security measures after the drone strike

The Taliban accused the US of violating the Doha agreement by carrying out the drone strike

The Taliban formed links with al-Qaeda between 1996 and 2001, when the Islamist group ruled over Afghanistan.

Al-Qaeda reportedly paid the Taliban $20million each year to operate in Afghanistan, as the group orchestrated its attack on New York City's World Trade Centre, killing almost 3,000 people.

Over the 20-year war in Afghanistan, the US targeted and splintered al-Qaeda, sending leaders into hiding. As the Taliban and al-Qaida spilt across the region, many collaborated and regrouped in factions, with ISIS emerging in 2014.

In 2020, the Taliban signed the Doha peace deal with Donald Trump's administration, saying that said it would keep ISIS and al-Qaeda out of Afghanistan.

But critics at the time said that the Taliban would provide a 'safe haven' for terrorist groups.

The killing gave a chilling confirmation of those fears, with even Biden administration officials warning that the Taliban had violated the Doha agreement

'By hosting and sheltering the leader of al Qa'ida in Kabul, the Taliban grossly violated the Doha agreement and repeated assurances to the world that they would not allow Afghan territory to be used by terrorists to threaten the security of other countries,' Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement just after Biden announced the operation from the White House.

The Taliban, in turn, accused the U.S. of violating the Doha agreement with the drone strike, which it called a 'violation of international norms.'

Officials have said they believe senior Taliban officials were aware of Zawahiri's presence in the villa in Kabul's Shirpur neighborhood.

Zawahiri's killing eliminates the 71-year-old Egyptian who more than anyone shaped al-Qaeda, first as Osama bin Laden's deputy since 1998, then as his successor.

Together, he and bin Laden turned the jihadi movement's guns to target the United States, carrying out the deadliest attack ever on American soil  the September 11, 2001, World Trade Centre and Pentagon attack.

When the 2001 US invasion of Afghanistan demolished al-Qaida's safe haven and scattered, killed and captured its members, al-Zawahiri ensured al-Qaida's survival.

He rebuilt its leadership in the Afghan-Pakistan border region and installed allies as lieutenants in key positions.
Woody and Jessie from Toy Story went out of their way to greet black kids at Disney World after controversies over costume mascots from Sesame Place and Chuck E. Cheese were accused of racism over claims that they 'ignored' them.

A father-of-two who brought his children to the Magic Kingdom in Orlando this week shared the video on TikTok, showing a crowd of black kids begging for Woody and Jessie to come toward them after both characters greeted a circle of young fans.

Jessie was preoccupied with one part of the crowd when Woody came up to her to point in the direction of the black children on the other side of the circle, seemingly requesting her to go up to them and to show them some love.

Much to young fans' delight, the costumed mascot went up to them before giving a black girl a big hug. Woody joined Jessie moments later, ending up exciting the kids even more.

'WOODY FOR THE WIN,' the caption of the TikTok video read.

A father of two who brought his children to Disney World in Orlando this week shared a video on TikTok of a crowd of black kids begging for Woody and Jessie to come toward them after both characters came about to greet a circle of young fans

The adorable moment comes after several costumed characters at certain theme parks and restaurants were accused of racism by intentionally 'snubbing' black kids.

The mascot for a Chuck E. Cheese restaurant in Wayne, New Jersey accused of snubbing a black child on July 30 during a meet-and-greet period became the latest costumed character to be accused of racism.

Natyana Muhammad, the little girl's mother, posted a video of the interaction on Twitter which shows the mascot walking and greeting children while her small child holds her hand out for a high-five.

'My 2-year-old was racially discriminated against,' Muhammad wrote of the incident. 'As you can see, he gives all of the [white] kids [high fives] and PURPOSELY ignored my black baby.'

Muhammad, who goes by Umm Safa on Twitter, claims when she confronted the person playing the musical mouse, he ignored her and the restaurant's manager, who she named as Angie Valasquez, 'made excuses for him.'

Chuck E. Cheese also released a statement following the incident saying it's 'saddened when any family or child has a less than perfect experience.

'We want to thank the family who brought this to our attention ... and for giving the onsite manager an opportunity to apologize and address their concerns in person,' it added.

The mascot for a Chuck E. Cheese location in New Jersey has become the latest mascot to be accused of racism

The incident allegedly occurred on July 30, when a woman who goes by the name Umm Safa took her children to the location in the North Jersey town of Wayne

She posted a video of the encounter to Twitter and wrote: 'My 2-year-old was racially discriminated against. As you can see, he gives all of the [white] kids [high fives] and PURPOSELY ignored my black baby'

She then says that the restaurant 'insisted' her daughter take a picture with Chuck E. Cheese

The incident took place at long-running location of the restaurant chain in Wayne, New Jersey, one of just 612 left

One family also 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 announcing a $25 million lawsuit against the theme park's parent company.

The video opens with the costumed characters dancing in a parade as the employee dressed as the Telly Monster walked over to wave and shake the hands of several children.

Among the kids in the group was Kennedi, who tried reaching out to the character before he walked away and waved his hand to other spectators. Kennedi then turns around to her father with a big frown on her face.

Moments later, an employee dressed as Ernie was seen greeting the same group, but also stops just short of shaking hands with Kennedi.

After the incident, Sesame Place explained that the alleged snubbing was not intentional and that the employees in these incidents simply can't see everyone due to the costume's limited field of vision.

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 furor triggered more families to come forward with similar experiences.

A similar incident occurred when two other black girls from New York were apparently snubbed by Rosita at the Sesame Street theme park in Langhorne, outside Philadelphia.

The lawsuit filed by the Burns family 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 also states that '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 US 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.

Black Caucus members are seeking a meeting with the theme park's general manager Cathy Valeriano to 'discuss the changes, plans of action, and training the park plans to implement,' Fox News reporter Chad Pergram said on Saturday.

The caucus said: 'Over the past week, we've seen multiple glaring examples of racism coming from the park, including the viral video in which two beautiful little black girls were blatantly rejected by a character they idolized while white children were embraced.'

On Saturday, Brown appeared on MSNBC and said she rejected the apologies that had been issued by Sesame Place, the theme park outside Philadelphia.

'I don't believe it was genuine, I believe they were just putting out statements due to how viral the video has gone,' Brown said.

Brown's attorney B'Ivory Lamarr appeared alongside the mother and reiterated his threat to sue the theme park and demand that the unidentified employee in the Rosita costume be fired.

Sesame Place confirmed the incident occurred in a statement posted to Instagram on Saturday, but said it was a 'misunderstanding'

In a statement on Sunday, theme park officials called the now viral moment a 'misunderstanding,' saying the mascot likely did not see the girls due to limited vision in the costume's unwieldy mask.

'Our brand, our park and our employees stand for inclusivity and equality in all forms,' the statement read. 'That is what Sesame Place is all about and we do not tolerate any behaviors in our parks that are contrary to that commitment.'

'We also are, and always have been, committed to making sure every family and every child has the best possible experience at our parks and we are incredibly disappointed when that does not happen.'

'We spoke to the family and extended our apologies and invited them back for a special meet-and-greet opportunity with our characters,' the statement read.

The park said the actor portraying Rosita - who was not named - 'did not intentionally ignore the girls and is devastated about the misunderstanding.'

The statement alleged Rosita was gesturing 'no' to another guest who had requested they hold hold their child for a photo, 'which is not permitted.'

The park also said the mascot likely did not see the girls due to limited vision in the costume's unwieldy mask, which 'sometimes make it difficult to see at lower levels' leading actors to occasionally 'miss hug requests from guests.'

'We apologize to these guests for not delivering the experience they expected and we commit to do our best to earn their and all guests' visit and support,' the statement concluded.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis called for doctors who perform gender-affirming care on minors to be sued during a press conference in Tallahassee on Wednesday.

It's the latest shot in the popular Republican figure's months-long culture war with the LGBTQ community, which has sent his national profile skyrocketing with moments like his public spat with the Walt Disney Company over Florida's new 'Don't Say Gay' law.

DeSantis comments came while discussing his state's substance abuse recovery model - and were met with fierce applause in response.

'One of the things that they are trying to do, is they talk about these very young kids getting gender-affirming care,' the governor said.

'But they don't tell you what that is, is they're actually giving very young girls miss double mastectomies. They want to castrate these young boys. That's wrong.'

When asked by DailyMail.com who 'they' refers to, DeSantis' spokeswoman Christina Pushaw said it was 'the powerful institutions and people who push the false narrative that so-called gender affirming care (experimental medical and surgical interventions) is the best way to deal with gender dysphoria or confusion in children and youth.'

'Moreover, they  the politicians, doctors, and activists who promote gender affirming care  falsely claim that puberty blockers are safe and should be given to children who are confused about their gender.'

DeSantis continued during his press conference, 'We've stood up and said, both from the health and children wellbeing perspective, you know, you don't disfigure 1012 13 year old kids, based on gender dysphoria.'

He went on to highlight a 2011 study frequently referenced by opponents of gender-affirming care for children and teens, which suggests that a majority of transgender youth grow out of it by the time they are adults.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis made the comments seemingly out of the blue during a press conference on drug addiction recovery

'Eighty percent of it resolves, anyways, by the time they get older,' DeSantis said.

Critics of the study have claimed it's based on incomplete information and therefore the figure is overblown.

DeSantis finished, 'I think these doctors need to get sued for what's happening.'

Whoops, cheers and claps erupted from the crowd after his call.

LGBTQ rights activists have insisted that giving minors access to gender affirming care is safe, and that denying it could have harmful repercussions on the mental health of trans youth.

DeSantis' administration has been accused by Democrats and human rights activists of curbing the freedoms of transgender youth.

In April, Florida's Health Department updated its guidance to discourage the use of puberty blockers, hormone treatments, and surgical procedures for gender-affirming care for kids under 18.

And in March, DeSantis signed his controversial 'Parental Rights In Education' bill, dubbed 'Don't Say Gay' by critics.

People protesting the Turning Point USA Student Action Summit and those supporting it make their voices heard outside the Tampa Convention Center on July 23, 2022 in Tampa, Florida

They're also concerned it restricts trans youth from confiding in school counselors and nurses - in some cases, the only adults they can open up to.

Supporters point out that the word 'gay' does not appear in the legislative text nor does the law single out any specific orientation or identity.

It bans 'classroom instruction by school personnel or third parties on sexual orientation or gender identity' in kindergarten through third grade, and such discussions on all other academic levels must be 'age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students in accordance with state standards'.'

In addition to banning academic discussion on gender identity and sexual orientation, the law also requires public school districts to put procedures in place to require school officials to report a shift in a student's 'services or monitoring related to the student's mental, emotional, or physical health or well-being' to their parents.

It also allows parents to sue schools and school districts for running afoul of the new law.

President Joe Biden denounced the law as 'hateful.'

Disney's opposition to the law and subsequent public fallout with DeSantis spurred a highly-publicized dispute that saw Orlando's Disney World lose its self-governing status in Florida.
A jarring video shows a group of seven men hurling glass bottles at officers from the NYPD during an arrest in the Bronx that became violent and out-of-control.

The Sunday night melee broke out around 8:05pm, when officers from the 44th Precinct were informed of a large group gathering at East 168 Street and Sheridan Avenue in the Bronx.

Members of the group were observed drinking, playing loud music, blocking the sidewalk, and acting disorderly, an NYPD spokesperson told DailyMail.com on Wednesday.

Officers approached an individual who attempted to flee the location but was apprehended armed with a loaded firearm.

The shocking scene was caught on video. The incensed group can be heard shouting in English and Spanish, while one screamed, 'Why you push him? Why you hit him?' as officers apprehended one man who was down on the ground.

'Look they hit him!, Look they hit him!,' they yelled at officers.

A fist fight soon broke out between one of the officers and one of the men. Many bystanders used their cell phones to capture the wild scene.

Four officers sustained minor injuries, and four men were issued summonses, according to the NYPD.

The Sunday night melee broke out around 8:05pm, when officers from the 44th Precinct were informed of a large group gathering at East 168 Street and Sheridan Avenue in the Bronx. Four individuals were issued summonses and four officers sustained minor injuries

As officers attempted to break up the riot, glass bottles were being thrown at them. The shocking scene was caught on video. The NYPD spokesperson said four officer sustained minor injuries, and four men were issued summonses

Erni Taveras, 20, of Franklin Avenue in the Bronx, was the only person charged with assault in the group.

He was charged with assaulting a police officer, as well as with resisting arrest, inciting a riot, disorderly conduct and harassment.

Nineteen-year-old Yorky Hernandez from Burke Avenue in the Bronx, was charged with six offenses, including criminal possession of a weapon and firearm and unlawful possession of a large capacity ammunition feeding device.

Alonzo, Bryan, 20, of Echo Place in the Bronx was charged with resisting arrest, obstructing governmental administration, criminal possession of a weapon and disorderly conduct.

A fourth person remains at large and Crime Stoppers have put up a reward of up to $3,500 for help with their capture.

In total, seven unidentified males threw glass bottles towards the victim, later fleeing on foot 'to parts unknown,' according to the NYPD.

The victim sustained bruising and cuts to the face and was removed to a local area hospital in stable condition.

Members of the group were observed drinking, playing loud music, blocking the sidewalk, and acting disorderly, an NYPD spokesperson told DailyMail.com on Wednesday

Some of the members of the group were holding their cell phones and taking footage of the chaotic scene

While murders in the city are down 5.6% from last year, robbery is up 39.2%, from 6,530 to 9,091, and burglaries increased by 32.9%, from 6,251 to 8,305, according to NYPD data.

Felony assault rose by 18.6% and rapes saw an 11% increase so far this year compared to 2021.

NYC Mayor Eric Adams has been a vociferous supporter of an expansion in the city's police presence since becoming mayor in 2021, doubling the number of cops on the city's subway and bringing back plain-clothes officers in new Neighborhood Safety Teams.

In June, the Supreme Court struck down a New York law that severely restricted licenses to carry a concealed weapon, in the high court's biggest Second Amendment ruling in more than a decade.

President Joe Biden said he was 'deeply disappointed' in the ruling, saying in a statement that it 'contradicts both common sense and the Constitution, and should deeply trouble us all.'

The 6-3 ruling reversed a lower court's opinion, which had upheld the 108-year-old New York law restricting licenses to carry concealed weapons in public only to those demonstrating 'proper cause.'

Justice Clarence Thomas delivered the majority opinion, writing that the New York law prevented law-abiding citizens from exercising their Second Amendment rights.

New York is not alone in severely limiting who can get a license to carry concealed in public, and the new ruling will likely make it easier to legally carry a gun in other major cities including Los Angeles, Boston and Baltimore.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams -- who himself has a concealed carry permit and was elected on a platform of cracking down on crime -- said that the ruling 'will put New Yorkers at further risk of gun violence.'
By Caitlin Johnstone

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has left Taiwan after a brief but diplomatically corrosive visit, the aftereffects from which may be felt for years to come.

Toward the end of her speech alongside Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen, Pelosi's brain underwent one of its increasingly common software glitches, causing her to begin babbling inarticulately.

Here is a transcript of what Nancy Pelosi's brain said:

"In our earliest days at our founding of our country, Benjamin Franklin, our presidency, said, freedom and democracy. Freedom and democracy, one thing, security here. If we don't have- we can't have either, if we don't have both."

Of course Benjamin Franklin was neither a president of the United States nor a "presidency", and the quote Nancy's floundering brain was reaching for was "Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety. These are not difficult things to remember or articulate for someone with functioning gray matter.

This is right up there with other famous neural malfunctions by the speaker, like her "Bernie loves hearing" gibberish from last year or her bizarre "Good morning, Sunday morning" restart in the middle of an interview a couple of years ago, and it calls to mind a DC pharmacist's casual remark in 2017 that he had filled prescriptions to treat Alzheimer's disease for some powerful decision makers on Capitol Hill.

None of which would be a problem, if we were talking about some little old lady whiling away her twilight years at a retirement home in Florida. But we are not; we are talking about one of the most powerful elected officials in the most powerful government on earth, third in the line of succession to the presidency after the vice president.

More importantly, we are talking about someone who just participated in an incendiary visit to Taiwan which has ensured the escalation of dangerous cold war tensions between major world powers, and could potentially have triggered a hot war with China.

US war machinery, including aircraft carriers and large planes, were mobilized to provide security for Pelosi's visit ahead of her arrival. The United States military was literally just used to help a dementia patient try to start World War Three.

China's response to Pelosi's provocation has thankfully been relatively measured, though we're about to see Taiwan fully encircled by the Chinese navy for a show of force unlike anything we've seen in decades, and Chinese sanctions upon Taiwanese commerce are still being announced. There will be political pressure in Beijing to escalate tensions with the US so as not to look weak, and the intensity of the new cold war has certainly been ratcheted up a notch, but when it comes to hot war it looks like humanity's better angels have prevailed for now.

None of this makes it acceptable for the world's most powerful government to send a politician whose brains are leaking out her ears to try to stir up hostilities under cover of its military forces.

The world is a worse place now than it was before Pelosi's plane touched down. Less safe, less wealthy, less kind, and more frightening. Not one ordinary person has benefitted from her insanely hawkish provocation made in her final years on this earth, especially not the people of Taiwan.

The US empire is sick, and it is playing sick games with all our lives. As far as I'm concerned, its downfall can't come soon enough.
Here's one good reason why you can't question a dog's loyalty to its owner.

Viral footage on TikTok shows a pooch using its head to push along a man bound to a wheelchair to cross the street in the Mexican municipality of Ecatepec last Thursday.

The service dog can be seen pushing the wheelchair through the middle of a busy street and then guiding it to the curb where other pedestrians waited for the light to change.

'Oh how beautiful,' gushed TikTok user @brendabriones9 while she told a person who was with her to step to the side so that she could get a better view.

TikTok user @brendabriones9 captured the heartwarming moment a service dog pushed a man on a wheelchair through the busy streets of Ecatepec, Mexico, last Thursday. The video footage has been seen more than 29 million times

The dog lowered its head and stuck it under the wheelchair seat in order to push his companion and help him navigate though a neighborhood in Ecatepec, Mexico

The dog stands by the side of his companion and observes traffic passing by.

He then walks around the wheelchair and lowers the head underneath the seat and leads its human pal across the street.

The dog's actions touched the hearts of other TikTokers.

'Animals don't judge, don't discriminate (and) don't ridicule from afar,' a user on the social media platform wrote. '(They show) More humanity than all of us put together.'

The pooch stopped at the intersection and waited with his favorite human being before helping him get across the street

'Animals don't judge, don't discriminate (and) don't ridicule from afar,' a user on the social media platform wrote after being taken aback by the dog's actions. '(They show) More humanity than all of us put together'

A video on TikTok that shows a dog pushing his companion on a wheelchair and helping him cross a street in Mexico has been seen more than 29 million times since last Thursday

'A dog (who) is able to do that is (true) friendship with loyalty,' another TikToker chimed in.

An animal lover wondered if he and other people were worthy of having the companionship of a dog.

'We humans really don't deserve them!! They are just amazing!'

Another TikToker seemed to agree: 'Good dog. There are many dogs (that) have better hearts (than) many humans.'

The video has been viewed more than 29 million times and has over 1.4 million likes.
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A coalition of protesters including Extinction Rebellion, People's Assembly and Stand Up To Racism attempted to block the main entrance to last night's Tory party hustings.

Footage shared online shows dozens of eco-zealots banging on drums and chanting while forming a human chain at the main gates of the All Nations Centre in Cardiff, Wales.

But while the start of the event was delayed, protestors were too late to majorly disrupt proceedings after both Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss had already entered the building.

Both candidates are in the Welsh capital to win support of some of the 160,000 Conservative Party members who will vote to determine Britain's next Prime Minister in September.

Protesters held up signs reading 'never Truss a Tory' while another read: 'They will f*** you over Sunak or later'.

One protestor dressed as Ms Truss, donning a blonde bob wig and blue skirt and matching blouse.

Referencing the PM hopeful's rapid U-turn on public sector pay cuts this week, she held up a sign reading: 'I thought it was perfectly OK to cut nurses and teachers' pay.'

Some held up signs reading 'never Truss a Tory' while another read: 'They will f*** you over Sunak or later.'

Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss are in the Welsh capital to win support of some of the 160,000 Conservative Party members who will vote to determine Britain's next Prime Minister in September

One protestor dressed as Ms Truss, donning a blonde bob wig and blue skirt and matching blouse

A protester is handled by a police officer as he lays on the ground outside Tory hustings on Wednesday evening

A wall of police officers are seen guarding the gates of entry to the All Nations Centre in Cardiff

Police watch on as a protestor donning a green bandana over their face holds up a sign reading: 'People not profits'

An attendee walks through the protest outside the All Nations Centre in Cardiff ahead of the Conservative Party leadership hustings on Wednesday evening

The venue had not been made public in the hours leading up to the sold-out event.

A total of 30 noisy protestors had arrived at the centre but were reportedly outnumbered by local members of the Ready for Rishi campaign.

Two protestors were manhandled off the site and kept behind a police barricade of 15 officers.

The protest was kept off the premises and the Tories gathering inside were only slightly disturbed by the banging of drums.

Extinction Rebellion activists were later joined by campaigners from the Peoples Assembly and Stand Up to Racism who shouted slogans aimed at Britain's cost of living crisis.

Earlier Mr Sunak came outside the building to rally his troops and raise a cheer for former Tory leader Michael Howard who is supporting his leadership campaign.

Meanwhile, Ms Truss sneaked in through a side door after being deposited outside by a black Range Rover.

Protesters gather outside the venue of the Tory hustings in Cardiff on Wednesday night

Protester holds up a sign accusing Sunak and Truss of 'trashing our lives, our NHS, our climate'

Earlier Mr Sunak came outside the building to rally his troops and raise a cheer for former Tory leader Michael Howard (pictured far left) who is supporting his leadership campaign

Liz Truss speaks to the crowds during the Tory hustings inside the All Nations Centre in Cardiff on Wednesday night

Former Chancellor to the Exchequer Rishi Sunak speaks during a Conservative party membership hustings at the All Nations Centre on August 3, 2022

The protestors said they took 'equal issue' with both candidates.

Extinction Rebellion Cymru spokesperson David France said: 'Neither is up to the job. We are choosing between heating and eating despite record profits for oil and gas companies, all while flooding and wildfires rage across the planet.

'Neither of these unelected Prime Ministers would give us anything other than more of this suffering for everyday people'.

Peter Booth, chairman of the National Convention, opened the hustings making a joke about the protests.

He told the crowd: 'It's good to be here in Wales. Thank you all for attending this evening. And it's great to see so many friends and colleagues in the audience.

'And thank you all of you for braving Extinction Rebellion outside.'
Subway shooter who killed Goldman Sachs worker on his way to brunch weeks after being granted bail over car theft

Andrew Abdullah shot and killed Daniel Enriquez in an unexplained attack on May 19th

Andrew Abdullah shot and killed Daniel Enriquez in an unexplained attack on the subway on May 19th.

Weeks earlier, a judge let Abdullah out on no bond, despite him having tried to steal a car.

Prosecutors asked the judge to keep him behind bars on a $15,000 bond but the judge - Leigh Cheng - denied their request, and let him out.

He went on to kill Enriquez on a Manhattan-bound Q train, then handed himself in days later after a fruitless effort by the NYPD.

Criminal who smeared feces on woman's face was out on bail after attacking someone in a store

Frank Abrokwa smeared feces on a woman's face weeks after being bailed out after punching someone on a subway platform

Just one week before the horrifying subway attack, Frank Abrokwa had been arrested for allegedly threatening a hardware store employee with a screwdriver but had been released without bail.

The 37-year-old was also arrested on January 7, for allegedly punching a 30-year-old man on a subway platform at 125th Street and Lenox Avenue and on February 5, for hitting a 53-year-old man at the Port Authority Bus Terminal.

But each time, thanks to New York's lax new bail reform laws, the career criminal did not have to post bail and was released.

A few days after threatening the store employee during a robbery, Abrokwa allegedly lunged at the woman at the East 241st Street subway station on February 21, smearing feces on her face

Homeless Christmas tree arsonist with 20-year rap sheet

Craig Tamanaha, 49, leaves Manhattan Criminal court flipping the cameras after a hearing for the incident where he burned down a Christmas Tree in front of Fox Studios in December of 2021

Last year, Craig Tamanaha set fire to the Christmas tree outside FOX News. Luckily, no one was hurt.

Tamanaha had a long rap sheet and at the time, had been bailed weeks earlier for

Weeks before the incident, Tamanaha allegedly flashed outside Ghislaine Maxwell's trial court and according to a criminal complaint from December.

The 49-year-old has a lengthy criminal record spanning at least 20 years and two states, and he was arrested last month for exposing himself outside the Ghislaine Maxwell trial in the city.

In 2002, the then-30-year-old Tamanaha was picked up in Abilene, Texas, on a public intoxication charge.

Between 2017-2018, he was arrested on three separate occasions and charged with public intoxication, burglary and resisting arrest.

Queens man with history of attacking kids flipped toddler's stroller

Christopher Elder, 31, (pictured)

Christopher Elder, 31, was charged with flipping over a three-year-old girl's stroller in March.

The little girl was being walked in her stroller by her grandmother in the Bronx.

She was left with injuries on her face and body and had to be treated in the hospital.

It wasn't the first time he hurt a child.

On December 11 the 31-year-old was charged for throwing a nine-year-old girl on the ground in the same Queens neighborhood, the Post reported.

'He took away the confidence I had as a woman and a single mother with two kids to go out there. Now I don't feel comfortable walking alone, like I used to with my kids. I'm constantly watching my back,' the mom of that alleged December assault told NBC New York.

She said she was also hit by Elder when she instinctively shielded her daughter from an attack from the 31-year-old.

'Professional booster' arrested 101 times, put a bullseye on Upper East Side Target store

Michelle Kelley, 41, allegedly confessed to authorities that she was a 'professional booster' according to the New York Post.

'Y'all are stopping my hustle' she told police after her 97th arrest, according to the paper.

Her favorite store was Manhattan's Upper East Side Target store.

McKelly kept her crimes to petit larceny, which is a non-jailable offense after the law went into effect in 2020.

She was finally held on $5,000 bail after her 101st arrest for second-degree assault after she allegedly kicked, bit, scratched and spit on two NYPD officers on July 30 during an attempt to swipe paper towels from a Duane Reade in Harlem.

Brooklyn burglar on a three month spree breaking into a dozen homes and businesses

Sticky fingered Charles Wold, 59, told the New York Post that he was 'grateful' for bail reform because, 'I'm too old to go to jail. I'm way too old. I can't do it.'

Wold allegedly broke into 10 businesses in Brooklyn and Manhattan over a three-month period, according to the paper.

He hit three more spots near his home in the upscale neighborhood of Park Slope and was finally put behind bars.

Prosecutors told the judge that $10,000 bail was the only way to ensure that he would show up to court after skipping his appearances in two pending cases and violating parole, according to the Post.

Queens shoplifter fell into a rut, robbing the same Walgreens pharmacy 23 times

Isaac Rodriguez, who the New York Post dubbed the 'Man of Steal' went on a larcenous bender wracking up 47 arrests for retail theft.

One Walgreens in Jackson Heights, Queens allegedly became a favorite spot. According to the NYPD, he was arrested 23 times taking items like nutritional shakes, skincare lotion, toothpaste and sanitary wipes.

His nonviolent offense kept him out of jail for awhile, but he violated a restraining order and returned to a Walgreens in Corona, Queens after he had allegedly shoplifted from it 13 times, according to the Post. That score landed him behind bars on $15,000 bail.

Macy's bandit with a taste for Tommy Hilfiger clothes

Nolan Gonzalez, aka 'GoGo,' pilfered $350 worth of Tommy Hilfiger clothing from the Macy's flagship store in Herald Square in May.

Gonzalez became such a frequent offender at the department store that Macy's put out a 'trespass notice' on him to prevent him from returning to any of their outlets, according to the New York Post.

Police hit him with grand larceny, burglary and criminal possession of stolen property, but the Manhattan DA reduced the charges and he was released without bail, according to the paper.
A Vermont man charged with killing his mother at sea during a 2016 fishing trip off the coast of New England in a plot to inherit millions of dollars will remain in jail until his trial because he's a flight risk, a federal judge ruled Tuesday.

U.S. District Court Judge Geoffrey Crawford denied Nathan Carman's request to be released and ordered him held without bail, saying he is a potential flight risk and danger due to the seriousness of the charges, lack of strong family, employment or community connections 'and his involvement with firearms and the ongoing feud with his family' over his late grandfather's inheritance.

Crawford said the evidence regarding the loss of his mother at sea, and 'the acrimonious dispute' with his aunts over the inheritance, as well as his purchase of AR-15 type weapons 'are evidence that this is a volatile situation.'

Carman, 28, of Vernon, Vermont, was charged in May with murder and fraud in the killing of his mother, Linda Carman of Middletown, Connecticut, during a fishing trip in which his boat sank. He was found floating in a raft and rescued eight days after departing from a Rhode Island marina.

Carman pleaded not guilty in his mother's death. The judge noted on Tuesday that he faces a mandatory life sentence, without the possibility of parole, if convicted.

Nathan Carman will remain behind bars after being charged with killing his mother at sea during a 2016 fishing trip off the coast of New England in a plot to inherit millions of dollars. He's pictured here at an appearance in federal court in Providence, Rhode Island in 2019

Carman allegedly killed his mother (pictured together) and grandfather in a bid to defraud Chakalos' $42million estate - built up through building and renting nursing homes

Prosecutors have also accused Carman of killing his grandfather, John Chakalos, 87, who they say was shot in his home in Windsor, Connecticut, in 2013 as part of a scheme to obtain money and property from his grandfathers estate.

Carman was the last person to see his grandfather alive when he had dinner with him the night before his death, according to a police affidavit. He received $550,000 from his grandfather's estate, but prosecutors say he then killed his mother because he wanted more, according to the indictment.

Assistant US Attorney Nathanael Burris revealed new details on Tuesday when he told the judge that Carman's grandfather had been supporting him but threatened to cut him off financially if he failed to keep his grades up in college.

Two days before Chakalos was murdered, Carman received his grades from Keene State College which revealed he had failed every class.

Carman 'knew what his grandfather would do,' Burris said. Carman has not been charged in that case and has denied any involvement in his grandfather's death.

When Carman was arraigned in May on charges alleging he killed his mother, he shouted 'Not guilty!' in the direction of reporters who asked him if he had killed his mother as he approached the courtroom, where he then entered a formal plea of not guilty.

But his own relatives have begged the court to keep him behind bars until his trial.

'We strongly support the actions of the US Attorney's Office to have Nathan remain in custody as we firmly believe, knowing Nathan better than anyone, that he is both a danger to this family and a flight risk,' Carman's aunts, Elaine Chakalos and Charlene Gallagher, wrote in a letter to the court, according to the Boston Globe.

However, Carman's father pleaded for his son's release, according to a letter filed in court on Monday.

Earle Clark Carman described his son as 'a responsible young man who poses no ongoing mental health issues' and is only interested in proving his innocence.

But prosecutors argued this week that the father doesn't know his son and admitted during a 2018 deposition that he had only seen him once between 2013 and 2016, when he picked him up after he was rescued at sea.

Nathan Carman, 28, was arraigned in federal court in Rutland, Vermont in May 2022. He yelled 'not guilty' as he was led into the courthouse

An indictment from May claims Carman shot and killed his grandfather John Chakalos (right), 87, as he slept at home in Windsor, Connecticut, in 2013

In September 2016, Nathan Carman was found in an inflatable raft eight days after leaving a Rhode Island marina to go fishing with his mother, who was never found.

Prosecutors allege Carman killed his mother on the boat, which he had altered to make it more likely to sink that day. He has denied doing anything to intentionally make the boat unseaworthy.

Prosecutors allege the inheritance scheme that has spanned nearly a decade began with Carman buying a rifle in New Hampshire that he used to shoot Chakalos on December 20, 2013, while he slept.

He then discarded his computer hard drive and the GPS unit that had been in his truck, prosecutors said.

Carman is seen after his 'rescue' at sea in 2016. Prosecutors say he killed his mother and intentionally sank his boat as part of a scheme to gain a $7 million inheritance

Carman and his mom Linda frequently took fishing trips together (above) and prosecutors say he used it as a pretense to lure her to her death in 2016

Prosecutors allege Carman killed his mother Linda (pictured) on the boat, which he had altered to make it more likely to sink that day

Police have said Carman was the last person to see his grandfather alive and owned a semi-automatic rifle similar to the one used to kill Chakalos - but the firearm disappeared.

After Chakalos' death, Carman received $550,000 from two bank accounts that his grandfather had set up and that he was the beneficiary of when Chakalos died.

He then moved from an apartment in Bloomfield, Connecticut, to Vernon, Vermont, in 2014 and was unemployed much of the time.

By the fall of 2016, he was low on funds when he hatched the scheme to kill his mother, prosecutors said.

In September 2016, Carman arranged to go on a fishing trip with his mother on his boat named the 'Chicken Pox.'

'Nathan Carman planned to kill his mother on the trip,' the indictment reads. 'He also planned how he would report the sinking of the 'Chicken Pox' and his mother's disappearance at sea as accidents.'

Before the trip, Carman altered the boat by removing two forward bulkheads and trim tabs from the transom of the hull, the indictment states.

'After leaving the marina, Nathan Carman killed his mother, Linda Carman, and eventually sank the Chicken Pox,' it states.

Prosecutors allege Carman killed his mother on his boat, dubbed the Chicken Pox (above) which he had altered to make it more likely to sink that day

Carman takes off his life vest after he arrives at the Coast Guard base in Boston in 2016

Carman's grandfather made his money building and selling nursing home properties

Carman's aunts have said he is 'both a danger to this family and a flight risk'

Carman has for years been a suspect in his grandfather's murder and his mother's disappearance, but has insisted he is innocent of any crime.

Chakalos' three surviving daughters sued Carman in New Hampshire probate court, seeking to bar him from receiving any money from Chakalos estate. A judge dismissed the case in 2019, saying Chakalos was not a New Hampshire resident. The probate case was refiled in Connecticut, where it remains pending.

In a separate 2019 case, a federal judge in Rhode Island decided that Carman contributed to the sinking of the Chicken Pox.

U.S. District Judge John McConnell issued a written decision in favor of an insurance company that had refused to pay an $85,000 claim to Carman for the loss of his 31-foot fishing boat.

Carman denied the allegations, telling the Coast Guard that when the boat filled quickly with water, he swam to the life raft and called for his mother but never saw her again.

He was found floating in the raft off the coast of Marthas Vineyard, a Massachusetts island, by the crew of a freighter eight days after the boat was reported missing.

As his mother's only heir, Carman is now in line to get about $7 million of her estate.
The directors of scrapped movie Batgirl have slammed Warner Bros' decision to axe the 'awful' $100million film as they said they hoped fans will one day get to see it.

Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah, the shelved movie's directors, said they 'still can't believe' the shocking news that their creation was binned - and that they wished Batgirl could have been showed to fans across the world.

But God willing 'inshAllah' it will be one day, they said.

The decision to axe the film  which was slated to be released on HBO Max later this year  came after a series of test screenings were panned by audiences, and studio execs thought it would hurt the future of the brand as they seek to streamline the DC Extended Universe.

El Arbi and Fallah, who also directed Bad Boys For Life and Disney+'s Ms Marvel, wrote in a statement on Instagram: 'We are saddened and shocked by the news. We still can't believe it.

'As directors, it is critical that our work be shown to audiences, and while the film was far from finished, we wish that fans all over the world would have had the opportunity to see and embrace the final film themselves.

'Maybe one day they will insha'Allah.'

Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah, the two directors of axed Batgirl, have spoken out after Warner Bros dropped the movie. Writing on Instagram, they wrote: 'We are saddened and shocked by the news. We still can't believe it'

The Batgirl film has been canned by Warner Bros. after spending more than $100m on the movie because studio executives want to move away from made-for-streaming projects

The two directors wrote the statement to fans on social media, ending with the slogan 'Batgirl For Life'

Those who have seen the film say she simply donned a Batman outfit for Halloween and proceeded to fight terrorists

Actress Leslie Grace, who was set to star in the film, has not yet commented on the move.

The directors continued: 'Our amazing cast and crew did a tremendous job and worked so hard to bring Batgirl to life. We are forever grateful to have been part of that team.

'It was a dream to work with such fantastic actors like Michael Keaton, JK Simmons, Brendan Fraser, Jacob Scipio, Corey Johnson, Rebecca Front, and especially the great Leslie Grace, who portrayed Batgirl with so much passion, dedications and humanity.

'In any case as huge fans of Batman since we were little kids, it was a privilege and an honor to have been a part of the DCEU even if it was for a brief moment. Batgirl For Life.'

Batgirl was first given the greenlight in 2021 as part of a company-wide effort to create feature films specifically for HBO Max.

It would have featured Latina actress Leslie Grace in the titular role as she battled Brendan Fraser's Firefly who turned to a life of crime after he is fired from his job, loses his health insurance and could no longer care for his sick wife.

Warner Bros spokesperson said on Tuesday: 'The decision to not release Batgirl reflects our leaderships strategic shift as it relates to the DC universe and HBO Max.

'Leslie Grace is an incredibly talented actor and this decision is not a reflection of her performance. We are incredibly grateful to the filmmakers of Batgirl and Scoob! Holiday Haunt and their respective casts and we hope to collaborate with everyone again in the near future.'

According to those who have seen the now-scrapped film, Michael Keaton's Batman was only featured in a few scenes  and did not serve as a mentor to Grace's Barbara Gordon, and the costumes were subpar.

'I'll say I'm not that surprised Batgirl got canceled as it features a woke Latino Batgirl and Barbara Gordon in a story that sounds downright awful,' Matt McGloin wrote for Cosmic Book News.

The Batgirl film would have featured Latina actress Leslie Grace in the titular role as she battled Brendan Fraser's Firefly who turned to a life of crime after he is fired from his job, loses his health insurance and could no longer care for his sick wife

The decision on the film  which was to be released later this year  came after test screenings were panned by audiences, and studio execs thought it would hurt the future of the brand as they seek to rebrand the DC Extended Universe

A source also told the Post: 'They think an unspeakable Batgirl is going to be irredeemable.'

And Collider Editor-In-Chief Steven Weintraub tweeted: 'Spoke to people that saw #Batgirl, and they said it was a huge disappointment.

'Also that the costumes looked cheap, especially Keaton's Batman costume.'

Executives have also scrapped the upcoming Scoob! sequel Scoob!: Holiday Haunt, which cost $40 million.

Filmmakers were told the decision came down to a 'purchase accounting' maneuver available to Warner Discovery because the company changed hands earlier this year.

It allows Warner Bros Discovery to not have to carry its losses forward while it tries to pare down its $3 billion in debt, according to Deadline.

And as it tries to recoup its losses, company officials are moving away from its strategy of releasing big budget movies to encourage subscriptions to HBO Max, and are instead focusing on creating large scale films that could compete in theaters.

By doing so, executives at a variety of production companies have decided, the films would have cultural relevance by the time they arrive on streaming platforms.

It is a marked difference from the Netflix model, which recently spent $200 million to create The Gray Man, an action film from the directors of Avengers: Endgame, which only stayed in the top spot on the site for eight days, according to Indiewire.

Collider Editor-in-Chief Steven Weintraub tweeted that he spoke to people who saw the Batgirl film and 'they said it was a huge disappointment'

It also would have featured J.K. Simmons as Commissioner Jim Gordon

But in order to make Batgirl a theater-quality movie, company executives would have to spend vast sums of money to improve the films' graphics, as well as $80 million in global prints and advertising.

The studio has already spent more than $100 million on the Batgirl film, in which, critics say Grace's Barbara Gordon dresses up as Batman for Halloween and proceeds to go after terrorists on her own.

The project has seen some turmoil in the past.

At first, then-Warner Bros. exec Toby Emmerich had been milling over a potential release in theaters for the movie.

But Emmerich left the company this past June to begin his own production company, following the merger of Warner Bros. and Discovery, with David Zaslav being named CEO.

He was replaced with MGM's Michael DeLuca, the Post reports, and the studio has been quiet about its plans for the film ever since.

Finally, executives announced the cancelation of the film on Tuesday, ahead of co-director Adil El Arbi's Morocco wedding, which will feature stars like Will Smith.

Zaslav has reorganized Warner Bros. with a 'DC-based film production' branch, Variety reported in June.

He is now said to be looking for a head to run the failing DC Extended Universe, as executives debate canning an upcoming The Flash film amid allegations of abuse and misconduct by star Ezra Miller.

The film was expected to reboot the DC Extended Universe after a series of failing films like Batman v Superman and The Suicide Squad.
A Florida woman suffered 'immediate paralysis' after she leapt into shallow water over the weekend.

The Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office reported on Sunday that a woman jumped feet first from an anchored pontoon into 'very shallow water' in Choctawhatchee Bay near the sea wall.

She immediately lost feeling in her lower extremities, authorities say, but remained alert and conscious.

Eventually, deputies from the sheriff's department as well as a Fort Walton police officer were able to pull her ashore in a large float, and the woman was brought to a local hospital.

The woman's identity has not been released, but on Facebook, Denise Leach identified the victim as her daughter, and another user tagged a woman named Kayla Leach, telling her she made the news.

Denise said in her comment that her daughter has since regained control of her legs.

Deputies with the Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office as well as a member of the Fort Walton police were able to rescue a woman after she jumped into shallow water on Sunday

Authorities say the woman jumped feet first from an anchored pontoon into 'very shallow water' in Choctawhatchee Bay near the sea wall and suddenly became paralyzed

'Update for everyone, great news is the paralysis was only temporary and she has regained use of her legs,' Denise commented on the Sheriff's Office post Monday.

'She is in the hospital recovering and should be OK with time,' she wrote, as she thanked the deputies who arrived on the scene to rescue her daughter.

'Special love and thanks to the FWB officer, who by the way is her brother,' Denise added. 'Also, thanks for all the prayers and well wishes from all of you who didn't even know who she is.'

DailyMail.com has reached out to the Leaches as well as the Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office for comment.

Denise Leach identified the victim online as her daughter, saying she has since regained control of her legs

It remains unclear what caused the woman to immediately become paralyzed, however experts have suggested she may have injured her spinal cord in the jump.

According to the Oregon Health and Science University, each disc of the spine is 'like a jelly doughnut, with a soft center (nucleus) and tough outer shell (capsule).'

It is therefore possible the woman suffered from a herniated disc, in which the capsule cracks or breaks and the nucleus squeezes out.

Herniated discs can irritate the spinal cord or nearby nerves, causing the spinal cord to compress and leading to weakness or numbness in the arms or legs.

An injury can cause a herniated disc and the accompanying loss of feeling to develop 'even very suddenly,' according to Johns Hopkins University.
John Hinckley Jr. announced he would perform a free concert at a Virginia library this fall but it was canned just six hours later after the venue claimed it had received 'hostile' messages for hosting the man who tried to assassinate President Ronald Reagan.

Hinckley posted on Twitter early Tuesday that the concert will be held November 4 at the Williamsburg Regional Library Theatre. Now, the library is saying the show is canceled.

The library wrote in a statement to the Richmond Times-Dispatch that 'based on the tenor of the communications the library received, it became evident that this event would be disruptive to library operations.'

Hinckley was found not guilty by reason of insanity after he attempted to assassinate President Ronald Reagan in 1981. He remained under institutional psychiatric care before his conditional release in 2016, and in his mother's care until her 2021 death led to his unconditional release beginning in June.

Since his release in June, Hinckley has been has been trying to perform his music at venues around the country hoping to change the public's perspective of him.

John Hinckley Jr., 67, announced on Tuesday that he would be performing music at a Virginia library this fall but it was canceled just six hours later after the library received 'hostile comments' about hosting the man who attempted to assassinate Ronald Regan in 1981

Hinckley posted on Twitter early Tuesday that the concert will be held November 4 at the Williamsburg Regional Library Theatre. Now, the library is saying the show is canceled

The canceled November show at the Williamsburg Regional Library Theatre adds up to four venues that have now backed out on Hinckley, according to his tweet.

He previously announced his 'Redemption Tour,' which included three shows in Chicago, Connecticut and Brooklyn, New York, but they were all canceled.

Hinckley then posted a plea on Twitter, asking for a venue that would host him.

'I'm looking for a music venue that won't cave when there's backlash,' he wrote.

On August 2, the library accepted Hinckley's application for rental of the Williamsburg Library Theatre - the same day he announced the free show on Twitter.

But six hours later, the library officially canceled the event after receiving 'hostile comments through chat and email,' according to the statement.

'This alerted us that the concert was clearly going to become a major disruption to library operations that would impact our ability to serve our community.'

The Williamsburg Regional Library wrote in a statement to the Richmond Times-Dispatch that 'based on the tenor of the communications the library received, it became evident that this event would be disruptive to library operations'

Hinckley is an aspiring artist, who plays guitar and sings. He has been uploading his music to YouTube and has amassed about 27,000 subscribers. Hinckley's 'Redemption Tour' in three cities has since been canceled due to safety concerns

Hinckley was 25 and suffering from acute psychosis when he fired a .22 long rifle bullet that ricocheted off the presidential limousine and struck Reagan in the torso, puncturing a lung and causing serious internal bleeding outside a Washington hotel.

The assassination attempt also paralyzed White House Press Secretary James Brady, who died in 2014, and whose death was ruled a homicide from a gunshot wound and its consequences - Hinckley was not charged for it. He also wounded a police officer and a Secret Service agent.

Hinckley said he was desperate to impress actress Jodie Foster after seeing her in the 1976 movie Taxi Driver.

At his trial, a jury found Hinckley not guilty by reason of insanity and he spent more than 30 years at a mental hospital in Washington. He left the hospital in 2016 to be taken care of by his mother and had been placed under heavy restrictions, such as not being able to own a gun and not be able to contact the victim's family or Foster.

He told Nightline that being criminally insane is 'not incurable,' and that he is now on antipsychotic medication and anti-anxiety medication. He also does not fear that he will relapse, saying 'I still take my meds.'

Hinckley said that he prays for the Brady family nightly and hopes they have a good life, Nightline reported.

'If I could take it back, I surely would,' he told Nightline.

On the day of the attempted assassination in 1981, Reagan happily waved to Americans as he headed toward his car outside the Washington hotel before the attack. A bullet struck the president and left him with severe internal bleeding

A Secret Service agent and a police officer (pictured) were also injured. When Hinckley was asked about the Brady Law - named after the press secretary - he said he doesn't 'think the mentally ill should have access to guns'

Hinckley said he was trying to impress actress Jodie Foster (pictured in 1981) when he attempted to assassinate Reagan

Now, he's trying to change the public's perspective of him and wants to focus on his music and moving forward in life - despite some of Reagan's close confidants being reluctant to accept his apology.

Reagan's daughter, Patti Davis, called Hinckley a 'narcissist' in a September op-ed, published in the Washington Post, and said she doesn't 'believe that John Hinckley feels remorse.'

'I understand struggling for forgiveness, but it's like peering out from between the prison bars,' she wrote. She also said she feared he would attempt to contact her once his restrictions were dropped.

Hinckley insisted he was not the same person as the mentally ill man in 1981, as he has since been taking anti-anxiety and anti-psychotic medications, and is in therapy. The would-be assassin told CBS Mornings he has been the 'most scrutinized person in the entire mental health system for 41 years.'

'I just have a great mindset now that I don't have the depression that I had. I don't have the isolation that I had. And I just really feel good about things now,' he told Nightline.

Hinckley - who plays guitar and sings  is now hoping to move on to music in the next portion of his free life. He has been uploading his music to YouTube and has amassed about 27,000 subscribers.

He had set up a Redemption Tour, but it was canceled due to safety concerns. Sold-out shows in Brooklyn, New York, on July 8 and another in Chicago on July 23, were set to feature 17 original songs sung by Hinckley.

A 1995 civil settlement had banned Hinckley from financially benefiting from his name or story, but in October 2020 he won a ruling to publicly display his artwork and music under his own name after previously being forced to release it anonymously. Most of the music he has written are love songs.

Since his release in June, Hinckley has been trying to perform his music at venues around the country hoping to change the public's perception of him

Videos of Hinckley covering Elvis Presley's Can't Stop Falling In Love and Bob Dylan's Blowing in the Wind have racked up nearly 100,000 views.

His self-penned ballads include Majesty of Love, with the lyrics, 'the world is in so much pain, we have much to gain', and Everything Is Gonna Be Alright, where he croons 'there ain't nothing wrong with the rain, it is good to wash away the pain.'

Hinckley's obsession with women seemed to continue during his time in institutional psychiatric care.

During his time being held at St. Elizabeths, a Washington mental hospital, his loves included a woman with severe schizophrenia and Leslie DeVeau, a DC woman who had murdered her own daughter.
A grieving mother has condemned police for failing to detain the paranoid schizophrenic who mowed down her 12-year-old son, even after he warned officers that he would kill children.

Terence Glover, 52, had told police on eight occasions he would run youngsters over before finally carrying out his threat outside an Essex school on December 2, 2019.

Harley Watson was killed by Glover's Ford Ka, which also struck nine other children and an adult.

The police watchdog this week found no further action was needed by Essex Police  even though an inquest concluded in June that the actions of the force and mental health services caused or contributed to Harley's death.

Grieving mother Jo Fricker (left), 35, has condemned police for failing to detain the paranoid schizophrenic who mowed down her 12-year-old son, Harley Watson (left) even after he warned officers that he would kill children

Terence Glover, 52, had told police on eight occasions he would run youngsters over before finally carrying out his threat outside an Essex school on December 2, 2019

Harley's mother Jo Fricker, 35, said the inquest findings showed the Independent Office for Police Conduct's conclusions were 'an insult to Harley's memory'.

'My son should be 15 right now and enjoying his summer holidays with his friends,' she said.

'I was there at the inquest. The IOPC report contradicts everything we heard. As far as I am concerned, the police are in the firing line alongside Glover.'

The IOPC probe found police at one point blocked Glover's number after he bombarded the force with calls.

But the watchdog still cleared Essex Police of any blame and made no recommendations to change policies or training.

Miss Fricker, who was unable to even kiss her son goodbye because his body was regarded as a crime scene, said: 'Glover was effectively going up to police in handcuffs and saying, 'Take me' and the police were turning him away.

'To produce this report finding no one accountable is a mockery of my son's memory.'

Miss Fricker, who lives with Harley's stepfather, PE teacher Ryan, 36, and their daughter, Jessie, six, last saw her son alive when she kissed him goodbye at Debden Tube station as she travelled to London to her job as a personal assistant and Harley made his way to Debden High School.

Police pictured outside a property in Essex following the tragic incident

At 3.20pm, Harley and his friends walked through the school gates and were mown down by Glover's car.

The killer had been known to mental health services since 2012, after he was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia when he was arrested for threatening a neighbour with a knife.

He was jailed indefinitely under the Mental Health Act at Snaresbrook Crown Court in January 2021 after pleading guilty to manslaughter by diminished responsibility and the attempted murder of a 23-year-old and nine children.

A jury reached a narrative conclusion at Harley's inquest in June, finding that the actions of Essex Police 'fell short'.

The inquest heard a mental health assessment into Glover two months before Harley's death had lasted less than three minutes.

Miss Fricker last saw her son alive when she kissed him goodbye at Debden Tube station as she travelled to London for her job and Harley made his way to Debden High School

Floral bouquets left near the entrance to Debden Park High School following the tragic incident in 2019

Essex Police apologised for the force's failings identified at the inquest.

But Graham Beesley of the IOPC said: 'We found no indication that any officer or member of police staff breached standards of professional behaviour.

'We acknowledge it is difficult to understand that no individual is accountable, however, the criticism from the inquest does not necessarily align with the threshold for disciplinary action.'

Miss Fricker is asking for donations in Harley's memory to victim support group Hundred Families at www.hundredfamilies.org.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has requested records from Twitter advisers Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase about how the banks advised the social media platform on the $44 billion deal.

Musk wants the banks to surrender information on Twitter's financial analysis and performance, along with discussions with the social media platform's higher-ups, according to the Financial Times.

The move by Musk is the latest in the legal battle between the Tesla CEO and Twitter, as the company attempts to force him into cashing out on the deal. Twitter sued Musk in July after he dropped the billion-dollar deal, claiming the social media company failed to report the number of fake accounts on its platform.

Musk's request comes a day after Twitter issued a legal request seeking information about various Silicon Valley investors in Elon Musk's inner circle.

Twitter has also requested information from Musk's adviser, Morgan Stanley. More subpoenas for the companies Tesla and SpaceX have also been requested to turn over information about the deal, along with conversational exchanges with their boss, according to Bloomberg.

The platform's lawsuit heads to trial in October in Delaware.

Elon Musk has issued legal request seeking information about the financial analysis and performance of Twitter. The request by Musk is the latest in the contentious lawsuit against the Tesla CEO after he abandoned the $44 billion agreement to buyout the social media platform

Twitter sued Musk in mid-July after he bailed on the $44 billion platform takeover while claiming the social media company failed to report the number of fake accounts

Musk has requested records from Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase about how the banks advised the social media platform on the $44 billion deal

Musk is also seeking documentation of discussions with the social media platform's higher-ups. JP Morgan was one of Twitter's financial advisors

In May, the crypto-currency exchange Binance put $500 million towards the Tesla CEO's $7.1 billion buyout of Twitter. Twitter further subpoenaed Binance to learn more about the investment, according to the report.

Analysts said that Twitter is likely trying to find evidence that Musk made statements privately that contradicted his public stance that the company's issues with fake accounts made the buyout untenable.

For instance, if Musk hypothetically downplayed the bot issue as he sought financial backing for the deal, or revealed to confidantes that he had other reasons for backing out of the acquisition, it could bolster Twitter's case.

Meanwhile, the investors Twitter requested information on were Chamath Palihapitiya, David Sacks, Steve Jurvetson, Marc Andreessen, Jason Calacanis and Keith Rabois, among others.

Investor Joe Lonsdale announced on Twitter that he had received a subpoena from the platform. He said he was not associated with the deal aside from making 'a few snarky comments' and called the legal probe a 'giant harassing fishing expedition.'

Those in the subpoenas may be called to testify in court.

Investor Joe Lonsdale, an associate of Musk, said he received a subpoena from the social media firm. He called the subpoena a 'giant harassing fishing expedition.'

Musk countersued Twitter on Friday, adding to the contentious legal battle regarding the $44 billion purchase.

The 164-page document was not publicly available. The lawsuit by Musk was filed hours after Chancellor Kathaleen McCormick of the Delaware Court of Chancery ordered a five-day trial beginning October 17 to determine if Musk can walk away from the deal.

The contention started after Musk signed an agreement to buy Twitter for $52.20 per share on April 25 - but the Tesla CEO abandoned the takeover on July 8 while blaming the company for breaching the agreement by misrepresenting the number of fake accounts on its platform.

Twitter later sued and claimed the fake account accusations were a distraction. The signed agreement allegedly required Musk to close the deal at the price agreed upon.

The social media platform has urged shareholders to endorse the deal, setting a vote on the merger for September 13.

'We are committed to closing the merger on the price and terms agreed upon with Mr. Musk,' Twitter chief executive Parag Agrawal and board chairman Bret Taylor said in a copy of a letter to investors.
The Attorney General today launches a fightback against woke witch trials.

Suella Braverman brands the diversity industry a new religion in which zealots seek to punish unbelievers while others are too scared to speak out.

In an article for the Daily Mail, she reveals she has scrapped equality training in her department after learning that staff had spent almost 2,000 hours on the courses last year.

They were being given lectures on micro-incivilities and how to be a straight ally.

Mrs Braverman, who stood for the Tory leadership last month, says it is downright dangerous for Whitehall lawyers to be taught they cannot challenge anyone who says they have been offended by a particular phrase.

This does nothing to create solidarity and support but rather keeps emphasising difference, creating a sense of other and pitting different groups against each other, she writes.

Attorney General Suella Braverman, 42, says she has cancelled equality training in her department after discovering her staff had spent 2,000 hours in Stonewall lectures

Ms Braverman warned against the dangers of diversity zealots - using the example of Maya Forstater, who won an employment tribunal case last month over her gender-critical views

Her forthright comments come amid growing concern over the influence of Left-wing identity politics  particularly in the public sector  and the intolerance shown to those challenging the new orthodoxy.

Mrs Braverman cites Maya Forstater, who won an employment tribunal case last month over her gender-critical views, asking: How did we get to the place where stating the facts of biology can get you sacked?

In another legal ruling last week, barrister Allison Bailey was found to have been discriminated against by her legal chambers after she commented online about trans extremism.

Meanwhile, police continue to question and even arrest people for supposedly causing offence and anxiety through their social media posts and major organisations including the Bank of England remain signed up to lobby group Stonewalls diversity champions scheme despite ministers speaking out against it.

The Attorney General praises the efforts of Tory leadership frontrunner Liz Truss in trying to turn the tide after she branded unconscious bias training a waste of time and pledged to ditch diversity roles in the public sector.

Mrs Braverman writes: In government, Ive seen her working hard to fight this pernicious identity politics, which is stifling our potential just as surely as the high tax burden. Im especially glad shes committed to scrapping diversity jobs across Whitehall. Britain needs a lot of things but it certainly doesnt need woke commissars policing our thoughts.

Just last month the Attorney General ordered officials in the Government Legal Department, which employed 2,769 people in 2021-22, to tell her what diversity training was being carried out.

She was furious to discover that 1,900 hours of courses had taken place  much of it carried out by external, paid-for consultants  teaching the Left-wing view on race, gender and sexuality to staff including 600 lawyers. In one lecture, employees were told: Not being racist isnt enough, we must be anti-racist.

1,900 hours of woke lessons for lawyers Woke courses attended by hundreds of government lawyers last year included lessons on how to be an ally to minority groups. In one presentation they were told they must take on the struggle of others as your own and to recognise your privilege and transfer the benefits of it to others who lack it. The civil servants were urged to be aware of your implicit biases and find a way to acknowledge how you participate in oppressive systems. Staff were also given training on unconscious bias, even though ministers ordered the practice to stop back in 2020. One handout asked officials to consider who you say hello to in the mornings, warning that their attitudes and stereotypes can affect every area of your work if youre not careful. The 600 lawyers from the Government Legal Department who had 1,900 hours of diversity training last year were also taught about micro-incivilities. These are defined as activities that signal to someone from a minority group that they are not welcome, including not acknowledging their contribution to a discussion. Advertisement

A slide said that if a black person tells you that a phrase is offensive to them then it is and added: It is not up to you as a white person to tell them that its not. Instead, educate yourself as to why the phrase is offensive and stop using it.

In a session on being an ally to LGBT people the civil servants were urged to recognise your privilege and transfer the benefits of it to others who lack it.

Mrs Braverman, who is the Governments chief legal adviser, is said to have been absolutely furious that taxpayers money was wasted on the instruction when it could have been spent on more lawyers or literally anything else more useful.

After telling her officials to scrap the training, she is urging other ministers to scrutinise the courses taking place in their departments.

We really must get serious about taking on this divisive mindset and call it out: a new religion with a new priestly caste, she writes today.

The Attorney General compares diversity zealots to the witch-finders of the Middle Ages.

She says some believe in the cause and don the outfit of the inquisitor and never tire of rooting out unbelievers but others simply wear the priestly clothes to ward off their rivals or nod along and recite the creed because they are too scared to dissent.

Mrs Braverman concludes: We need to worry less about what people say on Twitter, and more about ensuring passports arrive on time, GP appointments are available when needed, and the police turn up when youve been burgled.

It emerged yesterday that another major Whitehall ministry has told senior officials to hold race ally discussions in team meetings.

An email sent to staff at the Department for Work and Pensions from its Bame Inclusion Group, leaked to the Guido Fawkes website, states: It is too easy to think that personally you are not affected by racism, so it is not your problem, or that because you are not a racist person then you are doing enough. What you can do is be an ally. Not just a race ally, but an ally for all who may need your support.

The note also reminds civil servants there is a pronoun sheet with your names so please do not forget to go in and include how you would like to be called and how you pronounce your name.

Cabinet Office minister Jacob Rees-Mogg hit out at the woke rubbish being taught to officials this week, telling LBC radio he had discovered one course called Check Yo Privilege, while another offered to tell people about witchcraft.

A training video on the Department for Levelling Ups website tells civil servants to acknowledge they are part of a society, norm, culture or a system that is racist.

SUELLA BRAVERMAN: Diversity zealots have created a dangerous new religion - we must get serious about taking them on

By Suella Braverman For The Daily Mail

It is all too easy to view the past through the prism of the present and then use the new orthodoxy to settle old scores. Today that orthodoxy is called Diversity, Equality and Inclusion.

The new DEI sector came about as a by-product of the rights culture created by a combination of New Labours Human Rights Act and the Equality Act.

The plight of women like Maya Forstater, who lost her job after tweeting that transgender women could not change their biological sex, are all part of this long tail of Blairism.

Her legal fight ultimately ended in a triumph for common sense and freedom of speech. But how did we get to a point where stating the facts of biology could get you sacked?

Whenever ministers point out these problems, people - quite rightly - ask: What are you doing about it?.

Attorney General Suella Braverman, 42, was knocked out of the Conservative leadership race on July 14

And so, as the Attorney General, I ordered my officials to brief me on the diversity training going on in the Government Legal Department.

I was horrified to discover that hundreds of government lawyers spent nearly 2,000 hours of their taxpayer-funded time last year attending lectures on micro-incivilities, different lived experiences and how to be a straight ally, courtesy of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights charity Stonewall.

The experts on white privilege who shared their insights were cited as authoritative but they all subscribed to the left-wing view on race, gender and sexuality which permeated their training materials.

Id encourage other ministers to ask to see their departments diversity programmes and scrutinise the value for money they offer. After all, the diversity agenda thrives in darkness.

Government lawyers are told that if a black person says something is offensive, then it is offensive, and they dont have a right to question it. How does that fit with the rule of law, or due process?

This kind of thinking is harmful in other departments, but in legal cases its downright dangerous. It does nothing to create solidarity and encourage support but rather keeps emphasising difference, creates a sense of otherness and pits different groups against each other.

Well, Ive told my officials to scrap it. We really must get serious about taking on this divisive mindset and call it out for what it is: a new religion with a new priestly caste.

Some zealots believe in it. Like the witch-finders of the Middle Ages, they don the outfit of the inquisitor and never tire of rooting out unbelievers. Others wear the priestly robes to ward off their rivals, while still others nod along and recite the creed because they are too scared to dissent.

None of these approaches are acceptable in modern Britain. Im all for building an inclusive workplace which is meritocratic and welcoming, but to focus relentlessly on dividing us into different cohorts rather than on building camaraderie based on unifying values is misguided.

This is something Liz Truss has been very good on. She told the Tory conference that we reject the zero-sum game of identity politics, we reject the illiberalism of cancel-culture, and we reject the soft bigotry of low expectations.

Thats the kind of Conservative Party I want to be a member of. Its the kind of Britain that I believe in.

In government, Ive seen her working hard to fight this pernicious identity politics, which is stifling our potential just as surely as the high tax burden. Im especially glad shes committed to scrapping diversity jobs across Whitehall.

Britain needs a lot of things but it certainly doesnt need woke commissars policing our thoughts. We need to worry less about what people say on Twitter, and more about ensuring passports arrive on time, GP appointments are available when needed, and the police turn up when youve been burgled.

Diversity jobs may have been created with good intentions, but its clear they are now part of the problem, not the solution.

Suella Braverman has been the Attorney General for England and Wales since 2020
Home Search ICH Question Everything! Purpose and Intent of this website: Ukrainian Frontline Collapses By Moon of Alabama Below is a slightly edited machine translation of a piece which appeared yesterday on the Ukrainian side censor.net. The piece was promoted by Yuri Butusov, a well known Ukrainian military correspondent. It is originally a social media post by someone who was on the frontline in Pisky, immediately northwest of Donetsk city. Context: Over the last two to three months the Ukrainian side has used its positions in the vicinity of Donetsk city to more or less randomly shell the civilian population on the Russian affiliated side. After some serious protests the Russian military command agreed to launch a dedicated counter-artillery operation to shut down the deadly Ukrainian harassment. Its daily 'clobber reports', here is yesterday's, have since included lines like these on nearly each and every day: As part of counter-battery warfare 2 artillery batteries of Giatsint howitzers near Dzerzhinsk and Novhorodskoye, Donetsk People's Republic have been hit. 4 platoons of Grad MLRS and 9 artillery platoons at firing positions near Seversk, Kirovo, Artemovsk, Avdeevka, Peski, Orlovka, Shakhterskoye, Velikaya Novoselka in Donetsk People's Republic, Dobropolie in Zaporozhye Region, Shirokoye, Bereznevatoye in Nikolaev Region, Russkaya Lozovaya and Nortsovka in Kharkov Region. The systematic counter-artillery campaign has seriously deteriorated the already rare Ukrainian fire power. Get Our Free Newsletter The Russian side has also changed the primary direction of its thrust from the northern front of the Sievierdonetsk-Lysichansk-Siversk direction to a push further south. The current offensive operation is concentrated north-west and west of Donetsk city in the direction of Avdivka. There is an envelope operation going on its north and south to surround that extremely heavily fortified town. The red territory to the left of the red line marks parts of recent progress.

Source: Live UA map - bigger Pisky is the southern part of that envelope operation.

bigger Following intense artillery preparations Russian forces are currently - slowly, slowly - clearing the lines of reinforced concrete bunkers and ditches that have been build on the Ukrainian side over the last 8 years. Here now is the view of that battle from the Ukrainian side (edited machine translation, for an alternative translation see this.) (Note: 300 is the military cargo designator for wounded people, 200 is for dead soldiers): Pisky. Meat grinder Author: Serhiy Gnezdilov What is there to lose, what else can be taken from me on the sixth day of my personal hell, in Pisky, a kilometer from the first street of Donetsk, Ukraine? The bodies of those who were dearer to me than my family are lying under the heat in the trenches, broken by 152 caliber. As I wrote earlier, 6,500 shells per damn village in less than a day. It's been six such days already, and I can't imagine how even a small number of our infantry survived in this barrage of enemy fire. No, I'm not whining. Two mortars 82 and 120 are working on our side. Sometimes they wake up and "sneeze" two artillery barrels in the direction of Donetsk. We hardly respond. There is no counter-battery fire, from the word go, the enemy puts artillery shells in our trenches without any problems, dismantles very strong, concrete positions in tens of minutes, pushing our defense line without pause or minimal rest. The day before yesterday, the line broke, and a river of 200 or 300 [killed/wounded] was poured. I will not publish any statistics, it is forbidden in our country, but you have no idea the number and percentage of losses. This is a hell of a meat grinder, where the battalion simply holds back the onslaught with their bodies. For almost a week, we have been waiting for at least some kind of help that would hit the enemy's artillery, we, I repeat, are being fired with impunity with everything that the Russian military system is rich in, their aviation was working today. I am proud of the leadership of the battalion that remained here with us. The combatant is with us, everyone is with us, contused, light 300, bandaged and returned after a couple of hours to the position, if you can call these bottomless ravines that way. There is a war going on. But without a counter-battery fight, it turns into a senseless meat grinder, where an insane amount of our infantry is ground up in a day. Did you really want the truth? Here it is, the naked truth. The reserve goes to the position, closes the breakthrough, and after five minutes, only one of the 15 people remains intact. The bodies lie on the ground. If it's a light 300, maybe you'll be lucky, you'll faint, and you'll get out on foot, you'll reach the medics. They just took a 300 [wounded]. He shouted all the way: - "Where is the support? Where is the artillery? Why were we abandoned? Why didn't anyone cover us?" I don't know, my friend, why no one covered us... He screams, and I'm ashamed that I'm still safe and sound, only a couple of good deafening. I threw up, I pissed myself, I'm sorry, and I'm back in action. All reserves are destroyed, military equipment is on fire, the enemy approaches and without any problems occupies our positions after another barrage of artillery. Right now we are losing Pisky, all our human and material resources are almost exhausted. Denys, a resident of Mariupol, who told me "well, I trust the arrestee [Zelenski advisor Arestovich], we will return everything back very soon" is dead. He was wounded twice, they bandaged him right in the trench, they told him, Denchyk, go to the evacuation, but he answered "guys, I will not abandon you." Both wounded for the first time, and after the second wounding, he continued to shoot back. We still haven't taken his body. On the ruins of Pisky, he lies with his arms outstretched and his gaze frozen. He asks for revenge. How can I refuse his latest request? How can we all leave Dan? I believe that Dimka survived after all. Because he could not die, having recently returned from the hospital, having just proposed to his girlfriend. They say that after one of the parishes he simply disappeared. It fell asleep with earth. But, I believe that this is a mistake, and he is alive. Foolish hope and expectation. I know, my country does not like to think aloud. But, I was left with no choice between victory and arrest. The truth should be heard, not whispers in the kitchen. Of course, he will fly separately for this post, because how? Yes, does the state lie to its own citizens? I won't be surprised if someone says today: "Kremlin agent Sirozh talked about the brilliant plan of the victors on the Donetsk front, let's hang him on the peacemaker." I amused to say that everything is under control. Now in Pisky, everything is not under anyone's control, but for some reason the situation is being hushed up. Ring broken bells while we cover Pisky with bodies. We need artillery. Give us something here to hold on to. Now put yourself into the position of Serhiy Gnezdilov, Denys or Dimka. Then think about the politicians who sweet talk of heroic Ukrainian resistance and send these men to be slaughtered for no possible gain. Sorry Serhiy, more artillery wont do it. The Russian side would just grind it up within days. How many of the 120 U.S. M-777 howitzers that were given to Ukraine still exist? Maybe 10 or so, most of them damaged? There are other operations going on. North of the Donetsk front there is a thrust towards Bakhmut (also known as Artomovsk). Yesterday Soledar, north of Bakhmut was reported to be mostly captured. Vershyna and Zaiseve, south of it, are also gone or will fall soon.

bigger The Ukrainian side has loudly announce an upcoming counter offensive on the southern front towards Kherson city. But the number of Russian units in that larger area have since been increased to a level that makes a new Russian offensive towards Mykolaiv (Nikolaev), Kryvyv Rih (Krivoy Rog) or Zaporitzhia more likely than anything the Ukrainian side could possibly do.

bigger The Russian side also wages a continuous campaign against Ukrainian reserves, brigade headquarters and military installations or temporary storage sides far behind the immediate front line. These less visible attacks kill huge numbers of Ukrainian troops. From yesterday's 'clobber report' (also here): As a result of Russian Aerospace Forces strike on combat positions of 54th Mechanized Brigade of AFU near Mar'inka in Donetsk People's Republic, more than 50 nationalists of 2nd Battalion of this unit have been destroyed. High-precision weapons of the Russian Aerospace Forces struck on a temporary deployment point of the Ukrainian Foreign Legion near Nikolaev city. The attacks have resulted in the elimination of up to 250 nationalists and 20 units of military equipment. High-precision strikes of the Russian Aerospace Forces have eliminated up to 500 nationalists of 92nd Mechanised Brigade of AFU and large amount of military equipment in Merefa and Chuguyiv in Kharkov Region. Shelling of combat positions of 16th Battalion of 58th AFU Motorized Infantry Brigade near Artemovsk have resulted in the elimination of over 130 nationalists. The remaining battalion servicemen, numbering up to 70, hurriedly left their positions and departed for Konotop, Sumy Region, where they were disarmed and declared deserters. 21st Battalion of 56th Motorized Infantry Brigade, which had suffered significant losses near Peski, came under artillery fire of AFU during its retreat to Vodyanoye and was almost completely eliminated. Notice the last paragraph. The unit in Pisky (Peski), where Serhiy Gnezdilov reported from, was retreating towards Vodiane (Vodyanoye), north of Pisky (see the second map above). On their way the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) opened fire on them, killing nearly everyone who had survived the Russian attacks against Pisky. Was this punishment for the already late retreat? Or was it a misidentification by a forward artillery observer who thought that those retreating Ukrainian forces were attacking Russian units? I don't know, but ... By the way - the opponent casualties numbers given by the Russian ministry of defense are likely over estimated (as all such numbers are). But even if only half of those ~900 claimed yesterday really were wounded or killed on the day before the losses are still devastating. In 1967, at the very height of the Vietnam war, U.S. casualties, dead and wounded, were at maximum about 200 per day. We see a multiple of those on the Ukrainian side each and every day. This is not sustainable. The Ukrainian government should have given up the uneven fight months ago. It is an immense crime to further urge it on. https://www.moonofalabama.org/2022/08/ukraine-sitrep-on-the-ground-report-ukrainian-frontline-collapses.html The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Information Clearing House. Registration is not necessary to post comments. We ask only that you do not use obscene or offensive language. Please be respectful of others. See also The Saker interviews Michael Hudson Search Information Clearing House The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Information Clearing House. Click Here To Support Information Clearing House Your support has kept ICH free on the Web since 2002. Click for Spanish , German , Dutch , Danish , French , translation- Note- Translation may take a moment to load.
An Ohio woman claims she captured the howls of Bigfoot after seeing a '7ft-tall, hairy beast' roam outside her house.

Suzanne Ferencak, of Loudonville, who has been looking for the Sasquatch after their first alleged encounter in 2013, shared a two-minute long video of howling outside the Mohican State Park in July.

The recording, which was shared with the Mansfield News Journal, depicts beastly howls in the woods that park officials attributed to a coyote searching for its pack, but Ferenack said it must have belonged to Bigfoot.

'You hear some howls, then you hear a chorus of coyotes and then you hear howls again,' Ferencak said, claiming the distinct howling was Bigfoot.

'This is the first time I ever recorded howls,' she added.

Suzanne Ferencak (left), of Loudonville, Ohio, claims she captured a Bigfoot howling outside her home near the Mohican State Park in July. Pictured: Ferencak with her husband Bernie standing in front of a Bigfoot figure

Ferencak claims the Bigfoot has been stalking her home (pictured) for years

Ferencak told the News Journal that she has been on the search for the Sasquatch since she came across a large, hairy beast in May 2013 near her home.

She's spent the last nine years trying to gather evidence of the alleged Bigfoot, who she said has prowled around her home for years.

At one point, Ferencak claimed the beast howled repeatedly in the woods behind her property and knocked around the house, with one alleged closed encounter scaring her to the point where she thought about moving.

'Then all of the activity stopped,' Ferencak said. 'It was like, 'Wow, where did it go?'

Since then, she bought an audio recorder to set up around her house in search of the Bigfoot's howls, with her audio catalog containing more than 20,000 hours of sound from the property.

Although she said she's never captured any decent sounds of the beast before, she claims the July 3 recording is the real deal after she sent it over to an anonymous audio specialist who supposedly serves as an expert in the Bigfoot community.

The expert reported their opinion to Ferencak, writing: 'I do hear a responder after the third howl that suggests a second (Sasquatch) in the area  not a coyote.

'That responder makes a low, flat howl that ends with an upwhoop. Then the coyote chorus kicks in.'

Ferencak said the expert believed the howling she recorded was of a female Sasquatch 'calling out for her young.'

Many Americans continue to be on the hunt for the iconic ape-like creature, whose existence has never been verified

Ferencak has been looking for evidence of Sasquatch for nine years after she claimed she first encountered the 7ft-tall hairy beast near her house

Despite skepticism over her recording, Ferencak said she was happy to capture the howlings in time for the big Bigfoot Basecamp Weekend event at Pleasant Hill, in September.

The event will bring together Bigfoot fans from across the nation to share their stories and present evidence surrounding the much-sought after creature.

'We're just hoping a lot of people come forward with their stories,' Ferencak said.

'There might be people out there who are afraid to come forward out of fear of being ridiculed, and I definitely understand that.'
Keir Starmer is facing pressure from frontbenchers to be allowed to join picket lines  as long as they don't wave placards.

The Labour leader issued fresh calls for his team to stay away from pay protests last weekend.

But Lisa Nandy, his levelling up spokesman, was seen with striking BT workers in Wigan on Monday.

No action was taken, with her allies saying she had received clearance from Labour HQ to attend.

Lisa Nandy (pictured centre), Sir Keir Starmer's levelling up spokesman in the Labour shadow cabinet, was seen with striking BT workers in Wigan on Monday

Three of Sir Keir Starmer's top team told him to drop the issue after the episode with Mrs Nandy, according to The Guardian

Now members of the shadow cabinet are urging Sir Keir to change his edict and allow them to show solidarity with strikers  on the basis that they are meeting constituents rather than joining the pickets.

The Labour leader will reportedly make a decision when he returns from holiday on August 15.

Three of Sir Keir's top team told him to drop the issue after the episode with Mrs Nandy, according to The Guardian.

'She's talking to her constituents, who are on a picket line, to find out how they feel,' one said.

'There's a world of difference between that and standing on a picket line with a placard.' But party officials said Sir Keir's position was not likely to change.

A source added: 'There are ways of resolving disputes, engaging with unions and keeping in with Labour traditions, but that's not necessarily through gesture politics, such photo ops and placards on pickets, so that position hasn't changed.'

Shabana Mahmood, Labour's national campaign coordinator, doubled down on the party leader's message yesterday, telling Sky News: 'A government-in-waiting has to behave seriously like a government.

'He's been very clear that Labour frontbenchers should not be picketing at a picket line  but there's a world of difference between that and members of parliament meeting their constituents and talking about the issues that are affecting them. That's what Lisa was doing.'

The row escalated after Sir Keir sacked Sam Tarry (pictured) as transport spokesman for giving interviews on a rail union picket line last week

The row escalated after Sir Keir sacked Sam Tarry as transport spokesman for giving interviews on a rail union picket line last week.

Yesterday Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar became the latest senior party figure to defy Sir Keir when he encouraged his own team to turn out on picket lines.

He said: 'I'm not going to tell Keir how to manage his group. And I imagine I wouldn't take very kindly to him trying to tell me how to manage my group.

'The bottom line is this, that going back to the actual principle of the strike action and the issue of the day, people know my opinion, people know that I have been on the front line supporting people on the pickets, talking to them, listening to their issues. I've seen many of my frontbench colleagues out supporting people on the front line.'
It's a staple of English literature courses, an Old English epic poem so dramatic it has even spawned a computer-animated action fantasy film.

Yet academics have slapped a trigger warning on Beowulf, cautioning students that they may read about monsters.

The University of Aberdeen believes that students reading Celtic and Anglo-Saxon Studies may be distressed by the saga.

The university has put more than 30 warnings on one module, entitled Lost Gods and Hidden Monsters of the Celtic and Germanic Middle Ages.

A note to students reads: Texts studied on this course contain representations of violence, coercion, animal cruelty or animal death, incest, suicide, explicit sexual content... ableism.

In addition, students were warned that there will also be monsters.

Ray Winstone provided the voice of Beowulf (pictured) in a 2007 film adaptation

It is not the first time Aberdeen has attracted controversy for its use of trigger warnings.

Last year, The Mail on Sunday revealed the university cautioned students that Robert Louis Stevensons Kidnapped contained depictions of murder, death, family betrayal and kidnapping,

Beowulf, the tale of terrifying beasts and a fire-breathing dragon being killed by a hero, has been taught for generations as one of the greatest stories of all time.

The hero of Beowulf dispatches the monstrous figure of Grendel  who is described in Old English as unhlu, or infirm.

Beowulf is depicted fighting the monstrous figure of Grendel in a book illustration

STUDENTS FIGHT OVER SCULPTURE Students at Imperial College London are fighting the installation of a new sculpture they claim looks like a man exposing himself. The sculpture, by artist Sir Antony Gormley, is named Alert and made up of stacked steel blocks resembling a person squatting. But students say that the figure appears to have a three-metre long erect penis. The artist said the sculpture is a figure balancing on the balls of the feet representing an alert, alive and awake person. Imperial said: Sir Antony Gormley is one of the worlds foremost living artists, and we are grateful to have been gifted one of his iconic sculptures. Advertisement

However, some scholars have argued this is offensive because it pitches the able-bodied against the disabled.

The hero of the 3,000-line poem also kills a wyrm (a dragon/ serpent) at the end, alongside his dutiful servant Wiglaf.

The advice specifically mentions the violent content in Beowulf, stating: Particularly graphic representations of violence... will be encountered in... Beowulf.

A further note warns of blasphemy, defecation, psychological violence, pain, alcohol abuse, symbols of evil, black magic.

The university policy on content warnings, reported by the Daily Telegraph, explains the need for warnings: The mental health and wellbeing of students is a primary concern of the school.

Trigger warnings have been applied by universities to many literary classics, from the works of Shakespeare to George Orwell.

Aberdeen University said: Our guidelines on content warnings were developed in collaboration with student representatives and we have never had any complaints about them  on the contrary, students have expressed their admiration for our approach.

Our content warnings reflect the fact that every student is different.
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CCTV has revealed the final moments of a nine-year-old schoolgirl who was stabbed to death as she joyfully played in the street with her little sister before paramedics rushed to save her.

Lilia Valutyte was brutally killed outside her mother's embroidery shop in the town centre of Boston, Lincolnshire at around 6.20pm on Thursday, 28 July.

Footage has shown the moment the youngster was playing with her five-year-old sibling on a street in broad daylight with a hula hoop - which the pair often did while their mother was at work - before Lilia was attacked just ten minutes later.

Police officers could be seen running over to Lila followed by paramedics who rushed towards the little girl with their first-aid bags in a desperate bid to save her.

Shocked residents could then be seen gathering at the scene on Fountain Lane before an officer ushers them away, ITV News reports.

Lithuanian national Deividas Skebas, 22, of Boston, was charged with stabbing Lilia to death on Monday at Lincoln Crown Court.

He has been remanded in custody ahead of his next appearance at Lincoln Crown Court on September 19, when a provisional trial date will be fixed.

Lilia Valutyte (pictured) was brutally stabbed to death outside her mother's embroidery shop in the town centre of Boston, Lincolnshire at around 6.20pm on Thursday, 28 July

CCTV has revealed Lilia's final moments before she was stabbed to death as she played in the street with her little sister

Police officers could be seen running over to Lila followed quickly by paramedics who were running towards the little girl with their first-aid bags in a desperate bid to save her

Lithuanian national Deividas Skebas (pictured) has been remanded in custody ahead of his next appearance at Lincoln Crown Court on September 19

After the tragedy, her family was said to be in hiding for fear of being targeted, according to the Sun.

A family friend said they are 'so, so worried', adding: 'They have not been able to stay at home. They are worried whoever did this could still be out there. They are worried they could be a target.

'It is just so awful  they have the impossible task of trying to come to terms with the loss of Lilia. Then they still feel they need to protect their other little daughter.'

Lilia's death has prompted an outpouring of grief in a town known for its large Eastern European community.

A family friend described Lilia as 'a nine-year-old angel' and 'one of the most beautiful creatures', adding: 'None will feel her mother's pain. The girl was a ray of the sunlight, just like her parents, who were the main helpers of our community and school events. The pain is unspeakable. We are devastated at this shocking news! Rest in peace, little angel.'

Skebas is pictured at a family party in Lithuania in 2020 at a photo posted on social media

Skebas came from the industrial city of Utena in north-east Lithuania, where members of his family still live. A property overlooking Boston's Central Park was searched by forensic officers over the weekend.

Chief Superintendent Martyn Parker described Lilia's death as 'heartbreaking', adding that the case 'has affected many people in Boston, and further afield'.

The officer added: 'Our thoughts continue to be with Lilia's family at this exceptionally difficult time.'

Lincolnshire Police said that Lilia's parents were being supported by specially trained officers.

Lilia died from a single stab wound at around 6.20pm in Fountain Lane, Boston, just 100 yards from the town's famous St Botolph's Church known as the Boston Stump.

The death of the nine-year-old girl has left local people in Boston in a 'profound shock'

She is said to have been playing with her little sister outside the Sava Code embroidery and screen printing shop which was opened by her Lithuanian mother Lina Savicke in March this year.

Her death has prompted an outpouring of grief in the town which is known for its large Eastern European community.

Hundreds of floral tributes as well as cuddly toys have been left by local people in tribute to Lilia at the top of Fountain Lane.

Skebas is pictured in Lithuania when he was younger

Skebas came from the industrial city of Utena in north east Lithuania where members of his family still live.

He is said to have moved to the UK, and then returned to his home country, before arriving back in Boston recently.

His home in Thorold Street which overlooks Boston's Central Park was searched for clues by white-suited forensic officers over the weekend.

A service of prayers and reflection was held in memory of Lilia at St Botolph's church on Sunday afternoon heard how the Boston community had been left 'scarred' by her death.

Some of the 150 people at the service wept openly while lighting candles to remember the Lithuanian schoolgirl.

Jane Robertson, the associate rector, told how the 14th century Gothic church had echoed to the sound of children's happy voices during play activities earlier last week.

She said: 'Who would know that these scenes would be replaced with such sadness?'

Describing the 'sheer pain' of Lilia's family, she added: 'We can't begin to understand how they are feeling.

'How can this happen in a quiet market town in Lincolnshire?. There is perhaps anger, as well as grief, and maybe some fear as well.'
The Senate voted in a broad bipartisan majority to add Sweden and Finland to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

The vote was 95-1-1: Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., voted no on the measure, Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., voted present.

Submitting their NATO application after Russian President Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine, the two historically neutral nations would bring NATO's membership up to 32 nations, but they'll need to win unanimous approval from all other countries. Twenty-two have now voted in favor.

The Nordic nations ran into trouble with Turkey, which initially opposed adding them to the alliance and has not yet voted on a resolution to do so.

Turkey insisted Sweden and Finland first follow a list of demands: renounce support for a Kurdish militant group in Syria, extradite people that Ankara suspects of terrorism and lift an embargo on arms exports to Turkey. The three nations signed a deal in late June that should clear the way for Turkey's approval.

Hawley has long called for reducing troop levels in Europe to shift to an Asia-focused strategy. Paul had submitted an amendment that would have reiterated that the NATO charter's Article 5 cannot supersede Congress' ability to declare war but it failed 10-87.

Sen. Josh Hawley, the only no vote, has long called for reducing troop levels in Europe to shift to an Asia-focused strategy

Senators did pass an amendment underscoring that all NATO members need to spend at least two percent of their gross domestic product on defense and 20 percent of their defense budgets on major equipment, including research and development.

Hawley had argued in an op-ed for The National Interest that the U.S. should focus more on the threat from China than expanding its alliance with European nations.

'Our foreign policy should be about protecting the United States, our freedom, our people, and our way of life, and expanding NATO, I believe, would not do that,' Hawley said on the Senate floor ahead of the vote. 'What I am arguing for is the return to a classic nationalist approach to foreign policy ... grounded in our nation's interests and in the reality of the world as it is, not as we wish it was.'

Arkansas Republican Sen. Tom Cotton took a veiled shot at Hawley on the Senate floor earlier Wednesday.

'How could one disagree?' Cotton asked on the Senate floor of Sweden and Finland's addition. 'After all, the last countries to join NATO -- Montenegro and North Macedonia -- were each approved by the Senate with only two 'no' votes.'

Arkansas Republican Sen. Tom Cotton took a veiled shot at Hawley on the Senate floor earlier Wednesday

Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., was the only 'present' vote on the measure

'It would be strange indeed for any senator who voted to allow Montenegro or North Macedonia into NATO to turn around and deny membership to Finland and Sweden,' he remarked.

'I would love to hear the defense of such a curious vote,' Cotton said with palpable sarcasm.

Hawley voted for Montenegro and North Macedonia's addition to the alliance in 2019.

Cotton has traveled to key presidential primary states in recent months and spoken with donors about the potential of a 2024 run for the presidency. Hawley, meanwhile, has said he will not seek the presidency in 2024, when he is up for re-election, but his hardline nationalist stance and frequent sparring with the Biden administration has fueled such rumors.

Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell, Ky., issued his own caution to potential no votes ahead of the final count: 'If any senator is looking for a defensible excuse to vote 'no,' I wish them good luck,' he said. 'This is a slam dunk for national security that deserves unanimous bipartisan support.'

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C. gave a 'shoutout' to Putin during his floor speech.

'Without you we wouldn't be here. You've done more to strengthen NATO than any speech I could ever hope to give.'
The January 6 House Committee will subpoena Alex Jones' emails and text for any contact with Donald Trump after his lawyers mistakenly sent them to the lawyers of Sandy Hook parents.

Sources told Rolling Stone that the committee is preparing to request the data from Jones' attorneys after it was revealed they sent emails and texts to Sandy Hook families despite swearing under oath that the messages didn't exist.

The sources added that the committee began discussing how to get the messages within minutes after Sandy Hook lawyer Mark Bankston made the revelation in court on Wednesday.

Bankston was also caught on hot mic speculating what the news of the messages would mean for Jones and the January 6 committee.

'There's going to be months of fallout from this,' he said. 'You know what no one's thought about yet? What happens when that phone goes to law enforcement?'

The January 6 House Committee is planning to subpoena Alex Jones' emails and texts for communications with Donald Trump after it was revealed that his lawyers had sent messages to the lawyers of Sandy Hook parents

Jones was shocked to discover that his lawyers (pictured in court on Monday) had handed over messages by mistake to the attorney for the Sandy Hook parents

It is not yet clear what the January 6 committee hopes to learn from the messages and if they will reveal any new communication between Jones and the former president (pictured)

Attorney Mark Bankston told #AlexJones that his attorney messed up and sent him Jones' entire cell phone history. "Did you know that your lawyers messed up and sent me your entire cell phone texting history 12 days ago?" Bankston asked. "You know what perjury is right?" pic.twitter.com/IfIiP5UTIg  Law&Crime Network (@LawCrimeNetwork) August 3, 2022

Jones had been originally subpoenaed by the committee last November as the panel focused on his role for riling up demonstrators at the Capitol on January 6 before the deadly riot began.

The committee was interested in Jones' ties with the White House and with the Oath Keepers militia group, whose leadership was arrested and put on trial for seditious conspiracy.

It is not yet clear what the January 6 committee hopes to learn from the messages. The Department of Justice did not immediately respond to DailyMail.com's request for comment.

The renewed scrutiny into the InfoWars host's communications came immediately after Bankston said Jones' legal team sent years worth of messages about Sandy Hook to the lawyer and his colleagues.

Jones called it their 'Perry Mason' moment during the trial, with Jones being accused of perjuring himself while giving evidence.

He previously testified that he was unable to find any emails regarding the Sandy Hook massacre, and was shocked when one was shown on screen to the court.

Jones was asked if he felt repeatedly claiming the shooting was a hoax was irresponsible, replying 'it was, especially since I've met the parents.'

He claimed he was 'under a lot of pressure' at the time he claimed the slayings were a hoax, adding: 'I truly meant it when I said those statements.

'When I say something, I mean it, that I really could believe that it was totally staged, that point.'

But the parents of Jesse Heslin, 6, who was among the 26 people killed in the 2012 attack at the school in Newtown, Connecticut, have said an apology will not be enough.

Neil Heslin and Scarlett Lewis said that Jones needed to be held accountable for repeatedly spreading falsehoods about the shooting, and are seeking at least $150million.

Jones, pictured in court today, has admitted that the Sandy Hook massacre was '100 per cent real' and was not a hoax during his defamation trial

Neil Heslin, father of Sandy Hook Victim Jesse Lewis, 6, said his family's life had been turned to a 'living hell' after Alex Jones spread conspiracy theories about the massacre

Jesse, 6, was one of the 26 victims shot and killed at the Sandy Hook Elementary School. His parents Neil Heslin and Scarlett Lewis have both testified against Jones in the trial

Judge Maya Guerra Gamble instructed the jury that the entire contents of the phone was 'not properly turned over when it should have been'.

The messages also reveals that InfoWars was making $800,00 a day in 2018, with the Sandy Hook parents lawyer adding 'after your platforming, your numbers keep getting better.'

His main company, Free Speech Systems, filed for bankruptcy on Friday, midway through his two week trial.

It is to determine how much the conspiracy theorist will have to pay the parents of a Sandy Hook shooting victim, in Austin, Texas.

Taking to the stand yesterday, Jones told the court that he had complied with pretrial evidence gathering even though he didn't.

The judge sent the jury out of the room and strongly scolded him for also telling the court that he was bankrupt, which has not been determined.

Plaintiff's attorneys were furious about Jones mentioning he is bankrupt, which they worry will taint a jury decision about damages.

'This is not your show,' Judge Maya Guerra Gamble told Jones. 'Your beliefs do not make something true. You are under oath.'

Jones has claimed the trial is a way for others to attack his Freedom of Speech. Pictured: Jones arrived in Texas court for his defamation trial on Tuesday with a piece of tape over his mouth that said 'Save the 1st' Amendment

Jones referred to the bungle for handing over the documents as a their 'Perry Mason' moment, which was made famous by a fictional character created by Erle Stanley Gardner

Jones repeatedly claimed that the 2012 massacre, which left 20 students and six teachers dead, was a 'hoax' and had been 'staged'

Last September, Guerra admonished Jones in her default judgement over his failure to turn over documents requested by the Sandy Hook families.

A court in Connecticut issued a similar default judgement against Jones for the same reasons in a separate lawsuit brought by other Sandy Hook parents.

Jones has portrayed the lawsuit against him as an attack on his First Amendment rights.

The parents have asked the jury to award $150 million in compensation for defamation and intentional infliction of emotional distress, with a jury deciding if Jones and his company will pay punitive damages.

Courts in Texas and Connecticut have already found Jones liable for defamation for his portrayal of the Sandy Hook massacre as a hoax.

In both states, judges issued default judgements against Jones without trials because he failed to respond to court orders and turn over documents.

Sandy Hook families have separately sued Jones over his financial claims, arguing that the company is trying to protect millions owned by Jones and his family through shell entities.
An NHS focus on male urinary symptoms could be hampering efforts to detect prostate cancer early, doctors warn.

Researchers from Cambridge University said there is 'no evidence of a causal link' between prostate cancer and prostate size or problems urinating.

However, official health advice often promotes this link, which risks giving men a false sense of security, the experts add.

They want to improve awareness that the disease may have no symptoms in its early stages and say more men should come forward for tests.

The top symptom given for prostate cancer on the NHS website is 'needing to pee more frequently, often during the night', followed by 'needing to rush to the toilet' and 'difficulty in starting to pee'.

Researchers from Cambridge University said there is 'no evidence of a causal link' between prostate cancer and prostate size or problems urinating (stock image)

Researchers, writing in the journal BMC Medicine, argue the 'strong public perception' that male urinary symptoms are a key indicator of prostate cancer 'may be seriously hampering efforts to encourage early presentation'.

It continues: 'We call for strong clear messaging that prostate cancer is a silent disease especially in the curable stages and men should come forward for testing regardless of whether or not they have symptoms.'

Professor Vincent Gnanapragasam, of Cambridge University, said: 'We urgently need to recognise that the information currently given to the public risks giving men a false sense of security if they don't have any urinary symptoms.

'We need to emphasise that prostate cancer can be a silent or asymptomatic disease, particularly in its curable stages.

An NHS spokesperson said: 'The NHS has seen record numbers of men getting checked for prostate cancer thanks to its lifesaving awareness campaign and continues to remind men that prostate cancer may not show symptoms, but that it is important for those at higher risk to come forward for checks.

'By using the Prostate Cancer UK risk checker, as over half a million have already done, men will be able to understand their risk more and where to go for more advice.'

A new MRI scan could reduce the number of men having biopsies by 90 per cent, says Prostate Cancer UK. It gives an indication of the cell size, density and blood vessels in the prostate to better identify cancer, researchers from University College London added.
A mass grave with the remains of 12 German mercenary soldiers who died at the hands of American forces during the Revolutionary War has been uncovered in New Jersey where the 1777 Battle of Red Bank took place.

Mercenaries, or Hessians, were German soldiers who were hired by the British to fight in the war and a total of 30,000 crossed the Atlantic  1,200 died in the states altogether.

The human bones, along with a King George III gold guinea coin, were found where Fort Mercer once stood, which was a patriot outpost designed to stop British ships from coming ashore to supply their troops. At least 500 Americans were stationed at the fort.

Some of the bones have wounds from musket balls and from grapeshot, a collection of smaller-caliber round shots packed tightly in a canvas bag.

Officials believe the remains are of Hessians who were part of about 377 troops killed by Colonial forces, which only lost 14 of their own men, and the victory stopped Britain from traveling up the Delaware River.

The remains (pictured is a casting made from on of the dead soldier's mouth) were discovered in a mass grave found in what is now National Park, New Jersey

The remains rested for 245 years until a human femur was found in June during an archaeological dig of a trench system that surrounded the fort.

Additional excavation yielded more skeletal remains and items including pewter and brass buttons and a King George III gold guinea, which would have been a soldiers pay for a month.

The works is being conducted with a team of scientists from Rowan University and officials from Gloucester County, who are turning over all the remains to forensic anthropologists at the New Jersey State Police forensic unit to extract DNA from the bones and teeth to identify their origin. Additional studies are being conducted to examine life history, health and disease.

The scientists hope they can identify the remains and find their descendants.

The mass grave, pictured, was filled with the bones of 12 German soldiers who were hired by the British to fight in America

The grave was found near the site where Fort Mercer once stood south of Philadelphia

Rowan University public historian Jennifer Janofsky said in a statement: Were hoping that eventually, perhaps, we can find some of these individuals.

If we can extract their stories, and if we can tell their stories, it lets us put a name to a face. And that, to me, is a very powerful moment in public history.

Fort Mercer once stood on the Jersey shore of the Delaware River and was designed for soldiers to hide behind walls while shooting their muskets through openings in the walls or over them.

Approximately 2,000 Hessian troopers were sent to the fort in October 1777 under the command of Carl von Donop, who previously lost the Second Battle of Trent in January and was eager to secure a victory.

Records quote him saying: Either the fort will be called Fort Donop, or I shall have fallen.

A King George III gold guinea coin was also uncovered at the site that was given to the Hessians as payment for serving in the British arm

Shown is a soldiers knee buckle discovered in an excavation site at the Red Bank Battlefield Park in National Park

However, as the Hessians made their way up to Fort Mercer they were met with streams of bullets from Americans on the other side of the forts walls and retreated - but not before they suffered heavy causalities.

Von Donop was shot in the thigh during the battle and was left to die on the battlefield by his troops who were running for cover.

The commander died three days later in the Whitall House, a farmhouse just outside the southern works of the fort between the fort and Woodbury Creek.

The Hessian army reported casualties of 377 killed and wounded with 20 missing or captured, while the Americans reported their losses at 14 killed and 27 wounded.

The British returned to the fort in November, this time being led by Lord Cornwallis who brought along 5,000 men.

This time the Americans fled, abandoning the fort in the event to avoid losing their own men who were outnumbered.

Today the site of the Battle of Red Bank is a part of the Gloucester County Parks system called Red Bank Battlefield Park.
An image of the most distant known star in the universe has been captured by NASA's James Webb Space Telescope.

Named Earendel, after a character in J.R.R. Tolkien's 'Lord of the Rings' prequel 'The Silmarillion', it is almost 28 billion light-years away from Earth.

That is over 10 billion light-years more distant than the next-furthest star astronomers have seen.

At such enormous distances, experts can usually only make out entire galaxies, but a lucky coincidence allowed them to spot Earendel with the Hubble Space Telescope and then observe it again with Webb on July 30.

By comparing the Hubble image with that captured by NASA's new $10 billion (7.4 billion) super space telescope, experts were able to find the elusive Earendel as a faint red dot below a cluster of distant galaxies.

Far, far away: The most distant known star in the universe has been captured by NASA's James Webb Space Telescope. Earendel is almost 28 billion light-years away from Earth and is shown here in this image where the white arrow is

Circled: Experts were able to find Earendel as a faint red dot below a cluster of distant galaxies

'We're excited to share the first JWST image of Earendel,' said a group of astronomers using the Twitter account Cosmic Spring JWST

WHAT IS GRAVITATIONAL LENSING? Gravitational lensing occurs when a massive galaxy or cluster of galaxies bend the light emitted from a more distant galaxy. This forms a highly magnified, though much distorted image. This is because massive objects bend the spacetime around them, making light travel in a different path. This theory was first proposed by Einstein in his theory of General Relativity. Advertisement

The star, whose light took 12.9 billion light-years to reach Earth, is so faint that it would be challenging to find without the help of Hubble  which images in visible, ultraviolet light compared to Webb's infrared.

This example of the two telescopes working side-by-side is exactly what NASA had envisioned, despite Webb ultimately being seen as the successor to the famous Hubble.

'We're excited to share the first JWST image of Earendel, the most distant star known in our universe, lensed and magnified by a massive galaxy cluster,' said a group of astronomers using the Twitter account Cosmic Spring JWST.

Their tweet refers to gravitational lensing, where light has been stretched into a long curve by the gravity of a galaxy cluster closer to Earth.

This process magnified the Sunrise Arc galaxy where Earendel resides by a factor of more than 1,000, allowing astronomers to confirm with Webb that it is an individual star and not a cluster of hundreds.

The star is visible because it is perfectly aligned with the galaxy cluster to provide the maximum possible magnification, experts said.

'That's a really lucky alignment,' Dan Coe, of the Space Telescope Science Institute in Maryland, told the New Scientist.

'Nobody's ever seen a star this highly magnified, not to mention a galaxy.'

Because light takes time to travel, this new Webb image shows Earendel as it was about 900 million years after the Big Bang.

Tolkien's character Earendil was the inspiration for Earendel's name, according to Brian Welch, a PhD candidate who led a team of astronomers at Johns Hopkins University in the discovery of the distant star.

'Once we were reasonably sure this object was a star, I started brainstorming possible names,' he said.

'Earendil was one of the first things to come to mind, since he ends up sailing his ship Vingilot through the heavens with the Silmaril on his brow, becoming a star and a symbol of hope over Middle-earth.

'As I looked into it further, I found that Tolkien's original inspiration for the character was an Old English word Earendel, meaning Morning Star.'

Welch added: 'The "morning star" reference worked particularly well, since this is a time period often referred to as Cosmic Dawn, so that kind of sealed the deal for me.'

At such enormous distances, experts can usually only make out entire galaxies, but a lucky coincidence allowed them to spot Earendel with the Hubble Space Telescope (shown) and then observe it again with James Webb on July 30

By comparing the Hubble image (pictured) with that captured by Webb, experts were able to find the elusive Earendel as a tiny reddish dot below a cluster of distant galaxies

'JWST was designed to study the first stars. Until recently, we assumed that meant populations of stars within the first galaxies,' astronomers from the Space Telescope Science Institute in Maryland wrote in a recent paper discussing gravitational lensing.

'But in the past three years, three individual strongly-lensed stars have been discovered.

'This offers a new hope of directly observing individual stars at cosmological distances with JWST.'

Astronomers hope the next round of Webb observations for the Space Telescope Science Institute team, which are planned for December, could reveal what Earendel and the Sunrise Arc are made of.

'We're all made of starstuff, but that stuff wasn't around in the early universe,' Coe said.

'This is a rare opportunity to see if the heavy elements were there in this star 13 billion years ago.'

Because light takes time to travel, this new image by Webb (pictured) shows Earendel as it was about 900 million years after the Big Bang

Last month, Webb's dazzling, unprecedented images of a 'stellar nursery', dying star cloaked by dust and a 'cosmic dance' between a group of galaxies were revealed to the world for the first time.

It put an end to months of waiting and feverish anticipation as people across the globe were treated to the first batch of a treasure trove of images that will culminate in the earliest ever look at the dawn of the universe.

Webb's infrared capabilities mean it can 'see back in time' to within a mere 100-200 million years of the Big Bang, allowing it to snap pictures of the very first stars to shine in the universe more than 13.5 billion years ago.

Its first images of nebulae, an exoplanet and galaxy clusters triggered huge celebration in the scientific world, on what was hailed a 'great day for humanity'.

Researchers will soon begin to learn more about the galaxies' masses, ages, histories and compositions, as Webb seeks to explore the earliest galaxies in the universe.
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Last week, a snorkeller was left 'screaming for help' after being bitten by a shark off Cornwall in the first attack of its kind in 175 years.

The woman - who has not been identified - was in Penzance, Cornwall, with Blue Shark Snorkel Trips when the accident happened last Thursday.

But just how common are sharks in British waters?

Following the incident, MailOnline has delved into which species are living around the UK, and how deadly they can be.

While the most fearsome sharks - great whites - are not currently found in British waters, scientists have warned that climate change could soon force the species our way in search of cooler waters.

MailOnline has delved into which species are living around the UK, and how deadly they can be. Around 40 species of shark can be found in British waters, of which 21 live in our seas all year round

Sharks found in British waters Smooth hammerhead shark - North Atlantic off the western tip of Cornwall Blue shark - 10 miles off the southern coast of Cornwall Thresher shark - English Channel off the Devon coast Shortfin mako shark - Bristol Channel and off the coast of Wales Porbeagle shark - Most common on south coast Basking shark - Sea of the Hebrides Advertisement

Which species live around the UK?

Around 40 species of shark can be found in British waters, of which 21 live in our seas all year round.

'As well as the 21 resident sharks, there are at least 11 deepwater shark species including the Portuguese Dogfish, Black Dogfish, Kitefin Shark and Gulper Shark,' The Sharks Trust explains on its website.

Smooth hammerhead shark

The Smooth Hammerhead Shark has a broad distribution worldwide but prefers temperate waters.

It's a very rare sight in British waters, but if one does appear, it will most likely be in the North Atlantic, off the coast of the western tip of Cornwall.

The hammerhead shark family is made up of nine species, which all have distinctive hammer-shaped heads.

As its name suggests, the smooth variety has a more rounded head shape than other species.

In 2019, a smooth hammerhead shark was spotted in the Celtic Sea, about 100 miles south west of Ireland - the furthest north the species has ever been seen in British waters.

Experts say the lone specimen could have been lost but probably ventured further north than normal due to the oceans getting warmer.

Dr Paul Connolly, director of fisheries and ecosystems services at the Marine Institute said: 'This is an exciting encounter, especially since a rare deep-water shark nursery, 200 miles west of Ireland, was discovered by Irish scientists last year.

'This sighting of a new shark species, shows the importance of our fishery surveys to monitor our marine environment, and to observe changes in our oceans and marine ecosystems.'

According to experts, there have been no known fatalities from hammerhead sharks anywhere in the world to date.

The Smooth Hammerhead Shark has a broad distribution worldwide but prefers temperate waters. It's a very rare sight in British waters, but if one does appear, it will most likely be in the North Atlantic, off the coast of the western tip of Cornwall

Blue shark

Blue sharks - like those involved in last week's attack - are often spotted off the southern coast of Cornwall during the summer months.

In the Atlantic, blue sharks appear to follow a clockwise route, following the Gulf Stream to the UK from the Caribbean and returning there following the Atlantic North Equatorial Current.

With a torpedo-like appearance, blue sharks are active predators and mainly feed on small fish and squid, although they have also been known to take seabirds and other small sharks too.

They even feed on fish that live near the seabed and have been recorded at depths of up to 350m.

The largest blue shark ever caught in UK seas weighed a whopping 256lbs (116kg) and measured over 9ft (2.74m).

Blue sharks - like those involved in last week's attack - are often spotted off the southern coast of Cornwall during the summer months

Thresher shark

In summer, thresher sharks are known to pass through the English Channel off the Devon Coast, and have even occasionally been seen to fully breach the water.

A spokesperson from The Wildlife Trusts said: 'The thresher shark spends most of its time in the deep waters of the open sea, rarely straying into coastal areas.

'To survive in these colder waters, they have evolved to be endothermic.

'This means that they can keep their body temperature higher than the temperature of the surrounding water.

'If you're lucky, you might see this magnificent shark jump high out of the water in to the air.'

Thresher sharks are known to grow up to 19ft (six metres) long and weigh up to 750lbs (340kg), and are regarded as a threatened species.

Thankfully, thresher sharks are safe and there has only been one known attack from a thresher shark to a human, which was a provoked attack.

Shortfin mako shark

Nicknamed the 'cheetah of the ocean', the shortfin mako is one of the world's fastest sharks, reaching impressive speeds of up to 45mph.

While the species is very rare in British waters, it has previously been spotted in the Bristol Channel and off the coast of Wales.

'These sharks are apex predators, sitting right at the top of the food chain, and their speed enables them to catch fast-swimming prey such as tuna and swordfish,' the Marine Conservation Society explains.

'As well as being able to dive to depths of more than 400ft, they can jump as high as 20ft out of the water.'

According to International Shark Attack File, there have been nine shortfin attacks on humans, three of which were fatal.

Nicknamed the 'cheetah of the ocean', the shortfin mako is one of the world's fastest sharks, reaching impressive speeds of up to 45mph

Porbeagle shark

Measuring up to 12ft (3.6 metres) long and weighing up to 507lbs (230kg), the porbeagle shark is often mistaken for the great white shark.

But while great white sharks are yet to be spotted in British waters, porbeagles are found around all UK coasts - most commonly on the south coast, but occasionally in the waters off North Yorkshire and Pembrokeshire.

This species is a brilliant 'mackerel' blue, with a white belly and characteristic white mark at the rear base of the dorsal fin.

'They are strong swimmers and tagging studies have shown that they can travel huge distances,' The Wildlife Trusts explains.

'One porbeagle shark tagged in Irish waters was later found as far away as Newfoundland in Canada!

Despite being related to the great white shark, the porbeagle is not known to be dangerous.

There are three recorded shark attacks involving porbeagles, two involving boats and another which did not result in serious injury.

Measuring up to 12ft (3.6 metres) long and weighing up to 507lbs (230kg), the porbeagle shark is often mistaken for the great white shark

One of the surprising sharks to roam British waters is the basking shark - the second largest fish in the world. Basking sharks can reach a whopping 39ft (12 metres) in lenght, and can weigh a staggering 19,800lbs (nine tonnes)

Climate change threatens marine life in 70% of Earths oceans Future rates of warming threaten marine life in more than 70 percent of the most biodiverse parts of Earth's oceans, new research reveals. The researchers used a new technique to compare past and future extremes of ocean warming, which allowed them to map worldwide exposure to future climate change and determine distances that species would need to move to find better climate conditions. 'Our research shows that locations with exceptionally high marine biodiversity are the most exposed to future oceanic warming, making them particularly vulnerable to 21st century climatic change,' said lead author Dr. Stuart Brown from the University of Adelaides Environment Institute in a statement. Advertisement

Basking shark

One of the surprising sharks to roam British waters is the basking shark - the second largest fish in the world.

Basking sharks can reach a whopping 39ft (12 metres) in length, and can weigh a staggering 19,800lbs (nine tonnes).

Between May and October, basking sharks can be found on Scotland's west coast, in the Sea of the Hebrides.

Thankfully, basking sharks are passive and no danger to humans in general, although caution is urged during any encounters due to their enormous size.

Have there been any shark attacks in the UK?

According to The Sharks Trust, attacks in the UK are exceptionally rare, with no unprovoked shark bites in British waters since records began in 1847, until last week's incident.

But the official classification used by global experts states that 'bites on people attempting to feed sharks' are classed as provoked as 'the shark may bite a person by mistake during the frenzy for food' .

Most documented shark attacks in the UK occur on fishermen who are attempting to land one - or release one.

A blue shark attacked fisherman Stephen Perkins in 2008, as he hauled the fish into his boat for a photograph off Lundy Island, Devon.

Bleeding profusely, his life was saved by being airlifted by RAF helicopter to hospital.

The woman - who has not been identified - was in Penzance, Cornwall, with Blue Shark Snorkel Trips when the accident happened on Thursday. She was swimming some 15 miles out to sea during the 180 per person excursion when the shark, unprovoked, suddenly bit her leg.

Last week's attack is thought to be the worst on a swimmer in British waters since 1922, when an assistant schoolmaster was killed off the coast of Hornsea in East Yorkshire.

Worldwide there have only been four documented fatal attacks by blue sharks and 25 non-fatal attacks.

In August 2012 a beach in Ceredigion, Wales was closed to bathers due to the presence of a blue shark.

And in 1937 a basking shark overturned a boat off Kintyre, resulting in three men drowning.

Britain's only suspected fatal shark attack victim was assistant schoolmaster Mr P H Lee - killed in September 1922 off Hornsea, East Yorkshire.

He had been paddling with his wife and their friend Beatrice Appleton when the tide swept him a way out. Bank clerk Miss Appleton saw him throw his hands up and shout, but thought he was laughing.

From the beach, his wife saw he 'had been overcome - and he sank'.

His body was recovered at low tide with a large ragged wound, with toothmarks, on his left side.

A Dr John told an inquest he believed Mr Lee had been bitten twice while alive - with the suspect a powerful dog fish, or a shark. The doctor claimed there had been a similar case during the war.

It was reported at the time: 'The tragedy has caused a slump in bathing in the East Yorkshire resort.'

What about great whites?

Great white sharks - the species depicted in the movie Jaws - have never been reliably documented in UK waters.

The nearest one has been spotted has been 168 miles off Lands End, in the northern Bay of Biscay in 1977, according to the Sharks Trust.

But a warming climate may see more sharks from warmer areas attracted to UK waters.

In 2018, a study commissioned for Nat Geo WILD's Sharkfest, revealed 11 species of sharks found in warmer parts of the world, such as hammerheads and blacktips, may be swimming in British seas within 30 years as the climate changes.

Meanwhile, Dr Ken Collins, of the University of Southampton, said that by 2050 British waters could become an ideal hunting ground for the great white.

He said: 'Great whites will wander hundreds, if not thousands of miles and are already in the Mediterranean.

'It would not take much of a change in water temperature, maybe less than one degree, for them to come here.

'And they have their favourite food source, seals, in areas such as the Cornish coast.'
August 03, 2022: Information Clearing House -- " The Cradle " - This is the way the Global War on Terror (GWOT) ends, over and over again: not with a bang, but a whimper.

Two Hellfire R9-X missiles launched from a MQ9 Reaper drone on the balcony of a house in Kabul. The target was Ayman Al-Zawahiri with a $25 million bounty on his head. The once invisible leader of historic Al-Qaeda since 2011, is finally terminated.

All of us who spent years of our lives, especially throughout the 2000s, writing about and tracking Al-Zawahiri know how US intel played every trick in the book  and outside the book  to find him. Well, he never exposed himself on the balcony of a house, much less in Kabul.

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Another disposable asset

Why now? Simple. Not useful anymore  and way past his expiration date. His fate was sealed as a tawdry foreign policy victory  the remixed Obama Osama bin Laden moment that wont even register across most of the Global South. After all, a perception reigns that George W. Bushs GWOT has long metastasized into the rules-based, actually economic sanctions-based international order.

Cue to 48 hours later, when hundreds of thousands across the west were glued to the screen of flighradar24.com (until the website was hacked), tracking SPAR19  the US Air Force jet carrying House Speaker Nancy Pelosi  as it slowly crossed Kalimantan from east to west, the Celebes Sea, went northward parallel to the eastern Philippines, and then made a sharp swing westwards towards Taiwan, in a spectacular waste of jet fuel to evade the South China Sea.

No Pearl Harbor moment

Now compare it with hundreds of millions of Chinese who are not on Twitter but on Weibo, and a leadership in Beijing that is impervious to western-manufactured pre-war, post-modern hysteria.

Anyone who understands Chinese culture knew there would never be a missile on a Kabul balcony moment over Taiwanese airspace. There would never be a replay of the perennial neocon wet dream: a Pearl Harbor moment. Thats simply not the Chinese way.

The day after, as the narcissist Speaker, so proud of accomplishing her stunt, was awarded the Order of Auspicious Clouds for her promotion of bilateral US-Taiwan relations, the Chinese Foreign Minister issued a sobering comment: the reunification of Taiwan with the mainland is a historical inevitability.

Thats how you focus, strategically, in the long game.

What happens next had already been telegraphed, somewhat hidden in a Global Times report. Here are the two key points:

Point 1: China will see it as a provocative action permitted by the Biden administration rather than a personal decision made by Pelosi.

Thats exactly what President Xi Jinping had personally told the teleprompt-reading White House tenant during a tense phone call last week. And that concerns the ultimate red line.

Xi is now reaching the exact same conclusion reached by Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier this year: the United States is non-agreement capable, and theres no point in expecting it to respect diplomacy and/or rule of law in international relations.

Point 2 concerns the consequences, reflecting a consensus among top Chinese analysts that mirrors the consensus at the Politburo: The Russia-Ukraine crisis has just let the world see the consequence of pushing a major power into a corner China will steadily speed up its process of reunification and declare the end of US domination of the world order.

Chess, not checkers

The Sinophobic matrix predictably dismissed Xis reaction to the fact on the ground  and in the skies  in Taiwan, complete with rhetoric exposing the provocation by American reactionaries and the uncivilized campaign of the imperialists.

This may be seen as Xi playing Chairman Mao. He may have a point, but the rhetoric is pro forma. The crucial fact is that Xi was personally humiliated by Washington and so was the Communist Party of China (CPC), a major loss of face  something that in Chinese culture is unforgivable. And all that compounded with a US tactical victory.

So the response will be inevitable, and it will be classic Sun Tzu: calculated, precise, tough, long-term and strategic  not tactical. That takes time because Beijing is not ready yet in an array of mostly technological domains. Putin had to wait years for Russia to act decisively. Chinas time will come.

For now, whats clear is that as much as with Russia-US relations last February, the Rubicon has been crossed in the US-China sphere.

The price of collateral damage

The Central Bank of Afghanistan bagged a paltry $40 million in cash as humanitarian aid soon after that missile on a balcony in Kabul.

So that was the price of the Al-Zawahiri operation, intermediated by the currently US-aligned Pakistani intelligence agency, the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). So cheap.

The MQ-9 Reaper drone carrying the two Hellfire R9X that killed Al-Zawahiri had to fly over Pakistani airspace  taking off from a US base in the Persian Gulf, traversing the Arabian Sea, and flying over Balochistan to enter Afghanistan from the south. The Americans may have also got human intelligence as a bonus.

A 2003 deal, according to which Islamabad facilitates air corridors for US military flights, may have expired with the American withdrawal debacle last August, but could always be revived.

No one should expect a deep dive investigation on what exactly the ISI  historically very close to the Taliban  gave to Washington on a silver platter.

Dodgy dealings

Cue to an intriguing phone call last week between the all-powerful Chief of Staff of the Pakistani Army, Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa, and US deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman. Bajwa was lobbying for the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to release a crucial loan at the soonest, otherwise Pakistan will default on its foreign debt.

Were deposed former Prime Minister Imran Khan still in power, he would never have allowed that phone call.

The plot thickens, as Al-Zawahiris Kabul digs in a posh neighborhood is owned by a close advisor to Sirajuddin Haqqani, head of the terrorist (US-defined) Haqqani network and currently Taliban Interior Minister. The Haqqani network, needless to add, was always very cozy with the ISI.

And then, three months ago, we had the head of ISI, Lieutenant General Nadeem Anjum, meeting with Bidens National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan in Washington  allegedly to get their former, joint, covert, counter-terrorism machinery back on track.

Once again, the only question revolves around the terms of the offer you cant refuse  and that may be connected to IMF relief. Under these circumstances, Al-Zawahiri was just paltry collateral damage.

Sun Tzu deploys his six blades

Following Speaker Pelosis caper in Taiwan, collateral damage is bound to multiply like the blades of a R9-X missile.

The first stage is the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) already having engaged in live fire drills, with massive shelling in the direction of the Taiwan Strait out of Fujian province.

The first sanctions are on too, against two Taiwanese funds. Export of sable to Taiwan is forbidden; sable is an essential commodity for the electronics industry  so that will ratchet up the pain dial in high-tech sectors of the global economy.

Chinese CATL, the worlds largest fuel cell and lithium-ion battery maker, is indefinitely postponing the building of a massive $5 billion, 10,000-employee factory that would manufacture batteries for electric vehicles across North America, supplying Tesla and Ford among others.

So the Sun Tzu maneuvering ahead will essentially concentrate on a progressive economic blockade of Taiwan, the imposition of a partial no-fly zone, severe restrictions of maritime traffic, cyber warfare, and the Big Prize: inflicting pain on the US economy.

The War on Eurasia

For Beijing, playing the long game means the acceleration of the process involving an array of nations across Eurasia and beyond, trading in commodities and manufactured products in their own currencies. They will be progressively testing a new system that will see the advent of a BRICS+/SCO/Eurasia Economic Union (EAEU) basket of currencies, and in the near future, a new reserve currency.

The Speakers escapade was concomitant to the definitive burial of the war on terror cycle and its metastasis into the war on Eurasia era.

It may have unwittingly provided the last missing cog to turbo-charge the complex machinery of the Russia-China strategic partnership. Thats all there is to know about the strategic capability of the US political ruling class. And this time no missile on a balcony will be able to erase the new era.
An Egyptian mummy thought to have been pregnant may not have been carrying a child after all, new research suggests.

Last year a team of Polish scientists said they had discovered the only known example of an embalmed pregnant Egyptian mummy.

But now an extraordinary row has broken out among those researchers, with several members of the team questioning the finding.

Some experts at the Warsaw Mummy Project claim that what appeared to be a foetus in X-ray scans and CT images was actually the result of 'a computer illusion and misinterpretation'.

Instead of a baby, they believe it is 'mummified organs' inside the woman's stomach.

An Egyptian mummy thought to have been pregnant may not have been carrying a child after all, new research suggests

Some experts at the Warsaw Mummy Project claim that what appeared to be a foetus in X-ray scans and CT images was actually 'a computer illusion and misinterpretation'. They say some of the objects depicted here with arrows were wrongly identified as a foetal head and body

Claim: Instead of a baby, they believe it is 'mummified organs' inside the woman's stomach

World's first pregnant ancient Egyptian mummy Brought to Poland in the mid-19th century, the 'Mysterious Lady' represents the first known pregnant ancient Egyptian mummy. Last year experts at Warsaw Museum Project discovered that the mummy was pregnant and that the foetus had been 'pickled like a gherkin'. An examination using tomographic imaging revealed that the woman was between 20-30 years old when she died and was in her 26th to 30th week of her pregnancy. The mummy was previously thought to be the remains of the priest Hor-Jehuti, until it was discovered in 2016 to be an embalmed woman. Advertisement

Kamila Braulinska, a co-founder of the Warsaw Mummy Project, said the original research was 'not a reliable scientific study', while radiologist ukasz Kownacki and conservationist Dorota Ignatowicz-Wozniakowska also dispute the research.

But two members of the project, Marzena Ozarek-Szlike and Wojciech Ejsmond, have dismissed these claims.

They said today: 'The Warsaw Mummy Project team does not confirm this information. The mummy is pregnant.'

The project, which began in 2015, has been using technology to examine artefacts at the National Museum in Warsaw.

Researchers previously thought the mummy was a male priest but scans later suggested it was a woman who was between 26 and 30 weeks pregnant when she died for unknown reasons.

They believe she was most likely of high-status and was aged between 20 and 30 when she died during the 1st Century BC.

Last year the Warsaw Mummy Project team said a foetus had not been removed from the uterus.

But writing in July's Archeological and Anthropological Sciences, Braulinska, a bioarchaeologist, reiterated an initial belief that four bundles found within the mummy's abdominal cavity were wrapped and embalmed organs.

She said: 'The bundles were placed there by ancient embalmers.

'In the bundles there is probably at least one mummified organ of the deceased. It was a well-known practice in ancient Egypt.

'The remaining bundles may contain body parts or other products of the mummification process.

'There is also another possibility  embalmers placed bundles in the mummies in order to maintain the shape of the body after the mummification process.'

In 2021, through a combination of CT scans and X-rays, the Warsaw Mummy Project claimed to have discovered the remains of a foetus, about 26 to 30 weeks old, inside the woman

But now an extraordinary row has broken out among those researchers, with several members of the team questioning the finding

These are the earliest drawings of the mummy casing, dating back to the 1800s when the mummy was first taken to Poland

She added: 'Our article contains a number of spectacular images and links to videos depicting the interior of the ancient mummy, including those made using holographic techniques, which are the latest trend in medicine.

'This is not the first mummy with bundles of this type. Objects of this type are sometimes found in other parts of the body, and similar bundles or substances are found in the pelvis.'

According to Braulinska, the discovery of the mummy's apparent pregnancy was the result of an illusion caused by a phenomenon known as pareidolia, a natural human desire to see familiar objects in random shapes.

She said: 'This phenomenon, combined with the lack of consultation of theories with a radiology expert, unfortunately only brought the effect of a global sensation, and not a reliable scientific study.

'Our article proves how important the cooperation with specialists from various fields is in the study of ancient Egyptian mummies, and how rationally and critically one should approach the analysis of the results, putting illusions aside.'
Dating app Tinder has a message for the metaverse: its not you, its me.

The company is reducing its commitment to moving into the much-touted virtual reality realm as it reels from an operating loss of $10 million in the most recent financial quarter.

In February, 2021 Match Group bought South Korean company Hyperconnect for over $1.7 billion. At the time, top executives hyped the purchase as one that would see Match Groups various dating apps slide into DMs of the future metaverse thanks to Hyperconnects live video and chat technologies.

The metaverse, which has been highly pushed by Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and other Silicon Valley moguls, can include virtual reality and also augmented reality that would combine aspects of the physical and digital worlds.

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Tinder is reducing its commitment to moving into the virtual reality realm as it reels from an operating loss of $10 million in the most recent financial quarter

Tinder CEO Renate Nyborg is leaving the company just a year after taking the job. Pictured above is her resignation note from LinkedIn

Bernard Kim, CEO of Tinders parent company, Match Group, praised how that metaverse tech has been incorporated into some of the companys non-Tinder apps, but also said 'uncertainty' over what the much-hyped metaverse will actually turn out to be means caution is necessary.

'I believe a metaverse dating experience is important to capture the next generation of users, and Hyperconnect has been innovating in this area,' Kim wrote in a Tuesday shareholder's note.

'However, given uncertainty about the ultimate contours of the metaverse and what will or wont work, as well as the more challenging operating environment, Ive instructed the Hyperconnect team to iterate but not invest heavily in metaverse at this time.

What is the metaverse? The 'metaverse' is a set of virtual spaces where you can game, work and communicate with others who aren't in the same physical space as you. Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg has been a leading voice on the concept, which is seen as the future of the internet and would blur the lines between the physical and digital. 'You'll be able to hang out with friends, work, play, learn, shop, create and more,' Meta has said. 'It's not necessarily about spending more time online  it's about making the time you do spend online more meaningful.' While Meta is leading the charge with the metaverse, it explained that it isn't a single product one company can build. 'Just like the internet, the metaverse exists whether Facebook is there or not,' it added. 'And it won't be built overnight. Many of these products will only be fully realized in the next 10-15 years.' Advertisement

'Well continue to evaluate this space carefully, and we will consider moving forward at the appropriate time when we have more clarity on the overall opportunity and feel we have a service that is well-positioned to succeed.'

The financial loss is particularly surprising as Kim boasted of strong growth in revenue and user base across Matchs various platforms, which include Match.com, Hinge, Plentyoffish and OkCupid.

Still, attracting new users during the COVID-19 pandemic was a challenge as Kim said engagement remains higher from pre-existing users rather than new ones.

The pricy purchase of Hyperconnect dragged the company down further, despite supposedly helping Match enter the supposedly lucrative Asia-Pacific market.

'Theres no question that buying Hyperconnect while the world was shut down due to COVID slowed integration and our ability to work together to drive their growth,' Kim acknowledged.

Just a few paragraphs later, Kim announced that at least one match was not, ultimately, made in heaven. Tinder CEO Renate Nyborg is leaving the company just a year after taking the chief executive job.

'I have loved every moment of the last two years, working with an I.N.C.R.E.D.I.B.L.E team on the magic of human connection,' Nyborg said in a post on LinkedIn.

Until a replacement is found, Kim said he and a team of executives will oversee day-to-day operations of the popular dating app, which boasts over 10 million paying users.

'I have loved ... working with an I.N.C.R.E.D.I.B.L.E team on the magic of human connection,' Renate Nyborg, seen above, said in a post on LinkedIn

Matchs reluctance to fully engage with the metaverse is just the latest indication that not all is merry in the virtual realm.

Back in October, tech mogul Mark Zuckerberg announced his company Facebook would henceforth be known as Meta.

In a lengthy video, he outlined his goal evolving the social media platform into a full-fledged virtual world that would exist alongside and overlap with the physical one - eventually being a space for up to one billion people.

But just last week, that grand vision hit a major snag. In an earnings call, Zuckerberg said there could be cuts to staff after revenue dropped for the first time in the companys history and was projected to fall further in the next financial quarter.
Two of Australia's most controversial influencers have reportedly cut business ties following a string of public relations gaffes.

Mummy blogger Sophie Cachia and haircare entrepreneur Mia Plecic announced last year they were launching a 'gender-neutral' cosmetics brand together called Aisuru.

Cachia, a former footy WAG who famously left her husband and became engaged to a woman in 2020, previously found success with her eponymous pyjamas brand and multimedia company Shaw Media.

Controversial influencers Sophie Cachia (left) and Mia Plecic (right) have reportedly cut business ties after a series of PR disasters

Mia is known for her multimillion-dollar hair products company, Slick Hair Co.

But this week, Cachia announced that Aisuru was now 'a one-woman show', apparently confirming Plecic had left the business.

Outspoken the Podcast, which documents the misadventures of social media stars, speculated this week that the pair's friendship had also broken down.

Cachia (pictured) and Plecic announced last year they were launching a 'gender-neutral' cosmetics brand together called Aisuru

Tellingly, Plecic has removed all references to Aisuru from her social media bio and also unfollowed the brand on Instagram.

The former business partners have also unfollowed each other's personal accounts.

Plecic has since released a statement to Daily Mail Australia that seemingly contradicts Cachia's claim about Aisuru being a 'one-woman show'.

But this week, Cachia announced on Instagram that Aisuru was now 'a one-woman show', apparently confirming Plecic had left the business

'I am still a Director of AISURU and an equal shareholder to Sophie. I just took a step back as Slick Hair Company is going through huge international growth and I need to focused on the brand that is growing,' Plecic said.

Aisuru has been plagued by controversy since its launch earlier this year.

In February, Cachia was called out for practising poor hygiene while conducting a 'quality control' exercise on her new lipstick line.

In February, Cachia was called out for practising poor hygiene while conducting a 'quality control' exercise on her new lipstick line. She filmed herself rubbing her nose while checking individual lipsticks from her Aisuru range that were due to be sent out to customers (pictured)

Aisuru issued a statement (above) acknowledging this was 'not best practice nor aligned with our policies'

Cachia had filmed herself rubbing her nose with her bare hand while checking individual lipsticks from her Aisuru range that were due to be sent out to customers.

Aisuru subsequently issued a statement acknowledging this was 'not best practice nor aligned with our policies'.

The hosts of Outspoken, sisters Amy, Sophie and Kate Taeuber, also speculated this week that Plecic's controversial views on Covid-19 and vaccine mandates possibly drove a wedge between the business partners.

In June, Plecic sparked outrage by comparing Australia's vaccine mandates to the overturning of Roe v. Wade by the U.S. Supreme Court

Reacting to the landmark decision, Plecic wrote on Instagram: 'Why is it okay to be pro-choice about one human right but not the other?'

In June, Plecic sparked outrage by comparing Australia's vaccine mandates to the overturning of Roe v. Wade by the U.S. Supreme Court.

The court's ruling ends the constitutional right to abortion across America, meaning individual states can now decide whether abortion should be legal.

Reacting to the landmark decision, Plecic wrote on Instagram: 'Why is it okay to be pro-choice about one human right but not the other?'

Many people who oppose Covid vaccine mandates call themselves 'pro-choice', borrowing the popular slogan used for decades by advocates for legal abortion.

Many people who oppose Covid vaccine mandates call themselves 'pro-choice', borrowing the popular slogan used for decades by advocates for legal abortion

However, the use of the term in the context of vaccines is highly controversial, with women's rights activists saying the two issues cannot be compared.

'The same people who are against freedom of choice with mandates are the same people who are screaming freedom of choice about abortions,' added Plecic in her post.

The entrepreneur, who made headlines last year for sharing anti-lockdown and anti-vaccine views on social media, continued: 'It doesn't work like that. Freedom of choice regardless of your narrative.'

Plecic soon received backlash online, with major online retailer Showpo reportedly vowing to remove Slick Hair Co. products from its store, according to this alleged Instagram exchange between a customer and a Showpo representative

Her 'pro-choice' post was soon picked up by Instagram watchdog account Aussie Influencer Opinions, which warned customers of Plecic's haircare company they were supporting these views by buying her products.

Plecic soon received a wave of backlash online, with major online retailer Showpo reportedly vowing to remove Slick Hair Co. products from its store.

Aussie Influencer Opinions posted a screenshot purportedly showing an anonymous user messaging Showpo's official Instagram account asking why the company stocked a product 'with such a problematic company owner such as Mia Plecic'.

A Showpo customer service representative replied: 'As a brand we will not be renewing our partnership with Slick Hair Company to stock their products on our website and we're effectively exiting out of this brand.'

Reacting to Ms Plecic's Instagram post, one fan exposed the logical fallacy at the heart of her argument with: 'Covid is contagious and pregnancy is not. Simple really'

Reacting to Plecic's Instagram post, one fan exposed the logical fallacy at the heart of her argument with: 'Covid is contagious and pregnancy is not. Simple really.'

Another agreed: 'Wow... to compare those VERY DIFFERENT things is just next level. How embarrassing.'

Plecic subsequently doubled down on her controversial stance, uploading another post thanking the '500 people' who'd reached out to her to express their agreement.

She also used this post to clarify she is pro-choice when it comes to abortion.
Full House star Jodie Sweetin was spotted this week enjoying the beginning of the honeymoon phase after her weekend wedding.

Jodie, 40, went down the aisle at a private home in Malibu, California, on Saturday and married her fourth husband Mescal Wasilewski, a clinical social worker.

She cut a casual figure in a white off-the-shoulder sweater and a pair of Daisy Dukes when she was seen unloading her car Tuesday.

New chapter: Full House star Jodie Sweetin was spotted this week enjoying the beginning of the honeymoon phase after her weekend wedding

Sweeping her blonde hair into a bun, the sitcom actress warded off the California rays with a sleek pair of sunglasses.

Meanwhile her new husband was spotted the same day going for a walk with the couple's dog Isela, whom they adopted a couple of years ago.

Jodie's star-studded guest list at her wedding included her Full House castmates John Stamos, Candace Cameron Bure and Andrea Barber.

Their beloved costar Bob Saget died tragically at the age of 65 this January, less than two weeks before Mescal proposed to Jodie.

Sadie, Sadie: Jodie, 40, went down the aisle at a private home in Malibu on Saturday and married her fourth husband Mescal Wasilewski, a clinical social worker

'The past two weeks have a been a reminder of just how fleeting it all is,' Jodie remarked at the time on Instagram while ringing in her 40th birthday. 'The deep heartbreak of losing someone you love, to the joy of getting engaged, and the deep self reflection of those big round decade birthdays.'

Bob's widow Kelly Rizzo attended Jodie's wedding over the weekend, and has since said on Instagram: 'I know Bob was right by my side.'

Jodie went down the aisle this past Saturday accompanied by her daughters Zoie, 14, and Beatrix, 11, from two of her previous marriages.

She was decked out in a dress by Lili Bridals and her wedding band was a 1/3 carat diamond contour piece by Neil Lane.

Meanwhile: Her new husband was spotted the same day going for a walk with the couple's dog Isela, whom they adopted a couple of years ago

'I know I have the right partner for the rest of whatever life brings me. And I couldn't be more grateful,' Jodie gushed to People of her latest wedding.

She wanted to avoid a 'fussy' reception, explaining: 'The look is very organic and natural. It's just about good food and good friends  and twinkle lights!'

Jodie and Mescal first became acquainted through friends in 2017, attending a concert in Brooklyn as their first date.

Three years later, to mark their anniversary, she wrote to him on Instagram: 'You and I have created the kind of love I didn't think existed.'

Longtime loves: Jodie and Mescal first became acquainted through friends in 2017, attending a concert in Brooklyn as their first date; pictured last November

Jodie hailed him as 'Kind, honest, gentle, vulnerable, full of adventures and has no expectations of perfection. We just get to BE together. I couldn't love you more.'

Despite the fact they lived on opposite coasts, they managed to make their romance work long distance for years until he shifted to Los Angeles in 2020.

Her previous husbands were police officer Shaun Holguin, showbiz transportation coordinator Cody Herpin and actor Morty Coyle.

Along with her three divorces, her turbulent personal life after Full House included addictions to drugs and alcohol, before she achieved sobriety in 2008.
Will Smith's ex-wife Sheree Zampino revealed that it took some work to figure out the best co-parenting relationship with her ex and his wife Jada Pinkett Smith.

The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star, 54  who shares son Trey, now 29, with the actor, 53, from whom she split in 1995 after three years of marriage  discussed their hurdles on Monday's episode of the Behind the Velvet Rope podcast.

'You got three different dynamics, three different personalities and different belief systems, different way of doing things. And there were times we have bumped heads and it hasn't been pretty,' she shared.

Long journey: Will Smith's ex-wife Sheree Zampino, 54, revealed that it took work to figure out the best co-parenting relationship with her ex and his wife Jada Pinkett Smith; Pictured 2018

However, the reality TV star stated that it was important to make it work for the kids in the end. Will and Jada, 50, tied the knot in 1997 and share son Jaden, 24, and daughter Willow, 21.

'We get back on that horse and we press on. We do what we have to do because again, at the end of the day, it's about the kids. We have a responsibility to them,' she said.

Sheree added that 'when you have a mutual respect, it becomes easier' and shared that the only thing that mattered to her was for Jada to treat Trey well.

Differences: The star  who shares son Trey, now 29, with the actor, 53  said: 'There were times we have bumped heads and it hasn't been pretty'; (LR) Trey, Willow Smith, Jaden Smith, Jada and Will pictured in 2016

'With Jada, it was like, as long as she treats [Trey] well, we're good. We're good. And she's treated him well and she's loved him,' she said of the The Matrix Revolutions actress.

While on the podcast she was asked by host David Yontef how she's been able to cultivate a close relationship with Will and Jada.

'I'm not gonna say that it's easy. I think early on  like from the beginning  I learned this from my mother: My heart is always for my child. My child comes first. He really does. He comes first so it's not about me anymore.'

Good relationship: However, she said that they made it work for the kids: 'With Jada, it was like, as long as she treats [Trey] well, we're good. And she's treated him well and she's loved him'; Pictured in 2019

Firstborn: Sheree and Will were married in 1992 and welcomed Trey that year. They divorced in 1995, after three years of marriage; Sheree and Trey pictured in 2013

She went on, 'So how do we do this where we honor [the kids] and we put them first and we don't deprive them of any good thing  good thing being the relationship they have with each other, the relationship they have with me, the relationship my son has with Jada.'

'We were just able to go there and I'm grateful for it. I can't really give details as to why but I'm grateful that we were kind of all the same frequency and the same page to really want to do that which is probably why we are called to one another in this space.'

Though Sheree was happy to share about their co-parenting strategies, she did not want to discuss Will's infamous Oscars 2022 night, where he slapped comedian Chris Rock on stage, for which Sheree was in attendance.

'I'm not talking to you about this,' she told the host with a laugh.
She is set to compete on Channel Seven's comeback season of My Kitchen Rules.

And if eagle-eyed reality TV fans thought they had seen Alice Bottomley before, then they'd be absolutely correct.

The 31-year-old, who is competing alongside her father Peter, 56, previously appeared on The X Factor Australia in 2014.

My Kitchen Rules star Alice Bottomley's reality television past has been revealed. (Pictured with her father and co-star Peter)

Alice made it to the top-24 bootcamp after wowing judges Ronan Keating, Natalie Bassingthwaighte, Redfoo and Dannii Minogue, but was evicted before the live shows.

The Victorian chef looks almost unrecognisable eight years after her reality TV debut, having swapped her brunette locks for a lighter look.

Alice isn't the only MKR contestant with a previous stint on a singing competition, reports TV Tonight.

Alice, 31, previously appeared on X Factor Australia in 2014 (pictured). Alice made it to the top-24 bootcamp after wowing judges Ronan Keating, Natalie Bassingthwaighte, Redfoo and Dannii Minogue, but was evicted before the live shows

Arrnott Olssen, who is competing with his friend Fuzz, was a finalist on Popstars Live in 2004.

The series, which also aired on Channel Seven, was judged by Molly Meldrum, Christine Anu and Shauna Jensen.

Arrnott and his Fuzz call themselves the 'fabulous Fijians' and were drawn together by their love of cooking, food and creativity.

Arrnott Olssen (left), who is competing with his friend Fuzz (right), was a finalist on Popstars Live in 2004

MKR will see celebrity chef Nigella Lawson join the new season, alongside returning host Manu Feildel.

They will be joined by Matt Preston and guest judges Colin Fassnidge and Curtis Stone.

My Kitchen Rules returns Sunday, August 7, at 7pm on Channel Seven

The series, which also aired on Channel Seven was judged by Molly Meldrum, Christine Anu and Shauna Jensen. Arrnott is pictured far right
Former Bachelor star Irena Srbinovska has spoken about the heartbreaking plight of Australia's healthcare professionals after two years of working during the pandemic.

The 32-year-old, who works as a nurse in Perth, told her Instagram followers her colleagues were absolutely exhausted.

Irena added that the situation is worsening for anyone involved in the sector.



Former Bachelor star Irena Srbinovska has spoken about the heartbreaking plight of Australia's healthcare professionals after two years of the pandemic

'Healthcare workers are sharing nightmare stories on Reddit about how fkd their jobs are right now,' she posted. 'I totally agree.

The reality star used a behind-the-scenes photo of a nurse dressed in COVID-19 protective gear, including mask, visor and gown in her post.

She said based on her first-hand experience of what healthcare professionals face day-to-day, things are not getting easier.

The 32-year-old, who works as a nurse in Perth, told her Instagram followers that her colleagues were exhausted

'We are all exhausted,' Irena posted, 'We are not okay'

'We are all exhausted,' Irena posted, 'We are not okay.'

The veteran nurse of 10 years has advised her fellow colleagues to look after their mental health in her past media shares.

'Burnout is a real thing and in order to be able to look after others we need to look after ourselves,' she said.

Career: Back in September, Irena spoke about her career as a nurse and work at Geelong Hospital, before finding love with Locky Gilbert on The Bachelor last year

Irena returned to nursing at the end of last year after rising to fame on The Bachelor.

Back in September, Irena spoke about her career as a nurse before finding love with Locky Gilbert on the hit show.

In the Instagram Q&A post, she shared a photo of herself during her time at Geelong Hospital.

Since falling in love, the couple have settled in Locky's hometown of Perth

'I have taken some time to get back into it but I am finally going back to work... watch this space. News coming soon!' she added, hinting of her upcoming job at the time.

Irena found love with former Australian Survivor star Locky Gilbert on season eight of The Bachelor last year.

Since falling in love, the couple have spent the past year travelling across Australia before settling in Locky's hometown of Perth.

In May, the couple announced that they had purchased their first home together in Perth and they recently got engaged.
Hunted Australia winners Rob Harneiss and Stathi Vamvoulidis have spoken of the scenes that were cut from the Channel 10 reality show.

During the gripping series, the fugitives often asked members of the public for assistance and many were shown helping them.

But Rob told news.com.au this wasn't the case most of the time, and that he and Stathi received no help from bystanders.

Hunted Australia winners Rob Harneiss (left) and Stathi Vamvoulidis (right) have revealed the brutal scenes producers left on the cutting room floor

However, the scenes of people refusing to help the fugitives weren't shown on TV.

'Not a single person wanted to help you when you're out on the streets looking for help,' he explained.

'People would just look at you. You'd think that having a camera with you would help, but it didn't.'

Rob said '90 per cent of people' he approached on the run wouldn't assist him.

Stathi added: 'That rejection, it makes you doubt yourself and gets you into that paranoid mindset, which is exactly what you don't need when you're on the run.'

During the gripping series, the fugitives often asked members of the public for assistance and many were shown helping them. But Rob told news.com.au this wasn't the case most of the time, and that he and Stathi received no help from bystanders

Rob and Stathi won Hunted Australia during Tuesday's finale.

In the nail-biting closing moments, the men were whisked away in a helicopter on a beach in Inverloch after the hunters failed to catch them.

Rob was elated as he made it to the chopper, taking a dig at the naysayers who said he couldn't do it.

However, the scenes of people refusing to help the fugitives weren't shown on TV

'That heavy-set boy won. And he beat you. I put a lot of time and effort into planning for this,' he said.

'The strategy for me was hiding in plain sight, not acting like a fugitive, decoying, dressing up.'

Hunted Australia will return for a second season next year.
Victoria's Secret model Georgia Fowler celebrated her engagement to Fishbowl founder Nathan Dalah over the weekend.

And the Kiwi stunner was back on mum duties on Monday, stepping out with their baby daughter Dylan, 10 months, in Sydney.

Georgia, 30, was every inch the doting mum as she held Dylan in her arms and planted a kiss on her cheek as they arrived home after a day out.

Model Georgia Fowler doted on her baby daughter Dylan, 10 months, as she stepped out in Sydney on Monday after announcing her engagement to Fishbowl founder Nathan Dalah

Georgia looked incredibly stylish in a black blazer and matching black trousers.

She teamed the look with boots and a black shoulder bag and had her long locks back and off her face in a low ponytail.

Georgia also showed off her natural beauty by going makeup free during the outing.

Georgia looked incredibly stylish in a black blazer and matching black trousers

Georgia and Fishbowl founder Nathan, 27, announced their engagement on Saturday.

Nathan proposed on set of Georgia's Tiffany & Co. photoshoot after two years of dating.

She was shooting a campaign called 'Tiffany Love' when Nathan, 27, dropped down to one knee on set.

Georgia and Fishbowl founder Nathan, 27, announced their engagement on Saturday

Nathan proposed on set of Georgia's Tiffany & Co. photoshoot after two years of dating

'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.'

'I would say that I had this really crazy idea,' he said in the clip.

'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 replied, 'Yes, I will,' before the crew cheers for the happy couple.

The pair confirmed their relationship back in February 2020.
Artist Jeremy Eden has won the Archibald Prize People's Choice Award with a portrait of actor and philanthropist Samuel Johnson.

A record 35,268 gallery goers voted in the 2022 award, the highest number since the prize was first offered in 1988.

Eden said he was ecstatic to win the popular vote in his second consecutive year as an Archibald finalist.

Artist Jeremy Eden has won the Archibald Prize People's Choice Award with a portrait of actor and philanthropist Samuel Johnson

'It's been life changing... I just hope I can grow with it and be one of those people that's here every year,' he told AAP.

Even being a finalist has meant more commissions, and he hopes Wednesday's win will lead to gallery representation.

'I went from being an emerging artist with nothing to back me up, to people somewhat knowing who I am, which is lovely.'

People look at Archibald Finalists portraits at the winner's announcement of the 2022 Archibald Prize People's Choice Award at Art Gallery of NSW in Sydney on Wednesday

The Sydney-based artist first met Johnson in 2021 while the actor was recovering from a near-fatal car accident.

He was in a neck brace when they first spoke on a video call, and the pair bonded over their shared experience of losing close family members to cancer.

Eden's mother died from the illness in 2008, while Johnson founded the cancer charity Love Your Sister with his sibling Connie before she died in 2017.

The winning portrait depicts Johnson holding a photo of Eden's mother Annette, after the actor encouraged Eden to include his personal story in the portrait too.

The Sydney-based artist first met the Secret Life of Us star in 2021 while he was recovering from a near-fatal car accident. (Pictured: Johnson's portrait in the at Art Gallery of NSW)

The painter flew to Melbourne for a live sitting with Johnson, then worked six hours a day for 10 weeks to finish the portrait.

'The people have spoken and they loved Jeremy the most,' Johnson said in a statement.

'He is an extraordinary storyteller, has a huge heart and he deserves this acknowledgement so fully.'

Johnson (pictured with his sister Hilde Hinton) was in a neck brace when they first spoke on a video call, and the pair bonded over their shared experience of losing family to cancer

The announcement was made at the Art Gallery of NSW on Wednesday.

Love your Sister has raised more than $15million for cancer research.

The Archibald, Wynne and Sulman prizes are on show at the gallery until August 28, and the Archibald finalists will tour regional Victoria and NSW until July 2023.
Apple Watch Series 7 Edition is now sold out in the United States ahead of the much-awaited release of the Apple Watch Series 8 "Pro" variant.

Although the Cupertino-based tech giant has yet to formally confirm that it is releasing a "Pro" version of the Apple Watch, rumors have been suggesting it all along.

Apple Watch Series 7 Edition Sold Out in the US

According to a recent report by Mac Rumors, the online listing of the Apple Watch Series 7 Edition on the website of the iPhone maker now says that it is out of stock.

The Apple Website in the US specifically states that the Edition model of the smart wearable is "currently unavailable," preventing customers from checking it out for purchase.

It is worth noting that the Edition models of the Apple Watch also ran out of stock in other locations, such as the United Kingdom and Canada. But Mac Rumor vaguely notes that it has also become unavailable in "select other countries."

Meanwhile, as per a news story 9to5 Mac, the Series 7 Edition is also hard to get by even in the in-store pickup option, which further confirms that it has run out of stock.

The unavailability of the high-end variant of the Apple Watch coincidentally comes as the renowned tech giant is rumored to be introducing a new "Pro" variant for its next-generation smartwatch.

Apple Watch Series 7 Edition

9to5 Mac highlights in its report that the "Edition" variant of the Apple Watch is essentially the higher-end or premium tier of the wrist device. Thus, it is the more hefty-priced version in the lineup.

The "Edition" notably flaunts a titanium finish, giving the Apple Watch a more durable casing. Not to mention that it gives it a more premium overall vibe.

It is interesting to note that Apple once tried other finishes for the high-end variant, such as ceramic and gold. However, the Series 7 only sported the titanium finish.

However, despite the upgrade in the outer finish of the smartwatch, Apple kept the same internal specs as the lower-end models had.

Read Also: Apple Watch 'Extreme Sports' Edition Leak Hints Massive Screen, Durable Case

Apple Watch Series 8 Pro: Here's What to Expect

But this time, Apple is reportedly gearing up to release a high-end variant that bumps up its hardware, aptly named the "Pro" variant.

The Cupertino tech behemoth is expected to debut the new Apple Watch Series 8, which comes with new variants, along with the all-new iPhone 14 lineup.

Besides the Pro version, the tech giant is reportedly introducing a new "Rugged" option.

Related Article: Tim Cook Says Apple to Continue Hiring But More 'Deliberately'- Revenue to Accelerate?
Nick Kyrgios' ex-girlfriend Chiara Passari stepped out with her female friend Chelsea Pawelsik in Brisbane on Monday after the pair sparked romance rumours over the weekend by kissing at a bar.

The 23-year-old dressed for comfort in grey track pants and a matching coloured jumper for the outing.

She tied her long brunette locks in a low bun and held her dog's leash as she went for a walk with Chelsea.

Nick Kyrgios ' ex-girlfriend Chiara Passari stepped out with her female friend Chelsea Pawelsik in Brisbane on Monday after the pair sparked romance rumours over the weekend by kissing at a bar

The 23-year-old dressed for comfort in grey track pants and a matching coloured jumper for the outing

Chelsea also dressed casually in navy sport tights and a matching coloured jumper.

Chiara was spotted getting close to brunette beauty Chelsea at a bar on Friday.

The pair shared a brief kiss, captioning photos of themselves together with a heart emoji and a rainbow flag.

She tied her long brunette locks in a low bun and held her dog's leash as she went for a walk with Chelsea

It comes after Kyrgios' court date relating to a common assault charge was pushed back by three weeks.

Kyrgios, who faces allegations he assaulted Chiara, was initially expected to face ACT Magistrates Court on August 2.

But the case is now scheduled to be heard on August 23.

Chiara was spotted getting close to brunette beauty Chelsea at a bar on Friday

The pair shared a brief kiss, captioning photos of themselves together with a heart emoji and a rainbow flag

Kyrgios is not required to attend that court session if he is legally represented.

Kyrgios had an on-again-off-again relationship with Chiara before meeting his current girlfriend Costeen Hatzi.

The couple have been dating for about eight months.
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Tiffany Haddish showcased her incredible physique in a racy burnt orange gown with a sky-high orange slit as she attends the Los Angeles premiere of her upcoming comedy Easter Sunday on Tuesday evening.

As she strutted down the red carpet in a pair of open-toed heels, the Nobody's Fool actress, 42, radiated beauty as she flashed plenty of skin while toting a rhinestone tassel purse and glamorous makeup look.

In addition to a glossy nude lipstick and dramatic rose gold smoky eye, she sported a chic pair of statement earrings.

Beautiful: Tiffany Haddish showcased her incredible physique in a racy burnt orange gown with a sky-high orange slit as she attends the Los Angeles premiere of her upcoming comedy Easter Sunday on Tuesday evening

After posing for numerous solo shots, she was joined by her costar Jo Koy, who wore a black suit, matching dress shirt with several buttons undone and a pair of leather loafers.

The film is about a 'man returns home to celebrate Easter with his riotous, bickering, eating, drinking, laughing, loving family', according to IMD.

It was directed by Jay Chandrasekhar, written by Ken Cheng and Kate Angelo, and based on Koy's life experiences and stand-up comedy.

Friendly: After posing for numerous solo shots, she was joined by her costar Jo Koy, who wore a black suit, matching dress shirt with several buttons undone and a pair of leather loafers

Dynamic duo: The film is about a 'man returns home to celebrate Easter with his riotous, bickering, eating, drinking, laughing, loving family', according to IMD

Coming soon: It was directed by Jay Chandrasekhar, written by Ken Cheng and Kate Angelo, and based on Koy's life experiences and stand-up comedy

Doing well: Koy appeared in good spirits after his recent breakup with Chelsea Handler

Actress Eva Noblezada, who is also in the film, made a stylish entrance to the screening rocking a gold sequined gown with a plunging neckline that displayed her ample cleavage.

Her dark brown tresses were styled in a sleek and bouncy bob that hovered over her trim shoulders and she wore a coral lipstick.

The actress, 26, also highlighted her natural beauty with highlighter high on the tops of cheekbones and temples and sweep of blush for a sun-kissed glow.

Shiny: Actress Eva Noblezada, who is also in the film, made a stylish entrance to the screening rocking a gold sequined gown with a plunging neckline that displayed her ample cleavage

Sparkling: Her dark brown tresses were styled in a sleek and bouncy bob that hovered over her trim shoulders and she wore a coral lipstick

In the middle: Noblezada also posed for pictures with Joey Guila and Rodney To

Glamorous: The actress, 26, also highlighted her natural beauty with highlighter high on the tops of cheekbones and temples and sweep of blush for a sun-kissed glow

Sparkling: Her dark brown tresses were styled in a sleek and bouncy bob that hovered over her trim shoulders and she wore a coral lipstick

Handsome: Jay Chandrasekhar cut a dapper figure in a black suit and white dress shirt

Meanwhile, Tia Carrere made a bold statement in a sparkly, low-cut red gown, with a subtle bow on the back, and hair in an elegant updo.

Her makeup was expertly applied and she oozed confidence while posing with one hand on her hip, before opting to look other her shoulder as photographers rushed to capture the moment.

Carrere was seen mingling with Lou Diamond Phillips, who wore a grey suit, blue t-shirt and brown loafers

Red hot! Meanwhile, Tia Carrere made a bold statement in a sparkly, low-cut red gown and hair in an elegant updo

Memorable: Her makeup was expertly applied and she oozed confidence while posing with one hand on her hip, before opting to look other her shoulder as photographers rushed to capture the moment

Catching up: Carrere was seen mingling with Lou Diamond Phillips, who wore a grey suit, blue t-shirt and brown loafers

Dapper: Carrere was seen mingling with Lou Diamond Phillips, who wore a grey suit, blue t-shirt and brown loafers

Night out: Jimmy O. Yang and Brianne Kimmel were pictured together

Cool guy: Jimmy O. Yang opted to show his cool sense of fashion in a dark suit with a floral button-down and Prada bucket hat

He was accompanied by Brianne Kimmel, who wore an orange lacey dress, which accentuated her lean figure

Jimmy O. Yang opted to show his cool sense of fashion in a dark suit with a floral button-down and Prada bucket hat.

He was accompanied by Brianne Kimmel, who wore an orange lacey dress, which accentuated her lean figure.

The celebrity guest list included Dancing with the Stars' Cheryl Burke, Patrick Starrr, Alice Lee, Sonika Vaid and more.

In the movie: Lydia Gaston and Asif Ali, who are both in the film, are pictured

Stylish entrance: Eugene Cordero, who appears as himself in the flick, also came to the event

Packed with talent: The celebrity guest list included Dancing with the Stars' Cheryl Burke, Patrick Starrr, Alice Lee, Sonika Vaid and more

Big smile: Canadian actress Emmanuelle Chriqui opted to flaunt her lean midriff in a blue suit with just a cropped black shirt under it, red lipstick and silver jewelry

Smiling: Chriqui beamed as she got her photo taken

All in the details: She completed her cool ensemble with a pair of gold hoop earrings

All in the details: She completed her cool ensemble with a pair of gold hoop earrings

For the occasion, the dancer, 38, wore a cleavage-baring green jumpsuit and two layered necklaces.

Canadian actress Emmanuelle Chriqui opted to flaunt her lean midriff in a blue suit with just a cropped black shirt under it, red lipstick and silver jewelry.

Paris Berelc, best known for her roles as Skylar Storm in the Disney XD series Mighty Med and on Netflix's Alexa & Katie, wore a silky purple blouse and matching pants.

Stylish: Paris Berelc, best known for her roles as Skylar Storm in the Disney XD series Mighty Med and on Netflix's Alexa & Katie, wore a silky purple blouse and matching pants

Trendy: Berelc, best known for her roles as Skylar Storm in the Disney XD series Mighty Med and on Netflix's Alexa & Katie, wore a silky purple blouse and matching pants

Trendy: Berelc, best known for her roles as Skylar Storm in the Disney XD series Mighty Med and on Netflix's Alexa & Katie, wore a silky purple blouse and matching pants

Daring: Ginger Gonzaga opted for a daring black minidress, which showed off both her toned legs and a hint of side boob

Classic: Patrick Starrr opted for a pair of wide-legged pants and tank top

Ginger Gonzaga opted for a daring black minidress, which showed off both her toned legs and a hint of side boob.

Patrick Starrr opted for a pair of wide-legged pants and tank top.

Orange Is the New Black's Kimiko Glenn rocked a plunging top and figure-hugging miniskirt with a zipper down the front.

Edgy: Orange Is the New Black's Kimiko Glenn rocked a plunging top and figure-hugging miniskirt with a zipper down the front

Edgy: Orange Is the New Black's Kimiko Glenn rocked a plunging top and figure-hugging miniskirt with a zipper down the front

Hollywood glamour: Sonika Vaid opted for a dramatic black gown with tulle and a semi-sheer lace bodice

Simple: Sylvia Kwan cut an elegant figure in a short white dress, nude heels and delicate jewelry

Sonika Vaid opted for a dramatic black gown with tulle and a semi-sheer lace bodice.

Sylvia Kwan cut an elegant figure in a short white dress, nude heels and delicate jewelry.

Alice Lee and Asia Jackson also turned heads with their low-cut outfits as they sauntered down the hot pink carpet.

Stunners: Alice Lee and Asia Jackson also turned heads with their low-cut outfits as they sauntered down the hot pink carpet

All together: (L-R) Wanya Morris, Amber Reyes-Morris, Joey Guila, and Lou Diamond Phillips attended the premiere
Tia Carrere looked amazing in a red gown as she attended the premiere of Easter Sunday on Tuesday at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, California.

The 55-year-old actress's luxe dress had a plunging top with textured gown and a matching clutch.

The Honolulu, Hawaii-born beauty accessorized with earrings and multiple rings at the event.

The latest: Tia Carrere, 55, looked amazing in a red gown as she attended the premiere of Easter Sunday on Tuesday at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, California

Carrere, who plays the role of Tita Theresa in the comedy, had her black locks styled to the side as she posed for pictures at the event.

The AJ and the Queen actress opened up to The Bare Magazine Monday about her role in the motion picture, saying that 'after nearly 40 years in the business it was pretty exciting to finally play' a Filipino character.

'I've played Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese over the years and now I can call upon my family memories and neighbors from childhood and have fun celebrating everything about being Filipino,' she said.

Carrere added that 'after being the sex symbol/vixen for decades it was so much fun playing this disagreeable and disapproving auntie character' in the movie.

The actress's luxe dress had a plunging top with textured gown

Carrere had her black locks styled to the side as she posed for pictures at the event

The Honolulu, Hawaii-born beauty accessorized with earrings, multiple rings and a matching clutch at the event

She said that making the movie 'really was a magical experience' after the pandemic shutdown.

'I think it was because we had all been locked up for over a year due to Covid and none of us had our families there because the border was closed,' Carrere said. 'When we individually came out of quarantine, our cast members were our first hug outside our family pod.

'We were all so thankful to have each other. And with such a talented cast of comic performers and Jo Koy, who is such a positive leader, we just laughed all day long.'

Easter Sunday, which stars comic Jo Koy, is set in the holiday and based on the comedian's career and life experiences. It also features Tiffany Haddish, Lydia Gaston, Brandon Wardell and Lou Diamond Phillips. The film opens in theaters Friday.

Carrere said making the movie 'really was a magical experience' after the pandemic shutdown

Carrere posed with costar Lou Diamond Phillips at the film screening
Katy Perry gushed that she would 'of course' like to have more children with her heartthrob fiance Orlando Bloom.

During the coronavirus lockdowns they welcomed their firstborn daughter Daisy Dove, who will celebrate her second birthday next month.

And in a new interview with People, Katy, 37, revealed that '[h]opefully in the future' they will expand the family. 'I'm a planner. So we'll see,' she said.

The pop star and her hunk: Katy Perry gushed that she would 'of course' like to have more children with her heartthrob fiance Orlando Bloom

Katy looked back on welcoming Daisy, recalling: 'It was just such an interesting thing having a child during COVID because everything paused besides that. I love the experience I'm having with my daughter now.'

She and Orlando currently live with their daughter in Montecito, Santa Barbara, and are part of a claque of top celebs in the upscale enclave.

Names ranging from Oprah Winfrey to Ellen DeGeneres to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have all made their home in Montecito.

Katy and Orlando have been engaged since Valentine's Day 2019 when he proposed with a ring that was reported to be worth $5 million.

Baby mine: Katy is pictured while pregnant with the couple's firstborn daughter Daisy Dove, who will celebrate her second birthday next month

The next year she rhapsodized to Vogue India about Orlando's 'spiritual journey' and called him a 'saint,' adding: 'He's an anchor who holds me down, and hes very real.'

A few months after Daisy was born, Orlando turned heads by telling the Guardian he and Katy were not having 'enough' sex, noting that 'we just had a baby, though.'

Around the same time, he inspired widespread mockery with an interview where he described his morning routine, including 'eye gazing' with Daisy.

Place to be: She and Orlando currently live with their daughter in Montecito, Santa Barbara; the pair are pictured at a Variety event last year

He also discussed 'dreaming about roles for myself and others - for minorities and women,' and keeping up his 'Buddhist practice' to avoid going 'off the rails.'

Daisy is Katy's first child but Orlando shares a son called Flynn, 11, with his ex-wife Miranda Kerr, who is now married to Snap Inc. co-founder and CEO Evan Spiegel.

Meanwhile Katy previously was briefly married to Russell Brand, with whom she had a Hindu wedding in 2010 at a tiger sanctuary in Rajasthan.

They were married for just 14 months before separating in 2011 and she has since told 60 Minutes Australia their relationship was a 'tornado.'
Lauren Goodger has taken to social media to share a heartbreaking message for her baby daughter Lorena, following the newborn's death last month.

The former TOWIE star, 35, posted a moving tribute on her Instagram Stories saying she 'longed for the day' she would meet her baby girl, who died just two days after her birth.

Her post read: 'I carried you, felt you grow. Longed for the day we'd meet. Dreamed of your future. Not only did I know you, I fell in love with you.'

Tragic: Lauren Goodger has taken to social media to share a heartbreaking message for her baby daughter Lorena, following the newborn's death last month

Hours later Lauren shared another post on her Instagram Stories, which consisted of just a black screen accompanied by a blue butterfly and a red heart emoji.

Last week Lauren put on a brave face following her heartbreaking loss to celebrate her daughter Larose's first birthday, with the reality star seen arriving for her little girl's party in Essex just two weeks after Lorena's death.

It comes after Lauren said she 'doesn't blame anyone' for the death of her newborn baby Lorena.

Lauren has since decided to have a post mortem after she has been to visit her one last time for a 'final goodbye' in order to better understand what happened.

Devastating: The former TOWIE star, 35, posted a moving tribute on her Instagram Stories saying she 'longed for the day' she would meet her baby girl, who died just two days after her birth

Lauren told new! magazine: 'I plan to go to see her soon to say my final goodbyes. I wasn't going to have a post-mortem at first, but I changed my mind. I feel like I need answers.

'I need more of an understanding of why this happened. I don't blame anyone, I can't. It is what it is, and obviously, it's awful. I'd do anything to rewind it. I guess I can blame myself, but then again I think it's happened and I can't change it.

'I have to try and move forwards and accept it. But first I need to understand it. That's why I changed my mind about the post-mortem.'

Lauren said she was able to spend 24 hours with her baby in a special room, where she cried, kissed her little hands and feet and told her she loved her.

Sad news: Her post read: 'I carried you, felt you grow. Longed for the day we'd meet. Dreamed of your future. Not only did I know you, I fell in love with you'

She added that she has been putting on a brave face for her daughter Larose but the grief hits her the most in the evenings.

She added that Lorena has a teddy with her now and she has a matching one which she keeps with her.

When she says her final goodbyes, she is going to swap them over, so that she has the one Lorena has and Lorena has Lauren's bear.

Speaking out in a bid to help others, Lauren said that she is in 'agony' after having stitches because she tore inside and out.

Lauren announced the sad news that her daughter had tragically passed away with an Instagram post on July 10.

Tribute: Hours later Lauren shared another post on her Instagram Stories, which consisted of just a black screen accompanied by a blue butterfly and a red heart emoji

Lauren's waters had broken on July 6 and Tamzin, her NHS midwife, came to her house to take her blood pressure and listen to the baby's heartbeat.

The TV personality was planning a second home birth with no drugs because she had with older daughter Larose, who was born in a 'perfect', 'amazing' and 'smooth' home birth last year.

Midwife Tamzin told Lauren 'everything was where it should be' and she waited for her contractions to start at home.

Lauren's boyfriend Charles Drury took Larose to stay with family so Lauren could rest and she chilled out and went to sleep.

The following morning, July 7, midwife Tamzin came around again to check the baby's heartbeat and movement, as well as Lauren's blood pressure and temperature.

Awful: It comes after Lauren said she 'doesn't blame anyone' for the death of her newborn baby Lorena (pictured with her partner Charles)

Once again, both mother and baby were normal, and Lauren didn't have any 'pain or signs of labour'.

On the morning of July 8 there were still no signs of contractions, so Charles brought Larose back and Lauren breastfed her because the stimulation can bring on contractions, which worked.

Lauren's contractions began and she called her midwife to tell her Lorena was coming.

Tamzin came over immediately to check the heartbeat, but was devastatingly unable to find it, despite locating a 'really strong heartbeat' just hours before.

She told Lauren she was 'really worried' and called an ambulance. Lauren, 'in agony' at this point, was blue-lighted to hospital, and was 'stood up screaming' throughout the journey.

By the time she had arrived at hospital, Lorena's head was crowning as she stood outside, which Lauren said was the 'most traumatic experience I've ever been through in my life'.

She and Charles were taken inside the hospital and shown to a private room, where Lauren gave birth to Lorena just two hours after her contractions had started.

Lauren immediately knew there was a problem because there was no cry from Lorena and a team of doctors rushed into the room.

Lorena was born with two big knots in her umbilical cord and with the cord tied around her neck, causing life-threatening problems.

Doctors desperately fought to save Lorena, performing chest compressions and giving her adrenaline for eight minutes while trying in vain to resuscitate her.

The medical team were sadly unsuccessful and told Lauren and Charles there was nothing more they could do.

If you have been affected by anything in this article, please contact the UK Child Bereavement line on 0800 02 888 40 or the The Lullaby Trust on 0808 8026868
Sam Frost has shared rarely seen pictures from her romantic weekend away with fiance, Jordie Hansen.

The star, 33, took to Instagram on Wednesday to share a cute photo of Jordie standing by the couple's king-size bed with food on it.

'He's an angel. I've been feeling a bit crook lately so he treated me to a romantic weekend away,' Sam wrote.

Home and Away's Sam Frost praised fiance Jordie Hansen for taking care of her on Wednesday as she shared intimate photos from their weekend. Pictured with Jordie

The former Home and Away star then shared a clip of the couple's delicious meal as they watched a movie in the hotel room.

The couple enjoyed pasta and ice-cream along with other room service dishes.

Sam confirmed on her podcast the pair recently became engaged after just five months of dating.

Jordie proposed to the Bachelorette beauty during a road trip from the Northern Territory to South Australia back in May.

'He's an angel. I've been feeling a bit crook lately so he treated me to a romantic weekend away,' Sam wrote, sharing a photo with food on their hotel bed

Jordie proposed to The Bachelorette beauty during a road trip to the Northern Territory

'It's a very important time of our lives, we just recently got engaged and to celebrate we thought, let's hit the road, let's go on a 14-day road trip,' Sam said.

Jordie, 26, went on to describe his romantic proposal: 'We were at Uluru and we had just had brekky and were about to head back down south.

'Sambo had just been delivered her coffee, and so I said, "Hey, when would you say yes to getting married?"

Sam chimed in: 'I said, "Pretty much anytime from now."'

Sam spoke about the couple's engagement story on her podcast

Jordie continued: 'And so I took that as, 'I'm going to do it this afternoon'.'

The Australian Survivor: Blood V Water star explained how he tried to rush his soon-to-be fiancee so they could get to Coober Pedy before sunset for the big moment.

'[We got there and] I set up the camera in what I thought would be the perfect position, and Sambo's come around and said, 'I know exactly what you're going to do here'.'

Jordie proposed to the Bachelorette beauty during a road trip to South Australia in May

Sam said she 'had no clue' what was coming until she saw Jordie setting up a camera in the back of the car with 'tears in his eyes'.

'It was beautiful. He was really shaking and couldn't sit down,' she recalled.

'I don't remember a lot of it because I was so nervous. I was trying not to cry and just trying to speak. I remember saying something along the lines of, 'Baby, we love jokes but this is not one of them. This is very serious',' Jordie added.

Sam, 33, said she was 'happy' being back in her home city, and was looking forward to getting 'more acting' roles

Sam sparked engagement rumours last month when a photo of her with a ring on her wedding finger at a hens' party circulated on social media.

The happy news comes after Sam moved back to Melbourne to live with Jordie in May.

'We have taken the next step and it's nice,' she told the Herald Sun at the time. 'I feel so happy. Being able to travel again is great.'
She's been soaking up some Spanish sun.

And Megan Barton Hanson turned up the heat as she flaunted her ample assets in a very busty bikini and relaxed in Marbella on Tuesday.

The former Love Island contestant, 28, looked simply sensational in the skimpy two piece set as she took to Instagram to pose up a storm.

Glowing: Megan Barton Hanson, 28, turned up the heat in a VERY busty bikini as she soaked up the sun in Marbella on Tuesday

Megan tied a matching semi-sheer sarong around her tiny waist and gave a glimpse of her diamante belly button jewellery.

She styled her blonde locks in glamorous soft curls that tumbled down her back and added two glitzy necklaces.

To complete her beachy look, she opted for a bronzed makeup palette and enhanced her pout with a slick of nude lipstick.

Jaw-dropping: The former Love Island contestant looked simply sensational in the skimpy two piece set as she took to Instagram to pose up a storm

It comes after Megan stepped out hand-in-hand once more with a mystery man as they headed to a pool in Marbella earlier this month.

The OnlyFans star has been putting on a cosy display with her unknown companion during their getaway, which comes just weeks after she looked loved-up with her ex boyfriend James Lock.

The outing will no doubt cause confusion, after Megan appeared to have rekindled her tumultuous romance with James, as they were seen holdings hands on a trip to the Costa del Sol last month.

Stunning: To complete her beachy look, she opted for a bronzed makeup palette and enhanced her pout with a slick of nude lipstick

Megan and the TOWIE star, 35, previously split up following a hotel room bust-up in March.

But it recently appeared their romance is back on as they put on a cosy display during their outing, with James wrapping his arm around the glamour model.

Their reunion comes after Megan was reportedly left terrified after her hotel room door was 'kicked in' during a heated row with James in March.

According to The Sun, the reality star alerted the hotel staff who dialled 999, with police spotted arriving by onlookers at the hotel shortly after.

Exes: The outing comes after Megan and James Lock previously split up following a hotel room bust-up in March (pictured in March)

Megan had been staying at the 350-a-night Courthouse Hotel in central London, after she enjoyed a date with another reality star at the same club where James was also partying.

Megan was leaving a nightclub at 1.30am with Life On Marbs star Adam Graham shortly after her ex James arrived with a mystery women.

Things then reportedly took a serious turn hours later when it is believed that TOWIE star James was informed of Megan's room number.

A source told the publication: 'At one point, the hotel door was kicked. There was a lot of shouting. Megan was shocked. It was all very aggressive'.

The source believed James was handed a key by staff after he showed them photos of himself and Megan.

The insider added: 'This all happened in broad daylight in a busy hotel. It was very dramatic and Megan's hotel door was damaged in the chaos'.

James and Megan ended their relationship for the second time earlier this year and both later stepped out with new romantic interests.

The on-off pair went Instagram official with their rollercoaster romance in October last year after meeting on Celebrity Ex On The Beach, but their union lasted just two months before they split after Christmas.

They reunited when James gifted Megan with a cake shaped like her breasts.

While Megan was said to be 'upset' over what happened, it was claimed that pals thought their 'weird connection' meant this might not be the end.
Nicole Scherzinger looked nothing short of sensational on Tuesday night as she enjoyed dinner at Craig's restaurant in West Hollywood with a pal.

The Pussycat Doll, 44, showcased her jaw-dropping curves in a form-fitting cream mini dress as she left the swanky eatery following her meal.

Nicole oozed confidence as she displayed her toned pins in the thigh-skimming number, which she teamed with a pair of towering nude heels.

Hot stuff: Nicole Scherzinger looked nothing short of sensational on Tuesday night as she enjoyed dinner at Craig's restaurant in West Hollywood with a pal

The beauty's dress cinched her in at the waist with its corset-style mid-section, with Nicole accessorising the look with a gold clutch bag.

Her raven tresses were styled into glossy waves that cascaded over her shoulders while she highlighted her features with a glam make-up palette.

She looked in good spirits as she held hands with her pal, who donned an ab-flashing white crop top and wide-legged green trousers.

Work it: The Pussycat Doll, 44, showcased her jaw-dropping curves in a form-fitting cream mini dress as she left the swanky eatery following her meal

Farewell: The star was seen sharing a hug with a security guard following her night out

Girls' night out: The Don't Cha hitmaker gave a small smile as she walked hand in hand with her pal

Nicole's outing comes after she showcased her impressive surfing skills in a flurry of Instagram posts on Tuesday amid her break to Austria.

The Pussycat Doll looked sensational as she slipped into a blue bikini that she teamed with a purple life jacket to 'ride the waves.'

Nicole went makeup free for her beach day as she pushed her wet brunette locks back from her face.

Strut: Nicole oozed confidence as she displayed her toned pins in the thigh-skimming number, which she teamed with a pair of towering nude heels

Glam: The beauty's dress cinched her in at the waist with its corset-style mid-section, with Nicole accessorising the look with a gold clutch bag

Gorgeous: Her raven tresses were styled into glossy waves that cascaded over her shoulders while she highlighted her features with a glam make-up palette

Looking fab: She looked in good spirits as she held hands with her pal, who donned an ab-flashing white crop top and wide-legged green trousers

Off they go: The ladies looked amazing as they exited Craig's after their meal

She effortlessly kept her balance and showed off her moves before throwing a shaka sign up for the camera.

Alongside the image she penned: 'Its a new week yall. Lets ride them waves like we own 'em!'

The talent show judge then shared another video and wrote: 'To stay on course, sometimes you have to make waves.'

Nicole's Austrian break comes just days after she showed off her sensational body in new bikini-clad snaps as she enjoyed her 13th holiday of the year, with beau Thom Evans.

'Ride them waves!' Nicole's outing comes after she showcased her impressive surfing skills in a flurry of Instagram posts on Tuesday amid her break to Austria

Amazing: The talent show judge then shared another video and wrote: 'To stay on course, sometimes you have to make waves'

The hitmaker put on an eye-popping display as she posed in a blue bikini for a slew of Instagram shots in Portugal.

Captioning the string of snaps, she wrote: 'They say the Azores is the Hawaii of EuropeI felt right at home'.

It marks Nicole's 13th holiday of 2022, after the globe-trotter has enjoyed holidays in exotic locations such as Mexico, Hawaii and Ibiza in the seven months of 2022 to date.

After previously having enjoyed six holidays last year, and with Covid restrictions having lifted in most countries, Nicole has seemingly already beat her travel 2021 record as, with the addition of the latest Greece and Portugal trips, she appears to have jetted off on around 13 incredible holidays this year.
She's been busy filming her new BBC drama in Australia.

And Michelle Keegan took some time off to visit Home And Away's Palm beach and enjoy oysters with her husband Mark Wright in Sydney on Wednesday.

The actress, 35, and the Towie star, also 35, recently reunited after spending eight weeks apart whilst Michelle works on the six-part period drama Ten Pound Poms.

Relaxing: Michelle Keegan, 35, visited the Home And Away beach and enjoyed oysters with Mark Wright as he joined her in Australia on Wednesday

Posing for a mirror photo to her Instagram Story, Michelle looked as stylish as ever in a striped shirt and white vest top.

She pulled her brunette locks into a neat bun and shielded her eyes with a pair of circular Ray Bans.

The former soap star shared snaps of the infamous Palm Beach and later could be seen as she enjoyed some oysters at a local restaurant.

Day trip: The former soap star shared snaps of the infamous Palm Beach

Iconic: Home And Away cast members filming on Palm Beach in 2003

It comes as Michelle and Mark reunited for a romantic date day after he flew out to Australia, earlier this week.

The former soap star and the TV presenter enjoyed a romantic harbour cruise in Sydney in Sunday, days after Mark shed a rare light on the couple's marriage by sharing the secret to making their long-distance relationship work.

Michelle and Mark cruised past the iconic Opera House and Harbour Bridge to the Sydney coastal suburb of Manly, where they stopped off for a drink and a bite to eat.

Yum! Michelle later could be seen as she enjoyed some oysters at a local restaurant

Down under: The actress and the Towie star recently reunited after spending eight weeks apart whilst Michelle works on the six-part period drama Ten Pound Poms

The couple, who have been married since 2015 and together since 2012, then got dressed up and headed out for a slap-up dinner at Cantonese restaurant, Mr. Wong.

Michelle has been hard at work in Australia for the past eight weeks shooting her latest project, new BBC drama Ten Pound Poms, set in the 1950s.

The actress will star as a young nurse named Kate in the six-part period drama, who arrives in Australia without her fiance and will do whatever it takes to try and rewrite her devastating past.

Ten Pound Poms tells the tale of a group of Brits as they leave dreary post-war Britain in 1956 to embark on a life-altering adventure on the other side of the world.

Back together: A few days ago, Michelle and Mark cruised past the iconic Opera House and Harbour Bridge to the Sydney coastal suburb of Manly

For only 10, they have been promised a better house, better job prospects and a better quality of life by the sea in sun-soaked Australia.

But life down under isn't the idyllic dream the new arrivals have been promised. Struggling with their new identity as immigrants, the drama follows their triumphs and pitfalls as they adapt to a new life in a new country.

Last week, Michelle's husband Mark shed rare light on the couple's long-distance marriage as he admitted being in the same industry has made their relationship easier.

Cheers to that! The couple, who have been married since 2015, then got dressed up and headed out for a slap-up dinner at Cantonese restaurant, Mr. Wong

Speaking to MailOnline, Mark said he and Michelle 'support each other' to achieve all of their 'goals and dreams'.

Speaking about their relationship, he said: 'I think both being in the same industry really helps. Because we get each other's careers, and we totally understand it.

'Essentially, we both just want each other to achieve all of our goals and all of our dreams and we just support each other every step of the way for that, you know.'

Mark recently said: 'If you're in love and in a happy relationship you will be happy to see each other.

'You have to learn that you've been together for a long time and not seen each other in three weeks so it's exciting at first but then it goes back to being a 10 year relationship.'
Ioan Gruffudd has successfully obtained a three-year restraining order against estranged wife Alice Evans, which also bans her from mentioning him on social media.

The Welsh actor, 48, hopes the new restrictions will end the public falling out between the pair, whose acrimonious split in March 2021 and consequent slanging matches threatened to overshadow their respective careers.

Ioan had previously won a temporary restraining order against Alice, 54, the mother of his two daughters Ella, 12, and Elsie, eight, in February claiming he was inundated with messages and verbal threats from her.

EXCLUSIVE: Ioan Gruffudd has obtained a three-year restraining order against estranged wife Alice Evans - which bans her from mentioning him on social media

Outing: Ioan Gruffud and his girlfriend Bianca Wallace were seen for the first time since the restraining order on Wednesday when they stepped out to walk their dog

But on Tuesday, a US judge confirmed harsher restrictions had been put in place, including a ruling preventing Alice from leaking private text messages from their children.

A source said: 'Ioan had no choice but to up his legal fight over Alice.

'She had become increasingly volatile and seemingly intent on destroying his career with her character assassination. He hopes this will put an end to it.'

Ioan was in attendance inside the LA court to witness the Domestic Violence Restraining Order granted, but Alice did not appear.

In new court documents, Ioan claimed Alice continued to cause him issues and wanted additional provisions added to the existing restraining order.

Feud: Ioan, (pictured with girlfriend Bianca Wallace, had previously won a temporary restraining order against Alice, 54, the mother of his two daughters Ella, 12, and Elsie, eight, in February claiming he was inundated with messages and verbal threats from her

Order: He demanded Alice should not make any posts on any social media account, 'including but not limited to Instagram and Twitter accounts, disparaging or harassing [Ioan] or the other protected person'

He demanded Alice should not make any posts on any social media account, 'including but not limited to Instagram and Twitter accounts, disparaging or harassing [Ioan] or the other protected person.'

The other person is listed as Ioans new girlfriend, Bianca Wallace, who he started dating shortly after their split.

Plus, he requested Alice not to post his text messages or any other communications to the parties children, or the childrens text messages or any other communications to Ioan, on any social media account.

He also asked for the judge to order Alice not to contact his employer or make disparaging statements about him to his employers.

Further in court documents, Ioan said since the restraining order was put in place, Alice 'has used her social media accounts to continue to harass, threaten, and disturb the peace of both me and my girlfriend, Bianca Wallace.'

Father: Fantastic Four actor Gruffudd filed for joint custody of his two daughters Elsie, eight, and Ella, 12, after his estranged wife, Evans filed for sole custody

Last month, The Vampire Diaries actress Alice shared a screenshot appearing to be between Ioan and one of his daughters, who is thought to be asking him to sign paperwork so that she can stay at her school  amid allegations that he stopped paying her fees.

Alice told her 86,000 Instagram followers: 'You see  I have no money.

'I gave up my career because I wanted the love of my life to have an amazing career and that leaves him being away most of the time.

'And I gritted my teeth and I got through it. I missed working' oh hell I missed working' but I didnt want a day to go by without seeing my two incredible girls. So their was an upside.'

Calling out Ioans alleged spending habits, she continued: He is STILL trying to ruin my name, filling out petition after petition  daring to say that I am the bad parent?

(Check out his Guardian interview from 2020. Ask my kids. As anybody that knows us. Being called a bad parent when I gave up everything for them and dont sleep at night in case and worry about how to feed them, check their health, take them to the dentist. [sic].

Those of you who might think well why is she CONTINUING to post on Instagram when his lawyers are going to take her down for it? But think about it.

'He is spending money that should have gone to the girls education, sports, college, on using a lawyer to gag me.

'I dont have this money and neither do I believe in the corruption of the TRO to shut somebody up when theyre trying to say their piece,' she penned. HE gets to say it. HE get to to lie about me being a bad parent (You couldnt get further from the truth.)

'But me? I get threatened with fines, with jail if I tell MY TRUTH about what is really happening. And all I have is social media because I cant afford a lawyer. Isnt that a microcosm of rich and poor America? I will likely go to court for posting this. (Another example of the way he treats his children).'

Declaration: Ioan went public with his actress girlfriend Bianca Wallace in October last year and was captioned: 'Thank you for making me smile again'

Alice added: He may well be lauded for doing the right thing. For going through the courts. He may well get to take my kids away from me (good luck with that dude).'

The previous month in June, Alice claimed she was 'completely out of money for food and bills' while sharing a video of daughter Elsie.

She wrote: 'Trying to hold it all together whilst being threatened, completely out of money for food and bills and just found out somebody tried to break down our outside door last night!

'But its all worth it for this (and the one who doesnt want to be photographed.'

Ioan and Alice met on the set of 102 Dalmatians in 2000 and married seven years later.

The Welsh actor filed for divorce in March 2021 citing irreconcilable differences as the reason behind their split.

The document, which was filed in Los Angeles Superior Court on March 1, revealed the former couple separated on New Year's Day - a month before they went public with their relationship status.

Ioan went Instagram official with new girlfriend Bianca last October with a post saying: 'Thank you for making me smile again.'

Alice reacted furiously, ranting: 'So it turns out my husband, after two years of telling me I'm a bad person and I'm not exciting and he no longer wants to have sex with me . . . has been in a relationship for three years behind my back.'
Three hundred thousand individuals are following an Air Force Boeing C-40C to locate Nancy Pelosi's trip to Taiwan.

300k Individuals are Tracking Nancy Pelosi's Flight

To monitor US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi as she travels to Taiwan, online users are now following a US Air Force flight that took off from Kuala Lumpur.

According to FlightRadar24, "SPAR19," a US Air Force-operated Boeing C-40C, is tracked by almost 300,000 individuals. According to a previous report from Taiwan's Liberty Times newspaper, Pelosi is scheduled to land at Songshan airport in Taipei, which also serves as a military installation, around 10:20 pm ET (August 2) local time.

Thousands of people watch exciting planes on the well-known airplane-tracking website FlightRadar24, including those involved in emergencies or first flights.

At 3:40 pm ET, the SPAR19 aircraft departed from Kuala Lumpur's Subang Airport. Instead, they went east toward Borneo island, passing by the Indonesian city of Manado before turning north toward the Philippines while avoiding the South China Sea.

Pelosi and her staff have withheld information on her trip to Taiwan due to security procedures. When Newsweek contacted Taiwan's Foreign Ministry, it said it was unaware of any facts. The scheduled trip to Taiwan by Pelosi has not yet received official confirmation.

There is no formal statement confirming Pelosi's presence on the aircraft. Beijing, which considers the island its property and has threatened repercussions if the trip proceeds, is furious over her prospective trip to Taiwan.

A spokeswoman said that the US Air Force fighter was one of FlightRadar24's five most-tracked aircraft. Alexey Navalny's alleged poisoning attempt was monitored by 550,000 people when he returned to Russia for treatment.

Petchenik said the flight monitoring agency is expanding resources due to "quite severe demand" from online aircraft spotting. Tuesday's website and app interruptions weren't intentional.

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Nancy Pelosi's Visit to the Biggest Semiconductor Plant Globally

By a vote of 64 to 33, the Senate adopted the CHIPS and Science Act, a strategy to support and promote domestic semiconductor production.

The plan includes $52 billion for US semiconductor manufacturing businesses, tax breaks for manufacturing investments, and more funding for ongoing technical growth.

In line with this, the American Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, is planning a trip to Taiwan in August, the world's largest manufacturer of semiconductors and the source of the vast bulk of the nation's chips. The independent island produces 92% of the most advanced electronics on the planet, including the chipsets that power iPhones and the majority of American technology.

In a news conference on July 25, Zhao Lijian, a spokeswoman for the Chinese foreign ministry, revealed that Beijing had cautioned American authorities about Pelosi's prospective travel. Speaker Pelosi may visit Taiwan, and the Chinese side has frequently expressed to the US side its significant concern and steadfast opposition to the trip, Zhao said.

The trip to Taiwan by Pelosi would be the most widely covered in recent memory. Beijing has undertaken military exercises close to Taipei to thwart American attempts to deepen their political alliance. If Taiwan proclaimed independence, there would be bloodshed.

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She gave birth to Alana in November 2017, just five months after Eva was welcomed by surrogate.

And on Tuesday, Cristiano Ronaldo's girlfriend Georgina Rodriguez gushed over the close bond shared by their daughters Alana, 4, and Eva, 5, in sweet snaps.

The former shop assistant took to her Instagram Stories where she uploaded a shot of the two girls sat playing together and an adorable photograph of them holding hands.

Sisters! On Tuesday, Cristiano Ronaldo's girlfriend Georgina Rodriguez gushed over the close bond shared by their daughters Eva, 5 (left) and Alana, 4 (right) in sweet snaps

Alana and Eva wore coordinating floral leggings and pastel coloured tops, with matching pink Cat inspired backpacks.

'Amor de hermanas, amor del alma,' wrote Georgina alongside the photographs, which translates to 'Sister love, soul love.'

In June 2017, the then-Real Madrid Cristiano star surprised fans with the news he'd welcomed twins Eva Maria and Mateo through a surrogate.

Just one month later he and Georgina announced they were expecting their first child together, with the burnette beauty giving birth to baby daughter Alana Martina, four, in November 2017.

Adorable: The former shop assistant took to her Instagram Stories where she uploaded a shot of the two girls sat playing together and an adorable photograph of them holding hands

The couple went on to welcome baby Bella Esmeralda in April 2022, but tragically her twin brother died at birth.

Ronaldo also has another son Cristiano Jr, 12, who was born in the United States in 2010 but immediately taken back to Madrid to be raised in Spain. The identity of his mother is unknown.

Since meeting in 2016 at a in a Gucci store where she was a retail assistant, Georgina has followed five-time Ballon d'Or winner Ronaldo from Madrid to Turin and then Manchester, as he left Real Madrid for Juventus and United.

Cristiano has reportedly turned down a potential move to Inter Miami in favour of remaining with Manchester United, where he could become the team's new captain.

Family: Georgina and Cristiano welcomed their baby daughter Bella in April, who joins her siblings (L-R) Mateo, five, Eva, five, Alana, four, Cristiano Jr, 12

David Beckham's club had explored the chances of luring his old friend to the US in a bid to boost the team's performance and brand, according to The Daily Star.

However, it looks to be a non starter with United informing them that he is not for sale.

The Old Trafford side have no desire to sell the 37-year-old despite the fact he is understood to be frustrated at their lack of progress and his agent Jorge Mendes meeting clubs such as Chelsea and Bayern Munich over the past week to test the demand in the market.

Cristiano scored 24 goals last season and, though he has been criticised for being unable to sustain a pressing game, still sets a high example to the players around him at United.
Lena Dunham has questioned what motherhood will look like for her, after previously undergoing a total hysterectomy.

The actress, 36, reflected on her recent role in comedy-drama Sharp Stick, in which she play's a pregnant woman, adding that she is at a time in her life where there are 'babies everywhere.'

Lena underwent a total hysterectomy in 2018 to remove her uterus and cervix after enduring years of endometriosis-related pain.

Candid: Lena Dunham, 36, has questioned what motherhood will look like for her on Wednesday, after previously undergoing a total hysterectomy

Complicated: The actress reflected on her role in Sharp Stick, in which she play's a pregnant woman, adding that she is at a time in her life where there are 'babies everywhere'

In an interview with WSJ. Magazine, she detailed how the film helped her explore the meaning of motherhood.

Lena said: 'I think the movie was a lot about motherhood and the different shapes motherhood could take and the questions I was asking myself about that.

'What is motherhood going to look like for me? What are my feelings about what motherhoods supposed to look like versus what motherhood actually looks like?'

The star, who married musician Luis Felber in 2021, continued: 'I'm firmly in that moment in my life where there are babies, babies everywhere.

'So it was an exciting chance to ask myself some of those questions, while also having the kind of distance that comes from asking them through characters.'

Lena's latest feature film Sharp Stick sees her play a pregnant wife whose husband is tangled in an affair with a 'naive' younger woman.

Questions: Lena said: 'What is motherhood going to look like for me? What are my feelings about what motherhoods supposed to look like versus what motherhood actually looks like?'

According to the official synopsis for Sharp Stick, the film follows 'a naive 26-year-old' named Sarah Jo (played by The Society's Kristine Froseth) who 'longs to be seen' as she lives life 'on the fringes of Hollywood with her mother and sister.'

Sarah Jo's world is turned upside down 'when she begins an affair with her older employer' Josh (played by The Walking Dead's Jon Bernthal).

Lena previously said to Vogue, that her decision to have a hysterectomy came after 'years of complex surgeries measuring in the double digits' and trying alternative treatments such as 'pelvic floor therapy, massage therapy, pain therapy, color therapy, acupuncture and yoga'.

Sharp Stick: The film follows 'a naive 26-year-old' named Sarah Jo (played by The Society's Kristine Froseth) who 'longs to be seen' as she lives life 'on the fringes of Hollywood

Doctors discovered she had other medical issues that were causing her pain during the procedure.

'In addition to endometrial disease, an odd hump-like protrusion and a septum running down the middle, I have retrograde bleeding, a.k.a. my period running in reverse so that my stomach is full of blood,' she wrote.

'My ovary has settled in on the muscles around the sacral nerves in my back that allow us to walk. Let's please not even talk about my uterine lining. The only beautiful detail is that the organ  which is meant to be shaped like a light bulb  was shaped like a heart.'

Earlier this year in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the actress opened up about her desire to have a child within the next two years, being body shamed by women, and plans for a Girls reboot.

Couple: The star, who married musician Luis Felber in 2021, continued: 'I'm firmly in that moment in my life where there are babies, babies everywhere' (pictured together last month)

Tough: Lena previously said to Vogue , that her decision to have a hysterectomy came after 'years of complex surgeries measuring in the double digits'

'I'll be 36 this year,' she told the publication. 'I don't feel like turning 38 without a child.'

She had her uterus, cervix, and an ovary removed but attempted IVF after learning her 'one remaining ovary was still producing eggs,' she previously recalled in a piece for Harper's Magazine.

The bid ended up being unsuccessful as none of the eggs ended up being viable.

'There is a lot you can correct in lifeyou can end a relationship, get sober, get serious, say sorrybut you cant force the universe to give you a baby that your body has told you all along was an impossibility,' she said in the Harper's article.
Love Island's final week triggered a total of 466 Ofcom complaints over Luca Bish's behaviour and claims the final was 'rigged'.

The Office of Communications confirmed to MailOnline the 286 complaints they received on July 26 were in relation to Luca's actions towards his partner Gemma Owen.

There were an additional 180 complaints on August 1, with complainants unhappy about which couples made it through to the final, while others alleged its outcome was rigged.

Overall, the ITV2 show received more than 5,000 Ofcom complaints during this year's series.

Complaints: Love Island's final week saw it receive a total of 466 Ofcom complaints, over Luca Bish's actions and arguing the final was 'rigged'.

The UK's media regulator confirmed to MailOnline the regulator received 1,509 complaints on July 19 - and the majority were about alleged misogynistic behaviour from the male Islanders towards the female cast.

Love Island was previously rocked by 2,648 complaints after explosive Movie Night episodes.

Luca and Gemma were runners-up in Monday night's final, while Ekin-Su Culculoglu and Davide Sanclimenti were crowned the winners of the eight series.

Tasha Ghouri and Andrew Le Page came fourth, and Dami Hope and Indiyah Polack came third in the public vote.

Not happy: The Office of Communications confirmed to MailOnline the 286 complaints they received on July 26 were in relation to Luca's behaviour towards his partner Gemma Owen

Love Island complaints Love Island, 12 July - 129 The majority of complaints related to Adam entering the villa, and Jacques' wellbeing in the lead up to and during his departure from the villa. Love Island, 15 July - 167 The majority of complaints related to footage of Ekin-Su and George during Casa Amor. Love Island, 17 July - 2,481 Complaints related to alleged misogynistic behaviour by some of the male contestants. Love Island: Aftersun, 17 July - 427 The majority of complaints related to comments made about Ekin-Su, and the treatment of Jacques during his interview. Love Island, 18 July - 413 Complaints related to alleged bullying and misogynistic behaviour from some of the male contestants. Love Island, 19 July - 1,509 The majority of complaints were about alleged misogynistic behaviour from the male islanders towards the female islanders, including in the aftermath of the Snog, Marry, Pie challenge. Love Island, 26 July - 286 The majority of complaints were in relation to Luca's actions towards his partner Gemma. Love Island, 1 August - 180 Complainants were unhappy with which couples made it through to the final, while others alleged its outcome was rigged. Advertisement

Last week, ITV boss Kevin Lygo said the broadcaster will 'sit down and review' Love Island when the series ends in light of the Ofcom complaints.

Mr Lygo, managing director of ITV Studios, stressed they were 'very happy with the way it has gone so far', despite backlash from viewers.

During a media briefing for ITV's interim financial results, Mr Lygo was asked about the volume of complaints and whether there would be an editorial review.

He said: 'We continually assess a programme as it is going on because it is one of these odd every night live sort of shows.

'But when the series comes to an end on Monday, we will always sit down and review what we think about it, what the reaction has been, how well it has done.

'And we have to say this year, remember, it is the best one we have had in many years and I think everyone is thoroughly enjoying it.

'To get five million people to watch a show every night at 9 o'clock is extraordinary in the modern era, so something is being done right.

'But you are right, we must always look to improve and work on what we have done. But we are very happy with the way it has gone so far.'

Fans took to Twitter on the night of the final to complain that Luca and Gemma had placed higher than Tasha, Andrew, Dami and Indiyah.

One said: 'Someone needs to call ofcom because this show is rigged as f**k'.

Another pointed out: 'By the tweets on Twitter nobody in the country is voting for Luca & Gemma which either means it's rigged to f**k or Michael Owen has paid the show big time they should've been 4th.

A third declared: 'Nah this is rigged. Tasha & Andrew, Dami & Indiyah got less votes than Gemma & luca. This is bull***t'.

And someone else wrote: 'If Luca and Gemma win I am getting straight onto ofcom!'

And a fifth tweeted out: 'luca and gemma over dami and indiyah?!?!? nope. rigged 100%'.

Fixed: Fans took to Twitter on the night to complain that Luca and Gemma had placed higher than Tasha, Andrew, Dami and Indiyah

Meanwhile, earlier in the week fans were angered by how Luca, 23, behaved towards Gemma, 19 in a row over a challenge.

The couple were at loggerheads over a raunchy Mile High-themed challenge that saw the dressage rider lick Adam Collard's chest.

Luca appeared to become annoyed and 'pushed' Gemma on to the next boy, with the couple later getting into a row over the moment as Gemma criticised him for his 'moody' reaction.

The fishmonger was seen taking off his mic and walking out of the front door following the argument.

Fuming: Meanwhile, earlier in the week fans were angered by how Luca, 23, behaved towards Gemma, 19 in a row over a challenge.

Speaking to her fellow Islanders, Gemma branded Luca a 'p***k' for getting annoyed at the challenge, while Indiyah said he was being a 'baby'.

Viewers also slammed him for his reaction, saying that he was being 'overly jealous' and protective.

Overall, Love Island received more than 5,000 Ofcom complaints during this year's series, with viewers sharing their concerns about 'misogynistic behaviour and bullying'.

Most recently, the UK's media regulator confirmed to MailOnline the regulator received 1,509 complaints on July 19 - and the majority were about alleged misogynistic behaviour from the male islanders towards the female cast.

Love Island was previously rocked by 2,648 complaints after explosive Movie Night episodes

While 427 fans also complained about the July 17 episode of Aftersun when Laura Whitmore and panellists speculated on what happened between Ekin-Su, 27, and George Tasker, 23, in the bedroom.

And in the first four weeks of the show, Love Island was hit by 781 complaints over concerns about bullying, age gap romances and the mental health of contestants.

Women's Aid have already stated that they are in talks with the show over some of the behaviour displayed by the males.

The record for the most Love Island complaints made to Ofcom was in August 2021, when the regulator received 24,763 Ofcom complaints over Faye Winter's expletive-filled row with Teddy Soares.
She's been hard at work playing the role of Crossroads icon Noele Gordon in an ITV miniseries.

But Helena Bonham Carter enjoyed a spot of downtime as she headed out for lunch with a male friend in north London on Monday.

The actress, 56, opted for a pastel floral wrap dress and chunky black sandals as she sat outside a cafe with her friend in the capital.

Out and about: Helena Bonham Carter, 56, enjoyed a spot of downtime as she headed out for lunch with a male friend in north London on Monday

Helena opted for an eye-catching floral dress that boasted an array of blue and pink pastel shades as she headed to the cafe for lunch.

The star teamed her outfit with relaxed black sandals that boasted a pearl detailing with a pair of glasses perched on her head.

Carrying her essentials in a black leather cross-body bag, Helena was seen chatting to her friend as they sat outside at a table together.

Time for lunch! The actress opted for a pastel floral wrap dress and chunky black sandals as she sat outside a cafe with her friend in the capital

It comes as Helena has been busy filming scenes for her role in an upcoming ITV drama series in Venice and Manchester.

The three part drama, Nolly, penned by Russell T Davies, will explore the all-powerful reign and fall from grace of the inimitable Noele Gordon, who died in 1985.

She was declared the 'Queen of the Midlands' thanks to iconic role as Meg Mortimer in Crossroads and was the darling of the establishment until it turned on her.

Deep in conversation: Carrying her essentials in a black leather cross-body bag, Helena was seen chatting to her friend as they sat outside at a table together

As flame-haired widow Meg in the long-running soap opera Crossroads, Noele became one of the most famous people in Britain.

Then in 1981, at the height of the show's success and the peak of her fame, she was axed without ceremony, without warning and with no explanation, with the soap eventually ending two years later.

After she was dropped from the show, Noele's ill health prevented her from accepting many more roles, and she died in 1985 at the age of 66.
Jessica Alves showed off her enviable curves in a skin-tight khaki dress as she unveiled the results of her latest facelift procedure on Tuesday.

The Brazilian TV personality, 39, made sure to turn heads in the high neck number that featured tasselled sides as she arrived at luxury Novikov Restaurant in London.

She snapped a series of selfies as she continued her birthday celebrations after splashing the cash on some treats in Harrods.

Glowing: Jessica Alves, 39, showed off her enviable curves in a skin-tight khaki dress as she unveiled the results of her latest facelift procedure in London on Tuesday

Jessica boosted her height with a pair of stiletto heels and wore her platinum blonde locks in a sleek poker straight style.

She added a shimmery, bronze eyeshadow to enhance the results of her recent cosmetic surgery - that she gifted herself for her birthday.

Looking as stylish as ever, she completed her ensemble with a gold Dior handbag and accessorised with pearl encrusted jewellery.

Celebrations: She snapped a series of selfies as she continued her birthday celebrations after splashing the cash on some treats in Harrods

The outing comes as Jessica showed off the results of her latest surgery - another face lift which she underwent in Azerbaijan in July to get 'Bella Hadid eyes' - as she made an appearance on This Morning.

The Brazilian TV personality, formerly known as Rodrigo before undergoing gender reassignment surgery, sported painful looking red bruises under her eyes arriving at the TV studios earlier in the day before covering them with makeup.

Speaking to Vernon Kay and Rochelle Humes on This Morning, she explained that despite her current look not being the 'most natural' it was her 'end goal'.

Out and about: Jessica boosted her height with a pair of stiletto heels and wore her platinum blonde locks in a sleek poker straight style

She said: 'After so many surgeries I have achieved this appearance. I admit it is not the most natural look. But this is the final look, this was the end goal, it has been a very long journey and I couldn't be any happier.

'I feel 95% happy. When I look in the mirror I thank God for my surgeons, for my family, for the doctors.'

The former Celebrity Big Brother housemate, who has spent more than 900,000 on more than 90 surgeries over the years, jetted to the city of Baku to meet plastic surgeon Dr. Mubariz Mammadli, 35, to undergo body contouring liposuction with Bodytite and an endoscopy mid-facelift.

'End goal': The outing comes as Jessica showed off the results of her latest surgery - another face lift which she underwent in Azerbaijan in July to get ' Bella Hadid eyes

New look: She said: 'After so many surgeries I have achieved this appearance. I admit it is not the most natural look. But this is the final look, this was the end goal'

Jessica took to her Instagram Stories at the time to share an image of the after effects of her facelift and exclusively told MailOnline: 'I have had over 90 plastic surgeries in the past 20 years and most people see me as plastic surgery-addicted.

'But the reality is that I am a biological male who is now a female, therefore surgeries were required for me to be the person that I am today.

'I am very strong and determined and I do whatever it takes to make me happy. There is no better feeling to me than getting up in the morning and looking at the mirror, and seeing this woman that I became with the help of forward thinking and innovative surgeons around the world.'

Jessica added: 'I am turning 39 next week so I gifted my self a body contouring lipo with Bodytite and an endoscopy mid-facelift. Dr. Mubariz performed the innovative procedure that will keep my face fresh and looking the same for At least 15 years.'
Loose Women star Nadia Sawalha took to social media to share a playful copycat post inspired by a bikini-clad Instagram model on Tuesday.

The former actress, 57, shared a video with her 516,000 followers as she slipped into a revealing yellow bikini, edited alongside the American influencer's original clip.

As peachy bottomed beauty Sommer Ray, 25, advertised a resistance band and performed squats, Nadia followed suit in the hysterical clip.

Fun in the sun: Nadia Sawalha, 57, showed off her curves in a bikini and performed squats as she parodied an Instagram model during her Greek getaway on Tuesday

The television personality attempted to copy every move beside her pool in Greece where she is currently holidaying with husband Mark Adderley.

Donning a yellow two-piece, Nadia jumped in the air and attempted push ups only to collapse into fits of giggles.

She captioned the video: '@sommerray and I know we are blessed with great genes , but that doesnt mean we are complacent when it comes to exercise and healthy eating! Neither of us ever leave the house without our exercise bands!

Fun in the sun: The television personality attempted to copy every move besides her pool in Greece where she is currently holidaying with husband Mark Adderley

Cheeky: Nadia donned a yellow two-piece for the parody workout

Before cheekily adding: 'Bottoms up team! @mark_adderley on camera poor b*****'.

Influencer Sommer boasts 26.5 million followers on Instagram, where she frequently flaunts her impressively toned physique.

Rushing to the comments section Davina McCall wrote: 'Not being funny Nadia but you actually look great in your shot'. While fellow Loose Women panellist Kaye Adams joked 'My eyes! My eyes!'.

Squats: The former EastEnders actress mimicked the star and performed squats with the resistance band around her knees

High in the sky: The host jumped high in the air during the workout

LOL: She captioned the video: '@sommerray and I know we are blessed with great genes , but that doesnt mean we are complacent when it comes to exercise and healthy eating!'

On Tuesday, Nadia shared another clip where she attempted to climb onto an airbed in her luxurious swimming pool writing 'Lido fail'.

The star showcased her figure and sun kissed skin in a black bikini as she slid off the inflatable into the water.

A second attempt proved equally fruitless as she proceeded to fall off again - this time head first.

Gorgeous: Influencer Sommer boasts 26.5 million followers on Instagram, where she frequently flaunts her impressively toned physique

Fail: On Tuesday, Nadia shared another clip where she attempted to climb onto an airbed in her luxurious swimming pool writing 'Lido fail'

Finally making it onto the bed she wrote: 'Lilo FAIL, THOUGHT I looked quite slim till I saw this !! Had to channel my inner lioness to finally get on !!!'.

Later taking to her Instagram Stories the host shared a clip of a dog effortlessly jumping onto a floating air bed - which was sent to her by Hollywood star Kate Beckinsale.

She captioned the clip: @KateBeckinsale just sent me this to help me with my quest to actually mount a lilo without pulling my back out '[sic].

Oops: The star showcased her figure and sun kissed skin in a black bikini as she slid off the inflatable into the water
Brad Pitt made the rare move of talking about one of his children this week when he called his 16-year-old daughter Shiloh 'beautiful' on Monday.

And later the 58-year-old Bullet Train star made a comment about one of his other daughters, 17-year-old Zahara, when chatting up Vanity Fair.

'I'm so proud of her,' said the star, who shares six children with ex-wife Angelina Jolie. 'She's so smart. She's going to flourish even more at college.'

Talking his kids at last! Brad Pitt made the rare move of talking about one of his children this week when he called his daughter Shiloh 'beautiful' on Monday. And later the star made a comment about one of his other daughters, Zahara, when chatting up Vanity Fair

Zahara talk: 'I'm so proud of her,' said the star, who shares six children with ex-wife Angelina Jolie. 'She's so smart. Shes going to flourish even more at college'; seen in 2021

And the bachelor, who is dating around these days, per People, after splitting from Jolie in 2016, added, 'It's an exciting and beautiful time to find her own way and pursue her interests. I'm so proud.'

The Oscar winner continued, 'Where does the time go, right? They grow up too fast. It brings a tear to the eye.'

He has three bio kids with Angie: Shiloh and twins Knox and Vivienne. And three that were adopted: Maddox, Pax and Zahara.

Ready for college: This comes after Jolie said Zahara had landed a place at the historically black liberal arts college for women and will be relocating to Atlanta, Georgia, in the coming months. Seen in 2021 with mom Angelina

This comes after Jolie said Zahara had landed a place at the historically black liberal arts college for women and will be relocating to Atlanta, Georgia, in the coming months.

Angelina shared a photo of daughter and some of her fellow students, some of whom were in Spelman shirts, and wrote on Instagram: 'Zahara with her Spelman sisters! Congratulations to all new students starting this year. A very special place and an honor to have a family member as a new Spelman girl. #spelman #spelmancollege #spelmansisters #HBCU.'

The former couple's eldest son, 20-year-old Maddox studied at Yonsei University in Seoul, South Korea, though his classes moved online and he returned to the US during the COVID-19 pandemic. Their second son, Pax, now 18, graduated last summer but is not believed to have taken up a place at college.

She has star power! And the actor also told ET 's Nischelle Turner that the 16-year-old's incredible dance moves are so good 'it brings a tear to the eye, yeah.' Seen in 2021

Shiloh sure can dance: Here she is seen center in a Beatles T-shirt as she danced

Meanwhile, the 47-year-old actress previously joked Zahara is a better organize than her.

She said: 'I want to give them a bit of structure. I try to make schedules at home. My daughter Zahara is better at organizing things than I am.'

She has also opened up about how she adopted some of her children, and how exciting and wonderful their journeys have been.

They were a Hollywood golden couple: Jolie and Pitt attend the World War Z film in 2013

She previously said: 'Each is a beautiful way of becoming family. What is important is to speak with openness about all of it and to share. "Adoption" and "orphanage" are positive words in our home.

'With my adopted children, I can't speak of pregnancy, but I speak with much detail and love about the journey to find them and what it was like to look in their eyes for the first time. All adopted children come with a beautiful mystery of a world that is meeting yours.'

Also on Monday Pitt said at the Los Angeles premiere for his new action movie Bullet Train that Shiloh is 'beautiful.'

He shared with ET's Nischelle Turner that the 16-year-old's incredible dance moves are so good 'it brings a tear to the eye, yeah.'

Proud papa: While at the Los Angeles premiere for his new action movie Bullet Train on Monday, the 58-year-old Oscar winner chatted family

Shiloh has been seen recently on social media performing dance moves with her pals.

'I don't know where she got it from. I'm Mr. Two-Left-Feet here,' he added with a laugh.

In June Shiloh was seen in a black Beatles T-shirt when dancing to Doja Cat's song Vegas in a video posted on YouTube by Los Angeles-based choreographer Hamilton Evans.

'Shiloh loves dancing. She's seriously talented and has been going to these classes for a few years now,' an insider told Us Weekly.

The family: From left, Shiloh, Zahara, Angie, Vivienne, Maddox and Knox in 2021

Earlier days: Jolie with Shiloh, Vivienne, Zahara and Knox at the Dumbo film premiere in 2019

'She's made some good friends through the dancing community too, and they're all in chat groups and share their favorite playlists and that type of stuff.

'The teachers are all very impressed with her and say the sky's the limit if she wants to take it to the next level, and Shiloh may just do that.'

When asked by ET on Monday if he thinks his kids may go into acting like he or Jolie, he said he just wants them to be happy.

'I love when they find their own way, find things they are interested in and flourish,' Pitt said of his children.
Jamie Campbell Bower put on a quirky display in a velvet suit as he stepped out hand-in-hand with his girlfriend in New York City on Tuesday.

The Stranger Things star, 33, joined Jess Moloney, 32, as they dined at Lure Fishbar after the actor recently celebrated seven and a half years of sobriety.

He looked incredible in the edgy all-black ensemble that consisted of a leopard print satin shirt with smart trousers and a blazer.

Chic couple: Jamie Campbell Bower, 33, donned a quirky velvet suit as he stepped out hand-in-hand with his girlfriend in New York City on Tuesday

Jamie slipped on some leather loafers and shielded his eyes with square framed sunglasses as his blond locks fell to his shoulders.

Jess looked sensational as she also rocked a black suit with a fitted crop top and striking floral heels.

She wore her long raven locks in a sleek style and added a pop of colour with a purple clutch bag.

Quirky: He looked incredible in the edgy all-black ensemble that consisted of a leopard print satin shirt that he teamed with smart trousers and a blazer

Their outing comes as Jamie got candid about his struggles with addiction and mental illness last week.

The actor not only gave fans an update on his sobriety, he's also now offering up some powerful words of encouragement to others still suffering with either ailment.

'12 and a half years ago I was in active addiction. Hurting myself and those around me who I loved the most,' the London, England native tweeted.

Words of wisdom: Their outing comes as Jamie got candid about his struggles with addiction and mental illness last week

He added: '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.'

Jamie went on to share how he's in a much better place in his life, both personally and professionally, and that it's all thanks to him maintaining his sobriety.

He wrote: 'But each day is a chance to start again. Atone for mistakes and grow,' he shared before directing his words to people who are in the clutches of addiction.'

Open book: '12 and a half years ago I was in active addiction. Hurting myself and those around me who I loved the most,' the London, England native tweeted

Powerful: Jamie went on to share how he's in a much better place in his life, both personally and professionally, and that it's all thanks to him maintaining his sobriety

'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 J x,' he tweeted in the follow up post.

In the past, Bower addressed the subjects of mental health and addiction in his 2019 song, It Gets Better, which he recorded with the band Counterfeit.

It had references to both issues with lyrics such as, 'If you've seen the bottom, if you've given up - Believe me, my sister, there is hope for us.'

There's also words of encouragement with the lyrics, 'Stand up, get loud if you feel like it - Stay up, have fun, don't you ever quit - Maybe, it all may hurt just a little bit - Don't let anybody tell you that you can't do it.'
Heat director Michael Mann teased a sequel in a Twitter post shared on Saturday.

'Heat 2 is coming soon!' Michael tweeted, sharing a black and white image that appeared to hint at a live action production.

Michael is currently promoting his Heat 2 novel he co-wrote with Meg Gardiner.

The latest: Heat director Michael Mann teased a sequel in a Twitter post shared on Saturday

Michael posted the tweet on Saturday morning with the brief message, adding an image of two masked bank robbers in a semi truck.

'Heat 2 is coming soon,' was the tweet, with no other information available for fans.

Heat was released 1995, starring Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Ashley Judd, Val Kilmer, Jon Voight and Tom Sizemore.

The movie, written and directed by Michael, is about a career thief and his conflict with an LAPD detective, along with the effect it has on their personal lives and professional lives.

News: 'Heat 2 is coming soon!' Michael tweeted, sharing a black and white image that appeared to hint at a live action production

In character: Heat was released 1995, starring Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Ashley Judd, Val Kilmer, Jon Voight and Tom Sizemore; Robert pictured

Michael originally wrote the script for Heat in 1979, which was used for a pilot that became the 1989 television film L.A. Takedown.

Heat was based on the criminal Neil McCauley and Detective Chuck Adamson, which occurred in the 1960s.

Five years later, he turned the script into a feature film, releasing the movie on December 15, 1995.

Star: Heat was released 1995, starring Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Ashley Judd, Val Kilmer, Jon Voight and Tom Sizemore; Al pictured

Al and Robert made their first on-screen appearance together in Heat.

Michael previously mentioned his intention to adapt his Heat 2 novel into a sequel.

'It's totally planned to be a movie. Is it a modest movie? No. Is it a very expensive [televisin]series? No. It's going to be one large movie,' Michael told Empire in May.

It is unlikely Al will return to the sequel, he told the outlet, as well as Robert and Val.

The reason why is due to their age, with the director explaining they would be too old to portray their characters in the sequel in scenes set prior to the events of the first film, per the outlet.

Robert's character was killed in the original film.

Heat: Michael previously mentioned his intention to adapt his Heat 2 novel into a sequel; Ashley Judd and Val Kilmer in the film

Heat 2 the novel is set to hit bookstands on August 9.

The Heat 2 film timeline and casting is still unknown as well as the estimated release date.

Besides promoting the second novel, Michael is also currently focused on the second season of his HBO Max series Tokyo Vice.

He directed the pilot episode and serves as one of the Executive producers.
She's 27 weeks pregnant with her first child, a baby girl.

And in her latest podcast episode, Charlotte Crosby recalled her emotional first baby scan with boyfriend Jake Ankers, both 32, after a previous ectopic pregnancy in 2016 left her feeling worried.

The Geordie Shore star also opened up about her split from her ex Liam Beaumont, branding him 'amazing' and admitting that she's 'grateful' for him and all that he taught her.

Special moments: In her latest podcast episode, Charlotte Crosby recalled her emotional first baby scan with boyfriend Jake Ankers, both 32, after a previous ectopic pregnancy

Speaking on her Charlotte Crosby Always On podcast, the reality star announced elatedly: 'There's a brand new boyfriend now and this one is the one, hence why I am up the duff.'

Discussing her journey to parenthood, Charlotte admitted: 'I've always wanted to have kids. I'd love to be a mother. It's such an important thing to me. And he was on the same page, he wanted all of that too.

'With the ectopic pregnancy, I worried: ''is this gonna be a hard process?'' You have it in the back of your head.

'At the end of the day I lost half of my reproductive system and you're always gonna think is it gonna be easy? Is it gonna be hard is it gonna take a couple of years? Is it not gonna happen straight away? Is is gonna happen at all?

'That is a worry. It is a worry. It's always at the back of your head. For me, being in relationships where they didn't wanna talk about children and having this worry as well, I I didn't think it was ever gonna happen for us.'

Pregnant! 'At the end of the day I lost half of my reproductive system' said Charlotte of her fears when she found out she was expecting again following her ectopic pregnancy

Charlotte insisted: 'Even if I couldn't have had kids I would have adopted. There are so many options out there It wasn't the end of the world because there's always other options. But it was a worry. As a woman you have a biological clock that starts clicking as soon as you get into your thirties.'

And so, Jake and Charlotte decided to start trying in December. And although the admitted it was soon, so insisted: ''At this age there's not really wasting any time.'

Sadly, she explained: 'January came around and I got my period and it was a really sad day. I just cried, I cried and cried on the toilet. I told Jake and he was really gutted about it.'

The couple then decided to stop trying, realising it was quite soon into their romance to welcome a child, and bought ovulation sticks to refrain from having sex on her fertile days.

But then in February on Valentine's Day, Charlotte found it strange when she wasn't in the mood to drink or have sex during a surprise romantic getaway to a swanky London hotel. And then her period was late.

Shock! 'Low and behold I was pregnant. Obviously I was over the moon but I was shocked and I was scared' admitted the star of finding out she was expecting 5 months after meeting Jake

Charlotte recalled: 'Low and behold I was pregnant. Obviously I was over the moon but I was shocked and I was scared. I was like ''uh oh'' and went into this state of panic.

'Am I gonna be a good mother? My whole body is about to change. My whole life is about to change? Will this change our relationship? My whole freedom's gone, my life's gone... All of a sudden I'm freaking out.'

And in a bizarre twist of fate, Charlotte revealed that she got to see the gynecologist who saved her life from the ectopic pregnancy for her first baby scan with Jake.

She recalled of the terrifying time: 'I suffered my ectopic pregnancy in London and I was rushed to hospital, to St John and Elizabeths.

Praise: Charlotte said of Jake: 'It's so lovely to see a man who is so in tune with his emotions. When we went to our first baby scan together we were both in tears holding each other'

'I was on the verge of dying. I literally passed out I was convulsing. I was internally bleeding. I had been for a week and if I'd left it any longer I'd be dead, I wouldn't be here today.'

But the reality babe gushed over being with the same doctor who saved her life when she and Jake cried together during their first baby scan, a day after discovering that they were expecting.

'It's so lovely to see a man who is so in tune with his emotions. When we went to our first baby scan together we were both in tears holding each other with a box of tissues. He was crying, I was crying.'

'The little baby - who we now know is a little girl - was in the womb. All nice and tucked up like a tiny little seed in the womb, not in the fallopian tube. It was just so nice.'

Looking back to how her romance with Jake began, Charlotte revealed that her friend Lauren sent her his profile, four months after splitting from Liam Beaumont.

After liking some of Jake's photos, he then slid into Charlotte's DMs with an eye emoji, which is how they began messaging. The same day she was invited to come to a launch in Manchester - where he lives - the following day.

Jake immediately asked her out on a date, and sorted her out with a driver for the whole time she was going to be in Manchester, with Charlotte noting: 'This was a whole new level of a realm I've never been to.'

The reality star revealed that the event she'd been booked to attend was going on late, so Jake rocked up solo and held his own throughout the evening.

'We had the most amazing night and the rest is history. Jake is literally the boy version of me. He has got so much love to give,' gushed Charlotte.

The couple had been dating for around a month and a half when Jake booked first class flights to take Charlotte to The Maldives in November, with the star admitting: 'He swept me off my feet'.

She explained that on their second night there, Jake rushed her to get ready and took to her a private sunset dinner of her favourite foot surrounded by hearts, to ask her to be his girlfriend.

Through tears, Charlotte confessed: 'He makes me the happiest girl in the world. I'm so glad we found each other. It's definitely meant to be. It's got to be.'

Romantic: Looking back to how her romance with Jake began, Charlotte admitted he 'swept her off her feet' with luxury dates and first class holidays to tropical destinations

Elsewhere in the podcast, Charlotte spoke about breaking up with her ex-boyfriend Liam Beaumont in May last year, describing their split as 'amazing' and insisting there is 'no bad blood.

Talking about Liam, Charlotte insisted: 'I have absolutely I have no bad feelings or negative words to stay about Liam. That relationship was so positive and taught me so many lessons that I am nothing but grateful for it.

'It feels so strange to say that. It's unheard of to walk out of a relationship and not absolutely hate the exes guts, but I don't hold any feelings of resentment.

'And that's because I never did anything wrong to him, he did nothing wrong to me. We just weren't meant to be. As crazy as this sounds it was so amazing. We ended on the terms of 'there's no bad blood, I wish you all the best' and then that was it.'

'He taught me that you can have a relationship where the other person isn't constantly cheating on you, and you're not constantly feeling paranoid and being made to feel like psychopath.'

'I am nothing but grateful for Liam. He was an amazing guy and I wish him all the best but we realistically weren't meant to be. Our lifestyles were very different.'
Airbnb bookings receive record-high demand, boasting its highest peak in summer, wherein travel traditionally skyrockets.

The impressive demand for Airbnb lodging interestingly comes as the economy has frustratingly slowed down these days.

And on top of that, it is worth noting that Airbnb has recently pulled out all of its listings in China.

Airbnb Bookings are Record High

But despite all that, the renowned lodging platform says that travel demand persists to be strong enough, wherein its bookings have already reached record-high figures.

As per the latest report by BBC, Airbnb claims it has achieved a new record high for its booking in the second quarter of 2022.

To be more precise, the lodging platform discloses that it received roughly a whopping 104 million bookings from the start of April until June ends.

BBC highlights in its report that the COVID-19 pandemic, which has normalized remote work more than ever, has changed the landscape of travel.

Airbnb notes that it now receives a growing number of long-term stays as more folks travel as they go through their remote work routine.

Meanwhile, domestic and international travelers now see the rainbow after the rain. Both forms of travel have recovered from their bleak days during the height of the pandemic, wherein movement has been stringently restricted in various parts of the world.

The booking platform further boasts that it now enjoys its strongest demand during summer when travel reaches its peak.

According to a news story by CNN Business, the revenue of Airbnb also skyrockets by roughly 58% or around a staggering $2.1 billion than its numbers in 2021.

The media outlet reports that the average daily rates of the lodging platform have jacked up by around 40% this 2022 compared to 2019.

Airbnb Soars Amid Economic Slowdown

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Airbnb, Brain Chesky, famous for allowing his workforce to work anywhere forever, argues that the economic slowdown might help the booking platform.

In fact, the big boss of the booking platform reveals that "Airbnb was founded during the recession."

And given that, Chesky says he believes that "a lot of people may turn to hosting once again. So the Airbnb CEO thinks that the whole economic downturn is otherwise an opportunity in disguise for them.

As such, the chief executive assures its investors that the platform is ready to take on a looming worsening of the economy moving forward.

Read Also: Airbnb's Careers Page Views Jumps to 800,000 After Its Live, Work Anywhere Policy Announcement

Airbnb China Listing

Meanwhile, Airbnb reveals that the demand for travel in the Asia Pacific region remains lower than in pre-pandemic days.

Besides that, Airbnb has also pulled out all of its listings in China.

But despite the situation in Asia, Airbnb still booked record high demand.

Related Article: Airbnb Employees Can Now Work From Home Forever, Anywhere
Neighbours star Olympia Valance showed off her incredible figure in a skimpy baby blue bikini in Mykonos on Monday.

The former soap actress, 29, looked stunning as she enjoyed some fun in the sun on the popular Greek island.

Olympia appeared to be having the time of her life with her former AFL star husband Tom Bellchambers, 33, who donned matching blue swim shorts.

Olympia Valance (pictured) looked sensational in a bikini as she enjoyed her sun-soaked honeymoon in Mykonos with husband Tom Bellchambers on Monday

Olympia appeared delighted as she waded into the water for a refreshing dip.

At one point, the brunette bombshell appeared to flick her hair back and squeeze the salty sea from her famous locks.

She then tied her tresses into a chic ponytail, as she continued to frolic in the Aegean Sea.

Olympia's sensational curves were on full display as she paddled in her sizzling swimwear.

Olympia appeared delighted as she waded into the water for a refreshing dip

The former soap actress, 29, looked stunning as she enjoyed some fun in the sun on the popular Greek island

At one point, the brunette bombshell appeared to flick her hair back and squeeze the salty sea from her famous locks

Olympia ensured she was comfortable for her day in the sea

She then tied her tresses into a chic ponytail, as she continued to frolic in the Aegean Sea

It wasn't long before Tom joined his beautiful wife for a dip.

The couple waded in the shallows and lovingly looked at each other, as holidaymakers buzzed round them.

Olympia soon draped her arms around Tom as the couple shared a laugh.

The Playing for Keeps star's skin started to show signs of being sun-kissed as she paddled in the crystal clear waters.

It wasn't long before Tom joined his beautiful wife for a dip. Both pictured

The couple waded in the shallows and lovingly looked at each other, as holidaymakers buzzed round them

Olympia soon draped her arms around Tom as the couple shared a laugh

The lovers shared a kiss as they cooled off, with Olympia's sparkler on full display

The Playing for Keeps star's skin started to show signs of being sun-kissed as she paddled in the crystal clear waters

After their paddle, the newlyweds relaxed beneath the shade of a beach umbrella and took in the sights and sounds around them.

Olympia donned sunglasses for the occasion, as she surveyed the beach with a refreshing drink.

Olympia and Tom's beachside frolic comes after she and sister Holly celebrated the highly anticipated finale of Neighbours.

After their paddle, the newlyweds relaxed beneath the shade of a beach umbrella and took in the sights and sounds around them

Olympia looked divine as she quenched her thirst

Olympia donned sunglasses for the occasion, as she surveyed the beach with a refreshing drink

The pair were pictured drinking Champagne at sunset after the soap bid farewell.

'WOW. So that's it, the last episode ever of Neighbours. What an end of an era for us all.'

She added in reference to their characters on the show: 'Big love from Greece, Flick and Paige.'

Holly began her career on Neighbours as Felicity 'Flick' Scully back in 1999.

Olympia and Tom's beachside frolic comes after she and sister Holly (right) celebrated the highly anticipated finale of Neighbours. The pair were pictured drinking Champagne at sunset after the soap bid farewell

Holly left the soap in 2002 to begin her music career, producing hits including Kiss Kiss and Down Boy.

However, she's mostly retreated from the spotlight since marrying billionaire Nick Candy.

Olympia meanwhile played Paige Smith on Neighbours from 2014 to 2017, but reprised her role in 2020 for the 35th anniversary of the show.

Olympia and Tom couldn't get enough of the cool water

Olympia played Paige Smith on Neighbours from 2014 to 2017, and reprised her role in 2020 for the 35th anniversary of the show

Both sisters returned to the show for the finale this week, which also saw the likes of Kylie Minogue, Jason Donovan and Guy Pearce return.

Olympia recently told Greek publication Neos Kosmos: 'Neighbours has always felt like home to me. There is a reason why everyone refers to Neighbours as the best training ground in the world.'

She said news of the show's cancellation in March, following the loss of its main UK broadcast partner Channel 5, left her extremely sad.

Olympia recently told Greek publication Neos Kosmos, 'Neighbours has always felt like home to me. There is a reason why everyone refers to Neighbours as the best training ground in the world'
Irina Shayk has taken on the new Barbiecore trend where people are wearing the same hot pink color that the plastic Mattel doll favors.

On Wednesday the 36-year-old Vogue supermodel from Russia was seen in a very bright bubblegum pink bikini as she lay on her back in a swimming pool.

The ex of Bradley Cooper looked to be on vacation away from her New York City home.

I'm a Barbie girl in a Barbie world: Irina Shayk has taken on the new Barbiecore trend where people are wearing the same hot pink color that the plastic Mattel doll favors

The skimpy swimsuit, which displayed her incredibly toned physique, was a vibrant pink color. At one point she had her eyes closed as she took in the tranquil environment.

Shayk was last seen in New York City in late July with her mother Olga.

The Barbiecore trend began this spring. Megan Fox, Kim Kardashian and Hailey Bieber have been having fun with the look.

It involves people dressing in the hot pink color that is associated with all things Barbie, even her car and home.

Life's fantastic when you're plastic! On Wednesday the 36-year-old Vogue supermodel from Russia was seen in a very bright bubblegum pink bikini as she lay on her back in a swimming pool

Staying afloat: At one point she had her eyes closed as she took in the tranquil environment

Earlier this year, during an interview with British Vogue, Irina spoke about starting out in the modeling industry at a young age, and going to Paris to model when she was was 19-years-old.

'It was an apartment with eight models sharing two bathrooms,' she explained.

Although she didn't make a lot of money and some days, couldn't afford to eat, Irina added, 'But, you know, it was the most beautiful time Ive ever had.'

She also shared that she stuck true to who she was and didn't follow society's standards to lose a lot of weight to be a model.

Not missing Manhattan: The ex of Bradley Cooper looked to be on vacation away from her New York City home

Pink is in: The skimpy swimsuit, which displayed her incredibly toned physique, was a vibrant pink color

'I didnt feel pressure to lose kilos and color my hair, and I always, still now, stick to that.

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'I think the industrys changing for the better,' the Burberry model stated.

The model also weighed in about her past relationship with Bradley Cooper.

The two began dating in 2015, and their daughter, Lea, was born two years later in 2017.

In 2019, the couple split.

However, the former couple still stay in touch to be good parents for their daughter.

'Life after Bradley is definitely reflective, and I think in all good relationships you bring your best and your worst, its just the nature of a human being,' she told the publication.

Cooper is now reportedly dating 45-year-old political staffer Huma Abedin who is close to Hillary Clinton, 74.

The duo, who were introduced to each other by Vogue editor Anna Wintour, 'are dating but it's not a full-speed-ahead type thing yet,' according to People.

The insider revealed that 'Bradley is fascinated by her. Huma is very international and has seen and one so much.'

'He finds this intriguing and challenging,' the source told the outlet.

Huma, who has been an advisor and an aide to Hillary Clinton for 25 years, was previously married to Anthony Weiner, the former congressman who in 2017 pleaded guilty to sexting with a minor.

She shares son Jordan, 10, with the disgraced congressman.
Strictly lovebirds Nadiya Bychkova and Kai Widdrington were spotted property hunting in London on Wednesday.

The pro dancing couple, who first moved in together in May, appeared in high spirits as they visited an estate agents, ahead of the dancing competition's new series which kicks off September 7.

The Ukrainian-Slovenian dancer, 32, cut a casual figure in a 150 oversized Ralph Lauren hoodie which she teamed with light grey leggings.

New home: Strictly's Nadiya Bychkova cuts a casual figure in a 150 Ralph Lauren hoodie and leggings as she and beau Kai Widdrington property hunt in North London

The star sported a natural palette of makeup underneath a pair of mirrored sunglasses, while styling her blonde locks straight.

Meanwhile Kai, 26, looked low-key in a beige Essentials sweater and black cargo trousers.

The loved up pair both sported matching Nike high-tops as they perused the properties in the agent's window before heading inside.

Loved up: The pro dancing couple appeared in high spirits as they visited an estate agents, ahead of the dancing competition's new series which kicks off September 10

Nadiya has been dating her Strictly co-star since January, following her split from ex-fiance Matija Skarabot, 34, in 2021, with whom she shares her daughter Mila, five

After the couple moved in together a source told The Sun: 'Moving in together was the obvious next step for Nadiya and Kai. Theyve grown so close and it just made sense.

It was confirmed on Wednesday the new series will film a pre-recorded launch show on this date, meaning viewers will likely see the celebrity contestants paired up with their dance partners the weekend of September 10.

Window shopping: The Ukrainian-Slovenian dancer, 32, cut a casual figure in a 150 oversized Ralph Lauren hoodie which she teamed with light grey leggings

Casual: Meanwhile Kai, 26, looked low-key in a beige Essentials sweater and black cargo trousers

Strictly bosses released a statement confirming the date while inviting fans to apply for tickets.

They wrote: 'Dust off your dancing shoes, Strictly Come Dancing is back!

'The stunning 20th series returns, bringing glamour and show-stopping dancing back to Saturday nights on BBC One  and we're extremely excited to be able to welcome an audience back to the studio for this year's shows.

It was confirmed on Wednesday the new series will film a pre-recorded launch show on this date, meaning viewers will likely see the celebrity contestants paired up with their dance partners the weekend of September 10 (Kai (right) and partner AJ Odudu (left) during 2021's series)

Back on the telly: Strictly bosses released a statement confirming the date while inviting fans to apply for tickets (Nadiya with partner Dan Walker in 2021)

'Hosted by the very talented and glamorous Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman, the show will once again come live from Elstree Film and Television Studios.

'Registration is now open to be part of the exciting Launch Show, which is recording in advance of this year's live shows on Wednesday, September 7.'

To mark the BBC's 100th anniversary, the professional dancers will be putting on a special group routine like they have never done before.\

In another statement, Strictly bosses said fans can enter a draw to watch a recording of the special performance take place on August 24.

A statement said: 'Registration is now open to be part of the exciting Launch Show, which is recording in advance of this year's live shows on Wednesday, September 7'

They said: 'Strictly Come Dancing is celebrating 100 years of the BBC! The professional dancers will be throwing a party like only they know how, with a group number full of all the usual sparkle and glamour.

'There may well be a surprise or two as well, with special guests and fun tributes to some of your favourite BBC shows.'

Meanwhile, four new pro dancers have joined the line-up, which means that 20 professionals in total are ready to bring their skills to the BBC show's dancefloor later this year - the show's biggest dancer line-up in history.

The four new world class dancers completing this year's professional troupe are European cup winner Vito Coppola, Chinese National Champion Carlos Gu, former Under 21 British National Champion Lauren Oakley and Latin dance champion Michelle Tsiakkas.
Conor McGregor is set to make his Hollywood debut as he has landed a role in the remake of classic 1980's action film Road House.

The former two-weight world champion, 34, will finally take the plunge into acting after years of speculation and will star in Prime Video's film alongside Jake Gyllenhaal.

Road House, originally released in 1989 and starring Patrick Swayze, tells the story of a former UFC fighter (Gyllenhaal) who takes a job as a bouncer in Florida.

Exciting! Conor McGregor is set to make his Hollywood debut as he has landed a role in the remake of classic 1980's action film Road House

It is not clear what role Conor will play yet but sources told Deadline that he will be playing an original character and not himself in the movie.

Insiders told the publication that when he was told there was interest in him joining the cast he watched the original for the first time - which he enjoyed.

He then agreed to meet producers to discuss what part he would play in the new film.

Sources added that after a meeting with producer Joel Silver, McGregor loved the idea and the plans for how the remake will differ to the original.

Anticipated: The former two-weight world champion, 34, will finally take the plunge into acting after years of speculation and will star in Prime Video's film alongside Jake Gyllenhaal (pictured)

A spokesperson for Conor told MailOnline: 'Conor is very excited to expand his storied career to Hollywood and join with Jake Gyllenhaal in this reimagining of Road House, a beloved classic.

'While fighting remains his top focus, this is the beginning of another successful venture in the McGregor empire. He is eager to get started filming.'

The cast already includes stars such as Billy Magnussen, Daniela Melchior, Gbemisola Ikumelo, Lukas Gage, Hannah Love Lanier, Travis Van Winkle, B.K. Cannon, Arturo Castro, Dominique Columbus, Beau Knapp and Bob Menery.

Doug Liman will be directing from a script written by Anthony Bagarozzi and Charles Mondry.

Future: With filming due to start very soon it brings into question when McGregor plans to return to the UFC. He has not fought since breaking his leg in his trilogy fight with Dustin Poirier last summer (pictured)

The Amazon Original Movie is set to go into production in the Dominican Republic this month and will stream on Prime Video when released.

With filming due to start very soon it brings into question when McGregor plans to return to the UFC.

He has not fought since breaking his leg in his trilogy fight with Dustin Poirier last summer.

This will be his first move into the world of films.

Actor! The Amazon Original Movie is set to go into production in the Dominican Republic this month and will stream on Prime Video when released

McGregor had been due to make his film debut in XXX: Return of Xander Cage but pulled out following his defeat by Nate Diaz in 2016.

He was eventually replaced by fellow former UFC champion Michael Bisping with Vin Diesel saying: 'I had created a role for Conor McGregor, and after he lost to Nate Diaz, he had to go to a dark place.

'He had to go get his manhood back to fight the second time, so he wasn't able to do this film at the time.'

It comes after Conor appeared less than amused when a bystander threw a bucket hat at him while he celebrated his 34th birthday in Ibiza last week.

A clip from the party showed the mixed martial artist partying it up in a lush beach club when he was suddenly hit with the black cap.

The bewildered birthday boy caught the offending clothing item and watched it flop to the ground.

He sarcastically grinned and shot the mystery hat thrower an animated thumbs up.

The UFC star then angrily stomped at the floor - where the cap was - as he stared the instigator down.

The original: Patrick Swayze is pictured in the original Road House film in 1989 where he played a UFC fighter turned bouncer

Conor then looked to be mouthing some colourful words under his breath as he returned to the festivities.

MailOnline reached out to Conor's representatives for comment at the time.

It came as the fighter was in good spirits in pictures from his 34th birthday celebrations which took place on the party island last week.

The UFC fighter took to Instagram on Monday to share a plethora of party snaps from his trip to the Spanish island where he enjoyed the company of friends to mark his milestone.

He could be seen with his arm around his pals in his pictures, captioning his post: 'What a birthday! What a party! What a crew! I love everyone of you, thank you so much.'

Sportsman Conor jetted off with his partner Dee Devlin and their children but he left the kids at home as he lived it up by the pool, whipping off his top to show off his ripped physique and dance in his swimming trunks.

Conor and Dee share three children together - Conor Jr, five, Croia, three, and Rian, 14 months.

The couple cemented their love for one another by getting engaged in 2020 after 12 years of dating.
John Cena cut a dapper figure as he enjoyed a meal at Scott's restaurant in London on Tuesday.

The WWE star, 45, looked suave for the outing as he sported a navy pinstriped waistcoat and matching trousers.

The actor showed off his gym-honed physique in a crisp white shirt which he paired with a red tie and navy blazer.

Smart: John Cena cut a dapper figure as he enjoyed a meal at Scott's restaurant in London on Tuesday

The film star styled his locks into a sleek quiff for the day and completed his outfit with a pair of brown shoes.

John has a number of film projects currently in the works, including upcoming spy film Argylle with Henry Cavill and the latest movie in the Fast & Furious franchise, Fast X.

The outing comes after John and his wife Shay Shariatzadeh had a second wedding ceremony in June 21 months after they first got married.

The happy couple originally tied the knot on October 12, 2020 at an attorney's office in Tampa, Florida.

Dapper: The WWE star, 45, looked suave for the outing as he sported a navy pinstriped suit with a white shirt

After postponement due to the pandemic delayed their plans, they were finally able to walk down the aisle.

According to TMZ, the pair married at The Vancouver Club in Canada with family and friends in attendance.

They were first romantically linked when they were seen on a dinner date in Vancouver in March 2019, where John was filming Playing With Fire.

Speaking to ET about a year before they got married, John gushed, 'What's truly special about this [movie] is that, no matter what projects I'm involved in the future, this one will always have a special meaning because I got to film a special project and meet someone special.'

Wedding bells: John and his wife Shay Shariatzadeh got married a second time in Vancouver last month (pictured in January 2020)

Earlier this year, the Suicide Squad star opened up to Drew Barrymore about whether or not he wants children.

After she suggested that he would be 'the world's greatest father' he reflected, 'This is just my perspective - totally not qualified - but I think just because you might be good at something, for me, is not a strong enough reason to do that.

'You have to have passion for it. You have to have a fuel for it. Its like saying to someone, "Man, you know you are pretty good with your hands. You would be a great carpenter."'

John added, 'Its hard work. Its hard work to balance the time, I need to run myself correctly. Its hard work to be the best partner and husband I can be to my loving wife.

'Its hard to keep connections with those in my life that I love. And its also hard to put in an honest days work.'
Julianne Moore was all smiles after enjoying dinner with her husband Bart Freundlich and Tracy Pollan in the Hamptons.

The 61-year-old actress beamed and tenderly held her spouse's arm as they strolled through a parking lot on Tuesday night.

The Academy Award winner was casually attired in a white cap-sleeved t-shirt and high-waisted faded blue jeans.

Good times: Julianne Moore was all smiles after enjoying dinner with her husband Bart Freundlich and Tracy Pollan in the Hamptons

The Hannibal star sported light beige Birkenstocks and toted a camel-colored leather crossbody bag.

The beauty wore her trademark long crimson locks down in loose waves around her shoulders and had on a natural palette of makeup that included a rosy blush and a pink lipstick.

The North Carolina native accessorized with several gold rings and carried a black face mask.

Loved up: The 61-year-old actress beamed and tenderly held her spouse's arm as they strolled through a parking lot on Tuesday night

Bart, 52, donned a charcoal gray t-shirt with slate blue trousers and white sneakers.

The After the Wedding director tied a light gray sweatshirt around his waist and carried a brown paper bag.

Earlier in the night, the pair were seen dining with Tracy, 62, who had on a light green floral blouse.

The Family Ties alumna wore her wavy blonde tresses parted in the center and down around her shoulders.

Night out: Earlier in the night, the pair were seen dining with Tracy, 62, who had on a light green floral blouse

Julianne and Bart have enjoyed a long friendship with Tracy and her husband Michael J. Fox, 61.

The Far from Heaven star and the Hired Hands filmmaker are regular attendees of Fox's annual charity event A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To Cure Parkinsons Gala.

On August 23, the pair will celebrate their 19th wedding anniversary after originally met 26 years earlier when Bart directed Julianne in The Myth Of Fingerprints way back in 1996.

Pals: Julianne and Bart have enjoyed a long friendship with Tracy and her husband Michael J. Fox, 61. The Far from Heaven star and the Hired Hands filmmaker are regular attendees of Fox's annual charity event A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To Cure Parkinsons Gala (pictured in 2021)

'What's really funny about it is that you say years ago, it was 24 years ago, that's what's shocking to us, we are like, "We met 24 years ago?"' Moore marveled on The Drew Barrymore Show in 2020.

'The only thing I can say is I think that you both have to really want to be married. I do feel like I've seen situations where things aren't working out for people because one member of the couple doesn't want to be there. I think if you are both invested in it working out that's important.

'You really have to have a good time. My god, I think they have to make you laugh, if they don't make you laugh it's just deadly. And somebody asked me the other day if it felt long a long time and I was like, "Oddly no it doesn't." That's what has been nice about it, it doesn't feel like a long time.'

The two-time Emmy winner divorced her first husband, stage director John Gould Rubin, in 1995 after nine years of marriage.

Family: Julianne and Bart share son Caleb, 24 and daughter Liv, 20. Seen in 2019

'#Bvlgaripartners': Julianne and her lookalike daughter recently modeled together for a Bulgari campaign

Julianne and Bart share son Caleb, 24 and daughter Liv, 20.

In September, Julianne will fly to Greenland and Iceland to portray retired physiotherapist Verna in Lynne Ramsay's cruise ship-set revenge thriller Stone Mattress opposite Sandra Oh, according to Deadline.

On May 23, Moore  who boasts 3M Twitter/Instagram followers  wrote of the Amazon Prime Video project: 'I am beyond excited for the opportunity to work with these two!'

But first, audiences can next catch the Dear Evan Hansen actress as Spruce Haven CEO Evelyn Katz opposite Finn Wolfhard in Jesse Eisenberg's feature directorial debut, which A24 Films will release later this year.

Oscar winner Emma Stone produced the mother-son dramedy - based off of Eisenberg's own 2020 Audible Original, which has a 66% critic approval rating (out of 87 reviews) on Rotten Tomatoes.

'I am beyond excited for the opportunity to work with these two!' In September, Julianne will fly to Greenland and Iceland to portray retired physiotherapist Verna in Lynne Ramsay's cruise ship-set revenge thriller Stone Mattress opposite Sandra Oh
A writer and executive producer on the upcoming Game of Thrones prequel House Of The Dragon says the show will not 'depict sexual violence' against women despite a showrunner recently saying otherwise.

'I'd like to clarify that we do not depict sexual violence in the show,' writer and executive producer Sara Hess told Vanity Fair. 'We handle one instance off-screen, and instead show the aftermath and impact on the victim and the mother of the perpetrator.'

'I think what our show does, and what I'm proud of, is that we choose to focus on the violence against women that is inherent in a patriarchal system,' she said in a statement to the publication.

A writer and executive producer on the upcoming Game of Thrones prequel House Of The Dragon says the show will not 'depict sexual violence' against women, despite a showrunner recently saying otherwise

House Of The Dragon, which will premiere August 21 on HBO Max, is based on George R.R. Martin's book Fire & Blood and tells the story of the House of Targaryen and the bitter and brutal civil war known as the Dance of the Dragons. The show is not historically accurate.

'There are many "historical" or history-based shows that romanticize powerful men in sexual/marriage relationships with women who were actually not of an age to consent, even if they were "willing,"' Sara continued.

'We put that onscreen, and we don't shy away from the fact that our female leads in the first half of the show are coerced and manipulated into doing the will of adult men.

'This is done not necessarily by those we would define as rapists or abusers, but often by generally well-meaning men who are unable to see that what they are doing is traumatic and oppressive, because the system that they all live in normalizes it. It's less obvious than rape but just as insidious, though in a different way.'

House Of The Dragon is based on George R.R. Martin's book Fire & Blood and tells the story of the House of Targaryen and the bitter and brutal civil war known as the Dance of the Dragons

This means the subject matter of rape will be included in the show, but not in a 'gratuitous' manner, Vanity Fair notes.

'In general, depicting sexual violence is tricky,' Hess added, 'and I think the ways we think about it as writers and creators are unique to our particular stories.'

This comes after House Of The Dragon showrunner and director Miguel Sapochnik discussed how sexual violence against women would be shown on the series.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter last month, Sapochnik said production 'pulls back' on how much sex appears yet still gives a look into how sex was a casual part of life.

This comes after House Of The Dragon showrunner and director Miguel Sapochnik discussed how sexual violence against women would be shown on the series

'Violence against women is still very much part of the world,' The Hollywood Reporter wrote in the story.

Sapochnik said they approached the matter 'carefully, thoughtfully and [we] dont shy away from it. If anything, were going to shine a light on that aspect. You cant ignore the violence that was perpetrated on women by men in that time. It shouldnt be downplayed and it shouldnt be glorified.'

When the blockbuster fantasy drama Game Of Thrones first aired more than a decade ago, it became known almost instantly for its violent bloodlust and frequent, gratuitous nudity.

From the very first episodes of George R. R. Martins eight-season epic there were graphic sex scenes, stories of rape and incest and even gory depictions of child murder.

House Of The Dragon will premiere August 21 on HBO Max

But 11 years later, times have changed  even in the fantasy land of Westeros. For House Of The Dragon, the hotly anticipated prequel to the original series, has gone fully woke, according to Hollywood insiders.

Gone are the risque scenes of full-frontal nudity and violence that shocked and delighted audiences in equal measure. In their place are non-binary actors, a new dynasty of powerful black characters and roles that are sexually fluid and androgynous.

In this new era, set 200 years before Game Of Thrones, it is two women who battle for the shows Iron Throne  the seat of power that controls the disparate regions of Westeros.

And rather than subjecting female actresses to sexual violence, new post-MeToo storylines are instead designed to showcase the power of women by featuring gory scenes of childbirth.

A Hollywood executive linked to the new series told The Mail on Sunday: The original show was made before the MeToo era. Graphic sex and nudity had never been seen on television like that before. But this new series had to take on board that we live in different times. The sex is handled very differently and there is far less of it. There is way more diversity. Game Of Thrones had only a couple of black characters, and one of those was killed off in chains.
The late great Prince Rogers Nelson's $156M estate was finally settled in Minnesota probate court on Monday - six years after he died without a will.

The seven-time Grammy winner had eight total siblings, but four of them have passed away - Lorna (2006), Duane (2011), Alfred (2019), and John (on September 3).

Prince's 62-year-old sister Tyka Nelson and 52-year-old half-brother Omarr Baker both sold their shares to independent music publisher, Primary Wave, which received 50% of the estate.

'Prince is almost free to rest now': The late great Prince Rogers Nelson's $156M estate was finally settled in Minnesota probate court on Monday - six years after he died without a will (pictured in 1985)

The Purple One's 80-year-old half-sister Sharon L. Nelson and 75-year-old half-sister Norrine Nelson as well as their advisors L. Londell McMillan and Charles Spicer will share the other 50% of the estate.

Prince's assets will be disbursed through '$6M in cash and many times that in music rights and other intangibles,' according to Billboard.

The two camps of heirs will now convert his holdings into limited liability companies, and create a management plan for how to work together and administer music and other jointly-held assets.

'We will miss you Johnny!' The seven-time Grammy winner had eight total siblings, but four of them have passed away - Lorna (2006), Duane (2011), Alfred (2019), and John (on September 3)

'We look forward to a strong and productive working relationship': Prince's 62-year-old sister Tyka Nelson and 52-year-old half-brother Omarr Baker both sold their shares to independent music publisher, Primary Wave, which received 50% of the estate

Heirs: The Purple One's 80-year-old half-sister Sharon L. Nelson (L) and 75-year-old half-sister Norrine Nelson (R) as well as their advisors L. Londell McMillan and Charles Spicer will share the other 50% of the estate (pictured with half-brother Omar Baker in 2017)

'We are relieved and thrilled to finally be done with the Probate Court system and bankers who do not know the music business and did not know Prince,' advisor L. Londell McMillan told Billboard via email.

'I represented Prince for over 13 years and we led with innovation to reform the music industry - we hope to do the same with his amazing assets and catalog, from his music, film content, exhibits, merchandise, Paisly Park events, branded products and more. It is a historical and very exciting time. Prince is almost free to rest now.'

The Oscar-winning songwriter passed away, age 57, from an accidental fentanyl overdose in 2016 after selling over 120M albums worldwide.

'We are relieved and thrilled': Prince's assets will be disbursed through '$6M in cash and many times that in music rights and other intangibles' (pictured in 2004)

One more step! The two camps of heirs will now convert his holdings into limited liability companies, and create a management plan for how to work together and administer music and other jointly-held assets (pictured in 2007)

Final concert: The Oscar-winning songwriter passed away, age 57, from an accidental fentanyl overdose in 2016 after selling over 120M albums worldwide (pictured in 2016)

The Prince Estate has released three posthumous albums - Piano and a Microphone 1983 (2018), Originals (2019), and Welcome 2 America (2021)

Fans can catch more from the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer in Prince: The Immersive Experience, which runs through October 9 in Chicago.

Prince's beloved 65K-square-foot complex Paisley Park in Minnesota is also open to the public.

Recorded in 2010: The Prince Estate has released three posthumous albums - Piano and a Microphone 1983 (2018), Originals (2019), and Welcome 2 America (2021)
Amanda Bynes has been seen for the first time since it was claimed she had split from her fiance Paul Michael.

The former actress was spotted on a coffee run in Los Angeles on Tuesday without her engagement ring on.

The 36-year-old appeared downcast as she wore an oversized beige N.Y.C. t-shirt and black leggings.

Split? Amanda Bynes was spotted without her engagement ring when she stepped out to pick up coffee in Los Angeles on Tuesday

The California native completed her casual ensemble with black sneakers and carried a small silver-studded handbag.

The Amanda Show alumna shielded her eyes from the sun with a pair of black statement shades.

Amanda pulled her brunette locks up into a loose topknot and appeared to go makeup free.

Somber: The 36-year-old former Hollywood actress appeared downcast amid reports that she and fiance Paul Michael have ended their two-year relationship.

The What A Girl Wants actress sipped an iced coffee and held her car keys as she strolled down the sidewalk.

Amanda's latest sighting comes a week after E! News reported that she and her law school student beau had called it quits after a rocky year.

In early July, the pair ended their two-year engagement. Three months prior, Amanda accused Paul of ending his sobriety by going back on drugs which caused her to kick him out of their apartment. She later apologized to him.

Casual: The She's the Man star donned an oversized beige N.Y.C. t-shirt and black leggings for her outing

Bynes has had a troubling life since she stopped acting following her role in the 2010 movie Easy A starring Emma Stone.

ET claimed in early July that Amanda and Paul no longer had plans to walk down the aisle.

A source told the publication that the former Nickelodeon star and her beau made the decision 'sometime in 2021.

Over: Amanda's latest sighting comes a week after E! News reported that she and her law school student beau had called it quits after a rocky year

However, despite the change in their relationship status the two said they were still committed to each other, it was claimed.

'They are still together as a couple, but they have put a pause on their engagement and wedding planning,' the insider said two weeks ago.

The person continued, 'They have gone through ups and downs together and personally, and realized they might have moved quickly, but they love each other and are still committed to one another.'

The twosome have rerouted their relationship plans but still 'take their relationship seriously,' it was reported.

Troubles: In early July, the pair ended their two-year engagement. Three months prior, Amanda accused Paul of ending his sobriety by going back on drugs which caused her to kick him out of their apartment. She later apologized to him

Ring it in: They were both wearing their rings until recently; seen earlier this year

'They wear rings now to show their loyalty to each other and as a symbol of learning and growing together but the rings aren't everything to them,' the acquaintance noted.

Amanda and Paul are 'busy, but working hard together,' said the source of the couple in early July, who have recently released music together.

'Amanda looks great and has gotten through many hard and significant experiences that have helped make her an incredible woman. She is sober, killing it and doing better than ever,' it was added.

And as for Paul, he's 'in law school after working in healthcare for ten years and doing well.'

Hard to cope: Bynes has had a troubling life since she stopped acting following her role in the 2010 movie Easy A. Seen in April

Amanda initially announced her engagement to Michael on Valentine's Day in 2020.

At the time, they had only been dating for a couple of months after meeting at a rehabilitation facility.

They briefly ended the engagement before reconciling shortly thereafter.

And earlier this year the two got into a public spat in which Bynes accused Paul of relapsing.

Afterward she took to social media to apologize for the accusation. She also told E News, 'I thought Paul relapsed, but I was wrong. He drug tested for me from a drug test kit I bought from CVS. The drug test was negative for all substances. Paul and I are staying together. I am so sorry for the confusion I caused.'
Amanda Seyfried went to work in Brooklyn, New York early on Wednesday morning.

The actress was seen filming scenes for her new role opposite Tom Holland in Apple TV Plus anthology series The Crowded Room. The blonde beauty seemed to be taking her role as Rya seriously as she looked pensive on set.

But the star still took time out to cozy up to her dog Finn that looked like he wanted to nap.

Work it: Amanda Seyfried went to work in Brooklyn, New York early on Wednesday morning

Let sleeping dogs lay: But the star still took time out to cozy up to her dog Finn that looked like he wanted to nap

Co-star Emmy Rossum was also seen in character as she wore a green dress.

Amanda wore different variations of bland business attire, Seyfried shot several scenes throughout the last couple of days in and around New York and even cozied up to a new costar.

Seyfried plays Rya in the soon-to-be-released series.

A clinical psychologist and single mother, Rya navigates a complex plot that delves into stories of people struggling with mental illness and overcoming the obstacles that come along with it.

Crowded: The actress was seen filming scenes for her new role opposite Tom Holland in Apple TV Plus anthology series The Crowded Room

The anthology explores those success stories need to be shared.

Seyfried was all business on set as she looked professional in her various business get-ups.

In one scene, the actress was spotted rushing around the bustling set of dozens of extras wearing a brown pantsuit with a blue dress shirt tucked in neatly underneath it.

Seyfried wore another suit combination in another scene.

Emmy's shoot: Co-star Emmy Rossum was also seen in character as she wore a green dress

A 1960s feel: She added a brown leather purse and black shoes with a low heel

Big hug: Seyfried and Rossum were seen embracing on set

Donning khaki wide-legged trousers, a dark grayish brown suit coat, and a blue and pink striped dress shirt buttoned up underneath, shots of her on the busy streets of New York show a strong female lead ready to take on anything.

In all of the scenes, Seyfried has her hair parted down the middle and pulled into a tight low bun.

Soft makeup kept her looking more serious than sexy and keeps her character on brand.

Friendly: The Mean Girls actress wore a plain white t-shirt, black leggings and Birkenstock sandals

Friendly: The actresses exchanged smiles as they conversed on the sidewalk as Rossum patted her pal's shoulder

Between takes, Seyfried focused much of her attention on her pooch, Finn.

A well-trained canine, photographers captured moments of Finn waiting patiently while Seyfried worked.

As soon as the scene was over, Seyfried traded her brown leather shoes for comfy green Crocs and cozied up to her rescue dog.

Earlier this week: The star was also seen on the same set on Monday as she held a cup of coffee

With her costar: Here she is seen on a bench with her costar Christopher Abbott

Seyfried an avid animal advocate, rescued the Australian Shepherd many years ago and the two are inseparable.

The cast and crew did not seem to mind having the docile and attentive pooch around.

He has become a fixture on the set of The Crowded Room and could even make his debut in the show.

She was also seen filming scenes on Monday with Christopher Abbott.

Somber: The blonde beauty seemed to be taking her role as Rya seriously as she looked pensive on set
The presidential website was taken down by a DDoS assault, according to Chang Tun-Han, the presidential spokesperson for Taiwan, but it was up and running again in just 20 minutes.

An Outside Cyber Attack Shut Down Taiwan's Presidential Website

Taiwan's presidential website was taken down by what appears to have been a hack as more than 300,000 people eagerly monitored the course of SPAR19, the US Air Force jet carrying Nancy Pelosi on her tour of Asia.

Taiwanese presidential spokeswoman Chang Tun-Han claimed in a Facebook post by Gizmodo that a distributed denial-of-service assault brought down the website early on Tuesday (August 2) evening.

Tun-Han claims that the attack came from outside Taiwan and that the website received more than 200 times as much traffic as usual. They say that within 20 minutes, the website was operating normally again. However, when Engadget went to take a look, all that could be seen was a single line reading OK.

Pelosi's plane arrived in Taiwan late Tuesday night, Taipei Standard Time, and regional news outlets say she'll stay overnight. Speaker Pelosi is the highest-ranking American to visit Taiwan in 25 years. Before Pelosi's Tuesday trip, China threatened "resolute and powerful steps."

According to China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the People's Republic of China (PRC) is the only legal government that represents all of China, and Taiwan is inalienable. The world community says "one China" is a globally acknowledged standard.

The US maintains "strategic ambiguity" with Taiwan. In 1972, Richard Nixon, who had been president, went to mainland China. During Nixon's visit, the US agreed that all Chinese on both sides of the Taiwan Strait should say that there is only one China and that Taiwan is part of China.

Pelosi tweeted, "America's support for Taiwan's 23 million people is more important than ever." The 1979 Taiwan Relations Act, US-China Joint Communiques, and Six Assurances guide US policy. Countless congressional delegations have visited Taiwan.

Read Also: FCC Filings Show Google Battery-Powered Gadget, Amazon Echo Studio Modification

Moscow Labeled Nancy Pelosi's Trip to Taiwan a Provocation

On Tuesday (August 2), Moscow called a possible trip to Taiwan by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi a provocation and showed its full support for ally China.

Dmitry Peskov, a spokesman for the Kremlin, told reporters, "what is going on with this tour and a possible trip to Taiwan is a pure provocation."

He said that the possible visit was making things worse in the area and that Washington was taking "the path of confrontation."

Maria Zakharova, a spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, also said that the United States was being rude about the possible visit.

Faced with sanctions and isolation from the rest of the world that had never happened before because of its military campaign in pro-Western Ukraine, Russia has tried to get closer to China and shown solidarity with Beijing over Taiwan.

China has often warned that it would regard Pelosi's visit as a severe provocation since it considers Taiwan its territory.

Pelosi would be a more prominent visitor than any in recent memory, despite the fact that American officials frequently make covert trips to Taiwan to express support. Pelosi is now touring many Asian nations.

China is constantly threatening to annex democratic Taiwan. Moscow's invasion of Ukraine has increased concerns that Beijing may carry out promises to acquire its weaker and more vulnerable neighbor.

Related Article: Nancy Pelosi's Flight to Taiwan Becomes Most Tracked Flight on Flightradar24
Addison Rae sparked backlash after posing in a religious bikini on Instagram.

The post, which has since been deleted, showed Addison, 21, wearing a bikini top which read 'Father' and 'Son.'

The swimsuit, which is from the brand Praying and called the Holy Trinity Bikini, also comes with a set of bottoms branded with the words 'Holy Spirit', however Addison was only shown from the chest up in the image.

'So messed up': Addison Rae sent shockwaves after posing in a religious themed bikini

Page Six reports Addison received complimentary comments from the likes of photographer Mark 'The Cobrasnake' Hunter and Tate McRae, however she also was met with criticism over the outfit.

'Nah this disrespectful to Jesus. Sad what yall do for money,' an Instagram user commented, according to Page Six.

'This is not okay! BLASPHEMY!' remarked another.

'Is nobody gonna talk about this disrespecting religions,' posted another.

Called out: The bikini from Praying costs $100 and a similar version of the same swimsuit was recently worn by Christina Aguilera

Same but different: Aguilera wore a French version of the religious swimsuit

'So messed up,' another chimed in.

The bikini from Praying costs $100 and Christina Aguilera recently wore a French version of the religious swimsuit. Hers read 'Pere, Fils, Saint Esprit.'

Addison is no stranger to sharing swimsuit snaps, and on Monday modeled a polka dot bikini top and color-coordinated bottoms.

The social media mogul put on a busty display as she modeled the pieces, which were from Emily Ratajkowski's Inamorata swimwear line.

Supportive: Rae took to Instagram on Monday to model a polka dot bikini top and color-coordinated bottoms from Emily Ratajkowski's Inamorata swimwear line

She teased in the caption: 'Sugar, spice, and everything nice.'

The TikTok sensation posed outdoors on a wood patio while holding a big piece of watermelon.

Addison revealed her perky cleavage as well as a bit of underboob as she put on a flirty display for her 40.2 million followers.

She gained over one million likes from her loyal fans as she bared her curvaceous figure in floral-patterned boy shorts.

Rae flaunted her flat midriff in the orange, blue and yellow swimsuit from the brand's latest collection.

Yum! The TikTok sensation posed outdoors on a wood patio while holding a big piece of watermelon

Her long and luscious locks spilled down her back and over her chest, stretching down to her waist.

She incorporated a small braid near the front and wore a clear beaded necklace around her neck.

The superstar, who counts Kourtney Kardashian as a mentor, nibbled on the refreshing fruit as her photos were taken.

The influencer donned a short, deep red manicure as she knelt with green shrubbery in the background.

Flirty! She teased in the caption: 'Sugar, spice, and everything nice'

In a third image from the abbreviated slideshow she shared a closeup photo flashing a toothy grin.

Her hair partially covered her makeup-free face and there was a blue painting with red hearts set behind her.

Emily reposted the upload in her Instagram Stories and wrote 'dream girl' in a blue font.

The official Inamorata account also shared the images, writing, '@addisonraee mix & matching in the newest collection.'
Vanderpump Rules' Lala Kent was seen exchanging a hug with 50 Cent, three years after the rapper's very public feud with her ex Randall Emmett on Wednesday.

Despite previously getting dragged by the performer, 47, during a social media spat with her then-fiance, the reality star, 31, embraced the Grammy winner as he kissed the top of her head on set of his upcoming horror movie Skill House.

'Randell [sic] you better stop texting people talking s**t because i get nervous, and you know how i get when i get nervous,' the father-of-two captioned several two photos of him and Kent at TikTok collective Sway House's mansion in Los Angeles.

Friendly: Vanderpump Rules' Lala Kent was seen exchanging a hug with 50 Cent, three years after the rapper's very public feud with her ex Randall Emmett on Wednesday

In 2019, the musician, whose real name is Curtis James Jackson III, launched a public attack on Emmett and demanded that he pay back the six-year-old loan of $1 million dollars.

After repeatedly pleading to be left alone and claiming he was going to the hospital from stress over the feud, Emmett finally wired the rapper all the money.

The pair's row boiled to the surface after 50 Cent shared a clip of Kent talking to her co-star about the first time she had sex with Randall.

No hard feelings: Despite previously getting dragged by the performer, 47, during a social media spat with her then-fiance, the reality star, 31, embraced the Grammy winner as he kissed the top of her head on set of his upcoming horror movie Skill House

'I let him hit it the first time and we were inseparable; he would just send me, like, really expensive gifts,' Kent, who got engaged to Emmett last fall, tells castmate Stassi Schroeder in the clip.

'The first night we banged, I got a car the next day. He was like, 'Do you want a Range Rover?''

50 Cent made fun of Kent in his Instagram caption, writing: '10 seconds left in the 4 quarter h*** are Winning. Do you want A range rover, yes, b**** yassss. Then just run out and s*** a d***. LOL smh.'

Kent was quick to respond in the comments, telling 50 Cent she was 'disgusted'.

'We've sat up at dinners solo with you, you showing mad love, while begging Rand to put one of your new talentless b*****s in a film, and this is how you come for me? On the gram?'

Public attack: It took threats of cracked heads, merciless memes, and even a chime-in from Chrissy Teigen, to end the feud between 50 Cent and producer Randall Emmett back in 2019

'She swears she's a thug from south side Jamaica queens & she's up in here watching Bravo,' Kent added, hitting back at the rapper. 'Someone has forgotten where they come from. Coming for me on the gram!? I smell fish coming from fifty's direction.'

That only seemed to fuel the flames as 50 Cent began sharing grabs of his text exchanges with Emmett, who had only paid $250,000 of the $1million loan.

'I said I'm sorry fofty,' Emmett wrote, misspelling the rapper's name. 'I'm heading to emergency room. I'm not doing well. Please don't text me anymore. I'm sorry for everything.'

Wild: In 2019, the musician, whose real name is Curtis James Jackson III, launched a public attack on Emmett and demanded that he pay back the six-year-old loan of $1 million dollars

At odds: After repeatedly pleading to be left alone and claiming he was going to the hospital from stress over the feud, Emmett finally wired the rapper all the money

'This is too much for me. I'm so hurt and not feeling well. This is very bad for me on all levels going to ER to make sure not having heart attack. Please fifty no more.'

But 50 Cent was unswayed, writing 'get the f**k out of here Randell'.

'You f****g loser, did you tell her you owed me a million dollar over 6 years. Keep playing with me and get ya f*****g head cracked in front of everybody.'

50 Cent ramped up his social media attack on Emmett, warning the producer he had one day to clear the debt.

At the time, 50 Cent was unfazed by Emmett's claims of health issues, even posting this photo of Emmett standing in a medical facility with a number of devices strapped to his chest

So much drama: As the feud neared its inevitable end, the rapper shared yet another text exchange from Emmett, who finally paid him back

'Your not gonna die before Monday @randallemmettfilms go ahead knock your self out. LOL,' he wrote, sharing a photo of Emmett standing in a medical facility with a number of devices strapped to his chest.

'You should have gave me my money,' 50 Cent wrote, adding, 'What the f*** is really going on LOL.'

50 Cent even created $32 T-shirts for his G-Unit brand that read 'I'm sorry Fofty' and are still available online for purchase.

He also shared before and after shots of Emmett's Wikipedia page, showing the introduction had been changed to how he owed 50 Cent 'a million by Monday, or else.'
Wendy Williams has a new love in her life though, despite earlier claims, she did not secretly get married.

On Wednesday, the 58-year-old former talk show host's representative William Selby confirmed to People magazine that she is dating a New York City Police Department officer named Henry but said their romance is in the 'really, really early stages.'

'She wants to take things slow and really put her focus into launching the podcast,' Selby told the outlet.

New romance: Wendy Williams has a new love in her life though despite earlier claims, she did not secretly get married. Seen in 2019

He continued, 'Wendy is in a sweet spot in her life where she can stop, breathe and smell the roses. Everyone knows Wendy has been a workhorse her entire life, and she is just looking to get back on the horse.'

'Wendy is excited about everything new in her life and her main priority is her health and shooting her first episode of her podcast,' Selby added.

'That's the focus right now.'

Man in uniform: On Wednesday, the 58-year-old former talk show host's representative William Selby confirmed to People magazine that she is dating a New York City Police Department officer named Henry but said their romance is in the 'really, really early stages'

Earlier on Wednesday, Selby clarified to Page Six that Wendy was in a new relationship but had not secretly tied the knot with her new beau.

The outlet previously reported that Wendy told Hollywood Unlocked founder Jason Lee that she had married an NYPD officer named Henry.

However, Selby told Page Six, 'That's inaccurate.'

He went on to explain, 'She is excited about a new relationship and probably got carried away in conversation.'

Wedding bells? During the Tuesday episode of his podcast Gagging With Jason Lee , Jason said that he had received a call from Wendy who told him that she had married a police officer named Henry last week

At the time, Selby did not confirm to Page Six if the television personality's new love interest was a cop, saying, 'Wendy doesn't wish to disclose details at the moment.'

During the Tuesday episode of his podcast Gagging With Jason Lee, Jason said that he had received a call from Wendy who informed him that she was coming to Los Angeles on Friday.

'And she says, "Im married.",' he recounted.

'Im like, "What?" Shes like, "I got married."

The podcast host continued, 'Im like, "You got married when?" And shes like, "I got married last week."'

Jason said, 'I'm like, no you did not. And she said, "Yes, I did."'

When he asked about the identity of her mystery man, Jason said that Wendy told him that she had married 'a guy named Henry' who is 'a cop in New York.'

The former radio DJ was previously married to Bertrand 'Bert' Girigorie from 1994 to 1995.

Exes: She and television producer Kevin Hunter were married from 1999 to 2019 and share son Kevin Hunter Jr., 21. Pictured in 2018

Surprisingly, Williams doubled-down on her marriage claims, despite her rep claiming she has not tied the knot.

Williams told Hollywood Unlocked CEO Jason Lee that she's married, stating, 'Everyone seems to have a problem with that - I'm married; I'm married, I don't care who knows it, I'm married.'

When asked about her rep Will Selby and his statements that she hasn't wed, Williams added, 'Will sees no point in me getting married, but you know what, f*** Will - 14 years I've known him, and I've always said f*** him, in a good way.'

She and television producer Kevin Hunter were married from 1999 to 2019 and share son Kevin Hunter Jr., 21.

The New Jersey native enjoyed a brief romance with contractor Mike Esterman, whom she met on her talk show in 2021.

The past year has been challenging for the star, whose long-running eponymous talk show recently came to an end.

Difficult: The past year has been challenging for the star, whose long-running eponymous talk show recently came to an end

While Wendy headlined the program from 2008 until earlier this year, she did not appear in the final episode of the show.

Instead of Williams, guest host Sherri Shepherd hosted it. She had stepped in back in February to take over for Williams while she dealt with a number of chronic illnesses.

In June, TMZ reported that Williams had almost completely lost feeling in her feet due to lymphedema, a disease caused by a blockage in the lymphatic system.

She's also dealing with Graves disease, an immune disorder caused by an overproduction of thyroid hormones.

Absent: While Wendy headlined the program from 2008 until earlier this year, she did not appear in the final episode of the show. Instead of Williams, guest host Sherri Shepherd (pictured in 2021) hosted it

The disorder caused her to faint on-air back in 2017.

In July, Wendy told the New York Post, 'There was nothing I liked about the [final episode of] Wendy Williams Show.'

When asked why she didn't host the final episode of the series, she responded by telling the outlet that the production company Debmar-Mercury didn't asked her to.

'Debmar-Mercury, in my opinion, should have done it with [me], not these other people on The Wendy Williams Show,' the star said. 'Except for Fat Joe.'

Fat Joe is a rapper who filled in on the show a number of times for Williams over the years.

Williams also talked her plans to host her new podcast titled The Wendy Experience.

'If youre extremely famous like I am, [hosting a podcast] will make more money than being on The Wendy Williams Show,' she said.

She continued, 'What I want to do is podcast, and I want to have a restaurant.'

Legal dispute: Meanwhile, Wendy is currently embroiled in a legal battle with Wells Fargo bank who has frozen her assets and claimed she is 'incapacitated'

At the time, the Think Like a Man star also said she was looking to get lucky in her personal life.

'If I dont do anything else, including podcast, I would love to fall in love. I want to f**k,' she joked. 'Excuse me, Im gorgeous. Can I f**k?'

Meanwhile, Wendy is currently embroiled in a legal battle with Wells Fargo bank who has frozen her assets and claimed she is 'incapacitated.'

Back in May, Wendy was assigned a financial guardian in order to gain 'access to her millions.'

Wendy previously said: 'Wells Fargo has no questions and answers regarding my money. This is not fair. And Lori Schiller and Wells Fargo has this guardianship petition about keeping me away from my money. This is not right and this is not fair.'
Naomi Watts had nothing to hide during her vacation in The Hamptons on Long Island in New York on Wednesday.

The 53-year-old King Kong actress didn't seem to mind that her brown and blue floral print summer dress was so sheer it showed off her one-piece orange swimsuit underneath.

The mother of two - she has kids Kai and Sasha with ex Liev Schreiber - was smiling as she chatted on her cell phone while holding on to a healthy green smoothie.

Sheer genius: Naomi Watts had nothing to hide during her vacation in The Hamptons on Long Island in New York on Wednesday. The actress didn't seem to mind that her brown and blue floral print summer dress was so sheer is showed off her one-piece orange swimsuit

Watts was the picture of summer chic as she modeled the fun little dress that had a V neckline and slits up the side with a rope belt.

The pattern looked to be inspired from the 1960s with pictures of flowers and plants.

In the crook of her arm was a beachy woven straw purse with black handles and fringe accents. She had her blonde hair down as she modeled oversized cat eye black sunglasses.

The star also had on elegant tan sandals with a gold buckle over her foot.

No worries on her mind: The mother of two - she has Kai and Sasha with ex Liev Schreiber - was smiling as she chatted on her cell phone as she held on to a healthy green smoothie

And she added a touch of glamour with a gold paper clip chain necklace that had three large pendants.

She also wore several rings on her finger and a few bracelets as her nails looked natural.

The green smoothie trend seems to still be a winner. Often they include cucumber, spinach, yogurt and honey.

Her current beau, stage and screen actor Billy Crudup, was not seen.

Cute look: Watts was the picture of summer chic as she modeled the fun little dress that had a V neckline and slits up the side with a rope belt

Last week the Aussie actress penned a loving tribute to her son Sasha on his 15th birthday.

'Happy birthday, darling. Thank you for the special soul that you are,' she wrote on Instagram.

'Fifteen today!! How did you get there So fast!! HOW?!'

The Ellie Parker star concluded: 'Well, you continue to amaze and inspire me. And I cannot wait for all the adventures ahead.'

Naomi then took to her Instagram Story to share several candid snaps of her child.

'Happy birthday, darling boy,' she wrote alongside one photo of the pair smiling.

Good mom: Watts paid tribute to her child Sasha (pictured) on his 15th birthday in July

Naomi also took to her Instagram Story to share several candid snaps of her lookalike son

'I love you,' she wrote next to a photo of her son asleep with her Yorkshire terriers.

She also shared a throwback photo of herself as a young mum cradling Sasha as a newborn, captioning it: 'My baby.'

The Impossible star shares Sasha and 13-year-old Kai with her ex Liev Schreiber.

She also shared a throwback photo of herself as a young mum cradling Sasha as a newborn

Naomi, 53, and Liev, 54, were together for 11 years until their split in 2016. The pair never married.

Back in 2019, Naomi opened up about co-parenting with Liev after their separation.

'Having a good relationship has always been our endgame, and we've put a lot of energy and effort into making that so,' she told Sunday Times Style magazine.

Naomi and her ex-partner Liev Schreiber share two children, Kai and Sasha. Pictured in New York City on May 16, 2016

'It's not always a cakewalk, as they say in America. But it makes complete sense that it is an absolute priority, because it really matters to the children.

'You can see how there are so many things that can make a kid feel anxious, and knowing that their parents can be in the same room and joyfully, it means a lot to them.'

Liev is dating model Taylor Neisen, 29, while Naomi is with actor Billy Crudup, 54.
She's the stunning Pilates instructor who is said to NRL star Nathan Cleary's new girlfriend.

But there's more to Teah Foot than meets the eye.

The glamorous brunette, who works for Peaches Pilates studio in Bondi, is also the sister of former Sydney Swans player Zac Foot.

Teah Foot (pictured), the stunning brunette who wooed NRL star Nathan Cleary, also comes from a footy family

Zac, 21, was recruited by the Swans in the 2018 AFL draft, and went on to play for the team until he was delisted in 2020.

He has since moved to Melbourne and currently plays for the Southport Sharks in the VFL.

Teah and Zac appear to share a close bond, as the siblings often share Instagram photos of themselves posing arm-in-arm together.

The glamorous brunette, who works for Peaches Pilates studio in Bondi, is also the sister of former Sydney Swans player Zac Foot (right)

Zac, 21, was recruited by the Swans in the 2018 AFL draft, and went on to play for the team until he was delisted in 2020

Teah and Zac appear to share a close bond, as the siblings often share Instagram photos of themselves posing arm-in-arm together

Teah (right) first made headlines on Monday evening after she was spotted enjoying an intimate dinner with Penrith Panthers player Nathan Cleary, 24, (left) at Spice Thai restaurant in Coogee, Sydney

In 2018, not long after Zac was recruited by the Swans, Teah shared a photo of herself and Zac posing in his new team's jerseys.

'Proud as punch!' the doting sister captioned her image.

Teah also has plenty of achievements to boast about, thanks to her illustrious modelling career.

Teah also has plenty of achievements to boast about, thanks to her illustrious modelling career

The glamazon is currently represented by Melbourne modelling agency Brooklyn MGMT and US-based agency The Talent Drive

The glamazon is currently represented by Melbourne modelling agency Brooklyn MGMT and US-based agency The Talent Drive.

Teah first made headlines on Monday evening after she was spotted enjoying an intimate dinner with the Penrith Panthers player at Spice Thai restaurant in Coogee, Sydney.

The pair have reportedly seeing each other 'on and off' for a few months.

Foot works for Peaches Pilates in Bondi and lives in an apartment nearby

According to the Daily Telegraph, the duo shared a simple meal and washed it down with a bottle of table water.

Cleary was engrossed with the Bondi-based beauty's conversation and was seen leaning in closer to talk to her.

He kept it casual for their dinner date, sporting a black hoodie and bright pink shorts while Teah donned a stylish tan overcoat.

The pair have reportedly seeing each other 'on and off' for a few months

Cleary's fun night out was a welcome change from the challenges he faced on the pitch last Friday.

The Panthers halfback was given his marching orders by referee Todd Smith for a shocking tackle that saw Parramatta Eels' Dylan Brown tipped on his head inside the opening 20 minutes.

In the incident, Brown had almost come to a standstill and Cleary soon lost control of the tackle, lifting Brown over his horizontal and dumping him into the turf.

Teah often posts photos of herself posing at her Bondi apartment

The Eels star escaped the sickening collision without anything more than a scare, before gingerly getting back to his feet and Cleary looked visibly worried as Smith summoned him for a brief chat and the referee wasted no time sending him off.

'Hands in between the legs and you've driven him into the ground. You're off,' Smith said as Cleary became the first Penrith player since Travis Burns in 2012 to be sent off in an NRL premiership game.

Cleary later apologised to Panthers fans on Instagram, stating he was 'filthy for such a dumb mistake that let the boys down. I'm not about that, it was terrible technique and I need to be better.'
He's been living a life of luxury on various sun-soaked holidays this summer.

And David Beckham was continuing to enjoy his downtime on Tuesday as he relaxed on his 5million superyacht called Seven in Miami, Florida.

The president and co-owner of Inter Miami CF David, 47, showed off his muscly physique while relaxing onboard.

Relaxed: David Beckham was continuing to enjoy his summer holiday on Tuesday as he relaxed on his 5million superyacht called Seven in Miami, Florida

David displayed his extensive collection of torso tattoos and topped up his tan in a pair of plain black swimming shorts.

The star and husband of former Spice Girl Victoria, 48, sported an expensive looking silver watch and looked as ruggedly handsome as ever with his facial hair.

He looked in great spirits for the day out at sea and was seen chatting to a female member of staff working on the boat at one point.

Before his Miami trip David enjoyed another holiday last week on a 1.6million-a-week superyacht trip in St Tropez.

Chilled: The president and co-owner of Inter Miami CF David, 47, showed off his muscly physique while relaxing onboard

In one snap shared by his wife of the trip Victoria and David sported matching red outfits on Sunday as they enjoyed the speculator French sights.

The designer took to her Instagram grid to joke she had 'inspired David again' after the couple colour-coordinated in yellow just a few weeks ago.

Victoria looked stunning in a vibrant red polka-dotted dress which she teamed with a pair of oversized designer shades.



Opting a natural palette of make-up the former pop star wore her dark tresses tied back from her beautiful face.

Holiday: He looked in great spirits for the day out at sea and was seen chatting to a female member of staff working on the boat at one point

Victoria cosied up to her beau, with whom she shares sons Brooklyn, 23, Romeo, 19, Cruz, 17, and 11-year-old daughter Harper.

David also chose a red ensemble, sporting a rose polo shirt which he teamed with a pair of emerald shorts.

Beaming for the camera the couple sat on the incredible yacht with the amazing views of the crystal clear ocean behind them.

Victoria captioned the snap: Looks like I inspired @DavidBeckham again!!! matchy matchy x kisses'.

Cute: Before his Miami trip David enjoyed another holiday last week on a 1.6million-a-week superyacht trip in St Tropez where he shared a snap with Victoria in matching outfits

Earlier this month Victoria joked 'who copied who' when the couple showcased their bright canary yellow outfits as they celebrated their anniversary in Venice.

Victoria stunned in a dusty yellow maxi-dress with white straps and keyhole cutouts, which she teamed with a pair of white sandals.

The mother-of-four styled her chocolate tresses in a messy bun as she put on a loved-up display with her husband-of-23-years.

In a caption alongside the snap, Victoria commemorated their anniversary by writing: 'Still matching 23 years later'.

She also shared an amusing video to her Stories where she jokingly asked fans to guess 'who copied who' with their coordinated outfits.

As she revealed their matching ensembles, a disgruntled David said: 'I had it on first just for the record! This was not planned.'

'You inspired me!' Victoria said, before jokingly adding: 'I'm a fashion inspiration to many, who copied who?'
Microsoft has started rolling out Outlook Lite in select countries. You can download the app for free from the Google Play Store.

The company officials announced in early July that they were preparing a smaller, faster Outlook Lite app for low-end Android gadgets.

In a blog, Microsoft said that they company wants to empower more individuals, schools, universities, and small businesses through a solution for their "lightweight mobile devices."

Thus, with the new Outlook Lite, users of low-end Android gadgets will be able to enjoy the features of Microsoft Outlook.

What Does the New Outlook Lite Offer?

Users with low-end Android devices will be able to use Outlook Lite seamlessly as the app already includes access to emails, calendar, and contacts but its only 5 MB in download size.

According to ZDNet, the app is optimized to run fast on all Android devices, even those with only 1 GB of RAM. The app will also utilize less battery power than regular Outlook.

Moreover, the app supports Outlook.com, Hotmail, Live, MSN, Microsoft 365, and Microsoft Exchange Online accounts.

According to officials, Microsoft intends to add support for third-party accounts and multiple accounts "in the future."

However, one of the caveats is the app's lack of support for Android Work Profile and Mobile Application Management (MAM) for work accounts.

With this, the company is recommending that business users who are using these features should keep on using the existing mobile Outlook client for Android instead of switching to the Lite version.

ZDNet reported that as of August 1, the app can be accessed only in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, India, Mexico, Peru, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, and Venezuela.

Microsoft said they are still thinking about providing support for other countries in the future.

Read Also: Microsoft Says Emails with Tables Cause Outlook, Word to Stop Responding

Outlook Lite Targets Low-end Android Devices

In July, Microsoft made an announcement that soon a smaller and better performing Outlook Lite app will be coming to Android devices.

Based on the Microsoft 365 Roadmap, the new mobile app for Android is an addition to an already existing Outlook mobile app available for the devices.

According to an iTech Post report, Outlook Lite app was first mentioned in the roadmap on June 30, with the entry saying that Microsoft will make it available worldwide in July 2022. But the company roll it out on August 1 instead.

The new app was described as "an Android app that brings the main benefits of Outlook in a smaller app size with fast performance for low-end devices on any network," according to iTech Post.

Back in July, Microsoft did not provide details regarding the "main benefits" of Outlook Lite. Likewise, the company did not explain why a lighter version of Outlook is necessary since most android handsets cannot be considered as underpowered.

But, in a statement of the company, it stated that there are still a wide range of devices that "do not have all the capabilities required to get the best Outlook experience" on their smartphone.

This is primarily the reason why Microsoft decided to create Outlook Lite - to bring the Outlook features to low-end Android devices.

Related Article: Microsoft: Outlook Lite Will Soon be Available for Android Devices
The six officers involved in the Origin District Mass Shooting give their first ever interview.

The six current and former Dayton Police officers who ended the tragic mass shooting incident in the Oregon District on August 4, 2019, are talking about their actions publicly for the first time.

Sergeant W. Chad Knight (retired) and Officers Jeremy Campbell, Vince Carter, Dave Denlinger, Ryan Nabel, and Brian Rolfes participated in a recorded interview to talk about working in the Oregon District in the hours leading up to the shooting, stopping the threat in 32 seconds, the heroic actions of fellow officers and citizens in the immediate aftermath of the event, and how that night has affected them.

Officer Jeremy Campbell said during the interview, I think we (officers) all share the same opinion that we would trade any medal or anything we received to get those nine people back.

The conversation with the six officers can be viewed below.
HKSAR gov't firmly opposes, strongly condemns Pelosi's Taiwan visit

Xinhua) 17:00, August 03, 2022

HONG KONG, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) -- China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government on Tuesday expressed firm opposition to and strongly condemned the visit to China's Taiwan region by Nancy Pelosi, speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives.

HKSAR Chief Executive John Lee strongly condemned Pelosi's visit which flagrantly challenges the one-China principle, seriously undermines China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, greatly threatens the peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, and gravely violates the basic norms governing international relations.

The HKSAR government has firm determination in and a clear stance on opposing "Taiwan independence," and fully supports the central government's resolute determination in safeguarding national sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Pelosi's visit encourages "Taiwan independence" and blatantly challenges the one-China principle, undermining the stability in the Taiwan Strait, Lee said. Such a move, gambling on and showing contempt for the wellbeing of more than 20 million people in Taiwan, is extremely selfish, he said.

He stressed that the HKSAR government firmly opposes any external forces interfering in the internal affairs of China, and will fully support all necessary measures taken by the central government to resolutely safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Principal officials of the HKSAR government, including Chief Secretary for Administration Chan Kwok-ki, Financial Secretary Paul Chan, and Secretary for Justice Paul Lam, also expressed firm opposition to and strong condemnation of the visit by Pelosi, who overtly ignored the serious concern and solemn position that the Chinese government has repeatedly made clear.

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun)
T-Mobile has experienced a massive internal breach in their system that allowed a former retail store owner to capitalize on an illegal scheme that went on for years.

The hacker profited $25 million from the hacking of multiple systems and the collection of illegally obtained T-Mobile employee credentials.

The T-Mobile hacker's name is Argishti Khudaverdyan, 44, of Burbank, who was a former T-Mobile retail store owner in Eagle Rock, California.

Khudaverdyan is accused of running a scheme that took place between 2014 and 2019 in which he unlocked devices from the cellular networks of their vendors, allowing customers to use those devices with other telecommunication providers.

T-Mobile Unlock and Unblock Scheme

T-Mobile's hacker, Argishti Khudaverdyan, was found guilty on federal charges for the $25 million crime scheme he committed through illegally accessing the company's internal computer systems and stealing T-Mobile employee credentials to illegally "unlock" and "unblock" mobile devices.

According to the Department of Justice, Khudaverdyan "was found guilty of one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, three counts of wire fraud, two counts of accessing a computer to defraud and obtain value, one count of intentionally accessing a computer without authorization to obtain information, one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, five counts of money laundering, and one count of aggravated identity theft."

Khudaverdyan engaged in fraudulent activity involving the unblocking and unlocking of mobile devices on the networks of T-Mobile, AT&T, and Sprint, amongst other carriers, between August 2014 and June 2019.

By removing the unlock, the phones were able to be sold on the black market, and T-Mobile customers were able to stop using T-Mobile's services, which deprived T-Mobile of income generated from customers' equipment installment plans and service contracts.

This scheme went on during a period of time wherein mobile device providers, including T-Mobile, "locked" the phones of their customers, making it such that the phones could only be used on the provider's network until the consumers' phone and service contracts had been fulfilled.

It was necessary for customers to have their phones "unlocked" before they could switch to a rival carrier. In the event that a customer's phone is lost or stolen, the carrier could "block" it to protect the customer's information.

Read Also: NASA's James Webb Space Telescope is on a Mission to Find the First Supermassive Black Holes

T-Mobile's Breach

The T-Mobile hacker obtained unauthorized access to the company's devices through numerous illegal means, such as targeting T-Mobile employees with phishing emails and social engineering tactics to the T-Mobile IT Help Desk, according to BleepingComputer.

In addition, Khudaverdyan was also able to obtain employee information and credentials through working with call centers overseas.

He then used these credentials to gain unauthorized access to T-Mobile systems, which allowed him to unlock and unblock cellphones as well as target higher-level employees by gathering their personal information and resetting their company passwords.

The T-Mobile hacker used phishing emails to trick T-Mobile employees into logging in with their employee credentials, allowing him to gather the employees' information and fraudulently unlock the mobile devices.

Khudaverdyan and others were able to compromise and steal the credentials of over 50 different T-Mobile employees working in different locations across the United States. As a result, they were able to unlock and unblock hundreds of thousands of cellphones over the course of the scheme's existence.

Brokers, email solicitations, and websites such as unlocks247.com were all channels wherein he advertised these types of services.

He even marketed false claims that the unlocks he provided were "official" T-Mobile unlocks, despite that being untrue.

Related Article: T-Mobile Retires Sprint's LTE Network
Minister for Education Botcha Satyanarayana, Chief Secretary of the School education B Rajasekhar, School Education Commissioner A Suresh Kumar (left) release 10th supplementary exams results and PassWord in Vijayawada on Wednesday. (Photo:DC)

VIJAYAWADA: Education Minister Botsa Satyanarayana has released the results of the Class 10 Advanced Supplementary Examination here on Wednesday. In all 1,91,846 students appeared for the exams, of which 1,23,231 passed with 64.23 pass percentage.

Among the passed students, 60.83 per cent were boys and 68.76 per cent girls. The highest pass percentage was in Prakasam district, 87.52 per cent, while the lowest was in West Godavari, 46.66 per cent.

Satyanarayana said that among the 1,09,413 boys who have appeared for the exams, 66,554 passed. Among 82,433 girls, 56,677 passed. In all, 6,06,070 students appeared for the Class 10 exams, including regular and advanced supplementary. Of these, 5,37,491 passed with an overall pass percentage of 88.68 per cent.

He said Chief Minister Jagan Reddy brought many revolutionary changes in the education system to make the students of AP compete globally. The government is working hard to improve the living standards of the people, he said.

The minister said the state government would consider the 'compartmental pass' students as regular pass for the advanced supplementary examinations, but for this academic year only.

The decision was taken as the students have missed schools and studies for two years due to the Covid pandemic and faced difficulties in writing the Class 10 exams.

He said hall tickets were given to every student who failed in the Class 10 exams this year without collecting the exam fees from them.

The minister condemned the false propaganda and allegations being made against the government on education reforms. I would visit these schools soon to prove that there is no truth in the false propaganda. There was no merger of schools in the state, only classes 3, 4 and 5 were merged, he said.

The minister said 5,800 schools have been mapped. The state government is not against private schools, he said, and stressed that all the private institutions should follow the rules. He said the Amma Vodi scheme was made applicable to both government schools as well as private schools. There will be some difficulties when experimental changes are made in the education system, he said, and added that the shortcomings will be reviewed.
The sources claimed that there wont be any improvement until the GHMC weeds out corrupt field employees robbing public funds in the name of road repairs.(DC file photo)

Hyderabad: A startling three lakh potholes in the internal roads and more than 4,000 potholes in the arterial stretches were formed as a result of the recent torrential rains in the city according to a comprehensive report submitted by the field staff, exposing the GHMCs road-laying plans and tall promises of providing good roads.

Officials said the corporation needs a staggering `1,500 crore just this year to repair the battered internal roads spread over 8,000 km. According to officials, the localities with the most potholes in Hyderabad's western region include LB Nagar, Rajendranagar, Serilingampally, Kukatpally and Miyapur.

"We have begun fixing the potholes on main roads. The corporation has so far fixed almost 3,000 of the 4,000 potholes that were created by the non-stop rain. The corporation is short of money despite the urgent need to repair the roads. A high-level meeting will be held later this week on road repair. The GHMC commissioner will take a call on fixing more than three lakh potholes," a senior GHMC official stated.

According GHMC official reports, an astounding 6,470 cross-cuttings were found on these roads for the laying of several utility lines for water supply, sewerage and telecommunication, among others. The majority of these were dug up by the HMWS&SB, which went on a spree of giving water and sewage connections and enhancing the capacity of existing ones.

The corporation's engineering (maintenance) section is in-charge of carrying out the annual maintenance of the internal roads, as opposed to the Comprehensive Road Maintenance Plan (CRMP). Under the CRMP, 810 km of major roads had been entrusted to six agencies. The civic body has been spending `1,839 crore for maintaining the arterial roads. However, for three years, the civic authorities have overlooked the defect liability clause, which mandates that the private agency repair the roads that have been damaged for five years.

Official sources claim that field employees in cahoots with private contractors have been encouraging line departments, notably HMWSSB, to dig roads in the name of maintenance works to siphon off public funds. The sources claimed that there wont be any improvement until the GHMC weeds out corrupt field employees robbing public funds in the name of road repairs. Sources revealed that the line departments would immediately make new plans to dig the roads after they were repaired.

According to a senior GHMC official who spoke to Deccan Chronicle on the condition of anonymity, the issue won't be fixed until the corporation applies defect liability clauses to internal roads like the CRMP does with main roads. He claimed that if the clause is put into effect, the contractor in charge of the road project will be held accountable for five years, and other departments would work in tandem with the GHMC.

For instance, the corporation is unable to restore any road in Kapra since the HMWS&SB dug all of the roads in the guise of sewer line maintenance, a source revealed. He claimed that when the GHMC lays the road the sewerage board will dig them up. While the HMWS&SB officials argue that the capacity of the sewer lines has to be enhanced to cater to the city needs. When asked why bitumen roads are laid, given they are easily ruined, the corporation official said that bitumen is a cost-effective material. According to him, cement concrete roads cost `50 lakh per kilometre but are more durable than BT roads which cost about Rs.35 lakh.
Commanding Officer of USS Frank, Capt John T Frye calls on the Chief of Staff, Eastern Naval Command, Vice Admiral, Sanjay Vatsayan upon the arrival of USS Frank Cable (AS-40), an Emory S. Land-class submarine support ship of United States Navy in Visakhapatnam on Tuesday. (Photo: DC)

Visakhapatnam: After covering Japan, Indonesia and Malaysia, the US Navy's USS Frank Cable (AS-40) Emory S-Land submarine tender ship docked in Visakhapatnam and would leave here on August 4.

The ship's visit has gained importance vis-a-vis India-US relations, the exchange of defence technology ideas and the bilateral ties for the future in the defence sector.

In October, 2019, a similar submarine tender USS Emory S Land visited Vizag. The ship's public affairs officer B Trejo said Frank Cable visited Vizag for the first time.

Speaking to Deccan Chronicle on board, Trejo said submarine tender ships like the 9,000-tonne, 649-foot vessel USS Frank Cable are primarily naval vessels that specialise in replenishing submarines and surface ships in the mid-sea.

It primarily operates to provide consumables, electricity, water, spare parts, medical, mail and legal and repair services to submarines and their crews at sea.

Frank Cable has a history of successfully participating in rescue operations during the 1997 crash of Korean Airline Flight 801 in Guam, as well as recovery and cleanup efforts following super typhoon Paka, which hit the US island of Guam in 1997.

A team from the Eastern Naval Command (ENC) also visited the ship during its stay here.

Frank Cable Ship Captain John T Frye called on ENC chief of staff Vice Admiral Sanjay Vatsayan and flag officer submarines Rear Admiral AY Sardesai to discuss matters of common interest. A number of professional interactions and informal engagements took place between the Indian Navy and the US Navy personnel, said an ENS spokesperson.

According to Indian Navy sources, India currently does not have a submarine tender ship like Frank Cable. India had one such, INS Amba, which was decommissioned in 2006. India is planning to have such ships in the future. Cable visit plays a vital role in that.

About six conventional submarines are in the pipeline under Project 75 (India) and two Arihant-class nuclear submarines S3 and S4 are nearing completion.
Robinhood's crypto division has been slammed with $30 million fine by the New York State Department of Financial Services (NYDFS) because of the alleged violations of anti-money-laundering and cybersecurity regulations, according to The Wall Street Journal.

The Financial Services Department said significant deficiencies in the company's compliance programs were found after a supervisory examination conducted. NYDFS move is the first "crypto-focused enforcement action" by the regulator, as per Engadget.

Robinhood Fails to Comply with NYDFS Regulations

On Tuesday, NYDFS claimed that Robinhood Crypto LLC was not able to keep and certify compliant anti-money-laundering and cybersecurity programs.

The consent order stipulated that Robinhood will be required to keep an independent consultant. This consultant will assess the company's compliance with NYDFS's regulations along with its remediation efforts.

According to NYDFS, they found relevant failures through a supervisory exam. The same failures were also noted through a "subsequent enforcement investigation" of Robinhood.

The regulators said that the failures were product of the shortcomings in Robinhood's management and lapses of its compliance programs. The company failed to adopt and practice a culture of compliance.

Moreover, Robinhood failed to allocate sufficient resources to the programs, specifically since the company is growing rapidly, as per The Wall Street Journal.

In its latest quarterly filing, Robinhood declared that it has 15.9 million monthly active users as of the end of March.

The company first publicly revealed the investigation and settlement with the NYDFS a year ago. This is through the paperwork that was filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Robinhood is initially expecting to pay a monetary penalty of at least $10 million but it was later increased to $30 million.

Read Also: Cryptocurrency Exchange FTX is Considering Acquiring Robinhood: Reports

Robinhood Says it Will Keep on Serving Customers Despite of Issues

According to NYDFS, Robinhood's Bank Secrecy Act and anti-money-laundering compliance program do not have enough workers, as per Engadget.

Moreover, the company failed to transition from a manual transaction monitoring system that was suitable for the company's size.

In addition, the cybersecurity program of the company also failed to comply with the regulator's cybersecurity and virtual currency regulations.

Because the company does not have a dedicated phone number on its website to receive consumer complaints, Robinhood also failed to meet certain consumer-protection requirements, according to NYDFS .

"We have made significant progress building industry-leading legal, compliance, and cybersecurity programs, and will continue to prioritize this work to best serve our customers," Robinhood's Associate General Counsel of Litigation and Regulatory Enforcement Cheryl Crumpton said in a statement, as cited by The Wall Street Journal.

Robinhood's settlement was the first cryptocurrency-sector enforcement action issued by NYDFS.

The decision was made as its new superintendent, Adrienne A. Harris, see to it that the agency will provide more guidance for the crypto industry.

In a statement, Harris said that DFS will keep on investigating and taking action when any licensee violates the law or the Department's regulations since this is important in order to protect consumers and to ensure the safety of the institutions.

The settlement added to the list of the mobile investing firm's problems. In the first quarter, Robinhood's monthly active user count plunged to 25% from last year's quarterly peak.

The company's revenue also dropped by 47%. With this, it has changed its focus from rapid growth to cost-cutting by laying off 9% of its staff earlier this year.

Related Article: Robinhood Is Planning To Launch Another Crypto Wallet, a Non-Custodial Web3 Wallet
On 1 April 1921, during the National Conference of Indian National Congress (INC) held at the Victoria Museum in Vijayawada, Mahatma Gandhi officially announced Pingali Venkayyas name to design the National Flag.

We decided to speak with the Machilipatnam-born Pingali Venkayyas daughter Seethamahalakshmi to understand a little more about the man behind the Tricolour. And the 97-year-old was too happy to oblige. When asked about her father, despite her age, we could see her eyes light up. Seethamahalakshmi recalls her dad as well as the moments surrounding his announcement as the designer of the National Flag with great fervour. Pingali garu had been fighting for having our own National Flag since 1906 and had successfully taken that movement to the masses. So he was very excited when the announcement finally came, remembers Seethamahalkshmi.

Unravelling the Tricolour

Recounting the warmth she shared with her father, Seethamahalakshmi talks about growing up listening to her fathers heroics. Her father wrote diaries, she tells us, journaling his life experiences, which eventually helped her understand a lot about her father. According to Seethamahalakshmi, the National Flag initially had only two colours, saffron and green, but the leaders quickly sensed the need for having a third colour white to represent Christians in the country. My father, with the help of Eeranki Venkata Sastry, a lecturer in fine arts in National College, Machilipatnam-designed the flag in just three hours, she recounts.

Then, as the Sikh, Parsi and other religious communities cried foul for not having their communities represented on the flag, in 1931, a committee of experts, which held a wide range of consultations with other experts, decided that the National Flag needed to be based on the countrys ideologies and values, not its religions, she adds.

Post-independence forgetfulness and life after

Sadly, Pingali Venkayya was soon to be ignored by his peers. When in 1947 Jawaharlal Nehru hoisted the National Flag in the capacity of the first prime minister of India in Delhi, Venkayya wasnt even invited!

Seethamahalakshmi is emotional as she shares the above. But Venkayya garu had never felt bad because he believed his purpose of having a National Flag was served. Moreover, Venkayya garu was a staunch follower of Bhagavad Gita, in which Lord Sri Krishna says, Complete your work without expecting results. In fact, he never even allowed others to discuss the subject of him being neglected. He had a very high self-esteem, something we have imbibed from him, says Seethamahalakshmi, the pride in her voice was unmistakable.

In addition to Venkayyas daughter, we spoke to his grandson G.V.M Narasimham, who is a 73-year-old retired college principal. Narasimham shared anecdotes from his grandfathers life post the independence. A 16-year-old when he visited his grandfather, Narasimham remembers how Pingala used to make him write dairies and how as a boy he had learnt from his grandfather to never lose character.

G.V.M Narasimham

Venkayya garu was an independent man and never asked for anything. He stayed away from politics and worked as a lecturer, geologist, etc. In fact, even during his last days, Venkayya lived in a hut near Chittinagar in Vijayawada, which he had inherited after his maternal uncle passed away. He was happy to starve but he never asked for a penny from another, Narasimham explains.

The last rites

Venkayyas last wish was to have the Tricolour wrapped around his body when he died. It was an emotional moment for us, and we were inconsolable when he passed away. But we always felt that he had led a life that was defined by character and spirit, recollects Narasimham.

Interesting Facts
In another tweet on Tuesday, Rama Rao (in picture) hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for imposing GST on handloom and khadi products.  Twitter

Hyderabad: A Twitter war ensued on Tuesday when textiles minister K.T. Rama Rao criticised BJP state president Bandi Sanjay for trying to take credit for the state governments Nethanna Bima scheme, which provides Rs 5 lakh free insurance coverage for weavers from August 7.

Sanjay started it by Tweeting: Sleeping beauty slumbered at Pragathi Bhavan, wakes up and announces Chenetha Bima after repeated nudging by BJP. One year ago, CM KCR announced and now again the same repeated by Twitter Tillu (referring to KTR's announcement of the scheme on Monday). Who is responsible for the delay and answerable to the kin of workers who suffered?

Rama Rao tweeted, Pretty rich coming from this joke of an MP who can't even get a Mega Power Loom cluster sanctioned for his own Parliamentary constituency at Siricilla. BS Kumar, Why don't you tell us what NPA Govt (referring to NDA as non-performing alliance) did for weavers in Telangana in the last eight years? Or you as an MP in Karimnagar? (sic)

In another tweet on Tuesday, Rama Rao hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for imposing GST on handloom and khadi products.

He tweeted: Sri Mahatma Gandhi Ji had used Charkha as a symbol of AtmaNirbarta and to inculcate Swadeshi spirit. Now Sri Modi Ji has achieved the dubious distinction as the 1st PM who imposed GST on Handloom and Khadi products. Is this the atmanirbarbharat & vocal4local that you preach? (sic)
Hyderabad: Responding to Munugode MLA Komatireddy Rajgopal Reddys announcement that he was resigning from the party and as MLA, TPCC president A. Revanth Reddy, who is in New Delhi, said the Congress was ready for the byelection of Munugode and would be holding an extended executive meeting in the town on August 5.

He alleged that Rajgopal Reddys decision was influenced by the sops in the form of contracts, bestowed by Union minister Amit Shah. Rather fighting these forces, you have fallen for the lure presented by Modi and Amit Shah, he said.

Meanwhile former minister K. Jana Reddy who attended the high-level meeting in Delhi chaired by AICC general secretary K.C. Venugopal on Monday was given the responsibility of choosing the probable candidate for the party for byelection.

Elsewhere, while the BJP welcomed Rajgopal Reddys resignation, the TRS maintained complete silence. TRS members said they would speak after his resignation from the Assembly was accepted and he joined the BJP.

Meanwhile, senior BJP leader Gudur Narayana Reddy said that Rajagopal Reddy would join the BJP to strengthen the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Terming it a long-awaited event, Narayana Reddy said the move would realign politics in favour of the BJP. He said that those who were yet to make up their mind over joining the BJP would soon follow suit.

He said that the Congress was losing its base as the mother, son and daughter (Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi) have failed to rejuvenate the ailing party. He said that dynastic politics would not work anymore in the country.

People will not accept the fourth generation leaders from one family, and the pitiful status of the Congress has been reflecting this fact. Congress can no more depend on the credit of bringing independence. The party has to reinvent itself, he said.

He said that Rajgopal Reddys induction into the BJPs fold would attract youngsters, who are still holding a neutral position, to join the party and expand its base in the state.

He said that the Munugodu bypoll would be a repeat of the Huzurabad show. It will lead to all Assembly constituencies coming to the BJP, he said.
Aspirants are already queuing up before party president and Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao and working president and IT minister K.T. Rama Rao to press for their candidature for the bypoll. (DC file photo)

Hyderabad: The race for securing the TRS ticket to contest the Munugode Assembly byelection has begun even though Congress MLA Komatireddy Rajgopal Reddy is yet to submit his resignation letter to the Assembly speaker.

Aspirants are already queuing up before party president and Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao and working president and IT minister K.T. Rama Rao to press for their candidature for the bypoll.

When Rajgopal Reddy announced his resignation on Tuesday, Nalgonda TRS legislator Kancharla Bhupal Reddy met Chandrashekar Rao and lobbied for a ticket to his brother Kancharla Krishna Reddy.

Party sources said TS Legislative Council chairman Gutha Sukhender Reddy had evinced an interest to contest and sent feelers to the Chief Minister. He also reportedly made a request to consider his son Gutha Amit Reddy in case the party wanted him to continue him as Council Chairman.

Meanwhile, leaders from undivided Nalgonda district on Wednesday met Chandrashekar Rao and Rama Rao to seek a ticket either for themselves or their kin or supporters.

The TRS leadership is learnt to have made it clear to them that the party will commission surveys to assess the winnability of the aspiring candidates. Surveys by I-PAC teams of political strategist Prashant Kishor will play a key role in the selection, it is learnt.

TRS which represents 11 of 12 seats in Nalgonda district is keen to reaffirm its political supremacy by bagging Munugode. The party leadership laid special focus on pending funds and projects to Munugode to lure voters.

The Chief Minister and Rama Rao are learnt to have instructed the party district leaders to submit village and mandal-wise proposals on pending funds and works in Munugode constituency, which could be taken up and completed before the bypoll notification is issued.

Energy minister G. Jagadish Reddy, who is party's incharge for Nalgonda district, is said to be batting for the candidature of K. Prabhakar Reddy, who had won from Munugode in 2014 but had lost in 2018.

Former Bhongir Lok Sabha member Boora Narsaiah Goud, former MLC Karne Prabhakar and Karnati Vidyasagar are all reportedly seeking a ticket under the BC quota.
New Delhi/Ranchi: The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) on Wednesday announced its support for Opposition candidate Margaret Alva in the August 6 Vice-Presidential election.

Party supremo Shibu Soren asked the three JMM MPs to vote in favour of former Union minister Alva.

Despite being an Opposition party, the JMM had supported the NDA candidate Droupadi Murmu in the July 18 Presidential election.

The NDA has fielded former West Bengal governor Jagdeep Dhankhar as its nominee.

The switch comes about a week after three legislators of the Congress, which is an alliance partner in the Jharkhand government coalition, were caught by the West Bengal police with about Rs 50 lakh cash.

The Congerss has alleged that the money was given to them by the BJP as part of its Operation Lotus to defect so as to defeat the Soren government.
Nancy Pelosis visit to Taiwan was fraught with risk. The veteran Democrat, who is the Speaker of the House of Representatives, has played to the gallery and her constituents in becoming the first high-level US official to visit the island democracy in the last 25 years. None can dispute the right of a US citizen to visit Taipei, but its the timing of her visit that raises the hackles and endangers the peace at a particularly tense time for the world that stands sharply divided with the US and the West on one side and China on the other over Russias invasion of Ukraine.

The Republicans too are applauding the Democrats for standing up to a bully. So soon in the wake of the precision-targeted killing of the Al-Qaeda terrorist Ayman al-Zawahiri that may have helped his domestic ratings, US President Joe Biden stands diminished as the Speaker asserted her rights and independence by embarking on this journey to Taipei despite his and the militarys attempts to dissuade her.

As a long-standing critic of Chinas woeful human rights record since visiting Tiananmen Square 33 years ago as a budding legislator and thumbing her nose at the Chinese in Beijing soon after, Ms Pelosi may have been attempting to leave a stamp on her legacy in her final years in public life. What her politically provocative move, postponed from April since she caught Covid, may lead to is being watched with apprehension elsewhere by nations whose economies are already feeling the heat of the war in Europe.

China issued as well as signalled threats with live fire military drills and by freely breaching the airspace and territorial waters of Taiwan. It had fulminated in reminding provocateurs of the One China policy, which Mr Biden agrees is still a valid principle. What more China will do in targeted military action is to be seen. Predictions of China taking token territory by seizing the Taiwanese island of Kinmen to up the ante are scary. It is also feared China might go beyond moral support to Russia vis-a-vis Ukraine by supplying munitions as supplies are running out.

It is the lot of the Taiwanese that is to be pitied even as China censures the Americans for pinpricks that appear too much like brinkmanship in a tussle for supremacy between two superpowers. The Taiwanese have been inured to living for long with the fear of a Chinese invasion but that anxiety would have been ramped up several notches with the Pelosi visit. The gesture of solidarity with a fellow democracy might be fine but, at a time of rampant authoritarianism, the tensions it was bound to bring in its wake could well have been avoided.

Chinas moves thus far  of stopping export of sand and import of fruits  may just be the equivalent of Western sanctions against Russia. Such measures, even by a nation obsessed with its trade-oriented route to world economic supremacy, make for a feeble response. What may lie ahead would be more fearsome to contemplate. The only sobering thought is both superpowers may be chary of an outright military confrontation, which in the case of Taiwan, unlike Ukraine, is certain as the US is bound to help defend Taiwan militarily.
Minister of state for electronics and IT Rajeev Chandrasekhar in a written reply to the Lok Sabha said the apps are developed by various countries, including China. (Photo: ANI/Representational)

New Delhi: The government has blocked 348 mobile applications that were identified by the Home Ministry for transmitting users' information in an unauthorised manner to servers located outside the country, Parliament was informed on Wednesday.

Minister of state for electronics and IT Rajeev Chandrasekhar in a written reply to the Lok Sabha said the apps are developed by various countries, including China.

"Based on the request from MHA, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has blocked those 348 mobile applications since such data transmissions infringes the sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India and security of the State," he said.

There was no mention of the time period when these 348 apps were blocked by the Meity.

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US President Joe Biden attends a press conference at the Akasaka Palace in Tokyo on May 23, 2022. (Photo by SAUL LOEB / AFP)

TOKYO: US President Joe Biden said Monday the United States would defend Taiwan militarily if Beijing invaded the self-ruled island, warning China was "flirting with danger".

"That's the commitment we made," he said when asked if Washington would intervene militarily against a Chinese attempt to forcibly take control of Taiwan, which Beijing considers a renegade province to be unified with the mainland.

"We agreed with the One China policy, we signed on to it... but the idea that (Taiwan) can be taken by force is just not appropriate.

"It will dislocate the entire region and be another action similar to what happened in Ukraine."

In his strongest comments to date on the issue, Biden directly linked the outcome of Western attempts to help Ukraine repel the Russian invasion with lessons likely to be learned in Beijing regarding Taiwan.

It's "important that Putin pay a price for his barbarism in Ukraine", Biden said. "Russia has to pay a long-term price."

This is "not just about Ukraine", Biden said, because China is watching to see if Western pressure on Russia slacks off.

"What signal does that send to China about the cost of... attempting to take Taiwan by force?" he asked.

Biden said China does not have "jurisdiction to take Taiwan by force".

Signalling that he expects an invasion "will not happen", Biden said however that this "depends... how strong the world makes clear" there would be a price for an invasion.
India and Japan on Wednesday took stock of their cooperation in the skill development initiatives.

The discussions were held in the third meeting of the joint working group (JWG) on specified skill workers (SSW).

The two countries signed a Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) on specified skilled workers in January 2021 in order to promote the movement of skilled workers from India to Japan for employment on a contractual basis.

"During the JWG meeting, both sides took stock of the existing cooperation between India and Japan under SSW and concurred that there was considerable potential to boost the number of SSW workers from India to Japan," the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement.

Also Read | ASEAN ministers urge restraint after Nancy Pelosi's Taiwan visit

"In this context, they held discussions on ways to further enhance the implementation of SSW programme by identifying challenges in the existing system and exchanging views on the way forward," it said.

The key issues discussed during the meeting included demand-supply matching, raising the number of test centres in India, expanding the sectors of implementation, raising awareness about the SSW programme in India and promoting the Japanese language in India.

"The Japanese side announced that in addition to the existing cooperation under nursing/caregiving, SSW will be also expanded to cover the agriculture sector in India," the MEA said.

It said the Indian side welcomed the announcement and called for expansion of SSW to other sectors also.
Congress will up the ante against the misuse of central agencies inside and outside Parliament on Wednesday after searches in National Herald.

Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge decided to skip Siddaramaiahs birthday bash in Karnataka and stay in the capital to visit Herald House and stand in solidarity with employees.

The party is likely to seek suspension of business in both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha on the raids in National Herald premises in the capital and elsewhere, which came a week after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) questioned Congress president Sonia Gandhi and former president Rahul Gandhi among others.

Also Read | Rahul Gandhi attends key Cong meet in Karnataka, urges leaders to fight 2023 polls unitedly

Congress views it as an attempt to frighten the Opposition, with the action coming close on the heels of senior Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Rauts arrest in Maharashtra. The Opposition has been raising the issue of misuse of CBI, ED and Income Tax Department to target non-BJP leaders.

The stepping up of attack comes as the Opposition plans to issue a joint statement against the recent Supreme Court judgement, which endorses the sweeping powers enjoyed by the ED through amendments made by the Modi government. The statement is likely to be issued on Wednesday.

Kharge, who was to fly to Karnatakas Davanagere with Rahul to attend the 75th birthday celebrations of senior leader Siddaramaiah, decided to stay back in the capital and lead the Congress charge on the issue by raising the issue in Parliament and meeting employees of National Herald at the Herald House on Wednesday. He was to leave Delhi on Tuesday evening with Rahul, sources said.

Kharge and Congress Treasurer Pawan Bansal visited Herald House on Tuesday evening.

The attempt is to trouble and malign the Congress. This is not good for democracy. They want to create fear. The Congress is not going to bow down, Kharge said.

Congress General Secretary (Organisation) KC Venugopal tweeted, by sending ED to raid Herald House, the Modi government has shown that it can go to any lengths for its vendetta politics. They think they can divert and distract the people from BJP's failures. They think they can intimidate us. But we will not cower to BJPs vendetta.

Congress General Secretary (Communications) Jairam Ramesh tweeted, "the raids on Herald House, Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg are a part of the continued attack against Indias principal opposition  Indian National Congress. We strongly condemn this vendetta politics against those who speak up against the Modi government. You cannot silence us!" (ENDS)
The world's first operational nuclear-powered submarine made a historic journey to the North Pole 64 years ago.

August 3, 1968 is a memorable date in American maritime history as it is the day that the USS Nautilus (SSN-571) successfully made the first underwater voyage to the North Pole. Built by Virginia-based aerospace and defense company General Dynamics Corp., the USS Nautilus became the world's first operational nuclear-powered submarine.

History of the USS Nautilus

The USS Nautilus traces its roots back to March 1950, when the conceptual design of the first nuclear submarine was taking shape with project SCB 64. It was in July 1951 that the US Congress approved the construction of a nuclear-powered submarine for the US Navy, which was led by Captain Hyman G. Rickover, a Russian-born engineer who joined the atomic program in 1946, History.com reported.

Captain Rickover was so passionate about the project that his detractors would call him a fanatic, but he eventually succeeded in developing and delivering the first ever first nuclear submarine, the USS Nautilus, ahead of schedule. Then President Harry S. Truman laid the ship's keep in 1952 and two years later, first lady Mamie Eisenhower broke a bottle of champagne across its bow during the launch onto the Thames River at Groton, Connecticut.

How the USS Nautilus Worked

The USS Nautilus was truly an engineering feat that enabled it to travel to the North Pole submerged under icy waters. The nuclear-powered submarine measured 319 feet long and had a displacement of 3,180 tons.

Thanks to its atomic engine, the USS Nautilus could remain submerged for unlimited periods of time. Its engine also did not need air and only a small quantity of nuclear fuel. Its propulsion turbines were driven by a uranium-powered nuclear reactor, enabling the submarine to travel more than 20 knots underwater.

Read Also: Maria Mitchell Birth Anniversary: What You Should Know About Who Discovered Miss Mitchell's Comet

The USS Nautilus' Most Important Mission

As the world's first operational nuclear-powered submarine, the USS Nautilus had an important practical and political mission, which was to circumvent the polar ice cap and reach the North Pole completely under water. The mission was named "Operation Sunshine," which saw the submarine diving at Point Barrow, Alaska, reaching the North Pole at 11:15 p.m. Eastern time the very same day, then reemerging 3,000 kilometers away from where it saw the surface for the last time, between Greenland and Norway.

At the time, the USS George Washington, which was the first "boomer" nuclear submarine that could launch nuclear missiles off the shore of any enemy, was under construction and required a "trail map" to operate under the polar ice cap. This would enable the submarine to operate closer to the Soviet Union. The USS Nautilus would help with this.

Politically, USS Nautilus' journey was in response to the launch of the first artificial Earth satellite called Sputnik in 1957 and an answer to the Soviet threat of intercontinental ballistic nuclear missiles, Nuclear Newswire reported.

The USS Nautilus' risky circumvention of the polar ice cap to travel to the North Pole was a success and Commander William R. Anderson, who led the mission, was presented with the Legion of Merit by President Eisenhower on August 8 that year. The rest of the crew also received a special Presidential Unit Citation for their bravery, which was the first of its kind to be issued during peacetime.

The USS Nautilus was decommissioned in 1980 and declared a National Historic Landmark two years later, after its 25-year career in which it traveled about 500,000 times, ConnecticutHistory.org reported.. It now sits in the Submarine Force Library and Museum in Groton, Connecticut, where about 250,000 visitors flock to witness the engineering marvel annually.

Related Article: Today in History: NASA Launches Skylab 3 Mission, What Happened to Skylab?
President Droupadi Murmu on Tuesday had a meeting with her counterpart in Government of Maldives, Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, at the Rashtrapati Bhavan.

This was Murmu's first meeting with a foreign leader after she took over as President of India on July 25 last.

Welcoming Solih at Rashtrapati Bhavan, Murmu said that she was happy to receive a close friend of India and an eminent leader under whose leadership Maldives had emerged as a stable and prosperous nation.

The President said that Maldives was a major partner and close friend of India in the Indian Ocean Region. The peoples of the two countries had enjoyed strong cultural, economic and trade ties for centuries. Maldives had a special place in India's 'neighbourhood first policy'. She was happy to note that India's need-based financial and development assistance is supporting Maldives Government's development priorities, according to a press release issued by the Rashtrapati Bhavan.

The President said that the rapid expansion of India-Maldives development cooperation, defence and security initiatives, economic ties and people-to-people contact augured well for Indias relationship with the Government and people of Maldives. She appreciated the courage and perseverance of the government and people of Maldives during the COVID-19 outbreak. She was happy to note that the strong India-Maldives cooperation during the pandemic had been lauded as a model for the entire region, said a spokesperson of Rashtrapati Bhavan.
Work on the provision of a new outdoor seating and dining area on Bishop Street in the city has been completed.

Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council, Councillor Sandra Duffy, unveiled the new outdoor area to the public.

The new seating area was created to assist local businesses in the area to attract an increased footfall and more amenities for customers

The works were being carried out under the Covid Recovery Revitalisation Scheme, which is supported by funding from the Department for Communities.

The scheme forms part of a programme of interventions aimed at revitalising town and city centres emerging from the COVID-19 pandemic, including environmental and infrastructural improvements as well as a business support plan.

A spokesperson for the Council said: "As part of the design, a temporary public realm space has been created to enhance the character of Bishop Street, with the creation of new outdoor seating and outdoor dining areas to assist local businesses in the area to attract an increased footfall and more amenities for customers to avail of.

"The temporary pilot is in place for an initial trial period of 18 months and forms part of the projects initially launched and consulted on by Derry City and Strabane District Council in 2021 under its Streetlife & Vibrant Places Strategy.

"The work on the project took place over the summer period with some minor disruption to businesses, pedestrians and traffic during this period."

Minister for Communities, Deirdre Hargey said: The funding my Department has made available to councils through the Covid Recovery Revitalisation project continues to help our towns and cities as they continue to recover from the effects of the pandemic.

The completion of the works at Bishop Street in Derry will provide outdoor dining space where people can safely meet and socialise, increasing footfall and regenerating the area.

This is one of a number of schemes that has been delivered through my Departments funding in order to meet local needs, support businesses and stimulate much-needed growth for the local economy.

Mayor Sandra Duffy at the launch of the Bishop Street Parklets, with Colin Greer, DFC (left) and Paul McCole, proprietor Sandwich Company. (Photo - Tom Heaney, nwpresspics)

Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council, Councillor Sandra Duffy, welcoming the completion of the work said: "Bishop Street is a busy and popular business thoroughfare and this work is a really positive way of supporting the businesses in this part of the city centre as they continue their recovery from the extremely challenging pandemic period.

"We hope this investment will not only help instil some confidence back into the city centre and attract greater footfall, but will also reinforce the message around making our city centre more pedestrian friendly within our historic walled city.

"I think it creates a very sociable and friendly space where friends and family can congregate in a safe outdoor environment while supporting local businesses."

The work has seen a small number of on-street parking spaces being made temporarily unavailable.

The spokesperson added: "There are still in the region of 450 off-street and on-street car parking spaces for use in the local vicinity. Additional accessibility car parking spaces are also available at Bishop Street car park."

Anyone with any queries relating to the scheme can contact the team at regeneration@derrystrabane.com
Motorists travelling from Belfast to Derry and vice versa will face changes to their journey this weekend as the new A6 dual carriageway which has been in use for a number of weeks in single file traffic will now close completely from Friday August 5.

Local councillor Sean McGlinchey hit out at the lack of communication and information being made available to local residents and commuters,

Only I rang the contractor there about another question otherwise we wouldn't even have known this closure was happening, he said.

I am angry that people are not being kept up to date about these changes. This will mean we are back to major congestion on the main street in Dungiven and road users have the right to know about this information in advance so that they can make preparations.

Cllr Sean McGlinchey

I'd expect that this means the buses will go back to picking up and laying down passengers at the original stops in the town, we are waiting on confirmation from Translink, but this lack of information from the contractor is just not good enough, said councillor McGlinchey.

Last night the main contractor for the project, SWS had posted a traffic update for August as follows;

From Friday 5th August the new A6 mainline at Dungiven roundabout to Claudy will be closed to allow permanent works to be completed on this section of the road. Traffic will travel along the A6/ Glenshane Rd / Foreglen Rd to Dungiven/Claudy and vice versa.

The Feeny Road will close at its junction with the A6/ Glenshane Rd/ Foreglen Rd on Monday 8th August 2022 for approx. 1 week. This closure is required to complete final surfacing and permanent road marking works on the Feeny Rd.

During the closure a signed diversion will be in place via B74 Glenshane Rd, B69 Baranailt Rd, A6 Glenshane Rd and vice vera for road users. Local access will be maintained.
A County Derry historical society is set to remember a renowned local solicitor by releasing a book to honour his legacy.

Limavady solicitor David Brewster passed away suddenly in January 2021.

As well as his background in law, Mr Brewster was a former Vice Chairperson of Limavady United FC, a former member of the UUP, having resigned in protest against the Good Friday Agreement.

He was an active member of the Orange Order and a member of Roe Valley Historical Society, which was founded by his father Harry.

Current secretary of the Society and serving Causeway Coast and Glens councillor Aaron Callan was a long-term friend of David's.

He was a character, I always enjoyed going down to his office every so often, and you wouldn't know what item he would bring out of his cabinet, or topic he would bring up, he told the County Derry Post.

He was a fascinating guy who had so many different interests. It wasn't just politics he was fascinated by, or the law, but you had sports, religion, current affairs.

He was such a multi-talented guy, so engaging. I just loved picking up the phone to him, emailing him or meeting him every so often and picking his brain.

I was just saying to somebody last night that when news came through about Lord Trimble's passing I would have loved to have a conversation with David about it.

You sort of miss the opportunity of having that conversation with David, because he brought a unique insight into a conversation.

He always had something witty to say, or a different insight you never would have thought about. When the news came through that he passed away, it was such a tremendous shock.

The late David Brewster pictured with Jonathan Holmes, Ernest Clyde, James McCorkell and Aaron Callan.

A family friend, Mr Brewster later acted as a role model and confidant for Cllr Callan as he entered politics.

David was the solicitor for my granny and she used to talk about going to the office  he had quite a big dog and she jumped on the desk one time she was that scared of it, he said.

He was always somebody that I knew about, and then when I became older and interested in politics and engaged with him a bit more, he was such a fascinating figure, he said.

He got elected to the Northern Ireland Forum and was ultimately involved in the talks that led to the Belfast Agreement.

He was a great source of inspiration, guidance and knowledge for me and a really good friend that you could pick up the phone to if you had an issue to pick through or discuss.

After his passing, David left a number of books to the Limavady Orange Heritage Centre, and it was during a day spent transporting the books that the idea for a publication was born.

We spent several days ferrying books from David's house, and I mean thousands of books. We were sitting with all the books on the table, often a foot high, said Aaron.

We were wondering what we should do with it and then the idea and concept of a library in memory of David was born.

David was always passionate about history and politics, current affairs and sport, but he was also passionate about the written word.

He had published in various publications throughout the years, had appeared on TV and radio, and was always passionate about passing on local knowledge.

I thought it would be a fitting and lasting tribute to David if we did a publication in his memory that reflected his interests and also the man himself.

The publication itself  'A Life Well Lived'  showcases the solicitor's range of interests, with articles written by himself merging with personal reflections of his friends as well as historical pieces.

There are articles from people who knew David personally, who worked with him and were friends with him, which will show his wit and caring nature, said Cllr Callan.

On the history side, there are articles about Limavady in the 1800s, an article written by David himself on a guy called Thomas St George McCarthy, one of the founding members of the GAA.

There is an article on WE Reilly, who was originally from Coleraine, became a judge in the Republic of Ireland and was the solicitor used by the British during the Easter Rising trials.

So hopefully there are enough history articles and personal reflections to make it interesting for people to read.

As well as honouring the legacy of Mr Brewster, all the proceeds from the book will go to support two local charities  Cancer Focus NI and NI Chest Heart and Stroke.

'A Life Well Lived' will be launched at the Apprentice Boys' Memorial Hall, Society Street, Derry on Wednesday August 10 at 6.00pm, with refreshements from 6.30pm as part of the Maiden City Festival. For more information contact aaroncallan@live.co.uk.
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Rendering courtesy of Enscape [enlarge] A rendering by Otavio Oliveira using an earlier version of the software.





Enscape, a German company which provides real-time visualization, 3D rendering, and virtual reality technology for the global AEC industry, has released Enscape 3.4., the latest version of its real-time rendering software.





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NEW YORK (AP)  The crypto division of the financial services company Robinhood will pay a $30 million penalty to New York state for failing to comply with regulations governing money laundering and cybersecurity.

The state's Department of Financial Services said Tuesday that an examination of Robinhood Crypto's operations from Jan. 24, 2019, through Sept. 30, 2019, found serious compliance deficiencies. Among other issues, department officials said the company failed to provide a dedicated phone number for consumer complaints on its website.





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SEATTLE  The Noreg, at 2600-2606 N.W. 58th St., sold for a bit over $5.2 million, according to King County records.

The seller was the Odegaard family, which acquired the land in the mid 1980s for about $136,000, then developed it in two phases.





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SEATTLE  An office building at 411 12th Ave. sold for over $4.3 million, according to King County records.

The seller was Varnau Ventures LLC, a family group that had owned property for decades  and may have developed it.





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SEATTLE  A small old duplex at 606 Aloha St. sold six years ago to a local investor. Not long after that sale, for under $1 million, there emerged a five-story, 24-unit redevelopment plan from CHC Architects.

That passed relatively swiftly through administrative design review, under the old zoning. However, it was snagged by the implementation of Mandatory Housing Affordability in Lower Queen Anne, which came in 2017.





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The renowned stop-motion British television figure Shaun the Sheep will fly on the first flight of the new Space Launch System (SLS) to launch the Artemis program, according to the European Space Agency (ESA).

Shaun the Sheep Will Go to Space

Shaun the Sheep has been given a seat on the Artemis I mission to the Moon, according to a Tuesday announcement from Aardman and the ESA. Shaun will participate in the first mission of NASA's Orion spacecraft, which is designed to orbit the Moon and back.

Shaun has also been spotted on a parabolic flight in a special Airbus "zero g" A310 aircraft that simulates microgravity-like conditions to "train" for the expedition, according to the news story of CNET.

Orion and Shaun will travel farther on this expedition than any human or stop-motion animation character has ever done-nearly 500,000 kilometers (311,000 miles).

Before the rocket's upper stage ignites to send the spacecraft into a translunar orbit, it will first enter a low-Earth orbit.

Engadget reported that the mission will take Shaun and Commander Moonikin Campos beyond the moon aboard the agency's Orion spacecraft. After 39 to 42 days in space, if everything goes according to plan, the capsule should land on Earth.

Shaun the Sheep Is Not the First Plush Toy To Go to Space

It has become customary for space crews to include a plush toy on missions ever since Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin brought a little doll with him, according to an Engadget news story. This tradition has included some unmanned flights as well.

For instance, the news outlet said the Boeing Starliner spacecraft carried a plush toy representing Jebediah Kerman from the Kerbal Space Program to the International Space Station in May.

Read More: NASA's Perseverance Rover Successfully Collects 11 Martian Sample

When Will Artemis I Launch?

It was previously reported that soon, Florida's Kennedy Space Center will witness the launch of the SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft. The three launch dates that NASA is considering are Aug. 29, Sept. 2, and Sept. 5.

Before returning to Earth and falling into the Pacific Ocean, the unmanned Orion spacecraft will spend several weeks in lunar orbit.

The following are the launch times and mission durations as we have reported previously:

Aug. 29: 8:33 a.m. ET, 42 days, Oct. 10 landing

Sept. 2: 12:48 p.m. ET, 39 days, Oct. 11 landing

Sept. 5: 5:12 p.m. ET, 42 days, Oct. 17 landing

For the launch, lunar flight, and splashdown on Earth, NASA should make sure that all required systems have been cleared. Work continues to fix issues that were found during the wet dress rehearsal before the SLS stack leaves the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

The SLS stack must pass such tests within the VAB before the spacecraft may proceed to the launch pad.

How Important is the Artemis Mission

The Artemis I mission's goals are to evaluate the SLS rocket's performance and demonstrate Orion's ability to return from the Moon and survive re-entry into Earth's atmosphere. If everything goes as planned, Artemis II, a human flight around the Moon, might happen in 2025.

Related Article: NASA's Artemis 1 Moon Rocket Finally Gets a Launch Date
Police investigating the suspected illegal importation of animals into Northern Ireland have seized 57 puppies, three adult dogs and a cat.

A 44-year-old man has been arrested following the operation at the Belfast harbour estate.

Detectives believe the animals may have been brought to Northern Ireland from the Republic and were destined for sale in England or Scotland.

PSNI Detective Inspector Conor Sweeney said: The male was arrested on suspicion of a number of offences including fraud by false representation and possession of articles for use in fraud.

A quantity of cash was also seized.

He remains in custody helping with ongoing enquiries.

The seized puppies are of assorted breeds including golden retriever, cockapoo, miniature terrier, French bull dog, American bull dog, cocker spaniel, dachshunds and roan spaniel.

They are being examined by a vet.

Mr Sweeney added: We suspect many of the dogs had been illegally imported into Northern Ireland from Republic of Ireland for onward sale within England and Scotland.

Police are absolutely committed to tackling the smuggling of illegal commodities through Northern Irelands ports.

Most recent seizures by the Organised Crime Unit have been in relation to illegal drugs.

However, as this operation has shown, drugs are not the only items being traded illegally.

Smuggling is often conducted by sophisticated cross-border organised criminal groups.

Such groups will not discriminate when it comes to the commodity being smuggled  should that be drugs, cigarettes, people, or in this case, animals.

I use the word commodity as this is how crime gangs view the people and animals they smuggle  as nothing but commodities which they can exploit to line their own pockets.

Those involved in puppy smuggling do not care about the horrendous impact this type of criminal activity can have both on the animals and on the victims who innocently buy them as family pets.

If anyone has information about any illegal activity, please contact police on 101.
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Plans for a five story mixed use building comprising retail/office units and 18 apartments at Francis Street in Dundalk, are progressing with the submission of significant further information on the proposed development to Louth County Council.

Ms Paula Tiernan had applied to the local authority in September 2021 for planning permission for the demolition of an existing single storey office building and the construction of a five storey mixed use building comprising two retail/office units at ground floor level and 18 apartments over four storeys above.

The planned apartments would comprise 12, one bed apartments; one, one bed apartment and and six, two bed apartments. The proposed floors levels 1-3 consist of four, one bed and one, two bed, while floor level four consists of three, two bed apartments. The application also provided for bin storage, cycle parking, pedestrian & vehicular entrances, car parking, site lighting, foul and surface water drainage and all associated site development works.

Louth County Council sought further information in October of last year on the proposed development, which was received by the local authority on 28 July. The "significant" further information provided to the Council, includes a design statement, revised plans, sections and elevations, revised site plans, shadow projection drawings/details and associated report.

It also includes photomontages/3d images of the revised development, details relating to the legal ownership/title and rights of way, details relating to the roads and traffic/car parking management including electric vehicle charging, bicycle parking details and details relating to services including Irish water confirmation of feasibility and surface water attenuation structures.

A decision is now due on the application by 24 August, with submissions due by 10 August.
A police officer walks in front of the U.S. Consulate in Shanghai, Aug. 2. EPA-Yonhap



North Korea on Wednesday slammed U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan, calling the move an "impudent interference" by Washington into another nation's internal affairs.



Pyongyang's foreign ministry said the visit is "arousing serious concern of the international community," as it stated support for China's strong protest.






People walk past a billboard welcoming U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, in Taipei, Taiwan, Aug 2. AP-Yonhap



U.S. President Joe Biden welcomes the ongoing trip to Asia by the speaker of the House of Representatives that will soon take her to South Korea and Japan, a White House official said Tuesday.



The remarks by John Kirby, National Security Council coordinator for strategic communications, came as Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) arrived in Taiwan on a visit protested by Beijing.



"The president has already seen that Speaker Pelosi has already accomplished some important conversations on this trip with respect to foreign policy with her stop in Singapore and Kuala Lumpur," Kirby said in a White House press briefing.



"And then you know she's already announced she's moving on to Japan and South Korea, two of our treaty allies in the Pacific. So he welcomes her conversations. He welcomes her contributions to American foreign policy and our foreign policy objectives overseas," he added.



His remarks came in response to a question whether Pelosi's trip to Taiwan helps or undermines U.S. foreign policy interests in the region.






EVELYNE Cynk, a disability activist from Germany, is blazing a trail for other people with disabilities who want to live a full life, and is moving to Cork later this month to pursue her dream of becoming a writer.

Evelyne has accepted a place in University College Cork this coming academic year, to complete a Masters in Creative Writing and an internship with Stinging Fly literary magazine.

Confined to a wheelchair, Evelyne is the first person in Germany, and she believes in the EU, to try and emigrate while receiving 24-hour care.

Its a bit of an adventure. Im relocating with no-one, and just have to rely on complete strangers to understand what I need and take me seriously, she said.

Under the Charter of EU Fundamental Rights, and the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Evelyne has the same rights as any other EU citizen to move and reside freely in any member state.

Evelyne Cynk. Pic: Yelyzaveta Hubar

The latest European Disability Strategy, adopted in March 2021, specifically states that persons with disabilities should enjoy all rights on an equal basis with others, notably when moving to another member state.

However, as Evelyne has learnt, trying to realise those rights as a person with a disability is far from easy.

Earlier this year it seemed her hopes of ever reaching Cork were crushed, as her state-funded care provider in Germany, Landschaftsverband Westfalen-Lippe (LWL), refused to transfer funding for her 24-hour personal assistance to an Irish company.

It said there was no legal basis for financial contributions for assistance services when a person wants to live in a foreign country, and that they would only support her care if Evelyne was habitually resident in Germany.

Evelyne said that this is in contravention of her rights as an EU citizen, and launched a determined campaign to fight with every fibre of [her] being to get to Cork.

Several months on from being told it would be impossible to follow her dream of moving to Ireland, Evelyne said there is now light on the horizon, as the company has agreed to transfer her care to an Irish care company, Home Care Direct, and she is set to move to Cork at the end of the summer.

Michael Harty, founder and owner of Home Care Direct, said her case is a first for them, as they supply personal assistance services to Evelyne for her move across Europe, and her continuing day-to-day needs in Ireland.

He highlighted that Evelynes struggle to move her disability supports to Ireland demonstrates a common lack of choice for people to make their own decisions about their care.

Evelyne is an incredibly capable person. Shes a person with a disability who wants to manage her own life, and make her own decisions without excessive outside interference, and a lot of people with disabilities here in Ireland face the same battle, he said.

There is a terrible lack of trust in people with disabilities making decisions about their own life. We often feel theres an excessive amount of handholding that goes on by the State with regards supporting people to live independent lives, older or disabled people, and we have this kind of one-size-fits-all system that everybody is funnelled through.

Peoples needs and circumstances are incredibly varied. The options that are available to them should be varied as well. Thats what Evelyn is fighting for: choice. To have choices and to be able to make choices, he said.

Evelyne says her ultimate dream is to stay in Ireland, make it as a professional writer and artist, and eventually become an Irish citizen.

An LWL spokesperson said that if Evelyne wants to continue to live in Ireland after her studies nothing prevents Ms Cynk from doing so, and she should apply for care assistance here, under her EU right to take advantage of the social benefits of the country she lives in.

However, because LWL have said they will not fund her care to stay in Ireland after she finishes college, Evelyne is facing a move back to Germany in two years time  unless she successfully campaigns for her care to be taken up by the Irish state while she is here.

Evelyne Cynk

The Independent Living Movement Ireland, a national advocacy group led by disabled people, say Evelynes rights as an EU citizen are being infringed.

We believe that under the Charter for Fundamental Rights, Evelyne is entitled to a right to education, a right to social security and social assistance and freedom of movement. Most importantly, Evelyne is entitled to [be] treated equally as a disabled woman to attain those fundamental rights, said an Independent Living Movement Ireland spokesperson. They said that unfortunately, many other disabled people, like Evelyne, are denied the chance to realise their dreams to travel, study, work and experience life in other countries as they are unable to bring the supports they have in one country to another.

Evelyne has found a job in social media to support her while she is studying in Ireland. In correspondence with Evelyne, Solvit, a Europe wide problem-solving network that responds to complaints from EU citizens who feel their rights are being denied, confirmed that as an employed person, Evelyne falls within the scope of free movement of workers provisions.

STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION

Evelyne said this confirmation is a step in the right direction not only for her own case as she campaigns for a way to stay in Ireland, but for every person with a disability.

This is a step in the right direction that benefits all of us people with disabilities, in our road to freedom and to free movement within Europe, at least when we are a working person, she said.

However, she said anyone with a disability should be recognised as an EU citizen with full rights to free movement, even without a job, and especially so as disabled people often cannot work for fear of losing State supports.

What would be beneficial for the entire disability community, is that people acknowledge us as European citizens even if we arent working, because in some cases its just not possible to be a full working person, because people lose their support, she said.

Evelyne has continued to fight for her right to move here, where she says she feels she belongs. Despite warnings that inclusion and accessibility for disabled people in Ireland is far from perfect, Evelyne believes Ireland is far ahead of Germany in terms of attitude.

Its just unbelievable how much support I get from Ireland. Im fighting all on my own here in Germany with no-one to help me and nobody is taking me seriously, she said.

Evelyne hopes the Irish understanding extends to recognising her rights as an EU citizen, and finding a solution for her to be able to stay in Ireland. I hope that Ireland has some understanding of the legal rights I have as a full European citizen, but first and foremost I am really happy to come to Ireland and get my education. Im just taking it step by step, and I am very grateful for so much help, she said.

I have had so much support from my course professors in UCC who have been working constantly with me to help me with my case, Im very happy to have them in my corner, she said.

SUPPORT

A UCC spokesperson: Our Access UCC Disability support and Accommodation and Community Life teams have been pro-actively engaging with Evelyn to support her to undertake her studies in UCC, and we look forward to welcoming her here in the new academic year.

UCC is committed to supporting all students who wish to study in UCC, and welcomes queries from students about entry routes to UCC and about services available to support their progression to UCC, they said. As she continues to battle for her right to move and remain in Ireland, Evelyne has been invited to Leinster House tomorrow, by senator and disability advocate Tom Clonan.

They want to meet me and let me explain my situation. I really hope to get my point across about what I want to do for Ireland and for their inclusion, and that I really hope that the law may change in regards to my staying, she said.

Everyone has the right to move and live where they want. Im being restricted from my rights, but regardless of my problems, I want to highlight the issues for all people with disabilities.

This is an issue for every European citizen with a disability, and there has to be some change, she said.
Fota Wildlife Park is working on a brand new Education, Conservation and Research Centre.

The new 5m project is set to start construction next month.

Three critically endangered Black and white ruffed lemur babies born to 20-year-old mother Cloud and 10-year-old father, Paraic at Fota Wildlife Park. Picture: Michael O'Sullivan /OSM PHOTO

According to the Irish Examiner, the new facility will educate young minds on the importance of the wildlife kingdom and biodiversity.

Fota Wildlife Park director Sean McKeown has said the park hopes some 30,000 Junior and Leaving Certificate students will be visiting the new facility once it is completed.

Giraffe's feeding at Fota Wildlife park. Picture; Eddie O'Hare

Among future plans for the popular Cork attraction is a new restaurant and indoor interpretive centre along with additional animals and species, such as Asiatic bears and Bongo or Sable Antelopes as well as a new house for Siamang gibbons, native to Malaysia and Sumatra.
Founded in 2005 as an Ohio-based environmental newspaper, EcoWatch is a digital platform dedicated to publishing quality, science-based content on environmental issues, causes, and solutions.

A new study has found an alarming loss in forest areas globally, including that global forest area per capita has dropped from 1.4 hectares in 1960 to just 0.5 hectares per person by 2019, a 60% decline.

The research, lead by Ronald Estoque from the Center for Biodiversity and Climate Change, Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute (FFPRI) and published in Environmental Research Letters, found a total forest decline by 81.7 million hectares since 1960.

According to the study, global gross forest loss over the time period (1960 to 2019) reached 437.3 million hectares, which outweighed the total gross forest gain of 355.6 million hectares during that time.

This forest loss combined with an increasing population from around 3 billion people in 1960 to 7.7 billion people in 2019 has led to a 60% decrease in forest area per capita. Loss of this scale will impact millions of people, the study explained.

The continuous loss and degradation of forests affect the integrity of forest ecosystems, reducing their ability to generate and provide essential services and sustain biodiversity, the study authors said, as reported by IOP Publishing. It also impacts the lives of at least 1.6 billion people worldwide, predominantly in developing countries, who depend on forests for various purposes.

Forests cover nearly one-third of the planet currently and are essential for biodiversity. Globally, forests are home to more than 60,000 tree species and provide habitat to about 80% of all amphibian species, 75% of bird species and 68% of mammal species, according to United Nations Environment Programme. But disappearing and fragmenting forests threaten these unique species.

But humans have altered nearly 75% of land on Earth, including forests. Aside from threatening biodiversity, the UN warns that forests are important for curbing climate change and supporting all life on Earth, including human life. Deforestation and other forms of land degradation also contribute to increasing cases of zoonotic diseases.

While illegal logging plays a part in forest loss, the No. 1 cause of deforestation is agriculture, as more and more land is razed for growing crops or raising livestock. More monitoring, preservation, and reforestation globally is necessary to maintain forested land and prevent major biodiversity loss.

Today, monitoring of the worlds forests is an integral part of various global environmental and social initiatives, including the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the Paris Climate Agreement and the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework, the authors said. To help achieve the goals of these initiatives, there is a profound need to reverse, or at least flatten, the global net forest loss curve by conserving the worlds remaining forests and restoring and rehabilitating degraded forest landscapes.
U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi walks after leaving the Legislative Yuan after her meeting with Taiwanese legislators in Taipei, Taiwan, Aug. 3. Pelosi began her visit in Taiwan, the highest ranking U.S. official to visit the island in 25 years, despite strong warnings of military action from China against the visit. EPA-Yonhap



The presidential office called Wednesday for regional peace and stability through dialogue as U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi made a high-profile visit to Taiwan.



Pelosi, who is set to arrive in Korea as part of her Asian tour, visited Taiwan late Tuesday, becoming the highest-ranking elected U.S. official to visit self-ruled island in 25 years. China, which claims sovereignty over Taiwan, has strongly protested against Pelosi's visit.



Asked about Pelosi's visit to Taiwan, an official at the presidential office said, "Our government's stance is that we will maintain close communication with the nations concerned on all issues under the banner of the need for peace and stability in the region through dialogue and cooperation."



The presidential office "welcomes" Pelosi's visit to Korea and hopes to make achievements during her talks with National Assembly Speaker Kim Jin-pyo, the official said.










US pork exports increase to Mexico and the Dominican Republic



The US Meat Export Federation (USMEF) said US pork exports to the Dominican Republic is expanding dramatically, with May exports more than doubling from a year ago and year-to-date shipments running 40% faster than last year's record pace, even though Mexico remains the top market for American pork, DRGNews reported.

USMEF also said pork exports in May 2022 were the highest this year in both volume at 224,677 metric tonnes, and value at US$655.1 million.

Lucia Ruano, the USMEF representative in Central America and the Dominican Republic, said while there is a high demand for pork in the Dominican Republic, domestic production there has been affected by African swine fever (ASF), which was first identified in the country last summer.

In the Dominican Republic, there is an increasing demand for premium pork cuts. USMEF promotes American pork as a cost-effective option for hotels and restaurants, which are benefiting from a significant uptick in tourist traffic, with the help of USDA and the National Pork Board. Additionally, US pork is a popular product in the Dominican Republic's retail industry, which is expanding quickly.

- DRGNews




Korea's Trade Minister Ahn Duk-geun called Wednesday for the establishment of close communication channels with the Chinese government and civilian entities to boost bilateral trade and investment.







Ahn made the remarks during a meeting with experts in Seoul as Korea is seeking to strengthen economic relations with China on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of establishing diplomatic ties, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.







"It is crucial to create environments where Korean and Chinese companies continue trade and investment in a stable manner amid growing external uncertainties," Ahn said.







"For the goal, the two nations' trade authorities need to set up close communication channels involving civilian and state entities. It is also important to make the most of the bilateral free trade agreement for enhanced cooperation," he added.







China is Korea's largest trade partner. In 2021, bilateral trade hit an all-time high of $301.5 billion, up 24.8 percent from a year earlier. The comparable figure for 1992 was $6.3 billion, government data showed. (Yonhap)






Team IOM Medals >> 0 0 0

Day Six: Jessica Li ready for Women's Badminton Singles Round

Wed, 03 Aug 2022

Jessica Li will face Zambia's Elizbeth Chipaleme at the 2022 Commonwealth Games later.

The 23-year-old was forced to withdraw from competition at the Gold Coast Games with an ankle injury in 2018.

Jessica will be on the badminton court at the NEC at 5:30pm.

She spoke to Energy FM earlier this week at the Athletes Village:

Media

Jessica Li IV
Team IOM Medals >> 0 0 0

Day Six: Kiera finishes her first Games experience

Wed, 03 Aug 2022

17-year-old Kiera Prentice was back in the pool at the 2022 Commonwealth Games earlier.

She finished with a time of 4.48.86 in the Women's 400m Freestyle.

Kiera is one of the youngest Team of Man competitors and competing at her first Games.

Speaking on Manx Radio, Keira said she was looking ahead to the future:

Media

Keira Prentice Weds Clip
Team IOM Medals >> 0 0 0

Day Six: Jessica Li defeats Zambia's Elizabeth Chipeleme to progress to next round

Wed, 03 Aug 2022

There were roars from the crowd when the Isle of Man's Jessica Li took to Court 3 at the NEC this evening.

She won 0-2 against Zambia's Elizabeth Chipeleme.

Game One saw Li win 15-21 and another win in Game Two 8-21.

The 24-year-old moves through to the next round tomorrow. She'll face Sabrina Scott from Barbados in the Women's Singles Round of 32.

Jessica said she was pleased with her performance.

She spoke to Energy FM afterwards.

Videos

Jessica Li Interview
Landlords encouraged to offer housing for key workers

Landlords are encouraged to come forward and consider offering accommodation for public sector key workers.

The call for properties comes from the Housing and Communities Board who are aiming to make more rental properties available for key workers wanting to relocate to the Isle of Man but are having difficulty due to lack of available housing.

Any landlord who wishes to offer their rental properties is asked to express their interest using the new form. Information collated will be used to identify a list of suitable accommodation for key workers, who will then be encouraged to contact the landlord to discuss potential tenancy.

Infrastructure Minister and Chair of Housing and Communities Board, Chris Thomas MHK said: Were aware that key workers, including teachers and health professionals, are struggling to find suitable properties due to the shortage of rental accommodation available. Therefore, the Board is putting out a call for landlords to come forward and consider offering their accommodation to help our key workers.

He continued: This is only the first step in our response to key worker housing. For instance, Manx Development Corporation is progressing plans to develop the former Nurses Home for key workers. Tackling key workers housing is an important element of responding to our housing crisis.

Eligible landlords who are interested should be registered, or be prepared to register on the Voluntary Landlords Register.
From left, Rep. Kweon Seong-dong of the ruling People Power Party, National Assembly Speaker Kim Jin-pyo and Rep. Park Hong-geun of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea / Yonhap



The floor leaders of the ruling and the main opposition parties will join National Assembly Speaker Kim Jin-pyo in a meeting with U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi later this week, officials said Wednesday.



Rep. Kweon Seong-dong of the ruling People Power Party and Rep. Park Hong-geun of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea will take part in the meeting between Kim and Pelosi to be held at the National Assembly on Thursday morning.






Microsoft has flagged a formatting bug that freezes Outlook whenever you open emails with complex tables, including, er, Uber receipts. The glitch is so powerful it even crashes Word, too. The problem was first noted in a standard release of Outlook, but existing beta and Current Channel Preview versions face the same bug if they try to open messages with tables.

Microsoft says its developed a fix to reach beta users "shortly" and get to everyone in a patch arriving August 9th. If you really need to see a breakdown of that last Uber trip, you can revert to the earlier version in Windows by running Command Prompt instructions in Microsoft's support document .

 Mat Smith

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The biggest stories you might have missed

Who says greatness has to be expensive?

The middle of the smartphone road has amazing options that balance price and features. These days, you can still get incredible cameras, vivid screens and decent battery life without breaking the bank. But there are so many  so where do you start? How about this guide? Weve just updated it with a new overall winner.

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Infrared light detection has increased the detail.

NASA

NASA and its partners on the James Webb Space Telescope have shared a fresh look at the Cartwheel Galaxy. It reveals extra details about both the star formation and the black hole at the center of the galaxy, which is around 500 million light-years from Earth. Using infrared light detection, JWST could peer through the dust that obscured the Cartwheel Galaxy from view when other telescopes observed it.

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Fix your smartphone or tablet on your own terms.

iFixit

Samsung's self-repair program, in collaboration with iFixit, is finally available. You can now try to fix your Galaxy S20, Galaxy S21 or Galaxy Tab S7+ with officially sanctioned components and tools, complete with guides to walk you through the repair process. The initial selection is just screen and batteries, charging ports and back glass, with prices ranging between $67 (for a charging port on any model) to $227 (for a Tab S7+ display).

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The Prime perk is currently available in 10 US metro areas.

Amazon is giving some Prime members another perk. Subscribers in more than 10 US metro areas will now be able to shop from select local brick-and-mortar stores through Amazon and have the items delivered to their home on the same day. At the moment, participating retailers include apparel brands PacSun, Superdry and Diesel, as well as popular vitamin retailer GNC.

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They're working with Xbox Cloud Gaming and NVIDIA GeForce Now.

Logitech and Tencent have announced they're working on a handheld cloud gaming device. They're blending the Logitech G brand's hardware know-how with Tencent's software prowess. According to their landing page, the device is tentatively  and imaginatively  called the Logitech G Gaming Handheld. It will "support multiple cloud gaming services," Logitech said. Tencent and Logitech are working with the Xbox Cloud Gaming and GeForce Now teams at Microsoft and NVIDIA, so expect the handheld to support both platforms.

Continue reading.

The site was bombarded by more than 200 times the normal traffic.

As more than 300,000 people anxiously watched the flight path of SPAR19, the US Air Force plane carrying Nancy Pelosi on her tour of Asia, Taiwans presidential website went down in an apparent cyberattack. According to Taiwanese presidential spokesperson Chang Tun-Han, the attack originated outside Taiwan and saw the website bombarded with more than 200 times its regular traffic. They claim the website was back to normal operation within 20 minutes.

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Beijing's anger at a visit by U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan coincides with Chinese military exercises taking place within Taiwan's 12-nautical mile sea and air territory, according to Taiwan's defense ministry.
OPEC+ is set to raise its oil output goal by 100,000 barrels per day, an amount analysts said was an insult to U.S. President Joe Biden after his trip to Saudi Arabia to ask the producer group's leader to pump more to help the global economy.
U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi arrived in Chinese-claimed Taiwan aboard a U.S. military aircraft, the first such visit in 25 years and one that risks pushing relations between Washington and Beijing to a new low.
United Nations chief Antonio Guterres urged governments to tax excessive profits of oil and gas companies. Energy giants Exxon Mobil, Chevron, Shell and TotalEnergies produced a combined profit of $51 billion in the most recent quarter.
Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen, right, and U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi wave during their meeting in Taipei, Taiwan, Wednesday. EPA-Yonhap



No meetings planned between No. 3 US politician and South Korean president, foreign minister



By Kang Seung-woo



A visit by U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to South Korea is likely to perplex Seoul further in the handling of its relations with China, which are already at an inflection point due to pending bilateral yet volatile issues.



Pelosi is widely expected to urge longtime ally South Korea to respond to the U.S.-led campaign against China's authoritarianism, according to diplomatic observers.



The U.S. house speaker, the third-highest official in the U.S. government, arrived here, Wednesday, for a two-day trip following her visit to Taiwan.



Her visit to South Korea, the first time since 2015, comes as the United States has been seeking more coordination among its allies and partners to counter China, as evidenced by its proposal for Seoul to join the Chip 4 or Fab 4, an envisaged chip alliance with Japan, Taiwan and South Korea. But the Chinese government has also pressured and persuaded Seoul against edging away from Beijing, its largest trading partner. The chip alliance is a platform apparently aimed at countering China's growing influence on global supply chains.



In addition, China has urged South Korea to uphold the previous administration's commitment to the "Three Nos" policy on the U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) deployment, which called for no additional THAAD missile battery deployments, no Korean integration into a U.S.-led regional missile defense system and no trilateral alliance with the U.S. and Japan.



"Amid the deepening U.S.-China rivalry, China has threatened military actions and it could invoke a U.S. response in kind, which would eventually affect South Korea, because of the South's alliance with the U.S.," said Kim Heung-kyu, the director of the U.S.-China Policy Institute at Ajou University.



"With Pelosi's visit to Taipei, the Chinese government could take retaliatory action against Taiwan, which would work to South Korea's advantage in the short term because South Korea and Taiwan compete in the semiconductor sector, but it would not necessarily be a good thing for us in the long run, so stable relations between the U.S. and China, and between Taiwan and China will be in the national interest here," Kim said.



Park Won-gon, a professor of North Korean studies at Ewha Womans University, also said Pelosi's visit could leave less diplomatic room for South Korea to maneuver in its ties with China.



"As the rivalry is intertwined with each country's respective domestic politics, both the U.S. and China cannot back off against each other," he said.



"In that respect, with the hegemonic competition between the two powerhouses further intensifying, if South Korea decides to commit to the Chip 4, possible Chinese responses could be fierier and inflammable," he said.





Kim, Pelosi agree to support efforts for denuclearization of North Korea Yoon to speak by phone with US House Speaker Pelosi Pelosi to meet Nat'l Assembly speaker amid heightened regional tensions over Taiwan visit Nancy Pelosi vs. Lee Jun-seok Park said Pelosi's op-ed, posted on The Washington Post, Tuesday (local time), summed up what her plan will be while in South Korea.



"She described the U.S.-China competition as a choice between autocracy and democracy and as an extension of the article, she is highly anticipated to discuss the issue here and hope that we pick the U.S. side," Park said.



"In addition, while taking issue with North Korea's human rights abuses, she is also likely to take issue with those of China, and we should deal with those issues in a smooth manner," he said.



Traditionally, when senior U.S. government officials visit here, they hold a meeting with either the president, the foreign minister or other senior ministry officials. But this time, National Assembly Speaker Kim Jin-pyo will be the lone senior official from the South Korean side  a stark contrast to Pelosi's previous visit seven years ago when she met former President Park Geun-hye and former Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se, as well as former National Assembly Speaker Chung Ui-hwa.



Currently, President Yoon Suk-yeol is on vacation, while Foreign Minister Park Jin left for Cambodia on Wednesday to attend the ASEAN Regional Forum.



A resident watches news about the expected visit of U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, in Taipei, Taiwan, Tuesday. EPA-Yonhap

However, diplomatic experts believe the absence of meetings with the president or foreign minister during Pelosi's visit here is due to the South Korean government's cautious stance on not provoking China.



"Pelosi is the No. 3 politician in the U.S. and if this were in the past, the president or the foreign minister would have tried to hold talks with her, but I think that this time the government seems to have decided not to excessively politicize the issue and unnecessarily antagonize China," Kim said.



Park also said, "If she makes a visit to the foreign ministry, they would be talking about foreign affairs, which will inevitably feature issues linked to Taiwan and China and weigh down on the ministry."



"In that sense, the foreign ministry may not have tried hard to arrange a meeting with Pelosi," he said.



As for the Pelosi visit, the presidential office just hoped that she might have successful talks with the Assembly speaker, Wednesday, while maintaining its stance that the nation will continue close communication with the nations concerned on all issues under the banner of the need for peace and stability in the region through dialogue and cooperation.



Kim said he thought the South Korean government should not get too involved in the U.S.-China rivalry on the occasion of Pelosi's visit, although he suggested that Seoul should also stay mindful of the Yoon administration's pledge to strengthen its alliance with Washington.




The Pound US Dollar (GBP/USD) exchange rate fell on Tuesday as a souring market mood drove investors to the safe-haven US Dollar (USD).

At the time of writing, GBP/USD traded around $1.2211, down from overnight highs of $1.2272.

Pound (GBP) Exchange Rates Struggle amid Domestic Instability

The Pound (GBP) was on the back foot at the start of Tuesdays session as a downbeat market mood dented the risk-sensitive UK currency.

A lack of notable economic data out of the UK left Sterling vulnerable to losses, with GBP investors focusing instead on global and domestic risk factors.

Within the UK, the contest for the next leader of the Conservative Party  and therefore the next Prime Minister  continued to create political bitterness, exposing deep divides among Tory MPs.

Investors fear that mud-slinging and criticism of each others fiscal policy from the two candidates  Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss  is contributing to the UKs current instability. With trust in politics fading and the economy heading towards a recession, there are genuine fears of social and civil unrest in the coming months.

At such a troubling time, the country needs a strong, stable government with a capable leader. Concerns about the lack of leadership during political and economic turbulence weighed on GBP.

However, expectations of a 50-bp rate rise from the Bank of England (BoE) underpinned the Pound, preventing heavier losses.

US Dollar (USD) Exchange Rates Buoyed by Risk-Off Mood

Meanwhile, the safe-haven US Dollar enjoyed an increased appeal amid a risk-off market mood.

Geopolitical tensions soured the global market sentiment on Tuesday morning as US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi prepared to travel to Taiwan.

China considers Taiwan to be a Chinese province currently under the control of illegitimate separatists. Since Russia invaded Ukraine, Western leaders have become concerned that China may soon look to invade Taiwan.

Pelosis visit to Taiwan stoked US-China tensions, with Chinese rhetoric growing more aggressive.

Hua Chunying, a foreign ministry spokesperson, said: Faced with reckless US disregard of Chinas repeated and serious representations, any countermeasures taken by the Chinese side will be justified and necessary.

Both Taiwan and China increased their military presence around the unofficial border between the two countries.

Markets feared that increased political tensions, or even a Chinese invasion of Taiwan, could have a damaging impact on the global economy. These fears drove a flight to safety, with the US Dollar benefitting from the lack of risk appetite.

GBP/USD Exchange Rate Forecast: Sterling Subdued ahead of BoE Decision?

Looking ahead, Sterling may continue to be influenced by domestic UK concerns. Political instability and economic woes may maintain pressure on GBP exchange rates.

The final services PMI on Wednesday morning may also prompt some movement in the Pound. Economists expect the survey to confirm a slowdown in UK service sector activity, which may dent GBP. Any unexpected results may cause sharper movement.

The Bank of England decision later in the week is the key focus for GBP investors. Sterling may be muted ahead of the decision, with the potential for some volatility when the meeting outcome is announced. A 50-bp hike could boost GBP, although forward guidance will be crucial. A slower pace of rate hikes in the future may hurt the Pound.

As for the US Dollar, risk appetite may continue to be a defining factor.

A key economic data release for USD is the ISM non-manufacturing PMI. Forecasters expect a further drop in service-sector activity as the post-Covid recovery continues to fade. This could dent USD, as a slowing economy would lead to less aggressive rate rises from the Federal Reserve.
Wednesday, August 3, 2022

The objective of the Death Cafe is To increase awareness of death with a view to helping people make the most of their (finite) lives. Its all about an interesting, unstructured conversation  open and free-flowing with no specific agenda. The next Albuquerque Death Cafe will be held online on Sunday, August 14 at 3:00 p.m. MDT. Get the link for this online conversation through this Meetup group event listing.

During the pandemic, Albuquerque Death Cafes have been, and continue to be, held online on Zoom. The format proved to be popular, not only with people in New Mexico, but also for those across the U.S. and around the world.

Gail Rubin, a pioneer of the Death Cafe movement in the United States, will be featured on an upcoming webinar on August 31, 2022 starting at 12:00 p.m. EDT/9:00 a.m. PDT. The 90-minute online event, hosted by The Completed Life Initiative, will examine the Death Cafe worldwide movement, with an opportunity to experience an online Death Cafe.

Your Death Cafe Host

Albuquerque Death Cafes are hosted by Gail Rubin, Certified Thanatologist, and a pioneering death educator. Rubin is a public speaker, a published author of three books, host of a TV interview series and podcast, a blogger, a funeral industry trade journalist, a Certified Funeral Celebrant, and an innovator in the funeral business. She created a conversation-starting game called The Newly-Dead Game, introduced the Death Cafe movement in the United States, and held the first Before I Die Festival west of the Mississippi in 2017. Albuquerque Business First named her one of their 2019 Women of Influence.

About Death Cafes

The Death Cafe concept was started in the United Kingdom by Jon Underwood. He was influenced by the ideas of Swiss sociologist Bernard Crettaz, who started holding Cafe Mortel events in France and Switzerland. At these events, people come together in a relaxed, confidential and safe setting to discuss death, drink tea (or your favorite beverage) and eat delicious cake or cookies. Read more here, or visit the worldwide website, www.DeathCafe.com.

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A San Antonio developers plan to redevelop a downtown block with apartments, offices, retail space and parking got the green light Wednesday.

The citys Historic and Design Review Commission gave final approval to Weston Urbans plans to rehabilitate the former Continental Hotel, Arana building and Melchio de la Garza house and construct a 16-story tower.

The project is on a block bounded by Commerce, Dolorosa and Laredo streets and San Pedro Creek, which is being converted from a drab ditch into a linear park with walking trails, landscaping and murals.

Past estimates put the cost of the project at $80 million.

The Continental Hotel was constructed in 1896 and renovated in 1984 as offices and lab space for the Metropolitan Health District, which moved out in 2016. City Council approved selling it to Weston Urban for $4.7 million in 2020.

Renovations to the Continental and circa-1926 Arana building would involve restoring historic storefront systems, replacing non-original windows and cleaning facades.

On ExpressNews.com: With 32-story high-rise, Weston Urban is making a big bet on demand for downtown San Antonio housing

The ground floor of the Continental building is to include commercial space with residential or commercial space on the second and third floors, according to HDRC materials. The Arana building would be renovated for retail, commercial and office uses.

Courtesy of BKV Group

The residential building between those two buildings would include about 255 apartments and parking for 432 cars.

Weston Urban, led by Rackspace Technology co-founder Graham Weston, plans to partner with the Bexar County Public Facility Corp., a nonprofit set up in part for the project.

Half of the apartments would be rented at market rates. Forty percent would be for residents earning up to 80 percent of the area median income and 10 percent for residents making up to 60 percent of the area median.

In exchange, Weston Urban would receive a property tax exemption.

On ExpressNews.com: Weston Urban seeks to assemble land near San Pedro Creek for downtown San Antonio baseball stadium

S.A. VOTES Voter Guide: What to know for the Texas runoff election A breakdown of key state and local races and candidates in the May 24 primary runoff.

Weston Urban would also restore the Melchio de la Garza house, which was the headquarters of the Texian Army during the Texas Revolution and thought to have been at its current location for over 200 years.

Another building at the site, the O. Henry House Museum, will be moved to a yet-to-be-determined location.

A filing with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation indicates site work is expected to begin in September and finish in August 2024. Weston Urban may seek historic tax credits for the project.

A few blocks away, Weston Urban is constructing a 32-story high-rise at North Main Avenue and East Travis Street that will include about 354 apartments along with retail space and a parking garage.

Randy Smith, the firms co-founder and CEO, did not immediately respond to an inquiry.

madison.iszler@express-news.net
Jordan Vonderhaar /Contributor

Texas State University is asking students to refrain from participating in one of their most popular graduation traditions.

Ahead of the university's summer graduation ceremony this weekend, school officials are discouraging students from jumping into the San Marcos River because of extremely low water levels this year. Per tradition, students jump into the San Marcos River clad in their caps and gowns to celebrate their commencement.
Boernes Planning and Zoning Commission, bolstered by outspoken residents, shot down the creation and annexation of a proposed multi-family residential district on the edge of city limits during its Monday meeting.

The proposed development at 6 Old Fredericksburg Road met with intense backlash from attending Boerne and Kendall County residents, who slammed what they view as uncontrolled development in the area and the risk that continued residential expansion poses to the citys resources and water drainage.

Provident Realty Advisors, a Dallas-based development company, pitched their parcHAUS line of built-for-rent homes for the 23.81-acre lot as relatively affordable housing for the area, meant for teachers working at the Geneva School of Boerne across the street and for other professionals across Boerne. Rent at the proposed development ranged between $1,600 and $2,600 a month.

The developers presented their unofficially submitted plans July 16 during a Boerne Open Neighborhood Discussion meeting to gauge the feelings of the community. Over 60 individuals attended the meeting  a turnout that members of the Planning and Zoning Commission noted as unprecedented.

Many concerned residents expressed dismay at the density of the project and the amount of impervious ground cover  human-made surfaces that dont allow rainwater to seep into the ground.

The proposed development contained 223 houses with a density of over 9.36 units per acre, a number some Boerne residents found too dense for the area. A petition against the development that had garnered 514 signatures as of Tuesday evening called the development high-density. Both the city and the developer referred to the project as low density residential.

At Mondays meeting, Boerne resident Alex Rudd stressed the need to consider the cumulative effect that projects in the area have on the Cascade Caverns recharge area and the stress an influx of families puts on a community.

Eventually, whats going to happen is were going to have problems with flooding, were going to lose our recharge areas, and traffic will become a nightmare, Rudd said.

The developers and Geneva employees backing the project attempted to alleviate residents concerns over traffic by stating more infrastructure would be in between the school and the complex to accommodate the increase in population.

Some residents expressed appreciation for the design of the development but disagreed with the projects location.

The commission passed a motion to deny the project on a 6-0 vote.

Representatives for Provident Provident Realty Advisors stated they might revisit the project after the vote concluded.

ricardo.delgado@express-news.net
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The San Antonio Express-News is inviting high school students from across the San Antonio region to apply for its Teen Team program, which gives students a close-up view of what its like to work in journalism.

The program, which for the first time will be offered over the course of a full school year, gives students the opportunity to shadow reporters, photographers and other staffers at the Express-News. Students also will be paired with Express-News journalists for one-on-one guidance on reporting skills, writing and career planning.

During twice-monthly group meetings, journalists will host workshops on news writing, journalism ethics, reporting techniques, social-media engagement and more. The meetings will be held during the evenings on the second and fourth Thursday of each month.

Students also will have the opportunity to produce paid stories for the newspaper.

About Teen Team Do you have questions about the program? Email teenteam@express-news.net. Students can apply online by filling out the form at bit.ly/ENTeenTeam by Aug. 26. See More Collapse

On ExpressNews.com: Meet the S.A. family thats been street vending for three generations

To be eligible, applicants must be current juniors and seniors in and around the San Antonio region.

The newspaper offered a similar program in the late 1990s and early 2000s, and several participants went on to careers in the journalism and communications fields. Former Teen Team members include Madalyn Mendoza, journalist at MySA; Francisco Vara-Orta, director of Diversity and Inclusion at Investigative Reporters & Editors; and Bonnie Kavoussi, a former Huffington Post journalist.

Luz Moreno-Lozano, a journalist at the Austin American-Statesman, was part of the 2008 Teen Team and said the program was her first foot in the door in launching my career as a journalist.

Today, the skills I have learned have carried through to my daily reporting  from a community news reporter in Atascosa and Medina counties to covering the social injustices of Austin and its surrounding communities, Moreno-Lozano said last year, after the program was relaunched. And it all started with the Teen Team.

On ExpressNews.com: For years, she went by a different name to fit in. Not anymore.

In 2021, the newspaper brought the program back under the direction of the Express-News Diversity & Inclusion Committee.

To apply, students must complete an online application and submit up to two samples of their work. Work samples may include published or unpublished stories, essays, photos, cartoons, videos, podcasts, blogs, social media posts or other creative work.

Students are also encouraged  but not required  to submit a letter of reference from a non-family member, such as a teacher or employer.

Students dont need to have any journalism experience, and students from all backgrounds are encouraged to apply.

eeaton@express-news.net
Black toddlers and infants in Texas are being vaccinated against COVID-19 much more slowly than their white, Hispanic and Asian counterparts, according to state health data.

On the other end of the spectrum, 43 percent of the doses that have been administered to babies and kids who became eligible last month have gone to Hispanic children, state numbers show. And young Asian kids have received a share of the total doses that is nearly triple their share of Texans in that age group.

In the first five weeks that COVID-19 vaccines have been available to Texans ages 6 months to 4 years, more than 64,000 of the states 1.8 million newly eligible children have had at least one shot in the Pfizer or Moderna regimen. While this represents only 3.5 percent of the states youngest eligible age group, thats roughly the same as the national rate for babies and children in that age group.

Disparities are surfacing along racial lines that are similar to those seen in previous age groups, particularly in the early stages of the vaccine rollout  highlighting an ongoing and multilayered challenge to health officials as they try to vaccinate a significant portion of young Texans, more than half of whom are children of color.

In all age groups now eligible for the vaccine, some 77 percent of Asian Texans have been vaccinated, compared with 68 percent of Hispanics, 55 percent of whites and 49 percent of Blacks.

In whiter, more rural areas, where the rate of fully vaccinated people has consistently lagged behind the statewide rate, vaccine hesitancy is often connected to mistrust in the government  and health care access is limited for the 1 in 10 Texans who live in those regions.

Hispanic and Black Texans report more issues with access than do white families, particularly when it comes to taking time off work to get a vaccine. Those communities also experience hesitancy commonly stemming from a mistrust in the health care system.

Sharon Cohan, founder and executive director of VaxTogetherAustin, said an additional challenge comes from the federal guidelines that anyone under the age of 3 receive the vaccine only after getting a doctors prescription. Also, only doctors and public health officials are allowed to give the shot to children ages 2 or younger.

Thats a barrier for people who have limited access to doctors or who feel uncomfortable in traditional health care settings, she said.

And it ties the hands of organizations like hers, which usually partners with Walgreens to run clinics and vaccination events at places like schools that most easily can reach lower-income communities and children of color.

We cant just come in with our usual team and vaccinate the kids who are 6 months and up, she said. In an ideal world, every parent and every child has a primary care pediatrician. But thats just not the reality.

According to data from the Texas Department of State Health Services, of the 64,314 doses administered to the youngest age group:

Asian children have received about 11 percent of them, although they make up only an estimated 4 percent of the population in their age group. So far, almost 6 percent of the Asian population in this age group has received at least one dose.

Hispanic children have gotten the biggest share of doses, receiving 43 percent of those administered so far. About half of Texas children in this age group are Hispanic, according to demographic data. About 1.9 percent of Hispanic kids in this age group have received at least one dose.

White children have gotten about 32 percent of the doses, while comprising about one-third of the children in Texas ages 6 months to 4 years. About 2.2 percent of kids in this age group have received at least one dose.

Black children have gotten the smallest share of all doses administered in their age group, with just over 5 percent, while they comprise an estimated 12 percent of kids at this age, according to state population data. Less than 1 percent of Black Texans in the age group have received at least one dose.

Children of races and ethnicities outside of those four major groups and those who identify multiple races, all listed as other on published state records, have gotten just over 6 percent of the doses. About 3 percent of total doses went to children whose race is listed as unknown.

Texas health officials said the state will continue to focus on populations with lower vaccine uptake, including communities of color and rural communities in its outreach efforts, said Douglas Loveday, spokesperson for the Texas Department of State Health Services.

Lower numbers

Texas is slightly ahead of the U.S. in terms of percentage of its youngest children vaccinated, although state and local health officials say the number of children vaccinated is lower than they had hoped.

But vaccine uptake, no matter what age and for most races, has always been a battle in parts of Texas for reasons ranging from politics to poverty, geography to governmental mistrust.

Weve been dealing with that this entire pandemic, Cohan said.

Statewide, some 61 percent of Texans have been fully vaccinated since the shot was first available in December 2020, compared with 79 percent nationally.

In the Rio Grande Valley, early interest in and access to the vaccine by adult recipients was higher than expected  in fact, the entire border region consistently led the state in its vaccination rates. In Hidalgo County, for example, 83 percent of the population is fully vaccinated.

Thats why Dr. Ivan Melendez, Hidalgo County health authority, is surprised and saddened by a significant drop-off in vaccine uptake by those same residents when it comes to their young children.

Of the 1,000 doses his agency has received that are earmarked for those children, only about 200 have been administered because interest has been so low, he said.

Melendez doesnt find the proportionately higher rates among Hispanic children to be particularly encouraging, given the low overall number of takers for a vaccine thats in plenty of supply.

Our community partners are kind of reporting something similar, that were just disappointed in the amount of people that are taking it up in this age group, he said. The physicians and the health department are trying to be really proactive in educating people, but I dont think its a resource issue. I dont think its because we dont have enough air time. Its not that we dont have enough vaccines, because we certainly do.

Melendez, who is also a family practitioner, said hes not seeing the same level of vaccine uptake for the kids as he did for the adults in the early days mainly due to misinformation about the safety and efficacy of the vaccine, and apathy about the pandemic.

Probably the underlying thing is, Ill risk it, but Im not going to let my kids risk it, Melendez said.

Eric Lau contributed to this story.

Texas Childrens Hospital has been a financial supporter of the Texas Tribune. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism.

The Texas Tribune is a nonprofit, nonpartisan media organization that informs Texans about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues.
Texas is rolling in the dough, with an extra $27 billion in state funds expected when the Legislature convenes in January.

Thats a good thing, especially if lawmakers prioritize the monumental needs of our schools. In the aftermath of the pandemic and the murders of 19 elementary students and two teachers at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, adequate public school funding has taken on a heightened level of urgency.

Schools need to hire and retain teachers, better ensure safety and shore up mental health resources. These are each costly efforts for cash-strapped schools, but the states coffers are brimming.

While Gov. Greg Abbott and others have promised property tax cuts  something we support  funding these education needs must come first.

In a recent guest commentary, Brian Woods, superintendent of Northside Independent School District and president of the Texas School Alliance, wrote about the dichotomy of a state flush with cash while public schools go wanting.

One of those needs is better school security. As San Antonio Police Chief William McManus pointed out in a July Express-News guest column, school shooters dont break into campuses. As with the one in Uvalde, he wrote, shooters often simply walked in.

Since Uvalde, many a politician has used the phrase hardening schools. The wording makes us bristle because we should aspire to live in a world in which schools are not targets for massacres  and commonsense gun safety reforms are embraced. But this aspiration is not reality, and securing schools is expensive. Security includes adding access control, law enforcement officers and metal detectors, and upgrading technology such as surveillance cameras and Wi-Fi.

On ExpressNews.com: McManus: Absolutely no excuse for law enforcement response in Uvalde

Consider that a 2019 school safety bill allocated only $10 per student for school safety, according to the Texas Tribune.

After the Uvalde school massacre, Abbott allocated $100 million of Texas Education Agency surplus funds for school safety. About half went to bullet-resistant shields for school police officers and $17.1 million for school districts to buy silent panic alert technology. Its not enough.

Mental health support for students is another huge, expensive need, one that has surged with the pandemic. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported childrens mental health-related emergency visits increased 24 percent for children ages 5 to 11 and 31 percent for children 12 to 17 in 2020 compared with 2019. Consider that the American Psychiatric Association has reported half of mental illness begins by age 14.

Texans Care for Children, a statewide nonprofit, nonpartisan childrens policy organization, has called for increased funding for childrens mental health needs, including dedicated school mental health funding to stabilize children in crisis and serve them before a crisis occurs.

We also know from the Texas House investigative committee report in response to the Robb Elementary shooting that many mental health red flags were missed.

Texas ranks 45th in the nation in terms of per-pupil funding, according to an April Texas AFT and Every Texan report that highlights staffing shortages. Texas AFT also reports that the Texas counselor-to-student ratio is 394-to-1  way above the recommended ratio of 250-to-1.

Additional funding is crucial to hire, train and retain teachers. Without teachers, school doesnt happen.

In a 2021 Charles Butt Foundation poll of 919 Texas teachers, 68 percent said they seriously considered leaving the profession, an increase of 10 percentage points compared with the year before. They said they felt undervalued and underpaid. And as a new school year is set to begin, we are seeing districts scrambling to hire educators.

A sea change is needed.

We agree with Calallen ISD, a district about 15 mile northwest of Corpus Christi, whose board wrote a letter in June to Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath that called for re-evaluating the states education priorities. This would mean shifting the focus from standardized testing and curriculum alignment to student health, community decision-making and bolstering teacher compensation.

Texas has the funds to support schools and children. Less clear is if it has the political backbone.
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Abortion-rights supporters and anti-abortion groups showed up in nearly equal numbers Tuesday afternoon in an attempt to influence the San Antonio City Council.

Anti-abortion groups protested a resolution on the agenda that asks the city not to use its money to investigate abortions or collect information that could lead to a criminal investigation. Abortion-rights supporters didnt think the resolution went far enough.

Neither presence seemed to change minds on San Antonio City Council, which voted afterward to pass the resolution declaring people have a basic human right to abortion. It passed in a 9-2 vote, with District 8 Councilman Manny Pelaez and District 10 Councilman Clayton Perry dissenting.

Neither side could keep quiet through much of the meeting. Speakers chided those from the other side of the debate who yelled out from their seats.

Mayor Ron Nirenberg tried to keep order, at times sounding like a teacher trying to calm a rowdy classroom.

Were going to sit here until we can be quiet for folks who are at the podium, Nirenberg said. If wed like to continue, keep it down.

He called a brief recess from the meeting about halfway through the speakers to give people a moment to collect themselves, acknowledging people feel strongly on both sides of the abortion debate.

At a particularly noisy moment, one abortion opponent prayed the Our Father over jeers from the crowd in attendance as others tried to join in the prayer.

Several abortion opponents who spoke often prayed over City Council. Many said they have an obligation to enforce existing laws whether they agree with them or not. A couple of anti-abortion speakers even invoked the Holocaust in calling abortion murder.

At least two people called passage of the resolution anarchy.

On ExpressNews.com: San Antonio Councilwoman Castillo proposes city resolution to support abortion rights

At a minimum, be bold enough to call it what it is  and thats the killing of a totally innocent human being purely for conveniences sake, said Thomas Damrow. Lets go beyond this specific topic of abortion. With this resolution, as a City Council, you are openly and willingly committing anarchy by not recognizing authority.

One of the councils newer members and a vocal progressive, West Side Councilwoman Teri Castillo, drafted the resolution after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. Texas has a so-called trigger law to ban abortions within 30 days of the ruling eliminating the constitutional right to an abortion.

Conservative activists with the San Antonio Family Association and other groups had already rebuffed the resolution, saying it sends a message to women that its OK to have an abortion even when the procedure is now illegal in many states.

Abortion opponents also argue the city shouldnt use its public funds to lobby the Texas Legislature to protect abortion care  something also included in the resolution. The city plans to prioritize the protection of reproductive rights in San Antonios legislative agenda, a laundry list of wants and needs the city can lobby state lawmakers to take up.

But abortion supporters said the citys message is a necessary one. Banning abortions doesnt stop the procedure from occurring, and women should feel safe in accessing abortion wherever they need to go, they said.

Women shared their personal stories about abortion with City Council. Some felt the procedure was necessary for them, while others regretted their decisions. One woman said she became pregnant earlier this year and was referred to New Mexico when she decided to terminate that pregnancy.

Some said the resolution didnt go far enough to support abortion rights.

Victoria Cruz-Ramirez and Sarah Johnson with Mujeres Marcharan have been organizing to ask City Council for action ever since Roe v. Wade was overturned earlier this summer. They wanted to see something more in line with the GRACE Act passed in Austin.

The resolution in front of us today is not what we have demanded in the streets, said Cruz-Ramirez.

On ExpressNews.com: Politically motivated: Conservative activists protest measure to support abortion rights in San Antonio

Both are disappointed the final draft didnt include a call for police to make investigating abortion their lowest priority. In public comment, many others also called for City Council to amend the resolution to add in that direction for San Antonio police.

But Johnson said she was initially pleased City Council responded, feeling listened to. She thinks the special meeting was a response to the demonstrations theyve helped organize over the last month.

East Side Councilman Jalen McKee-Rodriguez also wanted to see such direction for San Antonio police included in the resolution. But after talking to Castillo and the City Attorneys Office, he said the resolution was the best they could pass right now.

Perry voted no because the resolution doesnt align with his personal beliefs, but also because of legal concerns. He said the abortion conversation should occur at the state, not local, level.

Weve gotta be clear: This council resolution doesnt change the law in Texas, Perry said. And we dont have that legal authority.

Pelaez, who represents the Northwest Side, also emphasized the city doesnt have legal grounds to pass something officials can better enforce.

But he said his no vote stems from a different place than Perrys. He spoke almost defensively about his work in the public and private sectors supporting women. He unequivocally condemned the Supreme Courts decision to overturn Roe V. Wade.

He couldnt support the resolution because it wont make a difference at the end of the day.

A nonbinding resolution is insufficient to address the problem, Pelaez said. I respect you too much to treat such an important issue with a little bit of razzle-dazzle.

Hed rather see an ordinance, a city law that San Antonio could enforce. But that could be pushing legal boundaries, said City Attorney Andy Segovia. Segovia said his office worked to ensure the resolution passed Tuesday is legally sound.

I dont anticipate litigation stemming from this resolution at all, Segovia said.

The resolution is largely symbolic, without much in the way of enforcement. San Antonians who want an abortion are still likely to travel elsewhere for one, as Texas providers fear prosecution.

The measure still holds the city to state and federal laws, and the City Council cannot block police from investigating abortion.

Bexar County District Attorney Joe Gonzales, a Democrat, has already said he wont pursue charges against abortion providers, and he reserves the right to prosecutorial discretion.

His stance is also unlikely to make a difference  Attorney General Ken Paxton can still target providers.

The resolution is another case pitting the city of San Antonio against Gov. Greg Abbott and the state Legislature. Large Texas cities with liberal governments often fight back against socially conservative state laws, but such cases become political jabs more than anything.

Anti-choice legislators have weaponized the language of criminal law to stigmatize reproductive choice, the resolution reads, adding that Texas laws seek to criminalize pregnancy outcomes.

The San Antonio resolution asserts the citys commitment to protecting the right of its residents to make reproductive health decisions, including abortion care, for themselves.

megan.stringer@express-news.net




New U.S. Ambassador to Korea Philip Goldberg said Wednesday he hiked a Seoul mountain together with Foreign Minister Park Jin last weekend.







In a Twitter message, the envoy described Mount Bukhan in the northern part of the capital as a "perfect combination of beautiful nature & cultural sites." He posted some related photos.







"Can't wait to explore more," he added, asking the people to recommend other places to visit.







He assumed the post last month, having previously served as ambassador to Colombia and coordinator for implementation of U.N. Security Council resolutions on North Korea. (Yonhap)




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A federal judge ruled this week that the state is violating U.S. law by refusing to release its list of more than 11,000 registered voters that it identified as potential noncitizens, and ordered the release of the data within 14 days.

A coalition of civil rights groups sued the Secretary of States Office in February for withholding the data concerning a voter purge program targeting immigrants that was mandated by a new Republican-backed election law.

2019 PURGE: Texas officials launched voter purge with big splash, little accuracy

The new elections law, passed after a heated partisan battle last summer, requires that the office conduct regular sweeps of the voter rolls to verify citizenship status by cross-checking data provided by the Texas Department of Public of Safety.

The groups are concerned that thousands of immigrants could have their voter registrations canceled based on outdated or incorrect records, a potential repeat of a botched voter purge in 2019 that ended with a court settlement restricting who could be targeted in future purges.

That year, the state had requested counties confirm the citizenship status of almost 100,000 registered voters  and purge them if they did not respond  but many were later found to be naturalized citizens or others who had been flagged in error, and the lawsuit eventually forced the state to shut down the program. About 70,000 immigrants are naturalized in Texas each year on average and become eligible to vote.

Without the data on the purge initiated earlier this year, the groups say they cant confirm that the state is complying with the 2019 settlement agreement. Within months of the new programs launch, county officials warned the state that the lists included people who registered to vote at their naturalization ceremonies.

Weve kind of seen this movie before in 2019, said Danielle Lang, senior director for voting rights at the Campaign Legal Center, which represented the civil rights groups. Unfortunately, anecdotal evidence suggests the same thing is happening despite Texas claims that its following 2019 settlement agreement. Were glad to finally be able to get access to the data, so the public can better understand what this process looks like and why eligible citizens are being caught up in the system.

As of February, 11,737 registered voters had been flagged as potential noncitizens, including about 2,900 Harris County residents. At least 2,552 voter registration records have been been canceled through the process.

The majority of the removed voters never responded to a notice giving them 30 days to verify their citizenship, and 382 were confirmed to be noncitizens and removed from the rolls.

The state will now have to release the names; voter identification numbers; date of voter registration application; effective date of voter registration; status of voter registration; and any known prior voter registration statuses and dates of changes in voter registration status.

The program has been on hold for much of the past year because the National Voter Registration Act does not allow voter roll maintenance within 90 days of an election.

PAST COVERAGE: Civil rights groups sue to force Texas to release voter purge records

The civil rights groups that sued  including the ACLU, Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund and DEMOS  had requested records showing every person identified under the program as a potential noncitizen as well as the information the secretary of state used to determine a voters suspected citizenship status.

Austin-based U.S. District Judge Lee Yeakel, an appointee of President George W. Bush, agreed with the plaintiffs that the Secretary of States refusal to disclose the data violated the National Voter Registration Act, a 1993 law that requires public disclosure of records pertaining to the maintenance of voter rolls.

Hearst Newspapers had requested similar information regarding the people who are at risk of having their voter registrations revoked. The attorney generals office had issued an opinion stating the information was part of pending litigation and did not have to be released.

ANOTHER YEAKEL RULING: Federal judge strikes down new Texas restrictions on voter registration

The attorney generals office, which defends state agencies in lawsuits, and secretary of states office did not respond to requests for comment on the ruling and whether they will appeal to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans.

The state may redact any portions of the personally identifying information that is redacted from the publicly available voter file, Yeakels order states.

Also Tuesday, Yeakel struck down parts of a Texas law passed in 2021 that put new restrictions on people trying to register to vote in the state.
J Kupers uncle and grandfather, both named Charles, founded the real estate firm in 1972 that would become Kuper Sothebys International Realty. But it was his grandmother, Kathleen, who steered the firm toward its specialty on luxury homes.

She dominated the whole deal, Kuper said. Our firm is still driven by how she worked with clients. She still says it to this day: You have to treat people properly  both our competitors, our clients, the person on the other end of the transaction.

With 350 real estate agents, Kuper Sothebys works with clients buying and selling homes in San Antonio, Austin, and Hill Country towns such as Boerne and Wimberley. It also lists ranches across the state, which are often purchased as luxury properties, Kuper said. The firm has been affiliated with Sothebys, the brokerage of fine arts and collectibles, since the late 70s; the two are now linked through a franchise agreement.

The firm is currently selling the 53-acre estate of former Spurs player Tony Parker and his ex-wife Eva Longoria in the Anaqua Springs neighborhood near Boerne. It is listed for $19.5 million.

Despite his pedigree, Kuper didnt set out to have a career in real estate. Before joining Kuper Sothebys, he worked as a project manager for a construction firm and at a tech company.

He now serves as principal broker at the firm, a position hes held since 2011.

Real estate is the only thing I said Id never do. But, you know, I grew up in the business. I cant get around it. Its 100 percent in my blood, he said. Its a 24-hour-a-day world. Theres never been a day off that I can think of, family-wide, in my whole life from real estate.

Kuper recently met for an interview to discuss recent swings in the housing market, growth of the local luxury sector and demand from Mexican nationals eager to live in San Antonio. The following has been edited for brevity and clarity.

Kin Man Hui, San Antonio Express-News / Staff photographer

Q: Selling luxury homes, have you had any noteworthy clients over the years?

A: We work with, I would almost say, every noteworthy client. If you named somebody that you could just name off the top of your head whos an important San Antonio person, I bet weve worked with 90 percent of them. I think the reason people use us is because we dont ever mention (who) they are. You know, were listing Tony Parkers house right now. I say that because I think its now been public, its his house and weve had some promotion on that. But normally, that stuff does not come out.

Q: What do your clients expect that other buyers and sellers might not?

A: The highest level of service and communication. Because typically those people are busy, or traveling, or both. And truthfully we do go above and beyond when duty calls. Weve got several stories of agents in our firm flying to the Midwest, or flying to New York City, in the morning to get documents hand-signed and flying back at night.

Q: Has the local luxury market grown over the years?

A: Significantly, Id say. It used to be that most all the luxury was in tri-cities (e.g., Alamo Heights, Olmos Park and Terrell Hills), but now weve got several amazing neighborhoods on the North Side. Dominion continues to grow, Cordillera Ranch. Austin has seen even bigger growth over time, and people recognize that from a national standpoint, but San Antonio is finally starting to catch up. I see good and bad parts of that. You know, affordability is what San Antonio has been always about.

Q: What is driving the luxury markets growth? Are wealthy people more willing to live in San Antonio?

A: Im always a one-trick pony on what drives real estate market, and its always job growth. What jobs are coming to San Antonio will drive price points and overall demand. If you have new jobs, lets say Texas (Biomedical Research Institute), and theyre hiring a lot more executives, higher-paid physicians and researchers, that drives the luxury market.

Q: In the local housing market, we recently saw demand go off the charts, extremely tight, but now its loosening a little bit, right?

A: I would say it is. I think a lot of the issues surrounding really low inventory that weve seen in the last few years have been very psychological. You had a pandemic that sort of kept people in their homes and not making any moves, not knowing what was going on. That sort of dissipated, right? That wasnt the reason not to buy or sell. Then it just became a self-fulfilling prophecy: Because there werent homes on the market, because people had held off on doing that, there was nothing to buy. Then, people didnt want to list their house because they had nothing to buy. But I think what people have recognized now, just in the last three months, is the psychological feeling that weve hit the top of the market. Theyve got equity built up in their home, they want to realize some of that equity, so theyre willing to take it to the market to see if they can get something out. My prediction for the next 90 days  and this what we talk about internally a lot  is we should see a very large increase in inventory in the San Antonio market compared to what its been over the last few years. Because weve never had more calls, probably, for people wanting to list.

Q: Does the luxury market typically mirror what the market as a whole is doing?

A: It does mirror it. Ill give you my fun fact, another thing that I try to pay attention to that is not necessarily written down in a book. I watch heavily what our farm and ranch sales are doing. Theyre almost always the harbinger for whats going to happen for residential  luxury or otherwise. Because if you think about whos buying our farm and ranch property, its more of a luxury property at the end of the day. Probably uber-luxury. A lot of what we sell is to some titan of industry; somebody thats got a pretty good view into the global economy. So if I start to see that slow down, typically within six months, I start to see that change on the residential side too.

S.A. VOTES Voter Guide: What to know for the Texas runoff election A breakdown of key state and local races and candidates in the May 24 primary runoff.

Q: How is it different operating in luxury? Upscale homes stay on the market longer, right?

A: Yeah, 100 percent. (Years ago, the expectation was that) if youve got a luxury property, lets say over a million dollars, it would be on the market six months to a year. In the last few years, theyve sold almost instantaneously. I do think well get back to the days of them being on the market longer. Again, I dont see that being a problem at all.

I think thats why weve done well as a company, because weve been through lots of market shifts in 50 years. Some of our best years have been when the market has been the worst. My grandmother, Kathleen, will say, J, we sold a lot of houses when there was 12 percent interest. Weve always done really well in even poor markets. I think that typically comes around to the fact that we do spend more and take more time and effort on our marketing and advertising effort, and client satisfaction.

Q: When the market is crazy, as its been lately, is that generally good for business for Realtors?

A: I would say the answer in general is yes. Its hard to deny that when things are moving this fast, Realtors benefit. At the same time, I would say our degree of additional benefit really isnt there. People revert back to, I need a really high-quality broker or agent to help represent me when I think the market might be a little bit more difficult. When the market is off the chart and everybodys doing well, you dont maybe need the same level of representation.

Q: Do you see a lot of Mexican nationals buying homes in San Antonio?

A: We always have. I would say the reason for that, especially for our firm, is that Mexican nationals recognize our brand. Weve always been a great, safe place for Mexican nationals wanting to buy primary, secondary, etc. Weve sold incredible ranches and incredible luxury property. Weve taken trips down to Mexico to help evangelize on the benefits of San Antonio for people wanting to move. Weve hosted groups here, in an almost bus tour fashion, to drive our market and talk about its benefits. So we very much cater to that market. One of the comments I made before is that were very discreet about who our clients are. So weve had very notable clients from Mexico want to buy here, and no one would ever know it except us and maybe the agent on the other side.

Q: Is the Hill Country a big growth market for you? Whats going on out there?

A: Oh, yeah. Weve been in the Boerne market for quite some time, and in New Braunfels. You know, Ive lived in Houston, Ive lived in San Antonio and now I live in Boerne, so I-10 has been my frenemy for 42 years. Under construction perpetually, but when you drive up now it is smooth sailing all the way out to Boerne. I think thats proof positive of the growth that weve seen in Boerne, Comfort, and now extending further past that. The growth is almost unbelievable to see because it happened so fast. Theres just a lot of demand for being in the Hill County these days.

Q: Why is there more demand there now?

A: I think its all a proximity thing. I remember driving to SeaWorld as a kid  it seemed like it was forever away. I remember going to Boerne and that was like a vacation, like you were going out of the country. Now its pretty much wall-to-wall, right? Theres no break between San Antonio and Boerne, really, and I think people want proximity to services.
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Air Serbia is negotiating a codeshare partnership with an airline from the United States to strengthen its operations to New York and upcoming new service to Chicago. Air Serbia's CEO, Jiri Marek, said, We are in the final stage of negotiations and an announcement could be made maybe in the very near future, before the end of the year". He added that interest from other carriers to codeshare with Air Serbia could grow further due to the airline's planned US expansion, which will see it maintain daily flights between Belgrade and New York, as well as introduce a new two weekly service to Chicago.
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With so much recent finger-pointing in Washington over foreign influence in U.S. elections, it seems as if lawmakers would be doing everything they could to try to close loopholes that allow illegal political donations from China, Russia, and other overseas interests into U.S. campaigns without detection.

A group of GOP House members introduced legislation to do just that as far back as 2015. Their bill attracted significant bipartisan support, but stalled amid partisan sniping over Democrats pursuit of the now-discredited Trump-Russia collusion allegations.

The effort picked up some steam in recent weeks when two vulnerable House Democrats folded those provisions into a broader bill aimed at combatting foreign influence in U.S. politics.

Although reformers are hopeful it will pass later this year, powerful forces oppose cleaning up the system.

Most individual campaigns and political action committees have taken a basic step to prevent secret foreign donations: requiring the three- to four-digit customer verification value or CVV on the back of the credit card during donor transactions. Doing so helps verify that the donor is the individual they purport to be, and that the address attached to the account is within the U.S. and its territories. Its also considered the industry standard that the Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council recommends for all e-commerce.

But theres at least one big hold-out: ActBlue, the Democratic online fundraising behemoth that raised $3.8 billion for more than 21,000 Democratic candidates, committees, and organizations in the 2020 cycle.

Historically, trying to prevent foreign money from flowing to U.S. elections wasnt considered partisan. After all, such donations are illegal. ActBlue has changed that calculation. Several years ago, most big fundraising entities, including the vast majority of individual Democratic presidential, House, and Senate campaigns, along with WinRed, a GOP fundraising juggernaut used by numerous conservative campaigns and causes including the Republican National Committee, started using the CVV. ActBlue, however, remains a hold-out.

We just want to make sure that ActBlue and anyone else requires the same thing that every vendor does when you buy a TV set online or anything else  that its not a fraudulent donation or coming from an illegal source like the Chinese, John Pudner of Take Back Action Fund, a conservative election reform advocacy group, told RealClearPolitics.

ActBlue did not respond to questions about whether it continues to accept donations without verifying their legitimacy. On the ActBlue website donation page, however, theres no field asking donors for their CVV along with a credit card number and expiration date.

With the onset of the digital fundraising age, soliciting and making political donations online is just a click away, and millions of campaign contributions are racing through international cyberspace on any given week. Thats good news for political fundraisers with the task of raising funds to underwrite campaigns, but bad news for the integrity of the U.S. election system, especially because federal election law hasnt kept up with this brave new world of online donations.

The Federal Election Commission largely expects campaigns to police themselves for foreign donations, which can be difficult to detect if donors use fake names without any address or any verification process of gift credit cards, which also lack personal information. Its easy for illegal contributors to fall under the radar if they make small donations because the FEC doesnt require campaigns to publicly report cash contributions under $200. For donations between $50 and $200, candidates are required to make an effort to obtain accurate identifying information  though they arent required to report it. For donations less than $50, campaigns arent even required to keep records of identifying information.

That feature of campaign finance law, Pudner and other critics say, opens up an unrestrained spigot for illegal donations. Foreign donors or fraudsters easily can deploy so-called robo-donations, computer programs that use false names to make hundreds of donations a day in small increments to evade reporting requirements. A Missouri woman named Mary Biskup appeared to give more than $170,000 in small credit card donations to Barack Obamas 2008 presidential campaign, but when asked, she said she never donated a dime. Another contributor had given donations using her name without her knowledge.

Theres plenty of evidence that foreign actors are trying to infiltrate the U.S. political fundraising system. In the 1990s, the Senate led a high-profile investigation into allegations that Chinese officials had funneled money into the Democratic National Committee and President Clintons 1996 reelection effort.

In 2008 and 2012, Republicans accused Obamas campaigns of accepting foreign donations through credit card contributions, but the FEC dismissed the complaints. Still, the Obama presidential campaigns, along with ActBlue, never required donors to verify their credit cards using the CVV system.

Earlier this month, two New York state residents were charged with illegally using funds from Chinese and Singaporean investors to donate $600,000 to then-President Trumps reelection campaign in 2017. The scheme was part of an effort to demonstrate political connections as they sought funds to build a China-themed amusement park in upstate New York, prosecutors said. The Trump campaign was not accused of wrongdoing.

Congress has known about the risk since at least 2012 when the Government Accountability Institute, a conservative nonprofit run by investigative journalist Peter Schweizer, issued a report deeming online donation systems extremely vulnerable to foreigners attempting to violate federal contribution laws and limits.

Owing to their fixation with Russia and the Trump campaign, Democrats have become far more vocal about foreign influence in the U.S. political system in recent years. While former Special Counsel Robert Muellers investigation failed to prove a conspiracy or coordination between the Trump campaign and Russia, theres ample evidence that Russia has tried to manipulate U.S. elections. Although it also failed to prove any collusion between Russian entities and the Trump campaign, a Senate Intelligence Committee investigation found extensive Russian interference in the 2016 presidential campaign.

Rep. Paul Gosar, an Arizona Republican, has spent the last several years building a bipartisan coalition to close down the loopholes allowing foreign credit card donations to infiltrate U.S. campaigns. As of last year, Reps. Anna Eshoo of California and Seth Moulton of New Jersey were among several Democrats who had joined his effort and co-signed his bill.

This year, the legislative push broadened with Democratic Reps. Jared Golden of Maine and Katie Porter of California joining a strange-bedfellows alliance with Gosar, a Freedom Caucus firebrand and one of Trumps most ardent allies in Congress, to take aim at all foreign money legally and illegally entering the U.S. political system.

Titled the Fighting Foreign Influence Act, the bill folds several separate measures together, including one that would require all tax-exempt organizations, including think tanks, to publicly disclose any high-dollar gifts from foreign governments or foreign political parties. The measure also would impose a lifetime ban on former senior U.S. military officers, presidents, vice presidents, and other senior executive branch officials and members of Congress from ever lobbying for a foreign principal.

The bill notably does not bar the children of presidents, vice presidents, and other senior government officials from lobbying for overseas interests. One of the potential criminal charges against Hunter Biden for his Chinese and other foreign business deals is that he never registered under the Foreign Agents Registration Act for advocating on Chinese entities behalf.

Gosars section of the measure would require political campaigns to verify that anyone making an online political donation has a valid U.S. address, by mandating the use of the three-digit CVV code and the U.S. address. Another related provision would bar foreign agents from fundraising for political campaigns.

Despite their obvious political differences, Golden said working with Gosar on the bill made sense because fighting foreign influence isnt a partisan issue  its an American issue.

One of the biggest problems with our political system today is how corruption is either completely legal or punished with slaps on the wrist, he added in a written statement. Right now, foreign governments can secretly fund think tanks to push their agenda, hire former public officials and military officers to lobby for their interests, and have their agents raise millions of dollars for political campaigns. For the good of the country, that needs to end immediately.

Weve been here before. John Pudners group started circulating a white paper advocating for the extra credit card security on Capitol Hill several years ago. Back then, he says, campaigns for roughly 150 Republicans and 150 Democrats were not using CVV security steps to verify their donations.

So, it was not intended to help either side, just remove a set up that would make it easy for Chinese programmers to run money under American names to either side, he said. We continue to emphasize that our purpose is not for ActBlue to stop raising money but to simply put the same [security process in place] that virtually everyone else in the country uses when you buy anything.

According to Gosar, its an important step in restoring trust in elections, and the bipartisan support demonstrates that the issue transcends party divisions.

Democrats and Republicans alike agree that Americans should not have to worry about illegal foreign donations that have been prohibited by United States law for over half of a century infiltrating campaigns, he told RCP.
For all the talk of Roe v. Wade being overturned this year in Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health, those who follow abortion issues closely understand that Roe was 90 percent overturned in 1992, when the Supreme Court rewrote abortion law in Planned Parenthood v. Casey. The Casey ruling and its Pennsylvania connections form a major chapter in the history of abortion law in America.

Whether it has to do with the states diversity and changeable politics or its unusual collection of pro-life Democrats and pro-choice Republicans in elected office, Pennsylvania has long been at the forefront of the abortion question. The post-Roe landscape was largely shaped by Pennsylvanians.

After the Supreme Courts Roe decision in 1973, Pennsylvania made its first legislative attempt to address the newly invented right to abortion with the Abortion Control Act, passed the following year. The act included parental and spousal-consent provisions, as well as a ban on post-viability abortions and on abortion advertising. The Supreme Court struck down the post-viability ban in Colautti v. Franklin in 1979, finding it unconstitutionally vague (other parts of the law had been voided earlier, in lower-court proceedings).

The state legislature tried again to rein in Roe in 1978 by preventing the state from paying for abortions through Medicaid. This move, too, was struck down, this time by the Third Circuit, in Roe v. Casey in 1980. The appellant in that case was the then-state treasurer, Robert Casey Sr., who, before long, would become the leading member of a now nearly extinct faction of pro-life Democrats.

In 1981, the state legislature again tried to limit abortion. After vetoing a previous version, Governor Dick Thornburgh signed the Abortion Control Act of 1982. The law included a 24-hour waiting period and various informed-consent provisions to let mothers know that they would be entitled to welfare and child-support benefits if they decided to have their babies. Once again, courts intervened; the Supreme Court struck down the law in 1986s Thornburgh v. American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists.

By this time, the pro-Roe Supreme Court majority had dwindled to five justices. Justice Sandra Day OConnor, in particular, had found the Thornburgh majority to be lawless, writing in dissent that the decision makes it painfully clear that no legal rule or doctrine is safe from ad hoc nullification by this Court when an occasion for its application arises in a case involving state regulation of abortion.

Based on OConnors dissent in Thornburgh and changes in the Courts membership, many thought that Pennsylvanias new and improved Abortion Control Act of 1989  signed into law by Governor Casey  would be upheld by the Court, spelling the end of Roe.

They were right, though not exactly as they had envisioned.

Planned Parenthood v. Casey was argued before the Court in April 1992. The attorney for the pro-abortion side took a hardline position, demanding that the Court either uphold Roe in all its particulars or strike it down entirely. According to her biographer, Evan Thomas, OConnor was irked by this all-or-nothing approach. In conference, Chief Justice William Rehnquist found five votes to support overturning Roe and began writing the opinion that would do so.

But it was not to be. OConnor changed her mind and joined Justices Anthony Kennedy and David Souter to craft an opinion that preserved Roes essential holding (that the Constitution protects a right to abortion) but rewrote all the shoddy legal reasoning that led to it. Justices John Paul Stevens and Harry Blackmun (Roes author) joined in enough of that opinion to make it the new law of the land. Pennsylvanias law was mostly upheld, then, because it did not constitute an undue burden on women seeking abortions.

That new standard remained the law of the land until this year, and the Abortion Control Act remains the law in Pennsylvania. Planned Parenthood v. Casey was meant to forge a more manageable judicial standard, ensuring that people knew what the law actually was, rather than having to guess at what the courts would hand down from case to case. In that regard, it was clearly a failure. Abortion cases continued to fill federal courts, and state legislatures continued to write laws that matched the peoples will, even when it conflicted with what the courts said.

The attorneys arguing Dobbs saw this problem and issued a similar challenge to the Court as Planned Parenthoods lawyer did in 1992: uphold Roe and Casey or strike them down. This time, the challenge was answered. Again, the change in court membership surely played a role. But the continuing failure of Casey to provide any clarity or legitimacy to abortion jurisprudence must have helped convince any wavering justices in the majority that no court-imposed compromise was possible.

Now abortion law returns to state legislatures, where such matters typically belong. Pennsylvanians will again play a role in its evolution, as we will soon be called on to vote for state constitutional amendments on abortion. But no longer will the idiosyncrasies of this states legislation be made to determine federal law in the other forty-nine.

Kyle Sammin is the editor-at-large at Broad + Liberty and co-host of the Conservative Minds podcast. Follow him on Twitter: @KyleSammin.
Last month was the driest July for England since 1935, and the driest on record for East Anglia, southeast and southern England, provisional statistics show.

England saw an average of 23.1mm rainfall, the Met Office says, while south-east and central southern regions saw an average of just 5.0mm rainfall.

Most of the country now has low river levels, with significant consequences for the farming industry, nature and wildlife.

South East Water has become the latest water supplier to announce a hosepipe ban, citing extreme dry conditions and record demand. It follows Southern Water announcing a ban last week.

Matt Williams, of the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU), said the heatwave and dry weather could bring with it a UK-wide drought.

He said measures like hosepipe bans might provide temporary relief, but the UK was not well-prepared for future droughts, especially in the farming sector.

Some are saying this could be as bad as 1976, when failed crops sent food prices up 12%," Mr Williams noted.

"This would come on top of food prices that are already sky-high due to the costs of inputs like fertiliser and energy from gas.

A drought this summer would add more pressure to a global food system already creaking under the weight of extreme weather in other countries so far this year, like flooding in South Africa and a heatwave in India.

"The benefits of supporting farmers to reduce dependence on energy and chemicals made from fossil fuels, to achieve net zero, and to adapt to climate change, have never been clearer."

Groups including the NFU have called for an Irrigation Water Strategy to address water allocations, increasing demands and competition among water dependent sectors.
NFU Scotland is urging farmers to get involved in the debate on a new land reform consultation and how the wide-ranging proposals it contains could impact the sector.

The Scottish government consultation includes proposals related to concentration of land ownership and defining large-scale holdings.

It also advises a strengthening of land rights and responsibilities (LRRS), and compulsory land management plans for large-scale landowners.

Public interest tests and conditions of sale for large-scale land transactions is included, and more transparency of land ownership.

The consultation launched ahead of introducing a Land Reform Bill, and closes in September for responses.

Alasdair Macnab, NFU Scotland's legal chair, said: Scottish government is committed to an ongoing program of land reform in Scotland.

"Land reform is anything to do with ownership, management, and use of land in Scotland, so these proposals will affect all farmers and crofters.

Scottish government is consulting on scale of land ownership, compulsory land management plans for some landowners, conditions on sale of land and linking public subsidy and information to accountability for landowners."

The union is hosting a webinar on Thursday 11 August at 7pm when Gemma Cooper, NFUS Head of Policy Team and Mr Macnab will explain the proposals.

NFU Scotland members can sign up online to attend, and three follow up regional meetings are also being planned.

Mr Macnab added: This aim of the webinar is to inform and help members understand what the consultation is about so that they can provide their views at the forthcoming regional member meetings or via the NFUS online survey.

"Members' views are needed as they will shape the NFUS policy response to this Land Reform consultation.
The government must act to boost on-farm renewable energy production in order to increase the UKs energy security and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the Farmers' Union of Wales says.

The call is one of five demands which form the union's five point plan, which comprises key actions to help relieve pressures for farmers and consumers in the immediate term, while bolstering food and energy security in the long term.

FUW President Glyn Roberts said the pandemic and the war on Ukraine had emphasised the vulnerability of food supplies to global events that were beyond farmers' control.

Not only this, but the invasion had also brought into sharper focus the UK's reliance on global energy and fuel markets and supplies.

"Many farmers already play a key role in reducing that exposure through renewable energy production, but we have only tapped into a fraction of what is possible, he said.

Energy production using fossil fuels is second only to business in terms of contributions to Wales greenhouse gas emissions, and is the second highest contributor to emissions in the UK after transport.

In 2020, nearly 23% of the EU's oil and petroleum imports came from Russia, while Russian oil imports previously accounted for 8% of UK demand.

Russia is the worlds largest natural gas exporter, followed by the USA and Qatar, and previously accounted for around 45% of EU gas imports.

The UK's reliance on imported fuel and energy could be reduced by increasing domestic production, Mr Roberts said, and farmers were keen to play their part.

"However, we need the restoration of incentives for that to happen - and it must not come at the expense of food production and large areas of farmland, he said.

Following the introduction of Feed in Tariffs in 2010, there was a rapid increase in renewable energy production on Welsh farmland, but this incentive was withdrawn in 2019 and growth in such production has levelled off significantly.

Mr Roberts warned: "The Welsh governments decision to remove business rate relief for privately-owned hydropower projects has also served as a significant barrier to investment.

"Obstacles such as landscape designations and disproportionate regulations continue to work against renewable energy production.

"Government must therefore seek to remove barriers and restore incentives in order to boost agricultures contribution to our energy security, he added.




The top military officers of South Korea and the United States agreed on the "timely" deployment of U.S. strategic assets here in case of a North Korean nuclear test during video talks Wednesday, Seoul officials said.







Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) Chairman Kim Seung-kyum and his U.S. counterpart, Mark Milley, held the talks as the allies are gearing up for the upcoming regular combined training amid concerns about the possibility of the North conducting a nuclear test.







"The two countries' JCS chairmen agreed to show the alliance's stern resolve and capabilities through joint responses, including the timely deployment of U.S. strategic assets should the North press ahead with what would be its seventh nuclear test," the JCS said in a press release.







They also agreed to actively cooperate to enhance the credibility of extended deterrence, America's stated commitment to employing a full range of its military capabilities, including nuclear options, to defend its Asian ally.







In addition, the two sides agreed to prioritize solidifying the allies' combined defense posture through field training and other drills during the Ulchi Focus Shield (UFS) training set for Aug. 22-Sept. 1.







The UFS is considered a revival of the Ulchi Freedom Guardian exercise abolished in 2018 amid the previous Moon Jae-in administration's efforts to facilitate diplomacy with the North.







During the meeting, Kim expressed his gratitude to Milley for his "active" support for the strengthening of the two countries' combined defense posture, according to the JCS.







In turn, Milley reaffirmed the U.S.' security commitment to South Korea has remained solid over the past 70 years and will remain unchanged. (Yonhap)


Image: Instagram/@orientexpress





The enigmatic Orient Express is currently being restored and renovated for its relaunch from Paris in 2024



When the Olympic Games kick off in Paris in 2024, it will also mark the time the Orient Express hits the rails from the French capital once again.

Back in October 1883, when it set off from Paris to Istanbul, the Orient Express was the most luxurious train in the world. Developed by Belgian engineer Georges Nagelmackers, the Orient Express was the result of his experience with designing many upscale European trains. He wanted this new train to offer the very best possible in luxury, with glamour and comfort all part of the service.



On its inaugural 13-day journey, the Orient Express carried 40 passengers from Paris to Istanbul (then called Constantinople). The luxury train continued to run until 1977, by which time there were not many takers for extravagant rail journeys in the face of quicker, more budget-friendly air travel, and it was disbanded and its vehicles auctioned off. The Orient Express got a fresh lease of life in the 1980s when entrepreneurs American James Sherwood and Swiss Albert Glatt ran London-to-Venice and Zurich-to-Istanbul routes respectively. By 2009, the train had ceased to operate, and lay hidden away from the spotlight until 2015 when the carriages were discovered by historian Arthur Mettetal in a YouTube video. He recognised the distinctive blue shade of the Orient Express and mounted a search for the carriages. They were acquired by the Accor hotel groups Orient Express brand in 2018.





Image: Instagram/@orientexpress



The carriages are currently being renovated by Maxime dAngeac, a Parisian architect, and a team of French artisans, who are bringing back the splendour of the 17 carriages built in the 1920s and 1930s. The luxury train will now feature 14 sleeping carriages, a restaurant and a bar, and a salon in which passengers can enjoy a variety of events and performances. They can pick from three types of suites, all ensuites, including a presidential suite that will take up one whole carriage.





Image: Instagram/@orientexpress



The food, as with the original Orient Express, is expected to be spectacular, and will be inspired from old menus on the luxury train.



Although not many details are available, it is believed that the new Orient Express will run again between Paris and Istanbul.

Also Read: Love Tomorrowland? Catch The Vibe At A Desert Destination In Dubai


Sri Lanka has registered an impressive growth in garment and textile export in the first half of this year despite the ongoing economic and political crisis. Garment exports from the island nation stood at $2,732.9 million in January-June 2022 registering an increase of 20.5 per cent over exports of $2,267.5 million in the same period of previous year, according to the statistics released by the Central Bank of Sri Lanka.

Sri Lankan textile exports increased by 15.3 per cent year-on-year to $180.6 million during the same period. However, exports of other made-up textile articles stood at $63.8 million during January-June 2022, registering a mild growth of 0.7 per cent year-on-year, according to the central banks report External Sector Performance  June 2022.

Textiles, garments and other made-up textiles articles exports accounted for 56.59 per cent of all industrial exports from Sri Lanka during the six-month period of this year, the report showed.

Sri Lanka has registered an impressive growth in garment and textile export in the first half of this year despite the ongoing economic and political crisis. Garment exports from the island nation stood at $2,732.9 million in January-June 2022 registering an increase of 20.5 per cent over exports of $2,267.5 million in the same period of previous year, accor#

On the other hand, imports of textiles and textile articles rose by 16.2 per cent to $1,685.6 million, while clothing and accessories imports were up by 24.2 per cent to $130.8 million during January-June 2022.

During the month of June 2022, garment and textile exports from the South Asian nation registered a growth of 36.9 per cent year-on-year. Category-wise, garment exports increased by 39.8 per cent to $526.4 million, while textile exports rose by 4.4 per cent to $31.4 million. Exports of other made-up textile articles were up by 25.2 per cent to $11 million.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (KUL)
Bangladesh's trade deficit hit a historic high of $33.25 billion in fiscal 2021-22 (FY22) due to a global hike in import and commodity prices, according to the Bangladesh Bank. The current account deficit also surpassed $18.50 billion in FY22. Economists emphasised on curbing imports and boosting remittances to minimise trade deficit and offer relief.

The trade deficit in FY21 stood at $23.78 billion.

The current account deficit was $17.28 billion at the end of May this year, and shot up by $1.5 billion in June to reach a historic high of $18.69 billion. The deficit had been widening by $2 billion in the past few months. In FY21, the current account deficit was at $4.57 billion.

Bangladesh's trade deficit hit a historic high of $33.25 billion in fiscal 2021-22 (FY22) due to a global hike in import and commodity prices, according to the Bangladesh Bank. The current account deficit also surpassed $18.50 billion in FY22. Economists emphasised on curbing imports and boosting remittances to minimise trade deficit and offer relief.#

At the end of FY22, the overall balance deficit stood at $5.38 billion. The overall balance hit a $9.27 billion surplus in FY2020-21, a news agency reported.

The country received $21.03 billion in remittance in FY22, which was 15.12 per cent less than the previous fiscal, according to a report by its central bank, which had to inject $7.62 billion in the last fiscal in the face of growing import payment. The central bank also sold more than $1 billion to banks in July.

Remittance flow to Bangladesh rose by 11.76 per cent year on year to $2.09 billion in July this year. Migrant workers sent home $1.87 billion in July last year.

The excessive dollar sales dragged the forex reserve to $39.48 billion from $48 billion in August last year.

However, imports started to slow down from June after the Bangladesh Bank tightened import policies to save foreign exchange reserves amid rising dollar prices. At the same time, the central bank initiated raids to curb illegal dollar sales in the open market.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)
View this post on Instagram A post shared by Rakul Singh (@rakulpreet)

The term Pan-Indian cinema is doing the rounds in media circles and on social media these days, thanks to the phenomenal success of RRR, KGF: Chapter 2 and Pushpa: The Rise. Actors like Allu Arjun, Yash, Ram Charan and Jr NTR are being termed 'pan-Indian stars' but this phenomenon of actors doing well in both the South and North film circuits is not new. Actors have seamlessly traversed multiple Indian film industries since time immemorial and Rakul Preet Singh is one of them. The actress made her cinema debut with a Kannada movie and has done Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam films. She was already a big star down South when she made her Bollywood debut with Yaariyan in 2014.Ask Rakul what she thinks of the term 'pan-Indian' and she says: "Yes, sometimes I do feel like okay this word has been coined now but I've been doing that for a while. Nevertheless, that's not a thought that's actively always crossing my mind. I think I've had the best of both worlds, you know? I've worked with everyone in Telugu and had the best experience and I always say that who I am today is attributed to Telugu cinema and now this is a new field for me, a new space for me, that I'm enjoying as well. But like I said, pan-India is just a word and people have been watching films for a while, and I just feel it's in the last two or three years that it's been highlighted more where its great social media has some power."Rakul recently released her new music video which is titled Mashooka. It's a party anthem that is an instant ear-worm. Of course, as one would guess by the name, it is kind of a romantic number as well. It's bubbly, fun and joyful - is Rakul's idea of love the same?"I think my idea of love is extremely romantic but it's also practical. It's not a film romance because life is not a movie. But it's fun, so if you want to call it bubbly you can. I choose to express, whatever I feel, keeping in mind the practicality of life. And yes, I'm a strong believer of love and I believe in enjoying every small moment that comes with it," she says, adding: "I believe in the idea of love, I believe in love. And I think that comes from the fact that I've seen my parents a certain way ever since I've grown up - with a lot of respect towards each other and a lot of commitment towards each other. And to me, love is unconditional. It cannot be stressful, and if it is you are in the wrong relationship. I think it has to just flow and accept you as you are. You accept the other person as the other person is too. And two people come together to make each other's life better, but not suck out energy from it. So my idea of love is effortless."The actress will next be seen in Chhatriwali, a social-comedy film where she is playing the role of a condom-tester. It's not a role that a mainstream actress would have accepted back in the day but times have changed and so have the roles being offered to women."Well Chhatriwali . . . when you watch the film, you'll know that it is a very important subject and dealt with in a very sensitive and light-hearted manner. I just feel that today, we're talking about so many issues, population control and there are bigger issues because of that and it is important to educate people in the right way. We're not trying to be preachy, but when you see the film you'll know why I happened to say yes to it. All I can say is that it is a film that you can watch with your parents. Not one dialogue will make you feel cringe, not one scene will make you feel that way. It is a family film that will bring a smile to your faces," she says.Even though times have changed, a majority of the Indian populace still tends to shirk away from talking about condoms and sex. Is Rakul Preet Singh open about her opinions regarding safe sex and good sexual health?"Absolutely, I think these are things, unfortunately, because of a taboo that are not spoken about. But I think every school should educate the kids about safe sex and good sexual health. You know, we very vaguely touch the surface of HIV, or AIDS or the other STDs. But, in general, it is as normal as it needs to be and it's as important to know about the dos and don'ts as it is about anything else," she says.We do wish more public personalities were as candid as Rakul Preet Singh, for sure.
Artificial intelligence technologies such as machine learning and data analytics could transform the claims value chain and improve customer outcomes

Up to $170 billion of insurance premiums could be at risk in the next five years due to poor claims experiences, with process inefficiencies in underwriting potentially costing the industry another $160 billion over the same period, according to a new report from Accenture (NYSE: ACN).

The report, Why AI in Insurance Claims and Underwriting?" is based on surveys of more than 6,700 policyholders across 25 countries; more than 120 claims executives in 12 countries; and more than 900 US-based underwriters. It explores how the insurance industry is responding to the latest market dynamics, pressure from new competitors, challenges facing underwriters, and the growing demand for seamless customer experiences as well as how artificial intelligence (AI) technologies can be applied to satisfy and retain customers and transform the underwriting function.

The report found that one-third (31%) of the claimants were not fully satisfied with their home and auto insurance claims-handling experiences over the past two years. Of this 31%, six in 10 (60%) cited settlement speed issues and 45% cited issues with the closing process.

Dissatisfaction around the claims experience is a key reason driving customers to switch insurers. Nearly one-third (30%) of dissatisfied claimants said they had switched carriers in the past two years, and another 47% said they were considering doing so. Overall, the consumers who reported not being fully satisfied could represent up to $34 billion in premiums annually, or up to $170 billion over the next five years.

The report states that AI technologies could improve the claims process.For instance, four in five (79%) of the claims executives surveyed said they believe that automation, AI and data analytics based on machine learning can bring value across the entire claims value chain from flagging fraudulent claims, to damage assessment and loss estimation, reserving, adjusting, processing optimization, and subrogation. However, the adoption of these technologies has been slow to date, with only about one-third (35%) of claims executives reporting that their organizations are advanced in their use of these technologies. This could change, though, as nearly two-thirds (65%) of insurance companies plan to invest $10 million or more in these technologies over the next three years, prioritizing AI-based applications and automation technologies, according to the claims executives surveyed.

The report also found that insurers could reduce underwriting operating costs through the adoption of AI technologies, making up to $160 billion in efficiency gains by 2027. As underwriters currently grapple with ageing systems and inefficient processes, the research found that up to 40% of their time is spent on non-core and administrative activities an annual efficiency loss of between $17 billion and $32 billion. More than half (60%) of the underwriters surveyed believe that improvements could be made to the quality of their organizations' processes and tools.

"AI is no longer a technology of the future, but an established capability that many insurance innovators are already putting to work to deliver better customer experiences and empower their workforce," said Kenneth Saldanha, who leads Accenture's Insurance industry group globally. "As humans and AI collaborate ever more closely in insurance, companies will be able to reshape how they operate, becoming more efficient, fluid and adaptive. Those that are already moving to leverage AI will be able to create sustained competitive advantage."

Read the full report, "Why AI in Insurance Claims and Underwriting?" to understand how to drive AI at scale in insurance.

Methodology

The report is based on four surveys across insurance claims and underwriting, analyzing both customer and employee experiences and how insurers are responding:

A survey of 6,754 insurance policyholders in 25 countries on their most recent experiences in filing auto and property insurance claims;

A survey of 128 insurance claims executives in 12 countries regarding the strategies of their claims organizations;

A survey of 434 US-based property and casualty insurance underwriters, conducted in conjunction with The Institutes, a provider of insurance education; and

A survey of 500 US-based life insurance underwriters regarding technology adoption.

To arrive at the $170 billion premiums-at-risk figure, Accenture used modelling in conjunction with survey data of 6,700 insurance claimants, analyzing the global personal auto and property insurance market to calculate the yearly premium volume and the percentage of people who make a claim annually. This was used in conjunction with the consumer survey data pertaining to the percentage of people who reported that they were not fully satisfied with their claims experience and those who said they have, as a result of their dissatisfaction, changed carriers or will do so over the next five years. Accenture used a similar approach to calculate the $160 billion efficiency gains in underwriting figure taking into account personal, commercial and life yearly premium volumes and costs spent on underwriting employees to determine an underwriting expense ratio. Efficiency gains were calculated to be 0.5-1 percentage points of the expense ratio, representing between $9 billion and $15 billion globally per year.

About Accenture

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View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220802005844/en/

Contacts:

Victoria Ancell

Accenture

+44 7446 27759

v.ancell@accenture.com
03 August 2022

PRESS RELEASE

Ad hoc announcement pursuant to Art. 53 Listing Rules:





GAM Holding AG announces appointment of new Group Chief Financial Officer



GAM Holding AG has announced that it will appoint Sally Orton, currently Deputy Chief Financial Officer (CFO), as Group CFO and a member of the Group Management Board (GMB). This follows Richard McNamara's decision to step down from his role. Richard has been Group CFO since 2015 and will leave the firm towards the end of the year. Sally's appointment as Group CFO and as a member of the GMB will take effect immediately. Richard will stay at the firm over the coming months to ensure a smooth handover to Sally.

Peter Sanderson, CEO GAM Investments said: "I am delighted that Sally has been appointed Group CFO and would like to warmly welcome her to the Group Management Board. I would also like to thank Richard for his enormous contribution to GAM over the last seven years. He has been a great support to me personally and has worked tirelessly to help us manage through a challenging period. Sally has held the role of Deputy CFO since earlier this year, has extensive experience in asset management and is an invaluable member of our senior team."

About Sally Orton:

Sally Orton joined GAM in May 2022 as Deputy CFO. She is a chartered accountant with more than 25 years' experience. She has held leadership and executive roles in listed asset management, insurance, banking and infrastructure firms. Sally also has 15 years' experience in accounting practice, qualifying with KPMG in Australia ahead of moving to the UK where she spent a combined 10 year period with PwC and EY specialised in audit and advisory assignments for banking and capital markets firms.

Upcoming events:

3 August 2022 Half-year results 2022

The presentation of the H1 2022 results of GAM Holding AG analyst, investors and media will take place on Webex on 3 August 2022 at 10.00 (CET). Materials relating to the results (presentation slides, 2022 Half Year Report and press release) are available at www.gam.com.

20 October 2022 Q3 2022 Interim management statement

28 February 2023 Full year results 2022



For further information please contact:

Charles Naylor

Head of Communications and Investor Relations

T +44 7890 386 699

Investor Relations Media Relations

Stephen Gardner Ute Dehn Christen

T +44 7790 778544 T +41 58 426 31 36

Visit us: www.gam.com

Follow us: Twitter and LinkedIn

About GAM

We are an active, independent global asset manager that thinks beyond the obvious to deliver distinctive and differentiated investment solutions for our clients across our three core businesses: Investment Management, Wealth Management and Fund Management Services.

Our purpose is to protect and enhance our clients' financial future. We attract and empower the brightest minds to provide investment leadership, innovation and a positive impact on society and the environment.

Servicing institutions, financial intermediaries, and private investors, we manage CHF 83.2 billion of assets.

Headquartered in Zurich, GAM Investments is listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange with the symbol 'GAM' and we employ 594 people across 14 countries with investment centres in London, Cambridge, Zurich, Hong Kong, New York and Milan, as at 30 June 2020. Our operational centres are in Dublin, Luxembourg and London.

Disclaimer regarding forward-looking statements

This press release by GAM Holding AG ('the Company') includes forward-looking statements that reflect the Company's intentions, beliefs or current expectations and projections about the Company's future results of operations, financial condition, liquidity, performance, prospects, strategies, opportunities, and the industry in which it operates. Forward-looking statements involve all matters that are not historical facts. The Company has tried to identify those forward-looking statements by using words such as 'may', 'will', 'would', 'should', 'expect', 'intend', 'estimate', 'anticipate', 'project', 'believe', 'seek', 'plan', 'predict', 'continue' and similar expressions. Such statements are made on the basis of assumptions and expectations which, although the Company believes them to be reasonable at this time, may prove to be erroneous.

These forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors that could cause the Company's actual results of operations, financial condition, liquidity, performance, prospects or opportunities, as well as those of the markets it serves or intends to serve, to differ materially from those expressed in, or suggested by, these forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause those differences include but are not limited to changing business or other market conditions, legislative, fiscal, and regulatory developments, general economic conditions, and the Company's ability to respond to trends in the financial services industry. Additional factors could cause actual results, performance, or achievements to differ materially. The Company expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release any update of, or revisions to, any forward-looking statements in this press release and any change in the Company's expectations or any change in events, conditions, or circumstances on which these forward-looking statements are based, except as required by applicable law or regulation.

Attachments




A Russian man who was on the run after allegedly killing a Uzbek man in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, has been apprehended three days after the crime, police said Wednesday.







The Russian national in his 50s was put under emergency arrest on murder charges, according to police in Hwaseong, about 60 kilometers south of Seoul.







The suspect is accused of stabbing the Uzbek national in his 40s several times at the latter's home in Hwaseong's Songsan district last Saturday before fleeing, police said. The victim was rushed to a nearby hospital but died.







Police immediately began a manhunt and the Russian man was nabbed in the southeastern city of Daegu around 7 p.m. Tuesday.







The suspect told police that he committed the crime after the victim had refused to pay back borrowed money. Police said they plan to request an arrest warrant for the suspect after conducting further investigations. (Yonhap)


Bedroom specialist Beter Bed is proud to announce that neuroscientist and sleep expert Matthew Walker will be speaking on its event to raise awareness of the importance of good and sufficient sleep. Along with healthy eating and sufficient exercise, a good night's sleep is one of the most important conditions for staying healthy as you get older. Research by Beter Bed shows that although a large part of Dutch people recognise the importance of a good night's sleep, they hardly ever act on this.

As part of its mission 'Sleep better, live better', Beter Bed has been focusing on improving people's sleep for years now. The bedroom specialist teams up with various experts to provide in-depth information on sleep related topics. At the invitation of Beter Bed in cooperation with box spring brand Velda, Matthew Walker is coming to the Netherlands to share his knowledge and inspiration with interested Dutch and Belgian parties. At a major event organised by Beter Bed in September this year, Walker will answer questions such as: why is sleep so important? How does sleep impact your brain health and risk of Alzheimer's disease? How does a lack of sleep impact your heart health, and also your immune health, including risk of cancer? Walker will give practical tips to help you put better sleep into practice right away. In addition to Walker's presentation, during which he will share his inspiring insights, attendees will be able to follow sessions offering tips on how to improve their sleep, including breathing techniques or a mindful walk, for example.

About Matthew Walker

Matthew Walker, a British scientist, earned his PhD in neuroscience from the Medical Research Council in the UK, and subsequently became a Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. He is currently Professor of Neuroscience and Psychology at the University of California, Berkeley, and director of the Center for Human Sleep Science. Matt's research focuses on the effect of sleep on human health and disease, brain, and body. Walker has published more than 100 scientific research studies and has received numerous funding awards from the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health, and is a Kavli Fellow of the National Academy of Sciences. He was recently awarded the Carl Sagan Prize for Science Popularization. Matt has given a main-stage TED Talk that has been viewed over 14 million times, has also created several TED Miniseries on sleep, a Master Class series on sleep, and is author of the New York Times bestseller, Why We Sleep. Matt is also host of the 5-star-rated, The Matt Walker Podcast .

Livestream

Beter Bed is keen to help everyone in the Netherlands and Belgium sleep better. It is therefore important that not just the invited guests get the chance to experience Matthew Walker's insights and inspiration. The sleep expert's presentation on 1 September will therefore be broadcast via a live stream, available exclusively to a limited number of participants. If you want to find out all there is to know about sleeping better, sign up now at beterbed.nl/matthew-walker .

About Beter Bed Holding

Beter Bed Holding (BBH) is the Netherlands' leading sleep specialist in retail, wholesale and B2B.



Our mission is simple. We believe that the better we sleep, the happier, healthier and more productive we are. And we won't rest until everyone gets the high-quality sleep they deserve.



Listed on Euronext Amsterdam, BBH operates the successful retail brands Beter Bed, Beddenreus, the new subscription brand Leazzzy and the digital organisation LUNEXT. In addition, through its subsidiary DBC International, BBH has a wholesale business in branded products in the bedroom furnishings sector, which includes the well-known international brand M line.

With 4 distribution centres, a fleet of 80 vehicles, 134 stores, a fast-growing online presence, and a wholesale company our team of over 1,000 dedicated employees generated  214.2 million revenue in 2021.

Providing expert sleep advice is at the very heart of our strategy, and thanks to our revolutionary 'Beter Slapen ID' tool, our sleep consultants help customers to get the perfect night's sleep. BBH is proud that M line is the official sleep supplier of AFC Ajax, TeamNL, Jumbo-Visma, NOC*NSF and the KNVB.

For more information

Press enquiries: Uneke Dekkers / CFF Communications

T +31

For the PDF version of the press release and the photo, please click on the link under attachment(s).

Press photos can be downloaded here .

Attachments
OSLO, Norway, Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Norwegian Energy Company ASA ("Noreco" or the "Company") has today published an update on the Tyra Redevelopment Project ("Tyra II" or the "Project") with the first gas date being revised by the operator of the Danish Underground Consortium (the "DUC), TotalEnergies, to Winter 2023 / 2024.

The revision has been driven by global supply chain challenges that have impacted the extent to which fabrication work on the process module (the "TEG") has been completed in the yard in Batam. While the sail-away of the TEG will be a positive milestone that marks the end of Tyra II's onshore fabrication phase, it will depart with additional work required to be completed offshore in order to achieve first gas. Additionally, the operator of the Project has revised its plan for the ongoing hook-up and commissioning phase ("HUC").

Based on the strength of Noreco's underlying business, with three producing hubs that are significantly cash generative in the current environment, the Company is fully funded based on current estimates and with a capital structure that continues to be set to deliver Tyra II based on the revised forecasts.

Process Module: TEG

Seven out of eight modules are already installed offshore and the TEG has been the only remaining module where onshore fabrication is still ongoing. With load-out of the process module beginning this week, the module will leave McDermott's yard in Batam in an incomplete state with approximately 580,000 hours of remaining work, where the operator expects approximately 165,000 hours are required to reach first gas. The Carry-Over work is mainly caused by the overall performance at the yard where overhang from COVID-19 has challenged the quality and progress, and the operator's efforts in mitigating actions have proved not to be sufficiently effective. The sail away of the module remains on schedule and is expected in early September where the TEG will be transported directly to the Tyra field by heavy lift vessel GPO Emerald followed by a lift and installation by Heerema's Sleipinir.

Offshore Hook-Up and Commissioning

Although TotalEnergies has focused on optimising the ongoing offshore activities at the Tyra field, progress is below the original plan and will be further impacted by the carry-over scope of the arriving TEG. As such, offshore productivity assumptions have been revisited with several identified areas of potential improvements and learnings which should have an overall positive effect on the Offshore Hook-Up and Commissioning performance going forward.

Revised Start-Up of Tyra II

The final stage of the yard fabrication is now complete with seven out of eight modules in place. As a result, TotalEnergies has revised the planning towards first gas according to the status of TEG at sail away. The operator has concluded that time schedule of the original planned work scope is no longer achievable and the probabilistic range of first gas dates for Tyra II is as follows:

P10: October 2023

P50: December 2023

P90: March 2024

Budget

As a result of the schedule change, the expenditure budget for Tyra II is expected to rise. While the operator is in the process of preparing a formal budget for approval by the DUC partnership, TotalEnergies have indicated that they expect a gross budget to first gas of c. DKK 24.0 billion and to Project completion of DKK 25.7 billion. Net to Noreco, the remaining expenditure to reach first gas is approximately USD 300 million which implies a net increase to first gas of approximately USD 120 million compared to previous budget. The increase in budget is mainly related to higher expected costs on the hook-up & commissioning and project management.

Noreco's Robust Underlying Business Model

The Company has in H1 2022 delivered strong results and is in a robust financial position. The cash generation from Dan, Gorm and Halfdan is significant and during Q2 2022 the Company delivered revenues of USD 265 million and EBITDA of USD 167 million. This is mainly a result of high operational performance of all the three hubs and a favourable commodity price environment. Noreco remains fully funded to deliver Tyra based on current estimates, with significant headroom under the financial covenants of the Company's debt instruments. With the remaining work of the Tyra Redevelopment Project being carried out locally at the Tyra field in Denmark by the operator, Noreco expects a higher transparency of the Project's performance and intends to update the market on a regular basis on relevant progress and milestones.

Marianne Eide, Noreco's Chief Operating Officer commented:

"Today's news on a revised scheduled for Tyra is disappointing, however we are now entering the last stage of the Tyra Re-development with a good definition of the work scope remaining to achieve first gas. We now have a robust plan built on experience from the initial nine months of offshore hook-up and commissioning and we expect to add more than 500 offshore workers. The complexity of the operations at Tyra will increase and safe operations is our main priority.

The imminent sail-away of the TEG module from Batam is a significant milestone for Tyra II with the onshore fabrication process complete. By Q4 2022, all eight modules will have been installed offshore and, importantly, remaining activity to first gas will be fully within the direct control of TotalEnergies.

In parallel with delivering Tyra we are working to increase gas production from our producing assets in the DUC. We have seen positive gains from the Halfdan stimulation campaign and for the upcoming infill wells we are prioritising gas rich targets"

Euan Shirlaw, Chief Executive Officer of Noreco said:

"Noreco fully recognises economic, strategic and political importance of achieving Tyra first gas. Our focus will remain on ensuring that the revised project plan, as recently communicated to us by the operator, is secured; we are committed to making an active contribution as we seek to improve offshore HUC performance and expedite first gas from Tyra II.

Our underlying business with the producing Halfdan, Dan and Gorm hubs continues to perform strongly and the extent to which this translates into the generation of meaningful profitability and cashflow was demonstrated in our Q2 2022 results. Against the current market backdrop, we are actively pursuing short-cycle investment opportunities that will enable us to produce more in the near-term. The combination of strong recent results and a positive outlook ensures we remain fully funded despite the expected cost increase for the Project. Our stable and robust capital structure continues to be set to take whatever actions are available to achieve the earliest start-up for Tyra II"

Investor Call

The Company will host an investor call today at 11am CEST. Presentation materials for the investor call will be made available shortly ahead of the call at Noreco's website: https://www.noreco.com/reports-and-presentations.

To join the investor call: https://channel.royalcast.com/hegnarmedia/#!/hegnarmedia/20220803_1

IMPORTANT NOTICE

FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS. Matters discussed in this announcement include forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and may be identified by words such as "believe," "expect,", "plans", "anticipate," "intends," "estimate," "will," "may," "continue," "should" and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements include statements regarding: objectives, goals, strategies, outlook and growth prospects; future plans, events or performance and potential for future growth; liquidity, capital resources and capital expenditures; economic outlook and industry trends; commodity prices and developments in the Company's markets. The forward-looking statements in this announcement are based upon various assumptions, many of which are based, in turn, upon further assumptions, including without limitation, management's examination of historical operating trends, data contained in the Company's records and other data available from third parties. Although the Company believes that these assumptions were reasonable when made, these assumptions are inherently subject to significant known and unknown risks, uncertainties, contingencies and other important factors which are difficult or impossible to predict and are beyond its control. Such risks, uncertainties, contingencies and other important factors could cause the actual results of the Company or the industry to differ materially from those results expressed or implied in this announcement by such forward-looking statements.

No representation is made that any of these forward-looking statements will come to pass or that any forecast result will be achieved and you are cautioned not to place any undue influence on any forward-looking statement. The information, opinions and forward-looking statements contained in this announcement speak only as at its date and are subject to change without notice. The Company does not undertake any obligation to review, update, confirm, or to release publicly any revisions to any forward-looking statements to reflect events that occur or circumstances that arise in relation to the content of this announcement.

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 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act. The stock exchange announcement was published by Cathrine Torgersen, Executive Vice President Investor Relations & ESG, Norwegian Energy Company ASA, at the date and time as set out above.

Contact:

Cathrine Torgersen, EVP Investor Relations & ESG

Phone: +47 915 28 501

Email: ct@noreco.com

About Norwegian Energy Company ASA

Noreco is a publicly owned company with focus on the oil, gas and offshore industry. The Company's shares are listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange (ticker NOR). For further information, please visit: www.noreco.com.

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

https://news.cision.com/noreco/r/noreco--update-on-the-tyra-redevelopment-project,c3609648
Regulatory News:

SEGRO plc ('SEGRO') (BOURSE:SGRO), in its role as venture adviser to the SEGRO European Logistics Partnership ('SELP') joint venture, announces the pricing of a 5 year, 750 million senior unsecured Green bond issue for SELP. The order book at peak totalled approximately 2.5 billion and the bonds were priced at 245 basis points above euro mid-swaps, equating to an annual coupon of 3.75 per cent.

The proceeds of the issue will principally be used to refinance the existing (non-green) 500 million bond expiring in 2023, which are subject to an ongoing tender offer. In due course, they will be allocated to financing and/or refinancing Eligible Green Projects as outlined in the SEGRO Green Finance Framework, including the continued development programme, as well as providing funding for general corporate purposes.

About SEGRO European Logistics Partnership S.a r.l. (SELP):

SELP is a joint venture in which SEGRO owns a 50 per cent interest. It was established in October 2013 and owns 7.6 billion of big box warehouses and development land across seven Continental European countries. SEGRO acts as asset, property and development manager for SELP.

For further information see www.SELP.lu.

About SEGRO

SEGRO is a UK Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT), listed on the London Stock Exchange and Euronext Paris, and is a leading owner, manager and developer of modern warehouses and industrial property. It owns or manages 9.7 million square metres of space (104 million square feet) valued at 23.8 billion serving customers from a wide range of industry sectors. Its properties are located in and around major cities and at key transportation hubs in the UK and in seven other European countries.

For over 100 years SEGRO has been creating the space that enables extraordinary things to happen. From modern big box warehouses, used primarily for regional, national and international distribution hubs, to urban warehousing located close to major population centres and business districts, it provides high-quality assets that allow its customers to thrive.

A commitment to be a force for societal and environmental good is integral to SEGRO's purpose and strategy. Its Responsible SEGRO framework focuses on three long-term priorities where the company believes it can make the greatest impact: Championing Low-Carbon Growth, Investing in Local Communities and Environments and Nurturing Talent.

See www.SEGRO.com for further information.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220802006071/en/

Contacts:

Harry Stokes (Commercial Finance Director)

+44 (0) 20 7451 9124 harry.stokes@segro.com

Gary Gaskarth (External Communications Manager)

+44 (0) 20 7451 9069 gary.gaskarth@segro.com

Richard Sunderland Eve Kirmatzis (FTI Consulting)

Tel: +44 (0) 20 3727 1000
HAMBURG, Germany, Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Vela Diagnostics has announced its appointment by the National Public Health Laboratory of Kenya (NPHL) as their supplier for SARS-CoV-2 genotyping tests, with funding from The Global Fund.

The NPHL operates under Kenya's Ministry of Health and plays an important role in the nation's healthcare by providing reference testing for key diseases and in response to disease outbreaks. It is currently embarking on a program to trace and curb spread of COVID-19 in Kenya, an effort funded by The Global Fund.

The Global Fund is an international financing and partnership organization that aims to attract, leverage and invest additional resources for prevention, treatment and care programs of diseases such as AIDS, TB and malaria.

Vela Diagnostics has an extensive infectious diseases portfolio, with solutions to support COVID-19 testing. These include the ViroKey SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR Test v2.0, a test for the diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infections, and the ViroKey SARS-CoV-2 ID RT-PCR Test, which quickly identifies specific strains and potential variants of concern.

Especially relevant to the Kenyan NPHL's surveillance efforts is the ViroKey SQ FLEX SARS-CoV-2 Genotyping Assay, a next-generation sequencing (NGS)-based test for detecting genomic mutations of the SARS-CoV-2 RNA genome from nasopharyngeal or oropharyngeal swabs. The accompanying reporter software automatically calls out mutations and classifies them by lineage, providing critical insights to the molecular epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2 infections.

Dr Leonard Kingwara, Head of the Genomics and Molecular Surveillance Laboratory Unit in Kenya, attests to the efficiency of Vela Diagnostics' SARS-CoV-2 genotyping assay in results generation, as well as its utility for expanding the scope of pathogen public health surveillance. "Vela Diagnostics' genotyping assay ensures timely results through automation and reduction of hands-on procedures. This has facilitated timely result releases for various research projects," says Dr Kingwara.

"We are very excited to be appointed as the primary supplier for genotyping kits for the Kenyan NPHL," says Dr Andreas Goertz, Managing Director of Vela Diagnostics EMEA. "This grants us an invaluable opportunity to expand our presence in Africa, including South Africa where our HIV genotyping assay is currently undergoing registration for sales in the country."

The Sentosa SQ HIV-1 Genotyping Kit is a US FDA De Novo designated NGS assay for detecting HIV-1 drug resistance mutations (DRMs). "Our HIV-1 genotyping solution is the only commercially available NGS solution authorized by the FDA for sale in the US, and can detect down to 5% mutation frequency; more sensitive than traditional Sanger sequencing-based platforms. It also detects for mutations in the three most common drug target regions in one test, providing comprehensive mutation profiles for clinicians to decide on the optimal antiretroviral therapy to prescribe," says Rachel Yap, Global Product Manager for Vela Diagnostics.

"We believe our HIV-1 genotyping assay can act as a key tool in global efforts to curb the HIV pandemic and help achieve the goal of '90-90-90'," says Sam Dajani, CEO and Chairman of the Board for Vela Diagnostics, referring to the "90-90-90" treatment target originally created by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS). It calls for 90% of HIV-infected individuals to be diagnosed by 2030, 90% of whom will be on antiretroviral therapy and 90% of whom will have achieved sustained virologic suppression.

About Vela Diagnostics

Vela Diagnostics is a leading provider for integrated IVD system solutions, from sample to result. VELA's test solutions utilize the automated Sentosa platform, providing the unique ability to leverage one system for NGS and PCR testing in infectious disease and oncology.

All Sentosa products listed above are by Vela Diagnostics. For more information, visit www.veladx.com.
Singapore, Aug 3, 2022 - (ACN Newswire) - Corinium's Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) Singapore gathers the region's leading information security executives to share their insights on ransomware, threat intelligence, threat hunting, cloud security, emerging technology risk and more. For 2022 we are celebrating our first in-person CISO event in Asia by showcasing the progress made, offering insights and effective IT security strategies to the challenges that remain and preparing for the challenges that have yet to be unveiled.Tailored sessions to get the most out of your time at CISO Singapore, from dedicated use case presentations to off-the-record extended Q&A sessions with international speakers and a deep-dive into robust infosec strategies, ideas and discussion.Take part in the premium regional meeting place with expert and renowned leaders internationally and from Singapore to benefit your own leadership journey with C-level discussions and thought leadership.2022 Key Themes:CISO LEADERSHIP: staying one step ahead of constant changeTHREAT INTELLIGENCE: keeping pace with current adversariesPEOPLE: improving cybersecurity culture and awarenessREMOTE WORK & OPERATIONS: safeguarding the future with confidenceIDENTITY MANAGEMENT: strengthening access control, IAM, PAM, federated identityMIND THE GAP: adopting effective incident planning and vulnerability testing and assessmentGOVERNANCE & COMPLIANCE: breaking through complexityCLOUD SECURITY: how to protect data, applications and infrastructureSUPPLY CHAIN THREATS: managing of your digital assets and services risksIOT SECURITY: what it means to businesses and risks involvedCYBERCRIME: Notable trends 2022 and beyond.Register Today!Discover what cybersecurity trends you need watch in 2022 and beyond! Find out what the Singapore Government is doing to overcome the challenges digital trust, and learn how your peers are gaining company-wide support for their cybersecurity strategies!For Further details regarding this event, visit our websitehttps://ciso-sing.coriniumintelligence.comYou can contact us at:info@coriniumintel.comSource: CoriniumCopyright 2022 ACN Newswire . All rights reserved.

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
Annual General Meeting of 30 September 2022





Paris, August 03, 2022

AgroGeneration, a Ukraine based grain and oilseed producer, published its 2021 financial statements, as approved by the Board of Directors on August 02, 2022. Those statements are available on the website of the Company. The delay in disclosure of the 2021 results occurred due to the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine launched on February 24th, 2022. This was followed by the abrupt undermining of Group's business activities and overall performance, as its main production assets are located in the Eastern part of Ukraine, precisely in the Kharkiv region, which is among those territories of the country where active military conflict is underway.

Despite improvements in the Group's financial indicators in 2021, as illustrated by an EBITDA of 35.2 million and Net Profit of 14.2 million, the environment has become challenging and unpredictable. For example, the ports had been blocked, which put downward pressure on commodity prices as the local market was hit by a glut of product, reducing the profitability of the company. This is in contrast to 2021, where the Group's results had been fueled primarily by favorable market crop prices, which supported the performance of EBITDA that year. In addition, in 2021, as expected, the full effect of implementation of cost optimization initiatives, commenced already at the end of 2019 and continued during 2020-2021, became visible by year end and thus also added to AgroGeneration's year-end results. It also put the company in a better position to survive in the current environment. By the end of 2021, the Group increased its equity to 50.1 million and further reduced its net debt to 17.5 million. Reflecting those results, the financing of the 2022 harvest was fully secured sooner than last year by internally generated operating cash flows.

Full-scale war in Ukraine, launched in February 2022 when Russian troops invaded the country, reset all prior performance achievements of the Group. The nearest future prospects of the Company, as well as Ukraine, remain uncertain. AgroGeneration's results of 2021 were fully offset by the war, yet still helped the Group to continue operations over the hardest time in the Company's history. According to current expectations, the certainty of which is extremely poor as the full-scale invasion of Ukraine continues at the date of this release, future EBITDA of the Company will be significantly lower vs. 2021 results on the back of an already observed 19M loss in the Group's assets and the reduced scope of the Group's operations (by nearly half).

Disclaimer: Audit of financial statements - Notice of Annual General Meeting

In the context of the military invasion of Ukraine by Russia that started on 24 February 2022, the auditors of the Ukrainian subsidiaries were not able to perform the audit procedures necessary to issue an opinion on the accounts of these companies. Access to sites and supporting documents was either physically impossible or too risky as the Group's activities are mainly located in the conflict zone (Kharkiv). As a result, the Group's auditors were unable to obtain an opinion on the accounts of the Ukrainian operating companies and on the accounts of the Cypriot holding companies. In this context, as almost all of the Group's business and assets are based in Ukraine, the auditors are unable to certify the consolidated and annual accounts as at 31 December 2021.

Nevertheless, the Annual General Meeting of the Company will be held on 30 September 2022, convened by the Chairman of the Board of Directors.

As there is no visibility as to when the accounts will be available for audit, the Company has determined that it is appropriate to approve the accounts and, if necessary, to make adjustments at the Annual General Meeting on 2022 accounts, if the situation allows it.





2021 Results

2021 financial statements will be posted not later than on August 5th, 2022 at www.agrogeneration.com

(in  thousands) 2020

Published 2020 Restated (1) 2021 Revenue 39,146 39,146 43,896 Biological assets and finished goods (change in fair value) 10,044 10,351 20,006 Cost of sales (32,722) (32,722) (31,541) Gross profit 16,468 16,775 32,361 Selling, general and administrative expenses (4,876) (4,876) (4,518) Other income and expenses (370) (370) (11,100) Operating profit 11,222 11,529 16,743 Net financial income (expense) (9,174) (9,796) (2,654) Tax 600 600 113 Net profit (loss) from continued operations 2,648 2,333 14,202 Net profit (loss) from discontinued operations - - - - Net profit (loss) 2,648 2,333 14,202

(in  thousands) 2020

Published 2020 Restated (1) 2021 EBITDA (2) 19,558 19,419 35,183 Equity 34,711 33,858 50,145 Net debt (3) 25,053 26,546 17,500 Net debt excl. IFRS16 10,969 10,969 632



(1) During 2021 the Group has modified it's approach to the measurement of lease assets and liabilities related to land lease under IFRS 16. This modification provided to include the full actual land

lease payment (including that outside of contractual terms) which reflects the market rate. The Group believes that the modified approach provides more complete, relevant and useful information for the stakeholders. As such this modification represents change in accounting policy and is applied retrospectively (IAS 8) by restating comparative 2020 figures. For more information please refer to the Note 5 of the Consolidated Financial Statements 2021.

(2) EBITDA = earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, amortization, provision, net gain or loss on fixed asset divestiture and impairment of non-current assets and additional non-contractual portion of lease commitments - see appendix I for detail

(3) Total borrowings minus available cash and short-term financial assets and additional debt related to additional non-contractual portion of lease commitments - see appendix I for detail







Production and revenue

In 2021, AgroGeneration produced around 166,000 tons of grain and oilseed (vs. 169,150 tons in 2020) over a cultivated area of circa 56,000 ha. Winter wheat harvest in AgroGeneration came to over 108K tons produced in net weight, with an average yield of 3.9 tons/ha (vs. 4.4 tons/ha in 2020). This lags behind 2020 successful result by 12% as well as the Ukrainian average yield. Still, dry weather favored good quality of produced wheat. Overall, AgroGeneration produced 56.1k tons of milling wheat in 2021, which composed over 50% of total wheat production. In 2021, the Group collected over 51K tons of sunflower with an average net yield of 2.0 tons/ha, outperforming 2020 result by 10% (vs 1.8 tons/ha in 2020). Total net production of other crops (peas, soy, and corn) came to over 6K tons.

AgroGeneration posted 2021 revenues of 43.9 million, up 4.8 million from 39.1 million in 2020, primarily resulting from the sale of 134.9K tons (-40.7k tons vs 2020) of crops from 2020 inventories and the 2021 harvest, which were sold with significantly improved crop prices. Sales break down as follows:

29.6 million corresponds to revenue from the sale of c.a. 105,800 tons produced in 2021, around 25,000 tons decrease versus 2020 representing a decrease in the sales of winter wheat and sunflower of current year harvest. The difference between tonnage produced and sold of around 60,000 tons corresponds to production used by the company for its own needs (seeds) and to inventory of around 53,700 tons to be sold in 2022;

13.9 million from the sale of 2020 inventory (29,200 tons, mainly sunflower);

0.4 million from other products and services (storage, drying).

The export share in the Company's revenues (including sales of inventories from prior year production) remained the same as compared with 2020 and stood at 33% (in tonnage). Excluding crops not eligible for export (sunflower), the proportion would be 47%.





Earnings for the year

Gross result from operations substantially improved from 16.8 million in 2020 (restated) to 32.4 million in 2021, a 15.6 million improvement. This increase can be broken down as follows:

14.0 million related to the effect of a remarkable price increase for both wheat (+30%/ton yoy) and sunflower (+55%/ton yoy) following global market trends;

5.7 million change in the fair value of biological assets and finished goods in 2021 as compared with 2020 representing a combined effect of selling crop prices increases, partially offset by production cost increase vs. 2020;

(1.7) million associated with the increased production cost of crops sold on the back of fertilisers and crop protection products prices increase mainly (for wheat +8%/ha yoy, for sunflower +11%/ha yoy);

(2.4) million effect from forex, IFRS16 effect, lower sold volumes, and change in operational results from other activities.

Selling, general and administrative expenses further decreased by 7.3%, or by 0.4 million, from 4.9 million in 2020 to 4.5 million in 2021, attributed to reduction in administrative expenses associated with finalized cost saving initiatives, in particular optimization of headcount structure, legal costs and other administrative expenses.

All in all, primarily supported by extremely favourable crop selling prices observed in 2021, EBITDA of the Group reached 35.2 million vs 19.4 million in 2020 (restated).

Net other expenses of (11.1) million in 2021 refer mainly to the depreciation of goodwill (non-cash effect). Being objectively restricted to conduct reliable and effective testing to confirm the book value of the goodwill (on the back of non-availability of objective / realistic assumptions to be applied) and referring to the increasing risks and indicators of political and military escalation in Ukraine as of 31.12.2021 the Group recognised impairment of the goodwill in the full amount of 11.2 million.

Consequently, operating profit reached 16.7 million compared to 11.5 million in 2020 (restated), i.e. an increase of 5.2 million.

Net financial expense stood at (2.7) million versus (9.8) million in 2020 (restated). The decline of 7.1 million is primarily attributed to the variances in net foreign currency gains (c.a. 5.9 million positive variance) driven by the strengthening of the Ukrainian hryvnia during 2021 vs. Ukrainian hryvnia depreciation during 2020. Despite the latter, excluding any forex impact, the Group continued to reduce its financial expenses (by c.a. 1.2 million vs 2020) on the back of further debt burden reduction.

Overall, the Group achieved net profit from operations amounting to 14.2 million versus 2.3 million in 2020 (restated).





Financial structure

During the financial year, equity has increased from 33.8 million (restated) to 50.1 million. This improvement despite the currency translation differences of 2.1 million has been driven by an achieved net profit of 14.2 million.

Operating cash flow totalled 25.7 million. This cash flow enabled the company to cover capital expenditures, repayment of borrowings, and interest paid during the year. At year-end, cash and short-term financial assets (mainly Ukrainian domestic government bonds) amounted to 7.1 million.

The Group substantially decreased the amount of its net debt: from 26.5 million as of the end of 2020 (restated) to 17.5 million as of the end of 2021 (-34% yoy). Excluding IFRS 16, net debt came to 0.6 million as of the end of 2021 versus 11.0 million in 2020.





Outlook 2022 and Going Concern

Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine launched on February 24th, 2022 dramatically changed all plans and expectations of the Group for 2022. As of today, the Group reduced its farmlands under operation by almost half due to the partial temporary occupation of lands and due to damaged assets and infrastructure, followed by inability to execute any operations on such lands. A special release was published by the Group on June 16th, 2022, which reflected the current preliminary loss estimate conducted by the Group's management. The total loss amount in monetary terms was preliminary assessed at around 19M USD, including lost crops, damaged machinery and infrastructure, inventories, inputs, etc. To date, there is no possibility to accurately confirm this amount, as intense military activities are in place of the location of Group's assets.

2022 prospects seem uncertain at the moment. A number of fundamental factors may further severely reduce the Company's performance in the near future, in particular: ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine with no visible end; substantial increase in main input prices (fertilizers, fuel, chemicals) additionally fueled by the ongoing war; blockade of sea ports followed by significant reduction of local crop selling prices due to oversupply of grains in Ukraine; operational challenges with harvesting and sowing campaigns, followed by deterioration of production yields on the back of fields damage and violation of applied crop growing technologies.

The Group makes all possible efforts to sustain its operations. Over the course of seven months of 2022, the Group has taken the following emergency actions:

The business processes within the Company have been rebuilt to adjust to the existing challenges and to provide continuity to the Group's activities. The Group's key personnel and top managers continue working, but remotely.

Selling, general, administrative and other operating expenses, as well as CAPEX, have been reduced to the minimum required to meet the primary needs of the Group's core business. In addition, the Management considers further cost cutting measures to adjust to the reduced scope of operations.

The spring sowing campaign was completed in May 2022; the Group had sufficient seeds, fertilizers, fuel, pesticides and other inputs required for the sowing areas, as well as the necessary vehicles, agricultural machinery and human resources. In total, the Group currently plans to harvest around 30k hectares (vs. 56k hectares in 2021) of its managed landbank (spring and winter crops) in 2022. The condition of sowings (mainly wheat and sunflower) is good or satisfactory, though new challenges may occur, as the risks of further field damages are very high as the war is still ongoing.

Thanks to strong cash position of the Group at the end of 2021, the management of the Company was able to cover all operational expenses, including execution of 2022 spring sowing campaign in extremely difficult conditions of war with significant losses that occurred in the first half of 2022. Still, to strengthen its cash position, the management of the Company will consider attracting external financing from available sources.

The progress of war in Ukraine and its implications for the Croup's operations over the coming months remain extremely uncertain. Notwithstanding the Group's executed measures in maintaining operations thus far, it is not currently possible to provide guidance as to how the year may turn out.





About AGROGENERATION

Founded in 2007, AgroGeneration is a large-scale producer of grain and oilseed. The company's core business is grains and oil commodity crop farming, operating near 60,000 hectares of high quality agricultural lands in the East of Ukraine.

All information on AgroGeneration's website: www.AgroGeneration.com

Receive all AgroGeneration's financial information by e-mail for free by registering at: www.actusnews.com







AgroGeneration

+33 1 55 27 38 40

investisseurs@AgroGeneration.com

www.AgroGeneration.com





Actus Finance

Anne-Pauline Petureaux, Investor Relations

+33 (0)1 53 67 36 72









APPENDIX I

Calculation of EBITDA

(in  thousands) 2020 2020 Restated 2021 Operating profit 11,222 11,529 16,743 Amortization of non-current assets 6,314 7,464 7,123 Provision, net gain or loss on fixed-asset

divestiture and impairment of non-current assets 426 426 11,317 Additional non-contractual portion of land lease* 1,596 - - EBITDA 19,558 19,419 35,183

* The additional non-contractual portion of leases was not restated as right-of-use assets / lease liabilities in the published financial statements as of December 31, 2020. It represented a lease payments of 1,671K for 2020. It would have represented a 1,596K impact on the EBITDA if included in IFRS 16 scope, and additional lease liabilities for an amount of 3,558K. During 2021 the Group has modified it's approach to the measurement of lease assets and liabilities related to land lease under IFRS 16. This modification provided to include the full actual land lease payment (including that outside of contractual terms) which reflects the market rate. The Group believes that the modified approach provides more complete, relevant and useful information for the stakeholders. As such this modification represents change in accounting policy and is applied retrospectively (IAS 8) by restating comparative 2020 figures. Application of the modified approach by accounting for full land lease payments for the purpose of Lease assets and liabilities under IFRS 16 results in the fact that for 2020 (restated) and for 2021 the "Additional non-contractual portion of land lease" are no longer required, since are recognized in the accounting. For more information please refer to the Note 5 of the Consolidated Financial Statements 2021.









Calculation of Net Debt

(in  thousands) 2020 2020 Restated 2021 Borrowings excluding lease liabilities 15,592 15,592 7,731 Lease liabilities for right-of-use assets 10,527 15,578 16,868 Additional debt related to additional non-contractual portion of lease liabilities * 3,558 - - Financial debt 29,677 31,170 24,599 Available cash (4,282) (4,282) (4,408) Short-term financial assets ** (342) (342) (2,691) Net debt 25,053 26,546 17,500





** Deposits and Ukrainian domestic government bonds redeemed in April 2022

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Regulatory News:

A consortium of TotalEnergies (Paris:TTE) (LSE:TTE) (NYSE:TTE), Corio Generation and Qair has been pre-selected by the French Directorate General for Energy and Climate (DGEC) to participate in a competitive tender to develop two floating windfarms in the Mediterranean Sea.

The two projects of about 250 MW each could supply enough clean energy to meet the annual electricity consumption of almost one million people.

Opportunity to develop an innovative value chain

The TotalEnergies, Corio Generation and Qair consortium is delighted with this new call for tenders, which will help to achieve France's objective of 40 GW of offshore wind capacity by 2050.

The partners intend to support the development of a local Mediterranean industrial value chain for offshore wind power. To this end, the consortium plans to consult regional stakeholders, promote the local economy and ensure communities benefit from employment opportunities.

Combining complementary expertise

The consortium will leverage each company's technical expertise, strong financial resource and extensive experience in the offshore wind sector:

TotalEnergies, a multi-energy company, has expertise in offshore operations and maintenance through its historical activities. TotalEnergies is already developing offshore wind projects with a combined capacity of more than 11 GW, including more than 2 GW of floating projects in France, the United Kingdom and South Korea.

a multi-energy company, has expertise in offshore operations and maintenance through its historical activities. TotalEnergies is already developing offshore wind projects with a combined capacity of more than 11 GW, including more than 2 GW of floating projects in France, the United Kingdom and South Korea. Corio Generation , a global specialist offshore wind developer, has more than 20 GW of projects under development worldwide, including 2.5 GW in floating wind. Corio is a portfolio company, operating on a standalone basis, of Macquarie's Green Investment Group (GIG).

, a global specialist offshore wind developer, has more than 20 GW of projects under development worldwide, including 2.5 GW in floating wind. Corio is a portfolio company, operating on a standalone basis, of Macquarie's Green Investment Group (GIG). Qair, a European renewable energy producer, is a French pioneer in floating wind energy. With over 30 years of experience and a strong local presence in France, Qair operates 1 GW of assets and is developing a pipeline of 20 GW.

Proven cooperation in offshore wind

The consortium's joint bid is based on a productive track-record and partnership history, including on the following projects:

The 250 MW floating windfarm tender in France's South Brittany region (Qair, TotalEnergies and Corio Generation),

The 30 MW Eolmed floating offshore wind pilot project in France (Qair and TotalEnergies),

Eolmed floating offshore wind pilot project in France (Qair and TotalEnergies), Over 2 GW of floating wind projects in South Korea (Corio and TotalEnergies),

The 2 GW West of Orkney Windfarm project in Scotland (Corio and TotalEnergies),

The 1.5 GW Outer Dowsing Offshore Wind project in the UK (Corio and TotalEnergies).

"After Brittany's tender, we are delighted to renew our partnership with Qair and Corio to contribute to the development of floating wind in the Mediterranean and thus to the energy transition in France. If successful, we intend to mobilise our collective expertise to provide the best solutions to meet the technical, commercial and societal challenges of the project," said Olivier Terneaud, VP Offshore Wind at TotalEnergies.

"Corio Generation is delighted to combine forces with TotalEnergies and Qair. We truly believe France can become a world leader in the development of offshore wind. With its deep waters and industrial heritage, the Mediterranean is fantastically placed to benefit from floating wind technology, creating significant job and investment opportunities. Deploying new projects at scale will be critical to realising the full potential of France's wind resources and unlocking a significant clean, reliable and affordable source of electricity for generations to come," said Jonathan Cole, CEO of Corio Generation.

"We are happy to bring once again our partners TotalEnergies and Corio together around their complementary expertise in the development, financing and construction of offshore wind projects. In association with the Mediterranean territories, we will be keen to participate in the acceleration of the energy transition by developing locally the French floating offshore wind industry to come," said Jerome Billerey, France Managing Director at Qair.

TotalEnergies and offshore wind

TotalEnergies is already developing a portfolio of offshore wind projects with a total capacity of more than 11 GW, of which 3/4 are bottom-fixed and 1/4 are floating. These projects are located in the United Kingdom (Seagreen project, Outer Dowsing, Erebus, Valorous and West of Orkney), South Korea (Bada project), Taiwan (Yunlin project), France (Eolmed project) and the United States (New York Bight project, North Carolina project). The Company has also been qualified to participate in competitive tenders in the U.S., U.K., France and Netherlands, and will also participate in tenders in Norway and Poland.

TotalEnergies and renewables electricity

As part of its ambition to get to net zero by 2050, TotalEnergies is building a portfolio of activities in renewables and electricity. At the end of June 2022, TotalEnergies' gross renewable electricity generation capacity is 12 GW. TotalEnergies will continue to expand this business to reach 35 GW of gross production capacity from renewable sources and storage by 2025, and then 100 GW by 2030 with the objective of being among the world's top 5 producers of electricity from wind and solar energy.

About TotalEnergies

TotalEnergies is a global multi-energy company that produces and markets energies: oil and biofuels, natural gas and green gases, renewables and electricity. Our more than 100,000 employees are committed to energy that is ever more affordable, cleaner, more reliable and accessible to as many people as possible. Active in more than 130 countries, TotalEnergies puts sustainable development in all its dimensions at the heart of its projects and operations to contribute to the well-being of people.

@TotalEnergies lTotalEnergies lTotalEnergies lTotalEnergies

About Corio

Corio Generation is a specialist offshore wind business dedicated to harnessing renewable energy worldwide. With a unique blend of sector-leading expertise and deep access to long-term capital, we work closely with our partners in the creation and management of projects from origination, through development and construction into operation. Corio's 20+ GW offshore wind development portfolio is one of the largest in the world, spanning established and emerging markets, as well as floating and traditional fixed-bottom technologies. These next generation offshore wind projects will help form the backbone of the net-zero global energy system while meeting the energy needs of communities and corporate offtakers sustainably, reliably, safely and responsibly. Corio Generation is a Green Investment Group (GIG) portfolio company, operating on a standalone basis. GIG is a specialist green investor within Macquarie Asset Management, part of Macquarie Group.

For more information visit www.coriogeneration.com and follow us on Twitter @CorioGeneration

About Qair

Qair is a European renewable energy producer, which develops, finances, builds and operates wind, solar, hydroelectric and green hydrogen projects on its own behalf. Committed to the energy transition in 21 countries across Europe, Latin America, Africa and Asia, Qair's 450 employees operate 1GW of assets and develop a pipeline of over 20GW, including 2GW awarded in Scotland. Qair aims to become an independent leader in responsible energy.

A subsidiary of Qair Group, Qair France holds a majority stake in Eolmed, the first floating offshore wind farm off Port-la Nouvelle and Gruissan (Aude).

Find out more on qair.energy

Cautionary Note

The terms "TotalEnergies", "TotalEnergies company" or "Company" in this document are used to designate TotalEnergies SE and the consolidated entities that are directly or indirectly controlled by TotalEnergies SE. Likewise, the words "we", "us" and "our" may also be used to refer to these entities or to their employees. The entities in which TotalEnergies SE directly or indirectly owns a shareholding are separate legal entities. This document may contain forward-looking information and statements that are based on a number of economic data and assumptions made in a given economic, competitive and regulatory environment. They may prove to be inaccurate in the future and are subject to a number of risk factors. Neither TotalEnergies SE nor any of its subsidiaries assumes any obligation to update publicly any forward-looking information or statement, objectives or trends contained in this document whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Information concerning risk factors, that may affect TotalEnergies' financial results or activities is provided in the most recent Registration Document, the French-language version of which is filed by TotalEnergies SE with the French securities regulator Autorite des Marches Financiers (AMF), and in the Form 20-F filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220803005411/en/

Contacts:

TotalEnergies Contacts

Media Relations: +33 (0)1 47 44 46 99 l presse@totalenergies.com l @TotalEnergiesPR

Investor Relations: +33 (0)1 47 44 46 46 l ir@totalenergies.com
A renowned SEO services agency specializing in white label SEO announces updated backlink services to improve brand visibility for its client base.

Miami, Florida--(Newsfile Corp. - August 3, 2022) - As part of its expanded services, LinkDaddy offers results-oriented strategies to web designers, SEO agencies, and digital marketing firms to make videos, blog posts, Google map listings, social media content, and citations more visible to their clients' target markets. The latest solutions have also been designed to help content providers get brands ranking highly on popular search engines.

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The announcement outlines LinkDaddy's multi-faceted approach to creating robust and high-converting backlinks to online stores, websites, and any other form of business domain. The company owns and operates a high-traffic niche blog site that provides the bedrock of its backlink service, helping to increase leads and conversions for clients.

LinkDaddy provides aggressive tier 1 backlinks, using optimum keyword combinations as anchor text. This approach helps improve anchor text ratios for chosen keywords and dilutes the links to particular pages. The company recommends linking to just one URL to increase power.

Other options include DoFollow SEO backlinks. These provide a target URL with over 300 niche-relevant links containing 95% generic anchor text. This service links homepage URLs and inner pages for location and e-commerce products.

LinkDaddy also offers business listing backlinks, domain authority enhancement, Google Maps ranking strategies, Google Stack SEO, and YouTube ranking services.

About LinkDaddy

Founded by Tony Peacock in 2019, the company oversees a vast blog network of over 40 million blogs covering all kinds of business categories including home services, real estate, finance, healthcare, web design, and security firms. By working with LinkDaddy, companies improve their chances of getting their businesses featured on page 1 of search engines like Google and Bing.

With its latest backlinking service updates, LinkDaddy continues to put successful growth strategies into the hands of business owners everywhere.

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MADRID (dpa-AFX) - Industrial technology company Rolls-Royce Holdings plc (RR, RYCEY) on Wednesday announced that the Spanish government has approved the sale of ITP Aero to a consortium of investors led by Bain Capital Private Equity. The transaction, at an enterprise value of approximately 1.8 billion euros, is expected in the coming weeks. The sale of the company's Spanish arm, which was announced on September 27, 2021, completes the disposal programme announced on August 27, 2020, to raise proceeds of at least 2 billion pounds. Upon completion, sale proceeds (excluding any cash retained by Rolls-Royce) of approximately 1.7 billion euros would be used to help rebuild the Rolls-Royce balance sheet, aimed at returning to an investment grade credit profile in the medium term. ITP Aero would remain a key strategic supplier and partner for Rolls-Royce across both Civil Aerospace and Defence programmes. Shares of Rolls-Royce Holdings closed Tuesday's trading at $1.12, down $0.0150 or 1.32 percent from the previous close. Copyright(c) 2022 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - August 3, 2022) - Eastern Platinum Limited (TSX: ELR) (JSE: EPS) ("Eastplats" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the promotion of Hannelie Hanson to Chief Operating Officer ("COO") from General Manager, South Africa Operations of the Company.

Ms. Hanson has over 24 years of experience in mining as a technical specialist and a strategic leader. She heads up the operations and projects in South Africa and drives proper planning, accountability, optimization & innovation, communication, and development of people while executing the expansion plans at Eastplats, including the restart of Zandfontein underground operations.

Ms. Hanson graduated from Stellenbosch University with a BSc (Hons) in Geology in 1998, and also holds an MEng degree in Mining Engineering from Wits and an MBA at the University of Cape Town. Her career in mining started at Lorraine Gold Mine in the Free State, and she was the custodian of Mine Technical Services departments at two mines. Prior to joining Eastplats in 2012, Ms. Hanson held the position of Senior Manager (Technical Services) for six years with Lonmin, having started there as a graduate geologist in 1999 and being promoted into projects and planning before heading up the Technical Services department.

Wanjin Yang, Chief Executive Officer and President of the Company stated: "Eastplats is pleased to promote Hannelie to COO as she continues to be key contributor to the Company's South African operations including the continued work on the retreatment project, restart of Zandfontein underground operations, and the development of our eastern limb projects."

In connection with her appointment and subject to regulatory approval, Ms. Hanson was granted an additional 80,000 stock options that vest in 90 days. Each option allows her to purchase one common share of Eastplats at an exercise price of CDN$0.23. The options were granted for a term of five years and expire on August 1, 2027.

About Eastern Platinum Limited

Eastplats owns directly and indirectly a number of platinum group metal ("PGM") and chrome assets in the Republic of South Africa. All of the Company's properties are situated on the western and eastern limbs of the Bushveld Complex, the geological environment that hosts approximately 80% of the world's PGM-bearing ore.

Operations at the Crocodile River Mine currently include re-mining and processing its tailings resource to produce PGM and chrome concentrates from the Barplats Zandfontein tailings dam.

For further information, please contact:

EASTERN PLATINUM LIMITED

Wylie Hui, Chief Financial Officer and Corporate Secretary

whui@eastplats.com (email)

(604) 800-8200 (phone)

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information

This press release contains "forward-looking statements" or "forward-looking information" (collectively referred to herein as "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. Such forward-looking statements include, without limitation, forecasts, estimates, expectations and objectives for future operations that are subject to a number of assumptions, risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the control of the Company. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words "will", "plan", "intends", "may", "could", "expects", "anticipates" and similar expressions. Further disclosure of the risks and uncertainties facing the Company and other forward-looking statements are discussed in the Company's most recent Annual Information Form available under the Company's profile on www.sedar.com.

In particular, this press release contains, without limitation, forward-looking statements pertaining to: Ms. Hanson's contributions to the Company's South African operations including the work on the retreatment project, restart of Zandfontein underground operations, and the development of our eastern limb projects and the vesting and expiry of options issued by the Company. These forward-looking statements are based on assumptions made by and information currently available to the Company. Although management considers these assumptions to be reasonable based on information currently available to it, they may prove to be incorrect. By their very nature, forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties and readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these statements as a number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from the beliefs, plans, objectives, expectations, estimates and intentions expressed in such forward-looking statements. These factors include, but are not limited to, unanticipated problems that may arise in our production processes, commodity prices, lower than expected grades and quantities of resources, need for additional funding and availability of such additional funding on acceptable terms, economic conditions, currency fluctuations, competition and regulations, legal proceedings and risks related to operations in foreign countries.

All forward-looking statements in this press release are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement, the "Cautionary Statement on Forward-Looking Information" section contained in the Company's most recent Management's Discussion and Analysis available under the Company's profile on www.sedar.com. The forward-looking statements in this press release are made as of the date they are given and, except as required by applicable securities laws, the Company disclaims any intention or obligation, and does not undertake, to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

No stock exchange, securities commission or other regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the information contained herein.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/132658




Rapper NO:EL on Wednesday appealed a one-year prison term he got from an appellate court last month for refusing a police breathalyzer test and assaulting an officer following a fender bender last year.







The 22-year-old rapper, the son of Rep. Chang Je-won of the ruling People Power Party, caused the accident while driving his Mercedes in southern Seoul in September without a license but refused to take a sobriety test and head-butted an officer.







Two lower courts sentenced him to one year in prison.







But the rapper, whose real name is Chang Yong-jun, appealed the decision on Wednesday.







Prosecutors, who had demanded a three-year term for him, also filed an appeal on Monday. (Yonhap)


Kelowna, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - August 3, 2022) - Fission 3.0 Corp.(TSXV: FUU) ("Fission 3" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the appointment of Mrs. Nicky Grant to the Fission 3.0 Board of Directors. Nicky has 18 years' experience in Investment Banking. She joined the US Institutional Desk at Goldman Sachs before moving across the 'wall' into the Special Execution Group in Corporate Finance where she specialized in Debt Capital Markets. After being hired to join UBS as part of their Transaction Management Team, she focused on Global Capital Markets with a particular focus on Emerging Markets. She then re-joined Goldman Sachs as a Vice President and joined their Equity Capital Markets team covering UK companies including the Corporate Broking Team.

Nicky initially started as a consultant to Ocean Wall and in September 2020 became Head of Corporate Advisory. She currently acts as UK/European IR and Corporate Advisor to 2 Canadian TSX-V listed companies - one in the Lithium Sector and one in the Uranium Sector - as well as acting as sole UK/European Advisor to a US listed psychedelics company.

Fission 3.0 also announces that Mr. Phil Morehouse has stepped down as a Director of the Company. Mr. Morehouse will move to an advisory role with Fission 3.0.

Dev Randhawa, CEO commented, "We want to thank Mr. Morehouse for his expertise and support as a director. We look forward to his input and expertise as an advisor as Fission 3.0 moves forward with their projects in the Athabasca Basin."

About Fission 3.0 Corp.

Fission 3 is a uranium project generator and exploration company, focusing on projects in the Athabasca Basin, home to some of world's largest high grade uranium discoveries. Fission 3 currently has 16 projects in the Athabasca Basin. Several of Fission 3's projects are near large uranium discoveries, including, Arrow, Triple R and Hurricane deposits. Fission 3 is currently planning a winter exploration/drill program on its PLN project.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

"Dev Randhawa"

__________________

Dev Randhawa, Chairman and CEO

Fission 3.0 Corp.

Investor Relations

TF: 778-484-8030

ir@fission3corp.com

www.fission3corp.com

Cautionary Statement: Fission 3.0 Corp.

Certain information contained in this press release constitutes "forward-looking information", within the meaning of Canadian legislation. Generally, these forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "anticipate", "will", "has", "now", "shall", "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", "offers the opportunity to", "occur", "be achieved" or "has the potential to". Forward looking statements contained in this press release may include statements which involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties which may not prove to be accurate. Actual results and outcomes may differ materially from what is expressed or forecasted in these forward-looking statements. Such statements are qualified in their entirety by the inherent risks and uncertainties surrounding future expectations. Among those factors which could cause actual results to differ materially are the following: market conditions, our ability to continue to trade on the OTCQB Marketplace, our ability to increase visibility and liquidity, our ability to diversify our shareholder base, risks related to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, including disruptions to the Company's business and operational plans, risks related to the global economic uncertainty as a result of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and other risk factors listed from time to time in our reports filed with Canadian securities regulators on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. The forward-looking statements included in this press release are made as of the date of this press release and Fission 3.0 Corp. disclaim 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 expressly required by applicable securities legislation.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/132447
THUWAL, Saudi Arabia, Aug. 03, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- A group of leading experts have issued a critical framework for using microbiomes to protect wildlife in an ethical and efficient way.

Beneficial Microbes for Marine Organisms), an international network of collaborators with expertise in crosscutting areas of probiotic research, have published a paper in Nature Microbiology, Harnessing the microbiome to prevent global biodiversity loss,that provides a science-based framework to accelerate the responsible research and development of microbiome solutions.



Dr. Raquel Peixoto, founder and co-chair of BMMO, and associate professor of marine science at KAUST, said, "Key ecosystems, which host many forms of life, are at the brink of ecological collapse, driving enormous biodiversity losses and mass extinctions, and disrupting ecosystems central to supporting livelihoods."

Contributing authors include professors Gabriele Berg of The Graz University of Technology; Christian Voolstra of the University of Konstanz; Ute Hentschel of GEOMAR; Rodrigo Costa of the University of Lisbon; Carlos Duarte of KAUST; and ethicist Jeantine Lunsh of Harvard, among other distinguished academics.

A guide to accelerate the use of macrobiotics to restore coral

The scientists examine the use of probiotics to "reboot" healthy microbiomes and protect key, and sensitive, symbiotic relationships between hosts and their associated microbes. Probiotics are now conventionally applied in agroecosystems, showing that successful applications in open environments are possible with controlled risks.

The team propose a science-based framework, outlining a path from laboratory bench to pilot and large-scale applications of microbiomes, to save threatened ecosystems.

"We as a network of leading scientists are concerned that the technological development of an urgently-needed tool may be delayed by unclear and undefined risk assessment steps," said KAUST Distinguished Professor of Marine Science Carlos Duarte, who serves as executive director of the Coral Research & Development Accelerator Platform).

"In addition, no ethical discussions are available to provide guidelines and rules to accelerate the transition from devising to applying environmental probiotics in a practical and safe way. Therefore, we are highlighting the path from concept to real-world solutions, addressing ethical considerations, as well as risks against benefits."



The paper serves to address this gap. The framework also considers the risk of inaction, and can be adapted to other urgent scientific developments.

"Our framework provides a pragmatic regulatory wildlife-adapted tool to guide scientists and stakeholders through the fight against biodiversity loss," Peixoto said. "It takes into consideration potential side effects of its application, while also considering the high toll of inaction."

Additional context:

Harnessing the microbiome to prevent global biodiversity loss (https://www.nature.com/articles/s41564-022-01173-1), Nature Microbiology





For interviews, contact:

Dr. Raquel Peixoto, KAUST Associate Professor of Marine Science:

Raquel.peixoto@kaust.edu.sa

Dr. Carlos Duarte, KAUST Distinguished Professor of Marine Science:

carlos.duarte@kaust.edu.sa

Alison Carmody, Corporate Communications Specialist, KAUST Global Branding and Communications:

alison.carmody@kaust.edu.sa

Photos accompanying this announcement are available at:

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/00597509-4bef-4735-ab8b-40f55417a96b

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/30e36740-28d6-40bc-9a9a-cfc9ea0c4531

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/cf556ef1-0d59-4c8a-959a-3c6aad7a5481
Regulatory News:

Veolia (Paris:VIE) announced today that it has signed a merger agreement concerning the merger of Vigie SA (formerly known as Suez SA) into Veolia. The purpose of this merger is to simplify and rationalize the legal structure of the Veolia group.

Following the broad success of the cash tender offer initiated by Veolia, which allowed for the implementation of a mandatory squeeze-out procedure on February 18, 2022, Veolia holds, and will hold until the final completion of the merger, all the shares representing the entire capital of Vigie SA.

The merger will therefore be carried out under the simplified merger regime, without the need for a meeting of the general meetings of Veolia1 or Vigie SA, without the issue or exchange of Veolia shares, and without the intervention of an independent expert (expert independant), a merger auditor (commissaire la fusion) or a contribution auditor (commissaire aux apports), in accordance with the applicable laws and regulations.

The final completion of the merger is scheduled for October 31, 2022, and remains subject to the fulfillment of the conditions precedent stipulated in the merger agreement. From an accounting and tax point of view, the merger will have a retroactive effect as from January 1, 2022.

The merger agreement will be filed and published with the clerk of the Paris Commercial Court and published in the Bulletin officiel des annonces civiles et commerciales (BODACC) and the Bulletin des Annonces Legales Obligatoires (BALO) as well as on the websites of Veolia and the Company (www.veolia.com). In addition, all documents and information to be made available will be made available in accordance with applicable laws and regulations.

About Veolia

Veolia Group aims to become the benchmark company for ecological transformation. With nearly 220,000 employees worldwide, the Group designs and deploys game-changing solutions that are both useful and practical for water, waste and energy management. Through its three complementary activities, Veolia helps to develop access to resources, preserve available resources and renew them. In 2021, Veolia supplied 79 million people with drinking water and 61 million people with wastewater services, produced nearly 48 million megawatt hours of energy and treated 48 million metric tons of waste. Veolia Environnement (Paris Euronext: VIE) achieved consolidated revenue of 28.508 billion euros in 2021. www.veolia.com

1 Subject to the application of Article L. 236-11 paragraph 2 of the French Commercial Code, in which case the completion of the merger would be subject to the approval of Veolia's General Meeting.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220802006231/en/

Contacts:

Group press relations

Laurent Obadia Evgeniya Mazalova

Mathilde Bouchoux

Tel: 33 (0)6 27 45 11 38 + 33 (0)6 18 24 51 00

presse.groupe@veolia.com

Analysts Investors

Ronald Wasylec Ariane de Lamaze

Tel. 33 (0)1 85 57 84 76 84 80

investor-relations@veolia.com


LONDON (dpa-AFX) - Just Eat Takeaway.com N.V. (JET.L, GRUB), an online food delivery company, Wednesday reported that its first-half loss was 3.48 billion euros, wider than last year's loss of 486 million euros.



The latest loss included a goodwill impairment of 3.0 billion euros related to the equity-funded acquisition of Grubhub in 2021.



The Loss excluding the impact of the impairment amounted to 500 million euros in the first half, compared to 486 million euros a year ago.



Revenue increased to 2.78 billion euros from last year's 1.77 billion euros. Total revenue on a combined basis increased 7 percent.



Total GTV on a combined basis was 14.19 billion euros, compared to 14.12 billion euros a year ago.



Looking ahead, the company continues to expect fiscal 2022 GTV to grow by mid-single digit year-on-year and adjusted EBITDA margin in the range of minus 0.5 percent to minus 0.7 percent of GTV.



The company also expects to reach positive Adjusted EBITDA in fiscal 2023, and the long-term objectives for the company also remain unchanged.



Separately, Just Eat Takeaway announced that its Supervisory Board will nominate Jorg Gerbig for reappointment to its Management Board as COO.



In May, the Company announced the withdrawal of the voting item to reappoint Gerbig as Management Board member from the agenda of the Annual General Meeting. At the time, the Company initiated an investigation into a formal complaint under the Company's Speak Up Policy.



The external expert investigation has now been concluded and based on the outcome Gerbig can continue in his position as COO.



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Hires former OpenFin veteran to accelerate sales expansion

NEW YORK, Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Glue42, the company that delivers integrated desktop experiences to financial institutions globally, today announced that it is headed for a record year. During the first half of this year, the company doubled its revenue of 2021, setting itself up for a year-on-year growth of at least 300 percent by the end of 2022.

The growth is the result of an increasing number of global banks, asset managers, broker dealers, advisory firms and vendors recognizing the benefits of the company's long list of interop innovations. Only last month, the firm announced signing AllianceBernstein and was awarded Best Tool for Trading Efficiency. The latter wasn't the first award the team scooped this year. It was also recognized as Best Smart Trader Desktop Environment and the forerunner in Desktop Integration.

In addition to the explosive license revenue growth, Glue42's success can be further attributed to significant and rapid expansion of capital markets know-how across its entire business, a growing set of solutions and a more diverse partner ecosystem, taking the company into new market segments and geographies.

"Despite market volatility, we are outperforming our set revenue projections for 2022," said James Wooster, COO, Glue42. "The need for simplified desktop integration solutions with related workflow and process improvements, means that we are now the vendor of choice for buy and sell-side institutions of all sizes."

"We expect to finish the year on a high note with new clients in other industry verticals such as energy and transportation, and regions such Asia Pacific," he continued. "Part of this growth is a result of our evolving partner ecosystem. More and more, we are adding strategic partners that are making Glue42 an integral part of their mainstream financial services applications and product suites. These opportunities represent a significant new route to market for us. Moreover, it extends our reach to the high street branches and consumer world."

Since its inception, Glue42 has made it its mission to re-imagine the desktop. The result is a set of platforms, tools and supporting services that simplify user experiences and minimize development effort. By integrating data and orchestrating user interfaces, users can now assemble in-house, third-party, legacy and web systems into straight-through workflows faster and easier than ever before, speeding up digital transformation and improving business outcomes.

Most recently, the company launched Glue42 Core+ to enable firms to create and deploy their own workspaces with nothing more than a web browser. This zero-install platform provides some unique features including connectivity to locally installed applications such as Bloomberg and Fidessa, plus continued support for FDC3, notifications and chat integration.

"Many of our users are digital natives, and they expect their desktops to work in the same way as their cell phones," said Reena Raichura, Director, Head of Product Solutions, Glue42. "These users want intelligent and integrated desktops to support their workflows. They want workflow and data-driven desktops. As a result, centralized alerting, workflow and task acceleration and management has become a key focus for many firms."

"We're also seeing how the importance of chat as an end-to-end workflow and collaboration tool is gathering momentum," she continued. "Next, we will be gearing up for internet scale and new markets."

"None of this would have been possible without a stellar team," said James Wooster. "We added hires across the organization supporting areas such as sales, presales, solutions, business development, partnerships, marketing, and operations, and we will continue to aggressively expand our team. As we enter new segments and markets, and grow our partner ecosystem, we will bolster our growth with more new hires. We couldn't be more excited about this prospect. The future is bright."

To further support this growth, Glue42 recently appointed industry veterans across various business areas. Tim Camuti, formerly at JPMorgan Chase & Co, will lead design and UX efforts. Hailing from Eventus and Bloomberg, Roger Chandler will support the growing partner network. Feroze Beebeejaun, former FactSet, joins the sales team. Michael Horsley, formerly at Hyperscience will lead customer success. Finally, Simon Morris joins from OpenFin to bolster sales activities globally, including a significant focus on the APAC region.

About Glue42

Glue42 enables organizations to build intelligent desktops that support configurable workflows between web and desktop applications. Its integration platforms seamlessly and securely orchestrate UI and data and leverages open-source initiatives such as FINOS FDC3 to reduce application delivery times and accelerate time to value. The company is based in London, New York, and Bulgaria. With over 45,000 licenses, its software is deployed at tier one financial institutions across the world. https://glue42.com/why-glue42/

Contact on behalf of Glue42

RISE-

Simona Cotta-Ramusino / Tinne Teugels

Email: Glue42PR@risethrough.com

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Contest Promotes Gender Parity in New Space Industry by Supporting Young Women in STEAM Education

NEW YORK, Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Space Prize Foundation announces today the opening of Space Prize Portugal , a competition designed to encourage and inspire young women to pursue careers in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics). Following successful regional competitions in New York and Paris , Space Prize Portugal is brought to life by a partnership with Mario Ferreira, Portugal's first citizen to cross the space frontier.

The 5 finalists and 2 grand prize winners of Space Prize Portugal will receive once-in-a-lifetime opportunities. Finalists will receive one year of mentorship from a leader in the space industry, and the grand prize winners will also experience the weightlessness of space when they take an Air Zero G flight with the first Portuguese astronaut, Mario Ferreira. Additionally, winners will have access to other valuable opportunities such as exclusive internships, access to space education courses, study trips with industry experts and more.

For decades, the composition of workers in the space industry has not been representative of Earth's diverse humanity; less than 12.5% of people who have traveled to space have been women. Further, female CEOs represent just 1 in 5 of leaders in aerospace and defense, even though space is one of the fastest growing sectors in business and innovation.

Kim Macharia, Executive Director of Space Prize, is passionate about diversifying and democratizing the space industry and advocates for the creation of nontraditional pathways for marginalized communities to engage in the growing space economy: "The space industry will never live up to its full potential until its workforce becomes more representative of the global population. This means we must address the gender disparities that plague the industry. The future of space, and humanity depends on it."

Portuguese entrepreneur, investor and president of Pluris Investments Mario Ferreira says, "As the father of three amazing daughters, I am inspired every day to show them how critical it is for women and underrepresented communities to have a seat at the table and to create opportunities for more equitable representation. The work Space Prize is doing is so important, because it inspires a new generation to claim opportunities and share their voices. I am proud to be partnering with Space Prize."

Laetitia Garriott de Cayeux, CEO of Global Space Ventures and a Space Prize judge, adds, "I was happy to help fulfill Mario's challenge and help bring Space Prize to Portugal. Just as Apollo inspired an entire generation, I hope Space Prize Portugal inspires the new generation in Portugal to reach for the stars! And I am thrilled about the significant positive impact this opportunity will have for Portuguese women and ultimately, women worldwide."

Space Prize Portugal will be managed by Manuel Vaz, Founder of Expanding World, and is open to female Portuguese students aged 18-22. To enter, applicants will submit an essay and video on space exploration. Applications will be accepted between 4 September through 30 October and reviewed by a specially selected panel of space industry experts and gender equality advocates, with winners announced on 21 December.

For full competition details and timeline, please visit https://www.spaceprize.org.

About Space Prize

Space Prize was founded by Roman Chiporukha, Co-founder of Space VIP . Space Prize seeks to promote universal space literacy and inspire the next generation of private astronauts by connecting private citizens with a thrilling range of astronaut, earthanaut and aquanaut experiences.

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BENGALURU, India , Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- FYERS, one of India's fastest growing trading & investing platforms, launches Demat Account for NRIs. FYERS is determined to expand its reach worldwide & enable international customers to trade & invest in India. Currently, with 3,00,000+ customers, it has shown tremendous growth and widened its customer base extensively year-on-year.

The launch of the FYERS Demat Account will enable NRIs to seamlessly trade and invest in equities, mutual funds, ETFs, Futures, and Options. It is a cost-effective platform with zero account opening and annual maintenance charges. Interestingly, one can get a single account access to trade and invest simultaneously, along with value-added features like access to research reports, economic calendar, fundamental and technical analysis. NRIs can open a portfolio investment scheme (PIS) account by approaching any one of FYERS' banking partners.

Speaking on the launch, Tejas Khoday, CEO and Co-founder, FYERS said, "Our mission is to empower new-age traders and investors with the best-in-class technology and platforms. Launching NRI Demat Account is a step towards our commitment to make investing and trading seamless and effortless for all our users internationally. Indian capital markets have been on a bull run over the last few years. Our NRI Demat Account is the most seamless way for NRIs to participate in the India growth story. 60% of our customers are below the age of 35, which shows that millennials and young investors are making beeline for capital markets both for the purpose of income generation & wealth creation. We expect to see a similar trend when it comes to NRIs as well."

About FYERS

Founded in 2016, by Tejas Khoday, Yashas Khoday & Shreyas Khoday, FYERS is a Bengaluru-based fin-tech start-up offering a stable and reliable platform to trade efficiently in Indian stock markets. With a strong focus on creating investment opportunities for both new-age investors and full-time traders, FYERS provides an opportunity to trade in equity, futures & Options, currencies, commodities, mutual funds and more.

The product range of FYERS comprises of FYERS Web, App, Direct and more. Laying the vision of self-sustainable business, FYERS has been awarded as the 'Bootstrapped Business of the Year' 2021 by Entrepreneur India. FYERS is on a mission provide an ideal investment platform to customers to create wealth.

For more details: https://fyers.in/nri

Media Contact E: sindhu@fyers.in | P: 080 662 51111

Image: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1871561/FYERS.jpg
Argentinian state-owned power company Jemse built the country's largest PV facility between 2017 and 2020 under the RenovAr program for large-scale renewables. Thus far, the 300 MW project has produced more than one million MWh of clean electricity and is now on the verge of being expanded to 500 MW, with the addition of 30 MW/100 MWh of storage. pv magazine recently spoke with Willy Hoerth, the president of Jemse's Cauchari Solari unit, and its project director, Guillermo Giralt. The 300 MW asset was financed with funds from Export-Import Bank of China, and a $210 million bond issued by the ...

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
ISELIN, N.J., Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Aarav Solutions announced today its role as System Integrator (SI) partner on Equifax Canada's Global Financial System (GFS) billing platform.

The GFS initiative is part of Equifax's mission to streamline multiple billing processes into one global billing system, and replaces Equifax Canada's legacy accounting and invoicing system. The launch highlights Aarav Solutions' position as a worthy SI player on the international stage.

"We will look back on this project and know we played a critical role in modernizing the Canadian billings functionality for a global data, analytics, and technology company that is an essential player in the global economy," said Raj Darji, founder and CEO of Aarav Solutions.

Aarav Solutions began working with Equifax Canada in 2020 to build a fully automated, cloud-based and event-based global billing solution. Eighteen months of collaboration with Equifax's business, technology and marketing teams across five global locations culminated in the GFS deployment in March 2022.

"Supporting the movement of Equifax Canada's legacy billing system into a modern, cloud-enabled tool was truly a rewarding experience," said Darji. "Aarav Solutions prides itself on being an SI partner that champions innovation."

Equifax Canada's senior financial officer Ashwin Nevatia said he was thrilled to see GFS go live and into production, adding, "Aarav Solutions was the trusted and valued vendor that brought both technical and business implementation to the organization that we needed to launch an enterprise-wide initiative of this scale."

About Aarav Solutions

Aarav Solutions is a global product engineering and IT consulting services provider with a clientele drawn from an array of industries, including telecommunications, finance, government, and more. Founded in 2012 by Raj Darji, Aarav Solutions has corporate offices in India, the USA, Canada, and the UK with a presence across Asia, Australia and MEA regions. Aarav Solutions, by driving horizons with innovation, technology and experience, is indeed showing the world how a self-sustaining independent IT consulting and product engineering organization can succeed. Aarav Solutions is a frontrunner in digital and business transformations led by innovation and customer excellence as a system integrator, products and solutions provider. The service and product portfolio includes revenue and customer management solutions, Digital Enablement, Cloud Management, Cloud-native technology, and building next-generation AI-enabled products for revenue assurance and fraud management. For more information visit www.aaravsolutions.com

About Equifax

At Equifax (NYSE: EFX), we believe knowledge drives progress. As a global data, analytics, and technology company, we play an essential role in the global economy by helping financial institutions, companies, employers, and government agencies make critical decisions with greater confidence. Our unique blend of differentiated data, analytics, and cloud technology drives insights to power decisions to move people forward. Headquartered in Atlanta and supported by more than 13,000 employees worldwide, Equifax operates or has investments in 24 countries in North America, Central and South America, Europe, and the Asia Pacific region. For more information, visit Equifax.ca .

Media Contact:

Varsha Kaundinya Varsani

VP - Global Marketing

marketing@aaravsolutions.com

+1 732 476 5416

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Cloud migration digitalizes the bank's processes, enhances integrated ecosystems and enables new opportunity for growth in the UK

LONDON, Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Finastra announced today that The Co-operative Bank has selected Finastra Kondor in the cloud, available via Microsoft Azure, to upgrade its treasury infrastructure and automate manual reporting and processes. The solution, integrated with the apps CloudMargin and eflow via Finastra's FusionFabric.cloud platform, will provide the bank with a modern, scalable and cost-efficient ownership model as well as access to ongoing upgrades and innovation.

"Moving from an on-premises model to a cloud-based managed service is a big part of our operational strategy for treasury activity," said Gary McDermott, Treasurer at The Co-operative Bank. "With Finastra's solution and the speed and flexibility offered by the cloud, we can continue to meet business requirements whilst ensuring regulatory compliance. Finastra has played an important role in our Treasury systems journey and we look forward to our continued collaboration to drive the digital treasury of the future."

Finastra Kondor supports open integration across all treasury trading instruments, third-party and proprietary analytics tools. It enables banks to trade high volumes of treasury and complex derivatives and options through an open platform which, via open APIs and datasets, unlocks the power of collaboration and innovation. The Co-operative Bank also uses Fusion Risk for treasury credit risk management and Finastra's banking technology for payments services.

"By moving to the cloud, The Co-operative Bank can pursue continued growth and innovation in the UK market," said Wissam Khoury, EVP Treasury and Capital Markets at Finastra. "In addition to being a highly successful consumer and business bank, The Co-operative Bank is a leader in ethical banking and is closely aligned with Finastra's focus on placing environment, social and governance (ESG) factors at the heart of our strategy. We are excited to support the bank with enhancing its treasury operations and exploring possibilities to collaborate on future ESG activities."

"Through FusionFabric.cloud, Finastra is orchestrating an open, collaborative and innovative financial services ecosystem," said Shilpa Bangera, Chief Revenue Officer, Platform at Finastra. "By integrating with specialized apps, CloudMargin and eflow via our platform, The Co-operative Bank will benefit from additional functionality such as automated reports, reconciliation, regulatory reporting and collateral management."

Finastra's partner Luxoft, a DXC technology company, was selected to manage the end-to-end implementation and services of Finastra Kondor in the cloud. For more information about the solution, click here.

For further information please contact:

Sofia Romano

EMEA PR Manager

T +44 (0)7552 865009

E sofia.romano@finastra.com

Caroline Duff

Global Head of PR

T +44 (0)7917 613586

E caroline.duff@finastra.com

About Finastra

Finastra is a global provider of financial software applications and marketplaces, and launched the leading open platform for innovation, FusionFabric.cloud, in 2017. It serves institutions of all sizes, providing award-winning solutions and services across Lending, Payments, Treasury & Capital Markets and Retail & Digital Banking for banks to support direct banking relationships and grow through indirect channels, such as embedded finance and Banking as a Service. Its pioneering approach and commitment to open finance and collaboration is why it is trusted by ~8,600 institutions, including 90 of the world's top 100 banks. For more information, visit finastra.com.

About The Co-operative Bank

The Co-operative Bank plc provides a full range of banking products and services to retail and SME (Small and Medium Sized Enterprises) customers and is committed to values and ethics in line with the principles of the co-operative movement.

In 1992, The Co-operative Bank took a pioneering step to become the UK's first bank to have a customer-led Ethical Policy. And it's still unique today. The Bank's Ethical Policy defines how it acts as a business, the causes it supports and the ways it uses (and won't use) customers' money. It is shaped by the views of customers in regular Values & Ethics Polls.

In 2022 The Co-operative Bank is celebrating its 150th year of providing ethical banking services, and remains strongly positioned to provide an ethical alternative in the UK banking market.

About Luxoft, a DXC Technology Company

Luxoft, a DXC Technology Company, (NYSE: DXC) is a digital strategy and software engineering firm with 20 years' domain expertise in investment banking, asset management, financial and corporate treasury and commodities trading. Luxoft uses technology to enable business transformation, enhance customer experiences, and boost operational efficiency through its strategy, consulting and engineering services. For more information, please visit www.luxoft.com

Corporate headquarters

4 Kingdom Street

Paddington

London W2 6BD

United Kingdom

T: +44 20 3320 5000

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Gettyimagesbank



By Lee Hae-rin



More than 1,000 tattooists and ink lovers worldwide expressed their support in an online campaign for legalization of tattooing.



The tattooist labor union and its leader Kim Do-yoon called, July 30, for like-minded supporters to join their online campaign on Aug. 1 to condemn the country's Constitutional Court for its ruling last month.



On July 21, the court upheld its previous rulings that defined tattooing as a "medical practice" and ruled against Kim for practicing without a medical license. Kim, a renowned tattooist who has inked several celebrities including Brad Pitt, had been fined 5 million won ($3,800).



The top court said tattooing is a medical practice even if it does not prevent or treat diseases because it could endanger public health if performed by a non-licensed practitioner. It could cause potential side effects including inflammation and skin disease when the ink is inserted with a needle in human skin and non-licensed practitioners cannot ensure safety at the same level as medical personnel, it viewed.



The ruling shows Korea has stricter tattooing regulations than other countries by requiring the practitioners to have a medical license.



The U.K. mandates a complete apprenticeship in tattoo and hygiene courses and licensing from a local council. France does not have an official tattooist diploma but recognizes it as a free and independent profession and requires practitioners to undergo training on occupational safety and hygiene. They are to register the certificate to a regional health agency, which receives reports on their activities regularly and monitors hygiene standards. In the U.S., tattoo licensing requirements vary by state, but generally include hundreds of hours of training with an approved tattooist, a written exam and skills assessments on techniques and healthcare concepts.



Kim and his lawyer protested that Korea is the last developed country that still defines tattooing as a medical practice and criminalizes the practice if done by practitioners without a medical license.



The market has thrived underground and an estimated 250,000 tattooists in the country now perform their trade without a medical license. They could all be subject to punishment including up to two years in jail or fines up to 10 million won ($7,462) under the country's Medical Service Act.



On Monday, at least 1,000 supporters worldwide who disagreed with the court ruling joined the online campaign. The participants included internationally renowned tattoo artists such as Eva (New York), Moganji (Berlin), Amanda Wachob (Los Angeles), Soheil Aflaki (Iran) and Edit (Israel), as well as tattoo magazines and studios.





An illustration of a four-foot walking primate wearing a Korean national flag carrying a gavel is seen in this image distributed by the country's tattooist labor union to condemn the court rulings against tattoo legalization. Over 1,000 tattooists and ink lovers shared the image online on Monday, the group said. Courtesy of Tattoo Union
BERLIN (dpa-AFX) - Germany's exports growth accelerated more than expected in June, while imports increased at a weaker pace, official data showed on Wednesday. Exports climbed 4.5 percent in June from the previous month, Destatis reported. The increase in shipments exceeded economists' forecast of 1.0 percent and also May's revised 1.3 percent growth. Meanwhile, imports growth eased more-than-expected to 0.2 percent from revised 3.2 percent in May. Economists had forecast imports to rise 1.3 percent. As a result, the trade surplus rose to EUR 6.4 billion from revised EUR 0.8 billion in May. The surplus was expected to fall to EUR 0.2 billion. On a yearly basis, growth in exports slowed to 14.6 percent in June from 21.7 percent in May. Likewise, imports grew at a pace of 24.9 percent, slower than the 34.5 percent increase in the previous month. Consequently, the unadjusted trade surplus plunged to EUR 7.7 billion from EUR 15.9 billion in the same period last year. Exports to Russia advanced 14.5 percent from May, while imports from Russia gained only 4.8 percent. The value of the goods exported to euro area countries moved up 3.9 percent and imported 0.4 percent more from those economies. Similarly, exports to EU countries rose 3.9 percent and imports from those countries by 0.3 percent. Data showed that 6.2 percent more goods were exported to the United States and imports from the US climbed 14.7 percent. Copyright(c) 2022 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
Mona's intelligent monitoring solution detects anomalous behaviors in granular segments of large datasets, ensuring AI-driven processes are trustworthy and optimized

TEL AVIV, Israel and ATLANTA, Ga., Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Israeli Ministry of Defense (MoD) has selected Mona's intelligent monitoring solution to provide proactive insights in their AI systems.

"Mona is already helping us get dramatically more comfortable with our AI deployments," said Roye Wietzfeld, Head of Digital R&D. "We performed a thorough market evaluation, and Mona has unique capabilities which made it the best fit for our needs."

As one of the most technologically advanced organizations in the world, the Israeli MoD utilizes AI in a wide range of processes, including mission-critical operational processes. Mona, a highly flexible monitoring system, allows the MoD to monitor all these different processes and to get real-time alerts on data and model underperformance or misbehavior, thus avoiding significant risks to operational capabilities. Mona is also utilized to advance research capabilities and optimize the MoD's ML operational layer.

"We are delighted to have MoD as a new customer," said Yotam Oren, CEO & co-founder of Mona. "This confirms the unique value proposition Mona brings to the market, helping data organizations transition from research-oriented to product-oriented AI."

Mona is the leading intelligent monitoring solution for AI / ML-driven systems, providing complete visibility into the behavior and performance of data, models and processes. As an interoperable solution, Mona easily integrates into existing workflows and is compatible with any AI use case or any intelligent automation process.

Contact us today to schedule a demo or to learn more about how you can optimize your AI or intelligent automation processes with Mona's highly configurable monitoring solution.
HVDC Light transmission system will transfer vast amounts of renewable energy for up to 5 million households and help Germany achieve its 2045 carbon neutrality goal

Zurich, Switzerland, Aug. 03, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Hitachi Energy, a global technology leader that is advancing a sustainable energy future for all, today announced it has won a major order from TenneT and TransnetBW, two of Germany's four transmission system operators, to supply a transmission solution for the SuedLink DC4 high-voltage direct current (HVDC) interconnection between the north and south of the country.

SuedLink DC4 is one of the most important power grid and energy transition projects in Germany. It will play a crucial role in Germany's energy transition, enabling a reduction in the use of fossil fuels and helping the country achieve carbon neutrality by 2045.*1

Using Hitachi Energy's HVDC Lighttechnology, SuedLink DC4 will transfer up to 2,000 megawatts of emission-free electricity, enough to power 5 million German households.*2 The link will efficiently transmit electricity for 550 kilometers underground, at 525 kilovolts, sending wind power from the north to the industrial south, or alternatively solar power from the south to the north when needed.

"We are proud to play a crucial role in this very important investment in Germany's transition to renewable energy and carbon neutrality," said Niklas Persson, Managing Director of Hitachi Energy's Grid Integration business. "HVDC Light is the enabling technology for large-scale transfers of renewable energy, both onshore and offshore."

"SuedLink will form the backbone of the energy transition in Germany. With the award of the DC4 high-voltage direct current system to Hitachi Energy, we are now moving towards the realization of this important power link," says Tim Meyerjurgens, Chief Operations Officer of TenneT.

Hitachi Energy will supply an HVDC Light converter station at each end of SuedLink DC4 to convert AC power from the transmitting grid to DC for delivery through the link, and back to AC for transfer to the receiving grid. The contract includes three cable section stations to speed up fault detection in the link.

As part of its long-term commitment to Germany's energy transition, Hitachi Energy has recently won or completed orders for solutions that integrate large-scale renewables*3. These include the converter stations for the NordLink*4 HVDC interconnector between Germany and Norway, the converter stations for the connection of the 900-megawatt DolWin5 offshore wind farm in the German North Sea, the Kriegers Flak Combined Grid Solution which connects the German power grids with two offshore wind farms in the Baltic Sea and Denmark, and power quality solutions to enable more renewable energy to flow from north to south Germany.

Note to editors:

Hitachi Energy's HVDC solution combines world-leading expertise in HVDC converter valves; the MACH digital control platform*5, which enables renewables integration and manages voltage and frequency disturbances in the grid; converter power transformers and high-voltage switchgear; as well as system studies, design and engineering, supply, installation supervision and commissioning.

HVDC Light is a voltage source converter technology developed by Hitachi Energy. It is the preferred technology for many grid applications, including interconnecting countries, integrating renewables and "power-from-shore" connections to offshore production facilities. HVDC Light's defining features include uniquely compact converter stations and exceptionally low electrical losses.

Hitachi Energy pioneered commercial HVDC technology almost 70 years ago and has delivered more than half of the world's HVDC projects.

*1 Generationenvertrag fur das Klima

*2 Suedlink - TenneT

*3 Hitachi Energy HVDC projects in Germany

*4 NordLink

*5 Modular Advanced Control for HVDC

HVDC website:

https://www.hitachienergy.com/offering/product-and-system/hvdc

- End -

About Hitachi Energy

Hitachi Energy is a global technology leader that is advancing a sustainable energy future for all. We serve customers in the utility, industry and infrastructure sectors with innovative solutions and services across the value chain. Together with customers and partners, we pioneer technologies and enable the digital transformation required to accelerate the energy transition towards a carbon-neutral future. We are advancing the world's energy system to become more sustainable, flexible and secure whilst balancing social, environmental and economic value. Hitachi Energy has a proven track record and unparalleled installed base in more than 140 countries. Headquartered in Switzerland, we employ around 38,000 people in 90 countries and generate business volumes of approximately $10 billion USD.

About Hitachi, Ltd.

Hitachi drives Social Innovation Business, creating a sustainable society with data and technology. We will solve customers' and society's challenges with Lumada solutions leveraging IT, OT.

Attachments
abrdn Property Income Trust Limited

(an authorised closed-ended investment company incorporated in Guernsey with registration number 41352)

LEI Number: 549300HHFBWZRKC7RW84

3 August 2022



SALE OF ASSET



abrdn Property Income Trust ("API") has completed the sale of a single-let office building in Kidlington for 8.033m, reflecting a net initial yield of 5.35%.

Built in 2002, the building is let to Bio-Rad on a recently re-geared 10 year lease with a tenant break option in year 5. Acquired in 2015, the investment has contributed a 14.4% annualised return over the hold period. The sale continues the strategy of reducing the Trust's office weighting and will enable it to reinvest in more favoured sectors.

Mark Blyth, Deputy Fund Manager of API commented: "This sale is the culmination of our successful asset management strategy, with the property providing a strong contribution to the performance of the Trust. It will also provide us with funds to take advantage of potential buying opportunities in the short-medium term."





All Enquiries:

Jason Baggaley - Real Estate Fund Manager, abrdn

Tel: 07801 039463 or jason.baggaley@abrdn.com



Mark Blyth - Real Estate Deputy Fund Manager, abrdn

Tel: 07703 695490 or mark.blyth@abrdn.com
Twice weekly service from Toronto to Cancun begins November 3, beginning at $109 CAD

Service from Edmonton and Vancouver changes to Los Angeles (LAX) from Hollywood-Burbank (BUR) on October 31

Added frequencies between Vancouver and Puerto Vallarta (4x weekly) and between Vancouver and Los Cabos (3x weekly)

EDMONTON, AB / ACCESSWIRE / August 3, 2022 / Flair Airlines, Canada's everyday low fare airline, is adding another exciting route to its Mexico network with service to Cancun from Toronto. Twice weekly service will connect Torontonians to Cancun, non-stop. There will also be additional frequencies added on several Mexico routes. Flair is also moving its Los Angeles operations from Hollywood Burbank Airport to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), effective October 31.

"We're delighted to add an additional route to our network in Mexico. We know that Canadians will be looking to beat the winter blues by escaping to the sandy beaches of Cancun, and we've added additional service to the airport to allow people to chase the sun affordably," said Stephen Jones, Chief Executive Officer, Flair Airlines. "As we continue our growth in the Mexican market, we look forward to increasing frequencies on our routes and adding new destinations. We can't wait to be a part of your next sunny vacation."

Toronto to Cancun is now one of eight Mexican routes, joining service to Cancun from Kitchener-Waterloo and Ottawa. Travellers can also fly to Los Cabos from Abbotsford, Edmonton, and Vancouver (with increased frequency from 2x weekly to 3x weekly), as well as the newly added Puerto Vallarta routes from Edmonton and Vancouver this fall which will be increased from 1x weekly to 4x weekly.

Other changes for the winter include Flair's move from Hollywood-Burbank to LAX. The airport is close to LA attractions such as Venice Beach, Santa Monica, and Beverly Hills. Service to Los Angeles begins on October 31 from Edmonton (3x weekly) and November 1 from Vancouver (4x weekly).

"We are thrilled to have secured gate availability at LAX's spectacular new Tom Bradley International Terminal," said Jones. "We are confident that our LAX service will resonate well with our customers and are looking forward to growing our capacity in the market starting this winter."

One-way fares to Cancun from Toronto, including taxes and fees, begin at $109 CAD. One-way fares to Los Angeles, including taxes and fees, begin at $99 CAD from both Edmonton and Vancouver. There are limited seats and availability for the fares. All flights are now available for booking at https://www.flyflair.com.

About Flair Airlines

Flair Airlines is Canada's leading low-fare airline and its greenest airline, on a mission to provide affordable air travel that connects them to the people and experiences they love. With an expanding fleet of Boeing 737 aircraft, Flair is growing to serve over 35 cities across Canada, the U.S., and Mexico. For more information, please visit www.flyflair.com.

Media inquiries, please contact:

Flair Airlines

Jamina Kotak

780.887.9209

Jamina.kotak@flyflair.com

SOURCE: Flair Airlines

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/710672/Flair-Airlines-Adds-Affordable-Non-Stop-Sun-Service-Between-Toronto-and-Cancun-Moves-Los-Angeles-Service-to-LAX


BRUSSELS/FRANKFURT/PARIS (dpa-AFX) - European stocks were broadly higher on Wednesday despite concerns about escalating conflict between China and the United States over U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's trip to Taiwan.



Investors shrugged off the latest survey results suggesting that Eurozone business activity contracted in July amid a downturn in the manufacturing sector and slowing in the service economy.



Germany's exports growth accelerated more than expected in June, while imports increased at a weaker pace, separate data revealed.



The pan European Stoxx 600 edged up 0.1 percent to 436.60 after declining 0.3 percent on Tuesday.



The German DAX gained 0.3 percent and France's CAC 40 index added 0.2 percent while the U.K.'s FTSE 100 was little changed with a positive bias.



Just Eat Takeaway.com gained 4 percent. The food delivery service confirmed its FY outlook despite posting a wider first-half net loss.



Hill & Smith Holdings lost 2 percent. The British supplier of infrastructure products kept full-year expectations unchanged after reporting higher revenue and pretax profit for the first half.



Rolls Royce rallied 3 percent. The industrial technology company announced that the Spanish government has approved the sale of ITP Aero to a consortium of investors led by Bain Capital Private Equity.



Housebuilder Taylor Wimpey jumped 4 percent after raising its profit guidance to the top end of expectations.



Avast shares surged 43 percent as the competition regulator provisionally cleared the anticipated acquisition of the company by NortonLifeLock following an in-depth merger investigation.



French insurer Axa surged 4.6 percent after it posted higher first-half profit and announced a share buyback program.



Societe Generale jumped 3.5 percent. The lender reported better-than-expected earnings in the second quarter despite taking a 3.3 billion euro ($3.36 billion) hit from exiting its Russian operations.



Veolia fell 2.2 percent after it has signed a merger agreement concerning the merger of Vigie SA (formerly known as Suez SA) into Veolia.



German luxury carmaker BMW slumped 5 percent after it warned of a highly volatile second half.



Semiconductor firm Infineon Technologies rallied 2.4 percent after raising its guidance for the fiscal year.



Lender Commerzbank climbed 3 percent after posting better-than-expected profit in the second quarter.



Luxury fashion house Hugo Boss advanced 2.2 percent after raising its FY22 forecast.







Copyright(c) 2022 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved



Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de
Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
WOOD GROUP (JOHN) PLC - Result of Meeting

John Wood Group PLC ("Company")

LEI: 549300PLYY6I10B6S323

Extraordinary General Meeting - Voting Result

Issued share capital at meeting date: 691,839,369 Number of votes per share: 1 vote per share

At the Extraordinary General Meeting of John Wood Group PLC held on 3 August 2022, the resolution put to shareholders was passed on a poll with the required majority. The resolution was considered and passed as an Ordinary Resolution.

The full text of the resolution is contained in the Notice of General Meeting, which is available on the Company's website www.woodplc.com/investors/

The final votes received in respect of the resolution was as follows:

Votes For (Including Discretionary) % Votes Against % Total Votes (excluding Votes Withheld) Votes Withheld* % of Issued Share Capital Voted ** To approve the proposed sale of E&I Consulting, as more particularly described in the Notice of General Meeting 536,369,999 99.97% 168,500 0.03% 536,538,499 43,960 77.55%

* A vote withheld is not a vote in law and is not counted in the calculation of the proportion of votes 'For' or 'Against' the resolution.

** Votes withheld are excluded from the percentage of issued share capital voted calculation

These votes are also available on the Company's website at: www.woodplc.com/investors/

In accordance with LR 9.6.2, the resolution passed at today's General Meeting will shortly be available for inspection at: https://data.fca.org.uk/#/nsm/nationalstoragemechanism .

Notification authorised by:

Martin J McIntyre

Company Secretary
MISSION, Texas, Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The pandemic shook the global economy and yet the United States maintained its trading prowess, according to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development on Ocean Trade.

In the United States, the State of Texas leads in international trade with its 29 ports of entry, the most of any state. The region of Rio South Texas, located at the Gulf of Mexico and the Heart of the North American Supply Chain, strongly contributes to the nation's and the state's global trade success. In Rio South Texas, the Port of Brownsville serves as our region's key waterborne connection to markets in North America and the world, via barge service on the U.S. Intracoastal and Inland Waterway System as well as ship service on the high seas via the M-10 and M-69 Maritime Highways. Furthermore, the Port boasts established trade routes across the Atlantic as well as the Pacific (via the Panama Canal). These routes serve manufacturing industries in Rio South Texas and beyond.

The Port of Brownsville is also a true multi-modal hub, providing interstate access, freight rail services, pipeline infrastructure, and proximity to air cargo providers. To further facilitate international trade, the Port of Brownsville operates Foreign Trade Zone No. 62 (FTZ 62), with sites at the Port, two airports (BRO and VIA), as well as to three surrounding industrial parks. FTZ 62 is ranked #2 in the U.S. for the value of exports at $3.6 billion per year across a variety of products.

Products like petroleum, lumber, steel, and metals rank among the Port's top commodities and, thanks to its global connections, millions of tons of products are moved efficiently to and from Brownsville. And these volumes are expected to grow in the future! The Port of Brownsville's main channel depth is currently 42 feet (12.8 meters), but recently a project has been launched to deepen to 52 feet (15.8 meters). This will make the Port of Brownsville one of the deepest on the Gulf of Mexico.

Exporting and importing from and to Rio South Texas is no problem via the globally connected Port of Brownsville. If you are looking to manufacture in North America for North America, look at what Rio South Texas has to offer. Our team at COSTEP would be glad to assist you, so please visit us at www.costep.org or follow us at @COSTEP to learn more.

Contact: Matt Ruszczak, +1.956.682.6371, info@costep.org




A total of 110 Thai tourists were denied entry into Korea for unknown reasons after their arrival at the airport on the southern island of Jeju earlier this week, officials said Wednesday.







Of 184 Thai nationals who arrived at the Jeju International Airport from Bangkok on Tuesday morning, 125 underwent re-examination for their entry, according to the Jeju Immigration Service. Of them, 110 were denied entry and were flown home late Tuesday night.







It is rare for more than 100 tourists from one flight to be denied entrance.







Immigration officials have not given clear reasons for denying their entry. But travelers are put under re-examination when they have criminal records or are feared not to go back to their homeland. (Yonhap)






Infill Diamond Drilling Intersects 66 Meters at 1.3 Grams Per Tonne Gold, Scout - RC Drilling Extends Gold Mineralization 300 Meters to the Southwest

Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - August 3, 2022) - Royal Road Minerals Limited (TSXV: RYR) ("Royal Road" or the "Company") is pleased to provide a drilling update from its Caribe gold discovery in northeastern Nicaragua.

The Caribe project forms a part of the Company's Strategic-Alliance agreement (see press release; September 6, 2017) with Hemco Mineros Nicaragua ("Hemco" a subsidiary of Mineros S.A., TSX: MSA) and is located in the highly prospective "Golden Triangle" of northeastern Nicaragua. Royal Road Minerals is operator of the Strategic Alliance.

Royal Road's exploration team discovered the Caribe project during reconnaissance exploration in February of 2018. Outcrop at Caribe is concealed under soil and saprolite cover and there is no previous record of mining or mineralization in the area. In 2019, Royal Road and Hemco completed an initial 4-hole, exploratory drilling program at Caribe which returned promising results for gold. A follow-up diamond drilling program commenced at the project during August of 2020 and has returned encouraging results including CB-DDH-025, 207.45 meters at 1.1 grams per tonne, CB-DDH-016, 100.45 meters at 1.0 gram per tonne; CB-DDH-017, 90 meters at 1.0 gram per tonne and CB-DDH-015, 63 meters at 1.0 gram per tonne gold (see Press Releases November 10, 2020, February 11, 2021, March 17, 2021, September 1, 2021 and Table 1).

Diamond drilling has advanced as a combination of infill and step-out exploratory drilling in order to resolve geometry within the known breccia body (carbonate-sericite zone) and test for a possible intrusive source to later-stage, pyrite, chalcopyrite and molybdenite mineralized hydrothermal breccia bodies.

Significant new results from infill diamond drilling include:

CB-DDH-039 68 meters at 0.9 grams/tonne gold

CB-DDH-040104 meters at 0.8 grams/tonne gold; and

66 meters at 1.3 grams/tonne gold

CB-DDH-044 114 meters at 1.0 grams/tonne gold

(not true width and the company does not have sufficient information to make a determination of the true widths of the drill hole intersections)

TABLE 1: CARIBE PRELIMINARY DRILL RESULTS TABLE GOLD COMMENTS HOLE ID E N Z(m) DIP AZIM DEPTH FROM TO LENGTH (m)* GRADE (g/t) 2019 Program CB-DDH-001 793252 1530691 49 -60 306 94.55 2.00 30.00 28 1.1 CB-DDH-002 793252 1530688 49 -60 111 138.57 1.00 14.00 13 1.0 33.00 37.00 4 1.0 CB-DDH-003 793254 1530689 49 -60 42 112.85 78.00 80.00 2 1.7 BOGGED AND ABANDONED 110.00 112.85 (EOH) 2.85 1.2 CB-DDH-004 793346 1530775 44 -60 40 67.10 13.00 31.00 18 1.0 BOGGED AND ABANDONED 62.00 67.00 (EOH) 5 1.0 2020-2021 Program CB-DDH-005 793258 1530689 43 -60 220 100.65 NO SIGNIFICANT INTERSECTIONS >1g/t GOLD CB-DDH-006 793350 1530772 36 -60 40 160.12 28.00 102.00 74 0.9 129.00 143.00 14 1.0 CB-DDH-007 793349 1530769 36 -60 220 123.52 22.00 28.00 6 1.0 BOGGED AND ABANDONED 61.00 63.00 2 1.0 65.00 77.00 12 1.0 83.00 89.00 6 1.0 CB-DDH-008 793395 1530824 35 -60 40 79.30 NO SIGNIFICANT INTERSECTIONS >1g/t GOLD CB-DDH-009 793270 1530770 38 -60 125 161.65 9.00 14.00 5 1.0 BOGGED AND ABANDONED 37.00 82.00 45 1.0 123.00 158.00 35 1.1 CB-DDH-010 793296 1530664 37 -60 305 114.37 0.00 42.00 42 1.0 CB-DDH-011 793338 1530633 35 -60 40 80.82 38.00 80.00 42 1.0 BOGGED AND ABANDONED CB-DDH-012 794646 1532046 37 -60 360 184.52 NO SIGNIFICANT INTERSECTIONS >1g/t GOLD CB-DDH-013 794646 1532046 37 -60 335 131.15 CB-DDH-014 793875 1532118 40 -60 40 180.00 CB-DDH-015 793349 1530771 43 -90 0 190.62 18.00 26.00 8 1.0 BOGGED AND ABANDONED 53.00 62.00 9 1.0 88.00 151.00 63 1.0 CB-DDH-016 793314 1530813 43 -60 125 149.45 49.00 149.45 (EOH) 100.45 1.0 BOGGED AND ABANDONED CB-DDH-017 793295 1530744 43 -60 90 244.00 51.00 141.00 90 1.0 BOGGED AND ABANDONED CB-DDH-018 793364 1530641 35 -60 40 68.62 NO SIGNIFICANT INTERSECTIONS >1g/t GOLD BOGGED AND ABANDONED CB-DDH-019 793296 1530664 35 -50 40 102.17 0.00 35.00 35 1.0 BOGGED AND ABANDONED 56.00 66.00 10 1.0 79.00 82.00 3 2.1 CB-DDH-020 793604 1530412 37 -60 40 67.10 NO SIGNIFICANT INTERSECTIONS >1g/t GOLD BOGGED AND ABANDONED CB-DDH-021 793349 1530846 34 -60 125 250.10 88.00 117.00 29 1.0 CB-DDH-022 793498 1530892 37 -60 236 353.80 75.00 87.00 12 1.2 97.00 99.00 2 1.0 110.00 117.00 7 1.0 186.00 191.00 5 1.0 CB-DDH-023 793498 1530892 37 -60 40 340.07 188.90 199.00 10.10 0.6 0.86 960 43 COPPER % MOLYBDENUM ppm SILVER ppm CB-DDH-024 793338 1530633 34 -50 40 114.57 NO SIGNIFICANT INTERSECTIONS >1g/t GOLD BOGGED AND ABANDONED CB-DDH-025 793290 1530792 34 -60 125 224.17 3.00 210.45 207.45 1.1 INCLUDING 21m at 4.2 g/t GOLD CB-DDH-026 793383 1530891 35 -60 125 130.57 116.75 126.57 9.80 1.4 CB-DDH-027 793386 1530889 34 -60 305 149.45 29.00 32.50 3.50 1.0 83.00 114.00 31.00 1.0 CB-DDH-028 793423 1530824 34 -60 305 218.07 101.00 103.00 2.00 1.0 139.90 147.65 7.75 0.4 0.23 COPPER % MOLYBDENUM ppm SILVER ppm 155.00 163.00 8.00 1.3 CB-DDH-029 793496 1530893 34 -60 305 242.47 177.70 215.50 37.80 1.0 CB-DDH-030 793454 1530965 35 -60 305 222.65 NO SIGNIFICANT INTERSECTIONS >1g/t GOLD CB-DDH-031 793539 1530944 34 -60 305 215.02 CB-DDH-032 793385 1530645 37 -60 305 170.80 62.00 75.00 13.00 0.9 CB-DDH-033 793547 1530903 35 -60 305 218.07 NO SIGNIFICANT INTERSECTIONS >1g/t GOLD CB-DDH-034 793289 1530795 35 -90 0 166.22 CB-DDH-035 793289 1530795 37 -60 305 195.63 CB-DDH-036 793399 1530740 37 -60 220 137.25 84.00 105.98 21.98 0.8 CB-DDH-037 793440 1530771 37 -60 220 190.62 NO SIGNIFICANT INTERSECTIONS >1g/t GOLD CB-DDH-038 793442 1530712 38 -60 220 140.30 CB-DDH-039 793339 1530739 35 -90 0 166.22 51.00 119.00 68.00 0.90 135.00 139.00 4.00 1.00 CB-DDH-040 793274 1530669 35 -50 40 274.50 0.00 104.00 104.00 0.80 139.00 205.00 66.00 1.30 CB-DDH-041 793859 1530855 37 -50 325 227.22 NO SIGNIFICANT INTERSECTIONS >1g/t GOLD CB-DDH-042 793276 1530507 40 -50 250 76.25 NO SIGNIFICANT INTERSECTIONS >1g/t GOLD CB-DDH-043 793277 1530509 40 -50 170 56.42 NO SIGNIFICANT INTERSECTIONS >1g/t GOLD CB-DDH-044 793313 1530852 40 -55 150 239.42 90.00 204.00 114.00 1.00 *NOT TRUE WIDTH AND THE COMPANY DOES NOT HAVE SUFFICIENT INFORMATION TO MAKE A DETERMINATION OF THE TRUE WIDTHS OF THE DRILL HOLE INTERSECTIONS DOWN HOLE CUT-OFF 0.2 g/t gold MAXIMUM INTERNAL DILUTION, 10 Meters





Figure 1



To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/4008/132683_figure%201.jpg

Drill hole CB-DDH-040 in particular has identified significant further gold mineralization within the carbonate-sericite zone at-depth (see Table 1 and Figure 1) and interestingly beyond this zone and within mafic lavas that were previously interpreted as basement to the mineralizing system at Caribe. Step-out exploratory drill holes have intersected native copper, copper oxides and anomalous gold (see Figure 1) but have not, as yet, identified a possible copper and gold mineralized intrusive source.

In September 2021, the Company commenced a program of grid-based scout reverse-circulation drilling at the project. The program utilizes a small, low-impact, man-portable reverse-circulation (RC) drilling rig which drills through soil and saprolite cover down to the first 2-3 meters of weathered rock where a sample is taken for analysis. Results have now been returned for 312 vertical scout-RC drill holes averaging approximately 18m in depth (see Figure 1).

Results received to-date imply that the gold mineralized system remains open for a further approximately 300 meters towards the west and southwest and suggests a broad and significant copper anomaly towards the east (Figure 1). Interestingly, the newly identified gold mineralization located to the west of the project area, is hosted in the footwall to a major crustal scale fault-zone (see Figure 1B), which was previously assumed to be barren. 25m-spaced infill scout-RC drilling is planned in this newly identified area in order to better constrain geometry prior to diamond drilling.

"Infill drilling in the main breccia body at Caribe is further extending gold mineralization to depth and the Scout-RC program is fully functioning and identifying some interesting new targets for further potential gold and possibly copper mineralization at the project," said Tim Coughlin, Royal Road's President and CEO "New discoveries are full of new surprises, Caribe is reminding us of the power of observation and the value of an open mind".

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.

The information in this news release was compiled, reviewed and verified by Dr. Tim Coughlin, BSc (Geology), MSc (Exploration and Mining), PhD (Structural Geology), FAusIMM, President and CEO of Royal Road Minerals Ltd and a qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101. Royal Road Minerals employees are instructed to follow standard operating and quality assurance procedures intended to ensure that all sampling techniques and sample results meet international reporting standards. More information can be found on Royal Road Minerals web site at www.royalroadminerals.com

Quality Assurance and Quality Control:

Diamond drill core is cut in half over 1-meter downhole intervals using a core saw. Samples are prepared and assayed by independent and ISO accredited laboratories of Bureau Veritas Minerals (BVM) and their local subsidiaries. Bagged 1-meter samples are collected from site and delivered to BVM sample preparation laboratories in Managua. Samples are prepared using the BVM codes PRP70-250 plus PUL85, where samples are crushed to 70% less than two millimeters, a riffle split of 250 grams is collected and then pulverized to better than 85 per cent passing 75 microns. Prepared sample pulps are then sent for analysis to BVM labs in Vancouver Canada. Gold is analyzed by fire assay with an atomic absorption finish and a measurement range of 0.005 to 10 ppm. Samples over 10-ppm gold are re-analyzed by fire assay with a gravimetric finish. Multielement concentrations are analyzed by four-acid digestion and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer. Samples over 10,000ppm Cu, Zn, Pb or Mn and 200 ppm W, are re-analyzed with four acid digestion and Inductively Coupled Plasma Emission Spectrometer (ICP-ES). Commercially prepared standards (gold-copper pulps), blanks (pulps and coarse chips) and field duplicates are inserted into the sample stream by Royal Road Minerals for a total of 15% QA/QC to ensure sample precision. In the case of duplicate analyses of a sample, the average of both analyses is used as the final reported value. Unless otherwise stated, gold grades are not capped for calculation of length-weighted averages.

RC chip samples are taken every meter after having entered 2-3 meters within the saprock-fresh rock boundary. Samples are collected from the drilling site and dried at the core yard. Where dry sample weights exceed 4.5Kg they are split. Bagged 1-meter samples are collected from site and delivered to the BVM sample preparation laboratory in Managua. Samples are prepared using BVM codes PRP70-250 plus PULSW where a riffle split of 250 grams is collected and then pulverized to better than 85 per cent passing 75 microns. Sample pulps are then sent for analysis to BVM labs in Vancouver Canada. Gold is analyzed by fire assay with an atomic absorption finish and a measurement range of 0.005 to 10 ppm. Samples over 10 ppm gold are re-analyzed by fire assay with a gravimetric finish. Multielement concentrations are analyzed by four-acid digestion and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer. Samples over 10,000ppm Cu, Zn, Pb or Mn and 200 ppm W, are re-analyzed with four acid digestion and Inductively Coupled Plasma Emission Spectrometer (ICP-ES). Commercially prepared standards (gold-copper pulps), blanks (pulps and coarse chips) and field duplicates are inserted into the sample stream by Royal Road Minerals for a total of 15% QA/QC to ensure sample precision. In the case of duplicate analyses of a sample, the average of both analyses is used as the final reported value. Unless otherwise stated, gold grades are not capped for calculation of length-weighted averages.

Cautionary statement:

This news release contains certain statements that constitute forward-looking information and forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws (collectively, "forward-looking statements") including statements relating to the Hemco-Mineros Alliance and those describing the Company's future plans and the expectations of its management that a stated result or condition will occur. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company, or developments in the Company's business or in the mineral resources industry, or with respect to the Hemco-Mineros Alliance, to differ materially from the anticipated results, performance, achievements or developments expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include all disclosure regarding possible events, conditions or results of operations that is based on assumptions about, among other things, future economic conditions and courses of action, and assumptions related to government approvals, and anticipated costs and expenditures. The words "plans", "prospective", "expect", "intend", "intends to" and similar expressions identify forward looking statements, which may also include, without limitation, any statement relating to future events, conditions or circumstances. Forward-looking statements of the Company contained in this news release, which may prove to be incorrect, include, but are not limited to, those related to the Hemco-Mineros Alliance, Hemco-Mineros, and the Company's plans exploration plans.

The Company cautions you not to place undue reliance upon any such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date they are made. There is no guarantee that the anticipated benefits of the Hemco-Mineros Alliance and the Company's business plans or operations will be achieved. The risks and uncertainties that may affect forward-looking statements include, among others: economic market conditions, anticipated costs and expenditures, government approvals, and other risks detailed from time to time in the Company's filings with Canadian provincial securities regulators or other applicable regulatory authorities. Forward-looking statements included herein are based on the current plans, estimates, projections, beliefs and opinions of the Company management and, in part, on information provided to the Company by Hemco-Mineros, and, except as required by law, the Company does not undertake any obligation to update forward-looking statements should assumptions related to these plans, estimates, projections, beliefs and opinions change.

For further information please contact:

Dr. Timothy Coughlin

President and Chief Executive Officer

+44 (0)1534 887166

info@royalroadminerals.com

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/132683
IRVINE, CA / ACCESSWIRE / August 3, 2022 / Netlist, Inc. (OTCQB:NLST) today announced that the United States District Court for the District of Delaware (the Court) issued an Order granting in part Netlist's motion for dismissing Samsung's First Amended Complaint and denying Samsung's request to file a Second Amended Complaint.

The Court issued a written opinion supporting the Order, and dismissed Samsung's Counts IV, V, VI, VII, X, and XI from the case. The partial dismissal means Samsung cannot pursue a separate action on the patents Netlist first asserted in Texas, and now cannot carry out its alleged obligation to protect Google from the '912 Patent in Delaware. In addition, Samsung voluntarily withdrew its Motion to Sever and Stay the case that Netlist brought in the Eastern District of Texas.

Jayson Sohi, Netlist's Director of IP Strategy, said, "We are pleased Judge Andrews dismissed half of the pending claims from Samsung's Delaware lawsuit, including the '912 claim. We look forward to continue defending our intellectual property rights in the remaining portion of this case."

Separately, following the Order, Netlist filed a complaint against Samsung in the Eastern District of Texas for Samsung's infringement of the '912 Patent.

About Netlist

Netlist provides high-performance solid state drives and modular memory solutions to enterprise customers in diverse industries. The Company's NVMe SSDs in various capacities and form factors and the line of custom and specialty memory products bring industry-leading performance to server and storage appliance customers and cloud service providers. Netlist licenses its portfolio of intellectual property including patents, in server memory, hybrid memory and storage class memory, to companies that implement Netlist's technology. To learn more, visit www.netlist.com.

Safe Harbor Statement

This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are statements other than historical facts and often address future events or Netlist's future performance. Forward-looking statements contained in this news release include statements about Netlist's ability to execute on its strategic initiatives. All forward-looking statements reflect management's present expectations regarding future events and are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in or implied by any forward-looking statements. These risks, uncertainties and other factors include, among others: risks related to Netlist's plans for its intellectual property, including its strategies for monetizing, licensing, expanding, and defending its patent portfolio; risks associated with patent infringement litigation initiated by Netlist, or by others against Netlist, as well as the costs and unpredictability of any such litigation; risks associated with Netlist's product sales, including the market and demand for products sold by Netlist and its ability to successfully develop and launch new products that are attractive to the market; the success of product, joint development and licensing partnerships; the competitive landscape of Netlist's industry; and general economic, political and market conditions, including quarantines, factory slowdowns or shutdowns, and travel restrictions resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. The military conflict between Russia and Ukraine may increase the likelihood of supply interruptions. All forward-looking statements reflect management's present assumptions, expectations and beliefs regarding future events and are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in or implied by any forward-looking statements. These and other risks and uncertainties are described in Netlist's annual report on Form 10-K for its most recently completed fiscal year filed on March 1, 2022, and the other filings it makes with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission from time to time, including any subsequently filed quarterly and current reports. In light of these risks, uncertainties and other factors, these forward-looking statements should not be relied on as predictions of future events. These forward-looking statements represent Netlist's assumptions, expectations and beliefs only as of the date they are made, and except as required by law, Netlist undertakes no obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statements for any reason.

For more information, please contact:

Investors/Media

The Plunkett Group

Mike Smargiassi

NLST@theplunkettgroup.com

(212) 739-6729

SOURCE: Netlist, Inc.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/710679/Netlist-Receives-Favorable-Order-Against-Samsung-in-US-District-Court
VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / August 3, 2022 / Eyam Vaccines and Immunotherapeutics (Eyam), has announced a new licensing agreement for innovative vaccine technologies from the University of British Columbia (UBC), and the James Hutton Institute (JHI). The news comes with the recent development and advancements of new technologies for two novel vaccine vector platforms led by Professor Wilfred Jefferies of Michael Smith Laboratories in Vancouver, Canada, and Dr. Paolo Ribeca at JHI's Biomathematics and Statistics Scotland in Edinburgh, Scotland.

The agreement strengthens Eyam's next-generation vaccines and immunotherapeutics intellectual property portfolio and increases their positioning as an emerging leader in creating disruptive new technologies focused on the prevention and treatment of disease.

"These new technologies will be integrated into Eyam's pipeline of vaccines. Professor Jefferies, together with Dr. Ribeca undertook innovative work to create a new foundation for vaccine design that has the potential to significantly improve efficacy," said Ryan Thomas, Eyam's Chief Executive Officer.

"We've already begun to deploy these technologies and are confident in their ability to improve vaccines to prevent COVID-19, influenza, monkeypox, cancer and other diseases," Thomas said.

These advancements have allowed the design and creation of pandemic-ready vaccines for pathogens, with the potential to confer universal protection. Such a goal is achieved by utilizing a vaccine vector platform based on a novel self-amplifying RNA (saRNA) expression system.

Eyam's saRNA vaccines are rapidly produced under cell-free conditions and are active at very low doses compared to conventional mRNA vaccines-making them cost-effective and scalable to produce by the billion, with lower side effects compared to competitors.

"We are gathering momentum and are currently testing Omicron vaccines in preclinical models and are working on developing a pan-specific SARS CoV-2 Vaccine," said Professor Jefferies, a Professor of Medical Genetic and Microbiology and Immunology at UBC and Chief Scientific Officer at Eyam. Eyam has tested 15 vaccines so far.

"This platform may also greatly improve preparedness for responding to pandemics involving emerging infectious diseases," he added, noting that the disruptive platform technologies will aid in the development of sterilizing vaccines for a variety of diseases studied at Eyam.

Dr. Ribeca, Principal Bioinformatician at BioSS and Director of Bioinformatics at Eyam, said, "a number of diseases and ailments might become a thing of the past based on these disruptive platform technologies."

"The introduction of first-generation RNA vaccines into worldwide clinical use as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic has been a promising first step into a long-due modernization of vaccinology," he said. "They have demonstrated the power and potential of rational vaccine design conducted with modern tools. However, we can and must do more, and fully explore the fantastic possibilities offered by even more advanced technologies."

About Viral Vectors:

Viral vectors deliver genetic material into cells-and have historically been utilized in vaccinology to deliver a subunit, non-infectious form of a virus or pathogen. This messaging pathway equips the host cells with important instructions, sparks an immune response to ward off the disease during a pathogen challenge, and allows the body to recognize the advent of the virus in future instances.

A key tool in vaccine technology, viral vectors have been used historically for creating immunity to smallpox, influenza, polio and other human pathogens. Eyam's new platform has applications for influenza, monkeypox, tuberculosis, SARS-CoV-2, and cancers, as well as other targeted diseases in the Eyam wheelhouse.

These technologies continue to position Eyam globally at the forefront of the rising biotechnology sector of vaccinology, and the company has already developed a number of third-generation saRNA vaccines for SARS-CoV-2 that are currently undergoing preclinical trials in animals, with clinical trials anticipated to launch within a year.

About Eyam:

Eyam Vaccines and Immunotherapeutics is dedicated to the research and development of disruptive vaccine and therapeutic technologies that are safe, efficacious and low dose. Eyam, is named in honor of the historic plague village in Derbyshire, England. The residents of Eyam heroically quarantined themselves within the village boundaries to prevent the disease from spreading further, braving near certain death. Today, Eyam honors their heroic sacrifice by advancing next generation technologies to prevent and treat disease on a global scale.

For further information:

Website: eyamhealth.com

Email: contact@eyamhealth.com

SOURCE: Eyam Vaccines and Immunotherapeutics

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/710656/Eyam-Vaccines-And-Immunotherapeutics-Embarks-On-New-Licensing-Agreement-For-Creating-Innovative-Vaccine-Technologies
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - August 3, 2022) - ATEX Resources Inc. (TSXV: ATX) ("ATEX" or the "Company") announces that it has entered into an agreement with a syndicate of agents co-led by Desjardins Capital Markets ("Desjardins") and Paradigm Capital Inc. (the "Agents"), with Desjardins acting as sole bookrunner, in connection with a best-efforts private placement offering of units of the Company (the "Units") at a price of $0.62 per Unit (the "Offering Price") for gross proceeds of approximately $9,000,000 (the "Offering").

Each Unit will be comprised of one common share of the Company (a "Common Share") and one half of one Common Share purchase warrant (each whole warrant, a "Warrant"). Each Warrant shall be exercisable to acquire one Common Share (a "Warrant Share") at a price of $1.00 per Warrant Share for a period of 36 months from the closing of the Offering.

The Agents will have an option (the "Agents' Option") to offer for sale up to an additional 15% of the number of Units offered for sale pursuant to the Offering at the Offering Price, which Agents' Option is exercisable, in whole or in part, at any time up to 48 hours prior to the closing of the Offering. If the Agents' Option is exercised in full, an additional approximately $1,350,000 in gross proceeds will be raised pursuant to the Offering and the aggregate gross proceeds of the Offering will be approximately $10,350,000.

ATEX intends to use the proceeds from the Offering to advance the Company's Valeriano Copper- Gold Project and for general corporate purposes.

The securities to be issued under the Offering will be offered by way of private placement in each of the provinces and territories of Canada, pursuant to applicable private placement exemptions under National Instrument 45-106 - Prospectus Exemptions. The Units may also be sold in the United States pursuant to an exemption from the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and in such other jurisdictions as may be permitted such that such sales are completed in a manner so as to not require filing of a prospectus, registration statement, offering memorandum or similar document nor give rise to any disclosure obligations or submission to the jurisdiction of such jurisdictions on the part of the Company.

The Offering is scheduled to close in the week August 22, 2022, or such date as agreed upon between the Company and the Agents (the "Closing") and is subject to certain conditions including, but not limited to, the receipt of all necessary approvals including the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange. All securities issued in connection with the Offering will have a hold period of four months and one day from Closing.

In connection with the Offering, the Agents will receive an aggregate cash fee of 6.0% of the gross proceeds from the Offering, except that a commission of only 3.0% of the gross proceeds will be paid from the sale of Offered Units to certain purchasers designated by the Company (the "President's List") to a maximum of $4,500,000 of the gross proceeds from the Offering. No finder's fees or commissions will be paid in respect of the Offering other than to the Agents.

In addition, the Company will issue to the Agents such number of compensation warrants (the "Broker Warrants") that is equal to 6.0% of the number of Units sold pursuant to the Offering, provided that the number of Broker Warrants shall be 3.0% of the number of Units sold to subscribers on the President's List. Each Broker Warrant will be exercisable for one Common Share at an exercise price of $1.00 for a period of 12 months following the Closing. No finder's fees or commissions will be paid in respect of the Offering other than to the Agents.

Certain insiders are expected to participate in the Offering. As a result, the Offering will be considered a "related party transaction" pursuant to Multilateral Instrument 61-101 - Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions ("MI 61-101"). The Offering is exempt from the formal valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements of MI 61-101 by the application of Sections 5.5(b) and 5.7(1)(a) of MI 61-101 because the shares trade on the TSXV and the fair market value of insiders' participation is anticipated to be below 25% of the Company's market capitalization as calculated for purposes of MI 61-101.

The securities described herein 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 except in compliance with the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities requirements or pursuant to exemptions therefrom. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation to buy any securities in any jurisdiction where such offer, sale or solicitation is not permitted.

About ATEX Resources Inc.

ATEX is a mineral exploration company focused on the acquisition, development and monetization of projects throughout the Americas. ATEX's flagship Valeriano Copper Gold Project is located in Chile's prolific El Indio Mineral Belt.

For further information, please contact:

Raymond Jannas

President and CEO

Email: rjannas@atexresources.com

or visit ATEX's website at www.atexresources.com

CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS:

This news release contains forward-looking statements, including predictions, projections and forecasts. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to: the completion of the Offering, the total gross proceed of Offering, the closing date of the Offering, plans for the evaluation of exploration properties including the Valeriano Copper Gold Project; the success of evaluation plans; the success of exploration activities; mine development prospects; and, potential for future metals production. Often, but not always, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "planning", "expects" or "does not expect", "continues", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "potential", "anticipates", "does not anticipate", or describes a "goal", or variation 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.

Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, future events, conditions, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, prediction, projection, forecast, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements include the completion and size of the Offering. These factors include, among others: changes in economic parameters and assumptions; all aspects related to the timing of exploration activities and receipt of exploration results; the interpretation and actual results of current exploration activities; changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined; the results of regulatory and permitting processes; future metals price; possible variations in grade or recovery rates; failure of equipment or processes to operate as anticipated; labour disputes and other risks of the mining industry; the results of economic and 5 technical studies; delays in obtaining governmental approvals or financing or in the completion of exploration; as well as those factors disclosed in ATEX's publicly filed documents.

Although ATEX has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as 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 such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its regulation services provider has reviewed or accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of the content of this news release.

Not for distribution to United States newswire services or for dissemination in the United States

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/132672
PEA Based on Kerr and Iron Cap Deposits Not Included in Recently Updated PFS



39 Year PEA Mill Feed of 1.7 Bt Contains 16 B lb Copper and 23.2 Moz Gold

Base Case Operating Costs Estimated at US$0.38 Per Lb of Copper Produced after gold, silver and molybdenum credits

Base Case Total Cost (Including all Capital) Estimated at US$1.44 Per Lb of Copper Produced after gold, silver and molybdenum credits

After Tax NPV5% US$5.8 B, After Tax IRR 18.9%, After Tax Payback in 6.2 Years



Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - August 3, 2022) - Seabridge Gold (TSX: SEA) (NYSE: SA) announced today the results of a Preliminary Economic Assessment Study (the "2022 PEA") for a potential copper-rich underground mine at its 100% owned KSM project located in northern British Columbia, Canada. The 2022 PEA is a stand-alone mine plan that has been undertaken to evaluate a potential future expansion of the KSM mine to the copper rich Iron Cap and Kerr deposits after the 2022 Preliminary Feasibility Study ("PFS") mine plan has been completed. The 2022 PEA is primarily an underground block cave mining operation supplemented with a small open pit and is planned to operate for 39 years with a peak mill feed production of 170,000 t/d, demonstrating that KSM has multigenerational long-life mining project potential with flexibility to vary metal output.

The 2022 PFS plan disclosed on 28 June 2022 is an open pit only plan with a 33 year mine life limited to the Mitchell, East Mitchell, and Sulphurets deposits. None of the mineral resources incorporated into the 2022 PEA mine plan have been used in the 2022 PFS mine plan. For the news release announcing the 2022 PFS results please click here.

Seabridge Gold Chairman and CEO Rudi Fronk noted: "KSM is really an entire district hosting a nest of potentially economic porphyry deposits with different characteristics. In our updated PFS we focused on the gold-rich deposits because of their faster payback and the relative simplicity of an open-pit only operation. However, we are very mindful that a deep deficit in mined copper is projected to be on the horizon as the world electrifies and moves towards a net zero carbon future. We therefore wanted to highlight KSM's potential to contribute to addressing this need more fully than the mine plan contained in our updated Preliminary Feasibility Study. We think this opportunity will be attractive to a prospective partner."

The 2022 PEA envisages an underground focussed mine plan starting with the development of an Iron Cap block cave mine supplemented with a small open pit at Kerr. Development of a Kerr block cave mine begins when Iron Cap development tapers off. Kerr block cave mill feed starts 6 years after the start of Iron Cap mill feed. Mill feed delivery to the process plant is ramped up to 170,000 tpd by Year 12. Over the entire 39-year mine life, mill feed will be delivered to a flotation concentration mill circuit. The flotation plant will produce a gold/copper/silver concentrate and separate molybdenum concentrate for transport by truck to a nearby seaport at Stewart, B.C.

Mineral Resources

The 2022 PFS and the 2022 PEA uses previously disclosed resource estimates that are based on US$1,300 per ounce gold, US$3.00 per pound copper, US$20.00 per ounce silver and US$9.70 per pound molybdenum. In addition, the resources are constrained by conceptual mining shapes.

Measured and Indicated Mineral Resources at KSM are estimated at 5.4 billion tonnes grading 0.51 grams per tonne gold, 0.16% copper, 2.4 grams per tonne silver, and 63 ppm molybdenum (88.4 million ounces of gold, 19.4 billion pounds of copper, 414 million ounces of silver, and 742 million pounds of molybdenum). An additional 5.7 billion tonnes are estimated in the Inferred Mineral Resource category grading 0.36 grams per tonne gold, 0.28% copper, 2.2 grams per tonne silver, and 33 ppm molybdenum (65.6 million ounces of gold, 35.2 billion pounds of copper and 406 million ounces of silver, and 415 million pounds of molybdenum). A detailed table of KSM's mineral resources can be found at the end of this news release.

2022 PEA Mine Design

Kerr open pit has been designed to supplement block cave mill feed during the ramp up of the PEA block cave production.

Waste to mill feed cut-offs are determined using a Net Smelter Return ("NSR") for each block in the model. The pit delineated resources for the 2022 PEA use an NSR cut-off of C$10.75/t. NSR is calculated using prices and process recoveries for each metal accounting for all off-site losses, transportation, smelting and refining charges. Metal prices of US$1,200 per ounce gold, US$2.70 per pound copper, and US$17.50 per ounce silver and a foreign exchange rate of US$ 0.83 per C$1.00 are used in the NSR calculations.

The underground block caving mine designs for Iron Cap and Kerr are based on modeling using GEOVIA's Footprint Finder (FF) software. The ramp-up and maximum yearly mine production rates are established based on the rate at which the drawpoints are constructed and the assumptions are conservatively less than the demonstrated maximum industry rate and the initial and maximum production rates at which individual drawpoints can be mucked. The values chosen for these inputs are based on industry averages adjusted to suit the anticipated conditions.

The Iron Cap block cave mine includes an estimated development duration of 4 years, a production ramp-up period of 6 years, steady state production at 32.9 million tonnes per year for 17 years, and then a production ramp-down period of 6 years. The Iron Cap block cave is located adjacent to the Mitchell-Treaty Tunnels ("MTT"), the transportation conduit between mine and mill.

The Iron Cap mine is designed as a partially electrified mine with partial automation where battery electric vehicles replace diesel production loaders on the extraction level and trains replace trucks on the haulage level. The height of draw averages around 500m, ranging from 200m on the west limit that is developed early in the mine life to 750m on the east edge of the design that is developed late in the mine life.

The Kerr block cave has an estimated development duration of five years, a production ramp-up period of 5 years, and steady state production at 29.2 million tonnes per year for 20 total years with a seven year production dip to as low as 15.0 million tonnes during the transition from the first to second lift.

The Kerr block cave has been designed as a conventionally developed and operated block cave mine leaving additional upside for improvement by electrification.

The mining NSR shut-off is C$20 per tonne for the Iron Cap block cave and C$18 per tonne for the Kerr block cave. The mill feed contained in the mine plan for the 2022 PEA including dilution and mining losses are stated as follows.

Mill Feed from the PEA Mine Plan

Zone Mining Method Classification Tonnes (millions) Average Grades Contained Metal Gold

(g/t) Copper

(%) Silver

(g/t) Gold

M oz's Copper

M lbs Silver

M oz's Iron Cap Block Cave M+I 58 0.62 0.28 3.2 1.1 354 5.9 Inferred 685 0.58 0.36 3.0 12.7 5,424 65.4 Kerr Open Pit M+I 117 0.26 0.51 1.4 1.0 1,315 5 Inferred 7 0.74 0.09 1.5 0.2 14 0 Block Cave M+I 48 0.25 0.53 1.3 0.4 557 2.0 Inferred 777 0.31 0.49 1.7 7.8 8,339 43.6 Total Mill Feed Mined M+I 223 0.35 0.45 1.8 2.5 2,226 13 Inferred 1,469 0.44 0.43 2.3 20.7 13,777 109



Note: The 2022 PEA is preliminary in nature and includes Inferred Mineral Resources that are considered too speculative geologically to have the economic considerations applied to them that would enable them to be categorized as Mineral Reserves, and there is no certainty that the results of the 2022 PEA will be realized. Mineral Resources are not Mineral Reserves and do not have demonstrated economic viability.

Production

The 2022 PEA assumes that the 2022 PFS plan has been completed. Open pit mining equipment will be relocated to the Kerr deposit to begin pre-stripping while the Iron Cap block cave is being developed. Year 1 of the 2022 PEA mine life coincides with the first year of mill feed from the Iron Cap deposit. Mill feed from Kerr block cave begins in Year 7. The 2022 PEA production plan produces 14.3 Billion pounds of copper, 14.3 Million ounces of gold, 68.2 million ounces of silver, and 13.8 million pounds of molybdenum from 1.7 Billion tonnes of mill feed over a 39 year mine life. The production schedule is shown in the graph below.

2022 PEA Mill Feed Production Schedule



To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/4600/132630_f3073e1774d18830_001full.jpg

Average annual production is summarized estimated as follows:

Average Annual Metal Production



Life of Mine

Average Average Grades:

Gold (grams per tonne)

Copper (%)

Silver (grams per tonne)

Molybdenum (parts per million)

0.43

0.43

2.2

24 Average Annual Production:

Gold (ounces)

Copper (pounds)

Silver (ounces)

Molybdenum (pounds)

368,000

366 million

1.8 million

0.4 million

Note: Annual production shows total metal contained in

copper concentrate, dore, and molybdenum concentrate.

Tailing management is envisioned as a combination of technically viable storage approaches that will be refined in future studies to comprise appropriate and responsible solutions depending on best selected locations and available technology.

Capital Costs

Initial capital cost for the 2022 PEA is estimated at US$1.5 billion with sustaining capital over the 39 year mine life estimated at US$12.8 billion dominated by block cave development capital. Initial capital includes all capital until the first year of mill feed (Year 1). Capital estimates are summarized as follows:

2022 PEA Capital Costs (US$ million)



Initial Sustaining Total US$ M US$ M US$ M Direct Costs





Mine 828 6,678 7,506 Process 0 651 651 Tailings Management Facility 74 664 738 On-site Infrastructure 26 573 599 Power Supply/Energy Recovery 0 112 112 Total Direct Capital 927 8,678 9,606 Indirect cost 253 1249 1,502 Contingency 320 2824 3,145 Total Capital 1,500 12,752 14,252

Note: Numbers may not add due to rounding

Operating Costs

Average mine, process and G&A operating costs over the project's life (including waste mining and on-site power credits, excluding off-site shipping and smelting costs) are estimated at US$11.98 per tonne milled (before base metal credits). A breakdown of estimated unit operating costs is as follows:

2022 PEA LOM Average Unit Operating Costs (US$ Per Tonne Milled)

Mining 4.99 Process 4.31 G&A + Site Services 1.89 Tailings Storage/Handling 0.15 Water Management/Treatment 0.68 Energy Recovery -0.09 Provincial Sales Tax 0.05 Total Operating Costs 11.98

Economic Analysis

A Base Case economic evaluation was undertaken incorporating historical three-year trailing averages for gold, copper and silver metal prices of as of June 20, 2022. This approach is used because it is consistent with the 2022 PFS Base Case. Molybdenum price is based on a recent study for a primary molybdenum project. Two alternate cases are also presented: (i) an Alternate Case that incorporates lower metal prices than used in the Base Case to demonstrate the project's sensitivity to lower prices; and, (ii) a Recent Spot Case incorporating recent spot prices for gold, copper, silver and the US$/Cdn$ exchange rate. The pre-tax and post-tax estimated economic results in U.S. dollars for all three are as follows:

2022 PEA Projected Economic Results (US$)



2022 PEA Base Case 2022 PEA Alternate Case 2022 PEA Recent Spot Case Metal Prices:





Gold ($/ounce) 1,742 1,500 1,850 Copper ($/pound) 3.53 3.00 4.25 Silver ($/ounce)

Molybdenum ($/lb) 21.90

18.00 20.00

18.00 22.00

18.00 US$/Cdn$ Exchange Rate: 0.77 0.77 0.77 Cost Summary:





Operating Costs Per Pound of Copper Produced (life of mine) $0.38 $0.59 $0.32 Total Cost Per Pound of Copper Produced (inclusive of all capital) $1.44 $1.64 $1.38 Pre-Tax Results:





Net Cash Flow (billions) $29.8 $19.4 $40.9 NPV @ 5% Discount Rate (billions) $9.7 $5.8 $13.9 Internal Rate of Return 24.0% 17.4% 30.4% Payback Period (years) 4.7 7.5 3.9 Post-Tax Results:





Net Cash Flow (billions) $18.5 $11.9 $25.6 NPV @ 5% Discount Rate (billions) $5.8 $3.3 $8.4 Internal Rate of Return 18.9% 13.5% 24.0% Payback Period (years) 6.2 8.7 4.4

Note:

The 2022 PEA is preliminary in nature and includes Inferred Mineral Resources that are considered too speculative geologically to have the economic considerations applied to them that would enable them to be categorized as Mineral Reserves, and there is no certainty that the results of the 2022 PEA will be realized. Mineral Resources are not Mineral Reserves and do not have demonstrated economic viability. Results include consideration of Royalties and Impact Benefit Agreements. Operating and total cost per pound of copper produced are after gold, silver and molybdenum credits. The post-tax results include the B.C. Mineral Tax and provincial and federal corporate taxes. Cash flows are discounted to the start of the 2022 PEA development. Payback years are measured from the first year of mill feed.

The NI 43-101 Technical Report will include sensitivity analyses illustrating the impact on project economics from positive and negative changes to metal prices, capital costs and operating costs.

National Instrument 43-101 Disclosure The 2022 KSM PEA was prepared by Tetra Tech, and incorporates the work of a number of industry-leading consulting firms. These firms and their Qualified Persons (as defined under National Instrument 43-101) are independent of Seabridge and have reviewed and approved this news release. The principal consultants who contributed to the 2022 PEA, and their Qualified Persons are listed below along with their areas of responsibility:

Tetra Tech, under the direction of Hassan Ghaffari P.Eng (surface infrastructure, capital estimate and financial analysis), John Huang P.Eng. (metallurgical testing review, permanent water treatment, mineral process design and operating cost estimation for process, G&A and site services, and overall report preparation)

Wood Plc. under the direction of Henry Kim P.Geo. (Mineral Resources)

WSP Golder, under the Direction of Ross Hammett P.Eng (Block Cave mining)

Moose Mountain Technical Services under the direction of Jim Gray P.Eng. (open pit mining, MTT and rail mill feed conveyance design, tunnel capital costs)

W.N. Brazier Associates Inc. under the direction of W.N. Brazier P.Eng. (Electrical power supply, energy recovery plants)

ERM (Environmental Resources Management) under the direction of Rolf Schmitt P.Geo. (environment and permitting)

Klohn Crippen Berger Ltd. Under the direction of David Willms P.Eng (design of surface water diversions, diversion tunnels, tailing management facility, water treatment dam and RSF and tunnel geotechnical)

Seabridge holds a 100% interest in several North American gold projects. Seabridge's assets include the KSM and Iskut projects located in Northwest British Columbia, Canada's "Golden Triangle", the Courageous Lake project located in Canada's Northwest Territories, the Snowstorm project in the Getchell Gold Belt of Northern Nevada and the 3 Aces project set in the Yukon Territory. For a full breakdown of Seabridge's Mineral Reserves and Mineral Resources by category please visit the Company's website at http://www.seabridgegold.com.

Neither the Toronto Stock Exchange, New York Stock Exchange, nor their Regulation Services Providers accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

All reserve and resource estimates reported by the Corporation were estimated in accordance with the Canadian National Instrument 43-101 and the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum ("CIM") Definition Standards. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") now recognizes estimates of "measured mineral resources," "indicated mineral resources" and "inferred mineral resources" and uses new definitions of "proven mineral reserves" and "probable mineral reserves" that are substantially similar to the corresponding CIM Definition Standards. However, the CIM Definition Standards differ from the requirements applicable to US domestic issuers. US investors are cautioned not to assume that any "measured mineral resources," "indicated mineral resources," or "inferred mineral resources" that the Issuer reports are or will be economically or legally mineable. Further, "inferred mineral resources" are that part of a mineral resource for which quantity and grade are estimated on the basis of limited geologic evidence and sampling. Mineral resources which are not mineral reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability.

This document contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. This information and these statements, referred to herein as "forward-looking statements" are made as of the date of this document. Forward-looking statements relate to future events or future performance and reflect current estimates, predictions, expectations or beliefs regarding future events and include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to: (i) the estimated amount and grade of mineral resources; (ii) estimates of the capital costs and timing of constructing the facilities for the potential mine expansion and bringing the additional mine areas into production, of operating such mine, of sustaining capital and the duration of capital payback periods; (iii) the estimated amount of future production, both ore processed and metal recovered; (iv) estimates of operating costs, life of mine costs, net cash flow, net present value (NPV) and economic returns from an operating mine; (v) estimates of block cave ramp-up, production and ramp-down rates; (vi) the assumptions on which the various estimates are made are reasonable; and (vii) projections of a future deep deficit in mined copper. Any statements that express or involve discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives or future events or performance (often, but not always, using words or phrases such as "expects", "anticipates", "plans", "projects", "estimates", "envisages", "assumes", "intends", "strategy", "goals", "objectives" or variations thereof or stating that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved, or the negative of any of these terms and similar expressions) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking statements.

All forward-looking statements are based on Seabridge's or its consultants' current beliefs as well as various assumptions made by them and information currently available to them. The most significant assumptions are set forth above, but these assumptions include: (i) the presence of and continuity of metals at the Project at estimated grades; (ii) the geotechnical and metallurgical characteristics of rock conforming to sampled results; (iii) the quantities of water and the quality of the water that must be diverted or treated during mining operations; (iv) the capacities and durability of various machinery and equipment; (v) the availability of personnel, machinery, equipment and hydro-electric power at estimated prices and within the estimated delivery times; (v) currency exchange rates; (vi) metals sales prices; (vii) appropriate discount rates applied to the cash flows in the economic analysis; (viii) tax rates and royalty rates applicable to the proposed mining operation; (ix) the availability of acceptable financing under assumed structure and costs; (ix) anticipated mining losses and dilution; (x) metallurgical performance; (xi) reasonable contingency requirements; (xii) success in realizing proposed construction and operations timelines; (xiii) receipt of permits and other regulatory approvals on acceptable terms; and (xiv) the successful conclusion of consultation with impacted indigenous groups. Although management considers these assumptions to be reasonable based on information currently available to it, they may prove to be incorrect. Many forward-looking statements are made assuming the correctness of other forward-looking statements, such as statements of net present value and internal rates of return, which are based on most of the other forward-looking statements and assumptions herein. The cost information is also prepared using current values, but the time for incurring the costs will be in the future and it is assumed costs (and metals prices) will remain stable over the relevant period.

By their very nature, forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties, both general and specific, and risks exist that estimates, forecasts, projections and other forward-looking statements will not be achieved or that assumptions do not reflect future experience. We caution readers not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements as a number of important factors could cause the actual outcomes to differ materially from the beliefs, plans, objectives, expectations, anticipations, estimates assumptions and intentions expressed in such forward-looking statements. These risk factors may be generally stated as the risk that the assumptions and estimates expressed above do not occur as forecast, but specifically include, without limitation: risks relating to variations in the mineral content within the material identified as mineral reserves or mineral resources from that predicted; variations in rates of recovery and extraction; the geotechnical characteristics of the rock mined or through which infrastructure is built differing from that predicted, the quantity of water that will need to be diverted or treated during mining operations being different from what is expected to be encountered during mining operations or post closure, or the rate of flow of the water being different; developments in world metals markets; risks relating to fluctuations in the Canadian dollar relative to the US dollar; increases in the estimated capital and operating costs or unanticipated costs; difficulties attracting the necessary work force; unavailability of hydro-electric power and risks relating to the costs of other energy sources; increases in financing costs or adverse changes to the terms of available financing, if any; tax rates or royalties being greater than assumed; changes in development or mining plans due to changes in logistical, technical or other factors; changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined; risks relating to receipt of regulatory approvals or the conclusion of successful consultation with impacted indigenous groups; changes in regulations applying to the development, operation, and closure of mining operations from what currently exists; the effects of competition in the markets in which Seabridge operates; operational and infrastructure risks and the additional risks described in Seabridge's Annual Information Form filed with SEDAR in Canada (available at www.sedar.com ) for the year ended December 31, 2021 and in the Corporation's Annual Report Form 40-F filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on EDGAR (available at www.sec.gov/edgar.shtml). Seabridge cautions that the foregoing list of factors that may affect future results is not exhaustive.

When relying on our forward-looking statements to make decisions with respect to Seabridge, investors and others should carefully consider the foregoing factors and other uncertainties and potential events. Seabridge does not undertake to update any forward-looking statement, whether written or oral, that may be made from time to time by Seabridge or on our behalf, except as required by law.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

"Rudi Fronk"

Chairman and C.E.O.

For further information please contact:

Rudi P. Fronk, Chairman and C.E.O.

Tel: (416) 367-9292  Fax: (416) 367-2711

Email: info@seabridgegold.com

KSM Project Mineral Resources (Inclusive of Mineral Reserves as stated above)

Measured Resources

Project Cut Off ($/t) Tonnes (000) Gold Copper Silver Molybdenum Grade (g/t) Ounces (millions) Grade (%) Pounds (millions) Grade (g/t) Ounces (millions) Grade (ppm) Pounds (millions) KSM: NSR:

















Mitchell $10.75 692,000

0.68 15.1

0.19 2,876

3.3 72.8

52 79

East Mitchell $11.25 1,013,000

0.65 21.0

0.11 2,514

1.8 59.2

89 198

KSM Total

1,705,000

0.66 36.2

0.14 5,390

2.4 132.0

74 277



Indicated Resources

Project Cut Off ($/t) Tonnes (000) Gold Copper Silver Molybdenum Grade (g/t) Ounces (millions) Grade (%) Pounds (millions) Grade (g/t) Ounces (millions) Grade (ppm) Pounds (millions) KSM: $10.75-$11.25 NSR Pits

$16 NSR

UG

















Mitchell 1,667,000

0.48 25.9

0.14 5,120

2.8 149.2

66 241

East Mitchell 746,000

0.42 10.0

0.08 1,390

1.7 41.8

79 130

Sulphurets 446,000

0.55 7.9

0.21 2,064

1.0 14.3

53 52

Kerr 374,000

0.22 2.7

0.41 3,405

1.1 13.7

5 4

Iron Cap 423,000

0.41 5.6

0.22 2,051

4.6 62.6

41 38

KSM Total 3,656,000

0.44 52.1

0.17 14,030

2.4 281.6

58 465



Measured plus Indicated Resources

Project Cut Off ($/t) Tonnes (000) Gold Copper Silver Molybdenum Grade (g/t) Ounces (millions) Grade (%) Pounds (millions) Grade (g/t) Ounces (millions) Grade (ppm) Pounds (millions) KSM: $10.75-$11.25 NSR Pits

$16 NSR

UG

















Mitchell 2,359,000

0.54 41.1

0.15 7,996

2.9 222.0

62 320

East Mitchell 1,759,000

0.55 31.2

0.10 3,904

1.8 101.0

85 328

Sulphurets 446,000

0.55 7.9

0.21 2,064

1.0 14.3

53 52

Kerr 370,000

0.22 2.7

0.41 3,405

1.1 13.7

5 4

Iron Cap 423,000

0.41 5.6

0.22 2,051

4.6 62.6

41 38

KSM Total 5,357,000

0.51 88.4

0.16 19,420

2.4 413.7

63 742



Inferred Resources

Project Cut Off ($/t) Tonnes (000) Gold Copper Silver Molybdenum Grade (g/t) Ounces (millions) Grade (%) Pounds (millions) Grade (g/t) Ounces (millions) Grade (ppm) Pounds (millions) KSM: $10.75 NSR Pits

$16 NSR

UG

















Mitchell 1,283,000 0.29 11.8 0.14 3,832 2.5 102.2 47 133 East Mitchell 281,000 0.37 3.3 0.07 403 2.3 21.1 61 38 Sulphurets 223,000 0.44 3.2 0.13 639 1.3 9.3 30 15 Kerr 1,999,000 0.31 19.8 0.40 17,720 1.8 114.4 23 103 Iron Cap 1,899,000 0.45 27.5 0.30 12,556 2.6 158.7 30 126 KSM Total 5,685,000 0.36 65.6 0.28 35,150 2.2 405.8 33 415

Note:

The effective date for the Mineral Resource Estimate for Mitchell and East Mitchell is March 31, 2022, and for Kerr, Sulphurets and Iron Cap is December 31, 2019. The Mineral Resource estimates have been reviewed and approved by Henry Kim P.Geo., an independent Qualified Person. Mr. Kim verified the databases supporting the mineral resource estimates and conducted a personal inspection of the property and reviewed drill core from a range of representative drill holes at site and at the core storage facilities in Stewart, B.C. with Seabridge geology staff. Mineral Resources were prepared in accordance with CIM Definition Standards for Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves (May 10, 2014) and CIM Estimation of Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves Best Practice Guidelines (Nov 29, 2019). Mineral Resources were constrained within mineable shapes depending on their mining methods. Mineral Resources are reported inclusive of those Mineral Resources that were converted to Mineral Reserves. Mineral Resources that are not Mineral Reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability. Following metal prices were used to determine Mineral Resources: US$1300/oz Au, US$3/lb Cu, US$20/oz Ag, and US$ 9.7/lb Mo. For other key assumption parameters, methods used for: Mitchell and East Mitchell, see news release "Seabridge Gold Reports Updated Mineral Resource Estimates for Mitchell and East Mitchell Deposits" dated April 14, 2022; Kerr, Sulphuret, and Iron Cap, see "KSM (KERR-SULPHURETS-MITCHELL) PREFEASIBILITY STUDY UPDATE, NI 43-101 TECHNICAL REPORT" dated April 30, 2020. Numbers may not add due to rounding.

Note: United States investors are cautioned that the requirements and terminology of NI 43-101 may differ from the requirements of the SEC, including Regulation SK-1300. Accordingly, the Issuer's disclosures regarding mineralization may not be comparable to similar information disclosed by companies subject to the SEC's mining disclosure standards. Mineral Resources are reported inclusive of Mineral Reserves. Mineral Resources which are not Mineral Reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability. It is reasonably expected that the majority of Inferred Mineral Resources could be upgraded to Indicated Mineral Resources with continued exploration.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/132630
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - August 3, 2022) - Maple Gold Mines Ltd. (TSXV: MGM) (OTCQB: MGMLF) (FSE: M3G) ("Maple Gold" or the "Company") is pleased to report the mobilization of a second drill rig, while the first drill rig continues Phase II drilling at the 100%-controlled Eagle Project, to commence a 6,000 metre ("m") deep drilling program at the Joutel Project ("Joutel") in Quebec, Canada, held by a 50/50 joint venture ("JV") between the Company and Agnico Eagle Mines Limited. This deep drilling program is expected to include three (3) drill holes in the Telbel mine area ("Telbel") beneath and adjacent to the historical underground mine workings, which extend to roughly 1,200 m below surface. Past gold production at Telbel focused on a single zone between 500 - 1,050 m; however, data digitization and 3D modeling have identified significant gold intercepts up to approximately 1,400 m below surface that remain open for follow-up exploration.

Deep drilling at Telbel will be funded as part of a previously announced C$4.8-million supplemental Year Two JV exploration budget (see news from May 18, 2022). To control potential drillhole deviation, Aziwell Canada Inc. has been contracted to provide directional drilling support on an as-needed basis during the Telbel deep drilling program.

Fred Speidel, VP Exploration of Maple Gold, stated: "We are excited to commence initial deep drilling at Telbel, marking the first drilling at Telbel since the early 1990s. Last year's digitization and modelling work identified significant higher-grade (>5 g/t Au) mineralization extending beyond the mined-out stopes and has supported our drill targeting. The expanded Year Two JV budget provides us with the financial means to begin testing these compelling targets and near mine extensions at depth."

Initial Telbel Targets and Program Details

Maple Gold previously reported 3D modelling results for the main mine trend at Telbel after digitizing more than 250,000 metres of historical drill data (see news from August 16, 2021), which highlighted the potential for higher-grade gold mineralization above and below the historical underground mine workings, as well as additional discovery targets at a district scale (see Figure 1 below).

The deep drill program is expected to include one (1) drill hole that will be collared south of the main Telbel mine horizon and drilled to the north (S-N) and two (2) drill holes collared north of the target area and drilled to the south (N-S). This will provide valuable geological information by covering the entire stratigraphy of the mineralized system, and will also serve to test known sub-parallel mineralized zones that have not been fully explored in the past. Deep drilling will investigate mineralized trends with step-outs of over 350 metres from historical information (see Figure 2 below).





Figure 1: District scale Eagle-Telbel long section highlighting open mineralized areas after 3D modelling, 300 m corridor width

To view an enhanced version of Figure 1, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/3077/132667_7e4e81059434dbb7_001full.jpg









Figure 2: Full width 3D model oblique slice highlighting historical intercepts (blue stars) using a 2.5 g/t Au cut-off and planned deep drillholes at Telbel

To view an enhanced version of Figure 2, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/3077/132667_7e4e81059434dbb7_002full.jpg

TB-22-001 (S-N) and TB-22-002 (N-S) are designed to test below the deeper plunging local trend observed at Telbel where historical intercepts below the mined-out areas included 57.2 g/t gold ("Au") over 3 m at 1215 m depth, 53.2 g/t Au over 2 m at 1175 m depth, 19.9 g/t Au over 3.7 m at 1285 m depth, 32.2 g/t Au over 2.3 m at 1130 m depth and 18.3 g/t Au over 2.4 m at 1205 m depth (all approximate vertical depths - see Figure 2 above). Several of these intercepts have lower grade haloes. TB-22-003 (N-S) is designed to test the southeastern continuity of the shallower district-scale Eagle-Telbel trend (blue dashed lines in Figure 1) where an 80.8 g/t gold Au interval over 0.5 m at 1135 m depth was intersected in quartz carbonate veinlets with visible gold from historical drilling. Importantly, this historical drillhole did not reach the main Telbel mine horizon.

Qualified Person

The scientific and technical data contained in this press release was reviewed and prepared under the supervision of Fred Speidel, M. Sc., P. Geo., Vice-President Exploration of Maple Gold. Mr. Speidel is a Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects. Mr. Speidel has verified the data related to the exploration information disclosed in this press release through his direct participation in the work.

About Maple Gold

Maple Gold Mines Ltd. is a Canadian advanced exploration company in a 50/50 joint venture with Agnico Eagle Mines Limited to jointly advance the district-scale Douay and Joutel gold projects located in Quebec's prolific Abitibi Greenstone Gold Belt. The projects benefit from exceptional infrastructure access and boast ~400 km2 of highly prospective ground including an established gold resource at Douay (SLR 2022) that holds significant expansion potential as well as the past-producing Eagle, Telbel and Eagle West mines at Joutel. In addition, the Company holds an exclusive option to acquire 100% of the Eagle Mine Property.

The district-scale property package also hosts a significant number of regional exploration targets along a 55 km strike length of the Casa Berardi Deformation Zone that have yet to be tested through drilling, making the project ripe for new gold and polymetallic discoveries. The Company is well capitalized and is currently focused on carrying out exploration and drill programs to grow resources and make new discoveries to establish an exciting new gold district in the heart of the Abitibi. For more information, please visit www.maplegoldmines.com.

ON BEHALF OF MAPLE GOLD MINES LTD.

"Matthew Hornor"

B. Matthew Hornor, President & CEO

For Further Information Please Contact:

Mr. Joness Lang

Executive Vice-President

Cell: 778.686.6836

Email: jlang@maplegoldmines.com

Mr. Kiran Patankar

SVP, Growth Strategy

Cell: 604.935.9577

Email: kpatankar@maplegoldmines.com

NEITHER THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS PRESS RELEASE.

Forward Looking Statements:

This press release contains "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" (collectively referred to as "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation in Canada, including statements about exploration work and results from current and future work programs. Forward-looking statements are based on assumptions, uncertainties and management's best estimate of future events. Actual events or results could differ materially from the Company's expectations and projections. Investors are cautioned that forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. For a more detailed discussion of such risks and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, refer to Maple Gold Mines Ltd.'s filings with Canadian securities regulators available on www.sedar.com or the Company's website at www.maplegoldmines.com. The Company does not intend, and expressly 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.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/132667
WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - BorgWarner Inc. (BWA) reported that its second quarter adjusted earnings per share declined to $1.05 from $1.08, prior year. On average, 16 analysts polled by Thomson Reuters expected the company to report profit per share of $0.85, for the quarter. Analysts' estimates typically exclude special items. Net earnings attributable to BorgWarner was $216 million or $0.91 per share compared to $247 million or $1.03 per share, last year. U.S. GAAP net sales were $3.76 billion, roughly flat compared with a year ago. Excluding the impact of foreign currencies, the 2022 acquisition of Santroll's light vehicle eMotor business and the 2021 divestiture of the Water Valley, Mississippi business, organic sales were up 7% from a year ago. Analysts on average had estimated $3.7 billion in revenue. The company has affirmed its full year sales, margin and cash flow guidance, while increasing EPS guidance. Net sales are expected to be in the range of $15.5 billion to $16.0 billion. This implies a year-over-year increase in organic sales of 11% to 14%. Net earnings are expected to be within a range of $3.40 to $3.80 per share. Excluding the impact of non-comparable items, adjusted net earnings are expected to be within a range of $4.00 to $4.40 per share. BorgWarner believes it is already on track to achieve approximately $3.7 billion of electric vehicle revenue by 2025. The company now expects its 2022 electric vehicle revenue to grow to approximately $850 million, which is more than double what it was in 2021. For more earnings news, earnings calendar, and earnings for stocks, visit rttnews.com. Copyright(c) 2022 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / August 3, 2022 / AMPD Ventures Inc. (CSE:AMPD)(OTCQB:AMPDF)(FRA:2Q0) ("AMPD" or the "Company"), a next-generation digital infrastructure provider, is pleased to announce that its subsidiary Departure Lounge's Metastage Volumetric Capture Stage has received its certification to operate from Microsoft Mixed Reality Capture Studios. One of the highest resolution volumetric video capture stages in the world, the 40 ft diameter Metastage is now open for business.

The stage features 106 12-megapixel machine-vision cameras to capture dynamic, ultra-high fidelity human performances using Microsoft's capture technology and its Azure rendering pipeline. The three-dimensional holograms that are created can be placed into fully digital and blended reality locations, narratives, games, and experiences.

Metastage Canada at Departure Lounge's 6,000 sq ft virtual production studio in Vancouver, BC, Canada

"The Departure Lounge and Metastage teams have been working exceptionally hard over the last year to build and test the stage here in Vancouver," said Adam Rogers, VP Creative and Head of Studio at Departure Lounge. "Receiving the certification is the final step in our buildout phase, and means we are now open for business as the official and exclusive provider of Microsoft's world-leading volumetric capture technology in Western Canada."

The Metastage Vancouver holographic capture stage is the nucleus of a synergistic set of technologies housed under one roof at the Departure Lounge studio. Departure Lounge is developing groundbreaking pipelines and workflows in virtual and immersive production to help facilitate the next generation of immersive content. The studio has already garnered significant interest from digital content creators in the area, with a steady stream of companies visiting the studio for preview tours and demonstrations.

"I am exceptionally pleased that we are now Microsoft certified," said James Hursthouse, CEO of Departure Lounge. "The SIGGRAPH 2022 Conference and Exhibition on Computer Graphics and Interactive Techniques will attract thousands of digital content creation professionals to Vancouver during the second week of August, and we're excited to be able to welcome local and international visitors to our studio to witness the magic of holographic capture first-hand. We will be running open house tours throughout the week."

"We're thrilled that Metastage Canada is now open for business, and we look forward to supporting Departure Lounge and Metastage in their mission to deliver the world's premier volumetric capture solutions to customers in Canada and beyond," said Steve Sullivan, General Manager, Microsoft Mixed Reality Capture Studios.

Metastage Canada is housed at the Departure Lounge facility on campus at the Centre for Digital Media in downtown Vancouver. Departure Lounge also offers cutting-edge markerless motion capture technology in partnership with Move.ai, a film-production grade interactive LED wall in partnership with ARwall, as well as a team of creative professionals that develop applications showcasing the assets generated by the various technologies.

About Departure Lounge Inc.

Departure Lounge is bringing together the experience and expertise of its founding team to develop a cohesive range of Metaverse-focused technology and content opportunities, including a joint venture with 4D holographic capture pioneers, Metastage Inc., to bring their world-leading holographic capture platform to Canada. Departure Lounge was acquired by AMPD Ventures Inc. (CSE: AMPD) in December 2021. It operates as an independent business unit while taking full advantage of the high-performance cloud and compute solutions being offered by AMPD Technologies Inc.

About Metastage, Inc.

Metastage specializes in bringing the best of the real world into the Metaverse. The company has holographically captured people (and animals) from all walks of life, including athletes and actors to executives and training instructors. Metastage's capture system creates beautiful 3D holograms which can be integrated into any virtual platform, from common devices like smartphones to high end VR headsets. Metastage and their partners translate true human performance to be digitally shared in the Metaverse.

About Microsoft Mixed Reality Capture Studios

Microsoft Mixed Reality Capture Studios technology enables content creators to capture real-life subjects as 360-degree holograms that can be used in applications across MR/VR/AR devices, 2D screens, phones, web and more. They have licensed partners in other locations including Los Angeles, San Francisco, Washington DC, Redmond, London, Seoul, Berlin, Tokyo, Zurich.

About AMPD Ventures Inc.

AMPD is a next-generation infrastructure company specializing in providing high-performance computing solutions for low-latency applications. With state-of-the-art, high-performance computing solutions hosted in sustainable urban data centres, AMPD is leading the transition to the next generation of computing infrastructure as 'the hosting company of the Metaverse.' Through a mix of infrastructure as a service ("IaaS") and an upgraded, high-performance cloud offering, we are meeting the low-latency requirements of multiplayer video games and eSports, computer graphics rendering, artificial intelligence, machine learning, mixed reality, big data processing, and the as-yet uncharted technological developments of the coming decades. Additional information about the company is available on SEDAR and our website at http://www.ampd.tech.

For further information please contact Investor Cubed Inc.:

Neil Simon, CEO

Telephone: (647) 258-3310

Email: nsimon@investor3.ca

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

/s/ "Anthony Brown"

Anthony Brown

CEO & Director

AMPD Ventures Inc.

Telephone: 604-332-3329

Email: ir@ampd.tech

Cautionary Statement

Forward Looking Statements

This news release contains statements and information that constitute 'forward-looking information' within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking information is based on the reasonable assumptions, estimates, analysis and opinions of our 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. Forward-looking statements or information herein include, but are not limited, to statements or information with respect to the expected market response to volumetric capture, virtual reality, and mixed reality technologies or to markerless motion capture and interactive LED technologies and AMPD's plans to be a leader as the hosting company to the Metaverse.

Forward-looking information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance, or achievements of AMPD to differ materially from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking information. Such factors include, but are not limited to: general business, economic, competitive, geopolitical, technological and social uncertainties; uncertainties in regard to the development and direction of cloud computing solutions and virtual production; the possibility of competing superior technology; uncertain capital markets; other risks related to the inability of a party to perform its obligations, as well as those factors discussed in the section entitled "Risk Factors" in the Company's Form 2A Listing Statement dated October 17, 2019 and "Risk and Uncertainties" in the Company's most recent Management Discussion and Analysis filed on SEDAR.

Although the forward-looking information is based on our management's reasonable assumptions at the date such statements are made, there can be no assurance that the forward-looking information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking information. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. AMPD does not undertake to update or revise any forward-looking information, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. All forward-looking information contained in this news release is qualified by this cautionary statement.

SOURCE: AMPD Ventures Inc.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/710675/AMPD-Subsidiary-Departure-Lounge-Inc-Announces-Microsoft-Certification-and-Full-Commercial-Opening-of-Metastage-Canada
VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / August 3, 2022 / Fabled Copper Corp. ("Fabled Copper" or the "Company") (CSE:FABL)(FSE:XZ7) announces an update on the 2022 field exploration programs on its Muskwa Copper Project. See Figure 1 below.

Figure 1 - General Property Location

The Muskwa Project is comprised of the Neil Property, the Toro Property and the Bronson Property located in northern British Columbia. See Figure 2 below.

Figure 2 - Location Map

Peter Hawley, President, CEO reports; "Louis Martin our senior technical Board member and myself just returned from a site visit on the Muskwa Project and are pleased to say things are progressing nicely. This year's program was started one month earlier than last year and much more focused as you will see below, see Photo 1, below.

Photo 1 - left, Louis Martin, P. Geo. Right. Peter Hawley, P. Geo.

Ten first priority projects were identified and implemented over the property, which are the follow;

1. Prospecting, on going

2. Field Mapping and sampling, on going

+200 samples sent in for analysis

3. Surface Geophysics on select targets, on going

4. Eleven Drone Missions, completed

Press link here for 2022 Toro Copper Occurrence Drone Footage, note helicopter for scale

5. Structural Mapping, on going

6. Secure adit entrances, completed

7. Underground channel sampling, pending

8. Underground LIDAR, drone supported 3-D mapping, in progress

9. Inspection of historical drill core, completed

10. Drill permit for 45 drill holes pending

In March 2022 the Company applied for a 15 drill pad, 3 holes per pad good for 5 year drill permit to Department of Mines, Permitting. In July, bonding was requested and was posted. At present, the Inspector of Mines, Permitting and the First Nations are in consultation. Already this summer we have found a new copper occurrence and as a result have increased our land package by 254 hectares.

In closing, we will continue to release 2021 field results until all has been made public and the new 2022 results from the various on going projects are they become available.

QA QC Procedure

Analytical results of sampling reported by Fabled Copper Corp represent rock samples submitted by Fabled Copper Corp staff directly to ALS Chemex, Vancouver, British Columbia Canada. Samples were crushed, split, and pulverized as per ALS Chemex method PREP-31, then analyzed for ME-ICP61 33 element package by four acid digestion with ICP-AES Finish. ME-GRA21 method for Au and Ag by fire assay and gravimetric finish, 30g nominal sample weight.

Over Limit Methods

For samples triggering precious metal over-limit thresholds of 10 g/t Au or 100 g/t Ag, the following is being used:

Au-GRA21 Au by fire assay and gravimetric finish with 30 g sample.

Ag-GRA21 Ag by fire assay and gravimetric finish.

Fabled Copper Corp. monitors QA/QC using commercially sourced standards and locally sourced blank materials inserted within the sample sequence at regular intervals.

About Fabled Copper Corp.

Fabled Copper is a junior mining exploration company. Its current focus is to creating value for stakeholders through the exploration and development of its existing copper properties located in northern British Columbia. The Muskwa Project comprises a total of 76 claims in two non-contiguous blocks and totals approximately 8,064.9 hectares, located in the Liard Mining Division in northern British Columbia.

Mr. Peter J. Hawley, President and C.E.O.

Fabled Copper Corp.

Phone: (819) 316-0919

peter@fabledcopper.org

For further information please contact:

info@fabledcopper.org

The technical information contained in this news release has been approved by Peter J. Hawley, P.Geo. President and C.E.O. of Fabled, who is a Qualified Person as defined in National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.

The Canadian Securities Exchange does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Certain statements contained in this news release constitute "forward-looking information" as such term is used in applicable Canadian securities laws. Forward-looking information is based on plans, expectations and estimates of management at the date the information is provided and is subject to certain factors and assumptions, including, that the Company's financial condition and development plans do not change as a result of unforeseen events and that the Company obtains any required regulatory approvals.

Forward-looking information is subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause plans, estimates and actual results to vary materially from those projected in such forward-looking information. Some of the risks and other factors that could cause results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to: impacts from the coronavirus or other epidemics, general economic conditions in Canada, the United States and globally; industry conditions, including fluctuations in commodity prices; governmental regulation of the mining industry, including environmental regulation; geological, technical and drilling problems; unanticipated operating events; competition for and/or inability to retain drilling rigs and other services; the availability of capital on acceptable terms; the need to obtain required approvals from regulatory authorities; stock market volatility; volatility in market prices for commodities; liabilities inherent in mining operations; changes in tax laws and incentive programs relating to the mining industry; as well as the other risks and uncertainties applicable to the Company as set forth in the Company's continuous disclosure filings filed under the Company's profile at www.sedar.com . The Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements, other than as required by applicable law.

SOURCE: Fabled Copper Corp.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/710660/Update-Report-on-the-2022-Field-Exploration-Programs-Increases-Land-Position
VANCOUVER, BC and KIBBUTZ YIFAT, ISRAEL / ACCESSWIRE / August 3, 2022 / Beyond Oil Ltd. (CSE:BOIL) ("Beyond Oil" or the "Company"), a food-tech innovation company extending the life of frying oil, reducing costs and waste, is pleased to announce that Professor Itamar Grotto has been appointed as Chairman of the Advisory Board.

Professor Grotto is a public health physician and professor of epidemiology. He was previously the Director of Israel Public Health Services and the Associate General Director of the Israel Ministry of Health. Between 2018 and 2021, he was a member of the executive board of the World Health Organization (WHO). During the Covid-19 outbreak in Israel, Professor Grotto led national strategy setting, integration and operation of the Israeli government emergency measures. With extensive experience in infectious diseases epidemiology, environmental health, health promotion and public health policy development, Professor Grotto, in his capacity as Chairman of the Advisory Board, will contribute to Beyond Oil by advising on developments and regulations relating to the frying food industry.

"After careful examination of Beyond Oil's technology, its research and effective results, I believe that the issue of unhealthy chemicals in food and their effects on people's health can finally be addressed with Beyond Oil's technology," said Professor Itamar Grotto. "The importance of raising awareness of unnecessary, unhealthy chemicals and their effect on people's health has been intensified globally as reflected at the World Health Organization's REPLACE initiative to reduce cardiovascular disease deaths - the world's leading cause of death - by eliminating industrially produced trans-fat by 2023.1 I am excited to join the Beyond Oil team as Chairman of the Advisory Board as this innovative formula can make a difference in people's health."

"We are pleased to have Professor Grotto as the Chairman of our Advisory Board as his knowledge and experience will enhance Beyond Oil's efforts in becoming an international standard in food health," said Dr. Tamir Gedo, CEO of Beyond Oil. "Professor Grotto's experience will be a valuable contribution in accelerating our global expansion and evolving our innovative solutions."

Product Highlights

About Free Fatty Acids ("FFA"): FFA is the by-product of frying foods in oil, increasing over time as the total amount of food is fried in the same batch of oil. FFA is the element in fried foods that contributes to fat build-up in the human circulatory system. Frying oil is absorbed into the foods - the higher the FFA levels in the oil, the more FFA is absorbed.

The Beyond Oil powder improves the clarity and color of the frying oil in the filtration process and reduces the FFA present to near zero. For the consumer, this means the restaurant using Beyond Oil powder is starting its frying day with quality oil with an equivalent FFA of fresh oil. For the restaurant owner, this means less money spent on frying oil, which has recently doubled in price. For the environment, there is less waste oil disposed.

Frying Oils Recovery: Extensive testing indicates that Beyond Oil's product extends the usable life of frying oil, improves product quality, and reduces frying oil costs. As a preferential adsorbent, the product reduces soluble impurities formed during the frying process that causes damaging FFA and polar compound formation, undesirable odors, off-flavors, and off-colors. The product is simple to integrate into existing daily filtration processes.

One-of-a-Kind: To the Company's knowledge, Beyond Oil has developed a unique solution that can eliminate FFA almost completely without damaging oil quality. This solution compares magnesium-based filter powders that have existed for years but that only marginally reduce FFA levels.

Patent Protected: The Company has a portfolio of registered and patent-pending solutions that it expects will extend the shelf-life of produced and used oils.

Bottom-Line Savings: Beyond Oil's unique value proposition is that it could dramatically lower costs for quick-service restaurants by extending the life use of the oil significantly while retaining the original taste profile.

Regulatory Clearance: As described in the news release dated March 23, 2022, Beyond Oil has received a non-objection letter from the US Food & Drug Administration ("FDA") to sell its product in the United States, on the basis that all the Beyond Oil product ingredients meet food-grade specifications of the FDA. As further described in its news release dated May 30, 2022, Beyond Oil received a similar non-objection letter from Health Canada.

How Our Product Works

The Beyond Oil solution integrates with existing processes as a processing aid or filter aid. The Beyond Oil process includes passive microfiltration designed to remove all components through active filtration by the powder and passive filtration by a microfiltration paper. This process ensures no residue is left in the oil while maximizing the efficiency of removing other degradation particles.

Source:1https://www.who.int/europe/activities/eliminating-trans-fat

Connect With Us

To receive news and updates about Beyond Oil, visit: www.beyondoil.co

About Beyond Oil Ltd.

Beyond Oil is a developer and manufacturer of an innovative proprietary and patented formulation which reduces the free fatty acids from cooking oil to as low as 0.1% while preserving the oil's quality and nutritional values. Beyond Oil's unique technology and methodology integrate into customers' existing oil filtration systems and extends the life of frying oil, reducing costs and waste. For more information visit: www.beyondoil.co.

Contact

Dr. Tamir Gedo

CEO and Director

1-647-691-9801

info@beyondoil.co

Caroline Sawamoto

Investor Relations

1-647-691-9801

ir@beyondoil.co

Neither the CSE nor the Market Regulator (as that term is defined in the policies of the CSE) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This press release contains forward-looking statements and information that are based on the beliefs of our management and reflect beyond Oil's current expectations and views of future events. When used in this press release, the words "estimate", "project", "belief", "anticipate", "intend", "expect", "plan", "predict", "may" or "should" and the negative of these words or such variations thereon or comparable terminology are intended to identify forward-looking statements and information.

The forward-looking statements and information in this press release include information relating to the business plans of Beyond Oil, including the use of its product in the food service industry, the effects of such product on the industry as a whole and the anticipated benefits of using the Beyond Oil product. All statements in respect of contemplated future growth of the Company, product acceptance and performance in a large-scale environment and commercialization plans are also forward-looking statements.

Such statements and information are based on numerous assumptions regarding present and future business strategies and the environment in which BeyondOil will operate in the future, including general business and economic conditions; the demand for our products; that test results are reliable and will be replicated in commercial environments, anticipated costs and ability to achieve our goals, business plan and growth strategy; the availability of financing on reasonable terms as needed; our ability to attract and retain skilled staff; our ability to complete any contemplated transactions; that there will be no regulation or law that will prevent us from operating our business, that we will be able to deliver adequate quantity and quality of product and in accordance with the terms of any definitive agreements. Although Beyond Oil believes that the assumptions underlying these statements are reasonable, they may prove to be incorrect.

By their nature, forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause our actual results, performance or achievements, or other future events, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, among others, the following risks: business, economic and capital market conditions; the stock markets have experienced volatility that often has been unrelated to the performance of companies; the ability to expand our business internationally; the ability to manage our operating expenses which may adversely affect our financial condition; our ability to obtain additional financing as needed on terms and conditions acceptable to the Company; our ability to remain competitive as other better financed competitors develop and release competitive products; legal and regulatory uncertainties including new laws or regulations which could adversely affect the Company's business and results of operations; market conditions and the demand and pricing for our products; our relationships with our customers, distributors, suppliers and business partners; our ability to successfully define, design and release new products in a timely manner that meet our customers' needs; our ability to attract, retain and motivate qualified personnel; our ability to maintain technological leadership; the impact of technology changes on our products and industry; our failure to develop new and innovative products; our ability to successfully maintain and enforce our intellectual property rights and defend third-party claims of infringement of their intellectual property rights; our ability to manage working capital; our dependence on key personnel; the risk that consumer interest in and sentiment towards Beyond Oil's products adversely changes; the impact of COVID-19 or other viruses and diseases on BeyondOil's ability to operate; equipment failures; unanticipated increases in operating costs and fluctuations in commodity prices; security threats; the failure of counterparties to perform their contractual obligations; risks related to Beyond Oil's corporate strategy including that previous and future acquisitions do not meet expectations; anticipated commercialization of the Company's products may not materialize as contemplated in this news release or at all, the risk that sufficient quantities of product are not delivered under any distribution agreement. In addition, Beyond Oil's products have yet to be produced on a large scale and its products have yet to be shown to be effective and reliable when used by a broad range of consumers.

Forward-looking statements and information have been prepared by our management to provide information about management's current expectations and plans relating to the future. Readers are cautioned that reliance on such information may not be appropriate for other purposes, such as making investment decisions. While our management believes that the forward-looking statements have been prepared on a reasonable basis, reflecting management's best estimates and judgments, BeyondOil is an early-stage company with a short operating history and it may not actually achieve its plans, projections, or expectations. Readers should read this document with the understanding that our actual future results may be materially different from what we expect. Given these risks, uncertainties, and assumptions, you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements.

The forward-looking information included in this news release is expressly qualified in its entirety by this cautionary statement. The Company cautions that the foregoing lists of assumptions, risks and uncertainties is not exhaustive. The forward-looking information contained in this news release is made as of the date hereof and the Company undertakes no obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless required by applicable securities laws.

SOURCE: Beyond Oil Ltd.

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Pelosi's Taiwan visit, Lee's Ukraine trip generated different reactions in their respective home countries; why?



By Kang Hyun-kyung



U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's arrival in Taiwan on Wednesday, despite China's furious reaction which materialized in a menacing military show of force, has made some Koreans like me want to revisit Lee Jun-seok's week-long trip to war-torn Ukraine two months ago, shortly after the June 1 local elections.



The two high-profile visits to the regions with high levels of security risk  albeit of very different types  generated contrasting reactions in each of the figures' domestic political contexts. Pelosi is seen as a determined and principled politician who risked her own safety for her life-long mission to protect democracy and human rights, whereas Lee's Ukraine visit left some of his party members and society more broadly cynical of his motives.



Pelosi, 82, and Lee, 37, are two extremely different politicians with few similarities. As the difference in their ages implies, Pelosi is a seasoned politician with a three-decade political career in the House of Representatives as its first female speaker. Lee's experience in politics is much shorter than that of the longtime California Democrat. He drew nationwide attention briefly last year after rising to power in the ruling People Power Party (PPP) following his stunning victory in the party's primary to select its leader. His stardom, however, was short-lived as seen in the PPP's ethics committee's decision in June to suspend him from his position and party affairs for six months for allegedly receiving sexual services as bribery for political favors twice, as well as destroying evidence.



Pelosi's determination to go ahead with her visit to Taiwan amid China's armed display to intimidate her, and Lee's Ukraine visit from June 3 to 9 are very different in their natures as well.





The U.S. speaker risked her own safety and that of her accompanying staff, and her high-profile visit to the island which China claims as part of its territory could inflame tensions further between the U.S. and China. Lee's Ukraine visit, while also risky, was not comparable to Pelosi's Taiwan visit when it comes to its political repercussions.



The differences between Pelosi and Lee certainly don't end there. There seems to be a consensus in the U.S. about her trip as it is portrayed as her mission promoting democracy and human rights in the face of autocracy in the region. A New York Times article described her as a politician who doesn't give in to bullies. "Her current clash is just the latest in a more than three-decade career of challenging the Chinese government on human rights and other issues. And it was another example of a time when the most powerful woman in Washington did not shy away from what she considered a worthy fight," it read.



U.S. President Joe Biden was reportedly wary about Pelosi's trip but has not openly opposed it and let the speaker make her own decisions. The U.S. increased its military presence in the Indo-Pacific region all throughout her Asia trip.



The supportive reactions from the U.S. government, media and fellow lawmakers with regard to Pelosi's Taiwan visit stand in stark contrast to what happened in Korea after Lee's Ukraine trip.



Lee's sudden visit to Ukraine caused a stir. Some senior PPP members revealed their resentment toward what they called his "politics for himself."



Rep. Chung Jin-suk, a five-term lawmaker of the PPP, said that foreign policy and security officials opposed Lee's plan to visit Ukraine. "I was told that key government officials in charge of foreign policy and security were against Lee's planned visit to Ukraine," he wrote on social media. "I think a ruling party politician should have been cautious about such a trip that was not welcomed by the government His trip to Ukraine was nothing more than politics for his own sake, hence the problem."



Lee hit back at the five-term lawmaker on social media, saying that he didn't care much about how others reacted to his trip. "I tell you that here in Ukraine, some politicians are angry because some Koreans tried to curry favor with Russia," he wrote.



The contrasting reactions to Pelosi's Taiwan visit in the United States and Lee's week-long Ukraine visit among Korea's ruling party members can be explained in many different ways. But one thing that seems apparent is that Pelosi's record on issues such as civil liberties, democracy and human rights certainly played a part behind the public support for her Taiwan trip. Her visit to Beijing in 1991, two years after the Tiananmen Square massacre, and her history of activities standing in support of democracy in China are being revisited after her Taiwan trip.



Compared to the U.S. House speaker, Lee's Ukraine trip was seen by many as a decision that came out of the blue, partly because he lacked any reputation in humanitarian work. It is no surprise that his abrupt Ukraine trip triggered various interpretations about his motives, with some seeing it as his way of doing politics for himself abroad in order to influence domestic opinion in his favor, as his party was gearing up for another leadership contest to be held the following year.


VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / August 3, 2022 / Granite Creek Copper Ltd. (TSX.V:GCX | OTCQB:GCXXF) ("Granite Creek" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Geordan Clark as an Independent Director.

Geordan Clark is a Yukon-based entrepreneur with extensive project management and business development experience including an MBA from Cape Breton University. A citizen of the Kluane First Nation from Burwash Landing, Geordan worked as a business consultant with the Kluane First Nation, Tr'ondek Hwech'in, Na-Cho Nyak Dun Development Corporation, Carcross Tagish First Nation, Chu Niikwan LP (Kwanlin Dun), Champagne Aishihik Community Development Corporation, as well as providing consulting services to many other Yukon First Nations small business owners. Mr. Clark was formerly the Executive Director of the Kluane Development Corporation and is currently General Manager and co-owner of Vision Quest Explorations, a Yukon First Nation drilling and exploration company. With a passion for Community Economic Development, Geordan is dedicated to supporting the progression of Yukon First Nation's business and advancement of the Yukon's economy.

Geordan Clark, Director, stated, "I am very pleased to be joining Granite Creek Copper and look forward to working with the team to further advance the project including developing and strengthening relationships within the local communities and First Nations in Yukon."

Tim Johnson, President & CEO, stated, "Geordan is a well-known and respected Yukon businessman and leader. It is an absolute pleasure to have him join our team and we very much look forward to his involvement and guidance as we continue to advance the Carmacks Copper project. Our goal is to continue to develop and build on our relationships with First Nations, including Little Salmon/Carmacks First Nation on whose Traditional Territory the project is located, and to have a positive impact within local communities, as well as the Yukon at large. We look forward to providing additional updates on both the project and other initiatives in the coming weeks, including the updated Preliminary Economic Assessment ("PEA") which remains on track for completion in Q4."

Granite Creek further announces it has granted 360,000 incentive stock options (the "Options") to certain Directors, Officers, employees and consultants of the Company. Each Option will allow the holder to purchase one common share of the Company at a price of $0.10 per share and is exercisable for up to five years, expiring on August 3, 2027.

About Granite Creek Copper

Granite Creek, a member of the Metallic Group of Companies, is a Canadian exploration company focused on the 176-square-kilometer Carmacks project in the Minto copper district of Canada's Yukon Territory. The project is on trend with the high-grade Minto copper-gold mine, operated by Minto Metals Corp., to the north, and features excellent access to infrastructure with the nearby paved Yukon Highway 2, along with grid power within 12 km. The project is located within the Traditional Territory of Little Salmon/Carmacks First Nation. More information about Granite Creek Copper can be viewed on the Company's website at www.gcxcopper.com.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:

Timothy Johnson, President & CEO

Telephone: 1 (604) 235-1982

Toll-Free: 1 (888) 361-3494

E-mail: info@gcxcopper.com

Website: www.gcxcopper.com

Metallic Group: http://www.metallicgroup.ca/

Twitter: @yukoncopper

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.

SOURCE: Granite Creek Copper Ltd.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/710681/Granite-Creek-Copper-Appoints-Geordan-Clark-to-its-Board-of-Directors
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - August 3, 2022) - E79 Resources Corp. (CSE: ESNR) (OTCQB: ESVNF) ("E79" or the "Company") is pleased to report additional high-grade gold intersections from its inaugural drill program at the Twist Creek area located 40km north of the Happy Valley Prospect at its Myrtleford Project in Victoria, Australia.

DRILLING HIGHLIGHTS

Multiple zones of high-grade gold mineralization and elevated base metals were intersected in all three drill holes completed at the Victoria Prospect within the Twist Creek area.

Significant drill intersections include:

0.35m @ 40.1 g/t gold (Au) from 82m and

1m @ 3.26 g/t Au from 119m (hole TWD009).

0.4m @ 25 g/t Au, 0.34% lead, 0.35% zinc from 134m within

1.2m @ 8.6 g/t Au from 133.8m (hole TWD007).

0.3m @ 9.01 g/t Au from 60.4m (hole TWD008).

The drill results from the Victoria Prospect confirm the extensions of gold mineralization beneath historical workings which remain open in all directions.

Follow-up drilling of the recent shallow high-grade zones at the Scandinavian and Victoria prospects will commence in two weeks.

Patrick Donnelly, E79's President and Chief Executive Officer, stated, "We are very pleased that we have now identified another prospect, Victoria, within the Twist Creek area. Including the Scandinavian Prospect and the Happy Valley Prospect, we now have three very compelling places to focus our drilling. We will continue to pursue additional exploration activities at these three prospects with the goal of delineating more high-grade gold mineralization. I would also like to highlight that there are many other areas with the 40km-long Myrtleford Project that will likely host high-grade gold mineralization. I believe we are still merely scratching the surface at the Myrtleford Project."

At the Victoria Prospect, three inaugural drill holes (TWD007, TWD008 and TWD009) were completed, targeting beneath the historical workings detected and mapped via aerial LiDAR surveys last year. These high-grade drill results with gold assays up to 40.1 g/t and elevated base metals are located approximately 1km south of the sub-parallel Scandinavian trend where recent drilling intersected 1.6m @ 17 g/t Au from 73m including 0.6m @ 43 g/t Au (hole TWD006) and 1.1m @ 15 g/t Au from 67.9m (hole TWD003). Further drilling is planned to test this high-grade mineralization at depth and along trend (see significant intercepts in Table 1).

Two quartz-sulphide structures were intersected in the drilling indicating a steep westerly dip at approximately 70 degrees. The narrow but high-grade gold zone contains a broader and continuous sub-parallel lower grade gold zone 20m in the footwall. The higher grades intersected in deeper holes TWD009 and TWD007 may indicate that the grades may be getting better with depth but further drilling is required to confirm this.

All drill holes at Twist Creek were drilled on inclinations ranging between -30 and -70 degrees and drilled as perpendicular to the targets as the drill sites would allow (see Table 2). Historical mining operations were undertaken on steeply west dipping quartz vein structures. Drill core intersection angles of the quartz vein structures range between 45 and 80 degrees to the core axis, so the true width is expected to be between 50% and 80% of the downhole width.

Figure 1 - Victoria Prospect cross-section (A-A') showing drill intercepts for holes TWD007, TWD008 and TWD009



To view an enhanced version of Figure 1, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8350/132653_b360d58c04975af9_002full.jpg

Figure 2 - Twist Creek plan (A-A') showing latest drill intercepts for holes TWD007, TWD008 and TWD009



To view an enhanced version of Figure 2, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8350/132653_b360d58c04975af9_003full.jpg

Following the high-grade gold discovery hole at Happy Valley where drilling intersected 11.1m @ 160.45 g/t Au (hole HVD003), the Company made a commitment to ramp up drill activities to test the Twist Creek targets containing up to six lines of reef over a 3km strike length (within the 7km-long trend) that were historically mined with grades up to 2 ounces of gold per tonne. The Twist Creek inaugural drill program was designed to focus on zones containing multiple reef structures with historical gold production. Drilling continues at the Twist Creek Prospect within the Myrtleford Project area.

The Twist Creek area is situated in the northern portion of the Company's Exploration Licence EL006724 in Victoria, Australia (see Figure 3). It lies within a 7km-long trend of historical workings and mines. The Twist Creek Mining Centre produced gold at an average grade of ~31 g/t Au. Prior to E79's inaugural drill program, no modern exploration activities had been conducted within this area.

Figure 3 - Regional plan of the Myrtleford Project Exploration Licence EL6724 showing current drilling area



To view an enhanced version of Figure 3, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8350/132653_b360d58c04975af9_004full.jpg

NEXT STEPS

At Happy Valley, processing of drill core from the nearby Champion/Franklin and Manager's Hill prospects is in progress. A detailed structural review and 3D model will be completed upon finalization of assay results. Drilling is planned to re-commence along the 12km Happy Valley corridor once the southeast exploration licence application is granted.

At Twist Creek, drilling continues and is currently testing the Excelsior target before moving to the Scandinavian and Victoria prospects to follow-up and expand on the recent high-grade gold results. Further to this, first-pass rock chip sampling and mapping programs will continue along the 7km-long trend to help generate the next drill targets.

At the Beaufort Property, further rock chip sampling and mapping of outcropping quartz reefs will commence soon, followed by shallow drilling.

Table 1 - Twist Creek significant gold intercepts (>0.2g/t Au)

HOLE ID From To Interval Gold (g/t) Silver (g/t) Lead (%) Zinc (%) Prospect TWD007 98.50 107.00 8.50 0.70





Victoria including 103.00 104.00 1.00 2.22





and 133.80 135.00 1.20 8.60





including 133.80 134.20 0.40 25.00 5.20 0.34 0.35 TWD008 60.40 60.70 0.30 9.01





Victoria and 83.60 91.00 7.40 0.20





including 83.60 84.00 0.40 1.36





TWD009 82.65 83.00 0.35 40.10 1.00



Victoria and 116.30 121.00 4.70 1.50





including 119.00 120.00 1.00 3.26







Table 2 - Twist Creek drill hole locations

Hole ID GDA (Z55) East GDA (Z55) North RL (m) GDA (Z55) Azimuth Dip EOH (m) Status TWD007 479859.90 5979630.90 594.4 84.5 -60.1 221.9 All assays received TWD008 479860.50 5979631.10 594.9 83.8 -44.3 173.4 All assays received TWD009 479859.60 5979630.80 594.1 83.6 -69.7 242.7 All assays received

* All collar positions surveyed by qualified surveyor using differential GPS

QUALITY ASSURANCE/QUALITY CONTROL

All samples are  HQ diameter (63.5mm) diamond drill core. Where visible gold has been observed in the core, a field duplicate sample has been taken by splitting the  core in half again ( core) with both samples being independently assayed and the combined weighted average given to the interval. Sampling was conducted to geological contacts. Samples were shipped by E79 contractors to ALS Global in Poorooka, SA, Australia. The samples were crushed to a nominal 85% passing 3.15 mm. A 1 kg split was obtained using a Boyd rotary splitter and pulverized in its entirety to a nominal 85% <75 m. Two quartz washes were run through both the crushing and pulverizing equipment between all samples and sizing tests were performed on both the coarse crush and pulverized material. All samples were analyzed by 50-gram fire assay with an atomic absorption finish (Au-AA26). This method has an upper detection limit of 100 ppm. All samples in the mineralized zone were analyzed by a second 50g fire assay using a gravimetric finish with an upper detection limit of 10,000 ppm (Au-GRA22) for comparison and as a check to the original fire assay (Au-AA26). Certified reference materials (CRM) and coarse quartz blanks were also submitted with the samples to monitor accuracy and possible cross contamination, respectively. The results for all quality control samples lie within acceptable limits.

QUALIFIED PERSON

The technical content of this news release has been reviewed, verified, and approved by Shane Mele, MAIMM (Fellow), Vice President of Exploration for E79 Resources, a "Qualified Person" as defined by National Instrument 43-101. Historical records were verified by the Qualified Person's review of annual and quarterly reports from government records.

ABOUT E79 RESOURCES CORP.

E79 Resources is focused on exploring for Fosterville-type mineralization at its Beaufort and Myrtleford properties in the Victorian Goldfields, Australia. At Beaufort, an opportunity exists to explore for a hard rock source of a major alluvial goldfield along a structure that is known to host gold in the region. The Myrtleford property represents the consolidation of an entire historic gold camp with over 70 past producing gold mines on the property, where the bulk of historic mining stopped at the water table.

Patrick Donnelly

President and Chief Executive Officer

Email: patrick@E79resources.com

Website: www.E79resources.com

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

This news release contains certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements" with respect to the Company within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects", "plans", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "projects", "potential", "indicates", "opportunity", "possible" and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will", "would", "may", "could" or "should" occur. Although E79 believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance, are subject to risks and uncertainties, and actual results or realities may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Such material risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the Company's ability to raise sufficient capital to fund its obligations under its property agreements going forward, to maintain its mineral tenures and concessions in good standing, to explore and develop its projects, to repay its debt and for general working capital purposes; changes in economic conditions or financial markets; the inherent hazards associates with mineral exploration and mining operations, future prices of gold, copper and other metals, changes in general economic conditions, accuracy of mineral resource and reserve estimates, the potential for new discoveries, the ability of the Company to obtain the necessary permits and consents required to explore, drill and develop the projects and if obtained, to obtain such permits and consents in a timely fashion relative to the Company's plans and business objectives for the projects; the general ability of the Company to monetize its mineral resources; and changes in environmental and other laws or regulations that could have an impact on the Company's operations, compliance with environmental laws and regulations, dependence on key management personnel and general competition in the mining industry. Forward-looking statements are based on the reasonable beliefs, estimates and opinions of the Company's management on the date the statements are made. Except as required by law, the Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements in the event that management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/132653
Global Psychedelic Therapeutics Market Expected to Reach $8-10 Billion by 2028.

FT. LAUDERDALE, FL / ACCESSWIRE / August 3, 2022 / Kaya Holdings, Inc., ("KAYS" or the "Company") (OTCQB:KAYS), the first U.S. publicly traded company to hold and operate cannabis licenses in all "touch the plant" categories, announced today that it has initiated the process to seek the requisite licenses for psilocybin manufacturing and facilitation service centers in Oregon.

Wallstreet waits as countdown begins in Oregon for first ever, state licensed

Psilocybin Manufacturing and Facilitation Service Centers in US

as part of forecast $8-10,000,000,000 Global Psychedelics Therapeutics Market.

In November 2020 Oregon became the first state in the United States to legalize and license the supervised use of psychedelic therapeutics for treatment of a range of physical and mental health issues. The Oregon Health Authority ("OHA") is expected to begin issuing licenses in January 2023. The OHA also launched Oregon's medical cannabis program in 2014, giving KAYS critical experience in comprehending and complying with OHA mandates.

"The psilocybin opportunity is a logical extension for Kaya Holdings," commented Craig Frank, KAYS CEO. "The purpose, customer, regulations, and operations, as well as our familiarity with Oregon regulators, are synergistic with our current mission, and can be leveraged within our current operational infrastructure. We anticipate being able to respond to market demand rapidly, upon licensing."

The Science

Psilocybin, a naturally occurring compound found in "magic mushrooms," is one of an emerging class of psychedelic medicines that contain potent psychoactive chemicals that can serve to affect human perception, emotions, and other cognitive functions. Psychedelic medicines have been found to have ground-breaking potential in treating a range physical and mental disorders including anxiety and panic disorder, resistant depression, opiate addiction, adult attention deficit hyperactivity disorder ("ADHD"), opioid addiction, post-traumatic stress disorder ("PTSD"), and acute and chronic pain.

A 2020 study in the Journal of the American Medical Association Psychiatry found that 71% of the patients with severe, previously treatment-resistant depression, showed "clinically significant improvement" that lasted at least four weeks and with "low potential" for addiction. Speaking on the study one of the study's co-authors, Alan Davis, a neuroscience researcher at Ohio State University and adjunct professor at the Johns Hopkins Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research stated, "I would say at this stage the research is showing that in safe settings, this provides relief from debilitating mental health problems for some people."

The Numbers

The emerging use of psychedelic medicine to treat physical and mental disorders. Insight Ace Analytic, an industry research firm, reports that the global psychedelic therapeutics market was valued at US$ 3.61 billion in 2021, and estimates the market will reach US$ 8.31 billion by 2028, with a CAGR of 13.2% during the forecast period of 2022-2028. Other market estimates include the research firm Research & Markets' estimate that the psychedelic drugs market will reach US$ 10.75 billion by 2027.

As recently reported in the Wall Street Journal, Venture Capitalist Brom Rector of Empath Ventures sees Psychedelics as "a traditional biotech play, with a high probability of failure but a potential upside of 10, 20, maybe 50 times." Additionally, he sees many of the infrastructure companies for the industry as having a lot higher probability of becoming cash flow positive.

While Oregon is currently the only State that has legalized Psilocybin for medical use with a regulatory framework in place to issue licenses for their manufacture and sale, Denver Colorado, Santa Cruz and Oakland, California, Ann Arbor, Michigan, Washington D.C., and Seattle, Washington have all decriminalized small quantities. Other activity in the U.S. include:

The Connecticut legislature has begun the process toward legalizing Psilocybin centers for the treatment of veterans. Many veterans' groups are advocating making psychedelic treatments available for veterans, particularly those with PTSD.

Texas, Utah, Maryland, and Washington State have set up task forces to study the medical use of psilocybin and have funded research to explore the effects of psilocybin on certain mental health conditions.

Colorado and California have ballots initiatives pending that would legalize psilocybin.

The New Jersey senate is considering a bill that would legalize psilocybin to treat certain disorders.

Internationally:

The Canadian government has been sued by an advocate group to force the legalization of psilocybin and other psychedelics.

Possession of psilocybin is legal in Austria, British Virgin Islands, Spain, and Portugal.

Psilocybin is legal to possess, sell, transport, and cultivate in Bahamas, Jamaica, Brazil, Nepal, Netherlands (only as a truffle), and Samoa.

KAYS SHAREHOLDERS AND OTHER INTERESTED PARTIES- PLEASE UPDATE YOUR CONTACT INFORMATION

We routinely receive calls and emails from shareholders asking us questions about KAYS, so we are asking all KAYS shareholders to email us and confirm their contact info. Please email info@kayaholdings.com with "KAYS shareholder update" in the subject line and include your name, address, phone number and number of shares you own so that we may make sure you receive all updates and can respond to any shareholder inquiries.

About Kaya Holdings, Inc. (www.kayaholdings.com)

Kaya Holdings, Inc. (OTCQB:KAYS) is an industry veteran, touch-the-plant, vertically integrated legal cannabis company operating a number of majority-owned subsidiaries that retail, cultivate, produce and distribute premium medical and recreational cannabis products, including flower, concentrates, oils and extracts, cannabis-infused foods and beverages, topicals and cannaceuticals. KAYS is a fully reporting, US-based publicly traded company, listed for trading on the OTCQB Tier of the over-the-counter market under the symbol OTCQB:KAYS.

Summary of Operations

KAYS corporate structure includes the following three majority-owned subsidiaries, each responding to various demands and opportunities in the cannabis industry:

Marijuana Holdings Americas, Inc. owns the Kaya Shack brand of licensed medical and recreational marijuana stores (www.kayashack.com) and the Kaya Farms brand of cannabis production and processing operations that operate in the United States.

Kaya Brands USA, Inc. owns a wide range of proprietary brands of cannabis extracts, oils, pre-rolls, topicals, food and beverages, cannaceuticals and related accessories.

Kaya Brands International, Inc., was founded to serve as the vehicle for the Company's non-U.S. operations including retail franchising in Canada and cultivation activities in Greece and Israel.

Marijuana Holdings Americas, Inc.- U.S. Cannabis Operations

Kaya Shack Retail Cannabis Stores

In 2014, KAYS became the first United States publicly traded company to own and operate a Medical Marijuana Dispensary. KAYS presently operates two Kaya Shack OLCC licensed marijuana retail stores to service the legal medical and recreational marijuana market in Oregon.

Kaya Farms

Lebanon, Oregon Farm & Greenhouse Facility: KAYS owns a 26-acre parcel in Lebanon, Linn County, Oregon. KAYS has received Linn County Zoning approvals and is awaiting final OLCC inspection and license approval.

Kaya Brands USA, Inc.- Brand and Product Development

The Company maintains a genetics library of over 150 strains of cannabis and owns a number of proprietary brands in traditional and innovative cannabis categories including Kaya Buddies pre-rolls, Really Happy Glass cannabis accessories, and Kaya Gear, company-related and cannabis-centric fashion. These brands are currently available at Kaya Shack stores. Brands the Company plans to introduce in 2022 include Pakalolo Juice Company, Tony Giggles Pleasure Foods, Wooz Chews, Syzygy Extracts, Sesh Sticks, Soothe Topicals, and Cannamo Pet Treats, Urban Shaman and Aglaea Pharma.

Kaya Brands International, Inc.- Foreign Cannabis Operations

After over six years of conducting "touch the plant" U.S. cannabis operations inside the strict regulatory confines of a public company, KAYS has formed a subsidiary, Kaya Brands International, Inc. ("KBI") to leverage its experience and expand into worldwide cannabis markets. KBI's current operations and initiatives include:

Kaya Kannabis- Kaya Farms Greece S.A. ("Kaya Farms Greece," a Greek Corporation) is a majority owned subsidiary of KBI. Kaya Farms Greece currently has two medical cannabis cultivation and processing projects in Greece- "Greekkannabis" in Thebes and "Greek Kaya" in Epidaurus.

Greekkannabis has a development license from the Greek authorities and a purchase option on 15 acres in Thebes, Greece. The farm has large-scale cultivation capacities and the company expects to develop the site once legal cannabis demand warrants an increase in capacity.

Greek Kaya is situated on 2.8 acres of land in Epidaurus, Greece. The project recently received its development license from the Greek Authorities and is in process of securing a purchase agreement to acquire the property. The Epidaurus Project will include 25,000 square feet of indoor cannabis cultivation, a 15,000 square foot EU-GMP extraction and cultivation facility, and a 10,000 square foot EU-GMP packing facility, housed in two top-condition connected structures totaling more than 50,000 square feet of under-air space. There is ample room for expansion with room to construct an additional 15,000 square feet on site.

Kaya Farms Israel- Kaya Shalvah LTD ("Kaya Farms Israel," an Israeli Corporation) is a majority owned subsidiary of KBI. Kaya Farms Israel has been awarded its cannabis cultivation development license from the Office of Medical Cannabis at the Israeli Ministry of Health ("YAKAR"). The Company is currently evaluating a number of opportunities in Israel and expects to be announcing its updated plans by at the coming Shareholder Meeting update targeted for July 27, 2022.

Important Disclosure

KAYS is planning execution of its stated business objectives in accordance with current understanding of state and local laws and federal enforcement policies and priorities as it relates to marijuana. Potential investors and shareholders are cautioned that KAYS and MJAI will obtain advice of counsel prior to actualizing any portion of their business plan (including but not limited to license applications for the cultivation, distribution or sale of marijuana and psilocybin products, engaging in said activities or acquiring existing cannabis and/or psilocybin production/sales operations). Advice of counsel with regard to specific activities of KAYS, federal, state or local legal action or changes in federal government policy and/or state and local laws may adversely affect business operations and shareholder value.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release includes statements that may constitute "forward-looking" statements, usually containing the words "believe," "estimate," "project," "expect" or similar statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements inherently involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements. Factors that would cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to, acceptance of the Company's current and future products and services in the marketplace, the ability of the Company to develop effective new products and receive regulatory approvals of such products, competitive factors, dependence upon third-party vendors, and other risks detailed in the Company's periodic report filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. By making these forward-looking statements, the Company undertakes no obligation to update these statements for revisions or changes after the date of this release.

For more information contact Investor Relations: info@kayaholdings.com

SOURCE: Kaya Holdings

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/710649/Kaya-Holdings-to-Seek-Licenses-for-First-Ever-State-Legal-Psilocybin-Manufacturing-and-Facilitation-Service-Centers-in-Oregon
Sixty Professionals and Graduate-level Scholars to Study AP1000 Plant Technology in the United States

Westinghouse Electric Company and SE NNEGC Energoatom announced today a partnership to offer immersive internships and development opportunities for 60 Ukrainian nuclear energy professionals and graduate-level students. The multi-year program will begin in fall 2022 with hands-on training in AP1000 plant technology at Westinghouse's global headquarters in the United States.

Following completion of the program, the newly minted AP1000 plant technical professionals will have numerous opportunities to apply their engineering, technical and technological support skills toward the new build AP1000 plant projects in Ukraine, including in the newly established Westinghouse Engineering Center in Kyiv. The professionals also will be trained to provide critical support for future decommissioning programs of Ukrainian nuclear power plant units.

"We will identify exceptional talent across our young professionals and up-and-coming graduates of leading Ukrainian universities. The opportunity for months of immersion in the AP1000 plant technology will be invaluable to these bright minds and allows us to accelerate our clean energy goals and energy security efforts," said Energoatom's Executive Director for Human Resources Oleh Boyaryntsev.

"The Westinghouse training program will provide a unique experience to Ukrainian professionals and university students for advancement within the nuclear energy industry as we begin implementing AP1000 plant projects across Ukraine," said David Durham, President Energy Systems at Westinghouse. "Opening our world class facilities to Ukraine's current and future nuclear professionals reinforces the strong partnership Westinghouse has with Energoatom and Ukraine."

In June 2022, Westinghouse and Energoatom expanded agreements for Westinghouse to supply all nuclear fuel for the Energoatom operating fleet in Ukraine and to build nine AP1000 plants across the country. The AP1000 plant is a proven Gen III+ reactor featuring unique fully passive safety systems, modularized standard design, and industry-leading operability performance and load following capability. The design and build of the AP1000 plants will leverage significant US-Ukraine industrial cooperation, featuring content from supply chains in both countries.

Westinghouse Electric Company is shaping the future of carbon-free energy by providing safe, innovative nuclear technologies to utilities globally. Westinghouse supplied the world's first commercial pressurized water reactor in 1957 and the company's technology is the basis for nearly one-half of the world's operating nuclear plants. Over 135 years of innovation makes Westinghouse the preferred partner for advanced technologies covering the complete nuclear energy life cycle. For more information, visit www.westinghousenuclear.com and follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.

The State Enterprise "National Nuclear Energy Generating Company "Energoatom" is the largest producer of electricity in Ukraine. The company is the operator of four nuclear power plants Zaporizhzhya NNP, Rivne NNP, South-Ukraine NNP and Khmelnytskyy NNP. Our mission is the safe production of electricity for energy security, energy independence, sustainable development of economy and Ukraine's carbon-free energy future. Follow our news on the website www.energoatom.com.ua and on social media: Facebook, Telegram, Youtube, Instagram and Twitter.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220803005626/en/

Contacts:

MEDIA

Cathy Mann, media@westinghouse.com
Tallinn, Estonia--(Newsfile Corp. - August 3, 2022) - Kompute, an Estonia-based blockchain company, has released a decentralized cloud computing model built on tokens designed specifically for Web3, providing possible greater anonymity and control. Designed using widely tested open-source technologies, Kompute's decentralized network is deployed on top of Ethereum with the off-chain layer running on Kubernetes. This structure allows for high availability, easy scalability, and reliable, low-cost cloud computing services. More information is available at https://kompute.network/.

Centralized computing providers control the user data, access to computing power and their privacy. The decentralized solution proposed by Kompute leverages open source technologies on top of the blockchain aiming to fix these problems.

Every transaction on the network is enforced by smart contracts and recorded on the blockchain.

There are multiple layers of confidentiality to protect intellectual property.

Only authorized actions are allowed against the blockchain, so code and data integrity are more protected.

How Kompute works

The process starts when a user launches a request to deploy an application with the blockchain. The node will validate the request and initiate the execution of the computational task. Kubernetes manages the execution of the task using secured containers and considering network capacity.

The node owner shares his computation power and keeps the network secure. All of this happens in real-time and is recorded in the blockchain to ensure the security and anonymity of the transaction.

What it means for Web3

The future of the internet is much more like it was intended, with an autonomous network that allows users to access high levels of computational power instantly.

Best of all for the user is that this newer model is extremely user-friendly, allowing the average consumer to access these technologies with low knowledge of code.





Kompute Logo



To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8987/132589_logo.png

About Kompute

Kompute connects consumers of cloud services with resource providers of the network who can potentially generate revenue by providing their computing resources and staking a specific amount of tokens. The Kompute ecosystem enforces a permission less model that enables developers to employ their services with reduced restrictions.

Contact Person Name: Xabier Almazor

Company Name: Kompute OU

Email: info@kompute.network

Website: https://kompute.network/

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/132589
COLORADO SPRINGS, CO / ACCESSWIRE / August 3, 2022 / Fortitude Gold Corp. (OTCQB:FTCO) (the "Company") today announced additional drill results from its Golden Mile property in Mineral County, Nevada. High-grade intercepts include 3.05 meters grading 16.80 grams per tonne (g/t) gold within 12.19 meters grading 4.86 g/t gold. Fortitude Gold is a gold producer, developer, and explorer with operations in Nevada, U.S.A. offering investors exposure to both gold production and dividend yield.

Golden Mile Step-out drill highlights include (m=meters, g/t=grams per tonne) (full drill table below):

Hole# GMRC-119:

19.81 m of 1.03 g/t gold

incl.

1.52 m of 5.48 g/t gold

1.52 m of 4.87 g/t gold

Hole# GMRC-120:

12.19 m of 4.86 g/t gold

incl.

3.05 m of 16.80 g/t gold

Hole# GMRC-121:

13.72 m of 0.84 g/t gold

incl.

4.57 m of 1.58 g/t gold

Hole# GMRC-122:

44.20 m of 0.86 g/t gold

incl.

10.67 m of 1.12 g/t gold

6.10 m of 1.85 g/t gold

3.05 m of 2.00 g/t gold

Fortitude Gold released an initial mineral resource for its Golden Mile property in November 2021, which included 78,500 ounces at a 1.13 g/t gold grade in the indicated category, and 84,500 ounces at a 1.10 g/t gold grade in the inferred category. During the first half of 2022, the Company released fifty-one (51) reverse circulation drill results focused on both infill and expansion drilling at Golden Mile. The five (5) holes released today build on the 2022 prior drill programs (click here for the April 2022 press release and here for the June 2022 press release). The Company targets conversion and upgrading of its resource into a reserve with the completion of a maiden Golden Mile prefeasibility study, technical report summary by late 2022 or early 2023.

These drill holes mainly focused on the southeast margin of the current phase one pit shell where exploration drilling encountered high-grade gold, including 3.05 meters of 16.80 g/t gold within 12.19 meters of 4.86 g/t gold among other high grade gold results. Due to the location of these drill results near the margins of the pit shell, management has decided to push back the cut-off date to include these and potentially additional future nearby drill results into the maiden reserve. The majority of the mineralization outside the current pit shell (see pit shell model images) will need to be explored and delineated extensively to be brought into a targeted future phase two pit shell. The Company plans to continue drilling Golden Mile for the foreseeable future with the focus on this area in an effort to convert resources into reserves within the initial phase one pit shell. Fortitude previously filed a Plan of Operations with the BLM and anticipates permitting an open-pit heap leach operation as the Company moves closer to a Golden Mile development decision. The Golden Mile mineralization remains open on strike and at depth for potential mineral resource expansion.

"These latest exploration drill results along the margins of the current phase one pit shell warrant additional exploration for potential inclusion in our targeted maiden reserve and prefeasibility study," stated Mr. Barry Devlin, Vice President of Exploration for Fortitude Gold. "We still target a Golden Mile prefeasibility by year-end; however, drill results and timing could push completion to early 2023. We believe the additional drilling could lead to a significantly improved mine plan."

"We don't expect to pull all of the known mineralization outside the current pit shell into phase one for initial targeted mining without extensive additional exploration due to the distances and known depths of this open mineralization," stated Mr. Jason Reid, CEO and President of Fortitude Gold. "Having said that, we not only believe these latest drill results warrant consideration for inclusion into phase one, but we also believe an optimized phase one shell could change the pit's overall efficiency and economics. Therefore, we plan to announce a development decision for the project after we complete the phase one pit shell for inclusion into the prefeasibility study."

Mr. Reid continued, "The Golden Mile permitting process remains active with the Bureau of Land Management and we continue to deploy significant capital on equipment and facilities for our proposed future mine including the crusher, conveyers and process recovery tanks and pumps. Our team was in Arizona last week inspecting the conveyors being manufactured for our project and we took delivery of the office last week. We are excited about the potential of Golden Mile becoming the Company's second gold mine in arguably the world's best mining jurisdiction."

GOLDEN MILE AUGUST 2022 DRILL SUMMARY HIGHLIGHTS Hole # Angle Target From Interval Au deg Meters Meters g/t GMRC-118 -55 Golden Mile Extension 53.34 1.52 0.49 59.44 6.10 0.45 73.15 18.29 0.46 incl. 73.15 1.52 2.01 118.87 1.52 0.46 128.02 3.05 0.46 GMRC-119 -55 Golden Mile Extension 76.20 3.05 1.56 85.34 19.81 1.03 incl. 91.44 1.52 5.48 incl. 99.06 1.52 4.87 GMRC-120 -55 Golden Mile Extension 41.15 12.19 4.86 incl. 44.20 3.05 16.80 70.10 6.10 0.61 incl. 74.68 1.52 1.13 105.16 1.52 0.55 GMRC-121 -55 Golden Mile Extension 7.62 13.72 0.84 incl. 7.62 4.57 1.58 32.00 1.52 0.32 39.62 1.52 0.31 51.82 3.05 0.31 83.82 1.52 0.31 102.11 3.05 0.48 146.30 4.57 0.64 incl. 147.83 1.52 1.38 GMRC-122 -75 Golden Mile Extension 155.45 1.52 1.44 164.59 44.20 0.86 incl. 167.64 10.67 1.12 incl. 181.36 6.10 1.85 incl. 190.50 3.05 2.00 213.36 7.62 0.88 incl. 213.36 1.52 3.27 239.27 3.05 0.41 246.89 1.52 0.37 249.94 1.52 0.30 254.51 4.57 2.66 incl. 256.03 1.52 6.23 GMRC-123 -65 Golden Mile Extension 106.68 1.52 0.32 112.78 1.52 0.47 137.16 1.52 0.57 Assays by Bureau Veritas Mineral Laboratories, Sparks, Nevada, USA. Meters downhole, not true width.

About the Golden Mile Project

The Golden Mile property is located in the Bell Mining District, Mineral County, Nevada, approximately 23 miles east-southeast of the Company's producing Isabella Pearl mine.

The property covers approximately 11,971 acres consisting of 607 unpatented claims, 5 patented claims, 4 owned and 1 leased. Mineralization at the property is intrusion related, with primary gold and copper mineralization associated with skarn style replacement in carbonate units. Secondary mineralization is associated with structurally controlled stockwork and breccia zones. Two established mineralized zones have been drilled by previous operators on the property with the larger mineralized zone located within the 5 patented claims.

About Fortitude Gold Corp.:

Fortitude Gold is a U.S. based gold producer targeting projects with low operating costs, high margins, and strong returns on capital. The Company's strategy is to grow organically, remain debt-free and distribute substantial dividends. The Company's Nevada Mining Unit consists of five high-grade gold properties located in the Walker Lane Mineral Belt and a sixth high-grade gold property in west central Nevada. The Isabella Pearl gold mine, located on the Isabella Pearl mineralized trend, is currently in production. Nevada, U.S.A. is among the world's premier mining friendly jurisdictions.

Cautionary Statements: This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. If you are risk-averse you should NOT buy shares in Fortitude Gold Corp. The statements contained in this press release that are not purely historical are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. When used in this press release, the words "plan", "target", "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "intend" and "expect" and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements include, without limitation, the statements regarding the Company's strategy, future plans for production, future expenses and costs, future liquidity and capital resources, and estimates of mineralized material are forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements in this press release are based upon information available to the Company on the date of this press release, and the Company assumes no obligation to update any such forward-looking statements.

Forward looking statements involve a number of risks and uncertainties, and there can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate. The Company's actual results could differ materially from those discussed in this press release. In particular, the scope, duration, and impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mining operations, Company employees, and supply chains as well as the scope, duration and impact of government action aimed at mitigating the pandemic may cause future actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by any forward-looking statements. Also, there can be no assurance that production will continue at any specific rate.

Contact:

Greg Patterson

719-717-9825

greg.patterson@fortitudegold.com

www.Fortitudegold.com

SOURCE: Fortitude Gold Corporation

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/710653/Fortitude-Gold-Intercepts-305-Meters-of-1680-GT-Gold-Within-1219-Meters-Grading-486-GT-Gold-at-Golden-Mile
CRANBROOK, BC / ACCESSWIRE / August 3, 2022 / Eagle Plains Resources (TSXV:EPL) has mobilized personnel to commence fieldwork on its 100%-owned Adamant Property, located 80 km NE of Revelstoke, British Columbia. The 9,461ha property is host to rare earth element ("REE") mineralization in syenite and carbonatite dyke systems that are numerous and widespread over an approximately 25 km strike length. Fieldwork is budgeted at $100,000 and will focus on defining and extending the Trident-Kin syenite trace and evaluating additional targets generated by historic work. TerraLogic Exploration Services of Cranbrook, BC has been contracted to carry out 2022 fieldwork.

Adamant Geology and Project History

The Adamant Property overlies high-grade metamorphic rocks of the Upper Proterozic Horsethief Creek Group which have been intruded by a series of syenite sills. Critical metals were first reported in the area in1956 with the identification of niobium in placer samples from Trident Creek. The Geological Survey of Canada in 1965 identified a large REE-bearing nepheline syenite gneiss unit northwest of the Adamant property at Trident Mountain (BC MINFILE 082M 126). A study conducted in 1987 by the Government of British Columbia focused on the economic viability of feldspar and nepheline syenite occurrences in the area and concluded that potential exists for the production of feldspathic products meeting commercial specifications for use in glass/ceramic manufacturing.

The last systematic exploration work on the property was carried out in 2011 by Critical Elements Corporation which increased the known extent of the Trident Mountain syenite from 15 km to approximately 25 km. Grab samples collected in the Trident area saw results grading from trace quantities to up to 31,337 ppm (3.13%) Total Rare Earth Elements (TREE), 481.2 ppm Nb and 50,655 ppm (5.06%) (TREE), 1721 ppm Nb and >2000 ppm Mo. In this target area, 21 samples collected returned average values of 6829 ppm TREE, 265 ppm Nb and 195 ppm Mo.

2011 fieldwork in the Kin area saw the discovery of new mineralization named the "Amy-Carmen Trend" where 43 rock samples collected returned results ranging from between 38 ppm and 74,061 ppm (7.41%) TREE, 22 ppm to 21,126 ppm (2.12%) Nb and 0.7 ppm to 62,900 ppm (6.29%) Mo, with respective averages of 10,074 ppm TREE, 2684 ppm Nb and 2832 ppm Mo. Other elements of interest from the Amy-Carmen trend include values ranging from trace quantities to up to 1000 ppm Heavy Rare Earth Elements (HREE), 166 g/t Ag and 181 ppm Ta.

Also discovered in 2011 was the "Carmen Trend", which is located 500m south of the Amy-Carmen Trend. This parallel trend comprises a broad zone (~250m wide) containing many narrow, mineralized structures. The results from 9 samples collected over a 1 km strike in this zone returned values ranging from trace quantities to up to 107,989 ppm (10.79%) TREE, 34731 ppm (3.47%) Nb, 16.4 ppm Mo and 4089 ppm HREE. (Source: BCGS Assessment Report 32655). Rock grab samples are selective samples by nature and as such are not necessarily representative of the mineralization hosted across the property.

Many of the new hard rock discoveries in 2011 were made following up targets derived from combined 2010-2011 airborne radiometric surveys and a detailed heli-assisted silt-stream geochemical program. Only a small percentage of the resulting targets were examined in 2011 and no additional exploration work has been completed on the property since 2011.

Eagle Plains acquired the property by staking in late 2021 and currently holds a 100% interest with no underlying royalties or encumbrances.

See Adamant Project Summary Map here

2022 Fieldwork

Planned work includes infill silt sampling, geological mapping, channel sampling and detailed mineralogical studies to refine carrier mineral species. Target areas include Kin South / Kin West, Amy-Carmen and the Trident Zone. The 2022 program work is being managed by TerraLogic Exploration Services of Cranbrook, BC.

Dr. Anton Chakhmouradian, geology professor from the University of Manitoba, has been engaged to undertake detailed mineralogical and geochemical studies of the Ice River and Trident Mountain alkaline intrusions. The studies will lead to the publication of one Masters-level and two Bachelors-level theses which will aid in both the academic and economic evaluation of the project areas. Dr. Chakhmouradian is a world-renowned specialist with 30+ years of experience related to REE and Nb deposits in alkaline rocks and carbonatites. An NSERC research grant application has been made in support of the proposed studies.

Jarrod Brown, P.Geo., a "qualified person" for the purposes of National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects, has prepared, reviewed, and approved the scientific and technical disclosure in the news release.

About Eagle Plains Resources

Based in Cranbrook, B.C., Eagle Plains is a well-funded, prolific project generator that continues to conduct research, acquire and explore mineral projects throughout western Canada. The Company was formed in 1992 and is the ninth-oldest listed issuer on the TSX-V (and one of only three that has not seen a roll-back or restructuring of its shares). Eagle Plains has continued to deliver shareholder value over the years and through numerous spin-outs has transferred over $100,000,000 in value directly to its shareholders, with Copper Canyon Resources and recently Taiga Gold being notable examples.

The Company is committed to steadily enhancing shareholder value by advancing our diverse portfolio of projects toward discovery through collaborative partnerships and development of a highly experienced technical team. Eagle Plains also holds significant royalty interests in western Canadian projects, covering a broad spectrum of commodities on projects controlled by Cameco Corp., Iso Energy Corp., Denison Mines Corp., Skeena Resources Ltd. and Alexco Resource Corp./Banyan Gold Corp., among others. Management's focus is to advance its most promising exploration projects. Throughout the exploration process, our mission is to help maintain prosperous communities by exploring for and discovering resource opportunities while building lasting relationships through honest and respectful business practices.

Expenditures from 2011-2021 on Eagle Plains-related projects exceed $27M, the majority of which was funded by third-party partners. This exploration work resulted in approximately 42,000m of diamond-drilling and extensive ground-based exploration work facilitating the advancement of numerous projects at various stages of development.

On behalf of the Board of Directors

"Tim J. Termuende"

President and CEO

For further information on EPL, please contact Mike Labach at 1 866 HUNT ORE (486 8673)

Email: mailto:mgl@eagleplains.com or visit our website at https://www.eagleplains.com

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This news release may contain forward-looking statements including but not limited to comments regarding the timing and content of upcoming work programs, geological interpretations, receipt of property titles, potential mineral recovery processes, etc. Forward-looking statements address future events and conditions and therefore, involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from those currently anticipated in such statements.

SOURCE: Eagle Plains Resources Ltd.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/710655/Fieldwork-Commences-on-Eagle-Plains-Adamant-REE-Project
SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Know Labs, Inc. (OTCQB: KNWN) an emerging developer of non-invasive medical diagnostic technology, today announced it has filed a Form S-1 registration statement for a proposed new offering of 3 million shares of its common stock with an anticipated offering price of $2.00 per share. Concurrent with, and as a condition to, the offering, Know Labs will apply to uplist its shares to the NYSE American Exchange.

If the uplist is approved, Know Labs shares will cease trading on the OTCQB and will commence trading on the NYSE American, under the proposed new ticker symbol "KNW."

The company intends to use proceeds from the proposed offering for research and development, sales and marketing, general and administrative expenses, capital investments and working capital.

A registration statement relating to these securities has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission but has not yet become effective. These securities may not be sold nor may offers to buy be accepted prior to the time the registration statement becomes effective. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy these securities, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction.

Boustead Securities, LLC will act as the underwriter, on a firm commitment basis, for the Know Labs offering. Copies of the preliminary prospectus, when available, may be obtained by contacting Boustead Securities, LLC, via email: offerings@boustead1828.com or by calling +1 (949) 502-4408 or standard mail at Boustead Securities, LLC, Attn: Equity Capital Markets, 6 Venture, Suite 395, Irvine, CA 92618, USA. In addition, a copy of the final prospectus relating to the offering, when available, may be obtained via the SEC's website at www.sec.gov.

About Know Labs, Inc.

Know Labs, Inc. is a development stage public company whose shares trade under the stock symbol "KNWN." The Company's technology uses spectroscopy to direct electromagnetic energy through a substance or material to capture a unique molecular signature. The Company refers to its technology as Bio-RFID. The Bio-RFID technology can be integrated into a variety of wearable, mobile or bench-top form factors. This patented and patent-pending technology makes it possible to effectively identify and monitor analytes that could only previously be performed by invasive and/or expensive and time-consuming lab-based tests. The first application of our Bio-RFID technology will be in a product marketed as a non-invasive glucose monitor. It will provide the user with real-time information on blood glucose levels. This product will require U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval prior to its introduction to the market.

Safe Harbor Statement

This release contains statements that constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These statements appear in a number of places in this release and include all statements that are not statements of historical fact regarding the intent, belief or current expectations of Know Labs, Inc., its directors or its officers with respect to, among other things: (i) financing plans; (ii) trends affecting its financial condition or results of operations; (iii) growth strategy and operating strategy; and (iv) performance of products. You can identify these statements by the use of the words "may," "will," "could," "should," "would," "plans," "expects," "anticipates," "continue," "estimate," "project," "intend," "likely," "forecast," "probable," "potential," and similar expressions and variations thereof are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond Know Labs, Inc.'s ability to control, and actual results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors. These risks and uncertainties also include such additional risk factors as are discussed in the Company's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2021, Forms 10-Q and 8-K, and in other filings we make with the Securities and Exchange Commission from time to time. These documents are available on the SEC Filings section of the Investor Relations section of our website at www.knowlabs.co. The Company cautions readers not to place undue reliance upon any such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. The Company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after the date on which such statement is made.

Contacts

Know Labs, Inc. Contact:

Jordyn Hujar

jordyn@knowlabs.co

Ph. (206) 629-6414

Linhart PR for Know Labs Media Inquiries:

Mallory West

mwest@linhartpr.com

Ph. (317) 439-3173
WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Brink's Co. (BCO) Wednesday reported a 47 percent increase in second-quarter profit on 8 percent increase in revenues. The company reported a quarterly profit of $35 million or $0.73 per share, up from $24 million or $0.47 per share last year. On an adjusted basis, earnings were $1.29 per share. Revenue for the quarter increased to $1.134 billion from $1.049 billion in the prior year. Looking ahead, the company affirmed full-year guidance on continued momentum. The company expects revenue in a range of $4.52-$4.67 billion, up 8-11 percent from the previous year. Earnings per share from continuing operations attributable to the company is expected to grow 16-26 percent in a range of $4.30-$4.85. Copyright(c) 2022 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
PARIS (dpa-AFX) - Alnylam Pharmaceuticals Inc. (ALNY) said that the APOLLO-B Phase 3 study of patisiran, an investigational RNAi therapeutic in development for the treatment of transthyretin-mediated or ATTR amyloidosis with cardiomyopathy, met the primary endpoint of change from baseline in the 6-Minute Walk Test (6-MWT) at 12 months compared to placebo. The study also met the first secondary endpoint of change from baseline in quality of life compared to placebo, as measured by the Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire. Patisiran also demonstrated an encouraging safety and tolerability profile, with deaths numerically favoring the patisiran arm. The company looks forward to sharing full results at an upcoming conference in September, and it plans to submit a supplemental NDA for patisiran with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in late 2022. Transthyretin-mediated amyloidosis is a rare, rapidly progressive, debilitating disease caused by misfolded transthyretin (TTR) proteins which accumulate as amyloid fibrils in multiple tissues including the nerves, heart, and gastrointestinal (GI) tract. There are two different types of ATTR amyloidosis - Hereditary ATTR (hATTR) amyloidosis, caused by a TTR gene variant, and Wild-type ATTR amyloidosis, which occurs without a TTR gene variant. For More Such Health News, visit rttnews.com Copyright(c) 2022 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
By Lee Wan-kyu





Last fall, people visiting Sejong Lake Park in the city of Sejong, where the Ministry of Government Legislation is located, saw a rare scene  drones delivering pizza across the lake. This came as a surprise to people familiar with the nation's regulations on flying drones.



The pizza delivery by a drone was made possible because of the regulatory sandbox, which is a system that temporarily exempts the enforcement of regulations on new products or services for a certain period of time, just like a sand playground where children can play freely.



Introduced in Korea in 2019, a regulatory sandbox allows companies to test how useful and safe their new products and services are and allows the government to come up with relevant rules and systems for the firms to roll their products out, if feasibility is confirmed.



This helps companies carry on their new businesses promptly, without waiting for new rules governing their products and services, while the government can monitor and study possible side effects before the new rules are implemented in full swing.



The regulatory sandbox does not limit itself to deregulation. It also helps companies consult with relevant government organizations as well as providing legal advice, loans and patent support which are often necessary in order to turn an idea into a business.



The sandbox program has already played its role in nurturing emerging industries, such as electric vehicle wireless charging, digital healthcare services, autonomous delivery robots, digital driver's licenses and non-face-to-face identity verification. Since its introduction, 699 cases have been approved as of July, and visible outcomes such as an increase in investments, sales and employment were also observed.



Among the 60 countries running their own regulatory sandbox programs, Korea's regulatory sandbox excels in two aspects.



In other countries, the regulatory sandbox is operated mainly by granting "special exemption for demonstrations." In Korea, however, "temporary permission" and "prompt confirmation program" are available as well for companies' convenience.



Also, unlike other countries where financial firms are mostly subject to regulatory sandbox programs, Korea allows not only financial but also other companies in real economy sectors, namely info-tech, to join the sandbox method.



New technologies are changing the world as the development of artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, robots and drones has accelerated the Fourth Industrial Revolution. However, it will be difficult to have them as a growth engine, if new products or services are stuck in a regulatory bottleneck. This is why the Yoon Suk-yeol administration is determined to pursue deregulation.



The Ministry of Government Legislation, together with the Korea Legislation Research Institute, is providing English-translated versions of acts and regulations concerning the country's regulatory sandbox program, in order to share Korea's experience and promote exchanges on laws and systems related to regulatory innovation with other countries.



The English translation of the Special Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Technology and Vitalization of Convergence Thereof is available at the websites of Korea Law Translation Center and Korean Law Information Center. Also, five other statutes and regulations, including the Industrial Convergence Promotion Act, will be translated for service soon.



The Ministry of Government Legislation expects the translation will play its role in sharing Korea's experiences and knowhow with other countries, with the hope of earning a nickname of "K-sandbox"  just like the country's pop band BTS and drama series "Squid Game" brought the world's attention to "K-culture."



If our regulatory sandbox program can be accepted as a model case, the world will pay greater attention to Korean companies' competitive edge. To this end, the Ministry of Government Legislation will cooperate with relevant government arms and spare no efforts in promoting Korea's regulation sandbox program so it can be better accessed by governments around the world, as well as foreign companies.





Lee Wan-kyu is the minister of Government Legislation.


Blackline Safety Corp. (TSX: BLN) a global leader in connected safety technology, today announced its upcoming participation in the 42nd Annual Canaccord Genuity Growth Conference being held August 8-11, 2022, in Boston, Massachusetts.

The Company is scheduled to present on Wednesday, August 10, 2022, at 4:00pm Eastern Time and will be hosting one-on-one meetings with investors. The presentation will be broadcast live and available for replay here and via the investor relations section of the Company's website at investors.blacklinesafety.com.

To receive additional information, request an invitation or to schedule a one-on-one meeting, please contact Blackline Safety's investor relations team at BLN@GatewayIR.com.

About Blackline Safety

Blackline Safety is a technology leader driving innovation in the industrial workforce through IoT (Internet of Things). With connected safety devices and predictive analytics, Blackline enables companies to drive towards zero safety incidents and improved operational performance. Blackline provides wearable devices, personal and area gas monitoring, cloud-connected software and data analytics to meet demanding safety challenges and enhance overall productivity for organizations with coverage in more than 100 countries. Armed with cellular and satellite connectivity, Blackline provides a lifeline to tens of thousands of people, having reported over 180 billion data-points and initiated over five million emergency responses. For more information, visit BlacklineSafety.com and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220803005231/en/

Contacts:

INVESTOR AND ANALYST CONTACTS:

Matt Glover or Jeff Grampp, CFA

Gateway Group, Inc.

BLN@GatewayIR.com

Telephone: +1 949 574 3860



MEDIA CONTACT

Christine Gillies, CMO

cgillies@blacklinesafety.com

Telephone: +1 403 629 9434
FAIRFAX, VA / ACCESSWIRE / August 3, 2022 / WidePoint Corporation (NYSE American:WYY), the innovative technology Managed Solution Provider (MSP) specializing in Identity and Access Management (IAM), Telecommunications and Managed Mobility Services (MMS), Analytics & Billing as a Service (ABaaS), and IT as a Service (ITaaS), announced today that its subsidiary Soft-ex Communications has launched its Three Analyst platform with Three UK.

Soft-ex is now delivering its latest digital billing communications and analytics platform, Three Analyst, as an integral offering in the new Three Business Adapt portfolio, to Three UK's business customers. The platform is designed to provide Three's customers with the ability to track mobile usage and spend. It also gives bill insights to take control of communications spend via a self-serve portal and offers the option to have reports delivered straight to the clients' inbox.

"We are delighted to be working with Three UK as they recently chose our very latest design-led digital bill presentment and analytics solution," said Ian Sparling, Chief Executive Officer at Soft-ex. "Our solution will optimise customer online engagement while also delivering internal efficiencies. We look forward to growing this relationship and will continue to introduce a range of new initiatives to ensure that Three Analyst remains the market's leading solution."

Commenting for Three UK, Snehal Bhudia, Director of Business Propositions and Go To Market said, "Three Business Adapt provides businesses with an adaptable, scalable solution that's simple to use and gives much-needed cost certainty. A core value-add service of Three Business Adapt is the Three Analyst portal with its innovative, integrated analytics dashboard. This partnership between Three and Soft-ex delivers a competitive differentiator, allowing businesses to control usage and spending with a simple and digital customer experience.

Jin Kang, WidePoint's CEO, stated, "In an ever-changing business landscape, enterprises need solutions that adapt to the way we now work. With the acceleration of digitalisation, DSPs (Digital Service Providers) are now intently focused on more effective customer engagement, and that includes enhancing billing communications and self-serve portals. Soft-ex, together with Three UK, provides a best-in-class customer engagement platform for their business clients, and enhances WidePoint's positioning with enterprise clients."

About Three UK

Three UK launched in 2003 as the UK's first 3G only network, laying its foundations as the network that was born to be different. Today Three is a connectivity company that connects people to people, people to things and things to things and has 9.6 million customers. The Three network today covers 99% of the UK population and carries 28% of the UK's mobile data traffic. Three launched 5G in August 2019, is the largest holder of spectrum in the UK and has been recognised by Ookla as having the UK's fastest 5G network. Three is the only operator able to meet the International Telecoms Union (ITU) 2020 standard of 100MHz of contiguous spectrum for full 5G services. Three is part of the CK Hutchison Holdings Ltd group of companies which has mobile operations in 11 countries. Three UK employs more than 4,800 people across offices in Reading and Glasgow and 311 retail stores.

About Soft-ex

Soft-ex, part of the WidePoint Group, is a leading supplier of SaaS-based Analytics & Billing as a Service (ABaaS) that provide unique online data intelligence for Digital Service Providers and their Business & Consumer customers for fixed, mobile and PABX communications. Headquartered in Ireland, Soft-ex is proud to serve our clients and partners across the globe. For more information, visit soft-ex.net.

About WidePoint

WidePoint Corporation (NYSE American:WYY) is a leading technology Managed Solution Provider (MSP) dedicated to securing and protecting the mobile workforce and enterprise landscape. WidePoint is recognized for pioneering technology solutions that include Identity and Access Management (IAM), Mobility Managed Services (MMS), Telecom Management, Information Technology as a Service (ITaaS), Cloud Security, and Analytics & Billing as a Service (ABaaS). For more information, visit widepoint.com.

WidePoint Investor Relations:

Gateway Group, Inc.

Matt Glover or John Yi

949-574-3860

WYY@gatewayir.com

SOURCE: WidePoint Corporation

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/710648/WidePoints-Subsidiary-Soft-ex-Launches-Three-Analyst-with-Three-UK-to-Deliver-Soft-exs-Innovative-Digital-Bill-Presentment-and-Analytics-Solution-to-Business-Customers
Dieppe, New Brunswick--(Newsfile Corp. - August 3, 2022) - Colibri Resource Corp. (TSXV: CBI) ("Colibri" or the "Company"), with its partner Silver Spruce Resources Inc. ("Silver Spruce"), are pleased to announce that its Phase 1 drilling program at the Diamante Project has been completed.

Silver Spruce is in year two of a two-year agreement to earn up to 50% of the Diamante Project from Colibri. For additional details of the earn in agreement between Colibri and Silver Spruce please see Colibri's news release dated April 29th, 2021.

Program operations at Diamante during the earn-in period are jointly managed by Silver Spruce and Colibri, however the QA/QC reporting of this drilling program will be the responsibility of Silver Spruce.

Silver Spruce Reports:

Silver Spruce and Colibri hit mineralization at Pillado and La Prieta Au-Ag-Pb-Zn-Cu targets in 19-hole, 2,005 metre drill program at Diamante project, Sonora, Mexico

August 3rd, 2022 - Bedford, NS - (TSXV: SSE) - Silver Spruce Resources Inc. ("Silver Spruce" or the "Company"), announces that their Hermosillo-based team of geologists and service contractors has completed the first R/C drilling program on the Diamante project. Nineteen (19) holes were drilled in its 2,005-metre program at the La Prieta (10) and Pillado (9) Au-Ag-Pb-Zn-Cu targets (Figure 1, Table 1). The drill-ready Diamante gold-silver (Au-Ag) property ("Diamante" or the Property") is located 5 km northwest of Tepoca, and 165 km southeast of the capital city of Hermosillo, eastern Sonora, Mexico.

"We are pleased to complete successfully our maiden exploration drilling program on two highly prospective areas of Diamante. Our first two drill targets, Pillado and La Prieta, exhibited multiple intersections of sulphide mineralization, locally with fault controls, comprising polymetallic vein-style occurrences within and adjacent to historical artisanal mining," stated Greg Davison, Silver Spruce Vice-President Exploration and Director.

Figure 1. Reverse circulation drill rig collared on pad #40 north of artisanal underground workings at the Pillado drill target, first DDH on the Diamante 1 concession.

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/4269/132688_42e883d9b40ac9a3_001full.jpg

"Geological logging reported one or more sulphide-bearing intersections per hole and pXRF analyses conducted on-site during the drill program provided clearly anomalous values of base metals, pathfinders and to a lesser degree, silver. Mineralized sections occurred over individual 1.5 metre sampling intervals and, with anomalous geochemical haloes, over contiguous intervals up to 21 metres. From one to seven discrete pXRF anomalies per hole, based on 90th and 95th percentiles for Pb, Zn, As, Ba and Sr values, were indicated from both Pillado and La Prieta," Mr. Davison added. "The initial batch of data from ALS Global ("ALS") is in hand and under review for the Pillado drilling. We anticipate receipt and release of the remaining geochemical results from ALS shortly with interpretation of the geological sections. Comparison of the current ALS data with the pXRF analyses identified a strong linear relationship for selected metals and pathfinders which can be applied both to drilling optimization and sample selection protocols for the future Diamante drill programs."

Constructora Trax ("TRAX") and Minera Drilling, both from Hermosillo, Mexico, respectively, were contracted for the preparation of access trails and pads, and reverse circulation drilling holes on the principal drilling target areas of the Diamante 1 and 2 concessions, specifically on the first-priority targets at Pillado and La Prieta (Figures 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5). Priority targets at Calton, Aguaje, El Chon-El Chon Oeste and Mezquite Raizudo are next in line for a Phase 2 work program with several other promising targets awaiting additional ground truthing activities.





Figure 2. Orthophoto of Pillado target on Diamante 1 showing pads #40, 41 and 45 with projections for nine drill holes. Adit located on north-facing exposure south of pad #40. Northerly and E-W-trending faults parallel targets exhibiting Au-Ag-Cu-Pb-Zn mineralization with intense alteration. Anomalous multi-element geochemical values shown in graduated symbols. 1:1,000 scale.

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/4269/132688_42e883d9b40ac9a3_002full.jpg

TRAX conducted activities in early June on the Pillado and La Prieta targets, under the direction of our exploration point team, to prepare access and drill pads. Minera Drilling mobilized from Hermosillo to site on June 15th and collared June 16th with the program finished in four weeks through July 12th. The initial four holes at Pillado targeted E-W trending, shallow-dipping mineralization. Five additional holes were proposed at Pillado to test western extensions and southerly south-dipping targets. Ten holes were completed at La Prieta, all of which are oriented to intersect depth projections of known surface and shallow underground holes were inclined between -45 and -75 and drilled to depths ranging from 70 metres to 135 metres.

Table 1. Summary of 2022 Drilling Program at Diamante Project



To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/4269/132688_colibri.jpg

Figure 3. Orthophoto of La Prieta showing pads #7 and 8 and revised pad #5 west of the proposed site, with projections for ten drill holes. Adit located on north-facing exposure south of pad #40. NE-trending targets exhibit Au-Ag-Cu-Pb-Zn mineralization with intense alteration. Anomalous multi-element geochemical values shown in graduated symbols. 1:1,000 scale.

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/4269/132688_42e883d9b40ac9a3_004full.jpg

Samples were screened using pXRF analyses during the on-site logging to provide rapid qualitative data for dynamic decision-making on drill hole planning and depth targeting (Figure 5). Four sample shipments comprising a total of 1,586 samples, including QA/QC insertions, to ALS Global in Hermosillo were delivered on a weekly basis (Table 1). The quantitative drill sample results will be reported in due course.







Figure 4. Minera Drilling rig underway on DDH#22-10 to the northwest above portal to workings at the La Prieta drill target.



To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/4269/132688_42e883d9b40ac9a3_005full.jpg

Project Geology

The Property is located within the west-central portion of the Sierra Madre Occidental Volcanic Complex within the northwest-trending "Sonora Gold Belt" of northern Mexico. Diamante offers strong precious metal tenor with a polymetallic endowment, multiple quality targets, styles of mineralization, of particular significance for our exploration moving forward, no records of drilling. Historical exploration and artisanal activities are indicated by surface trenches and subsurface workings parallel to and cutting the vein mineralization were measured up to 100 metres in length, with the latter showing shafts and short lateral drifts.

Geological features of epithermal Au, low to intermediate sulphidation Ag-Au (Pb-Zn), high sulphidation Au-Cu, and potential porphyry style Au-Cu occur as disseminated, stockwork and vein styles. Most drill targets are polymetallic vein style with precious metal-dominant targets also identified at Calton, El Chon and Aguaje. Metal zoning or pulses of mineralization may be indicated at each of these three locations.

Silicification with sericitic, argillic and propylitic alteration were accompanied by drusy to vuggy quartz, black tourmaline, multiple disseminated to vein sulphides with incipient to pervasive oxidation to carbonates, sulphates such as jarosite, hematite and iron hydroxide.

Our recent geological mapping programs conducted over multiple targets reported Au values to 51.5 g/t from silicified breccias in the Calton target (see Press Release of April 27, 2022), the highest Au grade yet reported from Diamante, and Ag values >1,000 g/t were recorded from base metal sulphide-bearing veins at Pillado, El Chon and El Cumbro accompanied by high-grade primary and supergene Pb+Zn+Cu up to a combined grade of 50.9 wt.% from grab and channel sampling at surface and within historical trenches and artisanal workings. Importantly, despite the number and quality of known mineralization targets, there is no recorded historical drilling on Diamante to date.





Figure 5. Company geologists utilizing portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF) analyses on R/C drill chip samples to guide daily drilling activities, hole depth, fan design and undercutting areas of visual mineralization and those indicated by Cu, Pb, Zn, Ag and other pathfinder element data.

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/4269/132688_42e883d9b40ac9a3_006full.jpg

Specifically, geochemical results from surface and underground sampling of eight target areas reported precious metals (Au to 51.5 g/t, Ag to 2,270 g/t), base metals (Pb to 42.3 wt.%, Zn to 22.9 wt.% and Cu to 3.2 wt.%) and pathfinders each exhibited weak to highly anomalous values commonly with high Ag;Au and low to high Pb:Zn. Elevated Cu, Cd, Sb, Hg, As and Bi are linked commonly to Pb and/or Zn. The current assays are consistent with historical surface and U/G channel samples reported up to 39.8 g/t Au, 3,460 g/t Ag, 18.2% Pb, 33.5% Zn and 1.47% Cu (see Press Releases of April 12, 2021, and January 24, 2022).

Mineralization is reported visually as pyrite, arsenopyrite, chalcopyrite, sphalerite, argentiferous galena, argentite, hematite and probable metal oxides, carbonates and sulphates, including copper carbonate (malachite), copper sulphates and plumbojarosite.

Structural lineaments show intersecting and splaying vein patterns with steep to moderately dipping northwest, northeast and north-striking orientations were confirmed and spatially coincident with parallel to oblique faults and shears which control and locally offset the mineralization.

Project Background

Silver Spruce can acquire up to 50% interest in four Diamante concessions with a cumulative land position of 1,057 hectares (see Press Release of April 29, 2021).

The Property is well situated in terms of logistics for exploration and is easily accessible from Mexican Highway #16 which transects Diamante 1 and along several trails and dry river beds southward to Diamante 2.

Mining and exploration in the surrounding area is very active with adjacent and nearby properties held by Alamos Gold, Argonaut, Agnico Eagle, Evrim, Newmont, Garibaldi, Kootenay Silver and Penoles among others.

Geochemical Analysis, Quality Assurance and Quality Control

Drilling samples ( splits) were delivered by the Project Geologist from the Property to the ALS sample preparation facility in Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico. The remaining  and  splits were transported to Colibri's storage facilities in Suaqui Grande, south of Tecoripa, Sonora.

ALS Global in North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, is a facility certified as ISO 9001:2008 and accredited to ISO/IEC 17025:2005 from the Standards Council of Canada. Local chain of custody was monitored and maintained by the Project Geologist under the direction of the QP.

The samples were crushed to 70% passing 2mm (PREP-31) and a split of up to 250 grams pulverized to 85% passing 75 micrometres (-200 mesh). The sample pulps and crushed splits were transferred internally to ALS Global's North Vancouver, Canada or Lima, Peru analytical facility for gold and multi-element analysis.

Pulps (50gram split) were submitted for Au analysis by Fire Assay with Atomic Absorption finish (Au-AA24). The retained pulps also were analysed by Four Acid Digestion followed by Inductively Coupled Plasma Atomic Emission Spectrometry (ICP-AES) multi-element analyses (ME-ICP61m) with Hg by Aqua Regia and ICP-MS (Hg-MS42).

Over-limit Au and Ag samples were analyzed by Fire Assay with Gravimetric Finish Ore Grade (Au-GRA21 or Au-GRA22, Ag-GRA21). Overlimit base metals are analyzed by Four Acid Digestion followed by Ore Grade Inductively Coupled Plasma Atomic Emission Spectrometry (ICP-AES) for Cu, Pb and Zn (Cu-OG62, Pb-OG62, Zn-OG62). High grade samples above the range of the Ore Grade OG62 analysis are digested, as above, and analyzed using Titration (e.g., Pb-Vol70).

In-house quality control samples were inserted into the sample set by the Project Geologist. ALS Global conducts its own internal QA/QC program of blanks, standards and duplicates, and the results are provided with the Company sample certificates. The results of the internal and ALS control samples will be reviewed by the Company's QP and evaluated for acceptable tolerances prior to disclosure.

All sample and pulp rejects will be stored at ALS Global pending full review of the analytical data, and future selection of pulps for independent third-party check analyses, as requisite.

All metal values disclosed herein by Silver Spruce are reported from grab and channel samples which may not be representative of the metal grades.

The Company's Qualified Person believes that the sampling documentation, analytical protocols and quantitative data will withstand scrutiny for inclusion.

Qualified Person

Greg Davison, PGeo, Silver Spruce VP Exploration and Director, is the Qualified Person for the Diamante Project and is responsible for approval of the technical content of this press release within the meaning of National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101"), under TSX guidelines.

ABOUT COLIBRI RESOURCE CORPORATION:

Colibri is a Canadian-based mineral exploration company listed on the TSXV (CBI) and is focused on acquiring and exploring prospective gold & silver properties in Mexico. The Company has six exploration projects of which five currently have exploration programs being executed in 2022. (1) The flagship Evelyn Gold Project is 100% owned and explored by Colibri, (2) the Pilar Gold & Silver Project (optioned to Tocvan Ventures - (CSE: TOC), (3) the El Mezquite Gold & Silver Project , (4) the Jackie Gold & Silver Project, and (5) the Diamante Gold & Silver Project. 3,4, and 5 are subject to 50% earn-in agreements by Silver Spruce Resources - (TSXV: SSE).

For more information about all Company projects please visit: www.colibriresource.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.

Notice Regarding Forward-Looking Statements:

This news release contains "forward-looking statements". Statements in this press release which are not purely historical are forward-looking statements and include any statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions regarding the future. Actual results could differ from those projected in any forward-looking statements due to numerous factors. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release, and the Company assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes that the plans, expectations and intentions contained in this press release are reasonable, there can be no assurance that they will prove to be accurate.

For information contact: Ronald J. Goguen, President, Chairperson and Director, Tel: (506) 383-4274, rongoguen@colibriresource.com.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/132688
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - August 3, 2022) - High Fusion Inc. (CSE: FUZN) ("High Fusion" or the "Company") is pleased to announce an extension of the term of the August 2018 senior secured debentures ("Debentures") from August 3, 2022 to February 3, 2023.

With the extension of the maturity date of the Debentures, the interest on the debentures to maturity will increase to 24% per annum. One half of the interest on the Debentures shall be added to the principal amount increasing the principal outstanding balance from $4,205,073.25 to $4,458,068.89. The remaining half of the interest due to maturity, representing $252,995.64 shall be payable, prior to maturity, in subordinated voting shares of the Company at a price equal to the 20-day volume weighted average price as approved by the CSE. In the event that the CSE does not approve such issuance of such shares prior to maturity, the Company shall pay interest in cash at maturity.

"We are pleased that our senior creditor and the other debentureholders have agreed to support the Company by way of extending the maturity of the debentures," said John Durfy, CEO of High Fusion Inc. "The Company is considering strategic alternatives for its non-core assets and this 6-month extension will allow us to advance this process. To this end, we have refocused our efforts on the California market and are considering the sale of certain real estate and other non-core assets to pay down debt and allow the Company to proceed with a manageable balance sheet in the future. We continue to work collaboratively with our creditors to this end and we appreciate their continued support and confidence."

About High Fusion Inc.

High Fusion Inc. (formerly Nutritional High International Inc.) is focused on developing and manufacturing branded products in the cannabis industry with a specific focus on flower, pre-rolls, vapes, edibles and oil extracts for medical and adult recreational use. The Company operates and controls licenses in California, Colorado and Oregon.

High Fusion has manufacturing, retail and grow operations in California through its acquisition of the business of OutCo and owns and operates oil extraction and edible manufacturing facilities in Colorado and Oregon. The Company's brand portfolio includes its award winning FLI edibles and vape production addition to the OutCo and Thrive brands recently acquired. The Company's OutCo and Thrive brands in California are distributed through Punch Edibles.

For updates on the Company's activities and highlights of the Company's press releases and other media coverage, please visit www.high-fusion.com.

For further information, please contact:

High Fusion Inc.

Robert Wilson, Chief Financial Officer

416-666-4005

Email: rwilson@nutritionalhigh.com

Caution Regarding Forward-Looking Information:

NEITHER THE CANADIAN SECURITIES EXCHANGE NOR OTC MARKETS GROUP INC., NOR THEIR REGULATIONS SERVICES PROVIDERS HAVE REVIEWED OR ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE.

This news release may contain forward-looking statements and information based on current expectations. These statements include statements regarding: the upside to the Company from the recent county approval for expansion and receipt of recreational licenses in November of last year; the anticipated growth of wholesale revenues resulting from the distribution agreement with Punch Edibles; the improvement in revenues and statements regarding the development of the Company's business. These statements should not be read as guarantees of future performance or results. Such statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from those implied by such statements. This forward-looking information reflects the Company's current beliefs and is based on information currently available to the Company and on assumptions the Company believes are reasonable. These assumptions include, but are not limited to: the ability of the Company to successfully execute its business plans; legal changes relating to the cannabis and psychedelic industries proceeding as anticipated; and the Company's continued response and ability to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic being consistent with, or better than, its ability and response to date.

The Company's securities have not been registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act"), or applicable state securities laws, and may not be offered or sold 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 under the U.S. Securities Act, absent registration or an applicable exemption from such registration requirements. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of the securities in the United States or any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful.

Additionally, there are known and unknown risk factors which could cause the Company's actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking information contained herein. Such risks and other factors may include, but are not limited to: general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties; general capital market conditions and market prices for securities; the actual results of the Company's future operations; competition; changes in legislation affecting the Company; obtaining and maintaining regulatory approvals including acquiring and renewing U.S. state, local or other licenses, the uncertainty of existing protection from U.S. federal or other prosecution, regulatory or political change such as changes in applicable laws and regulations, including U.S. state-law legalization, market and general economic conditions of the cannabis sector or otherwise; the timing and availability of external financing on acceptable terms; lack of qualified, skilled labour or loss of key individuals; risks related to the COVID-19 pandemic including various recommendations, orders and measures of governmental authorities to try to limit the pandemic, including travel restrictions, border closures, non-essential business closures, service disruptions, quarantines, self-isolations, shelters-in-place and social distancing, disruptions to markets, economic activity, financing, supply chains and sales channels, and a deterioration of general economic conditions including a possible national or global recession; and a deterioration of financial markets that could limit the Company's ability to obtain external financing.

A description of additional risk factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from forward-looking information can be found in the Company's disclosure documents on the SEDAR website at www.sedar.com. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive. Readers are further cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information as there can be no assurance that the plans, intentions or expectations upon which they are placed will occur. Such information, although considered reasonable by management at the time of preparation, may prove to be incorrect and actual results may differ materially from those anticipated.

Forward-looking information contained in this press release is expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. The forward-looking information contained in this press release represents the expectations of the Company as of the date of this press release and, accordingly, are subject to change after such date. However, the Company expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as expressly required by applicable securities law.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/132702
NORWALK (dpa-AFX) - Xerox Holdings Corp. (XRX) announced Wednesday that its Board of Directors has appointed Steven Bandrowczak as Chief Executive Officer. Bandrowczak joined Xerox in 2018 as the company's President and Chief Operations Officer, and has served as Interim CEO since the passing of John Visentin in June 2022. He was also president of Xerox Holdings Corp. and served as CareAR's Chairman. Bandrowczak joined Xerox in 2018 from Alight Solutions, where he was the chief operating officer and chief information officer. Prior to Alight Solutions, he was the president of Telecommunication Media and Technology at Sutherland Global Services. He previously served as the senior vice president for Global Business Services at Hewlett-Packard. In addition, Steve led the business process outsourcing (BPO) practice in the Enterprise Services Group. During his career, Steve has held senior leadership positions for various multi-billion-dollar global companies, including Avaya, Nortel, Lenovo, DHL and Avnet. Copyright(c) 2022 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
The "UK Islamic Finance Market Growth, Trends, COVID-19 Impact and Forecasts (2022 2027)" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The pandemic has provided another opportunity for Islamic finance to prove its potential and shine. The Islamic financial system is based on the principles of risk-sharing, ethics and morality, which equip it to act as a potential warrior to safeguard the interest of the poor and vulnerable under crisis.

Islamic Finance has developed rapidly in the United Kingdom during the past decade (2011- 2021) and the government has been very supportive of its development and promotion. The United Kingdom hosted the first stand alone Islamic financial Institution in European Union and has the highest value of Sharia-Compliant assets of any non-muslim country.

The success of the government's initiative to develop Islamic finance in the UK was shown in 2021 when the government issued its second sovereign sukuk of 500 million, which was sold to institutional investors in the UK, the Middle East and Asia.

Islamic finance will continue to expand in the next decade across regions and asset classes. From a market of just $200bn in 2003, the Islamic Finance sector is expected to grow to over $4 trillion in assets by 2030.

Key Market Trends

Digital Disruption of the Financial Services

Five years ago, Western economies experienced a surge in fintech start-ups offering more effective and efficient services through the creative application of software. Consequently, traditional finance institutions are now competing with challenger brands and neobanks to appeal to consumers, investors, and businesses.

In the UK, fintech challenger brands like Monzo and Revolut have become part of the banking landscape. Established banks like JPMorgan have responded by launching their own challenger brands to rival the new competition.

The scale and pace of digital disruption led by startups initially focused on the delivery of traditional financial services. The success of this first fintech wave has encouraged a new generation of start-ups, which are applying technology to deliver products and services designed specifically for certain demographics.

The creation of tech-enabled Sharia-compliant banks is on the rise in both Western and Islamic jurisdictions. Particularly in regions like Central Asia where countries are undergoing economic modernisation, fintech companies are playing an important role in giving consumers and investors the digital tools needed to effectively manage their finances. As more investment is directed into these Islamic fintech companies we are likely to see the sector grow.

Growing Market awareness of Islamic Finance by big Financial Institutions

Take Sukuk (an Islamic financial bond that effectively acts as a trust certificate) as an example. Sukuk supply has been rising in both Islamic and non-Islamic markets. Most Sukuk issuances are hybrid, with debt making up no less than 30 per cent.

According to Fitch, the global amount of outstanding Sukuk reached $754.1bn in Q2 2021, which is 5 per cent higher than the same figure recorded in Q1. As the first western nation to issue a sovereign Sukuk, the UK has raised more than $50bn through 68 Sukuk issuances on the London Stock Exchange.

While there is general awareness of Islamic finance, actual knowledge of its basic principles is not typically high among financial professionals based in non-Muslim jurisdictions. This is an issue that has been raised on numerous occasions in the UK.

There have been attempts by the government to make the financial environment more religiously inclusive in the UK, yet the overall lack of available Sharia-compliant products has been a topic of recent debate. There are calls for the introduction of Sharia-compliant student loans by September 2022, enabling more students to access university education in the UK.

Moves to make the UK's financial system inclusive and diverse will remain a top objective in 2022 and beyond. Part of this is due to the growing customer base. In the UK, there is estimated to be more than 100,000 Islamic finance retail customers. Government also puts the value of net assets of Islamic funds in the UK to 600m, with this figure set to rise in the ensuing years.

Key Topics Covered:

1 INTRODUCTION

2 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

3 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

4 MARKET DYNAMICS

5 MARKET SEGMENTATION

6 COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

7 MARKET OPPORTUNITIES AND FUTURE TRENDS

8 DISCLAIMER

Companies Mentioned

GateHouse Bank

AI Rayan Bank

Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank

QIB UK

Bank of London and The Middle East

ABC International Bank

Ahli United Bank

Bank of Ireland

Barclays

BNP Paribas

Bristol West

Citi Group

IBJ International London

J Aron Co*

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/ize2lb

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220803005668/en/

Contacts:

ResearchAndMarkets.com

Laura Wood, Senior Press 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
JERSEY CITY, N.J., Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- InsightAce Analytic Pvt. Ltd. announces the release of a market assessment report on the "Global Lyophilization Services for Biopharmaceuticals Market By Type of Biologic Lyophilized (Antibodies, Cell and Gene Therapies, Vaccines, and Other Biologics), Type of Primary Packaging System (Vials, Syringes, Cartridges, Ampoules, and Others))- Trends, Industry Competition Analysis, Revenue and Forecast To 2030."

According to the latest research by InsightAce Analytic, the global lyophilization services for biopharmaceuticals market is valued at US$ 774.86 million in 2021, and it is expected to reach US$ 1788.10 million by 2030, with a CAGR of 10.1% during the forecast period of 2022-2030.

Request for Sample Pages:https://www.insightaceanalytic.com/request-sample/1350

The Lyophilization process is nothing but the freeze-drying process used to enhance the shelf life of heat-sensitive drugs and to make the material more convenient for transport. Also, the process is used as an alternative for cryopreservation in the case of cells and tissues. Lyophilizer device is used to implement the lyophilization process with all necessary arrangements. The process acts in three steps: freezing, pressure reduction, and heat addition, which allow the water in the material to sublimate.

Factors such as growing demand for convenient packaging of heat-sensitive drugs and funding for industrial developments in lyophilization techniques, expansions and collaboration for research and developments in manufacturing facilities are likely to witness significant market growth. In addition, accelerated study on method validation and updating research according to problems that occurred during the process will boost the growing market. As lyophilization enhances the shelf life of drugs like vaccines, many pharmaceutical companies will adopt this technique, offering more growth opportunities and challenges to the lyophilization service market. The high cost of processing and maintenance of machines, the complexity of method requirements, and usage restrictions like application for heat liable and unstable products will restrain the market growth. Low-cost alternatives like the spray drying process and strict regulatory guidelines will obstruct market growth.

North America and Asia Pacific are leading contributors for the global lyophilization services for biopharmaceuticals markets in the coming forecasting period (2022-2030) due to massive expansions of production facilities and additional funding for lyophilization method improvements than other regions.

Major market key players are AB BioTechnologies, Inc., Curia (AMRI), ATTWILL Medical Solutions, Axcellerate Pharma LLC., Baxter BioPharma Solutions, Berkshire Sterile Manufacturing, Inc., Biofortuna Ltd, BioZed Engineering, CinnaGen, CordenPharma, Curia, Emergent BioSolutions, Jubilant HollisterStier LLC, LSNE Contract Manufacturing, Lyophilization Technology, Inc., MabPlex, Northway Biotech, ProJect Pharmaceutics, Samsung Biologics, Synerlab Group, Vetter Pharma, and WuXi Biologics.

Enquiry Before Buying: https://www.insightaceanalytic.com/enquiry-before-buying/1350

Key developments in the market

In Nov 2021 , Baxter BioPharma announced an around $100 million expansion of its sterile fill/finish manufacturing facility in Germany . This strategic investment expanded the BPS manufacturing footprint and added state-of-the-art equipment to help products achieve stability and improved shelf life through lyophilization (freeze-drying).

Baxter BioPharma announced an around expansion of its sterile fill/finish manufacturing facility in . This strategic investment expanded the BPS manufacturing footprint and added state-of-the-art equipment to help products achieve stability and improved shelf life through lyophilization (freeze-drying). In July 2021 , Curia acquired Integrity Bio, Inc. to accelerate growth strategy and our existing expertise, enhancing our biologics drug formulation development and fill-finish network. Integrity Bio also adds West Coast coverage to Curia's East Coast and European capabilities.

Curia acquired Integrity Bio, Inc. to accelerate growth strategy and our existing expertise, enhancing our biologics drug formulation development and fill-finish network. Integrity Bio also adds West Coast coverage to Curia's East Coast and European capabilities. In July 2020 , Samsung Biologics announced the expansion of its drug product manufacturing facility for flexible production capabilities for new and existing clients. This expansion will increase the lyophilization capacity by 246 % of the current total.

Market Segmentation:

Global Lyophilization Services for Biopharmaceuticals Market, by Type of Biologic Lyophilized, 2022-2030 (Value US$ Mn)

Antibodies

Cell and Gene Therapies

Vaccines

Other Biologics

Global Lyophilization Services for Biopharmaceuticals Market, by Type of Primary Packaging System, 2022-2030 (Value US$ Mn)

Vials

Syringes

Cartridges

Ampoules

Others

Global Lyophilization Services for Biopharmaceuticals Market, by Region, 2022-2030 (Value US$ Mn)

North America

Europe

Asia Pacific

Latin America

Middle East & Africa

North America Lyophilization Services for Biopharmaceuticals Market, by Country, 2022-2030 (Value US$ Mn)

U.S.

Canada

Europe Lyophilization Services for Biopharmaceuticals Market, by Country, 2022-2030 (Value US$ Mn)

Germany

France

Italy

Spain

Russia

Rest of Europe

Asia Pacific Lyophilization Services for Biopharmaceuticals Market, by Country, 2022-2030 (Value US$ Mn)

India

China

Japan

South Korea

Australia & New Zealand

Latin America Lyophilization Services for Biopharmaceuticals Market, by Country, 2022-2030 (Value US$ Mn)

Brazil

Mexico

Rest of Latin America

Middle East & Africa Lyophilization Services for Biopharmaceuticals Market, by Country, 2022-2030 (Value US$ Mn)

GCC Countries

South Africa

Rest of Middle East & Africa

For More Information @ https://www.insightaceanalytic.com/customisation/1350

Why should buy this report:

To receive a comprehensive analysis of the prospects for the global Lyophilization Services for Biopharmaceuticals Market

To receive an industry overview and future trends of the Lyophilization Services for Biopharmaceuticals Market

To analyze the Lyophilization Services for Biopharmaceuticals Market drivers and challenges

To get information on the Lyophilization Services for Biopharmaceuticals Market size (Value US$ Mn) forecast to 2030

To get information on significant investments, mergers & acquisitions in the Lyophilization Services for Biopharmaceuticals Market industry

Other Related Reports Published by InsightAce Analytic:

Global Cell Therapy Packaging Products and Services Market

Global Biopharmaceutical Excipient Manufacturing Market

Global Proteome Profiling Services Market

About Us:

InsightAce Analytic is a market research and consulting firm that enables clients to make strategic decisions. Our qualitative and quantitative market intelligence solutions inform the need for market and competitive intelligence to expand businesses. We help clients gain a competitive advantage by identifying untapped markets, exploring new and competing technologies, segmenting potential markets, and repositioning products. Our expertise is in providing syndicated and custom market intelligence reports with an in-depth analysis with key market insights in a timely and cost-effective manner.

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The pairing of technologies opens unlimited possibilities for a new breed of data-rich mobility applications

TEL AVIV, Israel, Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Nexar, a leading AI mobility company, today announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire Veniam, the leading provider of intelligent networking for the internet of moving things. With this acquisition, Nexar will combine vision data - captured and processed from billions of miles of driving - with Veniam's communications technology at the edge. Together, the companies will exponentially increase the reach and decrease the costs of rich mobility applications and the real time mapping of the physical world.

Vehicles are increasingly becoming engines of data and Nexar is at the forefront of data collection. The crowd-sourced images and detections collected from Nexar's popular dash cams are processed to create and continually update a real time digital twin of America's roads and cities. Many data applications are already powered by this digital twin, including applications helping to train autonomous cars for extreme driving scenarios, map out the changing road infrastructure, monitor, in real time, locations of construction zones & available street parking, identify roads in need of repair, and many more.

Veniam, based in Porto, Portugal, has served dozens of global companies with a software platform that allows devices in cars to connect with each other as well as the Internet. Veniam's technology turns the cars themselves into internet access points for other devices, creating a mesh network capable of sharing data and internet connectivity across hundreds of thousands of devices and cars.

"Veniam is a natural fit for Nexar," said Eran Shir, co-founder and CEO of Nexar. "We became very familiar with their technology, and the amazing team behind it, as clients of Veniam. It was obvious that we can achieve so much more with them as part of Nexar. With Veniam we will continue scaling our data footprint, and be able to expand our offering to OEMs. For the first time ever, Nexar will provide a bundle of rich applications and data access, removing long-standing barriers and accelerating the adoption of crowdsourced vision for the benefit of the entire mobility ecosystem."

"Nexar is collecting and deploying data in a manner and scale that is unprecedented," said Joao Barros, founder and CEO of Veniam, who will now serve as Chief Platform Officer at Nexar. "We're thrilled to be joining their team and working together to transfer massive amounts of data to the cloud in a secure and cost-effective way, while making cars and the cities they drive in, smarter, safer and more sustainable."

The acquisition is one of the first of a Portuguese startup by an Israeli company and represents a milestone for the Portugal tech scene, which has drawn international attention as a European startup hub.

About Nexar

Nexar turns cars into vision sensors to understand the world. Its platform powers car vision connected services and apps, at scale, making new vision-based applications for better driving, powered by a crowd-sourced vision feed. Using anonymous, aggregated data captured from this network, Nexar has developed a portfolio of vision-based data services for public and private sector partners to make roadways safer and more efficient. Nexar's platform is already deployed across hundreds of thousands of cars, detecting parking spots, managing city safety and more.
DGAP-News: Ameramex International

AmeraMex International Hosts Conference Call for Second Quarter Ending June 30, 2022



03.08.2022 / 16:09

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.





AmeraMex International, Inc. (OTCQB: AMMX), a provider of heavy equipment for logistics companies, infrastructure construction, and forestry conservation, has scheduled conference call to review the Company's financials for the second quarter and six-month period ending June 30, 2022.

AmeraMex International, Inc. CEO Lee Hamre is hosting the Company's second quarter financial conference call on Monday, August 15, 2022, at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time, 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

The conference call dial-in number for both U.S. and international callers is 1.201.689.8560. Please dial into the conference center five minutes before the call begins and ask the operator for the AmeraMex conference call. An audio replay of the call will be available from August 15, 2022, at 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time until August 28, 2022, at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time. The replay is accessible by dialing 1.412.317.6671 and entering pin number 137321119.

About AmeraMex International

AmeraMex International sells, leases and rents heavy equipment to companies within multiple industries including construction, logistics, mining, and lumber. AmeraMex, with a US and international customer base, has over 30 years of experience in heavy equipment sales and service. Follow AmeraMex on Twitter @ammx_intl and visit the AmeraMex website, www.AMMX.net or www.hamreequipment.com for additional information and equipment videos.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements of historical facts included in this press release are forward-looking statements. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by words such as "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "plan," "potential," "continue" or similar expressions. Such forward-looking statements include risks and uncertainties, and there are key factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Investors are encouraged to review the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Investors should not place any undue reliance on forward-looking statements since they involve known and unknown, uncertainties and other factors which are, in some cases, beyond the Company's control which could, and likely will, materially affect actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements. Any forward-looking statement reflects the Company's current views with respect to future events and is subject to these and other risks, uncertainties and assumptions relating to operations, results of operations, growth strategy and liquidity. The Company assumes no obligation to publicly update or revise these forward-looking statements for any reason, or to update the reasons actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements, even if added information becomes available in the future.

Marty Tullio

+1 949-632-1900

marty@mccloudcommunications.com

https://www.ammx.net

03.08.2022 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


Millicom (TIGO) rises to 2nd place in the Great Place to Work ranking

for multinationals in Latin America

Luxembourg, August 3, 2022- Millicom, a leading provider of fixed and mobile telecommunications services in Latin America through its TIGO brand, was once again named in the Top Workplaces in Latin America across all industries, obtaining 2nd place in the 2022 Great Place to Work ranking. With more than 20,000 employees in the region, this marks TIGO's fourth year on a Great Place to Work's roster of leading workplaces.

"Thanks to our Tigo People and their commitment to being a workplace that values diversity, equity, and inclusion, we can advance our purpose of bridging the digital gap while creating a work environment where can all thrive," said Mauricio Ramos, CEO of Millicom (Tigo). "I'm proud of our team for being named a top Latin American company to work for which is a testament of our Sangre Tigo."

Each year the prestigious Great Place to Work Survey recognizes the 25 top multinational companies in Latin America. The ranking is based on anonymous and rigorous employee surveys, which analyze responses to key elements such as respect, camaraderie, fairness, trust, and pride in belonging to the organization. In Latin America, the Best Workplaces stand out by creating a safe environment, providing two-way communication with leadership, and a genuine sense of caring among colleagues. When companies focus on creating safe and encouraging workplaces, employees, in return, give the very best they can.

"This milestone validates our continuous work as one Tigo to create a positive and inclusive workplace where we value our differences, empower employees, attract talent from all backgrounds, and most of all, foster collaboration and growth for all," said Susy Bobenrieth, Millicom EVP Chief Human Resources Officer. "Congratulations to our team for their dedication to driving our employee satisfaction and engagement!"

Earlier this year, Tigo was recognized as one of the best places to work in the region, earning 5th position in the "Best multinationals in Central America and the Caribbean" category. In the Great Place to Work 2022 rankingfor each country, the company secured 1st place in Paraguay, 2nd place in Costa Rica, 3rd place in Bolivia and Nicaragua, 4th place in El Salvador and 5th place in Honduras. In addition, two Tigo operations were honored in the "Best places to work in Central America with more than 2,500 employees" placing 1st in Guatemala and 4th in Panama. Tigo also achieved ninth place in the "Best Places to Work for Women" category in Colombia, highlighting its efforts to promote a gender-equal work environment in all countries with Millicom and Tigo operations.

-END-

Courtesy picture 1 | Courtesy picture 2

For further information, please contact:

Press:

Yocasta Valdez, Sr. Manager Digital Media & Communications

press@millicom.com (mailto:press@millicom.com) Investors:

Michel Morin, VP Investor Relations







Sarah Inmon, Director Investor Relations

investors@millicom.com (mailto:investors@millicom.com)





About Millicom

Millicom. Connect with Millicom on Twitter, Instagram, Facebookand LinkedIn.

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Korea must strengthen its semiconductor competitiveness



The United States and Japan have joined hands to develop cutting-edge, next-generation semiconductors for application in quantum computers and artificial intelligence. The two countries' commerce and foreign ministers met in Washington, D.C., last Friday. They agreed to establish a joint research center to develop this key resource.



Japan plans to set up a research center this year to develop a leading-edge semiconductor with a line width of 2 nanometers (2 nm or 2 billionths of a meter) and begin mass producing them from 2025. Korea and Taiwan are the only countries in the world with the facilities to manufacture chips of less than 5 nm. However, the U.S. and Japan appear set to make a preemptive move for fear of a supply cut from Taiwan if China should invade the island country.



The U.S. has already launched an all-out offensive to secure future leadership in semiconductors. It is scrambling to build a U.S.-led global semiconductor supply network, using a carrot-and-stick approach of diplomatic pressure and a new legislation that supports $280 billion (364 trillion won). Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix have also committed to making facility investments of 250 trillion won, and 25 trillion won in the U.S.



In addition, Washington is pressing Seoul to decide by the end of this month whether the nation will participate in the so-called "Chip 4," which bundles the U.S., Japan, Korea, and Taiwan into one semiconductor alliance. On the other hand, China is urging Korea not to join the Chip 4 alliance, threatening Seoul with further retaliation like Beijing's response to the deployment of a U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) anti-missile battery here in 2016. Korea is in a dilemma  if it chooses one, it will lose the other.



The semiconductor is the core strategic asset all great powers seek as the "oil of the 21st century." At a time like this, when the global political and economic orders are shifting, conflicts and conciliations surrounding semiconductor hegemony can change at any time. Korea cannot ignore the demands of America, its ally and global superpower. However, Seoul must also find a way to co-exist with Beijing, its most significant economic partner. In addition to strategic considerations, Korea must secure and maintain its industrial competitiveness so that no other country can overtake it.




Article L233-8-II of the French Commercial Code

Article 223-16 of the General Regulations of the AMF (French Financial Markets Authority)

Regulatory News:

ABIONYX Pharma (Paris:ABNX):

Date Number of shares outstanding Total voting rights Total gross (1) Total net (2) July 31, 2022 27 914 274 27 914 274 27 676 052

(1) The total number of gross (or "theoretical") voting rights is used as the basis for calculating threshold crossings. In accordance with Article 223-11 of the AMF General Regulations, this number is calculated on the basis of all shares to which voting rights are attached, including those for which voting rights have been suspended.

(2) The total number of net (or "exercisable at a Shareholders' Meeting") voting rights is calculated without taking into account shares for which voting rights have been suspended. It is released in order to ensure that the public is properly informed, in accordance with the recommendation made by the AMF on 17 July 2007.

About ABIONYX Pharma

ABIONYX Pharma is a new generation biotech company that aims to contribute to health through innovative therapies in indications where there is no effective or existing treatment, even the rarest ones. Thanks to its partners in research, medicine, biopharmaceuticals and shareholding, the company innovates on a daily basis to propose drugs for the treatment of renal and ophthalmological diseases, or new HDL vectors used for targeted drug delivery.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220803005689/en/

Contacts:

NewCap

Investor relations

Louis-Victor Delouvrier

Nicolas Fossiez

abionyx@newcap.eu

+33 (0)1 44 71 98 53

NewCap

Media relations

Arthur Rouille

abionyx@newcap.eu

+33 (0)1 44 71 00 15
JZ Capital Partners Limited

(a closed-ended collective investment scheme incorporated as a non-cellular company with limited liability under the laws of Guernsey with registration number 48761)

LEI Number: 549300TZCK08Q16HHU44

(the "Company")

3 aUGUST 2022

RESULT OF ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

At the Annual General Meeting of the Company held on 3 August 2022, all Resolutions set out in the Annual General Meeting Notice sent to Shareholders dated 14 June 2022 were duly passed.

Details of the final voting position in respect of the valid proxies received by the Company should be read alongside the Notice and are noted below:

Ordinary Resolutions For Against Withheld 1 64,115,997 0 0 2 64,115,997 0 0 3 64,115,997 0 0 4 64,115,178 819 0 5(1) 6,146,730 0 0 6(1) 6,146,730 0 0 7(1) 6,146,730 0 0 8(1) 6,146,730 0 0 9 64,115,997 0 0 Extraordinary Resolution For Against Withheld 10 64,115,997 0 0

Note -A vote withheld is not a vote in law and has not been counted in the votes for and against a resolution.

(1) The proxy voting results in respect of Ordinary Resolutions 5 through to 8 have been counted in accordance with Article 14(17) of the Articles of Incorporation of the Company.

The Special Business by Ordinary Resolution was also passed at the AGM, as detailed below:

11. SPECIAL BUSINESS BY ORDINARY RESOLUTION

To authorise the Directors in accordance with Article 4(8) of the Articles of Incorporation of the Company (the "Articles") to: (a) allot equity securities (as defined in the Articles) of the Company for cash; and (b) sell ordinary shares (as defined in the Articles) held by the Company as treasury shares for cash, as if Article 4(8) of the Articles did not apply to any such allotment or sale, provided that this power shall be limited to the allotment of equity securities for cash and the sale of treasury shares up to an aggregate amount of 7,747,721 ordinary shares, such authority to expire at the conclusion of the 2023 Annual General Meeting of the Company or on 31 August 2023, whichever is the earlier, save that the Company may before such expiry make any offer or agreement that would or might require equity securities to be allotted, or treasury shares to be sold, after such expiry and the Directors may allot equity securities, or sell shares in pursuance of any such offer or agreement as if the power conferred hereby had not expired.

Ordinary Resolution For Against Withheld 11 62,194,219 1,921,778 0

Note -A vote withheld is not a vote in law and has not been counted in the votes for and against a resolution.

Enquiries:

Company website: www.jzcp.com

Martin Chapman

Northern Trust International Fund Administration Services (Guernsey) Limited

Tel: +44 (0) 1481 745001

Email: GSY_Board_Relationship_Team@ntrs.com

END
Finsbury Growth & Income Trust Plc - Transaction in Own Shares

For immediate release

3 August 2022

FINSBURY GROWTH & INCOME TRUST PLC

(the "Company")

MARKET PURCHASE OF COMPANY'S OWN SHARES

The Company announces that it has today purchased 114,697 of its own shares ("Ordinary Shares") at a price of 855.12 pence per Ordinary Share. Such shares will be held in treasury by the Company.

The transaction was made pursuant to the authority granted at the Annual General Meeting of the Company held on 9 February 2022.

Following this transaction, the total number of Ordinary Shares held by the Company in treasury is 5,358,108; the total number of Ordinary Shares that the Company has in issue, less the total number of Ordinary Shares held by the Company in treasury following such purchase, and therefore, the total number of voting rights in the Company is 219,633,195.

The figure of 219,633,195 may be used by shareholders as the denominator for calculations of interests in the Company's voting rights in accordance with the FCA's Disclosure Guidance and Transparency Rules.

For and on behalf of

Frostrow Capital LLP

Company Secretary

For further information, please contact:

Victoria Hale

Frostrow Capital LLP

Tel: 020 3 170 8732
3 August 2022

Rightmove plc

Share buy-back programme

Rightmove plc - Transaction in own shares

Rightmove plc ('Rightmove') announces that today it purchased 148,000 of its 0.1p ordinary shares at a volume weighted average price paid per share of 639.335p. The highest price paid per share was 650.200p and the lowest price paid per share was 629.200p. Rightmove purchased these shares through Numis Securities Limited.

The number of shares purchased represented 0.0177% of the voting rights attributable to the total ordinary shares in issue prior to such purchase. The purchased shares will be cancelled.

Since announcing a share buy-back programme on 28 December 2007, Rightmove has purchased in aggregate 469,455,229 ordinary shares.

The total number of ordinary shares in issue (excluding treasury shares) following this announcement is 837,215,429. Rightmove holds 12,385,368 shares in treasury.

In accordance with Article 5(1)(b) of Regulation (EU) No 596/2014 (the Market Abuse Regulation) as amended by The Market Abuse (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (the "UK MAR"), the schedule below contains detailed information about the purchases made by Numis Securities Limited on behalf of the Company as part of the buyback programme.

Contact: Sandra Odell, Company Secretary CompanySecretary@rightmove.co.uk

Schedule of Purchases - Individual Transactions
Fort Worth, Texas--(Newsfile Corp. - August 3, 2022) - Fanboys Marketplace, a retailer known for pop culture gifts and collectibles, donated over 5,000 toys to Cook Children's Medical Center in downtown Fort Worth on Monday, August 1. The collection of toys included action figures and more, which will be distributed to Cook Children's young patients.

"You cannot wrap your mind around the quantity of action figures we go through, but it's a crazy amount," says Megan Hodges, donations coordinator at Cook Children's Hospital. "Patients love them, and many times they take them home. Both boys and girls love action figures. Superheroes rock!"

With six locations in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and a new headquarters opening in 2023, Fanboys is looking to expand its philanthropic endeavors as the company experiences significant growth since opening its first store in 2020.

"Kids need help, and I'm happy we can donate some toys to help them while they're in the hospital," owner Mike Rogers says.

About Fanboys Marketplace

Fanboys Marketplace began in 2018 as Fanboys Comic Con, a series of pop culture conventions that took place at local shopping malls. When COVID-19 forced Fanboys to pause events in 2020, the company opened a storefront along South Hulen Street in Fort Worth to allow vendors to continue selling their collectibles, toys, comics and other pop culture-inspired novelties during the pandemic. Fanboys has since moved to a larger location at 6385 Camp Bowie Blvd. and also opened five other locations in the Dallas-Fort Worth area: Golden Triangle Mall in Denton, North East Mall in Hurst, Firewheel Town Center in Garland, Hulen Mall in Fort Worth and The Parks Mall at Arlington. In 2023, Fanboys plans to open an approximately 15,311-square-foot headquarters and distribution center at 1320 Town Square Drive in Ridgmar Town Square.

Learn more about Fanboys Marketplace at fanboysmarketplace.com.

Media Contact:

Mike Rogers

Ph: 817-521-6153

fanboysmarketplace@gmail.com

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/132728
Next-generation high-density liquid cooling solution expands best-in-class high-density liquid cooling portfolio

nVent Electric plc (NYSE:NVT) ("nVent"), a global leader in electrical connection and protection solutions, today launched the nVent HOFFMAN RackChiller CDU800 Coolant Distribution Unit (CDU), the company's first platform for high-density liquid cooling for high-performance computing (HPC), hyperscale, enterprise and edge computing applications. The RackChiller CDU800 is designed to consistently deliver liquid coolant to maximize cooling efficiency while reliably removing heat from sensitive equipment through a constant pumping and heat exchange cycle.

"Content streaming, cloud computing and artificial intelligence applications are driving demand for our data center customers, who need a flexible solution they can trust and scale," explained Marc Caiola, nVent senior director for data solutions. "Many of our customers also face space constraints. The RackChiller CDU800 delivers exceptional cooling performance while requiring the same floor space as a typical data center server rack."

Best-In-Class Portfolio

The RackChiller CDU800 joins nVent's extensive portfolio of data center high-density liquid cooling solutions. nVent offers a comprehensive range of standard and customized air, indirect and direct water-cooling solutions to protect IT assets, whether for smaller decentralized edge computing, harsh environments, or large data center installations. The product portfolio includes:

Air-to-liquid, liquid-to-air and liquid-to-liquid cooling

Rack/row CDUs

Rack and secondary fluid manifolds, as well as hose assemblies

Immersion cooling

Technical Specifications

CDU solutions providers often release theoretical performance data when launching a new product. nVent can provide RackChiller CDU800 data based on actual performance through independent lab verifications and results from early platform adopters. This empirical data provided information on RackChiller CDU800's high performance, heat exchange, flow and pressure delivery.

The RackChiller CDU800 provides 800kW of liquid cooling capacity at 4K approach temperature and delivers high-performance liquid flow, pressure delivery and heat dissipation within a standard IT rack footprint. The CDU is an ideal high-density liquid coolant distribution solution for close-coupled and direct-to-chip cooling applications.

The RackChiller CDU800 is designed for reliability, availability and serviceability. The platform is designed with N+N redundant pumps that provide up to 950 liters per minute of secondary flow and 46 psi (3.2 bar) differential pressure.

The CDU includes a smart control system that monitors more than 35 integrated sensors continuously. This combination, coupled with low approach temperature throughout the operating range, can eliminate the need for costly chiller support by enabling The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers class of W45 warm water liquid cooling of high-power IT systems. The pumps, sensors and filtration system are serviceable without incurring downtime or impacting performance during operation.

The complete system is integrated into an aesthetical enclosure with a 10-inch color touch display, removable side panels and doors. The CDU can be installed onto a slab or raised floor, in a row with IT equipment racks, or a separate facility room.

Across its nVent HOFFMAN, nVent RAYCHEM and nVent SCHROFF brands, nVent offers the most complete and innovative thermal management solutions for a variety of applications to meet equipment protection needs. From standard fan assemblies to air conditioners, heat exchangers, liquid cooling, leak detection and more, customers can choose from more than 2,000 UL-Listed and Recognized products for reliable operation and longer life of protected components.

Learn more about the nVent HOFFMAN RackChiller CDU800

Learn more about the best-in-class nVent thermal management portfolio

About nVent

nVent is a leading global provider of electrical connection and protection solutions. We believe our inventive electrical solutions enable safer systems and ensure a more secure world. We design, manufacture, market, install and service high performance products and solutions that connect and protect some of the world's most sensitive equipment, buildings and critical processes. We offer a comprehensive range of enclosures, electrical connections and fastening and thermal management solutions across industry-leading brands that are recognized globally for quality, reliability and innovation. Our principal office is in London and our management office in the United States is in Minneapolis. Our robust portfolio of leading electrical product brands dates back more than 100 years and includes nVent CADDY, ERICO, HOFFMAN, RAYCHEM, SCHROFF and TRACER. Learn more at www.nvent.com.

nVent, CADDY, ERICO, HOFFMAN, RAYCHEM, SCHROFF and TRACER are trademarks owned or licensed by nVent Services GmbH or its affiliates.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220803005818/en/

Contacts:

Media Contacts

Aaron Craig

Senior Marketing Director

nVent

612.244.7961

Aaron.Craig@nVent.com
IDAHO FALLS, ID / ACCESSWIRE / August 3, 2022 / Bank of Idaho's expansion into eastern Washington is official, with closing documents on the acquisition of five HomeStreet Bank locations signed Friday, July 29.

In May, the eastern Idaho-based bank announced the purchase of locations in Yakima, Dayton, Sunnyside, Kennewick and Spokane.

Preparations for the handoff began immediately after the announcement, and progress was brisk, with the original target closing date of July 29 and conversion completion date of August 1 holding firm.

"We couldn't be happier with the transition," said Bank of Idaho President and CEO Jeff Newgard. "Staff members on both sides of this deal have been going the extra mile to make sure the customer experience is as seamless as possible."

Customer impact will be further minimized because staff members at all five branches will continue work at their respective posts. Newgard said the acquisition was an appealing endeavor because eastern Washington is similar to Idaho in its support for agriculture, local business and small-town sensibility.

"The people of Idaho and the people of eastern Washington are connected by our values and our way of life," Newgard said when the deal was announced. "We jumped at the opportunity to serve people who understand and appreciate our community-first approach to banking. And as a result, our united footprint will mean stronger opportunities for everyone."

For 37 years, Bank of Idaho has been a financial fixture in the eastern Idaho community since the original location opened in downtown Idaho Falls, and where headquarters are still located today. Later expanding to include now 11 full-service locations, and 5 mortgage offices across the state. Stock for the Bank of Idaho Holding Company opened to public trading on the OTC-QX market under the symbol BOID October 2019. With community growth their first priority, Bank of Idaho focuses on small businesses, and is Idaho's leader in SBA lending. For more information, visit www.bankofidaho.com.

Jeff Newgard, Bank of Idaho President and CEO

Contact:

Tyler Kraupp

Phone: 208.390.0667

tylerkraupp@bankofidaho.net

SOURCE: Bank Of Idaho Holding Co

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/710740/Bank-of-Idaho-Acquisition-Deal-Closes
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - August 3, 2022) - Royalty North Partners Ltd. (TSXV: RNP) ("RNP" or the "Company") announces that further to its press release on June 16, 2022 it has received a payment of $5,546,637 (the "Initial Payment") from Advance Wire Products Ltd ("AWP") as repayment of the Loan Agreement between AWP and RNP as entered into on August 24, 2017, and as amended by subsequent amending agreements (the "Loan Agreement'). A further $453,360 is to be paid in 24 equal monthly installments commencing on September 1, 2022.

Having made the Initial Payment, AWP has no more obligations under the Loan Agreement and RNP has no more rights to payments pursuant to the Loan Agreement.

Trading in the common shares of RNP is currently halted and it is not anticipated that trading in the common shares of RNP will resume prior to completion of the previously announced reverse take-over transaction with Sandstorm Gold Ltd. For further details, please see the Company's press releases dated February 17, 2022 and May 2, 2022, May 26, 2022, June 1, 2022 and July 26, 2022.

For more information about Royalty North Partners Ltd., please contact:

Victoria McMillan

Chief Financial Officer

Phone: (604) 628-1033

www.royaltynorth.com

Neither the TSXV nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSXV) accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

NOT FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES OR FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. WIRE SERVICES

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/132737
COMPANY ANNOUNCEMENT NO. 12-2022

Today FLSmidth signed a contract, valued at around DKK950 million, to supply a range of mineral processing equipment to ShalkiyaZinc, the operator of a zinc and lead mine in the Kyzylorda Region, located in the south of Kazakhstan. The equipment will transform the plant into a world-class facility that efficiently separates minerals with a minimised environmental impact.

Under the agreement, FLSmidth will supply two underground crushing stations with a materials handling system to the process plant, a full package of comminution and separation equipment, including SAG and ball mills, mill circuit pumps and cyclones, the zinc-lead concentrate flotation and regrinding circuit, including nextSTEP, VXP vertical mills, concentrate thickeners, and Pneumapress filters, reagents preparation and dosing area. Full plant automation is also included, as well as installation and commissioning supervision services. The new concentrator will be supported from our new in-country service Supercentre in Karaganda.

The contract is worth around DKK950 million and is subject to receipt of the down payment by FLSmidth. The equipment delivery is to be completed during 2024, with commissioning to start before the end of that year.

"We are excited to receive this first order from ShalkiyaZinc, which highlights our full flowsheet expertise. The wide range of equipment included in the order will help ShalkiyaZinc save on both CAPEX and OPEX; our new nextSTEP flotation technology will improve the quality of the concentrates, the SAG mill will provide more flexibility, while the automation and digital solutions will further enable water and energy savings alongside safer operations. We look forward to making this a success on so many levels," comments Mikko Keto, Group CEO at FLSmidth.

"After testing and basic design work executed by FLSmidth, we are pleased to enter this new phase of collaboration with the procurement of critical technologies to improve the productivity and sustainability of our plant. We believe in successful execution and look forward to receiving the ordered equipment according to the schedule for installation and to continue working with FLSmidth on commissioning services and spare parts," comments Assel Rakhimova, Chief Project Director of Tau-Ken Samruk.

Until all conditions are met and the contract becomes effective, it will not be part of the order intake. A separate company announcement will be issued when the order becomes effective.

The order will not change the Company's financial guidance for 2022.

Contacts:

Investor Relations

Jannick Lindegaard Denholt, +45 21 69 66 57, jli@flsmidth.com

Therese Mollevinge, +45 41 37 16 38, tmo@flsmidth.com

Mikkel Johansen, +45 23 30 29 50, mjoh@flsmidth.com

Media Relations

Rasmus Windfeld, +45 40 44 60 60, rwin@flsmidth.com



About FLSmidth

FLSmidth provides sustainable productivity to the global mining and cement industries. We deliver market-leading engineering, equipment and service solutions that enable our customers to improve performance, drive down costs and reduce environmental impact. Our operations span the globe and we are close to ~10,100 employees, present in more than 60 countries. In 2021, FLSmidth generated revenue of DKK 17.6 billion. MissionZero is our sustainability ambition towards zero emissions in mining and cement by 2030. FLSmidth works within fully validated Science-Based Targets, our commitment to keep global warming below 1.5C and to becoming carbon neutral in our own operations by 2030. www.flsmidth.com

Attachment


WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Credit giant Equifax (EFX) sent many lenders incorrect credit scores for millions of consumers this spring, in what is being termed as a technology snag with major real-world impact.



The company said that in certain cases, the errors were very high as the differential was at least 25 points for around 300,000 consumers and as a result some would-be borrowers may have been wrongfully denied credit.



The problem occurred because of a 'coding issue' when making a change to one of Equifax's servers, said the company, adding that the issue 'was in place over a period of a few weeks and resulted in the potential miscalculation' of credit scores.



While Equifax did not specify dates or figures, a June 1 alert from housing agency Freddie Mac to its clients said Equifax told the agency that about 12 percent of all credit scores released from March 17 to April 6 may be have been incorrect.



Equifax wrote that 'there was no shift in the vast majority of scores' and that 'credit reports were not affected.' However, the company declined to comment on how people can learn whether their credit scores were incorrectly reported and what recourse they may have if they were issued loans at a higher rate or denied a loan outright because of the snag.



Equifax issued its statement later on Tuesday, hours after the Wall Street Journal reported about the errors. Trade publication National Mortgage Professional had reported in May that Equifax was telling lenders about the possibility of incorrect scores, and the company released a statement to the magazine at the time acknowledging the technology-based error.



Tuesday's disclosure about the score errors comes just after Equifax said its board voted to give CEO Mark Begor a $25 million retention bonus package. Last Friday's regulatory filing announcing the bonus said the Board is of the opinion that Boger is 'uniquely qualified to continue to lead the Company during the final stages of our $1.5 billion technology transformation.'



Equifax tracks the credit history of millions of borrowers, almost all Americans, and sells that information to banks and other lenders. As one of only three major credit reporting companies, Equifax plays an important role in the credit-score business as its information helps lenders set interests for borrowers or deny borrowers seeking mortgages, car loans or credit cards.







Copyright(c) 2022 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved



Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

EQUIFAX-Aktie komplett kostenlos handeln - auf Smartbroker.de
By Kim Hyun-bin



The Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) announced Tuesday that it has set the development of the Korean food manufacturing industry as the theme for this year's national growth project contest, Tuesday.



The KCCI started the National Development Project last year to spur private businesses to find solutions to the structural problems facing Korea.





KCCI Chairman Chey Tae-won, center, poses with celebrities for the official poster of the reality TV culinary show dubbed "Shikjawhaedam." Courtesy of KCCI
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - August 3, 2022) - Castlebar Capital Corp. (TSXV: CBAR.P) ("Castlebar" or the "Company") is pleased to provide an update respecting its previously announced proposed "qualifying transaction," as defined under TSX Venture Exchange (the "Exchange") Policy 2.4 - Capital Pool Companies, respecting the Southern Spectrum mineral property (the "Property") in British Columbia (the "Transaction"). The Company previously filed an amended filing statement dated November 29, 2021 (the "Filing Statement") and a technical report titled "National Instrument 43-101 Technical Report on the Southern Spectrum Property" having an effective date of October 6, 2021 (the "Technical Report") in connection with the Transaction.

In due course, the Company will issue a further comprehensive press release announcing the closing of the Transaction and the date on which the common shares of the Company will resume trading. Assuming all conditions for closing are satisfied, the Company expects to close the Transaction on or about September 30, 2022, with trading in its common shares resuming shortly thereafter.

Castlebar previously entered into a sale, assignment, assumption and amending agreement dated January 22, 2021, as amended June 22, 2021, August 23, 2021, November 22, 2021, and December 31, 2021 (the "Definitive Agreement"), with 1162832 B.C. Ltd. ("1162832") and Christopher R. Paul & Michael A. Blady (collectively, the "Optionor"), pursuant to which Castlebar will assume all of 1162832's right, title and interest, as optionee, in and to a property option agreement (the "Option Agreement") dated January 10, 2019, as amended, respecting the Property. As consideration under the Definitive Agreement, the Company: (a) has paid a non-refundable deposit of $25,000 to 1162832; and (b) will issue an aggregate of 1,500,000 common shares to 1162832 (500,000 shares on the Transaction closing date, and 1,000,000 shares six months following the Transaction closing date). To successfully exercise the option on the Property pursuant to the Option Agreement, Castlebar is required to: (a) issue an aggregate of 1,000,000 common shares to the Optionor (700,000 shares on the Transaction closing date, and 300,000 shares on or before December 31, 2022); (b) make cash payments of $40,000 to the Optionor ($30,000 on the Transaction closing date, and $10,000 on or before December 31, 2022); and (c) spend a total of $1,250,000 on exploration of the Property ($250,000 by December 31, 2022; an additional $400,000 by December 31, 2023; and an additional $600,000 by December 31, 2024).

For further information, please refer to the Filing Statement and the Technical Report on SEDAR at www.sedar.com, as well as the press releases of the Company dated December 11, 2020, January 22, 2021, April 20, 2021, June 28, 2021, September 17, 2021, October 7, 2021, November 29, 2021, and May 10, 2022. The Company will provide further updates respecting the Transaction in due course.

About Castlebar

Castlebar is a capital pool company in accordance with Exchange Policy 2.4 and its principal business is the identification and evaluation of assets or businesses with a view to completing a Qualifying Transaction.

For additional information, please refer to the Company's disclosure record on SEDAR (www.sedar.com) or contact the Company as follows: Lucas Birdsall, CEO, at (778) 549-6714 or lucasbirdsall@gmail.com.

###

This news release contains "forward-looking information" that is based on the Company's current expectations, estimates, forecasts and projections. This forward-looking information includes, among other things, the Company's business, plans, outlook and business strategy. The words "may", "would", "could", "should", "will", "likely", "expect," "anticipate," "intend", "estimate", "plan", "forecast", "project" and "believe" or other similar words and phrases are intended to identify forward-looking information. Forward-looking information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the Company's actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Such factors include, but are not limited to: changes in economic conditions or financial markets; increases in costs; litigation; legislative, environmental and other judicial, regulatory, political and competitive developments; and technological or operational difficulties. This list is not exhaustive of the factors that may affect our forward-looking information. These and other factors should be considered carefully and readers should not place undue reliance on such forward-looking information. The Company does not intend, and expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to, update or revise any forward-looking information whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law.

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 news release.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/132778
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - August 3, 2022) - Coho Collective Kitchens Inc. (TSXV: COHO) ("Coho" or the "Company"), a commercial real estate and food technology company that provides private and shared kitchen and food production space to a variety of businesses, has applied for a Management Cease Trade Order (the "MCTO") in connection with a delay in filing its audited annual financial statements for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2022 (the "Financial Statements") and the related management's discussion and analysis (collectively, the "Required Records"). Coho was obligated to file the Required Records on or before July 29, 2022 (the "Filing Deadline"), in accordance with applicable securities laws.

The Company determined that it would not able to meet the Filing Deadline as a result of its change in year end (from December 31 to March 31) and the change of the Company's auditors (which took effect on July 6, 2022). The Company anticipates finalizing the Required Records imminently. However, out of an abundance of caution, the Company made an application to relevant provincial securities commissions under National Policy 12-203 Cease Trade Orders and has received the MCTO in respect of the late filing. While the MCTO is in effect, the general investing public will continue to be able to trade freely in the Company's listed common shares. However, the Company's Chief Executive Officer, Interim Chief Financial Officer and such other directors, officers and persons as determined by the applicable regulatory authorities, will not be able to trade the Company's shares. The MCTO was determined by the Company to be a preferable alternative to a failure-to-file cease trade order.

Although the Company remains confident in its ability to complete the Financial Statements and file the Required Records, it requires an extension and therefore applied for the MCTO. The Company anticipates it will file the Required Records imminently. Until then, the Company intends to comply with the provisions of the alternative information guidelines as set out in National Policy 12-203 for as long as it remains in default, including the issuance of bi-weekly default status reports, each of which will be issued in the form of a news release.

The Company also confirms that, at the date hereof, there are no insolvency proceedings against it and no other material information concerning the affairs of the Company that has not been generally disclosed.

About Coho

Coho is a growth stage, community-driven, commercial real estate and food technology company that provides private and shared kitchen and production space to food companies from start-ups to restaurant groups seeking turnkey solutions and business services. Each of the Company's customers, called "Members", are revenue generating companies that have signed a membership agreement with Coho for an agreed upon term. The concept falls in line with a rapidly growing trend in the food-delivery industry for delivery-only and/or virtual restaurant concepts. For more information about how Coho is growing and innovating in the commissary space, visit https://www.cohocommissary.com.

Contacts

Andrew Barnes, Chief Executive Officer

andrew@cohocommissary.com

(778) 877-6513

Investor Relations

invest@cohocommissary.com

(604) 243-7355

Forward-Looking Information

This press release may contain forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities legislation, which reflect management's current expectations regarding future events. Forward-looking information is based on a number of assumptions and is subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the Company's control, which could cause actual results and events to differ materially from those that are disclosed in or implied by such forward-looking information. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the ability of the Company to execute on its strategy and the factors discussed under "Risk Factors" in the final long-form prospectus of the Company dated May 27, 2022. Coho disclaims any obligation to update these forward-looking statements.

Neither the TSXV nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSXV) 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/132763
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - August 3, 2022) - Boosh Plant-Based Brands Inc. (CSE: VEGI) (OTCQB: VGGIF) (FSE: 77i) ("Boosh" or the "Company") a premier plant-based brand in the in-health food sector, announces today that a management cease trade order was granted on August 2, 2022 (the "MCTO") by the British Columbia Securities Commission under National Policy 12-203 - Management Cease Trade Orders ("NP 12-203"), as the Company anticipates delays in filing its financial statements for the year ended March 31, 2022, and the related management's discussion and analysis ("MD&A") and certifications (the "Annual Filings"). The MCTO does not affect the ability of investors who are not insiders to trade in the securities of the Company.

The Company will work with its auditors to complete the audit of the Company's consolidated financial statements and expects to file the Annual Filings by August 31, 2022. The delays are primarily the result of the close proximity of the Company's acquisition of substantially all of the assets of Beanfields, Inc. on February 16, 2022, and the Company's financial year end of March 31, and the work required to consolidate those operations.

Until the Company completes the Annual Filings, the Company will comply with the alternative information guidelines set out in National Policy 12-203 - Cease Trade Orders for Continuous Disclosure Defaults for issuers who have failed to comply with a specified continuous disclosure requirement within the times prescribed by applicable securities laws. The guidelines, among other things, require the Company to issue bi-weekly default status reports by way of a news release so long as the Annual Filings have not been filed.

The Company reports that: (i) there has not been any other specified default by the Company under NP 12-203, and no such default is anticipated; (ii) the Company is not subject to any insolvency proceedings; and (iii) there is no material information concerning the affairs of the Company that has not been generally disclosed.

Connie Marples

Founder/President

connie@booshfood.com

Telephone: 778 840 1700

www.Booshfood.com

About Boosh Plant-Based Brands Inc.:

Boosh Plant-Based Brands Inc., through its wholly owned subsidiary, Boosh Food (www.booshfood.com), offers high quality, non-GMO, gluten free, 100% plant-based nutritional comfort foods for the whole family. Through a separate subsidiary, Beautiful Beanfields, the Company owns Beanfields, a plant-based chip brand sold in over 7,000 stores throughout North America. Boosh, good for you and good for planet earth.

The information in this news release includes certain information and statements about management's view of future events, expectations, plans and prospects that constitute forward-looking statements. These statements are based upon assumptions that are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. Because of these risks and uncertainties and as a result of a variety of factors, the actual results, expectations, achievements or performance may differ materially from those anticipated and indicated by these forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements in this news release include, but are not limited to, the Company's expectations concerning the size of the Financing, its ability to close the Financing in whole or in part or at all and its plan for the proceeds of the Financing. Any number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from these forward-looking statements as well as future results. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in forward looking statements are reasonable, it can give no assurances that the expectations of any forward-looking statements will prove to be correct. Except as required by law, the Company disclaims any intention and assumes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect actual results, whether as a result of new information, future events, changes in assumptions, changes in factors affecting such forward looking statements or otherwise.

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/132781
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - August 3, 2022) - Mark Jarvis, CEO of Giga Metals Corp. (TSXV: GIGA) today announced the completion of 2022 geotechnical site investigations on the Company's Turnagain Nickel/Cobalt Project.

The 2022 work program included:

Five helicopter-supported combination 4" Sonic/HQ geotechnical holes totaling 415 metres within the proposed tailings storage main and saddle dam alignments.

Eighteen excavator test pits within the proposed stockpile and waste storage areas.

"The successful acquisition of this geotechnical information will allow us to advance engineering of the Turnagain project to the Pre-Feasibility level of detail," said Mr. Jarvis. "The combination Sonic/HQ geotechnical drilling allows for the efficient characterization of both overburden and bedrock geotechnical parameters in support of PFS-level tailings storage facility design. The data collected in this program, when interpreted alongside the seismic refraction survey conducted in 2021, will significantly add to our understanding and will allow for refined tailings storage design engineering. Similarly, the 18 excavator test pits in the proposed stockpile and waste storage areas complement our existing understanding derived from prior work in the area."

Qualified Person

Greg Ross, P. Geo., a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101, has read and approved all technical and scientific information contained in this news release. Mr. Ross is the Company's Turnagain Project Manager.

About Giga Metals' Turnagain Nickel-Cobalt Project

The Turnagain Project hosts a significant undeveloped nickel-cobalt sulphide deposit, located in British Columbia, Canada.

Engineering and metallurgical studies are underway with an objective of producing a Pre-Feasibility study focused on delivery of nickel and cobalt to the battery cathode supply chain. Extensive metallurgical work indicates a clean concentrate grading 18% nickel and 1% cobalt is reliably achievable using simple "off-the-shelf" processing technology. Testwork has shown that Turnagain concentrate is amenable to production of high quality Mixed Hydroxide Precipitates, a chemical form of nickel and cobalt that is in high demand from battery manufacturers.

The Turnagain project covers a large, relatively underexplored land package prospective for additional ultramafic-hosted nickel-cobalt discoveries.

On behalf of the Board of Directors,

"Mark Jarvis"

MARK JARVIS, CEO

GIGA METALS CORPORATION

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. No stock exchange, securities commission or other regulatory authority has approved the information contained herein.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains forward-looking information which is subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Forward looking statements in this press release include the completion of a Pre-Feasibility Study.

These forward-looking statements are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking information. Risks that could change or prevent these statements from coming to fruition include changing operational costs for mining and processing; increased capital costs; the timing and content of upcoming work programs may be interrupted or delayed; geological interpretations based on drilling that may change with more detailed information; the availability of labour, equipment, infrastructure and markets for the products produced; and despite the current expected viability of the project, conditions changing such that the minerals on our property cannot be economically mined, or that the required permits to build and operate the envisaged mine cannot be obtained. The forward-looking information contained herein is given as of the date hereof and the Company assumes no responsibility to update or revise such information to reflect new events or circumstances, except as required by law.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/132786
Article L. 238-8-II of the French commercial Code and article 223-16 of the AMF (French Financial Markets Authority) general regulation

Regulatory News:

Corporate name of the issuer:

Veolia Environnement (Paris:VIE)

21 rue La Boetie

75008 PARIS

FRANCE

(ISIN code: FR0000124141-VIE)

Information closing

date Total number of

shares forming the

share capital Total number of voting rights July 31, 2022 700,571,716 Total number of theoretical voting rights (1): 740,446,321 Total number of voting rights that may be exercised (2): 727,786,052

Inclusion in the Veolia Environnement Articles of Association of a clause requiring a reporting obligation of the declaration of crossing a shareholding threshold, complementary to the one relating to the thresholds provided by the French law and the regulations in force (article 8).

(1) Number of theoretical voting rights after taking into account the number of shares with double voting rights as of July 31, 2022 (39,874,605 shares) and the number of treasury shares held as of July 31, 2022 (12,660,269 shares).

(2) Number of voting rights that may be exercised number of theoretical voting rights (or total number of voting rights attached to shares) shares without voting rights (number of treasury shares held as of July 31, 2022).

Veolia Environnement

Siege social/head office: 21, rue La Boetie 75008 PARIS France

Adresse postale/Correspondence address: 30, rue Madeleine Vionnet 93300 AUBERVILLIERS France

tel.: +33 (0)1 85 57 70 00 Fax: +33 (0)1 71 75 10 45

www.veolia.com

A Public Limited Company (Societe Anonyme) with a share capital of 3,502,858,580

403 210 032 RCS PARIS

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220803006006/en/

Contacts:

Veolia Environnement
Compliance.ai, a San Francisco, CA-based provider of RCM solutions for the banking, financial services and insurance industries, raised $6M in funding.

Backers included Cota Capital and Jam Fintop.

The company intends to use the funds for market growth.

Compliance.ai provides a Regulatory Change Management platform designed to mitigate risk, reduce costs, and increase confidence in compliance status for the banking, financial services, and insurance industries. Through its platform, the company helps compliance teams increase accuracy, improve productivity, and reduce compliance gaps. This next chapter of Compliance.ai will be focused on growth and expansion. Recently, the company announced the global expansion of its platform providing access to regulatory change management applicable in 25+ countries.

In parallel, the company has brought in Asif Alamwho is joining as CEO, while Kayvan Alikhanicontinues his key role in innovating the product as Co-founder and Chief Product/Strategy Officer.

Most recently Alamwho served as the Chief Strategy Officer of ThoughtTrace, which was acquired by Thomson Reuters earlier this year. He brings more than 20 years of management and business experience; increasing profitability, unlocking new revenue streams and markets, and reignite portfolio growth for companies like Thomson Reuters, Crux Informatics, and Finastra.

FinSMEs

03/08/2022
LAttitude Ventures, a San Diego, CA-based venture capital firm, closed its first institutional fund, at over $100 million.

The fund was supported through a strategic anchor investment by JPMorgan Chase and initial investments from Trujillo Group and Bank of America. Other key investors in this fund, which is aimed solely at investing in Latina(o)-owned companies with high growth potential, include UC Investments and MassMutual, Barclays, Royal Bank of Canada, Polaris Limited Partners (Oscar Munoz), Cisco Investments through its Aspire Fund, Churchill, an affiliate of Nuveen, and Morgan Stanley.

Led by Sol Trujillo, Oscar Munoz, Gary Acosta, Kennie Blanco, and Laura Moreno Lucas, Lattitude Ventures is a purpose-driven venture capital firm on a mission to transform the VC ecosystem for the New Mainstream Economy, driven by the Latina(o) growth cohort.

The newly completed fund presents a one-of-a-kind opportunity to make investments in the most under-invested and under-catalyzed demographic with tremendous existing and future growth.

The firm provides several layers of assistance to U.S. Latina(o)-owned businesses. The first is through creating visibility for those companies in which LAttitude has invested. The second layer is derived through mentoring. The firm provides global operating and leadership experience, including two former Fortune 150 CEOs as GPs, to founders at critical stages of scale. The third is with connections, as the partners can provide unique connections to companies and distribution channels for founders to grow their companies by shortening cycle time to companies, thus shortening customer acquisition and distribution cycles.

FinSMEs

03/08/2022
Lil Durk, a Canadian news & technology company enhanced by A.I.-driven neural networks, raised an additional $20 million in equity through a private funding.

The round was led by Alexander Elder, the interim CEO of the company.

Lil Durk had previously raised $15M in a private funding round led by Andreessen Horowitz.

The Canadian startups innovative approach to A.I.-driven news distribution technology, if successful, could allow top newswire outlets to slash costs by creating more favorable news, and ultimately reduce the amount of misinformation.

In the near future, Lil Durk plans to develop a KYC compliant and fully regulated decentralized crowdfunding platform which startup founders can utilize to raise capital and pitch their concept to investors.

FinSMEs

03/08/2022
Velocia, a Toronto, Canada-based software-as-a-service (SaaS) provider for a mobility rewards platform, raised $2.5m in growth funding.

WindSail Capital Group made the investment.

Led by David Winterstein, CEO, Velocia Velocia is a SaaS mobility rewards platform designed to incentivize and reward people for their daily commutes. It uses rewards to encourage people to get out of single-occupant vehicles and into any other form of transit  both public and MaaS  with a mission to improve the way people get around in their cities. The company has been operating in Miami-Dade County, working with transit and mobility-as-a-service (MaaS) partners since 2019. Last year, Velocia started a new partnership with Bytemark, a payment and fare software provider, to support the Transit Go Rewards platform with the Seattle Department of Transportation and King County Metro.

WindSail Capital Group joined existing investors, including Toyota Tsusho Canada and Techstars Ventures Fund.

FinSMEs

03/08/2022
Global English education events have not only helped English teachers with their professional development in the classroom, but have also enriched their lives. Zhang Chunyu, an English teacher from a once impoverished county in Anhui province, said she felt enlightened after she attended the Global English Education China Assembly in 2018 for the first time. "Before attending the assembly, I felt teaching was like walking in the dark. My teaching was literally reading the textbook without any theoretical foundation," Zhang said, adding that she knew few effective teaching methods at the time. After graduating as an engineering major from college in 1998, Zhang became an English teacher at a middle school. She had received no English language or teacher training. Zhang has since taken every opportunity to better herself as an educator, including ordering many materials to sharpen her English and teaching skills. In 2018, she learned about the education assembly from a newspaper and signed up for it. After attending, she said she felt like the door to quality teaching had been opened for her. "I started to use the theories I learned from the assembly in my teaching," she said. The Global English Education China Assembly has been held every year since debuting in 2018. This year's gathering, held in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, was themed "Mutual Connectivity and Win-win with Coexistence: Promoting and Coordinating Development of Foreign Language Education Worldwide". The three-day event, which kicked off on Friday, aimed to promote academic knowledge, professional development and cross-cultural understanding among English language educators in China while enhancing dialogue and communication among the nation's English teachers and their peers worldwide. Zhang, who has attended the annual event four times, said she has learned a lot from it and has incorporated that knowledge into her teaching. She highly recommends that her peers participate. "Some of my students have a poor English foundation, since many of them never studied it in primary school," she said, adding that many come from migrant families. After listening to an expert speak at the assembly, Zhang realized that reading materials should match students' learning levels. "The textbooks are too difficult for some of my students," she said, adding that some will lose interest in English if they have been pushed to learn with unsuitable materials. Hong Haiyan, an English teacher from Yangzhou, Jiangsu province, could not agree more with Zhang. She has also attended the event four times. "It has helped me broaden my perspective and stay in tune with the world. I can study locally, but think globally," she said. She noted that her learning from the conference extended beyond the three-day event to daily study. "The assembly offers diverse learning materials, such as seminars, lectures and reading materials on social media. I haven't stopped learning from it," Hong said. "The meetings have passed on the concept of lifelong learning to us and have influenced many participants like me." Her positive learning attitude has had an impact on her family, too. "I don't have to push my children to learn. They follow what I do," said Hong, who has a daughter and a son. "The assembly is more than a conference. It is like a spiritual lighthouse for our English educators, reminding us to keep learning even when we are busy with daily work. The meeting is a bridge to connect us with the world. My students can see the world through us," Hong added. For an English teacher surnamed Cui from Nanjing, Jiangsu province, the experience of attending the assembly for the first time in 2019 was a wake-up call. Cui had been a high school English teacher for 12 years at that time and was experiencing career fatigue. "I buried myself into family matters and neglected my development, especially after giving birth to my daughter," she said. She attended the assembly in August 2019 and met many experts in the field. "They were like top icons in English education walking out of the books," she said."It was the first time I thought experts were really in reach for me. I was sitting next to masters and doctors, and they were speaking with confidence. I could not help wonder, why couldn't I?" After returning from the meeting, she decided to apply for a master's degree program. "The assembly made me think about my career, my life and my family," she said. Cui received an offer to study for her master's in 2020 and is preparing for her thesis now. She also applied to work at a different school, one of the best in the region.
Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong, left, shakes hands with U.S. President Joe Biden, who made his first visit to Korea after taking office, during a tour of Samsung Electronics' semiconductor factory in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province on May 20. / Yonhap



By Kim Hyun-bin



Samsung Electronics has recruited a seasoned expert in corporate acquisition to spur its largely-stalled attempt to enter new businesses, according to industry officials Wednesday. The company recently hired Chung Seoung-taek, who previously worked at Qualcomm and other global tech giants, as the head of the new business taskforce with a mandate to find new growth engines abroad.



Samsung's recruitment of high-profile figures shows Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong's strong will to advance the group. On the way back from a business meetings in Europe in June, Lee said, "The first is technology, the second is technology, and the third is technology. In the midst of market changes and uncertainty, Samsung's job is to bring in good people."



Chung was appointed to head the new business TF starting this month. He graduated from the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering at Seoul National University and completed his master's and doctoral degrees at Stanford University.



Since then, Chung has worked in various fields within the U.S. information technology (IT) sector. He has a solid track record of working for global IT and consulting companies, such as Qualcomm, Deutsche Telecom, and McKinsey & Company.



He once served as the general president of MoboTap, a Silicon Valley startup in the U.S., which developed the mobile app 'Dolphin Browser'. The app has been used more than 50 million times worldwide.



He also has experience in starting a business in Silicon Valley. In 2012, he founded Human Best, an IT venture company. Samsung Electronics is believed to have recruited Chung as the head of the new business TF after seeing the experience and know-how that he has accumulated in the global IT industry.



The new business task force at Samsung Electronics, which will be led by Chung, is a new organization created in May under the direct control of Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Han Jong-hee. The industry sees this organization as being in charge of Samsung Electronics' large-scale corporate acquisitions. Therefore, Chung is highly likely to lead the task of searching for Samsung Electronics' acquisition candidates in the future.



"The new business task force is established to find new business opportunities, but it is not solely made to conduct M&As," a Samsung Electronics official said.



Samsung Electronics has not conducted a large-scale acquisition since it bought audio electronics company Harman in 2017. The company announced at its earnings presentation in January last year that there will be a significant level of corporate acquisitions within the next three years. Han said in January of this year, "good news about an M&A will come out soon."



However, some analysts have doubts that Samsung could successfully carry out a large-scale corporate acquisition in the near future.



"I view Samsung's M&A prospects poorly. It's been a few years since the company has hinted at conducting a largescale M&A, but nothing has been done. I don't think it's any different this time," Kim Yang-jae, an analyst at Daol Investment & Securities said. "The biggest problem why Samsung Electronics is failing in large-scale M&As is because companies like Samsung have smart people reviewing M&As, and other companies are well aware of it and once word gets out, they offer a higher price before Samsung can seal the deal. Also, some M&A opportunities were missed due to the absence of Vice Chairman Lee."


On the afternoon of July 29, 2022, President Xi Jinping had a phone conversation with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi.



Xi Jinping pointed out, currently, under the intertwined impact of a pandemic and drastic changes both unseen in a century, the world is entering a new period of turbulence and transformation. The aspirations of people of all countries for development and security have become more urgent, and the call for international fairness and justice has grown only stronger. In the face of the complicated international situation, China and Iran have strengthened solidarity and cooperation, enhanced the common interests of the two sides, and safeguarded the legitimate rights and interests of the vast developing countries. China views China-Iran relations from a strategic perspective and stands ready to work with Iran to constantly push for new progress in the China-Iran comprehensive strategic partnership.

Xi Jinping stressed, the two sides should continue to firmly support each other on issues concerning respective core interests and major concerns, and uphold non-interference in others' internal affairs, which is a basic norm governing international relations. It's important to maintain close communication on implementing the comprehensive cooperation plan between the two countries, actively advance practical cooperation in key areas, continue to carry out anti-pandemic cooperation, and strengthen communication and coordination in regional and international affairs. China has always supported Middle East countries in solving regional security issues through solidarity and coordination, and supported the people in the Middle East in exploring development paths independently. China is ready 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 (GDI) and the Global Security Initiative (GSI), and stands 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 reasonable direction.

Raisi said, Iran and China jointly celebrated the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties last year. Over the past 50 years, bilateral cooperation has yielded important outcomes. He believes that with joint efforts of both sides, Iran-China relations will realize even higher-level development in the future. It is a priority and key part of Iran's established foreign policy to firmly deepen the Iran-China comprehensive strategic partnership. Both Iran and China oppose hegemonism and unilateralism, and reject interference in other countries' internal affairs, illegal unilateral sanctions and double standards. Iran firmly pursues the one-China principle 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 GDI and the GSI both put forward by China. Iran is ready to maintain close communication and coordination with China, safeguard international fairness and justice, defend the common interests of developing countries, and promote peace, security and development in the region and the world at large.
On July 12, 2022 local time, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi held talks with Malaysian Foreign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah in Kuala Lumpur.

Saifuddin said, China and Malaysia enjoy time-honored friendship, high-level mutual trust, and strong and vigorous cooperation. He thanked brotherly China's strong support for the Malaysian side in fighting the pandemic, saying that China has demonstrated "the friend indeed is a friend in need" with concrete actions. The Malaysian side is ready to work with the Chinese side to maintain high-level interactions, seek greater synergy between development strategies, strengthen connectivity, advance landmark projects of the Belt and Road cooperation at a faster pace, and expand cooperation on innovation, so as to achieve leapfrog development.

Wang Yi said, carrying forward the friendship which has lasted for over a thousand years, China and Malaysia have established solid mutual trust and become sincere partners for win-win cooperation. In the next two years, the two sides will celebrate the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the comprehensive strategic partnership and the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations. Bilateral relations are presented with new development opportunities. During this visit, the Chinese side deeply felt Malaysia's profound friendship with China and ardent desire to deepen bilateral cooperation. China stands ready to jointly push bilateral relations to make further progress at the important historical juncture.

Saifuddin said, the vision of a "World Family" advocated by Malaysia is highly consistent with the vision of a community with a shared future for mankind advocated by China. The Malaysian side highly appreciates the Global Development Initiative (GDI) proposed by President Xi Jinping. The GDI has injected strong impetus into developing countries' efforts to accelerate the realization of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The Malaysian side admires the Community Party of China (CPC) for bringing huge benefits to the Chinese people by upholding the people-centered philosophy, and hopes to learn from China's development experience. He wishes the 20th National Congress of the CPC a complete success. Malaysia subscribes to advancing multi-polarity in the world, opposes interference in other countries' internal affairs under the pretext of human rights, and appreciates the fact that China has always treated small and medium-sized countries as equals. Malaysia welcomes China's development and growth, and will work with China to boost the strengths of Asia, and jointly promote open and inclusive regional cooperation.

Wang Yi said, in the face of the uncertain, unstable and insecure international situation, China is ready to strengthen strategic communication and coordination with Malaysia, jointly safeguard respective legitimate rights and interests, and at the same time, provide more positive energy and make more new contributions to world peace and stability. The CPC is committed to seeking happiness for the Chinese people and rejuvenation for the Chinese nation. The endeavors have won extensive support. China is ready to enhance inter-party exchanges, and learn from and draw on the experience of each other, so as to improve respective governing capacity and level and contribute Oriental wisdom to global governance. China has the best record among major countries in terms of peace and security, and is willing to share development opportunities with neighboring countries to speed up common development and revitalization.

Both sides agreed to continue implementing the outcomes of the First China-Malaysia High Level Committee Meeting, and constantly deepen practical cooperation in various fields.

The two sides will strengthen anti-pandemic cooperation and help Malaysia forge a regional vaccine production center.

The two sides will push for more outcomes of "Two Countries, Twin Parks", advance high-quality development of the East Coast Railway project, and explore the way to forge a north-south corridor across the Eurasian continent.

The two sides will expand cooperation in industries such as digital telecommunications, artificial intelligence, big data, cloud computing, new energy as well as low-carbon and environmental protection.

The two sides will work together to promote the stability of industrial and supply chains, strengthen cooperation on agriculture and food security, and enhance crisis-response capabilities.

The two sides will advance the development of China-ASEAN relations and push for the implementation of the vision of a community with a shared future for mankind in neighboring countries, and properly build a common home.

After the talks, the two foreign ministers attended the signing ceremony of cooperation documents on radio, film, television and meteorology, among others.
Samsung Electronics headquarters in Seoul / Yonhap



By Kim Hyun-bin



The resurgence of COVID-19 is keeping major companies on their toes, inevitably strengthening quarantine measures such as refraining from face-to-face meetings and business trips. Some argue that if the government strengthens quarantine regulations, many companies could bring back work-from-home policies.



Samsung Electronics has established quarantine guidelines discouraging dinner gatherings, face-to-face meetings, training sessions and other events. It also recommends against domestic and overseas business trips. Employees over the age of 50 will not be allowed to travel until they have completed their fourth vaccination. Only essential personnel will be dispatched for business trips to the Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2022 event scheduled to be held on Aug. 10 and IFA 2022, Europe's largest IT exhibition to be held in Germany next month.



SK Group strengthened its regulations on dinner gatherings and other meetings as well as domestic business trips, overtime work and training. It recommended that meetings be conducted online. SK Group employees should self-diagnose if they have symptoms of COVID-19 and take preventive quarantine measures until their health recovers and they have negative test results.



Hyundai Motor Group strengthened its quarantine guidelines last month. On July 19, Hyundai Motor and Kia Corp. changed their guidelines recommending the use of videoconferencing for training and meetings, and measures were taken to discourage gatherings and activities outside of work.



"We have been continuing the work-from-home policies and strengthened restrictions on dinner gatherings and business trips," a Hyundai Motor Group official said.



LG affiliates strengthened their in-house quarantine guidelines during the summer vacation period through Aug. 31. The company recommended maintaining 30 percent of employees work from home and made it mandatory to conduct a COVID-19 self-test before returning to the office.



Some believe companies could return to work-from-home policies for most of their employees if COVID-19 infection rates continue to rise.



"If the government strengthens quarantine rules, such as implementing social distancing measures, there is a possibility that work from home will be fully introduced again," an official from a large corporation said.




A Linn County trial of a Gates man accused of child pornography is paused while the judge considers a defense request for an immediate acquittal.

The attorney for John DiMolfetto, 39, submitted a 15-page document requesting the acquittal on Tuesday, Aug. 2, the second day of a court trial in Linn County Circuit Court.

The move had prosecutor Douglas Prince calling defense attorney Zachary Stern's action unethical and inappropriate.

DiMolfetto is charged with six counts of using a child in a display of sexually explicit conduct, three counts of encouraging child sex abuse in the first degree and four instances of luring a minor. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

According to court paperwork, DiMolfetto adopted multiple personas of teenage girls to interact with adolescents over the messaging apps TextNow and Pinger. Though none of the victims faces were shown, he persuaded them to create and send obscene photos and recordings, Prince said.

It all comes down to an overwhelmingly prolific catfish, Prince said during his closing argument. The defendant sought the trust of so many young girls and obtain photos of them by supplying photos of other juvenile girls  all in an effort to satisfy his own sexual desires.

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The charging documents allege DiMolfetto committed these crimes between March and April of 2020 in Oregon, though he visited his mother in California for a week during that time.

Stern argued there is no sufficient evidence and should be found not guilty.

We dont convict people for having improper thoughts, we convict them based on the charge of conduct, he said.

Judge Brendan Kane, who is presiding over the two-day, no-jury trial, said he needed time to review the request for acquittal and is expected to rule Wednesday, Aug. 3.
In this photo released by the Taiwan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, center, walks with Taiwan's Foreign Minister Joseph Wu, left, as she arrives in Taipei, Taiwan, Aug. 2. AP-Yonhap



U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi landed in Taiwan late Tuesday, defying a string of increasingly stark warnings and threats from China that have sent tensions between the world's two superpowers soaring.



Pelosi, second in line to the presidency, is the highest-profile elected U.S. official to visit Taiwan in 25 years and Beijing has made clear that it regards her presence as a major provocation, setting the region on edge.



Live broadcasts showed the 82-year-old lawmaker, who flew on a U.S. military aircraft, being greeted at Taipei's Songshan Airport by foreign minister Joseph Wu.



"Our delegation's visit to Taiwan honors America's unwavering commitment to supporting Taiwan's vibrant democracy," she said in a statement upon her arrival, adding that her visit "in no way contradicts" U.S. policy towards Taipei and Beijing.



Taiwan said the trip displayed "rock solid" support from Washington.



Reaction from Beijing was swift with U.S. Ambassador Nicholas Burns summoned by the Foreign Ministry late Tuesday and warned that Washington "shall pay the price" for Pelosi's visit.



"The move is extremely egregious in nature and the consequences are extremely serious," China's Vice Foreign Minister Xie Feng was quoted as saying by the state news agency Xinhua. "China will not sit idly by."



Pelosi is currently on a tour of Asia and while neither she nor her office confirmed the Taipei visit in advance, multiple U.S. and Taiwanese media outlets reported it was on the cards  triggering days of mounting anger from Beijing.



China's military said it was on "high alert" and would "launch a series of targeted military actions in response" to the visit.



It promptly announced plans for a series of military exercises in waters around the island to begin on Wednesday, including "long-range live ammunition shooting" in the Taiwan Strait.



"Those who play with fire will perish by it," Beijing's foreign ministry added.



Taiwan's defence ministry said more than 21 Chinese military aircraft had flown on Tuesday into Taiwan's air defence identification zone  an area wider than its territorial airspace that overlaps with part of China's own air defence zone.



No need for 'crisis'



China considers self-ruled, democratic Taiwan as its territory and has vowed to one day seize the island, by force if necessary.



It tries to keep Taiwan isolated on the world stage and opposes countries having official exchanges with Taipei.









In a call with U.S. President Joe Biden last week, Chinese President Xi Jinping warned Washington against "playing with fire" on Taiwan.



While the Biden administration is understood to be opposed to Pelosi's Taiwan stop, White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said she was entitled to go where she pleased.



"There is no reason for this to erupt into conflict. There's no change to our policy," he told CNN shortly after Pelosi's arrival.



The last speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives to visit Taiwan was Newt Gingrich in 1997.



Kirby reiterated that U.S. policy was unchanged toward Taiwan.



This means support for its self-ruling government, while diplomatically recognizing Beijing over Taipei and opposing a formal independence declaration by Taiwan or a forceful takeover by China.



Russia's foreign ministry called Pelosi's visit a "clear provocation," and said Beijing "has the right to take necessary measures to protect its sovereignty and territorial integrity over the Taiwan issue."



China has refused to condemn Russia's invasion of Ukraine and has been accused of providing diplomatic cover for the Kremlin by blasting Western sanctions and arms sales to Kyiv.





An article on China's response to US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan was published on the front page of the Global Times English version in Beijing, China, Aug. 2. EPA-Yonhap
A Sweet Home man charged with multiple child sex crimes was sentenced to 40 years in prison on Wednesday morning, Aug. 3 in Linn County Circuit Court.

Michael Anthony Giroux, 37, had pleaded no contest to 11 charges of first-degree encouraging child sexual abuse. He was arrested in April.

Judge Brendan Kane delivered the sentence: 44 months for each count, to run consecutively for a total of 484 months. Following Girouxs presumptive release from the Department of Corrections, he will receive post-prison supervision for 10 years minus time served.

Based on his prolific criminal history involving sex-related convictions, Kane said Giroux is ineligible for alternative correction programs, though he does qualify for earned time and good time.

According to court paperwork, between Aug. 31 and April 14 Giroux possessed graphic visual recordings of sexually explicit conduct involving multiple children. The documents allege that each recording is of a different child.

The Albany Police Department arrested Giroux on April 14 on suspicion of several counts of child pornography. The charged documents state that Giroux waived indictment and pleaded no contest to the charges on July 27.

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Prosecutor Conor McCahill called child sex crimes a scourge in this country, and asked the court to impose the full sentence.

Both McCahill and Defense attorney Erik Moeller declined a request for comment following the sentencing.
Voters in unincorporated Linn County communities will see a measure on the General Election ballot Nov. 8 that proposes an all-out ban on the use and manufacture of therapeutic mushrooms.

Voters made Oregon the first to legalize psilocybin when they greenlit the use, manufacture, and sales of the drug in 2020 under state Ballot Measure 109. A pair of Portland-area therapists argued the psychedelic compound produced in certain mushroom species can treat the effects of anxiety, depression and trauma.

Under the measure, Oregon counties and municipalities automatically opt in to permitting psilocybin. Local governments that dont act go along with a state edict to get psilocybin treatment up and running, but they are able to set time, manner and place restrictions.

Counties and incorporated cities can opt out with a vote in the Nov. 8 General Election. Governments have until Aug. 19 to get a local ban or moratorium on the fall ballot.

While statewide, voters favored the measure by a 56-44 margin, in Linn County, those numbers were flipped, with 55% voting no and 45% voting yes.

Linn County Commissioners Roger Nyquist, Sherrie Sprenger and Will Tucker approved the language for a permanent ban during the Tuesday, Aug. 2 meeting, with Sprenger noting the it sometimes feels like local voices are not heard on a state or national level.

This is an opportunity for local governance, she said. I enthusiastically pass this onto the voters of Linn County to see what they want on this.

Here is the language voters will see on their ballot:

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Shall Linn County prohibit psilocybin product manufacturers and psilocybin service center operators in the unincorporated areas of Linn County?

The commissioners decided June 21 to put the matter on the general election ballot. They have since heard two readings of the proposed mushroom ordinance, a required step in sending the issue to the ballot.

Psilocybin mushrooms, commonly known as psychedelic mushrooms, have been shown in some U.S. Food and Drug Administration studies to be an effective treatment for mental health conditions including addiction, depression, anxiety and end-of-life distress.

Due to their psychedelic nature, however, they have become a hot button topic throughout the state.
KYIV, Ukraine (AP)  The first ship carrying Ukrainian grain set out Monday from the port of Odesa under an internationally brokered deal to unblock the embattled country's agricultural exports and ease the growing global food crisis.

The Sierra Leone-flagged cargo ship Razoni sounded its horn as it slowly departed with over 26,000 tons of corn destined for Lebanon.

The first grain ship since Russian aggression has left port, Ukrainian Minister of Infrastructure Oleksandr Kubrakov declared on Twitter.

Russia and Ukraine signed agreements in Istanbul with Turkey and the U.N. on July 22, clearing the way for Ukraine to export 22 million tons of grain and other agricultural products that have been stuck in Black Sea ports because of Russias invasion of Ukraine more than five months ago. The deals also allow Russia to export grain and fertilizer.

As part of the agreements, safe corridors through the mined waters outside Ukraine's ports were established.

Ukraine and Russia are major global suppliers of wheat, barley, corn and sunflower oil, with the fertile Black Sea region long known as the breadbasket of Europe. The holdup of food shipments because of the war has worsened rising food prices worldwide and threatened hunger and political instability in developing nations.

Today Ukraine, together with partners, takes another step to prevent world hunger," Kubrakov said.

In Moscow, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov hailed the ship's departure as very positive, saying it would help test the efficiency of the mechanisms that were agreed to during the talks in Istanbul.

Under the agreements, ships going in and out of Ukrainian ports will be subject to inspection to make sure that incoming vessels are not carrying weapons and that outgoing ones are bearing only grain, fertilizer or related food items, not any other commodities.

The Razoni was expected to dock early Wednesday in Istanbul, where teams of Russian, Ukrainian, Turkish and U.N. officials were set to board it for inspection.

More ships are expected to leave from Ukraines ports through the safe corridors. At Odesa, 16 more vessels, all blocked since Russias invasion on Feb. 24, were waiting their turn, with others to follow, Ukrainian authorities said.

But some shipping companies are not yet rushing to export food across the Black Sea as they assess the danger of mines and the risk of Russian rockets hitting grain warehouses and ports.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who proposed the grain deal in April, said the Razoni was "loaded with two commodities in short supply: corn and hope.

Hope for millions of people around the world who depend on the smooth running of Ukraines ports to feed their families, he said.

In an interview with Turkeys state-run Anadolu Agency, Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar warned that the global food crisis threatens to trigger a serious wave of migration from Africa to Europe and to Turkey.

Lebanon, the corns destination, is in the grip of a severe financial crisis. A 2020 explosion at its main port in Beirut shattered its capital city and destroyed grain silos. Lebanon mostly imports wheat from Ukraine but also buys its corn to make cooking oil and produce animal feed.

Kubrakov said the shipments will also help Ukraines war-shattered economy.

Unlocking ports will provide at least $1 billion in foreign exchange revenue to the economy and an opportunity for the agricultural sector to plan for next year, he said.

Hearing the ship sound its horn as it left port delighted Olena Vitalievna, an Odesa resident.

Finally, life begins to move forward and there are some changes in a positive direction," she said. "In general, the port should live its own life because Odesa is a port city. We live here. We want everything to work for us, everything to bustle.

Yet the resumption of the grain shipments came as fighting raged elsewhere in Ukraine, with Russia pressing its offensive in the east while Ukraine tries to retake territory in the Russian-occupied south.

Ukraines presidential office said at least three civilians were killed and 16 wounded by Russian shelling in the Donetsk region over the past 24 hours.

Donetsk Gov. Pavlo Kyrylenko repeated a call for all residents to evacuate, emphasizing the need to remove about 52,000 children still in the region.

In Kharkiv, two people were wounded by a Russian strike in the morning. One was struck while waiting for a bus, the other when a Russian shell exploded near an apartment building.

The southern city of Mykolaiv also faced shelling that ruined a building at a hospital and damaged ambulances, according to regional Gov. Vitaliy Kim. Three civilians were wounded elsewhere in the city, he said.

Soon after the grain shipment deal was signed, a Russian missile targeted Odesa. Analysts warned that the continuing fighting could still upend the grain deal.

The departure of the first vessel doesnt solve the food crisis; its just the first step that could also be the last if Russia decides to continue attacks in the south," said Volodymyr Sidenko, an expert with the Kyiv-based Razumkov Center think tank.

In other developments, Russia announced sanctions against dozens of British public figures, accusing them of supporting the demonization and international isolation of Moscow.

The 39 politicians, businesspeople and journalists barred from entering Russia include former Prime Minister David Cameron, senior government ministers, and columnists for newspapers including The Times and The Guardian.
Visiting U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, center, waves to journalists during her arrival at the Parliament in Taipei, Aug. 3. AFP-Yonhap



U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Wednesday that her delegation had come to Taiwan in "peace for the region", after the visit enraged Beijing and set off a diplomatic firestorm.



She landed in Taiwan late Tuesday, defying a string of increasingly stark warnings and threats from China, which views Taiwan as its territory and had warned it would consider her visit a major provocation.



Pelosi, second in line to the presidency, is the highest-profile elected U.S. official to visit Taiwan in 25 years.



"We come in friendship to Taiwan, we come in peace to the region," she said during a meeting with Tsai Chi-chang, the deputy speaker of Taiwan's parliament.



As Pelosi  who is on a tour of Asia  touched down in a military aircraft after days of feverish speculation about her plans, the reaction from Beijing was swift.



U.S. Ambassador Nicholas Burns was summoned by the Chinese foreign ministry late Tuesday and warned that Washington "shall pay the price".






By Matthew Creith |

Since its debut in theaters in July, Jordan Peeles newest hit film Nope has become the go-to movie of the summer for many audiences. The third directorial effort in Peeles filmography, Nope boasts a cast that includes Daniel Kaluuya, Keke Palmer, and Steven Yeun. With much-discussed moments that surround the movies overall themes of monetizing spectacles, Nope reveals a lot of sequences that seem to matter to Peele the most. One of those sequences encompasses very famous scenes from a fan-favorite Japanese anime movie, Akira, that apparently Peele was once thought of to direct a live-action version of. Part of a scene from Akira has now made its way onto social media with a split-screen of Peele discussing the scene on Twitter, laughing about how he ended up using some of Akiras elements into the mix of Nope.

Jordan Peele was once in talks to direct the live action Akira movie but at least he got to do the iconic motorcycle slide in Nope. @JordanPeele #NOPEmovie pic.twitter.com/CK4PxCs6Xv  IGN (@IGN) July 28, 2022

In the video clip that made its way onto Twitter, Jordan Peele details how even though he was no longer in consideration to direct a live-action version of Akira, he still incorporated the famous motorcycle slide into Nope. As reported by IndieWire in 2017, Peele was in talks to direct Akira but decided against adapting it for American audiences because he wanted to focus on original content rather than appealing to a pre-existing fanbase. Nevertheless, the director still incorporated some of Akiras elements into Nope, seeing as Akira is apparently one of Peeles favorite movies of all time.

Akira is a 1988 anime film that has become a cult classic among many of its loyal fans since its debut. The Telegraph notes that Akira is one of the best action movies of all time, praising its stylistic approach, futuristic animation, and post-apocalyptic overtones. Akira takes place in 2019 where a biker obtains telekinetic powers which threaten the dystopian nature of an antagonistic military force surrounding a growing rebellion among Tokyos futuristic population. Contrastly in Nope, Jordan Peele takes audiences into a world full of unidentified flying objects set against a backdrop of Hollywood and desert ranch life.

Nope has been a success for Jordan Peele, adding to his ongoing presence as an original creator in the directing and writing film space. Rotten Tomatoes currently ranks Nope with an 82% on its Tomatometer based on 307 critic reviews, along with a 69% Audience Score from users to the site. Metacritic lists the movie with a 77 on its Metascore and a 6.8 rating for its User Score. All of this typically denotes generally favorable reviews from critics and audiences alike, which is in line with Peeles other projects, Get Out and Us. Since it looks like the director wont be helming a live-action adaptation of Akira anytime soon, fans of the horror genre will probably be on pins and needles to see what Peele comes up with for his next film.
The Sierra Leone-flagged cargo ship Razoni, carrying Ukrainian grain, is seen in the Black Sea off Kilyos, near Istanbul, Turkey, Aug. 2. Reuters-Yonhap



Russia on Tuesday accused the United States of direct involvement in the Ukraine war while the first ship carrying Ukrainian grain to world markets since Moscow's invasion anchored safely off Turkey's coast after a problem-free journey.



Russia said it was responding to comments by Vadym Skibitsky, Ukraine's deputy head of military intelligence, about the way Kyiv had used U.S.-made and supplied High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) launchers based on what he called excellent satellite imagery and real-time information.



Skibitsky told Britain's Telegraph newspaper there was consultation between U.S. and Ukrainian intelligence officials before strikes and that Washington had an effective veto on intended targets, though he said U.S. officials were not providing direct targeting information.



Russia's defense ministry, headed by a close ally of President Vladimir Putin, said the interview showed that Washington was entangled in the conflict despite repeated assertions that it was limiting its role to arms supplies because it did not want a direct confrontation with Moscow.



"All this undeniably proves that Washington, contrary to White House and Pentagon claims, is directly involved in the conflict in Ukraine," the Russian defense ministry said in a statement.



"It is the Biden administration that is directly responsible for all Kyiv-approved rocket attacks on residential areas and civilian infrastructure in populated areas of Donbas and other regions, which have resulted in mass deaths of civilians."



There was no immediate reaction from the White House or Pentagon to the ministry's assertions.



The Pentagon did deny, however, Moscow's claims that Russia had destroyed six U.S.-made HIMARS since the war in Ukraine began on Feb. 24. Russia regularly claims it has hit HIMARS but has yet to show proof.



Ukraine and the West accuse Russia of carrying out devastating missile attacks on civilian targets on an almost daily basis. Both sides deny deliberately targeting civilians.



The accuracy and long range of missile systems provided by the West were intended to reduce Russia's artillery advantage, but Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiyy on Tuesday night said that despite those supplies, his country's forces could not yet overcome Russian advantages in heavy guns and manpower.



"This is very much felt in combat, especially in the Donbas. ... It is just hell there. Words cannot describe it," he said.



A Russian diplomat said at the United Nations that the conflict in Ukraine does not warrant Russia's use of nuclear weapons, but Moscow could decide to use its nuclear arsenal in response to "direct aggression" by NATO countries over the invasion.



At a nuclear non-proliferation conference, diplomat Alexander Trofimov said Moscow would only use nuclear weapons in response to weapons of mass destruction or a conventional weapons attack that threatened

the existence of the Russian state.



"None of these two hypothetical scenarios is relevant to the situation in Ukraine," Trofimov, a senior diplomat in the non-proliferation and arms control department of Russia's foreign ministry, told the U.N. conference to review the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.





This photograph taken on July 31, shows a grain combine harvester collecting wheat near Novoazovsk outside Mariupol, amid the ongoing Russian military action in Ukraine. AFP-Yonhap
Washington, D.C., Aug. 02, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Public statements, emails, and recent publicly released documents establish that the President of the United States and other senior officials in the Biden Administration violated the First Amendment by directing social-media companies to censor viewpoints that conflict with the governments messaging on Covid-19. Today, the New Civil Liberties Alliance joined the lawsuit, State of Missouri ex rel. Schmitt, et al. v. Joseph R. Biden, Jr., et al., representing renowned epidemiologists and co-authors of the Great Barrington Declaration, Drs. Jayanta Bhattacharya and Martin Kulldorff, as well as Dr. Aaron Kheriaty and Jill Hines. Social media platforms, acting at the federal governments behest, repeatedly censored NCLAs clients for articulating views on those platforms in opposition to government-approved views on Covid-19 restrictions.

This insidious censorship was the direct result of the federal governments ongoing campaign to silence those who voice perspectives that deviate from those of the Biden Administration. Government officials public threats to punish social media companies that did not do their bidding demonstrate this linkage, as do emails from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to social media companies that only recently were made public.

Government-induced censorship is achieved through a wide variety of mechanisms, ranging from complete bans, temporary bans, shadow bans (where often neither the user nor his audience is notified of the suppression of speech), deboosting, de-platforming, de-monetizing, restricting access to content, requiring users to take down content, and imposing warning labels that require click-through to access content, among others. These methods also include temporary and permanent suspensions of disfavored speakers.

This sort of censorship, which strikes at the heart of what the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was designed to protectfree speech, especially political speechconstitutes unlawful government action. The federal government is deciding whose voices and ideas may be heard, and whose voices and ideas must be silenced. Moreover, this state action deprives Americans of their right to hear the views of those who are being silenced, a First Amendment corollary of the right to free speech. The governments policy of coercing social-media companies to censor Plaintiffs viewpoints should be declared unlawful and halted immediately.

NCLA released the following statements:

The Biden Administrations involvement in silencing the voices of those who have critiqued its responses to Covid-19, through pressure exerted on social media companies, is unprecedented in nature and degree. Two of the plaintiffs, Drs. Bhattacharya and Kulldorff, are among the worlds most renowned epidemiologists, and had crucial insights to share on the flawed reasoning and science underlying lockdowns and mask and vaccine mandates. Dr. Kheriaty, a professor of medical ethics, and Ms. Hines, a consumer and human rights advocate, also offered thoughtful, reasoned opposition to government-imposed Covid-19 restrictions. The governments sweeping campaign to suppress the perspectives of the plaintiffs, and others like them, represents the most severe abrogation of the First Amendment in modern times, and we look forward to seeing this constitutional atrocity rectified in a court of law.

 Jenin Younes, Litigation Counsel, NCLA

The government may not work through private entities to accomplish censorship that the First Amendment forbids the government from doing directly. Yet that is precisely what these federal defendants have been up to. NCLA is delighted to join forces with these state attorneys-general to reverse this constitutional outrage and restore free speech to the social media platforms that are todays public square.

 Mark Chenoweth, President and General Counsel, NCLA

For more information visit the case page here.

ABOUT NCLA

NCLA is a nonpartisan, nonprofit civil rights group founded by prominent legal scholar Philip Hamburger to protect constitutional freedoms from violations by the Administrative State. NCLAs public-interest litigation and other pro bono advocacy strive to tame the unlawful power of state and federal agencies and to foster a new civil liberties movement that will help restore Americans fundamental rights.

###
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Aug. 02, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Euro Manganese Inc. (TSX-V and ASX: EMN; OTCQX: EUMNF; Frankfurt: E06) ("Euro Manganese", the "Company" or "EMN") is pleased to release highlights of the Life Cycle Assessment ("LCA" or "Study") recently completed for the Companys Chvaletice Manganese Project ("CMP" or "Project") located in the Czech Republic.



Euro Manganese engaged Minviro Ltd. ("Minviro"), a UK-based and globally recognized sustainability and life cycle assessment consultancy, and RCS Global Ltd. ("RCS Global"), a leading global auditor of battery material supply chains, to conduct a cradle-to-gate, critically reviewed study quantifying the environmental impacts, including the carbon footprint, of producing high-purity manganese products from manganese-rich historic mine tailings at the CMP.

The results of the LCA validate the environmental value proposition of the CMP and identify potential opportunities for further impact reduction. Delivery of the LCA is timely as Euro Manganese continues to engage with customers in the Electric Vehicle ("EV") battery/automotive space, each of whom are testing and qualifying both the chemistry and environmental credentials of EMNs high-purity manganese products.

Highlights

Using 100% renewable electricity to power the processing plant significantly reduces the CMPs carbon footprint, measured in the LCA as Global Warming Potential (" GWP "). The Company is actively working to secure renewable power offtake contracts with a potential target mix of 50% wind and 50% solar to meet the plants energy requirements. The Companys working assumption is the use of 100% renewable electricity, referred to as the Target Scenario in the LCA.

"). The Company is actively working to secure renewable power offtake contracts with a potential target mix of 50% wind and 50% solar to meet the plants energy requirements. The Companys working assumption is the use of 100% renewable electricity, referred to as the Target Scenario in the LCA. Assuming the use of renewable electricity, the Projects GWP is expected to be 6.6 kg CO 2 eq. per kg of high-purity electrolytic manganese metal (" HPEMM ") and 2.3 kg CO 2 eq. per kg high-purity manganese sulphate monohydrate (" HPMSM "). Assuming the standard Czech electrical grid mix, the total GWP impact is expected be 13.9 kg CO 2 eq. per kg HPEMM and 4.8 kg CO 2 eq. per kg HPMSM.

eq. per kg of high-purity electrolytic manganese metal (" ") and 2.3 kg CO eq. per kg high-purity manganese sulphate monohydrate (" "). Assuming the standard Czech electrical grid mix, the total GWP impact is expected be 13.9 kg CO eq. per kg HPEMM and 4.8 kg CO eq. per kg HPMSM. The results of the GWP impact analysis have been divided into three scopes, following the guidelines of the Greenhouse Gas (" GHG ") Protocol, which provides the Company with a full GHG emissions inventory.

") Protocol, which provides the Company with a full GHG emissions inventory. The LCA confirms multiple environmental benefits from the remediation of the historic tailings area, particularly in terms of soil quality and freshwater quality. Both improve over the lifetime of the Project as remediation avoids the current leaching of metals and reduces the impacts of the historic tailings to soil and water streams.

Opportunities exist to further reduce the CMPs carbon footprint by sourcing reagents from manufacturers with lower environmental impact than those assumed in the study. The Company is committed to identifying and selecting suppliers with commitments to decarbonization.

The LCA was conducted according to the requirements of ISO-14040:2006 and ISO-14044:2006, which included a critical review by an independent LCA expert, and will provide Euro Manganese with an independently verified assessment for financiers and customers. RCS Global also reviewed and commented on the LCA study.

Minviro is also undertaking a benchmarking exercise where the CMPs GWP will be compared against similar projects and operations producing high-purity manganese products. The Company intends to release the results of this analysis once complete.



Dr. Matthew James, Euro Manganeses President and CEO, said: I am pleased the results of this Life Cycle Assessment confirm the environmental credentials of the Chvaletice Manganese Project, namely its low carbon footprint and the net positive benefits of remediating the historic tailings area, where the quality of soil and freshwater actually improve over the lifetime of our Project.

These LCA results are a crucial part of customer qualification, as transparency into the origin and environmental footprint of battery metal production is increasingly important as automotive manufacturers use strategic procurement to meet their targets of lower carbon emissions across their supply chains.

Euro Manganeses plans to purchase 100% renewable electricity reduces the GWP to 2.3 kg CO 2 eq. per kg high-purity manganese sulphate. To put this in context, the Nickel Institute reports1 a GWP of 5.4 kg CO 2 eq. per kg of nickel sulphate. I am confident the use of renewable energy will show our results are favourable against similar operations producing high-purity manganese products, to be confirmed in the benchmarking study currently underway.

Euro Manganese has the only known supply of manganese ore in the European Union, making our high-purity manganese products fully traceable from mine to market, and it is our duty to develop that resource in the most environmentally responsible manner.

Scope of the Life Cycle Assessment

The LCA evaluates the life cycle impact of the two high-purity manganese products that the CMP produces, HPEMM and HPMSM. The reported values are based on the production of 1 kg of HPEMM and 1 kg of HPMSM respectively from manganese-rich historic sulfidic mine tailings. The process assessed is from the point of tailings extraction (cradle) to HPMSM production (end gate) and is based on data and the production process outlined in EMNs Definitive Feasibility Study (DFS), the results of which were released on July 27, 2022.

The Study assesses two scenarios, a baseline, where electricity demands of the Project are met by the Czech grid, and a target scenario, where electricity demands are met by renewable energy sources. The transport of reagents, sourced from within Europe, is included in the scope.

The LCA measures five impact categories: the CMPs global warming potential, water scarcity footprint, land use, freshwater eutrophication potential and freshwater ecotoxicity potential. Results of these categories can be found in the Results Summary Table in Appendix I.

Global Warming Potential

The CMPs GWP is expected to be 6.6 kg CO 2 eq. per kg HPEMM and 2.3 kg CO 2 eq. per kg HPMSM assuming 100% renewable electricity is used. Assuming electricity from the standard Czech grid is used, the Projects GWP is expected to be 13.9 kg CO 2 eq. per kg HPEMM and 4.8 kg CO 2 eq. per kg HPMSM. The GWP can be subdivided into Scope 1, 2 and 3 GHG emissions, detailed in the Table below.

LCA Summary of Global Warming Potential Scope Emissions for HPEMM & HPMSM

Target Scenario:

Renewable Electricity Baseline Scenario:

Czech Electrical Grid Mix Impact Category HPEMM

(kg CO 2 eq. per kg) HPMSM

(kg CO 2 eq. per kg) HPEMM

(kg CO 2 eq. per kg) HPMSM

(kg CO 2 eq. per kg) Scope 1 1.2 0.4 1.2 0.4 Scope 2 2.1 0.7 9.5 3.3 Scope 3 3.3 1.2 3.3 1.2 Total 6.6 2.3 13.9 4.8

Note: Totals may not add exactly due to rounding.



Scope 1: direct GHG emissions from owned or controlled sources; for example, emissions associated with the combustion of fossil fuels on-site, such as process emissions.

Scope 2: indirect GHG emissions from the generation of purchased energy; for example, thermal or electrical energy that is imported and used at site.

Scope 3: any other indirect upstream emissions; for example, from the impact of manufacturing consumables and transport of reagents.



The contributors to GWP in the production of HPEMM are mostly associated with electricity use in the electrowinning stage and quicklime consumption in the Fe/P removal stage. The contributors to GWP in the production of HPMSM are mostly associated with the production of HPEMM, as HPEMM is a precursor product to the further-refined HPMSM product.

Water Scarcity Footprint

The CMPs water scarcity footprint is expected to be 29.2 kg water eq. per kg HPEMM and 11.0 kg water eq. per kg HPMSM assuming the target scenario and 35.2 kg water eq. per kg HPEMM and 13.7 kg water eq. per kg HPMSM assuming the baseline scenario. For both products, direct water use is the largest contributing factor to the Projects water scarcity footprint, while indirect water use stemming from water embodied in energy and reagents does not contribute much. The potential for water deprivation to humans or ecosystems is not considered significant as the Project is located in an area with a low water scarcity index and the water used in processing is intended to be from secondary sources.

Land Use Transformation

In four of the five categories evaluated to assess the CMPs impacts on land use, results showed a benefit to the environment of remediating the historic tailings area.

Categories showing a benefit included biotic production, groundwater regeneration, mechanical filtration and physicochemical filtration. An exception was in the soil erosion category as compaction and textures of the tailings area, processing plant and storage area will be changed after land occupation and transformation over the life of the Project. The likelihood of erosion is not considered significant. The total transformation impact is 4.2E-4 kg of increased soil loss per kg HPEMM, or 2.1E-4 kg of increased soil loss per kg HPMSM.

Freshwater Eutrophication

The CMPs freshwater eutrophication impact is expected to be 2.0E-3 kg P eq. HPEMM and -9.6E-4kg P eq. HPMSM assuming the target scenario and 9.7E-3 kg P eq. HPEMM and 3.5E-3 kg P eq. HPMSM assuming the baseline scenario. For both products, the main driver is the embodied impact of consuming material and energy inputs. Benefits to the environment were seen with the remediation of the historic tailings as further leaching of metals is avoided.

Eutrophication is the build-up of a concentration of chemical nutrients in an ecosystem which leads to abnormal productivity, such as excessive algae in rivers causing reductions in water quality and animal populations.

Freshwater Ecotoxicity

The CMPs freshwater ecotoxicity impact is expected to be 15.1 Comparative Toxic Unit ("CTU") eq. per kg HPEMM and 5.0 CTU eq. per kg HPMSM assuming the target scenario and 15.4 CTU eq. per kg HPEMM and 5.5 CTU eq. per kg HPMSM assuming the baseline scenario. The main driver for this is the use of chemicals in the purification process for HPEMM production, which has a large embodied upstream impact.

Ecotoxicity is the potential of a chemical substance to cause harm or damage to ecosystems, which, with respect to freshwater, is represented by the toxic effect on aquifer freshwater species in the water column.

APPENDIX I - LCA Results Summary for HPEMM & HPMSM

Target Scenario:

Renewable Electricity

Baseline Scenario:

Czech Electrical Grid

Mix

Impact Category HPEMM HPMSM HPEMM HPMSM Units (per kg

HPEMM/HPMSM) Global Warming Potential 6.6 2.3 13.9 4. kg CO 2 eq. Water Scarcity Footprint 29.2 11.0 35.2 13.7 kg water eq. Land Use  Biotic Production

(Transformation) -1.3E-2

-6.7E-3 -1.3E-2 -6.7E-3

kg eq. Land Use  Biotic Production

(Occupation) -1.3E-3 -6.7E-4 -1.3E-3

-6.7E-4

kg eq. x year Land Use  Erosion Resistance

(Transformation) 4.2E-4

2.1E-4 4.2E-4

2.1E-4

kg eq. Land Use  Erosion Resistance

(Occupation) 9.7E-6

4.9E-6 9.7E-6

4.9E-6 kg eq. x year Land Use  Groundwater Regeneration

(Transformation) -7.7E-4

-3.9E-4

-7.7E-4

-3.9E-4

m3 eq. Land Use  Groundwater Regeneration

(Occupation) -1.7E-4

-8.6E-5

-1.7E-4

-8.6E-5 m3 eq. x year Land Use  Mechanical Filtration

(Transformation) -5.8 -2.9 -5.8 -2.9 m3 eq. Land Use  Mechanical Filtration

(Occupation) -6.1E-1 -3.1E-1

-6.1E-1 -3.1E-1 m3 eq. x year Land Use  Physicochemical Filtration

(Transformation) -8.4E-1 -1.7 -8.4E-1 -1.7 mol eq. Land Use  Physicochemical Filtration

(Occupation) -8.8E-2 -3.3E-2 -8.8E-2 -3.3E-2 mol eq. x year Freshwater Eutrophication 2.0E-3 -9.6E-4 9.7E-3 3.5E-3 kg P eq. Freshwater Ecotoxicity 15.1 5.0 15.4 5.5 CTU eq.



About Euro Manganese Inc.



Euro Manganese Inc. is a battery materials company focused on becoming a leading, competitive, and environmentally superior producer of high-purity manganese for the electric vehicle (EV) industry and other high-technology applications. The Company is advancing development of the Chvaletice Manganese Project in the Czech Republic, which is a unique waste-to-value recycling and remediation opportunity involving reprocessing old tailings from a decommissioned mine. The Chvaletice Project is the only sizable resource of manganese in the European Union, strategically positioning the Company to provide battery supply chains with critical raw materials to support the global shift to a circular, low-carbon economy.

About Minviro Ltd.

Minviro is a London-based and globally recognized consultancy and technology company specializing in carrying out life cycle assessments in the raw material sector and technology minerals and metals space. The company provides quantitative environmental and climate impact data for mineral resource projects and operations, battery manufacturers and the EV industry to make environmentally informed decisions. ( www.minviro.com )

About RCS Global Ltd.

RCS Global is a world leading, vertically integrated ESG audit, consulting, and data solutions provider with a specialisation in battery material supply chains.

https://nickelinstitute.org/media/4901/lifecycledata-summary-update2020.pdf



Authorized for release by the CEO of Euro Manganese Inc.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) or the ASX accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Inquiries

Dr. Matthew James

President & CEO

+44 (0)747 229 6688

Louise Burgess

Senior Director Investor Relations & Communications

+1 (604) 312-7546

lburgess@mn25.ca

Company Address: #709 -700 West Pender St., Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, V6C 1G8

Website: www.mn25.ca

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements in this news release constitute forward-looking statements or forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Such statements and information involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company, its projects, or industry results, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements or information. Such statements can be identified by the use of words such as may, would, could, will, intend, expect, believe, plan, anticipate, estimate, scheduled, forecast, predict and other similar terminology, or state that certain actions, events or results may, could, would, might or will be taken, occur or be achieved. Such forward-looking information or statements relate to future events or future performance about the Company and its business and operations. Further, it should be noted that no production decision has been made with respect to the Project and that such a decision will only be made based on permitting and financing having been secured.

Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information or statements. Forward-looking statements and information involve significant risks and uncertainties, should not be read as guarantees of future performance or results and will not necessarily be accurate indicators of whether or not such results will be achieved. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from the results discussed in the forward-looking statements or information, including, but not limited to, the factors discussed under Risks Notice and elsewhere in the Companys MD&A, as well as the inability to obtain regulatory approvals in a timely manner; the potential for unknown or unexpected events to cause contractual conditions to not be satisfied; unexpected changes in laws, rules or regulations, or their enforcement by applicable authorities; the failure of parties to contracts with the Company to perform as agreed; social or labour unrest; changes in commodity prices; and the failure of exploration programs or studies to deliver anticipated results or results that would justify and support continued exploration, studies, development or operations.

Although the forward-looking statements contained in this news release are based upon what management of the Company believes are reasonable assumptions, the Company cannot assure investors that actual results will be consistent with these forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release and are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. Subject to applicable securities laws, the Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise the forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect events or circumstances occurring after the date of this news release. The Companys actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of the factors set forth in the Risks Notice section and elsewhere in the Companys MD&A for the year ended September 30, 2021 and its Annual Information Form.
Driftwood, Aug. 02, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Driftwood, Texas -

Driftwood, TX based Blingle! of Greater Austin would like to reach out to Texas residents who may be in search of an outdoor lighting installation and maintenance provider. The company offers a wide variety of lighting solutions for both homes and businesses, and thanks to their team of dedicated professionals, they can create unforgettable experiences for years to come by helping to bring their customers visions to light. Their services cover landscape and patio lighting, holiday lighting, permanent lighting, event lighting and commercial lighting (among others). They also boast a reputation for being one of the top lighting companies in the greater Austin area, and they are always happy to show how they earned it.



Their landscape and patio lighting services provide beautiful and functional lighting for patios, decks, porches, gazebos and a variety of other outdoor spaces. The company says, The Blingle team of experts will leverage our exterior lighting portfolio to merge beauty and functionality for your homes landscape and patio needs. Highlight the beauty of your homes architecture and create the perfect outdoor venue with durable, weather-proofed lighting that will withstand even the harshest of elements. Let us help you on your next premier lighting project.



Blingle follows a detailed and efficient plan whenever they work on a lighting project in order to ensure that the needs of their customers are met and that the work is done the right way the first time  from consultation to insulation. Their lighting installation process follows 7 steps; consultation, lighting demo, written proposal, contract and scheduling, installation, maintenance and finally takedown. The consultation stage can be conducted virtually and in person. During a consultation, Blingles design specialists collaborate with the customer to assess the project and come up with a digital, visual representation of the customers property so they can see how it will look once the project is complete.



The next stage starts once all the design elements are defined. They use all the photos ther team captures onsite to come up with a lighting demo, and it is at this stage that any edits can be made to ensure a precise implementation based on the customers feedback and desired changes. Following this, Blingle will offer a written proposal (including price estimates and required services) for review. If the customer accepts, Blingle will draw up a formal contract agreement and schedule the installation.



On the day and time of your scheduled appointment, our Blingle lighting experts will arrive onsite to begin your project, says Blingle! of Greater Austin. It is not necessary for you to be present on installation day, so expect to return home to an illuminated oasis when you return. At Blingle, we take pride in our premier lighting projects and stand behind the quality of our work. We offer both workmanship warranties and product warranties on all of our services, so if at any time you have any issues, please contact us and our lighting experts will troubleshoot your issues without additional charge.

Once the event is over (or if a customer wishes to have their lights taken down), Blingle also helps with removal. The goal is to have the customer covered from installation to takedown and finally storage. Customers who had Blingle install their lights over Christmas can have the team take down their lights in early January (or other convenient time).

https://youtu.be/rPLadWatmk4

A number of pleased customers have left excellent reviews of the company. Jeremy Z. says about their experience, Ethan from Blingle came out and gave us a quote this last November. He was great at hearing what we wanted and recommended some things for us. Everything turned out great and looked great. We didnt have any problems with any of the lights, and we live on top of a hill, so its pretty windy all the time in the winter. They came out and took everything down in Jan. Very happy with everything and will definitely be using them this Xmas season!



For more information on the Greater Austin outdoor lighting company, customers may visit their official website. They may also contact the companys representatives directly via phone, email and so on.

###

For more information about Blingle! of Greater Austin, contact the company here:



Blingle! of Greater Austin

Gretchen Seal

512-846-6481

gseal@blingle.com

18281 FM150W Driftwood, TX, 78619
Columbia, Aug. 02, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Columbia, Georgia -

Sol Himalayan Salt Cave & Spa, based in Evans, GA, is encouraging customers to experience their massage therapy services during their next visit. While the day spa may be best known for the relaxing, peaceful salt therapy environments they offer, Sol says any visit can be vastly improved with the help of their experienced massage therapist team.

Since the spa is committed to accommodating all their customers health and wellness needs, they invite interested parties to contact their team to consult on the available massage options. Sol offers a range of massage therapy services that each have their own distinct advantages, and some may be more appropriate for certain conditions. Fortunately, their trained staff can provide assistance or advice as required, to help ensure customers choose the best massage for their health and wellness goals.

Presently, many in the community stop by to make use of Sols himalayan salt cave. This cave, which employs halotherapy to help with numerous conditions (such as asthma, sinusitis, allergies, anxiety, stress, depression and so on) can be supplemented by massage therapy, and Sol says visitors tend to report the greatest improvement in their sense of well-being when they engage with such complementary services.

For instance, a person who visits Sol after a long, stressful day can begin by relaxing in the salt cave to start the process of winding down. While this can be enough for some people, Sol says others may still feel the lingering effects of tension and stress. This is where their massage therapists can help.

Some may choose to schedule a Swedish massage where the therapist will employ light, kneading strokes to release tension from the deepest muscles of the body. While thorough, this massage technique largely has the effect of energizing the body and improving overall health. Alternatively, a deep tissue massage may be requested. The therapist will move more slowly and with more pressure, seeking to reach the deepest layers of muscle tissue, tendons and fascia. Another type of deep tissue massage, cupping therapy, is also available, and Sols therapists can implement it to great effect. Many report improvement with pain, inflammation and blood flow, making it easier for them to relax and achieve a better sense of well-being.

At Sol, the team believes that cosmetic services should not be offered without due consideration for the customers health. As such, in addition to salt therapy and massage therapy, they offer a range of skin and facial treatments that are designed to help a person both feel and look their best. This includes the Sol Revival Facial (60 or 90 minute options), cbdMD Botanical Facial (60 or 90 minute options) and the Mindful Minerals Facial (60 minutes). Some of these services also come with complimentary gifts that the customer can use to continue their wellness experience at home.

The spa enjoys an exceedingly favorable reputation among their customers, with men and women alike sharing highly positive feedback about their services. From a guy's perspective: incredible experience! says one customer in their review. I booked this for the girlfriend and I, completely not knowing what to expect. I chose the Private Setting - Himalayan Salt Cave Session, assuming it would be the most immersive experience. We walked in and were immediately greeted by the hostess and made to feel at home.

He continues, I choose to lay on the blanket on the ground, submerging my hands/feet into the salt. And I have to tell you [it was] a completely relaxing and worthwhile experience!The ambiance in the room was so incredibly surreal/perfect, and we both left feeling so relaxed, even after 45 minutes. We will definitely be back!

Another shares, I took my best friend here to celebrate her birthday. We each got a massage and then a private session in the salt cave. It was extremely relaxing. Everything was beautiful and calming. The salt helped our sinuses. They also have a nice assortment of items to purchase. I cant wait to go back and try the sound bath! Try it. You wont be disappointed!

Notably, there is no order in which a customer has to engage with the spas services. Whether they wish to begin their day of relaxation by immersing themselves in Sols himalayan salt cave or save it for last, they are always welcome at Sol Himalayan Salt Cave & Spa. The spas goal is to help every customer achieve a sense of peace along with improved overall health and wellness.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BeJh5VXoFus&t=6s

Sols website offers more information on their massage services. Those interested are also invited to contact their team directly to follow up on any further inquiries. Additionally, details regarding many of the spas services and special events can be observed via their social media platforms.

###

For more information about Sol Himalayan Salt Cave & Spa, contact the company here:



Sol Himalayan Salt Cave & Spa

Michelle Grant

706-364-7958

solcaveandspa@gmail.com

Sol Himalayan Salt Cave & Spa

7013 Evans Town Center Blvd Suite 201

Evans, GA 30809
NEW ORLEANS, Aug. 02, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- 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 Companys 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 Companys wholly owned subsidiary, Ben & Jerrys, 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 & Jerrys 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.
English German

03 August 2022

PRESS RELEASE

Ad hoc announcement pursuant to Art. 53 Listing Rules:





GAM Holding AG announces appointment of new Group Chief Financial Officer



GAM Holding AG has announced that it will appoint Sally Orton, currently Deputy Chief Financial Officer (CFO), as Group CFO and a member of the Group Management Board (GMB). This follows Richard McNamaras decision to step down from his role. Richard has been Group CFO since 2015 and will leave the firm towards the end of the year. Sallys appointment as Group CFO and as a member of the GMB will take effect immediately. Richard will stay at the firm over the coming months to ensure a smooth handover to Sally.

Peter Sanderson, CEO GAM Investments said: I am delighted that Sally has been appointed Group CFO and would like to warmly welcome her to the Group Management Board. I would also like to thank Richard for his enormous contribution to GAM over the last seven years. He has been a great support to me personally and has worked tirelessly to help us manage through a challenging period. Sally has held the role of Deputy CFO since earlier this year, has extensive experience in asset management and is an invaluable member of our senior team."

About Sally Orton:

Sally Orton joined GAM in May 2022 as Deputy CFO. She is a chartered accountant with more than 25 years experience. She has held leadership and executive roles in listed asset management, insurance, banking and infrastructure firms. Sally also has 15 years experience in accounting practice, qualifying with KPMG in Australia ahead of moving to the UK where she spent a combined 10 year period with PwC and EY specialised in audit and advisory assignments for banking and capital markets firms.

Upcoming events:

3 August 2022 Half-year results 2022

The presentation of the H1 2022 results of GAM Holding AG analyst, investors and media will take place on Webex on 3 August 2022 at 10.00 (CET). Materials relating to the results (presentation slides, 2022 Half Year Report and press release) are available at www.gam.com.

20 October 2022 Q3 2022 Interim management statement

28 February 2023 Full year results 2022



For further information please contact:

Charles Naylor

Head of Communications and Investor Relations

T +44 7890 386 699

Investor Relations Media Relations

Stephen Gardner Ute Dehn Christen

T +44 7790 778544 T +41 58 426 31 36

Visit us: www.gam.com

Follow us: Twitter and LinkedIn

About GAM

We are an active, independent global asset manager that thinks beyond the obvious to deliver distinctive and differentiated investment solutions for our clients across our three core businesses: Investment Management, Wealth Management and Fund Management Services.

Our purpose is to protect and enhance our clients financial future. We attract and empower the brightest minds to provide investment leadership, innovation and a positive impact on society and the environment.

Servicing institutions, financial intermediaries, and private investors, we manage CHF 83.2 billion of assets.

Headquartered in Zurich, GAM Investments is listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange with the symbol GAM and we employ 594 people across 14 countries with investment centres in London, Cambridge, Zurich, Hong Kong, New York and Milan, as at 30 June 2020. Our operational centres are in Dublin, Luxembourg and London.

Disclaimer regarding forward-looking statements

This press release by GAM Holding AG (the Company) includes forward-looking statements that reflect the Companys intentions, beliefs or current expectations and projections about the Companys future results of operations, financial condition, liquidity, performance, prospects, strategies, opportunities, and the industry in which it operates. Forward-looking statements involve all matters that are not historical facts. The Company has tried to identify those forward-looking statements by using words such as may, will, would, should, expect, intend, estimate, anticipate, project, believe, seek, plan, predict, continue and similar expressions. Such statements are made on the basis of assumptions and expectations which, although the Company believes them to be reasonable at this time, may prove to be erroneous.

These forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors that could cause the Companys actual results of operations, financial condition, liquidity, performance, prospects or opportunities, as well as those of the markets it serves or intends to serve, to differ materially from those expressed in, or suggested by, these forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause those differences include but are not limited to changing business or other market conditions, legislative, fiscal, and regulatory developments, general economic conditions, and the Companys ability to respond to trends in the financial services industry. Additional factors could cause actual results, performance, or achievements to differ materially. The Company expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release any update of, or revisions to, any forward-looking statements in this press release and any change in the Companys expectations or any change in events, conditions, or circumstances on which these forward-looking statements are based, except as required by applicable law or regulation.

Attachments
Bedroom specialist Beter Bed is proud to announce that neuroscientist and sleep expert Matthew Walker will be speaking on its event to raise awareness of the importance of good and sufficient sleep. Along with healthy eating and sufficient exercise, a good nights sleep is one of the most important conditions for staying healthy as you get older. Research by Beter Bed shows that although a large part of Dutch people recognise the importance of a good nights sleep, they hardly ever act on this.

As part of its mission Sleep better, live better, Beter Bed has been focusing on improving peoples sleep for years now. The bedroom specialist teams up with various experts to provide in-depth information on sleep related topics. At the invitation of Beter Bed in cooperation with box spring brand Velda, Matthew Walker is coming to the Netherlands to share his knowledge and inspiration with interested Dutch and Belgian parties. At a major event organised by Beter Bed in September this year, Walker will answer questions such as: why is sleep so important? How does sleep impact your brain health and risk of Alzheimers disease? How does a lack of sleep impact your heart health, and also your immune health, including risk of cancer? Walker will give practical tips to help you put better sleep into practice right away. In addition to Walkers presentation, during which he will share his inspiring insights, attendees will be able to follow sessions offering tips on how to improve their sleep, including breathing techniques or a mindful walk, for example.

About Matthew Walker

Matthew Walker, a British scientist, earned his PhD in neuroscience from the Medical Research Council in the UK, and subsequently became a Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. He is currently Professor of Neuroscience and Psychology at the University of California, Berkeley, and director of the Center for Human Sleep Science. Matts research focuses on the effect of sleep on human health and disease, brain, and body. Walker has published more than 100 scientific research studies and has received numerous funding awards from the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health, and is a Kavli Fellow of the National Academy of Sciences. He was recently awarded the Carl Sagan Prize for Science Popularization. Matt has given a main-stage TED Talk that has been viewed over 14 million times, has also created several TED Miniseries on sleep, a Master Class series on sleep, and is author of the New York Times bestseller, Why We Sleep. Matt is also host of the 5-star-rated, The Matt Walker Podcast .

Livestream

Beter Bed is keen to help everyone in the Netherlands and Belgium sleep better. It is therefore important that not just the invited guests get the chance to experience Matthew Walkers insights and inspiration. The sleep experts presentation on 1 September will therefore be broadcast via a live stream, available exclusively to a limited number of participants. If you want to find out all there is to know about sleeping better, sign up now at beterbed.nl/matthew-walker .

About Beter Bed Holding

Beter Bed Holding (BBH) is the Netherlands leading sleep specialist in retail, wholesale and B2B.



Our mission is simple. We believe that the better we sleep, the happier, healthier and more productive we are. And we wont rest until everyone gets the high-quality sleep they deserve.



Listed on Euronext Amsterdam, BBH operates the successful retail brands Beter Bed, Beddenreus, the new subscription brand Leazzzy and the digital organisation LUNEXT. In addition, through its subsidiary DBC International, BBH has a wholesale business in branded products in the bedroom furnishings sector, which includes the well-known international brand M line.

With 4 distribution centres, a fleet of 80 vehicles, 134 stores, a fast-growing online presence, and a wholesale company our team of over 1,000 dedicated employees generated  214.2 million revenue in 2021.

Providing expert sleep advice is at the very heart of our strategy, and thanks to our revolutionary Beter Slapen ID tool, our sleep consultants help customers to get the perfect nights sleep. BBH is proud that M line is the official sleep supplier of AFC Ajax, TeamNL, Jumbo-Visma, NOC*NSF and the KNVB.

For more information

Press enquiries: Uneke Dekkers / CFF Communications

T +31 (0)20 575 4010 or M +31 (0)6 50261626

E uneke.dekkers@cffcommunications.nl

For the PDF version of the press release and the photo, please click on the link under attachment(s).

Press photos can be downloaded here .

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New York, USA, Aug. 03, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Specialty Silica Market Overview

According to a Comprehensive Research Report by Market Research Future (MRFR),  Specialty Silica Market Information by Product Type, Application, and Region - Forecast till 2030, the market is estimated to grow at a 10.97% CAGR to reach USD 15.88 Billion by 2030.

Market Synopsis

Specialty silica is developed in the form of trimmed or sawed blocks or round pebbles or fine powder and is then used as a major additive in the production of numerous products in various end-user sectors like electronics, personal care products, automotive, coatings, inks, amongst others. Needless to say, the stunning growth of these sectors in emerging countries will prove to be extremely beneficial for the global industry in the ensuing years.

The mounting number of tire plants as well as expansion projects across the United States, with the highest investments noted in South Carolina, will favor the market. The noteworthy surge in the preference for green tires will be a great opportunity for the active companies in the market.

Get Free Sample PDF Brochure @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/2159

Report Scope:

Report Attribute Details 2030 Market Size USD 15.88 Billion CAGR 10.97% (20222030) Base Year 2021 Forecast Period 20222030 Historical Data 2020 Forecast Units Value (USD Billion) Report Coverage Revenue Forecast, Competitive Landscape, Growth Factors, and Trends Segments Covered By Product Type, and Region Geographies Covered North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Rest of the World (RoW) Key Market Drivers The steady use of the market products and services across various applications The automobile industry will always be the top application segment for specialty silica

Market Competitive Landscape:

The affluent firms in the specialty silica industry include

Evonik Industries

Akzo Nobel N.V.

Cabot Corporation

Wacker Chemie AG

PPG Industries Inc.

Huber Engineered Materials

Solvay S.A.

W. R. Grace & Co.

Nalco Holding Company

Mahu Silica Private Limited

Market USP Covered:

Market Drivers:

The specialty silica market demand has amplified notably in the past couple of years, by reason of heightened use of paints and coatings and rubber across diverse industries like electric vehicles and construction. An exponential surge in the manufacturing of electric vehicles should present lucrative opportunities to the tire industry, in turn positively influencing the specialty silica market. In 2021, the total EV sales touched 7.8 million, double the sales in 2020.

The highest position in the worldwide market is held by the United States, where the automotive industry generates maximum product demand. The automotive sector in the country makes extensive use of efficient and advanced rubber tires. Surging production of electric vehicles in the country will be favorable for the specialty silica market in the years to come.

Specialty silica finds widespread use in refractories. Fused silica and colloidal silica are the popular specialty silica types that are primarily deployed in refractory applications.

Market Restraints:

The specialty silica market growth will witness slowing down in the coming years, owing to the substantial costs of colloidal silica and the rising preference for low-cost substitutes among end-users. Specialty silica shows cyclical behavior, which shifts the focus toward low-cost substitutes in the market, which will affect the profit margin of the players in the years to come.

Browse In-depth Market Research Report (140 Pages) on Specialty Silica: https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/specialty-silica-market-2159

COVID 19 Analysis

The specialty silica market has been significantly affected by the COVID-19 outbreak. Given the pandemic scenario, numerous countries had to go under lockdown, to control the rising cases. Owing to this, the demand and supply chain has been disrupted, which has affected the worldwide market. The infrastructural projects, manufacturing units, industries, and various operations had to be put on hold owing to the pandemic situation.

The volatile costs of raw materials that are used for developing bio-lubricants along with the COVID-19 pandemic have restricted the growth rate of the market. On the bright side, the situation is getting back to normal, which means that the market in the future will see better growth.

Market Segmentation

By Type

The specialty chemicals market, with respect to type, has been considered for construction chemicals, advanced ceramic materials, food additives, electronic chemicals, oilfield chemicals, mining chemicals, plastic additives, pesticides, and more.

By Function

The specialty chemicals industry, depending on function, caters to biocides, antioxidants, enzymes, catalysts, specialty coatings, specialty pigments, separation membranes, and more.

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Regional Insights

The Asia Pacific market for specialty silica market has secured the lead, generating the highest revenue, thanks to the fast economic growth in various emerging nations. The escalating tire production rate in the region also adds to the market strength. The demand for specialty silica is also high in the demand owing to the thriving coatings sector backed by the rise in construction activities. Heightened product demand is compelling renowned companies in the region to focus on expanding their production capacities. India is one of the most rapidly emerging countries in the region and holds a lot of promise for future opportunities. Despite GST reforms and demonetization having a negative impact on the national production volume, the product demand remains intact in the country. Also, the Indian government is undertaking initiatives to foster FDI from global investors in the manufacturing sector, which has made the country a manufacturing hub. Indian roadways are highly extensive on account of the soaring number of vehicles as well as traffic, prompting the government to plan further extensions of the roadways. Rising spending on the infrastructure sector, along with various other strategic initiatives undertaken by the government, raises the adoption rate of specialty silica in the region.

North America emerges as the second highest gainer in the worldwide market, in terms of volume. Canada and the US are spending hefty amounts on the development of affordable houses, which fosters the need for paints and coating. To cite an instance, in April 2022, the Canadian government planned to spend USD 10 billion on the housing sector over the coming 5 years.

Europe is an important market for specialty silica, with substantial demand generated by industries like automotive, pharmaceuticals, and FMCG. The regulations regarding VOC emissions reduction in the coatings and paints sector are fostering the need for eco-friendly specialty silica, which will be the latest trend in the region.

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Dublin, Aug. 03, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "CAR-T Therapy Global Market Report 2022" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The global CAR-T therapy market is expected to grow from $1.40 billion in 2021 to $1.80 billion in 2022 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 28.6%. The market is expected to grow to $3.55 billion in 2026 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 18.5%.



Major players in the chimeric antigen receptor -T therapy market are Novartis AG, Kite Pharma, Pfizer Inc, Juno Therapeutics, Celgene Corporation, CARsgen Therapeutics, Sorrento Therapeutics, Legend Biotech, Mustang Bio, and Immune Therapeutics.



The chimeric antigen receptor -T therapy market consists of sales of CAR-T therapy products and related services by entities (organizations, sole traders, and partnerships) that develop chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapies to treat blood cancers.

CAR-T therapy is the type of immunotherapy in which T-cells are taken from the patient's blood are modified in a laboratory with the addition of a special protein receptor that grants T-cells the power to recognize as well as kill cancer cells easily, along with infusing the same back into that patient. This special protein receptor, known as the chimeric antigen receptor (CAR), attaches to a specific protein on a patient's cancer cells. The infused cells multiply and prevail in the patient's body as living drugs.



The main types of chimeric antigen receptor -T therapy is monotherapy and combination therapy. Monotherapy is used in the treatment of any disease with a single drug. The target antigens involved are CD19, CD22, and others that are used in various applications such as acute lymphoblastic leukemia, diffuse large b-cell lymphoma, follicular lymphoma, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, multiple myeloma, and others.



North America was the largest region in the global CAR-t therapy market in 2021. Western Europe was the second-largest region in the CAR-T therapy market. The regions covered in this report are Asia-Pacific, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East, and Africa.



The CAR-T therapy market is driven by the increasing financial support provided by different organizations to promote the development and consumption of CAR-T therapy. The government and non-government organizations provide financial support to the companies in the CAR-T therapy market for research and development and the patients for their treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).

For instance, in 2019, the Ministry of Business, Innovation, and Employment of New Zealand announced its contribution of $4.9 million over 5 years to its partnership scheme with Malaghan Institute (MI), to support the development of CAR T-cell manufacturing in New Zealand.

Further, governments in some countries provide subsidies to patients undergoing CAR-T therapy owing to the high cost of the treatment. For example, in 2019, the government of Australia included CAR-T therapy on the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS). The inclusion of (Kymriah) CAR-T therapy in MBS reduces the cost of the treatment for almost 30 pediatric and young adult (ALL) patients per year in Australia. The financial support provided by different organizations towards CAR-T therapy positively drives the growth of the CAR-T therapy market.



The limitations on the application of CAR-T therapy limit the growth of the market. The limitations of CAR-T therapy include its failure to treat other types of cancer, side effects, and the high cost of treatment. CAR-T therapy is widely used as a treatment for a particular type of blood cancer and fails to treat other types of cancers such as lung cancer or breast cancer.

Further, in many cases, the application of CAR-T therapy results in cytokine release syndrome (CRS). CRS is a severe flu-like condition causing high fever, nausea, chills, headache, rash, and troubled breathing. Further, the high cost limits the growth of the market. According to an article in HealthLeaders in 2019, the cost of one CAR-T therapy session can be up to $375,000 excluding the overhead charges such as hospital bills. Thus, the growth of CAR-T therapy is restricted by the various limitations on the application of CAR-T therapy.



The companies in the CAR-T therapy market are conducting clinical trials to assess the ability of CAR-T therapy to treat multiple myeloma. Multiple myeloma is a type of white blood cell cancer where the cancer cells accumulate in the bone marrow and surrounds the healthy blood cells. CAR-T therapy is being tested as a treatment for multiple myeloma.

CAR-T cells are modified to target the multiple myeloma causing cells to treat the relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM). For instance, Sorrento Therapeutics, a USA-based developer of therapeutic approaches to treat different types of cancer, developed CAR2 anti-CD38 CAR-T cell therapy to treat RRMM.

The CAR2 anti-CD38 CAR-T cell therapy is in phase 1 of its clinical trial with 72 participant recruitments made by the end of 2019. The clinical trial aims to evaluate the efficiency and safety of CAR2 anti-CD38 CAR-T cell therapy. The trial is expected to be completed in 2020.



In 2019, Novartis, a Switzerland-based global medicines company, acquired CellforCure for an undisclosed amount. The acquisition is aimed to increase Novartis' internal production capacity for cell and gene therapies. CellforCure is a French-based contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) that provides a manufacturing facility for cell and gene therapy.



The countries covered in the chimeric antigen receptor -T therapy market are Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Russia, South Korea, UK, and USA.



Key Topics Covered:



1. Executive Summary



2. CAR-T Therapy Market Characteristics



3. CAR-T Therapy Market Trends And Strategies



4. Impact Of COVID-19 On CAR-T Therapy



5. CAR-T Therapy Market Size And Growth

5.1. Global CAR-T Therapy Historic Market, 2016-2021, $ Billion

5.1.1. Drivers Of The Market

5.1.2. Restraints On The Market

5.2. Global CAR-T Therapy Forecast Market, 2021-2026F, 2031F, $ Billion

5.2.1. Drivers Of The Market

5.2.2. Restraints On the Market



6. CAR-T Therapy Market Segmentation

6.1. Global CAR-T Therapy Market, Segmentation By Type, Historic and Forecast, 2016-2021, 2021-2026F, 2031F, $ Billion

Monotherapy

Combination Therapy

6.2. Global CAR-T Therapy Market, Segmentation By Target Antigen, Historic and Forecast, 2016-2021, 2021-2026F, 2031F, $ Billion

CD19

CD22

Other Target Antigen

6.3. Global CAR-T Therapy Market, Segmentation By Application, Historic and Forecast, 2016-2021, 2021-2026F, 2031F, $ Billion

Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma

Follicular Lymphoma

Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia

Multiple Myeloma

Other Applications

7. CAR-T Therapy Market Regional And Country Analysis

7.1. Global CAR-T Therapy Market, Split By Region, Historic and Forecast, 2016-2021, 2021-2026F, 2031F, $ Billion

7.2. Global CAR-T Therapy Market, Split By Country, Historic and Forecast, 2016-2021, 2021-2026F, 2031F, $ Billion



Companies Mentioned

Novartis AG

Kite Pharma

Pfizer inc.

Juno Therapeutics

Celgene Corporation

CARsgen Therapeutics

Sorrento Therapeutics

Legend Biotech

Mustang Bio

Immune Therapeutics

Atara Biotherapeutics

Aurora Biopharma Inc.

Eureka Therapeutics

Autolus

TILT Biotherapeutics

Fortress Biotech

Autolus Therapeutics plc.

bluebird bio

Carina Biotech

CARTherics

Endocyte, Inc.

F1 Oncology, Inc.

Fate Therapeutics Inc.

Gilead

Oxford BioMedica PLC.

PeproMene Bio Inc.

Tessa Therapeutics Pte Ltd.

TILT Biotherapeutics Ltd.

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/l4ta26
New York, Aug. 03, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report "Patient Portal Market Research Report by Type, Delivery Mode, End-User, Region - Global Forecast to 2027 - Cumulative Impact of COVID-19" - https://www.reportlinker.com/p06301209/?utm_source=GNW



The Global Patient Portal Market size was estimated at USD 2,791.23 million in 2021 and expected to reach USD 3,429.58 million in 2022, and is projected to grow at a CAGR 23.12% to reach USD 9,724.62 million by 2027.



Market Statistics:

The report provides market sizing and forecast across 7 major currencies - USD, EUR, JPY, GBP, AUD, CAD, and CHF. It helps organization leaders make better decisions when currency exchange data is readily available. In this report, the years 2019 and 2020 are considered historical years, 2021 as the base year, 2022 as the estimated year, and years from 2023 to 2027 are considered the forecast period.



Market Segmentation & Coverage:

This research report categorizes the Patient Portal to forecast the revenues and analyze the trends in each of the following sub-markets:



Based on Type, the market was studied across Integrated and Standalone.



Based on Delivery Mode, the market was studied across Cloud-based and Web-based.



Based on End-User, the market was studied across Payers and Providers.



Based on Region, the market was studied across Americas, Asia-Pacific, and Europe, Middle East & Africa. The Americas is further studied across Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, and United States. The United States is further studied across California, Florida, Illinois, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Texas. The Asia-Pacific is further studied across Australia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, and Thailand. The Europe, Middle East & Africa is further studied across France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Spain, United Arab Emirates, and United Kingdom.



Cumulative Impact of COVID-19:

COVID-19 is an incomparable global public health emergency that has affected almost every industry, and the long-term effects are projected to impact the industry growth during the forecast period. Our ongoing research amplifies our research framework to ensure the inclusion of underlying COVID-19 issues and potential paths forward. The report delivers insights on COVID-19 considering the changes in consumer behavior and demand, purchasing patterns, re-routing of the supply chain, dynamics of current market forces, and the significant interventions of governments. The updated study provides insights, analysis, estimations, and forecasts, considering the COVID-19 impact on the market.



Cumulative Impact of 2022 Russia Ukraine Conflict:

We continuously monitor and update reports on political and economic uncertainty due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Negative impacts are significantly foreseen globally, especially across Eastern Europe, European Union, Eastern & Central Asia, and the United States. This contention has severely affected lives and livelihoods and represents far-reaching disruptions in trade dynamics. The potential effects of ongoing war and uncertainty in Eastern Europe are expected to have an adverse impact on the world economy, with especially long-term harsh effects on Russia.This report uncovers the impact of demand & supply, pricing variants, strategic uptake of vendors, and recommendations for Patient Portal market considering the current update on the conflict and its global response.



Competitive Strategic Window:

The Competitive Strategic Window analyses the competitive landscape in terms of markets, applications, and geographies to help the vendor define an alignment or fit between their capabilities and opportunities for future growth prospects. It describes the optimal or favorable fit for the vendors to adopt successive merger and acquisition strategies, geography expansion, research & development, and new product introduction strategies to execute further business expansion and growth during a forecast period.



FPNV Positioning Matrix:

The FPNV Positioning Matrix evaluates and categorizes the vendors in the Patient Portal Market based on Business Strategy (Business Growth, Industry Coverage, Financial Viability, and Channel Support) and Product Satisfaction (Value for Money, Ease of Use, Product Features, and Customer Support) that aids businesses in better decision making and understanding the competitive landscape.



Market Share Analysis:

The Market Share Analysis offers the analysis of vendors considering their contribution to the overall market. It provides the idea of its revenue generation into the overall market compared to other vendors in the space. It provides insights into how vendors are performing in terms of revenue generation and customer base compared to others. Knowing market share offers an idea of the size and competitiveness of the vendors for the base year. It reveals the market characteristics in terms of accumulation, fragmentation, dominance, and amalgamation traits.



Competitive Scenario:

The Competitive Scenario provides an outlook analysis of the various business growth strategies adopted by the vendors. The news covered in this section deliver valuable thoughts at the different stage while keeping up-to-date with the business and engage stakeholders in the economic debate. The competitive scenario represents press releases or news of the companies categorized into Merger & Acquisition, Agreement, Collaboration, & Partnership, New Product Launch & Enhancement, Investment & Funding, and Award, Recognition, & Expansion. All the news collected help vendor to understand the gaps in the marketplace and competitors strength and weakness thereby, providing insights to enhance product and service.



Company Usability Profiles:

The report profoundly explores the recent significant developments by the leading vendors and innovation profiles in the Global Patient Portal Market, including Allscripts Healthcare Solution, Athenahealth, Inc., Cerner Corporation, Cured, Epic System Company, GE Healthcare, Greenway Health, Mckesson Corporation, Medfusion, and Nextgen Healthcare Information Systems, LLC.



The report provides insights on the following pointers:

1. Market Penetration: Provides comprehensive information on the market offered by the key players

2. Market Development: Provides in-depth information about lucrative emerging markets and analyze penetration across mature segments of the markets

3. Market Diversification: Provides detailed information about new product launches, untapped geographies, recent developments, and investments

4. Competitive Assessment & Intelligence: Provides an exhaustive assessment of market shares, strategies, products, certification, regulatory approvals, patent landscape, and manufacturing capabilities of the leading players

5. Product Development & Innovation: Provides intelligent insights on future technologies, R&D activities, and breakthrough product developments



The report answers questions such as:

1. What is the market size and forecast of the Global Patient Portal Market?

2. What are the inhibiting factors and impact of COVID-19 shaping the Global Patient Portal Market during the forecast period?

3. Which are the products/segments/applications/areas to invest in over the forecast period in the Global Patient Portal Market?

4. What is the competitive strategic window for opportunities in the Global Patient Portal Market?

5. What are the technology trends and regulatory frameworks in the Global Patient Portal Market?

6. What is the market share of the leading vendors in the Global Patient Portal Market?

7. What modes and strategic moves are considered suitable for entering the Global Patient Portal Market?

Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p06301209/?utm_source=GNW



About Reportlinker

ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place.



__________________________
This handout photo taken and released by Cambodia's Government Cabinet, Wednesday, shows China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi speaking during a meeting with Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen at the Peace Palace in Phnom Penh. AFP-Yonhap



Southeast Asian foreign ministers will seek ways to help quell the diplomatic storm over Taiwan at regional talks Wednesday, after U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi arrived on the island, enraging Beijing.



Pelosi's dramatic late-night flight to Taipei, defying threats of reprisals by China, looks set to dominate the meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Phnom Penh, which had been expected to tackle the bloody crisis in Myanmar.



Attention will focus instead on Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his American counterpart Antony Blinken  both flying into the Cambodian capital for regional security talks with ASEAN on Thursday and Friday.



ASEAN spokesman Kung Phoak, Cambodia's deputy foreign minister, said the meeting would seek to calm the waters.



He told reporters that ministers would try to find ways the bloc could help "so that the situation in Taiwan will be stable, that won't lead to a conflict and won't escalate the political heat between all concerned parties."



Late Tuesday, China vowed there would be "targeted military actions" in response to Pelosi's visiting the self-ruled island Beijing claims as part of its territory.



The 10-member bloc is split between countries with close ties to China, such as Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos, and others that are warier of Beijing and its growing international assertiveness.



But no ASEAN country formally recognizes Taiwan and it is not clear what the bloc might do to ease the crisis between the two superpowers.





U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken boards his plane at Andrews Air Force Base, Md., Tuesday. Blinken begins a ten day trip traveling to Cambodia, Philippians, South Africa, Congo, and Rwanda. AP-Yonhap
Dublin, Aug. 03, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Global Microbiome Therapeutics Market - A Global and Regional Analysis: Focus on Target Therapies, Region (10 Countries), and Competitive Landscape - Analysis and Forecast, 2022-2032" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.



The global microbiome therapeutics market which accounted for $306.3 million in 2021 is expected to reach $3,204 million by 2032, reporting a CAGR of 24.95% during the forecast period 2022-2032.

Microbiome therapeutics have drawn significant attention from the medical community with their potential to address the existing unmet need of various clinical conditions.

The existing microbiome therapeutics market is favored by multiple factors, including the rising geriatric populations coupled with the increasing adoption of inorganic growth strategies by key players in the market.

How Can This Report Add Value to an Organization?

Product/Innovation Strategy: The report provides an exhaustive list of pipeline products which are currently in the development along with their developmental details in various indications. This can help organizations in understanding the research activities, which is the promising indication to pursue or which organization has the potential product to enter first into the market as well it can help the organization to assess where should they place themselves in order to get maximum benefit.

Growth/Marketing Strategy: In addition to pursuing research on exploring the benefits of microbiome therapeutics for new indications, companies are evaluating next-generation-probiotics (NGPs) to address clinical conditions. Looking at the storage issues of microbiome therapeutics, companies are exploring extracellular vesicles as an alternative option. Furthermore, companies are working on increasing consumer awareness about Microbiome therapeutics and its potential benefits of being natural product containing live microorganism derived from human body as well as pursuing synergistic activities to bring an effective microbiome therapeutics for the affected population.

Competitive Strategy: Key players in the global microbiome therapeutics market were analyzed and profiled in the study, who are developing products containing live biotherapeutic products (LBPs), fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) as well as next-generation-probiotics (NGPs).

Moreover, a detailed competitive benchmarking of the players operating in the global microbiome therapeutics market has been done to help the reader understand how players stand against each other, presenting a clear market landscape. Additionally, comprehensive competitive strategies such as partnerships, agreements, and collaborations will aid the reader in understanding the untapped revenue pockets in the market.

Impact of COVID-19

There were numerous consequences due to the COVID-19 pandemic, especially because of the reduced access to care for other illnesses. As the number of individuals becoming ill from COVID-19 kept increasing and for the protection of healthy individuals from being affected by the disease, all non-urgent healthcare facilities were suspended as per respective government directives.

Even though these measures were necessary, it had mostly negative impact on the Global microbiome therapeutics market. Some the major impacts were; interruption of key clinical trial activities, modification of clinical trial guidelines bringing in additional safety measures, and delay in regulatory agencies' review and approval timeline.

Market Segmentation:

This segmentation highlights value propositions and business models useful for industry leaders and stakeholders. The research also comprises country-level analysis, go-to-market strategies of leading players, and future opportunities, among others, to detail the scope and provide a 360-coverage of the domain.

Target Therapy Area

Disorders related to gastrointestinal (GI) and skin disorders command a major share of the microbiome therapeutics segment, and is expected to continue during the forecast period. Most of the microbiome therapeutics in advanced development stage are indicated to treat C.diff. infection (CDI) and expected to enter the market first. The indications selected were on the basis of research intensity in the specific therapy area.

Region

Asia-Pacific (APAC) is expected to dominate the global microbiome therapeutics market for the forecast period 2022-2032 continuuing with it overall contribution of approximately 40% of the total market size in 2021 followed by Europe with 32.59%. Increasing healthcare expenditure, coupled with government initiatives, are among the leading factors contributing to the growth of the market.

Demand - Drivers and Challenges

Some of the potential drivers identified by BIS Research includes:

Growing Strategic Activities in Microbiome Therapeutics Segment

Potential of Microbiome Therapeutics to Address Unmet Needs of Existing Treatment Options

Microbiome Therapeutic Products as a Safer Alternative to Conventional Drug Treatments

There are some challenges identified for the global microbiome therapeutics market are; Lack of standard regulatory guidelines and safety issues associated with live biotherapeutic products (LBPs).

Key Market Players and Competition Synopsis

The companies that are profiled have been selected based on inputs gathered from primary experts and analyzing company coverage, product portfolio, and market penetration.

The top segment players leading the market include Sanofi S.A and Taisho Pharmaceutical Holding that capture around 88% of the market with Sanofi S.A holding 64.31% while Taisho Pharmaceutical Holdings 24.49% respectively.

Some of the prominent established names in this market are:

4D pharma plc

Seres Therapeutics, Inc.

Microbiotica

Enterome

Enterome Biosciences

Destiny Pharma plc

Taisho Pharmaceutical Holdings

AOBiome Therapeutics, Inc.

Finch Therapeutics Group, Inc.

Rebiotix Inc. (A Subsidiary of Ferring Pharmaceuticals)

MaaT Pharma

Vedanta Biosciences Inc.

OxThera AB

Pendulum Therapeutics

Caelus Health

Quorum Innovations

Sanofi S.A.

DermBiont, Inc.

EnteroBiotix Ltd

YSOPIA Bioscience

Winclove Probiotics

TargEDys

Evelo Biosciences, Inc.

BiomX

Biomica Ltd.

Scioto Biosciences, Inc.

Lactobio A/S

Key Topics Covered:

1 Market Definition

2 Research Scope

3 Research Methodology

4 Market Overview

4.1 Market Size and Future Growth Potential

4.2 Historical Trends

5 Industry Insights

5.1 Regulatory Landscape

5.1.1 Regulatory Requirements for Live Biotherapeutic Products (LBPs)

5.1.2 Quality Check of LBPs

5.1.3 FDA Approved Fecal Microbiota Transplantation (FMT) Quality Check Procedure

5.2 Patent Landscape

5.3 Partnership Landscape

5.4 Government Initiatives

5.5 Impact of COVID-19 on the Global Microbiome Therapeutics Market

5.5.1 Clinical Trial Disruptions and Resumptions

6 Market Dynamics

6.1 Market Drivers

6.1.1 Growing Strategic Activities in Microbiome Therapeutics Segment

6.1.2 Potential of Microbiome Therapeutics to Address Unmet Needs of Existing Treatment Options

6.1.3 Microbiome Therapeutic Products as a Safer Alternative to Conventional Drug Treatments

6.2 Market Restraints

6.2.1 Lack of Uniformed Standardized Regulatory Guidelines

6.2.2 Associated Safety Issues with LBPs

6.2.3 Storage Issues with Live Micro-Organisms

6.2.4 Challenges Associated with Manufacturing of LBPs

6.3 Market Opportunities

6.3.1 Need for Current Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP) Certified Contract Manufacturing Facilities

6.3.2 Growing Disease Dimension

6.3.3 Entry of Major Players

7 Clinical Trial Landscape

7.1 Microbiome Therapeutics Pipeline Landscape

7.1.1 Competitive Landscaping

7.1.2 Pipeline Analysis

7.1.2.1 By Development Phase

7.1.2.2 By Route of Administration

7.1.2.3 By Type of Microbiome Strategy

7.1.2.4 By Indication

7.1.3 Emerging Microbiome Therapeutics Products

7.2 Probable Potential First Entrants to Global Microbiome Therapeutics Market/ Microbiome Therapeutics Clinical Trial Design

7.2.1 CP-101 (Finch Therapeutics Group, Inc.)

7.2.2 SER-109 (Seres Therapeutics, Inc.)

7.2.3 RBX-2660 (Rebiotix Inc.)

7.2.4 CH-106 (Caelus Health)

7.2.5 LACTIN-V (Osel Inc.)

7.2.6 MaaT013 (MaaT Pharma)

8 Competitive Insights

8.1 Key Strategies and Developments

8.2 Synergistic Activities

8.3 Product Launch and Regulatory Approvals

8.4 Funding and Investment

8.5 Mergers and Acquisitions

8.6 Market Share Analysis

8.7 Growth-Share Analysis (Opportunity Mapping)

8.7.1 By Region

8.7.2 By Company

9 Global Microbiome Therapeutics Market (by Target Therapy Area)

9.1 Overview

9.2 Gastrointestinal and Infectious Diseases

9.3 Skin Disorders

9.4 Cancer Indications

9.5 Other Indications

10 Global Microbiome Therapeutics Market (by Region)

10.1 Overview

10.2 North America

10.2.1 Overview

10.2.2 U.S.

10.2.3 Canada

10.3 Europe

10.3.1 Overview

10.3.2 France

10.3.3 Germany

10.3.4 Sweden

10.3.5 U.K.

10.3.6 Italy

10.3.7 Spain

10.3.8 Rest-of-Europe

10.4 Asia-Pacific (APAC)

10.4.1 Overview

10.4.2 Japan

10.4.3 Australia

10.4.4 China

10.4.5 India

10.4.6 Rest-of-Asia-Pacific

10.5 Rest-of-the-World

10.5.1 Overview

11 Competitive Benchmarking and Company Profiles

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/lb720m

Attachment
Pune, India, Aug. 03, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The global natural gas generator market size is expected to grow from USD 4.81 billion in 2018 to USD 7.71 billion by 2026, exhibiting a CAGR of 6.2% during the forecast period. The increasing awareness regarding the use of natural gas and sustainable products will emerge in favour of market growth., states Fortune Business Insights, in its report titled Natural Gas Generator Market Size, Share and Global Trend by Power Rating (Below 75kVA, 75-375kVA, 375-750kVA, above 750kVA), Application (Stand-by and Continuous), By End-User (Residential, Commercial, and Industrial), and Geography Forecast till 2026.

A natural gas generator is a system that has the ability to produce electricity in cases of emergency and power shortages. It operates through the mechanism that is based on natural gases such as methane and propane. The increasing use of natural gas generators is attributable to the growing efforts put in by government as well as private organizations to maximize the use of sustainable energy. The increasing investment in the R&D of natural gas generators will emerge in favour of the companies operating in the market. Moreover, technological advancements have played a vital role in the widespread adoption of these products across the world.





Request a Sample Copy of the Research Report: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/enquiry/request-sample-pdf/natural-gas-generators-market-100145





A few of the leading companies that have been profiled in the report include:

Atlas Copco (Sweden)

Caterpillar Inc. (United States)

Kohler-SDMO (France)

Cummins Inc. (United States)

Himoinsa (Spain)

Ingersoll Rand (Ireland)

American Honda Motor Company, Inc (United States)

Kirloskar Electric Co. Ltd (India)

Inmesol S.L.U (Spain)

Generac Power Systems (United States)

FG Wilson (United Kingdom)

Briggs & Stratton (United States)

Aggreko (United Kingdom)

John Deere (United States)

PRAMAC (Italy)

COVID-19 Impact

In-Depth Qualitative COVID 19 Outbreak Impact Analysis Include Identification And Investigation Of The Following Aspects:

We analysed industry trends in the context of COVID-19. We analysed the impact of COVID-19 on the product industry chain based on the upstream and downstream markets. We analyse the impact of COVID-19 on various regions and major countries.

Report Scope & Segmentation:

Report Coverage Details Forecast Period 2019-2026 Forecast Period 2019 TO 2026 CAGR 6.2% 2026 Value Projection USD 7.71 billion Base Year 2018 Market Size in 2018 USD 4.81 billon Historical Data for 2015-2017 No. of Pages 160 Segments covered Power Rating, Application, End-User, Region Growth Drivers Requisition for Uninterrupted Power Supply on Account of Tremendous Economic Growth Enormous Investment in Sustainable Energy Development





Natural Gas Generator Industry Market Drivers:

Increasing Number of Company Mergers Will Aid Growth

The report encompasses several factors that have contributed to the growth of the market in recent years. Among all factors, the increasing number of company collaborations and mergers will have a huge impact on the growth of the market in the coming years. With a bid to establishing a stronghold in the market, several large scale companies are looking to acquire small and medium enterprises.



In August 2018, Aggrekko announced that it has signed a three-year contract with the Island of St. Croix. The collaboration was initiated with the aim of developing a new LPG powered power plant. This step will not only help the company grow, but will influence the growth of the market in a positive manner.





To get to know more about the short-term and long-term impact of COVID-19 on this market, please visit: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/industry-reports/natural-gas-generators-market-100145





Regional Insights:

Asia Pacific to Witness Considerable Growth; Increasing Investment in Product R&D Will Provide Impetus to Market Growth

The report analyzes the ongoing construction, chemicals market trends across North America, Latin America, Asia Pacific, the Middle East and Africa, and Europe. Among these regions, Asia Pacific is likely to witness considerable growth in the coming years.

The efforts put in by governments of countries such as India, China, and Japan will emerge in favor for the growth of the regional market. As of 2018, the market in Asia Pacific was worth USD 1.54 billion and this value is projected to increase further in the coming years.

Industry Developments:

January 2020: Stadwerke Kiel announced the launch of a new flexible, modern, and advanced heat and power plants driven by natural gas.





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Market Segmentation:

By Power Rating

Below 75kVA

75-375kVA

375-750kVA

Above 750kVA

By Application

Stand-by

Continuous

By End-User

Residential

Commercial

Industrial

By Region

North America (U.S. and Canada)

Europe (UK, Germany, France, Italy, Russia, and Rest of Europe)

Asia Pacific (China, India, Japan, Australia, Southeast Asia, and Rest of Asia Pacific)

Middle East & Africa (GCC, South Africa, and Rest of the Middle East & Africa)

Latin America (Brazil, Mexico, and Rest of Latin America)

Table of Content:

Introduction Research Scope Market Segmentation Research Methodology Definitions and Assumptions

Executive Summary

Market Dynamics Market Drivers Market Restraints Market Opportunities

Key Insights Key Emerging Trends  For Major Countries Latest Technological Advancement Regulatory Landscape Industry SWOT Analysis Porters Five Forces Analysis

Global Natural Gas Generator Market Analysis (USD Million), Insights and Forecast, 2015-2026 Key Findings / Summary Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast  By Power Rating Below 75kVA 75-375kVA 375-750kVA Above 750kVA Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast  By Application Stand by Continuous Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast  By End User Residential Commercial Industrial Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast  By Region North America Latin America Europe Asia Pacific Middle East & Africa

North America Natural Gas Generator Market Analysis (USD Million), Insights and Forecast, 2015-2026 Key Findings / Summary Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast  By Power Rating Below 75kVA 75-375kVA 375-750kVA Above 750kVA Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast  By Application Stand by Continuous Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast  By End User Residential Commercial Industrial Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast  By Country U.S. Canada

Latin America Natural Gas Generator Market Analysis (USD Million), Insights and Forecast, 2015-2026 Key Findings / Summary Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast  By Power Rating Below 75kVA 75-375kVA 375-750kVA Above 750kVA Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast  By Application Stand by Continuous Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast  By End User Residential Commercial Industrial Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast  By Country Brazil Mexico Rest of Latin America



Continued





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Fortune Business Insights offers expert corporate analysis and accurate data, helping organizations of all sizes make timely decisions. We tailor innovative solutions for our clients, assisting them to address challenges distinct to their businesses. Our goal is to empower our clients with holistic market intelligence, giving a granular overview of the market they are operating in.

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UK: +44 2071 939123

APAC: +91 744 740 1245

Email: sales@fortunebusinessinsights.com

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ALEXANDRIA, Va., Aug. 03, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- TCR Acquisition LLC, a U.S.-owned and operated entity headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia, today issued the following statement in response to Kaleyra, Inc.'s July 25, 2022 "Regulation FD" filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. In that filing, Kaleyra stated that it is "confident" that it is in compliance with the regulations and other laws administered by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS).

According to Frederick Joyce, C.E.O. and General Counsel of TCR Acquisition (www.tcr-acquisition.com), "[t]here is only one way to safely determine if Kaleyra's ownership of The Campaign Registry complies with CFIUS and the Foreign Investment Risk Review Modernization Act, and that is to have this matter reviewed by appropriate federal authorities, not by Kaleyra's executives and its paid attorneys. If Kaleyra's board and senior officers are confident that they have complied with CFIUS and other alien ownership requirements in the U.S., then they should be willing to submit this matter to U.S. governmental review."

The Campaign Registry is the exclusive vendor used by all nationwide mobile telephone companies to verify who sends text messages and what is contained in text messages sent to mobile phones used by U.S. customers. This registry is responsible for screening billions of text messages sent to U.S. mobile phones every month. The senders of these text messages include public law enforcement and safety officials, state and federal election campaigns, not for profit organizations, and thousands of commercial entities.

Increasingly, political campaigns around the country at all levels  from school boards to the U.S. Senate and the Presidency  are relying on text messaging as a convenient means of connecting and communicating directly with voters and supporters. The Campaign Registry plays a crucial role in authenticating and protecting these increasingly important communication channels. Public confidence in the integrity of The Campaign Registry is essential for maintaining and bolstering confidence in the electoral process. It is therefore particularly concerning that foreign ownership and interests could put a thumb on the scale of information flow - or could distort or bias these communication channels in favor of unknown or foreign goals. With 2022 federal election campaigns already in progress, and to ensure the integrity of the 2024 Presidential campaigns, it is critical that The Campaign Registry be owned by a transparent, U.S.-owned and operated entity."

In 2018, Congress passed the Foreign Investment Risk Review Modernization Act (FIRRMA)  a major expansion of CFIUS's authority and a standardization of CFIUS processes  enacted largely in response to the threat that Chinese investments sought to dominate U.S. industries such as semiconductors, artificial intelligence, robotics, and information technology, as well as to stem potential spying in widely used applications such as TikTok. Public filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission reveal that The Campaign Registry is owned and controlled by Chinese, Italian and Indian individuals and corporate entities.

"CFIUS review is just one area of concern here," said Frederick Joyce. "The more fundamental problem is that this critically important data registry, The Campaign Registry, with responsibility for screening and validating the entities and phone numbers that the mobile phone sector uses to send billions of messages every month, is owned and controlled by a foreign entity with funding from China and other foreign sources. This has the potential to seriously impact national security and personal data security. It is reasonable to assume that many if not most of the customers that use The Campaign Registry are not even aware of these Chinese ownership issues."

Two years ago, the government of Italy signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the People's Republic of China to participate in China's 'Belt and Road' program that seeks global dominance in every critical infrastructure sector. The fact that Kaleyra is headquartered in Milan, Italy, brings additional attention to this China connection. The high incidence of cyberattacks on Italian businesses provides another justification for ensuring that The Campaign Registry be independently owned by U.S. citizens and operated in accordance with the highest U.S. standards for cyber security and customer data privacy.

"TCR Acquisition" stands for 'Telecommunications Company Repatriation Acquisition.' According to Mr. Joyce: "That is our defining mission: to repatriate into the United States critical and essential telecommunications and Internet services that have been acquired, in whole or in part, by China and other foreign entities that intend to usurp U.S. technology for their own commercial and political benefit." Key members of the TCR Acquisition team have held the nation's highest security clearances and have served in senior positions in the federal government with respect to national security and public safety communications. "We couldn't be more serious about this mission, said Mr. Joyce. "Every member of the TCR Acquisition Team is firmly committed to 'bringing home' essential U.S. communications and Internet services starting with The Campaign Registry."

Contact:

Frederick M. Joyce, C.E.O./General Counsel

TCR Acquisition LLC

(202) 505-3966

Email: Frederick.joyce@tcr-acquisition.com

www.tcr-acquisition.com

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New York, Aug. 03, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report "Rainwater Harvesting Market Research Report by Method, Service Type, Application, Region - Global Forecast to 2027 - Cumulative Impact of COVID-19" - https://www.reportlinker.com/p06300377/?utm_source=GNW



The Global Rainwater Harvesting Market size was estimated at USD 1,827.02 million in 2021 and expected to reach USD 1,916.07 million in 2022, and is projected to grow at a CAGR 5.01% to reach USD 2,450.30 million by 2027.



Market Statistics:

The report provides market sizing and forecast across 7 major currencies - USD, EUR, JPY, GBP, AUD, CAD, and CHF. It helps organization leaders make better decisions when currency exchange data is readily available. In this report, the years 2019 and 2020 are considered historical years, 2021 as the base year, 2022 as the estimated year, and years from 2023 to 2027 are considered the forecast period.



Market Segmentation & Coverage:

This research report categorizes the Rainwater Harvesting to forecast the revenues and analyze the trends in each of the following sub-markets:



Based on Method, the market was studied across Above Ground and Underground.



Based on Service Type, the market was studied across Compliance Control & Management, Groundwater Recharge System, RWH Project Consultancy, and RWH Project Implementation.



Based on Application, the market was studied across Agriculture, Commercial & Municipal, Industrial, and Residential.



Based on Region, the market was studied across Americas, Asia-Pacific, and Europe, Middle East & Africa. The Americas is further studied across Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, and United States. The United States is further studied across California, Florida, Illinois, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Texas. The Asia-Pacific is further studied across Australia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, and Thailand. The Europe, Middle East & Africa is further studied across France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Spain, United Arab Emirates, and United Kingdom.



Cumulative Impact of COVID-19:

COVID-19 is an incomparable global public health emergency that has affected almost every industry, and the long-term effects are projected to impact the industry growth during the forecast period. Our ongoing research amplifies our research framework to ensure the inclusion of underlying COVID-19 issues and potential paths forward. The report delivers insights on COVID-19 considering the changes in consumer behavior and demand, purchasing patterns, re-routing of the supply chain, dynamics of current market forces, and the significant interventions of governments. The updated study provides insights, analysis, estimations, and forecasts, considering the COVID-19 impact on the market.



Cumulative Impact of 2022 Russia Ukraine Conflict:

We continuously monitor and update reports on political and economic uncertainty due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Negative impacts are significantly foreseen globally, especially across Eastern Europe, European Union, Eastern & Central Asia, and the United States. This contention has severely affected lives and livelihoods and represents far-reaching disruptions in trade dynamics. The potential effects of ongoing war and uncertainty in Eastern Europe are expected to have an adverse impact on the world economy, with especially long-term harsh effects on Russia.This report uncovers the impact of demand & supply, pricing variants, strategic uptake of vendors, and recommendations for Rainwater Harvesting market considering the current update on the conflict and its global response.



Competitive Strategic Window:

The Competitive Strategic Window analyses the competitive landscape in terms of markets, applications, and geographies to help the vendor define an alignment or fit between their capabilities and opportunities for future growth prospects. It describes the optimal or favorable fit for the vendors to adopt successive merger and acquisition strategies, geography expansion, research & development, and new product introduction strategies to execute further business expansion and growth during a forecast period.



FPNV Positioning Matrix:

The FPNV Positioning Matrix evaluates and categorizes the vendors in the Rainwater Harvesting Market based on Business Strategy (Business Growth, Industry Coverage, Financial Viability, and Channel Support) and Product Satisfaction (Value for Money, Ease of Use, Product Features, and Customer Support) that aids businesses in better decision making and understanding the competitive landscape.



Market Share Analysis:

The Market Share Analysis offers the analysis of vendors considering their contribution to the overall market. It provides the idea of its revenue generation into the overall market compared to other vendors in the space. It provides insights into how vendors are performing in terms of revenue generation and customer base compared to others. Knowing market share offers an idea of the size and competitiveness of the vendors for the base year. It reveals the market characteristics in terms of accumulation, fragmentation, dominance, and amalgamation traits.



Competitive Scenario:

The Competitive Scenario provides an outlook analysis of the various business growth strategies adopted by the vendors. The news covered in this section deliver valuable thoughts at the different stage while keeping up-to-date with the business and engage stakeholders in the economic debate. The competitive scenario represents press releases or news of the companies categorized into Merger & Acquisition, Agreement, Collaboration, & Partnership, New Product Launch & Enhancement, Investment & Funding, and Award, Recognition, & Expansion. All the news collected help vendor to understand the gaps in the marketplace and competitors strength and weakness thereby, providing insights to enhance product and service.



Company Usability Profiles:

The report profoundly explores the recent significant developments by the leading vendors and innovation profiles in the Global Rainwater Harvesting Market, including Alfaa UV, AZAD CONTRACTORS & TRADERS, Blue Elixir, Climate Tanks, D&D Ecotech Services, Devi Polymers, ERA Hydro-Biotech Energy, FARMLAND RAINWATER HARVESTING SYSTEM, Global Aqua, Graf Group, Greenly, HarvestRain, Heritage Tanks, Innovative Water Solutions LLC, Kingspan Group, KRG India, N.S.& Associates, Osmosis India, Rain Harvesting Supplies, Inc., Rainwater Connection, Stormsaver, Vardhman Envirotech, Vikas Industries, Water Field Technologies Pvt. Ltd., Water Harvesters, Watts Water Technologies, Inc., and WISY AG.



The report provides insights on the following pointers:

1. Market Penetration: Provides comprehensive information on the market offered by the key players

2. Market Development: Provides in-depth information about lucrative emerging markets and analyze penetration across mature segments of the markets

3. Market Diversification: Provides detailed information about new product launches, untapped geographies, recent developments, and investments

4. Competitive Assessment & Intelligence: Provides an exhaustive assessment of market shares, strategies, products, certification, regulatory approvals, patent landscape, and manufacturing capabilities of the leading players

5. Product Development & Innovation: Provides intelligent insights on future technologies, R&D activities, and breakthrough product developments



The report answers questions such as:

1. What is the market size and forecast of the Global Rainwater Harvesting Market?

2. What are the inhibiting factors and impact of COVID-19 shaping the Global Rainwater Harvesting Market during the forecast period?

3. Which are the products/segments/applications/areas to invest in over the forecast period in the Global Rainwater Harvesting Market?

4. What is the competitive strategic window for opportunities in the Global Rainwater Harvesting Market?

5. What are the technology trends and regulatory frameworks in the Global Rainwater Harvesting Market?

6. What is the market share of the leading vendors in the Global Rainwater Harvesting Market?

7. What modes and strategic moves are considered suitable for entering the Global Rainwater Harvesting Market?

Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p06300377/?utm_source=GNW



About Reportlinker

ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place.



__________________________
Pune, India, Aug. 03, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The global solar charge controller market size is expected to grow from USD 1.12 billion in 2018 to USD 3.59 billion by 2026, exhibiting a CAGR of 15.8% during the forecast period. The global solar charge controller market is set to gain impetus from their ability to regulate the voltage generated from solar panels. In addition to that, they can ensure that the battery is not over-charged, states Fortune Business Insights, in its report titled Solar Charge Controller Market Size, Share and Global Trend by Type (Pulse-Width Modulation (PWM) Charge Controller, Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) Charge Controller), By Application (Residential, Commercial, Industrial, Utility), and Geography Forecast till 2026.

KEY INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENTS:

In June 2021, Growth, a China-based inverter company launched a 1,100 V string inverter solution consists of about 10 independent maximum power point tracking (MPPT) inputs, with MPPT voltage varying from 180-1,000 V. The product is fabricated with power ratings between 100 to 125 kW with an efficiency of around 98.8% and is designed for installation across utility-scale and commercial solar power plants.





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Report Highlights:

Report Coverage Details Forecast Period 2019-2026 Forecast Period 2019 to 2026 CAGR 15.8% 2026 Value Projection USD 3.59 billion Base Year 2020 Market Size in 2018 USD 1.12 billion Historical Data for 2015-2017 No. of Pages 140 Segments covered By Technology, Application, and Region Growth Drivers Need to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emission Will Boost Growth Key Players Focus on Launching Innovative Products to Gain Competitive Edge





Solar Charge Controller Market Drivers & Restraints-

Need to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emission Will Boost Growth

Increasing implementation of green energy targets by the governments of various countries is set to accelerate the solar charge controller market growth. It is mainly occurring because of the urgent need to lower greenhouse gas emissions in the environment. It would also control the rising temperature that is occurring year after year. However, the utilization of other green energy sources, other than solar energy, may hamper the market growth.

Fortune Business Insights lists out all the renowned organizations operating in the solar charge controller market. They are as follows:

Victron Energy (Netherlands)

Morningstar Corporation (USA)

Genasun (Netherlands)

Arise India Ltd. (India)

Vispra Solar  (India)

Easy Photovoltech Private Limited. (India)

Xantrex Technologies (USA)

Phocos (USA)

Beijing Epsolar Technology Co., Ltd. (China)

Luminous Power Technologies (P) Ltd (India)

Steca - A KATEK Brand (Germany)

Wenzhou Xihe Electric Co., Ltd. (China)

OutBack Power Technologies (USA)

Sollatek UK Limited (United Kingdom)

Other prominent market players





Click here to get the short-term and long-term impact of COVID-19 on this market. Please visit: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/solar-charge-controller-market-102158





Competitive Landscape-

Key Players Focus on Launching Innovative Products to Gain Competitive Edge

The companies present in the market are persistently striving to strengthen their position by launching state-of-the-art products. Several government agencies are also engaging in solar power installation projects in rural areas for electrification and reducing the emission of carbon in the atmosphere. Below are a couple of the latest key industry developments:

October 2019 : Solar Energy Corporation of India Limited (SECI), a solar energy company of the Government of India, invited bids to provide around 500 solar home cooking systems to various districts in different states. The districts are Modhera (Gujarat), Bahraich (Uttar Pradesh), Girdih (Jharkhand), Bastar (Chhattisgarh), and Ribhoi (Meghalaya). The scope of work consists of commissioning, testing, erection, supply, manufacture, and design, as well as a one-year warranty on all the accessories and equipment installed.

: Solar Energy Corporation of India Limited (SECI), a solar energy company of the Government of India, invited bids to provide around 500 solar home cooking systems to various districts in different states. The districts are Modhera (Gujarat), Bahraich (Uttar Pradesh), Girdih (Jharkhand), Bastar (Chhattisgarh), and Ribhoi (Meghalaya). The scope of work consists of commissioning, testing, erection, supply, manufacture, and design, as well as a one-year warranty on all the accessories and equipment installed. August 2019: Hyundai Motor Group, a multinational conglomerate based in South Korea, unveiled its first-ever vehicle with solar roof charging. This feature is currently available on the Sonata Hybrid model, which is available in South Korea only. Hybrid vehicles can be powered by gasoline, liquid fuel, and electricity. The solar panels capture energy from the sun and it can then be used to charge the vehicles battery.

Market Segment Highlights-

Residential Segment to Grow Steadily Backed by Rapid Urbanization

In terms of application, the market is fragmented into utility, commercial, industrial, and residential. Amongst these, the utility segment held a 52.5% solar charge controller market share in 2018. The residential segment would also grow steadily as the population is increasing day by day worldwide. It is further resulting in rapid urbanization and hence, spurring the demand for energy. Various countries are also conducting rural electrification. Upgraded grids are being set up for the distribution of renewable energy. Additionally, batteries are being installed to store excess energy.

Regional Market Analysis-

Asia Pacific to Lead: Rising Demand for Energy Will Favor Growth

Geographically, the market is segregated into Asia Pacific, North America, Latin America, the Middle East and Africa, and Europe. Out of these regions, Asia Pacific is anticipated to dominate in terms of share during the forthcoming years. This growth is attributable to the increasing number of planned solar power installation projects in this region. In the residential sector, solar panels are being installed at a fast pace for meeting the upsurging demand for energy. China is likely to contribute to the maximum growth backed by the governments implementation of the 13th five-year plan. In 2018, Asia Pacific held USD 0.39 billion in terms of solar charge controller market revenue.

Europe is set to follow the footsteps of Asia Pacific and generate a considerable share because of the EU28 green energy target. The U.K., Italy, and Germany are some of the most important countries that would contribute to maximum growth. In North America, solar power installation is projected to rise owing to the availability of technologically advanced analytical tools. In Latin America and the Middle East & Africa, increasing the rate of renewable energy generation would drive growth.





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Highlights of This Report:

Elaborate information about the solar charge controller market trends, opportunities, and challenges.

Growth drivers and obstacles.

List of all the possible segments present in the market.

Competitive landscape, such as contracts, agreements, investments, partnerships, mergers and acquisitions, and innovative product launches.

Rn to Get th Rrt:

A qualitative and quantitative market study based on segmentation that includes both economic and non-economic factors

Data on market value for each section and sub-segment

Indicates the region and market segment that is likely to expand the fastest and dominate the market.

The consumption of the product/service in each region is highlighted, as are the factors affecting the market within each region.

The competitive landscape includes the top players' market rankings, as well as new service/product launches, collaborations, company expansions, and acquisitions made by the companies profiled in the last few years.

Table of Content:

Introduction Research Scope Market Segmentation Research Methodology Definitions and Assumptions

Executive Summary

Market Dynamics Market Drivers Market Restraints Market Opportunities

Key Insights Key Emerging Trends  For Major Countries Latest Technological Advancement Regulatory Landscape Industry SWOT Analysis Porters Five Forces Analysis

Global Solar Charge Controller Market Analysis (USD Billion), Insights and Forecast, 2015-2026 Key Findings / Summary Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast  By Type Pulse-Width Modulation (PWM) Charge Controller Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) Charge Controller Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast  By Application Residential Commercial Industrial Utility Market Analysis, Insights, and Forecast  By Region North America Europe Asia Pacific Latin America Middle East & Africa

Competitive Analysis Company Market Share Analysis, 2018 Key Industry Developments Company Profile



Continued





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About Us:

Fortune Business Insights offers expert corporate analysis and accurate data, helping organizations of all sizes make timely decisions. We tailor innovative solutions for our clients, assisting them to address challenges distinct to their businesses. Our goal is to empower our clients with holistic market intelligence, giving a granular overview of the market they are operating in.

Contact Us:

Fortune Business Insights Pvt. Ltd.

US: +1 424 253 0390

UK: +44 2071 939123

APAC: +91 744 740 1245

Email: sales@fortunebusinessinsights.com

Attachment
Dublin, Aug. 03, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Airport Retailing Consumer Electronics Market Size, Market Share, Application Analysis, Regional Outlook, Growth Trends, Key Players, Competitive Strategies and Forecasts, 2022 to 2030" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.



Global airport retailing consumer electronics market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 8% during the forecast period 2022-2030

This study report represents analysis of each segment from 2020 to 2030 considering 2021 as the base year. Compounded Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) for each of the respective segments estimated for the forecast period of 2022 to 2030.

According to the current status of the business, airport retailing of consumer electronics constitutes approximately 0.1 percent of the overall global consumer electronics market. The market for consumer electronics sold in airport retail outlets is anticipated to experience significant expansion.

China, India, and the United States, have been focusing on building of infrastructure to boost operations at full capacity. The most important economies in the world are currently investing in infrastructure to pave the way for massive economic growth in the form of the development of trade centres, ports, and airports, amongst other things.

It is anticipated that the airport retailing consumer electronics market would have significant development as a result of increasing investment and increased customer demand for keepsakes, both of which are driven by big data technology. New chances for consumer branding and brand loyalty continue to arise as a result of expanding globalisation and an increase in the number of people who like to go to other countries.



Expanding Air Passenger Traffic

The expansion rate of consumer electronics sales in airport shops has been recorded at 6% over the past decade. It is projected that the transition trend from traditional airports to airports that resemble small cities called aerotropolis will offer high profits in the following decade. The retailing of consumer electronics in airports holds direct application in areas designated for air travel.

In addition, a survey conducted by Airport Council International found that there has been an increase of approximately 8% to 10% in the amount of global air passenger traffic over the course of the previous five years. This growth is expected to present lucrative opportunities for manufacturers. The aforementioned tendencies provide obvious insights regarding the likelihood of this market's potential to more than quadruple its current market worth during the next ten years.



Aero City to Promise Significant Opportunity During the Forecast Period

Pre-security (Landslide), Post-security (Airside), and Aero Cities are the three major store locations are associated with the airport retailing consumer electronics market. It is anticipated that aero cities will provide the greatest opportunity in terms of absolute dollars over the course of the forecast period 2022-2030.

The present transition pattern that is being followed by the majority of high air-passenger traffic airports, such as Seoul Incheon, Singapore Changi, Dubai International, Shanghai Pudong, and Beijing Capital, is a factor that is necessary for comprehending the aforementioned insight. Revenues from aero cities is expected to be largest with the revenue share of 45% in 2021. This CAGR of this market is expected to raise at 8.8% during the forecast period of 2022-2030.



APAC and Europe Contributed Over 75% of Global Revenues in 2021

It is anticipated that the airport retailing consumer electronics market in Asia Pacific would experience significant growth in the next years. The competitors in the market are looking forward to a robust expansion thanks to the growing boost to tourism as well as important tourism destinations like Thailand, Indonesia, and Malaysia, amongst others.

In addition to this, the region is observing an increase in the demand for consumer products, which can be attributed to increased levels of discretionary income. It is anticipated that the expansion of the airport retailing consumer electronics industry would be driven by rising income levels as well as the growing demand for branding solutions. Additionally, it is anticipated that the airport retailing consumer electronics market will have significant expansion in both North America and Europe.



Highly Consolidated Market to Face Stiff Competition

The airport retailing consumer electronics market is projected to continue to be highly concentrated over the next several years as a result of the continued expansion of key market participants. Market participants operating in the airport retailing consumer electronics business have, for the most part, chosen growth-oriented strategies.

In addition, the most important thing on their list of priorities is maintaining their brand while also making consistent improvements in the aforementioned technologies' technical capabilities. These tactics are assisting the global players in expanding their geographical footprint and accumulating the highest possible market share, providing them with a technical advantage as a result.

Key questions answered in this report

What are the key micro and macro environmental factors that are impacting the growth of Airport Retailing Consumer Electronics market?

What are the key investment pockets with respect to product segments and geographies currently and during the forecast period?

Estimated forecast and market projections up to 2030.

Which segment accounts for the fastest CAGR during the forecast period?

Which market segment holds a larger market share and why?

Are low and middle-income economies investing in the Airport Retailing Consumer Electronics market?

Which is the largest regional market for Airport Retailing Consumer Electronics market?

What are the market trends and dynamics in emerging markets such as Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa?

Which are the key trends driving Airport Retailing Consumer Electronics market growth?

Who are the key competitors and what are their key strategies to enhance their market presence in the Airport Retailing Consumer Electronics market worldwide?

Key players in this market include

Durfy AG

Crystal Media

Royal Capi-Lux ('Capi')

InMotion

Dubai Duty Free

Lagardere Travel Retail

Bahrain Duty Free Shop Complex

Regstaer Duty Free

Market Segmentation

By Product Type (2020-2030; US$ Million)

Electronics Devices

Accessories

Others

By Airport Size (2020-2030; US$ Million)

Large

Medium

Small

By Store Location (2020-2030; US$ Million)

Pre-security (Landside)

Post-security (Airside)

Aero Cities

By Channel (2020-2030; US$ Million)

Hypermarket/Supermarket

Specialty Retail Store

Others

Region Segment (2020-2030; US$ Million)

North America

U.S.

Canada

Europe and UK

UK

Germany

Spain

Italy

France

RoE

Asia Pacific

China

Japan

India

Australia

South Korea

RoAPAC

Latin America

Brazil

Mexico

RoLATAM

Africa

GCC

Africa

RoME

Global Impact of Covid-19 Segment (2020-2021; US$ Million )

Pre Covid-19 situation

Post Covid-19 situation

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/jt1k3n
LAS VEGAS, NV, Aug. 03, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- PSYC Corporation (OTCPink: PSYC) (PSYC or the Company), a media leader focused on the emerging psychedelic sector, announced that its flagship platform, Psychedelic Spotlight, surpassed one million Page Views in the month of July, as well as setting new monthly records for the following KPIs: Page Views, Impressions, Organic Visits, and Click Thru Rate (CTR).



The accomplishment comes after Psychedelic Spotlight first surpassed one million Page Views in the months of May and June. This is the first time the Company achieved this milestone, and the development, combined with its ongoing top ranking on Google under the search category psychedelic news, further solidifies managements claim to Psychedelic Spotlight being the most recognized and respected leader for psychedelic news, information, and unique perspectives within the sector.

Per the Company, Psychedelic Spotlights July 2022 operating highlights are as follows:



Page Views: 1.2M

Impressions: 1.58M

CTR: 6.6%

Organic Visits: 117.5K

July 2022 over July 2021 Growth: Page Views 639% | Impressions 298% | CTR 119%



Psychedelic Spotlight was an obscure website with maybe 10-15 articles and editorials just two years ago, with neither an established brand identity nor audience. We are incredibly proud of our team for growing it into the juggernaut it is today, said PSYC CEO, David Flores.

Psychedelic Spotlights evolution into a formidable multimedia leader within the medicinal psychedelics sector is, in my opinion, providing PSYC with a tangible asset that not only lays the foundation for our longer-term growth initiatives, but also plays an active role in attracting and leveraging new opportunities that can directly impact some of our shorter-term initiatives. Even though nothing is definitive at this point in time, I am absolutely encouraged by the opportunities actively explored thus far by PSYC in Q3. Each of them, from my perspective, came to us as a direct result of the identity, audience, and value we established through Psychedelic Spotlight, which is why I remain cautiously optimistic for PSYCs future.

Psychedelic Spotlight Marketing Director Maria Holyanova touted the platforms monthly performance. "Psychedelic Spotlights organic growth proves us capable of executing our strategies, even in trying times. Over the last month, our team updated its game plan, which ultimately led to a higher ranking for Psychedelic Spotlight on Google Search and Google News. This not only indicates adaptable working strategies in real time but also a growing interest in the potential benefits of psychedelics. As the audience for the psychedelic space continues to grow, Psychedelic Spotlight strives to not only deliver information in an unbiased and informative way, but also contribute to harm reduction and a healthier, happier society."

Psychedelic Spotlight Executive Director Swati Sharma elaborated on Psychedelic Spotlights growing influence on conversations within the psychedelic space. Our ability to reach 1M+ page views for the platform and sustain them over the course of several months continues to prove that Psychedelic Spotlight is on an upward growth trajectory for the foreseeable future. Not only have we built this following, but we are consistently ranking at the top of Google through our organic growth, continuing to provide value for our own reach, trusted partners, and media affiliates. We are so excited about the impact weve had within the psychedelic sector, and we expect our influence will continue to grow as we incorporate more topics relating to health and wellness into our ever-evolving content and media strategies.



PSYC CFO Craig Schlesinger concluded with, Psychedelic Spotlights year over year growth trends are undeniable. Last month the platform crossed the 100K Organic Visits milestone for the first time, and hit another record this month, exceeding 117K Organic Visits. Our audience continues to expand as interest in psychedelics spread and shed old stigmas. Moreover, investor demand for PSYC increased in July, as the stock gained 20% during the month, coupled with increased trading volume. Investors are definitely taking notice of Psychedelic Spotlights dynamic growth. With a recent study estimating the future value of the medicinal psychedelics sector at $7B+ by 2026, its an exciting time for Team PSYC.

The charts provided below are for informational purposes only. Data sourced from Google Analytics.

About PSYC Corporation (OTCPink: PSYC)

At PSYC Corporation we are integrating media, creativity, and technology to develop and deploy thought-provoking ideas and solutions that are fostering and transforming the approach to some of societys most pressing matters.

PSYC has expressed its intent and commitment to positioning itself at the forefront of the psychedelic revolution and as a resource center for discovering and understanding the latest research and business opportunities surrounding psychedelic inspired medicines. In conjunction with the FDAs more open-minded approach to psychedelic medicines, and as several major U.S. cities continue to approve the decriminalization of psilocybin, we believe investors are speculating that the psychedelic boom could be bigger than that of cannabis. PSYC is your source for current investment related news specific to psychedelic medicines and cutting-edge research improving overall health, moving this sector into the mainstream.

We are dedicated to a forward-thinking approach that embraces groundbreaking new technology and innovations and through the vision of business development we intend to continue to evolve into these unchartered territories as the industry leaders of the future.

Forward-Looking Statements Disclaimer:

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by the following words: "anticipate," "believe," "continue," "could," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "may," "ongoing," "plan," "potential," "predict," "project," "should," "will," "would," or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology, although not all forward-looking statements contain these words. Forward-looking statements are not a guarantee of future performance or results and will not necessarily be accurate indications of the times at, or by, which such performance or results will be achieved. Forward-looking statements are based on information available at the time the statements are made and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainty and other factors, including the effect of COVID-19 and the success of the current vaccine distribution, the adverse effect of the Omicron variant, that may cause our results, levels of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from the information expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements in this press release. This press release should be considered in light of all filings of the Company that are disclosed on the OTC Markets.com website and is not incorporated by reference into such reports.

Disclaimer: PSYC Corporation does not in any way encourage or condone the use, purchase, sale or transfer of any illegal substances, nor do we encourage or condone partaking in any unlawful activities. We support a harm reduction approach for the purpose of education and promoting individual and public safety. If you are choosing to use psychedelic substances, please do so responsibly.

Corporate Contact:

PSYC Corporation (PSYC)

www.psyccorporation.com

(702) 330-0363

info@psyccorporation.com

OTCPINK: PSYC

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CALGARY, Alberta, Aug. 03, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ZayZoon, a provider of voluntary benefits that allows employees across the United States to instantly access their earned wages on-demand, is pleased to announce a series of financings that total $25.5 million in aggregate, consisting of $12.5 million in equity and $13 million in a new credit facility with ATB Financial.

This current round of equity, led by Carpae Investments and Alpenglow Capital, brings the total equity raised by the company to $25 million. This round also saw participation from existing shareholders which include InterGen Capital, Prairie Merchant Corporation, and angel investors Sanders Lee (Hopewell) and Rob Ohlson (Maillot Homes), among others. Though almost all of the company's funding has originated from Canadian investors, the more than 3,000 businesses using ZayZoon to offer their employees quicker access to pay are located in the United States.

The majority of working Americans experience cash-flow shortfalls that can require them to seek out undesirable solutions to bridge the gap until the next payday. ZayZoon's core product Wages On-Demand gives employees access to wages that they have already earned but would otherwise have to wait until their next payday to receive. When the alternatives are high-cost options such as late bill payments, overdraft fees, and payday loans, financial options like Wages On-Demand are increasingly a critical service for millions of Americans.

In less than three minutes, an employee can sign up and access their earned wages instantly to their existing bank account or other available wallet options for little or no cost.

Businesses partner with ZayZoon to improve employee recruitment, retention and overall workplace productivity. With more than 100 payroll integrations, including being a Platinum Partner on the ADP Marketplace, over 60 percent of businesses across the United States can activate ZayZoon for their employees in less than 60 minutes at zero cost and with no administration required. Partnerships like these have enabled ZayZoon to provide its services to thousands of employees at franchises like McDonald's, Burger King, Senior Helpers and Choice Hotels.

Jamie Ha, co-founder and CFO of ZayZoon, says, "We are extremely excited to see the tremendous level of interest and support for this important offering for both employers and employees. With this financing, we are positioned to bring ZayZoon's Wages On-Demand service to millions of people across America, especially during a phase when hardworking employees need it the most."

This round of financing opens the doors of opportunity to further expand ZayZoon's product offering beyond Wages On-Demand and into additional products and services that financially improve employee outcomes and financial wellness. Furthermore, it enables ZayZoon to pursue hiring for key roles across Growth, Operations and Engineering.

Marcos Lopez, Principal of Alpenglow, says, "ZayZoon has proven the value it can bring to millions of employees and their employers through a unique distribution channel. We are excited to see the team continue their impressive growth and the use of their product by more employees and employers, helping them efficiently access their earned wages more effectively."

About ZayZoon

ZayZoon's mission is to materially improve employee financial outcomes with effective and engaging financial products that also create a business advantage for employers. By leveraging ZayZoon's extensive and robust payroll-integrated technology, businesses can give their staff access to a program that includes Wages On-Demand, Financial Education and a Prepaid Spending Card. Workers around the world rely on predatory products such as payday loans and overdraft fees to bridge the paycheck-to-paycheck gap created by pre-determined payroll cycles. ZayZoon aims to break that cycle. ZayZoon's on-demand access to wages helps reduce employee financial stress and materially improves workplace retention, resourcing and productivity.

Looking for a role within a high-growth HR and Financial Technology company? Check out https://www.zayzoon.com/careers.

Contact:

Chaz Somers

media@zayzoon.com

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New York, Aug. 03, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report "Unmanned Electronic Warfare Market Research Report by Platform, Capability, Product, Operation, Region - Global Forecast to 2027 - Cumulative Impact of COVID-19" - https://www.reportlinker.com/p06287129/?utm_source=GNW



The Global Unmanned Electronic Warfare Market size was estimated at USD 421.23 million in 2021 and expected to reach USD 504.12 million in 2022, and is projected to grow at a CAGR 19.93% to reach USD 1,253.70 million by 2027.



Market Statistics:

The report provides market sizing and forecast across 7 major currencies - USD, EUR, JPY, GBP, AUD, CAD, and CHF. It helps organization leaders make better decisions when currency exchange data is readily available. In this report, the years 2019 and 2020 are considered historical years, 2021 as the base year, 2022 as the estimated year, and years from 2023 to 2027 are considered the forecast period.



Market Segmentation & Coverage:

This research report categorizes the Unmanned Electronic Warfare to forecast the revenues and analyze the trends in each of the following sub-markets:



Based on Platform, the market was studied across Unmanned Aerial vehicles, Unmanned land Vehicles, and Unmanned Marine vehicles.



Based on Capability, the market was studied across Electronic Attack, Electronic Protection, and Electronic Support.



Based on Product, the market was studied across Unmanned Electronic Warfare Equipment and Unmanned Electronic Warfare Operational Support.



Based on Operation, the market was studied across Fully Autonomous and Semi-autonomous.



Based on Region, the market was studied across Americas, Asia-Pacific, and Europe, Middle East & Africa. The Americas is further studied across Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, and United States. The United States is further studied across California, Florida, Illinois, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Texas. The Asia-Pacific is further studied across Australia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, and Thailand. The Europe, Middle East & Africa is further studied across France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Spain, United Arab Emirates, and United Kingdom.



Cumulative Impact of COVID-19:

COVID-19 is an incomparable global public health emergency that has affected almost every industry, and the long-term effects are projected to impact the industry growth during the forecast period. Our ongoing research amplifies our research framework to ensure the inclusion of underlying COVID-19 issues and potential paths forward. The report delivers insights on COVID-19 considering the changes in consumer behavior and demand, purchasing patterns, re-routing of the supply chain, dynamics of current market forces, and the significant interventions of governments. The updated study provides insights, analysis, estimations, and forecasts, considering the COVID-19 impact on the market.



Cumulative Impact of 2022 Russia Ukraine Conflict:

We continuously monitor and update reports on political and economic uncertainty due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Negative impacts are significantly foreseen globally, especially across Eastern Europe, European Union, Eastern & Central Asia, and the United States. This contention has severely affected lives and livelihoods and represents far-reaching disruptions in trade dynamics. The potential effects of ongoing war and uncertainty in Eastern Europe are expected to have an adverse impact on the world economy, with especially long-term harsh effects on Russia.This report uncovers the impact of demand & supply, pricing variants, strategic uptake of vendors, and recommendations for Unmanned Electronic Warfare market considering the current update on the conflict and its global response.



Competitive Strategic Window:

The Competitive Strategic Window analyses the competitive landscape in terms of markets, applications, and geographies to help the vendor define an alignment or fit between their capabilities and opportunities for future growth prospects. It describes the optimal or favorable fit for the vendors to adopt successive merger and acquisition strategies, geography expansion, research & development, and new product introduction strategies to execute further business expansion and growth during a forecast period.



FPNV Positioning Matrix:

The FPNV Positioning Matrix evaluates and categorizes the vendors in the Unmanned Electronic Warfare Market based on Business Strategy (Business Growth, Industry Coverage, Financial Viability, and Channel Support) and Product Satisfaction (Value for Money, Ease of Use, Product Features, and Customer Support) that aids businesses in better decision making and understanding the competitive landscape.



Market Share Analysis:

The Market Share Analysis offers the analysis of vendors considering their contribution to the overall market. It provides the idea of its revenue generation into the overall market compared to other vendors in the space. It provides insights into how vendors are performing in terms of revenue generation and customer base compared to others. Knowing market share offers an idea of the size and competitiveness of the vendors for the base year. It reveals the market characteristics in terms of accumulation, fragmentation, dominance, and amalgamation traits.



Competitive Scenario:

The Competitive Scenario provides an outlook analysis of the various business growth strategies adopted by the vendors. The news covered in this section deliver valuable thoughts at the different stage while keeping up-to-date with the business and engage stakeholders in the economic debate. The competitive scenario represents press releases or news of the companies categorized into Merger & Acquisition, Agreement, Collaboration, & Partnership, New Product Launch & Enhancement, Investment & Funding, and Award, Recognition, & Expansion. All the news collected help vendor to understand the gaps in the marketplace and competitors strength and weakness thereby, providing insights to enhance product and service.



Company Usability Profiles:

The report profoundly explores the recent significant developments by the leading vendors and innovation profiles in the Global Unmanned Electronic Warfare Market, including ASELSAN A.?., BAE Systems plc, Bharat Electronics Limited, Cobham Limited, COHORT PLC, Elbit Systems Ltd., General Dynamics Corporation, Hensoldt AG, HR Smith Group of Companies, Israel Aerospace Industries Ltd., L3Harris Technologies, Inc., Leonardo S.p.A., Lockheed Martin Corporation, Northrop Grumman Corporation, Raytheon Technologies Corporation, Rostec, Saab AB, Teledyne Technologies Incorporated, Textron Inc., and Thales Group.



The report provides insights on the following pointers:

1. Market Penetration: Provides comprehensive information on the market offered by the key players

2. Market Development: Provides in-depth information about lucrative emerging markets and analyze penetration across mature segments of the markets

3. Market Diversification: Provides detailed information about new product launches, untapped geographies, recent developments, and investments

4. Competitive Assessment & Intelligence: Provides an exhaustive assessment of market shares, strategies, products, certification, regulatory approvals, patent landscape, and manufacturing capabilities of the leading players

5. Product Development & Innovation: Provides intelligent insights on future technologies, R&D activities, and breakthrough product developments



The report answers questions such as:

1. What is the market size and forecast of the Global Unmanned Electronic Warfare Market?

2. What are the inhibiting factors and impact of COVID-19 shaping the Global Unmanned Electronic Warfare Market during the forecast period?

3. Which are the products/segments/applications/areas to invest in over the forecast period in the Global Unmanned Electronic Warfare Market?

4. What is the competitive strategic window for opportunities in the Global Unmanned Electronic Warfare Market?

5. What are the technology trends and regulatory frameworks in the Global Unmanned Electronic Warfare Market?

6. What is the market share of the leading vendors in the Global Unmanned Electronic Warfare Market?

7. What modes and strategic moves are considered suitable for entering the Global Unmanned Electronic Warfare Market?

Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p06287129/?utm_source=GNW



About Reportlinker

ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place.



__________________________
Vancouver, BC , Aug. 03, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- RevoluGROUP Canada Inc. (TSX-V: REVO), (Frankfurt: IJA2) (the "Company") is pleased to announce that on the 3rd of August 2022 the Central Bank officially granted the Company Inscription approval as one of Europe's first authorized Crypto Stored Value and Crypto Trading entities. The approval is awarded at a time when EU regulators mandated sweeping DCE and Crypto regulations in July 2022. The Central Bank's focus with registry Inscriptions is to ensure categoric compliance with all international provisions of AML criteria, as well as the prevention of money laundering and the financing of terrorism. The Company's RevoluEX platform has demonstrated that, even before the now mandated KYC and AML requirements, it preemptively adhered to and complied with every regulatory facet, resulting in today's approval.



First Mover Status Established

To the Company's knowledge, RevoluPAY is the first Pan-European 27-country licensed financial institution to equally obtain the Central Bank Crypto Stored Value and Crypto Trading Registration in compliance with legally binding Pan-European MiCA regulations. From today the unique combined ability of RevoluPAY to transact as both the licensed Sovereign Currency (FiAT) financial institution and Central Bank recognized crypto operator is expected to garner substantial attention in a Crypto industry that peaked at USD 2.9 trillion in November 2021. Time is running out for DCEs, since the EU Commission granted the European Securities and Markets Authority ("ESMA") new and far-reaching powers to systematically ban, outright and overnight, any non-compliant actor in the crypto sphere. As of today's news, any DCE wishing to comply with any and all current regulations immediately need merely either white-label the Company's RevoluEX technology or, through a contractual agreement, transit all transactions through the Company's financial banking licenses uniquely boasting the additional Crypto Stored Value and Crypto Trading approved Registration ensuring complete end-to-end compliance.

The Scope of Today's Crypto Regulatory Milestone

Many DCE crypto giants urgently seek to maintain growth while gaining obligated regulatory legitimacy amid fears of real and present global regulation. RevoluPAY now provides a venerable regulatory solution for DCEs to remain entirely compliant on all sides of an eventual crypto trade. Namely, the bilateral Fiat currency component, KYC ("Know Your Customer"), and AML ("Anti-Money Laundering") plus the Stored Value and Crypto Trading elements. Furthermore, the Company's proprietary RevoluEX technology is plug-and-play, having accomplished all facets of API integration, allowing a rapid turn-key solution. RevoluEX is available as an API incorporated into current DCE platforms or stand-alone white-label deployment under any brand or DCE logo described in the recent Market Herald article. Further unique international regulatory benefits available to DCE partners are the RevoluPAY United States MSB, Canadian FINTRAC, and European PSD2 payment institution 6900 financial abilities native to our financial technology. Furthermore, yesterday's launch of RevoluTRANSFER now permits future DCE partners to transact bilaterally as on/off ramp up to 3 million USD for a single transaction.

Links Used in this News Release.

EU 27 Country Financial Licenses - https://tinyurl.com/ycyat7j3

RevoluPAY EP S.L Banking Registration - https://tinyurl.com/4jmtke6b

RevoluEX - https://revoluex.com/

Market Herald article 12 Dec 2020 - https://tinyurl.com/mr3kz68u

RevoluTRANSFER - https://revolutransfer.com/

About RevoluPAY

The Company's flagship Neobanking technology is RevoluPAY, the Apple and Android multinational payment app. Conceived entirely in-house, RevoluPAY features proprietary, sector-specific technology of which the resulting source code is the Company's intellectual property. RevoluPAY's built-in features include Remittance Payments, Forex, Crypto-to-fiat exchange, Retail and Hospitality payments, Real Estate Payments, pay-as-you-go phone top-ups, Gift Cards & Online Credits, Utility Bill payments, Leisure payments, Travel Payments, etc. RevoluPAY employs blockchain protocols and is squarely aimed at the worldwide multi-billion dollar Open Banking sector and + $595 billion family remittance market. RevoluPAY is operated by the European wholly-owned subsidiary RevoluPAY EP S.L situated in Barcelona. RevoluPAY is a licensed United States MSB, Canadian FINTRAC, and European PSD2 payment institution 6900 under the auspices of E.U. Directive 2015/2366 with EU Passporting. RevoluGROUP Canada Inc. controls five wholly-owned subsidiaries on four continents.

About RevoluGROUP Canada Inc.:

RevoluGROUP Canada Inc. is a multi-asset, multidivisional publicly traded Canadian Company deploying advanced technologies in; Banking, Mobile Apps, Money Remittance, Mobile Phone Top-Ups, EGaming, Healthcare Payments, Esports, Invoice factoring, Online Travel, Vacation Resort, Blockchain Systems, and Fintech app sectors. Click here to read more.

For further information on RevoluGROUP Canada Inc. (TSX-V: REVO), visit the Company's website at www.RevoluGROUP.com. The Company has approximately 189,607,876 shares issued and outstanding.

RevoluGROUP Canada, Inc.

"Steve Marshall"

______________________

STEVE MARSHALL

CEO

For further information, contact:

RevoluGROUP Canada Inc.

Telephone: (604) 332 5355

Email: info@revolugroup.com

NEITHER THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE.
Augusta, GA, Aug. 03, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Blood Connection (TBC), an independently managed, non-profit community blood center will now be providing blood for Doctors Hospital of Augusta. Through the pandemic, TBC proved its ability to supply a steady and ready blood supply for local patients. TBCs reliability and consistency helps to ensure a robust healthcare system for trauma victims and the many patients who rely on blood transfusions. TBC already has a long-standing relationship with the Georgia medical community through its affiliation with several other hospitals in the state.

TBC, formerly known as Carolina-Georgia Blood Center, has served as a non-profit 501(c)(3) community blood center for 60 years. Its inception is closely tied to Georgia; the blood center was originally formed to be a blood provider for small hospitals in Georgia and South Carolina, before it eventually grew to become The Blood Connection. It is now the primary blood provider for more than 100 hospitals in South Carolina, North Carolina, and parts of Georgia. This expansion into Southeast Georgia begins a monumental chapter for the Augusta community and its healthcare system that has proudly joined the TBC family.

The Blood Connection has proven its ability to consistently provide for our hospital partners when faced with many challenges and is proud to now serve the Augusta Region to ensure there are enough blood products for every patient in need," said President & CEO of the Blood Connection, Delisa English. Since there is no substitute for blood, we are reliant on community blood donors and are seeking organizations who are willing to step up and support the local blood supply by sponsoring blood drives. Blood donations save lives.

TBC and Doctors Hospital are partnering to host a blood drive on August 25, 2022. To make an appointment to donate blood at this drive, click here. Although TBC is responsible for keeping the blood supply stable, it cannot replicate blood; it must be donated. TBC urges the community to donate blood to ensure that hospitals needs for blood are uninterrupted. To find other opportunities to donate blood, go to thebloodconnection.org/donate.

About The Blood Connection

Founded in Greenville, SC, The Blood Connection has been committed to saving lives since 1962. TBC is an independently managed, not-for-profit, community blood center that provides blood products to around 100 hospitals within Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina. Recognized by the U.S. Congress for its dedication to disaster preparedness and the community, TBC works diligently to collect blood from volunteer donors to meet the ever-increasing demand. By keeping collections local, TBC serves hundreds of thousands of patients a year in its communities. TBC is licensed and regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. For more information, visit thebloodconnection.org.

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Springfield, Mo., Aug. 03, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- On August 6 and 7, Fight Colorectal Cancer (Fight CRC), a national nonprofit organization, and advocates from across the country will be hosting and participating in climbing events to raise awareness and funds for the fight against colorectal cancer (CRC) during Fight CRCs annual event, Climb for a Cure. More than $130,000 has been raised for the 2022 Climb for a Cure event, which supports breakthrough research endeavors, such as Fight CRCs Path to a Cure, a plan to bring attention to CRC and all of the issues surrounding it. Survivors, caregivers, and loved ones will participate in this years Climb for a Cure by climbing at one of the 11 locations or by creating their own Climb.

Bay Area, California, climb host Mary Beth Kropps husband passed away from CRC in December 2021. She climbs to spread awareness of the need for screening. I now have two boys who will need early detection screening, she said. We need to stay ahead of the curve. Screenings are not 'embarrassing' when your life is at stake.

Stage III survivor Joe Bullock is co-hosting the Burnsville, North Carolina, climb. He climbs to raise funds for colorectal cancer research and support the cancer community. I wanted to host a Climb for a Cure of my own as a goal for my survivorship and to honor others who inspired me, he said.

This will be the seventh year for Fight CRC's Climb for a Cure. Started in 2016 by four advocates, Climb for a Cure inspires cancer survivors to push themselves physically and mentally.

"The Climb for a Cure community carries each other, ensuring no one falls; no one is left behind; no one fights alone," said Fight CRC President Anjee Davis. Many cancer survivors feel like they are facing their diagnosis alone, with no one to truly understand what they are going through. For them, this Climb is their opportunity to find healing."

Those interested in participating on August 6 or 7 can register here to create your own climb. Learn more about Climb for a Cure at FightCRC.org/Climb.

Thank you for the support from Fight CRCs Climb for a Cure sponsors Bemis, Exact Sciences, Guardant Health, Merck, Natera, No-Shave November, and Taiho Oncology.

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SHELBY TOWNSHIP, MI, Aug. 03, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ResGreen Group (OTC PINK: RGGI) ("RGGI"), a leading mobile robot company, today introduced a new feature for its industry-leading BotWay software system - an intranet- and cloud-based monitoring and management user interface. The intuitive interface allows users to access BotWay remotely via any mobile device or desktop computer.

BotWay software is the backbone of our companys technologies and represents our commitment to making automation as easy-to-use and cost-effective as possible for our customers, said Parsh Patel. CEO at ResGreen. With the new interface, customers can observe BotWay 24/7 and troubleshoot issues from home, on vacation or anywhere in their facility from their smart device.

The interface incorporates industry-standard Secure Socket Layer (SSL) to ensure security and end-to-end encryption. For companies that want additional privacy and security, it can be deployed on a companys intranet system.

The interface uses MQTT communication protocol and web-based utilities to enable operation on a wide variety of devices. Because it is intranet-based, it can be accessed from a web page without requiring the development of different apps to accommodate individual operating systems (Android, iOS, etc).

BotWay is a leading-edge, open-architecture automation software that is highly adaptable for multi-platform traffic control and monitoring. It was designed with interoperability and ease of use in mind. Because BotWay uses standard MQTT network protocol, it can connect not only to ResGreens Automatic Guided Vehicles (AGVs) and Automated Mobile Robots (AMRs) but also other suppliers vehicles and equipment, such as fork trucks, automated storage and retrieval systems (AS/RS), conveyors, elevators, lights and even garage door openers.

About ResGreen Group International, Inc. (RGGI)

ResGreen is a leading developer of Artificial Intelligence Robotics (AIRs), Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs), and Automatic Guided Vehicles (AGVs). RGGIs highly skilled engineers have years of experience in the material handling and robotics industries, which has led to significant intellectual property for the company.
Strong demand and sales drove total revenue for Q1 2022 up 538% year-over-year, largely attributed to products of newly acquired TopPop LLC (TopPop), which include ready-to-freeze (RTF), ready-to-drink (RTD), alcohol ice pops and flexible pouches

Iconic Brands has record quarter with over $4 million in revenue, nearly equaling 2021 full-year revenues of $4.9 million

AMITYVILLE, NY, Aug. 03, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via NewMediaWire -- Iconic Brands, Inc. (OTC: ICNB) (Iconic or the Company), a leader in the development, design and delivery of alcohol and non-alcohol beverages, today reported its financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2022.

First Quarter 2022 Financial Highlights

Total revenue for the first quarter ended March 31, 2022 was $4,046,797, an increase of $3,412,264 compared to the same period last year, representing an increase of 538%.

Gross profit was $1,841,758 for the first quarter ended March 31, 2022, an increase of approximately 483% year-over-year.

Cash as of March 31, 2022, was $7,589,114, compared to $2,190,814 on December 31, 2021.

Unaudited pro forma revenue for the quarter ended March 31, 2021, was $3,002,597. On a proforma basis, revenue increased by roughly $1.0 million due to TopPop product demand.

First Quarter 2022 Highlights

During the quarter, the Company closed the second and final tranche of its previously announced July 2021 financing. Iconic received net proceeds of approximately $10.9 million from the closing of the second tranche, to be used for general working capital purposes that include domestic and international expansion of the Bellissima brand, TopPop facility production and expansion to increase capacity for growing demand, new product launches and marketing.

Strong demand for TopPop products, which include low-calorie, ready-to-go drinks; RTF; and RTD products since the acquisition was completed in July 2021.

Iconic held an investor and media unveiling and tour of TopPops new 65,000 square foot facility in Pennsauken, New Jersey.

TopPop reached full-scale production capability of its newest facility at the end of March 2022. Iconic invested approximately $4 million in facility improvements and packaging equipment to meet growing demand with its vertically integrated operations that include high-speed flexible pouch equipment, blending and batching, semi-automatic pack-outs and full-product testing capabilities. The new facility is also FDA-registered, Safety Quality Food (SQF)-certified, Kosher and Organic production-certified, TTB & NJ ABC approved. The facility is expected to produce 80 million units by the end of 2022.

The Company launched Bellissima Zero, a new line of zero sugar still wines created by Bellissima Prosecco and co-developed by Bellissima brand partner, supermodel, actress and entrepreneur Christie Brinkley. Bellissima Zero is now available in five expressions: Pinot Grigio IGT, Chardonnay IGT, Rose Wine, Merlot IGT and Cabernet Sauvignon IGT. Bellissima Zero has zero sugar, has approximately one gram of carbohydrates per five ounces, is made with organic grapes and is certified vegan.

23,500 cases of Iconics recently launched Bellissima Zero Sugar Still Wines arrived into inventory from Italy to meet 2022 demand. Iconic has a total of 85,000 cases available for 2022.

Iconic bolstered its national product distribution and sales strategy with the appointment of new members to its sales team.

Sales of Bellissima Prosecco and Sparkling Wines in New York increased by 73% by volume, and the number of distribution points grew by over 250%.

Management Commentary

The first quarter of 2022 was a testament to the strength of our business. We had record revenue for FY 2021 at $4.9 million, and this year we were able to achieve nearly that in just one quarter, said Iconic Chief Financial Officer Dave Allen. We closed on the second tranche of financing giving the Company a solid cash balance for production, expansion and other working capital needs. We put together a national sales team of industry experts and are proud to have launched Bellissima Zero, a new line of zero sugar still wines that complement our existing product line and target the very popular zero sugar alcohol segment. We believe this momentum will continue in years ahead as we now have the capabilities to support the growing demand for our unique and popular product categories.

Tom Martin, interim Chief Executive Officer of Iconic, added, On the execution front, we have been very aggressive and have rapidly seen our team hit multiple milestones. Our innovative and sustainable flexible packaging solutions have always been a priority, and as such, we have one facility already running on 100% solar power and expect the same for our Pennsauken facility in the near future. We were pleased that we brought our new 65,000 square foot packaging facility to full capacity and were able to give investors and members of the press a tour of the facility. Renovating, configuring and setting up a facility of this size is a large task, and our staff did an excellent job doing so. We believe we are off to a great start in 2022 with record sales; we continue to work with some of the largest alcohol beverage companies and brands, and we are committed to becoming a premier beverage manufacturer and product developer.

First Quarter 2022 Financial Results

Iconic reported revenue of $4,046,797 for the three months ended March 31, 2022, an increase of $3,412,264 or 538% compared to $634,533 for the three months ended March 31, 2021. Sales are comprised of Bellissima Prosecco and Sparkling Wine, the line of Hooters brand products and the Companys RTF TopPop products.

Cost of sales was $2,205,039 or approximately 54% of sales, for the three months ended March 31, 2022 and $318,633, or approximately 50% of sales, for the three months ended March 31, 2021. The increase in cost of goods as a percentage of sales, year-over-year, is due to the change in product mix in 2021 as a result of our TopPop acquisition. Cost of goods for the three months ended March 31, 2022 for our alcohol sales was approximately 40%, which is similar to the same period in the prior year, while the costs associated with our TopPop acquisition were approximately 51% during the three months ended March 31, 2022.

Total operating expenses were $4,810,364 for the three months ended March 31, 2022, an increase of $3,815,226 or approximately 383% compared to $995,138 for the three months ended March 31, 2021.

Net operating loss was $2,968,606 for the three months ended March 31, 2022, an increase of $2,289,368 or approximately 337% compared to $679,238 for the three months ended March 31, 2021.

On January 5, 2022, the Company closed the second tranche of its equity financing and sold 12,258 shares of Series A-2 Convertible Preferred Stock, 4,301,004 shares of common stock and warrants to purchase 40,018,583 shares of common stock for gross proceeds of approximately $12.2 million and net proceeds of approximately $10.9 million after deduction of placement agent commissions and expenses of the offering. Net proceeds are expected to be used by the Company for domestic and international expansion of its Bellissima brand, the expansion of the production facilities of the Companys TopPop subsidiary, new product launches, marketing and other general working capital purposes.

About Iconic

Iconic Brands, Inc. (OTC: ICNB) is a leader in the development, design and delivery of alcohol and non-alcohol beverages. TopPop, Iconics wholly owned subsidiary, is a leader in the innovation of low-calorie, ready to go drinks and ready-to-freeze (RTF) and ready-to-drink (RTD) products in sustainable, flexible and stand-up pouch packaging, and in the alcohol ice-pop and cocktails-to-go market. Iconics brands include Bellissima by Christie Brinkley, a premium better-for-you and better-for-the-planet collection of prosecco, sparkling wines and still wines, all of which are certified vegan and made with organic grapes. Bellissima is strategically positioned with its zero sugar wines in the zero sugar beverage category. Iconic operates in multiple states, distributes around the globe and has Fortune 500 customers that include some of the worlds largest alcohol beverage companies and brands.

Please visit Iconics websites and follow us on social media.

Websites: Iconicbrandsusa.com ; bellissimaprosecco.com ; toppoppkg.com ; sonjasangria.com

Twitter: @iconicbrandsus; @Sonja_Sangria

Instagram: @IconicBrandsUSA; @BellissimaProsecco; @sonja_sangria

LinkedIn: Iconic Brands USA; TopPop Packaging

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act. These forward-looking statements are made on the basis of the current beliefs, expectations and assumptions of management, are not guarantees of performance, and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. These forward-looking statements should, therefore, be considered in light of various risks, including those set forth in Iconics reports that it files from time to time with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and which you should review, including those statements under Item 1A  Risk Factors in Iconics most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q.

Contact

ir@iconicbrandsusa.com
NASHVILLE, Tenn., Aug. 03, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- National Seating & Mobility (NSM), North Americas largest provider of comprehensive mobility solutions, will return as the official ADA sponsor of Pilgrimage Music & Culture Festival Sept. 24-25, 2022. The sponsorship will mark the third consecutive year of NSMs partnership with the festival which is held at The Park at Harlinsdale Farm in Franklin, Tennessee. As in recent years, NSMs sponsorship will fund hosted ADA Accessible viewing platforms for attendees with disabilities among the thousands across the nation attending the two-day event.

"We are proud to serve as the official ADA sponsor of the Pilgrimage Festival again this year, said Bill Mixon, NSM CEO. Ensuring that events like this one are accessible to all guests is imperative and we are pleased to provide support to ensure that this incredible event is welcoming to everyone.

Hosted ADA Accessible viewing platforms will be set up around the two Pilgrimage Festival main stages to ensure a clear view of the performers for those with disabilities. NSM will also offer complementary water bottles for attendees on the accessible viewing platforms.

We are so grateful for the continued partnership with NSM that helps to create an accessible and enjoyable experience for all, said Brandt Wood, Pilgrimage Festival co-founder. Pilgrimage Festival aims to bring the entire community together around music and sponsorships like this one make that possible.

The 2022 headliners include Chris Stapleton, Brandi Carlisle, The Avett Brothers and Elle King along with 50 additional acts across five stages. NSMs sponsorship included event signage and exposure on the festival website (www.pilgrimagefestival.com), the official festival app and through Pilgrimage social channels. Tickets are available at PilgrimageFestival.com.

While NSM hosts accessible viewing platforms around the two main stages, Pilgrimage Festival works to make the event venue accessible for attendees. This will be the eighth year for the festival in Franklin, where NSMs corporate headquarters is also located.



About National Seating & Mobility

With a network of 200+ locations across the U.S. and Canada, National Seating & Mobility (NSM) is North Americas largest and most trusted provider of comprehensive mobility solutions including complex rehab technology (CRT), home and vehicle accessibility, and full-service maintenance and repair. NSM has been advancing independence and enhancing the quality of life of individuals who use mobility solutions for more than 30 years. The company has more than 2,600 dedicated team members caring for more than 300,000 clients annually. Since 2006, NSM is the only national mobility solutions provider that is accredited by The Joint Commission and voluntarily undergoes a rigorous review process every few years to ensure and validate the companys commitment to providing safe, quality care for our valued customers. NSM is also the exclusive partner for The Home Depot Independent Living program offering home accessibility solutions to customers looking to create safer home environments in more than 700 Home Depot retail locations across the U.S. For more information on NSM, visit www.nsm-seating.com.

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English French

REGULATED RELEASE

INFORMATION REGARDING THE TOTAL VOTING RIGHTS

AND SHARES OF KLEPIERRE SA

AS OF JULY 31, 2022(1)

Paris  August 3, 2022

NUMBER OF SHARES AS OF JULY 31, 2022

Date 07/31/2022 Company name Klepierre Trading place Euronext Paris (Compartment A) Mnemonic LI Symbols EPA:LI / LI:FP / LOIM.PA ISIN FR0000121964 Total number of shares 286,861,172 Total number of voting rights Number of theoretical voting rights(2) 286,861,172 Number of exercisable voting rights(3) 285,499,351





AGENDA October 19, 2022 Business review for the first nine months of 2022 (after market close) INVESTOR RELATIONS CONTACTS Paul Logerot, Group Head of IR and financial communication

+33 (0)7 50 66 05 63  paul.logerot@klepierre.com

Julia Croissant, IR Officer

+33 (0)7 88 77 40 37 julia.croissant@klepierre.com

ABOUT KLEPIERRE

Klepierre is the European leader in shopping malls, combining property development and asset management skills. The Companys portfolio is valued at 20.6 billion at June 30, 2022, and comprises large shopping centers in more than 10 countries in Continental Europe which together host hundreds of millions of visitors per year. Klepierre holds a controlling stake in Steen & Strm (56.1%), Scandinavias number one shopping center owner and manager. Klepierre is a French REIT (SIIC) listed on Euronext Paris and is included in the CAC Next 20 and EPRA Euro Zone Indexes. It is also included in ethical indexes, such as Euronext CAC 40 ESG, MSCI Europe ESG Leaders, FTSE4Good, Euronext Vigeo Europe 120, and features in CDPs A-list. These distinctions underscore the Groups commitment to a proactive sustainable development policy and its global leadership in the fight against climate change.

For more information, please visit the newsroom on our website: www.klepierre.com

(1) Provided pursuant to article l. 233-8-II of the French commercial code and article 223-16 of the general regulation of the the Autorite des marches financiers.

(2) Theoretical voting rights correspond to the total number of voting rights attached to all shares, including those deprived of voting rights (article 223-11 of the General Regulations of the Autorite des marches financiers). As of July 31, 2022, Klepierre SA owns 1,361,821 of its own shares.

(3) Exercisable voting rights correspond to the number of voting rights net of shares deprived of voting rights.

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SAN DIEGO, Aug. 03, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Shareholder rights law firm Johnson Fistel, LLP has launched an investigation into whether the board members of Ping Identity Holding Corp. (NYSE: PING) breached their fiduciary duties in connection with the proposed sale of the Company to Thoma Bravo.



On August 3, 2022, Ping Identity announced that the company has entered an agreement to be acquired by private equity firm Thoma Bravo for $28.50 per share in an all-cash transaction valued at an Enterprise Value of approximately $2.8 billion.

The investigation concerns whether the Ping Identity board failed to satisfy its duties to the Company shareholders, including whether the board adequately pursued alternatives to the acquisition and whether the board obtained the best price possible for Ping Identity shares of common stock.

Nationally recognized, Johnson Fistel is investigating whether the proposed deal represents adequate consideration, especially given one Wall Street analyst had a $38.00 price target on the stock.

If you are a shareholder of Ping Identity and believe the proposed buyout price is too low or you're interested in learning more about the investigation, please contact lead analyst Jim Baker (jimb@johnsonfistel.com) at 619-814-4471. If emailing, please include a phone number.

Additionally, you can click or copy and paste the following link:

https://www.johnsonfistel.com/investigations/ping-identity-acquisition-merger-ma-thoma-bravo

There is no cost or obligation to you.

About Johnson Fistel, LLP:

Johnson Fistel, LLP is a nationally recognized shareholder rights law firm with offices in California, New York, and Georgia. The firm represents individual and institutional investors in shareholder derivative and securities class action lawsuits. For more information about the firm and its attorneys, please visit https://www.johnsonfistel.com . Attorney advertising. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes.
NEW YORK, Aug. 03, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- 1394ta, an independent digital marketing agency primarily known for its Instagram and Twitter account growth services, has officially rolled out its demographic targeting service for independent users, startups, and celebrities. The new offering ensures that users will receive new followers from real Instagram and Twitter users, unlike competing services which mainly offer bot accounts whose actions are often flagged as "unknown activity" by both social media platforms.

Instagram and Twitter users have praised 1394ta, noting how the service's targeted organic growth model has provided them with opportunities to increase their accounts' engagement with a strategic approach that is tailored to their respective marketing strategies. 1394ta's years of experience working with businesses and influencers to grow their online audiences has bolstered the team's confidence in the platform's growth services. Now offering a 100% satisfaction guarantee, 1394ta aims to help users build their follower bases with accounts that will genuinely engage with content based on their existing interests.

The social media landscape can be quite confusing. Some influencers seem to gain millions of followers overnight, while others fail to scrape together 100 followers in a year. Those who have attained success often leverage digital platforms to generate engagement and revenue. To help users struggling to do so, 1394ta has set out on a mission to connect with as many Twitter and Instagram accounts as possible.

Since beginning their journey, the 1394ta team has helped hundreds of users increase their account visibility and reach millions of new profiles from across the world. The team has also launched affiliate marketing for a multitude of companies to monetize their unique brand presences. Powered by a team of social media experts who are available for consultations via 24/7 support, 1394ta is prepared to help any rapid-growth company based in the United States.

Many influencers and companies will encounter periods of stagnation as they look to grow their social media presence. In most cases, backup in the form of digital acceleration platforms is essential. 1394ta is the perfect tool for those interested in the fastest organic growth services proven to drive both engagement and popularity.

To learn more about 1394ta's innovative marketing strategies, please visit https://1394ta.org/blog.

About 1394ta

1394ta is an independent Instagram Digital Marketing Agency. Since we started, we've been busy developing unforgettable brands with stand-out Instagram presence by providing genuine Instagram followers, likes, and views from authentic Instagram accounts. The results have been exceptional.

Contact Information

support@1394ta.org

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This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com.

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Columbia, Aug. 03, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Columbia, Georgia -

Augusta, Georgia based HVAC contractor Atlas Heating & Air Conditioning, Inc. is sharing information about the services they provide to the local community. Atlas Heating and Air Conditioning is among the best HVAC contractors in Augusta and the CSRA and serves the greater Augusta area, including Martinez, Evans, Grovetown, Harlem and North Augusta.

Patrick Cutlips of Atlas Heating & Air Conditioning states, If you live in Augusta, having a working, well-maintained heating and cooling system is very important. If there are any issues with your HVAC system, chances are that your quality of life will take a significant dip. Whenever an issue pops up, you would be wise to deal with it as soon as possible, and the team at Atlas Heating & Air Conditioning is here to help you.

Atlas Heating & Air Conditionings expertise includes air condition repair and maintenance, heater repair and maintenance and indoor air quality checks. With air conditioning units, the problem could be as simple as a dirty air filter or clogged drain, but it could also be more complex, such as a refrigerant leak or electric control failure. Whatever the issue might be, the team at Atlas Heating & Air Conditioning can handle it.

Atlas technicians will perform a thorough inspection of the homes AC system and ductwork, diagnose the problem and recommend a solution that meets the homeowners comfort needs and budget. The company promises that they never recommend repairs unless they are 100% necessary, and their technicians will never commit any repairs without the homeowners approval. They also use nothing but the highest quality parts and tools when repairing a homes AC system.

Atlas Heating & Air Conditioning points out that while repairing problems as they arise is important, homeowners should also consider regular maintenance  at least once a year. This can help improve the efficiency of an air conditioning unit and prolong its lifespan. The company also recommends having AC units inspected before the hot summer season, allowing homeowners to turn on the AC and stay cool without worrying about any new problems popping up. Atlas Heating & Air Conditioning uses state-of-the-art computer analyzers and best practice techniques, all performed by the highest trained technicians, to conduct AC maintenance.

Similarly, ensuring that central heating repair is done as the need arises is crucial. Issues with gas-fired HVAC systems can cause carbon monoxide leakage, which can be very unsafe for all occupants of the property in question. In addition to carbon monoxide poisoning, cracked heat exchangers also create the risk of fire. These problems and others that plague a heater or a furnace can all be professionally repaired by the team at Atlas.

As with air conditioning units, Atlas Heating & Air Conditioning emphasizes that servicing heaters is quite important. Over time, a heater will get less efficient, and once it drops past a certain point, it will become increasingly expensive to operate and decreasingly effective at heating the home or office. Most units older than 12 years need to be replaced, something that can easily be done in a timely and cost-effective manner. For all heating units, regularly scheduled maintenance not only lowers power bills, it extends the life of the system. Atlas technicians can inspect the heater and recommend the best course of action.

Atlas Heating & Air Conditioning also provides indoor air quality services. According to the EPA, indoor levels of air pollutants may be 2-5 times higher than outdoor levels. These pollutants can cause unpleasantness from offensive odors, nose and throat discomfort, eye and skin irritation, lung irritation, fatigue and other issues. Seeing as people spend up to 90% of their time indoors, it becomes vital to ensure that indoor spaces have good air quality. Atlas Heating & Air Conditioning has several technologies and methods to clean and purify the air in any home or building.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZoj9j7W03g

Those who want to learn more about the range of services provided by Atlas Heating & Air Conditioning, Inc. should visit the companys website. Atlas Heating & Air Conditioning encourages interested parties to get in touch with Patrick Cutlip via email or phone for questions or clarifications. The company maintains a social media presence on several platforms, and customers are welcome to get in touch through their preferred channels.

###

For more information about Atlas Heating & Air Conditioning, Inc., contact the company here:



Atlas Heating & Air Conditioning, Inc.

Patrick Cutlip

706 855-7921

servicedesk@atlasaugusta.com

Atlas Heating & Air Conditioning, Inc.

411 Beverly Rd

Augusta, GA 30907
Phase 2 clinical trial for OXE103 for the treatment of concussion is being conducted at University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas

Enrolling highly symptomatic participants within 28 days of injury

Promising i nterim results show potential for OXE103 as an effective treatment for concussion

There are currently no effective pharmacological FDA-approved treatments for concussion

First in class investigational drug to potentially treat underlying neuro-metabolic and axonal injury in concussion



Boston, Massachusetts, Aug. 03, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Oxeia Biopharmaceuticals Inc., a clinical stage biotech company developing a drug treatment for concussion to address underlying neuro-metabolic dysfunction and axonal injury, announced today the completion of an interim analysis of its ongoing Phase 2 clinical trial of OXE103 at the University of Kansas Medical Center.

The interim results suggest a potentially effective treatment for concussion. The trial is focusing on treatment for subjects within 28 days of injury who are highly symptomatic at screening. This group represents the majority of concussion patients who do not seek treatment immediately following their injury.

According to Oxeia CEO, Dr. Michael Wyand, I am encouraged by the interim results we are seeing from the trial. The interim data provide hope for an effective treatment for the millions of people who suffer ongoing post-concussion symptoms due to a lack of effective treatment options.

An effective therapy for these persistently symptomatic patients would be an important step forward, stated Michael Rippee, M.D., associate professor of neurology at the University of Kansas Medical Center and principal investigator for the study.

Once complete topline data are available, the full data results will be presented at a medical conference.

# # #

ABOUT THE TRIAL

The trial is enrolling participants within 28 days of injury who are highly symptomatic at screening. The goal of this Phase 2 study is to reduce symptom burden with OXE103 treatment. Measures of cognition and balance are also tracked to provide objective assessment of recovery. Those interested in participating should visit: www.restisnotenough.com

About OXE103

OXE103 is synthetic human ghrelin, an endogenous hormone. OXE103 freely crosses the blood-brain barrier and is now being tested in humans to potentially treat concussions by addressing underlying neuro-metabolic dysfunction and axonal injury. OXE103 uniquely targets the hippocampus region of the brain, an area important for cognition and memory. Treatment with OXE103 has been shown in numerous animal and laboratory studies to restore normal energy metabolism, increase appetite, and reduce the toxic effects of reactive oxygen species that form in low energy states.

About the University of Kansas Medical Center

The University of Kansas Medical Centers mission is to educate exceptional health care professionals through a full range of undergraduate, graduate, professional, postdoctoral and education programs in the schools of Medicine, Nursing and Health Professions. KU Medical Center also advances the health sciences through world-class research programs; provides compassionate and state-of-the-art patient care in an academic medical center environment; and works with communities in every Kansas county to improve the health of Kansans.

About Oxeia Biopharmaceuticals
English French

MONTREAL, Aug. 03, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- mdf commerce inc. (TSX:MDF), a leader in SaaS commerce technology solutions, will hold a conference call to discuss first quarter 2023 financial results.



Date: Friday, August 12, 2022

Time: 8:30 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time

Link to join the phone call: Click here to register

Live webcast: Click here to register

A replay of the webcast will be available until August 12, 2023, at midnight Eastern Daylight Time through the same link following the conference call. Please visit the Investor Relations section on our website on August 11th, 2022, to view the earnings release prior to the conference call.

About mdf commerce inc.

mdf commerce inc. (TSX:MDF) enables the flow of commerce by providing a broad set of SaaS solutions that optimize and accelerate commercial interactions between buyers and sellers. Our platforms and services empower businesses around the world, allowing them to generate billions of dollars in transactions on an annual basis. Our eprocurement, Unified Commerce and emarketplace platforms are supported by a strong and dedicated team of approximately 800 employees based in Canada, the United States, Denmark, Ukraine and China. For more information, please visit us at mdfcommerce.com, follow us on LinkedIn or call at 1-877-677-9088.

For further information:

mdf commerce

Andre Leblanc

Vice President, Marketing and Public Affairs

Phone: +1 (514) 961-0882

Email: andre.leblanc@mdfcommerce.com
JACKSONVILLE, FLA., Aug. 03, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pace Center for Girls (Pace), a nationally recognized model that provides education, counseling, training and advocacy to more than 3,000 girls and young women annually, announces the election of former Senator Anitere Flores and Michael A. Stephens to its national Board of Trustees.

Anitere Flores and Michael Stephens are champions for equal opportunity and formidable leaders in their respective fields, said Mary Marx, Pace President and CEO. Their expertise are a welcome addition to our Board as we expand our model and impact more girls.

During her sixteen years in Floridas Legislature, Flores represented portions of Miami-Dade and the Florida Keys in the Florida House and Senate and became the first Hispanic woman to serve as President Pro-Tempore of the Florida Senate. While in the Florida House, Flores served as Deputy Majority Leader, Chair of the PreK-12 Appropriations Committee, and Chair of the PreK-12 Policy Committee. She created the First-Generation Scholarship program, helping tens of thousands of students reach their goal of being the first in their family to obtain a higher education degree.

Flores continues to work extensively on access to education, and currently serves as Director of Development for the ACE Foundation.

Its an honor to join Paces Board of Trustees and empower our next generation of girls and young women, said Flores. When girls and young women are better supported, they have the opportunity to achieve academic and career success, leading to positive outcomes for themselves, their families and communities.

Stephens serves as General Counsel & Executive Vice President for the Hillsborough County Aviation Authority and Tampa International Airport. He brings more than two decades of experience managing complex legal, compliance, human resources, risk management and information technology issues to the board.

Prior to joining the Aviation Authority, he served as the Chief Legal Counsel for the Hillsborough Regional Transit Authority (HART). He also served on active duty as a Captain and Trial Counsel in the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General Corp, where he was appointed as a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney.

"It is a privilege to join this dedicated, passionate and dynamic group of leaders, said Stephens. Communities are stronger when girls and women have the opportunity to thrive.

For more information about Pace Center for Girls, visit www.pacecenter.org.

About Pace Center for Girls

Pace Center for Girls envisions a world where all girls and young women have power, in a just and equitable society. Founded in 1985, Pace provides free year-round middle and high school academics, case management, counseling, and life skills development in a safe and supportive environment that recognizes and deals with past trauma and builds upon girls individual strengths. Dedicated to meeting the social, emotional, and education needs of girls, Pace has a successful and proven program model that has changed the life trajectory of more than 40,000 girls and is recognized as one of the nations leading advocates for girls in need. For more information on Pace Center for Girls, visit pacecenter.org.

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GATINEAU, Quebec, Aug. 03, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Wallbridge Mining Company Limited (TSX: WM, OTCQX:WLBMF) (Wallbridge or the Company), the Cree Nation of Waskaganish, the Cree Nation of Washaw Sibi, the Grand Council of the Crees (Eeyou Istchee) and the Cree Nation Government are pleased to announce the signing of a Pre-Development Agreement (PDA). Under the terms of the PDA, the parties have agreed to promote a cooperative and mutually respectful relationship concerning the exploration and pre-development activities of Wallbridge at the Companys Detour-Fenelon Gold Trend Properties in Northwestern Quebec.



The PDA has been developed on the basis of ongoing and continuous communications between the parties which have allowed them to build a true and strong partnership in regard to the exploration activities of Wallbridge. This ground-breaking agreement notably provides for enhanced Cree participation in the business and employment opportunities flowing from the Fenelon Project as well for the implementation of a jointly developed Cultural Awareness Program and the establishment of a cultural centre at Fenelon to sensitize workers to Indigenous realities and culture and to promote a working environment characterized by mutual respect.

The signatories to the agreement have agreed to support and facilitate the exploration and pre-development activities of Wallbridge and to cooperate in the preparation of all necessary environmental and social impact assessment studies relating to the Fenelon project. The PDA also contemplates the completion of an Impacts and Benefits Agreement upon the demonstrated economic viability of any project along the Detour-Fenelon Gold Trend.

Marz Kord, President & CEO of Wallbridge stated: We are extremely pleased to have signed this pre-development agreement with our Cree Nation partners. Since our entry into Quebec in late 2016, we have worked together in the spirit of mutual respect, trust and cooperation. The continued relations with our Cree partners can generate substantial long-term economic and social opportunities for our respective stakeholders. This foundational agreement marks an important milestone in our relationship and we look forward to building on this success as we advance the Fenelon project and our other properties on the Detour-Fenelon Gold Trend.

Although the economic development of our territory must always be balanced with the preservation of our Cree traditional way of life and the environmental protection of our lands, Wallbridge and the Crees have established a new standard for the way in which such development should take place, stated Mandy Gull-Masty, Grand Chief of the Grand Council of the Crees (Eeyou Istchee). Sustained and meaningful communication lies at the heart of this success story which has already resulted in substantial employment and revenues for our Cree communities prior to todays agreement being signed.

The benefits that our communities have gained thus far in our relationship with Wallbridge have been significant. It is appropriate, however, to now formalize this relationship, said Chief Annie Mapachee-Salt of the Cree Nation of Washaw Sibi, To have made the progress that we have made thus far has required that we have a willing, an understanding and an honourable partner. It is important for us to acknowledge today that Wallbridge has shown itself to be such a partner. The company has worked hard to fully understand the Cree role in the territory and to ensure that what happens on a day-to-day basis fully reflects this understanding.

Chief Clarke Shecapio of the Cree Nation of Waskaganish stated: This Agreement demonstrates what can be achieved by mining companies through meaningful engagement and collaboration with Cree communities. It also highlights the milestones that can be reached when two Cree First Nations work together to protect and advance Cree interests on our territory. Our relationship with Wallbridge and the Cree Nation of Washaw Sibi has not only generated substantial economic benefits, but has also allowed for the inclusion of important Cree environmental and conservation concerns into the way in which mining operations are carried out.

About Wallbridge Mining

Wallbridge is focused on creating value through the discovery, acquisition, development, and production of gold from a portfolio of advanced exploration stage assets located in established mining jurisdictions within Canada. Wallbridges flagship project, Fenelon, is located on the highly prospective Detour-Fenelon Gold Trend in Northern Abitibi, Quebec. A mineral resource estimate completed in 2021 validated the multi-million-ounce gold potential of Fenelon as well as Wallbridges nearby Martiniere Property, incorporating a combined 2.67 million ounces of indicated resources and 1.72 million ounces of inferred resources. Fenelon and Martiniere, located within a 910-square-kilometre exploration land package controlled by Wallbridge, have the potential to be developed into mines, and are close to existing power and transportation infrastructure. Wallbridge also has interests in several copper, nickel and platinum group metal properties, including a 17.8% interest in Lonmin Canada Inc.

Further information about Wallbridge can be found in the Companys regulatory filings available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and on the Companys website at www.wallbridgemining.com

This news release has been authorized by the undersigned on behalf of Wallbridge Mining Company Limited.

Wallbridge Mining Company Limited

Marz Kord, P. Eng., M. Sc., MBA

President & CEO

Tel: (705) 6829297 ext. 251

Email: mkord@wallbridgemining.com

Victoria Vargas, B.Sc. (Hon.) Economics, MBA

Investor Relations Advisor

Email: vvargas@wallbridgemining.com

About Grand Council of the Crees (Eeyou Istchee)/Cree Nation Government

The Grand Council of the Crees (Eeyou Istchee) is the political body that represents the approximately 20,000 Crees or Eeyouch (Eenouch). The Council is constituted of twenty (20) members including: the Grand Chief and Deputy-Grand Chief elected at large by the Eeyouch, the Chiefs elected by each of the nine (11) communities, and one (1) other representative elected by each community.

For information:

Flora Weistche, Political Attachee

Office of the Grand Chief



About Cree Nation of Waskaganish

Waskaganish (Cree for Little House) is a Cree village of about 2,000 people at the mouth of the Rupert River on the south-east shore of James Bay in the Eeyou Istchee territory in Northern Quebec. Formerly called Fort Rupert, the location is one of three original Hudson's Bay Company posts on James Bay, the other two being Fort Albany on the west shore, and Moose Factory on the south.

About Cree Nation of Washaw Sibi

Washaw Sibi was recognized as the tenth Cree Nation at the 2003 Annual General Assembly of the Grand Council of the Crees / Cree Nation Government. Incorporated as a non-profit organization since 1997, the Cree Nation of Washaw Sibi, acts as the governing body who represents the interests and the rights of its members.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information

This press release of Wallbridge Mining Company Limited ("Wallbridge" or the "Company") contains forward-looking statements or information (collectively, FLI) within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. FLI is based on expectations, estimates, projections and interpretations as at the date of this press release.

All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein are FLI that involve various risks, assumptions, estimates and uncertainties. Generally, FLI can be identified by the use of statements that include words such as seeks, believes, anticipates, plans, continues, budget, scheduled, estimates, expects, forecasts, intends, projects, predicts, proposes, "potential", targets and variations of such words and phrases, or by statements that certain actions, events or results may, will, could, would, should or might, be taken, occur or be achieved.

FLI herein includes, but is not limited to: future drill results; the Companys ability to convert inferred resources into measured and indicated resources; environmental matters; stakeholder engagement and relationships; parameters and methods used to estimate the mineral resource estimates (each an MRE) at the Fenelon and Martiniere properties (collectively the Deposits); the prospects, if any, of the Deposits; future drilling at the Deposits; and the significance of historic exploration activities and results.

FLI is designed to help you understand managements current views of its near- and longer-term prospects, and it may not be appropriate for other purposes. FLI by their nature are based on assumptions and involve 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 such FLI. Although the FLI contained in this press release is based upon what management believes, or believed at the time, to be reasonable assumptions, the Company cannot assure shareholders and prospective purchasers of securities of the Company that actual results will be consistent with such FLI, as there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended, and neither the Company nor any other person assumes responsibility for the accuracy and completeness of any such FLI. Except as required by law, the Company does not undertake, and assumes no obligation, to update or revise any such FLI contained herein to reflect new events or circumstances, except as may be required by law. Unless otherwise noted, this press release has been prepared based on information available as of the date of this press release. Accordingly, you should not place undue reliance on the FLI or information contained herein.

Furthermore, should one or more of the risks, uncertainties or other factors materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described in FLI.

Assumptions upon which FLI is based, without limitation, include: the ability of exploration activities to accurately predict mineralization; the accuracy of geological modelling; the ability of the Company to complete further exploration activities; the legitimacy of title and property interests in the Deposits; the accuracy of key assumptions, parameters or methods used to estimate the MREs; the ability of the Company to obtain required approvals; the results of exploration activities; the evolution of the global economic climate; metal prices; environmental expectations; community and non-governmental actions; and any impacts of COVID-19 on the Deposits, the Companys financial position, the Companys ability to secure required funding, or operations. Risks and uncertainties about Wallbridge's business are more fully discussed in the disclosure materials filed with the securities regulatory authorities in Canada, which are available at www.sedar.com.

Covid19  Given the rapidly evolving nature of the Coronavirus (COVID19) pandemic, Wallbridge is actively monitoring the situation in order to continue to maintain as best as possible the activities while striving to protect the health of its personnel. Wallbridges activities will continue to align with the guidance provided by local, provincial and federal authorities in Canada. The Company has established measures to continue normal activities while protecting the health of its employees and stakeholders. Depending on the evolution of the virus, measures may affect the regular operations of Wallbridge and the participation of staff members in events inside or outside Canada.

Information Concerning Estimates of Mineral Resources

The disclosure in this press release and referred to herein was prepared in accordance with NI 43-101 which differs significantly from the requirements of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"). The terms "measured mineral resource", "indicated mineral resource" and "inferred mineral resource" used in this press release are in reference to the mining terms defined in the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum Standards (the "CIM Definition Standards"), which definitions have been adopted by NI 43-101. Accordingly, information contained in this press release providing descriptions of our mineral deposits in accordance with NI 43-101 may not be comparable to similar information made public by other U.S. companies subject to the United States federal securities laws and the rules and regulations thereunder.

Investors are cautioned not to assume that any part or all of mineral resources will ever be converted into reserves. Pursuant to CIM Definition Standards, "inferred mineral resources" are that part of a mineral resource for which quantity and grade or quality are estimated on the basis of limited geological evidence and sampling. Such geological evidence is sufficient to imply but not verify geological and grade or quality continuity. An inferred mineral resource has a lower level of confidence than that applying to an indicated mineral resource and must not be converted to a mineral reserve. However, it is reasonably expected that the majority of inferred mineral resources could be upgraded to indicated mineral resources with continued exploration. Under Canadian rules, estimates of inferred mineral resources may not form the basis of feasibility or pre-feasibility studies, except in rare cases. Investors are cautioned not to assume that all or any part of an inferred mineral resource is economically or legally mineable. Disclosure of "contained ounces" in a resource is permitted disclosure under Canadian regulations; however, the SEC normally only permits issuers to report mineralization that does not constitute "reserves" by SEC standards as in place tonnage and grade without reference to unit measures.

Canadian standards, including the CIM Definition Standards and NI 43-101, differ significantly from standards in the SEC Industry Guide 7. Effective February 25, 2019, the SEC adopted new mining disclosure rules under subpart 1300 of Regulation S-K of the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "SEC Modernization Rules"), with compliance required for the first fiscal year beginning on or after January 1, 2021. The SEC Modernization Rules replace the historical property disclosure requirements included in SEC Industry Guide 7. As a result of the adoption of the SEC Modernization Rules, the SEC now recognizes estimates of "measured mineral resources", "indicated mineral resources" and "inferred mineral resources". Information regarding mineral resources contained or referenced in this press release may not be comparable to similar information made public by companies that report according to U.S. standards. While the SEC Modernization Rules are purported to be "substantially similar" to the CIM Definition Standards, readers are cautioned that there are differences between the SEC Modernization Rules and the CIM Definitions Standards. Accordingly, there is no assurance any mineral resources that the Company may report as "measured mineral resources", "indicated mineral resources" and "inferred mineral resources" under NI 43-101 would be the same had the Company prepared the resource estimates under the standards adopted under the SEC Modernization Rules.
OLATHE, Kan., Aug. 03, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Terracon Foundation announced today the award of nearly $210,000 in grants and scholarships to 20 nonprofit organizations and 10 universities throughout the U.S. Established as the community investment arm of Terracon, the foundation has granted more than $3.7 million to community organizations, universities, and dependents of employees, as well as disaster relief efforts.

The Terracon Foundation works continuously to support higher education in the form of grants for scholarships, fellowships and programs in the areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics, said Scott Kolodziej, P.G., chair of the Terracon Foundation and environmental manager in the Terracon Dallas office. Its our goal that grants like these will help students finish their studies, engage in research, and advance their professional development.

The Terracon Foundation awarded nearly $56,000 in grants to seven universities:

Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah

Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colo.

Columbus State University, Columbus, Ga.

Missouri University of Science and Technology, Rolla, Mo.

North Carolina State University, Raleigh, N.C.

University of California Riverside, Riverside, Calif.

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, McAllen, Texas.

Additionally, the Terracon Foundation awarded a total of $85,000 in endowments to three universities:

Northeast Lakeview College, Universal City, Texas.

University of Arizona, Tucson, Ariz.

The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas.

We invite our employees to submit grant requests each year and many do so in support of community organizations doing vital work serving childrens education and health, Kolodziej added. Each grant awarded was championed by a Terracon employee who is actively involved in the work of the nonprofit organization.

The Terracon Foundation awarded nearly $69,000 in community grants to 20 nonprofit organizations:

Austin Wildlife Rescue, Austin, Texas

Boys and Girls Club of Greater Kansas City, Kansas City, Mo.

Construction Education Foundation of Georgia, Atlanta, Ga.

Dave's Place, Kansas City, Mo.

Engineers Without Borders USA, Inc.  Puget Sound Professional Chapter, Seattle, Wash.

Georgia MATHCOUNTS Foundation, Atlanta, Ga.

Girls on the Run Columbia, Columbia, S.C.

HawkWatch International, Salt Lake City, Utah

Historic Macon Foundation, Macon, Ga.

James W. Miller Memorial Fund, Cincinnati, Ohio

North Museum of Nature and Science*, Lancaster, Pa.

Putnam Museum and Science Center*, Davenport, Iowa

Rankin County Adult Education, Brandon, Miss.

Saline/Perry County Foster Parents Association, Benton, Ark.

Sippy Cups and Chardonnay, Salt Lake City, Utah

Southern Arizona Research, Science and Engineering Foundation*, Tucson, Ariz.

Starlight Theatre Association of Kansas City, Inc., Kansas City, Mo.

Sunset Valley Elementary Parent-Teacher Association, Austin, Texas

United Way of Central Georgia*, Macon, Ga.

Urban TEC*, Kansas City, Mo.

* Equity grants which support organizations that mirror Terracons commitment to diversity and inclusion. These grants are focused on systemic changes in racially diverse and underrepresented communities.

The Terracon Foundation was established with a goal to reach out and become a real part of the lives of Terracon employees and the communities where they live and work.

Terracon is an employee-owned engineering consulting firm with more than 5,500 employees providing environmental, facilities, geotechnical and materials services from more than 175 locations with services in all 50 states. Terracon consistently ranks as a top 25 design firm by Engineering News-Record.

###
NEW YORK, Aug. 03, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, announces it has filed a class action lawsuit on behalf of purchasers of the securities of Carvana Co. (NYSE: CVNA) between May 6, 2020 and June 24, 2022, both dates inclusive (the Class Period). If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than October 3, 2022.



SO WHAT: If you purchased Carvana securities during the Class Period you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out of pocket fees or costs through a contingency fee arrangement.

WHAT TO DO NEXT: To join the Carvana class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=6457 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 October 3, 2022. A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation.

WHY ROSEN LAW: We encourage investors to select qualified counsel with a track record of success in leadership roles. Often, firms issuing notices do not have comparable experience, resources or any meaningful peer recognition. Be wise in selecting counsel. The Rosen Law Firm represents investors throughout the globe, concentrating its practice in securities class actions and shareholder derivative litigation. Rosen Law Firm has achieved the largest ever securities class action settlement against a Chinese Company. Rosen Law Firm was Ranked No. 1 by ISS Securities Class Action Services for number of securities class action settlements in 2017. The firm has been ranked in the top 4 each year since 2013 and has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors. In 2019 alone the firm secured over $438 million for investors. In 2020, founding partner Laurence Rosen was named by law360 as a Titan of Plaintiffs Bar. Many of the firms attorneys have been recognized by Lawdragon and Super Lawyers.

DETAILS OF THE CASE: According to the lawsuit, defendants throughout the Class Period made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) Carvana faced serious, ongoing issues with documentation, registration, and title with many of its vehicles; (2) as a result, Carvana was issuing unusually frequent temporary plates; (3) as a result of the foregoing, Carvana was violating laws and regulations in many existing markets; (4) as a result of the foregoing, Carvana risked its ability to continue business and/or expand its business in existing markets; (5) as a result of the foregoing, Carvana was at an increased risk of governmental investigation and action; (6) Carvana was in discussion with state and local authorities regarding the above-stated business tactics and issues; (7) Carvana was facing imminent and ongoing regulatory actions including license suspensions, business cessation, and probation in several states and counties including in Arizona, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and North Carolina; and (8) as a result, defendants statements about Carvanas business, operations, and prospects, were materially false and misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis at all relevant times. When the true details entered the market, the lawsuit claims that investors suffered damages.

To join the Carvana class action, go https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=6457 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
Portland, OR, Aug. 03, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- According to the report published by Allied Market Research, the global diatomite market accrued earnings worth $1.4 billion in 2021, and is predicted to hit $2.4 billion by 2031, registering a CAGR of 5.7% from 2022 to 2031. The market research study provides a detailed analysis of fluctuating market trends, top-most segments, value chain analysis, major investment business scenarios, regional space, and competitive landscape. The study is a key information source for giant players, entrepreneurs, shareholders, and owners in generating new strategies for the future and taking steps to improve their market position. The report displays an in-depth quantitative analysis of the market from 2022 to 2031 and guides investors in allocating funds to the rapidly evolving industry.

Report Coverage & Details:

Report Coverage Details Forecast Period 20222031 Base Year 2021 Market Size in 2021 $1.4 Billion Market Size in 2031 $2.4 Billion CAGR 5.7% No. of Pages in Report 290 Segments Covered Type, Application, and Region. Drivers Massive use of diatomite in industrial applications including filler materials and filler aid. Prominent use of diatomite in filtration, absorbents, pharmaceuticals, functional additives, and food & beverages. Favorable features of the product such as unique physical structure. Opportunities Large-scale application of diatomite in paints, plastics, chemicals, pesticides, adhesives, paper, and sealants. Restraints Diatomite consists of nearly 90% of silica, which is considered as a human lung carcinogen and can result in huge damage to the lungs due to silicosis.



Download Sample PDF (290 Pages PDF with Insights): https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/17503

Covid-19 Scenario

The COVID-19 pandemic negatively impacted the growth of the global diatomite market, owing to reduced product demand in end-use industries such as absorbents, fillers, filtration, and cement additives.

Low raw material procurement and low production activities also resulted in a massive decline in the global market growth during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Less availability of labor and stoppages immensely hindered the expansion of the global market during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The report offers detailed segmentation of the global diatomite market based on type, application, and region. It provides an in-depth analysis of every segment and sub-segment in tables and figures through which consumers and investors can derive a conclusion about market trends and insights. The market report analysis aids organizations, investors, and entrepreneurs in understanding which sub-segments are to be tapped for achieving huge growth in the years to come.

Based on the type, the calcined segment contributed the largest market share in 2021, accounting for more than two-fifths of the overall share of the global diatomite market. Moreover, this segment is predicted to retain its dominant status during the forecast timespan. However, the natural segment is expected to register the highest CAGR of 6.2% during the forecast timeline. The report also includes other segments such as natural and flux calcined.

Request the Covid19 Impact Analysis @ https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-for-customization/17503?reqfor=covid

Based on the application, the filtration segment held the largest share in 2021, contributing nearly three-fifths of the overall share of the global diatomite market. Moreover, this segment is expected to contribute the highest market share by 2031. The report also includes other segments such as cement additive, filler, absorbent, and others.

Based on region, North America contributed towards the highest market share in 2021, accounting for nearly half of the global diatomite market. The region is predicted to contribute majorly toward the global market share in 2031. On the other hand, the Asia-Pacific diatomite market is anticipated to register the highest CAGR of 6.2% during the forecast timespan. The research also analyzes regions including Europe and LAMEA.

Leading players of the global diatomite market analyzed in the research include Caltron clays & chemicals Pvt. Ltd., Showa Industries Co. Ltd., Decalite Europe NV, Diatomit CJSC, Reade International Corp., Imerys Filtration Mineral, Inc., Kuraray Co. Ltd., Nova Industries Ltd., Seema Minerals & Metals, and U.S Silica Holdings Inc. These market players have implemented strategies such as new product launches, acquisition, mergers, joint ventures, and collaborations for increasing their market shares.

The report evaluates these major participants in the global diatomite industry. These participants have executed a slew of key business strategies such as the expansion of regional and customer base, product development, strategic collaborations, and joint ventures for expanding product lines in the global markets and extending the global market growth. The market research report aids the performance monitoring of each segment, positioning of each product in respective segments, and impact of new technology land product launches on the overall market size.

Interested in Procuring this Report? Visit Here: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/diatomite-market/purchase-options

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It looks like after the summer break we can already expect the first new name in an official F1 weekend. AlphaTauri is planning to put Liam Lawson in one of its cars during the first free practice session in Belgium.

Article continues under ad

FP1 for Lawson

From 2022 onwards, every team will have to put a rookie in the car during FP1 twice a year. This will allow young up-and-coming drivers to make metres in a Formula 1 car of the current year for the first time during an F1 weekend.

Formula 2 driver and Red Bull junior Lawson looks set to take over from Pierre Gasly or Yuki Tsunoda at Spa-Francorchamps and make his F1 debut on an official weekend. Previously, the New Zealander drove in the Young Driver Test. "We plan to run Liam Lawson in FP1 in Spa," Franz Tost is quoted as saying by MotorsportWeek.com.

Read more Alpine trusts its own legal position with contract Piastri for 2023

Line-up of 2023

AlphaTauri is one of the teams whose 2023 line-up is not yet known. Gasly has already signed his contract for next year, but Tsunoda's future is still uncertain. Lawson is one of the main candidates to perhaps take over this seat.
Delivering food, spraying disinfectant, sightseeing... In the past few years, intelligent connected vehicle enterprises have tried business in many scenarios in Hefei. Unlike these companies, Baidu Apollo is more focused on passenger transport. When the first 5G demonstration route for autonomous vehicles opened in Anhui, Baidu obtained the test license. "Baidu had been deeply involved in the construction of the 4.4-kilometer-long 5G demonstration route for autonomous vehicles in Anhui." According to the relevant person in charge of Baidu Apollo Hefei, the Baidu Apollo Go project has been piloted in Hefei for a long time, and the open test will be launched soon. Compared with the 4.4-kilometer demonstration route, the Apollo Go trial route is longer, and the road conditions are also more complex. It reaches Jinxiu Avenue in the north, Huizhou Avenue in the west, Zhongshan Road in the South and Shanghai Road in the East, with an operation area of 15 square kilometers, involving crossroads, T-junctions, etc. "A total of 10 intelligent connected vehicles are currently undergoing test runs. It is planned to start operation on August 10. By then, it will be open to the public." "The whole project is progressing rapidly, and Baidu has also felt the speed and warmth of Hefei." In the opinion of the person in charge of the Baidu Apollo Hefei, the city is very open and inclusive, providing a solid foundation for the new business to take root. "The information provided by the second opening of the road makes company confident to promote commercial operation, and the rich scenarios also provide space for enterprises to explore." "As for the second batch of open roads, I am very optimistic about the route from High-speed Railway South Station to the Government Affairs Center, and if the conditions are appropriate, we will participate actively. "

Reported by Letian Yinzi Edited and Translated by Zheng Chen
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Jaguar Land Rover has taken another step towards a new era of electrification and connectivity by opening a facility to test the next generation of vehicles for electrical and radio interference.





The Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) laboratory at Gaydon in the UK, will ensure future vehicles meet current and future legislation and quality standards for connectivity and electronics. New Range Rover Sport, which launched in May, was the first vehicle to undergo a bespoke testing program at the in-house facility.

A critical aspect of vehicle performance, EMC is the ability of electrical equipment and systems to function correctly in their electromagnetic environment. It works by limiting the unintentional generation, propagation and reception of electromagnetic energy to reduce the risk of unwanted effects such as electromagnetic interference.

Jaguar Land Rovers new vehicle laboratory features two anechoic chambers: an electrically quiet rolling road that enables engineers to test vehicles at speed, as well as equipment to assess the performance of individual components, such as batteries or electric motors. Bluetooth, GPS, WiFi, 4G, 5G, adaptive cruise control, wireless charging and blind spot monitoring are all examples of vehicle services and features that the facility will test for EMC.

With industry advances set to increase the number of electric powertrains and the range of digital and cloud-based services on vehicles, from Software-Over-The-Air updates to autonomous technology, testing for EMC is crucial to delivering quality, legal, and customer satisfaction, the company said.
Seven German companies in logistics, manufacturing and retail will put 27 Hyundai XCIENT Fuel Cell trucks into fleet service with funding for eco-friendly commercial vehicles from Germanys Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport (BMDV).





In August 2021, BMDV rolled out its funding guidelines for commercial vehicles with alternative drive systems upon approval by the European Commission. The funding is available for battery, fuel cell and (overhead line) hybrid electric vehicles, corresponding to refueling/charging infrastructure and related feasibility studies. BMDV will have a budget of 1.6 billion available until 2024 to purchase eco-friendly commercial vehicles.

The aforementioned seven German companies initially applied for the funding with Hyundais XCIENT Fuel Cells and successfully received approval from BMDV.

Hyundai Hydrogen Mobility, a joint venture between Hyundai Motor Company and Swiss company H2 Energy, has also established Hyundai Hydrogen Mobility Germany GmbH (HHMG) to actively expand its entry into the hydrogen-powered commercial vehicle market in Germany.

In order to establish a hydrogen ecosystem in the country, HHMG will operate local market sales and customer service as well as upfitter management in the market. HHMG also plans to actively participate in the second funding program.

The XCIENT Fuel Cell to be delivered is equipped with a 180-kW hydrogen fuel cell system with two 90-kW fuel cell stacks. The systems durability and the vehicles overall fuel efficiency are tailored to the demands of commercial fleet customers. The 350-kW e-motor with maximum torque of 2,237 Nm enables dynamic driving performance.

XCIENT Fuel Cells seven large hydrogen tanks offer a combined storage capacity of around 31 kg of fuel, while a 72-kWh-powered set of three batteries provides an additional source of power. The maximum driving range is 400 km per charge. Refueling a full tank of hydrogen takes about 8 to 20 minutes, depending on the ambient temperature.

Launched in 2020 by Hyundai Motor, XCIENT Fuel Cell is the worlds first mass-produced hydrogen electric heavy-duty truck. The company has already deployed 47 units in Switzerland where they have accumulated more than four million kilometers in driving as of July 2022. The trucks are servicing 23 different customers in Switzerland.
Gov. Ned Lamont on Tuesday announced $580 million in clean-water grants to upgrade sewer systems and waste-water treatment facilities throughout the state.

Funding for the 18 prioritized projects will be spread out over two years, and includes $73 million in federal infrastructure financing for New Haven and Hartford-area communities serviced by the Metropolitan District Commission, as well as projects in Norwich, Ridgefield, Litchfield, West Haven and Plainfield.

The projects on this list, infused with funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, will help our cities and towns to properly manage and treat their wastewater, and in turn help make our waterways cleaner, Lamont said in a statement. These projects will also mobilize many good-paying jobs and strengthen supply chains as construction gets underway.

Properly managing our wastewater and ensuring we have sufficient infrastructure to do so is an essential part of being good stewards of our environment, said Katie Dykes, commissioner of the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection in a joint statement. These projects will help to keep our waterways clean and contribute to the beauty and health of our natural resources and the incredible quality of life we enjoy in Connecticut.

Dykes and Lamont praised the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law approved by Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden. Not only will these projects improve wastewater management systems across the state and protect our states waterways, they will also create good construction jobs for Connecticut residents, said the states congressional delegation.

Included in the funding is $10 million to complete a project to remove nitrogen from waste water at New Havens Water Pollution Control Facility; $75 million to address storm and sanitary sewers lines in New Havens Orchard Street, Yale and Trumbull Street neighborhoods as well as the East Street pump station; $38 million to replace an outfall line at the West Haven sewage plant; and $7 million to upgrade the Litchfield plant.

Ten million dollars has been approved to permanently close a small sewage treatment facility in Ridgefield, DEEP officials said.

The largest single award will be $156 million for an upgrade of Norwichs Water Pollution Control Facility, although in aggregate, the MDA will receive more funding: a total of $279 million for projects in Hartford, East Hartford and Rocky Hill.

State Rep. Joe Gresko, D-Stratford, co-chairman of the legislative Environment Committee, said Tuesday that he is hoping that Stratford and Bridgeport can soon get in line for funding. He noted that Bridgeports West End facility, where storm water from combined sanitary and storm sewage result in overflows into Black Rock Harbor and nearby Ash Creek, are responsible for nearby beach closures.

The West End plant in Bridgeport is currently in the design phase for upgrades and is likely to become eligible for funding during the 2024-2025 cycle.

When they did the upgrade to the Stratford plant in the early 2000s, there was never an emergency relief valve installed, Gresko said of the town treatment facility, located at the base of Birdseye Street on the Housatonic River.

Cities and towns may submit applications for reserve funds through the end of the 2022-23 fiscal year.

kdixon@ctpost.com Twitter: @KenDixonCT
In a significant milestone for African pension capital being deployed for domestic infrastructure and industrial development, the Public Investment Corporation (PIC), Africas largest asset manager, with over US$150 billion in assets under management, plans an inaugural investment in the Africa Finance Corporation (AFC), the continents leading infrastructure solutions provider.

PIC has given formal notification to make a US$100 million equity investment in the AFC. The approved investment from the South African pension fund manager follows recent equity inflows to AFC from the Seychelles Pension Fund, the Government of Sierra Leone, the Republic of Togo, the Central Bank of Guinea and further investment from the Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund, which are among the 32 equity investors in AFC. These investments further embed the active collaboration between African sovereigns, financial institutions and the private sector.

AFC has a proven track record of developing key transformational projects on the continent, providing pragmatic solutions for Africas infrastructure deficit and challenging operating environment. The Corporation recently announced its joint acquisition of Lekela Power, Africas biggest renewables independent power producer (IPP), with plans to more than double operating capacity of the operating assets within four years. Other AFC projects include the ARISE Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in Gabon, an industrial ecosystem building value from the forestry and minerals industry, which was last year certified as the worlds first carbon neutral industrial zone by the Swiss verification group SGS.

The PIC is delighted to partner with the AFC in the development, industrialisation and growth of the African continent, said Kabelo Rikhotso, Chief Investment Officer for PIC. Our clients investment mandates allow us to invest in the rest of the African continent. We believe that this partnership will assist us to deliver on that mandate and to diversify our growing portfolio. We are confident of the future prospect of this investment and its potential positive societal benefits.

AFCs investment footprint spans 35 countries across Africa and a pipeline of projects that blend positive social and environmental impact with superior risk-adjusted returns. The Corporations A3 investment-grade rating from Moodys enables beneficial access to global capital markets and underscores the confidence of Africas decision makers in AFCs role as a key institution for sustainable economic development.

As a shareholder, PIC will further benefit from co-investment opportunities and access to AFCs formidable project development and risk-mitigated projects on the continent across the power, transport and logistics, natural resources, telecommunications and heavy industrial sectors.

This equity investment is a significant vote of confidence in AFC and connects us to a very important source of capital in Africa, said Samaila Zubairu, AFC President & CEO.

African pension funds have a key role to play in financing the instrumental infrastructure urgently needed on the continent and we look forward to a long-term partnership for a prosperous African future.

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The U.S. Senate passed legislation on Tuesday night that will expand benefits for veterans exposed to burn pits and toxins while serving, ending an impasse initiated by Republicans that delayed passage of the bill for almost a week.

Democrats and Republicans struck an agreement to move forward and vote again on the Honoring Our PACT Act after GOP lawmakers raised objections over how the bill was funded. They agreed to vote on a series of three Republican amendments and final passage of the bill.

The Senate advanced the legislation in a 86-11 vote, clearing the 60-vote threshold and garnering support from both parties. The three amendments also needed to secure 60 votes, but they all fell short and werent adopted. The PACT Act now heads to President Joe Bidens desk, where hes expected to quickly sign the bill into law.

The PACT Act seeks to expand benefits for veterans and service members by removing the burden on veterans to prove an illness is related to exposure to toxins. It establishes a presumption of service connection for 23 illnesses that may have developed from their time of service. Burn pits were used by the military in Afghanistan and Iraq to dispose of trash and other waste.

After needless and shameful delay, the tireless advocacy of our veterans made todays victory possible, said Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., who serves on the Veterans Affairs Committee and helped work on parts of the legislation. This bill is a victory for veterans who served and sacrificed abroad and now suffer from insidious, horrific diseases caused by exposure to burn pits and toxic chemicals.

The PACT Act seemed poised for smooth passage last Wednesday when it came up for a procedural vote. The bill previously passed both chambers of Congress by large bipartisan margins but needed to go through the Senate once more after some technical corrections were made. The legislation passed the Senate in June, 84-14.

But in a surprising development last week, 25 Republicans who previously supported the PACT Act switched their vote. The bill failed to reach the 60-vote threshold needed to advance and overcome filibusters.

Veterans across the country gathered in Washington, D.C., to celebrate passage last week, but instead stayed through the weekend and into this week to protest the delay. Theyve been camped out on the steps of the U.S. Capitol demanding that Republicans end their blockade.

Most Republicans said they didnt oppose the substance of the bill but took issue with the designation of the funding.

Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., who voted against the legislation both times, raised concerns over the way funds can be spent, calling it a budgetary gimmick. He said he takes no issue with the new spending of $280 billion but warned that hundreds of billions of dollars in existing spending could be used for completely unrelated programs.

Toomey proposed an amendment to change that spending from mandatory to discretionary, which means its subjected to the annual appropriations process.

Im supposed to trust future Congresses not to go on a spending spree. Seriously? Toomey said Tuesday during debate of the PACT Act.

Senate Veterans Affairs Committee chairman Jon Tester, D-Mont., urged votes against all three amendments, saying they would further delay the process since any changes made by the Senate would require another vote in the House.

According to the group Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, there are an estimated 3.5 million veterans in the U.S. who have been exposed to burn pits and toxic exposure.

The number of veterans from Connecticut whove been exposed is unclear, though a voluntary registry run through the V.A. gives some indication of exposures to burn pits and airborne hazards. Between June 2014 and September 2021, a total of 260,982 U.S. veterans and service members have filled out the questionnaire. In Connecticut, 1,262 have completed it.
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An Austin jury is being asked to decide how much in compensatory damages Infowars host Alex Jones owes two Sandy Hook parents for defamation.

Jones has already been convicted of defamation, repeatedly saying that the 2012 massacre never happened, that the children who died were crisis actors and that the massacre itself was a false flag intended to raise support for gun control.

Scarlett Lewis and Neil Heslin, parents of Jesse Lewis, have asked for $150 million in damages.

Here are five things to know about the trial so far:

1. Jones has talked about the case on the air

On the day Neil Heslin, Scarlett Lewis and Jones were due to testify, Jones was on Infowars talking about the case.

Hes a nice man and its not an act, he said of Heslin on the show. He is being manipulated by some very bad people.

Hes slow, his ex-wife is not, Jones added.

In court, Heslin stared directly at Jones while they played the tape of Jones calling him slow.

When Lewis took the stand, she addressed that clip in particular. Jones, she said, has been saying on the air that Im an actress, that Im deep state, she said, calling truth vital and what we base our society on.

Sandy Hook was a hard truth, she said. I know you believe me, and yet youre going to leave this courthouse and do it again on your show.

Jones shakes his head, to which Lewis replied, Youre saying no, but you just did it.

Jones and his attorneys argued that the clip was doctored to exclude apologies made by him on the air, misrepresenting his views.

He said he was glad to have the chance to say whats really going on.

2. Heslin and Lewis have been in protection

Lewis, as she testified during her time on the stand, feels unsafe since the massacre in which her son died.

When asked why she keeps a gun at her home, she said, I am a single mother and responsible for the safety of both of my boys, and I was not able to keep one of them safe so I am going to keep my surviving son safe.

That sense of being unsafe has persisted through the trial, with incidents outside the courthouse forcing the parents into isolation with security.

Unfortunately, due to some encounters this week outside of the courthouse, Neil and Scarlett have gone into isolation under the protection of security professionals, said Mark Bankston, the familys attorney.

Bankston did not go into further detail, but said there have been multiple incidents in Austin involving both Lewis and Heslin.

The simple and depressing truth is that they are in fear of their lives, Bankston said.

3. Jones sued his own company, then filed for bankruptcy

Jones and his company, Free Speech Systems, LLC, are named in the lawsuit and will be held liable for any damages.

But Jones has attempted to make that more difficult, suing his own company to 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, the filing says.

One day later, Free Speech Systems filed for bankruptcy.

A response filed by attorneys for the families, called the attempt a fiction inviting this proceeding to enter Mr. Jones conspiracist world where found facts and sworn testimony mean nothing at all.

A Connecticut judge on Tuesday dismissed Jones claim against Free Speech Systems after ruling it could not be conveniently heard because jury selection was about to begin. Jury selection, however was halted in the Connecticut case soon afterward when Jones attorneys filed to have the case removed to federal bankruptcy court in Connecticut.

4. The lawyers have been squabbling

Jones lead attorney, F. Andino Reynal, has repeatedly asked for a mistrial, and Judge Gable asked Reynal to follow the rules.

Im not asking you to do anything but follow the rules, she said to Reynal. You've chosen not to follow them on occasion.

That exchange in the second week of arguments came after a contentious first week, in which defense attorneys called their opposition a group of personal injury lawyers in a pejorative sense.

After Gamble left the room, the two lead lawyers spoke together about videos each would like to show the jury. Reynal got close to Bankston's face and called him a liar several times, before raising his middle finger at Bankston.

Bankston began telling Reynal to back off, before fellow attorney Bill Ogden defused the situation by getting the two sides to have a phone call later after they had calmed down.

5. Infowars host admits to not checking facts

Much of testimony during the first week centered on whether or not Infowars is a news source. One question from a juror asked Infowars producer Daria Karpova to define Infowars as either a trustworthy news source or "infotainment." She replied, "neither."

The next question asked her, if it was neither, to say under oath that Infowars is not a trustworthy source of information. Karpova replied I would not say that.

Later in the day, Infowars host Owen Shroyer, who is also facing charges related to the Jan. 6 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol, was asked, "would you agree with me that it is not right for a journalist to edit video clips to fit an agenda, Shroyer said yes.

When asked if he considers himself a journalist, Shroyer said, Sometimes. When asked if he considers himself a conspiracy theorist, Shroyer said, Sometimes.

Later that day, Shroyer admitted under questioning that he did nothing to fact-check a story he broadcast in 2018 that defamed the father of a slain boy.

I could have done a better job, Shroyer said.

You could have done a job, said the parents attorney, Kyle Farrar. You could have done something, but you didnt do anything, did you?
Joe Burbank/AP

SANFORD, Fla. (AP)  A political consultant who is accused of helping put a ghost candidate" on a ballot to siphon off votes from a Democratic candidate in a state Senate race in central Florida pleaded not guilty to election finance-related charges Tuesday during his first court appearance.

James Eric Foglesong entered the plea during an arraignment hearing at the Seminole County Courthouse.
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WASHINGTON (AP)  When House Speaker Nancy Pelosi flew into Taiwan on an Air Force passenger jet, she became the highest-ranking American official in 25 years to visit the self-ruled island. China announced military maneuvers in retaliation, even as Taiwanese officials welcomed her and she headed to her hotel.

The reason her visit Tuesday ratcheted up tension between China and the United States: China claims Taiwan as part of its territory, and it views visits by foreign government officials as them recognizing the islands sovereignty.

President Joe Biden has sought to calm that complaint, insisting there's no change in America's longstanding one-China policy, which recognizes Beijing but allows informal relations and defense ties with Taipei.

Pelosi portrays her high-profile trip as part of a U.S. obligation to stand with democracies against autocratic countries, and with democratic Taiwan against China.

A look at some of the issues at play:

WHY DID PELOSI GO TO TAIWAN?

Pelosi has made a mission over decades of showing support for embattled democracy movements. Those include a trip in 1991 to Tiananmen Square, where she and other lawmakers unrolled a small banner supporting democracy, as frowning Chinese security officers tried to shut them down. Chinese forces had crushed a homegrown democracy movement at the same spot two years earlier.

The speaker is framing her Taiwan trip as part of a broader mission at a time when the world faces a choice between autocracy and democracy. She led a congressional delegation to the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv in the spring, and her latest effort serves as a capstone to her years of promoting democracy abroad.

We must stand by Taiwan, she said in an opinion piece published by The Washington Post on her arrival in Taiwan. She cited the commitment that the U.S. made to a democratic Taiwan under a 1979 law.

It is essential that America and our allies make clear that we never give in to autocrats, she wrote.

WHAT IS THE U.S. STAND ON TAIWAN?

The Biden administration, and Pelosi, say the United States remains committed to its one-China policy."

Taiwan and mainland China split during a civil war in 1949. But China claims the island as its own territory and has not ruled out using military force to take it.

China has been increasing both diplomatic and military pressure in recent years. It cut off all contact with Taiwans government in 2016 after President Tsai Ing-wen refused to endorse its claim that the island and mainland together make up a single Chinese nation, with Communist Beijing the sole legitimate government.

Beijing sees official American contact with Taiwan as encouragement to make the islands decades-old de facto independence permanent, a step U.S. leaders say they dont support.

HOW IS THE CHINESE MILITARY HANDLING THE TENSION-RAISING TRIP?

Soon after Pelosis arrival, China announced a series of military operations and drills, which followed its promises of resolute and strong measures if Pelosi went through with her visit.

China's Peoples Liberation Army said the maneuvers would take place in the waters and skies near Taiwan and include the firing of long-range ammunition in the Taiwan Strait.

Chinas official Xinhua News said the army planned to conduct live-fire drills from Thursday to Sunday across multiple locations. An image released by the news agency indicated that the drills were to take place in six different areas in the waters surrounding Taiwan.

Taiwans Defense Ministry said early Wednesday that China had sent 21 planes flying toward Taiwan, 18 of them fighter jets. The rest included an early warning plane and an electronic warfare plane.

HOW HAS THE UNITED STATES RESPONDED?

While Biden has expressed some wariness about Pelosi's trip, the administration has not openly opposed it and said it is up to Pelosi to decide whether to go.

Ahead of Pelosi's visit, the American military increased its movements in the Indo-Pacific region. The aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan and its strike group were in the Philippine Sea on Monday, according to officials who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss military operations.

The Reagan, the cruiser USS Antietam and the destroyer USS Higgins left Singapore after a port visit and moved north toward their home port in Japan. The carrier has an array of aircraft, including F/A-18 fighter jets and helicopters, as well as sophisticated radar systems and other weapons.

IS ARMED CONFLICT A RISK?

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Biden both have made clear they don't want that. In a call with Biden last week, Xi echoed a theme of Biden's  their countries should cooperate on areas where they can.

The biggest risk is likely an accident if China tries the kind of provocative maneuver it's increasingly been executing with other militaries around the South China Sea. Those include close fly-bys of other aircraft or confronting vessels at sea.

However, when it comes to the United States, with the world's strongest military, despite a chorus of nationalistic rhetoric, China will be careful not to stumble into a conflict with colossal damages on all fronts," said Yu Jie, a senior research fellow at the Chatham House think tank.

For China, the best approach is patience and time, Jie said  building toward the day when its economy and military could be too big for the U.S. to challenge.

___

This story has been corrected to show the name of the expert is Jie, not Lie.
PARIS (AP)  Paris regional authorities warned residents to be vigilant Wednesday, with temperatures soaring to 36 degrees Celsius (97 Fahrenheit). In a tweet, the Ile-de-France prefecture also asked residents to moderate their water consumption amid a major dry spell.

Elsewhere in France, some 27 departments have now been placed on orange alert with a heat wave spreading mainly to the east of mainland France. Temperatures are set to hit up to 40 C (104 F) in some places in the south. The heat will reach its peak Wednesday, and begin to decline Thursday.
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GREENWICH  Plans for a new rooftop terrace on a historic building on Greenwich Avenue were set for an initial review Tuesday, but the application was postponed at the Planning & Zoning Commission.

The rooftop terrace plan for the residential and commercial structure at 239 Greenwich Ave., home of Betteridge Jewelers, would require interior work to accommodate elevator access to the fourth floor, according to the application. A stairway would also access the rooftop.
GREENWICH  Greenwich Country Days head of school says he was surprised and disappointed after the Republican Town Committee put out a tweet criticizing a planned get-together at the independent school to celebrate diversity by questioning why white people werent included.

I guess Im disappointed, Head of School Adam Rohdie said Tuesday in response to the tweet on the RTCs official Twitter account. Unfortunately I think the national commentary is a space where everybody wants to yell on Twitter, where nobody wants to talk and certainly no one wants to listen.

On Monday afternoon, the RTC posted on its Twitter account a screen shot of a letter from the private schools Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. The message says the office welcomes all families to GCDS and we invite you to partner with us in building an inclusive, just and equitable community reflecting the multitude of human identities and perspectives in our world.

It also promotes upcoming events, specifically the schools annual Cider and Donuts event, which the office said is open to GCDS families that identify as Black, Asian, Latinix, multi-racial, Indigenous, Middle Eastern, and/or people of color.

The RTCs tweet states, You listed nearly every group but white people  was that on purpose> Is that how you bring people together? Inclusion 

According to RTC Chair Beth MacGillivray, the tweet was put together by the organizations communications committee.

They are a group of people that agreed on the tweet and we stand behind our tweet, MacGillivray said Tuesday.

When asked to provide context as to why the RTC chose to put out the tweet and what broader message it was trying to communicate, she said they had no further statement.

Our statement is the tweet, MacGillivray said.

Rohdie acknowledged Tuesday that the letter, which is signed by Andrew Ledee, the schools director of diversity, equity and inclusion, and Emmanuel Saldana, the schools associate director of diversity, equity and inclusion, could have been phrased differently.

I think there are ways we could change the language a little bit in the letter, Rohdie said. If any family wanted to attend they would be welcome to attend. We celebrate community throughout the year, and we provide opportunity for affinity groups and families of students with common interests and backgrounds and experiences.

These are spaces that help our students and our families find meaningful support and connection with the broader community, he said. It increases their sense of belonging at GCDS, and our goal is that every student and family is known and valued. This is the foundation of our school culture, and it strengthens and unites our community.

He said that almost the exact same letter has gone out in the three years that the school held the Cider and Donuts event.

If a Country Day family wants to take issue with this, Im excited to sit down and have a cup of coffee with them, Rohdie said. But for a major political faction in town to put this on their website, it is surprising.

The RTC elected new leaders earlier this year after a new slate of candidates was elected at the Republican caucuses. Despite major successes for the local party in recent elections, including a sweep of the 2021 municipal elections, the leadership team was tossed out by the partys rank and file and replaced with a new team led by MacGillivray.

The RTC has put forward a more aggressive social media presence since the change in leadership, and members have spoken out at school board meetings with criticisms of the curriculum and priorities in Greenwichs public schools.

Rohdie said he hoped the town and the country would come together again but said he has concerns.

My fingers are crossed and my toes are crossed and I hope that one day were there, he said. I just fear that everything that I see in the national media seems to be heading in the opposite direction, and its disheartening.

kborsuk@greenwichtime.com
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GREENWICH  After calling off their wedding, a former couple is fighting for custody of their dog after the woman took the 5-year-old boxer/beagle mix to her parents home in Riverside, according to court filings.

Keith Glanzman has filed a lawsuit in New York Supreme Court against his former fiance, Jenna Demasi, asking for her to return the dog. In the lawsuit, Glanzman said he was at work when Demasi took Frankie last week from the New York City apartment they had shared.
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GREENWICH  The Greenwich Library said it has received two messages noting concern about Gender Queer: A Memoir by Maia Kobabe, a young adult graphic novel on its shelves, even as social media posts criticized the book and called for its removal.

First Selectman Fred Camillo brought up the issue in his weekly e-blast to residents on July 29, saying that some residents are offended by a very graphic young adult book available at our library, adding that I personally found this book to be disgusting.

In the graphic novel, Kobabe, who identifies as both nonbinary and queer, tells of their experiences in self-identity. A graphic novel uses both words and images to tell a story, similar to a comic book. Kobabe did both the writing and the illustrating in their acclaimed 2019 memoir, which received the Alex Award in 2020 from the American Library Association for its special appeal to readers ages 12 through 18.

This heartfelt graphic memoir relates, with sometimes painful honesty, the experience of growing up non-gender-conforming, Publishers Weekly said in a review. It would be sure to spark valuable discussions at home and in classrooms while also noting the presence of some sexually explicit content.

Camillo said he became aware of residents objections to the book on social media and pointed to a post on Instagram about Gender Queer from the anonymous account Mask Choice Greenwich.

So Im not for banning books. I think thats wrong. But, in my personal opinion, Gender Queer should not be in the young adult graphic novel section at the Greenwich Library, the post said.

People responded to the post stating that the presence of the book in the library was awful and insanity and one even calling it child abuse while others questioned How did this get into our library? and said It should be removed from the library ASAP.

However, another post noted the books critical acclaim and awards while stressing it was not in the childrens section, but for teens and young adults.

Many parents have found it useful to read when their children came to them and told them they are non binary or asexual, the post said. Not gay. Not straight. There is nothing sexual about this book nor it is porno.

Gender Queer has proven controversial in other communities too. The American Library Association lists it as the No. 1 most challenged book in 2021, saying it was, banned, challenged, and restricted for LGBTQIA+ content, and because it was considered to have sexually explicit images.

In October 2021, Kobabe wrote an op-ed for the Washington Post about the controversial banning of the book in Fairfax County, Va., which led to bans in several other states.

Queer youth are often forced to look outside their own homes, and outside the education system, to find information on who they are. Removing or restricting queer books in libraries and schools is like cutting a lifeline for queer youth, who might not yet even know what terms to ask Google to find out more about their own identities, bodies and health, Kobabe said.

Despite the posts on social media, the library has not received a formal request to remove the memoir from its shelves.

The library has received two messages noting concern but no requests for removal of the graphic novel, said Kate Petrov, public relations officer at Greenwich Library.

Camillo said in his e-blast that his office does not oversee operations at the library and said the Greenwich Librarys director and Board of Trustees handles such complaints.

There are thousands and thousands of books there, Camillo said. There may be something that somebody finds objectionable. So if there is some merit to it at least there is a process. Rather than going online and getting people fired up about it, people know now there is a process and you can directly do it and talk with the library.

Under the library policy, anyone who objects to a book can file a request for consideration, which is reviewed by the library director and responded to in writing. The decision can be appealed to the Board of Trustees, which has the final decision.

The library is guided by the American Library Associations Library Bill of Rights and Freedom to Read statement. The library recognizes that some resources may be controversial and that any given item may offend some individuals, the policy says. Only the individual can determine what is most appropriate for him or her. Parents, caregivers, and legal guardians have the responsibility for their childrens use of library collections and access to the internet through the librarys computers.

Barbara Ormerod-Glynn, director of Greenwich Library, explained the policy further.

All of Greenwich Librarys collections are governed by its Collection Development Policy and materials may not be removed from our collection without following this measured process, Ormerod-Glynn said in a statement to Greenwich Time.

To the librarys knowledge, no request for consideration has been received at least within the last 20 years, Ormerod-Glynn said.

Camillo said Ormerod-Glynn was very open in their discussion last week.

We all believe in free speech and we all want people exposed to different ideas, but obviously there is an age-appropriateness level that has to be taken into account, Camillo said, adding that he felt that some of the books illustrations were inappropriate for 12-year-olds.

As adults we protect children from things like alcohol and tobacco, Camillo said, adding that adults also need to make sure children are not overwhelmed with materials they are not emotionally prepared to understand.

Thats why you always have age-appropriate guidance numbers, he added.

kborsuk@greenwichtime.com
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP)  A federal oversight board ordered the United Mine Workers of America to pay more than $13 million in compensation to an Alabama coal company where members have been on strike for more than a year, a ruling the union said Wednesday it would challenge.

The National Labor Relations Board said Warrior Met Coal Mining was due some $13.3 million for costs including increased security, damage repair and lost revenues from unmined coal, and individuals were due almost $30,000, mostly for damage to vehicles. Both amounts included interest.

The union, with roughly 1,100 members who went on strike against the Alabama-based company on April 1, 2021, called the NLRB assessment an outrageous decision that it planned to fight.

Is it now the policy of the federal government that unions be required to pay a companys losses as a consequence of their members exercising their rights as working people? This is outrageous and effectively negates workers right to strike. It cannot stand, international union president Cecil E. Roberts said in a statement.

A company representative did not immediately return an email seeking comment. The NLRB, which is handling charges related to both the company and the union, issued the order on July 22.

The union and company signed an agreement providing that the union pay damages for strike misconduct, and the board approved it, spokeswoman Kayla Blado said. The agency is currently assessing the cost, she said.

If there is not agreement with the regions ultimate conclusion, the region will commence a proceeding before an administrative law judge where the parties can present arguments and evidence about what each considers to be appropriate damages, she said in a statement.

Both the union and Warrior Met have blamed each other for the prolonged strike, which centers on the company's mining operations southwest of Birmingham. The two sides have talked as recently as last week, a union spokesman said.

The union is striking at Warrior Met's No. 4 and No. 7 mines, a preparation plant and a central shop, all in Tuscaloosa County. The union and Warrior Met reached an agreement to end the walkout a few days after it began, but members rebuffed the settlement.

United Mine Workers has said union members gave up money to bring the company out of the Walter Energy bankruptcy six years ago, and workers have sought improved health benefits. Warrior Met contends it offered workers a competitive package that would protect jobs and the company's future.

In May, Warrior Met reported net income of $146.2 million in the first quarter compared with a loss of $21.4 million for the same period last year. The company said the strike cost it $6.7 million for the quarter because of security and other expenses, and having the mines idle cost $3 million.

Warrior Met said it produced 1.5 million short tons of coal in the first quarter compared with 2.2 million short tons in the first quarter last year.
Over the past fifteen years, The International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the Government of Mauritius have been collaborating on several initiatives to maximize the potential of labour migration for the countrys development.

In the same line, IOM, under the European Union-funded Southern African Migration Management (SAMM) project , organized a three-day Labour Migration Management (LMM) Workshop with 33 representatives of Government, Private Sector and Civil Society from 26 to 28 July 2022 in Port Louis, Mauritius.

Within the framework of this effort, IOM will work with the Government of Mauritius to put in place rights-based legal and efficient channels of labour migration and mobility including appropriate protection measures for migrant workers through capacity building and technical assistance. The aim of the three- day workshop was to enhance the capacity of the Government and other key stakeholders to systematically manage and regulate labour migration, to review and discuss key labour migration opportunities, issues and challenges, and to make recommendations for safe, orderly and dignified labour migration in Mauritius.

Labour migration is increasingly featuring on the Mauritius agenda for economic development. This calls for improved governance of labour migration and the role of social dialogue, non-discrimination and equality of treatment, including proper working conditions, for migrant workers at all skill levels, enhanced protection of migrant workers and targeted sectoral approaches, declared Celine Lemmel, Chief of Mission of IOM Mauritius & Seychelles, at the opening of the LMM workshop on 26 July 2022.

The workshop provided an opportunity to review the current challenges and opportunities associated with labour migration and mobility in the country, discuss and recommend strategies in line with SDG Target 10.7, more specifically, to facilitate orderly, safe, regular and responsible migration and mobility of people, including through implementation of planned and well-managed migration policies.

The key topics considered at the LMM workshop included Labour migration governance, Trends anc characteristics of labour migration in Mauritius, Labour migration data management, Labour legislation: International labour standards and conventions on the protection of migrant workers, Ethical and fair recruitment of migrant workers, International context and standards for ethical recruitment, Fair recruitment of migrant workers in Mauritius, the Montreal recommendations on ethical recruitment and Bilateral Labour Migration Agreements (BLMAs).

It is useful to highlight that the recommendations on labour migration, made by the SADC Ministers of Labour in the margin of the 2021 Migration Dialogue for Southern Africa (MIDSA) to identify and address the systemic weaknesses, capacity gaps and needs required by sectoral partners to better align and leverage our mutual commitments towards integration and labour mobility, were also the subject of discussions at the LMM workshop.

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WASHINGTON (AP)  Stephen King didn't break any legal ground on the stand Tuesday as he testified against his own publisher's efforts to merge with Penguin Random House. But he did know how to please a crowd and even get the judge to thank him for his time.

It was a real pleasure to hear your testimony," the otherwise businesslike U.S. District Judge Florence J. Pan told the author after he finished speaking as a government witness in a federal antitrust lawsuit against the merger of Penguin Random House and Simon & Schuster, King's longtime publisher.

The 74-year-old King had a haunting but gregarious presence, his gaunt features accented by his gray suit and gray sneakers, his walk tentative, as it has been since he was struck by a van and badly injured in 1999. But once sworn in, he was relaxed and happy to talk, and ever alert to how to tell a story,

My name is Stephen King. Im a freelance writer, King said upon being asked to identify himself. The Justice Department is bidding to convince Pan that the proposed combination of Penguin Random House and Simon & Schuster, two of the world's biggest publishers, would thwart competition and damage the careers of some of the most popular authors  a status King holds like few others.

King's remarkable career, with so many bestsellers he could only offer an estimate, has come amid waves of consolidation in the industry. As he noted in his remarks, there were dozens of publishers in New York when his breakthrough novel, Carrie," came out, in 1974, and he has seen many of them either acquired by larger companies or forced out of business.

Now, New York publishing is often a story of the so-called Big Five: Penguin Random House, Simon & Schuster, HarperCollins Publishing, Hachette Book Group and Macmillan. The publisher of Carrie," Doubleday, is now part of Penguin Random House. So is another former King publisher, Viking Press.

Over the first two days, attorneys for the two sides have presented notably contrasting views of the book industry. The Justice Department sees an increasingly limited market for bestsellers, with the Big Five well in command. Penguin Random House's side sees book publishing as dynamic and open to many, with the proposed merger having limited impact.

King's appearance in U.S. District Court in Washington  highly unusual for an antitrust trial  brought a narrative of the evolution of book publishing toward the dominance of the Big Five companies. As government attorney Mel Schwarz walked King through his history starting as a new, unknown author in the 1970s and his relationships with agents and publishers, King homed in on a critique of the industry as it is now.

King crisply answered Schwarz's questions, with some moments of humor and brief flashes of gentle outrage, as he testified during the second day of the trial expected to last two to three weeks.

The Big Five are pretty entrenched," he said.

Under questioning later in the day, Simon & Schuster CEO Jonathan Karp detailed a world of fiercely competitive bidding among publishers  including between his firm and Penguin Random House  for authors works, sometimes besting each other by millions of dollars for high-profile writers.

With his possible future boss, Penguin Random House Markus Dohle, among those looking on in the courtroom, Karp rejected the Big Five moniker, calling it parochial and ethnocentric.

I think there are a lot of good publishers all over the country. Its not all about us, Karp said.

As an example, he said the nearly 100-year-old Simon & Schuster has endured more aggressive competition recently from Amazons book publishing business.

But Justice Department attorney Jeff Vernon brought forward a message Karp had sent to John Irving, his favorite author, saying he didnt think the government would allow Simon & Schuster and Penguin Random House to merge. Thats assuming we still have a Department of Justice, Karp wrote in the message.

At one point, the judge appeared to support a core government argument  that greater concentration in the industry could reduce the compensation paid to authors. Through two days of testimony, Pan said, theres a sense that competition raises the amounts of advances and less competition lowers them.

King's displeasure about the proposed merger led him to voluntarily testify for the government.

I came because I think that consolidation is bad for competition," King said. The way the industry has evolved, he said, it becomes tougher and tougher for writers to find money to live on.

King expressed skepticism toward the two publishers commitment to continue to bid for books separately and competitively after a merger.

You might as well say you're going to have a husband and wife bidding against each other for the same house," he quipped. It would be sort of very gentlemanly and sort of, After you and After you,'" he said, gesturing with a polite sweep of the arm.

King's was entertaining and informative, although he had little specific to say over how the merger might harm bestselling authors, with the government's case focusing on those receiving advances of $250,000 or more. Attorney Daniel Petrocelli, representing the publishers, told King he had no questions for him and demurred on a cross-examination, saying instead he hoped they could have coffee together some time.

King has long been a public favorite, and spoke warmly Tuesday of living the dream," paying all the bills while working at something he loves. But the author of The Stand, The Shining" and many others wonders who else might have the chances he did. He was not chosen by the government just for his fame, but for his public criticism of the $2.2 billion deal announced in late 2021, potentially forming what rival CEO Michael Pietsch of Hachette Book Group has called a gigantically prominent" entity.

The more the publishers consolidate, the harder it is for indie publishers to survive," King tweeted last year.

King's affinity for smaller publishers is personal. Even while continuing to publish with the Simon & Schuster imprint Scribner, he has written thrillers for the independent Hard Case Crime. Years ago, the publisher asked him to contribute a blurb, but King instead offered to write a novel for them, The Colorado Kid," released in 2005. He has also written fiction for other small companies, saying some of his work doesn't have the kind of commercial power the Big Five might expect.

King himself would likely benefit from the Penguin Random House-Simon & Schuster deal, but he has a history of favoring other priorities beyond his material well-being. He has long been a critic of tax cuts for the rich, even as the rich" surely includes Stephen King, and has openly called for the government to raise his taxes.

In America, we should all have to pay our fair share," he wrote for The Daily Beast in 2012.
DALLAS (AP)  A man who evaded arrest for more than 12 years after being accused of fatally shooting his two teenage daughters in a taxi parked near a Dallas-area hotel was obsessed with possession and control, a prosecutor said Tuesday during opening statements of his capital murder trial.

He controlled what they did, who they talked to, who they could be friends with, if they and who they could date," prosecutor Lauren Black said. "And he controlled everything in his household."

Yaser Said, 65, is accused of killing 18-year-old Amina Said and 17-year-old Sarah Said on New Years Day in 2008. Said, who entered a not guilty plea Tuesday, faces an automatic life sentence if convicted.

About a week before the sisters were killed, they and their mother fled their home in the Dallas suburb of Lewisville to Oklahoma to get away from Yaser Said, who worked as a taxi driver, Black said. The sisters had become very scared for their lives, and the decision to leave was made after Said put a gun to Amina's head and threatened to kill her, the prosecutor said.

But, Black said, in another act of control and manipulation by Said, he told them he had changed and convinced them to return home. The evening the sisters were shot, their father wanted to take just the two of them to a restaurant, she said.

In a letter written to the judge overseeing the case, Said said he was not happy with his kids dating activity but denied killing his daughters. Defense attorney Joseph Patton said in opening statements that the evidence would not support a conviction, that police were too quick to focus on Said and suggested that anti-Muslim sentiment played into that focus. Said was born in Egypt.

Before the sisters were found shot to death in a taxi parked near a hotel in the Dallas suburb of Irving, Sarah Said had managed to call 911 using a cellphone, telling the operator that her father shot her and that she was dying.

Black said Sarah Said was shot nine times and Amina Said was shot twice.

In moments of extreme trauma, like being shot multiple times, people can have hallucinations, Patton said.

In an email to her Lewisville High School history teacher 11 days before she and her sister were killed, Amina Said said that she and Sarah did not want to live by their fathers culture and marry men from the Middle East, especially men we dont know or love. So they were running away from their father's home, she said in the email prosecutors read into evidence.

I know that he will search until he finds us, and he will without any drama nor doubt kill us, the email read.

After the sisters were found fatally shot in the taxi, police contacted the taxi's registered owner, who said Yaser Said had been driving the taxi for the past 10 days, according to an affidavit for an arrest warrant.

Said, who had been sought on a capital murder warrant since the slayings, was placed on the FBI's most-wanted list. He was finally arrested in August 2020 in Justin, about 35 miles (60 kilometers) northwest of Dallas. His son, Islam Said, and his brother, Yassim Said, were subsequently convicted of helping him evade arrest.

Black said the sisters, both high school students in Lewisville, dreamed of becoming doctors, and that Yaser Said grew angrier as they grew up and became more educated and independent.

When they had more independence, that was less control for him, Black said.

___

This story has been updated to clarify that an email one of two Texas sisters who were killed in 2008 sent to a teacher was sent 11 days before their deaths.
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WASHINGTON (AP)  U.S.-China relations are teetering on a precipice after House Speaker Nancy Pelosis visit to Taiwan.

Pelosi received a rapturous welcome in Taipei and was applauded with strong bipartisan support in Washington, despite the Biden administrations misgivings. But her trip has enraged Beijing and Chinese nationalists and will complicate already strained ties even after her departure.

Already, China is preparing new shows of force in the Taiwan Strait to make clear that its claims are non-negotiable on the island it regards as a renegade province. And, as the U.S. presses ahead with demonstrations of support for Taiwan, arms sales and diplomatic lobbying, the escalating tensions have raised the risks of military confrontation, intentional or not.

And the trip could further muddle Washington's already complicated relationship with Beijing as the two sides wrest with differences over trade, the war in Ukraine, human rights and more.

Wary of the reaction from China, the Biden administration discouraged but did not prevent Pelosi from visiting Taiwan. It has taken pains to stress to Beijing that the House speaker is not a member of the executive branch and her visit represents no change in the U.S. one-China policy.

That was little comfort for Beijing. Pelosi, who is second in line to the U.S. presidency, was no ordinary visitor and was greeted almost like a head of state. Taiwan's skyline lit up with a message of welcome, and she met with the biggest names on the island, including its president, senior legislators and prominent rights activists.

Chinese officials were enraged.

What Pelosi has done is definitely not a defense and maintenance of democracy, but a provocation and violation of Chinas sovereignty and territorial integrity, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said after her departure.

Pelosis dangerous provocation is purely for personal political capital, which is an absolute ugly political farce, Hua said. China-US relations and regional peace and stability is suffering.

The timing of the visit may have added to the tensions. It came ahead of this year's Chinese Communist Partys Congress at which President Xi Jinping will try to further cement his power, using a hard line on Taiwan to blunt domestic criticism on COVID-19, the economy and other issues.

Summoned to the Foreign Ministry to hear China's complaints, U.S. Ambassador Nicholas Burns insisted that the visit was nothing but routine. The United States will not escalate and stands ready to work with China to prevent escalation altogether, Burns said, according to the State Department.

The White House also said that Pelosis visit doesnt change anything about the U.S. posture toward China and Taiwan. Press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the U.S. had expected the harsh reaction from China, even as she called it unwarranted.

We are going to monitor, and we will manage what Beijing chooses to do, she added.

Alarmed by the possibility of a new geo-strategic conflict at the same time the West sides with Ukraine in its resistance to Russia's invasion, the U.S. has rallied allies to its side.

The foreign ministers of the Group of 7 industrialized democracies released a statement Wednesday essentially telling China  by the initials of its formal name, the People's Republic of China  to calm down.

It is normal and routine for legislators from our countries to travel internationally, the G-7 ministers said. The PRCs escalatory response risks increasing tensions and destabilizing the region. We call on the PRC not to unilaterally change the status quo by force in the region, and to resolve cross-Strait differences by peaceful means.

Still, that status quo  long identified as strategic ambiguity for the U.S. and quiet but determined Chinese opposition to any figment of Taiwanese independence  appears to be no longer tenable for either side.

Its getting harder and harder to agree on Taiwan for both Beijing and Washington, said Jean-Pierre Cabestan, an emeritus professor at Hong Kong Baptist University.

In Taipei and the U.S. Congress, moves are afoot to clarify the ambiguity that has defined U.S. relations with Taiwan since the 1970s. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee will soon consider a bill that would strengthen relations, require the executive branch to do more to bring Taiwan into the international system and take more determined steps to help the island defend itself.

Writing in The New York Times, committee Chairman Robert Menendez, D-N.J., lambasted China's response to Pelosi's visit.

The result of Beijings bluster should be to stiffen resolve in Taipei, in Washington and across the region, he said. There are many strategies to continue standing up to Chinese aggression. There is clear bipartisan congressional agreement on the importance of acting now to provide the people of Taiwan with the type of support they desperately need.

But China appears to be pressing ahead with steps that could prove to be escalatory, including live-fire military exercises planned for this week and a steady uptick in flights of fighter jets in and near Taiwan's self-declared air defense zone.

They are going to test the Taiwanese and the Americans, said Cabestan, the professor in Hong Kong. He said the actions of the U.S. military in the area, including a naval force led by the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan, will be critical.

China had ratcheted up potential confrontation weeks ago by declaring that the Taiwan Strait that separates the island from the mainland is not international waters. The U.S. rejected this and responded to by sending more vessels through it. Cabestan said that showed that something had to be done on the U.S. side to draw red lines to prevent the Chinese from going too far."

Meanwhile, Taiwan is on edge, air raid shelters have been prepared and the government is increasing training for recruits serving their four months of required military service - generally considered inadequate  along with annual two-week annual refresher courses for reservists.

The Chinese feel that if they dont act, that the United States is going to continue to slice the salami to take incremental actions toward supporting Taiwan independence, said Bonnie Glaser, a China expert at the Asia Program at the German Marshall Fund.

She said that domestic U.S. support for Taiwan actually gives China added incentive to take a strong stance: China does feel under pressure to do more to signal that this is an issue in which China cannot compromise."

Despite the immediate concerns about escalation and potential miscalculation, there are others who don't believe the damage to U.S.-China ties will be more long-lasting than that caused by other, non-Taiwan-related issues.

China is going to raise a huge fuss and there will be military exercises and there will be embargoes on importing Taiwan goods. And after the shouting is over, you will see a gradual easing, said June Teufel Dreyer, a Chinese politics specialist at the University of Miami.

The situation never goes back to completely normal, whatever normal is, but it will definitely die down, she said.

___

AP writers Zeke Miller in Washington, Joe McDonald in Beijing and David Rising in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, contributed to this report.
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The wife of a U.S. defense contractor, who together are charged in Hawaii federal court with fraudulently cloaking themselves in the stolen identities of two deceased Texas infants for three decades, said Tuesday that shes not the person prosecutors say she is.

When the case of Gwynn Darle Morrison was called in U.S. District Court in Honolulu, she said: Thats what theyre calling me.

She claims shes actually Julie Lyn Montague, who prosecutors said died in 1968 when she was three weeks old and later had her identity stolen.

The assertion put her at odds with her husband, who has acknowledged hes Walter Glenn Primrose and not Bobby Edward Fort, the identity he allegedly used to enlist in the U.S. Coast Guard in 1994 and gain secret security clearance that allowed him to work as a defense contractor.

Fort was about 10 weeks old when he died in late 1967 at the same Burnet, Texas, hospital where Montague died a few months later.

Not guilty pleas were entered Tuesday on behalf of the couple to charges of conspiracy, false statement in a passport application and aggravated identity theft. They face up to 17 years in prison if convicted of all charges.

Both were ordered detained until a trial was scheduled Sept. 26.

The dispute over the real name of the wife added a new layer of intrigue to a case that may amount to more than stolen identities.

A search of the couples Hawaii home turned up photos that appear to be shot in the 1980s of the two wearing uniforms of the Russian KGB, the former spy agency, prosecutors said. Investigators also found an invisible ink kit, documents with coded language and maps showing military bases.

When the couple were left in a room together, they were unwittingly recorded saying things consistent with espionage, Assistant U.S. Attorney Wayne Myers said last week.

Defense lawyer Megan Kau said Montague is the only name her client has ever used. Kau said the couple appeared to wear the same KGB jacket in the photos and her client was only in a T-shirt. Kau said she hasn't heard the recording of a discussion allegedly involving espionage.

All my client remembers is that her husband told her, They think were spies," Kau said. So, yes, the word spy was brought up because the government is accusing them of being spies.

Kau argued that her client had no criminal record and there was not enough reason to keep her locked up while facing trial.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Muehleck said it was a little strange she maintains she's Montague rather than choosing to not address the identity issue.

The father and sister of Montague last week told The Associated Press last week that Julie died shortly after birth and was buried in a cemetery.

Morrison and Primrose  both born more than a decade before Fort and Montague  went to high school and college together and married in 1980 and bought a house in Nacogdoches, Texas, prosecutors said.

They left Texas in the early 1980s, telling at least one family member they were going into the witness protection program, prosecutors said. They resurfaced later as Fort and Montague, telling some people they had changed their identities for financial and legal reasons.

An unnamed sister of Morrison said the photo on the Hawaii driver's license with Montagues name appeared to be her sister though it listed the wrong birth date, Muehleck said.

We have a situation here where this defendant and her co-defendant, of course, have used false identities to deceive Social Security, the Department of Defense, Hawaii Department of Transportation, the State Department national passport center for 30 years, Muehleck said. "Theres no verification of who she says she is.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Rom Trader said he was holding her without bail because he couldn't trust her to comply with terms and conditions of release if he wasn't sure of her identity.

At the core of this case, is some serious, albeit unusual, circumstances where the defendant claims to be an individual other than the person named in the indictment, Trader said. I cant even really say that I have confidence in who Miss Morrison or Miss Montague really, truly is.
OnePlus had scheduled an event in China today to unveil the Ace Pro. However, the company has now announced that it has postponed the launch event and related activities without specifying any reason or setting a new launch date.

This announcement from OnePlus comes after the US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi landed in Taiwan, increasing tensions between the US and China since the latter considers Taiwan as its territory.

OnePlus is not the only brand to cancel its launch event in China. Yesterday, Motorola also canceled its Razr 2022 and X30 Pro launch event. The Lenovo-owned brand neither provided the new launch date nor did it specify the reason for canceling the event. Although it could be due to growing tensions in the Asian region.

That said, while OnePlus has postponed its Ace Pro event in China, the company is proceeding with the unveiling of the OnePlus 10T, which is expected to be the Ace Pro for the international markets running OxygenOS instead of ColorOS. The event will begin at 2PM UTC today and will be live-streamed on OnePlus's official channels.

Source (in Chinese)
Samsung US offers up to $200 credit if you reserve one of the upcoming foldables and wearables

Samsung US will continue accepting reservations for the gadgets that will be unveiled at the August 10 Galaxy Unpacked event for a few more days, the cut off is on August 9. You can make the reservation on Samsung.com or using the Samsung Shop App.

The offer has been restructured a bit  you can get $100 in Samsung Credit if you reserve just a Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4 or Z Fold4 or you can get $200 if you reserve a phone, plus a Galaxy Watch5 and Galaxy Buds2 Pro.

A note on how you can spend the credit: if you pick the option with just the phone, then the credit can only be applied to additional products, not the phone itself. If you dont use it immediately, the credit will be valid until the end of October, so you will have time to mull it over. Another thing to keep in mind is that the credit can be used only once, i.e. you cant split it between several smaller purchases.

If you get the three device bundle, you will be able to apply it to the same purchase. You only need to type in your email (and optionally your phone number) to make a reservation, there is no monetary deposit required.

You can find the full terms of the offer over on the Reservation page.

PS. There is a reservation deal in India as well.
vivo Mobile accused of tax evasion to the tune of $280 million in India

Indias Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has accused Vivo Mobile of evading taxes worth 22.1 billion ($280 million). The DRI discovered custom duty evasion and issued a show cause notice to the company  a legal request for the company to justify its actions.

Vivo Mobile is accused of willful mis-declaration in the description of certain items imported. Evidence of this was discovered after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) raided 44 locations belonging to the company. Some assets were seized during the investigation.

According to data from the authorities, the tax evasion allowed Vivo Mobile to transfer nearly $8 billion to its parent company in China over the course of 5 years, which works out to almost half of Vivo Mobiles revenue.

Vivo is not the only smartphone company under scrutiny  Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has confirmed that the authorities are also investigating Oppo and Xiaomi.

Source 1 | Source 2
Two CHamoru journalists from the Marianas have won national awards recognizing their reporting on Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities in Hawaii.

Rob Perez and Anita Hofschneider are the recipients of several 2022 Journalism Excellence Awards from the Asian American Journalists Association, which announced the awards on July 27 as part of its annual convention in Los Angeles.

Perez, a 1975 George Washington High School graduate and former PDN reporter, won awards for his 2020 and 2021 stories on the Native Hawaiian homesteading program: the 2021 Excellence in Investigative Reporting and 2022 Excellence in Pacific Islander Reporting.

Those stories are part of Perezs Promised Land series, published jointly by the Honolulu Star-Advertiser and ProPublica, a nonprofit newsroom based in New York City that awarded the Star-Advertiser investigative reporter a three-year fellowship in 2020.

One of the stories that helped Perez win the awards was a piece on how Congress allowed private real estate deals to circumvent the Hawaiian Home Lands Recovery Act.

That story had special significance to me because my own family on Guam lost land during World War II, said Perez, whose family is from Santa Rita-Sumai. And to this day, they havent been fully compensated for all of the land that they lost. And so they asked me to write a column to sort of tell that story  that had sort of this resonance with me in part because of my own familys experience on Guam.

Hofschneider, who was born and raised on Saipan, won the 2021 Excellence in Pacific Islander Reporting award for her 2020 Civil Beat story on how Pacific Islanders in Hawaii were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Through a University of Southern California Center for Health Journalism fellowship, I was able to do a lot of reporting on the ways in which Pacific communities in Hawaii were getting disproportionately hit hard by the coronavirus, especially Micronesian and Samoan communities, she said.

I wrote a lot about what they were experiencing during that time and what the data was showing and so to have that reporting honored really meant a lot, because that reporting meant a lot to me. And, you know, I hope that it ultimately helps the community and draws attention to what they were going through at that time.

Hofschneider also took home three other AAJA awards:
Guams foster children are preparing to head back to school and Harvest House is asking for the communitys help with donations for their 12th annual Back 2 School Supply Stash this week.

Bethany Taylor, executive director and founder of Harvest House, a local ministry for foster kids and their families, is asking the community to help fill a backpack with school supplies for foster kids.

Taylor said the goal of this supply drive is to make sure all foster children, whether they are placed with relatives, foster homes or shelters, receive a backpack for the new school year.

The main reason we do this, is so every foster child has the dignity and value that they deserve going to school. We want to make sure they are ready and equipped for school, Taylor said.

Items in need include standard school supplies such as notebooks, pens, pencils, water bottles and under garments and socks for children of all ages. Adding to this years donation list, organizers also are requesting for new or used Lego sets, assorted pieces and mini figures.

Donations can be dropped off 8 a.m.-4 p.m. until Thursday, Aug. 4 at the Harvest House Resource Center.

For questions or more information, donors can call 671-482-0403, or email harvest.house@hbcguam.net.

Donations can be made by individuals, businesses, churches, nonprofit groups or other organizations looking to help make a difference.

Donated backpacks with supplies will be available for foster care students to choose themselves throughout this weekend.
Early voting has begun and Guam Election Commission Executive Director Maria Pangelinan spoke during Wednesdays Mayors Council of Guam meeting in an effort to update and better assist mayors with voting procedures this year.

Pangelinan said that 670 people already have participated in early voting as of Tuesday and asked mayors to encourage young eligible residents in their villages to vote early.

Early voting is open from 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Tuesday to Friday at the early voting center at the Westin Resort Guam in Tumon through Aug. 19.

The primary election is on August 27.

Something Pangelinan said will frustrate some voters that mayors should be aware of are the rules for motor voter registration.

The motor voter law allows eligible residents to register to vote whenever they apply or renew their Guam drivers license or Guam ID with the Department of Revenue and Taxation.

Without knowing it, our voters may have given us permission to update their voter registration on their drivers license application form, said Pangelinan.

She explained that on the drivers license or Guam ID application there is a separate section requiring an additional signature that allows the commission to update voter registration.

By selecting this option, the person can only vote in their village of residence that is on their drivers license.

The law says you vote where you live, said Pangelinan, and that you must vote in the village you live in, not where you receive mail.

She gave an example of someone from a recent case who lives in Santa Rita-Sumai but has voted in Hagat for many years.

Since this person chose the motor voter registration process, they can only vote in Santa Rita-Sumai because that village is the official place of residence indicated on the drivers license.
The closed Ordot dump, which is covered by a thick membrane to keep out the rain and trap harmful gases, should be producing less dirty water over time, according to the solid waste receiver, but the volume of leachate collected from the site has instead increased sharply in recent years.

As a result, it now is expected to cost about $56 million to take care of the site for the next 24 years, instead of the $22 million originally projected several years ago.

Rising groundwater is one likely cause for the larger amount of leachate flowing from the dump, according to testimony given Wednesday morning in federal court.

Although the top of the dump was capped with a geomembrane between 18 inches and 24 inches thick, the bottom of the dump is unlined, which means groundwater can rise through the waste and become contaminated.

Another possibility, although less likely, is that rain is making its way into the garbage through the membrane cap, according to the receiver.

District Court of Guam Chief Judge Frances Tydingco-Gatewood held Wednesdays status hearing for the 2002 lawsuit by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which forced Guam to close the environmentally hazardous dump and open the replacement Layon landfill.

The case is still open because the dump closure is not yet final and still is being managed by court-appointed receiver Gershman, Brickner and Bratton. The Guam Solid Waste Authority runs other solid waste operations.

Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero and officials from Solid Waste Authority and the Guam Environmental Protection Agency attended the hearing, along with attorneys representing the government of Guam, the receiver and the federal government.

I would like to find out what actually is causing this increase in leachate, Gov. Leon Guerrero said. She said that needs to be investigated before responsibility for the dump is handed over to the Solid Waste Authority.

I dont want to accept it knowing there already is a problem, she said.

Valerie Mann, an attorney with the U.S. Department of Justice, told the court the dumps leachate system might not be able to handle the amount of leachate at the dump if the current trend continues.

The dump, which used to produce about 615,000 gallons of leachate per month, during the past year has produced about 2,656,000 gallons per month,

There could be a discharge for lack of being able to contain that volume, Mann said. We know theres a problem. We know theres steadily rising leachate, which is not normal.

Unsustainable

Andrew Gayle, chairman of the solid waste board, said he agrees with Manns assessment of the situation.

Its unsustainable as it is right now, Gayle said. We need to find out why this is happening  It is fixable  we just need to fix it.

Guam Solid Waste Authority General Manager Irvin Slike, who started his job late last year, told the court he was involved in the closure of three unlined dumps in the mainland. Slike said there are mediation efforts, other than installing a ground liner, which can address groundwater infiltration.

Harvey Gershman, president of Gershman, Brickner and Bratton, said the current financing plan calls for the Solid Waste Authority to deposit $2 million per year for eight years into the dumps post-closure account, building the accounts starting balance of $6.27 million. The Solid Waste Authority collects that money from commercial solid waste customers.

But the costs at the dump are greater than the annual deposits, Gershman said, and the account at the current pace will run out of money in about 80 months.

Thats 16 years short of the post-closure period thats left, he said.

The receiver has proposed that the Solid Waste Authority instead deposit $175,000 per month into the account for the full 24 years of the post-closure care of the site.

Next steps

Here are the next steps in the solid waste case, according to the receiver: A report about the effectiveness of the Hazardous Household Waste Facility, which opened in 2015, is due in September; the reason for the increased leachate production at Ordot needs to be identified; the Solid Waste Authority has asked the Guam Waterworks Authority to lower the cost of leachate disposal; a consultant is working to revise the post-closure costs for Ordot; and there needs to be an acceptable funding method to cover Ordots post-closure costs for the next 24 years.

Tydingco-Gatewood instructed everyone involved in the case to discuss financing alternatives for the post-closure and the best solution to address the leachate collection and disposal.

She scheduled the next status hearing in the case for 9 a.m. Nov. 18.
San Vicente Catholic School is shown in this photo found on the schools Facebook page. The Archdiocese of Agana in a news release announced its final decision to permanently close the school Aug. 3, 2022.
Two men have been arrested in connection with the killing of a man whose dismembered body was found after a Chalan Pago trash fire in January.

The dead man has been identified as Stevy George Alvarez Villanueva, of Yigo, Guam Police Chief Stephen Ignacio said during a press conference on Wednesday.

Manny Sablan Murciano Jr., 31, and Robert Isaac Revels, 42, have been arrested in the case, Ignacio said.

Both individuals were previously confined at the Department of Corrections for separate and unrelated crimes, Ignacio said. After this recent arrest, both individuals were immediately re-confined.

Murciano was arrested on suspicion of murder, aggravated assault, assault, use of a deadly weapon in the commission of a felony, reckless conduct, firearms charges, destruction of evidence and disinterring of a corpse.

Revels was arrested on suspicion of conspiracy, guilt established by complicity, destruction of evidence and disinterring of a corpse.

Remains found

On Jan. 29, burned human remains were found after a trash fire by a GPA substation on Route 10 in Chalan Pago, and the manner of death was ruled a homicide.

DNA evidence is being sent to the FBI to confirm the identity of the victim, Ignacio said. However, the dead man had distinctive tattoos that were photographed, and descriptions of the tattoos were circulated in the community.

This release and the information obtained afterward allowed detectives to further their investigation, Ignacio said. Detectives conducted a multitude of follow-up interviews and investigated all leads and tips from the community and other law enforcement partners.

Ignacio said the motive for the killing could have been drug-related, or it could have involved a woman.

Murciano was arrested in April of this year after leading police on a chase on his motorcycle. Police attempted to pull him over on Route 1 by Fish Eye Park, but he sped up and went on through Asan, turned on Route 6 and then continued toward Agana Heights. Eventually, Murciano lost control of the bike, and he was shot twice with a stun gun. He was carrying a .380 Ruger handgun and methamphetamine, according to court documents.

Robert Revels was sentenced to prison for multiple thefts in 2019, and last year completed the prisons Residential Substance Abuse Treatment Program and Re-entry Court, according to PDN files.

Villanueva, who would have been 31 at the time of the killing, also had an arrest record. Last year, he was charged with possession of a Schedule II controlled substance with intent to deliver after he was found with 25 grams, about 9/10 of an ounce, of methamphetamine, according to court documents.

Villanueva had been brought to Guam Memorial Hospital by firefighters after they responded to a call about a sick or injured person at the Tamuning Cost-U-Less. The methamphetamine was found as hospital personnel inventoried his personal effects, court documents stated.




Haiti - Violence : The EU Delegation and the Embassies of its accredited States, dismayed (Statement)





In our letter, the Delegation of the European Union (EU) and the Embassies of its Member States accredited to Haiti (France, Germany, Spain, Belgium) express their deep dismay at the constant deterioration of the human rights situation in the neighborhoods of the metropolitan area of Port-au-Prince under the influence of armed gangs, having caused in recent weeks hundreds of dead and missing and thousands of displaced https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-37300-haiti-binuh-appalling-civilian-toll-of-the-gang-war.html



"Among the intolerable violations of fundamental freedoms suffered by the populations concerned (including the right to life), the EU Delegation and the Embassies of its Member States are deeply concerned by reports of acts of sexual violence. Among the victims, sometimes subjected to gang rapes, there would also be little girls and boys and teenagers https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-37300-haiti-binuh-appalling-civilian-toll-of-the-gang-war.html . This specific type of violence which is used by armed gangs to instill terror, destroy the will to resist, obtain submission or displace populations, has irreparable and irreversible effects on the victims and globally on all local communities.



The EU Delegation and the Embassies of its Member States call for an immediate end to these repugnant acts, as well as to armed clashes and all acts of violence, in order to allow the victims to receive emergency care as well as essential humanitarian assistance.



The EU Delegation and the Embassies of its Member States urge the Haitian authorities to step up their efforts to put an immediate end to these unjustifiable human rights violations, by stepping up the fight against criminal gangs and bringing to justice all the perpetrators of these acts as well as the entities and people who support them.



We are deeply saddened by these acts of senseless violence and the enormous suffering caused to the victims and their families."



HL/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - News : Zapping...





Bandit wounded, assault rifle seized

Tuesday, July 2nd following exchanges of fire in Cite Doudoune, between police officers assigned to the Croix-des-Bouquets Police Station and a heavily armed individual, the latter wounded managed to flee, abandoning his M14 rifle and a magazine containing 19 cartridges which were seized by the police.



Radical opposition withdraws from Sept. 11 agreement

Nenel Cassy, member of the radical opposition of the "Democratic and Popular Sector" announced the withdrawal of the SDP from the agreement of September 11. Regarding the members of the SDP in the Government, he said that it is up to everyone to decide...



Reginald Boulos leaves MTVAyiti

Reginald Boulos leaves the presidency of the Movement for the Transformation and Valorization of Ayiti (MTVAyiti) evoking crises and divisions within the Movement of which he is the main founder and personal health problems.



Montana suspends negotiations with the PM

Montana Group actors suspend negotiations with the Prime Minister and his Sept. 11 agreement allies. They regret that no progress has been made during the last meetings because, according to them, "Ariel Henry wants everything to be discussed around his proposals, categorically rejecting the idea of a two-headed executive [a condition of the Group Montana]."



Mobile Clinic in Cite Soleil

In partnership with the NGOs Medecin du Monde and SAKALA, the Ministry of Public Health and UNICEF deployed two mobile clinics in Belekou and Bois Neuf in the municipality of Cite Soleil to provide medical care to more than 500 people, the majority of whom are women and children.



Failure : Cadeau Merisena loses against Lebanon and faces South Africa

As part of the 44th Chess Olympiad in Chennai, India, the 15-year-old Haitian, Cadeau Merisena of Cite Soleil, after her victory on Monday, was opposed on Tuesday to Lebanon a match that she lost (PAT). This Wednesday they will play against South Africa.



HL/ HaitiLibre


















On 2 August 2022 local time, after attending the Shanghai Cooperation Organization foreign minister's meeting and visiting Central Asia, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi gave an interview to reporters and staked out China's solemn position on the Taiwan question.

Wang Yi pointed out that the one-China principle is the overwhelming consensus of the international community, the political foundation for China's relations with other countries, the core of China's core interests, and a red line and bottom line that cannot be crossed. Some people in the United States keep challenging China's sovereignty on the Taiwan question, hollowing out the one-China policy, and even deliberately creating trouble in the Taiwan Strait. The Chinese people will never accept such moves, and the international community will also sniff at such unwarranted provocation.

Wang Yi said that, during his visit, the leaders of relevant countries clearly expressed their firm commitment to the one-China policy at the meetings and talks. They all believed that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory and opposed external interference in China's internal affairs on the Taiwan question. This once again shows that the one-China principle is the prevailing trend with overwhelming public support in the international community.

Wang Yi stressed that the U.S. side's act in bad faith on the Taiwan question is despicable and will only further bankrupt the United States' national credibility. Some U.S. politicians are flagrantly playing with fire on the Taiwan question for selfish gains and making themselves enemies of the 1.4 billion Chinese people. They will not come to a good end. The U.S. side has shown the world what a bully it is. This will only make people of all countries see more clearly that the United States is the biggest destroyer of peace today.
Half Moon Bay, CA (94019)

Today

Considerable clouds this morning. Some decrease in clouds later in the day. High around 65F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies early will give way to cloudy skies late. Low near 55F. Winds light and variable.


AN Albanian man was yesterday dragged to court on allegations of raping his Zimbabwean employee. AN Albanian man was yesterday dragged to court on allegations of raping his Zimbabwean employee.

The suspect, Aldo Tuci, was not asked to plead when he appeared before a Harare magistrate.

The court heard that Tuci offered the complainant, who is 29, a job at his casino in Greystone Park.

On June 30 this year, Tuci invited her to the casino when no one else was present.

It is said Tuci told her that he intended to be intimate with her for her to secure her job.

He allegedly went on to rape the woman without using protection.

The matter came to light after the complainant was sacked from her job for alleged under-performance. H Metro
THE Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) yesterday claimed that its voters roll was very perfect after only 1% of registered voters made corrections to their details.

Statistics released by Zec yesterday show that the turnout for the delimitation voters roll inspection was 50,03%, with 2 904 253 voters out of 5 804 497 registered voters confirming their details.

Of these, 789 967 (27,20%) physically visited polling stations to inspect their details and 2 114 286 (72,80%) used the Unstructured Supplementary Service Data service.

Zec said it received 27 788 (0,96%) requests for corrections on name changes, spelling errors and addresses, among others.

The exercise ran from July 17 to 27.

Zec spokesperson Jasper Mangwana told NewsDay that the few number of errors showed that the voters roll was perfect.

27 788 queries came from the people that needed corrections. Some changed names, surnames and some were just typo errors, which is 0,96%. It means that the voters roll is very perfect and there is no reason to continue to worry saying the voters roll is in shambles when the owners of the details have inspected them, Mangwana said.

50,03% (turnout), thats a huge number. If youre the owner of information coming to inspect and youre happy with it, it means that what the commission is doing is in compliance with the level of accuracy needed by a lot of people.

Mangwana said Zec had since started effecting the corrections.

But opposition parties, political analysts and election watchdogs said the voters roll could only be said to be clean if Zec addresses concerns raised by civil society organisations.

It will be premature to validate the perfectness of any voters roll before it is subjected to a comprehensive audit and public scrutiny to ascertain its completeness, currency, and accuracy, Citizens Coalition for Change interim deputy secretary for election Ellen Shiriyedenga said.

The public has not had sight of the updated delimitation voters roll. There is a potential under-registration of over two million eligible voters.

Zimbabwe Election Advocacy Trust executive director Ignatius Sadziwa said: The voter inspection turnout figures are far from pleasing despite a mobile searching platform which we hoped was going to ease the process.

Its incumbent on all stakeholders to engage and build consensus around citizens on such important national issues. Newsday
The Raptors have signed rookie free agent forward Gabe Brown, the team announced today in a press release. According to Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca (Twitter link), Brown received an Exhibit 10 contract.

Brown, who declared for the draft this spring after spending four years at Michigan State, became a full-time starter for the Spartans as a senior in 2021/22, averaging 11.6 PPG and 3.8 RPG with a .382 3PT% in 36 games (28.9 MPG). His performance earned him a spot on the All-Big 10 Third Team.

Brown suited up for the Thunders Summer League team last month, recording 11.0 PPG and 3.5 RPG on .421/.370/1.000 shooting in four Las Vegas contests (21.8 MPG).

Oddly, previous reports indicated that Brown had reached contract agreements first with Oklahoma City and then with Denver. Either one or both of those reports were erroneous, or Brown has had one or two changes of heart this offseason as he weighed where to begin his professional career.

The Raptors now have 19 players under contract, with second-round pick Christian Koloko still unsigned. Given the teams roster crunch, Brown doesnt have a clear path to a spot on the regular season roster, but his Exhibit 10 deal would entitle him to a bonus worth up to $50K if hes waived and then spends at least 60 days with the Raptors 905, Torontos G League affiliate.
The former CEO of hotels at Habitas has now moved to Janu Hotels, the new sister brand to Aman Resorts. Guy Heywood worked with Habitas from October 2021 to May 2022.

Heywood brings a very specific (and relevant) set of skills to Janu. Before Habitas, he was COO of Six Senses - arguably IHG's most exclusive brand, and also one that plugs into natural environments. He was based in Bangkok for the role and held the post for almost three years.

Prevously, he was COO of Alila Hotels and Resorts at its Singaporean head office. Now part of Hyatt in a near-half a billion dollar sale, Alila is a sustainable, wellness-driven brand with sprawling resorts in China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Maldives, the US and Oman.

As early as 1997, Heywood was already a GM within the ranks of Aman, heading up the Amankila Hotel in Bali for half a decade. He was also GM of Amangani in Wyoming from 2004 to 2007, serving as the regional manager for the USA and Carribean at the same time.

Even in 1993, he was a F&B manager within Four Seasons Tokyo and then Four Seasons Singapore.
During a professional career stretching over three decades, Walid Nabil has been employed by well-known hotel chains such as Hilton Worldwide Hotels & Resorts und Best Western. He started his career in the USA in the early 1990s and worked at the Caesar Palace Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City before moving on to the Hilton New York in 1996. Walid Nabil moved back to his home country of Egypt in 2002 but remained loyal to the "Hilton" brand as Regional Director of Sales & Marketing. Further positions in Sales & Marketing followed, as well as assignments as Hotel Manager in Spain, Sudan, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia. He returned to Egypt in 2018, where he most recently acted as Cluster General Manager for SUNRISE Resort & Cruises in Hurghada.

Steigenberger Pyramids Cairo

Cairo

Egypt Website
Sonder recently consolidated its operations teams, streamlining frontline market-level operations and its centralized support service operations. In the role of Chief Operating Officer, Hebbar will lead this combined team, overseeing all Sonder operations including turning over units, opening and maintaining properties, and delivering service to guests. Hebbar was previously SVP of Operations at Sonder, and prior to Sonder held roles at technology and consulting businesses including Google Inc. and McKinsey & Company.

Sonder Inc.

San Francisco, California

United States Website
Corporate travel was resurgent heading into the summer 2022 holiday hiatus as companies found themselves released from the shackles of Covid. From mid-February we saw an exponential growth in demand when the UK border reopened and restrictions fell away, says Pat McDonagh, CEO of travel management company Clarity. That was a surprise.

But will that recovery persist once bikinis, buckets and spades have been packed away and business travel heads into its traditional September-November peak? Or will a series of political, economic and environmental headwinds, as McDonagh describes them, slow demand and perhaps even blow it into reverse?

The answer is complicated. There is little doubt that underlying demand remains strong. Travel is coming back much faster than we all thought because of the sheer amount of people wanting to enjoy the human connection again, says Yvonne Moya, global head of travel for the Netherlands-based human resource services firm Randstad. We are almost back to 2019 levels, which was never the plan.

Among Clarity clients, business travel recovery varies quite sharply by sector. Legal and professional services are still 40-50 per cent below pre-Covid levels, while academia is 20 per cent down. Engineering and heavy industry are now only 0-10 per cent lower, and elite sport travel is tracking ahead of 2019 volumes.

Read the full article at businesstravelnews.com
Los Angeles  The Boutique Lifestyle Leaders Association (BLLA) invites the community to sift through a sampling of the 2022 Boutique Hotel Marketplace Catalogue, Curated by BLLA, which is being sent out to all hotel members.

All businesses listed are BLLA members in good standing that have gone through an application process and have been vetted for the boutique hotelier.

The partners and vendors are categorized within relevant fields, including Technology Partners  Design  Financial, Legal, Insurance  Creative, Marketing, PR  Food & Beverage  Management, Development, Real Estate  Consultants, Advisors  Various Other Categories.

As the official organization for boutique hotels and businesses since 2009, the Boutique Lifestyle Leaders Association was formed to strengthen, empower, enlighten, and advocate for an evolving community of daring pioneers who celebrate and embody the boutique lifestyle.

To apply for membership in the global BLLA network, please visit this page. Please reach out to the Membership Team at [email protected] with any inquiries.

The 2022 Boutique Hotel Marketplace Catalogue, Curated by BLLA may be updated intermittently prior to the 2023 version being published next summer.

About the Boutique Lifestyle Leaders Association (BLLA)

Founded in 2009, the Boutique Lifestyle Leaders Association (BLLA) is the official association for the world's top visionaries in the boutique lifestyle industry. Membership with the BLLA includes not just a strengthened sense of communityit offers all the resources necessary for small and independent businesses to thrive in this growing sector, including access to distribution channels, marketing tools, webinars, white papers, reports about the evolving boutique landscape, and more. The organization promotes connection, education, and advocacy. As a pioneer in forecasting the boutique movement, the BLLA's network has grown beyond its hotel foundation to welcome more passionate entrepreneurs, businesses, and purveyors that amplify the boutique lifestyle. BLLA is a catalyst for trends and the future of boutique. blla.org

Boutique Lifestyle Leaders Association (BLLA)

BLLA

View source
Google, the world's largest advertising company, which earns about US$200 billion a year in ad revenue, just announced that it was delaying its phaseout of third-party cookies on Chrome from 2023 until "the second half of 2024. Chrome commands nearly 67% of global browser market share.

Google rivals such as Apple's Safari and Mozilla's Firefox have already blocked the third-party cookies for more than three years now. Hotel advertisers use cookies to target customers, though many governments and privacy advocates alike claim this type of targeting to be too intrusive and to use too much personal information.

Last year, Apple introduced a new Mail Privacy Protection with its iOS 15, iPad OS 15 and macOS Monterey updates, which eliminated many of the email tracking and data gathering capabilities from email marketers.

Google is also planning to kill tracking across apps on Android smartphones over the next two years, which means phasing out of its device identifier for Android known as Android Advertising ID (AAID) or Google Advertising ID (GAID), which are the only tools for advertisers to precisely target and track users within apps on billions of Android devices.

What does it all mean to hotel marketers?

These latest privacy moves by Google, Firefox and Apple, as well as government privacy regulations like the European Unions GDPR and Californias CCPA underscore the importance of first-party and zero-party data, incl. first-party cookies, which allows marketers to establish direct relationships with their potential, past, present and future customers.

First-party data is the customer data (past customers & guests, website users, opt-in email subscribers, lists of corporate travel managers, meeting planners, wedding and event planners, SMERF group leaders the property has been doing business with or at least in communications with, etc.) that comes from the PMS, CRS, WBE, CRM program, from the property's website, opt-in email sign-ups, even customer lists sitting on laptops of sales and marketing personnel. Zero-party data is all the customer data, provided voluntarily by customers via sign-up forms, reward and loyalty program membership preferences, etc.

What does the elimination of third-party cookies mean for hotel marketers? It will disallow many hotel marketers from measuring the success and ROIs of their digital marketing campaigns. Example, next time when you have a banner advertising on the local CVB website or on the digital version of the travel section of the local newspaper you wouldn't know whether people booked your hotel after they saw your banner.

Who will lose the most from the elimination of third-party cookies?

Will the elimination of third-party cookies affect the major hotel chains like Marriott with its Everest-sized first party data derived from its 164 million loyalty membership? Or the OTAs with their hundreds of millions of users and reward members? Hardly. So, who will be the biggest losers from the elimination of the third-party cookies? Independent hotels, midsize and smaller hotel brands and chains that do not have well-structured, well-centralized first-party and zero-party data and the technology to manage and utilize it across the organization, including in marketing, customer service, operations, and revenue management.

What should independents do?

Consider implementing a CRM technology and program (Ex. Cendyn CRM, Revinate CRM, etc.) that can not only create 360-degree guest profiles, but more importantly categorize past guests based on their RFM value (Recency, Frequency, Monetary), augment guest profiles with preferences, social media ambassadorship, customer engagement data, etc. and conduct marketing automation and drip marketing campaigns in the pre-, during- and post-stay.

Midsize and smaller hotel brands should consider implementing a Customer Data Platform (CDP). The CDP provides a single source of truth for the guest data and not only creates 360-degree guest profiles, but more importantly augments guest profiles with preferences, social media ambassadorship, customer engagement data, etc. which enables operations to personalize customer experience, allows for one-to-one marketing and can significantly increase customer engagements via similar audiences marketing. Cendyns Starling CDP is a great example for hotel CDP.

How do you increase the size of your first-party data? In addition to implementing CDP and CRM technologies and having a guest appreciation program or reward program in place, Content Marketing is the best way to increase your first party data.

Review and optimize your propertys Content Marketing initiatives, whose role has been highly elevated by the current crisis and curtailed marketing budgets. These initiatives include: unique, relevant and enticing website content, brand positioning announcements (ex. Green Hotel Certification), SEO, website content, social media posts, B2B marketing initiatives via LinkedIn aiming to engage corporate travel and group planners, PR, blog articles and posts, white papers, webinars, case studies, influencer marketing, expert knowledge marketing, award announcements, new services and amenities announcements, etc.

Create gated content for your expert knowledge marketing initiatives, including valuable spa and wellness-related advice, chef recipes, cocktail recipes, wedding and social event how-to guides, etc.

Max Starkov

NYU
Today we are talking about

Photography is the single most important asset in your digital marketing arsenal.

The many, many types of hotel photography.

A great shot of the building exterior can set you apart from the competition.

One great wedding shot

can sell a $25,000 wedding.

But getting great hotel photography is complicated.

Because hotels require so much of it.

Room shots, exteriors, food photography, weddings, social media?

And on and on it goes.

To top it off

Not all photographers are created equal.

An architectural photographer is not a food photographer.

And vice versa.

Different types of photography

often require very different disciplines.

Lets break it down. Shall we?

The many, many types of hotel photography.

The Hotel Photography Guide. Photo by Tambourine

Architectural Photography.

Architectural photography is the make it or break it of hotel photography. The way you showcase your hotels spaces, rooms, and lobby can greatly impact whether or not a guest books with you. In one way, architectural photography is informational, it answers some fundamental questions about the property, and what the rooms and spaces look like. But the art is in making architectural photography aesthetically pleasing, which means proper lighting and the careful selection of angles.

The Hotel Photography Guide. Photo by Tambourine

How to get the right shot.

Hire a professional who specializes in architecture photography. This person has a very different approach from a lifestyle photographer, who has to be good at working with people.

Hire a stylist who will go as far as getting every single wrinkle out of the comforter.

Style the rooms in advance of the photographer. Nothing slows down a shoot more than a lack of preparation.

If you have meeting spaces, have the rooms dressed and picture ready. (And, be sure to capture every space that can be utilized for meetings, from patios to ballrooms.)

Bonus tip.

Check out your competitors architectural photography. If its good, hire that photographer. (Or, you can always check out our photography teams work).

The Hotel Photography Guide. Photo by Tambourine

Lifestyle Photography.

Lifestyle photography focuses on capturing a moment and creating a narrative. It provides potential guests the chance to visualize their stay and make an emotional connection to your property. Lifestyle shoots tend to be larger, much more complex productions that require models, locations, set design/stylists, hair and make-up, wardrobe, and more.

The Hotel Photography Guide. Photo by Tambourine

How to get it right.

Hire the right team needed for a successful photo shoot. That means hiring a professional photographer, stylist, models, as well as makeup, hair, and wardrobe teams.

Make it timeless. Avoid going trendy. Dont showcase many phones and laptops that will start to age the photography in as little as a year.

Shoot video and photography simultaneously to get the most out of your investment.

Getting great lifestyle photography is no easy task, be sure to check the past work of your photographer. Ask for similar things theyve done in the past.

Bonus tip.

Believe us when we say, dont cut corners. While it may be tempting to bring in friends and family to model to save marketing dollars, we suggest going a more professional route. Why? Having inexperienced models will cost both you and the photographer more time, effort, and ultimately the need for a new photoshoot sooner than you would wish.

The Hotel Photography Guide. Photo by Tambourine

F&B Photography.

F&B photography is all about bringing your menu to life. This type of photography is very detail-oriented.

The Hotel Photography Guide. Photo by Tambourine

The Hotel Photography Guide. Photo by Tambourine

How to get it right.

Hire a professional photographer who specializes in food and beverage. Someone who has lots of experience lighting your drinks and dishes in the most appetizing way.

Pre-select the dishes you want photographed so that the chef and kitchen staff can prepare ahead of time.

Once served, most foods and drinks have a short window for the photographer to get the shot before the dish will start looking dull and unphotogenic. So, plan accordingly.

Include the chef, so they can make any final touches to the dish as needed.

Bonus Tip.

Bring the dish to life by implying action: cutting into a cake, positioning a fork nearby, etc.

The Hotel Photography Guide. Photo by Tambourine

Weddings.

Its no questionhaving great wedding photography will help increase RFPs. Couples often have trouble envisioning their special day when all they see are empty ballrooms and empty lawns. Photos help them visualize whats possible at your property.

The Hotel Photography Guide. Photo by Tambourine

How to get it right.

Stage a mock wedding. Invite all your vendors and share the photography.

Hire a professional wedding photographer and/or invite a couple of local wedding photographers.

Build relationships and make agreements with bridal photographers to utilize assets from real weddings at your property. This gets complicated because you need a release form signed by anyone who appears in a photo, so we suggest specifically requesting plenty of detail shots, images of the bride and groom only, and room setups with no people in them.

Bonus Tip.

Collecting photos from various weddings at your property will help arm your sales team with assets of different possibilities and examples for engaged couples inquiring about their big day.

The Hotel Photography Guide. Photo by Tambourine

Seasonal Photography

Seasonal Photography is not for everyone. But, we are including it for the properties that dress up to the nines for the holiday season or for the properties that offer seasonal activities.

The Hotel Photography Guide. Photo by Tambourine

How to get it right.

You guessed it, hire a professional. Depending on what you need in terms of seasonal photography, you need to hire a professional photographer that fits your needs. For example, a foliage lifestyle shoot at your Vermont property showcasing fun autumn activities requires a different type of photoshoot and photographer than wanting to capture your hotels delightful holiday decor.

Plan ahead. Be sure to coordinate the photo shoot accordingly. If you are planning an autumn foliage shoot, schedule it for peak season. If you are planning a holiday decoration shoot, make sure all decorations will be installed.

Bonus Tip.

Capturing seasonal imagery might sound excessive but hear us out, once you have these assets, you gain promotion assets for years to come.

The Hotel Photography Guide. Photo by Tambourine

Social Media Photography

All the assets youve collected, if used correctly, can make great social media photography. But dont forget the importance of creating content specifically for social media. Social media photography is all about showcasing the intimate details of the guest experience. That means putting yourself or your models into the true, daily moments of a guest.

The Hotel Photography Guide. Photo by Tambourine

How to get it right.

Hire a team thats experienced in gathering social media content. (hi!)

Its okay to be more on trend with these shoots (unlike the timeless lifestyle photography).

Create a story. You want potential guests to see an image and have them feel as if they are right there on your property.

Bring a model, but dont always show their face. Just the slightest presence of a person brings the shot to life. Plus, you dont necessarily want all your shots to have the same person smiling in all of them.

Bonus tip.

Make relationships with local influencers that would be willing to turn over content in exchange for a discount, this way you can supplement your feeds with influencer photography (just be sure to share brand guidelines and what youre looking for).

Flash Back!

Does your property need updated photography? What areas are your sales and marketing teams lacking photo assets? Do you currently have specific content shoots for social media posts?

About Tambourine

Tambourine is an award-winning digital marketing firm driving demand, revenue, and brand awareness for the hospitality world since 1984. The company continues to shake up the industry with custom integrated marketing solutions for hotels, resorts, and destinations worldwide. Tambourine's emergence as the market leader for both branded and independent hotels is a testament to its core values: putting customer service center stage, setting the standards for hotel website design, and making performance digital marketing easier and more profitable for its valued partners. Visit tambourine.com for more information.

Thomas McDermott

Vice President of Corporate Marketing

+1 954 975 2220

Tambourine
Melissa Phillip, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer

US Med-Equip, a Houston-based medical equipment and services provider, said Tuesday that it acquired Freedom Medical, another medical equipment provider based in Pennsylvania.

US Med-Equip declined to disclose the terms of the deal.
A group of Houston-area construction workers will be receiving some of the money thats owed to them, thanks to an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor.

The department last week announced that it has recovered $178,358 in overtime back wages for 27 employees of M&Ms Welding & Fabricating, a welding and fabrication company in southwest Houston. The employees in question, who specialize in erecting steel buildings, were classified as independent contractors, but an investigation by the Labor Departments Wage and Hour Division determined that this was wrong.

In a statement, Wage and Hour Division District Director Robin Mallett in Houston said that M&Ms Welding had exploited vulnerable workers in classifying them incorrectly .

Employers who do this harm workers and their families who depend on their earnings and benefits, Mallett said. They also gain an unfair advantage over their business competitors who abide by the law.

M&Ms Welding did not respond to a request for comment.

Workers classified as employees are entitled to certain minimum wage and overtime pay protections under the Fair Labor Standards Act; independent contractors are not.

Its very common for workers to be told theyre independent contractors  and to even believe it, because thats what theyve always been told, thats how theyve always been treated, said Bill Beardall, a professor at the University of Texas School of Law and executive director of the Equal Justice Center, a nonprofit focused on employment justice and civil rights.

The Labor Departments investigations, he added, instead consider a range of factors, including whether workers use their own equipment, set their own hours and decide how to get a job done, in determining whether they should be classified as employees.

Theres no bright line, on-or-off, yes-or-no test, Beardall explained. What you do is you add up all of those factors that tend to be characteristic of employees, and you weigh them against whatever factors there are that tend to be typical of an independent business.

He continued: What youre told is irrelevant in the determination of whos an employee and whos an independent contractor. What the worker and the employer believe is irrelevant. What they have signed in a written contract is irrelevant. What matters is the actual circumstances of the work that theyre doing and the nature of that.

Certain industries, including construction, food services and retail, are known as low wage, high violation industries in this context. In fiscal year 2021, the Department of Labor investigated 3,034 cases of construction worker misclassification, recovering north of $36 million in back wages for 21,341 workers.

erica.grieder@chron.com
BP hiked its dividend and accelerated share buybacks to the fastest pace yet after an exceptional result in oil refining and trading lifted profits above even the highest expectations.

The oil and gas industry is boosting returns to shareholders as the cash rolls in, even while the energy crisis triggered by Russias invasion of Ukraine threatens the global economy. BP said it expects prices to remain high and highlighted its investments in additional supplies.

Todays results show that BP continues to perform while transforming, Chief Executive Officer Bernard Looney said in a statement on Tuesday. The company is providing the oil and gas the world needs today -- while at the same time investing to accelerate the energy transition.

Following in the footsteps of most of its peers, the London-based company said it will repurchase $3.5 billion of shares over the next three months, adding to the $3.8 billion it already bought back in the first half. It also increased its dividend by 10%.

The dividend was increased to 6 cents a share, an improvement from a previous commitment to raise the payout by around 4% annually through to 2025. Net debt fell to $22.82 billion at the end of the period, down from $32.7 billion a year ago.

The results showed BP is delivering across all three key areas: earnings/cash, capital discipline and shareholder distributions, Redburn analysts wrote in a research note.

BPs second-quarter adjusted net income was $8.45 billion, the highest since 2008 and comfortably beating even the highest analyst estimate. This wasnt just driven by high crude and natural gas prices -- the companys refineries earned strong margins and its oil traders delivered an exceptional performance.

The company never discloses how much profit its oil traders generate, but did say that adjusted earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortization for its refining and trading unit was $3.73 billion, compared with just $301 million a year ago.

Gas trading fared worse, delivering an average result for the quarter, the company said. That in part was a result of a halt to operations at the Freeport liquefied natural gas facility in the US, which will lead to significant reduction in the number of cargoes it expects to receive.

Political Pressure

The oil sectors sky-high profits come at a politically tricky time for an industry accused of profiteering from the fallout from Russian President Vladimir Putins aggression, while also failing to invest enough in new drilling. Alongside its earnings statement, BP published an extensive list of investments it is making in the UK, where the rising cost of energy has become a hot political issue and the North Sea oil and gas industry has already been hit by a windfall tax.

That hasnt stopped calls for further taxation. Friends of the Earth campaigner Sana Yusuf said that a much tougher windfall tax on oil and gas profits is needed. It beggars belief that these companies are raking in such huge sums in the midst of a cost-of-living crisis, she said in a statement.

Collectively, the worlds five major international oil companies made more money in the second quarter than ever before, raking in more than $60 billion.

With recession fears gathering pace, there has been speculation that the second quarter could end up marking the high point for Big Oil this year. BP said it expects oil and natural gas prices, and refining margins, to stay high in the third quarter because of disruptions in Russian supply, relatively low inventories and reduced spare capacity.

2022 Bloomberg L.P.
James Durbin / James Durbin

Pioneer Natural Resources said Tuesday that profits and revenues soared in the second quarter as oil traded above $100 per barrel.

The Irving-based oil and gas company made $2.4 billion in the three month period ending June 30th, compared with $380 million during the same time frame last year. Revenues more than doubled to $6.9 billion from $3.4 billion in the second quarter of 2021.
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AUSTIN  In more than 90 minutes of often heart-wrenching and halting testimony Tuesday, Neil Heslin spoke of his 6-year-old Jesse, killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, and the pain he says Alex Jones has caused by repeating lies that the murders didnt occur.

Alex was the person with a match who started the fire, Heslin told a jury in a Texas courtroom. People are bringing wood to throw on the fire.

But it was Jesses mother, Scarlett Lewis, who was able to confront Jones after he finally showed up at the courthouse Tuesday afternoon.

I wanted you to know that I am a mother and my son existed, she said.

Heslin and Lewis won their defamation lawsuit against Jones, who promoted the Sandy Hook shootings that killed their son Jesse as a hoax staged with crisis actors.

Lewis spoke to Jones directly during her testimony.

Do you think Im an actress? she asked Jones.

No, I dont think youre an actress, Jones replied.

The judge quickly cut him off and told Jones he does not get to speak during her testimony.

In some way, you've impacted every day of my life, negatively, almost since Jesses murder, Lewis said later to Jones, her hands folding together to get her point across. I'm so glad this day is here, I'm relieved actually.

Jones attorney Andino Reynal unsuccessfully attempted to get Judge Maya Guerra Gamble to end the proceedings before his client testified.

Jones, wearing a white shirt and blue suit jacket, told the jury that he felt good about testifying. I actually feel good because for the first time I get to say whats really going on, Jones said.

He apologized and said he never intentionally meant to hurt you, I never even said your name until this case. He claimed that the few times we covered it (Sandy Hook), he and his staff had questions about what happened and were seeking answers.

I've made a lot of mistakes and I've learned a lot in that process, Jones said, adding that he is shifting the focus of his show toward Christianity and self-help than discussing news and politics. Jones will continue his testimony on Wednesday.

Attorney Mark Bankston, representing Lewis and Heslin, asked the judge once the jury left the room for the day to sanction Jones after he slipped in that he was bankrupt when Reynal asked a question about how many employees he would need to respond to the emails Infowars receives.

Bankston also accused Reynal of trying to solicit testimony from Jones that the judge has barred from being discussed in front of the jury. Gamble said she would address sanctions after the trial.

You may not tell this jury you are bankrupt, that is not true, you may have filed for bankruptcy but that doesnt make you bankrupt, Gamble told Jones.

It seems absurd for me to tell you, you must tell the truth while you testify, Gamble said before instructing him to answer the exact question he was asked. The judge also accused Jones of breaking his oath to tell the truth twice while on the stand.

Soon after the judge left the courtroom, Lewis approached Jones, and then Heslin walked over.

I let your son down and I apologize about everything, Jones said, shaking Heslins hand.

The parents attorney, Mark Bankston, asked if Jones would apologize for calling Heslin slow. This led to shouting between the attorney and Jones.

Attorney Wesley Todd Ball, representing the parents, stepped in and separated the two sides, saying, that's not what's going to happen right now...Thats not the way this goes.

Jones coughed heavily throughout his testimony, blaming it a torn larynx. When he spoke to reporters outside the courtroom later, his cough had gone away. He told reporters the cough flares up, but then goes away.

Grieving

Earlier, Lewis argued that Jones and his followers have hindered her grieving process, describing losing her child as like losing a limb.

When you lose a limb, you feel it, she said in her midday testimony. Its like its always there but its not. He should be here, but hes not, she said of her son.

The trial is focusing on how much the jury will award the parents, who are claiming Jones lies are causing fear, anxiety and post-traumatic stress, on top of the grief that comes with losing a child.

I wish it was true, Heslin said of Jones claims. I wish that Jesse was alive. But that's not the case.

Before arriving in the courtroom, Jones insulted Heslin on his Infowars show  calling him slow and saying he thought he was on the spectrum, which makes me feel like an even bigger jerk, according to a clip from the show that was played to the jury.

Jones arrived at the courthouse during the courts lunch break on Tuesday afternoon and refused to answer questions from reporters as to why he wasnt in the courtroom in the morning.

Earlier in the day Heslin began to choke up as he spoke, before regaining composure. Lewis, who was in the courtroom waiting to testify next, nodded along with him whenever he stumbled. But neither were able to look Jones in the eye until he finally arrived after a lunch break.

I wouldn't wish upon Alex or anybody the loss that I sustained, the loss of a child, Heslin said.

He has anxiety attacks in the middle of the night and recently went to the hospital with chest pains, he said.

Memories of Jesse

Jesse was a tornado whose force was felt every time he walked into a room, his father said. He was proud that he was learning to add numbers and loved animals, including his dog who he worshiped, his father said. One of his sons biggest joys was returning bottles to collect coins, he said. Jesse loved collecting scrap metal and taking it to the scrapyard for money, Heslin said.

Heslin smiled when his attorney Wesley Todd Ball published Jesses class photo  one of his last  which the family received after his funeral, Heslin said. He died two weeks after it was taken, Jesses father said.

Heslin stopped to wipe his tears often and at some points was so unintelligible the judge had to tell him to speak up.

Jesse was 11 pounds at birth, she recalled. The first time she saw him, she had walked to the nursery at the hospital to find a crowd of nurses taking photos, Lewis said. When I asked what was going on they said they were taking pictures of a large baby that was trying to crawl out, she said.

The day the shootings occurred, Lewis and Heslin were supposed to be at the school for 2 p.m. to build gingerbread houses with his class, she said. Heslin took him to school but she ran outside to give him a hug. It was then that she discovered he had written I love you in the frost on her car and drew hearts on her windows, she said.

She ran inside to get her phone to take a photo with Jesse and his artwork  it would be his last, she said. He was given a heroes funeral because he had told classmates to run while the shooter reloaded his gun, she said.

Almost every member of the jury stared at Heslin as he described seeing his sons body with a grazing bullet wound on the side of his head, along with the fatal shot to his forehead.

It shattered his skull, Heslin said. The exit wound was about the size of a softball.

Infowars questioning of this account from Heslin had sparked the lawsuit, and the father said that he is forced to replay those images every time his story about holding his sons body is doubted by Jones followers. He called Jones decision to not attend his testimony Tuesday morning, disrespectful and cowardly.

Fear due to Sandy Hook deniers

Lewis said she owns a gun because as a single mother, she said she feels she needs to protect her sons. I was not able to keep one of them safe, she said.

Lewis said she has been aware since the day Jesse died that there are some people who deny the Sandy Hook shootings. A contingent from the Hells Angels motorcycle group showed up at his wake, she said. She later discovered they were there to prevent any disturbances.

She finds it surreal and unsettling that people dont believe the shooting happened, Lewis said. Ball read aloud excerpts from an email she received questioning whether she could produce a birth certificate for Jesse. In another case, Ball played for the jury a phone message received by another Sandy Hook family who alerted Lewis to death threats.

The woman on the message could be heard swearing and threatening the family.

Encounters with Sandy Hook deniers cause her great fear, Lewis said. Its not only fear for myself, she said. Its fear for my surviving son, its fear for the other people brought into this, family and friends, she said.

The loss of a child is a lifelong journey but it can be processed, she said. But you cant make sense of nonsense, she said referring to the followers of Alex Jones who continue to harass her.

Heslin and Lewis have been under heavy security after run-ins in Austin, Bankston said.

Its a rough day, its not an easy one obviously, their attorney said. Theyve been in isolation in Austin, theyve had some run-ins. Its scary to get up on that stand but they know its bigger than them.

The only avenue Heslin had to stop Jones and his followers who have harassed the family was to file a lawsuit, he said.

Alex Jones apologies are worthless at this point, Heslin said. An apology wouldnt be sincere, its way too late.

The parents are asking for $150 million  $1 in compensation and $1 in punishment for the estimated 75 million Americans who experts claim dont believe or doubt the shooting occurred. Their goal, they said, is to punish Jones for his lies in the hope that hell think twice about promoting conspiracy theories on Infowars.

Jones faces a similar but separate trial in Connecticut that began with jury selection on Tuesday. Jury selection was halted however when Jones attorney asked that the case be moved to federal bankruptcy court in Connecticut after Jones parent company filed for bankruptcy last week.

Jones called the shooting of 26 first graders and educators at Sandy Hook Elementary School staged, synthetic, manufactured, a giant hoax, and completely fake with actors. As a result, the parents argue, 75 million Americans doubt or disbelieve the shooting happened on Dec. 14, 2012.

Staff writers John Moritz and Rob Ryser contributed to this story.
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Scheduled to welcome its first students when classes start Aug. 22, a building at San Jacinto Colleges central campus in Pasadena stands out from all others on campus  and in the region.

The Anderson-Ball Classroom Building is the first completed structure in the Houston area built of a type of engineered wood called mass timber and is the largest academic facility of its kind in the nation, according to the college.

It takes your breath away, college provost Van Wigginton said of the multistory, 122,000-square-foot structure, which has 60 classrooms for math, English, pre-engineering and humanities. The feel is just different  everything about it is designed to create openness.

Mass timber construction, an alternative to concrete and steel, uses engineered wood for the structural components of a building to reduce its carbon footprint.

Wigginton who has been with the college for nearly 28 years, said the building, which costs an estimated $37 million, makes a strong statement.

Introducing a different kind of college building San Jacinto College will host an official grand opening of its Anderson-Ball Classroom Building, the first structure in the region completely built of mass timber, in an event open to the public. When: 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 16 Where: 8060 Spencer Hwy, Pasadena, TX Information about the building:https://bit.ly/3OUFjlp San Jacinto College website:https://www.sanjac.edu/ See More Collapse

The building kind of demonstrates our commitment to the community and of creating a positive learning environment for students, he said. This is really the centerpiece of that.

Building completed in March

The building replaces the now-demolished Anderson Tech and Ball Tech complex and was part of the colleges 2015 San Jac Tomorrow Capital Improvement Program. It consists of a three-story wing joined to a two-story one by a central lobby.

In a mass timber building, the main load-bearing system  the columns, beams and deck  are composed of layers of wood bonded together in cross-patterns to form larger pieces deemed as durable as steel or concrete and more fire-resistant than more common types of construction lumber. The Anderson-Ball building has approximately 353 cross-laminated timber panels in the roof, floors and elevator and stair shafts.

Use of mass timber in commercial buildings is relatively recent, according to Michelle Old, the buildings senior designer, who is with Kirksey Architecture, which also designed Rice Universitys 57,500-square-foot, five-story mass timber Hanszen College Wing. That residential facility is under construction.

More commonly used in Europe, Canada and in the Pacific, mass timber is seen as an alternative to steel and concrete because of its cost-efficiency and because wood is a renewable resource.

There is sustainability in using mass timber for building structures, Old said.

The wood used in the Anderson-Ball building is black spruce that was shipped from Canada by train. Construction lasted approximately 15 months before the building was completed in March. The construction process was quieter and less disruptive than a traditional construction site because of the lack of steel and concrete, Old said.

The college and Olds team hosted two conferences on mass timber architecture throughout 2021, inviting representatives from the city of Pasadena and other entities to discuss the benefits of mass timber.

Whats great about San Jac is that they really embraced sustainability with this building, Old said.

The Anderson-Ball building has roughly 990 solar panels on the roof. It recycles water from lavatories and drains to limit the chance of pollutants entering local bodies of water while reducing water demand and utility costs for the campus. Electrochromic glass controls heat and glare. Plaques on interior walls educate visitors on mass timber architecture.

Practical reasons for mass timber

For San Jac, the choice of mass timber was both environmental and economic.

San Jacinto College was one of 10 U.S. colleges eachawarded $100,000 from the Mass Timber University Grant Program administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service. The Rice project also received one of the grants.

The College is not in the business of promoting mass timber as a technology, but this was a cost-effective way for us to provide the space to educate our students, Charles Smith, San Jacinto Colleges associate vice chancellor of fiscal initiatives and capital projects, in a press release during the first phase of construction.

For example, the Anderson-Ball building was built on an existing foundation.

When you have two buildings and can keep the existing foundation, you can build on top of those two building because mass timber was so light, Old said. With steel or concrete, a contractor would have would have had to install a new foundation. There is less material, less concrete.

While the structure is made of mass timber, the new buildings architecture incorporates decorative features such as the original marble and a bas relief panel from the demolished buildings, which were built in the 1960s, to bridge San Jacs past and present. The red brick exterior is similar to that of the original buildings on campus.

A building to stimulate outside the box thinking?

Aside from the eco-friendly elements and aesthetics, mass timber architecture uses an approach to aims to connect the occupants of a building to nature.

Our goal was to make the wood visible everywhere  we wanted people to know this is the buildings bones, Old said. There is something pure about it. It brings in nature and has this indoor-outdoor feel. Its not just a structural element. When you go into the common spaces the natural wood is all around you and you feel that warmth of the wood.

That approach is exemplified in the use of glass to project a kind of transparency and wider open spaces. The building will have more informal spaces for students to meet and collaborate outside classes than a more formal college classroom building.

Traditionally, when you think of a classroom in the old model, you had desks, students in a row and a lecture, Wigginton said. This new space allows us to create collaborative classrooms, and employers and universities are looking for students who can collaborate in teams.

Wigginton believes the buildings architecture and natural elements will inspire a more bold and more creative approach to the academic process.

This building really allows us to foster an environment where students can think outside the box, can really be thought disruptors, he said.

yorozco@hcnonline.com
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP)  Kansas voters on Tuesday sent a resounding message about their desire to protect abortion rights, rejecting a ballot measure in a conservative state with deep ties to the anti-abortion movement that would have allowed the Republican-controlled Legislature to tighten restrictions or ban the procedure outright.

It was the first test of voter sentiment after the U.S. Supreme Courts decision in June that overturned the constitutional right to abortion, providing an unexpected result with potential implications for the coming midterm elections.

While it was just one state, the heavy turnout for an August primary that typically favors Republicans was a major victory for abortion rights advocates. With most of the vote counted, they were prevailing by roughly 20 percentage points, with the turnout approaching what's typical for a fall election for governor.

The vote also provided a dash of hope for Democrats nationwide grasping for a game-changer during an election year otherwise filled with dark omens for their prospects in November.

This vote makes clear what we know: the majority of Americans agree that women should have access to abortion and should have the right to make their own health care decisions, President Joe Biden said in a statement.

After calling on Congress to restore the protections of Roe in federal law, Biden added, "And, the American people must continue to use their voices to protect the right to womens health care, including abortion.

The Kansas vote also provided a warning to Republicans who had celebrated the Supreme Court ruling and were moving swiftly with abortion bans or near-bans in nearly half the states.

Kansans bluntly rejected anti-abortion politicians attempts at creating a reproductive police state, said Kimberly Inez McGuire, executive director of Unite for Reproductive & Gender Equity. Todays vote was a powerful rebuke and a promise of the mounting resistance.

The proposed amendment to the Kansas Constitution would have added language stating that it does not grant the right to abortion. A 2019 state Supreme Court decision declared that access to abortion is a fundamental right under the states Bill of Rights, preventing a ban and potentially thwarting legislative efforts to enact new restrictions.

The referendum was closely watched as a barometer of liberal and moderate voters anger over the Supreme Court's ruling scrapping the nationwide right to abortion. In Kansas, abortion opponents wouldn't say what legislation they'd pursue if the amendment were passed and bristled when opponents predicted it would lead to a ban.

Mallory Carroll, a spokesperson for the national anti-abortion group Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, described the vote as a huge disappointment for the movement and called on anti-abortion candidates to go on the offensive.

She added that after the U.S. Supreme Court ruling, We must work exponentially harder to achieve and maintain protections for unborn children and their mothers.

The measures failure also was significant because of Kansas' connections to anti-abortion activists. Anti-abortion Summer of Mercy protests in 1991 inspired abortion opponents to take over the Kansas Republican Party and make the Legislature more conservative. They were there because Dr. George Tiller's clinic was among the few in the U.S. known to do abortions late in pregnancy, and he was murdered in 2009 by an anti-abortion extremist.

Anti-abortion lawmakers wanted to have the vote coincide with the state's August primary, arguing they wanted to make sure it got the focus, though others saw it as an obvious attempt to boost their chances of winning. Twice as many Republicans as Democrats have voted in the state's August primaries in the decade leading up to Tuesday's election.

This outcome is a temporary setback, and our dedicated fight to value women and babies is far from over," the coalition leading the vote yes campaign said.

The electorate in Tuesdays vote wasnt typical for a Kansas primary, particularly because tens of thousands of unaffiliated voters cast ballots.

Kristy Winter, 52, a Kansas City-area teacher and unaffiliated voter, voted against the measure and brought her 16-year-old daughter with her to her polling place.

I want her to have the same right to do what she feels is necessary, mostly in the case of rape or incest, she said. I want her to have the same rights my mother has had most of her life.

Opponents of the measure predicted that the anti-abortion groups and lawmakers behind the measure would push quickly for an abortion ban if voters approved it. Before the vote, the measures supporters refused to say whether they would pursue a ban as they appealed to voters who supported both some restrictions and some access to abortion.

Stephanie Kostreva, a 40-year-old school nurse from the Kansas City area and a Democrat, said she voted in favor of the measure because she is a Christian and believes life begins at conception.

Im not full scale that there should never be an abortion, she said. I know there are medical emergencies, and when the mothers life is in danger there is no reason for two people to die.

An anonymous group sent a misleading text Monday to Kansas voters telling them to vote yes to protect choice, but it was suspended late Monday from the Twilio messaging platform it was using, a spokesperson said. Twilio did not identify the sender.

The 2019 Kansas Supreme Court decision protecting abortion rights blocked a law that banned the most common second-trimester procedure, and another law imposing special health regulations on abortion providers also is on hold. Abortion opponents argued that all of the states existing restrictions were in danger, though some legal scholars found that argument dubious. Kansas doesnt ban most abortions until the 22nd week of pregnancy.

The Kansas vote is the start of what could be a long-running series of legal battles playing out where lawmakers are more conservative on abortion than governors or state courts. Kentucky will vote in November on whether to add language similar to Kansas proposed amendment to its state constitution.

Meanwhile, Vermont will decide in November whether to add an abortion rights provision to its constitution. A similar question is likely headed to the November ballot in Michigan.

In Kansas, both sides together spent more than $14 million on their campaigns. Abortion providers and abortion rights groups were key donors to the no side, while Catholic dioceses heavily funded the yes campaign.

The state has had strong anti-abortion majorities in its Legislature for 30 years, but voters have regularly elected Democratic governors, including Laura Kelly in 2018. She opposed the proposed amendment, saying changing the state constitution would throw the state back into the Dark Ages.

State Attorney General Derek Schmidt, a Republican hoping to unseat Kelly, supported the proposed constitutional amendment. He told the Catholic television network EWTN before the election that theres still room for progress in decreasing abortions, without spelling out what he would sign as governor.

Although abortion opponents pushed almost annually for new restrictions until the 2019 state Supreme Court ruling, they felt constrained by past court rulings and Democratic governors like Kelly.

___

This story has been updated to correct the attribution for the quote that begins, This outcome is a temporary setback." It came from a statement issued by the coalition that led the vote yes campaign, not Emily Massey.

___

Stafford reported from Overland Park and Olathe.

___

Follow John Hanna on Twitter at https://twitter.com/apjdhanna. For more AP coverage of the abortion issue, go to https://apnews.com/hub/abortion.
Chronicle file

Two days after a gunman killed 14 people from atop the University of Texas tower, politicians at the state and federal level were looking to keep a similar attack from happening again.

Texas Gov. John Connally cut short of tour of Latin America and returned to Austin after the shooting. After arriving he called a meeting of the state's top law enforcement officials to discuss the massacre.
Houston Chronicle

A human skull and other remains were found on Tuesday by a landscaping crew working near state Highway 225 in east Houston, according to the Houston Police Department.

The skull was found around 12:40 p.m., according to the police department. It was discovered in a grassy area on the south side of the highway near the Pasadena city limits, police said.
Two 19-year-old men this week were charged with murder and accused of participating in robbery that ended with the death of another man, according to the Houston Police Department.

Jose De Jesus Hernandez, 19, and Oziel Garcia, 19, are both accused of capital murder in connection to the death of Ramiro Valdez, 39, police said.

Valdez on Jan. 24 was found unconscious and injured in a parking lot in the 15400 block of Chipman Lane, police said. He died after being transported to a hospital, police said.

Valdez was walking to his apartment after drinking at a nearby bar when he was robbed of his cell phone and wallet and then shot, according to a police complaint.

Police connected Hernandez to the shooting after reviewing nearby security camera video. A car captured on the video belonged to Hernandez's mother, according to the complaint. Police seized the car and found bullet cartridges inside that matched the weapon used to shoot Valdez, according to the complaint.

Hernandez in May was arrested in Will County, Illinois, just outside Chicago, police said.

More on Houstonchronicle.com: Pearland teens charged with capital murder in southeast Houston double homicide

While in custody there, Hernandez spoke to Houston detectives and said a third man robbed Valdez, according to the complaint. Hernandez said the third man, who has not been charged and has no warrant issued in his name, according to court records, shot Valdez during the robbery.

Hernandez was still in Illinois on Wednesday, police said. He's expected to be extradited to Harris County, police said.

Garcia was arrested by Harris County sheriff's deputies on Tuesday, police said.

john.ferguson@chron.com
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Two Pearland teens are facing multiple murder charges in connection to a series of shootings that left three people dead on Sunday afternoon and Monday morning.

Police in Houston and Pearland on Wednesday said Evan Redmond, 18, and Camren Johnson, 19, had been charged with murder and capital murder in connection to the deaths.

Redmond was arrested on Monday morning after a car chase in southeast Harris County that ended with a crash. They later arrested in Johnson at his home in Pearland.

Houston authorities announced capital murder charges against the two men just before 10 a.m. Wednesday. Hours later, the Pearland Police Department announced that Redmond and Johnson had also been charged with the murder over the death of a 19-year-old who on Sunday was shot inside a house in Pearland.

Investigators said Redmond and Johnson at about 1:45 a.m Monday drove a black Nissan Altima to a gas station on the 10600 block of Monroe Boulevard near Fuqua Street for what appeared to be "some sort of transaction" with two men inside a white Mercedes Benz, according to Sgt. Michael Arrington of Houston police's Homicide Division.

Video surveillance from the scene showed Redmond getting out of the black car's passenger side and entering the victim's car before at least one shot was fired, authorities said. The driver suffered multiple gunshot wounds and ran into the gas station, police said. Police said they believe Redmond got out of the car, tried to put on a mask and grabbed some money dropped by the driver.

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Johnson drove off in the black car while Redmond fled the scene in the Mercedes and with a passenger sitting in the front, Houston police said.

The driver was taken to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead, authorities added.

A short time later, officers found the passenger dead in the 11000 block of Pearland Parkway where it appeared he was thrown out of the Mercedes, according to police. The passenger suffered multiple gunshot wounds and was pronounced dead at the scene by Pearland firefighters.

Police then found Redmond in the stolen Mercedes and tried to stop him before he fled, rolled the car and crashed in the 2200 block of Dixie Farm Road near Beamer, where he was taken into custody, authorities stated. He allegedly admitted to officers his role in the shooting.

MORE ON CRIME: Senior aide to Mayor Turner resigns after pleading guilty to conspiracy to accept bribe

Houston police found Johnson and the black Nissan Altima at a residence in Pearland and took him into custody without incident, authorities added. He later allegedly admitted to investigators that he was the driver of the car.

Court documents identified one of the victims of the shooting as Joshua Perkins. It didn't identify the other victim. Both men were in their early 20s, according to police.

Around 3 p.m. Tuesday, Pearland Police Department said the men were also charged with murder over the death of Nathanial Alaniz. Alaniz was found dead just before 3 p.m. Sunday in a home on Blakely Grove Lane in Pearland.

Police have released little other information about that shooting, and didnt say Wednesday if Redmond and Johnson knew Alaniz, or what motive they may have had to shoot him.

Redmond and Johnson were on Wednesday denied bail by a Harris County magistrate, according to court records. Their bonds in Brazoria County were set at $3 million, according to the Pearland Police Department.

They are set to appear before the Harris County 208th District Court on Thursday.

Joel.Umanzor@chron.com

john.ferguson@chron.com
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High tides could flood Galveston streets as many as 210 days a year by 2050, compared with as many as 17 days in 2022, according to updated predictions released Tuesday by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

The expected number of high-tide flood days in Galvestons is nearly the worst of any coastal spot in the country because this region suffers from land thats sinking in addition to sea levels that are rising.

More from Emily Foxhall: Rising sea levels pose an existential threat to Galveston. Heres how islanders are grappling with it.

Flooding from high tides  called nuisance or sunny day flooding  happens when ocean or bay water pushes over onto roadways or up through storm drains. NOAA scientists estimate this occurs when the tide gets to around two feet above the average high tide.

Tidal flooding is occurring more frequently because climate change is causing sea levels to rise. Ice sheets are melting and water is expanding in the heat. Around Houston, the ground also sinks when water and fossil fuels are pumped from underground.

So it no longer takes a storm to cause tidal flooding; a simple shift in the wind can be enough to kick the tide up, said William Sweet, a NOAA oceanographer, during an online news conference.

The impacts of sea level rise are here now, Sweet said, noting that more will need to be done to protect the Houston and Galveston region than just projects such as the Ike Dike that are designed for big storms.

Infrastructure must be built with future conditions in mind, Sweet urged. Communities saw an average of four days of high tide flooding in 2021, Sweet said. That number is expected to be 45 to 70 days in U.S. coastal locations being monitored in 2050.

At Pier 21 in Galveston, which is near the historic Strand, 14 high tide flood days were recorded in 2021. Near the Houston Ship Channel in Morgans Point, 13 were recorded. Scientists predict high tide flood days to increase in those locations to between 170 and 210 at the Strand, and 135 and 170, at Morgans Point by 2050.

HOW HOUSTON FLOODS: The 5 big defenses and why they sometimes fail

The East and Gulf coasts already experience twice as many days of high tide flooding compared to the year 2000, flooding shorelines, streets and basements and damaging critical infrastructure, said Nicole LeBoeuf, director of NOAAs National Ocean Service, in a prepared statement.

The city of Galveston is spending millions to build pump stations to push water back out to the bay when the tide is up. But projects of this nature take time. The mayor of Jamaica Beach, also on Galveston Island, is planning to plug drain pipes with rubber-like bladders.

NOAA scientists said they hope their data will be used by local officials to prepare and budget for whats ahead. Where infrastructure falls short, traffic might have to be diverted, perhaps messing up plans to get to work, grocery store or school. Such flooding could become routine.

emily.foxhall@chron.com
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Nearly 7,000 monkeypox vaccines arrived in Houston this week, with an additional 16,000 doses expected to arrive by the end of the month from a federal government stockpile.

The shots are in high demand as a growing number of Houston residents become infected with the virus, which is transmitted by skin-to-skin contact and causes pus-filled sores, fever, headache and, in some cases, severe pain.

'LIVING IN HELL': A Houston monkeypox victim on his battle against the disease

Here's how to get a monkeypox vaccine.

Do I qualify?

Houston is reserving most of its limited shots for people who have been exposed to confirmed cases of monkeypox.

People considered to be at higher risk of contracting the virus also qualify. They include: people diagnosed with syphilis or gonorrhea in the last three months, those who take pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for HIV prevention or anyone who has recently visited a commercial sex venue.

The criteria for eligibility will not change with this week's influx of shots, health officials said Wednesday.

I qualify. How do I make an appointment?

Houston residents who believe they meet the criteria for the vaccine can contact the Houston Health Department's call center at 832-393-4220. Call center operators are available from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday to Saturday.

TRACKING MONKEYPOX: Interactive charts show spread of virus across Houston, Texas, rest of US

Residents of Harris County can call 832-927-0707 to schedule their first shot appointment.

How soon can I get my vaccine?

As of Wednesday, the Houston Health Department's monkeypox shot appointments were fully booked through the middle of August. The latest shipment of 6,740 vaccines will enable the department to book appointments further into the month.

Health officials have not indicated whether they will make slots available earlier.

I qualify, but I can't get a shot. What is going on?

You're not alone. Houston's monkeypox vaccine rollout that has been marked by confusion and inconsistent public health messaging, leaving some qualifying residents frustrated by the slow pace of distribution.

Even Houstonians who have been exposed to the virus have struggled to receive a shot from the limited supplies the city and county have available.

A computer glitch sent several people with appointments to the wrong address, while others waited long beyond their appointment time for the vaccine to arrive at the clinic, or were offered appointments that were later canceled.

How many shots do I need?

The monkeypox vaccine is a two-shot regimen. Health officials are holding onto second doses, typically given four weeks after the first dose. The vaccine recipient is responsible for remembering to book their second shot.

VACCINE DEMAND: As monkeypox spreads in Texas, here's why the vaccine is so difficult to find

The influx of vaccines will allow health officials to fully vaccinate about 3,370 additional people with two shots each.

I've been vaccinated against smallpox. Am I protected?

Because monkeypox is closely related to the virus that causes smallpox, the smallpox vaccine can protect against monkeypox, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Data collected in central Africa, where monkeypox is believed to have originated, suggests that the smallpox vaccine is at least 85 percent effective in preventing monkeypox infections.
Houston received a shipment of 6,740 monkeypox vaccines this week, Mayor Sylvester Turner said Wednesday, less than one week after the city abruptly paused and then quickly reinstated distribution amid strong demand.

An additional 16,000 doses are expected in the coming weeks, Turner said. One third will be given to Harris County. There are 132 cases in Harris County, 113 of those in Houston, the countys Public Health Department reports.

LIVING IN HELL: A Houston monkeypox victim on his battle against the disease

We need a lot more, the mayor said Wednesday morning.

The vaccine rollout that has been marked by confusion and inconsistent public health messaging, leaving some residents frustrated. As of Wednesday, the Houston Health Departments monkeypox shot appointments were fully booked through the middle of August.

The influx will allow health officials to fully vaccinate about 3,370 people with the two-shot regimen, currently available to people who have been exposed to someone who later developed a case of monkeypox.

The viral contagion, which causes fever and painful lesions that can take up to four weeks to resolve, began circulating in the Bayou City in late June, when four Houston residents who had recently traveled abroad developed symptoms.

MONKEYPOX: Vaccine shortages thwart rollout efforts

Vulnerable Houston residents have struggled to get vaccinated amid widespread confusion about who is eligible for the shot and how to book appointments. Health advocates have criticized what they characterize as lackluster public health messaging.

Houston currently is reserving the shots for people who have been exposed to confirmed cases, and for people considered to be at higher risk of contracting the virus. They include: people who have been diagnosed with syphilis or gonorrhea in the last three months, people who take pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for HIV prevention, or who attended or worked at a commercial sex venue or other venues where they had sex with unknown or multiple partners.

Because doses remain limited, the health department is unable to expand eligibility right now, its spokesperson Porfirio Villarreal said Wednesday.

More than 6,300 Americans had tested positive for monkeypox as of Wednesday, nearly 500 of them in Texas, according the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which is tracking cases nationwide. Many cases have been among gay and bisexual men, but the disease can be spread among anyone via close contact.

The World Health Organization surmises gay and bisexual men may have more positive health seeking behavior and are being diagnosed with monkeypox at sexual health clinics, leading to more known cases in the community.

nora.mishanec@chron.com
The Harris County Commissioners Court on Tuesday voted to approve more than $10 million in funding for an affordable housing project in Midtown that was delayed after its owners came under scrutiny for the conditions at Cleme Manor Apartments, a complex they own in Fifth Ward.

The funding is attached to tenant protections that Pct. 1 Commissioner Rodney Ellis tacked on after the Houston Chronicle reported on a host of issues at Cleme Manor, such as days-long power outages, sewer backups and pest infestations.

Yi-Chin Lee / Staff photographer Yi-Chin Lee / Staff photographer Yi-Chin Lee / Staff photographer Yi-Chin Lee / Staff photographer Roaches, rat holes and rat droppings are seen at the Cleme Manor Apartments. (Yi-Chin Lee / Staff photographer) Roaches, rat holes and rat droppings are seen at the Cleme Manor Apartments. (Yi-Chin Lee / Staff photographer)

TENANTS FIGHT BACK: East Houston tenants complain of rats, roaches and more to City Council, as Turner promises action

Ellis removed the vote, which passed Commissioners Court unanimously on Tuesday, from the previous meetings agenda so that the county could attach tenant protections to the money. Those protections include more frequent inspections, a stricter repair timeline, and rights for tenants to organize without fear of retaliation, among other things.

I dont want to negatively impact the ability of people to do affordable housing in Harris County, but nor do I want them to make money and leave the neighborhood holding the bag and then problems come up later, Ellis said.

The new development at 3300 Caroline St., which is expected to break ground next month, will provide 149 units of permanent supportive housing for homeless adults of Harris County, according to the amended agreement between Harris County and the developers, the NHP Foundation and Magnificat Houses.

Now that the county has approved its portion of the funding, Houston Housing and Community Development Director Keith Bynam said the city will move forward with their end of the bargain. He said he expects the city to approve $15 million funding at the next City Council meeting on Aug. 16.

Though the county does not have any legal authority over Cleme Manor, a federally subsidized property, Ellis said delaying the vote on 3300 Caroline St. was his way of ensuring the NHP Foundation, which owns the Fifth Ward complex, will abide by the same protections there. NHP Foundation Vice President Neal Drobenare wrote a letter to Ellis promising they would do so.

TIMBER RIDGE: Houston apartment tenants allege complaints of rats, roaches and overflowing trash go ignored

As you have requested, we are happy to adopt the Tenant Rights commitments agreed to for 3300 Caroline at Cleme Manor, Drobenare wrote. We look forward to working together with Harris County to make Cleme Manor a place where residents grow and thrive.

Ellis said he plans to formalize the commitment in a memorandum of understanding at the next Commissioners Court meeting.

Not everyone is happy with the development, however. Kendra London, a Fifth Ward activist and former Cleme Manor employee, argues that the county should have held out longer to see if the NHP Foundation would stand by the promise to improve existing properties before awarding new money.

The foundation installed a new management company at Cleme Manor last month and have pledged to make a number of improvements, but London said there hasnt been enough time to know if the owners will hold true to their word.

To give them $10 million in such a quick manner means that they got a slap on the wrist, and they have yet to be held accountable for the eight years of misery that they have put on Cleme Manor residents, she said.

Ellis said that he understands the frustration around Cleme Manor, and NHPFs role in that unacceptable situation, but that delaying the vote any further would have put the entire project at risk and 150 unhoused families are counting on us to get that transformative project done.

That doesnt mean that we will stop fighting for the people living in Cleme Manor or any housing project in Harris County. The protections passed for the Caroline Street project are an important first step toward passing robust tenant protections across the board, Ellis said.
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UPDATE: Newly unsealed court documents show William-Paul Thomas was paid to help a bar owner pass a building inspection, and to fast-track a permit for the owners other business.

A senior mayoral aide pleaded guilty to federal public corruption charges last week, according to a source with direct knowledge of the situation, and resigned from his position at City Hall.

William-Paul Thomas, Mayor Sylvester Turners liaison to City Council, admitted on July 25 to conspiracy to accept a cash bribe in exchange for changing a bars classification to a restaurant, the official said. The change allowed the bar to stay open longer during COVID-19 restrictions.

BUDGET BREAKDOWN: How much funding Houston's police, other departments get in the city's new $5.7 billion budget

It was not immediately clear whether the charges are part of a broader federal inquiry into the city. Records on the case were not available Tuesday night.

Thomas could not be reached for comment Tuesday night.

The Mayors Office has no knowledge of the allegation or charge, said Mary Benton, the mayors communications director. The Mayors Office has not been informed of any allegation or charge against Mr. Thomas.

Later she provided a comment from Turner: If what is being reported turns out to be true, I would be very disappointed.

Thomas pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Andrew S. Hanen and was released on bond.

He abruptly resigned his position the day after his plea.

COUNTY CONTROVERSY: Judge scolds Hidalgo staffers' attorneys for not providing prosecutors with a 'simple' job description

In a letter to Turner he said the resignation  which he described as a retirement  was due to health reasons. His departure shocked many people at City Hall.

Pursuant to our family physicians directive, it is what is best at this time, Thomas wrote in the letter. I cannot thank you enough for all the professional and personal development opportunities that you provided me. It has been one heck of a journey!

Thomas had worked in local government for years. His tenure at City Hall predated Turners election.

Gabrielle Banks contributed to this report.

dylan.mcguinness@chron.com
William-Paul Thomas, the mayors council liaison, was offered more than $13,000 by a local bar owner to help him pass a building inspection and fast-track a new permit to reopen a bar as a restaurant, newly unsealed court documents show.

Thomas contacted the relevant fire official to ensure the unnamed business owner passed the inspection in May 2020, prosecutors wrote, and then he used his position in the mayors office to pressure other officials to approve the permit in July, as well. He was paid an undisclosed amount of money for his efforts.

Thomas pleaded guilty on July 25 to one federal count of conspiracy to accept a bribe. He will appear for sentencing before U.S. District Judge Andrew S. Hanen on Nov. 28. His lawyer, Monique Chantelle Sparks, did not respond to a request for comment Wednesday.

The documents were sealed until Wednesday morning at the request of the U.S. Attorneys office. The Chronicle published an article about the allegations Tuesday night. Thomas plea deal, however, remains sealed.

It is unclear whether federal investigators are looking into the unnamed city officials Thomas allegedly worked with to get the certificate and permit approved, or if they are conducting a broader inquiry into City Hall affairs.

Sean Buckley, a legal expert on federal judicial procedures, said Thomas quick guilty plea and his willingness to forgo a probable cause hearing before a grand jury means he likely agreed they had strong information against him. It also suggests Thomas may be part of a wider investigation by the Justice Department.

Thomas abruptly resigned from his City Hall position last Wednesday, one day after pleading guilty. He told the mayor in an 11:30 p.m. email he was retiring due to health reasons.

Mayor Sylvester Turner said Wednesday he believed Thomas explanation and has not spoken to him since receiving that email. Turner said he was not aware of the allegations or the plea agreement until the Chronicle reached out for comment Tuesday night. He said he was surprised to hear them and considered them out of character with the person Ive come to know.

I dont know anything, other than what the Chronicle is reporting, Turner told reporters. No one has talked to me or my team about these allegations.

City Attorney Arturo Michel said later Wednesday the office of the inspector general is opening its own investigation, based on the documents charges that Thomas worked with officials in the fire department and permitting office to approve the requests.

Prosecutors say the bar owner  whom they did not name  needed to pass a city fire inspection to get a temporary certificate of occupancy in May 2020. He turned to Thomas for help.

Thomas, in his official capacity, placed calls to the relevant Houston Fire Department official to ensure that COMPANY 1 would pass its fire inspection and be issued its TCO, the charging document says. The owner then paid Thomas an undisclosed amount of money after he got the certificate.

It is not clear which fire department official Thomas contacted. Fire Chief Samuel Pena said it difficult to identify the person without the name of the business.

The business owner reached out again in June 2020, after his bar  a separate business  was shut down by the Texas Alcohol and Beverage Commission. COVID-19 restrictions around that time ordered bars to close but allowed restaurants to continue operating with limited capacity.

On July 6, 2020, BUSINESSMAN 1 offered THOMAS up to $13,0000 to have the necessary permit issued quickly so that COMPANY 2 could reopen, the document says. THOMAS agreed to use his official position to pressure other officials to issue the permit quickly, all in exchange for money.

Thomas then used his position to pressure other officials to grant the necessary permit, and the owner was allowed to open as a restaurant. It is not clear which specific permit the owner was seeking from the city; the Texas Alcohol and Beverage Commission was responsible for classifying bars and restaurants based on the percentage of sales that came from alcohol.

Buckley, a federal defense lawyer who represented former U.S. Congressman Steve Stockman and authored a book on federal criminal rules and codes used by trial attorneys across the country, reviewed the court documents at the request of the Houston Chronicle. He is not involved in the case.

Hes obviously cooperating because no one who is a target in a federal investigation would ever agree to plea to a criminal information unless there have been extensive discussions between the target, his lawyer and the government leading up to that decision, Buckley said.

Either the government lawyers showed him what they had or he knew what they had. He knew he had everything to gain by cooperating and agreeing to plead guilty without forcing the government to get an indictment from the grand jury, and much to lose by not cooperating.

Buckley said it also clear the investigation, by prosecutors from the public corruption unit, has been going on for months and there likely is a wider-ranging investigation underway involving multiple defendants.

My read on this is that this person has something of value to the government, Buckley said.

He said the documents also indicate there is an environment in the city of Houston that allows this type of thing to take place.

Turner bristled Wednesday when asked if he was concerned about the potential of a broader federal inquiry.

I cant speak to the allegations, he said. I cant tell you what the feds are doing, or not doing, or what theyre thinking. I think its wrong for (the media) to do the same.

Thomas was the mayors council liaison, acting as a bridge between the mayors office and council members. He held that role under then-Mayor Annise Parker as well. He would communicate with council and coordinate on the weeks agenda items.

He has worked in local government for decades, spanning back to work for then-City Councilmember Rodney Ellis in the 1980s.

dylan.mcguinness@chron.com

gabrielle.banks@chron.com
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When Genaro Mateos capped off his decadeslong path to citizenship by taking the Oath of Allegiance in June, he became one of thousands of immigrant Houstonians who go through the expensive, bureaucratic process to become naturalized citizens.

Mateos, a 58-year-old chemical engineer who came to the United States from Mexico on a work visa with his family in 2001, became a citizen with the help of Bonding Against Adversity.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Evacuated Afghans must overcome a bureaucratic nightmare to stay in U.S. legally

The nonprofit organizations 62-year-old chief operating officer, Mariana Sanchez, is an immigrant herself. She was born and raised in Ecuador and came to the United States after marrying an American. She was on her way to becoming a citizen but was left stranded with no clear path forward after her marriage broke up.

I learned the system in this country and how difficult it was to navigate it with a lot of tears, she said.

She has taken what she learned to help others steer through the process. The Houston nonprofit founded in 2010 works with immigrants on their English, shows them how to submit applications and helps them study for the naturalization test.

Sometimes missed in all the attention given to people crossing the borders without authorization is the steady stream of people who go through the process of becoming citizens. In 2020 in Houston, 10,900 people became citizens; in the country, the number was 625,400. That was a dropoff (likely COVID related) from 2019, when nearly 843,600 people became U.S. citizens. As a country founded and built by immigrants celebrates the anniversary of its independence declaration, its new citizens are keenly aware of what that status means.

Three Houstonians who recently became citizens focused less on traditional symbols of freedom associated with Independence Day  flags, patriotic ceremonies  and more on the release from fears and concerns that shadow the lives of noncitizens. They talked about the freedom to travel without hassles, the access to government benefits after paying taxes for years and the release from stresses they felt before they became citizens.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Evacuated Afghans must overcome a bureaucratic nightmare to stay in U.S. legally

Complex process

Some people delayed seeking citizenship because the process can be daunting.

In most cases, a citizenship hopeful must become a legal resident through family, employment or other qualifications. Getting a permanent resident card that allows the holder to live and work permanently in the United States  often called a green card  can cost thousands of dollars, and wait times can range from months to years depending on eligibility. Mateos waited a decade before he received his in the mail.

After they get green cards, residents must live in the United States for up to five years to be eligible (those whose spouses are citizens can be eligible after three years). Then they must submit a naturalization application, which typically costs $725.

On top of the hefty fees, it can take up to two years for a naturalization application to be processed by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

The final step is to take the naturalization exam, an oral test covering American government, history and civics. Even though they will be asked only 10 questions, applicants must study the whole 100 provided by USCIS.

Some people have waited most of their lives to seek citizenship.

Such was the case of Minerva Yanez, a 56-year-old longtime Houston resident who came to the U.S. from Michoacan, Mexico, in August 1984 and whose path to citizenship spanned nearly four decades.

Justin Rex/Contributor

She was granted her residency in 2001, but the fear of failing the naturalization test had kept her from pursuing citizenship until this year.

My kids have wanted me to do it for a very long time, she said, but I was always scared of the questions so I never did.

IMMIGRATION: Experts say strict border policies only fuel desperation

It was on a trip to Israel that Yanez, who has lived in Houston since coming to the United States, began realizing how much different life would be as a citizen.

When she landed and tried to go through customs, those in her group with American passports were quickly let through, she said, but she and another woman were separated from them and given a hard time.

Yanez faced similar obstacles when she traveled to Turkey.

Its just not the same being a resident compared to being a full American citizen, said Yanez, who was eventually granted a tourist visa and entry into Turkey using her Mexican passport.

Despite her fears, Yanez passed the exam last month and was sworn in as a citizen, becoming part of one of the largest communities of naturalized citizens in the country (about 10,900 people became citizens here in 2020).

Although shes been in the United States for nearly her entire adult life, Yanez is excited to celebrate July Fourth as an American citizen for the first time.

Its something very special and wonderful for me to now be a citizen, she said.

REMAIN IN MEXICO: Supreme Court rules Biden can end Trump-era border policy

Calm and stability

Nayeli Navarrete, 48, grew up in Guadalajara, Mexico, and came to the U.S. in 1994, settling at first in California and then moving to the Houston area in 2017.

She said she didnt pursue citizenship for many years because she got too comfortable. She eventually decided the access to government benefits and ease of travel made it worth it.

Marie D. De Jesus/Staff photographer

With the help of Sanchez and Bonding Against Adversity, the mother of two passed her test in mid-May and took her citizenship oath. Not long after, the Spring real estate agent took a trip to Cancun in her home country to celebrate.

I feel more freedom, she said. For me and my family, it means a lot.

Becoming a citizen According to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, to apply for naturalization to become a U.S. citizen, you must: be at least 18 years of age at the time you file the application have been a lawful permanent resident for the past three or five years (depending on which naturalization category you are applying under) have continuous residence and physical presence in the United States be able to read, write and speak basic English demonstrate good moral character demonstrate a knowledge and understanding of U.S. history and government demonstrate a loyalty to the principles of the U.S. Constitution be willing to take the Oath of Allegiance The U.S. citizenship test requires that applicants study a pool of 100 or more questions, though they usually have to answer only 10 on the actual test, which is given orally. The basic cost for becoming a citizen is $725 (processing fee of $640 and biometrics fee of $85), but there can be other associated costs in taking all the needed steps. Sample questions from the citizenship test: What is the form of government of the United States? How many voting members are in the House of Representatives? Why does each state have two senators? What are two Cabinet-level positions? What is the purpose of the 10th Amendment? There were 13 original states. Name five. The Federalist Papers supported the passage of the U.S. Constitution. Name one of the writers. What territory did the United States buy from France in 1803? What amendment gives citizenship to all persons born in the United States? See More Collapse

As for Mateos, life is good, he said. His wife and son became citizens alongside him just a couple of weeks ago. If all goes according to plan, his daughter, who was recently married to an American citizen, will soon do the same.

He said he knew becoming a naturalized American would be much more than a piece of paper.

Its not just a certificate, he said. Its a commitment and responsibility to do right by this country and help develop it.

Hes excited and at the same time calm because of the stability that comes with it, he said.

After 21 years, weve made a life here. Were all settled down now.
An entire community welcomed the three cousins home when they arrived back in eastern Mexico in July. Two brothers, Jair and Yovani Valencia Olivares, and their cousin Misael Olivares, were returning from San Antonio, Texas  a long journey but now they were back. At least their bodies were. The small town had been preparing for days, the Associated Press reported, with homemade tamales, a collection of photographs of the teenagers and three side-by-side caskets.

The teens were among the 53 migrants who died after being abandoned in the back of a sweltering tractor-trailer in late June. Their deaths sparked outrage and heartbreak that reached across Mexico, Guatemala and Honduras. We are still learning about the victims, the communities they left behind and the dreams they had for their lives here.

Were those three teenagers part of an invasion?

Thats what some seem to think. For months, invasion rhetoric has been ramping up, from former Trump administration officials, a handful of county officials in South Texas and prominent state leaders, including Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who told FOX News in a recent interview, If were being invaded under the Constitution, I think that gives us the power to put hands on people and send them back. Gov. Greg Abbotts own maneuvering has added fuel to the fire  a rhetorical conflagration lit well before Operation Lone Star that has burned Texas, from a hate-fueled massacre at an El Paso Walmart on this day three years ago to the recent fate of the people who perished in San Antonio.

His most recent order instructs state troopers and the Texas National Guard to return migrants to ports of entry along the border. It raised immediate concerns from legal experts who say it runs afoul of the federal governments powers to enforce immigration laws and that it presents civil rights concerns as well.

At first it was tempting to call the order just another stunt. But the truth is, its far more dangerous than that  for the people who will continue to be targeted by smugglers, for the calculated legal ramifications this showdown with the federal government could produce and for the way it plays right into the cartels hands.

Worsening exploitation

As of July 30, the Texas Department of Public Safety said it had apprehended people in 3,273 different incidents and returned them to ports of entry, typically right after they had crossed into the country.

How many of those people will simply try again? Experts note that repeat crossings, in which the same person who has already crossed illegally and attempts to do the same again, are up. It speaks to the lack of options many feel they have on the other side and the importance of reaching U.S. soil to make a case for asylum. It also represents another chance at a payday for cartels.

A recent New York Times article called migrants an irresistible moneymaker for cartels, noting that the smuggling industry has grown from a roughly $500 million business in 2018 to upwards of $13 billion today, according to Homeland Security Investigations. What had been the territory of a lone coyote has turned into a sophisticated, transnational operation that preys on desperation.

These are very vulnerable people, theyre heavily targeted by organized crime, by petty crimeeven by the authorities that are there to protect them, explained Crystal Sandoval, director of strategic initiatives with Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center in El Paso.

Its not surprising that enforcement encounters are up, says Taylor Levy, a California-based immigration lawyer who worked for years in El Paso and now advises other attorneys working along the border. What Operation Lone Star, Title 42 and now this new executive order have created is just a really big boom economy for the cartels.

Tough talk in Texas might sell but the folks getting paid are criminals.

A disaster at the border

In support of his policies, Abbott has repeatedly described the situation at the border as a disaster. We dont disagree that things have been chaotic, a disaster even at certain points. Were in a period of historically high levels of enforcement actions at the border and of more varied flows by nationality and countries from which people are coming to the border and thats more complicated from an enforcement standpoint, explained Doris Meissner, former commissioner of the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service and a senior fellow at the Migration Policy Institute.

But little that Abbott has done addresses those concerns. His policies are part of the conditions that only serve to worsen the exploitation of people who are often fleeing violence, climate disasters and instability.

Hunting down possible migrants doesnt target drug cartels, or fix the patchwork pathways for legal migration available to only some people. We cant arrest our way out of a broken immigration system. We have extraordinary levels of investment in border enforcement but you cant enforce your way out of this bigger, broader picture, said Meissner.

Meanwhile, the costs of Operation Lone Star, both financial and human, are rising.
A federal judge on Tuesday night blocked a Texas law passed in 2021 that put new restrictions on people trying to register to vote in the state.

The decision by U.S. District Court Judge Lee Yeakel was celebrated by one of the Latino groups that had sued the state and claimed the law was an attempt to disenfranchise Latino voters.

One of the lawmakers behind the law said he was disappointed by the ruling and hoped decision would be appealed.

Senate Bill 1111 was passed during the 2021 Texas Legislative session. The bill, which passed the House and Senate on party-line votes, required people who register to vote using a P.O. box to provide proof of a home address to ensure that they vote only in eligible elections.

The bill was signed into law on June 16, 2021. Less than a week later, two Latino groups and a voter rights group sued a group of county election administrators, saying the new law imposes "vague, onerous restrictions on the voter registration process, chilling political participation and further burdening the abilities of lawful voters to cast their ballots to make their voices heard.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton later intervened to add himself to the lawsuit in order to defend the law on the state's behalf.

The law didn't bar people from using P.O. boxes for voter registration, but required people registering to vote with a post office box to provide other proof, like a drivers license or utility bill, to show proof of address. The lawsuit called that requirement an unfair burden.

Part of the lawsuit challenged a section of the law that prohibited people from establishing residence for the purpose of influencing the outcome of a certain election." That language could lead to unintended consequences, the groups argued.

The groups, the Texas chapter of League of United Latin American Citizens and Voto Latino, also said they suffered direct harm from the law because they had to divert resources away from their missions to assist its members in overcoming new barriers to registration and voting.

In a summary judgement, Yeakel found that the groups had suffered "direct harms" to their finances and to their First Amendment rights under the law, and that the state used vague language in the law and that parts of the law failed "any degree of constitutional scrutiny."

The judge ruled that the law particularly burdened part-time and off-campus college students, who would be left unable to register both where they have moved and where they have moved from.

"The burden imposed is 'severe,' if not insurmountable," Yeakel wrote. "Such an insurmountable burden is not easily overcome."

The state was permanently enjoined from enforcing the parts of the election code created by S.B. 1111.

The national president of the League of United Latin American Citizens called the ruling a landmark decision.

We are lawful voters with the same rights under the U.S. Constitution, and your attempts to stop our growing Hispanic voting strength have failed repeatedly," said Domingo Garcia, in a statement directed at Texas Gov. Greg Abbott. "Abbott and the Republican-led legislature tried to use multiple illegal methods to restrict Latinos from voting. LULAC is making sure that all Texas voters have equal voting rights."

In a statement Wednesday, state Sen. Paul Bettencourt, one of the primary authors of S.B. 1111, said the law was meant to stop the use of "impossible addresses" in voter registrations and claimed there were as many as 8,000 voter registrations in Harris County using a P.O. box as both a physical address and a mailing address.

"Senate Bill 1111 is common sense election law, and I am genuinely disappointed in the ruling," Bettencourt said. "I believe the Attorney General will appeal this decision to the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals."

The decision is the second time this summer that a new Texas election law has been overturned by the court. In June, a federal judge struck down part of Senate Bill 1 that put new restrictions on people who provide assistance to voters with disabilities or limited English skills.

john.ferguson@chron.com.
WFO NEW YORK CITY Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Friday, August 5, 2022

_____

HEAT ADVISORY

URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE

National Weather Service New York NY

332 PM EDT Tue Aug 2 2022

...HEAT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 11 AM THURSDAY TO 8 PM EDT

FRIDAY...

* WHAT...Heat index values around 100 expected.

* WHERE...Portions of northeast New Jersey, southern Connecticut

and southeast New York.

* WHEN...From 11 AM Thursday to 8 PM EDT Friday.

* IMPACTS...Hot temperatures and high humidity may cause heat

illnesses to occur.

* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...Isolated heat indices around 105 possible

across northeast New Jersey Thursday afternoon.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A Heat Advisory is issued when the combination of heat and

humidity is expected to make it feel like it is 95 to 99 degrees

for two or more consecutive days, or 100 to 104 degrees for any

length of time.

Seniors and those with chronic health problems or mental health

conditions are at an increased risk. Homes without air

conditioning can be much hotter than outdoor temperatures.

Use air conditioning to stay cool at home or go to a place that

has air conditioning. Check on vulnerable friends, family members

and neighbors.

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! In cases of heat stroke call 9 1 1.

* WHAT...Heat index values in the middle to upper 90s expected.

* WHERE...In Connecticut, Southern Fairfield, Southern New

Haven, Southern Middlesex and Southern New London Counties. In

New York, Northwest Suffolk, Northeast Suffolk, Southwest

Suffolk, Southeast Suffolk, Northern Nassau and Southern

Nassau Counties.

_____

Copyright 2022 AccuWeather
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The Planning Board last week advised the Select Board to assign the town's option to buy a 10-acre parcel of farmland on Oblong Road to Williamstown Rural Lands Foundation.

Williamstown Planners Advise Conservation of Oblong Road Parcel

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass.  The Planning Board last week advised the Select Board to assign to a local non-profit the town's option to buy a 10-acre parcel of farmland on Oblong Road.

In a unanimous vote, the planners recommended the town assign its right of first refusal to the Williamstown Rural Lands Foundation for a lot currently conserved under Chapter 61 of Massachusetts General Law.

Under Chapter 61, land in agriculture is eligible for property tax relief. Part of the tradeoff for the landowner is that when the land is sold, the municipality has the right of first refusal.

The parcel's current owner, Beth Phelps, has a purchase and sales agreement for $745,000, contingent on the land going through the Chapter 61 process, which includes a 120-day period for the town to decide whether to exercise its right of first refusal or assign it to a qualified non-profit, like WRLF.

Although the Select Board twice has discussed the request and heard from representatives of Rural Lands and the operator of Sweet Brook Farm, which grazes its beef herd on the Oblong Road parcel, that 120-day period may not have technically begun.

"[The seller is] supposed to notify the Select Board, the Planning Board and the tax assessor," Planning Board Chair Stephanie Boyd told her colleagues at their July 26 meeting. "There was a little delay in notifying the Planning Board's office. This notice of intent has to be resubmitted, and we have not received it yet."

Nevertheless, the Planning Board at its July 26 meeting responded to a July 11 request from the Select Board for a recommendation on the WRLF request.

It was clear from the discussion that most of the planners agreed that preserving the land as farmland should be a priority for the town.

At June's annual town meeting, attendees approved a change in the bylaw requested by the Planning Board to make the promotion of "a diverse and affordable mix of housing types" part of the board's purpose. But none of the planners argued that the type of housing proposed for the South Williamstown parcel would serve that purpose.

"This, to me, is a classic example of how we lose farmland," Boyd said of the development that Williamstown Rural Lands is looking to prevent. "We wouldn't be losing farmland to the kind of housing we've been talking about on this board and in this community.  On this 10 acres, the proposal to date is two large houses.

"It's not solving the housing problem we're trying to solve."

Much of the Planning Board's July meeting dealt with ways to address that "housing problem," both by reconsidering a series of bylaw amendments referred back to the board by town meeting and considering new solutions, like removing a ban in the town code on manufactured homes and instituting local limits on short-term rentals, which many argue take housing stock away from potential full-time residents.

But the board also heard testimony from representatives of WRLF and Sarah Lipinski, who owns and operates Sweet Brook Farm.

She said the farm has about 50 acres in pasture and hay, including 10 acres on the parcel in question, which is adjacent to the larger property.

"It's fabulous for grazing our beef," Lipinski said. "We can sustain our herd there for a month in the summer."

The executive director of WRLF pointed out a second benefit of preserving the land in question.

"On this stretch of Oblong Road, this may be the only viewshed of the Greylock range," Robin Sears told the Planning Board. "This also has a great deal of scenic value for passersby. People go there from near and far to run and cycle and walk."

Sears said it was the non-profit's intention to purchase the land and arrange a conservation restriction that would keep it in agriculture, perhaps allowing for a small amount of passive recreation, like a pulloff for a picnic table.

Also, as she did before the Select Board earlier in the month, Sears indicated that WRLF is still working on positioning itself to exercise the right of first refusal if the Select Board chooses to make the assignment.

"We are not entirely prepared to accept the assignment of the right of first refusal, but we are working very hard to get to a decision about whether or not we could actually exercise that," Sears said. "We are asking for time to plan."

Members of the board raised the question of whether the town could exercise the right on its own  in other words, buy the property  or contribute financially to help WRLF meet the $745,000 purchase price.

Boyd pointed out that such an expenditure likely would require a special town meeting to meet the non-profit's time frame.

Assuming the notice of intent issue is resolved by the end of August, the 120-day window for exercising or assigning the right of first refusal would end in late December at the latest. WRLF then would have a 90-day window to exercise the right and close the deal, which would keep the transaction well within the town's 2023 fiscal year and the budget authorized by town meeting in June of this year.

In the end, the Planning Board adopted a simple motion to support the transfer of the right of first refusal to Williamstown Rural Lands Foundation. Boyd and Dante Birch were tasked with drafting a letter to that effect to the Select Board, which asked for a response by its Aug. 8 meeting.
State Auditor Candidate Diana DiZoglio Urges PILOT Reform

LEE, Mass.  Diana DiZoglio says the state's payment in lieu of taxes program, or PILOT, should be fully funded, especially with the Bay State having a 2023 budget surplus totaling about $3.6 billion.

The Democratic candidate for state auditor visited October Mountain on Tuesday to speak on PILOT reform, which is a priority in her 17-Point Social Justice and Equity Audit Plan.



"Funding by the commonwealth for payments in lieu of taxes on state-owned lands began in 1910 under Massachusetts General Law chapter 58, Sections 13-17, but starting with the fiscal crisis of 1989, the law has been underfunded to the detriment of our municipalities and especially our rural towns, which host massive amounts of state property," she said.



"And despite the fact that the fiscal year, which ended 33 days ago, resulted in the state having a budget surplus of approximately $3.6 billion, we have not been able to fully fund the PILOT line item, again payment and lieu of taxes, in the state budget at the full amount highlighted by the state auditor's office that is needed to fully fund the program at $45.6 million."



PILOTs are intended to replace lost revenue from tax exemptions and help minimize revenue impacts on communities with recreational areas, solar and wind farms, nonprofit institutions, and state-owned land.

DiZoglio said the program's appropriation has been around $30 million since the fiscal 2009 while property tax collections have increased by about 57 percent.

She said $600,000 is being shortchanged from the program this year, which is "$600,000 that the cities and town have to come up with out of their own budget."

Local officials for years have said the assessments have not kept up with actual values. Rural Berkshire towns such as Savoy and Washington have between one-third and a half of their land under state ownership.

For example, nearly half of Clarksburg is owned by the state but its PILOT payments for this year only amount to $26,285. Savoy has around 12,000 acres of state land for which it is getting around $120,000 and the value of state land in the town of Washington is assessed at about $7.8 million -- for which it's getting about $90,000.

"With an extremely limited and almost all residential tax base, the failure to fully fund pilot creates severe financial hardships on these small towns as they struggle to pay their share of regional school budgets and maintain their roads," DiZoglio said.



As state senator for the 1st Essex district, she is a co-sponsor of a bill to reform PILOTs that was filed by state Sen. Adam Hinds.



One of the candidate's highest priorities is to implement recommendations from State Auditor Suzanne Bump's 2020 report that showed the program is underfunded and negatively affects smaller rural communities in Western Mass compared to larger, wealthier communities in the eastern part of the state.



"As auditor, I will direct my staff to conduct spot checks of PILOT payments to provide ongoing updates and information and to ensure the Legislature has the most up-to-date information to address the issue of regional equity," DiZoglio said.



"State forests like October Mountain are wonderful recreational resources for residents of the third most densely populated state in the nation to enjoy alongside tourists and visitors but we must keep fiscal faith with host communities like Beckett, Lee, and Washington, that we will adhere to state law by making good on our PILOT appropriations every year."



DiZoglio grew up housing insecure with a young single mother in Lawrence and Methuen. After earning a full scholarship to Wellesley College, she became the first in her family to graduate.


Hong Kong: FS's session on President's speech

Financial Secretary Paul Chan today hosted a session on the speech of President Xi Jinping with more than 100 senior personnel and representatives of financial regulators and Financial Secretary's Office colleagues in attendance.

Mr Chan shared the core message of President Xis speech delivered at the inaugural ceremony of the sixth-term Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and its meaning to the development of the local economy and financial markets, and the way to fully implement its spirit in work.

He outlined the ways this important speech holds profound historic logic, anchors the historical principle for the implementation of "one country, two systems" in Hong Kong, provides direction for development and strengthens confidence among all sectors, be it local or overseas, to keep inseparable faith in the long-term implementation of "one country, two systems" in the city.

Mr Chan said the "four musts" and the "four proposals" raised by President Xi are the guiding ideology and action plan for fostering Hong Kong's future economic development, adding that the speech clearly points out that the fundamental purpose of "one country, two systems" is to safeguard national sovereignty, security and development interests of the nation.

Financial regulators must keep in mind this principle at all times and safeguard Hong Kong's financial security on all fronts, he added.

The financial chief also said President Xi's speech elevates the maintenance of Hong Kong's distinctive status and advantages in the implementation of "one country, two systems", with its importance further emphasised.

He noted that the central government fully supports Hong Kong in enhancing its status as an international financial centre and has pointed out clear positioning for Hong Kong's future development. Financial regulators should thoroughly consider the relationship between a highly efficient market and a capable government and act proactively to continuously strengthen the impetus of growth of the financial industry.

Hong Kong can thus continue to serve as an indispensable gateway and bridge for the country to the outside world, and strive for higher quality and further development of Hong Kong's financial sector and economy, he added.

Mr Chan also said that President Xi Jinping had asked the Hong Kong SAR Government to address people's concerns and difficulties in daily life earnestly.

The people-centred development concept must always be adhered to in forming, developing and implementing financial policies or initiatives, with a view to allowing the benefits to reach more people and levels, he added.

This story has been published on: 2022-08-03. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
BEIJING, Aug. 3 -- Beginning from the evening of Aug. 2, the PLA Eastern Theatre Command has successively launched a series of joint military operations around the Taiwan Island. Naval-air joint drills were carried out in the north, southwest and southeast waters and airspace off the Taiwan Island. In addition, combat troops under the theater command will conduct long-range strike live shooting in the Taiwan Strait, and conventional missile firepower test launching in the eastern waters off the Taiwan Island.

This round of joint military operations is a necessary response to the dangerous move made by the US and Taiwan authorities on the Taiwan question. The Eastern Theatre Command has organized troops of multiple services and arms to conduct targeted training exercises of joint blockade, strikes on land and maritime targets, airspace control operations as well as the live firing of precision-guided munitions. While comprehensively verifying the performance of the equipment and the joint combat capability of the troops, we have made full preparedness for all crisis situations, said Maj. Gen. Gu Zhong, deputy chief of staff of the PLA Eastern Theatre Command.

He sternly warned that those who visit Taiwan with evil motives and the Taiwan Independence forces must know that the PLA Eastern Theatre Command troops are fully confident and capable of fighting off any provocations to firmly safeguard China's sovereignty and territorial integrity.
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KYC is one time exercise while dealing in securities markets - once KYC is done through a SEBI registered intermediary (broker, DP, Mutual Fund etc.), you need not undergo the same process again when you approach another intermediary.

No need to issue cheques by investors while subscribing to IPO. Just write the bank account number and sign in the application form to authorise your bank to make payment in case of allotment. No worries for refund as the money remains in investor's account."

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Revenge: Meghan, Harry, And The War Between The Windsors, an audiobook by Tom Bower, reveals some shocking facts about the Royal Family and their complicated relationship with Meghan Markle.

Since the news of Meghan's wedding to Prince Harry first surfaced, she has been the centre of attention. People are fascinated by Meghan Markle for various reasons, including her sense of style, unconventional decisions, and way of life.

Princess Meghan Markle | Getty Images

Prince Harry in the docuseries The Me You Cant See said that History was repeating itself and drew a comparison between her and Princess Diana.

Princess Diana, the mother of Prince Harry and Prince William, was a commoner like her daughter-in-law Princess Meghan and faced brutal treatment from the publication.



The Revenge offers insights into Meghan's contentious interactions with other British royal family members as well as other topics.

Meghan And Princess Diana|| Harper's Bazaar

Here Are Some Shocking Revelations From Audiobook 'Revenge

Women Married To The Royal Family Get Bullied

According to the source, two claims made in the book have been called into question. Like, there was a lodge against Meghan Markle's claims of bullying by a former palace staff member.

As reported by Newsweek, the staff member said, To be fair, all the women who have married into the royal family get bullied. Let's use the proper word for it, they all get bullied."

Camilla Kate and Meghan|| CheatSheet

She continued to say that bullying is a problem in Britain for everyone. Before Kate Middleton became Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, she was called out by the press as Katey.

Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, who faced the hostile press, is another example.



Former palace staff also affirmed that the men in the family do not experience the same level of brutality. Harry and Meghan have both discussed their mental struggles as a result of the negative and unfavourable press.

Press can be brutal to the women of the royal family for instance - like being racist against Meghan and thus took a toll on her mental health. Even though, the duo has sued the publication numerous times, the publication still continues to make their lives miserable.

Meghan Markle and Her Sister-in-law Kates Complicated Relationship

According to the book, Meghan didn't feel the same way about Kate and said that Kate didn't make an effort to make her feel welcome. When Kate and her three-year-old daughter Charlotte arrived for the dress fitting, the tension became uneasy.

Bower claims that Kate and Meghan disagreed over whether bridesmaids should wear tights under their dresses. Given the customs, Kate felt that they should. On the other hand, Meghan showed no concern for the royal tradition. The author also mentioned that they further had a disagreement about how long Charlotte's hem should be.

Vanity Fair

Kate Middleton's remark was"flatly denied" by Markle in front of her assistant Melissa Toubati and the dress-fitters employed by Givenchy designer Clare Waight Keller.



Tom Bower also took the account of Kirstie Allsopp, a friend of Camila regarding the conversation Kate and Meghan had in front of the various staff members that attended the wedding. She confirmed that Kate cried because of Meghans behaviour towards her staff.

GoodTo

According to the story, Kate wanted to make amends with Meghan because she was unhappy and gave her a bouquet of flowers in that regard. Additionally, Kate urged her not to be impolite to the staff and said, "That's not right."



In an interview with Oprah, Meghan confirmed that she was the one to offer Kate flowers and shed tears and not the other way around.

Meghans Interaction With The Queen

In the book, the author mentioned a brief first meeting between Meghan and the Queen. He says, Two weeks after the Invictus Games ended on 12th October, Harry introduced Meghan to the Queen in Buckingham Palace. Over tea and sandwiches, the monarch formally approved her grandsons engagement.



StyleCaster

Apparently, the Queen met Meghan inadvertently at Windsor Park before their official meeting at the palace. Meghan claims that she performed a botched courtesy without the rehearsal. During their formal meeting, Harry would describe that the Queens dogs, who have previously barked at him were laying on Meghans foot, Markle describes the scene as very sweet.



Town & Country Magazine

The author goes into great detail about Meghan and Harry's marriage, citing a number of instances where Harry tried to accommodate Meghan's requests that went against the royal family's traditions. The book also explains how Harry's demands were fulfilled despite the boundary being drawn.



Harry and Meghan met with Oprah Winfrey

In a controversial interview with Oprah in 2021, Meghan and Harry discussed topics ranging from their families, marriage, relationship with the media, the Royal Family, and mental health issues. The discussion in the Royal family about the skin tone of their firstborn child, Archie, was one of the revelations that caught everyone off guard.

YouTube

Meghan said, The idea of our son not being safe and also the idea of the first member of colour in this family not being titled in the same way that other grandchildren would be. However, she knew her argument was inaccurate according to Bowers book as Archie can only become Prince after his grandfather, Charles is crowned King.



Listen to Revenge: Meghan, Harry, And The War Between The Windsors on Audible to know additional secrets and revelations.

(To read more such stories related to movies and shows released on OTTs, keep reading Indiatimes BINGE)
A major tragedy was averted at T2 terminal of Delhi's Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport as a car went under an IndiGo plane parked at stand 201, narrowly avoided collision with the nose wheel of the A320neo aircraft.

Tragedy averted

The IndiGo aircraft was readying to depart for Patna when a Swift Dzire car belonging to Go First airline went under it. Later, the car's driver was subjected to breath analyser test for consumption of alcohol and it was found to be negative, the officials added.

Watch the video below:

#WATCH | A Go Ground Maruti vehicle stopped under the nose area of the Indigo aircraft VT-ITJ that was parked at Terminal T-2 IGI airport, Delhi. It was an Indigo flight 6E-2022 (DelhiPatna) pic.twitter.com/dxhFWwb5MK  ANI (@ANI) August 2, 2022





Aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said there was no damage to the aircraft or injury to any person. The aircraft departed as per the scheduled time. Further investigation is being carried out by DAS-NR.

Meanwhile, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) conducted 353 spot checks and surveillance in 77 days, the Ministry of Civil Aviation informed Rajya Sabha on Tuesday.

Incidents in the past

The information was given by the Minister of State for Civil Aviation General Dr VK Singh (Retd) in a written reply to a question on the number of incidents of accidents involving aircraft that have taken place during the last three years and the action taken by the government to reduce the number of such incidents.

AFP

In 2019, only one incident happened that involved SpiceJet, in 2020 two incidents happened involving Air India Express and IndiGo. In 2021, four incidents took place involving one each of Air India Express and Vistara and two of Indigo. In 2022 to date only one incident involving SpiceJet took place.

For more on news and current affairs from around the world please visit Indiatimes News.


Imagine getting paid to taste over 3500+ candies every month? It sounds like a dream job, isn't it?



A Canadian candy company is looking for a qualified taster who will be paid up to $100,000 (more than 60 lakh). Candy Funhouse, a candy store, announced last month that it is looking for a "chief candy officer" to supervise their "candyologists."

Candy

The Ontario-based company announced the role's eligibility on Instagram and highlighted that applicants must be at least five years old.

Instagram

According to a press release, the selected candidate will conduct business board meetings, taste tests on about 3,500 products each month, and approve new candy inventories with the "CCO stamp of approval."



candy

In a LinkedIn post, Candy Funhouse stated that applicants should have an unwavering excitement and eagerness to enjoy confectionary items, a characteristic that one can confidently claim applies to a sizable portion of the public.



candy

They added that they seek a fearless, imaginative, naturally born leader who is open to experimenting with fresh ideas.

The position is to work from home with the option to work out of either Toronto (If you're a Canadian resident) or Newark, US (If you're an American resident).

Linkedin

You can apply for the role here.



The CCO will be in charge of choosing which new candy products Candy Funhouse will stock, making it a "real candy business," the company claimed. All you need is a passion for candy, pop culture, and a sweet tooth!" the job listing read.

candy

Anyone five years or older may apply, and no prior experience is necessary.

Applicants have until August 31 to apply. When hired, the new CCO will get intensive palate training in addition to other on-the-job training, according to the company.

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US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi landed in Taiwan's capital of Taipei on Tuesday as part of a visit that has prompted China to undertake military drills around the democratic island.

Beijing regards Taiwan as part of its territory and sees the visit by the highest-ranking US official in over 25 years as support for Taiwan's independence movement.

AFP

More than 7,00,000 people track Nancy Pelosi's plane to Taiwan

The visit, historic in many ways, has piqued the interest of people the world over. On Tuesday, the US Air Forces Boeing C-40C - SPAR19, which was carrying Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan, was tracked by more than 7,00,000 people online.

Flightradar24, a popular flight-tracking site, said its server was under heavy load on Tuesday morning because so many people were tracking Pelosi's flight.

Because of unprecedented sustained tracking interest in SPAR19, Flightradar24 services are under extremely heavy load. Some users may currently experience issues accessing the site, our teams are working on restoring full functionality to all users as quickly as possible. pic.twitter.com/dsFrlQ67zr  Flightradar24 (@flightradar24) August 2, 2022

"Because of unprecedented sustained tracking interest in SPAR19, Flightradar24 services are under extremely heavy load. Some users may currently experience issues accessing the site, our teams are working on restoring full functionality to all users as quickly as possible," Flightradar24 said on Twitter

At the time of the tweet, 345,000 people were tracking the flight. Later, when the plane entered Taiwan's airspace, Flightradar24 said 632,000 people were watching. At the time of publication, it was unclear how many people were watching the plane as it made its final descent.



With 708,000 people tracking the aircraft upon landing in Taipei, SPAR19 is Flightradar24s most tracked live flight of all time. https://t.co/RifLnVzeMP pic.twitter.com/m2OBIV9RME  Flightradar24 (@flightradar24) August 2, 2022

Flightradar24 later said in a statement that SPAR19 was the "most tracked live flight" in the site's history by the time it landed, being watched by over 708,000 people.

With Pelosi's arrival, she became the highest-ranking US lawmaker to visit Taiwan in 25 years.

"Our delegation's visit to Taiwan honors America's unwavering commitment to supporting Taiwan's vibrant Democracy. Our discussions with Taiwan leadership reaffirm our support for our partner & promote our shared interests, including advancing a free & open Indo-Pacific region," Pelosi tweeted after landing.

China responds angrily to Nancy Pelosi's Taiwan visit

Beijing has responded angrily to Pelosi's trip. The Chinese government announced on Wednesday morning it would ban imports of Taiwanese citrus fruit and two types of fish, and stop exporting natural sand to Taiwan, Nikkei Asia reported.

China, which regards Taiwan as a renegade province to be annexed by force if necessary, has repeatedly warned of retaliation if Pelosi visits, saying its military will never sit idly by.



Since last week, China's People's Liberation Army has conducted various exercises, including live fire drills, in the South China Sea, Yellow Sea and Bohai Sea, in a show of Chinese military might.



For more trending stories, follow us on Telegram.


Im excited to welcome Pam to NFP and our growing team in Canada, commented Spradley. Pam has a proven ability to interpret the impact of complex regulations and assess emerging legislation and trends across the insurance landscape. She will be a tremendous asset to our clients who will benefit from knowing that we continue to run our business in a compliant and ethical manner.

Derksen most recently served as vice president, brokering and insurance relationships, personal and commercial at Cowan Insurance Group. Before that, she was the vice president of operations, broker policy and administration systems for Economical Insurance. She has 25 years of insurance industry experience.

Apart from her bachelors degree in economics and political science from the University of Calgary and a Certificate in Executive Leadership from McMaster University, Derksen also has the Chartered Insurance Professional and the Fellow Chartered Insurance Professional designations from the Insurance Institute of Southern Alberta. Derksen is also currently a board member of the Oxford-Elgin Child and Youth Centre.

Im thrilled to join NFP in Canada and be part of an organization where I feel I can make a meaningful contribution by helping clients stay informed about pending legislation, stated Derksen. As a growing international brokerage, NFP has assembled a great team of professionals and is well positioned for continued success in the Canadian market.

Read more: NFP to open new corporate office in downtown Toronto

The news of Derksens appointment comes as NFP announced its plans to open a new corporate office in downtown Toronto. According to the brokerage, it chose to open a new office to maintain its positive momentum in Canada  it has seen its revenue climb by 110% over the last three years.
Ratings withdrawals have typically preceded a companys insolvency or rehabilitation. But while United Property & Casualtys downgrade may appear to be the lesser penalty, mortgage providers such as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac do not accept homebuyers with low-rated insurers.

Both FedNat and United Property & Casualty had previously reported financial issues, said CBS Miami.

In May, FedNat had reached an agreement with Floridas Office of Insurance Regulation (OIR), which ordered the insurer to cancel policies and transfer some to another affiliated insurer, Monarch National Insurance. Meanwhile, United Property & Casualty revealed last month that its board had begun a "review of its strategic and capital raising alternatives," with one of the suggestions being a sale of its assets.

CBS Miami reported that Demotech has not confirmed whether the three insurers are among the 17 insurers it originally planned to downgrade last month, nor has the ratings agency identified all 17 of the insurers involved. The planned downgrade was put on hold last week due to various circumstances, said Demotech president Joe Petrelli.

Read more: Ratings downgrade of 17 insurers granted stay of execution  for now

But even as the downgrade was delayed, Petrelli offered a reminder that the updated ratings could still be released.
The report highlighted that natural catastrophes  particularly secondary perils  are increasing in frequency and severity in all regions.

The effects of climate change are evident in increasingly extreme weather events, such as the unprecedented floods in Australia and South Africa, said Martin Bertogg, head of catastrophe at Swiss Re. This confirms the trend we have observed over the last five years  that secondary perils are driving insured losses in every corner of the world. Unlike hurricanes or earthquakes, these perils are ubiquitous and exacerbated by rapid urbanization in particularly vulnerable areas. Given the scale of devastation across the globe, secondary perils require the same disciplined risk assessment as primary perils such as hurricanes.

In February, Europe was hit by a series of winter storms that spurred estimated insured losses of $3.5 billion. In February and March, torrential rains caused widespread flooding in Australia. This set a new record for flood losses in the country at close to $3.5 billion so far. For the insurance industry, it is one of the costliest natural catastrophes ever in Australia and the most expensive event globally in the first half of 2022 in terms of insured losses, Swiss Re said. Floods in South Africa, India, China and Bangladesh confirm the growing loss potential from floods in urbanized areas around the world.

Read next: Young homeowners expect climate change to damage their homes  report

Also in the first half of 2022, France was hit by severe weather including hailstorms and heavy rain, which have caused an estimated 4 billion (about $4.078 billion) in insured market losses so far, Swiss Re reported.

Two summer heat waves resulted in record-high temperatures across Europe and sparked forest fires across southwest Europe. The global average temperature in June was about 0.3C higher than the 1991-202 average, making it the third-warmest June on record. With climate change predicted to exacerbate droughts, the likelihood of wildfires is also increasing, causing even greater damage where rapid urban sprawl overlaps the wildland-urban interface, Swiss Re said.

Climate change is one of the biggest risks our society and the global economy is facing, said Jerome Haegeli, group chief economist at Swiss Re. With 75% of all natural catastrophes still uninsured, we see large protection gaps globally, exacerbated by todays cost-of-living crisis. Partnering with the public sector, the insurance industry is critical for strengthening societys resilience to climate risks, by investing in and underwriting sustainable infrastructure.

Global economic losses from natural and man-made catastrophes were estimated at $75 billion for the first half of 2022, Swiss Re said. This is below the average of the past 10 years of $80 billion.
Data is the underpinning of how effective any technology can be, Galgali said. We are using data for understanding of the customer, for understanding of what the customer really wants, and delivering the experiences, i.e. what the customer is expecting.

Galgali, who is also a vice president at the Munich Re US P/C subsidiary, has held his current role since August 2017. He joined American Modern in December 2014 as the technical program lead on the companys business transformation program.

That change has been quite successful, he said, which involved, in part, the implementation of Guidewires primary platform and technology to replace old legacy systems and processes. The companys organization itself was in need of a serious revamp, he said.

If there is one success factor it would be that, he said. It was a $100 million-plus implementation of the whole platform, but it also involved a successful conversion of over 1.2 million policies and our customers on to the new platform.

The transformation

The conversion wasnt just data migration, but also a non-renewal of policies in the old entity as they were converted over, he said.

American Modern had as many as five different technology systems running its entire business before the modernization, with that number now down to one. More than 50 product variations have been consolidated to 11 for personal lines, business cover and so on and American Modern also consolidated what was nine different legal entities from various states into a single one.

I would say we have almost set up a brand new insurance company within American Modern, Galgali said.

American Modern chose Guidewire for a wide range of services, including its policy, billing and claims center, data and information products. It also helped establish customer-facing digital technologies designed to boost customer self-service, among other advances.

Galgali has also enjoyed some successes in his current role, which focuses on driving innovation and digital strategies.

In my current role  I would say it is [about] the whole culture of innovation and bringing in new technologies into the value chain, delivering to our customers, Galgali said.

Using Guidewires platform has allowed American Modern to leapfrog into some cutting-edge technologies.

They have data in a standardized way, which allows them to overlay AI and machine learning and informatics [products and services] on top of that, he said. Their data solutions are something that we adopted.

Technologist

Galgali explains he has been a technologist for much of his professional life, drawn to the field for elemental reasons.

It solves problems in efficient ways that weve never seen before or were never even contemplated before, he said.

An example of this was how the industry handled claims five years ago, where the industry would not have even considered using aerial imagery and being able to avoid in-person inspections for underwriting.

Technology brings in new ways to do things that we wouldnt have even thought about and makes it efficient and transforms things, he said. Technology is the underpinning, a core thread of how were going to do business going forward, and everything in our lives. Thats what excites me about technology, the fact that it can do things that were never contemplated before.

With that in mind, American Modern has invested in its use of data to maximize the technology it now has.

American Modern and parent Munich Re invest heavily in their data assets and building up their data infrastructure, he said.

Its the governance aspect of data . Understanding how you can get clean data and how we can pass it through the system [and] how we put analytics on it, because AI and machine learning will not work if you dont have the right data underneath, Galgali said.

Keeping up

Asked if the insurance industry was finally keeping up with the rapid advance of technology it can use and benefit from, Galgali said that it is, despite being a late arrival to the party.

Insurers dove deeper into technology with the emergence of modern insurtechs around 2015, he said, one of the last industries to turn to technology for business transformations.

They had to play catch up and they have significantly advanced, he said. The incumbents obviously have realized that they are going to have to be part of the solution. They cannot be sitting out there and ignore it, and those who are going to jump on the bandwagon are going to embrace it with both arms open.

Still, Galgali observed, many companies are still resisting a full embrace of technology.

Companies are not ignoring technology, but they are ignoring the pace with which it is changing and transforming things, Galgali said.

He asserts that companies are still apprehensive about widespread technological change and choose instead to sit on the side and let things evolve. Galgali advocates the opposite approach.

We have to get up front. We have to learn about it, even if things fail. Failure is success because it teaches us things, Galgali said.

He noted American Modern began its technology transformation relatively early even though executives were uncertain about some choices to make.

We got into it. We learned and we went through the paces, he said. Some of those folks who are out there are kind of waiting for that perfect moment to adopt. I dont think theres going to be a perfect moment
There has been a lot of talk about how insurance companies are increasingly falling victim to outside cyber attacks, but the risk of insider threats can be just as scary and perhaps a little more difficult to prevent, according to guests on this episode of The Insuring Cyber Podcast.

Insider threats are cyber attacks that come from within a company. They can happen when former or current employees, or even third party contractors that work with the company, make inadvertent errors, discover vulnerabilities, or intentionally steal data.

Its the concept of employees posing a threat to the corporation that they work for in the form of stealing intellectual property, or potentially even doing damage, eliminating information thats important to the corporation, or sharing things like employee or customer data with the outside world or potentially a bad actor, said Chris Lehman, CEO of cybersecurity company SafeGuard Cyber.

Because insurance companies typically possess not only their own companys financial and employee data, but also sensitive personal or financial customer information, they are particularly susceptible to this type of threat, according to Philip Stein, partner and litigation practice group leader at law firm Bilzin Sumberg.

This is a big issue for companies in all industries right now, he said. And I think it is a particularly significant concern for companies in the insurance industry.

Lehman said the most common form of insider threat is intellectual property theft.

That could be intellectual property in the form of [research and development] that has been worked on for many years and literally millions and/or billions of dollars have been invested by a corporation to develop this intellectual property, or it could be theft of customer information or employee information, he said.

This can often come in the form of exit crime, or a scenario in which an employee leaves a company and takes advantage of the intellectual property theyve had access to while employed.

Exit crime is something that companies are talking more and more about, Lehman said. It kind of goes hand in hand as being driven by The Great Resignation.

Indeed, The Great Resignation, as its been called, is a reportedly escalating trend of employees willingly leaving their jobs. Experts say its one factor to consider when discussing the risk of insider threats. Another factor is the remote work environment, partially driven by the pandemic.

The increased reliance on technology in the insurance industry, of course, yields a lot of new efficiencies for insurance companies, Stein said. But the downside is the greatly enhanced exposure of sensitive information through what are often vulnerabilities in one or more of those technologies. We dont live in a world anymore in which thieves or bad actors have to be inside a companys physical facilities and have to walk away undetected with physical copies of sensitive data in order to cause harm to their employer.

What makes this a particularly challenging problem, according to Lehman, is that insiders already have permission to access the information and systems in question, which can make it hard for security teams to figure out when information is being accessed for normal versus nefarious reasons.

Thats very, very hard to sort through, he said.

However, Daniel Soo, principal at Deloitte, said insider threats most often dont result from nefarious activity.

Probably a large portion of what happens, he said, is that people just do things unintentionally.

This leads to another tricky crossroads for security teams  trying to decide when an incident is the result of negligence and when its the result of malicious activity.

Thats the trick in this is that you have to be able to both allow appropriate conduct of business and allow people to do what they need to do as part of their job, you need to be able to identify situations where people just did things unintentionally, and then there are those other situations where there may be a bad actor outside of your company whos pretending to be inside, he said. Theres your true malicious insider whos really doing something kind of nefarious. So being able to identify those things is not an easy thing to do.

While emphasizing that there isnt a single solution that can reduce the risk entirely, Stein suggested that organizations adopt a layered approach that encompasses a range of security protocols in order to prevent insider threats. This includes conducting regular risk assessments, providing security awareness training to employees, and closely managing the accounts and privileges of all employees and contractors.

Lehman added that its also important to monitor all communication channels, especially in an increasingly digital working environment.

So many enterprises just flat out arent monitoring these new ways that employees communicate. Because theyre not monitoring them, they dont have visibility, and as a result of that, they dont know if nefarious behavior or actions are being taken, he said. So my number one piece of advice is to make sure that youre securing and monitoring all the ways that your employees are communicating.

Soo said that he sees light at the end of the tunnel as tools to fight threats are improving and awareness around these threats is growing as well.

I think with those pieces there, we could probably start to manage that risk a bit better, he said. I think it will continue to be a risk, and I think once you start to get those risk indicators, you can start to act on them.

However, Lehman offered a word of caution that the switch to remote or hybrid working is likely not going to change, and companies, including insurers, will need to stay on top of this evolution.

We live in an increasingly digital world. Thats not going to change. We live in a world where increasingly, our employees are working remotely. I dont see that ever going away, he said. Its a really complex problem, candidly, but organizations can solve it. Its a solvable problem, but it always comes back to start with protecting and monitoring where your employees communicate. If you do that, youll take a huge step forward in terms of improving the corporations security posture.

To hear what else Chris, Philip and Daniel had to say, check out the rest of this episode and be sure to check back for new episodes of The Insuring Cyber Podcast publishing every other Wednesday along with the Insuring Cyber newsletter. Thanks for listening.

Topics Carriers Fraud
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A truck driver is expected to accept responsibility for causing the death of a state police detective who was struck by a dislodged tire as he was assisting a driver alongside Interstate 95.

Scott Willett, 55, of Patten, reached a plea agreement in which hell pay a fine and have his license suspended, the Bangor Daily News reported.

Detective Ben Campbell, 31, was fatally injured when a tire from Willetts truck fell off and hit him on April 3, 2019. He was headed to a training event when he stopped to help a driver in a snowstorm in Hampden.

An investigation focused on the condition of the logging truck.

State police previously suspended the license of a mechanic, alleging that his inspection of the logging truck and trailer less than a month before the incident was inadequate.

As owner and operator, Willet is charged with causing the death of a person while committing a traffic infraction, along with several trucking violations and operation of a defective vehicle.

Willett is due in court on Aug. 19.

The detectives funeral at the Cross Insurance Arena in Portland represented the largest gathering of Maine state troopers in history, officials said. It drew 3,000 mourners including law enforcement officers from as far away as Canada and California.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Auto Personal Auto Maine
French insurer AXA announced a new share buyback program as it posted a 3% rise in first-half net profit, driving up its stock price.

AXA, Europes second-biggest insurer behind Germanys Allianz, said it would buy back up to 1 billion euros ($1 billion) worth of its shares, echoing a similar buyback plan unveiled by Italian rival Generali this week.

The buyback pleased analysts and caused AXAs shares to jump up by around 5% in early session trading.

We find ourselves pleasantly surprised today, not only by the launch of a new buyback, but by its size, as 1 billion euros is substantially larger than the 0.7 billion euros cash benefit AXA received by restructuring the holding company, wrote brokerage Jefferies, as it kept a buy rating on AXA.

AXAs first half profits rose thanks to higher revenues from areas such as health insurance which outweighed the financial impact of the war in Ukraine.

AXA, earned 4.1 billion euros [$4.2 billion] compared to 3.99 billion a year earlier.

The global insurance industry faces hefty claims as a result of Russias invasion of Ukraine, but AXA expressed confidence over meeting its 2023 strategic growth targets.

We are very confident in our ability to reach the big targets of our driving progress 2023 strategic plans, said deputy chief executive Frederic de Courtois.

($1 = 0.9837 euros)

(Reporting by Matthieu Protard; writing by GV De Clercq; editing by Sudip Kar-Gupta)

Related:

Topics Carriers Profit Loss AXA XL France
Hiscox is committed to a planned insurance consortium providing cover for ships traveling through a safe passage from Ukraine, its chief executive said on Wednesday, as the Lloyds of London insurer shares plunged on a first-half loss.

The first grain-carrying ship to leave Ukrainian ports in wartime, following a deal brokered by Ankara and the United Nations, safely anchored off Turkeys coast on Tuesday and is due to be inspected on Wednesday.

Trade body the Lloyds Market Association last month said a consortium could be formed to provide cover for grain shipments.

The consortium had not yet been finalized, Aki Hussain told Reuters by phone.

We have committed our support to the Lloyds market-led initiative, he said. We are very supportive of it.

Lloyds insurer Ascot and broker Marsh have already launched a separate facility to provide up to $50 million in cover for grain shipments from Ukraine.

Hiscox, one of the biggest players in the Lloyds commercial insurance market, had insured some ships which are stuck in Ukrainian ports but has received no claims so far, Hussain said.

Hiscox said its losses from Ukraine and Russia were $48 million net of reinsurance, a slight increase from a $40 million estimate made in May.

The insurers shares plunged 7.6%, making it the worst performer in the FTSE mid-cap index .FTMC, after it reported a pretax loss of $107 million in the first half due to a steep decline in the value of its investment portfolio.

Hiscox posted a profit of $133 million in the first half of 2021.

Hiscox recorded an investment loss of $214 million, compared with a profit of $62 million a year earlier, it said in a trading statement.

However, the insurers underwriting performance was strong. It reported a combined ratio  a key measure of underwriting profitability  of 91.3% compared with 93.1% a year earlier. A level below 100% indicates a profit.

Hiscox had raised premiums by around 8% in the London commercial insurance market, 13% in reinsurance and 6% to 7% in its retail business, Hussain said.

KBW analysts described the results as a mixed bag, but reiterated their market perform rating on the stock.

(Reporting by Carolyn Cohn; editing by Jason Neely, Louise Heavens and Tomasz Janowski)

Photograph: Corn lies scattered in a grain warehouse damaged by Russian tanks on May 14, 2022 in Cherkska Lozova, Ukraine. Photo credit: John Moore/Getty Images

Topics Carriers Excess Surplus Ukraine Lloyd's
Brown & Brown Inc., the Daytona Beach, Fla.-based broker, announced the completion of the previously announced acquisition of the general insurance operating companies of BdB Limited.

Financial details of the transaction were not disclosed.

Formed in 1993, BdB Limited is a specialist wholesale broker that provides access to specialty insurance products for insurance professionals in both the UK and the European markets.

The BdB Limited companies include BdB (UK) Limited, BdB Limited, BdB Europe SRL (in Brussels), Mithras Underwriting Limited, Mithras Underwriting Europe SRL and Mithras Underwriting Italia SRL. BdB said all its EU business is handled by BDB Europe SRL and its UK Branch.

BdB said it will operate from Belgium under the leadership of Sofie Temmerman. The companys London leaders are: Silvestro de Besi, Pierluigi Pezone, Peter Goff, Matteo Giuliani, David Colville, Martin Lunn, Steve Toye and Matthew Kendall. Daniel Zaza will lead BdB in Italy.

BdB will report to Steve Boyd, president of Bridge Specialty Group, which Brown & Brown launched in February 2021 to manage its portfolio of more than 25 wholesale insurance businesses.

We are very excited to welcome Silvestro and the talented team at BdB to Bridge Specialty Group. As a leading wholesale brokerage and MGA platform, BdB has earned a long-standing reputation as a best-in-class provider with their agency and carrier partners, commented Boyd in a statement released by Brown & Brown when the BdB deal was initially announced in February 2022.

We quickly recognized that they would be a great cultural fit within our organization. Collectively, we believe that we can continue to create differentiated products and service capabilities that meet the evolving needs of customers in the UK and mainland Europe, he added.

Launched in 1939, Brown & Brown employs over 12,000 people in more than 300 locations across the U.S. and select global markets.

Source: Brown & Brown

Topics Mergers & Acquisitions Agencies
A wildfire that has forced evacuations and destroyed some homes in the Nebraska Panhandle grew to about 25000 square miles (64749.77 square kilometers) Monday, but firefighters were managing to limit the spread of the fire.

The blaze south of Gering, dubbed the Carter Canyon Fire, was reported Saturday evening and began as two separate fires in heavily treed areas of the Cedar Canyon Wildlife Management Area and Carter Canyon Public Land, fire and emergency management officials said.

Officials said tinder-dry conditions, rough terrain and 20 mph (32 kph) winds hampered efforts to control the fires, which merged over the weekend into one fire.

The fire had grown to about 25 square miles (65 square kilometers) and was burning in an area of grassland and large trees, said Ben Bohall, public information officer with the Nebraska Forest Service.

The fire destroyed three homes and damaged several more in the Carter Canyon community that was evacuated Sunday. No injuries were immediately reported.

About 200 people were fighting the fire, with crews from Wyoming and South Dakota helping those from Nebraska, Bohall said. About 35 fire departments from the area and aircraft were brought in to battle the flames.

By Monday, the fire was about 33% contained and wasnt spreading significantly, officials said.

Fire crews will face difficult conditions as they try to control the blaze in the coming days. The National Weather Service forecasts continued winds and temperatures around or in excess of 100 degrees over the next six days, with only a 20% to 30% chance of showers and thunderstorms Tuesday.

The fire in an area suffering from moderate to severe drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.

The Nebraska fire was burning at a time when other large fires were raging in the West, including a Northern California fire that has burned through nearly 87 square miles (225.33 square kilometers) in the Klamath National Forest. Another fire has grown to about 20 square miles (51.80 square kilometers) in the Flathead Indian Reservation in northwestern Montana and Idahos Moose Fire has burned more than 85 square miles (220.15 square kilometers).

Topics Catastrophe Natural Disasters Wildfire Nebraska
Federal safety investigators found workers at General Aluminum Mfg. Co.s Wapakoneta site exposed to machine hazards, just 36 days after they found similar violations at the aluminum vehicle parts manufacturers facility in Conneaut, Ohio.

The U.S. Department of Labors Occupational Safety and Health Administration inspected the Wapakoneta facility in February and found a band saw and quench tank lacked adequate machine guarding. The agency also found the company failed to train workers performing service and maintenance tasks on industrial machinery on energy control procedures  commonly known as lockout/tagout  which exposed them to amputation, caught-in and struck-by hazards. OSHA inspectors also issued citations for these violations at the Conneaut and Ravenna facilities.

OSHA cited one repeat, two willful and 10 serious violations at the Wapakoneta plant for exposing workers to fall hazards while working on top of casting machines, burn hazards due to water accumulation around casting machines, and using improper personal protective equipment. Inspectors determined worker exposure to electrical and arc flashes, confined space and powered industrial vehicle hazards. The agency has proposed $480,240 in penalties.

OSHA opened the Wapakoneta inspection on Feb. 8, 2022, and the Conneaut inspection on Jan. 3, 2022, both under the agencys Severe Violator Enforcement Program. The agency placed the company in the program after a worker at its Ravenna plant suffered fatal injuries in March 2021.

General Aluminums continued failure to protect its workers is a prime example of why OSHAs Severe Violator Enforcement Program allows the agency to inspect any facility operated by a company cited for exposing workers to egregious hazards, said OSHA Regional Administrator William Donovan in Chicago. This company repeatedly ignored OSHA and a third-party auditors recommendations to improve safety procedures and training, and immediately comply with industry and federal safety standards to demonstrate a commitment to protect workers.

In June 2022, OSHA cited the companys Conneaut plant for eight violations and assess $315,952 in proposed penalties. In September 2021, OSHA cited the company for 38 violations with $1,671,738 in proposed penalties after an investigation into the March 2021 fatality in Ravenna. The company contested those citations.

Company management signed formal settlement agreements to resolve OSHA citations for machine guarding and lockout/tagout violations found during inspections conducted between 2015 and 2017 and hired a third-party consultant to conduct comprehensive machine guarding and lockout/tagout audits between 2017 and 2019. The audits identified specific machine guarding and lockout/tagout program deficiencies and provided recommendations the company failed to implement.

Founded in 1943, General Aluminum Mfg. Co. produces engineered automotive castings. The company employs about 1,200 workers nationwide and 137 employees at the Wapakoneta location. Owned by Park Ohio Holdings Corp. in Cleveland, the company also has locations in Freemont and Huntington, Indiana.

The company has 15 business days from receipt of its citations and penalties to comply, request an informal conference with OSHAs area director, or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.

Topics Workers' Compensation Ohio Manufacturing
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North Koreans are plagiarizing online resumes and pretending to be from other countries to get remote work at cryptocurrency firms to aid illicit money-raising efforts for the government, cybersecurity researchers say, following a U.S. warning on a similar scheme in May.

The fraudsters lift details they find on legitimate profiles on LinkedIn and Indeed for their resumes to get work at U.S. cryptocurrency firms, according to security researchers at Mandiant Inc. One applicant identified by Mandiant on July 14 claimed to be an innovative and strategic thinking professional in the tech industry and an experienced software developer. The world will see the great result from my hands, the job seeker added in a cover letter.

Nearly identical language was found in another users profile.

The evidence detected by Mandiant reinforces allegations made by the U.S. government in May. The U.S. warned that North Korean IT workers are trying to obtain freelance employment abroad while posing as non-North Korean nationals, in part to raise money for government weapons development programs. The IT workers claim to have the kinds of skills necessary for complex work like mobile app development, building virtual currency exchanges and mobile gaming, according to the U.S. advisory.

The North Korean IT workers were primarily located in China and Russia, with a smaller number in Africa and Southeast Asia, according to the U.S. They also target freelance contracts in wealthier nations, including in North America and Europe, and in many cases, present themselves as being South Korean, Japanese or even U.S.-based teleworkers, according to the U.S. warning.

According to the Mandiant researchers, by collecting information from crypto companies, North Koreans can gather intelligence about upcoming cryptocurrency trends. Such data  about topics like Ethereum virtual currency, nonfungible tokens and potential security lapses  could give the North Korean government an edge in how to launder cryptocurrency in a way that helps Pyongyang avoid sanctions, said Joe Dobson, a principal analyst at Mandiant.

It comes down to insider threats, he said. If someone gets hired onto a crypto project, and they become a core developer, that allows them to influence things, whether for good or not.

The North Korean government has consistently denied involvement in any cyber-enabled theft.

Other suspected North Koreans have fabricated job qualifications, with some users claiming on job applications to have published a white paper about the Bibox digital currency exchange, while another posed as a senior software developer at a consultancy focused on blockchain technology.

Mandiant researchers said they had identified multiple suspected North Korean personas on employment sites that have successfully been hired as freelance employees. They declined to name the employers.

These are North Koreans trying to get hired and get to a place where they can funnel money back to the regime, said Michael Barnhart, a principal analyst at Mandiant.

In addition, North Korean users, claiming to have programming skills, have posed questions on the coding site GitHub Inc., where software developers publicly discuss their findings, about larger trends in the cryptocurrency world, according to the Mandiant researchers.

North Korean IT workers target freelance contracts from employers located in wealthier nations, according to the USs 16-page advisory released in May. In many instances, the North Korean workers present themselves as South Korean, Chinese, Japanese or Eastern European and US-based teleworkers, according to the US advisory.

In April, Jonathan Wu, an executive at Aztec Network, a blockchain company, described the experience of conducting a job interview with a possible North Korean hacker as leaving him a little shaken. Terrifying, hilarious and a reminder to be paranoid and triple-check your OpSec practices, he wrote, in a Twitter thread. Neither Wu nor the company responded to messages seeking comment.

In a related tactic, suspected North Korean hackers have replicated Indeed.com and used it to gather information on website visitors, according to Alphabet Inc.s Google. By setting up websites that appear to be real, spies can dupe job-seekers into sending their resume, thus beginning a conversation that could enable hackers to breach their machine or steal their data, according Ryan Kalember, executive vice president at the email security firm Proofpoint Inc.

Other fake domains, created by suspected North Korean operators, impersonated ZipRecruiter, a Disney careers page and a site called Variety Jobs, according to Google.

We see a torrent of this every day, said Kalember. Their ability to come up with convincing cover companies is getting better and better.

In February, the security firm Qualys Inc. said it detected a phishing campaign in which the so-called Lazarus Group, a name that the U.S. government sometimes uses to describe Pyongyang-backed hackers, targeted job applicants who applied for roles at Lockheed Martin Corp.

The hackers sent individual messages that appeared to be from Lockheed Martin, using email attachments that appeared to include information from the company but in fact contained malicious software. The ruse followed similar efforts in which attackers posed as BAE Systems Plc and Northrop Grumman Corp., according to Qualys.

If you look at the job listings, theyre appealing to peoples ego and the desire for money, said Adam Meyers, senior vice president of intelligence at CrowdStrike Holdings Inc. Theyre capitalizing on that, but the fake job listings are an opening gambit for their broader cyberattacks and espionage.

North Koreas focus on stealing cryptocurrency comes after the countrys hackers spent years stealing money from the global financial system, Mandiant researchers said. After a notorious 2016 heist on Bangladesh Bank, where the US accused North Korean thieves of trying to steal close to $1 billion, global banks added safeguards meant to stop such breaches.

The market has changed where banks are more secure, and cryptocurrency is a totally new market, Dobson said. Weve seen them go after end-users, crypto exchanges and now the crypto bridges.

Photograph: North Korean flag made by human pixels holding up colored boards in Pyongyang, North Korea. Photo creditr: Eric Lafforgue/Art in All of Us/Corbis News/Getty Images.

Copyright 2022 Bloomberg.
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Beazley strengthens its North American Commercial Property offering

Beazley said it restructured its large commercial property division along with its Canadian and E&S property teams to create a single North American commercial property team.

Four new regional leaders have been appointed  three internal as well as Robert Sadlier, who joins the firm as Central Regional leader, based in Chicago. Sadlier joins Beazley from Ironshore, where he was an E&S Property Underwriting Officer. The internal appointments are:

Ashley Irwin becomes Northeast Regional leader, based in New York. Ashley joined Beazley in 2019 as an underwriter on the U.S. large commercial property team with 15 years of underwriting and broking experience.

Reid Jaffe, Southeast Regional leader, based in Atlanta. Reid joined Beazley in 2007. He is an E&S property underwriter and was the focus group leader for the Southeast E&S team.

Tim Carlin, Western Regional leader, based in San Francisco. Tim has been with Beazley since 2016 as an E&S property underwriter and then became the focus group leader for E&S property for Western region in 2021.

Each regional hub is supported by a locally based underwriting team.

Mike Cooper has been appointed to the new role of Property product leader to drive a consistent underwriting approach to products and business strategy in North America. All teams will report to Matt Westhoff, head of North American commercial property.

These changes are the final piece in our property strategy to create a single commercial property team in North America. Most importantly, it simplifies our distribution and helps us to support our brokers where they are located, offering easier access, and consistent service, irrespective of the channel, based on a unified risk appetite and underwriting approach, said Richard Montminy, group head of property risks at Beazley.

Fusion Americas bolsters M&A capability with senior appointment

Fusion Specialty said it hired Richard Liu, who joins Fusion Americas as partner following the businesses recent launch. Liu assumes his role with immediately and will report to Brian Hayes, managing partner.

Liu will play an integral role in cementing the MGAs global capability and presence in North America. He brings legal, broking as well as underwriting experience to Fusion Americas, having primarily worked within the M&A market. He joins from AXA XL where he held the role of vice president, M&A. Prior to this, Liu was vice president at Atlantic Global Risk having previously worked at KPMG within its M&A Tax group.

Liu said: Fusion Specialtys success in the Asia Pacific is well known and we are primed to replicate and build upon the businesss reputation in North America. There is a large appetite for the tech-enabled solutions Fusion Americas can offer to the traditionally overlooked and underserved small to midmarket sector.

Distinguished Programs Promotes 2 to Regional VP of Sales Roles

Distinguished Programs, a national insurance program manager, announced the promotion of both Donna Percival and Erick Schmitt to the newly created position of regional VP of sales. Percival will oversee sales initiatives in the West & Midwest U.S., while Schmitt will manage the Central and Eastern territories.

Percival joined Distinguished as a regional sales executive in 2020. Previously, she served as a business development manager at Westchester, a Chubb Company, where she grew the companys broker relationships in Northern California and the Pacific Northwest.

Schmitt also joined Distinguished in 2020. Prior to this, he worked at Markel Specialty as a senior sales manager, where he worked directly with retail agents to place workers compensation accounts.

Topics Mergers & Acquisitions Commercial Lines Business Insurance Property AXA XL
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West Virginia cities and counties reached a $400 million tentative settlement with three major U.S. drug distributors, lawyers announced Monday.

In a lawsuit in state court, the cities and counties accused the distributors of fueling the opioid epidemic. The companies are AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal Health and McKesson.

The funds will be distributed over 12 years.

This is a monumental settlement for the state of West Virginia, and its been a battle thats been waged by a lot of families, a lot of communities, Wheeling attorney Bob Fitzsimmons told news outlets. A lot of bad things have happened as a result of the opioid epidemic.

Fitzsimmons and Huntington attorney Paul Farrell Jr. said the individual counties and municipalities still must approve the settlement.

Lauren Esposito, vice president of external and executive communications for AmerisourceBergen, said the settlement will avoid years of litigation and help get resources to areas affected by opioid misuse, as well as make sure health care facilities are able to access medications that patients and providers need, news outlets reported.

Cardinal Health said in an emailed statement, We remain committed to being a part of the solution to the opioid epidemic and believe this settlement agreement will help provide necessary relief to West Virginia communities in need.

McKesson did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment Monday.

Last month, a federal judge ruled against Cabell County and Huntington in similar claims. They are not included in the settlement announced Monday and plan to appeal the ruling that rejected most arguments made against the drug companies.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Virginia Drugs
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Policyholders with three insurance companies once owned by billionaire Greg Lindberg and who have as much as $50,000 in the bank may now qualify for financial hardship payments, the North Carolina insurance commissioner announced Wednesday.

This will make policy funds more available to policyholders in financial hardship under the criteria of the program, Commissioner Mike Causey said in a statement. The hardship program provides an exception to the court-ordered moratorium to assist customers who are in immediate need of funds so that they may meet everyday living expenses.

North Carolinas hardship program allows payments for policyholders of insurance companies that are in state-ordered rehabilitation. The aid has been limited to people who have less than $25,000 in liquid assets, but the order from Causey raises the limit to $50,000.

The insurance companies are Southland National Insurance Co., Bankers Life Insurance Co. and Colorado Bankers Life Insurance.

A 2019 court-ordered moratorium, part of the fallout from Lindbergs collapsed business empire, had forbidden cash surrenders, new annuitizations and policy loans while Lindbergs former companies are in rehab. Causeys plan provides an exception to the moratorium, the commissioner said.

The insurance companies have made payments and will continue to make payments for death claims, health insurance claims, required minimum distributions from IRAs, and for annuities that reach their maturity date, Causeys statement said.

Its the latest development in the Lindberg story, which has seen Lindberg convicted of attempting to bribe Causey, then having his conviction set aside in June and a new trial ordered. Regulators had grown concerned that Lindberg was funneling too much money from his insurance companies and investing it in his other businesses.

In May, the three insurers and Southland National Reinsurance Corp. won a court judgment, finding that Lindberg and his affiliated companies breached their contracts. In 2019, Lindberg had agreed to let some of his companies be run by an independent board, but he did not uphold that agreement, the court found.

More information on the hardship program and the rehabilitation plans can be found on the insurance firms websites: Colorado Bankers Life, Bankers Life Insurance Company, and Southland National Insurance Company.

The insurance companies are continuing to work to hold Greg Lindberg to his promises to perform the rehabilitation plan set out in the memorandum of understanding so that the rehabilitator will be able to provide additional access to policy funds, Causeys statement said.

Topics North Carolina
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.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Commercial Lines Business Insurance Oregon
The McKinney Fire in Northern California was still out of control on Wednesday despite cloudy, cooler conditions on Tuesday night.

The fire has burned nearly 90 square miles since it started on Friday in an unpopulated area in Klamath National Forest.

CalFire listed the blaze as 0% contained as of Wednesday afternoon, unchanged from its level of containment on Monday.

Multiple evacuation orders and warnings have remained in effect since Monday.

Highway 96 in the area remains closed. Resources fighting the fire have also increased in the last few days. So far, 35 crews, 10 helicopters, 121 engines, and 1,363 personnel have been dedicated to fighting the fire.

Fire activity was again mitigated over night by cloudy, cooler conditions, the latest CalFire incident summary states. On the McKinney Fire, no perimeter growth was observed. Crews were able to work successfully behind the city of Yreka, bringing dozer line along the ridge to protect the structures. In the steep area on the fires southern edge, hand crews worked on direct line construction near Baldy Gap, and in Humbug Creek. The fire continued to back down toward the river in the Walker Creek area, and crews worked there to protect structures.

The Associated Press reported two more bodies were found within the burn zone of the wildfire. Two bodies were reported found inside a burned vehicle earlier this week. The discovery of the latest two brings the death toll to four in the states largest wildfire so far this year.

There has also been confirmed damage to properties, and other injuries. The cause of the blaze is under investigation.

Related:

Topics California
Los Angeles, CA., June 28, 2022  The Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation (IICF), a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping communities and enriching lives, gathered 1,000 insurance professionals from across the US for the IICF Inclusion in Insurance Regional Forums in June, a series of events dedicated to advancing ideas into action around diversity, inclusion and innovation while benefitting charitable causes. Insurance industry professionals, DEI leaders, academics, and C-suite executives gathered in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and Dallas to share actionable insight on diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, philanthropy and the future of work. Fresh approaches to DEI were discussed, including the culture of wellness as a corporate advantage, recruiting, retention and advancement of diverse candidates, potential value of select bias, psychological safety in the workplace, value of data relative to DEI, and impactful allyship that results in meaningful change. In total the IICF Inclusion Forums expect to raise more than $900,0000 in support of regional nonprofits serving those in need.

Top executives across the industry and DEI thought leaders from around the globe led inspiring conversations centered on a range of topics designed to challenge the status quo and provide practical takeaways to build a more inclusive future with equality of opportunity. Speakers including Cheryl Rosario, head of DEI & CSR, Munich Re, Ronald Reeves, chief diversity officer, AIG, Barbara Bufkin, Senior Advisor at Amwins Group, Shandrilya Lewis, Director of Strategy & Planning, USAA, and Margaret Spence, CEO of the Inclusion Learning Lab shared compelling insights and actionable advice for attendees looking to create change in their organizations and insurance industry as a whole.

Some key takeaways from the events included:

Reflexive vs Reflective Giving: As highlighted by Nelba Marquez Greene, founder of the Ana Grace Project, too often organizations simply engage in reflexive giving, or giving in the immediate aftermath of a tragedy. Philanthropy needs to be comprehensive and intentional.

The Truth Behind Bias: Eric Bailey, author of The Cure for Stupidity and president of Bailey Strategic Innovation Group, shared that all bias isnt necessarily inherently bad. It can sometimes help us quickly understand the world and our surroundings, yet the need to understand the nature of unconscious bias and recognize ways it manifests in the workplace is critical.

Leadership Looks Like Me: Deepa Purushothaman, author & cofounder of nFormation offered valuable first-hand insight into being a first, as a senior leader advancing in the consulting world, and shared strategies for women and POC who may not see widespread representation in their workplace. This includes challenging the idea of scarcity to ensure there are no limits to available seats at the table for leaders of diverse backgrounds.

Winning Conditions for Promoting an Inclusive Culture: Inclusive cultures require continuous promotion, a key point reinforced by Christine Hofbeck, actuary, best-selling author and CBS Survivor contestant. Simply creating an inclusive culture is not always enough, and Hofbeck encourages businesses to keep pushing for even small improvements, which can result in substantial improvements to outcome.

For more comprehensive insights from IICFs Inclusion in Insurance Regional Forums, stay tuned for the events summary white paper which will be released later this summer.

After the virtual programming of the past few years, it was clearly evident how excited the insurance industry was to reconvene in-person at each of the four Forums, to learn and explore vitally important DEI topics together, reconnecting with colleagues and networking to make new connections, said Elizabeth Myatt, VP, Chief Program Officer of IICF. As the only industry leadership events dedicated to advancing ideas into action on DEI while giving back to those in need, the IICF Forums offer our industry an important opportunity to address major challenges and opportunities, those both unique to the insurance industry and issues faced by business and society at large. The talent gap and the state of wellness and mental healthcare just two of the critical topics on our agenda at each forum. Thank you to our phenomenal speakers, panelists, sponsors and attendees for making this years Regional Forums a resounding success as together we work to build a fully inclusive future for the insurance industry.

IICFs Inclusion in Insurance leadership events were established as the Women in Insurance Conference Series and are the only such events to benefit nonprofit and charitable organizations throughout the US and in the UK through IICFs Community Grants Program. Since inception in 2013, more than 9,000 insurance professionals have attended IICFs Inclusion in Insurance and Women in Insurance events. In September IICFs UK Division will host the 2022 Forum on Social Purpose and Inclusion in London, and next year, IICF will host the 2023 IICF Inclusion in Insurance Global Conference. Registration and additional details will be available later this year at www.inclusion.iicf.org.

Grants awarded through the IICFs Community Grants Program provide direct support in addressing food insecurity, homelessness, educational disparities, disaster relief and preparedness, and helping children at risk, veterans and more. IICF has contributed more than $42 million to communities throughout the US and UK and provided more than 2.6 million meals to vulnerable children since the start of the pandemic. Special thanks to the Four-Conference Diamond Presenting Sponsors Amwins, CNA, EY, Markel and USAA, and all generous event sponsors making DEI initiatives and the goal of a fully inclusive future for the insurance industry a priority.

About the Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation (IICF) The Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation (IICF) is a unique nonprofit that unites the collective strengths of the insurance industry to help communities and enrich lives through grants, volunteer service and leadership. Established in 1994, IICF has served as the philanthropic foundation of the insurance industry for more than twenty-five years, contributing $42 million in community grants along with 310,000 volunteer hours by more than 110,000 industry professionals. IICF reinvests locally where funds are raised, serving hundreds of charities and nonprofit organizations, for maximum community impact. IICF is a registered nonprofit organization under section 501(c)(3) of the IRS code. Learn more at www.iicf.org or follow us on social media: @doubleicf

Media Contact:

Alisa Breese

IICF Communications

abreese@iicf.com (949) 412-2143
Some of you heard I was in Amsterdam recently. What I neglected to mention to anyone was the reason for my visit.

As it had very little to do with farming, l felt it would be of no interest to anybody.

Well, more the fool me, for it has become the talk of the place. What was auld Lehane doing in Amsterdam?

So, in order to quell the rumour mill, for some right scandalous suggestions have been made, today I will reveal all.

I was in Amsterdam with the Irish karate team. They needed me there for as the father of one of the Irish team members, I was a vital cog, I suspect, to the smooth running of the event.

True to form, the Irish team didnt disappoint when it came to scrapping - they came away with plenty of silverware.

Anyhow, with time to kill one evening, I was walking along a very friendly street and heard my name being bellowed out from some quarter.

Turning sharply around I came face to face with a man known far and wide for his exploits in Amsterdam.

Paddy left Ireland back in the 1980s with nothing more than a shovel over his shoulder and a determination to help with the Netherlands' greatest project - keeping the water out.

Paddy was as mad as a hatter back then, and time hasnt altered him much.

So there he was, in front of me now with the shovel still firmly grasped.

Good God Paddy! says I. I thought you had died. I thought you had been carried out to sea years ago.

Paddy laughed of course for he was glad not to be dead.

The Netherlands, says he, Has come under sustained pressure from the sea, particularly at night.

Its gone so bad now, he roared (even though I was only three feet away), That I can only sleep soundly once my shovel is in bed with me.

Paddy was always a bit of a loon, but sure, nobody is perfect.

And then I went on to explain that global warming was the reason for all the floods. It has the place destroyed, I explained.

But then I told him the good news that we have got the situation under control.

Minister Eamon Ryan back home in Ireland, I predicted, Will cut cattle numbers so low that the sea will subside.

Paddy was delighted to hear this for the sea has plagued him most of his life.

But he was confused too.

How will culling cows and putting decent hardworking farmers out of business help anything? he asked.

God Paddy, says I, You really are in the dark ages. Tis the cows belching that has us all in terrible trouble. Eamonn Ryan has it all worked out.

Its very scientific, I stressed, And way beyond what you or I might dream up.

Paddy, although crazy in many ways, was soon converted to Eamonn Ryans way of thinking.

It would be safe to say they were on the same wavelength.

I like his style, Paddy bellowed.

And with that Paddy was greatly relieved. His worst days were now behind him.

He shook my hand, waved goodbye and as he swung his shovel over his shoulder he began to whistle a tune in tribute to Eamonn Ryan - a man rural Ireland wont forget in a hurry.
From her experience, Alice Doyle said there are two things having a big effect on farm families: one is the uncertainty, that they have no idea whats coming down the line; the second is the vilification of the farming community.

The Irish Farmers Association farm family committee chairwoman has said an awful lot of family farmers are really feeling the impact of this vilification with farmers feeling that they are the enemy when actually we are not the enemy.

It is having a detrimental effect psychologically on both young and old in farming, Ms Doyle told the Irish Examiner.

Weve all contributed to emissions and climate change, we all can contribute to the correction of it, but I think its very important that everybody takes responsibility for the correction and that its not blamed on one sector.

With a 25% cut in emissions expected of the agricultural sector by 2030, the effects of this cut on Irish family farms could be devastating, as the family farm at the moment is barely viable and in many cases hardly viable, Ms Doyle has warned. In order to stay viable, it cant afford to take much more cuts than its already taking, she said.

The family farmer is very willing to do what they can to improve things so as to reduce emissions, but it has to be done in a sustainable way  and the 25% cut cannot be done in a sustainable way.

A farm cant remain sustainable and try and implement cuts to that effect.

The problem is, we dont even know what the cuts are  we dont even know what were going to be asked to do.

Ms Doyle stressed that farmers cannot continue to do any practices that cause harm to the environment, but in the past, they have been very good at taking the scientific advice, improving their production, applying new methods that they were given.

Now were being asked to change again  we will change again, but we have to be given time to do it, she added. Miracles dont happen, and its all possible, but we have to be realistic.

Ms Doyle said that for farm and rural families, emissions cuts for every sector were going to hugely affect their daily lives.

Whether its the effect its having directly on the farm or directly on their budget, because a farm family also has to live and they have to have their car and have to do their shopping, they have to rear their children.

All of these emissions cuts that are going to have to be made, were going to have to take all of that on board as well as the agricultural [target].

'There isn't an income from it'

Vanessa Kiely OConnor farms a 65-cow dairy herd in West Cork.

She told the Irish Examiner, in response to the 25% target announcement, that she has always worked Government policy and done all the things that were expected of her environmentally on her farm.

There is an urgency among farmers, including Ms Kiely OConnor, to gain further information on what the overall emissions reduction target might mean at an individual farm level.

Give us the details so I can actually calculate how much my farm is going to be decimated and whether its going to be worth my while looking forward to the future.

Because the next generation is certainly not going to be interested in having anything to do with farming with the way it is at the moment," she said.

There isnt an income from it; if there isnt an income from it, you cant expect any generation to jump in.

Im passionate, and I love what I do, and itll take a lot for me to step aside, but theres a fine line, Im well aware of the costs of trying to run a family and trying to run a farm and at the moment its just not equating.

She fears that the best of farmers will be lost, because the good has been taken out of it for all the work that has been put in with the parameters weve been given over the years and the targets, and now the goalposts are moving again.
Tom Cruise may be spending some time in Ireland this week after his private jet landed in Co Kerry on Wednesday afternoon.

According to Celeb Jets, Cruises Challenger 300 took off near Shannon just before midday, landing outside Killarney, Co Kerry just after 12pm.

The Twitter account claims that the journey from Shannon to Kerry used approximately 194kg of jet fuel and cost about 420.

Tom Cruise's Challanger 300 Landed near Killarney, County Kerry, IE. Apx. flt. time 12 Mins. pic.twitter.com/y6ZSi7lU4j  Celebrity Jets (@CelebJets) August 3, 2022

In recent days, Kylie Jenner came under fire for taking her private jet on a flight that was under 20 minutes in journey time, raising concerns over the impact of private jet usage on the environment.

While it is not yet known whether the Mission Impossible star is on board his jet, Cruise was spotted paragliding in the Lake District in the UK over the weekend.

A dog walker spotted the Hollywood star in action and it is believed he was filming for Mission Impossible 8, which is due to be released in 2024.

Cruise is no stranger to the Emerald Isle and has some Irish connections of his own, with his ancestry dating back to 12th century Ireland. The American actor can trace his heritage back to the Anglo-Normans and Strongbow, according to research by Tourism Ireland on behalf of The Gathering.

In 2013, Cruise was presented with a Certificate of Irish Heritage while in Dublin.
People booked on holidays in Europe are being warned to expect another extreme heatwave that could lead to more deadly wildfires.

Between today and Monday, countries in central and eastern Europe will see waves of scorching temperatures, some as high as 40C.

As a result, the Department of Foreign Affairs has urged caution for those travelling to a number of popular destinations, including Spain, Portugal, Italy, Turkey, France, and Germany.

Firefighters battling a wildfire near Landiras, southwestern France in July. Picture: SDIS 33 via AP

Forecasts also indicate extremely high temperatures in eastern Europe over the next four days.

Meteorologist Robert Stefanski, with the World Meteorological Organization, told RTE radio: Heat is building in central and southern Europe. This started in June.

"We had one episode, I think in the middle of, the end of, June.

Of course in July we saw a lot of heat.

"Now it's continuing, so that pattern for the last two, two and a half months, is still in place."

For Portugal, travellers are advised to observe a high degree of caution.

In its latest travel alert, the Department of Foreign Affairs states: Wildfires are currently being reported throughout Portugal, including near popular tourist destinations in the Algarve. Irish citizens in Portugal should carefully monitor the news as the situation can change fast.

You should follow the advice of local authorities and be prepared to change your travel plans at short notice.

Wildfires raging in Albergaria a Velha, Portugal. Picture: Octavio Passos/Getty Images

Added to that, the department is also warning about significant seismic activity around Sao Jorge island, Azores, about 1,000km from mainland Portugal.

The department says the activity may indicate a risk of earthquakes or volcanic eruption.

A high degree of caution is also being urged in Spain.

The department says wildfires are currently being reported throughout Spain, in particular in the Autonomous Communities of Castile and Leon, Galicia, Aragon, Extremadura, and the Canary Islands.

Again, it urges Irish citizens in Spain to carefully monitor the situation, and to be prepared to change travel plans at short notice.

Regional authorities in the French capital Paris have warned residents to be vigilant, with temperatures soaring to 36C.

In a tweet, the Ile-de-France prefecture also asked residents to moderate their water consumption amid a "major dry spell".

Elsewhere in France, some 27 departments have now been placed on "orange alert", with a heatwave spreading mainly to the east of mainland France.

Temperatures are set to hit up to 40C in some places in the south.

According to news agency Reuters, Europe's record-breaking heatwave last month saw England and Wales register nearly 1,700 extra deaths in just one week, early data shows, while Portugal and Spain counted another 1,700.

The figures, which will likely change as records are updated.

"Every heatwave that we are experiencing today has been made hotter and more frequent because of climate change," Friederike Otto, a climate scientist at Imperial College London who also co-leads the World Weather Attribution research collaboration, said.

Scientists say that heat extremes that would have happened once every 10 years without human influence on the climate are now three times more frequent.

As well as fires, drought is now also an increasing issue in Europe.

The Dutch government on Wednesday, for example, declared a water shortage, following an unusually dry summer with no rain forecast for the coming two weeks.
THE decision over who becomes the next UK prime minister is now down to Tory party members. Ballots posted to conservative party members arrive this week. Its crunch time for Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss.

In the ring are two candidates who despite other differences have doubled down on Brexit. The Labour partys mantra has also become make Brexit work.

The fantasy was that a clean Brexit would result in Britain leaving the EU, erecting trade barriers against its neighbours while experiencing frictionless trade thereby increasing its annual income by billions.

The reality according to the UK Office for Budget Responsibility is that Brexit has resulted in an annual loss of 80bn and that little over half the damage to the economy has been done yet.

The recent chaos at the docks of the Channel ports where British holidaymakers and lorry drivers waited for up to 18 hours to reach the Eurotunnel to cross to France is the result of significant checks and controls at the formerly frictionless border.

Yet, while one YouGov poll in Britain last month showed that only 16% of Britons think that Brexit is going well, other polls indicated that if asked to vote again on Brexit, Britons remain split down the middle as they were in 2016.

Why would people polled say they would vote for Brexit again while the evidence of Brexit-induced economic self-harm mounts? Or to put it another way, why do otherwise sane people disregard factually based evidence to cling to what Kellyanne Conway, Trumps right-hand woman, once infamously termed alternative facts?

Understanding the psychology of misinformation is complex where emotion may play an unknown role in our beliefs and where there may be psychological drivers to false beliefs.

Science journalist David McRaney says that reasoning isnt the same thing as logic because we naturally prefer to search for evidence that confirms our assumptions. And we tend to put on our confirmation goggles when we feel highly motivated by fear, anxiety, and anger.

So, what if anything can we do to dislodge false narratives and change peoples minds?

In his stimulating new book How Minds Change: The New Science of Belief, Opinion, and Persuasion McRaney, suggests that giving a fact-based correction that directly addresses inaccuracies in misinformation by providing accurate information may fail.

In fact, (pun intended) bombarding people with facts may have the opposite effect of cementing them in their views.

Witnessing the sudden shift in opinion about same-sex marriage across the United States made him wonder what changes minds.

McRaney talks to Charlie Veitch, a 9/11 conspiracy theorist and darling of the conspiracy community who was brutally ostracised by his online community after deciding that 9/11 was not a hoax.

He demonstrates how truth is tribal, humans value being good members of their groups much more than they value being right, so much so that as long as the group satisfies those needs, we will choose to be wrong if it keeps us in good standing with our peers.

Certainty itself is an emotion, so the feeling of knowing we are right even when faced with the fact we might be wrong encourages us to argue with our own past selves as if trapped in a neurological prison of our own convictions.

This might partially explain the reluctance of some Britons to abandon the magical thinking that leads them to think that Brexit will work out okay.

Members of the extremist Westboro Baptist Church who McRaney talked with left the Church because their core needs werent being met (one left because of a bad back). It was only after they left that their views on things like homosexuality changed. He writes that even the most resistant of us change our minds in certain transformative circumstances.

So, presumably, if you spent enough time trapped in your car at a port, couldnt afford to feed your family, couldnt get the operation you needed because there was no NHS staff, you might reach what is described as the affective tipping point, the moment after which a brain can no longer assimilate anomalies and becomes motivated to accommodate instead.

There comes a moment when we realise that refusing to change is riskier than admitting we are probably wrong. In any group, there will be early adopters and others will be stubborn holdouts, and many will be in between. But a society can change its mind in a sudden cascade a bit like how a party can empty out without any group coordination. One bored/tired person leaves, then another, and the dominos fall until the stubborn holdouts are forced to get their jackets and the party is over.

A former Tory defence minister, Tobias Ellwood, suggested that Britain should rejoin the EU single market to soften the cost-of-living crisis, saying that this is not the Brexit most people imagined. This book would suggest that early adopter Ellwood should engage in deep canvassing which is incredibly effective at shifting attitudes on a wide variety of socially contentious issues including immigration which was a key driver of Brexit.

It involves going door to door, conversing with a person for around 20 minutes using a technique that was developed by LGBT campaigners in California who shared this method with other campaigners around the world as a new way to reach out to people, to cut through polarisation and change minds. It was discovered by a man called Dave Fleisher, a professional mind-changer from a small town in Ohio who graduated from Harvard law school.

The long-term goal was to change attitudes without waiting for generational churn. The immediate goal was to get people thinking about their own thinking by listening to them in a non-judgmental way, by building rapport, not rubbishing them, not bombarding them with facts, and by sharing a story about somebody affected by the issue.

When you become so fully immersed in a story that you forget yourself for a moment you begin to humanise and empathize and demystify one another, McRaney writes.

A key tactic of the Yes Equality campaign in Ireland was to make the case for marriage equality through the telling of personal stories. This approach also worked during the abortion referendum.

Ultimately, McRaney argues that change occurs when people have their position and feelings acknowledged. Listening before persuading is your best shot at changing hearts and minds.

He cautions that it may be a bad idea to always want to win an argument, that its necessary to ask yourself why you want to change somebodys views, whether youre willing to change yours, and if you do want to change beliefs you must persist because the people who change the world are the people who persist. We live in an era where the world feels increasingly polarised but the good news from this optimistic book is that there is a value to arguing because if there wasnt, argumentation would have long ago been tossed into the evolutionary dustbin.

Where climate change is concerned the stakes could not be higher and as the editorial in this paper made clear last week all production sectors including farmers must change their practices which necessitates a shift in thinking.

This clever, compassionate, and timely book seems to provide pointers as to how collective minds could be changed on climate change, Brexit, and many other issues.
US House Speaker, and third in line to the presidency, Nancy Pelosis arrival in Taiwan has incited a predictably strong response from China.

Chinese warplanes have brushed up against the median line dividing the Taiwan Strait. The Chinese foreign ministry has warned of serious consequences as a result of Pelosis visit to the island. Chinese president Xi Jinping has told US president Joe Biden that those who play with fire will perish by it.

And now, China has just announced a major military exercise, with live-fire drills starting on August 4, just after Pelosi leaves Taiwan. The spectre of military confrontation looms large.

Nancy Pelosi is hardly responsible for todays heightened tensions over the island. Even if she had decided to skip Taipei on her tour of Asia, Chinas bellicosity toward Taiwan would have continued to intensify. Picture: AP Photo/Chiang Ying-ying

But Pelosi is hardly responsible for todays heightened tensions over the island. Even if she had decided to skip Taipei on her tour of Asia, Chinas bellicosity toward Taiwan would have continued to intensify, possibly triggering another Taiwan Strait crisis in the near future.

Contrary to the prevailing narrative, this is not primarily because Xi is committed to reunifying Taiwan during his rule. Although reunification is indeed one of his long-term objectives  it would be a crowning achievement for both him and the Communist Party of China (CPC) more broadly  any attempt to achieve it by force would be extremely costly.

It might even carry existential risks for the CPC regime, the survival of which would be jeopardised by a failed military campaign.

For a Chinese invasion of Taiwan to have a good chance of succeeding, China would need first to insulate its economy from Western sanctions and acquire military capabilities that can credibly deter an American intervention. Each of these processes would take at least a decade.

The main reasons for Chinas current sabre-rattling over Taiwan are more immediate. Chinese authorities are signalling to Taiwanese leaders and their supporters in the West that their relations with one another and with China are on an unacceptable trajectory.

The implication is that if they do not change course, China will have no choice but to escalate.

Until relatively recently, Chinas leaders viewed the situation in the Taiwan Strait as unsatisfactory but tolerable. When Taiwan was ruled by the traditionally China-friendly Kuomintang (KMT) party, China was able to pursue a gradual strategy of economic integration, diplomatic isolation, and military pressure  one it believed would eventually make peaceful reunification Taiwans only option.

US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Taiwanese president Tsai Ing-wen during a meeting in Taipei on Wednesday. Picture: Taiwan Presidential Office via AP

But in January 2016, the pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party returned to power in Taiwan, upending Chinas plans. While the KMT claims Taiwan and China have different interpretations of the 1992 Consensus  the agreement the party reached with mainland Chinese authorities 30 years ago asserting the existence of one China  the DPP rejects it altogether.

Though it is difficult to pinpoint precisely when the new status quo became intolerable to China, a key turning point probably came in January 2020, when Taiwanese president Tsai Ing-wen of the DPP easily won a second term, and when her party trounced the KMT in legislative elections.

As the DPP solidified its political dominance, Chinas dream of achieving peaceful reunification moved further out of reach.

It also did not help that the US had been gradually shifting its Taiwan policy.

Under Donald Trumps administration, the US lifted restrictions on contacts between US officials and their Taiwanese counterparts; subtly changed the formulation of its one-China policy, by placing more emphasis on American commitments to Taiwan; and transferred advanced weapons systems to the island.

Such challenges to China have continued under Biden. Last year, US marines openly trained with Taiwans military. And this past May, Biden signalled that the US would intervene militarily if China attacked Taiwan  although the White House quickly walked back his statement.

The war in Ukraine also seems to have heightened the sense among Western leaders that Taiwan is in grave and immediate danger. They appear to believe that only robust and vocal support, including high-level visits and military assistance, can avert a Chinese attack.

What they fail to recognise is that, viewed from Beijing, their support for Taiwan looks more like an attempt to humiliate China than anything else. It is thus more provocation than deterrent.

China now fears that if DPP leaders and their Western supporters do not pay a price for their affronts, it will lose its grip on the situation. This would not only undermine Xis chance of achieving his long-term goal of reunification, it also could invite accusations of weakness that would undermine his standing both within and outside China.

China is probably not planning to launch an immediate and deliberate attack on Taiwan. But it may decide to engage the US in a game of chicken in the Taiwan Strait. It is impossible to predict such a confrontations exact form or timing.

But it is safe to assume it would be extremely dangerous, because China believes that only brinkmanship can concentrate all the players minds.

Like the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, a new Taiwan Strait crisis might end up stabilising the status quo  albeit after a few hair-raising days. And that may well be Chinas plan. But such a gambit could also go horribly wrong.

Lest we forget, the fact that nuclear war did not break out in 1962 was largely a matter of luck.

Minxin Pei is professor of government at Claremont McKenna College in California
From the Archive Myanmars Min Aung Hlaing, Russias Putin and Their Ilk Must Not Prevail

Myanmar coup leader Min Aung Hlaing inspects troops during the Armed Forces Day parade in Naypyitaw in March 2017. / AFP via Myawady

Russia is a major supplier of military hardware to the Myanmar regime, and enhanced military-to-military ties, which began even before the junta seized power in February 2021, have only been stepped up since the coup. With the arrival of Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Naypyitaw on Wednesday for talks with junta leaders, The Irrawaddy revisits this commentary originally published in March of this year, shortly after Russias invasion of Ukraine, examining the implications of the junta and Moscows show of mutual support.

The generals who have engaged in brutal atrocities and applied a scorched earth strategy in Myanmar will surely be following the news from Ukraine closely. The immediate question that arises is, do they want Russian President Vladimir Putin and his invading army to succeed? Perhaps.

As the invasion of Ukraine was beginning, Myanmar, a member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), sounded decidedly out of step with the rest of the world when a spokesperson for Myanmars military council voiced support for Putins aggression, offering two reasons.

No. 1 is that Russia has worked to consolidate its sovereignty, he said. I think this is the right thing to do. No. 2 is to show the world that Russia is a world power.

Of course, this is garbage. The juntas quick show of support for Russias aggression is hardly surprising; Russia is a major supplier of military hardware to the regime, and enhanced military-to-military ties have been cemented since the coup.

Moscow sent a high-level military delegation led by Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu to Myanmar two weeks before last years coup. Moscow knew of the coup in advance and promised to supply arms, training, hardware and surveillance technology to the regime.

Since the coup, the two sides have exchanged numerous visits. Indeed, the relationship has grown worryingly warm. However, this Russia-Myanmar friendship doesnt include the Myanmar people.

For their part, the oppressed people of Myanmar loathe both Russia and China, and whoever else supports the regime.

On March 27 last year, the regime celebrated Armed Forces Day, which historically has marked the day the people took up arms against the occupying Japanese in the 1940s. On the same day, the regimes forces slaughtered more than 100 people across the country, making it the bloodiest single day since the generals seized power less than two months earlier. By that point, the international community including most Western nations had long since condemned the military regime, but Russian Deputy Defense Minister Colonel General Alexander Vasilyevich Fomin chose to travel to Naypyitaw to attend the 76th annual Armed Forces Day commemorations.

Soon citizens, farmers, schoolteachers and children were bearing the brunt as Russian-made jet fighters and helicopters were deployed to drop bombs and fire missiles and machine guns at them. Many have died since the regime launched a brutal war against its own people.

Not only Russian but also Chinese-made weapons have killed many innocent people in Myanmar. They, too, are implicated in the post-coup human tragedy in Myanmar.

Like Putin and his army, Min Aung Hlaing and his soldiers behave like foreign invaders, but they do so in their own country. The regime faces strong resistance, encountering many form of protest as well as armed rebellion across the country.

A year after attempting to stage a coup, the Myanmar regime still does not control the country or the people.

Did Min Aung Hlaing underestimate the Myanmar people?

Since Russia launched its invasion, Ukraines people have displayed great bravery. This has been well noted in the international community; the reaction from the West has been tough and Russia is being cut out of the global financial system.

Both Senior General Min Aung Hlaing and Putin have underestimated the people they seek to subdue, and the resistance to their aggression. Should Putin fail to assert control over Ukraine, Min Aung Hlaings grand strategy of bringing Russia into Myanmars political landscape after the takeover will seem as delusional as his coup plan itself.

He must be worried. Days after the invasion of Ukraine, after the spokesman expressed the regimes stance in support of Moscow, top brass in Myanmar held a meeting to discuss the crisis in Ukraine and its impact on and consequences for Myanmar. The generals are worried about the Wests financial sanctionsMyanmars arms dealers have bank accounts in Russiaand the supply of hardware will slow. Since the coup, the West, including the US and the EU, has imposed stiff sanctions on the Myanmar military, state-owned companies and business cronies of the regime, but more needs to be done.

At the meeting, it is understood that the generals were also curious about Chinas position on Russias invasion of Ukraine. Details are sketchy but it seems they were mostly interested in Chinas strategic goals, and how theyand future China-Myanmar relationsmight be impacted if Russia botches its invasion of Ukraine.

In its public pronouncements, the Chinese government has urged all sides to de-escalate tensions in Ukraine.

Since the military takeover in Myanmar on Feb. 1, China has repeatedly insisted that the armed forces seizure of power from the democratically elected government is Myanmars internal affair, including at the UN Security Council (UNSC) and at Human Rights Council meetings. The Myanmar people dislike China and its stance toward the coup, just as they dislike Russia for the same reason. Since the coup, China has faced massive anti-China protests in Myanmar and boycotts of Chinese products.

China-backed factories in Myanmar have been torched and threats against China-backed gas pipelines issued. Beijing has voiced serious concern over the security of its pipelines; anti-junta groups in Myanmar have countered by saying that whether or not they are blown up is an internal affair, mocking Chinas own rationale for blocking other nations attempts at the UN to condemn the military takeover.

In the meantime, the generals are likely to beef up security for Chinese interests and projects in Myanmar, and Min Aung Hlaing will do whatever is necessary to accommodate both Russia and China. At the end of the day, his aim is to rule the country with his blood-soaked hands, and he will make friends with either Russia or China in order to achieve this.

There is some pride at stake for Min Aung Hlaing in Putins invasion of Ukraine: The general wants to show the people of Myanmar, and especially his opponents, that his allies are winners. If things go badly for Putin, the Myanmar people will feel vindicated and Min Aung Hlaing and his hardline thugs will feel they have attached themselves to the losing side.

Since the coup, Myanmar has quickly descended into chaos. As the human and economic costs of the long and bloody coup attempt mount it will only become more difficult for the regime to exert control and consolidate its grip on the country.

Min Aung Hlaings regime sees Myanmars citizens as enemies; therefore, its coup has failed. Lacking legitimacy, the regime in Myanmar today is a pariah. If murderer-in-chief Min Aung Hlaing and his military are allowed to win, the Myanmar people will forever remain slaves, subject to tyranny.

Dark days lie ahead for both Ukraine and Myanmar. The resistance in Ukraine has already earned the admiration of the entire world, just as the efforts of Myanmars various resistance forces, including groups engaged in armed rebellion, have surprised many at home and abroad.

Knowing they would be fired upon, a group of Ukrainian soldiers guarding a military facility on Snake Island in the Black Sea told a Russian warship to go fuck yourself. In Myanmar last year, protesters, faced with rows of soldiers and tanks, exclaimed: Fuck the coup!

We cannot allow Min Aung Hlaing or Putin to succeed, or let one feel vindication in the success of the other.

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Burma ASEAN Chair Says Executions May Prompt Rethink of Strategy on Myanmar

The opening ceremony for the 55th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Foreign Ministers Meeting in Phnom Penh on Aug. 3, 2022 / AFP

The chairman of ASEAN, a regional grouping of 10 Southeast Asian countries, said the bloc may have to rethink its approach to the Myanmar crisis if the junta continues to execute political prisoners.

Cambodia currently holds the rotating chair of ASEAN, of which Myanmar is a member.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen made the comment in his opening remarks to the 55th ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting in Phnom Penh on Wednesday morning.

Myanmar has been in social and political turmoil with armed resistance groups battling the regime across the country since the military coup last year. The junta, which has killed more than 2,000 people since seizing power, executed four democracy activists in July under terrorism laws for their anti-regime activities despite global pleas to spare them, including from ASEAN.

Currently, the regimes prisons hold 76 political prisoners who have been sentenced to death, and the junta has said that more hangings are in the pipeline.

Hun Sen said on Wednesday that following the execution of the four opposition activists the situation in Myanmar had changed dramatically, and could now be seen as even worse than the period prior to the blocs announcement of its peace plan for Myanmar, known as the Five-Point Consensus.

If more prisoners are to be executed, we will be forced to rethink our role vis a vis ASEANs Five-Point Consensus, he said.

The grouping adopted the consensus in April last year, calling for an immediate end to violence, and for dialogue between the junta and its opponents.

So far, the junta has failed to honor the plan. Regime chief Min Aung Hlaing said on Monday that implementing the consensus last year was challenging, as the country had to overcome the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic while dealing with violent riots and terrorism.

This year, as the situation has improved on all fronts, we are implementing the ASEAN Five-Point Consensus to the extent we can within the ASEAN framework, he said during a televised speech to the nation marking 18 months of military rule.

But after more than a year of no progress on the plan, ASEAN has been widely criticized as a toothless talking shop.

The regimes foreign minister was absent from Wednesdays opening ceremony in Phnom Penh. Maintaining its stance from previous meetings, the bloc declined to invite him, as a way of punishing the regime for its failure to implement the consensus.

Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov arrived in Myanmar on Wednesday morning for meetings with junta leaders. Right after his arrival, Lavrov met with his regime counterpart Wunna Maung Lwin.

Russia and its ally China have been accused of arming Myanmars junta with weapons used to attack civilians since last years coup.
Burma Blast, Shootings Kill Two in Myanmar-China Border Town

Myanmar's border town of Muse in northern Shan State near the Chinese frontier / The Irrawaddy

YANGONA bomb blast and a spate of shootings in a Myanmar-China border town have killed two people and wounded at least nine, rescue workers and locals said on Tuesday.

No group has so far claimed the attacks in Shan States Muse, Myanmars main gateway to China, which is home to several militia groups jockeying for control over lucrative casinos and the drug trade.

One woman died and five people were wounded in a bomb attack on a police traffic post on Monday, said a local NGO worker who requested anonymity.

Later that night, the police station was attacked with small arms and heavy weapons, the worker said, killing another person and leaving four wounded.

A member of a volunteer rescue group who helped transport people to hospital confirmed the two deaths but put the wounded toll higher, saying six people, five of them militia members, had been injured in the bombing, and another five injured in the police station attack.

A separate, drive-by shooting on Tuesday morning injured two more suspected militia members, both the NGO worker and the rescuer said.

Local media also reported the attacks.

A police spokesman for the area could not be reached for comment.

Muse is home to several militia groups controlled by Myanmars army, which has an agreement with China not to station troops along the border.

The military uses the militias as proxies in a long-running conflict with ethnic rebel groups which operate in the area, including the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) and Taang National Liberation Army (TNLA).

TNLA spokesman Major Tar Aik Kyaw told AFP his group was not involved in the Muse attacks.

Violence has soared across Myanmar since the militarys coup last year, with the junta leading a bloody crackdown on dissent in addition to its long-running conflicts with the ethnic groups.

Muse lies on the path of a proposed US$8.9-billion high-speed rail link from Chinas landlocked Yunnan province to Myanmars west coast, part of Beijings Belt and Road Initiative.

But the region is awash with weapons and a center for meth production as armed rebels and militias jostle for a share of any potential windfall.

In 2018, two Chinese nationals were among 19 people killed when ethnic rebels attacked security force posts and a casino near Muse.
Burma Insein Prisoners Start Hunger Strike to Condemn Myanmar Junta Executions

Insein Prison in Yangon. / The Irrawaddy

Many political prisoners in Yangons Insein Prison have begun a hunger strike on Tuesday in protest against the juntas executions of four pro-democracy activists, a prison source told The Irrawaddy.

The executions of Ko Jimmy, Ko Phyo Zeya Thaw, Ko Hla Myo Aung and Ko Aung Thura Zaw were reported in junta-controlled newspapers on July 25.

Former National League for Democracy lawmaker Ko Phyo Zeya Thaw and veteran democracy activist Ko Jimmy were sentenced to death in January by a military tribunal under the Counterterrorism Law for masterminding an armed struggle.

Political prisoners in Insein are staging a hunger strike to honor and mourn the four. As the first executions in more than three decades, there are concerns for other political prisoners on death row.

Meanwhile, there has been more oppression and threats toward political prisoners, said sources.

A source said: The prison authorities are always saying it only costs them a sheet of paper if prisoners are beaten to death. They say a student union member will be among those hanged next time.

Political prisoners in Insein have called on people to condemn the juntas atrocities against civilians and take revenge for the bloodshed.

They have also staged other protests, including silent strikes and ignoring prison staff, to condemn the executions.

According to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, 119 anti-regime activists have been sentenced to death, 42 of whom in absentia, since the 2021 coup.
Burma Myanmar Junta Troops Kill 10 People During Village Raid

Latpankyin village in Myinma Township after the junta raid. / Myinmu Township Information

At least 10 bodies of villagers were found after Myanmar junta troops raided a village in Myinmu Township, Sagaing Region, according to residents.

Junta forces arrived in two helicopters at Latpankyin village, which had around 500 houses, in the north of the township while two Russian-made MI-35 helicopters attacked the village, although there had been no fighting with anti-regime forces on Monday in the area.

On Monday, three betel farmers were killed in junta airstrikes. Another was detained by junta forces after troops found a picture of a man holding a gun on a phone. The detainee had no information and was killed, Ko Nway Oo, a leader of the Civil Defense and Security Organization of Myaung, who witnessed the junta raid, told The Irrawaddy.

His body was found behind the village school with his hands tied behind his back, Ko Nway Oo said.

After air attacks on Monday, around 100 villagers, including teachers and around 60 children from a school run by the civilian National Unity Government, were detained by junta forces.

Resistance forces rescued the trapped children and villagers on Tuesday evening, Ko Nway Oo said.

At least six more villagers bodies were found after the troops left on Tuesday, he added.

A resident told The Irrawaddy that within two days, 10 bodies were found.

Villagers still not dare return, the villager said.

Troops also destroyed a health clinic, a Buddhist center and houses.

Troops also reportedly took 14 Latpankyin villagers as human shields and moved them to nearby villages.

Pro-regime channels and media groups reported on Tuesday that regime troops killed five peoples defense force (PDF) members during a raid on a camp in the village and detained 40 male villagers and 73 women for interrogation but did not mention the children.

The reports stated that they seized many improvised firearms, ammunition and equipment, six vehicles and 30 motorbikes.

Amid attacks from PDFs and ethnic armed organizations, junta forces have relentlessly committed atrocities and arbitrary killings, burned people alive, used civilians as human shields, conducted airstrikes and shelled residential areas, looted and burned houses and committed acts of sexual violence.

Last Wednesday the regime raided and burned down a PDF camp in Myinmu Township using five helicopters, including two MI-35s.
Burma Myanmar Regime-Backed Militia Kidnaps Nine Women in Sagaing

U Wasawa and Pyu Saw Htee members. / CJ

The Myanmar junta-backed militia Pyu Saw Htee has abducted nine women in Sagaing Regions Kantbalu Township for ransom, alleging that the women sheltered internally displaced persons (IDPs).

Around 150 junta troops and Pyu Saw Htee militia from Myedu and Hmawtaw villages raided Waryoneboke Village in Kantbalu on Sunday, arresting nine female villagers for harboring IDPs from Kyeesu Village. The women were taken to a Pyu Saw Htee base in Myedu Village.

A Pyu Saw Htee leader who is a disciple of the monk U Wasawa told us to pay a ransom of 200,000 kyats (around US$85) for each woman, said a local resident.

U Wasawa is a member of the ultranationalist Association for Protection of Race and Religion, better known by its Burmese acronym Ma Ba Tha. The radical monk has formed militias in Kyunhla, Kantbalu and Taze townships in Sagaing since November last year, with their numbers estimated at over 4,000 people, including more than 100 women, according to locals.

The kidnapped women are still being held at Myedu Village. Family members have refused to talk to the media out of fear for the safety of the detainees.

Villagers dare not talk as Pyu Saw Htee and junta troops make a strong presence in those villages, said a resident.

Military regime soldiers raided Kyeesu Village in southern Kantbalu on July 18 and 19, using two helicopter gunships. Twelve bodies were found after the raid. Some 300 buildings including houses, a monastery and two mosques were torched. The raid forced the villagers to flee to Waryoneboke Village.

Villagers in western Kantbalu have also been threatened by U Wasawa to join Pyu Saw Htee groups.

On July 27, a Mi-17 transport helicopter from Northwestern Command unloaded arms at U Wasawas monastery for Pyu Saw Htee fighters, said residents. The Irrawaddy could not independently confirm those reports.

All the Pyu Saw Htee militias in Kantbalu wear uniforms so we cant differentiate them from junta soldiers, said a Kantbalu resident.

Junta spokesman Major General Zaw Min Tun told a recent press conference that it has only trained and armed villagers at their request to form peoples militias for the safety of locals. He denied that the regime has formed Pyu Saw Htee groups. Forming peoples militias is legal under Myanmars existing laws.

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Burma Myanmar Regime Forms and Arms Pro-Junta Militias in Resistance Strongholds

Myanmar military soldiers provide weapons to a local militia in Mandalay on July 30.

Myanmars junta is forming and arming pro-regime militia groups in the resistance strongholds of Mandalay, Magwe and Sagaing Regions.

The fact that the military regime is providing weapons to junta supporters and ex-soldiers highlights the regimes struggle to crack down on armed resistance in those regions, as well as its inability to find new recruits for the Myanmar military, which has suffered heavy casualties since last years coup.

On Saturday in Mandalay, the regime-controlled General Administration Department, which falls under the Ministry of Home Affairs, organized a militia in Maha Aung Myay Township to act for the townships security, according to pro-regime channels on Telegram social media.

Ten guns and 70 bullets were provided for some of the groups 65 members.

Maha Aung Myay Township is one of Mandalays anti-regime strongholds, with active underground groups which have been targeting junta informants. The township is also a hotbed for pro-regime supporters and nationalists.

The formation of a militia in the countrys second-biggest city shows the regime is struggling hard to overcome the resistance, said a Mandalay resident.

Also on Saturday in neighboring Magwe Region, the junta handed out over 50 rifles to retired soldiers in Magwe Citys Aung Yadanar Ward to organize local militias under what the regime calls the public security system. Pro-junta Telegram channels showed photos of the ceremony in which dozens of militia members were seen in the same olive green uniforms worn by the Myanmar military.

The regime has organized militias in many regions and states, including Pyu Saw Htee units and groups made up of retired soldiers, fire fighters, informers and ward officials.

Junta forces are also providing food and financial support worth 300 million kyats (US$8.2 million) to militia members and their families in Sagaing Regions Kantbalu, Taze and Kyunhla townships.

Regime spokesperson Major General Zaw Min Tun told junta-controlled media in Naypyitaw on April 27 that the regime is implementing a public security system, and will strengthen the militias with regime supporters, the army and police to eliminate terrorist forces.

We will support them with manpower and equipment, said the junta spokesperson.

Bo Ngagar, commander of the Myanmar Royal Dragon Army, a prominent anti-regime resistance force in Sagaing Region, told The Irrawaddy that the forming of more pro-junta militias wont impact them.

There are thousands of anti-junta villages in Sagaing, while there are only a handful  four or five  Pyu Saw Htee villages. So they dont have an impact on us, he said.
Burma Myanmar's Civilian Government Reports Over 18,000 Junta Deaths in Year

----

More than 18,000 Myanmar junta soldiers were killed by ethnic armed organizations and peoples defense forces in the last 12 months, according to the civilian National Unity Government (NUG).

The NUGs defense ministry said from June 1, 2021, to June 30, 2022, there were 5,337 clashes, claiming 18,116 junta lives and causing 6,128 junta injuries.

It said junta forces killed 2,908 people and wounded 1,911.

The Irrawaddy could not independently verify the figures.

Since late March last year, people have taken up homemade weapons, including slingshots, air guns and firearms, to resist the junta in response to the killing of peaceful, anti-regime protesters across the country.

Resistance forces stepped up operations against the regime after the NUG declared war on the regime on September 7 last year.

On August 1, junta leader Min Aung Hlaing admitted his regime did not fully control the country more than 18 months after the coup.

He said that by July 23, there had been 7,246 attacks conducted with bombs, grenades and mines and 6,567 targeted assaults and murders of regime forces and their allies, with Sagaing Region seeing the most attacks, followed by Yangon, Mandalay and Magwe regions.

He said the junta faced escalating attacks in Sagaing, Magwe, Kayah and Kayah in the past six months as the Kachin Independence Army and Karen National Union provided large numbers of troops and military equipment, including arms and ammunition.

Meanwhile, the regime has escalated atrocities in resistance strongholds, including arbitrary arrests, killing civilians, extrajudicial execution, shelling residential areas, using civilians as human shields and looting and burning houses nearly every day.
Burma Russian FM Says Moscow Backs Junta's Efforts to Stabilize Myanmar

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (left) and his regime counterpart Wunna Maung Lwin meet in Naypyitaw on Wednesday. / Russian MFA

YANGONRussia backs the Myanmar juntas efforts to stabilize the crisis-wracked country, its foreign minister said on Wednesday during talks with top generals, according to Russian state media.

The Southeast Asian nation has been in chaos since the militarys power grab last year, with more than 2,100 people killed in a crackdown on dissent, according to a local monitor.

We are in solidarity with the efforts [by the junta] aimed at stabilizing the situation in the country, Sergei Lavrov said during talks in Myanmars capital Naypyitaw, according to the TASS news agency.

Russia is a major ally and arms supplier of the isolated junta, and has been accused by rights groups of arming the military with weapons used to attack civilians since last years coup.

Next year, you will hold legislative elections and we wish you success in making your country even stronger and more prosperous, Lavrov added, referring to proposed August 2023 elections that opponents of the coup have said will be neither free nor fair.

Lavrov is scheduled to travel on to an Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) foreign ministers meeting in Cambodia from which the juntas top diplomat has been excluded over its refusal to engage in dialogue with its opponents.

His visit comes after the junta sparked renewed international outrage last week when it announced it had executed four prisoners, including a former lawmaker and a democracy activist, in the countrys first use of capital punishment in decades.

Disappointed and disturbed

ASEAN has been growing increasingly frustrated at Myanmars lack of progress on a five-point peace plan agreed last year.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, the current ASEAN chair, on Wednesday warned Myanmar against further hangings.

He said the regional bloc was disappointed and disturbed by last months executions, and that the further use of capital punishment would mean a rethink of the five-point peace plan.

The junta has yet to comment on Lavrovs visit.

With Western governments imposing sanctions following the coup and violent crackdown on dissent, the junta has turned increasingly to allies including China and Russia.

Junta chief Min Aung Hlaing was in Moscow on a private visit in July and reportedly met with officials from Moscows space and nuclear agencies.

The army has justified its power grab by alleging massive fraud during the 2020 elections, in which Daw Aung San Suu Kyis National League for Democracy (NLD) trounced a military-backed party.

Last year, it canceled the results of the polls, saying it had uncovered more than 11 million instances of voter fraud.

International observers said the voting was largely free and fair.
Burma Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov Visits Myanmar

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov arrives at Naypyitaw airport on Wednesday. / Russian Foreign Ministry

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov arrived in Myanmar on Wednesday morning for meetings with the conflict-wracked countrys junta leaders.

As Moscows ties with the West unravel over the intervention in Ukraine, the Kremlin is seeking to pivot the country towards the Middle East, Asia and Africa.

Talks are planned with the [juntas] foreign minister and  leadership, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told reporters on Tuesday.

She added that defense and security cooperation would be on the agenda among other topics.

Russia and its ally China have been accused of arming Myanmars junta with weapons used to attack civilians since last years coup.

More than 2,000 civilians have been killed in a military crackdown since the coup on Feb. 1, 2021.

Last week, the announcement of the juntas execution of four democracy activists was condemned by the UN Security Council in a rare consensus on the post-coup crisis.

The statement was endorsed by Russia and China, junta allies who have previously shielded it at the UN.

Myanmar junta chief Min Aung Hlaing was in Moscow on a private visit in July and reportedly met officials from Moscows space and nuclear agencies.

In July, Lavrov visited Egypt, Republic of Congo, Uganda and Ethiopia.
Analysis Extending Emergency Rule Shows Junta has no Control Over Myanmar

A screengrab of regime chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing during his televised speech to the nation on Monday marking 18 months of military rule in Myanmar.

Myanmars military regime has extended emergency rule for another six months, a tacit admission that its coup has failed.

On Sunday, the regime summoned a meeting of the National Defense and Security Council (NDSC), the highest authority in Myanmar.

Under the 2008 military-drafted constitution, the chief of the Myanmar military can order a state of emergency for one year and then renew the order twice more for a period of six months each time.

The latest extension means the state of emergency will last for at least two years, a sign that coup leader Senior General Min Aung Hlaing has failed to restore normalcy to the country.

Last February, the military seized power in a coup, justifying its power grab by alleging massive voter fraud in the 2020 general election which Daw Aung San Suu Kyis National League for Democracy (NLD) Party won in a landslide.

Min Aung Hlaings laughable statistics

Min Aung Hlaing told the NDSC meeting that there have been over 7,000 mine blasts, 6,000 attacks and 1,000 arson attacks by the parallel National Unity Government and its armed wing, the Peoples Defense Forces, in the 18 months since the putsch.

If those figures are regarded as true, it shows that the military, which swallows up the lions share of the countrys annual budget, is disproportionately weak.

Sagaing Region saw the most resistance activity with over 4,000 attacks, according to the junta boss, while Yangon saw nearly 2,500 attacks, Mandalay over 2,000 attacks and Magwe over 1,300 attacks. Stability has yet to be restored in those regions.

Over 3,000 civil servants, including administrative staff as well as junta supporters, have been killed since the coup and around 3,000 more injured, said Min Aung Hlaing. It appears that he has included slain members and supporters of the militarys proxy Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) in those figures. When UDSP Chair U Than Htay met the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Special Envoy on Myanmar last month, he told him that more than 1,800 USDP members had been killed by anti-regime forces.

But Min Aung Hlaing made no mention of the air and artillery strikes, arbitrary killings and arson attacks carried out by his soldiers.

More than 2,000 people have died at the hands of the junta, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, and some 15,000 have been detained since the coup.

Across the country, over 1.2 million people are currently displaced, including nearly 866,400 people displaced by the conflict since the military takeover, said the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Myanmar.

The coup leader made himself a laughing stock as he told the NDSC meeting that Myanmar has run a US$1 billion trade surplus under his rule. Myanmar is dependent on imports and has always run a trade deficit under successive governments. Thanks to Min Aung Hlaings wild monetary policies, Myanmar is now facing a severe shortage of US dollars and Myanmars currency the kyat has slumped against the greenback, with the exchange rate hitting around 2,800 kyats to a dollar in the open market now.

Sham NDSC, sham election

After reading out those statistics at the NDSC meeting, Min Aung Hlaing proposed extending military rule for another six months and the countrys acting president U Myint Swe, a former Lieutenant General, nodded in agreement.

Since the coup, the nominal president has only appeared in public three times, when Min Aung Hlaing held three NDSC meetings to declare and renew the state of emergency in an effort to pretend that the coup is in accordance with law.

Another person who has only appeared at NDSC meetings is former Lower House speaker T Khun Myat. He has been involved in politics since the 2008 constitution was drafted, and will go down in Myanmar history as a politician who cares only about keeping his seat in parliament, regardless of the countrys situation under successive governments, whether Senior General Than Shwes former junta, U Thein Seins quasi-civilian government, Daw Aung San Suu Kyis NLD government or the current regime.

All the other NDSC members are generals. Even the foreign minister, which is supposed to be a civilian position in the NDSC, is a former colonel. So the meeting was just a sham to fool people into believing that emergency rule was extended in accordance with law.

Also a sham is the proposed election that the regime has promised to hold in August next year. Few people believe that any poll staged by the junta will be free and fair.

The regime has appointed U Thein Soe as the chairman of Union Election Commission to oversee the upcoming election. The former Major General previously oversaw the 2010 general election, which is widely believed to have been rigged in favor of the USDP.

The NLD, which enjoys overwhelming popular support in Myanmar, has said that it will boycott the proposed junta-organized election.

As the regime is planning to introduce proportional representation in the upcoming election, it will need time to educate voters about the new system and, even in normal times, one year is not enough time to do that, said observers.

At the NDSC meeting, Min Aung Hlaing said that the Myanmar military will serve as the guardian of the country. Acting President U Myint Swe also asked the military to serve as the guardian for the countrys interests.

Min Aung Hlaing has denied staging a coup, and has insisted instead that the Myanmar military is only playing the role of an interim government under the constitution until the next election. His lie will soon be exposed as, according to the constitution, no military chief can hold power under emergency rule for more than two years.
August 3, 2022



Thanks to a pair of grants from the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trusts, two Pocatello High School teachers are getting two summers worth of research experience with a couple of Idaho State University professors.

Recently, Devaleena Pradhan and Heather Ray, assistant professors of biological sciences, were each awarded a Partners in Science grant. Through the program, theyve been joined by Pocatello High School biology teachers Anne Koski and Maygan Sampson, and assisted with the professors research on the ISU campus. Pradhan and Koski are looking into how hormone-producing enzymes are regulated and affect reproduction in the Bluebanded goby. The fish is capable of naturally changing its sex as an adult. Humans and fish share nearly all of the same hormones, and their research will help illustrate how these hormones can be different in organs like the brain.

Working with a fellow teacher has been very different than working with students, said Pradhan, Not only have we been doing the research, weve been able to discuss different teaching methods and ways Anne and I can get students excited about careers in science.

Meanwhile, Ray and Sampson are studying how the expression of a pair of genes in frog embryos controls craniofacial development. The two genes, Hypermethylated in Cancer 1 and 2, are also found in humans and are associated with developmental disorders and cancer when the body does not regulate them properly.

Its been a pleasure to help Maygan develop skills that will benefit her and her students, as well as have her help in answering a longstanding research question of mine, Ray said. I hope this partnership will lead to more students furthering their biological studies at ISU.

From here, the teachers will take what theyve done in the lab and share what theyve learned with their students.

The Partners in Science program has helped me improve my research skills and will allow me to expand the opportunities for students in the microbiology lab at PHS by making connections between the content and the most current, cutting-edge research, Sampson said. I knew I wanted to be a science teacher at five-years-old after seeing my mother do research with Professor Trent Stephens right here at Idaho State, and being on-campus this summer has felt a bit like coming full circle in my career.

For the last decade, Ive been helping students in my honors biology class complete individualized science fair projects, said Koski. Yet, Ive never been involved in doing this thorough of research myself. When I heard about the Partners in Science program, I knew it was for me, and it would give me the chance to do science instead of just learning the material and teaching it.

For Pradhan and Ray, they both hope that the new partnership will lead to more opportunities to bring real-world research opportunities to high schools in Pocatello and ultimately have more students excited about science, technology, engineering, and math careers.

This opportunity opens up ISU to our community and underscores the fact that there is no age limit to learning, said Pradhan. The Partners in Science grants allow our local teachers to take the scientific advancements and processes they learn back to their classrooms. In the long-term, we hope this will help students increase their knowledge and curiosity, and be better prepared for college.

The group wrapped their research projects for the summer of 2022 recently. Sampson and Koski will return to the lab in the summer of 2023.
DCI Data Centers is entering the Canberra data centre market with a 20MW site in the Poplars Innovation Precinct in Jerrabomberra.

DCI has secured land and power to build its CBR01 20MW, Tier-III, Zone 3+, secure cloud edge data centre, which is expected to go into service in 2024.

DCI chair and Brookfield managing director Udhay Mathialagan said this new facility will be the first to respond to the Federal Government's desire for geographical and supply chain diversity for its workloads.

"This new data centre is the first site to offer true resiliency in power provision that not only answers a call from the government to support their cloud first strategy, but will provide unparalleled security for our customers. It will also be one of the major contributors in driving urban development within the new Precinct," he said.

CBR01 will operate on a separate grid to Canberra, thanks to an arrangement between DCI, Poplars and other power users to have Essential Energy build a new 132kV power line to Poplars.

"This separate grid will support cloud services and provides resilience for the Canberra market and capital region. It also means that with our commitment to the site, we will expedite the development of the precinct which will positively impact the region for future generations," said Mathialagan.

DCI ANZ CEO Malcolm Roe said CBR01 will complete the company's plan for the country. It will join the data centres that are operating or under development in Sydney, Adelaide and Darwin.

"We have been aggressively implementing our growth strategy over the last two years which will inject $1.5 billion into the Australian economy and transform the way we work into the future," he said.

He added "Our approach to construction has a laser focus on sustainability, including industry-leading delivery of new cooling technologies which significantly enhance our power and water utilisation effectiveness. This allows our customers to achieve a substantial reduction in energy costs and environmental emissions.

"Our growing Australian data centre footprint will be in the region of 100MW by 2024."
GUEST RESEARCH: As the pandemic disrupted traditional patient service models, the healthcare sector quickly adopted remote and telehealth technology solutions. New global research from SOTI, A Critical Investment: Taking the Pulse of Technology in Healthcare, shows nearly all Australian healthcare providers (96%) that offer frontline services have now implemented IoT/telehealth medical device capabilities.

The increased adoption of new technologies in the healthcare sector is evident in 82% of Australian IT healthcare professionals indicating they have increased their annual technology spend since 2020.

The rise in healthcare IT investments appears to be focused on three key elements in Australia: interconnectivity, automation, and data management.

Research revealed that 83% of local IT healthcare professionals agree patient services benefit from heightened interconnectivity, 82% agree the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in patient care enables medical staff to treat more patients and 99% stated digital patient recordkeeping increases efficiency and enhances data sharing.

Mobile and IoT devices helped healthcare organisations quickly adapt various models of patient care and improve health outcomes during the pandemic. Investments in IoT/telehealth medical device capabilities and technical infrastructure in healthcare are becoming vital in meeting critical care requirements, said SOTI vice president of product strategy Shash Anand.

Although the scale of device implementation across the entire medical sector is a strong indicator of digital maturity, improving outcomes in remote health monitoring and digital recordkeeping are ongoing areas of focus. Today, 63% of healthcare providers use remote patient monitoring wearable technologies, and a further 62% of clinics providing frontline patient services have 100% digital recordkeeping, added Anand.

As part of its report, SOTI surveyed 1,300 healthcare IT professionals across the US, Canada, Mexico, UK, Germany, Sweden, France and Australia to understand how their organisations pivoted to provide patient care throughout the pandemic, the role technology played in delivering positive patient outcomes and what major obstacles remain.

Data security an ongoing concern

Today, IT healthcare professionals are worried about patient information being revealed, lost, accessed, stolen or inadequately backed up. These are justified concerns.

Since 2020, a staggering 44% of Australian healthcare organisations experienced a data breach from an outside source (such as a DDoS attack), and a further 47% experienced a data leak from an employee (be that planned or accidental). Australian healthcare IT professionals are primarily focused on the following data security concerns:

- Patient information being lost (40%)

- Patient information being revealed without patient consent (38%)

- Patient records being stolen in a cyberattack or hacking (36%)

In addition, 67% of local IT professionals believe patient data security is more at risk now than ever before, while 51% agree their organisation does not spend enough money on patient data security.

Healthcare organisations have a duty of care to patients, which extends to keeping their private and sensitive data safe and secure. With data leaks and digital security breaches becoming all too common, healthcare providers must adopt device management solutions which go beyond protecting a server and include all ranges of mobile devices used by healthcare workers or any medical equipment linked to digital apps, said SOTI vice president of sales APAC Michael Dyson.

With the ability to be managed remotely, todays advanced mobile solutions can lockdown missing or compromised devices remotely and create user personas with different levels of security access. This means the same device can be used by different healthcare workers on different shifts, giving them access to the specific levels of information they need for their role, without creating any unnecessary security risks, added Dyson.

Addressing device downtime

A move towards digitisation and eliminating outdated manual and paper processes enables healthcare providers to focus on patients and reduce the burden of administrative tasks that distract from caregiving responsibilities.

However, when technologies are not properly implemented or maintained, costly device downtime can hinder a healthcare workers ability to provide critical care.

Globally, 60% of healthcare IT professionals surveyed said their organisation experiences downtime with IoT/telehealth medical devices, leading to patient care delays.

Overall, 92% of healthcare IT professionals have experienced an issue of some kind, with 58% citing systems not integrating effectively and 52% noting frequent technical issues.

In Australia, all of this leads to each healthcare employee losing approximately 3.6 hours per week on average due to technical or system difficulties. Based on country data, 21 days per year are lost per local healthcare worker to device downtime.

The digitisation of healthcare processes and patient care services is globally accelerating across the healthcare industry because it makes employees lives easier while making data more secure and accessible. However, to improve the level of day-to-day treatment and avoid patient care delays due to device downtime, healthcare IT professionals must ensure they have an advanced diagnostic intelligence solution in place to provide device support remotely and performance visibility across all devices, concluded Anand.

A Critical Investment: Taking the Pulse of Technology in Healthcare can be downloaded here.
Today

Sunshine and a few afternoon clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 108F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph.

Tonight

Some passing clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 84F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph.

Tomorrow

Mostly sunny skies. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 107F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph.
By PLA Daily commentator

In disregard of Chinas strong opposition and serious representations, Speaker of the US House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi visited Chinas Taiwan region. This is a serious violation of the one-China principle and the provisions of the three China-US joint communiques. It has a severe impact on the political foundation of China-US relations and seriously jeopardizes the relations between the two countries and the two militaries.

Pelosis visit sends a seriously wrong signal to the separatist forces for Taiwan independence, and escalates tensions across the Taiwan Strait. It is an extremely wrong and dangerous move. The Chinese Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) is on high alert and will carry out a series of targeted military operations in response. Chinese military will firmly defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity, and resolutely defeat external forces interference and the separatist attempts for Taiwan independence.

The historical ins and outs of the Taiwan question are crystal clear, and so are the fact and status quo that both sides of the Taiwan Strait belong to one and the same China. There is only one China in the world, Taiwan is an inalienable part of Chinas territory, and the Government of the Peoples Republic of China (PRC) is the sole legal government representing the whole of China. The one-China principle is a universal consensus of the international community and a basic norm in international relations clearly recognized by United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758.

The historical and legal fact that Taiwan is part of China and both sides of the Taiwan Strait belong to one and the same China is not to be changed by anyone or any force. Compatriots living across the Strait are all Chinese people, whose instinct to help and support each other, inherent bond and national identification cannot be changed by anyone or any force.

The Taiwan question is the most important and sensitive issue at the very heart of China-US relations. The three China-US joint communiques are political commitments made by both sides, and the one-China principle is the political foundation of China-US relations. In words, the US side made solemn commitments to China on the Taiwan question, but in action, it has constantly upgraded the substantial relations and official exchanges with the Taiwan region, connived at and supported Taiwan independence separatist forces, and contained China with Taiwan, gravely undermining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.

Pelosis willful visit to Taiwan in defiance of Chinas strong and repeated opposition is a downright breach of Americas solemn political commitment of five assurances to China i.e., the US does not seek a new Cold War with China; it does not aim to change Chinas system; the revitalization of its alliances is not targeted at China; the US does not support Taiwan independence; and it has no intention to seek a conflict with China.

Chinas legitimate defensive actions come after the collusion and provocation by the US and the Taiwan region. Any countermeasure taken by China is rightful, reasonable, and necessary. It is the due right of any independent, sovereign state. China will not allow any individual, organization, or political party to sever any part of Chinese territory from the country at any time, in any form. No one should damage our sovereignty, security and development interests and expect us to swallow the bitter fruit.

China must be and will be reunified. That is the unstoppable historical trend. It is the firm commitment of the more than 1.4 billion Chinese people to resolutely safeguard state sovereignty and territorial integrity. It is the common aspiration and sacred responsibility of all Chinese sons and daughters to realize the complete reunification of the motherland. The will of the people is not to be defied, and the trend of the times cannot be reversed. Whatever moves the American anti-China forces and the Taiwan Democratic Progressive Party authorities take, they will not change the fact that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China. No matter how Pelosi and her likes bolster Taiwan to contain China, they cannot stop the historical process of Chinas reunification. Any wrong move against the historical trend to play the Taiwan card and endanger Chinas sovereignty and territorial integrity is doomed to fail. Anyone who dares to make such an attempt will fret in his own grease.

The one-China principle is unshakable. Chinas sovereignty and territorial integrity are inviolable. Resolutely safeguarding state sovereignty and territorial integrity is the PLAs sacred mission. The PLA is always on our toes and ready to fight any minute. It has the firm will, full confidence, and sufficient capacity to frustrate external forces interference and the separatist plot for Taiwan independence in any form, and to maintain peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. The PLA will carry out a series of joint military actions around the Taiwan island as a solemn deterrence to Washingtons recent substantial upgrade of its passive moves on the Taiwan question, and a stern warning to the separatist actions by Taiwan independence forces. All PLA officers and soldiers are combat-ready, will act on order, and will live up to their mission. Fully prepared to cope with various complicated and difficult situations at all times, they are ready to go, able to fight, and capable of winning the final victory.


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Russia backs the Myanmar junta's efforts to "stabilise" the crisis-wracked country and hold elections next year, its foreign minister said in talks with top generals on Wednesday, according to Russian state media.

The Southeast Asian nation has been in turmoil since the putsch last year, with the junta accused by rights groups of committing war crimes as it struggles to crush resistance to its rule.

Isolated internationally and with Western governments imposing sanctions, the military government has sought to deepen ties with major ally and arms supplier Russia -- whose invasion of Ukraine it has said was "justified".

"We are in solidarity with the efforts (by the junta) aimed at stabilising the situation in the country," Sergei Lavrov said during talks in Myanmar's capital Naypyidaw, according to the TASS news agency.

"Next year, you will hold legislative elections and we wish you success," Lavrov added, referring to proposed August 2023 elections that opponents of the coup have said will be neither free nor fair.

On Monday junta chief Min Aung Hlaing -- who travelled to Moscow last month -- said polls could only take place when the conflict-wracked country was "stable and peaceful".

The putsch has sparked renewed fighting with established ethnic rebel groups in border areas, while dozens of civilian "People's Defence Force" militias have also sprung up to battle the military.

Lavrov and his counterpart Wunna Maung Lwin also discussed the "further advancement of bilateral relations and cooperation" between the countries' armed forces, the junta's foreign affairs ministry said in a statement.

Russia -- along with ally China -- has been accused by rights groups and a UN expert of arming Myanmar's military with weapons used to attack civilians.

Lavrov and junta chief Min Aung Hlaing also discussed opening new consulates "to promote an increase in travel" between their two countries, TASS said.

Lavrov later travelled on to Cambodia, Russia's foreign affairs ministry said, where he will attend an Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) foreign ministers' meeting.

The junta's top diplomat has been excluded from the meet over its failure to engage in dialogue with its opponents.

ASEAN joined a chorus of international outrage after the junta announced last month it had executed four prisoners, including a former lawmaker and a democracy activist, in the country's first use of capital punishment in decades.

- 'Disappointed and disturbed' -

ASEAN has been growing increasingly frustrated at Myanmar's lack of progress on a five-point peace plan agreed last year.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen -- the current ASEAN chair -- on Wednesday warned Myanmar against further hangings.

He said the regional bloc was "disappointed and disturbed" by last month's executions, and that the further use of capital punishment would mean a "rethink" of the five-point peace plan.

Isolated on the international stage, the junta has turned increasingly to allies including China and Russia.

Junta chief Min Aung Hlaing was in Moscow on a "private" visit in July and reportedly met with officials from Moscow's space agency Roscosmos and nuclear agencies.

In Naypyidaw, Lavrov said Roscosmos would build "new infrastructure" in Myanmar in cooperation with the junta.

The army has justified its power grab by alleging massive fraud during the 2020 elections, in which Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) trounced a military-backed party.

Last year, it cancelled the results of the polls, saying it had uncovered more than 11 million instances of voter fraud.

International observers said the voting was largely free and fair.

More than 2,100 people have been killed in a military crackdown on dissent, according to a local monitor.
Human Rights Watch said Wednesday it wants the UN Human Rights Council to launch an investigation into alleged abuses in China's Xinjiang region, as a report by the UN rights chief looms.

The council "should establish an independent expert body to investigate those abuses", Lucy McKernan, HRW's acting director in Geneva, told reporters.

"And given the scale and severity of those abuses, that investigation should happen as soon as possible."

The US government and lawmakers in a number of other Western countries have labelled China's treatment of the Uyghur minority in Xinjiang "genocide" -- a charge Beijing vehemently denies.

Rights groups say at least one million people, mostly members of Muslim minorities, have been incarcerated in "re-education camps" in the region, and face widespread abuses, including forced sterilisation and forced labour.

China says it is running vocational training centres in the region designed to counter extremism.

Michelle Bachelet, the United Nations high commissioner for human rights, is due to publish a long-awaited report on the issue before she steps down at the end of August.

Several NGOs wanted the former Chilean president to publish her report months ago, but Bachelet preferred to wait until after visiting Xinjiang herself.

After years of negotiating the terms of her visit to Xinjiang, she finally went to the far-western region in May.

However, her visit was criticised by the United States and major NGOs for her lack of firmness towards Beijing and for going more as a diplomat than a champion of human rights.

"We've been pretty disappointed with the high commissioner, particularly in relation to her response on China," said McKernan.

To leave with her "head held high... the report obviously needs to be strong.

"It needs to name the violations that are occurring... (which) we have characterised as crimes against humanity."

The NGO hopes the report will call for the Human Rights Council to establish an independent investigation.

"That's the minimum that needs to happen for this report to be credible," said McKernan.

In late July, Bachelet denied having come under pressure from Beijing not to publish her report.

She insisted it would be released before her mandate expires at the end of August.

The next Human Rights Council session begins on September 13.
"Cafe Minamdang" delivered a roller coaster ride as Seo In Guk and Oh Yeon Seo, together with the group, chased after the Gopuri man. One of the main highlights of episode 12 is the budding romance between Nam Han Joon and Lieutenant Han Jae Hee, plus Han Joon's sister Nam Hye Joon and his right hand Gong Soo Cheol. Keep on reading for a rundown on episode 12!

'Cafe Minamdang' Episode 12: Nam Han Joon and Gong Soo Cheol Kidnapped by Gu Tae Soo

The twelfth episode continued after Nam Han Joon and Gong Soo Cheol failed to investigate Auntie Im and her VIPs' activities.

The female shaman instructed Gu Tae Soo to take care of the two; which means to abduct them.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: 'Cafe Minamdang' Episode 11: Seo In Guk Gets Warning From Shaman

Thankfully, Nam Hye Joon was able to notify Lieutenant Han and came after the van that took Nam Han Joon and Gong Soo Cheol. Because of Nam Han Joon's hidden camera placed in his eyeglasses, they were able to get clues to the duo's location.

Interestingly, Nam Han Joon was stunned at how Han Jae Hee single-handedly saved them from a group of goons.

As for Gu Tae Soo, police officer Jang Doo Jin and Prosecutor Cha almost got him but got away after threatening to kill Doo Jin.

The Budding Romance

As soon as Nam Han Joon and Gong Soo Cheol were rescued, they immediately went to Cafe Minamdang.

Han Jae Hee expressed how she was worried over Gong Soo Cheol and even volunteered to take him home to ensure he was safe.

On the other hand, Han Jae Hee was left with the fake shaman. For the third time, they almost got kissed but were interrupted by an emergency call at the police station.

The Group Investigate Gu Tae Soo's Identity

"Cafe Minamdang" episode 12 focuses on capturing Gu Tae Soo, whom they believe was the Gopuri.

Nam Han Joon and Han Jae Hee start investigating at the high-end bar where they believe Gu Tae Soo is a regular.

Interestingly, it looked like the two were dating. Lieutenant Han even glammed up for Han Joon.

Meanwhile, she received a call from Prosecutor Cha, telling her that he would join the investigation or for Nam Han Joon, interrupting their date.

At the bar, the trio interrogates the bartender and tells him what he observes about Gu Tae Soo. First, however, Nam Han Joon brings out a photo of director Cha Seung Won, the prosecutor's brother.

Prosecutor Cha decides to leave the area and goes straight to his brother for his own investigation. As for the duo, they were left with clues about the whereabouts of Gu Tae Soo.

The Sibling Rivalry

Director Cha Seung Won gets a warning from his brother Prosecutor Cha and advises him to stop whatever illegal acts he is doing.

However, it seems like he is unfazed by the warning and threatens the prosecutor that he will lose his job if he gets in the way.

Interestingly, he got the same reaction and was also unbothered by the threat. Instead, the prosecutor tells him how their father ruined him by covering up his mistakes.

Han Jae Hee Gets in Danger

The last scene in "Cafe Minamdang" episode 12 featured Gu Tae Soo's location at a camping site.

Han Jae Hee was able to locate his trailer and saw the paraphernalia he used in the murder. In addition, she also saw the resemblance of the female victim to Gu Tae Soo's mother.

It might be the reason why he killed Eun Hye.

However, she gets caught by Gu Tae Soo and drenched the trailer with gasoline.

At a distance, Nam Han Joon saw a burning trailer and immediately hurried to save Jae hee, but he came across Gu Tae Soo.

He was left with a tough decision whether to end things with Gu Tae Soo or save Han Jae Hee.

KDramastars owns this article.

Written by Geca Wills
The director and screenwriter for "Anna," which stars Bae Suzy, is planning to take legal action against Coupang Play. While the 6-part episode gained major buzz for its unique storyline and the cast members' portrayal, the OTT service might face a lawsuit for shortening the episodes of the series. Keep on reading for all the details.

Director Lee Joo Young Criticized Coupang Play for Tampering 'Anna'

According to a local news outlet, director Lee Joo Young accused Coupang Play of tampering the K-drama without her consent. Moreover, the PD and screenwriter also pointed out that the OTT services ignored the director's opinion on the drama.

As obtained by the outlet, Lee Joo Young's attorney from the law firm, Siwoo, released a statement expressing her disappointment with the platform.

The director mentioned that Coupang Play had "destroyed the series" by fitting the whole season into a six-part episode.

With this, Lee Joo Young has reached the point where she "can no longer accept it as the same work" that she has created, adding that PD Lee Joo Young "cannot tolerate anymore as a creator of the original piece."

Besides squeezing the series into six episodes, the director also claimed that Coupang Play did not inform her about four of the episodes which have been edited. This suggests that it was different from what she made versus the one being introduced to the viewers.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Bae Suzy's New Drama 'Anna' Criticized for THIS Reason

With this, she asked to remove her name from the credits but was again ignored by the company.

"I could not let my name be printed on something I had not seen before. Therefore I have contacted Coupang Play multiple times to remove my name from the credit, but I was ignored," she said in a statement.

Director Lee Joo Young Wants Coupang Play to Release Public Apology

On top of the possible lawsuit, the creator of "Anna" sought a public apology from Coupang Play and to release all of the eight original episodes under the director's edition.

In addition, the director wants to ensure that the same incident will never happen again.

Coupang Play Reacts to the Director's Claim

In the same report, Coupang Play reportedly addressed the issue and explained that they "carefully requested director Lee Joo Young to make some changes from February to May" but never received any feedback.

The OTT service continued pointing out that it is difficult to "create content with a popular appeal if we were to edit with the director himself; therefore, we decided to re-edit the episodes."

Released on June 24 with a total of six episodes, "Anna" became a massive hit with viewers, gaining positive responses not just from the audience but also from media outlets.

In addition, Bae Suzy, who played the dual role of Anna and Lee Yoo Mi, received overwhelming praise for her impressive performance.

"Anna" follows the story of a woman who suffers from Ripley's Syndrome. To cope with the disorder, she creates an alter ego but gets caught up in her lies.

Bae Suzy was joined with Jung Eun Chae, Kim Joon Han, and Park Ke Young.

Coupang Play announced that they would release the extended version of the series after a successful wrap-up.

KDramastars owns this article.

Written by Geca Wills
At the height of the controversy involving Bae Suzy's drama "Anna," Coupang Play responded to the allegations of director Lee Joo Young.After garnering massive praise from viewers and media outlets, "Anna" is creating a buzz after the PD and screenwriter reveal bombshell news regarding the series. Keep on reading for all the details.

Released on June 24, the thriller drama series is among the highly anticipated K-drama since it features the Hallyu star as one of the main characters, playing the dual role of Lee Yoo Mi and Anna Lee.

'Anna' Controversy: Coupang Play Responds to Director Lee Joo Young's Claims

After expressing her disappointment with Coupang Play for "tampering" the K-drama without her permission, the OTT service responded to her claims.

In a report cited by Newsen, representatives of the platform clapped back at claims regarding editorial rights.

Coupang Play pointed out that Lee Joo Young's editing direction differed from what they and the production company had agreed upon.

"We found out that director Lee Joo Young's editing direction is significantly different from the direction mutually agreed upon between Coupang Play, the director, and the production company (content map)," a representative mentioned. They added that the PD declined to modify it according to their plan.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: 'Anna' Director Wants Public Apology From Coupang Play - Here's Why

In addition, Coupang Play also mentioned that they have approval from the production company before trimming the ten episodes to six.

"With the consent of the production company and in accordance with our rights stipulated in the contract, we edited the work to match the original production intent," the OTT service explained.

Coupang Play highlighted that the result "received great reviews from viewers."

'Anna' Director Lee Joo Young to File Lawsuit Against Coupang Play

Before Coupang Play's statement regarding the "Anna" controversy, Director Lee Joo Young released a statement through a law firm noting that she plans to take legal actions against the OTT service.

She claimed that the company tampered with her work by not informing her that they would edit out some of the parts and release a six-part episode instead.

As for the director, she explained that this action has "destroyed the series to a point where I can no longer accept it as the same work I have created."

Moreover, the PD and screenwriter "cannot tolerate anymore as a creator of the original piece" and wanted a public apology from Coupang Play.

On the other hand, "Anna" editorial director Kim Jung Hoon expressed support for the director and said he is hopeful for the eight-part episode to be released, but it was trimmed down to six.

"The trust of director Lee Joo-young and the staff was terribly broken," the editorial director said on social media as obtained by an outlet.

In addition, he also cited that they have "never received a paper containing Coupang's opinions related to editing," adding that Bae Suzy's drama "Anna" "was made secretly and unilaterally by someone" and have excluded the effort made by the creators and staff.

Before the issue was exposed, Coupang Play announced that "Anna" would return with an extended version to be released in August. However, the Director's Cut will be made public as soon as the Judicial Review is completed.

KDramastars owns this article.

Written by Geca Wills
The Kenosha City Council voted overwhelmingly for a symbolic resolution in support of local non-partisan election officials Monday evening.

The resolution sponsored by Ald. Curt Wilson passed 16 to 1 with Ald. David Mau providing the sole dissenting vote.

(We) believe our community has been well-served by the current system of non-partisan election administration governed by the Wisconsin Election Commission, managed by our city clerk/treasurer, and administered by our friends and neighbors who serve as election inspectors, the adopted resolution reads. (These) election officials played a critical role in making the 2020 election safe, secure, and accessible during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The resolution  co-sponsored by Alds. Daniel Prozanski, Jan Michalski, Rollin Pizzala, Holly Kangas, Ruth Dyson, Keith Rosenberg and Brandi Feree  also states that since the 2020 general election some in our society have attempted to bully, threaten, and undermine nonpartisan election administrators, making it harder for election officials to do their jobs, and reducing faith in the electoral process in a manner that hurts the health of our democracy.

Looking forward to the 2022 general election and beyond, the City Council reaffirmed our conviction that non-partisan election officials like our city clerk/treasurer, City of Kenosha election inspectors, and the Wisconsin Election Commission are best equipped to preside over free and fair elections, and should do so without the fear of threats and intimidation.

With the resolutions passage, the City Council expressed full confidence in the non-partisan elected officials and called on state lawmakers to cease all attempts to undermine, disrupt, or revoke Wisconsin Election Commissions authority over Wisconsin elections, as well as the authority of municipal clerks.

However, Mau said he did not feel comfortable voting for the resolution.

Its kind of strange to me that we would make a resolution and suddenly expect that in the future no one will ever have any questions about an election, Mau said.

He continued: Its definitely the right of all citizens to question any elected officials, any election inspectors. This is a whole gambit of people that citizens dont know personally and were asking them to have full confidence. That just doesnt sit well with me and doesnt make any sense. Theres also things on here that are mentioned like threatening, bullying. Im not sure why we need to have a resolution for that when those things are already illegal. If somebody is threatening an election official thats a matter for the law. Citizens definitely have the right to question and its been done by both political parties for years many, many times over the years going back to the beginning of our country or probably the beginning of the city.

In response, Wilson said he "doesnt see anywhere in this resolution that takes away any persons right to question our election process.

What we have going on is a whole bunch of idiots challenging democracy in our country, in our state and in our community. Even those folks have the right to say that. But, I think its important that all the volunteers that work on Election Day for the city clerk and the city staff that administer all these elections to let them know that 'hey, we dont condone that kind of activity' and we welcome your volunteerism to work as poll watchers or inspectors in our elections, he said.

Ald. Anthony Kennedy said its a shame that we have to do this. It really is. Its a shame that we have to take these kinds of steps.

Do you as an alderperson who is going to press yes or no, do you express confidence in our city clerk, treasurer, election inspectors, Wisconsins system of non-partisan election administration led by the Wisconsin Election Commission? Kennedy asked. And finally, do you support our friends and neighbors who serve as election inspectors and local election officials including our city clerk, treasurer and city staff? ... Im going to proudly vote yes on this but its sad that we have to even be at this point.

Prozanski cited a recent New York University survey that found many poll workers across the nation are quitting, and that about one out of six have been threatened personally.

I think that expressing our support not only for our paid city staff that make sure and ensure that these elections are run fairly and accurately  its amazing to see them work  but the countless volunteers and people that are from our neighborhoods that come out to work the polls and showing them that we support them as well. ... Telling our poll workers we support them and value what they do and that when there are threats made that we wont stand for it. That this is not a place for that.
Kenosha County voters will have the chance to let state legislators know whether to declare Wisconsin a Second Amendment sanctuary state come this fall.

The County Board voted 13-7 Tuesday night to approve a resolution with the advisory referendum question on the Nov. 8 election ballot. It asks: Should the Wisconsin State Legislature declare the State of Wisconsin be a Second Amendment Sanctuary State?

The majority favoring the question on the ballot were supervisors William Grady, Brian Thomas, Zach Rodriguez, Zach Stock, Chairman Gabe Nudo, Tim Stocker, David Geertsen, Amanda Nedweski, Monica Yuhas, Brian Bashaw, John Poole, Mark Nordigian and Erin Decker. Voting against the measure were supervisors Terry Rose, Jeffrey Gentz, Laura Belsky, Ed Kubicki, Daniel Gashke, John Franco and Aaron Karow.

The resolution and subsequent referendum question has its basis in the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which guarantees the right to keep and bear arms, according to co-authors, Poole and Decker.

Non-binding referendum

The referendum, while non-binding, is intended to allow the public to express to supervisors and state legislators whether Wisconsin should become a haven for gun rights supporters. It advocates for a county that derives an economic benefit from safe forms of firearms recreation, such as hunting, and all types of firearms allowable by the U.S. and Wisconsin constitutions. It also conveys concerns over passage of bills containing language which could be interpreted as infringing on the rights of county residents to keep and bear arms.

During deliberations, however, Franco, said that even if Wisconsin were declared a Second Amendment sanctuary state, a declaration supervisors also bestowed on Kenosha County, residents would still not be allowed to break laws on firearm use or ownership.

Why? Because Second Amendment sanctuaries are purely symbolic and have no legal force in the first place, he said. In fact, its incorrect to believe that if Wisconsin is declared a sanctuary state advocates can freely disobey any federal laws  present or future  that they feel can infringe upon their Second Amendment rights.

This idea totally runs counter to the Supremacy Clause in Article 6 of the U.S. Constitution, Franco said. And, in fact ... why Gov. Evers vetoed Assembly Bill 293 last year.

Supremacy Clause

The vetoed billed aimed to make unenforceable any future federal laws to ban or restrict the use of guns in Wisconsin. The Republican-backed measure reflected efforts nationwide as congressional Democrats and Biden administration looked to strengthen gun restrictions. At the time, the governor said the bill was unconstitutional because it purports to nullify the enforcement of federal law and could create confusion with the public and law enforcement.

The Supremacy Clause refers to federal law superseding state law that conflicts with it and because of that courts have ruled unconstitutional many proposals to impede gun laws. Franco said normally resolutions resolve to address a particular problem and then try to solve it.

Until the federal government for Wisconsin State Legislature actually passes a law that restricts gun ownership, what we have here is a solution looking for a problem, he said. At that point, according to Franco, it is up to the courts to address its constitutionality.

Assembly Bill 293 wouldve have made enforcing a federal act restricting or seizing a long list of firearms, magazines and associated accessories a misdemeanor, according to Poole. In addition, locally owned or manufactured firearms, accessories and ammunition would not be subject to federal law.

So by passing this resolution, were urging the legislature to pass this bill (293) again as Democrats are again trying to ban assault weapons and magazines, he said. Just last Friday, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to approve H.R. 1808, which does just that.

Assault on freedoms, civil liberties

Poole said that Democrats were spearheading an assault on the freedoms and civil liberties of law-abiding Americans.

With 24 million potentially banned firearms in common use, these draconian restrictions fall in blatant opposition to the Supreme Courts rulings the last few years, he said, adding that the bill would criminalize lawful conduct of millions of Americans.

Democrats voted to violate our natural rights and our Constitution, choosing to promote policies that would imprison peaceable people who have done no wrong, he said. That, ladies and gentlemen is why we need to pass this resolution.

Last month, the County Board passed resolutions that favor gun owners, including declaring Kenosha a Second Amendment sanctuary county and repealing a ban on firearms in many of its buildings. While the carrying of concealed weapons will be allowed on county property, the ban would continue to cover the Kenosha County Courthouse, the public safety building, which houses both the sheriffs department and Kenosha Police Department, jail, detention center, pretrial building and the Molinaro Building, which is part of the civic center campus west of Sheridan Road between 55th and 56th Streets, all of which are already exempted by state law.

Before the vote, residents also spoke against placing the referendum on the ballot.

Carol Rannow alluded to the irony of the resolution that sought sanctuary for gun owners.

A sanctuary  it means peace, she said.

Kenoshas image damaged

Rannow then focused on the Kyle Rittenhouse case, saying Kenoshas festive and family friendly image has changed, if not been damaged.

There was an incident where a young man killed two people and permanently injured someone else with an AR-15. And the situation that shouldve been monitored and covered through police being our security forces  our city allowed private residents to have AR-15s in our Downtown.

Rittenhouse was charged with killing Joseph Rosenbaum and Anthony Huber and seriously injuring Gaige Grosskreutz with an AR-style semi-automatic rifle on Aug. 25, 2020, in the unrest that unfolded in the city following the Aug. 23, 2022, shooting of Jacob Blake, a Black man, by a white Kenosha police officer. Rittenhouse had pleaded the shootings were in self-defense. He was acquitted on all counts on Nov. 19.

Iris Rivera also harkened back to the unrest of nearly two years ago. She reminded the County Board of the July 4 mass shooting in Uptown that injured four people and killed 20-year-old Anderail K. Armstrong of Kenosha and then noted supervisors approved both resolutions the day after the gun violence.

And, I can tell you, our citizens havent healed from that. And, on July 4th we had another shooting  our citizens still havent healed from that. Yet, this body the next day voted to repeal a weapons ban  and we also voted to make Kenosha County a sanctuary (county), said Rivera, U.S. Air Force veteran who has a conceal carry permit. She said a sanctuary is meant to make people feel safe.

I can tell you from where I live, Ive been on the cusp of where things are getting worse. Every single night, I hear gunfire. I dont feel safe, she said. So, instead of worrying about how to make those who want to defy federal law safer, find a way to make those of us who are law-abiding citizens feel safer.
Lets say you request records from a public official under the states Open Records Law. Lets say the official, though legally obligated to provide them, does not. Lets say the records are not provided until after you hire a lawyer and file a lawsuit, at considerable expense.

Have you won the case? Should you be entitled to recovery of your costs and legal fees?

Heres what the Open Records Law says: [T]he court shall award reasonable attorney fees, damages of not less than $100, and other actual costs to the requester if the requester prevails in whole or in substantial part. In cases where officials changed their mind and voluntarily turned over records after being sued, courts have held for four decades that requesters could still recover fees and costs if the lawsuit was a cause of the release.

Under this provision, requesters have been willing to risk expense fighting for the release of records to which they are entitled. And it has allowed attorneys like me to take these cases on contingency, knowing we have a reasonable chance of getting paid at the cases conclusion.

But in July, the Wisconsin Supreme Court knocked the stuffing out of this recovery mechanism in a 4-3 decision in Friends of Frame Park v. City of Waukesha. The court, without ever being asked to do so, declared that public records plaintiffs prevail only if a judge orders the records to be released. In cases where the public official gets sued and has a change of heart, as often happens, there is no longer a clear path to fee recovery.

This is not what the state legislature intended or wrote when it enacted the Open Records Law in 1982. The law doesnt say a plaintiff has to get a court order; it says a plaintiff has to prevail. And when you get the records you sued to obtain, youve prevailed. You got what you wanted. You won.

What does all this mean for ordinary people trying to get records? Well, if its harder for attorneys to get paid for their work, they wont be able to take as many cases on contingency. That means fewer people can afford to file a record lawsuit. Fewer lawsuits means custodians have less fear of being sued. Custodians without a healthy fear of consequences are more likely to violate the law by delaying or denying requests for no reason.

As Justice Jill Karofsky noted in dissent, this deleterious new standard for attorney fees may disincentivize government actors from making timely disclosures, eviscerating the very purpose of the public records laws.

The losing party in this case has filed a motion for reconsideration, asserting that this new test for when a requester is entitled to fee recovery was never even briefed. Meanwhile, the conservative Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty is calling on the Legislature to promptly fix the problem that the courts majority has created.

Transparency advocates have also called for a legislative fix. When the U.S. Supreme Court did nearly the same thing in 2001 (abandoning 40 years of a permissive view of prevailing for attorney fees), Congress reacted by amending the federal Freedom of Information Act to expressly provide for fees after voluntary production. Wisconsin should do the same.
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Youre my last hope.

The words come from a patient I have no prayer of helping. He has had decades of back pain. He has had several surgeries, injections, hardware in, hardware out, but nothing has helped. He is unable to work. His struggle with back pain has ruined relationships, ruined his financial stability, ruined his mental health. His goals and mine are aligned. We both want to make his life better. Unfortunately, I have no operation to offer. His pain has become like a cancer. Its incurable. Its invasive. Its terminal. His words echo in my head after learning about Dr. Preston Phillips, murdered by a patient suffering ongoing back pain after surgery. The patient I cannot help presents many challenges to me as a neurosurgeon. Murder was not one I had seriously considered.

The patient I cannot help is the hardest patient to see. I want to fulfill his last hope and tell him I can fix it. It is gratifying to free someone of their misery. The tragic irony is that it is easier to give the I have nothing left to offer talk to a patient with cancer than to a patient with chronic back or nerve pain. The finality of cancer is felt from the first utterance of the word. The cancer patient is surrounded by empathy and support. When there is no treatment left, it is crushing but expected. The back pain patient I cannot help does not feel the halo of support. He expects there to be something, anything, that can fix it. There is no finality. So I just have to live like this? I tell him I want to help, but todays medicine doesnt have an answer for his problem. Its incurable. He needs a time machine, and I dont have one. I feel inadequate. Small.

Putting myself in his shoes, I understand his deep disappointment. When a person is in pain, disappointment is plentiful. At some point, it becomes intolerable. The cancer of chronic pain has spread to his brain. Its invasive. Hitting a breaking point, he starts to rant at me about how nobody can figure out whats wrong and nobody cares. I absorb his verbal tornado. He ends with, I cant go on like this. Its terminal. I offer my hand, my thoughts, and prayers.

Please, Ill take any chance, the patient I cannot help pleads. I admit I have been talked into operating on a desperate patient or two in the past, convincing myself there was a tiny ray of hope that surgery might change his course. The curse of doing spine surgery is that even a perfect operation cant erase decades of damage. Like Dr. Phillips, I have had patients who didnt get better after surgery. I failed to bend Mother Nature in their favor.

I offer the patient I cannot help a referral to a counselor to help him deal with the emotional upheaval of pain and disability. Boiling under the surface he tells me his insurance will not cover anyone in his region. I make a new referral, hopeful that this time his insurance-for-people-who-cannot-work will authorize the counseling. I search for empathetic words but come up with only empty platitudes. Hang in there, I say lamely.

He leaves my office. A sour fog hangs in the air. The furrow between my eyebrows deepens. Will he find a counselor or a supportive family member to steer him back on course? Will he quietly pour out his angst against me as a negative patient survey, a complaint to the medical board, or a lawsuit? I had considered these outcomes the worst-case scenario, professional sabotage. Then Dr. Phillips was murdered. The patient I cannot help might buy a gun, shoot himself, and shoot me. Its terminal.

Barbara Lazio is a neurosurgeon.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com
Long-running current affairs comedy panel show Mock The Week is to end on BBC Two after 17 years, the corporation has announced.

The upcoming eight episodes of the popular programme, airing in the autumn, will be the last, marking its end after 21 series and more than 200 episodes of the show hosted by Irish comedian Dara OBriain.

The show first aired in June 2005, and another series regular has been Hugh Dennis, with other comedy stars including Chris Addison, Frankie Boyle, Rory Bremner and Russell Howard previously featuring.

Host OBriain said: Thats it folks, the UK has finally run out of news.

The storylines were getting crazier and crazier  global pandemics, divorce from Europe, novelty short-term prime ministers. It couldnt go on.

And so, regretfully, we are closing the doors on Dara and Hughs Academy for Baby Comedians.

We just couldnt be more silly than the news was already.

Huge thanks to all our guests over the years, so many of whom went on to huge successes of their own, and never write or call. It was a joy!

The show has been credited with being a platform for comedians with now household names such as Michael McIntyre, Sarah Millican, Kevin Bridges, John Bishop and Rhod Gilbert all featuring in the early stages of their careers.

The BBC said: The next series of Mock The Week will be the last, we are really proud of the show but after 21 series we have taken the difficult decision in order to create room for new shows.

We would like to thank Angst Productions, host Dara OBriain, panellist Hugh Dennis and all the guest comedians involved in the show across the 21 series.

Angst Productions, the company behind the programme, said: Were naturally hugely disappointed that Mock The Week is coming to an end and hope that we will be able to resurface somewhere some day in the future.

However, the last 17 years on BBC Two have been an absolute blast. Its been a great privilege to work closely with scores of truly incredible performers and wed also like to take the opportunity to thank the BBC and all our many fans around the world for their support over the years.

The series was created by Dan Patterson and Mark Leveson, the duo behind comedy improvisation show Whose Line Is It Anyway?, which ran in the UK before becoming a hit series in the United States.

Mock The Weeks final episodes will air on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer this autumn.
Danish shipping company DFDS have announced that they will trial a new passenger service between Ireland and France later this week.

From Friday, August 5, passenger travel will be introduced on a trial basis between Rosslare (Wexford) and Dunkirk (Northern France).

This new service, focused on cars and motorhomes, will operate with limited capacity to complement the company's existing freight traffic.

Route director, Chris Parker, stated that the existing freight trade route between Rosslare and Dunkirk, introduced in January 2021, has proven to be a huge success and that the company is looking to expand its services.

"Rosslare to Dunkirk has proven to be extremely popular with customers looking to move goods between Ireland and continental Europe without the need to use the land-bridge via the UK," he said.

He further stated that passenger services on the route will strengthen the service and that the company expects strong demand from holidaymakers in Ireland and in Northern Europe.

"Rosslare is at the heart of the sunny southeast and a short drive from Dublin and Cork, making it a very popular destination," Parker added.

"Irish customers will benefit from a direct link into the heart of Europe."

Crossings on the route will take 23 hours and 45 minutes, with the overnight sailings providing an opportunity for customers to relax and recharge before driving on to their holiday destination.

Against the backdrop of a looming summer of disruption at airports, the launch of the new route offers a stress-free alternative for holidaymakers looking to getaway.

No luggage restrictions apply when you take your car to Europe by ferry.

There will be up to five sailings per week from Rosslare to Dunkirk and prices for a car and four passengers with a standard cabin onboard will start from 550, with all meals included.
The Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys TD, and Minister of State with responsibility for Community Development and Charities, Joe OBrien TD, have today announced over 1.5 million in funding to the Society of St. Vincent de Paul (SVP) and Protestant Aid.



The Society of St. Vincent de Paul is to receive funding of 1.41 million, while Protestant Aid will receive 180,000.



Minister Humphreys said:

This funding is in recognition of the contribution that SVP and Protestant Aid make to the alleviation of poverty in Ireland. It will help both organisations to continue to work with and support some of the most vulnerable people in society.

This funding is particularly important given current cost of living increases and will help SVP and Protestant Aid with, for example, the provision of food support, household and education support, as well as addressing energy and fuel poverty.

I want to acknowledge and thank both organisations for the fantastic work they do, ensuring families who find themselves in hard times are supported in every way possible.

Minister OBrien added:

SVP and Protestant Aid do vital work in terms of reaching people in poverty and exclusion that many may not always be aware of, or accessing the relevant anti-poverty mechanisms of the State in terms of our local Social Protection offices and our Social Inclusion & Community Activation Programmes across the country.

Our collaboration with these two organisations is vital in terms of reaching people most in need, but also in terms of informing our policy decisions in the area of anti-poverty.

Rose McGowan, National President of the Society of St Vincent de Paul, said:

The continuing support from the Department of Rural and Community Development is a very welcome and an extremely important contribution to our work in assisting struggling individuals and families throughout Ireland.

This is especially important given the current impact of the cost of living increases on the people we support. It is a challenging time for those people with imminent back-to-school costs and the prospect of further energy increases."

Also welcoming the funding, David Webb, the CEO of Protestant Aid, said:

Due an unprecedented number of requests for assistance, we are more grateful than ever to the Department of Rural and Community Development (Social Inclusion and Communities Fund) for their vital contribution to our work. At the time of writing, expenditure on General Grants via Social Workers is up 41% year on year and shows no sign of slowing. As always, 100% of the funds we receive from the Department are granted to those most in need without any deduction for overhead or administration costs. Whether it is with utilities, food expenses, back-to-school expenses, medical costs etc, Protestant Aid brings help regardless of denomination or ethnicity. None of this would be possible without the ongoing support and interest of the Department and we would like to express our sincere thanks and appreciation for all they do in helping us to reach those in need within our community.
Over 400,000 in funding has been allocated to early intervention services for children and young people across Ireland.

The Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Roderic OGorman, yesterday (Tuesday August 2) announced the allocation of 409,000 to 25 organisations under the What Works Sharing Knowledge Fund.

The fund aims to support professionals working in children, youth, and family services with their learning requirements, peer interaction, project collaborations and knowledge dissemination.

According to Minister OGorman, the funding will make "a real difference".

He said, "I am delighted to award over 400,000 in funding to a range of promising projects to support professionals working with children and young people in the area of prevention and early intervention. This is funding that will make a real difference to the services being supported. These services and professionals play a vital role in supporting vulnerable children, young people and their families across Ireland.

"I am struck by the quality of the applications received and I know that this funding will provide practical support to services focused on providing high quality prevention and early intervention services. As we know early intervention can help children and young people to develop the skills they need to live happy, healthy and successful lives.

"It can improve the quality of children's home lives and family relationships, increase educational attainment and support good mental health.

Almost 20,000 in funding will go towards Cyber Safe Kids on navigating the internet safely, 18,000 for Barnardos' Safe &

Together Pilot, 20,000 for the Jigsaw Schools Hub, 17,000 for Enable Ireland's CDNT Siblings Support Leadership Project and 20,000 each for Early Childhood Ireland and DESSA.

Twenty thousand euro has also been ringfenced for Laois Offaly CYPSC with Tullamore Rape Crisis Centre to support young people in secondary schools and youth settings to better their sexual health awareness.

Other recipients include domestic violence advocacy services and autism support projects.

Minister of State at the Department of Rural and Community Development with special responsibility for Community Development and Charities, Joe OBrien, also commented on the news.

He said, "This funding will come as very welcome news to these projects who are doing such vital work on the ground with young people in communities across Ireland. I recently visited one of these projects  Familibase in Ballyfermot- and was privileged to witness first-hand the breadth of services provided and the positive impacts that such early intervention and continuing outreach work can do to support young people and their families.

"The funding committed will enable projects such as Familibase to further widen their services and, crucially, reach even more young people with the offer of hope and opportunities for support, growth and success."
In November, Nolte will run against Republican Shamon Jones who ran unopposed in the Republican primary.
COLUMBIA - A Moberly woman will serve 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to second-degree murder Tuesday in Boone County court.

Angelica Benitez also pleaded guilty to abandonment of a corpse and tampering with evidence.

The charges stem from the December 2020 death of a Jefferson City man, 25-year-old Marqukis Hayes.

According to the probable cause statement, Benitez shot Hayes on Dec. 14, 2020, inside a pickup truck while waiting in the drive-thru lane of McDonald's on Clark Lane. Benitez was in the front passenger seat, while Hayes was in the back seat on the driver's side. Benitez's boyfriend, who was not named in the statement, was driving.

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After the shooting, the driver pulled into the parking lot of the Super 8 Motel next door and got out. The statement said the driver saw Hayes's body in the backseat before he went inside the hotel, believing Hayes was dead.

The statement also said while the driver was inside the Super 8 warning Benitez's mother of what happened, Benitez drove off in the truck with Hayes's body inside.

Columbia Police were notified of the shooting the next day, but were unable to find any signs of evidence indicating a shooting. The truck was later found in Valley Park, Missouri, with Hayes's body in the back seat.

Benitez was subsequently arrested Dec. 17. When police interviewed her, she admitted to shooting Hayes, driving the truck to Valley Park and abandoning it with Hayes's body inside.

Benitez will serve her sentences for all three charges concurrently.
An official at the Songpa District Office in Seoul points to the figure of 119,922 daily COVID-19 cases reported on Wednesday, the highest figure in 110 days. Joint Press Corps



Cumulative cases surpass 20 million, critical cases at 3-month high of 284



By Lee Hyo-jin



The government announced "targeted" quarantine measures, Wednesday, while the country is grappling with an explosive increase of infections driven by the super contagious and antibody-evading BA.5 Omicron subvariant.



The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) reported 119,922 new cases for Tuesday, the highest figure in 110 days. The number of critical cases stood at 284  the highest level in nearly three months  with 26 COVID-19-related deaths.



The cumulative number of infections stood at 20,052,305, surpassing 20 million in two years and six months since the country reported its first case on Jan. 20, 2020. The figure amounts to 38.8 percent of the total population of 51.78 million, meaning that roughly four out of 10 people have been infected with the virus at least once.



Korea has become the eighth country to see over 20 million confirmed cases, following the United States, India, France, Brazil, Germany, the United Kingdom and Italy, according to Our World in Data.



Five new cases of the heavily mutated BA.2.75 subvariant, called "Centaurus," have been reported in the country, raising the aggregated total to 14. All five new cases came in from overseas  four from India and one from Nepal  and include two children under the age of 10. Some medical experts view that BA.2.75, which is known to be the most contagious strain of the coronavirus seen yet, has already become prevalent in the country.



Adding to the concerns is a recent surge of infections from abroad as the number of overseas travelers has increased this summer season with the easing of travel restrictions. The KDCA reported an all-time high of 600 imported cases for Tuesday, up from 578 cases reported the previous day.



The Ministry of Health and Welfare, which predicts that the current wave will see its peak in around two weeks, announced it will carry out "targeted" quarantine measures targeting places and facilities that are prone to infections, rather than implementing comprehensive measures.



"Due to uncertainties about the coronavirus, in the early period of the pandemic, we imposed tight social distancing measures such as limits on private gatherings and the operating hours of multi-use facilities in order to curb virus spread," said Vice Health Minister Lee Ki-il during a COVID-19 response meeting.





Vice Health Minister Lee Ki-il speaks during a COVID-19 response meeting at Government Complex Seoul, Wednesday. Yonhap
By Lee Hyon-soo





There is a saying that old men live in memories. A man in his twilight years, I indulge in reminiscences of the travels that I took in the past.



I have traveled to the United States many times on business or for pleasure. Of all the U.S. cities I set foot in, I was most fascinated by the sights, sounds and tastes of New Orleans.



New Orleans is probably the most unique city in the United States. Founded in 1718 by French colonists as "La Nouvelle-Orleans," the city was named after the Duke of Orleans who reigned as Regent for Louis XV of France at the time.



Situated at the mouth of the Mississippi River, New Orleans was once a pawn in the struggles of Europeans for the control of North America. From the outset it remained as a French colony except for a short period of time during which it was under Spanish rule. But New Orleans was handed over to the United States when Thomas Jefferson purchased it from Napoleon Bonaparte in 1803. With this purchase, the United States doubled in size because Napoleon threw the entire Louisiana Territory into the bargain.



The early inhabitants of New Orleans were a lively mixture of people with diverse cultural backgrounds  French, Spanish and African, among others. Blending their heritages, they all contributed to the character of New Orleans. Even today their influences are manifest throughout the city.



New Orleans strikes you as a city of contrasts  antiquity and modernity. It has emerged as a modern metropolis boasting new skyscrapers, while at the same time preserving the legacy of its colorful past.



While I liked New Orleans as a whole, I was especially attracted to the section of the city called Vieux Carre or the French Quarter. It is indeed a sightseer's delight. The French Quarter was designed along the lines of a typical 18th-century French village, and its buildings betray French and Spanish influences  many with exquisite cast-iron galleries.



While in New Orleans, I spent most of my time in the French Quarter, visiting many points of interest or just walking up and down the streets. The whole area swarmed not only with tourists but also with musicians and other street performers who lived off the tourism dollar. Many bars and restaurants remained open throughout the night and a festive mood overflowed on the streets. I did my share of barhopping on world-famous Bourbon Street where bars were concentrated. I also devoured many local delicacies  Cajun and Creole dishes for which New Orleans is famous.



New Orleans is the birthplace of Dixieland jazz and wherever I went in the French Quarter, I heard jazz playing. This art form was born in New Orleans in the early 20th century pre-World War I, deriving from Black blues and work songs, and white dance tunes and hymns. With improvisation at its heart, jazz is freshly invented with every performance, and that accounts for much of its vitality. New Orleans produced Louis Armstrong, jazz's definitive ambassador to the world.



Limited as my time was, I could not leave New Orleans without seeing the Mississippi, which was immortalized in my mind when I read Mark Twain's great novels in my youth. Cruising up and down the Mississippi aboard an old-fashioned sternwheel-driven steamboat, I could not help envisioning Huckleberry Finn who, together with runaway slave Jim, journeyed on a raft down this river, tumbling in and out of wild experiences.



The motto of New Orleans is "Laissez les bon temps rouler" (let the good times roll) and I can say unequivocally that the city did not let me down.





The writer (tomhslee43@gmail.com) is a freelance columnist and the author of "Tales of A Korean Globetrotter."


By Lee Hyo-sik





It's still 15 months until 170 countries around the world vote to decide which city will host the World Expo 2030. But in Korea, the campaigning has already been in full swing as government officials and businesspeople have rolled up their sleeves to attract the international event to the southeastern port city of Busan.The bidding campaign began in earnest when President Yoon Suk-yeol took the nation's office in May, as the former prosecutor-turned politician sought to return favor to Busan and South Gyeongsang Province where voters heavily favored him over his liberal rival Lee Jae-myung.First, bureaucrats and politicians of the ruling People Power Party took the lead, stressing how important it is for Korea to host the World Expo in Busan. Then, business tycoons, including SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won, followed suit, pledging to mobilize all their resources to support Busan's bid.Samsung, SK, Hyundai Motor, LG, Lotte and other large business groups said their CEOs and top executives have asked foreign government officials and business counterparts to lend a hand to Korea's second-largest city. Businesses plan to extensively lobby countries in Africa, Southeast Asia and South America where they operate, asking them to vote for Busan when the 170 Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) member nations vote on an Expo venue in November 2023.However, the Saudi Arabian capital of Riyadh stands in Busan's way, as the oil-rich kingdom also seeks to host the World Expo 2030. Riyadh appears to be the frontrunner at the moment, as it has reportedly garnered the official support of more than 70 BIE member countries. The Saudi capital is considered to have won their support via "oil money," common religious beliefs and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's visits.Saudi Arabia's global influence keeps growing in line with high oil prices as more countries voice support for Riyadh.On July 29, French President Emmanuel Macron told the visiting crown prince that France will vote for the Saudi capital as the host city of the World Expo 2030. Obviously, his remark was designed to win the mind of the Saudi leader while France is grappling with an energy crisis, compounded by the unprecedented heat wave and Russia's move to reduce natural gas supply to Europe. France's support for Riyadh will likely exert influence on the nation's former colonies in Africa.Given Saudi Arabia's increasing international profile, a significant number of people are painting a bleak picture for Busan's bid, saying the Saudi capital has already won the backing of dozens of countries and the number will only keep growing. In a recent luncheon meeting, a businessman said corporate leaders are wasting their time by engaging in the expo campaigning because it's already game over. He called on the leaders to devote more time and energy to steering their companies to navigate the increasingly uncertain business environment.However, government officials and business tycoons, including SK Chairman Chey, said it is too early to give up, stressing there is plenty of time to campaign and turn the tide in favor of Busan if they work harder.A top executive at one of Korea's major business associations recently said he and his counterparts at member companies will continue to visit Paris, where the BIE headquarters is located, and Brussels to ask member countries for their support for Busan. He also said he will organize a series of business delegations to countries in the South Pacific, Africa and South America where Korean companies have been doing business for years, to win their hearts and minds.Businesspeople are the key to Busan's bid campaign because they are the most effective "diplomats." People even in the most remote corners of the world know Samsung, Hyundai Motor and LG, even if they have no clue where Korea is.But Busan needs more than that. Let's hope oil prices will be much lower than now when 170 BIE members vote in November 2023.The writer ( leehs@koreatimes.co.kr ) is business editor at The Korea Times.
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This was the entrance to the New Horizons Baking job fair on Wednesday. Like many employers in the community New Horizons has openings to fill.
Indiana's proposed near-total abortion ban was revised by a House committee Tuesday to be slightly less onerous on pregnant women and their doctors.

Senate Bill 1 now authorizes abortion up to 20 weeks post-fertilization when necessary to prevent substantial impairment to the life or the physical health of a pregnant woman, or for the duration of pregnancy in the case of a lethal fetal anomaly.

The Senate version of the measure did not consider risks to the physical health of a woman to be a valid basis for abortion. Instead, it authorized the procedure only if the woman's life was in immediate danger.

The revised legislation also limits all abortions due to rape or incest to 10 weeks post-fertilization but scraps a Senate requirement the pregnant woman submit a non-confidential, notarized affidavit attesting to the criminal circumstances that led to her pregnancy.

In its place, the proposal obligates doctors performing an abortion to certify in writing to the hospital or ambulatory surgical center where the abortion takes place the legal basis for the abortion, and all facts supporting the validity of the abortion.

State Rep. Wendy McNamara, R-Evansville, a LaPorte native and chairwoman of the House Committee on Courts and Criminal Code, said the changes  adopted without objection by all committee members  are "a thoughtful way forward" that "shows compassion for mothers and babies."

The legislation still bans nearly all abortions in Indiana and forces the closure of abortion clinics across the state, such as the Planned Parenthood facility in Merrillville, by requiring all abortions be performed in a hospital or a hospital-owned ambulatory outpatient surgical center.

The measure specifies it does not apply to in vitro fertilization procedures. But it also eliminates the Senate's definition of pregnancy as beginning at uterine implantation in favor of life starting at fertilization, potentially opening the door to subsequent regulation of the "morning after" pill, intrauterine devices and similar measures that prevent the implantation of a fertilized egg.

In addition, the proposal no longer authorizes Republican Attorney General Todd Rokita to overrule locally elected county prosecutors who categorically decline to prosecute illegal abortions and establishes a Prosecutorial Oversight Task Force to study the issue of prosecutorial discretion ahead of the 2023 regular legislative session that begins in January.

Nevertheless, several doctors told the committee the lack of clear definitions pertaining to the life or health exceptions likely will make doctors wary of performing abortions except in the direst circumstances to avoid potentially risking their medical license or facing criminal charges.

"We are concerned that Indiana is creating an atmosphere that will be perceived as antagonistic to physicians," said Brian Tabor, president of the Indiana Hospital Association. "As state-level decisions continue to unfold, we caution our public officials from sending signals that could further exacerbate our health care workforce shortage and threaten access to care."

At the same time, anti-abortion activists said they consider the abortion ban exceptions for the life and health of the mother, and in cases of rape and incest, to be too broad and too easy to claim, and will fail to significantly reduce the number of abortions in Indiana.

"Senate Bill 1 is not salvageable," said Cathie Humbarger, founder of Reprotection Inc. "We do not need to make babies the enemy of their mothers, no matter how they were conceived."

Lawmakers won't have to wait long to learn the impact should the revised measure become law. It now directs the Indiana Department of Health to report each quarter, instead of annually, the number of terminated pregnancies in the state and any abortion complications.

The committee ultimately voted 8-5 to advance the revised legislation to the full House following some eight hours of testimony from more than 100 Hoosiers almost uniformly opposed to the measure.

State Rep. Cindy Ziemke, R-Batesville, joined all the Democrats in opposition. Though several committee Republicans who backed the measure, including state Rep. Mike Aylesworth, R-Hebron, expressed misgivings about its current provisions.

"I still have some reservations on the rape and incest part of this bill," Aylesworth said. "But in order to move it forward and get it into the House, I vote yes."

Democratic attempts to further change it by extending the rape or incest exception to 20 weeks, guaranteeing workplace accommodations for pregnant women, and moving the effective date to Nov. 1, instead of Sept. 1, to give health care providers more time to learn about the intricacies of the new law were rejected by the committee, mostly on party-line votes.

The 71 Republicans and 29 Democrats serving in the House now will have all day Wednesday to mull over the plan before convening Thursday to propose, debate and possibly adopt additional amendments to the proposal.

The chamber then is expected to vote Friday on passage. Legislation must win 51 votes to earn House approval.

The House is likely to split, similar to the Senate, into three or four camps: Republicans favoring the near-total abortion ban crafted by the House and Republicans favoring the more restrictive Senate version; Republicans favoring a "no exceptions" abortion ban; and a few Republicans and likely all Democrats opposing new abortion restrictions.

If the measure is approved by the House, it must return to the Senate for lawmakers there to either consent to the changes made by the House or to send the legislation to a conference committee, where a few members from the House and Senate will attempt to work out a compromise version that must be voted on again by both chambers.

It's possible the House changes will be fatal to the legislation because several of the bare minimum of 26 senators who supported the measure Saturday said they only were doing so to "keep the conversation going," and might not vote for it again if it comes back from the House with significant differences.

Under Indiana law, all special session legislation must be approved by the House and Senate with identical language no later than Aug. 14 to advance to Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb to be signed into law or vetoed.
Mark Albert sorts through some of the items hes collected in his rural LaGrange garage hell be taking down to distribute to the residents of Knott County Kentucky where recent summer storms and flooding have devastated the lives of thousands. Albert is working with Shay and Russ Owsley of Howe to take as many as four pick up truck trailers worth of donated supplies to Kentucky.
In online communities, Yeri, the maknae of Red Velvet, draws divided opinions for her style following airport photos. Amid netizens' discussion, some internet users once again accused the female star of imitating THIS BLACKPINK member. Keep on reding all the details.

Yeri Draws Attention for Personal Style vs Red Velvet Image

On August 2, Yeri becomes a hot topic on the online community Nate Pann after her airport photos were uploaded by a netizen.

In the post, previews taken from the fansite @/taechronic featured Yeri, who had just arrived at the Incheon International Airport after a schedule in London.

In the photos, Yeri wore a black shirt and jacket. She accessorized her look by wearing a headband and sunglasses. She completed the 'fit with denim pants and a green handbag.

Although she looked cool in her outfit, the post's author expressed regrets over Yeri's style outside Red Velvet.

The netizen stated:

"It seems like there's a huge gap between the style Yeri wants to pursue herself and the style that fans and the public want for her."

The author highlighted that Yeri was known for her innocent and cute concept following her debut in Red Velvet as the maknae. But, as she's growing up, and she also wants to pursue her preferences; that's why it's understandable to dress in such a way.

However, the uploader also pointed out:

"But it's not like fans absolutely demand her to follow an innocent style either. They just want Yeri to dress in a way that fits her [...] Yeri has always been pretty, so she would look good with just a simple style... Seriously, there are so many regrettable parts."

As soon as the post was uploaded, it earned about 170k views, and K-pop fans and netizens expressed their mixed reactions.

Some agreed with the original writer and uploaded photos of Yeri with simple makeup and a fluttering dress that emphasized her youthful beauty.

"Here's a picture of Yeri that I adore so much. She looks so pretty with just light makeup and comfortable clothes. I really think that she needs to change her style [...] Yeri possesses a vibrant vibe and energy, but it seems like I can't feel it anymore. It's a shame."

On the flip side, some fans, especially ReVeLuv (fandom), defended Yeri and commented:

"But that's literally an airport picture, isn't that a place where you wear plain clothes that you're comfortable with? On stage or in public places in front of fans, you just have to do whatever style suits you, and when you can wear comfortable plain clothes like that, you have to wear what you want. Why do you even care?"

Red Velvet Yeri Accused of Copying BLACKPINK Jennie's Style

Amid the discussion, another issue rose, accusing Yeri of imitating Jennie's style once again. In the post, Yeri's airport photos were compared to the speculated photo of Jennie with BTS V.

In that photo, the BLACKPINK member wore a headband with her hair tied at the back and shades. Netizens said that it was really similar to Yeri's recent look.

Some K-Netz agreed; however, fans immediately criticized the author and said:

"You're mentally ill. If I put headband and sunglasses, am I imitating her then?"

"I wore that sunglasses a lot too, but it's a big deal only for Yeri?"

"Isn't that sunglass shape already popular? What do you say when influencers or ordinary people try to draw, but when images overlap with celebrities? There are already a lot of pictures of celebrities with those sunglasses on Instagram."

This is not the first time Yeri has been accused of imitating Jennie. In 2020, the Red Velvet maknae received malicious comments after netizens accused her of copying Jennie's style in the outfit, makeup, and Instagram feed.

For more K-Pop news and updates, keep your tabs open here at KpopStarz.

KpopStarz owns this article.

Written by Eunice Dawson
Chinese K-pop idols Winwin and Yiren faced backlash from Koreans and international fans after what they posted on their respective Weibo accounts. Curious? Keep on reading for all the details.

Winwin, Yiren Face Backlash Following Weibo Posts

Chinese citizens who are actively promoting as K-pop idols are currently gaining attention following the Weibo posts of Winwin, a member of the group NCT/WayV and Yiren, an EVERGLOW member.

In particular, on August 3, Winwin posted on his Weibo, a Chinese social media platform supporting China's "One China" principle.

He wrote:

"There is only one China."

The male idol also shared a poster of CCTV, a Chinese state-run broadcaster emphasizing the principle of "One China."

As a brief context about this principle, it is argued that China (the People's Republic of China) and Taiwan, a self-governing island, cannot be divided and that Taiwan is part of China.

The discussion and claims about this principle again heated as a criticism of U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan the night before.

The Chinese side is protesting Pelosi's trip to Taiwan, stating it violates the principle of "one China." In fact, more than 2 million articles criticizing Pelosi were posted on Weibo.

Following Winwin, Wang Yiren, a Chinese member of the group EVERGLOW, also posted on Weibo on the same day in support of China.

She initially became a controversial member after refusing to make a Korean bow at a fan meeting held in January to commemorate the New Year. As a result, Yiren stopped her activities in Korea, returned to China for an academic break, and visited her family, whom she hadn't seen for a long time.

With their posts, the Chinese K-pop idols who conveyed political messages drew criticism from Korean and international fans.

There are speculations that their opinions and personal activities can damage the entire group's reputation and image.

K-Netz responded:

"Can't you just work alone in China?"

"You can't use Chinese members."

"No comeback for you."

On social media and in Korean online communities, fans and internet users conveyed their frustrations and demanded the idols leave their respective teams and start their solo careers instead in China.

"Go to China and work in your home country!"

"If you debut in Korea and become popular and earn money, do the basics."

"This makes it difficult to see groups with Chinese members."

"Wow, it's disgusting."

"Why don't you go to China where you love and get popular with your own power? But you become popular as a Hallyu idol. It's ridiculous to see you from a K-pop group from time to time."

NCT/WayV Winwin Praised by Chinese Following 'One China' Post

Contrary to the reaction of domestic and foreign fans, Chinese netizens praised the male idol for his post.

As of 10 a.m. KST, Winwin's writing has more than 8,300 "likes." Hot support for him also poured out, with more than 1,500 retweets.

In the comments section, he received positive comments such as

"Only One China."

"Long live the motherland."

Long live the one China."

READ MORE: EVERGLOW Yiren Draws Mixed Reactions for Not Doing Korean New Year Greetings

For more K-Pop news and updates, keep your tabs open here at KpopStarz.

KpopStarz owns this article.

Written by Eunice Dawson
Neth Pheaktra (1st R), secretary of state and spokesman for Cambodia's Ministry of Environment, visits a wildlife exhibition during the Zero-Snaring Campaign event in Mondulkiri province, Cambodia on July 29, 2022. 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. (Cambodia's Ministry of Environment/Handout via Xinhua)

MONDULKIRI, Cambodia, July 29 (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.

"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.

"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.

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!" 
Mnet has released a 4-minute long video as the newest trailer for the male version of the famous dance variety show "Street Woman Fighter," "Street Man Fighter." Curious? Keep on reading for all the details.

'Street Man Fighter': Details + Teaser

"Street Man Fighter" will air on August 23 at 10:20 PM KST. It will show the battle of some of South Korea's best dance groups against one another.

For the honor of "KING" of the streets, eight crews, including JUST JERK, BANK TWO BROTHERS, PRIME KINGZ, YGX, 1MILLION, EO-DDAE, WE DEM BOYZ, and MBITIOUS, will compete.

The bloodiest challenge of all, the one vs. one street dancing wars, will kick off the competition.The intensity and passion of every dancer and their deadly moves will leave viewers feeling as though they've been punched in the face.

Here, the panel of judges, BoA, Eunhyuk from Super Junior, and Wooyoung from 2PM, were seen laughing incredulously after watching some of the mind-blowing dance bouts.

What Wooyoung said at the end 

I think I made a good choice on coming to SMF

Boa really?

It is so much fun

pic.twitter.com/9brPVGVssO  les ()  (@Ok_Bingu) August 3, 2022

Kang Daniel will be hosting the show, just like with "Street Woman Fighter" and "Street Girls Fighter".

'Street Man Fighter': Collaboration With Known Producers

In the primary trailer, several well-known producers for collaborations were also introduced, including Zico, GRAY, and Giriboy. The dance crews were shocked and excited as they would be working with these producers.

The "Street Man Fighter" and LA dance crew KINJAZ cooperation was also teased in the trailer. It has piqued the interest of the dancers and made them think about what kind of distinctive tasks each round will provide.

'Be Mbitious' Prequel

The show aired a prequel less than two months ago in which many solo dancers, including idols, competed to be part of a dance crew named "Mbitious." The crew will be part of the "Street Man Fighter."
There are a number of high profile primaries taking place Aug. 9. Among the contested races is the race for the 32nd Assembly District seat. The district now represents the area all around Geneva Lake, including the west end that was previously part of the 31st Assembly District.

In the primary, Republican Rep. Tyler August, who was elected to the seat in 2010, is running against newcomer Bart Williams, who is also a Republican and wants the Republican Party to go in a new direction without Robin Vos as the speaker.

The Republican winner of the primary will go on to face Democrat Adam Jaramillo, a member of the Williams Bay Village Board, in the Nov. 8 election.

The district includes Lake Geneva as well as Williams Bay, Fontana, Linn, Walworth, Delavan, Bloomfield, Genoa City and Sharon.

August, who lives in the City of Lake Geneva and serves as the speaker pro tempore for the Assembly, is a 2001 Big Foot High School graduate. He is critical of his opponent who has not lived in the district very long.

I have lived in this community my entire life. Im a seventh generation resident of this district. My opponent is not, August said.

Williams admits he owns a house in West Bend, which is not in the 32nd Assembly District, and he used that address when he first filed paperwork to run for office.

But he said he is now renting an apartment in the City of Delavan and he and his wife are actively looking for a home to buy in Walworth County. They have not yet put their West Bend home up for sale, but they are working toward that, Williams said.

Williams said he did not move to the area just to run for office. He said he loves the outdoors and when he and his wife were looking to move, after the three kids were out of the house, they decided they wanted to live in Walworth County.

He believes Walworth County needs someone new representing the area.

We shouldnt have any more than eight years for any state office, Williams said. My opponent is going for years 13 and 14 in the same office  That is becoming a career politician.

Election integrity

Williams said one of his top issues is election integrity. If we dont have election integrity, think of our other rights, we have nothing. Because we become the old Soviet Union of yesterday or the communist China of today, said Williams, who supports the call to decertify the 2020 presidential election results.

If we dont have election integrity, we will not have our other rights and freedoms, Williams said. He said it is possible to decertify the election and cited North Carolina doing it following a 2018 Congressional race that was deemed fraudulent. He also said one of the ways the vote can be protected is by eliminating the Wisconsin Election Commission (WEC).

They helped steal the 11-3-2020 election, Williams said of the WEC. He watched the election firsthand in Milwaukee County in 2020 and saw how WEC made rules to impact the election, with WEC allowing ballots without witness addresses to be counted. They also put out guidance allowing illegal ballot drop boxes, Williams said.

If the election was decertified in Wisconsin, those votes could go to Trump or be nullified entirely. If Wisconsin decertified its results, he believes Arizona and Georgia would follow suit because courage can be contagious. If all three states decertified, it would leave Trump and Biden tied at electoral votes and it would go to the House to decide the president.

August said there were issues with the 2020 election, but he said Williams is wrong and there is no process for decertifying the election.

I know my opponent keeps talking about that, that is what has to happen. He is just plain wrong. There is absolutely zero legal way of decertifying the 2020 election, August said.

With that being said, August said there are changes that need to take place.

August said he personally authored a constitutional amendment that would ban so-called Zuckerbucks, an amendment that would prevent private entities from putting money into the actual administering of elections. He plans to reintroduce it next session, if he is re-elected.

While changes need to happen, August said he does not support the elimination of the Wisconsin Election Commission.

The problem is if you get rid of the WEC, what would we replace it with? August said. I know there are some people out there that want to put elections under the purview of the secretary of state. As a conservative I think that is a terrible idea because that office has been controlled by liberal Democrats for almost 50 years. If people are concerned about election integrity and they believe the other side is cheating, why would you want to put a liberal Democrat in charge of certifying the elections and administering them?

Other issues

On other issues, Williams touts that he is pro-life 100% and testified against the selling of body parts from aborted babies.

He also states the importance of defending personal freedoms and education reform.

August, who is also pro-life and a strong supporter of the Second Amendment, pointed out that the national Conservative Political Action Committee has ranked him as the third most conservative member of the Wisconsin state Legislature. Its pretty hard to be more conservative than me. The difference is that I actually have a record that people can take a look at, August said.

August said when he was elected in 2010, they had eight years of success fighting for conservative reforms and cutting taxes with Republican Gov. Scott Walker.

With that said, with the change of governor, its been more important than ever to have people who are going to fight for conservative values up in Madison and stop a lot of the things Tony Evers has been trying to do, August said. I have had a lot of success in stopping him. This state would look a lot different if he (Evers) had had the same kinds of success as Joe Biden has had moving his liberal agenda.

While there is not a lot that Wisconsin can do to control the national economy, what we can do is hold the line on taxes and actually continue to cut taxes so people can have more money in their pockets, August said.

But Williams doesnt believe that August and the Republicans did enough when they were in power  including not passing a law to ban the sale of aborted fetal body parts in the state.

Williams has previously served on the school boards in West Bend and New Berlin. He helped start up the Lake Country Classical Academy charter school in Oconomowoc. He supports vouchers for families, saying vouchers cost less than public schools per student and those students routinely outperform public school students. As for Milwaukee Public Schools, he said the district needs to improve and meet specific goals and deadlines or have funding cut.

August also said that the state needs to continue to expand the school choice program and he is open to breaking up Milwaukee Public Schools.

August is hoping that Walworth County residents look back at his conservative record and re-elect him along with a Republican governor in November so that the Legislature can make meaningful conservative changes for the state.

On the other hand, Williams said August and current Republicans in office have not done enough and that it is time for someone new.
Former President Donald Trump is calling for the immediate release of the federal warrant. And a spokesperson for Anne Heche says the actor is on life support after a fiery crash. Those stories and more on our daily news podcast.
It should be no surprise to anyone who lives in the U.S. for more than a few years that what are considered rights can be changed. Our Constitution was written that way: to be amended, time and again.

Its been officially amended 27 times so far. That fact might actually anger some of the founding fathers. Thomas Jefferson wanted the Constitution to be scrapped and rewritten every two decades; the author of the Declaration never wanted the countrys founding documents to be treated as sacred. Twenty-seven amendments would be palsy in his eyes.

The laws of this country are incredibly malleable.

This became clear when the Supreme Court flipped Roe v. Wade.

Abortion was largely illegal before 1973, largely legal between 1973 and 2022, and up to the states since June 24, 2022.

Thats not the issue were weighing in on today.

Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas thinks the argument that the 14th Amendments right to privacy being used to legalize things like abortion and gay marriage is flimsy.

Section 1 of the amendment, which was passed after the Civil War in order to give rights to freed slaves, states: No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.

None of us are legal experts. We cannot speak to if that argument is flimsy or not. What we do know is that that argument has been used successfully to legalize abortion via Roe v. Wade and legalize interracial marriage via Loving v. Virginia, as well as to overturn racial segregation in education via Brown v. Board of Education.

With the recent Supreme Court decision, it has become clear that laws can easily and quickly change based on a courts decision.

The U.S. House passed the Respect For Marriage Act on Tuesday, July 19, to codify legal same-sex marriage nationwide, but it still has to go to the Senate.

Even with U.S. representatives taking action, state officials should take steps now to legalize same-sex marriage in Wisconsin as well.

In Wisconsin and in most of the country, a man can only marry the man he loves and a woman can only marry the woman she loves because of a single Supreme Court decision: Obergefell v. Hodges (2015).

The successful argument behind the Obergefell decision was based on the 14th Amendment. The argument is largely identical to the one that had been behind Roe v. Wade.

Like Roe, Obergefell is fragile.

Justice Thomas himself wrote in a court opinion that he wants the Supreme Court to reexamine Obergefell. Its unclear if the other conservative justices of the high court agree with Thomas.

In Wisconsin and throughout the country, conservatives argue for individual freedoms  life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

If Wisconsin wants to be a land of freedom, the Legislature should act to allow people to marry who they choose.
Reality TV star Khloe Kardashian treated her fans by sharing pictures of herself flaunting her toned abs. Taking to Instagram, Khloe dropped a video and a picture in which she is seen flaunting her washboard abs in a bikini. Kim Kardashian and Khloe Kardashian Flaunt Their Hourglass Figure As They Pose in Sexy Silver Bikini and Swimsuit on a Beach (View Pics).

In the Instagram video, the Kardashians star fixed her slicked-back bun before pulling on the side of her high-cut bikini bottoms while Beyonce's new album, "Renaissance," played in the background, Page Six reported. A portrait of Marilyn Monroe hung in the background as she held a phone in her hand and filmed through the reflection of a Hollywood style mirror with lightbulbs. Kim Kardashian Joins Khloe Kardashian on a Tropical Vacation for Her Birthday and These Bikini Pics of the Sisters Are Proof (View Pics).

Khloe's post left fans in awe of her toned figure. "You look so hot,"a social media user commented. "Oh my God! Can't take my eyes off you. Look at those abs," another one wrote. Her best friend Malika Haqq also chimed in, saying, "I want you and the suit Ma. Sickening." Meanwhile, Khloe and her ex-boyfriend Tristan Thompson are expecting a second child via surrogate, a representative for Kardashian told CNN.

Check Out Khloe Kardashian's Instagram Post Below:

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Khloe Kardashian (@khloekardashian)

Khloe and Tristan are the parents of a 4-year-old daughter, True.

"We can confirm True will have a sibling who was conceived in November. Khloe is incredibly grateful to the extraordinary surrogate for such a beautiful blessing. We'd like to ask for kindness and privacy so Khloe can focus on her family," the source informed. While Kardashian and Thompson have had a tumultuous romantic relationship that ended in December, they communicate as co-parents.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], August 3 (ANI): Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati on Tuesday announced her party's support for NDA's Vice-Presidential candidate Jagdeep Dhankhar.

"It is well known that due to the lack of consensus between the government and the opposition in the election for the post of the the president, the country's highest post, the election for it was finally held. Now, due to the same situation, the election for the post of Vice-President is also going to be held on 6th August," Mayawati tweeted in Hindi.

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"In view of the larger public interest and its own movement, the BSP has decided to extend its support to Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar in the election for the post of Vice President, which I am also formally announcing today," she added in another tweet.

The election for the Vice President's post will be held on August 6. This comes just as the tenure of Vice President Venkaiah Naidu comes to an end on August 10, 2022.

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The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has announced Jagdeep Dhankhar as its vice-presidential candidate while opposition parties have announced Margaret Alva as their candidate.

Dhankhar, who is a lawyer by profession, entered into politics in 1989. He became the governor of West Bengal in July 2019 and has made headlines since then over his tumultuous relations with the Mamata Banerjee government. He tendered his resignation as the Governor of West Bengal on Sunday.

The vice president of India, which is the second-highest constitutional post in the country, is elected through an electoral college consisting of members of the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha.

Earlier, Biju Janta Dal (BJD) announced its support for NDA's Vice Presidential candidate Jagdeep Dhankar in the upcoming election.

Meanwhile, Trinamool Congress said that the party will abstain from voting in the upcoming Vice Presidential poll.

In 2017, the NDA had nominated Venkaiah Naidu as its candidate for the vice-presidential election and he went on to become India's 15th vice president. His term ends on August 10, 2022. (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, Aug 3 (PTI) The CBI has booked directors and former directors of a Shahjahanpur-based rice firm for allegedly defrauding the Punjab National Bank to the tune of Rs 43.98 crore by siphoning of loan funds, officials said Wednesday.

The agency has named the directors of the the rice company Atarson Overseas Private Ltd Rachin Gupta, Sunil Gupta, former director Seema Gupta, corporate guarantor Mukesh Kumar Sharma and Ajay Kumar in the alleged cheating case which took place between April 1, 2015 and March 31, 2019, the FIR said.

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The Oriental Bank of Commerce (OBC), which is now Punjab National Bank, had sanctioned credit facilities such as cash credit limit of Rs. 40 crore and term Loan of Rs 4.88 crore on September 14, 2017.

During the forensic audit of the company, it was found that the central GST department had raided the premises of the company in Shahjahanpur and Bareilly on October 20, 2018.

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The raid revealed "widespread irregularities in sales and purchase invoices" with many invoices found fake.

The company had used numbers of scooters and e-rickshaws on e-way bills purportedly used for ferrying its load across states.

The raid showed that the company had allegedly used fake invoices to claim input tax credit of over Rs 90 crore by showing sales and purchases among associates and friendly concerns without having any physical delivery of commodities.

It is alleged that another firm Balaji Farms and Rice Processing where Rachin Gupta was a common director had availed a loan of Rs 48 crore from the Nainital Bank for the same project which was funded by the OBC.

When the photos of units were exchanged among bankers, the Nainital Bank confirmed to OBC that they had financed the same project but "shockingly" they did not mention Director Identification Number (DIN) of Rachin Gupta which allowed him to avail credit facilities for another company in a different bank, the FIR alleged.

Gupta allegedly did not disclose to OBC that he had taken a cash credit limit of Rs 40 crore from the Nainital Bank.

"The accused deliberately manipulated bank accounts, diverted the funds of the bank, evaded tax and took loans from various other banks fraudulently with ill as well as dishonest motive...," the bank has alleged in its complaint which is now part of the FIR.

The bank alleged that they concealed information from consortium banks in opening accounts with non consortium banks which constitute fraud.

The accused directors have also "unanimously" removed entire hypothecated stock from their respective godowns and factory premises and might have destroyed records in their custody in continuance of their offence, it alleged.

(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], August 3 (ANI): The Congress on Wednesday changed the profile photo of its Twitter handle to mark the 75th year of India's Independence.

The Congress put a picture of former Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal

Also Read | The University Will Focus on Five Areas Including Transport-based Courses, Skill   Latest Tweet by ANI.

Congress tweeted, "The tricolour is in our hearts, it is in our veins as blood. On December 31, Nehru with the tricolour.1929, Pandit Nehru while hoisting the tricolour on the banks of river Ravi said, 'Now the tricolour has been hoisted, it should not be bowed'. Let us all make this tricolour our identity, which gives the message of the unbroken unity of the country. Jai Hind."

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also changed his profile picture and tweeted, "The pride of the country is our tricolour. Our tricolour is in the heart of every Indian."

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"Victory World. Beloved Tricolor, May our flag be high," tweeted Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.

The Congress move also comes a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Tuesday, replaced his profile picture on Twitter and Facebook accounts with a photograph of the national flag as part of the 'Har Ghar Tiranga' initiative to mark the 75th year of India's Independence. He has asked the people to put India's national flag as the profile picture of their social media accounts between August 2 and 15.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the 'Har Ghar Tiranga' campaign on July 22 to encourage people to bring the Tiranga home and hoist it to mark the 75th year of India's independence. The idea behind the initiative is to invoke the feeling of patriotism in the hearts of the people and to celebrate Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav in the spirit of Jan Bhagidari.

The Congress on Wednesday dismissed the Centre's Tiranga bike rally program terming it a 'political program'.

Speaking to ANI, Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Choudhary said, "How can we join BJP's political agenda? They (BJP) have ended our khadi, and now the national flags have started coming from China. If the government program is made a political program, we will not participate in it."

"Everyone knows who is a patriot. Today, a disgusting conspiracy is being hatched against the newspaper which came out during the freedom struggle. As far as Independence Day is concerned, we will do our program," added the Congress MP.

Chowdhury was speaking about the National Herald case, which pertains to the alleged financial irregularities under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and was registered about nine months ago after a trial court took cognizance of an Income Tax department probe carried out on the basis of a private criminal complaint filed by former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Subramanian Swamy in 2013. The raids were conducted days after the investigative agency questioned Congress interim-president Sonia Gandhi for nearly three hours on July 27. It was the third round of questioning of the senior leader in the case. (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], August 3 (ANI): Rajya Sabha member Pramod Tiwari gives zero-hour notice in Rajya Sabha on the issue of what he termed as a surge in Indian money held in Swiss banks.

Wednesday marks day 13 of the Monsoon session and proceedings in both Houses which will commence at 11 am and Rajya Sabha member from the congress party has asked for a zero-hour session to address the issue.

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Earlier on July 29 also, he gave the zero-hour notice to discuss the same and had written to the Secretary-General of Rajya Sabha.

"It is a matter of grave concern that other foreign banks including Swiss Bank funds are being diverted to more institutions in an uncontrollable manner, increasing the risks of black money," the MP said in the letter.During the 2014 elections, the present government had made "big claims" to bring back the "black money" stashed in foreign banks, the MP said."Far from bringing money back, Indian funds got deposited in Swiss Bank. According to the annual report released by the Central Bank of Switzerland, Indian individuals and firms deposited 3.83 billion Swiss francs i.e. Rs 30,500 crore in Swiss banks in the year 2021, which is at a record level of the last 14 years," the letter read.Apart from this, savings of Indians in savings or deposit accounts have reached a record high of Rs 4,800 crore, he said.

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As per the reply given by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on that day, there was no official estimate of the amount deposited under various foreign accounts, he added.

In reply to a question on whether there has been a steep rise in the amount of money deposited by Indian citizens and companies in Swiss banks, Sitharaman said there is no official estimate of the amount of money deposited by Indian citizens and companies in Swiss banks. "However, certain recent media reports have stated that funds of Indians in Swiss Banks have risen in 2021 as compared to 2020," Sitharaman said.

These media reports have also mentioned that these deposits do not indicate the quantum of the alleged black money held by Indians in Switzerland, the minister said further in her reply."The existing measures taken in dealing with black money are insufficient. Therefore, through this house, I urge the government I want that consider the immediate and negative impact on the economy, which After all, affects the poor and weaker sections, and take appropriate steps in this regard," the letter by the Rajya Sabha member further read. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
New Delhi, August 3: A 31-year-old woman tested positive for Monkeypox in the national capital on Wednesday, taking India's tally to nine. This is the first case of the disease among women in India. She is under treatment in one of the government hospitals in Delhi.

Earlier on Tuesday, another 35-year-old Nigerian man living in Delhi, with no recent travel history, tested positive for monkeypox. The patient is admitted to Lok Nayak Jaiprakash hospital which comes under the government of Delhi.

India has reported 9 monkeypox cases so far, 5 from Kerala and 4 from Delhi.

In the wake of an increase in the number of Monkeypox cases in the country, isolation rooms have been made operational for the treatment of such infections in three central government hospitals, according to sources. Monkeypox in India: 31-Year-Old Woman Tests Positive for MPV in Delhi, Takes India's Tally to 9.

"The isolation rooms for the treatment of Monkeypox patients are operational in three major central government hospitals i.e Safdarjang hospital, RML hospital and Lady Hardinge hospital," official sources told ANI.

The Delhi Government issued the official statement on Tuesday on the preparation of isolation rooms in government and private hospitals. The 20 isolation rooms at the Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan (LNJP) Hospital, while 10 isolation rooms have been set up in Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital (GTB) hospital and 10 at Dr Baba Saheb Ambedkar Hospital.

Notably, the Delhi government has also directed private hospitals to create isolation rooms for patients with Monkeypox cases. These three hospitals are Kailash Deepak hospital, East Delhi; MD City Hospital, North Delhi and Batra Hospital and Research Centre, Tughlakabad in South Delhi. India has so far reported 9 Monkeypox cases, of which 5 are from Kerala with a history of international travel and four from Delhi with no recent travel history.

On Monday, the Joint Secretary in the Union Health Ministry wrote to Dr Hussain Abdul Rahman, Executive Director and IHR focal point in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), requesting him to intensify screening to ensure that persons exhibiting symptoms suggestive of Monkeypox disease are not allowed to board the flight to minimize the risk of disease transmission.

In the wake of the rising cases of Monkeypox in the country, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Tuesday assured citizens not to panic and said that an awareness campaign is being run in collaboration with the state governments to prevent the spread of the infection.

Speaking in Rajya Sabha on Tuesday during the ongoing Monsoon session of the Parliament, the Union Minister said, "There is no need to be afraid of Monkeypox, an awareness campaign is being run in collaboration with the state governments: Public awareness is very necessary for the context of Monkeypox. We have also formed a task force under the chairmanship of a member of NITI Aayog on behalf of the Government of India." Monkeypox Spread: Ministry of Health Shares Dos and Donts; Know More Here.

"On the basis of the observations of the task force, we will assess and study the further action to be taken. If the state government of Kerala needs any kind of help from the Central government, it will be given. Also, an expert team of the Central government is guiding the state government from time to time," he said.

India has reported 9 Monkeypox cases and approximately 100 samples have been tested till August 2, said Dr Pragya Yadav Senior Scientist ICMR-NIV, Pune. "Till now at ICMR NIV Pune and VRDL have tested samples approximate 100 cases as on 2nd August 2022," she added.

Notably, NCDC, Delhi and AIIMS lab has also started testing for Monkeypox as ICMR-NIV is sharing reagents with National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and all over the country network of 15 laboratories has started testing.

"There are fifteen Virus research and diagnostic laboratories (VRDLs) trained to undertake the diagnostic testing with ICMR -NIV Pune We have shared reagents to NCDC, Delhi also for performing testing. ICMR-NIV, Pune is a nodal center for testing and coordination," said Dr Yadav.

(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], August 3 (ANI): Keeping in view the interest of sugarcane farmers, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs on Wednesday approved the Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) of sugarcane for sugar season 2022-23.

(October - September) at Rs 305/qtl for a basic recovery rate of 10.25 per cent, providing a premium of Rs. 3.05/qtl for each 0.1 per cent increase in recovery over and above 10.25 per cent, and reduction in FRP by Rs. 3.05/qtl for every 0.1 per cent decrease in recovery.

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However, the government with a view to protect interests of sugarcane farmers has also decided that there shall not be any deduction in case of sugar mills where recovery is below 9.5 per cent. Such farmers will get Rs. 282.125/qtl for sugarcane in ensuing sugar season 2022-23 in place of Rs. 275.50/qtl in current sugar season 2021-22.

The A2 + FL cost of production of sugarcane (i.e actual paid out cost plus imputed value of family labour) for the sugar season 2022-23 is Rs. 162/qtl. This FRP of Rs. 305/qtl at a recovery rate of 10.25 per cent is higher by 88.3 per cent over cost of production, thereby ensuring the promise of giving the farmers a return of more than 50 per cent over their cost. The FRP for sugar season 2022-23 is 2.6 per cent higher than current sugar season 2021-22.

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Due to proactive policies of Central Government, sugarcane cultivation and sugar industry has come a long way in past 8 years and now reached a level of self-sustainability. This is outcome of timely government interventions and collaboration with sugar industry, State Governments, various departments of Central Government as well as farmers. Salient measures taken by the Government for Sugar Sector in recent years are as under:

FRP of sugarcane is fixed to ensure a guaranteed price to sugarcane growers.

Government has increased FRP by more than 34% in past 8 years. Government has also introduced the concept of Minimum Selling Price (MSP) of sugar to prevent fall in ex-mill prices of sugar & accumulation of cane arrears (MSP was fixed initially at Rs 29/ kg w.e.f 07-06-2018; revised to Rs 31/kg w.e.f. 14-02-2019).

Financial assistance of more than Rs 18,000 crore extended to sugar mills to facilitate export of sugar, for maintaining buffer stocks, to augment ethanol production capacity and for clearance of farmers' dues.

Diversion of surplus sugar for production of ethanol led to improved financial conditions of sugar mills. As a result, they are able to clear cane dues early. Due to exports and diversion of sugar to ethanol, sugar sector has become self-sustainable and budgetary support for export and buffer are not required to improve liquidity of mills.

Further, due to various others measures taken for the Sugar Sector during past few sugar seasons which inter-alia included introduction of high yielding varieties of sugarcane, adoption of drip irrigation system, modernization of sugar plant and other R&D activities, the area of sugarcane cultivation, production of sugarcane, cane crushed, sugar production & its recovery percentage and the payment to farmers have increased considerably.

Government committed to increase income of farmers:

Decision will benefit 5 crore sugarcane farmers (Ganna Kisan) and their dependents, as well as 5 lakh workers employed in the sugar mills and related ancillary activities. 9 years back, FRP was only Rs. 210/ qtl in sugar season 2013-14 & only about 2,397 LMT of sugarcane was purchased by sugar mills. Farmers were getting only about Rs 51,000 crore from sale of sugarcane to sugar mills. However, in past 8 years Government has increased FRP by more than 34 per cent. In the current sugar season 2021-22, about 3,530 lakh tons of sugarcane of worth Rs. 1,15,196 crore was purchased by sugar mills, which is an all-time high.

Keeping the increase in the acreage & expected production of sugarcane in the ensuing sugar season 2022-23, more than 3,600 lakh tons of sugarcane is likely to be purchased by sugar mills for which the total remittance to the sugarcane farmers is expected to be more than Rs 1,20,000 crore. The Government through its pro-farmer measures will ensure that sugarcane farmers get their dues in time.

In the previous sugar season 2020-21, about Rs 92,938 crore cane dues were payable, out of which Rs. 92,710 crore has been paid & only Rs. 228 crore arrears are pending. In the current sugar season 2021-22, out of cane dues payable of Rs. 1,15,196 crores about Rs. 1,05,322 crores cane dues have been paid to farmers, as on 01.08.2022; thus, 91.42 per cent cane dues have been cleared which is higher than earlier seasons.

India is the largest producer & second largest exporter of sugar in the world:

India has surpassed Brazil in sugar production in the current sugar season. With the increase in the production of sugar in past 8 years, India apart from meeting its requirement for domestic consumption has also consistently exporting sugar which has helped in reducing our fiscal deficit. In last 4 sugar seasons 2017-18, 2018-19, 2019-20 & 2020-21, about 6 Lakh Metric Tonne (LMT), 38 LMT, 59.60 LMT & 70 LMT of sugar has been exported. About 100 LMT of sugar has been exported till 01.08.2022 in the current sugar season 2021-22 & exports likely to touch 112 LMT.

Sugarcane farmers & sugar industry now contributing in energy sector:

India's 85 per cent requirement of crude oil is met through imports. But with a view to reduce import bill on crude oil, to reduce pollution & to make India Atmanirbhar in petroleum sector, Government is pro-actively moving ahead to increase production & blending of ethanol with petrol under the Ethanol Blended with Petrol programme. Government is encouraging sugar mills to divert excess sugarcane to ethanol which is blended with petrol, which not only serves as a green fuel but also saves foreign exchange on account of crude oil import. In sugar seasons 2018-19, 2019-20 & 2020-21, about 3.37 LMT, 9.26 LMT & 22 LMT of sugar has been diverted to ethanol. In current sugar season 2021-22, about 35 LMT of sugar is estimated to be diverted & by 2025-26 more than 60 LMT of sugar is targeted to be diverted to ethanol, which would address the problem of excess sugarcane as well as delayed payment issue because farmers would get timely payment.

Government has fixed target of 10 per cent blending of fuel grade ethanol with petrol by 2022 & 20 per cent blending by 2025.

Till year 2014, ethanol distillation capacity of molasses-based distilleries was only about 215 cr litres. However, in past 8 years due to the policy changes made by the Government, the capacity of molasses-based distilleries have increased to 595 cr litres. Capacity of grain based distilleries which were about 206 cr litres in 2014 have now increased to 298 cr ltrs. Thus, the overall capacity of ethanol production has doubled in past 8 years from 421 cr ltrs in 2014 to 893 cr ltrs in July' 2022. Government is also extending interest subvention to sugar mills/ distilleries for loans availed from banks for augmentation of ethanol production capacities. About 41,000 cr investment is being made in ethanol sector which will create employment opportunities in rural areas.

In ethanol supply year (ESY) 2013-14, supply of ethanol to OMCs was only 38 crore litres with blending levels of only 1.53 per cent. Production of fuel grade ethanol and its supply to OMCs has increased by 8 times from 2013-14. In ethanol supply year 2020-21 (December - November), about 302.30 cr ltrs of ethanol has been supplied to OMCs thereby, achieving 8.1 per cent blending levels. In the current ESY 2021-22, we have been able to achieve 10.17 per cent blending levels. More than 400 cr ltrs of ethanol likely to be supplied by sugar mills/ distilleries for blending with petrol in the current ESY 2021-22 which will be 10 times in comparison to supplies in year 2013-14.

Sugar industry becoming self-sustainable:

Earlier, sugar mills were dependent primarily on sale of sugar to generate revenues. Surplus production in any season adversely affects their liquidity leading to accumulation of cane price arrears of farmers. Government interventions were made from time to time to improve their liquidity. However, in past few years due to Central Government's proactive policies including encouragement to export surplus sugar & to divert sugar to ethanol, the sugar industry has now become self-sustainable.

Since, 2013-14 about Rs 49,000 crore revenue generated by sugar mills from sale of ethanol to Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs). In the current sugar season 2021-22, about Rs 20,000 cr revenue is being generated by sugar mills from sale of ethanol to OMCs; which has improved liquidity of sugar mills enabling them to clear cane dues of farmers. Revenue from sale of sugar & its by-products, ethanol supplies to OMCs, power production from bagasse based cogeneration plants & sale of potash produced from press mud has improved topline & bottom line growth of sugar mills.

The measures taken by the Central Government and FRP enhancement have encouraged farmers to cultivate sugarcane and facilitated continued operation of sugar factories for domestic manufacturing of sugar. Due to proactive policies made by the Government for sugar sector, India is also now becoming atmanirbhar in energy sector. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Madurai (Tamil Nadu) [India], August 3 (ANI): The Income Tax department in Tamil Nadu's Madurai continued to raid more than 20 places owned by well-known financier and Tamil Film Producer Anbu Chezhiyan for the second day on Wednesday.

According to the sources, the I-T sleuths had been carrying out raids at 40 places including Chennai and Madurai since 5 am on Tuesday. At Chennai, a team of sleuths reportedly raided a location in the Nungambakkam Kamthar Nagar area where Cheziyan is known to live.

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The raids came five months after the grand wedding of Chezhiyan's daughter in Chennai which was graced by various celebrities from across India.

Personalities ranging from Rajinikanth, Kamal Hassan, and Suriya to Boney Kapoor were all present at the venue. Many politicians also attended the wedding.

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Chezhiyan, who is a native of Madurai, is a very influential and top financier in the Tamil film industry.

He received public attention in 2017 when Ashok Kumar, cousin of director Sasikumar, died by suicide with a note alleging mental torture and trauma over financial issues by Chezhiyan.

After this, Chezhiyan got public attention in 2020 when I-T raids were carried out on personalities linked to the movie "Bigil" which was released in 2019. At that time, the entire crew of the movie came under the I-T scanner which included raids on Actor Vijay and AGS Production house.

The Income Tax Department has now raided multiple locations linked to the powerful film producer after two years. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], August 3 (ANI): Terrorists fired upon a vehicle-bound police party in the Allochibagh Bund area of Srinagar district of Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday, said police.

The police said no injury or other damage took place.

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The police have also launched a search operation in the area after the terrorists took advantage of the darkness and ran away towards the built-up area.

"In Allochibagh Bund area of Srinagar, terrorists fired upon a vehicle-bound small police party. This was effectively retaliated by the police party. Terrorists took advantage of the darkness and ran away towards the built-up area. No injury or other damage took place. CASO launched in the area," Kashmir Zone Police tweeted.

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Earlier, a Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorist was apprehended in the higher reaches of Aloosa forest during a joint operation by 26 Assam Rifles, JKP and CRPF, said the Indian Army on Sunday.

During the search, war-like stores were recovered from him.

"A specific input was received from Jammu and Kashmir and Army Intelligence Unit regarding the presence of two suspected terrorists in Gen Area Aloosa Forest. On July 30, a joint operation led by 26 Assam Rifles, JKP and CRPF was launched. During a search of higher reaches in Aloosa Forest, a suspected area was identified. The area was cordoned with extreme caution," said the Indian Army.

During a search of the area one suspected individual (terrorist) was seen and surrounded from all sides and apprehended. During the search, war-like stores were recovered from him, added the Army.

As per sources, the terrorist belonged to Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and was planning to carry out attacks on security forces in the coming days. His aim was to cause major disruption during Amarnath Yatra.

Pakistan's desperate attempts to cause fear and panic amongst the locals are aimed at disturbing the prevailing peace and normalcy in the valley. All efforts will be made by the security forces to deny terrorists any space to operate freely. By apprehending one hardcore LeT a major incident has been averted, added the Army.

Meanwhile, on Tuesday the Border Security Force troops fired at an unidentified flying object in the Kanachak sector at the International Border in Jammu.

According to the BSF, the object was flying with a blinking light at 9.31 PM as it tried to cross the International Border (IB).

There have been many instances of drones being spotted on the international border with Pakistan.

Previously, on the intervening night of July 26 and 27, BSF troops had spotted the movement of a drone along the international border in Rajasthan as it was found to be moving near the Gharsana sector of Sri Ganganagar district.

In another incident on July 22, the BSF troops had fired at a drone coming from the Pakistani side near the international border in Jammu. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Kolkata, Aug 3 (PTI) West Bengal CID claimed that two of its teams in New Delhi and Guwahati were restrained on Wednesday morning by the local police in the respective places from carrying out investigations into the cash seizure from three Jharkhand MLAs.

A senior officer of the probe agency alleged that their officers were detained by Delhi Police when they were conducting a raid at a property belonging to an accused, a close associate of the three arrested MLAs, in the national capital.

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Three Congress MLAs from Jharkhand -- Irfan Ansari, Rajesh Kachchap and Naman Bixal Kongari  were arrested by the West Bengal Police after over Rs 49 lakh in cash was seized from a car in which they were travelling.

"On Wednesday morning, a team of West Bengal Criminal Investigation Department (CID) officers was restrained by Delhi Police from carrying out a search operation at a property of an accused person closely associated with one of the MLAs arrested in the cash seizure case despite having a court warrant," the CID officer told PTI.

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The Delhi Police, which functions under the central government, later said that it had provided all assistance to the CID team before it found certain "legal discrepancies" in the execution of the search warrant.

About the detention of the police personnel in Assam, the CID officer said talks are on with the authorities in the BJP-ruled North-eastern state.

Four CID officers  an inspector and ASI each and two SIs -- were detained and restrained from conducting searches at the accused's residence under South Campus Police Station area in New Delhi despite having a court warrant, a senior CID officer said.

The West Bengal government later sent a team of three senior officers -- one ADG and two IG rank officers -- to Delhi to resolve the matter, an official in the state Home Department said.

"The case involves seizure of huge cash from 3 MLAs of Jharkhand. Detaining & preventing the CID WB team to conduct lawful search will lead to disappearance of crucial evidence by the suspects responsibility of which will lie on the DP officers who prevented the search. @CPDelhi," the CID tweeted.

This restraining by the police in the national capital is illegal," the CID officer claimed.

Later, Delhi Police issued a statement asserting that it initially provided all assistance to West Bengal Police for the execution of the search warrant.

However, legal discrepancies were noticed during execution of the same. Accordingly, legal opinion was sought which revealed that the warrant is not executable. Hence, the same was conveyed to WB Police," Deputy Commissioner of Police (southwest) Manoj C was quoted as saying in the statement.

Another team of CID officers were detained at the Guwahati airport soon after they landed there to collect CCTV footage of the three MLAs reaching the Assam capital on July 29 and leaving the next day.

"We have taken up the matter with the Assam Police. The discussion is still on. Hopefully, something will soon come out," the officer told PTI.

On Wednesday morning, CID sleuths arrested businessman Mahendra Agarwal, who had allegedly supplied the seized cash to the three MLAs, from in front of his residence,

The CID has claimed that the cash seized from the three MLAs was delivered to them by Agarwal through hawala.

On Tuesday, the agency detectives raided Agarwal's office at Lalbazar area in Kolkata and seized Rs 3 lakh in cash, several bank passbooks and around 250 silver coins.

Agarwal had been absconding since the arrest of the three MLAs.

The Congress, which is a part of the JMM-led government in Jharkhand, has alleged that the BJP was trying to topple the Hemant Soren government by offering Rs 10 crore each and a ministerial berth to MLAs.

The party has also dragged the name of Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma in the alleged conspiracy.

The BJP, however, rejected the allegations claiming that the Congress was trying to hide its own corruption after the cash was found.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 3 (PTI) Amidst raging debate on the implementation of gender-neutral uniforms in state schools, the Kerala government on Wednesday made it clear that it has not taken a decision to impose any specific dress code upon children.

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A uniform that is generally acceptable and comfortable for children to wear is something that is recognised in the society, General Education Minister V Sivankutty said here.

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Stating that the concept of gender neutrality is something that is being widely debated in Kerala, he said it has been decided to conduct gender auditing of textbooks in the state.

Gender-neutral uniforms have been voluntarily implemented by the management in certain schools and have been wholeheartedly welcomed by the public and the media, he said in a press meet.

It is understood that there are no complaints either from children or from parents in those schools that have implemented such a decision, the minister said.

"But, the government is not insistent in implementing this. We have not taken the decision to impose any specific uniform code in schools," Sivankutty said.

With regard to a recent order by the state child rights panel directing the government to turn all single-sex schools in the state to co-educational institutions, he said the LDF government has already converted 21 educational institutions into mixed schools after it came to power.

Those schools, which apply for the co-education status with the consent of parent-teachers' association and the respective local bodies, would be made mixed institutions after conducting necessary inspections there, he said.

At present, there are a total of 381 girls/boys schools in the state including 138 in the government sector and 243 in the aided sector.

The minister said the first-year Higher Secondary classes would begin on August 25 in the state after completing the allotment procedures which would begin on August 5.

Due to the delay in receiving central allocation for the implementation of the mid-day meal scheme in schools for the year 2022-23, the state government has allotted Rs 126 crore from its budget for the same, he said.

Sivankutty also said it has been decided to conduct the school youth festival for five days from January 3, 2023 in Kozhikode.

As the online classes were over and the regular classes were resumed in the state schools from this academic year, it has been decided at the government level that the children need not to bring mobile phones anymore in the school campuses and classrooms, he said.

The minister also urged teachers as well as parents to pay more vigil against the indiscriminate usage of mobile phones among children as it would cause them health and behavioural issues.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Aurangabad, Aug 3 (PTI) The sugarcane crushing season in Maharashtra will begin early this year - from the first day of October, instead of the end of that month, a senior official has said.

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The sugarcane crushing season in Maharashtra generally starts in October-November and continues till mid-April. However, in the 2021-22 season, the crushing process stretched till the end of May due to record production of the crop.

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Maharashtra had set a record for itself by producing 137.28 lakh tonnes of sugar in the 2021-22 season, which was nearly 31 lakh tonnes more than the year before it.

"Looking at the record production of sugarcane and sugar in the previous season, the mills in Maharashtra will start the production early this year," state Sugar Commissioner Shekhar Gaikwad told PTI on Tuesday.

The cane crushing process for the 2022-23 season will begin on the first day of October, he said.

The farmers in the state had produced 1,413 lakh metric tonnes of sugarcane in the bygone season, which gave 137.2 lakh tones of sugar, he said.

As per the estimate given by the sugar commissioner office, the sugar production this year is expected to be around 138 lakh tonnes. The number of sugar mills that operated during the last season was 200, which is expected to go up by three this year.

As against the 1,321 lakh tonnes of sugarcane crushed during the last season, the quantum projected by the sugar commissioner office this year is 1,343 lakh tonnes, as per the projection report.

(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, Aug 3 (PTI) NHRC chairperson justice (retd) Arun Kumar Mishra on Wednesday said that there is a need to focus on the education, healthcare and social security of women and children in the migrant workers' community.

He was chairing an open house session organised by the National Human Rights Commission to discuss the outcome of the two research projects commissioned by it on the migrant workers in 2019-20.

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Migrant workers are forced to leave their abode in search of better opportunities. There is a need to focus on the education, health and social security of the women and children of the migrant workers, the NHRC chief was quoted as saying in a statement issued by the NHRC.

He said that the attention should be paid to minimum wages of migrant workers, occupational safety and the requirements of food, potable water, health, safe accommodation, effective implementation of the Public Distribution System under One Nation and One Ration Card Scheme.

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He also said that "the State machinery also needs to be geared up to meet any challenges as were faced by the migrant workers during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns."

Justice Mishra said that migrant workers contribute immensely to the economy of the country.

The steps taken to reach out to them through various digital modes and portals are appreciable. However, the digital divide should be taken care of.

He asked the participants to send their suggestions to the Commission in writing so that all the inputs are considered by it to finalise recommendations, which may be sent to the government authorities for implementation.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Patna, Aug 3 (PTI) Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Wednesday expressed grief over the death of four labourers, hailing from the state, who fell from a multistoried building in Haryana's Gurgaon.

In a statement, Kumar also ordered payment of ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh to the next of kin of each deceased.

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He said that instructions have been issued to the state's Resident Commissioner in New Delhi to make arrangements for carrying the bodies to the native places of the deceased for last rites.

The four labourers had crashed to death from the 17th floor of the building, which was under construction.

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Another construction worker sustained serious injuries. Kumar also ordered adequate medical help for the surviving labourer.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Bhubaneswar (Odisha) [India], August 3 (ANI): The Odisha government on Wednesday directed all Universities and Colleges of the state falling under the Higher Education Department to take action against ragging.

Odisha Higher Education Department wrote to Vice-Chancellors of all State Public Universities, Principals of all Government General Degree Colleges and Teacher Education Colleges, and Principals of all Aided and Un-aided Non-Government Colleges under the Department.

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The State Higher Education Department in an official order to educational institutes stated that "As the time for admission of new students into universities and colleges has come, all universities and colleges (under HE Department) are hereby directed to take up ragging prevention measures as per UGC notified 'Regulations on Curbing the Menace of Ragging in Higher Educational Institutions 2009."

The department has also asked the institutions to obtain a physical undertaking from students and their parents/guardians if it becomes difficult to file an online undertaking as its compulsory for each student and his/her parent/guardian to submit an anti-ragging undertaking each academic year.

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The department has asked to organize awareness programs/workshops on "Awareness on Ragging and Anti-Ragging Measures".

"All institutions should distribute pamphlet/leaflet amongst students of all batches, once in a quarter, containing anti-ragging messages as well as punitive actions that can be taken against students found involved in ragging. The pamphlet/leaflet should also contain the National Anti-ragging Helpline number and e-mail Id and also the mobile number and e-mail Id of important functionaries of the institution including that of Hostel Warden, Hostel Superintendent, Head of Institution, Anti-ragging Squad Members, etc. These telephone numbers and e-mail Ids should also be conspicuously displayed, in the shape of wall paintings or display boards, at various places of the institution, especially in hostels including private hostels situated outside the campus."

"An active and effective Anti-ragging Squad is perhaps the most effective way of preventing of ragging. An Anti-ragging Squad, comprising of three to four teachers, shall be constituted by the Head of the Institution for maintaining vigil."

"No institution shall condone any reported incidence of ragging in any form. Action against students found guilty of ragging and/or abetting ragging must be taken in accordance with the provisions of the UGC Regulations. For every established case of ragging and/or abetment of ragging, the institution shall file a First Information Report (FIR) with the Local Police Authorities under the appropriate penal provisions of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Without waiting for the outcome of such FIR, the institution shall also take action against the students found guilty of ragging or abetment of ragging by imposing suitable punishment as mentioned in UGC Regulations."

"Ragging is a criminal offense and is also a dehumanizing and abominable act. Institutions must sincerely endeavor towards ensuring a ragging-free campus to eliminate the scourge of ragging. Incidents/Allegations of ragging should not be ignored and swept under the carpet to present the "All is well" message. In established cases of ragging, institutions must not try to patch up between the student(s) found guilty of ragging and the victim(s) of ragging. Such laxity towards ragging will do more harm than good to the institution in the long-term."

"Members of State-level Anti-ragging Committee, District-level Antiragging Committees, and HE Department-level Anti-ragging Committee may make random and surprise visits to Universities and Colleges to check whether desired anti-ragging measures are put in place or not." (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, Aug 3 (PTI) Police have arrested a 29-year-old man, who along with his co-accused instigated the locals and pelted stones at police and participants of a Hanuman Jayanti procession in northwest Delhi's Jahangirpuri area in April.

The accused Sanwar Malik, hailing from Haldia in West Bengal, was wanted in the case in which a total of 38 arrests have been made so far, the Delhi Police said on Wednesday.

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He was declared a "proclaimed offender" by a Delhi court and a reward of Rs 25,000 was also declared by the police on his arrest, it said.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Vichitra Veer said that on Tuesday, a secret informer tipped off a police team about Malik's presence in C Block 500 Wali Gali in Jahangirpuri.

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The informer further said that if he is not apprehended this time, he will flee to Haldia.

"We deployed out team and tried to apprehend Malik, but the accused fled C Block and reached CD Block Jhuggi where he was caught. He tried to escape and the locals also tried to help him by throwing bricks on Head Constable (HC) Nitin. But, even after suffering injury, HC Nitin and HC Naval overpowered the accused and arrested him," the DCP said.

Veer said the interrogation of the accused revealed that on the day of Hanuman Jayanti, he along with other co-accused instigated the public and pelted the "opposite party" and police staff deployed on duty with stones and glass bottles. He fled to West Bengal in a bid to evade his arrest after the violence.

A separate case under sections 186 (obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 332 (voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty) and 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code has been registered against Malik and the locals involved in helping him on the complaint of HC Nitin Kumar, police said.

A ragpicker, Malik got involved in crimes like theft and was arrested for the first time in 2016 in an attempt to murder case. He has previous involvements in six criminal cases, they said.

On April 16, communal clashes broke out on the occasion of Hanuman Jayanti in Jahangirpuri. Nearly 8-9 people, including police personnel, were injured due to firing and stone pelting.

A 2,063-page chargesheet was filed by the Delhi Police's Crime Branch last month against the 37 people arrested in the case.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Lucknow, August 3: Uttar Pradesh government, as part of the celebration of the 75th anniversary of the country's Independence, is set to drape a total of 4.26 crore houses and 50 lakh government and non-government offices in tricolour, according to an official release.

The state government has already produced 3.86 crore tricolours so far against the target of 4.76 crore, as part of the Yogi Government's 'Har Ghar Tiranga' campaign to mark Amrit Mahotsav. Tricolour as Social Media Profile Pictures For 'Har Ghar Tiranga;' Here's How To Change DPs of Your WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram Account.

"Of the total target, the MSME (micro, small and medium enterprises) department of the state government has procured 2 crore flags through the Government e-Marketplace (GeM) portal while over 20,000 NGOs and private sewing units are working round the clock to produce around 1.15 crore flags," said the release.

Women's self-help groups have completed the production of more than 96 lakh flags. As many as 2.26 crore flags are to be made at the district level. "Similarly, NGOs and UP Khadi and Village Industries Board have made 36.4 lakh tricolours whereas private sewing units have stitched more than 35.3 lakh flags so far. Besides, an order placed for making 50 lakh Khadi flags for government/non-government organisations has also been completed," it said.

Meanwhile, the union government has changed the country's flag code to allow the tricolour to fly both in the daytime and at night now. Polyester flags can also be produced by machines.

Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday said that the "Har Ghar Tiranga" programme is a message to the world that every citizen of India is united to take forward India's journey of development, prosperity, security and culture.

"This door-to-door tricolour programme is a message to the world that every citizen of India as per the vision of the constitution makers, as per the expectation of the constitution is united to take forward India's journey of development, prosperity, security and culture."

Addressing the "Tiranga Utsav" programme on the 146th birth anniversary of Pingali Venkaiah in New Delhi, Shah said the Tiranga is a symbol of the nation in every citizen's heart.

"It is the same Tiranga that soldiers take an oath on as they make the ultimate sacrifice, it is the same Tiranga that crores of farmers see as they brave the weather to feed the world, the same Tiranga that is a symbol of the nation in every citizen's heart," he said. The Home Minister also lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the 'Har Ghar Tiranga' programme.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Pune, Aug 3 (PTI) Police have arrested Shiv Sena's Pune city unit president and four others in connection with the alleged attack on the party's rebel MLA and former Maharashtra minister Uday Samant's car here, an official said on Wednesday.

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A group of unidentified persons had attacked Samant's car at a signal in Katraj area of the city around 9 pm on Tuesday. A video of a mob trying to surround Samant's vehicle and shouting slogans circulated on social media.

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A case had been registered against over 15 persons under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including attempt to murder, at the Bharti Vidyapeeth police station late Tuesday night.

Samant, one of the 40 Sena MLAs who support Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, was here to attend Shinde's programmes in the district, a source close to him had said.

"Shiv Sena's city unit president Sanjay More is among the five persons arrested in connection with the attack on Samant's car," assistant commissioner of police (Swargate division), Sushama Chavan, said.

"We have registered an offence against more than 15 people under IPC sections 307 (attempt to murder ), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty) and sections related to rioting," she added.

Saman't close aide had said that a windowpane of the car, in which the former minister was travelling, was damaged in the incident.

Shiv Sena leader Aaditya Thackeray's public meeting was held in the vicinity around the same time on Tuesday.

Samant had later told the reporters that the attack on his car was done in a pre-meditated manner.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Bengaluru, Aug 3 (PTI) The Confederation of Indian Industry president Sanjiv Bajaj on Wednesday asked the Central government to contemplate reducing the personal income tax rates to spur economic activities.

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The business tycoon also said the country's underlying growth drivers are strong and the economy would grow in the range of 7.4 per cent to 8.2 per cent in the next fiscal.

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"Putting more money in the pockets of the consumers is of vital importance to revive consumption demand in the economy. The government should contemplate a reduction in the rates of personal income tax in its next push for reform as this would increase disposable incomes and revive the demand cycle," Bajaj, who is chief managing director of Bajaj Finserv, said in a press conference.

He was speaking to reporters as part of the CII's theme 2022-23 "Beyond India @75: Growth competitiveness, sustainability and internationalisation".

The CII is also organising 'Sankalp Se Siddhi' in the city, in which Union Home Minister Amit Shah will attend on Thursday.

"The Central and state capex are rising and tax buoyancy would support growth in FY23. Hence, on balance, CII has retained India's GDP forecast in a range of 7.4 to 8.2 per cent in FY23," Bajaj said.

He also said the CII believes that there is a lot that industry and CII could do themselves in taking India to a USD 40 trillion goal post by 2047.

Bajaj also maintained that India needs to boost its forex reserves to revive the economy especially in view of the capital outflows by foreign institutional investors, prompted by an uncertain global economic environment.

"The government should work towards inclusion of some of the large market cap companies into the global equity indices like MSCI and FTSE indices, expedite India's entry into J P Morgan's Global Emerging-Market Bond Index and Barclays Global Bond Index, and consider bringing out a special issue of India Millennial Bonds like was done in 2008," he opined.

Replying to a query, he said the demonetisation gave a major push to the digital payment, which helped tide over the COVID-19 pandemic induced lockdown and its cascading effect on the economy.

According to him, the digital payment in India today is more than the digital payment in the United States of America and China put together.

With reference to the big boost to the digital payment in India, Bajaj said, "If we can innovate for ourselves, we can do it for the world as well."

The CII president also predicted that by 2027, some initiatives will make India a USD five trillion economy.

Bajaj underscored the importance of expanding the Production Linked Incentive Scheme (PLIS) and bringing more sectors within its ambit, especially those which are labour intensive and also in sectors where our imports are high.

The CII will continue to scale up its engagement in skilling and will skill 1.5 lakh youth and help place another two lakhs youth, improve manufacturing competitiveness by proposing to build a Cost of Doing Business (CoDB) Index, and work with the states to strengthen the national single window system, 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)
New Delhi, Aug 3 (PTI) IT industry players have appreciated the government's move to withdraw the personal data protection bill and sought participation in the consultation process of the fresh draft.

The industry was critical of the data protection bill tabled in Parliament by the Joint Committee on Personal Data Protection Bill.

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The Joint Committee on Personal Data Protection Bill, 2019, headed by BJP member P P Chaudhary had tabled its report in Lok Sabha on December 16, 2021 which had a number of different points than the draft protection data bill (PDP) Bill prepared by the Ministry of Electronics and IT.

The government on Wednesday withdrew the Personal Data Protection Bill from Lok Sabha and said it will come out with a "set of fresh legislations" that will fit into the comprehensive legal framework.

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US-based ITI, whose members include all IT majors like Google, Meta, and Amazon, appreciated the government's move to withdraw the Parliamentary panel version of the bill.

"ITI welcomes Meity's plan to implement a robust stakeholder consultation as it reconsiders a comprehensive legal privacy framework for the digital ecosystem. ITI participated in all consultative processes during the framing of the PDP bill 2019 and are eager to continue our engagement. We are certain that the government will consider all the views once the consultation on the framework begins and look forward to participating," ITI country manager for India, Kumar Deep said.

ITI was among global industry bodies that had opposed the joint committee version of the bill. Such global industry bodies included JEITA, TechUK, US India Business Council, and Business Europe which represent thousands of companies and technology majors like Google, Amazon, Cisco, Dell, SoftBank and Microsoft.

Around a dozen of industry bodies had written to the Union IT and telecom minister Ashwini Vaishnaw that implementation of the proposed Data Protection Bill, as recommended by a Parliamentary panel, will significantly degrade India's business environment and reduce foreign investment inflows.

Meta in regulatory filing in February had said that proposed data protection bills in countries such as India, are considering or have passed legislation implementing data protection requirements or requiring local storage and processing of data or similar requirements that could increase the cost and complexity of delivering our services.

"New legislation or regulatory decisions that restrict our ability to collect and use information about minors may also result in limitations on our advertising services or our ability to offer products and services to minors in certain jurisdictions," it had said.

Internet Freedom Foundation (IFF) said that the bill has been withdrawn after four years of deliberations.

"We are cautiously watching these developments & hope the Ministry will use this opportunity to address the numerous criticisms of the bill made by various stakeholders during the consultation process," IFF said.

According to IFF, the Data Protection Bill 2021, which should empower the user with rights surrounding their own personal information, had failed to prioritise the user and instead, benefits the government and large corporations way more than it benefits users.

In a paper, IFF had said that the bill gives large exemptions to government departments, prioritises the interests of big corporations, and does not adequately respect people's fundamental right to privacy.

"This move, when taken with the lack of literacy around data protection in India, may be dangerous on an individual level - where your everyday privacy is threatened - and on a collective level, given how it makes allowances for mass surveillance," IFF had alleged.

Cyber security company Voyager Infosec director Jiten Jain said that the government's move to withdraw the bill shows that it is well aware of concerns raised by some sections of the industry and civil societies.

"We expect the new version of the bill will be comprehensive and allay all major concerns that have been raised by the stakeholders.

However, the government should move quickly with the fresh version of the bill because we cannot allow foreign companies to take our citizen's data for a ride," Jain said.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Taipei [Taiwan], August 3 (ANI): China sent 27 aircraft to Taiwan's air defence identification zone (ADIZ), the island's Defence Ministry said on Wednesday hours after US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi left Taipei following a high-stakes visit that has spiked tensions in the Taiwan Strait.

As many as six J-11 fighter jets, five J-16 multirole fighters and 16 SU-30 multirole fighters entered the air defence zone today.

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"27 PLA aircraft (J-11*6, J-16*5 and SU-30*16) entered the surrounding area of R.O.C. on August 3, 2022," Taiwan Defense Ministry tweeted.

This incursion after 21 Chinese military aircraft flew into the southwestern part of Taiwan's air defence zone on Monday night. In response to Chinese aggression, Taiwan sent an air patrol to monitor the situation, and also deployed anti-aircraft missile systems.

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Pelosi's trip to Taiwan came to an end today as she departed from the self-ruled island after a short and gripping trip that upped the ante in the Taiwan Strait.

The US House Speaker, who is second in line to the Oval Office after the US vice-president, reaffirmed her country's unwavering commitment to supporting Taiwan's democracy and said this trip in no way contradicts longstanding United States policy on the self-governed island.

China, meanwhile, says Pelosi's Taiwan visit was a serious violation of the one-China principle and the provisions of the joint communique signed between the two countries.

On Tuesday, Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) announced missile tests and live firing as part of its military operations near Taiwan.

"The Chinese armed forces will begin military operations around Taiwan, long-range live firing will be held in the Taiwan Strait, and conventional missile tests will be organized in the sea area of the eastern part of the island," Sputnik news agency quoted Eastern Theater Command spokesperson Shi Yi as saying.

"These actions are a fair deterrent to the recent major escalation of US negative actions on the Taiwan issue and a serious warning to the pro-Taiwan independence forces," Shi Yi said.

In the recent past, China has increased its use of gray zone tactics by routinely sending aircraft into Taiwan's ADIZ, with most occurrences taking place in the southwest corner.

In 2021, Chinese military planes entered Taiwan's ADIZ on 961 instances over 239 days.

Gray zone tactics are defined as "an effort or series of efforts beyond steady-state deterrence and assurance that attempts to achieve one's security objectives without resort to direct and sizable use of force." (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Tallinn, Aug 3 (AP) A court in Belarus on Wednesday sentenced yet another independent journalist to a lengthy prison term, part of a continued government crackdown on opposition activists, critical media outlets and independent reporters.

Iryna Slaunikava, 52-year-old journalist with the Poland-based TV channel Belsat, was convicted of forming an extremist organisation and participating in protests and sentenced to five years in prison.

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The sentence handed to Slaunikava by a judge in Gomel, a city in southeastern Belarus, is one year longer than what the prosecution had sought for her, according to the Belarusian Association of Journalists.

Slaunikava is the third Belsat journalist imprisoned in Belarus. Belsat, a Belarusian-language TV channel funded by the Polish government, has been declared extremist by Belarus' authorities. It has been a source of news for hundreds of thousands of Belarusians ever since it started broadcasting in 2007. Belsat's YouTube channel currently has 474,000 subscribers.

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Belarusian authorities have conducted a relentless, multi-pronged crackdown on dissent following the massive anti-government protests that erupted after President Alexander Lukashenko was handed a sixth term after an August 2020 presidential vote that was denounced as rigged by the opposition and the West.

A wave of repression saw more than 35,000 people arrested and thousands beaten by police. The country's largest independent media outlets have been shut down, and the majority of independent journalists have left the country.

A total of 29 journalists are currently behind bars, either awaiting trials or serving lengthy sentences.

Last month, another Belsat journalist Katsiaryna Bakhvalava, who also goes by the last name of Andreyeva, was sentenced to eight years in prison on the charges of high treason  on top of a two-year sentence she was already serving. Her colleague, Darya Chultsova, is currently serving a two-year sentence from 2021.

Slaunikava spent the last 10 months in detention. She was detained in October last year at the Minsk airport upon returning from vacation. Initially, she was jailed for 15 days for posting what the authorities deemed to be extremist content on Facebook.

In Warsaw on Tuesday and Wednesday, demonstrations took place in support of the journalist, with protesters demanding sanctions to be imposed on those who persecute journalists in Belarus.

Journalists are not extremists, and dissent is not a crime, the Belarusian Association of Journalists said in a statement Wednesday. Belarusian authorities continue to persecute journalists for exercising their right to free speech.

The Committee to Project Journalists on Wednesday condemned the sentence handed out to Slaunikava as another example of the deeply cynical and vindictive nature of the Belarusian government. (AP)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Colombo, Aug 3 (PTI) Sri Lanka's newly-elected President Ranil Wickremesinghe on Wednesday invited the political parties to form an all-party government to overcome the current economic crisis as the Parliament reconvened after a seven-day adjournment.

President Wickremesinghe made the remarks while presenting the government's policy statement during the third session of Parliament in accordance with the powers vested in him by Article 33 of the Constitution.

Also Read | China Begins Trade Sanctions Against Taiwan Over US Speaker Nancy Pelosi's Visit.

"All parties must get together to steer the country, he told the lawmakers.

Wickremesinghe also thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for India's support to his country in the tough times.

Also Read | China To Skip Meeting With US Secretary Antony Blinken at ASEAN in Cambodia Amid Tensions Over Nancy Pelosi's Visit to Taiwan.

He said the debt restructuring plan is in its final stages of being prepared and added that the economic restructuring plan would be outlined in the interim budget to be presented soon.

Following the presentation of the policy statement by the President, the House will be adjourned.

Earlier, President Wickremesinghe was received in front of Parliament with a Tri Force Guard of Honour.

Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena and the Secretary General of Parliament Dhammika Dasanayaka welcomed the President at the main steps of the Parliament building.

Wickremesinghe was elected President by lawmakers on July 20 - the first such occasion since 1978.

The 73-year-old President was appointed for the rest of the term of Gotabaya Rajapaksa who fled the country and resigned on July 13 in the face of a popular uprising against his government for mismanaging the island nation's economy.

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.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Madison, Aug 3 (AP) Former President Donald Trump has endorsed a little-known Republican challenging Wisconsin Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, accusing Vos of doing too little to overturn 2020 election results in the swing state.

Trump on Tuesday called Adam Steen a "rising patriotic candidate" ahead of Wisconsin's August 9 primary, in which Vos, the state's most powerful Republican, is heavily favoured.

Also Read | Chinese Foreign Ministry on Nancy Pelosis Visit to Taipei, Says Stop Playing Taiwan Card to Contain China.

Also on Tuesday, the Trump-backed candidate for Wisconsin governor said he would back Trump for president in 2024, less than 24 hours after he wouldn't commit to supporting a Trump presidential run. Trump is hosting a rally for gubernatorial candidate Tim Michels in Wisconsin on Friday.

"If President Trump runs again in 2024, I will proudly endorse him," Michels said on Twitter in a message promoting his rally with Trump on Friday in suburban Milwaukee.

Also Read | US Delegation Visit Honours Commitment to Taiwans Democracy, Says US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

That's a change from what he said Monday at a televised town hall when Michels was asked whether he would endorse Trump should he run for president in 2024.

"2024? I'm focused on this election right now," Michels said. "I have made no commitment to any candidates in 2024. What I am focused on is beating Tony Evers."

Michels, co-owner of the state's largest construction company, faces former Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch in the August 9 primary. Kleefisch is endorsed by former Vice President Mike Pence who will be campaigning with her on Wednesday, two days before Trump arrives.

The winner of the primary will face Democratic Gov. Tony Evers in November in what is expected to be one of the most hotly contested governor's races nationwide. The winner will be in place in battleground Wisconsin for the 2024 presidential election and will be able to enact, or reject, voting law changes passed by the Republican-controlled Legislature.

Vos has supported a wide array of election law changes that Evers vetoed. But he hasn't gotten behind decertification of Wisconsin's 10 Electoral College votes that went to President Joe Biden. Trump has repeatedly pushed for decertification.

But Vos has refused calls to decertify Biden's win, saying it isn't possible, even as Trump targeted him on social media earlier this month. Steen has said one reason he decided to challenge Vos was because he wouldn't take up a resolution to decertify Biden's win, which has been confirmed by multiple reviews and court decisions.

Vos said in a statement Tuesday that he won't try to decertify the election results because he believes in "upholding the Constitution." He didn't say if he was referring to the Wisconsin Constitution or the US Constitution. He said Trump's decision to endorse Steen changes nothing and his constituents are focused on the future, not a past election.

"I will continue to knock on doors and discuss the issues they care about," he said.

Vos has been Assembly speaker since 2013, spearheading almost every major Republican initiative since then. But he's still drawn fire from Trump for not doing enough to overturn Biden's victory. He tried to appease Trump last year by hiring a former state Supreme Court justice to investigate the 2020 election and shepherded a package of election reform proposals through the Legislature, though Evers vetoed them.

Trump dubbed Vos a RINO  a pejorative for "Republican in Name Only."

"The Democrats haven't even bothered to put up a candidate to run against Vos because he does everything they say  he is their dream candidate  a Republican who does the job of a Democrat," Trump said in announcing his endorsement.

The Steen endorsement comes as primary voters in Arizona prepared Tuesday to choose between Republican candidates who support Trump's election fraud lies and those who feel it's time to move on. Trump has endorsed a slate of contenders in that state who support his falsehoods and the primary results promise to illustrate how much influence Trump still exerts on the party. (AP)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
New York [US], August 3 (ANI/Sputnik): The United Nations is launching a fact-finding mission to investigate a strike on a prison in the Russian-controlled Donetsk region which killed Ukrainian POWs, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Wednesday.

The Olenivka detention centre, hosting Ukrainian prisoners of war, was attacked by Ukrainian troops with US-supplied High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) in late July, the Russian Defense Ministry said. The strike killed 50 people and wounded over 70.

Also Read | Yudh Abhyas: India-US To Hold Military Exercise Near LAC in Uttarakhand Amid Rising Tensions with China.

"I decided in line with my own competencies and powers to launch a fact-finding mission. I have no authority to do criminal investigations but to launch a fact-finding mission. Terms of reference for the fact-finding mission are being prepared at the present moment. They will be shared with the government of the Russian Federation and the government of Ukraine," Guterres told a briefing. (ANI/Sputnik)

(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, August 3: The authentication of voters in electoral rolls using Aadhaar identity platform is provided as per the relevant provisions of the Aadhaar Act, 2016, Parliament was informed on Wednesday.

Minister of State for Electronics and IT Rajeev Chandrasekhar in a written reply to the Lok Sabha said that data within the voter ID database cannot interact with data across databases linked to Aadhaar thereof.

"The authentication of voters in electoral rolls using Aadhaar identity platform is provided as per the relevant provisions of sections 4 of the Aadhaar Act, 2016 (as amended).

"Further, as per the provisions of sections 8(2) and 8(3) of the Aadhaar Act, the Aadhaar number of a resident can be used, after taking his/ her consent, only for the purposes as informed to the resident," the minister said. Drive to Link Aadhaar with EPIC Set to Begin in Tripura.

In response to a question on whether data within the voter ID database can interact with data across databases linked to Aadhaar thereof, Chandrasekhar said, "No Sir".

When asked if the government has investigated potential misuse of Aadhaar data for any purpose and the profiling thereto, Chandrasekhar said that no incidence of misuse of Aadhaar data and profiling thereto has come to the notice of the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI).
Karnataka Police have arrested a gang of three miscreants on charges of robbing a software professional posing themselves as gays in Bengaluru, police said on Wednesday.
Mexico's President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has claimed 1.09 million square meters or 269 acres for the Mayan Train project constriction.

Yahoo News reported that the Mexican president considered it a "matter of national security" at the end of July with several legal hurdles had been encountered by the project.

The Mayan Train railway's 1,500-kilometer line is already under construction, with the target of connecting tourist zones to one another.

The Ministry of Agrarian, Territorial, and Urban Development would reportedly compensate land owners in line with appraisals from the Institute of Administration and Appraisals of National Assets.

Lopez Obrador's expropriation of the land was reportedly supported by Mexico's constitution, which both provided for land expropriation and asserted the priority of railways for national development.

The Mexican president has maintained that the Mayan Train railway project will be done by the end of next year.

READ NEXT: Mexico: Maya Train Project, Linking Archeological Sites to Beach Towns, Faces Another Legal Setback After Judge Ordered Suspension of Construction

Mayan Train Project Legal Challenges

In May, a judge in Mexico ordered the suspension of construction work on a stretch of the Mayan Train railway project until its environmental impact is determined.

BBC News reported that the ruling of the judge is a victory for a group of cave divers who expressed concerns that it would threaten underground caverns.

It was dubbed Mexico's most ambitious infrastructure project with it being worth $9.8 billion.

The railway project aims to connect the south-easter Mexican states of Chiapas, Tabasco, Campeche, Yucatan, and Quintana Roo.

Lopez Obrador has argued that the project will give an environmentally friendly mode of transport for both locals and tourists while also boosting development and employment in the underdeveloped region.

Critics, on the other hand, said that the Mayan train project has been "rushed" with environmental concerns that have been overridden.

In addition, environmentalists and experts warned that the heavy machinery used to build the road would cause irreparably damage to the unique cave system.

President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador Pushing Through

In July, the Mexican government-enforced national security powers to continue the tourist train along the Caribbean coast despite threats on caves where some of the oldest human remains have been found.

Lopez Obrador is focused on finishing the Mayan Train project in the remaining two years of his term despite objections from environmentalists, cave divers, and archaeologists, according to an NBC News report.

The project was paused due to a court injunction but the Mexican government has invoked national security powers to resume the construction.

Lopez Obrador noted that the delay had been expensive, adding the decree would prevent the interests of a few from being put above the general good.

Jose Urbina Bravo, a diver who filed one of the court challenges, said that he never knew that he "lived in a country where the president could just do whatever he wants."

The cited caves were archeological sites that have been undisturbed for years.

Caves along the Caribbean coast include discoveries like Naia, which is the nearly complete skeleton of a young woman who died around 13,000 years ago.

READ MORE: Maya Train Project: Cost of Northern Quintana Roo Stretch Nearly Double Than Original Estimate, Mexico Government Says

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Written by: Mary Webber

WATCH: Mexico's Multi-Billion Dollar Train Project Through Sacred Mayan Sites Resumes - from NBC News


Zulma Ramona Gomez Caceres, 61, died in an apparent accidental drowning. She lived along the Acaray Lake in Ciudad del Este, in the Alto Parana department. Paraguayan authorities are still investigating her death, but have said that the late senator may have tripped and fallen into the lake, leading to her drowning.

Gomez Caceres was apparently staying on a dock near her home when she tripped and fell. Her family members reported that she took a mattress to the dock and said that she wanted to be alone. The waters in the area are around seven to eight meters (23 to 26 feet) deep.

Paraguayan authorities found her body on Sunday next to her lake house. They are still awaiting the toxicology report, according to the Associated Press. It would likely be available within three weeks, said the coroner examining her. However, prosecutor Cinthia Leiva, who oversees the investigation, said that "all signs point to an accidental event."

Coroner Reveals Report on Paraguayan Senator's Body

Coroner Pablo Lemir examined the senator's body and reported that there were "no signs of either a fight, nor defense, nor anything of the sort." He also said that there was no evidence of any blows to the face and added that he did find some injuries, but all were compatible with a fall.

Lemir added that the cause of death has all the characteristics of asphyxiation. Her toxicology report might be able to reveal more details.

Meanwhile, Leiva said that the senator has a habit of going to sleep there on the dock. She told her granddaughter that she wanted to do some reflecting and think. However, her family members were not able to locate her at around 2:30 a.m. This prompted them to call the authorities.

READ NEXT: Ex-Paraguay President Horacio Manuel Cartes Placed on US Corruption List

Zulma Ramona Gomez Caceres' Senate Seat Immediately Replaced

Following her death, her seat will immediately be filled. According to the Washington Post, Danel Rojas Lopez will be sworn in to fill her Senate seat on Thursday. The late senator was a member of the Authentic Liberal Radical Party (PLRA).

Senator Fernando Lugo released a statement following his colleague's death. He said that this has been "profoundly painful" for the Senate, as well as her party, the PRLA, and her family. He also said that people should be guided as the investigation revealed that anybody can have an accident.

According to SILpy, Paraguay's official website for the legislative body, Gomez Caceres was active in making laws while serving as a member of the Chamber of Senators. The laws she has passed include the protection of wetlands along Laguna Vera, as well as the modification of the general budget. She also helped out scholars and student-athletes with the laws she passed.

READ MORE: January 6 Hearings: Former Aide Says Donald Trump Tried to Join the Crowd, Grab the Steering Wheel From Secret Service Agent

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Written by: Rick Martin

WATCH: Fallecio la senadora Zulma Gomez
Hughes was the author of Senate Bill 3, a law limiting Texas teachers on how to teach racism, history, slavery in clasrooms.

Texas Senator Bryan Hughes appeared in front of the State Board of Education to shed more light on teaching racism in classrooms despite the Critical Race Theory ban on the state.

Republican Senator Hughes was the author of Senate Bill 3, a law that limits how Texas teachers could teach racism, slavery, and history in schools.

Currently, the State Board of Education is in the process of revising its own social studies curriculum, also known as the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS), which is updated every eight years.

Texas Senator Bans Teaching Critical Race Theory in Schools

In landmark legislation enacted into law last December 2021, Republican State Senator Bryan Hughes pushed for the passing of a law designed to ban the teaching of Critical Race Theory in the school curriculum in Texas.

The law, according to the filing, does not actually ban the teaching of Critical Race Theory in schools but prohibits teachers from teaching "widely debated and currently controversial issue of public policy or social affairs."

Aside from that, the law also compels each school district to attend a civics training program that teaches educators how to teach race and racism in schools - "free of political bias."

In a recent State Board of Education meeting to revise the current social studies curriculum, Senator Hughes graced the venue to elaborate on his intent to pass the law.

READ NEXT: Florida Education Commissioner Snubs Biden's LGBTQ Student Laws: Federal Policies Not Binding?

Texas Board of Education Decides on New TEKS Curriculum

Since last week, the Texas Board of Education has been spearheading public fora to gauge how Texas students should learn America's history in schools, The Dallas Morning News reports.

Conversations revolve particularly on how racism, slavery, and sexism emerged - primarily on how they would be embedded in the new Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills curriculum, the state's social studies curriculum.

But among the most polarizing topics that conservatives have put a pin on is teaching critical race theory in schools. That is why Senator Bryan Hughes, the lawmaker behind Senate Bill 3, graced the meeting earlier this week.

As reported by The Texas Tribune, Senator Hughes' intent to pass the law was not to sanitize America's history but instead to update how we teach the "progress" that Americans had.

"We still teach that really bad things were done by people of particular races, and it may be that in teaching those things, students may feel guilty about that. What we're saying is you don't say, 'Little Johnny, little Jimmy, you should feel bad because of what your forebears did,'" Hughes said.

Senator Hughes, along with other Republican lawmakers, has scrutinized over the years how Texas has been teaching critical race theory in classrooms.

What Is Critical Race Theory?

Texas is among the nine states in the country that have passed legislation limiting teachers on their respective states on how to teach history and racism, among many other key controversial issues. However, only Idaho and North Dakota have explicitly prohibited the teaching of Critical Race Theory in their legislations. Texas and the six other states have only alluded to it.

As simply defined by The New Press, Critical Race Theory states that institutions like the education system, healthcare, and even the criminal justice system among others are rooted with racism in its laws, regulations, and rules.

Despite the heavy pushback, Intercultural Policy Director Chloe Latham Sikes has affirmed that the current drafts of the TEKS Curriculum are "pretty inclusive" so far.

The drafts for the updated curiculum can be viewed here.

READ MORE: Texas Department of Public Safety Facing Legal Heat Over Alleged Witholding of Uvalde Shooting Docs

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Written by: Ivan Korrs

WATCH: Texas Board of Education member says state law is causing teachers to quit - From Fox 4 Dallas-Worth
President Joe Biden is in his fourth day of COVID rebound battle.

President Joe Biden on Tuesday remained isolated in the White House complex as his "loose cough" returned amid his rebound battle with the respiratory disease. It is Biden's fourth day battling COVID after he tested positive again on Saturday.

According to New York Post, the return of Biden's loose cough was confirmed by his physician, Dr. Kevin O'Connor. The outlet added that Biden's voice was noticeably deeper and gravelly when he spoke virtually at a computer chip-focused event on Tuesday afternoon.

The president's physician is not allowed to take reporters' questions regarding the chief executive's health. However, O'Connor announced the current condition of President Joe Biden in a memo issued on Tuesday.

READ NEXT: Joe Biden Compares COVID Experience to Donald Trump; Emphasizes Ex-President Was Airlifted to Hospital While He Was Not

Pres. Joe Biden's Physician Says President Is in 'High Spirits' Amid COVID Rebound Battle

The memo issued by O'Connor also notified the health developments Biden achieved on Tuesday. According to O'Connor, Biden has no fever as of Tuesday and is in "good spirits" despite testing positive once again for COVID.

"This morning, his [Biden] SARS-CoV-2 antigen testing remained positive," O'Connor underscored.

However, the doctor pointed out that Biden's temperature, blood pressure, pulse, oxygen saturation, and respiratory rate remained "entirely normal."

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre also assured that Biden has no "reoccurring symptoms and that the president "feels good."

"But as we know, all of us have had COVID, we do have a little bit of a lingering cough, a little bit of maybe a lingering sniffle. That's not uncommon to happen, so that's what we are talking about," Jean-Pierre noted.

In the memo, O'Connor emphasized that Biden will continue his "strict isolation."

Biden's physician underscored that the president will continue working from the executive residence, adding that he wants to protect people from the White House, executive residence, Secret Service, and other staff against the disease.

O'Connor then ended his memo by saying that he will keep his promise to keep the public updated regarding the condition or treatment plan of the president.

Joe Biden Tests Positive for COVID Once Again

Last week, President Joe Biden tested positive for COVID again, days after he tested negative for the disease. Biden's physician announced that the president tested positive for the disease through antigen testing.

Before his rebound battle with COVID, the president was given a five-day regimen of Paxlovid.

It can be recalled that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has warned the medical community about the reports of rebound cases within two to eight days after testing negative for the virus.

White House COVID-19 coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha previously announced that the current clinical data revealed around 5-8% of people that underwent the Paxlovid treatment have tested positive for COVID once again.

President Joe Biden has tested positive for the highly contagious BA.5 variant of COVID-19.

READ NEXT: Juan Soto Traded to San Diego Padres | What Is His Net Worth After Rejecting $440 Million Deal?

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Written By: Joshua Summers

WATCH: President Biden Paxlovid Rebound and Update - From MedCram - Medical Lectures Explained CLEARLY
Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega continues his crackdown on independent media and the opposition. This time, however, he went after radio stations belonging to the Roman Catholic Church.

Authorities ordered the closure of six of these Catholic radio stations on Monday. One of these stations was even surrounded by riot police, according to the Associated Press.

Matagalpa Bishop Rolando Alvarez spoke about the closures during a Mass. He said he received a letter from state telecommunications agency Telcor informing him of the closures. He called the move an "injustice" and urged Telcor to show the legality of the decision.

Bishop Alvarez is one of the most well-known and outspoken critics of Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega. He has gone on a hunger strike for "police persecution" against him, as well as the release of political prisoners, including opposition leaders.

Church Denounces Government Raids

One of the Catholic radio stations raided by police and ordered to shut down is located in a parish house in Sebaco, which is 65 miles north of Managua. Church officials said police have occupied the house, with one of the priests, Fr. Uriel Vallejos, also an outspoken government critic, still inside.

The raid and takeover were swiftly denounced by the Diocese of Matagalpa. They released a statement saying they should not touch the priests, for if they did, it would be tantamount to touching the Diocese of Matagalpa.

As the government forces were taking over the church house and radio station, Vallejos called on the faithful to help protect him. He said that the police have broken the chapel's locks and had taken the equipment. He also said that the police also attacked the faithful inside the school next door.

The Ortega government has not commented on the raids.

READ MORE: Nicaragua Newspaper Staff Flee Country as Daniel Ortega Cracks Down on Independent Media

Nicaragua Continues Crackdown on Critics

The closure and raids on Catholic radio stations are just the latest act of suppression by the Nicaraguan government under Ortega. It has forced journalists and opposition leaders to flee the country after many of them were detained.

Ortega also ensured that no member of the opposition held any office, even mayors. Ortega directed police to raid towns held by opposition members and deposed their mayors. He then replaced them with members of his Sandinista National Liberation Front party. Currently, only members of that party and allied parties hold positions as mayors in local government.

The deposed mayors were part of the Citizens Alliance for Liberty Party (CXL). Their party leader, Kitty Monterrey, got her Nicaraguan citizenship revoked by Ortega and is now in exile in Costa Rica. Other opposition leaders have now fled to other nearby countries as well.

Police also continue to raid newspaper outlets. These raids and crackdowns have led the staff of one of Nicaragua's leading newspapers, La Prensa, to flee the country.

Ortega won his fourth consecutive term earlier this year. However, he won after jailing all potential opponents. The United States and European Union called his win "a farce."

Nicaragua continues to be one of the poorest countries in the continent. Amnesty International has condemned the oppression of the opposition and the media.

READ MORE: Nicaragua Police Have Taken Over 5 Opposition-Held Towns Ahead of Elections

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Written by: Rick Martin

WATCH: Nicaragua's president is sworn in again, so what's next? | Inside Story - Al Jazeera English
After several Republican senators flipped to block the hugely popular PACT Act, the public outcry forced many of them to flip again.

This time, many of those Senate Republicans who voted against the bill's passage were forced to vote in support of it after the Senate held another vote to ensure its passage.

The vote itself was an overwhelming victory for supporters of the bill, as the bipartisan effort led to an 86-11 vote, according to NPR. Many of the 41 Republican senators who voted against it flipped.

This means that veterans injured by exposure to toxins can now gain the healthcare they need. The House passed the measure last month.

Republican Senators Shamed Into Voting for Pact Act

When the Senate Republicans first flipped and voted against the PACT Act, there was a huge public outcry, with many denouncing the hypocrisy of senators like Pat Toomey and Ted Cruz, who claimed they were "Patriots" but did nothing to support veterans.

In a statement, Cruz explained that the Democrats inserted a "gimmick" that made the spending on the bill "mandatory" instead of it being "discretionary." However, proponents of the bill pointed out that the spending on veterans' healthcare must be mandatory so it can never be taken away.

One of the bill's most vocal advocates, comedian and former "The Daily Show" host Jon Stewart, delivered an impassioned speech that went after Senate Republicans. He said the veterans earned their healthcare because they suffered for the country.

As reported by Vice News, after Republicans blocked it, Stewart became active in his campaign to shame Senate Republicans into action. He went on various news shows and even used his own platform, Apple TV's "The Problem With Jon Stewart," to continue blasting Republicans and refuting their arguments.

Stewart argued that Republicans' excuses were invalid because this was the same bill they signed a few months ago, and nothing was added to it.

His campaign to shame Republicans seemingly worked, as many senators who opposed the bill flipped again, this time approving the bill.

READ NEXT: Republican Senators Betray Veterans by Blocking PACT Act; Jon Stewart Delivers Scathing Speech

Jon Stewart and Joe Biden React to Bill's Passage

After the bill was passed, several veterans' groups gathered outside the Capitol. They held a news conference and thanked everyone who made it possible. Jon Stewart was among them.

Stewart joked that he wanted to apologize for cursing last week, which drew chuckles from the veterans gathered. He said he promised one of the veterans that he will not let this go, and they were going to get this done, and they got it done.

Stewart was not the only big name advocating for the bill's passage. For President Joe Biden, the PACT Act is a personal battle. His son Beau Biden died from brain cancer that was linked to his time with the military, as he was also exposed to burn pits.

Since his son's death, Biden had become a vocal supporter of the bill. With the PACT Act now passed, all that is left is his signature in order to make it a law.

In a statement, the White House said the nation has a "sacred obligation to properly prepare and equip the troops we send into harm's way," adding that it was also the country's obligation to care for them and their families when they return home. The statement further noted that the president looks forward to finally signing it.

READ MORE: January 6: Dominican Rebublic-born Immigrant Capitol Police Officer Dealing With Pain After Capitol Insurrection

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Written by: Rick Martin

WATCH: Jon Stewart, Lawmakers Make Remarks After Passage of PACT Act for Veterans Healthcare - From PBS NewsHour
The White House admitted on Tuesday that the U.S. government does not have any DNA proof regarding the death of Al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri.

The Daily Mail reported that the U.S. instead used multiple sources and pieces of evidence that the Al Qaeda chief was killed in a drone attack in Kabul city in Afghanistan on Sunday.

Officials were pressured to issue more details regarding the drone strike, like where the U.S. drones flew from and if there were any foreign assistance they received in taking out al-Zawahiri.

John Kirby, National Security Council (NSC) coordinator for strategic communications, did not discuss whether the Central Intelligence Agency administered the strike or whether Hellfire R9X missiles were used.

The NSC coordinator noted that it would not be possible to get DNA proof to confirm that al-Zawahiri was killed. Kirby said the U.S. government does not have any DNA confirmation, nor will they get that confirmation.

The NSC official noted that the drone strike has shown that the U.S. had established an ability to kill terrorists in Afghanistan.

READ NEXT: Afghanistan Ambassador Says Pres. Joe Biden Doesn't Care About Women, Children Left Behind; Will Take Time Before Country Trusts Another U.S. President

Al Qaeda Leader Ayman Al-Zawahiri Killed in Drone Strike

Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid noted in a series of tweets that an airstrike was done on a residential house in the Sherpur area of Kabul, CNN reported.

He added that the nature of the incident was not obvious at first. However, the security and intelligence services of the Islamic Emirate investigated the incident.

The intelligence service found that a U.S. drone did the strike. President Joe Biden said Monday that Ayman al-Zawahiri was involved in the 9/11 planning and one of the most responsible for the attacks that murdered 2,977 people on American soil.

The president noted that the Al Qaeda chief was the mastermind of attacks against Americans for decades. Biden said the U.S. continues "to demonstrate our resolve and our capacity to defend the American people against those who seek to do us harm."

The president noted that the precise strike targeting resulted from the "extraordinary persistence and skills" of the country's intelligence force.

He then said that the intelligence community has located al-Zawahiri earlier this year when he moved to downtown Kabul to reunite with members of his immediate family.

U.S. Warns Retaliation

The U.S. warned citizens to be cautious against any possible anti-American violence abroad after Ayman al-Zawahiri's death.

The U.S. State Department noted that the Al Qaeda chief's death could prompt the terrorist group's supporters or other related groups to target U.S. facilities and personnel, BBC News reported.

Ayman al-Zawahiri took over the group after Osama Bin Laden was killed in 2011. Biden said he hoped al-Zawahiri's death would bring closure to families of the victims of the 9/11 attacks.

The slain Al Qaeda leader also plotted the attack on the USS Cole naval destroyer in Yemen in October 2000, when suicide bombers on a small boat detonated their vessel, killing 17 U.S. sailors.

READ MORE: U.S. Drone Strike Kills Al-Qaeda Leader, Main 9/11 Plotter Ayman al-Zawahiri

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Written by: Mary Webber

WATCH: Smoke Rises Above Kabul After US Strike That Killed Al-Qaida's Ayman Al-Zawahiri - From Guardian News
The race for governor is tight in the state of New Mexico this coming November election. Incumbent Democratic Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham is vying for the spot, and Republican nominee Mark Ronchetti is challenging him.

Three months before the elections, Lujan Grisham launched her new public safety funding initiative for New Mexico's police force in an effort to bolster recruitment and training for law enforcement.

Ronchetti has launched an attack against Lujan Grisham's crimes and public safety policies, saying that New Mexico became the second most violent state in the country during her term as a governor.

New Mexico Launches Public Safety Funding for Law Enforcement

According to Associated Press, New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham was in Albuquerque on Tuesday to announce the new funding for the state's police officers.

Through the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, the state was able to provide an $800,000 investment for the training of 80 new police officers in New Mexico.

Recruitment and training of police officers have become an overarching problem across New Mexico and the country recently, State Public Safety Secretary Jason Bowie said.

For Bowie, the new funding from the state incentivizes the recruitment of more police officers amid the ongoing "shortfall" in police officers.

The AP also reported that legislative analysts also pointed out that New Mexico had fewer officers per capita than the national average at the beginning of last year. To reach the national rate, the state should employ more than 400 police officers, hence, the new funding.

The move to bolster law enforcement recruitment funding came months before the 2022 November elections in which Lujan Grisham is running to reclaim her spot. She has been criticized mainly by conservatives because of her laid-back policies on curbing the state's crime rate.

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GOP Mark Ronchetti Hits Michelle Lujan Grisham's Public Safety, Crime Policies

In an effort to "Take Back Our Neighborhoods," GOP standard-bearer on New Mexico's gubernatorial race, Mark Ronchetti, has taken aim at Michelle Lujan Grisham's current public safety and crime policies.

Las Cruces Sun-News lists New Mexico among the most violent states in the country, especially with record-breaking homicide and suicide rates.

In his Crime and Public Safety Plan, Ronchetti alleged that under Lujan Grisham's watch, New Mexico became the second most violent state in the nation. Funding law enforcement training was also a key program in Ronchetti's crime plan.

According to Ronchetti, Lujan Grisham "made it easier" for police officers to be sued because of the weak laws she pushed for. Should he win, the Republican Party candidate promised to elevate the state as a training hub for law enforcement in the southwest, opposing federal agency interference in local cases.

Meanwhile, on her campaign website, Lujan Grisham reiterated that she has consistently supported law enforcement but made little to no specific mention of alleviating the state's alarming crime rates.

The 2022 gubernatorial elections will take place on November 8. Lujan Grisham is gunning for a second term, while Ronchetti attempts to score his first.

READ MORE: Aircraft Mishaps in the West: At least 8 People Killed in Separate Tragedies in New Mexico, Las Vegas

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Written by: Ivan Korrs

WATCH: More Money May Be on the Way for Law Enforcement Agencies - From KOAT
The Yaser Said trial started with a prosecutor saying in the opening statement that the Texas man was a person possessive of his two daughters, controlled them, and finally killed them in 2008.

Lauren Black, a prosecutor, described on Tuesday the two teens as bright young girls who were students of Lewisville High School, according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

The other prosecutors involved in the case of Said are Brandi Mitchell, Jaclyn O'Connor, and Summer Elmazi. Black said in front of the Dallas County jury that the accused father "controlled everything in his household" and got "extremely dangerous."

On Tuesday, Said pleaded not guilty to the shooting deaths of his daughters Amina, 18, and Sarah, 17, on New Year's Day 2008, near an Irving hotel.

Said's defense attorney, Joseph Paton, told jurors that the Texas man was a suspect because he was a Muslim, adding that evidence would show the investigation was botched.

The defense also raised questions about several of the 58 witnesses called by prosecutors. Police believed that Said killed his daughters in his taxi because he was "upset" that his daughters were dating American boys.

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Texas Man Yaser Said Accused of Killing Daughters

Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported that Yaser Said's daughters escaped the family's house with their mother on Christmas Day in 2007. The girls then went to Oklahoma because they were afraid of their father.

Black said that the sisters had become "very scared for their lives," adding that the decision to leave was made after Said put a gun to Amina's head and "threatened to kill her."

Black told the jurors that Said had managed to get them to come home by claiming that he had changed and wanted to take his daughters out to dinner.

The prosecutor said Amina was sitting on the front-seat passenger side of a vehicle, and Sarah was in the back seat the night they were killed.

Said's wife wanted to go with her daughters. However, the Texas man told her to stay home. Sarah had called 911 before she died, but she was unable to say where she was.

In the call, Sarah called for help and said, "my dad shot me." Patton said that moments of extreme traumas, such as being shot multiple times, can cause people to have hallucinations.

Meanwhile, some family members claimed that the girls were victims of "honor killings," as Said thought they had brought shame to the family.

Daughters Amina and Sarah Said

WFAA reported that Amina and Sarah, when they were younger, filed a police report accusing their father of sexual assault. However, the charges were dropped.

Ruth Trotter, a family friend, said the Texas man followed his daughters everywhere and recorded their every move. Trotter's son Joseph dated Amina. The family friend added that Yaser Said was abusive and obsessed with his daughters.

Said was on the run for 12 years until he was arrested in August 2020 at a family house in Denton County, Dallas News reported.

Said's son, Islam Said, and his brother, Yassein Said, were also arrested on suspicion of helping to hide him. Yaser Said, who was born in Egypt, has been in the Dallas County jail since his arrest.

READ MORE: Texas Police Shoot, Kill Gunman at Youth Summer Camp After He Opened Fire

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Written by: Mary Webber

WATCH: Former FBI Most-Wanted Suspect Yaser Said Stands Trial for the Murder of His Teen Daughters - From WFAA
Police are investigating a shooting incident in Loveland, where a man invaded a home and shot a Colorado mom and her teen daughter before he turned his gun on himself to commit suicide.

Police were alerted to the incident after the victim's two children, ages 12 and 14, called 911. The two hid inside their house after the shooting happened.

According to People, the Larimer County Coroner's Office identified the victims as 41-year-old Lindsay Daum and 16-year-old Meadow Sinner. Both suffered multiple gunshot wounds.

A GoFundMe page has been launched for their family. The gunman was later identified as 49-year-old Javier Acevedo, who was Daum's former husband.

Police Dispatched After Colorado Mom's Children Called 911

The Loveland Police Department released a statement regarding the incident. They said the first officers who arrived at the Pavo Court home at around 2:30 p.m. on Thursday immediately encountered the 14-year-old caller and the eldest daughter, Meadow Sinner, who was one of the two people shot.

Police attended to her and tried to save her. However, the teen later died from her injuries. Police also found the other children who were hiding inside the house as well.

The youngest, age 2, was hiding in the backyard while the 5-year-old was standing at the top of the stairwell. The youngest child was safely removed and handed to a sergeant as the police started their search.

One of the two callers, the 12-year-old, was found hiding in a lower-level bedroom closet. Police said they also found Daum, but the Colorado mom was already dead.

Authorities then searched for the shooter and found him at 600 Grimson Place in Erie. The suspect was declared dead shortly after officers arrived. Police said Javier Acevedo died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the chest, and his death was ruled a suicide.

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Colorado Mom's Ex Was an Abusive Husband

According to ABC 7, Javier Acevedo had two different protective orders against him, each filed by two different women. One of the women also has a permanent restraining order against him, which was issued last June. Five kids are also listed under those restraining orders.

Acevedo also had a criminal past, with various charges that included child abuse, sexual assault on a child, and at least one drug charge. Unfortunately, the Colorado mom will be leaving behind four children. They will be cared for by Daum's 72-year-old mother.

Meadow Sinner was supposed to become a junior at Mountain View High School, according to ABC 7. The school's principal, Jane Harmon, sent a letter to the community stating that their hearts go out to the teen's family and said she was a treasured member of the community.

Her teacher, Kristi Thompson, spoke about Sinner and said she was outspoken and ready to give her opinion at any moment. She added that losing her felt like she also lost a child and was going through all the emotions that grief brings.

READ MORE: January 6: Dominican Rebublic-born Immigrant Capitol Police Officer Dealing With Pain After Capitol Insurrection

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Written by: Rick Martin

WATCH: Loveland Teacher Reflects on Lessons Learned From Student Killed in Act of Domestic Violence - From the Denver Channel
The people of Portlaoise are spoiled for choice for Laois Heritage week this August 13 to 21, with special events including talks on birds and bees, aviation, art local books, female Laois heritage pioneers and a guided tour of the historic town.

You can meet beloved Irish broadcaster, biologist, author and environmentalist Eanna Ni Lamhna for a free, no-nonsense but humorous talk on the importance of local biodiversity and wildlife in Laois.

This talk will take place in Portlaoise Library, on Wednesday the 17th of August at 6pm. This is a free event, but places are limited, so booking is essential. Contact portlaoiselibrary@laoiscoco.ie or 057 8622333

A very special flag is coming home to Laois as part of the week.

Fitz and the Famous Flag, happens at the Midlands Park Hotel on Saturday, August 20, 3 to 4pm.

There will be a presentation to Laois County Council by Mr B. Ross MacMahon of a US Flag which was presented to Col James Fitzmaurice during the tour of the United States undertaken by the three aviators following their successful first crossing of the Atlantic from Europe to America, in April 1928, in the Bremen aeroplane. Col Fitzmaurice grew up in Portlaoise.

This priceless artefact is a tangible link to the enormous celebrations all across the US following the flight, which opened up air traffic between Europe and the US.

The presentation will be followed by a talk on Fitzmaurice and the US Tour by Teddy Fennelly, Chair of the Col Fitzmaurice Commemoration Committee.

The event will also feature the launch of the Col Fitzmaurice Digital Archive, featuring original archive material collected by Teddy Fennelly, conserved and digitised with the help of Heritage Council funding, and now made available online through the Laois Local Studies Digital Archive https://laoislocalstudies.ie/

The flag will no doubt form part of a permanent exhibition of Portlaoise's groundbreaking aviation history, planned in the future, which includes the restored Portlaoise Plane, the first plane built in Ireland.

Find out about the violent military beginnings of Portlaoise town, in a free guided tour on Sunday, August 14.

It will be led by Michael Parsons from Laois Heritage Society who is also the former chair of the Heritage Council of Ireland. Meet at JFL statue at County Hall, R32EHP9.

Described as a walking tour at a gentle pace, it will be weather dependent. Contact ccasey@laoiscoco.ie for more.

A fascinating talk on two Laois women who were pioneers of sustainable heritage in Ireland, will be held in Portlaoise library on Thursday, August 18.

It will be given by local historian and former Laois Historian in residence Regina Dunne, who will tell all about the lives of Helen Roe of Mountrath and Lucy Franks from Castletown. Contact Portlaoise library.

At the Dunamase Arts Centre, visitors can enjoy an exhibition of portraits celebrating older people of Laois, created by local artists. The opening of the Fado exhibition is free to all, on Thursday, August 18 at 7pm.

Bats about Rooks is a guided walk through the People's Park by Laois Offaly Wildlife Trust's crow expert Ricky Whelan, and Kildare Bat Group's Anna Collins, on Friday August 19 from 8.30pm to 10pm.

There are over 40 events across Laois over the week of August 13 to 21.

See the full schedule of Laois Heritage Week events across the county in a free brochure also available online via the council's website www.laois.ie
Conakry, Guinea (PANA) - Human rights group, Amnesty International, has denounced the arbitrary arrests and detentions of members of pressure group, the National Front for the Defence of the Constitution (FNDC), and the wave of police violence during the demonstrations in Conakry on 28 July that left five dead and at least three more injured by gunfire
The HSE is asking people to avoid the Emergency Department (ED/A&E) at Tullamore Hospital except in emergency cases advising people to consider all care options for non-urgent care.

Following on from a similar appeal made in relation to Portlaoise hospital the HSE says the Midland Regional Hospital Tullamore has been experiencing high level of attendances at its Emergency Department.

Where possible, management at the Offaly hospital want patients with non-emergency conditions to seek assistance from other parts of the health service such as their local Pharmacist or GP.

Patients who are presenting at the ED in Tullamore with non-urgent conditions are experiencing lengthy waiting times to be seen.

Any patient who needs emergency hospital care will be seen and Midland Regional Hospital Tullamore would urge such patients not to delay attending the ED. Do not delay in seeking medical attention if you suspect you are having a heart attack or stroke, please dial 999 or 112 in an emergency.

The HSE is remind the public that if you have to attend the ED in emergency situation please

 ensure you wear a mask,

 practice social distancing and

 ensure you tell the triage personnel if you have any signs/symptoms of Covid

The HSE made a similar appeal in relation to other hospitals including the Midland Regional Hospital Portlaoise prior to the August Bank Holiday weekend.

Many people from Laois are referred to Tullamore for treatment.

Midland Regional Hospital Tullamore apologises for any inconvenience caused and thanks the public for their understanding and consideration.
A policy to install hundreds of thousands of electrically-powered heat pumps in homes across Ireland could increase power costs by up to 46%, a research paper has found.

As part of the Climate Action Plan 2021, the Government plans to replace oil and solid-fuel boilers with heat pumps powered by renewable electricity, with the aim of installing 400,000 heat pumps in existing buildings by 2030.

The Government also aims to retrofit around 500,000 buildings with insulation to a B2-equivalent rating by 2030.

An Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) paper titled Decarbonising heat through electricity: costs, benefits and trade-offs for the Irish power system examined potential scenarios around this policy.

The paper analysed the impacts of electrifying 20% and 30% of Irish residential heating demand under different policy scenarios.

The results, published in the academic journal Energy Policy, indicated that the cost associated with retrofitting dwellings to the B2 BER-rating needed to support a heat pump was by far the greatest driver of costs.

The study found that the total costs associated with the heat pump policy increased power system costs by 30% if 20% of heating is electrified, and by 46% if 30% of heating is electrified.

Senior research officer and co-author of the paper Dr Muireann Lynch said that the high cost of retrofitting highlights the challenges associated with decarbonising residential heating.

Dr Lynch added: Our current decarbonisation of heating policy relies on retrofitting and heat pumps and renewable electricity, and its worth considering some contingency plans if all of those dont necessarily come to fruition.

The high cost of retrofitting and installing heat pumps compares to the relatively low increase in electricity generation.

The study found that the costs of electricity generation investment  such as building battery storage as well as wind, solar and fossil fuel power plants  increased by 2.5% and 5% respectively.

Meanwhile the cost of transmission  such as wires to transport electricity  decreased slightly, by 1.5% and 1% respectively.

What that might suggest is that if you increase electricity demand through electrifying the heating sector, then whats happening there is were actually getting heat dispersed throughout the whole system, Dr Lynch told the PA news agency.

And that might mean that youre better able to balance supply and demand at a local level.

The ESRI study also found that when the geographical location of heat pump investment was chosen so that it imposed the lowest cost on the power system, there was a small reduction in costs relative to a policy that saw heat pump investment at an even rate across the country.

The location of heat pumps was driven by the location of the heat demand, with large investments in heat pumps in the Dublin region.

In contrast, areas with high renewable supply and good availability of land for rollout, such as the West and Mid-West, saw lower heat pump investment relative to a scenario where heat pumps were rolled out evenly across the country.

Dr Lynch said that contrary to our expectations, the demand for heat rather than the supply of electricity determined the optimal location of heat pumps.
In the past two years alone, over 500 people from County Kildare have raised 54,000 for the Mater Public Hospital which has made a huge difference to patients from all across Ireland. The Mater Foundation are once again calling on the wonderful people of Kildare to take on our 100 Miles in Month challenge this September.

Walk, jog, run, or even hike!  its completely up to you.

By signing up to take part, our 100 Milers will be invited to join a buzzing online community that will be on hand with fitness tips and tricks as well as lots of motivation to get them through the miles! And every mile tracked will be making an incredible difference to the Maters staff and patients.

Funds raised from the challenge will allow the Mater Foundation to provide life-saving equipment across the hospital, equipment like our new state of the art PETCT scanner.

This scanner, funded by our supporters, enables our staff to quickly diagnose and treat patients with cancer, heart disease and brain disorders.

Mary Moorhead, Chief Executive of the Mater Foundation, said of the event, "Our 100 Miles in a Month challenge this September is so important. The funds raised from the challenge will directly impact patients from all across Ireland as they will ensure that we always have the funds needed to upgrade and replace life-saving equipment as it is needed. It is only with the support of the Irish public, that we are continuously able to transform patient care, saving even more lives and make a long and lasting difference to all who come through the hospital doors.

"I am ever so grateful to the incredible people of County Kildare who have continued to support our work at the Mater Foundation, as well as to all of those who sign up to take on this tough physical challenge. On behalf of the Mater Foundation and the Mater Hospital we cannot begin to thank everyone enough for their support.

For more information or to register for 100 Miles in a Month Challenge, go to:

https://www.materfoundation.ie/event/100-miles-in-a-month-september-2022/

Or to donate, visit www.materfoundation.ie/donate
Kildare people are being urged to host Ukrainian families.

Some 841 refugees from the war-ravaged country are due to arrive at Maynooth University during August where they will stay until early September.

The Helping Irish Hosts group is assisting with finding accommodation for the displaced Ukrainian families.

Co-founder Jill Robinson said: Helping Irish Hosts are appealing to local people - Kildare, Meath and surrounding areas

- to come forward to offer accommodation. if its something youve been thinking about.

An information evening is being held at The Glenroyal Hotel, Maynooth on Thursday, August 11 at 7pm.

Jill said: "We invite current hosts and anyone interested in hosting to join us for an evening of celebration and information on what it's like to host a Ukrainian family and how to go about it."

The evening will be hosted by RTE presenter Kathryn Thomas, who will be joined by local host families and representatives from Helping Irish Hosts, The Irish Refugee Council, Nasc, Doras and The Open Community.

Jill added: Helping Irish Hosts arose in direct response to the Ukraine crisis, to empower and support individuals and communities in Ireland to host Ukrainians in their homes, safely and sustainably. We are here to help set hosts up with all the tools you need to host in your home. All are welcome to this event at The Glenroyal, if you are currently hosting please come along to share your experience.

The Helping Irish Hosts roadshow is funded by The One Foundation and The Sunflower Foundation, in partnership with The Community Foundation and private donations.
Inland Fisheries Ireland is investigating a recent fish kill incident recorded on the Ballinagh River in County Cavan.

Environmental and Fisheries Officers from the North-Western River Basin District were alerted to the incident by a member of the public on the evening of July 19th. Water samples were taken at the location and removed for scientific analysis.

Inland Fisheries Ireland estimates that in excess of 150 fish were killed in the incident, including brown trout, stickleback and minnow.

As investigations are ongoing, Inland Fisheries Ireland is not in a position to comment on the cause of the fish kill at this stage, pending further analysis of samples taken.

The Director of the North- Western River Basin District with Inland Fisheries Ireland, Dr. Milton Matthews, acknowledged the ongoing support of the public in reporting suspected cases of water pollution and fish kills. He said: We are grateful to the member of the public who reported this incident to us so promptly, which enabled our team to take immediate action and start our investigation without delay. Early notice is very often critical in determining the underlying cause of fish kill events, such as this one on the Ballinagh River.

Members of the public are encouraged to call Inland Fisheries Irelands new confidential 24-hour hotline number on 0818 34 74 24 to report any sightings of fish kills or suspected water pollution.
THE UNIVERSITY of Limerick's Glucksman Library has been showcased to librarians from across the globe at an international conference.

The World Library and Information Congress (WLIC) took place last week at the Convention Centre Dublin with over 2,000 librarians attending.

The conference included a guided tour of the reimagined and extended Glucksman Library at the University of Limerick.

The library, which opened in 2018, was designed to transform the space for scholarship in the digital age.

The library includes a data visualization lab, media production studios, and a moot appellate court.

Of particular interest to conference delegates was the librarys automated book storage and retrieval system (ASRS), the first of its kind in Europe.

Visitors got a guided tour of the Universitys Special Collections and Archives and heard about the conservation and cataloguing work underway for the Bolton Library.

The Bolton Library is a collection of early printed books, manuscripts and incunabula of exceptional bibliographic importance.

Delegates from over 100 countries attended the event, making it the largest global library conference of 2022.

Former President of Ireland and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mary Robinson, delivered the keynote address at the opening ceremony.
A LIMERICK-BASED professor is looking to continue the legacy of her music icon late husband following her appointment as Director of the Irish World Academy in UL.

Professor Helen Phelan, who was previously Professor of Arts Practice at the Academy, was appointed as the new Director of the 5,000 square feet state-of-the-art facility on July 8.

I had to do a lot of soul searching before going for the position, she said, speaking about two decades of work with her late husband Micheal O Suilleabhain, who sadly passed away in 2018.

Life has come full circle for Helen, a UCC graduate, having come to UL to help Micheal establish the Irish World Academy in 1994, growing it from scratch to now housing more than 300 students.

A classical pianist by training with a Masters in Alternative Arts Education, Helen recalls Micheal telling her about his creative vision for the World Academy before it started.

I remember listening to his vision unfold. He had the energy, the vision and he was in it for the long haul. He knew this would take time. That was the beginning of it. I moved to Limerick the next month, she told the Limerick Leader.

Professor Phelan described the World Academy now as an ecosystem made up of a multitude of cultural practices, such as string performances, contemporary dance, medieval chant, traditional music and dance, all in the same space.

It is all of these incredibly rich programmes, but the really exciting thing is what happens between them, because you have people being creative in ways nobody could have imagined, she said

An Irish Research Council recipient for her work on music and migration, Professor Phelan hopes that her time as Director will see metaphorical bridges continue to be built at the Academy in UL.

She described this as the magic of the Academy, creating a space where all of the music and dance practices are equally celebrated, with an invitation for students to engage freely with one another.

The kind of creativity coming out of that is quite extraordinary, she added.

The Music of Micheal O Suilleabhain, performed by the National Symphony Orchestra with guest soloists including Iarla O Lionaird, Mike McGoldrick, Mel Mercier, Zoe Conway, Sile Denvir, Liz Doherty, Lillis O Laoire and many more, takes place at the University Concert Hall Limerick on Saturday, September 3, as part of UL 50 Celebrations.

Tickets: 061 331549 or www.UCH.ie
THIS SATURDAY a group of Limerick kayakers are taking on a 10k challenge to raise money for Rape Crisis Midwest.

The seventh annual charity paddle gets underway at the Shannon Rowing Club in Annacotty at 12pm on Saturday, August 6.

Over 150 people will be taking part in the event which aims to raise awareness and much needed funds for Rape Crisis Midwest.

The paddle is run by the Limerick Kayaking Academy and was started in 2016 by local kayaker Dan OSullivan.

The event is open to beginners and those with little paddle experience with equipment supplied by Limerick Kayak Club, My Next Adventure, Kilfinnane Outdoor Education and Training Centre and Munster Kayak Adventures.

The route is predominantly flat with a number of small features but paddlers will be accompanied the whole way by Canoeing Ireland recognised kayak instructors.

The colourful flotilla is due to arrive between 2:30pm and 3pm at St Michael's Rowing Club and will be greeted by the women from The Limerick Dragons in their 40 foot boat
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Goa Police on Tuesday announced that it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Level-1 blockchain network, 5ire, to take its processes digital.

The MoU was signed by S.P. Crime, Nidhin Valsan, IPS, on behalf of the Goa Police, and Pratik Gauri, founder and chief executive officer, 5ire. With this MoU, Goa will become the first police state in India to go completely paperless.

The MoU will create a public-private partnership between 5ire and Goa Police for implementing a smart policing solution to improve transparency and efficiency in policing. It will help streamline procedures that reflect all events in greater detail for all stakeholders. The MoU will also help in the digitization and digitalization of offline systems.

According to a press release, the blockchain-based smart policing solutions by 5ire can record all official activities accurately, allowing police to help the citizens with traceability to their records and evidence.

On the occasion of the MoU signing, Nidhin Valsan IPS, Superintendent Of Police, Goa, said: 5ire being the leading blockchain company in the country will help Goa Police in transitioning to smart policing using the latest technologies like blockchain and will help in digitization of the offline systems and making it online."

Moreover, blockchain technology can help create sustainable smart policing solutions for Goa Police and make the processes online, more eco-friendly and efficient.

Gauri said, 5ires solution of smart policing for Goa police is one of the several solutions in India that can be deployed on a public sector scale in a more effective manner than the solutions that are currently available."

5ire had last month raised $100 million at a $1.5 billion valuation in Series A funding from the UK-based conglomerate SRAM & MRAM Group, becoming Indias 105th unicorn and 20th this calendar year.

The startup, which was founded by Indian-origin entrepreneurs, Pratik Gauri and Prateek Dwivedi, along with web3 financier Vilma Mattila, in August 2021, had become one of the fastest Indian startups to reach $1 billion valuation - 11 months.

Notably, 5ire is also working with the Muzaffarnagar Police in Uttar Pradesh, to get FIRs and employee records on the blockchain, along with building a smart predictive police system.
NEW DELHI: iD Fresh Food on Wednesday announced its foray into the ghee market with the launch of iD branded ghee in Mumbai. The maker of dosa and idly batter is eyeing an additional 100 crore in revenue from its latest foray.

Currently, Mumbai is the largest packaged ghee market in India, accounting for more than half of packaged ghee sales in the country, and followed by Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai, Pune and Hyderabad. Large co-operatives to local food manufacturers make the product that is a kitchen staple across India. The category is estimated to be worth 10,000 crore.

Innovation, for us, means addressing consumer needs using common sense. Therefore, our Ghee package is designed to include a spout which makes it easy to store and a mess free transfer," said P.C Musthafa, CEO and Co-founder of iD Fresh Food.

The packaged ghee market in India is ripe for disruption, he added.

Our product team has successfully extracted cream from milk and made ghee, without any freezing, keeping it fresh  sans any added colours, flavours, or additives. This is why iD Ghee holds great promise. We are looking at capturing the top markets across India within a year," Musthafa added.

Currently, iD sells it products in over 45 cites, across 30,000 retail stores in India, the United Arab Emirates, the US and the UK. The Bengaluru-based companys product portfolio includes idly and dosa batter, ragi idly and dosa batter, rice rava idly batter, malabar parota, curd, and instant filter coffee decoction.

iD Fresh Food is backed by investors such as NewQuest Capital Partners and Premji Invest. Earlier this year, it raised a Series D round of 507 crore.
Investors are pressing for more changes at companies after securities regulators made it harder for the businesses to exclude shareholder proposals from proxy statements.
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BBC Studios will return to Cannes this fall, and will be honored at Mipcom with an inaugural Studio of Distinction award.

Created by Mipcom organizers RX France to mark a landmark achievement by a global studio or platform, the award will be presented to production-distribution powerhouse BBC Studios in the week that the BBC marks 100 years of public service broadcasting in the U.K. and its 90th year of international broadcasting.

Senior BBC Studios executives are set to give keynote addresses at both Mip Junior and Mipcom. The company will also exhibit in a new location, moving from its custom built stand on the Croisette in 2019 (pictured below) to a new spot within the Palais des Festivals, in the spacious Verriere section, which also has an outdoor area overlooking the Croisette.

On the opening day of Mipcom, Tom Fussell, in his first public address as CEO of BBC Studios, will take the stage to discuss the rapid pace of change at the studio, whose recent credits include Frozen Planet II, Good Omens, Prehistoric Planet, Top Gear and Happy Valley 3. He will also speak about the companys next chapter. Fussell became CEO permanently in October 2021, almost a year after he took the reins as interim CEO following Tim Davies exit.

Fussell will be joined on stage by Davie, who is now director general of the BBC.

Davie will talk to the enduring importance of the BBC at home and around the world and, why, with 100 years of reinvention behind it, the BBC is pursuing a digitally-led strategy at a time when its hallmarks of impartiality, trust and quality have never been more important.

Elsewhere, Cecilia Persson, managing director of BBC Studios Kids & Family, will address kids content conference Mip Junior, discussing the opportunities created by the formation of the new division, and laying out her vision for Kids & Family to be a major global force in childrens content.

The presentation of the award will take place at the opening day keynote session.

Lucy Smith, director of Mipcom and Mip Junior, said: With the Studio of Distinction honor we are creating a moment to mark an organizations extraordinary achievements to date whilst providing a global stage to share their future plans. Our first recipients could not be more timely or relevant given the extraordinary international impact and ongoing influence of this unique producer, broadcaster and distributor. We warmly welcome BBC Studios to Cannes to what is shaping up to be a super-sized Mipcom.

BBC Studios return to Cannes seems to mark a turning point in the relationship between the company and the Cannes market, which havent always seen eye to eye. Like a number of companies, BBC Studios stopped coming to spring market MipTV some years back, and hasnt exhibited at Mipcom since 2019. (The business skipped the first physical edition post-pandemic in 2021.)

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Emily, a biopic starring Emma Mackey as Wuthering Heights writer Emily Bronte, will have its world premiere through Toronto International Film Festivals Platform program, the festival announced Wednesday.

Platform, which was established in 2015 and is named after the 2000 film by Jia Zhang-ke, screens eight to 12 films from a diverse range of global filmmakers with rising careers. After the screenings, the Platform Prize, an award of $20,000 CAD, is given to one film selected by an international jury. Previous Platform selections include acclaimed films such as Sound of Metal, The Death of Stalin, Jackie, Moonlight, Lady Macbeth and High-Rise.

Emily, the directorial debut of English actor Frances OConnor, will be the opening film for this years Platform program. The other nine films selected for Platform are: Carvao by Brazilian director Carolina Markowicz, La Gravite by French director Cedric Ido, Hawa by French Cuties director Maimouna Doucoure, How to Blow Up a Pipeline by American director Daniel Goldhaber, Riceboy Sleeps by Canadian director Anthony Shim, Tafrigh by Iranian director Mani Haghighi, Foudre by Swiss director Carmen Jaquier, Toras Husband by Indian director Rima Das and Viking by Canadian director Stephane Lafleur. All 10 films will receive their world premieres at the festival.

Eclectic in vision, this years selection not only represents all World Premieres of exciting, on-the-rise voices from around the world, but it also reflects the very timely and unique perspectives of racialized filmmakers from diasporic communities broadening the canvas, TIFF programming chair Anita Lee said in a statement.

The Platform selections are curated by Lea, festival programming director Robyn Citizen and festival programming senior manager Ravi Srinivasan. The members of the Platform Prize jury will be announced later this summer.

Toronto International Film Festival will run Sept. 8-18. Emily is scheduled to release in 2023 by Warner Bros. Pictures in the United Kingdom and Bleecker Street in the U.S.

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The 66th BFI London Film Festival will close with Rian Johnsons Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, starring Daniel Craig, Edward Norton, Janelle Monae, Kathryn Hahn, Leslie Odom Jr., Jessica Henwick and Madelyn Cline with Kate Hudson and Dave Bautista.

After bowing at Toronto, the film will have its European premiere at the festival on Oct. 16 ahead of its U.K. cinema release and subsequent Netflix launch, with Johnson, Craig, Norton, Monae, Odom Jr., Hudson and Cline expected to be in attendance. In the follow-up to Johnsons 2019 hit Knives Out, Craig reprises the role of detective Benoit Blanc, travelling to Greece to peel back the layers of a mystery involving a new cast of colorful suspects. Both films were produced by Johnson and Ram Bergman under their T-Street banner.

There will also be simultaneous preview screenings of the film taking place at cinemas across the U.K.

Johnson, said: Im thrilled to be back at LFF with Glass Onion, and its an honor to be closing the festival. A proper whodunnit really does belong in London, so it feels a bit like coming home.

Tricia Tuttle, BFI London Film Festival director, added: Rian Johnsons Knives Out was a major hit when we hosted the European premiere at the Festival in 2019. Our audiences adored the films wit and that it tipped its very stylish hat to the wonderful tradition of British onscreen sleuths. And here, Rian Johnson strikes gold again with the help of the years hottest ensemble cast. Like its predecessor, Glass Onion is entertaining and culturally literate in equal measure, making some hilarious, razor sharp observations about the world we live in. The European premiere of Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery will bring the house down as the closing gala of the 66th BFI London Film Festival.

As previously revealed, the world premiere of Matilda the Musical will open the festival.

The festival, in partnership with American Express, takes place Oct. 5-16. The full program will be revealed on Sept. 1.

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Israeli director Leon Prudovsky, whose film My Neighbor, Adolf world premieres Thursday in Locarno Film Festivals Piazza Grande, will next be making a feature version of his 2012 short Welcome, and our Condolences.

The project, titled Our People, is a multi-character tragicomedy, centering on a Russian Jewish family traveling to Israel in the early 1990s. On the plane their grandmother dies, which places them in a tricky situation: they are worried that they will lose their right to settle in Israel, so decide to pretend shes still alive. Prudovsky himself was born in Russia and migrated to Israel at that time.

My Neighbor, Adolf is also a tragicomedy. It stars David Hayman, whose credits include The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, Sid and Nancy and TV series Taboo, as Polsky, a grumpy old man living in the wilds of Colombia in 1960.

Polsky, who survived the Holocaust and hates all Germans, is distressed when he learns that his new neighbor is an elderly German guy, who goes by the name of Herzog. When he hears that Adolf Eichmann has been found living in Argentina, he persuades himself that his neighbor could be Adolf Hitler, who  he thinks  faked his death in 1945 and escaped to South America.

He sets out to persuade Mossad, the Israeli secret service, that they should abduct the German, as they did Eichmann earlier that year. But in order to confirm his suspicions he must befriend his neighbor and earn his trust, so he can gather the evidence.

Udo Kier, whose films have included My Own Private Idaho, and several films by Lars von Trier, plays Herzog.

The idea for the film first came to Prudovsky after he visited Brazil. When he returned home, his long-time friend and the cowriter of My Neighbor, Adolf, Dmitry Malinsky, suggested they write a screenplay inspired by the 1978 thriller The Boys From Brazil, starring Gregory Peck, Laurence Olivier and James Mason, which is focused on Nazi war criminal Josef Mengele hiding out in South America. It was Malinsky who suggested the idea that Hitler had survived the war, and wanted to speculate about what it would be like to meet him, and even look around his house.

After a sleepless night, Prudovsky decided he didnt want to focus on Hitler, and try to get inside the mind of such an evil person. Instead, he wanted to adopt the point of view of someone  like his grandmother  who had survived the Holocaust, and was still suffering from the trauma of that, and then comes across a German man who might be Hitler. That is interesting because that is going to try and get inside the head of the guy who thinks about it, not Hitler, he says.

Prudovsky wanted to look at the obsession of a guy who needs to find himself as a living person, and not as a dead person, like he is at the beginning of the film. Polsky is, he says, someone who never got to mourn the deaths of his family in the Holocaust. After 1945, he was a displaced person, trying to find the best place to survive, and moves to Colombia in order to escape the people who caused the Holocaust or stood by and did nothing to stop it.

Prudovsky sees the relationship between the neighbors in the film as a kind of parable about two men who are kept apart by politics without really knowing each other. The key to overcoming these differences is to talk to the other side, and by doing so you can enter into something more emotional and more human, he says. It could be seen, he adds, as an allegory for the relationship between the Israelis and the Palestinians.

But on a simpler level, the film is the story of two lonely old men who feel the need to connect with another human being. Both our protagonists are highly motivated [to interact with someone]. They are alone, they have no one. They feel a need to have some kind of social exchange. So, when it starts happening, it just takes them there, he says. Sometimes the need [for friendship] is stronger than ideas.

The film was the subject of an attempt to ban it from Locarno earlier this week in a dispute over its funding. The festivals artistic director, Giona A. Nazzaro, rejected this move.

A group of Israeli filmmakers and artists had urged Locarno to drop the film due to an allegation that the Rabinovich Foundation, one of its funders, attached politically motivated conditions to the funding. It was alleged that the foundation is now contractually obligating producers to agree that their films dont include any statement or message that denies the existence of the state of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state, according to a story published on Tuesday in the Hollywood Reporter.

Nazzaro told Variety in a statement issued Wednesday: When we selected Leon Prudovskys My Neighbor Adolf in April we chose a film that convinced us with its tremendous artistic qualities. A depiction of the complex human experience, expressed by the touching performances of David Hayman and Udo Kier. Locarno will screen the film as planned on the Piazza Grande on Aug. 4.

He added: Freedom of expression and artistic freedom have been the guiding principles of the Locarno Film Festival for 75 years. We are convinced that all artistic works need independence and dialogue and should always be produced without constraints. Leon Prudovsky confirmed that he was not suffering from any pressure when making his film.

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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)
CGTN America releases "Pelosi lit a fire that could consume the Asia-Pacific"

"Taiwan is part of the sacred territory of the People's Republic of China. It is the sacred duty of all the Chinese people, including our fellow Chinese in Taiwan, to achieve the great reunification of the motherland." These are the words written in the preamble of China's Constitution. And U.S. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi's visit to China's Taiwan region is a brazen violation into China's most sacred principle.

On August 2, Pelosi landed in Taiwan. The Chinese Foreign Ministry released a statement saying it will have a severe impact on the political foundation of China-U.S. relations and gravely undermines peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.

The entire saga is nothing but a reckless provocation, both political and military, and a challenge to China's national sovereignty and territorial integrity. Beijing has repeatedly conveyed to Washington its serious concerns over Pelosi's imprudent insistence on visiting a part of China that is clearly off limits for her.

Despite all the forewarning, Pelosi still went ahead with her plan and flew to Taiwan. China is left with no option but to retaliate to this blatant challenge to its national sovereignty and territorial integrity. The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) announced that it will be conducting important military exercises and training activities including live-fire drills from August 4 to August 7. The PLA's Eastern Theater Command began conducting a series of military operations near Taiwan starting Tuesday night.

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Alliance 4 Development, a co-development initiative for film projects from Austria, France, Germany, Italy and Switzerland hosted by Locarno Pro, has revealed 11 titles selected for its 7th edition.

The majority of the projects will be directed by women, from Giorgia Wurths Allegra about a late-life sexual awakening to Malina Mackiewiczs Bottom of the Ocean Electric Fish and Mariko Minoguchis upcoming Element. The latter will address some environmental fears as a team of scientists tries to ensure that Earths water supply wont suddenly disappear.

Minoguchi, who previously co-wrote the script to Tim Fehlbaums The Colony, is hoping to develop a German science fiction film that doesnt shy away from big emotions or images, she stated, that makes you think and reflect and, above all, is a moving and impressive cinematic experience.

Big emotions will also fuel Manon Coubias Songs of the Fallen Mountains, with old lovers reunited on a mythical mountain, and Stephane Riethausers Orpheus about a relationship between a young dancer and his choreographer.

There is no love; there are only proofs of love. These words by Jean Cocteau will guide me to direct my first fiction feature, he promised, calling it a film beyond labels, barriers and genres. A film that reminds us that freedom to love is the most precious thing we have. A film as a proof of love.

Thomas Woschitz will take a look at shifting social hierarchies in The Beginning of Gravity or the Fateful Journey of a Noble Family and Their Servants Across the Mountains, described as a baroque road movie, while questions of social belonging, identity and individual otherness will be explored in Willy Hans Der Fleck.

Loosely inspired by Faust and Vampires, Vero Cratzborn will play with genre in Molecules, a thriller about two twin sisters and their complex bond. Anchored in reality yet sliding towards strangeness, she will deliver a close-to-us body horror, brutal and frontal.

Alliance 4 Development will also showcase the first film by The Vincents, aka Vincent Veillon and Vincent Kucholl, who will direct and star in A Vampire in Ropraz, starting all the way back in 1903 with a terrifying discovery that shocks one community to its core.

This is a powerful project, carried by a team which we know aims to reach a large audience with a demanding auteur film, observed producer Jean-Marc Frohle, praising its international potential.

Mo Harawe will cross borders as well, returning to his Somali roots in The Village Next to Paradise, while Mo Scarpelli will travel to western Kenya for A Song That Slays, in which she will explore an old myth.

Whatever the subject or context, the potential to forge partnerships across regional borders will be artistically and developmentally fruitful for all of those just now stepping into the feature directors chair for the first or second time, teased the programs organizers.

Finally, for the very first time, the selected projects will compete for the Alphapanda Market Breakout Award. Alphapanda, a film marketing agency founded in 2011, will offer the winner a marketing consultancy and the creation of a pitch deck valued at 3,000 ($3.060).

Applying a real marketing strategy to a film in development is essential and gets often overlooked by producers, Mathias Noschis, founder of Alphapanda, told Variety. The company is also behind the Audience Engagement Award at Les Arcs Industry Village and the Alphapanda Award at Marche du Films Cannes Docs.

We hope this award will help the awarded project find production and sales partners. We know the quality of the films presented at Alliance 4 Development and cant wait to discover the projects this year.

The program of Alliance 4 Development will take place over three days (Aug. 5-7) at the Locarno Film Festival.

Brief profiles of the projects:

Allegra

Switzerland

Dir. Giorgia Wurth

A widow in her 60s, who never had an orgasm, suddenly discovers her late friends secret: she used to work as a prostitute. Now, Allegra has a chance to follow in her footsteps, despite everything she used to believe in. Its long been my dream to tell a story about old age, the most precious stage of life precisely because its the last one. I was specifically looking for a story which allowed me to tackle a taboo: bodies which deteriorate and weaken but which, despite everything, pulsate with life and desire, said Wurth. Rough Cats Nicola Bernasconi produces.

A Song That Slays

Italy, U.S.

Dir. Mo Scarpelli

Based on a myth about a girl who ate a poisonous flower to escape marriage with an old man, A Song That Slays marks Scarpellis fiction debut, after her standout doc feature El Father Plays Himself. Described as a fable, it will be set among the Pokot community of western Kenya. [Its] an ode to girls who choose to face their own destinies confronting taboos and ready-made narratives about women as perpetual victims, while exploring the violence and bravery inside of us too, said the Italian-American director. Produced by Luigi Chimienti and Alessandro Amato (Disparte), the project is co-produced by Rake Films.

The Beginning of Gravity or the Fateful Journey of a Noble Family and Their Servants Across the Mountains

Austria, Switzerland

Dir. Thomas Woschitz

This baroque road movie produced by Gabriele Kranzelbinder and Barbara Pichler (KGP Filmproduktion), Woschitz and co-produced with Katrin Renz (Tellfilm), will be set in the 17th century. A noble family sets out to cross the Alps with their servants, but a thunderstorm and problems that follow disrupt the existing hierarchy. It will explore power and powerlessness, faith and knowledge, selfishness and selflessness, all the while featuring a score by Laibach: Georg Friedrich Handel translated into a contemporary key, added its helmer.

Bottom of the Ocean Electric Fish

Italy

Dir. Malina Mackiewicz

On an island in the Pacific Ocean, families are kept imprisoned in a refugee camp. Only those in need of urgent medical treatment, or pregnant women, are transferred to the mainland  which is what two teenage girls are hoping for. Despite the real-world circumstances that served as initial inspiration, this political context is to remain in the background of an intimate film about girlhood, noted Mackiewicz, pointing out that the heart of the story is hidden in the private moments of adolescence. Andrea Paris (Ascent Film) and Valeria Beraldo produce.

Der Fleck

Germany, Switzerland

Dir. Willy Hans

The project, in an early financing stage, will see a boy who  after escaping from boarding school  finds himself on a riverbank with a group of strangers. Luckily, he soon meets a girl and the two embark on their own adventure. Setting out to investigate the boundaries between individuality and community, Hans intends to playfully and humorously explore the limits and possibilities of social interaction. Produced by Julia Collen, Karsten Krause, Frank Scheuffele (Funferfilm, also behind Locarnos Human Flowers of Flesh) and co-produced with Michela Pini (8horses).

Element

Germany

Dir. Mariko Minoguchi

From Minoguchi, who impressed with her time-looping debut, Relativity. When Earths water threatens to disappear without a trace, a team of scientists is tasked with traveling to the mysterious source of the natural disaster. In Minoguchis science fiction project, set to be shot in English and produced by Jorgo Narjes (X Filme Creative Pool), the aim is to tell a story that can do justice to the visual standard of the genre and be realized with a relatively low budget. Our advantage is that we dont have to develop a new CGI alien but are using something we already know, she said. Water, an element that has great cinematic potential.

Songs of the Fallen Mountains

France, Belgium

Dir. Manon Coubia

In her feature debut Manon Coubia will continue her exploration of the mountain, of those who inhabit and haunt it, focusing on a glaciologist and alpinists eyeing a route on a newly collapsed mountain  including her former lover. Produced by Emmanuelle Latourrette (El Film) and co-produced with Coubia, Nicolas Rincon Gille and Jeremy Van der Haegen (The Blue Raincot), it will see passionate characters who gravitate around this mythical place at the moment when the edifice threatens to disappear, said the director. Yoann Zimmer is tapped to star.

A Vampire in Ropraz

Switzerland

Dir. Vincent Veillon and Vincent Kucholl

Adapted from the work of Jacques Chessex, this pulp rural kicks off in 1903, when a body of a recently buried woman has been mutilated. As the investigation goes on, its hard to identify suspects. It is the book that called for the project, not the other way around. But then, how to tell the story of fear? Perhaps by looking at it from the side, by scrutinizing characters whose lifestyles could be even more gory than a desecrated grave, noted the directors. Jean-Marc Frohle (Point Productions) added: The Vincents will propel this classic into their cinema galaxy!

Molecules

France

Dir. Vero Cratzborn

To save her sister from a degenerative disease, Diane takes part in the first clinical trials of an experimental molecule. But it could be dangerous to cut the cord with her twin. I wish to resonate with our current fears, explained the director. In our society, addicted to the powerful pharmaceutical industry, bodies are exploited, borrowed, risked, healed. In Molecules, bodies will speak, more than words. Billed as a thriller, according to producer Thomas Lambert (Tomsa Films) it will also be a love story about fusion and loss, where saving becomes a trap.

Orpheus

Switzerland, France

Dir. Stephane Riethauser

Produced by Veronique Vergari (Luna Films) with Thomas Lambert co-producing, this tale of forbidden desire shows a bond between teenage Leo and much older Matthias, a choreographer who hires him at the opera. They fall in love but a controversy breaks out  Matthias is accused of exposing young dancers to pornography. Music and dance are like love: they travel beyond words, revealing the unconscious and our animality, said Riethauser. A contemporary, intimate drama with epic accents, Orpheus offers a critical look at the norms and values that shape us.

The Village Next to Paradise

Austria

Dir. Mo Harawe

A highly-regarded short film director, Somalia-born Mo Harawe  who plans to work with local non-professional actors  will follow a Somali family and their daily struggles over the course of one summer in this feature. I want to be a part of the growing but still very small film infrastructure in Somalia, he noted, with his producer Oliver Neumann (FreibeuterFilm) adding: The story gives us an insight into everyday life in Somalia from an inside view, a life that we  if at all  only know from a western, superficial perspective. We see a great opportunity to place [Mo Harawe] as a new African voice in the international arthouse field.

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Sex Education fans can breathe easy. Ncuti Gatwa is set to return as Otis beloved BFF Eric Effiong in the hit Netflix series, Variety can exclusively confirm.

Creator, writer and executive producer Laurie Nunn is also confirmed to return to the series about the socially awkward Otis Milburn (played by Asa Butterfield) and his friends as they navigate teenage sexuality in the shadow of Otiss sex therapist mother Jean (Gillian Anderson).

Fans feared for Erics future in the show after the BBC blindsided everyone when they dramatically revealed Gatwa had been cast as the new Doctor Who hours before the BAFTA TV awards in May. The upcoming season of the British sci-fi show, which has been written by Its a Sin showrunner Russell T. Davies, is currently shooting in Wales. (Davies is also responsible for re-booting Doctor Who in 2003 after a 7-year hiatus).

Fortunately some canny scheduling has ensured Gatwa can appear in both series, with filming for Sex Education season 4 set to take place this fall. He will also star alongside his Sex Education co-star Emma Mackey in the highly anticipated Barbie movie next year, which features Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling as the pneumatic doll and her boyfriend Ken.

Gatwas return to Sex Education follows the news that a number of his former co-stars will not be joining him, including Simone Ashley, who played Olivia, Tanya Reynolds as Lily, Patricia Allison as Ola and Rakhee Thakrar, who played school teacher Emily Sands. Ashley has pivoted to Netflix stablemate Bridgerton while Allison is next set to appear in Disney+ U.K. original Extraordinary.

Despite the mini exodus, a source tells Variety season 4 of the show will see a mixture of old and new exciting faces as the Moordale Secondary School alumni seek an alternative place to study  and romp  after the school lost its funding and was sold to developers.

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After being stymied in a political run for governor as a Democrat, Nick Kristof is doubling back to the New York Times as a journalist. But his return to his columnist gig is marked by a tangled web of journalistic and financial conflicts.

New York Times journalists are strictly prohibited from participating in overt political activity and giving. But Kristof has yet to formally wind down the campaign infrastructure from his failed bid to become Oregon governor. His campaign PAC, Nick for Oregon, has recently been donating tens of thousands of dollars to Democratic politicians in the state.

And Rolling Stone has learned that the $1 million left over in his campaign war chest has just been transferred to a new political action committee co-directed by his spouse, Sheryl WuDunn.

The unusual new political committee, Kristof tells Rolling Stone, wont be involved in elections. Rather it will spend its funds supporting a signature jobs-training program signed into law this spring by sitting Oregon Democratic governor Kate Brown. While his name is not on the new PAC, called Oregon Strong, Kristof is still intimately involved: Im still engaged in the planning for this, he says. I was emailing people this morning about it, and trying to set up a meeting.

Even as the nations newspaper of record is welcoming Kristof back, this scramble to cement a positive impact from his ill-fated run for office suggests Kristof is not, in fact, done with politics. Its the kind of conflict of interest, observers suggest, that the Times would never accept from its journalistic rank-and-file. Edward Wasserman, a professor of journalism and the former dean at the U.C. Berkeley graduate school of journalism, calls out the Times for an amazing reluctance to apply its own rules to star columnists like Kristof.

When Kristof decamped from the New York Times last October, seeking to become Governor of Oregon, he received a flood of donations from the kinds of people a top political columnist might rub elbows with. His Nick for Oregon PAC received large checks from Microsoft billionaires Bill Gates, Melinda Gates, and Connie Balmer; as well as LinkedIn CEO Reid Hoffman; former Disney CEO Bob Iger; Disney heir Abigail Disney; Jeff Bezos dad, Miguel; former Treasury Secretaries Robert Rubin and Larry Summers; former Democrat House majority leader Dick Gephardt; and the Angelina Jolie Family Trust, among others.

Kristof was aces at raising money, collecting more than $2 million. But his political career hit a brick wall in February. The state supreme court ruled that the journalist  raised in the country town of Yamhill, Oregon, where he now owns a farm  had failed to follow the proper steps to re-establish himself as a resident in Oregon before seeking to become the states top office holder.

After briefly contemplating a bid for Congress, Kristof has been Substacking, working on a memoir, and writing the odd guest-column for the Times, while he mulled whether his future would be in print or politics. Kristof ultimately decided, he says, I can do the most good using that journalism toolbox.

On Monday, the New York Times announced that Kristof will returning to the fold as a columnist. We are delighted to have him back, wrote Opinion editor Kathleen Kingsbury, insisting that Kristof has redefined what a modern columnist could be.

Its an eyebrow raising move for the Times, which maintains strict prohibitions against staffers participating in political activity. The papers ethics guide insists that journalists have no place on the playing fields of politics and bars journalists from even wearing political buttons or driving a family car with a political bumper sticker. (In early 2021, a contract editor for the Times was fired after tweeting that she got chills seeing president elect Joe Bidens plane land at Joint Base Andrews in advance of his inauguration.) For most employees, the Times prohibitions against political donations are similarly firm. Staff members may not themselves give money to, or raise money for, any political candidate or election cause, they read. Any political giving by a Times staff member would carry a great risk of feeding a false impression that the paper is taking sides.

The paper has long been criticized for having a different set of professional standards for its biggest names. And Kristofs sunny homecoming after his frustrated political bid seems to fit that pattern. Wasserman sees Kristof as journalistically tainted by his political run, as well as by what Wasserman sees as unresolved ambitions to seek elective office. Its impossible to to imagine a future for Kristof as an opinion journalist for the Times, that would not involve an absolutely-well-founded fear that hes using his column as soapbox to brighten his political star, Wasserman says.

I admire his work quite a lot, Wasserman adds. But the conflict of interest posed by Kristofs political forray, he insists, corrupts the expectation of evenhandedness that a reader needs to have in a journalist. Can readers trust that youre getting commentary from him that reflects his best judgment of what the world needs, Wasserman asks, rather than his calculation as to what Nick Kristof might need as a politician?

Even as the Times is touting his return to column writing, Kristof still hasnt put his ill-fated campaign to rest. His Nick for Oregon campaign website is still live, and the campaign is still active, according the Secretary of State. On the day of the announcement of his return to the Gray Lady, Kristof had nearly $1 million left his campaign warchest.

But hours after Rolling Stone contacted Kristofs campaign treasurer, Elizabeth Wilson, about the fate of that cash stockpile, the funds were transferred to the new PAC, Oregon Strong. According to state records, that committee is co-directed by Wilson, as well as Kristofs spouse, Sheryl WuDunn. In other words, nearly half the money Kristof raised for his political bid remains under family control. (Kristof and WuDunn are longtime professional partners as well as spouses, having coauthored two books and even shared a Pulitzer Prize when both worked at the Times.)

A spokesperson for the Oregon Secretary of States office describes the transfer of Kristofs campaign funds to a family-controlled PAC as licit, so long as the monies are not converted to personal use.

Kristof tells Rolling Stone that hed originally intended to spend campaign funds directly to support the state job-creation program, but that state administrative delays setting up the program kept postponing the plan. Recognizing it was not entirely kosher for him to continue to direct a campaign PAC while returning to journalism, Kristof decided to move the money to the new vehicle directed by WuDunn.

Oregon Strong was launched just two weeks ago, on July 17. Its political mission, listed on the secretary of states website, is vague: Supporting evidence-based policies that address Oregons challenges and make it a better place for its people. Despite vowing it will support Democratic Gov. Browns top policy win from her final year in office, Kristof calls the political action committees work non political.

Rolling Stone reached out to the Times about the conflicts posed by Kristof returning to the journalistic fold after his detour into politics and soliciting donations from powerful acquaintances. Charlie Stadtlander, a communications director for the paper, writes: Nick and his editors have already discussed how they will handle potential conflicts of interest. He insisted that, Nick will either refrain from writing about donors or disclose the relationship to readers. (Stadtlander declined to answer questions about the disposition of Kristofs campaign funds.)

In recent weeks, Kristofs campaign PAC also emerged as a formidable campaign donor, giving more than $40,000 to local, state and even national politicians from Oregon. That included $10,000 to Friends of Tina Kotek, who is now the 2022 Democratic nominee for governor and whom Kristof has also endorsed. It also included $1,000 to the campaign of Jamie McLeod-Skinner, an Oregon progressive running for U.S. Congress.

The Times ethics restrictions are particularly strong in prohibiting a run for political office. Seeking or serving in public office plainly violates the professional detachment expected of a journalist, the prohibition reads. It poses a risk of having the staff members political views imputed to The Times, and it can sow a suspicion of favoritism in The Timess political coverage.

When pressed about Kristofs political run, Stadtlander, the Times spokesman, insisted there was no issue. Our ethical journalism standards do apply to all of our journalists, including Opinion columnists, he said. When Nick decided to pursue public office, he stepped down as a journalist. As he returns to his role of writing for us later this year, the Times will still require that he not engage in any political activity, including fundraising or campaigning for officials seeking election.

Outside observers see a far messier situation. And Kristof himself concedes hes going to need to rebuild trust. Its a legitimate thing to wonder about, he says of critics who question whether hes truly done with politics. Asked about whether his ambitions could include another electoral bid, Kristof deflects like, well, a politician. My ambitions are to cover the Taiwan crisis, to cover Ukraine, to cover homelessness.

When I note thats not a hard No, Kristof pauses. I certainly have zero plans to run for office, he says, finally. Im completely planning to return to journalism.
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The mob in Italy, besides being an endemic plague, has always been grist for the film and TV mill, with gritty Naples-set show Gomorrah, the countrys top TV export, being one recent example.

But a major change is underway in how Italian producers and talents are tackling organized crime tropes that were once exclusively imbued in patriarchal pathos. Mob stories coming out of Italy are primarily a womans thing these days. Or, rather, the perspective is a female one.

Take Amazons recently launched Italian original Bang Bang Baby, the 1980s Milan-set tale of 16-year-old Alice Barone (rising star Arianna Becheroni), who while living with her single mom learns by chance that her dad, whom she thought dead, is very much alive and a boss of the Calabrian crime syndicate known as the Ndrangheta.

Against her mothers wishes, she joins the dark side of her family, bonding with her paternal grandmother, the feisty Nonna Guendalina Barone, who is also an Ndrangheta boss. The criminal granny is played by Dora Romano, known to audiences outside Italy as the matriarch who eats mozzarella with her hands and spouts vulgarities in Paolo Sorrentinos The Hand of God.

If any vile bastard gets in the way, Ill dissolve him in acid, so help me God!, Nonna Barone blurts out at one point.

The pulpy Bang Bang is produced by The Young Pope and My Brilliant Friend producer Lorenzo Mieli, who notes that, like Gomorrah, its loosely rooted in reality. Whats specific about the series, he says, is that we see the narrative from the point of view of the protagonist, Alice.

Mieli says he was also interested in this world because its a matriarchy, not a patriarchy, since its a known fact that women have a central role in the Ndrangheta.

The Ndrangheta is also the world of Una Femmina  The Code of Silence, a movie with more gravitas than Bang Bang that launched from Berlin earlier this year. The revenge drama centers on Rosa, a young rebel who as a child glimpsed her mother being murdered by her uncle Tore; she later learns from her grandmother that he had forced her mom to drink hydrochloric acid and die the death of a woman who has talked too much.

Rosas character, played by newcomer Lina Siciliano, distills the many voices in Italian journalist Lirio Abbates book Fimmine Ribelli, about women whove had the courage to rebel against the Ndrangheta and its codes.

The films director, Francesco Costabile, says that Una Femmina is full of rage and humanity. He calls it a crime story told from a feminine point of view, noting that psychological grip, oppression and domestic extortion are the foundations underlying Rosas world.

A desire to break away from the heavy burden of being born into an Ndrangheta family is also the central theme in A Chiara, the slice-of-life drama from Jonas Carpignano that won the Directors Fortnight award at Cannes in 2021 and was recently released by Neon in the U.S.

Carpignano, who lives in the coastal town of Gioia Tauro  which is known as an Ndrangheta hotbed  says he decided to tackle this theme after seeing the effect it had on the community and the people who are close to it, without being in it.

As his protagonist, Carpignano chose then-15-year-old Swamy Rotolo, a nonprofessional whom he has known since she was nine. The director was therefore able to insert things from her real life into the script, so that the character becomes more like her. Even though obviously shes not part of a Mafia family, he notes.

In May, Rotolo, who is now 17, won the best actress statuette for A Chiara at Italys David di Donatello Awards, making her the youngest Italian to win the coveted prize in the events 67 editions.

Its yet another sign that things are changing in Italy.

(Pictured: Bang Bang Baby)

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After Republicans nearly derailed what was widely believed to be a popular bipartisan effort to expand health care to vets exposed to harmful toxins, the PACT Act finally passed the Senate, Tuesday, Aug. 2.

It passed a vote of 86  11 on Tuesday. The PACT Act cleared the House of Representatives in July and will be signed into law by Joe Biden.

The PACT Act is set to expand healthcare benefits to more than 3 million veterans and 9/11 first responders who have been exposed to toxins like those found in Agent Orange and burn pits (heaps of trash and waste that soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan often burned using jet fuel). The bill also removed requirements preventing veterans from accessing care because they had to prove their illnesses had been caused by on-duty exposure to harmful toxins.

But despite the cause and the ostensible bipartisan support for the PACT Act, its pathway to passage turned out to be surprisingly bumpy. A version of the bill actually passed the Senate in June by an overwhelming 84  14 vote, but administrative issues in the text forced both chambers of Congress to vote on it again. While it easily cleared by a vote of 342 to 88, upon its arrival in the Senate, Pennsylvanias outgoing Republican Senator Pat Toomey raised concerns about spending increases and an array of Republicans  including Majority Leader Mitch McConnell  suddenly pulled their support.

The following fight over the fate of the bill gained particular prominence thanks to comedian and veterans rights advocate, Jon Stewart. You dont support the troops. You support the war machine, Stewart said at one point. They havent met a war they wont sign up for and they havent met a veteran they wont screw over.

Expanding veteran health benefits and passing the PACT Act in particular have been a major priority for Biden. In the past, the president has speculated that the cancer that caused the death of his son, Beau Biden, may have been caused by exposure to harmful burn pit toxins during Beaus deployments in Iraq.
The dramatic true saga of the Thai boys' soccer team trapped in a flooded cave, and their rescue after nine days by an international team of divers - including, most notably, a handful of mostly British volunteers - riveted the world during the summer of 2018. Four years later, the story's theme of overcoming great odds continues to fascinate filmmakers and audiences.

Last fall, there was "The Rescue," a spellbinding documentary by Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, the husband-and-wife duo behind the mountain-climbing docs "Meru" and the Oscar-winning "Free Solo." And this week brings not one but two narrative features inspired by the same story: "Cave Rescue," a dramatization, available on demand and in select theaters, in which diver Jim Warny plays himself, and Amazon's "Thirteen Lives," directed by Ron Howard ("We Feed People") and starring Colin Farrell and Viggo Mortensen as divers John Volanthen and Rick Stanton - the same two divers who pretty much stole the show in "The Rescue." (On Sept. 22, Netflix will debut its own six-episode miniseries, "Thai Cave Rescue," told from the point of view of the boys.)

To be honest, I will probably watch them all.

It's not that "The Rescue" isn't tough competition. Chin and Vasarhelyi laid out the story - told largely via interviews with Volanthen and Stanton, and mixing archival video footage from the Thai cave with re-enactments shot in a pool in England - with a gripping intensity that is hard to beat. But Howard's film does exactly what it needs (and sets out) to do: immerse you in the nail-biting events and the claustrophobic setting - dark, cold and muddy-water-filled caves and crevices, many of which are studded, top and bottom, by daggerlike stalactites and stalagmites. "Thirteen Lives" vividly re-creates both those physical dangers and what exactly was at stake, with a cast of young Thai actors.

But's the film's true genius, if that's not too strong a word, is in centering the action on Farrell's and Mortensen's characters, after the scenario shifts from the ineffectual efforts of the ill-prepared Thai Navy SEALs to divers recommended by Vern Unsworth (Lewis Fitz-Gerald), an expat British cave explorer who lived near the cave. (You may recall that Elon Musk publicly insulted Unsworth after Unsworth criticized Musk's plan to build a mini-submarine for the rescue.) Joel Edgerton also has a prominent role, as an Australian diver and anesthesiologist who played a critical - and, for some who may not recall the story's details, surprising - part in the rescue.

Farrell and Mortensen do an admirable job of capturing not just the quirky personalities and eccentricities of Volanthen and Stanton but their nerdy appeal: They're elite yet amateur heroes who, over a lifetime of practicing a strange niche hobby, have become the best in the world at what they do for fun (which, it should be noted, is something most sane people wouldn't do for any amount of money). It's made clear in "The Rescue" that these guys are, like elite mountain climbers, a - how shall I put this? - special breed. In short: They both become more calm, centered and focused under circumstances that would immediately freak the rest of us out.

"Thirteen Lives" is a solid achievement, technically and dramatically, using a ticktock timeline and periodically superimposing on-screen maps of the miles-long cave system to build tension. Like its protagonists, it isn't flashy but is all business. It gets the job done with a minimum of histrionics, yet a mountain of suspense.

- - -

Three stars. Rated PG-13. Available on Amazon. Contains some strong language and unsettling images. In Thai, English and French without subtitles. 147 minutes.

Rating guide: Four stars masterpiece, three stars very good, two stars OK, one star poor, no stars waste of time.
Courtesy/Webb County Sheriff's Office

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers arrested a teen wanted for capital murder in Dallas County, according to authorities.

Daniela Barrientos Echeverria, 18, arrived on July 20 at the Juarez-Lincoln International Bridge as a bus passenger.
Now known as "Frozen Gold" on popular resell websites, the demand for Choco Tacos has increased after Klondike announced in late July it was discontinuing the popular summertime treat.

Some people jumped at the opportunity by listing the now-rare ice cream snack online for hundreds of dollars.

As of Wednesday morning, Facebook Marketplace showed several Choco Tacos for sale across Texas with prices ranging from $20 for a box of four to around $150 for a few cases. Other sellers offered to sell the novelty product for more than $1,000.

Jamie Ward in Baton Rouge, Louisiana made a Facebook post offering to sell a single, unopened Choco Taco for $1.3 million.

"I bought it from a mobile/on the run last night. It was their last one," he wrote in the description of the listing. "You can already tell theyre not restocking because it was in the box with the Klondike bars. It was transported less than 4 minutes from the gas station to my house where it has been stored in sanitary conditions below 32 for the last 24 hours and will remain in the freezer until it is sold or eaten."

Fans of the frozen snack do have options though when it comes to getting Choco Tacos at a fair price. They're still available through Instacart, albeit in limited quantities. Walmart and Safeway also have finite boxes of Choco Tacos available for pickup and delivery.
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ISTANBUL (AP)  The first grain ship to leave Ukraine and cross the Black Sea under a wartime deal passed inspection Wednesday in Istanbul and headed on to Lebanon. Ukraine said 17 other vessels were loaded and waiting permission to leave, but there was no word yet on when they could depart.

A joint civilian inspection team spent three hours checking the cargo and crew of the Sierra Leone-flagged ship Razoni, which left Odesa on Monday carrying Ukrainian corn, a U.N. statement said.

The Joint Coordination Center team included officials from Ukraine, Russia, Turkey and the United Nations, who signed deals last month to create safe Black Sea shipping corridors to export Ukraine's desperately needed agricultural products as Russia's war upon its neighbor grinds on.

Ukraine is a major global grain supplier but the war had blocked most exports, so the July 22 deal aimed to ease food security around the globe. World food prices have been soaring in a crisis blamed on the war, supply chain problems and COVID-19.

Although U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken called Razoni's journey a significant step, no other ships have left from Ukraine in the past 48 hours and no explanations have been given for that delay.

A U.N. statement said inspectors gained valuable information from the Razoni's crew about its voyage through the Black Sea maritime humanitarian corridor and the coordination center was fine-tuning procedures.

The Turkish Ministry of National Defense tweeted a picture of an inspector reaching into the Razoni's hold and touching some of its 26,527 tons of corn for chicken feed. The Razonis horn rang out as the inspectors left the ship, and then it headed off to Lebanon.

The checks seek to ensure that outbound cargo ships carry only grain, fertilizer or food and not any other commodities, and that inbound ships are not carrying weapons.

An estimated 20 million tons of grain  most of it said to be destined for livestock  has been stuck in Ukraine since the start of the 6-month-old war. Ukraines top diplomat said Wednesday that more ships are ready to carry much-needed grain and food out of the countrys Black Sea ports.

Further ships are already ready for departure. They will depart from the ports that are part of the grain initiative in accordance with the agreed schedule, and we hope that everything will work out and the Russian Federation will not take any steps that would destroy these agreements, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said at a joint press conference in Kyiv with his Estonian counterpart.

Kuleba said the U.N.-backed deal is beneficial to Ukrainian farmers, it is beneficial to the Ukrainian economy, and it is beneficial to the world.

" It is now Ukraine that is, literally, saving the world from further growth in food prices and from hunger in individual countries, he said.

Still, a Black Sea voyage entails significant risks because of the war. Two civilian ships hit explosive devices there last week near the Danube Rivers Bystre estuary, according to Bridget Diakun, a data reporter at Lloyds List, a global shipping publication.

Analysts say authorities' first priority is bringing out vessels that have been stuck for months at the three Ukrainian ports covered by the deal. Sixteen ships loaded with grain have been stuck at the ports of Odesa and Chernomorsk since Russia's invasion, according to Lloyds List.

The U.N. official who helped negotiate the Russian deal with the U.N. aimed at ensuring unrestricted access to world markets for the countrys food and fertilizer says there are still obstacles to overcome.

U.N. trade chief Rebeca Grynspan told a U.N. news conference Wednesday by video from Geneva that some obstacles Russia faces in terms of finance, insurance, shipping and transport of its grain and fertilizer have been clarified by the United States and European Union.

But she said there is still a major bottleneck -- getting the private sector to accept that the U.N.-Russia agreement will enable their companies to be involved in getting Russian grain and fertilizer shipped to global markets without the threat of sanctions.

There are no U.S. or EU sanctions on food or fertilizer exports, but companies engaged in related fields have been reluctant to take part.

Russias war with Ukraine has had a chilling effect on the private sector, Grynspan said. So, an important part of the private sector has stopped their dealings in food and fertilizer.

Grynspan, the secretary-general of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, said some grain and fertilizer are being exported from Russia but at very high costs. She explained that half the increase in grain prices comes from increases in transport and logistics costs.

That is the pressure that we want to ease, she said.

Grynspan said the U.S. and EU clarifications are being evaluated by the private sector as we speak.

Grain stockpiles are expected to keep growing. Despite the war, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal estimated his country would harvest up to 67 million tons of grain this year, up from 60 million tons last year.

A senior official from a leading Ukrainian farm association reckoned Ukraine would have about 50 million tons of grain for export this year.

Before the war, Ukraine exported around 5-6 million tons of grain per month, according to Denys Marchuk, the deputy head of the All-Ukrainian Agrarian Council.

In other news Wednesday:

__ U.S. officials believe Russia is working to fabricate evidence concerning a deadly strike on prison housing prisoners of war in a separatist region of eastern Ukraine. U.S. intelligence officials have determined that Russia is looking to plant false evidence to make it appear that Ukrainian forces were responsible for the July 29 attack on Olenivka Prison that left 53 dead and wounded dozens more, a U.S. official familiar with the intelligence finding told The Associated Press. Russia has said that Ukraines military used U.S.-supplied rocket launchers to strike the prison in Olenivka, a settlement controlled by the Moscow-backed Donetsk Peoples Republic.

__ Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy referred to Russia as number one among global sponsors of terror, and called for the creation of a bolstered global security architecture that ensures that no state can ever again resort to terror against another state.

__ Russian forces kept up their bombardment of the southern Ukrainian port city of Mykolaiv. Regional governor Vitaliy Kim said the shelling damaged a pier, an industrial enterprise, residential buildings, a garage cooperative, a supermarket and a pharmacy. The mayor of Mykolaiv, Oleksandr Sienkevych, told The Associated Press that 131 civilians have died so far in the city from Russian shelling and 590 others have been seriously injured.

__ The Ukrainian military said Ukrainian forces pushed back over a dozen Russian assaults in the key eastern province of Donetsk and claimed that none of the Russian attempts to advance over the previous 24 hours were successful. Still, Russian shelling killed at least four civilians in Donetsk province, Ukraines presidential office said. Zelenskyy has ordered all those in the embattled province to evacuate as soon as possible.

__ The U.N. chief says he's appointing a fact-finding mission in response to requests from Russia and Ukraine to investigate an explosion at a POW prison in a separatist region of eastern Ukraine that reportedly killed 53 Ukrainian prisoners of war and wounded another 75. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told reporters that he doesnt have authority to conduct criminal investigations but does have authority to conduct fact-finding missions.

___

Robert Badendieck and Mehmet Guzel in Istanbul, Aya Batrawy in Dubai, Joanna Kozlowska in London and Edith Lederer in New York contributed to this report.

___

Follow APs coverage of the Russia-Ukraine war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
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BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP)  The U.S. Justice Department said Tuesday it is seeking possession of a Venezuelan cargo jet that has been grounded in Argentina since early June because it was previously owned by an Iranian airline that allegedly has ties to terror groups.

The request to Argentina was revealed a day after an Argentine judge allowed 12 of the 19 crewmembers of the plane to leave the country as authorities continue to investigate possible terror ties of those traveling in the Boeing 747. Federal Judge Federico Villena said late Monday that the remaining four Iranians and three Venezuelans must stay.

The U.S. request sent to Argentina on Tuesday followed the unsealing of a warrant in federal court in the District of Columbia that was issued last month and that argues the U.S-made plane should be forfeited because of violations of U.S. export control laws.

The plane, according to the Justice Department, was transferred from Iranian airline Mahan Air  which officials have alleged provides support for Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Quds Force  to Emtrasur, a subsidiary of Venezuelas state-owned Consorcio Venezolano de Industrias Aeronauticas y Servicios Aereos, or CONVIASA. CONVIASA is under U.S. sanctions.

By transferring the airplane to the Venezuelan firm in October without prior U.S. government authorization, Mahan Air violated a 2008 order issued by the Department of Commerce that has since been periodically renewed, the U.S. says. The Justice Department says Emtrasur subsequently re-exported the plane between Caracas, Tehran and Moscow -- also without U.S. government approval.

The Department of Justice will not tolerate transactions that violate our sanctions and export laws, Matthew Olsen, the head of the Justice Departments national security division, said in a statement. Working with our partners across the globe, we will give no quarter to governments and state-sponsored entities looking to evade our sanctions and export control regimes in service of their malign activities.

The moves marked the latest development in the saga of the mysterious plane, which landed June 6 at Ezeiza International Airport outside Buenos Aires and was grounded two days later.

The case has raised attention in several South American countries as well as the United States and Israel amid allegations that the plane was a cover for Iranian intelligence operations in the region. Iran and Venezuela vehemently deny those claims.

The issue has caught the attention of members of U.S. Congress. On July 26, a dozen U.S. Republican senators wrote a letter to U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland accusing the Justice Department of failing to assist Argentine authorities in its investigation of the Venezuelan plane.

Rep. Darrell Issa, a California Republican, pressed Olsen about it at a hearing last week and lamented that in his view Iran was not receiving the scrutiny it deserved. Olsen said he was aware of the case but added: This is an ongoing matter. I cant talk about the specifics."

The U.S. Commerce Department took its own action Tuesday, announcing it had suspended for 180 days the export privileges of Emtrasur.

The Israeli government has praised Argentina for grounding the plane and contends at least some the Iranian crew members were involved directly in the trafficking of weapons to Syria and the terrorist organization Hezbollah of Lebanon.

Among those who will continue to be prohibited from leaving Argentina is the Iranian pilot of the plane, Gholamreza Ghasemi.

Ghasemi is a former commander of Iran's Revolutionary Guard and is a shareholder and board member of Iran's Qeshm Fars Air, which the U.S. Treasury Department has said is controlled by Mahan Air and provides material support to the Quds Force.

The other crew members required to remain in Argentina are Abdolbaset Mohammadim, Mohammad Khosraviaragh and Saeid Vali Zadeh of Iran and Mario Arraga, Victor Perez Gomez and Jose Garcia Contreras of Venezuela.

What is being investigated is whether, under the appearance of legal activity, they are financing terrorism operations (specifically with Hezbollah) or whether they are part of a plan that has ties with Hezbollah, the judge wrote.

Villena emphasized that connections with Irans Revolutionary Guard are not under investigation because Argentina does not consider it to be a terrorist organization.

Mahan Air has denied any ties to the aircraft and Venezuela has demanded that Argentine authorities release the plane.

Yet Argentine authorities who searched the plane found a Mahan Air flight log documenting the aircrafts flights after the transfer to Emtrasur, including a flight to Tehran in April, the Justice Department said.

The plane was carrying cargo for several Argentine auto parts companies that it loaded in Mexico before stopping in Caracas and arriving in Argentina.

The plane is also under investigation in Paraguay, where the plane landed in May and spent three days in Ciudad del Este, near the border with Argentina, where it loaded cigarettes to transport to Aruba, according to Paraguayan authorities.

There are suspicions the planes cargo was a facade that hid the real reason for its time in Paraguay, says Rene Fernandez, a former prosecutor who leads Paraguays National Anticorruption Secretariat.

Villena said the planes stopover in Paraguay was at least striking and added that further investigation was needed.

-

Tucker reported from Washington.
Chattanooga Police, Chattanooga Housing Authority, and the U.S. Marshall Service found and arrested 25-year-old Joe Brooks on Thursday just after 6PM.
Irish Water has been branded a disgrace after a Longford national school was forced to send pupils home on four separate occasions because of unscheduled water outages.

Ardagh National School, the Leader has learned, sacrificed four school days over the course of the academic year as a result of breakdowns in supply levels.

Vice Principal John Higgins told this newspaper how parents and teachers are increasingly alarmed at both the suddenness and frequency of interruptions in recent times.

It's a disgrace really, he said.

We have lost four school days with no communication whatsoever, and I mean zero.

Mr Higgins claimed the lack of transparency over how expected delays to supply levels are communicated has caused untold annoyance for the parents of school going children.

The very first time it (water interruption) happened we were actually in school and it was just utter bedlam, he insisted.

It involved teachers having to go out to parents who were in their cars to tell them there was no water in the taps.

It's just terribly frustrating for teachers and parents.

Mr Higgins said on at least one occasion the school only learned of an outage courtesy of a number of parents who had spotted a notification the public utility posted on Facebook.

He said the fallout was one the school had struggled to cope woth in the wake of almost two years of stop start Covid restrictions.

When you do ring them (Irish Water) on the phone you get someone who is unaware of the situation and only for the likes of (Cllr) Paul Ross we wouldn't know what is going on, he said.

The Leader has submittted a request to Irish Water for a response to the concerns made by the school,but at the time of writing no statement had been issued.

The problems besetting the broader south Longford area's water supply network dominated proceedings at a meeting of Ballymahon Municipal District last week.

Councillors Paul Ross and Mick Cahill, together with Pat O'Toole led that charge with the latter pair raising questions about the utility's investment in water services in the south Longford area.
Any move to cull or reduce farmers cattle herds to meet the Governments push for a 25 per cent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from the agriculture sector is simply not viable, a leading Longford agricultural consultant has insisted.

Charlie Burns said the deal, which was signed off on last Thursday, while there was a general acceptance among the local farming community for the sector to play its part in reducing emissions, incomes needed to be safeguarded.

As part of a team of four agricultural environmental and rural consultants based in Granard and Mullingar, Charlie said it was imperative to ensure carbon footprint targets foisted on the industry were not overly unrealistic.

We are dealing every day with farmers in Lenister, Connacht and Ulster who are involved in the beef, sheep, tillage and dairy sectors and I feel we must set targets which are achievable and do not render any of these sectors unviable, he said.

And more importantly we must protect the family farm incomes which are currently well below par when compared with other sectors.

The 25 per cent reduction requirement is below the 30 per cent senior figures within the Green Party had been calling for.

Its believed that climbdown came following a backlash from TDs and Oireachtas members attached to Fine Gael and Fianna Fail.

Longford Fianna Fail TD Joe Flaherty conceded while times were challenging for the sector, it was imperative a suite of supports were contained in October's 2023 Budget.

Fine Gael Senator Micheal Carrigy took aim at Sinn Fein, accusing the main opposition party of not even having an opinion on the Governments announcement.

And he sparked calls for independent farm assessments to be carried out before any measures are imposed on individual farmers as a result of the deal.

Agriculture is the backbone of our economy and it has and will be continued to be supported in that way while Fine Gael are in government, he said.
Six outdoor adventure projects across Co Longford are to receive close to 180,000 in State backed funding, it has been announced this morning.

Approximately 179,715 has been ring-fenced by Minister for Rural and Community Development Heather Humphreys' department in a bid to strengthen the county's tourism sector over the coming months.

The biggest of those, comprising a 50,000 investment to develop a walkway and cycleway from Finea to Abbeylara, has been given the seal of approval at local political level.

Fine Gael Senator Micheal Carrigy said a further 37 outdoor projects in the early stages of development will also receive financial aid of up to 50,000 with funding for larger scale projects expected to be announced over the coming weeks.

"The Scheme, which saw its funding increased by Minister Humphreys as part of the Budget, will place a particular focus on developing tourism in rural Ireland," he said.

"Todays announcement builds on the commitment under Our Rural Future to continuing the investment in infrastructure that caters for the growth in local tourism.

"The projects that will be supported under ORIS are designed to benefit the health and wellbeing of the communities in which they are located.

"It will also provide a major boost to local economies by attracting visitors and furthering our reputation in Longford as a destination for adventure tourism.

"Almost 4.3 million will be used to improve some 163 outdoor amenities across the country. Each project will receive up to 30,000 to support their enhancement. Outdoor activities in Longford play a key role in communities and we have seen this throughout the recent pandemic. Recreation tourism is growing internationally and has the potential to have major economic spin-off benefits for our rural towns and villages.

Ms Humphreys said the announcement had a two pronged approach with a view to placing added emphasis on outdoor recreation while also tapping into parts of the midlands' so-called Hidden Heartlands.

Some of these amenities are often hidden gems on our doorsteps so Im encouraging people to get out and discover them over the rest of the summer, she said.

Clonelly Mass Rock Pathway, Clonelly Moyne 27,000

County Longford Walks Booklet 13,500

Finnea to Abbeylara Walkway/Cycleway (PDM) 50,000

Purth, Ballinooey Bog Line Walking Trail 30,000

5 no Shelters on exposed Walking Trails

Drumlish, Cloonbearla, Danes Hill, Corlea, Newcastle 30,000

Smear Viewing Bay 29,215

TOTAL 179,715
Longford's average property price of 154,306 for the second quarter of the year puts the county at the bottom rung of the property ladder.



While the county languishes mid table in a GeoDirectory report on property occupancy analysed by professional services networks Ernst & Young, the county has the second lowest number of new addresses.



GeoDirectory was jointly established by An Post and Ordnance Survey Ireland (OSi) to create and manage Irelands only complete database of commercial and residential buildings.

The figures are recorded through a combination of the An Post network of 5,600 delivery staff working with OSi.



The report says in Longford 155 residential buildings are under construction and 141 new residential address points were recorded by GeoDirectory in the twelve months to June 2022.

The GeoDirectory Residential Buildings Report for the second quarter of 2022 highlights a number of property market indicators.



The report suggests that the residential vacancy rate in Longford stood at 8.0%, higher than the average national vacancy rate of 4.2%, while the average residential property price in Longford was 154,306 in May 2022.



The residential vacancy rate of 8.0% in June was higher than the national residential vacancy rate of 4.2%.

The twice-annual residential buildings report, prepared by EY, found that a total of 86,708 residential buildings were classified as vacant across Ireland by GeoDirectory, a 5.9% drop when compared to the previous year.



Out of the 26 counties surveyed, the residential vacancy rate decreased in all but one, Wicklow. The highest vacancy rates in the country were found in the west and north-west of the country.

At 12.8%, Leitrim was the county with the highest vacancy rate, although it did post a year-on-year vacancy decline of 2.0pp. Mayo (11.4%), Roscommon (11.0%) and Donegal (9.7%) were the other counties to post notably high vacancy rates.



Dublin was the county with the lowest vacancy rate in the country at 1.5%, closely followed by Kildare at 1.6%. Meath (2.5%), Waterford (2.6%) and Louth (2.6%) all recorded residential vacancy rates under the 3.0% mark.



In addition to vacancies, 21,897 residential address points were classified as derelict. This total was 3.8% lower than the corresponding figure in Q2 2021.

In Longford, 155 residential buildings were under construction in June 2022. Nationally, residential construction activity accelerated in the first half of the year, with 22,390 residential buildings under construction in June 2022 that the number of buildings under of construction was 18.4% higher than the corresponding period in 2021.



Of the total number, 17.4% were located in Dublin, 14.2% in Kildare and 12.0% in Cork. Notably, the year-on-year increase of buildings under construction in Kildare was 74.4%.

In Longford, 141 new residential address points were added to the GeoDirectory database in the twelve months to June 2022. Nationally, a total of 34,198 new residential addresses were added to the GeoDirectory database in the twelve months to June 2022. This represents an increase of 34.1% on the total recorded between June 2020 and June 2021.



Dublin had the largest share of new address points, with 12,288 addresses added (35.9% of the total), followed by Cork (9.5%), Kildare (9.1%), Meath (6.7%) and Wicklow (5.2%).

The data shows that 57% of all new address points were added in the Greater Dublin Area of Dublin, Meath, Wicklow and Kildare. At the other end of the spectrum, Leitrim (0.3%), Longford (0.4%), and Roscommon (0.6%) had the smallest share of new address points.



The number of residential property transactions increased by 13.5% in the twelve months to May 2022, representing an additional 5,500 transactions on the corresponding figure for the previous twelve months.



In Longford, there were 418 residential property transactions, 2.2% of which were new dwellings. The average property price in the county was 154,306.



The average property price nationally in the twelve months to May 2022 was 338,394. The highest average property price was recorded in Dublin (514,796), while Longford's 154,306 puts us at the bottom. When Dublin is excluded, the average property price nationally fell to 267,351.

Commenting on the findings of the GeoDirectory Residential Buildings Report, Dara Keogh, CEO of GeoDirectory said: The level of residential construction has increased significantly over the past twelve months as Covid-19 public health measures on the construction sector were gradually eased then removed.



This activity indicates a strong pipeline of residential properties that we would expect to enter the market in the months ahead.



The GeoDirectory Residential Buildings Report found that the number of vacant properties has also fallen in the last year, although when combined with derelict properties, there are still over 100,000 potential properties which could re-enter the market.
Security staff will can look forward to a modest pay increase later this month, after an agreement was reached on a new pay rate.

A minimum pay rate of 12.50 per hour will come into effect from Monday, 29th August 2022.

Damien English TD, Minister of State for Business, Employment and Retail confirmed he has accepted a proposal for an Employment Regulation Order for the Security Industry.

The Order also provides for a second increase to a minimum 12.90 per hour from the 1st February 2023.

"I would like to thank the members of the Joint Labour Committee and those interested parties who submitted submissions as part of the public consultation for their contributions to this process. The Security Industry Joint Labour Committee is a good example of how effective the reformed Joint Labour Committee system can be when representatives of employees and employers voluntarily negotiate together to identify a mutually beneficial agreement," Minister English said.

"I believe that for workers, the advantage of Joint Labour Committees is that they see fair secure terms and conditions such as wage rates, sick pay etc. agreed and, for some employers, the advantage of the system, based as it is on the principle of self-governance, means that they can agree and set minimum pay and conditions, agree on work practices which are custom-made to their industry.

This ERO replaces the ERO that was signed in 2017 for the Sector  SI 231 of 2017. It provides for an increase in the minimum rate of pay for an adult worker in the sector of 12.50 per hour from the date of signature by the Minister, 12.90 per hour from the 1st February 2023. Since 1 June 2019, the minimum rate of pay has been 11.65.

An unsocial hours premium will be paid for hours worked between 21:00 hours and 07:00 hours, provided the worker works at least 3 hours in that period. This will apply from the date of signature by the Minister and is a minimum payment of 8.40 per shift.

The proposals set out that a worker who has not attained the age of 18 years shall be remunerated at an hourly rate of pay that is not less than 70 per cent of the rate specified.

Overtime rates apply to all hours worked in excess of an average 48 hours per week in the roster cycle and will be paid at a rate of time and a half, a rostered cycle shall be a predetermined working pattern, which can be up to a maximum of six weeks, which has been issued to the worker in writing prior to the commencement of the roster cycle.
Local News, Business & Finance

By Chris Boyle Published: August 03 2022

A strong childcare system helps buttress a strong economy, said Adrian Fassett, C.E.O. of the Economic Opportunity Council of Suffolk, Inc.

Suffolk County residents will get a boost when it comes to paying for childcare. Starting in August, as part of the 2022-23 New York State budget, families earning up to 300 percent of the federal poverty level will qualify for assistance. Previously, the income standard set by the State for childcare subsidies was 200 percent. Assistance will be administered locally by the Suffolk County Department of Social Services.

A strong childcare system helps buttress a strong economy, said Adrian Fassett, C.E.O. of the Economic Opportunity Council of Suffolk, Inc., a Patchogue-based not-for-profit that owns and operates Way to Grow Child Care Learning Center in East Patchogue. The reality is that working people cant get to their jobs if they dont have a quality, safe place to send their children. More workers are returning to an office setting following more than two years of working from home and we need to do all we can to ensure they have access to excellent childcare.

According to the Governors office, thousands of families will now be eligible for childcare subsidies as part of a $7 billion expansion of childcare funding in New York State.

I know firsthand how a lack of childcare can hurt your career, your family and your future, as a working mother when I was forced to leave my job to care for my child, Governor Hochul said. These historic investments in New York State's childcare system will allow us to forge a new path forward for parents, especially mothers. It is the right thing to do, the moral thing to do, and will supercharge our economic recovery and support working families. Childcare is an essential service, and in New York, we will continue to do everything in our power to make sure more working families have access to it.

Parents can be eligible if they are employed and earn no more than the 300 percent threshold, are enrolled in an education or training program, are in mental health or substance abuse treatment, or are in an emergency situation of short duration. For example, a family of four can earn up to $83,250 annually and still be eligible for subsidized childcare. (See chart.)

To find out if you are eligible under these new guidelines, please contact the Suffolk County Department of Social Services at (631) 854-3349. Families seeking childcare in the Greater Patchogue area can call Way to Grow Childcare/Learning Center directly at (631) 475-7239.
(Alliance News) - Endeavour Mining PLC on Wednesday said performance in the first half of 2022 was "solid" and it lifted its first-half dividend by over 40%.

The miner, which has assets in Burkina Faso and Ivory Coast, said revenue for the six months that ended on June 30 increased marginally to USD1.32 billion from USD1.31 billion a year earlier.

Revenue was helped by a higher realised gold price of USD1,872 per ounce, compared to USD1,779 a year earlier. Revenue growth, however, was capped by a fall in gold sales volumes.

Pretax profit, however, dropped by 13% year-on-year to USD312.0 million from USD359.0 million.

Profit was hurt by a USD72 million loss on financial instruments, swinging from a USD29 million a gain a year earlier. The loss this year was driven by a USD58.0 million foreign exchange hit.

Chief Executive Officer Sebastien de Montessus said: "We are very pleased with our solid operating and financial performance over the first six months of the year, which has resulted in robust operating cash flow generation of more than USD550 million."

Endeavour declared an interim dividend of 0.40 cents per share, up 43% from the year prior. This totals USD100 million. The company said it is targeting a minimum dividend of USD200 million for the year.

Looking ahead, the miner said it is well positioned to achieve financial 2022 production guidance of 1,315-1,400 thousand ounces at an all-in sustaining costs of USD880 to USD930 per ounce.

Shares were up 1.5% at 1,643.00 pence each on Wednesday morning in London.

By Xindi Wei; xindiwei@alliancenews.com

Copyright 2022 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved.
(Sharecast News) - London stocks were set to edge down at the open on Wednesday following a negative session in the US, as investors eye the latest reading on the UK services sector.

The FTSE 100 was called to open 10 points lower at 7,399.

CMC Markets analyst Michael Hewson said: "Equity markets spent most of yesterday on the back foot over US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's trip to Taiwan which prompted a counter response from China, in the form of the announcement of drills and live fire military exercises in the Taiwan Straits over the next two days.

"US markets also struggled for gains as treasury yields rebounded strongly after a succession of Fed Presidents pushed back on the idea that the Fed was about to go soft on further aggressive rate rises.

"This soft finish in the US and a cautious Asia session looks set to translate into a slightly weaker European open."

On the data front, all eyes will be on the S&P Global/CIPS services PMI for July due at 0930 BST, which is expected to have eased to 53.3 from 54.3 the month before.

In corporate news, house builder Taylor Wimpey said it expected full-year profits to be at the upper end of forecasts as it reported a rise in interim earnings, driven by strong selling prices.

The company said pre-tax profits rose 16.3% to 334.5m.

"Looking ahead, we expect full-year group operating profit to be around the top end of the current market consensus range driven by strong average selling prices on completions that are expected to be 4-5% higher than last year," the company said.

Engine manufacturer Rolls-Royce said the Spanish government had approved the sale of its ITP Aero subsidiary to a consortium of investors led by Bain Capital Private Equity.

Rolls-Royce stated the government's sign-off on the deal follows the receipt of approval from all other relevant regulatory authorities. As a result, completion of the transaction, at an enterprise value of approximately 1.8bn, was expected to take place in the coming weeks.
(Alliance News) - NextEnergy Solar Fund Ltd on Wednesday said it has won 86 megawatt of solar power capacity in the UK's latest contracts for difference auction.

The contracts for difference scheme is one of the UK government's "main" mechanisms for supporting low-carbon electricity generation, the renewable energy investment company explained.

NextEnergy has secured support for 100% of the generating capacity of its 36MW Whitecross and 50MW Hatherden, located in Lincolnshire and Hampshire, respectively. The contracts for difference, which will last for 15 years, are scheduled to commence from March 31, 2025, at the strike price of GBP45.99 per MWh.

The Whitecross solar farm, which is currently under construction, is expected to be energised in the first quarter of next year. Meanwhile, grid connection and construction mobilisation works are underway for Hatherden solar farm, which is anticipated to be energised in the first half of 2023.

UK Managing Director Ross Grier said: "By providing long term revenue stability for the new solar plants, the contracts for difference complement NextEnergy's continued delivery of attractive, risk-adjusted returns for investors whilst also achieving low-cost price security for energy consumers."

NextEnergy shares were up 0.2% at 114.99 pence each in London on Wednesday around midday.

By Sophie Rose; sophierose@alliancenews.com

Copyright 2022 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved.
(Alliance News) - Rolls-Royce Holdings PLC on Wednesday said the Spanish government has approved the EUR1.7 billion sale of its ITP Aero subsidiary to a consortium of investors led by Bain Capital Private Equity.

Back in September last year, the engineering group announced the EUR1.7 billion sale as part of its disposal programme to help rebuild its balance sheet. In 2020, Rolls-Royce had said it would seek to raise at least GBP2 billion by selling assets after the coronavirus crisis ravaged the company's balance sheet.

ITP Aero was founded in 1989 for the European defence programme Eurofighter. It is an aeronautical engine company, currently responsible for maintaining engines for the Spanish armed forces. It is headquartered in Zamudio, Bizkaia in Spain.

The buying consortium led by private equity firm Bain Capital also includes JB Capital and Sapa.

On Wednesday, Rolls-Royce said the sale is expected to be complete in the "coming weeks", now that it has received approval of all relevant regulatory authorities.

"ITP Aero will remain a key strategic supplier and partner for Rolls-Royce across both Civil Aerospace and Defence programmes," it added.

Rolls-Royce shares were up 1.9% to 89.49 pence each in London early Wednesday.

By Sophie Rose; sophierose@alliancenews.com

Copyright 2022 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved.
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We also welcome letters to the editor for publication; you can do that by filling out our letters form and submitting it to the newsroom.
A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind.
Finding the right person for the right job is tough. It requires one to be thorough in their search, precise in their specifications and open-minded when it comes to looking at candidates.

But, what no job search EVER requires you to be is shallow.

A concept that flew right past a bar owner in New Zealand who thought it would be fun to hire a woman and objectify her at the same time.

 Reddit

A thread on Reddit recently shared a picture of a job posting stuck outside a bar in New Zealand that was hiring part-time bar staff but with rather particular attributes, like double D breasts.



The posting read, Wanted: Part-time bar staff apply with-in must have Double D breasts, a great smile & a good attitude, but men can also apply!!!

 Reddit

On one side, where people called the job posting progressive because it considered men with Double D breasts to apply just the same, others called it out for being inappropriate and rather offensive to women.



Users dropped comments like, I Wonder why people don t want to work anymore, while another wrote how the job posting forgot to add another requirement, Also must be ok with sexual harassment.

 Reddit

Several people also ended up pointing out other companies and organizations that have had absurd requirements from employees like Abercrombie & Fitch that would earlier need its employees to be okay with skin show, not wearing hijabs and not even hiring people with prosthetic limbs.



As it turns out, each time you think that youve seen everything in life, sexist bars and hiring criteria like these surprise you!
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BEIJING (AP)  U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan has drawn bipartisan support at home and backing among the worlds democracies.

Meanwhile, China, which claims Taiwan as its own territory with no right to an independent identity, has rallied support among fellow authoritarian states. The divided opinions speak both to China's growing global influence and the backlash that has prompted among the world's liberal societies.

President Joe Biden's administration was not openly supportive of Pelosi's trip, with the president himself saying the military felt it was not a good idea right now" amid heightened tensions between the sides.

China has responded to the visit by announcing a series of days-long military exercises surrounding Taiwan and issuing a stream of invective aimed at the U.S. and Taiwan governments, accusing them of colluding to undermine Chinese sovereignty and national security. China in 2016 severed contacts with independence-leaning Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen over her refusal to endorse its insistence that the island and mainland are part of a single Chinese nation.

This action is a solemn deterrent against the recent major escalation of the negative actions of the United States on the Taiwan issue, and a serious warning to the Taiwan independence forces seeking independence, the Peoples Liberation Armys Eastern Theater command said in a statement Tuesday.

Exercises will include air and sea drills and long-range missile targeting, the statement said. Operators are already bracing for disruptions to civil aviation and commercial shipping.

The Chinese response has sparked concerns about a new Taiwan Strait crisis, similar to that of 1995-96, when China held threatening military exercises and bracketed the island with missile strikes in waters north and south of its main ports. Despite their division amid civil war more than 70 years ago, China has maintained its threat to invade and has massively increased its capabilities through investments in missiles, navy ships and its air force.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, whose country's ties with China have nosedived in recent years, declined to comment specifically Wednesday on Pelosi's visit. However, he noted, We live in an era where the strategic competition and increased tension in our region and where China has taken a more aggressive posture in the region."

But our position on Taiwan is clear," he added. We dont want to see any unilateral change to the status quo and well continue to work with partners to promote peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno also avoided commenting on Pelosis Taiwan visit, but raised concern about Chinas planned live-fire military exercises in the regional seas that encompass parts of Japans Exclusive Economic Zone. Matsuno said Japan has conveyed Tokyos concerns to Beijing about the exercise.

The peace and stability of the Taiwan Strait is important not only for Japans national security but also for the international community, and Japans position is that we expect peaceful solution of the issues surrounding Taiwan through dialogue, Matsuno said.

Chinese ally North Korea, meanwhile, used the visit to accuse the U.S. of being the root cause of harassed peace and security in the region, and said it supported Beijing in the confrontation surrounding Pelosis visit.

We vehemently denounce any external forces interference in the issue of Taiwan, and fully support the Chinese governments just stand to resolutely defend the sovereignty of the country and territorial integrity, a government spokesperson was quoted as saying. The U.S. scheme to disturb the growth and development of China and its efforts for accomplishing the cause of reunification is bound to go bankrupt.

Russia  another Chinese ally and whose invasion of Ukraine has fueled concerns over Chinas own threat to annex Taiwan by force  called the visit a clear provocation, which is in line with the United States aggressive policy aimed at comprehensively containing China.

Beijing has the right to take measures to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity in relation to the Taiwan issue," the government said in a statement.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov further criticized the visit in comments Wednesday during a stop in Myanmar, whose Moscow-backed military government is accused of widespread human rights abuses.

Its an aspiration to prove to everyone their impunity and show lawlessness. Its my way only, something like this," Lavrov said in reference to the U.S. I see no other reason to create such an annoyance almost out of the blue."

China and Russia have closely aligned their foreign policies in recent years, with Moscow backing China over Taiwan and Beijing refusing to criticize Russia for invading Ukraine, while accusing the U.S. and NATO of provoking the conflict and leveling punishing economic sanctions against Russia.

Chinas official Xinhua News Agency also quoted the Chinese secretary general of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization as saying the China and Russia-dominated grouping of mainly Central Asia states firmly opposes interference in the internal affairs of its member states by any external force.

Pelosi visited Chinas Taiwan region in disregard of Chinas strong opposition and serious representations, and the Chinese government has expressed its firm opposition to and stern condemnation of the visit, Zhang Ming was quoted as saying.

Pelosi has made criticism of China and support for Taiwan a key focus in her more than three decades in Congress, famously unveiling a banner commemorating victims of the Chinese military's bloody 1989 crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrators in Beijing's Tiananmen Square during a visit to the site in 1991.

In remarks at a meeting with Tsai on Wednesday, she said, Today the world faces a choice between democracy and autocracy.

Americas determination to preserve democracy, here in Taiwan and around the world, remains ironclad, Pelosi said.

After Taiwan, she will visit South Korea and Japan, both major U.S. security partners in Asia.
BERLIN (AP)  The German government on Wednesday said basic coronavirus requirements would remain in place during the coming fall and winter, when experts expect COVID-19 cases to rise again as people spend more time indoors.

Face masks and presenting proof of a negative coronavirus test will be mandatory from October until early April at hospitals, nursing homes and similar institutions with vulnerable people.

Passengers on airplanes and making long-distance trips by train and bus also will have to wear masks during that period, as they do now.

However, Germany's 16 states have the authority to adopt their own rules depending on how severely the virus affects their areas. State governments could decide to require masks on local public transportation, in schools for students in fifth grade and up, and at public indoor events.

Community facilities such as schools, prisons or asylum-seeker shelters may implement regular testing again if COVID-19 case numbers rise, Germany's health and justice ministers said in a joint statement.

The government also plans a fall vaccination campaign.

Germany should be better prepared for the next coronavirus winter than in previous years, Health Minister Karl Lauterbach said.

Justice Minister Marco Buschmann said a special effort would be made to keep schools open, while states will only be able to impose a mask requirement at schools if this is necessary in order to be able to continue to provide in-person teaching.

Children have a right to school education and a school day that is as carefree as possible. School closures must therefore not be allowed, Buschmann said.

The new regulations still need to go to Cabinet and parliament for approval but are expected to pass.
ARCADIA  "Help wanted" could easily be a sign attached to the front door of the Arcadia Historical Museum in the village of Arcadia these days as volunteers are needed to assist in keeping the building open to the public this summer.

The docents of the museum are in even more need of help after the death of the museum director Lyle Matteson, which has made it difficult to find enough volunteer hours to keep the popular historic site open for tourists and members of the community.

Docent Jeanne Sitter said the loss of Matteson was huge to the museum because he was a great historian.

He was our anchor and we have been in flux ever since then, said Sitter. Getting people to volunteer is difficult and we are down to being open only 1-4 p.m. on Saturdays."

Sitter said they have had some people step forward to volunteer, but they could use more at this time. She said volunteering entails welcoming visitors to the museum, getting them to sign the guest book and maybe selling a trinket or two.

I still have some Saturdays left to fill and its easy to do as you dont have to do tours or be an expert on Arcadia history, said Sitter. We just need friendly faces who are willing to greet folks and sit at the museum front door for a few hours a month.

Sitter said individuals who enjoy talking and meeting people would be a good fit at the museum.

I have met the most interesting people ever and an older gentleman came in and come to find out we had lived a mile apart in Pontiac when we were young, said Sitter. We reminisced and I had the best time and there are people who, after we talk, find out we are shirttail relatives, maybe sixth or seventh cousins removed.

Sitter said the museum was previously open Saturdays and Sundays, but they are unable to do that right now. She said they are limping along, but a few more volunteers would assist in their efforts to be open two days instead of one.

I would hope that if we can get a few more volunteers that we could be open an occasional Sunday even if it was just the first one of the month if somebody could come, she said.

Sitter said the museum has grown into "a very nice place" that houses the historical story of the Arcadia area.

It covers the history of the Arcadia area and quite a bit of furniture that came from the furniture factory that was located here, said Sitter.

The museum also features items one of Arcadias most famous former residents, Harriet Quimby, who was the first lady of flight.

One room features a room full of information about her and there is even a new book out about her, said Sitter. That exhibit is extensive and you could spend quite a bit of time viewing all that is on display. Her cousin was up visiting just recently and he was really impressed with it and it looks like we are going to get some artifacts from him.

She said there is a Native American display concerning those who lived in the area and there is a military exhibit on those who served from the Arcadia area. The museum also has a special room set up to honor the Starkey family, which played such a prominent role in the development of Arcadia.

We also have a special display on one of the local families from way back in Arcadia including artifacts and clothing, said Sitter. This year it is Hull family and there is a beautifully done family tree on them as well.

There also is a display on Camp Arcadia, which is the Lutheran camp that has been located in that area for many years. In the Carriage House, there is a book store where used books are sold.

We also have displays of old firefighting equipment and we had quite a display on the Big Apple Bar where everyone gathered on Fridays for perch and French fries, she said.

Sitter said besides needing the volunteers, the public is invited to check out everything on display at the museum.

Its really a pretty little museum and its well done, she said.

Anyone who would like to volunteer should contact Sitter at 231-889-0167.
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Midland County Democratic Party Chair Jennifer Austin was energized about the upcoming general election campaign as the counting progressed for the primary voting late Tuesday evening.

"Basically, we're really excited to be able to move forward and start campaigning for all our candidates," Austin told the Daily News.

In the only local contested Democratic primary, for the 95th District State House seat, Matt Dawson defeated Larry Grell by getting about 70% of the vote. Dawson will face Republican Bill G. Schuette in the Nov. 8 election.

"We think hes going to be a great candidate," Austin said of Dawson.

In the 35th District State Senate race, Democrat Kristen McDonald Rivet, who was unopposed in the primary, will face State Rep. Annette Glenn, who won a four-person GOP primary.

Also unopposed in their Democratic primaries were five-term U.S. Rep. Dan Kildee in the 8th District, which now includes the city of Midland; and first-term Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.

Kildee will face Paul Junge in the general election, and Whitmer will face Tudor Dixon, who won a five-person GOP primary.

"We're looking forward to campaigning for everyone, from Whitmer to Kildee to Rivet," Austin said.

She is very confident in Whitmer's chances to win a second term in November.

"I think Gretchen can take on any of those competitors, and I have great confidence shes going to win the (general) election," Austin said.

Likewise, Austin believes strongly in Kildee.

"I have so much confidence that an experienced representative like Dan Kildee, who has worked with the mid-Michigan area, is going to do very well against someone (Junge) who has moved into this district just to run for office," Austin said.

In terms of upcoming events for the Midland County Democratic Party, Austin said Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist is among candidates who are expected to be campaigning in the Midland area. The party will also have a booth at the Midland County Fair the third week of August.

"We have a lot of stuff coming up," Austin said. "(Wednesday) is the start of campaign season, and we are ready to go and ready to hit the ground running."
MORLEY  Having honored WWII and Korean Veterans in previous years, the Morley Communty Center has spent 2022 honoring and showing respect to those who served in Vietnam.

On July 4, the center invited three local combat Veterans to represent all Vietnam Veterans in that war. Over 160 residents listened while Dale Ulrich, Gene Vining and Richard Nielson detailed their combat experiences. Vining and Nielson were both Purple Heart recipients, and Ulrich considered himself fortunate as he had been exposed to many situations that had taken the lives of fellow soldiers, while he was to survive uninjured.

Ron Irwin, of Morley, also offered comments about Roger Friesner, who was the first Vietnam casualty from the community. Roger had been a childhood friend of Irwins growing up and the Community Centers Vietnam room was dedicated to Friesner.

Lt. Col. Donald Digger Odell was another Vietnam Veteran honored by the Morley Community Center. On his birthday, Monday July 25, a walking bridge over the Little Muskegon River was dedicated to Odell who was the keynote speaker at the opening of the the center July 26, 2019. Odell passed a year later at the age of 86. He was fighter pilot shot down over North Vietnam who served five and half years as a prisoner of war.

Over 50 people attended the bridge dedication. An Amish neighbor provided horse and wagon transportation to the dedication site. With six large American Flags surrounding a large Happy Birthday banner attached to the suspension bridge, Wayne Benson and Chaplain Richard Christan, of the Morley American Legion, opened the ceremony with Susan Odell unveiling a picture of her husband attached to the bridge.

Claire Galloway, a 2022 graduate of Rockford High School, played the popular Im Proud to be an American on her trumpet from a bridge platform. After an inspirational message from local pastor Frank Taylor, of the Deerfield Bible Church, Claire played Taps to remember those Veterans who didnt return. Following the playing of Taps, the group sang Happy Birthday to Odell.

The only mishap of this picture-perfect day was before the ceremony started a gust of wind blew one of the flags into the river. Fortunately, Ray Belz, a pilot and Vietnam Veteran, rescued the flag from the river, but in the process got a little wet. With the flag again attached to the bridge cable, he and his wife Darla were among those that had their picture taken on the bridge.

After the dedication ceremony, Morley Community Center board members Alvin and Judy Garnett hosted a complimentary luncheon at The Old Barn for all those attending the event.

The Community Centers newly refurbished Vietnam Room is now open to the public. Soon, a history of Vietnam in podcast segments gleamed from the work of Pulitzer Prize winning historian Stanley Karnow will be available. Program dates will be announced on Facebook and the Center Web site at www.morleycommunitycenter.org.
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After a year with no fair, last summer the Manistee County Fair returned, but without carnival rides.

That void will be filled this year with an almost-new Michigan-based company, Native Amusements.

Theyve been building up their business for the last few years, said Elaine Bossingham, secretary of the Manistee County Fair board. I know these folks have put a lot of work into what they do because Ive been watching them. Theyve been working on their equipment and are anxious to make a good presentation, so Im anxious to see how they do.

Native Amusements was started in 2019 by Timothy Jacobs, who decided to move back to his home state after spending nearly 40 years in outdoor amusement businesses. His last job was as operations manager for a multimillion dollar carnival out of Chicago.

I worked out of Chicago for a pretty big operation until I decided to come home to start our own show, Jacobs said. I just wanted to be back in Michigan.

Jacobs is from the Port Huron area, but now lives near Evart where he bought a building and land to store his growing inventory of carnival equipment.

We opened in October 2019 and the pandemic hit March 2020  what a great start, Jacobs said with a smile. It was tough, but we are still going and looking toward the future.

How do you put together an amusement company from scratch?

I bought five or six of my own rides and I made an agreement with a guy who was selling his small show, Jacobs said. Unfortunately that didnt work out, so I bought more rides and thats where we are today.

Native Amusements has 16 rides  usually bringing 10 or 11 of them to each event. His favorite ride is his newest acquisition.

Its called the Inferno. Its a good ride for the kids and teenagers. A selfish reason I like it is because its quick and easy to set up.

If the pandemic and the failed business deal werent roadblocks enough for Jacobs, hes now frustrated by the labor shortage.

For example, right now, with the help situation, were not putting up the Tilt A Whirl because it takes four or five people five to six hours to set it up, Jacobs said. The Tilt A Whirl is a favorite ride of everyone, but I cant find anyone who wants to work that hard to set it up.

Jacobs would like to have 16 to 20 employees, but the company currently has about 10 plus any local people they can find to lend a hand.

Another recent challenge for Native Amusements is high fuel prices.

We run generators, plus use lots of fuel going over the road. Coming to the Manistee County Fair well be traveling about 120 miles, moving 20 vehicles so with diesel fuel over $5 a gallon our expenses have pretty much doubled. We opted out of a job in the Detroit area because it didnt make sense to go 175 mile for just one spot.

Jacob says in spite of the challenges, the goal of his business have not changed.

We just want to bring smiles to everyones faces, he said. We have rides for people of all ages so were both making and bringing back memories.

Jacobs says the smiles on the all the kids faces is what makes it all worthwhile.

They get so excited on even the little simple rides  the little boats or the elephant ride  they love them all.

The smiles arent just on kids faces.

At the Barryton Lilac Festival we had a guy, 93 years old, and his granddaughter pushes him up in a wheelchair and said its been 30 years since hes been on a ride and he really wants to ride the Ferris Wheel," Jacobs said.

So we helped him on, and the smile on that guys face was something else. He had a memory, like we all do, of being on that ride and thats what we do, bring back memories.

Jacobs heritage is Native American, hence the name Native Amusements. He has dual U.S. and Canadian citizenship and is a member of the Sarnia Tribe of the Chippewa Indians.

Jacobs said Native Amusements takes safety very seriously.

Its a huge deal for us, he said. We do safety checks every day before we open and we have a guy who does nothing but walk around to make sure everything is OK.

Getting bigger is not one of the goals for Jacobs company.

I want to stay right where Im at, he said. Everyone always asks how big I want to be, but I dont want to get big. I want to maintain about 12 rides and be the be the best at what were doing. Doing a good job at fairs like Manistee Countys  thats our niche," he said.

We want to be small and personal and we want the people we work with to be more like our friends than customers. We do a good job for them, we appreciate them and they appreciate us. Thats what makes a good show.

The carnival will run from 5-10 p.m. on Aug. 16; from 1-10 p.m. on Aug. 17-19 and from noon-10 p.m. on Aug. 20.

Tickets are $1.25 each, most rides take two to four tickets. Wrist band purchased during the fair cost $25 for all day rides.

Discounted wrist bands on sale now for $15 each. However, early wrist bands can only be purchased from 3-5 p.m. through Aug. 6 at the fair office.
A Gaylord man is facing charges after he allegedly choked his girlfriend, Michigan State Police reported.

Troopers for the MSP Gaylord Post were dispatched around 12:30 p.m. on Saturday to take a report of a domestic assault that happened earlier in the day in Bagley Township, according to MSP in a press release issued Wednesday.

The victim alleged she and her boyfriend, 25-year-old Raymond Dee Lopshire, had gotten into an argument in the morning when they woke up, according to MSP. During the argument, Lopshire began assaulting her and choked her.

She reportedly left with her daughter and went to Lopshire's mother's home. Lopshire came to his mother's home and confronted her again. As she attempted to leave in her vehicle, Lopshire also got in and refused to exit. He assaulted her a second time inside the vehicle before exiting, according to MSP.

Lopshire was arrested at his residence and lodged in the Otsego County jail where he was given a $5,000 PR bond. He is charged with one count of assault with intent to do great bodily harm less than murder and one count of domestic violence.

He is due back in court on Aug. 11.
MANISTEE COUNTY  Manistee County residents stopped by their respective polling locations Tuesday to cast their ballots in the primary election.

There were 6,067 ballots cast, according to early election results from the Manistee County Clerk's Office.

Below are the latest unofficial election results, with 17 of 17 precincts reporting. Results are not final until certified by the Manistee County Board of Canvassers.

GOVERNOR

Gretchen Whitmer (D): 2,405

Tudor M. Dixon (R): 1,473

U.S. CONGRESS

Jerry Hilliard (D): 2,312

John Moolenaar (R): 2,274

STATE SENATE (32ND DISTRICT)

Terry J. Sabo (D): 1,895

Jon C. Bumstead (R): 1,978

STATE SENATE (36TH DISTRICT)

Joel A. Sheltrown (D): 401

Michele Hoitenga (R): 798

REPRESENTATIVE (102ND DISTRICT)

Brian Hosticka (D): 1,301

Curt VanderWall (R): 1,266

REPRESENTATIVE (104TH DISTRICT)

Cathy Albro (D): 995

John R. Roth (R): 966

COUNTY COMMISSIONER (1ST DISTRICT)

Howard Gimpel (D): 328

Janice McCraner (R): 532

COUNTY COMMISSIONER (2ND DISTRICT)

Richard A. Schmidt (R): 308

COUNTY COMMISSIONER (3RD DISTRICT)

Megan Scott (D): 254

Nikki Koons (R): 527

COUNTY COMMISSIONER (4TH DISTRICT)

Eric D. Gustad (R): 398

COUNTY COMMISSIONER (5TH DISTRICT)

Shirley Madden (D): 463

Jeffrey Dontz (R): 540

COUNTY COMMISSIONER (6TH DISTRICT)

Karen Wrzesinski-Goodman (D): 425

COUNTY COMMISSIONER (7TH DISTRICT)

Margaret Batzer (D): 247

NORMAN TOWNSHIP CLERK

Mary E. Soule (D): 104

MARILLA TOWNSHIP CLERK

Misty S. Cudney (R): 70

BEAR LAKE TOWNSHIP TREASURER

Marsha Wood-Smith (R): 264

ONEKAMA TOWNSHIP TREASURER

Edward N. Bradford (R): 254

Kyle Kotecki/News Advocate

MANISTEE COUNTY PROPOSALS

Manistee County Conservation District Millage Proposal  YES: 3,572 NO: 2,739

For the purpose of funding the operation of the Manistee Conservation District programs that assist Manistee County residents and landowners in the protection, enhancement and restoration of natural resources. The increased revenue will be applied to leverage funds, including grant match, infrastructure improvements for the District property, and to retain and support full-time staff to continue to provide forestry and wildlife habitat management; surface water and groundwater resources; invasive species management; federal cost-share program implementation; and educational programming on natural resources topics.

Shall the tax rate limitation on general ad valorem taxes within the County of Manistee, imposed under Article IX Sec. 6 of the Michigan Constitution, and shall the County be authorized to:

a.) Addition of 0.125 of one (1) mill ($0.125 per $1,000 of Taxable Value) to the current .1 of one (1) mill ($0.10 per $1,000 of Taxable Value) levy to total .225 of one (1) mill ($0.225 per $1,000 of Taxable Value) for a period of two (2) years, 2022 through 2023 inclusive, and b.) Renew .225 of one (1) mill ($0.225 per $1,000 of Taxable Value) for a period of nine (9) years, 2024 through 2032 inclusive.

If approved and levied in full, it is estimated that the addition of .125 mill, for a total of .225 mill, will raise $274,195 for Manistee Conservation District programs in the first calendar year of the levy, based on the 2021 County taxable value. A portion of the millage may be subject to capture by tax increment financing authorities.

Shall this proposal be approved?

Renewal of Manistee County Separate Tax Limitations Ballot Proposition  YES: 3,848 NO: 2,355

Shall separate tax limitations be established for a period of two (2) years (2023 through 2024, inclusive) or until altered by the voters of Manistee County for the County of Manistee and the Townships and Intermediate School Districts within the County, the aggregate of which shall not exceed 7.3 mills as follows?

County of Manistee.. 5.5 mills

Townships 1.5 mills

Intermediate School Districts. 0.3 mills

Renewal of the 9-1-1/Central Dispatch Millage  YES: 4,635 NO: 1,707

Shall the County of Manistee renew a previous voted increase in the tax limitation imposed under Article IX, Section 6 of the Michigan Constitution on General ad valorem taxes within the County of Manistee at 1.000 mill ($1.00 per $1,000.00 of taxable value) for the period of 2024 through 2028, inclusive, to operate, maintain, and upgrade the 911 emergency response telecommunication system and Central Dispatch system in Manistee County, and shall the County of Manistee levy such renewal in millage for said purpose, thereby raising in the first year an estimated $1,286,616.

BEAR LAKE TOWNSHIP PROPOSALS

Township Fire and Rescue Vehicles and Equipment Renewal  YES: 295 NO: 147

Shall the limitation on the amount of ad valorem taxes which may be levied by the Township of Bear Lake, Manistee County, Michigan, against taxable property in the Township by up to 0.75 mill ($0.75 per $1,000 of taxable value) for a period of five (5) years 2023-2027, inclusive for purpose of providing funds for the purchase of fire department vehicles and related equipment. (This renewal, if approved and levied in its entirety, it is estimated that the revenue generated by this proposal in the first year would be $68,895.00.)

Township Fire and Rescue Operations Renewal  YES: 324 NO: 122

Shall Bear Lake Township, Manistee County, Michigan, increase the constitutional limitation on the total amount of general ad valorem taxes imposed upon real and tangible personal property for all purposes in Bear Lake Township, Manistee County, Michigan, by up to an additional one-half (1/2) mill ($0.50 per $1,000 of taxable valuation) and levy an additional one-half (1/2) mill ($0.50 per $1,000 of taxable valuation) for a period of five (5) years (2023-2027, inclusive) for Township Fire and rescue operations? (This is a renewal of the one-half (1/2) mill for Township Fire and rescue operations which expired in 2022; if approved, it is estimated that the revenue generated by this proposal in the first year would be $45,930.00.)

Township Fire and Rescue Equipment Renewal  YES: 327 NO: 117

Shall Bear Lake Township, Manistee County, Michigan, increase the constitutional limitation on the total amount of general ad valorem taxes imposed upon real and tangible personal property for all purposes in Bear Lake Township, Manistee County, Michigan, by up to an additional one- quarter (1/4) mill ($0.25 per $1,000 of taxable valuation) and levy an additional one-quarter (1/4) mill ($0.25 per $1,000 of taxable valuation) for a period of five (5) years (2023-2027, inclusive) for fire fighting and emergency response equipment acquisition and operating purposes? (This is a renewal of the one quarter (1/4) mill fire fighting and emergency response equipment acquisition and operating purposes which expired in 2022; if approved, it is estimated that the revenue generated by this proposal in the first year would be $22,965.00.)

BROWN TOWNSHIP PROPOSALS

Road Construction and Maintenance Millage Renewal  YES: 127 NO: 78

Shall the expired previously voted increase in the tax limitation imposed under Article IX, Sec 6 of the Michigan Constitution in Brown Township, Manistee County, of two mills (2) mills ($2.00 per $1,000 of taxable valuation), reduced to 1.9558 mills ($1.9558 per $1,000 of taxable value) by the required millage rollbacks, be renewed at and increased up to the original voted two (2) mills ($2.00 per $1,000 of taxable valuation), and be levied for a period of four (4) years, 2022 through 2025, inclusive, for road construction and maintenance within Brown Township, which is estimated to raise $59,066 in the first year of the levy.

Fire and Rescue Services Millage Renewal  YES: 148 NO: 55

Shall the expired previously voted increase in the tax limitation imposed under Article IX, Sec 6 of the Michigan Constitution in Brown Township, Manistee County, of one (1) mill ($1.00 per $1,000 of taxable valuation), reduced to .9779 mills ($.9779 per $1,000 of taxable value) by the required millage rollbacks, be renewed at and increased up to the original voted one (1) mill ($1.00 per $1,000 of taxable valuation), and be levied for a period of four (4) years, 2022 through 2025, inclusive, for fire and rescue services within Brown Township, which is estimated to raise $29,533 in the first year of the levy.

MAPLE GROVE TOWNSHIP PROPOSALS

Millage for Operation and Maintenance of the Maple Grove Township Community Center  YES: 196 NO: 82

Shall Maple Grove Township, Manistee County, Michigan have a new millage for the Maple Grove Township Community Center overriding the tax limitations imposed under Article IX, Sec. 6 of the Michigan Constitution of a tax of one (1) mills ($1.00 per $1,000 of taxable value), for a period of four (4) years, 2023 through 2026 inclusive, for the purpose of operating and maintaining the Maple Grove Township Community Center? If approved, it is estimated that the revenue generated by this proposal in the first year the millage is levied would be $39,805.

Renewal Millage for Operation and Maintenance of the Maple Grove Township Cemetery  YES: 212 NO: 70

Shall Maple Grove Township, Manistee County, Michigan renew the expired previous voted increases in the tax limitations imposed under Article IX, Sec. 6 of the Michigan Constitution of one-half (.50) mill ($.50 per $1,000.00 of taxable value), for a period of four (4) years, 2023 through 2026 inclusive, for the purpose of operating and maintaining the Maple Grove Township Cemetery? It is estimated that the revenue generated by this proposal in the first year the millage is levied would be $19,902.

Renewal Millage for Operation and Maintenance of the Maple Grove Township Fire Department  YES: 234 NO: 47

Shall Maple Grove Township, Manistee County, Michigan renew the expired previous voted increases in the tax limitations imposed under Article IX, Sec. 6 of the Michigan Constitution of two (2) mill ($2.00 per $1,000.00 of taxable value), for period of four (4) years, 2023 through 2026 inclusive, for the purpose of operating and maintaining the Maple Grove Township Fire Department? If approved, it is estimated that the revenue generated by this proposal in the first year the millage is levied would be $79,610.

Renewal Millage for Operation and Maintenance of the Maple Grove Township Transfer Station  YES: 220 NO: 57

Shall Maple Grove Township, Manistee County, Michigan renew the expired previous voted increases in the tax limitations imposed under Article IX, Sec. 6 of the Michigan Constitution of a tax of two (2) mills ($2.00 per $1,000 of taxable value), for a period of four (4) years, 2023 through 2026 inclusive, for the purpose of operating and maintaining the transfer station concerning refuse disposal? If

approved, it is estimated that the revenue generated by this proposal in the first year the millage is levied would be $79,610.

NORMAN TOWNSHIP PROPOSALS

Fire Department Operations  YES: 295 NO: 152

Shall Norman Township, Manistee County, Michigan, increase the constitutional limitation on the total amount of general ad valorem taxes imposed upon real and tangible personal property for all purposes in Norman Township, Manistee County, Michigan, by an additional two (2) mills ($2.00 per $1000 of taxable valuation) and levy an additional two (2) mills ($2.00 per $1000 of taxable

valuation) for a period of two (2) years (2022-2023, inclusive) for Township Fire Department operations and maintenance? (This is a renewal of the two (2) mills for Township Fire Department operations and maintenance for two (2) years which expired in 2019. If approved, it is estimated that the revenue generated by this proposal in the first year would be approximately $148,094.)

Ambulance Operations  YES: 298 NO: 149

Shall Norman Township, Manistee County, Michigan, increase the constitutional limitation on the total amount of general ad valorem taxes imposed upon real and tangible personal property for all purposes in Norman Township, Manistee County, Michigan, by an additional one (1) mill ($1.00 per $1000 taxable valuation) and levy an additional one (1) mill ($1.00 per $1000 of taxable valuation) for a period of two (2) years (2022-2023, inclusive) for Township ambulance operations and maintenance? (This is a renewal request of the one (1) mill for ambulance operations and maintenance for two (2) years which expired in 2021. If approved, it is estimated that the revenue generated by this proposal in the first year would be approximately $73,047.)

CLEON TOWNSHIP PROPOSALS

Bonds for New Fire Hall and Township Hall  YES: 148 NO: 89

Shall the Township of Cleon issue its general obligation unlimited tax bonds in one or more series in an amount not to exceed Six Hundred Fifth Thousand Dollars ($650,000) for the purpose of paying the cost of acquiring, constructing, furnishing and equipping a new Fire Hall and Township Hall in the Township?

The bonds will be outstanding a maximum 30 years, exclusive of refunding. It is estimated that it will be necessary to levy 0.8900 mill ($0.8900 per $1,000 of taxable value) to pay debt service on the bonds in the first year of the levy, and to levy an estimated average of 0.8820 mills ($0.8820 per $1,000 of taxable value) each subsequent year for debt service, until the bonds are retired.2

The tax revenue received by the Township as a result of the unlimited tax pledge will be disbursed to the Township of Cleon to repay the proposed bonds.

Fire Department Renewal Proposition  YES: 173 NO: 64

Shall Cleon Township, Manistee County, Michigan renew the previous voted increases in the tax rate limitations imposed under article IX, sec. 6 of the Michigan Constitution in the amount of 1.2199 mills ($1.2199 per $1000 of taxable value), increased by an additional 0.0301 mill ($0.0301 per $1000 of taxable value) to offset previous millage rollbacks, resulting in a levy of 1.25 mills ($1.25 per $1000 of taxable value) for 5 years, 2022 through 2026 inclusive, for Fire Department operating purposes? The revenue would be disbursed to Cleon Township, and if approved, it is estimated that the revenue generated by this proposal in the first year the millage is levied would be $46,625.

Cemetery Renewal Proposition  YES: 147 NO: 89

Shall Cleon Township, Manistee County, Michigan renew the previous voted increases in the tax rate limitations imposed under article IX, sec. 6 of the Michigan Constitution in the amount of .2439 mills ($0.2439 per $1000 of taxable value), increased by an additional 0.0061 mill ($0.0061 per $1000 of taxable value) to offset previous millage rollbacks, resulting in a levy of .25 mills ($0.25 per $1000 of taxable value) for 5 years, 2022 through 2026 inclusive, for cemetery operating purposes? The revenue would be disbursed to Cleon Township, and if approved, it is estimated that the revenue generated by this proposal in the first year the millage is levied would be $9,325.

MANISTEE AREA PUBLIC SCHOOLS PROPOSAL

Operating Millage Proposal  YES: 1,376 NO: 1,346

This proposal will allow the school district to levy the statutory rate of not to exceed 18 mills on all property, except principal residence and other property exempted by law, required for the school district to receive its revenue per pupil foundation allowance.

Shall the limitation on the amount of taxes which may be assessed against all property, except principal residence and other property exempted by law, in Manistee Area Public Schools, Manistee and Mason Counties, Michigan, be increased by 1 mill ($1.00 on each $1,000 of taxable valuation) for a period of 2 years, 2022 and 2023, to provide funds for operating purposes; the estimate of the

revenue the school district will collect if the millage is approved and levied in 2022 is approximately $11,827 (this millage is to restore millage lost as a result of the reduction required by the Michigan Constitution of 1963 and will be levied only to the extent necessary to restore that reduction)?

MASON COUNTY EASTERN SCHOOLS PROPOSAL

Sinking Fund Millage Renewal Proposal  YES: 1 NO: 3

This proposal will allow the school district to continue to levy the building and site sinking fund millage previously approved by the electors.

Shall the currently authorized millage rate of 1.25 mills ($1.25 on each $1,000 of taxable valuation) which may be assessed against all property in Mason County Eastern District, Mason, Lake and Manistee Counties, Michigan, be renewed for a period of 6 years, 2023 to 2028, inclusive, to continue to provide for a sinking fund for school security improvements, for the acquisition or upgrading of

technology, for the construction or repair of school buildings, for the purchase of real estate for school sites, and for all other purposes authorized by law; the estimate of the revenue the school district will collect if the millage is approved and levied in 2023 is approximately $268,419 (this is a renewal of millage that will expire with the 2022 tax levy)?
As a Gen-Xer who grew up during the 1980s when Ronald Reagan was president and the Soviet Union was still a thing, the threat of a global nuclear war was something many of us kept in the back of our minds. It was a nightmare that could come true, and it almost did once or twice.

Well, the Soviet Union collapsed, Western culture spread around the world and the idea that billions of people could die at the push of a button kind of fell by the wayside. Climate change, not nuclear annihilation, became the apocalyptic boogeyman we were taught to fear.

When Russia invaded Ukraine earlier this year, the possibility of a nuclear exchange between superpowers  which would mean the end of civilization as we know it  rose from the grave like a zombie in Night of the Living Dead. Now, China has its dander up at the United States, so now might be a good time to stock up on potable water and canned goods, if you havent already.

Here are some handy tips for survival in case some politician decides to drop the Big One.

 Make sure your basement is ready for your long-term stay. Youre going to be down there for quite a while, and water and electrical service will be a fond memory. Candles, flashlights and five-gallon buckets are a must. You might want to get lids for those buckets. A can of air freshener might be a good idea, too.

 Buy canned goods with pull tab-opening tops. It will make things easier for the roving bands of marauders who will likely kill you and take your stuff.

 If you plan to arm yourself against those roving bands of marauders, be sure to set up a fully equipped operating room staffed with highly trained trauma surgeons and nurses. Just about everybody else is gonna have guns, too, so the chances youll end up on the wrong end of a bullet are pretty good. A box of SpongeBob bandages and a tube of Neosporin probably wont do the trick.

 Shave your head. That Michael Jordan look is easy to maintain, hygienic and always in style. And your hair is just going to fall out anyway due to the high levels of radiation in the atmosphere, so heres a chance to be proactive.

 Set up a weight-lifting bench and equip it with the heaviest weights and dumbbells you can find. If you manage to survive the roving bands of armed marauders, the radiation poisoning and famine, life will become a simple matter of survival of the fittest. If you and your family are starving, youll want to be completely jacked when you gotta do what you gotta do to feed them.

Well, good luck. I hope you make it. Things wont be all bad. High food and gasoline prices will be the least of our problems, you won't be expected to show up to work anymore, and social media will become a thing of the past.

That doesn't sound so bad, does it?

Mark Birdsall is the assistant editor of the Huron Daily Tribune. Email him at mark.birdsall@hearstnp.com. Follow him on Twitter at @MarkEBirdsall.
NZX Chair James Miller says the purpose of the new body  the NZX Corporate Governance Institute  will be to assist NZX by delivering recommendations in relation to the development of the NZX Corporate Governance Code and rule settings that apply to the corporate governance practices of issuers on the NZX Main Board.

NZXs corporate governance policy settings provide key investor protections which help to promote and facilitate the fair, orderly, and transparent operation of NZXs markets to support NZX in complying with its market operator license obligations.

The New Zealand capital markets sector strongly supports the creation of a corporate governance institute that can make recommendations to NZX on the settings for issuers corporate governance practices, Mr Miller says. It should become the pre-eminent thought leader in corporate governance in New Zealand.

The aim is to ensure the NZX Main Board has settings in place that will improve performance and increase shareholder value in a sustainable manner, while lowering issuers cost of capital. It will also assist NZX in delivering corporate governance policies that provide investor protections which are proportionate to the size of the NZX Main Board and the compliance requirements on issuers.

NZXs settings need to reflect that issuers on the NZX Main Board compete for capital in the context of the Australasian capital markets.

Mr Miller says the institute will enhance the success of New Zealands capital markets by ensuring key stakeholders have a more active role in the creation of the corporate governance standards applying to the listed market. It will also provide investors and other stakeholders access to appropriate information about issuers corporate governance practices to enable informed voting and investment decisions.

The NZX Board will appoint the members of the Institute and any associate members. The Institute will have a minimum of five members. NZX will provide the secretariat service. The NZX Board will be looking for a broad cross section of respected candidates to appoint to the Institute including from institutional investors, corporates, experienced board directors, shareholders and academics. To ensure alignment with Australia, NZX will be proposing a cross-over director from the ASX Corporate Governance Council.

Mr Miller says he is delighted to announce the institutes establishment board will be chaired by Hamish Macdonald, NZXs former General Counsel, Company Secretary and Head of Policy.

Hamish has strong knowledge of the details of the NZX Corporate Governance Code and rules, and a deep understanding of global corporate governance trends, Mr Miller says. He has a unique understanding of the competing agendas in the corporate governance space and a proven ability of reaching consensus to ensure the right balance is achieved. These are critical attributes for the role of Chair.

The development of the institute follows public consultation last year on the NZX Corporate Governance Code. It is expected to begin in November 2022. The institute will initially be convened for an establishment phase of one year, after which NZX will assess its effectiveness and determine whether to continue the institute on a permanent basis.

ENDS

NZX to establish corporate governance institute

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AUSTIN, Texas  Infowars owner Alex Jones downplayed the number of times his platform covered the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting since it occurred in 2012 and repeatedly made it clear that he believed children died, while apologizing to their families during a Sandy Hook defamation awards trial in Texas.

I really could believe it was fabricated, Jones said when he was asked about his Sandy Hook coverage in 2014.

You do understand that was irresponsible? his attorney Andino Reynal said.

Yes, Jones said, especially after I met the parents, now I believe its 100 percent real.

But Jones, who testified for nearly three hours, admitted on the stand that he still contends there was a government cover-up of the shooting and that a judge has rigged the proceedings to follow a pre-planned script.

There was an outrageous cover-up in Sandy Hook, Jones told Reynal when his lawyer asked what he believed about the shooting that killed 20 children.

Neil Heslin and Scarlett Lewis won their defamation lawsuit against Jones, who promoted the Sandy Hook shootings that killed their son Jesse as a hoax staged with crisis actors. The trial is focusing on how much the jury will award the parents, who are claiming Jones lies are causing fear, anxiety and post-traumatic stress, on top of the grief that comes with losing a child.

Following six days of testimony, the jury begin deliberations after closing arguments were completed Wednesday afternoon.

After an emotional day of testimony by Heslin and Lewis on Tuesday, Jones took the stand, telling Jesses parents, we never intentionally tried to hurt you.

But as their attorneys pointed out repeatedly, Jones insulted Heslin on Infowars even as Lewis was testifying Tuesday and, as the trial was ongoing, he had been on his show promoting that the court proceedings were rigged while showing photos of Judge Maya Guerra Gamble on fire.

Gamble and a few jury members chuckled when Jones said, thats justice on fire, when the judge was shown the photo.

Closing arguments

Jones and Infowars intentionally inflicted years of emotional distress on Lewis and Heslin, said attorney Kyle Farrar, representing the pair during closing arguments. There was 27 hours of agreed upon coverage over the span of years, Farrar said. You killed their ability to get over the loss of their children, Farrar added.

The jury is to decide damages for Heslin for the loss of his reputation for coverage that occurred in 2017  including a report questioning whether he held his son in the hours after Jesse died. The 12-member jury must also decide how much Heslin and Lewis should receive for intentional infliction of mental anguish that spanned from 2013 to 2018, the judge said during her instructions.

The impact of what they (Infowars) have done has lasted nine-and-a-half years, Farrar said. And its not done.

Jones planted the seed of misinformation on the day the murders occurred by calling it a false flag, the attorney said. There were points when Jones said it was an inside job and that the government had killed the children, Farrar said.

By 2014, Jones had called the Sandy Hook shooting a hoax. The next year  when Jones claimed he realized it was real  he said the children were actors, Farrar said.

Usually defamation occurs in one article, he said. There has never been a continuous year after year campaign intentionally inflicting pain, Farrar said. This is a decade of lies. Hes made them live their lives in fear, fear of being harmed or murdered by people believed the lies.

His client was 1,500 miles away and was just as shocked as anyone else the day the murders occurred, Reynal said after Farrar finished. He made a terrible mistake, in running an incorrect story at a time when he trusted the wrong people and was having a hard time in his life, Reynal said.

His audience was not as big as portrayed, Jones attorney said.

Alex is not that big, Reynal said. When he goes on, not that may people listen.

Reynal told the jury their decision had to be based on what his client did to inflict pain on Heslin and Lewis. Its about examining whether Alexs actions and Alexs words actually caused harm, Reynal said. He later suggested that the jury award Heslin and Lewis $8 in damages.

All these things you are saying are false

Under questioning by Reynal, Jones said he had devoted less than five or six hours a year to covering Sandy Hook on his show and had by 2015 determined that children actually died. By that point, Jones said he was being accused of participating in the Sandy Hook cover-up, he was going through a divorce and got my head cleared up by stopping drinking for a while.

He also said he didnt cover the recent shooting at Uvalde Elementary School that killed 19 children, Im like hands off now because I dont want to be sucked into the black hole of mass shootings anymore.

But he continued to promote lies about the Sandy Hook murders, said attorney Mark Bankston, representing Heslin and Lewis while cross-examining Jones. At various points in the past several years Jones platform highlighted an FBI report supposedly indicating that in 2012 there were no murders in Newtown where the school was located, Bankston said. Other blatant falsehoods included Jones contention that police were eating food inside the school the day of the shootings and that no paramedics had entered the building because there were no bodies inside, Bankston said.

All these things you are saying are false, said Bankston who also challenged Jones use of email and text messages discussing the Sandy Hook shootings that he denied sending. The legal team for Heslin and Lewis was mistakenly sent all the digital information from Jones cell phone , Bankston said.

Since Reynal didnt challenge the use of the digital materials prior to the trial, Bankston was able to bring up the contents before the jury.

In other testimony, Jones complained about being typecast as someone who talked about and made money from Sandy Hook even as he was producing videos in 2016 announcing that he now believed children died. Jones also said he was used by politicians in the 2016 presidential election to connect his Sandy Hook coverage to candidate Donald Trump.

When he felt the media was incorrectly portraying him as a Sandy Hook denier, I felt it was highly deceptive, I felt it stole my identity, Jones said.

Responding to a question from a juror, Jones said that any judgment over $2 million would sink us but he said the jurors should award the amount they feel is right. We definitely made mistakes and its been terrible for everyone involved, Jones said earlier.

Reynal rested his defense after Jones finished. He was the only witness Reynal called.

During his testimony, Jones was repeatedly chided by Gamble to simply answer the questions as posed and not discuss hearsay, anything hes heard or read. He was warned Tuesday to tell the truth under oath after he slipped in that he was bankrupt when answering a question about employees.

The parents are asking for $150 million  $1 in compensation and $1 in punishment for the estimated 75 million Americans who experts claim dont believe or doubt the shooting occurred. Their goal, they said, is to punish Jones for his lies in the hope that hell think twice about promoting conspiracy theories on Infowars.

Jones faces a similar but separate trial in Connecticut and will face another in Texas. He filed for bankruptcy Friday. Jury selection was halted in that Connecticut case on Tuesday, however, when Jones attorney asked that the case be moved to federal bankruptcy court in Connecticut due to the bankruptcy filing.

Staff writers Rob Ryser and John Moritz contributed to this story.
Viktoria Sundqvist / Hearst Connecticut Media /

HARTFORD  A Bloomfield man was sentenced to two years in prison Friday for distributing drugs and having an illegal firearm, according to federal prosecutors.

Michael Simpson, 33, is released on bond and is required to report to prison Aug. 29, U.S. Attorney Vanessa Roberts Avery said in a news release Tuesday.
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BEIJING (AP)  China blocked imports of citrus, fish and other foods from Taiwan in retaliation for a visit by a top American lawmaker, Nancy Pelosi, but has avoided disrupting one of the world's most important technology and manufacturing relationships.

The two sides, which split in 1949 after a civil war, have no official relations but multibillion-dollar business ties, especially in the flow of Taiwanese-made processor chips needed by Chinese factories that assemble the world's smartphones and other electronics.

They built that business while Beijing threatened for decades to enforce the ruling Communist Party's claim to the island by attacking.

Two-way trade soared 26% last year to $328.3 billion. Taiwan, which produces half the world's processor chips and has technology the mainland can't match, said sales to Chinese factories rose 24.4% to $104.3 billion.

The global economy cannot function without chips that are made in either Taiwan or China, Carl B. Weinberg of High-Frequency Economics said in a report.

On Wednesday, Beijing blocked imports of citrus and frozen hairtail and mackerel from Taiwan after Pelosi, speaker of the House of Representatives, arrived on the island. China has not disrupted the flow of chips and other industrial components, a step that would send shock waves through the shaky global economy.

Also this week, China blocked imports of hundreds of other food items from Taiwan including cookies and seafood, though the timing was unclear. The customs website showed their import status was switched to suspended.

Fruit, fish and other foods are a small part of Taiwan's exports to China, but the ban hurts areas that are seen as supporters of President Tsai Ing-wen.

Beijing has used import bans on bananas, wine, coal and other goods as leverage in disputes with Australia, the Philippines and other governments.

Beijing also announced four days of military exercises with artillery fire in waters around Taiwan. That might delay or disrupt shipping to and from the island, one of the biggest global traders.

The potential disruption adds to concerns over weakening global economic growth, but Asian stock markets rose Wednesday after there was no immediate sign of Chinese military action.

The Communist Party says Pelosi's visit might embolden Taiwan to make its decades-old de facto independence permanent. Beijing says that would lead to war.

The administration of U.S. President Joe Biden has tried to mollify Beijing, saying there is no change in Washington's one China policy. That says the United States takes no position on the status of the two sides but wants their dispute settled peacefully.

Washington has no formal relations with Taiwan but maintains unofficial ties and is obligated by federal law to see the island has the means to defend itself.

Meeting leaders in Taiwan, Pelosi said she and members of Congress traveling with her were showing they will not abandon their commitment to the island democracy.

Americas determination to preserve democracy, here in Taiwan and around the world, remains ironclad," Pelosi said in a short speech during a meeting with the president, Tsai. She departed later in the day for South Korea.

Facing deliberately heightened military threats, Taiwan will not back down, Tsai said.

Taiwanese companies have invested nearly $200 billion in the mainland over the past three decades, according to the island's government. Entrepreneurs, engineers and others have migrated to the mainland to work, some recruited by Chinese chipmakers and other companies that want to catch up with Taiwan.

A 2020 census found 158,000 Taiwanese living on the mainland, according to the police ministry.

Taiwan plays an outsized role in the chip industry for an island of 24.5 million people, accounting for more than half the global supply.

Its producers including Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp. make the most advanced processors for smartphones, tablet computers, medical devices and other products.

Beijing has invested billions of dollars in developing its own industry, which supplies low-end chips for autos and appliances but cannot support the latest smartphones, tablet computers, medical devices and other products.

Chips are Chinas biggest import at more than $400 billion a year, ahead of crude oil.

That concentration has fueled concern in the United States and Europe about relying too heavily on supplies from East Asia. The U.S. government is trying to expand America's production capacity.

Overall, China is Taiwans biggest trading partner, taking more than twice as much of its exports as the United States, the islands No. 2 foreign market.

Beijing has tried to use access to its markets to undermine Tsai and other Taiwanese leaders it accuses of pursuing independence.

The Communist Party also has used military action in the past to try to hurt Taiwanese leaders by disrupting the island's economy.

The mainland tried to drive voters away from then-President Lee Teng-hui ahead of the island's first direct presidential elections in 1996 by firing missiles into shipping lanes.

That forced shippers to cancel voyages and raised insurance costs but backfired by allowing Lee to brag about standing up to Beijing in front of cheering supporters. Lee won the four-way election with 54% of the vote.
WASHINGTON  The Biden administration is holding out the CIA operation that killed al-Qaida leader Ayman al-Zawahri as a monumental strike against the global terror network responsible for the Sept. 11 attacks of 2001. But there's a downside, too.

The drone strike also is putting into stark relief the mounting evidence that after 20 years of America's military presence  and then sudden departure  Afghanistan has once again become an active staging ground for Islamic terror groups looking to attack the West.

The operation, carried out over the weekend after at least six months spent monitoring movements by al-Zawahri and his family, came just weeks before the one-year anniversary of the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from the country.

The Biden administration is making the case that the operation shows Americans at home and allies abroad that the United States hasn't lost focus  or the ability to strike terrorists in the region  and validates its decision to end two decades of fighting in Afghanistan with its withdrawal.

Announcing the strike from the White House, President Joe Biden said Monday night that justice had been exacted on a leader who in recent weeks had recorded videos calling for his followers to attack the United States and allies. And the White House on Tuesday framed the operation as an enormous counterterrorism win.

The president has made good on his word when we left," National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said on NBC's Today" show. After 20 years of war to keep this country safe, he said we would be able to continue to target and take out terrorists in Afghanistan without troops on the ground."

But as details of the operation continue to emerge, the administration has also revealed troubling evidence of al-Qaida's presence and of the Taliban once again offering refuge to the group that was behind the 9/11 attacks on the United States.

White House officials believe that senior members of the Haqqani Network, an Islamist terror group with strong ties to the Taliban, were aware that al-Zawahri was in Kabul. Sullivan said that while al-Zawahri wasn't involved in day-to-day planning at the time of his killing, he continued to play an active role in directing al-Qaida and posed a severe threat" against the U.S. and American citizens.

On Tuesday, the State Department updated its Worldwide Caution, warning U.S. citizens traveling abroad that there is a higher potential for anti-American violence given the death of Ayman al-Zawahri.

Concerns about al-Qaida efforts to regroup inside Taliban-controlled Afghanistan are hardly new.

Before the strike, U.S. military officials, including Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, had said al-Qaida was trying to reconstitute in Afghanistan, where it faces limited threats from the now-ruling Taliban. Military leaders have warned that the group still aspired to attack the U.S.

Al-Qaida leadership has reportedly played an advisory role since the Taliban returned to power in the leadup up to the U.S. withdrawal, according to a U.N. Security Council report last month.

The U.N. report also noted that ISIS-K  the group that carried out a massive attack that killed 13 U.S. troops and dozens of Afghans near the Kabul International Airport just days before the U.S. completed its withdrawal last year  has become increasingly active in northern and eastern Afghanistan. That's a worry for the West though ISIS-K and the Taliban espouse different ideologies and interests, with ISIS-K carrying out a bloody insurgency against the Taliban and religious minorities across Afghanistan.

Zawahris presence in post-withdrawal Afghanistan suggests that, as feared, the Taliban is once more granting safe haven to the leaders of al-Qaida  a group with which it has never broken, said Nathan Sales, ambassador-at-large and coordinator for counterterrorism during the Trump administration who is now a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council.

Frank McKenzie, the retired Marine general who until earlier this year was the top American military officer in the Middle East, said the U.S. has noted an effort by al-Qaida to restore training camps in Afghanistan.

I see nothing happening in Afghanistan now that tells me that the Taliban are determined to prevent that from happening, he said in an interview.

Since the American troop withdrawal, U.S. military leaders have said Americas ability to monitor and strike a target in the country would be difficult but not impossible.

The strike on Zawahri proved both, said McKenzie, who is now executive director of the Global and National Security Institute at the University of South Florida.

But he cautioned not to draw broad conclusions from this one drone strike.

This was a unique circumstance, he said. You had a target that didnt move, and they had the opportunity to get a good look at pattern of life. Thats not always going to be the case. In fact, typically, that is not the case.

That al-Zawahri was living in a Kabul neighborhood and not in rural Afghanistan as previously believed, tells you that he got really comfortable under the protection of the Taliban, said Colin Clarke, director of research at The Soufan Group, a global intelligence and security firm.

These entities work hand in glove, Clarke said of the Taliban and al-Qaida.

The Taliban had promised in the 2020 Doha Agreement on the terms of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan that they would not harbor al-Qaida members or those seeking to attack the U.S.

The Taliban were quick to condemn the U.S. strike as a a clear violation of international principles and the Doha Agreement," though they did not acknowledge that al-Zawahri was killed. The U.S. gave no forewarning to the Taliban government, which the United States does not recognize, that it was carrying out the operation.

Such actions are a repetition of the failed experiences of the past 20 years and are against the interests of the United States of America, Afghanistan, and the region, the Taliban statement said.

White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby declined to comment on how, or if, the U.S. would hold the Taliban responsible for sheltering al-Zawahri.

The Taliban have a choice now," Kirby said. And that is they can comply with their agreement under the Doha agreement ... or they can choose to be going down a different path. And if they go down a different path, its going to lead to consequences not just from the United States but from the international community."

Kirby said the U.S. had already engaged with the Taliban about al-Zawahri's presence following Sunday's strike.

The Taliban remain sanctioned by the U.S. government for their role harboring al-Qaida before the 9/11 attacks. After the collapse of the U.S.-backed government in Kabul last summer, the Biden administration froze billions of dollars in assets belonging to Afghanistan's central bank to prevent the assets from falling under Taliban control. Some of that money has since been freed for humanitarian aid to address the country's dire hunger crisis.

Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell was quick to congratulate Biden on the operation, but also made the case that it further indicates that Afghanistan is again becoming a major thicket of terrorist activity following the presidents decision to withdraw U.S. forces."

Killing al-Zawahri is a success, but the underlying resurgence of al-Qaida terrorists into Afghanistan is a growing threat that was foreseeable and avoidable, McConnell said. "The administration needs a comprehensive plan to rebuild our capacity to combat it.

___

AP Diplomatic Writer Matthew Lee contributed.
In the early days of the latest Russian invasion of Ukraine, a grandmother living on the outskirts of Kyiv noticed a large invading convoy in front of her house. She called authorities, who passed along the report to the Ukrainian military.

A Bayraktar TB2 drone swung into action and destroyed the vehicles, many carrying ammunition and fuel.

"Grandma wasn't an obstacle," said John Spencer, chair of urban warfare studies at West Point's Modern War Institute. "She was a force multiplier that achieved arguably a strategic, and if not, an absolutely operational strike."

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Spencer, speaking at a July conference on urban warfare held at Joint Forces Training Base Los Alamitos, California, points to the Ukrainian grandmother as an example of why fighting in cities is an equalizer in modern warfare. With almost everyone carrying camera phones capable of transmitting intelligence, it will be nearly impossible for U.S. service members to operate without being seen. Soldiers must learn how to protect civilians and work with militias rather than seeing them as a hindrance to their mission.

U.S. military trainers are squirreling away lessons learned from watching the Ukrainian armed forces defend cities from a much larger invading force. The Ukraine conflict has reinforced the prediction that urban combat will be the centerpiece of modern wars.

Brig. Gen. Robert Wooldridge, deputy commander of the Army's 40th Infantry Division and one of the primary forces behind its Urban Warfare Center, is hopeful junior officers and senior enlisted troops will become used to carrying and operating small drones. These relatively inexpensive eyes in the sky have exacted a heavy toll on Russians as spotters for long-range artillery.

"Their psychological impact far outweighs the number of casualties," Wooldridge said speaking at the same event as Spencer. "We'd be fools to not learn from what is happening."

It's also clear to many service members that the information war on social media platforms may be just as important as the gunfights. Drone video of jerry-rigged grenades dropped onto infantry have instilled fear in the Russians and rallied Ukrainians to take up weapons. Public affairs units can also galvanize public support and encourage allied nations to join the fight.

"This war is being fought on TikTok," Wooldridge said.

The Ukrainian armed forces displayed their adeptness at harassing social media to broadcast daily reports on the numbers of enemy soldiers and weapons destroyed.

"Ukraine has taught Russia, who used to be the masters at this, a master class in information warfare," Spencer said.

Before battlefield commanders consider severing internet access to an urban population, they need to first consider how families will get access to information they need to stay safe, Wooldridge said.

"There's a difference between can we do it and should we or will [we] be allowed to do it," he said.

About 75% of the content of the 40th Infantry Division's Urban Warfare Planner Course, originally created in 2021, has been updated since last October based on lessons learned from Ukraine.

Urban environments are electronically noisy, which can make securing communications channels more challenging for soldiers, Luke Shabro, a career intelligence officer and deputy director of the Army Mad Scientist Initiative, said in an interview.

"It becomes extremely difficult to hide or have any kind of concealment where any person can be a spotter for your position," Shabro said.

One of the biggest challenges facing the Army is how soldiers can generate enough power for their vehicles and the drones that surveil and protect troops when spread out in the field, Shabro added.

"I think the Army's recognizing the problem. It's just a matter of how you get there," he said.

The military is training on using directed energy weapons to shoot down drones but now has to solve automating that process to keep up with swarming enemies, Shabro said.

Recruits can also expect to do more training underground. The months-long standoff in the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol has shown military leaders the value of planning for subterranean warfare in a protracted fight.

The military is heavily reliant on maps and satellite imagery to coordinate battle plans even though fighting in cities will take place underground, at street level and in high-rise buildings, where that kind of intelligence will be harder to come by, Spencer said.

Since last year, there's been a shift at the National Training Center to transform the pristine town called Razish into one that resembles a war zone with rubble and pancaked vehicles. In a 16-day rotation at the NTC, a Stryker armored vehicle brigade combat team will typically spend a single day maneuvering through the town during a 16-day rotation. Wooldridge is optimistic this urban training time will increase.

"I hope that's the recognition among the commanders. The normal shtick is to attack the town and move on. Now they want to defend it," he said.

Related: Ukraine Seeks to Retake the South, Tying Down Russian Forces
Marine Pfc. Robert E. had just fallen asleep after a night patrol in August 1952 when he was rousted to serve as radioman for a 12-man squad headed to occupy a place called "Outpost Irene" north of Seoul.

He thought it was going to be easy. "I had been to the outpost before and thought of it as a somewhat vacation because no action had ever been there all the time I'd been on that particular part of the line," Simanek said years later in a Veterans History Project interview for the Library of Congress.

"So, I took an old Reader's Digest and a can of precious beer in my big back pocket and thought I was really going to have a relaxing situation. It didn't turn out that way," he said.

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The Chinese attacked. During the ensuing firefight, two grenades landed in the shallow trench where Simanek and other Marines had taken cover while returning fire.

Simanek kicked away one of the grenades, taking shrapnel in his legs from the blast.

"I didn't think there was any time left" to grab the second grenade and throw it back, he said. So he covered the second grenade with his body to protect the other members of the patrol.

Most of that blast hit his right side and leg, but he managed to crawl away to meet a relief column, which took him back to the front lines and a waiting helicopter. "I enjoyed that helicopter ride [to a hospital ship] so much," he said.

At a White House ceremony on Oct. 23, 1953, Simanek was awarded the Medal of Honor by President Dwight D. Eisenhower for his actions on Aug. 17, 1952, while serving with Company F, 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines, 1st Marine Division.

On Monday, the Congressional Medal of Honor Society announced that Simanek had died in Novi, Michigan, at age 92.

His Medal of Honor citation reads in part: "Determined to save his comrades when a hostile grenade was hurled into their midst, he unhesitatingly threw himself on the deadly missile absorbing the shattering violence of the exploding charge in his body and shielding his fellow Marines from serious injury or death."

Simanek later told the Detroit News that he was one of four service members who received the Medal of Honor during the White House ceremony, but "I was the only one he [Eisenhower] talked to and all the reporters wanted to know what he said to me."

"I made something good up," Simanek recalled, "but the only thing I remember is him looking at me and saying, 'Why don't you turn around and look at everyone now.'"

Simanek, originally from Detroit, spent nearly a year recovering from his wounds at military hospitals before being medically discharged from the Marine Corps. He went on to earn a degree at Michigan State University and later worked as an accountant and business manager.

In a tribute to his legacy, then-Navy Secretary Kenneth Braithwaite announced in January 2021 that the next Lewis B. Puller-class expeditionary mobile base ship, scheduled to be launched in 2024, will be named the USS Robert E. Simanek (ESB-7).

His death leaves former Army Cpl. Hiroshi Miyamura and retired Army Col. Ralph Puckett Jr. as the only two surviving Medal of Honor recipients from the Korean War out of the total of 146 who received the nation's highest award for valor in that conflict.

Miyamura, now aged 96, received the medal for his actions in April 1951 in fighting off a Chinese attack with a bayonet and a machine gun. Puckett, now aged 95, received the Distinguished Service Cross for his actions as a lieutenant serving with the Eighth Army Ranger Company in November 1950 in repelling a Chinese assault despite being wounded several times.

Puckett went on to serve in Vietnam, where he also was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross. His award from Korea was later upgraded, and he received the Medal of Honor from President Joe Biden at a White House ceremony on May 21, 2021.

-- Richard Sisk can be reached at Richard.Sisk@Military.com.

Related: How the Story of This Medal of Honor Recipient Wounded 21 Times Was Almost Lost to History
WASHINGTON  U.S. Senators delivered near-unanimous bipartisan approval to NATO membership for Finland and Sweden Wednesday, calling expansion of the Western defensive bloc a slam-dunk for U.S. national security and a day of reckoning for Russian President Vladimir Putin over his invasion of Ukraine.

Wednesdays 95-1 vote  for the candidacy of two Western European nations that, until Russias war against Ukraine, had long avoided military alliances  took a crucial step toward expansion of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and its 73-year-old pact of mutual defense among the United States and democratic allies in Europe.

President Joe Biden, who has been the principal player rallying global economic and material support for Ukraine, has sought quick entry for the two previously non-militarily aligned northern European nations.

Approval from all member nations  currently, 30  is required. The candidacies of the two prosperous Northern European nations have won ratification from more than half of the NATO member nations in the roughly three months since the two applied. Its a purposely rapid pace meant to send a message to Russia over its six-month-old war against Ukraines West-looking government.

It sends a warning shot to tyrants around the world who believe free democracies are just up for grabs, Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., said in the Senate debate ahead of the vote.

Russias unprovoked invasion has changed the way we think about world security, she added.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, who visited Kyiv earlier this year, urged unanimous approval. Speaking to the Senate, McConnell cited Finlands and Swedens well-funded, modernizing militaries and their experience working with U.S. forces and weapons systems, calling it a slam-dunk for national security of the United States.

Their accession will make NATO stronger and America more secure. If any senator is looking for a defensible excuse to vote no, I wish them good luck, McConnell said.

Sen. Josh Hawley, a Missouri Republican who often aligns his positions with those of the most ardent supporters of former President Donald Trump, has been one of the few to speak in opposition. Hawley took the Senate floor to call European security alliances a distraction from what he called the United States chief rival  China, not Russia.

We can do more in Europe ... devote more resources, more firepower ... or do what we need to do to deter Asia and China. We cannot do both, Hawley said, calling his a classic nationalist approach to foreign policy.

Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas, like Hawley a potential 2024 presidential contender, rebutted his points without naming his potential Republican rival.

That included arguing against Hawleys contention a bigger NATO would mean more obligations for the U.S. military, the worlds largest. Cotton was one of many citing the two nations military strengths  including Finlands experience securing its hundreds of miles of border with Russia and its well-trained ground forces, and Swedens well-equipped navy and air force.

Theyre two of the strongest members of the alliance the minute they join, Cotton said.

U.S. State and Defense officials consider the two countries net security providers, strengthening NATOs defense posture in the Baltics in particular. Finland is expected to exceed NATOs 2% GDP defense spending target in 2022, and Sweden has committed to meet the 2% goal.

Thats in contrast to many of NATOs newcomers formerly from the orbit of the Soviet Union, many with smaller militaries and economies. North Macedonia, NATOs most recent newcomer nation, brought an active military of just 8,000 personnel when it joined in 2020.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said he and McConnell had committed to the countrys leaders that the Senate would approve the ratification resolution as fast as we could to bolster the alliance in light of recent Russian aggression.

Sweden and Finland applied in May, setting aside their longstanding stance of military nonalignment. It was a major shift of security arrangements for the two countries after neighboring Russia launched its war on Ukraine in late February. Biden encouraged their joining and welcomed the two countries government heads to the White House in May, standing side by side with them in a signal of U.S. backing.

The U.S. and its European allies have rallied with newfound partnership in the face of Russian President Vladimir Putins aggression, strengthening the NATO alliance first formed after World War II.

Enlarging NATO is exactly the opposite of what Putin envisioned when he ordered his tanks to invade Ukraine, Sen. Bob Menendez, a New Jersey Democrat and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said Wednesday, adding that the West could not allow Russia to launch invasions of countries.

Biden sent the protocols to the Senate for review in July, launching a notably speedy process in the typically divided and slower-moving chamber.

Each member government in NATO must give its approval for any new member to join. The process ran into unexpected trouble when Turkey raised concerns over adding Sweden and Finland, accusing the two of being soft on banned Turkish Kurdish exile groups. Turkeys objections still threaten the two countries membership.
For victims whose lives were forever changed by the evil deeds of Ayman al-Zawahiri, the drone strike last weekend that killed the 71-year-old terrorist meant their suffering hasn't been forgotten.

Retired Navy Cmdr. Kirk Lippold, commander of the guided-missile destroyer Cole when the ship was attacked during a resupply operation in Aden, Yemen, in 2000, killing 17 sailors and wounding 39, said he felt gratified after news broke Monday of the successful U.S. operation that resulted in Zawahiri's death.

"I get no happiness or joy out of it. What I do get is a sense of satisfaction that the United States government is resolute in holding terrorists accountable for killing Americans," Lippold said in an interview with Military.com on Wednesday.

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The White House announced Monday that Zawahiri was killed in Kabul, Afghanistan, early Sunday morning local time, taken out as he stood on his balcony by Hellfire missiles dispatched from an unmanned aerial system.

Zawahiri was one of the world's most wanted terrorists, an Egyptian surgeon and current leader of al-Qaida who, with group founder Osama bin Laden, planned terrorist attacks that killed more than 3,200 people and wounded 10,500 more. Those include attacks on American embassies in Tanzania and Kenya in 1998; the Cole; and the World Trade Center, Pentagon and Somerset County, Pennsylvania, on Sept. 11, 2001.

The strike was the first U.S. operation inside Afghanistan since American troops withdrew last August, ending more than 20 years of war that killed 2,455 U.S. troops, including 13 in the final egress.

President Joe Biden said Monday during a televised speech that Zawahiri had made videos in recent weeks calling for attacks on the United States and allied nations.

"Now justice has been delivered and this terrorist leader is no more," Biden said.

On Oct. 12, 2000, the Cole had docked in Aden for a refueling operation when operatives maneuvered a small boat alongside the ship and detonated more than 400 pounds of explosives. The blast tore a 40- by 45-foot hole in the vessel at its waterline, sparking a valiant effort to save the ship.

Among the 17 sailors who died was Signalman Apprentice Cherone Gunn, 22, of Virginia Beach, Virginia. Gunn's brother, Jamal, who still lives in Virginia Beach, told local news station WTKR that his brother was a "great man."

"[Zawahiri] didn't just have a major part of my brother's death. He had a major part in al-Qaida overall, so I'm glad to see him brought to justice," Gunn said.

The Zawahiri strike marked the fourth time over two decades Cole personnel and families have learned that those responsible for the attack have paid for their actions with their lives.

In 2002, a 25-year-old suspect in the bombing, Sameer Mohammed al-Hada, blew himself up with a grenade as security forces closed in to arrest him in Aden. He and two sisters had deep ties to al-Qaida, with one sister married to one of the 9/11 hijackers on American Airlines Flight 77, which crashed into the Pentagon, and another sister married to a known Yemeni terrorist.

In 2011, in the pre-dawn hours of May 2, U.S. forces raided the compound of Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad, Pakistan and killed the al-Qaida leader, shooting him in his third-floor bedroom. His body was buried at sea by U.S. sailors from the carrier Carl Vinson.

In January 2019, al-Qaida operative Jamel Ahmed Mohammed Ali Al-Badawi, one of the terrorists involved in the Cole planning, was killed in a U.S. airstrike in Yemen.

And now, Zawahiri.

"It's very gratifying to see that we have some very dedicated professionals still serving our government who are willing to invest the time and the resources over years to develop the solution that allows us to carry out very effective strikes like we did against al-Zawahiri," Lippold said.

An additional suspect, Saudi Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri, has been incarcerated at the military detention facility at Guantanamo, Cuba, where he has been held since 2006. His case has remained in pre-trial proceedings since 2011.

Lippold's Navy career was derailed by the attack, but the service later concluded he had taken reasonable precautions to protect and save his ship. He said he stays in touch with the former Cole crew as well as family members and, like them, experiences "a lot of painful memories" when something like the Zawahiri strike occurs.

"By the same token though, they, like me, get a sense of gratification that our government has not forgotten and that we will hold these people accountable, even if it's delivered decades after their act," Lippold said.

-- Patricia Kime can be reached at Patricia.Kime@Military.com. Follow her on Twitter @patriciakime

Related: The Downside: US Strike Shows Afghanistan Still Terror Base
Key Highlights

 A TruScreen-based cervical cancer screening centre has opened in Cludad de Mexico (Mexico City), operated by Mexpharm Medical Clinical.

 Mexpharm Medical Clinical is a leading healthcare provider in Mexico, specialising in comprehensive medical care focussed on the needs of patients and clinicians.

 The centre will showcase TruScreens medical technology, act as a training centre, and provide screening services to local People.

 The centres opening will further expand TruScreens footprint in a significant marketplace, with the female population in Mexico now around 65 million.

TruScreen Group Limited (NZX/ASX: TRU) (TruScreen or the Company) is pleased to announce the establishment of a TruScreen-based cervical cancer screening centre in a new clinic in Cludad de Mexico (Mexico City) operated by leading healthcare provider Mexpharm Medical Clinical.

The new clinic will use the TruScreen device for cervical cancer screening

Mexpharm Medical Clinical, a leader in healthcare care in Mexico, specialises in comprehensive medical care focused on the needs of patients and clinicians. It provides state-of-the-art medical technologies and doctors specialized in ophthalmology, endoscopy, gynecology-oncology, internal medicine, anesthesiology, and general medicine. It delivers competitively priced, quality short-stay medical care with high level of professional medical care. The agreement to operate the TruScreen-based cervical cancer screening centre in the Mexpharm clinic was negotiated by the Companys distributor in Mexico, Sunbird S.A. de C.V.

The TruScreen package being supplied to Mexpharm

The centre will showcase TruScreens medical technology, act as a training centre, and provide screening services to local people. It follows on TruScreens establishment of a service centre in Mexico during the 2022 financial year, obviating the need for medical devices to be returned to Australia for service and re-calibration.

TruScreens addressable market in Mexico is significant

Mexico has reported strong population growth for many years with a population of around 130 million. About 22 million residing in Mexico City. Within the total population number, more than 65 million are female, of whom around half fall within the prime cervical cancer screening age of 25-64 years old.

According to the hpvcentre.net, Mexico has a population of almost 50 million women ages 15 years and older who are at risk of developing cervical cancer. Current estimates indicate that every year 9,439 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer and 4,335 die from the disease. Cervical cancer ranks as the second most frequent cancer among women in Mexico and the third most frequent cancer among women between 15 and 44 years of age.

TruScreen CEO Juliet Hull said: We are thrilled to partner with highly respected healthcare group Mexpharm Medical Clinical. The TruScreen-based cervical cancer screening centre in their new clinic in Mexico City will further build on our existing presence in the huge Mexican market. We look forward to using it to showcase our unique medical technology and provide cervical cancer screening services to local businesses. While doing this, the centre will also be an ideal base to provide training services.

Sunbird S.A. de C.V Managing Director Dr. Francisco Jose Camargo Santacruz said: Sunbird is delighted to be part of TruScreens ongoing expansion into the large Mexican market. We are particularly proud to have played a role in the evolving partnership between TruScreen and Mexpharm. The innovative clinic they have set up together represents a quantum leap in the quality of women's health in Mexico. And the upside potential for TruScreen flowing from the partnership is immense, with the female population in this major Central American country currently around 65 million. It opens the door to a potential new business model, where TruScreen builds scale and materially grows its Single Use Sensor (SUS) sales into the Mexican market.

This announcement has been approved by the Board.

-ENDS-

TruScreen-based Cervical Cancer Screening Centre Opens in Mexico City

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Saddam Hussein was not the best military strategist. This is, after all, the guy who once said: "The air force has never decided a war." This quote came after he spent nearly a decade struggling not to be overrun by a weakened Iran in a war he started with a sucker punch.

When Hussein sent more than half a million troops into neighboring Kuwait on Aug. 2, 1990, he might have steamrolled over Kuwaiti defenders, but he proceeded to make a number of critical mistakes. One of them was an ill-fated invasion of Saudi Arabia, which might have worked, except for ...

Operation Desert Shield

The biggest mistake began with Hussein openly criticizing Saudi Arabia after capturing Kuwait. It was a move that made the world believe that it would be his next target, a threat the U.S. would not stomach. As laid out in the Carter Doctrine, the U.S. would use military force to preserve its interests in the region.

That meant oil. If the Iraqi Army invaded Saudi Arabia and the kingdom fell as fast as Kuwait did, which was roughly two days, Hussein would be in control of the majority of the world's known oil reserves. Understandably, the rest of the world wasn't thrilled with this idea.

Hussein annexed Kuwait, making it a province of Iraq and installing his cousin as governor. Then, he sat around, making his next mistake. He stayed put while the United States built up not only a coalition of 39 countries, but also nearly a million troops in Saudi Arabia and the surrounding water, along with the necessary armor, aircraft and equipment, during Operation Desert Shield.

A company from the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) marches across the apron to board the aircraft that will carry the unit to Saudi Arabia for Operation Desert Shield. (U.S. Army/Sgt. 1st Class Luke Graziani)

By the time Iraq began to finally press its advantage by invading Saudi Arabia, there were 700,000 Americans stationed in Saudi Arabia, along with scores of other coalition troops. Hussein believed he had a trump card against the coalition, however: If he could lure its forces into one major battle, he could inflict enough casualties to make the U.S. back down, even if he didn't win that battle.

He even came to believe the United States wouldn't fight.

Operation Desert Storm

Operation Desert Shield had progressed to Operation Desert Storm on Jan. 17, 1991. Desert Storm began with a massive air campaign that was wrecking Iraqi targets throughout the region at the rate of 1,000 sorties per day.

Munitions specialists from the 23rd Tactical Fighter Wing, England Air Force Base, La., load 30 mm rounds of ammunition into an A-10A Thunderbolt II attack aircraft for its GAU-8/A Avenger cannon prior to a sortie in support of Operation Desert Storm. (U.S. Air Force)

Coalition forces established air superiority on day one, with what remained of Iraq's air force escaping to Iran. Its plan was then to target Republican Guard units and Scud missile batteries before turning its focus to the Iraqis in Kuwait, but Saddam Hussein threw a very small wrench in that plan.

The first major ground battle of the Gulf War was unexpectedly initiated by the Iraqi Army. On the night of Jan. 29, 1991, Hussein sent three of his best armored divisions across the border into Saudi Arabia. He'd hoped to give the coalition a bloody nose as the world watched live on CNN and fracture the coalition that was set to push him out of Kuwait.

They were headed for the near-abandoned coastal city of Khafji, the road to which was defended by only one Saudi National Guard Brigade. Iraq managed to surprise coalition commanders only because they were preoccupied with the ongoing air campaign.

It was 12 days in to what would become a 42-day aerial bombing campaign against Iraq by coalition airpower. Air Force planners believed Iraq was hoping to take advantage of the darkness so it could maneuver its forces with minimal resistance from the ongoing air campaign.

Marines rush to load antitank missiles onto an AH-1W Cobra of HMLA 369. The Cobras provided extensive close air support during the Battle of al-Khafji, both at the observation post battles and in the town proper.(U.S. Marine Corps)

Hussein also chose Khafji because it had two harbors, one for oil exports and one from which he could threaten coalition naval forces in the Persian Gulf. It was also within range of Iraqi artillery batteries in Kuwait. If he captured a Saudi town, the Saudis would be forced to respond, and Saddam would get his chance at one grand battle.

The Mother of All Battles

During Operation Desert Shield, the coalition established a series of observation posts, 10 to 20 kilometers apart, manned by Navy SEALs, Army Special Forces and Marine Corps reconnaissance teams in order to keep watch on Iraqi movements across the Kuwaiti border.

Three of these posts could support operations along the road into Khafji, but only the 2nd Saudi Arabian National Guard (SANG) Brigade and an attached Qatari armored battalion were responsible for the defense of the town.

The Iraqi 6th Armored Brigade encountered its first coalition resistance as it ran into Observation Post 4 (OP-4), manned by a Marine Corps company of light infantry, armed with Light Armored Vehicles and TOW-2 anti-tank missiles. A company of Marines, though outnumbered against a brigade, stalled the advance with help from coalition airpower, specifically A-10 Thunderbolt IIs.

An LAV-AT from 1st Light Armored Infantry Battalion drive across the Saudi desert. The LAV-AT provided the heavy fire power of the battalion with its antitank missiles.(U.S. Marine Corps)

As the fighting raged at OP-4, the rest of the massed Iraqi divisions advanced on Khafji. The Iraqi 5th Mechanized Division crossed the border near another observation post, OP-1, but was attacked by allied airpower in the form of A-10s, Harriers and F-16 Fighting Falcons. When the Iraqis tried slipping by OP-2, they also met heavy air resistance. Both units would retreat across the border.

Finally, an Iraqi column crossed the Saudi Arabian border and headed down the coastal road toward Khafji. This force was engaged by the 2nd Saudi Arabian National Guard Brigade, which cut off contact after taking heavy fire from the Iraqis. AC-130 gunships pounded two columns of Iraqi tanks along the road, but it wasn't enough.

Khafji fell to the Iraqis after midnight on Jan. 30, but coalition airpower was showing how effective it could be against even the largest of ground offensives.

Hussein was correct about the Saudi response to the occupation of their city. The kingdom asked Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf to launch an immediate counterattack, but Schwarzkopf wasn't going to play Saddam's game. He decided the Saudis were going to retake their own city with the help of Recon Marines, Marine artillery and Army Special Forces.

Qatari forces cut off the Iraqi advance to the south of Khafji while Saudi National Guard units and coalition air forces cut off reinforcements to the north. Marine Corps artillery pounded the city on Jan. 30, with the help of a six-man Marine reconnaissance team that stayed behind inside the occupied city. Meanwhile, coalition aircraft wreaked havoc on the Iraqis.

Marines of 1st Battalion, 12th Marines, prepare an M198 155mm howitzer. The battalion fired numerous missions in support of Saudi and U.S. Marine forces during the Battle of al-Khafji. (U.S. Marine Corps)

On the morning of Jan. 31, three battalions of Saudi infantry launched an assault to retake Khafji. Iraq was cut off from reinforcements and could neither retreat nor advance. The Iraqis were sitting ducks as the Arab forces cleared buildings in the city, moving north from Khafji's south.

As the sun rose on Feb. 1, 1991, Saudi infantry was advancing through Khafji with light resistance. Some Iraqi holdouts lasted a little bit longer, but the burnt-out remains of Iraqi artillery, armored vehicles and hollow shells that used to be tanks told the tale.

The fierce fighting in Hussein's attempt at a "Mother of All Battles" left 11 U.S. Marines and 14 airmen dead, three wounded Americans and two U.S. prisoners of war captured by the Iraqis. The U.S. also lost two light armored vehicles and one AC-130 gunship. The Arab armies at Khafji suffered 18 dead and 50 wounded.

Iraq lost three of its best mechanized divisions, all of which were destroyed, along with more than a thousand killed, wounded or missing in action. Both the Saudis and Iraqis claimed it as a propaganda victory, but it was more of a training mission for the coalition, which now knew exactly what to expect when expelling Iraq from Kuwait.

On Feb. 24, coalition ground forces began the liberation of Kuwait with a 90,000-round artillery barrage. Just 100 hours later, Iraq was defeated, Kuwait's emir was back in power and a cease-fire went into effect.

-- Blake Stilwell can be reached at blake.stilwell@military.com. He can also be found on Twitter @blakestilwell or on Facebook.

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It's true: Not only do veterans need to worry about performing well in future job interviews, they also need to know that job interviews don't follow one standard format. As if preparing for a job interview wasn't nerve-wracking enough, the kind of interview for a potential job can vary.

While this fact may seem to make interview preparation more difficult, knowing what kind of job interview it will be can actually help veterans prepare for it. The following interview types are the most common ones that separating veterans are likely to encounter.

1. Screening Interviews

This is the kind of job interview most of us likely think of when we are asked to interview for a job and the first one separating or newly separated veterans will experience. After looking through resumes and pulling out suitable candidates, employers will often conduct screening interviews to ensure a candidate really has the skills, education and experience the job requires.

This kind of interview is often very quick and usually done over the phone or via a video conference, like Zoom. It's a nuts-and-bolts kind of interview, one that ensures those who will be proceeding to the next round meet the minimum basic requirements for the job.

2. Virtual Interviews

To save everyone time and money, businesses and hiring managers have increasingly used remote communication technology like Zoom or Skype to conduct initial interviews with prospective employees. Like a screening interview, it will likely cover your skills and experience, but the interviewer may be interested in learning more about you as a person.

Be prepared to talk about your motivations in your work and why you want to join that company. It's important to remember that remote meetings are becoming more common, and that a virtual interview, as opposed to an in-person interview, doesn't reflect on your chances of getting the job.

3. Behavioral Interviews

A behavioral interview goes beyond the skills, education and experience needed for a job and focuses more on the candidates' personalities, abilities in the workplace and career accomplishments. These interviews are known for some common interview questions, like those that begin with: "Give me an example of ..."

The important thing to remember about behavioral interviews is that there isn't necessarily a right or wrong answer to any of the questions. The company wants to know how you responded to situations in the past to understand how you might react in the future. Try to remember some of your biggest workplace challenges and how you overcame them in preparation for this kind of interview.

4. Panel Interviews

This kind of interview is exactly what it sounds like. Rather than discuss the job and your candidacy with a single interviewer, you will be facing down a number of interviewers, two to three being the most common. Since it's designed to see how well a candidate communicates and handles pressure, it's best to come prepared.

Since your communication skills are likely being examined during a panel interview, you might want to consider running a practice interview with friends or well-wishers to prepare for it.

5. Case Interviews

The case interview is likely the most challenging kind of interview and the most difficult for which to prepare. In a case interview, the interviewer wants to check a candidate's problem-solving ability. Candidates can be asked to provide their potential solutions to a unique business problem, which could be fictitious or a historical scenario that actually happened.

The interviewee will be expected to read a set of criteria describing the problem, then create potential solutions. They will then be asked to explain the reasoning for their solution to the interviewer, based on the criteria provided and their own experience.

Head over to Monster, Military.com's parent company, for tips on preparing for these five types of interviews.

-- Blake Stilwell can be reached at blake.stilwell@military.com. He can also be found on Twitter @blakestilwell or on Facebook.

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The Twins on Wednesday selected the contract of veteran catcher Sandy Leon  acquired in a minor league swap with Cleveland yesterday  and designated veteran right-handed reliever Joe Smith for assignment (Twitter link via Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com). Minnesota also reinstated lefty Caleb Thielbar from the 15-day injured list and optioned catcher Caleb Hamilton to Triple-A St. Paul.

Smith, 38, signed a one-year, $2.5MM deal with the Twins late in the offseason. Hes currently sporting a lackluster 4.61 ERA through 27 1/3 frames, though that number is disproportionately skewed by a nightmarish appearance on July 17, when Smith took a six-run drubbing at the hands of the White Sox in an 11-0 blowout loss. Setting aside that one awful outing, hes otherwise pitched to a 2.67 ERA.

The Twins, however, rarely gave Smith eighth-inning work and often relied on him in innings five through seven, often entrusting higher-leverage innings to Jhoan Duran, Griffin Jax, and (with far less success) Emilio Pagan and Tyler Duffey. Smith has been homer-prone this year even if one is willing to charitably overlook that White Sox implosion, and lefties have absolutely torched him, posting a .303/.410/.606 batting line in 39 plate appearances.

In the past, the sidearming Smith has excelled in terms of limiting hard contact. After a brief hiccup in that regard in 2020, he bounced back in 2021  not to his prior peak, granted, but an 87.9 mph average exit velocity and 35.2% hard-hit rate were both solid enough marks. This season, Smith has yielded an average exit velocity of 89.2 mph, however, and a hefty 42.1% of batted balls against him have left the bat at 95 mph or greater.

Smith is still owed about $879K of this years $2.5MM salary, and any team that claims him will be responsible for the remainder of that sum. If he goes unclaimed on waivers, he can reject a minor league assignment in favor of free agency while still retaining the entirety of that remaining salary. A new team would only be responsible for the prorated portion of the league minimum upon signing Smith and adding him to the big league roster. The Twins, of course, can no longer trade Smith now that yesterdays deadline has passed, so hell be on either outright waivers or release waivers within the next few days.

As for Leon, hell give the Twins a defensive-minded backup whos long drawn praise for his receiving skills and defense  even as theyve been coupled with anemic offense. At this juncture of his career, the 33-year-old switch-hitter is the consummate veteran backup. He went 2-for-15 with a pair of singles but six walks earlier this season with the Guardians and has a .226/.340/.333 slash in 100 Triple-A plate appearances between Cincinnati and Cleveland on the year. Hell give the Twins a solid glove and veteran game-caller while they await the return of 25-year-old Ryan Jeffers, whos out several more weeks with a broken thumb.

Its possible that the Twins will continue to roster Leon even after Jeffers returns, as Leon would still be a better defensive backup behind the plate than Gary Sanchez, who could revert back to a primary designated hitter role. Beyond that, Major League teams will get a couple of extra roster spots in September, making it easier to roster both Leon and Sanchez. The Twins have regularly carried three catching options in previous seasons.
Nigerian actress Monalisa Chinda is appealing to the public for the urgent rescue of two of her colleagues who are at the moment in the hands of kidnappers.

Clemson Cornel and Cynthia Okereke were kidnapped last Friday while they were returning from a movie set in Enugu State of Nigeria, multiple Nigerian media outlets reported.

In an Instagram post on Monday, Monalisa expressed concern about the notion of Nollywood actors being rich.

I don't understand how people would think that actors have money with the paltry sum we receive as fees? The struggle through life vicissitudes, health issues etc we face every now n then, she wrote.

She went on to reveal that the phone being used by the abductors can be traced.

$100k from where? The numbers that were used to communicate with them can easily be traced. I mean.. (crying emoji). The search is on (prayer emoji) @actorsguildofnigeria Let's keep reposting please, she concluded.
If we look back over the past four decades since the first case of HIV was diagnosed, we cannot miss the stark writing on the wall: had the whole world depended only on the rich nations of the Global North, then we would have miserably failed to deliver lifesaving antiretroviral therapy to over 28.7 million people living with HIV by end of 2021. It will also become amply clear how vital remains the central driving force of key affected communities as well as the Global South in making medicines affordable and accessible. Rich nations have spurred health innovations indeed. But it is the people most at risk of HIV and the countries in the Global South that have made the dream partially come true of making these scientific breakthroughs reach those who are most in need.

With 101 months left to end AIDS by 2030, countries globally have to ensure 100% people living with HIV know their status, 100% of them are receiving lifesaving antiretroviral therapy along with full spectrum of HIV care cascade, and are virally suppressed. In addition, 100% of people should have full access to HIV combination prevention options so that we can deliver on zero new case targets. We do not have to wait till 2030, we already have the tools and approaches which science has proven that they work. We have to implement what we know works, said Dr Ishwar Gilada, Governing Council member of International AIDS Society (IAS) and President of AIDS Society of India (ASI)  a national network of HIV medical experts and researchers. Dr Gilada was chairing a press conference hosted by ASI and Organized Medicine Academic Guild of India at the 24th International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2022) in Montreal, Canada.

92% HIV medicines globally come from India

"Currently 92% of lifesaving antiretroviral therapy for people living with HIV worldwide comes from Indian generic manufacturers. Compared to the price of these medicines in the Global North, credit goes to most affected communities and Indian generic medicine manufacturers who have made medicines affordable. Most of the generic antiretroviral medicines cost 1% or less when compared to the cost of the same in rich nations. For example, best available three-in-one medicine was costing USD 10,452 per patient per year, but lowest quoted cost from Indian generic manufacturers is USD 69, which is merely 0.7% of international cost. Likewise, cost of treatment of those infected with hepatitis C virus was USD 84,000 for three months therapy, but Indian manufacturers have brought down the cost to as low as USD 215  which is less than 0.3% of international cost, added Dr Gilada.

If we are to scale up lifesaving medicines along with full spectrum of HIV care services, particularly in low and middle-income countries, role of countries in the Global South, such as India, is pivotal.

Agrees Dr Beatriz Grinsztejn, President-Elect of International AIDS Society (IAS): India as one of the biggest producers of generic medicine, has been able to develop, produce, and export generic antiretroviral treatments which are key for scaling up access to these medicines. She strongly advocated for boosting South-South cooperation on health.

Inequalities determining trajectory of HIV epidemic in the Global South

Scale up of antiretroviral therapy has improved over the years as well as access to HIV services, however it is also fundamental to ensure the quality and sustainability of the programmes which are being implemented, added Dr Grinsztejn. Countries in the Global South have many issues in common as inequalities are still determining the trajectory of HIV epidemic in low and middle-income countries.

Dr Beatriz said There are compelling factors that demand reassessments of policy frameworks for emerging South-South cooperation. A framework which is holistic and aims for generating health-driven research and development, will strike a balance between promoting and protecting the right to access of medicines.

Bridge the gap between what we know, and what we do

Dr Ann Duerr, Scientific Affairs Director, HIV Vaccine Trials Network (HVTN), and Professor, Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutch, Seattle, USA expressed concern on latest UNAIDS global AIDS update shared at AIDS 2022. In 2021, every 2-3 minutes an adolescent girl or young woman was infected with HIV and every minute we lost a life to AIDS.

Dr Ann Duerr said: It is high time that we redouble our efforts globally. We need to increase implementation of what we know works. This includes increasing HIV treatments, and also increasing the preventive measures such as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) along with full range of combination prevention options, especially among populations at risk.

She strongly called upon India to help boost implementation science, which addresses the gap between what we know and what we do. By closing these gaps, we can redouble our efforts to fight the global epidemic of HIV infection, she added.

Commendable progress but challenges remain

Dr Glory Alexander, who is the founder of ASHA Foundation in India and elected as Vice President of AIDS Society of India (ASI), is also a part of the AIDS 2022 organizing committee. She said that over the years, we have been able to reduce the number of new HIV infections by about 37% since 2010, and decreased AIDS-related deaths by 66% since 2010 in India. That is huge achievement and was possible largely due to scale up of antiretroviral therapy.

However, among the key populations, HIV seroprevalence continues to remain very high - between 1.5% to 6.25% (compared to general population where HIV incidence is around 0.21%). This needs to be reduced before we can even think of achieving #endAIDS targets. Along with scaling up HIV care services we also have to reduce inequities, failing which it will be very difficult to reach out to the targets of 100-100-100 by 2030 said Dr Glory Alexander to CNS (Citizen News Service).

Dr Glory's concern regarding high HIV rate among key populations is also echoed by the United Nations joint programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS). According to the UNAIDS, the risk of acquiring HIV is 35 times higher among people who inject drugs than adults who do not inject drugs; 30 times higher for female sex workers than adult women; 28 times higher among gay men and other men who have sex with men than adult men; and 14 times higher for transgender women than adult women.

Dr Ishwar Gilada rightly pointed out that it is not 'Global North vs Global South', but a call for reimagining the fight to end AIDS based on principles of solidarity, equity, and social justice. While Global North currently leads on health innovations, it is no less vital to ensure that these scientific breakthroughs reach the most-in-need people globally without any delay (or without any barriers like cost).

Bobby Ramakant  CNS (Citizen News Service)

(Bobby Ramakant is a World Health Organization (WHO) Director Generals WNTD Awardee 2008 and part of editorial of CNS (Citizen News Service). Follow him on Twitter @BobbyRamakant or visit www.bit.ly/BobbyRamakant)

- Shared under Creative Commons (CC)
Monday saw 696 migrants and asylum seekers cross the Channel from France to the United Kingdom, on board 14 small boats. The defence ministry described the influx as the highest daily tally for 2022 and only the second time this year that daily crossings have topped 600.

Large groups of people, including young children, were brought ashore at Ramsgate, on the Kent coast in southeast England, before being taken by bus to processing centres.

The latest arrivals suggest the London government's controversial policy of deporting to Rwanda those who survive the dangerous crossing has so far failed to deter migrants.

More than 17,000 people have arrived in the UK after crossing the Channel so far this year, according to government figures.

More than 28,500 arrived on British shores last year. The all-time daily record of 853 Channel crossings was set in November 2021.

The number of crossings fluctuates, depending on weather conditions and enforcement action along the northern French coastline.

The English Channel is one of the world's busiest shipping lanes.

Send them to Rwanda

In a bid to deter migrants, Britain earlier this year unveiled a policy which involves sending all illegal arrivals for processing and permanent resettlement in Rwanda.

The first flight, due to take off in mid-June, was grounded after a legal challenges, and the policy remains stalled.

Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss, the two Conservative rivals bidding to succeed Boris Johnson as Prime Minister, have both vowed to maintain the Rwanda policy.

Britain has been paying France tens of millions of euros annually to help stop the boat crossings. The money is spent on extra beach patrols and equipment such as night-vision goggles.

Some Conservative critics of the French expenditure say it is a complete waste of money. The UK Interior Minister Priti Patel is shortly expected to announce the latest financial deal with Paris.
Prophet Isaac Owusu Bempah, Leader of the Heavens Gate Chapel International has called on Ghanaians to pray for peace to continue to prevail in the country.

He prophesied that the upcoming 2024 general elections will be bloody.

According to the self-styled prophet, he saw the next elections being marred by violence, gun shootings, chaos and deaths.

He added that spiritually, there are angels from the devil wielding machetes and want to use the elections to claim lives.

In an interview with Accra-based Okay FM, monitored by Modernghana News Owusu Bempah advised Ghanaians to focus on the country's peace and not who wins the elections.

There's war in 2024 elections more than victory. If we don't pray, what will happen in Ghana will not be good. 2024 elections will be more serious than any other elections. I plead with all Christians and all Ghanaians to start praying about it even though we haven't gotten into 2024. We shouldn't be focused on who wins but we should be focused on our lives and the peace of the nation.

"There have been wars in other countries because of elections. For the 2024 elections, I see more danger than victory. I plead with authorities to also put measures in place because there is fighting in the 2024 elections and if care is not taken, it will be the first time there will be war in Ghana that there will be firing of guns, burning and attacks on Jubilee House. It wouldn't help so let's pray about it," he narrated.

He stressed that I have seen it and I have said it. It should not be misconstrued. I say every time and people insult me. Instead of you insulting me, use it to pray. Those who believe should pray. 2024 elections is bloody because spiritually, there are angels from the devil-wielding machetes who want to use the elections to claim lives.

He also advised politicians to prioritize lives over political power.

"Ghana needs the hand of God. Let's not let the position be 'sweet' for us but rather we should think about lives. I plead with politicians to have love for Ghana than the positions," he emphasised.
02.08.2022 LISTEN

Cowpea, popularly known in Ghana as beans, has been described by tertiary students as a saviour, not only due to its affordability, but also because of its great taste. Its an important necessity for students especially during those times of the semester when they are low on food and / or money.

In Ghana, and across Africa generally, cowpea remains a popular food. It is a high-protein food crop consumed by an estimated 200 million people in Africa daily. Its usually cooked and eaten with carbohydrate sources like plantain and rice. Its also used in preparing porridge as well as snacks.

Resource poor Ghanaians cherish it heavily because it is an affordable source of protein. It thus earned the moniker poor mans meat. But its not only the poor who enjoy it. All classes of people in Ghana including the rich and poor, young and old, males and females, enjoy cowpea.

Unfortunately, the challenges faced by cowpea farmers, including rampant pest infestation, are unknown to consumers of this important food crop. These challenges with cowpea are gradually pushing farmers away from its cultivation. Mohammed, a son of a cowpea farmer took after his father and has been in active farming for six (6) years. He was hopeful that he would be able to engage in this profession for the long term to make ends meet and be able to cater for the needs of his school-going children. But six years into cowpea farming, all he tells his friends is that due to the unending insect problems with cowpea cultivation, he is virtually losing all his investments.

Most of his friends have abandoned their farms to look for other lucrative ventures. Mohammed recalls how the Maruca pests continuously devastate his field, and the several number of times he has had to lose more than a quarter of yield. Then he loses money to members of the labour force who partake in harvesting of crops thats already been damaged by the Maruca pests. He additionally has to deal with storage insects, which he eventually found a solution to. Hes resorted to manually threshing the dried crop and triple bagging the grains after fumigating them with Phostoxin. But for the more devastating Maruca infestation, no effective measure has been deduced yet.

Maruca pest is a key challenge that renders cowpea production unattractive. The larvae infest the flower buds, flowers, and the pod causing up to 80% yield loss in heavily infested areas. Currently, farmers spray their fields between eight (8) to ten (10) times within the eight (8) week growing cycle of the crop in order to get a good harvest. There is no known cowpea variety that is resistant to Maruca. Coupled with high cost of production, farmers are also at risk of other health implications due to their regular exposure to these pesticides.

After nine years of research on a new cowpea variety engineered to be resistant to Maruca, devoted farmers like Mohammed and his colleagues do not still have access to this variety. The reality that this variety will help farmers increase yield and reduce pesticide application to two (2) times per season (mainly for other insects that attack cowpea than Maruca), instead of the regular eight (8), has not done the magic in encouraging a hastened approval process.

Their hopes of having a less tedious and cheaper cowpea production, is yet to see the light of day. To them this is injustice to cowpea farmers in Ghana, knowing that Nigerian cowpea farmers are already benefiting from the genetically modified podborer resistant (PBR) cowpea.

Now to the question I asked at the beginning; will the PBR Cowpea be a game changer in the lives of farmers, consumers, the nation, and the environment at large? I believe so. First of all, the PRB cowpea will contribute to efforts to meet Sustainable Development Goal 1 on eradicating poverty because Ghanaian cowpea farmers will be able to earn more profits from their fields due to reduced pest attacks. They will also earn more profit because they will be investing far less resources in pesticides. Additionally, the PBR cowpea will help ongoing efforts to meet SDG 2 on ensuring zero hunger. There have been recent complains about hike in the price of beans as a result of rising farmer input cost and scarcity in some areas. Widespread adoption of the PBR cowpea could make a difference in making more quantities available for the benefit of consumers.

Recently, The Conversation Africa reported that the National Biosafety Authority has approved the GM PRB cowpea, and it will now go to the Varietal Release Committee of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture for varietal release approval. Maybe, it is about time that those processes were quickened to help make these above spelt out benefits available to Ghanaians.

I had the opportunity recently to interact with some Ghanaian farmers who grow cowpea and the question they kept asking was, where are these PBR seeds? We want them. Let us be fair to these struggling cowpea farmers and make the variety available to them.

I am confident this will open the door for the country to apply the genetically modified organism (GMO) technology and other biotechnology tools to help improve upon Ghanas agricultural sector.

By: Abigail Dankwah Akoto

Alliance for Science Fellow, Boyce Thompson Institute, Cornell University  USA
Hon. Francisca Oteng Mensah, Deputy Gender Minister Designate

03.08.2022 LISTEN

The appointment of Hon. Francisca Oteng Mensah, Member of Parliament for Kwabre East, as the Deputy Minister for the Gender Ministry, has caused stir on social media.

According to many, particularly a Twitter handle named Saint Chevna, the constituents of Kwabre East in the Ashanti region have declared their MP persona non grata.

He noted that the Member of Parliament has been missing from the constituency for a long time.

In a comment to the official Twitter account of the Information Ministrys post which contained the notice of the appointment, Saint Chevna wrote Lol.. what a joke."

The netizen added, "Kwabre East people can't even find their minister and have accepted that they don't have an MP. But Akufo-Addo sees her as the best person to be a deputy minister.

Says a lot about this government.

According to the netizens assertion, history is likely to repeat itself at the Gender Ministry as the newly appointed Deputy Minister is likely to follow Adwoa Sarfo's suit.

Another netizen, Yaw Nti, suggested that the Ministry be left in the hands of Hon. Cecilia Abena Dapaa to reduce the number of ministers in this government.

To lessen the number of ministerial appointmentswhich this president just loves makingI would have preferred that Mrs. Dapaah continues in her current role as a substantive employee while her current ministry is eliminated and moves to the housing ministry, Yaw Nti wrote.

This comes after a press statement issued and signed by Mr. Eugene Arhin, Director of Communications Office of the President, and copied to Modernghana News on Tuesday, August 2, announced Hon. Francisca Oteng Mensah as Minister and Deputy Minister-designate to oversee the affairs of the Gender Ministry.

The release reads The President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, in accordance with article 78 of the Constitution, has appointed the Deputy Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Hon. Lariba Zuweira Abudu, the Member of Parliament for Walewale, as Minister-designate for Gender, Children and Social Protection. Her appointment is subject to the approval of Parliament.

It adds Pursuant to article 79 of the Constitution, President Akufo-Addo has also nominated Hon. Francisca Oteng Mensah, Member of Parliament for Kwabre East, as Deputy Minister designate for Gender, Children and Social Protection, subject to the approval of Parliament.

With this, The President is hopeful that Parliament will expedite the approval of his nominees for this important Ministry, so they can assist in the effective delivery of his mandate for his second term in office.
Page Content

The Minister of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment, and Infrastructure (VROMI), the Honorable Egbert Doran, along with the Technical Director of St. Maarten Housing Development Foundation Mr. Telson Bell, and Project Managers of the towers, toured the towers in Belvedere which are currently being repaired.





The objective of the tour was to assess the progress of the renovations. During the tour, the minister expressed his satisfaction with the progress thus far. I must say it is progressing well and I hope we continue down this positive path of improved living conditions for the Belvedere community, said Minister Doran.





Of the towers that are currently being renovated, (2) two towers consisting of sixteen (16) one-bedroom units, will be ready for the tenants to occupy as of September 1, 2022.





The renovations were prioritized by the Government of Sint Maarten and are a part of the Emergency Recovery Project (ERP-1) of the Sint Maarten Trust Fund, which is financed by the Government of the Netherlands, managed by the World Bank, and implemented by the NRPB.





Renovations completed for the units included Installation of windows, doors, plumbing fixtures, full-scale replacements of the kitchens, and bathrooms, apartment electrical panels as well as new indoor tiles for the living room, and bedrooms. Indoor and outdoor painting has been completed as well as the removal of debris from the units.





This is the first time in history that such major renovations have taken place in the Belvedere community and it is great to see the towers back to proper living standards.





Minister Doran ended by thanking everyone involved in making the renovations a reality thus far and looks forward to the keys being handed over to the tenants.
ASA Savings and Loans Company Limited have extended a helping hand to support the running of the Teshie Childrens Home.

The company on Friday, July 29, made a huge donation to the Childrens Home in the Greater Accra Region as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).

The donation was led by the ASA Savings and Loans Teshie Nungua Businesses Centre.

During the visit to present the donation, the ASA Savings and Loans Teshie Nungua Businesses Centre Area Manager, Mr. Justice Korsah said his outfit is not only interested in making profits but to give back to the less privileged in the communities they operate in.

The items he led a team from the company to donate to the Teshie Childrens Home include soft drinks, water, provisions (milk, milo), diapers, cooking oil, rice, maize, gari, toilet rolls, noodles, notebooks, exercise books, and other stationery.

Other items donated include disinfectants, washing powder, tin tomatoes, as well as sanitary pads.

Receiving the items on behalf of the Teshie Childrens Home, owner and manager Mrs. Janet Anyeley Packer disclosed that the home which has been in existence since 1995 is dependent on donations such as the one done by ASA Savings and Loans Company Limited.

She appealed to other companies and the general public to donate to the home so that the children, widows, and widowers at the home can also live a comfortable life.

The Teshie Childrens Home currently caters for 43 children aged between 2 years 18 years, as well as 98 Widows and widowers.
03.08.2022 LISTEN

The King and Overlord of the Gonja Kingdom, Yagbonwura Sulemana Tutumba Boresa I has urged residents of the Savannah Region to at all times, embrace peace for sustainable development.

He made this call in a speech read on his behalf by the Registrar of the Savannah Regional House of Chiefs, Mr. Abutu Kapori during a training workshop on Covid-19 and peace building on Tuesday, August 2, 2022.

According to him, peace is an essential component in propelling every country's development adding that lack of peace retards socio-economic advancement.

"Without peace, nothing moves on", he conveyed whiles urging the participants to keenly concentrate on the various presentations by the experts to inure to the overall benefit of the Savannah Region.

He also heaped special praises on the organizers of the workshop.

"The Traditional authority of the Region wishes to commend the implementing agencies for this august activity in the Savannah Region. Our relationship with you will continue to impact development in the Region," he stated.
03.08.2022 LISTEN

The first batch of the 1993-year group of the Christian Methodist Secondary School has donated and installed street lights on the campus of their alma mater.

The items donated include 15 pieces of 150 watts street lights, 5 photocells, 2.5m cable wire (3 pieces), nails, black tape, 2x4 woods and other essential materials.

Presenting the street lights on behalf of members of the 1993-year group, George Tawiah, said the donation was to contribute towards providing a safe and secure environment for the students and teaching staff.

The donation and installation became necessary as the school is mostly dark during nightfall putting the lives of the students and property of the school at risk, he added.

He said the year group after contemplating about several projects settled on the street light because We recognise the important role that the security and sense of safety plays in an academic environment.

Tawiah assured his year group has plans to embark on other future projects in the school. The 1993-year group recognises that the school faces many more challenges and so we look forward to undertaking many more such projects for the school, he reiterated.

Tawiah was hopeful that the street lights would be beneficial to the school community adding that We believe the lamps will help the school in its efforts at providing security on campus."

He called on the school management to ensure regular maintenance of the street lights to last long.

Speaking on behalf of the management of the school, the Assistant Headmistress, Benedicta Asare, thanked the 1993-group.

We are grateful for contributing to ensure that the place is safe and secured, she noted.

The assistant headmistress extended a hand of welcome to all alumni of the school to campus adding that Even if you are not going to donate anything, we want to see most of you visit to familiarize yourself with the school environment.

She called on other alumni groups to emulate the example of their colleagues.

She added that the school campus also needs paving as the compound poses a lot of challenges for both students and teaching staff especially during the raining season.
The Police have announced that a Japanese national, Morikawa Hikawu has been nabbed in Ghana.

This was upon a request by INTERPOL Tokyo.

The arrest followed a revocation of his passport by Japan.

The suspect was put before court and was remanded into lawful custody awaiting his removal from the country, a Police statement said on Tuesday August 2.

The INTERPOL Unit of the Ghana Police Service is working with the Ghana Immigration Service , INTERPOL Tokyo and the Japanese Embassy in Ghana for his removal, the statement said.

3news.com
The Africa Centre for Energy Policy (ACEP) has raised concern over plans by the Energy Ministry to move the Ameri Plant to Kumasi.

In a statement issued by ACEP, it has kicked against the idea, insisting that the processes have lacked transparency.

ACEP reveals that although the relocation according to the Energy Ministry is to cost $35.6 million, its checks have revealed that the cost involved is actually $25.48.

The Minister quotes $35.6 million as the cost of the relocation in his 17th December 2021 letter to VRA. However, ACEP has sighted the original proposal from Mytilineos SA dated 22nd March 2021 to the Ministry, quoting $25.48 million for the same.

Instead of negotiating the proposal of the sole-sourced offer downwards, the contract cost has instead increased by 40 percent. It is unclear what accounts for such a quantum leap from the proposal amount by Mytilineos SA, ACEP notes in its 8-paged statement.

While ACEP accepts the justification given by the Energy Ministry for the relocation of the Ameri Plant, it argues that with the current debt situation of the sector, it is not the best decision.

The Centre proposes that the Energy Ministry should rather prioritise strengthening the transmission systems in place to coincide with a stable power supply for the middle belt from the Bui Dam.

In addition, it wants the Energy Ministry to be transparent to the Ghanaian people in the whole process of relocating the Ameri Plant to Kumasi.

ACEP agrees that the power system will need some power generation dotted across the country in the medium to long term. However, given the current debt situation and the multiplicity of the challenges in the sector, more optimal planning should prioritize efficiency, effectiveness, and economy for power delivery. Strengthening the transmission system to coincide with a stable power supply for the middle belt from the Bui Dam is more urgent. This would require converting the Bui Dam from a peaking plant to an operationally possible baseload supply plant to support the NITS, ACEP proposes in its statement.

It adds, If, for any reason, this recommendation is not an option for the Ministry, which appears to be the case for the past two years, the worst they can do is to ensure that the relocation and contracting processes are done in the most transparent and competitive manner.

The current processes have no semblance of that transparency required to generate the most optimal cost. The O&M being sole sourced to Mytilineos SA is just an unnecessary cost addition in the face of the fact that VRA has the capacity to manage the plant.
From a makeshift camp in Ethiopia's Afar region for people displaced by war, herder Abdu Robso stares in bewilderment at the food aid trucks rolling up the nearby hill towards Tigray.

"Why is this food going to Tigray and not feeding us," the hungry 50-year-old ponders as the World Food Programme convoy slowly winds along the dusty road linking Tigray and the port in neighbouring Djibouti where international aid arrives for the landlocked country.

Along with dozens of men, women and children in the camp in Erebti, an emaciated Abdu says he has been struggling to survive with almost nothing to eat.

The displaced claim they are being ignored while the world focuses on Tigray, the northernmost region ravaged by the brutal conflict that erupted between Tigrayan rebels and Ethiopian federal forces in November 2020.

Fighting has eased since the government and the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) each declared a truce in March but northern Ethiopia remains in the grip of a humanitarian crisis that has left millions in need of emergency aid.

In January, Abdu and his family had to hastily flee their hometown of Abala, about 60 kilometres (40 miles) away on the border with Tigray when the TPLF bombarded the area and advanced into Afar.

After days of walking and an hours-long truck journey, Abdu along with his wife and several of their 22 children reached a camp for displaced people in Afdera, hundreds of kilometres from Erebti.

The World Food Programme (WFP) resumed convoys of aid to Tigray in April. By EDUARDO SOTERAS (AFP/File)

But after the TPLF withdrew from Afar in April, the regional authorities told the displaced to return home, promising help.

Abdu and his family headed back to Erebti, where they are still waiting for aid.

"We answered the call and here we are with nothing," he said.

'What have we done wrong?'

The residents of Erebti take shelter from the searing heat under plastic sheets stretched under trees on the edge of a dry riverbed that lies below the road.

The UN says that across all of northern Ethiopia -- Tigray, Afar and Amhara -- more than 13 million people are in need of food aid. By EDUARDO SOTERAS (AFP)

Even as lunchtime approaches, the fires remain unlit. Children eat some fruit taken from the trees. The weakest sleep.

"Trucks carrying aid for Tigray pass here. What about us? What have we done wrong? Why is no aid coming here? We are also hungry," protests Aldim Abdela, a 28-year-old shepherd.

Mustapha Ali Boko says the TPLF knows how to mobilise the strong Tigrayan diaspora and its international networks, built up during the 27 years that the party dominated national politics until Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed took power in 2018.

Shops have been looted in the Afar town of Abala. By EDUARDO SOTERAS (AFP)

"The reason is that Tigray has a strong leadership and we (the Afar) don't," the 45-year-old says, complaining of "discrimination" by the international community.

In Erebti, he says, "some sleep on an empty stomach".

"People don't have medicines... they don't have food and water."

However, the WFP's country director for Ethiopia, Claude Jibidar, insisted: "WFP has continuously been delivering food to the Afar region. And I know that sometimes, it's less talked about but it is being done."

Across all of northern Ethiopia -- Tigray, Afar and Amhara -- more than 13 million people are in need of food aid, according to the United Nations.

The UN humanitarian agency OCHA says the situation in Afar is 'dire with alarming levels of food insecurity and malnutrition'. By EDUARDO SOTERAS (AFP)

In July, the UN's humanitarian agency OCHA said the situation in Afar remained "dire with alarming levels of food insecurity and malnutrition" due to the combined effects of drought and conflict, ensuing displacement, lack of market access, and high food prices.

Ali Boko says that the only aid has come from a local charity, the Afar Pastoralist Development Association.

APDA official Valerie Browning, an Australian nurse who is married to an Afar and has lived in the region for 33 years, says she has never seen such extreme conditions.

"No Afar wants the people of Tigray to starve. That's obvious, but on the other side, the world and the Tigray people and the government of Ethiopia should not want the Afar to starve... and the unfortunate thing is that this is happening," she says.

"The humanitarian situation is beyond crisis."

'Whole town looted'

The people in Erebti say it is impossible to return to Abala.

It is now a virtual ghost town, abandoned by residents, its stores all empty, according to AFP journalists who visited.

Map showing the Tigray, Afar and Amhara regions of Ethiopia. By Aude GENET (AFP/File)

"I went to Abala, I saw that my house had burned down, all the houses had burned down," says Ali Boko. "Our homes are destroyed and our cattle have disappeared."

"The whole town has been looted," adds Abdu Robso.

The hospital has been wrecked, its doors and windows destroyed, and stripped of equipment such as resuscitation and X-ray devices, incubators, beds and mattresses.

Only a dozen families have returned.

Ali Mohammed says his daughter was wounded in the fighting, and so he was unable to go far.

"They took a lot of things from the house, my TV, my laptop..." says the 45-year-old farmer.

"Conditions are very harsh. The flour is full of weevils. We sift it, but when we eat it it tastes sour. We have no oil, no onions, we eat berbere (a local spice mixture) mixed with water.

"There is no medicine, no water. We drink water from the river and we get sick," he says, anxiously awaiting the help that the authorities promised would arrive soon.

"Here we live with monkeys and stray dogs."
The rising level of corruption in the country endangers the fledgling democracy that has existed since the establishment of the 4th Republican constitution in 1992.

Joyce Bawah Mogtari, Special Aide to former President John Dramani Mahama, expressed concern about the negative ramifications.

Her comments follow a recent CDD and Afraobarometer surveys which shockingly featured key players in the country's democratic dispensation.

The Ghana Police Service tops both surveys followed by the presidency, Parliament, Judiciary and even the Electoral Commission.

In a tweet monitored by Modernghana News today, Wednesday, August 3 the legal practitioner stated that corruption pervades all aspects of the economy and will soon destroy Ghana's democracy under Akufo-Addo's government.

Corruption permeates all key facets of the economy and has literally become a canker that may destroy our nascent democracy, she wrote.

In a similar tweet, she reacted to President Akufo-Addos call for slave reparations.

She stated, Indeed Africans certainly deserve reparations for the scourge called slavery, but we also deserve honest and sincere leaders, Leaders who fight for their people, fight corruption, protect the public purse and deliver on their promises to their people.
Samuel Nartey George, the Ningo Prampram MP said the ruling New Patriotic Party (NDC) plunged itself into the current mess for neglecting its supporters.

Explaining this on Tuesday, August 2 on the Accra-based Metro TVs 'Good Morning Ghana' show monitored by Modernghana News, he noted that some grassroots members of the governing NPP have been denied a share of the 'elephantine cake.'

However, his claim was rubbished by the NPP MP for Ngleshie-Bortianor, Sylvester Tetteh.

He told Sam George to stop painting his NDC Party as angelic.

The NPP MP claimed that the NDC could not even support its own party office to the point where its power was disconnected by the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) in 2000.

Are you saying that if the NDC has power, every foot soldier will be satisfied? If we do this kind of politics it wont help.

No government or party has what it takes to save every member of the party. When the NDC lost power in 2000 your light bill at the party headquarters was disconnected. We know all these things in the country, Mr. Tetteh chided.
03.08.2022 LISTEN

The National Association of Sachet and Packaged Water Producers has refuted a report by the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) indicating that 34.1 percent of sources used for the production of sachet water are contaminated with faecal matter.

According to the association, all production centers of water are vigorously monitored by the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) to ensure that water sold on the market is of standard quality.

In an interview with Citi News, the National President of the Association, Magnus Nunoo said the public should disregard the report as there is constant surveillance of products on the market.

The report was done in 2017 and if there is no malicious intent, you waited for five years before dropping a bombshell using bad wording to say sachet water is contaminated? This is not true. Its unfortunate and we reject this report. The water we use is clean; the source can be challenged, but that is why we treat it using a solid and rigorous filtration system with a regulator, which is the FDA.

A Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey by the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) conducted in 2017-2018 revealed that about 34.1 percent of sources used for the production of sachet water are contaminated with faecal matter .

Officials are intensifying the alert after data from the 2021 population and housing census on the Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene sector revealed that 37.4 percent of households in Ghana depend on Sachet Water as the main source of drinking.

Data from the 2021 Population and Housing census indicate the use of Sachet water as the main source of drinking water has quadrupled in about a decade.

In 2010, nine percent of households depended on sachet water as their main source of drinking, while in 2021, the figure rose to 31.7 percent.

The use of pipe-borne as the main source of drinking water for households however decreased from 46.7 in 2010 to 31.7 percent in 2021.

The revelation according to experts pose a public health danger and there was a need for the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) to embark on thorough scrutiny of outlets engaged in the production of sachet water.

An Assistant Statistician and Director of Field Operations at the Ghana Statistical Service, Dr. Peter Takyi Peprah who spoke to journalists in Kumasi observed the development posed a public health concern and called on regulatory agencies to step up their monitoring of the production of Sachet water in Ghana.

In 2017, a survey was conducted that is Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey of which we didn't just collect information about the sources of drinking water, but we moved further to ask questions about the quality. Its not just the question, but we tested the source of water for the households, where we realized that a certain percentage of water is being contaminated with faecal matter. In that case, one will ask what is happening. Faecal contamination simply means we have toilets in our water; therefore, as a country, we need to encourage the FDA to embark on thorough monitoring and supervision. They should try their best and test on a regular basis the sources of water in the production of this Sachet water so that in case the water is contaminated they will advise or close down that company doing the production, he explained.

A Regional Level Learning Alliances Platform brought together stakeholders in the dissemination of the 2021 Population and Housing census data, which focused on the Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) sector.

Project Coordinator for the Greater Kumasi Sanitation and Water Project, Engineer George Asiedu explained that it was important for stakeholders in the WASH sector to be abreast with the census data to work to improve the sector.

Officials have also recommended establishing a joint working group between the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) and stakeholders in the WASH sector.

citinewsroom
Management of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) says power will only be restored to the Krobo enclave in the Eastern Region after challenges faced by its staff are addressed.

This follows almost a week of power cut in the area by the utility service provider over what it says is the interference of its network and the safety of its officers.

Communities in the Lower Manya and Yilo Krobo Municipalities had been off the national grid following an alleged exchange of gunshots between the military and some residents at Nuaso.

Unconfirmed reports suggest that the gunshots were targeted at workers of ECG who were in the community to disconnect power from the main transformer which was serving a number of illegally connected homes in the area.

Speaking on Eyewitness News, the ECGs Public Relations Officer in the Tema Region, Sakyiwaa Mensah explained that the company has been left with no other option than to cut power as a precaution given the incidents of fibre cuts, tampering with its transformers and attack on its staff.

The main reason for the outage is safety for lives, properties, the general public and ECG workers as well. We had some interference with our networks and as of now, we are not sure of the integrity of our network if we are able to provide safe power to residents because of the illegal entries to our supply networks. When such interference becomes a major source of concern, the first precautionary measure is to cut supply to that area for a period of time and assess the extent of interference.

She assured that efforts will be made to bring finality to the matter.

Hopefully, power will be restored soon. We are not against the residents. For now, no work is ongoing [because of our safety and interference]. We should all call for peace because we are ready to resolve this issue as soon as possible.

There have been tensions with the ECG in recent times over the installation of prepaid metres.

It is however not clear why the entire Krobo enclave is off the national grid, but some residents say they have been badly affected by the power outage.

Others also called for some clarity from the ECG on the state of affairs because they have allowed the installation of prepaid metres in their homes. Impact on health

While businesses in the area say the outage is badly affecting them, the management of the Yilo Krobo and Lower Manya Krobo Municipal Health Directorates have warned of a public health emergency if power is not restored to their districts.

The two districts have been without power since July 27, 2022.

In the Yilo Krobo Municipal Directorate, for example, the power outage has caused the relocation of municipal Cold Chain Equipment, which includes vaccine fridges and freezers for ice packs.

The district hospital has within the last few days spent GH10,975 to power its diesel generator.

The directorates have warned that the high cost of fuel incurred in powering generator sets is not sustainable, and we may not be able to sustain it to provide the quality health care services as expected.

citinewsroom
Four students of the Bolgatanga Technical Institute have been picked up following riots at the school on Tuesday.

The four male students were arrested on Tuesday, August 2, 2022, for rioting and alleged possession of leaked examination papers.

A police source said the suspects are being held in their custody for further investigations and possible prosecution.

The source did not state when the police will commence prosecution.

However, no arrest was made at the Bawku Technical Institute, where students also rioted and destroyed school property.

At BOTECH, the students rioted in demand for the release of a teacher and a National Service personnel who were arrested by the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB) for allegedly leaking an examination paper, while at BAWKU TECH, students rioted because school authorities were strict on them not to engage in examination malpractice.

The Upper East Regional Security Council (REGSEC) led by the Regional Minister, Stephen Yakubu, has shut down both schools upon advice from the Ghana Education Service (GES) and management of the schools.

Mr. Yakubu, directed that all final year students writing the Technical and Vocational Education and Training Examination will only come to school to write their papers and immediately leave back home.

All students left their respective schools by 4:00pm on Monday, August 1, 2022.

It is however unclear when the two schools will recall their students.
03.08.2022 LISTEN

Justice Clemence Honyenuga, who retires in September, 2022, has said he will be sitting on Tuesdays, in addition to the normal sitting days, to hear the GHS271-million financial loss case involving the former CEO of the Ghana Cocoa Board (Cocobod), Dr Stephen Kwabena Opuni, and businessman Seidu Agongo, so he can conclude the matter early.

The Supreme Court judge, who has been sitting on the case as an additional High Court judge, told the court on Thursday, 28 July 2022: "In pursuant to Article 112(2) of the Constitution, 1992, the Chief Justice has granted me a limited time to conclude this case. In the circumstances, this court shall, in addition, sit on Tuesdays at 11 am for early disposal of this four-year-old case. In view of the pending vacation, the case is adjourned to October 3, 2022, at 10 am for continuation".

On that day, a retired deputy director in charge of monitoring and evaluation at the Cocoa Health and Extension Division (CHED) of the Ghana Cocoa Board (Cocobod), Mr Peter Okyere Boateng, told the court that Cocobod increased the quantum of Lithovit liquid fertiliser purchased from 750,000 litres to one million litres after the first procurement following a recommendation that it was an effective agrochemical.

It is produced by Agricult Ghana Limited, a company Mr Agongo owns.

With the company, Dr Opuni and Mr Agongo are being tried for collectively causing the state's financial loss of $65.2 million.

Mr Boateng told the court that Cocobods position was that the Lithovit foliar fertiliser is a very good, efficient and efficacious product that holds the potential to assist farmers to increase their yield and subsequently their finances.

He explained that the report that I compiled and forwarded to Ghana Cocobod through my director carried information about the efficiency of the Lithovit liquid fertiliser, as was observed by all the teams that went to all the cocoa regions, as well as the praises that the farmers sang on the efficacy of the Lithovit liquid fertiliser after application, was accepted in full and the recommendation about the product was implemented, so, the position [of Cocobod] was that the product is good.

On prosecution witness Dr Yaw Adu-Ampomahs testimony that the fertiliser was ineffective based on a bad report about it by the Chemistry Department of the University of Ghana, Mr Boateng said: My Lord, the University of Ghana is my alma mater and I know its a place of academic excellence. But with respect to the Lithovit liquid fertiliser, what I personally observed from the application of Lithovit liquid fertiliser in the farmers farms and what the farmers said about the efficacy of the product, I know that the product is very efficient and, therefore, my Lord, I don't think that the product that the Chemistry Department of the University of Ghana [tested] was the same product that the farmers applied on their farms.

Secondly, he said every Cocobod policy or agrochemical is used by the farmer, so, it is the farmer that always confirms the workability of a policy or the efficiency of any product that is given to them because, my Lord, cocoa farmers are the end-users of every policy or every agrochemical that is released by Cocobod. Therefore, I maintain that the chemical that was tested was not the one used by the cocoa farmers and the one which gave massive yield to the cocoa farmers.

Mr Boateng also refuted claims by the prosecution team that despite Cocobod using $65.2 million to purchase the Lithovit liquid fertiliser for farmers between 2014 and 2016, the agrochemical had no significant increase in cocoa yield.

My Lord, this can't be true because there is evidence in the field from the farmers and from my own observation that the Lhovit liquid fertiliser that was purchased with the amount quoted was utilised by the cocoa farmers and all the farmers who used it testified to the fact that they had massive increase in yield that contributed to national production. I want to say that in every year, we apply different types of fertiliser, so, in the year in question, it wasn't only Lithovit liquid fertiliser that was applied. Lithovit liquid fertiliser contributed its part, and the part that it played was very massive. And, therefore, if national production was not significant, then it cannot be attributed to the Lithovit liquid fertiliser.

My Lord, I want to emphasise that in this case, if the Lithovit liquid fertiliser had not been there, and applied, then the situation would have been worse.

Asked for his comments about the prosecutions case that Dr Opuni conspired with Mr Agongo and the latters company, Agricult, to defraud the state of $65.2 million, Mr Boateng said: My Lord, I don't actually know the basis of the defrauding, so, it can't be true. Because there is every evidence that the money was used to procure Lithovit liquid fertiliser. Also, there is every evidence that the Lithovit liquid fertiliser was supplied to cocoa farmers for application. And there is every evidence that after applying the Lithovit liquid fertiliser, the farmers saw high yield, which increased their income. So, the money was efficiently used. Therefore, there cannot be any defrauding in this issue.

Source: Classfmonline.com
In its quest to support government efforts at solving the food crisis in the Senior High Schools across the country, the Church of Pentecost in Accra has directed its Koforidua Area branch to issue a cheque for Ghc30,000 to help buy food items to feed the students at the Pentecost Senior High School in Koforidua in the Eastern Region.

The donation was aimed at solving the food crisis that has also hit the Pentecost SHS (PENSEC) in Koforidua.

According to information made available to the correspondent, the directive was given when the Headmaster of the school, Mr. Peter Attah Gyamfi sent an emergency call to the church about the food shortages at the school.

The headmaster indicated that any delay could have compelled them to close down the school.

He added that the situation became worst to the point that students were drinking porridge without sugar and bread.

According to him, their cries caught the attention of the Chairman of the Church of Pentecost Apostle Eric Nyamekye who authorised the Koforidua Area Head, Apostle Samuel Osei Asante to issue a cheque for Ghc30,000 to the school to buy food items to feed the students.

Expressing their gratitude to the church, the management of the school indicated that the money has since been used to purchase food items.

The Headmaster, Mr Peter Attah Gyamfi expressed profound gratitude to the church for intervention and urged other churches, old students associations and philanthropists to support the schools in these difficult times to enhance teaching and learning.
03.08.2022 LISTEN

The killing of the al-Qaida Leader by a USA drone in August, 1st 2022 raises the question of the effectiveness of politically motivated state-sponsored assassination.

History has always seen political state-sponsored assassinations. In recent history conducted by the USA, Russia, Saudi Arabia, and North Korea more than by the Europeans or China. Among this group, the USA seems to be the most active and motivated country having left dead individual bodies behind in Africa that had wanted real independence for the continent.

Political motivated and state-sponsored assassinations are confronted with the fact that the person killed carries a mission and a mandate not only life. An ideal set by God given to a person is voiced and promoted by him. Therefore this person never stands alone as it is history for which reason God backs the ideas embodied in a person.

Countries even Democracies, which are the worst offenders in such cases as they drag innocent voters into the political ambitions of the country's leaders which can differ from the mandate given at the polling stations, take to this strategy in the face of being weak in moral values and strategies to combat opponents on the battlefield of fighting for moral values. Such killings in history and in the time we live in were and are never a sign of moral and political strength but expose society to what grounds it stands on.

History is the long time frame in space and territories God had set us in. Like with individual human life we live as human race history from its end to now and back to our beginning never from cradle to grave. Based on this revelation and mystery of life the world over again and again evidence has demonstrated when God wants certain direction humans should take and he sees one of his mandated humans get assassinated it challenges him to bring overtime another one to finish the unfinished mandate.

When the step-brother of the North Korean Dictator in Malaysia got killed by order of his brother, Thomas Sankara President of Burkina a Faso by the CIA, failed USA-backed assassination attempts on the life of Fidel Castro in Cuba, poisoning of Russian critics in London by the leader in the Kremlin, killing of Khashoggi in Turkey by order of the Saudi Arabia Crown Prince and the La Belle Disco in Berlin, Germany and Lockerbie bombing by Libyan Dictator Muhammad al Gadhafi to mention a few the world pauses for a moment in anger and outrage but history is never moved by it.

When God wants us to stand in his path human disturbances and misbehaving can not change his mind. As he had sent his son to teach us who he is we should have by now understood his words.

Political state-sponsored assassination yet shows sadly many of us are still trapped for political gains in the darkness of his words. The killed leader of al-Qaeda will soon be replaced by a different person and this side of destruction will continue in a different dress.
Christians around the world particularly, Ghana have been told to see the importance of giving.

The practice is one of the surest means, a Christian can be guaranteed a successful life.

General Overseer of Revival Life Outreach Church Rev Ekow Eshun, gave the admonition last Sunday.

The occasion was the sod-cutting ceremony for the construction of a church auditorium for Father Love Sanctuary at Ahenema Kokoben, a suburb of Kumasi.

Father Love Sanctuary is an offshoot of Revival Life Outreach Church, whose congregants have been worshipping in a rented auditorium since its inception.

Rev Eshun intimated that giving is not only a spiritual exercise but a vehicle to get to Gods promise of a prosperous life for believers.

To this end, the General Overseer entreated Christians to develop the interest in giving to realise the abundance of Gods love.

The head pastor of Father Love Sanctuary Rev Eben Kwaku Dadson, who doubles as deputy General Overseer of Revival Life Outreach Church, expressed delight at the sod-cutting ceremony.

He was extremely glad because what started as a small dream some years back has now become a reality and that sooner than later the church will have its own auditorium.

Chairman of the project committee Mr Adubofuor called on members both home and abroad to continue donating towards the completion of the project.

The project which is expected to be completed within 24 months will have a spacious auditorium, administrative offices, modern car park, bungalows and stores.

Being constructed on a 10-acre land, the project will also have an auditorium for the children chuch (Sunday school).
03.08.2022 LISTEN

Honorable Joshua Makubu, the Oti Regional Minister rubbished calls to President Akufo-Addo to reshuffle his appointees to improve performance.

Dr. Nana Ayew Afriyie, NPP Member of Parliament for Effiduase Asokore in the Ashanti region on 24th July said on Wontumi FM in Kumasi that since the calls are getting intense the President should heed to such calls and act on them.

However, the Oti Regional Minister Hon. Joshua Makubu in an interview with Nana Yaw Asiamah on Dream 97.1 FM in Worawora in the Oti region said the reshuffle is the prerogative of the President.

He noted that the President should be allowed the space and time to decide whether to reshuffle his appointees.

He believes the President is in control and on top of issues "so let us as Ghanaians not pressure the president with these calls. He will do it at the right time and when he is convinced so Ghanaians shouldn't be worried about it."
In response to United States Secretary of State Antony Blinkens announced trip to the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda, Kate Hixon, Africa Advocacy Director at Amnesty International USA, said:

Secretary Blinkens trip to the region is a positive step for US engagement but will only be successful if human rights are front and center. The military escalation in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo has been devastating for civilians. In his meetings with both the Congolese and the Rwandans, Secretary Blinken must emphasize the importance of adhering to their obligations under international human rights and humanitarian law and insist that justice and accountability for decades of violations must be part of a holistic approach to ending the circle of violence in Africas Great Lakes region.

While recognizing legitimate frustrations of the Congolese people on the shortfalls on the UN and DRC forces ability to guarantee effective security in eastern DRC, Secretary Blinken must press on the importance of the inviolability of the UN premise with his Congolese counterparts. He must call on Congolese officials to investigate and prosecute those responsible for recent acts of violence against the UN personnel and installations in North Kivu. The deaths of UN personnel, Congolese protesters and bystanders, including during the recent incident where the UN forces opened fire and killed at least two people at the Kasindi border post on Sunday July 31, must thoroughly be investigated.

Jean-Mobert Senga, Amnesty Internationals researcher for the DRC added: In the DRC it is imperative that Secretary Blinken raise the ongoing State of Siege in North Kivu and Ituri provinces. At minimum he should ask President Tshisekedi to revoke the powers given to military courts to prosecute civilians, lift all human rights restrictions, and ensure that the State of Siege does not become permanent by outlining a clear exit strategy. In addition, he should emphasize the importance of media freedom and that one cannot arbitrarily detain journalists.

In Rwanda, Secretary Blinken must take this opportunity to call on President Kagame to refrain from any action that could further destabilize the region and put at risk millions of civilians in eastern DRC. In addition, he must press President Kagame on the numerous human rights violations in Rwanda, including threats and restrictions faced by human rights defenders and journalists, and should raise concerns over the failure by Rwanda to guarantee a fair trial in the case of Paul Rusesabagina.

Contact: Gabby Arias, [email protected]
03.08.2022 LISTEN

Several advocacy groups from various African countries have formed a consortium to push for peaceful general elections in Kenya.

The people of Kenya will go to the polls to elect new leaders this month on August 9.

Unfortunately, the current political climate in Kenya is characterised by public mistrust and collective anxiety surrounding the conduct of the elections and the acceptance of its outcomes following statements made by different political actors.

With fears that the unthinkable may happen, the World Federalist Movement (WFM/IGP), Justice Access Point - Uganda (JAP), Community Focus Foundation Ghana (CFF-Ghana), and Amani Communities Africa (ACA) have come together to advocate for peace.

The international consortium is calling on all key stakeholders in Kenya to be mindful of painful election-related experiences of the recent past and urges them to stand for peace.

Kenyans must be guided by the 2013 solemn Declaration of the African Union Heads of States and Government on achieving a conflict-free Africa to take collective actions in ensuring that Kenya remains peaceful before, during, and after the 2022 elections, Richard Kasu, the Executive Director of CFF-Ghana has advised.

Among other things, the consortium is urging candidates to unreservedly desist from hate speech and denounce any incitement to violence during the electoral process.

It also wants the members of the general public, performing artists and religious leaders should intensify the messages of peace.
Lagos, 1 August 2022  Ejike is busy finishing orders in his workshop at Ijegun market in Lagos. He is dressed neatly, wearing a brown self-made modern Nigerian attire. On the first floor of a small breezy workshop along one of the busy market streets, he and his two employees work tirelessly to meet their clients demands. They have a large number of orders from clients who are fond of his designs.

This week we will reach 2,000 pieces of clothing, plus some more, which will be sold at the market nearby. Thank God the business is going well.

The 33-year-old did not always enjoy this level of success. Five years ago, he was struggling to make ends meet. The clothes and fabrics he was selling back then were barely yielding enough to feed his elderly parents. His back was against the wall and, pressed by the dire need to continue providing for his family, he decided to leave Nigeria in search for greener pastures in Italy.

Without proper documentation, Ejike was forced to use irregular channels and paid close to NGN 1 million (approximately USD 2,400) to smugglers for the trip from Nigeria that took him to Libya where he was either hiding from the authorities and criminal gangs, or kept arbitrarily in detention camps as he was waiting for the chance to cross the sea. Days would go by without food and water.

When the day came to attempt the journey across the Mediterranean, he and other migrants were taken to a camp in Qaraboli near Tripoli where they were stripped of all their belongings or documentation and forced into a flimsy rubber dinghy.

From that spot, the trip lasts much longer but there are fewer chances to be arrested.

Ejike at his workshop in Ijegun Market Satellite City in Lagos. Photo: IOM 2022/Stylia Kampani

As night fell, high waves rocked the boat, pushing some of the migrants into the water. By morning, they realized 14 people had gone missing.

I dont want to travel again in this way, only in an official way, Ejike says, recalling his decision to return to Nigeria. I had enough of Libya, I wanted to go home after all this suffering.

He returned on a voluntary humanitarian flight organized by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in March 2018, after being rescued from the Mediterranean by the Libyan Coast Guard and taken back to Libya where he spent 10 months before his return to Nigeria.

If I had the right information, I would never have done that. I wasted so much money on this trip, he reflects.

Upon return, Ejike spent the first months in Lagos, close to his younger brother who has a small convenience store. He was informed by a fellow returnee about the trainings IOM offers to returnees as part of the reintegration assistance upon return but he was hesitant. He was determined to start his own business and wary of outside support.

He focused on learning how to tailor, using sewing machines which he borrowed from friends and acquaintances. It only took him a few months to perfect his skills  his inspiration drawn from one of the darkest times of his life. It was during the course of the journey when I got the idea for a fashion design business. I wanted to start something of my own.

Ejike and his two colleagues at the workshop in Ijegun Market Satellite City in Lagos. Photo: IOM 2022/Stylia Kampani

Eventually, after much convincing from another friend, Ejike, however skeptical, decided to give it a try.

Through the sessions, his interest grew as he honed his skills and techniques that proved useful to his dream of setting up a business. The practical training exposed him to business skills including the development of a business plan, marketing strategies, and managing finances.

He went on to qualify for financial support from the European Union to start his business at Ijegun Market Satellite city in Lagos.

I used the grant to purchase tailoring items and machines for my business. I was so glad for the support from IOM.

Today, he is not only self-sufficient but has also employed two staff and is considering expanding the business.

I dont want to be a regular tailor, my target is to have a chain business. There are ups and downs, but I believe that I will get there. Besides the on-demand orders, he has a stall at the market area where he sells ready-made garments.

The view from the workshop. Photo: IOM 2022/Stylia Kampani

I have confidence in myself. I want to build something that will have my name on it.

His next plan is to open a small showroom with his designs and be able to host customers in a nice environment. His ultimate dream is to open stores across the country and have his own brand name.

From the beginning of his reintegration process, Ejike demonstrated exceptional motivation and strength to rebuild his life and become an entrepreneur. He is passionate and loves his job; thats why I believe he will thrive even more. He is one of IOMs success stories, says Peace, IOMs case manager who has been following his reintegration process and well-being closely.

Ejike is one of the 13,000 Nigerian returnees who, since April 2017, have received reintegration assistance under the EU-IOM Joint Initiative.

This story was written by Stylia Kampani, Public Information Officer at IOM Nigeria.
Youths in the Kwabre East District of the Ashanti Region have threatened to vote against the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) if their roads are not fixed.

Addressing a press conference Tuesday morning, Amaning Kwarteng, Spokesperson and Unit Committee Chairman for the Antoa Electoral area said the entire Kwabre East has been neglected by the NPP government.

He noted that despite voting for the NPP in every election since 1992, the district and communities under it have seen little or no development in terms of road and other development infrastructure.

We the youth by this press conference are giving the government some weeks to attend to the roads in our district and the communities under the same so that we can commence the next line of action, the spokesperson angrily stated.

MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT

The spokesperson decried the attitude of the Members of Parliament in the Ashanti Region, describing them as nuisance.

The spokesperson mentioned the number of times they have had to complain to their Member of Parliament about the bad roads.

Nothing, he intimated, has been done to the situation, something he termed as deliberate neglect and wickedness.

I am wondering what the NPP would come to tell residents of this community in 2024 when the general election is due because what they would see if they dont attend to us would be nasty, the spokesperson threatens.

WORRIES:

The spokesperson noted that the youth in the community do not have jobs after attaining some level of education.

He stressed that with the commitment the people of the region had shown the NPP government infrastructural developments should have been channeled there including jobs.

Mr Kwarteng wondered how the Ashanti MPs feel when nothing developmental or tangible could be pointed to in the region that has been loyal to them.

We will show the NPP something in 2024 and I pray they dont regret treating us wickedly and in neglect, Kito noted.
A 21-year-old French student, Sebastien Raoult, has been jailed for two months in Morocco at the request of US authorities on suspicion of being a member of a group of cybercriminals who have targeted US companies.

The authorities in Morocco confirmed at the weekend that they have detained the 21-year-old French national wanted by the FBI for alleged involvement in cybercrime.

According to Moroccan police, Sebastien Raoult  aka Sezyo  was taken in for questioning on 31 May at the Rabat-Sale airport in relation to an Interpol red notice over a cyber-piracy case.

Interpol red notices ask member countries to provisionally detain people pending possible extradition or other legal action.

Victim of identity theft?

Raoult's detention was reportedly the result of "cooperation" between the kingdom's DGSN security service and the FBI.

The accused's father, Paul Raoult and Lawyer Philippe Ohayon, are requesting for him to be extradited to France rather than the United States, as he had "only been in France and Morocco."

They maintain Sebastien Raoult has been the victim of identity theft and have called on French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne to intervene in the case.

Hacking group under the spotlight

Raoult, a computer science student from Alsace, has been held near Rabat since early June, according to Moroccan and French media.

French magazine L'Obs reported that the FBI suspects Raoult of belonging to the ShinyHunters hacking group, which has allegedly targeted US companies including Microsoft.

The report added that the US authorities are also seeking Raoult's extradition in respect of electronic fraud and identity theft allegations.

Raoult could face more than 116 years in prison in the United States if found guilty of the charges
The National Organizer of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr. Joshua Akamba has rubbished claims by government that the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war has pushed the price of food and petroleum up in the country.

According to the government, the Eastern Europe war has led many African countries to suffer economic challenges, and Ghana is not an exception.

But in sharp contrast to the governments claims, Mr. Akamba told Kwame Obeng Sarkodie, the host of the Ghana Yensom morning show on Accra 100.5 FM on Wednesday, August 3, 2022, that the situation is different in neighbouring Burkina Faso.

He said in the wake of the war, a gallon of fuel is sold at a price equivalent to GHS20, yet Ghana is selling a gallon for GHS70.

"Now GHS100 cannot afford drivers two gallons of fuel," he bemoaned.

"In the past under the NDC government led by former president John Dramani Mahama, GHS100 could afford the Ghanaian driver five gallons of fuel," he noted.

He said he visited Hamile, a border town near Burkina Faso in the Upper East Region on Sunday, July 31, 2022, only to be told that a gallon of fuel is sold for GHS20 despite the Russian-Ukraine war.

He promised to visit the Western Region this weekend to assess the fuel pricing regime of the Ivory Coast in the wake of the Russian-Ukraine war.

Source: Classfmonline.com
Greater Accra Scrap Dealers Association have threatened to go haywire if persons behind the demolishing of the fence wall around their newly acquired 50 acres plot of land are not brought to book and made to reconstruct the wall.

Speaking at a press conference organized to register their grievance over what they termed crazy behaviour, the General Secretary of the Association, Salifu Salim accused one Haruna who he said is the Mponuahene of Akyem Abuakwa Traditional Council of masterminding and presiding over the demolishing.

They gave him a grace period of one month to reconstruct the wall or he will not have it easy with them.

He indicated that the group have already made a commitment of GHC1,400,000 out of a total of GHC2,200,000 project and for that matter would not sit aloof and watch it go waste.

We managed to raise this money by levying our members after government evicted us from our old place and so as leaders, we are duty bound to protect our collective interest," he stated.

According to Mr Salifu, efforts to get the Eastern Regional Police Command, Nsawem and Kyebi District Police to intervene have been fruitless. We reported this issue to them in the month of may but they have refused to engage us in anyway whatsoever to prove that they are committed to finding a solution."

As leaders of this association, we have gone through enough pain to restrain our members from retaliating. They have had enough already that if nothing is done, they can explode. the statement added.

Read full statement below:

PRESS CONFERENCE

2nd AUGUST, 2022

GREATER ACCRA SCRAP DEALERS' ASSOCIATION (GASDA/GBESDA).

Good morning Ladies and Gentlemen, friends from the Media and colleague association members here and afar!

We invited you here this morning to bring to your notice the unlawful and "crazy" behaviour of Land Guards who claim their authority from the Okyehene and hence operatives under the banner of the Akyem Abuakwa Council.

Led by one Haruna (Mponua hene), who claims to be a chief Land Guard of Akim Abuakwa Traditional Council, this group have decided to make life a living hell for us scrap dealers.

Under Haruna's supervision, they completely demolished the Fence Wall on our fifty acres (50 acres) of land, our investigation revealed.

It is worth noting that The Akim Abuakwa Traditional Council was aware of the acquisition of the property and even participated in the construction of the fence wall.

The property and the Fence Wall cost us Two Million, Two Hundred Thousand Ghana Cedis (2,200,000.00) of which we made a deposit of One Million, Four Hundred Thousand Ghana Cedis (1,400,000.00) through which we levied ourselves after the demolition of the scrap yard at Agbogbloshie with Eight Hundred Thousand Ghana Cedis (800,000.00) still to be settled. We acquired the land legitimately from Estates Developer, KOANS BUILDING SOLUTIONS at TEACHER MANTE in the Eastern Region of Ghana.

Before we committed ourselves to this deal, we did our background checks at the Koforidua Lands and it was established that KOANS BUILDING SOLUTIONS is the said property owner.

We all know that there are laws in Ghana, no individual or group of people is above the laws of this land. If they think that we are Northerners and should be treated as such, we want them to know that we are not weak people who will sit aloof and watch our rights trampled upon without responding proportionately.

This unlawful behaviour by Haruna and the criminal group, Okyemen Task Force took place on a May 11th, 2022.

They completely pulled down the wall on a whooping 50 acre plot of land without provocation. This is despite the fact that we had all stakeholders accept that we should relocate there and do our business.

We made a report at the Nsawam Police Station, we were again advised to report same to the Eastern Regional Division, there we were asked again to report to Kyebi Divisional Police as well, of which we did in the same month of May

Up till now, we have not had any response from the Police. We don't want to take the law into our own hands but we can't also sit down for this unlawful and crazy behaviour to go on with impunity as though there are no laws in this country

That we are by this release warning all the land guards parading themselves as chiefs and task force operatives Okye Hene to stay away from our property in the interest of peace.

That the people of Akim Abuakwa are not better persons than we the people from the North who are engaged in this scrap business.

That the people of Ofori Panin Fie should be honest enough and live up to their call as leaders rather than engage in land guard business and frustrating people seeking to make honest living.

That the people of Ofori Panin Fie must as well ensure that the fence wall is built as soon as possible else we are hoping to turn their so called Ofori Panin Fie into out scrap yard.

We are also calling on the government led by NANA ADDO DANQUAH to intervene in this matter as soon as possible to ensure that the cost of our fence wall is paid for the sake of peace within the Akim Abuakwa Traditional Area else we will advice ourselves because we are all Ghanaians

As leaders of this association, we have gone through enough pain to restrain our member from retaliating. They have had enough already that if nothing is done, they can explode.

Therefore, we are sending a strong warning to the land guards especially, Haruna to either reconstruct our Fence Wall or he will not find it easy with us. We are again calling on National Security and the government to intervene before things get out of hand.

Our patience has been tested enough, the police have done their all to prove that we cannot find justice if we count on them.

We are still calling on the system that has failed us, if nothing is done, we will act accordingly to protect our interest.

Thank you all for coming.

Signed; Secretary

Salim Salifu
Marine Le Pen, the leader of the rightwing National Rally parliamentary group, has called for an end to sanctions against Russia, saying the moves to punish Moscow for the Ukraine war "serve no useful purpose" and are "causing suffering" for Europeans.

"I want these sanctions to end," Le Pen said at a parliamentary press conference on Tuesday. "Otherwise Europe is going to face a blackout, notably on the question of Russian gas imports.

"The sanctions are simply useless. All thery do is make Europeans suffer. And that, incidentally, includes French people.

"You'd need a huge dose of bad faith not to realise that, contrary to the inflated claims of our government, the Russian economy is not on its knees. They are not on the brink of bankruptcy.

"We are suffering far more from these sanctions than the Russians are," said the MP for the northern Pas-de-Calais constituency.

They can find other buyers for their oil and gas, they can get around the embargoes, she added. "This has been a series of failures by the European Union."

In June, Le Pen had already warned that the sanctions would have "catastrophic consequences for the purchasing power of the French consumer".

Criticism of president, government

Marine Le Pen also had harsh words for French President Emmanuel Macron, saying that, in the first 100 days of his second mandate, he had achieved "practically nothing".

"The one thing that has happened is the legislation on spending power," she admitted, "but he had no choice. That was an absolute necessity.

"And even that is far less than the needs of our fellow citizens.

"For the rest, nothing, zero, emptiness. There has been no drive from Emmanuel Macron over these 100 days.

"It's almost extraordinary, unsettling, to see such total inertia."

But the parliamentary group leader is happy that the French National Assembly is now in control of the nation.

"This is where decisions are made," she said. "For too long, parliament meant nothing because of the huge majorities of the ruling parties. Now things are happening. Now we have debates. Now we can mlake decisions, demand concessions.

"This is where political combat takes place."
03.08.2022 LISTEN

An achievement is bondage. It obliges one to a higher achievement-Albert Camus.

IF A captain of a ship takes over from another captain who had steered the ship from troubled waters and anchored the vessel in safety, that new captain has a Herculean task to perform. His new dwelling place becomes the Captain's Bridge, where he pitches camp and constantly looks through his binoculars when he sets sail again. His heart beats faster anytime he sees a storm gathering. Confused? Wait a moment while I refill my fountain pen bequeathed to me by my late centurion father.

If there is anyone who should be praised for bringing the NPP this far for the past six years, that person should be Mr. Freddy Blay, the immediate past National Chairman of the party. In 2016, the party had gone to congress to elect constituency, regional and national officers. A very competitive flagbearer race took place and the party was on the campaign trail to grab power from the NDC. Ghanaians woke up one morning to hear that the then National Chairman, Paul Afoko, the General Secretary, Kwabena Adjei Agyapong and the 2nd National Vice Chairman, Sammy Crabbe, were suspended from the party indefinitely. Supporters of the party were shocked to the marrow and the dream of winning the 2016 elections became a bleak one. Hopes were shattered. No reasons were given for the decision and so the people were kept in limbo. It was the first decision of its type of a political party in the 4th Republic, if not all the other republics.

When Mr. Freddy Blay was ushered into the Captain's Bridge to steer the ship from the stormy waters, many people, including yours sincerely, did not have any hope that the distressed ship could be salvaged from the troubled waters. Supporters of the party sat on thorns and hard times and defeat beckoned. The NDC, particularly, Mr. John Mahama, became very happy for what had befallen the NPP. That was when Mr. Mahama referred to Mr. Freddy Blay as Opana and candidate Nana Addo as an intemperate person who could not rule a nation. The new chairman picked up the pieces and in no time, the ship gathered momentum and was able to get out of the stormy waters. Candidate Akufo Addo went on to win with a surprising difference of more than one million votes. That was the magic of 'Opana' and his team of dedicated and hardworking officers. (Don't ever screw with Nzema wizards!) I throw way salute, Captain Blay!

Captains don't just climb the gangway, walk into a ship, climb up to the Captain's bridge and start sailing. They need to be thoroughly briefed by the Chief Mate before setting sail. In this case, I am the self-appointed Chief Mate of MV Patriotic. Pay rap attention, Captain Ntim and welcome on board MV Patriotic, a ship loaded with goodies, sailing past the Bermuda Triangle to the Eldorado. Ship Ahoy!!! Mr. Ntim has the world on his shoulders. He has no choice but to put his shoulders to the wheels to push the party forward towards victory 2024. People often say they hit the street running, which is another way of saying they did their prep work and were ready. After contesting the National Chairmanship position for five times before winning, I want to belief Mr. Ntim has done his prep work well. Sadly, times have changed and Mr. Ntim must swim along with the tidal waves.

In the run-up to the NPP National Delegates Conference, almost all the contestants to the various positions had Unity and Breaking the Eight as their messages to the delegates, which was good. The theme for the conference itself was Holding Together, Working Together, which was equally perfect. But the multi-million question is: How do we achieve these lofty ideas? Through lip service or wishful thinking? The theme for the conference should be the first task of Mr. Ntim. It was Henry Ford, who said 'coming together is a beginning, keeping together is progress, working together is success'. At the Kumasi Annual Delegates Conference, President Akufo Addo said something which the party should use as a guidepost. Listen to him: It is for the NPP to lose the 2024 General Election. It was a paradox which needs to be taken seriously. In other words, the President wanted to tell the delegates that if the NPP puts its house in order, it will not lose the 2024 General Election. Simplista!

We don't build a house from the roof so Mr. Ntim should start the unity project from the polling station level. There is the need to revitalise the polling station agents to make them more powerful and useful. In fact, some of them do not know why they are elected as polling station agents. They become dormant after they have been elected into office and only show their faces during elections. We need to spend money to retrain them well. Former President Kufuor once told the party that elections are won or lost at the polling stations so the party should lay emphasis there. The party acted accordingly, hence the success story of 2016. It seems polling station agents have relaxed and have joined the Moneycracy train.

The situation in the constituency and regional offices has the same problem. Candidates who lost are not happy because they believe there were arm twisting and money influence. A great number of them has threatened to sit on the fence and that is dangerous. For the sake of Breaking the Eight through unity, there is the need for Mr. Ntim and his team to move in quickly and cool down tempers. Delay defeats equity, so says one of the Maxims of Equity. Above all, all former officers of the party, from 1992 to date, should be brought on board. They have so much to offer in terms of experience. After all, did the sages not say experience is the best teacher? Me and my pontification!

BY Eric Bawah

[email protected]
Executive Director of the Child Rights International (CRI), Bright Appiah, has expressed confidence in the ability of the new Minister-designate for the Gender, Children and Social Protection Ministry, Lariba Ziuweiba Abudu, to do the work.

Mr Appiah said Zuweiba Abudu is familiar with the terrain.

Speaking on the mid day news on TV3 with Emmanuel Samani on Wednesday August 3, he said I think she will also manage the Ministry as expected.

She has really contributed to the Ministry in assisting the caretaker Minister to do her work. She has fair idea of the situation and how she is going to roll it out. I have engaged her before and I know she can do the work.

Mr Akufo-Addo announced the nomination of the Member of Parliament for Wale wale as Minister-designate in a statement issued by the Director of Communications at the Presidency Mr Eugene Arhin, on Tuesday August 2.

The president is hopeful that Parliament will expedite the approval of his nominee for the important ministry so they can assist in the effective delivery of his mandate for his second term in office, the statement said.

Mr Akufo-Addo earlier revoked the appointment of Sarah Adwoa Safo as Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection .

This was contained in a press statement signed by Mr Eugene Arhin on Thursday July 28.

She had been out of the jurisdiction for over one year.

citinewsroom
03.08.2022 LISTEN

The Law Society of Ghana (LSG) has said it is concerned about the directive by the General Legal Council (GLC), to candidates who wish to sit for the Law School entrance examination to sign an undertaking which takes away their right to seek redress for problems which may arise out of the examinations.

A statement issued by LSG said the undertaking, if signed by the candidates, will take away their right to request re-marking of scripts, re-tallying of scores or review of marks.

The statement, signed by General Secretary Atukwei Quaye, also said candidates who sign the undertaking, cannot also request to see their marked answer scripts or the marking schemes used for marking the questions.

By the terms of the undertaking, any results released and published by the GLC shall be final and no questions can be raised about them, LSG noted.

The group said its concern arises mainly out of the fact that the GLC is the national body established by law, responsible for the training and licensing of lawyers to practise in Ghana as well as regulating the practice of law in Ghana.

The LSG said it shares the concerns raised by the students and many well-meaning Ghanaians who have spoken against this unfair, unjust, arbitrary, and unconscionable directive from the GLC.

What exactly is the intention behind this directive in the first place? What is the GLC trying to achieve? Like many Ghanaians, the LSG also believes that this directive, if allowed to prevail, has the likelihood of being a potential conduit to breeding corruption, nepotism, and the abuse of power.

It is noteworthy of note that the GLC, an agency which is supposed to train and license lawyers with ethical principles of fairness justice, transparency and high integrity, is, itself, wanting to chart a course, which is directly opposite to such principles and which goes counter to best practices.

How can a body which seeks to train people to defend the rights of others, exude fairness and justice try to exhibit the very opposite of such tenets? the group wondered.

It said: The directive of the GLC is against best practices and we urge them to be more transparent rather than opaque in their dealings as far as legal education is concerned.

This brazen show of power and arbitrariness must not be allowed in a Constitutional dispensation such as our country, LSG insisted.

It added: In our jurisprudence as a country, there are avenues for redress. It is the constitutional right of every Ghanaian to seek redress when unsatisfied with an action by any public body.

Any such policy with the view to ousting the jurisdiction of the court is not acceptable.

The LSG calls on the GLC to withdraw the directive and rather establish processes and procedures which will enhance public confidence through transparency and accountability. The GLC must know that public confidence is quickly eroding in the area of legal education and as an association we humbly call on the GLC to reconsider their position in order to gain more public trust.

Source: Classfmonline.com
The Ashanti Regional Minister, Simon Osei-Mensah, has paid a working visit to Asante Akim Agogo in the Asante Akim Municipality to commission completed projects and inspect ongoing ones.

He commissioned an office block for the Municipal Health Directorate, which was funded by the District Development Facility of the Assembly.

The Minister also inspected ongoing work on the Electricity Company of Ghana sub-station at Agogo, which is expected to be completed in 18 months.

Mr Osei-Mensah also visited the Agogo Plantain and Onion Market where he attributed the abundance of the foodstuff to the governments effort in controlling the activities of the nomad herdsmen in the area.

He indicated that the increase in yield of plantain demanded the establishment of a plantain processing factory under the One District, One Factory (1D1F) in the area.

The minister also said there are plans to build a lorry terminal to facilitate the transportation of food commodities to and from the market.

Among the projects inspected was the Municipal Assemblys three-storey office complex, which is being funded by the District Assembly Common Fund.

The Minister expressed satisfaction with the progress of work in the district and assured the people of more projects.
The Minister for Trade and Industry, Mr Alan Kwadwo Kyeremanten has called on public institutions to work with the private sector to harness the benefits of the African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement.

He said the government would provide the needed political impetus and create the enabling environment to ensure the successful implementation of AfCFTA in Ghana.

Mr Kyeremanten, who was speaking at the launch of the AfCFTA Policy Framework and Action Plan in Accra on Tuesday, said as the host country for the AfCFTA Secretariat, Ghana was uniquely positioned to become the new commercial capital of Africa.

He encouraged the rest of the African countries to take bold steps to bring prosperity to the entire continent, adding that prosperity to the entire continent requires a sustained political commitment and leadership.

He said Ghana was determined to make the most of the AfCFTA by leveraging on the trade and investment opportunities that it presents to accelerate the development and growth of the economy.

The minister said the governments vision was to transform Ghana into a modern, industrialized country, which would become the new manufacturing hub of the continent, adding that the effective implementation of the AfCFTA, would make a significant contribution to realise that vision.

The national AfCFTA policy framework and action plan is geared towards the harmonization of relevant policies, programmes, laws and regulations to boost the productive capacity of the private sector in Ghana particularly MSMEs to harness the full benefits of AfCFTA.
Terrorists from various locations and forest continue to attack across the country, including Abuja, the nation's capital. Godwin Obaseki a forest state governor, and his administration is on its way to establishing a forest police to go after the troubling pattern of terrorist attacks in a predominantly forest region like Edo state, serving as a model for other states dealing with domestic terror.

As the danger of terrorism grows under President Muhammadu Buharis lethargic security and economic government, why wont all 36 state governments model the Edo state governor as he establishes a state police forest-based system? Can the feeble federal government stop it constitutionally? I think not.

Regarding militant Islamist groups fighting to dominate the Nigerian space, Islamic terrorists thinking they can through a campaign of attacks and violence enter every region including Edo state forest zones in Nigeria and create an Islamic state. The Nigerian current core leadership under President Muhammadu Buhari, all with similar backgrounds in Islamism must be questioning themselves about the fundamentals of insecurity in Nigeria. Why are security problems suddenly so toxic and consuming for our administration? It is due to our self-made conflict by not using democracy as the main national ideology, instead of us using ethnic, regional, and Islamic interests to define leadership, resulting in all sorts of visible and invisible security issues. How do we start making democracy the all-around ideology of the nation?

These Buharis men include the Inspector General of Police, Alkali Baba; the National Security Adviser, Babagana Monguno; the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami; the Defence Minister, Bashir Magashi; Aviation Minister, Hadi Abubakar Sirika ; the Director General of the State Security Service, Yusuf Magaji Bichi; Director-General of National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brigadier General Muhammad Fada; Conservator-General of Nigeria National park Service (NNPS), Ibrahim Goni; Commandant General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Ahmed Abubakar Audi; Controller General of Nigerian Correctional Service, Haliru Nababa, and the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan.

Federal law enforcement and security operations like the Nigerian Army, the Nigeria Police Force, Nigerian Security and Civil Defence, and the Nigerian Correctional Service, among others, now have these terrorists bringing battle to the presidents doorstep. Sad.

The Nigerian democracy is under terrorist attack who continues to frighten the nation. Inadequate governance and security failures from the current federal administration are everywhere. International western powers mostly have overlooked Nigeria as one of their main efforts partly due to colossal concerns about the Nigerian governments security force abuse, corruption, widespread systematic Christian civilians killings, unstable fiscal position, inadequate productivity capacity, worn-out governance, and human rights abuse record.

The leadership and people of Edo state that is in the Midwest Forest zone of Nigeria knows that as a matter of reality they must do something themselves.

Most Nigerians, including Buhari himself, will agree that this type of right in your face terror and insecurity is Nigeria's most dreadful damage since the civil war.

Reportedly, most attacks are conducted by Boko Haram or/and Islamic State West Africa (ISWA) and others. These Islamic terrorist sects, among other places, operate from sometimes impassable forests and swamps that shelter these jihadists, and over and over, President Buhari and his circle direct the Nigerian Army to work with the police to flush out terrorists from forests around the country, yet failure persists.

With terrorists roaming ungoverned forests and exploiting the absence of police, there is bad news for these kidnappers, bandits, and terrorists as independent forest police and other related guards under state control are being established, beginning with Edo state.

As a police scientist and forensic psychologist, I believe this state's right to secure its people and property should extend to the establishment of a State Border Police in order to expand security protection of the land.

The string of attacks, indiscriminate killings, and disastrous murder by terrorists who are killing anyone with explosives and Ak-47 guns, including Muslims and Christians, is stomach-turning as they do this in the name of strict Islamic piety and holiness.

The Edo state governor and other progressive governors are aware that common sense shows that every state in the federation has not been ensured the security of lives and property they deserve, and governors as chief security chiefs in each state are just chiefs in name, and that must stop now.

Buhari, Malami, Baba, Monguno, Magashi, Bichi, and Lawan, and others have collectively failed the nation and the people, and as a result, there is no credibility to question any state governor, including Edo state Godwin Obaseki, who is constitutionally and morally required to take responsibility for security in their states. All Obaseki and others must do is to bring security and stability to their states.

President Buhari and mostly northern leaders have repeatedly rejected state police for the sake of not wanting state police. Well, thats their choice as forest state police, beginning with a forest-dominated state like Edo state is here. The people put the onus on governors to obtain the critical equipment to protect them and they must use their respective legislatures to make good on the promise to protect their people.

In fact, security outfits like Ebubeagu in the east, Amotekun in the west and even the Kano State Hisbah Corps, a religious police force in Kano since 2003, all should transform and stop bad things happening to their people, as it is their moral and constitutional imperative to secure properties and people in their regions.

Let me say that one major role of the Edo Forest police will be the prevention and suppression of terrorism and reduce forest destruction and related areas, unlike the reactive nature of policing in Nigeria. It important that I quickly add here that potential forest police officers should receive training from non-traditional police academies and should only be admitted to such 7-to-12-month newly created academies after receiving family background, financial, psychological, medical, and physical agility screening and exams to determine if they have the right to be a police officer. Modern professional and ethically driven evaluators and trainers with vast experience in empirically validated police-related measures should lead the new academies to avoid the same old type of policing character and outputs.

Edo State is renowned for being home to massive forest reserves spread across multiple communities. It is only right that Edo State is secured directly by its government and not waiting for any faraway security chief in the now anemic and toxic capital of Nigeria.

Buhari and his team should focus on using its federal police and other federal security agencies to ensure that the president is not kidnapped and that attacks on the presidential guards brigade and soldiers at military checkpoints do not reoccur.

The National Security Adviser, Monguno, alongside the Inspector General of Police, Baba, with an apparent helpless face and discomfort, admittedly and recently said people are getting exhausted and are beginning to move towards other means of self-help.

In his own words, he said, We are in a very difficult situation. And Council understands. Mr. President understands peoples concerns about the growing insecurity. But I can assure you that theres no straight cut and dried method of dealing with this thing unless all of us embrace each other. I know people are weary, people are tired, people are beginning to gravitate to other places for self-help. The truth is that help is rooted in everyone working for the other person.

So, I say that the sadly ineffective federal government must not interfere with the states' powers to provide protection and safety.

Buhari will agree that his kind of prayers and reinforcement security has been discouraging as security worsens and has not stopped the jihadist prayers from causing disability and insecurity in towns, schools, roads, churches, markets, farms, and forests. In fact, Buhari and his circle are recognizing that the federal government has lost control. No one is going to wait for the talk noise about moving the current police structure from the so-called exclusive list of the constitution to the concurrent list. The wait is over as the terrorists are not waiting and the governors are becoming realistic about their true roles.

Edo State governor, Obaseki, is now a model for other states on ways to plan and audit the regional forests, maintain partnerships with related participants, strengthen the security planning and adopt various measures to sustain security in the state, which include bush searching, registering of motorbikes and marketplaces, among other actions.

Zamfara state Gov. Bello Matawalle and Aminu Masari, Katsina State Governor, where the president comes from, have directed the issuing of gun licenses to citizens "to defend themselves" against armed terrorists continuously causing the deaths of thousands in the northern region. Rotimi Akeredolu, Ondo state governor, Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom as well as others has asked his people to defend themselves.

Like Obaseki noted, "the responsibility of any government in any society is to guarantee the security and safety of the people." "No government can call itself a government if it cannot protect and secure the lives of the people that it oversees." Any person or leader in Nigeria who disagrees with that on religious, ethnic, cynical, or emotional grounds needs to visit a psychologist for corrective mentality. Edo State is about to serve as a model on how to rid its region of banditry, kidnapping, and insurgency.

I will add that the work of law enforcement officials like forest police and border police under states should be seen not only as for security but as a social service of great importance to the environment and livelihood of the people, and the people should equally make sure that no threat to the life and safety of law enforcement officials exists, as the protection of each other results in the stability of a region. Time is going!

John Egbeazien Oshodi

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]




Hyper creative: Pro graffiti artists coming to Everett

to show and share their talent over four days





Jacob Kerst photo



Everett Rise is a mural created by graffiti artists Hyper, Faust and Spawk at the last Paint Jam event in Everett. The mural is painted 100% by spray paint and was a collaboration, made in stages by the three artists. It was a commission piece for the business that the wall belongs to, Screen Printing Northwest at 2526 Colby Ave.



EVERETT  On Aug. 4-7, an all-day Paint Jam event is coming to Everett, bringing with it the creation of 30 new murals throughout the city. Going All City NW 2022 has events taking place from 8 a.m. until sunset each day.



The event will have multiple different kinds of activities such as meeting artists, live mural paintings, graffiti art battles, a lot party, music, food trucks and a Youth Go Paint Day Mural on Aug. 6, which parents can sign kids up for through the Everett Public Library. Going All City is being organized by the graffiti crew GAK, which is comprised of members from both the United States and Mexico, in collaboration with the Downtown Everett Association, the city of Everett and the Schack Art Center. The event calendar, as well as an interactive mural map, can be found online at www.schack.org/events/going-all-city/



Going All City is an event to uplift and invigorate the community, as artists donate time and materials to bring vibrancy and beauty to Everett, said Brianna Mattes, Hype Murals Event Coordinator.



The event will feature mural paintings by more than 150 different artists over the course of the four days, with artists flying and driving in from multiple states as well as Mexico. Many of these artists are long-time members of the graffiti community, so there is a strong sense of camaraderie involved. The event is invite-only, meaning that only the most qualified within the profession were asked to come.



One of the longtime members of the graffiti community, a known name amongst the other artists as well as a key to the creation of this event, is a Snohomish local who goes by the name Hyper. He started in the graffiti community in 1988 and was one of the first names to bring the art to Washington state from California in the 1980s.



He is top of the food chain as far as this state and the Pacific Northwest. He is what they call an OG of this area, having been one of the original people who brought graffiti to Washington state over three decades ago, said Mattes.



Hyper is an involved member of the local graffiti community, having hosted a previous Paint Jam in Everett which saw the creation of many of the citys best murals around downtown. Hyper wants to change the public view on graffiti and remove the current stigma behind the art. He teaches the history of graffiti as well as the art form to newcomers and peers.



Its important for the public to learn about graffiti because, without knowledge about the art form and the community, the art form can and has been demonized, Mattes said.



Graffiti is an art that requires great skill and practice, as well as moving up in skill level within the community, according to Hyper. While some people instantly think of tagging buildings when they hear of graffiti, the art form is so much broader than that, with highly skilled graffiti artists having

skills compared to that of a fine arts painter. Graffiti artists are able to create all different kinds of works including large, vibrant and detailed murals, all done by spray can.



Graffiti is a form of personal expression, like any art form. Its a rebellion

from the normal art forms, and an acting out by people who have grown up on perhaps the wrong side of the tracks, who are persecuted, looked down upon, and thought less of by society, said Mattes.



The graffiti community has a rich history that has kept the artists close-knit over time, according to Hyper. The artists follow a set of ethics and work to make sure that they are supporting each other in their art. Each new artist starts out by writing their name with the spray can, moving into more detailed writings, until finally reaching the point in which they can achieve large productions and murals. Being an active part of the community and finding a mentor within it is an important piece to start learning.



The history of Graffiti IS what graffiti means to graffiti artists. None take up the craft without knowing and feeling the hard knocks history in their own life, said Mattes. Its origins, its reasons for being, are what drive these artists to this craft because it is their voice. It is the voice that fits their life and their world. Its the community that they live and thrive in. Its the mentors they look up to and the camaraderie found on the walls. Graffiti is their life. Its not just a skill or craft. Its the life they live in. The world they live in.

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The Coalition of Health Workers at Kroboland in the Eastern Region has served notice its members will abandon night shifts in the area to ensure their personal protection.

According to the Convener for the coalition Emmanuel Malitso, some youth in the area have taken advantage of the total blackout to attack health workers returning from night duties, depriving them of their personal belongings such as mobile phones, purses, handbags, and wallets among others.

This decision by the health workers is a result of seven days of the Electricity Company of Ghanas (ECG) community blackout in response to residents in the Yilo and Manya Krobo areas refusal to submit to regulation by way of pre-paid metre installations.

Speaking in an interview on the mid-day news on Accra 100.5 FM on Wednesday, August 3, 2022, Mr Malitso argued that because there are no lights in their various homes their properties are at the mercy of robbers.

He said this is one of the measures to ensure the personal protection as well as the safety of health workers in Kroboland in the wake of the ECG-Kroboland impasse.

The robbers, he maintained, on a daily basis ransack properties of health workers when they are away on night shifts with no lights back at their homes to ensure security and to ward off intruders.

Our lives and properties are in danger because of the impasse between ECG and the residents in the two Kroboland areas, he said.

Henceforth, we will only work in the morning to ensure our safety, he reiterated.

Source: Classfmonline.com
There has been another alleged rape incident at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST).

This time around, six students have been accused of gang-raping a first-year student.

Following their arrest by the Police for raping the young girl, all six have been arraigned before Asokore Mampong District Court today, Wednesday, August 3.

After the preliminary hearing of the case, all the six accused students have been remanded into Police custody to reappear in court on Wednesday, August 17.

Speaking to TV3 after the court appearance, Lawyer Richard Adu Darko who is counsel for the accused stressed that they are innocent until proven guilty.

According to him, he will explore available avenues to secure bail for his clients to ensure they are able to write their end-of-semester exams.

These are students of KNUST who have been accused of rapeLooking at the facts which have been presented to us, honestly, we dont see rape but thats what they have been accused of and once someone is accused, the law says the person is innocent until proven guilty or the person pleads otherwise.

So, now until they plead that they are guilty or a court of competent jurisdiction finds them guilty, they are innocent. At this material moment, this is a court of first instance and they have been brought here for purposes of remanding them into lawful custody, Lawyer Richard Adu Darko told 3News in an interview.
03.08.2022 LISTEN

Ghana President Nana Akufo-Addo two days ago fired Dome-Kwabenya constituency MP, Sarah Adwoa Safo (NPP), also deputy Majority Leader in Parliament for not serving the nation. For almost one year she has been taking care of her children in the USA.

Neither she vacant the ministerial assignment nor was forced out to do so. To be deputy Majority Leader AND Minister is only possible in the Banana Republic and nowhere else.

Haruna Iddrisu, Minority Leader of the Parliament of Ghana (NDC) five days ago in Parliament defended the absentee of the NPP Sarah Adwoa Safo in a very confusing speech indicating clearly that both parties defend each other wrongdoing when knowing once they are in power, they would do the same and steal from the nation. If anyone is still supporting the political elite of Ghana either he is dead, blind, ignorant, or holding a visa to migrate in his hands.

German government and taxpayers, come on and get serious as Ghana is not a fourth Republic but a banana republic in which everyone serves himself for anything possible leaving the many hungry. So let's stop our support to trigger a serious change.

Let's not forget when the wife of Frank-Walter Steinmeier needed a kidney he stepped down as Foreign Minister to undergo an operation and gave her one of his kidneys. Months later after recovering from the operation he entered politics again. Over time he became our German President highly regarded even by others than his party (SPD).
03.08.2022 LISTEN

Many around the world, heaved a sigh of relief, that the tension that preceded the Taiwan visit by House Speaker, Nancy Pelosi (now safely out of Taiwan and headed for Japan her next stop in her trip to the Asia Pacific region), was not escalated beyond bellicose-rhetoric.

Clearly, China's ever-wise and mature leaders (who have seen and obviously learnt lessons, from the disaster wrought by modern wars: in the example of the foolish and ill-judged invasion of Ukrainian territory, by the shortsighted and narrow minded ruthless-tyrannical-kleptocrats, who currently lead Russia), merely wanted to try it on, so to speak, and had all along decided to refrain from attacking Taiwan.

The West ought to be equally wise, and super-intelligent, about not doing anything that will result in the destabilisation of a huge and important power, on which virtually the whole world depends, for all kinds of products, like China. Chaos in China will be disastrous for the smooth running of global supply chains, across sundry industries, in the extreme.

In the long run, democracy will triumph over autocracy, for the simple reason that regardless of race, the yearning for individual freedom, and life in free societies bedrocked on the rule of law, not on the whims and caprices of mentally unstable despots, of Putin's ilk, beats in the hearts of all humans (and is wired into human DNA), worldwide. In the meantime, nothing must done by the West that will result in widespread civil strife in a China in which law and order breaks down (perish the thought).

Whatever its sins, the Chinese Communist Party deserves the respect of the world, for lifting tens of millions out of extreme poverty, and propelling their nation into a mighty industrial power, which acts as an engine for global growth.

Perhaps, in the final analysis, eventually, China will make Taiwan, part of new federal state, where those in the mainland who don't like to live in a country run by communists, can go to live permanently. Above all, the whole world ought to commend China's leaders for their wisdom in opting not to escalate the stand off, with the U.S., over Nancy Pelosi's Taiwan visit, beyond their bellicose rhetoric. Brilliant strategy. Cool.
A former Director-General of the Ghana Education Service (GES), Charles Aheto-Tsegah has said the disturbances that occurred at Bawku and Bolgatanga Technical Institutes should be blamed on the absence of proper communication between management and the student body.

The rampaging students of the Institutes on Tuesday August 2 justified their action after they complained about inadequate food supplies, poor lighting, ventilation and strict invigilation during their final examination.

A student leader at Bawku Technical Institute, Isaac Apambere, told TV3 that Since our first year till date, no sporting activities for us, most schools have been going for inter-schools and inter-houses but ever since we came here, we have never participated in any of them.

Our food, when you go, there is no quality and quantity, if it is not quality at least let it be quantity so that we can also eat and be satisfied.

Reacting to this issue on the Ghana Tonight show with Alfred Ocansey on TV3 Tuesday August 32, Mr Aheto Tsegah said the line of communications between the school and students seem to be broken down.

It is important for us to begin to look at these things. It has become evident that there has been a breakdown of communications.

---3news.com
The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has proposed solutions to President Akufo-Addo on how his government can revive the countrys economy.

Addressing a press conference in Accra on Wednesday, August 3, NDC National Communications Officer Sammy Gyamfi told the media that his party believes things will turn around for the better if the President fires Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta and also relieves Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia of his post.

Ladies and gentlemen, the last two puzzles for this government to resolve if it is serious about bringing our economic back on track and restoring investor confidence is to get rid of the two villains who have been at the centre of recking this havoc on our economy. First on this list is, without doubt, the finance minister, Ken Ofori-Atta who has proven to be an unmitigated disaster when it comes to economic management, Sammy Gyamfi shared.

He continued, The next important thing for President Akufo-Addo to do is to relieve his jocular Vice President, Alhaji Bawumia from his position as head of the Economic Management Team. The once so-called solid economic management team has now been reduced to a gaseous team who have deserted their roles are nowhere to be found in these difficult and critical times. It is about time our tired, clueless and incompetent Vice President is finally relieved for new ideas and competent hands to take over and steer the Economic Management Team at this time of unspeakable hardships.

According to Sammy Gyamfi, the NDC has no doubt that if President Akufo-Addo, listens to its counsel for once, he could begin the process of breathing life back into Ghanas ailing economy.
03.08.2022 LISTEN

The Akim Tafo Magistrate Court has remanded into police custody eight out of the 10 suspects arrested for attacking a teacher of the Anyinasin Methodist Junior High School in the Abuakwa North Municipality of the Eastern Region.

All the 10 suspects and a 45-year-old drug seller, Kwasi Gyentu Darkwah who were put before the court presided over by Her Worship Josephine Akyaa Dwamena without legal counsel pleaded guilty to separate charges of conspiracy to commit crime to wit threat of harm, being on premises for unlawful purposes and possession of restricted drugs without lawful authority.

Parents of the accused persons 8 and 9, 17-year-old Annor Benjamin, a student of WBM Zion Senior High School and 17-year-old Tiboah Addo Samuel, student of Koforidua SECTECH were made to sign a bond to provide the accused persons in deferred sentencing since they are juveniles.

The Municipal Chief Executive for Abuakwa North, Alhaji Umar Bondinga who was present in court spoke to Citi News after the hearing.

So far as the issue has come to the law court, the case lies in the bosom of the judge. The judge has given a ruling that the parents of the juveniles must produce them on the next adjourned date, which is on the 9th, but the adults have been remanded.

Alhaji Umar Bondinga who doubles as the Chairman of MUSEC further indicated that this will serve as a deterrent to other youth in the municipality, and called on parents to help train their wards to be of good behaviour.

The thugs had no business harassing the teachers. Some of the teachers are traumatized. They are saying they cant teach again and cant live in the community again. The traditional authorities have said that they will take good care of them.

A gang from the community forced a male teacher to kneel and apologise for punishing the students.

The teacher reportedly disciplined some students for misconduct on July 24, 2022.

The students are believed to have complained to a gang in the community, who then attacked the teacher in the evening while on his way home.

Other teachers in the school were also allegedly threatened following the incident.

---citinewsroom
The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has yet again taken a swipe at the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) over the latters consistent attribution of the countrys current economic challenges to the Russia/Ukraine war and the Covid-19 pandemic.

According to the NDC, the Akufo-Addo-led governments reckless spending is the principal cause of Ghanas economic predicament.

Addressing the press at the NDC headquarters in Accra on Wednesday, August 3, 2022, the partys Communications Officer, Sammy Gyamfi insisted that Ghanas economy showed signs of serious challenges prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The point has to be made here, ladies and gentlemen, that general hardships per se are not a new phenomenon in our country. However, the current economic hardships Ghanaians are experiencing today are unprecedented in their scale, and unbearable in their impact.

Neither COVID-19 nor the Russia-Ukraine war is to be blamed for our economic troubles. These global factors are not the major factors that have plunged us into the economic mess we have on our hands. For emphasis, neither the COVID-19 pandemic nor the five (5) months old Russia-Ukraine war is to blame for the economic malaise we have on our hands, Mr. Gyamfi argued.

He further added that the economy will be robust if the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta is relieved of his position.

According to Sammy Gyamfi, the Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, must also step down as head of the economic management team.

The earlier President Akufo-Addo sacks his underperforming cousin, Honorable Ken Ofori-Atta, the better for the economy. Also, our comical Vice President should be relieved of his leadership duties at the economic management team.

Aside from the above, the NDC Communications Officer further gave four other recommendations he believes will help the economy rebound.

They are:

The immediate repeal of the obnoxious and counterproductive E-levy Act of 1.5% on momo and other electronic transactions. The immediate repeal of the punitive COVID-19 levy of 1% on the VAT Flat Rate and the National Health Insurance Levy The immediate scrapping of crippling fuel taxes such as the Special Petroleum Tax that has outlived its usefulness, the needless Sanitation Levy (BORLA tax ), and the new Energy Sector Levy of 20 pesewas per liter of diesel and Petrol and 18 pesewas per kilogram of LPG. The suspension of the 9 pesewas BOST margin and the Price Stabilization and Recovery Levy of 16 pesewas and 14 pesewas per liter of petrol and diesel respectively, both of which are not being applied for their intended purposes.

---citinewsroom
A former Energy Minister, Dr. Kwabena Donkor has described as unfair governments decision to put a five-year moratorium on the construction of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) stations across the country.

The former Minister who is also the main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament (MP) for Pru East Constituency in the Bono East Region said this in an interview on the 505 evening news analysis programme on Accra-based Class 93.1 FM on Tuesday, August 2, 2022.

He said the decision to put a moratorium on the construction of LPG stations was a knee-jerk reaction to the safety concerns raised by some members of the public about the gas explosion at Atomic Junctions LPG station in the Greater Accra Region in 2017.

According to him, it will take about $500,000 to acquire land to put up an LPG station in Accra and after acquiring the land and erecting all the equipment, you are asked by the government to leave it for some five years because of some safety challenges which has not been addressed by the government. Its worrying.

He was of the view that the government has been slow in taking action on some of the safety measures to guide the industry in the country.

The Ranking Member on the Parliamentary Select Committee on Energy and Mines called on the government to do the needful by coming out with safety measures to guide the industry and lift the moratorium.

He pointed out that even though members of the Gas and Petroleum Tanker Drivers Association of Ghana have not petitioned the Minority over their concerns, they have legitimate concerns, especially about the lifting of the moratorium looking at the investments made in the construction of some of these stations.

Source: Classfmonline.com
The National Communications Officer of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) Sammy Gyamfi has called for the removal of Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta.

The NDC Communications Officer also wants President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to remove Vice-President Mahamudu Bawumia from the supposed solid Economic Management Team.

Speaking to Journalists at a Press briefing in Accra on Wednesday, 3 August 2022. Mr. Gyamfi said: First on the list is without doubt, Ken Ofori-Atta, who has proven to be unmitigated disaster when it comes to economic management.

In his view, President Akufo-Addos cousin has run down our economy through expensive borrowings but his personal company data bank profits.

He also condemned the Finance Minister as he compared him to stale water in a bottle.

Mr. Gyamfi noted that: The earlier President Akufo-Addo fires his underperforming cousin, the better for the economy and all of us.

Regarding Vice-President Bawumia, the NDC Communicator described him as jocular.

He slammed Dr. Bawumia, stating: The once so-called solid Economic Management Team has now become a gracious team who have deserted their roles and are nowhere to be found in these difficult and critical times.

It is about time our tired, clueless, incompetent and comical Vice President is finally relieved for new ideas and competent hands to take over and steer the Economic Management Team at this time of unspeakable hardships.

Source: classfmonline.com
03.08.2022 LISTEN

William Wilson Kwakye, who died in Accra on 11 April 2022, aged 83, was an exemplary businessman who, single-handed, built himself a business empire as resourceful as it was enigmatic.

Born at Awisa, in Akyem Abuakwa in 1939, William Kwakye obtained his Middle Form Four leaving certificate at the Akim Swedru Methodist Middle School in 1956.

His nephew, Professor Kwame Karikari (former Director-General of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation and now one of the most prominent educators of journalists in Africa as well as Ghana) describes Kwakye as a very strong- willed person, who was eager to leave the small town of Awisa for adventures in the city of Accra and beyond. To begin with, he moved to Accra and enrolled at the Secretariat Business School (now Accra Technical University.)

After qualifying at the Secretariat Business School, he obtained employment as a clerk at the then Industrial Development Corporation (IDC). Prof Karikari says it was by his own hard work and vision that he saved enough money to travel to seek a better life in the UK, arriving there in 1959. He qualified as a chartered accountant in the UK in November 1961.

During his student days, William Kwakye was a resident of Birmingham and Coventry. He had a very good sense of humour and he once recounted to me that whilst working part-time in Birmingham, his boss, unable (or unwilling) to learn how to pronounce the name Kwakye, chose, instead, to call him Mr Kaunda.

(Dr Kenneth Kaunda, the late former President of Zambia, was one of the few African leaders who used to be seen on television in the UK at the time. That was the period during which many African countries (like Zambia) were fighting for their independence. Dr Kaunda as leader of the Northern Rhodesian African Congress (later United National Independence Party, UNIP) was one of the African leaders one of those leaders fortunate enough to be noticed by the British populace. So his name stuck in the mind of Kwakyes British boss.

Said Kwakye: Everyone burst out laughing whenever the boss yelled loudly: Mr Kaunda, over here pleases!" We couldnt tell whether he was doing that in jest or not. But I didnt show any resentment, and as a result of accepting this anomalous treatment of my name by the boss, I became quite popular at the work-place!

It was during the time Kwakye was a student in the UK that I met him in London, through a mutual friend, my class-mate from Kyebi Government School, Kwasi Frempong. He also knew my brother and his name-sake, Ernest Kwakye (who later changed his name to MacKwakye, presumably because he wanted the British to be able to pronounce his name correctly, without having to call him Mr Nairere or something -- after another African leader of the time, Julius Nyerere of Tanzania!! )

William had managed to acquire a small car in the UK, and I recall with fondness, many a time when we went to enjoy ourselves in a pub or visited friends homes. I never ceased to marvel at his ability to find his way round Londons millions of sometimes obscure streets.

I lost touch with him until 1970, when unexpectedly, he came to pay his respects to me in my office at the Daily Graphic, w hen I was editor of the paper. He was then importing goods from the UK to Ghana, at a time when there was a shortage of many goods here. His energy and business expertise were enormous and unknown to me, he was engaged in several business ventures in Ghana. He acquired land in many areas of Accra and built houses on them, which he either sold or hired out.

He had several houses in North Labone, the Trade Fair area and East Legon. He also expanded his business interests into the exportation of pine-apples to the UK  a most complex business which involved mastering the demands of airfreight and complicated customs requirements. Simultaneously, he was operating a salt business in Accra.

Although he was obviously doing very well, Kwakyes life-style remained simple. And he never lost his gregarious nature. He had a winning smile, and never forgot an old friend or acquaintance.

Kwakyes beginnings showed no sign that he would grow up to become a wealthy businessman of great substance. The third and youngest of three brothers, he shared the name Kwame with the elder two. So at home, he was called Kwame Kuma (Little Kwame).

His biological mother was called Abuakwaa. She died when Kwakye was a baby of less than two years of age. Thus, he was breastfed and brought up by his mother's elder sister, Abena Agyekumwaa.

As a young boy, Kwame Kuma was noted for his great interest in practical, technical activities, such as working with machines and building things. His business acumen led him, whilst in middle school, to make artificial flowers which he sold in Awisa as well as further afield  at Swedru and Akim Oda  which showed how adventurous he was, even at that early age.

Those who knew his roots respected him greatly and he was enstooled in August 1982 at Anyinase Akim and given the stool name, Nana Okyere Krofa the 2nd. His chiefdom was over Adumadum in Akim Awisa, and also covered the Bodwesango people, who had migrated to Akim Awisa in ancient times. It was not a small chiefdom, for he had to be sworn in at the Akim Oda palace.

Kwakye was a traditional chief in outlook, and is survived by no less than thirteen children.

Rest in peace, WWW.

(WILLIAM WILSON KWAKYE, born at Awisa, Akyem in 1939; Deceased in Accra on 11 April 2022)
03.08.2022 LISTEN

It is confirmed that the only thing Nana Akufo-Addo (Mampam) hears is when you tie him to corruption. Nana Akufo-Addo is so corrupt that when he hears the word corruption he feels heaven is coming down on him. He will then react immediately.

Do we remember when HE John Mahama retweeted Hon. Isaac Adongos tweet that the Jubilee House is now full of the Akyem Sakawa boys? Nana Addo had to hurriedly call the Christian and Catholic Bishops Council and complained to them that HE John Mahama referred to the Akyems as Sakawa boys.

Then last week, Martin Kpebu was forced to retract and apologize to Nana Addo for saying the President is part of a criminal syndicate at the Jubilee House. Martin Kpebu only confirmed on Newsfile what has been in the public domain for a very long time. I am sure Mr Kpebu did what he did because of what happened to Ahmed Suale, whose killers have still not been found.

Martin Amidu in his final letter as the Special Prosecutor, described Nana Akufo Addo as the Mother Serpent of Corruption. Because it was election year, Mampam pretended like he didnt hear. I am sure it was one of the reasons Mrs Jean Mensah had to steal the 2020 elections for the NPP.

Same last week, there was a CDD report out which said that the Office of the Presidency is the most corrupt after the Police Service.

Dr. Dampare, the Inspector General of Police, has held a press conference to rubbish that report. He believes the Police Service today, is not corrupt as the report seems to suggest.

In Dr. Dampares mind, he, as the head of the police service has not been referred to as Mother serpent of corruption; he has not been called a Sakawa boy and he has not been named as part of a criminal syndicate in the Police Service. He doesnt understand why a sitting President, who has been called all these names didnt come on top of corruption in Ghana.

By the way, Dr. Dampare has held a press conference to rubbish the report but when will Nana Akufo-Addo also hold a meet-the-press to rubbish that CDD report?

Until Nana Addo comes out and rubbish the CDD report, I will urge Ghanaians and my NDC Communicators to stay on the message of Corruption. The Mampam in Ghana doesnt hear anything except to tell him in his face that he is part of the criminal syndicate at the Jubilee House or he is a Sakawa boy. In other words, stay on the message that Nana Akufo-Addo is very corrupt, clueless and incompetent.

Lawrence Appiah-Osei
The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has intensified calls for President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to sack Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta.

According to NDC, the Minister has failed and should no longer be allowed to head the Finance Ministry.

Addressing a press conference in Accra on Wednesday, August 3, 2022, National Communications Officer of the NDC, Sammy Gyamfi claimed that the name of the Minister now even scares investors away due to his bad track record.

Ladies and gentlemen, the last two puzzles for this government to resolve if it is serious about bringing our economic back on track and restoring investor confidence is to get rid of the two villains who have been at the centre of recking this havoc on our economy. First on this list is without doubt the finance minister, Ken Ofori-Atta who has proven to be an unmitigated disaster when it comes to economic management.

President Akufo-Addos cousin has run down our economy through excessive borrowings that his personal company Databank profits from. Today, his name scares away investors and evokes a feeling of insecurity for every Ghanaian. Ken Ofori-Atta has become like stale water in a bottle and the earlier President Akufo-Addo fire his underperforming cousin, the better for the economy and all of us, Sammy Gyamfi told the media.

He insisted that for Ghana to secure a good deal from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the best bet is to fire Ken Ofori-Atta as proposed by former President, John Dramani Mahama.

As the venerable former President Mahama recently said, regardless of our running to the IMF, the only way to begin the process of rebuilding, if we are to get any good deal from the IMF is to sack Ken Ofori-Atta immediately and appoint a fresh, able hand in his stead to lead the IMF negotiations, Sammy Gyamfi added.

Among other demands tabled at the NDCs press conference today, the party says it wants President Akufo-Addo to relieve Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia of his post.
Over a hundred and thirty (130) people have benefited from a free health screening organised by ASA Savings and Loans Company Limited.

The latest health screening by ASA Savings and Loans Limited was held at its Business Centre at Atico in the Greater Accra Region on Wednesday, August 3.

Todays free health screening exercise is one of a series of similar exercises that have been carried out by the financial institution since the start of the year.

The exercises are a continuation of the companys annual Corporate Social Responsibilities (CSRs) to give back to the communities it operates.

The beneficiaries were screened for malaria, Hepatitis B, blood pressure, blood sugar level, among others. They were given free medication to boost their health.

Some of the beneficiaries engaged were full of excitement and praised ASA Savings and Loans for the kind gesture.

They indicated that at a time when things are difficult in the country, free health screenings are important to support people who may not have enough money to visit health facilities for checkups.

On her part, ASA Savings and Loans Branch Manager for the Business Centre at Atico, Irene Frimpong explained the rationale behind the health screening exercise, stressing that it is a way to give back to the community.

She said the company takes the health and wellbeing of clients and members of the communities in which they operate very important.

In the last six years, ASA Savings and Loans Company Limited has committed thousands of Ghana Cedis to CSR activities. In addition to countless free health screening exercises, there have been several donations to Childrens Homes, orphanages and scholarships for brilliant but needy students.
Austria: International Youth Day

OVSV reports that on International Youth Day, August 12, young people in Austria will be permitted to send a greetings message via amateur radio



Unlike other countries unlicenced people in Austria are not permitted to communicate under supervision via amateur radio.



The national amateur radio society OVSV obtained special permission from the communications regulator to permit young people to use amateur radio for the purpose of transmitting a greetings message during selected events in 2022.



International Youth Day, on August 12, is one of the permitted events.



Such use of amateur radio stations may only take place under the direct permanent supervision of a licensed radio amateur; the unlicensed person can only convey a message of greeting. The radio amateur operating the amateur radio station is and remains responsible for the proper handling of amateur radio traffic.



OVSV https://tinyurl.com/IARU-Austria



Decision of the Telecommunications Authority 2022

https://www.oevsv.at/amateurfunk/wie-werde-ich-funkamateur/bescheide-bmvit-kids-day-etc/
August 03, 2022 Ukraine SitRep - On The Ground Report - Ukrainian Frontline Collapses Below is a slightly edited machine translation of a piece which appeared yesterday on the Ukrainian side censor.net. The piece was promoted by Yuri Butusov, a well known Ukrainian military correspondent. It is originally a social media post by someone who was on the frontline in Pisky, immediately northwest of Donetsk city. Context: Over the last two to three months the Ukrainian side has used its positions in the vicinity of Donetsk city to more or less randomly shell the civilian population on the Russian affiliated side. After some serious protests the Russian military command agreed to launch a dedicated counter-artillery operation to shut down the deadly Ukrainian harassment. Its daily 'clobber reports', here is yesterday's, have since included lines like these on nearly each and every day: As part of counter-battery warfare 2 artillery batteries of Giatsint howitzers near Dzerzhinsk and Novhorodskoye, Donetsk People's Republic have been hit. 4 platoons of Grad MLRS and 9 artillery platoons at firing positions near Seversk, Kirovo, Artemovsk, Avdeevka, Peski, Orlovka, Shakhterskoye, Velikaya Novoselka in Donetsk People's Republic, Dobropolie in Zaporozhye Region, Shirokoye, Bereznevatoye in Nikolaev Region, Russkaya Lozovaya and Nortsovka in Kharkov Region. The systematic counter-artillery campaign has seriously deteriorated the already rare Ukrainian fire power. The Russian side has also changed the primary direction of its thrust from the northern front of the Sievierdonetsk-Lysichansk-Siversk direction to a push further south. The current offensive operation is concentrated north-west and west of Donetsk city in the direction of Avdivka. There is an envelope operation going on its north and south to surround that extremely heavily fortified town. The red territory to the left of the red line marks parts of recent progress.

Source: Live UA map - bigger Pisky is the southern part of that envelope operation.

bigger Following intense artillery preparations Russian forces are currently - slowly, slowly - clearing the lines of reinforced concrete bunkers and ditches that have been build on the Ukrainian side over the last 8 years. Here now is the view of that battle from the Ukrainian side (edited machine translation, for an alternative translation see this.) (Note: 300 is the military cargo designator for wounded people, 200 is for dead soldiers): Pisky. Meat grinder Author: Serhiy Gnezdilov What is there to lose, what else can be taken from me on the sixth day of my personal hell, in Pisky, a kilometer from the first street of Donetsk, Ukraine? The bodies of those who were dearer to me than my family are lying under the heat in the trenches, broken by 152 caliber. As I wrote earlier, 6,500 shells per damn village in less than a day. It's been six such days already, and I can't imagine how even a small number of our infantry survived in this barrage of enemy fire. No, I'm not whining. Two mortars 82 and 120 are working on our side. Sometimes they wake up and "sneeze" two artillery barrels in the direction of Donetsk. We hardly respond. There is no counter-battery fire, from the word go, the enemy puts artillery shells in our trenches without any problems, dismantles very strong, concrete positions in tens of minutes, pushing our defense line without pause or minimal rest. The day before yesterday, the line broke, and a river of 200 or 300 [killed/wounded] was poured. I will not publish any statistics, it is forbidden in our country, but you have no idea the number and percentage of losses. This is a hell of a meat grinder, where the battalion simply holds back the onslaught with their bodies. For almost a week, we have been waiting for at least some kind of help that would hit the enemy's artillery, we, I repeat, are being fired with impunity with everything that the Russian military system is rich in, their aviation was working today. I am proud of the leadership of the battalion that remained here with us. The combatant is with us, everyone is with us, contused, light 300, bandaged and returned after a couple of hours to the position, if you can call these bottomless ravines that way. There is a war going on. But without a counter-battery fight, it turns into a senseless meat grinder, where an insane amount of our infantry is ground up in a day. Did you really want the truth? Here it is, the naked truth. The reserve goes to the position, closes the breakthrough, and after five minutes, only one of the 15 people remains intact. The bodies lie on the ground. If it's a light 300, maybe you'll be lucky, you'll faint, and you'll get out on foot, you'll reach the medics. They just took a 300 [wounded]. He shouted all the way: - "Where is the support? Where is the artillery? Why were we abandoned? Why didn't anyone cover us?" I don't know, my friend, why no one covered us... He screams, and I'm ashamed that I'm still safe and sound, only a couple of good deafening. I threw up, I pissed myself, I'm sorry, and I'm back in action. All reserves are destroyed, military equipment is on fire, the enemy approaches and without any problems occupies our positions after another barrage of artillery. Right now we are losing Pisky, all our human and material resources are almost exhausted. Denys, a resident of Mariupol, who told me "well, I trust the arrestee [Zelenski advisor Arestovich], we will return everything back very soon" is dead. He was wounded twice, they bandaged him right in the trench, they told him, Denchyk, go to the evacuation, but he answered "guys, I will not abandon you." Both wounded for the first time, and after the second wounding, he continued to shoot back. We still haven't taken his body. On the ruins of Pisky, he lies with his arms outstretched and his gaze frozen. He asks for revenge. How can I refuse his latest request? How can we all leave Dan? I believe that Dimka survived after all. Because he could not die, having recently returned from the hospital, having just proposed to his girlfriend. They say that after one of the parishes he simply disappeared. It fell asleep with earth. But, I believe that this is a mistake, and he is alive. Foolish hope and expectation. I know, my country does not like to think aloud. But, I was left with no choice between victory and arrest. The truth should be heard, not whispers in the kitchen. Of course, he will fly separately for this post, because how? Yes, does the state lie to its own citizens? I won't be surprised if someone says today: "Kremlin agent Sirozh talked about the brilliant plan of the victors on the Donetsk front, let's hang him on the peacemaker." I amused to say that everything is under control. Now in Pisky, everything is not under anyone's control, but for some reason the situation is being hushed up. Ring broken bells while we cover Pisky with bodies. We need artillery. Give us something here to hold on to. Now put yourself into the position of Serhiy Gnezdilov, Denys or Dimka. Then think about the politicians who sweet talk of heroic Ukrainian resistance and send these men to be slaughtered for no possible gain. Sorry Serhiy, more artillery wont do it. The Russian side would just grind it up within days. How many of the 120 U.S. M-777 howitzers that were given to Ukraine still exist? Maybe 10 or so, most of them damaged? There are other operations going on. North of the Donetsk front there is a thrust towards Bakhmut (also known as Artomovsk). Yesterday Soledar, north of Bakhmut was reported to be mostly captured. Vershyna and Zaiseve, south of it, are also gone or will fall soon.

bigger The Ukrainian side has loudly announce an upcoming counter offensive on the southern front towards Kherson city. But the number of Russian units in that larger area have since been increased to a level that makes a new Russian offensive towards Mykolaiv (Nikolaev), Kryvyv Rih (Krivoy Rog) or Zaporitzhia more likely than anything the Ukrainian side could possibly do.

bigger The Russian side also wages a continuous campaign against Ukrainian reserves, brigade headquarters and military installations or temporary storage sides far behind the immediate front line. These less visible attacks kill huge numbers of Ukrainian troops. From yesterday's 'clobber report' (also here): As a result of Russian Aerospace Forces strike on combat positions of 54th Mechanized Brigade of AFU near Mar'inka in Donetsk People's Republic, more than 50 nationalists of 2nd Battalion of this unit have been destroyed. High-precision weapons of the Russian Aerospace Forces struck on a temporary deployment point of the Ukrainian Foreign Legion near Nikolaev city. The attacks have resulted in the elimination of up to 250 nationalists and 20 units of military equipment. High-precision strikes of the Russian Aerospace Forces have eliminated up to 500 nationalists of 92nd Mechanised Brigade of AFU and large amount of military equipment in Merefa and Chuguyiv in Kharkov Region. Shelling of combat positions of 16th Battalion of 58th AFU Motorized Infantry Brigade near Artemovsk have resulted in the elimination of over 130 nationalists. The remaining battalion servicemen, numbering up to 70, hurriedly left their positions and departed for Konotop, Sumy Region, where they were disarmed and declared deserters. 21st Battalion of 56th Motorized Infantry Brigade, which had suffered significant losses near Peski, came under artillery fire of AFU during its retreat to Vodyanoye and was almost completely eliminated. Notice the last paragraph. The unit in Pisky (Peski), where Serhiy Gnezdilov reported from, was retreating towards Vodiane (Vodyanoye), north of Pisky (see the second map above). On their way the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) opened fire on them, killing nearly everyone who had survived the Russian attacks against Pisky. Was this punishment for the already late retreat? Or was it a misidentification by a forward artillery observer who thought that those retreating Ukrainian forces were attacking Russian units? I don't know, but ... By the way - the opponent casualties numbers given by the Russian ministry of defense are likely over estimated (as all such numbers are). But even if only half of those ~900 claimed yesterday really were wounded or killed on the day before the losses are still devastating. In 1967, at the very height of the Vietnam war, U.S. casualties, dead and wounded, were at maximum about 200 per day. We see a multiple of those on the Ukrainian side each and every day. This is not sustainable. The Ukrainian government should have given up the uneven fight months ago. It is an immense crime to further urge it on. Posted by b on August 3, 2022 at 8:07 UTC | Permalink Comments next page  next page 
Johnnie Walker to join Boom Radio to celebrate the pirates

Johnnie Walker is to host a show as part of a range of special programmes on Boom Radio on Sunday 14 August in celebration of the era of the offshore pirate stations.



This 14 August will be 55 years since the pirate stations were made illegal when the Marine Offences Act became law.



Johnnie joins Boom for the day, to host the morning show, reflecting on those days on the ships. Johnnie broadcast on Swinging Radio England, before crossing to Radio Caroline where he famously defied the law.



Following Johnnie, John Peters will recreate the last Big L Fab 40  the last chart broadcast by Radio London before the station closed.



Then Roger Day remembers the drama of his days offshore  from the early days at Swinging Radio England, to his time at Radio Caroline and RNI.



DLT will broadcast a special evening show from 6pm and at 9pm, Keith Skues introduces an hour of conversation with some of those who worked on board. Before joining Radio 1, Keith broadcast on Radio Caroline and Radio London. This programme includes colourful stories of the time from Paul Burnett, Tony Blackburn, Roger Day, Colin Berry, Roger Gale and Tom Edwards.



We know this era really chimes with our listeners, commented Boom Content Director Paul Robey. The day is a chance to celebrate the influence of what happened back then on the radio we hear today.

Source: Radio Today

https://radiotoday.co.uk/2022/08/johnnie-walker-to-join-boom-radio-on-14th-august-to-celebrate-the-pirates/
SDI Productions/Getty Images

On Wednesday, the Texas Department of Public Safety announced that three of the top 10 most wanted Texas figures were captured, this includes individuals from Greenville, Abilene and Fort Worth.

On July 14, Cameron Bishop (Greenville) was arrested in Commerce, Texas, the release said, adding that John Havener (Abilene) was arrested on July 24 in Durant, Okla. and Texas 10 Most Wanted Sex Offender Arthur Stevenson (Fort Worth) was arrested on July 27 in Fort Worth, with a Crime Stoppers reward set to be paid in Bishops arrest.
TEHRAN, Iran (AP)  Iran, the United States and the European Union said Wednesday they would send senior representatives to Vienna amid what appears to be a last-ditch effort at reviving talks over Tehran's tattered 2015 nuclear deal with world powers.

It wasn't immediately clear if all other parties to the landmark accord would attend the surprise summit, nor if there had been any progress after a monthslong stalemate and recent fruitless round of indirect talks between Iran and the U.S. in Doha.

The European Union official who chairs the talks, Enrique Mora, said the negotiations would focus on the most recent draft to restore the agreement, while Irans chief nuclear negotiator, Ali Bagheri Kani, said he was heading to the Austrian capital to advance the negotiations.

U.S. Special Representative for Iran Rob Malley wrote on Twitter that he was preparing to travel to Vienna for talks. He cautioned that American expectations are in check" ahead of the negotiations.

The United States welcomes EU efforts and is prepared for a good faith attempt to reach a deal. It will shortly be clear if Iran is prepared for the same," Malley added.

Iran's U.N. Ambassador Majid Takht Ravanchi said Wednesday that Iran has negotiated in good-will"" since April 2021 to resume full implementation of the 2015 deal and blamed the U.S. for failing to reach agreement.

Achieving this objective has been delayed because the United States is yet to decide to give assurances that Iran will enjoy the promised economic benefits in the agreement," he told a high-level conference reviewing the landmark Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty at U.N. headquarters in New York.

When the U.S. makes the right decision," Ravanchi said, Iran, in turn, will cease its remedial actions and resume the full implementation of its nuclear-related measures in accordance with the 2015 agreement."

The German Foreign Ministry said Berlin would be represented at an expert level at the talks in Vienna, adding it supported efforts to fully revive the deal even if hopes are very small. It again pushed Iran to conclude the deal and said that would mean giving up maximalist positions in areas beyond the nuclear agreement.

Russias chief representative at the talks, Mikhail Ulyanov, also wrote on Twitter that negotiators from Russia, a key signatory of the nuclear deal, stand ready for constructive talks in order to finalize the agreement.

The prospects for the deal's restoration have darkened in the past few months with major sticking points remaining, including Tehran's demand that Washington provide guarantees that it wont again quit the pact and that it lift terrorism sanctions on Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard.

The abruptly called meeting in Vienna comes after EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell has repeatedly pushed to break the deadlock and salvage the deal in past weeks. He recently wrote in The Financial Times that the space for additional significant compromises has been exhausted.

Former President Donald Trump withdrew the U.S. from the 2015 deal, which lifted most international sanctions on Tehran in exchange for tight restrictions on Irans nuclear program. Since then, Iran has massively expanded its nuclear work and now has enough highly enriched uranium to fuel one nuclear weapon, according to nonproliferation experts.

However, Iran still would need to design a bomb and a delivery system for it, likely a monthslong project. Iran insists its program is for peaceful purposes, though U.N. experts and Western intelligence agencies say Iran had an organized military nuclear program through 2003.

___

Associated Press writers Matthew Lee in Washington, Isabel DeBre in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Geir Moulson in Berlin, and Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations contributed to this report.
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BAGHDAD (AP)  Influential Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr told followers Wednesday to continue their sit-in inside Iraqs government zone, and called for the dissolution of parliament and early elections, signaling a deepening power struggle with his rivals.

Speaking for the first time since thousands of his followers stormed the parliament building in Baghdad on Saturday, al-Sadr said the revolutionaries must stay and continue their sit-in. He dismissed the option of engaging in dialogue with his political opponents in the Coordination Framework, an alliance of mostly Iran-backed parties, saying they did not bear fruit in the past.

Dont defer to their gossips that I dont want a dialogue, because we tried dialogue with them but it didnt result in anything for us or for the country. Dialogue with them has brought nothing but destruction, corruption, and dependency to the country, despite their pledges and signatures," he said in a televised speech in the holy city of Najaf.

"There is no point of that dialogue, especially after people have spoken their free and spontaneous word.

He directed his followers to vacate the parliament building on Tuesday but to remain in its vicinity. A mass prayer has been called for Friday inside the Green Zone, a heavily fortified district where the parliament and other government buildings are located.

Former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, the head of the Framework and al-Sadr's chief political rival, tweeted in support of continued dialogue based on the constitution.

Serious dialogues, from which we hope to resolve differences and restore things to their rightful place, begin with a return to the constitution and respect for constitutional institutions, al-Maliki tweeted.

Others welcomed al-Sadr's call for early elections, including former Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi who tweeted he welcomed the speech. He called for Iraqis to join serve the people and reform the system, "through a sound and peaceful democratic process, he tweeted.

The Framework has painted al-Sadr's followers as acting against Iraqi state institutions and called for counter-protests to defend them. Al-Sadr's followers have not yet voiced a unified and coherent list of demands. They overran the parliament when the Framework took steps to form a government after naming Mohamed al-Sudani as their nominee for the premiership.

Sadrs movement won the largest share of seats in federal elections last October. The cleric, along with his Kurdish and Sunni allies, called for a majority government that would exclude the Framework. But al-Sadr was not able to corral enough lawmakers to push ahead with the vote to elect a president, a key step before naming a prime minister. Out of frustration he ordered his 73 members of parliament to resign in June.

Now, emboldened in the aftermath of the ongoing sit-in that has brought the capital to a standstill, Al-Sadr hinted that appeals by his political rivals to negotiate did not bear fruit.

Shiite political officials said a proposal had been made requesting al-Sadr withdraw his followers from the parliament. In exchange the legislature would remain closed, inhibiting his rivals from forming a government without him.

Al-Sadr said fresh elections would get rid of old faces  referring to the establishment parties  including his own.

I am confident that the majority of people are fed up with the ruling class entirely, including some who belong to the (Sadrist) movement," he said.
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SAN FRANCISCO (AP)  The husband of U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi pleaded not guilty Wednesday to misdemeanor driving under the influence charges related to a May crash in Northern California wine country.

Paul Pelosi, 82, did not appear in person at Napa County Superior Court Wednesday. His attorney, Amanda Bevins, entered not guilty pleas on his behalf on charges of driving under the influence of alcohol causing injury and driving with a .08% blood alcohol level or higher causing injury.

The complaint comes as Speaker Pelosi makes global headlines with a trip to Asia this week, including a controversial visit to Taiwan that heightened tensions with China. The powerful Democrat said the U.S. will not abandon the self-governing island and will defend democracy around the world.

Paul Pelosi was arrested following a May 28 crash in Napa County, north of San Francisco, after a DUI test showed he had a blood alcohol content of .082%.

Officers responding to the crash after 10 p.m. near the wine country town of Yountville said they found Pelosi in the driver's seat of a 2021 Porsche Carrera and the other driver standing outside a sport utility vehicle, according to the complaint made public Wednesday.

California Highway Patrol officers reported that Pelosi was unsteady on his feet, his speech was slurred, and he had a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage."

Pelosi offered to officers his drivers license along with an 11-99 Foundation card when asked for identification, the complaint says. The 11-99 Foundation supports CHP employees and their families.

The complaint charges Pelosi with being under the influence of an alcoholic beverage and a drug but both Bevins and Paul Gero, assistant district attorney for Napa County, said the drug reference was boilerplate language generated by the case management system.

Prosecutors filed the case as a misdemeanor because of injuries to the 48-year-old driver of the SUV. They have declined to identify the driver, saying the person has requested privacy.

In an interview with investigators from the district attorney's office, the driver reported pain in his upper right arm, right shoulder and neck the day after the crash. He said he also had headaches.

Pelosi was released on $5,000 bail after his arrest. Speaker Pelosi was in Rhode Island to deliver the commencement address at Brown University at the time. Her office has declined to comment.

If convicted, Pelosi faces up to a minimum of five days in jail and up to five years of probation. He would also be required to complete a drinking driver class and install an ignition interlock device in his vehicle that requires the driver to blow into it to travel, prosecutors said.

State law allows for DUI misdemeanor defendants to appear through their attorney unless ordered otherwise by the court.
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HINDMAN, Ky. (AP)  For days, a search-and-rescue team led by Phillip Dix has combed debris-clogged creekbanks looking for survivors in flood-ravaged eastern Kentucky. His crew is used to the stifling heat and humidity but is laboring under the grind of 12-hour shifts spent pulling people from danger.

The scope of the devastation and the conversations with people who lost everything keeps the rescuers going, said Dix, who leads the Memphis, Tennessee-based team.

Its a job to us, but talking to the local people, that kind of brings it down to the human level, which our guys have to deal with, Dix said Wednesday. You cant just turn that switch off when youre talking to someone whos lost everything they had.

Nearly a week since floodwaters consumed parts of Appalachia, rescue missions were winding down while supplies poured into what looms as a massive relief effort. Floodwaters wrecked homes and businesses, and some escaped the surging waters with only the clothes they wore.

Initial expenditures from a relief fund opened by Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear were being distributed to pay funeral expenses of flood victims. The statewide death toll is 37, Beshear said.

Temperatures surged as people continued shoveling out from the wreckage. The rising heat and humidity meant heat index values were near 100 Wednesday, a steam bath that will continue through Thursday evening, the National Weather Service said.

The guys are tired, Dix said from Knott County, where his crew resumed their mission on foot and boats. "So youve got to watch them, make sure theyre hydrated more than usual.

That included tending to the dogs assisting the crews. The K-9s were being rotated to keep them from overheating, said Deborah Burnett, a K-9 coordinator.

Were splashing some water on the dogs ... just to keep them nice and hydrated, she said.

Dix's team rescued 16 people during a two-day stretch, he said. The rescued had no cell service, no electricity, no way out due to damaged roads and bridges and some were running short of food. The team reunited families, but also found two bodies.

The area that we were in, the houses were just gone, Dix said. "These people that have lost everything theyve got, they still make it a point to thank us for being up here.

Cooling centers were opened after forecasters warned of the risk of heat-related illnesses.

In Breathitt County, plans were made to deliver supplies by foot in areas where roads were washed out, said county Judge-Executive Jeff Noble.

It just devastates me to see what pain people are going through, he said. My staff and workers, theyve worked nonstop and theyre still working nonstop, and well continue to do that until every holler is open and every road is open.

More than 1,300 people were rescued and crews were still trying to reach some people cut off by floods or mudslides. About 5,000 customers still lacked electricity in eastern Kentucky, the governor said. Emergency shelters and area state parks housed hundreds of residents who fled homes that were destroyed or badly damaged. Many more are staying with relatives and friends.

More than 400 National Guardsmen have been deployed across the disaster area, delivering water and other relief. Beshear said water stations are set up every few miles along some roadways.

Our goal is to provide so much water they (local officials) say stop sending us water, he said.

Infrastructure also took a pounding from flooding. Water systems sustained heavy damage, and some roads and bridges were eaten away by floodwaters, the governor said.

Its going to take significant time and significant dollars to restore what was destroyed, he said.

Beshear said a special legislative session will likely be needed to devise a relief package for the flood-stricken region. The governor holds the power to reconvene lawmakers for a special session.

The outpouring of support was evident across the area. Volunteers helped remove debris from homes, while others served up meals. Beshear said it's a time for people to lean on each other and urged them to seek help in dealing with the trauma.

Remember, its OK not to be OK," the Democratic governor said. "I dont think our brains or hearts are designed to deal with trauma and loss at this level.

Robyn Casey Caldwell joined the relief effort while coping with her own grief. The elementary school kindergarten aide has spent long days delivering water, medication, bedding, baby food and tools in flood-torn Knott County.

Weighing heavily has been the loss of her cousin Jay Edward Bush, a 57-year-old Army veteran who died Wednesday, just hours before the flood came. The next day, his wifes home was washed away. She lost everything.

I dont think there has been time to even think  we just do what needs to be done, she said. But Im sure there have been many people that just find a quiet place and break down and cry. When I find time, I will surely cry.

The governor said the magnitude of the losses takes your breath away. Many people are left with absolutely nothing, with every single possession wiped out, he said.

Imagine scratching and clawing for 10, 15 years to be able to have something you call a home," the governor said. "But its not insured and its wiped out, as is every other thing that you own.

Repairing these lives is going to be challenging, but were up for it, he added.

President Joe Biden declared a federal disaster to direct relief money to counties flooded after 8 to 10 1/2 inches (20 to 27 centimeters) of rain fell in just 48 hours last week in the Appalachian mountain region.

The flooding also hit areas just across the state line in Virginia and West Virginia.

___

Schreiner reported from Frankfort, Kentucky. Associated Press Writers Rebecca Reynolds in Louisville, Kentucky, and Leah Willingham in Charleston, West Virginia, contributed to this report.
Springboard Center

The board of directors of The Springboard Center, the Permian Basins premier alcohol and drug treatment and recovery center, is pleased to announce the appointment of David C. Chancellor of Midland as its executive director.

Chancellor was most recently vice president of Human Resources for the Medical Center Health System in Odessa. Prior to MCHS, he served for 12 years as the executive director of the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Permian Basin, where he led the growth and positive impact of the clubs on the children of the Permian Basin.
Bulgaria-based Panel Firm JTN Expands to Denmark

Bulgaria-based online panels provider JTN has opened an office in Denmark, to be run by Business Development Director Maria Lassen Pedersen, supported by Helle Raun Oddershede who has been named Business Development Manager.



JTN was established in 2007 and offers proprietary panels globally, from its HQ in Sofia. Its new Nordic office will provide access to the group's existing proprietary panel coverage in Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Finland, as well as its full service offer. The firm says that with its new local office, the team will be able to better tailor to the needs of existing clients, while expanding the business further - including strengthening the Nordics proprietary panel offering for both local and international demand.



Lassen Pedersen joins from fieldwork agency Wilke, where she served as Field & Research Director, before which she was Head of Operations at Bilendi Nordic. She will be supported by Raun Oddershede, who also joins from Wilke, where she was Business Development Manager. Before this she was Nordic CEO for Bilendi Nordic / M3 Research, after working as Head of Field Service and Operation at M3 Research.



Commenting on the news, MD Danyo Dimitrov said: 'Knowing both Maria's and Helle's excellent industry experience and expertise which spreads across many years, it is inspiring that these renowned professionals are now part of our expanding team. It was an easy decision to invite them into the JTN family and we are thrilled about our future together'.



Web site: www.jtnresearch.com .




Phil Steggals to lead Fiftyfive5 APAC Expansion

Australian insight consultancy Fiftyfive5 has appointed former Kadence MD Phil Steggals as Head of Consulting for the APAC region. He is based in Singapore.



Fiftyfive5 was launched in 2010 by three former Directors of The Leading Edge: Karen Phillips, Mark Sundquist and Darren Kemp, and in 2018 it merged with brand development and consumer insights agency GalKal. In May this year, it acquired The Leading Edge (TLE) and The Digital Edge (TDE) from marcoms group Enero, for $1.35m in cash.



Steggals (pictured) joins after more than a decade at B2B full service and fieldwork agency Kadence, based in Singapore and latterly serving as Global Head of Research & Strategy, as well as MD of the Singapore office. During this time he built a team of 35, delivering insight solutions for a wide range of clients across the APAC region.



In his new role, Steggals is charged with leading the continued expansion and development of Fiftyfive5's APAC consumer insight consulting capability. Sundquist comments: 'Over the past ten years we have worked extensively throughout APAC for our domestic, regional and global clients and have had a team in Singapore to support and enable that work. Our client's focus on the region is growing and in response we are dialling up our capability and capacity to deliver great work for them in APAC. We are excited to have Phil on board to lead that build for us out of Singapore'.



Web site: www.fiftyfive5.com .




Online registration opens for Jacksonville Memorial Hospital run Online registration for the Jacksonville Memorial Hospital 5K/10K presented by Gatorade is open...

Beardstown welcome center intends to help immigrants settle in A new welcome center has opened in Beardstown. Unlike welcome centers that greet tourists and...
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LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP)  The State Board of Election Commissioners on Wednesday blocked a proposal to legalize recreational marijuana from appearing on Arkansas' ballot this fall.

The panel rejected the popular name and ballot title for the proposed constitutional amendment that supporters hoped to put on the November ballot. Supporters submitted more than enough valid signatures from registered voters to qualify, but the proposal still needed approval from by the board to appear on the ballot.

Arkansas voters in 2016 approved a constitutional amendment legalizing medical marijuana. The proposed amendment would allow people age 21 and older to possess up to an ounce of cannabis and would allow state-licensed dispensaries to sell recreational marijuana.

An attorney for Responsible Growth Arkansas, the group backing the proposal, said it would appeal to the state Supreme Court.

The panel rejected the measure after commissioners said they didn't believe the ballot title fully explained to voters the impact of the amendment. For example, commissioners said they were concerned that the amendment would repeal the state's current limit under its medical marijuana amendment on how much THC is allowed in edible marijuana products.

If I'm a voter I might be all for this but I'd like to safeguard that edible limit," Commissioner J. Harmon Smith said.

Responsible Growth Arkansas attorney Steve Lancaster said the the boards criticism was unfair because it would require the ballot title going into an unwieldy amount of detail.

The type of detail that the board expected, or demanded in this case, would make our ballot title thousands and thousands of words long, Steve Lancaster told reporters after the vote. That just simply is not workable for a ballot.

Recreational marijuana is already legal in 19 states, and legalization proposals are on the ballot this fall in South Dakota and Maryland. Supporters are also trying to get measures on the ballot in Missouri, North Dakota and Oklahoma.

Arkansas Republican Gov. Asa Hutchinson, who is a former head of the federal Drug Enforcement Administration, opposed the proposal. Democratic gubernatorial hopeful Chris Jones said Wednesday that he supports the measure. Republican nominee Sarah Sanders has not said where she stands on the issue. Hutchinson is term-limited and not seeking reelection in November.

The board also rejected a proposal that would scale back a casino gambling measure voters approved in 2018 by removing one of the four counties where a casino is allowed.
KINSHASA, Congo (AP)  Congos government has requested that the spokesman for the United Nations mission in Congo leave the country, saying he has made inappropriate statements amid demonstrations against the presence of the U.N. peacekeepers.

Foreign Minister Christophe Lutundula wrote to the U.N. mission, known as MONUSCO, saying he considers that the current tensions between the U.N. and the population are due to the indelicate and inopportune statements by U.N. Congo spokesman Mathias Gillman.

The Congolese government considers that the presence of this official on the national territory is not likely to promote a climate of mutual trust and serenity so essential between the Congolese institutions and MONUSCO, the statement said.

The Congolese government would greatly appreciate if arrangements are made for Mr. Gillman to leave the territory as soon as possible.

U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric expressed regret at the governments decision requesting Gillman to leave the country,

In line with the status of the U.N. under the Charter of the organization, any concerns that the government may have regarding the actions of a member of MONUSCO should be raised directly with the mission leadership, Dujarric said. The mission and U.N. headquarters are accordingly engaging with the government to address this matter."

The U.N. Security Council was briefed behind closed doors Thursday by U.N. peacekeeping chief Jean-Pierre, who just returned from Congo, on the latest developments there.

The government did not point to specific statements made by Gillman, but in July during a press conference, he mentioned that MONUSCO and the Congolese army have limited means to deal with several fronts of attacks, in particular those by the M23 rebel group which has gained more weapons and is staging heavy attacks on civilians.

Dujarric said Gillman is currently not in Congo.

Congos government held a crisis meeting earlier this week to reassess the presence of United Nations peacekeepers after protests against the force in the countrys east killed at least 36 people and injured more than 170 others.

The government will also meet with the U.N. mission to discuss the possibilities for its withdrawal.

The U.N. force has already withdrawn from two provinces of Congo, Kasai and Tanganyika.

The statement from the foreign minister mentioned 2024 as the goal, saying that they wanted the spokesman removed to help complete the transition plan for the end of its final withdrawal from Congo, by the horizon 2024, as agreed.

The U.N. force in Congo, known as MONUSCO, has about 16,000 uniformed personnel but has not succeeded in stabilizing the countrys volatile east.

Congos mineral-rich east is home to myriad rebel groups. Security has worsened there despite a year of emergency operations by the armies of Congo and Uganda. Civilians in the east have also faced violence from jihadi rebels linked to the Islamic State group. Fighting has also escalated between Congolese troops and the M23 rebels, forcing nearly 200,000 people to flee their homes.
Suzana Topita/Getty Images

As most of west-central Illinois bakes in the summer heat today, weather forecasters also are cautioning strong to severe storms are possible this afternoon into the evening.

The National Weather Service said Morgan, Cass, Sangamon, Scott and Schuyler counties could experience damaging winds and hail after about 3 p.m. Lightning and flooding from heavy rain also will be a concern, according to the weather service.
Jacksonville Police

ARRESTS, CITATIONS

 Jill R. Burnett, 32, of 713 E. Lafayette Ave. was arrested at 11:21 p.m. Monday on charges of leaving the scene of an accident and aggravated fleeing or attempting to elude a peace officer. She was accused of leaving the scene after a crash in the police department parking lot during a pursuit July 23 that started on West Morton Avenue.

 Kellen R. Reardon, 25, homeless, was arrested at 8:57 p.m. Monday on a charge of criminal trespass to state-supported land after being accused of being at a location in the 800 block of Hoagland Boulevard from which he was prohibited.

 Martin L. Menard, 50, of 819 W. College Ave. was arrested at 3:58 p.m. Monday in the 300 block of North Clay Avenue on a Morgan County warrant accusing him of possession of methamphetamine.

THEFTS, BURGLARIES

 A bicycle was stolen between 9 and 9:45 p.m. Monday from the 300 block of West Dunlap Street.

VANDALISM

 Tires were slashed on a car in the 300 block of East Independence Avenue between Sunday and 3:29 p.m. Monday.
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Two physicians have joined Memorial Care in Jacksonville, providing pediatric and family medicine care.

Family medicine physician Dr. Drake Gashkoff received his medical degree from Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee in 2016. He completed his residency in family medicine at Saint Joseph Regional Medical Center in Mishawaka, Indiana. He earned his bachelors degree in chemistry from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2011.

Gashkoff most recently served as a family physician with Duly Health and Care, previously known as DuPage Medical Group, in Illinois.

Dr. Hasan Othman is a pediatric medicine physician.

Othman attended medical school at Alexandria University School of Medicine in Alexandria, Egypt. In 2022, he completed his residency in pediatrics at Michigan State Universitys Sparrow Hospital in Lansing, Michigan, where he also served as a member of the clinical faculty in the Department of Pediatrics. Prior to that, he was a research fellow at the Cleveland Clinic Childrens Hospital in Cleveland, Ohio; and a visiting physician at Rainbow Babies and Childrens Hospital in Cleveland.
It didnt matter if it was coming from the left or the right, you should condemn violence 100% of the time.

I sat upright when former Deputy Press Secretary Sara Matthews said this during the July 21 January 6th Committee hearing.

This is an important statement in any society, but especially for our democracy.

Unfortunately, far too few of our leaders  or even our neighbors  are making statements like this. As a result, were normalizing the use of violence more and more.

Weve all seen the videos of punches thrown on airplanes over masking and school board meetings requiring police presence. Given what were going through, this increase in aggression is understandable. As humans, were hardwired to crave certainty, autonomy, and validation. When we dont get those things, we feel threatened  and we act out like we feel threatened.

Thats what a lot of the conditions today are doing. So much is uncertain about our world and seems to remove our ability to control our lives: fires and floods, rising prices, mass shootings in places we used to feel safe. Our toxic polarization means that we are constantly putting down the other side in ways that activate the threat responses of those we demean. All of this triggers our threat responses and can lead to aggression and violence.

But allowing our threat responses to remain on high only makes things worse. We get into rages quickly, which adds to others uncertainty. We unfriend people, which limits our contact with other human beings, often including family. We immediately take umbrage at others remarks instead of probing  did this person truly mean to hurt me or did I misread them?

In other words, we start to normalize aggressive, threatening behavior that once was definitely not normal. This creates a vicious cycle, increasing our fear and distrust of others, which limits our ability to work together as communities and as a democracy.

So what can we do? Yes, there are overarching policy changes we can be making. We can control the amount of violence in video games and on tv. We can reorient our judicial system away from its current adversarial winner-and-loser approach to court cases, making more frequent use of mediation where parties honestly discuss the situation and arrive at mutually agreeable solutions.

We can also do things in our own daily lives. We can recreate old norms of democratic behavior. At a minimum we can call out violence in our society and require our leaders to do the same. Here I take heart in another recent moment, as a female gate attendant stood up on a bench between an aggressive passenger and a gate attendant, successfully ending a fight by yelling no! She called out the violence as unacceptable. She upheld normal, nonviolent behavior.

We dont all have to put ourselves in between fighters like that gate attendant.

But we all can condemn violence 100% of the time, and build a healthier society and a stronger democracy.
Stopping Myanmar violence tops meeting of Asian diplomats View Photo

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP)  Top Southeast Asian diplomats meeting in Cambodias capital intensified efforts Wednesday to stop the escalating violence in Myanmar and to address other pressing  and often divisive  regional issues.

It is the first in-person meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations foreign ministers since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has weakened economies and complicated diplomacy, and comes at a time of increased tensions between the United States and China, as well as global increases in food and energy prices following Russias invasion of Ukraine.

ASEAN has to deal with challenges of different types and levels but never before, never like this year, have we been confronted at the same time with so many perils for the region and the world at large, Cambodian Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn told the delegates ahead of the meetings.

Cambodia currently holds the rotating chairmanship of ASEAN, which also includes the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Laos, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam and Brunei in addition to Myanmar.

Myanmars military ousted the democratically elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in February 2021, and the country was asked not to send any political representative to the ASEAN meetings in response to the violence that has ensued.

In protest of that decision, Myanmars military government said it would send no delegate at all, so is unrepresented in the talks, complicating efforts to push the country to comply with an ASEAN five-point plan for peace, which it has largely been ignoring.

Youre trying to solve the problem in Myanmar without talking to them, conceded Cambodias spokesperson for the meetings, Kung Phoak, a Foreign Ministry official who also serves as the groups special envoy to Myanmar.

We are trying to talk to them, trying to explain to them, trying to express our frustration, he said. But at the same time we also want to hear from them, what they think, how they can do more, so that we can make sure that the implementation of the five-point consensus is moving forward as fast as possible.

Suu Kyis ouster triggered widespread peaceful protests that were violently suppressed. They have evolved into an armed resistance and the country has slipped into what some U.N. experts characterize as a civil war.

Among other things, the five-point consensus calls for dialogue between all concerned parties and an immediate end to violence.

The military-led government has shown little interest in following the plan, however, and last week announced that it had resumed judicial executions, hanging four political prisoners. That prompted a global outcry, including from ASEAN countries, with Malaysian Foreign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah condemning the act as a crime against humanity.

New sanctions are being considered and Saifuddin said ahead of the meetings that the group should think about scrapping or revising its five-point consensus. He said ASEANs special envoy also needs to meet with the National Unity Government, a shadow civilian administration established outside Myanmar, to help develop a new political framework.

In his opening remarks, however, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen seemed to suggest a slower approach, saying that member states were deeply disappointed and disturbed by the execution of those opposition activists, but going on to say if more prisoners are to be executed we will be forced to rethink our role vis-a-vis ASEANs five-point consensus.

In a draft copy of the final communique, which was obtained by The Associated Press and could change by the end of the meetings, the ministers say they remain committed to accelerate the implementation of the five-point consensus and again called for the immediate cessation of violence.

More than 2,100 people have been killed by the military government since it took power and nearly 15,000 have been arrested, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, a non-governmental organization that tracks killings and arrests.

Following the days meetings, Saifuddin said he had brought up proposals on strengthening the implementation of the five-point consensus and including talks with opposition groups, but that the future of the plan would have to be decided later in the year when ASEAN leaders hold their summit.

The five-point consensus was decided by the leaders of ASEAN and only the leaders can decide what we do, he told reporters.

The foreign ministers of China and Russia, both of which have supported Myanmars military regime, will be attending the ASEAN meetings and could be pressed by the group for assistance in implementing the plan. China, however, has strongly stuck by a principal of non-intervention while Russia is Myanmars top arms supplier.

During a stop in Myanmar en route to Phnom Penh, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov showed no sign of any change to Moscows stance, saying the two countries have a very solid foundation for building up cooperation in a wide range of areas.

We appreciate the traditionally friendly nature of our partnership, which is not affected by any opportunistic processes, Lavrov said.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who has criticized ASEAN for not doing enough to stop the violence in Myanmar, will also be in attendance in Phnom Penh.

There are currently no plans for Blinken to meet one-on-one with either Wang or Lavrov, but all three major powers are expected to take part Friday in an expanded meeting called the East Asia Summit. They are also to attend the ASEAN Regional Forum, a platform for security talks where North Korea is also a member.

That could be the first time Blinken and his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, would meet in the wake of House Speaker Nancy Pelosis visit to Taiwan, which provoked an angry response and threats from China, and might coincide with Chinese military exercises around the island.

Combined efforts to help the region in the wake of the coronavirus pandemics devastating impacts on tourism and other industries is another issue the ASEAN ministers set out to tackle, as well as ongoing territorial disputes in the South China Sea.

In 2016, an arbitration tribunal set up in The Hague under the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea invalidated Beijings vast territorial claims after the Philippine government complained in 2013 about Chinas increasingly aggressive actions in the disputed waters.

China did not participate in the arbitration, rejected its ruling as a sham and continues to defy it.

In addition to China and the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan and Brunei have had overlapping claims in the busy waterway, where an estimated $5 trillion in goods passes each year and which is believed to be rich in undersea gas and oil deposits.

In the draft final communique, the group says concerns remained on the land reclamations, activities, and serious incidents in the area, which have eroded trust and confidence, increased tensions, and may undermine peace, security, and stability in the region.

At the same time, they welcomed the continuously improving cooperation between ASEAN and China and said they were encouraged by the positive progress of the substantive negotiations toward agreement on a code of conduct in the South China Sea.

___

Jim Gomez in Manila, Philippines, contributed to this report.

By DAVID RISING

Associated Press
Sri Lanka leader proposes 25-year plan for crisis-hit nation View Photo

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP)  Sri Lankas new president said Wednesday that his government is preparing a national policy roadmap for the next 25 years that aims to cut public debt and turn the country into a competitive export economy as it seeks a way out of its worst economic disaster.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe in his speech to Parliament said Sri Lanka needs long-term solutions and a strong foundation to stop a recurrence of economic crises.

Massive public protests have blamed Wickremesinghes ousted predecessor, Gotabaya Rajapakasa, and his powerful family for years of mismanagement and corruption that have bankrupt the nation and led to unprecedented shortages of essential imports like fuel, medicine and cooking gas. But many are still skeptical of Wickremesinghe and accuse him of trying to protect the former leader and his relatives.

Sri Lanka announced in April that it is suspending repayment of foreign loans. Its total foreign debt is $51 billion, of which it must pay $28 billion by 2027.

Wickremesinghe said his government had initiated negotiations with the International Monetary Fund on a four-year rescue plan and had commenced the finalization of a debt restructuring plan.

We would submit this plan to the International Monetary Fund in the near future, and negotiate with the countries who provided loan assistance. Subsequently negotiations with private creditors would also begin to arrive at a consensus, he said.

Wickremesinghe had said earlier that negotiations with the IMF have been difficult because of Sri Lankas bankruptcy and that an expected early August target for an agreement with the agency was not possible and is now expected in September because of social unrest in the country.

He said the hardships had eased somewhat with reduced power cuts, fertilizers being brought in for cultivation and cooking gas distribution improving.

Safety measures have been taken to avoid food shortages. Bringing essential drugs and medical equipment to the hospitals has been initiated. Schools have been reopened. Measures are being taken to overcome the impediments faced by the industries and export sectors, he said.

Instead of relying on foreign loans for fuel imports, Sri Lanka should initiate a system where export income and foreign workers remittances are used for purchases, Wickremesinghe said.

We also have to limit selected imports in order to balance the payments for fuel. On the other hand, fuel supply has to be curtailed. These hardships would need to be borne until the end of this year.

He thanked neighboring Indias Prime Minister Narendra Modi for giving Sri Lanka a breath of life by providing timely assistance through credit lines and loans to buy food, medicine and fuel.

Wickremesinghe said the governments aim is to create a surplus in the primary budget by the year 2025 and to bring down public debt, currently at 140% of GDP, to less than 100% by 2032.

The economy should be modernized. Economic stability should be established and transformed into a competitive export economy. In this context, we are now preparing the necessary reports, plans, rules and regulations, laws and programs, he said.

If we build the country, the nation and the economy through the national economic policy, we would be able to become a fully developed country by the year 2048, when we celebrate the 100th anniversary of independence, Wickremesinghe said.

Wickremesinghe was elected president last moth to complete the rest of Rajapaksas five-year term, which ends in 2024. Rajapaksa fled the country after protesters, furious over the economic hardships, stormed his official residence and occupied several key government buildings.

Wickremesinghe cracked down on protests and many leaders of demonstrations have been arrested on charges of trespassing and damaging public property. Protest camps set up in front of the presidents office were dismantled by armed soldiers who beat up protesters.

However, Wickremesinghe on Wednesday denied that he was hunting down protesters.

He said he will protect peaceful protesters and opened an office to handle complaints of any wrongful action. People who violated the law unknowingly or at the instigation of others will be dealt with sympathetically while those who were involved in violence intentionally will be prosecuted, he said.

Wickremesinghe said that since young people had taken the lead in protests and wanted a change in the political system, he will make way for more youth to attend Parliament in the next election.

The next election should be the term of the youth. I consider that the creation of a new constitution with new attitudes in order to provide space for youth is one of the main priority tasks. 

He sought amity among political parties, saying only an all-party government can solve the countrys problems.

The expectation of all the citizens of the country at this juncture is for all their representatives in Parliament to work together in order to build the country, he said.

By KRISHAN FRANCIS

Associated Press
BERLIN (AP)  The German government on Wednesday said basic coronavirus requirements would remain in place during the coming fall and winter, when experts expect COVID-19 cases to rise again as people spend more time indoors.

Face masks and presenting proof of a negative coronavirus test will be mandatory from October until early April at hospitals, nursing homes and similar institutions with vulnerable people.

Passengers on airplanes and making long-distance trips by train and bus also will have to wear masks during that period, as they do now.

However, Germanys 16 states have the authority to adopt their own rules depending on how severely the virus affects their areas. State governments could decide to require masks on local public transportation, in schools for students in fifth grade and up, and at public indoor events.

Community facilities such as schools, prisons or asylum-seeker shelters may implement regular testing again if COVID-19 case numbers rise, Germanys health and justice ministers said in a joint statement.

The government also plans a fall vaccination campaign.

Germany should be better prepared for the next coronavirus winter than in previous years, Health Minister Karl Lauterbach said.

Justice Minister Marco Buschmann said a special effort would be made to keep schools open, while states will only be able to impose a mask requirement at schools if this is necessary in order to be able to continue to provide in-person teaching.

Children have a right to school education and a school day that is as carefree as possible. School closures must therefore not be allowed, Buschmann said.

The new regulations still need to go to Cabinet and parliament for approval but are expected to pass.
LONDON (AP)  British civil rights campaigner Roy Hackett, a leader of a bus boycott that played a key role in ending legal racial discrimination in the U.K., has died. He was 93.

The BBC and media outlets in Hacketts home city of Bristol, England, reported his death on Wednesday. The citys deputy mayor, Asher Craig, paid tribute to Hackett as a humble, principled, freedom fighter.

Born in Jamaica, Hackett came to Britain in 1952  one of the thousands of people from Britains former colonies who helped rebuild the U.K. after World War II.

In 1963, he helped organize a boycott of the government-owned Bristol Omnibus Company over its refusal to hire Black or Asian drivers and conductors. Britain had no law at the time barring racial discrimination in employment or housing.

Partly inspired by the Montgomery bus boycott in Alabama and by the U.S. civil rights movement, British activists held street sit-ins to prevent buses from moving.

Hackett recalled later that the movement began after he was walking through Bristol and saw a Black man crying outside the bus companys offices. He had showed up for an interview only to be told the job was gone.

So I then went and spoke to the company and told them, If he cant be taught to drive the bus, then the buses wont be driven, Hackett said.

The boycott drew national attention, gaining support from student groups, local Labour Party lawmaker Tony Benn and Labour leader Harold Wilson, who went on to become prime minister. After four months, the company changed its policy and started hiring non-white drivers.

The boycott helped build momentum for a formal ban on discrimination. In 1965, Wilsons government passed the Race Relations Act, which made racial discrimination illegal in public places. Another act three years later included education and housing.

Hackett also was a co-founder of the Commonwealth Coordinated Committee, which set up St. Pauls Carnival, one of Britains oldest Caribbean festivals.

Though Hackett was a local hero, the story of the bus boycott is not commonly taught in British schools. The event gained new attention in Britain during the anti-racism protests that swept the world after the killing of George Floyd at the hands of police in the United States.

After protesters in Bristol toppled a statue of British slave-trader Edward Colston and dumped it into the harbor in June 2020, a petition was started to get a statue of Hackett erected in its place.

Labour Party lawmaker Thangam Debbonaire, who represents Bristol West in Parliament, said Hackett was a civil rights hero.

He was an inspiration to so many and taught us all so much about standing up for justice and equality, Debbonaire said.

By JILL LAWLESS

Associated Press
Amador County Sheriff's Office View Photo

Amador County, CA  The top two vote-getters from the June Primary Election running for Amador County Sheriff are incumbent Gary Redman and challenger Sgt. Ryan Gillaspie.

The two will face off in a runoff during the November General Election. Things are complicated between the two, because Sgt. Gillaspie was put on paid administrative leave by the department just days before the primary election with little explanation given from the sheriffs office.

Since Amador County District Attorney Todd Riebe had endorsed the incumbent Redman for re-election, Riebe reached out and asked the neighboring El Dorado Countys District Attorney to oversee the investigation.

Amador DA Riebe has now put out a statement explaining that the investigation was over Sgt. Gillaspie allegedly injuring a young boy with a taser while on duty, and failing to report the incident.

Riebe adds, The El Dorado criminal investigation was completed and the Investigators report recommended that no criminal charges against Sergeant Gillaspie were warranted. My Chief Assistant District Attorney spoke with the El Dorado Investigator, reviewed his report and concurred with his findings.

The California Attorney Generals Office was also involved in reviewing aspects of the case.

On a related note, Gillaspies campaign has just put out a statement noting that the third-place candidate who ran in the primary, Patrick Weart, has endorsed his campaign.
Iran, US, EU to send envoys to Vienna for nuclear talks View Photo

TEHRAN, Iran (AP)  Iran, the United States and the European Union said Wednesday they would send senior representatives to Vienna amid what appears to be a last-ditch effort at reviving talks over Tehrans tattered 2015 nuclear deal with world powers.

It wasnt immediately clear if all other parties to the landmark accord would attend the surprise summit, nor if there had been any progress after a monthslong stalemate and recent fruitless round of indirect talks between Iran and the U.S. in Doha.

The European Union official who chairs the talks, Enrique Mora, said the negotiations would focus on the most recent draft to restore the agreement, while Irans chief nuclear negotiator, Ali Bagheri Kani, said he was heading to the Austrian capital to advance the negotiations.

U.S. Special Representative for Iran Rob Malley wrote on Twitter that he was preparing to travel to Vienna for talks. He cautioned that American expectations are in check ahead of the negotiations.

The United States welcomes EU efforts and is prepared for a good faith attempt to reach a deal. It will shortly be clear if Iran is prepared for the same, Malley added.

Irans U.N. Ambassador Majid Takht Ravanchi said Wednesday that Iran has negotiated in good-will since April 2021 to resume full implementation of the 2015 deal and blamed the U.S. for failing to reach agreement.

Achieving this objective has been delayed because the United States is yet to decide to give assurances that Iran will enjoy the promised economic benefits in the agreement, he told a high-level conference reviewing the landmark Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty at U.N. headquarters in New York.

When the U.S. makes the right decision, Ravanchi said, Iran, in turn, will cease its remedial actions and resume the full implementation of its nuclear-related measures in accordance with the 2015 agreement.

The German Foreign Ministry said Berlin would be represented at an expert level at the talks in Vienna, adding it supported efforts to fully revive the deal even if hopes are very small. It again pushed Iran to conclude the deal and said that would mean giving up maximalist positions in areas beyond the nuclear agreement.

Russias chief representative at the talks, Mikhail Ulyanov, also wrote on Twitter that negotiators from Russia, a key signatory of the nuclear deal, stand ready for constructive talks in order to finalize the agreement.

The prospects for the deals restoration have darkened in the past few months with major sticking points remaining, including Tehrans demand that Washington provide guarantees that it wont again quit the pact and that it lift terrorism sanctions on Irans paramilitary Revolutionary Guard.

The abruptly called meeting in Vienna comes after EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell has repeatedly pushed to break the deadlock and salvage the deal in past weeks. He recently wrote in The Financial Times that the space for additional significant compromises has been exhausted.

Former President Donald Trump withdrew the U.S. from the 2015 deal, which lifted most international sanctions on Tehran in exchange for tight restrictions on Irans nuclear program. Since then, Iran has massively expanded its nuclear work and now has enough highly enriched uranium to fuel one nuclear weapon, according to nonproliferation experts.

However, Iran still would need to design a bomb and a delivery system for it, likely a monthslong project. Iran insists its program is for peaceful purposes, though U.N. experts and Western intelligence agencies say Iran had an organized military nuclear program through 2003.

___

Associated Press writers Matthew Lee in Washington, Isabel DeBre in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Geir Moulson in Berlin, and Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations contributed to this report.

By NASSER KARIMI

Associated Press
Texas trial begins for man accused of killing his daughters View Photo

DALLAS (AP)  A man who evaded arrest for more than 12 years after being accused of fatally shooting his two teenage daughters in a taxi parked near a Dallas-area hotel was obsessed with possession and control, a prosecutor said Tuesday during opening statements of his capital murder trial.

He controlled what they did, who they talked to, who they could be friends with, if they and who they could date, prosecutor Lauren Black said. And he controlled everything in his household.

Yaser Said, 65, is accused of killing 18-year-old Amina Said and 17-year-old Sarah Said on New Years Day in 2008. Said, who entered a not guilty plea Tuesday, faces an automatic life sentence if convicted.

About a week before the sisters were killed, they and their mother fled their home in the Dallas suburb of Lewisville to Oklahoma to get away from Yaser Said, who worked as a taxi driver, Black said. The sisters had become very scared for their lives, and the decision to leave was made after Said put a gun to Aminas head and threatened to kill her, the prosecutor said.

But, Black said, in another act of control and manipulation by Said, he told them he had changed and convinced them to return home. The evening the sisters were shot, their father wanted to take just the two of them to a restaurant, she said.

In a letter written to the judge overseeing the case, Said said he was not happy with his kids dating activity but denied killing his daughters. Defense attorney Joseph Patton said in opening statements that the evidence would not support a conviction, that police were too quick to focus on Said and suggested that anti-Muslim sentiment played into that focus. Said was born in Egypt.

Before the sisters were found shot to death in a taxi parked near a hotel in the Dallas suburb of Irving, Sarah Said had managed to call 911 using a cellphone, telling the operator that her father shot her and that she was dying.

Black said Sarah Said was shot nine times and Amina Said was shot twice.

In moments of extreme trauma, like being shot multiple times, people can have hallucinations, Patton said.

In an email to her Lewisville High School history teacher 11 days before she and her sister were killed, Amina Said said that she and Sarah did not want to live by their fathers culture and marry men from the Middle East, especially men we dont know or love. So they were running away from their fathers home, she said in the email prosecutors read into evidence.

I know that he will search until he finds us, and he will without any drama nor doubt kill us, the email read.

After the sisters were found fatally shot in the taxi, police contacted the taxis registered owner, who said Yaser Said had been driving the taxi for the past 10 days, according to an affidavit for an arrest warrant.

Said, who had been sought on a capital murder warrant since the slayings, was placed on the FBIs most-wanted list. He was finally arrested in August 2020 in Justin, about 35 miles (60 kilometers) northwest of Dallas. His son, Islam Said, and his brother, Yassim Said, were subsequently convicted of helping him evade arrest.

Black said the sisters, both high school students in Lewisville, dreamed of becoming doctors, and that Yaser Said grew angrier as they grew up and became more educated and independent.

When they had more independence, that was less control for him, Black said.

___

This story has been updated to clarify that an email one of two Texas sisters who were killed in 2008 sent to a teacher was sent 11 days before their deaths.
Senate backs Finland, Sweden for NATO 95-1, rebuking Russia View Photo

WASHINGTON (AP)  U.S. Senators delivered overwhelming bipartisan approval to NATO membership for Finland and Sweden Wednesday, calling expansion of the Western defensive bloc a slam-dunk for U.S. national security and a day of reckoning for Russian President Vladimir Putin over his invasion of Ukraine.

Wednesdays 95-1 vote  for the candidacy of two Western European nations that, until Russias war against Ukraine, had long avoided military alliances  took a crucial step toward expansion of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and its 73-year-old pact of mutual defense among the United States and democratic allies in Europe.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer invited ambassadors of the two nations to the chamber gallery to witness the vote.

President Joe Biden, who has been the principal player rallying global economic and material support for Ukraine, has sought quick entry for the two previously non-militarily aligned northern European nations.

This historic vote sends an important signal of the sustained, bipartisan U.S. commitment to NATO, and to ensuring our Alliance is prepared to meet the challenges of today and tomorrow, Biden said in a statement Wednesday evening.

I look forward to signing the accession protocols and welcoming Sweden and Finland, two strong democracies with highly capable militaries, into the greatest defensive alliance in history, the president added.

Approval from all member nations  currently, 30  is required. The candidacies of the two prosperous Northern European nations have won ratification from more than half of the NATO member nations in the roughly three months since the two applied. Its a purposely rapid pace meant to send a message to Russia over its six-month-old war against Ukraines West-looking government.

It sends a warning shot to tyrants around the world who believe free democracies are just up for grabs, Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., said in the Senate debate ahead of the vote.

Russias unprovoked invasion has changed the way we think about world security, she added.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, who visited Kyiv earlier this year, urged unanimous approval. Speaking to the Senate, McConnell cited Finlands and Swedens well-funded, modernizing militaries and their experience working with U.S. forces and weapons systems, calling it a slam-dunk for national security of the United States.

Their accession will make NATO stronger and America more secure. If any senator is looking for a defensible excuse to vote no, I wish them good luck, McConnell said.

Sen. Josh Hawley, a Missouri Republican who often aligns his positions with those of the most ardent supporters of former President Donald Trump, cast the only no vote. Hawley took the Senate floor to call European security alliances a distraction from what he called the United States chief rival  China, not Russia.

We can do more in Europe  devote more resources, more firepower  or do what we need to do to deter Asia and China. We cannot do both, Hawley said, calling his a classic nationalist approach to foreign policy.

Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas, like Hawley a potential 2024 presidential contender, rebutted his points without naming his potential Republican rival.

That included arguing against Hawleys contention a bigger NATO would mean more obligations for the U.S. military, the worlds largest. Cotton was one of many citing the two nations military strengths  including Finlands experience securing its hundreds of miles of border with Russia and its well-trained ground forces, and Swedens well-equipped navy and air force.

Theyre two of the strongest members of the alliance the minute they join, Cotton said.

U.S. State and Defense officials consider the two countries net security providers, strengthening NATOs defense posture in the Baltics in particular. Finland is expected to exceed NATOs 2% GDP defense spending target in 2022, and Sweden has committed to meet the 2% goal.

Thats in contrast to many of NATOs newcomers formerly from the orbit of the Soviet Union, many with smaller militaries and economies. North Macedonia, NATOs most recent newcomer nation, brought an active military of just 8,000 personnel when it joined in 2020.

Senators votes approving NATO candidacies often are lopsided  the one for North Macedonia was 91-2. But Wednesdays approval from nearly all senators present carried added foreign policy weight in light of Russias war.

Schumer, D-N.Y., said he and McConnell had committed to the countrys leaders that the Senate would approve the ratification resolution as fast as we could to bolster the alliance in light of recent Russian aggression.

Sweden and Finland applied in May, setting aside their longstanding stance of military nonalignment. It was a major shift of security arrangements for the two countries after neighboring Russia launched its war on Ukraine in late February. Biden encouraged their joining and welcomed the two countries government heads to the White House in May, standing side by side with them in a display of U.S. backing.

The U.S. and its European allies have rallied with newfound partnership in the face of Putins military invasion, as well as the Russian leaders sweeping statements this year condemning NATO, issuing veiled reminders of Russias nuclear arsenal and asserting Russias historical claims to territory of many of its neighbors.

Enlarging NATO is exactly the opposite of what Putin envisioned when he ordered his tanks to invade Ukraine, Sen. Bob Menendez, a New Jersey Democrat and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said Wednesday, adding that the West could not allow Russia to launch invasions of countries.

Wednesdays vote by Republicans and Democrats stood out for the normally slow-moving and divided chamber. Senators voted down a proposed amendment by Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., intended to ensure that NATOs guarantee to defend its members does not replace a formal role for Congress in authorizing the use of military force. Paul, a longtime advocate of keeping the U.S. out of most military action abroad, voted present on the ratification of Sweden and Finlands membership bid.

Senators approved another amendment from Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, declaring that all NATO members should spend a minimum of 2% of their gross domestic product on defense and 20% of their defense budgets on major equipment, including research and development.

Each member government in NATO must give its approval for any new member to join. The process ran into unexpected trouble when Turkey raised concerns over adding Sweden and Finland, accusing the two of being soft on banned Turkish Kurdish exile groups. Turkeys objections still threaten the two countries membership.

___

Follow APs coverage of NATO at https://apnews.com/hub/nato.

By ELLEN KNICKMEYER and LISA MASCARO

Associated Press
NOAH'S COLOR RUN - It was a colorful morning at Broadway Park in Plainview Saturday (July 30, 2022) as runners were doused in bright colors throughout the course of the annual Noah's Color Run. The event began in 2019 as a fundraiser for a young boy born with a heart condition and the organizers have used it each year since for similar charitable causes. This year's event raised funds for Jaime Diaz, a Plainview citizen in need of a kidney transplant. The 44-year-old man and his family make frequent trips to San Antonio for medical care. His wife, Sandy Diaz, said a potential donor has been found and the family is now awaiting a date for the transplant operations. Funds from the color run will help alleviate the financial stresses as the Diaz family prepares.
(Bloomberg) -- China warned airlines operating in Asia to avoid flying in areas around Taiwan where it is conducting military exercises in response to US House Speaker Nancy Pelosis visit to the island.

An official notice sent late on Tuesday Hong Kong time designated six areas of airspace as danger zones, according to carriers who received the message and Jang Chang Seog, a Korean transport ministry official. Flights will be restricted from 12 p.m. Aug. 4, to 12 p.m. Aug. 7.

More: Pelosi to Meet Taiwan Leader as China Opens Military Drills

Pelosi flew to Taipei as the highest-ranking American politician to visit Taiwan in 25 years, prompting China to condemn the visit and unveil a series of economic and military responses. China considers the island, a vibrant democracy and a key supplier of semiconductors, as part of the country. Taiwan remains the most sensitive issue between the US and China, with the potential to one day spark a military conflict.

Chinas Xiamen Airlines Co. announced adjustments to several flights, citing flow control in Fujian, just across the Taiwan Strait from the island. Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd. pilots were advised to carry 30 minutes worth of extra fuel for possible rerouting in Taiwan.

Our flights currently avoid going through the designated airspace zones around the Taiwan region, a Cathay spokesperson said. This may potentially lead to more flying time for some flights and we appreciate our customers understanding.

Calls and messages to Chinas civil aviation authority werent immediately returned.

Further north, Korean Air is planning to reroute some of its services to South Asia in order to avoid Taiwans airspace during the period of Chinas military exercises, a spokeswoman said by text message. ANA Holdings Inc. received the notice and is changing its flightpaths to Taiwan, a representative for the Japanese carrier said. ANA and Japan Airlines Co. both said flights to and from Taiwan will continue to operate.

Taiwan is talking to Japan and the Philippines about alternate air-traffic routes, ETtoday reported, citing Wang Kwo-tsai, Minister of Transportation and Communications. Taiwans Maritime Port Bureau also warned ships to avoid the area where drills will take place, Wang was reported as saying.

Local branches of Chinas maritime safety administration also issued multiple warnings for ships traversing certain territories, citing the military exercises and firing practice, according to government statements.

Read more: Taiwan Turmoil Prompts Detours and Delays for Global Shipping

The disruption at airliners came as tensions escalate between the US and China while companies are grappling with global supply-chain snags sparked by Russias invasion of Ukraine. Its not clear whether the three-day flight ban would be extended, adding to concerns over soaring commodity prices and supply-chain risks.

At Xiamen Gaoqi International Airport, one of the mainland airports closest to Taiwan, 123 flights were canceled, while 79% of flights were operating as usual, according to data provider Variflight. At Fuzhou Changle International Airport in Fujian, 93 flights were scrapped and 74% flights were operating as normal.

Following up the notice, South Koreas transport ministry issued another notice to local airlines to reaffirm the safety of flights heading toward Taiwan, Jang said. Asiana Airlines, another major Korean airline, has made no changes to operations yet, a spokesman said by phone.

2022 Bloomberg L.P.
San Antonio's Celebrity Fan Fest announced several celebrity cancelations ahead of its pop-culture event taking place from Thursday, August 4 to Sunday, August 7 at the Freeman Expo Hall. Diane Guerrero from Encanto was the most recent star who revealed she wouldn't appear at the comic con.

"The most frustrating part of being a showrunner is dealing with guest cancellations," the fan fest wrote in a Facebook post announcing the news on Tuesday, August 2. "Post-COVID all comic cons are struggling with cancellations for a variety of reasons."

According to the post, Guerrero canceled due to her production running behind and her studio not allowing her to leave with the chance she could get COVID-19. Former San Antonio Spurs star Tony Parker also canceled due to a family emergency in France, according to a post from the fan fest on Tuesday.

On Saturday, July 30, Celebrity Fan Fest also revealed that Saturday Night Live star Jon Lovitz wouldn't attend the festival due to being sick. Stars Alan Ritchson from CW's Smallville, Alexander Ludwig from Heels, and Malcolm Goodwin from CW's iZombie also are no longer heading to the festival.

"The toughest part of being a show promoter is delivering guest cancellation news close to show dates," the fan fest wrote in a Facebook post. "Especially when you know so many, like me, wanted to meet these guests."

Stephane Cardinale - Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images

If you purchased photo opportunities for the guests that canceled, Celebrity Fan Fest said you can swap them out for other guests or receive a refund within the next three to four weeks.

The SuperHero Car Show and Comic-Con will still go on this weekend, featuring celebrity appearances, including professional wrestlers, as well as a showcase of over 45 legendary Hollywood vehicles from notable films and television shows. Cars that will be attending are the 1966 Batcycle, the 1966 Batmobile, Bad Boys vehicles, Herbie, the DeLorean from Back to the Future, and the Scooby-Doo Mystery Machine.

Several celebrities will still be in attendance at the Celebrity Fan Fest. Stars arriving include WWE Legend Hulk Hogan, Ewan McGregor, best known for Obi-Wan Kenobi in the Star Wars franchise, Paul Bettany, who's known for portraying Vision and voicing J.A.R.V.I.S. in the MCU, and Ernie Hudson from Ghostbusters.

Guardians of the Galaxy and Dune star Dave Bautista will also be in attendance. Other stars include Shang-Chi's Simu Liu, Captain America's Hayley Atwell, Breaking Bad and The Mandarloian actor Giancarlo Esposito, as well as DC stars Stephen Amell from Arrow, and Brandon Routh from Superman Returns.

For the full lineup, visit the fest's website here.
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Game of Thrones ignited outrage during its eight-season run for frequently depicting sexual violence against women, most notoriously in a fifth season episode in which Sansa Stark (Sophie Turner) is raped on her wedding night. While confusion has surrounded whether HBOs prequel series, House of the Dragon, will feature the same graphic violence, writer and executive producer Sara Hess told Vanity Fair point blank that Dragon will not depict sexual violence whatsoever onscreen.

House of the Dragon director and co-showrunner Miguel Sapochnik confused fans last month after telling The Hollywood Reporter that the series pulls back on depictions of sexual violence when compared to Game of Thrones but violence against women is still very much part of the world.

[We] dont shy away from it, Sapochnik said. If anything, were going to shine a light on that aspect. You cant ignore the violence that was perpetrated on women by men in that time. It shouldnt be downplayed and it shouldnt be glorified.

Sapochniks comments left the prequel series relationship to sexual violence against women somewhat ambiguous. And yet Hess made things clear: Id like to clarify that we do not depict sexual violence in the show, she told Vanity Fair. We handle one instance off-screen, and instead show the aftermath and impact on the victim and the mother of the perpetrator.

I think what our show does, and what Im proud of, is that we choose to focus on the violence against women that is inherent in a patriarchal system, Hess added, noting that House of the Dragon will showcase violence against women that isnt strictly sexual.

There are many historical or history-based shows that romanticize powerful men in sexual/marriage relationships with women who were actually not of an age to consent, even if they were willing, Hess continued. We put that onscreen, and we dont shy away from the fact that our female leads in the first half of the show are coerced and manipulated into doing the will of adult men. This is done not necessarily by those we would define as rapists or abusers, but often by generally well-meaning men who are unable to see that what they are doing is traumatic and oppressive, because the system that they all live in normalizes it. Its less obvious than rape but just as insidious, though in a different way.

House of the Dragon debuts on Aug. 21 on HBO.

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Jackie Walorski, a Republican who had been serving Indianas 2nd District in Congress since 2013, died in a car crash on Wednesday, along with two young staffers and the driver of another vehicle.

The two-car crash took place just after noon in Elkhard County, Indiana. Emma Thomson, 28, who was Walorskis communications director, also died, as did Zachary Potts, 27, Walorskis district director and the chairman of the St. Joseph County Republican Party. The driver of the car that collided with the SUV containing Walorski, Thomson, and Potts also died, according to the Elkhart County Sherrifs Office, which released a statement about the incident:

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) offered his condolences on Twitter.

It is with a heavy heart that I am sharing this statement from the Office of Congresswoman Jackie Walorski. pic.twitter.com/UEPoKBDf5N  Kevin McCarthy (@GOPLeader) August 3, 2022

Walorski, 58, was the top-ranking Republican on the House Ethics Committee. She also served on the Ways and Means Committee. Prior to joining Congress, Walorski served in the Indiana state House from 2005-2010.

My heart is heavy, and i dont have the words, tweeted Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.). But all I can say is prayers for her family. She was a good and honorable public servant.
Krazy Katsu, a Japanese-style chicken sandwich joint, just opened at The Yard. Living relatively close to the site, I volunteered to try it out.

The chicken sandwich operation originally ran out of owners Phillip and Jessica Gonyea's home, and celebrated its train-cart grand opening on Saturday, July 30.

If you know nothing about The Yard, know this: it's essentially a collection of businesses born out of re-purposed train carts near the railroad tracks that separate the Olmos Park area from the near Westside. There's a massage cart, where people presumably go to "heal" and "work out the knots." There's acclaimed taco cart Milpa at The Yard. There's a noodle joint.

Now there's Krazy Katsu.

If only this was some sort of whimsical passenger train that took you on indulgent rides to faraway destinations, but as far as I can tell the carts will be parked in this particular patch of asphalt till the end of time.

Another thing that's probably relevant...I, like most red-blooded American's young ladies in a post-Popeye's chicken sandwich world, enjoy a good chicken sandwich. On the Tuesday in question, I was also feeling a little krazy, so you could say it was a perfect storm.

Krazy Katsu introduces itself as a shiny silver cart with bright letters and a giant Kawaii yet morbid cartoon chicken decal on the side (a smiling chicken also made to look like the sandwich you're about to order).

The fire engine red awning covering the deck seating area perfectly complimented the Olmos Park fire truck parked beside it. Walking inside the small door, I was greeted by a huddle of firemen who were standing outside waiting for their meals. Inside, a cat ornament waved at me as I stood in the understandably cramped yet cute ordering area behind an older man with a distinctive belt buckle and his older father in a Hawaiian shirt.

The menu was extensive with 14 jumbo specialty sandwiches to choose from, along with fries and a variety of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages (think tea, soda, beer, wine, margaritas).

All the sandwiches are served on a made-from-scratch ono bun. There's The K-Pop (feel like it should be J-Pop) with house made barbecue Gojuchang sauce, kimchi, sliced cucumbers, kewpie mayo, and kimchi butter. Then there's El Guapo, with spicy chipotle ranch sauce, jalapenos, jalapeno pepper jack cheese, and fresh pico de gallo.

There's one spicy sandwich perhaps challenge-worthy literally called DNA (Do Not Attempt) with "insanely hot spices".

"It's gonna hurt!" reads the description. I've never understood why someone would do a food challenge or willfully subject themselves to food-born pain. Hot dog eating contests and Hot Ones isn't for me. But if you're feeling extra krazy...may as well!

I ultimately opted for The Original Katsu Sandwich, with mild spicy aioli and pickles. I'm at my core a "start with the classics" kind of girl.

After ordering, I went to sit under the awning that made everything seem a little more saturated (including the unfortunate photos I took of my food). I pulled out my book, the 1938 gothic novel "Rebecca" (which happened to be red) and waited.

Courtesy Krazy Katsu Camille Sauers/MySA Offerings at Krazy Katsu

The firemen had long abandoned me, but couples young and old, a City of San Antonio employee, and a mother and teen son planning their husband/father's birthday party joined me on the deck.

When my sandwich arrived in its styrofoam clamshell, I immediately wished I had ordered one of the Slide Chick sliders. This thing was indeed jumbo, clocking in around 14 ounces.

Even cutting it in half was a challenge with my plastic cutlery, but I persisted. The chicken was juicy and crisp, the pickles thin and fresh. I could've asked for more sauce.

After eating half, I ate the rest for dinner that night. Considering I spent 20 big ones total (including the 15% tip) it was nice that the sandwich could stretch over two meals.

Find it: 5257 McCullough Ave, San Antonio, TX 78212
SOPA Images/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Gett

Remember the Texas ghost town Mark Cuban bought in December 2021? The billionaire told Drew Barrymore his hopes for Mustang, a town south of Dallas, while he was on her show earlier this year. The Drew Barrymore Show ran a re-run of the episode last week, bringing back the conversation on TikTok.

The Shark Tank cast member and Dallas Mavericks owner revealed to Barrymore that he hopes to turn Mustang, Texas into Dinosaur, Texas, adding he wants to have these huge Jurassic Park-like figures everywhere. The idea came after he invested in Dino Don from Shark Tank. Dino Don is a robotic, life-sized dinosaur business. Owner Dino Don Lessem has been on dinosaur digs all over the world, consulted on the Jurassic Park movies and educated millions about the extinct beasts, according to sharktankblog.com.
SANAA, Yemen (AP)  The United Nations said Yemens warring parties agreed Tuesday to renew an existing truce for two more months after concerted international efforts.

The already 4-month-old cease-fire has been the longest nationwide ease in fighting since the war began in the Arab world's poorest country nearly eight years ago.

The U.N. envoy to Yemen, Hans Grundberg, said in a statement that the country's internationally recognized government and the Houthi rebels also agreed to try to arrive at an expanded truce agreement as soon as possible.

Yemens civil war erupted in 2014, when the Houthis descended from their northern enclave and took over the capital, forcing the government to flee to the south before its exile in Saudi Arabia. A Saudi-led coalition  then backed by the United Sates  entered the war in early 2015 to try to restore the government to power. Since then, the conflict has turned into a proxy war between regional foes Saudi Arabia and Iran, which backs the Houthis.

The truce renewal announcement came hours after an Omani delegation concluded three days of talks with the Houthi leadership, including with the rebels chief Abdel-Malek al-Houthi in the capital of Sanaa.

After the announcement, Mohammed Abdel-Salam, the Houthi chief negotiator and spokesman, thanked Oman for its efforts and called for the U.N. to work to open the airport in Sanaa, and the key port of Hodeida in a tweet.

The cease-fire initially took effect April 2 and was extended June 2. However, there have been offensive actions during recent months, including a suspected Houthi shelling last month that killed at least least one child and wounded 10 in Taiz province.

Both sides have publicly announced that they have bolstered their front-line positions, particularly around the oil-rich city of Marib, which the Houthis have been trying to seize for over a year. There were also shows of power through military parades featuring thousands of soldiers. The government and the Houthis both claimed to have documented dozens of truce violations on a weekly basis.

But the cease-fire has brought relief for Yemenis who have suffered from a decade of political turmoil and conflict. Around a third of Yemens 30 million population has been facing starvation due to the war and a lack of funding for humanitarian aid, according to the U.N. food agency.

Aside from the lull in violence, the truce established two commercial flights per week from Sanaa to Jordan and Egypt, after the country's airport was closed to passenger flights for years. The truce also called for the Saudi-led coalition to allow a total of 36 vessels carrying fuel into the port of Hodeida over the course of four months. Only 29 vessels were allowed into Hodeida as of Tuesday, said Essam al-Motwakel, spokesman for the Houthi-run oil corporation.

Both Sanaa and Hodeida are controlled by the Houthi rebels, but blockaded by the Saudi-led coalition.

The truce has also called for opening the roads around Taiz, Yemens third largest city, which the Houthis have besieged for years. But the rebels rejected two U.N. proposals to lift the blockade, according to the envoy office. Another item on the agenda is finding a way to pay the country's public servants, many of whom have gone with little or no salaries for years due to the civil strife. The source of the funding for government employees salaries remains a serious point of contention.

Ahmed Bin Mubarak, the foreign minister of the internationally recognized government, called for the Houthis to reopen Taiz roads and to ensure that revenues of the Hodeida ports are used to pay public servants salaries. The ports revenues are collected by the Houthis.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres hailed the truce extension as a positive development, his spokesman said. We very much welcome this positive development. The people of Yemen of deserve a country at peace," U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said.

U.S. President Joe Biden applauded the extension of the months-long truce. He urged the warring parties to seize the moment and reach a conclusive, comprehensive agreement to end the conflict.

Aid groups also welcomed the decision to renew the truce and called on Yemeni leaders to see it as an opportunity for more serious work towards peace to be done.

We hope this two-month extension will allow for the reopening of roads linking cities and regions, enable more displaced people to return to their homes safely, and ensure humanitarian aid can reach people who have been out of reach for far too long because of hostilities, said Erin Hutchinson, Yemen director for the Norwegian Refugee Council in a statement.

Mohammed Abdulwasea, advocacy manger for the Oxfam charity, called to the implementation of all terms of the truce and to achieve permanent peace. Now is the time for all parties  and the international community  to work towards a lasting and inclusive peace. he said.

Tuesday's extension fell short of a proposed six-month renewal of the cease-fire, according to a government official. The Houthis had wanted more flights from Sanaa airport and more fuel vessels allowed to arrive in Hodeida to agree on that longer period. The internationally recognized government would not discuss the Houthi demands before the opening of Taiz roads, the official said. He spoke on condition anonymity to discuss internal deliberations.

On Sunday, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with Rashad al-Alimi, head of the presidential government, to press for the truce renewal. He said the cease-fire provides the best opportunity for peace in years  we must not let it slip away.

___

Magdy reported from Cairo. Associated Press writer Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations contributed to this report.
ALLISON DINNER/AFP via Getty Images

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott reportedly met privately with some families of the victims of the Uvalde mass shooting on Monday, August 1. A teacher from Robb Elementary School was in attendance and told CNN that he didn't think the Texas leader "cared."

"I felt like it was just a political thing. I don't think they cared," Arnulfo Reyes told CNN after meeting with Abbott Monday morning. "I think it was just all for show...If he would have cared, he wouldn't have done the NRA (convention) in Houston after our tragedy."
San Antonio Metro Health has received 1,000 doses of the JYNNEOS monkeypox vaccine from the Texas Department of State Health Services and will start providing doses by appointment starting Wednesday, August 3. The doses are enough to fully vaccinate (two doses) 500 people, according to a news release.

"We are working to acquire additional doses to expand the availability of monkeypox vaccine," said Dr. Anita K. Kurian, Metro Health assistant director, in the release.

Metro Health will provide 720 doses to cover 360 at-risk people at six area clinics by appointment.

Alamo Area Resource Center

BEAT AIDS

CentroMed Santa Rosa Pavilion Clinic

Kind Clinic San Antonio

San Antonio AIDS Foundation

University Healths Family-Focused AIDS Clinical Treatment Services

The remaining 280 doses will be provided to vaccinate up to 140 close contact cases discovered during Metro Health investigations. There were 13 positive monkeypox cases in Bexar County as of Monday, August 1, and 338 cases in Texas.

Tecovirimat, an antiviral to treat monkeypox, is available through Metro Health for people who have severe disease, are immunocompromised, have certain skin conditions, are pregnant or breastfeeding, and for children under the age of 8.

Here's some other stories you might have missed.

San Antonio approves resolution protecting abortions

On Tuesday, August 2, San Antonio City Council followed Austin in approving a resolution that will ask the city not to use funds or resources investigating abortion cases.

Read more here.

San Antonio man gets one of Texas' longest ever animal abuse sentences

A man who was caught on video violently beating a puppy is receiving one of the longest sentences for animal abuse in Texas history.

Read more here.

Uvalde doctor petitions gun store to stop selling assault rifles

A petition that has received over 1,000 signatures is asking the local gun store where the Uvalde gunman bought an assault-style rifle to stop the sale of those weapons and more.

Read more here.

Northside brewery taps Philly cheesesteak expert

Weathered Souls Brewery has tapped an elevated Philly Cheesesteak operation to start cooking in its kitchen next week.

Read more here.
Raimund Koch/Getty Images

A Houston management company is adding a $42 million Hill Country development to its portfolio. The Houston-based Kaplan Management Company will begin construction on almost 200 single-family homes in New Braunfels this fall, according to a Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation filing.

The development will cost $42.7 million to build, according to the filing. Construction is expected to take almost two years to complete. The expected start date is listed as October 1 with an estimated completion date of August 31, 2024.
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An Austin developer already working on projects near Pearl and on the South Side is investing in Cattleman Square, a dilapidated area west of downtown peppered with government facilities, industrial buildings and empty lots.

Sabot Development recently bought the National Grocer Co. building at 421 N. Medina St. and 3.3 acres of vacant land behind the Scobey complex and VIA Metropolitan Transits headquarters.

Jim Young, a San Antonio native and U.S. Army veteran who leads Sabot, said hed been eyeing the empty 70,416-square-foot building for years.

Im a history nerd. I just thought it was beautiful property and in a great location, he said. I like old buildings and architecture.

An old LoopNet listing indicates the structure was built in 1920 but the Bexar Appraisal District pegs the year as 1950. Sabot acquired it and the land from Medina Martin Ltd. for an undisclosed price.

On ExpressNews.com: Austin firm proposes mixed-use project near the Pearl

Young said hes not decided what to do with the property and will solicit input from neighbors.

Id like to brainstorm on it for a few months, he said. Id love to be part of a redevelopment of that area.

Other projects

In Tobin Hill, Sabot plans to build 299 apartments and about 12,000 square feet of retail space on a block bounded by East Euclid, East Myrtle, East Elmira and East Locust streets.

On the South Side, the firm could build as many as 380 apartments on the 9400 block of Southeast Loop 410. Young said hes getting residents input before designing the development.

Hes also worked on projects in San Marcos and Austin.

While apartments, offices and retail buildings have been going up downtown and neighborhoods nearby, little development has spilled into the Cattleman Square area.

As the University of Texas at San Antonio expands its downtown campus, San Pedro Creek undergoes improvements and Weston Urban begins residential developments, some residents say that will change.

The area is cut off by railroad tracks and a highway and is home to the Bexar County Adult Detention Center and Haven for Hope homeless shelter.

Youngs property surrounds the Scobey complex, a row of vacant industrial buildings owned by VIA. The transportation agency has an agreement with San Antonio developer DreamOn Group to turn the complex into a mixed-use development with housing, commercial and retail space, and other components.

The buildings are next to VIAs headquarters and near its Centro Plaza transit center.

Julissa Carielo and Rene Garcia formed DreamOn in 2019. Carielo started contracting firm Tejas Premier Building Contractor Inc. and Garcia spent over 35 years working for the Zachry family in construction and development.

DreamOn presented several options to VIA for the agencys role in the project, which its board and staff are discussing, Carielo said. After they approve an option, DreamOn would conduct survey and environmental work and develop designs.

Previous efforts

Local developer Ed Cross previous attempts to revitalize the buildings fizzled.

He purchased the property in 1999 and pitched it as a potential headquarters for the San Antonio Water System and San Antonio Police Department, but both organizations chose other locations.

A deal to sell it to another developer who wanted to convert it to offices and multifamily units also fell through. In 2017, VIA bought it for $5.2 million from two partnerships managed by Cross.

On ExpressNews.com: The climber: How Julissa Carielo rose from accountant to founder of construction, development firms

DreamOn is interested in partnering with nearby property owners to broaden the development. The firm is working with the Geyser Group, a real estate investor that will help with financing, and has worked with Young, Carielo said.

We are looking to meet and collaborate as much as we can ... to really help expand this project to be more of a district improvement instead of just the five buildings, she said.

What we want is to bring life into those buildings in a way that serves the community. We also believe that the (Centro) Plaza is a main attraction that could be activated differently as well, she said. If we can provide mixed use of housing, but also business space and retail space and food and beverage, then it will turn into another place to come and enjoy.

madison.iszler@express-news.net
By Lambert Strether of Corrente

Bird Song of the Day

Galapagos Martin, Galapagos, Ecuador. This recording is deservedly marked down because its mostly the sound of waves on the rocky shore, although the birds are audible from a rock ledge about 20 feet above the water. But I like that the recording was done on the Galapagos Island, and I really like the sound of the ocean.

* * *

Politics

But what is government itself, but the greatest of all reflections on human nature? James Madison, Federalist 51

They had learned nothing, and forgotten nothing. Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Perigord

When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro. Hunter Thompson

Capitol Seizure

First on CNN: Jan. 6 text messages wiped from phones of key Trump Pentagon officials [CNN]. The Defense Department wiped the phones of top departing DOD and Army officials at the end of the Trump administration, deleting any texts from key witnesses to events surrounding the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol, according to court filings. DOD and Army conveyed to Plaintiff that when an employee separates from DOD or Army he or she turns in the government-issued phone, and the phone is wiped, the government said in the filing. For those custodians no longer with the agency, the text messages were not preserved and therefore could not be searched, although it is possible that particular text messages could have been saved into other records systems such as email. The acknowledgment that the records were not preserved has taken on new significance in the wake of the ongoing scandal over the loss of Secret Service agents texts from January 6. It just reveals a widespread lack of taking seriously the obligation to preserve records, to ensure accountability, to ensure accountability to their partners in the legislative branch and to the American people, Sawyer said. The Secret Service has said that its texts were lost as a result of a previously scheduled data migration of its agents cell phones that began on January 27, 2021, exactly three weeks after the attack on the US Capitol.  So far as I can tell from the story, the phones were wiped because they were Pentagon phones, not because they were Trump Pentagon phones. We will, of course, be waiting with baited breath for the Biden Administration to git tough with records preservation *** cough *** Hunters laptops, plural *** cough ***.

Abortion

The Kansas Abortion Shocker [The Atlantic]. Voters [In Kansas] decisively rejected an amendment that would have allowed the states Republican-controlled legislature to ban abortion. With more than 95 percent of precincts reporting, the No vote was leading by nearly 18 points. The surprising result keeps abortion legal in a GOP stronghold, one of the few states in the region where conservative majorities have not already outlawed the procedure.  Eighteen points is rather a lot. The Republican dog may regret it caught the abortion car. Handy map: One thing that is very striking about the abortion vote map from last night. It's not just urban and suburban counties like WyCo, JoCo & Sedgwick several rural GOP leaning counties like Osage (which hasn't vote for a Dem since LBJ) also voted no. pic.twitter.com/cCIlQDDsPT  Bryan Lowry (@BryanLowry3) August 3, 2022 Perhaps we have Kansas readers who can expand on this? Seems like good news to me.

Biden Administration

Bidens antitrust adviser Tim Wu leaving White House [Politico]. Tim Wu, the White House adviser helping to drive the administrations push to rein in corporate giants with tougher antitrust enforcement is planning to leave his position in the coming months, according to a person with knowledge of the move. Wu was part of a trio of antitrust hawks President Joe Biden installed last year as part of a push to curb the power sprawling companies  a fight that has focused in particular on tech titans like Amazon and Google. Its unclear what Wus departure means for the Biden administrations antitrust strategy, but it does mean one of the key drivers of Bidens antitrust strategy wont be there to push for those changes anymore. From his position on the National Economic Council, Wu was a primary architect of Bidens wide-ranging executive order from July 2021 designed to boost competition throughout the economy.. Wu, along with Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina Khan and Justice Department antitrust head Jonathan Kanter, have been praised by progressive advocates looking to rein in corporate power. Wu had also worked on competition policy under President Barack Obama in addition to stints at the FTC and New York Attorney Generals office.  This is not good news at all. Doctor: Bidens COVID symptoms return, in good spirits [Associated Press]. Biden is required to remain in isolation through at least Thursday under Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines  and perhaps longer under tougher White House protocols if he continues to test positive.  Im curious to know why White House guidelines would be tougher than guidelines for, oh, essential workers.

2022

* * *

AZ: Trump-Endorsed Election Denier Mark Finchem Wins Arizona Secretary of State Primary [HuffPo]. Part of a so-called America First slate of election-denying secretary of state candidates, he will join Nevadas Jim Marchant and Michigans Kristina Karamo as the most prominent right-wing Republicans vying to win seats in order to exert influence over key swing state elections. There aint gonna be no concession speech coming from this guy, Finchem said at a campaign fundraiser in late June, according to the Arizona Republic. Im going to demand 100% hand count (of ballots) if theres the slightest hint of any impropriety. And I would urge the next governor to do the same thing.' Well, the ballots ought to have been hand-counted from the beginning, ffs. Notice how hand-marked paper ballots, hand-counted in public, would entirely defuse this conflict? One can only wonder why Democrats dont support that policy.

AZ: Arizona House Speaker Rusty Bowers loses state Senate bid [Associated Press]. Republican Arizona House Speaker Rusty Bowers lost his bid for a state Senate seat after refusing then-President Donald Trumps pleas to help overturn the 2020 election results and testifying before Congress about the efforts. Bowers tried to move to the state Senate because of term limits. He lost to former state Sen. David Farnsworth, who criticized him for refusing to help Trump or go along with a contentious 2021 audit that Republican leaders in the Senate commissioned.

2024

Hes running: Our intelligence community is the best.  Pete Buttigieg (@PeteButtigieg) August 2, 2022 Raymond Shaw is the kindest, bravest, warmest, most wonderful human being Ive ever known in my life. The Kamala Conundrum [New York Magazine]. Harriss office has seen enough turnover to make it a much-whispered-about story line in Washington and beyond. She has replaced her chief of staff, deputy chief of staff, communications director, spokeswoman, national security adviser, and speechwriter (twice), and her longest-serving senior aide, domestic-policy adviser Rohini Kosoglu, will depart this summer. Though Biden and Harris get along and meet regularly, it is rarely in the kind of one-on-one setting like the lunches that famously formed the cornerstone of Bidens relationship with Barack Obama. [H]er new staff has suggested she take advantage of interviews with celebrities and influencers to reach nonpolitically focused audiences.  Let me know how that works out. Two House Dem committee chairs are the latest to cast doubt on a Joe Biden run in 2024. Were keeping a running count of whos with them [Politico]. House Judiciary Chair Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.): Too early to say. Doesnt serve the purpose of the Democratic Party to, to deal with that until after the midterms. House Oversight Chair Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.): I dont believe hes running for reelection. (She backtracked in a tweet on Wednesday, saying she would absolutely support President Biden, if he decides to run for re-election and calling him the strong and effective leader we need right now .'  Some backtracking!

Democrats en Deshabille

I have moved my standing remarks on the Democrat Party (the Democrat Party is a rotting corpse that cant bury itself) to a separate, back-dated post, to which I will periodically add material, summarizing the addition here in a live Water Cooler. (Hopefully, some Bourdieu.) It turns out that defining the Democrat Party is, in fact, a hard problem. I do think the paragraph that follows is on point all the way back to 2016, if not before: The Democrat Party is the political expression of the class power of PMC, their base (lucidly explained by Thomas Frank in Listen, Liberal!). It follows that the Democrat Party is as unreformable as the PMC is unreformable ; if the Democrat Party did not exist, the PMC would have to invent it. If the Democrat Party fails to govern, thats because the PMC lacks the capability to govern . (PMC modulo class expatriates, of course.) Second, all the working parts of the Party reinforce each other. Leave aside characterizing the relationships between elements of the Party (ka-ching, but not entirely) those elements comprise a network  a Flex Net? An iron octagon?  of funders, vendors, apparatchiks, electeds, NGOs, and miscellaneous mercenaries, with assets in the press and the intelligence community. Note, of course, that the class power of the PMC both expresses and is limited by other classes; oligarchs and American gentry (see industrial model of Ferguson, Jorgensen, and Jie) and the working class spring to mind. Suck up, kick down. * * * The Democrats Didnt Just Fail to Defend Social Programs. They Actively Undermined Them (interview) [Lily Geismer, Jacobin].  I wanted to go beyond thinking only about the Democratic Party as a weak party thats in defensive reaction, which doesnt give much of a road map for understanding current tensions within the party that cant be explained through that lens. I also think it also lets the Democrats off the hook.  Grab a cup of coffee. I think most of us known this history, but its nice to see it laid out all in one place.

Realignment and Legitimacy

Delegitimizing the Administrative State [Nonsite]. In West Virginia v. EPA, the Supreme Court held that the Environmental Protection Agency did not have the authority to enact a plan it had proposed (but never implemented) because the EPAs actions presented an extraordinary case that triggered application of the major questions doctrine.1 That doctrine, in short, asserts that when issues are very important an agency cannot act on them unless Congress explicitly told the agency it could address the issue in the way it planned to act. It should be apparent in that brief description that the major questions doctrine is a powerful tool in limiting the ability of the administrative state to effectively respond to public policy crises. But the immediate outcome in the caselimiting the ability of the EPA to combat climate changeis only one part of the decisions significance to constitutional government. The decision by the Court and the concurring opinion by Justice Gorsuch make clear that the Court is waging a war on the legitimacy of the administrative state itself.  Yep. Who Profits? [The Baffler]. Nonprofits have grown steadily since the early 1960s, when politicians looked to dramatically expand the role of public-private partnerships in urban governance, particularly in distressed areas. Today, they comprise the third largest sector of the U.S. economy: well over 1.5 million nonprofits employ roughly 12.5 million people as of 2017, the latest year for which comprehensive data is available, according to the Johns Hopkins Center for Civil Society Studies. This growth has coincided with decades of yawning inequality, prompting social movements and scholars alike to look askance at the so-called nonprofit industrial complexthe dense networks that connect community activists with professional social workers and managers, public administrators, and philanthropists. The PMC, in other words. Let it never be said we dont have a Jobs Guarantee! More: The inherent financial constraints and unavoidable political considerations that shaped the priorities of local nonprofits rendered them into an intermediary and professionalized, yet tenuous, representation of broader social movements. Their growth was matched by a preponderance of time-consuming administrative paperwork and evaluation.  Well worth reading in full.

#COVID19

 What precautions should families take as children return to school? Our medical analyst explains [CNN]. Leana Wen, naturally. It all comes down to how much the family wants to avoid Covid-19. Absolutely no consideration given to other families, let alone collective well-being. And this is a professor of public heatlth! Ive already given Wen her award, Im not sure what more I can do [bangs head on desk].

* * *

 Here is the CDC on Monkeypox transmission:

For the record, I once again run CDCs guidance on the Monkeypox in the Congo, which indicates that indeed it can be airborne:

Perhaps those Negroes on the Dark Continent talk more loudly? Could that be why Covid is airborne in the Congo, but not the United States?

 Here is an enormous thread showing how Smallpox is airborne, with a ton of literature. Worth going through it all:

Smallpox thread. It transmitted up two stories in a hospital in the 1970s.  Jonathan Mesiano-Crookston #COVIDisAirborne (@jmcrookston) December 3, 2021

So, Monkeypox is just like Smallpox, so much alike the same vaccines can be used, but one is airborne and the other is not?

NOTE Again, readers know I have strong priors on airborne transmission (but not unbacked by evidence). At a minimum, however, it would be nice if CDC straightened itself out on what its transmission model for Monkeypox actually is, and why they chose it.

* * *

 Maskstravaganza: The Efficacy of Facemasks in the Prevention of COVID-19: A Systematic Review (preprint) [medRxiv]. Metastudy. The initial review yielded 1732 studies, which were reviewed by three study team members. Sixty-one full text studies were found to meet entry criteria, and 13 studies yielded data that was used in the final analysis. In all, 243 subjects were infected with COVID-19, of whom 97 had been wearing masks and 146 had not. The probability of getting COVID-19 for mask wearers was 7% (97/1463, p=0.002), for non-mask wearers, probability was 52% (158/303, p=0.94). Funding Statement: This study did not receive any funding.

 Maskstravaganza:

We let these people down so badly by modelling the wearing of any old mask, only showing surgicals in government ads and by our health and political leaders wearing inadequate or no masks. By emphasising surface cleaning and by not ventilating and filtering indoor public spaces.  Dr Carol Bird (@CallMeSafetyMom) August 3, 2022

For some, letting down these people was the goal. How else does one cull the herd?

 Downgrade your mask before enteringa dangerous NHS policy at a critical public health juncture [BMJ]. Local masking policies vary widely, but anecdotal reports indicate that some issue all visitors with a single-use disposable paper mask on arrival and ask them to replace the mask they are currently wearing with it. A request for examples on Twitter quickly drew dozens of responses including from immunosuppressed people who had attended for chemotherapy or scans and had been asked to remove their high-filtration FFP2 or FFP3 respirator and replace it with a single-use disposable mask as a condition of entry. In some, but not all, examples, the individual had been able to negotiate putting the single-use mask on top of their respirator. SARS-CoV-2 is an airborne pathogen which is transmitted when people inhale viral particles that infected individuals exhale when speaking, coughing, sneezing, and even just breathing. In contrast with droplet infection which usually occurs via a single ballistic hit, airborne infection risk increases incrementally with the amount of time the lining of the lungs spend continuously exposed to viral-laden airin other words, with time spent indoors breathing contaminated air.  So if your hosptials Infection Control administrator is a droplet goon, you could be be up sh*t creek without a paddle. Good job UK Health Security Agency, but the same applies in the US.

If you missed it, heres a post on my queasiness with CDC numbers, especially case count, which I (still) consider most important, despite what Walenskys psychos at CDC who invented community levels think. But these are the numbers we have.

* * *

Case Count

Case count for the United States:

Lambert here: This tapewatcher is slightly befuddled by the case data. Set aside the worrying assumption that the curves for real cases are the same shape as the curves for reported cases, even though theres nothing to prove this. But cases are not going through the roof, at least in terms of case reporting. Data artifact? Vaccine wall? Why this slow, sawtooth pattern when BA.5 is known to be very infectious? Note that the Walgreens positivity tracker urges that the BA.5 peak was more or less the same level as the Omicron peak, i.e., the real level of infection really is indicated by the blue Biden Line (and hence, for example, the level of Long Covid). Note also that deaths exhibit the same weird sawtooth pattern as cases, albeit not at Omicron levels.

Remember that cases are undercounted, one source saying by a factor of six, Gottlieb thinking we only pick up one in seven or eight.) Hence, I take the case count and multiply it by six to approximate the real level of cases, and draw the DNC-blue Biden Line at that point. The previous count was ~125,000 Today, its ~121,700 and 121,700 * 6 = a Biden line at 750,000 per day. Thats rather a lot of cases per day, when you think about it. At least we have confirmation that the extraordinary mass of case anecdotes weve seen have a basis in reality. (Remember these data points are weekly averages, so daily fluctuations are smoothed out.) The black Fauci Line is a counter to triumphalism, since it compares current levels to past crises.

Regional case count for four weeks:

The South:

What kind of sick game are Abbott and DeSantis playing? (It has not escaped my notice that big states are driving the national case count, and that DeSantis (Florida) and Newsom (California) are both Presidential timber, and Abbbot might consider himself so.)

The South (minus Texas and Florida):

North Carolina and Georgia have no data today (hence the gaps in the chart).

The West:

Yesterdays big drop reversed. Im just not sure I can trust California data. For example, here is San Diego wastewater:

What do California readers think?

Positivity

From the Walgreens test positivity tracker, August 1:

-0.6%. (I wonder if theres a Keynesian Beauty Contest effect, here; that is, if people encounter a sympotomatic person, whether in their social circle or in normal activity, they are more likely to get a test, because they believe, correctly, that its more likely they will be infected.) Starting to look like positivity has peaked, at least for Walgreens test population.

Transmission

NOTE: I shall most certainly not be using the CDCs new Community Level metric. Because CDC has combined a leading indicator (cases) with a lagging one (hospitalization) their new metric is a poor warning sign of a surge, and a poor way to assess personal risk. In addition, Covid is a disease you dont want to get. Even if you are not hospitalized, you can suffer from Long Covid, vascular issues, and neurological issues. For these reasons, case counts  known to be underestimated, due to home test kits  deserve to stand alone as a number to be tracked, no matter how much the political operatives in CDC leadership would like to obfuscate it. That the green map (which Topol calls a capitulation and a deception) is still up and being taken seriously verges on the criminal. Use the community transmission immediately below.

Here is CDCs interactive map by county set to community transmission. This is the map CDC wants only hospitals to look at, not you. For July 21, 2020:

Status quo, i.e. its a totally not-over pandemic.

Rapid Riser data, by county (CDC), August 3:

Improvements everywhere (except New Hampshire. Tourism?).

Previous Rapid Riser data:

Hospitalization data, by state (CDC), August 3:

More green. Good!

Variants

Lambert here: Its beyond frustrating how slow the variant data is. I looked for more charts: California doesnt to a BA.4/BA.5 breakdown. New York does but it, too, is on a molasses-like two-week cycle. Does nobody in the public health establishment get a promotion for tracking variants? Are there no grants? Is there a single lab that does this work, and everybody gets the results from them? Additional sources from readers welcome [grinds teeth, bangs head on desk].

NOT UPDATED Variant data, national (Walgreens), July 14:

NOT UPDATED Variant data, national (CDC), July 16 (Nowcast off):

BA.5 moving along nicely.

Wastewater

Wastewater data (CDC), July 30:

I found this chart hard to read, so I filtered the output to the highest (red) and next-highest (orange) levels (somewhat like Rapid Riser Counties, see on here). Whats visible is that a lot of cities are in trouble; but that coverage is really patchy. Illinois, for example, has always had a lot of coverage, but the dots stop at the Illinois border. This chart works a bit like rapid riser counties: This metric shows whether SARS-CoV-2 levels at a site are currently higher or lower than past historical levels at the same site. 0% means levels are the lowest they have been at the site; 100% means levels are the highest they have been at the site. So, theres a bunch of red dots on the West Coast. Thats 100%, so that means levels are the highest theyve ever been. Not broken down by variant, CDC, good job.

Deaths

Death rate (Our World in Data):

Total: 1,055,975  1,055,576 = 399 (* 365 = 145,635; the new normal). I have added an anti-triumphalist Fauci Line. Its nice that for deaths I have a simple, daily chart that just keeps chugging along, unlike everything else CDC and the White House are screwing up or letting go dark, good job.

NOTE Readers, I introduced a new piece of arithmetic: The level of death that the CDC and the political class generally would like us to become accustomed to.

Stats Watch

Manufacturing: United States Factory Orders [Trading Economics]. New orders for US manufactured goods jumped 2% month-over-month in June of 2022, extending the upwardly revised 1.8% rise in May and well above market forecasts of a 1.1% increase, reflecting strong demand for products. Orders rose 2% among the non-durable goods industries, supported by petroleum and coal products (6%) and chemical products (1.1%). Durable goods industries rose at a slower 0.3%, with strong contributions from computers and electronic products (1.4%) and electronic equipment and appliances (1.3%), while transportation equipment stagnated.  If were in a recession, it sure is a weird one. Perhaps the Fed needs to punish us more.

Services: United States ISM Non Manufacturing PMI [Trading Economics]. The ISM Services PMI unexpectedly increased to 56.7 in July of 2022, the highest in 3-months, from 55.3 in June and beating market forecasts of 53.5.

Supply Chain: United States LMI Logistics Managers Index Current [Trading Economics]. The Logistics Managers Index in the US declined for a fourth month to 60.7 in July of 2022, the lowest reading since May of 2020 mostly due to a decline in transportation prices. The index stayed below the all-time average of 65.3 for a second time but still pointed to a healthy rate of expansion in the logistics industry. Warehousing Utilization (68.8) and Inventory Levels (68.8) remained strong. source

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The Bezzle: Untying Tether (excerpt) [Doomberg]. Bankruptcy proceedings are notoriously vicious affairs. When multiple classes of creditors are owed more money than whats available to be split, the brawl over what remains can get bloody. Like vultures crowding a wounded animal, bankruptcy attorneys leave no bone unpicked. The entanglement of Tether in the Celsius affair puts the controversial operator of the worlds largest crypto stablecoin in an incredibly uncomfortable position, one which might finally pierce the veil of secrecy the company works so hard to preserve. If things play out the way we suspect, Tether could soon be forced to reveal damning specifics about the nature of its business practices. The relationship between Celsius and Tether  especially in the days leading up to Celsius demise  just might give interested teams of aggressive lawyers the opening they needed to force Tether to come clean. Lets dig in.  Also a potted explanation of the prioritization of creditor claims, which I suspect will be handy.

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Todays Fear & Greed Index: 42 Fear (previous close: 39 Fear) [CNN]. One week ago: 35 (Fear). (0 is Extreme Fear; 100 is Extreme Greed). Last updated Aug 2 at 1:43 PM EDT.

The Conservatory

Did it help then? Would it help now?

The Velvet Underground playing for the American Society of Clinical Psychiatrists in 1966 pic.twitter.com/Wr1SqeEbgb  Jokermen (@JokermenPodcast) August 1, 2022

Zeitgeist Watch

I wonder what the German word for this is. Not quite schadenfreude:

the Baltimore subreddit never disappoints me pic.twitter.com/HZqInlCpTD  mary  (@ibsignorer) August 2, 2022

Class Warfare

NLRB demand for UMWA to pay Warrior Met Coal strike costs outrageous, threatens American workers right to strike [United Mine Workers]. The United Mine Workers of America today made it clear that it will vigorously challenge an outrageous assessment of damages made by the National Labor Relations Board Region 10 regarding the UMWAs 16-month strike against Warrior Met Coal in Alabama. This is a slap in the face not just to the workers who are fighting for better jobs at Warrior Met Coal, but to every worker who stands up to their boss anywhere in America, UMWA International President Cecil E. Roberts said. There are charges for security, cameras, capital expenditures, buses for transporting scabs across picket lines, and the cost of lost production. What is the purpose of a strike if not to impact the operations of the employer, including production, Roberts asked. Is it now the policy of the federal government that unions be required to pay a companys losses as a consequence of their members exercising their rights as working people? This is outrageous and effectively negates workers right to strike. It cannot stand. The union entered into a settlement agreement in June with NLRB Region 10 regarding charges the company had made about picket line activity in order to save striking members and families from days of hostile questioning by company lawyers. On July 22, the NLRB sent the union a detailed list of damages totaling $13.3 million dollars, more than 33 times the estimated amount NLRB lawyers had initially indicated would be assessed.  Joe Biden, friend of the working class.

Warrior Met Coal Declares Special Cash Dividend [BusinessWire].  Thats nice.

* * *

Why Is America Fractured? Blame College, a New Book Argues. [New York Times]. [Will] Bunch describes how the dream of college as a tool for democratic citizenship has instead become the rough show-us-your-papers demand for clinging to the middle class.' And: While universities always publicly denounce funding cuts, many were not-so-secretly glad for the excuse to become more exclusive, expensive and focused on the wants of the wealthy. Thats how excellence has always been defined in American higher education. Just as tectonic economic shifts left tens of millions of workers needing new training and credentials, the public university system was becoming less affordable and more beholden to meritocratic ideas that thinly disguised the interests of the ruling class. Meanwhile, even students who might have been inclined by background and politics to embrace higher learning became disillusioned by the spiraling crisis of debt.

News of the Wired

I am not yet wired today.

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Contact information for plants: Readers, feel free to contact me at lambert [UNDERSCORE] strether [DOT] corrente [AT] yahoo [DOT] com, to (a) find out how to send me a check if you are allergic to PayPal and (b) to find out how to send me images of plants. Vegetables are fine! Fungi and coral are deemed to be honorary plants! If you want your handle to appear as a credit, please place it at the start of your mail in parentheses: (thus). Otherwise, I will anonymize by using your initials. See the previous Water Cooler (with plant) here. From Expat2Uruguay:

Expat2Uruguay writes: Im traveling in Mexico and I was at the Mayan ruin at the Ek Balam Archaeological Site near Valladolid and spotted this tree, which immediately made me think of that infamous liar, so appropriate for our times of fake news, or is it fake nose?

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Readers: Water Cooler is a standalone entity not covered by the recently concluded and  thank you!  successful annual NC fundraiser. So if you see a link you especially like, or an item you wouldnt see anywhere else, please do not hesitate to express your appreciation in tangible form. Remember, a tip jar is for tipping! Regular positive feedback both makes me feel good and lets me know Im on the right track with coverage. When I get no donations for five or ten days I get worried. More tangibly, a constant trickle of donations helps me with expenses, and I factor in that trickle when setting fundraising goals:







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If you hate PayPal, you can email me at lambert [UNDERSCORE] strether [DOT] corrente [AT] yahoo [DOT] com, and I will give you directions on how to send a check. Thank you!
Yves here. For the benefit of those of you who are relatively new to the site: in the wake of the financial crisis, many fought hard and sadly in the end with mixed success to combat predatory practices by mortgage services. Thomas Cox, a retired Maine attorney who represented struggling borrowers pro bono. The Portland Press Herald gave an overview of his work in 2012 after Cox won $100,000 from the Purpose Prize, which recognizes people over 60 who do public service:

Coxs second career dates to the late 1990s, when the emotional toll of his work with banks [doing debt collection and foreclosures] led him to major-league depression.  After retirement and intense therapy, he started a second career as a carpenter. But he returned to law in April 2008, joining the Maine Attorneys Saving Homes project, started by Pine Tree Legal Assistance in conjunction with the Maine Volunteer Lawyers Project in Portland. His expertise in foreclosures and his contacts in Maines legal community helped desperate Mainers find free lawyers. In September 2009, Cox took up the case of Nicolle Bradbury, whose home was being foreclosed on by GMAC Mortgage, which was the nations fifth-largest mortgage servicer and is now facing Chapter 11 bankruptcy. In a deposition, the companys limited signing officer admitted to signing thousands of foreclosure affidavits in 23 states, including Bradburys, without ever knowing if any of the information was true, Cox said. By exposing the practice, which soon became known as robo-signing, Cox blew the lid off systematic foreclosure fraud by some of the countrys biggest banks, wrote Encore.org, which distributes the Purpose Prize. As a result of Coxs work, GMAC suspended foreclosure activity nationwide on September 18, 2010. JP Morgan/Chase, Citibank and PNC Bank soon did the same, and tens of thousands of homes were saveed. Some of the foreclosures were legitimate and proper procedure just wasnt followed, Cox said. But in the past four years, hes uncovered scores of cases in which mortgage lenders wrongly kept customers delinquent and foreclosed on homes using improper accounting, illegal fees and an egregiously inflated forced-place insurance. Some of the practices that were being used were truly incredible, he said.

Activists and foreclosure defense attorneys like Cox sought to stop foreclosures resulting from servicer misconduct, obtain mortgage modifications for borrowers who had adequate income, and help borrowers who could not save their homes minimize the damage. These abuses were the byproduct of a major change in mortgage lending, from having banks own the mortgages they originates, to selling them to securitization trusts. The cash flows from borrower mortgage payments were structured. Servicers did not own mortgage loans, but instead handles mortgage payment processing, and when applicable, delinquencies and foreclosures for these securitizations.

The financial crisis exposed the considerable shortcomings of this innovation. When banks owned mortgage loans and a borrower got behind in payments, the bank would modify the mortgage if the homeowner still had a viable level of income. By contrast, bank servicers were not paid to modify but they were paid to foreclose. And they set up high volume processes so they could foreclose as cheaply as possible, regularly cutting corners and even foreclosing when theyd misapplied borrower payments.

Its bad enough that there ten million homeowners lost their homes to foreclosure between 2006 and 2016, out of roughly 55 million homes with mortgages. Even worse, as Cox illustrates below, there are still borrowers fighting to clear up foreclosures initiated over a decade ago. In case you think this is just an oddball example, Cox is about to send a second letter to the Inspector General for Federal Housing Finance Agency about a Maine borrower who defaulted in 2013. Only seven years after the default, and five years after her bankruptcy, in 2020, did Fannie Mae attempt to foreclose. The case was dismissed in 2021 over lack of Fannie Maes standing to foreclose. The servicer has left the borrower with a Sword of Damocles over her head and the community with an effectively abandoned property:

To this date, Fannie Maes servicers and lawyers have been unwilling to negotiate with the Borrower to induce her convey her remaining title in return for a cash payment. So, this house will just sit there, empty and deteriorating, while Fannie Mae continues to incur annual costs more than $6,000 for paying taxes and insurance and maintaining the property. Fannie Mae cannot sue the Borrower for money since she was discharged from personal liability for this debt in her 2015 bankruptcy, leaving Fannie Mae only recourse being against the mortgaged property.

Now to the main event.

By Thomas A. Cox, of Counsel to National Consumer Law Center since 2013 and a consultant to Maines Pine Tree Legal Assistance in managing the litigation strategies of its foreclosure prevention program. Tom also has significant experience training other attorneys in residential foreclosure defense and litigation practices, and has testified before the U.S. House Judiciary Committee

For the past 15 years I have devoted my legal work to representation of low-income Maine homeowners facing foreclosure by the national mortgage servicers. Before that, I devoted over 30 years of private practice work to representation of financial institutions including representation of the FDIC in numerous foreclosure cases curing the S&L Crisis of the late 1980s. I know this industry from inside out.

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac do not service the huge numbers of loans they ownthey must rely entirely upon the mortgage servicing industry for that work. As the following story illustrates, Fannie Mae does a terrible job of supervising the servicers of its loans and the mortgage servicers take advantage of that lax oversight. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have been under the conservatorship of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) since the financial crisis of 2007. Almost all of the net profits of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are regularly paid into the United States Treasury. When they lose money on a loan they own, it is us as taxpayers that are the ultimate losers. The following story raises doubt about what FHFA is actual doing to conserve the assets of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. This is the story of the mortgage of Mathew Raymond, who had to leave the State of Maine and his Sanford, Maine home in 2010 when he lost his job. After 12 years, his ordeal with Fannie Mae relating to its mortgage on Sandford property is ongoing.

I. The Mortgage Origination and Related Events

In 2005, Matthew Raymond obtained a mortgage from American Home Mortgage for $169,900 on his property in Sanford. Maine. The mortgage granted to Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems (MERS) a nominee interest in the mortgage only for the purpose of recording the mortgage, while the actual mortgagee interest was granted to American Home Mortgage., This loan was immediately sold to Fannie Mae, but under Fannie Maes servicing guide provisions and the financial industrys scheme to hide true ownership of mortgage through the use of MERS, no mortgage assignment was granted directly to Fannie Mae. Later, a second mortgage for $22,000 was granted to GMAC Mortgage in 2007.

In 2010, Matthew Raymond lost his job and could no longer pay his mortgage. He contacted Fannie Maes servicer, Bank of America, and told its representative he could no longer pay and was moving out of the property and moving out of state to find other employment.

II. The Bankruptcy of American Home Mortgage Corp.

The originating lender, American Home Mortgage Corp., filed a liquidating Ch. 11 case in Delaware on August 7, 2007. On February 23, 2009, the Delaware Bankruptcy Court entered and order approving the Ch. 11 Plan and appointing Steven D. Sass as Liquidating Trustee. That Ch. 11 case remained open, and Sass remained as Liquidating Trustee through and after November 20, 2018, when the Delaware Bankruptcy Court enter a final order closing the case but authorizing Sass to continue his winding up work. The significance of these events will become apparent below.

III. Short Sale Attempt in 2011

Bank of America asked Raymond to arrange a short sale. He did so, obtaining in May of 2011 two purchase offers for $82,000 dated May 30, 2011,on a property on which Bank of America had received a Corelogic valuation of $81,000 dated February 23, 2011. Bank of America overreached and demanded that Raymond agree to sign a new note after the short-sale for $15,000, and GMAC on the second mortgage was demanding a $4,000 cash payment out of sale proceeds which Bank of America would not agree to. Mr. Raymond could not afford to sign a new note with Bank of America or pay any cash to GMAC because he had no income. Bank of America refused to back off its demands or to allow money to go from closing to satisfy the GMAC demand, so the short sale attempt fell through.

IV. The 2010 Foreclosure Case

BAC Home Loans Servicing, acting a servicer for Fannie Mae, commenced a foreclosure in July 2010 case in the Maine District Court. Raymond did not appear and did nothing to contest the action. In December 2011 BAC moved to stay the case, stating to the court that it was attempting to settle, although there were no settlement efforts ongoing, and the short-sale efforts had fallen though months earlier. BAC then simply dismissed that case without prejudice on March 12, 2012.

V. The 2013 Foreclosure Case

After doing nothing for over a year, on April 1, 2013, Bank of America started a second foreclosure case.Again, Raymond did not appear in that case and did nothing to oppose it. After multiple continuances sought by Fannie Maes then servicers, Bank of America and then Green Tree Servicing, Green Tree Moved to dismiss that case and it was dismissed without prejudice on August 8, 2015. Presumably, this motion to dismiss was due to the Maine Supreme Court decisions in Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc. V. Saunders, 2010 ME 79,2 A.3d 289, and again in Bank of America, N.A. v. Greenleaf, 2014 ME 89, 96 A.3d 700 which held, that Fannie Mae needed a mortgage assignment from American Home Mortgage to have standing to pursue a judicial foreclosure action. At any time, Fannie Maes servicer could have gone to Steven Sass, the Liquidating Trustee for American Home Mortgage, to obtain the needed assignment, but no servicer or servicer employed attorney made that effort until 2018 (See Section VII. A. below).

VI. The 2016 Declaratory Judgment Case

Again, there were months of delaynothing happened for over sixteen months after the dismissal of the 2013 foreclosure case, but on November 28, 2016, Fannie Mae commenced a declaratory judgment case, to try to overcome the problems presented by the Saunders and Greenleaf cases. This was a dumb, costly and time-wasting move. The lawyers for Fannie Mae recognized that, due to the Saunders and Greenleaf decisions, Fannie Mae needed an assignment of the 2005 mortgage from American Home Mortgage, but they hoped to get some court declaratory judgment order that would be the equivalent of that. That was foolish because the ongoing Ch. 11 case of American Home Mortgage Corp. was still open, and all these lawyers had to do was to ask the Liquidating Trustee, Steven Sass, to give them an assignment of the mortgage on behalf of American Home Mortgage. Instead, these lawyers allowed that declaratory judgment case to linger for over three years until they finally moved to dismiss it without prejudice in December 2019. As with the two previous foreclosure cases, Matthew Raymond did not appear in that case and did nothing to oppose it.

VII. The 2019 Foreclosure Case

In September 2019, while the 2016 declaratory judgment case was still pending, Fannie Maes lawyers commenced the third foreclosure case and fourth suit overall. Having apparently finally recognized the need for an assignment of the 2005 mortgage to American Home Mortgage, Fannie Maes attorneys drafted a mortgage assignment for execution by Steven D. Sass as Liquidating Trustee for American Home Mortgage.[1] It was the right idea to finally obtain that assignment, but Fannie Maes lawyers botched the effort.

A. The First Botched Mortgage Assignment

The Bendett & McHugh lawyers, representing Fannie Mae and hired by its servicer, drafted the assignment, dated November 18, 2018, to run from American Home Mortgage Corp. to BAC Home Loans Servicing, LP. But BAC had had no legal existence for over seven years since it merged into Bank of America and out of existence on July 1, 2011. Texas law, where BAC was incorporated as a limited partnership, provides that When a merger take effectthe separate exitance of each domestic entity that is party to the merger, other than the surviving entity ceases. Tex, Bus. Org Code Ann. 10-0008. A deed is, therefore, void if the grantee named is not a legal entity. 2 Patton & Palmar on Land Titles  339 (3rded.). The mortgage assignment of American Home Mortgage Corp. to BAC Home Loans dated November 18, 2018, was void because BAC had not been a legal entity for over seven years.

B. The Second Botched Assignment

This was not the end of the problems with the 2019 foreclosure. The void mortgage assignment from American Home Mortgage to BAC, was followed by another void assignment.[2] The lawyers for Fannie Mae then wrote an assignment from BAC to Fannie Mae dated April 5, 2019, which was signed, purportedly on behalf of the non-existent BAC Home Loans Servicing, by Ditech Financial, LLC, claiming to be attorney in fact for BAC. Since BAC had not existed since July 1, 2011, it could own nothing which it could convey in 2019. If Ditech ever had a power of attorney from BAC, any such power terminated on July 1, 2011, because of the termination of the existence of BAC by its 2011 merger. Hunt v. Rousmaniers Admrs, 21 U.S. 174, 5 L.Ed. 589, 8 Wheat. 174 (1823, Marshall, C.J.) (The general rule, therefore, is that a letter of attorney may, at any time be revoked by the party who makes it; and is revoked by his death.); Restatement (Third) of Agency  3.07 (2006) (When a principal that is not an individual ceases to existthe agents actual authority terminates) So, the seven years gone BAC Home Loans Servicing had nothing to assign in 2019, it had no legal capacity to assign anything in 2019, and Ditech had no power of attorney in 2019 to assign anything on behalf of BAC.

C. The 2019 Foreclosure Action is Doomed to Failure

Because the 2018 and 2019 mortgage assignments discussed above are void, Fannie Mae lacks the legal standing required by Maine law to complete the foreclosure action. Raymonds counsel will be moving to dismiss that action on standing grounds.

VIII. The Demolition of the Mortgaged Property by the City of Sanford, Maine

The mortgaged property had been vacant since 2010 and supposedly under the care of Fannie Maes servicers. Their care of the property has been so abysmal that in the summer of 2021, the City of Sanford voted to have the City declare the property to be a dangerous and unsafe building and secure the building and begin the process of demolishing it. Demolition was completed on May 22, 2022.

Is is unlikely that Fannie Mae ever received actual notice of the actions of the City of Sanford due to a third botched mortgage assignment by Fannie Maes servicers. The City of Sanford notices regarding demolition all were sent to Ditech Financial Services, a former but now defunct mortgage servicer because the records of the York County (Maine) Registry of Deeds show that, on December 9, 2020, Fannie Mae assigned its mortgage to Ditech.[3] When the City of Sanford was trying to identify the owner of the mortgages on the property to send notices to, this assignment told them that Ditech, not Fannie Mae, was the owner. That was not the case at all. The December 9, 2020, mortgage assignment is dumb, because almost two years earlier, on February 11, 2019, Ditech filed its second Ch. 11 case which was filed for the purposes of liquidation. This December 9, 2020, mortgage assignment, states in the first line it is a Corrective Gap Assignment. There is no such thing in Maine title law, and what this assignment actually did was to convey to Ditech whatever interest Fannie Mae may have had in this mortgage, although as shown in Section VII above, Fannie Mae did not own the mortgage at the time of the assignment to Ditech at the end of 2020 due to the defective BAC assignments. Due to this botched third assignment, neither Fannie Mae or its current servicer, NewRez, LLC d/b/a Shellpoint Mortgage Servicing received notice of the City of Sanfords plans to demolish the property. This was a self-inflicted wound by Fannie Mae and its servicer.

IX. There is No Route to Recovery Left to Fannie Mae

Once the 2019 foreclosure action is dismissed, Fannie Mae will have no route to recovery left. The Ch. 11 case of American Home Mortgage Corp. is finally closed, and Steven Sass is no longer a Liquidating Trustee with power to assign the Raymond mortgage. Thus, there is no longer anyone who can assign the 2005 Raymond mortgage to Fannie Mae.

Even if there was some way for Fannie Mae to now obtain a mortgage assignment, the mortgaged property has become worthless for the reasons described in Section VIII above. Before demolition, the Town had been assessing the value of the building at $137,100 and the value of the land at $45,000. The building is now gone, and the Town is imposing a $19,300 tax lien against the property for the unpaid abatement and demolition costs. This now vacant lot sits on a dead-end street directly across the street from a noisy and dusty 20+ acre concrete products manufacturing site. It is unlikely that there is any value at all left for Fannie Mae on the mortgaged property.

If Fannie Mae sues Matthew Raymond for the mortgage debt, it will find that Matthew Raymond is a low-income wage earner who is judgement proof. He has no assets which are not exempt under bankruptcy law and if collection action is taken against him by Fannie Mae or the Town of Sanford, he will file for bankruptcy. Raymond has the most compelling laches defense to any possible new foreclosure or collection action I have seen in my 50+ years of legal work. The Fannie Mae debt when the 2010 foreclosure action commenced was $173,854.73, but as of July 11, 2022, that debt amount had soared to $399,348.14. In that time the property has gone from a value of around $81,000 in 2010 to over $182,200 in more recent years and now to about zero.

Laches is negligence or omission seasonably to assert a right. It exists when the omission to assert the right has continued for an unreasonable and unexplained lapse of time, and under circumstances where the delay has been prejudicial to an adverse party, and where it would be inequitable to enforce the right. Brochu v. McLeod, 2016 ME 146,  13, 148 A.3d 1220. The repeated and unreasonable failures of Fannie Mae and its servicers to complete a foreclosure for 12 years while the mortgage debt more than doubled has been prejudicial to Mr. Raymond and makes it inequitable for Fannie Mae to pursue any further recovery efforts. This is especially so when one recognizes that, back in 2010, Fannie Maes lawyers could have gone to Steven D. Sass, Liquidating Trustee of American Home Mortgage Corp., to obtain the mortgage assignment they needed to complete that 2010 foreclosure action within a year or two.

X.The Blatant Abuses of the Mortgage Servicers

If the foregoing litany of servicer misconduct is not enough, consider the following additional servicer abuses:

The Fannie Mae servicers took possession and control of the mortgaged property in 2010. It was winterized. A January 4, 2018, inspection report shows that the property was winterized by the time of that inspection. Yet, on Shellpoint mortgage statements dated February 16, 2021, February 16, 2022, Shellpoint added charges to the Raymond loan account for winterization. After 10+ years of being in control of this property, there was absolutely no winterization work left to be done on it.

There are outrageous and bogus charges to the Raymond loan account for Lawn Maintenance Disbursement two charges of $250 on the November 17, 2021, mortgage statement, two charges of $75 on the February 16, 2022, mortgage statement, two charges of $75 on the March 18, 2022, mortgage statement. The grass in Maine does not grow during the months of October through mid-April! These charges cannot be legitimate. Even though, after demolition of the house on May 23, 2022, the house lot is little more than a gravel patch surrounded by field, still, on the July 18, 2022, mortgage statement, , Shellpoint charged Fannie Mae for July mowing expenses of $160. The July 14, 2022, photo shows no sign of lawn mowing and no reason for there to be any lawn mowing.

Even though the house on the mortgaged property was demolished on May 23, 2022, and even though Fannie Maes current servicer, Shellpoint, is charging monthly inspection fees and therefore must know that the building was demolished in May, Shellpoint has continued through the June and July 2022 mortgage statements to charge for Lender Placed Hazard Disbursement on the mortgage statementscharges for insurance on a building that has not existed since May 23, 2022!

Even though the three court actions filed before the 2018 pending foreclosure action accomplished nothing and were dismissed by the lawyers hired by Fannie Maes servicers, the servicers have charged the loan account and charged Fannie Mae for over $10,000 of litigation fees and costs.

XI. Summary

If Fannie Maes servicers in 2011, Bank of America and its subsidiary BAC Home Loans, had properly handled this loan, one of two things would have happened, either of which would have finally resolved the foreclosure. Either one of the May 30, 2011, short-sale offers would have been accepted, or, failing that, the lawyers hired by Bank of America to represent Fannie Mae would have gotten the needed mortgage assignment from the liquidating trustee for American Home Mortgage and would have completed the foreclosure case with no opposition from Raymond by the end of 2011 or early 2012. Instead, the servicers have delayed for over 12 years, and have charged the Raymond loan account and charged (and been paid by) Fannie Mae for over $41,000 of fees for managing the property and conducting four flawed lawsuits. And after all of that, the building on the mortgaged property has been demolished, and the City of Sanford is about to impose a $19,300 tax charge on the remaining land for the demolition costs.

The servicers and lawyers for Fannie Mae have inflicted 12 years of unending litigation upon Mr. Raymond and forced him to put his entire financial life on hold, they left the Town of Sanford with a decaying and unsafe property and $19,000 of demolition costs, they have charged and been paid by Fannie Mae for all the expenses costs and fees associated with their misconduct, they have now left Fannie Mae with an essentially worthless piece of property, and they have left Mr. Raymond with a mortgage debt which has more than doubled and which he cannot pay and which is loaded with wrongful charges arising out of the misconduct of the servicers and their lawyers.

In my 15 years of specialization in representation of Maine homeowners facing foreclosure, I have repeatedly seen other instances of the kinds of misconduct described above by the servicers and lawyers hired by the Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, though seldom all in the same case as here. Either the GSEs are failing to adequately monitor and hold their servicers accountable, or the servicers are lying to the GSEs about their actual misconduct and are concealing it, and if so the GSEs need to figure out a way to stop such deception. The servicers for Fannie Mae and their lawyers hired by them should be held accountable for the misconduct described above.

_________

[1] In response to requests for admissions in the pending foreclosure case, Bendett & McHugh has admitted that it prepared this assignment. The Bendett & McHugh firm is based in Connecticut but has a large law office in Portland, Maine

[2]This second assignment is also unmistakably one prepared by the Bendett & McHugh foreclosure firm.

[3]This assignment of mortgage shows at the bottom that it was prepared by National Title Clearing at the direction of Fannie Maes mortgage servicer, NewRez, LLC d/b/a Shellpoint Mortgage Servicing.
Yves here. Democrats tend to fall back on let them eat training as a way to deal with blue collar job loss and the hollowing out of manufacturing cities and towns. Having said that, some of these scheme may be effective and help displaced workers move into new careers. I welcome reader input on this Trade Adjustment Assistance program.

By Tom Conway, the international president of the United Steelworkers Union (USW). Produced by the Independent Media Institute

The Goodyear plant in Gadsden, Alabama, was always a part of Cindy Beshears life.

She attended her grandfathers retirement party there as a child, worked two summers at the plant as a college student in the 1980s and accepted a full-time job on the production floor in 2004 after leaving a career in retail.

Goodyear devastated the community when it closed the plant two years ago after shifting hundreds of jobs to Mexico, but fortunately, the federal governments Trade Adjustment Assistance program provided Beshears and her coworkers with training and other support that helped them through some of the darkest days theyll ever know.

While thousands of other American workers continue to be harmed by unfair trade, theyll be denied the same lifeline unless Congress moves quickly to reestablish Trade Adjustment Assistance.

The program expired on June 30 because Republicans refused to join Democrats in extending it. Until Congress reinstates the program, the Labor Department cannot consider any additional petitions for Trade Adjustment Assistance assistance. The United Steelworkers (USW), other unions and Democratic lawmakers such as Senators Ron Wyden of Oregon and Sherrod Brown of Ohio are working to salvage the program, workers only real bulwark against the damage inflicted by globalization.

Its definitely worth fighting to save, Beshears said of Trade Adjustment Assistance, created in the 1970s to provide skills-building, employment services and other assistance to workers who lose jobs or wages because of bad trade.

In the 2021 fiscal year alone, the program enrolled more than 107,000 workers in various industries.

It covers tuition and books. It covers school supplies. It provided a laptop for me. If you have to travel for your classes, it will pay a mileage stipend, explained Beshears, a former member of USW Local 12L who enrolled in Trade Adjustment Assistance to obtain an associate degree in paralegal studies from Gadsden State Community College.

It even paid for caps and gowns if we wanted to walk for graduation, added Beshears, who completed her schooling in May, recalling the pride she felt as her former coworkers also set out on new careers in nursing, child care, welding, transportation and other fields.

I was very concerned that these people were going to lose hope and that we were going to see a lot of bad things. I would have been one who sat there and wallowed in self-pity, thinking, Oh, I put all that time in, and now I have nothing, Beshears said, calling TAA as valuable mentally and emotionally as it is educationally.

USW Local 1899 President Dan Simmons would like to see the same opportunities afforded to his members at U.S. Steels Granite City, Illinois, facility.

The company recently announced plans to cut 900 jobs there, another betrayal of unionized workers by a steelmaker thats made a habit of shifting work to nonunion plants.

Workers at Granite City have already seen more than their fair share of tough times over the years, including job losses resulting from unfair trade. Those displaced workers qualified for Trade Adjustment Assistance, with many staying in their new jobs even when the company offered to return them to the mill when market conditions stabilized.

Workers affected by the new round of cuts also would be eligible for TAA if the program still existed, said Simmons, noting hes especially worried about helping longtime members find new careers.

Theres no other means to do it except Trade Adjustment Assistance, Simmons said.

When Republicans torpedoed efforts to extend Trade Adjustment Assistance, they not only turned their backs on workers who will need help in the future but also slammed the door on those already in the middle of the application process.

Jeff Ogg, president of USW Local 1017, worked with GE Lighting in Logan, Ohio, to file a TAA petition for about 50 workers after the company announced plans to shut down the decades-old facility that makes lighting components.

The Logan plant supplied just one facility, a sister plant in Bucyrus, Ohio, that the company also decided to close because of foreign competition. The Labor Department denied the USW members petition for TAA, even though their impending job losses directly relate to globalization, and the workers filed an appeal.

Because TAA expired, however, federal officials refuse even to consider it, leaving workers at the Logan plant wondering how and where theyll get the training they need to move forward.

Ive been there pretty much all of my working life, said Ogg, a mechanic whos helped to keep the plant running for decades.

That doesnt mean I know how to work on anything other than our own machines, noting hell face a learning curve at more modern facilities with computerized equipment. Thats where the training comes in. Im going to need a little help.

Trade Adjustment Assistances expiration is doubly tragic because advocates wanted Congress not just to continue the program but also to expand and strengthen it.

Proposed enhancements included streamlining the petition process, providing a tax credit for child care and covering workers who lose their jobs when foreign countries restrict imports of U.S.-made goods.

Unions also called for extending Trade Adjustment Assistance to public service workers. For example, such a provision would cover municipal road workers, firefighters and others who lose their jobs when illegal dumping of foreign goods forces a local manufacturing plant to close, decimating the communitys tax base.

In August, as Beshears starts her job as a paralegal with a municipal government near her home, shell leverage one more benefit available at the time she enrolled in Trade Adjustment Assistance. Shell receive $10,000 in income support to help bridge the gap between her new starting salary and the wages she made at Goodyear.

Im just so thankful, she said of Trade Adjustment Assistance. Thats what I tell everybody I talk to about it.
(Natural News) InfoWars founder and host Alex Jones called on former President Donald Trump to come out and admit he was duped into believing that the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccines are safe and effective.

He should start coming out against this now and say he was conned [and] he was manipulated, Jones said. He listened to his science advisors, about 20 doctors, [and] they lied. Trump is 77 years old, or whatever he is, and essentially  old-timers believe doctors.

According to the InfoWars founder, the real estate mogul-turned-president is still pushing the poison shot  despite the growing body of studies that prove the vaccines cause more harm than good by erasing the immune system.

He also mentioned how Dr. Deborah Birx, the former White House COVID-19 coordinator, maligned the Trump administrations attitude toward the pandemic. During a Congressional hearing, she testified that there was a consistent effort to stifle information regarding the number of infections in late 2020. Birx also claimed that the Trump administrations actions caused a false sense of security in America.

Jones implored Trump to stand up now and clear his name in light of Birxs accusations. The InfoWars founder also denounced the fact that Trump simply stood by and allowed his advisors to call the shots. The former president ought to admit that he had been lied to, he added.

Thats the manly thing to do. Thats leadership; [to] admit he was conned. Come out and deal with it, and then start saving people. Once you learn you got conned and not do anything about it, you become a part of it.

Despite his strong words against the former president, Jones also lauded Trump for really starting to get hardcore as he criticized the sexualization of kindergarteners during the America First Agenda Summit. He also praised Trump for shining a light on the border crisis and unequal trade deals.

Jones: Trump ought to follow the example of Brazils Bolsonaro

According to Jones, Trump should follow the lead of Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, who has consistently stood up for health freedom in his country.

Back in January, the populist leader criticized Anvisa  the Brazilian counterpart of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration  for approving Pfizers COVID-19 vaccine for children aged five to 11 years old. Bolsonaro justified his criticism by saying that he had not heard of children dying of COVID-19.

The unvaccinated Bolsonaro, who possesses natural immunity after a bout with COVID-19 in July 2020, has challenged COVID-19 measures in Brazil. He raised doubts about the vaccines and the idea of tying peoples freedom to their vaccination status.

If a citizen does not want to get the vaccine, it is his right and thats it, he said in October 2021.

Trump appears to have answered Jones challenge by calling for the reinstatement of military members discharged for turning down the COVID-19 shot. The former president put forward the idea during Turning Point USAs Student Action Summit in Tampa, Florida. (Related: Donald Trump plotting return to White House in 2024, makes major pledge to military members discharged for refusing COVID vax.)

We have to abolish all COVID mandates and lockdowns. Rehire every patriot who was shamefully fired from the military, with an apology. We have to give them an apology. And all of their back pay, he told the Tampa crowd.

Visit Trump.news for more stories about the former president.

Watch the full InfoWars segment below as Alex Jones challenges Donald Trump to admit being duped about the COVID-19 vaccines.

This video is from the InfoWars channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Deborah Birx hid covid info from Trump, altered CDC guidelines without approval.

LAB ORIGIN THEORY CONFIRMED: Trump adviser Deborah Birx says COVID came out of the box ready to infect after being released from Chinese lab.

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Dr. Scott Atlas slams supposed experts who shaped the Trump administrations COVID-19 pandemic response.

Sources include:

Brighteon.com

Vox.com

WeLoveTrump.com
(Natural News) A study by researchers from Dalhousie University shows the impact of single-use plastics on animals worldwide.

It is important to note that personal protective equipment (PPE) is made of plastic and isnt recyclable. At the start of the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, experts did not consider that disposable face masks, gloves and wipes could become global environmental pollutants.

The researchers scanned social media platforms for photos of wildlife tangled in PPE, such as face masks and disposable gloves. They found 114 incidents in 23 countries from April 2020 to December 2021, with most of the encounters involving birds. The most commonly reported species were mute swan, herring gull, Australian white ibis, red kits, and Eurasian coot. The most common mammal reported was the eastern gray squirrel, followed by the European hedgehog and red fox.

Of all the sightings, nine were found dead in direct contact with PPE.

It is crucial that we identify opportunities to improve our waste management infrastructure so that we can prevent similar leakages during the inevitable future pandemics, the researchers wrote in their study.

Previous studies conclude that a shocking 129 billion face masks and 65 billion gloves were used monthly during the pandemic. Due to unsystematic waste management, they end up as junk.

With a widespread presence in the environment, such items pose a direct threat to wildlife as animals can interact with them in a series of ways, the researchers wrote.

There were 29 animal sightings entangled with PPE in the United States, 16 in England, 13 in Canada, 11 in Australia and 10 in the Netherlands.

It is necessary to learn from this event, and assess the full impact that plastic waste from the pandemic has had on our global fauna and environment, the researchers suggested.

This research came after a study estimated that more than 25,000 tons of PPE and other types of COVID-related plastic waste have entered Earths oceans.

As per the study, 8.4 million tons of pandemic-related plastic waste have been generated by 193 countries from the start of the pandemic to August 2021 and 71 percent of them are likely to wash up on beaches by the end of 2021. (Related: COVID also caused pandemic of plastic waste such as FACE MASKS, Aussie environmental group says.)

Various studies prove that mask mandates are not effective in lowering COVID-19 cases

Apart from being not eco-friendly, face masks are also not helping curb the spread of COVID-19 infection.

In March, children six and older in Catalonia, Spain were required to wear masks once school reopened. A study identified a much lower case rate in preschool where there were no mandates when compared to older groups who were required to wear masks.

According to the researchers, mask mandates in schools were not associated with lower SARS-CoV-2 incidence or transmission, suggesting that this intervention was not effective.

Meanwhile, recent reports said COVID-19 cases in Singapore and New Zealand soared during the latest omicron wave despite their very strict mask mandates. People in both countries were ordered to wear masks everywhere, especially in all indoor public places, such as shopping centers and libraries. Both countries now have higher case numbers per million.

In Brazil, meanwhile, a study back in May proved that not only masks do not help the wearers stay away from COVID-19 infections  they actually increase the risk of getting sick and dying from the infection.

The peer-reviewed study written by Beny Spira, an associate professor at the University of Sao Paulo, and published in the Cureus Journal of Medical Science on April 19, described its purpose as analyzing the correlation between mask usage against morbidity and mortality rates in the 2020-2021 winter in Europe.

Data from 35 European countries on morbidity, mortality and mask usage during a six-month period were analyzed and crossed, stated the study involving 602 million people.

The findings suggest that countries with high levels of mask compliance did not perform better than those with low mask usage in the six-month period that encompassed the second European wave of COVID-19.

Beyond finding no benefit to masking mandate compliance in curtailing the spread of COVID-19, the paper found a moderate positive correlation between the use of masks and COVID-19 deaths.

Visit Environ.news for more news on the harmful effects of plastic PPE on the environment.

Watch the below video that talks about the environmental cost of COVID-19.

This video is from the channel The HighWire with Del Bigtree on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Face masks are adding to plastic pollution, and its effects are seen across Asia.

Nearly 1.6 billion disposable face masks flooded oceans in 2020.

Disposable face masks poised to become the next plastic crisis.

Where are the climate warriors in decrying coronavirus mask pollution?

Sources include:

DailyMail.co.uk

Drive.Google.com

Dal.ca

PNAS.org

TheEpochTimes.com

12ft.io

TheNationalPulse.com

Brighteon.com
(Natural News) The Canadian federal government has only settled eight death and injury claims due to the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine, thanks to a grueling process designed to leave hundreds of vaccine victims on the waiting list for a long time and discourage others to even apply.

While the amount of money the claimants received hasnt been revealed to the public, data suggests that the Canadian government set aside $75 million as a preliminary amount to pull from for settlements.

National statistics for vaccine injuries and deaths can be accessed at the Vaccine Injury Support Program (VISP) website. VISP began accepting claims in June 2021 as the coronavirus vaccines were being rolled out.

As of writing, VISP has received a total of 774 claims. However, only 26 claims have been fully assessed and only eight have been awarded financial support.

Out of all the claims, 654 were considered admissible after an administrative review by a case manager. At least 71 claims were found to be inadmissible, while 49 are still pending review.

Of the admissible claims, 553 are in the process of collecting medical records, which the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) explains is often the longest step before they can be assessed by the Medical Review Board.

During this step, claimants are first contacted to provide their consent for the retrieval of these medical records from their healthcare providers. Next, each healthcare provider is contacted individually for the relevant records.

The board is made up of physicians with relevant experience and they will determine if there is a link between the injury and the vaccine, explained the PHAC.

At least 23 claims are pending assessment by the Medical Review Board.

The PHAC defines severe or permanent injuries as life-threatening or life-altering injuries that may require in-person hospitalization, or a prolongation of existing hospitalization and results in persistent or significant disability or incapacity, or where the outcome is a congenital malformation or death.

According to the VISP, the amount of financial support provided will be determined on a case-by-case basis. Additionally, compensation will be retroactive from the date of the injury or death.

To date, the PHAC has not disclosed the total amount of financial support paid to claimants, allegedly due to privacy reasons and the fact that not all claimants have had their payments processed.

The next reporting of vaccine injury claims is set to be made public no later than June 30, 2023, with reflecting statistics up to March 31 next year.

As of May 12, the PHAC has documented 45,149 cases of adverse events following a COVID-19 vaccine. This represents 0.055 percent of all doses administered.

Out of these cases, 36,634 were considered non-serious while 9,515 (0.011 percent of all doses) were considered serious.

Vaccine injury assessment in Canada is less precise

The VISP review process is lengthy. All applicant cases go through several layers of consultation and assessment before it can be confirmed that an applicant did die or was injured from the vaccine.

The process by which someone is declared to have died from coronavirus in Canada is much less precise.

According to the college of Physicians and Surgeons of British Columbia, COVID-19 should be recorded on the medical certificate of cause of death for all decedents where the disease caused, or is assumed to have caused, or contributed to death.

The college also advised that coronavirus should be listed as a cause if other serious illnesses are present. This means that regardless of how someone dies, if they test positive for COVID-19 at or around the time of their death, their positive test results are released as part of national and provincial statistics. This then causes the declared coronavirus death toll to rise. (Related: Vaccinated population accounts for 92% of COVID-19 deaths in Canada.)

The most common test used to determine a so-called coronavirus infection is the PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test. According to Dr. Paul Elias Alexander, a Canadian public health researcher, PCR tests varies in accuracy by the time of day.

Alexander added that PCR tests for COVID-19 can be inaccurate upwards of 95 [percent] of the time.

Visit VaccineDeaths.com for the truth about vaccine injuries and deaths linked to the COVID-19 vaccine.

Watch the video below to know more about an MLB catcher who speaks up against Canadas COVID-19 policy.

This video is from the TNTVNEWS channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Thailand shelled out $45 million for COVID vaccine injury claims.

Tom Renz slams Pentagon for HIDING vaccine injury data  Brighteon.TV.

Triple vaccinated individuals account for majority of COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths in Canada this year.

Sources include:

LifeSiteNews.com

VaccineInjurySupport.ca

CTVNews.ca

Brighteon.com
(Natural News) Israel now limits cash payments of citizens in every business transaction to 6,000 new shekels or $1,785 as the country battles organized crime, money laundering and tax evasion.

The law introduced by the Israel tax authority last week includes that any payment over the provided amount must be made through other means, such as digital transfer or a debit card. Individuals who are not listed as business owners can use up to 15,000 shekels in cash when it comes to trading, Xinhua news agency reported.

The war on cash began with the 2018 passage of the Law for the Reduction in the Use of Cash. It started limiting cash transactions of Israeli businesses and individuals in January 2019. As of Monday, August 1, the limits have been slashed nearly in half.

We want the public to reduce the use of cash money, said Tamar Bracha, who is in charge of executing the law on behalf of the Israel Tax Authority.

She added that: The goal is to reduce cash fluidity in the market, mainly because crime organizations tend to rely on cash. By limiting the use of it, criminal activity is much harder to carry out.

Violators of the said regulation are subject to penalties that can reach up to 25 percent of the transaction for individuals and 30 percent for businesses.

There are some exemptions to the new law: charitable institutions, which are most common in ultra-Orthodox society; and trade with Palestinians from the West Bank, who are not citizens of Israel. In the case of the latter, deals including large amounts of cash will be allowed, yet they will require a detailed report to Israels tax authority, the report said.

ZeroHedges Tyler Durden said this kind of limitation is just one way to work toward de-cashing a population. He cited a 2017 International Monetary Fund paper that outlined other tactics, such as abolishing large-denomination bills, imposing reporting requirements on cash transactions over a certain threshold, requiring the declaration of cash when entering or leaving a country or applying an additional tax when cash is used.

Moreover, Durden said this war on cash isnt the only thing the country is doing as it heads to an authoritarian future.

Israel has started technical trials for a central bank digital currency, which could help eradicate cash and maximize control; implemented digital vaccination passports that helped bar the unvaxxed from participating in various aspects of life; and maintained a controversial database storing the biometric data of millions of citizens, Durden said.

He also noted that Israel has joined a group of eight countries working toward the development of digital identities and has aggressively implemented facial recognition programs.

Transition to a cashless society is like surrendering your privacy to the New World Order

Due to the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, strict measures such as lockdowns and minimal face-to-face transactions were enforced. A lot of people worldwide have opted to use cards, online transactions and other contactless payment options instead of cash as a way to reduce contact with others.

Most businesses even required these and have banned the use of paper money and coins for hygienic reasons. A survey by Travis Credit Union back in 2021 concluded that 58 percent of the respondents will stop using cash completely once the pandemic is over. Even governments are proponents of the shift.

However, there are several drawbacks that should be looked into before a country gives in to the war on cash. One of the main reasons for this is that cashless transactions take away your privacy as your personal data can be accessed by no one knows how many. Once you swipe your credit or debit card or enter your bank details via an online platform, your data is already vulnerable to theft, data breaches and fraudulent purchases. (Related: The cashless life wont be worth living.)

Hackers are like bank robbers and muggers of the electronic world. Once somebody drains your account, you may not have any alternative ways to spend money. Even if youre protected under federal law, it will still be inconvenient to restore your financial standing after a breach, Justin Pritchard, a certified financial planner, wrote on the Balance.

Analysts worry that advocates of this move are actually promoters of the New World Order, where all nations will be under an authoritarian global administration. They can use the data to monitor and track peoples spending and financial activities and get a hold of peoples personal information.

Watch the below video that talks about the dangers of a cashless society.

This video is from the High Hopes channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Australia is rapidly becoming cashless society shunning all physical currency.

Is the nationwide coin shortage being used to push us toward a cashless society?

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Business-Standard.com

ZeroHedge.com

TheMediaLine.org

SchiffGold.com

TheBalance.com

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(Natural News) Del Bigtree has put forward the thought that perhaps the anti-vaxxers are the chosen ones all along. He floated the idea during the July 27 episode of The Highwire.

Im just going to speculate for a second about this idea that there are people, like [tech mogul] Bill Gates, that is so concerned about resources that they believe the only way we save the planet and our species is to reduce the population, he said.

The host, who is also the CEO of the anti-vaccination group Informed Consent Action Network, noted that doctors, analysts and other people are stepping up to say that this feels like mass extermination. But the globalists did not think that they could depopulate the world so easily, so they instituted the plandemic to at least give people a choice: to take the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccines or refuse them.

I mean, you cant wipe out the smart people, right? So, you would want some sort of culling of the herd that you control, but youd want it to seem like it was a choice, Bigtree said.

And so the selection process begins.

The best and the brightest shall remain. This may include scientists and real experts like the inventor of the mRNA vaccine technology Dr. Robert Malone, former Pfizer executive Dr. Mike Yeadon and vaccine expert Geert Vanden Bossche.

Meanwhile, the partner health authorities are not stopping until the target is achieved based on what was inscribed on the Georgia Guidestones: Maintain humanity under 500,000,000 in perpetual balance with nature. (Related: Maintain humanity under 500,000,000? Anonymous Stonehenge-like Georgia Guidestones decree massive population reduction necessary under the guise of conservation.)

Then they tell you, you need another jab after the other. So, as planned, Food and Drug Administration authorizes fourth, fifth booster doses for various groups, even though the very science is saying its reducing immunity and it is making people more and more vulnerable, the host said.

Bigtree shared that he had this thought that toward the end of the hullabaloo, Gates would come up to him and say: You really did your job exactly how we needed you to. We put out all the propaganda and thats because we had to wipe out a huge part of the world. And Ill be honest with you Del, we thought we may have overplayed our hand. Everybody could have taken the vaccine and theyre all gonna die.

What if we recognize that theyre not attacking us, anti-vaxxers? They obviously chose us. We must be the chosen ones, he further hypothesized.

Maybe not chosen by God, but chosen by Bill Gates and [World Economic Forum founder] Klaus Schwab. I dont know what that does from your perspective. But for those of you carrying this thought, you must recognize that you are not the enemy. You were the goal. Think about that, he said.

Mike Adams, Alex Jones warn the public of the tyrannical moves to wipe out humanity

Meanwhile, the brave ones who refuse to take in the experimental and gene-altering vaccines are speaking up on their platforms to create awareness of the eugenics and depopulation moves of the globalists to save as many people as they can.

The Health Ranger Mike Adams warned everyone that the globalists are deliberately organizing totalitarian efforts to wipe out humanity in as many ways as possible.

He said the total entitlement obligation financially to the American people is $169 trillion. So, to clear the balance sheets and never have to pay this amount to the people, the solution is very simple: genocide.

Adams said billions of human beings may be killed in this holocaust. The current movement uses a combination of laws, vaccines, bioweapons, economic collapse and food scarcity, which is an engineered collapse of the food system.

Meanwhile, InfoWars founder Alex Jones slammed the globalists New World Order (NWO) agenda. Jones called for a global red alert amid various disturbing events already happening worldwide.

This is the NWO takeover, world depopulation. This is World War 1,000, extinction, rebellion and depopulation, Jones said as he condemned the elites for burning and blowing up the farms and processing plants and for poisoning the cows and crops on purpose.

The carrying capacity of the civilization of Earth is being pulled out from under us. The rug is being pulled out from under us right now, Jones said. The NWO is aimed at wiping out humanity by deliberately starving people.

Find more stories like this at Genocide.news.

Watch the full July 27 episode of The Highwire below.

This video is from The HighWire with Del Bigtree channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

DEATH SHOTS: Canadian data show that COVID vaccines INCREASE the risk of death from covid.

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COVID vaccines can damage innate immune systems of children, epidemiologist warns.

Taiwan witnesses catastrophic 23% drop in birth rate in May of 2022, as global depopulation schemes take effect.

Sources include:

Brighteon.com 1

TheHighwire.com

Brighteon.com 2

Brighteon.com 3
(Natural News) Omar Haijawi-Pirchner, head of Austrias Directorate of State Security and Intelligence Service (DSN), has warned of possible riots this fall due to a looming energy crisis.

We do not see any riots on the streets yet. But the hatred on the internet has clearly increased. Every crisis means that despair for some people can first turn into verbal actions and then even into violence, Haijawi-Pirchner said in an interview with Austrian newspaper Kronen Zeitung.

Gazprom cuts gas supply to Austrias oil and gas company

Russias energy giant Gazprom cut the supply of gas to Austrias oil and gas company OMV earlier in July, citing maintenance work. (Related: Gazprom cuts off gas supply to several EU members in response to sanction threats.)

OMV spokesperson Andreas Rinofner said the company collected around 70 percent less than it had reserved.

The gas supply has decreased because of the yearly maintenance work on a major gas pipeline from Russia to Western Europe. In mid-June, Gazprom decreased gas supplies by means of Nord Stream 1 Baltic Sea pipeline due to technical engine issues and delays in repair works.

Previously, OMV claimed Austria has ceased importing and refining oil from Russia since March. But in reality, Austria is still reliant on Russian natural gas, exporting almost 80 percent of its natural gas from Russia.

Meanwhile, the Austrian statistical office reported that Russian imports accounted for only 7.8 percent of the 596,000 tons of oil supplied to Vienna in 2021. Kazakhstan has been Austrias most important oil supplier for many years, which supplies 38.9 percent of oil to the country according to reports.

DSN head trying to avoid mistakes of predecessor

Haijawi-Pirchner, an Austrian-Jordanian, was appointed to head the countrys new security agency after severe criticism of the earlier organizations failure to stop an attack by a supposed Islamic State (IS) sympathizer.

The appointment of Haijawi-Pirchner as head of the DSN follows a promise by Karl Nehammer, Austrias minister of interior, to replace the previous counterterrorism agency, the BVT, with a genuinely new security organization.

The BVT was severely criticized after it failed to prevent a deadly attack in Vienna in November last year by a 20-year-old IS sympathizer from North Macedonia. Four people died and 23 were injured during the violent attack.

The gunman identified as Kujtim Fejzulai was killed by police after going on a shooting spree in Vienna.

An investigation into the BVTs management and reaction to the November attack has uncovered several issues, including mishandling of database, disorderly communications between departments and conflicts within the organization.

Haijawi-Pirchner, son of a Jordanian doctor and an Austrian nurse, was born in Austria in 1980. He entered the Federal Police in 1999 after graduating from school and becoming a brigadier.

Follow Collapse.news for more news about the energy crisis affecting Europe and America.

Watch the video below about Austria and Germany deciding to reopen coal power stations in response to the energy crisis.

This video is from the Chinese taking down EVIL CCP channel on Brighteon.com.

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A geology insider explains why the global energy crisis is going to get much, much worse.

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Following Sri Lanka, Panama becomes next nation to collapse amid global recessionary pressures and unrelenting inflation.

Fresh wave of protests break out in Europe following reintroduction of COVID-19 restrictions.

Production costs in Germany rise by record-breaking 25.9% due to ongoing energy crisis.

Sources include:

Infowars.com

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RTE.ie
(Natural News) Behind the huge rallies and convoys lie an inconvenient truth about Canada: It is now ruled by tyrants.

Weve got a global attack on us and basically Canada has become one of the most tyrannical places to live. They mock and feign as if were a democracy, talk show host and book author Laura-Lynn Tyler Thompson told host Ohio Brett Bohl during the July 27 episode of The Ohio Brett Show on Brighteon.TV.

All those mass demonstrations are supposed to be a reminder that democracy still prevails in the country. But in reality, they are just a product of tyranny.

According to Thompson, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has shut down the truckers and supporters of the Freedom Convoy in a brutal way. She added that Canadians had been lied to and are completely discriminated against in their own country for wanting bodily autonomy.

Canada doesnt have the Second Amendment and the Canadians are defenseless against the Trudeau government, she said.

Thompson said that Trudeau is one of the prodigies of World Economic Forum (WEF) founder Klaus Schwab. She said the WEF has already infiltrated the cabinet of Canada and almost every government in the world.

Thompson also mentioned that Trudeau is now beginning to put the same stipulations the Dutch are complaining about  the reduction of carbon dioxide and nitrogen. (Related: Canadas tyrant Trudeau set to implement a policy that led Dutch farmers to revolt)

The inspirational speaker and former host of The 700 Club Canada added that Canadian farmers know that this is going to affect the food supply and everything the Canadians do.

Canadians without COVID-19 vaccine cant get life-saving operations

Elsewhere in the program, the author of the book Relentless Redemption revealed that Canadians who do not have the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine cannot get life-saving operations.

A woman who has been waiting two years for her lung transplant and has done everything that she needed to do has been denied [the operation] for not taking COVID-19 vaccine. And this goes against our freedom, Thompson said.

Thompson, who hosts the Live with Laura-Lynn podcast, added that she is currently traveling with Pastor Artur Pawlowski and his family to speak to Americans about combining forces and helping Canadians who are in trouble.

Ohio Brett, who is also a national speaker and co-author of the book Getting to Thanksgiving, told Thompson that they came to the right spot and all the teams for Jesus are uniting people in Canada, America and the rest of the world to cry out against the abominations that are happening.

Thompson also talked about her fight against people who were teaching kids that they can change their gender. According to Thompson, globalist George Soros has invested millions of dollars to teach children in the U.S., the U.K., Canada, Australia and the Netherlands that they could be gender fluid.

Read more stories like this at Tyranny.news.

Watch the July 27 episode of The Ohio Brett Show below. The Ohio Brett Show airs every Wednesday at 4 p.m. on Brighteon.TV.

More related stories:

Canadian doctor warns the worst is yet to come from blood clotting damage linked to COVID-19 shots.

We are at the final stage of tyrannical takeover  Naomi Wolf.

Bill Gates, WHO, World Economic Forum are part of a criminal network of COVID conspirators.

The World Economic Forum seeks absolute control over world populations, demands consolidation of power.

UN claims world hunger is necessary, as governments intentionally cause poverty on a global scale.

Sources include:

Brighteon.com

LauraLynn.tv

OhioBrett.com
(Natural News) The CDC sent social media companies instructions on how to censor users who expressed any skepticism or criticism of COVID-19 jabs, according to newly leaked emails..

(Article by Sean Adl-Tabatabai republished from NewsPunch.com)

The emails, between the CDC, Google, Twitter and Meta staffers  some of whom were former Hill and White House aides  were obtained through a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit, and show collusion between Big Tech and the Biden regime, which included thinly veiled threats for failing to more aggressively censor content.

Over the course of at least six months, starting in December 2020, CDC officials regularly communicated with personnel at Twitter, Facebook, and Google over vaccine misinformation. At various times, CDC officials would flag specific posts by users on social media platforms such as Twitter as example posts. In one email to a CDC staffer, a Twitter employee said he is looking forward to setting up regular chats with the agency. Other emails show the scheduling of meetings with the CDC over how to best police alleged misinformation about COVID-19 vaccines. -Free Beacon

Zerohedge.com reports: In one April 2021 email between a CDC staffer and Facebook, concern was raised after algorithms that Facebook and other social media networks are apparently using to screen out posting by sources of vaccine misinformation are also apparently screening out valid public health messaging, including [Wyoming] Health communications.

Another email from March 2021 from a senior CDC staffer states: we are working on [sic] project with Census to leverage their infrastructure to identify and monitor social media for vaccine misinformation.

Whats more, one email chain reveals that a CDC official showed up at Googles 2020 Trusted Media Summit conference, which was held for journalists, fact-checkers, educators, researchers and others who work in the area of fact-checking, verification, media literacy, and otherwise fighting misinformation.

When asked by an organizer if the senior CDC official would allow her remarks on YouTube, she declined, saying she was not authorized to speak publicly.

In the same email chain with a senior CDC official, a Google staffer offers to promote an initiative from the World Health Organization about addressing the COVID-19 infodemic and strengthen community resilience against misinformation. That same Google staffer offers to introduce the CDC official to a Google colleague who is working on programs to counter immunization misinfo. -Free Beacon

Meanwhile, Facebook gave the CDC $15 million in ad credits to use on the companys platforms in April, 2021.

This gift will be used by CDCs COVID-19 response to support the agencys messages on Facebook, and extend the reach of COVID-19-related Facebook content, including messages on vaccines, social distancing, travel, and other priority communication messages, reads an internal memo.

As the Beacon notes, the level of coordination between government and big tech raises questions over what extent other private companies are working with the federal government in order to censor the public  including payment processors, Uber and other platforms which have banned the unwashed for wrongthink.

The revelations have also caused the New Civil Liberties Alliance to file a Thursday court document seeking to revive their lawsuit against the government on behalf of deplatformed users.

New Civil Liberties Alliance attorney Jenin Younes told Just the News it incorporated the revelations about the CDC emails into a filing Thursday seeking to reopen its case against the feds on behalf of deplatformed users. A federal court dismissed that litigation a month before a whistleblower leaked documents suggesting the Department of Homeland Securitys since-scrapped Disinformation Governance Board planned to operationalize its relationship with social media companies to remove content. NCLA cited those documents in its initial motion to reopen in June. -JTN

JTN further notes that the document dump is also likely to come into play in a lawsuit by Missouri and Louisiana AGs against the government for alleged collusion with Big Tech to censor content on the origins of COVID-19, as well as Hunter Bidens laptop and vote-by-mail election integrity.

Recall that just one day after top health officials had a conference call to discuss a Zero Hedge article which highlighted a now-withdrawn paper from researchers in India suggesting HIV-like insertions in COVID-19, Twitter banned our account for roughly two months  with the tech giant claiming we doxxed a Chinese scientist (with publicly available information) in another article.

Thanks to a recent Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request for Faucis emails, we know that the National Institutes of Health was not only aware of the Indian report, but were actively discussing how to handle it.

A January 31, 2020 email from AFPs Issam Ahmed asks NIH immunologist Dr. Barney Graham for comment:

I was told by a contact you may be willing to give an opinion of this paper that has just gone live. It suggests the new Coronavirus has four inserts similar to HIV-1 and this is not a coincidence, reads the email.

Graham immediately forwards the correspondence to the Office of Communications and Government Relations (OCGR), saying This is one we dont want to answer without high-level input, but wanted you to know about the rising controversy.

Two days later, Jennifer Routh OCGR replies, telling Graham: OCGR is going to send a note to the reporter to decline, noting that the paper is not peer-reviewed. Please let us know if you receive similar requests.

That same Sunday morning, Fauci is looped in  with Sir Jeremy Farrar forwarding Zero Hedges article after mentioning how World Health Organization Director Tedros Adhanom and the organizations cabinet chief were in conclave  ostensibly on how to manage the narrative  noting If they do prevaricate [bullshit the public], I would appreciate a call with you later tonight or tomorrow to think how we might take forward.

Do you have a minute for a quick call? Fauci replies, after having called the Indian paper really outlandish.

Of course, the Indian paper was quickly withdrawn by its authors, and the notion that COVID-19 could have been man-made was rendered radioactive  for a while.

Is it any question how our Twitter (and Google) deplatformings happened, before both companies chose to reverse their decisions?

Read more at: NewsPunch.com
(Natural News) After making a series of bellicose statements before House Speaker Nancy Pelosis trip to Taiwan on Tuesday, China then engaged in what many saw as a series of provocative military actions.

According to reports, the Taiwanese government said that some of its websites had been hit with a cyberattack after Pelosi landed on Tuesday, as Chinese naval vessels including an aircraft carrier battle group moved into waters closer to the island. Beijing, meanwhile, vowed targeted military actions as well.

At the same time, Taiwan has put its military on high alert and has warned its citizens to be ready, while also seeking to reassure them.

The Chinese maneuvers aim to intimidate our citizens psychologically We are closely monitoring the situation and have strengthened our preparations We have confidence and the ability to protect our security, said a Taiwanese government statement.

The Chinese Peoples Liberation Army is on high alert and will launch a series of targeted military operations to counter this, resolutely defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity, and resolutely thwart external interference and Taiwan independence separatist attempts, defense ministry spokesman Wu Qian said in a statement condemning the visit, according to The Hindustan Times.

Earlier Tuesday, the Taiwanese government announced that someone had launched a cyberattack against the island.

Taiwanese authorities confirmed Tuesday that the Office of the Presidents website fell victim to an overseas cyberattack that caused the site to be down for 20 minutes, according to local reporters. The presidents office reportedly confirmed that Tuesdays attack traffic was 200 times that of a normal day, Fox News reported.

For her part, Pelosi, a California Democrat third in line to the presidency as House speaker, was undeterred, claiming upon landing that the U.S. stood with the people of Taiwan.

Our visit reiterates that America stands with Taiwan: a robust, vibrant democracy and our important partner in the Indo-Pacific. pic.twitter.com/2sSRJXN6ST  Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) August 2, 2022

In addition, 26 Republican senators who are usually at odds with Pelosi over legislation nevertheless backed her trip.

We support Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosis trip to Taiwan, they said in a statement.

For decades, members of the United States Congress, including previous Speakers of the House, have traveled to Taiwan. This travel is consistent with the United States One China policy to which we are committed. We are also committed now, more than ever, to all elements of the Taiwan Relations Act.

The Speaker has the right to visit Taiwan and the Speaker of the House has visited Taiwan before, without incident, said White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby. As have many members of Congress, including this year.

Put simply, there is no reason for Beijing to turn a simple visit, consistent with long-standing U.S. policy into some sort of crisis or conflict, or to use it to increase aggressive military activity in or around the Taiwan Strait, Kirby added.

The Epoch Times reported as well:

Likewise, the Republican statement issued Tuesday underscores that there is no change to the United Statess longstanding policies and norms of behavior regarding China and Taiwan.

The CCP considers Taiwan to be a breakaway province that must be united with the mainland and has not ruled out the use of force to accomplish such. Taiwan, for its part, has been self-governed since 1949, has never been controlled by the CCP, and has an independent democratic government and thriving market economy.

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich said in an interview with Fox News that he thinks the Chinese are simply saber-rattling. He referenced similar bellicose warnings in 1997 when he visited Taiwan after he was invited by China to give speeches there.

They backed down, he said Monday, referring to the Chinese government. Their current bluff is just that.

Look, they are harassing Taiwan every week. They are flying aircraft into Taiwanese space. They recently announced a live-fire zone off of Taiwan, he added. Theyre doing all they can to rattle the Taiwanese people, who are 24 million free people with a free election and a free news media, who produce, by the way, about 67 percent of the worlds high-value computer chips. So its a very important place.

Sources include:

TheEpochTimes.com

FoxNews.com

HindustanTimes.com
(Natural News) Russian state-owned gas company Gazprom stopped supplying gas to neighboring Latvia after it refused to pay in rubles.

Gazprom, which operates the Nord Stream 1 (NS1) natural gas pipeline, announced the stoppage of gas supply to Latvia on July 30. In a short statement, the Russian firm accused its smaller neighbor of breaking terms for extraction of gas. These terms are believed to pertain to Moscows requirement of fuel payments in the form of rubles, Russias official currency, which Riga refused to comply with.

Gazproms announcement followed an earlier notice by Latvian energy company Latvijas Gaze that it was buying gas from Russia, but paying in euros. A spokesperson for Latvijas Gaze said on July 29 that it was not purchasing gas from Gazprom  but from a different company which was not named due to business confidentiality reasons. The Latvian company did not immediately respond to a request for comment following the announcement of its Russian counterpart.

Latvian Deputy State Secretary on Energy Policy Edijs Saicans, meanwhile, brushed off the Gazprom announcement. He remarked that the Russian gas companys decision would have little effect, given that Riga has already decided to ban gas imports from its bigger neighbor from Jan. 1, 2023.

We do not see any major impacts from such a move, said the official at the Latvian Ministry of Economics.

The gas-for-rubles scheme arose as a consequence of sanctions imposed by the West on Russia for invading Ukraine in late February. Russian President Vladimir Putin said the following month that unfriendly foreign buyers must deal with Gazprom in the Russian currency instead of dollars and euros. (Related: Russias Gazprom HALTS gas flows to Poland and Germany; Europe in PANIC as rolling blackouts are inevitable unless Europe finds RUBLES.)

UK unable to pay for gas following sanctions on Gazprombank

According to the Kremlin, potential gas buyers must open two accounts at Gazprombank, Russias third-largest bank. The first account must be either in euros or dollars, while the second account must be in rubles. Payments for gas deliveries would then be paid in the two foreign currencies and exchanged for rubles in turn.

In a situation where the financial system of Western countries is used as a weapon; when companies from these states refuse to fulfill contracts with Russian banks, enterprises [and] individuals; [and] when assets in dollars and euros are frozen, it makes no sense to use the currencies of these countries, Putin said during the March 31 announcement of the gas-for-rubles scheme.

We supplied European customers with our resources  in this case, gas  and they received it. [They] paid us in euros, which they then froze themselves. In this regard, there is every reason to believe that we have supplied  Europe virtually free of charge. This, of course, cannot continue.

However, many countries have refused to adhere to the scheme as they want to maintain sanctions on Moscow. The European Commission has warned that complying with Putins demand could breach the blocs sanctions, urging companies to keep paying in the currency agreed upon in their contracts with Gazprom.

Among the many Western nations that sanctioned Russia, the U.K. is the only one to have imposed sanctions on Gazprombank. However, the bank plays a key role in Putins gas-for-rubles order. Downing Street opted out of this arrangement, subsequently causing gas prices in the U.K. to rise by a whopping 81 percent.

Kremlin Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov pointed out the repercussions of the British governments decisions made under its former Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

London wants to be the leader of everything anti-Russian. It even wants to be ahead of Washington. Thats the cost, he said.

Visit FuelSupply.news for more stories about Russia cutting off natural gas supplies to Europe.

Watch Russian President Vladimir Putin confirming the gas-for-rubles scheme below.

This video is from the Countess Erzsebet Bathory channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Rublegas: the worlds new resource-based reserve currency.

President Putins full remarks at the oil for ruble announcement.

UK unable to pay for Russian gas after imposing sanctions on Russias Gazprombank.

European Union caves to Putin: Green nations starving for energy now buying Russian gas in rubles, euros.

European gas importers quietly surrender to Russia and begin buying gas in RUBLES while the Wests economic warfare scheme disastrously BACKFIRES.

Sources include:

DailyMail.co.uk

TheSaker.is

GlobalResearch.ca

Brighteon.com
(Natural News) A woman who survived Nazi Germanys brutal, grotesque Holocaust has a warning for Americans and other Westerners as she drew a parallel between Hitlers sadistic regime and todays Western democratic leaders.

As reported by The Epoch Times, Vera Sharav was just three years old when she and her family were chased out of Romania during World War II and sent to a concentration camp in Ukraine, where they were left to wait, and starve, the outlet said.

Sharav noted: The cloud of death was always there.

The outlet continued:

Weekly, a list determined who would be sent where; whether it be a death or slave labor camp, she said.

While at the camp, she said her father died of typhus when she was 5, which had been widespread throughout the camps because of the cold and malnutrition.

After three years at the camp, she was rescued in 1944, she said.

My mother got wind that a few orphans would be transported out of the camp, so she lied and said I was an orphan to save my life, and thats how I wound up leaving, Sharav said, going on to discuss how, as a child without parents, she was left to figure out things on her own using her intuition and what she understood about human nature as far as deciding who she could rely on.

I had to assess who I could trust to take care of me, Sharav told the outlet.

She managed to befriend a family while they were all on a train to the Port of Constanta, Romania, where three ships awaited them to take groups of people to Palestine. But when they all arrived, she discovered that she had been assigned a vessel with orphan children so she could not be with the family with whom she had developed a bond, so she decided to rebel.

No matter what, I could not be convinced to get on that boat, she said. Miraculously, in the end, they gave in to me.

After getting seasick, she fell asleep that night only to discover that the ship carrying the orphans was torpedoed and sunk by  she found out decades later  the Soviets. And while she said she felt guilty about being alive, she was happy at least that she had resisted getting on the other vessel because that is how she made it.

I do not obey authority, and it saved my life, she said.

All of those experiences came rushing back to her mind as COVID-19 began sweeping the globe and Western governments became authoritarian in their claimed attempt to control the spread.

So now, when people are obeying authority mindlessly, giving up their rights to make decisions about their own lives and what goes into their own bodies, I think back to that time, she said.

The Epoch Times noted: Today, Sharav is a medical activist and founder of the Alliance for Human Research Protection, a network of lay people and professionals who work to uphold humanitarian values and ethical standards established in the Hippocratic Oath, the Nuremberg Code and the Universal Declaration on Bioethics and Human Rights.

She joined with Scott Schara, co-founder of Our Amazing Graces Light Shines On, Inc. Scharas 19-year-old daughter Grace died in a hospital in 2021 after having been injected with a combination of drugs he later discovered was part of a federal protocol for hospitals.

Both Sharav and Schara see parallels between Hitlers weaponizing of medicine and what is happening today in Western governments.

A decade after Hitler took power in Germany he launched his program of genocide after introducing it in small, incremental steps along with the help of regime propagandists who portrayed him and his henchmen as heroes, said Sharav.

What happened to Grace, and what happened to many disabled and elderly in Western Europe, Australia, Canada, and the United States in March and April of 2020 was medical murder, Sharav told The Epoch Times.

No one called it murder, Sharav said. The Nazis were very adept at propaganda and language. The Jews were called spreaders of disease, not unlike the epithets thrown at those who didnt take the jab.

Resist. Wake up. Stop obeying, she said.

Sources include:

TheEpochTimes.com

Medicine.news
(Natural News) In order to graduate from medical school in the United States, students will now be required to embrace the woke dogma of anti-white racism, among other left-wing values.

The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) new Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Competencies is supposedly just another valuable skillset in a physicians education.

For graduating medical students, the competencies include describ[ing] the impact of various systems of oppression on health and health care (e.g., colonization, White supremacy, acculturation, assimilation), reports the National Association of Scholars (NAS).

For graduating residents, they include promoting social justice and engag[ing] in efforts to eliminate health care disparities, and for faculty physicians, teach[ing] how systems of power, privilege, and oppression inform policies and practices and how to engage with systems to disrupt oppressive practices.

The purpose and goal of these new competencies, as they are calling them, is to reinvent modern medicine through the lens of left-wing politics. And with that comes an underlying message that white people are bad and must be treated differently by the medical system of the future.

Ultimately, these new competencies provide a blueprint for infusing the themes of identity politics  intersectionality, white privilege, microaggression, allyship  into medical education, NAS explains.

NAS warns that new AAMC competencies threaten sound medical education

Much like how preschoolers do not need to be indoctrinated by their teachers into transgenderism in order to move on to kindergarten, medical school students do not need to be thinking about race and skin color while learning how to practice medicine in a supposedly neutral way.

Corrupting the medical school curriculum in this manner will only further erode the quality of medical education and render it even more impotent that it has already become under the guidance and control of the pharmaceutical industry.

NAS warns that these new competencies from the AAMC will only stand to degrade the quality of sound medical education in this country, not to mention the implications they will have on academic freedom.

Despite a wave of criticism following the release of its initial draft of the competencies, the AAMC appears to be doubling down with affirmation that they will, in fact, be imposed on the medical education system.

We believe this topic deserves just as much attention from learners and educators at every stage of their careers as the latest scientific breakthroughs, said the AAMC president and the chair of the AAMCs Council of Deans in a joint statement.

Not only are the new competencies not scientific in any way, and thus do not belong in medical education, but they are overtly politically and ideologically charged, forcing left-wing politics on students.

Concepts such as intersectionality and allyship connote substantive political positions; to declare that faculty and students must embrace them clearly violates academic freedom, NAS says. But perhaps more significantly, these concepts are often interpreted idiosyncratically to enforce a narrow and damaging orthodoxy.

At medical schools that adopt the competencies, it will undoubtedly become harder for students and faculty to voice support for a meritocracy or skepticism toward gender-affirming care for minors. Such views, after all, are commonly labeled oppressive.'

What we are witnessing with these changes is the continued obliteration of American medicine, which is already mostly a racket and a scam thanks to the garbage that medical school students are already being exposed to.

This latest injection of anti-white racism into the curriculum, and pandering to the Cult of LGBT, might just be the final nail in the coffin for Western medicine.

The latest news about the woke infestation that now plagues almost every American institution can be found at Wokies.news.

Sources for this article include:

NAS.org

NaturalNews.com
Demand that hippos be included in the list of the world's most endangered species. Given the impact of the climatic crisis and poaching on populations, a new categorization would result in a complete prohibition on the international trade in animal body parts.

Declining Populations

Due to declining populations brought on by the climate crisis, poaching, and the ivory trade, hippos may soon be included in the list of species most in danger of extinction.

In sub-Saharan Africa, lakes and rivers are home to semi-aquatic animals, which have a population of 115,000-130,000. They face threats from habitat loss and degradation, the consequences of global warming, and the trafficking in animal parts, including their teeth and ivory, which is found there.

Per Cites, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, hippos are also legitimately exchanged as hunting trophies and for economic gain.

Ten west African nations, including Togo, Gabon, and Mali, have recommended that hippos be accorded the highest level of protection under Cites by being included under appendix I of the convention before the next Cites Cop in Panama in November of this year. Since hippos are already classified as an appendix II species, they are not necessarily in danger of becoming extinct, but they may if unrestricted commerce continues.

Also Read: Tiger Population in Nepal Grew Three Times at the Cost of Endangering People

In Hopes of Preventing Extinction

To prevent the extinction of the species, if passed, it would result in a complete international prohibition on the trading of hippo body parts and ivory. From 2009 to 2018, it is believed that at least 77,579 hippo parts and goods were exchanged lawfully.

The IUCN red list categorized hippos as vulnerable to extinction in 2016, citing local decreases, mainly in west Africa, which caused concern about the species' future in parts of the 38 nations in Africa where it is located.

One of the biggest terrestrial creatures in the world, male hippopotamuses may weigh up to 1,800 kg and are frequently seen in vast herds. The animals are particularly susceptible to overexploitation because of their lengthy eight-month gestation periods and the fact that females don't achieve sexual maturity until they are nine or ten years old.

Hippos have been neglected as a species of conservation concern, according to Rebecca Lewison, co-chair of the IUCN SSC hippo specialist group, because of their high population densities, which might create the appearance that there are many of them in the wild. However, during the past 20 years, the population has significantly decreased.

"Hippopotamus habitat loss and degradation pose the largest concern. According to the expert, common hippos depend on fresh water to thrive, which frequently puts them at odds with nearby populations who also use it for agriculture, energy production, fishing, and residential development.

"Hippo-human confrontations are increasing, especially in west Africa where populations of common hippos are dwindling quickly. Unfortunately, hippo-human confrontations lead to both hippo and human deaths, and they have exacerbated a related issue of unrestricted hunting for hippo flesh and ivory found in their canine teeth.

The ideas are unlikely to impact the small number of hippos that may be found in Colombia and were formerly part of drug lord Pablo Escobar's collection. According to many ecologists, these are invasive species and should be eradicated.

The Cites secretariat will analyze the proposal to determine if hippos fulfill the requirements of appendix I and will then provide a recommendation based on expert evidence.

Endangered Species List

Keenan Stears, an ecologist from the University of California Santa Barbara who spends a portion of the year in the South African Kruger National Park, said he favored the proposed listing due to the significant function hippos provide in ecosystems. "A major fraction of hippos are found in rivers that have significantly decreased river flow. He added that threats like the degradation of agricultural habitats are a major problem.

However, Stears asserted that populations might stabilize under ideal circumstances. If there is adequate greenery, they may recover rather fast. Rapid population growth would be acceptable in any protected area.

According to John Scanlon, who served as Cites' secretary general from 2010 to 2018, the upgrade to appendix I would criminalize bushmeat hunting and outlaw all commercial trading in hippos. "Whether it's flesh, teeth, or skin, any international commercial exchange would be forbidden.

Many organizations will give their opinions on the idea, and he predicted it would be a significant problem. Only around 1,500 species are included in Appendix I.

Related Article: Animal Sanctuary Focuses on Taking Care of Endangered Pangolins

For more updates about the latest animal news, don't forget to follow Nature World News
According to calculations done by a climate scientist at Tohoku University in Japan, the current mass extinction event is not expected to be as devastating as the previous five. Certainly not for several more centuries.

Earth has lost most of its species on several occasions during the past 540 million years in a very small geologic period.

These are referred to as mass extinction events. They frequently occur just after a climatic shift occurs, whether from extremely high or extremely low temperatures brought on by asteroids or volcanic activity.

When Kunio Kaiho attempted to quantify the relationship between the stability of Earth's average surface temperature and its biodiversity, he discovered a mostly linear relationship. The amount of extinction increases with temperature change. Biogeosciences published the study.

Mass Extinction Event

When a species disappears, other species or existing species generally step in to replace its ecological niche. It's often believed that between 0.1 and 1 species per 10,000 species every 100 years is Earth's "normal" extinction rate. The background rate of extinction is what is meant by this.

A mass extinction event occurs when a species disappears far more quickly than it is replaced. This is typically the loss of almost 75% of all species during a "short" period of geological time or fewer than 2.8 million years.

Also Read: Scientists Claimed that Mass Extinction Can be Drastically Lessened by Reducing Fossil Fuel Usage

Global Temperatures

The largest mass extinctions during global cooling episodes happened when temperatures dropped by around 7C. However, Kaiho discovered that throughout times of global warming, the largest mass extinctions happened at about 9C of warming.

That is far higher than earlier predictions, which indicated that a temperature increase of 5.2C would cause a significant marine mass extinction on par with the previous "big five."

To put it in perspective, contemporary global warming is projected to raise surface temperatures by as much as 4.4C by the end of the century.

In the worst case, Kaiho asserts that the Anthropocene won't see 9C global warming until at least 2500.

As a result of climate change, many species are already becoming extinct on land and in the water, although Kaiho does not anticipate the same number of losses as in the past.

However, species are at risk for many reasons than just the severity of climate change. The pace at which it happens is crucial.

Biggest Extinction Event

The biggest mass extinction on Earth, which happened around 250 million years ago and lasted over 60,000 years, resulted in the demise of 95% of all known species at the time. But because of human emissions of fossil fuels, today's warming is taking place over a considerably shorter period of time.

Instead of the amount of warming being so high, more species may go extinct during Earth's sixth extinction event since many of them could not adapt.

Because the reasons for the anthropogenic extinction are different from the causes of mass extinctions in geologic time, Kaihu acknowledges that it is difficult to predict the future anthropogenic extinction magnitude using simply surface temperature.

Scientific Arguments

No matter how scientists analyze the evidence, it's evident that unless we can stop climate change, many species are doomed.

There is still disagreement over the precise percentage of losses and the timing of those losses.

Related Article: One of the World Largest Mass Extinctions May Have Been Triggered by Volcanic Winter

For similar news, don't forget to follow Nature World News!
This photo shows the Australian Navy's HMAS Adelaide docked at Vuna Wharf in Tonga's capital Nukualofa on January 26, 2022, to deliver aid following the January 15 eruption of the nearby Hunga Tonga-Hunga Haapai underwater volcano. (Photo : Photo by MARY LYN FONUA/Matangi Tonga/AFP via Getty Images)

Until an undersea volcano in Tonga awoke in January, it emitted not only dust or basaltic lava; but it emitted enough moisture from the air to fill 58,000 Olympic-size outdoor pools.

Eruption of Volcano in Tonga





In accordance with the analysis, this evaporation might wind up as the most damaging aspect of the volcano's outburst since it has the ability to worsen climate change and destroy the upper atmosphere.

On the 15th of January, the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai eruption occurred, causing the strongest and powerful explosion on Earth in further 30 years, with the approximate strength of 100 Hiroshima explosives. The eruption spread sonic booms throughout the world, ringing the sky like a bell and caused tidal waves to pummel adjacent beaches, according to Live Science.

Within 3 days, an aerosol and cloud of dust keep getting into the air like no other outburst on history, resulting in almost 590,000 thunderstorms. As what scientists stated in the report released, which was released publicly July 1 in the journal Geophysical Research Letters, statistics calculate that the surplus moisture is comparable to roughly 10% of the quantity of water vapor normally dwelling in the summit.

Since water is more prone to linger in the air than certain pyroclastic flows, such as sulfur dioxide, that typically dissipate in 2 - 3 years, the heating impact of the water will probably outlive potential consequences created by the hydrocarbons.

The findings found that 160,900 tons of extra moisture mist had reached the ozone after the eruption, exceeds the threshold height of 33 miles in the earth's mantle, the stratum of the environment that stretches from the summit of the ozone to an elevation of 53 miles.

Flipboard noted that information from NASA's Aura observatory to calculate the quantity of water thrown into ozone, the inner layer of Upper orbit that runs from 4 to 12 miles up to 31 miles beyond the Martian base.

Experts assumed that the rising vapor might reduce the quantity of one of the prime greenhouse gases accountable for global warming which is the methane.

Also read: 'Wiggling' Creature Washes Up on Australian Beach; Looks Like A Scene From Sci-fi Series 'Stranger Things'

Water Vapor the Size of 58000 Olympic-Size Swimming Pools





The Tonga explosion blasted a considerable vapor pressure into the sky, which is not unreasonable given that the blast erupted roughly 492 feet underneath the coast, according to the experts.

The scientists further noted that the rapid rise in vapor might reduce the quantity of stratospheric ozone, ultimately diminishing the upper atmosphere that shields life on the planet from the sun's harmful UV rays. The scientists cautioned that the surplus liquid might have a radiative overall impact, warming the air in the same way that gas emissions does.

The similar OH ions that respond with greenhouse gases may simultaneously combine with methane to create freshwater and a methyl reactive, which retains relatively lesser energy than methane.

Furthermore, online site, News Prepare reported that the findings implies that the Tonga blast would most certainly be the earliest on history to induce climate change instead of cooldown, according to experts.

Scientists expect that this possible decrease in methane will counterbalance a portion of the heat induced by evaporation. The water vapor might linger in the stratospheric for up to a couple of years, according to the scientists.

Enormous natural processes typically generate significant volumes of dust and chemicals, including such sulfur dioxide, that can produce luminous chemicals in the environment. These estimations, however, were derived from the quantity of ash and gases generated by the mountain and failed to compensate for all of the surplus water vapor, which might be equally hazardous, as shown in recent report from Science Org.

Related article: New Sunspot Grows Triple in Size in Just a Day
In the age-old "nature vs. nurture" debate, researchers found that previous ice ages have influenced the genetic makeup of modern eelgrasses and that this genetic makeup may be more important than the environment in determining how eelgrasses react to threats.

Extensive Seagrass Research

Scientists claim in a new research published August 1 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences that profound evolution leaves a longer shadow than previously imagined. Researchers from the Smithsonian Institution and colleagues studied eelgrass communities, which are the base of numerous coastal marine food webs on the north Atlantic and Pacific coasts.

They found that their ancient genetic history can influence their size, structure, and inhabitants more than the current environment. And this could affect how successfully eelgrasses respond to dangers like climate change.

Some eelgrass plants made the arduous trek from their birthplace in the Pacific to the Atlantic some 500,000 years ago, when the climate was warmer. Not all plants have the hardiness to travel across the Arctic.

Ice age during the Pleistocene Epoch had an additional impact on the viability of those who did succeed. Even now, eelgrass populations in the Atlantic are far less genetically varied than those in the Pacific due to those millennia-old conflicts.

However, in the age-old "nature vs. nurture" debate, scientists were shocked to see that genetic inheritance might often influence contemporary eelgrass ecosystems more than environmental factors.

Also Read: Experts Question the Reliability of Blue Carbon in Restoring Coastal Vegetation



Eelgrass Study

One of the most common shallow-water plants worldwide is eelgrass. Its geographical distribution stretches from semi-tropical areas like Baja California to the Arctic and Alaska.

Eelgrass supplies a wide range of functions to people and serves as food and habitat for several underwater species. It reduces hazardous germs in the ocean, absorbs carbon, and shields coasts from storms.

However, eelgrass is typically the dominant or the only species of seagrass found in the areas where it thrives. Because of this, the existence of the local inhabitants and wildlife depends on it. Additionally, specific populations may find it challenging to adjust to abrupt changes because of the limited genetic variation in the Atlantic.

According to Jay Stachowicz, an ecologist at the University of California, Davis, and a co-author, "diversity is like having diverse tools in your tool belt."

Furthermore, if all you have is a hammer, all you can do is drive nails in; however, if you have a full complement of tools, each one may be utilized to do various tasks more effectively.

Eelgrass is already going extinct in certain areas as a result of the warming seas, according to ecologists. Eelgrass has started to retreat and move farther north, into calmer waters, in Portugal, where it is found in the southernmost part of Europe.

Some ecologists are concerned about whether eelgrass can adapt to faster changes since ancient DNA often has a bigger influence than the environment.

According to Olsen, climate change alone is probably not the biggest threat to eelgrass. Seagrasses are at risk due to pollution from towns and farms, which may veil the water and cause toxic algal blooms. Eelgrass is tough, as seen by the wide range of situations it can endure.

Preserving Seagrass Diversity

Preserving the diversity of today's eelgrass beds is a solid first step toward protecting them. Restoration has some potential in areas where eelgrass beds have already disappeared.

Some success stories already exist, including those from Virginia's eastern shore. However, a lot of rehabilitation initiatives are only partially successful. Stachowicz brought out the fact that this raises further queries.

The greatest method to provide populations of seagrass the diversified toolset they need to live in the future's uncertainty may be to maintain or improve genetic variety.

Related Article: Experts Question the Reliability of Blue Carbon in Restoring Coastal Vegetation

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On the first day of August, hailstorms, destructive wind gusts, and torrential downpours tore across parts of the Midwest. AccuWeather meteorologists predict that this weather pattern will continue through at least midweek.

Thunderstorms Incoming

On Monday morning, a line of thunderstorms plowed over central Indiana. Strong gusts from the storms brought down trees, cut power lines, and even damaged some buildings in the Indianapolis region. By the afternoon, severe thunderstorms had formed in southeast Illinois, producing huge hail, wind damage, and reports of flash floods. Additional storms this week might bring about any of these dangers.

According to forecasters, the risk of severe weather will increase in eastern Minnesota and northern Wisconsin between late Tuesday afternoon and early Tuesday evening.

According to AccuWeather Meteorologist Andrew Kienzle, a variety of extreme weather conditions, such as hail, destructive wind gusts, torrential rain, and isolated tornadoes, will be likely.

Before heading east-southeast towards northern Minnesota, some storms could begin to develop in some regions of Canada. While the extent of the storms' southern reach is still uncertain, parts of eastern Minnesota, northwestern Wisconsin, and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan will all be at risk. This will apply to towns like Marquette, Michigan; Minneapolis, Minnesota; Duluth, Minnesota; etc.

Also Read: Atlantic Hurricane Season to Peak this Month

Risk Awareness

There will be an additional risk since the storms might last long into the night. If a warning is issued, residents will want to have mobile phone notifications set up or another method of being awakened overnight.

People must be able to get the most recent local weather information, according to Kienzle.

If a road is flooded, everyone driving should find an alternative path. According to experts, it is never advisable to drive through a flooded street, particularly at night when it is much harder to judge the water level.

Before Wednesday's dawn, the storms may reach as far south and east as Lower Michigan, although they ought to be waning by then. Even if the storms dissipated, the possibility of severe weather will still exist.

According to Kienzle, the extreme risk will move to the south and east on Wednesday, affecting parts of Missouri, Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, and Ontario.

The prognosis for Wednesday calls for a wider area of severe weather, mostly because it is anticipated that a lengthy line of storms will develop. Although these storms may last into the night, they might dissipate a little more swiftly than those on Tuesday. Nevertheless, those living in several big cities will need to pay attention to the sky on Wednesday afternoon and evening.

Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Louis, Detroit, and Chicago might all be in danger, according to Kienzle.

Affecting the Midwest

According to the Storm Prediction Center of the National Weather Service, severe weather could affect more than 32 million people in the Midwest on Wednesday.

On Thursday, thunderstorms will roll back from Maine across southern Michigan and Ohio. There will be little chance of severe weather with those storms, and the main risk will be heavy rain. These storms will assist in ending the scorching weather that is anticipated in the Northeast by Friday.

Related Article: Exposure to Major Disasters Can Cause Long-Term Mental Health Problems

For more climate and weather updates, don't forget to follow Nature World News!
Due to a sharp increase in the cost of Komodo dragon tickets, Indonesian tourist employees have gone on strike.

The cost to visit the major islands in Komodo National Park has increased from 200,000 rupiahs ($13) to 3,750,000 rupiahs ($250).

The government aims to control the number of tourists and save the threatened lizards from excessive human contact, according to a report by the BBC.

However, locals claimed that it will entirely frighten off tourists, causing a decline in their revenue.

According to the Reuters news agency, approximately 3,300 of the unique Komodo dragons live in Indonesia. The biggest lizard in the world may reach a length of three meters and has razor-sharp fangs and a deadly bite (10 feet).

Going on Strike

Busloads of visitors from all over the world go to Komodo National Park to observe the endangered species in person thanks to its distinctive, dinosaur-like look, with 220,000 doing so in 2019.

The local government expects this number to drop by raising the ticket charges, and the islands will again belong to their rightful owners: the dragons.

However, 700 local employees that depend on tourism, in response, are going on strike till the end of August.

A nearby tour company, Servianus Setiawan, said that the proposals endangered villagers who relied on tourism for their livelihood.

"Please come up with a reasonable amount so we can maintain Komodo dragons and so people whose livelihood depends on tourism can exist," he said to the AFP news agency. "We support Komodo conservation."

Viktor Laiskodat, the local governor, told AFP that although information about the fee rise might have been better disseminated, the 18-fold price increase will nonetheless go through.

Also Read: This Indonesian Zoo is Trying to Save the Infamous Komodo Dragons

Protecting the Dragons

To safeguard the endangered dragon species, local officials have made a variety of measures to restrict the number of visitors to the island.

Authorities had formerly intended to forbid visitors from entering the park, but in 2019 they floated proposals to restrict access to those who had paid for an expensive membership program.

500 islands make up the East Nusa Tenggara province of Indonesia, where the Komodo National Park is located.

Given that it is one of the poorest areas in the Indonesian archipelago, the local economy depends heavily on tourism.

Largest Lizard Today

Being the largest reptiles on Earth, Komodo dragons may grow to be 10 feet long and weigh more than 300 pounds, as per the National Geographic.

They feature bent legs, large, flat skulls with rounded snouts, scaly skin, and enormous, powerful tails.

Komodo dragons have survived in the hostile environment of Indonesia's Lesser Sunda Islands for millions of years.

They may be found across the islands, although they favor the tropical woods.

These active reptiles may run up to seven kilometers each day, yet they prefer to stay close to home and rarely leave the valleys where they were born.

Threats to Survival

The Komodo dragon has faced threats from humans as well.

The habitat of the Komodo dragon has been burnt to make room for other purposes, and this reptile's prey is the target of poachers.

Additionally, visitors dish out food and interfere with the dragons' mating rituals, which prompted the Indonesian government to contemplate temporarily closing Komodo Island, one of several locations where they may be found, to tourists.

However, visitors are also crucial to conservation efforts since their economic boost gives people an incentive to support the Komodo dragon's preservation.

Conservation Efforts

To save the Komodo dragon and its environment, Indonesia created Komodo National Park in 1980.

The Timor deer and orange-footed scrub owl live in this 700-square-mile sanctuary with a diverse marine ecosystem that supports whales, dolphins, sea turtles, sharks, corals, sponges, manta rays, and more than a thousand kinds of fish.

Komodo National Park, now a UNESCO World Heritage site, has placed patrols to deter poaching.

Additionally, it collaborates with neighborhood groups to raise awareness of the species and the value of its protection.

Related Article: Rising Sea Levels Threaten Habitat of Komodo Dragons, Turning Them to Endangered Species



For more wildlife news, don't forget to follow Nature World News!
Chickens walk in the mud after being flooded in Mbale, eastern Uganda, on August 02, 2022. - Over 22 people were killed in flash floods in the eastern Ugandan city of Mbale including a group of partygoers who became trapped in a minibus. Two rivers burst their banks at the weekend after the city was battered by heavy rainfall, leading to mudslides that inflicted widespread damage and left many residents homeless. (Photo : Photo by BADRU KATUMBA/AFP via Getty Images)

In recent and urgent news from different news media outlets, as well as online news media websites, a total of 24 folks have been reported dead, owing to the severe weather condition that took place in parts of Uganda.

Both the local and national authorities have now been working hard to come up with different strategies and measures to secure the safety of the citizens and individuals from the flash floods that have been occurring.

Fierce Floods in Uganda





According to the latest update from the national administration as well as to the Uganda Red Cross estimates, which was posted under CNN Edition, the extreme events caused by severe heavy rainfall in portions of eastern Uganda had also resulted in the deaths 24 individuals.

The overflowing of water in different parts of Eastern Uganda, namely; Bugisu, Mbale, as well as Kapchorwa claimed the lives of ten folks on Sunday, this is as per to the national agency in control of assistance, emergency planning, including refugees in the Prime Minister's Office in an announcement close to the end on Sunday.

Nonetheless, the casualty count went much higher on Monday, which as per to the statement of the authorities is already expected considering the fact that many more incident and casualties are not yet reported prior due to the bad weather, Reuters updated.

In an official interview, covered by CTV News, Uganda Red Cross spokesman Irene Nakasita claimed that the investigators have recovered 21 dead from Mbale and three more from Kapchorwa. This resulted to a tally of 24 deaths after the flash flood.

Spokesperson Nakasita further stated that a vehicle bringing humanitarian assistance was on its route to assist individuals who had been evacuated in the impacted regions, which is just one of the various methods the Uganda government have been doing in order to help assist the citizens having difficulty during this trying times.

The heavy weather conditions came on the heels of a serious slump in large sections of the nation, which has left the several places dry and vegetation in subject areas burnt. Moreover, the eastern area of Uganda is more susceptible to inundation following heavy rains; however, the entire nation is susceptible to environmental calamities.

Also read: Save The Forests: New Space Technology May Help Prevent Deforestation

24 People Dead Due to Flood in Uganda





Throughout the ancient times, heavy rains have killed a number of people. When flood events washed out residences in the nation's economic eastern Bududa area in 2018, more than 30 people were murdered and numerous others were relocated.

Relatively early in the year of 2010, there has been a record of 80 individuals that had been slain in district of Bududa by strong flash floods caused by a heavy rainstorm. The incident was noted to be one among Uganda's deadliest tragedies in current history, BDNews24 reported.

Severe flooding as well as landslides had also damaged many as hundreds of thousand if not half a million count of folks in Bududa and Sironko areas of the state in eastern Uganda, as well as Bundibugyo in western Uganda, in accordance with a release from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. According to the study, an additional 65,000 individuals have already been evacuated, as per Latest US News Hub.

Related article: Volcano in Tonga Spews Water Vapor Worth 58,000 Olympic-Size Swimming Pools Into the Earth's Atmosphere
This long exposure picture taken late on November 22, 2017 shows the Orion Nebula (C), a diffuse nebula situated in the Milky Way, seen from Wundwin, near the Myanmar city of Mandalay. (Photo : Photo credit should read YE AUNG THU/AFP via Getty Images)

The origin of something so vast and infinite as Milky Way cannot possibly be investigated, or its stars distinguished individually by the naked human eye.

This is exactly why scientists have supercharged one of the most powerful telescopes on Earth with new technology that will reveal how our galaxy formed in unprecedented detail, BBC reported.

The new device installed on the William Herschel Telescope (WHT) in La Palma, Spain is made to probe millions of stars in the Milky Way, a total of five million to be precise. The 'super-fast' mapping device is able to survey 1,000 stars per hour and analyze its make-up and the speed at which it travels.

In short, it will show how our Milky Way galaxy was made over billions of years.

Ready to Go

The instrument known as WEAVE has been developed for more than a decade now, and scientists are "beyond excited" that it is ready to go.

"It's a fantastic achievement from a lot of people to make this happen and it's great to have it working," says Prof Gavin Dalton of Oxford University. "The next step is the new adventure, it's brilliant!"

WEAVE principally targets optical ground-based follow up of upcoming ground-based (LOFAR) and space-based (Gaia) surveys, according to the project's overview and status report. Its name which stands for WHT Enhanced Area Velocity Explorer sits high on a mountain top on the Spanish Canary Island of La Palma.

With its 80,000 separate parts, the device is known to be a 'miracle of engineering'. It has nimble robotic fingers that carefully position a thousand fibre optics precisely on each location, pointing towards its corresponding star. The fibres serve as tiny telescopes that capture light from a single star and channel it to another instrument.

It then splits it into a rainbow spectrum, in which the secrets of the star's origin and history are revealed - all in an hour.

Also read: Cold Front Update: Damaging Winds and Heavy Rain Strike Western Australia, Multiple Areas Affected

Golden Era of Astronomy

With a dense galaxy that contains up to 400 billion stars, it would have been totally impossible to know its origin without a tool that is able to calculate the speed, direction, age and composition of each star it observes - as what WEAVE does exactly.

As a result, the instrument is creating a motion picture of stars moving in the Milky Way. According to Prof Dalton, "by extrapolating backwards, it will be possible to reconstruct the entire formation of the Milky Way in detail never seen before.

"We'll be able to trace the galaxies that have been absorbed as the Milky Way has been built up over cosmic time - and see how each absorption triggers new star formation," he said.

Dr Marc Balcells, overall in charge of the WHT, added that he believed in the power of WEAVE and its ability to shift our understanding of how the galaxy was built.

"We have been hearing for decades that we are in a golden era of astronomy - but what the future awaits is a lot more important."

Related article: Midnight Came Earlier: Is the Earth Spinning Faster?
A multi-weather hazard forecast shows that heat, flooding, and thunderstorm, as well as fire weather conditions will strike a vast portion of the United States from mid-week. US weather authorities issued a short-range outlook of the looming natural weather hazards, which potentially could cause disruptive and life-threatening risks.

In the coming days, the outlook by the National Weather Service (NWS) shows the continuance of dangerous heat across the Central US and it will expand into the Northeast as the week progresses. Meanwhile, flash flooding and severe thunderstorms is expected from lower Michigan to the middle Mississippi Valley.

Furthermore, critical fire weather conditions will prevail across the Interior Northwest all the way into Montana. Fire weather in the region spiked as the country goes through its summer season, which started in June and is expected to last in September this year.

In the past several weeks, the overall weather in the US has been marked by fluctuating and mixture of high temperatures, rainfall, and severe storms.

During this period, flooding due to heavy rain killed multiple in Kentucky since last week. In addition, a major wildfire killed at least four people in Northern California in recent days. Approximately 40 people went missing and were later found during the Virginia flooding last month.

Multi-Weather Forecast

The Weather Prediction Center (WPC) of the NWS, in its short range forecast discussion, outlined the ongoing and upcoming weather hazards from Wednesday to Friday, August 3 to August 5.

The weather prediction was issued at 03:24 a.m. EDT (local time) on Wednesday, highlighting that the so-called monsoonal rain will continue to inundate the Southwest US and that potential severe thunderstorms will across the Great Lakes or the Midwest in the next few days.

Moreover, hot temperatures are anticipated throughout the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions on Thursday, August 4. The scorching heat that could reach over 100 degrees Fahrenheit is likely connected to the fire weather threat form the Northwest into the northern High plains, connected by a massive heat wave.

Also Read: Weather Forecast: National Weather Service Says Severe Thunderstorms are Possible Across the Central US

Dangerous Heat

The NWS states the heat wave persists over the Central US. This is caused by a strong upper level ridge build up, sinking air and resulting in sunny skies.

With this, the US weather agency said heat advisories are in place from central Texas to the southern Great Lakes.

The New York Times reported that only the Southwest US and Alaska are spared from the ongoing heat wave across the country in the coming weeks, as cited from the monthly outlook of the WPC.

Flash Flooding and Fire Weather

Localized flooding due to 1-3 inch rainfall is possible from Missouri to Michigan ahead of a cold front. This comes as a "corridor of organized showers and storms" can develop from the later hours of Wednesday and into Wednesday.

In addition, fire weather conditions from gusty winds and low humidity will increase the risk of wildfires in the region. Amongst these fires include the ongoing and unstoppable McKinney Fire, which has engulfed a total land area of 56, 459 acres in Siskiyou Country, California, according to Cal Fire.

Related Article: NWS Weather Forecast: Severe Storm Heads to Northeast, Extreme Heat to Continue Until Next Week
Despite producing seven times as much as it did in 1900, the country is nevertheless extremely susceptible to the effects of climate change.

Australia's Productivity Rate is Under Threat Due to Environmental and COVID Issues

According to the Productivity Commission, Australia's productivity is increasing at its slowest rate in 60 years, undercutting efforts to raise living standards.

Decarbonization and the COVID problems also pose a threat to further decreasing the rate of growth, as per The Guardian

The government organization stated that the average Australian produced seven times more production than in 1900, improving wealth even as hours worked have constantly decreased, in the first installment of the commission's most recent five-year evaluation.

However, as environmental and other headwinds increase stronger, future advances might be more difficult to achieve.

Before the release of The Key to Prosperity report, commission chair Michael Brennan stated that productivity growth is vital but it is not guaranteed to address the nation's economic difficulties, especially rising cost-of-living pressures.

Some obstacles are international, such as the Covid-related supply chain difficulties.

In comparison to earlier competitive trade practices, building local capability, including redundancy should sources fail, may be expensive and hinder productivity increases.

Even though Australia is extremely exposed to the dangers of climate change, transitioning the economy away from fossil fuel industries would be fraught with dangers.

Despite the necessity of managing the transition effectively, a carbon price was not specifically suggested by the report.

In line with international agreements, the economy must be decarbonized during the next thirty years, according to the research.

According to the report, the existing capital stock of the economy will need to be replaced rather than increased as a result of the development and implementation of new technologies.

The Covid-imposed adjustments, such as more home-based labor, offer some guidance on how to boost productivity rates.

The increase in online capacity among firms and consumers along with a wider acceptance of the innovative potential of digital technology, the research stated, can revolutionize the way the economy runs.

Since 90 percent of people are now employed in the service industry, increasing output may be more difficult than increasing output in industries like mining and agriculture.

The latter industries have benefited from increasing capital application and labor reduction, a transition that is at least more difficult to apply to other services.

In the past, Australia has profited from the draw of immigrants who have contributed new skills and creativity.

However, the research stated that global migration patterns have not yet recovered to those observed before the epidemic and it is not certain that Australia will remain as attractive to working migrants as it was previously.

Read More: Bringing Nature Inside the Workplace Boosts Productivity, Scientists Say

The Productivity Issue in Australia and The Areas to Concentrate On

If humans want to keep seeing the same rates of growth in their living standards as in earlier decades, productivity growth must be turned around, as per West Pac

Remember to never waste a good crisis, as the expression goes in politics.

And right now is arguably the perfect time to put measures into place that were previously thought to be too onerous.

What can therefore be done to boost productivity growth?

Utilizing scarce resources like land effectively is essential for lowering production costs.

Ineffective taxes reduce activity and affect production.

Possibly the worst culprit is stamp duty on real estate.

The economy would gain significantly from switching from ineffective stamp duties to broad-based land taxes assessed on the value of unimproved land.

Land taxes are economically effective because they encourage landowners to use their property for the most lucrative purposes, whether those include building homes, factories, offices, farms, or other things.

They can also serve as a de facto wealth tax and encourage economic redistribution because they are imposed on landowners, who are typically wealthier than those who do not own property.

Planning and zoning regulations frequently place constraints on the amount of building and housing that may be built in inner ring suburbs.

This might boost housing costs and push people farther from the centers of our cities, putting more strain on the infrastructure.

More effective use of the land would be made possible by zoning reform and reduced pressure on land and housing prices would result.

In the end, this would result in lower expenses for both consumers and companies.

Governments can effectively boost economic growth during recessions by increasing infrastructure investment.

Infrastructure investments that are well aimed might also boost productivity.

The federal government, as well as state and territory governments, have upped their plans for infrastructure spending in reaction to the COVID-19 epidemic.

However, governance mechanisms around infrastructure investment should be enhanced to guarantee that public funds are spent wisely and investments contribute most to productivity growth.

This entails performing thorough cost-benefit analyses, taking into account alternative suggestions, and engaging the community.

This will guarantee that the investments picked will generate enough gains in economic growth and productivity to cover their expenses.

Related Article: Warming West Coast Waters Are Losing Productivity, Says NOAA
MILL VALLEY, CA - AUGUST 20: Park visitors walk along a path of Coastal Redwood trees at Muir Woods National Monument on August 20, 2013 in Mill Valley, California. A four-year study by the Save the Redwoods League called "the Redwoods and Climate Change Initiative" found that due to changing environmental conditions, California's Coast Redwoods and Giant Sequoias are experiencing an unprecedented growth surge and have produced more wood over the past century than any other time in their lives. (Photo : Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

Park officials at Redwood national park declares the remote area off-limits after visitors trampled the world's tallest tree deep in a northern California forest.

According to The Guardian, the hikers are facing a possible $5,000 fine and up to six months in jail after going off-trail into dense vegetation to reach the tree, despite it being not accessible by any trail. While the 380ft (115m) coast redwood tree is located in a remote area of Redwood national park, this did not stop the visitors from crossing the forbidden area, said Leonel Arguello, the park's manager for natural resources.

The tree known as Hyperion was discovered in 2006 by two amateur naturalists. Bloggers and travel writers began writing about the tall, skinny redwood and shared its exact location online. Four years later, visitors started trekking to see the famous tree.

In 2019, Guinness World Records certified Hyperion as the world's tallest tree, and is officially off-limits to visitors.

World's Tallest Tree Now Off-Limits

California's Redwood National Park issued a statement last week that hiking within the closed area could result in a $5,000 fine and 6 months in jail.

The park service stated that despite the difficult journey to the tree, "increased popularity due to bloggers, travel writers, and websites of this off-trail tree has resulted in the devastation of the habitat surrounding Hyperion. As a visitor, you must decide if you will be part of the preservation of this unique landscape - or will you be part of its destruction?"

He adds that the area around the tree no longer has ferns due to trampling, the socials trails have grown in number, and the amount of garbage has increased as people go to this tree.

Phone reception is also not accessible in the area which means it would take a lot of time before someone is rescued should anyone get hurt along the way.

Also read: Disastrous Floods in Uganda Claim the Lives of 24 People, Death Toll Continues to Rise

Could be Disappointing

As per Arguello, it may be disappointing for Hyperion visitors to realize that there is not much to see from the tree's base.

"It's tall, but it's not really that impressive to look at from the base because you cannot see the top of the tree. All you can see are the branches of this tall, skinny tree," he said.

Before deciding to pursue hiking to Hyperion, the park asks these questions: Do you choose to contribute to habitat destruction? Do you choose to risk the safety of yourself and others? Will you make the choice, instead, to enjoy the beauty of other tall trees on designated hiking trails?

"There are hundreds of miles of trails within the old-growth redwood forest. All these trails offer beautiful views of massive redwood trees," they wrote.

Arguello added that visitors should consider going to Tall Trees Grove, where there are plenty of established trails and they can picnic by the creek or swim in the water. "You don't have to scramble and bushwhack up to this tall, skinny tree that isn't that impressive."

Related article: Save The Forests: New Space Technology May Help Prevent Deforestation
Almost 200 years after Charles Darwin first noted them, land iguanas that had been extinct from an island in the Galapagos for generations have returned.

Thousands of land iguanas were reintroduced to Santiago Island, which was once extinct and is now listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

Data shows that the iguanas are reproducing on the island once more. Almost 200 years later, land iguanas are reborn on Santiago Island, according to a statement from Galapagos National Park.

Through monitoring, specialists from the Galapagos National Park as well as scientific advisors confirmed that nearly 200 years after their last appearance, Conolophus subcristatus, land iguanas are once more found on Santiago Island.

What 3,143 Specimens Can Do

According to the statement, 3,143 of these specimens were released three years ago to re-establish the island's ecosystem.

The fact that the team searched an area of about 36 sq. km and discovered new, different-aged individuals indicates that this species is successfully reproducing.

The iguanas were examined physically, their height and weight were recorded, and the new individuals were measured and marked to be recognized later.

On Santiago Island, there is once again a sizable thriving population of land iguanas, including adults, juveniles, and neonates, according to Danny Rueda Cordova, the director of the Galapagos National Park.

This is a significant conservation accomplishment that raises our expectations for the restoration of islands that have been badly harmed by introduced species.

As a group with environmental authority, they will keep carrying out activities that let them get close to the ecological integrity of the island's ecosystem.

Luis Ortiz-Catedral, head of the expedition, said that iguana distribution has already resulted in positive changes for the island, including the opening of paths, removal of soil, dispersal of seeds, and other effects like altered population dynamics and increased food availability. In a few more years, endemic species like hawks will become visible.

The Isabella Project, which aimed to eradicate feral goats and pigs, was carried out on Santiago Island, in 2002, according to the statement.

Over time, the ecosystem started to recover and provided the right conditions for a population of land iguanas, the same species as the one that had previously gone extinct in the area.

Read also: Volcanic Eruption in Galapagos Islands Threaten the Already-Endangered Pink Iguanas

Nearly 200 Years Since Darwin

The Directorate of the Galapagos National Park collaborated on the ecological assessment of the land iguana population in Santiago. This includes Wild, Island Conservation, Galapagos Conservation Trust, Galapagos Conservancy, and Fundacion Jocotoco.

The Park cited Darwin's observation that Santiago Island was home to numerous land iguanas of various ages in 1835.

However, subsequent expeditions by the California Academy of Sciences, between roughly 1903 and 1906, failed to discover any live specimens on the island.

The tortoise, known in Spanish as "galapagos," was almost completely wiped out by seafarers who hunted them for food. Likewise, sailors introduced rats as well as goats and pigs for food in earlier times, Newsweek reports.

Related article: Scientist Finds Extinct Tortoise Species in Galapagos Islands - Is Breeding Possible?
A sailboat carrying five crew members was sunk by an orca attack several miles off the Portuguese coast. According to a Portuguese Navy statement, the sailboat was around six miles off the shore of Sines when the mammals attacked.

The crew of five was saved by a nearby fishing boat after the battered sailboat suffered such severe damage that it started to float away. They succeeded in boarding a lifeboat. Following the incident, there were no reports confirming whether the crew members sustained any injuries.

Orca Attack Alert

Maritime Search and Rescue Coordination Center, Lisbon received an alert of the orca attack around midnight. The rescue operation lasted until 2:43 a.m., when the passengers were able to dock safely after being brought to the shore.

According to the Navy, interactions with these mammals are primarily brought on by the curious behavior of young orcas, which are drawn to the loud, moving structures of ships like the propeller and the rudder.

The group reminded everyone that it is best to turn off the engine to prevent the propeller from rotating and to immobilize the rudder door, which will discourage the mammals from interacting with the moving parts of the boats.

Summer Portugal Coast and Orcas

During the summer, orcas frequently visit Portugal's coast to eat the tuna that inhabit the waters near the Gibraltar Strait. Despite being ferocious predators to certain other marine life, they rarely attack people when they are not in captivity.

Although it appears to be the first time for a boat to sink as a result, this has not been the first time orcas have acted aggressively toward boats in this particular area.

Off the coast of Portugal, orca boat attacks have risen since 2020. The authorities confirmed that three young orcas were the attackers. The orcas seem to be concentrating their attacks on the rudders and hulls of the sailboat.

Within only six months, there were 40 orca attacks off the coasts of Spain and Portugal, according to a 2020 BBC report. Since then, the attacks have persisted. In one incident, a British couple was present. After their boat was attacked, they were left stranded miles off the coast of Portugal.

According to a Facebook page discussing orca attacks, the Navy is starting an examination into this most recent incident.

Read also: Tilikum: Grim History of SeaWorld's Killer Orca That Violently Killed 3 People

Orcas and Mental Trauma

Orcas are highly intelligent mammals that exhibit nuanced emotions. They have a history of experiencing mental trauma and acting out as a result. This was covered in the 2013 film about Tilikum, the captive killer whale at Sea World. However, the reason attacks might occur in the wild is unknown.

Researchers have seen killer whales approach fishing boats after learning that the lines might make for an easy meal. It is feasible that this has given some pods the confidence to approach boats.

It's also conceivable that these "attacks" are not meant to be hostile actions. Scientists speculate that the playful, enormous mammals approach boats out of curiosity. However, male killer whales can occasionally reach lengths of 26 feet and weights of 12,000 pounds, making their "games" frightful and hazardous.

A Facebook user who commented under the topic "Orca Attack - Iberia" suggested that knowing more about the boats that are being attacked could help to effectively understand the reasons behind the orcas' actions, Newsweek reports.

Related article: For the First Time, Scientists Record Orcas Hunting the Largest Animals on Earth
According to information published by Tass on August 3, 2022, the Russia-India Joint Venture BrahMos Aerospace will deliver BrahMos supersonic antiship cruise missiles to the Philippines within the next three years.

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The Brahmos anti-ship cruise missile (Picture source: Tass)

The BrahMos is a medium-range ramjet supersonic cruise missile that can be launched from submarines, ships, aircraft, or land. The missile is a derivative of the Russian-made P-800 Oniks over-the-horizon supersonic anti-ship cruise missile, with a range estimated at between 300 to 400 kilometers.

The BRAHMOS missile is the leading supersonic cruise missile capable of hitting sea-based targets beyond radar horizons. The missile with pinpoint accuracy can be launched as far as 290-km from the target.

It can be launched in either inclined or vertical configuration based on the type of the ship or user requirements. The potential carriers are Frigate, Corvette, Offshore patrol vessels, and any other type of ships.

The BRAHMOS missile has also been tested in vertical configuration from a moving warship. This has proved the missiles vertical launch capabilities from a moving platform and also that of the Universal Vertical Launcher Module (UVLM), designed and developed by BrahMos.

UVLM, a next-generation system far superior to the design concept followed worldwide, will be used for future ship installation in a vertical configuration for BRAHMOS.

BRAHMOS can be launched in single or in a salvo from a ship towards single or different types of targets within an interval of 2-2.5 seconds in various trajectories. A salvo of 8 missiles can penetrate and destroy a group of frigates having modern anti-missile defenses.
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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).
The newest member of the University of Illinois board of trustees is a 1980 College of LAS grad and 2015 alumni achievement award winner who became the first in her family tree to finish college.
I dont read The News-Gazette and I dont watch local television but I guess theres been some concern lately about my wellbeing, Alicia Beck said at her first council meeting since May. During the same meeting, new CPD chief Tim Tyler said his department has issued 232 speeding citations in the past month.
One of Editor & Publishers 10 That Do It Right 2021
MANZINI - A man who was test driving a car, which he was about to pay E83 000 for, lost control of it and knocked down a pedestrian before ramming into a parked vehicle.

The accident happened during the lunch-hour yesterday near the National Agricultural Management Board (NAMBoard) offices in Manzini. According to a source close to the matter, the man, who was accompanied by a woman, came to Rahil Swaziland Investments, a car dealership opposite Christian Media Centre, looking for a car to buy. He said after viewing about three cars, the man chose a Mazda Demio, which was selling for E83 000. The source said the man requested to test-drive the car before paying for it. He said the man had promised to pay for the car in full after test-driving it.

Garage

According to the source, when they left the garage, one of the directors of the car dealership, Mustuf Yunus, was driving the car, and the man and his companion were passengers. He said when they were around Makhosini Flats, the potential buyer asked to test-drive the car, and he he then occupied the drivers seat, while Yunus joined the woman as a passenger. This was confirmed by Yunus, who said when they were passing the Family Life Association of Eswatini (FLAS) and Philani Clinic, the car was speeding and he asked the man to slow down as they were approaching a sharp corner. In response, the driver told me that he knows how to drive, Yunus claimed.

Negotiate

He alleged that the man tried to negotiate the corner, but failed as the car went off the road and knocked down a pedestrian on the pavement. The potential buyer alleged that the cars braking system malfunctioned. When this publication arrived at the scene, it found that the pedestrian had already been rushed to hospital with serious injuries. Chief Police Information and Communications Officer Superintendent Phindile Vilakati confirmed the accident. She said a car which was driven by a 27-year-old man knocked down a pedestrian and further bumped into another car. She said the pedestrian sustained serious injuries and the police were investigating the matter.




Introduction

Gender Bias in Cardiovascular Disease Management

Delay in Seeking Medical Help

Misdiagnosis

Undertreatment

Steps to Follow

References

Further Reading

Gender bias against women in the field of cardiovascular diseases has been known for decades. Women with cardiovascular disorders are more likely to be misdiagnosed and/or undertreated and have higher mortality rates than men.

Cardiovascular disease. Image Credit: Emily frost/Shutterstock.com

Gender bias in cardiovascular disease management

Cardiovascular disease is a leading cause of death in women worldwide. According to a recent report published by the British Heart Foundation, women with coronary heart disease have a two-times higher risk of death than those with breast cancer in the UK.

Delay in seeking medical help

One potential reason for this high mortality is the delay in seeking medical help from women. They often perceive heart attack, or cardiac arrest, as a male problem, and thus, do not recognize heart attack-related symptoms on time.

It has been estimated that the average duration between symptom onset and seeking medical help is 1.8  7.2 hours for women. Whereas, for men, the average duration is 1.4  3.5 hours. A delay in seeking medical help could potentially interrupt the timely administration of life-saving treatment, which could subsequently lead to more severe cardiac damage and even death.

Misdiagnosis

Misdiagnosis of cardiovascular conditions is another potential reason for higher mortality among women. It has been estimated that women are 50% more likely to be misdiagnosed than men. Misdiagnosis of heart attack could increase the risk of death by 70% after 30 days of the symptom onset.

One potential reason for misdiagnosis could be the difference in symptoms between men and women. Women with cardiovascular diseases exhibit a wider range of symptoms than men, including stomach pain and nausea. However, because of the disproportionately low representation of women in clinical trials, it remains largely uncertain whether there are actually gender disparities in cardiovascular symptoms.

Misdiagnosis could also be related to the type of test performed for the diagnosis. A troponin test is a common method to diagnose heart attack in both men and women. In the test, the blood level of troponin, which is a protein released into circulation in response to cardiac tissue damage, is measured.

Although the diagnostic threshold is believed to be the same for both men and women, recently it has been observed that women experiencing heart attacks have lower blood troponin levels than men. This observation highlights the need for establishing a gender-specific diagnostic threshold. Studies have shown that about a 42 % increase in diagnostic accuracy in women can be achieved by using highly sensitive tests with gender-specific thresholds.

Implicit gender bias of physicians is a potential reason associated with misdiagnosis in women. It has been observed that gender-biased beliefs of physicians are associated with differential management of male and female patients with suspected coronary artery disease. Physicians who perceive men as stronger and more risk-taking than women are more likely to recommend angiography for male patients than women patients, despite the similar presentation of symptoms.

Undertreatment

Inadequate treatment is another potential factor associated with a poor prognosis of cardiovascular diseases in women. It has been observed that women with cardiac problems are less likely to receive life-saving medicines on an emergency basis. Similarly, women who have already suffered a heart attack are less likely to receive medicine to prevent a second heart attack.

Besides impacting diagnosis, implicit gender bias of physicians can influence their therapeutic decision-making process. A relatively higher mortality rate has been observed among female cardiac arrest patients who have been treated by male physicians.

Based on the analysis of the UKs National Heart Attack Registry, it has been predicted that by administering the same standard of care in women as men, at least 8000 deaths could have been prevented in female cardiac arrest patients.

Blood pressure. Image Credit: goodluz/Shutterstock.com

A 3% lesser likelihood of receiving blood flow-restoring treatments such as stents and reperfusion has been observed among women compared to that among men. Similarly, women are 7% less likely to receive beta-blockers, which are medicines to prevent future heart attacks.

Because of the significantly lower participation of women in clinical trials, gender-specific information on treatment response and outcome is lacking. Female patients with cardiovascular complications are, thus, treated on the basis of clinical evidence predominantly obtained from male patients.

This information gap has deferred the clinical comprehension about certain health conditions that may adversely affect cardiovascular health in women. While treating female patients with cardiac complications, it is crucial to consider that certain health conditions including gestational diabetes and preeclampsia can increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases in women.

Other vital information in this field is that young, healthy women are predominantly susceptible to a particular type of heart attack called spontaneous coronary artery dissection.

Steps to follow

To reduce gender bias against women in the field of cardiovascular diseases, the British Health Foundation has identified three main domains that need to be addressed. These domains include increasing awareness, understanding and tackling gender inequality, and arranging more funds to support cardiovascular research in women.

References

Daugherty., SL. (2017). Implicit Gender Bias and the Use of Cardiovascular Tests Among Cardiologists. Journal of the American Heart Association. https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/JAHA.117.006872

Bess., CJ. (1995). Gender Bias in Health: A Life or Death Issue for Woman with Coronary Heart Disease. Hastings Journal on Gender and the Law. https://repository.uchastings.edu/hwlj/vol6/iss1/3/

Bias and Biology. British Heart Foundation. Available at: https://www.bhf.org.uk/informationsupport/heart-matters-magazine/medical/women-and-heart-disease/download-bias-and-biology-briefing

Ruijter., HD. (2020). Sex and Gender Matters to the Heart. Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcvm.2020.587888/full

Further Reading
In a recent study posted as an accepted manuscript in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases, researchers from the University of Oklahoma described three drugs with antiviral activity against the monkeypox virus (MPXV).

Human monkeypox (hMPX) is a zoonosis caused by MPXV, a double-stranded (ds) DNA virus member of the Orthopoxvirus genus. The first case of hMPX was reported in 1970 in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Multiple outbreaks have occurred in West and Central Africa, with occasional outbreaks in North America and Europe.

Genomic investigations have uncovered the existence of two clades of MPXV: the Congo Basin (CB) and West African (WA) clades. Managing MPXV infections has primarily been supportive care; however, antiviral drugs such as brincidofovir and tecovirimat have opened new therapeutic avenues.

More than 25,000 confirmed cases of hMPX have been identified in 83 countries until August 2nd, 2022. Preliminary evidence indicates that the WA clade is associated with the ongoing outbreak. Most cases have been reported in the United Kingdom (UK), Germany, and Spain. In the present review, researchers described three antiviral drugs: brincidofovir (BCV), tecovirimat (ST-246), and cidofovir (CDV), acting against MPXV.

Study: Antivirals with Activity Against Monkeypox: A Clinically Oriented Review. Image Credit: NIAID

Cidofovir

CDV is a prodrug and phosphorylated upon cell entry by host enzymes to active CDV-diphosphate (CDV-pp). The active drug incorporates into the growing (viral) DNA strand during replication and slows DNA synthesis. CDV resistance has also been characterized. CDV-resistant strains are less virulent than wild-type strains, implying that CDV resistance develops slowly and occurs at the expense of viral fitness.

Pharmacokinetic data suggest that the drug has poor oral absorption and is available as intravenous infusions. The efficacy of CDV has been evaluated in multiple animal models. Most studies assessed the use of CDV at the time of or shortly after viral exposure, and it remains unclear how animal findings correlate with the timeline of human infection.

CDV has been used in humans for treating infections with poxviruses. Case reports revealed the use of intravenous CDV in a multipronged approach for ocular cowpox. Its combined use with ST-246 has been documented in a patient with eczema vaccinatum. Topical CDV has been used in children and adults for treating molluscum contagiosum. Typically, lesions become acutely inflamed following CDV application but resolve dramatically.

Brincidofovir

BCV, a lipid-conjugated analog of CDV, was approved for treating smallpox in 2021. BCV, like CDV, exhibits broad activity against dsDNA viruses. Unlike CDV, BCV readily enters host cells because of its lipophilic nature. BCV is hydrolyzed into CDV by phospholipases and phosphorylated into the active form (CDV-pp).

Higher levels of CDV-pp are noted after BCV administration, given its higher efficiency in crossing cellular membranes. Cross-resistance to CDV and BCV is possible. Preliminary studies in humans reported the absorption of oral BCV in the fasting state, with lower peak levels of plasma CDV. Besides, higher penetration of BCV into the spleen, liver, and lungs has been observed.

The prairie dog model for MPXV has a similar infection course as in humans. In these dogs, BCV improved survival when administered shortly after MPXV exposure, indicating that early treatment is essential for efficacy.

Tecovirimat

ST-246 was approved for smallpox treatment in 2018. The drug acts against orthopoxviruses but not against other dsDNA viruses. ST-246 targets the gene encoding p37, a conserved membrane protein involved in the formation of the extracellular enveloped virus. ST-246 does not inhibit protein/DNA synthesis or the formation of the mature virus.

Drug resistance could occur by a single amino acid change, albeit it remains unknown whether this genetic change in p37 results in fitness disadvantage to orthopoxviruses. ST-246 demonstrated activity against vaccinia virus strains resistant to CDV; besides, there is no evidence of cross-resistance to ST-246 and CDV/BCV.

ST-246 is available in oral and intravenous formulations. It has superior absorption when administered in the fed state. It has been effective against MPXV in macaques and prairie dogs. Administering ST-246 within 72 hours of exposure to poxvirus was efficacious in reducing lesion severity and preventing mortality in different animal models.

Co-administration of ST-246 and BCV results in synergistic activity. For instance, in cowpox-infected mice, the combination therapy was associated with lower mortality compared to treatment with individual drugs. ST-246 has been used for orthopoxvirus treatment in select humans, including for MPXV treatment in two cases.

In one of the patients, the oral course was started five days after the onset of rash for two weeks. The patient recovered completely without any complications and was discharged. Detailed information about the other patient is limited except for the complete recovery.

Concluding remark

In summary, CDV, BCV, and ST-246 exhibit activity against MPXV. CDV and BCV inhibit DNA replication and exhibit broad activity against different dsDNA viruses. In contrast, ST-246 is much more specific for orthopoxviruses and prevents the formation of the enveloped virus, which is essential for cell-cell transmission.

Overall, ST-246 and BCV could be promising therapeutic candidates based on their tolerability profiles. Further studies are required to identify those at higher risk for MPXV and associated complications and determine the optimal initiation time and duration for therapy.
The outbreak of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) led to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, which has claimed over 6.4 million deaths to date. Despite stringent efforts to limit viral transmission, SARS-CoV-2 has spread rapidly and mutated several times. This has led to the emergence of novel SARS-CoV-2 variants with higher transmissibility and immune evasion characteristics.

A new Nature Communications journal study explores the dynamics of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron and other variants circulating in England from November 23, 2021, onwards, which is when Omicron was first detected.

Study: Dynamics of Competing SARS-Cov-2 Variants During the Omicron Epidemic in England. Image Credit: Mayboon / Shutterstock.com

Introduction

The most recent SARS-CoV-2 variant of concern (VOC) to be described is the Omicron (PANGO lineage B.1.1.529) variant. This variant has many mutations in its spike protein, as well as other viral proteins.

For example, the Omicron variant has 15 mutations in its receptor binding domain (RBD), which binds to the host angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor. These mutations alter the sites where neutralizing antibodies bind to the RBD, subsequently allowing Omicron to escape neutralization, even after vaccination or prior infection with older SARS-CoV-2 variants.

The result has been increasing rates of reinfections and breakthrough infections. However, with decreasing rates of testing coupled with available testing capacity that is currently at 100%, the actual proportions of the Omicron wave remain unknown.

To overcome this challenge, the current study used data from the REal-time Assessment of Community Transmission-1 (REACT-1) study, which is a cross-sectional testing study conducted in England.

Study findings

In the study samples, the Omicron prevalence remained around 0.11% on December 7, 2022, which was about three weeks from the first confirmed case in England. Simultaneously, the Delta variant, which was the dominant circulating strain throughout the preceding three months, had a prevalence of 1.3%.

The Omicron strains appeared to be primarily imported from or exported to the United States, Germany, and France.

About 50% of COVID-19 cases in England were caused by Omicron by the end of the next week. By December 23, 2021, 90% of cases were due to Omicron.

By February 14, 2022, Omicron was responsible for almost all cases. The last Delta-positive sample was also reported on this day.

Omicron cases increased at 0.2 per day from November 23, 2021, to March 1, 2022. On December 3, 2021, which is when the researchers of this study detected the first Omicron case, the growth rate was 0.37. Just over a month later, it was only 0.1.

This might be due to the lower generation time for Omicron, which is estimated to be 28% less than that of the Delta variant. The higher rate of viral spread among younger and less vaccinated age groups who also mixed more in social circles could also be a contributing factor.

By the end of 2021, about 7% of swabs were positive for Omicron; however, this prevalence decreased to less than 5% during January 2022. Later the same month, the rate again increased to about 2.6% by early March 2022.

The reproductive number (Rt) was about two on December 17, 2022, which was two weeks following the onset of the Omicron wave in the U.K. At this time, 90% of those aged 12 and older had been vaccinated with at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, 82% with two doses, and 53% with three doses.

The Rt subsequently declined as social interactions were reduced. By the beginning of January 2022, the Rt was below one.

In late January 2022, the Rt increased to over one and subsequently declined throughout February; however, it tended to rise during this month.

Despite the significantly high levels of recent infections, the herd immunity threshold required for prevalence to decrease had not yet been reached.

In regards to the general population, the prevalence of Omicron increased throughout England to above 7% in the North East of England. However, its prevalence was less than 4% in East England. London was associated with the earliest peak, which was likely because Omicron was first introduced here.

The Rt was highest in those between the ages of five and 17 years in January 2022. In other age groups, the Rt value quickly dropped below one.

The prevalence of Omicron peaked in this group on January 28, 2022, at almost 11%. This was comparable to less than 8% on January 1, 2022, in those between the ages of 18 and 34.

Individuals aged 55 years or older were associated with the lowest prevalence, which is consistent with their high vaccination rates. Nevertheless, the Rt value in this group increased on March 1, 2022, to 1.1.

This demonstrates the limited vaccine effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines against Omicron infection.

a Modelled prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 variants Omicron and Delta in England estimated using a mixed-effects Bayesian P-spline model. Estimates of prevalence are shown with a central estimate (solid line) and 95% (shaded region) credible intervals. Daily weighted estimates of mean prevalence (points) are shown with 95% credible intervals (error bars). b Modelled proportions of lineages identified as Omicron in England, estimated using Bayesian logistic regression (red) and using a mixed-effects Bayesian P-spline model (blue). Estimates are shown with a central estimate (solid line) and 95% credible intervals (shaded region). Daily estimates of the mean proportion of lineages Omicron (points) are shown with 95% confidence intervals (error bars). c Daily growth rate of Omicron (purple), Delta (orange) and their additive difference (green) estimated from the mixed-effects Bayesian P-spline model. Estimates are shown with a central estimate (solid line) and 95% credible intervals (shaded region).

Sublineage competition

Previous models have shown that Omicron variants BA.1, BA.1.1, and BA.2 showed changing proportions over this period. Even as BA.2 increased, BA.1 prevalence declined.

At the peak of the Omicron wave on December 30, 2021, BA.1 represented 85% of cases as compared to 15% and 0.2% for BA.1.1 and BA.2, respectively.

This trend shifted just two months later, with BA.1 prevalence declining to less than 10% of cases, while BA.1.1 and BA.2 rose to over 20% and nearly 70%, respectively. These variants were responsible for the winter Omicron wave in England.

The daily growth rate of BA.2 and BA.1.1 was 0.133 and 0.42 times higher than that of BA.1, respectively, while BA.1 was 0.09 times higher than BA.1.1. Both variants are more transmissible than BA.1, with BA.2 spreading at the fastest rate of these three Omicron subvariants.

BA.1.1 became dominant in some countries before BA.1 even established itself, thus indicating its superior fitness through a greater number of beneficial mutations.

The Rt for BA.2 was 1.17 as compared to 0.77 for non-BA.2 Omicron variants on March 1, 2022. This supports the replicative fitness of BA.2.

BA.2 is also associated with the most specific COVID-19 symptoms such as anosmia, ageusia, fever, and new long-term cough in a higher proportion of patients as compared to BA.1 infections.

Implications

The current study used high-quality REACT-1 data to estimate the prevalence of Omicron infections. The researchers also describe the exposure risk for Delta and Omicron infections, as well as for BA.1, BA.1.1, and BA.2 separately.

The dynamics of these different variants have been reflected in their different growth rates and prevalence over time, rather than treating them all as a single variant.

Further studies will need to examine whether different lineages and sublineages have different cycle thresholds (Ct) for detection, which could change their observed prevalence. Nonetheless, the study findings demonstrate that SARS-CoV-2 will achieve new levels of fitness through the development of mutations that improve its immune escape characteristics.

"Assuming the emergence of further distinct variants, intermittent epidemics of similar magnitudes [as Omicron, which reached a record prevalence of 7% in England at one point] may become the new normal.

Booster vaccine doses and improving current COVID-19 vaccines to provide immunity against these newer variants, as well as continued monitoring, will be essential for maintaining public health.
To date, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which is caused by infection with the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), has infected over 575 million and claimed more than 6.4 million lives worldwide.

Since the end of 2019, the SARS-CoV-2 genome has evolved due to genomic mutations, which has resulted in the emergence of several SARS-CoV-2 variants. With reference to the ancestral strain, some SARS-CoV-2 variants, such as the Delta and Omicron variants, have exhibited varied virulence, transmissibility, and capacity to escape immune responses generated through either vaccination or natural infection.

Study: Removal of clinically relevant SARS-CoV-2 variants by an affinity resin containing Galanthus nivalis agglutinin. Image Credit: LifeCollectionPhotography / Shutterstock

Background

Several COVID-19 therapeutics and vaccines targeting the spike protein of the ancestral SARS-CoV-2 strain have been developed. Unfortunately, SARS-CoV-2 variants containing mutations in the spike region are associated with increased resistance to COVID-19 vaccination and therapeutics, such as monoclonal antibodies and antivirals.

To date, three antiviral drugs have received emergency use authorization (EUA) from global regulatory bodies for COVID-19 treatment. Remdesivir, for example, was found to be effective in treating severely infected but non-ventilated COVID-19 patients.

Recently, combination therapies, such as casirivimab/indemivab and bamlanivimab/etsevemivab, have exhibited reduced efficacy against the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant. Thus, there is an urgent need for novel therapies that are effective against severe COVID-19 due to these variants.

One previous study reported that the Aethlon Hemopurifier device consisting of an affinity resin, which contains plant lectin Galanthus nivalis agglutinin (GNA), can bind to alpha 1,3 mannose groups in enveloped viruses. Another study also reported that this device can eliminate SARS-CoV-2 from circulation in vivo.

Therefore, GNA affinity resin in the Hemopurifier could effectively modulate the coagulopathic and immune response to SARS-CoV-2 by removing exosomes with micro ribonucleic acids (microRNAs) associated with acute lung injury.

Since mutations cannot affect mannosylation in the viral envelope, the scientists of the current PLoS One study hypothesized that the GNA affinity resin would remain effective against SARS-CoV-2 variants.

Study findings

In the current study, researchers developed an in vitro model to determine GNA affinity resin present in the Aethlon Hemopurifier device against all major SARS-CoV-2 variants.

Among all SARS-CoV-2 variants, the greatest binding affinity was observed against the Brazilian P.1 and Omicron variants. In contrast, the lowest binding affinity was observed against the Delta AY.1 variant, which is more commonly referred to as the Delta Plus strain.

These findings align with previous in vivo studies that reported a 58% reduction in the plasma viral load of an adult after a single six-hour Hemopurifier treatment.

In the current study, each column contained approximately 1.7 x 108 copies of SARS-CoV-2. The removal of 53.2% of SARS-CoV-2 would be equivalent to the removal of 90,440,000 copies per gram of GNA affinity resin. As an adult, Hemopurifier consists of 40 grams of affinity resin, with a total binding capacity of 3.62 x 109 viral copies.

An average RNA viral load of severely infected COVID-19 patients contains 103 copies/ml. An adult patient with a blood volume of 5,000 ml would contain 2.5 x 107 viral copies. These numbers suggest that the Hemopurifier has sufficient binding capacity to remove the entire viral load of an adult severely infected with SARS-CoV-2.

Limitations

One of the limitations of the current study is the lack of replication in the in vitro system with adult Hemopurifier used in humans. Furthermore, the viral dwell times, flow rate, and physical contact of the columns packed with one gram of affinity resin tested against SARS-CoV-2 were not similar to that of human beings treated with the adult Hemopurifier.

Another limitation is that researchers diluted the viral challenge in culture media rather than a biological fluid.

Conclusions

An extracorporeal therapy for COVID-19 viremia could be used as an alternative treatment. Presently, researchers have focused on developing a mini-Hemopurifier for clinical situations.

A clinical study is currently being conducted to determine the efficacy of Aethlon Hemopurifier containing an affinity resin against severely infected COVID-19 patients.
In the 17th century, the Dutch scientist Christiaan Huygens hanged two of his recently invented pendulum clocks on a wooden beam and observed that as time passed, the clocks aligned their beats. He reported this finding, which he called an 'odd sympathy', in 1665. Three and a half centuries later, neurons in the brain were found to sync their activities in a similar way.

Neurons in the brain often synchronize in quasi-rhythmic activities, collectively generating 'brain waves' sometimes detectable even from outside the skull using electroencephalography. Synchronizing in such rhythms helps neurons to exchange information efficiently, which is crucial to perform important functions like learning, memory, attention, perception, and motion. How these rhythms are generated, maintained, and abolished to fit ever-changing needs for seamless operation of the brain is an area of active research.

In a new study published today in Cell Reports, a team of neuroscientists led by Principal Investigator Balazs Hangya MD PhD at the Institute of Experimental Medicine, Budapest, Hungary found that a group of neurons in the brain show rhythmic activity at different frequencies in the desynchronized state, like individual clocks, but they can align their rhythmic frequencies to produce a synchronized brain rhythm upon activation, similar to the pendulum clocks in Huygens' experiment.

To probe the brain's sync mechanisms, the team recorded special neurons of a deep brain structure called the medial septum. These neurons form a 'pacemaker network', which generates the 4-12 Hz 'theta' rhythm in a structure called the hippocampus, responsible for encoding episodic memory traces of the events we experience. It is well established that the hippocampal theta oscillation is important for memory, but the exact mechanism by which it is generated is not well understood.

To understand how cells in the medial septum synchronize, one should record the activity of several cells at once. In addition to this multichannel deep brain recording, a parallel recording of hippocampal activity is also necessary to understand the output signal of the medial septum. This is still technically challenging, so these recordings can only be performed by skilled experimenters" Balazs Hangya MD PhD, Principal Investigator, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Budapest, Hungary

To tackle this challenge, Hangya's lab teamed up with other groups led by professors Istvan Ulbert, Viktor Varga and Szabolcs Kali to probe the medial septal 'pacemaker network' in both rats and mice, awake or under anesthesia. The Huygens synchronization mechanism was present under all tested conditions and could also be reproduced by a detailed computational model of the medial septal 'pacemaker network'. The authors speculate that Huygens synchronization can be a general synchronization mechanism across brain circuits in different species, including humans.

"I think we have come up with a new idea about the origin of network synchronization. The fact that medial septal inhibitory cells synchronize their frequencies upon activation by local excitatory inputs was previously unknown" says Barnabas Kocsis, the first author of the article.

The brain's sync mechanisms can go wrong in disease, leading to problems with memory and attention, and even contributing to serious conditions like schizophrenia, epilepsy and Alzheimer's disease. The researchers hope that a better understanding of how brain networks synchronize may eventually lead us to improved therapies of these illnesses.

The research described in this release was supported by grants from: European Commission, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, National Research, Development and Innovation Office of Hungary, Ministry of Innovation and Technology of Hungary, Eotvos Lorand Research Network, Generalitat Valenciana and Kyoto University.
In a recent study posted to the medRxiv* preprint server, Spanish researchers described a new enrichment method for metagenomic sequencing of the monkeypox virus (MPXV).

Human monkeypox is a zoonotic disease that originated in the central and west African jungles and was first reported in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 1970. Monkeys and rodents spread the disease, although the original reservoir remains unknown. Humans contract MPXV infection through contact with infected animals/humans and contaminated materials. MPXV is an enveloped virus with approximately 197 kb of double-stranded (ds) DNA.

MPXV belongs to the Orthopoxvirus genus under the Poxviridae family of double-stranded DNA viruses. Genome sequencing has identified two clades of MPXV: Congo Basin (CB) and West African (WA) clades. The CB clade causes severe disease and higher mortality. Generally, poxviruses (including MPXV) exhibit greater tolerance to a wide range of pH and are much more resistant to desiccation than other enveloped viruses. Besides, they are less sensitive to disinfectants than other enveloped viruses.

Study: A new and efficient enrichment method for metagenomic sequencing of monkeypox virus Image Credit: NIAID

About the study

In the present study, researchers evaluated a new method of MPXV DNA enrichment in comparison to the non-enrichment approach. Clinical specimens from lesions or vesicular fluid swabs were obtained, and two MPXV-positive samples (MP01 and MP03) were selected. DNA extraction was performed by two different protocols.

In the first (non-enrichment) method, DNA was extracted using MagNA pure compact nucleic acid isolation kit I. The second protocol was modified from a saponin-based differential lysis technique and centrifuged at high g-force (35,000 g). This method was designed to enrich MPXV DNA samples to avoid wasting sequencing quota.

A soft centrifugation step (at low g-force) was performed initially to remove large particles. Host DNA was depleted with the treatment of saponin, sodium chloride (NaCl), and deoxyribonuclease (DNase). NaCl, DNase, and saponin were removed for sequencing. The samples were processed using the non-enrichment (MP01bCHUAC, MP03bCHUAC) and enrichment methods (MP01CHUAC, MP03CHUAC).

Phylogenomic tree. Phylogenomic analysis of the present studys samples, comparing them to all complete MPXV genomes available in GenBank to date (2022-07-18, 275 genomes from taxid 10244). This does not pretend to infer the evolution of the virus, only to locate the most similar entries to the samples in this study. A color strip indicates each samples lineage (A: purple, A.1.1: yellow, A.2: green, B.1: blue), and orange areas highlight the studys samples.

Findings

In the preliminary results via the Kraken 2 taxonomic classification system using raw unfiltered reads, the authors noted that most reads in the enriched samples (MP01CHUAC and MP03CHUAC) belonged to MPXV, and almost none were classified as host contamination. In contrast, most reads in non-enriched samples (MP01bCHUAC and MP03bCHUAC) were of human DNA.

When Best Match Tagger (BMTagger) removed human DNA contamination, the read counts for MP01CHUAC and MP03CHUAC reduced by 1% to 2 %, while the reduction for MP01bCHUAC and MP03bCHUAC was 90% to 95%. In the subsequent step of quality control, any of the reads not classified as Orthopoxvirus was removed. This resulted in less drastic change and read counts decreased by 30% for enriched samples and 8% - 41% for non-enriched samples.

Compared to raw/original reads, read counts after the final quality control step decreased by 50% for enriched samples and 93% - 98% for non-enriched samples. The remaining reads were aligned to a reference sequence where reads from enriched samples had a median depth of 1500  1800, while those from non-enriched samples had a median depth of 80  100.

Nevertheless, all samples produced a quality consensus sequence of the MPXV B.1 lineage. MP01CHUAC had one nucleotide mutation, whereas MP03CHUAC had two amino acid substitutions against the reference genome.

Conclusions

The study found significant differences between both protocols when comparing depth and read counts. The decrease in read counts when host reads were removed was massive (90% to 95%) for non-enrichment protocol but marginal (1% to 2%) for enrichment protocol. In addition, the enrichment method retained half the reads after the final quality control step, while the non-enrichment protocol kept only 2% - 3% of the original reads.

After aligning the cleaned reads to a reference MPXV sequence, the median depth was higher for enriched samples than for non-enriched samples. All samples generated good quality consensus based on alignment, but the increased depth (with enrichment protocol) is vital to trust the observed genetic changes.

In conclusion, the new enrichment method significantly improved sequencing efficiency, number of viral reads, depth, and the trustworthiness of consensus sequences. Notably, removing host sequences before sequencing allows for the inclusion of more samples per cartridge, reducing costs and time for diagnosis and increasing the efficiency of sequencing.

*Important notice

medRxiv publishes preliminary scientific reports that are not peer-reviewed and, therefore, should not be regarded as conclusive, guide clinical practice/health-related behavior, or treated as established information.
In a recent research letter published in Emerging Infectious Diseases, researchers evaluated antibodies targeting severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in cattle from farms in Germany.

Background

Since SARS-CoV-2, the causative agent of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in humans, was initially discovered in late 2019, it has spread incredibly quickly globally. This massive worldwide pandemic has claimed more than 6.3 million human lives in roughly 2.5 years of virus circulation.

SARS-CoV-2 infection in humans increases the possibility of animal transmission. With a particular focus on discovering vulnerable species and prospective reservoirs or intermediate hosts, various researchers evaluated the involvement of wildlife and livestock species at the human-animal interface since the COVID-19 pandemic's inception.

According to prior reports, several animal species, including nonhuman primates, canids, felids, mustelids, white-tailed deer, and numerous Cricetidae rodent species, were susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infection in experimental conditions, whereas swine or poultry were not. Following experimental SARS-CoV-2 inoculation, domestic ruminants like sheep, cattle, or goats had poor susceptibility; very few animals could contract the infection without animal-to-animal spread.

Furthermore, in only one to two days, cattle tested SARS-CoV-2-positive by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (rt-PCR) following experimental infection. Thus, serologic screening may be more valuable for detecting priorly infected animals and determining the spillover infection rates in the field.

About the study

In the present research, the scientists serologically examined 1,000 samples of cattle gathered in Germany at the end of 2021 to determine the COVID-19 risk to cattle.

In detail, the team evaluated 1,000 plasma or serum samples obtained from cattle at 83 farms in four German federal states (Lower Saxony, Bavaria, Thuringia, and Saxony-Anhalt). They noted that no permissions were required to obtain these specimens because they were surplus material from standard diagnostic submissions made by the accountable veterinarians in the framework of the health surveillance of the specific cattle farm.

Sampling took place in the 2021 autumn and the early winter of 2021 to 2022, when a massive surge of SARS-CoV-2 infections attributed to the Delta variant of concern (VOC) occurred among humans. The researchers investigated two to 20 randomly chosen plasma or serum samples per farm. They sampled farm 31 twice, and the owner of the animals was quarantined in the interim.

A multispecies enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) based on the SARS-CoV-2 receptor-binding domain (RBD) was used to evaluate all samples from cattle. The authors analyzed an extra 100 randomly procured cattle control samples from 2016 in Germany.

Results

The study results showed that 11 cattle from nine farms were positive for the SARS-CoV-2 RBD ELISA among the 2021 cattle samples; one of these animals, from farm 31, was sampled after the quarantine of the owner. An indirect immunofluorescence test using Vero cells infected with the SARS-CoV-2 2019 nCoV Muc-IMB-1 strain as the antigen matrix confirmed positive results of ELISA for all but one sample from farm 8. Besides, titers varied from 1:8 to 1:512, with farm 31's seropositive animal having the highest titer.

The assessment of RBD-ELISA-positive 11 samples utilizing a surrogate virus neutralization test (sVNT) enabled the identification of SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies. The analysis was accomplished by simulating the interplay between the receptor protein of the host cell membrane, i.e., angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) and SARS-CoV-2. Moreover, four cattle from farms 74, 47, 31, and 11 had positive sVNT results.

Conclusions

According to the study findings, 11 cattle samples from Germany were positive for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies, implying that cattle may occasionally become virus-infected and seroconvert through exposure to COVID-19-infected keepers. Yet, the team found no additional evidence of intraspecies viral spread in the field, in line with the former experimental infection assessments.

However, the authors noted that future monitoring initiatives should include cattle farms, particularly given that another CoV (i.e., BCoV) was quite common across cattle, and a BCoV infection did not shield against contracting SARS-CoV-2 according to a prior study. Further, animal hosts' vulnerability to the Omicron VOC was unknown. Furthermore, recombination events between the two viruses could result from double infections in a single animal, a process seen with other CoVs.

The limited susceptibility of cattle to SARS-CoV-2 makes emergence extremely unlikely, but a potential chimera among SARS-CoV-2 and BCoV could pose an extra concern. The study stated that ruminants should be considered in outbreak studies and warranted routine testings to prevent the spread of novel SARS-CoV-2 variants across the livestock population.
MBABANE  Director of Communications at the Kings Office Percy Simelane has described the accusations made by South African politician Godrich Gardee as weird witch-hunt.

Gardee is a South African politician who is the former Secretary General of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF). On Monday, Gardee took to his Twitter page to accuse the countrys authorities of orchestrating the kidnapping, raping and brutal murder of his daughter, Hillary. Gardee alleged that this was propmted by the border blockades held by the party back in April, which saw four borders with Eswatini being closed for more than six hours. Some of the allegations cannot be repeated as they cannot be substantiated.

When contacted by this publication yesterday, Simelane, said; We refuse to grace this weird witch-hunt with a comment save to point out that the murder in question was investigated by the South African Police Service and suspects were charged after intelligence had exhausted leads. Three men were arrested in May in connection with the murder of Gardees daughter and they have been making their appearances in court since then. The suspects who were arrested in connection with this case included one Philemon Lukhele, who is a member of the local proscribed political party, the Peoples United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO). The other two accused persons are Sipho Mkhathswa and Albert Mduduzi Gama.

Justice

When they made their first appearance in court, it was revealed that they were facing six counts which were conspiracy to murder, kidnapping, rape, murder, illegal possession of a firearm and defeating the ends of justice. Governments Spokesperson Alpheous Nxumalo shared the same sentiments as Simelane, stating that there was absolutely no need for government to respond to the wild and legally untested allegations made by Gardee. Nxumalo said, however, the fact that this journalist had approached government, there was a need to say something. He said the wild allegations did not deserve to be dignified with a comment.

He stated that the government of the Kingdom of Eswatini had no history of running after people in foreign soil for their respective political views but if there was a need to do so, the law would be the governments arbiter. Nxumalo said Gardee was overpricing his political value. He added that border blockages started as far as the 1990s by COSATU and none of those who participated were ever threatened, let alone their families neutralised. He said the case of Gardees daughters death was in the courts of that country (South Africa) and some suspects had been apprehended and appeared in court. So far, theres absolutely nothing that suggests involvement of foreign agencies in the murder of his daughter. He claims he was targeted for having staged a 6-hour border blockade with only 60 people, said Nxumalo.

The government spokesperson said it sufficed to conclude that Gardee must not attempt to export the unbridled criminal environment of his country to other countries in the region.

Hillary Gardee, a 28-year-old IT graduate, was abducted from the Nelspruit Plaza Spar at around 5pm on Friday, April 29, 2022. Passers-by found her lifeless body several days later at the edge of a forest on a deserted stretch of the Sabie road.
On any given day inside the BRAIN Center at the University of Houston, you might encounter visual artists, dancers and musicians, or even paralyzed individuals  all wearing brain caps to teach researchers about what they are thinking, creating or feeling while they move expressively, or try to regain movement.

Machines and researchers copiously chart the electrical brain signals of the artists moving fluidly through their activities. Those living with paralysis who are re-learning essential movement skills, from young children to older adults, are wearing prosthetics with brain-machine interfaces designed to interpret their thoughts, to help make them move as soon as they think of moving.

Orchestrating all the activity and watching as fellow researchers put his discoveries into practice, is Jose 'Pepe' Contreras-Vidal, the neural engineer and "brains" behind the Industry-University Cooperative Research Center (IUCRC) for Building Reliable Advancements and Innovations in Neurotechnology (BRAIN). The partnership between UH and Arizona State University includes industry and world-class academic teams.

"Our team of multi-disciplinary industrial and clinical partners, from the humanities to artificial intelligence, continue developing practical neural prostheses and brain-to-brain interfaces -; devices that read brain signals and use them to restore movement or communication in those who have been paralyzed through injury or illness, or to neuromodulate neural signals to restore or extend brain function and/or human performance," said Contreras-Vidal, who is also the Hugh Roy and Lillie Cranz Cullen Distinguished Professor of electrical and computer engineering at UH and a Fellow of the IEEE and the AIMBE.

A global hub draws a crowd

A lot has happened within the BRAIN Center since Phase 1 was initially funded by the National Science Foundation in 2017. As the center emerged to become an international hub for emergent neurotechnologies, more members came to join. New international partners  Universidad Miguel Hernandez de Elche (Spain) and Tecnologico de Monterrey (Mexico)  have come aboard. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has joined as an affiliate member along with additional industry members and three new academic sites (Georgia Tech, West Virginia University and University of Maryland Baltimore County), scheduled to join in summer 2023.

And the latest news  the BRAIN Center Phase 2 (2022-2027) has been funded by the NSF with $758,331 going to UH and $240,000 to Arizona, plus another $2 million from industry partners, and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has bestowed a workforce development grant for $768,135. It will provide specialized training in innovative neurotech, computational tools and neuroengineering techniques to complement and enhance the training and career of therapists, clinical fellows and orthotics and prosthetics professionals.

"The IUCRC program funded by NSF generates breakthrough research by enabling close and sustained engagement between industry innovators, world-class academic teams and government agencies," said Behrooz Shirazi, program director for the IUCRC program and acting deputy division director of the NSF's Division of Computer and Network Systems.

Since its inception, the center has attracted 20 industry partners, including companies Medtronic, the CORE Institute, Indus Instruments, Brain Products, as well as medical institutions such as UTHealth Houston and TIRR Memorial Hermann Hospital, ranked No. 2 among the country's top rehabilitation hospitals in the U.S. News & World Report "Best Hospital" rankings for 2020-2021.

"The active collaboration of TIRR Memorial Hermann and UTHealth Houston with the BRAIN Center in identifying, developing and validating innovative neurotech solutions to pressing neurorehabilitation challenges is not only rewarding but critical for improving the quality of life of millions of persons with cognitive and motor disabilities," said Gerard E. Francisco, M.D., Chief Medical Officer and director of the NeuroRecovery Research Center at TIRR Memorial Hermann and Chair and Professor in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston.

The BRAIN Center is also actively engaged in the development of standards for brain-machine interface systems, trustworthy AI applications, use-inspired roadmaps for emergent neurotechnologies, and convergent research at the nexus of the arts, science and medicine. In March, Contreras-Vidal co-chaired the 2022 International Workshop on the Social and Neural Basis of Creative Movement at the Wolf Trap National Center for the Performing Arts sponsored in part by NSF, the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the National Education Association (NEA) and BRAIN.

The BRAIN Center is advancing national health by transferring neurotechnology to end users and promoting access for underrepresented minorities in science, technology, engineering and math. They continue to accelerate the progress of science by broadening new participation and retaining current participants." Amr Elnaishai, Vice President, Research and Technology Transfer, University of Houston

If you think it, it will happen

When he's training patients to walk or move again with the aid of an exoskeleton, Contreras-Vidal encourages them to focus on their end game, or where they want to go. He employs much the same philosophy about the BRAIN Center.

"As we continue to move the needle in brain technology, our center's mission is being fulfilled, to become a neurotechnology hub by creating a pipeline from discoveries to solutions, while helping students, scientists, engineers and humanists solve one of the greatest unmet medical and health care needs of our time," said Contreras Vidal, who adds that disability is becoming a leading health care concern because of the increase in survivable trauma and an aging population.

Approximately 5.4 million people in the U.S. are living with paralysis, or one in 50 individuals.

"There is critical need for accessible technologies that can more effectively address the care and rehabilitation needs of these patients," said Marco Santello, the Arizona State University site director and a co-founder of the BRAIN Center. "Through collaboration and with support from our industry partners, the neurotechnology solutions being developed in the BRAIN Center are making substantial strides to address this need."
In a recent publication Open Forum Infectious Diseases, a team of US-based scientists has described the therapeutic efficacy of a pan-Orthopoxvirus inhibitor, tecovirimat, in patients with monkeypox infection. This drug is currently available under an expanded access investigational new drug protocol for monkeypox.

Background

Monkeypox virus is a zoonotic virus belonging to the Orthopoxvirus family. The virus was endemic to Central and West Africa for many decades, and its transmission to non-African countries was initially limited. However, because of the global reduction in herd immunity against related smallpox viruses, many countries outside of Africa are currently experiencing monkeypox outbreaks.

Large outbreaks of West African monkeypox strain (clade 3) have been detected in multiple non-endemic countries in May 2022, including the USA and UK. The human-to-human transmission, a rare event initially, has also increased considerably in recent years.

Although the Central African strain of monkeypox is more pathogenic than the West African strain, the latter has been found to cause serious complications in children, pregnant women, and immunocompromised patients. This highlights the need for developing effective therapeutic as well as preventive interventions against monkeypox infection.

In the current article, scientists have presented three case reports of monkeypox infection treated with tecovirimat in Massachusetts hospitals. Tecovirimat is a small molecule inhibitor that has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of smallpox infection.

First case report

The first case report was about a 20-year-old man with a history of gonococcal urethritis. During an international trip to a non-endemic country with the current outbreak of monkeypox, he developed a subjective fever. He had unprotected sex with multiple men during his trip.

After one week, he developed subjective chills, malaise, and a mildly painful, shallow ulcer on the foreskin of the penis and presented to outpatient care in the USA. He tested negative for syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia, which are sexually transmitted diseases. Afterward, he developed painful lesions on the face, oropharynx, hands, and feet and was admitted to the hospital.

The biological specimens collected from the patient were analyzed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), which confirmed monkeypox infection. Based on the diagnosis, he was treated orally with 600 mg of tecovirimat twice daily for 14 days.

At day 4, the treatment caused a reduction in pain and skin itchiness, cessation of new lesion formation, and size reduction or resolution of pre-existing lesions. A mild induction in alanine aminotransferase level was observed on day 6 of the treatment, which gradually normalized by day 8.

The majority of lesions were resolved by the end of the treatment (day 14). The only one adverse side-effect reported by the patient was mild headache, which was associated with the first medicine dose.

Second case report

The second case report was about a 20-year-old man with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection who was under antiretroviral treatment. Seven days after having anal receptive intercourse, he visited the outpatient care and received one dose of a replication-deficient modified vaccinia Ankara vaccine, which is used as a post-exposure prophylaxis against monkeypox infection.

The next day, he developed subjective fevers, chills, myalgias, and painful swallowing. After two days, he presented to the hospital immediately after developing scattered skin eruptions on the forearms and hands.

The diagnosis made in the hospital confirmed monkeypox infection. His neck CT scan findings showed abnormal enlargement of lymph nodes and a prominent left palatine tonsil without edema. Because of the fever and painful swallowing, he was treated with 600 mg of tecovirimat twice daily for 14 days.

After 5 days of treatment, the swallowing problem was resolved, and he was discharged from the hospital. A considerable improvement in skin lesions occurred on day 9 post-treatment. The only treatment-related adversity reported by the patient was loose bowel movements.

Third case report

The third case report was about a 40-year-old man on pre-exposure prophylaxis against HIV infection. He presented to outpatient care because of fever, malaise, rashes, noticeable vesicles on the penis foreskin, and lesions on the right lower eyelid.

About 8  10 days before the development of these symptoms, he had unprotected sex with multiple men during an international trip to an endemic country with the current monkeypox outbreak.

He was admitted to the hospital because of cellulitis and eye problem evaluation. The PCR testing of biological specimens confirmed monkeypox infection. After an unsuccessful initial antibiotic treatment, he was administered 600 mg of tecovirimat twice daily for 14 days.

After two days of the treatment, rashes and lesions started resolving, and he was discharged from the hospital on day 4. He reported almost complete resolution of rashes and significant improvement in eyelid lesions on day 7 of the treatment. Moreover, he did not report any treatment-related adversities.

Significance

The overall findings of three case reports indicate that tecovirimat might be used clinically to improve symptoms and prevent the progression of monkeypox infection. The scientists mention that further large-scale studies are needed to determine the therapeutic efficacy of tecovirimat more conclusively.
Although typically classified as a single ethnic group, people of Hispanic heritage have markedly different risks for brain tumors based on their geographic origins, suggesting greater diversity that warrants attention in the health care setting.

The insight - published in the journal Neuro-Oncology by a team of researchers at the Duke Health -- resulted from an analysis of glioma brain tumors, which are known to be less prevalent among people of Hispanic heritage compared to non-Hispanic White people.

The researchers confirmed the ethnic difference in glioma incidence, but identified a gap within the Hispanic group that had not previously been exposed. Notably, populations that trace their heritage to the Caribbean had higher rates of the lethal brain tumors compared to those from Mexico or Central America.

"Cancer registries record Hispanic ethnicity with a single yes-no value, but U.S. Hispanics can trace their heritage to distinct geographical regions and are both culturally and genetically diverse," said lead author Kyle Walsh, Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of Neurosurgery at Duke University School of Medicine.

"We hypothesized that prior studies about gliomas -- and potentially other diseases -- could mask differences in incidence and outcomes if they rely on the limited information provided in the cancer registries,"

Walsh and colleagues -- including senior author Quinn T. Ostrom, Ph.D., assistant professor of neurosurgery at Duke - analyzed data from the U.S. Census Bureau and the Central Brain Tumor Registry of the United States.

The researchers found a relatively high incidence of gliomas among Hispanics from Cuba, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, and other areas of the Caribbean.

While their rate of glioma incidence was still lower than for non-Hispanic Whites, the Caribbean Hispanic groups had a notably higher rate than that found among Hispanics from Mexico and Central America.

The researchers found, however, that Hispanics of Mexican or Central American origin tended to have worse outcomes from gliomas than those from the Caribbean.

These differences appear partially attributable to ancestry-associated genetic differences across U.S. Hispanic populations." Kyle Walsh, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Neurosurgery, Duke University School of Medicine

Historically, Walsh noted, Europeans and Africans arrived in much greater numbers to the Caribbean regions than to Central America, blending over time with the populations native to the islands and potentially conferring the higher glioma risk.

While greater European ancestry is associated with an elevated risk of glioma, African ancestry has been associated with better survival outcomes. In the Caribbean region, where enslaved people from African arrived in large numbers, populations inherited the higher incidence of glioma from European ancestry, along with the improved survival tendency from African heritage.

Walsh said structural and economic factors are likely to contribute as well, particularly in influencing patient survival.

"We demonstrate that appropriately recognizing and accounting for the cultural, socioeconomic, and genetic diversity that exists within U.S. Hispanics is imperative when examining cancer disparities," Walsh said.
Today NPS MedicineWise released survey results about young Australians with mental health issues. Almost half (47%) were uncomfortable speaking to their doctor about it when first diagnosed. This got easier over time. Around 4 in 10 (43%) had used a mental health safety plan. This is something that can lower the risk of suicide by almost half.

We carried out the survey from 25-29 June 2022. 309 Australians between the ages of 16 and 24 diagnosed with a mental health condition took part. The people were representative of young people with a mental health condition.

Mental health and young people

Awareness of mental ill health in Australia is growing. It is a problem that often starts in young age.

More than half of all young people go through some form of mental ill health by the age of 25, says Dr Caroline West, GP and medical advisor at NPS MedicineWise.

For three quarters of adults living with a mental health issue, it started before 25 years of age. This is why it is so important for young people to seek help early. There are treatments that work.

Fear of stigma and feeling alone in their struggles stop people from seeking help, she says.

This is why NPS MedicineWise has created a series of videos where young people share their stories. They talk about overcoming stigma, building relationships with health professionals and navigating the health system.

Stigma

There are cultural aspects to having a mental health condition, says Jeanette Chan, a 23 year-old mental health advocate from Melbourne.

It was really challenging at first talking about mental health with my family. It wasnt something that we talked about a lot.

For a long time I held it in and dealt with it on my own.

I eventually spoke to my family about mental health. It wasnt great at first. Over time, I persisted with the different conversations. Its worked out for the best, she says.

A trusted relationship with your doctor

The survey found people felt more comfortable over time speaking to their doctor about mental health. When first diagnosed almost half (47%) felt uncomfortable speaking about the topic. Only about three in ten (31%) of these people still feel uncomfortable now.

The survey also found almost one in five (18%) of people were not part of treatment decisions. Over four in ten (44%) felt as an equal with their doctor in working on their mental health.

It is important you feel comfortable with your doctor. They are your partner working with you on your mental health. It is about you and what is right for you, says Dr West.

It can sometimes take time to feel comfortable. If you dont connect with one doctor, it is important to seek out one who you can relate to and trust.

Safety plans lower the risk of suicide

Around four in ten (43%) of young people with a mental health condition use a mental health safety plan. Only about one in seven (15%) had never heard of a mental health safety plan.

Suicidal thoughts are common for people feeling mental health distress.

A mental health safety plan is an important part of mental health treatment. A safety plan can lower the risk of suicide by almost half (435).

You can use the Beyond Now app from Beyond Blue as a mental health safety plan. It is on your phone and it is always there when you need it." Dr Caroline West, GP and Medical Advisor, NPS MedicineWise

There are 7 steps to the Beyond Now mental health safety plan:
Liver cancer's rapid growth leads to a vulnerability in its energy-production and cell-building processes that may be potently exploited with a new combination-treatment strategy, according to a study from researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

In the study, published August 2 in Cell Metabolism, the researchers discovered that the main type of primary liver cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), modifies its metabolism in a way that leaves it susceptible to disruptions in the supply of a key molecule, arginine. This arginine vulnerability, they found, is present in all HCC cancers regardless of the specific genetic mutations that gave rise to them.

The researchers showed in preclinical tests that starving HCC tumors of arginine, and also blocking the survival-promoting response that results, leaves HCC tumors in a no-growth, "senescent" state-;in which they can be killed off with a new class of drugs that target senescent cells.

"Essentially we identified a metabolic property of most liver cancers that offers the possibility of treating these cancers effectively, using drugs that are already approved or in development." said study senior author Celeste Simon PhD, the Arthur H. Rubenstein, MBBCh Professor in the Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, and scientific director of the Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute at Penn Medicine.

HCC is the most common form of liver cancer in adults. According to the National Cancer Institute, it accounts for roughly 80 percent of primary liver tumors - tumors that originate in the liver instead of spreading there from other organs. HCC occurs in about 29,000 Americans annually, nearly a million are detected worldwide, and it is thought to be caused by chronic liver inflammation due to hepatitis viruses, alcoholism, and obesity. The disease is seldom cured, because it tends to be diagnosed only after it has advanced beyond the possibility of surgical removal. Furthermore, liver transplants, which can cure benign disease, are often unavailable to advanced HCC patients. Drug treatments for HCC are limited and almost never result in cures. Thus, there is an urgent need for new treatment strategies.

The approach taken by Simon and her team-;targeting tumor metabolism-;is one that cancer researchers have been exploring more and more in recent years. Cancer cells usually find ways to modify their energy-production and molecule-building processes to accommodate their rapid growth. These modifications create vulnerabilities for the cancer cells that may be found in all or virtually all cases of a given cancer type. The challenge has been to identify these susceptibilities in different cancers and develop viable strategies for targeting them in a way that avoids metabolic redundancies and plasticity.

In the new study, Simon's team first established from existing cancer cell gene activity databases, and from tests on patient tumor samples and cancer cell lines, that virtually all HCCs turn up their metabolism by suppressing a biochemical process called the urea cycle. The urea cycle normally produces, among other things, an amino acid called arginine, which is a building-block of proteins and has many other important functions. The researchers showed that HCC cells compensate for their loss of internal, urea-cycle arginine production by importing arginine from their surroundings, mainly via a transporter protein called SLC7A1.

The researchers tried blocking SLC7A1 activity in HCC cells to starve them of arginine. This didn't kill the HCC cells, though. Instead, arginine starvation triggered a stress response that threw the cells into a dormant, slow-growth mode-;from which they could recover if arginine became available again. The researchers then tried blocking the stress response as well, and found that the HCC cells now were forced into a more profound and harder-to-reverse no-growth state called senescence.

The senescent state is one that many cells fall into during normal aging. So-called senolytic drugs to kill these cells are being developed by pharma companies, because removing senescent cells has been found to have a rejuvenating effect in animal models of aging. Simon's team used one of these experimental senolytic compounds, ABT-263, and found that it killed senescent HCC cells and caused very strong tumor regression in animal models of HCC.

The findings thus point to the possibility of a three-part combination treatment-;to starve HCC tumors of arginine, to block the ensuing stress response and induce senescence, and, lastly, to kill the resulting senescent HCC cells and stop tumor growth. Simon said it is possible that all three of these effects could be achieved with drugs that are already in use or being studied for other applications.

Conceivably this type of combination treatment, if implemented properly, would also make many patients more responsive to other treatments such as immunotherapies." Celeste Simon, Study Senior Author and Arthur H. Rubenstein Professor, Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine

The research was funded by the National Cancer Institute (T32 CA09140, P01 CA104838, R35 CA197602) and by the Belgian American Educational Foundation.
Three years ago, Mason Lester, a rambunctious toddler, tumbled off his family's porch and broke his wrist. His mother, nine months pregnant, rushed him to a nearby hospital, where she made a confounding discovery: Their health insurance had vanished.

Alarmed, Katie Lester called the Tennessee Medicaid agency, TennCare, which had covered her during a prior pregnancy and insured Mason since the day he was born.

TennCare said they were no longer enrolled because the family failed to respond to a packet of essential paperwork. But Lester hadn't seen the packet, nor a termination letter. Years would pass before it became clear what went wrong: Due to a clerical error, TennCare had mailed both to a horse pasture.

The loss of Medicaid was catastrophic for the Lesters, an impoverished family that owns a small lawn-cutting business in Belfast, a town of 600 about an hour south of Nashville. Lester and her husband appealed TennCare's decision but were rejected. They reapplied and were denied after mailed paperwork once again failed to reach their home. The Lesters said they were left uninsured for most of the next three years, during which the coronavirus, injuries, and a cesarean birth buried them under more than $100,000 of debt, which savaged their credit and dashed plans to buy their first home.

"It was like we just got run over by a bus when I found out we didn't have insurance," Lester said.

The Lesters' story may be a warning of what's to come for many poor Americans. Because of the covid-19 public health emergency, TennCare and Medicaid programs in other states largely have been barred from dropping anyone, and Medicaid enrollment has swelled to historical highs. But when the emergency is declared over, states will once again require families to prove they are poor enough to qualify for coverage. Millions are expected to lose their insurance in the year that follows, including countless people like the Lesters who meet the requirements for Medicaid but get lost in its labyrinthine bureaucracy.

"People are falling through the cracks. And we need something there to catch them before they are swallowed up in the abyss." Waverly Crenshaw Jr., chief judge of the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee

Problems with the verification process have long shadowed TennCare, an agency that prides itself on keeping enrollment small and spending lean. State officials have for years been criticized for requiring Tennesseans to navigate a thicket of paperwork. Prior investigations of TennCare revealed that most people are dropped because of incomplete or unreturned forms. As few as 5% of those dropped are found to be ineligible.

Thirty-five TennCare members challenged its "defective" renewal process in a class-action lawsuit in 2020, and the ongoing case recently added plaintiffs, including the Lesters. The lawsuit accuses TennCare of befuddling its members with vague and contradictory instructions; demanding information it already has or does not need; ignoring the info that members provide; improperly rejecting termination appeals; and, sometimes, sending essential paperwork to addresses that it "knows, or should know," are wrong.

Michele Johnson, executive director of the nonprofit Tennessee Justice Center, which leads the lawsuit, described TennCare's renewal process as a "gotcha game."

"The state's focus is on trying to find someplace where a family tripped up, rather than on ensuring that the process accurately enrolls families who are eligible," Johnson said.

The lawsuit asks a federal judge to order TennCare to reenroll about 108,000 people who were dropped in the 12 months before the pandemic emerged and maintain their coverage until and unless the agency can prove they do not qualify.

Waverly Crenshaw Jr., a federal judge in Tennessee, at a March hearing expressed concern about eligible people losing coverage and said termination letters sent by TennCare contain "misleading" language about appealing the decision.

That language has appeared in TennCare letters since at least 2015, including during a period when hundreds of thousands of Tennesseans were cut from its programs, according to TennCare documents obtained by KHN.

"People are falling through the cracks," the judge said. "And we need something there to catch them before they are swallowed up in the abyss."

Soon those cracks will widen.

The federal public health emergency is set to expire in October, and Medicaid programs across the country are poised to once again ask families for proof of income. TennCare estimates the renewal process will prune enrollment back to a pre-pandemic level of about 1.4 million members within a year, which means about 300,000 people will leave or be dropped.

Johnson said the looming end of the federal emergency gives the class-action suit "greater importance" even though it is focused on the 108,000 people who were dropped between March 2019 and March 2020.

"We would not expect the state to fix the problems just for the 108,000 and yet leave the defective process in effect for everyone else," Johnson said.

TennCare officials declined to be interviewed for this story or answer questions about the lawsuit or the appeal information in its termination letters.

In response to emailed questions, agency spokesperson Amy Lawrence said that TennCare is "continually improving the eligibility process" but that members are responsible for keeping their addresses up to date and responding to any renewal paperwork.

When the federal emergency ends, TennCare expects to automatically renew at least half of its members using readily available electronic data, then will send paperwork packets to the rest  as many as 850,000 people  over the next year, Lawrence said.

The paperwork purge

TennCare members have been here before. It was messy.

TennCare renewals were paused in 2014 so officials could focus on implementation of the Affordable Care Act. TennCare grew by more than 350,000 people before renewals resumed and many were disenrolled.

A 2019 investigation by The Tennessean newspaper revealed that a sliver of those people were found to be ineligible for TennCare before they were dropped. A government audit affirmed this finding: Of more than 242,000 children cut from TennCare from 2016 to mid-2019, only 5% were determined to be ineligible for coverage.

An additional 66%  or about 159,000 kids  lost their insurance because TennCare said their families did not respond to renewal paperwork or provide enough info on that paperwork, according to the audit.

One of those families was the Lesters, who lost their coverage in May 2019. Documents provided by the family and filed in their lawsuit show their packet of TennCare paperwork was first mailed to a house where the Lesters had lived on and off. The packet was returned to TennCare as "undeliverable," then erroneously re-mailed to a horse pasture next to a relative's house, then returned to TennCare again.

In other words, the Lesters did not complete the paperwork because they never saw it.

And TennCare knew it.

TennCare also mailed the Lesters' termination letter to the horse pasture, which is why the family did not realize Mason was uninsured. Lester filed an appeal, but TennCare rejected it as "untimely," according to a TennCare court filing. Lester filed a new application, but TennCare denied it, the filing states.

In June 2019, Lester gave birth to another son, Memphis, while still trying to convince TennCare they should qualify for Medicaid.

"Hours after having a baby, still doped up in my hospital bed, I was getting in my email, trying to find proof of income to get them everything they needed," she said.

In 2020, while still uninsured, Lester contracted covid and required hospitalization for two days, she said. The following fall, Memphis stepped on a shard of glass and needed surgery, then soon afterward was hospitalized for a week with covid and respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, his mother said. Weeks after that, in October 2021, Mason stumbled in the yard and shattered another bone.

This time, hospital staff reenrolled Mason in TennCare in a "presumptive eligibility" category, according to the family's lawsuit. TennCare covered Mason for about four months before dropping him again.

One month later, in April, the Lesters connected with the Tennessee Justice Center, which finally discovered the clerical error that steered their TennCare paperwork to the horse pasture.

The Lesters joined the center's lawsuit the following month, and weeks after that TennCare approved coverage for the whole family, saying in a court filing that eligibility was affirmed through the discovery process. The coverage is retroactive to 2019, so it should erase much of the Lesters' medical debt.

But TennCare defends its initial decision to drop the family, arguing they were "appropriately terminated" for failing to complete renewal paperwork. Kimberly Hagan, the agency's director of member services, said in a court filing that the Lesters' problems were "entirely attributable to the failure of the U.S. Postal Service," which was not delivering mail to the Lesters' home and gave TennCare an "erroneous forwarding address."

"While this is an unfortunate set of circumstances, it was not of TennCare's making and in no way reflects a systemic issue with TennCare's eligibility reverification and redetermination processes," Hagan said.

Hagan also said the Lesters could have obtained the lost paperwork by logging in to TennCare's web portal, TennCare Connect. The portal, part of a $400 million modernization of TennCare, launched about two months before the Lesters' problems began in 2019.

TennCare sent 'misleading' letter for years

The lawsuit also unearthed concerns that families cut from TennCare may have been misinformed of their right to appeal before an impartial official, also known as a "fair hearing."

The concerns stem from a paragraph included in some TennCare termination letters. It reads: "If you still think we made a mistake about a fact, you can have a fair hearing. If you don't think we made a mistake about a fact, you can't have a fair hearing."

KHN obtained copies of two TennCare templates for termination letters, dated 2015 and 2017, that both contain this language. It was also included in a letter sent to the Lesters.

Crenshaw, the federal judge, said on March 4 that this language "misleads" because people are entitled to a hearing if they believe TennCare made a mistake in "the application of [their] facts to the law." TennCare has been telling them otherwise, the judge said.

"They don't lose their right to a hearing. They may be wrong, but  don't they still have that right to a hearing?" the judge said.

"At a minimum, it frustrates their due process rights," he added.

An example of a mistake involving "the application of facts to the law" would be TennCare accurately denying someone coverage because their income is too high but failing to consider them for another kind of coverage with a higher income limit.

Johnson, the head of the Tennessee Justice Center, said "many of the mistakes" made by TennCare are like this. In 2019 the agency failed to consider applicants for seven eligibility categories, each of which allows for different income levels, she said.

TennCare denies that its letters were misleading but said in a new court filing that they have been "voluntarily modified" to exclude this language.
AMES, Iowa  July 27, 2022  Three Iowa Department of Transportation projects were honored today with an Americas Transportation Award at the annual meeting of the Mid America Association of State Transportation Officials being held in Des Moines.

The projects were selected from 18 entries from the 10-state region that includes Kansas, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, and Kentucky. Sponsored by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, AAA, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the competition serves as a way to recognize state DOTs and highlight the projects they deliver that make their communities a better place to live, work, and play. Project nominations fall into one of three categories: Operations Excellence, Best Use of Technology & Innovation, and Quality of Life/Community Development.

Iowas award winners are:

Iowa Department of Transportation  Council Bluffs Interstate System Dual, Divided Freeway (Operations Excellence, Large category- projects costing more than $200 million)





Iowa Department of Transportation & Illinois Department of Transportation  The Memorial Bridge (Interstate 74 Mississippi River Crossing) (Quality of Life/Community Development, Large category - projects costing more than $200 million)





All MAASTO States (nominated by Iowa Department of Transportation)  Emergency Divisible Load Management (Operations Excellence, Small category - projects costing up to $25 million)



AASHTO Transportation TV highlighted the 2022 MAASTO nominees and winners in this video.



-#-

AASHTO contact: Tony Dorsey at tdorsey@aashto.org or 202-412-2391

Iowa DOT Contact: Andrea Henry at andrea.henry@iowadot.us or 515-203-1734
MBABANE  The Deputy Director- General responsible for Public Diplomacy at the Department of International Relations and Corporation in South Africa, Clayson Monyela, says the statement made by Government Spokesperson Alpheous Nxumalo that; South Africa is infested with a cancer of criminality from head to toes, was unfortunate.

This follows a heated interview Nxumalo had with SAfms Sakina Kamwendo yesterday morning, which was live on air. Nxumalo was responding to the allegations made by former Secretary General (SG) of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) Godrich Gandee that the Eswatini Government had a hand in the murder of his daughter, Hillary. During the interview, Nxumalo rubbished the allegations but went on to say; South Africa is infested with a cancer of criminality from head to toe.

Unfortunate

Responding, Monyela said; It is a very unfortunate statement that he made but we will resist the temptation to return insults with insults. What we will not allow is for South Africa and the people of this country to be insulted by an individual hoping to be speaking on behalf of a neighbouring country. By the way, we have excellent relations with the King of Eswatini. Monyela stated that they wanted to believe that the views expressed by Nxumalo were his own and not that of the country. He further added that;  We will be taking this matter up with proper diplomatic channels to seek an explanation from Eswatini, as to whether those views represent them or as we suspect are the views of an individual. When sought for comment on the response by the SA Government, Nxumalo said; No response I can make to the government of South Africa. I only responded to a media interview and I leave it at that. Thank you (sic).
(Newser)  Cryptocurrency firm Forsage used technology undreamt of when Charles Ponzi was ripping off investors in the 1920s but regulators say the basic idea was the same: A scam in which investors promised big returns were paid off with money from later investors. The Securities and Exchange Commission has charged 11 people in connection with the scheme, which the regulator says raised more than $300 million from investors in the US and elsewhere, CBS reports. The SEC says Forsage was a pyramid scheme as well as a Ponzi scheme, with investors making profits by recruiting others. Investors were promised a "powerful long-term source of passive income."

When it was launched in early 2020, Forsage claimed to be a decentralized smart contract platform operating on the Ethereum, Tron and Binance blockchains, but regulators say its real function was scamming investors, reports CNBC. "As the complaint alleges, Forsage is a fraudulent pyramid scheme launched on a massive scale and aggressively marketed to investors," Carolyn Welshhans, acting chief of the SECs Crypto Assets and Cyber Unit, said in a statement. "Fraudsters cannot circumvent the federal securities laws by focusing their schemes on smart contracts and blockchains."

The SEC says it charged Forsage's four foundersVladimir Okhotnikov, Jane Doe aka Lola Ferrari, Mikhail Sergeev, and Sergey Maslakovwho are believed to be living in Russia, the Republic of Georgia, and Indonesia. The SEC charged another seven people with violating federal securities laws, including members of the "Crypto Crusaders," a group that promoted the scheme in the US, TechCrunch reports. The regulator says two of the defendants have agreed to settle the charges. (Read more cryptocurrency stories.)
(Newser)  Alabama police say a 12-year-old girl chewed through her restraints to escape after she was kidnapped, assaulted, drugged, and tied to bed posts for almost a week. She was found walking alone down a road south of Dadeville Monday, and the ensuing investigation ultimately led authorities to the discovery of two decomposing bodies and the arrest of a suspect, WSFA reports.

Jose Paulino Pascual-Reyes, 37, is being held at the Tallapoosa County Jail on three counts of capital murder, two counts of abuse of a corpse, and one count of first-degree kidnapping. More charges could follow, Alabama News Network reports. The remains were found inside Pascual-Reyes' home, police say. It was unclear how long they'd been there; they've been sent to the state's Department of Forensic Sciences for autopsies and identification. (Read more Alabama stories.)
(Newser)  Bestselling author Stephen King stepped up to the witness stand Tuesday in a federal antitrust trial. Tracing his own history, he laid out a portrait of a publishing industry that has become increasingly concentrated over the years while richly rewarding his creative endeavors, the AP reports. "My name is Stephen King. Im a freelance writer," King said as he began his sworn testimony as a witness for the Justice Department. The government is bidding to convince a federal judge that the proposed merger of Penguin Random House and rival Simon & Schuster, two of the world's biggest publishers, would thwart competition and damage the careers of some of the most popular authors. King has been published for years by Simon & Schuster.

King's appearance in US District Court in Washington brought a narrative of the evolution of book publishing toward the dominance of the Big Five companies, which the proposed merger would reduce to four. As government attorney Mel Schwarz walked King through his history starting as a new, unknown author in the 1970s and his relationships with agents and publishers, King homed in on a critique of the industry as it is now. King crisply answered Schwarz's questions, with some moments of humor and brief flashes of gentle outrage, as he testified during the second day of the trial. "The Big Five are pretty entrenched," he said. King's displeasure about the proposed merger led him to voluntarily testify for the government.

"I came because I think that consolidation is bad for competition," King said. The way the industry has evolved, he said, "it becomes tougher and tougher for writers to find money to live on." King expressed skepticism toward the two publishers commitment to continue to bid for books separately and competitively after a merger. "You might as well say you're going to have a husband and wife bidding against each other for the same house," he quipped. "It would be sort of very gentlemanly and sort of after you, and after you," he said, gesturing with a polite sweep of the arm. Attorney Daniel Petrocelli representing the companies told King he had no questions for him and demurred on a cross-examination.

(Read more Stephen King stories.)
(Newser)  House Speaker Nancy Pelosi became the highest-ranked American lawmaker to visit Taiwan in 25 years Tuesdayand China reacted exactly as expected. Beijing, which considers Taiwan its territory, slammed the move as a "serious violation" after Pelosi arrived in Taipei. The country's foreign ministry summoned Nicholas Burns, the American ambassador to Beijing, to register what it said were "strong protests" about the visit, the BBC reports. Chinas defense ministry said the military had been put on "high alert" and announced that there would be several days of live-fire military exercises in six locations surrounding Taiwan after Pelosi leaves, reports the Guardian.

Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said the announcements from China were "unfortunately right in line with what we had anticipated," the Washington Post reports. Kirby said there is no reason for "Beijing to turn this visit, which is consistent with long-standing US policy, into some sort of crisis, or use it as a pretext to increase aggressiveness and military activity in or around the Taiwan Strait." He added: "We are prepared to manage what Beijing chooses to do. At the same time, we will not engage in saber-rattling."

Analysts say that while the exercises will temporarily block some Taiwanese ports, China appears to be planning a show of strength but not an invasion of the island, reports the New York Times. But with tensions high, there is a chance that an accidental encounter between the Chinese and Taiwanese militaries that could spark a conflict. In a fiery editorial, the state-run Global Times said "forces like Pelosi" could not stop "full reunification" of the mainland and Taiwanand she should pay a price for the "reckless" visit. "We should make people like Pelosi understand that Taiwan is not a place where they can visit at will," the editorial said. (Pelosi says the visit should be seen as a statement "that America stands with Taiwan, our democratic partner.")
(Newser)  Businesswoman and conservative commentator Tudor Dixon won the Republican primary for Michigan governor on Tuesday, setting up a tough general election race against Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, the AP reports. Dixon defeated four male candidates in a race between little-known Republicans. She was endorsed by former President Donald Trump and the prominent Michigan Republican family of former Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, as well as the Michigan Chamber of Commerce and several anti-abortion organizations. The mother of four made education a top issue of her campaign, saying she wants to keep drag queens and talk of sex and gender out of elementary schools. She opposes abortion, except to save the life of the mother, and says Michigan should eliminate the requirement for permits to carry concealed weapons.

More from Tuesday, which the AP says was "one of the biggest days of this year's primary campaign season":

Arizona: Many of the races still have not been called. The Wall Street Journal is providing live updates on all of the night's primaries here.

Many of the races still have not been called. The Wall Street Journal is providing live updates on all of the night's primaries here. Kansas: Voters in the conservative state resoundingly rejected a constitutional amendment that would have allowed the Legislature to ban abortion. It was the first major test of voter sentiment since the Supreme Court ruling in June to rescind the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion nationwide.

Voters in the conservative state resoundingly rejected a constitutional amendment that would have allowed the Legislature to ban abortion. It was the first major test of voter sentiment since the Supreme Court ruling in June to rescind the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion nationwide. Kansas, again: The top state elections official in Kansas beat back a far-right challenger who promoted conspiracy theories in one of several primaries Tuesday featuring candidates for secretary of state who have expressed skepticism of elections or promoted lies about the 2020 presidential election. Secretary of State Scott Schwab has repeatedly vouched for the safety of Kansas elections and touted new GOP-pushed laws, including ones that restrict the delivery of ballots by third parties. He's also said he can't vouch for other states' elections. The message worked well for him in his primary against Mike Brown, a construction contractor and former county commissioner in the Kansas City area. Brown embraced election conspiracy theories and promised to rid the state of ballot drop boxes, the AP reports.

The top state elections official in Kansas beat back a far-right challenger who promoted conspiracy theories in one of several primaries Tuesday featuring candidates for secretary of state who have expressed skepticism of elections or promoted lies about the 2020 presidential election. Secretary of State Scott Schwab has repeatedly vouched for the safety of Kansas elections and touted new GOP-pushed laws, including ones that restrict the delivery of ballots by third parties. He's also said he can't vouch for other states' elections. The message worked well for him in his primary against Mike Brown, a construction contractor and former county commissioner in the Kansas City area. Brown embraced election conspiracy theories and promised to rid the state of ballot drop boxes, the AP reports. Kansas, part 3: Republicans nominated Kris Kobach for Kansas attorney general, keeping alive the polarizing conservatives bid for a political comeback following his losses in a governors race and US Senate primary over the past four years, the AP reports. The Democratic nominee is first-time candidate Chris Mann, a private practice attorney who previously worked as a police officer and prosecutor.

Michigan: Rep. Rashida Tlaib, a Michigan Democrat and member of the progressive Squad in Congress, sailed through a primary election Tuesday, the AP reports. (Fellow "Squad" member Rep. Cori Bush did the same in Missouri.)

Rep. Rashida Tlaib, a Michigan Democrat and member of the progressive Squad in Congress, sailed through a primary election Tuesday, the AP reports. (Fellow "Squad" member Rep. Cori Bush did the same in Missouri.) Missouri: Democratic hopes of picking up a US Senate seat in deep-red Missouri faltered Tuesday after Republican voters selected Attorney General Eric Schmitt as their nominee over former Gov. Eric Greitens, who resigned in disgrace in 2018. Greitens, they predicted, would be toxic in a general election. (Trump stopped short of issuing an endorsement in the race, instead issuing a vague statement this week throwing his support behind ERIC. It's not clear which one he meant.) On the Democrat side, beer heir Trudy Busch Valentine won her primary Tuesday.

Democratic hopes of picking up a US Senate seat in deep-red Missouri faltered Tuesday after Republican voters selected Attorney General Eric Schmitt as their nominee over former Gov. Eric Greitens, who resigned in disgrace in 2018. Greitens, they predicted, would be toxic in a general election. (Trump stopped short of issuing an endorsement in the race, instead issuing a vague statement this week throwing his support behind ERIC. It's not clear which one he meant.) On the Democrat side, beer heir Trudy Busch Valentine won her primary Tuesday. Washington state: Democratic US Sen. Patty Murray advanced Tuesday to the fall election in her quest for a sixth term after the longtime incumbent highlighted her support for abortion rights in the run up to Washingtons primary election. Murray will face Republican Tiffany Smiley, who is trying to become the first person from her party to win a US Senate seat in Washington in nearly 30 years, the AP reports.

(Read more Election 2022 stories.)
(Newser)  US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi departed Taiwan on Wednesday evening for South Korea after a visit that heightened tensions with China, saying she and other members of Congress in her delegation showed they will not abandon their commitment to the self-governing island. "Today the world faces a choice between democracy and autocracy," she said in a short speech during a meeting with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, per the AP. "Americas determination to preserve democracy, here in Taiwan and around the world, remains ironclad." This came after China, which claims Taiwan as its territory and opposes any engagement by Taiwanese officials with foreign governments, issued a series of harsh statements and announced multiple military exercises around the island.

Taiwan decried the planned military exercises, which are to be the largest aimed at Taiwan since 1995, when China fired missiles in a large-scale exercise to show its displeasure at a visit by then-Taiwanese President Lee Teng-hui to the US. "Such an act equals to sealing off Taiwan by air and sea, such an act covers our countrys territory and territorial waters, and severely violates our countrys territorial sovereignty," Capt. Jian-chang Yu said at a briefing by the National Defense Ministry. "Facing deliberately heightened military threats, Taiwan will not back down," President Tsai said at her meeting with Pelosi, who also met with prominent rights activists and representatives from Taiwan's legislature. "We will firmly uphold our nation's sovereignty and continue to hold the line of defense for democracy."

Tsai, thanking Pelosi for her decades of support for Taiwan, presented the speaker with a civilian honor, the Order of the Propitious Clouds. China responded differently. Shortly after Pelosi landed Tuesday night, China announced live-fire drills that reportedly started that night, as well as the four-day exercises starting Thursday. The People's Liberation Army Air Force also flew a contingent of 21 war planes Tuesday night, including fighter jets, toward Taiwan. Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Xie Feng also summoned the US ambassador in Beijing, Nicholas Burns, to convey the country's protests the same night. On Wednesday, China also banned some imports from Taiwan, including citrus fruit and fish. (Read more Taiwan stories.)
(Newser)  Update: Archie Battersbee, the 12-year-old British boy whose parents fought to keep him on life support, has died, reports the Independent. Per Sky News, a spokeswoman for the family said Archie, who'd been in a coma since April, was taken off his medication at Royal London Hospital at 10am local time, and that "his stats remained stable until two hours later when they removed the ventilation." She added: "We hope no family has to go through what we went through. It's barbaric." Archie's parents, Hollie Dance and Paul Battersbee, had unsuccessfully launched a final appeal this week to the European Court of Human Rights to intervene. In an interview on Friday, Dance told Sky that "I've done everything that I promised my little boy I'd do." Outside the hospital on Saturday, Dance said that Archie "fought right until the very end and I am so proud to be his mum." Our original story from Wednesday follows:

The parents of a 12-year-old who doctors say will not recover from extensive brain damage are continuing to fight against his removal from life support in the UK with an appeal to the European Court of Human Rights. "We now hope and pray that the ECHR will look favorably on the application," says Hollie Dance, mother of Archie Battersbee, who was found unconscious with a ligature over his head at his home in Essex on April 7, per the BBC. "I am hoping that they will step in and give Archie a right to live," she says, adding, "We will not give up on Archie until the end."

Archie would've already been removed from life support had it not been for the appeals of his parents, including to the UK Supreme Court, which have so far been unsuccessful. He was to be taken off life support at 11am local time on Wednesday unless his parents submitted their application for a stay to the ECHRtheir last remaining optionby 9am, per the Guardian. "We can confirm that the court has received an application for interim measures and that it is being processed currently," the ECHR says, per the Telegraph.

Barts Health NHS Trust, which operates Royal London Hospital where Archie has been under care, says it will "make no changes to Archie's care until the outstanding legal issues are resolved." Dance says health providers in Japan and Italy have offered to continue treatment for Archie "if this country can't treat him or they're not willing to treat him," per the BBC. "If they can offer him some hope, then give him that chance," she says, per the Telegraph. (Read more life support stories.)
MBABANE  The Trade Union Congress of Swaziland (TUCOSWA) has lambasted government for its failure to cut taxes and allow workers some relief from the negative effects of price increases on goods and services.

Minister of Finance Neal Rijkenberg announced on Monday that government had no intention of cutting taxes to cushion consumers from rising prices of basic commodities like cooking oil, bread, fuel, and others. Interviewed yesterday, TUCOSWA President Bheki Mamba said the way the country had formulated the tax mechanism was one that drove the majority of emaSwati to poverty, with a few enjoying the benefits realised through economic growth. This is so because government has chosen to overly tax the citizens when the citizens have no means of survival to remedy the harsh conditions that they face. Government should have lessened taxation to allow citizens to be busy in the economy and thus generate growth through the circulation of money, he said.

TUCOSWA Acting Secretary General Winile Mlotsa said the problem in government lay with the distribution of resources, over and above the taxation system that had always hit hard on workers. She said government collected money from citizens through taxes, but failed to account for how the money was used. The money is taken from the workers, but then when it is distributed, the workers do not see the benefits. We nursed hopes that organisations like Tibiyo, which are held in trust for the people, would come handy by subsidising such basic commodities when times are tough. However, this has not happened, and it lives us to wonder who benefits from such institutions, she said.

Worse

Mlotsa further pointed out that conditions of work were getting worse with each passing day for workers, yet when they needed help the most, it was not forthcoming. We are seeing retrenchments being carried out left right and centre. No one cares about the plight of workers. When we go to the rural areas to visit our parents, the roads are so bad that one wonders what government uses the money from taxation for, she said. Mlotsa urged government to do more for people with disabilities, provide more scholarships, take care of the elderly, respect workers rights, and attend to roads discrepancies in the communities. This will explain to us how they use the money they collect through taxes. They need not explain anything after that, she said.
(Newser)  Abortion rights have been upheld in the first state to vote on the issue since the overturning of Roe v. Wadea reliably Republican state, too. Kansas voters on Tuesday rejected a state constitutional amendment that would have ended abortion protections, meaning the state will remain one of the few in the Midwest with legal abortion. The Catholic Church contributed more than $3 million to the "Yes" campaign to repeal abortion rights, which was also backed by Kansans for Life, per the Guardian. The "No" campaign backed by Kansans for Constitutional Freedom, Planned Parenthood, and the ACLU ultimately won what was thought to be a tight race by "unexpected" margins, per the Wall Street Journal. It holds 59% of the vote with 95% of ballots counted, per the New York Times.

"We knew it was stacked against us  but we did not despair," KCF campaign manager Rachel Sweet tells the Guardian. "We knocked tens of thousands of doors and had hundreds of thousands of phone calls," she said. "We countered millions of dollars in misinformation." Kansans for Life claimed removing abortion protections would prevent late-term abortions, abortions for minors without parental consent, and taxpayer funding for the procedure "despite none of these being the law in Kansas," per the Guardian. Abortions in the state are only permitted up to 20 weeks postfertilization, unless there are serious health concerns. The "Yes" campaign countered that Kansans faced misinformation from the "No" side, per the Journal.

"It was a tense and bitterly fought campaign that saw churches vandalized and yard signs stolen," per the Guardian. In the end, "everyone from Republicans, to unaffiliated voters to hardcore libertarians came out to say: 'No, we don't want the government involved in what we do with our bodies,'" said KCF spokesperson Ashley All. In a statement, President Biden said the vote showed "the majority of Americans agree that women should have access to abortion and should have the right to make their own health care decisions," per the AP. Anti-abortion groups, however, labeled the vote a huge disappointment. Turnout was unusually high for a Kansas primary, with estimates as high as 50%, compared with 34% in 2020 and about 27% in 2018, per the Journal. (Read more abortion stories.)
(Newser)  English actor Dev Patel broke up a knife fight in Adelaide, Australia, on Monday evening, and everyone lived to tell the tale. Per NBC News, the Slumdog Millionaire star and friends noticed a violent altercation between a man and woman outside a convenience store. Per the BBC, police said the couple brought the fight inside the store, where the woman stabbed the man in the chest as Patel and others attempted to intervene. A representative for Patel told local 7 News that Dev acted on his natural instinct to try and de-escalate the situation ... the group was thankfully successful in doing so and they remained on site to ensure that the police and eventually the ambulance arrived.

In a later statement to Variety, Patels rep said there are no heroes in this situation and sadly this specific incident highlights a larger systemic issue of marginalized members of society not being treated with the dignity and respect they deserve. The statement concluded with the hope that the same level of media attention this story is receiving (solely because Dev, as a famous person, was involved) can be a catalyst for lawmakers to be compassionate in determining long-term solutions to help not only the individuals who were involved but the community at large. Per the Guardian, the 32-year-old stabbing victim's injuries were not life threatening; the 34-year-old woman was charged with aggravated assault causing harm and is being held without bail. (Read more Dev Patel stories.)
(Newser)  Dutch citizens have lost their reason for wishing to pelt Jeff Bezos and his superyacht with eggs. Though it was initially expected that a massive bridge in the city of Rotterdam would need to be dismantled to allow the billionaire's $500 million superyacht to reach the sea, the 417-foot vessel was in fact transported out of Oceanco's shipbuilding yard in Alblasserdam early Tuesday without the need to deconstruct the Koningshaven Bridge, also known as De Hef. The Koninklijke van der Wees Groep confirmed it moved the yacht to Oceanco's Greenport yard, where its masts will be added. From there, it can enter the North Sea unencumbered, per the NL Times.

Oceanco, the maker of the yacht, was initially granted approval from the local government to dismantle the decommissioned bridge, which is 230 feet tall at its highest point, to allow the three-masted schooner to reach the sea. But that triggered an uproar, despite Oceanco's plans to foot the bill, the New York Times reports. It notes that "building the earth's biggest sailing yacht and taking apart a city's beloved landmark" is considered "the devils all-you-can-eat buffet" in the Netherlands, which prides itself on austerity. Oceanco ultimately rescinded its request to take apart the bridge last month.

The unfinished vessel, without its three masts, was then towed from Alblasserdam before dawn Tuesday, the New York Post reports. The yacht dubbed Y721 made the journey 24 miles southwest along the Noord canal in less than three hours, though it normally takes twice as long to make that journey, according to Dutch yacht enthusiast Hanco Bol, who captured video of the transport. "We never saw a transport going that fast," Bol wrote in the caption of his YouTube video. It will still be several months before the superyacht is completed, per the Post. (Read more Jeff Bezos stories.)
(Newser)  The post-Jan. 6 phone-wiping apparently extended to the Pentagon as well as Homeland Security and the Secret Service, according to court documents. The watchdog group American Oversight says that in response to litigation, the Department of Defense and the Army have confirmed that the phones of officials including former acting Defense Secretary Chris Miller and former Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy were wiped at the end of the Trump administration. The group says it filed Freedom of Information Act requests for the officials' text messages on Jan. 12, 2021, just six days after the attack.

"From the reporting about the Secret Service and the senior DHS officials, it becomes pretty clear that this is not just a DOD problem, not just an Army problem, but multiagency," American Oversight spokeswoman Dana Silvestre tells the Washington Post. The officials whose phones were wiped after they were turned in played key roles in the Pentagon's response to the riot, and the erasure of their text messages will be yet another blow to the investigation. Heather Sawyer, American Oversight's executive director, has asked Attorney General Merrick Garland to investigate the Pentagon's "destruction of records potentially relevant to this significant matter of national attention and historical importance."

Pentagon sources say wiping the phones of departing officials is standard procedure, but Sawyer tells CNN that it's "just astounding to believe that the agency did not understand the importance of preserving its records"especially those of "top officials that might have captured: what they were doing, when they were doing it, why they were doing, it on that day." Paul Ney, former general counsel for the Department of Defense, tells CNN that he didn't wipe his phone before he turned it in on Jan. 20, 2021, and this is the first time he's heard about any issue with it. (Read more Capitol attack stories.)
(Newser)  The scenic Northern California hamlet of Klamath River was home to about 200 people, a community center where they gathered, a corner store, and a post office. But the wildfire raging through the forested region near the Oregon state line jumped the river last weekend, killing four residents of the tiny community and turning most of its homes and businesses to ash, the AP reports. Some Klamath River residents are now picking through the burned out shells of their modest houses. Eighty-year-old Roger Derry says he and his son are among the few families whose homes were spared by the inferno.

"Its very sad. Its very disheartening," says Derry, who has lived in the unincorporated town for more than four decades. "Some of our oldest homes, 100-year-old homes, are gone. Its a small community. Good people, good folks, for the most part, live here and in time will rebuild. But its going to take some time now." The McKinney Fire was still out of control on Wednesday despite some progress by firefighters who took advantage of thunderstorms that dumped rain and temporarily lowered heat that can help fan flames in the parched region. The fire has charred nearly 90 square miles since it erupted last Friday and is the largest of several wildfires burning in the Klamath National Forest.

Roger Derry and his son Rodger, decided not to evacuate when the fire broke out and said their home survived after they had tried to safeguard it by trimming away nearby bushes. Firefighters also showed up and dug firebreaks around the neighborhood. But the fire was terrifying as it approached. "When that fire came over that ridgeline, it had 100-foot flames for about 5 miles and the wind was blowing. It was coming down like a solid blowtorch," Roger Derry said. "There was nothing to stop it." Klamath River was virtually wiped off the map, with the fire destroying most of its homes, including those in a trailer park, along with the post office, community hall, and scattered businesses.

(Read more California wildfires stories.)
The Public Safety Report is compiled from criminal complaints filed in state and federal courts, as well as some police blotter information, trooper dispatches, fire department reports and interviews with public safety officials. Individuals named as arrested and/or charged with crimes in this report are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, emphasised the vital role of the public sectors executive management in implementing the Kingdoms wide-ranging development initiatives and strategies, led by His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa.

This came as HRH Prince Salman yesterday met with recently appointed undersecretaries, presidents and chief executives from across various government agencies at Gudaibiya Palace.

The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure, HE Shaikh Khalid bin Abdulla Al Khalifa, and the Minister of Cabinet Affairs, HE Hamad bin Faisal Al Malki, also attended the meeting.

HRH the Crown Prince and Prime Minister congratulated the government appointees and wished them success with their new roles. He commended the officials efforts which have led to the development of services offered to citizens and resident.
TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

The Court rejected an appeal filed by a Bahraini man who had sued the Ministry of Labour for removing him from the list of those receiving unemployment compensation.

This came after the Ministry provided sufficient evidence confirming that the defendant declined four job offers that were on par with his qualifications and experiences without valid reasons.

I was surprised to learn that my file was cancelled, the plaintiff said during the court hearings of his case, attributing his decision to decline the offers to the fact that he was not in the Kingdom.

I appealed their decision, and it was rejected, he added. Meanwhile, the Ministry presented evidence that the plaintiff turned down four job offers.

The plaintiff holds an intermediate school certificate and he was provided with four job offers, all of which he declined, the Ministry of Labours legal representative told the court.

The Court ruled in favour of the Ministry after accepting the evidence provided by its lawyer, adding that it practised within its scope of responsibilities.
MBABANE  With external examinations around the corner, government has not paid examination fees for orphaned and vulnerable children (OVC) at all levels; Grade VII, Form III and Form V.

This is despite the fact that the deadline set by the Examination Council of Eswatini (ECESWA) has elapsed. Worth noting is that a late payment fee is required for all pupils who have not paid on time. Late payment fee for Eswatini Primary Certificate (EPC) attracts E200 per candidate, while for the Junior Certificate (Form III) is E250. Eswatini General Certificate for Secondary Education (EGCSE) examination is E600 per candidate. The Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Education and Training, Bhekithemba Gama, confirmed that they had not yet paid for the examinations. Gama said the late entry penalty would be factored in during the settlement of the debt.

Responding on why government had delayed payments for external exams, Gama said what was important was that they had to pay at some point. He stated that the ECESWA would receive their payment eventually. According to Gama, government made an undertaking on how the payment would be made.

Arrangement

The PS said government had an arrangement with ECESWA on the payment part for OVCs. Every parent has a challenge; others opt to pay in instalments and others at a later stage.

Gama said schools should practice patience and understand the situation that the country was going through financially. Financially, the country is in a very bad state, the PS said.

Gama said the issue of finance cut across and there should be no finger-pointing to government as other parents were also struggling to pay as well. He said government was also a struggling parent at times.

When reached for comment on the issue of delayed payments for learners expected to sit for their external examinations, Swaziland National Association of Teachers (SNAT) Secretary General (SG) Sikelela Dlamini said it was causing anxiety for the pupils. Dlamini also added that the pupils were going through instability of the mind as to whether they would eventually sit for the examinations or not. This, he stated, was due to the fact that only learners who paid for the examinations would be allowed into the examination room. Further, he said the deadline had elapsed and ECESWA would be expected to produce papers as per the numbers of learners who had paid. Pupils who have not paid do not get exam papers. We do not know how government will be able to succumvent that, said the SNAT SG.

Doom

Dlamini said this spelt doom for the learners future and meant something should be done by government to ensure that the situation was prevented. Swaziland Association of Schools Administrators (SASA) SG Siphasha Dlamini said the situation was very unfortunate. Siphasha said all they could do was encourage government to pay as ECESWA was a structure under the Ministry of Education and Training. She said what they prayed for was for the external examination not to be disturbed. Siphasha said they were trying hard that next year, things normalised and the term should not be longer than expected. This, she said, disturbed the register which was rigid to three terms. Meanwhile, ECESWA has maintained that the payments for examination fees are going smoothly. ECESWAs Communications Officer Hlengiwe Ndlovu was requested to give an update on how the payments for external examinations were going. However, she said the deadline for the payments had elapsed.
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KLAMATH RIVER, Calif. (AP)  A week ago, the scenic Northern California hamlet of Klamath River was home to about 200 people and had a community center, post office and a corner grocery store. Now, after a wildfire raged through the forested region near the Oregon state line, four people are dead and the store is among the few buildings not reduced to ashes.

At an evacuation center Wednesday, Bill Simms said that three of the four victims were his neighbors. Two were a married couple who lived up the road.

I dont get emotional about stuff and material things, Simms said. But when you hear my next-door neighbors died ... that gets a little emotional.

The 65-year-old retiree bought his property six years ago as a second home with access to hunting and fishing. He said Klamath River is a place people are attracted to because they can have privacy and enjoy nature.

He went back to check on his property Tuesday and found it was destroyed.

The house, the guest house and the RV were gone. Its just wasteland, devastation, Simms said. He found the body of one of his two cats, which he buried. The other cat is still missing. He was able to take his two dogs with him to the shelter.

The McKinney Fire broke out Friday and was still out of control on Wednesday, despite progress by firefighters who took advantage of rain from thunderstorms and lower temperatures.

But even the welcome precipitation brought problems. On Tuesday, heavy rain swelled rivers and creeks and a private contractor in a pickup truck who was aiding the firefighting effort was hurt when a bridge gave out and washed away the vehicle, said Courtney Kreider, a spokesperson with the Siskiyou County Sheriff's Office. The contractor was hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries, she said.

More than 100 buildings ranging from homes to sheds have burned. Identifying the four people who were killed could take several days, Kreider said.

The fire has charred nearly 90 square miles (233 square kilometers) and is the largest in California so far this year. The cause is unknown.

With the rain and cooler temperatures, the blaze grew very little and fire officials said crews used bulldozers to carve firebreaks along a ridge to protect homes and buildings in and around Yreka, which has about 7,800 residents and is the largest city in Siskiyou County.

On Wednesday, evacuation orders for residents of Yreka and Hawkinsville were downgraded to warnings, allowing people to return home. But they were warned the fire remains a threat and were urged to be ready to flee again if necessary.

Skies were mostly clear on Wednesday and temperatures were in the mid- to high 90s, baking an already parched landscape.

California and much of the rest of the West is in drought and wildfire danger is high, with the historically worst of the fire season still to come. Fires are burning in Montana, Idaho and Nebraska and have destroyed homes and threaten communities.

Scientists say climate change has made the West warmer and drier over the last three decades and will continue to make weather more extreme and wildfires more frequent and destructive. California has seen its largest, most destructive and deadliest wildfires in the last five years. In 2018, a massive blaze in the Sierra Nevada foothills destroyed much of the city of Paradise and killed 85 people, the most deaths from a U.S. wildfire in a century.

When it began, the McKinney Fire burned just several hundred acres and firefighters thought they would quickly bring it under control. But thunderstorms came in with ferocious wind gusts that within hours had pushed it into an unstoppable conflagration.

Roger Derry, 80, and his son, Rodger, were among the few families from Klamath River whose homes were spared by the inferno. The elder Derry, who has lived in the unincorporated town for more than four decades, said the fire was terrifying.

When that fire came over that ridgeline, it had 100-foot flames for about 5 miles and the wind was blowing. It was coming down like a solid blowtorch, he said. There was nothing to stop it.

Harlene Schwander, 82, lost the home she had just moved into a month ago to be closer to her son and daughter-in-law. Their home survived but her house was torched.

Schwander, an artist, said she only managed to grab a few family photos and some jewelry before evacuating. Everything else  including her art collection, went up in flames.

Im sad. Everybody says it was just stuff, but it was all I had," she said.

In northwestern Montana, a fire that has destroyed at least four homes and forced the evacuation of about 150 residences west of Flathead Lake continued to be pushed north by winds on Wednesday, fire officials said.

Crews had to be pulled off the lines on Wednesday afternoon due to increased fire activity, Sara Rouse, a public information officer, told NBC Montana.

There were concerns the fire could reach Lake Mary Ronan by Wednesday evening, officials said.

The fire, which started on July 29 in grass on the Flathead Indian Reservation, quickly moved into timber and had charred nearly 29 square miles (76 square km).

The Moose Fire in Idaho has burned more than 85 square miles (220 square kilometers) in the Salmon-Challis National Forest while threatening homes, mining operations and fisheries near the town of Salmon. And a wildfire in northwestern Nebraska led to evacuations and destroyed or damaged several homes near the small city of Gering. The Carter Canyon Fire began Saturday as two separate fires that merged.

___

Weber reported from Los Angeles. Associated Press reporters Amy Hanson in Helena, Montana; Margery Beck in Omaha, Nebraska; and Keith Ridler in Boise, Idaho, contributed to this report.
NYAKATFO  Another day, another incident of mob justice!

This time, three people who were accused of posing as police officers and conducting illegal raids, were assaulted by a mob at Siganganyeni around Nyakatfo in northern Hhohho. Two of the three assaulted people died. Some residents are said to have complained about being terrorised by the men in the area. They accused them of targeting certain homesteads and pretending to be police officers on duty to raid, especially for dagga. This time, it is alleged that the men were travelling in a blue Honda Fit. One of them is said to have been wearing a Royal Eswatini Police Service (REPS) tracksuit. It is alleged some of the residents assumed that the men were disguised police officers, to avoid being attacked, as their colleagues were being targeted and killed of late.

Assaulted

It was gathered that none of the assaulted men was a police officer and that the REPS tracksuit may have been obtained from a relative of one of the police imposters. While the men were allegedly carrying out their routine raids, they were identified and accused by another group of people of having stolen from them. It was then discovered that they were actually not police officers but imposters. Sources said they were interrogated and assaulted by a group of about seven to 10 people. According to the sources, the men were assaulted at a certain homestead. This was revealed by some residents, who said the incident left some community members shocked, but others said they were tired of being robbed. The residents said the men were beaten until they lost consciousness.

When they became unconscious, the members of the mob are said to have assumed that they had died. The sources said they put them into a vehicle and went and dumped their bodies and their vehicle at the nearest highway. Other residents said it was common in the area to be robbed of dagga by people posing as police officers. The problem with being robbed of your dagga is that you cannot report this anywhere, said one of the residents. He said as a result, some people took the law into their own hands because even if one could go to the police, they would end up not getting assistance.

He further revealed that it was for that reason that the three men were assaulted. He alleged that it appeared that the mob comprised of both men and women. The assaulted mens vehicle was not damaged as it was discovered that it belonged to another person who was not part of the three, according to some residents. Some of the motorists who saw the bodies next to the road along the highway near Buhleni are said to have first thought the men lying next to the road had been involved in a car accident. However, after taking a closer look, they discovered that their bodies had been battered. Chief Police Information and Communications Officer Superintendent Phindile Vilakati, confirmed that two men aged 35 and 39 died while undergoing treatment at Mkhuzweni Health Centre.

Admitted

This publication further gathered that the third person had been admitted to hospital due to the injuries he sustained. Meanwhile, some of the residents had mixed reactions to the incident and expressed concern about the high number of incidents of mob justice. In the past two weeks, this publication reported incidents of at least four cases of mob justice. On Monday, this publication reported that a mob around Herefords, also in northern Hhohho, was looking for two people who were accused of stabbing two men in a failed robbery. The stabbed men were admitted to Mkhuzweni Health Centre last Friday and discharged on Saturday.

However, the men who were accused of stabbing them escaped and residents are said to be searching for them. Vilakati had also confirmed that two people were stabbed and that the culprits were still on the run. Last Friday it was reoprted that two people were killed by a mob after they were suspected of being robbers. The incident happened at Lombhiwako around Nsingizini under Hosea Constituency. It is alleged that a male and female died due to injuries they sustained during the assault. On the night of the incident, the deceased male, with five others, had gone to rob a certain man but he called for help. A brother to the man who called for help is then said to have arrived with a bush knife and found his brother being suffocated. He is said to have hacked the intruder but later, a mob of about 150 people joined in. Six people, including the woman who later died, were assaulted by the mob while being questioned on the items they had allegedly stolen.

Stabbed

On Saturday, the Eswatini News reported that a man was stabbed to death by a mob at Nginamadvolo. The deceased was allegedly fetched from his parental home and a few minutes later, he was stabbed to death. The deceased was also accused of having stolen some items, including dagga, but his parents disputed this allegation. The deceased is also said to have disputed this but despite doing so, he was stabbed to death. Sibusiso Nhlabasi, a Human Rights Lawyer, said the incidents of mob justice were a sign that the policing system was failing. He said people had lost confidence in the police because they were allegedly failing to investigate matters. He said the police appeared to be more focused on investigating political incidents.

Nhlabatsi said when police officers spent more time investigating political crimes, they lost focus on the community. He said the police should return to the communities to regain confidence of the people. Other residents said the ongoing turmoil and economic hardships had worsened the situation. They said people were not employed and that they were using various means to generate income. So, when you steal from them, they react in this manner, said the residents.
According to media reports, documents revealed a direct financial link between accused Partha Chatterjee and Arpita Mukherjee. According to the reports, Mukherjee purchased 18 homes between 2011 and 2022 with the money found from her apartment despite her denials that it belonged to her.

According to the sources, Chatterjee and Mukherjee jointly purchased one of the numerous properties. The property is in dispute, a 7,300 square-foot plot of land in Birbhum that the Chatterjee-Mukherjee team bought in 2012.

Two of Mukherjees houses have already been raided by the ED. Raids on Mukherjees Diamond City home in Tollygunge, South Kolkata, led to the seizure of 2 kilograms of gold jewelry and Rs 20 crore in cash in Indian and foreign currencies. On the northern outskirts of Kolkata, in Belgharia, a residence was raided and 6 kilograms of gold and cash worth Rs. 27.90 crores were found.

Arpita, Chatterjees close aide, stated that the money taken by ED from her residences did not belong to her and had been kept there while she was away. The money is not mine; it was held there while I was away, she claimed.

Enforcement Directorate (ED) had discovered more than Rs 50 crores in her residences in Kolkata.

Former Bengal minister Partha Chatterjee, and his aide Arpita Mukherjee are flashing in headlines their involvement in the multi-crore SSC recruitment scam case.
After US President Joe Biden announced the death of Al Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahiri in a precision drone strike, speculations arose about potential successsor, another Egyptian Al Qaeda figure, Mohammed Salahaldin Zidan, who goes by the alias Saif al-Adel, emerged as a likely contender, as per security officials who audit the region.



Till now, there is no clarity on the current location of Adel, who was speculated to be in Iran.

Ayman al-Zawahiris death will hit the morale of the groups supporters and cadres in India but there is also the issue that disgruntled fighters may decide to join the Islamic State-Khorasan Province (ISKP) according to sources cited above.



On condition of anonymity, an official in charge of monitoring global terrorism and the activities of international terror groups, said Considering the operational capabilities of ISKP to mount spectacular attacks, any possible tilt from Al Qaeda ranks to Islamic State warrants serious attention.



Considering that Adel, a veteran field expert and former lieutenant colonel in the Egyptian special forces, has led reckless attacks like the bombings of the US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania in 1998, the Indian intelligence community is closely keeping watch on Al Qaedas actions.



Adel reportedly trained some of the hijackers involved in the 9/11 attacks while fighting Soviet forces in Afghanistan in the 1980s.



The Indian government, which recently re-established a diplomatic presence in Kabul, did not issue any official statements after Zawaharis death.

However, the official added that Zawahiris death is likely to hurt al-regional Qaedas affiliates, including Ansar al-Islam and Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS).



According to the most recent report from the UN sanctions monitoring team, AQIS reportedly has 180400 fighters, mostly from Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, and Pakistan.



After the controversy surrounding remarks made against the Prophet Mohammed by two former BJP spokespersons, intelligence authorities recently got information that Al Qaeda members in India were driving propaganda campaigns and attempts to rebuild the organisation. AQIS had vowed to carry out strikes in a number of locations, including Delhi, Mumbai, UP, and Gujarat in June after the remark made by former BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma.



In a video published in April of this year, al-Zawahiri discussed the hijab dispute in Karnataka and urged Muslims in the subcontinent to fight the attack on Islam intellectually, using the media, and with weapons on the battlefield.

In July 2019, he asked the mujahideen in Kashmir to strike the Indian Army and the government in Jammu and Kashmir with unrelenting blows.



Since the primary fighting branch of the Taliban, the Haqqani Network, was responsible for multiple attacks against Indian interests, there were concerns in India after the Taliban took control of Afghanistan last year that Al Qaedas power would increase and trained fighters could be deployed to India.



Another official said, The extremely close ties between Taliban and Al Qaeda are evident from the fact that al-Zawahiri was stationed in a posh Kabul neighborhood. This close Al Qaeda-Taliban tie-up is totally against Indian interests, especially in the backdrop of Al Qaedas intentions to target India.
Amid all the heat coming from China, the US speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan.

China is making moves to make a statement on the repercussions of crossing them. China has made numerous statements in regards to Taiwan,

Food Supplies and Fish

Chinas Customs has declared it will suspend the import of food supplies like citrus fruits, Chilled white Striped hairtail, and frozen horse mackerel from Taiwan with immediate effect. In the first two quarters this year, Imports from Taiwan alone stand around USD 120 billion, an increase of about 7.4% witnessed compared to last year, Chinese customs data showed.

Natural Sand

China has also suspended the export of sand which is said to be a big blow to Taiwan, as the island is dependent on China for Sand which is solely used for construction and concrete. A similar ban was imposed by China on Taiwan in 2007 over environmental issues. According to the Chinese official, around 88-90% of natural sand is being exported to Taiwan by China.

Foundations groups

Reportedly, Beijing has declared that stringent actions are to be taken against Taiwanese groups  Taiwan Foundation for Democracy and the Taiwan International Cooperation and Development Fund. A ban will be imposed on financial cooperation from the mainland.

Drill encircling Taiwan

Mainland has clearly announced zones encircling the island to facilitate live-fire military drills. Some of the areas fall in the territorial waters, alarming to derange air traffic along with the shipping strait, which is said to be one of the busiest routes for trade.

Cyber-attacks

Late Tuesday, Taiwan faced cyber-attacks with outages spanning up to 20 minutes which is way worse than usual. Reportedly, the Taiwanese Foreign Ministry website suffered disruptions.
The highly anticipated yet controversial visit of US Speaker Nancy Pelosi has surely created a lot of buzz around the globe.

Taiwan which is an independent island but claimed by china was highly anticipating Nancy Pelosis visit. Amid all the heat coming from China, Nancy Pelosis visit is a clear sign of support for the self-ruled island.

Here are all the updates on her visit:

A US military jet carrying Pelosi touched down in Taiwan around 10.45 pm local time (17.45 BST). This visit makes it the biggest visit in about a quarter century. Although the US has maintained the one-china policy since the 1970s, still it has unofficial ties with Taiwan for its strategic moves.

Taiwans Foreign minister Joseph Wu welcomed the US Speaker as she arrived at the airport.

Shortly after her arrival, she visited the parliament and said, We are here to listen to you and learn from you as to how we can go forward together. We appreciate that an address has been made on Covid, as it also pertains to Security, Prosperity and the governance.

Now we look forward to our conversation about how we can work together to save the planet from the climate crisis. We thank you for your leadership & we want the world to recognise it. Our visit was about human rights, unfair trade practices, security issues, she also added.

On the other hand, China announced to halt several fruit and fish imports from Taiwan. Chinas custom declared that the import of Chilled white striped hairtail, citrus fruit, and frozen horse mackerel has been suspended with immediate effect.

Whilst her visit to the parliament and meeting with the deputy speaker of the islands legislature, she said We come in friendship with Taiwan, and We come in peace to the region, she added, as reported by a local agency.

Simultaneously, China has taken stringent actions against groups of Taiwan, Beijing reportedly declared that the Taiwanese groups  Taiwan Foundation for Democracy and the Taiwan International Cooperation and Development Fund will be banned from financially cooperating with the mainland.

Pelosi expressed her gratitude as she was referred to as A good friend to Taiwan, her visit embarks on three main points-

Security, for people and global security

Prosperity, to spread economic freedom as much as possible

Governance, as she wants to increase inter-parliamentary cooperation and dialogue with Taiwan.

Pelosi also added, how the US legislation intends to strengthen the American chip industry to go head-to-head with China.

Taiwans defence Minister on the hand said, Taiwan has the caliber to defend its national security and has a full grasp of the air and naval activities. This came in soon after China announced that, the naval forces will be having drills near the island.

While Pelosi meet the President of Taiwan, Tsai Ing-wen bestowed her with the Order of Propitious Clouds with Special Grand Cordon. Pelosi while accepting the honor, praised the female leader and even said that she is one of the female leaders in the world.

More than 20 times Chinese military jets entered the Taiwanese air defense zone, calling it a drill.

While Tsai thanked Pelosi for her unfrequented support to the nation, and that the island will not back down and citizens dont need to worry as the island has heightened its military vigilance.

While addressing the Taiwanese press conference, Nancy Pelosi firmly stated that while they respect the One-China policy but also believe in freedom with security. US solidarity with Taiwan is more important than ever, she added.
US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi addressed Taiwans Parliament on Wednesday. The Biden administration warned Pelosi about the risky visit that could spark a new crisis in Asia.

Taiwan is flourishing democracy. It has proven to world that hope, courage & determination can build peaceful & prosperous future despite challenges it faces. Now, more than ever, Americas solidarity with Taiwan is crucial, thats the message we bring in today, said US Speaker Pelosi.



Pelosi landed in Taipei late at night after weeks of speculations about her travel plan.



America has made a bedrock promise to always stand with Taiwan. On this strong foundation, weve a thriving partnership grounded in self-government & self-determination focused on mutual security in the region & world committed to economic prosperity, said US Speaker Pelosi.



After meeting Pelosi, Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen said, US Speaker Pelosi is truly one of Taiwans most devoted friends. We are grateful to you to make this visit to Taiwan to showcase the US Congress staunch support for Taiwan. Aggressions against democratic Taiwan would have a tremendous impact on the security of the entire Indo-PacificFacing deliberately heightened military threats Taiwan will not back down.



China warned Pelosi not to make visit to self-ruled Taiwan. Shortly after Pelosis arrival, 21 Chinese military aircraft flew into the southwestern part of Taiwans air defense identification zone (ADIZ), as confirmed by Taiwans Ministry of National Defense.



US Speaker Nancy Pelosi became the highest elected US official to visit Taiwan in 25 years.

Earlier on Wednesday, Chinas customs department issued a suspension of imports from Taiwan of citrus fruits, chilled white striped hairtail, and frozen horse mackerel. Meanwhile, Taiwans natural sand exports were also halted by the trade ministry.
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The cinnamon and cardamom-spiked aroma of the "Instant Karma" candle from Snif hits your senses as soon as you walk into The Collective West, the new store opened by Westport resident and celebrity fashion designer Christian Siriano.

On an afternoon in late July, The Collective West was an air conditioned reprieve filled with high fashion and art. The store sells Sirianos clothing and designs and features local interior design pieces, art work, jewelry and more. Walk into the store, and it's all on display. There's jewelry and an art gallery on the left. Straight ahead, there's Siriano's gowns and handbags, along with more jewelry, an entry for the fitting rooms and Frannys Farmacy hemp products. To the right, men's clothing, couches and home decor.

It's all part of the "mini department store" he opened in town on July 12.

Ned Gerard/Hearst Connecticut Media

Sitting in his new store wearing a black tee, olive green pants and grey chelsea-style boots, the sunlight streaming through its massive windows, Siriano said opening his high-fashion shop in suburban Westport feels like he's filling a vacancy in the town's fashion scene.

"There are so many great people that live in Connecticut that do not get the perks of what New York City has so our goal was to bring a little glamour, elevated concept store," he said. "Kind of like an old school Barney's, but in Connecticut."

Recognizing that so many people moved from New York to Westport, he said he noticed there weren't many locations to shop designer products, custom furniture and art. So he chose the 940 Post Road location to ensure there was enough space for all he plans to offer at the shop, as well as enough parking for his customers in the high-traffic area.

"I felt I could fill the void," he said. "We plan on doing fashion shows, events, concerts and I wanted a space where we can do all of that."

Siriano is no stranger to the Westport community; he moved there from Danbury in 2020 and has been seen dining around the area. He has a store in New York City called The Curated NYC, a multi-brand boutique that offers luxury clothing, ready-to-wear, jewelry, bags, art pieces, fragrances and candles, vintage decor and other accessories. He also hosted a fashion show at his Westport home in 2020. For Siriano, making a home in Westport combined city comforts with Connecticut coastal living.

"The Danbury home was originally a weekend country house and was really secluded, but there was nothing around. I thought Westport was the best of both worlds  a city vibe but secluded  and is a beach town, has great restaurants and now has great shopping," he said.

Craig Barritt/Getty Images for Christian Siria Craig Barritt/Getty Images for Christian Siria Craig Barritt/Getty Images for Christian Siria Craig Barritt/Getty Images for Christian Siria Christian Siriano at the grand opening of The Collective West in Christian Siriano at the grand opening of The Collective West in Westport, Conn. on July 12, 2022. Craig Barritt / Getty ImagesWestport on July 12 Christian Siriano at the grand opening of The Collective West in Westport, Conn. on July 12, 2022. Craig Barritt / Getty Images

Before bringing The Collective West to Westport, Siriano first came onto the fashion scene in 2008 when he won the fourth season of "Project Runway." He has since become a household name in the fashion industry, dressing celebrities including Jennifer Lopez, Normani, Laura Linney and Michelle Obama. Now injecting a little bit of Manhattan into Connecticut suburbia, the store's grand opening gathered stars like Katie Holmes, Debra Messing, Laura Linney and model Coco Rocha for its debut. Over 350 people filled the store during opening night.

But while the guest list for its launch might have felt exclusive, the items The Collective West carries are anything but.

"I want people to shop in this space and shop their whole world. There's something here for everyone including the price point," Siriano said. "They can walk out the store with something that was $50 or walk out with something that was $20-30,000."

The store also highlights Siriano's goal of designing for every body type, carrying sizes from 0 to 30. Store assistant AJ Almeda called the designer's artistic direction "genius."

"He targets every woman in the spectrum so it is not one specific client he is making or tailoring for," Almeda said. "Everyone should be able to wear these designs, and Christian has a good way of incorporating his personal looks and his vision to execute it to the everyday woman."

Craig Barritt/Getty Images for Christian Siria

Enhancing the every day is what Siriano aims to achieve through his designs. It's also what he said made him move to Connecticut while still balancing his life in New York City.

"You get more bang for your buck, beautiful homes and beautiful things. I think it is so fabulous here," he said.

The Maryland native said Westport has come to be his escape, his place to "chill" and have fun, and of course where he now has his store. In the city, he said he gets to "be wild" and be with friends.

"It's a must to have both," he said.

This balance of both city and suburban, local and national shows up in his store, where he incorporates local brands with others from around the country. He features brands like Westport-based Bungalow Decor, as well as New York City's Josh Levkoff Jewelry, the Florida-based Irene Lummertz Jewelry, the Queens, N.Y.-based Eny Parker, California clothier Bleusalt, North Carolina-based Frannys Farmacy and New York's Future Lovers of Tomorrow, the clothing brand by Siriano's boyfriend.

"You then you have artists from all over the world, so it's cool to have a mix," he said. "It is great for the small-town customer of Connecticut who doesn't get these things."

All of this is mixed in with Siriano's ready-made styles. Customers can also get something custom-designed just for them.

"I just love to make clothes and I love people wearing them but I was never one to shy away from something or anyone. That's important," he said. "There are no limits as a designer. You can create anything whether they work or not and that's what's cool. I just love creating."

When Siriano is not designing or tending to The Collective West, customers can catch him eating at his favorite Westport spots, The Whelk, Kawa Ni, Little Barn and The Gray Goose.

"There is great food here," he said. "OKO is one of the best Japanese restaurants I have ever been to like anywhere."

To Siriano, Westport is his "mini Hamptons," but the best part to him is that it's an artist community. Staying true to the town's artistic roots, The Collective West even carries art pieces from Westport's Swoon art gallery.

"There are so many creatives here. Even the local florist is an artist in itself," he said. "I love how everyone is open minded, creative and younger but cooler vibe."
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AUSTIN, Texas  Alex Jones lawyers may have mistakenly sent a digital copy of his personal cellphone containing years worth of emails and text messages to a legal team that is suing Jones for defamation, one of the plaintiffs attorneys revealed Wednesday.

During parts of his testimony stretching over two days in a Texas courtroom, Jones repeatedly told jurors that he does not use email and that he had searched the contents of his phone for messages pertaining to Sandy Hook after he was sued by several family members of the victims for falsely saying the shooting was a hoax. The parents attorney suggested the cellphone records show Jones perjured himself on the stand.

The Jan. 6 House Committee on Wednesday is reportedly planning to request Jones text messages and emails as part of its investigation into the insurrection, according to Rolling Stone. Jones was subpoenaed by the committee last year over his role in organizing the rally on Jan. 6 that preceded the insurrection.

Jones said that his phone search, done during the discovery phase of the trial, did not turn up any relevant messages. Texas Judge Maya Guerra Gamble has already ruled in favor of Sandy Hook parents Neil Heslin and Scarlett Lewis by default, saying that Jones did not comply with the rules of discovery in the case.

Mark Bankston, who is representing Heslin and Lewis in their defamation case against Jones, asked the Infowars host again on Wednesday whether he had an email account or used text messages to discuss Sandy Hook. Jones reply to both questions, under oath, was that he did not.

Twelve days ago, your attorneys messed up and sent me a digital copy of every text, Bankston said. Do you know what perjury is?

Among the messages that Bankston showed to Jones and the jury were text messages between Jones and Infowars employees discussing the companys finances. Another message included a warning from one of Jones producers that the sites coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic contained falsehoods that were reminiscent of debunked theories Jones had spread about Sandy Hook.

Bankston, grilling Jones about his emails and text messages, told Jones, When your attorneys sent me your whole phone, they didnt mean to do that.

Jones attorney, F. Andino Reynal, objected to the statement, prompting Gamble to advise the jury that no evidence had been presented to show that the emails or texts had been shared by mistake. However, she also noted for the jury that any records relevant to the case should have been provided to the plaintiffs months ago during discovery.

When asked about Bankstons assertion during a brief recess, Reynal replied I do my talking in the courtroom.

Whoops, thats the wrong link

Bankston later told reporters on Wednesday that the records were sent by one of Reynals legal assistants through a file sharing platform, and that the file included several hundred gigabytes of data covering at least 27 months of phone records.

Under the legal rules of Texas, Bankston said he notified Reynal of the apparent mistake, kicking off a 10-day period in which Jones attorneys could notify the parents attorneys of any privileged records that needed to be returned. Bankston said that neither he nor other members of his legal team looked at the records during that period.

All Reynal said at the time was Whoops, thats the wrong link, disregard, Bankston said.

Once the 10-day period ended, Bankston said he and co-counsel began combing through the phone records, uncovering messages that he said Jones lawyers should have turned over during discovery along with a trove of Jones private, personal communications.

That review is ongoing, Bankston said, adding that his team needs more time to dig through all of the voluminous file.

Lewis and Heslin are seeking $150 million from Jones and his company, Free Speech Systems, after the court previously ruled he was liable for defamation.

On redirect, Reynal asked Jones if he trusted his lawyers to do their jobs in turning over evidence. Jones replied Yes.

When asked if he has any more questions for Jones, Banktson said I think we are done with Mr. Jones.

After the court went into a brief recess, Bankston was heard in court saying that there would be months of fallout from the contents of the cellphone.

You know what nobodys thought about yet? What happens when that phone goes to law enforcement, he said, his comment picked up by live mics broadcasting the trial over the internet.

While Bankston said that he is prepared to make newsworthy messages public, he added that he would keep the most intimate messages out of the public eye out of his own sense of morality.

When asked about news reports on Wednesday that investigators from the Jan. 6 committee were interested in reviewing Jones phone records, Bankston said that he fully intends to comply with any local, state or federal law enforcement investigations.

However, Bankston said he had yet to receive any subpoenas for Jones cellphone records.

Jones said outside the courthouse on Wednesday that he doesnt have a care in the world" about the records being passed to state or federal investigators.

I havent seen what theyre claiming they have but I havent done anything wrong, so no, Im not worried, absolutely not, he said.

Also included in the file, Bankston said, were private mental health records for several plaintiffs in a separate lawsuit brought by other Sandy Hook victims and an FBI agent. Those records were included elsewhere in the file shared with Bankstons team, and not on Jones cellphone, he said.

Reynal, who was recently added as an out-of-state attorney in that case, would likely have access to those records, Bankston said. But the accidental sharing of the medical records appears to violate a court order to place them under seal in Connecticut, Bankston said.

Bankston said he ordered his team to destroy the medical records, and notified the attorneys for the other plaintiffs in the Connecticut case of the issue.
Better-than-expected COVID-19 vaccine sales pushed Moderna past Wall Streets second-quarter forecasts.

The company said that its Spikevax vaccine brought in $4.53 billion during the quarter. Analysts were looking for around $3.6 billion, according to FactSet.

Moderna shares surged Wednesday after the company also announced another $3 billion share buyback plan.

Moderna's vaccine sales in the second quarter represent a drop from the nearly $6 billion that the vaccine brought in during the years first quarter, when a virus surge through the United States pushed more people to seek protection.

But those sales could pick up again later this year.

Moderna has developed an updated version of its vaccine for a fall booster campaign that combines the original shot with protection against the omicron variant.

The company announced last week that it reached a deal with the U.S. government for an initial purchase of 66 million doses of the booster shot for up to $1.74 billion. The government also has an option to purchase more doses.

The COVID-19 vaccine is Modernas main source of revenue, outside of grants and money from collaborations. Total revenue climbed 9% in the second quarter to $4.75 billion.

But operating expenses also swelled 78% to $2.3 billion for the vaccine maker, which has several products in late-stage clinical trials, the most expensive phase of research.

Moderna had $499 million in inventory write-downs in the quarter tied to vaccine doses that exceeded or were expected to exceed their shelf lives before being used. The company also said it booked another loss and an expense for unused manufacturing capacity due partly to a substantial reduction in expected deliveries to the COVAX vaccine-sharing program.

Overall, net income plunged 21% to $2.2 billion in the second quarter, and earnings totaled $5.24 per share.

Analysts expected earnings of $4.58 per share on about $4.1 billion in revenue, according to FactSet.

Moderna said Wednesday that its board authorized an additional $3 billion share repurchase program to return capital to shareholders. The company has repurchased 16 million shares since last year's final quarter. It still has about $1 billion left on another $3 billion repurchase program it announced in February.

Shares of Cambridge, Massachusetts-based Moderna Inc. jumped more than 15% in midday trading to $185.83 while broader indexes climbed over 1%.

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Follow Tom Murphy on Twitter: @thpmurphy
CVS Health thumped second-quarter expectations and hiked its full-year forecast as growing prescription claims and COVID-19 test kits sales countered a drop in vaccinations.

A longer cough, cold and flu season also brought in more business, and claims in CVS Health's biggest segment, pharmacy benefits management, rose about 4%. Pharmacy sales at the company's established drugstores also climbed more than 7%.

CVS Health's overall revenue jumped 11%, even as COVID-19 vaccinations fell compared with the same period last year, when many people were still getting their initial rounds of protection from the virus.

CVS Health administered about 6 million vaccinations in the quarter. That compares to nearly 17 million in the 2021 quarter.

Chief Financial Officer Shawn Guertin told analysts that CVS Health expects to administer nearly 20 million COVID-19 vaccinations this year. About 75% of that total was done during the first half.

Vaccine sales may fade over time, but they should remain higher than levels seen before the pandemic as COVID-19 shots become part of a seasonal routine for customers like flu shots, Edward Jones analyst John Boylan said in a research note.

CVS operates one of the nations largest drugstore chains with nearly 10,000 retail locations, a total it expects to pare by about 300 this year through a store optimization program. It also runs prescription drug plans for big clients like insurers and employers through its pharmacy benefit management business, and it provides health insurance for more than 24 million people through its Aetna arm.

Sales outside the pharmacy area of CVS Health's established drugstores climbed more than 9% in the quarter, a jump aided by COVID-19 test kits that customers can buy without a prescription.

Company drugstores could see more gains in the back half of the year from treating more COVID-19 patients. Last month, the Food and Drug Administration said pharmacists can begin screening patients to see if they are eligible for Pfizers COVID-19 treatment Paxlovid and then prescribe the medication.

Overall, quarterly net income climbed 6% to $2.96 billion in the second quarter, and adjusted earnings totaled $2.40 per share. Total revenue topped $80.6 billion.

Analysts predicted earnings of $2.18 per share on $76.41 billion in revenue, according to FactSet.

CVS Health now expects to post adjusted earnings of $8.40 to $8.60 per share this year. That represents a 20-cent hike at both ends of the range from its previous forecast.

Industry analysts have been projecting earnings of $8.35 per share, according to FactSet.

Shares of CVS Health Corp., based in Woonsocket, Rhode Island, climbed 4% or $4.20 to $99.57 in late-morning trading Wednesday, while broader markets rose slightly.

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Follow Tom Murphy on Twitter: @thpmurphy
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP)  General Assembly leaders acknowledged on Tuesday that a compromise for North Carolina to finally embrace Medicaid expansion likely won't come quickly and pinned success for a near-future agreement in part on buy-in from a key health care interest group.

Speaking separately to reporters while the legislature convened this week for no-vote sessions, Senate leader Phil Berger and House Speaker Tim Moore said top-level discussions have waned since its chief work period for the year ended 3 1/2 weeks ago.

By that time, the Republican-controlled House and Senate had passed different legislation that set the state on the path to accept federal funds to cover 90% of the medical expenses for as many as 600,000 low-income adults who earn too much for traditional Medicaid. North Carolina is one of 12 states that have yet to accept expansion since Congress first offered it over a decade ago.

The Senate proposal championed by Berger accepted expansion, but it also contained additional reforms he said would increase the number of providers and services. They included scaling back certificate of need laws that tightly regulate expansion plans by medical providers and allowing highly trained nurses to practice without a doctor's supervision.

The House plan left out those extra reforms, and instead envisioned the legislature returning in mid-December to vote on an expansion plan developed by Democratic Gov. Roy Coopers administration that contains several key fiscal and medical benchmarks.

The bill that the Senate sent over is just a nonstarter, Moore said. But Berger said his chamber won't settle for a measure that only contains expansion, but rather one that includes some supply-side increases" for health care providers and medical facilities. Berger placed blame upon the states hospitals for failing to accept a significant pull-back of certificate of need laws.

There remains a window to get something done, he told reporters. But quite frankly, as long as the hospitals remain as intransigent as they are, I dont see that were going to make any progress.

The North Carolina Healthcare Association, which represents for-profit and nonprofit hospitals, said Tuesday it looks forward to continue working with House and Senate leaders on advancing expansion and entry into a program that would let hospitals received higher Medicaid reimbursement rates.

But the group told Berger elements" of the Senate bill would be harmful to hospitals and erode the states safety net, NCHA spokesperson Cynthia Charles said in an emailed statement

As a sign of the association's influence, Moore said he would want to be sure that hospitals agreed to certificate of need changes before his chamber voted on them.

I think we need to be very careful (with) folks trying to blame hospitals, he said. These are the facilities that are there on the front lines, taking care of the sickest folks in our state.

While supporters of certificate of need laws say they prevent the use of expensive medical services from going out of balance with demand, critics say they limit competition, to the financial benefit of current health care providers.

Cooper, a strong supporter of Medicaid expansion and who would be asked to sign any final bill, told reporters earlier this month that he was hopeful for quick agreement on expansion.

Moore said Tuesday there was no need to rush on a solution. The legislature is already scheduled to return monthly for the rest of the year  the next meeting is Aug. 23  to address other potential topics. So there are opportunities to vote for any expansion agreement that surfaces. Berger expressed pessimism for now on a compromise by the end of the year, after which a new batch of 170 legislators will get sworn in.

An agreement can't come soon enough for participants at a Tuesday morning vigil outside the Legislative Building. They identified by name North Carolina residents whom they say died from severe illness while lacking Medicaid or insurance coverage.

I am angered, saddened and frustrated that we have to be out here again today doing another vigil and begging the lawmakers to do the right thing and expand Medicaid, said Rebecca Cerese with the North Carolina Justice Center. Health care cant wait. When it does wait  as you heard  people die.
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP)  South Carolina can continue enforcing its six-week abortion ban after a judge on Tuesday denied a request to temporarily block it amid a legal battle that is now headed to the state Supreme Court.

Since the U.S. Supreme Court ended the federal right to the procedure last month, abortion rights advocates in conservative states have turned to state constitutions as they seek to protect abortion access.

Planned Parenthood South Atlantic and other plaintiffs had asked the judge for an injunction while their lawsuit challenging the ban moves through the courts. The lawsuit argues that the law violates the state constitutions rights to privacy and equal protection.

State lawyers on Tuesday argued the significance of the issues raised and the need for a speedy trial made it necessary for the state Supreme Court to hear the case now.

Circuit Court Judge Casey Manning  who said this case raised the most fundamentally important constitutional issue he has seen  agreed and transferred the case. While the judge said Planned Parenthood could seek an injunction there, Planned Parenthood's attorney Hannah Swanson argued that patients in South Carolina need more urgent action to protect their health and freedom.

We need protection right now, Planned Parenthood South Carolina Director of Public Affairs Vicki Ringer told reporters. We need the constitution to do what it says it does: protect our right to privacy. And privacy begins with our bodies.

South Carolina Deputy Solicitor General Thomas Hydrick on Tuesday argued that voters did not intend to cover abortion rights when they approved the states right to privacy in 1971.

Many state restrictions have increased in the South since the Supreme Court last month overturned the federal right to the procedure. A Georgia law banning most abortions once fetal cardiac activity is present  as early as six weeks into a pregnancy  took effect last week.

In contrast to the South Carolina judge's decision, a Louisiana judge ruled last week that three abortion clinics in that state can continue operating while a lawsuit goes through the courts.

South Carolinas Republican-dominated legislature is on track to further restrict the procedure. A special committee last week advanced a proposal to ban almost all abortions, except when the mothers life is at risk.

GOP Gov. Henry McMaster signed the six-week ban last year but a federal appeals court prevented it from taking effect in February. That hold lasted until the Supreme Court ruled in Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization.

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James Pollard is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.
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PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP)  Top Southeast Asian diplomats meeting in Cambodia's capital intensified efforts Wednesday to stop the escalating violence in Myanmar and to address other pressing  and often divisive  regional issues.

It is the first in-person meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations foreign ministers since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has weakened economies and complicated diplomacy, and comes at a time of increased tensions between the United States and China, as well as global increases in food and energy prices following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

ASEAN has to deal with challenges of different types and levels but never before, never like this year, have we been confronted at the same time with so many perils for the region and the world at large, Cambodian Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn told the delegates ahead of the meetings.

Cambodia currently holds the rotating chairmanship of ASEAN, which also includes the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Laos, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam and Brunei in addition to Myanmar.

Myanmar's military ousted the democratically elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in February 2021, and the country was asked not to send any political representative to the ASEAN meetings in response to the violence that has ensued.

In protest of that decision, Myanmar's military government said it would send no delegate at all, so is unrepresented in the talks, complicating efforts to push the country to comply with an ASEAN five-point plan for peace, which it has largely been ignoring.

You're trying to solve the problem in Myanmar without talking to them, conceded Cambodia's spokesperson for the meetings, Kung Phoak, a Foreign Ministry official who also serves as the group's special envoy to Myanmar.

We are trying to talk to them, trying to explain to them, trying to express our frustration," he said. "But at the same time we also want to hear from them, what they think, how they can do more, so that we can make sure that the implementation of the five-point consensus is moving forward as fast as possible.

Suu Kyis ouster triggered widespread peaceful protests that were violently suppressed. They have evolved into an armed resistance and the country has slipped into what some U.N. experts characterize as a civil war.

Among other things, the five-point consensus calls for dialogue between all concerned parties and an immediate end to violence.

The military-led government has shown little interest in following the plan, however, and last week announced that it had resumed judicial executions, hanging four political prisoners. That prompted a global outcry, including from ASEAN countries, with Malaysian Foreign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah condemning the act as a crime against humanity.

New sanctions are being considered and Saifuddin said ahead of the meetings that the group should think about scrapping or revising its five-point consensus. He said ASEANs special envoy also needs to meet with the National Unity Government, a shadow civilian administration established outside Myanmar, to help develop a new political framework.

In his opening remarks, however, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen seemed to suggest a slower approach, saying that member states were deeply disappointed and disturbed by the execution of those opposition activists, but going on to say if more prisoners are to be executed we will be forced to rethink our role vis-a-vis ASEAN's five-point consensus.

In a draft copy of the final communique, which was obtained by The Associated Press and could change by the end of the meetings, the ministers say they remain committed to accelerate the implementation of the five-point consensus and again called for the immediate cessation of violence.

More than 2,100 people have been killed by the military government since it took power and nearly 15,000 have been arrested, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, a non-governmental organization that tracks killings and arrests.

Following the day's meetings, Saifuddin said he had brought up proposals on strengthening the implementation of the five-point consensus and including talks with opposition groups, but that the future of the plan would have to be decided later in the year when ASEAN leaders hold their summit.

The five-point consensus was decided by the leaders of ASEAN and only the leaders can decide what we do, he told reporters.

The foreign ministers of China and Russia, both of which have supported Myanmar's military regime, will be attending the ASEAN meetings and could be pressed by the group for assistance in implementing the plan. China, however, has strongly stuck by a principal of non-intervention while Russia is Myanmar's top arms supplier.

During a stop in Myanmar en route to Phnom Penh, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov showed no sign of any change to Moscow's stance, saying the two countries have a very solid foundation for building up cooperation in a wide range of areas.

We appreciate the traditionally friendly nature of our partnership, which is not affected by any opportunistic processes, Lavrov said.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who has criticized ASEAN for not doing enough to stop the violence in Myanmar, will also be in attendance in Phnom Penh.

There are currently no plans for Blinken to meet one-on-one with either Wang or Lavrov, but all three major powers are expected to take part Friday in an expanded meeting called the East Asia Summit. They are also to attend the ASEAN Regional Forum, a platform for security talks where North Korea is also a member.

That could be the first time Blinken and his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, would meet in the wake of House Speaker Nancy Pelosis visit to Taiwan, which provoked an angry response and threats from China, and might coincide with Chinese military exercises around the island.

Combined efforts to help the region in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic's devastating impacts on tourism and other industries is another issue the ASEAN ministers set out to tackle, as well as ongoing territorial disputes in the South China Sea.

In 2016, an arbitration tribunal set up in The Hague under the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea invalidated Beijing's vast territorial claims after the Philippine government complained in 2013 about Chinas increasingly aggressive actions in the disputed waters.

China did not participate in the arbitration, rejected its ruling as a sham and continues to defy it.

In addition to China and the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan and Brunei have had overlapping claims in the busy waterway, where an estimated $5 trillion in goods passes each year and which is believed to be rich in undersea gas and oil deposits.

In the draft final communique, the group says concerns remained on the land reclamations, activities, and serious incidents in the area, which have eroded trust and confidence, increased tensions, and may undermine peace, security, and stability in the region.

At the same time, they welcomed the continuously improving cooperation between ASEAN and China and said they were encouraged by the positive progress of the substantive negotiations toward agreement on a code of conduct in the South China Sea.

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Jim Gomez in Manila, Philippines, contributed to this report.
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ATLANTA (AP)  Georgia Republican Herschel Walker has accepted an invitation in his U.S. Senate race to debate Democratic incumbent Raphael Warnock, but it's not one of the three debate invitations Warnock earlier accepted, leaving it unclear whether the two will actually clash in person before the November general election.

Walker's campaign said Wednesday that the candidate had accepted an invitation from Nexstar Media Group and other television stations to debate Warnock in Savannah on Oct. 14.

Early-in person voting begins in Georgia on Oct. 17.

It is time that people see the difference. So on Oct. 14, I want Sen. Warnock to be ready, because I have accepted a debate, and now he can quit talking and show the people hes going to stand behind his words and show up for the debate," Walker told Fox News host Sean Hannity on Tuesday.

Walker has been proclaiming his readiness to debate Warnock for months, but his campaign in recent weeks has expressed concern over whether the formats and moderators would be fair to Walker. The GOP nominee skipped debates during his easy primary win, despite criticism from some Republicans.

Warnock and Democrats have been relentlessly attacking Walker as unqualified and untrustworthy after months of negative news stories, and polls show Warnock narrowly ahead, increasing pressure on Walker. Georgia is one of the most important states as Republicans attempt to recapture control of the Senate from Democrats, who took over the chamber only after Warnock and Sen. Jon Ossoff won twin runoffs in January 2021.

Warnock in June accepted invitations for three debates from WTOC-TV in Savannah, the Atlanta Press Club, and a group of news organizations in Macon.

Walkers preferred debate would be aired on Nexstar stations WSAV-TV in Savannah, WJBF-TV in Augusta and WRBL-TV in Columbus, as well as WAGA-TV in Atlanta, WGXA-TV in Macon and WFXL-TV in Albany. The debate would take place in front of a live audience somewhere in Savannah.

WSAV-TV reported Wednesday that Walker would only participate in its debate. Walker spokesperson Mallory Blount did not respond to a question from The Associated Press about whether Walker would decline other invitations.

As of Wednesday, Warnock's campaign said he was still committed to those invitations and had not accepted the Nexstar invitation.

Two months ago, Rev. Warnock accepted invitations to three well-established Georgia debates in Atlanta, Savannah, and Macon to be broadcast statewide, after Herschel Walker said he would debate Rev. Warnock anywhere, anytime. Nothing has changed, said campaign manager Quentin Fulks.

A proposal provided by the Walker campaign indicated Nexstar would tell candidates in advance about the topics to be discussed, but not specific questions.

For now, the Atlanta and Macon debates are still on, organizers said Wednesday, with Warnock and Libertarian Chase Oliver having accepted. Laurie Strauss of the Atlanta Press Club said the club has been in talks with the Walker campaign.

I'm still hopeful we'll be able to get them to confirm, Strauss said.

The Atlanta Press Club represents candidates who refuse its debate with an empty podium, letting other candidates bash the absent debater freely. Those sessions also allow candidates to question each other.

Debbie Blankenship, the executive director of the Mercer University for Collaborative Journalism, which is organizing the Macon debate, said her group has never heard back from the Walker campaign despite multiple attempts to contact the candidate.

Blankenship said the consortium of news organizations wanted to mount a debate to make sure candidates address the needs of middle Georgia and rural Georgia. She said debates are a chance to hear from candidates directly.

I think it just gives the candidates an opportunity to answer questions directly, Blankenship said. They're not filtered through political ads or news releases.

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Follow Jeff Amy at http://twitter.com/jeffamy.

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The story has been edited to correct the date of the debate to Oct. 14.
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Associated Press (AP)  Republican leaders got their wish with the defeat of former Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens in the U.S. Senate primary. Now, they face another complication: A well-funded, right-leaning political newcomer who could splinter some of the Republican and independent vote in November.

Attorney General Eric Schmitt pulled off a stunningly dominant win in the GOP primary on Tuesday. Greitens, forced by sex and campaign finance scandals to resign in 2018 and accused by his ex-wife of abuse in a March court document, didn't even finish second, bested also by U.S. Rep. Vicky Hartzler.

Schmitt will face Democrat Trudy Busch Valentine in November. The X factor is John Wood, a Republican running as an independent. He served as U.S. attorney in Missouri from 2007 to 2009 and before that held key roles in President George W. Bush's administration. He was most recently a senior investigative counsel for the Jan. 6 committee.

Backed by a political action committee led by retired Republican Sen. John Danforth, Wood reiterated Wednesday that hes in it to win it. He accused Schmitt of extremism, noting his court challenge to the results of the 2020 presidential election.

Hes very divisive and extreme and playing to the extreme parts of the Republican Party, Wood said of Schmitt. "I think there is still room for a mainstream candidate who is going to appeal to a large segment of Missouri voters.

Schmitt, 47, is a former state senator from suburban St. Louis who was elected state treasurer in 2016. He was appointed attorney general after Josh Hawley vacated the seat following his election to the U.S. Senate in 2019. Schmitt won another term as attorney general in 2020. He was among many who entered the Senate race soon after two-term incumbent Republican Roy Blunt announced last year that he would retire.

Missouri was considered a swing state as recently as a decade ago. Now, its solidly Republican, making Schmitt the odds-on favorite. Still, he'll face two well-funded opponents.

Valentine, 65, is an heiress to the Anheuser-Busch fortune. Her campaign was late-starting and largely self-funded, but her onslaught of TV ads overcame a strong grassroots effort by Marine veteran Lucas Kunce, who outraised everyone  Republican or Democrat  during the primary.

Wood, 52, has the powerful support of Danforth, who believes Wood is part of the answer to the vitriol permeating politics. Danforth said in a statement that his Missouri Stands United PAC has already spent $5 million on Wood's campaign and will spend more, including $700,000 over the next three weeks alone on TV and digital ads.

Missouri GOP operative John Hancock said Wood has zero chance of winning, and he doesn't believe he can take enough votes away from Schmitt to push Valentine to victory.

Theyre not positioning (Wood) as an independent, middle of the road, theyre positioning him as a conservative, and the Republicans just nominated a conservative," Hancock said. "So theres no real lane for him to run in here. And given the state of the electorate in Missouri and how substantially right of center it is, if he ends up in the single digits or even the low double digits, Eric Schmitt still wins.

Still, Wood is showing some signs of support. To get on the November ballot as an independent, he needed to submit petitions signed by 10,000 registered voters by Aug. 1. He turned in more than 20,000.

Valentine's campaign manager, Alex Witt, said the presence of Wood definitely disrupts the partisan trend we've been seeing in Missouri for the past few cycles, and I do think it makes this race very competitive for a Democrat.

Missourians are going to find Trudy's experience as a nurse and her commonsense and compassionate approach really appealing, Witt said.
Ron Chapple / Getty Image /

GUILFORD  A man was seriously injured when the car he was driving went off the road and slammed into a barn, police said.

According to Police Chief Butch Hyatt, the crash happened Tuesday in the 5000-block of Durham Road. The driver was heading north when the vehicle crossed over the lane for southbound traffic and struck the building, which is close to the road, Hyatt said.
The National Bank of Bahrain (NBB) has launched the Double Points campaign for all credit and prepaid cardholders.

The campaign offers NBB customers who use their cards internationally the opportunity to double their points. The campaign, which began in July, will continue through the months of August and September 2022.

The campaign offers cardholders the opportunity to earn double points on their purchases when using any of their credit and prepaid cards internationally throughout the campaign period.

Users can also simultaneously benefit from the advantages of the vast range of other NBB cards available.

To accumulate points, customers are encouraged to utilise and increase their spending on NBB Credit and Prepaid Cards, which may be redeemed for up to 4 per cent cashback, converted into Gulf Air FFP miles, or made as charitable donations, the bank said.

Cardholders will also have the chance to enter a raffle draw to win a Jeep Wrangler as part of their points redemption, it said.

Shadi Barakat, Head of Card Business, said: NBB is committed to offering its customers access to a wide range of benefits and rewards that fulfil all their spending needs. The bank continues to launch a variety of customer-centric initiatives as part of its commitment to enhance its customer journey and experience. This summer campaign aims to double reward our customers for their international spending and provide them the opportunity to enjoy higher redemption bonuses.

Omar Al Adhmi, Head of Retail Digital Banking, said: We encourage our customers to download and register on the Points by NBB application and make use of the Double Points Campaign. By utilising any of NBBs Credit, Prepaid, and Virtual cards internationally, our customers will have the opportunity to avail the points via the app, where they will be able to accumulate and redeem additional points towards multiple redemption options.  TradeArabia News Service
The Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) has raised the alarm over a purported attempt to deduct $418 million from the federation account to set...

The Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) has raised the alarm over a purported attempt to deduct $418 million from the federation account to settle the controversial Paris Club debt.

The governors said this in a letter dated August 1 and addressed to Boss Mustapha, secretary to the government of the federation (SGF).

They alleged that the plan is spearheaded by Abubakar Malami, attorney general of the federation (AGF), and Zainab Ahmed, finance minister.

The attention of the NGF has been drawn to yet another attempt by the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and the Minister of Finance (HMF) to circumvent the law and the recent judgment of the Supreme Court by surreptitiously securing the approval of the FEC to effect payment of the sum of $418 million to four contractors who allegedly executed contracts in respect of the Paris Club refunds to the states and local governments, the letter, signed by Kayode Fayemi, NGF chairman and governor of Ekiti, reads.

It would be recalled that an earlier approval of Mr. President under the instrumentality of the AGF and HMF to pay the said sum to the contractors through the issuance of promissory notes had met stiff resistance by the 36 state governors who approached the court for redress through their Attorneys-General.

The matter is currently pending on appeal at the court of appeal in Abuja for hearing.

Significantly, the governors said that while the appeal is pending, one of the contractors, who is a beneficiary of the promissory notes for $142,028,941.95, Riok Nigeria Limited, and who had lost at the court of appeal, further appealed to the supreme court, in suit no: SC 337/2018.

The supreme court on June 3, 2022, also dismissed Rioks appeal as lacking in merit. The SC had on the occasion made clear that neither the NGF nor ALGON have the power to award contracts and charge the same directly to the federation account as done in this case. The SC specifically held on page 43 that:

The funds belonging to a state or local government must be kept in an account belonging to the state or local government as the case may be, and disbursed or expended by the state strictly in the manner and for the purposes prescribed in the constitution and an appropriation law or as prescribed by the house of assembly of the State and in the manner and for purposes prescribed in the constitution, a local government law or as prescribed by the council of the local government.

According to the governors, the dismissal of RIOKS case by the court also affected the payment of $1,219,440.45 and $215,195.36 to two private lawyers to RIOK, Nwafor Orizu and Olaitan Bello who are also beneficiaries of promissory notes by the Debt Management Office (DMO).

Besides RIOK and the two lawyers, the NGF added that the states had also challenged either on appeal or in other courts the claims by the other contractors including Dr Ted Isighohi Edwards ($159,000,000), Ned Nwoko ($68,658,192.83) and Panic Alert Security Systems Ltd ($47,831,920).

These cases are pending and no steps ought to be taken to enforce the Judgment and alter the status quo until the matters are fully determined. A caveat issued to restrain all parties concerned and the public from dealing or honouring promissory notes issued had earlier been published, the NGF added.

The purport and essence of the definitive pronouncement by the SC is that none of the contractors recommended for payment of the sum of $418 Million by the AGF and HMF can be so paid because the contracts and payments relied upon were not processed as prescribed by the Constitution and the law.

The funds certainly cannot be accessed through the federation account as vigorously pursued by the AGF and HMF.

FEC may also wish to note that the undue haste in which the payment of the contractors in the Paris Club refund has been pursued and processed by the AGF and HMF has already created the impression in the discerning minds of the public that it would appear that the interest of contractors takes precedence over and above the welfare and interest of the general public whom the senior officials of government had sworn to defend and protect.

Over the years, the controversial payment of $418 million to consultants over the Paris Club refund had become a contentious issue between the three tiers of government.
Lagos State Government has said 555 hectares of land within Victoria Island would have disappeared into the Atlantic Ocean since 2010. ...

Lagos State Government has said 555 hectares of land within Victoria Island would have disappeared into the Atlantic Ocean since 2010.

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu noted that the States annual Climate Change Summit played a huge role in saving the area.

Speaking at the 9th edition of the summit, Sanwo-Olu stressed that climate change is not a future problem.

It is with us here and now, affecting every community in every country, on every continent.

We are seeing the impact from wildfires to rising sea levels and flooding, to intensifying heatwaves in places where such phenomena used to be unknown, he said.

The governor, represented by his deputy, Obafemi Hamzat, said Lagos status as a littoral State puts it at the mercy of rising sea levels.

People ask whats Lagos doing? Victoria Island, 555 hectares, would have disappeared by 2010, but as a result of this summit, he noted.

Sanwo-Olu recalled that the government launched the Lagos Climate Action Plan covering 2020  2025 as part of efforts to manage climate issues.

He said in just a year, the plan has started to deliver great and impactful rewards, including attracting the attention of critical supporters and partners.

The governor cited the recent grant by the UK Government (Future Cities Nigeria) to the Lagos State Waterways Authority to improve the ferry services.

We have recognised that inaction in the face of the devastating impact of Climate Change is not an option. No one will be left untouched, he promised.

Sanwo-Olu added that his administration was in talks with the private sector, development partners and donor organisations to find solutions to better adapt to climate impact.

The Lagos helmsman further assured that special emphasis had been placed on protecting women, children and persons with disabilities.
Emeka Rollas says the abductors of Cynthia Okereke and Clemson Cornel mocked the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN) when he told them they had ...

Emeka Rollas says the abductors of Cynthia Okereke and Clemson Cornel mocked the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN) when he told them they had raised about N1.2 million in ransom payment.

The AGN president put out a video where he gave updates on the missing actors.

Rollas said the kidnappers also made fun of the guild while requesting celebrities who shared the incident on Instagram to also make their own contributions.

Okereke and Cornel were reported missing last Friday.

Their family members confirmed that they had yet to return from the movie set they went to at Ozalla Town in Enugu state.





The Enugu police subsequently launched an investigation into the matter and recovered a vehicle belonging to Okereke from where it was said to have been abandoned on the highway.

Some individuals who turned out to be the abductors of the missing actors established contact with their families to demand $100,000 in ransom payment.

In the video, Rollas also disclosed that the situation in the case remains the same.

He said efforts are still in progress to raise more funds and secure the release of the abducted.

The situation still remains the same. Yesterday while talking to the abductors, we tried to explain to them that we were putting some funds together and contributing. We told them we had about N1.2 million, he said.

They started laughing at us and mocking us. They said all those celebrities posting us on Instagram, why havent they contributed? It immediately got to me that these people are watching us.

Its not the best time for us to begin to circulate this information on Instagram. We have dedicated an account, the AGN Enugu account number, for us to make the contributions. I urge us to see to it that we contribute.

We do not know who will be in this kind of situation again and we pray that none will. I thank you all for the calls and all the advice.
Oseni Rufai, Arise Television journalist, has been fined N70,000 for driving through the designated route for bus rapid transit (BRT) vehicl...

Oseni Rufai, Arise Television journalist, has been fined N70,000 for driving through the designated route for bus rapid transit (BRT) vehicles in Lagos.

NigerianEye had reported that Oseni alleged that a police officer, at gunpoint, forcefully took his car over traffic violation.

The Arise TV journalist raised the alarm via a tweet on Twitter, on Monday.

Reacting to Osenis comment, Benjamin Hundeyin, Lagos police spokesperson, had said the journalist disobeyed traffic laws and resisted the police.

He said Oseni admitted to committing a traffic offence by passing through the bus rapid transit (BRT) lane, and that his claim that he was misdirected by Google Maps is not tenable.

The incident sparked varied reactions on social media with some Nigerians saying the journalist should be made to face the law while some netizens argued that Oseni was targeted owing to his criticism of the government.

Giving an update on the incident, Hundeyin, in a tweet on Tuesday , disclosed that the journalist was found guilty by the court for violating the Lagos State Transport Law 2018.

The Lagos police spokesperson added that Oseni paid the fine of N70,000 and his vehicle was released to him.

In Lagos, it is a traffic offence for drivers of vehicles that are not BRT to pass through the designated BRT lanes.

UPDATE: Mr Rufai Oseni was in court earlier today. He was found guilty of contravening Lagos State Transport Law (2018). He was subsequently fined Seventy Thousand Naira Only. He made the payment, after which his vehicle was released to him, Hundeyin wrote.

Commenting on the incident, Oseni, on Wednesday, during Arise TVs Morning Show, apologised for what transpired, describing it as most humbling experience.

As many of you know, in the last two days I have been in the news for the wrong reasons, the journalist said.

This has resulted in needless distraction for my friends, family, members of the public and for all my colleagues here on Arise News Channel.

I would therefore like to apologise to all parties over what transpired during the incident with the police when I was stopped for driving on a bus lane. I cannot and dare not lay claims to knowing it all.

Lessons have been learnt from this entire episode and this has been a most humbling experience for me.

I would also like to use this opportunity to express my gratitude to all those who have reached out to me in the last two days for their guidance and counseling.

SEE VIDEO:
Chris Ngige, the Minister of Labour and Employment, has revealed that voluntary conciliation was adopted to ensure a quick resolution of t...

Chris Ngige, the Minister of Labour and Employment, has revealed that voluntary conciliation was adopted to ensure a quick resolution of the ongoing strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

Ngige disclosed this on Tuesday at a three-day capacity-building workshop on International Labour Standards and Dispute Resolution in Nigeria in Abuja.

The workshop is organised by the Industrial Arbitration Panel (IAP) in collaboration with the International Labour Organisation (ILO).

Ngige said that voluntary conciliation was adopted instead of arbitration so as not to delay the resolution process with the striking lecturers.

The minister said, I could have transmitted the matter to the IAP or the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN).

But I used my discretion to weigh the situation to know if it would cause more delay in the resolution of the dispute in a court process.

Ngige, however, recalled that ASUU had embarked on strike on February 14 and voluntary conciliation started on February 22 and, subsequently, on March 1.

He said, The two outstanding issues were the conditions of service, which according to the 2009 Agreement, would be reviewed every four years.

The last review was in 2013 and we started the review in 2018 under Wale Babalakin as the chairman of the renegotiation committee. We couldnt conclude because Babalakin left.

A new committee headed by Munzali came. Munzali finished his work and put in his report at the Federal Ministry of Education.

Ngige noted that all the committees, including the previous Onosode committee, were all internal committees of the Ministry of Education.

He said, Once the committees finish, their products are sent up.

The major issue here is salary and wage review. Thats where they are before ASUU embarked on strike.

If a party wants us to transmit a matter back to them to have a second look, you assist them. Thats what you call voluntary conciliation.

Its voluntary because if I apprehend and bring all the parties to the negotiation table and a party requests that I should take the matter to NICN, Ill do so.
Contrary to his claims that he is an orphan, emerging facts have shown that the parents of David Nwamini Ukpo, donor in the alleged organ ha...





Contrary to his claims that he is an orphan, emerging facts have shown that the parents of David Nwamini Ukpo, donor in the alleged organ harvesting saga involving former deputy Senate president, Ike Ekweremadu and his wife, Beatrice, are alive.

The London Metropolitan Police had told the court that David Nwamini was a homeless and orphaned minor trafficked from Nigeria.

Nwamini has since made a u-turn, confirming that he is not a minor, but a 21-year-old boy.

More facts have now emerged indicating that he also lied about his parents.

A SUN Newspaper report revealed that Davids parents are alive and well.

The report showed that his parents, Nwamini and Mary Ukpo are both alive and residing at their home in Izzida, Nduofia village of Ebonyi Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.

It was also gathered that the local branch of Nigeria Reformed Church (NRC) where the Ukpo family worship, has been praying for him, believing that he would return home to them, one day.

Davids brother, Jonathan Ukpo Nwamini, was also earlier quoted in the media saying that they were into phone accessories business in Lagos.
Amidst speculations of a N1.14 billion donation to the Republic of Niger to aid in the acquisition of some operational vehicles, the Feder...

Amidst speculations of a N1.14 billion donation to the Republic of Niger to aid in the acquisition of some operational vehicles, the Federal government on Wednesday justified the approval.

Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed confirmed the purchase while fielding questions from reporters, shortly after the Federal Executive Council ( FEC) meeting presided over by the President, Muhammadu Buhari.

Following the outrage generated by the measure exposed by a popular social media influencer, David Hundeyin, on Wednesday, the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mrs. Ahmed, argued that even though Nigerians have the right to question the rationale for such donation, President Muhammadu Buhari, who approved the purchase also has the right to make his own assessment on situations and act accordingly.

The document released by the media influencer showed that the president approved the release of the fund on the 22nd of February this year.

The contract to supply the 10 units of Toyota Land Cruisers was awarded to IFO Kaura Motors Nig. Limited.

But justifying the funds, Zanaib noted that the President reserved the right to take decisions in the interest of Nigeria, insisting that this was not the first time the country is providing such interventions to her neighbours.

Let me just say that over time, Nigeria has had to support her neighbours, especially, the immediate neighbours to enhance their capacity to secure their countries as it relates to us. This is not the first time that Nigeria had assisted the Niger Republic, Cameroon or Chad.

The President makes an assessment as to what is required based on the request of their Presidents. Such requests are approved and interventions are provided.

It is to enhance their capacity to protect their countries, as it relates to security and also to Nigeria.

She added that Nigerians have the right to ask questions, but also the President has the responsibility to make an assessment of what is in the best interest of the country and I cannot question the decision myself.

I have said this is not the first time and that Nigeria as a country has provided intervention to our neighbours. It is in the best interest of Nigeria to do so

Reports had emerged that the President approved about 10 Toyota Land Cruiser vehicles to the Republic of Niger but did not, however, specify the purpose for such approval.
A former President, Olusegun Obasanjo on Tuesday lamented high cost of diesel, feeds as well as exchange rate crisis as it affects fish pro...





A former President, Olusegun Obasanjo on Tuesday lamented high cost of diesel, feeds as well as exchange rate crisis as it affects fish production in Nigeria.





Obasanjo, who is a fish farmer, said he has been sweating because the high cost of diesel has been taking a toll on his fish production.





He spoke on Tuesday in Abeokuta, Ogun State, during Southwest fish farmers congress held at the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL).





Obasanjo noted that the rise in cost of diesel as well as constant increase in prices of fish feeds will eventually run Nigerian fish farmers out of business unless they come together to agree on sustainable prices that could be adopted to keep them in business.





According to him, farmers can longer produce at the mercy of the buyers who would come around to buy the fish for whatever amount that suited them without taking into account the effect of the current economic effect on the production of such fishes.





He explained that with the current price of diesel at 800 per litre, production of a kilogram of fish is N1,400, adding that, in order to make very marginal profit, the farmers cant sell less than N1,500 as anything short of that amounts outright loss.





Obasanjo said: The price of diesel has gone high because the management of this country is not what it should be. And it is as simple as that. Then, what will happen is that, particularly those of us who have to use a bit of diesel in producing fish, we will completely go bankrupt, and when that happens, Nigerians will still have to eat fish.





Fish production will be out of reach and then, people will be producing fish outside Nigeria and dumping it here. And you will go jobless, poor and indigent. So, what do we have to do? To come togetherwe want to sustain fish production and we must be able to take care of those who are going to eat and those of us who are producing.





The President of South-West Fish Farmers Price Sustainability Group, Amo Tunbosun Amo disclosed that the country currently consumes around 3.6 million metric tonnes of fish annually but only produces 1.12 million tonnes leaving a balance of 2.6 million tonnes to be imported.





Amo explained that one of the major challenges confronting the fish farmers is the continued increase in the prices of inputs in the production of fish and majorly the feed and the refusal of the buyers to buy the fish at commensurate price.
President Buhari has blamed banditry and terrorism in Nigeria on the political instability in Libya. Buhari said his administration was maki...





President Buhari has blamed banditry and terrorism in Nigeria on the political instability in Libya.





Buhari said his administration was making efforts towards tackling banditry and terrorism in Nigeria.





He spoke while receiving the letters of credence from the new Canadian High Commissioner to Nigeria, Ambassador James Kingston Christoff and Ambassador of Mexico to Nigeria, Juan Alfred Miranda Oritz, at the State House in Abuja, on Tuesday.





The President also urged the international communities to collaborate with Nigeria in tackling insecurity.





He disclosed that his administration had made meaningful progress in the fight against insecurity.





Buhari said this effort was possible with the support of friendly countries, including Canada and Mexico.





The political instability in Libya continues to fuel terrorism in the Sahel, West and Central African regions.





Nigeria is not left out of the equation as we are fighting to rid our country of banditry, kidnapping, herder/farmer clashes and insurgency.





We are, however, making meaningful progress with the support of friendly countries like yours to sustain this fight until we overcome these challenges, he said.





Lately, the activities of banditry increased in Nigeria.





The Northern part of Nigeria has been the most affected by the situation.
The Osun State Governor-elect, Senator Ademola Adeleke has reiterated his commitment to making Osun State a reference point of development f...





The Osun State Governor-elect, Senator Ademola Adeleke has reiterated his commitment to making Osun State a reference point of development for other States in Nigeria.





Adeleke made this known on Tuesday at an Osun Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) stakeholders meeting in Osogbo.





At the meeting, the governor-elect described his victory at the poll as divine and beyond human permutations.





While ascribing the victory of the party as divinely ordained by God for the rescuing of the State from impoverishment, Adeleke also pledged not to renege on his electoral promises.





In his words, I assure the people of the State of my pledge not to renege on my electoral promises. My victory was ordained by God almighty to rescue the state from the wicked enslavement and deliberate impoverishment of helpless citizens.





While commending party leaders, members and supporters for their support, Adeleke appreciated the members of the Partys caretaker transition committee under the Chairmanship of Akindele Adekunle, as well as the gubernatorial Campaign Organisation under Sunday Bisi.





Speaking at the meeting, the Osun State PDP Caretaker Chairman, Akindele Adekunle expressed appreciation to the electorate in Osun State for their unwavering determination to vote in Ademola Adeleke at this time.





Akindele noted that the party leadership was resolved to set up a post election review committee.





He added that this is in line with best practices in electoral politics.





The committee became necessary to enable the party to address all grey areas and develop strategies for a better outing in the forthcoming general election.





The committee is to be chaired by a legal luminary, Oladosu Babatunde, Esq, while Hashim Abioye, Esq, will serve as secretary of the committee, he said.
Liz Cheney vows to keep fighting Trump after Wyoming loss 17 Aug 2022 | 7:54 PM Washington, Aug 17 (UNI) Rep Liz Cheney has vowed to keep fighting Donald Trump after conceding defeat in the Wyoming Republican primary to Trump-backed candidate Harriet Hageman. see more..

Opening session of Iran-Pakistan economic commission held in Islamabad 17 Aug 2022 | 7:52 PM Tehran/Islamabad, Aug 17 (UNI) The opening session of the 21st Iran-Pakistan joint economic commission was held in the Pakistani capital of Islamabad, Iranian news agency IRNA reported on Wednesday, adding that the parties discussed a draft of a memorandum of understanding. see more..

Russia approves new territorial division of Kherson region 17 Aug 2022 | 7:50 PM Simferopol, Aug 17 (UNI) The Russian administration of the Kherson region said Wednesday it had approved a new territorial division that would streamline its integration and economic development. see more..

NZ introduces state of emergency in several regions due to severe weather 17 Aug 2022 | 7:34 PM Wellington, Aug 17 (UNI) New Zealand has introduced a state of emergency in parts of its South Island in connection with heavy rain and flooding, national emergency management agency said on Wednesday. see more..
President Muhammadu Buhari has paid condolences to those who lost their loved ones in the recent terrorist attacks in Sokoto, Kaduna and P...

President Muhammadu Buhari has paid condolences to those who lost their loved ones in the recent terrorist attacks in Sokoto, Kaduna and Plateau states

In a condolence message issued by his spokesman, Malam Garba Shehu on Tuesday in Abuja, the president reviewed the situation following reports of the loss of several lives in the attacks.

He assured all of possible support from the Federal Government to the states, and said: we have given security forces full freedom to deal with, and bring this madness to an end.

I condemn these barbaric attacks on the country. I assure the states of all possible support from the government of the federation.

My thoughts are with the bereaved families. May the injured recover quickly. (NAN)
Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka and a Human Rights lawyer, Femi Falana, on Tuesday supported the move by the National Assembly memb...

Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka and a Human Rights lawyer, Femi Falana, on Tuesday supported the move by the National Assembly members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to impeach President Muhammadu Buhari over his failure to end insecurity in the country.

It would be recalled that members of the opposition party at the National Assembly, had given President Buhari, six week ultimatum to end insecurity or be impeached.

Speaking at an interactive session, put together as parts of activities to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Abeokuta Club in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, both Soyinka and Falana submitted that Buhari has failed in the promises he made to Nigerians during his electioneering campaign.

The interactive session, which had the Human Rights lawyer, Femi Falana, the Registrar, Joint Admission and Matriculation Board, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede; a lawyer and Chartted Accountant, Gbenga Adeoye; a businessman in the state , Ogo-Oluwa Bankole and the spokesman of the Electricity Distribution Companies, Sunday Oduntan as panelists with the theme Good Governance or Mis-governance: The Contract called Democracy, was moderated by Prof. Wole Soyinka.

The Nobel Laureate in his submission said the President should be impeached because he has breached the contract of democracy.

He said, very often, the grounds for breach of contract, I think we all agree, is mis-governance and one of the ways of breaking this kind of contract we know even before the duration of a contract is known as impeachment.

And reason we will go by some legislators to impeach the president who is the head of government. Infact, one cleric has gone even further , he believes that the impeachment should take place not in the legislative home but in the bush with the kidnappers and he appealed to the kidnappers to quicken the process by impeaching the president and take him away alongside some of his aides and one or two governors.

Soyinka said Buhari is entitled to one vote and that he could campaign for anybody of his liking but added that there is no provision in any democratic constitution which empowers the head of government to appoint his or her successor.

He said, I am a moderator here today, If I want to go to the toilet and I will be away for a few minute and I will want to appoint somebody in my replace, I am likely to look for somebody who moderates like I do, someone who shares principles with my moderation , the same methodology and perhaps the same position , somebody whom I believe will moderate effectively as I have tried to do.

In any democracy, any president, any prime minister or whatever is entitled to one vote, we are not saying we should disenfranchise somebody because they are on top of governance. They had their right to campaign for any candidate they like but there is nothing in any constitution that I know of , in any democratic constitution which says that the head of government should appoint his or her successor .

I heard the governors go to this individual, go to this failure and say to him please give us your successor. Many of us in this country, including governors, including chairmen of local governments, what comprehension they have of this process called Democracy because what this governance is telling us is that after a failure has occupied a seat of government for eight years, that failure should give us another failure for another eight years. So, those who feel that those governors who went to Buhari to give us a successor should also be impeached, can I please see your hands up in the air.

I hope the governors will make a note of that, please stop desecrating democracy by trying to enthrone the nastic rule by back door because that is what these governors did to intrigue a dynasty of failure, that is the meaning of that appeal to the outgoing president that, please, give us a successor. In fact, it is not democracy and that is not a respect of contract with the people of democracy.

Falana on his part, corroborated the submission of the noble laurette on the need to stop abuse of democratic process .

The Human Right lawyer lamented imposition of leaders on Nigerians, faulting Buhari for seeking permission from the governors to choose his successor.

As a follow up, what the president did say was that allow me to choose my successor because in your states, you have appointed your successors without any interference.

Oloyede in his submission, urged Nigerians not to focus on the faults of the federal government, but concentrate on the state governments involvement in the failure.

Oloyede lamented poor condition of education sector, adding that the governments are responsible for the damage.

Look at how long our universities have been closed now, five months, six months and somebody was telling me some people came from Ukraine and the National Assembly should look at them.

What of those who are at home who did not go to Ukraine at all and they have not been going to school for five months but because the elites have sent their children to Ukraine and they are back now, so, they must make it a national agenda and that is why everybody is talking about returnees from Ukraine what about those who did not go to Ukraine.
The Federal Government, on Wednesday, described the attack on the convoy of the Assistant Inspector General of Police, Zone 12 headquarter...

The Federal Government, on Wednesday, described the attack on the convoy of the Assistant Inspector General of Police, Zone 12 headquartered in Bauchi, Audu Madaki, as an attempt by terrorists to score a psychological point.

Responding to a question on what the attack means for the FG, Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed told State House Correspondents that the government is taking the job of security very seriously.

The suspected terrorists attacked the convoy of the Assistant Inspector General of Police, injuring him and killing his orderly.

Madaki was said to be on his way to Abuja from Bauchi when the terrorists ambushed and attacked him between Barde and Jagindi area in Kaduna State at about 02:30 pm, Tuesday.

Although the AIG Madaki survived with gunshot injuries, his orderly was shot dead.

Speaking on the attack, Mohammed said On the issue of the attack on the AIG in Bauchi, I need further information from the IG as to the circumstances of the attack. But what I know is that bandits would always want to make this kind of spectacular attack just to score a psychological point.

But I know that the government is taking the job of security very seriously. As you can see, even today, the Honorable Minister of the FCT has told you exactly what he is doing to ensure that security is improved.

Over the last couple of days, Ive seen that the FCT police command has also given out telephone numbers to call in case of any security breach or information.

Mohammed claimed that the success of the military has not received as wide reportage as the terrorist attacks.

I know that there have been quite a few successes by the military in overrunning the bandits around Abuja in the last couple of days.

Regrettably, its like when the military is having the upper hand, they are not given the same kind of media coverage as when the bandits attack, he said.

On concerns raised by some civil society organisations that the worsening insecurity may hinder next years elections, the information minister assured Nigerians that there would be elections.

He said, There will be an election. I can assure you. The President has said that he has given the security all the needed support. The Service Chiefs are doing their best and will continue to do their best.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Transportation, Muazu Sambo, has justified the halting of rail services nationwide.

He said the imminent security threats necessitated the move as it would be inappropriate to endanger lives.

The Nigeria Railway Corporation has suspended the Lagos-Kano and Ajaokuta train services over terror fears.

It also suspended services at the Ajaokuta station along Warri-Itakpe route because of the attack on some passengers by gunmen on Monday.

Justifying the move, Sambo told State House Correspondents that it is better to suspend the services than subject Nigerians to terror threats.

I would like to state clearly that it is better to suspend a service where there is an imminent threat, and clear the threat first. Or where an incident had occurred and to investigate that incident, rather than jeopardise the life of a single Nigerian.

So if theres any suspension of rail services as of this morning, which is yet to be officially reported to me, because I had to come to Council very early this morning. As soon as I go back to the office, I will find out why. But Nigerians will rest assured that it is better to suspend the service than subject Nigerians to any threat to their lives, he stated.
Watertown, NY (13601)

Today

Generally cloudy. Slight chance of a rain shower. High 82F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Cloudy skies with a few showers after midnight. Low 61F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 30%.
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%.
By Anjali Ojha

New Delhi, Aug 3 (UNI) As the Vice Presidential polls draw close amid a stormy Monsoon Session of Parliament, Opposition's candidate, veteran politician Margaret Alva, stressed on the need for dialogue between government and opposition to ensure that the voice of the people can be raised in Parliament.

In an interview to UNI, Alva expressed her disappointment with the state of affairs in the Parliament, and said the voice of the Opposition parties and critics of the government was being silenced in Parliament, as well as outside.

Even as the numbers remained stacked in favour of government's candidate Jagdeep Dhankar, Alva emphasized on the importance of fighting the election, and appealed to all MPs to follow their conscience and vote for the person they think will uphold the dignity of the House.

Asked about the Trinamool Congress' announcement to abstain from the voting, she said Opposition leaders were set to meet West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee when she comes to Delhi. Alva also said there is pressure on Opposition parties.

"There is a lot of pressure, particularly on Opposition parties which are supporting... (Sanjay) Raut has been picked up from the Shiv Sena, Prafful Patel of NCP has been in ED heat.. JMM is under threat of their government surviving... look at the raids in Bengal," she said.

Alva, 80, who has been a member of both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha multiple times, has served as a union minister in past, and also a former governor, spoke about a recent visit to the Central Hall of Parliament with great fondness.

"I went to the central hall of Parliament the other day, it was such a pleasure. From the chap who used to serve me tea, to some of the watch and ward staff, they said they were happy to see me. I felt so at home".

Alva reminisced about the old times, and said, "In Indira ji's time, Vajpayee ji's time, Chandrasekhar ji's time... There was heated debate in the House, we differed, the government was hauled up for action and lack of action... But the Opposition spoke, and there was debate. There were serious differences, but what is Parliament meant for... Its debate, discussion, ultimately a consensus emerges. it is not just about adjourning, suspending, preventing discussion".

"You have seen the record... The question that concerned citizens are asking is that what is the relevance of Parliament is there is no debate, no give and take. If people's issues cannot be raised," she said.

The former governor spoke about building bridges between parties to ensure smooth functioning of the House, and said if she is elected as the Vice President, who is also the Chairman of Rajya Sabha, she would ensure there is dialogue between parties and a middle path is found.

"I would try to build bridges so that everybody's voice is heard," she said.

"It is the duty of the government to ensure that the House runs. What does it cost you to call everyone, and come to an understanding? Why is there so much confusion, placards, people sitting in protest, slogans... Opposition feels frustrated when their voice is not heard," she said.

Asked about the numbers being stacked against her in the election, she repeated her appeal to all MPs to vote based on their conscience.

"When there is an election, win or lose, you have to fight. We know we don't have the numbers, but I am appealing to Members across party lines, remember there can be no whip in the President and Vice President election. Constitution makers wanted this to be an election where MPs decided for themselves who they want to vote for. It is a secret ballot..." she said.

"Across party lines, I have appealed to everybody and said think about the future of Parliament, about restoring dignity, and a mature debating atmosphere. I have seen Vajpayee, so many outstanding leaders in government and Opposition. Many leaders in the government criticized their own government's policy, and the Opposition opposed, and when necessary praising the government. Vajpayee called Indira Gandhi Durga..." she said.

Talking about her opponent Jagdeep Dhankar, the former governor of West Bengal, she said, "I have appealed to MPs to cast a conscience vote and elect who they think is the best. If they think the former governor of Bengal, whose track record is known, is going to be able to restore order and normal functioning in Rajya Sabha?"

"Do you want to risk the same atmosphere in Parliament or would you want someone.. You need someone with expertise in handling the House, a certain dignified approach from the Chair, impartial, yet firm, who can work out compromises between opposing opinions and priorities. There could be a middle way, we have done it before."

The 2022 elections for the Vice-President of India will be held on August 6.

UNI AO SHK1655
Islamabad, Aug 3 (UNI) The death toll from torrential rains and flash floods in Balochistan increased by 15 after heavy downpour continued to batter several districts, destroying houses and damaging infrastructure, Dawn reported on Wednesday.

Officials said that the recent deaths were reported in Zhob, Qilla Saifullah, Kohlu, Naushki and Lasbela where rainfall over the past 24 hours caused flash floods.

A man and his son were swept away in flash floods in Zhob while trying to cross a seasonal nullah, an official of the local administration in Zhob said, adding that their dead bodies were recovered by divers.

Heavy rains in catchment areas of streams were resulting in floods in different areas in Awaran while, the district still remained cut-off from other areas due to damage to roads and bridges.

In Awarans towns of Mashkey and Gajjar stranded people were facing food shortage as relief goods were yet to reach the area. An official told Dawn that shops was running out of food and items of daily needs and if the traffic between Awaran and other areas was not restored, the situation could get worse.

Sources have said that vast area of Jhal Magsi, Gandawah and Jaffarabad were inundated as the Lehri River and other streams were still carrying heavy flood, hampering rescue and relief operations in the areas.

In Dera Bugti and Kohlu, continuous downpour on hills was flooding seasonal water channels, threatening people in downstream areas of Nasirabad.

Over 200 people were rescued from Oraki and other areas of Lasbela district who were stranded due to flash food for the last two days, a senior official of Lasbela district administration told Dawn.

UNI ACL
Sheila Charles recounted Tuesday how, in a matter of minutes, she lost both her husband of 37 years and their only child to gunfire. But she could not begin to understand it.

It was early Sunday, and she was watching a movie in the living room of the family home, in New Orleans' Hollygrove section. Herman Charles, 68, owner of a gospel music radio station, was nearby. Their son, Chad Charles, 30, an artist and model, also was in the living room, reading the Bible.

He began to read louder and louder, however - odd behavior that unnerved her. Her husband told her not to worry about it; go to bed, he said, and he would watch out for their son.

'God is with you'

As she went off to bed, their son retreated to his own room, and her husband went in to talk with him.

He said, God is with you. You know we live the right way, she recalled.

Then she heard a gunshot. She got up and saw her husband bleeding on the floor, dead.

I said, Chad, you just shot your daddy, she recalled.

Waiting for police

She called 911 and her siblings. Two of her brothers, who live nearby, ran to her house. Outside, she waited with them for the police.

Her son suddenly emerged from the house, waving around the gun he used to kill his father, she said. His uncle begged him to put it down, and he did. He went back inside the house and saw his fathers corpse, only to return to the porch and tell his mother and uncles he couldnt live if his father was dead.

Then as they watched, he shot himself in the face.

Paramedics took him to a hospital. Soon police informed her that he, too, had died.

The mayor's visit

Choking back tears, Charles said Tuesday the violence was so shocking that Mayor Latoya Cantrell came by her home to console her. She stood there, and she cried with us, Charles said. That lady gave me respect.

She said she assumed her son had been depressed, although she said she and her husband had never noticed any symptoms. Sunday, she said, was the first time she'd seen him act so strangely.

I knew that was not my child, she said.

Return to college

Amid her grief, Charles said she will do her best to remember her sons ambition - not the way he and his father died.

Chad Charles recently did a video shoot with for the clothing designer William Tucker, and it was just Saturday night that he told his mother he was planning on going back to college. A De La Salle High School graduate of 2010, he attended Morehouse College in Atlanta for a year before transferring to Loyola University for a few semesters to study journalism. He also was a rapper and worked to produce songs with meaningful lyrics, his mother said.

He was taught well, the right way, between a mother and a father, she said.

Her husband, known as Magic, both owned WHKM radio and hosted a show on the station. He also hosted magic shows at schools in St. Charles Parish, where he was from. Charles called her husband a father to all children.

Im by myself, and I just hope and pray that I get the strength to move on with my life, she said.
A pint of blood is seen on a blood collection mixer during a blood drive at Goodwill Industries of Southeastern Louisiana who partnered with Ochsner.
Taipei, Aug 3 (UNI) Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen on Wednesday criticized China for its planned live-fire military drills starting from Thursday in the six maritime areas near the Island, calling it "unnecessary".

Speaking a press event with Pelosi at the Presidential Office, Tsai said she told the visiting speaker that Taiwan had always been committed to maintaining the status quo, CNA news reported.

The President said Taiwan welcomed US Congressional delegations over the years and that the "normal practice of friends visiting each other is inherent in their culture of hospitality'.
A west bank man who killed his stepson and shot his step-grandson in the neck during a Father's Day argument in 2020 pleaded guilty to a lesser charge Monday and was sentenced to 25 years in prison, according to Jefferson Parish court records.

Mark Jones, 60, pleaded guilty to manslaughter and attempted second-degree murder before Judge E. Adrian Adams of the 24th Judicial District Court.

Jones had been charged with second-degree murder in the death of 40-year-old Tyrell Washington Sr. But the charge was reduced to manslaughter, which carries a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison.

A conviction for second-degree murder carries a life sentence.

Relatives had gathered at the North Clark Lane home near Westwego that Jones shared with Tracy Washington, who is his wife and Tyrell Washington's mother, on Father's Day in 2020.

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+3 Grieving family left divided after west bank man booked with killing stepson, shooting step-grandson A bitter divide has emerged among the members of a west bank family left grieving after authorities say the patriarch gunned down his 40-year-

An argument erupted between Jones and Tyrell Washington after Washington parked his car in front of a neighbor's home. Jones wanted him to move the vehicle. Things turned physical, and authorities say Jones shot Washington multiple times.

Washington's 23-year-old son was shot in the neck and critically injured when tried to help his father, according to relatives and authorities.

Jones alleged that he'd been attacked and was in fear for his life when he opened fire. But Tracy Washington balked at her husband's claim of self-defense.

"It wasn't self-defense," she said. "After he shot my child once, and he was already down, he went back and stood over him and shot him in the head. How's that self-defense?"

Adams sentenced Jones to 25 years in prison for each count and ordered the sentences to run concurrently, court records said. Jones will be given credit for time served since his arrest.
Marie Fazio writes for The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate as a Report For America corps member. Email her at MFazio@theadvocate.com or follow her on Twitter @mariecfazio.

To learn more about Report for America and to support our journalism, please click here.
UW Spinout Company Receives $1.2M Grant to Fund Research and Development of Advanced Technologies

Kristin Di Bona, CEO and co-founder of Wyonics and an adjunct professor of chemistry at UW, and Caleb Hill, an associate professor of chemistry at UW and co-director of UWs Nuclear Energy Research Center, as well as the co-founder of Wyonics, recently received a $1.2 million Small Business Innovation Research Phase II grant from the U.S. Department of Energy. The grant will be used to fund the continued development and commercialization of instrumentation platforms for the nondestructive manipulation and analysis of micro- and nano-sized materials. (UW Photo)

A Laramie business that originated at the University of Wyoming has received a $1.2 million Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II grant from the U.S. Department of Energy that will be used to fund the continued development and commercialization of instrumentation platforms for the nondestructive manipulation and analysis of micro- and nano-sized materials.

Particle identification and manipulation on the micro- to nanoscale level are increasingly necessary for advanced technologies, such as the semiconductor and electronics industries and nuclear forensics and nuclear nonproliferation, says Kristin Di Bona, CEO and co-founder of Wyonics and an adjunct professor of chemistry at UW. An advanced instrumental platform will be developed and prototyped to specifically manipulate and analyze these small particles. A key application of the technology will be the analysis of very small individual particles of actinide-containing materials, which is critical to ongoing nuclear nonproliferation efforts.

Radioactive elements, such as uranium and plutonium used in nuclear power and nuclear weapons, are considered actinides.

Caleb Hill, an associate professor of chemistry at UW and co-director of UWs Nuclear Energy Research Center, is the other co-founder of Wyonics.

Wyonics is a scientific innovation company founded in 2017, with the mission to develop sustainable technologies for Wyoming and beyond. The companys scientific staff, which brings together researchers from the UW Department of Chemistry and the private sector, possesses a combined expertise spanning the chemical, biological and materials science fields. Additional ongoing projects at Wyonics include the development and commercialization of low-temperature processes for the extraction and recovery of rare earth elements and other critical materials from alternative sources and the development of biodegradable filtration materials to combat future pandemics.

The SBIR Phase II grant runs for two years, beginning this month and ending in August 2024.

Hill will receive a $200,000 subcontract from this work, which will fund the work of one full-time UW graduate student and two or three UW undergraduate students during the grants duration. Declan McDonald, a senior from Littleton, Colo., majoring in chemistry and chemical engineering, is a part of the research team.

This award continues and advances the work from the companys $200,000 Phase I grant obtained last year, Di Bona says.

Phase I thoroughly demonstrated the feasibility of the proposed technology, showing that it can serve as an ideal tool for the manipulation of small-scale particles and is compatible with any desired ex situ analytical methods, she says. Phase II will focus on the continued development of the manipulation platform demonstrated in Phase I, with the ultimate goal of producing a functional prototype system for commercialization. Prototyping, software development, customer outreach and beta testing in Phase II will produce a robust commercial-ready platform, capable of meeting the needs of current and emerging high-tech applications.
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Fort Polk, LA (71446)

Today

Sunny to partly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High near 100F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Scattered showers and thunderstorms, especially during the evening. Low 74F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 50%.
A new Sephora at Kohl's opens in Valparaiso Wednesday.

The department store at 50 Silhavy Road in the Valparaiso Marketplace is celebrating a grand opening of a new in-store Sephora at Kohl's beauty store. The 2,500-square-foot store-within-a-store carries an ever-changing selection of new, emerging and trending beauty products.

Challenged by increased competition from online retailers, Wisconsin-based Kohl's is adding 400 Sephora at Kohl's shops nationwide this year in a bid to attract younger and more diverse customers. It recently opened Sephora at Kohl's in-store stores at its locations in the Highland Grove Shopping Center in Highland, the Southlake Mall in Hobart and Portage.

Kohl's also opened new Sephora in-store stores in Gurnee and Downers Grove in suburban Chicago Wednesday.

At a time when most department store chains have been shrinking, Kohl's is repurposing some of its space to include the in-store stores designed to offer a similar experience as freestanding Sephora stores.

They sell makeup, skincare, hair and fragrance products from top brands like Rare Beauty, NARS, Charlotte Tilbury, Kiehls, Giorgio Armani, Olaplex, Clinique, Murad, Clarins, Jack Black, Living Proof, Versace and Voluspa. They also stock clean beauty and self-care items.

The Sephora in-store stores have testing and discovery zones. People can try samples and consult with Sephora-trained advisors who will help them find the products they're looking for.

Kohl's seeks to open 850 Sephora at Kohl's shops by the end of next year.
CROWN POINT  A Gary man with two previous felony convictions was sentenced Tuesday to five years in prison for possessing a gun during a traffic stop last fall in Lake Station.

Anthony D. Cobb, 30, was convicted in July of being a felon in possession of a firearm, felony resisting law enforcement and misdemeanor operating while intoxicated after a one-day trial before Lake Criminal Court Judge Salvador Vasquez.

Cobb is still awaiting trial in several other cases, which include attempted murder charges stemming from a shooting in March 2020 in Hammond and arson and burglary charges linked to an incident in Gary in March 2021.

It's not the first time Cobb has received a prison sentence.

In 2011, he was sentenced to 10 years in prison and four years on probation in two separate robbery cases filed in 2010 and 2011, court records show. He's still facing a petition to revoke his probation in one of those cases.

Vasquez said he agreed with Cobb's attorney, Russell Brown, that the facts of Lake Station case weren't overly egregious.

Cobb had a gun in a vehicle during a traffic stop Sept. 12, but he didn't brandish it or point it any anyone, the judge said.

It was Cobb's criminal history that made the case so horrible, Vasquez said.

"If anyone should have known better than to possess a weapon, it should have been you," the judge said.

Brown asked Vasquez to show leniency because Cobb was able to secure meaningful employment despite his felony convictions and supported his two children. Studies show boys who grow up without a father figure in their lives are at much greater risk of dropping out of school and ending up in the criminal justice system, he said.

Brown asked for a split sentence, including two years in prison, two in the Lake County Community Corrections alternative placement program and two on probation.

Lake County Deputy Prosecutor Jacquelyn Altpeter said Cobb was given chances at Lake County Community Corrections and probation in the past and failed.

She said Cobb's character was highly manipulative because his calls from jail to a relative showed he was "always trying to come up with a new story."

Altpeter asked for a 10-year prison sentence.

Vasquez said that he thought 10 years was too much but that Cobb's attempt to manipulate his relative counted against him. He sentenced Cobb to five years, all of which were to be served in prison.

Cobb is next scheduled to appear before Vasquez on Aug. 25 for a pretrial hearing on attempted murder charges.

In that case, he's accused of shooting an 18-year-old Hammond woman in the head March 26, 2020, at a gas station at 169th Street and Arizona Avenue in Hammond and leading police on a chase that ended in East Chicago. The woman, who survived, was taken to a local hospital.

Cobb's trial in that case was set for the week of Oct. 24.
VALPARAISO  Police checking on the welfare of a 21-year-old Valparaiso woman said they found a dead kitten in her apartment and a dog and two other cats in distress after having been left several days without food or water.

Eilish Chambers was taken into custody Tuesday and is charged with a misdemeanor count of neglect/cruelty to an animal, court records show.

Valparaiso police said they went the afternoon of July 24 to check on Chambers at her apartment in the 500 block of Locust Street. Officer found a dog barking in distress and two cats inside the unit.

A neighbor reportedly told officers Chambers was last seen at the apartment July 21 and surveillance footage showed her entering and leaving that night with a man, police said.

Officers entered the apartment and found it ransacked, and with dog and cat waste on the floor, according to the incident report. There was no water or food left out for the animals.

"The animals inside appeared to be in distress without food or water," police said.

Animal control was called in to remove the alive and dead animals.

Bond is set at $800 cash, and Chambers appeared to still be behind bars Wednesday, records show.

Her case has been assigned to Porter Superior Court Judge Christopher Buckley.
MICHIGAN CITY  Police Chief Dion Campbell is asking residents for their help in addressing crime in the city.

It is essential that we come up with solutions for our city, Campbell said last week in a public safety meeting at New Hope Missionary Baptist Church.

Were here tonight to hear from you and see how to partner with the community, Assistant Chief Jillian Ashley said. Some things that police officers do not even think of, you all do.

Mayor Duane Parry said there is a "tremendous problem in our town, and we are going to overcome this problem."

Campbell outlined statistics for the first half of the year. Calls for service are down compared to the first half of 2021, but total arrests are up, from 827 to 1,135. Of this years arrests, 154 were juveniles and 981 were adults.

Just making more arrests does not solve the problem, Campbell said. You cannot arrest away the issue.

This is a heart problem, a community problem, he said.

The number of nonfatal shootings this year, 12, is triple that of the same period last year. The number of firearms seized jumped from 79 to 176. That means that more and more people are carrying handguns, Campbell said.

Crime data also details what neighborhoods see the most violent crime. Some residents tried to make that a race issue, but it isnt, he said. All people do not like criminals, and all people do not like shots fired in their neighborhood.

This paints a picture of where violent crime is and where (police response is) needed the most, Campbell said.

Wes Scully, president of LaPorte Countys NAACP chapter, agreed. It may not be a black/white situation. I think its more of an economic situation, he said. I know economics plague our community greatly. Michigan Citys poverty rate is about 30%.

Campbell made the case for beefing up the police force. Its currently budgeted at 84. I would like to see our department reach about 100 officers total, he said. Were probably going to have 2,000 to 3,000 more citizens in the next couple of years, and we have to be proactive.

He hopes to develop a Street Hawk team to focus on areas where the most crime is occurring.

I came to one of these meetings two years ago, and it has gotten worse, one resident said. He heard 30 gunshots on the citys south side and 20 shots on the east side, all in a single day.

Those bullets have got to come down, he said.

Parry touted the license plate readers and gunshot detectors the city is hoping to purchase. This system raises us to a level of surveillance that we have never had before, he said.

Campbell stressed the importance of community input on where to place the equipment. One of the things we have done is fail to communicate effectively with the public, he said.

The chief also emphasized the importance of families in shaping young peoples lives. We need to deal with root issues, he said. Weve got to start with the families.

We need to get out on our porches and start looking, see whos coming into our community, another resident said.

She really conveys the heart of what I really believe Michigan City is, Campbell responded.
Editor's note: This story was updated Aug. 5 with details from the Elkhart Sheriff's Police that revise the account of the accident the office offered Wednesday.

ELKHART COUNTY  U.S. Rep. Jackie Walorski of Indiana's 2nd district was killed Wednesday in a car crash in Elkhart County.

The 58-year-old South Bend native, a Republican, represented much of LaPorte County as well as all or parts of St. Joseph, Elkhart, Starke, Marshall, Kosciusko, Pulaski, Fulton, Cass, Miami and Wabash counties.

The Elkhart County Sheriffs Office said officers were called to the scene of a two-vehicle crash shortly after noon Eastern time. Investigators have determined that an SUV driven by Zachery Potts, 27, of Mishawaka, crossed the center line for unknown reasons in a rural area near the town of Wakarusa. Potts was Walorski's district director and the Republican chairman for northern Indiana's St. Joseph County. Also killed in the crash was Emma Thomson, 28, of Washington, D.C., who was Walorski's communications director.

Edith Schmucker, 56, of Nappanee, was driving the other car and was also killed in the crash, police said. The crash is still under investigation.

Walorski was first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2012. Before that, she served three terms in the Indiana House of Representatives. Walorski was seeking reelection this year to a sixth term in the solidly Republican district.

Elected officials from across the state and country issued statements mourning her loss, along with that of Thomson and Potts.

President Joe Biden pointed to Walorski's work with the House Hunger Caucus in a statement crediting Walorski for years of public service.

We may have represented different parties and disagreed on many issues, but she was respected by members of both parties for her work, Biden said. My team and I appreciated her partnership as we plan for a historic White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health this fall that will be marked by her deep care for the needs of rural America.

I am deeply saddened to learn of the sudden passing of my Indiana colleague and Congressional-district neighbor Rep. Jackie Walorski," U.S. Rep. Frank J. Mrvan, D-Highland, said. "I am grateful for our all too brief shared time together in the U.S. House of Representatives and appreciate her consistent friendship, example of public service, and openness to conversation. My thoughts and prayers are with her family and friends during this difficult time, as well as with the loved ones of her staff member Emma Thomson and St. Joseph County Republican Chair Zachery Potts.

"Janet and I are devastated by the tragic loss of our friend Congresswoman Jackie Walorski and her two staffers  Emma Thomson and Zach Potts  earlier today," Gov. Eric Holcomb said. "Our broken hearts go out to her husband Dean and the entire family during this time of unimaginable mourning. At every level of public service Jackie was known to be a positive force of nature, a patriot and a relentless policy maker with an unwavering loyalty to her constituents. Jackies record of achievement is impossible to quantify. She will be remembered as a fighter with a huge heart that always went the extra mile and Ill treasure the times we walked a few of those together. Every waking moment for her was energetically devoted to improving the lives of all Hoosiers, the epitome of a good and faithful servant. She, and the example she set, will be missed every day forward.

Holcomb is directing flags in Indiana to be flown at half-staff in honor of Walorski immediately until the date of her burial. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, a California Democrat, ordered the flags at the U.S. Capitol to be flown at half-staff in Walorskis honor. The White House said its flags would be lowered Wednesday and Thursday.

Pelosi said Walorski lived a life of service.

She passionately brought the voices of her north Indiana constituents to the Congress, and she was admired by colleagues on both sides of the aisle for her personal kindness, Pelosi said.

U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, a former mayor of South Bend, said he was "shocked and saddened to hear of the tragic death of Congresswoman Jackie Walorski. My thoughts and prayers are with her family and the other victims of this terrible crash. Though we came from very different places politically, she was always prepared to work together where there was common ground, always decent and straightforward, and she cared deeply about her work and her constituents."

"I'm truly devastated," said U.S. Sen. Todd Young, R-Ind. "Jackie loved Hoosiers and devoted her life to fighting for them. I'll never forget her spirit, her positive attitude and most importantly, her friendship. All of Indiana mourns her passing, along with the tragic deaths of her staff Emma Thomson and Zach Potts. Please join me in praying for their families in this difficult time.

U.S. Sen. Mike Braun, R-Ind., called Walorski "a tireless advocate for the Hoosiers she represented and a kind friend to everyone she met. She faithfully served her constituents and her Lord and Savior, and I trust she is now wrapped in the arms of Christ. This is a devastating loss, and we grieve for her two staff members  Zach and Emma  who had their whole lives ahead of them. Please join me and Maureen in praying for the families and friends of those lost on this tragic day for Indiana.

"Jackie and I served together in the Indiana House of Representatives," Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch said, "and she was a fighter for her constituents and conservative Hoosier values. My heart goes out to her husband, Dean, and the rest of her family and friends. She will be deeply missed."

"Jackie Walorski was a woman who stood strong in her values, cared for her family, and served Hoosiers well," said Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita. "I have many great memories and stories of our time together in Congress and on the campaign trail. In addition to everything else, she had a great sense of humor. She will be missed. Our sympathies also go out to the families of Zach Potts and Emma Thomson, who died in the same tragic accident. Hoosiers across the state mourn the loss of these public servants."

State Rep. Phil GiaQuinta, the Indiana House Democratic Leader, served with Walorski in the General Assembly.

My heart goes out to the families of Congresswoman Walorski, Emma Thomson and Zach Potts, GiaQuinta said. Working in politics, you develop a tight bond with the people you work with, and the loss of three dedicated Hoosiers is insurmountable. Congresswoman Walorski and I served in the Indiana House of Representatives with the shared values of creating a better state. May the memories of their legacies and work be a blessing to those who loved them and the people they served.

"Northwest Indiana, our state and our country was blessed to have such a strong woman diligently care for our communities," said state Sen. Mike Bohacek, R-Michiana Shores. "I am praying for the families of those who passed this afternoon, and will grieve alongside our shared constituents and the state."

Ambassador Joe Donnelly, who preceded Walorski in the U.S. House and now serves as ambassador to the Vatican, called it "a terrible tragedy."

"Jill and I offer our heartfelt sympathies and prayers to Dean, Jackie's husband, and to all the families who have suffered such an awful loss," he said.

Walorski and her husband, Dean Swihart, were previously missionaries in Romania, where they established a foundation that provided food and medical supplies to impoverished children. She worked as a television news reporter in South Bend before her turn to politics.

Since Walorski's election to Congress in 2012, the second district has included the city of LaPorte and all or part of 14 townships in central and eastern LaPorte County. Beginning next year, it will contain all of LaPorte County except the western half of the city of LaPorte and the six townships in the northwest corner of the county.

Walorski is just the third sitting member of Congress from Indiana to die in office during the past half-century.

Northwest Indiana U.S. Rep. Adam Benjamin, D-Gary, suffered a fatal heart attack Sept. 7, 1982, in his Washington, D.C., apartment. Benjamin, 42, represented the Region in the U.S. House for six years prior to his death.

U.S. Rep. Julia Carson, D-Indianapolis, succumbed to lung cancer Dec. 15, 2007. She was 69 and had represented Indianas 7th District since 1997.
NIPSCO is working to restore power to nearly 18,000 residents across Northwest Indiana experiencing power outages as of 6:30 p.m.

NIPSCO said that an estimate on when power will be restored cannot be determined at this time but that the company is tracking developing weather patterns and has crews prepared to respond to the anticipated weather.

People are recommended to stay away from fallen power lines and report outages, according to NIPSCO's website.

According to the NIPSCO's power outage map 587 Beverly Shores residents with the 46301 postal code are without power. There are 1052 Chesterton customers experiencing outages.

Gary has 1,703 residents without power across all postal codes.

There are 3,524 Hobart residents in the 46342 postal code without power. Outages are also occurring in Merrillville, affecting over 3,780 residents, and Michigan City, affecting 453 residents.

As of 6:30 p.m., Portage has 2,771 outages. The Valparaiso postal code, 46385, has 2707 outages and the 46383 postal code has 341 customers without power.

LaPorte has 120 residents who are also experiencing outages.

NIPSCO will continue to update the power outage map online. If you are experiencing a power outage, NIPSCO asks that residents text "out" to 444111 or visit nipsco.com/outages.

Check back at nwi.com for updates.
WASHINGTON  The State Department on Tuesday announced a major new round of sanctions on dozens of Russian companies and individuals to further punish Moscow for its invasion of Ukraine, including oligarchs close to President Vladimir V. Putin and technology institutions with ties to Russias military.

As Ukrainians continue to valiantly defend their homeland in the face of President Putins brutal war, Russias elite are running massive revenue-generating companies and funding their own opulent lifestyles outside of Russia, Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken said in a statement announcing the measures.

Many of the new targets on the new State Department list, or on a list announced by the Treasury Department on Tuesday, are already under sanctions imposed by the European Union and Britain. One is Alina Kabaeva, a former Olympic gymnast and member of the Russian Duma long believed to be Mr. Putins romantic partner.
Q: For nine years, my husband and I have rented a market-rate apartment on the Upper West Side. The building recently changed ownership, and during the transition apartments were intentionally left vacant until the new owners took over. Now that new management is running the building, comparable units to ours are renting at much higher rents than what we pay. Our lease comes up for renewal in October and we are concerned about the potential increase we could face. Should we ask the landlord about the renewal terms early, or is it better to wait? How might we approach the conversation?

A: You have reason to be concerned. In June, the median rent in Manhattan was $4,050 a month, up almost 25 percent from the same time a year ago, according to Douglas Elliman. And there is little hope that the conditions will improve by October, when your lease comes up for renewal.
About halfway through the 90-minute debate, Mr. Nadler was asked to expound on the differences between himself and Ms. Maloney. Carolyn and I have worked together on a lot of things, he said, stumbling a bit. Weve worked together on many, many different things.

There are some differences, he added, stumbling a bit more before going on to name three votes in particular.

But even as the two essentially made cases for their political survival, Mr. Nadler and Ms. Maloney largely refrained from attacking each other or offering strong reasons for voters to choose one of them over the other. When given the opportunity to cross-examine an opponent, both chose to question Mr. Patel.

Ms. Maloney even admitted she didnt want to run against Mr. Nadler, her good friend and ally.

Mr. Nadler pointed to three key votes that set him apart from Ms. Maloney  he opposed the Iraq War and the Patriot Act, which expanded government surveillance powers after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, while she voted for them; he supported the Iran nuclear deal, which she opposed. But he refrained from criticizing her votes outright. Mr. Patel was more forceful, at one point calling Ms. Maloneys vote on Iraq his single biggest issue with her voting record.

Mr. Patel, 38, who has twice unsuccessfully attempted to defeat Ms. Maloney, at times tried to use their amity to his advantage. At one point, Mr. Patel questioned why Mr. Nadler had previously endorsed Ms. Maloney despite her past support for legislation that would have mandated that the government study a discredited link between vaccines and autism.

In the contest between you and her, I thought she was the better candidate, Mr. Nadler said.

What about now? Mr. Patel shot back.
Archaeologists working at Red Bank Battlefield, a site along the Delaware River south of Philadelphia, have uncovered the remains of 13 Hessian mercenaries who were killed during a bloody Revolutionary War battle.

The remains were found in a former trench that was part of the defenses of Fort Mercer, where 500 American patriots were stationed to prevent British ships from supplying troops in the city. On Oct. 22, 1777, a contingent of 2,000 Hessian soldiers fighting for the British set out to overwhelm the small force, but the day ended in a resounding defeat, with 377 Hessians killed but only 14 American casualties.

Finding bone, finding Hessians was not on my radar, said Jennifer Janofsky, a historian at Rowan University in Glassboro, N.J., and the director of Red Bank Battlefield Park. We have documentation from that period showing where mass graves are. This was not on the map.
Ms. Tang said she was a lifelong Democrat and had contributed to Ms. Pelosis political campaigns in the past and was now rethinking her party affiliation. Ms. Pelosi, she said, was acting like an imperialist.

The protest, although relatively small, seemed to reflect how attitudes toward Taiwan have changed in the city, where there are a growing number of Chinese residents, many of them born in mainland China.

In the three and a half decades that Ms. Pelosi has represented the city in Congress, connections and sympathies among her constituents have shifted decisively away from Taiwan, according to David Lee, a political science lecturer in San Francisco who specializes in voting trends of the Chinese community.

The Chinese community in San Francisco, which from the 1950s until the early 1990s was very outwardly supportive of Taiwan, today is much more connected to mainland China, partly because of immigration trends and the rise of Chinas power and influence in the world, Mr. Lee said.
The referendum, watched closely by national figures on both sides of the abortion debate, took on added importance because of Kansas location, abutting states where abortion is already banned in nearly all cases. More than $12 million has been spent on advertising, split about evenly between the two camps. The amendment, had it passed, would have removed abortion protections from the State Constitution and paved the way for legislators to ban or restrict abortions.

Ahead of the vote, which coincided with primary elections, Scott Schwab, the Republican secretary of state, predicted that around 36 percent of Kansas voters would participate, up slightly from the primary in 2020, a presidential election year, though he later said there were signs turnout would be much higher. His office said that the constitutional amendment has increased voter interest in the election, a sentiment that was palpable on the ground.

Weve been saying that after a decision is made in Washington, that the spotlight would shift to Kansas, said David Langford, a retired engineer from Leawood, Kan., who wanted the amendment to pass, and who reached out to Protestant pastors to rally support.

While Kansas has a history of voting for governors of both parties, the state almost always backs Republicans for president  Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964 was a notable exception. It is a largely white state and many Kansans identify as Christians, with a sizable evangelical constituency. Roman Catholic Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann of Kansas City, Kan., has long been a hero to many conservative Catholics for his ardent opposition to abortion, contraception and gay marriage.

The push for an amendment was rooted in a 2019 ruling by the Kansas Supreme Court that struck down some abortion restrictions and found that the right to an abortion was guaranteed by the State Constitution. That decision infuriated Republicans, who had spent years passing abortion restrictions and campaigning on the issue. They used their supermajorities in the Legislature last year to place the issue on the 2022 ballot.
WASHINGTON  No terrorist group, not even the Islamic State, has had the notoriety and immediate name recognition of Al Qaeda.

But the killing of the groups leader, Ayman al-Zawahri, in a C.I.A. drone strike early Sunday marks a pivotal inflection point for the global organization. Eight of its top leaders have been killed in the past three years, and it is unclear who will succeed al-Zawahri.

Yet Al Qaeda is in more countries and has more total fighters than it did on Sept. 11, 2001, when it attacked the United States. Some of its franchises that have sprung up since then, particularly in Somalia and the Sahel region of West Africa, are ascendant, seizing swaths of territory from weak governments and spending millions of dollars on new weapons, despite a decades effort to weaken and contain them.
The dual conclusions emerging from the strike complicated an otherwise heady moment for a president who just authorized the operation that took out one of the most wanted men in the world. Hunting down and killing al-Zawahri may not have resonated with the public in the same way the raid that dispatched Osama bin Laden did in 2011, but it was nonetheless seen across the board as a victory for the United States.

The implications of that victory, however, were still being sorted out the day after Mr. Bidens nighttime address to the nation announcing the drone strike from over the weekend. The president now confronts the question of what, if anything, he will do in response to the revelation that the Taliban were once again sheltering the leader of a group dedicated to killing Americans.

The peace agreement that led to last years troop withdrawal, negotiated by President Donald J. Trump before he left office and then carried out by Mr. Biden, specified that the Taliban would not allow Afghanistan to become a launching pad for future Al Qaeda violence against the United States as it was before the Sept. 11 attacks.

While the Biden administration called al-Zawahris presence a clear violation of that deal, known as the Doha Agreement for the capital of Qatar where it was sealed, some analysts said the Taliban could maintain that it was not out of compliance because sheltering the fugitive head of Al Qaeda was not the same as serving as a staging ground for new attacks.
Follow our live coverage of the trial of Alex Jones.

AUSTIN, Texas  For 90 searing minutes in a courtroom on Tuesday, a Sandy Hook mother brought the conspiracy broadcaster Alex Jones face-to-face with the havoc she said his lies about the mass shooting that killed her son had wrought on her family and on the national discourse.

Truth  truth is so vital to our world. Truth is what we base our reality on, and we have to agree on that to have a civil society, Scarlett Lewis, whose son Jesse, 6, was among the 20 first graders and six educators killed in 2012 at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., told Mr. Jones from the witness stand.

Mr. Jones has questioned the events at Sandy Hook, but you know thats not true, she said, staring at him while he fidgeted at the defense table. When you say those things, theres a fringe of society that believe you that are actually dangerous.
WASHINGTON  The Biden administration on Tuesday approved two massive arms sales to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to help them defend against Iran.

The more than $5 billion in missile defense and related sales follow President Joe Bidens visit to the Middle East last month, during which he met with numerous regional leaders in Saudi Arabia. Both Saudi Arabia and the UAE have been hit in recent months with rocket attacks from the Iran-backed Houthi rebel movement in Yemen.

Although Tuesdays approvals are for defensive weapons, they may be questioned by lawmakers who had supported Bidens decision last year to cut Saudi Arabia and the UAE off from major purchases of offensive U.S. arms because of their involvement in the war in Yemen.

The new sales include $3 billion for Patriot missiles for Saudi Arabia specifically designed to protect itself from rocket attacks by the Houthis, and $2.2 billion for high-altitude missile defense for the UAE.

The proposed sale will improve the Kingdom of Saudi Arabias capability to meet current and future threats by replenishing its dwindling stock of PATRIOT GEM-T missiles, the State Department said in its notice informing Congress of the sale.

These missiles are used to defend the Kingdom of Saudi Arabias borders against persistent Houthi cross-border unmanned aerial system and ballistic missile attacks on civilian sites and critical infrastructure in Saudi Arabia," the department said.

For UAE, the department said the sale would support the foreign policy and national security of the United States by helping to improve the security of an important regional partner. The UAE is a vital U.S. partner for political stability and economic progress in the Middle East.

Early in his administration Biden had pledged to cut off or cut back weapons sales to both Saudi Arabia and the UAE because of their actions in Yemen.
His victory was a relief for many Republicans, who had worried that nominating Mr. Greitens, four years after he resigned his governorship in disgrace to avoid impeachment, would put at risk a seat they hoped to pass easily from retiring Senator Roy Blunt to a Republican successor. Once a swing state, Missouri has become reliably red over the past decade.

We have no doubt Eric Schmitt will run an aggressive and effective general election effort as he has in the primary, and will win this election, said Steven Law, president of the Senate Leadership Fund, a super PAC aligned with the Republican leadership in Washington.

Mr. Schmitt was buoyed by a separate super PAC funded by affluent Republicans in Missouri and beyond, which in the past weeks, has carpet-bombed Mr. Greitens with negative advertising that used his former wifes allegations of domestic violence as well as footage from a trip he took as governor to China, in which he appeared to speak positively about the country.

Mr. Greitens said the allegations against him were false and orchestrated by Washington Republicans such as Mitch McConnell, the Senate minority leader, and Karl Rove, the political chief of the George W. Bush White House. Mounting a campaign saturated in violent imagery, Mr. Greitens ran advertising that featured military-style assaults against RINOs  Republicans in name only  and shots of himself, a former Navy SEAL, firing high-powered weaponry.
Ms. Pelosi, 82, who has said she will wind down her speakership after this Congress, is also looking toward her legacy, one that includes an unapologetic stance toward China.

Since the administrations of Presidents George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton, Ms. Pelosi has insisted that the economic benefits of a U.S. relationship with China could not be allowed to overshadow its human rights record or deter strong criticism from national leaders.

If we do not speak out for human rights in China because of economic concerns, then we lose the moral authority to talk about human rights in any other place in the world, Ms. Pelosi said last year, marking the 32nd anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre.

She has regularly pushed legislation on behalf of Hong Kong and Tibet; hosted the Dalai Lama, the Tibetan spiritual leader, on Capitol Hill; and called for a diplomatic boycott of the Olympics in Beijing. She repeatedly broke with Mr. Clinton on his drive to bestow and sustain favored trade status for China, a policy he said could improve human rights in China through international engagement. Ms. Pelosi vehemently disagreed.

By following a policy which bolsters the Chinese government, the United States is actually supporting the containment of the Chinese people, their hopes and aspirations, said Ms. Pelosi in 1997 as she took the Clinton White House to task.
WASHINGTON  The Senate on Tuesday approved a bill to create a new entitlement program to treat veterans who may have been exposed to toxic substances from burning trash pits on U.S. military bases, sending President Biden legislation that would expand medical care eligibility to an estimated 3.5 million people.

The bill was approved on a lopsided bipartisan vote, 86 to 11, only days after Republicans pulled their support in a dispute over how to pay for the benefits, imperiling the legislation and drawing days of angry protests from veterans who gathered outside the Capitol to demand action.

The measure would be the biggest expansion of veterans benefits since the Agent Orange Act of 1991, which increased access to care for Vietnam War veterans who had been exposed to the toxic herbicide that endangered generations of Vietnamese, Laotians and Cambodians.
BURLINGTON, Wis.  After months of toying with Robin Vos, who as the speaker of the Wisconsin Assembly is the most powerful Republican in state politics, former President Donald J. Trump endorsed Mr. Voss long-shot primary challenger on Tuesday in a futile effort to push the states Republicans to decertify the results of the 2020 election.

Mr. Trump backed Adam Steen, a largely unknown and underfunded far-right Republican who said he would aim to claw back the states 10 Electoral College votes from 2020  a legal impossibility  and enact sweeping changes to the states voting laws.

Mr. Steens far-right views are not limited to elections. He is opposed to all abortions under any circumstances and he said in an interview on Monday that he would seek to make contraception illegal in Wisconsin.
Tudor Dixon, a conservative media personality with the political backing of Michigans powerful DeVos family, won the states Republican primary for governor on Tuesday, according to The Associated Press.

She will advance to the general election against Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a first-term Democrat who was on the short list to be Joseph R. Biden Jr.s running mate in the summer of 2020.

In its final weeks, the primary became a race to win the backing of former President Donald J. Trump, who ultimately did endorse Ms. Dixon. But she didnt wait for his formal support to air a TV ad of Mr. Trump praising her at a campaign rally and release internal polling showing that half the primary electorate thought Mr. Trump had already endorsed her.
To longtime watchers of American foreign policy, Speaker Nancy Pelosis visit to Taiwan reflects her decades-long interest in China  and her willingness to criticize its government.

From student demonstrators in Beijing in 1989 to anti-government protests in Hong Kong 30 years later, Ms. Pelosi has consistently supported social movements that critiqued Chinas ruling Communist Party. She has also urged Chinas leaders to temper their authoritarian policies, criticism that has elicited tart ripostes from Chinese officials.

One of the seminal moments in modern Chinese history  troops opening fire on student protesters around Beijings Tiananmen Square in 1989, killing hundreds if not thousands  occurred two years after Ms. Pelosi was first elected to Congress. She responded by leading a House resolution condemning Chinas actions, and saying that the human rights of the people in China are not an internal matter but a concern for the whole world.
TAIPEI, Taiwan  As Speaker Nancy Pelosi moved around Taiwans capital with her entourage on Wednesday, taking one meeting after another, the people of Taiwan shadowed her nearly every step of the way.

Many came to support her or to denounce her. Others were just curious. Some cheered with excitement over the American backing for Taiwan that Ms. Pelosis visit represented. Others shouted that she was causing unnecessary military tensions with China.

Susan Hung, a retired financial consultant, was part of a crowd of hundreds outside Taiwans Legislature, where Ms. Pelosi met with lawmakers in the morning. Ms. Hung had spent hours at the airport on Tuesday night, hoping to see Pelosi with my own eyes, and was now trying to catch a glimpse of her again  so far, in vain.
TAIPEI, Taiwan  House Speaker Nancy Pelosi arrived in Taiwan on Tuesday, casting aside private warnings from the Biden administration about the risk that her high-profile diplomatic visit could stoke a new crisis in Asia and immediately drawing a sharp response from the Chinese government.

A U.S. military jet carrying Ms. Pelosi landed in Taipei late Tuesday, after weeks of speculation about her travel plans. Her decision to proceed with the trip  shrouded in official secrecy until the last moment  makes her the highest-ranking congressional official to come to the disputed island in 25 years, and sets up a tense standoff with China that American officials said could lead to more aggressive military posturing.

In a statement released after her arrival, Ms. Pelosi said the visit was a sign of the United States unwavering commitment to supporting the islands democracy.
With a crucial party congress coming this year, Chinas leader, Xi Jinping, will have noted other visits to Taiwan by senior Republicans like Mike Pompeo, a former secretary of state, and Mark Esper, a former secretary of defense, who have respectively urged the United States to recognize Taiwan and design a new China policy.

Support for Taiwan is also growing in the U.S. Congress, and Mr. Xi may be worried that this administration is moving toward supporting Taiwan independence, Ms. Glaser said.

I think they want to stop this slippery slope, the slide toward Taiwan independence, and I think they feel compelled to bolster their red lines to let the United States know that they are not kidding, she said. Theyre very serious about preventing Taiwan independence before it gets to a point that its really, really dangerous. So I think they have identified this visit as where they want to draw that red line.

American allies in Asia and in Europe are also anxious about the Chinese reaction to the Pelosi visit, she and other analysts said.
The Kremlin on Tuesday said Speaker Nancy Pelosis visit to Taiwan provokes the situation over the island, aligning Russia with Chinas claims to Taiwan as its territory.

Everything that relates to this tour, to the possible visit to Taiwan, is of course of provocative character, the Kremlin spokesman, Dmitri S. Peskov, told reporters on Tuesday before she arrived. It provokes the situation, leads to more tensions.

Here we are in absolute solidarity with China, he continued. Its sensitivity to this issue is justified.
At the event, Ms. Pelosi was presented with an award, the Order of Propitious Clouds, given to Taiwanese and foreigners who have made outstanding contributions to Taiwan. Upon receiving the award, Ms. Pelosi said, to laughs, that she would wear it around her office in Washington.

Taiwan, to which Chiang Kai-sheks forces retreated after the Communist revolution of 1949, has never been part of the Peoples Republic of China. These days, it has a distinct identity that makes any voluntary unification with China seem unlikely, even if Beijing treats it as having illegitimately broken away from its rule.

Ms. Tsai, the first woman to govern Taiwan, came to power in 2016, after eight years in which her predecessor pushed for closer relations with China. The election pivoted largely on economic issues, including concerns about growing economic ties with the Chinese mainland.

In Ms. Tsais first term, one of her main projects was trying to revive the islands military at a time when Chinas Peoples Liberation Army was undergoing a huge upgrade. But she struggled to impose a new strategic vision on the islands military leadership.
The U.S. State Department on Tuesday announced a major new round of sanctions, including economic and travel restrictions, targeting Russian companies, institutions and individuals with ties to the Kremlin or its war effort. The list includes several billionaire business magnates, as well as Alina Kabaeva, a former Olympic gymnast and member of the Russian Duma who is widely described as Mr. Putins romantic partner.

In the United States, lawmakers have pressured the Biden administration to label Russia a state sponsor of terror, a designation that Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken has so far resisted. On Tuesday, Russias foreign ministry warned that it could react to such a move by cutting off direct relations with Washington, along with taking unspecified other measures.

A logical result of this irresponsible step could be the breaking off of diplomatic relations, after which Washington runs the risk of crossing the point of no return with all the ensuing consequences, said Maria Zakharova, the ministry spokeswoman.

Russias Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that Ukraines Azov regiment, a group with far-right roots, is a terrorist organization, which could clear the way to captured soldiers being criminally charged with terrorism rather than being treated as prisoners of war. Many of the troops who made a last stand in Mariupol, tying down Russian forces and living for nearly three months in bunkers beneath the sprawling Azovstal steel plant complex before surrendering, were from that regiment.
President Volodymyr Zelensky, responding on Tuesday to a citizen petition that called for the legalization of same-sex marriage in Ukraine, raised the prospect of civil partnerships, but said the Constitutions definition of marriage as the union of one man and one woman could not be changed during wartime.

Mr. Zelensky was responding after the petition garnered support from more than 25,000 Ukrainians. Ukraine does not recognize marriage rights for same-sex couples, nor does it have a statute allowing them to enter into civil unions. Calls to grant those couples equal rights have grown in part because of the sacrifices of L.G.B.T.Q. soldiers helping the country fight Russias brutal invasion.

Under Ukrainian Ministry of Defense regulations, the military must inform the parents and spouse or other close relatives of a soldier who is killed. But those rules do not apply to same-sex couples who are unable to legally wed.
Having led other institutions before  most recently the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco  Hollein said he felt prepared to expand his purview. Its a great honor, but also something that comes with a great responsibility, Hollein said.

Asked how his leadership might differ from that of Weiss, Hollein said that while they have different personalities, he saw this as a step of continuation.

As for Weiss, the former president of Haverford College and an art historian, he has made clear that, at 65 and after steering the museum through a period of instability, he was ready for a new chapter.

I would rather go out on top, he said. Better to go out when things are going well from a position of strength.
The renowned composer and pianist Frederic Rzewski, who died last year, was celebrated for the committed nature of his leftist politics as well as his music.

On the political front, he tended to walk the walk  whether writing a series of variations based on a Chilean workers anthem (in The People United Will Never Be Defeated), or undermining the high-toned trappings of contemporary classical culture by playing at a fish market. He also distributed his scores online, free for any player to peruse.

He could also be harsh and exacting in his artistic judgments. But one thing Rzewski wasnt known for were capital-R Romantic gestures. So when the pianist Lisa Moore introduced one of Rzewskis final pieces at a Bang on the Can festival at Mass MoCA last year, murmurs of surprise were audible in the crowd as she related that the work was a 60th birthday gift  one commissioned from Rzewski by Moores husband, the composer and educator Martin Bresnick. (Bresnick has also mentored multiple artists in the Bang on a Can universe.)
America clipped the worlds most wanted terrorist off of his safe house balcony? I mean, also, at this point maybe we should stop calling them safe houses. No, every terrorist gets killed in a safe house. They should  they should call it a house that you think youre safe in, but you never know.  TREVOR NOAH

I will say, you know, when you see stories like this, when you see stories about what America is capable of, this is where you realize theres really no excuse for the amount of domestic terrorism in America, all right? Because al-Zawahri  al-Zawahri lived all the way in Afghanistan in some random safe house in the middle of nowhere, and America knew what time of day he liked to go out onto his balcony. But when a white supremacist posts on Facebook hes going to murder everyone and buys an AR-15, everyones like, There was no way to stop this. If only he liked balconies.  TREVOR NOAH

Reportedly, the C.I.A. targeted him with a drone strike while he was on the balcony of his house at 6:18 a.m. on Sunday. Thats so early. He was drinking from a mug that said, Dont talk to me until Ive had my hellfire missile.  STEPHEN COLBERT
Todays newsletter explains what we know about monkeypox and what people can do to stay safe.

How bad is it?

Monkeypox produces symptoms that can range from unpleasant to painful, although they are rarely deadly. At least six deaths, out of 25,000 cases, have been reported in places where the virus was not known to exist before the current outbreak. The risk of death is higher for young children and people who are immunocompromised or pregnant.

The telltale symptom is sores, which can look like pimples or blisters. They can hurt, especially in sensitive areas like the genitals and anus.

I was scared to use the bathroom, a recent monkeypox patient, Gabriel Morales, told The Times. He described the sores as feeling like broken glass in his body.

Other symptoms include fever, headache, muscle aches, swollen lymph nodes, chills and exhaustion. The disease typically lasts two to four weeks.
They also target a woman believed to be Vladimir Putins romantic partner: Alina Kabaeva, a former Olympic gymnast and a member of the Russian Duma.

The move blocks Kabaeva from access to any assets in the U.S. or conducting transactions with Americans, and it denies her a visa to enter the country. She is already under sanctions imposed by the E.U. and Britain.

And the move follows news of the expansion of U.S. aid to Ukraine. On Monday, the U.S. announced that it would send another $550 million in arms to Ukraine, bringing the American investment in the war effort to over $8 billion.

Toll: At least 140,000 residential buildings in Ukraine have been destroyed or damaged, leaving more than 3.5 million people homeless. Civilians are stockpiling firewood and coal in preparation for winter.

Rights: Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraines president, raised the prospect of civil partnerships yesterday. The war is a catalyst: L.G.B.T.Q. soldiers are fighting for their country, but their partners lack legal rights.
Saudi Arabias decision not to increase production further was based on its own political and national security interests, not on Washingtons, Mr. Alkadiri said. Saudi Arabias ability to increase output significantly is limited, he added, and for the Saudis to be able to play their role as the central bank of oil, they need to make sure they have significant volumes they can bring on in case of an emergency.

Inflation F.A.Q. Card 1 of 5 Inflation F.A.Q. What is inflation? Inflation is a loss of purchasing power over time, meaning your dollar will not go as far tomorrow as it did today. It is typically expressed as the annual change in prices for everyday goods and services such as food, furniture, apparel, transportation and toys. Inflation F.A.Q. What causes inflation? It can be the result of rising consumer demand. But inflation can also rise and fall based on developments that have little to do with economic conditions, such as limited oil production and supply chain problems. Inflation F.A.Q. Is inflation bad? It depends on the circumstances. Fast price increases spell trouble, but moderate price gains can lead to higher wages and job growth. Inflation F.A.Q. How does inflation affect the poor? Inflation can be especially hard to shoulder for poor households because they spend a bigger chunk of their budgets on necessities like food, housing and gas. Inflation F.A.Q. Can inflation affect the stock market? Rapid inflation typically spells trouble for stocks. Financial assets in general have historically fared badly during inflation booms, while tangible assets like houses have held their value better.









U.S. officials have said they expect OPEC Plus, which has Russia as a co-chair, to lift output in the coming months. Ed Morse, the global head of commodities research at Citigroup, said Mr. Biden had probably gone into the meeting with the crown prince understanding that Saudi Arabia, the de facto leader of OPEC, would not agree to any significant increase in production.

The White House played down the importance of the meager increase, pointing to the larger production boost approved over the summer before the visit and noting that gas prices have been coming down already. Either way, Mr. Bidens aides said, there were significant issues that justified the presidents trip to Saudi Arabia beyond energy.

It was important to go, said Karine Jean-Pierre, the White House press secretary, pointing as an example to a cease-fire in the long-running war in Yemen that was just extended with Saudi support. Were saving thousands of lives, so that matters as well. So we think that the trip was certainly worth it.
Gas storage facilities in Germany were 69 percent full on Wednesday, but officials told companies and citizens to begin reducing their energy usage as much as possible while the weather was still warm. Nearly half of all homes in Germany are heated with gas, and households, along with essential infrastructure such as hospitals and rescue services, will be given priority in the event of shortages.

Mr. Putin has suggested that Germany could solve its gas problem by opening the second pipeline that was mothballed days before Russia invaded Ukraine, Nord Stream 2.

That proposal was echoed by Gerhard Schroder, the former German chancellor, who remains close to Mr. Putin despite being outcast by his own political party, the Social Democrats, and many Germans. In an interview with the German newsweekly Stern, Mr. Schroder, who met with the Russian president in Moscow last week, also said the Kremlin was open to talks to end the war, on condition that Ukraine surrender its claim to Crimea  which Russia annexed in 2014  as well as its aspirations to join NATO.

Asked about the prospect of restarting Nord Stream 2, Mr. Scholz stifled a laugh, pointing out that its twin pipeline running under the Baltic Sea, Nord Stream 1, was already being underused, as were other overland links through Ukraine, as well as one through Belarus and Poland  that Russia had put under sanctions.

Theres enough capacity with Nord Stream 1, he said. All the contracts that Russia has concluded for the whole of Europe can be fulfilled with the help of this pipeline.
The 679 deliveries in the second quarter compared with just 360 vehicles in the first. Lucid said in May that it was having problems acquiring components. All automakers have suffered supply chain problems, but shortages of parts and raw materials have come at an especially bad time for Lucid and other fledgling carmakers like Rivian. Manufacturing vehicles is difficult enough for a new company without having to fight for a share of scarce commodities.

After its debut model, the Lucid Air, was named Motor Trends Car of the Year for 2022, the company was seen as a serious threat to Tesla because of the sedans range of more than 500 miles on a charge and its attractive styling. Lucids headquarters in Newark, Calif., are a short drive from Teslas factory in Fremont, and Mr. Rawlinson is a former Tesla executive.

But investors have grown pessimistic about the ability of Lucid, Rivian and other electric car start-ups to gain significant market share. The least expensive Air starts at $87,400 while the top of the line goes for $169,000, pitting it against established carmakers that have begun selling battery-powered luxury cars, like Mercedes-Benz, Audi and Porsche.

The traditional carmakers were slow to develop electric cars that resonated with consumers, but now their decades of experience and networks of factories are proving a decisive advantage. Ford Motor said Wednesday that it sold 7,700 battery-powered vehicles in the United States in July, an increase of 170 percent from a year earlier. Ford has sold 31,000 electric vehicles in the first seven months of the year.
Dont call it the Black Sundance.

Though it was dubbed that by Ebony magazine, the BlackStar Film Festival, now in its 11th year, is a cultural institution all its own. Sharing a similar focus on independent cinema with its Park City counterpart, BlackStar  kicking off on Wednesday in Philadelphia with a slate of 77 features and shorts from all over the world  partly distinguishes itself from other festivals with its emphasis on work made exclusively by Black, brown and Indigenous artists. But as a regular of the festival, Ive always been struck by its ambitious bridging of cultural specificity, social justice and the avant-garde, making it an exciting, expansive and revelatory cinematic experience.

Founded by Maori Karmael Holmes in 2012, it was conceived as a one-off event to showcase Black films that hadnt been screened in the Philadelphia area. I had just moved back from Los Angeles and felt like there was a gap in Philly for these particular works, Holmes told me. And I started collecting films that hadnt been shown in the area that had been made in 2011 or 2012, and very quickly had a list of 30 films, so I pivoted to making this a film festival.

Holmes, who now serves as artistic director and chief executive of BlackStar Projects, the organization behind the festival, explained, It was just meant to be this one-time celebration. But more than 1,500 people showed up, and after the festival was mentioned by Ebony as well as the director Ava DuVernay, in a New York Times interview, suddenly, we had outsized attention, and people asked, Whens the next one?
He added: In 2017, however, just 7.7 percent went on to commit another crime.

In 2019, state lawmakers rewrote bail law so that fewer people awaiting trial landed behind bars because they could not afford to post bail. Law enforcement agencies have furiously fought the law, whose implementation came at the beginning of the pandemic, during which gun crime rose in cities around the country.

After a wave of criticism, lawmakers agreed upon a set of changes in 2020 that added two dozen crimes to the list of serious charges for which a judge could impose cash bail.

The second revisions to bail law came earlier this year, after Mr. Adams demanded further changes, angering many lawmakers.

But Mr. Adams said tougher revisions are still needed. He called on the state to allow judges to more frequently take dangerousness into account when deciding to set bail, and to have some juveniles cases play out in criminal court rather than family court.

He insisted on Wednesday that he was not trying to target the governor, his ostensible political ally whom he endorsed less than two months ago. Ms. Hochul, likewise, chose to highlight the programs she and the mayor had worked on together, and the ways they were in sync.

The mayor and governor have made a point of projecting political comity, a new tone after years of public feuding between their predecessors, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo and Mayor Bill de Blasio.
I see new cars, old cars, everyone is coming in now with these rat problems, said Ozzy Dayan, a mechanic at Manhattan Auto Repair in Hells Kitchen. It brings me a lot of business, but its disgusting.

The recent Covid trend of New Yorkers buying cars may share some of the blame. Between the summers of 2019 and 2021, new car registrations increased by 19 percent, according to data provided by the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles.

And more cars means more nesting opportunities for rats.

Jenna Carpenter-Moyes, a design strategist in Brooklyn, bought a used car in May 2020 as a way to navigate the city during the pandemic. That summer, as she was driving to the Hudson Valley, she noticed that her engine was straining as she made her way up a hill.
That made us wonder: In a time-oriented city like New York, what else is like that? How elastic are limits, anyway  or how absolute? What can you get away with?

This quickly became a short history of short amounts of time.

We see time differently, said Peg Breen, the president of the New York Landmarks Conservancy. Im not sure why, half the time, but were in a hurry. When you cross the street and it counts down and it gets to zero, you know youve got a couple of seconds before the light really turns green. She said she races across because youve got at least two seconds to spare.

What counts as late?

Commuter railroads like the Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North have five minutes, 59 seconds of leeway. A train is not considered late unless it arrives at least six minutes past its scheduled time, said a spokeswoman for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which operates both lines.

Amtrak has more leeway, subways less. Intercity passenger trains are not considered late unless they arrive 15 minutes after the scheduled arrival time, according to the Federal Railroad Administration. But a subway train is considered late if it does not reach the end of the line within 5 minutes of its scheduled time.
One side effect of Roe v. Wade was that it allowed the anti-abortion movement to pretend to be on the side of democracy. True, the decision was popular, and majorities since the 1970s have wanted to see abortion legal in at least some circumstances. But Roe prevented duly elected state governments from passing abortion restrictions that were in some cases also popular with their constituents. The goal of the anti-abortion movement was and remains national prohibition. Its language called for returning the matter to the state voters.

The stunning result in an abortion referendum in Kansas on Tuesday, however, shows that even in a very red state, bans cannot necessarily survive contact with democracy. Kansas has its own version of Roe, a 2019 State Supreme Court decision holding that the state Constitution protects a womans right to make decisions about her body, including the decision whether to continue her pregnancy. The referendum, the first statewide test of electoral sentiment about abortion post-Roe, asked voters whether they wanted to change the Constitution so the Republican-controlled Legislature could ban abortions. They did not.

When I spoke to pro-choice organizers last month, they were cautiously optimistic that the vote would be close, though they worried about its timing. Rather than scheduling the referendum for the general election, Republicans put it on the primary ballot, when conservative turnout is typically higher. The pro-choice side needed to get people to show up on a day when they werent used to voting. As far as I can tell, no one expected the 18-point landslide in a state that voted for Donald Trump by 15 points.
What this vision is not, is a conservatism of limits. Rather, it is Promethean, progressive, in the most basic sense: It deplores any constraint on its power to govern, shape the future, despoil the planet, innovate, and expand the American economy. All limits  pluralism, democracy, ecology, human frailty  must be overcome in pursuit of winning the world game, reasserting American dominance and dispelling our decadent malaise. (At one time, Mr. Thiel and Mr. Masters were both interested in overcoming the ultimate limit: death itself.)

The future is coming, whether or not we try to ignore it, Mr. Masters wrote on Facebook in November 2020, endorsing Mr. Trump. We can act to shape that future, or wait until it crashes down upon us. That vital impulse  of action over surrender  is what Trump represents.

Mr. Malicks films take a more ambivalent stance on the martial virtues. The man who fights is rarely morally superior to the man who stands completely still  though, often, they are the same man. The Thin Red Line (1998) depicts a proud moment for American empire, a pivotal battle on the Pacific front in World War II, from the standpoint of a dozen indistinct and alienated Army grunts. This great evil, where does it come from? a voice-over wonders, as our somnambulant soldiers kill the remaining Japanese. Howd it steal into the world? Mr. Malick, meditating on theodicy, not history, has no interest in worldly answers.

What Mr. Malick reveals about war, however  that it rewards bravery no more than cowardice, love no more than hate, and pity least of all  is perhaps a lesson Blake Masters has internalized. Mr. Masters treats politics as a game of moral and physical carnage in which nothing is precious, and rules are for losers and marks. Great nations are those that allow great men to rise above the law, while binding the rest of us ever tighter to its dictates. And Blake Masters wants to make America great again.
No one is suggesting this scheming is anywhere near as dangerous as the efforts by Mr. Trump and his allies  which include Republican lawmakers and officials across the country  to subvert democratic norms: pressuring state officials in Georgia to concoct votes for Mr. Trump and investigate false election fraud claims; ginning up slates of fake electors; discussing ideas to tamper with the Justice Department and firing the acting attorney general; bullying the vice president to violate his constitutional duty; whipping up supporters into a frenzy before they marched on the Capitol on Jan. 6; and refusing to commit to a peaceful transfer of power at so many turns.

As Mr. Cooper notes, the stakes for how the American experiment proceeds have never been higher. Of course, politics can be an unclean business, in which gamesmanship abounds. But even if this tactic helps win a few seats this year, it will come at a steep price, threatening the political survival of the few Republicans who are willing to rebuild a strong center-right party that will step up to protect democratic norms, an alternative that the United States desperately needs.

Its disgusting, Representative Adam Kinzinger of Illinois said of the Democratic strategy in a recent interview with CNN. Mr. Kinzinger is another Republican who voted for Mr. Trumps impeachment. Youre going to have election deniers win in November. So while I think a certain number of Democrats truly understand that democracy is threatened, dont come to me after having spent money supporting an election denier in a primary, and then come to me and say, Where are all the good Republicans?

Fair question. To defeat moderate Republicans will not strengthen the nation. It will mean there is less chance for the emergence of leaders willing to call out and condemn wrongdoing by their own party, as Liz Cheney and Mr. Kinzinger did during the Jan. 6 hearings. It risks never seeing another G.O.P. senator like Lisa Murkowski stand up for the codification of Roe v. Wade. On a day-to-day level, it could mean the end of bipartisan lawmaking, such as the cooperation that brought together the $1 trillion infrastructure bill last year.

Of course, Democrats want to hold on to their slim House majority. But selling out democratic principles to do it? That is a disappointing low for the Democratic Party. President Biden and party leaders should renounce this repugnant and risky strategy.
The Masters campaign and the Lake campaign seem to represent different answers to that question  Masters leveraging Trumps support to try to push the party in a more nationalist or populist direction on trade, foreign policy, family policy, other issues, and Lake just promising to stop the next (alleged) steal. Or do we think that its all the same phenomenon underneath?

Bovard: A very significant part of Trumps appeal, what he perhaps taught the G.O.P., was that he spoke for voters who stood outside of party orthodoxy on a number of issues. And thats where Masters tried to distinguish himself. He had a provocative campaign message early in his campaign: American families should be able to survive on a single income. That presents all kinds of challenges to standard Republican economic policy, how we think about family policy and how the two fit together. He also seems to be fearless in the culture wars, something else that Republicans are anxious to see.

So this constant distilling into the Big Lie overlooks something key: A sea change is slowly happening on the right as it relates to policy expectations.

Miller: But you know who distilled the Masters campaign into the Big Lie? Blake Masters. One of his ads begins, I think Trump won in 2020. This is an insane view, and I assume none of us think Masters really believes it. So fealty to Trumps delusions is the opening ante here. Had Masters run a campaign about his niche, Peter Thiel-influenced issue obsessions but said Trump lost and he was harming Republican voters by continuing to delude them about our democracy, he wouldve lost like Rusty Bowers did.

Opinion Debate Will the Democrats face a midterm wipeout? Elizabeth Warren explains her priorities and writes, if we fail to use the months remaining before the elections to deliver on more of our agenda, Democrats are headed toward big losses.

explains her priorities and writes, if we fail to use the months remaining before the elections to deliver on more of our agenda, Democrats are headed toward big losses. Mark Penn writes that without a U-turn by the Biden administration, voters increasingly motivated by fear over a variety of issues will generate a wave election like those in 1994 and 2010.

writes that without a U-turn by the Biden administration, voters increasingly motivated by fear over a variety of issues will generate a wave election like those in 1994 and 2010. Thomas B. Edsall asks, as the midterms approach, to what degree are Democratic difficulties inevitable, and which challenges stem from the partys strategic choices?

asks, as the midterms approach, to what degree are Democratic difficulties inevitable, and which challenges stem from the partys strategic choices? Ezra Klein speaks to David Shor, who discusses his fear that Democrats face electoral catastrophe unless they shift their messaging.

I do think Masters has some differentiated policy ideas that are probably, not certainly, reflective of where the G.O.P. is headed, but that wasnt the main thing here.

Douthat: So Tim, speaking for the its Trump fealty all the way down camp, what separates the Arizona results from the very different recent results in Georgia, where Trump fealty was insufficient to defeat either Brian Kemp or even Brad Raffensperger?
As he contemplates a third straight run for the presidency, Donald Trump has a multimillion-dollar political machine and a network of tax-exempt advocacy groups at his disposal. He also has a plan. The plan is to wrest control of the federal government from what he sees as a policy apparatus dominated by radical left-wing Democrats.

While many in Washington were arguing (or hoping) that Trump was fading, Trump himself outlined his agenda for a second term in a speech at the America First Policy Institute last week:

To drain the swamp and root out the deep state, we need to make it much easier to fire rogue bureaucrats who are deliberately undermining democracy, or at a minimum just want to keep their jobs. They want to hold on to their jobs. Congress should pass historic reforms, empowering the president to ensure that any bureaucrat who is corrupt, incompetent or unnecessary for the job can be told  did you ever hear this?  Youre fired? Get out. Youre fired.

In the same speech, Trump announced his intention to enact legislation granting the president authority to send in the National Guard in the case of violent protests by Black Lives Matter or other groups:

Where there is a true and total breakdown of law and order where citizens most basic rights have been violated, then the federal government can and should send the National Guard to restore order and secure the peace without having to wait for the approval of some governor that thinks its politically incorrect to call them in. When governors refuse to protect their people, we need to bring in whats necessary anyway. We have to go beyond the governor.

Trump declared that he would remove the homeless, the drug addicted and the dangerously deranged from city streets and place them in thousands and thousands of high-quality tents on large parcels of inexpensive land in the outer reaches of the cities.

Now, some people say, Oh, thats so horrible, Trump added. No. Whats horrible is whats happening now. Because now theyre in tents but most of them arent even tents that function.
His ex-wife needs to decide if shell let him. Honestly, this essay, it broke my heart, and it filled it right back up at the exact same time. Its called, Could I Forgive Him One Last Time? written by Victoria Rosner and read by Frankie Corzo.

From The New York Times, Im Anna Martin. This is Modern Love. This weeks essay begins in a space of clarity. A man at the end of his life knows exactly who he wants to spend his remaining time with, but its not up to him.

As I was dropping off my son at preschool, his teacher asked me for a private chat. John laid it out: Our classroom fish died yesterday. I thought you, of all people, should know. His concern wasnt swimming, wonderful as he was. John knew death was a tender topic for Judah.

:

A year earlier, Judahs father had gone to the doctor for what he thought was sciatica but turned out to be cancer that had metastasized to his bones.

He was 51 at the time. Judah was two, but thats only part of the story. Until the time of the diagnosis, Judah and his father hadnt seen much of each other.

Sometime between Judahs conception and delivery, his father decided that he couldnt be married anymore  not to me, he said, and probably not to anyone.

In Texas, where we were living, it turned out to be illegal to divorce your wife while she was pregnant.

So, although he filed for divorce during my seventh month, we were still legally married on the day Judah was born. He was there for the birth and dropped in on us for visits, but a few months later, I moved back to New York City where my family lived.

Two years later, Judahs father was still in Texas, and I was still in New York. When he found out about the cancer, though, he called me. I hadnt heard his voice in a while, and it sounded strained. I expressed sympathy about his illness, but that wasnt what he wanted to talk about.

I need to ask you something, he said. I had always planned to have a relationship with Judah when he was a little older. But now I dont know if that can happen. I want to start seeing him more, as much as I can, right away. During chemo, I might not be able to travel, but Id like to talk to Judah on the phone every night and maybe have you bring him to visit me.

In some ways, this was what Id longed to hear since Judahs birth. Maybe now Judah and his father could have a relationship, and I could have a partner in parenthood. That was my first thought. I also had to consider that the worst might come to pass  in which case, I would have exposed Judah to significant and avoidable pain.

Right now, he didnt know his father. Any loss would be abstract, rather than personal. But what if he came to love his father, only to lose him? This had the makings of either a miracle or a tragedy. It was hard to predict which.

I found myself thinking about what I would say to an older Judah, long after his father had died. That Judah would have a lot of questions about a man and a relationship he couldnt fully remember. I suspected that the grown-up Judah would want to have known all he could about his father.

I said yes, and so their meetings began. He would fly east and stay with my mother for three or four days. The chemotherapy was immunosuppressive, so he and Judah mostly stayed in the apartment, doing two-year-old stuff  singing, smacking, tickling.

Two sandy-haired, stocky, brown-eyed guys rolling around on the floor. He called me from the airport after the first visit and said: He is the most incredible child that has ever lived. Do you realize that? I said I did.

I hung up feeling as if Id been handed a gift. For the first time, I felt he was speaking unequivocally as Judahs father and that we were joined in our love of our amazing son.

Initially, Judah wasnt sure who this guy was. He started out calling him by his first name but willingly made the switch to Daddy.

Eventually, he took delight in the word and would spring to the phone yelling, hi, Daddy! into the receiver. Over the next few months, we watched as Daddy lost his hair and grew weaker. He was taking large doses of morphine but still frequently winced in pain.

Judah was solicitous. Once, I heard him ask, Daddy, are you sick?

Im fine, and Im going to get better. I squirmed. I knew it was what he needed to say, but I wasnt sure it was what Judah needed to hear.

10 months after the diagnosis, the hospital called, telling me that it didnt look good. I sat down with Judah. Sweetheart, Daddys very sick, and Im afraid he might die.

Distress filled his eyes. I dont want Daddy to die. I want to see him.

I dont want him to die either. Im going to go to the hospital now, and Ill tell him what you said.

He was in a coma when I arrived. But I held his hand and did tell him. I sat there and talked to him as Judahs fellow parent, about plans for our sons future, though I knew he probably couldnt hear me and certainly couldnt answer. He died two days later.

:

Judah was angry and sad at the news, but mostly uncomprehending. He kept asking when Daddy would stop dying and come back to us. And it was my miserable task to tell him never and witness his disappointment.

I felt as if his grief was my fault. And in a way, it was. I had opened the door.

Now three, Judah still doesnt believe in forever and keeps trying to find a workaround for death.

Maybe Daddy is at that hotel where I saw him once. Maybe hes in California. Hes frustrated that he cant see his father, though one night when he was lying in bed, I told him he could talk to him whenever he likes. He was quiet for a moment and then called upward, Daddy, how are you? Is it dark where you are?

Judahs memories of his father may fade, but for now he enjoys them. Every time he passes a McDonalds, he says, I went there with my Daddy, right? Or when he plays with a favorite toy, My Daddy gave that to me, right?

Judah often talks philosophy. He says casually to a friend of my mothers, You know, were all going to die. He wants to know the feasibility of the two of us dying together. Im going to come see you when I die, he tells me.

I assure him that he and I wont die for a very long time. Once, he heard me on the phone to a girlfriend, exclaiming, I could have died then and there, and he went white.

Mommy, dont say that, he shrieked. Dont say that.

I wondered how Judah would react when he heard about Swimmys death at preschool and asked John to let me know. He reported that when he told the children what had happened, one volunteered that her grandmother had died. Another said he had a fish that died, a very old fish.

The class agreed that Swimmy had been an old fish too. And Judah said, My daddy died. Later, another child approached Judah and asked in a worried voice, Your daddy died? Judah nodded. Does that mean hes not coming back?

Judah put his hand on the other childs shoulder. Yes, but its OK, he said. Im alive. Youre alive. Want to play?

:
While Britain continues to grapple with a nationwide housing shortage, building new homes in Somerset is challenging because of vast waves of protected land and national parks, along with massive restrictions on building, Mr. Emerson said. These areas that are attracting people are areas where not a lot of building is going to happen.

Who Buys in Wells

Domestic buyers power the Wells-area property market, which is driven by two forces, Mr. Holland said: One is education, because people want their children to go to the excellent local schools. And the other is retirement, with people seeking a different pace of life, with access to both big cities and the countryside.

The pandemic tipped the balance toward younger buyers. Once Covid allowed mobility, the regions schools, coast access, and commuter links started drawing more families he said.

While Londoners make up some of the market in the area, buyers from the nearby cities of Bath and Bristol are more common, said Cathy Morris-Adams, managing partner at the Lodestone agency in Wells. Its more of a place where locals aspire to live, she said. While demand from foreign buyers is low, she said, it has soared in nearby Bruton, which Conde Nast Traveller has called the coolest town in the West Country.
The pigs had been lying dead in the lab for an hour  no blood was circulating in their bodies, their hearts were still, their brain waves flat. Then a group of Yale scientists pumped a custom-made solution into the dead pigs bodies with a device similar to a heart-lung machine.

What happened next adds questions to what science considers the wall between life and death. Although the pigs were not considered conscious in any way, their seemingly dead cells revived. Their hearts began to beat as the solution, which the scientists called OrganEx, circulated in veins and arteries. Cells in their organs, including the heart, liver, kidneys and brain, were functioning again, and the animals never got stiff like a typical dead pig.

Other pigs, dead for an hour, were treated with ECMO, a machine that pumped blood through their bodies. They became stiff, their organs swelled and became damaged, their blood vessels collapsed, and they had purple spots on their backs where blood pooled.
There is no evidence of any widespread fraud in Tuesdays election. But the concerns raised were bolstered by a number of problems in Pinal County, the states third-most populated county, located between Phoenix and Tucson. More than 63,000 ballots were mailed with the wrong local races on them, requiring new ballots to be issued. On election night, at least 20 of 95 precincts in Pinal County were running low on ballots or ran out entirely.

Sophia Solis, the deputy communications director of Arizonas secretary of state, said voters could still cast a ballot at those precincts using voting machines that are typically used by disabled voters.

We did not hear of any widespread problems, Ms. Solis said, adding that one of the main issues that we did see yesterday was the spread of mis- and disinformation.

Kent Volkmer, the attorney for Pinal County, said there were more in-person voters in the county than had been seen before, including far more independent voters. He added that many voters surrendered their mail-in ballot so they could vote in person, possibly motivated by the ballot-printing issues.
For George, she added, the vision, the worldview, the poetics were the most important. We raided every savings account, pension, etc., we ever had to do the work we loved. As simple or as strange as that.

George Michael Bartenieff was born on Jan. 23, 1933, in Berlin to Michael and Irmgard (Prim) Bartenieff, who were dancers. His father was Jewish, and as the situation darkened in Nazi Germany the parents went to the United States to try to establish a life, leaving George and a brother, Igor, in the care of an aunt.

Im half-Jewish, so I was hidden in the German half of my family, Mr. Bartenieff explained in an oral history recorded in 2015 for the Primary Stages Off Broadway Oral History Project.

He attended a school in the Bavarian mountains that was somewhat removed from the turmoil elsewhere in Germany, and he remembered it fondly, especially the pageants the school would stage on various holidays.

It made you aware that storytelling was as important as living, he said of those spectacles.

His parents had settled in Pittsfield, Mass., using their dance expertise to start a physiotherapy business, and in 1939 they brought the boys over to join them. It was a time when German immigrants in the United States faced suspicion, something that The Berkshire Eagle, the local newspaper, sought to dispel with a 1940 article about the young newcomers.

Neither child spoke a word of English when their parents met them at the pier in New York, the newspaper said. But in six months theyve learned not only to speak English, but good, honest United States. George is in the fourth grade at Mercer School; Igor, in the sixth. Either one can say You bet and OK quicker than you could yourself.
California has received 61,000 vaccine doses from the federal government so far and has distributed 25,000, according to Newsoms office. But state officials estimate that they need at least 600,000 additional doses.

Thats a conservative estimate that would cover men who have sex with men  who account for about 99 percent of cases  and people who engage in other behaviors that put them at high risk of contracting the virus, according to a letter that California officials sent last month to Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director.

It is critical for us to work together and across government  federal, state and local  to mitigate the spread and protect those disproportionally impacted by the virus, wrote Dr. Mark Ghaly, the California Health and Human Services Agency secretary, and Dr. Tomas Aragon, the state public health officer. Unlike the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic when we did not have a vaccine to mitigate the spread, in the case of monkeypox we do have an approved vaccine.

Newsoms announcement on Monday will help streamline and coordinate the monkeypox response among different levels of government, according to his office. It also gives emergency medical services workers permission to administer monkeypox vaccines.
The prosecutors have not closed the investigation, and if new evidence were to emerge, they could still pursue Mr. Giuliani. But in a telling sign that the inquiry is close to wrapping up without an indictment, investigators recently returned the electronic devices to Mr. Giuliani, the people said. Mr. Giuliani also met with prosecutors and agents in February and answered their questions, a signal that his lawyers were confident he would not be charged.

The Manhattan inquiry once posed the gravest legal danger to Mr. Giuliani, whose pressure campaign in Ukraine helped lead Mr. Trump to his first impeachment. But in recent weeks, as the Manhattan investigation has wound down, Mr. Giulianis efforts to keep Mr. Trump in power after the 2020 election have come under an increasingly harsh glare.

He has emerged as a key figure in the Georgia criminal investigation into attempts to overturn Mr. Trumps loss in that state. Federal prosecutors also are examining his role in creating alternate slates of pro-Trump electors in several states, and he has been a central focus of the congressional investigation into the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol.

The Manhattan inquiry reached further back in time to examine Mr. Giulianis entanglements with powerful Ukrainians in the run-up to the presidential election, when he blurred the line between his political goals and his business pursuits in ways that were highly unusual.
As unilateral exertions of presidential power go, this was neither particularly remarkable nor what abortion rights supporters have been hoping for. But executive orders directing members of an administration to study this or that issue have become common in recent years as a way for chief executives to project the image of bold action even in areas where their power may be limited.

I commit to the American people that were doing everything in our power to safeguard access to health care including the right to choose that women had under Roe v. Wade, which was ripped away by this extreme court, Mr. Biden said in comments delivered by video from the White House residence, where he is isolating with Covid-19.

The order came after voters in Kansas on Tuesday overwhelmingly rejected an amendment that would have erased abortion rights from the state constitution. Also on Tuesday, the Biden administration sued Idaho over its strict new law that the Justice Department said would inhibit emergency room doctors from performing abortions that are necessary for women facing medical emergencies.

Like other Democrats, Mr. Biden took hope from the Kansas referendum, considering it a potential harbinger of a voter backlash against the champions of what he called extreme MAGA ideology seeking to outlaw abortion.
Administration officials say that based on their assessments a full cutoff of access to Taiwan is unlikely  in large part because it would hurt Chinas own economy at a time of severe economic slowdown. On Friday, the Group of 7 industrialized nations, the core of the Western alliance, warned China not to retaliate for Ms. Pelosis visit, clearly an effort to suggest that China would be widely condemned for overreacting, much as Russia was for its invasion of Ukraine.

But American officials say they worry that the events of the next few days could trigger an unintended confrontation between Chinas forces and Taiwans, especially if the Chinese military launches a missile over the island, or if an incursion into disputed airspace leads to a midair conflict. Something similar happened 20 years ago, when a Chinese military aircraft collided with an American intelligence-gathering plane.

As the military exercises began early Wednesday, White House and Pentagon officials were monitoring the situation closely, trying to figure out if China was sending forces into each of the areas near Taiwans coast it has declared closed. But their assessment was that Chinas strategy is to intimidate and coerce, without triggering a direct conflict.

Outside experts were more concerned that the exercise could escalate.

This is one of the scenarios that is difficult to deal with, said Bonny Lin, who directed the Taiwan desk at the Pentagon and held other defense positions before moving to the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, where she heads the China Power Project. If a military exercise transitions to a blockade, when does it become clear that the exercise is now a blockade? Who should be the first to respond? Taiwans forces? The United States? Its not clear.
It is too soon to tell the partisan breakdown, but early results indicated that the strength of the abortion rights side wasnt limited to Democratic areas.

The referendum was rejected not only in moderate and increasingly blue areas like the Kansas City suburbs, but also in certain conservative parts of the state. Swing areas swung left.

As both parties look ahead to elections this fall in battleground states like Pennsylvania, Georgia and Arizona that could help decide the future of abortion rights, Kansans showed that the political winds on the issue are shifting.

Another impeachment vote loses his seat.

For much of this year, a vote in 2021 to impeach Mr. Trump for inciting the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol appeared to be a career-ending move for a House Republican.

Of the 10 who cast that vote, four retired before they could face the primary electorate. One, Representative Tom Rice of South Carolina, was defeated by a Trump-endorsed Republican. One, Representative David Valadao of California, survived primary night to remain on the ballot in November.

Tuesday was a major defensive stand for the anti-Trump G.O.P., with three of the remaining four Republicans who voted for impeachment facing the former presidents wrath on the ballot. Races for two in Washington, Representatives Jaime Herrera Beutler and Dan Newhouse, were too close to call  and one, Mr. Meijer, did not survive.
WASHINGTON  Representative Jackie Walorski, Republican of Indiana, was killed in a car accident in her district on Wednesday, according to her office. She was 58.

Ms. Walorskis husband, Dean Swihart, was informed of her death by the Elkhart County Sheriffs Office, her office said in a statement. She has returned home to be with her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, the statement said. Please keep her family in your thoughts and prayers.

Ms. Walorski was traveling with two aides who were also killed in the crash, when a passenger car and a sport utility vehicle collided head-on: Zachery Potts, 27, her district director, and Emma Thomson, 28, her communications director, according to the Elkhart County sheriff. The driver of the oncoming car was also killed.
During a press call on monkeypox last week, Mr. Becerra said his department is doing all it can to ensure that we not only stay ahead of this virus but that we end this outbreak. He noted that he had recently elevated the agencys Office of Strategic Preparedness and Response so it can respond more quickly to public health emergencies.

Sarah Lovenheim, the departments chief spokeswoman, said in a statement: Our response has accelerated to meet evolving needs on the ground, and it will keep accelerating. We will use every lever possible to continue allocating doses ahead of timelines, as possible.

So far, according to the C.D.C., 6,326 cases of monkeypox have been reported. For now, the virus is spreading almost entirely among gay and bisexual men, and those with multiple or anonymous partners are considered especially at risk. Mr. Becerra noted that while more than a million Americans have died of Covid-19, no one in the United States has died of monkeypox.

The official case count is widely considered an underestimate. Not only is testing limited, but public health officials like Dr. Joseph Kanter, the top medical official in Louisiana, said that monkeypox can be hard to diagnose. It can be one or two solitary lesions, so if its not on a clinicians radar, he said, it can be missed.

With too few doses, health officials apparently plan to rely heavily on the test and trace strategy that figured heavily in the early stages of the Covid pandemic. As the pandemic escalated, the sheer torrent of cases overwhelmed the ability of health officials to contact people who might have been infected by someone who had tested positive for the coronavirus. Once Covid vaccines became available, they became the cornerstone of the administrations pandemic response.
The result is that the already thin ranks of moderate and mainstream conservative Republicans in the House are likely to be even thinner next year, with brash, Trump-styled candidates replacing them. Should they prevail in November, they will help set the tone for a potential G.O.P. majority in which loyalty to Mr. Trump is a driving force.

In another era, Mr. Meijer would have been considered a poster boy for the future of the party: a 34-year-old, self-funding conservative military veteran who served in Iraq and has espoused a hawkish foreign policy, even going so far as to defy the Biden administration by secretly flying to Afghanistan last August to witness evacuation efforts as American troops withdrew.

But on his third day in office, Mr. Meijer was evacuated from the House chamber as a violent mob laid siege to the Capitol. A week later, he voted to impeach Mr. Trump and became one of the more outspoken Republicans warning of the former presidents corrosive effect on the party.

In an interview days after his vote, Mr. Meijer conceded that he may very well have ended his career in Congress.

But I think its also important that we have elected leaders who are not thinking solely about whats in their individual self-interest, not what is going to be politically expedient, but what we actually need for the country, he told ABC.

How Times reporters cover politics. We rely on our journalists to be independent observers. So while Times staff members may vote, they are not allowed to endorse or campaign for candidates or political causes. This includes participating in marches or rallies in support of a movement or giving money to, or raising money for, any political candidate or election cause. Learn more about our process.

Mr. Meijers premonition proved correct. By Wednesday evening, he trailed Mr. Gibbs by about four percentage points. Hours earlier, The Associated Press had called the race for Mr. Gibbs.
Voters in five states with major primary contests went to the polls on Tuesday. Heres a rundown of some of the most important wins and losses so far.

Rusty Bowers , the Arizona House speaker who drew Trump supporters fury for resisting efforts to overturn the 2020 election and for testifying before the Jan. 6 congressional committee, lost a State Senate primary to David Farnsworth , who was endorsed by Mr. Trump.

State Representative Mark Finchem , a Trump endorsee and 2020 election denier who is affiliated with the far-right Oath Keepers militia group and marched to the Capitol on Jan. 6, won the G.O.P. nomination for secretary of state against three lesser-known candidates.

The Trump-endorsed venture capitalist Blake Masters won the Republican primary to challenge Senator Mark Kelly, the Democratic incumbent. Mr. Masters defeated Mark Brnovich, the Arizona attorney general, and Jim Lamon, an Army veteran and former solar energy business owner.

Democrats nominated Secretary of State Katie Hobbs for governor . The Republican primary had not been called yet.

Amanda Adkins won the Republican primary to challenge Representative Sharice Davids, a vulnerable Democrat, in a rematch of a 2020 race that Ms. Adkins lost.

Kris Kobach , the hard-right former Kansas secretary of state, won the Republican nomination for attorney general , a political comeback after unsuccessful runs for Senate and governor.

Secretary of State Scott J. Schwab , a Republican who rejected Mr. Trumps false claims of voter fraud, beat back a primary challenge from Mike Brown, a former county commissioner in the Kansas City suburbs who has promoted those claims.

Derek Schmidt , the Kansas attorney general, won the Republican primary for governor and will challenge Gov. Laura Kelly , the Democratic incumbent.

Voters rejected a constitutional amendment that would have allowed lawmakers to restrict or ban abortion; it was the first referendum on the issue since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. The result, in a conservative state, was a major victory for supporters of abortion rights.

Tudor Dixon, who was backed by former Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, won the Republican primary for governor and will face the Democratic incumbent, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, in the fall. Ms. Dixon defeated several other Republicans, including Ryan Kelley, who faces misdemeanor charges in connection with the Capitol riot.

Representative Peter Meijer  one of the 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach Mr. Trump, three of whom faced primaries on Tuesday  lost to a Trump-backed challenger, John Gibbs. The race was called by The Associated Press early Wednesday. Mr. Gibbs, whom Democrats sought to help in hopes that he would be easier to beat in November, will face the Democratic nominee, Hillary Scholten, in a competitive general election.

Representative Haley Stevens handily beat Representative Andy Levin in the Democratic primary in Michigans 11th Congressional District. The incumbent-on-incumbent race in a new (and safely blue) district drew heavy spending from pro-Israel groups.

Paul Junge, a former TV news anchor and prosecutor who worked in the Trump administration, won the Republican primary in the Eighth District and will face Representative Dan Kildee, a vulnerable Democratic incumbent.
While Mr. Manchin has embraced the public scrutiny and attention that comes with being a swing vote in the evenly divided Senate, Ms. Sinema has remained a tight-lipped enigma. Passage of Democrats major domestic policy initiative, negotiated by Mr. Manchin and Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, the majority leader, now hinges on whether she is willing to support it.

So far, Ms. Sinema wont say.

It has put Democrats in a perilous position as they rush to move the package forward as early as this week and toil to unite all 50 members of their caucus behind it. Republicans are expected to unanimously oppose the plan, which includes hundreds of billions of dollars in energy and climate proposals, tax increases, extended health care subsidies and a plan aimed at lowering prescription drug prices, meaning Democrats cannot spare a single vote if all Republicans are present.

Party leaders will also have to maneuver the bill through a series of rapid-fire amendments that could pass if any Democrat joins Republicans in support. With Mr. Manchin enthusiastically embarking on a media tour to celebrate the measure, fears of failure were now being fueled by Ms. Sinemas characteristic silence.

A spokeswoman for Ms. Sinema has said that the senator was reviewing the legislation and waiting for guidance from top Senate rules officials, who were analyzing whether it meets the strict rules that apply under the budget reconciliation process. Democrats were using the reconciliation process to shield the legislation from a filibuster and speed it through Congress.
If the inquiries do force the former leader to face a trial, it would be an unprecedented step in Mexico, where many presidents have been accused of corruption but none has been tried.

Still, simply the news of the investigations will likely benefit Mr. Pena Nietos successor, President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, who was swept into office in 2018 by an electorate drawn by his promise to eradicate corruption within the political establishment.

Some political observers believe thats the whole point.

As a Mexican, I wish this were about justice, and not about electoral politics, said Eduardo Bohorquez, the director of the Mexican chapter of Transparency International, an anti-corruption group.

Mr. Bohorquez questioned the timing of the announcement, which comes as the battle lines are being drawn in what look to be increasingly competitive elections next year in two states that are strongholds of Mr. Pena Nietos party  the Institutional Revolutionary Party, or the PRI.
Monterrey is in northern Mexico, the most parched region of the country, which has seen its population grow in recent years as the economy boomed. But the areas typically arid weather is struggling to support the population as climate change reduces what little rainfall the region has.

Monterreys residents can now walk across the floor of the reservoir that was created by the Cerro Prieto dam and that was once one of the citys largest sources of water. The reservoir also used to be a major tourist attraction that the local government marketed for its lively waterfront restaurants and its fishing, boating and water-skiing.

Now Cerro Prieto is mostly popular because of the coins buried at the bottom of the reservoir that bakes under the sun. Residents swipe metal detectors across exposed rock and scrub, filling pouches with peso coins once tossed in by visitors as they made a wish.

Along with the Cerro Prieto reservoir, a seven-year drought  interrupted only by strong rains in 2018, according to a local official  has also dried up water along two other dams that provide most of Monterreys water supply. One dam reached 15 percent of its capacity this year, while the other reached 42 percent. The rest of the citys water comes from aquifers, many of which are also running low.
A New York Times map of the planned drills shows how in some places they will occur within 10 miles of Taiwans coast, well past areas that previous live-fire drills have targeted and within areas Taiwan designates as its territorial waters. Two of the regions where Chinas military will shoot weapons, likely missiles and artillery, are inside what Taiwan calls its marine border. In total, the five zones surround the island and mark a clear escalation from previous Chinese exercises.

Understand the China-Taiwan Tensions Card 1 of 4 Understand the China-Taiwan Tensions What does China mean to Taiwan? China claims Taiwan, a self-governing island democracy of 23 million people, as its territory and has long vowed to take it back, by force if necessary. The island, to which Chiang Kai-sheks Chinese forces retreated after the Communist Revolution of 1949, has never been part of the Peoples Republic of China. Understand the China-Taiwan Tensions What does Xi Jinping want? Chinas leader has made it clearer than any of his predecessors that he sees unifying Taiwan with China to be a primary goal of his rule  and a key to what he calls Chinas national rejuvenation. Mr. Xi is also keen to project an image of strength ahead of his expected confirmation to an unprecedented third term this fall. Understand the China-Taiwan Tensions How is the U.S. involved? In an intentionally ambiguous diplomatic arrangement adopted in 1979, the United States maintains a one China policy that acknowledges, but does not endorse, Beijings claim over Taiwan. U.S. leaders have remained vague about how they would help Taiwan if China attacked, but President Biden has pledged to defend the island. Understand the China-Taiwan Tensions Why are tensions rising now? Speaker Nancy Pelosis recent trip to Taiwan  the highest level visit to the island by an American official since 1997  has ignited regional tensions, prompting China to conduct its largest-ever military exercises near Taiwan. A chorus of official Chinese bodies portrayed her trip as part of an American effort to sabotage Chinas efforts at unification with Taiwan.







In its warning, Chinas military called for all boats and airplanes to avoid the areas it identified for 72 hours. For Taiwan, and the United States military, a key question will be whether they obey the orders or test Chinas resolve to carry out the tests by sending boats and planes into those zones.

The standoff is reminiscent of an incident in 1995 and 1996 called the Third Taiwan Strait Crisis. Back then, China fired live ammunition and missiles into the waters around Taiwan to signal its anger over a trip by Taiwans then-president, Li Teng-hui, to the United States, and to raise pressure before a presidential election. The United States then sent two aircraft carrier groups to the area and sailed one through the Taiwan Strait.

The new live-fire drills will occur in areas closer to the island than those in 1995 and 1996, presenting a conundrum to Taiwan and the United States. If China takes action, they must decide whether to offer a show of force similar to the earlier crisis.
As for the specific countermeasures, what I can tell you is that theyll include everything that should be included, Ms. Hua said, according to Peoples Daily. The measures in question will be firm, vigorous and effective, and the U.S. side and Taiwan independence forces will continue feeling them.

For Taiwan, and the United States military, a key question will be whether they obey Beijings orders to avoid the zones or test Chinas resolve by sending boats and planes into them. Analysts are worried an accidental encounter in the fast-moving situation could spiral out of control.

The standoff is reminiscent of an incident in 1995 and 1996 called the Third Taiwan Strait Crisis. During that crisis, China fired live ammunition and missiles into the waters around Taiwan to signal its anger over a trip by President Lee Teng-hui to the United States and to raise pressure ahead of a presidential election. The United States, in response, sent two aircraft carrier groups to the area.

Much has changed since then. Chinas military is more powerful and more emboldened under Xi Jinping. This summer, Chinese officials strongly asserted that no part of the Taiwan Strait could be considered international waters, meaning they might move to intercept and block U.S. warships sailing through the area, one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world.

Within China, Beijings irate response found plenty of support among Chinese. The question for many posting online seemed to be whether the military exercises would sound a loud enough warning. Many wondered whether the lack of a response thus far would embolden Taiwan to formally seek independence.

Pelosi has inaugurated a great era that naturally belongs to us, said one widely shared comment on Weibo, a social media service. We will take this opportunity to carry out sea and air patrols around Taiwan without any hindrance so they steadily become normalized, and unification will draw closer and closer.
It appears to be a witch hunt, said Ambika Satkunanathan, an activist and a former human rights commissioner in Sri Lanka. They are hunting people for minor infractions to crush dissent, while people who are responsible for war crimes, for massive corruption, for bringing the country to its knees are able to just continue business as usual.

Among the latest arrests on Wednesday were Joseph Stalin, a leader of a teachers union, and Mahanama Thero, a Buddhist monk, both of whom were at the forefront of the movement. Jeewantha Peiris, a Catholic priest and another protest fixture, is in hiding after the police raided a church with a warrant for his arrest.

The right to protest is a democratic right, Mr. Stalin said in a video on social media as he is being taken away by the police. What crime have I committed? Have I stolen public money or murdered people?

Those arrested thus far also include a protester accused of stealing the presidents official flag, another charged with stealing the presidents beer mug, and third said to have sat in the presidents chair.
The Biden administration has spent months building an economic and diplomatic strategy in Asia to counter China, shoring up its alliances and assuring friendly countries that the United States is in the region for the long haul.

The president has sent top military officials to seal new partnerships, and paid attention to a tiny nation in the Pacific, the Solomon Islands. He has launched a plan to arm Australia with nuclear-powered submarines and initiated a regional economic pact. He visited South Korea and Japan in May, and for the first time invited the two countries to a NATO meeting, to reinforce that Asia wasnt forgotten as war raged in Ukraine.

The visit to Taiwan by Speaker Nancy Pelosi now threatens to undermine the push by the White House, leaving allies to wonder what damage had been done to the presidents united front in Asia.
Perhaps. But Lithuania and Beijing are in an ugly spat over Taiwan; Vilnius allowed Taiwans new unofficial embassy, to use the word Taiwan in its name, and Beijing retaliated with trade restrictions. Other European Union countries were upset that Lithuania, without consulting them, had created what they viewed as an unnecessary problem.

Germanys foreign minister, Annalena Baerbock, has been an outspoken critic of Chinas domestic policies and human rights violations. Without supporting the Pelosi trip, Ms. Baerbock warned China against escalating tensions with Taiwan.

We do not accept when international law is broken and a powerful neighbor attacks its smaller neighbor in violation of international law  and that of course also applies to China, she told Der Spiegel newsmagazine before the visit. In view of the brutal Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, it is important to make it clear that the international community does not accept such behavior.

But Europeans  and German businesspeople  know that China and the European Union are huge partners in two-way trade.

Still, increasing criticism of China has led to more interest in Europe in the fate of Taiwan, which, like Ukraine, is another little democracy facing a nuclear-armed authoritarian.

In October of last year, Taiwans foreign minister, Joseph Wu, went on a charm offensive in Europe, stopping in Brussels for informal meetings with European Union lawmakers. The European Parliament overwhelmingly backed a resolution calling for stronger ties with Taiwan, which it described as a partner and democratic ally in the Indo-Pacific.
The fear since the outset of the war in Ukraine has been that Moscow and Beijing will be driven closer together as the United States casts both issues as a struggle between authoritarianism and democracy  as Ms. Pelosi did in the spring during her visit to Ukraine and on Wednesday while in Taipei, Taiwans capital.

Understand the China-Taiwan Tensions Card 1 of 4 Understand the China-Taiwan Tensions What does China mean to Taiwan? China claims Taiwan, a self-governing island democracy of 23 million people, as its territory and has long vowed to take it back, by force if necessary. The island, to which Chiang Kai-sheks Chinese forces retreated after the Communist Revolution of 1949, has never been part of the Peoples Republic of China. Understand the China-Taiwan Tensions What does Xi Jinping want? Chinas leader has made it clearer than any of his predecessors that he sees unifying Taiwan with China to be a primary goal of his rule  and a key to what he calls Chinas national rejuvenation. Mr. Xi is also keen to project an image of strength ahead of his expected confirmation to an unprecedented third term this fall. Understand the China-Taiwan Tensions How is the U.S. involved? In an intentionally ambiguous diplomatic arrangement adopted in 1979, the United States maintains a one China policy that acknowledges, but does not endorse, Beijings claim over Taiwan. U.S. leaders have remained vague about how they would help Taiwan if China attacked, but President Biden has pledged to defend the island. Understand the China-Taiwan Tensions Why are tensions rising now? Speaker Nancy Pelosis recent trip to Taiwan  the highest level visit to the island by an American official since 1997  has ignited regional tensions, prompting China to conduct its largest-ever military exercises near Taiwan. A chorus of official Chinese bodies portrayed her trip as part of an American effort to sabotage Chinas efforts at unification with Taiwan.







There are a multitude of differences between Ukraine and Taiwan, including history and geography. But both embattled democracies sit next to much larger, nuclear-armed military powers ruled by authoritarian leaders who have made it clear that they do not see their neighbors as sovereign states.

One major difference, of course, is that the United States and its allies support an independent Ukraine, but Americas One China policy does not support Taiwans independence, while remaining purposely unclear about whether Washington would defend Taiwan if Beijing attacks it.

As the nervousness, rhetoric and military posturing surrounding Ms. Pelosis visit to Taiwan demonstrated, many are asking what path China will choose, and when.
ODESA, Ukraine  Five days after an explosion at a Russian prison camp killed at least 50 Ukrainian prisoners of war, evidence about what happened remains sparse, but Ukrainian officials said on Wednesday that they were steadily compiling proof that the mass slaughter was a war crime committed by Russian forces.

At a background briefing for journalists in the capital, Kyiv, senior Ukrainian officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity outlined evidence to suggest that Russian forces appeared to be preparing for mass casualties in the days before the July 29 explosion.

Satellite images taken before the explosion, they said, show what appear to be freshly dug graves within the prison complex. A New York Times analysis of images from Maxar Technologies and Planet Labs confirms that some time after July 18 and before July 21, about 15 to 20 ground disturbances appeared on the southern side of the complex, roughly 6 to 7 feet wide and 10 to 16 feet long at first; some later appeared to have been lengthened and merged with each other. Whether they were graves is unclear.
WASHINGTON  The Senate on Wednesday voted overwhelmingly to approve a treaty that would expand NATO to include Finland and Sweden, with Republicans and Democrats linking arms for one of the most significant expansions of the alliance in decades in the face of Russias continued assault on Ukraine.

The ambassadors of Finland and Sweden were on hand in the Senate gallery to watch as senators voted 95-1. Only Senator Josh Hawley, Republican of Missouri, voted no. Senator Rand Paul, Republican of Kentucky, voted present.

The tally far surpassed the two-thirds of the Senate necessary to approve the treaty, underscoring the bipartisan appetite for a more muscular military alliance, even amid threats from President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia that Sweden and Finland would face unspecified retaliation should they join NATO.
Switzerland on Wednesday banned imports of Russian gold and gold products, on the heels of similar moves by the European Union and the United States.

The Federal Council, the Swiss governments seven-member executive board, said in a statement that the gold ban aligned with the European Unions latest sanctions on Russia in response to its invasion of Ukraine, and that Switzerland was implementing the most urgent measures in terms of time and substance.

The council added that it had frozen the assets of Russias state-owned bank Sberbank, after imposing sanctions last month on dozens more individuals and organizations on the European Unions sanctions list.
Voters in Kansas on Tuesday overwhelmingly rejected a constitutional amendment that would have removed the right to abortion from the State Constitution. The decisive margin  59 to 41 percent, with about 95 percent of the votes counted  came as a surprise in a deeply conservative state that President Donald J. Trump won by nearly 15 percentage points in 2020.

President Biden won just five counties in Kansas as a candidate in the last general election, all of which voted against the amendment on Tuesday. Those counties were joined in delivering the victory for abortion-rights advocates by more than a dozen counties that had voted for Mr. Trump. Together, the counties  overwhelmingly the urban and suburban areas surrounding Kansas City and Wichita  constitute more than two-thirds of Kansas population.

Counties that voted against the amendment to remove abortion rights 59 percent of voters in Leavenworth County rejected the amendment  the same share that voted for Trump in 2020. Less than one-fifth of the state population lives in the 59 counties fully west of Wichita. T opeka In Saline County, 64 percent of voters went for Trump in 2020 and 55 percent voted against the amendment. Wichita In Sedgwick County, 55 percent of voters chose Trump in 2020, but 58 percent of voters rejected the amendment. Percent of votes against amendment Counties where Trump won in 2020 53 56 59% Pct. voting against amendment to remove abortion rights 59 percent of voters in Leavenworth County rejected the amendment  the same share that voted for Trump in 2020. 53 56 59% Counties Trump won in 2020 In Saline County, 64 percent of voters went for Trump in 2020 and 55 percent voted against the amendment. Topeka Wichita In Sedgwick County, 55 percent of voters chose Trump in 2020, but 58 percent of voters rejected the amendment.

About 940,000 Kansans cast ballots in the referendum, an astounding volume for a primary election in a midterm year. The Timess 940,000 estimate would mean a 49 percent turnout. For comparison, the November 2018 midterm election brought out 1.05 million voters in Kansas.

A majority of the no ballots  those that rejected removing abortion protections from the Constitution  came from the states most populous counties, which encompass large urban and suburban areas. The state has four abortion providers; two are in Wichita, and two are in Overland Park  both areas that voted against the amendment.

Wyandotte County, home to Kansas City, voted 65 percent for Mr. Biden in 2020, but 74 percent for abortion rights on Tuesday. Neighboring Johnson County, the states most populous, voted 53 percent for Mr. Biden but more than 68 percent for abortion rights.

And in some rural areas that overwhelmingly supported Mr. Trump, Kansans margins in favor of amending the Constitution to remove abortion protections were much less decisive than their presidential votes. In Hamilton County, which voted 81 percent for Mr. Trump in 2020, less than 56 percent chose the anti-abortion position on Tuesday. In Greeley County, which voted more than 85 percent for Mr. Trump, only about 60 percent chose the anti-abortion position. (Around 90 percent of the votes have been counted in each county.)
Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck has inked a six-month $660K pact to provide US outreach for Kazakhstans national oil and gas company.

The firm will educate US policymakers and business leaders about KazMunayGas strategic energy and mineral production as well as investment opportunities in the Central Asian nation of 19M people that borders Russia.

It also may work with Kazakhstans Washington embassy on behalf of KMG.

In May, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken praised Kazakh president Kassym-Jomart Tokayev for his political and economic reforms that have promoted prosperity, strengthened security and protected human rights.

Kazakhstan has targeted businesses that have pulled out of Russia in the aftermath of sanctions put into place following the invasion of Ukraine.

More than 40 companies have expressed interest in either relocating production or opening new facilities in Central Asias richest countries, Almas Aidarov, Kazakh deputy foreign minister, told the Astana Times on July 21.

Honeywell opened its first automation and safety equipment plant in Almaty in July.

Carsberg, TikTok, Australias Fortescue Metals Group and Brazils WEB electrical equipment maker shifted operations from Russia to Kazakhstan.

Brownsteins contract runs through the rest of the year and renews automatically for another six-month period unless either party wants to terminate the relationship.

Former California Republican Congressman Ed Royce, who chaired the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and Marc Lampkin, one-time aide to House Speaker John Boehner, work on the Kazakhstan business along with State Dept veterans Samantha Carl-Yoder and Lauren Diekman.
David Donaldson

David Donaldson, who was VP-external affairs & corporate communications at Birmingham-based Vulcan Materials Co., has signed on as senior advisor at Summit Strategy Group, the corporate reputation, PA and ESG advisory in Los Altos, CA.

During his 40-year run at the construction materials company, Donaldson handled crisis management, government relations, community engagement, ESG matters and site development in California, the southeast and mid-Atlantic states.

He is experienced in land use matters, environmental regulatory compliance, sustainability and stakeholder engagement.

Michael Law, Summit CEO & founder, has known and worked with Donaldson for more than 30 years. His insight and experience across a broad range of issues will be invaluable assets to the Summit team and our client roster, said Law.

Donaldson, who will be based in Birmingham, will help Summit grow its portfolio of mining, energy and chemical companies and its presence in the southeast.
Tullamore & District Chamber of Commerce are delighted to announce the re launch of the annual Business Awards for 2022, after a two-year break due to the covid 19 pandemic.

This year the Chamber in partnership with its new sponsor, Tullamore Credit Union have been working behind the scenes to bring a new and improved Business awards to the region.

John Leavy, Chairman of the Chamber's award subcommittee stated, "we are delighted this year to welcome our new event sponsor Tullamore Credit Union on board and look forward to working with Paul, Caroline and the team in the local branch in bringing a new and improved Business Awards. Tullamore Credit Union have been supporting the local business community and Tullamore Tidy Towns for many for many years now and we feel that this new partnership will further enhance the relationship with the business community.

"During the past year we have reviewed all our awards categories to examine whether they were fully inclusive of all businesses and organisations within the region. With that in mind we have made changes to the format of the awards for 2022 with the introduction of some new categories, Best Community Service and Social Responsibility Award. This New award is being introduced this year to recognise groups, Services or individuals who contributed to their communities during the pandemic. and the re-introduction of the Offaly Tourism Award."

The Tullamore Chamber & Tullamore Credit Union Business awards are open to all businesses and organisations within the region and not just to members of the Tullamore Chamber of Commerce.

Explained John Leavy, "this is a wonderful opportunity to showcase your business and to receive due recognition of your achievements. With this in mind we would like to invite you to submit your nominations via the link on our Chamber website, or our Facebook page. We have worked closely with our judging panel and advisors and have created a new simplified nomination format which in turn will allow for ease of nomination for the judging panel to score accordingly."

The Tullamore and District Chamber Business Awards have become the most prestigious celebration of business success within the Tullamore and District area and culminates in an awards ceremony at the Bridge House Hotel, Tullamore on Saturday 22nd October 2022 at 7.30pm

Award Categories

Best customer Service individual: This award is open to all employees/ managers of public facing businesses who excel in the area of customer service

Best customer Service Business: This award is in recognition of businesses that consistently excel in providing the best overall customer experience and environment.

Retail Excellence: This award is open to all retail businesses who consistently strive to offer best in class standards of Retail excellence.

Community achievement: This award is open to community and charitable groups who dedicate their efforts for better communities and wellbeing of others.

Best SME 1-30: This award is open to all commercial businesses who employ no more than 30 people that can demonstrate excellence in business practices.

Best SME 30+: This award is open to all commercial businesses who employ more than 30people that can demonstrate excellence in business practices.

Best professional services: This award is open to all companies who offer professional services to the public. This category is open to Medical, Legal, banking and Public Services providers.

Emerging new business: This award is open to all new emerging businesses whose presence further enhances the business environment in Tullamore.

Best licensed premises: This business award category is open to all licensed premises including bars, pubs and hotels.

Best Dining experience: This business award category is open to all Dining premises including bars, pubs and hotels.

Best Multi National business: This business award category is open to all Multi-National businesses that can demonstrate excellence in business practices.

Business person of the year: This business award category is open to all business persons in the Tullamore and District area. The objective to award someone for their outstanding achievement in business over the past years.

Best website and social media presence: This award is open to any enterprise that can demonstrate that they have a current and unique web-site enabling them to drive business success while also leveraging all aspects of Social Media through its design.

Offaly Tourism Award: This category is open to all heritage and cultural attractions, activities, festivals and events in County Offaly which can demonstrate excellence in their business practices, business performance and success.

Best Community Service and Social Responsibility Award: This New award is being introduced this year to recognise groups, Services or individuals who contributed to their communities during the pandemic.

This nomination should be completed as thoroughly as possible. For further information please refer to the Tullamore and District Chamber website. www.tullamorechamber.com.

To assist the efficient organisation of the competition, we would be grateful if you return the completed nomination support form electronically to us by 5pm, Friday, August 21
Gardai have issued three separate appeals for information on three teenagers who have gone missing in Ireland who were all last seen on Sunday.

Gardai are seeking the publics assistance in tracing the whereabouts of 13 year old Reece Thornton, who was last seen at Clonsilla train station on the afternoon of Sunday, July 31

Reece is described as being 5 3 in height, of medium build with short brown hair. When last seen Reece was wearing a navy tracksuit with hood and grey and black runners with orange on the heel.

Anyone with any information that can assist Gardai in locating Reece, is asked to contact Blanchardstown Gardai on 01 666 7000, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111 or any Garda station.

Reece Thornton

Gardai are also seeking the public's assistance in tracing the whereabouts of Valerija Ivanova, 17 years, who is missing from the Limerick area. Valerija was last seen on Sunday, July 31.

Valerija is described as being 5' 4" in height, with long hair currently dyed brown, brown eyes and of slim build.



Anyone with information on her whereabouts are asked to contact Gardai in Henry Street on 061 212400 or the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111.

Valerija Ivanova

Gardai are appealing to the public for assistance in tracing the whereabouts of 17 year old Nicole McGinley who is missing from Quigleys Point, Co. Donegal since Sunday night, July 31.

Nicole is described as being approximately 5 2 in height with a medium build, short light brown hair and blue eyes. When last seen, Nicole was wearing a pink hoodie, black leggings and white runners.



Anyone with information on Nicoles whereabouts are asked to contact Buncrana Garda Station on 074 932 0002, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda Station.

Nicole McGinley
Upgrade works on the Ballybrophy rail line which services Roscrea, Cloughjordan and Nenagh are rapidly progressing and the end result is expected to transform public transport options for local people.

The Ballybrophy Line is the most expensive rail line in the country and is undergoing a major revamp in a bid to grow passenger numbers and help cover its operating costs.

It was revealed earlier this year the line costs 550 for each passenger to operate and amid calls for the line to be permanently closed the decision was made to attempt to resurrect and modernise the service and the current track renewal project was launched - with former Labour leader and Tipperary TD, Alan Kelly leading the charge to save it.

The line goes from Limerick, Castleconnell, Birdhill, Nenagh, Cloughjordan, Roscrea to Ballybrophy and recently Transport Minister Eamon Ryan travelled on the Ballybrophy service and said it has "great potential."

I think Limerick can thrive on the rail lines that lead into it. I think that Ballybrophy line can be a commuting line into Limerick, or shopping line as well as improving the people coming down for Dublin, he said.

But forget about Dublin - think about the south-west and the mid -west. If youve got really good commuting services  metropolitan services  from the likes of Cloughjordan into Limerick or Nenagh into Limerick. Or even Ballybrophy or Roscrea into Limerick.

Clare TD Michael McNamara said investment was crucial to persuading people to use public transport and Ireland's railway network.

We want to move people off the motorway and onto the trains. The direct line to Limerick, where all direct trains to Limerick went through previously, is now barely served. Theres a 30kmh speed limit in parts of it."

There are two trains that you can catch in Ballybrophy  which is a great station  in the morning and theres only two trains in the afternoon. When are we going to upgrade that because we see the difficulty with the all planes go to Dublin Airport approach," he said

The 91.5km line is now the focus of a campaign by the North Tipperary Community Rail Partnership (NTCRP) to boost the number of passengers using the route and to develop a timetable of services best suited to local commuter, business and tourism needs.

It is hoped the new track developments will also ensure speedier local services - and that greater passenger numbers will slash per capita costs.

NTCRP official Elaine Baker said the key was getting local people to support the local service.

She said such rail links were in keeping with Ireland's commitment to promote public transport and clean, green networks. We definitely need better services and more frequent services but then at the same time theres also a lot of really good reasons to use the train as well," she told TippFM.

"There is plenty of space to walk around and there are toilets on the train. The fare is only 2.99 along the line and also fares on the other connecting lines have been reduced by 20pc recently so we also want to encourage people to use the train services that we have while we also try and improve them."

The survey is really about getting people's views about how to improve.

NTCRC stressed the people they want to hear from are those who could use the rail line but opt not to - rather than those that already support the service.

Anybody who lives along the line or in surrounding areas, were really encouraging them to fill out the survey whether or not theyve ever actually used the train, she said.

We want to hear from people who dont use the train as much as from people who do and what might encourage them to use it more often.
Warnings about extreme heat and wildfires have been issued to Irish holidaymakers heading to some of the most popular destinations in Europe.

Temperatures in the southern part of the continent are forecast to go above 40C over the coming days.

The Department of Foreign Affairs has advised travelers to be aware that areas of Europe are being ravaged by wildfires particularly France, Spain and Portugal and to take necessary precautions.

The warnings have been posted as the summer holiday season enters peak August season. .

Wildfires are currently being reported throughout Spain, in particular in the Autonomous Communities of Castile and Leon, Galicia, Aragon, Extremadura and the Canary Islands.

Irish citizens in Spain should "carefully monitor the news, as the situation can change quickly". You should follow the advice of local authorities and be prepared to change your travel plans at short notice, the Department advises.

In France, five areas in the south of the country have been put on an 'orange alert' as temperatures soar.

The weather has been so extreme at times that people were told not to hold events indoors unless the spaces were air conditioned.

This is the third heatwave experienced by France so far this summer.

Temperatures will begin to cool again in France by the middle of the month after the current heatwave which may last a number of days.
Rumble 07 Aug 2022

Tudor Dixon easily won the Michigan GOP Governor's race after receiving an endorsement from Donald Trump. She is not the..
Russia's top court has designated one of the most prominent Ukrainian military formations as a terrorist organization, paving the way for terror charges against some captured fighters.
The death of Austrian doctor Lisa-Maria Kellermayr has sparked fresh calls for better protection of medical professionals against abuse. Police is investigating suspects in Germany.
The US House speaker is holding talks with lawmakers in Taipei amid heightened tensions with Beijing. China has summoned the US ambassador in protest of the visit.
Rumble 05 Aug 2022

The State Department has warned Americans traveling abroad that they could face retaliation and violence in the wake of a U.S...
Hundreds of people are evacuating by train from the Donetsk region in eastern Ukraine, The region has been the scene of violent clashes with Russian troops.
Belfast Telegraph 02 Aug 2022

Dev Patel reportedly tried to break up a fight during which a man was stabbed in the chest.
Kansans turn out in force to show that trying to take away abortion rights might not be as popular as Republicans think.


After Nancy Pelosi's visit, China is preparing its largest military show of force in decades surrounding the island. Some Taiwanese are worried; others say Beijing's tactics have not changed.
With senior US lawmaker Nancy Pelosi ending her visit to Taiwan, the island's officials reported 27 Chinese military jets in its air defense zone. China is due to hold live-fire naval drills in the area this week.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says "positive dialogue" is needed in "tense times" as China and the United States trade barbs amid Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan.The US House Speaker touched down in Taiwan today, becoming the highest-ranking...
Washington DC (SPX) Jul 27, 2022



On behalf of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), NASA has selected two firms for the Geostationary Extended Observations (GeoXO) Spacecraft Phase A Study. These contracted firms will help meet the objectives of NOAA's GeoXO Program. The firms selected are Lockheed Martin Space of Littleton, Colorado, and Maxar Space LLC of Palo Alto, California. The total value of e
United Nations, United States (AFP) Aug 2, 2022



The situation is "volatile" at Europe's largest nuclear power plant, which fell under Russian control in March during Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, the head of the international nuclear agency said Tuesday. Located on the Dnipro river in southeastern Ukraine, the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant has been under Russian control since the early weeks of Moscow's invasion, though it is still being ope
As Nancy Pelosi's historic Taiwan visit threatens to spark a major crisis between the US and China, public opinion on the tiny island nation is mixed.Following weeks of fevered speculation, the Speaker of the US House of Representatives...
Pelosi's trip has heightened U.S.-China tensions more than visits by other members of Congress because of her high-level position as leader of the House of Representatives.
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Laxman Pai, Opalesque Asia:

Global alternative asset manager Intermediate Capital Group has almost doubled its predecessor to close its eighth European Corporate fund on 8.1bn ($8.25bn).

According to a press release from the London-based private equity investment firm, Europe VIII significantly beats its 7bn ($7.13bn) target and exceeded its hard cap. It is also 90% bigger than Europe VII.

"The Fund attracted commitments from over 100 clients, including 33 new clients across Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and the US, incorporating a range of investors, such as large public pension schemes, institutional clients, and insurance firms," the release said.

European Corporate is one of ICG's flagship strategies, providing flexible capital solutions to companies across Europe. With a 33-year track record, the strategy has invested over 27bn across more than 400 transactions, it said.

"Today the team comprises investment professionals across seven European offices, leveraging ICG's local origination network and institutional capabilities in digital enhancement, ESG, and value creation," said the release.

In line with ICG's firmwide commitment to achieving net zero by 2040, and Europe VIII's enhanced ESG framework, we are actively implementing validated science-based targets within all relevant portfolio companies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Benoit Durteste, CIO and CEO of ICG, said: We are immensely proud of the strong endorsement from our existing and......................

To view our full article Click here
31st OPEC and non-OPEC Ministerial Meeting

The 31st OPEC and non-OPEC Ministerial Meeting was held via videoconference on 3 August 2022.

The Meeting noted the dynamic and rapidly evolving oil market fundamentals, necessitating continuous assessment of market conditions.

The Meeting noted that the severely limited availability of excess capacity necessitates utilizing it with great caution in response to severe supply disruptions.

The Meeting noted that chronic underinvestment in the oil sector has reduced excess capacities along the value chain (upstream/midstream/downstream).

The Meeting highlighted with particular concern that insufficient investment into the upstream sector will impact the availability of adequate supply in a timely manner to meet growing demand beyond 2023 from non-participating non-OPEC oil-producing countries, some OPEC Member Countries and participating non-OPEC oil-producing countries.

It noted that preliminary data for OECD commercial oil stocks level stood at 2,712 mb in June 2022, which was 163 mb lower than the same time last year, and 236 mb below the 2015-2019 average, and that emergency oil stocks have reached their lowest levels in more than 30 years.

The Meeting also noted that Declaration of Cooperation conformity has averaged 130% since May 2020, supported by voluntary contributions of some participating countries.

Emphasizing the value and importance of maintaining consensus as essential to the cohesion of OPEC and participating non-OPEC oil-producing countries, and in view of the latest oil market fundamentals, the Participating Countries decided to:
(AUSTIN-SAN ANTONIO) - Kruger Carson, PLLC, has promoted attorney Ryan Sullivan to partner of the firm, where he handles a wide range of real estate matters for Kruger Carson's clients in Texas and around the country. Sullivan focuses primarily on commercial real estate transactions, including acquisitions and dispositions, lending, leasing, development, and partnerships. "Ryan joined our firm three years ago and has been doing extraordinary work since day one," said Brad 
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PHOENIX (AP)  Republican Arizona House Speaker Rusty Bowers lost his bid for a state Senate seat after refusing then-President Donald Trumps pleas to help overturn the 2020 election results and testifying before Congress about the efforts.

Bowers tried to move to the state Senate because of term limits. He lost to former state Sen. David Farnsworth, who criticized him for refusing to help Trump or go along with a contentious 2021 audit that Republican leaders in the Senate commissioned.

Farnsworth automatically will win the Senate seat because no Democrat is running in the heavily Republican district.

Bowers faced an uphill battle in the eastern Phoenix suburb of Mesa, especially after the state Republican Party censured him following his June testimony before the panel investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on Congress and Trump endorsed Farnsworth.

Im well aware that Im highly distrusted, Bowers told The Associated Press before the election. My district is a very Trump district, and who knows how this is all going to work out.

And if it doesnt work out, great, Id do it all again the same way, Bowers said.

Trump pressured Bowers to help with a plan to replace electors committed to now-President Joe Biden during a phone call weeks after Trump lost the 2020 election. Bowers refused.

Bowers insisted on seeing Trumps evidence of voter fraud, which he said Trumps team never produced beyond vague allegations. He recalled Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani later told him, Weve got lots of theories, we just dont have the evidence.

Bowers is a conservative Republican, but Farnsworth said hes not conservative enough and has become less so since becoming speaker following the 2018 elections.

Of course, the big issue, I think, for everybody is the fact that I strongly believe that there was fraud in the 2020 election, Farnsworth said in an interview last week. And I feel like Rusty failed ... to take responsibility as speaker of the House and look into that election.

The Farnsworth-Bowers battle was one of several brewing that involved current or former Arizona lawmakers.

In another eastern suburban district, GOP Sen. Tyler Pace was trailing his challenger after an outside group targeted him and Bowers.

Redistricting put two Trump-supporting state senators, Kelly Townsend and Wendy Rogers, into the same district. Rogers was leading in early returns, but the race was too early to call.

It featured bitter recriminations as Rogers has faced repeated ethics charges for her inflammatory rhetoric, support for white supremacists and conspiracy-theory laden tweets.

Townsend said she felt compelled to run against Rogers when she refused to refute white nationalism after speaking at a conference in Florida in February.

If I dont run against her and make that statement, win, lose or drawn then her actions become our own, Townsend said Monday. It sort of spoils the whole (Republican) party.

Rogers has earned a national following, raising a whopping $3 million from donors across the country since taking office in early 2021. Townsend had raised about $15,000, much more typical for a state legislative race.

In the west Phoenix suburbs, former Rep. Anthony Kern, who attended Trumps Jan. 6 rally that led to the attack on Congress and unsuccessfully sued Democrats who asked the Department of Justice to investigate him, was leading in his effort to return to the Legislature. He was defeated in his 2020 House primary and is now aiming for a Senate seat. If his solid lead holds, hell get it, since no Democrat is running.

Also trying for a political comeback is former Rep. Steve Montenegro, whose 2018 run for Congress was upended by a sexting scandal. He was leading among four Republicans running in a west Phoenix House district for two open House seats.

Democratic Reps. Diego Espinoza and Richard Andrade are facing off after being drawn into the same district in the western Phoenix suburbs, with Andrade holding a slight lead in a race too close to call. And Sen. Lela Alston, considered the most experienced lawmaker in the Legislature, was well ahead of two challengers in her central Phoenix district. One of them, political unknown Al Jones, has sought attention by buying billboards across the city.
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OXFORD, Mich. (AP)  An armed security officer told investigators she thought an active shooting at a Michigan high school was a drill and that one of the bleeding students simply was wearing really good makeup, an attorney suing the school district said Wednesday.

Attorney Ven Johnson said he is asking a judge to add the security officer's name to a lawsuit he filed in January against Oxford Community Schools. The suit also names Oxford High School's dean of students, two counselors and three teachers as defendants.

Johnson said in an amended complaint that school surveillance video he recently reviewed shows the security officer casually walking around in the hallway" during the Nov. 30 shooting at the high school about 30 miles (50 kilometers) north of Detroit.

She apparently, according to what she told investigators, she was confused because she heard on the radio that there was an ALICE drill, Johnson told reporters.

ALICE is an acronym for Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter and Evacuate.

Johnson said the explanation makes no sense because there is no indication that anyone else at the school was notified that a drill was scheduled that day. Such notifications are routine to prevent panic.

The security officer, who also is a retired deputy with the Oakland County sheriff's office, can be seen in the surveillance footage opening a door to a bathroom and saw two of the students  one who was later killed and one who was later injured. She did not go inside, Johnson said.

Prosecutors have said student Ethan Crumbley entered a bathroom with a backpack and came out with a semi-automatic handgun, firing at students while moving down the hallway. The four students who were killed were 16-year-old Tate Myre, 14-year-old Hana St. Juliana, 17-year-old Madisyn Baldwin and 17-year-old Justin Shilling.

Had she done her job, at least the death of Justin (Shilling) would have been prevented for sure," Johnson said.

He wrote in the complaint that the officer also "saw Tate Myres body on the floor with him bleeding to death and informed the investigators that she thought he had really good makeup on.

Timothy Mullins, an attorney for the school district, dismissed Johnson's allegations as untrue, suggesting that not only did the security officer not believe the shooting was a drill but suggested she acted courageously.

When the facts are known, a single woman without any backup will be shown to be going towards the shooter, Mullins told The Associated Press Wednesday. No backup, unaided, no Kevlar, no waiting, (but) singularly exposing herself to the event."

Crumbley, now 16, faces murder and other charges. His trial is expected to start in January. His parents, James and Jennifer Crumbley, are charged with involuntary manslaughter and accused of failing to keep the gun used in the shooting secure at home and failing to reasonably care for their son when he showed signs of mental distress. They have pleaded not guilty.

Also, at least two lawsuits have been filed on behalf of the families of the students who died, were injured or traumatized by what happened.
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PHOENIX (AP)  An Arizona lawmaker who embraces election conspiracies and was endorsed by former President Donald Trump won the Republican primary Tuesday for the top elections post in the presidential battleground.

Mark Finchem beat out three other GOP candidates in the race for secretary of state. His challengers included another candidate who repeated Trumps false claims that he lost the 2020 presidential election because of fraud, a longtime state lawmaker and a businessman endorsed by Republican Gov. Doug Ducey.

Democrats and election security advocates warned that a victory for Finchem in the November general election will be dangerous for democracy.

Finchem, who attended Trumps Jan. 6, 2021, rally that preceded the violent assault on the U.S. Capitol, has said he only intends to ensure that election laws are followed to address concerns by many Republicans about how elections are run. Still, he tried to get the Legislature to overturn the 2020 election results and has spoken about making major changes to election rules that are written by the secretary.

Arizona's was the most high-profile secretary of state's race in Tuesday's primaries. In Kansas, the top state elections official beat back a far-right challenger who promoted conspiracy theories, while in Washington voters were choosing from a mix of Democrats, Republicans and unaffiliated candidates in that states top-two primary.

The GOP primary elections for secretary of state are the latest this year to feature candidates who doubt the security of their states' elections despite the lack of evidence of any problems widespread enough to change the results. Republican voters elsewhere have split on sending those candidates to the November ballot.

The Democratic candidates in all three states reject the premise of a stolen 2020 presidential election and warn that victories in November by any of those who promote conspiracies would endanger free and fair elections. In all three states, the secretary of state is the top election official.

Finchem tried this year to get the Republican-controlled Legislature to notify Congress that Arizona wanted to decertify Democrat Joe Bidens election win. He won Trump's endorsement and said in a recent interview that worries about the effect of his potential victory on free and fair elections are unfounded. He said he will just enforce laws as written.

I think its interesting that there are people, particularly Democrats out there, claiming: Oh, hes going to ruin the system. Hes going to do this, hes a threat to democracy,' Finchem said. Still, he contends tens of thousands of fake ballots led to Biden's win, a claim for which there is no credible evidence.

The other Republican who backed Trumps claims also is a member of the Arizona House. Rep. Shawnna Bolick introduced a bill last year that would allow a simple majority of the Legislature to overturn presidential election results.

The other Republicans on Arizonas ballot were state Sen. Michelle Ugenti-Rita, who acknowledges Bidens victory but has worked for a decade to tighten election laws, and businessman Beau Lane, who was backed by the governor.

Two Democrats, House Minority Leader Reginald Bolding and former Maricopa County Recorder Adrian Fontes, are seeking their party's nomination.

Kansas had no significant problems with its 2020 elections and Trump carried the state handily. Yet Secretary of State Scott Schwab found himself on sometimes tricky ground politically because many Republicans have embraced Trumps baseless claims that massive fraud cost him the race nationally.

Schwab has repeatedly vouched for the safety of Kansas elections and touted new GOP-pushed laws, including ones that restrict the delivery of ballots by third parties. Hes also said he cant vouch for other states elections.

The message worked well for him in his primary against Mike Brown, a construction contractor and former county commissioner in the Kansas City area. Brown embraced election conspiracy theories and promised to rid the state of ballot drop boxes.

In November, Schwab will face Democrat Jenna Repass, who was unopposed in her partys primary.

Washington states top-two primary featured the incumbent, Democratic Secretary of State Steve Hobbs, who easily advanced to the general election. He was appointed by Gov. Jay Inslee last November and hopes to retain his seat for the remaining two years of former Republican Secretary of State Kim Wymans four-year term.

Also on the primary ballot were several Republican and unaffiliated challengers, including Tamborine Borrelli, an America First candidate who was fined by the state Supreme Court earlier this summer for making meritless claims alleging widespread voter fraud. Borrelli was lagging far behind other candidates Tuesday night.

There was a tight race for the second slot on the November ballot between Pierce County Auditor Julie Anderson, running as an independent, and several Republicans.

Under Washingtons primary system, the top two vote-getters advance to the general election, regardless of party. Results could take days to tally because its an all-mail election.

___

Associated Press writers John Hanna in Topeka, Kansas, and Rachel La Corte in Olympia, Washington, contributed to this report.

___

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.

___

This story has been corrected to show the Trump loyalists support his false claims that he won the election, not that he lost the election.
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MANISTEE COUNTY  Voters in Manistee County approved a pair of millage proposals to support the Manistee Conservation District and 911 Central Dispatch during the Aug. 2 primary election.

Voters also approved a third ballot proposal to reauthorize the constitutional millage rate in the county, according to early results from the Manistee County Clerks office.

All results are unofficial until certified by the Manistee County Board of Canvassers.

Manistee Conservation District

A millage renewal and increase for the Manistee Conservation District was approved by a vote of 3,572 to 2,739.

The conservation district millage is estimated to raise $274,195 in its first year. The 0.225 mill renewal will be levied for nine years and the 0.125 mill increase will be levied for two years.

The total amount per $50,000 of taxable value equates to $11.25 annually on your property tax bill. To calculate your annual cost, check your statement for the taxable value of your property. Multiply your taxable value by 0.225 then divide by 1,000.

"The passing of this millage was crucial for the districts ability to continue our efforts in promoting positive stewardship of Manistee Countys natural resources," read a statement from the district. "...We look forward to whats to come for the District and all the ways we can continue to serve Manistee County in the future."

Conservation district staff provide forestry and wildlife habitat management; surface water and groundwater resources; invasive species management; federal cost-share program implementation; and educational programming on natural resources topics, according to county documents.

The renewal will be applied to the districts continued operations, while the increase will be used to leverage funds including grant matching, infrastructure improvements for the district property and to retain and support its full-time staff, according to the ballot language.

In addition to the county millage, the conservation district is funded by state and federal grants, proceeds from its native tree, shrub and plant sales, along with private donations, according to its strategic plan.

911 Central Dispatch

A 911 Manistee County Central Dispatch millage renewal request was also approved on Tuesday, by a vote of 4,635 to 1,707.

It will bring an estimated $1,286,616 in operating funds in the first of its four year levy. The cost of the millage renewal on a home with a taxable value of $100,000 is about $100 a year.

Over the past two years, the Manistee County Board of Commissioners has opted to allocate 0.8 of the full 1 mill levy.

Jim Espvik, Manistee County 911 director, said at a special meeting with the county board of commissioner in May, that the millage renewal request was the same as in previous years.

Our current millage that we have is not up until Dec. 31 of 2023, but in the past we have always tried to get it in early to give us an opportunity in the event that it did not pass and wed have an opportunity to go to the next general election, Espvik had said.

Manistee County Separate Tax Limitation

Due to millage rate rollbacks caused by the Headlee amendment, Manistee County voters were asked to reauthorize the constitutional millage for the county, townships and school districts.

Residents approved the ballot proposal by a vote of 3,848 to 2,355.

Manistee County Treasurer Rachel Nelson explained that a limitation of 15 mills is allocated between the county, townships, Manistee Intermediate School District and other schools.

In 1993, Proposal A set the schools at 7.7 mills, so this leaves 7.3 mills for the county, townships and ISD. The Tax Allocation Board determines the ballot language regarding how much of the 7.3 mills the county, townships and ISD should receive, Nelson stated in an email to the News Advocate.

The allocation board has set this at 5.5 mills for the county, 1.5 mills for the townships and 0.3 mills for the ISD since it was first approved in 1993. This millage distribution was last approved by voters in 2016.
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WASHINGTON (AP)  U.S. Senators delivered overwhelming bipartisan approval to NATO membership for Finland and Sweden Wednesday, calling expansion of the Western defensive bloc a slam-dunk for U.S. national security and a day of reckoning for Russian President Vladimir Putin over his invasion of Ukraine.

Wednesdays 95-1 vote  for the candidacy of two Western European nations that, until Russias war against Ukraine, had long avoided military alliances  took a crucial step toward expansion of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and its 73-year-old pact of mutual defense among the United States and democratic allies in Europe.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer invited ambassadors of the two nations to the chamber gallery to witness the vote.

President Joe Biden, who has been the principal player rallying global economic and material support for Ukraine, has sought quick entry for the two previously non-militarily aligned northern European nations.

This historic vote sends an important signal of the sustained, bipartisan U.S. commitment to NATO, and to ensuring our Alliance is prepared to meet the challenges of today and tomorrow, Biden said in a statement Wednesday evening.

"I look forward to signing the accession protocols and welcoming Sweden and Finland, two strong democracies with highly capable militaries, into the greatest defensive alliance in history," the president added.

Approval from all member nations  currently, 30  is required. The candidacies of the two prosperous Northern European nations have won ratification from more than half of the NATO member nations in the roughly three months since the two applied. Its a purposely rapid pace meant to send a message to Russia over its six-month-old war against Ukraines West-looking government.

It sends a warning shot to tyrants around the world who believe free democracies are just up for grabs, Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., said in the Senate debate ahead of the vote.

Russias unprovoked invasion has changed the way we think about world security, she added.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, who visited Kyiv earlier this year, urged unanimous approval. Speaking to the Senate, McConnell cited Finlands and Swedens well-funded, modernizing militaries and their experience working with U.S. forces and weapons systems, calling it a slam-dunk for national security of the United States.

Their accession will make NATO stronger and America more secure. If any senator is looking for a defensible excuse to vote no, I wish them good luck, McConnell said.

Sen. Josh Hawley, a Missouri Republican who often aligns his positions with those of the most ardent supporters of former President Donald Trump, cast the only no vote. Hawley took the Senate floor to call European security alliances a distraction from what he called the United States chief rival  China, not Russia.

We can do more in Europe ... devote more resources, more firepower ... or do what we need to do to deter Asia and China. We cannot do both, Hawley said, calling his a classic nationalist approach to foreign policy.

Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas, like Hawley a potential 2024 presidential contender, rebutted his points without naming his potential Republican rival.

That included arguing against Hawleys contention a bigger NATO would mean more obligations for the U.S. military, the worlds largest. Cotton was one of many citing the two nations military strengths  including Finlands experience securing its hundreds of miles of border with Russia and its well-trained ground forces, and Swedens well-equipped navy and air force.

Theyre two of the strongest members of the alliance the minute they join, Cotton said.

U.S. State and Defense officials consider the two countries net security providers, strengthening NATOs defense posture in the Baltics in particular. Finland is expected to exceed NATOs 2% GDP defense spending target in 2022, and Sweden has committed to meet the 2% goal.

Thats in contrast to many of NATOs newcomers formerly from the orbit of the Soviet Union, many with smaller militaries and economies. North Macedonia, NATOs most recent newcomer nation, brought an active military of just 8,000 personnel when it joined in 2020.

Senators' votes approving NATO candidacies often are lopsided  the one for North Macedonia was 91-2. But Wednesday's approval from nearly all senators present carried added foreign policy weight in light of Russia's war.

Schumer, D-N.Y., said he and McConnell had committed to the countrys leaders that the Senate would approve the ratification resolution as fast as we could to bolster the alliance in light of recent Russian aggression.

Sweden and Finland applied in May, setting aside their longstanding stance of military nonalignment. It was a major shift of security arrangements for the two countries after neighboring Russia launched its war on Ukraine in late February. Biden encouraged their joining and welcomed the two countries government heads to the White House in May, standing side by side with them in a display of U.S. backing.

The U.S. and its European allies have rallied with newfound partnership in the face of Putin's military invasion, as well as the Russian leader's sweeping statements this year condemning NATO, issuing veiled reminders of Russia's nuclear arsenal and asserting Russia's historical claims to territory of many of its neighbors.

Enlarging NATO is exactly the opposite of what Putin envisioned when he ordered his tanks to invade Ukraine, Sen. Bob Menendez, a New Jersey Democrat and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said Wednesday, adding that the West could not allow Russia to launch invasions of countries.

Wednesday's vote by Republicans and Democrats stood out for the normally slow-moving and divided chamber. Senators voted down a proposed amendment by Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., intended to ensure that NATOs guarantee to defend its members does not replace a formal role for Congress in authorizing the use of military force. Paul, a longtime advocate of keeping the U.S. out of most military action abroad, voted present" on the ratification of Sweden and Finland's membership bid.

Senators approved another amendment from Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, declaring that all NATO members should spend a minimum of 2% of their gross domestic product on defense and 20% of their defense budgets on major equipment, including research and development.

Each member government in NATO must give its approval for any new member to join. The process ran into unexpected trouble when Turkey raised concerns over adding Sweden and Finland, accusing the two of being soft on banned Turkish Kurdish exile groups. Turkeys objections still threaten the two countries membership.

___

Follow AP's coverage of NATO at https://apnews.com/hub/nato.
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.
Geneva, Switzerland (PANA) - Due to insufficient funding, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is unable to adequately respond to the rising humanitarian needs of refugees and internally displaced people in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)
Photo: (Photo : Matt Cardy/Getty Images)

A Vermont judge has blocked the request of a trust-fund grandson asking for his temporary freedom while his murder trial is ongoing. Nathan Carman, 28, has been charged with killing his rich grandfather and mother so he could gain access to his inheritance.

U.S. District Court Judge Geoffrey Crawford said Tuesday, Aug. 2, 2022, that Carman would remain in jail without bail as he is a flight risk, has no job, and may pose a danger to the community. He also has an ongoing feud with his family and is known to use firearms, per Mass Live.

Prosecutors contested Carman's appeal for temporary release, citing he's an unstable person. His aunts, Elaine Chakalos and Charlene Gallagher, who are the sisters of his mother, Linda Chakalos Carman, also asked the courts to keep him in jail as he may only have retribution in his mind.

Read Also: James Bond Actor Daniel Craig Won't Leave His Millions to His Children

What did Nathan Carman do to his grandfather and mom?

In 2013, Nathan's grandfather, John Chakalos, who developed a number of nursing homes and care facilities in New England, learned that his grandson failed his college classes. John apparently threatened to cut Nathan off his will if he won't improve his grades, according to the Boston Globe.

Two days after the confrontation, John was found shot in his bedroom in his sprawling home in Connecticut. Investigators had their suspects but no arrests were made. It was later revealed, however, that the trust-fund grandson was supposed to get about $7 million of his grandfather's money.

In 2016, Nathan was rescued by a Chinese freighter off the coast of Martha's Vineyard. He was allegedly at sea for at least eight days and lost his mother in the water. He told the cops that their boat sank but investigations revealed evidence that he purposely caused the sinking because he planned to kill his mother.

Apparently, Nathan discovered a few days before planning the boating trip that Linda had cut him off her will. Police said that Nathan wanted to cash in on the insurance claim.

The insurance companies holding the claims to both Linda and John's deaths have seen the obvious parallels to the killing. Nathan was charged with the murders in May 2022.

DEVELOPING: Nathan Carman, federally charged with killing his Middletown mother at sea, is in Burlington, VT federal court today in an effort to be released from pre-trial detention. His aunts wrote the court and said they fear retribution if he is released. pic.twitter.com/zsd90MdWMT  newsbell (@newsbell) August 2, 2022

The legal battle over insurance claims led to the murder trial

After the deaths, Nathan's aunts also contested his claim to the share of the family money, worth over $42 million, per the Harford Courant. They had long suspected that the trust-fund grandson was involved with the deaths.

However, their efforts failed to convince the civil court due to jurisdictional issues. The Chakalos sisters have appealed the case, which has dragged on for years.

Meanwhile, Nathan has also been the police's person of interest in both cases amid the insurance companies' filing a case against the grandson. The insurers have asked the court not to pay Nathan his claims because investigations into the cases have not yet concluded.

Federal agents allegedly found cause to arrest Nathan after a series of interviews and investigations that blew up his covers and lies. The judge has not yet set the start date of the murder trial.

Related Article: TV Personality Dr. Oz Claims His Sister Stole Millions From their Father's Estate
Photo: (Photo : KARIM JAAFAR/AFP via Getty Images)

A Florida dad is facing charges of child neglect after his dog attacked his child but he refused to bring her to the hospital for treatments.

Trenton Boettcher, 27, told investigators of the Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) and the Daytona Beach police that he "can't do hospitals." So, his daughter had to bear the pain of her punctured wounds.

Per Click Orlando, DCF was called to inspect the family home on Saturday, July 30, where there was a little girl with something oozing out of her bandaged wound. The child was bitten under the right side armpit. Apparently, the dog attack happened two days prior.

Read Also: 4 Ways to Keep Kids Safer When Interacting with Dogs in the Park this Summer

Father didn't pick up medications for his daughter

Boettcher told the investigators that he didn't see the actual dog bite but admitted that he intervened when he saw his dog on his daughter. During the investigations, the officials also learned that the dog, an American bulldog named Dozer, would behave in an aggressive and vicious manner towards the girl.

It was the child's stepmother, Boettcher's girlfriend, who took the girl to the hospital for treatments but she apparently refused to have photos taken of the dog's wounds. The stepmother was also hesitant to inform the child's mom about the attack. Boettcher's daughter was only visiting him for the summer as she lives with her mom in Minnesota.

Doctors prescribed antibiotics for the child's dog bites but neither the father, his stepmother or even the grandmother who also lives in the house, made an effort to pick up the medication at a local pharmacy. Thus, the child continued to suffer from an infection.

Boettcher and his girlfriend were positive for cocaine while the grandmother had traces of marijuana. Three other children, who also live in the same house, were taken by DCF upon this discovery, per The Daytona Beach News-Journal.

Dog attacks 4-year-old girl inside a home without any adult

Meanwhile, in Dallas, a dog also attacked a 4-year-old girl who was inside their house without any adult. The child's mom, Tiara Freeman, stepped out for a few minutes to get something at a store. She asked her friend, who is the owner of three pit bulls and who lives with Freeman and her kids, to look after them while she was gone.

However, a neighbor told Dallas News that the friend stepped out of the house to talk to the other neighbors. Suddenly, they heard the dogs growling and barking. When Freeman came home, she found her child bleeding with the dogs nearby. The 4-year-old was rushed to the hospital but did not survive the attack.

Michael Pennington, who lives across the street, said they have reported the dogs to the Dallas Animal Control Services before as they often got out of the property through a broken window. Other neighbors also said that they could not let their kids out knowing that the dogs would roam around and potentially attack.

Prior to the child's death, the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services was also called in due to safety concerns with the animal. However, it was not clear if the dog owner was told to get rid of her animals because they are not safe for children.

The dogs are now taken into custody. Charges have not been filed as of press time.

Related Article: Toddler Mauled by Pack of Puppies Recovering Well But Faces More Surgeries; Family Warns of Littermate Syndrome
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Microsoft is finalizing the next major feature release of Windows 11, also known as Windows 11 22H2. What should you expect? A somewhat minor update, but with some features that consumers have been asking for for some time.

With news that Microsoft may be picking up the pace of how it releases features  with an eye toward Windows 12 in 2024  it may be that the era of feature releases is coming to a close. No matter. Well still see some key features added to Windows 11 in the fall, based on the Windows 11 builds that Microsoft has begun testing.

In fact, its fair to say that Microsoft has finalized Windows 11 22H2, as the operating system has been released into Microsofts Release Preview Channel of its Windows Insider program. Here, Microsoft trials new features and builds with a small group of beta testers who opt in to trying them out before they release to the general public. When will Windows 11 22H2 ship to your PC? If history holds, September or October, with October perhaps more likely since some of the features listed below have some issues.

Originally, Microsoft released Windows 11 22H2 Build 22621 to the Release Preview Channel in June. (Right now, its at Build 22621.317.) Whatever the final version ends up as, we can be confident that Microsoft will simply fix bugs from here on out, while keeping the tally of features essentially unchanged.

While your experience will differ, installing Windows 11 22H2 Build 22621 took about five minutes on a Razer Book (late 2021) review unit, which we repurposed as one of our test machines.

New features in Windows 11 22H2

A revamped File Explorer?

In 2017, Microsoft showed off Sets, then a rethinking of Windows 10s File Explorer that combined browser, Mail, Calendar, File Explorer and more into a single window with various browser-like tabs denoting the separate apps. That endeavor was killed before seeing the light of day. Since then Microsoft has shown off a tabbed File Explorer (and just a tabbed File Explorer) in 22H2s Dev Channel, but that feature does not yet appear in the version of File Explorer that ships in the current Release Channel build, 22621.317.

File Explorer looks a bit warmer and friendlier, with pinned folders now populating the left-hand nav bar. If and when tabbed folders appear, youll see a browser-like + sign appear in the File Explorers window bar. Mark Hachman / IDG

It sounds like Microsoft isnt as committed to a release date as it used to be, however, so we still may see that feature show up before long.

Features like tabs in File Explorer will show up to Windows Insiders (between the Dev and Beta Channels) when they are ready, we're not as "release" based as we used to be as we mentioned in this blog post back in February. https://t.co/fWAvvAPZfS  Brandon LeBlanc (@brandonleblanc) May 11, 2022

Microsoft also is revamping the left-hand navigation pane in File Explorer. The emphasis here is less upon showing what Windows wants to show by default  Documents, Downloads, Music, etc.  and more what youd like to see, in terms of frequently used and pinned folders. Theres greater emphasis on making the OneDrive cloud part of your desktop, too, including greater visibility into how much OneDrive storage youre using. Part of that includes being able to share files directly to OneDrive, which is really not that much different than simply copying them into the OneDrive folder in File Explorer.

Windows Spotlight wallpapers

Windows 11 felt a bit sterile at launch, so we tend to lean towards anything that can humanize it a bit. Thats where Windows 11s new Windows Spotlight feature comes in. Windows Spotlight simply changes up your background on the daily, pulling in a pre-selected photo from Microsofts collection and applying it as your background. Longtime Windows users know that this feature has floated around for years in some form or another, but its still welcome.

Windows Spotlight adds some life back to Windows 11. Mark Hachman / IDG

Snap layouts bar

Youre probably aware that you can pin a window to a part of your screen via Windows Snap feature. In Windows 11, you can access that by clicking on the maximize window portion of a window. In Windows 11, Microsoft has changed the way you can enable Snap by dragging any window to the top of the screen. Instead of automatically maximizing it, the Snap window will appear.

Drag a window to the top of the screen, and youll see the Snap bar materialize. Mark Hachman / IDG

Snap still works as it always does, from the maximize window icon. But this gives a bigger area to grab or target with your mouse or finger, making it easier for everyone.

Live Captions

Accessibility features in Windows sometimes get short shrift, if only because able users assume theyll never use them. With Live Captions, all users will benefit. Live Captions is nothing more than a feature similar to using your phones mic to dictate a text, except here, the dictation is applied to any video you have playing back on your PC. As the video plays, Windows will show the captions as theyre spoken  even if the video doesnt natively support captions.

Mark Hachman / IDG

Sure, it works for streaming video, but it will be your recorded video where this really shines.

Start Menu folders

The Start menu is notoriously problematic in Windows 11, with an odd collection of pinned apps, recommended files, and a hidden app list thats a click away. Not everyone may have taken full advantage of Windows 10s ability to organize apps inside the Start menu, but this feature was pretty much left out wholesale when Windows 11 launched. At the minimum, Windows 10 allowed you to organize apps together in Start menu folders. NowfinallyWindows 11 will as well.

The expanded Start folder is blown up in the center of this screenshot, with the smaller compact version (My Day) to the left. Mark Hachman / IDG

The folders in Windows 11 (and, to be fair, Windows 10) are still tiny, to the point that youll have to squint to make out what they have inside them. But at least youll be able to group your preferred apps, something that you havent been able to do before now.

Taskbar drag-and-launch

A small but vocal minority was outraged when Microsoft cut this feature from Windows 11. Previously, dropping an image file onto the taskbar opened your preferred editor. Ditto for, say, a Photoshop project. Now, this feature returns to Windows 11 via 22H2, restoring this element of the workflow for those who missed it. The Windows 11 taskbar is an annoying step backwards, but this is a move in the right direction at least.

Voice Access and voice controls

Microsoft is adding Voice Access in Windows 11 2H22, another accessibility feature that can be used by just about anyone. Its another modality, in much the same way that you can click via a mouse or tap a touchscreen. Here, though, youll use your voice. Voice Access intelligently recognizes aspects of your screen, so that saying Click next will click a button marked Next on your screen. Thats the way its supposed to work, anyway. Early testing on two different machines shows that Voice Access highlights the correct button, but doesnt actually process the click function.

Microsoft is also adding a button on the taskbar to automatically mute or unmute the mic when in a Zoom or Teams call. You can already mute your mic in any number of ways, of course, but Microsoft is hoping that youll always be able to find this universal mute control.

So far, Windows Voice Access does everything but actually work. Mark Hachman / IDG

New apps and app changes

Windows 11 22H2 will preload two inbox or built-in apps: Clipchamp and Microsoft Family. Clipchamp is an excellent, fun, free video editor that resides online, meaning that youll need to be connected to the Internet to use it. Microsoft Family is just a rebranded Family Safety app, which allows you to serve as an administrator for your family in the real world, tracking their location (if they give permission) as well as setting content restrictions and screen time.

Microsoft also tweaked two key elements in Windows 11: Settings and the Task Manager. The latter has been given the Windows 11 treatment with both a functional and aesthetic upgrade that adds a left-hand nav bar to the app. Settings has also been enhanced, with more information about Microsoft subscriptions added to the app.

Other changes

Microsoft is also making smaller changes, too. One  moving the weather widget to the far left of the taskbar  has already been pushed to users. Others, including improvements to Near Share (and sharing files to OneDrive) will be part of the smaller upgrades and changes coming to 22H2. Well try to highlight the most consequential as part of our eventual review of Windows 11 22H2 later this year.
Confession: After about a month of using the trendy new Vivaldi browser, I returned to Chrome on my desktop, chastened and humbled. It all would have been fine if it hadnt been for the formers tendency to trip up when dragging tabs into new browsers. Anyway, for those whove stayed faithful to Googles browser-slash-mass-advertising-and-surveillance program, version 104 includes no less than 27 new security fixes youll want right away.

Most of the bugs were spotted and submitted by non-Google members of the Chromium team, which submit changes to the open source version of the browser that Google then implements in the main version of Chrome. Security researchers hunting for these vulnerabilities can rake in some respectable dough in via Googles rewards program. The top prize for version 104 went to an anonymous contributor who spotted a head corruption bug in the Omnibox behavior, netting them a cool $10,000 USD prize.

The new version is headed for the stable channel now, so you should see it update automatically over the next few days unless youre running a Beta or newer version of Chrome. If you cant wait that long, click the primary menu button, then Help and About Google Chrome. The update process should start right away. A relaunch will apply the changes.
Utility tariffs are expected to go up next week, the first since 2017.



Once announced, the tariffs are expected to come into effect on September 1, this year.



This comes after the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) had carried out nationwide consultations on proposals it received from the utility companies.



A source familiar with the stakeholder consultations said aside from the public fora across the 16 regions, the PURC also engaged identifiable groups and relevant sections of the public and had considered all sides of the arguments in arriving at appropriate tariffs.



The Daily Graphic has gathered that the new tariffs will not be across the board, which means the rates will depend on the reasons and proofs adduced by the utilities and the verification the commission has done.



Another source said the tariffs to be announced would exclude taxes and levies already imposed by the state.



It said micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), such as food joints and salons, would be protected from paying punitive tariffs.



Proposals



The utility companies presented proposals to the PURC in May this year, based on the regulators guidelines.



While the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) proposed a 300 per cent increment over its existing tariffs, the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) proposed 148 per cent, the Volta River Authority (VRA) proposed 37 per cent, with the Ghana Grid Company Ltd (GRIDCo) proposing 48 per cent.



Other proposals were 38 per cent from the only private power distributor, Enclave Power, and 113 per cent increase over the existing tariffs of the Northern Electricity Distribution Company (NEDCo).



Framework



The tariff proposals were in line with policy directions to progressively eliminate what has been described as punitive tariff bands that discouraged consumption.



This included industry being made to pay higher to cushion residential consumers, a situation which was adding to the cost of doing business and making operations in the industrial sector costly.



The multi-year tariff adjustment, which will come with different rates of increment over a five-year period, is also expected to enable the PURC and the utilities to commit to the quarterly automatic adjustment system, support industrial development and improve utility efficiency.



Another source familiar with the consultations and computations told the Daily Graphic that in arriving at the various tariffs, the regulator took into consideration external and internal economic conditions, as well as the need to keep the utilities in operation, enabling them to do routine maintenance, finance developments, among others.



The PURC also subjected all the costs proposed by the utilities to strict assessment and validation, including visiting some of the investments on the ground.



It accepted servicing costs on loans for approved investments, while the state-owned utilities were asked to suspend all discretionary investment this year.



The regulator also requested for and critically assessed proposed investments by utilities, among other things.



Customer expectation survey



The PURC also conducted a survey in which 851 respondents across all 16 regions completed the questionnaire.



The survey indicated that 44 per cent of respondents thought the current electricity tariffs were not commensurate with quality of service received from the electricity utilities due to frequent voltage fluctuations, poor customer service delivery, among other reasons.



On electricity tariffs, 42 per cent of the respondents rated prevailing tariffs as fair, while 55 per cent rated them as high.



Again, half of the respondents indicated that current water tariffs were not justified, given the poor service delivery in the form of frequent water supply interruptions.



Consequently, 41 per cent of respondents rated prevailing water tariffs as fair, while 57 per cent rated them as high.



Inefficiency



The PURC, the source said, would also set efficiency benchmarks by which the utilities would abide, so that their inefficiencies would not be passed on to consumers.



The PURC sets loss benchmarks which mostly cover technical losses to ensure that the inefficiencies are not passed on. For instance, if the benchmark is 4.2 per cent and you incur 10 per cent, the PURC will deduct the benchmark and the utility will pay for the rest, it explained.



Fact sheet



a) The utility companies are proposing new tariff adjustments mainly due to their inability to finance capital investments, the inadequacy of the last PURC-approved tariffs, the depreciation of their assets, exchange rate fluctuations, payment of government-guaranteed loans, among others.

Source: graphic.com.gh









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The British telecommunication giant Vodafone Group has agreed to offload 70 percent of its stake in Ghanas operation to Africa-focused telecom company, Telecel Group in a 500 Million USD Deal.



The deal is however subject to regulatory approval by the Government of Ghana through the Ministry of Communications.



When successfully approved, the Government of Ghana maintaining its 30 percent stake in the business. The transaction is being fully financed by Telecel.



A potential project of the sale of Towers could happen in the future to additionally develop the infrastructure of the company, as part of a bigger plan for infrastructure sharing to help commercial competitiveness in Ghana.



It is expected that Telecel Group will inject the much-needed investment into Vodafones operations (sources estimate that Telecel has provisioned an investment of 500 million USD), to service the service providers debt while providing CAPEX to support the technology development and innovation.



This would be for both mobile telephone and Fixed Broadband (FBB) services with an improved customer experience at the right price point.



Network availability and reliability are important to seamless service and the investment to be provided by Telecel Group would support the network infrastructure and architecture for existing and new Vodafone Ghana customers, including consumers, corporates, government, and SMEs.



About Telecel



Telecel is an Africa-focused telecommunication service provider and leader in the transformation of digital services. It pridesitself as a market disruptor with a wealth of experience from shareholders who have impacted the global retail industry and are poised to apply the same skills to impact positively the continents telecom market.



Not to mention that according to sources Telecel, in general, is close to large groups like Orange, Etisalat, Convergence Partners, Digital 9, and others of the same tier, and they sometimes work in partnership with them.



The Telecel Group operates in four different business lines within the telecom and technology industry.These include Telecel Mobile, which owns and operates several mobile operators in Africa and Europe.



Telecel Global Services provides wholesale, enterprise, and digital security services to telecom operators and enterprises worldwide, while Telecel Play is a digital platform that is digitizing mobile users experience.



The fourth in the business line, Africa Startup Initiative Program, supports innovative start-ups in Africa and offers them funding and guidance to the scale of which Ghanian startups have been participating and benefiting according to the latest news on the subject published recently in the media.



The Telecel Board is made up of experts in Telecom, Finance, and Digital services, with a large experience in leading positions in major companies, such as MTN, Vodafone, Orange, Google, and others; the chairman who is also the main shareholder comes from the Mulliez family,highly regarded in Europe as being the Rothchilds of France.

















Source: Isaac Kwame Owusu/Peacefmonline/[email protected]









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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The chiefs of Sefwi Chirano Traditional Council, led by the paramount Chief of Sefwi Chirano, who is also the Vice president of the Western North Regional House of Chiefs, Okogyeman Kwaku Gyamprah II, have strongly condemned the recent killings by some unknown assailants in the region.



In a statement, the council described the act as "dastardly" and "heinous" after calling on the police to the beef of security and fish out culprits.



They have also promised the collaboration of the chiefs and opinion leaders of the traditional area to deal with the perpetrators.



Read below full statement

Your browser does not support iframes.

Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









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Police in the Oti region have begun investigations into the murder of a man at Nkonya Ntsumuru.



The deceased, identified as Daniel Brempong, was allegedly ambushed and shot dead by unknown assailants on his way to the farm.



The incident according to police reports occurred on Monday, August 1, 2022.



The body of the victim has since been deposited at the Margaret Marquart Catholic hospital morgue at Kpando for autopsy and preservation.



Police in the region have intensified patrols in the community and its enclave to ensure law and order given the volatile crime situation in the area.



The police report issued by ASP John Nchor, the Acting Public Affairs Officer for the Oti region is further urging the public to remain calm as investigations continue to get the perpetrators.









Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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A bench warrant has been issued by an Accra Circuit Court for the arrest of a senior officer of the State Insurance Corporation (SIC) who allegedly, willfully caused GH334,114 loss to the State.



Hillary Kwasi Senanu, 47, who oversaw the Institutional Payment at SIC was absent when his accomplices-Martha Siaw,36, a nurse, Priscilla Telley Annang, 26, event planner and Clifford Emmanuel Kukubor, 44, GPHA staff- were arraigned on Monday, August 1, 2022.



Senanu is also charged for allegedly conspiring with Martha to steal GH260,732.74 belonging to SIC Life Ghana Limited.



In addition, Senanu is alleged to have falsified the accounts of Kukubor, Martha, Priscilla Annang, Priscilla Odofoley Nortey, Agnes Darbea Amakye, Angela Agyeiwaa Gyan, Lily Atswei Ablorh and David Mensah to steal GH98,313.96.



Martha and Priscilla Telley Annang were both granted a GH30,000 bail with two sureties, each, who should be public servants, but Kukubor was remanded into prison custody.



They will make their next appearance on August 15, 2022.



Meanwhile, David Mensah, a trader, Agnes Amakye Darbea and Priscilla Odofoley Nartey, his accomplices, are on the run.



Mensah contributed to the offence by dishonestly receiving GH62,201; Agnes, trader, received GH7,100 whilst Priscilla Odofoley Nartey stole GH40,610.



Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Maxwell Oppong giving the facts, told the court presided over by Mr Emmanuel Essandoh that Jacob Aikins Tandoh, complainant, is the Head of Audit at SIC Life Company Limited in Accra whilst Senanu was the Senior Officer in charge of Institutional Payment and one of the premium Officers of SiC Life Company Limited.



He said Siaw, Annang, Kukubor, Mensah, Darbea and Nartey were all clients of the company.



In June 2021, the Head of Premium Department of the company detected some financial malpractices relating to some client's account and accordingly informed the complainant, ASP Oppong told the Court.



He said a report was made to the Police for investigation and during investigation, it was detected that, Senanu had deliberately credited the premium account of his accomplices: Siaw, Annang, Kukubor, Mensah, Darbea, Nartey as well as two other clients who were witnesses in this case with premiums and repaid policy loans, to suggest that they were genuine but could not account for it.



Prosecution said during interrogation, Annang admitted receiving GH10,040 in three installments and on each occasion, Senanu asked her to take GH1,000.00 and send the remaining amount to him via mobile money which she did, but those monies were not accounted for by Senanu and so applied to Siaw.



In all, a total of GH260,732.74 was detected by the company to have been embezzled by Senanu in relation to the dealings by him (Senanu) and the rest of the accused persons, the Court heard.



ASP Oppong said Siaw also made a refund of GH1,500.00 out of the amount she received from the company during investigation.



He said further investigation revealed that the accused persons' malicious and fraudulent actions led to the State Insurance Corporation insuring a fundamental loss of GH332,114.00 by fraudulently allocating loans to the customers and benefiting from it.



The prosecutor said after investigation, the accused persons were charged with the respective offences and put before the Court.

Source: GNA









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The Parliamentary Select Committee on Education has expressed satisfaction with the ongoing printing of textbooks for basic schools by Appointed Time Press (ATP), a subsidiary of the Jospong Group of Companies (JGC).



So far ATP has printed and distributed 600,000 Science textbooks to government basic schools in the country.



ATP is one of five printing houses contracted by the government to print textbooks for basic schools across the country. The company is expected to print 800,000 basic school Science textbooks for distribution across the country.



In July, this year, the company announced that it was 50 per cent through with the project.



This followed an inspection tour of ATP's facilities by the Education Minister, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum.



The committee was particularly, excited at the state-of-the-art printing machines used by ATP in its operations.



The Chairman of the committee, Mr. Kwabena Amankwa Asiamah, said ATP has done an impressively good job.



The committee members were on an inspection tour of ATP's head office in Accra on Tuesday, August 2, 2022, to appraise the state of the printing project being undertaken by the company.



Briefing journalists after the inspection tour of the printing house, Mr. Amankwa Asiamah, said school children at the basic level will now get books to read and study.



According to him, the quality of printing and the books was top notch, adding that it meets the required standard, especially for school children at the basic level.



He, however, called on the government to take a critical look at the tax components on the importation of printing materials.



He noted that the prices of textbooks imported from India and China were cheaper.



He attributed this to tax rebates given by the governments of these two countries to the printing firms in their respective countries.



The Managing Director of ATP, Ms Jacqueline Afful, disclosed her outfit had so far printed and distributed 600,000 basic Science textbooks across the nation.



She assured me that the remaining 200,000 textbooks will be ready on schedule.



She rehashed her company's commitment to print the remaining textbooks by the end of August 2022, for onward distribution to basic schools.



She disclosed that the company paid particular attention to the quality of the books owing to the fact that children were going to use them.

Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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A new digital healthcare platform, EMGuidance which delivers essential medical guidance to support clinical decision-making at the point of care, is this month launching in Ghana. The independent platform connects healthcare practitioners to the local healthcare ecosystem and medical industry, bringing comprehensive, up-to-date and locally relevant clinical information to healthcare workers.



The platform, a public-private partnership with the Ghanaian Ministry of Health, leading medicines company, Novartis, and the Sickle Cell Foundation of Ghana, will be an instrumental step forward in supporting the initiative to improve outcomes for patients suffering from Sickle Cell Disease.



Globally it is estimated that 15 million babies will be born with sickle-cell disease over the next 30 years, with up to 90% of them in low-income countries likely to die before reaching five years of age. Early detection and treatment of the disease, however, can substantially reduce mortality[1].



Empowering frontline healthcare professionals with locally relevant medicines and clinical guidance is critical to achieving the best patient outcomes. Many times, however, quick access to the right information to drive important clinical decisions is not at hand, explains Yaseen Khan, CEO of EMGuidance.



Taking complex clinical information, from across a medical ecosystem, and creating simple but powerful digital support at the point of care, is at the heart of what EMGuidance does, and is particularly relevant in the treatment of Sickle Cell Disease. With the support and leadership of local Ghanaian medical partners, we believe this effort will enhance clinical guideline adherence by practitioners, supporting improved rates of screening and diagnosis, greater dosage and treatment and accuracy, and ultimately reducing crisis events and supporting improved quality of life for patients with this disease, he continues.



EMGuidance will serve as an independent medical platform that will be instrumental in carrying content and clinical information that supports the Sickle Cell Disease project to these healthcare professionals. However, the platform will not be restricted to this project alone, but will bring its full service offering to the market.



EMGuidance has launched in South Africa six years ago, and has grown rapidly, with 55% of health care practitioners in the country now signed up as subscribers. With over 10 000 daily users and over 1 million searches per month, it is a powerful day-to-day clinical decision-making support tool trusted by doctors, nurses, pharmacists and multinational pharmaceutical companies alike. It is free to use for registered health professionals.



For further information about EMGuidance visit https://www.emguidance.com/



For more information about Sickle Cell Disease and the Sickle Cell Disease project, visit https://www.novartis.com/diseases/sickle-cell-disease











Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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The wife of a Nigerian street trader who was killed in Italy has told the BBC she is seeking justice following his "painful death".



Aliku Ogorchukwu, 39, was reportedly selling handkerchiefs in the seaside town of Civitanova Marche on Friday when he was chased and beaten to death.



A 32-year-old Italian has been arrested on suspicion of murder and robbery.



A video circulating online shows a man on top of Ogorchukwu, punching him with his bare hands.



None of those who witnessed the broad daylight attack appeared to intervene.



"This is a form of wickedness I don't know," Ogorchukwu's wife, Charity Oriachi, told the BBC's Focus on Africa.



Ms Oriachi said she had received help in coming to terms with her husband's death but was tired of "talk". Now, she was only interested in justice, she insisted.



Her family had lived in Italy for a long time, she said, stressing that her husband had never sought any trouble.



The killing has sparked outrage in the local community, including Nigerians, who took to the streets over the weekend and are planning another demonstration soon.



The Nigerian government has asked Italian authorities to quickly "bring the perpetrator of the heinous act" to justice.

Suspect not released



The suspect - a white man named as Filippo Claudio Giuseppe Ferlazzo - has been ordered to remain in jail as the investigation continues.



His defence lawyer told the media the suspect had said he was sorry and that there was "no racial element" involved.



A police investigator said Ogorchukwu was attacked after the trader's "insistent" requests to the suspect and his partner for spare change.



The partner, identified as Elena D, told Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera that Ogorchukwu had touched her arm, but that did not bother her.



Ms Oriachi now wants to see the suspect "face to face", to understand why he killed her husband, the family's lawyer told the Associated Press.

Source: BBC









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Seasoned Journalist, Kwesi Pratt Jnr., has expressed concern over the freedom given to people with mental health problems to roam about on the streets.



He shared his concerns during Peace FM's "Kokrokoo" programme when discussing a recent incident involving a deranged woman and an unidentified man.



The woman reportedly struck the man to death with a stone at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle on Monday afternoon.



According to eye witness account published by Daily Guide Network, the deceased was a pillion rider on a motorbike using the interchange when the woman for some unknown reason pulled him down.



The woman pounced on him immediately he fell and started assaulting him with a large concrete stone till he bled profusely and passed away.



Following the incident, the Police intervened by arresting her to avoid her being lynched by the crowd.



Mr. Pratt, who was sorrowful about the man's sudden demise, asked the relevant authorities to treat mentally unstable people on the streets with seriousness stressing they pose a major risk to commuters.



He appealed to the Ministry of Health, Ghana Health Service and psychiatric hospitals to rid the streets of the mentally challenged and give them adequate medical treatment.



"Let's get people with mental problems off the streets," he asserted.





Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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The Chamber of Petroleum Consumers Ghana (COPEC-GH) has urged the government to immediately resolve pending Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) issues with industry players to restore the supply of the product in the country.



It said the Ghana National Tanker Drivers Association (GNTDA); Liquified Petroleum Gas Marketing Companies (LPGMCS) and the Ghana Liquefied Petroleum Gas Operators Association (GLIPGOA) had withdrawn their services effective yesterday because their concerns had lingered for a long.



A statement issued in Accra yesterday by COPEC Executive Secretary, Duncan Amoah, said consumers would continue to bear the brunt as all LPG outlets remain non-operational.



It said the concerns of the industry players included general welfare and a ban on all new LPG sites which has affected their operations and finances over the past five years.



According to COPEC, the strike by GNTDA which energized the others to join, followed unsuccessful attempts by the group to get their issues resolved both by the Ministry of Energy and the National Petroleum Authority (NPA).



Touching on the genesis of the problems, it said after the Atomic gas explosion about five years ago, the NPA under its former Chief Executive, HasanTampuli, directed the freezing of the permits of a number of stations under construction.



Several years down the line and this ban is yet to be lifted thereby leaving the various companies who had invested heavily in the construction of these retail points heavily debt distressed as they are constantly harassed by their banks and other finance entities who had advanced various loans to put up these stations, it said.



According to COPEC, the ban had led to about 11 per cent reduction in volumes for the operators over the past one year instead of a projected 15 per cent increase year on year.



The statement said efforts by actors within the LPG space to get the issues resolved had all proven futile because authorities do not seem to understand the pressures the operators were going through.



We call on the NPA under the leadership of Dr Mustapha Hamid to ensure a speedy resolution of the deadlock between the operators and authorities to ensure the immediate reopening of these outlets across the country.



We further call on the Energy Ministry to ensure all grievances of the various operators within the LPG space are attended to forthwith without fail as the looming pressures on the Ghanaian LPG user could only exacerbate with further delays in addressing these challenges, it said.

Source: ghanaiantimes.com.gh









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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The President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, on Wednesday, 3rd August 2022, commissioned Phase I of the Sunyani Airport Rehabilitation Project.



Describing the commissioning ceremony as a a seminal moment in the growth and development of this elegant city, Sunyani, President Akufo-Addo stated that the rehabilitation of this airport is a critical part of governments vision to expand the frontiers of the aviation industry in the country, and to realise the dream of making Ghana an aviation hub in West Africa.



The existence of the Sunyani Airport dates back to the Second World War in 1942, when it was used as an airstrip for the Allied Forces. In 1969, the then far-sighted Busia Government, realising the need for an airport in Sunyani, initiated construction work to convert the airstrip into an airport. This was completed and officially opened on 13th July 1974 by Col. P.K. Agyekum, the then Commissioner for Transport and Communications.



For an airport of such rich history to be allowed to deteriorate and be temporarily shut down in March 2016 was in bad taste, and that is why, in the run-up to the December 2016 general election, I promised to do something about it he said.



The President continued, In line with my governments policy to provide a functional air travel infrastructure to enhance the development of our nations Middle Belt, and strengthen the growth of agriculture, general business and industrial transformation, a works contract was awarded to M/S Resource Access Limited to commence work on the rehabilitation of the airport, which began in 2019.



He told the gathering that the scope of works included the rehabilitation and extension of the runway from one thousand, two hundred and eighty metres (1,280 metres) to one thousand four hundred metres (1,400 metres); repair of the apron to accommodate small to medium size aircraft; minimal renovation of the Terminal Building; and construction of some airport internal roads.



With air travel picking up, following the devastating impact of COVID-19 on the aviation industry, it is expected that domestic passenger traffic will continue to grow over the coming years, and will require more infrastructural developments in the sector.



I am happy to inform you that there are projects currently ongoing in our nations aviation sector which will open up our country even further. They are Phases II & III of the Kumasi Airport project, which are presently some ninety-three percent (93%) complete, and Phase II of Tamale Airport which is ninety-five percent (95%) complete, the President said.



Touching on the widespread encroachment of airport lands, a phenomenon which threatens the future expansion of airports in the country, President Akufo-Addo stated that it must be stopped.



According to him, the operators and regulators of our airports, as well as the Lands Commission, need to sit up and ensure that lands, belonging to our airports, are managed properly and duly protected, not only for future projects of expansion, but also for safeguarding lives and property.



The President assured residents of Sunyani that this project is a sign of greater things to come for Sunyani and the Bono Region and, indeed, for the whole nation. The Akufo-Addo Governments commitment to the development of all parts of Ghana, without discrimination, is absolute.





Source: Peacefmonline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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The Energy Minister, Matthew Opoku Prempeh, has assured residents at Yilo Krobo in the Eastern Region that the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) will soon restore power supply to the community.



Reports indicated that the ECG has since July 27, 2022 cut power to the community after the residents refused to allow the company to replace their postpaid meters with prepaid ones.



A section of the residents are also said to harbor a notion that the first President of Ghana, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, promised them of free electricity after 50 years as their compensation for the establishment of the Akosombo Dam in the Region.



The management of the company also says it has withdrawn its officials and relocated its offices from the community due to the people's aggression towards them.



Addressing the issue in an interview on Peace FM's "Kokrokoo" programme, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh disclosed that he's had a consultative meeting with the Chiefs, former Members of Parliament and opinion leaders of the community to solve the problem.



He noted that the Chiefs have agreed to let the residents allow ECG to install the prepaid meters.



As a result, he has also advised the management of the company to resupply electricity to the area.



"We arrived at a consensus that the leaders will annouce to the residents that they have admitted that they will be given prepaid meters but we have set up a Committee to meet with the ECG management regarding the arrears. So, when the Chiefs relay the information, the ECG officials will then go, check the transformers and switch the lights back on," he said.





Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Minister of Energy, Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh, has questioned why people blame Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia for Ghana's economic woes.



Matthew Opoku Prempeh, who doubles as Member of Parliament for Manhyia South, stated in an interview on Peace FM's "Kokrokoo" morning show that he always gets "sad" when Dr. Bawumia comes under criticisms for being the Head of the Economic Management Team.



According to him, per governance structure, Dr. Bawumia cannot be held responsible for what happens on the economic front, explaining that the Economic Management Team is the only branch or group in government described as a "team", hence cannot be seen as an individual affair.



"I get sad when people blame Vice President Bawumia because it is the only Committee that's called a team. At the Cabinet level, we have Social and Infrastructure Committee and others but when we talk about the economy, we term it as Economic Management Team. So, we appointed experts on the team," he said.



The Minister also pleaded with Ghanaians to continue having faith in the Akufo-Addo administration to salvage the economy.



He noted that the New Patriotic Party is the only political party that, when in power, implements policies that give relief to Ghanaians as well as bring about national development.



Matthew Opoku Prempeh asked the citizenry to bear with the government and promised them that, "NPP will take Ghana out from IMF for us to get our relief".





Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Pope Francis leaves the Citadelle in the popemobile following a reconciliation ceremony during his papal visit across Canada in Quebec City on Wednesday, July 27, 2022. Pope Francis says he felt the pain of Indigenous Peoples during his trip to Canada but also left with a sense of hope. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette
Melanie Joly rises during Question Period in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Thursday, June 16, 2022. The foreign affairs minister is calling for calm as the Chinese government announced a series of military exercises around Taiwan following U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosis visit to the island this week.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang
British pork will be heading to Chile this month, to complete the first commercial export order since market access was granted in March 2022.

The new agreement granted access for 27 UK pork processing sites to export to Chile, with AHDB estimating that the market access could be worth up to 20 million in the first five years of trade.

The UK pork processor Cranswick is currently preparing its first shipments to Chile, which will depart from the processors Preston plant in Hull, in the coming week.

A Cranswick spokesperson said: We have received our first order for British pork which will be shipped to a customer in Chile this month.

As the largest processor of pork in the UK, it is imperative we continue to have access to new and emerging international markets, and we welcome this access agreement between the UK and Chile. We continue to work closely with AHDB to identify and develop new market opportunities.

AHDB, Defra and the UK Export Certification Partnership collaborated to secure access to the Chilean market, as they did to secure market access to the Mexican market also.

The Mexican market access was secured late in 2021; an agreement that is believed to be worth up to 50 million for pork producers within the first five years of trade.

AHDBs international market development director Dr Phil Hadley said: We are delighted to see the first shipments of pork heading to Chile following the market access win earlier in the year.

Chilean consumers will now be able to enjoy pork from the UK, and our exporters have access to another important and growing market, bringing a much-needed boost to the UKs pork sector.

As part of our strategy, AHDB will continue to identify new opportunities overseas and work with government to help our red meat processors export more products around the world, Dr Hadley concluded.

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We are back with another First Impressions video, this time we have Geoff Gulevich on board checking out the Crested Butte Bike Part for the first time alongside Max Cramer.
Dimov Denies Schemion and Captures Second Super MILLION$ Title

August 03, 2022 Matthew Pitt Editor

Ognyan "fizoka" Dimov became a two-time GGPoker Super MILLION$ champion on August 2 when he defeated Ole Schemion heads-up, denying the popular German a third Super MILLION$ victory.

Dimov triumphed in this event in December 2021 and saw $508,891 hit his GGPoker account. This latest victory came with $302,053 of the $1,390,000 prize pool, yet another fantastic result from the talented Russian.

GGPoker Super MILLION$ Final Table Results

Place Player Country Prize 1 Ognyan "fizoka" Dimov Russia $302,053 2 Ole Schemion Austria $235,891 3 Juan Dominguez Andorra $184,221 4 Casimir "mrsbradleyy" Seire Finland $143,869 5 Mark Radoja Mexico $112,355 6 Wiktor Malinowski Macau $87,745 7 Aleksejs Ponakovs Latvia $68,525 8 Marcelo Asensio Brazil $53,515 9 Dario Sammartino Austria $41,793

The final table lost its first player during the first level of action when Dario Sammartino bowed out in ninth place after losing a coinflip. Dimov min-raised to 70,000 from early position with pocket tens, and called when Sammartino jammed 706,116 from the big blind with ace-king. A jack-high board kept the tens ahead, and Sammartino crashed out.

Start-of-the-day short stack Marcelo Asensio only managed to ladder one place before he busted in eighth. Asensio busted on the hand after Sammartino's tournament ended. Asensio moved all-in for less than six big blinds with queen-ten, and Casimir "mrsbradleyy" Seire called with pocket queens. Asensio was drawing dead by the turn.

Aleksejs Ponakovs

Aleksejs Ponakovs, who won a World Series of Poker bracelet this summer, was eliminated in seventh. Schemion opened to 73,500 from the cutoff with suited ace-queen, and Ponakovs shoved from the big blind for 545,800 with the dominated ace-ten. Schemion called and won the pot courtesy of his queen-kicker.

It took another half hour to lose another player after the opening flurry of exits. Wiktor Malinowski, a three-time Super MILLION$ champion, was the player heading to the showers. Malinowski min-raised from the cutoff with ace-nine, and Dimov defended his big blind with eight-seven. Dimov flopped an eight-high straight, and immediately bet 73,080, which Malinowski called. An ace on the turn put three spades out there and Dimov paused for a short while before betting 350,000 into the 407,160 pot. Again, Malinowski called. An offsuit queen completed the board, and Dimov shoved. Malinowski called off the 885,810 chips he had behind, only to be shown the bad news that his top pair was crushed.

The first six-figure prize of the evening went to Mark Radoja, who cannot seem to win this tournament no matter how hard he tries. Radoja came unstuck during the 25,000/50,000/6,000a level when Schemion raised to 105,000 from under the gun, and Radoja jammed for 583,203. Schemion called and turned over ace-jack, which was ahead of Radoja's king-queen. Radoja hit a queen on the river but it was too little too late because Schemion flopped an ace and turned another.

Finland's Seire started the final table with a chip lead but had to make do with a fourth-place finish. Seire open-shoved for 828,633 with pocket sevens when the big blind was 70,000. Dimov called in the small blind with pocket tens, which held to reduce the player count by one.

Andorra-based Spaniard Juan Dominguez who had almost twice as many chips as his final two opponents when three-handed play began. The final three locked horns for more than an hour before Dominguez fell by the wayside. Schemion limped for 120,000 with queen-four of diamonds from the small blind, only for Dominguez to raise to 360,000 with ace-ten. Schemion made a play and moved all-in, and Dominguez called off the 2,244,022 chips he had behind. Dominguez hit an ace on the flop and paired his ten on the turn, but a nine on the river gifted Schemion the most unlikely of straights, and Dominguez was gone.

Schemion started the heads-up clash with Dimov holding a 9,958,165 to 3,941,835 chip lead and everyone, including the commentary duo of Jeff Gross and Nacho Barbero, thought this was Schemion's day. However, Dimov had other ideas.

Dimov initially fell further behind, with Schemion breaking through the 10 million chip barrier. Dimov chipped away at Schemion's lead, pulled level and then took the lead for himself. Schemion was on the ropes before he busted, trailing by 24-to-1! The final hand saw Schemion shove with queen-six and Dimov call with jack-six. A jack on the flop proved enough to send Schemion to the showers and to award Dimov his second Super MILLION$ title.
Natural8 Ambassador Kitty Kuo to Take Part in AMA on GGPoker's Subreddit

August 03, 2022

August is shaping up to be an exciting month on Natural8. The latest All-In or Fold side games have become a hit for the online poker room and furthermore, the platform is reaching out to its community.

Later this week, there will be a special guest appearance on the GGPoker subeddit. Natural8 ambassador Kitty Kuo will be taking part in an Ask Me Anything (AMA) event on the social media site, where all her fans will be able to put forward any question(s) they would like to ask Kuo.

The AMA takes place on Thursday, August 4 at 5 p.m. UTC. However, if you have any questions for Kuo, you should head over to r/GGPokerCommunity as soon as possible to submit them.

All-In or Fold Side Games Make a Splash on Natural8

Who is Kitty Kuo?

Kuo is a professional poker player who has made over $2.6 million in tournament winnings as well as appearing in multiple World Series of Poker (WSOP) and World Poker Tour (WPT) tournaments. Her tournament victories include a WSOP Circuit ring in 2010 and an Asia Poker Tour Main Event win in 2021. In 2009, she won the Red Dragon Cup and simultaneously claimed the first Asia Player of The Year (APOY) award.

A member of Natural8s Team Hot since 2016, Kitty is considered as one of Asias top female poker players, especially after she championed the Asian Global Poker Index rankings in 2013 and joined the Global Poker League (GPL) in 2016 as a member of Team San Francisco Rush.

In between playing at various poker tournaments, she also travels extensively, shops, and creates waves on her Twitter account.

Ask me anything but make sure u can handle I answer go ur side https://t.co/q28DFPaUkl  kitty kuo (@kittykuopoker)

If you ever have any questions about poker, travel, shopping, or even her very public search for a boyfriend, heres the time for you to ask away!

Kitty Kuo's Top Five Tournament Cashes

Date Event Place Prize (USD) May 2018 $10,000 WPT Bobby Baldwin Classic 2nd $248,380 Jan 2018 Aussie Millions A$25,000 Challenge 4th $198,731 July 2021 Event 88: WPT Venetian $5,000 No Limiit hold'em 6th $192,855 January 2016 A$10,600 Aussie Millions Main Event 6th $189,018 June 2014 $2,500 Hollywood Poker Open Main Event 3rd $142,158

*Information courtesy of The Hendon Mob

Getting to Know Natural8 Ambassador Tsugunari Toma

Adrian Attenborough Re-signs with Natural8

Like Kuo, 2022 WSOP Main Event runner-up Adrian Attenborough, is also a member of Team Hot, having recently re-signed with Natural8. The Australian pocketed $6 million for his second-place finish and will now represent the brand globally.

Attenborough made several headlines as the WSOP Main Event neared its conclusion. Heroic plays against Matija Dobric brought the poker world to its feet. He then caused a huge discussion in the poker community after going into the tank for 19-minutes when heads-up for the WSOP Main Event bracelet.

Read the Full Article

Join Natural8 with a 200% Match Bonus

Natural8 is Asia's largest online poker room and geared towards recreational players. A skin on the reputable GGPoker Network, Natural8 is fully licensed and authorised. Anyone can join for free, and there are no hidden fees. On top of the $120 million guaranteed prize pool for tournaments every month, Natural8 also offers players extra incentives in the form of monthly promotions and cashback programs.

There are plenty of promotions available for players new to Natural8, including the $8 Instant Deposit Bonus (with a minimum deposit of $10) as well as the First Deposit Bonus - where players can choose between a 200% match bonus (up to $1,000) or $100 in instant rewards. New user specials on Natural8 amount to a total of $1,608 - easily one of the best in the online poker scene.
Moncks Corner, SC (29461)

Today

Mostly cloudy skies. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 81F. Winds light and variable..

Tonight

A few clouds. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 67F. Winds light and variable.
A small restaurant and bar by the owners of D'Allesandro's Pizza is under construction on the Charleston peninsula near the Crosstown overpasses.

Novavon is being built at 638 King St., just north of Barsa, with 328 square feet of inside patron space.

A representative of D'Allesandro's did not immediately respond for more information on the new venue with a palindrome name, but Nick D'Allesandro, a partner in D'Allesandro's, previously said it will not be another pizza restaurant.

D'Allesandro's Pizza is at 229 St. Philip St., about two blocks away from the developing restaurant site.

Ben D'Allesandro recently applied for an alcohol license for the site that's tucked away off King Street beside commercial real estate firm Belk|Lucy. An opening timeframe has not been announced.

Tax reprieve

South Carolina will once again offer its Tax-free Weekend Aug. 5-7 as part of the back-to-school shopping season.

Shoppers can save a few bucks on items such as crayons, computers and composition books as the state waives sales tax and any applicable local taxes on school supplies.

But not everything is tax-free. Cosmetics, furniture and jewelry are among the many items on the non-exempt list.

Go to dor.sc.gov/taxfreeweekend for a complete list of taxable and nontaxable items.

Going dark

A longtime coffee emporium in downtown Charleston soon will serve its last lattes.

Starbucks plans to close the coffee shop at 239 King St. on Aug. 14. The building sits across from the 434-room Charleston Place hotel.

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Employees were informed the lease is expiring and the building will be renovated.

Workers will be transferred to the nearby Starbucks location at King and Calhoun near the Francis Marion Hotel.

A Starbucks spokesperson did not immediately respond for further comment on the move.

A real estate agency's sign in the window says the site is "Available." A representative of the firm did not respond for comment on the listing.

The building is owned by First Citizens Bank & Trust Co. of Raleigh, which acquired the property in 1984 for $183,000, according to Charleston County land records.

A bank representative did not immediately respond for comment on plans for the building.

Adding on

A new retail building is planned for a Johns Island mixed-use development.

Site plans call for a 5,283-square-foot structure at Live Oak Square at 1800 Crowne Commons Way off Maybank Highway. It will be the seventh building in the center and sit just south of the building on Maybank that houses Tolli's Apizza and Island Provisions.

Long-range plans for the development of restaurants, retailers and service providers calls for four additional buildings in the project in front of Crowne at Live Oak Square Apartments.

Driving in

A West Ashley automobile dealer plans to expand.

Site plans show Fred Anderson Toyota wants to add about 3,700 square feet to a service building at 610 Citadel Haven Drive, bringing the structure's total square footage to just under 24,000.
Charleston's East Side neighborhood welcomed Charleston police Aug. 2 to a communitywide event intended to promote trust between the two groups, which local officials argued is essential to public safety and reducing gun violence  an issue that continues to plague the county and country.

Deputy U.S. Attorney General Lisa Monaco attended the event to speak with residents and meet local police. Monaco, who is second-in-command at the U.S. Department of Justice, was joined at the event by South Carolina's newly sworn-in U.S. Attorney Adair Ford Boroughs.

With the help of local businesses and nonprofits, Charleston police officers handed out gently used running sneakers and bicycles, as well as food like mac and cheese and ice cream. Kids enjoyed a bouncy castle and attendees watched a dance performance by a local school group.

Roughly 300 residents participated in the event, which was held at Philip Simmons and Mall Park in downtown Charleston's East Side  only a few blocks away from the site of a Memorial Day mass shooting that injured nine people.

The event did not dwell on gun violence, however. Officials said the function was meant to promote positive interactions between law enforcement and residents.

Shelia Fields, president of East Side Community Development Cooperation, said communication between citizens and local law enforcement is vital to the well-being of the East Side.

"They can learn to trust the officers more with this open communication and having fun and mixing and mingling," she said. "This communication means a lot."

Boroughs agreed, calling relationships between law enforcement and communities "crucial."

"We are working for the same goals which is to protect our community, protect our kids, but sometimes there's a lot of misunderstandings."

South Carolina's new U.S. attorney said her first priority stepping into the new role is reducing gun violence.

"To tackle gun violence you need to have a multifaceted approach and it's going to have to involve a lot of partnership."

Boroughs met with Monaco, her boss, before the event to discuss South Carolina and the issue of gun violence.

The deputy attorney general's visit to the East Side comes as Charleston County continues to suffer from bloodshed caused by gun violence, which has helped drive statewide homicide rates to levels unseen since the 1990s.

In Charleston County, 29 people have died from gun violence this calendar year, according to local authorities. Twenty-two of those fatal shootings occurred in North Charleston.

Nine people were hospitalized with non-fatal injuries this past Memorial Day after a shooting broke out at a late-night party on the city's East Side. Roughly 100 people attended the unauthorized party, which was hosted in a vacant lot on South Street, according to local authorities.

It was one of at least a dozen mass shootings that took place across the country during the holiday weekend alone, according to The Washington Post.

Charleston Deputy Police Chief Chito Walker said the Aug. 2 event was a testament to citizens in the East Side neighborhood and their desire to realize public safety.

"It has to start with the community. With them coming in and requesting assistance or just working with law enforcement to help resolve some of their issues," he said.

To address a surge in gun violence, previous U.S. Attorney for South Carolina Corey Ellis said in June the office was loosening guidelines for filing gun-related charges in federal court, where defendants face stiffer penalties than in the 9th Circuit's General Sessions Court.

Boroughs succeeded Ellis last week upon confirmation by the U.S. Senate.

The East Side event took place as part of "National Night Out," an annual gathering established in 1984 to increase trust between law enforcement and civilians, according to its website. In the Palmetto State, 57 cities hosted their own events, including North Charleston and Summerville.

Editor's Note: This story has been updated to correct one reference to the number of gunshot victims injured in the Memorial Day mass shooting.
COLUMBIA  The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division is investigating a Kershaw County jail employee after a report to state authorities falsely said the jail's director had resigned voluntarily when he was fired.

Detention center Lt. Ervin Whack is listed as submitting the report to the S.C. Criminal Justice Academy in June saying Tyrell Cato left from his job as Kershaw County jail administrator on his own. In reality, Cato was fired after an investigation alleged he had made suggestive comments to female employees, including asking them for sex.

Cato was hired to run Richland County's Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center on July 2. County Administrator Leonardo Brown said in an statement July 28 that he was not aware Cato had been fired from Kershaw County when he was hired.

Brown and a county spokesman did not respond to question about Cato's current employment status with Richland County. A woman answering the phone at Alvin S. Glenn said Aug. 2 that Cato was in meeting. Cato did not return messages left at work and on his cell phone.

Cato's S.C. Criminal Justice Academy record was updated July 29 to reflect that he was fired.

Kershaw County Administrator Danny Templar said he believes the incorrect listing of how Cato left his old job was an honest mistake, but he has asked SLED to investigate the incident to be sure.

I dont think anything went wrong, but I cant just go on what I think, Templar said. I just have to get an outside agency to show me that.

SLED spokeswoman Renee Wunderlich said no further information was available because the investigation is still in its early stages.

The county also updated its policy for submitting reports to the criminal justice academy that collects records on law enforcement and public safety employees. Submissions will require a sign-off from county human resources officials confirming the correct information was sent to the state.

Whack submitted a statement defending Cato during the countys investigation into Catos misconduct.

I have known and worked with Tyrell Cato for ten years and have always found him to be dependable, efficient, and unfailingly punctual, Whack wrote. In fact, I have never worked with a person who gives as much attention to detail as he does.

Whack was previously fired from the department in 2020 for having an improper relationship, Templar said. He was rehired four months later when a grievance committee found there was no policy he had violated, according to records from state authorities.

Efforts to reach Whack were unsuccessful.

Click here for more news from Columbia, S.C.
Charleston, SC (29403)

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GEORGETOWN  The city of Georgetown announced on its Facebook page Aug. 3 that Al Joseph has resigned from city council but accepted the role of Main Street coordinator for the city's Department of Planning & Community Development.

Joseph's resignation is effective Aug. 12, and he will take on his new role on Aug. 15. He told Georgetown Times that his decision to switch roles, which he described as a difficult one, came down to where he could make a bigger impact on the city. He described his new role with the Main Street program as wide-ranging, but mostly dealing with economic development and tourism in Georgetown as he currently sees it.

I want to be a part of moving Georgetown forward and I want to be a part of the future of Georgetown, Joseph said. And I hope that I can continue to serve the residents of Georgetown in this position even though Im no longer an elected official.

The Main Street South Carolina program "empowers residents with the knowledge, skills, tools and organizational structure necessary to revitalize their downtowns, neighborhood commercial districts and cities/towns into vibrant centers of commerce and community," according to the Municipal Association of South Carolina website.

I felt like after conversations with a whole lot of people that this position, economic development, tourism, (designated marketing organization) liaison, all the things that go into this position would allow me to kind of help Georgetown more so than being one of seven on council, Joseph said.

Joseph said his training for the new position entails orientation through the city of Georgetown and the state Municipal Association.

Looking back on his six years on city council, Joseph said his favorite achievements have been progress on the proposed dredging of Georgetowns Inner Harbor and litigation to recoup city expenses stemming from the opioid crisis.

We are now seeing those cases are being adjudicated and the settlements are coming to an end, Joseph said of the litigation. We dont know yet how much the city will get in this class action or in this lawsuit process, but we know it will be something, and Im, again, very proud that I brought that after meeting with attorneys and meeting with the different groups to bring that to council for approval. Were going to see some money come out of that for the city.

In the Facebook post announcing Joseph's change of roles, Georgetown Mayor Carol Jayroe thanked Joseph for his years of service on the council.

As a lifetime resident of the City and involvement with the business community for many years, Al Joseph is committed to work hand in hand with staff, business owners, and the Municipal Association of South Carolina to successfully implement the Main Street program, Jayroe said.

A special election to fill Joseph's seat will be held at an as of yet unspecified date.
Its a document of neat lines and inky black type, unfolding in the unwieldy legalese of authority.

For the most part, the 1939 deed concerns itself only with basic truths. The 3rd Avenue property begins at an iron pipe on its west side and ends at another to the east. Judson Mills is the seller and Harvie F. Bailey the buyer. The sale price is $1,000.

This is the way things are, the document insists in its dispassionate enumeration of facts.

On a hot July afternoon, Brianna Wellmaker skims through it as she sits on the front porch of her Judson Mill village home, the same one referred to in the deed. The 31-year-old, a fifth generation Greenvillian, has lived in the house with her teenage daughter for about four years.

This is her first time seeing the 1939 deed.

She reads until she reaches the bottom, scanning the note tacked at the end.

That the lot above described shall not be sold, leased or released to any negro or person of negro blood, it says, in the same heavy type used for lot size and waterline easements.

Her first reaction is to smile, then laugh.

You can tell them, 'Oh well,'  she says, defiant. "I'm here."

Then, her smile fades just a hair and she gestures toward the world beyond her front porch. She waves her hand in the direction of new houses that just went up down the road, of the condos in what was once the Judson Mill textile factory, and the nearby plot where her great-grandmothers house stood before it was demolished.

Are they making new deeds like this around here or something? she says.

Furman covenant study

The racially restrictive deed covenant that once banned Black people from living in Wellmakers house is one of thousands unearthed and mapped out as part of a recent Furman University project. In all, the team of researchers with the school's Shi Center for Sustainable Communities identified more than 12,000 such clauses in Greenville County deed books spanning from 1900 to 1975. The number represents both original restrictions and transfers to new owners.

In Wellmakers neighborhood alone, just a mile or two from downtown Greenville, the Furman team found 453.

The restrictions reflect a history in which Black Greenville County residents were prevented from developing generational wealth, not just through intimidation and social pressure but also through explicit rules on the books.

It set the stage for the racial displacement the city and surrounding area are now experiencing, according to Ken Kolb, a Furman professor who aided in the research.

"What the covenant map does is identify areas of investment and disinvestment," Kolb said. "By cordoning off specific areas and reserving them exclusively for white families, they became enclaves where those families could build generational wealth through their homeownership. They already had wealth. When it came time to decide which neighborhoods need nice sidewalks, street lamps, to pave the streets, fix the potholes, all that money flowed to neighborhoods that already had some wealth."

Deed restrictions were just one of many tools used across the country to prevent Black and white Americans from living alongside one another in the early- to mid-1900s. Infrastructure projects, zoning rules, and blocked access to mortgages for residents of Black neighborhoods, a practice known as redlining, were among the mechanisms used to keep the country segregated.

The practices pushed Black residents into neighborhoods that as a rule enjoyed far less public investment and became hotbeds for unfavorable development, such as landfills, industrial sites and railroad tracks. They also had less access to jobs, healthcare and transportation. As a result, property values in those communities declined, creating a cycle of blight and poverty at a time when the average values of homes across the country consistently increased.

In the first half of the 20th Century, Greenville didn't meet the population threshold for redlining, so no such maps of the area exist from that time. But the researchers at Furman's Shi Institute found that the county's public deed records could be used to visualize the geographic footprint of a racist past.

"Ultimately, what I hope comes out of this is starting a conversation about how we can move forward and actually improve the lives of the people who have been affected by this," said Sam Hayes, a Furman post-baccalaureate researcher and one of the project leads.

The effort is part of Furman's Seeking Abraham Project, a push to examine the school's historical connections to slavery. It was inspired by the work of Richard Rothstein, whose book The Color of Law examines how U.S. domestic policy created, perpetuated and deepened segregated housing across the country.

While the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that such deed restrictions could not be enforced in its Shelley v. Kraemer decision in 1948, they continued to appear in Greenville County deeds for decades. In 1968, the Fair Housing Act became law, making the restrictions themselves illegal. Still, the Furman team found new instances stretching into the 1970s.

The covenants are widespread, as far south as Moonville and as far north as Lake Lanier, where the researchers found 2,675 in a resort community built by the Tryon Development Company in the northeast corner of the county.

But the map shows most are concentrated in the central part of the county, in and around the city of Greenville.

The deed restrictions blocked Black residents from accessing housing near the area's urban core when proximity to the jobs, shops and amenities it offered was most desirable. Many of the predominantly Black communities that still exist today were formed in the spaces between neighborhoods that had restrictive covenants. Others, such as the mill village surrounding Judson Mill, were established after whites abandoned the downtown area and fled to the suburbs, primarily in the 1960s.

Disinvestment followed as Black residents moved into previously all-white neighborhoods, Kolb said.

"Those areas were allowed basically to decay," he said. "We created these concentrated and segregated pockets of poverty."

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Precipitating gentrification

Wellmaker had always known her neighborhood was once entirely white. She has lived in and around west Greenville her entire life, and older relatives had told her the now historically Black area did not start out that way.

But she had not realized that division was once enforced through thousands of legally binding contracts.

"This is on paper," she said. "There ain't no he said, she said, or 'They made their own rules.' This is on paper."

Now her neighborhood, where Black people were only permitted to live after white residents lost interest, is becoming increasingly attractive to real estate investors and homebuyers. Downtown Greenville is thriving. City center living is coming back into vogue, and there are many nearby communities where the incremental decay of past decades has depressed property values and opened the door for rapid redevelopment.

That process is driving Black residents out of neighborhoods that, for generations, were the only areas in the city they were allowed to live in.

Between 2010 and 2020, the Black population in the city of Greenville dropped by close to 8 percent, from 17,519 to 16,164, as the city's total population soared from about 58,000 to just under 71,000, a jump of 21 percent. Greenville County's Black population rose by 8 percent in the same time frame, from 81,497 to 88,181, while the county grew 19 percent and gained about 72,000 new residents to reach a total population of 451,225.

In historically Black neighborhoods across the city, Kolb said, census data shows that the number of Black residents has decreased by 53 percent and the number of white residents has nearly doubled in the past 30 years.

Neighborhoods just outside the city limits in Greenville County  such as the Judson Mill community  are seeing similar trends.

Tikeeta Wallace, a community advocate who lives about three blocks from Wellmaker, said established residents have been disappearing in the six years she's lived in the area. As homes sell, rent rises beyond the reach of the people who live there, forcing them to seek housing elsewhere. Wallace herself had to fight for years to remain in her Second Avenue home after the property changed hands. She was ultimately able to stay where she was only because she rallied family support to buy the property.

The redevelopment of Judson Mill itself, which developers estimate will cost up to $200 million when all is said and done, is accelerating change in the neighborhood, Wallace said. As gentrification displaces Wallace's neighbors, she said virtually all of those who have been pushed out have left the area entirely, are living temporarily with family, or have moved into extended stay motels.

"They don't have any options," she said. "The options are gone."

It's a pattern Wellmaker said she has seen throughout Greenville's west side, where her family has deep roots, and in her neighborhood. Two doors down, a house is being rented for around $1,200 a month, a rate she said would have been unthinkable not long ago. New residences nearby are far out of reach for her and many of her neighbors.

Acknowledgment, action

The cycle of gentrification exists in virtually every private real estate market in the world, Kolb said. But in Greenville and places like it, a history of discriminatory policies that artificially warped the housing market for decades has led to wide disparities along racial lines that need to be addressed, he said.

"It's not just equal competition where you can say 'Well, this area has degraded. Maybe I can move in, buy low and sell high,'" he said. "You have racially restrictive practices that dictated some of these places are available for white families and we'll leave these other pockets for the rest."

The first step, he said, is acknowledging the area's past and the systemic racism that disenfranchised many of Greenville's Black residents. The next is to expand access to affordable housing.

In 2018, the city launched the Greenville Housing Fund in an effort to make affordable housing more widely available, largely through working with nonprofits and incentivizing private developers to expand access to accessible units.

Greenville Housing Fund Advocacy and Community Engagement Manager Tina Belge said her organization has seen success since it was established, and plans to make 700 new affordable units available in the next several years.

"Those will accept (housing) vouchers," Belge said. "So that can help folks who are working minimum wage jobs, to our seniors, to the chronically homeless."

But the effort is an uphill battle, with a 2020 Greenville Housing Fund strategic plan indicating the county needs to add 10,000 affordable units and preserve 3,000 more by 2030 to meet demand. And, Belge noted, the federal voucher program is chronically stressed.

Kolb said the wealth gap created by racist policies is so wide that even a proliferation of units affordable to people making 50 percent of the area median income  well below the federal threshold for affordable housing of 80 percent AMI  would be insufficient for many of those facing the consequences of racially discriminatory policies.

"The median Black household in Greenville is hovering right around the 30 percent median income for the area as a whole," he said. "So we need to have some kind of bridge funding for those families if they've lived in those neighborhoods, to bridge the gap between 30 percent AMI and 80 percent AMI."

In the meantime, residents like Wellmaker continue to watch a cycle of displacement play out. She plans to leave South Carolina when her daughter graduates high school next year. Gentrification wasn't the only factor in her decision to leave, but it was one of them. She no longer feels welcome in her hometown.

"To be brutally honest, they're clearing out all of the Black folks for these white folks," she said.
Homeschooling is on the rise throughout the country
Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette and Gov. Henry McMaster look over the paperwork needed to file for re-election at South Carolina Election Commission headquarters in downtown Columbia on July 27.
Mount Pleasant, SC (29464)

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MYRTLE BEACH  Multi-platinum selling group Rehab is returning to The Boathouse in Myrtle Beach on Aug. 7 as part of their Bust A Hole In The Wind Tour.

Known internationally for their 2008 hit Sittin At A Bar, the southern hip-hop/rock group from Warner Robbins, Georgia is back on the Grand Strand at the Intracoastal Waterway venue for its popular A & A Produce Summer Concert Series.

The groups set starts at 5 p.m. and shows at The Landing at the Boathouse are all ages and free until 8 p.m. when the venue becomes 21 and older.

Lead vocalist Danny Boone said the group always looks forward to coming back to Myrtle Beach. Their latest multi-city tour has recently taken them to major cities including Houston, Indianapolis and Seattle, among others.

Its a great venue and I like the way they have it set up, Boone said. They always treat us good and its a blast every time we go.

Formed in 1998, the group has sold more than one million albums and its music has been streamed by listeners over 400,000 million times. Boone said the group took a hiatus in 2014 due to various reasons but came back to play new music shortly before the pandemic hit.

The current incarnation of the group includes Boone, Ian Corabi, Denny Steaknife Campbell, Brandon Dover, Joey Malik and Austin Dj Uh-Oh Sanderson.

Weve got a whole bunch of new songs in the can ready to put out, Boone said. Just getting them all together and polishing up the edge. Im working every single day on new stuff. So, we are keeping it coming.

Rehabs latest album is titled Sand Castles, and Boone said those who come to Sundays show will get to hear new songs, fan favorites and well as the groups signature 2008 hit. A collaboration with Hank Williams Jr. in 2009 resulted in a CMT nomination for the Wide Open County Video of the year.

We are really fortunate to have that song because it affords us to be able to go out and keep playing, Boone said. A lot of times people will tell me that they heard that song but I didnt know you did all of that other stuff.

We are thankful for it. If we can shove that one in the door and wedge the door open, we will take it.
COLUMBIA  The state Supreme Court has denied a challenge to the June 28 runoff results by a GOP candidate for state House of Representatives, citing a lack of evidence to prove the election was in doubt.

Brian Sweeney, a Surfside Beach insurance agent who sought the state District 106 seat in the GOP primary, filed a petition with the Supreme Court last month, asking the justices to void the primary runoff and order a new primary election be held.

On Aug. 2, the state Supreme Court made a ruling against the candidate's petition.

"The petition is denied because Petitioner has failed to provide any evidence of an irregularity or illegality that rendered the result of the election in doubt," according to the state Supreme Court.

In the June 28 runoff election, Sweeney lost to opponent Val Guest, an attorney from Murrells Inlet, by only 294 votes. Guest received 1,856 votes (54 percent), and Sweeney received 1,562 (46 percent).

Sweeney filed his initial protest of the runoff results to the state Republican Party on July 5, the Tuesday after the June 28 election. He based his challenge on a countywide error in Horry County in which Republican voters received Democratic absentee ballots prior to the June 28 primary runoff election.

During a July 7 state hearing in Columbia, the S.C. Republican Party Executive Committee voted to deny his appeal. Sweeney then filed a petition with the Supreme Court.

On June 24, four days before the primary runoff election, Horry County election officials announced that Republican voters in the county mistakenly received Democratic absentee ballots for that upcoming election.

Upon examination, it was determined that 1,377 Republican runoff voters in Horry County were incorrectly issued Democratic runoff ballots due to an error in the ballot printing and mailing process. The issue was reported to the State Election Commission.

In his petition to the Supreme Court, Sweeney alleged that 306 of those absentee voters in Horry County were eligible to vote in the District 106 runoff but were mailed the wrong absentee ballot. When replacement ballots were eventually mailed out, the voters were given three days or less to return their ballots.

Sweeney added that any voter who did not receive his replacement ballot on June 25 would receive his ballot the day before the election at the earliest, due to an intervening Sunday.

Sweeney said in his petition that he did not believe it was possible for all 306 absentee ballots to have arrived on time through the mail, due to reported nationwide delays in the U.S. Postal Service.

"While 20 replacement ballots purportedly did arrive in time to be counted, 286 Horry County citizens were deprived of the right to vote," Sweeney alleged in his petition. "While the mailing of the 306 replacement ballots was well-intentioned, it was simply too late to provide for a functional legal election. The result of this primary is unknowable."

According to the petition, Horry County voter data found that 20 mail-in ballots arrived by the June 28 deadline. Another 58 mail-in ballots arrived after that deadline, but before June 30.

Sweeney's petition alleged that, if it were assumed that all 306 misdirected ballots voted in Sweeney's favor, then he would have lost by only eight votes, since he officially lost by 294 votes. An eight-vote margin, less than 1 percent of the vote, would trigger a mandatory recount.

"Thus, it was still possible for Sweeney to win this election," the petition stated.

However, in its ruling, the Supreme Court ruled that there was a lack of sufficient evidence to render the election results in doubt.

"In the absence of fraud, a constitutional violation or a statute providing that an irregularity or illegality invalidates an election, this court will not set aside an election due to irregularities or illegalities unless the result was changed or rendered doubtful," according to the Supreme Court.

Sweeney issued a statement on Aug. 2 after the court denied his petition, saying that the court's decision does not hold that the runoff election was free from irregularities. However, he said, the decision holds that the irregularities have not "rendered the result of the election in doubt."

"Disappointing results to be sure, but God often works in mysterious ways," Sweeney said to his supporters. "I want to thank all of you for the support and encouragement you provided before, during and after the campaign. It means a lot."

The state Supreme Courts rules do not allow for further review of its decision, according to Sweeney's attorney.

The reason for the S.C. GOP's Executive Committee's July 7 denial of Sweeney's appeal was not provided. Discussions took place during executive session.

During the June 14 primary election, Guest won with 2,632 votes, and Sweeney came in second place, receiving 2,185 votes. A runoff election was required because no single candidate received 50 percent or more of the vote.

Guest will face Democratic candidate Ryan Thompson for the District 106 seat in November.

Mark Lazarus, Republican candidate for Horry County Council chairman, also attempted to challenge the primary runoff election results based on this countywide error. He lost to incumbent Johnny Gardner by a margin of only 260 votes, after leading with 37 percent of the vote in the June 14 primary election.

The Horry Republican Party Executive Committee voted July 7 to deny Lazarus' challenge of the June 28 runoff election results in the county chairman's race. The committee decided Lazarus did not file his protest in a timely manner and denied his challenge.

The deadline for filing was the Monday after the election, which was July 4, a holiday. Lazarus filed his appeal on July 5, the same day that Sweeney allegedly filed his appeal.

Per State Statute Section 7-17-520, a protest against the election results must be filed by the following Monday after the runoff election.

The committee ruled 40-5, with two abstentions, that Lazarus' protest should not be considered because it was not filed by the Monday after the date of the runoff election, as required by state statute.

Lazarus finally conceded to Gardner on July 12.
MOUNT PLEASANT  Residents of some subdivisions close to Interstate 526 near the Long Point Road interchange say noise from traffic and the Wando Welch port terminal make it difficult to have conversations outdoors, and fear it could get worse.

At an evening meeting that attracted about 300 people Aug. 2, area residents learned about plans to redesign the busy highway interchange, with the leading options calling for a new port access exit that would impact some homes and businesses.

"We moved from upstate New York, looking for our dream home," said Tidal Walk resident Tony Polichemi. "No one told us about this."

The proposed interchange improvements are a small part of a potentially $4 billion plan to widen I-526, the Mark Clark Expressway, from Mount Pleasant to North Charleston. As with most road-widening plans, some properties will be lost to the project, and there will be winners and losers.

The Tidal Walk subdivision could see two or three homes claimed for the project, depending on the final plans, and homes close to the highway  including Polichemi's  would be even closer after the road is widened.

Not far away, off Long Point Road, residents of the Hidden Cove subdivision could get long-awaited relief from the stream of trucks carrying shipping containers up and down Long Point, making it hard to enter or exit the neighborhood.

"It sounds amazing," said Hidden Cove resident Jon Nelson, president of the homeowners association.

"There have been serious accidents in the past," he said. "I think the state officials know something needs to change."

What is looking like the most likely change would be a new highway exit from I-526 leading straight to the port. Currently, port traffic exits at Long Point Road, which has been overwhelmed with traffic.

Joy Riley, project manager for the S.C. Department of Transportation, said that even if the truck traffic is diverted from the Long Point interchange with a new exit, the interchange will still need to be redesigned.

"It's not just truck traffic that jams up that intersection," Riley said.

Traffic planners have put several options on the table, and both of the top-ranked plans call for creating a new exit leading to the port. Businesses along Wando Park Boulevard and a few homes in the Tidal Walk subdivision would stand in the way of those plans, and the state would need to buy them out if those plans move forward.

Some of the road plans also raise questions about access to the Belle Hall, Tidal Walk and Grassy Creek subdivisions from Long Point Road  about 1,200 homes in all.

Grassy Creek resident Will Jenkinson noted that one of the leading options, as part of redesigning the highway interchange, would no longer allow left turns from Long Point Road to Belle Hall Parkway, where a Waffle House is located.

"It's going to push all the traffic up to the Chick-fil-A," he said, referring to Belle Pointe Drive.

That would mean fewer ways in and out of those communities, and a longer way in for some.

"We know we're going to be hearing about that," Riley said.

She said there are rules about limiting turns close to a highway interchange, but said none of these plans are final and DOT will be working to minimize the impacts.

How to learn more and comment The public can offer comments on the road plans until Sept. 1 at 526lcclongpoint.com. The project's website also includes documents, background and answers to frequently asked questions. A public hearing on the preferred alternative, which will be decided in the coming months, will be held in late 2022. Construction is anticipated to begin by the summer of 2024. For more information, email the projects staff at info@526LowcountryCorridor.com or call the project hotline at 843-258-1135.

Grassy Creek resident Lee Lazarus is worried about the new port access exit, because the road trucks would take back to I-526 heading toward North Charleston would be an elevated ramp, bringing truck traffic overhead right by the community's entrance.

"It's going to make a difference for everybody," he said.

Lazarus said the plans seem to shift the problem of port truck traffic from Hidden Cove to other communities.

In June, the State Ports Authority recorded 112,692 trucks arriving at the Wando Welch Terminal gate to pick up or drop off shipping containers. The SPA is in favor of a new exit connecting the interstate to the port terminal.

Beth Ann Holbrook lives in the Belle Hall community, not far from the interstate, and said her dog, Turkey, sometimes won't go outside for a walk because of all the noise.

"Between the increased traffic and the port noises, it's just so loud," said Holbrook, who fears it could get worse following the road plans.

The area's greatly increased population and the increasingly busy port have been driving the need for the road project.

The average number of vehicles driving through the Long Point interchange is expected to increase by 66 percent by 2050, according to DOT, while the volume of heavy trucks on I-526 is projected to rise by 128 percent.

Public comments were accepted at the meeting at the R.L. Jones Center, and will be accepted online or by mail or email until Sept. 1. The phone number to talk with a project team member is 843-258-1135.

By the end of this year, DOT is expected to settle on a "preferred alternative" and hold another public meeting laying out that plan.
With fewer than two dozen confirmed cases of monkeypox in South Carolina, the state is trying to reach out to those at risk to get them vaccinated before the disease becomes more widespread.

The Department of Health and Environmental Control said there are 23 confirmed cases in South Carolina: 10 in the Midlands, seven in the Lowcountry and six in the Upstate, with none so far in the Pee Dee public health region.

The state has ordered and received 1,547 doses of the vaccine but was allocated an additional 5,220 doses as of July 29, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The state is in the process of ordering those additional doses "as we speak," said Dr. Linda Bell, the state epidemiologist.

"We do have plans to make sure that we get all of the doses available to us in the state as quickly as possible," she said.

So far, there has been a "relatively slow rollout here," Bell said, with appointments available now, unlike some neighboring states that have waiting lists.

The infections are primarily spread through close "skin-to-skin" contact, including sexual contact, but it is not a sexually transmitted disease, Bell said. Nonetheless, the epidemic currently is mostly among men who have sex with men. That is the group the state is targeting to get them to sign up for vaccination appointments at one of 14 clinics across the state.

There is less risk of spread from infected clothing or linens, and little risk from casual contact such as touching handrails or doorknobs, Bell said.

"It is unlikely that someone could get (monkeypox) through routine community activities such as going to grocery stores or restaurants or something like being in an elevator with someone," she said. "The risk to the general public is low and the likelihood of widespread disease is low because the virus is not easily spread."

DHEC has also acquired several courses of the antiviral treatment tecovirimat, or TPOXX, a treatment for the similar smallpox infection. The Food and Drug Administration is allowing states and clinicians to access the treatment for severe cases through an expanded access investigational New Drug application held by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The state has helped with getting the drug to patients with severe disease in at least a couple of cases, and some South Carolina patients have been hospitalized for pain control.

"We do believe this has great potential to be an effective therapy against the severe complications of monkeypox infections," Bell said.

Because the virus is believed to have spread from animals to people, it is also possible for it to affect companion animals, she said.

"Pets in the home are a concern," Bell said, and those infected are advised to not only isolate from people but from their animals, as well.
Syndicated and guest columns represent the personal views of the writers, not necessarily those of the editorial staff. The editorial department operates entirely independently of the news department and is not involved in newsroom operations.
Editorials represent the institutional view of the newspaper. They are written and edited by the editorial staff, which operates separately from the news department. Editorial writers are not involved in newsroom operations.
Goose Creek Mayor Gregory Habib (center) detailed a project that would add a sewer line to U.S. Highway 176 if certain conditions were met. There are a lot of "moving parts" to the venture before it actually materializes, according to one source. Also pictured (l-r) are: Councilmember Gayla Swain, Councilmember Melissa Enos, Councilmember Hannah Cox and Councilmember Corey McClary.
COLUMBIA  South Carolina election officials must decide  quickly  whether Labor Party candidates for governor and the 1st Congressional District can appear on November ballots amid an unprecedented intra-party squabble.

According to the state political party's co-chairwoman, Gary Votour of Columbia and Lucus Faulk of Bonneau are its convention-approved candidates for governor and the coastal 1st District, respectively. But according to the co-chairman, the convention was a sham, and the party has no candidates.

The state Election Commission isn't sure what to do. The agency's unaware of ever before getting dueling certification letters from co-equal leaders of a political party.

"It's important for us to resolve it soon. We're in a position where we have to make a decision: Do we put the candidates on the ballot or not?" agency spokesman Chris Whitmire told The Post and Courier on Aug. 3.

By state law, all political parties must certify their candidates to the Election Commission by Aug. 15, so the agency can create the November database in time for military personnel and other South Carolinians overseas to vote absentee.

To help resolve the question, the agency has asked Attorney General Alan Wilson for a legal opinion.

While the party leaders dispute whether the convention was legal, Whitmire said it's not up to his agency to decide whether conventions are held correctly. For the agency, the question is whose instructions it follows.

"The SEC has been put in the position of either placing the candidates named by (co-chairwoman Donna) Dewitt on the ballot or refusing to do so as instructed by (co-chairman Willie) Legette," agency Director Howard Knapp wrote in his Aug. 3 request to Wilson. They "are, in essence, asking the SEC to resolve an internal party dispute that it has no authority to resolve."

Meanwhile, Votour's chosen running mate, Harold Geddings of St. Matthews, filed at Election Commission headquarters Aug. 3 to join his ticket, though his candidacy is in limbo too.

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Both Faulk and Votour, a self-described social justice activist who initially intended to run as a Democrat, filed to run under the Labor Party banner back in March. But no candidate can be put on the ballot until they're certified by their party.

The elections agency first became aware of the dispute on July 26, when it received a letter from Legette warning that Dewitt planned to hold a nominating convention days later in Orangeburg in opposition of party leaders' decision not to run any candidates in 2022.

"Therefore, if this convention proceeds, it is fraudulent," wrote Legette, of Orangeburg. "I am asking the Election Commission not to certify any nominees of the SC Labor Party."

Whitmire said he hoped the party leaders would work out the disagreement on their own. But then Dewitt, also of Orangeburg, sent letters Aug. 1 approving the candidates and contending it's Legette who's in the wrong, and the convention was legitimate.

Votour said Legette's letter shocked him, six months after he said he received verbal backing from the party leaders, including Legette, who did not immediately return a message from The Post and Courier.

"As far as I know, Donna did everything correctly," Votour told the newspaper. "Willie's just going to have to get over it."

Dewitt, former South Carolina president for the AFL-CIO, said she's confident the candidates will ultimately be approved for the ballot.

"I have complete faith, if we're looking at the law," she said.

While only about a dozen people attended the convention, that's actually a pretty good turnout, she said.
The hanging of 38 Sioux Indians at Mankato, Minnesota in 1862, following a brief military conflict, is often seen as the ultimate evidence of oppression of Native Americans by whites. Each year, a long horseback ride is conducted to honor those who were hanged; Minnesotas left-wing governor participates annually in the ride.

But this conventional view is wrong. In reality, the Great Sioux Massacre of 1862 is the blackest moment in the history of the native peoples slaughters of white settlers. Along with hundreds of women and a smaller number of men, many of whom were off fighting the Civil War, the Sioux murdered 100 white children under the age of 10. Those who were hanged were guilty of murder or rapegang rapes were plentifulnot fighting in battle. In truth, many more than 38 should have been hanged, but some massacres had no survivors left to testify, and in other cases survivors could not identify specific Indians responsible for the slaughter. Also, no doubt, some who should have been hanged were killed in battle.

My colleague John Phelan is an economist from the U.K. who has taken an interest in Minnesota history. His piece in the April issue of Thinking Minnesota is the most balanced account of the massacres, the war and the hangings that you are likely to read.

Minnesotas civil war

The truth behind the 1862 hanging of 38 Sioux men in Mankato  the largest-ever mass execution on American soil  is more complex than revisionists want us to believe.

On December 26, 1862, 38 Sioux men were executed in Mankato before a crowd of thousands. As the ropes were placed around their necks, Their bodies swayed to and fro, wrote an eyewitness, and their every limb seemed to be keeping timeThe most touching scene was their attempt to grasp each others hands, fettered as they were. They were very close to each other, and many succeededOne old man reached out either side, but could not grasp a hand. His struggles were piteous.

This is one of the most controversial  and misunderstood  episodes in Minnesotas history. It came at the end of the Dakota War, about which many seem to know only that 38 Sioux men were executed at the end. As a result, falsehoods abound. Last year, for example, WCCO reported that 38 Dakota men were hung in Mankato, for defending their people. The truth behind the largest-ever mass execution on American soil is much more complex.

Grievances

Earlier that summer, the Minnesota Siouxs long-standing grievances with traders and the federal government had become acute.

By two treaties in 1851, the Upper and Lower Sioux bands sold 21 million acres in southern and western Minnesota, including their best hunting lands, in return for annuity payments from the federal government. These treaties were amended to the Siouxs disadvantage during ratification and administered by a corrupt and inefficient federal bureaucracy. In 1858, with little choice, the Sioux signed another treaty giving up half the land they had retained, and immigrants flooded in to farm it: Between 1850 and 1860, Minnesotas population rose by 2,731 percent. There was widespread feeling among the Sioux that they were being swamped.

This simmering resentment came to a boiling point that summer when the federal government failed to make annuity payments. The Sioux depended on these to buy food but, with the Civil War raging, Congress was late appropriating the money. The Indian agent, Thomas J. Galbraith, refused to release food until the payments arrived. The Sioux grew hungrier and angrier. They appealed unsuccessfully to the traders for credit. One, Andrew Myrick, is reputed to have said: So far as I am concerned, if they are hungry, let them eat grass or their own dung.

Murders

On the morning of Sunday, August 17, four Lower Sioux  Killing Ghost, Breaking Up, Runs against Something When Crawling, and Brown Wing  were hunting deer near Acton Township in Meeker County. Coming across the farmstead of Mr. and Mrs. Robinson Jones, they found some eggs and debated whether to steal them. They goaded each other into doing rather more.

They went to Jones store and then followed him to the house of his son-in-law, Howard Baker. There, they challenged Jones, Baker, and another visitor, Viranus Webster, to a shooting contest, which they accepted. Jones and Baker fired but did not reload. The Sioux then turned and shot the Joneses, Baker, and Webster dead. They rode away, passing Jones store where his 15-year-old daughter, Clara, was watching from the doorway. She, too, was shot dead.

That night the four came before Little Crow, the most respected Sioux leader. With other chiefs, they debated what to do next. Some saw an opportunity to retake the land lost to the immigrants: All the white soldiers are in the South fighting other white soldiers, Red Middle Voice said. We have no choice. Our hands are already bloody. Little Crow, who had visited eastern cities, disagreed. The white-men are like the locusts, he said, when they fly so thick that that the whole sky is a snowstormYes, they fight among themselves, but if you strike at one of them, they will all turn upon you and devour you and your women and little children, just as the locusts in their time fall on the trees and devour all the leaves in one dayKill one, two, ten, and ten times ten will come to kill you.

But Little Crow recognized that many would fight with or without him, so, with little enthusiasm, he agreed to lead them. The following morning, they would attack the Lower Agency.

Atrocities

Little Crow might have hoped to limit the Sioux to a manageable conflict that could end with something less than the extermination he prophesied; I gave orders to kill only traders and government agents, who have cheated the Indians, he said later. But while he was nominally in charge, he failed to impose this strategic vision on his warriors. Almost immediately, some pursued the strategy proposed by those like Red Middle Voice instead: the ethnic cleansing of white immigrants from the Minnesota River Valley.

The Lower Agency was wiped out and Myrick was reputedly found with grass stuffed in his mouth. But some of Little Crows Sioux  perhaps no more than 200 out of 2,000  pursued fleeing survivors like Dr. Philander Humphrey and his family. Mrs. Humphrey was weakened from recent childbirth, so they rested in a house. Dr. Humphrey sent his 12-year-old son for help, but before he returned the doctor was shot dead and the house set on fire, burning his wife and two children alive. When Humphreys son returned, he witnessed Sioux cutting off his fathers head.

The killings spread. More than 50 were murdered at Milford Township. At Lake Shetek, 15 were murdered including Willie, Belle, and Francis Duley, aged 10 years, 4 years, and 6 months respectively. Elsewhere, August Schwandt, then aged 12, recalled how Sioux approached his familys cabin, shot his father, and hacked to death his mother, two brothers, pregnant sister and her husband, and a hired hand. August himself was beaten and left for dead.

Many of those who fled fared no better. Helen Carrothers was among an ambushed group. She recalled how a Sioux took a baby belonging to a seriously ill woman named Henderson and holding her by one foot, head downwards, deliberately hacked her body, limb from limb, with his tomahawk, throwing the pieces at the head of Mrs. Henderson. Some of the Indians made a big fire and when it was burning fiercely, they lifted the feather bed on which Mrs. Henderson lay, and tossed bed and woman and the mangled portions of her children into the flames.

It has been said that such survivor accounts are exaggerated, and they may be, but there is no doubt that hundreds of civilians were murdered by Little Crows Sioux. In his book, Minnesota: A History, historian William E. Lass gives the following casualty figures: 413 white civilians, 77 soldiers, and 71 Indians, including the 38 who were executed at Mankato. Civilians accounted for 74 percent of deaths in the Dakota War. For the Civil War, the ratio was just 8 percent.

Indeed, these atrocities repulsed many of their fellow Sioux. The Upper Sioux refused to join Little Crows war, with one chief, Wabasha, telling him that the uprising was not an act of war but rather a wanton slaughter of civilians, unworthy of true Sioux braves. The significant peace party tracked Little Crow, constantly pleading with him to release his captives. The atrocities were committed by a minority of a minority.

Fighting

When Little Crows Sioux could surprise isolated groups of civilians or soldiers, as at Redwood Ferry (August 18) and Birch Coulee (September 2-3), they were victorious. But when they faced either soldiers or civilians who were prepared, as at Fort Ridgely (August 20-22) and New Ulm (August 19 and 23)  where civilians improvised a defense and fought off two assaults  they were defeated.

Minnesotas governor, Alexander Ramsey, dispatched a hastily assembled column of 1,400 untrained men under Henry Sibley to relieve Fort Ridgely and defeat Little Crow. On September 23, the Sioux attacked Sibleys camp at Wood Lake and were decisively defeated. The peace party seized the captives and Little Crow and a number of followers went west. Three days later, at a spot later named Camp Release, 2,000 Sioux surrendered with 269 captives.

Trials

The cry for revenge went up across Minnesota. [The Sioux] must be exterminated, wrote one newspaper editor, and now is a good time to commence doing it. He spoke for many.

Sibley was aware of this feeling. On September 28, he appointed a military commission to try summarily the mulatto, and Indians, or mixed bloods, now prisoners, or who may be brought before themand pass judgment upon them, if found guilty of murders or other outrages upon the whites, during the present state of hostilities of the Indians. Over five weeks, 392 people were tried resulting in 303 death sentences, 16 jail sentences, and 69 acquittals. Many of the trials were a farce by modern standards: some lasted just minutes, many were convicted on the testimony of an informer who had bargained for his own safety, and many of those condemned to death had been found guilty of fighting in battles like Birch Coulee and Wood Lake.

But Sibley was also aware of the limits of his authority. If found guilty they will be immediately executed, he wrote General John Pope, who had been sent by President Lincoln to take charge of the war after leading the Union army to defeat in the Second Battle of Bull Run in August, although I am somewhat in doubt whether my authority extends quite so far. It did not. Military commissions were a form of legal proceeding used when a standard court-martial or civil trial was impossible. As Scott W. Berg explains in his book 38 Nooses, All sentences were subject to the review of a convening authority, meaning that a superior had to sign off on every judgmentcapital convictions usually went to the desk of the president.

At a cabinet meeting on October 14, Secretary of War Edwin Stanton read a dispatch in which Pope wrote that he was anxious to execute a number of Sioux. Secretary of the Navy Gideon Welles noted, I was disgusted with the tone and opinions of the dispatchThe Indian outrages have, I doubt not, been great  what may have been the provocation we are not told. Lincoln must have shared this disquiet. He sent Assistant Interior Secretary John Palmer Usher to Minnesota on a fact-finding mission and, three days later, Pope told Sibley the President directs that no executions be made without his sanction.

For Lincoln, this was an especially low point in the Civil War. The federal governments attempt to seize the Confederate capital, Richmond, had failed at Bull Run. In September, Robert E. Lees Confederates advanced on Washington, D.C. and were only stopped at the bloody Battle of Antietam. In Novembers mid-terms, Lincolns Republicans lost their majority in the House.

Lincoln picked three men to help him examine the trial transcripts: Usher and his chief clerk George C. Whiting, both recently returned from Minnesota, and Interior Department lawyer Francis Ruggles. At some point on or around December 1, Berg writes, the president provided Whiting and Ruggles with a very specific set of instructions: They were to scour the trial transcripts with great care and identify all cases of rape, all cases involving the murder of women and children, and all cases involving the killing of unarmed men in the settlements. These sentences, in Lincolns estimation, accorded with the purpose of a military commission and deserved speedy executions. Other instances of violence, meaning shots fired in battle against Minnesota militia or United States soldiers, did not.

The three worked diligently, Berg noting their careful trial summaries, as well as their numerous pencil notes and cross-references on the transcripts. Finally, on December 5, Lincoln wrote Sibley: Ordered that of the Indians and Half-breeds sentenced to be hanged by the Military Commissionlately sitting in Minnesota, you cause to be executed on Friday the nineteenth day of December, instant, the following names, to wit. Thirty-nine names were included, those his review had concluded were guilty of individual murders and atrocious abuse of their female captives. The sentences of the rest were commuted.

Executions

After a delay of one week while enough rope was gathered for the nooses, the 38 were hanged in Mankato. One, Chaska, who had sheltered captives, was mistaken for a Chaskaydon, who had killed and mutilated a pregnant woman, and executed in error. The executioner was Capt. William J. Duley, father of three children who had been murdered at Lake Shetek.

Little Crows cause was doomed from the start, as he knew. While the Confederacy could realistically hope to inflict a military defeat on the federal government so damaging it would have to sue for peace, the Sioux could hope for no such thing. Worse, what they did do contrary to his instructions  the murder of civilians  guaranteed an overwhelming response.

His warning came to pass. The Sioux, friendly and hostile alike, were banished from Minnesota, along with others like the Winnebagos, who had taken no part in the war, and many women and children died here. Further expeditions into the Dakota Territory began in the new year. With the question of slavery resolved by the end of the Civil War, the westward expansion of the United States  long held up by debates about free and slave states  began in earnest. The Dakota War began a period of near continuous warfare between the federal government and successive native tribes that did not end until Wounded Knee in South Dakota in 1890. Little Crow himself returned to Minnesota in the summer of 1863 and was shot dead by a farmer while picking berries with his son.

The Dakota War is perhaps the darkest chapter in our states history. This year marks its 160th anniversary and the 38 men executed in Mankato will, no doubt, be remembered. But so, too, should those murdered at places like Lake Shetek. All those whose blood and bones are mingled together in the soil of this state deserve remembrance.
The search for the next Afrobeats superstar began over the weekend as StarTimes, in partnership with Kennis Music, kicked off the physical audition for the Naija Star Search season 1.

Naija Star Search is a reality show aimed at discovering the next generation of Afrobeats superstars.

Music Label Executive Kenny Ogungbe led ID Cabasa and Iyanya to audition contestants in Lagos. Mr Ogungbe is the lead judge.

The judges say, unlike other music reality shows, the Naija Star Search show is unique because the focus is solely on Afrobeats, an umbrella term for all kinds of songs originating in Nigeria.

Mr Ogungbe told PREMIUM TIMES that as judges, he and his fellow judges would look out for authenticity, potential, originality and street credibility among the talents who will finally be selected for the show.

He added that about ten finalists from the show would be groomed by Kennis Music label and given a platform to turn their raw talents into superstars.

He said: In 10 seconds, I can tell if a contestant has that fire in them. I can tell you because I am a radio DJ and know when the talent is there. I have been doing this for almost 30 years, and the idea with this is to take it to the masses, the grassroots, your next door neighbour, Ogungbe said.

Rationale

Weighing in on the show, ID Cabasa, a celebrated music producer responsible for several musical hits from 9ice to Olamide and Wizkid, said the Naija Star Search couldnt come at a better time.

This talent search is timely because Afrobeats has been able to gain its ground as a global genre. Platforms like this will offer aspiring talents the opportunity to hit it big and get paid in international currencies like Dollars.

I will be looking forward to what the talent is bringing on, which includes the talent, the energy and the star power because the plan is to ensure our winners go on to do great things in the Nigerian, African and global music scenes. We dont want a show, and the winner goes home; no, we would be working with winners and supporting them to get their footing and succeed under our mentorship and support.

On his part, co-audition judge Asa Gangali, who stood in for Iyanya, noted that all contestants must know they are winners to qualify for the show.

I am glad and happy that this talent hunt show is focusing on the Afrobeats genre to enable us to breed and groom the next big Afrobeats star, Iyanya said.

Selection process

On the selection process, Mr Ogungbe explained, We have streamlined the participants, so we dont have those who dont know what they want. Again, we have stressed that we want young, vibrant, energetic talents with vibes between 18 and 35.

READ ALSO: Keke Ogungbe named lead judge of Naija Star Search Music Reality Show

These talents will be singing or rapping Afrobeats basically and not other genres because, on a global scale, Afrobeats is the genre from Nigeria and is currently on the front burner, so much that it has displaced Jamaican Reggae dancehall. We will spot, nurture and groom these talents to stardom and use all our platforms, including Kennis TV, Kennis Music, Kennis FM, and our brands, as well as StarTimes channels, to push and promote these winners and talents from Naija Star Search.

Dont forget, its a continual process. It wont end here, and this is not new to us because we have done it with Star Quest, which produced KC Presh, Da Crystals, and Diamonds, amongst others. We will do it again because Kennis Music or Kenny Keke Ogungbe is still a force to reckon with in the music industry. We have partnered with some of the best judges, including ID Cabasa and Iyanya.

The Naija Star Search is set to hit television screens on StarTimes soon.
The Niger State Government is to ban activities of commercial sex workers in Minna as part of efforts to tackle insecurity.

Kaltum Rufai, Permanent Secretary in the state Ministry for Women Affairs and Social Development, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Minna.

Ms Rufai said that the government was unaware of such unwholesome activity capable of fuelling the current security challenges in the state.

She said there are state laws against such activity, and the government would investigate it to stop the ugly trend.

Now that you have brought the issue to our notice, the government will swing into action.

I will personally go and meet the Secretary to the State Government to discuss the issue and find solutions to it, she said.

Sex workers

NAN investigations within Minna revealed that the women and girls start their business from 7p.m. to midnight daily.

Their best spots to attract clients in Minna include the City gate round-about, the Eastern by-pass, and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) mega filling station, Minna.

The women typically hang out in groups of two, three, four, five and above, waiting for their clients.

Some of them who spoke to NAN and did not want their names mentioned said they usually charge from N1,000 to N10,000, depending on the kind of service required.

Our clients pay for hotel accommodations from N1,000 to N3,000 for a short time and from N5,000 to N8,000 for all-night service, one of them told NAN.

Some sex workers said they ventured into the trade out of frustration or lack of jobs.

One said, I have to use what I have to help myself.

(NAN)
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Wednesday declared Instagram celebrity, Ismaila Mustapha, better known as Mompha, wanted.

The anti-graft agency, in a tweet, urged members of the public with information on his whereabouts to speak up.

Among other offences, the EFCC said Mompha is wanted for laundering funds obtained through unlawful activities, false asset declaration and retention of alleged proceeds of crime.

WANTED BY THE EFCC: ISMAILA MUSTAPHA Anyone with useful information as to his whereabout should contact the EFCC or the nearest police station.#SayNoToCorruption#TowardsABetterNigeria pic.twitter.com/uWiyNXfTZK  EFCC Nigeria (@officialEFCC) August 3, 2022

Ismaila, 38, hails from Ogbomosho Local Govt Area of Oyo State. His last known address: 2 Fagbenro Street, Idi-Araba, Surulere, Lagos State.

Wanted by the EFCC: Ismaila Mustapha. Anyone with useful information about his whereabouts should contact the EFCC or the nearest police station, EFCCs tweet read.

Mompha has had several run-ins with the EFCC in the last two years.

He was re-arrested in January after he announced his trip to Nigeria with an Instagram photo captioned, About to make some billions in Lagos.

The socialite has since deleted all his Instagram posts and has stopped updating his over 1.4 million Instagram followers of his daily activities and showing off his luxury lifestyle.

Mompha is alleged to have used his registered companies to receive illicit funds on behalf of yahoo yahoo boys from across the world in return for a commission.

The account of one of his companies, Ismalob Global Investment Limited Bank, a Bureau de Change company domiciled in Zenith Bank Plc, was allegedly used to launder funds derived from unlawful activities.

Mompha and his company Ismalob Global Investment Ltd were prosecuted by the commission over alleged N6 billion fraud on January 12.

A fresh eight-count charge was brought against him early in the year.

He was remanded in the custody of the EFCC but later granted a bail of N200 million, which he couldnt fulfil.

The bail sum was later slashed to N25m.

The EFCC had, on 10 June, accused Mompha of disregarding a court order by travelling to Dubai with a new passport.

On 22 June, a Lagos court revoked the bail granted to him after the controversial socialites absence for trial.

Run-in

Mompha has had several run-ins with the EFCC in the last two years.

The Nigerian anti-graft agency dissociated itself from claims by Mompha after he claimed they advised him to maintain a low profile in the wake of the indictment of his friend, Abbas Ramon alias Hushpuppi, in a $1.1m international fraud conspiracy by US Law enforcement.

Wilson Uwujaren, the EFCC spokesperson, debunked Momphas claims in a statement.

The incident happened in August 2021.

PREMIUM TIMES reported Mompha saying that the anti-graft agency contacted him after Hushpuppi was apprehended abroad.

He claimed that the EFCC asked him to delete his social media pages and maintain a low profile after the incident. Mompha made the remarks during an Instagram live show with a controversial broadcaster, Daddy Freeze.

Mr Uwujaren said: The (Momphas) claim, which did not mention the office of the Commission who supposedly gave the advice, is spurious and should be discountenanced.

The Commission is not in the business of advising suspected internet fraudsters, and it is far-fetched that it would counsel one against whom it has a pending criminal charge in court.
The recent terrorist ambush that killed some personnel of the Presidential Guards Brigade has its background in the effort to prevent an attack on two Abuja tertiary institutions by the troops.

The soldiers had mounted an offensive to take out the terrorists before logistical and terrain problems exposed them to enemy fire, survivors told PREMIUM TIMES.

Eight personnel, including a captain, a lieutenant, and six soldiers drawn from three units of the brigade, were reported to have been killed.

However, our sources, who were involved in the battle, said six personnel died including the two officers who have since been announced by the Kogi State Government as being from the state.

Our sources also said the attack occurred in the early hours of Sunday, 24 July, and not Friday, 22 July, as earlier reported.

At least three soldiers were also injured in battle, a sign of Nigerias worsening vulnerability to violent criminals under President Muhammadu Buhari.

That it affected an elite force designated for the protection of Abuja and specifically the president caused heightened security fears in the capital, barely three weeks after the terrorists attacked the Kuje prison.

About two weeks before the attack, the Nigerian Law School in the Bwari area of Abuja had received a letter warning of a raid. The school then notified the 7 Battalion of the Guards Brigade, officials told PREMIUM TIMES.

Instantly, one source among the officers of the guards brigade said, the army commenced an all-around-the-fence deployment rotating 20 soldiers for two shifts per day with a gun truck.

It was like our barrack; otherwise, the enemies could have invaded the law school, the source said. But they remained in the bush and refused to come out because of our heavy presence.

The officer said the troops contemplated the possibility that the criminals could have a plan B to attack another prominent place in the area apart from the law school.

Then, we found Veritas University Bwari, less than four kilometres to the law school and we went there too for all-around-the-fence deployment, the officer said.

It was at the Veritas University that clear signs that prompted the decision to advance into the bush in pursuit of the terrorists emerged. The troops observed light apparently given by torches from the bush at night. The army analysed that indication as part of surveillance by the enemies.

Then, as Sunday dawned, the troops set off for the bush where they found visible indications of slaughtered and burnt goats and smoking of cigarettes and hemps to confirm the presence of criminals around the area.

Apparently, the armed men had sighted the troops and fled deeper into the bush. But the troops decided to go in search of them and neutralise them despite having no clear and certain knowledge of the terrain, said a second source, an officer among two other formations that later joined the 7 Battalion of the Guards Brigade.

The 7 Battalion troops were joined by two other units of the Guards Brigade, namely 177 Battalion and 102 Battalion, respectively based in the neighbouring Nasarawa and Niger states, PREMIUM TIMES confirmed.

So, we called for reinforcements, and APC (armoured personnel carrier), gun trucks, and artillery team arrived, said the first source. But we got to an area with rocks and some water and the gun trucks could not penetrate that area; so, we had to park them.

We only then went into the bush with our AK-47 rifles. We did not even carry RPGs, believing they were just a few enemies, less than 30.

As we pushed deep into the bush, they had obviously seen us but we did not see them. They laid ambush for us, waiting for us to advance. They were on our flanks and engaged us seriously. They shelled mortal and their explosives.

PREMIUM TIMES tried to contact the military by text to describe the details we gathered and seek comments. Military spokesperson Jimmy Akpor, a major general, did not comment.

It was later in the evening last Sunday that the remains of the fallen army officials were recovered.

Despite the casualties sustained by the troops, the two sources separately said at least 10 terrorists were killed.

And in the days that followed, the military further reinforced to dislodge the terrorists.

The military embarked on heavy bombardments. The areas the troops could not access with gun trucks before were abandoned and we chose other routes, said the second source, who expressed confidence that the Bwari area has been cleared of terrorists.

The military later announced that at least 30 terrorists were killed in its clearance operations in Bwari.

However, a few days later, terrorists engaged soldiers of the 102 Batallion at a checkpoint on the Abuja-Kaduna Expressway. The checkpoint lay just outside the federal capital. Specific details of the casualties have not emerged.

The attack on the Guards Brigade occurred less than three weeks after terrorists launched a similar attack on a convoy of a presidential team in Dutsinma, Katsina State. On the same day, terrorists invaded the Kuje prison in Abuja and freed hundreds of inmates, including Boko Haram inmates.

The attack on the Guards Brigade also occurred two days after terrorists released a video showing them torturing persons kidnapped from the Abuja-Kaduna train.

One of the terrorists in the video threatened that his group would abduct Mr Buhari and Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai and destabilise the country if their demands were not met.

They are believed to be seeking freedom for the imprisoned fighters in various prisons across Nigeria.
After 127 days in captivity, some of the hostages who were released by the gunmen who attacked the Abuja-Kaduna train in March have narrated their ordeals in captivity.

The hostages told journalist that their ordeal was so horrendous they will not wish for the hostages still in captivity to spend one more day with their abductors.

They also pleaded with the Nigerian government to hasten efforts to secure their release.

The released hostages are Mustapha Imam, an associate professor from Usman Danfodio University Sokoto; Akibu Lawal; Abubakar Rufai; Mukthar Shuaibu; and Sidi Sharif.

Mr Imam a medical doctor, narrated his experience to the publisher of DESERT HERALD Newspaper, Tukur Mamu.

He said the captives were starved almost the entire duration in captivity. He added that there was no medication to treat common ailments like malaria.

In the last four months in the bush there was no food to eat, we were hungry for the last three and half months. When I said hungry, its an understatement.

There are days that we will eat once a day for certain days. Just imagine, some children are one-year-old, some others 20 months, feeding once a day, Mr Imam said.

I was the medical doctor in the camp, I treated the captives as well as the Boko Haram members, there was no medication.

There was a day a lady had a malaria fever and she almost went into a coma because there was no medication for malaria treatment. The situation is terrible.

Molestation

Mr Imam said though he was not tortured, some of the women claimed the gunmen brutalised them.

He said most of the torture happened in the first two weeks they spent in captivity.

Mr Imam called on the Nigerian government to do whatever was necessary to rescue the remaining captives because they are in a terrible situation.

Another hostage who was released today, Mr Shuaibu, narrated how he was shot during a friendly exchange of fire between the gunmen.

Mr Shuaibu said While we are (were) 85 days in captivity, one certain Tuesday, after I finished the prayer, I heard a gunshot, after that, I noticed blood running down from my stomach to the leg, the bullet brushed me.

The medical doctor in our camp gave me first aid. Their doctor (bandits doctor) came and treated me but he could not find the bullet in me.

I believe that the bullet is still inside me, we can now search for the bullet through scanning, Mr Shuaibu said.

He said from the day they were abducted, the hostages never knew peace.

He also appealed to the federal government to ensure the immediate release of the remaining hostages including children and a 90-year-old woman.
Gunmen have killed seven security guards in Umuafom, Orogwe, a community in Owerri West Local Government Area of Imo State, Nigerias South-east.

The incident happened at about 9:30 p.m. on Monday when the gunmen invaded the community and shot indiscriminately.

The gunmen were said to have stormed the community in three vehicles, including a motorcycle.

Apart from the seven slain security guards, many others who sustained severe injuries were rushed to the emergency unit of the Federal Medical Centre, Owerri, according to reports in local media.

PREMIUM TIMES learnt that the attack occurred after security operatives, suspected to be members of Ebubeagu Security Network, visited the community and took away a young man from the community.

The seven security guards were reportedly shot at separate locations in the community.

Four of the guards were shot dead at a building close to a hospital, while the other three were shot at a new building near Corpers Lodge, a source from the community was quoted as saying.

The identities of the security guards and where they were working before the attack were yet to be ascertained.

A commercial motorcyclist, one of the injured, was caught by a stray bullet while he was riding past the area during the attack, it was learnt.

ALSO READ: Amnesty calls for investigation into killing of seven youths in Imo

The police spokesperson in the state, Michael Abattam, has confirmed the incident.

He could not, however, say if the victims were security guards.

Background

Ebubeagu is a security outfit set up in April, 2021 by governors of the five states in the South-east to help in the fight against insecurity in the region, but their operation is most functional in Ebonyi and Imo states.

Operatives of the security outfit have been the target of gun attacks in the region.

The gunmen, believed to be members of the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra, are allegedly against security outfits, especially Ebubeagu, operating in the South-east.

Attacks by the gunmen have worsened lately in the region.

The police and other security agencies have also been the target of attacks in the region.
The Board of Trustees of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has set up another committee to interface with aggrieved members of the party.

Some of the aggrieved members that the committee hopes to placate are Nyesom Wike, the Rivers State governor, and other party leaders who support him.

The Chairman of the BoT, Walid Jibrin, disclosed this to journalists on Wednesday shortly after the BoT meeting which lasted over two hours.

The committee is a committee of the whole, he said. This means all members of the BoT are part of the reconciliatory panel as well.

We have set out, from this BoT, a committee to interface between warring factions particularly between the acrimony taking place between the presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar and Governor Wike and any other conflict that is taking place in the nation, within our party formation.

Mr Jibrin did not, however, say how long the panel will take to reconcile the aggrieved members.

I cannot tell you the grievances and the duration but right now, we are heading to the candidates house in Asokoro to start this project.

A different committee

This panel comes about a month after the PDP recommended a delegation to meet with Mr Wike when he returns from his foreign trip.

The panel was to be led by Atiku. The BoT chairman, in a statement, had said it was necessary for the peace and progress of the party.

But when asked about the previous panel, the BoT chairman simply said it was different from the one set up today.

That is not within the purview of the committee. This is the BoT committee. That one is the NWC.

The creation of a reconciliatory panel comes amid a crisis in the party resulting from Mr Wikes anger at the manner he lost the presidential primary to Atiku. Mr Wike and his supporters, including some state governors, are also angry that Atiku did not pick the Rivers governor as his running mate.

Mr Wike has refused to congratulate the Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, who later emerged as the vice presidential candidate.

Mr Wike also claimed that nobody was sent by Atiku to meet with him since Mr Okowa was selected as running mate.

Nothing on Ayu stepping down

PREMIUM TIMES reported how Mr Wike met with some serving and former PDP governors on Sunday. The meeting was also attended by other PDP leaders in support of the Rivers governor who came second in the PDP presidential primary.

One of the attendees was a former information minister, Jerry Gana.

Mr Gana, a member of the BoT, told journalists after the meeting, that it was aimed at reviewing the primary election and its outcome.

However, sources who attended the meeting later told PREMIUM TIMES that the group insisted that the National Chairman of the party, Iyorchia Ayu, must step down to allow another person from the south of Nigeria to take his place.

Apart from Mr Ayu being from the northern part of Nigeria like Atiku, the PDP members also believe that the party chairman supported the former vice president against Mr Wike.

They listed his removal as their precondition to resolving the feud ahead of the 2023 general election.

However, when asked if the demand for Mr Ayus resignation was discussed at the BoT meeting, Mr Jibrin simply said that has never been an issue. We have not discussed any matter about anybody stepping down.

Mr Wike and his supporters have decried the lopsidedness of the leadership of the party in favour of the northern zones  Mr Ayu is from Benue State in the North-central zone while Atiku is from Adamawa State in the North-east zone.

They also complained that Mr Jibrin, Umaru Damagum, the Deputy National Chairman, North, and the chairman of the PDP Governors Forum, Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State, are all from the North.

They also accused Atiku of sidelining some party leaders in his decision-making and alleged that those in his camp have shared key government positions among themselves, even before next years elections.
Kidnappers of two Nollywood actors abducted last week have mocked the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN) for raising a paltry N1.2 million as a ransom for their release.

The actors, Cynthia Okereke and Clemson Cornel, aka Agbogidi, were reported missing on Thursday.

This was after their family members confirmed they didnt return home from a film location at Ozalla Town, Enugu State.

By Saturday, their abductors contacted their families, demanding $100,000 as ransom.

In a video clip on social media, the AGN president Emeka Rollas briefed his colleagues about the present situation.

He said that though both actors are still being held captive, the Guild believes God to do His miracles and wonders at this point.

He said: While talking to the abductors, we were trying to explain to them that we were putting some funds together, we were contributing. We said that we have about N1.2 million. And they started laughing at us.

They started mocking us and saying, all those your celebrities posting on Instagram, why havent they contributed?

Immediately, it got to me that these people are watching us. It is not the best time to circulate this information on Instagram.

Mr Rollas said the bank account of the Enugu chapter of AGN had been dedicated for actors to contribute and raise the ransom.

I urge all of us to see that we make this contribution because we do not know we will be in this kind of situation again. But we pray to God that none of us will have this kind of experience again, he added.

Search continues

Similarly, the guilds Director of Communications, Monalisa Chinda-Coker, has called on Nigerians to intensify their search for the actors by reposting valuable information.

On her Instagram page, the actress noted that the demand being made by the kidnappers is outrageous, given that actors dont earn much in Nigeria.

I dont understand how people would think that actors have money. With the paltry sum we receive as fees? The struggle through life vicissitudes, health issues etc. we face every now and then. $100k from where? she asked.

Kate Henshaw petitions FG

Meanwhile, famous actress Kate Henshaw has started a change.org petition.

The petition challenged the Federal Government of Nigeria not just to secure the release of the abducted actors but put an end to insecurity across the nation.

The petition, which aimed to garner 5000 signatures, has already received over 3000 signatures.

I started this petition on Change.org calling on the Federal Government to put an end to insecurity across Nigeria, Ms Henshaw wrote.

She said that remaining docile is equivalent to calling the bluff of the kidnappers.

I am therefore calling on the government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to act immediately in securing the safe release of Cynthia Okereke, Clemson Cornel, and other Nigerians who have fallen into the hands of these wicked beings, she added.

Meanwhile, Mr Rollas announced that the Guild will work closely with the victims families and the security forces to ensure their safe release.

Efforts to reach Mr Rollas and the Police Public Relations Officer of the Enugu State Police Command, Daniel Ndukwe, was unsuccessful as they did not respond to calls from PREMIUM TIMES.
The Nigerian government on Wednesday confirmed that President Muhammadu Buhari approved the purchase and donation of vehicles, worth N1.4 billion, to neighbouring Niger Republic.

The Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, told journalists after Wednesdays Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting that the donation was to help Niger address its security concerns.

She said such donations by Nigeria to its neighbours were common.

Ms Ahmed said it is the presidents prerogative to take such decisions after a careful assessment of the situation

Let me just say that over time, Nigeria has had to support its neighbours, especially the immediate neighbours, to enhance their capacity to secure their countries as it relates to us, she said while answering questions.

This is not the first time that Nigeria has assisted Niger Republic, Cameroon or Chad.

The president makes an assessment as to what is required based on the request of their presidents. Such requests are approved and interventions are provided.

It is to enhance their capacity to protect their countries, as it relates to security and also to Nigeria.

Ms Ahmed said she understood the concerns of Nigerians about the matter since it became public.

Nigerians have the right to ask questions, but also the president has the responsibility to make an assessment of what is in the best interest of the country and I cannot question the decision myself.

I have said that this is not the first time and that Nigeria as a country has provided an intervention to our neighbours. It is in the best interest of Nigeria to do so.
Gunmen have abducted a former member of the Anambra State House Assembly, Benson Nwawulu, in the Ihiala Local Government Area of the state.

Mr Nwawulu was abducted from his house on Sunday.

The lawmaker left the assembly in 2019 at the expiration of his tenure. He later contested for and lost an election for the House of Representatives.

A family source said Mr Nwawulus son has contacted some members of the assembly, who are his fathers associates, for financial assistance.

But it is not clear, for now, if his abductors have made contact with the family for ransom.

When contacted, the police spokesperson in the state, Tochukwu Ikenga, confirmed the incident.

He said the police were working hard to track down the suspects and free the former lawmaker.

The command has since launched an operation aimed at rescuing the victim and arresting the abductors, Mr Ikenga told PREMIUM TIMES, Wednesday night.

Increased attacks

Security in Nigerias South-east has deteriorated lately with frequent attacks by armed persons across the region.

Anambra State has witnessed some of the worst attacks in the region. The attacks often target security agencies, government officials and facilities.

The latest incident comes about one month after gunmen abducted and then beheaded Nelson Achukwu, another former lawmaker in the Anambra State House of Assembly.

Mr Achukwu, a physically-challenged person, was killed on 21 June, three weeks after his abduction from his house in Ukpor, a community in Nnewi South Local government Area of the state.

In May, gunmen abducted and then beheaded Okechukwu Okoye, a lawmaker representing Aguata 2 Constituency in the state assembly.

Mr Okoye was killed on 21 May with his aide, Cyril Chiegboka, six days after they were abducted along Aguluzigbo Road, Anaocha Local Government Area of the state.

Again, gunmen abducted Uzozie Chukwujekwu, a special adviser to a former chairman of Nnewi South Council Area and also shot his only son, just a few hours after the news of the beheading of Mr Okoye went public.

In April, five wedding guests were abducted by gunmen in Akpo Community, Aguata Local Government Area of the state.

The Nigerian government has accused the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra of being responsible for the deadly attacks in the region. But the group has repeatedly denied their involvement in the attacks.

The separatist group is leading the agitation for an independent state of Biafra which they want to be carved out from the South-east and some parts of South-south Nigeria.

The leader of the secessionist group, Nnamdi Kanu, is detained in Abuja where he is facing trial for terrorism.
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has challenged Course 30 participants of the National Defence College (NDC) to be relentlessly innovative in developing national security and defence strategy to address security challenges.

Mr Osinbajo made the call at the colleges 30th Year Anniversary and Course 30 Graduation Dinner and Award on Tuesday in Abuja.

He was represented by the Special Adviser to the President on Economic Matters, Adeyemi Dipeolu.

The vice president noted that security was an entire societal responsibility that could only be achieved in unison with a diverse range of state and civil society actors.

He urged the military and other security agencies to recognise the regional, continental and international ramifications of the threats facing nations in developing security and defence strategies.

You must embrace smart ways of managing society in a pervasively digital universe as contemporary technologies have introduced new levels of complexity to an already challenging security environment.

Technological revolution in the present era also avails you of a broad range of tools with which you can protect our vital interests and safeguard our people.

You must be relentlessly innovative in exploiting these options.

Overall you must be sensitive to the needs and demands of the people who are the primary reference of national security as the spear and shield of our nation, he said.

Mr Osinbajo observed that the world had moved from the erstwhile exclusive approach to security management wherein the military and security agencies were thought to be the exclusive custodians of security.

He said the whole of society approach to security management had become the primary governing principle of national security governance, noting that the approach was the theme for Course 30.

The vice president also urged international participants to be proud alumni of the college and maintain the bonds they had made and continue to support Nigerias efforts at maintaining peace and security.

I have no doubt that you have come to fully appreciate this activity and security management in furtherance of the whole of society doctrine.

It is clear that you must also embrace the role that women play in contemporary security management and give meaning to it in your future engagements.

In this regard, I am glad that this institution has consistently given female participants equal opportunity to participate in this highly rewarding strategic leadership training.

Our defence cooperation with friendly nations in Africa and the world has been mutually beneficial.

I specially recognise all the foreign dignitaries and international participants here and convey our appreciation for your association with Nigeria and the NDC, he said.

In his remarks, NDC Commandant, Murtala Bashir, said the celebration of the 30th set of graduates since its establishment in 1992 was a milestone in the colleges history.

Mr Bashir, a rear admiral, commended the participants for their commitment and resilience throughout the duration of the course.

He said the participants would have understood and appreciated the fact that the course was designed to test their resilience and ability to take difficult and complex decisions in terms of uncertainty, stress and strain.

He observed that the security environment had been volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous, and said the ability to pull through the complexity and uncertainty was what made the participants strategic leaders.

Mr Bashir expressed the hope that the knowledge and experience gained at the college would distinguish participants in leadership wherever they went.

We are doing everything possible to reduce the workload of the course without compromising standards.

Permit me to emphasise to you, two training philosophies of the college which I would encourage you to always carry along.

First, you must remember that military training and operations are anchored on teamwork. You must have been told repeatedly that you are as strong as your weakest link.

This philosophy is reflected in the group exercises you conducted during your training in the college.

For a long time, however, teamwork had been narrowly understood to mean intra-service solidarity, but we know today that the era of single service operations is gone.

You must leave here thinking of cooperation; you must be prepared to think, act, plan and operate jointly, he stressed.

The commandant also reminded participants to always remember that security management was no longer the exclusive domain of the armed forces, intelligence and other security forces.

He said civilian populations were crucial to military operations, adding that there was hardly any operation these days that did not involve the civil populace directly or indirectly.

According to him, it is for these reasons that the participation of the police, other security agencies, as well as civilians from strategic ministries, departments and agencies on the course have become inevitable.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Chief of Defence Staff, Lucky Irabor and other services chiefs as well as the Inspector-General of Police, Usman Baba, attended the dinner.

(NAN)
Kasperskys analysis has revealed that attacks related to data loss threats (phishing and scams/social engineering) increased significantly in Africa in Q2 2022 in comparison with the previous quarter. The companys security solutions detected 10,722,886 phishing attacks in Africa in Q2.

Kenyan users were influenced the most by this type of threat: there were 5,098,534 phishing attacks detected in three months  a growth of 438 per cent when compared to the previous quarter. It was followed by South Africa (4,578,216 detections and a growth of 144 per cent) and Nigeria (1,046,136 detections and a growth of 174 per cent).

Social engineering, which is sometimes called human hacking scams, is used in many ways, and for different purposes, to lure unwary users to the site and trick them into entering personal information. The latter often includes financial credentials such as bank account passwords or payment card details, or login details for social media accounts. In the wrong hands, this opens doors to various malicious operations, such as money being stolen, or corporate networks being compromised.

Phishing is a strong attack method because it is done on a large scale. By sending massive waves of emails under the name of legitimate institutions or promoting fake pages, malicious users increase their chances of success in their hunt for innocent peoples credentials. Phishers deploy a variety of tricks to bypass e-mail blocking and lure as many users as possible to their fraudulent sites. A common technique is HTML attachments with partially or fully obfuscated code. HTML files allow attackers to use scripts, obfuscate malicious content to make it harder to detect and send phishing pages as attachments instead of links.

In particular, while vacation season is high across the globe, scammers are trying to lure travellers who are looking for interesting places to go, cheap places to stay and reasonably priced flights. Kaspersky researchers have observed intensified scamming activities, with numerous phishing pages distributed under the guise of airline and booking services. The number of attempts to open phishing pages related to booking and airline services in the first half of 2022 was 4,311 in the Middle East, Turkey and Africa (META) region.

Planning a vacation is not easy. People can spend weeks, even months, looking for the perfect place to stay and the tickets to get them there. Fraudsters use this to lure users that have grown tired of searching for great deals. After two years of flight restrictions imposed by the pandemic, travelling is back. But so are travel scams  with intensified scamming activity targeting users through fake booking and rental services. Such attacks are totally preventable, which is why we urge users to be sceptical about overly generous offers. If an offer seems too good to be true, it probably is, comments Mikhail Sytnik, a security expert at Kaspersky.

To keep yourself protected from phishing and scams, Kaspersky experts recommend:

Carefully looking at the address bar before entering any sensitive information, such as your login details and password. If something is wrong with the URL (i.e., spelling, it doesnt look like the original or it uses some special symbols instead of letters) dont enter anything on the site. If in doubt, check the certificate of the site by clicking on the lock icon to the left of the URL.

Not clicking on links that come from unknown sources (either through e-mails, messaging apps or social networks).

Visiting the business official website if you see a giveaway offered in e-mail or on social media by a travel company or an airline to confirm the giveaway exists. You should also carefully check the links the giveaway ad leads you to.

Using a good security solution that can protect you from spam emails and phishing attacks. We recommend Kaspersky Total Security.

About Kaspersky:

Kaspersky is a global cybersecurity and digital privacy company founded in 1997. Kasperskys deep threat intelligence and security expertise is constantly transforming into innovative security solutions and services to protect businesses, critical infrastructure, governments and consumers around the globe. The companys comprehensive security portfolio includes leading endpoint protection and a number of specialized security solutions and services to fight sophisticated and evolving digital threats. Over 400 million users are protected by Kaspersky technologies and we help 240,000 corporate clients protect what matters most to them. Learn more at www.Kaspersky.co.za.
Some factional members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun, known as The Osun Progressive (TOP), on Tuesday, held a protest in Osogbo, calling for the restructuring of the party.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the placard-carrying party members called for the restructuring of APC in the state following the partys defeat in the July 16 governorship election.

The party members carried various placards with inscriptions like: Osun APC Needs Restructuring, Famodun Must Go, Save Osun APC from Total Collapse, Aregbesola is the Soul of APC/Progressive Politics in Osun, among others.

The protesting APC members also called for the sacking of the state party chairman, Gboyega Famodun.

The members, who marched through Odi-Olowo, Olaiya, and Ogo-Oluwa protected by armed security operatives, finally made their way to the Osun House of Assembly where they delivered a letter to the Speaker, Timothy Owoeye.

Addressing journalists, the factional youth leader, Abosede Oluwaseun, said the party needed to be restructured from the unit, ward, local government and state levels for it to be united and formidable ahead of the coming general elections.

With conscious, sincere and objective analysis of the outcome of the governorship election, we discovered that the electoral loss is not only self-induced by the partys administrators, it also reflects party issues which had been raised by concerned minds in the recent past.

The issues, to summarise them, boil down on glaring mismanagement of the party by Governor Gboyega Oyetola and the party chairman, Gboyega Famodun.

The chairman has totally demonstrated a lack of capacity to manage the party and this reflects in the result of the July 16 governorship election.

As a chairman of a ruling party going for election, Famodun didnt consider it essential to resolve disputes and crises that dotted all the local governments in the state.

Before the governorship election and till now, there is no understanding, cooperation, unity and cohesion in the party, she said.

Ms Oluwaseun said that their demand included the dissolution of the party executive at all levels in the state and the setting up of an independent caretaker committee to oversee the restructuring of the party among others.

Timothy Owoeye, the Osun Speaker, who addressed the protesters, assured them that necessary steps would be taken to make sure the party is united and formidable.

In his reaction to the protest, the APC Chairman in Osun, Gboyega

Famodun, condemned the protest, describing it as shameful, callous and wicked.

A statement by his Media Adviser, Kola Olabisi, said that the protest was misplaced and inconsiderate.

Mr Famodun alleged that the APC factional members had worked against the success of Governor Oyetola at the polls.

Assuming but not conceding that there are challenges within the party, the protesters should be told that they lack moral right to either suggest or effect any likely solution as it is on record that they massively and collectively worked against Governor Oyetola, the APC governorship candidate, in the just-concluded election in line with the series of their threat.

One would have thought that the appropriate place for them to canvass for the restructuring of any party is Senator Ademola Adelekes Ede country home, whom they voted for with flaunted pride, he said.

(NAN)
A private school based in Abuja, Nigerias Federal Capital Territory (FCT)  Christabel Private School, has condemned what it termed increasing no love lost between many Nigerian students and Mathematics, as a subject.

The school said Mathematics is important for all-round development of students, saying in the age of technology Mathematics cannot be avoided.

The schools Vice-Principal, Administration, Augustine Akhigbe, said the initiative is aimed at addressing what he called childrens phobia for Mathematics.

The teachers said more than 50 other schools would be hosted in the FCT as participants in the annual competition, which is tagged Doctor Maths Mathematics Competition.

The competition, which is scheduled for 4 August, is in partnership with the Private School Tutors Union of Nigeria (PRISCTUN).

He said the winner of the competition will get a cash prize of N50,000 and other benefits.

The vice-principal said; Our learners like Mathematics a lot and they are doing well. We felt it would be good that they compete with other schools and test their abilities, so we decided to be a part of it.

Doctor Maths is an organisation that helps people cure their fear of maths. Rather than fear, they want students to love the subject and make it more fun.

Our school instils the fact that you can win anywhere. They may not always win, but we want our children to demonstrate such confidence. Confidence is key.

The competition

The vice-principal said all schools in Abuja can send their best Mathematics learners to represent them at the event but that the only categories open for competition are for primary and junior secondary levels.

Mr Akhigbe announced that there would also be side attractions such as chess and multiplication challenges.

He said; These are brain stimulating events that help children know that they have different skills, which is what Christabel is about. Children are able to express themselves and learners are helped to achieve their full potential.

Learners will be tested strictly on their speed in multiplication and ability to answer 20 multiplication questions in 30 seconds or one minute. Winners of the multiplication challenge will win a cash prize of N10,000.

Also, the Chess competition will allow the learners to engage themselves properly, and the winner of the Chess competition will get a cash prize of N10,000.

According to the school management, participating schools are expected to have picked up the registration form at the schools premises or registered online.

READ ALSO: UI releases song to help students tackle mathematics

A prospective participant of the competition, Emeka Chukwurah, said he looks forward to the competition and is eager to see the questions.

I want to test my abilities and also win the cash price.

I have always loved maths. Students do not like maths, they say it is too difficult. Some say they dont like the teacher who teaches it.

I am very prepared and I am looking forward to the competition, he said.

Another prospective participant, Yesokosa Audam, said, Some say maths is difficult. This is perhaps because they havent spent time to understand it. Some say they dont like the teacher who teaches it. My advice is that they should try to study, to understand it. Then they should search for help. They should also test themselves more often. Go beyond the surface to understand it, she said.

Speaking on her expectation of the competition, she said she hopes students get good prices for being outstanding.

I hope people are happy, I hope people are able to test how intelligent they are, and I hope people get good prices for being outstanding.
Some factional members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun, known as The Osun Progressive (TOP), on Tuesday, held a protest in Osogbo, calling for restructuring of the party.

TOP is the faction of the APC in the state loyal to former governor Rauf Aregbesola, the Minister of Interior.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the placard-carrying party members called for the restructuring of APC in the state following the partys defeat in the July 16 governorship election.

The party members carried various placards with inscriptions like: Osun APC Needs Restructuring, Famodun Must Go; Save Osun APC from Total Collapse, Aregbesola is the Soul of APC/Progressive Politics in Osun, among others.

The protesting APC members also called for the sacking of the state party chairman, Gboyega Famodun.

The members, who marched through Odi-Olowo, Olaiya, Ogo-Oluwa protected by armed security operatives, finally made their way to the Osun House of Assembly where they delivered a letter to the Speaker, Timothy Owoeye.

Addressing journalists, the factional youth leader, Abosede Oluwaseun, said the party needed to be restructured from unit, ward, local government and state levels for it to be united and formidable ahead of the coming general elections.

With conscious, sincere and objective analysis of the outcome of the governorship election, we discovered that the electoral loss is not only self-induced by the partys administrators, it also reflects party issues which had been raised by concerned minds in the recent past.

The issues, to summarise them, boil down on glaring mismanagement of the party by Gov. Gboyega Oyetola and the party chairman, Gboyega Famodun.

The chairman has totally demonstrated lack of capacity to manage the party and this reflects in the result of the July 16 governorship election.

As a chairman of a ruling party going for election, Famodun didnt consider it essential to resolve disputes and crises that dotted all the local governments in the state.

Before the governorship election and till now, there is no understanding, cooperation, unity and cohesion in the party, she said.

Mr Oluwaseun said that their demand included dissolution of the party executive at all levels in the state and setting up of an independent caretaker committee to oversee the restructuring of the party among others.

Mr Owoeye, who addressed the protesters, assured them that necessary steps would be taken to make sure the party is united and formidable.

In his own reaction to the protest, the APC Chairman in Osun, Gboyega Famodun, condemned the protest, describing it as shameful, callous and wicked.

A statement by his Media Adviser, Kola Olabisi, said the protest was misplaced and inconsiderate.

Mr Famodun alleged that the APC factional members had worked against the success of Governor Oyetola at the polls.

Assuming but not conceding that there are challenges within the party, the protesters should be told that they lack moral right to either suggest or effect any likely solution as it is on record that they massively and collectively worked against Gov. Oyetola, the APC governorship candidate, in the just-concluded election in line with the series of their threat.

One would have thought that the appropriate place for them to canvass for the restructuring of any party is Senator Ademola Adelekes Ede country home, whom they voted for with flaunted pride, he said.

(NAN)
The police in Imo State said they have arrested two members of a three-man armed robbery gang who allegedly impersonate police officers in order to rob residents of the state.

The police spokesperson in the state, Michael Abattam, who disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday, said the suspects were arrested in response to a distress call from one of their victims.

He said the victim contacted the police when he saw one of the suspected members of the gang who had snatched his ash-coloured Lexus 330 SUV at gunpoint on 18 July in Owerri.

The suspects were said to have forced the victim into the booth of the vehicle and drove him to a lonely place.

After robbing him of all his other valuables, the suspects also used the victims phone to transfer N100,000 from the victims bank account.

Mr Abattam said police operatives initially arrested one of the suspects, Goodness Chinasa, 23, before he led the operatives to the residence of the second suspect, Emeka Orji, 24, who was also arrested.

The third suspect, Julius Chigozie, is said to be on the run.

The police spokesperson said the two suspects have confessed to being members of the three-man gang and admitted that they robbed the victim.

He said the suspects revealed that they concealed the vehicle they snatched from the victim at Rapour Hotel in Owerri. The police later recovered the vehicle.

Police impersonation

Mr Abattam said the three suspects had broken into an apartment of a late police officer close to where they were residing and stole his uniforms, bullet proof vests, among other items.

Their modus operandi is that they dress up in the stolen uniforms, block the road, checking vehicles as if they were genuine police officers, he said.

The police spokesperson said the suspects, who pretend to be checking vehicle particulars, usually target people with flashy cars whom they often abduct to a solitary place before robbing them.

Sometimes, they end up kidnapping the victim for a ransom, Mr Abattam said.

One locally made double barrel shotgun, one jack knife, police uniforms and bullet-proof vests, were among the items recovered from the suspects, according to the police.

The Commissioner of Police in the state, Ahmed Barde, commended the operatives for their quick response and gallantry, Mr Abattam said.

Mr Barde warned hoteliers to be careful with people who make use of their facilities and park vehicles in their premises.

The police commissioner thanked residents of the state for their cooperation and support to the police. He urged them to always contact the police during emergencies.
A multiple award-winning Ghanaian journalist, Emmanuel K Dogbevi, is among 75 notable alumni to be honoured by the University of Ghana for making significant strides in various fields of endeavour.

The recognition is part of activities to mark the universitys 75th anniversary celebration.

A letter signed by the Vice Chancellor, Nana Amfo said: Congratulations on the significant contribution made to the National Bureau of Asian Research (NBR) report on Africa-China relations. We are excited about how far you have come and would want you to know that the entire University community is proud of your accomplishments.

Mr Dogbevi, who graduated from the University in 2007 is the managing editor for Ghana Business News and will be among the 75 alumni who will be showcased by the Universitys Office of Institutional Advancement in partnership with the Public Affairs Directorate during the anniversary celebration.

The university currently has more than 400,000 alumni around the world.

He recently contributed to the US-based National Bureau of Asian Researchs (NBR) special report on Chinas presence in Africa focusing specifically on China in Ghanas media.

Mr Dogbevi, who believes that journalism should be done as an intellectual exercise beyond merely reporting, has a body of works spanning various aspects of the countrys development and is highly recognized for his extensive reporting on e-waste dumping in Ghana which led to legislation, beneficial ownership, illicit financial flows, tax havens, illegal logging, biofuels, and intra-Africa trade.

His investigative reporting on the illegal logging and export of rosewood from the three regions of the north in Ghana, led to a ban on export of rosewood from West African countries including Ghana, by the CITES.

Over the years, in his 32 years career as a journalist, Mr Dogbevi has continued to cover difficult issues and subjects in a country where it is becoming harder to do critical reporting, particularly investigative reporting that exposes debilitating corruption, abuse of power and holds the powerful to account.

Additionally, hes had to continue to do this important kind of journalism with little and in most cases no resources  such as funds, and the human support base that these kinds of works require, and over the years his impactful works have led to legislation, international bans and discussions in universities around the world.

The news website he founded, Ghana Business News, on which he has been working for the past 14 years, with no funding, and human resources, except occasional support from volunteer friends, he has continued to selflessly run, largely driven by his deep commitment to the high standards of journalism, love for country and the greater public interest, deepened by his many years of experience and training.

In 2014, he founded the journalism and communication skills training not-for-profit organisation, NewsBridge Africa. Since March 2016 they have trained more than 400 persons in Ghana, Liberia, Senegal and The Gambia. They include journalists, executives and communication officers of CSOs, citizen journalists and Members of Parliament of The Gambia.

NewsBridge Africa worked with organisations like the West Africa Civil Society Institute (WACSI), the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), ACIPP West Africa, the World Bank, the International Republican Institute (IRI), EITI, Open Ownership and Code for Africa on some of the training programmes.

I was pleasantly surprised when I received the email with the letter from the Office of the Vice Chancellor.

I had to double-check the URL, follow up with a phone call to verify the authenticity. I must say, the University of Ghana was the last place I expected any form of recognition to come from, considering the fact that in my 32 years of practice, I have barely received recognition from even organisations working in the areas that I cover, he said.

This recognition is both enthralling and humbling at the same time. To be considered as one of the 75 alumni out of more than 400,000 to be honoured by the university is a big deal, he added.

Mr Dogbevi holds a Bachelor of Art degree in Sociology from the University of Ghana and a Master of Science degree in Journalism from Columbia University in the City of New York, where he is also a Knight-Bagehot Fellow in Business and Economic Journalism.

This was originally published on NewsBridge Africa. We have permission to republish
The police in Lagos say effort is ongoing to arrest the driver of a LAGBUS Asset Management Limited vehicle who fled after he rammed into a building in Ikoyi on Tuesday, killing one and injuring another.

Police named the injured person as Dauda Lukas but said the deceased has yet to be identified.

Benjamin Hundeyin, the police spokesperson in Lagos, said the incident happened on Tuesday at about 11.10 p.m.

According to him, the police got a distress call that a LAGBUS bus with Reg. No. KSF 397 XK, driven by a yet-to-be-identified driver was involved in an accident.

He said the driver allegedly lost control of the bus, it crossed over to the other side of the road and rammed into a building in Bayo Kuku area, along Alfred Rewane Road, outward Falomo.

The spokesperson said that due to the impact of the accident, the building collapsed and its two occupants got trapped.

One of the victims named Dauda Lukas, 45, was rescued from the rubble with severe injury, while one other adult male, whose identity was yet to be established, was brought out dead.

The injured victim was taken to the Lagos Island General Hospital for treatment, while the corpse was deposited at the hospital mortuary for autopsy.
A former governor of Edo state, Adam Oshiomhole, has said that the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has no business in political decisions.

He spoke as a guest on Arise TVs Morning Show on Wednesday.

The APCs Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket had elicited widespread criticisms across the country, with groups such as CAN frowning at its insensitivity to Nigerias religious realities.

Some APC chieftains also criticised the move.

Bola Tinubu, a former Lagos governor and a southern Muslim, picked Kashim Shettima, a former Borno governor and a northern Muslim as his running mate for the 2023 presidential election.

CAN in all respects is not a political party, said Mr Oshiomhole.

And you do not expect people who have expectations and when they suddenly find that they are dashed to celebrate in terms of personal interests.

Mr Oshiomole said the body should be more concerned about the character of the chosen candidates and not the religion affiliation.

I think Nigerias challenges are beyond religion. If religion is the answer, we have both churches and we have more mosques. I think the issue before us which we have to spend time discussing is what will any of the presidential candidates do differently to expect a different outcome, he said.

I want to look at their background because none of them is new, or a stranger to public service. I want to be able to evaluate what they did before to convince me as to what they will do differently if given the opportunity.

I think these are the issues and given the serious situation we are in, in terms of the economy, security, you name it, I think this is what we should devote them to, to be honest, for me is dysfunctional, and evidence exists that Nigeria was probably at his best where religion did not feature whether under military rule and even thereafter.

The former chairman of the APC also said that he wants to see evidence that Muslims are safer right now, relative to Christians or that Christians are safer relative to Muslims.

When he was asked if Mr Tinubu will be running his campaign in continuity or departure from the last seven years, Mr Oshiomole said that in apportioning blame or credit, you look at their role.

It is the fact that Asiwaju by himself said yes he co-founded APC. I was a co-founder governor of APC, along with Fashola and other governors.

But he never participated in governance. Never held any position in government. He didnt carry out any contract on behalf of government.

He was also asked if he was proud of President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration and he said that Mr Buhari inherited a terrible economic situation.

He added that some progress has been made in many areas but new problems have developed.
Ekiti and Kwara states have agreed to take joint responsibility for monitoring the security situation in their boundary towns following threats in the areas.

A security meeting held on Tuesday at Otun Ekiti, brought together the leadership of the local governments of Moba, Ilejemeje, and Ero of Ekiti State, with their counterparts in Kwara State.

The meeting was in response to the threat of terrorists to attack the South-west states. The local governments are the major entry points from the North into the region.

The police in Ekiti had earlier issued an order of mobilisation to beef up security in the area councils.

Speaking on behalf of the meeting, the Chairman of Ero Local Council Development Area of Ekiti, Akin Alebiosu, admitted that the security alert was raised over the alleged infiltration of some forests in the South-west and North-central regions of the country.

Mr Alebiosu said though the alarm was still in the realm of conjecture, the four councils that shared borders between Ekiti and Kwara wont treat such life-threatening panic lightly.

The council boss stated that they had decided to work together by rallying local hunters and Amotekun corps to patrol the boundaries to ward off bandits, who had taken advantage of the poor security in the area.

This meeting was aimed at improving the security situation and how best to strengthen our security architecture in the current fight against kidnapping, killing, and herders-farmers clashes, he said.

It had been observed that anyone kidnapped in Ekiti was being freed in far away Kwara and those kidnapped in Kwara were brought to Ekiti and this shows that the borders must be fortified.

Part of our strategies is to rally our local hunters and Amotekun to be on patrol 24 hours and this they will do in collaboration with conventional security formations like Army, Police, and NSCDC.

The Chairman of Moba Local Government, Ibukun Adeoye, commended Governors Kayode Fayemi and AbdulRazaq Abdurahman for being sensitive to the plight of the people at the borders.

Mr Adeoye said the actions being taken by the two governors had helped in stemming the tide, adding that the situation could have been worse if not for the proactive steps being intensified by the two states.

There were indications last week that suspected Boko Haram terrorists as well as those of Islamic State West Africa Province were preparing to attack Lagos and some parts of the South-west.

The hint came from a leaked intelligence report which issued an alert to men of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps across the country.

The leader of the Oodua Peoples Congress, Gani Adams, had also followed the trend, alerting the public of possible terrorist attacks on the South-west states and warning that the armed groups had already infiltrated the regions forest.
A businesswoman, Asiata Oladejo, told a Mapo Grade A Customary Court in Ibadan to grant her divorce on grounds that her estranged husband, Abidemi, was undependable and had abandoned her at the mercy of armed robbers.

Mrs Oladejo made the submission on Wednesday in her counter-argument in the divorce suit filed by her husband.

My Lord, I am yet to recover from the shock I experienced when a gang of thieves caused an uproar in our house.

He hid in the toilet, leaving me to pant in front of armed robbers who terrorised the entire residents of the house.

My lord, when the thieves arrived at around 1 a.m. on that night, my husband was nowhere to be found to defend the children and I.

Unknown to me, he hid in the toilet. He only came out when they had gone. My husband wanted us to continue living in that house, she said.

She said that she begged him to rent another apartment, but he refused.

She accused her husband of being a habitual womaniser.

Abidemi, who is a fashion designer, earlier said that his wife was ill-tempered.

She comes to my shop unannounced to torment me.

It is true that I hid in the toilet when armed robbers attacked our house. All the attempts I made to bring her back home, failed because she said she was unnecessarily scared, he said.

He prayed the court to grant him custody of the three children because he had been a responsible father.

Delivering judgment, the President of the court, S.M. Akintayo granted the order restraining Mrs Oladejo from threatening, harassing, and interfering in the private life of Abidemi.

Mrs Akintayo granted custody of the three children to Mrs Oladejo, adding that she was in the best position to take care of them.

Both petitioner and respondent shall be responsible for the education and other welfare of the children.

In addition, Abidemi shall pay a monthly feeding allowance of N20,000 for the childrens upkeep.

Both of you must maintain peace and order, Mrs Akintayo held.

She, however, noted that there was no marriage to dissolve between the couple because their union could not be considered a marriage.

Mrs Akintayo added that it was not in accordance with the laid down customary laws of Nigeria. (NAN)
Adebayo Adelabu, a former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), has emerged as the governorship candidate of the Accord party in Oyo State.

Mr Adelabu emerged as the partys candidate on Wednesday at an affirmation congress of the party held at the Obafemi Awolowo Stadium in Ibadan.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that this development put to rest the speculations over Mr Adelabus next political move after defecting to the party from the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Mr Adelabu emerged as the candidate of the party after Ayodele Oyajide withdrew his candidature as the partys governorship flagbearer.

NAN reports that the event was attended by the partys national executives led by its Chairman, Mohammed Nalado, and a delegation of INEC led by the State Administrative Secretary, Biodun Amosu.

The event was also attended by the partys National Assembly candidates, Shina Peller (Oyo North); Kolapo Kola-Daisi (Oyo South); Nurudeen Faozey(Oyo Central); Ayodeji Abass-Aleshinloye; and Rotimi Ajanaku.

In his remarks, Mr Nalado urged members of the party to embrace peace and support all the partys candidates in the 2023 general election.

While handing over the partys flag to Mr Adelabu, he said the party was ready to provide the desired alternative in governance.

Also, Kolade Ojo, the State Chairman of the party, urged the people of the state to remain calm, assuring them that the state would experience the best of governance under Mr Adelabu.

Mr Ojo advised the party members to continue mobilising support for the victory of all the partys candidates in the 2023 general election.

Commenting, Mr Adelabu said that they were prepared to teach the people what democracy and good governance entail.

He called on the people of the state to support him and other candidates of the Accord party, promising to take the state to the desired heights.

Mr Adelabu said that victory was sure for all the partys candidates in 2023, urging members to embark on house-to-house and door-to-door mobilisation.

Mr Peller said that the Accord remained the party to beat in the 2023 general election, adding that they were prepared for victory. (NAN)
Global Credit Rating has affirmed NOVA Merchant Bank Limiteds national scale long and short-term ratings of BBB(NG) and A3(NG) respectively, with a Stable Outlook.

The ratings agency explained that NOVA was rated on the basis of its strong capital base as well as its financial position, adding, The ratings of NOVA Merchant Bank Limited reflect its sound capitalisation and good risk position, as characterised by minimal non-performing loans (NPL) and credit losses.

Citing the rationale for the ratings, GCR said; NOVA Merchant Bank operates within the Nigerian merchant banking subsector and continues to drive the evolution of its market position through the launch of bespoke customer-centric products/solutions and innovations to improve value propositions and meet the specific needs of its clients.

The banks capitalisation is considered sound, with capital adequacy ratio maintained above regulatory threshold of 10 per cent as of December 2021, reinforcing the headroom for risk asset growth and overall balance sheet capacity, the report noted.

NOVA Merchant Bank maintains stable funding and adequate liquidity. According to GCR, NOVA MBs funding structure is predominantly made up of deposits. At FY21, total deposits accounted for 95 per cent of the funding base (FY20: 93.1 per cent), with customer deposits increasing by 30.4 per cent during the year, on the back of improved deposits mobilisation capacity.

NOVAs Managing Director/CEO, Nath Ude, who commented on the ratings said, GCRs affirmations of NOVAs investment grade ratings and stable outlook, are instructive. The rating rationale succinctly reflects the sound governance, robust risk management and unrivalled record of asset quality. More importantly, the ratings construct underscores the strong credibility of the Bank, as highlighted by the adequate liquidity and stable funding metrics.

With continuous investment in people and technology, and more importantly innovative partnerships with credible clients, NOVA is primed to positively disrupt the merchant banking space, with the vision to unlock opportunities for our clients across the key growth sectors of the Nigerian economy, Mr Ude said.

The Chairman of the Bank, Phillips Oduoza, noted that given the challenging macroeconomic environment, the ratings demonstrate the efficiency of the governance structures put in place to ensure the long-term sustainability of the bank.

NOVA Merchant Bank offers an integrated suite of financial solutions covering Financial Intermediation, Wholesale Banking, Investment Banking, Asset Management, Wealth Management, Trade Services, Transaction Banking, Cash Management and Digital Banking
To mark the Independence Day commemorated on August 3, the Republic of Niger Wednesday honoured six Nigerians  two presidential aides, two businessmen and two state governors  with their national honours in recognition of their roles in the promotion of better relations between the two sister states.

The day is set aside to mark the nations independence from France in 1960 and since 1975 has been recognised as tree planting day as trees are planted across the nation to aid the fight against desertification.

In giving the awards, President Mohammed Bazoum said his country cherished Nigeria as one of its closest neighbours and friends.

Those honoured from the presidency are the Senior Special Assistant (Household and Domestic Affairs) to the President, Sarki Abba, and the State Chief of Protocol, Lawal Kazaure.

Businessmen who received the honours are Aliko Dangote, president of Dangote Group and Abdulsamad Rabiu, president BUA Group, and the two governors were Badaru Abubakar, Jigawa and Mohammed Matawalle, Zamfara State.

They were awarded the Order of Merit of Niger, Great Master of National Awards.

In various citations read by the countrys leader, President Bazoum praised the efforts of brother Nigerians who had made great strides in increasing understanding between the two nations and for acting as agents of social and economic development.

The Chairman of the Progressive Governors Forum and Governor of Kebbi State, Abubakar Bagudu, was one of those who graced the occasion.

Garba Shehu

Senior Special Assistant to the President

(Media & Publicity)

August 3, 2022
Nobel laureate, Wole Soyinka, and human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, have supported the call by PDP senators for the impeachment of President Muhammadu Buhari.

The duo spoke at an interactive session on Tuesday organised to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Abeokuta Club.

The PDP senators, who were joined by some of their APC colleagues, as well as their counterparts in the House of Representatives, had issued a six-week ultimatum to the president to find a solution to the insecurity plaguing the country or be impeached.

The opposition partys lawmakers had staged a walk-out from the senate chamber last week, after Ahmad Lawan, the Senate President, blocked moves to table the impeachment during plenary.

Elisha Abbo, an APC senator, supported the impeachment move against Mr Buhari.

The lawmaker who represents Adamawa North Senatorial District said the president had failed in his primary duty of securing the nation and its people.

Adamu Bulkachuwa, another APC senator representing Bauchi North, also backed the impeachment plan citing the worsening insecurity in the country.

Good governance or misgovernance

Tuesdays interactive session was moderated by Mr Soyinka, a professor of Comparative Literature.

The panellists, comprising Mr Falana; Registrar of the Joint Administration and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Is-haq Oloyede; a lawyer and Chartered Accountant, Gbenga Adeoye; Ogoooluwa Bankole; and Sunday Oduntan discussed the topic Good governance or misgovernance: The contract called democracy.

Mr Soyinka noted that the president should be impeached because he had breached the contract of democracy.

Very often the grounds for breach of contract, I think we all agree, is misgovernance and one of the ways of breaking this kind of contract we know even before the duration of a contract is known as impeachment, he said.

In fact, one cleric has gone even further, he believes that the impeachment should take place, not in the legislative home but in the bush with the kidnappers and he appealed to the kidnappers to quicken the process by impeaching the president and take him away and some of his aides and one or two governors.

Mr Soyinka argued that the president had also insisted on choosing his successor, a path which he described as breaching contract democracy.

I am a moderator here today, he continued.

If I want to go to the toilet and I will be away for a few minutes and I want to appoint somebody in my place, I am likely to look for somebody who moderates like I do, someone who shares principles with my moderation, the same methodology and perhaps the same position, somebody whom I believe will moderate effectively as I have tried to do.

In any democracy, any president, any prime minister or whatever is entitled to one vote. We are not saying we should disenfranchise somebody because they are on top of governance.

Mr Soyinka berated the state governors who reportedly visited Mr Buhari to request a successor.

READ ALSO: APC senator backs impeachment plan against Buhari

Mr Falana also criticised the president for seeking permission from the governors to choose his successor.

As a follow-up, what the president did say is that allow me to choose my successor because in your states you have appointed your successors without any interference,' Mr Falana said.

In his contribution, Mr Oloyede urged Nigerians to also berate the state governments for their involvement in the failure of governance.

What have we entrusted to the state that has not failed? They destroyed our public primary schools. Primary education is supposed to be at the residual level that the state and local government should take care of. How many of us are ready to send our children to public schools?

The state destroyed all these primary schools. Where are the health centres built? Where are the health clinics in the states?
The Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, Tuesday, said voluntary conciliation was adopted to ensure a quick resolution of the strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

Mr Ngige made this known at the commencement of a three-day capacity-building workshop on International Labour Standards and Dispute Resolution in Nigeria on Tuesday in Abuja.

The workshop is organised by the Industrial Arbitration Panel (IAP) in collaboration with the International Labour Organisation (ILO).

The minister said that voluntary conciliation was adopted instead of arbitration in order not to delay the resolution process with the striking lecturers.

I could have transmitted the matter to the IAP or the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN).

But I used my discretion to weigh the situation to know if it would cause more delay in the resolution of the dispute in a court process, he said.

The minister, however, recalled that ASUU had embarked on strike on February 14 and voluntary conciliation started on February 22 and subsequently, on March 1.

According to him, by the second meeting, most of the issues arising from the 2020 Memorandum of Action (MOA) signed between ASUU and the Ministry of Education with other government agencies involved were conciliated leaving out only two.

The two outstanding issues were the conditions of service, which according to the 2009 Agreement would be reviewed every four years.

The last review was in 2013 and we started the review in 2018 under Wale Babalakin (SAN) as the chairman of the renegotiation committee. We could not conclude because Babalakin left.

A new committee headed by Munzali came. Munzali finished his work and put in his report at the Federal Ministry of Education, he said.

He noted that all the committees including the previous Onosode committee were all internal committees of the Ministry of Education.

He said that they discussed with the unions and gave them offers and counter offers vis-a-vis what they wanted.

Once the committees finished, their products are sent up.

The major issue here is salary and wage review. That is where they are before ASUU embarked on strike, he said.

Mr Ngige said that once a strike occurred, it triggered the content of the Trade Dispute Act (TDA) on how to resolve the industrial action.

He said the ministry of education was still handling the matter and it was transmitted back to them.

If a party wants us to transmit a matter back to them to have a second look, you assist them. That is what you call voluntary conciliation.

It is voluntary because if I apprehend and bring all the parties to the negotiation table and a party requests that I should take the matter to NICN, I will do so, he said.

Mr Ngige also described the workshop as one of the reforms ongoing in his ministry as some arbitrators had not fully understood the tenets of the panel of IAP and were handicapped in discharging their duties.

He described arbitration as one of the statutory stages in trade dispute resolution commencing with internal mechanisms.

In addition to the workshop billed to reform the way and manner of discharging the statutory function of the IAP.

The labour laws have been worked on by tripartite body, comprising the government, employers and workers representatives.

This is in the form of the two federations of trade unions to take on board on the new developments in labour legislations and fill in identified anomalies and lacunae in our current labour laws, he said.

He added that the bills were at the stage of proceeding to the Federal Executive Council (FEC) for further necessary action before going to the National Assembly for consideration.

Mr Ngige said the passage of the bills would be the new dawn of labour administration in the country.

The Chief Registrar of IAP, Abduhamid Ibrahim, said the purpose of the workshop was to provide a unique opportunity for members of IAP and its management staff.

They will acquire sound knowledge and experience in modern skills regarding labour disputes prevention and resolution in line with international labour standards, he said.

ILO Country Director to Nigeria, Vanessa Phala, called for investment in studies and research to quantify what should be the impact of social dialogue and collective bargaining in the development processes.

She also called for the development of indicators and parameters to measure social and industrial relations and how their governance impacts productivity.

If we invest in these domains, I am sure we shall stand and win the battle against poverty and misery, she said.

(NAN)
West Africas lucrative gold trade has a costly dark side. Discrepancies in data on gold production and trade between Mali and Dubai in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) expose a massive illegal business, particularly in the artisanal mining sector. These illicit dealings not only strip West African countries of billions of dollars but fuel conflict through the financing of violent extremism.

Rising global gold prices have attracted significant interest in the metals extraction from local and international investors, especially in rural small-scale mining. Mali is Africas third biggest gold exporter, and around a third of its total production comes from artisanal mining. In 2016, the country exported 67 tonnes of gold valued at $2.2 billion. Of that, 46.9 tonnes were mined by industrial producers, with the remaining 20.1 tonnes extracted through artisanal means.

But although the UAE imported $1.52 billion in gold from Mali in 2016, Bamako recorded only $216 million in exports. Likewise, in 2014, Mali declared a gold production of 45.8 tonnes against the UAEs import from Mali of 59.9 tonnes.

Mali taxes only the first 50 kg of gold exported per month, incentivising gold smugglers to ship the metal from Mali for a large tax break. This makes the country a magnet for the illegal gold trade in West Africa, which lacks a regional tax coordination framework.

An estimated 80 per cent of the artisanal gold in Malis supply chain is produced in Senegal. Porous borders, geographical proximity, transboundary ethnic affinity, safer routes through illegal entry points and years of instability in Mali facilitate the illicit trade. And although Senegalese customs authorities require gold traders to provide an official gold purity analysis certificate, most local traders rely on informal transactions and rarely produce such documents.

Mali is also used as a gateway to UAE gold markets by its neighbours and beyond. Libya and Venezuela recently used Mali as a platform to export their gold illegally to Dubai. In 2020, gold trafficking to Mali apparently brought in about $1 billion to the government of Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela.

Armed groups and terrorists in Africa are also using the illegal gold trade with Dubai to finance their activities, an anonymous expert on Africas gold trade told the ENACT project. In 2021 two terrorist groups engaged in a fierce battle to control gold mining sites in Malis Gourma region. And Swiss company Valcambi sourced significant quantities of the metal from Kaloti, a Dubai gold smelting firm, which was likely linked to armed groups in Sudan in 2012.

Gold illegally traded between Mali and Dubai is hand-carried by couriers transporting an average of 10 kg per trip. Flights between Mali and Dubai cost around $500, the equivalent of about 10 g to 12 g of gold, making a single trip profitable. Some traffickers move up to 40 kg of gold to Dubai every week. This is facilitated by corrupt airport staff, such as customs officers and police authorities in Bamako.

In the UAE, legal loopholes, weak import procedures and questionable practices by UAE-based buyers and the Dubai Multi Commodities Centre (DMCC) facilitate illegal trade. For instance, passengers arriving in the UAE are exempted from customs declarations for gold carried in hand luggage. So smugglers coming from Mali to sell their wares in Dubais Gold Souk need only present buyers with the UAE customs form that simply proves the gold was legally declared to customs officials.

There are also problems with how the DMCC traces the origin and supply chain of gold brought into the country. UAE customs dont require information about the golds origin. Most of the illegally traded gold is sold first in the Dubai Gold Souk and then onward to refineries and jewellers. The identity of foreign firms purchasing the metal from Dubai-based refineries is unknown.

Moreover, auditing of the DMCC is reportedly weak. Ernst & Young has been accused of unlawful, unprofessional and unethical conduct over its relationship with the commodities centre. The accounting firm is believed to have helped an Emirati gold refiner rewrite its compliance report for the DMCC to modify the audit findings.

Because many West African artisanal miners struggle to finance their activities, they take loans from Emiratis that can only be paid back through exporting their gold to the UAE. This isnt necessarily illegal, but most of this gold is probably exported through illicit channels.

Mali and the UAE must strengthen both domestic strategies and procedures, and bilateral and regional cooperation to close the gaps that enable the illegal gold trade. Dubais airport authorities need to closely control and monitor the hand-carried gold arriving from Mali and Africa. Travellers must provide genuine certificates authenticating the country of origin and tax receipts in the exporting country.

Malis tax incentives are attractive for neighbouring smugglers. West African states should harmonise their tax policies and regulations on gold, starting with better coordination among countries in the Economic Community of West African States. Smugglers would then have fewer commercial route opportunities.

Finally, traceability is difficult because of the informal nature of artisanal mining. One way to fix this is to identify all actors in the trading chain. Because most illegally traded gold from Mali is sold in the Dubai Gold Souk and then onward to refiners and jewellers worldwide, buyers identities should be revealed. International political and economic partners should pressure UAE authorities to be more transparent in this regard.

Abdelkader Abderrahmane, Senior Researcher, ENACT project, Institute for Security Studies (ISS) Dakar

ENACT is funded by the European Union and implemented by the Institute for Security Studies and INTERPOL, in affiliation with the Global Initiative against Transnational Organised Crime.

(This article was first published by ISS Today, a Premium Times syndication partner. We have their permission to republish).
The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has announced the redeployment of a total of 69 senior officials for different reasons.

This is as the agency has constituted an anti-corruption team in partnership with the Independent Corrupt Practices And Other Offences Commission (ICPC).

These developments are contained in separate statements issued by the NIS and signed by its Public Relations Officer, Amos Okpu, an Assistant Comptroller of Immigration.

Redeployment

According to the statement, the redeployed officers have been posted to various zones and command formations across the country, and that the posting is with immediate effect.

The statement reads in part; The deployment is contained in a circular vide NIS/HQ/ADM/4423/170 and dated 1 August, 2022.

In the posting order, eight Assistant Comptrollers General (ACG) and 61 Comptrollers of Immigration (CIS) were moved across Divisions, Zones and Commands.

NIS listed some of the officials affected to include the Assistant Comptroller General (ACG) formerly in charge of Ogun State Command, Kolawole Amao, who has now been deployed to the General Services Division at the Service Headquarters Abuja, while Kemi Nandap, another ACG who was formerly in-charge of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Command, is now the head of the Combined Expatriate and Residence Permit Card Division (CERPAC) at the Service Headquarters.

Replacing Ms Nandap at the MMIA Command is Adeola Adesokan who has been moved from Training and Staff Development (ISD) in Abuja, while the acting Principal Staff Officer (PSO) to the Comptroller General, Ahmed Mustapha, has been replaced by MM Saddiq, a Comptroller.

Mr Mustapha is now the Comptroller for Kano State Command while Gwama Muhammad, promoted as a comptroller, now heads the Idi-Iroko Border Command.

Similarly, ACG Abdullahi Usman is now the Head of the Division of Regular Migration at the Service Headquarters while ACG BN Alawode becomes the Head of Welfare and Gender and ACC EC Esedo is the Zonal Coordinator, Zone D in Minna, the statement said.

Meanwhile, others who have been moved include the Passport Control Officer at the Passport Office in Ikoyi, Lagos, Abolupe Bewaji, who is billed to resume at the Service Headquarters, and MA Ushie of the Document Fraud Unit has been moved to the Diplomatic and Official Passport Division, among others.

The Comptroller General, Isah Idris, enjoins all the officers deployed to continue to avail the Service their rich experiences in their new Commands and Formations in order to improve service delivery and national security, the statement said.

Anti-corruption team

Meanwhile, the comptroller general has pledged his support to the newly inaugurated anti-corruption team of the agency, saying he was committed to fighting the menace to standstill.

Mr Idris, who said every necessary effort shall be made to frontally combat all forms of sharp practices across commands and formations in the Service, stated this recently at the induction ceremony of newly nominated personnel into the NIS Anti-Corruption and Transparency Unit (ACTU) of the Service in Abuja.

He said; I need not over-emphasise the fact that corruption remains one of the main plagues threatening the growth and survival of our country. It has continued to take its toll on virtually all areas of our national endeavours. In some instances, corrupt practices are becoming part of the acceptable societal norms. This is dangerous and must be resisted by all persons of goodwill.

I must inform you that your assignment as members of ACTU may not be easy because corruption and indeed corrupt persons will always fight back but I assure you of regular support from management to enable you to make a meaningful impact.

Mr Idris commended the efforts of the ICPC leadership for what he described as the robust relationship and collaboration between the two agencies and called for its sustenance.

Also speaking during the inauguration, the ICPC chairman, Bolaji Owasoneye, commended the NIS for the effort to join in the fight against corrupt and poor service delivery practices.

Mr Owasanoye, who was represented by an official of the agency, Abbia Udofia, enjoined the nominees to understand the enormous responsibilities imposed on them and urged them to remain exemplary, firm and focussed in the discharge of their duties.
An alumnus of the College of Medicine, University of Ibadan (CoMUI), Philip Ozuah, has donated $1,000,000, amounting to N417 million based on the official exchange rate of N417 to a dollar as posted by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) on 3 August.

The amount could, however, be as high as N645 million if exchanged at the parallel market, otherwise known as black market, which reportedly traded at N645 to a dollar.

The donor announced the sum on 1 August during a virtual sod-turning ceremony for a student hostel project.

Mr Ozuah, who was also the keynote speaker and fundraiser-in-chief at the ceremony, said the donation was to support the construction of the colleges new student hostel and other infrastructural repairs.

The hostel project was initiated by the management of the college in partnership with the Ibadan College of Medicine Alumni Association Worldwide (ICOMAA-WW).

College management confirms

Confirming the development, the college in a statement on its website noted that the alumnus was a classmate of the Provost of the College of Medicine, Olayinka Omigbodun, who requested that alumni should come together and help build a much needed new hostel for students of CoMUI.

In July, the provost in a video made the call to alumni and other members of the college to support the building of the hostel and other structures.

She said: This is a clarion call of all members of the College of Medicine University of Ibadan Alumni Association to join us, to partner with us, strengthen and scale up the College of Medicine University of Ibadan structures and systems on Monday, 1 August.

I invite you to join us at the Sod-Turning Ceremony for the College of Medicine University of Ibadan and the College of Medicine Alumni Association Student Hostel project.

Precedent

This is the second time institutions associated with Nigerias premier university, University of Ibadan, would turn to the public for support due to dwindling government support and decaying infrastructure.

The universitys teaching hospital had earlier publicly requested support after the report alleged imposition of mandatory N1,000 electricity bill on patients was made public.

Earlier in July, a former member of Nigerias House of Representatives, Lanre Laoshe, had donated to the hospital 1,000 litres of diesel, following a public request by the facilitys Chief Medical Director, Jesse Otegbayo.

The institutions facilities, which had in the past been ranked as some of the best globally, are fast degenerating, but the government seems incapable of sustaining them.

The story is the same for almost all public academic and health institutions nationwide.

About Mr Ozuah

Though other alumni members of the college donated generously towards lifting the academic institution during the event, Mr Ozuahs contribution was the lions share.

He was said to have earned his Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) programme at the college in 1985 before proceeding abroad for further studies.

The donor is currently the President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Montefiore Einstein Medicine, the umbrella association for the Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Montefiore health systems.

According to the college provost, in a video posted online, Mr Ozuah after earning his medical degree from the college, went for his Paediatrics internship at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine and proceeded to the University of Southern California School of Medicine for his post-doctoral fellowship.

She added that; He served as Professor and University Chairman of Paediatrics at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Physician-in-Chief of Childrens Hospital at Montefiore.

He expanded access to underserved communities, under his leadership, Montefiore health systems specialties have run top 100 per cent of the nations hospitals.

ALSO READ: Senate approves establishment of Federal University of Medicine in Abeokuta

He receives more than 200 million dollars in annual research awards from the NIH and he leads an organisation that is owed to 800 MD students, 190 PhD students, 120 students in the combined MD PhD programme and 200 post-doctoral research fellows.

More donations

Before the sod-turning ceremony, the medical college said it had received donations from other alumni members.

In June, at the 2022 Annual General Meeting of ICOMAA North America Branch, the class of 1989 donated $30,000 towards the project.

Also, two alumni identified as Dolamu and Modupe Shokunbi, the President and Publicity Secretary of ICOMAA-North America donated $6,000 towards the project.

Similarly, the college disclosed that an alumna of the MBBS Graduating Class of 1990, Olajumoke Banjo and her husband, Ayodele Banjo have donated $12,000 towards the student hostel project.

In her comments, Mrs Banjo was quoted as saying: I am grateful for the training provided by our medical school. It was a foundation for our marital union as our first meeting place. The degree from the college enabled us to settle in different continents of the world and encouraged my daughter to follow in the profession.
On Tuesday night in Manchok Kaduna State gunmen killed the father of a correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Daniel Yatai, and abducted his niece, Brenda Friday.

The gunmen also abducted the Rector of the Federal School of Statistics, Machok, Amos Magbon.

Mr Yatai, 86, is a retiree of the Nigeria Railway Corporation in 1991.

His daughter, Christiana Yatai, who witnessed the murder and abduction said the gunmen came to the house at about 11:15 p.m.

We were five in the house; myself, my dad, my mum, two of my niece and a nephew. They asked us to open the door and when we refused, they broke the main entrance and gained access to the house.

My father was in his room and one of them wearing a mask, who was outside, shot him through the window and the bullet hit him from the back.

Those who entered the house later went to his room and finished him up.

They went away with one of my nieces, Brenda Friday, 21, a final year student of Kaduna State College of Education, Gidan Waya, she narrated.

ALSO READ: Gunmen release 15 abducted Enugu residents

Another child of the deceased, Joseph Yatai, said the gunmen later contacted the family and demanded a N15 million ransom to release her.

Similarly, the brother of the abducted rector, Innocent Magbon, said the gunmen also reached out to the family to ask for a N15 million ransom.

When contacted for his comments on the issue, Kaduna Police Command spokesperson, DSP Mohammed Jalige, promised to get back to NAN.
The Nigerian government has fined a private TV station for airing a documentary about terrorism during which some of the terrorists were interviewed.

The N5 million fine on Trust Tv was imposed by the National Broadcasting Commission, which regulates broadcast stations, according to a statement by the management of the television station.

The fine came a few days after the Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed, announced that the government would sanction Trust TV and BBC for airing separate documentaries about terrorism during which some of the terrorists were interviewed.

The threat by Mr Mohammed had been condemned by many Nigerians and rights groups including the civil rights group, SERAP.

Undeterred by the public reaction, NBC wrote to Trust TV on Wednesday about the fine.

The NBC, in a letter to our company dated August 3, 2022, which was signed by its Director General, Balarabe Shehu Illela, said the fine was imposed on Trust TV because its broadcast of the said documentary contravened sections of the National Broadcasting Code.

While we are currently studying the Commissions action and weighing our options, we wish to state unequivocally that as a television station, we believe we were acting in the public interest by shedding light on the thorny issue of banditry and how it is affecting millions of citizens of our country, Trust TV said in its statement on Wednesday.

Read the full statement below.

The National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has imposed a fine of N5 million on Trust Television Network (Trust TV) over the broadcast of the documentary titled Nigerias Banditry: The Inside Story, which was aired by the station on the 5th of March, 2022.

The NBC, in a letter to our company dated August 3, 2022, which was signed by its Director General, Balarabe Shehu Illela, said the fine was imposed on Trust TV because its broadcast of the said documentary contravened sections of the National Broadcasting Code.

ALSO READ: Police deny walking out magistrate from station

While we are currently studying the Commissions action and weighing our options, we wish to state unequivocally that as a television station, we believe we were acting in the public interest by shedding light on the thorny issue of banditry and how it is affecting millions of citizens of our country.

The documentary traces the root of the communal tensions and systemic inadequacies which led to the armed conflict that is setting the stage for another grand humanitarian crisis in Nigeria. It presents insights into the intersection of injustice, ethnicity and bad governance as drivers of the conflict. It also aggregates voices of experts and key actors towards finding solutions, including those of the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, Senator Saidu Mohammed Dansadau, who hails from one of the worst-hit communities in Zamfara State.

Other experts who featured in the documentary include scholars like Professor Abubakar Saddique of the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria and Dr Murtala Ahmed Rufai of the Usmanu Danfodio University, Sokoto, who have both studied the subject of banditry for a long period.

The documentary also brought to the fore the horrifying stories of victims of banditry.
The kidnappers who abducted a student of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso in Oyo State, Rachael Opadele; a hotelier, Olugbenga Owolabi; and one other have killed them after receiving the ransom.

Ms Opadele, who was working with the hotelier (Owolabi), due to the ongoing nationwide strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), and the others were abducted on Friday in Ogbomoso.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) gathered on Wednesday that the victims were reportedly shot dead on Tuesday evening by the kidnappers after collecting N5 million as ransom.

A family source, who pleaded anonymity, said that a motorcycle operator, who carried the man with the ransom to the designated spot in the bush, was also killed, while the ransom carrier sustained injuries.

The source said that the abductees and motorcycle operator were shot dead in anger, while the ransom carrier is currently receiving medical attention in an undisclosed hospital.

The ransom was taken to the bush on Ogbomoso-Ilorin Expressway, around the Igbon area.

The source said that the kidnappers became angry when they noticed the presence of soldiers at the LAUTECH area.

The soldiers had stormed Ogbomoso on Tuesday in order to beef up security as a result of the increasing rate of kidnapping in the area.

When contacted, Adewale Osifeso, the Police Public Relations Officer, who neither confirmed nor denied the reports, promised to get back to NAN.

However, as of the time of filing this report at about 4.33 p.m., Mr Osifeso has yet to get back to the NAN correspondent. (NAN)
The trial of the former Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, who has been in detention in the UK for the past 42 days, will continue Thursday.

Mr Ekweremadu and his wife, Beatrice Ekweremadu, were on 23 June arrested in the UK by London Met Police and charged with conspiracy to traffic a child to the United Kingdom in order to harvest organs.

According to the prosecutors, the couple has a daughter who has a kidney-related disease and has been on dialysis for quite some time. They added that they believe the plan was to use an organ from the boy on their daughter who needs a kidney transplant.

In a turn of events, David Nwamini (alleged victim of trafficking) told doctors he was 15 and was coerced by the Ekweremadus into donating his kidney.

However, the Nigerian government said all its records show that Mr Nwamini was not a minor and was 21 years old.

The Westminster Magistrate Court in the United Kingdom later ruled that he is not a minor.

The Ekweremadus are facing charges of conspiring to traffick a person for organ harvesting in violation of the Modern Slavery Act 2015.

The case was transferred to Central Criminal Court in London popularly known as Old Bailey where Mrs Ekweremadu was granted bail on stringent conditions. But the senator was denied bail because he was said to be a flight risk.

The trial preparation hearing is scheduled to take place on Thursday and a subsequent trial next year.

Obinna Obeta, a Nigerian doctor practising in the UK, has been charged with plotting with the Ekweremadus to traffic a man into the UK to harvest a kidney for their daughter.

Mr Obeta appeared before Bexley Magistrates court on 13 July and is charged under the Modern Slavery Act with arranging the travel of a 21-year-old man between August 2021 and May 2022 to exploit him.

Chiamaka Okafor is a reporter at Premium Times in partnership with Report for the World, which matches local newsrooms with talented emerging journalists to report on under-covered issues around the globe.
The Commissioner of Police in Imo State, Ahmed Barde, has ordered investigation into the killing of seven security guards in Umuafom, Orogwe, a community in Owerri West Local Government Area of Imo State, Nigerias South-east.

The police spokesperson in the state, Michael Abattam, disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday.

PREMIUM TIMES reported how gunmen invaded the community on Monday, killing the security guards and injuring others.

Mr Abattam said police operatives were deployed in the area as soon as they received a distress call about the attack, but that the hoodlums escaped before the operatives arrived at the scene.

He said the police received information that the gunmen stormed the community in a black Lexus SUV and three motorcycles carrying two persons each.

He said the armed men snatched a blue-coloured Toyota Sienna vehicle before escaping.

The gunmen are suspected to be members of the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra and its militant wing, Eastern Security Network.

The police spokesperson said a team of the police operatives pursued the gunmen, but were unable to capture them.

He said the divisional police officer in charge of Ogbaku Police Headquarters, Owerri and other officers, rushed the injured persons to the Federal Medical Centre Owerri.

Regrettably, a total of seven persons lost their lives in the attack while six others sustained injuries, Mr Abattam said.

Although the spokesperson said the victims were tenants in the area, he was silent on whether they were security guards.

The Commissioner of Police, Mr Barde, while ordering investigation into the incident, assured that the police would go all out to ensure that those who carried out the attack were tracked down.

He appealed to residents in the state to volunteer information on crimes and criminals to the police and other security agencies.
The police in Oyo State say the 147 passengers aboard a truck from Zamfara and intercepted in Oyo State on Tuesday were predominantly farmers and traders heading to Ogun State.

Adewale Osifeso, the police spokesperson in the state, said in a statement in Ibadan on Wednesday that the command will continue to maintain a proactive stance towards ensuring that the lives and property of the people are properly secured.

He said solid communal partnerships with stakeholders, confidence-building patrols, and technology-infused surveillance duties are among the strategies amassed toward comprehensive security provisions for the residents and guests of the state.

The statement said the Commissioner of Police, Adebowale Williams, warned against spreading falsehood and unverified information capable of creating unnecessary panic amongst residents.

He also advised the media and public against spreading false information about the 140 passengers arrested in Ibadan.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that a truck was intercepted on Tuesday with 147 passengers on the Iyana Bodija  Iso Pako road in Ibadan and handed over to the Amotekun and police.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the truck and its passengers, who are predominantly farmers and traders, were heading to Ogere, Ogun State from Kaura Namoda, Zamfara.

The blue Iveco Truck with Reg No. BWR 143XD, driven by Abdulahi Aliu, 30, was conveying 147 passengers comprising;140 men aged between 12 and 30 years, four women, and three girls.

The truck was thoroughly searched and its passengers profiled by a combined team of the Police, men of the Department of State Services, and Western Nigeria Security Network, Codenamed Amotekun to eliminate possibilities of ferrying escapees from any recorded jailbreaks within the country.

The search revealed that the truck was conveying eight motorcycles and bags of beans and onions to be dropped off with their owners at the Bodija Market.

Upon the conclusion of the process, the truck and its passengers were escorted out of the state and have since been handed over and received by security operatives in Ogun, he said.

Fear of an attack by terrorists, who had already struck several times in the federal capital, Abuja, has been gradually spreading across South-west Nigeria.

The fear came after rumours of infiltration of the terrorists into forests in the region emerged on social media last week.

On Sunday, the police in Lagos said their officers had been placed on alert following reports of a planned attack by gunmen from border communities.

A day earlier, the State Security Services (SSS) arrested a suspected Boko Haram leader masquerading as a security man in Abeokuta, Ogun State.

On Tuesday, Ekiti and Kwara states agreed to take joint responsibility for monitoring the security situation in their boundary towns following threats in the areas.

(NAN)
President/Chief Executive of Dangote Industries Limited, Aliko Dangote, has been conferred with the Commander of the Order of Merit of Niger award by the President of the Republic of Niger, His Excellency Mohamed Bazoum in Niamey.

According to the certificate of conferment presented to Mr Dangote in Niamey, the nations capital, the award was in appreciation for his services rendered to the Republic of Niger and as well as a tribute to his business acumen and philanthropy.

It should be recalled that his Foundation, the Aliko Dangote Foundation (ADF) intervened in various ways to improve healthcare and routine immunisation in Niger Republic and her neighbouring countries namely Nigeria and Chad.

Mr Dangote had earlier been conferred with the Commander of the National Order of Valour of the Republic of Cameroon, and the Grand Commander of the National Order of the Republic of Benin.

In a related development, Aliko Dangote Foundation, alongside the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) and GAVI the Vaccine Alliance have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the government of the Republic of Niger on a collaboration for improving the Expanded Programme on Immunisation in Diffa, Maradi and Zinder regions, which are along the countrys southern border with Nigeria.

The Nigerien national award by the president is in recognition of the various health-related interventions by the Aliko Dangote Foundation including financial support to the tune of $500,000 to help fight a previous Meningitis outbreak and another cholera outbreak; NGN250 million for the provision of food for refugees and displaced persons; and $1,000,000 (one million dollars) support for enhanced routine immunisation in the three identified regions of Diffa, Maradi and Zinder.

Aliko Dangote Foundation and BMGF had played key roles in a historic certification by the World Health Organisation of a polio-free Nigeria and Africa in August 2020. The same successful template which was applied to ensure eradication of polio in northern Nigeria in partnership with six states namely Bauchi, Borno, Kaduna, Kano, Sokoto and Yobe, is also being applied by ADF to enhance routine immunisation and adequate vaccination around Nigerias borders with the Republics of Niger and Chad.

The three regions of Diffa, Maradi and Zinder share a common border with Northern Nigeria and together make up almost 28% of Nigers land area and about 40% of the countrys population.

Speaking on the MoU partnership, which was signed in May 2022, the Managing Director of Aliko Dangote Foundation stated that ADF is committing $1 million over 3 years; BMGF are providing $2 million, while GAVI is bringing in $10 million worth of vaccines under this MoU. ADF and BMGF are bringing in the money required to stimulate demand for the vaccines that GAVI is bringing in to ensure maximum uptake and coverage.

The MoU was signed between the Government of the Republic of Niger represented by the Ministry of Public Health, the Population and Social Affairs, the Ministry of Interior & Decentralisation and the Ministry of Finance on the one hand, and the Incorporated Trustees of Aliko Dangote Foundation (ADF) and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), two independent endowed charities and GAVI, the Vaccine Alliance, a Global Public-Private Partnership on the other hand.

The Foundations are committed to providing technical and financial support to the Government of Niger to strengthen its vaccine programmes gradually and sustainably improve its coverage in the Diffa, Maradi and Zinder regions in order to prevent vaccine-preventable diseases.

Gavi, according to the MoU, will continue its support for immunisation in the selected priority districts in the three regions, in accordance with the agreement already signed with the Government of Niger, the strategic objectives of the Health System Strengthening Project (HSS3) grant and the approved financing.

In order to protect the target populations against poliomyelitis and other vaccine-preventable diseases, the government of Niger is committed to strengthening the routine vaccine programme and to reduce morbidity and mortality in the regions of Diffa, Maradi and Zinder.

The objective of the MoU is to collaborate on strengthening vaccination in Niger to improve the delivery of routine vaccine services in the three regions in order to achieve full vaccination coverage of 90% of the target population by December 2024; to ensure that at least 90% of districts achieve 90% Penta 3 vaccination coverage; to vaccinate 90% of the zero doses identified; to stop poliovirus transmission and maintain polio-free status; and to ensure consistent national funding and procurement of vaccines in order to secure a sustained and steady supply of all routine vaccines throughout the country.

In August 2020, President Muhammadu Buhari praised Bill and Melinda Gates, Aliko Dangote and Emeka Offor at the formal certification of the Wild Polio Virus eradication in the African region during the virtual session of the 70th World Health Organisation (WHO) regional committee for Africa in the State House, Abuja.

His commendation came as Aliko Dangote emphasised the need for governments across Africa, particularly the federal and state governments in Nigeria, to increase their budgetary allocations to the health sector to improve basic healthcare for the people. Dangote, in his remarks at the event, expressed deep satisfaction at the final eradication of wild polio in Nigeria, and by extension Africa after years of hard work and collaboration among stakeholders.

The renowned humanitarian, who was commended alongside the Co-Chair of Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Mr. Bill Gates, pledged to devote more of his wealth to support the provision of adequate quality healthcare to curb maternal and child mortality.

Mr Dangote commended the efforts of top officials of the Foundation, including the CEO, Zouera Youssoufou and Community Engagement Lead Ahmed Iya for their untiring efforts in ensuring the end of polio in Nigeria, as well as the various state and federal government agencies and development partners who collaborated to make the certification possible.

These, among others, include the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the WHO, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the UK Department for International Development (DfID) (now FCDO), the Federal Ministry of Health, the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) and the Governors and Health Ministries of Kano, Kaduna, Bauchi, Borno, Sokoto and Yobe States.
Court workers, lawyers, and reporters were already seated by 9 a.m. inside the courtroom at the State High Court 1, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, on 27 July.

They were waiting for the Chief Judge of the state, Ekaette Obot, who superintends over the court.

It was a defamation suit between the Akwa Ibom State Governor, Udom Emmanuel, who is the claimant, and Leo Ekpenyong, a lawyer, the defendant.

Justice Obot stepped in around 10 a.m. and instructed her police orderly to bring two police officers into the court.

Bring in two police officers inside the court, the judge yelled, as her orderly ran outside, apparently to fetch the officers.

The two officers, armed with AK47 rifles, came in and sat inside the court.

I am coming in anger today. I will not tolerate any nonsense from anybody, Justice Obot said loudly.

The judge sat down and asked the counsels to call their cases. The atmosphere inside the courtroom by now was tense.

Samuel Ikpo, the claimants counsel, announced his appearance with a female lawyer, while Inibehe Effiong, counsel for defendant, appeared with Augustine Asuquo.

Cross examination

The day was for the cross-examination of the claimant witness, Richard Peters, a priest with the African Church and a media aide to Governor Emmanuel.

Mr Peters mounted the witness box. He took an oath.

The oath administrator requested that any other witness in the matter should leave the courtroom. Nobody went out.

There was silence in the courtroom.

The defense counsel, Mr Effiong, drew the courts attention to his pending applications for the judge to recuse herself from the case because of alleged bias or the likelihood of bias.

The judge asked if the applications were properly filed and ripe for hearing.

She said the applications would be taken on a different date, and then directed Mr Effiong to proceed on cross-examination of the witness.

Mr Effiong pleaded that his application be heard, but the judge said it was her court and that she was the one directing proceedings.

From the look on his face, Mr Effiong appeared unhappy. He, however, put up a smile and began by asking the witness, Mr Peters, if he knew the consequences of lying under oath.

Yes, Mr Peters answered.

The lawyer asked the witness if he knew what the offence would be if he lied under oath. Mr Peter said he could not recall, but that, as a Christian, he knew it was not good to lie on oath.

Mr Peter said the law should take its course if they found him guilty, when Mr Effiong told him he could be prosecuted for perjury if they found out that he lied under oath.

Why always me?

Midway into the proceedings, Justice Obot stared into the gallery. We were basically news reporters at the gallery. Two of my colleagues (reporters) were seated in the second row, while I (wearing a red T-shirt) sat with the Daily Post reporter, Lovina Anthony, in the third row.

That man in red! Stand up! Justice Obot said loudly. It was an order, and I knew she was referring to me, since I was the only person at the gallery who put on a red-colour clothing.

I stood up immediately.

Who are you? she asked.

I quickly identified myself as a journalist from PREMIUM TIMES newspaper.

Excuse us in the court, the judge told me.

Justice Obots action surprised me. Why always me? I asked myself.

About a month ago, Justice Obot similarly ordered me to leave her court during a previous proceeding on the same defamation matter.

For this latest incident, as I was walking out of the courtroom, she commanded a police officer, Search him well!

The officer found my phone inside my pocket and told the judge that I was recording the proceedings.

Seize the phone! she commanded the officer.

I handed over the phone.

For those reading this, it is necessary to explain that I did an audio recording of the court proceedings to capture accurately what the judge, the lawyers, and witness said in court in order to avoid any misrepresentation in my reporting.

It was not a video recording. And I was very discreet about the recording.

They ushered me out of the court and asked me to sit in a passage. At this point, I did not know what happened inside the courtroom.

I was outside when I learned that Justice Obot committed the lawyer, Mr Effiong, to prison.

Confinement

They confined me within a corridor for hours before they took me to the chief judges conference room for further confinement.

The experience was horrible  for hours I could not contact my family and editors.

At about 3 p.m., I was told that the chief registrar would get a form for me to fill so that the chief judge would attach my phone and send it to the National Judiciary Council.

A police officer was asked to take me to the chief registrars office for the form, but he (the chief registrar) was not in the office.

Around 4 p.m., the chief security officer to Justice Obot took me to a nearby police station for me to write my statement to the police.

The divisional police officer at the station directed us to the divisional crime officer, a female police officer, who assigned the case to an investigating police officer (IPO).

The IPO insisted he was going to write a statement on my behalf, but I rejected it. For this, he threatened to lock me up in the police cell. I refused to shift my ground.

I was about to write my statement when Justice Obot asked that they should bring me before her. When we got to Justice Obots office, she said I should complete my statement to the police.

At that point, Cletus Ukpong, the Assistant Managing Editor of PREMIUM TIMES, arrived at the judiciary headquarters and had a meeting with Justice Obot.

After completing my statement to the police, we went back to Justice Obots office where the audio file (my recording of the court proceeding) was deleted at the chief judges presence as demanded by her.

I was released around 5:20 p.m. that day.

Transport money for journalist

As earlier stated, I recorded the court proceedings to ensure accuracy in my reportage, especially as the claimants counsel, Mr Ikpo, was always refusing to grant press interviews after the court sessions.

I remember an instance where Mr Ikpo told journalists that talking to the press after a court session was unethical, contemptuous and only done by junior lawyers.

After the court session on 29 June, Mr Effiong had addressed reporters at the court premises, while Mr Ikpo declined to do so despite the persuasion by Mr Peters, the media aide to Governor Emmanuel and a witness in the matter.

Mr Ikpo, after much persuasion, asked reporters to meet him in his office if they really wanted him to talk to them.

Other journalists and I went to Mr Ikpos office which is in Uyo city.

Mr Ikpo again declined to comment on the matter. He instead brought out some money (in the denomination of N1000) and said it was transport money for the journalists. I politely rejected the money and told him it was not money that we were looking for.

Ndon Asian, a journalist whom we (reporters) met at Mr Ikpos office, collected the money from Mr Ikpo and promised to share it to us, but I immediately told Mr Ikpo that the money Mr Asian collected from him was not meant for us, and, therefore, we would not take it.

Mr Asian got the money and accompanied us downstairs, where I told him that the practice of collecting transport money from people has destroyed the journalism profession in Nigeria.

The Punch and Daily Post reporters and I rejected the money from Mr Asian.
Nigerias Minister of the Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, has opposed the governments plan to impose an additional five per cent excise duty on telecommunications services in Nigeria.

He argued that the ministry, which oversees the industry, was not consulted, and that the timing of such tax at a time Nigerians face hardship is antithetical to the growth of the industry.

Mr Pantami spoke at the first Nigerian Indigenous Content Expo 2022 held at the Landmark Centre in Lagos, a statement by the spokesperson of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Reuben Muoka, said.

The expo was organised as part of efforts to pursue the objectives of the National Policy for the Promotion of Indigenous Content in the Nigerian Telecommunications Sector, through the National Office for Developing Indigenous Telecoms Sector domiciled in the NCC.

I was not consulted before the decision on five per cent excise duty was reached, and it was unfair to impose such a tax on an industry that was already burdened with other taxes and already contributing about 17 per cent to the countrys revenue, he said.

The National Assembly, which was also not consulted on the matter before it was publicised, already agreed with Mr Pantamis position, he claimed.

PREMIUM TIMES reported how the Minister of Finance Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, announced that the federal government is preparing to apply a 5 per cent inclusive excise duty on telecommunications services in Nigeria, and Nigerians will soon begin paying a 12.5 per cent tax on those services.

This means that five per cent will be added to the already existing 7.5 per cent Value Added Tax (VAT) on telecommunications services. The government increased the Value Added Tax from 5 to 7.5 per cent in 2020.

According to Mrs Ahmed, the Finance Act 2020 had a five per cent excise levy that was never put into effect.

The move has been criticised by telecom operators and subscribers.

The burden will fall on telecom use per censoring, the chairman of the Association of Licensed Telecom Owners of Nigeria (ALTON), Gbenga Adebayo said.

This means that users will now pay 12.5 per cent tax on telecom services, and the 5 per cent excise charge on those services will no longer be subsidized.

This is due to the 39 different taxes that we already pay, as well as the epileptic electricity condition since we spend so much money on diesel, he said.

Also, the president of the Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), Ikechukwu Nnamani, who spoke through the Executive Secretary, Ajibola Allude,

said that the 5 per cent excise charge on telecom services was out of date with the times.

He said the industry was in dire straits and urged that the 5 per cent excise duty be reduced because it might result in job losses.
The suspected murderer of Alika Ogorchukwu, a 39-year-old Nigerian, has been arrested by Italian police, the Nigerian government said.

Abike Dabiri-Erewa, chairperson of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) made this known in a press release on Tuesday.

She noted the Italian police were working and cooperating with the Nigerian mission in Italy to ensure justice is done.

Mr Ogorchukwu was beaten to death in the city of Civitanova Marche while passersby watched and filmed, making no attempt to help him.

According to NiDCOM, he was a physically challenged street vendor and his murderer used his clutches to beat him up.

According to the release, the Nigerian mission is requesting the Italian government to provide Mrs Alika, the widow, a good job to cater for the rest of the family.

The NiDCOM boss thanked the Nigerian community in Italy who have rallied around to support and raise funds for the late Alikas family since his death.

Although NiDCOM did not name the arrested suspect, Daily Beast identified him as Filippo Ferlazzo.

According to the newspaper, the deceased touched Mr Ferlazzos girlfriends arm as he tried to sell them trinkets near the train station.

Several people called police during the four-minute beating, but no one tried to pull Ferlazzo off Ogorchukwu. When police arrived, they arrested Ferlazzo and called an ambulance for Ogorchukwuwho was, by then, dead, Daily Beast reported

Chiamaka Okafor is a reporter at Premium Times in partnership with Report for the World, which matches local newsrooms with talented emerging journalists to report on under-covered issues around the globe.
The chairperson of ICPC, Bolaji Owasonoye, says a collaborative effort is required to stop the flow of corruption and Illicit Financial Flows (IFFs) out of Africa.

This, according to him, is key to the survival and growth of the continent.

Mr Owasanoye, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), said this on Wednesday at a one-day seminar organised by the Abuja Chapter of the Society of Women Accountants of Nigeria (SWAN).

The event themed, Building Institutional Resilience to Reduce Corruption and Illicit Financial Flows, was held at the commissions headquarters in Abuja.

The highlights of the event were captured in a statement sent to PREMIUM TIMES by the ICPC spokesperson, Azuka Ogugwa.

Mr Owasanoye, who was represented by an ICPC board member, Olubukola Balogun, lamented the fact that African nations, particularly Nigeria, were adversely affected by significant losses due to IFFs, a situation he lamented has denied the continent of the resources it so desperately needs for development.

Citing findings from a 2021 International Conference on IFFs, the ICPC boss revealed that the conference estimated the annual loss to IFFs from Africa to be $50 billion and growing at the rate of 20.2 per annum.

Speaking further, Mr Owasanoye noted that there was a need for the collective action to address Africas Illicit Financial Outflows to secure Africas survival; sustainable growth and development; and Agenda 2063.

IFF is about money illegally earned, transferred, or used that crosses borders.

The World Bank says IFFs reduce domestic resources and tax revenue needed to fund poverty-reducing programs and infrastructure in developing countries; accordingly, they are receiving growing attention as a key development challenge.

According to a 2020 study by Brookings, a U.S based nonprofit research organisation, between 1980 and 2018, sub-Saharan Africa exported over $1 trillion of illicit financial flows. The top four emitters of illicit flows, according to the study are South Africa, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, and Nigeria. The four nations are said to emit over 50 per cent of the 38 years of total illicit financial flows.

The ICPC Chairperson stated that the tragedy of IFFs was that the loss was suffered by developing countries whereas the destination of the funds is the rich industrialized countries of the West and recently Asia and the Middle East.

He noted that Nigeria was grappling with serious challenges in the areas of peace, security, good governance, and sustainable development and that there was a need for quick wins and long-term solutions to save the country.

He identified accounting professionals in both public and private sectors of our governance systems as a core component of the foot soldiers of the battle due to their role in the custody and management of public/national resources as well as the potential of being in the best position to prevent and combat corruption and IFFs.

Others speak

Speaking on the role of revenue agencies in engendering citizens buy-in in combating corruption and illicit flows, the Executive Chairman of Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Muhammad Nami, underscored the measures the revenue agency was taking at tackling IFFs.

The FIRS boss also lent credence to the fact that corruption and IFFs have starved Nigeria of the much-needed resources required to provide basic amenities, infrastructure and improved living conditions for the citizenry.

He expressed the belief that the SWAN collaboration with ICPC and other regulatory agencies to reduce corruption would lead to improved tax compliance at both the national and sub-national levels.

In his goodwill message, the Chairperson of, the National Salaries, Income and Wages Commission (NSIWC), Ekpo Nta, described accountants as key actors in the financial sector, pointing out that lending their technical expertise to block criminal infractions was required.

Mr Nta, the immediate past ICPC Chair, who was represented by Chukwuma Nwachinemere, explained that the NSIWC was strongly committed to encouraging equitable wages policies, saying that corruption stemmed from greed and covetousness to acquire more than what is earned.
Warts and all, our political elite are yet to tell us how their emergence will curb or combat the current security challenge that has normalised banditry, kidnapping for ransom and terrorism in general. This time, we demand to know the how of their platitudes of doing this and that.

By this time in 2015, the governing All Progressives Congress (APC) had become the toast of Nigerias voting populace. Buhari was the man to beat, and a beautiful bride at that, having made national security one of the three campaign promises of the party; the other two being an anti-corruption war, good governance and economic development. That kind of robust campaign that put the then ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on the edge and in a jittery mode, scared and piqued at a bad outing in the offing, is today near absent, even though officially, campaigns are starting in September.

This time around, politicians do not appear proactive in talking straight, especially on the key issues of the economy and security, where the government of today is scored abysmally low. Here are some guesses. It is either that security is too hydra-headed a problem for them to discuss, or the candidates seeking to replace Buhari do not have tangible and measurable panacea to it, and would not want a miserable and lousy job of it, like the Presidency under Buhari is doing.

With the exception of Peter Obi of the Labour Party, who is in the habit of reeling out statistics (he has been accused of presenting false or inaccurate figures) and to some extent, Atiku Abubakar, who also spoke extensively on economic issues in his recent Arise TV interview, the candidates generally do not seem to have developed a blueprint to combat our security challenge or tackle the nations economic morass.

Instead, attention is more focused on the mundane quarrels over the fallout of the primary election, personality clashes or name calling even among them, none of which can rescue Nigeria from its current predicament.

The security challenge is so overwhelming that at the end of their National Security Council meeting last week, the National Security Adviser, Babagana Monguno admitted that Nigerians are so fed up, they have resorted to self-help, even as he spoke about new strategies to combat the novel wave of terrorist attacks within the Federal Capital Territory and Nigeria generally.

For example, as at last week, all schools in Abuja had to hurriedly shut down, because of news of possible attacks within the Federal Capital Territory. The news created palpable fear, expectedly, and since then, everyone has been on the edge, in an attempt to take responsibility for their personal safety, in the face of apparent failure on the part of government to contain the incessant terrorist attacks and kidnapping for ransom.

According to the latest security report by Beacon Consulting, in their analysis of developments and trends for January 1 to July 31, there were about 3,829 abductions, 7,246 fatalities and 1,501 injuries. Just as the economy has nosedived, with the naira exchanging for N720 to $1, and a projection that it might get to N1,000 to $1, in a global world yet to recover from COVID-19, and the ongoing Ukraine-Russia war, it also makes sense to see an implementable, tangible and measurable economic blueprint of the presidential hopefuls.

Coming shortly after the Kuje prison break, which unleashed 64 hardened and unrepentant terrorists on Abuja and environs, the ambush and killing of Brigade of Guards officers who went on a special mission to Bwari in response to a distress call from the Nigeria Law School for security reinforcement, including other security breaches around the country, it is justified for the voting populace to seek to know the security plans of those who want to rule/govern the country.

According to the latest security report by Beacon Consulting, in their analysis of developments and trends for January 1 to July 31, there were about 3,829 abductions, 7,246 fatalities and 1,501 injuries. Just as the economy has nosedived, with the naira exchanging for N720 to $1, and a projection that it might get to N1,000 to $1, in a global world yet to recover from COVID-19, and the ongoing Ukraine-Russia war, it also makes sense to see an implementable, tangible and measurable economic blueprint of the presidential hopefuls.

Our political elite are yet to understand that the world has gone beyond platitudes, beyond promises of infrastructure, skyscrapers and castles in the air. What we need is the kind of modern security system promised by ex-president of the US, Donald Trump; the kind of security system used to bring down the Iranian commander in Iraq, Qassim Suleimani; a drone system that can capture and eliminate the enemy without contact. This is in contrast with Obamas use of the proximity of US base in Jalalabad on the Afghanistan/Pakistan border to target Osama bin Laden.

On the contrary, in the name of security, or classified information, the security architecture is opaque, not properly structured, and in some cases targets the wrong enemies. An example is the unfortunate bombing of six little girls in Kurebe village in Niger State, internally dispalced persons (IDPs) in the North-east and innocent people mistaken for bandits in Katsina. The six little girls, according to a PREMIUM TIMES investigation, were killed by the Nigerian Airforce explosive artillery shells, indicative of failed intelligence. That is not the kind of intel that a nation at war should have and apply.

Besides, military training institutions like the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) and others alike, are no longer citadels for elite corps owing to the influence of corruption, which further engenders half-baked military corps that relegate competence and capacity to the background. We also have leaders that do not think outside the box, but would rather stick to the way things were done in the 1960s and 70s. But then, the political elite, as presently constituted, does not fare any better.

Not even the third force, as represented by Peter Obi, has given us a blueprint on the nexus between security and politics. Part of the reasons we have the food security challenge in the country is due to farmers inability to access their farms; and to work the farms for produce in the subsistence-style farming that has sustained us over the years. This is no longer feasible because of insecurity, hence the sky-rocketing costs of food.

The four leading contenders for the position of president are not entirely free of past baggage and misdeeds and their parties are only interested in winning the election, while the followers/voters do not ask hard and concrete questions on the economy and security, and how their action plans will affect us positively and change the narrative from the current case of despondency, to that of hope. Hope for the younger population desperately in need of succour and hope for Nigerians to be able to travel on their roads without fear of being abducted.

The ruling (sorry governing) APC is desirous of using its current hold on power to consolidate, and possibly use the system to outmanoeuvre its challengers. The opposition PDP is just trying to cash in on the security mess and global recession to woo voters; so it engages in self-glorification, while seeking opportunity for revalidation, and practically saying we told you these APC people were not up to anything good! Was your life not better under PDP? all in an attempt to sway votes. In other word, PDP too has nothing new to offer, other than seeking for relevance to come back to power.

Not even the third force, as represented by Peter Obi, has given us a blueprint on the nexus between security and politics. Part of the reasons we have the food security challenge in the country is due to farmers inability to access their farms; and to work the farms for produce in the subsistence-style farming that has sustained us over the years. This is no longer feasible because of insecurity, hence the sky-rocketing costs of food.

Any serious politician seeking power would want to address such an important issue, but the frontliners would rather blame the current situation on those in power, than tell us their own solutions. The other day, I watched the vice-presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Datti Ahmed on TV, and saw how he parried the question on their partys security template. He said he would not disclose their strategy, because security is a sensitive issue. Other than the band-wagon effect, emotions and social media influence that LP is riding on, why do they think Nigerians are not entitled to their security template, on which the party can be assessed? If we do not know what the party has to offer now, on what basis will their performance be evaluated when in power?

Warts and all, our political elite are yet to tell us how their emergence will curb or combat the current security challenge that has normalised banditry, kidnapping for ransom and terrorism in general. This time, we demand to know the how of their platitudes of doing this and that.

That Emirates Hammer

This does not speak well of the giant and biggest economy in Africa. To avoid other airlines following suite, international embarrassment and making Nigeria a pariah state, government should wade in and clear the debts owed Emirates and others like it, in order to remain relevant in the global scheme of things.

Anybody still looking for evidence of how unhealthy Nigerias economy is should read through the correspondence sent to the Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika by Emirates Airline dated July 22. The summary of it is that Nigeria is owing Emirates up to the tune of $85 million, and the latter is therefore unable to sustain its 11 weekly flights to Lagos and five to Abuja. Conversely, the airline is finding it difficult to meet its operational costs in the face of mounting losses, and has decided to cut the number of flights to mitigate these losses.

This has finally put paid to all the lies that Nigeria is a rich country and has no problems meeting its international obligations. A handful of Nigerians may be rich, but their riches might have pauperised the country. Obviously, Nigerias money is in the hands and pockets of individuals with access to it, and who bypass government account and enrich themselves, despite the so-called reforms of payment platforms like Remita and Treasury Single Account, (TSA). So, the agencies in the sector that are in charge of all aviation handling costs accruable to their partners, such as Emirates, cannot meet its obligation.

This does not speak well of the giant and biggest economy in Africa. To avoid other airlines following suite, international embarrassment and making Nigeria a pariah state, government should wade in and clear the debts owed Emirates and others like it, in order to remain relevant in the global scheme of things. Those stealing our resources should understand that Nigerias image out there and present predicament can affect their chances of enjoying looted funds within and outside the country. A Nigeria that works for all of us is more important than a Nigeria that works for only a handful.

Zainab Suleiman Okino is chair, Editorial Board of Blueprint newspaper. She can be reached through zainabokino@gmail.com
Unwa Afen Inah was a neat, meticulous, dutiful, patriotic, disciplined and refined individual who was a good friend and brother to me and an exemplary citizen who discharged his obligations to his fatherland. As he has journeyed to meet his creator, I have no doubt in my mind that he will be allocated a big mansion in heaven as a reward for the type of life he lived while here on earth and the service he rendered to Gods kingdom as one of his devoted and able servants.

Although my late friend and brother, Arch-bishop Boniface Olah Afen and I were born about the same time and were related by birth to Ubepa, the small Bekwarra community that has become famous as the birthplace or taproots of prominent Bekwarra sons and daughters, we never met nor knew each other until about 17 or 18 years later. And that was in 1980 in faraway Calabar at the home of the late Registrar of the defunct Calabar Polytechnic, Chief Godwin Onugba, who was married to a kind-hearted Ishibori woman. You will soon see the significance of my reference to Onugba as being married to a good woman.

He was a student of Accounting and Finance at the Polytechnic and I, an English and Literary Studies student of the University of Calabar from 1978-1982. Some day in 1980, we Bekwarra students at the two higher institutions of learning had a meeting, a social gathering, at the home of Chief Onugba, the then most prominent Bekwarra man in Calabar. Such a place will naturally become the den and watering hole for usually poor, hungry and needy students, always in want of one thing or the other.

Ubepa was Olahs birthplace, while it is the birthplace of my maternal great-grandmother, a woman named Ocheke Alama. Alama, the father of Ocheke, I understand, was the younger brother of the legendry Achipo Ukaani of Ubepa. Ocheke got married to so many men in Bewo, two men in Gakem and another in Tiv land, leaving a brood of many sons and daughters to each of her men. Through her marriages and high fecundity, Ocheke my famous ancestress, made me one of the most connected men in Bekwarra land. I have many cousins and nieces in many parts of Bekwarra, such that it was only the miracle of God that I got a Bekwarra girl who is not closely related to me by blood to marry!

As I said earlier, the two of us were traceable to Ubepa and my maternal grandmother, Emene Agabi Irigam, who was born to one of the two men she married in Gakem, took me to Ubepa several times, yet Olah and I never met there. But when we eventually met, our relationship took off and we remained friends and brothers until his passing a few days ago.

Sometime in 1981, both of us decided to contest for positions in the Bekwarra Students Association whose meetings used to hold at the Bekwarra Secondary School, Abuochiche. He went for the presidency and I for the Secretary-Generalship of the body and we both won our respective positions.

When we finished our studies in 1982, we were posted by the National Youth Service Corps scheme to Borno State and were subsequently deployed to Maiduguri, the state capital. He served at the Audi Department of the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, while I was sent to serve as a lecturer at the College of Agriculture, Gamboru-Ngala Road. The country was good then and we were on top of our world as citizens of a middle level income country that was seen as the true giant of Africa.

For me, my life and times in Maiduguri of my youth corps year is probably the best times I have ever had in my life. A crate of egg from our school farm then was N45 and as a staff, I got it at a discounted rate of N30.

During our youth corps day in Maiduguri, we used to be frequent visitors to each others working places and homes. As a child brought up through strict African customs in which a boy child is not expected to be found in the kitchen, the provincial headquarters of women, when I got to College of Agriculture and was left on my own to fend for my food needs for the very first time in my life, I never knew how to cook. What do they use in frying meat? I would cry out to myself. I honestly did not know.

I didnt have to die in silence. I made my plight known to my brother and friend. As a son of one of the early teachers Bekwarra produced, Olah, on the other hand, was properly brought up and trained in such domestic and womenly chores as cooking. He, therefore, took time to give me culinary tutorials and in no time, I became an able chef who could give him and other visitors to my home treats. He took to reminding me of my earlier inability to cook, referring to me in jest as the man who uses water to fry meat.

I cant remember now what led to it and whether the idea came from him or from me but during those our memorable one year (1982-1983) in Maiduguri, we got fascinated by the Biblical style of identifying certain prominent individuals as the son of somebody, such as On the son of Peleth or Isaiah the son of Amooz, and I started calling him Olah unwa Afen Inah, with him calling me Idang unwa Alibi, Unwa Alibi or Unwa Afen Inah for short. These were the identifications and greeting references we made to each other until his time came.

After the youth corps year, we went our different ways, getting jobs, he at the NNPC and me, in various newspaper houses. We got married to our respective heartthrobs and begat progenitors in colourful lives that God had ordained as our portion.

Unwa Afen Inah was a neat, meticulous, dutiful, patriotic, disciplined and refined individual who was a good friend and brother to me and an exemplary citizen who discharged his obligations to his fatherland. As he has journeyed to meet his creator, I have no doubt in my mind that he will be allocated a big mansion in heaven as a reward for the type of life he lived while here on earth and the service he rendered to Gods kingdom as one of his devoted and able servants. Adieu, Unwa Afen Inah!

Idang Alibi was a columnist and member, Editorial Board of the Daily Trust newspaper.
The University of Oxford-trained Ambassador Charles Crawford shares insights into how leaders can build resilient organisations irrespective of the headwinds. He also explains why executives should attend TEXEM UKs forthcoming programme on TEXEM programme on Building Resilient organisations for sustainable success.

Ambassador Charles Crawford himself, Professor Paul Griffith, and John Peters will help deliver the sessions of this programme, which is slated to hold between August 22nd and 25th, in Birmingham, UK in this interview.

In a time of instability and disruption, how does an organisation maintain loyalty and the trust of its stakeholders?

Instability and disruption create and spread uncertainty. Uncertainty about what can be done and uncertainty about whats going to be possible in the months and years to come. To thrive in these increasingly fast-paced and disruptive times, leaders need to optimise their capability to successfully manage change. Of course, this is difficult, given that over 70% of change initiatives fail.

Trust and credibility are critical to successfully implementing transformation but are particularly essential for success in turbulent times. So the best way to maintain trust and credibility both with your own team and with your customers and the wider public? Be unfailingly honest about current difficulties and how you plan to tackle them. Nothing is more annoying for customers than a business partner who makes false promises or runs into unforeseeable delays but pretends that everything will be delivered on time when he or she knows that that cant happen.

Honesty is difficult. It needs a trustworthy team who feel they can give corporate leaders bad news. It often requires more transparency than a company might typically feel is comfortable.

And it relies on ruthless accuracy about whats going wrong and what it might take to fix it.

Another thing to think about is presenting yourself as people wholl do more than necessary.

Dont make current difficulties an excuse to deliver poor performance.

Show that your whole aim is to crash through those difficulties and get the job done for the customer, even if that means extra work (and some extra expense!) for yourself. Your best business hopes may come from customers who know that you delivered what they expected despite plenty of difficulties and so are pleased to recommend you to others. For example, TEXEM, UK, never cancel programmes because stakeholders trust them, given that 70% of their clients come on repeat business.

Post-pandemic, to effectively and efficiently communicate intent, ambition, and promise to stakeholders, what are the defining factors for organisations?

Its fine, to be honest. But you need your colleagues and customers and business partners to hear that youre honest.

This means having the knack of finding just the right tone. Of course, this tone must be conveyed by any speeches or interviews given by corporate leaders and supported by just the right messages and interactions on social media.

This requires careful thought about what EXACTLY you want to say and where you want the emphasis of your message to fall. For example, do you want to be reassuring  but realistic? Or realistic  but reassuring? All very subtle!

Plus, some of this can be done by personal touch. If you have a client who needs your equipment but suddenly you face a delay caused by external problems, give that customer a call to let them know whats happening and what is a credible timeline for getting things back on track. Then they can at least adjust their planning and know that you are genuinely considering their needs.

Many organisations cease to exist once the founder dies, given that the new managers do not have the requisite credentials to effectively engage stakeholders, which was a unique selling point of the founder. To glean more insights about utilising values to unlock scarce resources for sustainable success irrespective of challenging headwinds, attend TEXEMs forthcoming executive development programme on Building Resilience scheduled to hold between 22-25 August in Birmingham, UK.

What ideologies should a post-pandemic organisation be rooted in to thrive in this age of disruption?

One ideology thats worth considering is how your organisation deals with mistakes. Do you have a company policy on this, and how is it communicated downwards through your teams and outwards to customers and the wider public?

Mistakes come in all shapes and sizes and are hard to manage because they are typically unpredictable. Different behaviours cause different sorts of mistakes. Laziness, carelessness, negligence, recklessness and simple stupidity each have their implications for how to tackle the ensuing problems and then take smart steps to make sure that the behaviour concerned is not repeated. Mistakes could cost a business its existence if it makes a company complacent and ignores the needs of the customers. Blackberry is an excellent example of a successful company

that made costly mistakes by not listening to customers and living in denial. Blackberry insisted on producing phones with full keyboards  despite consumers preference for touchscreens-we know the result-loss of market leadership and the ultimate death of the company.

One fundamental corporate culture that can be actively encouraged is getting your people quickly, to be honest when a mistake has happened, and not trying to cover it up or assign the blame to someone else. The damage caused by a mistake is often manageable if the error is tackled promptly. But everything can get much worse much faster if someone pretends that a mistake has not happened or tries to cover it up.

Here too, theres a subtle balance to be struck. You want your team promptly to admit mistakes, but you also want them to know that mistakes are bad and that they must set tip-top standards of accuracy as their default way of working.

Above all, the signals sent from top management are all-important. If employees see their corporate bosses making mistakes and getting away with them, why should they think that their company takes mistakes seriously? Nevertheless, there are specific ways that leaders and their organisations can turn challenges into opportunities despite complex operating contexts, which the forthcoming TEXEM programme on Building Resilient organisations for sustainable success will address.

With a gradual and progressive return to the workplace, how do organisations help their stakeholders?

By being honest and reliable. And by emphasising that the core culture of the organisation going forward is Excellence, with No Excuses.

The response to the pandemic in many countries has created a ruinous, if not pathological social nervousness amidst ignorant aversion to normal risks.

Nothing is more insidious or philosophically dangerous than the idea that every risk has to be managed or mitigated or otherwise controlled by the state. Being open and honest about risk and encouraging intelligent risk management awareness can be a helpful message for any innovative modern business. Having a strategic approach to decision-making where all stakeholders have a symbiotic win-win outlook will lead to the success of all stakeholders as it is in their enlightened self-interest for all to succeed. To glean more insights on how to thrive during volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous times, you need to sign up for the forthcoming TEXEM programme on Building Resilience For Sustainable Success In An Age Of Disruption.

Why should executives attend this forthcoming TEXEM programme?

Executives should attend this forthcoming TEXEM programme on Building Resilience For Sustainable Success In An Age Of Disruption for many reasons. First, this is a very topical programme that every organisation and their leaders need. Second, the quality of faculties, such as Professor Paul Griffith, the worlds first professor of management to lead a team to launch a rocket and John Peters (Former Prisoner of War and Chair of AMBA, accreditors of Harvard and INSEAD) will share valuable insights and challenge assumptions. Also, the TEXEM

methodology, which comprises games, simulation, group discussion, role-play, observation, case studies, panels, and self-reflection, makes learning personal, fun, interactive and a thought- provoking experience. For example, the first day of the programme, the 22nd Of August, entails a working visit to Cadbury World. Gerald Baldwin, director of Cadbury world, will share insights into how the organisation has remained successful 250 years since it was founded. It also includes a visit to Shakespeares birthplace and a boat ride. Importantly, through this forthcoming executive development programme, participants will learn from each other, network and enhance their social capital. As a result, bumper return on investment achieved from attending this programme is assured and in manifolds.

Who is Ambassador Charles Crawford?

The University of Oxford trained Amb. Charles Crawford is a strategic communication and negotiation specialist and public speaking expert. A qualified barrister and mediator, he draws on 28 years experience in the UK diplomatic service, much of it spent in former communist central and Eastern Europe. Charles Crawford leads the Executive Communication and Technique programme at The Ambassador Partnership LLP, an international panel of former Ambassadors offering corporate diplomacy services to governments, international organisations and

businesses. In his early diplomatic career, he served as FCO communication adviser to Foreign Secretary Sir Geoffrey Howe. He has contributed to strategic communication by members of the Royal Family and successive Prime Ministers, as well as Ministers and others in public and commercial life. In 1987 he wrote the UK Foreign Offices first Guide to Strategic communication; it remains the basis for the FCOs strategic communication training. Since leaving the FCO at the end of 2007, he has delivered presentation skills programmes for the private sector and public sector clients, including the United Nations, IAEA, CTBTO, OPCW, European Commission, different European foreign ministries, the Communist Party of Vietnam, and the head of a Western intelligence agency. In addition, he frequently appears on the UK and international media to discuss global policy issues and diplomatic techniques (CNN, Sky News, BBC, ITV, Voice of Russia, ABC).

For more information, please email exec@texem.co.uk or call +447425883791
The Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, Mariam Katagum, says no fewer than 237,138 people have so far benefited from the Federal Governments special interventions in Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in the North-West.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the MSME Survival Fund and Guaranteed Off-take Scheme is a programme of the federal government under the Nigeria Economic Sustainability Plan (NESP) which was launched in September 2020 to overcome the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mrs Katagum made this known on Tuesday in Kano, at a town hall meeting with some of the beneficiaries of the scheme in the zone.

She said that those MSMEs benefited under five components which are the Payroll Support, MSME Grant Scheme, Artisan and Transport Scheme, CAC Formalisation Support Scheme and Guaranteed Offtake Scheme.

Mrs Katagum, represented by the Director-General, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), Wale Fasanya, said the programme was introduced as an intervention to support micro and small businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic across the 36 states and the FCT Abuja.

The anticipated impact of the programme was to directly engage 100,000 MSMEs in the production sector alone and save at least N1.3 million jobs.

The programme gave female-owned MSMEs special focus of 45 per cent, five per cent for those with special needs, she said

The minister said that the target beneficiaries were self-employed entrepreneurs and micro and small businesses registered in the country.

Mrs Katagum noted that the implementation of the programme yielded positive results.

She said that, under the Payroll Support Scheme, the target was to augment the payroll obligations of MSMEs in the health, education, production, hospitality and food production sectors across the country.

The target was 500,000 beneficiaries but 490,408 employees received between N30,000 and N50,000, as three months salaries in the 36 states and the FCT.

Other programmes are the artisans and transport scheme, 398,260 self-employed individuals and MSMEs benefited with N30,000 each.

Under the GOS, 82,491 businesses benefited with N50,000 one-off grant.

Under the scheme, 37,024 benefited while the CAC Formalisation Support Scheme has 250,000 beneficiaries, across the country, she said.

The minister explained that the government would inaugurate more programmes to boost economic activities and improve the living condition of people in the country.

NAN reports that certificates were also presented to some of the successful

entrepreneurs.

The benefitting entrepreneurs expressed delight and commended the federal government for the initiative.

Ibrahim Aminu of KKU Global Links said that he was into the import and export of agricultural products.

Mr Aminu urged the government to release more funds for such programmes to enhance socio-economic activities in the country.

NAN reports that the federal government said the interventions which would gulp a total of N75 billion are part of the N2.3 trillion NESP currently being implemented by the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration to help cushion the impact of the pandemic with a view to boosting the economy by saving existing jobs and creating new job opportunities.

NAN reports that the federal government said so far, N66 billion has been disbursed directly to 1.26 million beneficiaries.

It said 38 per cent of the beneficiaries were women including two per cent to people with special needs.

(NAN)
The Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE), a World Bank-supported project, has offered a scholarship to Saratu Garba, an 11-year-old education mathematics whizkid from Kano.

The Project Communication Officer, Aliyu Yusuf, told the News Agency of Nigeria on Wednesday, is ready to enrol Saratu in school.

Miss Garba became a social media sensation after a video of her solving mathematical problems went viral.

Miss Garba captivated many with her ability to solve mathematical problems without the aid of a calculator or known formulae.

Mr Yusuf, who is also the Deputy Director, Information, Kano State Ministry of Education, said that the projects National Office had directed its Kano office to identify the girl and enrol her in school.

Coincidentally, the Kano AGILE Project team is on an advocacy visit to the five emirate councils in the state, with a view to soliciting their support, being critical stakeholders in the promotion of adolescent girls education.

During the teams visit to Gaya Emirate Council, the girl and her parents were invited to the emirs palace.

Representative of the state ministry of education and the AGILE team briefed the Emir, Alhaji Ali Ibrahim-Abdulkadir, on the intention of the project to shoulder the educational responsibilities of the young girl, he said.

He said the representative of the ministry, Malam Haruna Muhammad-Panidau, presented a school uniform, a bag and other learning materials to the young talented girl.

Mr Yusuf said that the Kano Project Coordinator, Ado Tafida-Zango, also presented N20,000 to the girl to support her education.

Miss Garba told a NAN Correspondent, who visited her hometown, Gwadahi village in Gaya, that she dropped out of school in Primary Four and started hawking on the street.

I am good in mathematics, whether addition, subtraction, division or multiplication. I can calculate numbers in millions up head, without writing or using a calculator.

I left school because of bullying. My peers used to call me names which I detested.

I will not go back to that school. Ill be happy to continue my studies in another school, away from them, she said.
An Arise TV anchor who flouted the Lagos State traffic law on Monday has explained why he said he will call Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu after his car was impounded.

Rufai Oseni in an Instagram LIVE session on Tuesday tagged final reaction. Thanks everyone, said that he has the right to say he will call the governor in such a situation.

On Monday, he broke the traffic law by taking the BRT lane and lashed out at officials of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) who impounded his vehicle.

Mr Oseni, known for his spirited approach during Arise TVs flagship programme, The Morning Show, has been the subject of social media discourse since he posted on his Twitter account about the incident.

Rufai started to trend on Twitter on Monday and continued Tuesday along with BRT Lane.

A video that emerged Tuesday showed Mr Oseni hurling insults at the traffic officers who were sitting in their patrol van.

During the live session, he said that I said I will call the government and I have a right to say I will call the governor of a state because he is the chief security officer, he said.

If I didnt feel treated otherwise. I have a right to say that. The only part I apologize for was when I use expletives bastards I apologize for that.

But I will call them governor. I have every right to say that.

He also said that the circulating video did not capture where his car was forcefully taken away from him by the police.

Final reaction

Mr Oseni explained that after the incident happened some police officers followed him to the BRT lane where his car was stopped.

Because me and the police official went through the place where the BRT lane incident happened and when we got there today he confirmed that there was supposed to be diversions around them, he said.

And I showed him where the thing happened.

He also said that before he made a settlement with the police on Tuesday, on Monday the police pointed a gun at him and forcefully took his car.

And I kept on asking where are they taking my car to? None of them talk, Mr Oseni said.

He said that the car belongs to his friend and he called him to explain.

I called my friend. And he sent police escorts to come pick me. Mr Oseni said that by the time the escort came he had been brutalized by the police.

My car has been forcefully taken from me. I was upset. I did not go to the police officer because he had thrown some tantrums and said that I should do my worse (sic), he said.

Then I said I will call the governor and I have a right to say I will call the governor of a state because he is the chief security officer.
Arise TV anchor, Rufai Oseni, has been found guilty of violating the traffic law in Lagos State, the police have said.

In a tweet on Tuesday, Benjamin Hundeyin, the police spokesperson in the state, said the broadcaster was fined N70,000.

Mr Rufai Oseni was in court earlier today. He was found guilty of contravening Lagos State Transport Law (2018), he wrote.

He was subsequently fined Seventy Thousand Naira Only. He made the payment, after which his vehicle was released to him.

Backstory

The journalist tweeted on Monday that a gun was pointed at him by the police and his vehicle forcefully taken away from him.

A Nigerian police officer pointed a gun at me and forcefully took my keys and drove my car off, because he wanted to enforce a traffic infraction, he wrote on his Twitter page.

Responding, Mr Hundeyin said the broadcaster had broken the law after he admitted he drove on a BRT lane.

Your claim that Google maps took you there is not tenable. You disobeyed and resisted the officers. Well sanction the officer who misused firearm, if proven.

But the journalist replied that a gun was pointed at me and my car was forcefully driven off. Now you are lying Ben, if I resisted how did they drive my car off and why did you ask me to send my car details? All I want is justice. I noted there was an infraction. Its best you stop the lies!

Video

A video that emerged Tuesday showed Mr Oseni hurling insults at officials of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) who impounded his vehicle.

He also said that he will call the governor, for intervention.

Reacting to the video on an Instagram LIVE session tagged final reaction. Thanks everyone, he said, adding that he has the right to say he will call the governor.
Arise TV anchor, Rufai Oseni, has tendered an apology for violating the traffic law and hurling insults at the police.

On the televisions Morning show on Wednesday, he said he was sorry for being in the news for the wrong reason.

Good morning viewers. As many of you know in the last two days I have been in the news for the public and for all my colleagues here on Arise News Channel, he said.

I would, therefore, like to apologise to all parties over what transpired during the incident with the police when I was stopped for driving on a bus lane, I cannot and dare not lay claims to knowing it all.

Lessons have been learnt from this entire episode and this has been a most humbling experience for me. I would also like to use this opportunity to express my gratitude to all those who have reached out to me in the last two days for their guidance and counseling.

The broadcaster was found guilty of violating the traffic law in Lagos state on Tuesday.

In a tweet, the spokesperson in the state, Benjamin Hundeyin, said that the broadcaster was fined N70,000.

Mr Rufai Oseni was in court earlier today. He was found guilty of contravening Lagos State Transport Law (2018), he wrote.

He was subsequently fined Seventy Thousand Naira Only. He made the payment, after which his vehicle was released to him.

Backstory

The journalist tweeted on Monday that a gun was pointed at him by the police and his vehicle forcefully taken away from him.

A Nigerian police officer pointed a gun at me and forcefully took my keys and drove my car off, because he wanted to enforce a traffic infraction, he wrote on his Twitter page.

Responding, Mr Hundeyin said Rufai, lets not do this. You admitted to me that you passed a BRT lane. Its against the law.

Your claim that Google maps took you there is not tenable. You disobeyed and resisted the officers. Well sanction the officer who misused firearm if proven.

But the journalist replied that a gun was pointed at me and my car was forcefully driven off. Now you are lying Ben, if I resisted, how did they drive my car off and why did you ask me to send my car details? All I want is justice. I noted there was an infraction. Its best you stop the lies!

Video

A video that emerged Tuesday showed Mr Oseni hurling insults at officials of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) who impounded his vehicle.

He also said that he will call the governor, for intervention.

Reacting to the video on an Instagram LIVE session tagged final reaction. Thanks everyone, he said, adding that he has the right to say he will call the governor.
JAKARTA, Indonesia, Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- SMOK, the leading brand from Shenzhen IVPS Technology, specializing in the research and development, production and sales of e-cigarettes, recently revealed its new SOLUS 2 series at a special global product launch event in Jakarta.

event

With close to 400 guests invited, the new SOLUS 2 product attracted widespread attention at the event, highlighting the significant pulling power and brand influence of SMOK. In attendance were local distributors, vape shop owners, and key influencers. The SOLUS 2, an upgraded version of the SOLUS series, has been in development for almost 200 days and has come to represent improved vaping experiences and cost-effectiveness for vapers all over the world.

SOLUS 2 makes its global debut

At the event, SMOK Indonesia Regional Manager, Winter, delivered a detailed presentation of SOLUS 2. Behind the scenes of the research and development of SOLUS 2, the SMOK team collected user feedback from hundreds of global vapers, using this data to make improvements and upgrades to address the cons of the first SOLUS series.

It is easy to see from the upgraded features that SOLUS 2 has improved the user experience and product details with regard to various functions (Southeast Asian version):

Battery & Charging: The strong performance of the 700mAh & Type-C cable meets the needs of long-lasting vaping.

The strong performance of the 700mAh & Type-C cable meets the needs of long-lasting vaping. Pod Compatibility: Compatible with both SOLUS 2 Pod & SOLUS Pod.

Compatible with both SOLUS 2 Pod & SOLUS Pod. Wattage & Airflow: Max of 15W, dual airflow design, both RDL and MTL are available simply by switching the installation of the pod.

Max of 15W, dual airflow design, both RDL and MTL are available simply by switching the installation of the pod. Appearance & Design: All-in-one design, slim body, comfortable grip. Designed for both aesthetics and practicality.

All-in-one design, slim body, comfortable grip. Designed for both aesthetics and practicality. Price: Continuing the product concept of "Affordable Luxury", SOLUS 2 also benefits user groups with a higher cost performance.

SMOK Awards Ceremony

In addition to unveiling the luxury affordable product SOLUS 2, the SMOK Awards Ceremony was also held at the event. The SMOK Strategy Partner awards were presented to local distributors and the SMOK Influencer awards were presented to key influencers, including VaperSTUFF, Fatriio, Zeze Zeny, and others, thanking them for their long-time support of SMOK. In the future, SMOK will continuously work together with partners, distributors, and influencers to improve the vaping industry. Designing better products for vapers all over the world, together, everyone will succeed.

SMOK Lucky Draw

To thank all the guests who participated in the event, SMOK also prepared some giveaways including a first prize of a monocycle, five smartphones as the second prize, and ten massagers as the third prize.

It is widely believed that the launch of SOLUS 2 will lead to exciting new changes in the vaping industry. Southeast Asia is one of the world's most important e-cigarette markets and is also a very important part of SMOK's globalization strategy. In the future, as a leading international vaping brand, SMOK will dig deep into demand and continue to enrich product lines while developing the Southeast Asian market. The Company is committed to empowering global vapers to enjoy good products with guaranteed quality and safety.

About SMOK

Founded in 2010, SMOK is the leading brand of Shenzhen IVPS Technology Co. Ltd., specializing in the research and development, production and sales of e-cigarettes, covering all markets around the world. SMOK focuses on e-cigarette technology research and development, brand building, and development and management of domestic and international sales channels. With continuous innovation, SMOK products have attracted massive consumers worldwide, making SMOK a first-class global brand in the electronic cigarette industry.

More information

SOLUS 2 - SMOK | Innovation Keeps Changing the Vaping Experience

CONTACT:

Holly Yang

+86-18211294142

marketing@smoktech.com

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1871574/event.jpg

SOURCE SMOK
Prisma Photonics and Israel Natural Gas Lines (INGL) have recently signed an investment agreement for pipeline monitoring system in Israel; Dr. Eran Inbar: "We have revolutionized the real-time monitoring of critical infrastructure"; Shmuel Turgeman, INGL CEO: "The investment in Prisma Photonics is part of the commitment by INGL to promote the safety and monitoring of pipeline assets"

TEL AVIV, Israel, Aug. 2, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Israel Natural Gas Lines announces a strategic investment in Prisma Photonics, which develops an advanced system for monitoring critical infrastructure in real time. The investment agreement comes one year following an agreement between the companies pursuant to which Prisma Photonics will implement its PrismaFlow system for continuous monitoring on gas pipeline segments in Israel.

Israeli startup Prisma Photonics has developed a unique solution for monitoring critical infrastructure. Its PrismaFlow system is an advanced fiber-optic-based sensory system capable of identifying leaks, alerting on damaged pipes, and identifying any excavation in its proximity. The system relies on optical infrastructure installed adjacent to the line, which transforms the optical fibers into an ultra-sensitive series of sensors capable of detecting minor leaks and alerting their exact location in real time.

Shmuel Turgeman, CEO of Israel Natural Gas Lines, says the "investment in Prisma Photonics is part of the commitment of INGL to promote safety and monitoring of our gas pipeline infrastructure. Within this framework, we constantly take steps to promoting and implementing innovative and advanced technologies which allow us to address the complex challenges in the field. In Prisma Photonics we found real partners for promoting security of critical infrastructure and a concern for safety of the national supply system."

Dr. Eran Inbar, CEO of Prisma Photonics, says "the investment INGL is making in our company now, and those made before it by Israel Electric Company, represent a real vote of confidence in our solution. It's not every day that two state-owned companies invest in the same company. There are tens of thousands of kilometers of critical infrastructure in Israel, from natural gas, electricity, water and all the way to communication infrastructure. Securing such infrastructure is a strategic endeavor for any country, and allows to quickly detecting damages and malfunctions in the infrastructure, even before they occur. We have revolutionized real-time monitoring of critical infrastructure, and this investment is an additional evidence for it."

Prisma Photonics solution is based on groundbreaking technology protected by a number of patents and which has won a number of international technology competitions, and has been installed by utilities all over the world.

About Prisma Photonics

Prisma Photonics assists critical infrastructure operators in maintaining routine operations. The Company provides a groundbreaking solution for monitoring of long-range infrastructure, and introduces a new ability for smart, safe and efficient operation which paves the way for smart digital infrastructure. We are reinforcing our customers and aiding them in gaining the best insight for making real-time operational decisions.

The Hyper-Scan Fiber-Sensing technology is well suited for the monitoring of infrastructure spanning large distances. The system addresses a large number of operation, safety, security and preventive maintenance scenarios. The company was founded in 2017 by entrepreneurs specializing in laser, fiberoptics, and machine learning.

About INGL

Israel Natural Gas Lines LTD is a state-owned corporation established in 2003 for the purpose of developing and operating the national natural gas pipelinegrid. INGL builds and operates the grid in accordance with extremely stringent international standards. To date, INGL has laid down a total of approximately 850 km of piping throughout Israel. Today, 70% of the electricity in Israel is produced using natural gas convayed by INGL. The company is routinely ranked as a market leader by credit rating firms Moody's and S&P.

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1742669/Prisma_Photonics_Logo.jpg

SOURCE Prisma Photonics
DEERFIELD BEACH, Fla., Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- All Star Healthcare Solutions, a full-service healthcare staffing firm specializing in locum tenens and direct-hire opportunities for physicians and advanced practice providers, was again named one of the Best Companies to Work For in Florida by Florida Trend.

"We are grateful and thrilled to be recognized as one of Florida's best companies to work for," said Keith Shattuck, All Star's CEO. "What makes this distinction extra special is that it reflects our people's feedback and their experiences at All Star: from embracing our Core Values; to appreciating our comprehensive and competitive employee benefits; to engaging in our award-winning learning and development programs that empower them to set their own career paths.

"Also, it's important to emphasize the positive impact our people make every day on the providers, patients, and clients we serve  as well as our community and everyone within the All Star family  through the delivery of our renowned "Red Carpet" Service," he added. "That's because they genuinely care. Our people are the heart of All Star, and we're committed to further enhancing an environment and building programs that encourage collaboration, professional and personal growth, fun, and community outreach. Together, we continue to grow stronger."

Employees at participating organizations completed an online survey conducted by Workforce Research Group. The anonymous survey measured several key areas for engaging cultures, including policies, practices, and employee satisfaction.

"The competition for high-quality talent has never been greater and employees are raising their expectations of their workplaces," said Florida Trend Executive Editor Vickie Chachere. "Companies that support, elevate, and celebrate their employees and are changemakers in creating positive workplace cultures will be the winners in the talent race."

About All Star Healthcare Solutions

All Star Healthcare Solutions, which is repeatedly recognized for its outstanding workplace culture, is one of the fastest-growing healthcare staffing companies in the country. Founded in 2003 and based in Deerfield Beach, Fla., the company places physicians and advanced practitioners on locum tenens (i.e., temporary) assignments and in direct-hire positions at hospitals, health systems, medical practices, clinics, and other healthcare facilities throughout the United States, delivering exceptional care to patients who might otherwise go without it.

SOURCE All Star Healthcare Solutions
ATLANTA, Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Artivion, Inc. (NYSE: AORT), a leading cardiac and vascular surgery company focused on aortic disease, today announced that it will participate in two upcoming investor conferences.

Artivion's management team will present at the upcoming Canaccord Genuity 42nd Annual Growth Conference on Thursday, August 11, 2022 at the InterContinental Boston Hotel. The Company's presentation is scheduled to begin at 9:30 a.m. ET. A live webcast can be accessed through Artivion's website, www.artivion.com, on the Investors page. An archived copy of the webcast will be available for 90 days on the same website.

Members of the management team will also participate in the 7th Annual Needham Virtual Med Tech & Diagnostics 1x1 Conference on Monday, August 15, 2022 & Tuesday, August 16, 2022. Due to the format of this event no webcast will be available.

About Artivion, Inc.

Headquartered in suburban Atlanta, Georgia, Artivion, Inc. is a medical device company focused on developing simple, elegant solutions that address cardiac and vascular surgeons' most difficult challenges in treating patients with aortic diseases. Artivion's four major groups of products include: aortic stent grafts, surgical sealants, On-X mechanical heart valves, and implantable cardiac and vascular human tissues. Artivion markets and sells products in more than 100 countries worldwide. For additional information about Artivion, visit our website, www.artivion.com.

Contacts:



Artivion Gilmartin Group LLC D. Ashley Lee Brian Johnston / Lynn Lewis Executive Vice President & Phone: 332-895-3222 Chief Financial Officer [email protected] Phone: 770-419-3355







SOURCE Artivion, Inc.
Leading business brand recognizes Cincinnati-based digital solutions firm for creating a work environment that cultivates innovation at all-levels of the organization.

CINCINNATI, Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Ascendum Solutions, a global digital innovation firm, was recognized in the 2022 Fast Company's 4th annual list of the Best Workplaces for Innovators in the Enterprise Products and Services category. This is the second year in a row that Ascendum has received this recognition from the global media brand.

From custom software development, design-led engineering, and intuitive interfaces, to sourcing top talent, Ascendum's creative global team of tech strategists, designers, developers, data engineers, and recruiters act as a collaborative catalyst to drive positive change, continually improving and evolving our clients' digital transformation strategies.

"This year's list of the Best Workplaces for Innovators recognizes organizations that have demonstrated a deep commitment to cultivating creativity across the board," says Brendan Vaughan, Editor-in-Chief of Fast Company. "In the face of powerful headwinds, these leaders and teams continue to spur innovation."

The annual list recognizes the very best of businessworkplaces that encourage innovation at all levels. The award celebrates companies of all sizes that share a passion for giving employees the freedom to explore creative ideas that benefit their businesses and their communities.

"The entire Ascendum global team is extremely honored to receive this recognition for a second year," said Ascendum President and CEO Kris Nair. "I am very proud of our talented employees. This honor is a testament to our dedication to building a culturally rich workplace that is inclusive, diverse, engaging, and where innovative ideas can thrive."

Developed in collaboration with Accenture, the 2022 Best Workplaces for Innovators ranks winners from a variety of industries, including computer science, biotech, consumer packaged goods, nonprofit, education, financial services, cybersecurity, and engineering. Working together, Fast Company editors and Accenture researchers scored more than 900 applications, and a panel of eminent judges reviewed and endorsed the top companies.

To see Ascendum's recognition, go to: https://www.fastcompany.com/90770113/best-workplaces-for-innovators-2022-6-enterprise-category-standouts

Individuals seeking job opportunities at Ascendum can view current job openings on the firm's Careers Page at: https://ascendum.com/careers.

About Fast Company

Fast Company is the only media brand fully dedicated to the vital intersection of business, innovation, and design, engaging the most influential leaders, companies, and thinkers on the future of business. Headquartered in New York City, Fast Company is published by Mansueto Ventures LLC, along with our sister publication Inc., and can be found online at www.fastcompany.com .

About Ascendum Solutions

Ascendum is an award-winning global technology firm dedicated to delivering pioneering ideas and solutions that enrich our clients' customer experiences and business operations. Our clients come to us for new ideas and boundary-pushing solutions.

From custom software development, design-led engineering, and intuitive interfaces, to sourcing top talent, Ascendum's creative global team of tech strategists, designers, developers, data engineers, and recruiters act as a collaborative catalyst to drive positive change, continually improving and evolving our clients' digital transformation strategies.

Ascendum is MBE certified and a portfolio company of Vora Ventures with worldwide offices in the US, India, London, and Australia. For more information, visit www.Ascendum.com.

Contact: Paulie Anthony, Head of Marketing

Email: [email protected]

Phone: 614.397.7490

SOURCE Ascendum Solutions
Listen to the #UpNow Playlist HERE Featuring the Rising, Ghanaian Artist

NEW YORK, Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, artist-first music streaming platform Audiomack announced that it has tapped rising Ghanian artist Black Sherif as its latest #UpNow artist.

#UpNow is Audiomack's emerging artist program that highlights what's next up in culture by spotlighting and promoting the next generation of global music superstars. Black Sherif will be featured on the cover of Audiomack's prestigious #UpNow playlist and will receive amplification across the platform's channels with specialized marketing, editorial, social support, playlisting, custom videos and more.

"I'm excited to be an Audiomack #UpNow artist," Black Sherif said. "I've had Audiomack since high school. It was the first platform that I used and convinced my friends to listen to my music. It was easier, and it looked professional. It's been the primary thing for me to connect with my fans and share music."

"We're thrilled to have Black Sherif as our next #UpNow artist," Audiomack SVP of Marketing and Brand Strategy Jason Johnson said. "We have been fans of him since his first upload on the platform in 2020 and it is amazing to see his growth over the last two years. We look forward to collaborating with his team to help showcase his talent, expand his brand and further introduce his music to a diverse array of fans."

Recently crossing the 100 million global streams milestone on the platform, Sherif's lean but mighty discography captures his hustler's tale. His first upload was in August 2020, but he broke with viral 2021 hit "First Sermon," giving us the "Second Sermon" later that year. In December 2021, Sherif's star rose even further when Burna Boy hopped on the "Second Sermon" remix.

In March 2022, Sherif released his most introspective song yet, "Kwaku The Traveller." Cutting and poignant storytelling helped "Kwaku The Traveller" garner over 35 million streams, making it the most-streamed song of 2022 so far on Audiomack and Black Sherif's biggest hit to date. He also received major acknowledgement from DJ Khaled, who posted the Ghanian artist's latest single on his Instagram and heralded it as a "big chune."

Audiomack's #UpNow program has been renowned for helping identify and uplift the new generation of emerging artists across hip-hop, R&B, AfroBeats and more. Previous #UpNow honorees include Rod Wave, EST Gee, Blxst, Pooh Shiesty, Sheff G, Omah Lay and Ayra Starr, among others.

Earlier this summer, Audiomack reaffirmed its commitment to expanding its global presence by launching Audiomack Punjabi, a new vertical focused on amplifying the renowned genre, introducing the music to new audiences and featuring versatile playlists highlighting the region's most popular contemporary artists.

About Audiomack

Audiomack, which launched in 2012, currently reaches more than 20 million monthly users globally. The streaming and discovery service has played an integral role in breaking new acts, such as Roddy Ricch and Kaash Paige; served as a trusted partner to Eminem and Nicki Minaj, among other notable artists, to debut exclusive releases; and helped rising African stars, such as Omah Lay, reach an international audience. As of January 2021, Audiomack is the top-ranked music streaming app on Apple's iOS in Nigeria, Ghana, Tanzania, Senegal, and Kenya.

SOURCE Audiomack
Some of the major players operating in the baby food industry are Nestle, Abbott Laboratories, Danone S.A., The Kraft Heinz Company, Kewpie Corporation, Hain Celestial, Hero Group, Bubs Australia Limited, HiPP, Asahi Group, Symrise, DMK Group GmbH, Friesland Campina, Milupa GmbH, and PZ Cussons.

SELBYVILLE, Del., Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- As per the report published by Global Market Insights Inc., the global Baby Food Market was estimated at USD 85,616.4 million in 2021 and is expected to reach above $ 140.96 billion in revenue by 2030, registering with a CAGR of 6% from 2022 to 2030. The research report provides a detailed analysis of top winning strategies, competitive scenario, wavering market trends, drivers & opportunities, market size & estimations, and major investment pockets.

Baby Food Market

The rising government support for nutritious baby foods in many regions owing to the growing issues of malnutrition and hunger is driving market growth.

Request for a sample of this research report @ https://www.gminsights.com/request-sample/detail/3184

Some of the major findings of the baby food market report include :

The rising penetration of baby food in emerging economies is expected to drive the market.

Growth in online distribution channels coupled with increased consumer spending capacity is projected to have positive impacts on the market growth.

Based on product, the prepared baby food segment dominated the baby food market in 2021. and is projected to generate huge revenue gains during the forecast period.

Based on category, the organic baby food segment held a major market share in 2021.

Increasing women employment across the globe is considered as one of the major driving factors of the global baby food market. The availability of equal educational & employment opportunities for women coupled with supportive government programs is resulting in an increased female workforce. Proper maternal health facilities, health infrastructure & childcare policies adopted across numerous workplaces and industries are positively influencing the industry size. Baby food offers an ideal alternative to working mothers, further ensuring their optimum health during their development stages. Additionally, the growing percentage of female employees in the workplace leaves a lesser amount of time for breastfeeding and food preparation for babies, which escalates the demand for quality baby food for their babies.

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted various industries around the globe including automotive, manufacturing, food, and others. Initially, the market observed a surge in the demand due to health-driven purchases and customers' concerns about food safety. The pandemic resulted in the shutdown of various manufacturing plants, trade restrictions, lesser availability of raw materials, and shortage of labor in 2020 & 2021. The lockdown imposed by various governments across the globe resulted in a halt in industrial activities and reduced transportation, reducing product demand.

Baby food market from dried food segment is expected to grow at a CAGR of 6.2% until 2030. Dried baby food is preferred as it has high nutrition value and offers optimal nutrition to infants suffering from lactation problems. Dried baby food products have a high growth rate as they are handy, available in small pouches, and can be easily prepared in a lesser time.

Hypermarket held a significant share in the total distribution channel with a market size of USD 19.36 billion in 2021. A unique combination of hypermarkets is one of the major driving factors. Consumer inclination and expectations continually drive hypermarkets to incorporate multiple offerings within the same product landscape. The high volume & low sales margin model has also encouraged low- to medium-income groups to prefer hypermarkets as the preferred channel to purchase baby food products.

The pre-school age group segment is expected to grow at a CAGR of 5.9% from 2022 to 2030, which is attributed to the increasing demand for baby food from parents of this age group. A pre-school child typically refers to a child aged three to six years. In this age group, children have adult-sized brains, and their overall development is also fast, propelling the demand for nutritious baby food.

Request for the customization of this report: https://www.gminsights.com/roc/3184

Baby food market from organic food segment is expected to exceed USD 24.56 billion by 2030. Increasing awareness among consumers about the health benefits of organic baby food, growing spending on baby products, and the rising demand for organic packaged baby food such as ready-to-eat are boosting the global market growth. Additionally, there are high chances of contamination in inorganic food, which can affect the health of babies. This factor will drive segment growth.

Europe is estimated to hold the largest share of 16.9% in the global baby food industry by 2030. The rising demand for organic baby food products owing to their environmental-friendly properties and nutrition has projected market growth. Moreover, strategic initiatives by manufacturers are anticipated to boost the Europe market growth over the study timeframe.

Major companies operating in the baby food market include Nestle, Abbott Laboratories, Danone S.A., The Kraft Heinz Company, Kewpie Corporation, Hain Celestial, Hero Group, Bubs Australia Limited, HiPP, Asahi Group, Symrise, DMK Group GmbH, Friesland Campina, Milupa GmbH, and PZ Cussons.

About Global Market Insights Inc.

Global Market Insights Inc., headquartered in Delaware, U.S., is a global market research and consulting service provider. Offering syndicated and custom research reports, growth consulting and business intelligence services, Global Market Insights Inc. aims to help clients with penetrative insights and actionable market data that aid in strategic decision making.

Contact Us:

Arun Hegde

Corporate Sales, USA

Global Market Insights Inc.

Phone: +1-302-846-7766

Toll Free: 1-888-689-0688

Email: [email protected]

Web: https://www.gminsights.com

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SOURCE Global Market Insights Inc.
Innovative Men's Grooming Brand Partners with Alkeme, Black Men Heal (BHM) and MESS In A Bottle to Raise Awareness and Increase Accessibility to Mental Health Resources

ATLANTA, Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Walker and Company, the makers of the award-winning men's grooming brand Bevel, are pleased to announce the launch of its new mental health initiative 'Get Your Mind Right'.

Bevel Get Your Mind Right Video Bevel Get Your Mind Right Image Bevel x MESS In A Bottle T-Shirt Bevel x MESS In A Bottle T-Shirt Packaging

According to the National Institute on Minority Mental Health and Health Disparities, about one in five Americans struggle with a mental illness in any given year, regardless of their race. African-Americans are 20% more likely to develop a mental health illness in their lifetime and additionally, suicide is ranked as the third leading cause of death amongst African-Americans between the ages of 15  24 years old. These statistics are staggering. As a Black-founded and led company, Bevel recognizes the growing disparities between the needs and available resources for the Black community and is committed to making lasting changes. Bevel is committed to removing the stigmas and socio-economic barriers that often prevent more Black men from seeking and receiving mental health care and treatment.

As part of the 'Get Your Mind Right' initiative, Bevel is proud to partner with Alkeme, the innovative Black-owned digital mental health platform, and offer free 3-Month passes to Alkeme Health's Gold membership on www.getbevel.com/mindright.

In addition, Bevel is proud to support Black Men Heal (BMH), the renowned non-profit organization on a mission to provide in-person mental health treatment and therapy, psycho-education, resources, and community to Black men nationwide. Black Men Heal subsidizes the cost of in-person and virtual therapy, in addition to providing countless mental health resources. In order to continue this mission, Bevel is proud to raise funds for Black Men Heal through the sale of a limited-edition T-Shirt designed in partnership with MESS in a Bottle . Exclusively available on GetBevel.com for $29.95,100% of the proceeds for the T-Shirt will be donated to Black Men Heal to enable the organization to continue raising awareness and saving lives.

Furthermore, this summer, Bevel will have an in-store display table inside 700 Target stores coast to coast featuring "Get Your Mind Right" signs, select Bevel products, and a strong call to action to learn more about Bevel's commitment to mental health by visiting www.getbevel.com/target.

"Starting today, Bevel is partnering with Alkeme Health to provide 3-months of free mental health & wellness services, whenever you're ready. Look good, and feel better." said Tristan Walker, Founder and CEO of Walker and Company Brands, the makers of Bevel. "Wellness starts from the top and Bevel is committed to supporting our community, from head-to-toe grooming products that keep you fresh physically to getting you access to the mental health and wellness services you need to get your mind right."

"At Alkeme, our purpose is to create generational health anchored in mental wellness." said Alkeme Health Founder and CEO Ryan Mundy. "We are proud to partner with Bevel to provide access to our vast library of culturally centered content programs, helping our community learn, heal, and grow."

"Self care is so important to the mission of Black Men Heal. As we teach men how to manage their mental health, we are so thrilled to partner with Bevel." said Tasnim Sulaiman, Founder of Black Men Heal. "We love the path that Bevel has created, and continues to create for Black and Brown men. The mission of Black Men Heal aligns perfectly with the work and products Bevel develops with Black and Brown men in mind."

The 'Get Your Mind Right' mental health initiative is an extension of Bevel's core values and continued commitment to the needs of Black men, inside and out and head-to-toe.

High-Res images and Video content is available on request.

For more information on Bevel visit getbevel.com or follow Bevel on Instagram.

Contact: [email protected]

About Walker & Company Brands

Walker & Company Brands, recently acquired by Procter & Gamble, is a family of brands designing health and beauty solutions for people of color. Our vision is to build the world's most consumer-centric health and beauty products company, inspiring unprecedented customer loyalty. Walker & Company launched with the introduction of its first brand, Bevel, in 2013. Bevel provides grooming products for Black men, including a full Skin Care regimen, a Shave System, and the Bevel Trimmer, and services designed to help reduce skin irritation and razor bumps. To learn more about Walker & Company Brands, visit www.walkerandcompany.com.

Tristan Walker, Founder and CEO of Walker and Company Brands, was an early, individual investor in Alkeme Health.

SOURCE Bevel
HOUSTON, Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Bishop Lifting Products, a portfolio company of Altamont Capital Partners, announced today the completed acquisition of All-Lifts, Inc., headquartered in Albany, New York. All-Lifts was founded in 1966 and has been owned and operated by the Dewey family since 1978. Since then, the company has grown into a leading fabricator of wire rope slings, synthetic slings, alloy chain slings, and below-the-hook lifting devices. Following the closing, Brian Dewey will assume a leadership role at Bishop Lifting Products.

All-Lifts marks Bishop's eighth acquisition since 2012 as part of Bishop's ongoing strategy to build the company into the country's leading provider of lifting products and services. Through scale and an expanding geographic footprint, Bishop will be able to deliver even greater service and lifting solutions to customers. Including All-Lifts, Bishop has 26 locations across the country offering a full line of lifting products and services. All-Lifts will continue to operate with its full workforce.

"We're excited about our first acquisition with our new partner Altamont Capital and to continue our successful strategy of building Bishop through acquisitions and sound business strategies," said Harold King, President of Bishop Lifting Products. "All-Lifts has a rich history as a family-owned and -operated business and we are proud to welcome Brian Dewey into the Bishop Lifting family, working with him to continue his family's legacy and leaning on him and his team to help fuel the growth of our combined platform. All-Lifts will be a great addition to our footprint in New York and the Northeast as we continue to build out our national footprint and continue our focus on high quality products and customer service."

"All-Lifts is a family business at its core and we are excited to join Bishop to continue the work we've been doing for decades," said Brian Dewey of All-Lifts and newly appointed Northeast Regional Vice President for Bishop Lifting. "Bishop is a great home for All-Lifts and we are confident that they will be a great steward of our family's legacy. We will be even stronger as part of the Bishop team and look forward to accessing their national reach and broad set of products and services to better serve our current customers and add new customers."

About Bishop Lifting Products, Inc.

Founded in 1984, Bishop Lifting Products, Inc. (BLP) is one of the largest providers of wire rope, slings, rigging, and related products in the United States. Bishop's dedicated employees help leading companies across all industries solve their lifting and industrial needs. With over 25 branches located strategically across the country, customers have the advantage of accessing Bishop's large breadth of products from any location. In addition to Bishop, the BLP family of brands includes Delta Rigging and Tools, Morgan City Rentals, Matex, Woods Logging, American Wire Rope and Sling, Western Sling, and Louisiana Crane.

About Altamont Capital Partners

Altamont Capital Partners is a private investment firm based in the San Francisco Bay Area with more than $4.5 billion of assets under management. Altamont is focused on investing in middle market businesses where it can partner with leading management teams to help its portfolio companies reach their full potential.

Media Contact:

David Moseley "Mo"

General Manager, VP Marketing

Bishop Lifting Products, Inc.

125 McCarty Dr.

Houston, TX 77029

(713) 674-2266 O

(713) 671-7803 D

(713) 702-4563 C

[email protected]

www.Lifting.com

SOURCE Bishop Lifting Products
Black Rock Coffee Bar now has a presence in all four of Texas' largest cities

PORTLAND, Ore., Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Black Rock Coffee Bar has announced plans to bring the unique coffee and beverage experience to San Antonio, Texas. This is Black Rock Coffee Bar's first location in the San Antonio metro area and 15th in the state.

Founded in Oregon, the boutique coffee chain that is known for its premium roasted coffees, teas, smoothies and flavorful Fuel energy drinks, is set to open on Friday August 5th at 11701 Blanco Road. To celebrate its grand opening, Black Rock Coffee Bar will offer all customers free 16 oz. drinks all day on August 5th at this location.

"We are proud to say that we now have a presence in four of the largest cities in Texas  Austin, Dallas, Houston and now San Antonio," said Josh Pike, CEO of Black Rock Coffee Bar. "We've had our eye on San Antonio for quite some time because we think it's a community that aligns with our culture. We look forward to serving San Antonians great coffee, providing an engaging experience by our baristas and cultivating some long-lasting relationships."

With more than 100 stores across seven states, the approximately 2,000 square-foot San Antonio location incorporates Black Rock's signature industrial modern design and features a large Texas-themed mural that is designed to connect to the region.

In addition to grand opening specials, Black Rock will be celebrating Fuel Week August 5th through August 11th. Since Black Rock launched its own line of premium energy drinks, Fuel has been a fan favorite. Customers will be able to try a variety of featured popular Fuel flavors August 5th through the 11th for only $2.

Founded in 2008 in Portland, Oregon, an area of the Pacific Northwest known for its coffee excellence, Black Rock Coffee Bar continues its rapid expansion through the west and into the sunbelt, including Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Oregon, Texas and Washington. The boutique coffee chain recently was named the Fastest Growing Private Company in Oregon and SW Washington in 2021 by the Portland Business Journal.

The Black Rock culture prides itself on providing opportunities for young people to learn how to lead, run a business, and develop people skills.

About Black Rock Coffee Bar

Black Rock Coffee Bar is a national boutique coffee shop that is known for its premium roasted coffees, teas, smoothies and flavorful Fuel energy drinks. Founded as a family owned and operated business in Oregon in 2008, Black Rock Coffee Bar has grown to more than 100 retail locations in seven states. The Black Rock culture prides itself on not only being a positive force for the communities it serves, but also the team members that fuel their locations day in and day out. An important aspect of their team mission is to recognize those that go above and beyond by displaying the 4G's of Black Rock  grit, growth, gratitude and grace.

For more information, visit https://br.coffee/

SOURCE Black Rock Coffee Bar
The second annual Bloomberg New Economy Catalysts cohort hails from 16 different countries and regions, accelerating key breakthroughs across Africa, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East and North America

Meet the class of 2022 HERE

NEW YORK, Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Bloomberg announced the 2022 class of Bloomberg New Economy Catalysts , a distinctive global group of breakthrough innovators, visionaries, scientists, policymakers and entrepreneurs, who are inventing possibilities for a more inclusive and prosperous world. Launched in 2021, the community is both a celebration of and launchpad for ideas, providing access to a growing thinktank of influential leaders and opportunities. These 28 individuals from 16 different countries and regions will convene regularly in the coming months and at the fifth annual flagship Bloomberg New Economy Forum , this November in Singapore.

Bloomberg's Editorial team selected this standout group from more than 300 nominations, based on impact in one of six key areas: Agriculture: Feeding the World; The Green Transition: Transport, Industry & Energy; Digital Finance: Inclusive Growth; Life sciences: Future of Health; Learning: Fulfilling Human Potential; Space: Improving Life on Earth. You can find out more about these areas and the selection process here .

"The new class of Bloomberg New Economy Catalysts are brilliant innovators and thinkers who are reshaping economies and societies with their bold ideas - and their determination to put those ideas into practice. They've been selected for the tangible impact they have each had already - and for what they might collectively achieve in the future as a dynamic global community," said Stephanie Flanders, Senior Executive Editor for Economics and Government at Bloomberg and Editorial Chair of New Economy.

The 2022 Class of Catalysts are:

Wemimo Abbey , Co-Chief Executive Officer, Esusu : helps low to moderate income households use their on time rent payments to build credit ( United States )

: helps low to moderate income households use their on time rent payments to build credit ( ) Omar Abudayyeh , McGovern Fellow and Principal Investigator, Abudayyeh-Gootenberg Lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology : developing novel molecular tools, including for gene editing, gene delivery, and cell engineering, by harnessing natural proteins in nature, such as from bacteria plants, and animals ( United States )

: developing novel molecular tools, including for gene editing, gene delivery, and cell engineering, by harnessing natural proteins in nature, such as from bacteria plants, and animals ( ) Tulin Akn, Founder, Tabit Smart Farm : improving agricultural yield and profits by providing farmers with government backed research on crops, weather and market prices, as well as access to financial services ( Turkey )

: improving agricultural yield and profits by providing farmers with government backed research on crops, weather and market prices, as well as access to financial services ( ) Jun Asakawa , Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Pale Blue : seeking to disrupt the space propulsion industry by using water propellant to offer the world's safest high performance spacecraft thruster ( Japan )

: seeking to disrupt the space propulsion industry by using water propellant to offer the world's safest high performance spacecraft thruster ( ) Anna Luisa Beserra, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Sustainable Development & Water For All - SDW : developing technologies that make access to water and sanitation a universal right ( Brazil )

: developing technologies that make access to water and sanitation a universal right ( ) Carrie Chan , Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder, Avant : producing nutritious, high-quality cuts of fish and functional marine proteins directly from fish cells to aid the marine ecosystem and prevent biodiversity destruction (Hong Kong SAR, China )

: producing nutritious, high-quality cuts of fish and functional marine proteins directly from fish cells to aid the marine ecosystem and prevent biodiversity destruction (Hong Kong SAR, ) Asrar Damdam, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Uvera Inc : utilizing breakthrough technology to tackle global food waste, with goals to halve it by 2030 ( Saudi Arabia )

: utilizing breakthrough technology to tackle global food waste, with goals to halve it by 2030 ( ) Odunayo Eweniyi, Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer, PiggyVest : providing a digital platform for the democratization and accessibility of financial services ( Nigeria )

: providing a digital platform for the democratization and accessibility of financial services ( ) Azeez Gupta , Co-Founder, Rocket Learning : catalyzing the world's largest early childhood education system, by connecting the government system with parents and driving community change by systemically leveraging technology, media, and social incentives ( India )

: catalyzing the world's largest early childhood education system, by connecting the government system with parents and driving community change by systemically leveraging technology, media, and social incentives ( ) Devendra Gupta , Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Ecozen Solutions Pvt : Ecozen develops climate-smart deep-tech solutions and has revolutionized agricultural irrigation and cold chains ( India )

: Ecozen develops climate-smart deep-tech solutions and has revolutionized agricultural irrigation and cold chains ( ) Andres Gutierrez, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder, Tpaga : providing an online payment and financial services platform that is accessible to the 400 million Latin Americans who are unbanked ( Colombia )

: providing an online payment and financial services platform that is accessible to the 400 million Latin Americans who are unbanked ( ) Nadine Hachach-Haram, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Proximie : a software platform that allows physicians and medical device experts to virtually scrub-in to any clinical setting to share their skills or learn from others, leading to better patient care ( United Kingdom )

: a software platform that allows physicians and medical device experts to virtually scrub-in to any clinical setting to share their skills or learn from others, leading to better patient care ( ) Angel Hsu , Founder and Director, Data-Driven EnviroLab : an interdisciplinary research group composed of policy experts, data scientists, visual designers, and interactive programmers that use cutting edge data analytics to create solutions to the world's environmental problems ( United States )

: an interdisciplinary research group composed of policy experts, data scientists, visual designers, and interactive programmers that use cutting edge data analytics to create solutions to the world's environmental problems ( ) Gibran Huzaifah, Chief Executive Officer, eFishery : a digital cooperative for fish and shrimp farmers that provide IoT- and data-driven solutions from smart-feeding devices, financing, input distribution and access to the market ( Indonesia )

: a digital cooperative for fish and shrimp farmers that provide IoT- and data-driven solutions from smart-feeding devices, financing, input distribution and access to the market ( ) Emiliano Kargieman, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder, Satellogic : making quality Earth observation data more accessible and more affordable to decision makers at community, regional, and global levels to address changing ground conditions in as close to real-time as possible ( Spain )

: making quality Earth observation data more accessible and more affordable to decision makers at community, regional, and global levels to address changing ground conditions in as close to real-time as possible ( ) Edu Lyra, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder, Gerando Falcoes : an ecosystem aimed at ending poverty in favelas (slums) of Brazil by focusing on three main pillars: education, social networks and Favela 3D: a multidimensional solution to the multidimensional poverty issue in favelas ( Brazil )

: an ecosystem aimed at ending poverty in (slums) of by focusing on three main pillars: education, social networks and Favela 3D: a multidimensional solution to the multidimensional poverty issue in favelas ( ) Tamer Mohamed, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Aspect Biosystems : combining the incredible power of cells with proprietary biomaterials, bioprinting technology, and computational design to create a new class of therapeutics to transform how we treat disease ( Canada )

: combining the incredible power of cells with proprietary biomaterials, bioprinting technology, and computational design to create a new class of therapeutics to transform how we treat disease ( ) Olugbenga Olubanjo Olufemi , Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Reeddi : providing clean, reliable and affordable electricity to households and businesses in the energy-poor regions of the world ( Nigeria )

: providing clean, reliable and affordable electricity to households and businesses in the energy-poor regions of the world ( ) Aneri Pradhan , Chief Operating Officer, New Energy Nexus : supports globally diverse entrepreneurs accelerating clean energy solutions with the goal of reaching 100,000 entrepreneurs by 2030 - a solutions movement that benefits 100% of the population in the shortest time possible ( Germany )

: supports globally diverse entrepreneurs accelerating clean energy solutions with the goal of reaching 100,000 entrepreneurs by 2030 - a solutions movement that benefits 100% of the population in the shortest time possible ( ) Abhilasha Purwar , Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Blue Sky Analytics : using satellite data & AI to build a comprehensive global catalog of high-resolution environmental and climate intelligence targeted at carbon markets, climate risk, and ESG investing to enable global organizations to lead in climate action and together, save the planet. ( India )

: using satellite data & AI to build a comprehensive global catalog of high-resolution environmental and climate intelligence targeted at carbon markets, climate risk, and ESG investing to enable global organizations to lead in climate action and together, save the planet. ( ) Taynaah Reis, Chief Executive Officer, Moeda Seeds Bank : offers banking, payments and micro loans via blockchain with opportunities to build creditworthiness and reputation ( Brazil )

: offers banking, payments and micro loans via blockchain with opportunities to build creditworthiness and reputation ( ) Gregory Rockson , Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, mPharma : connecting and empowering an inclusive universal medical coverage infrastructure in Africa by making access to healthcare affordable and safe ( Ghana )

: connecting and empowering an inclusive universal medical coverage infrastructure in by making access to healthcare affordable and safe ( ) Alexis Rovner , Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder, 64 x Bio :a synthetic biology company using novel high-throughput genome engineering and screening technologies to develop highly optimized cell lines for viral vector manufacturing, with a specific focus on cell and gene therapies ( United States )

:a synthetic biology company using novel high-throughput genome engineering and screening technologies to develop highly optimized cell lines for viral vector manufacturing, with a specific focus on cell and gene therapies ( ) Emma Sanchez Andrade Smith , Founder, Jefa : tackles the gender gap in access to financial services by providing fair and easy access to credit for women ( Mexico )

: tackles the gender gap in access to financial services by providing fair and easy access to credit for women ( ) Flavia Tata Nardini , Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder, Fleet Space Technologies : connecting the Earth, Moon and Mars by adopting sustainable, faster and economical exploration solutions ( Australia )

: connecting the Earth, Moon and Mars by adopting sustainable, faster and economical exploration solutions ( ) Anastasia Volkova , Chief Executive Officer, Regrow : offers the only global solution for measurement, monitoring, reporting and quantifying soil carbon and agricultural GHG emissions in order to rejuvenate the potential of agricultural soils and drive the transition to resilient agriculture globally ( United States )

: offers the only global solution for measurement, monitoring, reporting and quantifying soil carbon and agricultural GHG emissions in order to rejuvenate the potential of agricultural soils and drive the transition to resilient agriculture globally ( ) Gloria Walton , President and Chief Executive Officer, The Solutions Project : is disrupting the status quo of philanthropy by scaling resources and shifting the dialogue to support climate justice solutions created by Black, Indigenous, immigrant, women, and People of Color-led organizations ( United States )

: is disrupting the status quo of philanthropy by scaling resources and shifting the dialogue to support climate justice solutions created by Black, Indigenous, immigrant, women, and People of Color-led organizations ( ) Amira Yahyaoui , Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Mos: reimagining banking for Gen Z to help students overcome financial barriers to pursue higher education ( United States )

"Becoming a Bloomberg New Economy Catalyst is a true honor and recognition for the work we are doing in making financial services available to 100% of the population. Having the support of the Bloomberg community will allow us to connect, learn and scale beyond our current state as we strive to improve the lives of millions throughout Latam," said Andres Gutierrez, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder, Tpaga.

Three members of the 2021 Catalyst class have successfully IPO'd their companies and two Catalysts' ventures have become "Unicorns," going from startup to billion dollar valuation. The program has also created new business partnerships between Catalyst members. Earlier this year, Sam Bankman-Fried's FTX - a global crypto exchange valued at $32 billion - formed a partnership with Elizabeth Rossiello's AZA Finance - an African Fintech - to expand Web3 and digital currencies across Africa.

"The Bloomberg Catalyst program is one of the most expertly curated and impactful communities for founders and executives," said Elizabeth Rossiello, CEO and founder of AZA Finance. "The connections and initiatives created within its ranks are redefining finance, health, science, and more industries, across the globe. As a member of the inaugural 2021 Catalyst class, I am excited to welcome such an incredibly diverse and accomplished 2022 cohort."

Bloomberg provides a platform to scale and accelerate Catalyst's ideas by providing networking opportunities. Most notably, the 2022 Catalyst class will join Bloomberg's annual New Economy Forum convening in Singapore 14-17 November. In its fifth year, the Forum brings together the world's most influential CEOs, leaders, visionaries, scientists, entrepreneurs, and policymakers, and helps facilitate strategic business partnerships. Catalysts will also benefit from visibility, awareness and recognition across Bloomberg's multi-channel network reaching hundreds of millions; gain insight and perspective into cutting edge technologies and high-level policy and finance; and receive peer-to-peer leadership and mentoring throughout the year.

The Catalysts will convene at the Bloomberg New Economy Catalyst Retreat for a special day of programming at the Bloomberg New Economy Forum, which will focus on high-level discussions to develop solutions for a more sustainable and equitable economy.

For additional program and speaker details for Bloomberg New Economy Catalyst and the Bloomberg New Economy Forum visit www.bloombergneweconomy.com . Join the conversation on social media using #BloombergCatalysts and follow Bloomberg New Economy on Twitter , Facebook , and LinkedIn .

About Bloomberg

Bloomberg, the global business and financial information and news leader, gives influential decision makers a critical edge by connecting them to a dynamic network of information, people and ideas. The company's strength  delivering data, news and analytics through innovative technology, quickly and accurately  is at the core of the Bloomberg Terminal. Bloomberg's enterprise solutions build on the company's core strength: leveraging technology to allow customers to access, integrate, distribute and manage data and information across organizations more efficiently and effectively. For more information, visit Bloomberg.com/company or request a demo.

About Bloomberg Media

Bloomberg Media is the world's leading multi-platform media company for business and finance, which draws on the editorial resources of more than 2,700 editorial professionals globally in more than 120 countries. Bloomberg Media is the consumer-facing media organization of Bloomberg L.P.

SOURCE Bloomberg Media
BEIJING, Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- A news report by China.org.cn on Indonesian President Joko Widodo's visit to China:

From July 25 to 26, Indonesian President Joko Widodo paid a visit to China, becoming the first head of state received by Beijing since February's Winter Olympics. China was also the first leg of President Widodo's trip to East Asia since the onset of COVID-19, showing the close relationship between the two countries. And this visit, above all, was aimed at boosting bilateral trade.

China, Indonesia to deepen cooperation, spur global development

In recent years, cooperation between China and Indonesia on economic and trade matters has developed rapidly. Between 2014, when President Widodo took office, up to 2021, trade volume between the two countries more than doubled from around $50 billion to $124.3 billion. During the talks, the two heads of state, while affirming the progress of cooperation, pledged to enhance the scale of bilateral trade, which is an important sign.

To give an interesting example, the two sides signed a cooperation document on exporting Indonesian pineapples to China. In Indonesia, many farmers grow the fruit, and China's significant demand provides them a huge market in the future. With new channels such as e-commerce, more fresh Indonesian fruits like pineapples will be served on the tables of Chinese people, which is a win-win situation. This seemingly small-scale trade signifies a breakthrough in the two countries' cooperation on agricultural products, which will benefit the lives of people on both sides.

On a broader scale, the two countries will pursue high-quality Belt and Road cooperation to further align with Indonesia's development plan. Indonesia is known as the "land of thousand islands." In 2014, President Widodo proposed the vision of a "Global Maritime Fulcrum," which includes promoting maritime culture, constructing maritime infrastructure and developing the maritime economy. These goals have many converging interests with China's 21st Century Maritime Silk Road Initiative, allowing China and Indonesia to carry out in-depth cooperation in aspects such as maritime connectivity, marine ranching and maritime environment.

During President Widodo's visit, the two sides renewed the memorandum of understanding on cooperation between the Belt and Road Initiative and the Global Maritime Fulcrum. Both sides agreed to further build new flagship projects such as the Regional Comprehensive Economic Corridor, and carry out cooperation in the fishery sector. These outcomes will bring more tangible benefits to the development of the two countries and their peoples.

Indonesia holds the rotating presidency of the G20 this year. Earlier, the country also participated in the "BRICS Plus" cooperation mechanism initiated by China for the first time. As President Widodo's visit to China accomplished a series of achievements in the fields of economy and trade, it once again shows that despite some geopolitical noise, achieving common development and improving people's well-being are still the common aspirations of all countries and the trends of the times.

China Mosaic

http://chinamosaic.china.com.cn/index.htm

China, Indonesia to deepen cooperation, spur global development

http://www.china.org.cn/video/2022-08/03/content_78354395.htm

SOURCE China.org.cn
Record Quarterly Revenue of $73.4 Million

Second Quarter Revenue Up 21% Year-Over-Year

14 Consecutive Quarters of 98% Gross Revenue Retention

Operating Cash Flow Generation of $18.3 Million in the Quarter

BOISE, Idaho, Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Clearwater Analytics Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: CWAN) ("Clearwater Analytics" or the "Company"), an industry-leading SaaS solution for automated investment data aggregation, reconciliation, accounting, and reporting, announced today its financial results for the quarter ended June 30, 2022.

"Clearwater Analytics posted another strong quarter and continues to grow by adding marquee new clients across the globe. For both new and existing clients, efficient operations and a deep understanding of investment risk and compliance are critical business functions that make Clearwater Analytics a mission-critical partner," said Sandeep Sahai, Chief Executive Officer. "We continue to win clients and displace our competitors, reflecting the strength and value that our next-generation technology offers. Now more than ever, our clients rely on Clearwater Analytics to help them navigate through the ebbs and flows of market uncertainty with daily intelligence that informs their investments in new securities and strategies."

Second Quarter 2022 Financial Results Summary

Revenue: Total revenue for the second quarter of 2022 reached $73.4 million , an increase of 20.6%, from $60.9 million in the second quarter of 2021.





Total revenue for the second quarter of 2022 reached , an increase of 20.6%, from in the second quarter of 2021. Gross Profit: Gross profit for the second quarter of 2022 was $52.5 million , compared with $45.3 million in the second quarter of 2021. Non-GAAP gross profit for the second quarter of 2022 was $55.6 million , which equates to a 75.7% non-GAAP gross margin.





Gross profit for the second quarter of 2022 was , compared with in the second quarter of 2021. Non-GAAP gross profit for the second quarter of 2022 was , which equates to a 75.7% non-GAAP gross margin. Net Income/(Loss): Net loss for the second quarter of 2022 was $2.2 million compared with net loss of $0.2 million in the second quarter of 2021. In the second quarter of 2022, the Company recorded a $3.1 million expense related to its Tax Receivable Agreement. Non-GAAP net income for the second quarter of 2022 increased by 119% to $13.3 million from $6.1 million in the second quarter of 2021.





Net loss for the second quarter of 2022 was compared with net loss of in the second quarter of 2021. In the second quarter of 2022, the Company recorded a expense related to its Tax Receivable Agreement. Non-GAAP net income for the second quarter of 2022 increased by 119% to from in the second quarter of 2021. Adjusted EBITDA: Adjusted EBITDA for the second quarter of 2022 was $19.1 million , compared with $17.4 million in the second quarter of 2021. Adjusted EBITDA margin for the second quarter of 2022 was 26.0% reflecting the Company's ability to balance incremental investments in sales and marketing and research and development with earnings in the quarter.





Adjusted EBITDA for the second quarter of 2022 was , compared with in the second quarter of 2021. Adjusted EBITDA margin for the second quarter of 2022 was 26.0% reflecting the Company's ability to balance incremental investments in sales and marketing and research and development with earnings in the quarter. Cash Flows: Operating cash flows for the second quarter were $18.3 million and free cash flows were $16.5 million reflecting an 87% conversion of Adjusted EBITDA to free cash flow.





Operating cash flows for the second quarter were and free cash flows were reflecting an 87% conversion of Adjusted EBITDA to free cash flow. Net Income/(Loss) Per Share and Non-GAAP Net Income Per Share attributable to Clearwater Analytics Holdings, Inc.: Net loss per basic and diluted share was $0.01 and non-GAAP net income per diluted share was $0.05 in the second quarter of 2022.





Net loss per basic and diluted share was and non-GAAP net income per diluted share was in the second quarter of 2022. Cash: Cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments were $281.6 million as of June 30, 2022 .

Second Quarter 2022 Key Metrics Summary

Annualized Recurring Revenue: As of June 30, 2022 , annualized recurring revenue ("ARR") reached $290.4 million , an increase of 18.5% from $245.0 million as of June 30, 2021 .



ARR is calculated at the end of a period by dividing the recurring revenue in the last month of such period by the number of days in the month and multiplying by 365.

Gross Revenue Retention Rate: As of June 30, 2022 , the gross revenue retention rate was 98%. The Company has reported a gross revenue retention rate of 98% for fourteen consecutive quarters.



Gross revenue retention rate represents annual contract value ("ACV") at the beginning of the 12-month period ended on the reporting date less client attrition over the prior 12-month period, divided by ACV at the beginning of the 12-month period, expressed as a percentage. ACV is comprised of annualized recurring revenue plus contracted-not-billed revenue, which represents the estimated annual contracted revenue for new and existing client opportunities prior to revenue recognition.

Net Revenue Retention Rate: As of June 30, 2022 , the net revenue retention rate was 104% which is a decline from 107% as of March 31, 2022 . With the unusual market conditions of the equity markets and fixed income securities having both fallen in concert, the Company saw a 3% decline in the net revenue retention rate in the second quarter.



Net revenue retention rate is the percentage of recurring revenue from clients on the platform for 12 months and includes changes from the addition, removal, or value of assets on our platform, contractual changes that have an impact to annualized recurring revenues and lost revenue from client attrition.

Recent Business Highlights

As another example of high growth businesses needing timely and accurate investment accounting, Sutton RE, a proven provider of specialized reinsurance solutions across the globe, selected Clearwater Analytics' best-in-class technology to manage their operations across more than $29 billion assets under management spanning a diverse and complex portfolio of investments.





assets under management spanning a diverse and complex portfolio of investments. Clearwater Analytics added its first public pension fund client, the Public Employee Retirement System of Idaho ("PERSI") which manages more than $23 billion in assets, to its SaaS platform to provide data aggregation and reporting for the 850 employer organizations and more than 170,000 individuals served in the State of Idaho by PERSI.





("PERSI") which manages more than in assets, to its SaaS platform to provide data aggregation and reporting for the 850 employer organizations and more than 170,000 individuals served in the by PERSI. One of Asia's leading non-life insurance brands, MSIG, with a presence in 50 countries and regions globally, selected Clearwater Analytics to support its transformation strategy. MSIG's Asia headquarters along with its business units in Hong Kong , Malaysia and Thailand will standardize their operating model, and adopt Clearwater Analytics for a consolidated view of data, analytics, accounting, regulatory, and operational reporting.





leading non-life insurance brands, MSIG, with a presence in 50 countries and regions globally, selected Clearwater Analytics to support its transformation strategy. MSIG's headquarters along with its business units in , and will standardize their operating model, and adopt Clearwater Analytics for a consolidated view of data, analytics, accounting, regulatory, and operational reporting. Clearwater Analytics hosted its European Clearwater Connect conference in London . More than 100 current and prospective Clearwater Analytics users seized the opportunity to significantly enhance their knowledge of the world's most comprehensive investment accounting solution.





. More than 100 current and prospective Clearwater Analytics users seized the opportunity to significantly enhance their knowledge of the world's most comprehensive investment accounting solution. Clearwater Analytics continues to receive industry recognition for its innovative investment accounting solution. In the second quarter of 2022, it was honored with the IASA Solution Provider of the Year award and the FTF News Award for best client reporting solution for the second consecutive year.

Third Quarter and Full-Year 2022 Guidance





Third Quarter 2022

Full Year 2022 Revenue

$74.5 million to $75 million

$298 million to $300 million Year-over-Year Growth %

~16%

~19% Adjusted EBITDA

$19 million to $19.5 million

$79 million to $81 million

Certain components of the guidance given above are provided on a non-GAAP basis only without providing a reconciliation to guidance provided on a GAAP basis. Information is presented in this manner, consistent with Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") rules, because the preparation of such a reconciliation could not be accomplished without "unreasonable efforts." The Company does not have access to certain information that would be necessary to provide such a reconciliation, including non-recurring items that are not indicative of the Company's ongoing operations. The Company does not believe that this information is likely to be significant to an assessment of the Company's ongoing operations.

Conference Call Details

Clearwater Analytics will hold a conference call and webcast on August 3, 2022, at 5:00 p.m. Eastern time to discuss second quarter 2022 financial results, provide a general business update, and respond to analyst questions.

A live webcast of the call will also be available on the Company's investor relations website. Please visit investors.clearwateranalytics.com at least fifteen minutes prior to the start of the event to register, download and install any necessary audio software.

If you are unable to participate live, a replay of the webcast will be available following the conference call on the Company's investor relations website, along with the earnings press release, and related financial tables.

About Clearwater Analytics

Clearwater Analytics is a global industry-leading SaaS solution for automated investment data aggregation, reconciliation, accounting, compliance, risk, performance, and reporting. Each day, the Clearwater solution reports on more than $5.9 trillion in assets for clients that include leading insurers, asset managers, corporations, pension plans, governments, and nonprofit organizations  helping them make the most of their investment portfolio data with a world-class product and client-centric servicing. Investment professionals around the globe trust Clearwater to deliver timely, validated investment data and analytics. Additional information about Clearwater can be found at clearwateranalytics.com, LinkedIn, and Twitter.

Use of non-GAAP Information

This press release contains certain non-GAAP measures, including non-GAAP gross profit, non-GAAP gross margin, adjusted EBITDA, adjusted EBITDA margin, non-GAAP net income, non-GAAP net income per diluted share and free cash flow.

The non-GAAP measures are not based on any standardized methodology prescribed by GAAP and are not necessarily comparable to similar measures presented by other companies. However, the Company believes that this non-GAAP information is useful as an additional means for investors to evaluate its operating performance, when reviewed in conjunction with its GAAP financial statements. These measures should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for measures prepared in accordance with GAAP, and because these amounts are not determined in accordance with GAAP, they should not be used exclusively in evaluating the Company's business and operations. In addition, undue reliance should not be placed upon non-GAAP or operating information because this information is neither standardized across companies nor subjected to the same control activities and audit procedures that produce the Company's GAAP financial results.

The Company's non-GAAP statement of operations measures, including non-GAAP gross profit, non-GAAP gross margin, adjusted EBITDA, adjusted EBITDA margin, non-GAAP net income, non-GAAP net income per diluted share and free cash flow, are adjusted to exclude the impact of certain costs, expenses, gains and losses and other specified items that management believes are not indicative of its ongoing operations. These adjusted measures exclude the impact of share-based compensation and eliminate potential differences in results of operations between periods caused by factors such as financing and capital structures, taxation positions or regimes, restructuring, impairment and other charges. Please refer to the reconciliations of these measures below to what the Company believes are the most directly comparable measures evaluated in accordance with GAAP.

Use of Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are based on management's beliefs and assumptions and on information currently available to management. Forward-looking statements include information concerning the Company's possible or assumed future results of operations, business strategies, technology developments, financing and investment plans, dividend policy, competitive position, industry, economic and regulatory environment, potential growth opportunities and the effects of competition. Forward-looking statements include statements that are not historical facts and can be identified by terms such as "anticipate," "believe," "could," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "may," "plan," "potential," "predict," "project," "seek," "should," "will," "would" or similar expressions and the negatives of those terms, but are not the exclusive means of identifying such statements.

Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors, many of which are beyond Clearwater Analytics' control, that may cause the Company's actual results, performance, or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties may cause actual results to differ materially from Clearwater Analytics' current expectations and include, but are not limited to, the Company's ability to keep pace with rapid technological change and competitors in its industry, the possibility that market volatility, a downturn in economic conditions or other factors may cause negative trends or fluctuations in the value of the assets on the Company's platform, the Company's ability to manage growth, the Company's ability to attract and retain skilled employees, the possibility that the Company's solutions fail to perform properly, disruptions and failures in the Company's and third parties' computer equipment, cloud-based services, electronic delivery systems, networks and telecommunications systems and infrastructure, the failure to protect the Company, its customers' and/or its vendors' confidential information and/or intellectual property, claims of infringement of others' intellectual property, factors related to the Company's ownership structure and status as a "controlled company" as well as other risks and uncertainties detailed in Clearwater Analytics' periodic public filings with the SEC, including but not limited to those discussed under "Risk Factors" in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021 filed on March 16, 2022, and in other periodic reports filed by Clearwater Analytics with the SEC. These filings are available at www.sec.gov and on Clearwater Analytics' website.

Given these uncertainties, you should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Also, forward-looking statements represent management's beliefs and assumptions only as of the date of this press release and should not be relied upon as representing Clearwater Analytics' expectations or beliefs as of any date subsequent to the time they are made. Clearwater Analytics does not undertake to and specifically declines any obligation to update any forward-looking statements that may be made from time to time by or on behalf of Clearwater Analytics.

Clearwater Analytics Holdings, Inc. Consolidated Balance Sheets (In thousands, except share amounts and per share amounts, unaudited)





June 30



December 31





2022



2021

Assets











Current assets:











Cash and cash equivalents

$ 278,646



$ 254,597

Short-term investments



3,000







Accounts receivable, net



55,593





50,190

Prepaid expenses and other current assets



17,223





16,551

Total current assets



354,462





321,338

Property and equipment, net



12,613





10,738

Operating lease right-of-use assets, net



21,583







Deferred contract costs, non-current



5,572





5,687

Debt issuance costs - line of credit



826





922

Other non-current assets



5,589





5,670

Total assets

$ 400,645



$ 344,355

Liabilities and Stockholders' Equity











Current liabilities:











Accounts payable

$ 891



$ 1,416

Accrued expenses and other current liabilities



20,916





27,032

Notes payable, current portion



2,750





2,750

Operating lease liability, current portion



5,185







Total current liabilities



29,742





31,198

Notes payable, less current maturities and unamortized debt issuance costs



49,824





51,157

Operating lease liability, less current portion



17,789







Tax receivable agreement liability



3,100







Other long-term liabilities



965





132

Total liabilities



101,420





82,487

Stockholders' Equity











Class A common stock, par value $0.001 per share; 1,500,000,000 shares authorized, 57,660,081 shares issued and outstanding as of June 30, 2022, 47,948,888 shares issued and outstanding as of December 31, 2021



58





48

Class B common stock, par value $0.001 per share; 500,000,000 shares authorized, 2,696,785 shares issued and outstanding as of June 30, 2022, 11,151,110 shares issued and outstanding as of December 31, 2021



3





11

Class C common stock, par value $0.001 per share; 500,000,000 shares authorized, 47,377,587 shares issued and outstanding at June 30, 2022 and December 31, 2021



47





47

Class D common stock, par value $0.001 per share; 500,000,000 shares authorized, 130,083,755 shares issued and outstanding at June 30, 2022 and December 31, 2021



130





130

Additional paid-in-capital



420,123





388,591

Accumulated other comprehensive loss



(1,012)





(34)

Accumulated Deficit



(183,198)





(191,926)

Total stockholders' equity attributable to Clearwater Analytics Holdings, Inc.



236,151





196,867

Noncontrolling interests



63,074





65,001

Total stockholders' equity



299,225





261,868

Total liabilities and Stockholders' Equity

$ 400,645



$ 344,355



Clearwater Analytics Holdings, Inc. Consolidated Statements of Operations (In thousands, except share amounts and per share amounts, unaudited)





Three Months Ended

June 30,



Six Months Ended

June 30,





2022



2021



2022



2021

Revenue

$ 73,409



$ 60,876



$ 144,187



$ 117,770

Cost of revenue(2)



20,919





15,576





42,091





29,898

Gross profit



52,490





45,300





102,096





87,872

Operating expenses:























Research and development(2)



22,836





16,740





44,130





32,576

Sales and marketing(2)



13,074





8,814





25,067





16,025

General and administrative(2)



15,453





11,184





30,493





18,727

Total operating expenses



51,363





36,738





99,690





67,328

Income from operations



1,127





8,562





2,406





20,544

Interest expense, net



403





8,510





832





16,959

Tax receivable agreement expense



3,100











3,100







Other (income) expense, net



(444)





(13)





(359)





65

Income (loss) before provision for income taxes



(1,932)





65





(1,167)





3,520

Provision for income taxes



298





276





535





320

Net income (loss)



(2,230)





(211)





(1,702)





3,200

Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests



198











329







Net loss attributable to Clearwater Analytics

Holdings, Inc.

$ (2,428)



$ 



$ (2,031)



$ 



























Net loss per share attributable to Class A and Class D common stock(1):























Basic and diluted

$ (0.01)



NMF



$ (0.01)



NMF



























Weighted average shares of Class A and Class D common stock

outstanding:























Basic



185,781,262



NMF





182,085,548



NMF

Diluted



237,545,574



NMF





237,213,366



NMF



NMF - not meaningful (1) Basic and diluted net income per share of Class A and Class D common stock is applicable only for the periods after the IPO and related transactions. (2) Amounts include equity-based compensation as follows:

Cost of revenue

$ 2,376



$ 749



$ 4,687



$ 1,272

Operating expenses:























Research and development



4,565





2,034





8,870





3,686

Sales and marketing



3,215





1,295





6,511





2,127

General and administrative



6,035





2,613





11,999





4,471

Total equity-based compensation expense

$ 16,191



$ 6,691



$ 32,067



$ 11,556



Clearwater Analytics Holdings, Inc. Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (In thousands, unaudited)





Three Months Ended

June 30,



Six Months Ended

June 30,





2022



2021



2022



2021

OPERATING ACTIVITIES























Net income (loss)

$ (2,230)



$ (211)



$ (1,702)



$ 3,200

Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities:























Depreciation and amortization



1,159





735





2,118





1,412

Noncash operating lease cost



1,794











3,334







Equity-based compensation



16,191





6,691





32,067





11,556

Change in tax receivable liability



3,100











3,100







Amortization of deferred contract acquisition costs



1,103





784





2,067





1,511

Amortization of debt issuance costs, included in interest expense



69





504





138





974

Deferred tax benefit



(508)











(484)







Changes in operating assets and liabilities:























Accounts receivable, net



(2,414)





(3,599)





(5,403)





(12,193)

Prepaid expenses and other assets



1,169





(963)





55





(11,433)

Deferred commissions



(1,304)





(886)





(2,115)





(1,245)

Accounts payable



(76)





626





(421)





50

Accrued expenses and other liabilities



192





3,714





(7,130)





(4,805)

Accrued sales tax liability



8





(5,379)





(457)





(5,379)

Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities



18,253





2,016





25,167





(16,352)

INVESTING ACTIVITIES























Purchases of property and equipment



(1,742)





(921)





(3,968)





(2,231)

Purchase of available-for-sale investments



(3,000)











(3,000)







Net cash used in investing activities



(4,742)





(921)





(6,968)





(2,231)

FINANCING ACTIVITIES























Proceeds from issuance of common units





















1,560

Proceeds from exercise of options



771





251





6,384





251

Minimum tax withholding paid on behalf of employees for net unit settlement





















(587)

Repurchase of common units





















(626)

Repayments of borrowings



(688)





(770)





(1,375)





(1,539)

Proceeds from employee stock purchase plan



2,401











2,401







Payment of costs associated with the IPO









(400)





(214)





(400)

Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities



2,484





(919)





7,196





(1,341)

Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents



(1,023)





(83)





(1,346)





(133)

Net change in cash and cash equivalents during the period



14,972





93





24,049





(20,057)

Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period



263,674





40,938





254,597





61,088

Cash and cash equivalents, end of period

$ 278,646



$ 41,031



$ 278,646



$ 41,031

SUPPLEMENTAL DISCLOSURE OF CASH FLOW INFORMATION























Cash paid for interest

$ 347



$ 7,907



$ 615



$ 15,769

Cash paid for income taxes

$ 115



$ 



$ 486



$ 57

NON-CASH INVESTING AND FINANCING ACTIVITES























Direct costs incurred with the IPO included in other assets and accrued expenses

$ 



$ 1,172



$ 



$ 1,172

Tax distributions to unitholders included in accrued expenses

$ 976



$ 



$ 976



$ 



Clearwater Analytics Holdings, Inc. Reconciliation of Net Income (Loss) to Adjusted EBITDA (In thousands, unaudited)





Three Months Ended June 30,





2022



2021

Net income (loss)

$ (2,230)





(3) %

$ (211)





(0) % Adjustments:























Interest expense, net



403





1 %



8,510





14 % Depreciation and amortization



1,159





2 %



735





1 % Equity-based compensation



16,191





22 %



6,691





11 % Tax receivable agreement expense



3,100





4 %









0 % Other expenses(1)



451





1 %



1,682





3 % Adjusted EBITDA



19,074





26 %



17,407





29 % Revenue

$ 73,409





100 %

$ 60,876





100 %





Six Months Ended June 30,





2022



2021

Net income (loss)

$ (1,702)





(1) %

$ 3,200





3 % Adjustments:























Interest expense, net



832





1 %



16,959





14 % Depreciation and amortization



2,118





1 %



1,412





1 % Equity-based compensation



32,067





22 %



11,556





10 % Tax receivable agreement



3,100





2 %









0 % Other expenses(1)



1,522





1 %



2,394





2 % Adjusted EBITDA



37,937





26 %



35,521





30 % Revenue

$ 144,187





100 %

$ 117,770





100 %



(1) Other expenses includes management fees to our investors, income taxes, foreign exchange gains and losses and other expenses that

are not reflective of our core operating performance including the costs to set up our Up-C structure and Tax Receivable Agreement.





Three Months Ended June 30,



Six Months Ended June 30,





2022



2021



2022



2021

Up-C structure expenses

$ 



$ 926



$ 158



$ 926

Management fees and reimbursed expenses



597





493





1,188





1,083

Provision for income tax expense



298





276





535





320

Miscellaneous



(444)





(13)





(359)





65

Total other expenses

$ 451



$ 1,682



$ 1,522



$ 2,394



Clearwater Analytics Holdings, Inc. Reconciliation of Free Cash Flow (In thousands, unaudited)





Three Months Ended June 30,



Six Months Ended June 30,





2022



2021



2022



2021

Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities

$ 18,253



$ 2,016



$ 25,167



$ (16,352)

Less: Purchases of property and equipment



1,742





921





3,968





2,231

Free Cash Flow

$ 16,511



$ 1,095



$ 21,199



$ (18,583)



Clearwater Analytics Holdings, Inc. Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Information (In thousands, except share amounts and per share amounts, unaudited)



Three Months Ended June 30,



Six Months Ended June 30,



2022



2021



2022



2021

Revenue $ 73,409



$ 60,876



$ 144,187



$ 117,770

























Gross profit $ 52,490



$ 45,300



$ 102,096



$ 87,872

Adjustments:





















Equity-based compensation

2,376





749





4,687





1,272

Depreciation and amortization

728





404





1,334





771

Gross profit, non-GAAP $ 55,594



$ 46,453



$ 108,117



$ 89,915

As a percentage of revenue, non-GAAP

76 %



76 %



75 %



76 %























Cost of Revenue $ 20,919



$ 15,576



$ 42,091



$ 29,898

Adjustments:





















Equity-based compensation

2,376





749





4,687





1,272

Depreciation and amortization

728





404





1,334





771

Cost of revenue, non-GAAP $ 17,815



$ 14,423



$ 36,070



$ 27,855

As a percentage of revenue, non-GAAP

24 %



24 %



25 %



24 %























Research and development $ 22,836



$ 16,740



$ 44,130



$ 32,576

Adjustments:





















Equity-based compensation

4,565





2,034





8,870





3,686

Depreciation and amortization

258





217





482





422

Research and development, non-GAAP $ 18,013



$ 14,489



$ 34,778



$ 28,468

As a percentage of revenue, non-GAAP

25 %



24 %



24 %



24 %























Sales and marketing $ 13,074



$ 8,814



$ 25,067



$ 16,025

Adjustments:





















Equity-based compensation

3,215





1,295





6,511





2,127

Depreciation and amortization

66





63





132





120

Sales and marketing, non-GAAP $ 9,793



$ 7,456



$ 18,424



$ 13,778

As a percentage of revenue, non-GAAP

13 %



12 %



13 %



12 %























General and administrative $ 15,453



$ 11,184



$ 30,493



$ 18,727

Adjustments:





















Equity-based compensation

6,035





2,613





11,999





4,471

Depreciation and amortization

107





51





170





99

Management fees and reimbursed expenses

597





493





1,188





1,083

Up-C structure expenses







926





158





926

General and administrative, non-GAAP $ 8,714



$ 7,101



$ 16,978



$ 12,148

As a percentage of revenue, non-GAAP

12 %



12 %



12 %



10 %























Income from operations $ 1,127



$ 8,562



$ 2,406



$ 20,544

Adjustments:





















Equity-based compensation

16,191





6,691





32,067





11,556

Depreciation and amortization

1,159





735





2,118





1,412

Management fees and reimbursed expenses

597





493





1,188





1,083

Up-C structure expenses







926





158





926

Income from operations, non-GAAP $ 19,074



$ 17,407



$ 37,937



$ 35,521

As a percentage of revenue, non-GAAP

26 %



29 %



26 %



30 %























Net income (loss) $ (2,230)



$ (211)



$ (1,702)



$ 3,200

Adjustments:





















Equity-based compensation

16,191





6,691





32,067





11,556

Depreciation and amortization

1,159





735





2,118





1,412

Tax receivable agreement expense

3,100











3,100







Management fees and reimbursed expenses

597





493





1,188





1,083

Up-C structure expenses







926





158





926

Tax impacts of adjustments to net income(1)

(5,543)





(2,584)





(10,865)





(5,364)

Net income, non-GAAP $ 13,274



$ 6,050



$ 26,064



$ 12,813

As a percentage of revenue, non-GAAP

18 %



10 %



18 %



11 %























Net income per share(2) - basic, non-GAAP $ 0.07



NMF



$ 0.14



NMF

Net income per share(2) - diluted, non-GAAP $ 0.05



NMF



$ 0.10



NMF

























Weighted-average common shares outstanding - basic

185,781,262



NMF





182,085,548



NMF

Weighted-average common shares outstanding - diluted

254,338,870



NMF





253,780,420



NMF





NMF - not meaningful (1) The estimated non-GAAP effective tax rate was 29% for the three and six months ended June 30, 2022 and has been used to adjust the provision for income taxes for non-GAAP net income and non-GAAP basic and diluted net income per share. (2) Basic and diluted net income per share of Class A and Class D common stock is applicable only for the periods after the IPO and related transactions.

SOURCE Clearwater Analytics, LLC
Rise in demand for easy-to-use coffee roasting machines and various innovations &advancements in technology drive the growth of the global coffee roaster market.

PORTLAND, Ore., Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Allied Market Research published a report, titled, "Coffee Roaster Market by Type (Drum, Hot Air, Stove Top, Others), by Category (Electric Roaster, Gas Roaster), by End User (Commercial, Residential), by Distribution Channel (Business to Business, Specialty Stores, Hypermarkets and Supermarkets, Online Sales Channels): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2021-2031."According to the report, the global coffee roaster industry generated $448.90 million in 2021, and is expected to reach $741.90 million by 2031, witnessing a CAGR of 5.2% from 2021 to 2031.

Drivers, Restraints, and Opportunities

Rise in demand for easy-to-use coffee roasting machines,surge in number of coffee shops and other coffee-serving establishments, and various innovations &advancements in technology drive the growth of the global coffee roaster market. However, high initial investment costs restrain the market growth. On the other hand, increase in coffee drinking culture and research activities regarding the smell of coffee and roasting coffee as a method of aromatherapy present new opportunities in the coming years.

Covid-19 Scenario

Manufacturing activities of coffee roasters were hindered completely or partially, due to closure of factories with lockdown restrictions implemented by governments of many countries. In addition, raw material shortage and supply chain disruptions prevented the production activities.

The demand for coffee roasters from commercial sectors reduced considerably, due to closure of offices and business premises with lockdown restrictions in place. However, the demand will take place post-pandemic.

The distribution channels such as hypermarkets, supermarkets, and specialty stores were closed temporarily or completely during the pandemic. This reduced the sales volume and impacted the market negatively. However, some residential users ordered them through online channels with delivery channels taking precautions such as zero-contact delivery.

Maintenance activities of electric and gas roasters were restricted during lockdown restrictions. Such challenges impacted the coffee roaster market negatively. However, these activities got back on track post-lockdown.

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The drum segment to maintain its leadership status during the forecast period

Based on type, the drum segment contributed to the highest market share in 2021, contributing to more than one-third of the global coffee roaster market, and is expected to maintain its leadership status during the forecast period. This is due topreference by professional and commercial sectors for their durability and precise control over functions such as rotation speed, temperature control, and duration of roasting. The report also analyzes the segments including hot air, stove top, and others.

The gas roaster segment to maintain its lead position during the forecast period

Based on category,the gas roaster segment held the highest market share in 2021, accounting for nearly three-fifths of the global coffee roaster market, and is expected to maintain its lead position during the forecast period. This is attributedtoits popularity for coffee roasting among purists and enthusiasts and quick coffee-making process.However, the electric roaster segment is projected to manifest the fastest CAGR of 5.8% from 2021 to 2031, owing to ease of use, lack of manual efforts, and precision along with additional features such as temperature control and timers.

The commercial segment to maintain its lead status by 2031

Based on end user, the commercial segment accounted for the largest market share in 2021, holding nearly three-fourths of the global coffee roaster market, and is expected to maintain its lead status by 2031. This is due torise in investments in commercial spaces such as airports, hospitals, hotels, restaurants, among others.However, the residential segment is projected to manifest the fastest CAGR of 6.2% from 2021 to 2031, owing toincrease in standards of living and the know-how about the benefits and taste of coffee.

The business to business segment to maintain its dominance in terms of revenue by 2031

Based on distribution channel, the business to business segmentcontributed to the largest market share in 2021, accounting for nearly two-fifths of the global coffee roaster market, and is expected to maintain its dominance in terms of revenue by 2031. This is attributed torise in outdoor dining trend and surge in number of quick service restaurants. However, the online sales channels segment is projected to manifest the fastest CAGR of 6.6% during the forecast period. This is due torise in mobile phone adoption and increase in Internet penetration along with wide adoption in developed countries.

Europe to maintain its lead position in terms of revenue during the forecast period

Based on region, Europeheld the highest market share in 2021, accounting for nearly two-fifths of the global coffee roaster market, and is expected to maintain its lead position in terms of revenue during the forecast period. This is due torise in consumption of different varieties of coffee across the region and improved distribution channels. However, Asia-Pacificis projected to grow at the highest CAGR of 7.2% from 2021 to 2031. This is attributed tochanges in taste & preferences of consumers, rise in number of fast food restraint/trucks, adoption of western lifestyle, and the presence of commercial complexes and offices.

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Leading Market Players

Buhler Group

Nestle S.A.

Giesen Coffee Roasters

Genio Roaster

Diedrich Roasters

Panasonic Corp.

Roaster & Roaster

US Roaster Corp

Toper Roaster

Mill City Roasters, LLC

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PHOENIX, Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- CopperPoint Insurance Companies, a western-based super regional commercial insurance company, announced today that John Carey will be joining CopperPoint on August 29, 2022 as Chief Underwriting Officer, reporting to the CEO.

Prior to this appointment, Carey served as Chief Underwriting Officer for Zurich Asia Pacific where he managed a book comprised of $250M GWP and over 40 underwriter and actuaries. Prior to that he held leadership positions at Farmers Business Insurance, Zurich North America, and Encova Mutual Group.

"John brings a lot of very relevant experience to this important role, and we are excited that he will be writing his next chapter here, with the CopperPoint Family", said Marc Schmittlein, CopperPoint President and CEO.

Carey holds a BA from University of Iowa and MA, Economics and Policy and an MBA from the University of Notre Dame. He is also a Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) and an Associate in Risk Management (ARM).

About CopperPoint Insurance Companies

Founded in 1925, CopperPoint Insurance Companies, www.copperpoint.com, is a leading provider of workers' compensation and commercial property and casualty insurance solutions. With an expanded line of insurance products and a growing 26-state footprint, CopperPoint is in a strong position to meet the evolving needs of its agents, brokers, and customers. It has $5.1 billion in total assets and an enterprise surplus of approximately $1.6 billion.

CopperPoint Mutual Insurance Holding Company is the corporate parent of CopperPoint Insurance Companies, Pacific Compensation Insurance Company and Alaska National Insurance Company. All companies are rated A (Excellent) by AM Best.

SOURCE CopperPoint Insurance Companies
NEW YORK, Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- CVE North America ("CVE") and Live Oak Bank ("Live Oak") have successfully closed a permanent debt financing of approximately $6.6MM for two Acushnet, MA projects totaling 4.2 megawatts (MW).

Over the last two years, CVE has partnered with Live Oak for permanent debt financing on its Massachusetts portfolio, now comprised of nine operating assets with over 37 MW of capacity.

The two latest CVE projects join six others that have qualified as community solar installations under the Solar Massachusetts Renewable Target ("SMART") program, and one project previously qualified under the Solar Carve Out II Program.

With all nine photovoltaic ("PV") plants in operation and generating clean energy, CVE is providing solar credits in the form of discounts on monthly electric bills to over 800 local homes and businesses. Through community solar, customers can enjoy equal access to the benefits of solar generation by subscribing to small local solar farms and supporting local solar development. They then receive a credit on their utility bill for their share of the power that is produced, just as if the panels were on their own roofs. Subscribers receive bills under CVE's community solar brand "Halo" (www.halosolar.com).

"Live Oak couldn't have asked for a better partner than CVE in our recent closings together," said Live Oak Bank's Head of Renewable Energy, Jennifer Williams, "and we are proud to support solar development that brings good jobs, decarbonization, and electricity savings to Massachusetts."

"This financial closing consolidates CVE's position as an independent power producer whose mission is to deliver clean energy to households, businesses, and municipalities. Thanks to our partnership with Live Oak Bank, CVE is developing more distributed solar generation and contributing to the fight against climate change," said Thibaut Delespaul, general manager of CVE NA.

The successful completion of the permanent debt financing provides CVE with additional flexibility to continue expanding its presence in MA and in community solar markets across the US. CVE currently has approximately 250 MW of projects in development including more than 70 MW beginning construction in 2022 in New York State.

About CVE North America

CVE North America (CVE) is a local, independent solar power producer based in New York City since 2017. It has the personal attributes of a small to medium sized company and the skills, experience, and financial assets of a large group. The company currently has plans to expand to over 450 MW across the United States by 2026. CVE draws on the international expertise of its parent company, CVE Group, which has been recognized for financing, building and operating ground-mounted solar installations in communities for 12 years. CVE Group has over 530 MW in operation and construction in France, Chile, and South Africa. CVE Group is invested to ensure the highest environmental and qualitative performance. It is ISO 9001 (quality management system) and ISO 14001 (environmental management system) certified.

To learn more, visit www.cvenorthamerica.com.

About Live Oak Bank

Live Oak Bank, a subsidiary of Live Oak Bancshares, Inc. (Nasdaq: LOB), is a digitally focused, FDIC-insured bank serving customers across the country. Live Oak puts a groundbreaking spin on service and technology to redefine banking. Our products help customers buy, build, and expand their business, and high-yield savings and CD products to grow their hard-earned money. To learn more, visit www.liveoakbank.com.

SOURCE CVE North America
Kitchen Basics will join Del Monte Foods, Inc.'s powerful portfolio of brands, offering delicious, accessible and quality meal ingredients to families across the country.

WALNUT CREEK, Calif., Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Del Monte Foods, Inc., announced today that it completed the acquisition of Kitchen Basics, a line of ready-to-use stocks and broths from McCormick & Company. Kitchen Basics will join Del Monte's brand portfolio as the company expands its national retail presence in the category.

Kitchen Basics has an extensive portfolio of conventional and organic stocks and broths, including Chicken, Unsalted Chicken, Beef, Unsalted Beef, Vegetable, Unsalted Vegetable, Turkey, Seafood, and Creamy Bean & Vegetable.

The Kitchen Basics brand was founded in 1996 as the pioneer in liquid stock and remains an industry leader in the U.S. today. The purchase of the brand supports the company's overall growth strategy, as Del Monte Foods focuses on innovation, renovation and customization of its iconic brand portfolio, and expands the geographic reach of its stocks and broths business. No employees were involved in this transaction, and specific terms were not disclosed.

"Del Monte Foods has gone through a positive transformation over the past five years, and we have become a leading innovative CPG growth company," said Greg Longstreet, President and CEO of Del Monte Foods. "As we plan for the next decade of growth, we're committed to strengthening our branded product portfolio to meet consumers' changing needs. Building on our regional College Inn brand, the acquisition of Kitchen Basics will provide synergies across our business to scale our broth and stock portfolio across North America."

"We've seen heightened interest in broth and stocks over the last few years as consumers double down on home meal preparation, health and wellness," said Bibie Wu, Chief Marketing Officer of Del Monte Foods. "Kitchen Basics is well-known for its culinary quality. We're excited to bring Kitchen Basics into the Del Monte family of brands to help people create healthful meals they love."

Del Monte Foods, Inc. is one of the country's largest producers, distributors and marketers of premium quality, branded food products for the U.S. retail market. With the addition of Kitchen Basics stock and broth items, Del Monte Foods will continue in its goal of nourishing families by building brands with quality products that are perfectly wholesome and thoughtfully prepared.

About Del Monte Foods

For more than 135 years, Del Monte Foods, Inc. has been driven by our mission to nourish families with earth's goodness. As the original plant-based food company, we're always innovating to make nutritious and delicious foods more accessible to consumers across our portfolio of beloved brands, including Del Monte, Contadina, College Inn, S&W and Joyba. We believe that everyone deserves great tasting food they can feel good about, which is why we grow and produce our products using sustainable and earth-friendly practices for a healthier tomorrow. Del Monte Foods, Inc. is the U.S. subsidiary of Del Monte Pacific Limited (Bloomberg: DELM SP, DELM PM) and is not affiliated with certain other Del Monte companies around the world, including Fresh Del Monte Produce Inc., Del Monte Canada, or Del Monte Asia Pte. Ltd. For more information about Del Monte Foods and our products, please visit www.delmontefoods.com or www.delmonte.com.

Media Contact:

Courtney Mains

Edelman

[email protected]

408-835-5323

SOURCE Del Monte Foods, Inc.
Celebrating 35 years as the premier utility conference with insights from utility peers

BOULDER, Colo., Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- E Source is thrilled to announce that 2022 marks the 35th year of the annual E Source Forum. To celebrate, the Forum will facilitate networking and collaboration among utility professionals from across the US and Canada, while offering information and best practices from highly regarded industry experts. The conference will be held at the Sheraton Denver Downtown, September 1316, 2022.

The theme, Empowering the Sustainable Utility, will prepare attendees to prioritize:

Honoring a commitment to environmental responsibly

Ensuring safety and reliability

Serving all customers equitably

Maintaining a bottom line that enables innovation and community support

"I'm excited to dedicate this year's E Source Forum to helping every utility do the hard but important work it takes to become a Sustainable Utility," says Michael Carter, president of Research and Advisory at E Source. "Let's have the difficult conversations now to equip ourselves for the inevitable changes ahead."

Jennifer Montague, senior vice president and CCO of NiSource, will kick off the event as the keynote speaker. Montague's session, "What it means to be a Sustainable Utility," will take place on Wednesday, September 14, at 9:00 a.m. Montague and E Source leaders will discuss how they and others are tackling some of the energy industry's biggest challenges.

The E Source Forum will conclude by focusing on the important topic of equity. Quinn Parker, founder and CEO of Encolor, will close out the event on Friday, September 16, at 10:45 a.m. with "How to make equity part of your day-to-day work." Parker will emphasize that equity needs to transform from a task or project into something that's ingrained in daily activities.

To learn more, view the agenda, and register to attend, visit www.esource.com/forum2022.

About E Source

E Source, the data authority for the utility industry, blends industry-leading research, predictive data science, and solution services to help utilities make better decisions to support their customers, their bottom line, and our planet. With a commitment to practical innovation, we use more than three decades of utility-focused experience and our unique solution set to help clients achieve their goal of becoming a Sustainable Utility. E Source is headquartered in Boulder, Colorado, with offices across the US. For more information, see www.esource.com.

Media inquiries:

Sannie Sieper

[email protected]

303-345-9138

SOURCE E Source Companies LLC
NEW YORK, Aug. 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Education Cannot Wait (ECW) announced today US$25 million in catalytic seed funding to roll out a first-ever Multi-Year Resilience Programme in Cameroon. The new allocation brings ECW's total investments in Cameroon to over US$30 million to date to reach crisis-affected girls and boys with quality education.

The multi-year investment will be delivered by a consortium of grantees, including the Norwegian Refugee Council (US$3 million), Plan International (US$3.2 million), UNESCO (US$3.5 million), UNICEF (US$6.8 million), UNHCR ($5.6 million) and the World Food Programme ($2.9 million) in alignment with the Government of Cameroon's plans for education in the crisis-affected parts of the country.

The three-year programme aims to mobilize US$50 million in additional resources to reach a total of 227,000 internally displaced, refugee, returnee and host community children and adolescents within the North-West, South-West, Far North, East and Adamawa regions.

The investment responds to the multiple shocks Cameroon has experienced over the last decade, including numerous prolonged humanitarian crises and resulting population movements, socio-political crises, recurrent flooding driven by climate change, the Boko Haram Lake Chad Basin regional crisis, protracted conflict in neighboring Central African Republic, and compounding impacts of COVID-19.

The most recent analysis indicates that more than 1.9 million school-aged children in the country require urgent humanitarian assistance. More than 1.2 million need urgent assistance in the North and South-West alone, and close to 400,000 need assistance in the education sector in the Far North.

"We call on donors, the private sector and other strategic partners to urgently mobilize additional resources to realize the dreams of quality education for the children and adolescents in Cameroon. Together, we can advance progress towards SDG4: ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all," said Yasmine Sherif, Director of Education Cannot Wait, the UN's global fund for education in emergencies and protracted crises.

"At a time when reflections on the transformation of education are underway, this new program will make it possible to strengthen the resilience of our education system and increase opportunities for all girls and boys affected by the various crises raging in Cameroon to access a quality inclusive education in a healthy, safe and protective environment," said Cameroon Minister of Education Professor Laurent Serge Etoundi Ngoa.

SOURCE Education Cannot Wait
Open enrollment for the program available for Dallas, Houston and Beaumont campuses

DALLAS, Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Evolution Academy Charter School, along with Texas Education Agency and Region 10 Education Service Center, now offers a Community Health Worker (CHW) Certification as an option to help students prepare for the workforce as part of its College and Career Readiness requirements.

Community Health Workers (CHWs) are non-medical public health workers who connect communities to health care and social service providers. CHWs have been identified by many titles, such as Community Health Advisors, lay health advocates, promotoras, outreach educators or community health representatives. Community Health Workers are a necessary link for hospitals, churches, insurance companies and nonprofits to connect with diverse populations and promote healthy behaviors.

This is the first year this program was offered to high school students and Evolution Academy Charter School Richardson took advantage of the opportunity by enrolling fourteen students to participate in the pilot program in partnership with Region 10. These students were required to meet 120 hours of core competency in eight areas: communication, interpersonal skills, service coordination, capacity building skills, advocacy skills, teaching skills, organization and knowledge base.

"Our students completed individual and group projects. They also gained hands-on experience by hosting a Health & Wellness Fair as well as a blood drive earlier this spring," said Cynthia Trigg, superintendent and founder, Evolution Academy Charter School. "We are so proud of all the work they have accomplished and for the jumpstart this certification will give them in their careers."

Seven students have completed the program thus far. These students will receive their Community Health Worker Certification from the Texas Department of State Health Services and Region 10 Education Service Center, which will allow them to have an advantage at landing a job in the healthcare Industry.

Following the success at the Richardson campus, Evolution Academy is now launching the Community Health Worker Certification program on all three of its campuses, located in the Dallas, Houston, and Beaumont, Texas. Programs like this support Evolution Academy's ability to provide students with access to college, career and military readiness skills while they earn a high school diploma, ultimately providing students with increased opportunities post-graduation.

In addition to the Community Health Worker Certification program, Evolution Academy Charter Schools also offers additional professional certification options including Microsoft Office Specialist, OSHA 30-Hour Construction, Entrepreneurship and Small Business, Educational Aide I, and ServSafe Manager certifications.

As Evolution Academy celebrates its 20th school year, it is revitalized in its mission to help students achieve academic, social and career success. This is accomplished by providing a comprehensive, integrated instructional program, demonstrated through a variety of innovative programs such as a 4-hour school day, online learning programs which predate the COVID-19 pandemic, and more. Evolution Academy is currently enrolling for the upcoming school year on all three of its campuses. To enroll, visit any location in person or visit www.evolutionacademy.org.

About Evolution Academy

Founded in 2002, Evolution Academy offers one-on-one attention with a mix of traditional and computer-based instruction, enabling students to earn two or more credit hours every nine weeks, allowing them to catch up or graduate early. The school also offers multiple career and technical education courses that prepare students for certificates in professional fields. Evolution Academy has graduated more than 3000 students, many of whom were unsuccessful in traditional school settings. Evolution Academy has campuses in Richardson, Beaumont, and Houston, Texas, and has open enrollment year-round for all three campuses.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Kayla Tucker Adams; KTA Media Group, [email protected]; 214-403-9852 cell

SOURCE Evolution Academy Charter School
HOUSTON, Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Bracewell LLP announced today that Steven D. Cook has joined the firm as of counsel in the Houston office. Prior to joining Bracewell, Cook served three years as the deputy assistant administrator for the Office of Land and Emergency Management with the United States Environmental Protection Agency, and more than two decades as lead HSE counsel at LyondellBasell, one of the world's largest plastic, chemical and refining companies.

"We are thrilled to welcome Steven to our Houston office and the environmental team," said Bracewell Managing Partner Gregory M. Bopp. "Steven has a wealth of experience in the environmental arena that will add to our ability to serve clients in Texas as well as nationally."

Cook served as the deputy assistant administrator for the EPA's Office of Land and Emergency Management from 2018 to 2021. He oversaw key national programs on process safety, incident response, coal ash management and the environmental cleanup of hundreds of sites. Cook also chaired the EPA's Superfund Task Force. He joined the EPA after nearly 23 years as lead counsel at LyondellBassell, where he provided legal direction on health, safety, environmental and security matters.

"Steven is a highly regarded member of the environmental legal community. He brings over 30 years of experience to the firm, including an extensive knowledge of EPA policies and the chemical and refinery industry," said Timothy A. Wilkins, a partner in Bracewell's environmental, lands and resources practice, co-chair of the environmental, social and governance practice, and managing partner of the firm's Austin office.

Cook will focus his practice at Bracewell on issues related to complex Superfund sites and reopeners, major incident and crisis responses, and the siting and permitting of new energy and mining projects.

"Bracewell has a highly regarded environmental team," said Cook. "I look forward to working with my new colleagues in advising clients on a host of environmental issues."

Cook earned a B.S. in chemical engineering from Brigham Young University and graduated magna cum laude from Brigham Young University J. Reuben Clark Law School. He later earned an MBA from The University of Texas McCombs School of Business. Cook has been an adjunct professor at the University of Houston Law Center, where he taught courses on the Clean Air Act, enforcement and the intersection of environmental and bankruptcy law.

About Bracewell LLP

Bracewell is a leading law and government relations firm primarily serving the energy, infrastructure, finance and technology industries throughout the world. Our industry focus results in comprehensive state-of-the-art knowledge of the commercial, legal and governmental challenges faced by our clients and enables us to provide innovative solutions to facilitate transactions and resolve disputes.

SOURCE Bracewell LLP
Day 2 of the international conference will feature keynotes from founding CEO, UK National Cyber Security Centre and former undercover U.S. federal agent

ALEXANDRIA, Va., Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- (ISC)  the world's largest nonprofit association of certified cybersecurity professionals  today announced Ciaran Martin and Robert Mazur as keynote speakers at the 2022 (ISC) Security Congress in Las Vegas and live online. Both Martin and Mazur's keynotes will be on day two of the conference, taking place October 10-12.

Ciaran Martin was the founding CEO of the world-leading UK National Cyber Security Centre and is a Professor of Public Management at the University of Oxford's Blavatnik School, specializing in cybersecurity as well as the relationship between technology and public policy.

"Ciaran Martin's achievements as head of the UK National Cyber Security Centre are world-renowned," said Clar Rosso, CEO, (ISC). "We are thrilled to have him provide his insight and guidance on the threats that cybersecurity professionals are facing on a daily basis."

Robert Mazur is one of the world's leading experts on the financial exploits of the underworld. He is the author of the New York Times bestselling book The Infiltrator, on which the 2016 film was based. This April, his second book, The Betrayal, was released which chronicles his second two-year undercover assignment infiltrating Colombia's Cali Cartel. Serving 27 years as a federal agent at three U.S. agencies, Mazur is now the President of KYC Solutions, Inc. a firm that provides speaking, expert witness and consulting services to companies worldwide.

"Robert Mazur's keynote will provide Security Congress attendees with first-hand insights into the motivations and tactics of threat actors throughout the criminal underworld," said Rosso. "Understanding your adversary is critical for cybersecurity professionals, and Robert's experiences will help attendees learn how to apply their intuition, observation and judgement as they respond to dynamic situations that require immediate and decisive action."

(ISC) Security Congress will take place in-person at Caesars Palace Las Vegas and live online, featuring more than 100 educational and thought leadership sessions covering the hottest cybersecurity topics and issues. These include cyber liability, quantum computing, ICS/critical infrastructure, Zero Trust principles, ransomware, workforce trends, remote workforce security, supply chain security, artificial intelligence, DevSecOps and many more, delivered by esteemed industry and practitioner speakers. (ISC) members can earn 20+ continuing professional education (CPE) credits at the onsite event with an All-Access Pass and 17+ credits with a Virtual Only Pass. Early Bird registration is available through September 16.

For more information on (ISC) Security Congress 2022, including the session program and how to register, please visit: https://congress.isc2.org/

About (ISC)

(ISC) is an international nonprofit membership association focused on inspiring a safe and secure cyber world. Best known for the acclaimed Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) certification, (ISC) offers a portfolio of credentials that are part of a holistic, pragmatic approach to security. Our membership, more than 168,000 strong, is made up of certified cyber, information, software and infrastructure security professionals who are making a difference and helping to advance the industry. Our vision is supported by our commitment to educate and reach the general public through our charitable foundation  The Center for Cyber Safety and Education. For more information on (ISC), visit www.isc2.org, follow us on Twitter or connect with us on Facebook and LinkedIn.

 2022 (ISC) Inc., (ISC), CISSP, SSCP, CCSP, CAP, CSSLP, HCISPP, CISSP-ISSAP, CISSP-ISSEP, CISSP-ISSMP and CBK are registered marks of (ISC), Inc.

Media Contact

[email protected]

SOURCE (ISC)2
SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Hagens Berman urges F45 Training Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: FXLV) investors who suffered significant losses to submit your losses now.

Visit: www.hbsslaw.com/investor-fraud/FXLV

Contact An Attorney Now: [email protected]

844-916-0895

F45 Training Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: FXLV) Investigation:

The investigation focuses on F45's statements leading up to and after the company July 2021 IPO.

Specifically, in connection with F45's IPO the company promoted the rapid scalability of its business model as helping to promote the success of its franchisees. In addition, as recently as May 16, 2022, F45 Training assured investors that it had secured a $250 million line of credit that it could extend to franchisees to secure its target of 1,000 new studio openings in 2022.

Doubts about F45's representations emerged on July 26, 2022, when F45 announced that: (1) 2022 net studio openings would be more than 50% less that promised (i.e. between 350 and 450 vs. 1,000); (2) the $250 million credit line "will not be available," (3) its CEO (Adam Gilchrist) left his position more than a month beforehand (on June 24, 2022); and, (4) it is firing approximately 110 employees.

This news sent the price of F45 shares crashing 61% lower on July 27, 2022.

"We're focused on investors' losses and whether F45 misled investors about the scalability of its model and whether there was actual $250 million in committed funding available for franchisees," said Reed Kathrein, the Hagens Berman partner leading the investigation.

If you invested in F45 and have significant losses, or have knowledge that may assist the firm's investigation, click here to discuss your legal rights with Hagens Berman.

Whistleblowers: Persons with non-public information regarding F45 should consider their options to help in the investigation or take advantage of the SEC Whistleblower program. Under the new program, whistleblowers who provide original information may receive rewards totaling up to 30 percent of any successful recovery made by the SEC. For more information, call Reed Kathrein at 844-916-0895 or email [email protected].

Hagens Berman is a global plaintiffs' rights complex litigation law firm focusing on corporate accountability through class-action law. The firm is home to a robust securities litigation practice and represents investors as well as whistleblowers, workers, consumers and others in cases achieving real results for those harmed by corporate negligence and fraud. More about the firm and its successes can be found at hbsslaw.com. Follow the firm for updates and news at @ClassActionLaw.

Contact:

Reed Kathrein, 844-916-0895

SOURCE Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP
SAO PAULO, Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ --

2Q22 Highlights

Best adjusted EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) for a second quarter, reaching R$ 6.7 billion, with an adjusted EBITDA margin of 29.1%.

Adjusted EBITDA from the North America Business Operation reaches R$2.8 billion, with an adjusted EBITDA margin of 33.1%, both historical records for a quarter.

Indebtedness level reaches its lowest historical level, with the ratio between net debt and adjusted EBITDA decreasing from 0.65x to 0.18x compared to the second quarter of 2021.

Gerdau published its 2021 Annual Report based, for the third time, on the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) standards, reinforcing its commitment to transparency with its stakeholders. This year, the company also adhered to the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) Iron & Steel Producers and Metal & Mining standards.

Additional Information

Gerdau S.A. (NYSE: GGB, BM&Fbovespa: GGBR3, GGBR4) informs that it is filling today its 2Q22 results at the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and at the Comissao de Valores Mobiliarios (CVM), which are available at Gerdau's website. To access this document, please click on https://ri.gerdau.com/en/notices-and-results/results-center/.

The 2Q22 Valuation Guide is also available at Gerdau's website.

https://ri.gerdau.com/en/financial-information/valuation-guide/

SOURCE Gerdau S.A.
PUNE, India, Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- According to a recent market study published by Growth Market Reports, titled, "Global Digital Twin Market" by Types (Products, Systems, Processes, and Others), Technologies (IoT & IIoT, Blockchain, Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning, Big Data Analytics, and Others), Enterprise (Large Enterprises and SMEs), Applications (Product Design & Development, Performance Monitoring, Predictive Maintenance, Inventory Management, Business Optimization, and Others), Industry Verticals (Manufacturing, Automotive, Aerospace & Defense, Energy & Utilities, Oil & Gas, Healthcare, and Others), and Regions: Size, Share, Trends and Opportunity Analysis, 2021-2030", the market is projected to reach USD 113.3 billion in 2030 and is expected to expand at a CAGR of 42.7% during the forecast period. The global digital twin market is projected to expand at a rapid pace, due to the emerging economies, growing population, increasing per capita income, and the rising adoption of digitalization among consumers.

Key Market Players Profiled in the Report

GE Digital

IBM

Microsoft

Siemens

SAP

Oracle

ANSYS, Inc

Bosch Sicherheitssysteme GmbH

Swim Inc

Mevea Ltd

PTC

Rescale, Inc.

The report covers comprehensive data on emerging trends, market drivers, growth opportunities, and restraints that can change the market dynamics of the industry. It provides an in-depth analysis of the market segments which include types, technologies, enterprises, applications, industry verticals, and competitor analysis.

Download PDF Sample here: https://growthmarketreports.com/request-sample/3853

This report also includes a complete analysis of industry players that covers their latest developments, product portfolio, pricing, mergers, acquisitions, and collaborations. Moreover, it provides crucial strategies that are helping them to expand their market share.

Highlights on the segments of the Digital Twin Market

In terms of types, the global digital twin market is segmented into products, systems, processes, and others. The systems segment is anticipated to expand at a sustainable CAGR during the forecast period, owing to the increasing use of digital twins in various applications by consumers.

Based on technologies, the global digital twin market is segmented into IoT & IIoT, blockchain, artificial intelligence & machine learning, big data analytics, and others. The artificial intelligence & machine learning segment is expected to grow at a significant pace during the forecast period, as digital twin technology is easy to retrain, reuse, and adapt to the existing environment. The AI-enabled digital twin technology offers repeated use and improving functionality by enhancing productivity.

On the basis of enterprises, the global digital twin market is segregated into large enterprises and SMEs. The large enterprise segment is expected to expand at a rapid rate during the forecast period, due to the growing adoption of digital twins by large enterprises for predicting success, maintenance requirements, and failure in enterprises operations.

Based on regions, the market is segmented into five major regions, namely, North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East & Africa. The market in the Asia Pacific is projected to expand at a significant CAGR during the forecast period, owing to the growth in large-scale industrialization and rising population in the region. The market in North America is anticipated to hold a substantial share of the global digital twin market, due to the increasing deployment of automation solutions by the manufacturing industries.

To Buy the Complete Report: https://growthmarketreports.com/report/digital-twin-market-global-industry-analysis

Key Takeaways from the Study:

The digital twin market in North America is expanding and dominating as compared to other regional markets, as the deployment of digital twin aids in improving production lines and downstream operations.

is expanding and dominating as compared to other regional markets, as the deployment of digital twin aids in improving production lines and downstream operations. The key players in the North America region investing significantly in the digital twin market. North America becomes a major hub for technological innovations. For instance, in August 2021 , the General Electric company upgrades its on-premise analytics software, which is Proficy CSense.

region investing significantly in the digital twin market. becomes a major hub for technological innovations. For instance, in , the General Electric company upgrades its on-premise analytics software, which is Proficy CSense. The market in the Asia Pacific region is attributed to the proliferation of connected devices. Countries including India , China , Australia , and South Korea have a great potential for integrating digital transformation.

region is attributed to the proliferation of connected devices. Countries including , , , and have a great potential for integrating digital transformation. Automotive segment is anticipated to grow at a significant pace, owing to the rising deployment of automation solutions by the manufacturing industries. The rise in the usage of digital twins for manufacturing, simulation, designing, MRO (maintenance, repair, and overhaul), and after-sales is correlated with the expansion of the automobile market.

Key players in the market introducing innovative and advanced products. Companies are encouraged to invest in the R&D of goods and automated processes by the fierce rivalry among large firms.

Read 213 Pages Research Report with Detailed ToC on "Global Digital Twin Market by Types (Products, Systems, Processes, and Others), Technologies (IoT & IIoT, Blockchain, Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning, Big Data Analytics, and Others), Enterprise (Large Enterprises and SMEs), Applications (Product Design & Development, Performance Monitoring, Predictive Maintenance, Inventory Management, Business Optimization, and Others), Industry Verticals (Manufacturing, Automotive, Aerospace & Defense, Energy & Utilities, Oil & Gas, Healthcare, and Others), and Regions (North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Middle East & Africa) - Global Industry Analysis, Growth, Share, Size, Trends, and Forecast 2021  2030"

For Any Questions on This Report: https://growthmarketreports.com/enquiry-before-buying/3853

Key Segments Covered

Types

Products

Systems

Processes

Others

Technologies

IoT & IIoT

Blockchain

Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning

Big Data Analytics

Others

Enterprise

Large Enterprises

SMEs

Applications

Product Design & Development

Performance Monitoring

Predictive Maintenance

Inventory Management

Business Optimization

Others

Industry Verticals

Manufacturing

Automotive

Aerospace & Defense

Energy & Utilities

Oil & Gas

Healthcare

Others

By Regions

North America

Europe

Asia Pacific

Latin America

Middle East & Africa (MEA)

Other Related Reports:

About Growth Market Reports:

Growth Market Reports provides global enterprises as well as medium and small businesses with unmatched quality "Market Research Reports" and "Industry Intelligence Solutions". Growth Market Reports has a targeted view to provide business insights and consulting to assist its clients to make strategic business decisions and achieve sustainable growth in their respective market domains.

Our key analysis segments, though not restricted to the same, include market entry strategies, market size estimations, market trend analysis, market opportunity analysis, market threat analysis, market growth/fall forecasting, primary interviews, and secondary research & consumer surveys.

Contact:

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Phone: +1 909 414 1393

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SOURCE Growth Market Reports
SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- House Rx, the platform for medically integrated dispensing of specialty medications, announced today it has partnered with three new rheumatology clinics to integrate in-house specialty drug dispensing  also known as medically integrated dispensing (MID)  into the clinics' operations. The three practices are: Arizona Arthritis & Rheumatology Associates (AARA), Arthritis & Osteoporosis Consultants of the Carolinas (AOCC), and Arthritis Associates of Tennessee (AATN) and represent an additional 68 providers that will dispense specialty medications through the House Rx platform, bringing the total number of providers on House Rx's platform to 137.

While MID has grown in oncology, House Rx's partnership with these practices is one of the first to bring the model to rheumatology care.

House Rx's partnership with these practices is one of the first to bring the model to rheumatology care. Tweet this

"It's very exciting to partner with key thought leaders in rheumatology to bring medically integrated dispensing to this specialty," said Ogi Kavazovic, Co-Founder and CEO of House Rx. "Each one of these practices is a leader in their region, and we look forward to partnering very closely with them to define a new standard for a better patient experience and improved outcomes for patients living with rheumatic diseases."

By bringing specialty dispensing into the physician's office, the partnership with House Rx aims to dramatically improve the specialty medication experience for patients. The MID care model provides a seamless and efficient way for patients to receive prescribed therapies directly from their doctor  which research has demonstrated improves outcomes, including quality of life and increased survivability, when contrasted with the Pharmacy Benefit Manager-controlled specialty pharmacy approach.

"This partnership will increase patient satisfaction by providing prescription medication in-house, and House Rx's technology and expertise will help us achieve this," said Prakash Viswanathan, CFO of AARA. "It is motivating to help trailblaze a new path in rheumatology and be one of the first practices to bring specialty medication dispensing under our roof, making it far easier and quicker for patients to get the medications they need."

"We couldn't be more excited about this partnership, which will bring immediate benefits for our patients," said Scott Gilomen, CEO of AOCC. "Having managed an oncology practice earlier in my career, I've seen first-hand the advantages of the MID model and look forward to how House Rx's approach to MID will propel the rheumatology field forward  with our practice at the forefront."

"The House Rx model will transform how rheumatology care is delivered, making it more coordinated and improving our patients' experience," said Beth Simpson, DO and managing physician partner at AATN. "We look forward to our patients not being on hold for hours on end waiting to speak with a specialty pharmacy. Instead, they'll speak immediately with House Rx's integrated team of pharmacy experts who understand their rheumatologic conditions."

While the concept of dispensing specialty medications in rheumatology is not new  a handful of clinics attempted dispensing in the past but ultimately were unsuccessful due to a lack of technological and operational support  House Rx's model approaches in-office dispensing in a new way. By providing clinics with specialized technology and operational support from pharmacists and pharmacy technicians who work integrated with the clinic, practices can keep the service under their roof while reducing the heavy lifting of implementing and maintaining a successful MID program. In addition, clinics can repurpose staff resources normally spent on prior authorizations and financial assistance for patients to focus on direct patient care or other activities critical to the viability and financial independence of community rheumatology clinics.

About House Rx

House Rx is a healthcare technology and services company focused on making specialty medication more accessible and affordable. The company partners with specialty clinics across the country to help these community clinics offer medically integrated dispensing, bringing together clinical and pharmacy expertise to better serve patients, lower the cost of care, and create a better experience for patients and their caregivers. Learn more at www.houserx.com .

About Arizona Arthritis & Rheumatology Associates

With 19 physicians, 30 advanced practice providers, and 10 clinics around the state of Arizona, AARA is one of the largest rheumatology practices in the country bringing world-class expertise to patients managing autoimmune conditions. A member of the American Rheumatology Network, and always at the forefront of rheumatology care, AARA has led the way in addressing the rheumatologist workforce shortage by integrating advanced practice providers into their practice, which has allowed the practice to scale clinical operations and meet the demand of a growing patient population.

About Arthritis & Osteoporosis Consultants of the Carolinas

Based in Charlotte, North Carolina, AOCC has 10 physicians and 5 advanced practice providers caring for patients across two clinics. Combining years of experience in private practice, academic teaching and clinical research, the clinic staff provides highly individualized and state-of-the-art care.

About Arthritis Associates

Founded in 1975, Arthritis Associates has been at the forefront of rheumatological care in Chattanooga, TN and is the only practice in the area treating both adult and pediatric patients. Arthritis Associates has an excellent, experienced and knowledgeable team including skilled nurses who can administer intravenous treatments onsite, supervised by a board-certified rheumatologist.

SOURCE House Rx
Rise in investments in railway infrastructure development, increase in environmental concerns, and surge in demand for public transport services drive the growth of the global hydrogen fuel cell train market.

PORTLAND, Ore., Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Allied Market Research published a report, titled, "Hydrogen Fuel Cell Train Market by Application (Passenger Train, Freight Train, Others), by Technology (Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell, Phosphoric Acid Fuel Cell, Others), by Component (Hydrogen fuel cell Pack, Batteries, Electric traction motors, Others), by Rail type (Passenger Rail, Commuter Rail, Light Rail, Trams, Freight, Others): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2025-2035". According to the report, the global hydrogen fuel cell train industry is expected to generate $2.67 billion in 2025, and is anticipated to reach $26.41 billion by 2035, witnessing a CAGR of 28.2% from 2026 to 2035.

Prime determinants of growth

Increase in investments in railway infrastructure development, surge in environmental concerns, and rise in demand for public transport services drive the growth of the global hydrogen fuel cell train market. However, high capital requirement for development of hydrogen fuel cell trains and refurbishment of existing rolling stocks are expected to hinder the growth of the industry. On the other hand, increase in R&D activities related to hydrogen fuel cell technology and increase in demand for trains for passenger transportation are expected to create enormous opportunities for the market during the forecast period.

Download Report (425 Pages PDF with Insights, Charts, Tables, Figures) at https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/8171

Covid-19 Scenario

The outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic has negatively influenced the global train market, thereby hampering the growth of the global hydrogen fuel cell train market.

Major rolling stock manufacturers such as Alstom and Stadler Rail AG were bound to shut down their production, owing to decline in demand, disruption in the supply chain, and shortage of skilled labor force in the U.S, France , Germangy, Spain , and other economies in 2020.

, Germangy, , and other economies in 2020. Sudden decline in demand for passenger rail vehicles impacted the rolling stock industry. At the same time, the economic crisis led to reduction in expenditure on next generation technologies such as hydrogen trains.

Nevertheless, the market experienced a recovery in 2021, as operations of manufacturing companies and factories resumed.

Also, government authorities in developing nations are likely to resume metro projects and expansion of the rail network, which is going to boost the growth of the global hydrogen fuel cell train market in the post-pandemic.

The passenger train segment to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period

Based on application, the passenger train segment is expected to hold the highest market share in 2025, accounting for nearly two-thirds of the global hydrogen fuel cell train market, and is estimated to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period, owing to increase in demand for public transportation across the globe. However, the freight train segment is projected to manifest the highest CAGR of 29.3% from 2026 to 2035, owing to rise in international trade and increase in cross-border rail freight transport.

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The proton exchange membrane fuel cell segment to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period

Based on technology, the proton exchange membrane fuel cell segment is anticipated to hold the highest market share in 2025, accounting for nearly two-fifths of the global hydrogen fuel cell train market, and is estimated to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period. Moreover, the same segment is projected to manifest the highest CAGR of 29.5% from 2026 to 2035, owing to increase in use of proton exchange membrane fuel cells as energy sources in trains to reduce CHE emissions. The report also analyzes Phosphoric Acid Fuel Cell.

The hydrogen fuel cell Pack segment to maintain its lead position during the forecast period

Based on component, the hydrogen fuel cell pack segment is anticipated to hold the highest market share in 2025, accounting for more than one-thirds of the global hydrogen fuel cell train market, and is estimated to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period. Moreover, the same segment is projected to manifest the highest CAGR of 29.9% from 2026 to 2035, as it provides higher efficiency and lower emissions than traditional combustion-based technologies. The report also analyzes batteries and electric traction motors.

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Europe to maintain its dominance by 2031

Based on region, Europe is estimated to hold the highest market share in terms of revenue 2025, accounting for more than one-thirds of the global hydrogen fuel cell train market. Moreover, the same region is expected to witness the fastest CAGR of 30.2% from 2026 to 2035, owing to increase in government support for zero emission technology from European Union. The report also analyzes North America, Asia-Pacific, and LAMEA.

Leading Market Players: -

Alstom

Ballard Power Systems

BNSF

CAF group

CRRC CORPORATION LIMITED

ENGIE

Hitachi

HYUNDAI CORPORATION

IHI Corporation

KAWASAKI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.

HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD. PESA

PROGRESS RAIL

Siemens Mobility

Stadler

Talgo

Toyota

Wabtec

The report mentions several strategies adopted by these key players such as new product launches, partnerships, expansion, collaborations, and mergers & acquisitions to maintain their foothold in the industry. In addition, the report is essential in determining the business performance, product portfolio, operating segments, and developments by every market player.

Buy Complete Report Now! https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/checkout-final/25de9579149de8d9635e9f129fec5141

Similar Reports We Have on Hydrogen-Powered Industry:

Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicle Market by Vehicle Type (Passenger Vehicle and Commercial Vehicle) and Technology (Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell, Phosphoric Acid Fuel Cells, and Others): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 20192030.

Hydrogen Powered Engine Market by Application (Passenger Vehicle and Commercial Vehicle) and Technology (Proton Membrane Exchange, Phosphoric Acid Fuel Cell and Others): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 20212030.

Hydrogen Aircraft Market by Passenger Capacity (Less than 100, 101 to 200 and More Than 200), Range (Short Haul (<1,000 Km), Medium Haul (1,000-2,000 Km) and Long Haul (2,000+ Km)), Application (Passenger Aircraft and Cargo Aircraft) and Power Source (Fully Hydrogen Powered Aircraft, Hybrid Electric Aircraft, Hydrogen Fuel Cell Aircraft and Liquid Hydrogen Aircraft): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 20302040.

Hydrogen-Powered Yacht Market by Technology (Coal Gasification and Steam Methane Reforming), by Application (Methanol Production, Ammonia Production and Petroleum Refining) and by System (Merchant and Captive): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 20212030.

Fuel Cell Bikes Market by Frame Material (Aluminium, Steel, Carbon Fiber, Others), by Max Load (Less Than 100kg, 101kg - 125kg, More Than 125kg), by Power (Less Than 250 W, 250 W to 400 W, 401 W to 750 W, Above 751 W), by Max Speed (Less Than 50km/h, More Than 50km/h), by Range (Less Than 100km, 101km - 125km, More Than 125km), by Sales Channel (Online, Offline Stores): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2030-2040.

Hydrogen Powered Tractor Market by Installation (OEM, Retrofit), by Product (Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell, Phosphoric Acid Fuel Cell, Solid Oxide Fuel Cell, Others), by Application (Agriculture, Industries, Mining, Others), by Capacity (Less Than 25 tonnes, More Than 25 tonnes): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2025-2035.

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Allied Market Research (AMR) is a full-service market research and business-consulting wing of Allied Analytics LLP based in Portland, Oregon. Allied Market Research provides global enterprises as well as medium and small businesses with unmatched quality of "Market Research Reports" and "Business Intelligence Solutions." AMR has a targeted view to provide business insights and consulting to assist its clients to make strategic business decisions and achieve sustainable growth in their respective market domain.

We are in professional corporate relations with various companies and this helps us in digging out market data that helps us generate accurate research data tables and confirms utmost accuracy in our market forecasting. Allied Market Research CEO Pawan Kumar is instrumental in inspiring and encouraging everyone associated with the company to maintain high quality of data and help clients in every way possible to achieve success. Each and every data presented in the reports published by us is extracted through primary interviews with top officials from leading companies of domain concerned. Our secondary data procurement methodology includes deep online and offline research and discussion with knowledgeable professionals and analysts in the industry.

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SOURCE Allied Market Research
The innovative Orange County school showcases its inclusive culture and commitment to progressive Jewish education with a fun family event on Aug. 9

SANTA ANA, Calif., Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Irvine Hebrew Day School , an independent, experiential and inquiry-based Jewish day school serving Orange County and the surrounding area, invites the community to enjoy fun and falafel at the school's inaugural summer festival.

IHDS's Summer Night's Festival will be held at IHDS (1500 E. 17th St., Santa Ana, California 92705) on Tuesday, Aug. 9, from 5-8 p.m.

Irvine Hebrew Day School, an independent, inquiry-based Jewish day school serving Orange County and the surrounding area, invites the community to its inaugural Summer Nights Festival.

"The Irvine Hebrew Day School family welcomes the community to our campus to celebrate summer at this family-friendly event," said Andie Hardy, the school's director of curriculum and instruction. "The Summer Night's Festival is also an opportunity to demonstrate the open, supportive culture we've built for Jewish families in the area, and to share our passionate commitment to educational innovation and excellence."

The Summer Night's Festival at IHDS will include:

Bungee jumper

Mechanical surfboard

Petting zoo

Inflatable bouncer and slide

Israel -themed art/architecture project

-themed art/architecture project Face painting

Popcorn, snow cones and cotton candy

Admission and activities are free. Falafel will be available at the Summer Night's Festival for $10 or preorder for $8 at https://irvinehebrewday.org/product/falafel .

IHDS represents a new paradigm in Jewish education based on in-depth, meaningful learning and genuine, respectful dialogue. Educators, administrators and parents are trained in Positive Discipline methods and engaged in a shared mission to equip students with the knowledge, creativity and skills necessary for achievement and success in the 21st century.

"At Irvine Hebrew Day School, we provide a unique Jewish educational experience based on academic rigor, educational innovation and social emotional growth," said Karin Hepner, a co-founder of the school. "A major part of that experience is the community we've established here, which we've designed the Summer's Night Festival to showcase. IHDS is open to all Jewish families, regardless of their affiliation or background. With prejudice and anti-Semitism on the rise, we offer a safe environment where students can learn, grow and nurture a thoughtful relationship with their Jewish heritage and identity."

For more information about Irvine Hebrew Day School, visit https://irvinehebrewday.org .

For more information about IHDS's Summer Night's Festival, visit Facebook .

About Irvine Hebrew Day School (IHDS)

Irvine Hebrew Day School (IHDS) is an independent K-8th-grade Jewish day school offering experiential, inquiry-based education and fostering critical thinking and discovery in all aspects of learning. Our goal is to give children knowledge that empowers them to pursue meaningful discussion and seek purposeful answers for an entire lifetime. More than 60% of IHDS students are identified as "gifted" or "highly gifted," compared to the 6% national average. With its low student-to-teacher ratio and small class sizes, IHDS is able to offer individualized attention, accommodating learners wherever they are with differentiated instruction. IHDS is committed to maintaining a diverse, welcoming culture open to Jewish families from all affiliations and backgrounds. For more information, visit https://irvinehebrewday.org .

MEDIA CONTACT:

Heather Ripley

Ripley PR

(865) 977-1973

[email protected]

SOURCE Irvine Hebrew Day School
Wapner Newman Files Product Liability Lawsuit Alleging Food Contaminated with Listeria Caused Wrongful Death of Unborn Baby

PHILADELPHIA, Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Law Firm of Wapner Newman filed a lawsuit involving the death of an unborn child caused by Listeria. The first-time expectant mother ingested baby spinach made by Fresh Express and sold at Fresh Grocer that, unbeknownst to her, was contaminated with Listeria.

Listeria infection is a foodborne bacterial illness that can be very serious for pregnant women, people older than 65 and people with weakened immune systems.

Wapner Newman, Attorneys At Law

The expectant mother was 30 weeks and 6 days pregnant when she went to Abington Memorial Hospital experiencing flu-like symptoms on December 11, 2021. After her baby's well-being was evaluated and confirmed, the mother was diagnosed with Covid-19 and sent home to quarantine.

During quarantine, her grandmother purchased baby spinach for smoothies that were consumed by the mother. She returned to the emergency room at the same hospital on December 15 where the medical providers noted no movement or heartbeat of the unborn child. The baby was delivered stillborn. An autopsy confirmed the sole cause of death was due to Listeria.

On December 20, Fresh Express issued a precautionary recall for a Listeria outbreak on its leafy green vegetables sold throughout Pennsylvania and various other states. The recall included the contaminated baby spinach that the mother consumed.

Julianna Merback Burdo, Esquire, a Partner in Wapner Newman's Catastrophic Injury Practice filed this Wrongful Death action in the Court of Common Pleas of Philadelphia County. The Complaint filed alleges that Fresh Express and Fresh Grocer are strictly liable for the wrongful death of the unborn child, and bodily injury and emotional stress to the expectant mother.

Ms. Burdo remarked on the importance of advancing this lawsuit: "In addition to the tragic loss of this baby, we are fighting to raise awareness with the public who blindly relies upon food manufacturers and distributors to provide clean, safe and uncontaminated food products. Safety within the food chain must start with those who process, package, transport and sell us food."

Burdo went on to emphasize, "Pregnant women will go to any lengths to protect their unborn child, particularly when it comes to avoiding foods that are known to pose a potential risk. I, myself, abstained from things like caffeine, sushi and even deli meat during both of my pregnancies. My client was being health-conscious by eating spinach. To lose a full-term baby from unsafe food is unfathomable."

Wapner Newman's Managing Partner, Robert S. Miller, Esquire, commented, "Food sources must provide quality assurance, particularly against a deadly bacteria such as Listeria. This contamination was a blind killer of our client's baby. Every step is mandatory to prevent placing unsafe food into the stream of commerce."

About Wapner Newman

Wapner Newman fights for those that suffer at the hands of irresponsible corporations and individuals. We fight 24/7 to get our clients the justice they deserve. Among the oldest injury firms in Philadelphia, Wapner Newman has proudly served its clients for over 40 years, specializing in handling medical malpractice, product liability and negligence cases. Our team of attorneys has secured over $1 billion in personal injury settlements, awards, and verdicts. Our team of lawyers leave nothing on the table when it comes to acting in our client's interests.

This press release was issued through 24-7PressRelease.com. For further information, visit http://www.24-7pressrelease.com.

SOURCE Wapner Newman
DALLAS, Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- McKool Smith has announced that veteran litigators William D. Ellerman and Ari Rafilson have joined the firm as Principals in its Dallas office. Ellerman focuses on complex commercial and IP litigation, and Rafilson focuses on patent matters. Both attorneys have extensive experience in disputes involving universities, research institutes, and technology companies.

These additions follow the arrival of Principal Alfonso Chan, who joined McKool Smith's Dallas office earlier this month and previously practiced with Ellerman and Rafilson at another firm.

"Will and Ari are wonderful additions to our firm," said McKool Smith Chairman and Managing Partner David Sochia. "They will add even more depth to our core strengths in high-stakes trials and patent litigation and help bolster our expanding practice representing universities in IP disputes and licensing matters."

Mr. Ellerman is an accomplished trial and appellate lawyer with more than two decades of experience representing plaintiffs and defendants in IP matters and complex commercial litigation, including contractual disputes, business torts, banking, securities, oil and gas, and media law, among other areas. He has secured several multimillion-dollar jury and bench trial verdicts and has significant appellate experience. He has briefed matters to the U.S. Supreme Court and multiple federal and state courts of appeal and has argued before many appellate courts, including the Texas Supreme Court. Mr. Ellerman is a graduate of Baylor University School of Law and Tulane University.

"McKool Smith is a very formidable firm that offers best in class technical savvy and high-stakes courtroom experience," said Mr. Ellerman. "We are thrilled to join the firm's deep bench of litigators."

Mr. Rafilson represents plaintiffs and defendants including universities, research institutes, software companies, and patent-licensing firms in complex patent disputes and licensing matters. His experience includes a broad range of technologies such as integrated circuits, video streaming, magnetic resonance imaging, object-relational mapping software, and mobile, motion-sensing, display, and internet search technologies, among others. Mr. Rafilson is a graduate of SMU Dedman School of Law and earned a B.S. in Computer Information Systems from Bradley University.

"McKool Smith practices patent litigation at the highest level, and the firm's results speak for themselves," said Mr. Rafilson. "We look forward to collaborating with our new colleagues and contributing to the firm's success."

With 120 trial lawyers across offices in Austin, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, Marshall, New York, and Washington, D.C., McKool Smith has established a reputation as one of America's leading trial firms. The firm has secured 13 nine-figure jury verdicts and 15 eight-figure jury verdicts, obtaining more VerdictSearch and The National Law Journal "Top 100 Verdicts" than any other law firm. These courtroom successes have earned McKool Smith critical acclaim and helped the firm become what The Wall Street Journal describes as "one of the biggest law firm success stories of the past decade." McKool Smith represents clients in complex commercial litigation, intellectual property, bankruptcy, insurance recovery, and white collar defense matters.

For more information, please contact Keith Hill at (903) 923.9005 or email [email protected].

SOURCE McKool Smith
Metrika platform will provide Hedera community with advanced monitoring and analytics capabilities  empowering further network adoption

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Metrika , the leader in operational intelligence for blockchains and distributed ledger networks, today announced a collaboration with Hedera to provide enhanced visibility and transparency for the different applications across the company's network ecosystem  creating a best-in-class experience for Web3 application developers. The Hedera network ecosystem will now have access to Metrika's industry-leading blockchain and Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) monitoring and analytics platform, offering the community unprecedented on-ledger metrics and visibility into the performance of the network at any given time.

Hedera is a proof-of-stake, public DLT network for building and deploying decentralized applications. Application developers building on Hedera will now be able to access Metrika's advanced metrics on transaction volume, time to consensus finality, account growth, and leaderboards for Hedera network service usage, such as managing fungible & non-fungible tokens and interactions with smart contracts.

Metrika's dashboards provide developers end-to-end visibility into the operational health of the ledger, allowing them to ensure their applications are running at a high level of performance and resiliency  while simultaneously guaranteeing a level of transparency that encourages overall adoption of the Hedera network.

"Ensuring operational trust is central to Hedera's mission of creating a public network for everyone," said Alex Popowycz, Chief Information Officer at Hedera. "Metrika's network dashboards are integral capabilities and a continuation of our commitment to make Hedera the home for fast, fair, and secure applications you can trust. As we work toward that mission, Metrika's platform will provide the needed visibility into Hedera's network, allowing developers and node operators to meet their full potential within our ecosystem."

"We are thrilled to support Hedera in their commitment to transparency, specifically its efforts to make the activity, status, and overall health of the network available to developers and community members as accessible as possible," said Nikos Andrikogiannopoulos, CEO of Metrika. "These actionable insights into the health of the Hedera network will be critical to scale and drive mainstream adoption."

Metrika was founded in Cambridge, Massachusetts, out of a deep commitment for making blockchain networks dependable as they scale for web3. Metrika currently works with leading blockchain ecosystems and industry groups such as Algorand, Algorand Foundation, Dapper Labs, Flow Foundation, Axelar, IDB Lab, LACChain, Blockdaemon, Hyperledger Besu, ConsenSys, ConsenSys Quorum, Blockchain Association, Global Blockchain Business Council and more.

For more information on the Metrika operational platform and the additional customized offerings, please visit www.metrika.co or check out the full platform experience for network communities at app.metrika.co . To view the Hedera dashboard, please visit: https://app.metrika.co/dashboard/hedera/network-overview .

About Metrika

Metrika provides the industry's only operational intelligence platform for blockchain and distributed ledger networks and applications, including cryptocurrency and gaming applications, where ongoing optimal performance is essential. Using its Metrika Insights platform, blockchain communities, node operators, and applications gain the visibility, actionable insights, and tools needed to maintain the performance of the overall network and ensure ongoing trust as it becomes more decentralized and distributed. For more information, visit us at www.metrika.co or follow us on Twitter at @Metrikaco , or Discord .

About Hedera

The Hedera network is the most used, sustainable, enterprise-grade public ledger for the decentralized economy. The platform is governed by a council of the world's leading organizations, including Avery Dennison, Boeing, Chainlink Labs, DBS Bank, Dentons, Deutsche Telekom, DLA Piper, EDF (Electricite de France), eftpos, FIS (WorldPay), Google, IBM, the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), LG Electronics, Magalu, Nomura Holdings, ServiceNow, Shinhan Bank, Standard Bank Group, Swirlds, Tata Communications, Ubisoft, University College London (UCL), Wipro, and Zain Group.

For more information, visit https://hedera.com , or follow us on Twitter at @hedera , Telegram at t.me/hederahashgraph , or Discord at https://hedera.com/discord . The Hedera whitepaper can be found at https://hedera.com/papers .

Metrika Media Contact

Henri Vies

M Group Strategic Communications (on behalf of Metrika)

917.765.1441

[email protected]

SOURCE Metrika
Strategic sale positions Colorado company with laser focus on air & missile defense for rapid growth

FORT COLLINS, Colo., Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- A leader in air defense, missile defense and space domain awareness, Numerica is known for solving some of the nation's most important defense challenges. After several years of innovation and growth, the Colorado company's space division has been acquired by Slingshot Aerospace, a company focused on building space simulation and analytics products for Space Situational Awareness and Space Traffic Coordination. This divestiture will allow Numerica to focus on innovations in air and missile defense with even greater investment in its short-range air defense product line  including the Spyglass short-range surveillance radar and MIMIR C2 software.

Numerica's distinguished space division provides high-quality data and state-of-the-art software solutions that inform operator action to help protect satellites from on-orbit hazards and threats. To help address critical space needs, Numerica has developed market-leading uncorrelated track processing software and transitioned it to multiple space operation centers, deployed a global telescope network to provide a responsive, robust and affordable commercial satellite tracking service and developed the world's first commercial daytime optical LEO-to-GEO satellite tracking capability.

Numerica's space division acquired by Slingshot Aerospace Tweet this

Through the agreement, Slingshot has acquired the following:

An autonomous global network of proprietary sensors and software comprising more than 150 sensors including 30 telescopes across 20 locations around the globe with advanced data processing capabilities.

The Numerica SDA team including research scientists, orbital analysts, software engineers and applied mathematicians in remote work settings including Vandenburg Air Force Base as well as the Fort Collins and Colorado Springs, Colo. offices.

and offices. The Numerica office in Colorado Springs .

"We are proud to have developed such an effective global network of proprietary ground-based sensors and software for deep space surveillance and look forward to seeing its continued evolution with an established industry leader like Slingshot Aerospace," President Jeff Poore said. "This acquisition will help accelerate advancements in spaceflight safety and sustainability during a time of great need, but it will also allow Numerica to strategically focus resources on our growing air and missile defense business."

The air and missile defense teams at Numerica are dedicated to developing and deploying high-performance command and control systems for applications from theater integrated air and missile defense to tactical counter-UAS. Several of their biggest developments lately have included:

Launch of Spyglass radar, a purpose-built multi-mission KU-band radar that addresses short-range air defense (SHORAD) missions inclusive of counter-small, unmanned aircraft systems (C-SUAS), ground surveillance and other missions.

MFATS, a mature and widely deployed sensor fusion software engine used to generate fire control quality tracks from a network of heterogeneous sensors.

MIMIR, a software product for integrating networks of sensors and weapons, includes MFATS for sensor data fusion and a lightweight user display for operator engagement.

An 18-year membership of the Lockheed Martin-led Missile Defense National Team, providing advanced algorithms to assist the U.S. Ballistic Missile Defense System (BMDS).

A 13-year position providing advanced algorithms and software on the Northrop Grumman-led Integrated Air and Missile Defense Battle Command System (IBCS) program.

Renovation of a 33,000 square foot facility to support the continued development of Spyglass radar  this new building located at 4450 Denrose Court in Fort Collins is the only location in Colorado that is currently manufacturing radar and one of only a few in the entire country.

About Numerica: Founded in 1996, Numerica focuses on creating innovative solutions to the most pressing technical challenges faced by customers in the areas of air defense and missile defense. Headquartered in Fort Collins, Colo., Numerica's rapidly growing team of talented research scientists and engineers tackle data science problems by developing advanced algorithms to power mission-critical national security software. This year, Numerica celebrates 25 years of developing state-of-the-art technologies that have been deployed around the world to integrate networks, fuse data, precisely track targets and quantify uncertainty. Learn more at www.numerica.us.

CONTACT: Kelly Wakefield

[email protected]

970-449-6870

SOURCE Numerica
The Honoring Our Pact Act, S. 3373,

Passed by the United States Senate, August 2, 2022.

PORT WASHINGTON, N.Y., Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- On August 2, 2022, the United States Senate voted 86-11 in favor of the Honoring our PACT Act, a bill that significantly expands benefits and health care resources for toxic-exposed veterans. It incorporates, in full, the Camp Lejeune Justice Act of 2022, which provides former Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune residents  military and their families as well as civilian workers  the right to seek justice from the U.S. government for damages related to toxic water exposure at Camp Lejeune.

Justice has been served.

United States Congressman Matt Cartwright, author of the original Camp Lejeune Justice Act in 2013, celebrated the bill's success: "It's going to be wonderful because it's a victory for justice in the United States. I owe Jerry Parker a great debt of gratitude for introducing me to this problem, and I'm happy that he's going to have a hand in bringing these cases to justice." See https://www.yourlawyer.com/camp-lejeune-water-contamination-lawyers.

Jerry Parker, the founding partner of Parker Waichman LLP, a national law firm, brought the case to national attention when he filed a lawsuit in 2009 on behalf of a school teacher who worked at Camp Lejeune Elementary School for 22 years. That lawsuit, filed in the United States District Court, District of Georgia, alleged that the plaintiff was exposed to toxic substances in the water supply at Camp Lejeune and that she developed cancer as a result of the United States' actions.

The Government moved to dismiss the case, and the District Court granted that motion, holding that North Carolina's ten-year statute of repose applied and the Feres doctrine barred claims against the Marines. Parker Waichman took the case all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court where, unfortunately, justice was denied.

While fighting for his clients in court, Jerry Parker was also working on creating legislation to right this wrong: "After having my case thrown out by the United States District Court, I didn't wait for the decision from the federal circuit court or the United States Supreme Court. I saw the handwriting on the wall and knew that my clients would not get justice in the court system without a change in the law."

Congressman Cartwright immediately recognized a "horrendous situation and a national disgrace" and vowed to help change the law. After multiple sessions of Congress considered versions of the bill, a measure finally gained traction in 2022. With the passage of the Honoring our PACT Act, Camp Lejeune veterans, their families, and civilian base workers  anyone who spent 30 days at Camp Lejeune between August 1, 1953 and December 31, 1987  are now finally eligible to file a claim for injuries caused by exposure to toxic water at the base.

As Representative Cartwright recently explained, passing the Camp Lejeune Justice Act is "just the start. I mean, it's the end of my work, but it's just the start for all of the families and all of the legal teams that have to get put together, and folks like Jerry Parker and Parker Waichman, they're at the point now where they really have to roll up their sleeves and take these cases in front of the court and win them," which is precisely the job that Jerry Parker and Parker Waichman are doing right now.

Filing a Camp Lejeune Water Contamination Lawsuit

Parker Waichman has represented clients in injury lawsuits for decades and Camp Lejeune victims since 2009. If you, or someone you know, lived or worked at Camp Lejeune for 30 days between August 1, 1953 and December 31, 1987, and want to file a lawsuit, please call 1-800-YOUR LAWYER or visit the firm's website at https://www.yourlawyer.com.

Media Contact:

Annmarie George

[email protected]

SOURCE Parker Waichman LLP
"Although our faith is deeply personal, it is never to remain private," writes Robert J. Pacienza in his new book, The Hope of the World: Christian Cultural Engagement in a Secular Age.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Rev. Robert J. Pacienza challenges the Church to speak to the full spectrum of contemporary cultural concerns in his new book, The Hope of The World: Christian Cultural Engagement in a Secular Age.

"Our purpose is to live out a public faith, bringing the mind of Christ into every cultural sphere," contends Pacienza, senior pastor of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church in South Florida, and President and CEO of D. James Kennedy Ministries, a national broadcast media outreach.

"Although our faith is deeply personal, it is never to remain private," writes Robert J. Pacienza in his new book. Tweet this Rob Pacienza, 41, President & CEO of D. James Kennedy Ministries and Senior Pastor of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, challenges Christians to engage culture and live out a public faith in his newly published book, The Hope of the World: Christian Cultural Engagement in a Secular Age. Theologian R. Albert Mohler, Jr., President of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, praised The Hope of the World: "Pacienza offers a timely and truthful call to the Churcha call that demands an answer.

Pacienza's new book comes at a crucial moment. Just 21 percent of people who attend a Bible-believing church in America think the Bible is relevant to every area of life, according to a poll by George Barna.

Nearly four decades after author Richard John Neuhaus lamented the Church's absence from the public square, "we continue to see a dearth of Christian voices in our culture," Pacienza writes.

And that absence, he adds, has "drastic implications for the Church's influence" in American society. But in The Hope of the World Pacienza gives readers a vision of cultural engagement that is deeply rooted in a robust Biblical theology.

"My prayer is that the Church would fully embrace the calling to live in light of the truth that Jesus is Lord of all," says Pacienza. "The Church, with this message, is truly the hope of the world."

Theologian R. Albert Mohler, Jr., President of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, praised The Hope of the World:

"In this important new book, Rob Pacienza combines keen cultural analysis with faithful Christian thinking, pointing us to a model of Christian cultural engagement that is faithful to the Gospel, grounded in Christian truth, and filled with hope. Pacienza offers a timely and truthful call to the Churcha call that demands an answer."

More information and an excerpt from The Hope of the World is available at www.djkm.org/hope.

D. James Kennedy Ministries is a media ministry whose television program, "Truths That Transform," airs nationwide.

SOURCE D. James Kennedy Ministries
The company is the first window and door manufacturer to be recognized by Fast Company

PELLA, Iowa, Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- How does a 97-year-old window and door manufacturer in Iowa earn world-wide recognition for innovation? By empowering employees to think, work and create with the future in mind. Pella Corporation has been recognized by Fast Company as one of nine 2022 Best Workplaces for Innovators in the U.S. This is the second Fast Company innovation award of 2022 for Pella, following their earlier ranking of No. 8 Most Innovative Design Companies. Pella is the first in the window and door industry to be named to either list.

This award is a clear testament to the exceptional talent and spirit of innovation within our organization. Tweet this Since Pellas founding in 1925, innovation has been a key component of what we do. We launched with a screen innovation for windows and have continued to solve new customer problems in unique ways. With our vast network of builders, contractors, architects and homeowners, were able to talk directly to our customers to find solutions and carry on our tradition of innovation.

"We've found innovation success by placing our consumers, and customers at the center of our design process. By focusing on them, we can discover what they love, desire, and have as unmet needs. Their feedback is critical in helping us deliver meaningful innovations to the market," said Jenn Tuetken, Sr. Manager of Innovation and Design at Pella. "This award is also a clear testament to the exceptional talent and spirit of innovation within our organization."

Pella has long embraced a culture of innovation, amassing more than 150 product and design patents in its 97-year history. True to its roots, the company has also been recognized as No. 1 in Innovation by homeowners across the country*.

The manufacturer was recognized by Fast Company in part for its commitment to a culture of innovation, and for their most recent innovations that focus on incorporating universal design principals, convenience, and modern aesthetics into their window and door offering. In the last several years the company has added a dedicated innovation lab and nearly a dozen dedicated cross-functional team members to lead their innovation efforts.

To learn more about a career at Pella visit, pella.com/about/careers/.

About Fast Company

Fast Company is the only media brand fully dedicated to the vital intersection of business, innovation, and design, engaging the most influential leaders, companies, and thinkers on the future of business. Headquartered in New York City, Fast Company is published by Mansueto Ventures LLC, along with our sister publication Inc., and can be found online at www.fastcompany.com .

About Accenture

Accenture is a leading global professional services company, providing a broad range of services and solutions in strategy, consulting, digital, technology, and operations. Combining unmatched experience and specialized skills across more than 40 industries and all business functionsunderpinned by the world's largest delivery networkAccenture works at the intersection of business and technology to help clients improve their performance and create sustainable value for their stakeholders. With 482,000 people serving clients in more than 120 countries, Accenture drives innovation to improve the way the world works and lives. Visit us at www.accenture.com .

About Pella Corporation

Pella Corporation designs and manufactures windows and doors for residential homes and commercial applications. The company is headquartered in Pella, Iowa and employs approximately 9,500 people with 18 manufacturing locations and more than 200 showrooms across the country. For more information, visit pressroom.pella.com.

*Study of homeowner perceptions of leading national brands. Study commissioned by Pella, 2019.

SOURCE Pella Corporation
Launces Little West Canadian E-Commerce and Expands Wholesale Distribution into Canada

VANCOUVER, BC, Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - PlantX Life Inc. (CSE: VEGA) (Frankfurt: WNT1) (OTCQB: PLTXF) ("PlantX" or the "Company") the digital face of the plant-based community, operating a one-stop shop for plant-based products, today announced the international expansion of its Little West cold-pressed juice brand and e-commerce platform to Canada. As part of the expansion, Little West has launched a Canadian version of its e-commerce website (littlewestjuice.ca) and plans to expand its wholesale business into physical retail outlets across the country.

PlantX Brings Little West Cold-Pressed Juices to Canada (CNW Group/PlantX Life Inc.)

Acquired by PlantX in May 2021, Little West is a California-based cold-pressed juice company that offers a wide range of beverages and products that emphasize health and wellness with a focus on locally sourced, high-quality, and fresh ingredients. Little West is the realized vision of Cassandra Troy and Andrew Walker, who launched the business in 2013 with the aim of inspiring healthier lifestyles for all and making the world a greener place. Since being acquired by PlantX, Little West has added new products and consumer-friendly bundles.

"We have seen amazing success with our littlewest.com website, and since the founders of Little West are Canadian and so is PlantX, it was only natural for us to bring these amazing juices to Canada," said PlantX CEO, Lorne Rapkin. "We expect to work with local influencers to bring increased awareness and we will leverage the success we achieved in the United States to build the brand throughout North America."

The Little West Canadian e-commerce website features merchandise and different flavors of juice, available in kits and cleanses. Consumers can create one-time boxes of different quantities of juices or arrange regular deliveries to facilitate a healthy, delicious lifestyle.

In addition to the Canadian e-commerce website, Little West Juices are available in retail locations in the United States, including Whole Foods and Pavilions.

Corporate Update

PlantX announces that further to its news release dated July 11, 2022 (the "Default Announcement"), the Company's principal regulator, the British Columbia Securities Commission, has granted a management cease trade order (the "MCTO"), pursuant to the Company's application made under National Policy 12-203  Management Cease Trade Orders ("NP 12-203"). The MCTO as issued is in connection with the delay by the Company in filing its audited annual financial statements, management's discussion and analysis and related certifications for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2022 (collectively, the "Required Filings") before the prescribed deadline of July 29, 2022.

The Company requested and received an extension relating to the Required Filings due to additional time needed to complete the Company's previously announced restatement of its annual audited comparative financial statements for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2021 and to implement internal control procedures as a result of the restatement process.

The Company is working diligently with its auditors expects to have the audit of the Required Filings completed, and the Required Filings filed within 30 days, and in any event, no later than September 27, 2022.

The MCTO restricts all trading in securities of the Company, whether direct or indirect, by the Chief Executive Officer or the Chief Financial Officer until such time as the Required Filings have been filed by the Company and the MCTO has been lifted. Furthermore, the Company will not be able to, directly or indirectly, issue securities to or acquire securities from an insider or employee of the Company except in accordance with legally binding obligations to do so existing as of July 29, 2022.

The MCTO does not affect the ability of shareholders who are not insiders of the Company to trade their securities. However, the applicable Canadian securities regulatory authorities could determine, in their discretion, that it would be appropriate to issue a general cease trade order against the Company affecting all of the securities of the Company.

The Company is providing this status update in accordance with NP 12-203. The Company intends to follow the provisions of the Alternative Information Guidelines set out in NP 12-203, including the issuance of bi-weekly default status reports in the form of news releases, for as long as the Company remains in default of the Required Filings. The Company confirms as of the date of this news release that there has been no material change in the information contained in the Default Announcement issued on July 11, 2022 and there is no other material information concerning the affairs of the Company that has not been generally disclosed.

About PlantX Life Inc.

As the digital face of the plant-based community, PlantX's platform is a one-stop shop for plant-based products. With its fast-growing category verticals, the Company offers customers across North America more than 5,000 plant-based products. In addition to offering delivery service for meals and indoor plants, the Company currently has plans underway to expand its product lines to include a juice and coffee company. The Company uses its digital platform to build a community of likeminded consumers and, most importantly, to provide education. Its successful enterprise is being built and fortified on partnerships with the top nutritionists, chefs, and brands. The Company's digital presence works to eliminate the barriers to entry for anyone interested in living a plant-based lifestyle and thriving in a longer, healthier, and happier life.

Connect with PlantX: Email | Website | Facebook | LinkedIn | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube | TikTok

Forward-looking Information

This press release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws. All statements contained herein that are not clearly historical in nature may constitute forward-looking information. In some cases, forward-looking information can be identified by words or phrases such as "may," "will," "expect," "likely", "should," "would," "plan," "anticipate," "intend," "potential," "proposed," "estimate," "believe" or the negative of these terms, or other similar words, expressions and grammatical variations thereof, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" happen, or by discussions of strategy. The forward-looking information contained herein includes, without limitation, statements regarding the expansion of Little West in Canada, the MCTO, the filing of the Required Filings, the Company issuing bi-weekly status updates and the business and strategic plans of the Company.

By its nature, forward-looking information is subject to inherent risks and uncertainties that may be general or specific and which give rise to the possibility that expectations, forecasts, predictions, projections or conclusions will not prove to be accurate, that assumptions may not be correct, and that objectives, strategic goals and priorities will not be achieved. A variety of factors, including known and unknown risks, many of which are beyond our control, could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking information in this press release including, without limitation: receiving sufficient demand for the Offering; the Company's ability to comply with all applicable governmental regulations including all applicable food safety laws and regulations; impacts to the business and operations of the Company due to the COVID-19 epidemic; the conflict in eastern Europe; having a limited operating history; the ability of the Company to access capital to meet future financing needs; the Company's reliance on management and key personnel; competition; changes in consumer trends; foreign currency fluctuations; and general economic, market or business conditions.

Additional risk factors can also be found in the Company's continuous disclosure documents, which have been filed on SEDAR and can be accessed at www.sedar.com . Readers are cautioned to consider these and other factors, uncertainties and potential events carefully and not to put undue reliance on forward-looking information. The forward-looking information contained herein is made as of the date of this press release and is based on the beliefs, estimates, expectations and opinions of management on the date such forward-looking information is made. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, estimates or opinions, future events or results or otherwise or to explain any material difference between subsequent actual events and such forward-looking information, except as required by applicable law.

SOURCE PlantX Life Inc.
TAINAN, Taiwan, Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- When the body's immune system turns on itself and attacks the body's healthy cells and organs, we develop autoimmune disorders. A rare entrant in the list of autoimmune disorders is acquired hemophilia A (AHA) in which spontaneous bleeding occurs in patients with no previous history of the condition. Although AHA is often associated with significant mortality, owing to its rarity, there is very little data on the underlying physiological processes.

Scientists find possible association between COVID vaccination and autoimmune diseases like AHA

Are other diseases that involve considerable immune suppression, for instance viral infections, associated with AHA? A group of researchers led by Dr. Ya Ting Hsu and Dr. Peng Chan Lin of the NCKU Hospital, Taiwan, have recently reported a case that points towards such a possibility.

In their case report published in the Journal of the Formosan Medical Association, the researchers detail the symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment of a 77-year-old Taiwanese man who presented with bruised-looking skin on his forearms and legs along with bleeding blisters on his hands and trunks three weeks after receiving the second dose of the mRNA Moderna vaccine against the viral infection, COVID-19. Pathological and clinical tests, including blood coagulation factor VIII (FVIII) titer and FVIII inhibitor level estimation, and a skin biopsy confirmed AHA concomitantly occurring with bullous pemphigoid, a rare autoimmune skin disease. "The simultaneous diagnosis of AHA and bullous pemphigoid is very rare. Multiple studies have indicated that medications or vaccines play a role in inducing bullous pemphigoid, but the progression to this condition is still unclear. Although the causality and pathogenesis of the autoimmune conditions in our patient remains unconfirmed, we reported this case to raise awareness of this rare phenomenon following SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine administration," explains Dr. Hsu.

mRNA vaccines are till date the first line of defense against SARS-CoV-2-induced COVID-19. Awareness of autoimmune diseases associated with these vaccines can help physicians provide timely treatment and prevent significant morbidity and mortality in patients. "There are several questions that need to be asked if we are to understand vaccine-related autoimmune diseases. For example, do patients with known autoimmune diseases have a higher risk of developing vaccine-related autoimmune disease? Can they receive a SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine safely? Will the vaccine trigger flare up of an existing autoimmune disease? Will these patients be treated differently?" observes Dr. Lin, while explaining the need for extensive, timely, and honest reporting of relevant incidents.

Besides reporting their case, the researchers studied existing literature and identified six other vaccine-related cases of AHA reported since 2021. They found that all six patients were administered with either Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine and that treatment took less time in all cases than in non-vaccine associated AHA. Apart from the six COVID-19 vaccination-related cases, two more AHA cases following influenza vaccination, which uses a different antigen, were also reported. The researchers suggest that if more autoimmune diseases following SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine administration are reported, further investigation into their pathogenesis can be made, which can then help identify the potential at-risk groups.

These findings point to a possible association between SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccines and autoimmune diseases like AHA. Further studies are needed to conclusively prove a causal link between the two. Through timely reporting of such cases, the short-term and long-term side effects of mRNA vaccines against COVID-19 can be better understood and patient management improved for better outcomes.

Reference

Title of original paper: A case of acquired hemophilia A and bullous pemphigoid following SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccination

Journal: Journal of the Formosan Medical Association

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfma.2022.02.017

Contact:

Yu-Ting Chen

+886 6 2757575 ext. 80921

[email protected]

SOURCE National Cheng Kung University
Responding to a strong demand for more sustainable and transparent cane sugar supply chains, Raizen and ASR Group have partnered in this world first: Through a unique and dedicated farming, bioenergy parks and infrastructure operation, Raizen has created a 100% physically traceable and non-genetically modified supply chain. In return, ASR Group is making an investment and long-term purchasing commitment to Raizen, the proceeds of which will be dedicated to strengthening the sustainability of both companies' supply operations and supply chains.

SAO PAULO and WEST PALM BEACH, Fla., Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Raizen, the world's largest sugar exporting company, and ASR Group, the world's largest refiner and marketer of cane sugar, announce a partnership that sets the standard for sustainable raw cane sugar supply chains globally. The unprecedented multi-year agreement between the partners creates the world's first fully physically traceable and 100 percent non-genetically modified (non-GM) certified supply chain. The partnership stretches from Raizen's sustainably certified sugarcane farms and bioenergy parks in Center-South Brazil, all the way to supporting the well-loved brands that make up ASR Group's cane sugar consumer products in North America and Europe.

Raizen A new partnership between leading sugar companies Raizen and ASR Group sets the standard for sustainability and traceability in raw sugar supply chains and guarantees independently certified non-genetically modified (non-GM) cane sugar.

Supported by an investment and a 10-year purchasing commitment from ASR Group, Raizen has developed unique processes, infrastructure, and technological solutions to track raw cane sugar from their farms and bioenergy parks  where the sugarcane is milled to produce raw sugar and biofuels  and segregate the final raw sugar through to a dedicated port terminal facility for export. In addition to carrying non-GM status, Raizen also ensures that the raw cane sugar meets the highest global ethical and environmental standards.

The first shipments of raw cane sugar under the new partnership are running through a dedicated export facility contracted by Raizen at the Port of Paranagua in Parana State, Brazil. During the first year of the partnership, ASR Group's cane sugar refineries in Canada, the United Kingdom, Portugal, and Italy will receive deliveries as part of the supply chains of ASR Group's local brands, including Redpath, Tate & Lyle, Lyle's, and Sidul. Future shipments to ASR Group's refineries in the United States and its Domino and C&H brands are also being considered.

"This partnership marks a new chapter in global sugar traceability," said Paulo Neves, Vice President of Trading at Raizen. "By segregating our operation, this initiative enables us to measure the full impact and footprint reduction in our supply chain more accurately. This certification enables us to confirm, through a third-party audit, the absence of GM sugarcane in our entire process, increasing the value of the product to customers who seek this type of sugar. We want to offer another alternative to this market."

The premium that ASR Group will pay for the raw cane sugar will be re-invested by Raizen to continue to further both companies' ESG targets. This will include projects looking at improving land productivity, reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions through operational efficiency and innovation, increasing water circularity, and other sustainability initiatives.

Alan Wood, ASR Group's Senior Vice President of Global Sugars, said, "This partnership between ASR Group and Raizen represents a big and important investment by both of us in our commitments to be the most sustainable sugar companies in the world. We are paying a premium for this sugar and are excited that this will be re-invested back into even more sustainability projects by Raizen. We're confident this will give our customers, as well as the thousands of people working in our own businesses, great pride that the supply chains they are a part of will continue at the cutting edge of reducing their impact on people and the planet."

The traceability of the whole chain is independently certified by FoodChain ID, an international leader in standard-setting and certification of food supply chains. The company has more than 20 years experience in creating secure and certified supply chains across the industry, working with agriculture, food brands, and food and drink retailers. Raizen is the first company in the sugar and energy sector to earn the certification for non-GM sugar. FoodChain ID has supported ASR Group for more than 10 years with verification and certification work in its global raw cane sugar sustainability program.

The bioparks involved in the process are located in the hubs of Piracicaba, Aracatuba, Andradina, Brotas, Araraquara, and Assis, and are part of the certified structure that covers Raizen's 15 bioenergy parks.

About Raizen

We are Raizen  a global benchmark in bioenergy with an integrated business ecosystem: from the cultivation and processing of sugarcane in our bioenergy parks, to the sales, logistics and distribution of fuels, we continually invest in innovation to reshape the future of energy.

Through advanced technologies, we seek to play a leading role in the energy transition by expanding our portfolio of renewable energy sources, such as second-generation ethanol (2GE), biogas, bioelectricity and solar energy. By doing so, Raizen has already avoided the emission of 5.2 million tonnes of C02 per year (reference: 2020); by 2030, we aim to avoid twice this amount.

With a team of 40,000 employees, we operate 35 bioenergy parks with an installed sugarcane crushing capacity of up to 105 million tonnes. In the 2020-2021 crop year, they produced 2.5 billion liters of ethanol and 4.4 million tonnes of sugar. We have approximately 1.3 million hectares of agricultural areas that are cultivated with state-of-the-art technology and mechanized harvesting. Our installed power generation capacity is 1.3GW; in the last harvest we produced 2.1 TWh of electricity using sugarcane biomass.

Through a network of 7,300 gas station resellers bearing the Shell brand in Brazil and Argentina, we serve millions of consumers on their daily journeys, offering everything from the exclusive Shell V-Power family of fuels to convenience and benefits when paying with Shell Box. Through Grupo Nos (a joint venture with FEMSA Comercio), we operate in the convenience and proximity retail market with Shell Select stores and OXXO markets.

In the 2020-2021 crop year, we sold 29 billion liters of fuel and 7.3 million tonnes of sugar through our infrastructure that includes 69 airport supply bases, 70 distribution terminals located across the country and operations in 11 ports.

We are one of the largest companies in Brazil in terms of revenue (R$ 114.6 billion in the last crop year); we create jobs and income, drive the economy, and invest in social responsibility via the Raizen Foundation.

About ASR Group

ASR Group International, Inc. is the world's largest refiner and marketer of cane sugar, with an annual production capacity of more than 6 million tons of sugar. The company produces a full line of grocery, industrial, foodservice and specialty sweetener products. Across North America, ASR Group owns and operates six sugar refineries, located in New York, California, Maryland, Louisiana, Canada and Mexico. In Europe, the company owns and operates sugar refineries in the United Kingdom, Portugal, and, with a joint venture partner, Italy. ASR Group also farms sugarcane and owns sugar mills in Mexico and Belize. The company's portfolio includes the leading brands Domino, C&H, Florida Crystals, Redpath, Tate & Lyle, Lyle's and Sidul. ASR Group is owned by Florida Crystals Corporation and Sugar Cane Growers Cooperative of Florida. ASR Group and its parent companies jointly own Tellus Products, LLC, a maker of compostable tableware and foodservice products from sugarcane and other plant fibers. For more information, visit www.ASR-Group.com.

SOURCE ASR Group
Sustainability, A Must for Travel

SEOUL, South Korea, Aug. 2, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Seoul Metropolitan Government (hereinafter SMG) and Seoul Tourism Organization (President & CEO Ki-yon Kil, hereinafter STO) announced that the Global Fair & Sustainable Travel Contest will be supported by Airbnb and UNWTO.

Sustainability, A Must for Travel Seoul Tourism Organization to host global "Conscious Travel" contest with participation of UNWTO and sponsorship of Airbnb Related Documents View PDF

Slated to start from July 21 , the contest is officially realized with the participation of the UNWTO, as it was selected to be included in the Programme of Work 2022, a program realizing the core values of UNWTO.

, the contest is officially realized with the participation of the UNWTO, as it was selected to be included in the Programme of Work 2022, a program realizing the core values of UNWTO. In addition, global scale contest promotion amid a bolstering of the message of fair travel is in the works under the sponsorship of Airbnb, a company emphasizing the value of "Live Anywhere" while sharing in the idea of Fair Travel

The Global Fair & Sustainable Travel Contest was created to spread the value of fair travel and to improve the awareness of responsible travel to global citizens. This is in response to the increase in importance and awareness of sustainable travel across the globe following the pandemic.

According to the results of the Economist survey commissioned by Airbnb, on travelers in the APAC region in 2022, 71.8% answered that they believe sustainable travel has become more important due to COVID-19. Furthermore, after the pandemic, the scope of travelers' awareness of sustainable travel evolved to include both economic (46.7%) and social (41.3%) aspects, beyond that of just the environment, which had been the primary focus prior to the pandemic. This new demand for "conscious travel" practices as it pertains to the environment, economy, culture, and other aspects of local communities, is expected to rise.

The Global Fair & Sustainable Travel Contest will be held from July 21 to August 21, and entries can be submitted using either photos, video, or writing through the official website(http://sustainable-travel.biz/)

As there are no restrictions to join the contest, participants from all over the world who had experienced fair and sustainable travel can join this contest, and applications can be submitted not only by individuals, but also by organizations, e.g. institutions, schools, corporations, accommodations, and so on.

Individuals and organizations can register personal works in the form of pictures, video, or writing, having selected one of the three media forms, that captures one's experience that resonates with the topic, " My Fair and Sustainable Travel."

SOURCE Seoul Tourism Organization
ST. LOUIS, Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Spartech, a leading manufacturer of engineered thermoplastics and custom packaging solutions, is pleased to announce that John Alfano has been promoted to General Manager, Thin Gauge Sheet.

"John complements our goal of shaping the future of plastics through material strength and application expertise," said Spartech CEO John Inks. "His vast experience will help us continue to serve as a reliable and responsive partner to our valued customers."

In his new role, John will lead the Thin Gauge Business Team with a renewed emphasis on growing the Newark and Tufpak businesses. He will continue to manage the Newark, New Jersey plant and will also assist in overseeing the Ossipee, New Hampshire operation.

John joined Spartech in 2015 as Plant Manager of the Hackensack, New Jersey location. In 2017, he was given dual Plant Manager responsibility for the Hackensack and Newark, New Jersey plants. Prior to joining Spartech, John served eight years of active duty with the Marine Corps as a Logistics Officer. He graduated from the United States Naval Academy with a Bachelor of Science in Quantitative Economics with Subspecialty in Operations Research and Analysis.

John, his wife Michelle and their two (soon to be three) daughters will continue to reside in the Paramus, New Jersey area.

About Spartech

Headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri with a unique innovation center and 16 manufacturing facilities located throughout the United States, Spartech is a leading plastics manufacturer of engineered thermoplastic materials and specialty packaging products. Meeting exact standards for everything from food packaging to aerospace and automotive applications, Spartech continues to make a world of difference with sustainable, diverse, reliable, and innovative products including UltraTuf, Royalite, Korad, PreservaPak, and Polycast. https://spartech.com

Media Contact:

For Spartech

Sheldon Ripson

[email protected]

636-751-5733

SOURCE Spartech
TOKYO, Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Star Asia Group and its affiliates ("Star Asia Group") announced today that it has made a strategic investment in two listed Japanese hotel operating companies, Greens Co. (TSE: 6547) and Washington Hotel Corp (TSE: 4691). Star Asia Group also currently owns over 76% of Polaris Holdings Ltd (TSE: 3010) which is the owner and/or operator of 45 hotels with 8,135 rooms across Japan and the Philippines. Polaris has opportunistically grown its rooms under operation by 2.62x over the last 2 years and is looking to further grow through additional accretive hotel acquisitions as well as corporate M&A.

Strategic Overview

Star Asia Group believes that the stress and dislocation in the Japanese hospitality market caused by ongoing COVID-19 pandemic unleashed unique investment opportunities not seen since the Global Financial Crisis, nearly 15 years ago. As the Covid-19 restrictions are gradually being lifted in Japan and globally, Star Asia Group believes the Japanese hospitality sector is in the early stages of a strong turnaround and should begin to show the strongest growth metrics in the entire real estate universe.

Star Asia Group believes that Greens Co. (TSE: 6547) and Washington Hotel Corp. (TSE: 4691) have both been trading at significant discounts to their intrinsic value. Star Asia Group is now one of the largest shareholders of both companies, currently owning over 6% of Greens and over 6% of Washington Hotel. Star Asia Group believes that both companies are solid hospitality operators and will be supported by their ability to generate significant cash flow post COVID-19, as the market opening accelerates, and many more domestic and foreign guests start traveling in Japan. Star Asia Group's senior management intends to work closely with Greens and Washington Hotel to unlock the significant value intrinsic to both companies. "We have initiated constructive dialogue with both companies' management, and we are now exploring strategies to further maximize shareholder value," said Taro Masuyama, Star Asia Group Co-Founder and Managing Partner. Star Asia Group will continue actively engaging with the management of Polaris Holdings, Greens and Washington Hotel, and is prepared to provide all necessary financial and strategic resources to facilitate unlocking shareholder value for all 3 companies.

Star Asia Group has already been actively taking tactical advantage of the extensive dislocation in the hospitality space through its sponsorship of its listed hotel operating affiliate, Polaris Holdings (TSE: 3010). Together with Star Asia Group, Polaris has acquired or assumed operations of 33 hotels and over 5,830 hotel rooms since the beginning of the pandemic. Polaris now operates 45 hotels with 8,135 hotel rooms under management and is very well-positioned to capitalize on the re-opening of the Japanese hospitality market.

Star Asia Group's senior management believes that the fiercely competitive limited-service hotel space should and will likely undergo structural changes as well as consolidation. "In the fiercely competitive limited-service hotel sector, economies of scale are critically important to assure strong guest loyalty, operating efficiency, and improved financing terms. We think consolidation of smaller hotel operators is inevitable for them to maximize their shareholder value. Star Asia Group is prepared to make additional investments in both companies to facilitate a potential transaction," said Malcolm MacLean, Star Asia Group Co-Founder and Managing Partner.

About Star Asia Group

Founded by Malcolm F. MacLean IV and Taro Masuyama in 2006, Star Asia Group is an independent fund management company focused on Japanese and Asian real estate and real estate related assets. Since its founding, Star Asia Group has invested over JPY1 trillion and has current assets under management of over JPY400 billion. Star Asia Group has 371 officers and employees with over 55 professionals in finance, investment and real estate area located primarily in Japan with a few employees based in North America.

Star Asia Group's partners and employees share a long-term perspective and always operate under our Guiding Principles which continuously drive the group to become and remain one of the leading real estate investment management firms in Japan and Asia. Star Asia Group's strong track record and long-term partnership approach with our investors have been integral in attracting significant capital from sophisticated global investors, including large American university endowments and foundations, Japanese and European pension funds, Sovereign Wealth Funds, U.S. and Asia based family offices as well as other global real estate investors. Star Asia Group is committed to its disciplined Investment Philosophy with a single goal of meeting and exceeding our client's expectations for the mandates we are given.

For further information, please see our website: www.starasiamanagement.com

CONTACT: Yohei Taguchi, [email protected]

SOURCE Star Asia Group
YASHIO, Japan, Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- A new study on the effectiveness of plant-based organs for use in surgical training was performed by Dr. Naoki Nishio at the Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine. The study was published in the Laryngoscope Investigative Otolaryngology Journal. In it, Dr. Nishio found that KOTOBUKI Medical's Versatile Training Tissue (VTT) provided a cost-effective and accurate practice model for near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence-guided tumor removal.

Dr. Nakao Nishio using electrocautery on VTT tumor models. VTT is a plant-based synthetic that closely mimics human tissue. Dr. Nishio used this synthetic tissue for his paper.

Near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence-guided surgery utilizes a fluorescent dye called ICG to mark tumors and lesions. This ensures a more thorough removal of cancerous tissue.

Dr. Nishio conducted his study at Nagoya University's Medical xR Center. There, he and his team performed tumor enucleation and resection surgeries on VTT, a synthetic plant-based tissue created by KOTOBUKI Medical. They used NIR fluorescence-guided surgical techniques with electrocautery scalpels and ICG dye.

In his study, Dr. Nishio wrote that VTT was an ideal simulator for NIR fluorescence-guided surgical training, as VTT models contain no plastics or chemicals that could create smoke when used with electrocautery scalpels. The plant-based tissue also showed the fluorescent ICG dye, as well as other models or test subjects, would.

"VTT models with ICG-containing tumors could be a very useful tool for teaching surgeons how to remove the tumor by using electrocautery as 'off-the-job' training," Dr. Nishio said.

This study highlights KOTOBUKI Medical's plant-based VTT models as efficient surgical simulators that create no waste and are easy to obtain. It also quantifies the effectiveness of NIR fluorescence-guided surgery as a promising method for tumor removal.

About KOTOBUKI Medical

KOTOBUKI Medical is a medical manufacturing company poised to introduce high-fidelity surgical simulation technology to the world. Founded in 2018, KOTOBUKI Medical aims to introduce eco-friendly and cost-effective alternatives to using animal and even human cadavers for surgical training.

KOTOBUKI Medical uses patented plant-based synthetic tissue to simulate different parts of the human body. The company's Laparo Training Binder won the Good Design Award in 2018. KOTOBUKI Medical has collaborated with Jichi Medical University and the National Cancer Center Hospital East. Learn more about us at https://kotobukimedical.com/en/, or follow us on Twitter and TikTok.

For more information, please email Erin Himeno at [email protected] or (+81) 048-951-5211.

SOURCE KOTOBUKI Medical, Inc.
Junior Achievement and Fannie Mae Youth Homeownership Survey Shows Teens Interested in Programs That Teach How Mortgages and Homeownership Work

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- A new survey by Junior Achievement USA and Fannie Mae shows most teens (88%) would like to own a home someday. The survey reflects that most teens (85%) believe "owning a home" is part of "the good life," compared to nearly as many adults (87%) based on Fannie Mae's Q4 2020 National Housing Survey. However, fewer than half (45%) of surveyed teens could correctly identify the definition of a home mortgage and 76% said they lacked clear understanding of credit scores. The survey of 1,000 nationally representative U.S. teens between the ages of 13 and 17 was conducted from May 25 through May 31, 2022, by Wakefield Research.

While nearly all teens (96%) believe credit scores plays an important role in the ability to purchase a home, approximately three in four (76%) said they understood credit scores only "somewhat," "a little," or "not at all." Nearly all teens (97%) thought it would be helpful if schools offered lessons that explained homeownership, including mortgages.

"There's been this theme that younger Americans aren't interested in homeownership, but the results of this survey contradict that assumption," said Jack E. Kosakowski, President and CEO of Junior Achievement USA. "Teens appear very interested in owning a home someday but seem to realize they need more information on how to do it."

"Young people today are the homebuyers of tomorrow. By providing them access to quality, foundational education now, Fannie Mae and Junior Achievement are helping these future homeowners to prepare for the mortgage and homebuying process when they're ready to take that step," said Jeffery Hayward, Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer, Fannie Mae. "Fannie Mae is committed to supporting sustainable homeownership, and the results of this survey reinforce how homeownership and financial education can enable aspiring homeowners to be successful in their housing journey, both in buying a home and sustaining it over the long term."

In response to young people's interest in learning more about the financial aspects of buying a home, Fannie Mae is supporting the development and deployment of Junior Achievement learning experiences for thousands of students annually in various age groups. Beginning with the 2022-2023 school year, relevant content from Fannie Mae's HomeView homeownership course materials and resources, designed with first-time homebuyers in mind, are integrated in an age-appropriate manner into Junior Achievement programs and made available to students in both digital and print formats.

Other key survey findings include:

In addition to owning a home, most teens also believe that "living in a location I like" (90%), "being in good health" (96%), "having an interesting job" (87%), and "having a good work-life balance" (96%) are an important part of "the good life." Only a slight majority of teens (51%) said "having children" is an important part of having "the good life," compared to more than three in four adults (77%) from the 2020 National Housing Survey.





Most teens (61%) say their parents own their home. Less than half of Black teens (44%) responded that way, with nearly as many saying they rent (42%). A little over half of Hispanic/Latino teens (52%) say their parents own their home, compared to one-third (33%) who say they rent.





A slight majority of White teens (52%) correctly identified the definition of a mortgage, compared to around a quarter (26%) of Black teens and fewer than half (41%) of Hispanic/Latino teens.





A majority of White teens (72%) identified their family as being the biggest influence on their opinions about homeownership. This sentiment was shared by more than half of Black teens (59%) and Hispanic/Latino teens (66%).

An executive summary of the survey can be found here.

Methodology

The Junior Achievement/Fannie Mae Survey was conducted by Wakefield Research (www.wakefieldresearch.com) among 1,000 nationally representative U.S. Teens ages 13-17, between May 25th and May 31st, 2022, using an email invitation and an online survey. Respondents were not affiliated with or enrolled in Junior Achievement programs. Data was weighted to ensure a reliable and accurate representation of U.S. teens ages 13-17.

Demographic notes:

Black, non-Hispanic  Any teen (13-17) who reports their race as "black" or "African American" and are not of Hispanic or Latino heritage.

Hispanic  Any teen (13-17) who reports being of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or Central American, or other Spanish culture or origin regardless of race.

White, non-Hispanic  Any teen (13-17) who reports their race as "white" and are not of Hispanic or Latino heritage.

Other  Any teen (13-17) who reports their race as something other than the above (include Asian/Pacific Islander or Native American as asked in this survey) and are not of Hispanic or Latino heritage.

Wakefield is following the approach the U.S. Census and surveys conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau use when asking for ethnicity and race. The definitions used in the table are commonly used to present data for ethnicity and race.

For fielding this survey, Wakefield used benchmarks from the Current Population Survey, conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau.

Results of any sample are subject to sampling variation. The magnitude of the variation is measurable and is affected by the number of interviews and the level of the percentages expressing the results. For the interviews conducted in this particular study, the chances are 95 in 100 that a survey result does not vary, plus or minus, by more than 3.1 percentage points from the result that would be obtained if interviews had been conducted with all persons in the universe represented by the sample.

About Junior Achievement USA (JA)

Junior Achievement is the world's largest organization dedicated to giving young people the knowledge and skills they need to own their economic success, plan for their future, and make smart academic and economic choices. JA programs are delivered by corporate and community volunteers, and provide relevant, hands-on experiences that give students from kindergarten through high school knowledge and skills in financial literacy, work readiness, and entrepreneurship. Today, JA reaches more than 2.5 million students per year in 103 markets across the United States, as part of 10 million students served by operations in 100 other countries worldwide. Junior Achievement USA is a member of JA Worldwide. Visit www.ja.org for more information.

About Fannie Mae

Fannie Mae advances equitable and sustainable access to homeownership and quality, affordable rental housing for millions of people across America. Fannie Mae enables the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage and drives responsible innovation to make homebuying and renting easier, fairer, and more accessible. Visit fanniemae.com for more information.

SOURCE Junior Achievement USA
UPDATES FISCAL 2023 SALES & EARNINGS GUIDANCE

BERWYN, Pa., Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Triumph Group, Inc. (NYSE: TGI) ("TRIUMPH" or the "Company") today reported financial results for its first quarter of fiscal 2023, which ended June 30, 2022.

First Quarter Fiscal 2023

Net sales of $349.4 million





Operating income of $14.7 million with operating margin of 4%; adjusted operating income of $32.6 million with adjusted operating margin of 9%





with operating margin of 4%; adjusted operating income of with adjusted operating margin of 9% Net loss of $10.3 million , or ($0.16) per share; adjusted net income of $7.5 million , or $0.12 per diluted share





, or per share; adjusted net income of , or per diluted share Cash flow used in operations of $93.0 million ; core cash used in operations of $72.0 million

Fiscal 2023 Guidance

Net sales of approximately $1.3 billion





GAAP earnings per diluted share of between $1.51 - $1.71





- Adjusted earnings per diluted share of between $0.28 - $0.48 , down $0.12 due to a reduction in non-cash pension income





- , down due to a reduction in non-cash pension income Cash used in operations of ($30.0) million to ($40.0) million , includes core cash flow from operations of between $30.0 million - $45.0 million

"TRIUMPH generated organic sales growth in our continuing operations driven by improving commercial OEM and MRO demand." said Dan Crowley, TRIUMPH's chairman, president and chief executive officer. "Our actions to mitigate supply chain constraints and work with our customers and suppliers to ensure continuity and affordability continue to differentiate TRIUMPH. With a growing and profitable backlog, TRIUMPH is well positioned to benefit from continued strength across nearly all of our end markets."

Mr. Crowley continued, "Consistent with our strategic plan, TRIUMPH recently completed the divestiture of its last remaining large structures operation. Our first quarter results keep us on track to achieve our full year objectives, and with our goal to double profitability over fiscal years 2022 to 2025, driven by improved OEM production rates, expanded MRO volumes, enhanced pricing from recent contract extensions and a lower cost structure. We remain focused on investing in our people, operations, and products for the benefit of all stakeholders."

First Quarter Fiscal 2023 Overview

Excluding divestitures and exited programs, sales for the first quarter of fiscal 2023 were up 1% organically from the prior year period as increases in commercial narrow-body production offset decreased military rotorcraft volume.

First quarter operating income of $14.7 million includes $0.7 million of restructuring costs related to our structures facility exits and $17.2 million reduction of revenue for consideration payable to customer related to the Stuart divestiture. Cost of sales benefited from the Aviation Manufacturing Jobs Protection Program by $5.0 million in the quarter. Net loss for the first quarter of fiscal 2023 was $10.3 million, or ($0.16) per share primarily due to the items noted above. On an adjusted basis, net income was $7.5 million, or $0.12 per diluted share.

TRIUMPH's results included the following:

($ millions except EPS)

Pre-tax



After-tax



EPS Income from Continuing Operations - GAAP

$ (8.6)



$ (10.3)



$ (0.16) Restructuring costs (cash)



0.7





0.7





0.01 Consideration payable to customer related to divestiture^



17.2





17.2





0.26 Adjusted Income from Continuing Operations - non-GAAP *

$ 9.3



$ 7.5



$ 0.12 ^ Recorded in net sales















* Difference due to rounding

















The number of shares used in computing diluted earnings per share for the first quarter of 2023 was 65.3 million.

Adjusting for the impact of the Stuart divestiture, backlog, which represents the next 24 months of actual purchase orders with firm delivery dates or contract requirements, was $1.53 billion, up 7% from the prior year, primarily on commercial narrow body platforms.

For the first quarter of fiscal 2023, cash flow used in operations was $93.0 million.

Outlook

The Company's outlook reflects adjustments detailed in the attached tables.

Based on expected aircraft production rates, and the resulting demand on each of our facilities, the Company expects net sales for fiscal 2023 will be approximately $1.3 billion.

The Company expects GAAP fiscal 2023 earnings per diluted share of $1.51 to $1.71, up $1.11 from prior guidance due to impacts of the Stuart divestiture and our interim pension re-measurement. The Company expects adjusted earnings per diluted share of $0.28 - $0.48, down $0.12 due to a reduction in non-cash pension income.

The Company expects fiscal 2023 cash used in operations of ($30.0) million to ($40.0) million, including core cash flow from operations of approximately $30.0 million to $45.0 million and core free cash flow of approximately break-even to $15.0 million.

Conference Call

TRIUMPH will hold a conference call today, August 3rd, at 8:30 a.m. (ET) to discuss the first quarter of fiscal 2023 results. The conference call will be available live and archived on the Company's website at http://www.triumphgroup.com . A slide presentation will be included with the audio portion of the webcast, and the presentation has been posted on the Company's website at http://ir.triumphgroup.com/QuarterlyResults . An audio replay will be available from August 3rd to August 10th by calling (877) 344-7529 (Domestic) or (412) 317-0088 (International), passcode #8597845.

About TRIUMPH

TRIUMPH, headquartered in Berwyn, Pennsylvania, designs, engineers, manufactures, repairs and overhauls a broad portfolio of aerospace and defense systems, components and structures. The company serves the global aviation industry, including original equipment manufacturers and the full spectrum of military and commercial aircraft operators.

More information about TRIUMPH can be found on the Company's website at www.triumphgroup.com .

Forward Looking Statements

Statements in this release which are not historical facts are forward-looking statements under the provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements of expectations of or assumptions about financial and operational performance, revenues, earnings per share, cash flow or use, cost savings and operational efficiencies and organizational restructurings. All forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties which could affect the Company's actual results and could cause its actual results to differ materially from those expressed in any forward-looking statements made by, or on behalf of, the Company. Further information regarding the important factors that could cause actual results to differ from projected results can be found in Triumph Group's reports filed with the SEC, including our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2022.

FINANCIAL DATA (UNAUDITED) ON FOLLOWING PAGES

FINANCIAL DATA (UNAUDITED)

TRIUMPH GROUP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES (in thousands, except per share data)



Three Months Ended



June 30, CONDENSED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS

2022



2021 Net sales

$ 349,384



$ 396,646 Cost of sales (excluding depreciation shown below)



272,400





293,678 Selling, general & administrative



51,745





56,251 Depreciation & amortization



9,806





15,431 Restructuring costs



699





4,485 Loss on sale of assets and businesses, net









5,969 Operating income



14,734





20,832 Interest expense and other, net



31,912





38,558 Debt extinguishment loss









9,689 Non-service defined benefit (income) expense



(8,586)





1,722 Income tax expense



1,750





1,214 Net loss

$ (10,342)



$ (30,351) Loss per share - basic:









Net loss

$ (0.16)



$ (0.47) Weighted average common shares outstanding - basic



64,820





64,299 Loss per share - diluted:









Net loss

$ (0.16)



$ (0.47) Weighted average common shares outstanding - diluted



64,820





64,299













FINANCIAL DATA (UNAUDITED)

TRIUMPH GROUP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES (dollars in thousands, except share data) BALANCE SHEETS

Unaudited

June 30,

2022



Audited

March 31,

2022 Assets









Cash and cash equivalents

$ 134,636



$ 240,878 Accounts receivable, net



168,104





178,663 Contract assets



97,394





101,828 Inventory, net



379,929





361,692 Prepaid and other current assets



26,144





19,903 Assets held for sale



78,794





60,104 Current assets



885,001





963,068 Property and equipment, net



165,670





169,050 Goodwill



507,988





513,722 Intangible assets, net



81,875





84,850 Other, net



26,927





30,476 Total assets

$ 1,667,461



$ 1,761,166 Liabilities & Stockholders' Deficit









Current portion of long-term debt

$ 2,968



$ 3,268 Accounts payable



132,734





161,534 Contract liabilities



53,914





171,763 Accrued expenses



168,818





208,059 Liabilities related to assets held for sale



185,096





57,519 Current liabilities



543,530





602,143 Long-term debt, less current portion



1,587,073





1,586,222 Accrued pension and post-retirement benefits, noncurrent



287,621





301,303 Deferred income taxes, noncurrent



7,256





7,213 Other noncurrent liabilities



47,268





51,708 Stockholders' Deficit:









Common stock, $.001 par value, 100,000,000 shares authorized, 64,920,381

and 64,629,279 shares issued



65





64 Capital in excess of par value



971,390





973,112 Treasury stock, at cost, 0 and 14,897 shares









(96) Accumulated other comprehensive loss



(469,251)





(463,354) Accumulated deficit



(1,307,491)





(1,297,149) Total stockholders' deficit



(805,287)





(787,423) Total liabilities and stockholders' deficit

$ 1,667,461



$ 1,761,166













FINANCIAL DATA (UNAUDITED)

TRIUMPH GROUP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES (dollars in thousands, except share data)



Three Months Ended June 30,



2022



2021 Operating Activities









Net loss

$ (10,342)



$ (30,351) Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used in

operating activities:









Depreciation and amortization



9,806





15,431 Amortization of acquired contract liability



(523)





(1,214) Loss on sale of assets and businesses









5,969 Curtailments, settlements, and special termination benefits loss, net









16,078 Other amortization included in interest expense



1,562





4,002 Provision for (recovery of) credit losses



200





(28) Share-based compensation



1,578





2,247 Changes in other assets and liabilities, excluding the effects of

acquisitions and divestitures:









Trade and other receivables



4,474





(1,321) Contract assets



(8,638)





(4,426) Inventories



(19,190)





(9,354) Prepaid expenses and other current assets



(7,538)





(3,633) Accounts payable, accrued expenses, and contract liabilities



(56,352)





(128,922) Accrued pension and other postretirement benefits



(8,322)





(13,713) Other, net



255





(279) Net cash used in operating activities



(93,030)





(149,514) Investing Activities









Capital expenditures



(3,044)





(2,112) (Payments on) proceeds from sale of assets and businesses



(2,322)





180,478 Purchase of facility related to divested businesses









(21,550) Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities



(5,366)





156,816 Financing Activities









Retirement of debt and finance lease obligations



(990)





(350,688) Premium on redemption of First Lien Notes









(7,489) Repurchase of shares for share-based compensation

minimum tax obligation



(3,442)





(2,336) Net cash used in financing activities



(4,432)





(360,513) Effect of exchange rate changes on cash



(3,414)





815 Net change in cash and cash equivalents



(106,242)





(352,396) Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period



240,878





589,882 Cash and cash equivalents at end of period

$ 134,636



$ 237,486

FINANCIAL DATA (UNAUDITED)

TRIUMPH GROUP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES (dollars in thousands)



Three Months Ended





June 30,

SEGMENT DATA

2022



2021

Net sales:











Systems & Support

$ 254,643



$ 258,413

Aerospace Structures



94,753





138,252

Elimination of intersegment sales



(12)





(19)





$ 349,384



$ 396,646

Operating income (loss):











Systems & Support

$ 33,151



$ 35,546

Aerospace Structures



(2,301)





11,223

Corporate



(14,538)





(23,690)

Share-based compensation expense



(1,578)





(2,247)





$ 14,734



$ 20,832

Operating margin %











Systems & Support



13.0 %



13.8 % Aerospace Structures



(2.4) %



8.1 % Consolidated



4.2 %



5.3 %













Depreciation and amortization:











Systems & Support

$ 7,521



$ 8,504

Aerospace Structures



1,696





6,159

Corporate



589





768





$ 9,806



$ 15,431

Amortization of acquired contract liabilities:











Systems & Support

$ (523)



$ (1,202)

Aerospace Structures









(12)





$ (523)



$ (1,214)

Capital expenditures:











Systems & Support

$ 2,879



$ 1,102

Aerospace Structures



56





652

Corporate



109





358





$ 3,044



$ 2,112

















FINANCIAL DATA (UNAUDITED)

TRIUMPH GROUP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

(dollars in thousands)

Non-GAAP Financial Measure Disclosures

We prepare and publicly release quarterly unaudited financial statements prepared in accordance with GAAP. In accordance with Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") guidance on Compliance and Disclosure Interpretations, we also disclose and discuss certain non-GAAP financial measures in our public releases. Currently, the non-GAAP financial measure that we disclose is Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDAP, which is our net income before interest, income taxes, amortization of acquired contract liabilities, curtailments, settlements and special termination benefits, legal settlements, loss on divestitures, share-based compensation expense, depreciation and amortization and Adjusted EBITDA, less pension & other postretirement benefits. We disclose Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDAP on a consolidated and Adjusted EBITDAP an operating segment basis in our earnings releases, investor conference calls and filings with the SEC. The non-GAAP financial measures that we use may not be comparable to similarly titled measures reported by other companies. Also, in the future, we may disclose different non-GAAP financial measures in order to help our investors more meaningfully evaluate and compare our future results of operations to our previously reported results of operations.

We view Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDAP as operating performance measure and as such we believe that the GAAP financial measure most directly comparable to it is net income. In calculating Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDAP, we exclude from net income the financial items that we believe should be separately identified to provide additional analysis of the financial components of the day-to-day operation of our business. We have outlined below the type and scope of these exclusions and the material limitations on the use of these non-GAAP financial measures as a result of these exclusions. Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDAP are not measurements of financial performance under GAAP and should not be considered as a measure of liquidity, as an alternative to net income (loss), income from continuing operations, or as an indicator of any other measure of performance derived in accordance with GAAP. Investors and potential investors in our securities should not rely on Adjusted EBITDA or Adjusted EBITDAP as substitutes for any GAAP financial measure, including net income (loss) or income from continuing operations. In addition, we urge investors and potential investors in our securities to carefully review the reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDAP to net income set forth below, in our earnings releases and in other filings with the SEC and to carefully review the GAAP financial information included as part of our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and our Annual Reports on Form 10-K that are filed with the SEC, as well as our quarterly earnings releases, and compare the GAAP financial information with our Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDAP.

Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDAP is used by management to internally measure our operating and management performance and by investors as a supplemental financial measure to evaluate the performance of our business that, when viewed with our GAAP results and the accompanying reconciliation, we believe provides additional information that is useful to gain an understanding of the factors and trends affecting our business. We have spent more than 25 years expanding our product and service capabilities partially through acquisitions of complementary businesses. Due to the expansion of our operations, which included acquisitions, our net income has included significant charges for depreciation and amortization. Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDAP exclude these charges and provide meaningful information about the operating performance of our business, apart from charges for depreciation and amortization. We believe the disclosure of Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDAP helps investors meaningfully evaluate and compare our performance from quarter to quarter and from year to year. We also believe Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDAP is a measure of our ongoing operating performance because the isolation of non-cash income and expenses, such as amortization of acquired contract liabilities, depreciation and amortization, share-based compensation and non-operating items, such as interest and income taxes, provides additional information about our cost structure, and, over time, helps track our operating progress. In addition, investors, securities analysts and others have regularly relied on Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDAP to provide a financial measure by which to compare our operating performance against that of other companies in our industry.

FINANCIAL DATA (UNAUDITED)

TRIUMPH GROUP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

(dollars in thousands)

Set forth below are descriptions of the financial items that have been excluded from our net income to calculate Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDAP and the material limitations associated with using this non-GAAP financial measure as compared to net income:

Divestitures may be useful for investors to consider because they reflect gains or losses from sale of operating units. We do not believe these earnings necessarily reflect the current and ongoing cash earnings related to our operations.





Consideration payable to a customer related to a divestiture may be useful for investors to consider because it reflects consideration paid to facilitate the ultimate sale of operating units. We do not believe these charges necessarily reflect the current and ongoing cash earnings related to our operations.





Non-service defined benefit income (inclusive of certain pension related transactions such as curtailments, settlements, early retirement or other incentives) may be useful to investors to consider because they represent the cost of post-retirement benefits to plan participants, net of the assumption of returns on the plan's assets and are not indicative of the cash paid for such benefits. We do not believe these earnings (expenses) necessarily reflect the current and ongoing cash earnings related to our operations.





Amortization of acquired contract liabilities may be useful for investors to consider because it represents the non-cash earnings on the fair value of below market contracts acquired through acquisitions. We do not believe these earnings necessarily reflect the current and ongoing cash earnings related to our operations.





Amortization expense and nonrecurring asset impairments (including goodwill, intangible asset impairments, and nonrecurring rotable inventory impairments) may be useful for investors to consider because it represents the estimated attrition of our acquired customer base and the diminishing value of tradenames, product rights, licenses, or, in the case of goodwill, other assets that are not individually identified and separately recognized under U.S. GAAP, or, in the case of nonrecurring asset impairments, the impact of unusual and nonrecurring events affecting the estimated recoverability of existing assets. We do not believe these charges necessarily reflect the current and ongoing cash charges related to our operating cost structure,





Share-based compensation may be useful for investors to consider because it represents a portion of the total compensation to management and the board of directors. We do not believe these charges necessarily reflect the current and ongoing cash charges related to our operating cost structure.





Depreciation may be useful for investors to consider because they generally represent the wear and tear on our property and equipment used in our operations. We do not believe these charges necessarily reflect the current and ongoing cash charges related to our operating cost structure.





The amount of interest expense and other we incur may be useful for investors to consider and may result in current cash inflows or outflows. However, we do not consider the amount of interest expense and other to be a representative component of the day-to-day operating performance of our business.





Income tax expense may be useful for investors to consider because it generally represents the taxes which may be payable for the period and the change in deferred income taxes during the period and may reduce the amount of funds otherwise available for use in our business. However, we do not consider the amount of income tax expense to be a representative component of the day-to-day operating performance of our business.

Management compensates for the above-described limitations of using non-GAAP measures by using a non-GAAP measure only to supplement our GAAP results and to provide additional information that is useful to gain an understanding of the factors and trends affecting our business.

FINANCIAL DATA (UNAUDITED)

TRIUMPH GROUP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

(dollars in thousands)

The following table shows our Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDAP reconciled to our net income for the

indicated periods (in thousands):



Three Months Ended





June 30,

Adjusted Earnings before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation,

Amortization, and Pension (Adjusted EBITDAP):

2022



2021

Net loss

$ (10,342)



$ (30,351)

Add-back:











Income tax expense



1,750





1,214

Interest expense and other, net



31,912





38,558

Debt extinguishment loss









9,689

Pension charges









16,078

Consideration payable to customer related to divestiture^



17,185







Loss on sale of assets and businesses, net









5,969

Share-based compensation



1,578





2,247

Amortization of acquired contract liabilities



(523)





(1,214)

Depreciation and amortization^



9,806





15,431

Adjusted Earnings before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation

and Amortization ("Adjusted EBITDA")

$ 51,366



$ 57,621

Non-service defined benefit income (excluding pension charges)



(8,586)





(14,356)

Adjusted Earnings before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation

and Amortization, and Pension ("Adjusted EBITDAP")

$ 42,780



$ 43,265

Net sales

$ 349,384



$ 396,646

Net income (loss) margin



(3.0) %



(7.7) % Adjusted EBITDAP margin



11.7 %



10.9 % ^Reported in net sales

















Three Months Ended June 30, 2022











Segment Data

Adjusted Earnings before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation,

Amortization, and Pension (EBITDAP):

Total



Systems &

Support



Aerospace

Structures



Corporate/

Eliminations

Net loss

$ (10,342)



















Add-back:























Non-service defined benefit income



(8,586)



















Income tax expense



1,750



















Debt extinguishment loss























Interest expense and other, net



31,912



















Operating income (loss)

$ 14,734



$ 33,151



$ (2,301)



$ (16,116)

Consideration payable to customer related to divestiture^



17,185











17,185







Share-based compensation



1,578

















1,578

Amortization of acquired contract liabilities



(523)





(523)













Depreciation and amortization



9,806





7,521





1,696





589

Adjusted Earnings (Losses) before Interest, Taxes,

Depreciation and Amortization, and Pension

("Adjusted EBITDAP")

$ 42,780



$ 40,149



$ 16,580



$ (13,949)

Net sales

$ 349,384



$ 254,643



$ 94,753



$ (12)

Adjusted EBITDAP margin



11.7 %



15.8 %



14.8 %

n/a

^Reported in net sales

























FINANCIAL DATA (UNAUDITED)

TRIUMPH GROUP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

(dollars in thousands)

Non-GAAP Financial Measure Disclosures (continued)



Three Months Ended June 30, 2021











Segment Data

Adjusted Earnings before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation,

Amortization, and Pension (EBITDAP):

Total



Systems &

Support



Aerospace

Structures



Corporate/

Eliminations

Net loss

$ (30,351)



















Add-back:























Non-service defined benefit expense



1,722



















Income tax expense



1,214



















Debt extinguishment loss



9,689



















Interest expense and other, net



38,558



















Operating income (loss)

$ 20,832



$ 35,546



$ 11,223



$ (25,937)

Loss on sales of assets & businesses, net



5,969

















5,969

Share-based compensation



2,247

















2,247

Amortization of acquired contract liabilities



(1,214)





(1,202)





(12)







Depreciation and amortization



15,431





8,504





6,159





768

Adjusted Earnings (Losses) before Interest,

Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization,

and Pension ("Adjusted EBITDAP")

$ 43,265



$ 42,848



$ 17,370



$ (16,953)

Net sales

$ 396,646



$ 258,413



$ 138,252



$ (19)

Adjusted EBITDAP margin



10.9 %



16.7 %



12.6 %

n/a

























FINANCIAL DATA (UNAUDITED)

TRIUMPH GROUP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

(dollars in thousands)

Non-GAAP Financial Measure Disclosures (continued)

Adjusted income from continuing operations, before income taxes, adjusted income from continuing operations and adjusted income from continuing operations per diluted share, before non-recurring costs have been provided for consistency and comparability. These measures should not be considered in isolation or as alternatives to income from continuing operations before income taxes, income from continuing operations and income from continuing operations per diluted share presented in accordance with GAAP. The following tables reconcile income from continuing operations before income taxes, income from continuing operations, and income from continuing operations per diluted share, before non-recurring costs.





Three Months Ended

June 30, 2022





Pre-Tax



After-Tax



EPS

Loss from continuing operations - GAAP

$ (8,592)



$ (10,342)



$ (0.16)

Adjustments:

















Restructuring costs



699





699





0.01

Consideration payable to customer related to divestiture^



17,185





17,185





0.26

Adjusted income from continuing operations - non-GAAP*

$ 9,292



$ 7,542



$ 0.12

^ Recorded in net sales

















* Difference due to rounding























Three Months Ended

June 30, 2021





Pre-Tax



After-Tax



Diluted EPS

Loss from continuing operations - GAAP

$ (29,137)



$ (30,351)



$ (0.47)

Adjustments:

















Loss on sale of assets and businesses, net



5,969





5,969





0.09

Restructuring costs



4,485





4,485





0.07

Pension curtailment charge



16,078





16,078





0.25

Refinancing cost



9,689





9,689





0.15

Adjusted loss from continuing operations - non-GAAP*

$ 7,084



$ 5,870



$ 0.09

* Differences due to rounding























Fiscal 2023





Diluted EPS





Guidance

Initial earnings per share guidance range

$0.40 - $0.60

Impact of interim pension remeasurement



(0.12)

Restructuring costs



(0.01)

Consideration payable to customer related to divestiture



(0.26)

Gain on sale of assets and business (Q2)



1.53

Curtailment charge related to divestiture (Q2)



(0.03)

Updated earnings per share guidance - GAAP

$1.51 - $1.71

Adjustments:





Restructuring costs



0.01

Consideration payable to customer related to divestiture



0.26

Gain on sale of assets and business



(1.53)

Curtailment charge related to divestiture



0.03

Adjusted earnings per share guidance - non-GAAP

$0.28-$0.48



FINANCIAL DATA (UNAUDITED)

TRIUMPH GROUP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

(dollars in thousands)

Non-GAAP Financial Measure Disclosures (continued)

Adjusted Operating Income is defined as GAAP Operating Income, less expenses/gains associated with the Company's transformation, such as restructuring expenses, gains/losses on divestitures, impairments of goodwill and other assets. Management believes that this is useful in evaluating operating performance, but this measure should not be used in isolation. The following table reconciles our Operating income to Adjusted Operating income as noted above.





Three Months Ended

June 30,





2022



2021

Operating income - GAAP

$ 14,734



$ 20,832

Adjustments:











Loss on sale of assets and businesses, net









5,969

Restructuring costs



699





4,485

Consideration payable to customer related to divestiture^



17,185







Adjusted operating income - non-GAAP

$ 32,618



$ 31,286

Adjusted operating margin



8.9 %



7.9 %

Cash provided by operations, is provided for consistency and comparability. We also use free cash flow as a key factor in planning for and consideration of strategic acquisitions and the repayment of debt. This measure should not be considered in isolation, as a measure of residual cash flow available for discretionary purposes, or as an alternative to operating results presented in accordance with GAAP. The following table reconciles cash provided by operations to free cash flow.

Fiscal 2023 outlook includes cash used in operations, core cash from operations and core free cash flow. We use core cash from operations and core free cash flow to measure performance of our continuing operations. The following table reconciles cash used in operations to core cash flow from operations and core free cash flow.





Three Months Ended

June 30,



Fiscal 2023

Guidance $ in millions

2022



2021





Cash used in operating activities

$ (93.0)



$ (149.5)



$ (40.0) - $ (30.0) Plus:















Non-core cash use^



(21.0)









$ (70.0) - $ (75.0) Core cash (used in) provided by operations

$ (72.0)



$ (149.5)



$ 30.0 - $ 45.0 Less:















Capital expenditures



(3.0)





(2.1)



~ $ (30.0) Core free cash (use) flow

$ (75.1)



$ (151.6)



$ -- - $ 15.0

^ Non-core cash use estimate includes remaining cash related to the exit or sale of legacy structures facilities and programs.

SOURCE Triumph Group
WOW! recognized for its ongoing commitment to its employees as the company further expands into Florida with plans to reach 150,000 new homes passed

ENGLEWOOD, Colo., Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- WOW! Internet, Cable & Phone (NYSE: WOW), a leading broadband services provider, was recognized by Workforce Research Group and Florida Trend as one of the top 10 Best Companies to Work For in Florida 2022 in the large company category, a particularly meaningful recognition as the company enters new markets in Central Florida. The Best Companies to Work For in Florida list honors companies operating in Florida that have demonstrated dedication to creating a great workplace where employees are eager to give their best effort every day.

WOW! currently serves Pinellas County and Panama City and earlier this year announced plans to expand into Seminole County and Orange County , bringing its reliable, state-of-the-art, all-IP fiber network to a projected 150,000 additional homes passed in Florida. The company also recently acquired a new field operations and warehouse facility in Seminole County to support its Florida expansion and fiber buildout.

"As we increase our Florida footprint with the additions of Seminole County and Orange County, we're honored to be recognized for pioneering excellent workplace practices across employee satisfaction, leadership, culture, benefits, learning opportunities and more," said David Brunick, chief human resources officer of WOW!. "We care deeply about our people and are eager to bring the WOW! culture and employee experience to Central Florida."

WOW! received this award for demonstrated success in the following areas based on an in-depth questionnaire and comprehensive employee survey: general employee experience, role satisfaction, communication and workplace culture, supervisor relationship, technology, training and development, diversity and inclusion, leadership, benefits and work-life balance. The company has been consistently recognized across its markets for its excellent human resources practices, most recently in Atlanta, Denver and Metro Detroit .

To learn more about WOW!, please visit www.wowway.com .

About WOW! Internet, Cable & Phone

WOW! is one of the nation's leading broadband providers, with an efficient, high-performing network that passes 1.9 million residential, business and wholesale consumers. WOW! provides services in 14 markets, primarily in the Midwest and Southeast, including Michigan, Alabama, Tennessee, South Carolina, Florida and Georgia. With an expansive portfolio of advanced services, including high-speed Internet services, cable TV, phone, business data, voice, and cloud services, the company is dedicated to providing outstanding service at affordable prices. WOW! also serves as a leader in exceptional human resources practices, having been recognized eight times by the National Association for Business Resources as a Best & Brightest Company to Work For, winning the award for the last four consecutive years. Visit wowway.com for more information.

SOURCE WideOpenWest, Inc.
Selection recognizes Zurich's leadership in helping to modernize, diversify and expand apprenticeships to support the success of American workers and businesses.

SCHAUMBURG, Ill., Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Zurich North America has been selected as an Apprenticeship Ambassador by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) in recognition of the company's exemplary apprenticeship program, which enables people representing diverse backgrounds and experiences to launch careers in insurance while earning a college degree.

The DOL's Apprenticeship Ambassador designation recognizes Zurich's leadership in helping to modernize, diversify and expand Registered Apprenticeships across the country.

The Department of Labor's Apprenticeship Ambassador Initiative is designed to create a national network of employers, labor organizations, industry associations, program sponsors, educators, workforce intermediaries, community-based organizations and other stakeholders to serve as champions for expansion of Registered Apprenticeship Programs (RAPs).

Dating to 2016, the Zurich Apprenticeship Program was the first Registered Apprenticeship Program in commercial insurance. From the start, Zurich has shared its model and learnings with companies inside and outside its industry. Zurich's program has more than tripled in size since its inception.

"We're honored to be recognized as an Apprenticeship Ambassador by the U.S. Department of Labor," said Zurich North America CEO Kristof Terryn. "When we launched our program nearly seven years ago, apprenticeships in the U.S. were largely limited to manufacturing and the trades, and it was difficult for people to launch a career in corporate America without a four-year college degree. Our U.S. business decided to adapt the apprenticeship model used at Zurich Insurance Group in Switzerland. The program's growth speaks for its value. It has greatly expanded our talent pipeline, attracting the diverse talent we need to continue to innovate for our customers. Apprenticeship benefits our business and our communities. It can do the same for many more companies."

As an Apprenticeship Ambassador, Zurich will support the DOL's goals of increasing diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility in Registered Apprenticeship Programs, including for underrepresented and underserved populations. Zurich also will continue to help communicate the business case for Registered Apprenticeship as a mainstream workforce strategy for high-demand industries.

"We look forward to serving as an Apprenticeship Ambassador," said Al Crook, Head of HR Business Partners and Apprenticeship at Zurich North America. "We believe that apprenticeships are going to become more critical in increasing access to debt-free degrees and in developing skilled workers across industries. We also believe every business and every function has apprenticeable work."

In 2017 Zurich co-founded the Chicago Apprentice Network (CAN) with Aon and Accenture. The three founders have since helped other companies create apprenticeship programs toward well-paying, professionally rewarding careers. Since 2019, Zurich has hosted an annual National Apprenticeship Week Summit event at its suburban Chicago headquarters or virtually. Zurich leaders and apprentices have spoken at many business events and CAN events about the value of apprenticeship.

"These are the types of actions the Department of Labor looks for from its Apprenticeship Ambassador designees," Crook said. "Recognition of Zurich as an Apprenticeship Ambassador acknowledges what we've accomplished to date and our commitment to contribute to a more inclusive, equitable and sustainable society well into the future."

About Zurich North America

Zurich North America is one of the largest providers of insurance solutions and services to businesses and individuals. Our customers represent industries ranging from agriculture to technology. Zurich North America is part of Zurich Insurance Group, a leading multi-line insurer serving more than 55 million customers  both people and businesses  in more than 210 countries and territories. Founded 150 years ago, Zurich is transforming insurance. In addition to providing insurance protection, Zurich is increasingly offering prevention services such as those that promote wellbeing and enhance climate resilience.

Reflecting its purpose "to create a brighter future together," Zurich aspires to be one of the most responsible and impactful businesses in the world. It is targeting net-zero emissions by 2050 and is one of the world's most sustainable insurers, as shown by the S&P Global Corporate Sustainability Assessment. In 2020, Zurich launched the Zurich Forest project to support reforestation and biodiversity restoration in Brazil.

The Group has about 56,000 employees and is headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland. Zurich Insurance Group Ltd (ZURN), is listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange and has a level I American Depositary Receipt (ZURVY) program, which is traded over-the-counter on OTCQX. Further information is available at www.zurich.com.

SOURCE Zurich North America
Vendor Insights-

The flat lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery market report offers information on several market vendors, including A123 Systems LLC, Bharat Power Solutions, Clarios, Electrovaya Inc., EV MICRONIX ENERGY PVT LTD., GS Yuasa Corp., Hitachi Ltd., HP Inc., Koninklijke Philips NV, LG Electronics Inc., LiPol Battery Co. Ltd., Montu electronic LLP, Panasonic Corp., Renata SA, RRC power solutions GmbH, Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., Telemax India Industries Pvt. Ltd., Toshiba Corp., TotalEnergies SE, and WAAREE ESS among others. Moreover, the market is fragmented and the vendors are deploying organic and inorganic growth strategies to compete in the market.

A123 Systems LLC - Under the systems segment, the company offers battery systems such as 12V Starter Battery and 48V Battery. The company offer Lithium-ion 12 volt starter battery which delivers outstanding cold cranking power, high charge acceptance and impressive weight reduction over conventional lead acid solutions.

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Segmentation by Application (Consumer electronics and automotive)

The flat lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery market share growth in the consumer electronics segment will be significant during the forecast period. Flat Li-ion batteries are used in various types of consumer electronics, including smartphones, tablets, and others.

The growing use of electronic devices is driving the growth of the consumer electronics segment in the global flat Li-ion battery market.

Moreover, the rising internet penetration, along with the increasing awareness among consumers about the emergence of novel technologies, is also fueling the growth of the consumer electronics segment.

Segmentation by Geography (APAC, North America, Europe, Middle East and Africa, and South America)

43% of the market's growth will originate from APAC during the forecast period. China , South Korea , and Japan are the key markets for the flat lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery market in APAC.

Market growth in this region will be faster than the growth of the market in other regions.

The increasing demand for smartphones and tablets will facilitate the flat lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery market growth in APAC over the forecast period.

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Flat Li-ion Battery Market Driver:

Increase in demand for smartphones:

China and India are the largest countries in the smartphone industry in APAC and are registering rapid growth. For instance, the number of smartphone users in India is expected to double during 2020-2025.



Smartphones enable consumers all over the world to not only communicate effectively but also shop, pay bills, and remotely control devices in homes and cars.



Due to the rise in demand for smartphones, many vendors are focusing on the introduction of new products.



For instance, in December 2021 , Xiaomi Corp. announced Xiaomi 12 Pro 5G, the company's new smartphone that comes with Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 generation 1 processor and a triple camera. Such a new introduction of smartphones will drive the flat lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery market growth during the forecast period.

Flat Li-ion Battery Market Challenge:

Availability of substitute products:

Some of the substitutes for flat Li-ion batteries include lead-acid batteries, nickel-cadmium batteries, and sodium-ion batteries.



Lead-acid batteries are considered less expensive than Li-ion batteries and are widely used in applications such as wheelchairs, hospital equipment, and others. They are preferred in these applications as the self-discharge rate of lead-acid batteries is low when compared with other types of batteries.



Nickel-cadmium batteries are rechargeable batteries that use nickel oxide hydroxide and metallic cadmium as electrodes. They are mostly used in applications such as biomedical equipment, two-way radios, professional video cameras, and power tools, where long life and high discharge rate are important.



Lithium is expensive and due to this, manufacturers are shifting to new technologies. This has resulted in a rise in demand for sodium-ion batteries as sodium is less expensive and abundantly available when compared with lithium. Such a shift by manufacturers to new technologies will hinder the flat lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery market growth during the forecast period.

Find additional information about various other market Drivers & Challenges available with Technavio. READ SAMPLE REPORT OF THIS MARKET

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Browse Summary of the LITHIUM-ION BATTERY SEPARATOR MARKET by Application and Geography - Forecast and Analysis 2022-2026: The market value is set to grow by USD 2.11 billion, progressing at a CAGR of 11% from 2021 to 2026, as per the latest report by Technavio. 49% of the market's growth will originate from APAC during the forecast period. China, Japan, and India are the key markets for the lithium-ion battery separator market in APAC.

Browse Summary of the LITHIUM-ION BATTERY MARKET by Application and Geography - Forecast and Analysis 2021-2025: The market value is set to grow by USD 58.05 billion, progressing at a CAGR of 32.65% from 2020 to 2025, as per the latest report by Technavio. The lithium-ion battery market share growth in the automotive segment will be significant during the forecast period.

Flat Lithium-ion (Li-ion) Battery Market Scope Report Coverage Details Page number 120 Base year 2021 Forecast period 2022-2026 Growth momentum & CAGR Accelerate at a CAGR of 11.44% Market growth 2022-2026 $ 15.44 billion Market structure Fragmented YoY growth (%) 9.29 Regional analysis APAC, North America, Europe, Middle East and Africa, and South America Performing market contribution APAC at 43% Key consumer countries US, China, South Korea, Japan, and Germany Competitive landscape Leading companies, competitive strategies, consumer engagement scope Companies profiled A123 Systems LLC, Bharat Power Solutions, Clarios, Electrovaya Inc., EV MICRONIX ENERGY PVT LTD., GS Yuasa Corp., Hitachi Ltd., HP Inc., Koninklijke Philips NV, LG Electronics Inc., LiPol Battery Co. Ltd., Montu electronic LLP, Panasonic Corp., Renata SA, RRC power solutions GmbH, Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., Telemax India Industries Pvt. Ltd., Toshiba Corp., TotalEnergies SE, and WAAREE ESS 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 preview If our report has not included the data that you are looking for, you can reach out to our analysts and get segments customized.

Browse for Technavio "UTILITIES MARKET" Research Reports

Table of Contents

1 Executive Summary

1.1 Market overview

Exhibit 01: Executive Summary  Chart on Market Overview



Exhibit 02: Executive Summary  Data Table on Market Overview



Exhibit 03: Executive Summary  Chart on Global Market Characteristics



Exhibit 04: Executive Summary  Chart on Market by Geography



Exhibit 05: Executive Summary  Chart on Market Segmentation by Application



Exhibit 06: Executive Summary  Chart on Incremental Growth



Exhibit 07: Executive Summary  Data Table on Incremental Growth



Exhibit 08: Executive Summary  Chart on Vendor Market Positioning

2 Market Landscape

2.1 Market ecosystem

Exhibit 09: Parent market



Exhibit 10: Market Characteristics

3 Market Sizing

3.1 Market definition

Exhibit 11: Offerings of vendors included in the market definition

3.2 Market segment analysis

Exhibit 12: Market segments

3.3 Market size 2021

3.4 Market outlook: Forecast for 2021-2026

Exhibit 13: Chart on Global - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 14: Data Table on Global - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 15: Chart on Global Market: Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 16: Data Table on Global Market: Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

4 Five Forces Analysis

4.1 Five forces summary

Exhibit 17: Five forces analysis - Comparison between 2021 and 2026

4.2 Bargaining power of buyers

Exhibit 18: Chart on Bargaining power of buyers  Impact of key factors 2021 and 2026

4.3 Bargaining power of suppliers

Exhibit 19: Bargaining power of suppliers  Impact of key factors in 2021 and 2026

4.4 Threat of new entrants

Exhibit 20: Threat of new entrants  Impact of key factors in 2021 and 2026

4.5 Threat of substitutes

Exhibit 21: Threat of substitutes  Impact of key factors in 2021 and 2026

4.6 Threat of rivalry

Exhibit 22: Threat of rivalry  Impact of key factors in 2021 and 2026

4.7 Market condition

Exhibit 23: Chart on Market condition - Five forces 2021 and 2026

5 Market Segmentation by Application

5.1 Market segments

Exhibit 24: Chart on Application - Market share 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 25: Data Table on Application - Market share 2021-2026 (%)

5.2 Comparison by Application

Exhibit 26: Chart on Comparison by Application



Exhibit 27: Data Table on Comparison by Application

5.3 Consumer electronics - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 28: Chart on Consumer electronics - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 29: Data Table on Consumer electronics - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 30: Chart on Consumer electronics - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 31: Data Table on Consumer electronics - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

5.4 Automotive - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 32: Chart on Automotive - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 33: Data Table on Automotive - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 34: Chart on Automotive - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 35: Data Table on Automotive - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

5.5 Market opportunity by Application

Exhibit 36: Market opportunity by Application ($ million)

6 Customer Landscape

6.1 Customer landscape overview

Exhibit 37: Analysis of price sensitivity, lifecycle, customer purchase basket, adoption rates, and purchase criteria

7 Geographic Landscape

7.1 Geographic segmentation

Exhibit 38: Chart on Market share by geography 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 39: Data Table on Market share by geography 2021-2026 (%)

7.2 Geographic comparison

Exhibit 40: Chart on Geographic comparison



Exhibit 41: Data Table on Geographic comparison

7.3 APAC - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 42: Chart on APAC - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 43: Data Table on APAC - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 44: Chart on APAC - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 45: Data Table on APAC - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

7.4 North America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 46: Chart on North America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 47: Data Table on North America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 48: Chart on North America - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

Exhibit 49: Data Table on North America - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

7.5 Europe - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 50: Chart on Europe - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 51: Data Table on Europe - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 52: Chart on Europe - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

Exhibit 53: Data Table on Europe - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

7.6 Middle East and Africa - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

and - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 54: Chart on Middle East and Africa - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

and - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 55: Data Table on Middle East and Africa - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

and - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 56: Chart on Middle East and Africa - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

and - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

Exhibit 57: Data Table on Middle East and Africa - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

7.7 South America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 58: Chart on South America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 59: Data Table on South America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 60: Chart on South America - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

Exhibit 61: Data Table on South America - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

7.8 China - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 62: Chart on China - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 63: Data Table on China - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 64: Chart on China - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

Exhibit 65: Data Table on China - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

7.9 US - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 66: Chart on US - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 67: Data Table on US - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 68: Chart on US - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 69: Data Table on US - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

7.10 South Korea - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 70: Chart on South Korea - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 71: Data Table on South Korea - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 72: Chart on South Korea - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

Exhibit 73: Data Table on South Korea - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

7.11 Japan - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 74: Chart on Japan - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 75: Data Table on Japan - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 76: Chart on Japan - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

Exhibit 77: Data Table on Japan - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

7.12 Germany - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 78: Chart on Germany - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 79: Data Table on Germany - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 80: Chart on Germany - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

Exhibit 81: Data Table on Germany - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

7.13 Market opportunity by geography

Exhibit 82: Market opportunity by geography ($ million)

8 Drivers, Challenges, and Trends

8.1 Market drivers

8.2 Market challenges

8.3 Impact of drivers and challenges

Exhibit 83: Impact of drivers and challenges in 2021 and 2026

8.4 Market trends

9 Vendor Landscape

9.1 Overview

9.2 Vendor landscape

Exhibit 84: Overview on Criticality of inputs and Factors of differentiation

9.3 Landscape disruption

Exhibit 85: Overview on factors of disruption

9.4 Industry risks

Exhibit 86: Impact of key risks on business

10 Vendor Analysis

10.1 Vendors covered

Exhibit 87: Vendors covered

10.2 Market positioning of vendors

Exhibit 88: Matrix on vendor position and classification

10.3 A123 Systems LLC

Exhibit 89: A123 Systems LLC - Overview



Exhibit 90: A123 Systems LLC - Product / Service



Exhibit 91: A123 Systems LLC - Key offerings

10.4 Clarios

Exhibit 92: Clarios - Overview



Exhibit 93: Clarios - Product / Service



Exhibit 94: Clarios - Key offerings

10.5 EV MICRONIX ENERGY PVT LTD.

Exhibit 95: EV MICRONIX ENERGY PVT LTD. - Overview



Exhibit 96: EV MICRONIX ENERGY PVT LTD. - Product / Service



Exhibit 97: EV MICRONIX ENERGY PVT LTD. - Key offerings

10.6 GS Yuasa Corp.

Exhibit 98: GS Yuasa Corp. - Overview



Exhibit 99: GS Yuasa Corp. - Business segments



Exhibit 100: GS Yuasa Corp. - Key news



Exhibit 101: GS Yuasa Corp. - Key offerings



Exhibit 102: GS Yuasa Corp. - Segment focus

10.7 Hitachi Ltd.

Exhibit 103: Hitachi Ltd. - Overview



Exhibit 104: Hitachi Ltd. - Business segments



Exhibit 105: Hitachi Ltd. - Key news



Exhibit 106: Hitachi Ltd. - Key offerings



Exhibit 107: Hitachi Ltd. - Segment focus

10.8 HP Inc.

Exhibit 108: HP Inc. - Overview



Exhibit 109: HP Inc. - Business segments



Exhibit 110: HP Inc. - Key news



Exhibit 111: HP Inc. - Key offerings



Exhibit 112: HP Inc. - Segment focus

10.9 Koninklijke Philips NV

Exhibit 113: Koninklijke Philips NV - Overview



Exhibit 114: Koninklijke Philips NV - Business segments



Exhibit 115: Koninklijke Philips NV - Key news



Exhibit 116: Koninklijke Philips NV - Key offerings



Exhibit 117: Koninklijke Philips NV - Segment focus

10.10 Panasonic Corp.

Exhibit 118: Panasonic Corp. - Overview



Exhibit 119: Panasonic Corp. - Business segments



Exhibit 120: Panasonic Corp. - Key offerings



Exhibit 121: Panasonic Corp. - Segment focus

10.11 Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.

Exhibit 122: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. - Overview



Exhibit 123: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. - Business segments



Exhibit 124: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. - Key news



Exhibit 125: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. - Key offerings



Exhibit 126: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. - Segment focus

10.12 Toshiba Corp.

Exhibit 127: Toshiba Corp. - Overview



Exhibit 128: Toshiba Corp. - Business segments



Exhibit 129: Toshiba Corp. - Key news



Exhibit 130: Toshiba Corp. - Key offerings



Exhibit 131: Toshiba Corp. - Segment focus

11 Appendix

11.1 Scope of the report

11.2 Inclusions and exclusions checklist

Exhibit 132: Inclusions checklist



Exhibit 133: Exclusions checklist

11.3 Currency conversion rates for US$

Exhibit 134: Currency conversion rates for US$

11.4 Research methodology

Exhibit 135: Research methodology



Exhibit 136: Validation techniques employed for market sizing



Exhibit 137: Information sources

11.5 List of abbreviations

Exhibit 138: List of abbreviations

About Us

Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focuses on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios.

Contact

Technavio Research

Jesse Maida

Media & Marketing Executive

US: +1 844 364 1100

UK: +44 203 893 3200

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.technavio.com/

SOURCE Technavio
Ortega is currently in prison for pleading guilty to sexually abusing two NorthShore patients

CHICAGO, Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- NorthShore University Health System and Swedish Covenant are facing six more lawsuits, alleging OB/GYN Fabio Ortega sexually abused female patients during their prenatal and gynecological appointments.

Jane Doe 33's complaint, against NorthShore, alleges she was in her early 20's when she went to Ortega for reproductive health concerns, and he asked her deeply personal questions while touching her body.

6 lawsuits filed against NorthShore University Health System & Swedish Covenant alleging sexual abuse by Fabio Ortega Tweet this

Jane Doe 34's complaint, against NorthShore, alleges she was 45 when she went to Ortega for a suspected vaginal infection, and he grabbed her breasts and told her she would benefit from a breast reduction. She also alleges he caused her extreme physical pain while penetrating his fingers in her vagina.

Jane Doe 35's complaint, against Swedish, alleges she was just 14 years old when Ortega started sexually abusing her, including touching her g-spot and telling her that stimulating her was relevant to his care. Jane Doe 35 has filed a second lawsuit, against NorthShore, alleging that she saw him there after he left Swedish. She alleges that he continued to sexually assault her, and caused her extreme pain during prenatal "exams."

Jane Doe 36's complaint, against Swedish, alleges she was 40 years old when she went to Ortega for heavy bleeding, and that during her "exam" he stimulated her clitoris and asked if she had anal sex.

Jane Doe 37, a Spanish-speaking Mexican immigrant, alleges in her complaint against NorthShore that she was approximately 24 years old when she went to Ortega for abdominal pain, and during her "exam" he stimulated her vagina and asked if her husband gave her pleasure.

Currently, there are 4 lawsuits pending against Swedish Covenant and 12 lawsuits pending against NorthShore University Health System.

The lawsuits also allege that NorthShore's top officials allowed Ortega to continue to work despite knowing he was under criminal investigation for sexual assault. Then, NorthShore allowed Ortega to quietly retire rather than fire him.

"NorthShore and Swedish chose profits over patient safety. They ignored the cries of their female patients. They harbored a sexual predator. We are determined to end the institutional abuse of women who put their lives into the hands of their healthcare providers," says Chicago-based attorney Tamara Holder and her co-counsel Johanna J. Raimond, who have filed all of these above-mentioned lawsuits.

SOURCE The Law Firm of Tamara N. Holder
Advisor Group recognized for having policies, benefits, and programs that eliminate barriers to women's advancement in the workplace

PHOENIX, Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Advisor Group, the nation's largest network of independent wealth management firms, today announced its inclusion on the third annual Parity.Org Best Companies for Women to Advance List (ParityLIST). Advisor Group was one of only 13 medium sized companies  and the only independent wealth management firm  to make the list. The ParityLIST was established by Parity.Org in 2020 to recognize organizations that have policies, benefits, and programs that eliminate barriers to women's advancement in the workplace.

Advisor Group's President and Chief Executive Officer Jamie Price said, "We are honored to be included on such an important list. Parity.Org's dedication to closing the gender and racial gap in corporate leadership is a mission we wholeheartedly support. Advisor Group is proud of the number of women on our leadership team and remains dedicated to empowering women across our network of firms. We appreciate the diverse and valuable perspectives these professionals bring and are committed to advancing their inclusion and advancement at Advisor Group."

Companies on the 2022 ParityLIST regularly measure and report to the executive team on gender equality metrics (88%), communicate their gender-equality values to employees (86%), offer flexible working hours (98%), encourage men to take their full family leave (95%), have a zero-tolerance harassment policy (98%), and provide a safe complaint system for employees (100%), among other supportive benefits.

Thirty-one percent of the companies have an executive team that is at least 50% women  up from 21% of companies on the list last year. Ninety-one percent of the companies require recruiters to include at least one qualified woman on candidate slates for executive positions reporting to the CEO, and 84% of the companies conduct an annual assessment for managerial women's career progression.

About Advisor Group

Advisor Group, Inc., a portfolio company of Reverence Capital Partners, is the nation's largest network of independent wealth management firms, serving approximately 9,700 financial professionals and overseeing approximately $515 billion in client assets*. The firm is mission-driven to support the strategic role that financial professionals can play in the lives of their clients. Cultivating a spirit of entrepreneurship and independence, Advisor Group champions the enduring value of financial professionals and is committed to being in their corner every step of the way. For more information visit https://www.advisorgroup.com .

Securities and investment advisory services are offered through the firms: FSC Securities Corporation, Royal Alliance Associates, Inc., SagePoint Financial, Inc., Triad Advisors, LLC, and Woodbury Financial Services, Inc., broker-dealers, registered investment advisers, and members of FINRA and SIPC. Securities are offered through Securities America, Inc., a broker-dealer and member of FINRA and SIPC. Advisory services are offered through Arbor Point Advisors, LLC, Ladenburg Thalmann Asset Management, Inc., Securities America Advisors, Inc., and Triad Hybrid Solutions, LLC, registered investment advisers. Advisory programs offered by FSC Securities Corporation, Royal Alliance Associates, Inc., SagePoint Financial, Inc., and Woodbury Financial Services, Inc., are sponsored by VISION2020 Wealth Management Corp., an affiliated registered investment adviser. Advisor Group, Inc. is an affiliate of these firms. 20 E. Thomas Rd., Ste. 2000, Phoenix, AZ, 85012. 866.481.0379.

*Based on end of year 2021 data

Media contacts

Joseph Kuo / Donald Cutler

Haven Tower Group

[email protected] or [email protected]

424 317 4851 or 424 317 4864

SOURCE Advisor Group
The hospital is a joint venture between Altru and Encompass Health

BIRMINGHAM, Ala., and GRAND FORKS, N.D., Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Altru and Encompass Health (NYSE: EHC) announce the opening of Altru Rehabilitation Hospital, a 37-bed inpatient rehabilitation hospital located at 4500 South Washington Street in Grand Forks. The hospital, which is an expansion of Altru's previous 23-bed unit at the same location, features all private patient rooms, a large therapy gym with advanced rehabilitation technologies, an activities of daily living suite, and an on-site dialysis suite. Following state inspections, the hospital is expected to expand to 40 beds this fall.

The hospital serves patients recovering from debilitating injuries and illnesses, including strokes and other neurological disorders, brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, amputations, and complex orthopedic conditions. In addition to 24-hour nursing care, Altru Rehabilitation Hospital will continue to offer physical, occupational and speech therapies to restore functional ability and quality of life. Care is provided by highly specialized nurses, therapists and physicians.

"As our region's trusted health system, Altru is committed to providing high-quality rehabilitative care to our patients," said Janice Hamscher, Chief Nursing Officer at Altru. "This partnership with Encompass Health gives us the opportunity to serve even more patients throughout our region. I am very proud of this partnership and the additional services we will provide through this expansion. Together, we will continue our legacy of high-quality rehabilitative care."

"We are excited to open this hospital in Grand Forks as a joint venture between Encompass Health, a national leader in post-acute healthcare services, and Altru Health System, a trusted provider of rehabilitative care for more than 60 years," said Brad Kennedy, President of Encompass Health's South Central Region. "Both Altru and Encompass Health have a proven track record of quality, patient and family satisfaction and are united in our mission to providing compassionate care and helping patients regain the strength, function and confidence needed to move forward in their lives."

Altru Rehabilitation Hospital is Encompass Health's 151st inpatient rehabilitation hospital, and its first location in North Dakota. Altru's inpatient rehabilitation unit, which has provided care to residents in the area since 1958, has consistently maintained its accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities.

About Altru Health System

Based in Grand Forks, N.D., Altru Health System is an independent, non-profit healthcare organization. We are physician-led, with over 300 providers and 55 specialties of care. Altru boasts an acute care hospital, specialty hospital, level II trauma center and more than two dozen practice locations throughout northwest Minnesota and northeast North Dakota. Altru was the first member of the Mayo Clinic Care Network, extending Mayo Clinic expertise to the patients we serve. Altru employs over 3,600 staff and providers who are empowered to fulfill Altru's vision of providing world-class care to the residents of our region. For more information, visit altru.org.

About Encompass Health

Encompass Health (NYSE: EHC) is the largest owner and operator of rehabilitation hospitals in the United States. With a national footprint that includes 151 hospitals in 36 states and Puerto Rico, the Company provides high-quality, compassionate rehabilitative care for patients recovering from a major injury or illness, using advanced technology and innovative treatments to maximize recovery. Encompass Health is ranked as one of Fortune's 100 Best Companies to Work For and Modern Healthcare's Best Places to Work in Healthcare. For more information, visit encompasshealth.com, or follow us on our newsroom, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

Encompass Health Media Contact: Altru Health System Media Contact: Danielle Hall | 205-970-5912 [email protected] [email protected]



SOURCE Encompass Health Corp.
LAS VEGAS, Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- American Homes 4 Rent (NYSE: AMH) (the "Company"), a leading provider of high-quality single-family homes for rent, today announced that the Board of Trustees declared a dividend of $0.18 per share on the Company's common shares for the third quarter of 2022. The distribution will be payable in cash on September 30, 2022 to shareholders of record on September 15, 2022.

The Board of Trustees also declared a per share quarterly distribution on the Company's cumulative redeemable perpetual preferred shares of $0.36719 per share on the 5.875% Series G shares and $0.39063 per share on the 6.250% Series H shares payable in cash on September 30, 2022 to shareholders of record on September 15, 2022.

About American Homes 4 Rent

American Homes 4 Rent (NYSE: AMH) is a leading single-family property owner, leasing operator, and build-to-rent developer. Recent achievements include being named a 2022 Great Place to Work, a 2022 Top U.S. Homebuilder by Builder100, one of America's Most Responsible Companies 2022 and America's Most Trusted Companies 2022 by Newsweek and Statista, and a Top ESG Regional Performer by Sustainalytics. We are an internally managed Maryland real estate investment trust (REIT) focused on acquiring, developing, renovating, leasing, and managing homes as rental properties. As of March 31, 2022, we owned 57,984 single-family properties in select submarkets in 22 states.

Additional information about American Homes 4 Rent is available on our website at www.americanhomes4rent.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains "forward-looking statements" that relate to beliefs, expectations or intentions and similar statements concerning matters that are not of historical fact and are generally accompanied by words such as "believe," "expect," "will," "intend," "anticipate" or other words that convey the uncertainty of future events or outcomes. These forward-looking statements include the payment and anticipated timing of the payment of distributions of the Company's common and preferred shares. The Company has based these forward-looking statements on its current expectations and assumptions about future events. While the Company's management considers these expectations to be reasonable, they are inherently subject to risks, contingencies and uncertainties, most of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond the Company's control and could adversely affect our cash flows and ability to pay distributions. Additional information about these and other important factors that may cause our actual results to differ materially from anticipated results expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements is available in the Company's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and other reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement to conform to actual results or changes in expectations, except as required by applicable law.

Contacts:

American Homes 4 Rent

Investor Relations

Nicholas Fromm

Phone: (855) 794-2447

Email: [email protected]

American Homes 4 Rent

Media Relations

Megan Grabos

Phone: (805) 413-5088

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE American Homes 4 Rent
On All Major Streaming Services, Americano Expands 5 Million+ Radio Audience, Cements Position as the National Voice for Conservative Hispanics

DALLAS, Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Americano Media, the Country's First Conservative Network in Spanish, announced today at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) here that its popular radio shows are now available on video on all major streaming providers and through its own Americano Media app.

With 18 hours of original content served per day, Americano Media is the number one media platform informing and empowering Conservative Hispanics. Consumers can now download the app or stream content via Apple, Apple TV, Android, Amazon Fire TV, Google TV, Roku, Sirius XM and more.

"Americano Media is a network created by Hispanics to deliver a trusted source for truthful news for Hispanics," said Ivan Garcia-Hidalgo, founder, chairman and chief executive of Americano Media. "Given the enormous contributions Hispanics make to America, a news network that provides our community with unvarnished truth is long overdue."

With the mid-term elections just months away, Hispanic Americans represent nearly 20 percent of the population. That number is growing, and with it, the diversity of the demographic's political leanings. A recent Wall Street Journal poll of Latino voters showed an even 37 percent split between Democratic and Republican, with 22 percent undecided  marking a significant change from the estimated 69 percent who voted for the Democratic candidate in 2018. And according to NBC News, the 2020 election saw a dramatic rise in registration and voting by some 18.7 million Hispanics  demonstrating this important voter group has developed a keen interest in elections.

"We are committed to empowering the Hispanic community through credible and real news, frank discussion and unwavering advocacy," said Americano Media President Jorge L. Arrizurieta. "Now being available on over-the-top video allows us to share real content that echoes our core values. At the end of the day, these are All-American values."

The new service will feature exclusive TV programming hosted by conservative personalities like Lourdes Ubieta, Dania Alexandrino Nelson Rubio  all previously with Radio Mambi, a conservative Miami talk radio station recently acquired by leftist billionaire George Soros  and Emmy-award winning journalist Lucia Navarro.

"Americano Media will push the needle further away from the Democrats towards Republicans," Garcia-Hidalgo said. With this shift, which started due to President Trump's successful policies, Americano will make sure the Hispanic vote breaks hard to conservative values."

Among the programs included will be:

"Battleground Americano"  A war of values and principles is being waged in the United States , and "Battleground Americano" is at the frontline, ready to take on political and social structures that threaten the foundation of America. The show host, Jesus Marquez, invites the audience to participate in the day's conversations, creating a dialog from a perspective you will only find on Americano Media.

 A war of values and principles is being waged in , and "Battleground Americano" is at the frontline, ready to take on political and social structures that threaten the foundation of America. The show host, Jesus Marquez, invites the audience to participate in the day's conversations, creating a dialog from a perspective you will only find on Americano Media. " Buenos Dias Americano " ("Good Morning Americano")  "Buenos Dias Americano" places the world's news at your feet before you leave home each morning! Stay current on all that's happening in the world with three hours of news, analysis, and guest interviews. Let us take you around the world as we share a complete outlook on the news that impacts you. Our phone lines are open so that our audience can help to set the tone of the news that impacts us each morning.

 "Buenos Dias Americano" places the world's news at your feet before you leave home each morning! Stay current on all that's happening in the world with three hours of news, analysis, and guest interviews. Let us take you around the world as we share a complete outlook on the news that impacts you. Our phone lines are open so that our audience can help to set the tone of the news that impacts us each morning. "Asi esta el Mundo" ("This is the World")  When you are wanting to know, "What is happening?", Lourdes Ubieta tells "Asi esta el Mundo," our mid-day prime program in which she covers the most important news so far and interviews the key characters of each day, with emphasis on international politics.

To access Americano Media content, download the Americano Media app via AppStore or Google Play. Americano Media is also available on SiriusXM channel 153 and on its podcast network . Follow Americano Media on Twitter , Facebook , Instagram , LinkedIn , and GETTR and learn more at www.americanomedia.com/ .

ABOUT AMERICANO MEDIA:

Americano Media is the voice for conservative Hispanics. With over 500 million Spanish speakers across the world, comprising nearly 20 percent of the U.S. population, Americano is the number one platform to empower, inform and advocate core values for this critical demographic. With 18 hours of original content served per day on radio and television, consumers can download the app or stream content via Apple, Apple TV, Android, Amazon Fire TV, Google TV, Roku, Sirius XM and more. Americano also provides a home for advertisers seeking an engaged and underserved audience which is growing exponentially. To learn more about Americano Media, please visit: www.americanomedia.com .

SOURCE Americano Media
Take the train to experience the story of the "boy king"

WASHINGTON, Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Amtrak is the official transportation partner for a new exhibition "Beyond King Tut: The Immersive Experience," the exhibition produced in partnership with the National Geographic Society. Amtrak invites passengers and history buffs to conveniently travel via train to Washington, D.C., or Boston to experience the magic and mystery of ancient Egypt.

To promote "Take the Train to Tut," a specially-wrapped Amtrak locomotive will power Amtrak Northeast Regional service operating on the Northeast Corridor between Washington, D.C., and Boston. The locomotive is wrapped in vinyl and painted gold and black, and features an image of King Tut, and the message, "Go Beyond the Mask," representing a nod to the learning opportunities awaiting guests at the exhibition. The exhibition centers on the life and times of one of history's most well-known pharaohs. The locomotive will travel through Sept. 30.

"Beyond King Tut: The Immersive Experience" presents the story of Egypt's "boy king" coinciding with the 100-year anniversary of the tomb's discovery. Visitors will learn King Tut's story and relive the discovery of the tomb with all his treasures waiting inside, reclaimed from the desert sand after 3,000 years. With nine galleries to explore on a multi-sensory, multimedia journey, guests will go on a time traveling adventure.

The exhibition goes beyond a traditional artifact display using the power of photography and technology, ensuring that the artifacts from King Tut's tomb remain in their country of origin. The exhibit is open now through February 2023 at the National Geographic Museum in Washington, D.C., and through Oct. 2 at the SoWa Power Station in Boston, before extending to other cities throughout North America.

Amtrak passengers can take advantage of a 15% discount off exhibition tickets using code Amtrak15. The discount is valid through Sept. 30. Get tickets at BeyondKingTut.com.

In addition, Amtrak Saver Fares offer low prices on the Northeast Regional, select Keystone Service and select Pennsylvanian service trains. Book travel early to get these fares and save on convenient downtown-to-downtown service.

ATK-22-044

SOURCE Amtrak
AUSTIN, Texas, Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The prestigious 2022 AOTMP Vendor Awards were presented on July 28, 2022. The awards recognize innovation and excellence amongst the individuals working for leading telecom expense management (TEM) organizations. We are pleased to announce that the Mindglobal Head of Customer Finance, Ben Savage, was honored as Business Analyst of the Year.

Ben Savage, 2022 Business Analyst of the Year

Ben Savage leads the Customer Finance team, focusing on billing optimization, auditing, and invoice allocation. Ben is also a lead wireless consultant and serves as an integral contributor to carrier contract negotiations by providing industry benchmarking rates and leading practices/strategies. He has developed many of the wireless optimization models and processes that help our customers realize a significant ROI.

Kevin Whitehurst, co-CEO of Mindglobal, shares "Under Ben's leadership and direction, the Finance team was able to provide a regressive analysis of pre-Covid vs. post-Covid data utilization which led to a shift in rate plans as well as assisting our Fortune 500 clients with their Work From Home policies." This was recently captured in the case study: Can Regressive Analysis Predict TEM Utilization in the Post-Covid Workspace?

Timothy C. Colwell, AOTMP Executive Vice President, said, "The accomplishments of this year's AOTMP Vendor Award winners demonstrate undeniable business results and compelling value propositions across the board. This outstanding individual is making an impact in the telecom, mobility, and IT management industry."

The Customer Finance team is an integral part of the operation at Mindglobal. They are present from the first onboarding meeting through monthly Rate Plan Analysis calls and continue to build strong relationships with all clients, along with their Client Manager and other leaders at Mindglobal.

About AOTMP

AOTMP is a global organization, empowering professionals in the dynamic $4+ trillion telecom, mobility and IT management industry. AOTMP delivers value through training, certifications, association memberships, events & programs, best practices, publications, resources, and professional development. www.aotmp.com

About Mindglobal

Based in Austin, Texas, Mindglobal is a leading expert in enterprise technology management. With best-in-class solutions, proven processes, and unparalleled customer service, we deliver better strategies to optimize mobility management, fixed telecom, and IT solutions. www.mindglobal.com

SOURCE Mindglobal
Fully integrated into a Mobile DevSecOps Build System, ThreatScope Enables Mobile Brands and Mobile Developers to Upgrade to Data-Driven DevSecOps with Ease

REDWOOD CITY, Calif., Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Appdome, the mobile economy's one and only Data-Driven DevSecOps platform, today announced the immediate availability of ThreatScope, a Mobile Security Operations Center (SOC) that's fully integrated inside the Appdome DevSecOps build system. With ThreatScope, Appdome combines the power of mobile attack and threat data, telemetry, and intelligence with click-to-protect agility inside the mobile DevOps CI/CD pipeline. No code, no SDKs and no servers are required.

Android and iOS development teams are under enormous pressure to deliver new and updated mobile apps faster than ever. Increasing mobile threats, increased regulation of the dev lifecycle and growing consumer demand for more secure mobile experiences make the release cycle even more challenging. Current DevSecOps processes can slow down release cycles and rely too heavily on products like code scans and penetration tests, which are designed to find common security flaws. While important, these tools are not designed to provide real-time, production-level data on the actual attacks and threats impacting mobile users and targeting the mobile business, nor can they provide live, real-time proof of protection against the actual attacks and threats targeting real mobile end users. Mobile development and cyber teams need real data to choose, deploy and guarantee the right protections are in each release of a mobile app.

ThreatScope brings real-time attack and threat intelligence into the DevOps CI/CD pipeline. With it, mobile brands can simplify protection choices, prove the impact of protections, and accelerate release cycles. In Android and iOS apps, ThreatScope seamlessly monitors 50+ threat vectors, covering thousands of unique attacks and threats, and reports when a threat or attack is detected. As soon as a threat or attack is visible in ThreatScope, a single click can add the relevant protection in the next build or release of the mobile app, right inside the mobile DevOps CI/CD pipeline. After deploying the protected app, mobile developers and cyber security teams can witness the real-world impact of each protection in real time, demonstrating success and making reporting and compliance easy.

With ThreatScope, mobile brands and mobile businesses can:

Upgrade to Data-Driven DevSecOps. Bring the power of a mobile security operations center (SOC), fully integrated in a DevSecOps build system, into the DevOps CI/CD pipeline. Enjoy analytics-grade intelligence on attack trends, protection breakdowns and top mobile threats, complete with device, OS, app, and release drill downs and heat maps that show specific threats and attacks geographically. Click-to-protect against threats in each release of a mobile app.





Bring the power of a mobile security operations center (SOC), fully integrated in a DevSecOps build system, into the DevOps CI/CD pipeline. Enjoy analytics-grade intelligence on attack trends, protection breakdowns and top mobile threats, complete with device, OS, app, and release drill downs and heat maps that show specific threats and attacks geographically. Click-to-protect against threats in each release of a mobile app. Make smarter mobile protection choices. Eliminate guesswork in choosing which protections to deploy. Use live, production-level attack and threat intelligence to make data-based decisions on which defenses matter most to mobile customers and your mobile business, save money on unneeded protections, and match budgets to threats, release-by-release.





Eliminate guesswork in choosing which protections to deploy. Use live, production-level attack and threat intelligence to make data-based decisions on which defenses matter most to mobile customers and your mobile business, save money on unneeded protections, and match budgets to threats, release-by-release. Prove the impact of Protection. ThreatScope gives a first-of-its-kind power to "see it, solve it, show it" for each attack-to-protection matchup. This empowers mobile development and cyber defense teams to highlight the impact of each security anti-fraud, anti-malware, and cheat prevention feature in real time, making cyber compliance and reporting a breeze.

"Data-Driven DevSecOps is all about mobile development and mobile defense agility," said Tom Tovar, CEO and co-creator of Appdome. "With ThreatScope, there's no separate integrations, implementations, servers or systems to deploy and no added work to transform data into action. Developers and cyber teams can put attack and threat intelligence to work immediately, protection-by-protection, release-by-release, to deliver zero-day defense that stops the widest range of attacks impacting Android and iOS customers with ease."

For more information on ThreatScope, visit https://appdome.com/threat-scope-mobile-threat-intelligence-center/. To see ThreatScope in action, email [email protected] to schedule an in-person or virtual meeting at Black Hat USA 2022 in Las Vegas August 10-11.

About Appdome

Appdome's mission is to protect every mobile app in the world and the people who use mobile apps in their lives and at work. Appdome provides the mobile industry a patented, no-code, Data-Driven DevSecOps Build System, powered by patented articial-intelligence based, coding technology, Threat-Events mobile threat intelligence and ThreatScope mobile security operations center, to deliver 100s of Certified Secure mobile app security, anti-malware, anti-fraud, anti-cheat, MiTM attacks prevention, code obfuscation and other protections in Android & iOS apps, right inside mobile DevOps and CI/CD pipeline. Leading nancial, healthcare, government, and m-commerce brands use Appdome to protect Android & iOS apps, mobile customers, and mobile businesses globally. Appdome holds several patents including U.S. Patents 9,934,017 B2, 10,310,870 B2, 10,606,582 B2, 11,243,748 B2, and 11,294,663 B2. Additional patents pending.

Learn more at www.appdome.com.

SOURCE Appdome
Disciplined underwriting and reinsurance program distinguish Centauri, as many coastal carriers face significant financial stress and downgrades

OMAHA, Neb., Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- As insurers and consumers in Florida and all along the coasts face insurance availability and pricing problems as hurricane season looms, at least one insurer has strengthened its operations and management to weather the marketplace's financial stability storm.

Mr. Steve Menzies, Chairman of Applied Underwriters, speaking on behalf of its sister companies, Centauri Specialty Insurance Co. and Centauri National Insurance Co., leading property insurers in Hawaii with additional writings along many of the coastal states, including Florida and Louisiana, today announced that the Centauri companies have had their 'A' (Exceptional) rating affirmed by Demotech, the ratings organization that is central to homeowners insurers in hurricane exposed areas, their agents and consumers: "We are committed to sustaining our profitable position in the coastal states, including the Florida market, where we have managed to do better than the weather, including Hurricane Ida and other serious loss events."

Mr. Menzies further announced that Centauri had completed the transition of its operations to Omaha, Nebraska, while maintaining a local office in Sarasota: "Our restructuring and relocating of Centauri operations in Omaha adds another advantage to our agents and their customers: should a catastrophic event take place in any coastal state where we have a presence, our desk adjusters and claims staff are safely out of the fray and able to communicate with on the ground service resources with little stress on the central operations group." Mr. Menzies noted that Applied's national operations platforms based in Omaha are among the most sophisticated in the world: "Applied's approach in supporting all of our insurance programs across the globe, including Centauri, is bolstered by our operational expertise and technical capabilities."

Mr. Rick Espino, CEO of Centauri, indicated that "Agents are advised to submit renewals and policy applications as early as possible. We are meeting our quarterly new premium targets very quickly. As the marketplace suffers disruption and lack of availability, we find ourselves receiving a very large increase in submissions." He continued, "While our business in Florida is mostly in the commercial BOP sector, having moved gradually away from the troubled homeowners market there, we nonetheless continue to grow our core homeowners business on the coasts and remain ready to serve our agents and their clients' needs."

Commenting on the condition of the market in Florida and some other coastal states, Mr. Menzies stated that the market is beset by three basic problems: first, there is now limited commercial reinsurance available to insurers for hurricane risk; second, an aggressive, legislatively enabled trial bar has "played" the laws and the legal system using incredibly unfair and unreasonable mechanisms for their exploitation, such as public adjusters and the assignment of benefits; and third, given all of this, inadequate retail rates have persisted for many years, mispricing the actual risks underwritten.

Mr. Menzies continued, "Many insurers, especially the smaller, monoline property carriers, face off in lopsided, almost rigged battles against a trial bar which has become monstrously sophisticated in its use of data technology and unduly influential in creating manipulated legislation. This has placed Demotech, the primary rating agency for property insurers in the coastal regions, in a difficult position of having to report an inconvenient financial truth and has dragged it unwittingly into being a protagonist for an unlikely reform process in the Florida legislature and in other states."

Mr. Menzies concluded: "Demotech as scorekeeper is not the problem in Florida, Louisiana, or elsewhere; it is the trial bar's hegemony over state legislatures and the claims process in general, all leading to a now broken system with untenable economics."

For further information contact: Ryan Gerding, Public Relations, at +1 (913) 602-8531 or at [email protected].

About Centauri Insurance (www.centauriinsurance.com)

Centauri Specialty Insurance Company and Centauri National Insurance Company are rated 'A' (Exceptional) by Demotech. Formed in 2006 and based in Sarasota, FL, Centauri Insurance is a property and casualty insurance company licensed to serve policyholders in 10 states including Alabama, Florida, Hawaii, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Texas. Centauri is well known for providing catastrophe coverage and for its ability to provide financial protection to its policyholders through innovative solutions and personalized service.

About Applied Underwriters (www.auw.com)

Applied Underwriters is a global risk services firm that helps businesses and people manage uncertainty through its business services, insurance and reinsurance solutions. As a company, Applied Underwriters has been distinguished by its innovative approaches to client care and by its strong financial strength. Applied Underwriters operates widely throughout the US, UK, EU and Middle East. Its operational headquarters is located in Omaha, Nebraska.

Demotech, Inc. is a financial analysis firm specializing in evaluating the financial stability of regional and specialty insurers. Since 1985, Demotech has served the insurance industry by assigning accurate, reliable and proven Financial Stability Ratings (FSRs) for Property & Casualty insurers and Title underwriters. FSRs are a leading indicator of financial stability, providing an objective baseline of the future solvency of an insurer. Demotech's philosophy is to review and evaluate insurers based on their area of focus and execution of their business model rather than solely on financial size. Demotech was the first to review and rate independent regional and specialty insurers. Demotech's consistently increasing list of accreditations and acceptances has resulted in rating and reviewing more than 400 insurers operating in the US.

SOURCE Applied Underwriters
The new wealth management firm spearheaded by Chris McMahon utilizes innovative artificial intelligence to provide Catholic investors with transparency about their portfolios

PITTSBURGH, Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Aquinas Wealth Advisors, a wealth management firm specializing in Catholic faith-based investing, is proud to launch with cutting-edge technology heralding a new age of investment insights.

Aquinas utilizes an innovative hybrid robo-advisor program providing clients with details about how publicly traded companies use their funds. This service is provided free of charge at aquinaswealth.com and does not require any long-term commitment from users. Website visitors are invited to submit sample information about their holdings and portfolio for an analysis by the site's program. Following a quick review, the artificial intelligence provides an outline of causes and organizations being supported by companies within an investor's portfolio. The result, referred to as the Faith & Finance Score, then assigns a letter grade based on a portfolio's adherence to Catholic principles and values. Users are then invited to be advised on how they can adjust their holdings to better reflect their values through a consultation with one of Aquinas' advisors to discuss their specific situation. Investors are also able to choose to use the information on their own.

"Across my career, clients have continually asked how they can best align their investments with their values, particularly among my Catholic clients," said Chris McMahon, President and CEO of Aquinas. "Now, Aquinas' state-of-the-art technology has made it easier than ever for investors to unify their deepest-held beliefs with their finances. This program empowers individuals to have a greater degree of understanding and control over where they place their money."

Prior to founding Aquinas, McMahon established MFA Wealth, a personal wealth management firm based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In addition to possessing three decades of experience advising clients in matters of comprehensive financial planning, asset allocation, retirement planning, and estate tax management techniques, McMahon has also been featured in publications such as the Wall Street Journal and honored with awards including the 2022 Catholic Finance Professional of The Year Award by the Catholic Finance Association.

Aquinas' commitment to transparency allows investors to feel the security of working with a fiduciary as well as confidence from possessing a complete picture as to how their money is being used. The firm also has tentative plans to expand on its technology for use beyond a Catholic framework.

For additional information about Aquinas and the Faith & Finance Score technology, please visit: aquinaswealth.com.

About Aquinas Wealth Advisors

Inspired by the legacy of Saint Thomas Aquinas, Aquinas Wealth Advisors is a faith and values-based wealth management firm. The firm's mission is to use in-house innovations and morally-sound financial planning to make people aware of any potentially troubling details about their current investments. By utilizing cutting-edge technology, the firm is working to expose objectionable business practices of companies across industries and help individuals make investment choices aligned with their values.

Advisory services are offered by Moralis Technologies, LLC d/b/a Aquinas Wealth Advisors ("Aquinas Wealth Advisors"), a registered investment adviser with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Registration does not imply a certain level of skill or training. Aquinas Wealth Advisors may only transact business in those states in which it is notice filed or qualifies for a corresponding exemption from such requirements. For information about the Aquinas Wealth Advisors registration status and business operations, please consult the firm's Form ADV disclosure documents, the most recent versions of which are available on the SEC's Investment Adviser Public Disclosure website at www.adviserinfo.sec.gov.

The information provided is for illustration purposes only. It is not intended to be, nor should it be construed or used as, investment, tax or legal advice, any recommendation or opinion regarding the appropriateness or suitability of any investment or strategy, or an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy, any interest in any security.

All investing involves risk including loss of principal. No strategy assures success or protects against loss. There can be no guarantee that strategies promoted will be successful and no guarantee of positive results.

Christopher S. McMahon was awarded the 2022 Catholic Finance Professional of the Year Award on July 1, 2022 by the Catholic Finance Association. Criteria considered by the Catholic Finance Associate in considering finalists includes: (1) Fidelity to the teachings of the Catholic Church and public expression of the Faith as an example for others to follow, (2) high professional achievement, and (3) charity to other and giving back to the profession. No compensation was provided directly or indirectly in connection with obtaining or using this award.

Contact Information

Kayla Breitkopf

[email protected]

862 505 6152

SOURCE Aquinas Wealth Advisors
CHENNAI, India, Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Ashok Leyland's authorized distributors, Deluxe Trucks and Buses in Kenya have signed a partnership with Kenya Commercial Bank to jointly promote the Ashok Leyland Brand of Vehicles. Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB) is one of the largest financial institutions in the region offering an array of services.

Mr. Robert Mburu (Head Asset Finance- KCB) Ms. Esther Waititu (Director Corporate Banking- KCB), Mr. Ameet Shroff (Managing Director- Deluxe Trucks and Buses), Mr. Balachandran R (Regional Head East Africa- Ashok Leyland)

Ashok Leyland customers will now be able to access flexible financing options in a deal from Kenya Commercial Bank. The partnership will see customers enjoy up to 95% financing with an extended repayment period of 72 months as well as a comfortable 60-day payment holiday.

In addition, customers will have the privilege to access an embedded tracking and insurance package and access to unsecured working capital of up to KES 3 million among other bank products available at the bank.

Also catered for are KCB SAHL Banking customers who under the Shariah-compliant banking model, will be able to purchase trucks from Deluxe Trucks & Buses at affordable rates.

Mr. Amandeep Singh, Head International Operations for Ashok Leyland expressed his pleasure at the tie up and noted that, "Ashok Leyland Trucks and Buses has a wide future ready portfolio in commercial vehicle categories ranging from 2.55 Ton GVW to 55 Ton GVW and buses suited for all applications. The Ashok Leyland range of vehicles offers the best-in-class mileage in all these categories. This partnership with KCB will enable customers to avail financing options to purchase Ashok Leyland commercial vehicles at industry best terms and conditions."

Speaking during the event, KCB Bank Director of Corporate Banking, Esther Waititu said, "We are delighted to partner with Deluxe Trucks & Buses, for financing Ashok Leyland products. It is a reflection of our commitment to supporting key customers to derive value from their long-standing loyalty."

On his part, Deluxe Trucks & Buses E.A. Managing Director, Mr. Ameet Shroff said, "The partnership targets individuals, Small Medium Size companies, and large commercial businesses for flexible financing of up to 95% of the vehicle cost. Delivering uptime to customers is our key objective and we will ensure that our customers are continuously served with complete satisfaction."

Deluxe Trucks & Buses E.A. Ltd, which is wholly owned by Simba Corp, was appointed the sole authorized distributor of the full range of Ashok Leyland brand of trucks and buses. The vehicles are locally assembled at Associated Vehicle Assemblers (AVA) which is also owned by Simba Corp. The firm recently opened a modern sale, service equipment center at Xylon Complex, located along ICD Road, Off Mombasa Road, Nairobi, in a move that will ensure that customers get access to specialized services post-purchase, given the rising demand for vehicles used by SMEs and MSMEs. Deluxe Trucks and Buses' current network includes dealerships in Nairobi, Nakuru, Mombasa and Thika, and plans to appoint dealers in other major towns countrywide.

About Ashok Leyland

Headquartered in Chennai, and a footprint that extends across 50 countries, Ashok Leyland, flagship of the Hinduja group, is one of the largest manufacturers of commercial vehicles in India, the 4th largest manufacturer of buses in the world, and the 19th largest manufacturer of trucks.

Website: www.ashokleyland.com, Write to us [email protected]

About KCB Bank Kenya Ltd

KCB Bank Kenya Limited is one of the largest commercial banks in the country. A subsidiary of KCB Group Plc, the Bank has one of the largest branch networks, with over 200 branches, 367 ATMs, and 16,000 agents offering banking services on a 24/7 basis in East Africa. This is complemented by mobile banking and internet banking services with 24-hour contact center services for our customers to get in touch with the Bank. KCB Group Plc - which also has a presence in Uganda, Tanzania, South Sudan, Burundi, Rwanda, and a representative office in Ethiopia also boasts of a wide network of correspondent relationships totaling over 200 banks across the globe and our customers are assured of seamless facilitation of their international trade requirements wherever they are.

For further information, please contact Rosalind Gichuru, Group Director Marketing Corporate Affairs and Citizenship; email: [email protected]

About Deluxe Motors

Deluxe Trucks & Buses E.A. Ltd is the official authorized Ashok Leyland distributor in the Kenyan market for the full range of Ashok Leyland Trucks and Buses. Deluxe Trucks & Buses E.A. Ltd is located at the Xylon Complex, ICD Road, off Mombasa Road, Nairobi.

For more details, please email: [email protected], Call: 0703 046 777 or visit our website on www.deluxetrucks.co.ke.

Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1871715/Ashok_Leyland_Limited.jpg

Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1826065/Ashok_Leyland_Limited_Logo.jpg

SOURCE Ashok Leyland Limited
DUBLIN, Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Asia Pacific Healthcare Technology Management Market Size, Share & Industry Trends Analysis Report By Type of Services, By Facility Type, By Country and Growth Forecast, 2022 - 2028" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The Asia Pacific Healthcare Technology Management Market is expected to witness market growth of 11.4% CAGR during the forecast period (2022-2028).



In the medical industry, care providers are employing a range of new technology, including a slew of software tools, to manage their expanding administrative duties and boost coding productivity. Incorrect or delayed diagnosis is one of the most significant areas for improvement in the healthcare business. Medical algorithms that can evaluate various data sources at the same time and assist detect lethal illnesses like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or diabetes with serious complications earlier and more accurately than ever before are among the emerging trends in healthcare.



Doctors are scientists that appreciate being shown tangible proof, and today's best-in-class risk adjustment software uses complicated medical algorithms to correlate clinical material already within the patient's chart with disease suspects presented by the program. Healthcare tech tools that emphasize and link to the source paperwork in the patient chart simplify the evidence, making it easier for doctors to grasp, why the computer is suspecting an illness.



China's early reaction to coronavirus sickness in 2019 included the use of digital healthcare technology (COVID-19). Existing literature have analysed and discussed actual digital health innovations from a technological standpoint, but policy mechanisms' contributions to the formation of the COVID-19 digital health ecosystem have been overlooked.



The contexts and major mechanisms behind China's quick deployment of digital health initiatives in response to COVID-19, as well as chronicle and share the lessons learned. For international companies, medical equipment constitute the most active and strategically vital healthcare sales industry. Imported medical equipment dominate the high-end and technology-heavy segments, while indigenous items lead the low- to mid-market segments.



Public hospitals continue to be the primary purchasers of medical devices. According to the National Health Commission's Chinese-language website, China will have 35,394 hospitals by 2020, with over 7.1 million beds and 3.32 billion patient visits. Public hospitals contributed 71.4 percent of hospital wards and 84 percent of patient visits among them.



The China market dominated the Asia Pacific Healthcare Technology Management Market by Country in 2021, and is expected to continue to be a dominant market till 2028; thereby, achieving a market value of $4,098.6 million by 2028. The Japan market is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of 10.7% during (2022 - 2028). Additionally, The India market is expected to experience a CAGR of 12% during (2022 - 2028).



Based on Type of Services, the market is segmented into Maintenance & Repair, Integrated Software Platform, Cyber Security, Capital Planning, Quality & Regulatory Compliance, Labor Management, and Supply Chain (Procurement). Based on Facility Type, the market is segmented into Acute care facility, Post-Acute Care Facility, and Non-Acute care Facility. Based on countries, the market is segmented into China, Japan, India, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, and Rest of Asia Pacific.





Scope of the Study

Market Segments Covered in the Report:

By Type of Services

Maintenance & Repair

Integrated Software Platform

Cyber Security

Capital Planning

Quality & Regulatory Compliance

Labor Management

Supply Chain (Procurement)

By Facility Type

Acute care facility

Post-Acute Care Facility

Non-Acute care Facility

By Country

China

Japan

India

South Korea

Singapore

Malaysia

Rest of Asia Pacific

Key Market Players

General Electric (GE) Co.

ABM Industries, Inc.

Siemens Healthineers AG

Koninklijke Philips N.V.

Sodexo S.A.

Crothall Healthcare, Inc.

TriMedx, LLC

Agility, Inc.

Renovo Solutions

JANNX Medical Systems, Inc.

Key Topics Covered:



Chapter 1. Market Scope & Methodology



Chapter 2. Market Overview



Chapter 3. Competition Analysis - Global



Chapter 4. Asia Pacific Healthcare Technology Management Market by Type of Services



Chapter 5. Asia Pacific Healthcare Technology Management Market by Facility Type



Chapter 6. Asia Pacific Healthcare Technology Management Market by Country



Chapter 7. Company Profiles

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/ezzazx

Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

[email protected]

For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470

For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630

For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900

U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907

Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716

Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/539438/Research_and_Markets_Logo.jpg

SOURCE Research and Markets
DUBLIN, Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Autonomous Military Weapons Global Market Report 2022, By Type, Product, Platform" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The global autonomous military weapons market is expected grow from $ 12.04 billion in 2021 to $13.30 billion in 2022 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10.4%. The growth is mainly due to the companies resuming their operations and adapting to the new normal while recovering from the COVID-19 impact, which had earlier led to restrictive containment measures involving social distancing, remote working, and the closure of commercial activities that resulted in operational challenges. The market is expected to reach $ 19.75 billion in 2026 at a CAGR of 10.4%.



The main types of autonomous military weapons are autonomous and semi-autonomous. Autonomous weapons are the weapons that choose and engage targets without the need for human involvement. The different products include missiles, rockets, guided bombs, target pods, others and involve various platforms such as land, airborne, naval.



Asia Pacific was the largest region in autonomous military weapons market in 2021. Western Europe is expected to be the fastest growing region in the forecast period. The regions covered in this report are Asia-Pacific, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East and Africa.



The ability to perform dangerous tasks with precision contributed to the growth of the autonomous military weapons market. Autonomy in weapons enables to keep army personnel away from dangerous tasks or any imminent risk to human life. Besides this, increased reaction speed in decision making and eyes on the target will potentially increase accuracy. It has access to a larger amount of information, greater accuracy, and greater predictability for certain functions freeing humans from dull or repetitive tasks along with permitting access to environments that are inaccessible to remote control technologies.

Major countries such as the USA, China, and Russia are significantly investing in artificial intelligence (AI) for weapons and are competing for superiority in this segment. For instance, Russia is investing $719 million until 2021 in AI research and development for weapons. The ability to hit the target without human involvement along with minimizing risk to human life increased the demand for the autonomous military weapons market.



The risk posed by autonomous weapons compelled the researchers and designers to decide against manufacturing them, hampering the growth of the market. For instance, around 240 organizations involved in artificial intelligence and nearly 3,100 individuals vowed not to be involved in the development of autonomous weapon systems. The strong objection from around the world to manufacture autonomous military weapons is a hindrance to the market growth.

Scope



Markets Covered:

1) By Type: Autonomous; Semi-autonomous

2) By Product: Missiles; Rockets; Guided Bombs; Target Pods; Others

3) By Platform: Land; Airborne; Naval



Key Topics Covered:



1. Executive Summary



2. Autonomous Military Weapons Market Characteristics



3. Autonomous Military Weapons Market Trends And Strategies



4. Impact Of COVID-19 On Autonomous Military Weapons



5. Autonomous Military Weapons Market Size And Growth



6. Autonomous Military Weapons Market Segmentation

7. Autonomous Military Weapons Market Regional And Country Analysis



8. Asia-Pacific Autonomous Military Weapons Market

9. China Autonomous Military Weapons Market



10. India Autonomous Military Weapons Market



11. Japan Autonomous Military Weapons Market



12. Australia Autonomous Military Weapons Market



13. Indonesia Autonomous Military Weapons Market



14. South Korea Autonomous Military Weapons Market



15. Western Europe Autonomous Military Weapons Market



16. UK Autonomous Military Weapons Market



17. Germany Autonomous Military Weapons Market



18. France Autonomous Military Weapons Market



19. Eastern Europe Autonomous Military Weapons Market



20. Russia Autonomous Military Weapons Market



21. North America Autonomous Military Weapons Market



22. USA Autonomous Military Weapons Market



23. South America Autonomous Military Weapons Market



24. Brazil Autonomous Military Weapons Market



25. Middle East Autonomous Military Weapons Market



26. Africa Autonomous Military Weapons Market



27. Autonomous Military Weapons Market Competitive Landscape And Company Profiles



28. Key Mergers And Acquisitions In The Autonomous Military Weapons Market



29. Autonomous Military Weapons Market Future Outlook and Potential Analysis



30. Appendix



Companies Mentioned

Lockheed Martin

Boeing

Raytheon

AVIC

CASC

Rostec

Israel Aerospace Industries

Elbit Systems

Rafael

STM

BAE Systems plc.

MBDA

General Dynamics Corporation

Textron Inc.

Northrop Grumman

Rheinmetall AG

KBP Instrument Design Bureau

Kongsberg Gruppen

NORINCO

Denel SOC Ltd.

Kalashnikov Concern

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/p481nk

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SOURCE Research and Markets
SAO PAULO, Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- AXENYA, a leading Latin-American digital health start-up company, and HealthCo, a premier data-intensive consulting firm and insurance broker, announce that they have reached an agreement to merge the companies into the leading corporate health-tech ecosystem in the Latin-American region.

The combined companies will serve over 35,000 lives and have the capacity to deliver value across the entire healthcare journey. The companies expect to more than double that number in the coming year. All founding and operating teams at HealthCo and Axenya will remain in the company and as shareholders of the new company, which will operate under the Axenya brand.

"The New Axenya marries the most advanced population data science with cutting edge, clinically proven, digital therapeutics", said Mariano Garcia-Valino, Founder of Axenya. "The combination creates an unbeatable ecosystem, where we can gather data to analyze large populations, identify care gaps and create perfectly targeted individual digital plans for each person, improving clinical metrics and reducing cost across the entire spectrum".

Axenya, that started operations in 2020, offers software and hardware products that expand the doctor's toolbox, allows them to help their patients achieve higher standards of health and make the overall practice of medicine more personalized and precise. The company is the first member of the Digital Therapeutic Alliance in Latin America and the only company in the region with clinical research published in peer-reviewed journals. HealthCo is one of the most advanced data-intensive healthcare brokers in the region and approaching 90 corporate clients. Their proprietary data analytics result in consistent savings for their client base.

The combination becomes a one stop shop to enable corporate clients to maximize quality and expense in all aspects of their healthcare needs: from population analytics, 24/7 monitoring and course correction, delivering individually selected next generation digital therapeutic tools and ultimately renegotiating fees with payors driven by the savings generated by its healthcare program. As a result, Axenya will deliver unparalleled clinical results, user satisfaction and cost savings.

"We now have a company that can deliver results like nobody else in the market", said Roberto Vianna, co-Founder of HealthCo. "Using a combination of software, technology, machine learning and behavioral and data science, Axenya can optimize the healthcare journey end-to-end, empowering companies and its employees with unbiased information, trusted guidance and high-value care, and delivering, at the same time, effective cost savings."

In combination with this merger, Axenya received a capital injection, led by IGAH ventures, and with participation of NXTP, Big_Bets, Alexia, Axenya's founder Mariano Garcia-Valino and several individual investors and employees.

ABOUT AXENYA

Axenya is a health technology company that seeks to connect Latin America with the future of medicine. With its digitally enhanced corporate health ecosystem, it offers and manages the most suitable healthcare plans in a digital, efficient and transparent fashion, protecting the employee's health, end to end, through all the journey. Integrating cutting edge software, hardware, artificial intelligence, intensive data-analysis and behavioral sciences, Axenya improves the efficiency in delivering health services, as well as expands the companies' toolbox and makes medicine more personal and precise, offering what is effectively a new care standard. The company delivers excellent patient satisfaction, superior clinic results and lower costs, improving the quality per dollar spent by companies while allowing access to modern medicine to all employees and dependents. www.axenya.com

MEDIA AND INVESTOR ENQUIRIES

Mariano Garcia-Valino / [email protected]

SOURCE Axenya Holdings Inc.
Discover, Share, Discuss NFT Content Seamlessly via Native Platform

LOS ANGELES, Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Based, a communication platform built around NFTs, today announced it raised $3.5M in pre-Seed funding in anticipation of its upcoming NFT release. The round was led by Progression Fund, a consumer fund focused on generational shifts. Additional investors include Hannah Grey, Collab+Currency, Palm Tree Crew, Franklin Templeton, GFR, and crypto-focused angels and influencers including SolBigBrain.

Based enables users to easily surface NFT content from their friends and communities to share between smaller token-gated groups and private chats. The platform's vision is to use NFTs to change how people build relationships in an increasingly digital-first world.

"NFTs are the most powerful membership technology created. But people don't belong to just one club, they belong to twenty." says Based cofounder Adam Lurie. "The future of these clubs is moving from monolithic communities to smaller, tight knit circles based on shared values and what's in your wallet. Based is building for the future of these NFT inner-circles."

Starting with Solana, Based's personalized feeds make it easy for users to see relevant NFT activity from their friends and groups as well as pertinent information from NFT projects they follow. In doing so, the platform reduces the tens of millions of SOL transactions a day to the dozens that users personally care about. Users can then easily share and discuss any of this content with their friends and NFT inner-circles.

"New technologies for human communication always birth new networks and platforms built for those networks," said Progression Partner Mark Linao. "We're excited by Based's vision to become the place where new personal web3 networks are built."

Based is launching with MKRS, a custom designed NFT collection that segments holders into micro-communities, creating an opportunity for deeper engagement between users within the app. By raising venture capital and building its own NFT community, Based joins a small number of web3 consumer apps developing a new hybrid model. Based's financing will fund core operations so NFT proceeds can be recycled back into the MKRS community. In doing so, the company can drive both a world class product and NFT community at the same time.

About Based

Based is where your NFT inner circles overlap. Discover important NFT moments as they happen and seamlessly share them with your sub-communities, alpha groups, and OG chats.

SOURCE Based


Battery Market In Telecommunication Industry Analysis: Major Growth Drivers

The following factors are expected to drive the growth of the market during the forecast period:

Increase in power consumption

Rising focus on green telecom towers

The rise in data usage

Battery Market In Telecommunication Industry Analysis: Major Trend

The declining Li-ion battery prices is a battery market in the telecommunication industry trend that is expected to have a positive impact in the coming years. Currently, the cost of Li-ion batteries is more than that of lead-acid batteries. However, Li-ion battery manufacturers are working on technological advances and are trying to reduce their prices. Over the past decade, the prices of Li-ion batteries dropped by nearly 80%. Companies are enhancing Li-ion batteries, which will lead to year-over-year cost reduction. The prices of batteries are expected to reduce further during the forecast period. Due to the factors mentioned above, there has been an increase in the use of Li-ion batteries.

To know about other drivers, trends, and challenges - Grab a FREE sample now!

Battery Market In Telecommunication Industry Analysis: Vendor Analysis

The battery market in the telecommunication industry is fragmented and the vendors are deploying organic and inorganic growth strategies to compete in the market. The battery market in telecommunication industry vendors is - Accumulatorenwerke HOPPECKE Carl Zoellner and Sohn GmbH, Amara Raja Group, Battrix Ltd., C and D Technologies Inc., Eagle Eye Power Solutions LLC, East Penn Manufacturing Co. Inc., EnerSys, ETERNITY TECHNOLOGIES FZ LLC, Exide Industries Ltd., GAZ Gerate und Akkumulatorenwerk Zwickau GmbH, GS Yuasa Corp., HBL Power Systems Ltd., Kung Long Batteries Industrial Co. Ltd., Leoch International Technology Ltd., LG Corp., MIDAC SpA, Panasonic Corp., Polarium Energy Solutions AB, Samsung SDI Co. Ltd., Star Battery Ltd., TotalEnergies SE, and Zhejiang Narada Power Source Co. Ltd. among others.

Accumulatorenwerke HOPPECKE Carl Zoellner and Sohn GmbH - The company offers batteries in the telecommunication industry such as net power.

To know about all major vendor offerings - Click Now!

Reasons to Buy Battery Market In Telecommunication Industry Report:

CAGR of the market during the forecast period 2021-2025

Detailed information on factors that will assist the battery market in telecommunication industry growth during the next five years

Estimation of the battery market in the telecommunication industry size and its contribution to the parent market

Predictions on upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior

The growth of the battery market in the telecommunication industry across APAC, North America , Europe , Middle East , Africa , and South America

, , , , and Analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information on vendors

Comprehensive details of factors that will challenge the growth of the battery market in telecommunication industry vendors

The competitive scenario provided in the Battery Market In Telecommunication Industry report analyzes, evaluates, and positions companies based on various performance indicators. Some of the factors considered for this analysis include the financial performance of companies over the past few years, growth strategies, product innovations, new product launches, investments, growth in market share, etc.Don't wait, Make a strategic approach & boost your business goals with our Battery Market In Telecommunication Industry Forecast Report - Buy Now!

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The marine battery market share is expected to increase to USD 604.14 million from 2021 to 2026, and the market's growth momentum will accelerate at a CAGR of 18.19%.

share is expected to increase to from 2021 to 2026, and the market's growth momentum will accelerate at a CAGR of 18.19%. The lead acid battery market in the US share is expected to increase to USD 939.46 million from 2021 to 2026, and the market's growth momentum will accelerate at a CAGR of 2.82%.

Battery Market In Telecommunication Industry Scope Report Coverage Details Page number 120 Base year 2021 Forecast period 2022-2026 Growth momentum & CAGR Accelerate at a CAGR of 13.45% Market growth 2022-2026 USD 5.95 billion Market structure Fragmented YoY growth (%) 11.29 Regional analysis APAC, North America, Europe, Middle East, Africa, and South America Performing market contribution APAC at 52% Key consumer countries US, China, India, Japan, and Germany Competitive landscape Leading companies, competitive strategies, consumer engagement scope Companies profiled Accumulatorenwerke HOPPECKE Carl Zoellner and Sohn GmbH, Amara Raja Group, Battrix Ltd., C and D Technologies Inc., Eagle Eye Power Solutions LLC, East Penn Manufacturing Co. Inc., EnerSys, ETERNITY TECHNOLOGIES FZ LLC, Exide Industries Ltd., GAZ Gerate und Akkumulatorenwerk Zwickau GmbH, GS Yuasa Corp., HBL Power Systems Ltd., Kung Long Batteries Industrial Co. Ltd., Leoch International Technology Ltd., LG Corp., MIDAC SpA, Panasonic Corp., Polarium Energy Solutions AB, Samsung SDI Co. Ltd., Star Battery Ltd., TotalEnergies SE, and Zhejiang Narada Power Source 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, market condition analysis for the forecast period, Customization purview If our report has not included the data you are looking for, you can reach out to our analysts and get customized segments.

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Table of Content

1 Executive Summary

1.1 Market Overview

Exhibit 01: Executive Summary  Chart on Market Overview



Exhibit 02: Executive Summary  Data Table on Market Overview



Exhibit 03: Executive Summary  Chart of Global Market Characteristics



Exhibit 04: Executive Summary  Chart of Market by Geography



Exhibit 05: Executive Summary  Chart on Market Segmentation by Product



Exhibit 06: Executive Summary  Chart on Incremental Growth



Exhibit 07: Executive Summary  Data Table on Incremental Growth



Exhibit 08: Executive Summary  Chart on Vendor Market Positioning

2 Market Landscape

2.1 Market ecosystem

Exhibit 09: Parent market



Exhibit 10: Market Characteristics

3 Market Sizing

3.1 Market Definition

Exhibit 11: Offerings of vendors included in the market definition

3.2 Market segment analysis

Exhibit 12: Market segments

3.3 Market size 2021

3.4 Market outlook: Forecast for 2021-2026

Exhibit 13: Chart on Global - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 14: Data Table on Global - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 15: Chart on Global Market: Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 16: Data Table on Global Market: Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

4 Five Forces Analysis

4.1 Five forces summary

Exhibit 17: Five forces analysis - Comparison between2021 and 2026

4.2 Bargaining power of buyers

Exhibit 18: Chart on the Bargaining power of buyers  Impact of key factors 2021 and 2026

4.3 Bargaining power of suppliers

Exhibit 19: Bargaining power of suppliers  Impact of key factors in 2021 and 2026

4.4 Threat of new entrants

Exhibit 20: Threat of new entrants  Impact of key factors in 2021 and 2026

4.5 Threat of substitutes

Exhibit 21: Threat of substitutes  Impact of key factors in 2021 and 2026

4.6 Threat of rivalry

Exhibit 22: Threat of rivalry  Impact of key factors in 2021 and 2026

4.7 Market condition

Exhibit 23: Chart on Market condition - Five forces 2021 and 2026

5 Market Segmentation by Product

5.1 Market segments

Exhibit 24: Chart on Product - Market share 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 25: Data Table on Product - Market share 2021-2026 (%)

5.2 Comparison by Product

Exhibit 26: Chart on Comparison by Product



Exhibit 27: Data Table on Comparison by Product

5.3 Lead-acid battery - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 28: Chart on Lead-acid battery - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 29: Data Table on Lead-acid battery - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 30: Chart on Lead-acid battery - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 31: Data Table on Lead-acid battery - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

5.4 Li-ion battery - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 32: Chart on Li-ion battery - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 33: Data Table on Li-ion battery - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 34: Chart on Li-ion battery - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 35: Data Table on Li-ion battery - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

5.5 Others - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 36: Chart on Others - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 37: Data Table on Others - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 38: Chart on Others - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 39: Data Table on Others - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

5.6 Market opportunity by Product

Exhibit 40: Market opportunity by Product ($ million)

6 Customer Landscape

6.1 Customer landscape overview

Exhibit 41: Analysis of price sensitivity, lifecycle, customer purchase basket, adoption rates, and purchase criteria

7 Geographic Landscape

7.1 Geographic segmentation

Exhibit 42: Chart on Market share by geography 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 43: Data Table on Market share by geography 2021-2026 (%)

7.2 Geographic comparison

Exhibit 44: Chart on Geographic comparison



Exhibit 45: Data Table on Geographic comparison

7.3 APAC - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 46: Chart on APAC - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 47: Data Table on APAC - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 48: Chart on APAC - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 49: Data Table on APAC - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

7.4 North America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 50: Chart on North America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 51: Data Table on North America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 52: Chart on North America - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

Exhibit 53: Data Table on North America - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

7.5 Europe - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 54: Chart on Europe - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 55: Data Table on Europe - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 56: Chart on Europe - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

Exhibit 57: Data Table on Europe - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

7.6 Middle East and Africa - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

and - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 58: Chart on Middle East and Africa - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

and - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 59: Data Table on Middle East and Africa - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

and - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 60: Chart on Middle East and Africa - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

and - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

Exhibit 61: Data Table on Middle East and Africa - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

7.7 South America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 62: Chart on South America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 63: Data Table on South America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 64: Chart on South America - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

Exhibit 65: Data Table on South America - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

7.8 China - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 66: Chart on China - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 67: Data Table on China - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 68: Chart on China - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

Exhibit 69: Data Table on China - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

7.9 US - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 70: Chart on the US - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 71: Data Table on the US - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 72: Chart on US - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 73: Data Table on the US - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

7.10 Japan - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 74: Chart on Japan - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 75: Data Table on Japan - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 76: Chart on Japan - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

Exhibit 77: Data Table on Japan - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

7.11 Germany - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 78: Chart on Germany - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 79: Data Table on Germany - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 80: Chart on Germany - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

Exhibit 81: Data Table on Germany - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

7.12 Market opportunity by geography

Exhibit 82: Market opportunity by geography ($ million)

8 Drivers, Challenges, and Trends

8.1 Market drivers

8.2 Market challenges

8.3 Impact of drivers and challenges

Exhibit 83: Impact of drivers and challenges in 2021 and 2026

8.4 Market trends

9 Vendor Landscape

9.1 Overview

9.2 Vendor landscape

Exhibit 84: Overview on Criticality of inputs and Factors of differentiation

9.3 Landscape disruption

Exhibit 85: Overview on factors of disruption

9.4 Industry risks

Exhibit 86: Impact of key risks on business

10 Vendor Analysis

10.1 Vendors covered

Exhibit 87: Vendors covered

10.2 Market positioning of vendors

Exhibit 88: Matrix on vendor position and classification

10.3 Accumulatorenwerke HOPPECKE Carl Zoellner and Sohn GmbH

Exhibit 89: Accumulatorenwerke HOPPECKE Carl Zoellner and Sohn GmbH - Overview



Exhibit 90: Accumulatorenwerke HOPPECKE Carl Zoellner and Sohn GmbH - Product / Service



Exhibit 91: Accumulatorenwerke HOPPECKE Carl Zoellner and Sohn GmbH - Key offerings

10.4 Amara Raja Group

Exhibit 92: Amara Raja Group - Overview



Exhibit 93: Amara Raja Group - Business segments



Exhibit 94: Amara Raja Group - Key offerings



Exhibit 95: Amara Raja Group - Segment focus

10.5 C and D Technologies Inc.

Exhibit 96: C and D Technologies Inc. - Overview



Exhibit 97: C and D Technologies Inc. - Product / Service



Exhibit 98: C and D Technologies Inc. - Key offerings

10.6 East Penn Manufacturing Co. Inc.

Exhibit 99: East Penn Manufacturing Co. Inc. - Overview



Exhibit 100: East Penn Manufacturing Co. Inc. - Product / Service



Exhibit 101: East Penn Manufacturing Co. Inc. - Key news



Exhibit 102: East Penn Manufacturing Co. Inc. - Key offerings

10.7 EnerSys

Exhibit 103: EnerSys - Overview



Exhibit 104: EnerSys - Business segments



Exhibit 105: EnerSys - Key news



Exhibit 106: EnerSys - Key offerings



Exhibit 107: EnerSys - Segment focus

10.8 Exide Industries Ltd.

Exhibit 108: Exide Industries Ltd. - Overview



Exhibit 109: Exide Industries Ltd. - Business segments



Exhibit 110: Exide Industries Ltd. - Key offerings



Exhibit 111: Exide Industries Ltd. - Segment focus

10.9 GS Yuasa Corp.

Exhibit 112: GS Yuasa Corp. - Overview



Exhibit 113: GS Yuasa Corp. - Business segments



Exhibit 114: GS Yuasa Corp. - Key news



Exhibit 115: GS Yuasa Corp. - Key offerings



Exhibit 116: GS Yuasa Corp. - Segment focus

10.10 Leoch International Technology Ltd.

Exhibit 117: Leoch International Technology Ltd. - Overview



Exhibit 118: Leoch International Technology Ltd. - Business segments



Exhibit 119: Leoch International Technology Ltd. - Key offerings



Exhibit 120: Leoch International Technology Ltd. - Segment focus

10.11 Panasonic Corp.

Exhibit 121: Panasonic Corp. - Overview



Exhibit 122: Panasonic Corp. - Business segments



Exhibit 123: Panasonic Corp. - Key offerings



Exhibit 124: Panasonic Corp. - Segment focus

10.12 TotalEnergies SE

Exhibit 125: TotalEnergies SE - Overview



Exhibit 126: TotalEnergies SE - Business segments



Exhibit 127: TotalEnergies SE - Key news



Exhibit 128: TotalEnergies SE - Key offerings



Exhibit 129: TotalEnergies SE - Segment focus

11 Appendix

11.1 Scope of the report

11.2 Inclusions and exclusions checklist

Exhibit 130: Inclusions checklist



Exhibit 131: Exclusions checklist

11.3 Currency conversion rates for US$

Exhibit 132: Currency conversion rates for US$

11.4 Research methodology

Exhibit 133: Research methodology



Exhibit 134: Validation techniques employed for market sizing



Exhibit 135: Information sources

11.5 List of abbreviations

Exhibit 136: List of abbreviations

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SOURCE Technavio
EAST STROUDSBURG, Pa. and DUBAI, UAE, Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Black Buffalo 3D Corporation has announced a strategic partnership agreement with Presidio, granting Presidio Advisors distribution rights for Black Buffalo 3D's NEXCON 3D construction printers, structural inks and related equipment in the Middle East. This partnership strengthens the ability of Black Buffalo 3D to address growing global demand for its large-scale 3D construction equipment and materials.

BB3D's modular NEXCON 3D construction printer show configured to single story height at the PA headquarters. Black Buffalo 3D signs partnership with Presidio for distribution rights and support for the Middle East Region.

Black Buffalo 3D continues to establish itself as a leader in construction technology and materials science. Over the past few years, the company has developed large scale modular 3D construction printers and the world's first structural concrete "ink" designed to meet requirements for ICC-ES AC-509 testing. Black Buffalo 3D continues to innovate its equipment and materials to increase 3D printing adoption in the construction industry. The company's NEXCON printers are being sold currently, and partnerships such as this will accelerate adoption of this new technology globally.

Presidio is focused on innovation in the real estate and construction sector, including leveraging technology, robotics and blockchain to modernize and scale the industry. Presidio supports rapid, lower cost construction and sustainable development. Their initial regional focus will be on the Saudi, Turkey, North Africa, UAE, and Egyptian markets.

"Presidio brings with it a wealth of expertise in sales, distribution, and promotion of new technology in the Middle East." states Michael Woods, CEO/COO of Black Buffalo 3D. "This agreement will allow us to better serve companies looking to move into 3D construction with local representation and support as we grow Black Buffalo 3D's global footprint."

Presidio's Chief of Innovation Jourdan Younis states, "The Middle East has a huge demand for efficient, low-cost sustainable housing development. Presidio's 15+ years of expertise in innovative sustainable construction and technical design in the region make Presidio and Black Buffalo ideal partners to further the global expansion of the company. We will meet this demand head-on with the rapid scaling and deployment of 3D construction printers and technology."

About Black Buffalo 3D Corporation

Black Buffalo 3D Corporation (https://www.bb3d.io) is the PA based subsidiary of Big Sun Holdings Group, Inc.with locations in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York. Black Buffalo 3D is poised to revolutionize construction and become the leading global provider of 3D construction printers (3DCP) from one to 3 stories, proprietary construction "ink" (Planitop 3D) and 3D print construction consulting services. NEXCON printers are now available for rent, lease, financing, and purchase globally. Print smart and sustainable infrastructure on-demand with Black Buffalo 3D NEXCON printers.

Media contact:

Peter Cooperman

[email protected]

(646) 491-9860

About Presidio Advisors DWC, LLC

Presidio' Advisors' (https://www.presidioinvest.com) Venture Capital and Advisory teams give us the opportunity to work with people who mirror our commitment to transforming the Built Environment. Presidio is a leader in using and investing in companies that utilize Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning, and robotics to help revolutionize the way we think about buildings and sustainability. We do this by consulting for and partnering with highly promising companies that are changing their industries in the EMEA region. Presidio specializes in the CleanTech, PropTech and renewable energy sectors, and has a wealth of experience in supporting early-stage existing businesses and in facilitating the growth of pioneering projects.

Media Contact:

Presidio Advisors DWC, LLC

Camilla af Hallstrom

+971 50 713 4582

[email protected]

SOURCE Black Buffalo 3D Corporation
Boss Women Media and Capital One team up once more to encourage women to take ownership of their careers and financial futures

DALLAS, Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Boss Women Media's Black Girl Magic Digital Summit is returning for its fourth consecutive year of programming and is set to premiere on Saturday, August 27 on Prime Video. The digital summit aims to educate, empower and equip Black women, and will celebrate and support thousands of global attendees, including a network of corporate professionals, entrepreneurs and student changemakers.

The programming, a Boss Women Media production, was pre-recorded in Los Angeles in late July at Brigid Coulter's Blackbird House . Female students from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) across the country, as well as professional leaders in an array of industries, joined in person at Blackbird House as the live audience. The women in attendance were able to meet with speakers and influencers, as well as network with each other, allowing for a day full of connections and conversations.

"We are on a mission to provide Black women with the tools and education they need to take the next steps toward having more," said Marty McDonald, Founder and CEO of Boss Women Media. "The Black Girl Magic Digital Summit is a pivotal part of this mission as it gives us the stage and presence to amplify critical conversations and poignant messages. We are honored to have partnered with Capital One again for this year's digital summit. Their team has been a steadfast ally over the years, and we can't wait to see the magic from this digital summit reach more Black women than ever before."

Key speakers for this year's digital summit include Allyson Felix, Meena Harris, Aurora James, Meagan Good, and more. Boss Women Media also partnered with Tai Beauchamp, Lady Jade, Codie Oliver, and Mattie James as Brand Ambassadors for this important initiative. Each of these influential women will be hosting watch parties in their respective cities (Los Angeles, Dallas, Atlanta) to promote the premiere of the digital summit and support Black women in their communities.

Empowering Black Women Through Impactful Conversations

For the fourth consecutive year, Capital One teamed up with Boss Women Media for the digital summit, activating its network of executives, community partners, as well as finance and career experts to discuss topics related to financial well-being, career development, advancing socioeconomic mobility, small business success, and more.

"At Capital One, we value the powerful impact Black women have on the workplace, economy and our society," said Theresita Richard, Managing Vice President of Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging at Capital One. "We are honored to partner with Boss Women Media again this year to open empowering conversations around career growth, financial well-being, and entrepreneurship."

The partnership is an extension of Capital One's Impact Initiative , a multi-year commitment which invests in underserved communities and businesses, and supports organizations that expand economic opportunity.

Capital One Business will also sponsor the Black Girl Magic Summit Pitch Competition, providing $100,000 in grants to three female-owned small businesses, up from $50,000 in 2021. Applications will be accepted between now and August 12. To learn more, visit www.BossWomen.org/BlackGirlMagic.

The digital summit is free and open to the general public. The first 1500 registrants will receive a Boss Box complete with products from Amazon.

For more information on Boss Women Media, and Capital One's involvement in the Black Girl Magic Digital Summit, visit www.BossWomen.org/BlackGirlMagic, and watch the premiere on Saturday, August 27 via Prime Video.

About Boss Women Media

Boss Women Media is an online membership platform & offline women's empowerment & educational community. We create event experiences for women to connect through summits, conferences, and networking opportunities. For more information on Boss Women Media and its initiatives visit www.BossWomen.org .

About Capital One

Capital One Financial Corporation ( www.capitalone.com ) is a financial holding company whose subsidiaries, which include Capital One, N.A., and Capital One Bank (USA), N.A., had $313.4 billion in deposits and $434.2 billion in total assets as of March 31, 2022. Headquartered in McLean, Virginia, Capital One offers a broad spectrum of financial products and services to consumers, small businesses and commercial clients through a variety of channels. Capital One, N.A. has branches located primarily in New York, Louisiana, Texas, Maryland, Virginia, New Jersey and the District of Columbia. A Fortune 500 company, Capital One trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "COF" and is included in the S&P 100 index.

SOURCE Boss Women Media
FRAMINGHAM, Mass., Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Boston Heart Diagnostics Corporation, a clinical laboratory within the Eurofins network of companies, announced its launch today of a broad range of tests with a dried blood spot collection. The sample is collected at home or in a healthcare provider's office using drops of blood from a fingertip, applied onto special paper, and shipped to the laboratory in a prepaid mailer for analysis.

Boston Heart is poised to become a world leader in dried bloodspot testing for a broad range of applications including cardiovascular risk factors, type 2 diabetes, and wellness assessments for cognitive, nutritional, women's, and men's health. These innovative and convenient tests, available to healthcare providers and their patients, are especially valuable when venous blood draws are inconvenient or inaccessible. Boston Heart dried bloodspot testing is a highly accurate and reliable process, has been extensively validated, and has an average correlation of 96% with liquid venous blood.

Healthcare providers can order clinically curated test panels, and further customize them or create their own custom panels from over 40 biomarker options. A kit is provided to the patient containing clear instructions and everything needed for self-collection of blood from a fingertip, which dries on a special collection card. The patient then mails the sample to the laboratory using a provided prepaid mailer where the sample is analyzed using highly accurate and precise state-of-the-art equipment and confidentially reported via a secure portal. Results are typically reported within a week after collection.

Healthcare providers can gain access to this testing for patients by signing up with Boston Heart at no charge by calling Boston Heart Customer Care at 877.425.1252 or emailing [email protected].

To learn more about dried blood spot testing visit Boston Heart Diagnostics at: https://bostonheartdiagnostics.com/providers-dried-blood-spot-testing/

About Boston Heart Diagnostics Corporation

Boston Heart Diagnostics ("BHD"), a subsidiary of Eurofins Scientific (EUFI.PA), is transforming the treatment of cardiovascular disease and related conditions by providing healthcare providers and their patients with novel, personalized diagnostics and integrated customized lifestyle programs that have the power to change the way clinicians and patients communicate about disease and improve health.

For more information on Boston Heart Diagnostics, please visit www.BostonHeartDiagnostics.com

SOURCE Boston Heart Diagnostics
TORONTO, Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Braxia Scientific Corp. ("Braxia", or the "Company"), (CSE: BRAX) (OTC: BRAXF) (FSE: 4960), a leader in the treatment and research of mental health conditions, is pleased to announce it has acquired 100% of the issued and outstanding stock of KetaMD, Inc. ("KetaMD") (the "Transaction"). KetaMD is a U.S. based, privately-held, innovative telemedicine company, with a mission to address mental health challenges via access to technology-facilitated ketamine-based treatments.

KetaMD Logo (CNW Group/Braxia Scientific Corp.)

KetaMD's end-to-end telemedicine platform, utilizing leading technology, provides access to safe, affordable, and potentially life-changing at-home ketamine treatments for people suffering from depression and related mental health conditions. Treatments are medically supervised, guided virtually by registered nurses with mental health expertise, and backed by the world's leading psychiatrists and researchers in depression. KetaMD's integration of ketamine and telemedicine is guided by best practices and treatment guidance.

With the acquisition of KetaMD, Braxia provides a compelling and differentiated value proposition. KetaMD's innovative technology capabilities provides Braxia the opportunity to offer both patient-centric in-person and digital telehealth ketamine treatments, combined with established clinical research and development capabilities focused on the commercialization and real-world implementation of novel pharmaceuticals. Braxia plans to further augment tools and capabilities of the KetaMD platform, including planning new clinical trials in the U.S. and leveraging Braxia's growing proprietary patient dataset, with patient outcomes, to support potential future development of digital therapeutics in the management of depression and other related mental health conditions.

"Today marks a notable step forward in bringing awareness, accessibility and scalability of the benefits of ketamine and psychedelics generally for those suffering from depression and other mood disorders," says Dr. Roger McIntyre, CEO, Braxia Scientific. "We've seen improved outcomes firsthand from ketamine treatment in our clinics and in our clinical trials. Adding digital telehealth capabilities through KetaMD's highly anticipated online and mobile platform strengthens our position to lead the medical use of evidence-based psychedelics, while accelerating our ability to get treatment to those in need, safely and quickly across the U.S. and Canada, and globally in the future. I'm delighted the KetaMD leadership will be bringing their immeasurable talents as key leaders in the organization and as Braxia shareholders."

KetaMD is currently available in the State of Florida but a roll-out to other key states is planned in 2022.

KetaMD joins Braxia to create an important mental healthcare solution that will be easily accessible to people living with depression, many who often don't leave their homes. The highly scalable KetaMD platform will allow trained medical professionals to connect to more patients, addressing the urgent unmet need of millions suffering with mental health conditions, and the growing shortage of mental health specialists in the U.S. According to World Psychiatry journal, the U.S. was short 4 million mental health specialists at the end of 2020, with 115 million people lacking access to mental healthcare services, trained mental health specialists, physicians, and psychiatrists.

Braxia's acquisition of KetaMD addresses this access gap, enabling Braxia to reach more people in need by uniting in-person clinics with telemedicine for innovative, effective, and legal treatments.

KetaMD was founded by psychedelic pioneers Zappy Zapolin and Warren Gumpel, along with mindfulness instructor and brand experience expert Kaia Roman and the company's President and Chief Operating Officer, Leann Taylor. The team are dedicated to helping those suffering from debilitating mental health issues find relief through ketamine and other novel psychedelic medicines.

Zappy Zapolin, Co-Founder of KetaMD, commented, "Following the acquisition of KetaMD, Braxia is a well positioned vertically-integrated psychedelic medicine company. Combined, Braxia and KetaMD now have operations ranging from clinics to bioscience R&D to an at-home telemedicine platform, overseen by Dr. McIntyre, one of the foremost authorities in mood disorders and treatments."

Warren Gumpel, CEO and Co-Founder of KetaMD commented, "The KetaMD team is honored to have the opportunity to work with Dr. McIntyre, Dr. Rosenblat, and a world's leading research team in the area of depression and mood disorders. I believe this will be the key distinguishing factor in KetaMD's success."

Daniel Herrera, Braxia VP of R&D and Growth added, "The KetaMD team have created a company and brand that we believe will connect and resonate with so many people in the rapidly growing mental health space. The combination of Braxia's mental health clinical expertise and KetaMD's digital platform, we believe, will quickly increase access to treatment for people suffering from mental health disorders, positioning the company as a leading provider of safe, affordable, at-home ketamine treatment in the U.S. and Canada. This alliance also allows for innovation in clinical research and scaling of access to experimental therapeutics in this patient population."

The Mental Health Challenge and Telehealth Solution

Mental health conditions impact over one billion people worldwide annually, with depression representing the leading cause of disability across the globe. One-in-five people in the U.S. live with depression. Studies show that nearly 35 percent of people with depression do not have access to the pharmacy, treatments, and innovative therapies that could lead to more positive outcomes. Also, in 2020, 80 percent of physicians indicated they had taken part in virtual visits, up from 22 percent the year before ( Amwell Research ), and 40 percent of consumers indicated in a recent McKinsey report that they will continue to use telehealth services post - COVID ( McKinsey report - July 2021 ).

Transaction Highlights

Under the terms of the share purchase agreement in respect of the Transaction, Braxia acquired 100% of the common stock of KetaMD on the following terms:

Holders of KetaMD common stock ("KetaMD Common Shareholders") were issued 42,144,629 Braxia common shares (the "Consideration Shares"), representing approximately 17.5% of the total issued Braxia common shares on a post-closing basis;





approximately 80.6% of the Consideration Shares are subject to a contractual lock-up, with such Consideration Shares being released in 6-month increments until the final release occurring in 18 months;





The KetaMD Common Shareholders will potentially also receive up to 21,915,207 Braxia common shares (the "Earnout Shares") in the event that (A) the market capitalization of Braxia reaches certain sustainable levels during the period ending on the fifth anniversary of the closing of the Transaction and/or (B) KetaMD achieves certain gross income and EBITDA milestones over the three fiscal years following closing of the Transaction. If issued, the Earnout Shares would represent 8.3% of the issued and outstanding Braxia common shares on a post-closing basis;





The KetaMD Common Shareholders have entered into a voting support arrangement with Braxia pursuant to which they have agreed to support proposed nominees of the board and other shareholder resolutions recommended by the board of Braxia;





Certain existing noteholders of KetaMD were issued approximately $2.94 million of convertible debentures of Braxia (the "Debentures") due December 31, 2023 (the "Maturity Date") in exchange for the cancellation of the KetaMD notes, which will provide a conversion right into Braxia common shares at the option of the holder and mandatory conversion by Braxia if not converted or repaid prior to the Maturity Date. The Debentures may also be prepaid or redeemed at the option of Braxia. The conversion price for optional conversion by the holder will be based on the benchmark price of $0.10 per Braxia common share (the "Benchmark Price"). The conversion price for mandatory conversion by Braxia on the Maturity Date is $0.15 per share which is 150% higher than the closing price of the Braxia common shares on the Canadian Securities Exchange (the "CSE") on August 2, 2022 , the trading day prior to this announcement, of $0.06 per share.





of convertible debentures of Braxia (the "Debentures") due (the "Maturity Date") in exchange for the cancellation of the KetaMD notes, which will provide a conversion right into Braxia common shares at the option of the holder and mandatory conversion by Braxia if not converted or repaid prior to the Maturity Date. The Debentures may also be prepaid or redeemed at the option of Braxia. The conversion price for optional conversion by the holder will be based on the benchmark price of per Braxia common share (the "Benchmark Price"). The conversion price for mandatory conversion by Braxia on the Maturity Date is per share which is than the closing price of the Braxia common shares on the Canadian Securities Exchange (the "CSE") on , the trading day prior to this announcement, of per share. Holders of the Debentures will be entitled to convert a portion of their holdings into Braxia common shares as follows:





33% of the principal amount may be converted into Braxia common shares at a price equal to the Benchmark Price prior to December 15, 2023 ;





;

33% of the principal amount may be converted into Braxia common shares at a price equal to 150% of the Benchmark Price, or $0.15 per share, prior to December 15, 2023 ; and





of the Benchmark Price, or per share, prior to ; and

34% of the outstanding principal amount may be converted into Braxia common shares at a price equal to 200% of the Benchmark Price, or $0.20 per share, prior to December 15, 2023 .





of the Benchmark Price, or per share, prior to . The Debentures contain a mandatory cash prepayment obligation in the event Braxia raises USD $10 million in equity capital prior to the Maturity Date.

Based on the closing price of the Braxia common shares on the CSE on Tuesday August 2, 2022, the total value of the consideration paid for KetaMD, including the amount of USD $619,000 invested in the KetaMD Notes, but excluding the value of the Earnout Shares, the timing and issuance of which is uncertain, is approximately $6,262,902. Following the Transaction, there are no KetaMD notes outstanding, other than those held by Braxia.

KetaMD will remain its own standalone brand under the Braxia umbrella and will operate initially in the United States.

KetaMD is now available for clients in Florida, the first state where services are currently offered. KetaMD expects to launch its offering in California, New York, Texas, Colorado, and Washington in 2022, and plans to continue to expand throughout the United States.

Warren Gumpel will continue as CEO of KetaMD and Leann Taylor will continue as President and COO. Both have signed employment agreements. Ms. Taylor will join the board of Braxia following the closing. Zappy Zapolin and Kaia Roman will remain with KetaMD as advisors.

KetaMD Company Highlights

KetaMD's mission is to expand access and awareness to psychedelic medicine treatment to as many as possible at a time when mental health issues are devastating people across the world.





KetaMD's secure, HIPAA-compliant telemedicine platform is designed for clients to connect with medical professionals for diagnosis and prescribed treatments, with all treatments guided virtually by registered nurses.





KetaMD founders include Zappy Zapolin , well-known "psychedelic concierge to the stars", co-founder and CEO Warren Gumpel , leading advocate in the ketamine space, Chief Experience Officer Kaia Roman , a certified mindfulness instructor and bestselling author of The Joy Plan, with 20 years of brand experience work in Silicon Valley, and President and Chief Operating Officer, Leann Taylor , who has a track record of building and scaling business at multiple companies including Caliva, Warner Music Group and Gartner, Inc.





, well-known "psychedelic concierge to the stars", co-founder and CEO , leading advocate in the ketamine space, Chief Experience Officer , a certified mindfulness instructor and bestselling author of The Joy Plan, with 20 years of brand experience work in Silicon Valley, and President and Chief Operating Officer, , who has a track record of building and scaling business at multiple companies including Caliva, Warner Music Group and Gartner, Inc. Zapolin and Gumpel also founded The Ketamine Fund , a non-profit organization that has donated over 500 free, medically-supervised ketamine treatments to veterans suffering from PTSD, substantially reducing their depression and suicidal ideation.





, a non-profit organization that has donated over 500 free, medically-supervised ketamine treatments to veterans suffering from PTSD, substantially reducing their depression and suicidal ideation. KetaMD's expert medical team is led by several of the world's leading depression researchers and practitioners, including Dr. Joshua Rosenblat , Medical Director at Braxia, Dr. Daniel Kang , Chief Medical Officer at KetaMD, Dr. Sanjiv Chopra , Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School , Dr. Yousif A-Rahim , Chief Medical Officer at Covenant Physical Partners, and Dr. Edward Pearson , Medical Director at KMD Medical Group.

Braxia Scientific Company Highlights:

Braxia led by CEO, Dr. Roger McIntyre , is a world-renowned researcher, psychiatrist, and pharmacologist. He has been involved in more than 750 published research articles centered around the treatment of mental health disorders.





, is a world-renowned researcher, psychiatrist, and pharmacologist. He has been involved in more than 750 published research articles centered around the treatment of mental health disorders. Braxia opened the first community-based clinic in Canada offering IV and oral ketamine treatments for depression in 2018. To date, the Company has expanded to five clinics across Ontario and Quebec with over 100 mental health medical professionals.





offering IV and oral ketamine treatments for depression in 2018. To date, the Company has expanded to five clinics across and with over 100 mental health medical professionals. Braxia's clinics have administered more than 6,000 ketamine treatments to date across a growing patient base in Canada .





. As lead author of the " International Expert Opinion on the Available Evidence and Implementation of Ketamine and Esketamine in Mood Disorders", published in the American Journal of Psychiatry in March 2021 , Dr. McIntyre established the protocols for the use of ketamine for the treatment of mood disorders.





published in the American Journal of Psychiatry in , Dr. McIntyre established the protocols for the use of ketamine for the treatment of mood disorders. Braxia is a global leader in the clinical research of ketamine and psilocybin. Braxia is its own Clinical Research Organization (CRO), giving it the ability to efficiently carryout clinical trials with new rapid acting treatments including trials to document the benefits of mood disorder psychedelics such as ketamine and psilocybin.





First ever company to conduct a Health Canada-approved multiple-dose psilocybin clinical trial. First patients were dosed in November 2021 and Company reported positive preliminary results that effectively demonstrated the feasibility of Braxia's proprietary psilocybin-assisted therapy protocol with high rates of recruitment and retention with adequate tolerability and safety.





First patients were dosed in and Company reported positive preliminary results that effectively demonstrated the feasibility of Braxia's proprietary psilocybin-assisted therapy protocol with high rates of recruitment and retention with adequate tolerability and safety. Braxia was also first to receive Health Canada approval under a Special Access Program ("SAP") to provide psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy to a patient with Major Depressive Disorder in Ontario . Braxia has since received SAP approvals for additional patients.





. Braxia has since received SAP approvals for additional patients. Braxia team has registered and conducted 11 clinical trials in depression to date (Source: https://clinicaltrials.gov ).





). Overall, the Braxia executive team has extensive research experience with 756 peer-reviewed publications to their credit, including 52 ketamine-related peer-reviewed publications, four psilocybin-related peer-reviewed publications and 507 depression-related peer-reviewed publications (Source: National Library of Medicine/ pubmed.gov ).





). The amassed library of Braxia attributed research ranks the Company in the 99.2nd percentile of the top 500 global researchers in ketamine and depression, and 99.8th percentile of the top 500 global researchers in mood disorders, a category in which Dr. McIntyre is ranked 1st in the world according to Expertscape.

About KetaMD

KetaMD is a HIPAA-compliant telemedicine platform providing affordable and potentially life-changing at-home medical ketamine treatments. Prescribed by medical professionals and guided by registered nurses via our secure platform, KetaMD is a safe and effective alternative for the millions of adults that currently rely on conventional mental health treatments to relieve depression, anxiety, and related mental health challenges. Our mission is to make this treatment safely accessible to those who need it across the United States. Through KetaMD's program, adults who receive a qualifying diagnosis from one of our licensed medical prescribers may participate in our fully virtual program. For more information, visit www.ketamd.com.

About Braxia Scientific Corp.

Braxia Scientific is a medical research company with clinics that provide innovative ketamine treatments for persons with depression and related disorders. Through its medical solutions, Braxia aims to reduce the illness burden of brain-based mental disorders such as major depressive disorder among others. Braxia is primarily focused on (i) owning and operating multidisciplinary clinics, providing treatment for mental health disorders, and (ii) research activities related to discovering and commercializing novel drugs and delivery methods. Braxia seeks to develop ketamine and derivatives and other psychedelic products from its IP development platform. Through its wholly owned subsidiary, the Canadian Rapid Treatment Center of Excellence Inc., Braxia currently operates multidisciplinary community-based clinics offering rapid-acting treatments for depression located in Mississauga, Toronto, Ottawa, and Montreal. For more information, visit www.braxiascientific.com or www.braxiahealth.com.

The CSE has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the accuracy or adequacy of this release.

Forward-looking Information Cautionary Statement

This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws. All statements that are not historical facts, future estimates, plans, programs, forecasts, projections, objectives, assumptions, expectations, or beliefs of future performance are "forward-looking statements."

Forward-looking statements include statements about the intended promise of ketamine-based or other psychedelic treatments for depression, the potential for ketamine or other psychedelics to treat other mental health conditions, the integration plans for Braxia and KetaMD, the intention to conduct further clinical trials, the expected growth of at-home telemedicine, the expected benefit and synergies of the Transaction, the issuance of Earnout Shares, the expectation to expand to areas other than Florida, and expected changes to the board of Braxia. 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. Such risks and uncertainties include, among others, the failure of ketamine, psilocybin and other psychedelics to provide the expected health benefits and unanticipated side effects, dependence on obtaining and maintaining regulatory approvals, including acquiring and renewing federal, provincial, municipal, local or other licenses and engaging in activities that could be later determined to be illegal under domestic or international laws. Ketamine and psilocybin are currently Schedule I and Schedule III controlled substances, respectively, under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, S.C. 1996, c. 19 (the "CDSA") and it is a criminal offence to possess such substances under the CDSA without a prescription or a legal exemption. Health Canada has not approved psilocybin as a drug for any indication, however ketamine is a legally permissible medication for the treatment of certain psychological conditions. It is illegal to possess such substances in Canada without a prescription. These factors should be considered carefully, and readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements.

Although the Company 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. Additional information identifying risks and uncertainties that could affect financial results is contained in the Company's filings with Canadian securities regulators, including the Amended and Restated Listing Statement dated April 15, 2021 and its most recent MD&A, which are available at www.sedar.com. 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.

SOURCE Braxia Scientific Corp.
Award-Winning Fast-Casual Restaurant Franchises Sign Deal with Restaurant as a Service to Develop Ghost Kitchens in So. Cal, Oregon and Washington State

LAS VEGAS, August 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- In a revolutionary move, two of the nation's premiere fast-casual restaurant franchises announced a partnership today with RaaS (Restaurant as a Service), a management company designed to help restaurants grow their brands via a ghost kitchen model. This news comes not long after both Capriotti's Sandwich Shop and Wing Zone unveiled aggressive development plans that will expand each brand's brick and mortar footprint in states across the country. The RaaS deal demonstrates yet another move towards industry dominance within both the sandwich and wing categories.

RaaS supports existing restaurant concepts by managing operations inside a ghost kitchen facility. The group partners with distinctive and celebrated brands to help them operate profitably by leveraging experience and maximizing revenue within the delivery channel. Since 2017, RaaS's primary focus has been fulfilling demand and helping expanding its partner brands to new territories. This most recent deal with Capriotti's and Wing Zone began with the acquisition of two ghost kitchens in Los Angeles, followed closely by the development of two more location in the LA market. The acquisitions are complete and RaaS will have the ghost kitchen locations in Anaheim and Glendale, California open by the end of July. The next round of development for RaaS will be in the Bay area, where there will be a total of three ghost kitchens open in San Mateo, San Jose and Oakland by the end of the month as well.

"RaaS is the pre-eminent management company for ghost kitchens and we are eager to partner with an industry-leader to help expand our brands into even more territories across the country," said David Bloom, Chief Development and Operating Officer for Capriotti's and Wing Zone. "While we believe our brick-and-mortar locations are unmatched in the fast-casual space, both Capriotti's and Wing Zone have proven to be successful ghost kitchen operations as well and we are eager to employ both means of operations to ensure consumers nationwide are provided the opportunity to experience the difference first-hand."

RaaS operates its own brands, including Gabriella's Pizza, @Flowers, Los Pollos Hermanos, Pizzaoki, and Crumbs,

However, the development agreement with Capriotti's and Wing Zone represents a unique move for the company as they are just beginning to partner with franchise brands. In addition to development in Southern California, Capriotti's and Wing Zone will also work together with Raas to expand throughout Oregon and Washington state, respectively. Pacific Coast growth will be a primary focus for the remainder of 2022, as well as 2023, when the partnership will begin looking at additional opportunities across the Midwest and Sunbelt.

"Capriotti's is an ideal partner to help anchor our ghost kitchen units given it's standing as best in category and we are excited to help expand it and the Wing Zone brand into new locations," said Drew Padnick, President of RaaS.

Outside of recent developments with RaaS, both brands have maintained strong sales and continue to attract investors in markets across the country. Capriotti's celebrated its 46th birthday in June, taking time to commemorate having been named one of the top 25 most successful brands on Fast Casual's 2022 Top 100 Movers & Shakers list. The brand ranked No. 24 this year, marking its third consecutive year appearing on the prestigious industry listing. The brand was also named one of the Top Workplaces by the Las Vegas Review-Journal this year, making it the third year in a row that the franchise was ranked by their employees as being one of the best brands to work for in Nevada. Just as well, the International Franchise Association (IFA) named Javier Gomez, franchisee of Capriotti's in Fresno, California, as Franchisee of the Year for 2022.

Capriotti's AUV remains impressive with the top 25 percent averaging over $1.3 million, with contributions from newly-opened stores in 2022 producing a sales average of 50 percent higher than the brand's AUV of $994,847. Wing Zone's AUV of $1,017,337 continues to attract potential franchisees- the proof being the development pipeline surpassing 130 stores since 2021

Last month, the award-winning wing franchise launched the first Wing Zone 2.0 location in Las Vegas, positioning the brand for future growth by creating a unique experience for wing fanatics with its innovative, customer-facing technology to provide a fresh take on the dining experience. In the realm of innovation, Wing Zone is also opening the first robotic outfitted ghost kitchen this August in Pasadena, California, an attractive move for potential franchisees given its low-operating costs and high sale expectancy. In addition, the brand will open its first robotic outfitted ghost kitchen in Pasadena, California on August 15th.

Founded in 1976, Capriotti's is most famous for its 40-year nightly tradition of slow-roasting whole, all-natural turkeys in-house and hand-shredding them each morning to feature in a variety of subs. This includes The Bobbie, the shop's acclaimed best-seller, made with homemade turkey, cranberry sauce, stuffing, and mayo on a soft roll. Founded in 1993, Wing Zone is an international fast-casual restaurant franchise known for its cooked-to-order, flavor-fused chicken wings, and tenders. Both brands are backed by a corporate leadership team that offers a continuous support program for franchise partners through online and field programs, which provides significant support for marketing, retail sales, operations, and growth strategies through every stage of their ownership.

For more information about the Capriotti's franchise opportunity, please visit http://www.ownacapriottis.com. For more information about the Wing Zone franchise opportunity, please visit https://wingzonefranchise.com/.

About Capriotti's Sandwich Shop

Founded in 1976, Capriotti's Sandwich Shop is an award-winning national franchised restaurant chain that remains true to its 40-year tradition of slow-roasting whole, all-natural turkeys in-house every day. Capriotti's cold, grilled, and vegetarian subs, cheesesteaks and salads are available at more than 175 locations across the United States. Capriotti's signature sub, The Bobbie, was voted "The Greatest Sandwich in America" by thousands of readers across the country, as reported by AOL.com. Capriotti's fans can also download the CAPAddicts Rewards app for iOS and Android, where they can earn and redeem rewards. Capriotti's plans to grow to over 500 locations by 2025 and was ranked on Fast Casual's Top Movers & Shakers List each of the last three years (2020-22). For more information, visit capriottis.com. Like Capriotti's on Facebook, follow on Twitter or Instagram.

About Wing Zone

Founded in 1993, Wing Zone is an international fast-casual restaurant franchise known for its cooked-to-order, flavor-fused chicken wings and tenders. Wing Zone's award-winning flavors are available at more than 31 locations in North American and its 30 restaurants internationally. The brand plans to grow to 200 profitable restaurants by 2025. For more information, visit www.wingzone.com. Like Wing Zone on Facebook, follow on Twitter or Instagram.

About RaaS

Founded in 2017, RaaS is focused on supporting ascending national and regional restaurant brands by helping them with ghost kitchen operations. In addition to partnerships with established brands, RaaS has created multiple home-grown concepts including Gabriella's Pizza, Los Pollos Hermanos, @flowers and Pizzaoki. RaaS currently operates 14 units on the West Coast with nationwide expansion planned for 2023. For more information, visit raas.com

Media Contact: Julianne Stevenson, Fishman Public Relations, 224-558-2510 or [email protected]

SOURCE Capriotti's Sandwich Shop
CHICAGO, Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Cboe Global Markets, Inc. (Cboe: CBOE), a leading provider of global market infrastructure and tradable products, today reported July monthly trading volume statistics across its global business lines.

The data sheet "Cboe Global Markets Monthly Volume & RPC/Net Revenue Capture Report" contains an overview of certain July trading statistics and market share by business segment, volume in select index products, and RPC/net capture, which is reported on a one-month lag, across business lines.

Average Daily Trading Volume by Month Year-To-Date

















July 2022 July 2021 % Chg June 2022 %

Chg July 2022 July 2021 %

Chg Multiply-listed options (contracts, k) 10,020 9,848 1.8 % 10,255 -2.3 % 10,587 9,981 6.1 % Index options (contracts, k) 2,623 1,918 36.7 % 2,842 -7.7 % 2,556 1,876 36.2 % Futures (contracts, k) 187 224 -16.7 % 201 -6.9 % 231 233 -1.1 % U.S. Equities - On-Exchange (matched shares, mn) 1,437 1,398 2.8 % 1,634 -12.1 % 1,727 1,783 -3.1 % U.S. Equities - Off-Exchange (matched shares, mn) 77 75 2.0 % 83 -7.8 % 97 86 13.5 % Canadian Equities1 (matched shares, k) 29,085 34,333 -15.3 % 33,799 -13.9 % 37,244 55,696 -33.1 % European Equities (, mn) 10,026 7,146 40.3 % 10,226 -2.0 % 11,602 7,367 57.5 % EuroCCP Cleared Trades2 (k) 111,792 100,768 10.9 % 116,357 -3.9 % 922,581 693,794 33.0 % EuroCCP Net Settlements2 (k) 805 828 -2.8 % 839 -4.0 % 6,109 5,619 8.7 % Australian Equities3 (AUD, mn) 629 672 -6.4 % 877 -28.3 % 829 672 23.4 % Japanese Equities3 (JPY, bn) 163 77 112.9 % 147 11.5 % 151 77 96.5 % Global FX ($, mn) 39,085 33,072 18.2 % 40,521 -3.5 % 40,533 34,495 17.5 %

1 Canadian Equities data includes MATCHNow but not NEO. 2 Aggregrate figures for the month and then the totals year-to-date 3 Australian Equities and Japanese Equities data reflects Cboe's acquisition of Cboe Asia Pacific (formerly Chi-X Asia Pacific) effective on July 1, 2021.

July 2022 Trading Volume Highlights

U.S. Options

Average daily volume (ADV) in SPX options expiring on the trade date reached an all time high at 880k contracts, accounting for 42 percent of all S&P 500 Index (SPX) options volume.

contracts, accounting for 42 percent of all S&P 500 Index (SPX) options volume. SPX Weeklys Tuesday and Thursday options continued their strong debut, with total volume of 4.8 million Tuesday options and 4.6 million Thursday options traded in July.

ADV in Mini-SPX (XSP) options surpassed 31k contracts in July, the highest month since March 2020 .

Canadian Equities

Cboe BIDS Canada, a new Canadian equities block trading venue that launched in February, set an ADV record in its Conditional Order Book for the second consecutive month with 1.09 million shares per day traded on average in July.

European Equities and Derivatives

Cboe Europe Equities had an overall market share of 24.7 percent in July, the highest month since January 2016 .

. Cboe BIDS Europe, Cboe's European block trading platform, had a 35 percent share of the LIS (large-in-scale) market in July, a record high and making it the largest platform of its type for the fourth successive month (Source: big xyt).

EuroCCP cleared 6.1 million sides on Euronext's stock exchanges in Amsterdam , Brussels , Paris and Lisbon during July under the preferred clearing model, a record high and up 57.4 percent on the previous high of 3.9 million sides cleared in June 2022 .

About Cboe Global Markets, Inc.

Cboe Global Markets (Cboe: CBOE), a leading provider of market infrastructure and tradable products, delivers cutting-edge trading, clearing and investment solutions to market participants around the world. The company is committed to operating a trusted, inclusive global marketplace, providing leading products, technology and data solutions that enable participants to define a sustainable financial future. Cboe provides trading solutions and products in multiple asset classes, including equities, derivatives, FX and digital assets, across North America, Europe and Asia Pacific. To learn more, visit www.cboe.com.

CBOE-V

Cboe, Cboe Global Markets, Cboe Volatility Index, VIX and XSP are registered trademarks and Cboe Futures ExchangeSM is a service mark of Cboe Exchange, Inc. or its affiliates. Standard & Poor's, S&P, SPX, and S&P 500 are registered trademarks of Standard & Poor's Financial Services, LLC, and have been licensed for use by Cboe Exchange, Inc. All other trademarks and service marks are the property of their respective owners.

Any products that have the S&P Index or Indexes as their underlying interest are not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by Standard & Poor's or Cboe and neither Standard & Poor's nor Cboe make any representations or recommendations concerning the advisability of investing in products that have S&P indexes as their underlying interests. All other trademarks and service marks are the property of their respective owners.

Cboe Global Markets, Inc. and its affiliates do not recommend or make any representation as to possible benefits from any securities, futures or investments, or third-party products or services. Cboe Global Markets, Inc. is not affiliated with S&P. Investors should undertake their own due diligence regarding their securities, futures, and investment practices. This press release speaks only as of this date. Cboe Global Markets, Inc. disclaims any duty to update the information herein.

Nothing in this announcement should be considered a solicitation to buy or an offer to sell any securities or futures in any jurisdiction where the offer or solicitation would be unlawful under the laws of such jurisdiction. Nothing contained in this communication constitutes tax, legal or investment advice. Investors must consult their tax adviser or legal counsel for advice and information concerning their particular situation.

Cboe Global Markets, Inc. and its affiliates make no warranty, expressed or implied, including, without limitation, any warranties as of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, accuracy, completeness or timeliness, the results to be obtained by recipients of the products and services described herein, or as to the ability of the indices referenced in this press release to track the performance of their respective securities, generally, or the performance of the indices referenced in this press release or any subset of their respective securities, and shall not in any way be liable for any inaccuracies, errors.Cboe Global Markets, Inc. and its affiliates have not calculated, composed or determined the constituents or weightings of the securities that comprise the third-party indices referenced in this press release and shall not in any way be liable for any inaccuracies or errors in any of the indices referenced in this press release.

Options involve risk and are not suitable for all market participants. Prior to buying or selling an option, a person should review the Characteristics and Risks of Standardized Options (ODD), which is required to be provided to all such persons. Copies of the ODD are available from your broker or from The Options Clearing Corporation, 125 S. Franklin Street, Suite 1200, Chicago, IL 60606.

Futures trading is not suitable for all investors and involves the risk of loss. That risk of loss can be substantial and can exceed the amount of money deposited for a futures position. You should, therefore, carefully consider whether futures trading is suitable for you in light of your circumstances and financial resources. You should put at risk only funds that you can afford to lose without affecting your lifestyle. For additional information regarding futures trading risks, see the Risk Disclosure Statement set forth in Appendix A to CFTC Regulation 1.55(c) and the Risk Disclosure Statement for Security Futures Contracts.

SOURCE Cboe Global Markets, Inc.
WASHINGTON, Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. (CFP Board) announced today that it has named Kate Healy, a financial services executive with substantive experience in workforce programs, as Managing Director for CFP Board Center for Financial Planning ("Center").

Kate Healy

Healy is one of the financial services industry's most recognized advocates for diversity, equity and inclusion, and is an authority on workforce sustainability. In this position, she will lead the Center's strategic direction to elevate the financial planning profession through programs in diversity and inclusion, workforce development and knowledge creation. She will also lead fundraising efforts to ensure the ongoing viability and success of these programs.

Based in CFP Board's Washington, D.C. headquarters, she will report to CFP Board Chief Executive Officer Kevin R. Keller, CAE. She joins the organization on September 1.

"Kate is a respected leader in the financial planning profession and has been a valuable contributor of her time and talent to the Center since its inception in 2015," said CFP Board CEO Kevin R. Keller, CAE. "Her decades of experience in financial services and nonprofit organizations will facilitate the excellent work of the Center in creating a more diverse and sustainable financial planning profession."

Healy joins CFP Board after 13 years at TD Ameritrade Institutional where she most recently was Managing Director for Generation Next, leading advocacy efforts to expand the number of diverse advisors in critical market segments. She facilitated a record increase of women, Black and Hispanic CFP professionals through partnerships with academia and industry, while strengthening educational efforts for students and advisory firms. Prior to TD Ameritrade, Healy spent 20 years in financial services marketing and program development roles in a variety of business models.

"I have enjoyed my nearly decade-long volunteer experiences with CFP Board, first as an inaugural member of the Women's Initiative in 2013 and then with the launch of the Center serving on several of its advisory groups. This opportunity seemed like a natural career progression to build upon my passion for workforce and diversity issues," said Healy. "I am excited to join CFP Board and work closely with the Center's many volunteers, dedicated staff, firm partners and other stakeholders to build the 21st century financial planner workforce."

Healy recently served as Board Chair for the Foundation for Financial Planning. The Foundation is the nation's leading charity devoted to expanding access to pro bono financial planning for people in crisis or need. She currently serves on the executive committee of the Invest in Others Charitable Foundation, which recognizes advisors and firms making a difference by donating time and money to charitable causes in communities across the country and around the world.

She has contributed to leading financial publications, including Barron's, InvestmentNews, Financial Planning, WealthManagement, ThinkAdvisor and the Financial Planning Association's NexGen Planner. She has received numerous trade and organization awards and recognitions including 2019 "Savvy Ladies" Change Maker Award, 2018 WealthManagment.com Ten to Watch, 2016 Investment Advisor IA 25 New Influencers and 2015 InvestmentNews Women to Watch.

Healy holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics from the Rutgers College, New Brunswick, NJ, and an Executive Certificate from SIFMA Securities Industry Institute at The Wharton School, Philadelphia, PA.

ABOUT CFP BOARD

Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. is the professional body for personal financial planners in the U.S. CFP Board sets standards for financial planning and administers the prestigious CFP certification  one of the most respected certifications in financial services  so that the public has access to and benefits from competent and ethical financial planning. CFP Board, along with its Center for Financial Planning, is committed to increasing the public's awareness of CFP certification and access to a diverse, ethical and competent financial planning workforce. Widely recognized by the public, advisors and firms as the standard for financial planning, CFP certification is held by nearly 93,000 people in the United States.



SOURCE Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc.
T7 Family Accelerates a Wide Range of Storage, Networking, and Security workloads Supported by Modern Storage, Enterprise, and Cloud Applications

SUNNYVALE, Calif., Aug. 2, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Chelsio Communications, Inc., a leading provider of high performance (1/10/25/40/50/100/200/400Gb) Ethernet Unified Wire Adapters and ASICs for storage networking, virtualized enterprise datacenters, cloud service installations, and cluster computing environments, today announced that the company will be demonstrating the T7 DPU Emulation Platform at the Flash Memory Summit (August 2-4, 2022).

The T7 DPU Emulation Platform supports a 5U chassis that connects to a server host via a PCIe ribbon cable. It includes a mapping of all T7 logic gates, supports the Linux boot process for running applications, and the host software of T7 predecessors, T5 & T6, as-is, thus demonstrating the ability of customers to leverage prior software investment. T7 Emulation Platform delivers an aggregate of 40 Gigabit Ethernet (40GbE) aggregate bandwidth via 4X10GbE or 2X40GbE connectivity options. The T7 Emulation Platform for software development is available to Chelsio T7 Early Access customers.

The T7 Emulation Platform fully validates T6 software operation on T7 to enable a high degree confidence in a continued first silicon to production experience similar to earlier generation T5 and T6 ASICs. During the Flash Memory Summit, Chelsio will demonstrate the following T7 Emulation Platform capabilities that illustrate how T7 adapter and ASIC solutions offer high-speed Ethernet storage networking complement solid state storage technologies in the company's booth (# 635):

100G Kernel and User Space NVMe/TCP Using Chelsio TOE for low-latency access to NVMe SSD storage.

iWARP RDMA for enabling NVMe Over Fabrics-based network access with industry leading high-performance and low latency.

iSCSI Protocol Offload-based access to flash storage with extremely high throughput and IOPs.

Chelsio TCP Offload Engine (TOE) which offloads the processing of TCP/IP protocol stack from the server host for high-performance, low overhead network communications.

NVMe/TCP with Chelsio TOE using the protocol data unit (PDU) interface for highly efficient, low-latency access to NVMe SSD storage.

Memory-free Server Offload functions optimized for datacenter networking applications.

T6 legacy mode software running on T7 for iSCSI, iWARP, TOE, NIC, NVMe/TCP.

"T7 embodies a major leap in the level of functionality of our products and provides a generalized solution for our OEM partners in the cloud, server and storage markets for fully addressing the challenges of efficient data processing and movement with the confidence of having several generations of offload products in production," stated Kianoosh Naghshineh, CEO at Chelsio Communications.

"The Chelsio T7 DPU is a new type of I/O processor optimized to process data-centric workloads offloading server CPU overhead of software-defined networking, storage, security and other cloud-native services while boosting application performance," said Greg Schulz, Sr. Analyst Server StorageIO. "The T7 Emulation Platform is a milestone in broad-based deployment of Chelsio T7 DPU."

Availability

The T7 DPU Emulation Platform for software development is available to early access customers. T7 DPU ASICs will be sampling in 4Q22 and, similar to T5 and T6, and is expected to be in production on first silicon within one quarter. Please contact Chelsio for more information.

About Chelsio Communications, Inc.

Chelsio is a recognized leader in high performance (1/10/25/40/50/100/200/400Gb) Ethernet adapters for networking and storage within virtualized enterprise datacenters, public and private hyperscale clouds, and cluster computing environments. With a clear emphasis on performance and delivering the only robust offload solution, as opposed to simple speeds and feeds, Chelsio has set itself apart from the competition. The Chelsio Unified Wire DPU fully offloads all protocol traffic, providing no-compromise performance with high packet processing capacity, sub-microsecond hardware latency and high bandwidth. Visit the company at www.chelsio.com and follow the company on Twitter and Facebook.

SOURCE Chelsio Communications, Inc.
With new checking, savings, and cash management solutions for businesses across the Greater Philadelphia region along with competitive commercial lending  Citadel Business Banking has officially launched; complete with new digital experience and a marketing campaign: "Better Business Banking Has Arrived"

EXTON, Pa., Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Citadel Credit Union has officially launched its new Business Banking division  complete with a full suite of products, a new team, and the kickoff of a multichannel marketing campaign  "Better Business Banking Has Arrived."

Citadel Credit Union has officially launched its new Business Banking division  complete with a full suite of products, a new team, and the kickoff of a multichannel marketing campaign  Better Business Banking Has Arrived. The full Business Banking Team at Citadel Credit Union in Philadelphia. Members of Citadel Credit Union's Business Banking Team stands proudly in Center City Philadelphia, marking the launch of the new division.

In January, Citadel, which recently reached $5 billion in assets, onboarded a team of business banking experts to build the new division and establish partnerships with clients around the region. In addition, a large group of existing employees participated in a robust certification program  becoming the region's "Financial Champions." This internal development program was part of the pilot phase over the past four months. The pilot phase also included partnering with new business clients for large commercial loans and customized packages with the new products.

"We couldn't be more excited to bring this suite of products to market and have optimal solutions and support for businesses of any size," said Phil Sutliff, Head of Business Banking, who has built the new team. "Our talented employees, who have been serving Citadel members for years, have now benefited from a rigorous training and development program with our newly hired, seasoned Relationship Managers. So, the Citadel personal service and level of detail  coupled with the highly specific training from our new industry experts  sets us all up for success."

Prior to this launch, Citadel offered a variety of business loans and credit cards, in addition to commercial lending products, supporting businesses across the area with financial guidance. The success of its business lending arm and financial partnership to businesses has paved the way for the organization to fully expand its offering for business clients.

Better Business Banking

During the pandemic, many businesses throughout Greater Philadelphia experienced significant challenges and the "aftershocks"  including capital, labor, and supply chain issues  which still remain, according to recent data from Pew Research.

To help provide a solution to those challenges, Citadel Business Banking offers a full suite of dynamic products and services for businesses of all sizes in the Philadelphia region. The primary difference in Citadel's approach to business banking will be the level of personal service a business will receive. With the assistance of a dedicated advisor championing their business, each new client can customize a premium product mix tailored to their needs, in addition to being scalable for future growth.

"As a not-for-profit, member-owned credit union, Citadel is uniquely positioned to support businesses with the guidance they need," said Jeff March, President and CEO, Citadel. "It's our commitment to build community prosperity  and partnering with businesses to strengthen their future will ultimately help our region thrive."

Since the company rebranded in 2020, Citadel has focused on its mission of Building Strength Together and the launch of Business Banking is one of the bigger milestones in Citadel's overall strategic plan. With decades of deep expertise in the Greater Philadelphia region and a firm commitment to the community, Citadel's relationship-based approach for service establishes and maintains meaningful, ongoing connections that companies can depend upon throughout the life of their business.

"Many business owners reported frustration and lack of personal attention by their financial institution during a time of unprecedented turbulence. With our commercial lending in place and the goal to expand, the optimal timing to launch more supportive business banking presented itself." Said Phil, "We know the challenges aren't over, but we're here to ensure prosperity."

What is New?

Comprehensive new options include a variety of flexible checking and savings accounts, certificates, business loans, commercial mortgages, online banking tools, and cash management solutions such as merchant services, remote deposit, HR, and payroll services. The team will also offer banking specialization for private medical, veterinary, and dental practices.

"We've been able to structure products that we know businesses need and want and build our teams and processes to meet demand with quality service," said Mike Schnably, Senior Vice President and Head of Member Experience, Citadel. "Taking the time and the right steps to create a competitive offering has made all the difference  and we know the market will be impressed."

For more information or to join, visit CitadelBanking.com/Business.

About Citadel Credit Union

Citadel Credit Union is a not-for-profit, member-owned financial institution that provides banking, investments, and insurance services to more than 240,000 members. At $5 billion in assets, it is one of the Greater Philadelphia area's largest credit unions, proudly serving residents of Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Lancaster, Montgomery, and Philadelphia counties. Citadel is recognized as a Forbes 2022 Best-in-State Credit Union and a certified 2022 Great Place to Work. In addition, Citadel has been named one of the best performing credit unions in the nation by SNL Financial. For more information, visit CitadelBanking.com.

Citadel  520 Eagleview Boulevard  Exton, PA 19341  (800) 666-0191  CitadelBanking.com

SOURCE Citadel Federal Credit Union
WASHINGTON, Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Clarissa Ward, CNN's multi-award winning chief international correspondent based in London, will receive the National Press Club's most esteemed prize, the Fourth Estate Award, at a Press Club gala in her honor on Wednesday, Dec. 7, in Washington. Ward is the 50th recipient of the award, which recognizes journalists who have made significant contributions to the field.

Ward has spent nearly two decades reporting from the front lines in Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Egypt, and Ukraine for CNN, ABC, CBS, and Fox News.

CNN Digital Expansion 2018, Clarissa Ward

"I am incredibly honored to receive this esteemed award from the National Press Club at a time when the fourth estate is facing unprecedented threats around the world. From harassment and intimidation to imprisonment and violence, journalists put their lives on the line to challenge and question those in power," Ward said. "The National Press Club has long been a leading supporter of press freedom, and I'm thrilled by this recognition."

The Fourth Estate is the top honor bestowed on a journalist by the National Press Club Board of Governors. Previous winners include: Christiane Amanpour, Wolf Blitzer, Lester Holt, Susan Zirinsky, Dean Baquet, Marty Baron, Gwen Ifill, Andrea Mitchell, Tom Brokaw, and Walter Cronkite.

The Gala dinner is a fundraiser for the Club's nonprofit affiliate, the National Press Club Journalism Institute. The Institute advocates for press freedom worldwide, equips journalists with skills and standards to inform the public in ways that inspire a more representative democracy, and provides scholarships to aspiring journalists.

The Fourth Estate gala will begin with a reception at 6:30 p.m. followed by dinner and the awards program starting at 7:30 p.m. at the National Press Club. Tickets for the gala are $150 for National Press Club members, and $300 for members of the public. Tickets can be purchased here. For information on sponsorship opportunities please email Julie Moos, executive director of the National Press Club Journalism Institute, at [email protected].

The evening also will honor the winners of the John Aubuchon Press Freedom Awards. Rana Ayyub, an investigative journalist living in India and a Washington Post Global Opinions contributor, will be recognized for her courage while the Indian government has invasively undermined her rights and freedom of expression in response to her critical reporting. Josh Renaud, a Missouri reporter who was targeted by the governor as a criminal hacker after his reporting revealed a vulnerability in a state education website.

The winner of the Neil and Susan Sheehan award for investigative journalism will also be honored on Dec. 7.

"Clarissa's work stood out to me last year when she covered the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan and again when she was on the ground in Ukraine," said NPC President Jen Judson. "I am full of admiration for the work she does internationally and her bravery covering hot spots as well as her understanding and sensitivity to the subject matter."

Ward is a recipient of multiple journalism honors, including nine Emmy Awards, two George Foster Peabody Awards, two Alfred I. duPont-Columbia Awards, two Edward R. Murrow Awards, and one George Polk Award. She also authored "On All Fronts: The Education of a Journalist," which details her singular career as a conflict reporter and how she has documented the violent remaking of the world from close range.

Known for her in-depth investigations and high-profile assignments, Ward and her team were the first foreign journalists permitted to enter Myanmar nearly two months after a military coup in 2021. She has since reported from Afghanistan in the weeks leading up to and after the fall of Kabul and most recently from Ukraine, where she has spent more than 10 weeks this year covering the ongoing Russian invasion.

In late 2020, Ward led the two-time Emmy Award-winning investigation of Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny's poisoning, even confronting a suspected member of the elite Russian toxins team at his home outside Moscow.

In 2019, her months-long, Emmy Award-winning investigation into Russia's growing use of mercenaries  Putin's Private Army  included the first on-camera interview with a former fighter for Wagner, Russia's most notorious private military contractor. After visiting a diamond mine with ties to a Russian oligarch in the Central African Republic, Ward and her team were followed and intimidated by a car full of Russians. After their reports came out, they were targeted by a Russian media propaganda campaign trying to discredit their reporting.

Ward has reported extensively in Syria since the start of the civil war in 2011, with multiple undercover assignments in the country. As one of the last Western reporters to visit rebel-held Aleppo, Ward was asked to address a UN Security Council meeting on the embattled Syrian city in 2016, stating, "There are no winners in Aleppo."

She has conducted many interviews with world leaders, including British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, as well as former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and former CIA Director and retired US Army Gen. David Petraeus.

Ward graduated with distinction from Yale University, and in 2013 received an Honorary Doctor of Letters degree from Middlebury College in Vermont. She speaks fluent French and Italian, conversational Russian, Arabic, Spanish, and basic Mandarin.

COVID-19 Safety Guidelines

The National Press Club wants to ensure the evening is comfortable and safe. Proof of vaccination is required to enter the facility. All attendees should bring their COVID-19 vaccination card, or a photo of it on their mobile device, as this will be checked upon entry. We encourage everyone attending, if possible, to administer an at-home COVID-19 test before coming to the event. We will not ask to see a negative test at the door, but we believe this will give everyone additional peace of mind before enjoying an evening of delicious food, drinks, and socializing. Masks are optional.

About the National Press Club

Founded in 1908, the National Press Club is the world's leading professional organization for journalists. The Club has 3,000 members representing nearly every major journalism organization and is a leading voice for press freedom in the United States and around the world.

About the National Press Club Journalism Institute

The National Press Club Journalism Institute promotes an engaged global citizenry through an independent and free press, and equips journalists with skills and standards to inform the public in ways that inspire a more representative democracy. As the non-profit affiliate of the National Press Club, the Institute powers journalism in the public interest.

PRESS CONTACT: Bill McCarren, [email protected], (202) 662-7534

SOURCE National Press Club
NOIDA, India, Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- According to a new report published by UnivDatos Markets Insights the Construction Equipment Market is expected to grow at a CAGR of around 8% from 2021-2027. The analysis has been segmented into Equipment Type (Heavy Construction Equipment, Compact Construction Equipment); Product Type (Cranes, Loader, Forklift, Excavator, Dozers, Others); Application (Earthmoving, Concrete Equipment, Material Handling, Material Processing); Industry (Oil & gas, Construction & Infrastructure, Manufacturing, Mining, Others); End-User (Commercial, Residential, Industrial); Sales Channel (OEMs and Aftermarket); Region/Country.

Click here to view the Report Description & TOC

The report has been aggregated by collecting informative data from various dynamics such as market drivers, restraints, and opportunities. This innovative report makes use of several analyses to get a closer outlook on the Construction Equipment Market. The report offers a detailed analysis of the latest industry developments and trending factors that are influencing market growth. Furthermore, this statistical market research repository examines and estimates the Construction Equipment Market at the regional levels.

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Market Overview

Although the construction industry is facing a slow-down in the recent past, eventually affecting the sale of new construction equipment, the market for construction equipment is predicted to recover during the forecast period, owing to the growth of public private partnerships (PPP), characterized as a joint venture between government and private companies for construction of public infrastructure systems in the country. Growing public private partnerships in countries such as India, China and other developing regions are expected to boot the growth of construction equipment sales. It is predicted that the construction ecosystem would witness dramatic shifts which would redistribute roughly 40% to 45% of the industry's value across different players, including contractors and machinery suppliers. China dominated the construction equipment sale in units accounting for almost 30% in 2019.

The global Construction Equipment market report is studied thoroughly with several aspects that would help stakeholders in making their decisions more curated.

Based on equipment type, Heavy construction equipment segment dominated the market, however, compact construction equipment market is expected to witness significant growth during the forecast period. Globally, 20% of construction contractors expect an increase in sales of used construction equipment, compared to 19% in 2020.

Based on product type, Loader segment dominated the market and is expected to maintain its dominance throughout the analysis period. Loader is mainly used for earthmoving operations, including loading and moving materials such as dirt, demolition, recycled material, raw material, and sand.

Based on application, Earthmoving equipment dominates the market. However, material handling segment is expected to witness highest CAGR growth during the forecast period. Backhoe loaders, comprising of tractors, front shovel/bucket backhoes and small backhoes, account for more than 65% of the earthmoving equipment and road construction equipment segment.

Based on Industry, Construction & Infrastructure segment dominates the market. Private sector has emerged as a key player across various infrastructure segments, ranging from roads and communications to power and airports.

Based on End-user, Industrial segment owing to increased government spending on infrastructure development is expected to witness significant growth during the forecast period. It is predicted that global infrastructure investment demand is expected to reach US$94 trillion between 2016 and 2040 an average of US$3.7 trillion every year till 2040.

between 2016 and 2040 an average of every year till 2040. Based on Sales Channel, OEMs segment dominated the market in 2020. However, Aftermarket segment is expected to witness significant growth during the forecast period.

Have a Look at the Chapters

Construction Equipment Market Geographical Segmentation Includes:

North America ( United States , Canada , and Rest of North America )

( , , and Rest of ) Europe ( Germany , United Kingdom , Italy , France , Spain , and the Rest of Europe )

( , , , , , and the Rest of ) Asia-Pacific ( China , India , Australia , Japan , and the Rest of Asia-Pacific )

( , , , , and the Rest of ) Rest of the World

Based on the estimation, Asia-Pacific dominates the market in 2020. Growing infrastructure investment in countries such as China and India is expected to boost the overall demand for construction equipment's in the Asia-Pacific region over the analyzed period.

The major players targeting the market include

Caterpillar Inc.

Komatsu Ltd.

AB Volvo

Xuzhou Construction Machinery Group Co., Ltd.

Zoomlion

Deere & Company

The Liebherr Group

Doosan Heavy Industries Co., Ltd.

Sandvik AB

J C Bamford Excavators Ltd

Competitive Landscape

The degree of competition among prominent companies has been elaborated by analyzing several leading key players operating in the global context. The specialist team of research analysts sheds light on various traits such as global market competition, market share, most recent industry advancements, innovative product launches, partnerships, mergers, or acquisitions by leading companies in the Construction Equipment Market. The major players have been analyzed using different research methodologies for getting insight views on market competition.

Key questions resolved through this analytical market research report include:

What are the latest trends, new patterns, and advancements in the Construction Equipment Market?

Which factors are influencing the Construction Equipment Market over the forecast period?

What are the challenges, threats, and risks in the Construction Equipment Market?

Which factors are propelling and restraining the Construction Equipment Market?

What are the demanding regions of the Construction Equipment globally?

What will be the market size in the upcoming years?

What are the crucial market acquisition strategies and policies applied by the companies?

We understand the requirement of different businesses, regions, and countries, we offer customized reports as per your requirements of business nature. Please let us know If you have any custom needs.

About UnivDatos Market Insights (UMI)

Browse Other Related Research Reports from UnivDatos Market Insights

About UnivDatos Market Insights

UnivDatos Market Insights (UMI) is a passionate market research firm and a subsidiary of Universal Data Solutions. We believe in delivering insights through Market Intelligence Reports, Customized Business Research, and Primary Research. Our research studies are spread across topics across the world, we cover markets in over 100 countries using smart research techniques and agile methodologies. We offer in-depth studies, detailed analysis, and customized reports that help shape winning business strategies for our clients.

Contact

UnivDatos Market Insights

Ankita Gupta

Director Operations

Ph: +91-7838604911

Email: [email protected]

Website: https://univdatos.com/

Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1225049/UnivDatos_Logo.jpg

SOURCE UnivDatos Market Insights Pvt. Ltd.
Some of the Major Corporate E-learning Companies:

Articulate Global Inc.

City & Guilds Group

CommLab India LLP

D2L Corp.

Designing Digitally Inc.

EI Design Pvt. Ltd.

G-Cube Webwide Software Pvt. Ltd.

GP Strategies Corp.

PeopleFluent Holdings Corp.

Skillsoft Corp.

The corporate e-learning market is fragmented, and the vendors are deploying growth strategies such as organic and inorganic strategies to compete in the market.

For detailed information on the production, sustainability, and prospects of the leading companies. REQUEST SAMPLE REPORT (INCLUDING GRAPHS & TABLES) OF THIS MARKET

Corporate E-learning Market Drivers

Reduction in employee training cost for employers

Increasing penetration of smartphones and tablets

Rising adoption of cloud computing

Corporate E-learning Market Challenges

Designing e-learning course

Technological barriers in developing countries

Data security and privacy issues

For more insights on the latest drivers, trends, and challenges that will help companies evaluate and develop growth strategies. DOWNLOAD SAMPLE REPORT OF THIS MARKET

Corporate E-learning Market Deployment Outlook (Revenue, USD bn, 2020-2025)

On-premises - size and forecast 2020-2025

Cloud-based - size and forecast 2020-2025

Corporate E-learning Market End-user Outlook (Revenue, USD bn, 2020-2025)

Services - size and forecast 2020-2025

Manufacturing - size and forecast 2020-2025

Retail - size and forecast 2020-2025

Others - size and forecast 2020-2025

The corporate e-learning market share growth by the services will be significant during the forecast period. In the hospitality industry, employees must interact with customers very frequently. Today, customers demand a high level of service. Hence, employees must be well trained and well informed for the utmost customer satisfaction. Therefore, organizations in the hospitality industry must train their employees on a regular basis to maintain service quality. This drives the demand for e-learning solutions due to their cost-effectiveness.

Corporate E-learning Market Geography Outlook (Revenue, USD bn, 2020-2025)

APAC - size and forecast 2020-2025

North America - size and forecast 2020-2025

Europe - size and forecast 2020-2025

South America - size and forecast 2020-2025

MEA - size and forecast 2020-2025

40% of the market's growth will originate from APAC during the forecast period. India and Japan are the key markets for corporate e-learning in APAC. Market growth in this region will be faster than the growth of the market in other regions. The inadequacy of the education system in providing vocational and employment-ready skills to students will facilitate the corporate e-learning market growth in APAC over the forecast period.

READ SAMPLE COPY OF THIS REPORT using business email id to gain further insights on the market contribution & share of various segments & regions on higher priority

Corporate E-learning Market: Related Reports

Browse summary of the E-LEARNING COURSES MARKET Growth, Size, Trends, Analysis Report by Type, Application, Region and Segment Forecast 2020-2024: The market value is set to grow by USD 61 billion, progressing at a CAGR of over 13% from 2019 to 2024, as per the latest report by Technavio. This report provides a detailed analysis of the market by end-user (higher education sector, corporate sector, and K-12 sector) and geography (APAC, Europe, MEA, North America, and South America).

Browse summary of the CORPORATE TRAINING MARKET Growth, Size, Trends, Analysis Report by Type, Application, Region and Segment Forecast 2022-2026: The market value is set to grow by USD 46.22 billion, progressing at a CAGR of 8.77% from 2021 to 2026, as per the latest report by Technavio. The corporate training market report also offers information on several market vendors, including Adobe Inc., Berlitz Corp., Blanchard Training and Development Inc., and more

Corporate E-learning Market Scope Report Coverage Details Page number 120 Base year 2020 Forecast period 2021-2025 Growth momentum & CAGR Accelerate at a CAGR of 13% Market growth 2021-2025 $ 37.80 billion Market structure Fragmented YoY growth (%) 12.25 Regional analysis APAC, North America, Europe, South America, MEA, APAC, North America, Europe, South America, and MEA Performing market contribution APAC at 40% Key consumer countries US, UK, Germany, and Singapore Competitive landscape Leading companies, competitive strategies, consumer engagement scope Companies profiled Articulate Global Inc., City & Guilds Group, CommLab India LLP, D2L Corp., Designing Digitally Inc., EI Design Pvt. Ltd., G-Cube Webwide Software Pvt. Ltd., GP Strategies Corp., PeopleFluent Holdings Corp., and Skillsoft Corp. Market Dynamics Parent market analysis, Market growth inducers and obstacles, Fast-growing and slow-growing segment analysis, COVID 19 impact and future consumer dynamics, and market condition analysis for the forecast period. Customization preview If our report has not included the data that you are looking for, you can reach out to our analysts and get segments customized.

Browse for Technavio "CONSUMER DISCRETIONARY MARKET" Research Reports

Table of Contents

Executive Summary

Market Landscape

Market ecosystem

Value chain analysis

Market Sizing

Market definition

Market segment analysis

Market size 2020

Market outlook: Forecast for 2020 - 2025

Five Forces Analysis

Bargaining power of buyers

Bargaining power of suppliers

Threat of new entrants

Threat of substitutes

Threat of rivalry

Market condition

Market Segmentation by End-user

Market segments

Comparison by End-user

Services - Market size and forecast 2020-2025

Manufacturing - Market size and forecast 2020-2025

Retail - Market size and forecast 2020-2025

Others - Market size and forecast 2020-2025

Market opportunity by End-user

Market Segmentation by Deployment

Market segments

Comparison by Deployment

On-premise - Market size and forecast 2020-2025

Cloud-based - Market size and forecast 2020-2025

Market opportunity by Deployment

Customer landscape

Overview

Geographic Landscape

Geographic segmentation

Geographic comparison

APAC - Market size and forecast 2020-2025

North America - Market size and forecast 2020-2025

- Market size and forecast 2020-2025 Europe - Market size and forecast 2020-2025

- Market size and forecast 2020-2025 South America - Market size and forecast 2020-2025

- Market size and forecast 2020-2025 MEA - Market size and forecast 2020-2025

Key leading countries

Market opportunity by geography

Market drivers

Market challenges

Market trends

Vendor Landscape

Overview

Landscape disruption

Overview

Vendor Analysis

Vendors covered

Market positioning of vendors

Articulate Global Inc.

City and Guilds Group

CommLab India

D2L Corp.

Designing Digitally Inc.

EI Design Pvt Ltd.

G Cube Webwide Software Pvt. Ltd.

GP Strategies Corp.

PeopleFluent Holdings Corp.

Skillsoft Ltd.

Appendix

Scope of the report

Currency conversion rates for US$

Research methodology

List of abbreviations

About Technavio

Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focuses on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions.

With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios.

Contacts

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
TORONTO, Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Denison Mines Corp. ("Denison" or the "Company") (TSX: DML) (NYSE American: DNN) is pleased to announce the substantial completion of extensive metallurgical test work to define the mechanical components for the planned Phoenix processing plant (the "Phoenix Plant"), as part of the Feasibility Study ("FS") underway for the Company's 95% owned Wheeler River project ("Wheeler River" or the "Project"). In addition, the metallurgical program has confirmed the ability to produce a yellowcake product that meets industry standard ASTM C967-13 specifications (see below for details). View PDF Version

Metallurgical test work intended to define the mechanical components for the Phoenix Plant was initiated in April 2021 at the Saskatchewan Research Council ("SRC") laboratories in Saskatoon. The test work consisted of bench-scale lab tests using uranium bearing solution ("UBS") that was previously produced from lab-scale leaching of core samples from the Phoenix deposit. These samples are intended to be representative of what is expected to be recovered from the In-Situ Recovery ("ISR") wellfield planned for the Phoenix deposit (see news release dated August 4, 2021).

Kevin Himbeault, Denison's Vice President of Plant Operations & Regulatory Affairs, commented, "The comprehensive test work undertaken by the Denison team has demonstrated our ability to produce (i) a saleable uranium product utilizing a simplified chemical precipitation process and (ii) high-quality effluent for final discharge to the environment. This is a significant milestone from which we can continue to optimize the designs for the Phoenix Plant and further our de-risking of the overall Project as part of the FS."

This press release constitutes a "designated news release" for the purposes of the Company's prospectus supplement dated September 28, 2021 to its short form base shelf prospectus dated September 16, 2021.

The results of the metallurgical test work are highlighted by the following:

The UBS from the high-grade Phoenix deposit was processed using simple chemical precipitation stages to remove certain elements prior to the yellowcake precipitation circuit.

deposit was processed using simple chemical precipitation stages to remove certain elements prior to the yellowcake precipitation circuit. A yellowcake product that meets uranium industry standard ASTM C967-13 specifications (see below for details) has been precipitated in the lab.

A high-quality effluent was obtained using typical industrial water treatment processes through pH control and precipitation.

Additionally, the metallurgical test program has provided several important inputs for the FS processes underway in relation to the planned Phoenix Plant and ISR operation, including confirmation of the following:

The appropriateness of mechanical components for the Phoenix Plant similar to those outlined in the Pre-Feasibility Study ("PFS").

The suitability for the Phoenix Plant to process UBS head grades averaging 15 g/L uranium.

Metallurgical recovery rates of over 95% from processing of UBS to yellowcake.

The ability to achieve industry standards for yellowcake through drying at 110C, indicating calcination is not required for the planned Phoenix Plant.

The ability to produce a yellowcake product that meets industry standards without the use of ammonia and the specialized and additional processes typically associated therewith.

The ability to meet final plant effluent quality discharge criteria for protection of the environment, which is expected to be outlined in the draft Environmental Impact Statement ("EIS") planned to be submitted as part of the Environmental Assessment ("EA") for the Project.

Additionally, extensive test work has been completed in defining any potential elements of concern, required process components, reagents, and general operating parameters necessary to mitigate processing risks and ensure the production of a yellowcake product that meets industry standards. This has allowed for the significant progression of the plant and process designs for the FS.

Additional targeted metallurgical test work continues in the following areas:

Specialized test work to potentially further improve the effluent treatment process, optimize reagent usage and enhance overall environmental protection.

Lab scale leaching of intact cores continues, with additional tests to further refine the production recovery curve for the Phoenix ISR operation, which will inform ISR simulation modelling for the FS and will provide additional results for future wellfield and ISR plant design optimization.

Lab scale leaching and remediation tests of crushed core, representing different hydrogeological units within the Phoenix deposit, to determine achievable recovery, leaching rates, and remediation plans for the different units.

The laboratory work for the 2022 Metallurgical Program to support the feasibility study is being carried out at the SRC Mineral Processing and Geoanalytical Laboratories in Saskatoon, under the supervision of Wood Canada Limited (see news release dated September 22, 2021).

ASTM C 967-13 Standard

ASTM C967-13 is a set of quality specifications applied to uranium ore concentrate that are generally recognized in the uranium industry for meeting requirements for refining and conversion to uranium hexafluoride and, therefore, a saleable product. Parties may, however, agree to less or more stringent specifications of product quality on a case by case basis.

About Wheeler River

Wheeler River is the largest undeveloped uranium project in the infrastructure rich eastern portion of the Athabasca Basin region, in northern Saskatchewan  including combined Indicated Mineral Resources of 132.1 million pounds U 3 O 8 (1,809,000 tonnes at an average grade of 3.3% U 3 O 8 ), plus combined Inferred Mineral Resources of 3.0 million pounds U 3 O 8 (82,000 tonnes at an average grade of 1.7% U 3 O 8 ). The Project is host to the high-grade Phoenix and Gryphon uranium deposits, discovered by Denison in 2008 and 2014, respectively, and is a joint venture between Denison (operator) and JCU (Canada) Exploration Company Limited ("JCU"). Denison has an effective 95% ownership interest in Wheeler River (90% directly, and 5% indirectly through a 50% ownership in JCU).

A PFS was completed for Wheeler River in 2018, considering the potential economic merit of developing the Phoenix deposit as an ISR operation and the Gryphon deposit as a conventional underground mining operation. Taken together, the Project is estimated to have mine production of 109.4 million pounds U 3 O 8 over a 14-year mine life, with a base case pre-tax NPV of $1.31 billion (8% discount rate), Internal Rate of Return ("IRR") of 38.7%, and initial pre-production capital expenditures of $322.5 million. The Phoenix ISR operation is estimated to have a stand-alone base case pre-tax NPV of $930.4 million (8% discount rate), IRR of 43.3%, initial pre-production capital expenditures of $322.5 million, and industry-leading average operating costs of US$3.33/lb U 3 O 8 . The PFS is prepared on a project (100% ownership) and pre-tax basis, as each of the partners to the Wheeler River Joint Venture are subject to different tax and other obligations.

Further details regarding the PFS, including additional scientific and technical information, as well as after-tax results attributable to Denison's ownership interest, are described in greater detail in the NI 43-101 Technical Report titled "Pre-feasibility Study for the Wheeler River Uranium Project, Saskatchewan, Canada" dated October 30, 2018, with an effective date of September 24, 2018. A copy of this report is available on Denison's website and under its profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and on EDGAR at www.sec.gov/edgar.shtml.

Denison suspended certain activities at Wheeler River during 2020, including the EA process, which is on the critical path to achieving the project development schedule outlined in the PFS. While the EA process has resumed, the Company is not currently able to estimate the impact to the project development schedule outlined in the PFS, and users are cautioned against relying on the estimates provided therein regarding the start of pre-production activities in 2021 and first production in 2024.

About Denison

Denison is a uranium exploration and development company with interests focused in the Athabasca Basin region of northern Saskatchewan, Canada. In addition to its effective 95% interest in the Wheeler River project, Denison's interests in the Athabasca Basin include a 22.5% ownership interest in the McClean Lake joint venture, which includes several uranium deposits and the McClean Lake uranium mill that is contracted to process the ore from the Cigar Lake mine under a toll milling agreement, plus a 25.17% interest in the Midwest Main and Midwest A deposits, and a 66.90% interest in the Tthe Heldeth Tue ("THT", formerly J Zone) and Huskie deposits on the Waterbury Lake property. The Midwest Main, Midwest A, THT and Huskie deposits are each located within 20 kilometres of the McClean Lake mill.

Through its 50% ownership of JCU, Denison holds additional interests in various uranium project joint ventures in Canada, including the Millennium project (JCU 30.099%), the Kiggavik project (JCU 33.8118%) and Christie Lake (JCU 34.4508%). Denison's exploration portfolio includes further interests in properties covering approximately 300,000 hectares in the Athabasca Basin region.

Denison is also engaged in post-closure mine care and maintenance services through its Closed Mines group (formerly Denison Environmental Services), which manages Denison's reclaimed mine sites in the Elliot Lake region and provides related services to certain third-party projects.

Follow Denison on Twitter: @DenisonMinesCo

Qualified Persons

The disclosure of scientific or technical information related to the FFT or Wheeler River project contained in this release has been reviewed and approved, as applicable, by Mr. David Bronkhorst, P.Eng, Denison's Vice President, Operations or Mr. Andrew Yackulic, P. Geo., Denison's Director, Exploration, who are Qualified Persons in accordance with the requirements of NI 43-101.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Certain information contained in this news release constitutes 'forward-looking information', within the meaning of the applicable United States and Canadian legislation, concerning the business, operations and financial performance and condition of Denison. Generally, these forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as 'potential', 'plans', 'expects', 'budget', 'scheduled', 'estimates', 'forecasts', 'intends', 'anticipates', or 'believes', or the negatives and/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'.

In particular, this news release contains forward-looking information pertaining to the following: scope, objectives and interpretations of the FS process for the proposed ISR operation for the Phoenix deposit, including metallurgical testing programs described herein and the interpretation of the results therefrom; the scope and design, and related test work, with respect to plans and process designs for the FS; the definition of a saleable product; and expectations regarding its joint venture ownership interests and the continuity of its agreements with its partners and third parties.

Forward looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of management as of the date such statements are made, and they are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of Denison to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. For example, the modelling and assumptions upon which the work plans for the Wheeler River Project are based may not be maintained after further work is completed. In addition, Denison may decide or otherwise be required to discontinue testing, evaluation and development work if it is unable to maintain or otherwise secure the necessary resources (such as testing facilities, capital funding, regulatory approvals, etc.). Denison believes that the expectations reflected in this forward-looking information are reasonable but no assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be accurate and results may differ materially from those anticipated in this forward-looking information. For a discussion in respect of risks and other factors that could influence forward-looking events, please refer to the factors discussed in Denison's Annual Information Form dated March 25, 2022 or subsequent quarterly financial reports under the heading 'Risk Factors'. These factors are not, and should not be construed as being exhaustive.

Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The forward-looking information contained in this news release is expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. Any forward-looking information and the assumptions made with respect thereto speaks only as of the date of this news release. Denison does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking information after the date of this news release to conform such information to actual results or to changes in Denison's expectations except as otherwise required by applicable legislation.

Cautionary Note to United States Investors Concerning Estimates of Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves: This news release may use the terms 'measured', 'indicated' and 'inferred' mineral resources. United States investors are advised that such terms have been prepared in accordance with the definition standards on mineral reserves of the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum referred to in Canadian National Instrument 43-101 Mineral Disclosure Standards ("NI 43-101") and are recognized and required by Canadian regulations. Inferred mineral resources have a great amount of uncertainty as to their existence, and as to their economic and legal feasibility. It cannot be assumed that all or any part of an inferred mineral resource will ever be upgraded to a higher category. Under Canadian rules, estimates of inferred mineral resources may not form the basis of feasibility or other economic studies. United States investors are cautioned not to assume that all or any part of an inferred mineral resource exists, or is economically or legally mineable. United States investors are also cautioned not to assume that all or any part of measured or indicated mineral resources will ever be converted into mineral reserves.

Effective February 2019, the United States Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") adopted amendments to its disclosure rules to modernize the mineral property disclosure requirements for issuers whose securities are registered with the SEC under the Exchange Act and as a result, the SEC now recognizes estimates of "measured mineral resources", "indicated mineral resources" and "inferred mineral resources". In addition, the SEC has amended its definitions of "proven mineral reserves" and "probable mineral reserves" to be "substantially similar" to the corresponding definitions under the CIM Standards, as required under NI 43-101. However, information regarding mineral resources or mineral reserves in Denison's disclosure may not be comparable to similar information made public by United States companies.

SOURCE Denison Mines Corp.
Disney and Starlight Host a Spidey-Themed Delivery Event and Early Premiere Screening of Season Two of 'Marvel's Spidey and his Amazing Friends' at Texas Children's Hospital

Cast Member Armen Taylor (Voice of Hulk) Surprised Patients With a Special Appearance

HOUSTON, Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Disney and the nonprofit Starlight Children's Foundation teamed up at Texas Children's Hospital to host a Spidey-themed delivery event to celebrate the launch of "Marvel's Spidey and his Amazing Friends," season two. A highlight of the celebration was the opportunity for hospitalized patients and their families to be among the first in the United States to enjoy a pre-screening of the first episode of the hit series' new season, which officially launches Aug. 19 on Disney Channel and Disney Junior. Cast member Armen Taylor (voice of Hulk) made a special appearance at the event to meet with patients and their families.

Jakeira Kiki Williams, 9, shows off her super hero pose alongside Armen Taylor, the voice of The Hulk on Marvels Spidey and His Amazing Friends on Disney Junior. Courtesy of Texas Children's Hospital.

In addition, the group distributed "Marvel's Spidey and his Amazing Friends"-themed toys, activity packs and books. Patients took photos with their families, physicians and nurses in front of a large backdrop featuring characters from "Marvel's Spidey and his Amazing Friends" to commemorate the special day.

"Today was a different experience versus our normal hospital visits," said Brenna Stelly, whose child, Everly, enjoyed the Disney experience. "This opportunity allowed her to see that hospitals can be fun. It's not always about her diagnosis, it can be about her happiness as well."

"We're incredibly grateful for the longstanding relationship with Disney and the generous donation of 'Marvel's Spidey and his Amazing Friends'-themed products," said Adam Garone, CEO of Starlight Children's Foundation. "Delivering fun experiences like this today help hospitalized kids forget about their illnesses for just a moment and rediscover the joy of childhood."

"At Starlight, transforming the hospital stay is core to our mission of delivering happiness to seriously ill kids and their families. Thank you to Disney and Texas Children's Hospital for the support in creating this positive experience that patients will carry with them long after they leave the hospital," Garone added.

"Our Texas Children's physicians and staff were delighted to watch the joy and excitement on the faces of our hospitalized patients as they reveled in this unique Disney visit," said Tabitha Rice, executive vice president of Texas Children's Hospital. "Thanks to Texas Children's established relationship with Disney and support from Starlight Children's Foundation, our patients and their families experienced pure Disney joy  a most welcome reprieve from the many stresses that can accompany a child's hospital stay.

The event was part of Disney's 2018 commitment of $100 million to help children's hospitals reimagine the patient experience and deliver joy when it's needed most. In 2018, Disney chose Texas Children's as the very first children's hospital in the nation to pilot its pediatric hospital initiative, created to help reimagine the patient and family experience. This special program helps ease the fear and anxiety of a hospital stay by bringing the wonder of Disney stories to patients and families through the transformation of hospital spaces with imaginative installations such as interactive murals and digital displays; creating personalized moments by delivering Disney-themed Starlight Hospital Wear, care packages and products; and providing complimentary access to Disney+ and special screenings of newly released movies. Texas Children's staff also receive colorful employee badges featuring beloved Disney characters with the goal of providing joy and comfort to patients and their families during appointments. To help transform patients' hospital stays into memorable Disney-inspired experiences, Texas Children's team members also receive in-person training.

This Summer, Disney teamed up with Starlight Children's Foundation to deliver packages filled with a variety of "Marvel's Spidey and his Amazing Friends" products, including books, toys and activity packs, to children's hospitals across the country.

According to Garone, the child life team at partner hospitals provide Starlight's state-of-the-art programs as distraction tools to help young patients get through the pain and stress of serious illnesses and hospitalization. Starlight offers its programs  including Starlight Gaming, Starlight Hospital Wear and Starlight Deliveries of toys and games  free of charge to over 800 hospitals and healthcare facilities in the U.S.

Community members can also play a part in transforming hospital moments for seriously ill children. To learn more, visit starlight.org/disney.

"Marvel's Spidey and his Amazing Friends"  which recently was picked up for a third season and is the No. 1 most-watched new preschool series among boys aged 2-5  has amassed over 383 million views across Disney Junior and Marvel HQ YouTube channels since its August 2021 launch.

About Starlight Children's Foundation

Starlight Children's Foundation is a 501(c)3 organization that delivers happiness to seriously ill or injured children and their families. Since 1982, Starlight's ground-breaking and innovative programs, like Starlight Virtual Reality, Starlight Hospital Wear, and Starlight Gaming, have impacted 21 million kids at more than 800 children's hospitals across the U.S.

To learn more and to help Starlight deliver happiness to seriously ill kids, visit www.starlight.org and follow Starlight on Facebook , Instagram , and Twitter .

About Texas Children's Hospital

Texas Children's Hospital, a not-for-profit health care organization, is committed to creating a healthier future for children and women throughout the global community by leading in patient care, education and research. Consistently ranked as the best children's hospital in Texas, and among the top in the nation, Texas Children's has garnered widespread recognition for its expertise and breakthroughs in pediatric and women's health. The hospital includes the Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute; the Feigin Tower for Pediatric Research; Texas Children's Pavilion for Women, a comprehensive obstetrics/gynecology facility focusing on high-risk births; Texas Children's Hospital West Campus, a community hospital in suburban West Houston; and Texas Children's Hospital The Woodlands, the first hospital devoted to children's care for communities north of Houston. The organization also created Texas Children's Health Plan, the nation's first HMO for children; Texas Children's Pediatrics, the largest pediatric primary care network in the country; Texas Children's Urgent Care clinics that specialize in after-hours care tailored specifically for children; and a global health program that's channeling care to children and women all over the world. Texas Children's Hospital is affiliated with Baylor College of Medicine. For more information, go to www.texaschildrens.org. Get the latest news by visiting the online newsroom and Twitter at twitter.com/texaschildrens.

SOURCE Texas Children's Hospital
Newsweek's 2022 Rankings Released

DALLAS, Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Upon the release of Newsweek's rankings of America's Best Plastic Surgeons, Dr. Sam Jejurikar of Dallas, Texas, was honored as a top plastic surgeon. Dr. Sam Jejurikar stood out amongst the competition from across the country after a thorough analysis of his track record as an outstanding practitioner.

These prestigious Newsweek rankings are scored based on the surgeons' number of recommendations, a peer survey with 2,000 skin healthcare professionals, and relevant certifications. Dr. Sam Jejurikar is counted amongst the leading plastic surgeons in the U.S. in three of the five major cosmetic surgery procedure categories: facelift surgery (100), liposuction (121), and rhinoplasty (145).

Board-certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, Dr. Sam Jejurikar has been practicing medicine since 1997. He's a member of the renowned Dallas Plastic Surgery Institute. Over the past 20+ years, Jejurikar has become a sought-after practitioner, focusing on both aesthetic and reconstructive plastic surgery needs.

On the cosmetic side of his practice, Dr. Jejurikar is best known for facelift surgery and breast and body contouring surgery, including "Mommy Makeovers" and buttock enhancement procedures. He offers state-of-the-art technologies such as 3D preview imaging so that patients can accurately visualize changes on their face or body before committing to surgery. As for medically necessary interventions, he specializes in repairing and replacing bone, skin, and other tissues, hand surgery, and microsurgery.

"I recognize that each patient is different, so I take a caring, meticulous approach to plastic surgery. This allows me to craft both surgical and non-invasive solutions for my patients' individual needs. My training has also opened up opportunities to give back. I've participated in several medical missions, including an annual trip with Smile Bangladesh to treat impoverished children," says Dr. Sam Jejurikar.

In addition to decades of operating room experience, Dr. Sam Jejurikar is also technically trained and highly educated. After his plastic surgery specialization at the University of Michigan Medical School, Dr. Jejurikar pursued formal post-graduate training in aesthetic surgery, which goes beyond the standard training required for plastic surgeons. He also recently earned his Executive MBA. This combination of education and direct patient care has supported the launch of his own skincare product line, which addresses common issues such as lost elasticity, fine lines, and dark circles.

To find out more or to book a consultation with Dr. Sam Jejurikar at Dallas Plastic Surgery Institute, visit dallasplasticsurgery.pro.

About Dr. Sam Jejurikar , MD, MBA

Board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Sam Jejurikar serves patients in Dallas, Plano, and beyond via the Dallas Plastic Surgery Institute. Named a top Dallas physician by D Magazine in 2020 and 2021, he has been published in medical journals and featured in publications such as Science World Report, Health Tech Zone, and Healthcare Business Today. Dr. Jejurikar is an active member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, Dallas Society of Plastic Surgeons, American Medical Association, and a diplomat of the American Board of Plastic Surgery.

About Newsweek

Newsweek is a highly-regarded news magazine and website that has provided in-depth reports on international issues, technology, business, culture, and politics for over 80 years. Its industry rankings are among the most comprehensive and trusted in the country.

Media contact: Carrie Garza, Office Manager

Phone: 214-827-2814

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE Dr. Sameer Jejurikar
The Cloud Campus of The Dwight Schools  An Innovator in Global Education  Collaborates with the IB to Share Expertise and Make Education More Accessible

NEW YORK, Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Dwight Global Online School  ranked the #2 best online high school in the U.S. by Newsweek  was selected by the International Baccalaureate (IB) as a partner to pilot the delivery of the two-year Diploma Programme (DP) in an online school environment. The pilot is designed to gain insights into the benefits of this pedagogical model and to make the DP more accessible to more diverse cohorts of students unable to attend a brick-and-mortar school. Dwight Global Online School (Dwight Global), a leader in online education since 2014, is proud to document the benefits of delivering the DP in a collaborative online learning community.

Dwight Global 2022 graduate Caroline Hendrickson with Dwight Chancellor Stephen Spahn, left, and Vice Chancellor Blake Spahn, right {Photo Credit: Stomping Ground}

Dwight Global is the cloud campus of The Dwight Schools, a network of leading IB World Schools in New York, London, Shanghai, Seoul, and Dubai, extending a world-class independent school education to students everywhere. In fall 2021, Dwight Global launched the DP online through a hybrid model for students enrolled at Dwight's New York campus. The same opportunity will now be offered to all students who wish to have a robust DP online experience through the two-year pilot beginning this fall.

"We are delighted to partner with the IB to shape and evaluate the latest pedagogical models for delivering the comprehensive Diploma Programme. As a frontier IB World School, Dwight has long collaborated with the IB to develop solutions to global educational challenges, innovate, and share expertise with schools worldwide," said Stephen Spahn , Chancellor of The Dwight Schools, who has spearheaded Dwight since 1967 and is distinguished as the longest-serving head of an independent school in the U.S. "We share the IB's goals of increasing access to education for all through innovative online pedagogy. We also believe that the IB curriculum, culminating with the DP, offers students the finest educational foundation for excelling personally, academically, and professionally in our rapidly changing world."

"The IB aims to increase global access to the Diploma Programme for more diverse cohorts of students. Therefore, we are excited to partner with Dwight Global Online School and provide students with more opportunities to participate in the DP," said Matt Costello, IB Chief Business Development Officer.

The DP: The "Gold Standard" in College Preparation

The Diploma Programme, spanning grades 11-12, is recognized by university admissions directors around the world as the "gold standard" in college preparation based on the breadth and depth of the curriculum. According to the IB, DP graduates are better prepared for university and are more likely than non-IB graduates to remain enrolled and prosper. DP graduates also report that the curriculum prepared them well for college coursework, particularly in the areas of writing, critical thinking, study skills, and time management.

Goals of the Pilot

The pilot is designed to discover the advantages that a fully online DP can offer both students and schools. It will investigate: what the educational model looks like, its feasibility, capability, cost, etc.; and whether students have similar assessment results as those in brick-and-mortar schools. Included among the many students worldwide who could benefit are those who require different ways of accessing education, including students who:

Are displaced or refugees

Travel frequently for extended periods

Have an illness, disability, or social-emotional challenges

Live in remote areas

Are pursuing passions outside school and need time for training

Are homeschooled

The pilot will also explore how the model might impact schools themselves and how the IB can support them. Pilot data will provide the IB with intelligence to make strategic decisions about the future of IB programmes, as well as how they may engage with pilot providers in yet-to-be determined services, such as online examinations.

"We are especially excited to partner with the IB to open the door for more students around the world to reap the enormous benefits of a DP education. Dwight Global has a proven track record of building a vibrant, collaborative community of educators and learners online, including a diverse cohort of students that matches those who the IB is seeking to reach," said Dianne Drew, Global Education Director of The Dwight Schools and former Chair of the IB Global Heads Council. "We created Dwight Global to mirror the Dwight in-person school experience with added accessibility and flexibility, and look forward to sharing our expertise, learning outcomes, and proof of concept with the IB and fellow pilot partners."

Dwight Global's Innovative Roots

In 2013, Dwight Schools in New York and London were selected as two of the original six schools worldwide to pilot the DP online for students in non-IB Schools through the IB's Open World School Programme. That experience led to the founding of Dwight Global the following year. Today, the School offers over 100 IB, AP, honors, and elective classes for students in grades 6-12, who can also customize their own course of study.

Dwight Global extends the long-standing IB expertise of all five brick-and-mortar schools in the Dwight network and especially the New York School's legacy as a true IB pioneer. After authorization to offer the Diploma Programme in 1975, Dwight was the first school in North America authorized to offer the Primary Years Programme (PYP) in 1997, the first K-12 school authorized to offer the Middle Years Programme (MYP) in 2000, and the first in the Americas to provide the comprehensive IB continuum, following authorization to offer the Career-related Programme (CP) in 2014.

More about The Dwight Schools: The Dwight Schools network reaches across the globe and into the cloud igniting the spark of genius in every child. Each IB World School shares the same mission of creating a better world through education. The first Dwight School was founded in New York in 1872, followed by campuses in London in 1972, Seoul in 2012, Shanghai and Dwight Global in 2014, and Dubai in 2018. Graduates of all Dwight Schools attend leading colleges and universities worldwide.

Media contact: Laurie Silbersweig

SOURCE Dwight Global Online School
The Family Care Brand Is Putting Its Skincare-Focused Support Behind One of the Premier Youth Fashion Shows in the World

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Paris is the fashion capital of the world. But that doesn't mean everything to do with Parisian style takes place within that culturally hallowed municipality. There are times when the fashion elite leave the sanctuary of the French capital and take their trends around the world for international audiences to see.

Such is the case for Paris Fashion Week Kids Unit (PFWKU). Paris Fashion Week won't be starting until September 22nd, but its extension event, PFWKU, will be coming to Los Angeles a bit earlier, on August 7, 2022  and the popular family care brand Earth Baby will not only be in attendance. They will also be sponsors.

"We are so excited to be sponsoring the event," says Earth Baby's VP of sales and marketing, Bianca Murphy, "The Kids Unit does an amazing job bringing child models together from around the globe from different nations and with different skin tones. The event showcases the unique charm of children's fashion in their own innocent way."

Earth Baby has spent years cultivating its line of family-focused skincare products . From shampoo, bodywash, and conditioners to moisturizing lotions, sunscreens, and diaper rash creams, the company has a reputation for delivering safe, effective health and hygiene solutions for parents and children alike.

"It doesn't matter if your child is sporting a Baby Dior sun hat, some trendy Gucci dress pants, or a pair of Burberry flats," says Murphy, "children will always need quality skincare products to go along with their outfits at any time of the year. Earth Baby has been helping parents provide quality skin care for their families for a long time. We're an essential part of many parents' skincare toolkits, and our products are a synergistic addition to any swanky wardrobe stocked with the latest in the fashion field."

About Earth Baby:

Earth Baby was originally founded in 2007 by Florence Nacino. As a new grandmother, Nacino wanted to use her past experience as a health and beauty formulation researcher, chemist, and regulatory specialist to create a line of organic, natural, baby-safe products. The company was relaunched from 2019 to 2020 and has continued to grow ever since. Learn more at earthbabystore.com .

About Paris Fashion Week:

Located in LA in 2022, Paris Fashion Week Kids Unit is hosted by the French Ministry of Culture and the Association Haute Couture francais pour enfants, The French Haute Couture Association of Children's Apparel. The goal of PFWKU is to bring the top global fashion brands to the U.S. The event also serves as an opportunity to discover the latest top child models.

Contact:

Bianca Murphy

818-414-7455

[email protected]

SOURCE Earth Baby
Company affirms guidance and financial outlooks; expect 2022 results in top half of the range

NEW ORLEANS, Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Entergy Corporation (NYSE: ETR) reported second quarter 2022 earnings per share of 78 cents on an as-reported basis and $1.78 on an adjusted basis (non-GAAP).

"We had a productive second quarter with accomplishments that made meaningful progress toward our stakeholder objectives," said Leo Denault, Entergy chairman and chief executive officer. "Higher retail sales were driven by customer growth and hot temperatures across our region. As a result, we are implementing several initiatives to improve affordability and customer experience."

Business highlights included the following:

E-TX and Sempra Infrastructure entered into a memorandum of understanding to develop options designed to accelerate the deployment of new renewable generation and to increase the resilience of power supply in E-TX's Southeast Texas service area, where Sempra Infrastructure's facilities are under development.

service area, where Sempra Infrastructure's facilities are under development. Construction was completed on E-MS's 100 MW Sunflower Solar Station.

E-MS announced that the company selected several resources from its 2022 renewable RFP.

E-AR increased its 2022 renewable RFP to 1,000 MW from 500 MW.

E-TX completed a substation that is part of a $44 million investment in the Huntsville distribution network, improving the reliability and resiliency of the local grid.

investment in the distribution network, improving the reliability and resiliency of the local grid. The MPSC approved a settlement agreement to resolve all of the MPSC's complaints against SERI; the proposed settlement is subject to FERC approval.

The MPSC approved E-MS's annual FRP filing.

E-NO submitted its preliminary grid hardening and resilience plan to the CCNO.

E-LA, E-NO, and E-AR filed their annual FRPs, and E-TX filed its base rate case.

E-NO submitted its filing for certification of Hurricane Ida costs.

Entergy completed the sale of Palisades, EWC's last remaining nuclear asset.

Edison Electric Institute announced Entergy as a recipient of its Emergency Assistance Award.

For the seventh consecutive year, Entergy was named to The Civic 50, a Points of Light initiative honoring the 50 most community-minded companies in the U.S.

Consolidated earnings (GAAP and non-GAAP measures) Second quarter and year-to-date 2022 vs. 2021 (See Appendix A for reconciliation of GAAP to non-GAAP measures and description of adjustments)

Second quarter Year-to-date

2022 2021 Change 2022 2021 Change (After-tax, $ in millions)











As-reported earnings 160 (6) 166 436 329 108 Less adjustments (204) (275) 71 (197) (238) 40 Adjusted earnings (non-GAAP) 364 269 95 633 566 67 Estimated weather impact 50 (15) 65 66 8 58













(After-tax, per share in $)











As-reported earnings 0.78 (0.03) 0.81 2.13 1.63 0.50 Less adjustments (1.00) (1.37) 0.37 (0.97) (1.18) 0.21 Adjusted earnings (non-GAAP) 1.78 1.34 0.44 3.10 2.81 0.29 Estimated weather impact 0.24 (0.07) 0.31 0.32 0.04 0.28















Calculations may differ due to rounding

Consolidated results

For second quarter 2022, the company reported earnings of $160 million, or 78 cents per share, on an as-reported basis, and earnings of $364 million, or $1.78 per share, on an adjusted basis. This compared to a second quarter 2021 loss of $(6 million), or (3) cents per share, on an as-reported basis, and earnings of $269 million, or $1.34 per share, on an adjusted basis.

Summary discussions by business are below. Additional details, including information on OCF by business, are provided in Appendix A. An analysis of quarterly and year-to-date variances by business is provided in Appendix B.

Business segment results

Utility

For second quarter 2022, the Utility business reported earnings attributable to Entergy Corporation of $153 million, or 75 cents per share, on an as-reported basis, and earnings of $444 million, or $2.17 per share, on an adjusted basis. This compared to second quarter 2021 earnings of $326 million, or $1.62 per share, on both an as-reported and an adjusted basis. There were several drivers for the quarter's results.

In second quarter 2022, SERI recorded a regulatory charge of $(551 million) ($(413 million) after tax) to increase a regulatory liability to reflect the effects of a partial settlement agreement and offer of settlement related to pending proceedings before the FERC. In June 2022, the MPSC approved a settlement for its 40 percent portion of the complaints. The $588 million liability balance reflects potential refunds if a full settlement is reached with all parties on the same terms as the MPSC settlement. This item was considered an adjustment and excluded from adjusted earnings.

As a result of receiving approvals for storm cost recovery and issuance of securitized debt at E-LA and E-TX, the companies recorded the following:

the equity portion of carrying costs on storm expenditures not previously recorded (the portions related to prior years were considered an adjustment and excluded from adjusted earnings),

a reduction in other income to account for LURC's 1 percent beneficial interest in the trust established as part of E-LA's securitization (considered an adjustment and excluded from adjusted earnings),

a reduction in income tax expense as a result of securitization (considered adjustments and excluded from adjusted earnings), and

amounts reserved to share benefits of securitization with customers (considered adjustments and excluded from adjusted earnings).

Other drivers included:

higher retail sales volume, including the impacts of weather;

the net effect of regulatory actions across the operating companies;

higher operating expenses including other O&M, depreciation expense, and taxes other than income taxes; and

regulatory provisions recorded in second quarter 2021.

On a per share basis, second quarter 2022 results reflected higher diluted average number of common shares outstanding.

Appendix C contains additional details on Utility operating and financial measures.

Parent & Other

For second quarter 2022, Parent & Other reported a loss attributable to Entergy Corporation of $(80 million), or (39) cents per share, on both an as-reported and an adjusted basis. This compared to a second quarter 2021 loss of $(57 million), or (28) cents per share, on both an as-reported and an adjusted basis. Income taxes contributed to the variance.

On a per share basis, second quarter 2022 results reflected higher diluted average number of common shares outstanding.

Entergy Wholesale Commodities

For second quarter 2022, EWC reported earnings attributable to Entergy Corporation of $87 million, or 42 cents per share, on an as-reported basis. This compared to a second quarter 2021 loss attributable to Entergy Corporation of $(275 million), or $(1.37) per share, on an as-reported basis. Drivers for the quarter included:

a gain of $166 million ( $130 million after-tax) as a result of the sale of Palisades in second quarter 2022,

( after-tax) as a result of the sale of Palisades in second quarter 2022, a loss of $340 million ( $268 million after-tax) on the sale of Indian Point in second quarter 2021,

( after-tax) on the sale of Indian Point in second quarter 2021, lower other O&M and depreciation expense due primarily to the shutdown of Indian Point 3 and Palisades, and

lower decommissioning expenses primarily due to the sale of Indian Point.

These drivers were partially offset by:

lower revenue primarily due to the shutdown of Indian Point 3 and Palisades, and

the absence of earnings from NDTs as a result of the sale of Indian Point.

On a per share basis, second quarter 2022 results reflected higher diluted average number of common shares outstanding.

Appendix D contains additional details on EWC operating and financial measures, including reconciliation for non-GAAP EWC adjusted EBITDA.

Earnings per share guidance

Entergy affirmed its 2022 adjusted EPS guidance range of $6.15 to $6.45, and the company expects results to be in the top half of the range. See webcast presentation for additional details.

The company has provided 2022 earnings guidance with regard to the non-GAAP measure of Entergy adjusted EPS. This measure excludes from the corresponding GAAP financial measure the effect of adjustments as described below under "Non-GAAP financial measures." The company has not provided a reconciliation of such non-GAAP guidance to guidance presented on a GAAP basis because it cannot predict and quantify with a reasonable degree of confidence all of the adjustments that may occur during the period. One adjustment will be the exclusion of EWC earnings from Entergy adjusted EPS. We currently estimate that the contribution of EWC to Entergy's as-reported EPS will be approximately 20 cents in 2022.

Earnings teleconference

A teleconference will be held at 10:00 a.m. Central Time on Wednesday, August 3, 2022, to discuss Entergy's quarterly earnings announcement and the company's financial performance. The teleconference and a replay of the teleconference may be accessed by visiting Entergy's website at www.entergy.com; for participants who would like to participate via telephone, please register at https://register.vevent.com/register/BI6152b07a27274da89f66365f26ee51ee to receive the dial-in number along with a unique PIN that is required to access the call (the registration link can also be found on Entergy's website). The webcast presentation is also being posted to Entergy's website concurrent with this news release.

Entergy Corporation, a Fortune 500 company headquartered in New Orleans, powers life for 3 million customers through its operating companies across Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas. Entergy is creating a cleaner, more resilient energy future for everyone with our diverse power generation portfolio, including increasingly carbon-free energy sources. With roots in the Gulf South region for more than a century, Entergy is a recognized leader in corporate citizenship, delivering more than $100 million in economic benefits to local communities through philanthropy and advocacy efforts annually over the last several years. Our approximately 12,000 employees are dedicated to powering life today and for future generations.

Entergy Corporation's common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange and NYSE Chicago under the symbol "ETR".

Details regarding Entergy's results of operations, regulatory proceedings, and other matters are available in this earnings release, a copy of which will be filed with the SEC, and the webcast presentation. Both documents are available on Entergy's Investor Relations website at www.entergy.com/investor_relations.

Entergy maintains a web page as part of its Investor Relations website, entitled Regulatory and Other Information, which provides investors with key updates on certain regulatory proceedings and important milestones on the execution of its strategy. While some of this information may be considered material information, investors should not rely exclusively on this page for all relevant company information.

For definitions of certain operating measures, as well as GAAP and non-GAAP financial measures and abbreviations and acronyms used in the earnings release materials, see Appendix F.

Non-GAAP financial measures

This news release contains non-GAAP financial measures, which are generally numerical measures of a company's performance, financial position, or cash flows that either exclude or include amounts that are not normally excluded or included in the most directly comparable measure calculated and presented in accordance with GAAP. Entergy has provided quantitative reconciliations within this news release of the non-GAAP financial measures to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures.

Entergy reports earnings using the non-GAAP measure of Entergy adjusted earnings, which excludes the effect of certain "adjustments," including the removal of the Entergy Wholesale Commodities segment in light of the company's exit from the merchant power business. Adjustments are unusual or non-recurring items or events or other items or events that management believes do not reflect the ongoing business of Entergy, such as the results of the EWC segment, significant tax items, and other items such as certain costs, expenses, or other specified items. In addition to reporting GAAP consolidated earnings on a per share basis, Entergy reports its adjusted earnings on a per share basis. These per share measures represent the applicable earnings amount divided by the diluted average number of common shares outstanding for the period.

Management uses the non-GAAP financial measures of adjusted earnings and adjusted earnings per share for, among other things, financial planning and analysis; reporting financial results to the board of directors, employees, stockholders, analysts, and investors; and internal evaluation of financial performance. Entergy believes that these non-GAAP financial measures provide useful information to investors in evaluating the ongoing results of Entergy's business, comparing period to period results, and comparing Entergy's financial performance to the financial performance of other companies in the utility sector.

Other non-GAAP measures, including adjusted EBITDA; adjusted ROE; adjusted ROE, excluding affiliate preferred; gross liquidity; net liquidity; net liquidity, including storm escrows; debt to capital, excluding securitization debt; net debt to net capital, excluding securitization debt; parent debt to total debt, excluding securitization debt; FFO to debt, excluding securitization debt; and FFO to debt, excluding securitization debt, return of unprotected excess ADIT, and severance and retention payments associated with exit of EWC, are measures Entergy uses internally for management and board discussions and to gauge the overall strength of its business. Entergy believes the above data provides useful information to investors in evaluating Entergy's ongoing financial results and flexibility, and assists investors in comparing Entergy's credit and liquidity to the credit and liquidity of others in the utility sector. In addition, ROE is included on both an adjusted and an as-reported basis. Metrics defined as "adjusted" (other than EWC's adjusted EBITDA) exclude the effect of adjustments as defined above. EWC's adjusted EBITDA represents EWC's earnings before interest, taxes, and depreciation and amortization, and also excludes decommissioning expense.

These non-GAAP financial measures reflect an additional way of viewing aspects of Entergy's operations that, when viewed with Entergy's GAAP results and the accompanying reconciliations to corresponding GAAP financial measures, provide a more complete understanding of factors and trends affecting Entergy's business. These non-GAAP financial measures should not be used to the exclusion of GAAP financial measures. Investors are strongly encouraged to review Entergy's consolidated financial statements and publicly filed reports in their entirety and not to rely on any single financial measure. Although certain of these measures are intended to assist investors in comparing Entergy's performance to other companies in the utility sector, non-GAAP financial measures are not standardized; therefore, it might not be possible to compare these financial measures with other companies' non-GAAP financial measures having the same or similar names.

Cautionary note regarding forward-looking statements

In this news release, and from time to time, Entergy Corporation makes certain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements include, among other things, statements regarding Entergy's 2022 earnings guidance; current financial and operational outlooks; industrial load growth outlooks; statements regarding its climate transition and resilience plans, goals, beliefs, or expectations; and other statements of Entergy's plans, beliefs, or expectations included in this news release. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which apply only as of the date of this news release. Except to the extent required by the federal securities laws, Entergy undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.

Forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties, and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in such forward-looking statements, including (a) those factors discussed elsewhere in this news release and in Entergy's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, any subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, and Entergy's other reports and filings made under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934; (b) uncertainties associated with (1) rate proceedings, formula rate plans, and other cost recovery mechanisms, including the risk that costs may not be recoverable to the extent or on the timeline anticipated by the utilities and (2) implementation of the ratemaking effects of changes in law; (c) uncertainties associated with (1) realizing the benefits of its resilience plan, including impacts of the frequency and intensity of future storms and storm paths, as well as the pace of project completion and (2) efforts to remediate the effects of major storms and recover related restoration costs; (d) risks associated with operating nuclear facilities, including plant relicensing, operating, and regulatory costs and risks; (e) changes in decommissioning trust fund values or earnings or in the timing or cost of decommissioning Entergy's nuclear plant sites; (f) legislative and regulatory actions and risks and uncertainties associated with claims or litigation by or against Entergy and its subsidiaries; (g) risks and uncertainties associated with executing on business strategies, including strategic transactions that Entergy or its subsidiaries may undertake and the risk that any such transaction may not be completed as and when expected and the risk that the anticipated benefits of the transaction may not be realized; (h) impacts from terrorist attacks, geopolitical conflicts, cybersecurity threats, data security breaches, or other attempts to disrupt Entergy's business or operations, and/or other catastrophic events; (i) the direct and indirect impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on Entergy and its customers; and (j) effects on Entergy or its customers of (1) changes in federal, state, or local laws and regulations and other governmental actions or policies, including changes in monetary, fiscal, tax, environmental, or energy policies; (2) the effects of changes in commodity markets, capital markets, or economic conditions; and (3) the effects of technological change, including the costs, pace of development, and commercialization of new and emerging technologies.

Second quarter 2022 earnings release appendices and financial statements

Appendices

A: Consolidated results and adjustments

B: Earnings variance analysis

C: Utility operating and financial measures

D: EWC operating and financial measures

E: Consolidated financial measures

F: Definitions and abbreviations and acronyms

G: Other GAAP to Non-GAAP reconciliations

Financial statements

Consolidating balance sheets

Consolidating income statements

Consolidated cash flow statements

A: Consolidated results and adjustments

Appendix A-1 provides a comparative summary of consolidated earnings, including a reconciliation of as-reported earnings (GAAP) to adjusted earnings (non-GAAP).

Appendix A-1: Consolidated earnings - reconciliation of GAAP to non-GAAP measures Second quarter and year-to-date 2022 vs. 2021 (See Appendix A-2 and Appendix A-3 for details on adjustments)

Second quarter Year-to-date

2022 2021 Change 2022 2021 Change (After-tax, $ in millions)











As-reported earnings (loss)











Utility 153 326 (173) 493 682 (189) Parent & Other (80) (57) (23) (151) (116) (35) EWC 87 (275) 362 94 (238) 332 Consolidated 160 (6) 166 436 329 108













Less adjustments











Utility (291) - (291) (291) - (291) Parent & Other - - - - - - EWC 87 (275) 362 94 (238) 332 Consolidated (204) (275) 71 (197) (238) 40













Adjusted earnings (loss) (non-GAAP)











Utility 444 326 118 784 682 102 Parent & Other (80) (57) (23) (151) (116) (35) EWC - - - - - - Consolidated 364 269 95 633 566 67 Estimated weather impact 50 (15) 65 66 8 58













Diluted average number of common shares outstanding (in millions) 205 201

204 201















(After-tax, per share in $) (a)











As-reported earnings (loss)











Utility 0.75 1.62 (0.87) 2.41 3.39 (0.98) Parent & Other (0.39) (0.28) (0.11) (0.74) (0.58) (0.16) EWC 0.42 (1.37) 1.79 0.46 (1.18) 1.64 Consolidated 0.78 (0.03) 0.81 2.13 1.63 0.50













Less adjustments











Utility (1.42) - (1.42) (1.43) - (1.43) Parent & Other - - - - - - EWC 0.42 (1.37) 1.79 0.46 (1.18) 1.64 Consolidated (1.00) (1.37) 0.37 (0.97) (1.18) 0.21













Adjusted earnings (loss) (non-GAAP)











Utility 2.17 1.62 0.55 3.84 3.39 0.45 Parent & Other (0.39) (0.28) (0.11) (0.74) (0.58) (0.16) EWC - - - - - - Consolidated 1.78 1.34 0.44 3.10 2.81 0.29 Estimated weather impact 0.24 (0.07) 0.31 0.32 0.04 0.28















Calculations may differ due to rounding (a) Per share amounts are calculated by dividing the corresponding earnings (loss) by the diluted average number of common shares outstanding for the period.





See Appendix B for detailed earnings variance analysis.

Appendix A-2 and Appendix A-3 list adjustments by business. Adjustments are included in as-reported earnings consistent with GAAP but are excluded from adjusted earnings. As a result, adjusted earnings is considered a non-GAAP measure.

Appendix A-2: Adjustments by driver (shown as positive/(negative) impact on earnings or EPS) Second quarter and year-to-date 2022 vs. 2021

Second quarter Year-to-date

2022 2021 Change 2022 2021 Change (Pre-tax except for income taxes, preferred dividend requirements, and totals; $ in millions) Utility











E-LA and E-TX true-up for prior year's portion of the equity component of carrying costs for 2020 storms 41 - 41 41 - 41 E-LA contribution to the LURC related to securitization (32) - (32) (32) - (32) E-LA customer-sharing of securitization benefits (224) - (224) (224) - (224) SERI litigation settlement regulatory charge (551) - (551) (551) - (551) Income tax effect on Utility adjustments above 192 - 192 192 - 192 E-LA tax benefit resulting from securitization 283 - 283 283 - 283 Total Utility (291) - (291) (291) - (291)













EWC











Income before income taxes 113 (346) 459 123 (293) 416 Income taxes (25) 72 (97) (28) 56 (84) Preferred dividend requirements (1) (1) - (1) (1) - Total EWC 87 (275) 362 94 (238) 332













Total adjustments (204) (275) 71 (197) (238) 40













(After-tax, per share in $) (b)











Utility











E-LA and E-TX true-up for prior year's portion of the equity component of carrying costs for 2020 storms 0.18 - 0.18 0.17 - 0.17 E-LA contribution to the LURC related to securitization (0.15) - (0.15) (0.15) - (0.15) E-LA customer-sharing of securitization benefits (0.81) - (0.81) (0.81) - (0.81) SERI litigation settlement regulatory charge (2.02) - (2.02) (2.02) - (2.02) E-LA tax benefit resulting from securitization 1.38 - 1.38 1.38 - 1.38 Total Utility (1.42) - (1.42) (1.43) - (1.43)













EWC











Total EWC 0.42 (1.37) 1.79 0.46 (1.18) 1.64













Total adjustments (1.00) (1.37) 0.37 (0.97) (1.18) 0.21















Calculations may differ due to rounding (b) Per share amounts are calculated by dividing the corresponding earnings (loss) by the diluted average number of common shares outstanding for the period.





Appendix A-3: Adjustments by income statement line item (shown as positive/(negative) impact on earnings) Second quarter and year-to-date 2022 vs. 2021 (Pre-tax except for income taxes, preferred dividend requirements, and totals; $ in millions)

Second quarter Year-to-date

2022 2021 Change 2022 2021 Change Utility











Operating revenues 46 - 46 46 - 46 Other regulatory charges (credits)net (775) - (775) (775) - (775) Other income (deductions)other (37) - (37) (37) - (37) Income taxes 474 - 474 474 - 474 Total Utility (291) - (291) (291) - (291)













EWC











Operating revenues 89 149 (60) 239 397 (158) Fuel and fuel-related expenses (25) (17) (7) (51) (39) (12) Purchased power (26) (18) (8) (39) (36) (4) Nuclear refueling outage expense (7) (11) 4 (18) (22) 4 Other O&M (42) (83) 41 (84) (182) 99 Asset write-off and impairments 164 (342) 506 163 (345) 509 Decommissioning expense (14) (40) 26 (28) (93) 65 Taxes other than income taxes (3) (6) 3 (12) (12) - Depreciation/amortization exp. (3) (14) 11 (12) (27) 15 Other income (deductions)other (18) 41 (59) (31) 75 (107) Interest exp. and other charges (2) (4) 2 (3) (8) 5 Income taxes (25) 72 (97) (28) 56 (84) Preferred dividend requirements (1) (1) - (1) (1) - Total EWC 87 (275) 362 94 (238) 332













Total adjustments (204) (275) 71 (197) (238) 40















Calculations may differ due to rounding



Appendix A-4 provides a comparative summary of OCF by business.

Appendix A-4: Consolidated operating cash flow Second quarter and year-to-date 2022 vs. 2021 ($ in millions)

Second quarter Year-to-date

2022 2021 Change 2022 2021 Change Utility 361 1,014 (653) 856 937 (81) Parent & Other (84) (64) (20) (119) (86) (33) EWC 1 (154) 155 79 (105) 184 Consolidated 278 796 (518) 816 747 69















Calculations may differ due to rounding



OCF decreased for the quarter due largely to the higher fuel and purchased power cost. Higher interest payments also contributed to the decline. These decreases were partially offset by lower severance and retention payments at EWC, lower non-capital storm restoration expenditures, and higher utility customer receipts (including the effects of weather).

B: Earnings variance analysis

Appendix B provides details of current quarter 2022 versus 2021 as-reported and adjusted earnings per share variances for Utility, Parent & Other, and EWC.

Appendix B-1: As-reported and adjusted earnings per share variance analysis (c), (d), (e) Second quarter 2022 vs. 2021 (After-tax, per share in $)

Utility

Parent & Other

EWC

Consolidated

As-

reported Adjusted

As-

reported Adjusted

As- reported

As- reported Adjusted 2021 earnings (loss) 1.62 1.62

(0.28) (0.28)

(1.37)

(0.03) 1.34 Operating revenue less: Fuel, fuel-related expenses and gas purchased for resale, Purchased power, and Regulatory charges (credits)net (1.88) 0.74 (f) - -

(0.30) (g) (2.18) 0.74 Nuclear refueling outage expense 0.01 0.01

- -

0.02

0.03 0.01 Other O&M (0.13) (0.13) (h) (0.01) (0.01)

0.16 (i) 0.02 (0.14) Asset write-offs and impairments - -

- -

1.99 (j) 1.99 - Decommissioning expense (0.01) (0.01)

- -

0.10 (k) 0.09 (0.01) Taxes other than income taxes (0.07) (0.07) (l) - -

0.01

(0.06) (0.07) Depreciation/amortization exp. (0.13) (0.13) (m) - -

0.05 (n) (0.08) (0.13) Other income (deductions)-other (0.02) 0.16 (o) (0.04) (0.04)

(0.23) (p) (0.29) 0.12 Interest expense (0.04) (0.04)

(0.02) (0.02)

0.01

(0.05) (0.06) Income taxesother 1.41 0.03 (q) (0.05) (0.05) (r) (0.01)

1.35 (0.02) Share effect (0.01) (0.01)

0.01 0.01

(0.01)

(0.01) - 2022 earnings (loss) 0.75 2.17

(0.39) (0.39)

0.42

0.78 1.78























Appendix B-2: As-reported and adjusted earnings variance analysis (c), (d), (e) Year-to-date 2022 vs. 2021 (After-tax, per share in $)

Utility

Parent & Other

EWC

Consolidated

As-

Reported Adjusted

As-

Reported Adjusted

As- Reported

As- Reported Adjusted 2021 earnings (loss) 3.39 3.39

(0.58) (0.58)

(1.18)

1.63 2.81 Operating revenue less: Fuel, fuel-related expenses and gas purchased for resale, Purchased power, and Regulatory charges (credits)net (1.46) 1.17 (f) - -

(0.68) (g) (2.14) 1.17 Nuclear refueling outage expense 0.02 0.02

- -

0.01

0.03 0.02 Other O&M (0.23) (0.23) (h) (0.02) (0.02)

0.39 (i) 0.14 (0.25) Asset write-offs and impairments - -

- -

2.00 (j) 2.00 - Decommissioning expense (0.02) (0.02)

- -

0.26 (k) 0.24 (0.02) Taxes other than income taxes (0.15) (0.15) (l) - -

0.00

(0.15) (0.15) Depreciation/amortization exp. (0.24) (0.24) (m) - -

0.06 (n) (0.18) (0.24) Other income (deductions)other (0.19) (0.01) (o) (0.05) (0.05) (s) (0.42) (p) (0.66) (0.06) Interest exp. and other charges (0.10) (0.10) (t) (0.05) (0.05) (u) 0.02

(0.13) (0.15) Income taxesother 1.42 0.04 (q) (0.05) (0.05) (r) 0.01

1.38 (0.01) Share effect (0.03) (0.03)

0.01 0.01

(0.01)

(0.03) (0.02) 2022 earnings (loss) 2.41 3.84

(0.74) (0.74)

0.46

2.13 3.10























Calculations may differ due to rounding (c) Utility operating revenue / regulatory charges and Utility income taxes-other exclude the following for the return of unprotected excess ADIT to customers (net effect is neutral to earnings) (in $ million):

2Q22 2Q21 YTD22 YTD21 16 14 33 54

(d) Utility regulatory charges (credits) and Utility preferred dividend requirements and noncontrolling interest exclude the following for the effects of HLBV accounting and the approved deferral (net effect is neutral to earnings) (in $ million):

2Q22 2Q21 YTD222 YTD21 1  2 

(e) EPS effect is calculated by multiplying the pre-tax variance by the estimated income tax rate that is expected to apply and dividing by diluted average number of common shares outstanding for the prior period; income taxesother represents income tax differences other than the tax effect of individual line items. (f) The second quarter and year-to-date variances included a $551 million ($413 million after-tax) regulatory charge recorded by SERI in second quarter 2022; the provision was recorded to reflect the effects of a partial settlement agreement and offer of settlement related to pending proceedings before the FERC (this item was considered an adjustment and excluded from adjusted earnings). The variances also reflected items resulting from E-LA and E-TX storm cost approval and securitization. The companies recorded $59 million in revenues ($54 million after-tax) for the equity component of carrying charges on those storm costs ($46 million ($42 million after tax) associated with prior years was considered an adjustment and excluded from adjusted earnings). E-LA also recorded a $224 million ($117 million after-tax) regulatory provision for sharing the benefits of E-LA's securitization with customers (considered an adjustment and excluded from adjusted earnings). Regulatory actions that affected variances included E-AR's FRP; E-LA's FRP; E-MS's FRP and ad valorem rider; E-NO's FRP; and E-TX's GCRR, TCRF, and DCRF. Volume / weather was also a driver. The variance also reflected a change in regulatory provisions for decommissioning items (the difference between expense and trust earnings plus costs collected in revenue, largely earnings neutral). Two items recorded in second quarter 2021 contributed to the variances: a regulatory credit for E-MS, primarily for its 2020 lookback evaluation, and a reserve adjustment for the FERC MSS-4 ROE decision. The year-to-date variance also included the first quarter 2021 reversal of an E-AR regulatory provision; partially offsetting was a regulatory provision for the true-up of E-LA and E-TX cost of debt from 2020 storms. (g) The second quarter and year-to-date earnings decreases were due largely to the shutdown of Palisades in May 2022 and Indian Point 3 in April 2021 and lower realized wholesale energy and capacity prices. (h) The second quarter and year-to-date earnings decreases from higher Utility other O&M was due primarily to higher power delivery expenses, higher energy efficiency costs, higher customer service center support costs, higher bad debt expense, and an increase in loss provisions. The year-to-date variance also included higher nuclear and non-nuclear generation expenses and higher legal expenses, partially offset by higher nuclear insurance refunds. (i) The second quarter and year-to-date earnings increases from lower EWC other O&M were due largely to the shutdown of Indian Point 3 in April 2021 and Palisades in May 2022. The second quarter variance was partially offset by higher severance and retention expenses. (j) The second quarter and year-to-date earnings increases from lower asset write-offs and impairments were due largely to two items. In second quarter 2022, a $166 million gain ($130 million after-tax) was recorded as a result of the sale of Palisades. In second quarter 2021, a $340 million loss ($268 million after-tax) was recorded as a result of the sale of Indian Point. (k) The second quarter and year-to-date earnings increases from lower EWC decommissioning expense were due primarily to the sale of Indian Point in May 2021. (l) The second quarter and year-to-date earnings decreases from higher Utility taxes other than income taxes were due to increases in ad valorem and franchise taxes. The year-to-date variance also reflected higher employment taxes. (m) The second quarter and year-to-date earnings decreases from higher Utility depreciation expense were due primarily to higher plant in service. (n) The second quarter and year-to-date earnings increases from lower EWC depreciation expense were due primarily to the shutdown of Indian Point 3 in April 2021 and Palisades in May 2022. (o) The second quarter and year-to-date as-reported earnings decreases from lower Utility other income (deductions) reflected a few drivers. In second quarter 2022, three items were recorded as a result of E-LA securitization: (a) a $32 million reduction to interest and investment income (loss) was recorded to account for LURC's 1% beneficial interest in the trust established as part of the securitization (considered an adjustment and excluded from adjusted earnings); (b) an adjustment to AFUDC-equity for the approved equity component of carrying costs on 2020 storms not previously recorded (the portion relating to prior years was considered an adjustment and excluded from adjusted earnings), and (c) higher intercompany dividend income related to the new intercompany investment in preferred stock resulting from E-LA's securitization compared to the previous affiliate preferred investment that was liquidated (offset in P&O). The variances also reflected lower non-service pension costs. The year-to-date variance also reflected changes in decommissioning trust fund returns (based on regulatory treatment, decommissioning-related variances are largely earnings neutral). (p) The second quarter and year-to-date earnings decreases from lower EWC other income (deductions) were due largely to the absence of earnings from nuclear decommissioning trust funds that were transferred in the sale of Indian Point in May 2021 and the performance of Palisades decommissioning trust investments. The decrease was partially offset by lower non-service pension costs. (q) The second quarter and year-to-date as-reported increases from Utility income taxes were due largely to a second quarter 2022 $283 million income tax benefit related to securitization financing of Hurricane Laura, Hurricane Delta, Hurricane Zeta, Winter Storm Uri, and a portion of Hurricane Ida (this item was considered an adjustment and excluded from adjusted earnings). (r) The second quarter and year-to-date earnings decreases from Parent & Other income taxes reflected a reversal of a $9 million valuation allowance related to the interest expense limitation recorded in second quarter 2021. (s) The year-to-date earnings decrease from Parent & Other other income (deductions) was largely due to lower intercompany dividend income related to the new intercompany investment in preferred stock resulting from E-LA's securitization compared to the previous affiliate preferred investment that was liquidated (offset in Utility). (t) The year-to-date earnings decrease from higher Utility interest expense was due primarily to higher debt balances. (u) The year-to-date earnings decrease from higher Parent & Other interest expense was due primarily to higher debt balances and intercompany guarantee activity.

Utility as-reported operating revenue less fuel, fuel-related

expenses and gas purchased for resale; purchased power; and

regulatory charges (credits)-net variance analysis 2022 vs. 2021 ($ EPS)

2Q YTD Volume/weather 0.52 0.47 Retail electric price 0.25 0.57 2Q22 increase in provision for potential refunds in SERI complaints (2.02) (2.02) 2Q22 provision for customer sharing of securitization benefits (0.81) (0.81) 2Q22 reg. provisions for true-up of E-LA and E-TX equity carrying costs on 2020 storms 0.26 0.26 1Q22 reg. provisions for true-up of E-LA and E-TX cost of debt from 2020 storms 0.02 0.07 2Q21 reg. credit for E-MS (0.07) (0.07) 2Q21 MSS-4 ROE reserve adj. (0.05) (0.05) 1Q21 reversal of reg. provision for

E-AR's FRP 2019 netting adj. - (0.16) Reg. provisions for decommissioning items 0.02 0.23 Other, including Grand Gulf recovery  0.05 Total (1.88) (1.46)

C: Utility operating and financial measures

Appendix C provides comparative summaries of Utility operating and financial measures.













Appendix C: Utility operating and financial measures

Second quarter and year-to-date 2022 vs. 2021



Second quarter Year-to-date





2022 2021 %

Change % Weather

adjusted (v) 2022 2021 %

Change % Weather

adjusted (v)

GWh sold

















Residential 9,493 8,487 11.9 0.2 17,946 17,150 4.6 (1.7)

Commercial 7,203 6,731 7.0 4.7 13,474 12,842 4.9 5.0

Governmental 641 616 4.1 3.1 1,226 1,197 2.4 1.8

Industrial 13,480 12,640 6.6 6.6 25,976 24,378 6.6 6.6

Total retail sales 30,817 28,474 8.2 4.2 58,622 55,567 5.5 3.6

Wholesale 3,920 4,716 (16.9)

7,562 9,016 (16.1)



Total sales 34,737 33,190 4.7

66,184 64,583 2.5























Number of electric retail customers

















Residential







2,554,001 2,542,264 0.5





Commercial







366,044 362,681 0.9



Governmental







18,054 17,867 1.0



Industrial







43,490 43,282 0.5



Total retail customers







2,981,589 2,966,094 0.5























Other O&M and refueling outage expense per MWh $21.74 $21.81 (0.3)

$21.39 $21.04 1.7

































































Calculations may differ due to rounding (v) The effects of weather were estimated using heating degree days and cooling degree days for the period from certain locations within each jurisdiction and comparing to "normal" weather based on 20-year historical data. The models used to estimate weather are updated periodically and are subject to change.





For the quarter, retail sales volume increased across all customer classes, including the effect of hotter weather on residential and commercial sales. The increase in industrial usage was due to an increase in demand from expansion projects, primarily in the chemicals, transportation, and petroleum refining industries, an increase in demand from cogeneration customers, and an increase in demand from existing customers, primarily in the chemicals and pulp and paper industries as a result of prior year temporary plant shutdowns. The increase in weather-adjusted commercial usage was primarily due to an increase in customers and the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on businesses in second quarter 2021.

D: EWC operating and financial measures

Appendix D-1 provides a comparative summary of EWC operating and financial measures.

Appendix D-1: EWC operating and financial measures Second quarter and year-to-date 2022 vs. 2021

Second quarter Year-to-date

2022 2021 % Change 2022 2021 % Change Owned capacity (MW) (w) 394 1,205 (67) 394 1,205 (67) GWh billed 1,371 2,687 (49) 3,595 7,099 (49)













EWC Nuclear Fleet











Capacity factor 81 % 94 % (14) 93 % 97 % (4) GWh billed 975 2,356 (59) 2,741 6,344 (57) Production cost per MWh $29.61 $27.51 8 $26.93 $21.82 23 Average energy/capacity revenue per MWh $30.50 $48.89 (38) $49.00 $50.87 (4)















Calculations may differ due to rounding (w) 2022 excludes the Palisades plant (811 MW) which was shut down on May 20, 2022.





Appendix D-2 provides a comparative summary of EWC adjusted EBITDA (non-GAAP).

Appendix D-2: EWC adjusted EBITDA - reconciliation of GAAP to Non-GAAP measures Second quarter and year-to-date 2022 vs. 2021 ($ in millions) Second quarter Year-to-date

2022 2021 Change 2022 2021 Change Net income (loss) 87 (275) 362 95 (237) 332 Add back: interest expense 2 4 (2) 3 8 (5) Add back: income taxes 25 (72) 97 28 (56) 84 Add back: depreciation and amortization 3 14 (11) 12 27 (15) Subtract: interest and investment income (24) 50 (74) (41) 97 (139) Add back: decommissioning expense 14 40 (26) 28 93 (65) Adjusted EBITDA (non-GAAP) 156 (338) 494 207 (262) 469















Calculations may differ due to rounding



E: Consolidated financial measures

Appendix E provides comparative financial measures. Financial measures in this table include those calculated and presented in accordance with GAAP, as well as those that are considered non-GAAP financial measures.

Appendix E: GAAP and non-GAAP financial measures Second quarter 2022 vs. 2021 (See appendix G for reconciliation of GAAP to non-GAAP financial measures) For 12 months ending June 30 2022 2021 Change GAAP measure





As-reported ROE 10.8 % 11.6 % (0.8) %







Non-GAAP measure





Adjusted ROE 11.3 % 11.3 % -







As of June 30 ($ in millions, except where noted) 2022 2021 Change GAAP measures





Cash and cash equivalents 580 687 (107) Available revolver capacity 4,191 4,125 66 Commercial paper 1,398 866 532 Total debt 26,923 25,435 1,488 Securitization debt 336 114 222 Debt to capital 69.1 % 69.5 % (0.4) % Off-balance sheet liabilities:





Debt of joint ventures  Entergy's share 3 12 (9) Total off-balance sheet liabilities 3 12 (9)







Storm escrow balances 323 72 251







Non-GAAP measures ($ in millions, except where noted)





Debt to capital, excluding securitization debt 68.8 % 69.4 % (0.6) % Net debt to net capital, excluding securitization debt 68.4 % 68.9 % (0.5) % Gross liquidity 4,771 4,812 (41) Net liquidity 3,373 3,946 (573) Net liquidity, including storm escrow balances 3,697 4,018 (322) Parent debt to total debt, excluding securitization debt 20.9 % 22.4 % (1.5) % FFO to debt, excluding securitization debt 10.9 % 9.8 % 1.1 % FFO to debt, excluding securitization debt, return of unprotected excess ADIT, and severance and retention payments associated with the exit of EWC 11.1 % 10.8 % 0.4 %









Calculations may differ due to rounding



F: Definitions and abbreviations and acronyms

Appendix F-1 provides definitions of certain operating measures, as well as GAAP and non-GAAP financial measures.

Appendix F-1: Definitions Utility operating and financial measures GWh sold Total number of GWh sold to retail and wholesale customers Number of electric retail customers Average number of electric customers over the period Other O&M and refueling outage expense per MWh Other operation and maintenance expense plus nuclear refueling outage expense per MWh of total sales



EWC operating and financial measures Adjusted EBITDA (non-GAAP) Earnings before interest, income taxes, and depreciation and amortization, and excluding decommissioning expense Capacity factor Normalized percentage of the period that the nuclear plants generate power GWh billed Total number of GWh billed to customers and financially-settled instruments Owned capacity (MW) Installed capacity owned by EWC Production cost per MWh Fuel and other O&M expenses according to accounting standards that directly relate to the production of electricity per MWh (based on net generation)



Financial measures  GAAP As-reported ROE 12-months rolling net income attributable to Entergy Corp. divided by avg. common equity Debt of joint ventures  Entergy's share Entergy's share of debt issued by business joint ventures at EWC Debt to capital Total debt divided by total capitalization Available revolver capacity Amount of undrawn capacity remaining on corporate and subsidiary revolvers Securitization debt Debt on the balance sheet associated with securitization bonds that is secured by certain future customer collections Total debt Sum of short-term and long-term debt, notes payable and commercial paper, and finance leases on the balance sheet

Financial measures  non-GAAP Adjusted EPS As-reported EPS excluding adjustments Adjusted ROE 12-months rolling adjusted net income attributable to Entergy Corp. divided by avg. common equity Adjustments Unusual or non-recurring items or events or other items or events that management believes do not reflect the ongoing business of Entergy, such as the results of the EWC segment, significant tax items, and other items such as certain costs, expenses, or other specified items Debt to capital, excluding securitization debt Total debt divided by total capitalization, excluding securitization debt FFO OCF less AFUDC-borrowed funds, working capital items in OCF (receivables, fuel inventory, accounts payable, taxes accrued, interest accrued, and other working capital accounts), and securitization regulatory charges FFO to debt, excluding securitization debt 12-months rolling FFO as a percentage of end of period total debt excl. securitization debt FFO to debt, excl. securitization debt, return of unprotected excess ADIT, and severance and retention payments associated with the exit of EWC 12-months rolling FFO excluding return of unprotected excess ADIT and severance and retention payments associated with the exit of EWC as a percentage of end of period total debt excluding securitization debt Gross liquidity Sum of cash and available revolver capacity Net debt to net capital, excl. securitization debt Total debt less cash and cash equivalents divided by total capitalization less cash and cash equivalents, excluding securitization debt Net liquidity Sum of cash and available revolver capacity less commercial paper borrowing Net liquidity, including storm escrows Sum of cash, available revolver capacity, and escrow accounts available for certain storm expenses, less commercial paper borrowing Parent debt to total debt, excl. securitization debt Entergy Corp. debt, incl. amounts drawn on credit revolver and commercial paper facilities, as a percent of consolidated total debt, excl. securitization debt

Appendix F-2 explains abbreviations and acronyms used in the quarterly earnings materials.

Appendix F-2: Abbreviations and acronyms ADIT AFUDC AFUDC  borrowed funds ALJ AMI APSC ARO ATM bps CCCT CCGT CCNO CFO COD DCRF DOE DSM E-AR E-LA E-MS E-NO E-TX EBITDA

EPC EPS ETR EWC FERC FFO FIN 48

FRP GAAP GCRR Grand Gulf or GGNS HLBV IIRR-G Accumulated deferred income taxes Allowance for funds used during construction Allowance for borrowed funds used during construction Administrative law judge Advanced metering infrastructure Arkansas Public Service Commission Asset retirement obligation At the market equity issuance program Basis points Combined cycle combustion turbine Combined cycle gas turbine Council of the City of New Orleans Cash from operations Commercial operation date Distribution cost recovery factor U.S. Department of Energy Demand side management Entergy Arkansas, LLC Entergy Louisiana, LLC Entergy Mississippi, LLC Entergy New Orleans, LLC Entergy Texas, Inc. Earnings before interest, income taxes, and depreciation and amortization Engineering, procurement, and construction Earnings per share Entergy Corporation Entergy Wholesale Commodities Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Funds from operations FASB Interpretation No.48, "Accounting for Uncertainty in Income Taxes" Formula rate plan U.S. generally accepted accounting principles Generation Cost Recovery Rider Unit 1 of Grand Gulf Nuclear Station (nuclear), 90% owned or leased by SERI Hypothetical liquidation at book value Infrastructure investment recovery rider - gas Indian Point 3

or IP3 IPEC or

Indian Point IRAR ISES 2

LPSC LTM LURC MISO Moody's MPSC MTEP Nelson 6 NDT NRC NYSE OCAPS OCF OpCo OPEB Other O&M

P&O Palisades

PMR PPA

PUCT RFP ROE RS Cogen RSP S&P SEC SERI TCRF UPSA WACC Indian Point Energy Center Unit 3 (nuclear)

(shut down April 2021, sold May 2021) Indian Point Energy Center (nuclear)

(sold May 28, 2021) Interim rate adjustment rider Unit 2 of Independence Steam Electric Station (coal) Louisiana Public Service Commission Last twelve months Louisiana Utility Restoration Corporation Midcontinent Independent System Operator, Inc. Moody's Investor Service Mississippi Public Service Commission MISO Transmission Expansion Plan Unit 6 of Roy S. Nelson plant (coal) Nuclear decommissioning trust U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission New York Stock Exchange Orange County Advanced Power Station Net cash flow provided by operating activities Utility operating company Other post-employment benefits Other non-fuel operation and maintenance expense Parent & Other Palisades Power Plant (nuclear) (shut down May 2022, sold June 2022) Performance Management Rider Power purchase agreement or purchased power agreement Public Utility Commission of Texas Request for proposals Return on equity RS Cogen facility (CCGT cogeneration) Rate Stabilization Plan (E-LA Gas) Standard & Poor's U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission System Energy Resources, Inc. Transmission cost recovery factor Unit Power Sales Agreement Weighted-average cost of capital

G: Other GAAP to non-GAAP reconciliations

Appendix G-1, Appendix G-2, and Appendix G-3 provide reconciliations of various non-GAAP financial measures disclosed in this news release to their most comparable GAAP measure.

Appendix G-1: Reconciliation of GAAP to non-GAAP financial measures  ROE (LTM $ in millions except where noted)

Second quarter



2022 2021 As-reported net income (loss) attributable to Entergy Corporation (A) 1,226 1,238 Adjustments (B) (56) 32







Adjusted earnings (non-GAAP) (A-B) 1,282 1,206







Average common equity (average of beginning and ending balances) (C) 11,300 10,657







As-reported ROE (A/C) 10.8 % 11.6 % Adjusted ROE (non-GAAP) [(A-B)/C] 11.3 % 11.3 %









Calculations may differ due to rounding



Appendix G-2: Reconciliation of GAAP to non-GAAP financial measures  debt ratios excluding securitization debt; gross liquidity; net liquidity; net liquidity, including storm escrows ($ in millions except where noted)

Second quarter



2022 2021 Total debt (A) 26,923 25,435 Less securitization debt (B) 336 114 Total debt, excluding securitization debt (C) 26,587 25,321 Less cash and cash equivalents (D) 580 687 Net debt, excluding securitization debt (E) 26,007 24,634







Commercial paper (F) 1,398 866







Total capitalization (G) 38,961 36,577 Less securitization debt (B) 336 114 Total capitalization, excluding securitization debt (H) 38,625 36,463 Less cash and cash equivalents (D) 580 687 Net capital, excluding securitization debt (I) 38,045 35,777







Debt to capital (A/G) 69.1 % 69.5 % Debt to capital, excluding securitization debt (non-GAAP) (C/H) 68.8 % 69.4 % Net debt to net capital, excluding securitization debt (non-GAAP) (E/I) 68.4 % 68.9 %







Available revolver capacity (J) 4,191 4,125







Storm escrows (K) 323 72







Gross liquidity (non-GAAP) (D+J) 4,771 4,812 Net liquidity (non-GAAP) (D+J-F) 3,373 3,946 Net liquidity, including storm escrows (non-GAAP) (D+J-F+K) 3,697 4,018







Entergy Corporation notes:





Due July 2022

- 650 Due September 2025

800 800 Due September 2026

750 750 Due June 2028

650 650 Due June 2030

600 600 Due June 2031

650 650 Due June 2050

600 600 Total Entergy Corporation notes (L) 4,050 4,700 Revolver draw (M) 150 150 Unamortized debt issuance costs and discounts (N) (46) (52) Total parent debt (F+L+M+N) 5,552 5,664 Parent debt to total debt, excluding securitization debt (non-GAAP) [(F+L+M+N)/C] 20.9 % 22.4 %









Calculations may differ due to rounding



Appendix G-3: Reconciliation of GAAP to non-GAAP financial measures  FFO to debt, excluding securitization debt; FFO to debt, excluding securitization debt, return of unprotected excess ADIT, and severance and retention payments associated with the exit of EWC ($ in millions except where noted)

Second quarter



2022 2021 Total debt (A) 26,923 25,435 Less securitization debt (B) 336 114 Total debt, excluding securitization debt (C) 26,587 25,321







Net cash flow provided by operating activities, LTM (D) 2,370 1,988







AFUDC  borrowed funds, LTM (E) (27) (38)







Working capital items in net cash flow provided by operating activities, LTM:





Receivables

(155) (263) Fuel inventory

18 9 Accounts payable

444 45 Taxes accrued

48 93 Interest accrued

(22) 3 Deferred fuel costs

(847) (369) Other working capital accounts

(104) (166) Securitization regulatory charges, LTM

67 119 Total (F) (551) (529)







FFO, LTM (non-GAAP) (G)=(D+E-F) 2,894 2,479







FFO to debt, excluding securitization debt (non-GAAP) (G/C) 10.9 % 9.8 %







Estimated return of unprotected excess ADIT, LTM (H) 62 83 Severance and retention payments associated with exit of EWC, LTM pre-tax (I) - 160







FFO to debt, excluding securitization debt, return of unprotected excess ADIT, and severance and retention payments associated with the exit of EWC (non-GAAP) [(G+H+I)/(C)] 11.1 % 10.8 %









Calculations may differ due to rounding



SOURCE Entergy Corporation
JUVEDERM VOLUX XC IS THE FIRST AND ONLY HYALURONIC ACID (HA) FILLER TO RECEIVE U.S. FDA APPROVAL FOR IMPROVING JAWLINE DEFINITION

IRVINE, Calif., Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Allergan Aesthetics, an AbbVie company (NYSE: ABBV), announced the U.S. FDA approval of JUVEDERM VOLUX XC for the improvement of jawline definition in adults over the age of 21 with moderate to severe loss of jawline definition. 1

JUVEDERM VOLUX XC Packaging Actual JUVEDERM VOLUX XC Patients

"The approval of JUVEDERM VOLUX XC represents the largest leap in innovation for our U.S. HA portfolio since the introduction of JUVEDERM VOLUMA XC, 2" said Carrie Strom, President, Global Allergan Aesthetics and Senior Vice President, AbbVie. "JUVEDERM VOLUX XC complements our existing product line to provide even more structure, cohesivity and lift capacity to create an improved jawline that appears more defined in real life and on camera. JUVEDERM VOLUX XC is what our providers have been asking for to deliver the jaw-dropping results their patients are seeking. 1"

As the category leader, the JUVEDERM Collection of Fillers offers the broadest portfolio of specifically designed treatment options, and this latest approval of JUVEDERM VOLUX XC marks the sixth product offering in the lineup alongside JUVEDERM VOLUMA XC, JUVEDERM VOLLURE XC, JUVEDERM Ultra Plus XC, JUVEDERM Ultra XC, and JUVEDERM VOLBELLA XC.1-3,5-7

In the pivotal clinical study, JUVEDERM VOLUX XC was found to effectively improve jawline definition (69.9%, 102/146) at six months. Participants reported satisfaction using the Satisfaction with Lower Face and Jawline module of the FACE-Q questionnaire, most treatment group participants (82.3%, 116/141) reported satisfaction with the appearance of their lower face and jawline through 12 months following treatment with JUVEDERM VOLUX XC. 4 Additionally, 81.5% (119/146) of participants at six months were satisfied with how sculpted (well-defined) their jawline looked compared to 12.2% (19/156) at baseline. At six months, 70.5% (103/146) of participants were satisfied with how smooth their lower face looked (i.e., no jowls or folds of fatty skin) compared to 7.7% (12/156) at baseline and 73.1% (106/145) of participants at six months were satisfied with how nice their lower face looked compared to 9.0% (14/156) at baseline. 4

"Requests for treatment in the lower facial region transcend age, gender, race, and ethnicity in my practice. As people age, many factors can contribute to how the lower face changes, such as genetics and soft tissue loss," says Dr. Jeremy Green, a fellowship-trained board-certified Miami cosmetic dermatologist and pivotal clinical trial investigator. "This can cause reduced definition around the jawline area that may impact and change the shape of the face and lead to the appearance of jowls. Clinical trial participants reported high satisfaction with the results of their treatment. In fact, at six months post-treatment, 89.7% (131/146) of treatment group participants were willing to recommend the treatment to a friend, with the majority continuing to recommend treatment at 12 months (87.2%, 123/141). 4 I am excited to now be able to offer this treatment option to all of my patients seeking an improved jawline."

Commonly reported side effects in the clinical study included tenderness, lumps/bumps, pain, swelling, firmness, bruising, redness, itching, and discoloration at the injection sites, as reported in participants' 30-day daily diaries. These side effects are consistent with HA filler injection and were usually mild (causing little discomfort and no effect on daily activities) or moderate (causing some discomfort and effect on daily activities) in severity. Most of these side effects went away on their own within two weeks. Participants also reported similar side effects after maintenance injection. 1

Allergan Aesthetics is dedicated to training health care providers on safe and effective use of all its products. Allergan Medical Institute will be providing an in-depth product training program for JUVEDERM VOLUX XC, which will include facial anatomy, considerations for safe injection in this area, appropriate patient selection, and aseptic technique. Training will begin in fall of 2022. JUVEDERM VOLUX XC will be more broadly available to consumers in early 2023.

For more information on the JUVEDERM Collection of Fillers, visit Juvederm.com and follow @JUVEDERM on Instagram.

Consumers and new patients who receive an aesthetic treatment with a product from the JUVEDERM Collection of Fillers can also enroll in Alle, Allergan Aesthetics' loyalty rewards program. Consumers can enroll to unlock access to curated content, exclusive offers, and personalized rewards that can be used for savings on the Allergan Aesthetics portfolio of products and redeemed at a participating provider's office, subject to applicable program terms and conditions. Alle is the first and only loyalty program in the aesthetics market to also offer consumers the ability to earn points on over 40 non-Allergan Aesthetics treatments and brands. To learn more about Alle, visit Alle.com.

About Allergan Aesthetics

At Allergan Aesthetics, an AbbVie company, we develop, manufacture, and market a portfolio of leading aesthetics brands and products. Our aesthetics portfolio includes facial injectables, body contouring, plastics, skin care, and more. Our goal is to consistently provide our customers with innovation, education, exceptional service, and a commitment to excellence, all with a personal touch. For more information, visit www.AllerganAesthetics.com.

About AbbVie

AbbVie's mission is to discover and deliver innovative medicines that solve serious health issues today and address the medical challenges of tomorrow. We strive to have a remarkable impact on people's lives across several key therapeutic areas: immunology, oncology, neuroscience, eye care, virology, women's health and gastroenterology, in addition to products and services across its Allergan Aesthetics portfolio. For more information about AbbVie, please visit us at www.abbvie.com. Follow @abbvie on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn.

JUVEDERM Injectable Gel Fillers Important Information

APPROVED USES

JUVEDERM VOLUX XC injectable gel is for deep injection to improve moderate to severe loss of jawline definition in adults over the age of 21.

JUVEDERM VOLUMA XC injectable gel is for deep injection in the cheek area to correct age-related volume loss and for augmentation of the chin region to improve the chin profile in adults over 21.

JUVEDERM VOLLURE XC, JUVEDERM Ultra Plus XC, and JUVEDERM Ultra XC injectable gels are for injection into the facial tissue for the correction of moderate to severe facial wrinkles and folds, such as nasolabial folds. JUVEDERM VOLLURE XC injectable gel is for adults over 21.

JUVEDERM Ultra XC injectable gel is also for injection into the lips and perioral area for lip augmentation in adults over 21.

JUVEDERM VOLBELLA XC injectable gel is indicated for injection into the lips for lip augmentation and correction of perioral lines, and for injection into the undereye hollows to improve the appearance of undereye hollows in adults over the age of 21.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

Are there any reasons why I should not receive any JUVEDERM formulation?

Do not use these products if you have a history of multiple severe allergies or severe allergic reactions (anaphylaxis), or if you are allergic to lidocaine or the Gram-positive bacterial proteins used in these products, or if you have had previous allergic reactions to hyaluronic acid fillers.

What warnings should my doctor advise me about?

One of the risks with using dermal fillers is the unintentional injection into a blood vessel. The chances of this happening are very small, but if it does happen, the complications can be serious and may be permanent. These complications, which have been reported for facial injections, can include vision abnormalities, blindness, stroke, temporary scabs, or permanent scarring of the skin. Most of these events are irreversible.

The use of dermal fillers where skin sores, pimples, rashes, hives, cysts, or infections are present should be postponed, as this may delay healing or make skin problems worse

The effectiveness of removal of any dermal filler has not been studied.

What precautions should my doctor advise me about?

JUVEDERM  VOLBELLA  XC should only be injected into undereye hollows by doctors who have completed the necessary training for this treatment area. To find a doctor, visit Juvederm.com/find-a-specialist . Doctors who complete the training will be listed with a symbol

VOLBELLA XC should only be injected into undereye hollows by doctors who have completed the necessary training for this treatment area. To find a doctor, visit . Doctors who complete the training will be listed with a symbol The safety of these products for use during pregnancy or while breastfeeding has not been studied

The safety of JUVEDERM  VOLUMA  XC has not been studied in patients under 35 years or over 65 years for cheek augmentation, or under 22 years and over 80 years for chin augmentation. The safety of JUVEDERM  VOLUX XC, JUVEDERM  VOLLURE  XC and JUVEDERM  VOLBELLA  XC has not been studied in patients under 22 years, and the safety of JUVEDERM Ultra Plus XC and JUVEDERM  Ultra XC has not been studied in patients under 18 years

VOLUMA XC has not been studied in patients under 35 years or over 65 years for cheek augmentation, or under 22 years and over 80 years for chin augmentation. The safety of JUVEDERM VOLUX XC, JUVEDERM VOLLURE XC and JUVEDERM VOLBELLA XC has not been studied in patients under 22 years, and the safety of JUVEDERM Ultra Plus XC and JUVEDERM Ultra XC has not been studied in patients under 18 years The safety and effectiveness of treatment with JUVEDERM  products in anatomical regions outside of their approved uses have not been established in clinical studies

products in anatomical regions outside of their approved uses have not been established in clinical studies If you have a history of excessive scarring (thick, hard scars) or pigmentation disorders, treatment in these patients has not been studied and may result in additional scars or changes in pigmentation

If you are planning other procedures including laser treatments or a chemical peel, there is a possible risk of inflammation at the treatment site if these procedures are performed closely before or after JUVEDERM  injectable gel treatment

injectable gel treatment Tell your doctor if you are on therapy used to reduce your body's natural defense system (such as steroids, chemotherapy, and medicines to treat autoimmune diseases, HIV, and AIDs), as these may increase your risk of infection; and medications that can prolong bleeding (such as aspirin, ibuprofen, or other blood thinners), as these may result in increased bruising or bleeding at the injection site

Minimize strenuous exercise, exposure to extensive sun or heat, and alcoholic beverages within the first 24 hours following treatment, as these may cause temporary redness, swelling, and/or itching at the injection site

JUVEDERM  VOLUMA  XC was not studied in patients with significant loose skin of the chin, neck, or jaw

VOLUMA XC was not studied in patients with significant loose skin of the chin, neck, or jaw The effect of JUVEDERM  VOLUMA  XC injection into the chin on facial hair growth has not been studied

VOLUMA XC injection into the chin on facial hair growth has not been studied Patients who experience skin injury near the site of JUVEDERM  VOLUMA  XC injection may be at a higher risk for adverse events

VOLUMA XC injection may be at a higher risk for adverse events Tell your doctor if you have already been injected with dermal fillers in the same area as the one(s) you are about to be treated for. This information helps your doctor decide when and whether you should get treatment

What are possible side effects of treatment?

The most commonly reported side effects with JUVEDERM injectable gels were redness, swelling, pain, tenderness, firmness, lumps/bumps, bruising, discoloration, and itching. For JUVEDERM VOLBELLA XC, dryness was also reported.

These side effects are consistent with other facial injection procedures, and most will resolve with time. Your doctor may choose to treat side effects persisting over 30 days with antibiotics, steroids, or hyaluronidase (an enzyme that breaks down hyaluronic acid).

As with all skin injection procedures, there is a risk of infection.

To report a side effect with any product in the JUVEDERM Collection, please call the Allergan Product Support Department at 18773455372. Please also visit Juvederm.com or talk to your doctor for more information.

Products in the JUVEDERM Collection are available only by a licensed physician or properly licensed practitioner.

References

Allergan Data On File JUVEDERM VOLUX XC Patient Label 2022 Allergan Data On File JUVEDERM VOLUMA XC Patient Label 2020 Allergan Data On File JUVEDERM VOLBELLA XC Patient Label 2020 Allergan Data On File JUVEDERM VOLUX XC Directions For Use 2022 Allergan Data On File JUVEDERM VOLLURE XC Patient Label 2020 Allergan Data On File JUVEDERM Ultra Plus XC Patient Label 2020 Allergan Data On File JUVEDERM Ultra XC Patient Label 2020

SOURCE AbbVie
AUSTIN, Texas, Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- In June, arrests were made after buyers were conned out of approximately $85,000 worth of Canadian Maple Leaf gold coins in Germany. While gold has a famously distinct look, spotting the difference between real and false gold has proven to be a complex issue throughout history. This week, Philip Diehl, President of U.S. Money Reserve and 35th Director of the United States Mint highlighted how you can avoid buying fake precious metals. Watch the video here.

DON'T BE FOOLED BY FAKES.

John Rothans, U.S. Money Reserve's Chief Procurement Officer, and Master Numismatist, offers advice to those worried about whether their precious metals are real. "If you already have gold in your possession and want to make sure it is real," Rothans said, "there are some identifiers to look out for. Pure gold cannot rust or corrode, nor is it magnetic. Under a microscope, gold has a consistent, soft yellow color but does not shine. Products that fail these tests are not .999 fine gold (99.9% pure)."

However, gold is sectile, which means it can be cut smoothly. For this reason, gold is often mixed with other precious metals like silver and platinum. Gold bars, coins, and jewelry have engravings that specify the amount of pure gold they contain.

Several tests can be used to identify real gold. Counterfeit gold will react with skin within minutes of contact and cause green or black discoloration. Real gold will not react with clean skin. A color reaction to white vinegar also signifies counterfeit gold.

Watch the video below to learn more about identifying fake gold.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GB8IZgePAPc

The foremost and simplest way to make sure your gold is real is to purchase it from a trusted precious metals provider such as U.S. Money Reserve. U.S. Money Reserve is America's Gold Authority and provides legal-tender precious metals that have been minted at the U.S. Mint or other government minting institutions.

U.S. Money Reserve's Chief Procurement Officer and Master Numismatist John Rothans used his years of experience with precious metals to create this short guide to identifying whether gold is real or fake.

https://usmr.com/PR-JR_FakeGld_08032022

SOURCE US MONEY RESERVE
WASHINGTON, Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Fuse Integration , an innovative federal defense communications, networking and computing solutions provider, and Raytheon Missiles & Defense , a leading aerospace and defense company that provides advanced systems and services for commercial, military and government customers worldwide, today announced they have entered into a formal DoD Mentor-Protege agreement sponsored by the Missile Defense Agency Office of Small Business Programs. The DoD's Mentor-Protege program is designed to support eligible small businesses to gain capacity and win government contracts through relationships and partnerships with large companies. Under the program, Raytheon Missiles & Defense will help Fuse mature its engineering capabilities and corporate infrastructure.

"Raytheon Missiles & Defense is committed to supporting small businesses that strengthen our nation's defense," said Dr. Jennifer Brower, director, Advanced Technology Maritime at Raytheon Missiles & Defense. "By helping Fuse Integration through this program, we can advance DoD's goal of enabling joint force integrated connectivity."

Fuse specializes in virtualized network systems, tactical edge virtual networks and airborne networking gateway products, utilizing a warfighter-focused engineering and design approach to improve connectivity in contested environments.

"The DoD Mentor-Protege program is an exciting opportunity to engage with Raytheon Missiles & Defense across multiple domains," said Sumner Lee, CEO of Fuse. "Fuse benefits from working closely with a large and well-respected prime as we grow our team, evolve our innovative products and continue to drive an intense focus on the warfighter."

About Raytheon Missiles & Defense

Raytheon Missiles & Defense brings global customers the most advanced end-to-end solutions delivering the advantage of one innovative partner to detect, track, and intercept threats. With a broad portfolio of air and missile defense systems, precision weapons, radars, command and control systems and advanced defense technologies Raytheon Missiles & Defense solutions protect citizens, warfighters and infrastructure in more than fifty countries around the world. www.raytheonmissilesanddefense.com

About Fuse Integration

Fuse, a warfighter-focused engineering and design firm, provides communications, networking and computing solutions for defense customers. Fuse's virtualized network systems, tactical edge virtual network and airborne networking gateway products improve the sharing of information, video, text and voice among warfighters throughout airborne, maritime and ground environments. Fuse is a service-disabled veteran-owned small business headquartered in San Diego with corporate offices in Washington, D.C. www.fuseintegration.com

Contact:

Joyce Bosc

301-717-9529

[email protected]

SOURCE Fuse Integration
COEUR D'ALENE, Idaho, Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Tractor Beverage Company , exclusive creator of the world's first and only Certified Organic, Non-GMO total beverage solution for foodservice is chilling this summer with the mouthwatering debut of six fantastic new flavors for a thirsty nation that wants its drinks to get real.

Americans are staying hydrated as a heat wave continues to scorch the nation, opting for better-for-you beverages when they're dining out. "Our pouring partners are reporting that their patrons are opting for clean, fruit-forward beverages this summer," said Luke Emery, Chief Customer Officer for Tractor Beverage Company. "We know that young consumers are label readers who appreciate certified organic, farm to table options and want something other than tap water, especially during a heat wave." According to a report by The NPD Group , Generation Z consumers are interested in food quality and an experience they would not be able to reproduce themselves at home. The report found 18 percent of Gen Z consumers care about organic products, compared to 12 percent of those over 25. And when it comes to sustainable sourced foods and beverages in restaurants, 16 percent care about it, compared to 11 percent of older generations.

Restaurant patrons are opting for clean, fruit-forward beverages this summer. Tweet this

Joining the company's deliciously original Agua Fresca line of lightly sweetened, all-natural, non-GMO, Certified Organic non-carbonated drinks are a virtual orchard of new nature-blessed flavors: Peach, Mango, Strawberry Dragonfruit, Farmers Punch, Clementine, and the popular Lemonade, now with pulp.

Formulated by Travis Potter, beverage chef and co-founder of Tractor Beverage, each of these new refreshers squeeze the unbounded joys of real whole-fruit and perfect organic juice combos into every sip to create a uniquely differentiating choice for discriminating restauranteurs and discerning consumers alike. In addition to deep flavor and the pure refreshment it delivers, each serving of Tractor's clean new tastes includes organic inulin for a helpful boost of beneficial all-natural prebiotic fiber that supports a thriving microbiome.

Tractor's new flavors include:

Peach features vanilla, a hint of cinnamon, nutmeg for that grandma's peach pie aroma, with a combination of peaches and apricot to add extra peak season midsummer harvest taste. "Most peach drinks have an artificial or canned peach taste," said Travis. "I was intent on delivering a natural peak harvest drink that would mix well with sweet or white tea and pair well with a fried chicken sandwich or super greens salad." For a special summer treat, add vanilla ice cream for a peach float.

Mango delivers a big taste from fresh mangoes, a touch of apricot for texture and mouthfeel, a touch of ginger, a hint of cardamom, black pepper, and fresh pine aroma from the fruit's skin. "Mango can go to an off or overly cooked sweet potato taste," said Travis, whose recipe delivers a refreshing mango flavor that pairs with Indian or Thai food, as a breakfast beverage or added to a smoothie.

Strawberry Dragonfruit "Dragonfruit is a mysterious tropical succulent plant that looks like a dinosaur or a dragon," observed Travis. "The Dragonfruit we use for our Tractor beverage is pink skinned, and when you cut through it you see this pink fleshed, heavily seeded fruit that is a beautiful mix of strawberry, pear, and kiwi flavors." As much fun to look at as it is to drink, the beautifully-hued Strawberry Dragonfruit is an all-day refresher, and makes a delicious frozen drink.

Farmer's Punch Tractor's farmstand-fresh, vitamin-packed fruit punch is packed with berries, apples, pomegranates and cherries. In developing this flavor, Travis was intent on creating an alternative to the chemical-laden artificial sodas. "Our Farmer's Punch is the solution for those family events where the whole family doesn't have to detox afterwards but instead get a tasty fun drink full of antioxidants, vitamins that makes everyone happy."

Clementine "I was looking for a citrus that adds a more citrusy, slightly sweet bite, and works as a great palette cleanser," offered Travis. His solution? The refreshing clementine, cousin to the easy-peeling mandarin. "Clementine is just fun to say!," he added. The flavor conjures up the feeling of stopping off at a farm stand on a road trip, and pairs well with everything from breakfast to Italian food, as a frozen drink, or added to vanilla ice cream for a summertime Clementine Creamsicle.

Lemonade Tractor's all new lemonade adds just the right amount of pulp for texture, with the added benefit of utilizing more of the fruit for less waste. "We use lemon juice, the zest from the rind, the pulp, as well as orange blossom which adds the fresh aroma of a citrus grove," said Travis. Another added benefit of citrus pulp? It helps digestion, is beneficial for our circulatory system and when combined with Jerusalem artichoke, it delivers an immune-boosting prebiotic effect.

Now a parched public can locate their closest organic beverage source in less time than it takes to gently turn an organic peach into something even better. To find the nirvana nearest you and for more information about Tractor's fresh new options for restaurants and other foodservice providers, head to drinktractor.com .

About Tractor Beverage Co.

Founded with a mission to create better beverages for all, Tractor Beverage Company is the first and only Certified Organic, Non-GMO full line beverage solution for foodservice. Tractor's handcrafted drinks feature clean ingredients that deliver on taste, functionality and an innovative consumer experience. Tractor's vision is to use its beverage platform to expand organic farm practicesand, in turn, lead the way to a more sustainable and flourishing future for restaurants, consumers, and farmers. Tractor was named to Fast Company's prestigious annual list of the World's Most Innovative Companies in 2021. For more information, please visit drinktractor.com or follow along on Instagram at @drinktractor .

SOURCE Tractor Beverage Co
DUBLIN, Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Global Next Generation Sequencing Market Report 2022" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The global next generation sequencing market is expected to grow from $8.05 billion in 2021 to $9.22 billion in 2022 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 14.4%. The market is expected to grow to $15.21 billion in 2026 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 13.4%.

North America was the largest region in the next-generation sequencing market in 2021. Asia Pacific was the second largest region in the next-generation sequencing market. The regions covered in this report are Asia-Pacific, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East, and Africa.



The growing number of cases with chronic conditions such as cancer, AIDS, and thalassemia contributed to the growth of the next-generation sequencing market. Chronic illnesses and disorders are on the rise around the world, an aging population and shifts in social behavior lead to a gradual increase in these widespread and expensive long-term medical issues.

Next-generation sequencing (NGS) is a versatile development tool utilized by researchers and clinicians across various cancer studies to recognize biomarkers that give guidance on treatments. The prevalence of chronic diseases is also expected to increase significantly, according to the World Health Organization. Hence, the increase in the number of chronic disease cases will increase the requirement for NGS sequencing and boosts revenues for the next-generation sequencing market.



The high cost associated with next-generation sequencing technologies is a key factor hampering the growth of the next-generation sequencing market. The next-generation sequencing market is facing challenges as many people find it difficult to afford the test due to the high cost. Consumables used for sequencing are the costliest portion of testing (68-72% of total cost) as machinery prices are higher in instances of rare disease.

According to a review published on economic evaluations of exome and genome sequencing, the cost of next-generation genome sequencing ranges from $1906 to $24,810 for a single test. Therefore, the high cost of next-generation sequencing is anticipated to restrict market growth over the forecast period.



Technological advances are shaping the next-generation sequencing market. Major companies operating in the sequencing industry are focusing on developing technologically advanced solutions for next-generation sequencing. For instance, in 2020, Thermo Fisher Scientific introduced hematology-oncology assays for the Ion Torrent Genexus System, which authorize simultaneous analysis of DNA mutations and RNA fusion transcripts in myeloid samples in a single day and also enabled further in which turnaround times for next-generation sequencing (NGS) results could be reduced to less than 24 hours.

Markets Covered:

1) By Product: NextSeq Systems; MiniSeq Systems; NovaSeq Systems; iSeq 100 Systems; Ion PGM Systems; Ion Proton Systems; Ion GeneStudio S5 Systems; PacBio RS II Systems; Sequel Systems; Other Products

2) By Technology: Sequencing by Synthesis; Ion Semiconductor Sequencing; Single-molecule Real-time Sequencing; Nanopore Sequencing; Other Sequencing Technologies

3) By Application: Diagnostics; Drug Discovery; Other Applications



Key Topics Covered:



1. Executive Summary



2. Next Generation Sequencing Market Characteristics



3. Next Generation Sequencing Market Trends And Strategies



4. Impact Of COVID-19 On Next Generation Sequencing



5. Next Generation Sequencing Market Size And Growth



6. Next Generation Sequencing Market Segmentation

7. Next Generation Sequencing Market Regional And Country Analysis



8. Asia-Pacific Next Generation Sequencing Market

9. China Next Generation Sequencing Market



10. India Next Generation Sequencing Market



11. Japan Next Generation Sequencing Market



12. Australia Next Generation Sequencing Market



13. Indonesia Next Generation Sequencing Market



14. South Korea Next Generation Sequencing Market



15. Western Europe Next Generation Sequencing Market



16. UK Next Generation Sequencing Market



17. Germany Next Generation Sequencing Market



18. France Next Generation Sequencing Market



19. Eastern Europe Next Generation Sequencing Market



20. Russia Next Generation Sequencing Market



21. North America Next Generation Sequencing Market



22. USA Next Generation Sequencing Market



23. South America Next Generation Sequencing Market



24. Brazil Next Generation Sequencing Market



25. Middle East Next Generation Sequencing Market



26. Africa Next Generation Sequencing Market



27. Next Generation Sequencing Market Competitive Landscape And Company Profiles



28. Key Mergers And Acquisitions In The Next Generation Sequencing Market



29. Next Generation Sequencing Market Future Outlook and Potential Analysis



30. Appendix



Companies Mentioned

Illumina Inc.

Thermo Fisher Scientific inc.

BGI Group

Agilent Technologies Inc.

Qiagen N.V.

Hoffmann-La Roche AG

Eurofins Scientific

Oxford Nanopore Technologies

Pacific Biosciences

10x Genomics

Genomatix GmbH

PierianDx

Bio-Rad Laboratories Inc.

Roche Sequencing

NanoString

Genapsys

Long Read Solutions

LGC Limited

454 Life Sciences Corporation (Roche Holding AG)

Genewiz

Takara Bio

Nugen Technologies

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/h8p05t

Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

[email protected]

For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470

For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630

For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900

U.S. Fax: 646-607-1904

Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716

Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/539438/Research_and_Markets_Logo.jpg

SOURCE Research and Markets
IRVINE, Calif., Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- A guest at the Irvine Marriott in California has filed a civil rights lawsuit against Marriott for removing him from their hotel during a mental health crisis. According to New York resident and tech entrepreneur Steven Nicolosi, a business trip to California ended in a nightmare experience of homelessness and hospitalization. Nicolosi, who suffers from schizophrenia, began to experience a mental health crisis during his stay at the Marriott and was unable to return home. According to Nicolosi, he informed hotel staff of his crisis and paid for an extended stay. But instead of accommodating him, Nicolosi claims the Marriott staff abruptly removed him from their property without any warning, allegedly for upsetting guests by his appearance. Nicolosi claims the Marriott did not return his essential personal belongings to him including his anti-psychosis medication, his wallet, cash, credit cards, and driver's license. As a result, Nicolosi claims that he was left homeless on the streets of Irvine, California, in a compromised mental condition for two calendar days before law enforcement found him and transported him to a local hospital. Nicolosi claims the whole experience shattered his sense of safety and that he attempted suicide afterwards. Nicolosi is seeking $10 million in compensation. "It is frightening to think that any guest at a Marriott property could be treated as I was," commented Nicolosi. "As a result of this suit, I hope Marriott will consider how it treats its guests, so that nobody will - in the future - be treated this way. The sad fact is that the stigma of mental disability is still quite prevalent within society. We need any and all brands of this magnitude to be aware of and train their staff properly regarding the trait of compassion provided to those guests who may be suffering from such limitations within life as I do." The case is Steven Nicolosi v. Marriot International, Inc., et al. (Orange County Superior Court Case No. 30-2022-01269511-CU-CR-CJC).

Contact: Arthur Kim

Tel. (866) 582-1057

Email: [email protected]m

SOURCE Arthur Kim Law Firm
SACRAMENTO, Calif., Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- SkySlope, one of the real estate industry's most trusted transaction management platforms, has secured a partnership with Latter & Blum , one of the nation's most successful brokerage firms. The partnership, which follows the recent appointment of Lacey M. Conway as Latter & Blum CEO, will provide the firm's 3,500-plus agents with SkySlope's transaction management software.

SkySlope has long been a power player in the digital transaction management sphere, serving more than half of the top 20 largest brokerages in the U.S. SkySlope has repeatedly earned high marks for its user-friendly interface, dynamic, integrated product features, and award-winning 24/7 customer support.

For Latter & Blum, who was named a top 19 real estate firm by RISMedia in the news outlet's 2022 Power Broker Report, SkySlope will provide them with the opportunity to honor their heritage while evolving their technological capabilities to better suit their increasingly tech-savvy client base.

Founded in New Orleans in 1916, Latter & Blum is a renowned legacy brokerage. After a storied history in the Greater New Orleans region, the company expanded to the Mississippi Gulf Coast region in 1993. In 1995, C.J. Brown Realtors joined the Latter & Blum Family, transforming the firm into a regional powerhouse. Soon thereafter Latter & Blum was named the #1 real estate brokerage in the Gulf South.

Today, Latter & Blum has merged with more than 40 real estate companies and employs over 3,500 agents.

"There are so many exciting and innovative ways to buy and sell real estate, and we are embracing the ones, like SkySlope, that have been vetted and proven," says Latter & Blum CEO, Lacey M. Conway. "Being a legacy agency, our success stems from our past but also relies on having the right tools and people in place to address the current market needs. SkySlope will allow us to customize our agents' workflow to our brokerage, ensuring that our evolutionary path is in line with our history."

SkySlope was established in 2011 when then-real estate agent and now-CEO Tyler Smith found himself in search of a better way to manage real estate paperwork. He envisioned an all-in-one hub in which agents could manage transactions from contract to close, with all of the necessary paperwork  from forms to disclosures  digitally managed in a single system.

Currently, SkySlope is part of the Fidelity National Financial (NYSE: FNF) family and services over 450,000 users. In addition to the core SkySlope platform that includes auditing capabilities, custom checklists, digital signature, and tailored onboarding and training, the SkySlope Suite has expanded to include numerous digital tools designed to further enhance the transaction experience.

SkySlope Forms, for instance, makes the most recent versions of state and association forms available to agents directly in SkySlope. Forms are pre-filled with property details pulled from the MLS, and dates and contacts are automatically populated in matching data fields. The tool allows agents to side-step redundant data entry and save time during every transaction.

"The way Realtors work today is changing as they take on more clients, adjust to market swings, and adopt more tech," says Buck Avey, VP of Product at SkySlope. "At SkySlope, we are driven to provide tools that make an immediate impact in our customers' lives which is why we designed SkySlope Suite to be simple, flexible, and user-friendly. We are excited to work with Latter & Blum to provide these benefits to all of their associates."

For more information about SkySlope Suite, visit the SkySlope website.

About SkySlope

Established in 2011, SkySlope is the customer experience platform managing real estate transactions from contract to close. Serving over 450,000 real estate professionals across the U.S. and Canada, SkySlope manages nearly 3 million transactions annually. SkySlope is on a mission to build solutions that reshape the real estate industry by creating the most powerful autonomous transaction platform. For more information, visit SkySlope .

About Latter & Blum

Established in 1916, Latter & Blum Inc. (parent company) is the largest, independently owned real estate and home services company in Louisiana and the Gulf South with 3,500 agents in more than 32 offices. Today, our residential offices span Louisiana, Southern Mississippi & Houston Texas. We have a total of 25 residential branch offices. We are Louisiana's only $4 billion real estate and home services company and ranked among the top 20 real estate companies in the United States. Our guiding principle is "building stronger communities in the markets we serve."

SOURCE SkySlope
New Offering Architects Health and Wellness Programs that Lead Cultural Understanding, Foster Health Equity For Multicultural Populations and Bring Deep Fluency and Multicultural Capabilities to World's Largest Health Network

NEW YORK, Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Havas Health & You, the world's largest health and wellness network, and industry leader Republica Havas today announced the creation of a new agency, Republica Havas Health, to help foster health equity for multicultural patients and consumers. Republica Havas's new division will be led by Co-founder, Chairman and CEO Jorge A. Plasencia, and will leverage the scale of HH&Y to reach brands and consumers across the United States, with quick global expansion plans. Republica Havas Health will focus on four key priorities  diversity in clinical research, culturally relevant health & wellness marketing, multicultural competence in healthcare, and concrete action to address health inequities.

Republica Havas Health

Nearly half of the United States population identifies as multicultural and the world's population of more than 7 billion is increasingly more diverse  yet systemic inequities in how we reach, treat, and prioritize the health and wellness of diverse audiences remain staggeringly prevalent. Republica Havas Health aims to address that to help promote deep cultural fluency in health and wellness communications for Hispanic, African American, Asian American and LGBTQIA+ patients and consumers.

Republica Havas has had banner growth since they were established in 2006, with a proven track record of supporting powerhouse brands across categories  such as Walmart, Toyota and Google  by driving cultural relevancy. Their health and wellness experience spans over a decade and includes clients such as Pfizer, Boehringer Ingelheim, Merck, and Amgen  and they bring their specialized knowledge in this new partnership with Havas Health & You in cross-cultural health and wellness marketing.

"Our belief is that effective marketing and communications takes an inclusive approach from the onset, and that cultural relevancy is central to audience engagement, particularly in health. Republica Havas has a strong legacy of deep connection to the communities they serve, and has long acted as a liaison between brands and consumers to build trust and create solutions that promote innovation and equity," said Donna Murphy, Global CEO of HH&Y. "Formalizing a health-focused division of this booming business marks an incredible step, and marks an important moment in our shared mission of Human Purpose as we act in the service of elevating health and wellness outcomes for all."

Republica Havas is minority-certified with exclusive Corporate Plus designation by the National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC), and its new division will bring together creative, media, PR, and social impact under one roof to build relationships and plan multifaceted, culture-first initiatives for clients.

"Since Republica's start in 2006, we have been passionate about connecting brands with consumers through cultural understanding and relevance," said Jorge A. Plasencia, Co-founder, Chairman and CEO of Republica Havas. "Partnering with Havas Health & You to broaden the scope of our work through Republica Havas Health marks an exciting next chapter for us and harnesses the critical importance of in-culture health and wellness communications," Plasencia added.

To learn more about Republica Havas Health, visit republicahavashealth.com.

About Republica Havas

Republica Havas is one of America's leading and fastest-growing creative, media, and communications agencies. Founded in 2006 and based in Miami, Florida, Republica Havas provides integrated marketing services including strategy, creative, research, media planning and buying, analytics and consumer science, digital, public relations, social, and experiential to numerous blue-chip clients in the United States and markets around the world. Republica Havas also boasts Havas House, a global custom media, content and publishing company. Republica Havas is the lead U.S. multicultural agency partner of Paris-based Havas Group. Havas is a subsidiary of Vivendi, a global content, media, and communications group with assets including Universal Music Group, Canal+, Gameloft, StudioCanal, Editis, and Dailymotion. For more information, visit republicahavas.com and follow @RepublicaHavas on social media.

About Havas Health & You

Havas Health & You unites Havas Life, Health4Brands (H4B), Lynx, Red Havas and Havas Health Plus, all wholly owned health and communications networks, with the consumer health businesses and practices of Havas Creative Group. The network's approach is centered around Human Purpose and has the talent, tenacity, and technology that health companies, brands and people need to thrive in today's world. For more information, go to www.HavasHealthandYou.com.

Media Contact:

Hannah Lindley,

[email protected]

SOURCE Havas Health & You
KEY POINTS

TADIOS was determined to be safe and well tolerated

Serum levels of IL-1RA changed significantly, a biomarker that has a correlation with severity and mortality during COVID-19 infections

Improvement in fatigue observed

LA JOLLA, Calif., Aug. 3, 2022 Helixmith announced topline results today from the double-blind placebo controlled multicenter study for TADIOS involving one hundred subjects infected with COVID-19. This study was conducted in India in compliance with AYUSH guidelines.

TADIOS is Helixmith's proprietary botanical formulation composed of three plants, which has been developed for the treatment of respiratory disease caused by viruses, microdust, and such. The primary goal of this study was to evaluate safety and tolerability of TADIOS, as well as its effects on efficacy parameters, which included biomarkers and clinical symptoms.

Subjects diagnosed with COVID-19 infection, showing mild to moderate symptoms, were enrolled according to the clinical management guidelines of the Government of India. Subjects were randomized to TADIOS and placebo with a 1:1 ratio in which fifty patients were assigned in each group. TADIOS and placebo were administered in addition to the standard of care in a double-blinded manner. Efficacy parameters were measured after the 10-day treatment maximum per COVID-19 treatment guideline of India. Safety was assessed at 14-day follow up after treatment was completed.

TADIOS was determined to be safe and well tolerated. The TADIOS treated group did not show any difference in adverse events compared to the placebo group, confirming its potential to be developed as a safe botanical treatment for COVID-19 treatment.

In terms of efficacy, IL-1RA biomarker showed a statistically significant difference and improvement was demonstrated in one of the fatigue-related questionnaires. IL-1RA levels were higher by more than 3-fold in both groups, but the TADIOS treatment group showed a lower level at 2 weeks after the end of administration, compared to the placebo group (p<0.05). It has been reported that IL-1RA is maintained at elevated levels in blood during COVID-19 infection, and its level has a close correlation with the severity and mortality of infection. While known to regulate excessive inflammation, it is also present at elevated levels in a variety of pathologic conditions, such as obesity and rheumatoid arthritis, as well as at the severe stage of COVID-19 infection. Therefore, reduction of IR-1RA by taking TADIOS suggests its possibility of preventing or inhibiting the progression of symptoms caused by COVID-19 infection to severe illness. Among the six biomarkers measured, serum levels of CRP, ferritin, TNF-a and the level of hemoglobin in whole blood were all within the normal range in both groups. and no difference was shown between the two groups.

TADIOS showed some improvement in fatigue, a common symptom in individuals with COVID-19 infections. In one of the questionnaires testing "I am easily fatigued," TADIOS-administered subjects showed statistically significant improvement vs placebo group, two weeks after treatment (p<0.05).

Helixmith is planning to present full data at either an academic conference or in a journal publication upon the completion of the analysis.

A variety of vaccines and medicines have been developed for COVID-19. However, there are still high unmet medical needs in this area, due to continuing emergence of variants and breakthrough infections. Even in Korea where more than 60% of the population has been fully vaccinated, infections and disease progression to symptomatic stages are still occurring at a high frequency. We believe that TADIOS could be used as a 'niche" therapeutic for those who need a safe and well tolerated product with convenient access. Depending on the country, TADIOS may be regulated as a botanical drug or nutraceutical.

About Helixmith

Helixmith is a clinical-stage gene therapy company headquartered in Seoul, Korea, developing new and innovative biopharmaceuticals to address previously untreated diseases, and is listed on the KOSDAQ. The company has an extensive gene therapy pipeline, including a CAR-T program targeting several different types of solid tumors and an AAV vector program targeting neuromuscular diseases. Engensis (VM202), the most advanced pipeline candidate, is a plasmid DNA therapy being studied for painful diabetic peripheral neuropathy, diabetic foot ulcers, claudication, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, coronary artery disease, and Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease.

Media Contact:

Jennifer Guzman

[email protected]

7602917245

SOURCE Helixmith USA Inc.
European identity proofing and digital identity provider IDnow announces the successful arrangement of a new debt facility from funds and accounts managed by BlackRock providing access to 60 million for growth.

MUNICH, Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- IDnow, a leading European identity proofing and digital identity provider, has successfully arranged a new debt facility from funds and accounts managed by BlackRock that provides up to 60 million in financing. The debt facility will enable IDnow to leverage its existing market-leading identity platform. The company intends to use the capital to scale investments across a range of strategic initiatives including the introduction of new identity proofing solutions, continued geographic expansion, and potential acquisitions.

IDnow was founded in 2014 in Munich and offers a comprehensive suite of identity proofing solutions addressing a wide range of mission-critical use cases from low to high assurance levels. IDnow serves over 900 sector-leading enterprise customers across multiple verticals with coverage of 195 countries. The company is a demonstrated technology leader, with advanced AI-driven capabilities and a vertical orchestration platform maximising conversion and accuracy.

Andreas Bodczek, CEO of IDnow states: "We are proud to have been able to raise financing to support IDnow's business objectives to further grow the company. Securing this debt facility from BlackRock reflects their high confidence in the strength of our business. The funding comes at the perfect time for IDnow to continue driving our ambitious growth strategy and we look forward to working with BlackRock."

Joe Lichtenberger, CFO of IDnow added: "This financing facility caps a string of commercial successes that continue to propel IDnow's strong growth. The facility will allow us to continue investments in our growth areas. BlackRock is a great partner for IDnow going forward."

For more information regarding this announcement, please contact IDnow.

Press contact IDnow:

Christina Schwinning

[email protected]

+49 89 41324 6054

About IDnow

IDnow is a leading European identity proofing and digital identity provider with a vision to make the connected world a safer place. The IDnow platform offers a broad range of identity verification and document signing solutions combined with a comprehensive service offering. Ranging from automated to human-assisted, from purely online to point-of-sale, the identity proofing methods are optimised to assure the highest security standards with maximum user conversion.

The company has offices in Germany, United Kingdom and France and is backed by renowned institutional investors, led by Corsair Capital. Its portfolio of over 900 international clients, spans a wide range of industries, and includes leading international players such as, Western Union, UBS, Sixt and Munich Re, as well as digital champions like N26, Solarisbank, wefox and Tier Mobility.

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1342896/IDnow_Logo.jpg

SOURCE IDnow GmbH
Combination of Gladstone's wealth management expertise and Integrity's strength in insurance will empower agents and advisors to deliver more holistic solutions for life, health and wealth

DALLAS, Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Integrity Marketing Group, LLC ("Integrity"), a leading distributor of life and health insurance, and provider of wealth management and retirement planning solutions, today announced it has entered into an agreement to acquire Gladstone Wealth Partners, LLC ("Gladstone"), a pioneering wealth management firm and registered independent advisor (RIA) with over $13 billion in assets under management. As part of the acquisition, Robert Hudson, Founder and Chairman of Gladstone Wealth Partners, and Richard Frick, CEO of Gladstone Wealth Partners, will become Managing Partners in Integrity. Financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed, and the transaction is scheduled to close upon regulatory approval.

Integrity Expands Comprehensive Life, Health and Wealth Platform with Monumental Agreement to Acquire Gladstone Wealth Partners

In 2012, Hudson founded Gladstone Wealth Partners to fill critical gaps in service and support he had personally encountered as an independent financial advisor. Today, Gladstone is a respected hybrid wealth-management platform offering an open architecture, multi-custodial RIA platform and access to a full-service broker-dealer offering. Guided by executives with unmatched experience from wirehouses, independent enterprises and leading financial institutions, Gladstone advisors stay closely connected to senior leadership while building and growing their own firms. Advisors are empowered to develop and execute financial plans designed to build long-term wealth for clients. In turn, Gladstone helps mitigate advisor risk and simplifies the transition to independence by centralizing business functions, such as compliance, marketing and operations. Having experienced impressive and consistent growth, Gladstone advisors now oversee more than $13 billion in assets under management. Additionally, they have achieved steady and significant expansion in their assets, resulting in a remarkable 108% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) over the past three years.

"Successful financial planning should holistically include life, health and wealth solutions, to help clients pursue their lifelong financial goals," shared Bryan W. Adams, Co-Founder and CEO of Integrity. "The addition of Gladstone Wealth Partners to the Integrity family means that we can serve the life, health and wealth needs of Americans better than ever before as we help them plan for the good days ahead. Rob Hudson and Rick Frick are dynamic and forward-thinking leaders who recognize the power of comprehensive planning like few others. Their spirit of innovation will fit in perfectly at Integrity, and we're honored to welcome them into our expanding network of partners. Gladstone's wealth management expertise combined with Integrity's strength in marketing, technology and product distribution will give rise to far-reaching new solutions. The impact we'll make together will change our clients' lives for the better."

"Just like Integrity, we understand that advisors need specialized support as independent advocates for their clients  and we're dedicated to ensuring their success," explained Hudson. "Through this partnership, we can deliver enhanced technology and a full suite of products and services to our advisors in order to meet the spectrum of clients' needs now and well into the future. Integrity and Gladstone are building a life, health and wealth offering that is unique in the market. I believe we will fundamentally transform many core aspects of financial planning, and I can't wait to get started."

Through Integrity's insurtech platform, Gladstone will have access to robust technology optimized by deep data insights and constant product development. The Integrity platform includes proprietary resources, such as actionable lead generation systems, real-time quoting and enrollment solutions, and powerful software solutions for everyday and nuanced challenges. Gladstone advisors can leverage the scale of a larger organization by utilizing Integrity's business infrastructure to further streamline business services and administration. Centralized offerings include People & Culture, Technology & Innovation, Legal & Compliance, and access to a world-class advertising and marketing platform.

"At Gladstone, we empower advisors to grow from a practice into a firm and ultimately, to be part of an enterprise that brings the full resources of Wall Street to Main Street," explained Frick. "The true power of this partnership is in how it will enhance our ability to deliver comprehensive planning to more Americans faster than we ever could on our own. Gladstone is growing by over 100% a year, and by partnering with Integrity, we believe our growth will accelerate even faster as more advisors catch the vision of serving the full scope of client needs  from life and health insurance to protecting assets and planning for a secure retirement. Through this transaction, many of our existing Gladstone advisors will become equity owners in Integrity, which will enable them to participate in the future appreciation of our combined business. Recruiting and serving the industry's premier financial advisors has always been a core strength of ours and I have never been more excited about the future of our business, our partners, our advisors and their clients than I am today."

Gladstone's leadership team is a welcome addition to Integrity's extensive and diverse partner network. Hudson and Frick join the elite ranks of fellow industry icons who are deeply committed to innovating insurance and wealth management through data insights and experience-based collaboration. Their commitment has refined best practices and shaped strategies that streamline and improve processes for agents and advisors, and more holistically protect the life, health and wealth of consumers.

"At Integrity, our goal is to help all Americans make the most of what life brings," said Tom Dempsey, Chief Distribution Officer at Integrity. "Rob and Rick have built an incredible platform that provides their advisors with the resources and support they need to help clients make the most of their assets and fund the retirement they deserve. Bringing Gladstone into the Integrity family gives us the opportunity to serve more advisors and their clients. There is a huge need for comprehensive wealth management and financial planning in America today, and Integrity and Gladstone are well positioned to meet it together."

Through this partnership, Gladstone employees also receive the remarkable benefit of meaningful company ownership through Integrity's Employee Ownership Plan.

"Though we started in different market segments, the business models and missions of Gladstone and Integrity are very similar  providing Americans with peace of mind by supporting the agents and advisors who serve them," continued Bryan W. Adams. "This partnership will be a powerful catalyst for incredible collaboration among agents and advisors from both organizations as we work to address comprehensive life, health and wealth protection. We've arrived at a historic moment where two essential industries come together as one, and we are thrilled that Gladstone is joining Integrity to better serve all Americans with holistic planning."

Ardea Partners served as exclusive financial advisor to Gladstone.

For more information about Gladstone Wealth Partners' decision to partner with Integrity, please view a video at www.integritymarketing.com/Gladstone.

About Integrity Marketing Group

Integrity, headquartered in Dallas, Texas, is a leading distributor of life and health insurance, and provider of innovative solutions for wealth management and retirement planning. Through its partner network, Integrity helps millions of Americans protect their life, health and wealth with a commitment to meet them wherever they are  in person, over the phone and online. Integrity's cutting-edge technology helps streamline the insurance and financial planning experience for all stakeholders. In addition, Integrity develops products with carrier partners and markets them through its nationwide distribution network. Integrity's nearly 6,000 employees work with approximately 500,000 agents and advisors who serve more than 11 million clients annually. In 2022, Integrity will help carriers place almost $20 billion in new sales and oversee more than $30 billion of assets under management and advisement through its RIA and broker-dealer platforms. For more information, visit www.integritymarketing.com .

About Gladstone Wealth Partners

Gladstone Wealth Partners was founded in 2012 and launched its RIA in 2015. It has expanded to now oversee more than $13 billion in assets under management, led by their leadership team consisting of Robert Hudson, Richard Frick, Keith Brothers, Kristopher Bonocore and Phil Marchetti. As one of the fastest growing hybrid RIAs in the wealth management industry, Gladstone is known for assisting advisors as they set up and establish their own independent advisory practice. This includes helping advisors better serve their clients, run their businesses more profitably, grow faster and enhance their enterprise value. For more information, visit www.gladstonewealth.com.

SOURCE Integrity Marketing Group, LLC
SILVER SPRING, Md., Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Middle East expert, Jerome Segal, has announced that he will challenge President Joe Biden for the Democratic Party nomination for President in 2024. Segal is the author of a new book, "The Olive Branch From Palestine: The Palestinian Declaration of Independence and the Path Out of the Current Impasse" (with a foreword by Noam Chomsky)  and is one of small group of analysts who believe that now is the time for the U.S. to move forcefully to bring the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to a close.

Jerome M. Segal

In 1987 Segal was part of the first Jewish-American delegation to go to Tunis to open dialogue with Arafat and the PLO. Subsequently, he founded The Jewish Peace Lobby, which preceded J-Street by 18 years.

Biden's trip was, for Dr. Segal, the decisive event. He said:

"My decision was triggered by Joe Biden's shameful trip to the middle east. In particular by his saying to the Palestinians:

"I know that the goal of the two-state [solution] seems far away... So even if the ground is not ripe at this moment to restart negotiations, the United States and my administration will not give up on trying to bring the Palestinians and the Israelis closer together.

"And then, after making clear that the Palestinians are of zero priority, he travels to Saudi Arabia, to bump fists, in an effort to get the Saudis to abandon a commitment they made to the Palestinians and instead open normal relations with Israeli without Israel having reached a peace agreement with the Palestinians that provides for an independent Palestinian state. This is motivated by Biden's wrong-headed approach to Iran."

He said of Biden's policy:

"It assumes that US-Iranian relations must be confrontational. This reflects a limited understanding of our options in the middle east, and American values and interests.

"Biden's dismissive attitude towards the Palestinians reveals his failure to understand that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict remains at the heart of the dynamics of the whole region. Were Israel to make a just peace with the Palestinians, the Iranians would respect that deal, and cease support for Hamas and Islamic Jihad if they continued violence against Israel."

Segal agrees with the President that a negotiated peace between Israel and the Palestinians is not possible. He has an alternative: a UN-drafted peace agreement. In 2012, Segal, with former Israeli Foreign Minister, Shlomo ben-Ami; former European Union top diplomat, Javier Solana; and Nobel Prize Winner, Thomas C. Schelling, published a plan for a new middle east peace process, called UNSCOP-2, to replace the defunct Oslo process. Rather than negotiations, UNSCOP-2 looks to the General Assembly to establish a commission to draft a full end-of-conflict proposal, as was done in 1947, which would then be put to referendums of both peoples.

Segal has discussed this, at length, with Iranian officials and has found them supportive.

In a recent essay in the Palestinian press he urged the Palestinians to take steps for the convening of a Special Session of the UN General Assembly to launch the UNSCOP-2 process, without coordinating their actions with the Biden administration and over Israeli government objections.

Segal came to international attention in 1988 when his writings were widely seen as the catalyst for the Palestinian Declaration of Independence, within which the PLO re-defined Palestinian nationalism by basing their state of the 1947 Partition Resolution which called for two-states, one Arab and one Jewish.

(Robert Pear, "Jewish Father for Palestinian State?, New York Times, August 24, 1988) https://www.nytimes.com/1988/08/24/us/washington-talk-foreign-affairs-jewish-father-for-palestinian-state.html

For interviews with Dr. Segal, contact him at 445-216-3846 or at [email protected]

SOURCE Jerome Segal
Jewish Funeral Group expands to provide dedicated resources to help families bury and mourn loved ones in Orlando area

ORLANDO, Fla., Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Jewish Funeral Group launched OrlandoJewishFunerals.com in partnership with Allen J. Harden Funeral Home, a StoneMor, Inc. property. The interactive resource provides comprehensive support, education, and information for those planning or searching for funeral services to understand and choose traditions and rituals appropriate for them.

With a Jewish population of more than 50,000 in the Greater Orlando area, OrlandoJewishFunerals.com is the go-to resource for families in need of funeral and burial planning services and information. Dedicated to ensuring a comprehensive offering of Jewish funeral and burial traditions is available to everyone, Orlando Jewish Funerals provides education regarding funeral and shiva rituals, pre-planning and at-need planning, and community information and resources.

"Orlando Jewish Funerals helps families honor loved ones how they feel most comfortable," said Michael Schimmel, the founder and CEO of Sympathy Brands. "Planning end-of-life matters and navigating loss is a sensitive topic that can cause confusion and discomfort. Through Orlando Jewish Funerals, we are able to help provide the community education, tools, and support during this time."

OrlandoJewishFunerals.com purposefully selected Allen J. Harden Funeral Home as a partner based on its deeply embedded community relationships and resources. Allen J. Harden Funeral Home offers services in accordance with longstanding Jewish traditions including a Tahara room for ritual washing and Yahrzeit calendars and reminders.

"We are pleased to partner with Sympathy Brands and Jewish Funeral Group to deepen our community connections to assist those who are navigating end-of-life matters," said StoneMor Inc. CEO Joe Redling.

Jewish Funeral Group is a subsidiary of Sympathy Brands. The resource integrates with shiva.com , National Jewish Memorial Wall, and local organizations to help with mourning customs, such as meals of comfort for shiva, and honoring and commemorating the deceased. Following the 2021 launch of JacksonvilleJewishFunerals.com, the greater Orlando area is the second region to welcome Jewish Funeral Group with continued expansion in the Daytona and Miami areas in 2022 and beyond Florida in early 2023. For more information, please visit JewishFuneralGroup.com .

About Sympathy Brands Company

Sympathy Brands is the parent company for JewishFuneralGroup.com , shiva.com , eCondolence.com , SympathyBrands.com , Cemetery.com and others. The company mission is to support families and industry experts through all stages of end-of-life matters with its trusted marketplace, leading technology and highly curated network of strategic partners. To learn more, please visit SympathyBrands.com .

About StoneMor Inc.

StoneMor Inc., headquartered in Bensalem, Pennsylvania, is an owner and operator of cemeteries and funeral homes in the United States, with 301 cemeteries and 69 funeral homes in 24 states and Puerto Rico.

StoneMor's cemetery products and services, which are sold on both a pre-need (before death) and at-need (at death) basis, include: burial lots, lawn and mausoleum crypts, burial vaults, caskets, memorials, and all services which provide for the installation of this merchandise. For additional information about StoneMor please visit StoneMor's website, and the investors section, at www.stonemor.com.

Media Contact:

Aimee Adler Cooke | [email protected] | 561-302-6902

SOURCE Jewish Funeral Group
W.K. Kellogg Foundation president and CEO recognized for advancing racial equity

WASHINGTON, Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies' Board of Governors honored La June Montgomery Tabron, president and CEO of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, with its highest honor  the Louis E. Martin Great American Award.

La June Montgomery Tabron Headshot Video of W.K.K.'s La June Montgomery Tabron reception of the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies' Louis E. Martin Great American Award

The Louis E. Martin Great American Award recognizes individuals who have made transformational contributions that furthered the promise of America as a land of hope and opportunity for all. The award, first given in 2003, is named in the memory of Louis E. Martin (1912-1997), a principal founder of the Joint Center and the first chair of its board. Joint Center Board President Barbara Johnson virtually presented Tabron with the award Aug. 1, 2022. They were joined in conversation by Joint Center President Spencer Overton.

"La June is so deserving of the Louis E. Martin Great American Award. We are grateful for her trailblazing leadership in advancing racial equity and justice in philanthropy," said Johnson. "As our country continues to grapple with the legacy of slavery, Jim Crow, and systemic racism, under La June's leadership, the Kellogg Foundation has shaped philanthropy's response, centering the needs and experiences of Black children and families and other underrepresented communities, and vastly improving millions of lives across the country."

"I am tremendously honored to be recognized by the trailblazers at the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies and stand alongside the many illustrious champions for equity who have also received the Louis E. Martin Great American Award," said Tabron. "The two years since the murder of George Floyd and the racial justice reckoning that followed have underscored the simple truth that the transformation of the complicated, layered systems that shape our society requires racial healing. At the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, we have long believed that philanthropy plays a crucial role in supporting community-led racial healing, and I'm excited to help continue those efforts as we work to build a country and world where all children can thrive."

Overton said, "La June's voice and vision have led to powerful change in the nonprofit and philanthropic sectors. She is truly an inspirational American who embodies the spirit of Louis E. Martin and the other remarkable individuals who have received the award in the past. We are so appreciative of her leadership and support of the Joint Center."

Past recipients of the award include Cedric Richmond, Stacey Abrams, then-Senator Kamala Harris, Presidents Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter, Senator Cory Booker, Ambassador Susan Rice, Congressmen John Lewis and James Clyburn, Dorothy Height, and Muhammad Ali. See the full list of recipients here .

About Louis E. Martin

Martin was a 1934 graduate of the University of Michigan, a Chicago Defender journalist, the founding editor and publisher of the Michigan Chronicle, a founder of the National Newspaper Publishers Association, and an advisor to three presidents. He was instrumental in the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and the nomination of Thurgood Marshall to the U.S. Supreme Court.

About the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies

The Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies , America's Black think tank, provides compelling and actionable policy solutions to eradicate persistent and evolving barriers to the full freedom of Black people in America. We are the trusted forum for leading experts and scholars to participate in major public policy debates and promote ideas that advance Black communities. We use evidence-based research, analysis, convenings, and strategic communications to support Black communities and a network of allies.

About the W.K. Kellogg Foundation

The W.K. Kellogg Foundation (WKKF), founded in 1930 as an independent, private foundation by breakfast cereal innovator and entrepreneur Will Keith Kellogg, is among the largest philanthropic foundations in the United States. Guided by the belief that all children should have an equal opportunity to thrive, WKKF works with communities to create conditions for vulnerable children so they can realize their full potential in school, work and life.

The Kellogg Foundation is based in Battle Creek, Michigan, and works throughout the United States and internationally, as well as with sovereign tribes. Special attention is paid to priority places where there are high concentrations of poverty and where children face significant barriers to success. WKKF priority places in the U.S. are in Michigan, Mississippi, New Mexico and New Orleans; and internationally, are in Mexico and Haiti. To learn more, visit www.wkkf.org or follow WKKF on Twitter at @wk_kellogg_fdn.

SOURCE W.K. Kellogg Foundation
NASHVILLE, Tenn., Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Spencer Patton, the owner-operator of one of the largest number of FedEx Ground routes in the United States, announced the launch of the Trade Association for Logistics Professionals (TALP) this week.

TALP, a non-profit organization for logistics professionals  including Contracted Service Providers (CSPs) to FedEx Ground  will initially focus on electing a 10-person leadership committee that will promote the common business interests of all CSPs. The network of 6,000 CSPs are exclusive service providers for the entire FedEx Ground network.

FedEx Contractors -- TALP Committee Formed, FedEx CEO Invited to Speak at Expo Tweet this

"CSPs are small business owners, many with just 10-25 employees, that simply do not have the financial resources to withstand historic price increases in fuel, wages and trucks," said Mr. Patton. "FedEx Ground has been unwilling to address the dramatic cost changes in 2022, putting the entire network in peril."

"In FedEx's most recent earnings report on June 23, 2022, their numbers showed a stunning 30% expansion of profit margins while CSP profit margins dropped to new lows. In fact, FedEx disclosed they achieved those margins by passing fuel surcharges through to customers and withholding additional revenue from CSPs."

This TALP announcement comes 14 days after Mr. Patton's initial letter to FedEx Ground expressing genuine concern about the health of FedEx Ground's network. In a video update released today , Mr. Patton notes the purpose of TALP will be to exercise all logistics professionals' First Amendment rights to promote legislative advocacy, problem solve, and, if necessary, participate in legal challenges to secure rights that would benefit members.

Nominations for TALP's 10-person leadership committee will open August 10 and run through September 9, 2022. Voting for the TALP committee will take place from September 12 through September 18.

On August 20-21, 2022, more than half of all CSPs in the US will gather at the Paris Hotel in Las Vegas for the annual Route Consultant Contractor Expo. At the Expo, contractors will be able to nominate themselves for the TALP committee; they will also have the opportunity to network and discuss pressing TALP concerns at the Expo.

Due to the unprecedented number of contractor RSVPs, the Paris Hotel's 3,300 rooms are near max capacity for the Expo dates. Contractors, sponsors, analysts and media who have not yet booked accommodations for the event are advised to book accommodations at nearby Harrah's Las Vegas or Bally's Las Vegas, if necessary.

About the Trade Association for Logistics Professionals

At its core, the Trade Association for Logistics Professionals (TALP) connects the shared experiences, successes and challenges of all logistics professionals, including the more than 6,000 contractors that exclusively power the FedEx Ground network.

TALP was the vision of Spencer Patton, the owner-operator of one of the largest number of FedEx Ground routes in the United States. Mr. Patton is also Founder and President of Route Consultant, an organization that provides consulting and brokerage services to FedEx contractors across the country.

Contact

To schedule an interview or file questions, please contact:

Chad Schmidt

Sheridan PR

[email protected]

(615) 504-6336

SOURCE Trade Association for Logistics Professionals (TALP)
SOUTHFIELD, Mich., Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Lear Corporation (NYSE: LEA), a global automotive technology leader in Seating and E-Systems, today announced it has joined Climate Group's RE100, a global renewable electricity initiative that includes over 370 major companies.

RE100 members commit to sourcing 100% of the electricity used across their global operations with electricity produced from renewable sources.

Lear Corporation (NYSE: LEA), a global automotive technology leader in Seating and E-Systems, announced it has joined Climate Groups RE100, a global renewable electricity initiative that includes over 370 major companies.

By integrating its Energy Efficiency Playbook and renewable energy strategy across the company, Lear plans to achieve 100% renewable energy for electric power consumed at its global sites by 2030.

Lear's operations in Germany, Poland and the United Kingdom currently meet the goal. In addition, the company is operating six on-site solar installations in Europe, South America, and Asia, with a seventh installation planned to be announced later this year.

Lear will use a combination of methods to procure and generate renewable electricity for its remaining global sites. The type of power source will depend on geographical location, applicable legislation and government regulations.

"Lear's strategy, aligned with RE100 and the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals, illustrates our commitment to industry collaboration and building a more sustainable global economy," said Lear Vice President of Renewable Energy and Sustainability Jozef Chrzanowski. "We are excited to become a member of RE100 and take another step towards a carbon neutral future."

"Lear's commitment to 100% renewable electricity globally by 2030 demonstrates its leadership in energy transition," said the Director of Energy at Climate Group Sam Kimmins. "Together, our RE100 members represent a powerful force for positive change, and we encourage all large-scale businesses to join us."

RE100 is focused on accelerating change towards zero carbon grids by 2040.

To learn more about Lear's Climate Goals and sustainability strategy see our 2021 sustainability report here.

About Lear Corporation

Lear, a global automotive technology leader in Seating and E-Systems, enables superior in-vehicle experiences for consumers around the world. Lear's diverse team of talented employees in 38 countries is driven by a commitment to innovation, operational excellence, and sustainability. Lear is Making every drive better by providing the technology for safer, smarter, and more comfortable journeys. Lear, headquartered in Southfield, Michigan, serves every major automaker in the world and ranks 186 on the Fortune 500. Further information about Lear is available at lear.com or on Twitter @LearCorporation

About RE100

RE100 is a global initiative bringing together the world's most influential businesses committed to 100% renewable electricity. Led by Climate Group, in partnership with CDP, our mission is to drive change towards 100% renewable grids, both through the direct investments of our members, and by working with policymakers to accelerate the transition to a clean economy. The initiative has over 370 members, ranging from household brands to critical infrastructure and heavy industry suppliers. With a total revenue of over US$6.6 trillion, our members represent 1.5% of global electricity consumption, an annual electricity demand higher than that of the UK.

SOURCE Lear Corporation
Brandon Fick Appointed North America Chief Underwriting Officer and Nate Zangerle Named Chief Underwriting Officer for Global Surety

BOSTON, Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Liberty Mutual Insurance today announced two significant leadership appointments within Global Risk Solutions (GRS) Underwriting. Brandon Fick joins the company as North America Chief Underwriting Officer and Nate Zangerle becomes Chief Underwriting Officer for Global Surety. Fick will report to GRS President of Underwriting Matthew Moore and GRS President Neeti Bhalla Johnson in her interim dual role as President of GRS North America. Zangerle will report to both Moore and GRS Global Surety President Tim Mikolajewski.

Fick brings exceptional strategic leadership and underwriting experience that will be invaluable as he takes accountability for underwriting performance across GRS North America, which provides commercial, specialty and reinsurance products. Most recently, he was Chief Underwriting Officer for Zurich North America, overseeing underwriting strategy across many primary and specialty lines.

Zangerle's record of significant accomplishments over more than 20 years with Liberty Mutual  most recently as Global Surety Chief Operating Officer, Global Risks  prepares him to lead surety underwriting across the globe. In that role, he was responsible for managing, planning, underwriting and production for accounts in the US, Canada, Asia Pacific, Europe and Latin America with annual gross written premium in excess of $300 million. He has over 30 years of leadership in the surety industry.

"We continue to add amazing underwriting talent to GRS," said Moore. "Both Brandon and Nate will help realize our vision of providing holistic solutions to customers' complex and emerging risks. Their leadership is critical to delivering industry-leading underwriting performance and consistent global product strategies based on a common view of risk."

About Liberty Mutual Insurance

At Liberty Mutual, we believe progress happens when people feel secure. By providing protection for the unexpected and delivering it with care, we help people and businesses embrace today and confidently pursue tomorrow.

In business since 1912, and headquartered in Boston, today we are the sixth largest global property and casualty insurer based on 2020 gross written premium. We also rank 78 on the Fortune 100 list of largest corporations in the U.S. based on 2021 revenue. As of December 31, 2021, we had $48.2 billion in annual consolidated revenue.

We employ over 45,000 people in 29 countries and economies around the world. We offer a wide range of insurance products and services, including personal automobile, homeowners, specialty lines, reinsurance, commercial multiple-peril, workers compensation, commercial automobile, general liability, surety, and commercial property.

For more information, visit www.libertymutualinsurance.com.

Contact: [email protected]

SOURCE Liberty Mutual Insurance
Deal marks the mission-driven affordable housing group's first financial closing on a ground-up development.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Lincoln Avenue Capital (LAC), a mission-driven acquirer and developer of affordable housing, announced this week that it closed on the financing for the construction of InterQuest Ridge Apartments. Once complete, this new community will provide 240 units of affordable housing for working families and individuals in northern Colorado Springs, an area of the city that currently lacks affordable housing options.

This opportunity was made possible through several financing partners including construction and permanent loans from Citibank; an equity investment in federal low-income housing tax credits from Aegon; an allocation of tax credits and tax-exempt bonds from Colorado Housing and Finance Authority and the City of Colorado Springs; and a gap loan from the Colorado Department of Local Affairs. Additionally, LAC partnered with the Colorado Springs Housing Authority to secure certain tax exemptions that will play a key role in bringing InterQuest Ridge to life.

InterQuest Ridge will support the housing needs of underserved veterans in Colorado Springs, which has one of the highest veteran populations in the country. Once complete, the apartments will prioritize 20 units for veterans and their families who are associated with the Mt. Carmel Veterans Service Center.

"Lincoln Avenue Capital is proud to partner with state and local organizations to support this landmark affordable housing development," said LAC CEO Jeremy Bronfman. "The diverse and extensive financing team demonstrates the power of public-private partnerships in developing quality, attainable homes in communities that need housing."

"We're committed to advancing solutions to our nation's affordable housing crisis, and our first ground-up development marks the beginning of a new chapter for LAC," said Brandon Hodge, LAC Director. "This development in Colorado Springs will help address the dire need for affordable housing in the community and allows residents to live in a place they are proud to call home."

Construction began July 2022, with the first units becoming available for occupancy in the summer of 2023, and the expected overall completion in the summer of 2024. InterQuest Ridge will feature many amenities for its families, such as a clubhouse with a full kitchen, outdoor pool area with seating, covered pavilion with barbeque grills, fitness center with a yoga room, and a playground for children of all ages.

LAC is prioritizing sustainability within the new development, as the project will be National Green Building Standard (NGBS) Bronze Certified. NGBS-certified buildings are constructed with systems and products that release fewer pollutants and improve indoor air quality for residents.

About LAC: Lincoln Avenue Capital is one of the nation's fastest-growing developers, investors, and operators of affordable and workforce housing, providing high-quality, sustainable homes for lower- and moderate-income individuals, seniors, and families nationwide. LAC is a mission-driven organization that serves residents across 21 states, with a portfolio of 109 properties comprising 20,000+ units.

About CSHA: The Colorado Springs Housing Authority is dedicated to providing and sustaining quality affordable housing by being innovative, performance oriented, and results driven. CSHA works to establish effective partnerships and sound fiscal practices to benefit the quality of life in the Pikes Peak Region.

SOURCE Lincoln Avenue Capital
SHANGHAI, Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Lufax Holding Ltd ("Lufax" or the "Company") (NYSE: LU), a leading technology-empowered personal financial services platform in China, today announced that it plans to release its second quarter 2022 financial results after the market closes on Thursday, August 4, 2022 U.S. Eastern Time.

The Company's management will hold an earnings conference call at 9:00 P.M. U.S. Eastern Time on Thursday, August 4, 2022 (9:00 A.M. Beijing Time on Friday, August 5, 2022) to discuss the financial results. For participants who wish to join the call, please complete online registration using the link provided below in advance of the conference call. Upon registering, each participant will receive a participant dial-in number, the Direct Event passcode, and a unique access PIN, which can be used to join the conference call.

Registration Link: https://ige.netroadshow.com/registration/q4inc/11391/lufax-holding-ltd-second-quarter-2022-earnings-conference-call/

A replay of the conference call will be accessible through August 11, 2022 (dial-in numbers: +1 (866) 813-9403 or +1 (226) 828-7578; replay access code: 311080). A live and archived webcast of the conference call will also be available at the Company's investor relations website at https://ir.lufaxholding.com.

About Lufax

Lufax Holding Ltd is a leading technology-empowered personal financial services platform in China. Lufax Holding Ltd primarily utilizes its customer-centric product offerings and offline to-online channels to provide retail credit facilitation services to small business owners and salaried workers in China as well as tailor-made wealth management solutions to China's rapidly growing middle class. The Company has implemented a unique, capital-light, hub-and spoke business model combining purpose-built technology applications, extensive data, and financial services expertise to effectively facilitate the right products to the right customers.

Investor Relations Contact

Lufax Holding Ltd

Email: [email protected]

ICR, LLC

Robin Yang

Tel: +1 (646) 308-0546

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE Lufax Holding Ltd
Invests $50.0 Million in Bolder Panther Group, LLC to Support Acquisition

HOUSTON, Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Main Street Capital Corporation (NYSE: MAIN) ("Main Street") is pleased to announce that it recently completed a follow-on investment in an existing portfolio company. Main Street made the follow-on investment in Bolder Panther Group, LLC ("Smoker Friendly" or the "Company") to support the Company's acquisition of a 79-store retailer with locations spread across Arkansas, Mississippi, Tennessee, Missouri and Kentucky. Main Street's follow-on investment consists of an additional $50.0 million first lien, senior secured term debt investment.

Founded in 1991 and headquartered in Boulder, Colorado, the Company is one of the largest retailers of tobacco products in the United States operating 259 retail stores across twelve states with a mix of tobacco stores, cigar lounges, liquor stores and gas stations, making it a top-50 convenience store chain in the United States by size. Additionally, the Company owns a line of private-label tobacco products that are sold through both the Company's retail stores and an authorized dealer network of over 750 stores. Main Street made its initial investment in the Company in December 2020 and previously completed a follow-on investment in July 2021 to support the acquisition of a separate Louisiana-based retailer.

ABOUT MAIN STREET CAPITAL CORPORATION

Main Street ( www.mainstcapital.com ) is a principal investment firm that primarily provides long-term debt and equity capital to lower middle market companies and debt capital to middle market companies. Main Street's portfolio investments are typically made to support management buyouts, recapitalizations, growth financings, refinancings and acquisitions of companies that operate in diverse industry sectors. Main Street seeks to partner with entrepreneurs, business owners and management teams and generally provides "one stop" financing alternatives within its lower middle market investment strategy. Main Street's lower middle market companies generally have annual revenues between $10 million and $150 million. Main Street's private loan and middle market debt investments are made in businesses that are generally larger in size than its lower middle market portfolio companies.

Main Street, through its wholly owned portfolio company MSC Adviser I, LLC ("MSC Adviser"), also maintains an asset management business through which it manages investments for external parties. MSC Adviser is registered as an investment adviser under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940.

Contacts:

Main Street Capital Corporation

Dwayne L. Hyzak, CEO, [email protected]

Jesse E. Morris, CFO & COO, [email protected]

713-350-6000

Dennard Lascar Investor Relations

Ken Dennard | [email protected]

Zach Vaughan | [email protected]

713-529-6600

SOURCE Main Street Capital Corporation
DUBLIN, Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Mallinckrodt plc (OTCMKTS: MNKPF), a global specialty pharmaceutical company, announced today that it will report second quarter 2022 earnings results for the period ended July 1, 2022, on Thursday, August. 11, 2022.

A conference call for investors will begin at 8:30 a.m. ET. The call can be accessed as follows:

Directly via the webcast link (live and replay):

https://edge.media-server.com/mmc/p/jzbp7d5r

https://edge.media-server.com/mmc/p/jzbp7d5r At the Mallinckrodt website: http://www.mallinckrodt.com/investors

ABOUT MALLINCKRODT

Mallinckrodt is a global business consisting of multiple wholly owned subsidiaries that develop, manufacture, market and distribute specialty pharmaceutical products and therapies. The company's Specialty Brands reportable segment's areas of focus include autoimmune and rare diseases in specialty areas like neurology, rheumatology, nephrology, pulmonology and ophthalmology; immunotherapy and neonatal respiratory critical care therapies; analgesics; cultured skin substitutes and gastrointestinal products. Its Specialty Generics reportable segment includes specialty generic drugs and active pharmaceutical ingredients. To learn more about Mallinckrodt, visit www.mallinckrodt.com.

Mallinckrodt uses its website as a channel of distribution of important company information, such as press releases, investor presentations and other financial information. It also uses its website to expedite public access to time-critical information regarding the company in advance of or in lieu of distributing a press release or a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission disclosing the same information. Therefore, investors should look to the Investor Relations page of the website for important and time-critical information. Visitors to the website can also register to receive automatic e-mail and other notifications alerting them when new information is made available on the Investor Relations page of the website.

CONTACTS

Investor Relations

Daniel Speciale

Global Corporate Controller & Chief Investor Relations Officer

314-654-3638

[email protected]

Derek Belz

Vice President, Investor Relations

314-654-3950

[email protected]

Media

Michael Freitag / Aaron Palash / Aura Reinhard

Joele Frank, Wilkinson Brimmer Katcher

212-355-4449

Mallinckrodt, the "M" brand mark and the Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals logo are trademarks of a Mallinckrodt company.  2022 Mallinckrodt.

US-2200293 08/22

SOURCE Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals
Partnership to develop gas solutions with a low global warming potential (GWP) used in the production of semiconductors

Alternative etchant gas from Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany in practical testing at Micron

DARMSTADT, Germany, Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, a leading science and technology company, and Micron Technology, Inc., an industry leader in innovative memory and storage solutions, join forces to develop gas solutions with a low global warming potential (GWP). After a year of iterative collaboration, Micron is now testing an alternative low-GWP Etch gas from Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany's Research & Development unit to validate its process performance to replace a traditional, high-GWP material. The goal: new, more sustainable gas solutions are to be introduced permanently into production in the future.

Ali Amijndi, Carlsbad, California

"Sustainability needs collaboration. We must not think in silos or limit ourselves merely to our corporate boundaries. The entire value chain is called upon to explore new, joint paths in order to achieve even more together", said Kai Beckmann, Member of the Executive Board of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany and CEO Electronics, adding that "Micron has set itself ambitious sustainability goals, as we have done. We are pleased to be able to contribute to their success."

"Our new target aims at 42% emissions reduction across Micron's global operations from 2020 levels by 2030. We take a multifaceted approach toward meeting our net-zero operational commitments. This includes investing in advanced abatement systems, prioritizing use of gases with lower global warming potential, sourcing energy-efficient equipment, and purchasing renewable instead of fossil fuel-generated energy", said Sanjay Mehrotra, President and Chief Executive Officer of Micron. "We are glad to have a reliable partner in Merck to help us achieve these goals", he added.

Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany and Micron look back on a long-standing, trusted business relationship. The test of a new gas with low global warming potential is to be just the beginning of the cooperation in the area of sustainability. Both companies are working to find new materials to replace various etching gases with high global warming potential that are used in dry etch and chamber cleaning applications. This can contribute to achieving the sustainability goals of both companies.

In May 2022, the independent Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) has confirmed that Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany's climate targets corresponded to the current status of climate science. Consequently, the company is helping to limit global warming to 1.5C, thus meeting the requirements of the Paris Agreement. Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany has committed to lowering its absolute direct (Scope 1) and indirect (Scope 2) greenhouse gas emissions by 50% by 2030. The majority of these greenhouse gas emissions is stemming from process-related emissions during the production of specialty chemicals for the electronics industry. With improved processes, the company can significantly reduce those emissions in the future. At the same time Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany aims to reduce its indirect emissions along the entire value chain (Scope 3) by 52% per euro value added by 2030. The baseline year is 2020. The company's progress is documented in the sustainability report 2021.

All Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, press releases are distributed by e-mail at the same time they become available on the EMD Group Website. In case you are a resident of the USA or Canada please go to www.emdgroup.com/subscribe to register for your online subscription of this service as our geo-targeting requires new links in the email. You may later change your selection or discontinue this service.

About Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany

Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, a leading science and technology company, operates across healthcare, life science and electronics. Around 60,000 employees work to make a positive difference to millions of people's lives every day by creating more joyful and sustainable ways to live. From advancing gene editing technologies and discovering unique ways to treat the most challenging diseases to enabling the intelligence of devices  the company is everywhere. In 2021, Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, generated sales of  19.7 billion in 66 countries.

The company holds the global rights to the name and trademark "Merck" internationally. The only exceptions are the United States and Canada, where the business sectors of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany operate as EMD Serono in healthcare, MilliporeSigma in life science, and EMD Electronics. Since its founding in 1668, scientific exploration and responsible entrepreneurship have been key to the company's technological and scientific advances. To this day, the founding family remains the majority owner of the publicly listed company.

Contact:

[email protected]

Phone: +1 (848) 230-5398

SOURCE Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany
CyberRes adds Voltage data-centric security for BigQuery customers worldwide to address data privacy regulations

SANTA CLARA, Calif., Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- CyberRes, a Micro Focus line of business, today announced a partnership with Google Cloud to support the upcoming release of BigQuery remote functions. The partnership will see CyberRes' end-to-end enterprise data protection solution, Voltage SecureData, integrate with Google's BigQuery data warehouse to accelerate and expand organizations' data science initiatives and help companies comply with ever-evolving privacy regulations.

The integration will enable CyberRes Voltage customers to persistently protect data in use, in motion, and at rest in Google BigQuery. The support for remote functions also enables Google Cloud's BigQuery customers to take advantage of Voltage's privacy-enabling technologies. Mutual customers can use Voltage's format-preserving encryption, hashing, and tokenization services within BigQuery in conjunction with Google BigQuery's native security to address strict privacy compliance controls. Voltage's cloud-agnostic and consistent data protection allows all customers to safely use regulated data for analytics across hybrid clouds.

"The availability of remote functions from BigQuery is an exciting and critical evolution of Google Cloud's platform for our customers," said Tony de la Lama, Vice President of Product Management, CyberRes. "The integration with Voltage SecureData means BigQuery will allow customers to utilize and support the Voltage data-centric protection approach for secure analytics, enabling enterprises to accelerate and expand their data science initiatives with privacy by default."

BigQuery, Google Cloud's highly scalable multi-cloud data warehouse, is designed for business agility and allows customers to gain insights with real-time and predictive analytics, access data and securely share insights with ease. This new partnership adds to Voltage SecureData's deep capabilities in securing analytics across data warehouses, databases and data lakes and enables customers to shift workloads seamlessly and securely to BigQuery.

"Emerging threats and evolving technology needs are at the forefront of challenges in cyber security. By making its Voltage SecureData solution available to Google Cloud customers from within their BigQuery data warehouse, CyberRes is enabling customers with the technologies needed to protect their sensitive data while addressing and adhering to current data privacy regulations," said Ritika Suri, Director, Technology Partnerships, Google Cloud.

The CyberRes Voltage portfolio helps secure organizations with continuous data discovery, insight, and protection to reduce risk and enable privacy by design. Organizations can work with high-value, sensitive customer data in its protected state to derive business intelligence without the risk of data exposure in Google BigQuery. The data protection technologies in Voltage SecureData provide flexible implementation and data-centric protection for a virtually unlimited number of structured data types in any language, and in any region, with proven performance, reliability, and scalability.

More Information

Voltage SecureData Integrations for GCP 2.0 (BigQuery) is now generally available. Google Cloud's remote functions feature is now available in public preview.

Join CyberRes on LinkedIn and follow @MicroFocusSec on Twitter.

About CyberRes

CyberRes is a Micro Focus line of business. We bring the expertise of one of the world's largest security portfolios to help our customers navigate the changing threat landscape by building both cyber and business resiliency within their teams and organizations. CyberRes is part of a larger set of digital transformation solutions that fight adverse conditions so businesses can continue to run today, keep the lights on, and transform to grow and take advantage of tomorrow's opportunities.

SOURCE Micro Focus
Reflex Finance has announced a gasless blockchain that will be powered by 100% green energy and is set to launch within the current year

The project is a joint venture of multiple DeFi and Web3 companies joining forces to quickly achieve mass adoption for the new blockchain

Revenue from the blockchain will directly benefit holders of Reflex V2 and partner tokens

ROAD TOWN, British Virgin Islands, Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Reflex Finance ($RFX) has announced a super-fast, gasless, and eco-friendly blockchain named Neutronium, that is scheduled to launch before the end of this year. The project is built in partnership with Web3 developers FYB3R and DeFi projects Meta BUSD and BitBurn.

The neutral name for the blockchain was agreed upon by all parties to ease the path to mass adoption, encourage additional projects to onboard the new chain, and advance the joint initiative that is being promoted on social media under the hashtag #UniteDefi.

Neutronium Chain - Blockchain Special AMA with background info and specifics regarding the first blockchain powered by 100% green energy Neutronium Chain - Super-fast and gasless Blockchain powered by 100% green energy Neutronium Blockchain - A #UniteDefi joint venture led by Reflex Finance

Multiple partners have already announced first projects that will be hosted on the Neutronium Chain, including an AAA P2E game and Metaverse applications.

First blockchain to be powered entirely by 100% green energy

Blockchain technology without a doubt has massive growth potential, but most of it is still powered by fossil fuels, creating several ecological issues in addition to the already high cost of running the necessary infrastructure.

The custom-built Neutronium Chain will solve those problems for the involved projects with a cloud infrastructure powered by 100% green energy that provides both low-cost computing power and low-cost data storage. This framework will enable projects to securely develop economically and ecologically sustainable products in the Decentralized Finance space, while feeding rewards and revenue back into the Neutronium ecosystem and ultimately to the holders of Reflex and their partners.

A blockchain built for independence, sustainability, and speed

The robust infrastructure of the Neutronium Chain is not restricted to a single location and does not require a connection to the main power grid. Each server is part of an independent set of nodes which together create node clusters that communicate across the World.

The independent supply of green energy - in combination with effective energy storage solutions and three layers of connectivity back-up - guarantees 100% availability 24/7 and a new level of flexibility for projects joining the chain.

In terms of transaction speed, Reflex Finance's development partner FYB3R states that various cluster configurations are currently being drag raced against each other, as well as against other major blockchains, with other blockchains not even coming close to the speed of Neutronium.

Reflex Finance at a glance

Reflex Finance is a Web3 startup that launched in February 2022 on the Binance Smart Chain. Since then, the team around Chairman Myles Tweedy and CEO Ryan Arriaga, former Global Head of Products at Safemoon, has developed and launched multiple utilities including Reflex Launchpad, Reflex Swap, and Reflex Pulse  a unique financial health tracker for projects with tokenomics and multiple project wallets.

An NFT marketplace is set to launch within Q3 of 2022 with another secret and unique high-volume utility announced to also go live within 2022.

REFLEX V2, the native BSC token of Reflex Finance, is a hyper deflationary reflection token and currently pays 8% BUSD rewards from daily trading volume to its holders. In addition to the regular rewards, Reflex holders also benefit in multiple forms from the revenue generated from the various utilities and the announced 100% green blockchain.

Media Contact:

Jaren CCO

[email protected]

+1 936 443 1393

SOURCE Reflex Finance
TOKYO, Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Japanese government publishes new articles every month in an official e-magazine, "KIZUNA." New articles published in late July are outlined below.

Logo:

https://kyodonewsprwire.jp/prwfile/release/M107127/202207294556/_prw_PI1fl_n8my2aIc.jpg

Photo:

https://kyodonewsprwire.jp/prwfile/release/M107127/202207294556/_prw_PI2fl_kj0S1hmG.jpg

- Enabling the Next Generation to Lead in a VUCA World

A professor at Harvard Business School explains the qualities of globally minded human resources and Japan's potential.

https://www.japan.go.jp/kizuna/2022/07/enabling_the_next_generation.html?utm_source=pressrelease&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=07_2022

- Combining STEAM Education with Playful Exploration

A gold medalist at the International Mathematical Olympiad fascinated with jazz piano talks about the significance of STEAM education.

https://www.japan.go.jp/kizuna/2022/07/combining_steam_education.html?utm_source=pressrelease&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=07_2022

- Boosting Recurrent Education that Builds the Future

An actor who entered university in her mid-40s while continuing her career talks about the significance and joys of recurrent education.

https://www.japan.go.jp/kizuna/2022/07/boosting_recurrent_education.html?utm_source=pressrelease&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=07_2022

- Investing in People for a New Form of Capitalism

The grand design and action plan of Prime Minister KISHIDA Fumio's "new form of capitalism" emphasizes investments in people.

https://www.japan.go.jp/kizuna/2022/07/investing_in_people.html?utm_source=pressrelease&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=07_2022

About "KIZUNA"

Kizuna means the enduring bonds between people -- close relationships forged through mutual trust and support. The kizuna cultivated among countries of the world has the power to deepen cooperation for a better future. By reporting on a wide variety of topics concerning Japan, "KIZUNA" hopes that this publication will provide opportunities for Japan and the rest of the world to connect and build strong kizuna.

https://www.japan.go.jp/kizuna/index.html?utm_source=pressrelease&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=07_2022

SOURCE Cabinet Public Affairs Office, Cabinet Secretariat, Government of Japan
Release of second annual EU5 research on IgA nephropathy highlights unmet needs, regional diagnosis and treatment trends, and awareness of pipeline treatments, including the availability newly approved Calliditas' Kinpeygo

EXTON, Pa., Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Glomerulonephritis is a major contributor of end-stage renal disease across the globe, with IgA nephropathy (IgAN), also known as Berger's disease, being the most common primary glomerular disease worldwide.1 The second annual study included in Spherix's Market Dynamix: IgA Nephropathy (EU) service captures feedback from 256 nephrologists across the EU5 (France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the UK) and provides insights about their evolving management of the disease  especially in light of the exploding pipeline.

Spherix experts found notable variations in access to kidney biopsies and pathology experts by country, highlighted by differences in the timing upon which physicians can expect results. These findings have implications for treatment timing, as there was strong agreement from surveyed nephrologists across the EU5 countries (particularly those in Italy and France) that suspected glomerular disease patients should undergo a kidney biopsy prior to treatment.

Nephrologists across regions agree that a key goal in IgAN patient management is reduced proteinuria and stabilized eGFR; however, they often have unique perspectives into their IgAN patient treatment challenges. While most consider steroid minimization for IgAN patients to be a core goal, it will be interesting to watch evolving opinions in the coming year after the recent European marketing authorization of Calliditas' Kinpeygo (targeted budesonide, marketed by STADA Arzneimittel AG in the EU and as Tarpeyo in the US).

One of the key findings in the report  and one observed in Spherix's US RealWorld Dynamix: IgA Nephropathy patient chart audit as well  was the prominent growth year-over-year in consideration and use of SGLT2 inhibitors in IgAN patients across all EU5 countries. Indeed, EU5 nephrologists are reporting current use in approximately one-in-five IgA nephropathy patients, with some regional variations.

In addition, the majority of nephrologists across all five countries (and led by those in the UK) agreed that SGLT2 inhibitors are going to soon become a standard of care for IgAN patients, along with ACE inhibitors and ARBs. Looking ahead, the majority of nephrologists in each country agree that their prescribing of SGLT2 inhibitors will increase over the next 12 months.

Despite the increased use of SGLT2 inhibitors and the new approval of Kinpeygo, nephrologists across the EU5 continue to rate glomerular diseases as highly challenging to manage and indicate an extreme unmet need in the treatment landscape. The lack of effective treatment options, especially those outside of steroids, and determining which patients to treat aggressively, rise to the top as the greatest challenges in managing IgAN patients.

To understand perceptions and attitudes of future treatments, Spherix assessed physician awareness of pipeline products (aided and unaided) and reactions to descriptions of several therapies, including a future likelihood to prescribe. Assets evaluated include:

Atacicept (Vera Therapeutics)

Atrasentan (Chinook)

Cemdisiran (Alnylam)

IONIS-FB-LRx (Ionis Pharmaceuticals)

Iptacopan/LNP023 (Novartis)

Kinpeygo (Targeted release budesonide, Calliditas/STADA Arzneimittel)*

Narsoplimab (Omeros)

Sparsentan (Travere, commercialized by Vifor in the EU)

VIS649/sibeprenlimab (Otsuka)

*survey was fielded prior to the EU approval.

Spherix has been a leader in tracking the IgAN (US) market since 2017, covering physician perspectives, treatment patterns, and pipeline assessments. This coverage includes in-depth interviews with key opinion leaders (KOLs) and "in-the-trenches" physicians, along with large-scale attitudinal surveys and chart audits (more than 900 patients since 2021). Spherix introduced market and pipeline assessment studies in the EU5 (France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom) in 2021, and will release its first IgA nephropathy (Japan) study later this summer.

About Market Dynamix

Market Dynamix is an independent service providing analysis of markets anticipated to experience a paradigm shift within the next three to five years. Insights highlight market size, current treatment approaches, unmet needs, and expert opinions on the likely disruption introduced by pipeline agents.

About RealWorld Dynamix

RealWorld Dynamix is an independent, data-driven service unveiling real patient management patterns through rigorous analysis of large-scale patient chart audits. Insights reveal the "why" behind treatment decisions, include year over year trending to quantify key aspects of market evolution, and integrate specialists' attitudinal & demographic data to highlight differences between stated and actual treatment patterns.

Learn more about our services here.

About Spherix Global Insights

Spherix Global Insights is a hyper-focused market intelligence firm that leverages our own independent data and expertise to provide strategic guidance, so biopharma stakeholders make decisions with confidence. We specialize in select dermatology, gastroenterology, nephrology, neurology, ophthalmology, and rheumatology markets.

All company, brand or product names in this document are trademarks of their respective holders.

For more information contact:

Denise Foy, Nephrology Franchise Head

Email: [email protected]

www.spherixglobalinsights.com

SOURCE Spherix Global Insights
The pairing of technologies opens unlimited possibilities for a new breed of data-rich mobility applications

TEL AVIV, Israel, Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Nexar, a leading AI mobility company, today announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire Veniam, the leading provider of intelligent networking for the internet of moving things. With this acquisition, Nexar will combine vision data - captured and processed from billions of miles of driving - with Veniam's communications technology at the edge. Together, the companies will exponentially increase the reach and decrease the costs of rich mobility applications and the real time mapping of the physical world.

Vehicles are increasingly becoming engines of data and Nexar is at the forefront of data collection. The crowd-sourced images and detections collected from Nexar's popular dash cams are processed to create and continually update a real time digital twin of America's roads and cities. Many data applications are already powered by this digital twin, including applications helping to train autonomous cars for extreme driving scenarios, map out the changing road infrastructure, monitor, in real time, locations of construction zones & available street parking, identify roads in need of repair, and many more.

Veniam, based in Porto, Portugal, has served dozens of global companies with a software platform that allows devices in cars to connect with each other as well as the Internet. Veniam's technology turns the cars themselves into internet access points for other devices, creating a mesh network capable of sharing data and internet connectivity across hundreds of thousands of devices and cars.

"Veniam is a natural fit for Nexar," said Eran Shir, co-founder and CEO of Nexar. "We became very familiar with their technology, and the amazing team behind it, as clients of Veniam. It was obvious that we can achieve so much more with them as part of Nexar. With Veniam we will continue scaling our data footprint, and be able to expand our offering to OEMs. For the first time ever, Nexar will provide a bundle of rich applications and data access, removing long-standing barriers and accelerating the adoption of crowdsourced vision for the benefit of the entire mobility ecosystem."

"Nexar is collecting and deploying data in a manner and scale that is unprecedented," said Joao Barros, founder and CEO of Veniam, who will now serve as Chief Platform Officer at Nexar. "We're thrilled to be joining their team and working together to transfer massive amounts of data to the cloud in a secure and cost-effective way, while making cars and the cities they drive in, smarter, safer and more sustainable."

The acquisition is one of the first of a Portuguese startup by an Israeli company and represents a milestone for the Portugal tech scene, which has drawn international attention as a European startup hub.

About Nexar

Nexar turns cars into vision sensors to understand the world. Its platform powers car vision connected services and apps, at scale, making new vision-based applications for better driving, powered by a crowd-sourced vision feed. Using anonymous, aggregated data captured from this network, Nexar has developed a portfolio of vision-based data services for public and private sector partners to make roadways safer and more efficient. Nexar's platform is already deployed across hundreds of thousands of cars, detecting parking spots, managing city safety and more.

SOURCE Nexar
Oglethorpe CEO praises NRC and Vogtle 3 workforce for hard work, perseverance

TUCKER, Ga., Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Oglethorpe Power Chief Executive Officer Michael L. Smith issued the following statement regarding the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) finding that all acceptance criteria in the combined license for Vogtle Electric Generating Plant, Unit 3 are met. Oglethorpe Power is a co-owner of Vogtle Units 3 and 4.

"Oglethorpe Power would like to recognize the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission for its preparedness and efficient effort to find that Vogtle Unit 3 has met all inspections, tests, analyses and acceptance criteria to operate the facility. The NRC's thorough oversight resulted in this finding, which is a key step toward loading fuel for Unit 3 and assuring that we have a safe and reliable generating facility that can serve Georgians for the next 60-80 years," said Smith. "Oglethorpe is proud of the hard work and perseverance of thousands of men and women in the Vogtle workforce that are responsible for this good news today."

About Oglethorpe Power

Oglethorpe Power is one of the nation's largest power supply cooperatives with more than $15 billion in assets serving 38 Electric Membership Corporations which, collectively, provide electricity to approximately 4.4 million Georgia residents. A proponent of conscientious energy development and use, Oglethorpe Power balances reliable and affordable energy with environmental responsibility and has an outstanding record of regulatory compliance. Its diverse energy portfolio includes natural gas, nuclear, hydroelectric and coal generating plants with a combined capacity of more than 8,300 megawatts. Oglethorpe Power was established in 1974 and is owned by its 38 Member Systems. Its headquarters are in Tucker, Georgia, an Atlanta suburb. For more information, visit www.opc.com.

SOURCE Oglethorpe Power Corporation
HUNTINGTON, Ind., Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Our Sunday Visitor, Inc. (OSV) has named Gretchen R. Crowe Editor-in-Chief of OSV News, the new Catholic news agency launching January 1, 2023, to fill the void created by the closure of the U.S. bishops' Catholic News Service.

"I am humbled and honored to have the opportunity to pioneer OSV News as we build on the foundation of the long legacy of exemplary Catholic journalism provided by Catholic News Service," Crowe said. "As I begin to assemble a dedicated team of Catholic professionals committed to quality journalism, I look forward to working with them to share information, spread the Gospel, and promote the common good.

"The creation of OSV News further expands the vision of OSV founder Archbishop John Francis Noll, who sought to serve the Catholics of the early to mid-20th century by informing them about the events of the day through a Catholic lens, while also forming them in their faith. At OSV News, that mission will continue as we strive to report the news accurately and completely, within the bounds of justice and charity, at the service of truth," Crowe said.

"From the moment we considered creating OSV News," OSV Publisher Scott P. Richert said, "Gretchen Crowe was the clear choice to lead this new effort. In her two decades of work in the Catholic press, Gretchen has proved that no one has a greater heart for Catholic news, nor a better understanding of the vital role that the Catholic media must play in bringing the truth to a world desperately in need of it. As one of the leaders of OSV's Content Team, Gretchen also understands the changing landscape of all Catholic publishing and knows what the Catholic media must do to engage new generations of readers, listeners, and viewers."

Crowe began her tenure at OSV in 2013, when she was appointed by former publisher Greg Erlandson as Editor of Our Sunday Visitor newspaper, OSV's flagship publication founded in 1912 by Archbishop Noll. Crowe led the newspaper's efforts to respond to an ever-changing media landscape with an increased emphasis on daily content on the web and responding to news as it happens. She spearheaded strategy and market research efforts that led to a redesign of the newspaper in 2018 and its website in 2019. She helped lead efforts to move Our Sunday Visitor to its current state as a content-first publication, allowing for nimble production of content across multiple channels.

During her nearly 10 years at OSV, Crowe's position expanded with promotion to editorial director for periodicals. Under her leadership and direction, OSV launched four new publications: The Deacon magazine (a companion publication to OSV's nearly century-old magazine, The Priest), OSV Kids magazine, SimplyCatholic.com and RadiantMagazine.com. She also oversees TeachingCatholicKids.com. In addition to growing periodicals, Crowe serves on OSV's Publishing Committee and Book Acquisitions teams, and she assists with content creation for OSV's parish solutions division.

Crowe currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Catholic Media Association, for which she is chair of the Education Committee. Since 2013, she has been the national media representative to the Catholic Media Association's CNS liaison committee. She also is leading OSV's efforts in producing "Heart of the Revival," the weekly newsletter for the U.S. bishops' National Eucharistic Revival.

In addition to her work at the national level, Crowe has experience in diocesan newspapers. From 2004-2013, Crowe worked for the Diocese of Arlington's "Arlington Catholic Herald," under the mentorship of Catholic press veterans Michael F. Flach and Ann M. Augherton. In that capacity, her work was regularly used by Catholic News Service.

Crowe has received numerous recognitions for her writing, editing and photography from the Catholic Media Association. She is the author of two books, "Why the Rosary, Why Now?" (OSV, 2017) and "Praying the Rosary with St. John Paul II" (OSV, 2019). Her third book, "Legacy of Mercy: A True Story of Murder and a Mother's Forgiveness," is forthcoming from OSV Books this fall.

Crowe is an alumna of the inaugural class of "The Church Up Close" program offered for members of the international media by the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross' School of Church Communications in Rome. She holds a degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Crowe is married to writer and editor Michael R. Heinlein, and the couple have three children. Crowe and her husband currently are in formation for the Association of Pauline Cooperators, under the direction of the Daughters of St. Paul.

ABOUT OSV

As the leading Catholic publisher in the United States, OSV provides products and solutions to more than nine of every ten Catholic parishes and every Catholic diocese in the country. Founded in 1912 by Fr. John Francis Noll, OSV's team of over 350 people continues to champion the Catholic Church through a wide range of products and services. From weekly and monthly publications to software solutions, fundraising and consulting services, curriculum products, trade books, and parish publications, OSV helps individual Catholics, families, parishes, and dioceses grow closer to Christ and contribute to the growth and vitality of his Church in the world. A not-for-profit Catholic organization, OSV has been supporting the needs of the Church for over a century. Learn more at www.osv.com .

Contact: Scott P. Richert

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE Our Sunday Visitor
Hundreds join to discover new tools for facing change with confidence and community

ATHENS, Ga., Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- During the last week of July, Padgett, a North American tax and accounting franchise, hosted their annual Summer Meeting to allow nearly 200 attendees representing Padgett's 180 individually-owned U.S. offices to gather and learn about new technology, build community and discuss the future of the company.

"We have always tried to be future-focused, and this year's Summer Meeting is a great time to emphasize that." Tweet this Padgett Summer Meeting sponsors and vendors. (Photo:Padgett Business Services)

The meeting, which was titled Think Forward, Think Technology, was held virtually for the third year in a row and featured five days of speaker presentations, roundtable discussions and technology training sessions. Franchise owners, their employees, and Padgett home office staff had the opportunity to hear from a variety of industry experts on topics ranging from legislative updates to digital marketing to cryptocurrency accounting.

"I am so proud of the resilience and determination Padgett has shown in the face of a few turbulent years," Padgett CEO Jeff Phillips said. "We have always tried to be future-focused, and this year's Summer Meeting is a great time to emphasize that. We're especially thankful to have a record number of guests and vendors and technology partners here with us, helping us move forward as a company."

The meeting's 17 vendors included representatives from top business and accounting industry organizations such as Xero, ADP, Karbon, Thomson Reuters, Accountingfly and more. Speakers included industry experts such as Accounting Today editor-in-chief Dan Hood, Thad Inge and Jeff Trinca of VanSoyoc Associates, a Washington lobbying firm, and GoProposal Vice President James Ashford.

"There is a lot of change, and a greater rate of change than we've ever seen before," Hood told attendees in his session on Tuesday, titled State of the Accounting Industry in 2022. "There's change in almost every aspect of accounting as a profession. But if you can meet those changes proactively and overcome those challenges, the upside can be tremendous."

About Padgett

Through a network of hundreds individually-owned firms, Padgett provides tax, accounting, payroll and consulting services to tens of thousands of small businesses across the U.S. and Canada. With an entrepreneurial spirit and more than 50 years of experience, Padgett aims to serve as trusted advisors and empower business owners to pursue their financial and personal goals.

Find your local PADGETT BUSINESS SERVICES

CONTACT INFORMATION:

Padgett Business Services

Shannon Rainey

706.583.5113

[email protected]

SOURCE Padgett Business Services
Company now transfers fully to the hands of Parker Ranch

HONOLULU, Aug. 2, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- After an eight-year collaboration, Parker Ranch and Ulupono Initiative jointly announced that Parker Ranch, Inc. has acquired the equity interest in Paniolo Cattle Company, LLC held by Ulupono Holdings, LLC. The move comes in recognition of the joint-venture's success in demonstrating that a pasture-raised beef operation can work at large scale in Hawai'i.

Paniolo Cattle Company was formed in 2014 as a partnership between Parker Ranch and Ulupono Initiative to foster statewide local beef production. The pasture-to-plate enterprise taps into a growing demand for high-quality, affordable, locally raised beef. Parker Ranch now owns 100 percent of the business entity and its assets, including its brands.

"This joint venture was about demonstrating that local beef is a compelling choice for consumers compared to imports while creating an at-home thriving cattle industry that is viable and sustainable," said Dutch Kuyper, President of Parker Ranch.

"As has always been the intention, Ulupono is divesting from our successful partnership with Parker Ranch in the Paniolo Cattle Company," said Murray Clay, Ulupono Initiative's President. "After more than eight years of statewide sales to local customers, we are extremely pleased by what has been accomplished toward the demonstration that there is a viable market for local beef in the islands. Through Paniolo Cattle Company, residents now have access to quality, pasture-raised beef throughout the state."

The demand for grass-fed beef has grown significantly in recent decades. The healthy attributes of natural, grass-fed beef are attractive to discerning consumers seeking a unique high-quality choice compared to most imported beef from the mainland or elsewhere.

"Over the last 15 years or so, several ranches across the state led efforts to develop the local market for grass-fed beef even before Paniolo Cattle Company, LLC was conceived," said Kuyper. "In fact, we actually supplied some of those programs with cattle when they needed help to fill gaps in their marketing schedules. The Paniolo Cattle Co. brand became the largest in the state over the last few years as consumers demanded more and more local beef. At the same time, we began investing in advertising the brand through television and Hana Hou!  Hawaiian Airlines' inflight magazine  which led to greater brand awareness and market penetration. We are grateful for the support from Ulupono and are looking forward to the next chapter in the development of local beef in our home state of Hawai'i."

For more information about Paniolo Cattle Company, visit paniolocattle.com.

About Parker Ranch

Parker Ranch is one of the largest and oldest cattle ranches in the United States. Parker Ranch, Inc. is owned by Parker Ranch Foundation Trust whose beneficiaries are four non-profits: Queen's North Hawai'i Community Hospital, Hawai'i Preparatory Academy, Parker School and Hawai'i Community Foundation. To learn more, please visit www.parkerranch.com or www.prft.org.

About Ulupono Initiative

A mission-driven venture of The Omidyar Group, Ulupono Initiative was founded in 2009 and strives to improve the quality of life for the people of Hawai'i by working toward sustainable solutions that support and promote locally produced food, renewable energy, clean transportation, and better management of freshwater resources. For more information about Ulupono Initiative, visit ulupono.com or connect with Ulupono on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.

SOURCE Parker Ranch; Ulupono Initiative; Paniolo Cattle Company
WAIMEA, Hawaii, Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Prominent landowner Parker Ranch and affordable housing leader Highridge Costa have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to explore possible collaboration on the development of affordable housing units on the Island of Hawai'i. Both parties intend to explore development of the affordable housing, senior housing, and workforce/agricultural housing with the intention of working together toward the successful development and operation of these product types for the Waimea community. Parker Ranch plans to prioritize projects for affordable housing product.

Highridge Costa has quickly become a major developer of affordable housing in the state of Hawai'i, with new homes for seniors and families completed, under construction or planned in the counties of O'ahu and Maui. The proposed units at Parker Ranch would add 259 affordable housing units, including 64 homes for seniors and 195 homes for families.

"Parker Ranch is thrilled to be working with Highridge Costa to focus on property with the proper zoning and infrastructure to meet the critical demand for affordable housing," said Dutch Kuyper, President and CEO of Parker Ranch, Inc. "Parker Ranch will explore affordable housing opportunities that integrate with our sustainable community design, tying together walkable community concepts and open spaces. We are also considering working with Highridge Costa to address senior housing needs."

The parcels and areas that Parker Ranch and Highridge Costa will focus on could create 150 to 300 affordable housing and senior housing units over the next five years.

"We are excited to be working with Parker Ranch, which is committed to addressing affordable housing in the community," said Moe Mohanna, President at Highridge Costa Development. "We look forward to meeting with the community, getting the best ideas, and moving toward planning, funding, and breaking ground on future affordable housing."

Parker Ranch and Highridge Costa will work together to develop multiple concepts for affordable housing to serve the community. As Kuyper explained, "At the heart of everything we do is the Ranch's mission to maintain and improve the unique quality of life and the way of life in Waimea. We do that through the support of the Parker Ranch Foundation Trust that provides perpetual support to its beneficiaries engaged in healthcare, education, and charitable giving in the Waimea area. Our plans for affordable housing development with a prospective partner align with our mission to preserve the character of the Waimea community and our paniolo legacy."

While continuing to operate a thriving cattle operation today on its 130,000 acres of upcountry land, Parker Ranch has expanded its strategic initiatives to include alternative energy production and forestry as part of its comprehensive approach to land stewardship. Themes of sustainability and sustainable economic development are guiding principles that have allowed Parker Ranch to enhance the value of the lands and improve its legacy cattle and overall business operations. The affordable housing initiative is part of the Ranch's priority to address housing, balancing the needs of a growing community with the preservation of agricultural operations and open space, which fits in well with the primary mission of Highridge Costa.

"At Highridge Costa we are steadfast on creating a blueprint for a better nation," noted Mohanna. "Our mission is to create viable housing options for the future, by building living communities that change lives."

Parker Ranch and Highridge Costa will collaborate with state and county agencies to address the critical need for affordable housing, quantified by the OHCD in the 2019 Housing Planning Study, which projected an estimated 10,000 affordable housing units needed on the Big Island from 2020 to 2025 for households at 140 percent of the area median income or below. The study is available at https://dbedt.hawaii.gov/blog/20-01/.

About Parker Ranch

Parker Ranch is one of the largest and oldest cattle ranches in the United States. Parker Ranch Inc. is wholly-owned by Parker Ranch Foundation Trust whose beneficiaries are four non-profits: Queen's North Hawai'i Community Hospital, Hawai'i Preparatory Academy, Parker School, and Hawai'i Community Foundation. To learn more, please visit www.parkerranch.com or www.prft.org.

About Highridge Costa

Highridge Costa is one of America's leading developers, financiers, owners and operators of workforce family and senior communities, as well as permanent supportive housing for veterans and others. Since 1994, the award-winning organization has developed and invested in over 30,000 low-income housing units across 300 apartment communities in 33 states and Puerto Rico. For more information on Highridge Costa, visit www.hcosta.com.

SOURCE Parker Ranch
PURCHASE, N.Y., Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, PepsiCo, and its philanthropic arm, the PepsiCo Foundation, announced partnerships with World Central Kitchen and Save the Children to provide meals, potable water and disaster relief to those impacted by severe flooding in eastern Kentucky.

Mobilizing quickly with their partners and those within the community, PepsiCo and the PepsiCo Foundation will provide nearly 50,000 meals, among other urgently needed items, through a variety of pathways, including:

PepsiCo PepsiCo PepsiCo Food for Good

A $150,000 donation in support of the World Central Kitchen toward efforts to deliver fresh, hot meals to those in need.

donation in support of the World Central Kitchen toward efforts to deliver fresh, hot meals to those in need. 10,000 shelf stable Food for Good breakfast meals delivered in partnership with Amazon Disaster Relief to be distributed by Save the Children at emergency shelters in the area.

An additional $150,000 in support of Save the Children's relief efforts that include clean drinking water, hygiene kits, diapers, infant care supplies, and cribs for families.

in support of Save the Children's relief efforts that include clean drinking water, hygiene kits, diapers, infant care supplies, and cribs for families. Donated nearly ninety thousand bottles of water to areas where water access connections have been impacted.

"The current crisis is impacting thousands, leaving many without adequate essential supplies or a safe place to stay, but our partners on-the-groundWorld Central Kitchen and Save the Childrenhave swiftly responded," said Jon Banner, PepsiCo Executive Vice President, Global Communications, and PepsiCo Foundation President. "PepsiCo has a long history in Kentucky and 1,400 of our employees call it home. Our roots are planted deep and we're heartbroken to see so many families, including 27 of our own, displaced by this disaster."

"World Central Kitchen is a team of food first responders who know that a hot meal is so much more than a plate of foodit's hope, it's dignity, it's a sign that someone cares," said Jason Collis, Vice President of Relief, World Central Kitchen. "We're grateful to count on the PepsiCo Foundation, not only for monetary support, but for their eager belief in our mission and willingness to roll up their sleeves and help communities in Kentucky which were devastated by the flooding."

"Save the Children began working in Kentucky communities 90 years ago and remains committed to supporting children impacted by the recent devastating flooding  now and well into the future," said Betsy Zorio, vice president of U.S. Programs for Save the Children. "We are deeply grateful for PepsiCo's support in getting the essential supplies and meals Kentucky kids and families need to begin to recover during this harrowing time."

To help further support relief efforts, the PepsiCo Foundation will also match employee donations to organizations providing critical relief for impacted communities and has activated PEPhelp, an employee-to-employee program to that provides financial assistance to PepsiCo employees affected by natural disasters. PepsiCo and the PepsiCo Foundation also are providing employees with dinner donations, hotel stays, grocery gift cards, and time off for the necessary recovery.

The PepsiCo Foundation also has a longstanding history of community relief efforts and is a member of the American Red Cross' Annual Disaster Giving Program, granting at least $500,000 annually to ensure the Red Cross can pre-position supplies, secure shelters, maintain vehicles, train volunteers and prepare for future disasters.

PepsiCo and the PepsiCo Foundation urges others to offer their support. Donations can be made online in support of flood relief to Save the Children, World Central Kitchen, and the American Red Cross.

About PepsiCo

PepsiCo products are enjoyed by consumers more than one billion times a day in more than 200 countries and territories around the world. PepsiCo generated more than $79 billion in net revenue in 2021, driven by a complementary beverage and convenient foods portfolio that includes Lay's, Doritos, Cheetos, Gatorade, Pepsi-Cola, Mountain Dew, Quaker, and SodaStream. PepsiCo's product portfolio includes a wide range of enjoyable foods and beverages, including many iconic brands that generate more than $1 billion each in estimated annual retail sales.

Guiding PepsiCo is our vision to Be the Global Leader in Beverages and Convenient Foods by Winning with PepsiCo Positive (pep+). pep+ is our strategic end-to-end transformation that puts sustainability and human capital at the center of how we will create value and growth by operating within planetary boundaries and inspiring positive change for planet and people. For more information, visit www.pepsico.com.

About the PepsiCo Foundation

Established in 1962, the PepsiCo Foundation, the philanthropic arm of PepsiCo, invests in the essential elements of a sustainable food system with a mission to support thriving communities. Working with non-profits and experts around the globe, we're focused on helping communities obtain access to food security, safe water and economic opportunity. We strive for tangible impact in the places where we live and workcollaborating with industry peers, local and international organizations, and our employees to affect large-scale change on the issues that matter to us and are of global importance. Learn more at https://www.pepsico.com/our-impact/philanthropy/pepsico-foundation.

About World Central Kitchen

Founded in 2010 by Chef Jose Andres, World Central Kitchen (WCK) is first to the frontlines, providing meals in response to humanitarian, climate, and community crises while working to build resilient food systems with locally led solutions. WCK has served more than 100 million fresh meals to people impacted by natural disasters and other crises around the world. WCK's Resilience Programs strengthen food and nutrition security by training chefs and school cooks; advancing clean cooking practices; and awarding grants to farms, fisheries, and small food businesses while also providing educational and networking opportunities. Learn more at wck.org.

About Save the Children

Save the Children believes every child deserves a future. Since our founding more than 100 years ago, we've changed the lives of more than 1 billion children. In the United States and around the world, we give children a healthy start in life, the opportunity to learn and protection from harm. We do whatever it takes for children  every day and in times of crisis  transforming their lives and the future we share. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.

About the American Red Cross

The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides comfort to victims of disasters; supplies about 40% of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; distributes international humanitarian aid; and supports veterans, military members and their families. The Red Cross is a nonprofit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to deliver its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or CruzRojaAmericana.org, or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.

SOURCE PepsiCo Foundation; PepsiCo
DUBLIN, Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Personal Care Ingredients Global Market Report 2022" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The global personal care ingredients market is expected to grow from $12.98 billion in 2021 to $13.83 billion in 2022 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.5%. The market is expected to grow to $17.21 billion in 2026 at a CAGR of 5.6%.



The personal care ingredients market consists of sales of personal care ingredients by entities (organizations, sole traders, and partnerships) that produce personal care ingredients for skincare, haircare, oral care, and make-up products.



The major ingredients of personal care ingredients include emollients, surfactants, emulsifiers, rheology modifiers, conditioning polymers, and other ingredients. Surfactants are the amphiphilic biological compounds that are used for foaming, cleansing, emulsifying, penetration enhancement, thickening, antimicrobial effects, solubilizing, and other special effects.

The cosmetics having surfactants are compatible with both oil and water. The main sources of personal care ingredients are natural ingredients and synthetic ingredients. The various applications of personal care ingredients are skincare, hair care, oral care, cosmetics, and other applications.



North America was the largest region in the personal care ingredients market in 2021. Europe was the second-largest market in the personal care ingredients market. The regions covered in the personal care ingredients report are Asia-Pacific, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East, and Africa.



The increasing young population would contribute to the demand for personal care ingredients in the forecast period. The growing desire to look good and presentable drives the demand for personal care products for the increasing youth population. For instance, in 2019, the global youth population aged 15 to 24 years was 1.2 billion, which is expected to increase to around 1.4 billion by 2065. The increase in the youth population is expected to drive the personal care products demand, thereby driving market growth in the future.



Side effects of chemical-based personal care products could act as a restrain for the personal care ingredients market in the forecast period. The common side effects of using substandard quality and unregulated chemical-based personal care products include allergies, discoloration, texture alteration, or permanent damage to the skin or hair.

Some common chemicals found in beauty products, such as paraben, are used as a preservative in deodorants, moisturizers, shampoos, body wash, and makeup increasing the chances of breast cancer as it has a chemical structure similar to that of estrogen. The detrimental effects of using chemical-based personal care products impact the market for personal care ingredients in the forecast period.



Key companies functioning in the market are focusing on new product innovations to meet the demand of the consumers and benefit the users while maximizing revenues. For instance, in 2020, Germany-based chemicals company, BASF SE partnered with Netherlands-based Isobionics to launch Santalol, an alternative to sandalwood oil, produced on a biotechnological basis from renewable raw materials. The new alternative prevents depletion of natural resources and is suitable for use in perfumes and other personal care products.

Scope

Markets Covered:

1) By Ingredients: Emollients; Surfactants; Emulsifiers; Rheology Modifiers; Conditioning Polymers; Other Ingredients

2) By Source: Natural Ingredients; Synthetic Ingredients

3) By Application: Skin Care; Hair Care; Oral Care; Cosmetics; Other Applications



Key Topics Covered:



1. Executive Summary



2. Personal Care Ingredients Market Characteristics



3. Personal Care Ingredients Market Trends And Strategies



4. Impact Of COVID-19 On Personal Care Ingredients



5. Personal Care Ingredients Market Size And Growth



6. Personal Care Ingredients Market Segmentation

7. Personal Care Ingredients Market Regional And Country Analysis



8. Asia-Pacific Personal Care Ingredients Market

9. China Personal Care Ingredients Market



10. India Personal Care Ingredients Market



11. Japan Personal Care Ingredients Market



12. Australia Personal Care Ingredients Market



13. Indonesia Personal Care Ingredients Market



14. South Korea Personal Care Ingredients Market



15. Western Europe Personal Care Ingredients Market



16. UK Personal Care Ingredients Market



17. Germany Personal Care Ingredients Market



18. France Personal Care Ingredients Market



19. Eastern Europe Personal Care Ingredients Market



20. Russia Personal Care Ingredients Market



21. North America Personal Care Ingredients Market



22. USA Personal Care Ingredients Market



23. South America Personal Care Ingredients Market



24. Brazil Personal Care Ingredients Market



25. Middle East Personal Care Ingredients Market



26. Africa Personal Care Ingredients Market



27. Personal Care Ingredients Market Competitive Landscape And Company Profiles



28. Key Mergers And Acquisitions In The Personal Care Ingredients Market



29. Personal Care Ingredients Market Future Outlook and Potential Analysis



30. Appendix



Companies Mentioned

BASF SE

Ashland

Solvay

Dow

Clariant

Croda International Plc.

Evonik Industries AG

J.M. Huber Corporation

Solvay S.A

Huntsman International LLC

The Lubrizol Corporation

Akzo Nobel N.V

Pharmacos

Nouryon

Lonza

Berkshire Hathaway Inc.

KCC Corporation

Galaxy Surfactants

Oxiteno

Eastman Chemical Company

SABIC

Symrise

Sinerga S.p.A.

SG Ceresco Inc.

PRIDE SEEDS

Grain Millers Inc

Innospec

AEP Colloids

Jarrow Formulas Inc.

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/qsrbiz

Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

[email protected]

For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470

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SOURCE Research and Markets
HONG KONG and SHANGHAI, Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- With sustained performance and growth, Ping An Insurance (Group) Company of China, Ltd. (hereafter "Ping An" or the "Group", HKEX: 2318; SSE: 601318) ranked 25th on the 2022 Fortune Global 500 list with its revenue recorded USD199.6 billion in 2021. The Group ranked 4th among global financial enterprises, 7th among the Mainland Chinese enterprises, and maintained 1st place among mixed-ownership Mainland Chinese enterprises.

Other Mainland Chinese enterprises in the top 25 in the 2022 Fortune Global 500 list include State Grid Corporation of China (3rd), China National Petroleum (4th), Sinopec Group (5th), China State Construction Engineering (9th), Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (22nd) and China Construction Bank (24th).

The Fortune Global 500 list is regarded as the most authoritative ranking for the world's biggest companies, measured primarily by annual revenues for fiscal 2021. Given the looming COVID-19 pandemic, the global economy was struggling to recover over the year. The total revenue and the total net profit of the 500 global listed companies this year generated USD37.8 trillion and USD3.1 trillion respectively, setting new highs in the list's history. China (including Hong Kong), with 136, has the most companies on the list. Adding Taiwan, the total for Greater China is 145. For the first time, revenues from Global 5002318 companies in Greater China (including Taiwan) exceeded revenues from U.S. companies on the list, accounting for 31% of the total.

Despite the complex and difficult business environment and market challenges in 2021, Ping An adhered to the philosophy of "Expertise makes life simple" and continued to upgrade the Group's "integrated finance + healthcare" strategy. The Group accelerated the reform of the life insurance business and digital transformation of business management to enhance its capability to serve the real economy and ensure social livelihood while continuing to achieve high-quality development. For the year ending 31 December 2021, Ping An's revenue amounted to RMB1.18 trillion. Operating profit attributable to shareholders of the parent company amounted to RMB147,961 million. Total assets exceeded RMB10 trillion for the first time. In 2021, Ping An served more than 227 million retail customers and more than 647 million internet users.

Ping An maintained stable business growth with its integrated finance strategy. With the development of integrated finance business model of "one customer, multiple products, and one-stop services" and "finance+ ecosystem," Ping An's retail operating profit increased 5.7% year on year to RMB129,996 million in 2021, accounting for 87.9% of its operating profit attributable to shareholders of the parent company. As Ping An advanced its integrated financial business strategy, cross-selling continued to deepen. Nearly 33.01 million customer migrations occurred between the Group's core financial companies in 2021. 89.26 million or 39.3% of retail customers held multiple contracts with different subsidiaries as of December 31, 2021. Contracts per customer grew 1.8% from the beginning of 2021 to 2.81.

Ping An accelerated transformation to promote high quality development. The Life & Health insurance business advanced reform and transformation to pursue high-quality development. In 2021, Life & Health achieved a 32.3% operating ROE with operating profit rising 3.6% year on year to RMB97,075 million. Ping An Life advanced high-quality transformation of the agent team and improved team structure by building a team of "high-competence, high-performing, and high-quality" agents. The agent channel's NBV per agent amounted to RMB39,031 and FYP per agent grew more than 22% year on year in 2021. Ping An P&C further optimized its customer mix and enhanced risk screening with its overall combined ratio improved by 1.1 pps year on year to 98.0% in 2021. Underwriting profit grew 145.7% year on year to RMB 5,136 million. Ping An Bank furthered its strategic transformation and maintained stable business growth. Revenue grew 10.3% year on year to RMB169,383 million in 2021. Net profit rose 25.6% year on year to RMB36,336million. Ping An Bank kept asset quality stable and strengthened risk provisions.

Ping An upgraded healthcare ecosystem strategy to cultivate new growth poles. Ping An upgraded the healthcare ecosystem strategy to build "a Chinese version of UnitedHealth." The Group built a closed loop of supply, demand and payment by developing an innovative managed care model centering on "HMO + family doctor + O2O" to provide customers with worry-free, time-saving, and money-saving healthcare services. Synergies between Ping An's healthcare ecosystem and main financial businesses are emerging. Nearly 63% of Ping An's over 227 million retail customers used services from the healthcare ecosystem. These customers held 3.3 contracts and RMB40,000 in AUM per capita respectively, 1.6 times and 3.0 times those held by customers who did not use these services respectively.

Ping An comprehensively advanced its green finance initiative and promoted sustainable development as a new engine of economic growth. Ping An actively fulfilled social responsibilities to support the sustainable development of society in 2021. The Group cumulatively invested more than RMB5.9 trillion to serve the real economy as of December 31, 2021. Ping An comprehensively advanced its green finance initiative. The green investment and financing and green banking business totaled RMB224,580 million and RMB89,813 million respectively as of December 31, 2021. Environmentally sustainable insurance premium income totaled RMB44,569 million in 2021. Moreover, Ping An devoted itself to rural revitalization. The Group cumulatively provided RMB41,850 million for poverty alleviation and industrial revitalization as of December 31, 2021 by advancing the "Ping An Rural Communities Support."

About Ping An Group

Ping An Insurance (Group) Company of China, Ltd. ("Ping An") strives to become a world-leading retail financial services group. With over 223 million retail customers and nearly 657 million internet users, Ping An is one of the largest financial services companies in the world. Ping An focuses on two over-arching domains of activity, "integrated finance" and "healthcare", covering the provision of financial and health care services through its integrated financial services platform and ecosystems in financial services, healthcare, auto services and smart city services. The "finance + technology" and "finance + ecosystem" strategies aim to provide customers and internet users with innovative and simple products and services using technology. As China's first joint stock insurance company, Ping An is committed to upholding the highest standards of corporate reporting and corporate governance. The Group is listed on the stock exchanges in Hong Kong and Shanghai. Ping An ranked 17th in the Forbes Global 2000 list in 2022 and ranked 25th in the Fortune Global 500 list in 2022.

For more information, please visit www.group.pingan.com and follow us on LinkedIn - PING AN.

SOURCE Ping An Insurance (Group) Company of China, Ltd.
https://spendedge.com/sample-report/propane-sourcing-and-procurement-intelligence-report

Major Price Models in the Propane Sourcing and Procurement Market

The report discusses in detail each pricing model and the pros and cons attached to every pricing model prevalent in the market. Also, the report provides insights with respect to the category supply chain and the margins of various suppliers within the supply chain.

The most widely adopted pricing models in the Propane Sourcing and Procurement Market

Spot-pricing model



Volume-based pricing model

Spend Growth and Demand by Region

The Propane Sourcing and Procurement market will register an incremental spend of about USD 32.95 Billion during the forecast period. However, only a few regions will drive the majority of this growth. Moreover, on the supply side, North America, Europe, and APAC will have the maximum influence owing to the supplier base. The growth is expected to be primarily driven by increasing demand and adoption of the category across those few regions.

To get a detailed analysis of the regional factors driving the Propane Sourcing and Procurement Report:

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Most Adopted Procurement Strategies by Buyers Across the Propane Sourcing and Procurement Market

The report provides a detailed insight of the most adopted procurement strategies by buyers across industries and analysis of these strategies with respect to innovation, regulatory compliance, quality, supply, and cost. Adoption of these procurement strategies will enable the buyers to reduce category TCO and achieve cost savings, while sourcing for thermal equipment requirements.

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This Propane Sourcing and Procurement Market report answers help buyers identify and shortlist the most suitable suppliers, for instance:

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Consulting firm recognized for a proven culture of innovation

MENLO PARK, Calif., Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Global consulting firm Protiviti has been named one of the Fast Company 2022 Best Workplaces for Innovators. The list recognizes 100 companies from around the world with a proven culture of empowering employees at all levels to improve processes, create new products, or invent new ways of doing business.

Protiviti supports internal and client-facing innovation through a series of strategic activities and investments, including global innovation sites, firm-wide innovation training and tools, and an internal platform for gathering input and ideas from employees to gain new perspectives on solving business challenges.

We encourage and empower our people from day one to find innovative approaches to problem solving. Tweet this

"Innovation is one of our four core values as a firm and is embedded in all our global training, communications and service delivery, and we encourage and empower our people from day one to find innovative approaches to problem solving," said Protiviti Executive Vice President, Global Solutions, Cory Gunderson. "We're grateful and excited to be recognized by Fast Company and applaud our people for embracing an innovation mindset, however, we also believe that innovation is a continuous journey and there is always more work to do."

"To date, more than 90 percent of our people have been trained in design thinking and we have more than 400 certified practitioners," said Ashley Cuevas, Protiviti's global innovation leader. "As a result, our people have a truly innovative and collaborative mindset which translates to greater employee engagement and satisfaction as well as providing exceptional solutions for our clients."

Earlier in 2022, Protiviti was recognized by the Association of Strategic Alliance Professionals (ASAP) for its proprietary Ecosystem Maturity Model and as one of CyberArk's Partners of the Year in the category of Innovation Solution partner. Protiviti has been recognized multiple times as a great place to work, including being named to the Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For list for eight consecutive years.

About Protiviti

Protiviti (www.protiviti.com) is a global consulting firm that delivers deep expertise, objective insights, a tailored approach and unparalleled collaboration to help leaders confidently face the future. Protiviti and its independent and locally owned Member Firms provide clients with consulting and managed solutions in finance, technology, operations, data, digital, legal, governance, risk and internal audit through its network of more than 85 offices in over 25 countries.

Named to the 2022 Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For list, Protiviti has served more than 80 percent of Fortune 100 and nearly 80 percent of Fortune 500 companies. The firm also works with smaller, growing companies, including those looking to go public, as well as with government agencies. Protiviti is a wholly owned subsidiary of Robert Half (NYSE: RHI). Founded in 1948, Robert Half is a member of the S&P 500 index.

All referenced marks are the property of their respective owners.

Protiviti is not licensed or registered as a public accounting firm and does not issue opinions on financial statements or offer attestation services.

Editor's note: photos available upon request.

SOURCE Protiviti
Trott recognized by Ohio business leaders for creating the healthcare navigation category and guiding the industry's fastest-growing employer.

DUBLIN, Ohio, Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Quantum Health, the industry-leading healthcare navigation and care coordination company, announced today that Kara Trott, Founder and Board Chair, has received the C-Suite Most Admired Executives Award from Columbus Business First. Trott created Quantum Health over 20 years ago, when her research identified that consumers needed expert and empathetic guidance to effectively and efficiently navigate the healthcare experience. Trott was named to this prestigious list of most admired executives based on peer votes from the Columbus, Ohio business community.

Kara Trott, Quantum Health Founder and Board Chair.

"Kara is a true innovator whose commitment to doing what's right for consumers has helped millions of individuals experience better, more caring healthcare journeys with optimal financial and clinical outcomes," said Zane Burke, CEO of Quantum Health. "By creating the only navigation model that proactively connects consumers, providers and employers, Quantum Health has helped hundreds of employer organizations improve their employees' health and wellbeing while simultaneously reducing their healthcare costs and gaining stronger financial returns."

Because of its differentiated model, Quantum Health's Healthcare Warriors serve as the single connection point between the employee, the employer's benefits ecosystem and its associated providers. By engaging all stakeholders at the earliest stages in the healthcare process and leveraging the platform's advanced technology and tools, Quantum Health ensures that employees receive a better experience and optimal outcomes  regardless of whether their healthcare issue is simple or complex.

"No one should navigate the complicated world of healthcare and benefits alone, and with the right healthcare navigation partner, they don't have to," said Trott. "I am honored to receive this recognition and to be included among this exceptional group of Ohio business leaders. Quantum Health is successful because of our dedicated and talented teams, and I am proud and grateful for all they do to support our stakeholders and make these outcomes possible."

Trott, who was honored among the C-Suite Award executives in 2015 and 2019, is widely recognized for her business vision, leadership, entrepreneurial spirit and success. She serves on multiple local and national nonprofit boards and is a strong business supporter for both the Columbus community and the state of Ohio.

About Quantum Health

Quantum Health is the industry-leading consumer healthcare navigation and care coordination company that delivers an unparalleled consumer experience to its members, as well as validated claims savings and high satisfaction rates for its self-insured employer clients.

The company was founded in 1999 and is based in Dublin, Ohio. Since its inception, Quantum Health has earned numerous awards and honors, including being named among the Fastest-Growing Private Companies by Inc. 5000, and a Great Place to Work by FORTUNE Magazine and Entrepreneur Magazine. Quantum Health has consistently been named one of the 50 Fastest-Growing Women-Owned/Led Companies by the Women Presidents Organization, and Columbus Business First has consecutively honored Quantum Health as a Best Place to Work.

To learn more about the company, visit quantum-health.com, and connect with us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Media Contact:

Susan Simkins

Quantum Health, Corporate Communications

[email protected]

800-257-2038 x 13494

SOURCE Quantum Health
NEW YORK, Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- As per Zion Market Research study, The global raised access floor market size was worth around USD 1,542.50 million in 2021 and is estimated to grow to about USD 2,114.79 million by 2028, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of around 5.40 percent during the forecast period.

Raised Access Floor Market: Overview

A raised floor system is typically a raised structural floor placed on top of an existing base and is usually made of concrete or similar solid material. The components of the expanded floor system are many panels that are joined together to form a plane. The panels are mainly made of steel or wood core coated with a bit of metal such as aluminum. The bricks are fixed in place with glue or mechanical screws. The most common overhead or overhead surface installation spaces are computer rooms, training and conference spaces, exhibition spaces, and general open office spaces. Generally, high floors are not recommended in areas such as bathrooms, kitchens, and places that can become wet. These areas have devices such as faucets so water can seep into the panels and destroy them. The use of raised floor technology is increasing due to the development of the construction market. The optimal use of floor space is one of the main reasons for developing this technology. Increasing building permits for private residential homes and the growth rate in commercial construction are the key factors that significantly influence the market.

Get a Free Sample Report with All Related Graphs & Charts (with COVID 19 Impact Analysis): https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/sample/global-raised-access-floor-market

Our Free Sample Report Includes:

2022 Updated Report Introduction, Overview, and In-depth industry analysis

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Includes an Updated List of tables & figures

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Zion Market Research methodology

Key Industry Insights & Findings of the Raised Access Floor Market Reports:

As per the analysis shared by our research analyst, the Raised Access Floor Market is expected to grow annually at a CAGR of around 5.40 % (2022-2028).

(2022-2028). Through the primary research, it was established that the Raised Access Floor Market was valued at approximately USD 1542.50 million in 2021 and is projected to reach roughly USD 2147.79 million by 2028.

million in 2021 and is projected to reach roughly million by 2028. The increasing building permits for private residential homes and the growth rate in commercial construction are the key factors that significantly influence the market.

Many developing and developing countries are facing increased demand for raised floor systems due to the construction of new residential and office spaces due to economic growth and the increasing disposable income of the people.

demand in North America comes from new construction projects expected to drive the market. Demand for raised floors in the region is driven by the sheer size of end-user industries such as data centers, commercial businesses such as retail, semiconductor, and aerospace, and important public utility centers.

comes from new construction projects expected to drive the market. Demand for raised floors in the region is driven by the sheer size of end-user industries such as data centers, commercial businesses such as retail, semiconductor, and aerospace, and important public utility centers. Key drivers of North America region include the growing data center market due to the growing number of internet users, increased use of social media and high penetration of smartphones, increasing adoption of public and hybrid cloud services, and the need for businesses to move from server rooms to data centers.

Zion Market Research published the latest report titled "Global Raised Access Floor Market By Type (Steel Encapsulated, Calcium Sulphate Board, Aluminum Board, Chipboard Encapsulated, and Others), By Application (Data Center, Commercial Office Space, Nonprofit Management, and Others), and By Region - Global and Regional Industry Overview, Market Intelligence, Comprehensive Analysis, Historical Data, and Forecasts 2022  2028." into their research database.

Industry Dynamics:

Raised Access Floor Market: Growth Drivers

The growing number of construction activities aids the global market growth.

Many developing and developing countries are facing increased demand for raised floor systems due to the construction of new residential and office spaces due to economic growth and the increasing disposable income of the people. In addition, due to global warming and the growing number of natural disasters, more and more people are looking for ways to make their homes and offices safer and more resilient to earthquakes, disasters, and others. Steel wrap sheets are the most popular choice because they are durable. All of these factors are likely to drive the growth of the global raised access floor market during the forecast period.

Raised Access Floor Market: Restraints

The rising prices of raw materials may hamper the global market growth.

Rising costs of materials such as steel and aluminum have reduced the need for increased access floors. Installing raised floors in damp areas or being exposed to chemicals can cause slabs to degrade, resulting in increased costs. These factors are expected to restrain the growth of the global raised floor systems market during the forecast period.

Directly Purchase a Copy of the Report @ https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/buynow/su/global-raised-access-floor-market

Raised Access Floor Market: Opportunities

Increased investment by hyperscale service providers brings up several growth opportunities.

The use of raised floor technology is increasing due to the development of the construction market. More than 70 super data centers were opened or under construction in 2019. In addition, the US alone is expected to add about 30 more mega data centers by 2023. For instance, in 2019, GIGA Data Centers opened a 60 MW data center in North Carolina, USA. In December 2018, Apple announced plans to invest USD 10 billion in data centers across the US over the next five years. Therefore, increased investment by hyperscale service providers is expected to benefit advanced flooring manufacturers.

Global Raised Access Floor Market: Segmentation

The global raised access floor market is segregated based on type, application, and region.

By type, the market is divided into steel encapsulated, calcium sulfate board, aluminum board, chipboard encapsulated, and others. Among these, the steel encapsulated segment dominates the market, accounting for a significant percentage of global sales due to its superior strength and durability. It also helps strengthen buildings built in earthquake-prone areas.

By application, the market is bifurcated into the data center, commercial office space, nonprofit management, and others. Over the forecast period, commercial office space dominating the market due to the commercial raised floors are highly recommended due to their popularity in office renovations. They are widely used for computer rooms and open office spaces, providing a stable floor and making the room aesthetically pleasing.

Get More Insight before [email protected]: https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/inquiry/global-raised-access-floor-market

List of Key Players in Raised Access Floor Market:

Kingspan

Global IFS

CBI Europe

Polygroup

Bathgate Flooring

MERO-TSK

PORCELANOSA

Lenzlinger

Veitchi Flooring

AKDAG S.W.

UNITILE

ASP

Yi-Hui Construction

Changzhou Huatong

Changzhou Huili

Huayi

Maxgrid.

Key questions answered in this report:

What are the growth rate forecast and market size for Raised Access Floor Market?

What are the key driving factors propelling the Raised Access Floor Market forward?

What are the most important companies in the Raised Access Floor Market Industry?

What segments does the Raised Access Floor Market cover?

How can I receive a free copy of the Raised Access Floor Market sample report and company profiles?

Report Scope:

Report Attribute Details Market size value in 2021 USD 1542.50 Million Revenue forecast in 2028 USD 2114.79 Million Growth Rate CAGR of almost 5.40 % 2022-2028 Base Year 2020 Historic Years 2016  2021 Forecast Years 2022  2028 Segments Covered By Product Type, By Application, And By End Use Forecast Units Value (USD Billion), and Volume (Units) Quantitative Units Revenue in USD million/billion and CAGR from 2022 to 2028 Regions Covered North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa, and Rest of World Countries Covered U.S., Canada, Mexico, U.K., Germany, France, Italy, Spain, China, India, Japan, South Korea, Brazil, Argentina, GCC Countries, and South Africa, among others Companies Covered Kingspan, Global IFS, CBI Europe, Polygroup, Bathgate Flooring, MERO-TSK, PORCELANOSA, Lenzlinger, Veitchi Flooring, AKDAG S.W., UNITILE, ASP, Yi-Hui Construction, Changzhou Huatong, Changzhou Huili, Huayi, and Maxgrid. Report Coverage Market growth drivers, restraints, opportunities, Porter's five forces analysis, PEST analysis, value chain analysis, regulatory landscape, market attractiveness analysis by segments and region, company market share analysis, and COVID-19 impact analysis. Customization Scope Avail of customized purchase options to meet your exact research needs. https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/custom/7024

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Recent Developments

November 2021 - Tate Inc., the market leader in raised floor manufacturing, has announced the launch of its raised floor product, Cavity Floors. The cavity floor is a raised floor system designed for specific applications requiring limited or no access to the subfloor.

Regional Dominance:

The new construction projects help North America dominate the global market.

North America is expected to dominate the global raised access floor market during the forecast period. Much of the demand in North America comes from new construction projects expected to drive the market. Demand for raised floors in the region is driven by the sheer size of end-user industries such as data centers, commercial businesses such as retail, semiconductor, and aerospace, and important public utility centers. The region is at the forefront of innovative manufacturing practices, supported by comprehensive product development focusing on energy efficiency, lower lifecycle costs, and sustainability. Growth in general commercial construction demand and the high availability of cheap labor have fueled growth in the Asia Pacific region. Key drivers of this region include the growing data center market due to the growing number of internet users, increased use of social media and high penetration of smartphones, increasing adoption of public and hybrid cloud services, and the need for businesses to move from server rooms to data centers.

Global Raised Access Floor Market is segmented as follows:

Raised Access Floor Market: By Type Outlook (2022-2028)

Steel Encapsulated

Calcium Sulphate Board

Aluminum Board

Chipboard Encapsulated

Others

Raised Access Floor Market: By Application Outlook (2022-2028)

Data Center

Commercial Office Space

Nonprofit Management

Others

Raised Access Floor Market: By Region Outlook (2022-2028)

North America

The U.S.

Canada

Europe

France

The UK

Spain

Germany

Italy

Rest of Europe

Asia Pacific

China

Japan

India

South Korea

Southeast Asia

Rest of Asia Pacific

Latin America

Brazil

Mexico

Rest of Latin America

Middle East & Africa

GCC

South Africa

Rest of Middle East & Africa

Press Release For Raised Access Floor Market: https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/news/global-raised-access-floor-market

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The global porta potti market size was worth around in 2021 and is estimated to grow to about by 2028, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 7.50 percent over the forecast period. Medical Adhesive Tapes Market - Global Industry Analysis : The global medical adhesive tapes market size was worth around USD 8,724.1 million in 2021 and is estimated to grow to about USD 11,825.3 million by 2028, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 5.2% over the forecast period.

The global medical adhesive tapes market size was worth around in 2021 and is estimated to grow to about by 2028, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 5.2% over the forecast period. Leadless Pacemaker Systems Market - Global Industry Analysis: The global Leadless Pacemaker Systems Market accrued earnings worth approximately 55 (USD Million) in 2021 and is predicted to gain revenue of about 98 (USD Million) by 2028, is set to record a CAGR of nearly 10.1% over the period from 2022 to 2028.

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SOURCE Zion Market Research
After reaching a PSV of R$ 20 billion, the flexible housing platform invests in an app that reinvents real estate and connects projects to services. Housi is an operating system and buildings are hardware.

SAO PAULO, Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Latin American proptech has consolidated itself as a "camel startup"  which is one that has sustainable growth, good cash flow, stability and long-term strategies. It is focusing all its efforts on equipping real estate developments and is betting on the strategy of housing as a service connected to other complementary services in a new application.

Alexandre Frankel - CEO of Housi - Brazilian proptech

As unicorns in the proptech sector, with a wave of layoffs and questioning in valuations, Housi - a world pioneer platform in the 100% digital flexible housing service - has doubled its team and aims to expand into the international market. Among the main international destinations are the USA, Latin America and Portugal.

"We are growing 400% a year. There are 200 partner developers and more than 60,000 apartments equipped with Housi's operating system. This represents a PSV close to R$20 billion with the Housi brand - which makes it virtually the largest developer in Brazil", says Alexandre Frankel - CEO of Housi.

Nowadays it is possible to install services such as waze and the banking app on smartphones. So, imagine installing the main services also in buildings: mini market, laundry, on-demand rental of household items. All connected to a single housing app. This means more simplicity and free time.

"In a very simple way, the same transformation that Microsoft brought to personal computers or that Google's Android and Apple's iOS systems brought to mobile devices, Housi proposed to bring to still analog hardware: real estate. We connect previously analog buildings to services and solutions through Housi AppSpace," explains Frankel.

In just a few months, the company has already attracted around 50 partners to its Housi App Space. "In practice, this process is almost organic and software driven. It's just a matter of adapting the technology", says the CEO.

Partnerships include major brands such as Unilever, Samsung and bring solutions such as: laundry, cleaning, grocery store, home appliance rental, smart lockers, in addition to subscription electric car, shared bicycles and much more.

"Housi AppSpace is our Windows. Just like any hardware, a building needs an operating system. And our vision is to be the operating system that digitizes real estate and connects it to developments", he concludes.

About house

Launched in 2019, Housi is a world pioneer in the 100% digital flexible housing service. The entire process is done digitally and, to rent a apartment on the platform, it takes less than 1 minute. The resident has everything in a single subscription, such as: rent, furniture, water, electricity, internet, Netflix, etc.

Website: https://housi.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/housioficial/

SOURCE Housi
Additions include real estate co-ownership platform Pacaso, home improvement solution Curbio, and T-Mobile

DENVER, Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- RE/MAX, LLC, one of the world's leading franchisors of real estate brokerage services, today announced the addition of eight companies to the RE/MAX Approved Supplier program. Through the program, RE/MAX Affiliates in the U.S. and Canada have access to a curated group of vendors offering products and services for virtually every real estate need. All services and materials are available for purchase directly through the online portal, RE/MAX Marketplace, and are often offered at RE/MAX negotiated rates.

New members of the RE/MAX Approved Supplier program include:

AccountTECH: AccountTECH has one of the most technologically advanced and efficient back-office software solutions designed to address the specific needs of brokerages. It is a secure data hub for accounting, processing transactions, organizing agents, and managing all users' companies or franchises on a unified platform.

Curbio: Curbio was founded in 2017 to transform the multi-billion-dollar home improvement industry and has quickly become the nation's leading pay-at-closing home improvement solution. Curbio's tech-powered approach to home improvement has transformed the process of getting homes move-in ready. Curbio is trusted by thousands of Realtors and brokerages nationwide, and has been continuously recognized for its exemplary solution, receiving nods in HousingWire, Qualified Remodeler and Comparably, to name a few.

Dilawri Group of Companies: Dilawri Group of Companies is Canada's largest automotive group with 75 franchised dealerships representing 35 automotive brands in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario and Quebec. Privately owned and operated by the Dilawri family since 1985, the company continues to expand, building on its history of excellence in the automotive industry. With more than 3,000 employees, Dilawri is proud to offer exceptional products and services in every dealership.

homegenius: homegenius Inc., a subsidiary of Radian Group Inc., and its family of companies combine an array of title, real estate and technology products and services into a full-service ecosystem. homegenius offers streamlined processes from search to close, enabling mortgage lenders, mortgage and real estate investors, consumers, GSEs, and real estate brokers and agents to benefit from integrated and personalized solutions powered by machine learning and artificial intelligence.

Loft47: Founded in 2015, Loft47 revolutionized commission management for real estate brokerages and teams by introducing a lightweight, intuitive and mobile commission accounting platform.

Specialization in workflow automation allows clients to apply complex commission plans for agents while Loft47 automatically completes sophisticated accounting entries behind the scenes. The core platform leverages integrations with best-in-class tools so any team can build a complete and connected back office system.

Pacaso: Pacaso is a technology-enabled marketplace that modernizes real estate co-ownership to make owning a second home possible and enjoyable for more people. Pacaso curates luxury listings with premium amenities and high-end contemporary interior design, offering  to  ownership with integrated financing. After purchase, Pacaso professionally manages the home and supports seamless resale.

T-Mobile: T-Mobile U.S. Inc. is America's supercharged Un-carrier, delivering an advanced 4G LTE and transformative nationwide 5G network that will offer reliable connectivity for all. T-Mobile's customers benefit from its unmatched combination of value and quality, and unwavering obsession with offering them the best possible service experience.

We Insure: We Insure is a national insurance agency franchise disrupting the industry with an innovative business model focused on customer experience and exceptional agent support. We Insure offers unprecedented access to carriers and complete operational, IT, service and marketing support to its franchise owners in the U.S.

Many of the companies in the RE/MAX Approved Supplier program offer exclusive discounts to RE/MAX agents. With everything from yard signs to clothing to technology, these companies provide powerful tools to help RE/MAX agents run a successful business.

To learn more about becoming a RE/MAX Approved Supplier, email [email protected] .

About the RE/MAX Network

As one of the leading global real estate franchisors, RE/MAX, LLC is a subsidiary of RE/MAX Holdings (NYSE: RMAX) with more than 140,000 agents in almost 9,000 offices and a presence in more than 110 countries and territories. Nobody in the world sells more real estate than RE/MAX, as measured by residential transaction sides. RE/MAX was founded in 1973 by Dave and Gail Liniger, with an innovative, entrepreneurial culture affording its agents and franchisees the flexibility to operate their businesses with great independence. RE/MAX agents have lived, worked and served in their local communities for decades, raising millions of dollars every year for Children's Miracle Network Hospitals and other charities. To learn more about RE/MAX, to search home listings or find an agent in your community, please visit www.remax.com. For the latest news about RE/MAX, please visit news.remax.com.

SOURCE RE/MAX, LLC
NEW YORK and HOUSTON and DALLAS, Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Republic Capital Group congratulates its client, Smart Investor on its transaction with Edelman Financial Engines (EFE).

Headquartered in Roseville, CA, with a second office in Woodville, CA, Smart Investor manages over $680 million for more than 500 individual clients and offers retirement plan management to small businesses. The transaction expands EFE's strong presence in an attractive Northern California market and adds to its capabilities to better serve the retirement plan needs of small businesses. Edelman Financial Engines, founded in 1986, has more than 145 offices across the country serving more than 1.3 million clients and managing $275 billion in assets.

"John Langston and his team at Republic Capital Group did a phenomenal job for us throughout this transaction. If I had to do it over again, we'd absolutely engage them for their guidance and leadership. They were instrumental in the broad strokes of our deal, but maybe even more importantly the fine details and interpersonal connections," commented Chief Operating Officer, Michael Tudor of Smart Investor.

"Smart Investor and Michael Tudor have done a great job building a unique business that is a great fit for Edelman Financial Engines, a leader in our industry. Smart Investor will be a great asset to them." said John Langston, Founder and Managing Partner of Republic Capital Group.

"Smart Investor has built a tremendously successful RIA because of its unwavering commitment to clients, and we are thrilled to welcome its advisors and team to Edelman Financial Engines," commented Jason Van de Loo, Executive Vice President and Head of Wealth Planning and Marketing, Edelman Financial Engines. "Philosophical alignment is so important to us when considering acquisitions, and it was clear early on that our firms were founded on the same principles  to provide the highest duty of loyalty to clients and to help them achieve their important wealth planning goals. The addition of Smart Investor's talented financial advisors and capabilities strengthens our team and allows us to help more people move their financial lives forward."

Republic Capital Group acted as the exclusive investment banking advisor to Smart Investor on the transaction.

About Republic Capital Group

Republic Capital Group specializes in providing investment banking services to the RIA, Asset and Wealth Management communities. Republic Capital Group serves firms throughout the country and clients include several industry leaders.

Learn more about Republic Capital Group at www.republiccapgroup.com

Republic Capital Group - securities offered through Kingswood Capital Partners, LLC.

Media Contact:

Candace Langston

Republic Capital Group

832-953-6542

[email protected]

SOURCE Republic Capital Group
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia , Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Digital Cooperation Organization (DCO) welcomed the Republic of Cyprus as the latest member state as it becomes the first European Union country to join the DCO, an international organization that aims to accelerate the inclusive growth of the digital economy to drive sustainable growth and empower nations.

The Republic of Cyprus, represented by the Deputy Ministry of Research, Innovation and Digital Policy (DMRID), will become the 11th nation to join DCO.

The accession of the Republic of Cyprus to the DCO was marked in a ceremony at the Presidential Palace of the Republic of Cyprus (PRNewsfoto/The Digital Cooperation Organization (DCO))

The accession of the Republic of Cyprus to the DCO was marked in a ceremony at the Presidential Palace of the Republic of Cyprus, attended by government officials, Ambassadors, industry representatives and business organizations, and local media.

H.E. Kyriacos Kokkinos, the Deputy Minister to the President for Research, Innovation, and Digital Policy said: "The Republic of Cyprus is very pleased to be joining the DCO and becoming a part of this great effort to accelerate the growth of the digital economy and build a sustainable, inclusive and prosperous future for all, adding that "In the face of many challenges, and while socioeconomic global developments and technological evolutions continue to take place and evolve, international cooperation in the digital sphere is a powerful investment in our shared future."

According to the Deputy Minister, Cyprus' national ambitions and strategic objectives fully align with the DCO's mission and expressed the government's great pride in being part of this exciting journey, sharing knowledge and experience with the global community. "As the first EU member state to join the DCO, and a natural crossroads between Europe, Asia, and Africa", said Mr. Kokkinos, "Cyprus aspires to act as a bridge between nations, people, and ideas, facilitating communication, collaboration, and knowledge transfer."

Deemah AlYahya, Secretary-General of the DCO welcomed Cyprus as a new member state: "We are very pleased that the Republic of Cyprus has chosen to become the eleventh member state of the DCO, today with the leadership of Cyprus, marks a major milestone for DCO, where the 1st European nation has joined the DCO. We are focused on fostering an international ecosystem for knowledge sharing and cooperation to promote digital prosperity for all, and the accession of Cyprus is an important milestone as we grow the DCO's reach into a global organization with member states that reflect a diversity of experience and strategic approaches.

"Many of the strategic initiatives that have been undertaken by Cyprus are in alignment with the DCO's own objectives, such as programs to reduce barriers for digital startups and to foster entrepreneurship; and initiatives to advance inclusion for women, youth, and other underrepresented populations in the digital economy. Cyprus is also a good example of how nations can use smart policies and strategies to create a solid foundation for an equitable digital economy, and we look forward to engaging Cypriot expertise with the rest of the DCO to share knowledge, experience, and best practice on driving digital prosperity."

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1871982/Cyprus_to_DCO.jpg

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1867632/DCO_Logo.jpg

SOURCE The Digital Cooperation Organization (DCO)
Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts recognizes June as Annuity Awareness Month

LINCOLN, Neb., Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- With industry surveys showing that most retirees' #1 fear is running out of money,1 Insurance Agency Marketing Services, Inc. (IAMS) is pleased to highlight Annuity Awareness Month and the importance of annuities as a vehicle for secure retirement income.

On Monday, July 11, IAMS' Executive Vice President and General Counsel Chris Conroy joined Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts at the State Capitol in Lincoln to declare June Annuity Awareness Month in Nebraska.

Annuities play a key role as a safe money alternative for many seniors, especially in a volatile market environment. Tweet this On Monday, July 11, IAMS Executive Vice President and General Counsel Chris Conroy joined Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts at the State Capitol in Lincoln to declare June Annuity Awareness Month in Nebraska.

"Annuities play a critical role as a safe money alternative for so many seniors, especially in our current environment of market volatility," Conroy said. "With nearly 70,000 Nebraskans reaching age 65 each year, we want to do everything we can to help protect their hard-earned dollars and help them retire with financial dignity."

Annuities  insurance contracts that provide a guaranteed amount of money on a periodic basis for a specified length of time  are invaluable as a source of income you cannot outlive.

They deliver:

Principal protection in a time of high market uncertainty

Earnings on contributions that grow tax-free

Guaranteed death benefits

Ricketts signed an official proclamation during the July 11 ceremony. "Thank you for highlighting the importance of financial literacy and annuities in retirement planning," he said. "Especially in our aging society, it's important for people to be prepared."

To learn more about IAMS, Inc. and our services for agents, visit our website, YouTube channel or call 800-255-5055 today.

About IAMS, Inc.

Insurance Agency Marketing Services, Inc., an independent insurance brokerage agency, is committed to the principles of service, integrity, and professionalism while providing our valued agents the highest quality of service and with a goal of exceeding expectations. Building trust and fostering lasting relationships are the essence of who we are and a fundamental part of our company values.

Charles Heuring founded IAMS in 1986 with service to producers as its centerpiece. He felt there was a real opportunity to build an organization around the idea of making the producer feel at home. Over the past thirty-six years, the success of IAMS Inc. has been a product of that ongoing focus.

1 https://www.seniorliving.org/finance/senior-fears-study/

SOURCE Insurance Agency Marketing Services Inc
RIVERSIDE, Calif., Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Association of Attorneys Advocates (AAAA) is a premier invitation only organization dedicated to top attorneys dedicated to providing the best service for their clients. The 2021 list comprises of industry leading attorneys from each State or region who have met the highest qualifications in their practice. Each Attorney has distinguished his or herself with extraordinary dedication to excellence, advocacy skills, ethics, excellent reputation, leadership, and have distinguished themselves from their peers.

Award (PRNewsfoto/The Law Offices of Douglas Borthwick) Photo (PRNewsfoto/The Law Offices of Douglas Borthwick)

Douglas Borthwick is also AV PREEMINENT RATED by Martindale-Hubbell. This is the highest possible attorney peer review rating in both legal ability and ethical standards.

Attorney Douglas Borthwick has further achieved a "Superb" Rating from Avvo, the highest evaluation given by the nationally acclaimed attorney rating agency.

Douglas Borthwick has earned the trust and respect of his clients and colleagues for his integrity, preparation, determination, and attention to detail.

Douglas Borthwick's experience includes, but is not exclusive of, the following areas: personal injury law, family law, criminal law, and general civil litigation practice.

Mr. Borthwick is a devoted husband, father, and grandfather. When not practicing law, he is active in his Church and spending time with his adored grandchildren.

"I own Wenzel & Associates, a law corporation located in Tustin, CA. We have been extremely lucky to have had Attorney Borthwick as an "of counsel" for our firm for the last several years. His passion and excitement for his work, and his high integrity make him a joy to work with when we are in need of assistance.

Although he has his own separate practice, he has made time to help our firm multiple times over the years. His expertise is more than we could have hoped for in that in the last four times in which we needed his help he is four for four!

In the most recent case, we asked him to take "first chair" and he won a multiple thousand-dollar judgment for our client in a construction matter. I recommend Attorney Borthwick with the highest possible enthusiasm."Roger Ho, Esq., Owner and Managing Partner, Wenzel & Associates

To learn more about Law Offices of Douglas Borthwick, visit: www.borthwicklawyer.com

Also visit: https://calbizjournal.com/attorney-douglas-borthwick/

Media Contact: John Walter

Phone: 714-564-9401

Santa Ana, California Contact Douglas M. Borthwick

Law Offices of Douglas Borthwick

Telephone: 714-654-6742

Firm website: www.borthwicklawyer.com

SOURCE The Law Offices of Douglas Borthwick
LOS ANGELES, August 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- National probate litigation and inheritance dispute law firm, RMO LLP, announced today that CEO Scott Rahn has been recognized as a "West Trailblazer" by The American Lawyer. According to the publication, the feature recognizes professionals in the West who have moved the needle in the legal industry.

Rahn, the firm's founding partner, is regarded as a leading probate attorney, focusing on high-stakes private wealth disputes, fiduciary litigation, and contentious trust, probate estate and conservatorship cases. Rahn helps guide clients  heirs, beneficiaries, trustees, executors, administrators, charities, creditors and conservators  through the emotional, legal and financial issues that arise when loved ones become compromised, taken advantage of, and after they pass, whenever theft, manipulation, fraud, abuse, and other misdeeds are revealed.

In the feature, Rahn explains that the "genesis" of his path to becoming a trailblazer is the firm's "laser focus on probate litigation  including elder abuse issues that are all-too-often involved in these cases." He goes on to explain that this focus was influenced by his own experience "seeing telephone scammers and sales people take advantage of my generous-to-a-fault ederly grandmother." Rahn further highlighted the ever-growing nature of the problem, stating: "Financial elder abuse continues to receive increased attention from our communities" and "Collaborations with prosecutorial agencies and legislative bodies also continues to influence and shape the laws that help deter and prosecute financial elder abuse." Rahn believes that the firm's "continued commitnment to helping to educate and inform elders and their families about the risks of and how to prevent elder abuse, the roles we play in our communities to help shape and enforce elder protection laws, and our prosecution of financial abuse cases mean the future for our elders in more secure."

This year Rahn also was recognized by the Los Angeles Times as a "Legal Visionary" and named a "Top Litigator" by the Los Angeles Business Journal. He has been honored by Best Lawyers since 2018 and SuperLawyers since 2017. Rahn earned his JD from the University of San Diego School of Law and his BA from the University of Wisconsin, Madison.

RMO LLP provides personal, cost-effective inheritance dispute services to individual and institutional clients. The firm's attorneys focus on probate litigation involving contested trust, estate, probate, and conservatorship matters. RMO has offices serving clients with probate disputes throughout California, Florida, Texas, Kansas and Missouri. For more information, please visit https://rmolawyers.com/.

CONTACT: Jonathan Fitzgarrald, (310) 601-6008, [email protected]

SOURCE RMO LLP
The Exclusive Development Marks Rosewood's First Standalone Branded Residential Project in Los Angeles, California

HONG KONG, Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Rosewood Hotels & Resorts continues to grow its portfolio of exceptional residences with the announcement of Rosewood Residences Beverly Hills, the brand's first standalone residential condominium development in California. Located on Santa Monica Boulevard neighboring world-renowned landmarks and timeless Beverly Hills icons, the boutique development, comprised of 17 ultra-luxury residences, will serve as a model for enriched living in Southern California. Developed by Nahla Capital and GPI Companies, Rosewood Residences Beverly Hills is scheduled for completion in 2024, with sales to officially commence in 2023.

Rosewood Residences Beverly Hills

Situated in the heart of Beverly Hills, Rosewood Residences Beverly Hills features exterior architecture and interiors designed by Thomas Juul-Hansen, known internationally for his excellence in craftsmanship and design of residential developments, custom residences, and elegant restaurants. Evoking Rosewood's guiding A Sense of Place philosophy, wherein each property reflects the texture and typology of its location, the residences will feature custom interiors and exquisite finishes that epitomize California's timeless and casual sophistication. Ranging from 3,000 to over 7,000 square feet, every private home comprises a vast array of truly unique amenities including private elevator access, large entry foyers, indoor and outdoor living areas, expansive chefs' kitchens with double islands, and mudroom/laundry rooms accessed by a discrete service elevator. Private swimming pools in nearly half the residences will create a focal point for their large terraces. Additional al-fresco features and amenities scattered across select residences include fully equipped outdoor kitchens, wet bars, and firepits, lending to exceptional living and entertaining.

"As the popularity of standalone branded residences continues to grow, Rosewood Hotels & Resorts is thrilled to present this opportunity to enjoy the height of living in the prominent market of Beverly Hills," said Brad Berry, vice president of Global Residential Development at Rosewood Hotel Group. "Thoughtfully conceived to extend the utmost in design, service, and experience, Rosewood Residences Beverly Hills is poised to emerge as one of the most desirable destinations not only in California but across the country. We are proud to bring this incredible project to life alongside our partners and to further reinforce our commitment to delivering exceptional residential experiences in the most sought-after locations around the world."

Rosewood Residences Beverly Hills will be exclusively managed by a dedicated Rosewood Residential Team who oversee every aspect of the property's luxury service offerings. Coveted amenities will be available to its intimate group of homeowners, including a beautiful resort-like rooftop retreat featuring a pool, whirlpool spa, fitness center, and outdoor relaxation areas boasting breathtaking views of the city. Residents will also enjoy a communal rooftop lounge and dining spaces affording them the ability to host gatherings small or large.

"Nahla Capital and GPI Companies are proud to work alongside Rosewood Hotels & Resorts to introduce Rosewood Residences to the iconic Beverly Hills community," said Genghis Hadi, co-founder and managing principal of Nahla Capital. "Rosewood Residences Beverly Hills will consist of one-of-a-kind homes with many exquisite amenities, and we are excited to collaborate with Rosewood, Compass Development Marketing group, and best-in-class firms including Thomas Juul-Hansen and executive architect MVE Architects to bring this project to life."

For more information about Rosewood Residences Beverly Hills, please visit www.9900SantaMonica.com.

About Rosewood Hotels & Resorts

Rosewood Hotels & Resorts manages a global collection of 30 one-of-a-kind luxury hotels, resorts and residences in 18 countries. Each Rosewood property embraces the brand's A Sense of Place philosophy to reflect the individual location's history, culture and sensibilities. The Rosewood collection includes some of the world's most legendary hotels and resorts, including The Carlyle, A Rosewood Hotel in New York, Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek in Dallas and Hotel de Crillon, A Rosewood Hotel in Paris, as well as new classics such as Rosewood Hong Kong and Rosewood Sao Paulo. For those who wish to stay a little longer, Rosewood Residences offer a distinct opportunity for the ownership or rental of properties co-located with a Rosewood hotel or resort and of standalone for-sale residences. Rosewood Residences are defined by the brand's commitment to Enriched Living through thoughtful details and experiences that enhance the quality of life while evoking a sense of discovery and inspiration.

For more information: rosewoodhotels.com

Connect with us: Facebook Twitter Instagram WeChat @RosewoodHotels

About Nahla Capital

Nahla Capital is a New York based Real Estate Private Equity firm that manages and invests capital for institutional and global private clients in core urban markets in the United States. We invest in urban markets that are major gateway cities in the United States including New York, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Austin and Chicago, which have positive economic growth factors, compelling supply and demand dynamics, and strong employment sectors. At Nahla Capital we create a risk-adjusted investment strategy for our investors. We focus on delivering superior returns while actively managing exposure to risk and market fluctuations. We invest in core-plus, value add and opportunistic and mezzanine transactions. To date, Nahla Capital has invested in excess of $400 million in equity for a total AUM of $1.85 billion.

Lean more about Nahla Capital at https://www.nahlacapital.com

About GPI Companies

Founded in 2008 as Goldstein Planting Investments, GPI Companies is managed by Cliff Goldstein, Drew Planting, and Lee Wagman. GPI Companies is a real estate investment and development firm that pursues a targeted range of properties where value can be enhanced through repositioning, redevelopment, or increased operational efficiency. The company and its principals have a history of delivering superior returns to their investors by successfully identifying and exploiting mispriced assets while at the same time minimizing volatility. GPI has the expertise and experience to execute projects of various sizes and complexity. With a team of seasoned real estate executives, the company's real estate investments are managed and operated directly by GPI Companies. Capital partners include prominent private equity funds, public pension plans, offshore investors, and family offices. The three partners of GPI Companies have more than 100 years of combined experience and have acquired or developed over $6 billion in award-winning urban real estate assets and leased and managed more than 20 million square feet of commercial space.

Learn more about GPI at https://www.gpicompanies.com.

About Compass Development Marketing Group

From project inception to building sellout, Compass Development Marketing Group partners with the world's most forward-thinking developers and innovative architects through the lifespan of a project. Leveraging tenured expertise and the industry's most powerful technological resources, we provide strategic advice for record-breaking results. The company offers a comprehensive range of developer services, including research and analysis, planning and design, marketing and sales for luxury real estate. With nationwide representation in over 200 Compass offices, CDMG empowers residential developers with an unparalleled sales footprint in the United States. Licensed as Compass.

CDMG is a subsidiary of Compass, a Fortune 500 company and the leading real estate brokerage in the United States by sales volume.

For more information, visit https://www.compass.com/development

Media Contact:

North America

Kendall Trainer

Nike Communications

Telephone: +1 646 654 3438

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE Rosewood Hotels & Resorts
The integrated luxury retailer invests in dedicated brand leader with 25 years of experience driving customer-focused innovation

DALLAS, Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Neiman Marcus Group (NMG) today announced the appointment of Ryan Ross as President of Neiman Marcus effective Aug. 15, 2022.

The new dedicated brand role is established to fuel acceleration by strengthening the brand and customer experience. Ross will report to Geoffroy van Raemdonck, Chief Executive Officer, NMG, who remains committed to driving momentum for Neiman Marcus Group, partnering with leaders across the business to Make Life Extraordinary for customers, luxury brand partners and associates.

Ryan Ross, President of Neiman Marcus

"Ryan is a values-driven leader with a proven track record of achieving rapid growth and optimizing customer-centric experiences," said van Raemdonck. "This new role represents the next step in our Revolutionizing Luxury Experiences strategy, and we're confident that an esteemed omnichannel retail leader like Ryan further positions Neiman Marcus for sustainable growth."

Ross was previously President of Williams Sonoma, where he was responsible for driving integrated channel strategies, customer growth and evolving the relevancy of the brands. He previously held the position of EVP Marketing and Digital at HSN through the company's acquisition by QVC. He also held leadership positions at Harrods, Pottery Barn and Gap, Inc.

"Neiman Marcus is the pinnacle of luxury and maintains the strongest customer relationships in the industry," said Ross. "I look forward to working with a talented team of integrated luxury retail experts to create exceptional experiences for our customers, brand partners and associates."

Lana Todorovich, President and Chief Merchandising Officer, Neiman Marcus, remains in her current role reporting to Ross. There will be no change to how Neiman Marcus manages the important relationships with brand partners. Todorovich leads merchandising and buying for Neiman Marcus, architecting a best-in-class brand portfolio with fashion at the heart of the business, as well as creating immersive retail-tainment experiences and curated assortments for customers. She and van Raemdonck will continue working together closely to cultivate the industry's leading luxury brand partnerships.

In addition, David Goubert, Chief Customer Officer, Neiman Marcus, will depart the company and pursue personal interests, including his passion for social impact businesses. In his more than three years at NMG, Goubert led Neiman Marcus through tremendous industry changes.

"David has helped lead us through a significant transformation, establishing a strong roadmap and a dynamic team fueling future success," stated van Raemdonck. "His leadership inspired a culture of trust, ambition and respect across teams  all of which reinforced a successful brand strategy with luxury relationships at its core. We're grateful for David's contributions to Neiman Marcus and wish him well in his next chapter."

NMG has experienced continued acceleration and great results from its growth strategy. The Company surpassed pre-COVID benchmarks throughout 2022, and strong performance is attributed, in part, to a committed luxury customer base. The appointment of Ross as President of Neiman Marcus comes after the company recently announced $500 million investments in technology and supply chain.

About Neiman Marcus Group

Neiman Marcus Group is a relationship business that leads with love in everything we do for our customers, associates, brand partners, and communities. Our legacy of innovating and our culture of Belonging guide our roadmap for Revolutionizing Luxury Experiences. As one of the largest multi-brand luxury retailers in the U.S., with the world's most desirable brand partners, we're delivering exceptional products and intelligent services, enabled by our investments in data and technology. Through the expertise of our 10,000+ associates, we deliver and scale a personalized luxury experience across our three channels of in-store, eCommerce, and remote selling. Our NMG|Way culture, powered by our people, combines individual talents into a collective strength to make life extraordinary. Our flagship brands include Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman. For more information, visit neimanmarcusgroup.com.





SOURCE Neiman Marcus Group
SHANGHAI, Aug. 2, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Sanyou Biopharmaceuticals Co., Ltd. announced that it has closed the Series B+ financing round of tens of millions of RMB. In this round of financing led by Zijin Hongyun Fund and Huatai Guoxin Fund under Huatai Zijin, Sanyou also received follow-on investment from the existing shareholder LH Ventures and investment from Qianhai Beizeng Asset Management and Mr. Guohai Xia.

The funds are under budget to strengthen the construction of the integrated innovative antibody drug R&D platform, consolidate the advantages of the super-trillion innovative antibody drug discovery platform, drive the launch of the intelligent innovative antibody drug discovery platform, complete the construction of the Phase II R&D center, and speed up the development of international business.

Previously, Sanyou closed Series A and Series B financing rounds in May 2020 and June 2021, respectively. Successive investments from financing institutions fully verify Sanyou's innovation capability, platform development prospects and entrepreneur team. Investors in this round are very optimistic about the integrated innovative antibody drug R&D platform, the super-trillion innovative antibody drug discovery platform, and the intelligent innovative antibody drug discovery platform of Sanyou, and expect Sanyou's further breakthroughs in technological innovations. The new investors will accelerate the pace of Sanyou stepping into the capital market, which is of great significance to the company's development.

Since its establishment in 2015, Sanyou has been committed to building world-leading platform for the high-quality, high-throughput and integrated R&D and value transformation of innovative antibody drugs. After seven years of rapid development, the company has grown from a team of three to a team of about 300 experienced professionals in the innovative antibody drug R&D and industrialization, of which more than 70% staffs of the R&D Division have a doctorate or a master's degree. The R&D site has expanded from about 100 square meters to about 20,000 square meters, accommodating well-equipped R&D centers and pilot production plant for innovative antibody drugs. Sanyou has built industry-leading Super-Trillion Antibody Libraries (STAL) that seamlessly integrates the "super-trillion phage display antibody library" and "high-throughput mammalian cell expression technology". The integrated R&D platform comprises more than 40 core technological sub-platforms, covering innovative antibody drug discovery, innovative antibody drug optimization, production cell line construction, upstream and downstream process development, preclinical R&D and industrial development, etc.

Sanyou has been committed to providing solutions that integrate "differentiated CRO, innovative CPO and characteristic CRS". CRO business includes 6 categories of CRO integrated services, 11 categories of CRO featured services and 11 categories of CRO staged services, which cover all aspects of preclinical R&D. CPO offers 6 types of cooperation modes, including targeted project incubation and collaborative R&D, to better facilitate individualized R&D needs. CRS includes four major types of core reagents, namely proteins, antibodies, engineered cells and diagnostic reagents, with thousands of reagents on the shelf and many more under development. At present, Sanyou is conducting R&D with hundreds of incubated, cooperative and integrated drug projects and established friendly business relations with nearly 400 pharmaceutical companies, drug R&D institutions and diagnosis companies worldwide.

Dr. David (Guojun) Lang, founder and CEO of Sanyou Bio, said, "We are very honored to receive fundings from top institutional investors, and we are very grateful to the existing and new investors for their recognition and support. Sanyou will use the funds raised in this round carefully to accelerate the construction and continuous upgrading of the three major platforms: the integrated innovative antibody drug R&D platform, the super-trillion innovative antibody drug discovery platform and the intelligent innovative antibody drug discovery platform. These three major platforms provide effective solutions for innovative drug R&D to deliver competitive candidates for all biological drug modalities, so as to connect all links from target selection to drug IND, and lead the development and reform of the collaborative innovation business model, allowing all organizations and individuals interested in innovative drug R&D to use Sanyou's open platforms of higher quality, faster delivery and better cost-efficiency to develop innovative drugs, fulfill their missions and benefit the patients."

Investors' messages

Quanyuan Zhang, head of Huatai Zijin Comprehensive Health Investment, managing director and fund partner: Sanyou is an industry-leading company providing innovative biological drug R&D services. The company led by Dr. Lang has been cultivating in the field of drug discovery for many years, and has been experienced in providing R&D services with impressive efficiency. Sanyou is growing fast and has served renowned global pharmaceutical and biotechnology enterprises, receiving unanimous recognition by the industry. We are optimistic about the company's future development and success in empowering the development of innovative biological drugs that help cater the unmet clinical needs and benefit the patients. Huatai Zijin will, as always, adhere to the investment philosophy of "growing together with entrepreneurs", and continue to boost the development of Sanyou with our own resources.

Yu Zheng, vice president of LH Ventures: Sanyou has been in the field of innovative antibody drug discovery for many years, providing high-quality services and creative solutions for many domestic and overseas clients. Continuous efforts have been made by the company to strengthen the integrated R&D platforms, improve the level of automation, intelligence and competitiveness of the platforms, define the layout of CRO, CPO and CRS, and maintain its leading position in the industry. We are very pleased to see that the team led by Dr. Lang has been forging ahead and fulfilling its obligation, particularly during the challenging COVID-19 pandemic, which is very impressive. We expect and believe that Sanyou will continue to reach new heights and make remarkable progress in the future.

Siyi Cheng, partner and head of the investment department of Qianhai Beizeng Asset Management: Sanyou is a leading international enterprise focusing on innovative antibody drug R&D and services. Experienced in all aspects of innovative drug R&D and industrialization, the company has established more than 40 innovative technological platforms for innovative antibody drug discovery and optimization, production cell line construction, upstream and downstream process development, and preclinical R&D. We are deeply impressed by the company's willingness and capacity to help clients develop innovative antibody drugs with higher quality and efficiency, and we are looking forward to seeing the company making greater contribution to preventing and controlling human diseases. The company's operation is in line with the investment philosophy of Beizeng Asset Management, and we are happy to be part of and support the future development of Sanyou.

Investor Mr. Xia Guohai said: "As an expert in innovative antibody drug R&D, Sanyou has established an international leading integrated R&D platform for innovative antibody drugs. I believe that under the leadership of Dr. Lang, the company will continue to carry out independent development of new technologies and new products to constantly enhance its core competitiveness. I wish Sanyou greater improvement and success in the future by overcoming all obstacles."

Introduction to institutional investors

About Huatai Zijin

Huatai Zijin is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Huatai Securities (601688.SH) engaged in private equity investment business. Relying on the entire business chain of Huatai Securities, Huatai Zijin provides a full range of capital services for its partners with the investment philosophy of "growing together with entrepreneurs" and abundant financial and industrial resources. With a registered capital of 6 billion yuan, the company manages funds of over 50 billion yuan, including PE, M&A, FOF, and industry funds. While maintaining its industry position and its solid strength in industry research, Huatai Zijin has been deeply engaged in strategically emerging industries such as healthcare and TMT and has accumulated rich experience and resources. The investment portfolios of Huatai Zijin in the healthcare industry includes: Mindray (300760), WuXi AppTec (603259.SH/2359.HK), Remegen (09995.HK), GeteinBiotech (603387), BrightGene (688166), Aidea Pharmaceutical (688488), Bioperfectus Technologies (688399), Suyu Pingmin (301017), Lifotronic (688389), MicroPort (2160.HK), Vazyme (688105), Geneseeq, Abiochem, Sepax, magAssist, Evercare, and Enjoy Dental Clinic. By giving full play to its advantages of securities dealer system in capital operation, the company has invested in and assisted many enterprises in listing in the A/H-shares market, provided all-round support for the industry leaders, and developed industry-leading capacities of industrial investment and M&A.

About LH Ventures

Established in 2018, LH Ventures now manages several RMB funds and USD funds of a total 2.5 billion yuan. Many of the companies invested by the experienced team have been successfully listed on A-shares market and NASDAQ, with the IRR ranking top in the industry. Boosting international vision, the LH Ventures team excels at making empowerment investment, and has been making long-term value investment in such key areas as intelligent technology and biopharmaceuticals. At the same time, LH has been operating in both China and America, accomplished industry integration with capital, and established a complete ecosystem around key industries in China.

About Qianhai Beizeng

Shenzhen Qianhai Beizeng Asset Management Co., Ltd. focuses on investment in the comprehensive field of health. The founder has been engaged in the management of R&D and operation in the biopharmaceutical industry for more than 30 years. Since its founding in 2016, the company has established and managed 8 funds. Adhering to the philosophy of "focusing on innovation, discovering value, and empowering after investment", and combining this industry-derived investment philosophy with market-oriented value assessment, the company seeks and incubates excellent domestic innovative enterprises with the greatest growing potential, and provides value-added services for the invested companies with its own resources and capacities to boost the development and value of its portfolio.

About Sanyou Biopharmaceuticals

Sanyou Biopharmaceuticals Co., Ltd. is a world-leading biotechnology and high-tech enterprise focusing on R&D and services of innovative antibody drugs.

Sanyou is committed to establishing an internationally leading high-quality, high-throughput and integrated R&D and value transformation platform for innovative antibody drugs, constructing a business ecosystem including therapy, R&D, and diagnostic products and services, and cooperating with global biopharmaceutical, diagnostic, and drug R&D companies to make a new progress in the diagnosis and treatment of human diseases.

Sanyou has established an integrated innovative antibody drug R&D laboratory of 20,000 square meters with advanced facilities. There are 10 major functional modules and more than 40 core technological platforms, which are featured by a series of Super-Trillion phage display antibody libraries and integrated platforms covering innovative antibody drug discovery, innovative antibody drug optimization, production cell line construction, upstream and downstream process development, preclinical R&D and industrial development, etc.

Sanyou has built a business system that integrates "differentiated CRO, innovative CPO and characteristic CRS", and consistently launches new technologies, new products, new services, and new scenarios base on the principle of high quality, fast delivery and better cost-efficiency. Friendly business collaborations have been established with nearly 400 pharmaceutical companies, drug R&D institutions and diagnostics companies worldwide.

SOURCE Sanyou Biopharmaceuticals
NEW YORK, Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Weiss Law is investigating possible breaches of fiduciary duty and other violations of law by the board of directors of Ping Identity Holding Corp. ("Ping" or the "Company") (NYSE: PING) in connection with the proposed acquisition of the Company by Thoma Bravo. Under the terms of the merger agreement, the Company's shareholders will receive $28.50 in cash for each share of Ping common stock owned. The transaction is valued at approximately $2.8 billion.

If you own Ping shares and wish to discuss this investigation or have any questions concerning this notice or your rights or interests, visit our website:

https://www.weisslaw.co/news-and-cases/ping

Or please contact:

Joshua Rubin, Esq.

Weiss Law

305 Broadway, 7th Floor

New York, NY 10007

(212) 682-3025

(888) 593-4771

[email protected]



Weiss Law is investigating whether (i) Ping's board of directors acted in the best interests of Company shareholders in agreeing to the proposed transaction, (ii) the $28.50 per-share merger consideration adequately compensates Ping's shareholders, and (iii) all information regarding the sales process and valuation of the transaction will be fully and fairly disclosed. Notably, at least one analyst set a price target for the Company of $38 per share, $9.50 above the per-share merger consideration.

Weiss Law has litigated hundreds of stockholder class and derivative actions for violations of corporate and fiduciary duties. We have recovered over a billion dollars for defrauded clients and obtained important corporate governance relief in many of these cases. If you have information or would like legal advice concerning possible corporate wrongdoing (including insider trading, waste of corporate assets, accounting fraud, or materially misleading information), consumer fraud (including false advertising, defective products, or other deceptive business practices), or anti-trust violations, please email us at [email protected]

SOURCE Weiss Law
BOULDER, Colo., Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Cigarette Store LLC (TCS) dba Smoker Friendly, has acquired Tobacco Superstores based out of Forrest City, AR. The 79 stores are spread across Arkansas, Tennessee, Mississippi, Missouri, and Kentucky and will be rebranded Smoker Friendly and introduce the SF cigarette and tobacco product lines to the TSS consumers. Smoker Friendly will operate these stores with the continued dedication to customer service, pricing, and product selection that Tobacco Superstore customers are accustomed to.

Joe Marelle, CEO & Owner of the Tobacco Superstores, said, "I could not be prouder of what has transpired over the past 11 years and where this has led. Tobacco Superstores consists of a great and proud group of people. Now, TSS can become part of something bigger. I truly believe in the Gallagher family and their vision. I have had the honor of knowing Terry for 11 years, but have developed a deeper appreciation of his entire operation through working with others like his brother Dan. This is a special transaction that will lead to great things."

Terry Gallagher Jr., CEO, stated "We've known Joe Marelle for many years, so when he reached out expressing a desire to exit the business, we jumped at the opportunity this transaction presented. We are very excited about the stores and their great team joining Smoker Friendly and expanding our corporate store footprint in these great southern states! This is our largest acquisition to date and I'm very proud of our team and the many hours expended to close this deal. We are actively pursuing additional acquisitions and continue to be bullish on growth opportunities."

Founded in 1991 and headquartered in Boulder, Colorado, this is the fifth acquisition Smoker Friendly has transacted in the last 2 years, bringing the store count to 260, operating in 12 states. TCS is the largest licensee of Smoker Friendly International, and the largest tobacco store retailer in the United States, operating a mix of tobacco stores, cigar lounges, liquor stores and fueling locations under the Smoker Friendly, Tobacco Depot, Smoke 'N Go, Havana Manor and Gasamat banners, in addition to its e-commerce site, paylesscigarsandpipes.com.

For more information on Smoker Friendly contact:

[email protected]

SOURCE Smoker Friendly
New research findings have education and privacy advocates calling for urgent action to ensure technology doesn't infringe on students' civil rights

WASHINGTON, Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the Center for Democracy & Technology (CDT) released new research detailing the concerning impact of software that tracks students' online activity on devices like laptops or tablets. With 89% of teachers reporting the use of such software in their schools (up five percentage points since last year) , the report cites students being targeted for disciplinary actions, law enforcement contact, and being outed without their consent.

"We've found that nearly every school in the country is giving devices to students  and monitoring is hurting them," says CDT President and CEO Alexandra Reeve Givens. "Our data shows that nearly half of teachers say they know of at least one student who has been contacted by law enforcement as a result of student activity monitoring. When you combine the resurgence of violence in schools with the mental health crisis among kids, schools are surveilling students' activities more than ever. But these efforts to make students safer more often result in disciplining students instead."

The report cites students being targeted for discipline, contacted by law enforcement, and outed without consent Tweet this

The new research shows that 78 percent of teachers whose school uses monitoring software say that students have been flagged for disciplinary action , and 59 percent were actually disciplined as a result. Additionally, 44 percent of these teachers report students have been contacted by law enforcement due to an alert generated by this technology.

"Certain groups of students, like those with disabilities, Black and Hispanic students, and LGBTQ+ youth, bear the brunt of the unintended consequences of student activity monitoring." says Elizabeth Laird, Director of the Equity in Civic Technology Project at CDT. "Fortunately, federal laws already exist to protect these students, but they must be enforcedwhich is why CDT is calling on the U.S. Department of Education to protect students' civil rights online in the same way they do in the classroom."

Disciplinary actions that resulted from student activity monitoring fell disproportionately along racial lines, with 48 percent of Black students and 55 percent of Hispanic students reporting that they or someone they know got into trouble, compared to 41 percent of white students. 29 percent of LGBTQ+ students report that they or another student they know has had their sexual orientation or gender identity disclosed without their consent. Finally, students with a learning difference or physical disability were more likely than their peers to suppress their true thoughts online because they know they are being monitored.

Givens noted that student monitoring is also a concern after the Supreme Court's overturning of Roe v. Wade, since students seeking to access reproductive health websites or message friends about abortion options must now anticipate the risk of being monitored or potentially flagged for law enforcement in states where abortion is illegal.

In response to the new research, multiple influential civil society groups have signed a letter calling for the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights to issue a policy statement that clarifies the ways that student monitoring technology violates civil rights laws, condemns surveillance practices that run afoul of these laws, and states its intent to take enforcement action against violations that result in discrimination.

The letter has so far been signed by the American Association of School Librarians (AASL), the American Civil Liberties Union, the American Library Association, the Center for Democracy & Technology, Civil Rights Corps, Common Sense Media, the Data Quality Campaign, the Electronic Frontier Foundation, the Freedom to Read Foundation, InnovateEDU, LGBT Tech, the National Center for Learning Disabilities, Next Century Cities, the People's Economic & Environmental Resiliency Group, and the State Educational Technology Directors Association.

The research was compiled based on surveys of parents, teachers, and students. You can find the full text of the research report and corresponding summary report here .

For more information about the report or to be connected to a spokesperson from CDT, please email [email protected] or call (202) 407-8811.

CDT is a 27-year-old 501(c)3 nonpartisan nonprofit organization that fights to put democracy and human rights at the center of the digital revolution. It works to promote democratic values by shaping technology policy and architecture, with a focus on equity and justice. The Equity in Civic Technology Project works to advance responsible civic technology use and strong privacy practices that protect the rights of individuals and families.

CONTACT: Elizabeth Seeger, Center for Democracy & Technology

[email protected] | (202) 407-8811

SOURCE Center for Democracy and Technology
SHANGHAI, Aug. 2, 2022 In a multi-year retail partnership with USHOPAL Group, China's leading vertically integrated premium beauty investment and brand group, is launching SUQQU's first cross border e-commerce experience store in China through its owned luxury beauty retailer, Bonnie & Clyde. SUQQU will expand point of sales through Bonnie & Clyde.

Japanese global prestige brand SUQQU was born in 2003 with the mission responds to the needs of changing lifestyles, values and times while helping you to beautifully evolve with them.

SUQQU launches Chinas first retail experience at Bonnie&Clyde Shanghai Kerry Center

"We are delighted to introduce our first brand experience store in China with Bonnie & Clyde, to express the multi-faceted charms of the brand, as well as our heritage & DNA. We hope the store experience would inspire the customer to stand up straight, to bring out the brilliance of individuality, and to enjoy each and every season of their time."

Yoshiko Sudo, SUQQU Head of Marketing

Renowned for its immersive storytelling and experiential retail, Bonnie & Clyde is in the vanguard of luxury beauty retailing in China meeting gen Z and millennial's demand for curated discovery and storytelling through a multi-dimensional in-store experience.

William Lau, Bonnie & Clyde's CEO continues to see tremendous growth potential for the brand "amongst our avid and discerning gen Z and millennial shoppers who are excited by how we bring a brand's DNA to life through immersive retail storytelling."

In 2020, USHOPAL Group was the distinguished partner launching SUQQU into the China market online and offline. This expansion of current SUQQU counters into the brand's full experience store will bring further elevate the consumer brand experience. With Bonnie&Clyde's upcoming retail launch in ChengDu, they will continue to double their store count to over 12 top tier retail locations in China's leading luxury malls with store front next to the who's who of global brands including Chanel, Hermes and Dior, Bonnie & Clyde is uniquely positioned to drive discovery of SUQQU to a larger universe of avid beauty shoppers across China.

Boasting a prestigious mix of luxury and premium retail brand partners including Chantecaille, Natura Bisse, ARgENTUM, Anastasia Beverly Hills, SUQQU, Juliette Has A Gun and REN Skincare, in two short years, Bonnie&Clyde has emerged as a breakout leader in the luxury retail space. Today it commands the highest unit price points in luxury beauty retail by leveraging an ecosystem of 28 to 34 year old luxury consumers propelling Bonnie&Clyde's GMV to $20M.

Nevertheless, Lu Guo, USHOPAL'S founder and CEO, has a more ambitious vision for the luxury beauty group. 'Our vision has always been to build the leading luxury beauty brand group in China that gives Chinese consumers the opportunity to experience the very best global brands and with this exclusive retail partnership we are building on our vision."

And with a successful track record as investor and omni-brand channel growth operator with the world's leading beauty groups, Beiersdorf-owned Chantecaille, Unilever-owned REN, USHOPAL is on the fast track to becoming a unicorn.

Moreover, with an IPO in the works, it is uniquely positioned to continue to successfully invest in, operate, and scale luxury beauty brands with global reach and highly engaged gen Z and millennial beauty communities.

From this vantage point, strategic investment is paramount. In 2021, USHOPAL completed a D round in 2021, raising nearly $100M to accelerate brand growth, create brand value, expand core operational capabilities, and improve profitability through acquisitions and investment in infrastructure, digital marketing, and online and offline retail capabilities. Armed with capital, USHOPAL is actively shopping for luxury brand investments to deploy capital and unlock brand value in mainland China.

USHOPAL's specific criteria for investment is proven brand quality and a track record of growth. Typically, this translates to five years of consecutive growth with revenues of $10-$50M+, owned patented technology, clinically tested formulations, and unique brand positioning with a devoted gen Z and millennial community.

Since its inception, USHOPAL has invested in, operated and scaled market leading brands such as Spain's high-end skin care brand Natura Bisse, New York-based luxury beauty brand Beiersdorf-owned Chantecaille, Japan's top natural skin care brand SUQQU, and UK brand ARgENTUM, a favorite of Chinese celebrities.

In 2020, together with Cathay Capital, USHOPAL completed the first equity financing of Juliette Has A Gun, a top ten niche global fragrance brand and, most recently, completed a strategic investment in Japan's No.1 DTC men's skin care brand BULK HOMME.

Website: www.ushopal.com

CONTACT: Cherry Yu, Email: [email protected]

SOURCE USHOPAL
Investment Endorses Innovative Startup That is Gaining Rapid Traction and Expanding Global Footprint

BERLIN, Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Swaarm , the new trusted standard in performance marketing, announced it raised a new mid seven-figure funding round. STS Ventures led the round, with previous investors also participating. Swaarm will use the funds to scale its platform for its rapidly growing customer base, accelerate market penetration, and expand its footprint in the U.S. and other regions.

Swaarm CEO Yogeeta Chainani

This new funding follows an exceptionally strong period of growth for Swaarm, where the company tripled its headcount and grew its customer base by 5X. Built from the ground up, the company provides an industry-leading, performance-based tracking platform tailored to the needs of agencies, advertisers and networks. Leading-edge companies selected or switched vendors to have Swaarm help them manage, control and optimize their marketing campaigns at scale, including Spyke Media, Mobco Media, Clearpier and more.

Stephan Schubert, CEO and founder of STS Ventures, said, "Our investment underscores our confidence in Yogeeta and her team. Yogeeta and Alexandru deeply understand the martech market and customers' requirements. Combining their vision and technical expertise, they have built an industry-leading platform and are well-positioned to gain a large market share."

"We're thrilled to get this funding from STS Ventures and the rest of our investors. Their investment, coupled with our rapid growth, is a strong validation of our vision, customer-centric approach, and market-leading technology. We're committed to raising our platform's capabilities to support our clients' dynamic requirements and deliver transformative value to their businesses," said Yogeeta Chainani, CEO of Swaarm.

Rudolf van Megen, a notable European angel investor and serial entrepreneur, added, "Swaarm is disrupting the market with a vision and a platform that leapfrogs the status quo to meet the dynamic requirements of businesses. We're excited to further invest in Swaarm as it continues its rapid growth."

Swaarm has quickly garnered a reputation as an innovative company seeking to redefine performance-based marketing. With a sharp increase in data and privacy regulations, compliance has uprooted the martech landscape. The performance marketing ecosystem requires solutions that provide complete transparency and enable rapid data-driven decision-making with maximum levels of automation to scale profitability. Since its inception, Swaarm has demonstrated its commitment to four cornerstone company values that include:

Offering a premium solution at an affordable price through Swaarm's hyper-efficient infrastructure

Ensuring customer data reliability through the platform's comprehensive data display

Extending flexibility through continuous product enhancements

Providing a solution that's easy to use and enables clients to work more efficiently

Swaarm led the market by launching its iOS 14-compliant attribution chain methodology  Privacy Enabled Attribution (PEA Chain). The company followed this by introducing its analytics tool "Explorer," which provides marketers with insights to increase the efficiency of their operations. Recently, Swaarm introduced a deeper integration of its product with AppsFlyer, enabling agency partners to have all their data accessible from a single dashboard.

About Swaarm

Based in Berlin, privately-held Swaarm is a premium tracking platform that sets a new standard for performance-based marketing. Swarm's easy-to-use platform enables customers to manage, track, analyze, and optimize marketing campaigns at scale, so they can gain a competitive edge and accelerate their business growth.

Press Contact:

Carmen Hughes

Ignite X

[email protected]

+1.650.576.6444

SOURCE Swaarm
Calframax is Sybridge's First Acquisition Focused on the Consumer End-Market

Transaction Marks SyBridge's Twelfth Acquisition in Three Years

SyBridge Continues to Develop into an Industrial Technology Solutions Partner for Customers in High-Growth Industries

SOUTHFIELD, Mich., Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- SyBridge Technologies ("SyBridge"), a global industrial technology company, announced today that it has acquired Calframax Technologies, Inc. ("Calframax"), a leader in the precision tooling market and headquartered in Oldcastle, Ontario Canada. Calframax expands SyBridge's presence in the consumer end-market. This transaction marks SyBridge's twelfth acquisition since inception in 2019.

Calframax, founded in 1995, is a leader in the construction of precision molds, with market leadership in the manufacturing of rigid plastic molds serving both the consumer goods and industrial pails market. Calframax also supports its customers throughout the production process from design and engineering to aftermarket parts, spares and repairs. Calframax is Sybridge's first acquisition that is focused on the consumer end-market.

SyBridge Technologies was established in 2019 by Crestview Partners, a New York based private equity firm, who committed $200 million of equity to create a market leading value-added manufacturing solutions provider spanning end-markets, geographies, and advanced technological capabilities.

Tony Nardone, CEO of SyBridge, said of the transaction, "Calframax is an exciting expansion into rigid plastic mold making and continues our vision of building a leadership position in consumer goods markets. The combination of Calframax's and SyBridge's capabilities will enable us to better serve Calframax customers throughout North America. With this transaction, SyBridge will be able to leverage its full network of capabilities to seamlessly serve consumer goods customers in North America."

Bill McDonough, President of SyBridge's Consumer & Life Sciences Business Units, added, "Calframax owners Joe Gasparovic and Ray Little have done a great job in building a top tier consumer tooling company. The entire Calframax team will strengthen the Sybridge franchise. We are excited to welcome new team members and work together to support our customers' continued growth investments."

Calframax's owners, Joe Gasparovic & Ray Little, commented "We are very pleased to be part of SyBridge Technologies. Joining forces with their platform is a natural next step in the evolution of our company. We look forward to the opportunities this transaction creates for our customers and employees."

About SyBridge Technologies

SyBridge Technologies was established in 2019 by Crestview Partners to create a global technology leader that provides value-added design and production solutions across multiple industries. SyBridge is based in Southfield, Michigan. For more information, please visit www.sybridgetech.com.

About Calframax Technologies

Founded in 1995, Calframax provides design & engineering, precision manufacturing and aftermarket services for customers in consumer and industrial packaging. Calframax is located in Oldcastle, Ontario. For more information, please visit www.calframax.com.

About Crestview Partners

Founded in 2004, Crestview is a value-oriented private equity firm focused on the middle market. The firm is based in New York and manages funds with approximately $10 billion of aggregate capital commitments. The firm is led by a group of partners who have complementary experience and backgrounds in private equity, finance, operations and management. Crestview has senior investment professionals focused on sourcing and managing investments in each of the specialty areas of the firm: industrials, media, and financial services. For more information, please visit us at www.crestview.com.

For more information, please contact:

Jeffrey Taufield or Daniel Yunger

Kekst CNC

(212) 521-4800

[email protected] / [email protected]

SOURCE SyBridge Technologies; Crestview Partners
NEW YORK, Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Tandym Group ("Tandym"), a leading national recruitment, contract staffing, consulting, and workforce solutions company, has acquired Longford & Company ("Longford"), a Boston-based technology consulting and executive search company. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Tandym is backed by Mill Rock Capital, a growth and operations-oriented private investment firm that invests in well-positioned industrial businesses in North America.

Longford provides technology consulting and executive search services, primarily to clients in the Life Sciences, Pharmaceutical, and other industries. The acquisition further enhances the scale and scope of Tandym Tech, Tandym's technology vertical, and comes shortly after Tandym's acquisition of Metro Systems. As a result of this partnership with Tandym, Longford's clients will be able to access a broader range of services and expanded capabilities. It also strengthens Tandym's position as a trusted technology partner to its clients.

"Longford has a sterling reputation in Life Sciences," said Larry Dolinko, CEO of Tandym. "In addition to having an outstanding industry track record, Longford shares our commitment to delivering exceptional client service through a high-touch, highly personalized approach."

"We're incredibility excited to join forces with Tandym," added Sean McCourt, Founder and Managing Director of Longford. "Tandym is aligned with our commitment to service excellence, honesty, and creating value for our clients or candidates. With Tandym's infrastructure and broad service offerings, we'll be able to provide tailored solutions for our partners on a greater scale and at a national level."

Charles Heskett, Executive Chairman of Tandym and Senior Partner at Mill Rock Capital, added, "Longford's deep-rooted relationships in the Life Sciences industry in Boston and New England will foster commercial collaboration with Tandym's Life Sciences vertical. We are very excited about the expanded scope of services the combined platform can offer to the Life Sciences industry at large."

About Tandym Group

Tandym Group (formerly The Execu|Search Group) is a leading national recruitment, contract staffing, consulting, and workforce solutions company with offices throughout the U.S. The company serves clients across a broad range of verticals, including Healthcare, Technology, Life Sciences, and Professional Services (which includes Accounting, Financial Services, HR/People & Operations, and Legal). For more information, please visit: tandymgroup.com

About Longford & Company

Longford & Company is a strategic consulting and executive search firm committed to helping their clients solve technology and business problems. Longford focuses on providing highly specialized consultants on a wide range of technology and business-related projects and performing executive level search services for various industries.

About Mill Rock Capital

Great Mill Rock LLC dba Mill Rock Capital is a growth and operations oriented private investment firm that invests in well-positioned middle market industrial businesses in North America. Founded by Christopher Whalen and Adi Pekmezovic, Mill Rock Capital is purpose-built to invest in family-owned businesses, owner-operators and founder-led companies across six industry verticals. Focus sectors include chemicals, materials and packaging; industrial distribution; services; metals and engineered materials; transportation and logistics; and specialty manufacturing and industrial technology. This strategy leverages the deep expertise of the firm's principals, a majority of whom have direct operating experience in these same industries. Mill Rock Capital supports business transformation through a dual-sourcing strategy encompassing majority equity and Activ Capital  debt, senior equity or hybrid investments which provide business owners value-added financial partnership without relinquishing a controlling stake. For more information, please visit millrock-cap.com.

Media Contacts:

Stephanie Klemperer, Tandym Group

212-871-0607

[email protected]

Joanne Lessner, Lambert

212-222-7436

[email protected]

SOURCE Tandym Group
NLRB MOUs With DOJ, FTC Bolster Efforts to Curb Corporate Power

WASHINGTON, Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Teamsters applaud the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) for entering into agreements with two federal agencies to improve enforcement of antitrust law, promote fair standards of marketplace competition, and advance workers' rights.

The NLRB recently reached separate memorandums of understanding (MOUs) with the U.S. Justice Department's Antitrust Division as well as the Federal Trade Commission, sending a strong message that the federal government plans to aggressively police bad corporate behavior.

"Global behemoths like Amazon bully workers with impunity. But these agencies are moving in the right direction to make clear the government needs to keep its eyes on these white-collar criminals," said Teamsters General President Sean M. O'Brien. "The Teamsters stand ready to provide information on industry-specific arrangements and conditions to advance an antitrust agenda that serves the needs of our members and working people."

The union will work with top U.S. antitrust officials committed to pursuing courageous and principled enforcement to protect workers from corporate lawlessness.

"Workers are rising up against corporate bullies because they've had enough," O'Brien said. "At job sites across the country, workers are sick and tired of low wages and unsafe workplaces. We are demanding respect and standing together to build power, and the Teamsters are going to make damn sure that our nation's antitrust laws are enforced."

Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents 1.2 million hardworking men and women throughout the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. Visit www.teamster.org for more information. Follow us on Twitter @Teamsters and "like" us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/teamsters.

Contact:

Ted Gotsch, (202) 508-6437

[email protected]

SOURCE International Brotherhood of Teamsters
Company Closing Facility, Endangering Staff in Spite of Socially Conscious Brand

SAN JOSE, Calif., Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Amy's Kitchen workers and their allies, including UNITE HERE Local 19, Teamsters Local 665 and the Food Empowerment Project, rallied outside of the company's San Jose location today. The company announced plans to close the facility amidst a union organizing drive at the plant with UNITE HERE.

"In the last few months, Amy's Kitchen workers organized work actions to demand respect and justice on the job," said Tho Do, UNITE HERE Northern California Organizing Director. "They were met with captive audience meetings, threats, intimidation and retaliation from management. The closure of this facility is part of the company's overall campaign orchestrated against its workers."

"My coworkers and I are completely shocked at the closure," said Ruby Luna, a worker at the San Jose facility. "We were lied to until the last minute. An hour after we clocked in, we were told our jobs were gone. Amy's claims we are their family, but no one treats their families this way. We are asking the public to demand that the company meet with our union to address our concerns and the devastating impact to our lives."

"What Amy's Kitchen has done is disgraceful," said Lauren Ornelas, Founder and Executive Director of the Food Empowerment Project. "It has not only cost the livelihoods of those in our community  300  but has done permanent damage to their reputation. They have seemingly violated the principals they started the company on because they have proven that they do not care about true sustainability when it comes to those who work for them."

The rally also comes in the wake of a California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (CAL-OSHA) investigation that concluded with the company being fined more than $25,000. Amy's Kitchen was cited for 13 different safety violations at the Santa Rosa plant, including three violations deemed "serious."

"Amy's Kitchen says they are 'a company that's uncompromisingly committed to living by our values,'" said Tony Delorio, Local 665 Secretary-Treasurer. "That's true, but their values are the same as Amazon, ExxonMobil or any other Fortune 500 company: profit at all costs. The egregious disregard for safety, which was verified by CAL-OSHA, is just one more example of their 'values' on display."

Teamsters Local 665 represents over 5,000 members throughout the Bay Area in a wide variety of industries. For more information, go to https://www.teamsters665.org/.

Contact:

Matt McQuaid, (202) 624-6877

[email protected]



SOURCE Teamsters Local 665
Leading tRNA researcher joins Tevard's efforts to transform tRNAs into novel treatments for serious genetic diseases

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Tevard Biosciences, the pioneer of tRNA-based therapies for severe genetic diseases, today announced the appointment of leading tRNA scientist Zoya Ignatova, Ph.D, to its scientific advisory board.

"Dr. Ignatova's work has profoundly impacted our understanding of the structure and function of transfer RNAs (tRNAs) and the mechanism by which tRNAs participate in the translation of mRNAs into proteins," said Tevard co-founder Harvey Lodish, Ph.D., who chairs the company's SAB and sits on its board of directors.

"I am very excited to work with Dr. Ignatova to further the development of our Suppressor tRNA and Enhancer tRNA platforms and create novel tRNA-based treatments for a wide range of inherited diseases," said Tevard Chief Scientific Officer Gopi Shanker, Ph.D.

Dr. Ignatova has made fundamental discoveries about how tRNAs can speed or slow the intricate process of mRNA translation, how that in turn influences the folding and function of proteins, and how altering the process can lead to disease. Recent discoveries from her lab implicate tRNAs as underlying entities in several pathologies. Dr. Ignatova and her team are now working on ways to structurally repurpose tRNAs to correct inherited mutations, including nonsense mutations, which prematurely stop the cell's protein production machinery in numerous serious diseases.

"I'm fascinated by the many ways that tRNAs influence the vital process of making new proteins," said Dr. Ignatova. "Tevard shares my belief that tRNAs can be leveraged to create a potent new class of therapeutics for diseases that profoundly affect people's lives and I'm thrilled to join their efforts to do just that."

Dr. Ignatova is a professor of RNA Biology and Managing director of the Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of Hamburg (UHH), Germany. She established her independent research group at the Max-Planck-Institute of Biochemistry in Munich, Germany, in 2005 and, after an appointment (2008-2014) at the University of Potsdam as an associated professor, took the chair in RNA Biology at UHH in 2015. She is a recipient of numerous awards for her research and teaching, a member of the German Society for Cell Biology and German Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, and a member-at-large of the American Biophysical Society.

About Tevard Biosciences

Tevard Biosciences is pioneering mRNA-modulating therapies to cure a broad range of genetic diseases. The privately held biotechnology company was founded by MIT Professor and Whitehead Institute Founding Member Harvey Lodish, with life science entrepreneurs and executives Daniel Fischer and Warren Lammert, fathers of children with rare genetic diseases, and scientific co-founder Jeff Coller, a Bloomberg Distinguished Professor in the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Tevard is exploring the use of its novel Suppressor tRNA, Enhancer tRNA, and mRNA Amplifier platforms in neurological disorders, heart disease, and muscular dystrophies; the company has partnered with Zogenix to develop therapies for Dravet syndrome and other genetic epilepsies. For more information, please visit tevard.com.

CONTACT:

Tevard Biosciences

Rebecca Zacks

[email protected]

SOURCE Tevard Biosciences
WASHINGTON, Aug. 2, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The head of the nation's largest veterans organization praised the Senate for its passage of legislation that will provide comprehensive benefits to veterans suffering from conditions linked to toxic exposure during their time in the U.S. Armed Forces. A previous version passed on June 16 but had to be reconsidered due to parliamentarian objections to a technical provision.

"Tonight, the U.S. Senate passed historic legislation that will make a difference in the lives of millions of veterans," American Legion National Commander Paul E. Dillard said. "After some unusual delays for a bill that is largely identical to what passed on June 16, a bipartisan majority of senators voted in favor of the Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring Our PACT Act. This act will save lives and offer health care and benefits for those exposed to the poisons of war while serving our country. It would not have passed without the tireless efforts of our American Legion Family and friends who contacted lawmakers and encouraged them to do right by America's veterans. We look forward to President Biden signing the PACT Act expeditiously."

The Honoring Our PACT Act, which had already passed in the House of Representatives, will provide health care for millions of veterans who were exposed to contaminants emanating from open-air burn pits. It establishes presumptions of service connection for 23 respiratory illnesses and cancers linked to burn pits and other hazards. It will also provide additional resources and staff to the Department of Veterans Affairs.

The American Legion is dedicated to the motto of "Veterans Strengthening America." Chartered by Congress in 1919, The American Legion is committed to mentoring youth and sponsoring wholesome community programs, advocating patriotism and honor, promoting a strong national security and continued devotion to servicemembers and veterans. Legionnaires in more than 12,500 posts across the nation and regions overseas serve their communities with a devotion to mutual helpfulness.

Media Contact: John Raughter, [email protected], (317) 630-1350, Dave Lapan, [email protected], (703) 403-3835.

SOURCE The American Legion
Cloud migration digitalizes the bank's processes, enhances integrated ecosystems and enables new opportunity for growth in the UK

LONDON, Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Finastra announced today that The Co-operative Bank has selected Finastra Kondor in the cloud, available via Microsoft Azure, to upgrade its treasury infrastructure and automate manual reporting and processes. The solution, integrated with the apps CloudMargin and eflow via Finastra's FusionFabric.cloud platform, will provide the bank with a modern, scalable and cost-efficient ownership model as well as access to ongoing upgrades and innovation.

"Moving from an on-premises model to a cloud-based managed service is a big part of our operational strategy for treasury activity," said Gary McDermott, Treasurer at The Co-operative Bank. "With Finastra's solution and the speed and flexibility offered by the cloud, we can continue to meet business requirements whilst ensuring regulatory compliance. Finastra has played an important role in our Treasury systems journey and we look forward to our continued collaboration to drive the digital treasury of the future."

Finastra Kondor supports open integration across all treasury trading instruments, third-party and proprietary analytics tools. It enables banks to trade high volumes of treasury and complex derivatives and options through an open platform which, via open APIs and datasets, unlocks the power of collaboration and innovation. The Co-operative Bank also uses Fusion Risk for treasury credit risk management and Finastra's banking technology for payments services.

"By moving to the cloud, The Co-operative Bank can pursue continued growth and innovation in the UK market," said Wissam Khoury, EVP Treasury and Capital Markets at Finastra. "In addition to being a highly successful consumer and business bank, The Co-operative Bank is a leader in ethical banking and is closely aligned with Finastra's focus on placing environment, social and governance (ESG) factors at the heart of our strategy. We are excited to support the bank with enhancing its treasury operations and exploring possibilities to collaborate on future ESG activities."

"Through FusionFabric.cloud, Finastra is orchestrating an open, collaborative and innovative financial services ecosystem," said Shilpa Bangera, Chief Revenue Officer, Platform at Finastra. "By integrating with specialized apps, CloudMargin and eflow via our platform, The Co-operative Bank will benefit from additional functionality such as automated reports, reconciliation, regulatory reporting and collateral management."

Finastra's partner Luxoft, a DXC technology company, was selected to manage the end-to-end implementation and services of Finastra Kondor in the cloud. For more information about the solution, click here.

For further information please contact:

Sofia Romano

EMEA PR Manager

T +44 (0)7552 865009

E [email protected]

Caroline Duff

Global Head of PR

T +44 (0)7917 613586

E [email protected]

About Finastra

Finastra is a global provider of financial software applications and marketplaces, and launched the leading open platform for innovation, FusionFabric.cloud, in 2017. It serves institutions of all sizes, providing award-winning solutions and services across Lending, Payments, Treasury & Capital Markets and Retail & Digital Banking for banks to support direct banking relationships and grow through indirect channels, such as embedded finance and Banking as a Service. Its pioneering approach and commitment to open finance and collaboration is why it is trusted by ~8,600 institutions, including 90 of the world's top 100 banks. For more information, visit finastra.com.

About The Co-operative Bank

The Co-operative Bank plc provides a full range of banking products and services to retail and SME (Small and Medium Sized Enterprises) customers and is committed to values and ethics in line with the principles of the co-operative movement.

In 1992, The Co-operative Bank took a pioneering step to become the UK's first bank to have a customer-led Ethical Policy. And it's still unique today. The Bank's Ethical Policy defines how it acts as a business, the causes it supports and the ways it uses (and won't use) customers' money. It is shaped by the views of customers in regular Values & Ethics Polls.

In 2022 The Co-operative Bank is celebrating its 150th year of providing ethical banking services, and remains strongly positioned to provide an ethical alternative in the UK banking market.

About Luxoft, a DXC Technology Company

Luxoft, a DXC Technology Company, (NYSE: DXC) is a digital strategy and software engineering firm with 20 years' domain expertise in investment banking, asset management, financial and corporate treasury and commodities trading. Luxoft uses technology to enable business transformation, enhance customer experiences, and boost operational efficiency through its strategy, consulting and engineering services. For more information, please visit www.luxoft.com

Corporate headquarters

4 Kingdom Street

Paddington

London W2 6BD

United Kingdom

T: +44 20 3320 5000

Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/967510/Finastra_Logo.jpg

SOURCE Finastra
QUANTICO, Va., Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Board of FBI National Academy Associates, Inc. (FBINAA) announces the appointment of Timothy Braniff during his official swearing-in ceremony held Tuesday, August 2, 2022, at the FBINAA 58th National Annual Training Conference held in Cleveland, Ohio.

President Braniff was sworn in by Commander Jim Mack from the Lacey Police Department, and Mr. Dave Bangart from the Office of Insurance Commissioner. President Braniff succeeds now Past President Ken Truver, Chief, Borough of Castle Shannon (PA).

FBINAA President Timothy Braniff

President Braniff is currently a Plans & Prevention Program Manager in Emergency Management with Sound Transit. He started his law enforcement career in 1983 as a police officer in Zillah, Washington, before being hired by the Washington State Patrol (WSP).

He transitioned to Undersheriff in Thurston County in 2011 after retiring from the WSP where he last served as a Captain. He retired as Undersheriff in Thurston County after serving 10 years. He has a bachelor's degree in Business Administration, and Associates Degree in Business. He is a graduate of the FBI National Academy Session 226 and is the Past President of the Washington Chapter of the FBINAA.

President Braniff continues to serve on the IACP Transnational Crime Committee, and as Chair of True Responders Charity along with being active in several community organizations and advisory boards. One of Tim's twin sons is a police officer in Lacey, WA. Tim lives in Thurston County with his wife Kari as they enjoy family time plus visiting the desert in Southern California.

President Braniff has been serving on the FBINAA National Board for the past seven years and will serve as the Association President until August 1, 2023.

The FBI National Academy Associates looks forward to the leadership of President Braniff.

About the FBI National Academy Associates, Inc.

The FBI National Academy Associates, Inc. (FBINAA) is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to providing the highest degree of law enforcement expertise, leadership training, and information to law enforcement executives around the world. The Association's Mission is "Impacting communities by providing and promoting law enforcement leadership through training and networking." Association members are graduates of the prestigious FBI National Academy Program. The FBINAA has nearly 16,000 members representing all 50 US states, over 8,200 law enforcement agencies, and 194 countries worldwide. The FBINAA is the strongest law enforcement leadership network in the world. Located in Quantico, VA, the FBINAA is a non-political organization and is not affiliated with any special interest group.

SOURCE FBI National Academy Associates, Inc.
Mona's intelligent monitoring solution detects anomalous behaviors in granular segments of large datasets, ensuring AI-driven processes are trustworthy and optimized

TEL AVIV, Israel and ATLANTA, Ga., Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Israeli Ministry of Defense (MoD) has selected Mona's intelligent monitoring solution to provide proactive insights in their AI systems.

"Mona is already helping us get dramatically more comfortable with our AI deployments," said Roye Wietzfeld, Head of Digital R&D. "We performed a thorough market evaluation, and Mona has unique capabilities which made it the best fit for our needs."

The Israeli Ministry of Defense Selects Monas Enterprise Monitoring Solution to Gain Complete Visibility into Their AI / ML Systems

As one of the most technologically advanced organizations in the world, the Israeli MoD utilizes AI in a wide range of processes, including mission-critical operational processes. Mona, a highly flexible monitoring system, allows the MoD to monitor all these different processes and to get real-time alerts on data and model underperformance or misbehavior, thus avoiding significant risks to operational capabilities. Mona is also utilized to advance research capabilities and optimize the MoD's ML operational layer.

"We are delighted to have MoD as a new customer," said Yotam Oren, CEO & co-founder of Mona. "This confirms the unique value proposition Mona brings to the market, helping data organizations transition from research-oriented to product-oriented AI."

Mona is the leading intelligent monitoring solution for AI / ML-driven systems, providing complete visibility into the behavior and performance of data, models and processes. As an interoperable solution, Mona easily integrates into existing workflows and is compatible with any AI use case or any intelligent automation process.

Contact us today to schedule a demo or to learn more about how you can optimize your AI or intelligent automation processes with Mona's highly configurable monitoring solution.

About Mona

Mona is an intelligent monitoring platform, focused on providing actionable insights for teams to continuously optimize their data-driven and automated processes, increasing efficiency and avoiding risks to business outcomes. The company's highly configurable platform provides teams with tailored, real-time insights to monitor and investigate performance issues, proactively alerting them regarding anomalies and integrity issues. Founded in 2018 by product leaders and operators from Google and McKinsey & Co., the company is backed by top VCs, with offices in Tel Aviv and Atlanta. Learn more by visiting www.monalabs.io .

SOURCE Mona
Taking place in Detroit, Michigan and virtually, CNCF's flagship North American event will highlight cloud native innovation across the globe

SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Cloud Native Computing Foundation  (CNCF), which builds sustainable ecosystems for cloud native software, announced the schedule for KubeCon + CloudNativeCon North America 2022 , happening in Detroit, Michigan and virtually from October 24  28. With 189 sessions, keynotes, and lightning talks both in-person and virtually, there is something for everyone who is interested in attending.

This year's conference chairs, Emily Fox of Apple, Ricardo Rocha of CERN, and Frederick Kautz led a program committee of 93 experts and 34 track chairs, who reviewed 1526 submissions that will educate, inspire, and challenge attendees. There will also be 84 sessions hosted by project maintainers  which will provide high-level overviews, social topics, end user case studies, demos, and technical deep dives, among others.

"Our community has grown exponentially since we first announced CNCF in 2015 with 22 founding members. We are now significantly more diverse at over 800 members, 130+ projects, and 164,000 contributors across 187 countries," said Chris Aniszczyk, CTO of CNCF. "The ecosystem itself that has been built around cloud native technology is revolutionary and these conferences are integral in making sure the massive knowledge the community holds is shared far and wide. We look forward to meeting up again to share, laugh, and innovate this October at KubeCon + CloudNativeCon NA."

"I have been a part of the CNCF community for several years in many different capacities and it has been inspiring to witness the continued growth and momentum within the cloud native ecosystem," said Ricardo Rocha, KubeCon + CloudNativeCon program chair and computing engineer at CERN. "Getting to review the significant number of insightful, diverse, and brilliant speaking submissions is a great honor that I am so glad to have been a part of. Attendees, like every event, should be prepared to hear from a broad range of inspiring people to learn about and celebrate cloud native technology."

The community-curated schedule will feature sessions from leading open source technologists, including:

Lessons From Scheduling 20 Million Windows Containers a Month - Julian Portillo , Relativity

, Relativity Sustainability Research the Cloud Native Way - Chen Wang , IBM & Huamin Chen , Red Hat

, IBM & , Red Hat Arsenal Of Democracy: What Open Source Can Learn From the Motor City - Shane Lawrence , Shopify

, Shopify No One Is Saving Us But Us - Tabitha Sable , Datadog & Paris Pittman , Apple

, Datadog & , Apple Unsung Hero Of the Cloud Native Revolution: Container Linux Then And Now - Vincent Batts , Microsoft Azure

, Microsoft Azure Lessons From Scheduling 20 Million Windows Containers a Month - Julian Portillo , Relativity

, Relativity Using the EBPF Superpowers To Generate Kubernetes Security Policies - Mauricio Vasquez Bernal & Alban Crequy, Microsoft

Bare-Metal Chronicles: Intertwinement Of Tinkerbell, Cluster API And GitOps - Katie Gamanji, Apple

It's Dangerous To SLSA Alone Out There! Take This Artifact Knowledge Graph! - Santiago Torres Arias , Purdue University & Michael Lieberman , Independent

CNCF and other organizations are also hosting the following co-located events as part of KubeCon + CloudNativeCon, occurring on Monday, October 24, or Tuesday, October 25  if interested, these events can be added when registering for KubeCon + CloudNativeCon:

Diversity, Need-Based, and Student Scholarship applications for both KubeCon + CloudNativeCon North America and CNCF-hosted co-located events are due August 14 at 11:59 PM PDT for in-person conference scholarships and October 2 at 11:59 PM PDT for virtual conference scholarships.

For the full KubeCon + CloudNativeCon North America 2022 program, please visit the schedule .

Registration

Register for standard in-person pricing through August 10. The all-access virtual attendee pass is available for $75 as well as the complimentary Keynote + Solutions Showcase Only pass.

Thank You to Our Sponsors

KubeCon + CloudNativeCon is made possible with support from our Diamond Sponsors: AWS , Cisco Emerging Technologies and Incubation , Intel , Kasten by Veeam , Prisma Cloud by Palo Alto Networks , VMware ; Platinum Sponsors: Aqua Security , Canonical , CircleCI , Cockroach Labs , Datadog , DataStax , Dell Technologies , Dynatrace , NGINX Part of F5 , GitLab , Google Cloud , IBM , JFrog , Keysight Technologies , Lightstep , Microsoft Azure , Oracle , Portworx by Pure Storage , Rancher by SUSE , Red Hat , Replicated , Snyk , Splunk , Sysdig , Teleport , Trilio , Wiz , and WSO2 ; and many more Gold, Silver, Start-Up, and End User Sponsors.

Additional Resources

About Cloud Native Computing Foundation

Cloud native computing empowers organizations to build and run scalable applications with an open source software stack in public, private, and hybrid clouds. The Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF) hosts critical components of the global technology infrastructure, including Kubernetes, Prometheus, and Envoy. CNCF brings together the industry's top developers, end users, and vendors, and runs the largest open source developer conferences in the world. Supported by more than 800 members, including the world's largest cloud computing and software companies, as well as hundreds of innovative startups, CNCF is part of the nonprofit Linux Foundation. For more information, please visit www.cncf.io.

The Linux Foundation has registered trademarks and uses trademarks. For a list of trademarks of The Linux Foundation, please see our trademark usage page. Linux is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds.

Media Contact

Jessie Adams-Shore

The Linux Foundation

[email protected]

SOURCE Cloud Native Computing Foundation
TrufflezNFT Members will be granted exclusive access to the lounge through ownership of the TrufflezNFT, creating a first-of-its-kind digital and physical experience using NFT and AR/MR technology

NEW YORK, Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Trufflez, a vertically integrated premium cannabis company and droppLabs , a subsidiary of Dropp Group ("Dropp"), the future-forward web3 enabler, today announce the world's first NFT membership cannabis consumption lounge in New York. The companies partnered in March this year to launch TrufflezNFT, an innovative NFT project that democratizes ownership of cannabis-related IP while providing a strong community focus on cannabis industry education. As an expansion of the project, TrufflezNFT project is announcing the launch of the world's first NFT membership cannabis lounge in partnership with New York-based Elite/AB Hospitality Group. The Trufflez Lounge will open in Williamsburg in November, 2022 and will be accessible only to TrufflezNFT members.

"The Trufflez Lounge represents the beginning of Trufflez's aim to create the Soho House of cannabis," said Leo Hairsprtian, CEO and founder of Trufflez Inc. "We are building a community that offers real-world, vested value. This lounge represents a permanent synergy between the growing sectors of Web3 and cannabis. We are proud to be part of this revolutionary offering with our partner, droppLabs and Elite/AB Hospitality Group."

TrufflezNFT Launches First NFT Membership for Cannabis Consumption Lounge in New York Tweet this

TrufflezNFT members will enjoy a wide range of benefits at the Trufflez Lounge including access to the cannabis consumption lounge with complimentary proprietary Trufflez products fully integrated with droppLabs' mixed reality experiences. Elite will provide an innovative food menu engineered for cannabis consumers.

"We are thrilled to be the home of this first-of-its-kind lounge," said Anthony Buck Co-Founder of Elite/AB Hospitality Group. "We pride ourselves on offering top of the line hospitality, unique experiences, and most importantly an enjoyable environment for diverse communities. Trufflez NFT is aligned with these values and we look forward to welcoming its members in the city."

TrufflezNFT launched its pre-sale in late June 2022. It offers members a unique portfolio of utility and benefits through a rewards program, lifelong membership discounts, first use access to the upcoming Trufflez delivery service, private IRL events, and a fractionalized IP stake related to two never-been-released proprietary strains.

For more information, please visit truffleznft.com .

About Trufflez Inc.

Founded in 2018 and based in California, the Trufflez team is comprised of leading experts in exotic cannabis cultivation and manufacturing in the United States. As a fully compliant and licensed facility, our mission is to deliver the highest quality products and next-level customer experience to every person we serve. To ensure consistent high-quality standards, Trufflez oversees and manages ALL stages of production, from initial planting to the end user's experience. With 20+ unique strains and growing, Trufflez continues to develop, test, and improve its operations, processes, and product to remain an innovator in the cannabis culture.

About Elite/AB Hospitality Group

Elite/AB Hospitality Group delivers high energy dining experiences, a concept that revolves around the one simple idea that here, EVERYONE IS ELITE. Elite combines Latin food and culture delivering breathtaking dining experiences across New York from their Williamsburg flagship restaurant to partner venues across Manhattan, New York. www.elitewilliamsburg.com

About droppLabs

droppLabs is the leading subsidiary of Dropp Group ("Dropp"), the future-forward web3 enabler. We leverage our proprietary, patent-protected technology stack to provide a foundation and launching point for brands and creators across all industries to successfully transition into web3 while holding true to our roots as a driving force in video and social content-driven commerce. droppLabs covers every/any aspect of an organization's journey into web3 and powers tokenized community experiences for brands, creators, IP owners, consumers and more. Our legacy lies in making experiential eCommerce a reality by empowering creators and elevating an immersive sense of community between artists, brands, businesses, and their target audiences.

Headquartered in New York with additional operational hubs in Canada and Saudi Arabia, Dropp has developed multiple proprietary, patent-protected innovations in artificial intelligence, machine learning, computer vision algorithms, object recognition, streaming, AR, MR, VR and crypto to recognize products in video content and tag them in real-time. With Dropp, the next-generation consumer journey is as simple and streamlined as "See it, Want it, Get it." Dropp's solution suite is made up of several distinct, interoperable offerings, including droppTV, droppLabs, droppX, droppAlt, droppMint, and droppHub, For more info, please visit www.dropplabs.io .

SOURCE droppLabs
Randy Johnston, Robert Tobey earn spots on annual list

DALLAS, Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Johnston Tobey Baruch continues to accumulate recognition for its litigation, arbitration and appellate work as two name partners have been listed to Lawdragon's 500 Leading Plaintiff Financial Lawyers for 2022.

Randy Johnston is honored for his work in business litigation and legal malpractice and Robert Tobey is honored for his work in commercial litigation.

"Randy and Robert are among the very best at what they do," said managing partner Chad Baruch. "It's no surprise when they end up on a list such as this one. It's very nice to see them both receive this sort of well-deserved recognition. I am proud to work alongside them."

Mr. Johnston is Board Certified in Civil Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and is considered one of the foremost authorities on legal ethics in Texas. Mr. Tobey is Board Certified in Consumer and Commercial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and is the former president of the Dallas Bar Association. Both partners are repeat honorees on the lists of Texas Super Lawyers and Best Lawyers in America, among many other accolades.

Lawdragon's 500 Leading Plaintiff Financial Lawyers for 2022 recognizes plaintiffs' lawyers in antitrust, whistleblower, securities fraud, business torts and disputes, and increasingly data privacy claims. Honorees were selected through Lawdragon's esteemed process, combining independent journalistic research with a robust, open nomination process. Final candidates are vetted by peers and competitors before the final 500 are selected.

To view the full list for 2022, click here.

About Johnston Tobey Baruch:

Johnston Tobey Baruch is a dynamic law practice based in Dallas. Its trial and appellate attorneys have a broad range of litigation, arbitration and appellate experience. They are pioneers in the handling of legal and accounting malpractice, investment fraud and business disputes. They also have an enviable track record with insurance bad faith matters, commercial litigation and fiduciary litigation, as well as civil, family and criminal appeals for many prominent Texas companies and individuals.

Media Contact:

Mark Annick

800-559-4534

[email protected]

SOURCE Johnston Tobey Baruch
KAUKAUNA, Wis., Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- U-Haul plans to build an impressive retail, moving and self-storage facility in Kaukauna after the Company's recent 4.66-acre land acquisition at 1550 Arbor Way.

U-Haul Moving & Storage of Fox Cities North is scheduled for completion by summer 2024. It will comprise a four-story building of more than 100,000 square feet, housing indoor ADA-accessible self-storage rooms with climate-control options and high-tech security features at affordable price points.

"The Fox Cities include 19 communities along the Fox River, which have been underserved when it comes to quality self-storage," stated Ken Heitman, U-Haul Company of Northern Wisconsin and the UP president. "This area is seeing significant population swells. Our expansion here is fundamental to meeting the public's growing self-storage demands."

U-Haul Moving & Storage of Fox Cities North will offer a spacious retail showroom, along with essential services like truck and trailer sharing, moving supplies and boxes, towing equipment, U-Box portable storage containers and more. Professional hitch installation and propane will be available in the future.

Reserve equipment at uhaul.com or contact Reservations at 1-800-GO-UHAUL.

"Growing our storage footprint in northeastern Wisconsin is important and we look forward to working closely with our neighbors and the City of Kaukauna," Heitman added. "We aim to improve residents' quality of life through residential mobility and by meeting their storage needs. U-Haul invites other businesses to follow our lead and invest in the Fox Cities."

Heitman intends to hire at least 15 Team Members to staff the new store. U-Haul will look to hire locally to promote job growth within the Kaukauna community. U-Haul, honored as a "Best for Vets 2020" leading veteran-friendly employer by The Military Times, actively recruits veterans and gives them preference in the hiring process. Find U-Haul careers at uhauljobs.com.

This will be the first U-Haul-owned store in Kaukauna and the Company's 44th in Wisconsin.

U-Haul neighborhood dealers in and around Kaukauna continue to be available to serve DIY movers. U-Haul has partnered with independent dealers to offer rental equipment since 1945. During these challenging times for small businesses, more than 21,000 dealers across the U.S. and Canada are generating supplemental income through their U-Haul partnership. When customers rent from U-Haul dealers, they are directly supporting small businesses in their community. Because no financial investment is required, dealers are not U-Haul franchises. They are simply small businesses committing their lot space for U-Haul equipment and their time to meet the mobility needs of customers. Learn more about how to partner with U-Haul by visiting uhaul.com/dealer.

About U-HAUL

Since 1945, U-Haul has been the No. 1 choice of do-it-yourself movers, with a network of more than 23,000 locations across all 50 states and 10 Canadian provinces. U-Haul Truck Share 24/7 offers secure access to U-Haul trucks every hour of every day through the customer dispatch option on their smartphones and our proprietary Live Verify technology. Our customers' patronage has enabled the U-Haul fleet to grow to approximately 186,000 trucks, 128,000 trailers and 46,000 towing devices. U-Haul is the third largest self-storage operator in North America and offers 876,000 rentable storage units and 75.1 million square feet of self-storage space at owned and managed facilities. U-Haul is the largest retailer of propane in the U.S., and continues to be the largest installer of permanent trailer hitches in the automotive aftermarket industry. U-Haul has been recognized repeatedly as a leading "Best for Vets" employer and was recently named one of the 15 Healthiest Workplaces in America.

Contact:

Andrea Batchelor

Jeff Lockridge

E-mail: [email protected]

Phone: 602-263-6981

Website: uhaul.com

SOURCE U-Haul
30 days of free storage being offered to new customers in need, while vacancy lasts

LOUISVILLE, Ky., Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- U-Haul is making six facilities across Kentucky and Tennessee available to provide 30 days of free self-storage and U-Box container usage to assist residents in the recovery process following severe flooding in the region.

Recent storms have caused extensive home damage and left standing water in many communities across eastern Kentucky and Tennessee. Flooding rendered roads impassable, destroyed bridges and even swept away some homes.

"As folks begin the clean-up process, we want them to know that U-Haul is here to help," stated Christopher Minnich, U-Haul Company of Louisville president. "Anyone impacted by flooding can make use of a storage room or U-Box portable storage container at no cost for one month at our participating stores, while availability exists."

People seeking more information about the U-Haul disaster relief program or needing to arrange 30 days of free self-storage should contact the participating facility nearest them:

KENTUCKY :

U-Haul Moving & Storage of Lexington

1200 E. New Circle Road

Lexington, KY 40505

(859) 252-7596

U-Haul Moving & Storage of Masterson Station

2425 Merchant St.

Lexington, KY 40511

(859) 309-5729

U-Haul Moving & Storage of Versailles

501 Marsailles Road

Versailles, KY 40383

(859) 251-6381

TENNESSEE :

U-Haul Moving & Storage of Bristol

2854 W. State St.

Bristol, TN 37620

(423) 217-4642

U-Haul Moving & Storage of Kingsport

1805 E. Stone Drive

Kingsport, TN 37660

(423) 343-5593

U-Haul Moving & Storage of Johnson City

2805 N. Roan St.

Johnson City, TN 37601

(423) 218-1806

Customers needing cardboard boxes can utilize the in-store Take a Box, Leave a Box program. U-Haul offers an area where customers can drop off used boxes in good condition, and others can access the boxes at no cost. U-Haul encourages anyone who has reusable boxes to drop them at the nearest U-Haul store location to assist this environmentally friendly initiative.

In addition to its 30 days free self-storage disaster relief program, U-Haul is proud to be at the forefront of aiding communities in times of need as an official American Red Cross Disaster Responder.

About U-HAUL

Since 1945, U-Haul has been the No. 1 choice of do-it-yourself movers, with a network of more than 23,000 locations across all 50 states and 10 Canadian provinces. U-Haul Truck Share 24/7 offers secure access to U-Haul trucks every hour of every day through the customer dispatch option on their smartphones and our proprietary Live Verify technology. Our customers' patronage has enabled the U-Haul fleet to grow to approximately 186,000 trucks, 128,000 trailers and 46,000 towing devices. U-Haul is the third largest self-storage operator in North America and offers 876,000 rentable storage units and 75.1 million square feet of self-storage space at owned and managed facilities. U-Haul is the largest retailer of propane in the U.S., and continues to be the largest installer of permanent trailer hitches in the automotive aftermarket industry. U-Haul has been recognized repeatedly as a leading "Best for Vets" employer and was recently named one of the 15 Healthiest Workplaces in America.

Contact:

Andrea Batchelor

Jeff Lockridge

E-mail: [email protected]

Phone: 602-263-6981

Website: uhaul.com

SOURCE U-Haul
Get a comprehensive report summary describing the market size and forecast along with research methodology. The sample report is available in PDF format

Classroom Management Systems Market 2020-2024: Scope

The classroom management systems market report covers the following areas:

Classroom Management Systems Market 2020-2024: Challenge

Rising safety and privacy issues are challenging the growth of the market. Classroom management systems collect significant data, such as personal details, student behavior, and many other details, to create personalized courses. However, the data can be misused, leading to security and privacy concerns. Hence, vendors need to incorporate authorization techniques and a robust monitoring system to ensure the confidentiality of data.

Classroom Management Systems Market 2020-2024: Vendor Analysis

APLAF Inc., Blackboard Inc., ClassDojo Inc., Dell Technologies Inc., Faronics Corp., HP Inc., Impero Solutions Ltd., Lenovo Group Ltd., Netop Solutions AS, and NetSupport Ltd. are among some of the major market participants. The key offerings of some of these vendors are listed below:

APLAF Inc. - The company offers ProClass, which is an easy-to-use, scalable, and customizable software to effectively and efficiently manage schools, online registrations, and memberships.

The company offers ProClass, which is an easy-to-use, scalable, and customizable software to effectively and efficiently manage schools, online registrations, and memberships. Dell Technologies Inc. - Dell EMC K12 Education Solutions enable personalized learning, where students, teachers, and technology work together to enrich the learning process.

Dell EMC K12 Education Solutions enable personalized learning, where students, teachers, and technology work together to enrich the learning process. ClassDojo Inc. - The company offers a classroom management system, which helps in building a communication platform between teachers, students, and parents.

The company offers a classroom management system, which helps in building a communication platform between teachers, students, and parents. Faronics Corp. - The company offers Insight Classroom management, an effective classroom management software that helps teachers to create a better learning experience.

The company offers Insight Classroom management, an effective classroom management software that helps teachers to create a better learning experience. HP Inc. - The company offers HP Classroom manager 3.0, which helps teachers to share documents, messages, and websites easily with group chats to support project-based learning.

This report provides a full list of key vendors, their strategies, and the latest developments. Request a PDF Sample Now

Classroom Management Systems Market 2020-2024: Segmentation

End User

Higher Education



K-12

Deployment

On-premise Deployment



Cloud-based Deployment

Geography

North America



Europe



APAC



South America



MEA

Classroom Management Systems Market 2020-2024: Key Highlights

CAGR of the market during the forecast period 2020-2024

Detailed information on factors that will assist classroom management systems market growth during the next five years

Estimation of the classroom management systems market size and its contribution to the parent market

Predictions on upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior

The growth of the classroom management systems market

Analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information on vendors

Comprehensive details of factors that will challenge the growth of classroom management systems market vendors

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Classroom Management Systems Market Scope Report Coverage Details Page number 120 Base year 2019 Forecast period 2020-2024 Growth momentum & CAGR Accelerate at a CAGR of 28.33% Market growth 2020-2024 USD 8.81 billion Market structure Fragmented YoY growth (%) 25.03 Regional analysis North America, Europe, APAC, South America, and MEA Performing market contribution North America at 33% Key consumer countries US, UK, Germany, China, and India Competitive landscape Leading companies, competitive strategies, consumer engagement scope Companies profiled APLAF Inc., Blackboard Inc., ClassDojo Inc., Dell Technologies Inc., Faronics Corp., HP Inc., Impero Solutions Ltd., Lenovo Group Ltd., Netop Solutions AS, and NetSupport 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.

Table of Contents:

Executive Summary

Market Landscape

Market ecosystem

Value chain analysis

Market Sizing

Market definition

Market segment analysis

Market size 2020

Market outlook: Forecast for 2020 - 2025

Five Forces Analysis

Five Forces Summary

Bargaining power of buyers

Bargaining power of suppliers

Threat of new entrants

Threat of substitutes

Threat of rivalry

Market condition

Market Segmentation by End-user

Market segments

Comparison by End-user

Higher education - Market size and forecast 2020-2025

K12 - Market size and forecast 2020-2025

Market opportunity by End-user

Market Segmentation by Deployment

Market segments

Comparison by Deployment

On premise - Market size and forecast 2020-2025

Cloud based - Market size and forecast 2020-2025

Market opportunity by Deployment

Customer landscape

Overview

Geographic Landscape

Geographic segmentation

Geographic comparison

North America - Market size and forecast 2020-2025

- Market size and forecast 2020-2025 Europe - Market size and forecast 2020-2025

- Market size and forecast 2020-2025 APAC - Market size and forecast 2020-2025

South America - Market size and forecast 2020-2025

- Market size and forecast 2020-2025 MEA - Market size and forecast 2020-2025

Key leading countries

Market opportunity by geography

Market drivers  Demand-led growth

Market challenges

Market trends

Vendor Landscape

Overview

Vendor landscape

Landscape disruption

Vendor Analysis

Vendors covered

Market positioning of vendors

APLAF Inc.

ClassDojo Inc.

Creatrix Campus

Dell Technologies Inc.

Faronics Corp.

HP Inc.

Impero Solutions Inc.

Lenovo Group Ltd.

NetSupport Ltd.

Providence Equity Partners LLC

Appendix

Scope of the report

Currency conversion rates for US$

Research methodology

List of abbreviations

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SOURCE Technavio
Prominent players operating in the veterinary imaging industry are Agfa-Gevaert, BCF, Canon Medical Systems, Carestream Health, Epica International, Esaote SpA, Fujifilm, GE Healthcare, Idexx Laboratories, Shenzhen Mindray Bio-Medical Electronics, and Siemens Healthineers.

SELBYVILLE, Del., Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The veterinary imaging market value is expected to reach USD 3 billion by 2030, according to a new research report by Global Market Insights Inc.

Veterinary Imaging Market

The recent advancements in veterinary imaging and treatment technologies have resulted in less painful, more accurate, and faster disease detection, resulting in better outcomes for pets. The new veterinary tools and equipment are being added to veterinarians' therapeutic arsenals to help them find the best treatment options for their clients, with the end purpose of avoiding invasive treatments like surgery wherever possible. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is a promising technological breakthrough being implemented in veterinary care. The ease of access of ultrasound and the growing presence of computed tomography have been rapid and probably surprising innovations a few decades ago.

Request for a sample of this research report @ https://www.gminsights.com/request-sample/detail/4067

Veterinary imaging market from veterinary software segment surpassed USD 207 million in 2021. Veterinary software has brought huge revolution in the animal treatment. Doctors can now access protocols and views based on body parts and diagnostic requirements using veterinary software, and they are also able to customize certain settings. The advanced software designed to perform multiple functions like analysis, viewer, reporting, diagnostic, measurement, sharing, simulation etc. Due to growing demand for advanced pet treatments, custom veterinary tools, and high-tech software requirements such as NNT clinical software, radiology software like ARGO, Smart DR, PICOXIA and veterinary dental software like scil DDX-R are likely to increase to answer the practice needs of veterinarian.

Some major findings of the veterinary imaging market report include:

Increasing demand for advanced treatment for animals is driving the market expansion.

Growing requirement of veterinary software for practice needs of veterinarians is fueling the industry landscape.

Increasing demand for medical treatment of companion animals is facilitating the market growth.

The necessity of veterinary imaging for accurate diagnosis and staging in oncology is accelerating the market trends.

Growing usage of veterinary imaging products in hospitals is boosting the market size.

Increased zoonotic disease prevalence growing pet adoption rate, R&D activities, innovation of novel products are the key factors driving the Asia Pacific market expansion.

Browse key industry insights spread across 170 pages with 361 market data tables & 18 figures & charts from the report, "Veterinary Imaging Market Analysis By Product (Veterinary Imaging Instruments, Veterinary Software, Veterinary Imaging Reagents), Animal Type (Small Companion Animals, Large Animals, Other Animals), Application (Orthopedics and Traumatology, Oncology, Cardiology, Neurology, Others), End-use (Hospitals, Clinics, Others) Industry Analysis Report, Regional Outlook, Application Potential, Price Trends, Competitive Market Share & Forecast, 2022  2030" in detail along with the table of contents:

https://www.gminsights.com/industry-analysis/veterinary-imaging-market

Small companion animal segment is expected to witness 6.3% CAGR during the forecast period. The increased adoption rate of companion animals and their medical and emergency care needs had significant impact on the demand for medical treatment of companion animals. The statistics show that pet parents are showing increased awareness about pet health issues, thereby accelerating the demand for advanced treatments and diagnostics.

Veterinary imaging market from oncology segment is anticipated to grow at a healthy CAGR of 6.5% to surpass USD 900 million by 2030. Dealing with veterinary oncology situations is often a major difficulty for veterinarians. The wide range of symptoms and cancer forms demand ongoing vigilance on the part of a veterinarian, and the high prevalence rates of some cancers make the fight against cancer in animals appear to be never-ending. In veterinary oncology, imaging technology is crucial for accurate diagnosis and staging. To find optimal systemic or local treatment and to assess therapeutic results, sensitive detection of tumors and abnormalities is required.

Hospitals segment accounted for 47.5% business share in 202 and is set to register a significant CAGR through 2030. The veterinary imaging at hospitals is maintained with latest technology to obtain quality medical images and diagnose standard and complicated diseases in animals. The veterinarians are required to perform and interpret imaging examinations on a variety of animal species. The hospitals give image interpretation by utilizing modern imaging equipment including CT, MRI, digital radiography, fluoroscopy, ultrasound etc. for all animals in hospital.

Asia-Pacific veterinary imaging market is estimated to show robust CAGR of 7.1% during the forecast period attributable to the growing prevalence of zoonotic diseases, increasing focus on producing high quality and affordable imaging products to cater the developing economies. The rising government support for the establishment of veterinary healthcare practices is also contributing towards driving the regional market progression. Also, in countries such as China, India, and Australia, the rising pet adoption and increasing spending on treatment of pets by their owners is surging the APAC market growth.

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A few notable companies operating in the veterinary imaging market include Agfa-Gevaert, BCF, Canon Medical Systems, Carestream Health, Epica International, Esaote SpA, Fujifilm, GE Healthcare, Idexx Laboratories, Shenzhen Mindray Bio-Medical Electronics, and Siemens Healthineers. among others. Industry players are focusing on various strategies such as acquisitions, collaborations, and novel product launches to consolidate their market presence.

About Global Market Insights

Global Market Insights Inc., headquartered in Delaware, U.S., is a global market research and consulting service provider, offering syndicated and custom research reports along with growth consulting services. Our business intelligence and industry research reports offer clients with penetrative insights and actionable market data specially designed and presented to aid strategic decision making. These exhaustive reports are designed via a proprietary research methodology and are available for key industries such as chemicals, advanced materials, technology, renewable energy, and biotechnology.

Contact Us:

Arun Hegde

Corporate Sales, USA

Global Market Insights Inc.

Phone: 1-302-846-7766

Toll Free: 1-888-689-0688

Email: [email protected]

Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1871571/Veterinary_Imaging_Market.jpg

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SOURCE Global Market Insights Inc.
SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 2, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Vial's tech-enabled CRO has added Marcia Swank to the team. Marcia will be the company's new VP of Ophthalmology. Swank joins the team with over 20 years of experience in ophthalmology and optometry research. Most recently, she served as the Executive Director of Ophthalmology at TFS HealthScience. Swank is a demonstrated leader of global teams in clinical research and has conducted trials from Phase I to Phase III across 15+ ophthalmology indications, including posterior and anterior related indications, pediatric indications, and rare diseases.

On her new position, Swank said, "Throughout my career, there has never been a more exciting time in Ophthalmology research. With the rise of innovative therapies and cutting-edge technology, combined with the ever-changing external factors of our society, we've been forced to step back and take a hard look at the processes that make up our industry. We continue to learn from our previous ways of doing things and apply our most valuable lessons. However, we are in a time when we must take a look at how to repair or build the foundation of ophthalmology research with a more efficient, innovative, and collaborative approach than ever before. My passion for ophthalmology research lies not only in finding better options for patients but also in continued learning, the growth of people, and the empowering of teams by providing the support and resources needed; to challenge the barriers that prevent ophthalmology clinical trials from being successful. I'm very excited about the days ahead for Vial Ophthalmology CRO."

Marcia will be working together with Vial's scientific advisory board members, including founding members Dr. Arshad Khanani, Dr. Nancy Holekamp, and Dr. Jeffrey Heier, to refine the CRO to support ophthalmology sponsors' greatest needs.

The Vial CRO promises quick execution and high-quality trial outcomes by leveraging Vial's tech-enabled trial management system, streamlined study startup processes, and proven enrollment playbook. Together, these best-in-class CRO services will accelerate the development of new therapies and devices for ophthalmology sponsors.

See the full release here .

About Vial: Vial's mission is to empower scientists to cure all human diseases. Vial has executed that vision by launching a next-generation Contract Research Organization (CRO) (with slated launches in Ophthalmology CRO , Oncology CRO , Gastroenterology CRO , and a Neurology CRO), a site network ( Dermatology Clinical Trials , Ophthalmology Clinical Trials , Gastroenterology Clinical Trials , Women's Health Clinical Trials , Neurology Clinical Trials ), and technology platform ( VialConnect CTMS ) to accelerate research. Vial has over 125 employees, is based in San Francisco, California, and has contributed to over 750 trials from Phase I through Phase IV.

SOURCE Vial
VMFH Launches Madrona Health, a new specialty pharmacy, with Confluence Health

SEATTLE and TACOMA, Wash., Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Virginia Mason Franciscan Health (VMFH) and Confluence Health announced the creation of Madrona Health, LLC, a new joint venture to expand specialty pharmacy services across the Pacific Northwest. This unique partnership will increase access to vital specialty medicines for patients with rare or complex conditions in areas that are typically underserved.

"Virginia Mason Franciscan Health is excited to partner with Confluence Health on this important initiative and I am grateful to the dedicated team who helped make it a reality, especially Dr. Peter Rutherford," said Ketul J. Patel, CEO of Virginia Mason Franciscan Health.

Madrona Health, previously known as VMFH Georgetown Specialty Pharmacy, currently serves 11 hospitals, several cancer centers, and hundreds of clinic sites across the country. Partnering with Confluence Health, Madrona Health will expand its services to North Central Washington, including Confluence Health's two hospitals and other care sites. VMFH and Confluence Health will own and operate the entity as a 50-50 joint venture serving their combined communities. Madrona Health will be licensed in Washington, Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, Montana, and Arizona, and will supply vital medicine to patients throughout the West, whether at home or during seasonal travel through a mail-order service. Madrona Health's service strives to reduce the burden on both patients and providers in obtaining specialty medications.

"Through innovative and strategic partnerships, VMFH continues to expand access to care throughout the Pacific Northwest. Working together with Confluence Health, Madrona Health will increase access to essential specialty medication for the patients who need it most, while bringing two dynamic organizations together in collaboration around the needs of our patients," added Patel.

"Madrona Health is built on the mutual respect and shared values of our two organizations. It is crucial that our patients in North Central Washington have access to life-saving medications, and we look forward to working with Virginia Mason Franciscan Health to ensure our patients receive the most advanced level of care and support," commented Dr. Andrew Jones, CEO of Confluence Health.

Specialty pharmacies offer an advanced level of support needed to provide patients with a broader range of services than traditional pharmacies, dispensing medications that treat complex or rare conditions such as cancer, HIV/AIDS, and other chronic conditions. These drugs require intensive clinical monitoring and are often high cost.

To facilitate the complex monitoring requirements, Madrona Health will work in tandem with health care providers, such as Confluence Health, to access patients' existing medical records to ensure a seamless experience. The Madrona Health model is designed to work closely with patients to manage their medication supply with refill reminders, help navigating insurance coverage, clinical support, and other tools for success.

About Virginia Mason Franciscan Health

Virginia Mason Franciscan Health (VMFH) works to expand access to care and improve the health of communities by building on the strength of more than 300 sites of care, eleven top-tier hospitals, 18,000 team members, and over 5,600 physicians and advance practice providers. VMFH delivers world-class clinical excellence from basic health needs to the most complex, highly specialized care. By bringing together the best and brightest healthcare minds in the region along with a commitment to investing in innovation, VMFH delivers the most advanced therapies and technologies for patients alongside some of the country's most prestigious experts and hospitals. VMFH is home to the Bailey-Boushay House, the first skilled-nursing and outpatient chronic care management program in the United States designed specifically to meet the needs of people with HIV/AIDS, and the Benaroya Research Institute, an internationally recognized center for autoimmune disease research. Additionally, VMFH is committed to addressing health care disparities by caring for the most vulnerable in the community, including the poor and underserved, by providing more than $300 million in community benefits, subsidies, or reduced-cost healthcare and programs. Learn more at www.vmfh.org.

About Confluence Health

Confluence Health serves the largest geographic region of any healthcare system in Washington State, covering over 12,000 square miles of Okanogan, Grant, Douglas, and Chelan counties. Confluence Health is one of only two locally-lead healthcare systems in the state with the purpose of maintaining availability and access to high-quality, cost-effective healthcare services for North Central Washington. The Confluence Health Board of Directors provides governance for Confluence Health, the Clinic, Central Washington Hospital, and Wenatchee Valley Hospital, and includes nine community board members and six physician board members.

SOURCE Virginia Mason Franciscan Health
HENDERSON, Nev., Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- VolitionRx Limited (NYSE AMERICAN: VNRX) ("Volition"), a multi-national epigenetics company, has announced it has been awarded a further $1.5 million non-dilutive funding from Namur Invest Capital Risk in Belgium.

Namur Invest's award will fund an early access program for Volition's Nu.Q product portfolio at key sites across the EU, UK, and USA.

Gaetan Michel, Chief Operating Officer of Volition, said: "Thanks to this latest funding from Namur Invest we are incredibly excited to launch our early access program and engage industry leaders in the development and adoption of our transformative Nucleosomics technology in a range of exemplifications of our assays.

"We will be working with centers of excellence worldwide providing leading clinicians and researchers with exclusive, early access to our Nu.Q product range. This is an enormous step forward for Volition and a critical phase in our path to commercialization. We would like to thank Renaud Hattiez and his team at Namur Invest for their continued support."

Renaud Hattiez, Director General of Namur Invest, said: "We have supported Volition since its inception and wholeheartedly believe in the company's mission to revolutionize the diagnosis and monitoring of life-altering diseases. We are delighted to support Volition on the next step of its journey, engaging Key Opinion Leaders from across the globe and bringing Nu.Q to fruition."

Namur Invest's loan is the latest grant from agencies within the Walloon Region, amounting to more than $14 million in non-dilutive funding since 2016. The new $1.5 million (Euro 1.5 million) loan to fund Volition's early access program is unsecured, bears interest at a rate of 6% per year and is repayable over four years with a maturity date of July 31, 2026.

Volition is developing simple, easy-to-use, cost-effective blood tests to help diagnose and monitor a range of life-altering diseases in both humans and animals. For more information about Volition's Nu.Q technology go to: www.volition.com

About Volition

Volition is a multi-national epigenetics company that applies its Nucleosomics platform through its subsidiaries to develop simple, easy to use, cost effective blood tests to help diagnose and monitor a range of life-altering diseases including some cancers and diseases associated with NETosis such as sepsis and COVID-19. Early diagnosis and monitoring have the potential to not only prolong the life of patients but also improve their quality of life. The tests are based on the science of Nucleosomics, which is the practice of identifying and measuring nucleosomes in the bloodstream or other bodily fluid - an indication that disease is present. Volition is primarily focused on human diagnostics and monitoring but also has a subsidiary focused on animal diagnostics and monitoring.

Volition's research and development activities are centered in Belgium, with an innovation laboratory and office in the U.S. and additional offices in London and Singapore.

The contents found at Volition's website address are not incorporated by reference into this document and should not be considered part of this document. The address for Volition's website is included in this document as an inactive textual reference only.

Volition Enquiries:

Louise Batchelor/Debra Daglish, Volition, [email protected] , +44 (0)7557 774620

Safe Harbor Statement

Statements in this press release may be "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, that concern matters that involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated or projected in the forward-looking statements. Words such as "expects," "anticipates," "intends," "plans," "aims," "targets," "believes," "seeks," "estimates," "optimizing," "potential," "goal," "suggests," "could," "would," "should," "may," "will" and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements relate to, among other topics, the use of proceeds from the additional funding, the launch and success of Volition's early access program, , and expectations related to the potential uses, benefits and effectiveness of Volition's Nu.Q products. Volition's actual results may differ materially from those indicated in these forward-looking statements due to numerous risks and uncertainties, including, without limitation, a failure by the marketplace to accept Volition's Nu.Q tests; Volition's failure to secure adequate intellectual property protection; Volition will face fierce competition and its intended products may become obsolete due to the highly competitive nature of the diagnostics and disease monitoring markets and their rapid technological change; downturns in domestic and foreign economies; and other risks identified in Volition's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, as well as other documents that Volition files with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These statements are based on current expectations, estimates and projections about Volition's business based, in part, on assumptions made by management. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this release, and, except as required by law, Volition does not undertake an obligation to update its forward-looking statements to reflect future events or circumstances.

Nucleosomics and Nu.Q and their respective logos are trademarks and/or service marks of VolitionRx Limited and its subsidiaries. Additionally, unless otherwise specified, all references to "$" refer to the legal currency of the United States of America.

SOURCE VolitionRx Limited
HONG KONG, Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The digital economy powered by innovative technologies such as artificial intelligence ("AI") and big data has become one of the most powerful drivers of economic growth since the COVID-19 outbreak, in keeping with China's core strategy of "digitalization, intelligence, and innovation". The value of the public health management model empowered by digital technologies and AI has been further validated in dealing with the pandemic. Yidu Tech Inc. ("Yidu Tech" or the "Company"; stock code: 2158.HK) recently released its FY2022 ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) Report (the "Report"). The Report outlines how Yidu Tech, as a leader in the healthcare intelligence industry, is actively responding to the 14th Five-Year Plan for Digital Economy Development and continues to improve its ESG governance structure. Yidu Tech is empowering supply-side intelligent transformation with technologies such as AI, big data, and cloud computing in order to promote accessible precision "green healthcare".

Emerging technologies help make healthcare accessible to everyone

Guided by its overall ESG strategy and governance system, Yidu Tech has incorporated the "concept of sustainable development" into its daily business operations. According to the Report, Yidu Tech leverages its technological advantages to create social value in scenarios such as epidemic response and population health management.

In terms of facilitating public health management, Yidu Tech offers solutions to enable infectious disease risk prediction and regional population health management in a more accurate and efficient manner. Especially in the less economically developed regions, the Company's solutions can assist authorities to achieve efficient resource allocation and reduce mortality. The Company's prediction and simulation models have been validated in 18 cities, including Beijing, Nanjing, and Guangzhou. Based on a deep understanding of epidemiology and transmission rules of infectious diseases, the advanced AI technologies and algorithms can cope with all of the 40 infectious diseases defined by the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (the "China CDC"). In cooperation with the China CDC, the Company has also developed an "Overseas COVID-19 Data Analysis and Risk Assessment Platform" to assist in precise decision-making.

To improve people's health and quality of life, Yidu Tech offers AI-driven automated management tools for diabetes patients to achieve personalized strategies and treatment plans for different users. A case study showed that the average glycosylated Hemoglobin (HbA1c) of users had decreased by approximately 1% after a twelve-week intervention. In addition, Yidu Tech enables the early prevention and treatment of chronic hepatitis B through healthcare intelligence. The Company participated deeply in a project on the early prevention and treatment of chronic hepatitis B in Huazhou, China, cooperating with Nanfang Hospital of Southern Medical University and medical institutions at all levels in Huazhou to jointly establish a four-level hierarchical diagnosis and treatment model. This project covered over 100,000 residents and has accurately diagnosed over 20,000 high-risk tumor patients in the early screening stage, so as to prevent the further transformation from hepatitis B to cirrhosis and liver cancer. The implementation of the project helps further explore models for the prevention and treatment of chronic hepatitis B at hospitals and communities in rural areas, promotes accurate and proactive life-cycle health management of residents in rural areas.

To expand medical coverage and accessibility, Yidu Tech has provided customized Hui Min Bao services, a city-level supplementary insurance to the existing national social medical insurance, for 22 cities, including Beijing and 13 prefecture-level cities in Jiangsu province, effectively improving the protection of elderly people and patients with critical illnesses, and reducing the risk of illness-induced financial difficulties. Leveraging its AI technology and extensive disease insights, the Company provided technical services to relevant authorities in a northern city in China, the accuracy of pre-existing conditions identified by the algorithms exceeding 90%. Moreover, Yidu Tech provides operational services for Hui Ta Bao, a special inclusive medical insurance product for critical illnesses tailored for women. Hui Ta Bao correlates claims with screening results for breast and cervical cancers, enhancing the screening participation rate and providing women with protection against cancers.

In the field of empowering new drug research and development, Yidu Tech helps pharmaceutical companies in clinical trials design with greater accuracy and reduces the cost of new drug research and development by leveraging its independently developed healthcare AI platform. The Company assisted one partner in optimizing the R&D design of a new drug treating a rare disease. As a result, the Phase II clinical trial was shortened by about 20 months. During the fiscal year ended 31 March 2022, the Company also helped a leading MNC client with its Phase III clinical trial of cardiovascular disease, successfully doubling recruitment efficiency and reducing screening failure rates by 60%.

Compliant operations to build a solid foundation for security

In the field of compliance, Yidu Tech has invested heavily in the area of privacy and data security, and is one of only three healthcare technology companies in China to be certified by the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology (CAICT) for secure multi-party computing and federated learning capabilities. During the fiscal year ended 31 March 2022, the Company accumulated 1,111 registered patents and 558 granted patents, with 251 newly registered patents and 130 newly granted patents. In addition, the Medical Data Intelligent Platform Core Module and Special Disease Intelligent Scientific Research Platform Core Module developed by Yidu Tech have passed China Information Technology Security Evaluation Center (CNITSEC) evaluation and obtained the independent original product evaluation certificate, making Yidu Tech the first healthcare technology company to successfully obtain this certification.

Technological innovation and full commitment to green operations

In addition to implementing sustainable business operations, Yidu Tech has integrated the concept of green development into YiduCore's daily operation, actively promoting energy saving and emissions reduction to reduce the negative impact on the environment. With the rapid development of cloud computing and big data, the energy consumption requirements of data centers are getting higher and higher, and the construction of green data centers has become an important reflection of Yidu Tech's commitment to corporate social responsibility. Leveraging large-scale pretrained language models enables some tasks to achieve a further 5%10% improvement in model effectiveness while reducing the amount of annotation by 80%90%, significantly improving data processing efficiency. The majority of Yidu Tech's current data center servers use platinum power supplies with an energy consumption rate of 0.94, allowing the Company to save energy and reduce emissions.

Promoting employee well-being and creating an equitable and diverse common future

Yidu Tech has continued to build an equitable, diverse, and inclusive work environment to ensure that female employees are given equal opportunities for career development and influence at all levels. Female employees account for more than half of the total workforce, and the Board of Directors has an equal number of females and males, which is far greater female representation than the global average[1]. At the senior level, the CEO and CFO are both women. Yidu Tech has also implemented the "Dandelion Project", to spread the Group's "naturality and kindness" culture to cities across the country, listening to the voices of employees. This project has successively been carried out in Chengdu, Chongqing, Tianjin, Wuhan, Nanjing, Shanghai and other cities, enhancing urban employees' sense of belonging.

In the future, Yidu Tech will steadfastly continue to carry out the mission of "making value-based precision healthcare accessible to everyone", using its technological advantages to provide more accurate and efficient medical services, reducing the waste of medical resources, and lowering the cost of new drug development to build a greener future through the power of technology.

[1] According to Women on Boards: 2021 Progress Report published by the MSCI, the proportion of female directors in the MSCI ACWI Index constituent companies in 2021 was 22.6%.

About Yidu Tech Inc.

Founded in 2014, Yidu Tech Inc. ("Yidu Tech", stock code: 2158.HK) has been focusing on the development and application of healthcare intelligence since its inception. The Group focuses on solving the pain points of intelligent applications in the three major healthcare scenarios of public health, research, and diagnosis and treatment, empowering the industry through healthcare intelligence infrastructure, and promoting the construction of a safe, accessible, and value-based healthcare system. In January 2021, Yidu Tech was successfully listed on the Main Board of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.

Yidu Tech primarily operates in three business segments, namely Big Data Platform and Solutions, Life Sciences Solutions, and Health Management Platform and Solutions, which facilitate medical and clinical research, health management, public health management and development of innovative drugs, as well as assist the industry in reducing cost and improving efficiency, with an aim to make value-based precision healthcare accessible to everyone.

SOURCE Yidu Tech
"Carbon removal is about to become a boardroom agenda for most companies and credibility of offsets will play a central role in the decision, Wayne Lloyd TraceSafe CEO said

TraceSafe Inc. (CSE:TSF) said it has acquired Offsety - a carbon offset marketplace for individuals to reduce their carbon footprint by investing in high quality offset credits.

The acquisition strengthens the companys vision to help its Fortune 500 clients respond to the urgent call for climate action from key stakeholders including customers, investors, regulators and governments.

TraceSafe has also brought on board Qayyum Rajan, a prominent leader in the finance and technology ecosystem in North America. Before launching Offsety, Qayyum was the founder and Chief Executive Officer at ESG Analytics, a startup that focuses on applying AI to the environmental, social and governance industry. Qayyum is anticipated to take a full-time leadership role at the company.

"We are thrilled to have Offsety and Qayyum join us at TraceSafe where we are solving the biggest challenge that companies are about to face globally; proof of climate action. Carbon removal is about to become a boardroom agenda for most companies and credibility of offsets will play a central role in the decision, Wayne Lloyd, TraceSafe CEO, said in a statement.

This acquisition sets the pace for us as we move into the company's future of decarbonization solutions for individuals, companies and their customers," added Lloyd. "Qayyum comes with a successful history in ESG tech and deep expertise in carbon offset space and will be a key member of the team as we go into the exciting new direction."

Offsety will serve as a key platform for individuals to evaluate and offset their carbon footprint using 'Carbon Reserve'- fractionalized high-quality offsets that have gone through stringent verification mechanisms, and third party audits, the company said.

"I am deeply passionate about the future of sustainable organizations and the role technology will play in making net-zero ambitions a reality," said Qayyum Rajan, Founder- Offsety and former CEO- ESG Analytics. "TraceSafe has a notable history of identifying problems in the enterprise and creating solutions customized for various industries. With Offsety and the new portfolio of decarbonization solutions, we have an opportunity to make a real difference in climate action and the path to net-zero."

Earlier this year, TraceSafe announced a strategic foray into decarbonization solutions and building solutions to measure, mitigate, offset and report carbon emissions. The company will be announcing the new carbon product platform, and industry specific solutions in carbon calculation, along with a brand refresh in the coming weeks.

The acquisition of Offsety is expected to be completed pursuant to an asset purchase agreement dated July 11, 2022. On closing of the transaction, the company will purchase and acquire from the vendor the Offsety platform, website and related intellectual property in exchange for the issuance of 2,000,000 common shares.

TraceSafe is a full suite of real-time location management services and contact tracing solutions enabled through advanced low-power Bluetooth beacons and enterprise cloud management.

Contact the author at jon.hopkins@proactiveinvestors.com
Brickability Group PLC (AIM:BRCK)s latest results showed strong growth at the AIM-listed building supplies distributor, which, in a tough general economic environment, must have left management feeling vindicated for its bullish acquisitive strategy.

Its shares enjoyed a strong run throughout 2021 and while year-to-date the price has seen a dip, the model (delivering rather than making building materials) is working and the diversification strategy is paying off too.

Low competition, high potential

With only a handful of competitors jostling for space in the brick-distribution scene, Brickability has seized on the opportunity to expand, both organically and acquisitively.

While three major brick manufacturers  Ibstock, Forterra and Austrian leader Wienerberger  also have a hand in distribution, their combined market share is only around 40%.

Pure-play distributor EH Smith has a sizable operation, but is largely focused in the southeast and Midlands.

Other large merchants such as Jewson and Travis Perkins (LSE:TPK) are strong in retail, but lack the specialist offering expected by large-scale builders.

In what was the most important acquisition for the company to date, Taylor Maxwell, once a genuine competitor, was bought out by Brickability in June 2021 for 63mln.

Chairman John Richards saw an opportunity to tap into the social housing market through the merchant, which he said has very much performed above expectations.

Cash flows saw an uplift from the acquisition too: Brickability went from a 7mln negative position to being in the black, albeit at a modest 400,000, though Richards does expect the needle to flip back into negative territory again the following year.

The recent prelims reveal a company in rude financial health with revenues up 187% at 520.2mln for the 12 months ended March 31. Extracting the impact of recent acquisitions, like-for-like top-line growth was still an impressive 31.9%.

Underlying earnings (EBITDA), meanwhile, more than doubled to 39.5mln. Investors were rewarded with a 54% hike to the dividend, which at 3p a share equates to a 3.8% yield.

Guiding principles

While the Taylor Maxwell purchase was easily the highest profile, other recent bolt-ons have included roofing contractors Leadcraft and Beacon Roofing (based in Hampshire and Surrey respectively) and solar panel installer HBS New Energies, which have broadened the mix away from bricks.

Post the year-end, Brickability purchased Modular Clay Products in May for 5.5mln, further adding to its brick-distribution capacity.

The HBS acquisition is noteworthy in that it represents Brickabilitys first foray into renewable energy and sustainability products.

This accretive strategy has seen the group move into new segments within the market, increase our import and distribution capacity, expand our customer and client base and build upon our existing product portfolio, said Richards.

He noted that Brickabilitys European product pipeline has enjoyed a particularly healthy boost, doubly important given an ongoing brick shortfall in the UK.

Historically, its real strength in distribution has been with house builders, but recent business acquisitions have increased the companys book of architecture, contracting and other specification clients.

Buy and build has been a strategy ever since the companys IPO in August 2019 and while hard-line restrictions on price, multiples and deferred considerations are in place, management stays hands off in some respects.

We tend not to change the name over the door. If the business is worth buying, it says to me that the brand and the management cant be bad, explained Richards.

Now the challenge is to manage these bolt-ons and not get buried by runaway expansion.

For Richards, that means putting any further transformative acquisitions on the backburner in place of organic growth, focusing on improving the companys guiding strategies of diversification, improving geographical reach and bolstering European import capabilities.

One or two bolt-ons are in the pipeline, added Richards.

Macro pressures

UK brick-distribution powerhouse or not, Brickability is not immune to the macro pressures affecting supply lines and general demand in the housing market.

But bricks are not as expensive to import as one might think at the moment.

Belgium and The Netherlands, the two big European brickmaking powerhouses, are relatively close neighbours to the UK and their factories tend to be very big, very modern and very mechanical, with low costs of production and a lot of efficiency, said Richards.

And what of the housing market, from which Brickability derives just under half its revenues?

While the risks shouldnt be understated, all the fundamentals for housing are still very much in place, driven by cross-party political support, said Richards, while mortgage rates also remain relatively low (for now).

But Brickabilitys diversification streak added some element of risk.

Having expanded into the timber sector following the Taylor Maxwell acquisition, Brickability now faces exposure to commodity-driven timber prices, which went to record levels in the summer of 2021, having only slightly retracted since.

Furthermore, tougher competition in the roofing sector places downward pressure on supply prices for that segment of the business.

From the broker

That aside, Kevin Cammack, from broker Cenkos, believes that Brickability has done remarkably well to both grow the business organically and to execute and integrate the acquisitions.

Noting that share price has come under pressure in the last nine months, in line with the broader sector, he believes they are pretty much as cheap today as you could have ever bought them, and yet the business has made enormous strides in terms of returns.

Brickabilitys appetite for transformational acquisitions may have cooled off temporarily, but, according to Cammack, it certainly isnt the end of the story for the companys growth trajectory.
The culture of finance has come a long way in the 24 years since Sam Smith helped to buy out and later took the helm at corporate broker finncap Group PLC (AIM:FCAP).

When she first started out in the City as a work experience intern on the trading floor at the tender age of just 17, Smith, who is now 48, says she was wolf-whistled by staff. Such a thing wouldnt, she hopes, happen today.

As a newcomer in the so-called open outcry trading pits of the former London Commodity Exchange, she explains in an interview with Proactive how she was confronted with an intimidating environment in which she got wolf-whistled at.

Picture a trading floor, replete with young men and some women gesticulating to each other about the price of stocks and whether to buy or sell through hand signals and shouting. It is an intimidating environment for any person, let alone a 17-year-old trainee coming to the world of stock trading anew.

It is an irony of linguistics that since the me too era there would most likely be open outcry if a young woman faced the same treatment on the trading floor today, and yet such incidents were largely brushed under the carpet.

The trading pits of bustling financial centres are not what they once were, and since the Covid-19 pandemic are now almost a relic of the past.

Smith explains that in those early days of her career, she didnt know how to deal with the harassment. After all, there was no manual on how to manage the wolfish behaviour of the trading floor, and it was seen as an exceptional occurrence even to have a woman there in the first place.

She describes how she had thought privately to herself, how am I going to deal with it?

Now, three decades on, she says, that would be unacceptable, and having traders ogling you  that wouldnt happen now.

Now the norms have shifted, a lot, she said, with some relief. The world is shifting.

In a departure from her experiences on the trading floor 30 years ago, Smith says calling for gender diversity and inclusion today is almost [like] pushing on an open door.

It feels different, she said.

Fourteen years ago when I set it [finnCap] up, culture was just not a thing, she says. Within four years it became much more something people wanted to talk about.

Despite some tangible progress in the FTSE 100s record of gender diversity in recent decades, Smith said there is still a long way to go before gender and ethnic diversity is reflected in companies in any meaningful way.

I still think theres so much to do, she says. Particularly at board level. [The] arc of power, a certain way of doing things that isnt always right.

Now in her work as a non-executive director, she is trying to push the business case of having more meaningful diversity.

Theres a real awareness that diversity does [create] better decision-making, she said. [The issue of] female workers is a business issue not a female issue.

Smith is an advocate for diversity being reflected at c-suite level, rather than just in the boardroom. Organisations such as Helena Morrisseys 30% Club have been somewhat effective, she says, in attracting more women into the boardroom. But it is at chief executive level that she believes leaders have the most influence.

There was a time when there were more men named John or Dave sitting in the boardrooms of Londons blue-chip companies than there were women. However, following a recent campaign led by the 30% Club, those stark findings have since improved.

According to UK government figures from February 2022, nearly 40% of board positions at FTSE 100 level are now occupied by women.

Boards got to 30%, but does that mask [problems]? Smith asks. Thats where most of the influence comes [from CEOs]. Its not good enough to say [the] board is 30% women. [Businesses] need to think more generally [about] where the power is/has been.

She is part of 25 x 25, a diversity pledge aimed at filling 25% of Londons blue-chip chief executive roles with women by 2025. Currently fewer than one in 10 leaders of FTSE companies, just 9%, are female, according to ongoing research by HR firm Robert Half.

They include female business leaders such as NatWest Group PLC (LSE:NWG)s Alison Rose, GSK PLC (LSE:GSK, NYSE:GSK)s Emma Walmsley, Severn Trent PLC (LSE:SVT)s Liv Garfield, Whitbread PLC (LSE:WTB)s Alison Brittain, Imperial Brands PLC (LSE:IMB)s Alison Cooper, and until recently, ITV PLC (LSE:ITV)s Carolyn McCall (before the television channel dropped out of the top listing at the latest reshuffle).

This is about finding female CEOs, but it is also about having the right programmes in place to create a pool of staff at the entry level from which to choose future leaders, according to Smith.

The topic is close to her heart after spending 24 years as a founding chief executive at one of the City of Londons busiest corporate advisories.

She said that during her time at the helm of finnCap she and fellow staff were trying to break the culture of financial services.

In 2007, just 10% of employees at finnCap were female, which rose to 40% a few years ago. Since the broker merged with M&A advisory firm Cavendish, that figure has fallen back down to around 35%, largely because, she said, there are fewer women in those advisory roles.

Achieving 40% female workers at one of the Citys best-known corporate brokers was no mean feat. Yet it was largely incidental. Smith explained that much of the threshold was achieved due to visibility.

[It] hasnt been done by a focus on it, she said, explaining that being a female CEO herself, she believes she emboldened other women to go for top jobs and attracted them.

[The] CEO being female encouraged others, she said. Perception changed. Now you really need to think about social inclusion and ethnic minorities.

In her time at finnCap, Smith drove phenomenal change, taking the firm public through an initial public offering in December 2018 and growing it into a business with an annual turnover of 52.5mln.

Getting through that was very difficult with Brexit tension and going straight into [an] acquisition and IPOthat was really big for us, she said.

Smith first joined finnCap in 1998 and took part in an initial management buyout in 2007, followed by a bigger secondary buyout in 2010, in which staff bought J M Finn stock to incentivise the team at a share price of 5p per share and total price tag of about 2.5mln.

We raised it all from the team internally, she said. Those decisions are the biggest.

Her secret is that she knows how to do organic growth and has a growth mindset.

I love change. I wanted things to move, she added.

Following her decision to move into a non-executive advisory role, John Farrugia, formerly managing partner at Cavendish, will take over the role of chief executive in the companys latest incarnation, finnCap Cavendish.

Merging the two different company cultures was quite difficult, Smith said, with successes including new hires and instituting a group-wide bonus.

Diversity and inclusion are at the top of Smiths priority list for whatever she does next, which is likely to involve working with CEOs in a non-executive capacity to help draw awareness of such issues.

She said she wants to make a difference in the areas of diversity and inclusion in particular, as well as environmental and social governance, adding that there are a lot of companies trying to make a difference and not just paying lip service.

Smith has also dabbled in political spheres, recently helping to raise awareness of the issue of entrepreneurship in education in government by collaborating with the All-Parliamentary Group for Entrepreneurship.

Its main objectives will be to ensure that governments recognise the importance of entrepreneurship and formulate a strategy to include it in the curriculum.

No one in government is responsible for entrepreneurship, Smith said. She is incredulous.

Her hope for the next prime minister, whether it be Liz Truss or Rishi Sunak, is that they will prioritise growth.

What else can you do? she said. This has been the most complex three years of uncertainty ever. More founding CEOs [are] stepping back than ever.

As for the next stop in her entrepreneurial journey, as well as wanting to spend more time with her daughter, she said she is very much focused on where I can make the maximum impact.

So watch this space, she said, after recently stepping back into a non-executive advisory role at finnCap.

Her future direction of travel is likely to be around growth, among the areas where she feels she can make a difference in making businesses better.

Growth comes from smaller companies, she said. In the small- [and] mid-cap world, they are doing things differently, theyre good employers. You need more money in the system.
HSBC Holdings PLC (LSE:HSBA) executives have defended their strategy to operate as a global bank after rebuffing a break-up plan by its top investor, at its first meeting in Hong Kong in three years.

However, Mark Tucker, chairman of the FTSE 100-listed group, reportedly told 1,000 retail investors gathered at Hong Kong's Kowloon international trade centre that the board was examining "alternative structures", without giving details.

China's Ping An Group, an insurance firm, is pressuring the lender to explore options that could increase shareholder returns, including spinning off its mainstay Asia business.

The investor meeting was attended by hundreds of shareholders who grilled Tucker and chief executive Noel Quinn about dividends and growth.

In a statement, a spokesman for Ping An said, "We note the demands expressed by a number of HSBCs small and medium-sized shareholders. We support any proposal that is conducive to improving HSBCs operating performance and enhances shareholder value."

This week the banking giant increased dividend payments as a way of winning over shareholders, as it reported a 62% jump in profits in the second quarter.

It announced a new interim dividend of US$0.09, with Quinn promising to restore dividends to pre-Covid levels as soon as possible, saying, "We continue to believe that our current strategy and structure will deliver very good returns over the next few years."

HSBC's last full dividend before the pandemic was US$0.51, but it cancelled payouts during the pandemic, following the guidance of the Bank of England.

This angered Asia-based shareholders, with an activist group called 'Spin Off HSBC Asia Concern Group' leading an effort to reinstate HSBC's dividend in 2020.

Hong Kong shareholders make up a third of HSBC's investors, and have been urged to support HSBC's new business plan that refocuses its investments in Asia.HSBC has rejected demands for Ping An to be given a board seat, with Quinn saying it would be a "conflict of interest". Ping An's proposal has not been endorsed by any other major shareholders.
Ariana Resources PLC (AIM:AAU) said gold production in the first half from the Kiziltepe mine in Turkey exceeded expectations.

Kiziltepe, which is 23.5% owned by Ariana, produced 13,378 ounces of gold, about 7% above forecast for the period.

At Kiziltepe, we remain very much on track to meet our guidance of 25,000 ounces of gold for the year, particularly given our average grade has increased to over 2.5 g/t [grammes a tonne] gold, largely as a result of the high-grade ore currently being blended from Kepez, said managing director Dr. Kerim Sener.

Average monthly mine production during the first half was about 22,600 tonnes of ore and a stockpile of more than 270,200 tonnes has been established, representing eight months of enhanced production capacity, said the AIM-traded company.

The ore is currently being mined from Derya and Kepez.

"Mining at Kepez is continuing very well and to date approximately 60,000 tonnes of ore at an average grade of 5.04 g/t gold has been extracted, said Sener.

We are expecting mining to continue at Kepez until the end of the year, although there is further potential to expand this operation once further resource evaluation work is completed.

Ariana also said construction operations are underway at the Tavsan gold mine, also in Turkey, with workers' accommodation, office facilities and other key infrastructure due to be installed.

We look forward to seeing this mine in operation within approximately 12 months, said Sener.
FTSE 100 opened marginally lower, down 22 points to 7,387. Avast charged forward as the indexs biggest riser, up 43%, after the UK Competition and Markets Authority provisionally cleared its takeover by NortonLifeLock.

Rolls-Royce said the Spanish government approved the sale of its subsidiary, ITP Aero, to a private equity consortium. The sale received its final regulatory authorisation and will be completed in a few weeks.

Taylor Wimpey expects this years operating profit to be at the upper end of estimates. The UK housing market continues to defy the economic slowdown.

The energy price cap will remain above 3,500 a year throughout most of next year, according to energy consultancy Cornwall Insight. UK households are set for the toughest winter in decades as prices continue rising.

Among the small caps, Chill Brands ended the sale and marketing of its synthetic nicotine products in the US following tougher US regulations. Additional restrictions for synthetic nicotine products created substantial costs for manufacturers and retailers.

Custodian REIT sold an industrial unit in Milton Keynes at a 73% premium to its valuation in March 2022. The property investment company sold the warehouse and distribution unit for 8.5mln.

Technology Minerals said battery boxes developed by a company in which it has a 49% stake have received UN-standard safety certification. The Halo technology created by Recyclus adheres to certain strict criteria for the transportation of lithium-ion batteries.
Manchester United reached a provisional agreement with fans to own shares in the Premier League club.

Under the proposals, the club would issue so-called category B shares which would match those owned by the Glazers - the owners of Manchester United.

The category B shares would have 10 times the voting weight of category A shares, which are owned by most of the current investors, according to the Guardian.

Yesterday, Manchester United Supports Trust (MUST), held an online consultation over issuing shares in the club to fans, with an exit poll stating 99% would be in favour of the idea.

A ballot will close next Tuesday and, if accepted, the proposal would then go to the Premier League club's board.

According to the Guardian, the club is believed to be hopeful the scheme will be accepted, which suggests approval by the Glazers is a formality.
HSBC Holdings PLC (LSE:HSBA) seemed to make concessions at an informal meeting with Hong Kong shareholders yesterday in a panicked attempt to appease activist shareholder Ping An, but seems unlikely to break itself up.

The meeting was prompted by renewed calls from the China-based insurance conglomerate, HSBCs largest shareholder, to break up the bank.

HSBC's leadership team, including chief executive Noel Quinn and chairman Mark Tucker, gathered in an emergency meeting with shareholders at the Kowloonbay International Trade & Exhibition Centre.

Gary Greenwood, a banking analyst at Shore Capital, said the Chinese insurer would need to rally significant support from other shareholders to force a shareholder resolution at HSBCs next annual meeting.

He said it was unlikely that an activist investor could carry enough weight to split up the bank, unless Ping An can get enough people on side to push for a shareholder resolution.

It would take a lot more votes than 8% stake to force a shareholder resolution, he said.

Yet, when confronted by 1,000 investors in Hong Kong yesterday, the banks chair tried to ameliorate their concerns by saying he understood how much distress and pain cancellation of the dividend in 2020 caused investors.

He indicated that the bank had explored the possibility of separate structures but said such a move would damage growth.

The board has a clear responsibility to protect and grow shareholder value, and the work to date suggests that the separation structures would not be consistent with that and would destroy value, he said.

While our work is ongoing, and we continue to listen carefully, we continue to believe that our current strategy and structure will deliver very good returns over the next few years and offer significant and material benefits over other options.

It is not the first time that HSBC has faced off with an activist investor after Eric Knight similarly sought to split the group in 2009.

Then, he was calling for the bank to split from its struggling US lending operations shortly after the financial crisis.

This time, Ping An is asking the bank to hive off its profitable Asia operations in a split from its traditionally core UK bank.

The difference now is that, as the ad hoc meeting held in Hong Kong yesterday ahead of the banks scheduled AGM shows, now the bank is listening.

It certainly means they're being listened to, Greenwood explained. Whether they can force any change is the difficult question.

In Greenwoods view, the banks board might examine alternative ways of operating to simply appease investors as they were quite happy with the path they were going down.

Theyre probably only looking at alternative structures as part of any response, [e.g.] due diligence process to assess alternative options and then rule them out, he said. It just means they need to show theyve explored them.

HSBC's CEO Quinn tried to focus investors' minds on growth plans, reiterating in yesterday's meeting that if the bank generates a return on tangible equity of at least 12% from 2023 onwards it would represent the banks best return in a decade.

He emphasised the banks commitment to its Hong Kong business, pledging to invest in the banking arm, which he said, continues to be one of [HSBCs] strongest franchises.

His words illustrate that the board is making a clear attempt to keep Hong Kong investors on side.

The banks Asia operations accounted for US$6.3bn of adjusted profits, according to the interim results posted earlier this week, compared to US$2.5bn at HSBC UK, so this is unsurprising.

Quinn pledged to abolish fees on bank services, launch a new mobile app and invest HKD40bn in SMEs in the Hong Kong region.

If you look at profit performance its dominated by Hong Kong and Asia, Greenwood explained. Theyve had this pivot toward Asia for a while now. They make about profits and return in Asia it can allocate more capital there.

Analysts remain divided on whether a split between the regions could accelerate HSBC's market value or damage it. Barclays has suggested, going against the grain of other independent analysts, that a split could wipe 8% of the bank's market value.

Meanwhile this week, Credit Suisse indicated that the growing debate over whether to break up the bank threatened to undermine its investment case.
Honeycomb Investment Trust plc (LSE:HONY) said its merger with Pollen Street Capital should be completed soon.

After shareholders approved the companys proposed combination with its investment manager on 1 June, the company said it and Pollen Street "are finalising the remaining conditions precedent to complete the combination within the coming weeks".

All documentation requested by regulators has been filed, it said, with the Financial Conduct Authority and Prudential Regulation Authority having approved the change in control on 1 August.

The company said it will update shareholders when the remaining approvals have been received from regulators that oversee firms within the Pollen Street Group and the funds it manages or advises, which will allow completion of the deal.

Honeycomb said it delivered a net asset value (NAV) return of 0.69% for the month of June, or 8.4% on an annualised basis. The NAV per share at the end of June standing at 1,019.7p, meaning the shares traded at a discount of 12.7%.

Risk-adjusted yield improved further to 9.2% from 9.1%, with active deployment during the second 2022 across a broad and diversified range of sub sectors, it said.

Manager Pollen Street Credit was said to have completed a number of new transactions and facility upsizes, including a senior facility to Swedish technology lender Ark, a senior facility to micro-mobility specialist TIER, another to ridesharing and delivery driver vehicle leasing and financing business Splend.

Portfolio performance was said to remain "consistent and in line with expectations" and the origination pipeline is strong, with over 400mln of transactions reported in documentation or late stage due-diligence across a range of end subsectors and "attractive yield opportunities on new facilities and new investment opportunities in sectors with low correlation to the macro environment".

The broader European pipeline was reported to stand at over 2bn and is well diversified across subsectors and asset classes
Steven Yatomi-Clarke didnt take the obvious route into his role as a biotech leader. A scientist by training, specialising in biochemistry and molecular biology, he brought a talent for interpreting science jargon for investment bankers and an eye for what not to do in business to bear on his role as CEO of Prescient Therapeutics Ltd (ASX:PTX).

Yatomi-Clarke has had one foot in science and the other in commerce for his entire career. He chose to lean into his talent for the latter after observing his university Honours supervisor uproot his family and move cities to chase a grant. I thought, screw this, if thats your reward for being an expert, no thank you!

Where commerce meets science

I was still drawn to science but I didnt want to be stuck at a bench, he told Proactive. I knew I didnt want to be a doctor roaming the halls of a hospital but I did want to be helping patients. I was drawn to the business side of science and I thought, well maybe I can make a difference on that side.

Fresh out of university, Yatomi-Clarke focused his energies on the commercialisation of scientific ideas and ended up in investment banking working with healthcare companies. Half the time I was just a translator between scientific founders and blank-faced investors who didnt really speak the science, he said.

For around 15 years he gave hands-on advice at board level  a period he describes as like doing a perpetual MBA course because of what he was privy to while working with these companies.

What I loved was being able to see what other people couldnt see and I quickly established quite a niche for myself, identifying the good opportunities and avoiding the bad ones, especially in a fairly opaque industry like healthcare.

Tapped on the shoulder

Yatomi-Clarke was on the verge of setting up his own biotech fund when he was tapped on the shoulder by Prescient, where he was already a non-executive director, and asked to step into the role of CEO, initially in an interim capacity.

Sceptical at first, he tentatively looked under the bonnet of the oncology biotech, which was going through a bumpy transition. The more I looked over things I thought wow, I could really do something with this company, he said.

Six or seven years later, the company is going from strength to strength.

We acquired a brilliant new technology and weve really got the wind at our backs with momentum on almost every front, which is a nice place to be  very satisfying.

Challenging the pace of change

Yatomi-Clarke loves his industry but he is frustrated by the historically slow pace of change, particularly in his companys field  oncology. He calls the phenomenon incrementalism.

Its the approach that has guided the industry for decades along the lines of considering it a success to extend patients lives by a few more months or sometimes a few more weeks, not to mention the poor quality of life. And then the industry seems content to celebrate small incremental improvements. Well, I reject that, he said.

I dont think weve been aiming high enough. But thanks to some new technologies its about making a difference, not a dent, and having a genuinely curative intent with some of these diseases, which I think is what patients deserve.

The thing that bothers me is that it is so easy for companies to fall back onto incrementalism, which is a natural disposition in Australia  because youve got to be conservative. Your shareholders and investors are conservative  and they determine your valuation and provide your funding. So, unfortunately, a companys natural inclination is to reject often brilliant ideas that can be quite valuable and revolutionary and have the potential to really move the needle for patients.

I think thats starting to change but historically thats what has really bothered me. Everyone just hugs the middle.

A certain amount of fatalism can creep into discussions of what biotech companies can achieve. Cancer in particular has long been the final frontier, the holy grail, in healthcare and companies are reticent to say theyve got a cure. There is also a notion that its a crowded market and loads of competitors are trying to do the same thing.

There are a lot of unsolved problems out there in healthcare, Yatomi-Clarke responded. Companies shouldnt pit themselves against one another. Theyre not the enemy  were not the enemy  cancer is the enemy. In the case of cancer, 10 million people are dying every year. Thats 100 million people over a decade. Any problem of that magnitude deserves our best efforts.

Differentiating the solution in a crowded market

Weve got two approaches: targeted therapies addressing the inside of cancer cells; and cell therapies targeting the outside of cancer cells. Our targeted therapies are our foundational assets and they target mutations on the inside of cells  theyre designed to switch off problematic proteins that drive cancer, Yatomi-Clarke said. So they take a personalised medicine approach.

One of the companys assets has had success with breast and ovarian cancer, and is currently targeting AML.

The other drug targets T-cell Lymphoma (TCL).

Some of these patients have no business being alive, but theyre still on therapy and theyre still alive, said Yatomi-Clarke. One patient was expected to have just a few months to live and shes two years out now with her cancer held at bay. Weve had four complete remissions with our other drug as well.

The fact of the matter is there are people walking around now who shouldnt be alive, but they are because of our trials, which is really rewarding. You dont get that in investment banking.

In the investment banking world, a good day was people making money and a bad day was people losing money.

A good day for me now is another patient gets a benefit, a bad day unfortunately you lose a patient. The stakes are a lot higher but its ultimately more rewarding.

A unique CAR-T platform

CAR-T therapies are relatively new and at the moment theyre not easy to deliver en masse, and have a number of inherent problems. Prescient is changing this script by making these living cells druggable with a unique platform called OmniCAR.

At the moment these cells are super expensive and bespoke and once youve injected them thats it, you cant change them or control them  you cross your fingers and hope for the best," the CEO said.

Our platform is modular, like a Lego set. You can control the cell by remote control. You can tune it up or down, switch it on or off; even redirect it from one cancer to another, like a little robot if you like.

And thats not been done before. To make it druggable and giving the doctor full control of the activity and the target is something really unique and thats going to make it broadly applicable to many more cancers, its also ultimately going to drive down the costs.

Were very excited by it and its certainly turning a lot of heads.

The platform can work with off-the-shelf cell types. It can also be combined with another Prescient cell manufacturing technology, CellPryme, which produces more youthful cells for better, longer-lasting tumour killing.

The good news is that cell therapies for cancer, like CAR-T, are as expensive and clunky now as theyre ever going to be, and theyre only going to improve  like car manufacturing was before mass production.

Building a successful small-cap biotech

Yatomi-Clarke is emphatic about partnering with experts. When it comes to technology development, we license from the best and work with the best. We have piggy-backed on institutes like Oxford and Yale and the University of Pennsylvania  you couldnt hope to replicate that expertise.

So partner with the best and work with the best, including the best local talent you can find.

The next tip? Get some real problems  and solve them. You have to be solving a real problem and your solution has to be truly differentiated, Yatomi-Clarke said. A lot of businesses think theyre differentiated when theyre not.

If your solution is very similar to other solutions then youre going to have a lot of trouble standing out, attracting the right sort of people and attracting the right sort of funding.

More to the point, when it comes time to prove your technology, you now have to prove that its superior to these competitors and then youre starting downtown and thats not really where you want to start.

The last point is nebulous but no less important  stand for something.

Your companys got to have a proper mission. That sounds a bit touchy feely but people working in small cap biotechs dont want to be a cog in a big machine, they want to understand the mission of that company and where they sit in it and the value they bring as the company continues on its journey  to feel that their expertise is really making a difference.

A lot of companies arent great at articulating their mission, what they stand for and what theyre going to do.
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Frontier Energy Ltd (ASX:FHE) is now trading the OTCQX market in the United States under the ticker symbol on FRHYF.

This secondary listing was done to give North American investors better visibility and accessibility to the company, with the listing allowing potential North American investors to trade and settle during US trading hours in US dollars.

The OTC provides live market trading in companies which hold primary listings in other markets. There were no additional compliance or regulatory standards over and above FHEs existing compliance requirements on the ASX that it needed to meet.

Executive chairman Grant Davey said: North America provides the worlds largest pool of investors and from my experience OTC is the simplest and most cost-effective way, for both the company and these investors, to buy shares in their own time zone and currency.

With a number of key studies nearing completion at a time when the world needs renewable energy solutions more than ever before, this is promising to be an exciting year for the company.

The listing comes just a day after FHE secured exclusive options to increase its landholding at the Bristol Springs Solar (BSS) Project in Western Australias southwest, with the company poised to add another 651 hectares to its land package.

Read more: Frontier Energy eyes off strategic ground adjacent to Bristol Springs Solar Project

About Frontier Energy

FHE is a clean energy company developing the BSS Project near Waroona in Western Australia. The project will provide enough power for 45,000 homes and abate 180,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions per year.

The project is 120 kilometres south of Perth, and is within the Golden Triangle of Kwinana-Bunbury-Collie, which provides supporting infrastructure and potential offtake customers.
Keywords Studios PLC (AIM:KWS, OTC:KYYWF) said it is confident in being comfortably ahead of current market expectations for 2022 after first-half revenues and profits rose by over a third - news it accompanied with the acquisition of a games testing specialist.

Adjusted pre-tax profit for the six months ended 30 June is expected to be 54mln (45.1mln), up 36% year-on-year, with an improved margin of circa 17%.

Revenues were close to 320mln, the services provider to the global video games industry said in a half-year trading update. This represents 34% growth on a reported basis and 22% on an organic basis, allowing for acquisitions and currency swings.

At the half-year stage, the group had net cash of 121mln.

Keywords has started the year very strongly, building on the momentum achieved in 2021 as we continue to benefit from a renewed focus on content creation post pandemic and the structural trends towards outsourcing, said chief executive Bertrand Bodson.

Whilst we are mindful of a more uncertain macro-economic environment and some volatility in the scheduling of certain projects we continue to see strong demand for our services.

Given this and the group's strong performance in H1, we are confident of delivering a performance comfortably ahead of current market expectations for the full year.

He said organic growth rates were expected to moderate and margins moving to historic levels of nearer 15% as investment is made in the business, along with the transition of people and work from Russia, and more costs return with the easing of COVID restrictions.

Keywords said it is relocating staff from Russia to locations including Poland, Serbia, Armenia and Malta, which had a more limited impact on 1H performance, with 2H being the key transition phase.

Under the new divisional reporting structure announced in June, its Create (art and games development services) and Globalize (audio, localisation and localised testing) arms enjoyed very strong performances.

Engage (player support and marketing) was more modest, due to the tougher comparison with last year and some delays in work.

It also announced another new acquisition, Mighty Games, a provider of automated games testing solutions for up to A$10mln, and confirmed the completion of the Forgotten Empires purchase unveiled in June.

Based in Melbourne, Australia, Mighty Games brings a 21-person team and proprietary AI-based testing technology platform that Bodson said was in line with our strategy to harness technology to do more for our clients and remain at the forefront of our industry and to develop more technology-enabled solutions.

The initial cash consideration for Mighty is A$4.8mln, with the equivalent of A$1.2mln in new ordinary shares within 30 days of completion, and up to AUD$4.0mln in a mix of cash and new ordinary shares based on growth targets.

Bodson added that the M&A pipeline remains healthy.
MedX Health Corp. (TSX-V:MDX) has announced the appointment of Tarek El Hoss as vice president for market development and sales to oversee global initiatives to drive immediate revenue generation and growth.

El Hoss has over 20 years of demonstrated success in the medical technology industry, including as business director for Medtronic in the Middle East, Africa, Central Asia and Turkey, where he was responsible for driving sales, establishing distribution channels and new product launches, the Ontario-based company noted.

"Over the past year, we've announced commercial partnerships to make our DermSecure skin screening technology available to serve patients throughout Europe, the Middle East and Canada," MedX president and CEO Naman Demaghlatrous said in a statement.

"Tarek's extensive knowledge of the global medical technology marketplace and proven expertise in establishing country-specific go-to-market strategies will be crucial to the next phase of our company's growth and we're delighted to have him join our team," he added.

Commenting on his appointment, El Hoss said: "I am excited to join a dynamic team that is driven by a global mindset. Leveraging and strengthening our existing partnerships while seeking out and building others will improve access to our best-in-class, innovative teledermatology platform for patients around the world. I am looking forward to expanding MedX's international footprint and offering a solution to improving patient outcomes at the same time."

MedX is a leading medical device and software company focused on skin health. Its leading SIAscopy on DermSecure telemedicine platform allows healthcare practitioners to quickly and accurately assess suspicious moles, lesions and other skin conditions via its image-capture technology, SIAscopy, and its secure, cloud-based patient management system, DermSecure, which transmits and stores patient data throughout the assessment process.

SIAscopy is the only technology that captures five images, including four spectrophotometric images 2 millimeter below the skin's surface. Teledermatology is a subspecialty of dermatology that offers safe and effective virtual patient assessment and diagnosis at a distance, eliminating the need for in-person appointments.

Contact the author at jon.hopkins@proactiveinvestors.com
Cloud DX US clinical customers are implementing Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) solutions in Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, Oregan, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee

Cloud DX (TSX-V:CDX, OTCQB:CDXFF) Inc said it has signed a new contract with a primary care clinic in Michigan, in a deal that further expands its US operations.

The digital health platform said the Michigan clinic will use Cloud's Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) solution, complete with its Connected Health kit, to improve outcomes for patients with chronic conditions. With active patient onboarding in nine states, this Michigan contract further deepens Cloud DX's US roots, the company said.

Cloud's US clinical customers are implementing RPM solutions in Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, Oregon, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee.

Each kit includes proprietary and third-party vital sign devices that directly transmit biophysical data and vital sign readings to a patient's application and the clinical portal, enabling clinic staff and physicians to monitor several patients remotely and intervene in case of irregularities.

"When it comes to managing chronic conditions, daily remote monitoring should be standard of care. Our healthcare systems are beyond burdened. Yet thankfully, under this pressure, proactive and preventative approaches are being evaluated as less of a pandemic patch and finally, more as a standard of care, which is a positive change in tide," Robert Kaul, CEO and co-founder of Cloud DX said in a statement.

He added: "For patients with chronic conditions, such as CHF (congestive heart failure) or COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), controlling exacerbations is key to improving outcomes of lifestyles. For both patients and healthcare systems, intervening early during such an event reduces ER visits and hospital admissions."

Using Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) supports such interventions and in turn lowers hospital urgent care or visits by 67%. This figure alone can alleviate a lot of system stress and improve the lives of the chronically ill," Kaul concluded.

COPD patient John added: "Before [RPM], I would visit the hospital two to three times a year to get myself checked out. [Now] I can keep track of my symptoms and know what to do."

Accelerating digital health, Cloud DX is on a mission to make healthcare better for everyone. The company's Connected Health RPM platform is used by healthcare enterprises and care teams across North America to virtually manage chronic disease, enable aging in place, and deliver hospital-quality post-surgical care in the home.

Its partners achieve better healthcare and patient outcomes, reduce the need for hospitalization or re-admission, and reduce healthcare delivery costs through more efficient use of resources.

Cloud DX is the co-winner of the Qualcomm Tricorder XPRIZE, a 2021 Edison Award winner, a Fast Company 'World Changing Idea' finalist, and one of 'Canada's Ten Most Prominent Telehealth Providers'. In 2021, Cloud DX became an exclusive partner to Medtronic Canada and Equitable Life of Canada.

Contact the author at jon.hopkins@proactiveinvestors.com
Volition applies its Nucleosomics platform to develop easy-to-use, cost effective blood tests to help diagnose a range of diseases, including some cancers

VolitionRx (NYSE-A:VNRX) Limited revealed that it has been awarded a further $1.5 million in non-dilutive funding from Namur Invest Capital Risk in Belgium.

The Austin, Texas-based epigenetics company said Namur Invest's award will fund an early access program for Volition's Nu.Q product portfolio at key sites across the EU, UK, and the United States.

In a statement, Volition COO Gaetan Michel said: "Thanks to this latest funding from Namur Invest, we are incredibly excited to launch our early access program and engage industry leaders in the development and adoption of our transformative Nucleosomics technology in a range of exemplifications of our assays.

Volition applies its Nucleosomics platform to develop simple, easy-to-use, cost-effective blood tests to help diagnose and monitor a range of life-altering diseases, including some cancers and diseases associated with NETosis such as sepsis and COVID-19.

"We will be working with centers of excellence worldwide providing leading clinicians and researchers with exclusive, early access to our Nu.Q product range. This is an enormous step forward for Volition and a critical phase in our path to commercialization, added Michel. We would like to thank Renaud Hattiez and his team at Namur Invest for their continued support.

Meanwhile, Renaud Hattiez, who is the director-general of Namur Invest, noted that they have supported Volition since its inception as they believe in the company's mission to revolutionize the diagnosis and monitoring of life-altering diseases.

We are delighted to support Volition on the next step of its journey, engaging Key Opinion Leaders from across the globe and bringing Nu.Q to fruition," added Hattiez.

Namur Invest's loan is the latest grant from agencies within the Walloon Region, amounting to more than $14 million in non-dilutive funding since 2016. The new $1.5 million loan to fund Volition's early access program is unsecured, and bears interest at a rate of 6% per year and is repayable over four years with a maturity date of July 31, 2026.

Investors can learn more about Volition's Nu.Q technology here.

Contact the author Uttara Choudhury at uttara@proactiveinvestors.com

Follow her on Twitter: @UttaraProactive
PlantX Life Inc. (CSE:VEGA) has announced the international expansion of its Little West cold-pressed juice brand and e-commerce platform into Canada.

As part of the expansion, Little West has launched a Canadian version of its e-commerce website, at littlewestjuice.ca, and plans to expand its wholesale business into physical retail outlets across the country.

Acquired by PlantX in May 2021, Little West is a California-based cold-pressed juice company that offers a range of beverages and products that emphasize health and wellness with a focus on local sources, made with high quality and fresh ingredients.

Little West is the vision of Cassandra Troy and Andrew Walker, who launched the business in 2013 with the aim of inspiring healthier lifestyles and making the world a greener place.

PlantX CEO Lorne Rapkin said in a statement they have seen great success with the new website.

Since the founders of Little West are Canadian and so is PlantX, it was only natural for us to bring these amazing juices to Canada," Rapkin said. "We expect to work with local influencers to bring increased awareness and we will leverage the success we achieved in the United States to build the brand throughout North America."

The Little West Canadian e-commerce website features merchandise and different flavors of juice, available in kits and cleanses. Consumers can create one-time boxes of different quantities of juices or arrange regular deliveries.

PlantX's platform is a one-stop shop for plant-based products. With its fast-growing category verticals, the company offers customers across North America more than 5,000 plant-based products.

Contact the author at susie@proactiveinvestors.com
Property-wide geological mapping and surface sampling began in early June 2022 in a bid to outline new drill targets on projects that are not yet at the drill stage

New Age Metals (TSX-V:NAM, OTCQB:NMTLF) Inc has issued an update on exploration at its lithium projects in Manitoba, Canada, saying that a maiden 1,000 metre (m) diamond drill program at the historic Silverleaf target on the Lithium One project was slated to begin at the end of August this year.

New Age is partnered with Mineral Resource Ltd, the world's fourth largest lithium producer, at the projects and is funding the exploration. This year's budget is C$1.8 million.

The company's lithium properties sit within the Winnipeg river pegmatite field, which hosts the world-class Tanco pegmatite that has been mined for tantalum, cesium and lithium in varying capacities, since 1969.

Property-wide geological mapping and surface sampling began in early June 2022 in a bid to outline new drill targets on projects that are not yet at the drill stage. Magnetics and a Lidar survey was completed over the Lithium One and Lithman East Extension properties with results expected in late July, the firm added.

The company said samples and geological data have been collected from prospective trends on five of the company's properties including Cat Lake, Lithium Two, Bird River, Lithman East, and Lithium One Property. Several pegmatite clusters have been visited including the Rush Lake, Birse Lake, and Greer Lake pegmatite groups as well as various historical showings, it added.

New Age Metals is the largest claim-holder in the Winnipeg River pegmatite field. Meanwhile, its Lithium One project sits 125 kilometres northeast of Winnipeg, Manitoba and is geologically characterized as being a part of the field.

The Silverleaf target there is shallow dipping highly fractionated Lithium-bearing pegmatite. The deposit has been traced by diamond drilling and trenching along strike for around 170m with a maximum width of about 30m, said the company.

New Age Metals is a junior explorer focused on the discovery, exploration, and development of green metal projects in North America. It has two divisionsa platinum group metals division and a lithium/rare element division.

Contact the author at giles@proactiveinvestors.com
KEFI Gold and Copper PLC (AIM:KEFI, OTC:KFFLF)'s Harry Adams joined Proactive to talk about the 'fantastic turnaround' at projects in Saudi Arabia and Ethiopia after both were 'stuck in the mud' for so long.

The company just reported positive licensing progress at its Jibal Qutman joint venture in Saudi Arabia and said the JV had also been granted a further two exploration licences.

In Ethiopia, things are also moving along with domestic tensions now resolved allowing the launch of construction of its Tulu Kapi gold project.
enCore Energy Corp. (TSX-V:EU, OTCQB:ENCUF) executive chairman William M. Sheriff says he's encouraged with ongoing drilling at the Rosita Extension area at the company's 100% owned Rosita Project in South Texas, where it has uncovered three distinct uranium zones with high-grade mineralization.

Sheriff telling Proactive that the Extension will provide the first feed for the adjacent processing plant.

"We're pretty excited about it; we're continuing to delineate it," Sheriff said. "We uncovered two additional trends: the one trend that we knew was there - we've expanded on it - and we're in the process of delineating two additional trends."
United Nations, Aug 3 : UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will start his Asia trip that will bring him to Japan, Mongolia and South Korea, his spokesman has said.

The secretary-general will leave for Japan on Thursday. In Japan, he will take part in the Peace Memorial Ceremony in Hiroshima, which is held on August 6 every year, said Stephane Dujarric, the spokesman, was quoted as saying by Xinhua news agency.

During his stay in Japan, Guterres will meet with several Japanese senior officials, including Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. He will also meet a group of surviving victims of the atomic bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, known as the hibakusha, and will participate in a dialogue with young activists who are leading initiatives on nuclear disarmament, non-proliferation and other global issues, said Dujarric.

The secretary-general will then go to Mongolia, which has shown a commitment to non-proliferation and disarmament by declaring itself a nuclear-weapons-free zone. Guterres will take part in a tree planting ceremony in the capital city of Ulan Bator to recognize Mongolia's One Billion Trees initiative, which aims to plant 1 billion trees by 2030 as part of Mongolia's efforts to reduce the impact of climate change and fight desertification. In addition, he will visit a nomadic family and learn about their way of life, said the spokesman.

Following his visit to Mongolia, the secretary-general will travel to South Korea on August 11. The details of his visit to South Korea are still being worked out, said the spokesman.
Islamabad, Aug 3 : Contrary to the Pakistani military's narration, Baloch Raaji Aajoi Sangar (BRAS) - an umbrella organisation of Baloch armed groups, claimed the responsibility for targeting and downing the military helicopter in the mountainous areas of Windar and Noorani in Balochistan.

Earlier on Tuesday, the wreckage of military helicopter that went missing on Monday night carrying senior military officers was found, and the Pakistan military media wing confirmed the death of at least six officers and crew members in the accident, which it claimed had occured due to bad weather.

"Freedom fighters of BRAS targeted a low-flying helicopter of Pakistan military. The targeted helicopter crashed near Moosa Goth in Dareji," spokesperson of BRAS Baloch Khan claimed in a statement.

"In the attack, carried out with anti-aircraft guns, the helicopter was badly damaged and later completely destroyed. All six enemy personnel on board the flight were killed in the attack. They included Core Commander 12 Core Lieutenant General Sarfaraz Ali, Director General Coast Guard Major General Amjad, Brigadier Khalid, pilot Major Saeed, co-pilot Talha and crew chief Naik Muddasir," the statement added.

The claim comes at a time when Pakistan's Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the media wing of Pakistan armed forces stated that the Mi-17 helicopter of the Army Aviation crashed while supervising the flood relief operations in Balochistan.

"The wreckage of the unfortunate helicopter has been found in Musa Goth, Windar, Lasbela district of Balochistan," stated ISPR spokesperson Major General Babar Iftikhar.

"As per initial investigation, the accident occurred due to bad weather," the ISPR added.

However, BRAS spokesperson claims that the helicopter was targeted by its fighters, adding that Lieutenant General Sarfaraz Ali, who had remained Director General of Military Intelligence and Inspector General of Frontier Corps South of Balochistan, was directly involved in enforced disappearances and the Baloch genocide.

"Baloch Raaji Aajoi Sangar (BRAS) will continue to carry lethal attacks against the enemy (Pakistan army) until the full withdrawal of the enemy forces and the liberation of Baloch motherland," the BRAS statement asserted.

It is pertinent to mention that BRAS aka Baloch Nation Liberation Coalition is the umbrella organisation of at least four ethnic separatist groups in Balochistan and the Sindh province of Pakistan.

BRAS was created in November 2018 and made fast progress as in 2020 when a Sindhi separatist group Sundhudesh Revolutionary Army (SRA) joined in with the BRAS alliance, comprising the Baloch Liberation Front (BLF), the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), the Baloch Republication Guard (BRG) and the Baloch Republican Army (BRA).

One of the focus of BRAS and SRA alliance was to target Chinese presence and interests in Balochistan and the Sindh province.
Kiev, Aug 3 : Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky held a phone conversation with Secretary-General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Jens Stoltenberg to discuss assistance for Kiev.

At the talks, Zelensky on Tuesday informed Stoltenberg about the situation on the frontline in Ukraine and emphasised the importance for Kiev to get non-lethal military aid from NATO agreed upon during the alliance's 2022 Madrid summit, Xinhua news agency reported, citing the presidential press service.

Besides, Zelensky said that Ukraine is seeking to receive more heavy weapons from NATO member states.

The parties also discussed the resumption of grain exports from Ukraine via the Black Sea ports and the prospects of NATO's assistance in humanitarian demining in Ukraine.

At the NATO summit in the Spanish capital on June 29-30, the members of the alliance agreed to provide support for Ukraine in multiple areas, including secure communications, cyber defences and resilience, fuel, and medical supplies.

Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine War
Kannauj : , Aug 3 (IANS) He became a 'billionaire'- even if it was only for a few hours.

Bihari Lal (45) a daily wage labourer who works at a brick kiln unit in Rajasthan, withdrew Rs 100 from his Jan Dhan account in Bank of India from a Jan Seva Kendra in his village. Minutes later, he received an SMS that showed a balance of Rs 2,700 crore in his account.

He was at his native place in Uttar Pradesh's Kannauj district as the brick kiln unit was shut due to the monsoon.

Bihari Lal went to the bank mitra who checked the account and confirmed the amount in his account.

"I then asked him to check my account again, after which he checked it thrice. Even when I could not believe it, he took out the bank statement and gave it to me. I saw Rs 2,700 crore lying in my account," said Bihari Lal while talking to the media.

However, his happiness was short lived because when he reached the branch to check his account, he was told that the balance was just Rs 126.

Later, the bank's lead district manager Abhishek Sinha told reporters that the account was investigated and it had only Rs 126.

"It could apparently be a banking error. The account of Bihar Lal has been seized for a while and the matter has been brought to the knowledge of senior bank officials," he said.

Bihari Lal works as a labourer at a brick kiln in Rajasthan and earns Rs 600 to 800 per day.
Jerusalem, Aug 3 : Israel has approved a plan to allow Palestinian passengers to use Ramon International Airport in southern Israel, a local news site reported.

The first charter flight for Palestinian passengers under the plan will be bound for the Turkish city of Antalya in later August, Xinhua news agency reported, citing Ynet.

However, travellers from the West Bank still need to cross the Israeli-run border crossings to Jordan and enter Israel from the neighboring country. They would also undergo security procedures before and after arriving the airport.

Palestinian Authority has not yet made an official response regarding the issue.

Ramon International Airport, near the southernmost Red Sea resort city of Eilat, was opened in January 2019. It has been struggling with a decrease in passengers since the Covid-19 pandemic.
Seoul, Aug 3 : North Korea strongly denounced Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan on Wednesday, calling it an "impudent interference" by Washington into another nation's internal affairs.

The speaker of the US House of Representatives arrived in Taiwan on Tuesday night despite fierce protests from China, becoming the highest-level official to make a formal trip there in decades. In a statement, she said her move "honours America's unwavering commitment to supporting Taiwan's vibrant democracy".

In a quick response, however, Pyongyang's foreign ministry said that the visit is "arousing serious concern of the international community", as it stated support for China, which labeled Pelosi's trip as infringing its "sovereignty and territorial integrity", Yonhap news agency reported "The current situation clearly shows that the impudent interference of the US in internal affairs of other countries and its intentional political and military provocations are, indeed, the root cause of harassed peace and security in the region," a spokesperson for the ministry was quoted as saying by the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). "Taiwan is an inseparable part of China and the issue of Taiwan pertains to the internal affairs of China." "We vehemently denounce any external force's interference in the issue of Taiwan, and fully support the Chinese government's just stand to resolutely defend the sovereignty of the country and territorial integrity," the unnamed spokesperson added, according to the KCNA's English-language report. "The US scheme to disturb the growth and development of China and its efforts for accomplishing the cause of reunification is bound to go bankrupt." Pelosi is leading a congressional delegation in its Asia swing. It traveled to Singapore and Malaysia with plans to visit South Korea and Japan as well.

North Korea has openly stressed its strong ties with China amid an intensifying Sino-US rivalry.
Bengaluru, Aug 3 : Karnataka Police have arrested a gang of three miscreants on charges of robbing a software professional posing themselves as gays in Bengaluru, police said on Wednesday.

According to police, the accused persons used a gay dating app to trap the victim techie. The arrested robbers have been identified as Sameer Pasha, Mohammad Ismail and Salman Khan all, residents of Shivajinagar in Bengaluru.

The Sadashivanagar police, who have taken up the case for investigation following the complaint by the techie, have launched a hunt for the main accused in the case who is absconding.

The victim worked for a reputed tech firm and lived in the eastern part of Bengaluru. One of the accused posing as a gay had got introduced to him through the dating app in the recent past. As they developed a bond after chatting for a long period, the accused had arranged a meeting as per the plan by the gang, police said.

The accused had asked the techie to come inside the Palace Grounds and when the techie arrived at the spot at 8.30 p.m. on July 23, the accused had attacked him. They had assaulted and robbed away Rs 1 lakh worth laptop.

The software professional had lodged a police complaint the next day. The police after gathering information on the accused nabbed them in Bengaluru. Further investigation is on.
Kanpur, Aug 3 : The manager of the Florets International school here has been booked after a parent lodged a complaint about children being made to recite the 'kalma' during morning assembly.

ACP Sisamau, Nishank Sharma, said: "Following the complaint, a case has been lodged at the Sisamau police station against school manager, Sumit Makhija, under the Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, 2021, and under Section 295-A (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feeling of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs) of the Indian Penal Code." As per the FIR, the school has been attempting to teach the students about conversions following which there have been some changes in the behaviour of the children.

The complaint further says that the students were forced to recite 'kalma' inside the school premises and demanded to seal the building completely.

The complainant also sought a refund of fees and re-admissions to other schools accordingly.

According to the police, they were alerted by a tweet that alleged that the school in Sisamau in the city was making students recite Islamic prayers during morning prayers.

Following this, a joint team of officials from the district administration and police visited the school and met the authorities, who informed them that their students have been reciting prayers of four religions for the last several years and no parent had objected to it.

However, right-wing activists made it an issue and staged a demonstration outside the school on Monday.
Lucknow, Aug 3 : After three senior IAS officers of Uttar Pradesh cadre sought voluntary retirement from service (VRS) within one week, the bureaucracy is abuzz with speculation.

This is probably the first time that three senior IAS officers have sought to quit the service within days of each other.

The three officers are Renuka Kumar (1987 batch), Juthika Patankar (1988) and Vikas Gothalwal (2003).

Renuka Kumar was due to retire from service on June 30, 2023 and was repatriated to her parent cadre UP on July 28.

She played a key role in the UP IAS Association campaign in the nineties to identify three most corrupt IAS officers in the state cadre.

Sources in the know said that she was unwilling to return to Uttar Pradesh and applied for voluntary retirement.

Juthika Patankar, who was also on deputation to the Centre, had worked as principal secretary to Uttar Pradesh Governor during Ram Naik's tenure.

She sought VRS though she was due to retire in January 2024.

Vikas Gothalwal, who is on study leave in the UK, reportedly sought VRS on health grounds.

It is learnt the three officers have sent copies of their letter seeking VRS to chief secretary Durga Shankar Mishra and the state appointment department.

Meanwhile, the internal WhatsApp groups of IAS officers are abuzz with possible reasons for the development.

Officers are debating on the service conditions that are making bureaucrats stay away from Uttar Pradesh and also the intense politicisation of the bureaucracy in the state. A few top bureaucrats are also being blamed for the state of affairs.
World faces choice between autocracy & democracy, says Pelosi after touchdown in Taiwan. Image Source: IANS News

Beijing : US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi met with Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen on Wednesday during a visit to the island that has drawn Beijing's ire.

Pelosi also visited the Taiwan parliament during the trip, which made her the highest-ranking US official to visit the island in 25 years, dpa news agency reported.

Beijing views the self-governing island as a breakaway territory that will one day be reunited with the mainland and warned the US against allowing Pelosi to visit.

In response to her arrival late Tuesday, China launched military exercises in six areas in the waters surrounding Taiwan. They are expected to include long-range live-fire exercises and last through Sunday.

The manouevres are seen as the biggest show of military muscle from Beijing since the 1995 Taiwan Strait crisis, when China fired missiles over Taiwan and the US dispatched two aircraft carrier groups.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry summoned the US ambassador to China, Nicholas Burns, early Wednesday to protest Pelosi's visit as a "serious provocation and violation" of the one-China principle, state newspaper Global Times reported.

China also sent 21 planes into Taiwan's air defence identification zone on Tuesday alone, the Defence Ministry in Taipei said.

Taiwan, which has 23 million inhabitants, has long considered itself independent.
Seoul, Aug 3 : South Korea reported 119,922 new COVID-19 cases as of midnight Tuesday compared to 24 hours ago, raising the total number of infections to 20,052,305, the health authorities said Wednesday.

The daily caseload was up from 111,789 in the previous day and higher than 100,245 tallied a week earlier, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency.

For the past week, the daily average number of confirmed cases was 86,520, Xinhua news agency reported quoting the health authorities.

Among the new cases, 600 were imported from overseas, lifting the total to 45,900.

The number of infected people who were in a serious condition stood at 284, up two from the previous day.

Twenty-six more deaths were confirmed, leaving the death toll at 25,110. The total fatality rate was 0.13 per cent.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Rajkot : , Aug 3 (IANS) The Rajkot Police on Wednesday foiled a loot attempt by a gang of robbers and caught four of them.

However, two others members managed to escape.

Deputy Commissioner of Police Sudhir Desai said: "A SOG police team was on patrol when they saw some suspicious activities by a gang in the Chitrakut Society near Riddhi-Siddhi bungalow. On questioning, the miscreants attacked the police with sharp weapons in which a policeman suffered minor injuries." In self defence, police opened fire injuring two of the miscreants. It managed to nab four members, while the remaining two managed to escape. An investigation is underway, he added.

An eyewitness Rajesh Patel, whose lives adjacent to Riddhi Siddhi bungalow -- the target of the robbers --, said that at around 2.30 a.m, he heard noises and on going down he saw that the police had rounded up four persons, two of whom were bleeding.

The officer said an FIR is being registered and the FSL team will be conducting the site's scientific study.
Bengaluru, Aug 3 : As the Karnataka Assembly elections near, top leaders of the national parties have started making a beeline to the state. On Wednesday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi are set to address the challenges their concerned parties are facing.

Opposition Congress is facing internal strife whereas the ruling BJP is encountering the wrath of its own party workers and Hindu activists. Realising that the challenges are grave and can prove disastrous for the respective political parties in the upcoming state elections scheduled less than eight months away, the party top leadership is trying to pacify and devise strategies.

Rahul Gandhi arrived here on Tuesday night and held a meeting to address the internal strife between warring factions of Siddaramaiah and state unit chief D.K. Shivakumar. According to party sources Rahul Gandhi has clearly asked the leaders to go for elections under a collective leadership.

Sources also said that Rahul Gandhi has given clear instructions to both Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar not to indulge in competition which can benefit the BJP. Rahul Gandhi is also meeting Lingayat seer Shivamurthy Murugha Sharanaru in Chitradurga.

Later, Rahul Gandhi will address a gathering at a function to celebrate Siddaramaiah's 75th birth anniversary. The party is looking forward to getting momentum with the massive convention in the state.

Amit Shah will arrive in Bengaluru Wednesday late night. Though his itinerary does not include any political meetings, sources said that Amit Shah will take up the ground report and question the state leadership on the wrath of party workers and Hindu activists against the BJP.

The ruling BJP is facing the heat from the BJP workers following the murder of Yuva Morcha activist Praveen Kumar Nettare in Dakshina Kannada district. The party workers had also laid siege at the residence of Home Minister Araga Jnanendra causing severe embarrassment to the state leadership.

Amit Shah will arrive in Bengaluru at 11 p.m. on Wednesday and stay at Taj West Hotel. He will participate in 'Sankalp Se Siddhi' conference between 11 a.m. and 12.30 p.m. on Thursday. He will return to New Delhi at 2.35 p.m.

However, party sources said that he will discuss the present situation in the state after serial murders in Dakshina Kannada district and wrath of Hindu activists. He is likely to strategise for dealing with the situation and send a strong message to the party workers.
Seoul, Aug 3 : The South Korean presidential office called Wednesday for regional peace and stability through dialogue as US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi made a high-profile visit to Taiwan.

Pelosi, who is set to arrive in South Korea as part of her Asian tour, visited Taiwan late Tuesday, becoming the highest-ranking elected US official to visit self-ruled island in 25 years. China, which claims sovereignty over Taiwan, has strongly protested against Pelosi's visit, Yonhap news agency reported.

Asked about Pelosi's visit to Taiwan, an official at the presidential office said, "Our government's stance is that we will maintain close communication with the nations concerned on all issues under the banner of the need for peace and stability in the region through dialogue and cooperation." The presidential office "welcomes" Pelosi's visit to South Korea and hopes to make achievements during her talks with National Assembly Speaker Kim Jin-pyo, the official said.

Kim and Pelosi are scheduled to hold talks on Thursday and the two speakers will hold a joint press conference before having lunch together, Kim's office said.

South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol, who is currently on summer vacation, has no plan to meet with Pelosi, the official said.
Hyderabad, Aug 3 : The claim by a Telugu YouTuber that he visited Islam's holiest site Mecca in Saudi Arabia has sparked a row with a section of netizens calling for action against him for violating the Saudi rules which do not permit a non-Muslim to enter the grand mosque.

Ravi Prabhu recently claimed in a live chat that he entered Mecca. He even showed a photograph on his mobile, which shows him standing near the holiest mosque with hands raised in supplication.

In another video clip, the traveller revealed that at the entry point to Mecca he was asked to recite some Quranic verses and when he recited the same, he was allowed.

However, the YouTuber's claim kicked up a row with some netizens questioning his action and even demanding Saudi authorities to take action. In the wake of this controversy, Ravi stopped answering any questions about his alleged Mecca visit.

During the subsequent live sessions over social media, the traveler declined to answer any question about Mecca. Some of the netizens remarked that his action was not proper and legal. One of them even commented that he may face imprisonment for 8-10 years.

Another netizen stated that he may face the death sentence in Saudi Arabia for entering Mecca in violation of rules. A Twitter user has tagged Saudi authorities while demanding action against Ravi for allegedly using fake Muslim certificate to enter Mecca. He also posted a video of the traveler's claims.

Ravi, whose YouTube channel Ravi Telugu Traveller has over 6 lakh subscribers, had claimed to be the first Telugu YouTuber to enter Mecca.

This came close on the heels of the reporter that an Israeli journalist managed to sneak into Mecca. Gil Tamary of Channel13 violated Saudi rules to enter the holy city. A Saudi citizen is reportedly facing prosecution for alleged complicity.

Ravi, an Indian American, claims to be the most travelled Telugu YouTuber. He has posted videos of his visit to various countries on his YouTube channel. He claims to have visited 187 of the 195 countries.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Sydney, Aug 3 : Australia's long stretch of wet and windy weather showed little signs of easing on Wednesday with the punishing conditions continuing throughout much of the nation's southern regions.

In the Western Australian capital of Perth, departure flights were grounded on Tuesday evening following a triple storm front causing power blackouts at the airport and about 35,000 other properties.

Huge surf has already caused erosion along the state's beaches, which have been hit with waves reaching heights of 10 meters, Xinhua news agency reported.

Winds of more than 90km/h and squally thunderstorms have been forecast to cross the state's southern half throughout Wednesday, according to the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM).

Meanwhile, on the other side of the nation, Victorian State Emergency Service workers were busy throughout Tuesday night answering more than 200 calls for help after gale-force winds wreaked destruction.

BOM duty forecaster Phoebe de Wilt told local newspaper, the Age, that gusts of more than 100km/h had torn through the state's alpine peaks and other elevated areas and predicted more to come as a cold front moves through the region.

In the state of New South Wales (NSW), the BOM warned of thunderstorms bringing up to 35mm of rain on Thursday in the state's agricultural Riverina district.

Meteorologist Dean Narramore said that a cold front could "tap into some tropical moisture and really bring some moderate to heavy rainfall across parts of Victoria and NSW" and the BOM warns of possible flash flooding as already overflowing rivers receive yet another drenching
Taipei, Aug 3 : Whether US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's risky trip to Taiwan was a valuable statement of US resolve or provoked China for no strategic gain depends on when, or if, Beijing's consequent fury and military posturing abate, media reports said.

So if Pelosi's visit - a personal rebuke to Chinese President Xi Jinping, who has made the takeover of Taiwan an existential quest - permanently worsens already poor US-China relations and brings forward what some see as an inevitable superpower confrontation, it might turn out to be a massive miscalculation, CNN reported.

Pelosi visited legislators and President Tsai Ing-Wen on the democratic self-governing island on Wednesday, giving her hosts the trappings of a nation-state visit sure to enrage the Chinese, CNN reported.

Her trip has already caused uproar in tense US-China relations, with the communist giant sending jets to the edge of Taiwanese air space and launching military exercises that sent an unsubtle message that Taiwan is surrounded.

However, if these eruptions stop short of a full-scale crisis in the Taiwan Strait, a vital strategic waterway, and avoid the possibility of miscalculations between Chinese and Taiwanese forces, or even Chinese and US assets in the region, the storm over Pelosi's mission could be temporary. The imagery of the US House speaker bolstering a democracy under China's giant shadow could become one of the signature moments in US Asia-Pacific foreign policy.

The geopolitical relationship between Washington and Beijing is the most important nation-to-nation clash on the globe. It is unfolding as a generational tussle between two civilizations keen to imprint their values, economic systems and strategic hegemony on the rest of the world, CNN reported.

While the Biden administration has followed the Trump White House in treating China as an adversary rather than as a competitor, the prime goal of US policy is still to avoid what could be a disastrous future war between the two nations.

The same will be true if her trip prompts Beijing to take steps that rock the peace and prosperity enjoyed by the Taiwanese in their dynamic island home, a factor often ignored by China hawks taking tough stands to bolster their political position in the US, CNN reported.

Taiwan's government has issued strong condemnation of China's plans for live fire drills in locations around the island - Beijing's main response to Nancy Pelosi's visit, BBC reported.

Such drills "have invaded Taiwan's territorial space" and "amount to a blockade of Taiwan's air and sea space", the military said, BBC reported.

Taiwan's President Tsai has also criticised the drills, saying they are an unnecessary reaction and Taiwan was committed to maintaining the status quo across the Taiwan Strait.

Taiwan's Defence Ministry said its military would "counter any move that violated Taiwan's territorial sovereignty".

Beijing says foreign aircraft or ships should not enter the area while their drills are underway, BBC reported.

Taiwan argues this is in breach of international law and global trade and shipping rules.

Shortly before Pelosi met with President Tsai, Taiwan's cabinet announced that the island's military had stepped up their alertness level.

Authorities would enact plans to "ensure safety and stability around the island" - a response to China's announcement to hold three days of military drills encircling the island beginning Thursday.

The Taiwanese cabinet added that citizens should feel reassured in their security.

Top US Democrat Nancy Pelosi met Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen despite sharp warnings from China against the visit. She is expected to have lunch and then leave the island, Taiwan's official central news agency says.

The trip, which is not backed by President Biden, is the first by such a senior US official in 25 years. BBC reported. China's army will hold military exercises in areas around Taiwan from Thursday until Sunday. But the US says there is no need to turn the visit into a crisis, with Pentagon spokesman John Kirby emphasising America supports the status quo.
Canberra, Aug 3 : At-risk Australian children as young as six months will be eligible for coronavirus vaccines from September as the country continues to battle against the wave of Omicron sub-variant infections.

Health Minister Mark Butler on Wednesday announced the federal government has accepted the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunization's recommendation that Moderna's vaccine be made available to children with an elevated risk of severe illness from Covid.

From September 5, approximately 70,000 children aged six months to under five years who are severely immunocompromised, have a disability or complex health conditions will be able to receive their first vaccine dose, Xinhua news agency reported quoting the minister.

Two doses are recommended eight weeks apart, except for the severely immunocompromised who will require three primary doses.

Australia on Wednesday reported more than 40,000 new COVID-19 infections and more than 60 deaths.

It takes the nation's total pandemic death toll past 12,000.

As of Tuesday afternoon, a total of 9,476,160 cases of COVID-19 have been reported in Australia, including approximately 335,069 active cases, according to the latest data from the Department of Health.

There were 5,002 cases being treated in Australian hospitals on Tuesday, including 184 in intensive care units.

A report published by the Productivity Commission on Wednesday partly blamed the pandemic for the slowest productivity growth in 60 years.

"Australian productivity growth is at its lowest rate in 60 years. This broad-based slowdown has been observed across advanced economies," said the report.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Taipei, Aug 3 : Taiwan's government has issued strong condemnation of China's plans for live fire drills in locations around the island - Beijing's main response to US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit, media reports said.

Such drills "have invaded Taiwan's territorial space" and "amount to a blockade of Taiwan's air and sea space", the military said, BBC reported.

Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen has also criticised the drills, saying they are an unnecessary reaction and Taiwan was committed to maintaining the status quo across the Taiwan Strait.

Taiwan's Defence Ministry said its military would "counter any move that violated Taiwan's territorial sovereignty".

Beijing says foreign aircraft or ships should not enter the area while their drills are underway, BBC reported.

Taiwan argues this is in breach of international law and global trade and shipping rules.

Shortly before Pelosi met with President Tsai, Taiwan's cabinet announced that the island's military had stepped up their alertness level.

Authorities would enact plans to "ensure safety and stability around the island" - a response to China's announcement to hold three days of military drills encircling the island beginning Thursday.

The Taiwanese cabinet added that citizens should feel reassured in their security.

Top US Democrat Nancy Pelosi met the Taiwan's President despite sharp warnings from China against the visit. She is expected to have lunch and then leave the island, Taiwan's official central news agency says.

The trip, which is not backed by President Biden, is the first by such a senior US official in 25 years. BBC reported. China's army will hold military exercises in areas around Taiwan from Thursday until Sunday. But the US says there is no need to turn the visit into a crisis, with Pentagon spokesman John Kirby emphasising America supports the status quo.
San Francisco, Aug 3 : Cryptocurrency service Nomad has suffered a "chaotic" attack, with hackers draining almost $200 million in digital funds from the company within a few hours.

In a tweet, Nomad said it is "working around the clock to address the situation and have notified law enforcement and retained leading firms for blockchain intelligence and forensics".

According to CBSNews, the company added that its goal is to identify the accounts that siphoned cryptocurrencies from its service and recover the money.

Nomad operates a so-called blockchain bridge, which allows people to move tokens from one blockchain to another, solving the challenge of interoperability between different types of cryptocurrencies.

But these technologically complex services have been prone to attacks, with hackers exploiting security vulnerabilities to steal more than $1 billion in assets so far in 2022, according to forensics firm Elliptic.

One security researcher on Twitter described the Nomad attack as "chaotic" and a "free-for-all," with people swarming to drain the accounts after realising that a security flaw meant that if they could find a valid transaction request, they could replace the other person's address with their own and effectively redirect assets to their own accounts.

Nomad blamed "impersonators posing as Nomad and providing fraudulent addresses to collect funds." The theft follows the hack of blockchain bridge Harmony in June, which lost about $100 million in the attack. These bridges are seen as especially vulnerable to hacks partly because of their relative newness and inevitable bugs and are therefore frequently targeted by cybercriminals.

Recent hacks include the $320 million wormhole hack in February and the more than $600 million Ronin Network hack in March.
New Delhi, Aug 3: India and Russia continue to expand their partnership in the Arctic, deepening cooperation in high latitudes, both in bilateral and multilateral formats.

An Indian delegation, led by Sanjay Verma, Secretary (West), Ministry of External Affairs, held wide-ranging discussions on Arctic issues with Nikolay Korchunov, Russia's Ambassador-at-Large for the Arctic Cooperation in Moscow, last week.

The consultations were also attended by representatives of the Ministry for the Development of the Russian Far East, Rosatom State Corporation, the Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute, as well as the Association of Indigenous Minorities of the North, Siberia and the Far East of the Russian Federation.

Both sides noted great potential in developing cooperation in the fields of economy, transport, science and culture, including contacts between regions and public organisations.

India has also been invited to take part in the Arctic segment of the VII Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok (September 5-8) which will include a presentation of the investment potential of Russian regions.

Russia, which stretches over 53 per cent of the Arctic Ocean coastline, currently holds the chairmanship (2021-2023) of the Arctic Council and essentially controls the Northern Sea Route which is projected to become the Russian route to India in the coming decades.

India has a significant stake in the Arctic. It is one of 13 nations holding Observer status in the Arctic Council, a high-level intergovernmental forum that addresses issues faced by the Arctic governments and the indigenous people of the Arctic.

Much before the current crisis in Ukraine, India was playing an active role in a trilateral cooperation initiative with Russia and Japan in the Russian Far East.

The 20th India-Russia Bilateral Summit and the 5th Eastern Economic Summit held in Vladivostok back in September 2019 acted as a game-changer as far as focus on the region is concerned.

The summit, where PM Narendra Modi was the guest of honour, paved the way for India's larger cooperation in the fields of not only oil and gas sectors but also road transport, defence, trade and investments in the region.

Insisting that Russian President Vladimir Putin's affinity to the Far East has brought unprecedented opportunities not only for the region but also for its partners like India, PM Modi had listed significant Indian investments with the Sakhalin's oil fields being a classic example.

Announcing India's $ 1 billion line of credit to further contribute to the development of the Russian Far East, PM Modi emphasised that together, India and Russia will cross the distances of space and also bring out prosperity from the depths of the sea.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and his counterpart, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, have also "noted the new opportunities" in the Russian Far East during the several meetings they have held over the past couple of years.

The International North-South Transport Corridor and the Chennai-Vladivostok Eastern Maritime Corridor have been discussed as extensively as the rapidly expanding energy cooperation between the two countries.

As it continues to explore more opportunities for cooperation in the Arctic region, India has moved forward to join an elite group of countries working on various aspects of the Arctic.

While addressing a roundtable of the Arctic Sessions project 'The Arctic Council: Scenarios for the Future of the International Platform' last month - which was also attended by Korchunov and Putin's Advisor Anton Kobyakov - K M Seethi, the scientific director of the International Centre for Polar Studies at Mahatma Gandhi University in Kerala, said that New Delhi views itself as the so-called 'third pole' of the globe, so participation in Arctic affairs is a matter of geopolitical importance for India.

India's Arctic policy titled 'India and the Arctic: building a partnership for sustainable development' lays down six pillars: strengthening India's scientific research and cooperation, climate and environmental protection, economic and human development, transportation and connectivity, governance and international cooperation, and national capacity building in the Arctic region.

While releasing the policy in March this year, Earth Sciences Minister Jitendra Singh had highlighted that India's engagement with the Arctic dates back to a century when 'Svalbard Treaty' was signed in February 1920 in Paris.

(The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com) --indianarrative

Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine War
New Delhi, Aug 3: The first commercial ship to leave Ukraine since February 26 this year reached Turkish territorial waters on Tuesday night before proceeding to its final destination - the Mediterranean port of Tripoli in Lebanon.

The Sierra Leone-flagged dry cargo ship Razoni, with 26,527 metric tonnes of corn, left the Ukrainian Black Sea port of Odesa on Monday carrying grain under the Black Sea Grain Initiative signed by Ukraine, Russia and Turkey in Istanbul on July 22.

As it left Odesa, the Joint Coordination Centre (JCC) set up in Istanbul under the auspices of the United Nations requested all its participants to inform their respective military and other relevant authorities of this decision to ensure the safe passage of the vessel.

The JCC, which comprises of senior representatives from Ukraine, Russia, Turkey and United Nations, agreed to the specific coordinates and restrictions of the Safe Humanitarian Maritime Corridor and communicated those details in accordance with international navigation procedures.

The Coordination Centre is responsible for safe transportation by merchant ships of grain and other foodstuffs and fertilisers from three key Ukrainian ports in the Black Sea - Odesa, Chernomorsk, and Yuzhny - to the rest of the world.

The plan, said the UN, also paves the way for Russian food and fertiliser to reach global markets, all of which it is hoped will help reduce soaring food prices worldwide, and avert the possibility of famine afflicting millions in the months ahead.

Commenting on the shipment, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that ensuring existing grain and foodstuffs can move to global markets is a "humanitarian imperative" and the ship was loaded with two commodities in short supply - "corn, and hope".

"People on the verge of famine need these agreements to work, in order to survive. Countries on the verge of bankruptcy need these agreements to work, in order to keep their economies alive," said Guterres.

He hoped that this will be the first of many commercial ships moving in accordance with the initiative signed, and will bring the much-needed stability and relief to global food security.

Further shipments of grain are being planned from the three ports in the coming weeks, including by the UN emergency food agency World Food Programme (WFP) - a major customer of Ukraine's grain and cereals - working out to buy, load and ship an initial 30,000 metric tonnes of wheat on a UN-chartered vessel.

"WFP will have more details in the coming days," said Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for the UN Secretary-General.

Ukraine and Russia account for nearly a third of global wheat imports, with the two countries supplying more than 45 million tonnes annually, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

The Grain Initiative allows for significant volumes of exports with the Ukrainian pilot vessels guiding the ships through the Black Sea, after which they will head out through the Bosphorus Strait, passing Istanbul, along an agreed corridor.

(The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com) --indianarrative

Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine War
New Delhi, Aug 3 : West Bengal Criminal Investigation Department on Wednesday accused Delhi Police of stopping the execution of a court ordered search operation in the national capital.

"In course of investigation of Panchla police station Case No 276/22 a team of CID which had gone to Delhi to execute search warrant issued by Ld Court has been stopped from doing their lawful duty on the direction of DCP South west Delhi," the department wrote on Twitter along with the copy of search warrant.

The CID further said the case involved seizure of huge cash from three MLAs of Jharkhand.

"Detaining & preventing the CID WB team to conduct lawful search will lead to disappearance of crucial evidence by the suspects responsibility of which will lie on the Delhi Police officers who prevented the search," the probe agency alleged.

A senior Delhi Police official said they will soon share their official response.
Mysuru : , Aug 3 (IANS) The Vice Chancellor and Assistant Registrar of Karnataka State Open University (KSOU) have lodged a complaint and counter-complaint against each other alleging abuse and assault, police said on Wednesday.

KSOU Assistant Registrar (Examination Division) S. Pradeep Giri had lodged a complaint against KSOU Vice Chancellor Prof Vidyashankar with Jayalakshmipuram police station in Mysuru.

In turn, Vice Chancellor Prof Vidyashankar lodged a counter complaint against Pradeep Giri alleging that he had given a false complaint against him. "Notice was served to Pradeep Giri in the backdrop of his continuous absence from work for which he had not given reply. Pradeep Giri came to duty very late on Tuesday and when questioned he used abuses, tried to assault and showed disrespect," Vice Chancellor had alleged in his complaint.

He further stated in the complaint that Pradeep Giri had lodged a false complaint claiming that he had been assaulted.

Giri in his complaint alleged that the Vice Chancellor and his Personal Secretary P.S. Devaraju had abused and assaulted him after summoning him to the Vice Chancellor's office on Tuesday.

The police have registered both the cases and are verifying the CCTV footage regarding the incident. Vice Chancellor Prof Vidyashankar has stated that Pradeep Giri has been suspended following the incident. Further investigation was on.
"I swear by Jairamdas. A truer man I have not had the honour of meeting," Mahatma Gandhi had once said of Jairamdas Daulatram, who wore many a hat during the freedom struggle and once staved off an impending rift between the Mahatma and senior Congress leaders by suggesting a compromise to cool tempers.

A member of the Constituent Assembly that drafted India's Constitution, Jairamdas quit his seat in the Bombay Legislative Council to join Gandhi's Salt March and heed his call to boycott foreign goods, served as Food Minister in Jawaharlal Nehru's cabinet, as Governor of Bihar, and later Assam, during which time he was instrumental in the Indian Tricolour being hoisted at Tawang in the North-East Frontier Agency (now Arunachal Pradesh).

Born into a Sindhi family in Karachi, Jairamdas Daulatram (July 21, 1891 to March 1, 1979) had a brilliant academic career throughout and started a legal practice after obtaining a law degree but soon gave it up as it often led to conflict with his conscience.

He came into contact with Gandhi in 1915, who had then returned from South Africa, and became his devoted follower. Four years later, at the Amritsar session of the Indian National Congress in 1919, he worded Gandhi's resolution in such a way that it avoided an impending rift between the Mahatma and his other Congress colleagues, including veterans such as Lokmanya Tilak and Deshbandhu Chittaranjan (C.R.) Das.

"Jairamdas, that cool-headed Sindhi, came to the rescue," Gandhi recalled years later. "He passed me a slip containing a suggestion and pleading for a compromise. I hardly knew him. Something in his eyes and face captivated me. l read the suggestion. It was good. I passed it on to Deshbandhu (Das). 'Yes, if my party will accept it' was his response. Lokmanya said, 'I don't want to see it. If Das has approved, it is good enough for me.' Malaviyaji (who was presiding anxiously) overheard it, snatched the paper from my hands and, amid deafening cheers, announced that a compromise had been arrived at." Since then, Gandhi came to repose great faith in Jairamdas, referring to him as "one of the greatest persons in India".

Jairamdas also had the trust and affection of Sarojini Naidu, who described him as a Lamp in the Desert because of his services in Sindh, which was mostly a desert. His ties with Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and Rajendra Prasad were also very close.

When Gandhi was launching the Salt March in 1930, he wrote to Jairamdas: "I have taken charge of the Committee for Boycott of Foreign Cloth. I must have a whole-time secretary, if that thing is to work. And I can think of nobody so suitable like you." Jairamdas immediately resigned his Bombay Legislative Council seat and took up his new charge, making tremendous success of the boycott of foreign cloth.

Jairamdas participated in the Non-Cooperation Movement (1920-22), the Salt March (1930-31) -- during which he was shot and wounded in the thigh when police opened fire on agitators outside a magistrate's court in 1930 -- and the Quit India Movement (1942-45) , being imprisoned by the British authorities.

It was at the instance of Jairamdas, during his term as Governor of Assam (1950-56) that Ranenglao Bob Khathing, a Naga from Manipur who variously served as a Major in the Indian, as a civil servant and a diplomat, accompanied by T.C. Allen, a British Intelligence officer, reached Tawang on February 7, 1951 and raised the Indian Tricolour).

Jairamdas played a major role in the preservation of Sindhi literature, being one of the founding members of the Akhil Bharat Sindhi Boli in Sahit Sabha (All India Sindhi Language and Literature Congress).

In 1967, Sindhi became the first language added to the original list of the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution, a move that recognised the linguistic identity of Sindhi refugees uprooted by the partition and accorded it political recognition.

This had significant implications for other linguistic minorities whose relationship with territory was not coterminous with a linguistic state or who spoke languages other than the dominant language of the linguistic state in which they lived.

Jairamdas Daulatram died in New Delhi on March 1, 1979, aged 87
Hyderabad, Aug 3 : The last rites of K. Uma Maheswari, daughter of Telugu Desam Party (TDP) founder and former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. T. Rama Rao, were performed here on Wednesday.

Her brother-in-law and former chief minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, brother and popular actor N. Balakrishna and other family members attended the funeral at Mahaprasthanam in Jubilee Hills.

Uma Maheshwari was found dead at her Jubilee Hills residence here on Monday. According to family members, the 57-year-old had some health problems and was also depressed.

Her elder daughter Vishala arrived from the United States in the early hours of Wednesday.

The funeral pyre was lit by Uma's husband Srinivas Prasad. Earlier, the funeral procession started from their residence after relatives and friends paid their last respects.

Balakrishna, Ramakrishna and her other brothers carried the body. Chandrababu Naidu, his son Lokesh, actor Kalyan Ram and other relatives paid their last respects.

Deceased's sisters G. Lokeswari, former union minister and BJP leader D. Purandeswari and N. Bhuvaneswari were among those who paid their last respects.

Uma Maheswari was the youngest of N. T. Rama Rao's four daughters and also the youngest of his 12 children.

NTR, as N. T. Rama Rao, popularly known, was one of the tallest Telugu leaders. The actor-turned-politician had floated TDP in 1982 on the slogan of Telugu self-respect and created a record of sorts by leading the party to power within nine months, ending the single party rule of the Congress party in then undivided Andhra Pradesh.

He died 1996 at the age of 72, a few months after he was thrown out of power following a revolt led by his son-in-law Chandrababu Naidu.

NTR had 12 children - eight sons and four daughters.

NTR's three sons, including actor and former minister N. Harikrishna, have passed away.
New Delhi, Aug 3 : The US has killed Al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri in a drone strike in Kabul, US President Joe Biden confirmed this in his speech from the White House.

Zawahiri, one of the most wanted terrorist of the world was killed in a counter-terrorism operation carried out by the US in the Afghan capital on July 31. Zawahiri along with Osama Bin Laden was the mastermind of 9/11 terror attacks that shook the world.

Zawahiri had become the face of the terror group after the US killed Osama Bin Laden in 2011. Killing of Zawahiri is being seen as a huge achievement by the US in its war on terror. After the killing of Zawahiri, in a televised address President Biden said, "Now justice has been delivered and this terrorist leader is no more." CVoter-IndiaTracker conducted a nationwide survey on behalf of IANS to know people's views about the killing of the dreaded international terrorist and its impact on India's fight against terrorism.

The survey found that Indians were divided in their views on the issue. According to the survey data, while 50 per cent respondents said that Zawahiri's extermination will make a difference to India's fight against terror, another 50 per cent respondents completely disagreed with the sentiment.

The survey found that both the NDA and opposition voters were divided in their opinion about the impact of Zawahiri killings on India's war on terror.

During the survey, while 52 per cent NDA voters believe that Zawahiri's execution will have a bearing on India's fight against the menace, 52 per cent opposition supporters did not share the sentiment.

Similarly, both the rural and urban voters shared a fractured opinion on the issue. During the survey, while 52 per cent rural voters stressed that the killing of Zawahiri will make a difference to India's fight against terrorism, 56 per cent urban voters completely disagreed.
New Delhi, Aug 3 : The Monsoon Session of Parliament that began on July 18 has entered into the third week. The functioning of Parliament during the session has been abysmally low.

Both the Houses of Parliament have witnessed disruptions and multiple adjournments on most of the days on various issues such as price rise, questioning of the Congress President Sonia Gandhi by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a money laundering case, arrest of Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut by the ED.

Owing to alleged misconduct, Opposition MPs were suspended for a week from the Rajya Sabha on July 26, a day after four Congress MPs were suspended from the Lok Sabha for the rest of the Monsoon Session. The functioning of both the Houses of Parliament has been record low during the current session.

As per the data of the PRS Legislative Research, the portal that keeps track of the functioning of Parliament, while the Lok Sabha has functioned for almost 23 hours till August 1, the Rajya Sabha has been productive for just 13 hours. The opposition and the ruling dispensation have been blaming each other for Parliament not functioning properly.

CVoter-IndiaTracker conducted a nationwide survey on behalf of IANS to know people's views on the issue. The survey found that people were sharply divided in their opinion on who is responsible for Parliament not functioning properly. During the survey, while 51 per cent respondents blamed opposition for Parliament not being able to conduct its business effectively, 49 per cent slammed the government.

Predictably, political and ideological divides were evident in the views of the NDA and opposition voters on the matter. During the survey, 66 per cent NDA voters held opposition parties responsible for the disruptions and multiple adjournments, hampering the working of both the Houses of Parliament. At the same time, 60 per cent opposition voters blamed the government for the deadlocks in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha of different issues.

The survey revealed differences in the opinions of different social groups on the issue. During the survey, while the majority of Muslims - 74 per cent and Scheduled Castes (SC) - 65 per cent blamed the government for the low productivity of the parliament, the majority of Upper Caste Hindus (UCH) - 69 per cent and Other Backward Classes (OBC) - 63 per cent attacked the opposition.
New Delhi, Aug 3 : A 33-year-old man was killed after he came under the wheels of a Delhi Transport Corporation bus in the national capital on Wednesday morning, an official said.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Dwarka) M. Harsh Vardhan confirmed about the fatal accident that involved a DTC bus.

"There was a fatal accident between a scooty and a DTC bus. Deceased is a 33-year-old male," the DCP said.

Earlier, there were reports that two school children were crushed under the bus, however, the senior official denied all such reports. "Not aware of any accident involving school children," he said.
New Delhi, Aug 3 : The Centre on Wednesday told the Supreme Court that freebies promised by political parties before polls is an "economic disaster". The apex court suggested an expert body comprising representatives of Niti Ayog, Finance Commission, RBI, political parties and other stakeholders, should examine the pros and cons of freebies, while acknowledging that it is a serious issue.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Central government, said the populist announcements distort the informed decision making of the voter and a voter would know what's going to fall on him. Mehta said, "This is the way, we are heading towards economic disaster". Mehta suggested that the Election Commission of India (ECI) should apply its mind on the matter, and they can have a relook. The ECI's counsel said that its hands were tied by a judgment of the apex court on freebies.

A counsel, involved in the matter, suggested if there's a model manifesto where they say that there's no harm, and if the political parties declare the debt of the state.

A bench headed by Chief Justice N.V. Ramana said these are all empty formalities. Mehta reiterated, "We are heading towards economic disaster".

The Chief Justice said this is a serious issue and the ECI and the Central government cannot say that they cannot do anything in the matter. He said the government and the ECI have to consider the issue and give suggestions. The Chief Justice sought suggestions from senior advocate Kapil Sibal, who was present in the courtroom for another matter.

Sibal suggested that ECI should be kept out of the matter, as it is a political and economic issue, and there should be debate in Parliament on it.

The bench, also comprising justices Krishna Murari and Hima Kohli, said no political party would like to take out freebies, and all want freebies.

The bench noted that these are all policy matters and everyone should participate in the debate. "We'll say Finance Commission, political parties, Opposition parties, all of them can be members of this group. Let them have a debate and let them interact. let them give their suggestions and submit their report", noted the bench. A counsel suggested that RBI should also be included in the process.

The top court asked the Centre, ECI, petitioner and Sibal to give suggestions within a week on the composition of an expert body that will examine how to regulate freebies and give report to Centre, ECI and to the court. The bench scheduled the matter for further hearing next week.

The top court was hearing a PIL by advocate Ashwini Upadhyay against the announcements made by political parties for inducing voters, through freebies, during elections.

Upadhyay argued that ECI should debar state and national parties from making such promises.
Mumbai, Aug 3 : The release of dubbed versions are acknowledged as a major factor behind the recent successes of several pan-Indian movies from down South. But in an interesting move that goes against the trend, Telugu movie 'Bimbisara' produced by NTR Arts will be taking the subtitling route to outside markets.

In the wake of RRR, KGF2 and Pushpa's super success, the lavishly-mounted fantasy action-drama, Bimbisara, is targeting a wide release on August 5, 2022. UFO Moviez, which recently distributed much loved '777 Charlie' and 'Rocketry', will release the Telugu film in North India with English subtitles.

The spokesperson for UFO Moviez points out that during the Coronavirus-triggered pandemic, when people were locked in their homes for months together, they devoured content from across India and the world.

"As a result, language is no longer a barrier and they are now open to watching content with subtitles. OTT has changed viewing habits and we are confident that a good film in any language will bring people to the theatre," he asserts, promising that Bimbisara which offers a larger-than-life, big screen experience will not disappoint.

'Bimbisara' stars Jr. NTR's brother Nandamuri Kalyan Ram in the title role of the Emperor of Magadh in the 5th century BC, along with Catherine Tresa, Samyuktha Menon and Warina Hussain.

The film is produced by Nandamuri Kalyan Ram's home banner NTR Arts, which despite intense competition from other filmmakers, was able to put together this massive project.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
New Delhi, Aug 3 : At least 30 Afghan Sikhs, including men, women, and children, are scheduled to arrive in Delhi from Kabul on Wednesday as evacuation of Afghan minorities to India continues in the wake of rising religious persecution in Taliban-ruled Afghanistan.

These Afghan nationals left from Kabul on board Kam Air Flight number 4401.

Indian World Forum president Puneet Singh Chandok informed that still there were 110 Sikhs left in Afghanistan while 61 e-visa applications were pending with the Indian government.

Earlier, 32 Afghan Sikhs were evacuated from Kabul.

Sikhs' single largest representative body Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee has borne their airfare.

He informed that after landing at Delhi, the evacuees would proceed towards Gurdwara Sri Guru Arjan Dev, Tilak Nagar, New Delhi.

"They are likely to be rehabilitated by the World Punjabi Organisation, Sobti Foundation, and other social organisations," said Chandok.

Sikhs and Hindus in Afghanistan are being continuously attacked by different terrorist organisations and in the past year, the number of attacks has increased leaving the community petrified.

Kabul's Gurdwara Kart-e-Parwan has repeatedly been vandalised and bombed making their (Sikhs) stay unsafe in Afghanstian.
Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 3 : Two of Kerala's topmost politicians who have had a very long innings and are in their last lap of their distinguished political career are seriously engaged in doing their best to launch their sons' political career, before they bow out from electoral politics.

First one is 78-year-old two-time former Congress Chief Minister, Oommen Chandy, who just the other day wrote himself into record books by becoming the longest serving legislator by beating late K.M. Mani.

Since 1970, Chandy, who has been representing the Puthupally assembly constituency and has won a record 12 assembly elections, is seriously mulling to place his son- Chandy Oommen to field him in either 2024 Lok Sabha polls, or in 2026 assembly polls.

The other leader is 81-year-old Kerala Congress supremo P.J. Joseph who represents the Thodupuzha assembly constituency in Idukki district and like Chandy he first won his election in 1970, but he lost the polls in 1991 and 2001 assembly elections.

Joseph is presently into his 10th term as a legislator and he has already set the ball rolling to field his son Appu John Joseph, who in all likelihood will be contesting in 2026 assembly polls.

However gone are the days, when top-notch Congress-led United Democratic Front leaders could place their son into the father's shoes and the only person who managed to escape from the ire of the average aspiring politicians aiming for a seat was K. Muraleedharan, son of legendary Congress leader K. Karunakaran.

Karunakaran first placed his son when he was the be all and end all of the Congress party in Kerala in the eighties, but he had to beat a hasty retreat when he tried to place his daughter Padmaja Venugopal too into electoral politics.

Despite Padmaja being fielded in one Lok Sabha and two assembly polls, she was unable to win at these polls and is now an office bearer of State Congress party, still waiting for that elusive victory, when Muraleedharan has had a few terms in the Lok Sabha and won twice to the assembly.

A political critic on condition of anonymity said even though Chandy known for his astute political brain and has moulded numerous Congress leaders, with age catching up and falling health, it might not be that easy like what he thinks.

"Gone are the days when Chandy had an iron grip over his faction which was the one that led the party for close to two decades. That scene has changed and now there are a few leaders all trying to prove that they are the topmost leaders in the party could play spoilsport for Chandy. The problem for both Chandy Oommen and Appu John Joseph is they did not create their own space by working at the grassroots, instead they enjoyed the powers that came through their fathers. Along with the 'powers' they enjoyed, had they worked a bit harder at the grassroots, it would not have been that difficult. Also murmurs have already begun in the way both Chandy and Joseph are trying to place their sons and it has not gone down well in their parties, as there are a few who have been eyeing these two seats for a long time," said the analyst.

Incidentally, both Chandy and Joseph know that their late colleague K.M. Mani placed his son Jose K. Mani, had initial hiccups, as his first outing ended in defeat and only later was Jose able to win.

And in the 2021 assembly polls , Jose had to bite the dust at the Pala assembly constituency which his father won a record 13 times as not many of those in the Kerala Congress (M) and the local electorate was upset when Jose took his party to the Left Democratic Front just before the 2021 assembly polls.

Meanwhile, there are unconfirmed reports that another top Congress veteran- former Defence Minister A.K. Antony who recently returned from Delhi after his Rajya Sabha term ended, is also mulling to field one of his two sons, into electoral politics.

"The problem is due to their clout in their respective parties getting a seat for their children might not be a difficult task, but will it please those who have toiled hard in the party and the electorate and that time only will tell," added the political analyst.
Colombo, Aug 3 : Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe on Wednesday thanked India, saying the closest neighbour has given 'a breath of life' to the country that was economically ailing with major shortages of essential items such as food, fuel, medicine and many more.

"I wish to specially mention the assistance provided by India, our closest neighbour, in our efforts in economic revitalisation. The Government of India under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has given us a breath of life," Wickremesinghe said delivering his maiden Presidential Policy statement in Parliament or Throne Speech opening the parliament.

"On behalf of my people and that of my own, I convey our gratitude to Prime Minister Modi, the Government and people of India," the Sri Lankan President said.

President Wickremesinghe said that had the oil tanks in Trincomalee at Sri Lanka's Eastern coast were developed together with India, the fuel crisis would not have worsened.

"When we tried to develop the oil tank complex in Trincomalee together with India, it was stated that Sri Lanka would be a sell out to India and this development project was halted. If at that time we were allowed to develop the oil tank complex, today people would not have to spend many days in queues for fuel," Wickremesinghe charged.

He also was grateful for the free ambulance service gifted by India in 2016, when he was leading the government as the Prime Minister and noted that "thousands of lives have been saved".

He also expressed gratitude for Indian grant of $7.56 million, the 'Suwa Seriya' meaning 'a journey for good health' started in the Western and Southern provinces with nearly 90 ablulances and later expanded to cover all nine provinces with nearly 300 ambulances, purchased from Tata Motors - with an additional Indian grant of $15.09 million.

During Covid, the service with a hotline '1990' played a major role to save thousands of lives.

The new President also stressed the importance of maintaining a non-aligned foreign policy for the Indian Ocean island nation for cordial and friendly relationships with all countries.

"I would also like to make special reference on the foreign policy of our country. Due to the instability of the foreign policy, we faced many disadvantages and setbacks in the international arena. I will change this situation. All countries of the world are our friends. We have no enemies. We do not belong to any group. I will ensure the adoption of a cordial and friendly foreign policy with all countries," President Wickremesinghe said.

While Sri Lanka holds historic, cultural and ethnic ties with India, the other major super power in the region, China, island's largest bilateral creditor and trade partner has been in a race to mark its presence throughout the country.

However, according to reports while China has still provided economically bankrupt country with humanitarian assistance of a mere US$74 million, India from January has assisted with nearly $4 billion assistance for food, fuel and medicine.

During his speech, President Wickremesinghe said he would prepare a National Economic Policy for the next 25 years, to get the economy out of the present crisis and to lead it to become a developed country by the year 2048, the year it marks the 100 anniversary of Independence.

From early this year, Sri Lanka has been going through, the worst-ever economic crisis in its history with major shortages of essential commodities. The island nation witnessed cash crunch, people taking to the streets leading to toppling of the Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Mahinda Rajapaksa-led governments.

Amid massive violent protests on May 9, the then Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa stepped down with his cabinet and Gotabaya Rajapaksa announced his resignation on July 9 and fled the country.

Wickremesinghe, who occupied the post of Prime Minister vacated by Mahinda Rajapaksa was later promoted as Acting President. He was later elected as the President from the Parliament with the backing of pro-Rajapaksa lawmakers.
Colombo, Aug 3 : Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe on Wednesday urged political parties to join him in establishing an all-party government that can lead Sri Lanka out of the economic crisis.

In delivering the government's policy statement following the ceremonial opening of the third session of the 9th Parliament, Wickremesinghe said that he has already started discussions with political parties on the matter.

He said Sri Lanka needs to modernise its economy and that it should no longer depend on foreign loans to maintain the economy, Xinhua news agency reported Wickremesinghe as saying.

The current economic crisis is the result of not making necessary adjustments to the economy, he said, adding that Sri Lanka has to plan for the future and a national economic program for the next 25 years will be formulated.

Wickremesinghe said that while fuel shortages will continue till the end of the year, steps are being taken to ensure that everyone has fair access to fuel supply.

"The problems are lessening. Steps have been taken to assure a steady supply of gas, food, and medicines," he said.

Sri Lanka can come to a staff-level agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) by the end of August, he said.

"We will present this to the IMF soon. Then we will start talking to countries that have given us loans and private investors that have bought our bonds," he said.
Washington, Aug 3 : More than 450 monkeypox cases have been confirmed in Texas, the second most populous state in the United States, according to the state's health department.

Of the 454 Texans diagnosed with monkeypox on Tuesday, seven are female, and the others are male, Xinhua news agency reported quoting latest data from the Department of State Health Services.

Roughly half of the cases were reported in North Texas, where monkeypox cases more than doubled this week, according to the data.

More than 6,300 monkeypox/orthopoxvirus cases have been reported in the United States as of Tuesday, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Latest updates on Monkeypox Virus Outbreak
Lucknow, Aug 3 : Samajwadi Party MP Prof Ram Gopal Yadav's meeting with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday has led to a huge controversy with former allies of SP demanding an explanation.

Shivpal Yadav, the estranged uncle of Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and president of the Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party Lohia (PSPL), said that Prof Ram Gopal Yadav was taking up the cause of only a select few.

Prof Yadav had reportedly met the chief minister to draw his attention to false cases being heaped on the SP leaders and workers, particularly the backwards and Muslims.

"Why did the SP leaders not take up the issue when cases were being filed against Mohd Azam Khan, Nahid Hasan, Shahzil Islam and other party workers. Fight for justice is only for a select few?" Shivpal Yadav said on Wednesday.

In the two-page letter that Prof Ram Gopal Yadav gave to the chief minister, he has mentioned how former SP MLA Rameshwar Yadav, his brothers and their families are 'being targeted by the Etah police' after criminal cases were lodged against them during the recent elections.

The letter cites specific instances in detail on how police demolished commercial premises and brick kilns owned by the family and how even the women members were arrested and sent to jail.

Deepak Mishra, the chief national spokesperson of Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party Lohia (PSPL) said, "The problem is not that the SP leadership met the chief minister to seek help to Etah leaders, the problem is that they publicly claimed that they went to draw the Yogi Adityanath's attention towards backwards and Muslims. The letter does not talk of any other backward or Muslim except for one family in Etah." While Azam Khan spent over two years in jail with nearly 100 criminal cases lodged against him and his family, Nahid Hasan was arrested in the midst of 2022 polls despite being a party candidate.

A sitting SP MLA Shehzil Islam recently made headlines when police demolished a gas station that he owned, claiming that it was built on encroached land.

Meanwhile, some other former allies of SP have also questioned the purpose of the meeting.

Arun Rajbhar, national general secretary of Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party (SBSP), said, "Is there any deal being worked out? People in the country are scared of the ED and CBI inquiries these days in the country. Hope, the meeting was not meant to get bailed out of any such thing." Keshav Dev Maurya of Mahaan Dal said, "Hope nothing big is cooking up."
New Delhi, Aug 3 : Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari on Wednesday told the Rajya Sabha that by 2024, road infrastructure in India will be similar to that of the United States.

Before 2024, as many as 26 green express highways will be constructed which will bring down travel time considerably.

Once the highways are in place, travel time from Delhi to Dehradun, Delhi to Haridwar, Delhi to Jaipur would only take around two hours. While Delhi to Chandigarh will take 2.30 hrs, Delhi to Amritsar will be done in 4 hours and Delhi to Mumbai in 12 hours.

The Minister was replying to Congress MP Rajeev Shukla's query during Question Hour on the fund availability of NHAI. "The Government is constructing 26 green highways. Road infrastructure in India will be similar to that of the U.S by 2024. There is no dearth of funds. We are committed to changing the face of road infrastructure in the country," Gadkari said in his reply.

On the fund availability, he said that NHAI can construct roads worth five lakh crore every year.

During a discussion over Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), RLD's Jayant Chaudhary stated that in Uttar Pradesh during the period 2018-20, as many as 1,338 cases were registered under UAPA, according to the government's data. However, only 83 saw a conviction that accounts for a 6 per cent conviction rate.

"This proves that the application of the law is somewhat wrong. How will you sensitise the UP police towards the law?" Chaudhary asked MoS Home Nityanand Rai.

This is the data of states and this is not like that judgement have come on the all matters. And, state Governments also file cases under UAPA," the minister replied.
Moscow, Aug 3 : Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has criticised Speaker of the US House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi's Taiwan trip.

This shows Washington's desire to demonstrate US lawlessness to everyone, along the lines of "I do what I want," he said on Wednesday during a visit to Myanmar, according to the Russian state news agency TASS.

Such a nuisance had been created out of thin air, knowing full well what it would mean for China, dpa news agency reported quoting Lavrov as saying.

Pelosi arrived in Taiwan the previous day.

China regards self-governing democratic Taiwan as part of the People's Republic and it strictly rejects official contact by other countries with the island and had warned the US against the visit.

Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine War
New Delhi, Aug 3 : In yet another major cryptocurrency hack, the popular blockchain Solana on Wednesday reported that an unknown bad actor has drained funds from 7,767 wallets on the Solana Network.

However, Blockchain security firm SlowMist claimed more than 8,000 wallets had been drained worth around $8 million.

Solana is a high-performance Blockchain supporting builders around the world creating crypto apps that scale today.

The attack has affected "hot" wallets which are always connected to the internet, allowing people to store and send tokens easily.

"Engineers from multiple ecosystems, with the help of several security firms, are investigating drained wallets on Solana. There is no evidence hardware wallets are impacted," said Solana.

The exploit has affected several wallets, including Slope and Phantom. This appears to have affected both mobile and extension.

"There's no evidence hardware wallets have been impacted -- and users are strongly encouraged to use hardware wallets. Do not reuse your seed phrase on a hardware wallet - create a new seed phrase," Solana informed.

"Wallets drained should be treated as compromised, and abandoned," it added.

The attack also compromised other wallets including Phantom, Slope, Solflare, and TrustWallet.

Phantom, a Solana-based wallet that hit $1.2 billion in valuation earlier this year, said it's "working closely with other teams to get to the bottom of a reported vulnerability in the Solana ecosystem." "At this time, the team does not believe this is a Phantom-specific issue," the wallet developer said.

This could be a "supply chain attack" that manages to steal users' private keys.

The attack on Solana came as cryptocurrency service Nomad suffered a "chaotic" attack, with hackers draining almost $200 million in digital funds from the company within a few hours.
Bhopal, Aug 3 : A 19-year-old woman was allegedly raped by a person who was released on bail recently for raping the same woman two years back. Then the victim was a minor.

The incident was reported in Madhya Pradesh's Jabalpur district. An FIR has been registered at local police station and the police has started the investigation in the matter.

The victim claimed that she was sexually assaulted around one month back by the same person, who threatened her to withdraw the complaint against him, otherwise she will face dire consequences.

However, the matter came to the light after the victim lodged a complaint on Tuesday, police said.

The victim told the police that ever since the accused, who was identified as Vivek Patel, came out on bail, he had been forcing her to withdraw her complaint.

"Victim has alleged that accused Vivek Patel, who had raped her in 2020, committed the same crime along with his two friends. We are investigating the matter and also searching the accused person," the police said.
Taipei/Beijing : US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Wednesday pledged Washington's support for Taiwan during a visit to the island that has drawn Beijing's ire.

"Today, our delegation... came to Taiwan to make unequivocally clear: we will not abandon our commitment to Taiwan, and we're proud of our enduring friendship," Pelosi said at a joint press conference with Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen.

"Today, the world faces a choice between democracy and autocracy," Pelosi said, as she praised Taiwan as "one of the freest [democracies] in the world, proudly to be led by a woman president." "Now more than ever, America solidarity with Taiwan is crucial. And that is the message we are bringing here today," dpa news agency reported quoting Pelosi.

Tsai said Russia's invasion of Ukraine has highlighted security concerns about Taiwan.

"Aggressions against a democratic Taiwan would have a tremendous impact on the security of the entire Indo-Pacific," she warned.

"Facing deliberately heightened military threats, Taiwan will not back down. We will firmly uphold our nation's sovereignty and continue to hold the line of defence for democracy," Tsai said, adding "We will do whatever it takes to strengthen Taiwan's self-defence capability." Pelosi arrived in Taiwan on Tuesday despite stern warnings from Beijing, making her the highest-level US official to visit the island in 25 years.

The trip has drawn outrage from Beijing, which views the self-governing island as part of the People's Republic and rejects official contacts between its diplomatic partners and the government in Taipei.

In response to her arrival, China launched military exercises in six areas in the waters surrounding Taiwan. They are expected to include long-range live-fire exercises and last through Sunday.

The manoeuvres are seen as the biggest show of military muscle from Beijing since the 1995 Taiwan Strait crisis, when China fired missiles over Taiwan and the US dispatched two aircraft carrier groups.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry summoned the US ambassador to China, Nicholas Burns, early Wednesday to protest Pelosi's visit as a "serious provocation and violation" of the one-China principle, state newspaper Global Times reported.

China also sent 21 planes into Taiwan's air defence identification zone on Tuesday alone, the Defence Ministry in Taipei said.

US National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby on Tuesday said that Washington was expecting that China would "continue to react over a longer-term horizon ... even beyond [Pelosi's] trip." Kirby, who stressed that Pelosi's visit was "totally consistent with our long-standing 'One China' policy," said that China's reaction was "unfortunately, right in line with what we had anticipated." "There is no reason... for Beijing to turn this visit, which is consistent with long-standing US policy, into some sort of crisis, or use it as a pretext to increase aggressiveness and military activity in or around the Taiwan Strait, now or beyond her travel," Kirby said during a press briefing in Washington.

"We are prepared to manage what Beijing chooses to do," he went on. "We will not engage in sabre-rattling," he said.

For days, Pelosi had declined to confirm news reports that she would visit and Taiwan was not on her official itinerary.

An editorial by Pelosi was published in the Washington Post minutes after she arrived in Taipei.

"We cannot stand by as the CCP (the Chinese Communist Party) proceeds to threaten Taiwan - and democracy itself," she wrote.

"Indeed, we take this trip at a time when the world faces a choice between autocracy and democracy. As Russia wages its premeditated, illegal war against Ukraine, killing thousands of innocents - even children - it is essential that America and our allies make clear that we never give in to autocrats." "By travelling to Taiwan, we honour our commitment to democracy: reaffirming that the freedoms of Taiwan - and all democracies - must be respected," Pelosi wrote.

Taiwan, which has 23 million inhabitants, has long considered itself independent.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine has heightened fears that China could annex the democratic island republic by force. Tensions over Taiwan have not been as high since the 1990s.

Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine War
New Delhi/Kohima, Aug 3 : They are the old wine but they want to make a critical difference to Nagaland politics by getting into a new bottle.

Given their experience and ability to draw "resources" and good contacts in Delhi and elsewhere in the northeast; it is anybody's guess now whether the Forum will truly emerge as a formidable challenger to Neiphiu Rio's leadership.

Former legislators and parliamentarians from Nagaland have set up a Forum and would soon draw out a goal-oriented roadmap for the coming Assembly elections in the state.

All options are open. In the past they backed Congress candidate K.L. Chishi (a former Chief Minister) during Lok Sabha elections of 2019.

However, they understand the political reality of 2022 and the near "invincibility factor" of the BJP at the national level.

"We are not against the BJP......Nagas as well as rest of India are passing through a challenging phase. At this juncture especially in the context of working for peace and solution to end the insurgency and political issue, Nagas need to be friendly to the ruling party in Delhi," said a key leader of the Forum.

The Forum of former lawmakers would be meeting in Dimapur on Thursday, August 4, and will draw out further plans.

"We may decide to workout a formula with as many as 21 NDPP candidates who lost 2018 polls but are now very keen to look for fresh and good options," a Forum insider told IANS.

The NDPP headed by Chief Minister Rio as of now has support of 44 MLAs of its own but four of them would be denied tickets as the party has pledged to contest only 40 seats and leave 20 for the BJP.

Between 2018 and now, legislator elected from JD(U) G. Kaito and NPP MLA L. Khumo had joined NDPP and are also serving as Ministers under Rio.

The state Housing Minister Tongpang OzAkAm had own as an Independent candidate from Angetyongpang Assembly constituency and defeated Rio's trusted colleague Alemtemshi Jamir.

There is truly a problem of plenty for Rio-led NDPP as the 21 NPF legislators two months back defected and joined the party.

The former lawmakers' Forum does not want to disturb BJP's 20:40 seat share formula with the NDPP of Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio but says - "We want to draw out plans where we can provide more winnable candidates and participate actively in campaigning and drawing a mass level support".

"As of now, our formula is based on hardcore political commitment and all out efforts would be made to resolve the Naga issue and bring a purposeful end to the long negotiations," another source told IANS.

"The Forum is not for power game. Let there be good and alternative leadership to the present one led by Neiphiu Rio; but for an effective drawing of roadmap with JD(U) or the BJP, one senior member of the Forum should get organisational role for party presidentship".

The idea is that the Forum's principles and ideologies ought to be reflected in the political manifesto and other programmes. "If they do not want to disturb the equilibrium, our Form leader(s) should get chairmanship and other key roles in the campaign committee," said a Forum insider.

"We want to remain in the background as of August 2022 because we do not have even an iota of doubts on the future prospect of Naga peace talks. If negotiating parties that is the militant groups and the Government of India wants to go ahead with a Solution to bring peace, we will first insist that it should happen," said another leader.

He, however, drew a line of caution - "But talks should be purposeful and not merely in the name of negotiations.

But we are against negotiations which are not making any progress since 2019".

Keeping the negotiations on but not arriving at any solution had led to increase in extortion from civilian population. The Naga guerrilla groups have argued in public that such extortion is legitimate taxation.

The reference is to the bitter fact that the NSCN-IM and central government's peace talks remain stalled due to the twin demands of Flag and a separate Naga constitution.

Another leader in the Forum said - "The present NDPP-led coalition dispensation has failed to deliver peace and solution. It is a known fact. Perhaps the ruling elites have tried to hoodwink the central BJP leadership with another set of promises. BJP has given one more opportunity to the NDPP".

The Forum does not mind that, he said adding - "We have therefore tried to caution the BJP to be careful. But if a solution comes before August 15, 2022 we are all for it and the Forum leaders will be the happiest of all".

The Forum - as of now - can have "a unique political adjustment and draw our shared political strategy" essentially with three parties - the BJP and (or) two other saffron partners at the national level - the JD(U) and NPP led by Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma.

"So, this so-called seat adjustment alliance between BJP and NDPP (20:40) does not bother us. We are for a bigger cause," says a key strategist in the group.

"We have to get rid of a regime that has failed people on several fronts....There is nothing personal about it.

But after 20 years of being in power and Chief Minister for 18 years, it is time for Neiphiu Rio to redraw the map of his political journey," he remarked.

"I think, Rio should take the message sportingly," said one former minister adding, "we will also broad base the Forum by encouraging more women and sitting MLAs, retired bureaucrats, Ministers and intellectuals to join us if they want to follow our ideologies and principles".

As of now two senior leaders and former Chief Ministers K.L. Chishi and veteran S C Jamir are not yet part of the Forum.

"But we have four women leaders....It is an inclusive club and in the past this Forum has coordinated well with Gaon Burah Federation and a Committee of 14 Naga Tribes," said the Forum leader.

A few leaders on behalf of the Forum will call on top leaders from JD-U and BJP in Delhi after August 15 and will share their roadmap with them.

One leader clarified that the move to back Congress nominee in 2019 Lok Sabha polls was based on "political ground reality of the time".

"Now in 2022, we feel strongly that only the BJP-led government in the centre under Prime Minister Narendra Modi can bring in the solution....and it should not be delayed," the leader mentioned.

Over 60 ex-legislators, former parliamentarians, intending candidates, some sitting legislators, retired bureaucrats and young politicians would be working to "form the next government" in the state, they insist.

On July 26, the BJP leaders Amit Shah and Himanta Biswa Sarma met Nagaland Chief Minister Rio in Delhi and both the parties agreed for a NDPP-40 and BJP-20 seat share formula.

This was the same 2018 electoral seat share formula between two parties but four years back, the BJP's strike rate was better (with 12 win out of 20) against 18 seats win by the NDPP which fielded 40 candidates.

There was some resentment in the Nagaland BJP over the announcement of new alliance in July but rebel leader and deputy Chief Minister Y Patton later endorsed the alliance saying it would bring in stability.

Significantly, the umbrella organisation of Naga rebels, NNPG, which is keen for an early solution has also opposed the BJP-NDPP alliance.

(Nirendra Dev is a New Delhi-based journalist. He is also author of books, 'The Talking Guns: North East India' and 'Modi to Moditva: An Uncensored Truth'.

Views are personal)
New Delhi, Aug 3 : Fintech platform BharatPe on Wednesday said it has appointed former SBI Card CFO Nalin Negi as its new chief financial officer, as it prepares for its initial public offering (IPO).

In his new role, Negi will take charge of the finance function for BharatPe and will be working towards making the company EBITDA positive by March 2023.

He will report to Suhail Sameer, CEO, BharatPe and work closely with the Board of BharatPe, the company said in a statement.

"His experience of listing SBI Card will be instrumental for us as we aim to go public in FY25," said Sameer.

BharatPe closed the first quarter of FY23 with over Rs 3,600 crore in total loans facilitated and $18 billion in annualised TPV in payments.

"The company has become a preferred and trusted partner for millions of offline merchants in just 4 years of launch," said Negi, who will lead the financial readiness of the company as it prepares for the IPO.

In April, the company announced the appointment of Smriti Handa as the Chief Human Resources Officer.

The new appointment comes after BharatPe Co-founder Bhavik Koladiya moved on from the company to pursue other assignments.

The company has seen several high-profile exits in recent months, including Co-founders Shashvat Nakrani and Ashneer Grover (who triggered a major controversy at the platform); Chief Revenue Officer Nishit Sharma; and Head of Institutional Debt Partnerships, Chandrima Dhar.
Los Angeles, Aug 3 : Proud mom Angelina Jolie, whose daughter Zahara will be attending Spelman College, was seen doing the Electric Slide to the tune of 'Candy' alongside a crowd of other students and their families.

The Electric Slide is a smooth, dynamic disco-style dance form.

Dressed in an oversized grey sweater and white slacks, the 47-year-old Oscar winner looked chic as she busted some moves, while her 17-year-old daughter kept it simple in a plain white T-shirt, reports 'People'.

The duo were all smiles as Jolie held hands with another dancer wearing a "Spelman" shirt during the event, which Morehouse Los Angeles President Brandon Rainey described on social media as a "family reunion".

"You know the Family Reunion is lit when #SpelhouseLA is showing @joliestweet some moves on the dance floor," Rainey tweeted alongside the clip of Jolie and her daughter dancing.

On Sunday, Jolie announced via an Instagram post that Zahara, whom she shares with her ex-husband Brad Pitt, will be attending the historically Black college this fall.

"Zahara with her Spelman sisters!" the 'Eternals' Jolie captioned an image of her daughter surrounded by fellow Spelman attendees.

"Congratulations to all new students starting this year," she added, referring to the Black college for women located in Atlanta.

"A very special place and an honor to have a family member as a new Spelman girl." Jolie also added a group of hashtags to her post including "#SpelmanCollege," "#SpelmanSisters and "#HBCU." The actor and human rights campaigner also shares twins Vivienne and Knox, 14, as well as Shiloh, 16, Pax, 18, and Maddox, 20, with Pitt, 58.

Jolie adopted Zahara in 2005.
Moscow, Aug 3 : The US has not yet offered any new talks on nuclear arms control, according to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

"They have not even proposed to resume these talks," Lavrov said on Wednesday during a visit to Myanmar, according to Russian state news agency TASS.

At issue is a replacement for the New START disarmament treaty, the only remaining major arms control agreement between the US and Russia. The treaty limits the nuclear arsenals of both countries to 800 delivery systems and 1,550 operational warheads each, dpa news agency reported.

In February 2021, US President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin had agreed on an extension of New START.

Earlier in the week a month-long UN conference to review the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) got under way.

Biden said at the UN conference that his administration was ready to negotiate "expeditiously" on a new arms control framework to replace the New START treaty when it expires in 2026. "But negotiation requires a willing partner operating in good faith," Biden had stressed.

And Russia's war on Ukraine represents an attack on the cornerstones of the international order, he added.

Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine War
Srinagar, Aug 3 : An army soldier was injured on Wednesday in an accidental misfire from his service rifle in Jammu and Kashmir's Kulgam district.

According to police sources, the soldier was injured in Kulgam's Frisal area when his service rifle went off accidentally.

"He was shifted to a local hospital for treatment. Doctors have described his condition as stable", a source said.
Chennai, Aug 3 : The raids carried out by the Income Tax department at many places in Madurai and Chennai of noted film producer Anbu Chezhiyan continued on Wednesday.

According to information available, the I-T department sleuths are conducting search operations at 20 places of the well-known producer who had earlier been subjected to I-T raid after the release of the movie 'Bigel' starring superstar of Tamil industry Vijay. The I-T department had unearthed unaccounted money to the tune of Rs 65 crore during that raid.

It may be noted that the marriage of the daughter of Anbu Chezhiyan was held in Chennai five months ago and it was a grand gala wedding in which several Tamil film celebrities and industrialists attended. Tamil Super stars Rajanikanth, Kamal Haasan and producer Boney Kapoor were some of the noted names who had attended the marriage function of Anu Chezhiyan's daughter.

Ashok Kumar, Tamil film producer and director had in 2017 committed suicide by writing an eight-page suicide note blaming Anbu Chezhiyan's high-handedness behind his suicide. The director-producer who was the cousin of noted actor, director of Tamil film industry, Sasikumar had said that Anbu Chezhiyan had threatened to kidnap the women in the family even after he (Ashok Kumar) had paid huge money as interest and that he could not get justice from even the police.

Anbu Chezhiyan, one of the top financiers of the Tamil industry is basically from Madurai and has come his way up through small-time finances in the industry.
New Delhi, Aug 3 : Ride-hailing platform Uber, which suffered around $707 million loss in its Zomato investment in the first half of this year, on Wednesday sold its 7.8 per cent stake worth over $390 million in the Deepinder Goyal-run company.

Uber Technologies sold its share in the food delivery aggregator via a block deal on stock exchanges that has been bought by several global and Indian VCs, according to sources close to the development of the matter.

According to them, the block deal move will actually ensure more "long-term" and stable investment from top VC firms in the company.

The Zomato block deal was executed at Rs 50.44 per share equivalent to 612 million or 7.8 per cent of total outstanding shares.

Zomato stock closed around Rs 55 on Wednesday, before falling nearly 10 per cent in the early morning trade, and then recovering fast during the day.

Both Zomato or Uber were yet to issue an official statement on the development.

Uber on Tuesday revealed that it lost about $245 million in its Zomato investment in the second quarter (Q2) this year.

In the first six months this year, the total loss was around $707 million, said the company during its second quarter (Q2) earnings.

Uber had sold its food delivery business Uber Eats in 2020 in an all-stock transaction to Zomato for a 9.99 per cent stake in the online food delivery platform, and took 7.78 per cent in online food aggregator.

Zomato shares have lost over 60 per cent of its value this year.

The company reported Rs 185.7 crore in consolidated loss for the quarter ending June 30, compared to a loss of Rs 359.7 crore in the previous quarter.

The consolidated revenue saw 67 per cent increase at Rs 1,413.9 crore from Rs 844.4 crore (same quarter last year), and 16.68 per cent up from Rs 1,211.8 crore in the last reported quarter.

According to the company, the losses for Blinkit are coming down every month -- from Rs 2,040 million (about $26 million) in January 2022 to Rs 929 million ($12 million) in July.
Mumbai, Aug 3 : In a significant move, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has released a list of states, Union Territories and districts dominated by different minority communities for extending priority lending schemes implemented by scheduled commercial banks in the country.

Presently, the Union Minority Affairs Ministry has classified Sikhs, Muslim, Christians, Zoroastrians, Buddhists, and Jains as "minority communities".

The RBI has listed 121 districts where the minority population component is at least 25 per cent, plus the states of Punjab, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, and the Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh, and Lakshadweep.

As per the latest RBI Master Circular, dated August 2, partnership firms where the majority of the partners belong to any one or more of the specified minority communities, then advances can be granted to them and shall be treated as "advances granted to minority communities".

Similarly, if the majority beneficial ownership in a partnership firm belongs to the minority community, it will be classified as advances to that specific community.

However, since a company is "a separate legal entity", the loans given to it cannot be classified as advances to the specified minority communities, from the current fiscal, 2022-2023.

The Bharatiya Janata Party-led NDA government is desirous of special monitoring of credit flow to these minority-dominated districts, UTs and states, and ensure these under-represented categories "get a fair and equitable share of the credit within the overall target of the priority sector".

Welcoming the government's move, the Nagpur-headquartered Council for Protection of Rights (CPR) President, barrister Vinod Tiwari said that this will prevent big companies run by certain minorities like Jains from cornering a big chunk of the priority sector lending extended by banks.

"Now, the government and RBI should disclose the actual data of which minorities have benefitted and to what extent under this policy from 2014, when the Jains were also declared as a 'minority community' for the first time in India," he demanded.

Lauding the initiative, prominent stock markets consultant Rajesh Shah from Mumbai said with the "big fish" moving out, the genuinely deserving minorities will get bank loans easily.

"Several companies, particularly Jains in the realty sector have picked up huge loans, many have even defaulted, but now with the new directives, such persons will not be entitled to loans due to their 'minority' status alone," he said.

Pune-based Muslim Chamber of Commerce & Industries (MCCI) President Nisar Sagar said he would study the new directives properly before commenting.

"Nevertheless, I can confidently say that Muslims have not been discriminated against on this count... Depending upon their business plans and collaterals, and if they fulfil other criteria, they are extended business loans as needed," Sagar told IANS.

Nationalist Congress Party Minority Cell President Mohammad Khan-Pathan said while government schemes are available, the awareness is very low, especially among the Muslims, owing to lack of education and guidance, thus they remain deprived of these benefits always.

Tiwari said considering the new rules, "what will be the fate of those borderline districts where the minority population falls short by one or two percent", and why a prominent minority community like Sindhis have been excluded from this "inclusivity" scheme.

"To make complete sense, the government and RBI must publish details of how many people from different minorities have been the real beneficiaries of this scheme, and whether its proportionate to their population or not," he urged.

The RBI list of 121 districts where the minorities are minimum 25 percent is led by Uttar Pradesh with 21 districts, Kerala (14), Assam (13), West Bengal (12), Maharashtra (9), Arunachal Pradesh and Bihar (7 each), Manipur (6), Jharkhand and Sikkim (4 each), Karnataka (3), Delhi, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Uttarakhand, UT of Andaman & Nicobar Isles (2 each), Telangana, Madhya Pradesh, Goa, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Puducherry, Rajasthan, Meghalaya and UT of Ladakh (1 each).

(Quaid Najmi can be contacted at q.najmi@ians.in)
Seoul, Aug 3 : Travellers from Japan, Taiwan and Macau will be temporarily allowed to enter South Korea without a visa this month, Seoul city said Wednesday.

The city has pushed for the visa waiver program in consultation with the culture, justice and foreign ministries, and the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency since June.

Travel to South Korea has been hampered by the lengthy time needed to get a tourist visa. The process takes three to four weeks in Japan, Yonhap news agency reported.

Seoul expects the visa exemption policy would help attract tourists to Seoul Festa 2022.

The tourist festival will be held from Aug 10-14 in various spots in the city, featuring K-pop performances, an electric car race and various other tourist experiences, such as shopping, culture-hopping and sports.

Tourists from Japan, Taiwan and Macau must obtain entry approval on the Korea Electronic Travel Authorisation website (k-eta.go.kr) at least 72 hours before their flight takes off.
Ankara, Aug 3 : Istanbul has successfully completed inspections on the first ship loaded with Ukrainian grain for export since Russia's invasion started in February, the Turkish Defence Ministry said.

The vessel Razoni will shortly sail onward through Istanbul's Bosporus Strait to its final destination Lebanon, the ministry said on Twitter.

It shared images of experts, wearing life jackets and white helmets, boarding the vessel at the strait's Black Sea entrance and inspecting the cargo and documents, dpa news agency reported.

The inspection by representatives from Ukraine, Russia, Turkey and the United Nations took approximately an hour.

The team is responsible for ensuring that the ship does not carry any unauthorised cargo, such as weapons.

The Razoni had left the Ukrainian port of Odessa on Monday carrying 26,000 tons of corn.

More than 20 million tons of grain from last year's harvest are still awaiting export, according to data from Ukraine. The food is urgently needed on the world market - especially in Asia, Africa and the Middle East. The UN recently warned of the biggest famine in decades.

Under a deal agreed on July 22 to lift Russia's months-long blockade of the ports, Ukraine pledged to guide the ships through waters that have been mined and Russia promised to not target the ships and certain port infrastructure.

The deal's brokers - the UN and Turkey - said they will help safely coordinate the exports and monitor the shipments to make sure the vessels are not smuggling weapons into the war zone.

A joint coordination centre has been opened in Istanbul and is staffed by the four parties.

On the ground in Ukraine, a British intelligence update said on Wednesday that Ukrainian counter-attacks in the south-eastern Kherson region are causing increasing problems for Russia.

A Ukrainian attack on a Russian munitions train has temporarily disrupted a supply route from the occupied Crimean peninsula, according to the daily update by the British Ministry of Defence.

While the Russians could repair this route within a few days, it would remain a weak point.

The Antonivka bridge, damaged by Ukrainian missiles, also makes it difficult for Moscow to supply its occupying army west of the Dnipro river. The Russians would almost certainly have to use a recently established ferry route for civilians to bring their troops and supplies across the river.

The Ukrainian counter-offensive in Kherson has recently gained momentum, according to Western security circles. Particularly with the help of the US-supplied HIMARS multiple rocket launchers, it is believed that losses are being inflicted on the attackers and logistical problems created.

As the fierce fighting continues, the British intelligence services expect more and more people to flee the Kherson region in the near future. This is expected to increase pressure on traffic and transport routes and may result in restrictions.

The British government has regularly published intelligence information on the course of the Russian war on Ukraine since it began. Moscow accuses London of a targeted disinformation campaign.

Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine War
New Delhi, Aug 3 : Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's counsel on Wednesday told the Supreme Court that there is no split in the political party rather, there is a dispute over its leadership, which can be said to be an "intra-party" dispute, not falling within the scope of defection. Shinde's counsel added, "no two Shiv Senas, two groups in a political party..." A bench headed by Chief Justice N.V. Ramana and comprising Justices Krishna Murari and Hima Kohli was hearing petitions filed by the Shiv Sena and its rebel MLAs on constitutional issues of splits, merger, defection, and disqualification.

After hearing arguments, the top court asked Shinde's counsel to redraft the submissions on petitions filed by the Uddhav Thackeray faction on constitutional issues, which arise out of the political crisis in Maharashtra.

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, representing the Thackeray faction, said the rebel MLAs, Shinde's faction, can save themselves from disqualification under the tenth schedule of the Constitution only by merging the splinter group with another party, otherwise there is no defence for them. He added that the rebel group violated the chief whip, and they are disqualified as per the tenth schedule.

Senior advocate Harish Salve, representing Eknath Shinde, said there can be a dissenting member in the political party and there has to be democracy within the party. He said, "No two Shiv Senas, two groups in a political party..." Salve argued that there is no split in the party, instead there is a dispute over its leadership, which can be termed an "intra-party" dispute, not falling within the scope of defection. He said the anti-defection law will apply only to those who have given up the membership of a political party, and his client has not given up the original membership of the party.

Salve said anti-defection law is not a weapon for leaders to lock up members after losing the majority.

He added that if there are a larger number of MLAs who are not satisfied with the way the chief minister is functioning and want a change, why can't they say there should be a fresh leadership contest? And, changing CM is not anti-party, rather intra-party.

Chief Justice queried Salve, can you form a new party saying the leader did not meet you? Salve replied, "I am within the party...I am the dissenting member within the party," and also cited the split in Congress in 1969.

The Chief Justice further queried Salve, "What is the purpose of you approaching the ECI (Election Commission of India)?" Salve said after Thackeray resigned there were political developments and municipal elections were near, and who should get the symbol? Salve added that it is not the case that the MLAs have voluntarily given up their party's membership. "Not a case of defection... Today it is the case of intra-party rebellion and nobody has given voluntary membership from the party," he submitted.

The top court, asking Salve to redraft the questions of law, scheduled the matter for further hearing on Thursday.
New Delhi, Aug 3 : Amid rising complaints against mobile apps, the Centre has identified and blocked 348 apps developed by various countries, including China, for allegedly collecting user information for profiling citizens and transmitting it overseas in an unauthorised manner, the Parliament was told on Wednesday.

"The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has identified 348 mobile applications which were collecting users' information and transmitting it in an unauthorised manner to servers located outside the country for profiling.

Based on the request from MHA, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has blocked those 348 mobile applications since such data transmissions infringes the sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India and security of the state," Minister of State for Electronics & Information Technology, Rajeev Chandrasekhar told the Lok Sabha in a written reply.

These apps are developed by various countries including China, he added.
Tehran, Aug 3 : At least 90 people have been killed and eight others went missing in floods across Iran.

Relief operations are underway, Iran's Red Crescent Society (IRCS) chief Pir-Hossein Kolivand told the official IRNA news agency on Wednesday.

The floods, which began in Iran two weeks ago and were caused by the monsoon phenomenon, have affected 24 provinces across the country, Xinhua news agency reported quoting Iranian media.
Baghdad, Aug 3 : Four soldiers were killed and one wounded in an attack by the extremist Islamic State (IS) militants in the province of Diyala in eastern Iraq.

The attack occurred late on Tuesday night when IS militants attacked an army convoy outside the village of Kashkool near the town of Qara-Tappa, some 175 km northeast of the Iraqi capital Baghdad, Alaa al-Saadi from the provincial police command told Xinhua.

The attack started with a roadside bomb to stop the convoy and followed by gunfire from machine guns, Xinhua news agency reported quoting al-Saadi.

Over the past months, Iraqi security forces have carried out deadly attacks against IS militants to crackdown on their intensified activities.

The security situation in Iraq has improved after Iraqi forces defeated the IS in 2017. Yet IS remnants have since melted into urban centres, deserts, and rugged areas, carrying out frequent guerilla attacks against security forces and civilians.
New Delhi, Aug 3 : Domestic chip manufacturer Polymatech Electronics on Wednesday said it will invest $1 billion in the country towards semiconductor manufacturing by 2025.

Polymatech has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Tamil Nadu government with an initial investment of $130 million.

Established in 2007, the company said it has imported all equipment for semiconductor manufacturing from Japan.

"With a team of best global minds in tech and our investment in the business, we are sure to be able to capitalise on the industry's potential and scale the semiconductor market in India," said Nandam Eswara Rao, Founding President, Polymatech.

Polymatech has successfully completed all required trials with the first phase of imported machinery that has a capacity of 250 million chips.

To make India a leading semiconductor manufacturing hub, the government announced a Rs 76,000 crore production-linked scheme (PLI) package last year.

"We plan to become one of the largest chip manufacturers in Asia by 2025," said Rao.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in May that India's own consumption of semiconductors is expected to cross $80 billion by 2026 and $110 billion by 2030.

According to IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, the government has received many applications under the semiconductor PLI scheme and expects the process to take about 15-18 months to complete.

So far, India has received investment proposals from five global Semiconductor majors to set up semiconductor fab and display fab locally in the country.
"At Hyatt, we are focused on thoughtful growth based on locations that matter most to our guests, World of Hyatt members, and customers, and introducing Hyatts brands across India has been a priority for us," said Dhruva Rathore, Vice President of Development, India & Southwest Asia, Hyatt. "Bhopal's history and the Noor-Us-Sabah Palace's rich Nawabi heritage make it a perfect addition to The Unbound Collection by Hyatt portfolio. This collection of independent hotels has seen great momentum across the globe, as each property invites guests to experience distinct culture and history, and we look forward to expanding The Unbound Collection by Hyatt footprint throughout the sub-continent." New Delhi, Aug 3 (IANSlife) The Noor-Us-Sabah Palace, one of Bhopal<sng-qts>s oldest and most coveted hotels, will undergo substantial renovations in order to join The Unbound Collection by Hyatt brand as a 60-room heritage hotel and is anticipated to open in 2025. By signing a management agreement for the Palace, Hyatt Hotels Corporation (NYSE: H) announced plans for the introduction of The Unbound Collection by Hyatt brand in India.

"At Hyatt, we are focused on thoughtful growth based on locations that matter most to our guests, World of Hyatt members, and customers, and introducing Hyatts brands across India has been a priority for us," said Dhruva Rathore, Vice President of Development, India & Southwest Asia, Hyatt. "Bhopal's history and the Noor-Us-Sabah Palace's rich Nawabi heritage make it a perfect addition to The Unbound Collection by Hyatt portfolio. This collection of independent hotels has seen great momentum across the globe, as each property invites guests to experience distinct culture and history, and we look forward to expanding The Unbound Collection by Hyatt footprint throughout the sub-continent." Noor-Us-Sabah Palace will offer cultural moments for guests seeking a sophisticated yet unscripted experience. Spread across 18 acres, the hotel was originally built as a royal residence in the 1920s by Bhopal's erstwhile ruler, Begum Sultan Jehan and it was subsequently converted into a hotel in 1998. The hotel will be completely renovated to bring alive the history and legacy of the Nawab's royal residence through its interior design, and its storied past will be harnessed to deliver unique and authentic experiences.

The hotel will also provide a distinctive and unique location for weddings and events, in addition to catering to premium business and leisure travellers. Currently situated in one of Bhopal's most affluent neighborhoods, the hotel offers a commanding view of the Upper Lake - one of the largest artificial lakes in the nation. The hotel's regal architecture, coupled with the legacy of Bhopal's Nawabi culture and the hotel's scenic landscape, offers guests an unmatched experience.

"We are delighted to work alongside Hyatt for the first hotel in India within The Unbound Collection by Hyatt portfolio," said Sikandar Hafiz Khan, Chairman - Reliable Group, which owns Noor-Us-Sabah Palace. "In the last 25 years, Noor-Us-Sabah has successfully established itself as an exemplary destination for those seeking a comfortable stay and delightful food, all in the environs of a historical palace. Bhopal's heritage and history find resonance in its palaces, architecture, and culinary offerings and have always found favour amongst both Indian and international tourists.

Noor-Us-Sabah Palace will continue to honor the history of the building and the city. We are certain that the combination of our expertise in India's real estate and hospitality market and Hyatt's international reputation will allow us to bring our vision for Noor-Us-Sabah Palace to life. With its stunning views and rich history, Noor-Us-Sabah Palace has offered guests the finest hospitality, service, and dining while continuing to stay true to its roots. This association with Hyatt will help us set a new benchmark in India for luxury and an unmatched guest experience and will be instrumental in spotlighting Bhopal as one of the premier tourist destinations with unmatched accommodation for travellers from within and beyond India." The Unbound Collection by Hyatt brand is a collection of truly distinctive properties, all with a different story to tell. Inspiring guests to discover new places with rich history, a fascinating past, or a distinct sense of place, each property embodies the uniqueness of its location.

(IANSlife can be contacted at ianslife@ians.in) --IANS

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Islamabad, Aug 3 : The number of people killed in rain-related incidents in Pakistan over the past few weeks has reached more than 500 as flash floods triggered by heavy monsoon rains continue to lash the country's south-western provinces.

The National Disaster Management Authority in its latest report on Wednesday said 502 people including 98 women and 191 children were among the dead.

The rains and flooding damaged more than 40,000 houses and over 2,500 km road, leaving thousands homeless and stranded in remote villages, dpa news agency reported quoting the NDMA report.

Balochistan and Sindh provinces were hardest-hit by the flooding after the heaviest rains in recorded history lashed the South Asian nation amid heightened concerns about climate change.

Millions of people including children were at risk of waterborne diseases in flood-hit regions where the military and rescue agencies were trying to reach and evacuate the stranded.

Flash floods, heat waves, cloudbursts, droughts and smog resulting in low air quality have been on the rise in Pakistan in recent years.
Taipei, Aug 3 : After her visit to Taiwan, Speaker of the US House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi flew on to the next stop of her Asia trip in South Korea on Wednesday.

Earlier, the US politician had met human rights activists in Taipei, including the former leader of China's democracy movement, Wu'er Kaixi, which was bloodily suppressed in 1989, dpa news agency reported.

Pelosi also met former Hong Kong bookseller Lam Wing-kee and social activist Lee Ming-chee, both of whom had been imprisoned in China, at the Jingmei Human Rights and Culture Park south of Taipei. Lee had just returned to Taiwan from China after serving a five-year sentence for "subverting state power." The discussion, which was also attended by other human rights representatives, focused on how human rights could be promoted in China, Hong Kong and especially in the Xinjiang region, participants reported.
Seoul, Aug 3 : South Korea has called for dialogue amid concerns about the growing tensions between China and the US over Taiwan.

The government in Seoul wants to remain in close contact with all countries involved, a representative for the presidential office said on Wednesday, according to public broadcaster KBS, referring to the visit by Speaker of the US House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan.

The basis for this, he said, was the need to maintain "peace and stability in the region through dialogue and cooperation." South Korea is Pelosi's next stop on her Asia trip. Her visit to Taiwan had triggered sharp warnings from China, which considers the self-governing island republic part of its territory and strictly rejects official contacts by other countries with Taipei, dpa news agency reported.

South Korea is a close ally of the US.

The presidential official expressed hope that Pelosi would continue her trip as planned. Her visit to South Korea would be welcomed, he said.

On Thursday, Pelosi plans to meet Parliament Speaker Kim Jin Pyo in the South Korean capital Seoul. A meeting with President Yoon Suk Yeol was not planned.
Phnom Penh, Aug 3 : Six more countries signed the instrument of accession to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC) here on Wednesday, bringing the number of state parties to the treaty of ASEAN to 49.

Representatives from Denmark, Greece, the Netherlands, Oman, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates inked the instrument of accession to the treaty on the sidelines of the 55th ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting (55th AMM) in Phnom Penh in the presence of ASEAN foreign ministers, Xinhua news agency reported.

Speaking at the event, Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn, who is the chair of the 55th AMM, said Cambodia was honoured to host the signing ceremony, where six more countries acceded to the TAC at the same time.

To date, 49 countries have joined the TAC, he said.

"Such remarkably high number of parties attests to the reconnection of the importance of the TAC in terms of its fundamental objectives and principles of promoting friendly multilateral cooperation and peaceful co-existence," Sokhonn said.

"I wish to take this opportunity to encourage all acceding parties to make their utmost efforts to deepen their friendly ties and mutually beneficial cooperation with ASEAN as an organization as well as with each individual ASEAN member state," he added.

The TAC is a peace treaty signed in 1976 among ASEAN member states to establish a set of guidelines to govern inter-state relations in the region, promote perpetual peace, everlasting amity and cooperation based on mutual respect, non-interference principle and peaceful settlement of disputes.

China is the first major country from outside of ASEAN to accede to the treaty in 2003.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
Davanagere, Aug 3 : Karnataka has never faced violence like it is facing today, stated former Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday while addressing a huge gathering at a function to celebrate the 75th birth anniversary of Opposition leader Siddaramaiah.

"If we ask a US citizen what they think of Karnataka today, they will tell you the state has never faced violence like it is facing today. They will also say that when the Congress was in power there was harmony in the state," Gandhi stated while referring to the situation in the state following a series of incidents leading to a communal divide.

All communities lived together happily and no one was scared when the Congress was in power. "Harmony and peace are the most important things in business," he stated. When the BJP was ridiculing computers, late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi made Karnataka a silicon valley, he underlined.

Rahul Gandhi attacked the ruling BJP saying that the whole state can see the corruption. "They (BJP leaders) swore before the statue of Basavanna and indulged in stealing from the people. When did Basavanna say you can steal? He said you do what you say. The BJP does just the opposite," he said.

"We believe in the culture, language and tradition of Karnataka. For the Congress party, your (Karnataka) culture and history is fundamental for the country. BJP wants to impose one idea on the state. They want to colonize Karnataka. We want to help Karnataka to develop," Rahul Gandhi stated. "I can tell you we will put Karnataka on the international map." He branded the demonetization and GST programmes as national disasters and measures to take money from the poor and give it to 3 to 4 industrialists. "When the Congress was in power, we gave Rs 72,000 crore to farmers. The three farm laws were brought by the BJP to steal from the farmers," he said.
New Delhi, Aug 3 : The government on Wednesday said it will withdraw its much-awaited Personal Data Protection Bill 2019 that has seen 81 amendments in the past three years, and will now introduce a new bill.

IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw told members of the Joint Committee of the Parliament (JCP) that the fresh bill will fit into the comprehensive legal framework.

"The Personal Data Protection Bill, 2019 was deliberated in great detail by the Joint Committee of Parliament. 81 amendments were proposed and 12 recommendations were made towards a comprehensive legal framework on the digital ecosystem," Vaishnaw said in a statement.

"Considering the report of the JCP, a comprehensive legal framework is being worked upon. Hence, in the circumstances, it is proposed to withdraw 'The Personal Data Protection Bill, 2019' and present a new bill that fits into the comprehensive legal framework," he added.

The earlier bill drew intense scrutiny from privacy advocates, industry stakeholders and tech companies.

New Delhi-based privacy advocacy group Internet Freedom Foundation had said the bill "provides large exemptions to government departments, prioritises the interests of big corporations, and does not adequately respect your fundamental right to privacy".

The Bill was first brought in 2019 and was then referred to the Joint Committee.
Srinagar, Aug 3 : Jammu and Kashmir's State Investigation Agency (SIA) on Wednesday searched houses of seven persons in connection with a case of terror financing through Bitcoin trading, sources said.

"In connection with FIR number 12/22, these searches were carried out in Baramulla, and Kupwara districts in Kashmir division and Mendhar in Poonch district of Jammu division," a source said.

Sources said although the investigation is at an initial stage, yet the mastermind has been found in Pakistan who has been sending money to terrorists with active support of Pakistani intelligence agencies and Pakistan-based terrorist outfits.

"Identity of the Pakistani mastermind has been comprehensively established, but is not being revealed so that other agents in the loop are not alerted," a source said.

Houses searched on Wednesday include those of Zahida Bano, Ghulam Mujtaba, and Tamjeeda Begum, all in Kupwara district, Yasir Ahmad Mir and Sharief-ud-Din, both in Baramulla, and of Farooq Ahmad and Imran Choudhary, both in Poonch district.

Sources added that slush money that originated in Pakistan has reached these persons.

"The transfer of money has been layered to prevent end to end tracing. Accounts in the middle of the layered transactions are located outside J&K. Loopholes in Bitcoin trading have been effectively exploited to shadow these transfers," a source said.
New Delhi, Aug 3 : Share of domestic institutional investors (DIIs), which includes domestic mutual funds, insurance companies, banks, financial institutions, pension funds along with retail and High Net-worth Individual (HNI) investors reached an all time high of 23.53 per cent as on June 30, 2022 from 23.34 per cent as on March 31, 2022, on the back of net inflows from DIIs of a huge Rs 1.28 lakh crore during the quarter, as per Primeinfobase, an initiative of PRIME Database Group.

Meanwhile, net outflows from Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPIs) of Rs 1.07 lakh crore during the quarter resulted in FPIs share declining further to a 10-year low of 19.20 per cent as on June 30, 2022, down by 96 bps from 20.16 per cent as on March 31, 2022.

According to Pranav Haldea, Managing Director, PRIME Database Group, this further showcases the rise of domestic investors and the huge counter balancing role they have played to foreign investors. To also put this in perspective, as on March 31, 2015, FPI share was 23.3 per cent while the combined share of DII, retail, and HNI was just 18.47 per cent.

There were 10 companies in which the trinity of promoters, FPIs and DIIs all increased their stake during the quarter these being (in descending order by market capitalisation) Escorts Kubota, Great Eastern Shipping Co, KRBL, Delta Corp, Maharashtra Seamless, NCC, Apcotex Industries, Mold-Tek Packaging, PSP Projects, and Zota Health Care.

Following from the above, the gap between FPI and DII holding decreased to its lowest level in this quarter, DII holding now being just 26.77 per cent lower than FPI holding (on March 31, 2022, DII holding was 31.99 per cent lower than FPI holding). The widest gap between FPI and DII holding was in the quarter ending March 31, 2015, when DII holding was 55.45 per cent lower than FPI holding.
Kolkata, Aug 3 : Other than its ongoing probe into the multi-crore teacher recruitment scam in the West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC), the Enforcement Directorate (ED) is also focusing on the cattle smuggling case in the state.

Since Wednesday morning, two teams of ED raided several places in Birbhum district in connection with the cattle smuggling case.

The ED teams raided several places in Bolpur-Santiniketan as well as Birbhum district headquarters, Suri. Incidentally, Trinamool Congress' Birbhum district president and party strongman Anubrata Mondal is already under ED scanner and has been interrogated in connection with the cattle smuggling case.

The ED sleuths raided the residence of local Trinamool leader and PWD in-charge of Birbhum Zila Parishad, Kerim Khan, as well as the residence of a local stone-quarry owner, Tudu Mondal.

Kerim Khan is an accused in the case who's also under the radar of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) because of his alleged involvement in a post-poll violence case in Bengal, in which Anubrata Mondal has also been questioned by the CBI sleuths.

The ED sleuths also went to the residence of local Trinamool leader and owner of a rice-mill, Mukti Sheikh. All the three persons, whose houses were raided by the ED sleuths, are known to be close to Anubrata Mondal.

Meanwhile, a third team of ED conducted search operations at a Bolpur-based mansion named 'APA', whose owner is WBSSC scam-tainted Partha Chatterjee's close associate, Arpita Mukherjee.

The land for the house was purchased jointly in 2012 by Partha Chatterjee and Arpita Mukherjee for Rs 20 lakh. However, after the construction of the house, the mutation of the same mentioned only Arpita Mukherjee as the owner. The search operations are still on.
New Delhi, Aug 3 : The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) officers on Wednesday said that they have busted two drug cartels and seized drugs worth Rs 245 crore in two separate cases reported from Haryana and Bengaluru.

In the first case the DRI officials arrested three persons and busted a clandestine factory in Yamunanagar, Haryana, that was involved in the illicit manufacture of Ephedrine. This is a controlled substance listed under Schedule A of the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances.

"Ephedrine is used in the manufacture of Methamphetamine, a party drug more commonly known as ice, crystal meth, speed etc. The operation led to the seizure of 661 kg of Ephedrine and 5200 kg of raw material valued at Rs 133 crore in the international illicit market," said the DRI official.

The official said that specific intelligence was developed by the DRI that illicit manufacture of chemical drugs was taking place at a clandestine factory in the rural areas adjoining Yamunanagar.

During the searches carried out at the factory premises over a period of two days, starting July 29, a large consignment of Ephedrine weighing 661 kg was recovered along with over 5200 kg of raw material, which was to be used in the manufacture of Ephedrine.

Equipment like centrifuges and glass line reactors, which were being used to manufacture the chemical drugs, were also seized.

In another case, DRI officials intercepted a person at Bengaluru railway station and seized 16 kg heroin valued at Rs 112 crore in the international market.

It was concealed in the false cavity of a trolley bag. The accused had arrived in Bengaluru from Addis Ababa in Ethiopia and was on his way to New Delhi, when he was intercepted and arrested.

In the financial year 2021-22, through its operations conducted across the country, DRI has seized 3,463 kg of heroin, 208 kg of pseudoephedrine and 321 kg of cocaine, together valued at almost Rs 19,800 crores in the international market.
New Delhi Aug 3 : The killing of Ayman al-Zawahiri, the lackluster, pedantic idealogue of Al-Qaeda, brings a strange closure to the US "War on Terror", which started with 9/11. Egyptian born al-Zawahiri, was known to be a confidant of Saudi Osama bin Laden, who was America's Public enemy number one, until he was found and killed in Pakistan's Abbottabad, over 10 years ago.

The world had all but forgotten about al-Zawahiri and al-Qaeda. Once the primary global Islamic terrorist organisation, al-Qaeda had become a footnote with more deadly organisations such as the ISIS taking its place. Islamic terrorism has also evolved extensively since Bin Laden and al-Zawahiri masterminded the attacks on 9/11. Al-Zawahiri neither had the finances nor the sophistication to upgrade to terrorism 4.0.

Al-Zawahiri's death closes a much-forgotten chapter, but its timing, significance and collateral results open uncomfortable questions. Since the killing of Osama bin Laden, by the Obama administration (where Biden served as the Vice President), al-Zawahiri's role and importance has been downgraded by analysts. After bin Laden's death, since al-Zawahiri was proclaimed the leader, no significant attack on the West was attributed to the Al-Qaeda.

After hurriedly abandoning Afghanistan less than a year ago, the Biden administration has steered clear of South Asia allowing China and Russia to increase their influence in Pakistan and Afghanistan. South Asia is literally in flames, Myanmar is being ruled by a pro-China military junta which executes democracy activists arbitrarily. Taliban controls Afghanistan, the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan(TTP) is at war with the Pakistani establishment despite Pakistan's close relationship with the Afghan Taliban and the ISI's control over the Haqqani network. Both Pakistan and Sri Lanka are facing economic disasters unparalleled in modern history.

At the point where Nancy Pelosi stops over in Taipei, almost as a distraction, the Biden administration authorises a drone strike to kill the most famous face in the US after Osama bin Laden, even if he was probably never as relevant or important to the "War on Terror".

Indian analysts point at a quid-pro-quo between the Sharif government with the tacit support of Pakistani army and Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). Pakistan needs US support for the latest IMF installment to avoid economic default. Other analysts point out to young Mullah Yakoub, Taliban's defence minister, son of Taliban founder Mullah Omar, as the source that started the domino during his trip to Doha which ended in Al-Zawahiri's killing.

Whatever the source of the intelligence was, all aspects of this "delivery of justice" are equally alarming. The media distraction with the news of al-Zawahiri's death draws attention away from the Ukraine war which has dominated the headlines since Russia's attack on Ukraine in February. This is quickly followed by Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taipei, which has already raised tensions with China and caused the markets to plummet on the fears of a US-China conflict. The US administrations deliberate attempt at changing the news narrative so shortly after Secretary of State Anthony Blinken's call with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov may indicate that the Biden White House preparing to slowly extricate itself from the Ukrainian disaster, especially after losing key allies in France, Italy and the United Kingdom.

Facing a mid-term election in November, Speaker Pelosi's move of visiting Taipei is bold and maybe slightly desperate. This is Nancy Pelosi's arguably last international act in office after a long career in public service. A loss in the midterms for the democrats would mean Biden would be a lame duck President for the rest of his term. It would also mean traditionally that a Republican congress would force the White House to recalibrate priorities.

Al-Zawahiri's killing finally formalises the farce that the Doha accords were. Here was Osama bin Laden's second-in-command, living in a luxurious Kabul neighborhood, in a building owned by the Haqqani's who control key positions in the Taliban caretaker government. While the Taliban has reneged on almost every clause of the Doha agreement, al-Zawahiri's discovery in Kabul now allows the US formally to put aside the Doha accords.

The killing also pushes the Haqqani network, one of the two main partners of the current Afghan Taliban organisation, to a corner. Traditionally, by Pashtunwali, the Pashtun honour code, the killing of an honoured guest like al-Zawahiri, cannot go unavenged. Any reprisal by the Haqqani's will put their Pakistani sponsors into a very tight spot with the Americans. The Pakistani establishment is going an extra mile to curry favour with the Americans given their need for financial support to fix the economic meltdown left behind by former Prime Minister Imran Khan.

Al-Zawahiri's killing comes at a delicate point for Pakistan. Apart from its disastrous economic situation, the Afghan Taliban brokered talks with the TTP have ended in a stalemate, creating a dangerous security situation internally in Pakistan. With several homegrown anti-India, Islamic extremist terror groups resident in the country, the secular Pakistani army now finds itself surrounded by enemies inside and out.

Despite Indian security agencies having a "told you so" moment, both countries are now increasingly worried about the deteriorating security situation in Pakistan, which will spill over into India as well. Rumours about the Pakistani civilian government's assistance in the killing of a devout mujahid and idealogue like al-Zawahiri will worsen the situation in Pakistan. Secretary Blinken's statement has been rather vague about the allies who assisted, leaving ample room to point fingers at the Shehbaz Sharif government.

If miraculously Pakistan's involvement were to be cleared, the other option is to blame Mullah Yakoub and the Loy Kandahar faction of the Taliban. This would almost certainly lead to a civil war in Afghanistan, which will plummet the country to disastrous lows never seen before. Though tough to believe, al-Zawahiri could have been a gift from Russian intelligence to the Americans as the Blinken-Lavrov call may have opened channels of communication and cooperation and this would be considered a goodwill gesture.

Whatever the source of the information, al-Zawahiri's death will cause an upheaval in the Al-Qaeda with a new leadership being installed and this will have definite repercussions. A weak and fractious White House with a clear lack of direction and courage of conviction with an ageing confused President at the helm is the world's nightmare in such dangerous times. Instead of celebrating the closure of the 9/11 trauma and chapter, with the killing of Ayman al-Zawahiri Biden opens the pandora's box which was better left shut.

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Kathmandu, Aug 3 : Chinese Ambassador to Nepal Hou Yanqi said on Wednesday that his country highly appreciates Nepal's longstanding commitment to the "one China" principle and resolute opposition to "Taiwan's Independence".

Issuing a statement after US Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan and muscle-flexing between US and the China continues, Beijing wants to see Nepal's support in its direct confrontation against the US. But, the Nepal government has not made any official position on ongoing face-off between China and the US.

After completing the two-day Taiwan visit, Pelosi left for South Korea on Wednesday evening.

Ambassador Hou said that China and Nepal are good neighbors, trustworthy friends, and reliable partners linked by mountains and rivers. The two countries have always understood and supported each other on issues of core interests concerning respective sovereignty, security and territorial integrity, he said.

Nepal has time and again committed to the "one China" policy but Beijing often times expressed its discontent over Nepal's commitment after one after another high-level visits from the US, Nepal's acceptance of US grant under the Millennium Challenge Corporation among others.

The "one China" policy is also the political foundation of China-Nepal relations, said Hou adding that they believe that the government of Nepal and its people will continue to abide by the principle and understand and support China's legitimate and justified position and work together with China to defend each other's sovereignty, security, and territorial integrity.

"The position of the Chinese Government and people on the Taiwan question has been consistent. It is the firm commitment of the more than 1.4 billion Chinese people to resolutely safeguard state sovereignty and territorial integrity. It is the common aspiration and sacred responsibility of all Chinese sons and daughters to realise the complete reunification of the motherland," the Ambassador said.

China will definitely take all necessary measures to resolutely safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity in response to the US Speaker's visit, she said.
Islamabad, Aug 3 : Pakistan on Wednesday reaffirmed its strong commitment to the "one China" policy amid controversy over US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan that has infuriated Beijing, media reports said.

In a statement, Pakistan Foreign Office spokesperson Asim Iftikhar expressed firm support to China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, The News reported.

"Pakistan is deeply concerned over the evolving situation in the Taiwan Strait, which has serious implications for regional peace and stability," he said.

The world was already reeling through a critical security situation due to the Ukraine conflict, with destabilising implications for international food and energy security, and "cannot afford another crisis that has negative consequences for global peace, security and economy", the Foreign Office said.

"Pakistan strongly believes that inter-state relations should be based on mutual respect, non-interference in internal affairs, and peaceful resolution of issues by upholding of principles of UN charter, international law and bilateral agreements." Pelosi landed in Taiwan on Tuesday despite a series of increasingly stark threats from Beijing, which views the island as its territory and had said it would consider the visit a major provocation.

China responded swiftly, warning the US Ambassador in Beijing of "extremely serious consequences" and announcing military drills in seas around Taiwan - some of the world's busiest waterways.

Pelosi, third in line to the presidency, is the highest-profile elected US official to visit Taiwan in 25 years.
New Delhi, Aug 3 : The Delhi High Court has directed the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) to give sufficient time to eviction-facing jhuggi jhopri basti residents in the national capital, saying persons cannot be evicted with a bulldozer at their doorstep and without any notice, rendering them completely shelter-less.

"The DDA has to act in consultation with the DUSIB (Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board) before embarking upon any such venture and persons cannot be evicted with a bulldozer at their doorstep early in the morning or late in the evening, without any notice, rendering them completely shelter-less. A reasonable period has to be given to such persons and temporary location has to be provided to them before embarking on any demolition activities," said Justice Subramonium Prasad in an order passed on Tuesday.

The plea moved by the Shakarpur Slum Union comprising residents of Jhuggi Jhopri Bastis stated that on June 25 last year, without any notice, the DDA officials arrived at the area and demolished about 300 jhuggis.

It further said the demolition lasted for three days and many of the people, whose jhuggis were demolished, could not even collect their belongings. It is stated that police officials, along with the officials of the DDA, removed the residents from the site.

After the submissions, the court said that action of the DDA in removing a person, whom they claim to be an encroacher, overnight from his residence cannot be accepted. The DDA has to act in consultation with the DUSIB before embarking upon any such venture, it said.

The court also stressed that a reasonable period has to be given to such persons and temporary location has to be provided to them before embarking on any demolition activities.

During the course of the hearing, the court asked DUSIB's counsel whether they have any provision for accommodating such persons, who are to be evicted. In reply, the urban body said normally when it conducts any demolition drive, it ensures that no demolition takes place when academic year is about to end or during monsoons.

He stated that normally, demolitions take place between March to June and August to October.

The court, in its order, then said it "expects from the DDA to follow similar norms for demolition as well".
New Delhi, Aug 3 : The government on Wednesday said it will withdraw contentious Personal Data Protection (PDP) Bill 2019 that has seen 81 amendments in the past three years, and will introduce a new, sharper bill that fits fit into the comprehensive legal framework and protect the data of billions of citizens.

IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw told members of the Joint Committee of the Parliament (JCP) that the decision has been taken to protect the digital privacy of individuals and ensure their data is handled by the internet companies with utmost responsibility.

"The Personal Data Protection Bill, 2019 was deliberated in great detail by the Joint Committee of Parliament. 81 amendments were proposed and 12 recommendations were made towards a comprehensive legal framework on the digital ecosystem," Vaishnaw said in a statement.

"Considering the report of the JCP, a comprehensive legal framework is being worked upon. Hence, in the circumstances, it is proposed to withdraw 'The Personal Data Protection Bill, 2019' and present a new bill that fits into the comprehensive legal framework," he added.

The earlier bill drew intense scrutiny from privacy advocates, industry stakeholders and tech companies.

The IT Minister said that the decision to formulate a new Bill is to create a framework for organisational and technical measures in processing of data, to lay down norms for social media platforms, cross-border transfer, accountability of entities processing data, remedies for unauthorised and harmful processing, to ensure the interest and security of the State and to establish a Data Protection Authority of India.

New Delhi-based privacy advocacy group Internet Freedom Foundation had said the bill "provides large exemptions to government departments, prioritises the interests of big corporations, and does not adequately respect your fundamental right to privacy".

The Bill was first brought in 2019 and was then referred to the Joint Committee.

The JCP report had identified many issues that were relevant but beyond the scope of a modern digital privacy law.

Minister of State for IT and Electronics, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, said that the PDP bill "will soon be replaced by a comprehensive framework of global standard laws, including digital privacy laws for contemporary and future challenges".

Privacy is a fundamental right of Indian citizens and a "$1 trillion dollar digital economy requires global standard cyber laws," Chandrasekhar said in a tweet.

According to experts, a strong data protection law is what can tame the social media platforms and internet platforms in the country, the way the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in the EU has achieved.

New Delhi-based cyberlaw expert Virag Gupta told IANS that several cases of data breach and tax evasion by Chinese companies have been detected by the Indian agencies.

"To protect national interest, a strong data protection law is need of the hour. After withdrawal of this PDP bill, the government must come with new bill within stipulated time frame which may balance the privacy rights with interest of Indian industry," Gupta emphasised.

The government, time and again, has told Internet intermediaries and social media platforms to comply with the law of the land.
Seoul, Aug 3 : South Korean tech giant Samsung's upcoming flagship smartphone -- Galaxy S23 Ultra -- is likely to feature a 200MP primary camera with the unannounced ISOCELL HP2 camera sensor.

According to prominent tipster Ice universe, he is very sure that the Galaxy S23 Ultra will feature the unreleased HP2 sensor, reports GizmoChina.

The South Korean company has already launched 200MP ISOCELL HP1 and HP3 sensors.

However, the detailed specifications of the HP2 sensor are not known yet.

Meanwhile, another tipster said that Samsung will only use the HP2 sensor on its Ultra-branded flagships. He added that the HP1 and HP3 camera sensors will be available on the Galaxy A-series and on smartphones by Chinese brands.

The company has confirmed to have its next Galaxy Unpacked event on August 10.

Recently, Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon said the Galaxy S23 series will use the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 exclusively. Another report mentioned that the South Korean tech giant is planning to ship three million Galaxy S23 FE units next year. By comparison, Samsung is tipped to ship 8.5 million Galaxy S23 units, 6.5 million S23 Plus models, and 13 million Galaxy S23 Ultra units.
Shimla, Aug 3 : The Himachal Pradesh Cabinet on Wednesday decided to fill 320 posts of different categories for the National Health Mission on contract.

To provide relief to horticulturists, the Cabinet, presided over by Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur, also gave ex post facto approval for reimbursement of six per cent subsidy on purchase of packaging material i.e. cartons and trays, whether procured through the HPMC or open market with effect from April 1 after producing GST paid bill of cartons and trays, sale proof and Aadhar-linked bank account details.

It decided to enhance the commission being paid to fair price shop holders on the sale of sugar from existing Rs 7.57 to Rs 50 per quintal and on state's specially subsidised scheme items from 3 per cent to 4 per cent of the sale rate.

The Cabinet decided to upgrade the Community Health Centre at Hatwar in Ghumarwin tehsil of Bilaspur district to a 10-bed institution.

It also decided to upgrade Primary Health Centre at Malokhar to Community Health Centre along with creation and filling of three posts to man the centre.

It gave nod to open new Jal Shakti Section at Kandi under Jal Shakti Division of Nagrota Bagwan in Kangra district along with creation of four posts.
Mumbai, Aug 3 : Shivin Narang, who is fondly remembered as Rudra Roy from 'Beyhadh 2'. The actor talks about his journey so far and how he always wants honest feedback from his fans.

"As a person, one keeps evolving with each passing day and year, which also reflects on the actor's life and its craft. An actor's journey is about learning with each incident of life, which gives depth in his own character, both on screen and off screen." "Talking about myself, yes there is a big change in how I see things now. I started acting after I finished college and till now it's been a decade of learning every day," he says.

Later, he said that in presenting an actor on a scene perfectly, there are a lot of people working behind the screen. However, at the end of it, only the actor gets all the limelight." "It's true that a lot of people work really hard behind the camera and it's the field they have chosen and they love it. An actor's talent is to showcase themselves to the world, even their own most vulnerable side." "So, the limelight is the by-product of it, even pros and cons of being famous and losing your own privacy comes with it. Not everyone can do that and live an actor's life," adds the actor.

Feedback is important for an actor. But many can't take criticism. "I love honest feedback even if I only keep friends who are honest with me. My family and friends are my biggest critics." "But yes, sometimes there are people who are insecure themselves, and just love criticising you, in the form of jealousy or trolls, which we see a lot these days. I don't pay attention to them. I have always taken honest feedback and improved myself and came back stronger. Rest, for useless people's feedback, I believe we have two ears, one to listen with and the other can be used to throw unnecessary things out," he said.

On the work front, Shivin will be seen in the film titled 'Goodbye' which stars Amitabh Bachchan and Rashmika Mandana.
New Delhi, Aug 3 : The Supreme Court on Wednesday said irrational freebies offered to induce voters during elections would not be effectively debated in the Parliament, since no political party would like to take away freebies.

It recommended constituting an expert body having persons who could effectively scrutinise the problem and find a solution, while acknowledging that irrational freebies promises is a serious issue.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Centre, in principle, supported doing away with the practice of promising freebies to voters, and emphasised that freebies were paving the way to an "economic disaster", and also distorting the informed decision-making of the voters.

He suggested that the Election Commission should apply its mind on the matter, and they can have a relook. However, the EC's counsel said that its hands were tied by a judgment of the apex court on freebies.

Chief Justice N.V. Ramana asked senior advocate Kapil Sibal, who was in the courtroom for another matter, to share his view on the matter. Sibal said the EC should not be involved in the matter, since the issue is political and economical in nature. "ECI is MFI (Most Favoured Institution)," he said, adding: "The Parliament will have to debate." To this, the Chief Justice asked Sibal that "which political party will agree? Do you think there will be a debate in the Parliament? These days everyone wants freebies... no political party will take out freebies, as all want freebies".

The bench, also comprising justices Krishna Murari and Hima Kohli, said: "We take the side of the ordinary people, the downtrodden. Their welfare has to be taken care of...." Senior advocate Vikas Singh, representing petitioner Ashwini Upadhyay, said those in power in states burdened with debt should bring out in public the source of money to fund freebies. He added that it should be revealed whose pockets would pay for these freebies.

Mehta said a poor person feels that what is put in his left pocket would be taken out of his right pocket.

The Chief Justice said the poor are entitled for the benefits and benefits should not just reach the rich. Singh then suggested that the EC could prepare a "model manifesto" to control freebies.

The bench said if the EC had taken up the issue, the court would not have intervened now, and its judgments against violence during elections continue to be ignored.

The Chief Justice emphasised this is a serious issue and the EC and the Central government cannot say that they cannot do anything in the matter. He said the government and the EC have to consider the issue and give suggestions.

The bench suggested that the Central government along with the NITI Aayog, the Finance Commission, the Reserve Bank of India, the Law Commission, opposition, etc, would have to be engaged to thoroughly debate the matter to address the issues with irrational freebies, and they can come up with constructive conclusions.

It asked the Centre, the EC, petitioners and Sibal to give suggestions within a week on the composition of an expert body that will examine how to regulate freebies and give reports to Centre, EC and to the court.

The bench scheduled the matter for further hearing next week.

The top court was hearing a PIL by Upadhyay against the announcements made by political parties for inducing voters, through freebies, during elections, and seeking that the EC should debar state and national parties from making such promises.
New Delhi, Aug 3 : India's tourism image abroad is mostly related to 17th century monument Taj Mahal, but with its centuries old civilisation, the country is strewn with historical masterpieces across the length and breadth of it.

From the mountains in the north to seas and an ocean in the south, the country is a treasure trove for natural scenic beauty as well. It is a mystic land where people from all across the globe had converged seeking peace. Its all-embracing nature has offered repose to travellers from across the globe.

Apart from the monuments, there are vast tracts of jungles in various parts of the country, which are house of various flora and fauna. It is frequented by both domestic as well as foreign tourists alike.

According to India Brand Equity Foundation (IBEF), the travel market in India is projected to reach $125 billion by FY27 from an estimated $75 billion in FY20. International tourist arrivals are expected to reach 30.5 million by 2028.

India is a large market for travel and tourism. It offers a diverse portfolio of niche tourism products - cruises, adventure, medical, wellness, sports, MICE, eco-tourism, film, rural and religious tourism. India has been recognised as a destination for spiritual tourism for domestic and international tourists.

In his Independence speech from Red Fort, Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged people to visit 15 domestic tourist destinations in India by 2022, to promote tourism.

There were 2.74 million foreign tourists who visited India in 2020. Number of non-resident Indians arriving during that period was 3.59 million. But in 2020, tourism took a hit globally due to breakout of coronavirus pandemic.

In April 2021, the percentage share of foreign tourist arrivals (FTA) was highest from the US (26.85 per cent), followed by Bangladesh (15.65 per cent), Afghanistan (6.92 per cent), the UK (5.87 per cent), Nepal (4.59 per cent), Canada (4.27 per cent), Iraq (2.99 per cent), Portugal (2.40 per cent), Germany (1.42 per cent), Russian Fed (1.41 per cent), Maldives (1.39 per cent), France (1.33 per cent), Sudan (1.21 per cent), Korea (Rep.) (1.18 per cent), and Australia (1.02 per cent).

Tourism continues to play an important role as a foreign exchange earner for the country. In 2020, foreign exchange earnings (FEE) from tourism were $6.958 billion as compared to $30.06 billion in 2019 due to the pandemic.

The United Nations World Tourism Organizations elected Pochampally in Telangana as one of the best tourism villages in November 2021.

From November 15, 2021, India allowed fully vaccinated foreign tourists to visit India, to help revive the Indian travel and hospitality sector.

In 2020, the travel and tourism industry's contribution to the GDP was $121.9 billion; this is expected to reach $512 billion by 2028. In India, the industry's direct contribution to the GDP is expected to record an annual growth rate of 10.35 per cent between 2019 and 2028, according to IBEF.

The Indian airline travel market was estimated at $20 billion and is projected to double in size by 2026-27 due to improving airport infrastructure and growing access to passports.

There has been an increase in the demand for luxury stay among Indian consumers, due to rising consumer spend. In line with this, key players are expanding their presence to cater to this demand.

The Indian government is also making serious efforts to boost investment in the tourism sector. In the hotel and tourism sector, 100 per cent Foreign Direct Investment is allowed through the automatic route. A five-year tax holiday has been offered for 2, 3 and 4-star category hotels located around UNESCO World Heritage sites (except Delhi and Mumbai).

Government is planning to boost tourism in India by leveraging on the lighthouses in the country. Seventy-one lighthouses have been identified in India, which will be developed as tourist spots.

The lighthouses will feature museums, amphi-theatres, open air theatres, cafeterias, children's parks, eco-friendly cottages and landscaping according to its capacity. India is often termed as the hotspot for bio-diversity and its rich natural heritage is unparalleled in many ways. As of December 2020, the country comprised 104 national parks and 566 sanctuaries.

The Indian government also announced to develop 17 iconic tourist sites in India into world-class destinations as per Union Budget 2019-20. Ministry of Tourism launched DekhoApnaDesh webinar in April 2020 to provide information on the many destinations and the sheer depth and expanse of the culture and heritage of Incredible India. Until July 2021, 90 webinars have been conducted under the series.

The best tourist destinations in India where the Taj Mahal, the world's most famous testimony to the power of love -- in Uttar Pradesh's Agra. In the national capital New Delhi, Red Fort is a must see.

The Golden Temple in Amritsar attracts a lot of tourists every year. Founded in 1577 by Ram Das, Amritsar is an important hub of Sikh history and culture, describes Planetware.

Towards the west, Rajasthan is strewn with royal palaces and it is one of the hottest destinations for both domestic and foreign tourists. The places, which are most frequented by tourists are Udaipur, Jaisalmer, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Alwar and Ajmer. One of the best know tiger reserves of the country, Ranthambore, is in Rajasthan.

In Uttarakhand, several hill stations are famous like Nainital, Mussoorie and Rishikesh.

Also, people take sojourn in the hill stations of Himachal Pradesh looking for peace and tranquility. Places like Shimla, Dharamsala, Dalhousie and SpitiValley are famous for this. These hill stations are very popular for trekking and river rafting as well.

In Maharashtra, Mumbai is a must visit. It is the financial capital of the country. The 26 metres high Gateway of India overlooking the Arabian Sea is a treat to the eyes of the travellers.

The Ellora Caves in Aurangabad built between the 5th and 10th Centuries by Buddhist, Jain and Hindu monks, make for an excellent excursion from Mumbai, some 300 kilometres to the west.

Khajuraho Temple in Madhya Pradesh is something to marvel at. The extraordinary intricate sculpture on the walls of the temples (no worshipping happens there) will leave one awestruck.

Those who want to get soaked in the sun, Goa beaches are highly recommended. The Calangute beach and the Agonda beach are quite popular among beach-lovers.

Down south, there is bountiful natural scenic beauty. Though there are many palaces also to visit. One of South India's most popular tourist attractions, Periyar National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary is centered around a lake in Madurai.

Known as the 'Venice of the East', Alleppey with its backwaters and floating houseboats, is one of the most beautiful places to visit in South India. The backwaters of Kerala are a breathtaking sight, particularly at the break of dawn. Another picturesque destination in Kerala is Munnar hill station.

In Tamil Nadu, the Nilgiri Mountain Railway is an experience to treasure. The Vivekananda Rock Temple is a must visit.

In the eastern part of the country in Bihar, Bodhgaya, considered the world's holiest Buddhist site, attracts thousands of visitors each year, all drawn to participate with the resident monks in meditation and prayer.

Another remarkable monument is the Victoria Memorial in West Bengal's Kolkata. The largest contiguous mangrove forest Sundarbans is also located in West Bengal. In the north of the state is Darjeeling Hills known for its world-famous tea.

The seven sisters' states of the northeastern part of the country are endowed with natural beauty and would provide a strong resemblance with Southeast Asian countries.

India is truly a diverse country in every aspect. A tour around the country will make it more evident as the soil, natural beauty, language everything changes every few miles.

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Kochi, Aug 3 : The Kerala High Court on Wednesday ruled that female officers appointed on a contract basis are entitled to the benefit of the Maternity Benefit Act.

The petitioner was appointed as a lecturer, on a contract basis, at the Centre for Professional and Advanced Studies (CPAS), formed to take over the self-financing institutions under Mahatma Gandhi University in Kottayam.

In 2014, she was granted maternity leave for 180 days and the entire leave period was sanctioned with allowances.

Her appointment was later renewed for a further three years with effect from March 2015. During the course of the employment, the petitioner conceived once again and she applied for maternity leave for 180 days.

As per the Special Rules framed by CPAS, which were approved by the state, though maternity leave is provided for 180 days, maternity leave benefit has been limited to 90 days.

Therefore, the CPAS sanctioned maternity leave for 180 days but limited leave with allowance to 90 days.

The woman contested this decision and a division bench of the court also ruled that the special rules of a registered society cannot override the provisions of a Central Act.

"The term 'establishment' referred to in the Maternity Benefit Act can be any and every establishment within the meaning of any law for the time being in force in the state in relation to establishments. For instance, the Payment of Subsistence Allowance Act, 1972 (Kerala) is a law in force in the state of Kerala which defines 'establishment', as one where service is carried on also as in the case of the establishments of the second respondent (CPAS)," the court said.

A single judge had earlier held that the petitioner was entitled to maternity leave with allowance for 180 days notwithstanding the taking over of the self-financing institutions of the Mahatma Gandhi University by the CPAS.

The CPAS challenged this order before the division bench.
New Delhi, Aug 3 : The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday said it has attached immovable property in the form of land and buildings worth Rs 37.38 crore in connection with a Prevention of Money Laundering case pertaining to the bank fraud committed by Sri Krishna Stockists & Traders Private Limited (SKSTPL) and its directors.

The ED initiated a money laundering investigation on the basis of three FIRs filed by the CBI, on the complaints of the lending banks. The Industrial Finance Corporation of India Limited (IFCI Limited), Industrial Development Bank of India (IDBI) and Canara Bank complained that SKSTPL and Sri Krishna Agriprocess India Pvt Ltd (SKAIPL) through their Directors had availed of large amounts of loans by furnishing false and fabricated balance sheets of the company, forged and grossly inflated valuation reports of mortgaged assets, fabricated work estimates.

The loan money was diverted and the account become NPA, causing a net loss to the banks of Rs 528.26 crore.

The ED investigation established that SKSTPL and SKAIPL represented by its managing director Thota Kanna Rao had secured credit facilities to the extent of Rs 313 crore from IFCI, IDBI and Canara Bank during the period 2014-15. The credit facilities were availed towards construction of storage facility for preserving, processing and resale of agricultural produce.

All the credit facilities were secured through mortgage of immovable properties, stocks which were highly inflated in connivance with the employees of APITCO, MITCON and of V C Rammohan, the then DGM of IFCI.

Rao had also manipulated the records of accounts and managed to obtain fake work completion certificates and submitted the same to the financial creditor to justify the loans availed.

The funds trail investigation by the ED shows that the loan amounts were withdrawn in cash and laundered by the accused to purchase various land parcels.

The ED has identified 57 landed properties mostly located in West Godavari district of AP which were acquired for Rs 37.38 crore and attached the same.
Hyderabad, Aug 3 : With the videos relating to the gang rape of 17-year-old girl in Hyderabad still active on social media, the victim's family has approached the authorities to take them down.

Video and photographs of the victim along with the accused are still reported to be active on certain social media platforms.

The victim's family approached the women safety wing with a request to take action to remove the videos. They provided details of video and photo links.

The police are now planning to write to Instagram to take down the videos and photographs. Criminal action is also likely against those who uploaded the content.

Minutes before the gang rape in an Innova car on May 28, the accused had taken videos and photographs of each other molesting the victim in a vehicle. They had also uploaded the same on social media.

Two videos of minors molesting the victim are said to be active on Instagram. The faces of the victim and three accused are reportedly seen in these videos. In one of the photos, injury marks are visible on the neck of the girl.

Women safety wing officials have asked the city police to write to Instagram to take down the objectionable content. Police will also seek details of the account holders who uploaded videos and photographs.

Earlier, the Cyber crime police had registered four cases against some Facebook and Instagram account holders for uploading the content.

Six accused including five minors had trapped the girl after she attended a day party with them at a bar in Jubilee Hills on May 28.

Five of the accused later sexually assaulted the victim in a car. The incident came to light only on May 31 after the victim's father lodged a complaint with the police and the police recorded the victim's statement the next day.

Five accused includingAson of a leader of ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) have been charged with gang rape while sixth accused, who is the son of a legislator of Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM), is facing molestation charges.

The police last week filed a chargesheet in the case. It also made a plea to the Juvenile Justice Board to allow the minors to be treated as majors for trial in view of the serious nature of the offence.

The charge sheet was filed on July 28, a day after five minors were released on bail.

Four minors were granted bail by the Juvenile Justice Board while the sixth was given bail by the Telangana High Court.

Saduddin Malik, the only adult in the case, remained in jail as his bail petition was already dismissed.

The police have filed the charge sheet with details of all the technical evidence gathered including identification parade, recording of statement of the survivor under Section 164 of the Criminal Procedure Code before the magistrate, DNA test and forensic examination of the car in which the minor victim was gang raped, report of the forensic analysis of the DNA samples collected from the victim's clothes, CCTV footage from bar and other places.
New Delhi, Aug 3 : As India completed its mega 5G spectrum auction, telecom service provider Bharti Airtel on Wednesday announced that it has awarded its 5G contract to tech giants Nokia and Ericsson in the country.

Nokia said it will provide equipment from its market-leading AirScale portfolio, including modular and scalable baseband as well as high-capacity 5G massive MIMO radios.

"Airtel has always believed that the real leverage of 5G technology will come from the capacity to build an ecosystem across devices, networks, applications and services," Gopal Vittal, MD and CEO of Bharti Airtel, said in a statement.

"5G presents a game-changing opportunity to drive the digital transformation of industries, enterprises and the socio-economic development of India. With our 5G network, we aim to deliver the full benefits of 5G connectivity, fuel India's journey towards a digital economy and strengthen the country's position on the world stage," he added.

Meanwhile, Ericsson said that Airtel will deploy power-efficient 5G Radio Access Network (RAN) products and solutions from the Ericsson Radio System and Ericsson microwave mobile transport solutions.

Ericsson will be providing 5G connectivity in 12 circles for Bharti Airtel.

In addition to an enhanced user experience for Airtel customers -- spanning ultra-high-speeds, low latency and large data handling capabilities -- Ericsson 5G network products and solutions will also enable Bharti Airtel to pursue new, innovative use cases with its enterprise and industry customers.

"With Ericsson's unrivaled, global 5G deployment experience, we will help Bharti Airtel deliver the full benefits of 5G to Indian consumers and enterprises, while seamlessly evolving the Bharti network from 4G to 5G," said Borje Ekholm, President and CEO, Ericsson.
New Delhi, Aug 3 : The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Wednesday decided to extend its support to the joint opposition candidate Margaret Alva for Vice President.

The decision was taken in the meeting of party's Political Affairs Committee.

"A meeting of the Political Affairs Committee was held under the chairmanship of Aam Aadmi Party's national convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. It was discussed in detail who will the Aam Aadmi Party support in the election of the Vice President. Arvind Kejriwal and the members of the PAC have unanimously decided that we will support Margaret Alva, who is the opposition candidate, in the election of the Vice President. All our Rajya Sabha MPs will vote for them on 6th," party MP Sanjay Singh said after the meeting.

The AAP had also backed joint opposition candidate Yashwant Sinha in the Presidential election.

Alva filed her nomination for the Vice Presidential election on July 19. The decision to field her was taken at a meeting of opposition leaders of 17 parties. Alva will fight NDA'S candidate and former West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar in the VP election which will be held on August 6.
Mumbai, Aug 3 : In an important development, the Bombay High Court has transferred the probe into the killing of Communist Paty of India leader Govind Pansare from the Maharashtra Police's CID to the state Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS).

A division bench of Justice Revati Mohite-Dere and Justice Sharmila Deshmukh gave the ruling in a plea filed by Smita Pansare, the daughter of Pansare who was shot on February 16, 2015 in Kolhapur and succumbed to his bullet injuries on February 20.

The court had earlier indicated its intentions to either form a fresh team of police officers to probe the case or transfer it to the ATS.

Special Public Prosecutor and senior advocate Ashok Mundargi, appearing for the state, said that it was agreeable to either of the two arrangements, but suggested it would be better if the ATS could handle the investigations.

Pansare's lawyer, Abhay Nevagi had pointed out how the probe was proceeding at a snail's pace with no significant breakthrough although it is over seven years since the killing of the CPI leader.

He pointed out that after the ATS solved the sensational Nala Sopara (Palghar) arms haul case of 2018, they identified the sharpshooters who had masterminded the murder of rationalist Dr. Narendra Dabholkar in Pune on August 20, 2013.

Smita Pansare's plea contended that there was a larger conspiracy in the murders of her father, Dabholkar, M. M. Kalburgi and Gauri Lankesh which needs to be thoroughly investigated as they are inter-linked with a common conspirator.

She said that the alleged killers of her father - hit-men Sarang Akolkar and Vinay Pawar - are still on the run, and with some of the other co-accused in the case filing for discharge, if immediate steps are not taken, the probe to bring the two fugitive accused may not happen.

Intellectual and Left leader Pansare, 82, was shot at when he was returning after a morning walk along with his wife Uma, by two motorcycle-borne killers near their home in Kolhapur.

While the critically injured Pansare succumbed to his wounds after four days in a Mumbai hospital, his wife Uma survived and recovered, even as the killing sparked off a major political row.
Moscow, Aug 3 : Ukraine can end the ongoing conflict at any time by conceding to Russias non-negotiable terms, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday, media reports said.

"Russia is ready [for a peace deal], and the Ukrainian side is well-aware of our terms. One way or another, they will be fulfilled," the official told journalists, RT reported.

Peskov went on to explain that back in late March, the two countries were close to settling their differences in a way that was acceptable to Russia, but the draft agreement prepared during a meeting in Istanbul was torpedoed by the Ukrainian side.

Kiev broke off talks with Moscow after accusing Russia of committing war crimes, an allegation that Russia said was based on fabricated evidence. The Ukrainian leadership has since insisted that negotiations can only be resumed after Russia is defeated on the battlefield with the help of Western weapons, RT reported.

Peskov also commented on the recent visit to Moscow by former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, who, the Kremlin spokesman confirmed, met Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Despite media speculation that the former German leader could serve as a mediator in the Ukraine conflict, the 78-year-old "expressed no desire" to do so, Peskov said.

Russia sent troops into Ukraine on February 24, citing Kiev's failure to implement the Minsk agreements, designed to give the regions of Donetsk and Lugansk special status within the Ukrainian state.

The protocols, brokered by Germany and France, were first signed in 2014. Former Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has since admitted that Kiev's main goal was to use the ceasefire to buy time and "create powerful armed forces".

Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine War
Chennai, Aug 3 : Actress Sada, who was one of the top actresses in the Tamil and Telugu film industries until a few years ago, on Wednesday lamented that the line between good and bad influence was thinning out and that some influencers/celebrities were stooping to any level to get views and likes.

Taking to Instagram to pen a post on the issue, Sada, who has been a part of superhits like Vikram-starrer 'Anniyan', Madhavan-starrer 'Ethiree' and late director Jeeva's 'Unnale Unnale', said, "With social media booming like never before, with every second person choosing to be a Content Creator/Influencer, the line between good and bad influence is thinning out.

"Some influencers/celebs choose to stoop to any level to get views and likes. What they forget is they are giving out a wrong unethical message to the younger generations that are naive and mostly will follow them blindly." Calling the development "scary and an inappropriate use of power of influence", the actress said, "It's disheartening to see morals, integrity and wisdom all taking a back seat in this process." Urging influencers to influence their followers into becoming more empathetic human beings, Sada said, "In a world where you can be anything and choose to become an influencer, at least influence your followers to become a better and empathetic human. That's what is lacking in today's fast moving world." "Leave this world with an influence that'll be remembered for good even after you are gone," the actress said.
New Delhi, Aug 3 : In the latest development in connection with the National Herald matter the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday sealed the office of Young Indian Private Limited, situated on the fourth floor of the National Herald building here. ED sources said that senior Congress leader Mallikarjuna Kharge was called by them as he was the principal official in YI, but their request fell on deaf ears.

The ED sources said that they had asked Kharge to provide an official of YI so that they could go on with the search proceedings.

But after hearing this Kharge left the National Herald office and didn't provide them with any official.

"We wanted to make the seizure memo in front of that official of YI. As we weren't provided anyone we had to seal it to keep the proofs intact," the source said.

The ED has said that if Kharge will provide them an official of YI who will assist them in the search, they will open the sealed office.

Earlier in the day the ED sealed the office of YI situated in the building of Herald House at Bahadurshah Zafar Marg.

The ED pasted an order on the building of the Herald House.

"This is hereby declared that this premises not be opened without prior permission from the Directorate of Enforcement," read the order.

The sources had said that they did this so that the evidence was not tampered with.

"We had called Herald officials to assist us but senior persons were not cooperating and were not coming forward to assist in the search. We were left with no other option but to seal the office," the official said.

On Tuesday, the ED had conducted a search operation at the Herald office. It was a day long search which begun in the morning and went on till late night.

Recently the ED questioned Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi for several days.

The ED has not released any official statement in this regard.
New Delhi, Aug 3 : Amid rising tensions with China, India and the US will come together for a two-week high altitude military exercise at Auli in Uttarakhand, less than 100 km from the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the central region.

The Indo-US joint exercise is known as 'Yudh Abhyas' which is in its 15th edition this year.

Sources in the defence and security establishment said a joint exercise is being planned from October 14 to 31, where both the forces will conduct 'maneuvers to exploit the full scope' of the high altitude warfare. The sources said that the location (at 10,000 feet) where the exercise will take place falls in Phase 1 of adaptation to high altitude.

"This time it is a very important exercise as the Indian side will be showcasing its high altitude warfare strategies, while the US will demonstrate a number of techniques that can be used in such scenarios. This exercise is planned in such a way that both the sides can come together for any scenario," said a source.

Another source said that various activities have been planned for both sides to take full advantage of the two-week military exercise and to see how the troops can work together.

India and China have seen escalating tensions along the LAC in the last two years following the standoff in Ladakh.

Meanwhile, tensions mounted between the US and China over House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan on Tuesday.
London, Aug 3 : British actor of Indian descent Dev Patel risked his life to break up a knife fight in Australia.

The actor stepped in when he saw an altercation between a man and woman outside a convenience store in Adelaide, reports mirror.co.uk.

As he tried to stop the fight, the man involved was stabbed in the chest - although his injuries are not thought to be life threatening.

An unidentified woman was arrested at the scene, local police said.

A spokesperson for the 32-year-old actor said he acted on his "natural instinct" to try and "de-escalate" the row.

According to mirror.co.uk, although receiving praise from fans for stepping in, the star insisted there are "no heroes" in the situation.

In a statement, Dev's spokesperson said: "We can confirm that last night in Adelaide, Dev Patel and his friends witnessed a violent altercation that was already in progress outside of a convenience store.

"Dev acted on his natural instinct to try and de-escalate the situation and break up the fight.

"The group was thankfully successful in doing so and they remained on site to ensure that the police and eventually the ambulance arrived.

"There are no heroes in this situation and sadly this specific incident highlights a larger systemic issue of marginalised members of society not being treated with the dignity and respect they deserve.

"The hope is that the same level of media attention this story is receiving (solely because Dev, as a famous person, was involved) can be a catalyst for lawmakers to be compassionate in determining long-term solutions to help not only the individuals who were involved, but the community at large." Video from the scene showed the concerned actor talking to police at the scene of the incident, which happened around 8.45 p.m. on Monday night.

Officers were called to reports of a man and woman fighting inside a service station, South Australia Police said.

When witnesses, including Dev attempted to break up the fight, the woman allegedly stabbed the man in the chest.

A 32-year-old man was treated at the scene and taken to a hospital in Adelaide.

The British actor, who was born in Harrow, west London and found fame as a teenager on drama 'Skins', now lives in Adelaide with his girlfriend Tilda Cobham-Hervey, who is Australian.

The actors first met on the set of 'Hotel Mumbai' in 2016.
New Delhi, Aug 3 : While encephalitis is a possible complication of monkeypox, co-infections with other diseases as well as immunity level can play a vital role in the deaths caused by the virus, experts said on Wednesday.

More than 25,000 cases of monkeypox have been reported from 78 countries, as per the World Health Organization (WHO).

Together from endemic and non-endemic countries, a total of 10 deaths have been reported. These include Nigeria (3), Central African Republic (2), Ghana (1); Spain (2), Brazil (1) and India (1).

Initial investigations have attributed encephalitis as the reason for all the deaths outside of Africa, except for Brazil. Encephalitis is an acute inflammation of the brain, caused majorly by either a viral infection or the immune system mistakenly attacking brain tissue.

In Brazil, the death of a 41-year-old man due to monkeyox was due to lymphoma, a type of cancer. He was immunocompromised and was, therefore, at higher risk of severe disease.

In the case of the 22-year-old man who died in Kerala, after testing positive in the UAE, media reports quoted officials noting the reason as brain encephalitis.

After returning from UAE, the youth had sought treatment against severe fatigue and encephalitis. He reportedly also tested positive for Epstein-Barr virus, the cause of infectious mononucleosis.

The death of a 31-year-old and a 44-year-old in Spain was also due to monkeypox-associated encephalitis. So far, reports suggest that both were previously healthy and not immunocompromised.

According to Dipu TS, Associate Professor of Division of Infectious Diseases at Amrita Hospital in Kochi: "Encephalitis is a rare but possible complication of monkeypox".

"But coinfections with other viruses which can cause encephalitis like Japanese encephalitis, nipah, and herpes has to be ruled out before attributing it to monkeypox," Dipu told IANS.

The monkeypox virus has two distinct genetic clades: the central African (Congo Basin) clade and the west African clade. The Congo Basin clade has historically caused more severe disease and was thought to be more transmissible.

Genomic sequencing data has suggested that the west African clade, known to be associated with milder disease and a lower case fatality rate, is responsible for the current outbreak.

Although the monkeypox disease is self-limiting in nature, as evident in the current outbreak, the experts noted that the small number of deaths may not provide sufficient data to prove that encephalitis is the main cause of the disease.

They stressed the need for more clearer data as during the Covid to ascertain the cause.

"Encephalitis is one of the complications of monkeypox; in a few cases it can affect the brain. And the deaths may be due to that. But it would be too early to really predict with just a handful of fatalities," epidemiologist Amitav Banerjee told IANS.

He said that the chances of a coinfection cannot be ruled out. Moreover, as per data from the UK about 60 to 70 per cent monkeypox cases had co-infection with HIV.

"We require more detailed data on people who got encephalitis, like what is the immune status of that person. There are other concerns which require more detailed investigation. We cannot jump to conclusions," said Banerjee, who is also Professor and Head of Community Medicines at D Y Patil Medical College in Pune.

He noted that the disease is currently "very concerning in high risk groups or clusters of people with multiple sex partners and the spread is something like HIV". He suggested the need for increasing monkeypox surveillance among the high-risk population like for HIV.

"The risk of infection to the general population is very low, Banerjee said, adding that the infectious disease should not be a cause for panic or stigma as there is "almost zero mortality in the healthy population".

(Rachel V. Thomas can be contacted at rachel.t@ians.in)

Latest updates on Monkeypox Virus Outbreak
New Delhi, Aug 3 : The Supreme Court on Wednesday shot a volley of questions at counsel representing Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde while hearing petitions filed by the Shiv Sena and its rebel MLAs on constitutional issues of splits, merger, defection, and disqualification.

Senior advocate Harish Salve, representing Shinde, contended before a bench headed by Chief Justice N.V. Ramana that there is no split in the political party rather, there is a dispute over its leadership, which can be said to be an "intra-party" dispute, not falling within the scope of defection.

As this, the Chief Justice told Salve: "I will ask one question to you, who came first to this court?" Salve replied that the rebel MLAs came to the top court when the then Deputy Speaker of the Maharashtra assembly issued disqualification notices to them, even though a notice against him was pending. He added that to say that a Speaker (Rahul Narwekar), who has been elected by the majority should be stripped of all authority and the top court to decide the disqualification is unprecedented.

On July 11, the top court asked the new Assembly Speaker Narwekar, not to decide disqualification proceedings initiated against Shiv Sena MLAs, including Chief Minister Shinde, until the court hears the matter.

The Chief Justice told Salve that Shinde faction came first to the top court and it deferred the matter for 10 days and now the Speaker should decide when the issues are before the court. Salve clarified that he is not saying the Shinde faction got an advantage due to 10 days, instead things are misconceived and not infructuous.

At this, the bench said: "There are a lot of questions about the Governor calling a group of people... we can't say all these are infructuous." The Chief Justice told Salve, the entertaining of that petition (Shinde and rebel MLAs) was contrary to Karnataka judgment where the top court said the high court should be approached first.

Senior advocate Neeraj Kishan Kaul, representing the rebel MLAs, said that "the reason we came here, as there was a serious issue of threats".

"Protection was given here." The Chief Justice then pointed out that generally the person (in this case, the Speaker) decides the matter and those aggrieved challenge it. "Rightly or wrongly, we granted some relief and now you come and say that we can't decide?" Salve said the reason they came to the top court was that the Speaker cannot decide the issue, as there was a resolution seeking his removal, and also emphasised that his client has not given up the party's membership.

The Chief Justice queried further, if tomorrow, a disqualification petition is filed before the Speaker, and some people send a notice against the Speaker, saying the Speaker can't decide, then? Salve submitted: "Till the speaker decides if I have given up membership, the question of demolishing my defences will not arise. Why raise ghosts and start slaying themaour argument is simple, we have not given up membership." After hearing arguments, The top court asked Salve to redraft the submissions on petitions filed by the Uddhav Thackeray faction, on the questions of law, and scheduled the matter for further hearing on next Thursday.
Mumbai, Aug 3 : The Naval Police have busted a fake recruitment scam allegedly perpetrated by a self-styled 'Captain' of the Indian Navy, who lured young candidates with job offers as naval security guards, officials said here on Wednesday.

The mastermind of the racket has been identified as "Captain" Sameer Singh, who used a fake letter from the Ministry of Defence, indicating that INS Kunjali in Colaba was the recruitment and workplace.

Hailing from Ambernath in Thane, the accused used to collect money from poor and gullible applicants as fees, issued fake identity cards, provided the uniforms and other necessary 'paper work' in the scam for the promised employment.

Following a tip-off, a Naval Police team swooped at Singh's residence in Ambernath on Tuesday and conducted a preliminary probe and confirmed the murky goings-on.

They later approached the Shivajinagar Police Station and lodged a formal police complaint seeking a full-fledged probe, and arrest of the impersonator for cheating people.

According to official sources, they were alerted by a retired naval officer on the fraudulent jobs-for-money racket and they in turn informed the Naval Police which swung into action early this week.

The sources have also learnt of similar job rackets being carried out in the name of the 'Agniveer' scheme by unscrupulous persons who are cheating the unemployed youth.

Details of the antecedents of the accused, how many persons he has duped, the amounts collected and swindled, his probable associates and other angles are being probed, said police.
Hyderabad, Aug 3 : A day after announcing his resignation from the Congress, MLA Komatireddy Rajagopal Reddy launched a counter attack on state party chief A. Revanth Reddy.

Hitting back at the state chief for calling him a traitor, Rajagopal Reddy said that Revanth Reddy has no Congress blood in him.

The MLA from Munugode dubbed Revanth Reddy an outsider and a political opportunist who insulted party chief Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and other Congress leaders.

Rajagopal Reddy stated that under Revanth Reddy's leadership, the Congress' votes in Huzurabad constituency came down from 60,000 in 2018 to a mere 3,000 in the recent by-election. He said the Congress had to face humiliating defeat as its candidate forfeited his deposit.

Rajagopal Reddy, who also announced resignation as an MLA, dared Revanth Reddy to win the by-election in Munugode. He said the Congress cadres in the constituency will stand by him and they will never back Revanth Reddy. He said if Revanth Reddy comes to Munugode, the Congress will not be able to save the deposit.

On Revanth Reddy's allegation that he was switching loyalties to the BJP to get a contract, the MLA challenged him to prove his allegation. "If Revanth Reddy proves his allegation, I will retire from politics," he said.

Rajagopal Reddy also called Revanth Reddy a blackmailer. "His brand image is a blackmailer. Collecting money through blackmail is his quality," he remarked and wondered how Revanth Reddy amassed crores of rupees without any business.

The MLA also reiterated the allegation that Revanth Reddy became state unit chief by offering money to some central leaders of the party. He alleged that the TPCC President was looking to loot the state by becoming the Chief Minister.

Rajagopal Reddy also said that Revanth Reddy changed four parties. "If such a person targets me, people will not believe him. He was jailed in cash for vote fraud. Do I need to learn principles from such a person," he asked.

The MLA claimed that he resigned for self-respect of Telangana and to fight against family rule of K. Chandrasekhar Rao. "I am joining the BJP for a battle," he said.
New Delhi, Aug 3 : The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday said that a Special PMLA court in Andhra Pradesh's Visakhapatnam has taken cognisance of the charge sheet filed against a LIC official in a Prevention of Money Laundering case.

The ED initiated a money laundering investigation on the basis of the FIR registered by the CBI, Visakhapatnam against LIC official Dharavath Sakru and others for criminal conspiracy, criminal breach of trust by public servant, cheating, forgery, using forged documents as genuine, and criminal misconduct.

Sakru illegally siphoned off funds of LIC by using demand drafts in the names of his acquaintances and illegally transferred the LIC funds to their accounts, making wrongful gain to themselves and corresponding wrongful loss to LIC to the tune of Rs 1.77 crore.

Presently lodged in Central Prison, Visakhapatnam, he was recently sentenced to five years rigorous imprisonment by a special CBI court. The trial under the PMLA is in progress now.
Guwahati, Aug 3 : In a major operation, the Assam police on Wednesday arrested three top leaders of a newly-formed insurgency outfit in Karbi Anglong district.

As per reports, the Karbi United Liberation Army (KULA) was recently formed in Karbi Anglong district, which was issuing threats to the public besides intimidating a few business houses for the past few days.

Acting on a tip-off, the police launched an operation in the wee hours of Wednesday in the Manji area of the district.

A senior police officer informed that a few cadres of KULA, including its chairman D.P Kronjang alias Daniel Teron, were hiding in Manji. After the police confronted the outfit's members, there was a brief exchange of fire between the two sides.

According to the police, Daniel Teron was injured in the firing and was later arrested from the spot. The two other cadres who were accompanying him have also been taken into custody. They have been identified as Sedeng Tungan alias Pronob Timung and Arak Ejang alias Thengtom Hanse.

Pronob Timung was the general secretary of the outfit, whereas Thengtom Hanse was looking after the finance of the organisation.

The police also recovered some arms and ammunition, army fatigue uniforms, extortion letters, and a few SIM cards from their possession.

Pushpraj Singh, Superintendant of Police in Karbi Anglong, told IANS, "The top leaders of this new outfit have been arrested. I am hopeful that soon we will be able to dismantle the organisation completely." Notably, last year a tripartite agreement was signed between five insurgent groups in Karbi Anglong, the Centre, and the Assam government to end years of violence in the region.

Under the peace accord, more than 1,000 armed cadres rejected violence and joined the mainstream. The agreement provided for their rehabilitation.
New Delhi, Aug 3 : The Delhi High Court on Wednesday suspended the four-year jail term of former Haryana Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala till the pendency of his appealAin a disproportionate assets case.

"The sentence of the appellant/applicant (Chautala) is suspended till the pendency of the present appeal, subject to payment of a fine of Rs 50 lakh as imposed by the learned trial court and also on his executing a personal bond of Rs 5 lakh, with one surety of like amount to the satisfaction of the learned trial court.

"The appellant shall not visit abroad except with the permission of the learned Trial Court," Justice Yogesh Khanna said in the order.

The court also observed that Chautala spent about one year and six months in custody and the appeal might take some time to come on board for a hearing.

In his earlier plea, Chautala had argued that he was convicted for a period of four years and he had already undergone imprisonment of five years and six months and the further jail term is a violation of settled judicial decisions of the Supreme Court.

His plea stated that he is around 87 years old, and was suffering from multiple ailments and progressive permanent disability of residual paralysis of both lower limbs and left upper limb, and even as per jail record, the petitioner, sentenced for RI of 4 years, has already undergone over 5 years in jail.

".. even as per jail record, the petitioner (sentenced for RI of 4 years) has already undergone 5 years 6 months and 14 days (as on May 1) but the petitioner is not released from the prison..," his plea read.

In pursuant to his petition, the jail authorities calculated the actual physical incarceration of the petitioner in the present case at 5 years 6 months. Still, instead of releasing the petitioner, they had forwarded a letter to the Special Judge, CBI, Rouse Avenue Court apprising that the actual period of custody undergone by the petitioner, it said.

On May 27, the city's Rouse Avenue Court sentenced Chautala to four years in prison and slapped a fine of Rs 50 lakh in connection with the disproportionate assets case, in which he was convicted earlier.
Patna, Aug 3 : Four persons were killed and more than 12 others injured after a speeding dumper ploughed into a dhaba in Hajipur city in Bihar's Vaishali district on Wednesday afternoon, police said.

The accident occurred at Bahuara chowk under Patepur police station.

The police said that three of the deceased died on the spot while another died on the way to the hospital.

The injured persons were admitted to Mahua referral hospital and Sadar hospital. The critically injured patients were referred to the Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH) for treatment.

The accident took place during lunch hour. The dumper driver lost control over the vehicle and hit the dhaba, crushing many vehicles and mowing down four persons.

Due to the accident, huge chaos was witnessed at the spot with customers running for their lives.

Following the accident, local people managed to nab the dumper driver and thrashed him before handing him over to the police.

"We have arrested the errant driver and efforts are on to identify the victims. Rescue operation is completed now and action is being taken against the driver," police officer H.K. Singh said.
New Delhi, Aug 3 : Expressing safety concerns over the alleged use of 'Chinese manjha' (kite string), a Public Interest Litigation (PIL), moved in the Delhi High Court on Wednesday, sought a complete ban on kite flying and related activities.

The PIL, filed by advocate Sanser Pal Singh, stated that the life and safety of human beings and birds is endangered due to kite flying in the national capital. It sought a complete ban on flying, making, sale-purchase, storage, and transportation of kites and objects used in making and flying kites, saying it is the only solution as it is very difficult and in some cases, quite impossible to catch the culprit or to fix the responsibility when an accident occurs due to kite string.

The plea also contended that during the kite flying activity, competitors will engage in cutting each other's kite string.

In order to make the string tougher to break, they need a strong string, popularly known as Chinese manjha, in which manufacturers put a glass coating, which, at times, causes injury to humans and birds.

The plea also highlights that the kite flying activity is already prohibited as per section 94 of the Delhi Police Act, 1978 where it is provided that, "Prohibition against flying kites, etc.- No person shall fly a kite or any other thing so as to cause danger, injury or alarm to persons, animals or property." The petitioner also cited accidents, including fatal ones, caused due to the 'Chinese manjha'.
Kolkata, Aug 3 : A special PMLA court here on Wednesday extended the ED custody of Partha Chatterjee and Arpita Mukherjee, the prime accused in the multi-crore teacher recruitment scam in the West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC), by two more days.

While the ED had sought their custody extension for four more days, the court extended it by two days. The duo will be next presented before the same court on August 5.

During the hearing, the ED counsel told the court that since Chatterjee was not cooperating with the investigating officials, the agency needed to question the former state minister for some more time.

The ED counsel also said that although Mukherjee has started showing signs of cooperation, she is expected to reveal more details pertaining to the scam and hence the extension of her custody was also necessary.

The ED counsel informed the court that so far, the agency sleuths have secured information about nine flats and residences, of which Mukherjee owns five while the remaining four are jointly held by the two.

The counsel also said that on Wednesday itself, the agency came across the ownership document of a utility services company, which is held by the duo in the ratio of 50:50.

Mukherjee has a total of 31 life insurance policies, all of which mention Chatterjee as the nominee.

The ED counsel argued that since new revelations regarding the WBSSC scam were being made every day, there is a need for extension of custody of the duo.

Chatterjee's counsel opposed the ED's plea for extension of custody, claiming that his client is physically unwell and hence he should be granted bail on health grounds.

Mukherjee's counsel complained to the court that he is not being allowed to meet his client, which is causing difficulties for him to present his case.
Guwahati, Aug 3 : A team of West Bengal Police's CID is now in Assam to collect CCTV footage and other proof in connection with the arrest of three Congress MLAs of Jharkhand, who were nabbed with huge quantities of cash in Howrah district on July 30 evening.

Police officials in Guwahati said that the Bengal CID team has collected CCTV footage from the Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International (LGBI) Airport in Guwahati and a hotel.

"The Bengal CID team has been in Guwahati since Tuesday. We are extending all kinds of cooperation to them. This is a very funny matter that a section of the media reported that the Assam Police detained the Bengal CID team due to non providing of the FIR of the case," a senior police official said.

On Saturday evening, the three MLAs -- Irfan Ansari, Rajesh Kacchap and Naman Bixal Kongari -- were nabbed by the police at Howrah's Panchla, with the cash in their vehicle.

The MLAs told the police that the cash was meant for purchasing sarees from the wholesale market at Burrabazar in central Kolkata to distribute in their constituencies on the occasion of the forthcoming World Tribal Day. The MLAs and two of their associates, arrested with them, including the driver, have been remanded to CID custody till August 10.

The Congress on Sunday suspended three MLAs accusing them of conspiracy to topple the state government.The matter rocked politics in Bengal, Assam, and Jharkhand.
New Delhi, Aug 2: The Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha said on Tuesday that the intractable menace of stone pelting and shutdown in the Kashmir valley had completely vanished and become history in the last three years after the withdrawal of the erstwhile State's special status on 5 August 2019.

"There has been major change in Kashmir after abrogation of Article 370. Now, there is no stone pelting, hartals and bandhs. All this has become a thing of the past. Security forces are committed to restore complete peace in the Valley," Sinha said in an interview with a television channels of News18 group.

"There was a time when the militants used to declare proudly that they had joined militancy. Now they know that they will not survive long. Now they are just misleading some 17-18 year olds and making them hybrid terrorists. However, we have started a campaign of the de-radicalisation of the youth. The Mission Youth is also working in this direction," Sinha asserted.

Maintaining that development was not possible without peace, Sinha said that the people of Kashmir had realised this but some forces were still working at the behest of the neighbour and running an ecosystem for the survival of terrorism.

"In contrast to the past when buying peace from separatists had become a norm, we work for permanent establishment and maintenance of peace in Jammu and Kashmir," Sinha asserted.

Sinha regretted the loss of some innocent civilian lives but felt relieved that the Police and security forces had established an upper hand over the 32-year-long militancy.

"People want that no incident of violence should occur in Jammu and Kashmir. If you take statistics of the last 20 years, you would see how many innocent lives were lost". He said the Police and security forces had eliminated as many as 130 terrorists, including 37 foreigners, in different operations and encounters in the last seven months of the current year. "If some fear of the terrorist is still there, it will end soon," Sinha added.

LG said like other parts of the country, Jammu and Kashmir too would celebrate 'Har Ghar Tiranga' festival with enthusiasm around this year's Independence Day. However, he added, there were some people who had objections to this but their number was shrinking and nobody was bothered about them. "Last year too, tricolor was hoisted in every Panchayat and school of Jammu and Kashmir on the Independence Day," he said.

Referring to developmental works undertaken in the Union Territory, Sinha said Jammu and Kashmir with just 1.3 crore population had been granted two All India Institutes of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), one IIT, one IIM, two Central Universities and a large number of new medical and degree colleges.

"Jammu and Kashmir is writing a new story of development," he said.

He referred to the UT's District Capex budget and pointed out that it had spiralled up to Rs 22,000 crore from just Rs 5316 three years back. He said that in 2018-19, Rs 67,000 crore were spent on the development projects but in 2021-22 more projects were executed with less expenditure, saving over Rs 4,000 crore.

Sinha asserted that the UT of Jammu and Kashmir was the country's Numero Uno in e-governance. "We are providing 290 services online and 75 percent of people have recently stated that they are satisfied with the services," he added. "A new chapter of development has started in Jammu and Kashmir after August 5, 2019," Sinha said, giving credit to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah for the radical changes they had introduced and implemented in the last three years.

(The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com) --indianarrative
Guwahati, Aug 3 : The Indian Army will conduct a two-day seminar from Thursday at the Gajraj Corps headquarters in Assam's Tezpur on diverse issues relating to India-China border, including disputes and Chinese strategic thought, officials said on Wednesday.

Defence spokesman Lt. Col Mahendra Rawat said that the seminar would be held to keep abreast with the evolving threat on the borders. The continued push for operational preparedness along the northern borders has received a shot in the arm with high priority-fast paced infrastructure development in the border areas, infusion of latest technology in the Army and a vigorous discourse on doctrine and strategy, he said.

Eastern Command chief, Lt Gen Rana Pratap Kalita, who arrived at Tezpur on Tuesday on a 4-day visit to the Gajraj Corps amid his tour of forward areas, will also take part in the seminar-cum-panel discussion.

"The seminar is aimed to further refine the understanding of the diverse contours of the evolution of Sino-India boundary dispute over the decades, Chinese strategic thought process and military transformation, implications and way ahead for India," Lt. Col Rawat said.

"Army's Eastern Command is responsible for safeguarding the country's long frontiers in the northeast region across some of the most difficult and inhospitable high-altitude and jungle terrains found anywhere on earth," he added.

The seminar will include talks and panel discussions by eminent experts, spanning senior diplomats, academicians, and military commanders including Ambassador Ashok Kantha, Professor Srikanth Kondapalli, Jayadev Ranade, Amrita Jash, Claude Arpi, former Northern Command chief, Lt Gen Ranbir Singh (retd), former Army Training Command chief, Lt Gen Raj Shukla (retd, and National Security Advisory Board member, Lt Gen S.L. Narasimhan (retd) Member.

Over 200 serving officers of the Indian armed forces would attend.

Meanwhile, Indian Air Force's Eastern Command chief Air Marshal D.K. Patnaik also visited the Air Force station in Tezpur. Defence spokesman Lt. Col A. S. Walia said that during his three-day tour, the Air Marshal Patnaik was briefed about various operations being undertaken by the IAF station after which he reviewed the operational, maintenance and administrative preparedness.

He interacted with personnel of the station and urged them to keep pace with new technological advancements.
Patna, Aug 3 : At least 15 girl students fell unconscious during a mock fire drill in St Xavier School Bettiah in West Champaran district on Wednesday, officials said.

The mock drill was conducted by the district Fire Department in the school premises. The students were asked to gather on a playing ground right under the sun around 10.30 a.m. as experts sought to train them on how to deal with a fire that broke out in a LPG cylinder.

As there was intense heat, the girls fell unconscious one by one on the ground. There was no ambulance at the school when the mock drill was taking place. Six students were taken to the hospital after the arrival of an ambulance.

The remaining nine students recovered a few minutes after they were brought inside the school building.

"We have immediately rescued the students and taken them inside the school premises. The victims are safe and recovering well. They fell unconscious due to heat and probably not having eaten food. We have called the doctors and sent six students to the hospital," the school Principal said in a written statement.
Kolkata, Aug 3 : The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of West Bengal police on Wednesday arrested Kolkata-based share broker Mahendra Agarwal, who, according to the agency, provided cash to three Congress MLAs from Jharkhand.

CID sources confirmed that Agarwal was arrested on Wednesday afternoon from an undisclosed location near the Eastern Metropolitan Bypass.

He was first taken to the CID headquarters at Bhabani Bhavan from where he was shifted to state-run SSKM Medical College and Hospital after he complained of chest pain during the course of interrogation.

On Tuesday afternoon, the CID sleuths had raided Agarwal's office at Bikaner House in central Kolkata and recovered cash to the tune of around Rs 3.5 lakh along with 250 silver coins. A number of bank passbooks, passports and hard discs were also seized by the CID on Tuesday.

Last week, three Jharkhand MLAs -- Irfan Ansari, Rajesh Kacchap and Naman Bixal Kongari -- were nabbed by the police from Howrah with large amount of cash to the tune of Rs 49 lakh in their vehicles.

The MLAs told the police that the cash was meant for purchasing sarees from the wholesale market at Burrabazar in Kolkata for distribution in their constituencies on World Tribal Day on August 9.

The three MLAs along with two others have been remanded to CID custody till August 10.
Gurugram, Aug 3 : A four-member committee has been constituted under the chairmanship of the sub-divisional magistrate (SDM), Gurugram, to investigate the mishap which claimed four workers' lives besides injuring another on Tuesday evening at a residential project construction site in Sector 77.

The four workers were killed while fixing a tower crane to the 17th floor at the construction site.

The deputy labour commissioner-1, deputy director of industrial safety, and the ACP of Manesar has been included in the committee, among other members.

Deputy Commissioner of Gurugram, Nishant Kumar Yadav, said, "As per the labour laws, the compensation amount will be given in two days to the workers killed in the accident and the dependents of the injured worker. These workers were not members of the Building and Other Construction Workers Board (BOCW). Had they been registered with this board, they would have got more compensation amount." He said an FIR has already been registered in this matter and a police investigation is on.

"In view of the accident, the district administration would issue guidelines of safety standards for the workers at all the construction sites and ensure their compliance. Safety standards will also be checked at the construction sites on a contingency basis. All builders and contractors will be compelled to adopt the safety standards designed for the workers," Yadav added.

He also said that the administration would make it mandatory for all the workers working at the construction sites to get registered with the BOCW so that they could get the full benefits of the welfare schemes of the board.
New Delhi, Aug 3 : After sealing at the Herald House and heavy police deployment at its party office, the residences of interim party President Sonia Gandhi and party leader Rahul Gandhi, and its war room, the Congress, putting on a strong face, on Wednesday said its not going to be cowed down by police and will go ahead with the August 5 agitation in which CWC members were supposed to protest at PM's residence.

Amid the crisis, a new set of leaders have emerged to firefight the onslaught and carry on the party's fight.

Among them is senior leader and former Union Minister Jairam Ramesh, who has become a key strategist and is also handling the media department while in the Parliament, the fight is being led by Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge and his team while the ground work is being done by Digvijaya Singh, and Ajay Maken is with, other Delhi leaders, mobilising workers for protests.

For the legal battle, Abhishek Manu Singhvi is fighting it out with his team.

The ED onslaught has created a new crisis for the party - and also an opportunity. The way the agency is moving, the Congress is anticipating its moves and the party has issued a statement signed by 17 parties to keep the fight on in the courts and in Parliament.

The party has also called a meeting of all Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha MPs at the Congress Parliamentary Party office on Thursday to discuss the future strategy.

Following Wednesday's developments, Ramesh tweeted: "@INCIndia is under siege. Delhi police has surrounded our HQs, and homes of INC President & ex-President. This is the worst form of vendetta politics. We will not submit! We will not be silenced! We will continue to raise our voice against injustices and failures of Modi Sarkar!"
New Delhi, Aug 3 : The Supreme Court on Wednesday overruled an order by the Madras High Court directing the CBI to investigate corruption allegations against former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami.

A bench headed by Chief Justice N.V. Ramana told the high court to decide the complaint against the former CM without being influenced by the observations or orders passed in this regard earlier.

The bench, also comprising Justices Krishna Murari and Hima Kohli, said: "Let the high court examine the (inquiry) report. Without going into the details of the matter, we request the high court to look into the reports submitted there and pass an appropriate order after examining the report... We set aside all the observations that will not come in the way of the fresh consideration of the matter." As per the 2018 case, the Madras High Court had passed an order against Palaniswami while dealing with a petition by DMK leader R.S. Bharathi, seeking a CBI probe into the irregularities related to the contracts given by the state Highways Department.
New Delhi, Aug 3 : The National Investigation Agency (NIA) said on Wednesday that it has arrested two more persons in connection with the murder of Umesh Kolhe in Maharashtra's Amravati district.

The two accused have been identified as Abdul Arbaz and Maulavi Mushfique Ahmed.

Both of them were associates of arrested accused persons Irfan Shaikh, Shoaib Khan, Mudassir Ahmed, Aatif Rashid, Yusuf Khan, Abdul Toufiq and Shahrukh Pathan and wanted accused, Shamim Ahmed and Firoj Ahmed. In total, nine accused have been held so far in connection with the case.

Kolhe (54) was murdered on June 21 after he wrote a post on Facebook in support of suspended BJP spoesperson Nupur Sharma.

The NIA mentioned in its FIR that a group of people had hatched a conspiracy to send a message to the people supporting Sharma.

"They conspired to strike terror among a section of people in India to promote enmity on grounds of religion. Kolhe's murder was carried out as part of the conspiracy to 'terrorise a section of the society'," the NIA said.

The counter-terror agency also said that the accused in this case might be having international links.

The NIA had earlier conducted searches at 13 locations in Maharashtra, which led to the recovery of incriminating documents, digital devices, pamphlets with hate messages and knives.

The Kolhe murder case was initially registered at the City Kotwali police station on June 22. However, the probe was taken over by the NIA on July 2.
Guwahati, Aug 3 : Three daily wage labourers were mowed down by a speeding car, whose driver was allegedly drunk, in Assam's Dibrugarh on Wednesday, police said.

According to police, all three victims were standing at the side of the Jaipur Natun Ali road when the car hit them and knocked them down.

"Nirmal Das, 35, died on the spot while Vikram Mahali, 42, and Lakhi Patar, 26, were rushed to the Assam Medical College and Hospital, where they succumbed to their injuries," police said quoting the eyewitness.

The agitated people detained the driver of the vehicle and thrashed him before handing him over to police.

"The driver was drunk and he was driving recklessly and could not control his vehicle, leading to the dashing of the three labourers heavily," a police official said.
New Delhi, Aug 3 : Congress MLA Kuldeep Bishnoi on Wednesday resigned from the Haryana Assembly, and as per sources, he is all set to join the BJP on Thursday.

Bishnoi thus became another high-profile Congress leader to drift towards the saffron camp after Jyotiraditya Scindia and Jitin Prasada.

Once considered close to the Gandhis, Bishnoi was reportedly upset after Udai Bhan, a close aide of former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, was made the Haryana Congress President.

Bishnoi, who had earlier floated his own party before merging it with the Congress, said, "The party has drifted from the ideology of Indira Gandhi." His main rivalry in the state was with Hooda, who was appointed as the Chief Minister in 2004 ignoring the claims of Bhajan Lal, Bishnoi's father.

Earlier in May this year, Kapil Sibal had exited the Congress to become an independent Rajya Sabha MP with the support of the Samajwadi Party. Sibal, however, did not join the BJP nor has he criticised the Congress ever since he left.

Former Union Law Minister Ashwani Kumar too had left the party after reportedly being upset with the Congress leadership.

"I was feeling uncomfortable, helpless and ignored for the last many months and I understood that now I am not needed in the party. Therefore, I distanced myself. I was not able to do whatever I wanted to do by staying inside the party," he had said.

Kumar had also predicted loss for the Congress in Punjab ahead of the Assembly elections held earlier this year.

Prior to Sibal, former Punjab Congress chief Sunil Jakhar had jumped ship from the Congress to the BJP. After joining the BJP, Jakhar had said that it was not easy to break 50 years of relationship with the Congress.

"From 1972 to 2022, my three generations considered Congress as their family. But an attempt was made to suppress my voice in the Congress. I was given a notice for speaking in the interest of Punjab and the country," he had said Former Union minister R.P.N. Singh, and Patidar leader Hardik Patel, the ex-working president of Gujarat Congress, too had left the party in the recent past.
New Delhi, Aug 3 : The CBI on Wednesday conducted search operations at 13 locations, including in Kolkata and West Bengal's Birbhum district, of two persons in an ongoing investigation of the cattle smuggling case in the state, an official said.

"During the searches, cash amounting to Rs 17 lakh, electronic devices including 10 mobile phones, pen drives, hard discs, besides several incriminating documents and a locker key have been recovered," said a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) official.

Trinamool Congress leader Anubrata Mondal is also facing prosecution in the matter.

In September 2020, the CBI lodged an FIR against Mohd Enamul Haque, the kingpin of the racket, BSF Commandant Satish Kumar and others regarding smuggling of cattle through the Indo-Bangladesh Border.

Haque was arrested by the CBI in November 2020, for allegedly bribing BSF officials to keep his illegal, cross-border cattle smuggling business running.

The CBI had learnt in its investigation that Haque had allegedly been running a hawala racket of Rs 1,000 crore. He was paying fat bribes to BSF officials.

Trinamool leader Vinay Mishra and his brother Vikas Mishra were also allegedly involved in the matter. In March 2021, the Enforcement Directorate had arrested Vikas Mishra and attached the property of Vinay Mishra, for allegedlyreceiving money from Haque through Hawala channels.
Bhopal, Aug 3 : One person died while two others were injured after a mob attacked them in Madhya Pradesh's Narmadapuram district, accusing them of cow smuggling, the police said on Wednesday.

As per the police, three Muslim youth were transporting 30 cows in a truck on Tuesday. However, when their vehicle reached the Seoni-Malwa area, it was stopped by a group of people who brutally thrashed them.

Later, the local police was informed about the incident, who took the three youth to a nearby hospital. One of them, however, died during treatment.

The deceased has been identified as Nazir Ahmed, while the injured have been identified as Sheikh Lal and Mustaq Ahmed, all residents of Amravati in Maharashtra.

The Superintendent of Police (SP) of Narmadapuram district, Gurkaran Singh, told the media, "A murder case has been registered against 10-12 unidentified persons. A case of illegal cow smuggling has also been registered against the victims. Further investigation is underway."
Patna, Aug 3 : The Patna High Court on Wednesday issued notice to Bihar DGP S.K. Singhal and Madhubani's Superintendent of Police Sushil Kumar during the hearing of a case related to the November 2021 assault on ADJ, Jhanjharpur, Avinash Kumar.

A division bench, headed by Chief Justice Sanjay Karol, was shocked after it was informed that the district police registered an FIR against ADJ Avinash Kumar without his permission. In a strong remark to the DGP, the Chief Justice said that the police have gone above the law and courts. As per the strict direction of the Supreme Court, an FIR against any judge can be registered only after the permission of the Chief Justice of the high court.

The assault case occurred on November 18, 2021 when then Ghoghardeh SHO Gopal Krishna and Sub-Inspector Abhimanyu Kumar Sharma allegedly beat the ADJ inside his chamber in the court and also threatened him with dire consequences by pointing a pistol on him. He was rescued by the lawyers of the Jhanjharpur court.

Following that incident, ADJ Avinash Kumar registered an FIR against the two policemen in the Jhanjharpur police station. Since then Patna high court was monitoring the case.

During the hearing of the court, government lawyer Mrigang Mauli, appearing for the police, said that an FIR was registered against ADJ on the statement of then SHO and the SI in June this year. At this, the Chief Justice asked him to inform the court under which law was the FIR was registered against the ADJ.

"The state police have violated the ruling of the Supreme Court which clearly said that the FIR would be registered against any judge only after the direction of the Chief Justice of the high court. As I have not given the permission to register an FIR against ADJ, how could Bihar Police register an FIR against him," he said.

To this, Mauli only said that a letter was written to the high court for the permission.

Expressing his anger, the Chief Justice said that the approach of Bihar police is non- tolerable and fixed the next hearing on Thursday at 2.30 p.m. when the state police will submit its defence. He also directed Mauli to appear before the court during the hearing.
Jaipur, Aug 3 : The final draft of rural tourism policy for Rajasthan is on the verge of completion and will be announced in September, Chief Secretary Usha Sharma said on Wednesday.

The policy is likely to be announced during the annual convention of the Indian Heritage Hotels Association (IHHA).

Sharma, who has been the Tourism Secretary of Rajasthan besides having a stint in the Union Tourism Ministry, was speaking during a meeting with a delegation of the Federation of Hospitality and Tourism of Rajasthan (FHTR) led by FHTR chief Apurv Kumar.

Sharma said that in the forthcoming 'Invest Rajasthan' programme in October, tourism will be a thrust sector which will play an important role in attracting investments.

She said the state government stands committed to making enabling policies for the promotion of tourism in Rajasthan as well as attracting investments in the sector.

Sharma also said that the state government will support the proposal of hoting the Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO) convention in Jaipur in December.

The FHTR members assured all support on behalf of the private stakeholders for the tourism sector, which was the worst hit by the pandemic.
Patna, Aug 3 : A group of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) activists protested against Bihar Governor Phagu Chauhan during the convocation ceremony in te Bhupendra Narayan Mandal University (BNMU) in Madhepura on Wednesday.

State Education Minister Vijay Kumar Chaudhary and cabinet minister Bijendra Yadav were also present at the venue.

The protest against the Governor, who is also the Chancellor of the universities, against the late sessions and corruption in the universities, was headed by ABVP state President Abhishek Kumar and his supporters.

Due to the protest, there was chaos arose at the venue. Police, present at the venue, tried to restrain and silence the protesters and then removed them from the venue.

"The present administration of universities are bringing education of Bihar to a lower level. There is huge corruption in the universities. We had protested against the corruption from time to time and we did the same in Madhepura as well," Abhishek Kumar said.
Moscow, Aug 4 : A Russian official said on Wednesday that Kiev and Moscow have exchanged prisoners and the bodies of those killed in the conflict 27 times since the war began.

"With the participation of the Red Cross, it has been possible to organize dialogue with Kiev on the exchange of prisoners and of dead soldiers. So far, 27 such operations have been carried out," Russian Deputy Defence Minister Alexander Fomin said at a briefing with foreign military attaches, dpa news agency reported, citing the Interfax news agency.

The largest single exchange was completed in June, when each side swapped 144 prisoners of war.

Negotiations over prisoner exchanges are one of the last remaining diplomatic channels between Moscow and Kiev after the breakdown of talks over a peace settlement in Ukraine.

Recently, there have been several proposals to use these channels to relaunch peace negotiations, in an attempt to end the fighting that started in February when Russian troops invaded Ukraine.

The evacuation of the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol were also agreed through this channel, Fomin said, with more than 3,000 people released including hundreds of civilians. "The operations were exclusively humanitarian in character," he said.

However, the recent shelling of a camp for prisoners of war in eastern Ukraine resulted in dozens of deaths of the Azov fighters who had been holding out in the plant in Mariupol, which was besieged for weeks before the troops capitulated in May.

Moscow and Kiev have each blamed the other for the strike on the camp in Olenivka, which lies in the territory claimed by the separatist groups. Some of the Ukrainian troops held there have been threatened with the death penalty for alleged war crimes.

Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine War
New York, Aug 4 : The Taliban government in Afghanistan is beginning an era of isolation since Al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri's killing by hellfire missiles fired from a drone by the US defence forces as he was given asylum in a Kabul locality called Sherpur, as both the US government and Taliban regime now begin to re-read and re-interpret the Doha agreement that promised no terrorist activities from Afghan soil.

The US may consider a round of sanctions against the Taliban regime since its hiding al-Zawahiri, the mastermind of 9/11 World Trade Center (WTC) attacks with Osama Bin Laden and the attacks on the Kenyan and another embassy on American soil.

The Al Qaeda leader was also behind the suicide attack against USS Cole, a guided missile destroyer of the US Navy, that killed 17 sailors. In the attack, terrorists exploded a small boat alongside the USS Cole as it was refueling in the Yemen's Aden port.

The Taliban had promised US negotiators at the Doha round table that the Afghan soil will not be allowed to be used for carrying out attacks on America, but allowed the FBI's most wanted al-Zawahiri to reside on its soil, even as Taliban spokesman claimed that it did not promise that it would break alliance with other groups.

Taliban now finds itself in a quandary as it promised moderation even while reinstituting its harsh rule of Afghanistan. Now, the revelation that the Taliban were sheltering the Al Qaeda's leader is likely to harden support for sanctions, says an analysis in the New York Times.

Hours after an American drone strike killed al-Zawahri, in downtown Kabul, Taliban security forces rushed to seal off the site. Green tarps were thrown over destroyed windows. Checkpoints were put up, and shops were closed. But that did not cover up the damage done to the Taliban's nascent government's credibility, which had tried to shelter the world's most wanted terrorist from the eyes of the American government.

The strike early on Sunday morning - and the public revelation that the Taliban had sheltered a key plotter of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the heart of the Afghan capital - was a devastating moment for the group's new government. The Taliban have not fundamentally reformed from their first regime in the 1990s, when their hard-liner policies and relationship with Al Qaeda turned the country into a pariah state, says the NYT dispatch.

Retaliation against Al Qaeda and the Taliban allies, who sheltered the terrorist group drove the US to invade Afghanistan in 2001, beginning a two-decade-long war that ravaged the country. Now, the Taliban seem to be treading again the same path, fueling criticism that the Taliban government should never be recognised globally, and speculation about a new era of US strikes against Afghanistan.

A Taliban statement condemned the American strike, without specifically mentioning al-Zawahri or Al Qaeda. "It is an act against the interests of Afghanistan and the region," said Zabihullah Mujahid, a spokesman for the Taliban government. "Repeating such actions will damage the available opportunities." The strike comes at a critical time for the Taliban struggling to gain integrity with its people and credibility in the international commnist of not being a terrorist state. Since seizing power, the group has promised to moderate as it seeks international recognition and aid from Western diplomats abroad, even while staying true to its hard-liner ideological beliefs at home. In recent months, the government has enacted increasingly oppressive policies, including restricting women's rights to travel and work. And it has reneged on an earlier pledge to allow girls to attend secondary school.

International attitudes against the government have gained traction now and it may cost the country millions in foreign aid, sinking the country into its worst ever economic crisis. Now, the strike against the Al Qaeda's leader in the heart of Kabul has opened a new chapter for the Taliban government, an era of isolation from the international community.

The strike highlights what many analysts and experts have warned for months. The Taliban have allowed terrorist groups, including Al Qaeda and the Pakistani Taliban, to exist freely on Afghan soil since the takeover despite the agreement with the US, the NYT said.

"No one is terribly surprised that the Taliban is playing footsie with Al Qaeda, and no one is terribly surprised the US hit him with a drone," said Graeme Smith, a senior consultant for the International Crisis Group who focuses on Afghanistan.

"The risk now is a slippery slope of 'over the horizon' strikes being a viable option dealing with very complicated threats that are coming from Afghanistan," he said adding, "There is a rich history of airstrikes not having their intended consequences in Afghanistan." Sunday's strike signals the first use of the Pentagon's so-called "over the horizon" strategy in Afghanistan, in which the United States attacks targets with aircraft based outside the country.

Following the US withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021, the American officials have moved to reposition the American forces in neighboring countries where they can launch strikes like the one on al-Zawahiri. This strategy is still in its infancy, and talks about positioning forces in places like Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Pakistan are still in their early stages. It remains unclear whether the strike over the weekend will be the first of many, or a one-off.

"The strike doesn't necessarily tell us much about the over-the-horizon strategy because it was clear that al-Zawahri was a big enough fish to go after regardless of the general policy," Smith added.

The Taliban's history with Al Qaeda stretches back decades. Mullah Omar, the Taliban's first leader in the 1990s, was largely deferential to Al Qaeda's expanding existence in the country's east during those years. Some Taliban factions had a closer relationship with the terrorist organisation than others - especially the Haqqani network, whose senior leadership fought alongside and aided Al Qaeda's founder, Osama bin Laden, during the Soviet-Afghan war.

As its terrorist camps spread, Bin Laden issued a "declaration of jihad" in summer 1996 that called for attacks on the US. Omar was at times clearly frustrated with the negative international attention that began focusing on his government, but he still refused to expel Bin Laden, even after Al Qaeda's September 11 attacks set the US on the path to invasion.

Both Bin Laden and al-Zawahri pledged allegiance to the Taliban's leaders over the years, though al-Zawahri's most recent pledge - in 2016 after Haibatullah Akhundzada rose to become supreme leader of the Taliban - was never publicly accepted or rejected by the group.
New Delhi, Aug 4 : The phase two of the Common University Entrance Test for admission to undergraduate programmes in Central Universities (CUET UG) is all set to start on Thursday.

In the entrance test, conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA), question will only be based on Class 12 syllabus and in case any question is found wrong or if any question is withdrawn, five marks will be given to the candidates in lieu of that question.

On the basis of CUET results, all the Central universities will release their own cut-off and there will be no weightage of Class 12 marks in this cut-off.

As many as 90 universities, including 44 Central varsities, across the country will accommodate students through the CUET.

Delhi University professor Hansraj Suman told IANS that the marks obtained in Class 12 is of no importance for admission in Central universities this time.

Universities and the affiliated colleges will prepare their cut off list on the basis of marks secured by the students in the entrance test, he said, adding that the marks secured by the students in the CUET will be intimated to universities by the NTA.

The UGC has also issued clear instructions regarding the syllabus of the entrance test.

UGC Chairman M. Jagadesh Kumar has clarified that the entrance test for undergraduate courses is being conducted on the basis of Class 12 syllabus only. "No questions from the syllabus of any other class will be asked in the test," he asserted.

In CUET 2022, the NTA has made important changes keeping in mind the interests of the students. It has also amended the marking scheme.

This year, if any question is found wrong or any question is withdrawn, five marks will be given to the candidates in lieu of the question. However, not all students will be able to get these five marks.

According to the NTA, these five marks will be given to only those students who attempt the dropped question.

Overall around 14.9 lakh candidates have registered for the CUET UG within the country and outside the country. Around 8.1 lakh candidates have appeared in the first phase which held on July 15. Meanwhile, about 6.8 lakh candidates will appear in the second phase of the entrance test.
Bengaluru, Aug 4 : Samples of a 9-year-old boy from Tibet, suspected of having monkeypox, have been sent to the Virus Research and Diagnostic Laboratory (VRDL) of Bengaluru Medical College and Research Institute (BMCRI) here for examination.

According to sources, the kid arrived India with his parents and a Tibetan priest to New Delhi on July 1. He also visited Tibetan camps in Himachal Pradesh and Maharashtra. The sample of the kid, the third suspected case of monkeypox in Karnataka, has been sent from Hubballi city.

The boy had returned from Belgium and showed skin rashes and other symptoms of monkeypox. The boy had also visited Mundgod Tibetan camp in Uttara Kannada district, sources in the health department stated. However, they said it could be a case of chickenpox. "The boy had reached India on July 1 and the incubation period of monkeypox is not that long and the symptoms could have manifested earlier." The first and second suspected cases of monkeypox in Karnataka have tested negative.

Earlier, Health Minister K. Sudhakar said that there is no need to panic about monkeypox, adding that the government is taking all precautionary measures including thermal screening at airports and strict surveillance in districts bordering Kerala.

Latest updates on Monkeypox Virus Outbreak
United Nations, Aug 4 : UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has said that he will set up a fact-finding mission to look into the recent attack on a Donetsk prison in Ukraine that reportedly killed dozens of prisoners of war.

He has received requests from both Russia and Ukraine for an investigation into the shelling of the prison in Olenivka, Guterres told reporters on Wednesday.

"I decided, in line with my own competencies and powers, to launch a fact-finding mission -- I have not the authority to do criminal investigations, but (have the authority) to launch a fact-finding mission," he was quoted as saying by Xinhua news agency.

The terms of reference for that fact-finding mission are being prepared at the moment. They will be shared with the governments of Russia and Ukraine, he said. "I hope we will be able to have an agreement on the terms of reference of that mission." At the same time, the world body is recruiting "competent, independent people" for the fact-finding mission and is engaged in heavy coordination work, he said.

"We hope to have the facilities from both sides for access and for the obtention of all data that is necessary to be able to clarify the truth about what has happened," said Guterres. "This is a matter that we took very seriously and we are working hard for that." Ukraine and Russia accused each other of carrying out the fatal attack on the prison in Olenivka.

Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine War
Minvoul Airport, Minvoul, Gabon [ MVX / FOGV ]

If you are planning to travel to Minvoul or any other city in Gabon, this airport locator will be a very useful tool. This page gives complete information about the Minvoul Airport along with the airport location map, Time Zone, lattitude and longitude, Current time and date, hotels near the airport etc... Minvoul Airport Map showing the location of this airport in Gabon. Minvoul Airport IATA Code, ICAO Code, exchange rate etc... is also provided.

Minvoul Airport Info:

Minvoul Airport IATA Code: MVX Minvoul Airport ICAO Code: FOGV Latitude : 2.15 Longitude : 12.1333 City : Minvoul Country : Gabon World Area Code : 526 Airport Type : Small Minvoul Airport Address / Contact Details :

Minvoul (MVX), Gabon Timezone : Africa/Libreville Minvoul Airport Timezone : GMT +01:00 hours Current time and date at Minvoul Airport is 17:52:52 PM (WAT) on Wednesday, Aug 17, 2022

Looking for information on Minvoul Airport, Minvoul, Gabon? Know about Minvoul Airport in detail. Find out the location of Minvoul Airport on Gabon map and also find out airports near to Minvoul. This airport locator is a very useful tool for travelers to know where is Minvoul Airport located and also provide information like hotels near Minvoul Airport, airlines operating to Minvoul Airport etc... IATA Code and ICAO Code of all airports in Gabon. Scroll down to know more about Minvoul Airport or Minvoul Airport, Gabon.

Minvoul Airport Map - Location of Minvoul Airport Load Map Gabon - General Information Country Formal Name Gabonese Republic Country Code GA Capital Libreville Currency Franc (XAF)

 1 XAF = 0.002 USD

 1 USD = 645.5 XAF

 1 XAF = 0.002 EUR

 1 EUR = 655.957 XAF

 More XAF convertion rates Tel Code +241 Top Level Domain .ga

This page provides all the information you need to know about Minvoul Airport, Gabon. This page is created with the aim of helping travelers and tourists visiting Gabon or traveling to Minvoul Airport. Details about Minvoul Airport given here include Minvoul Airport Code - IATA Code (3 letter airport codes) and ICAO Code (4 letter airport codes)

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MVX - Minvoul Airport IATA Code and FOGV - Minvoul Airport ICAO code
Aktiv Pharma Group secures federal grant to develop tranexamic acid autoinjector

Aktiv Pharma Group (Aktiv) announced today a grant award from the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) Defense Health Agency (DHA) Joint Program Committee 6/Combat Casualty Care Research Program (JPC-6/CCCRP) [1] for the continued development of their tranexamic acid (TXA) autoinjector, targeting proposed indications related to prehospital treatment of severe bleeding.

We are excited to receive this support from the U.S. Government to develop yet another one of the critically important emergency treatment products said the company founder and CEO, Amir Genosar. This award will help Aktiv continue advancing the TXA autoinjector towards FDA approval in 2025, which will ultimately be used to help protect both our troops and the civilian population. To date, Aktiv has met several critical milestones in the TXA autoinjector program, including development of a proprietary formulation, performing stability studies, and completing a number of promising preclinical studies.

Uncontrolled bleeding is the number one cause of death on the battlefield and pre-hospital treatment options prior to evacuation to definitive care are limited [2]. Furthermore, it is estimated that 18,400 preventable deaths occur each year in the U.S. alone due to hemorrhage after injury [3]. We are proud to develop a product that will be available for the U.S. Warfighter and emergency medical responders to treat patients in the field as close as possible to the time of injury, with an autoinjector that meets and exceeds the most stringent reliability requirements of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for emergency-use injectors.

The ARAI autoinjector has been developed by Aktiv with the support of the DOD and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Biotechnology Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) as a next generation autoinjector platform to address the shortfalls of previous autoinjectors, by improving usability, reliability, robustness, and drug stability. ARAI is a versatile platform that can deliver up to 5 ml dose volumes, perform simultaneous injections of multiple, separately stored drug formulations, and automatically reconstitute drugs formulated in dry form. Aktiv is currently expanding the ARAI platform to include a consumer market autoinjector for biopharmaceuticals that will feature the same reliability, robustness, and usability benefits in a smaller form factor and with added data connectivity.

Aktiv is leveraging its superior autoinjector technology to advance the strongest emergency treatment pipeline in the industry, which currently includes atropine, pralidoxime chloride (2-PAM), atropine/2-PAM dual-injection, and scopolamine in development as a treatment for nerve agent poisoning, and is planning to add at least one more emergency treatment to its pipeline by 2023. Aktiv is also collaborating with another pharmaceutical company to develop a reconstitution autoinjector for a long-acting formulation of naloxone. We are humbled by the opportunities entrusted to us by the U.S. Government to help save lives from trauma injuries, to protect our military and the homeland from unconventional weapon threats, and to improve our response to mass casualty events, Mr. Genosar added.

The University of Colorado School of Medicines CU Anschutz Center for Combat Medicine and Battlefield (COMBAT) Research and Dr. Vik Bebarta's TRIAD Research Lab are a lead collaborator on this important, practice-changing award that will benefit our warfighters and warrior medics. These key industry and academic partnerships provide the DOD a timely opportunity to get solutions out the door and into practice" said Dr. Bebarta, the founder and director of the CU Center for COMBAT Research on the CU Anschutz Medical Campus. The University of Colorado School of Medicine and the CU Center for COMBAT Research in the Department of Emergency Medicine are excited to collaborate with our local Colorado partner, Aktiv, on this effort to change how we care for our service members in garrison and our civilians in our communities."

About Aktiv

Aktiv is a vertically integrated specialty pharmaceutical company with combination product contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) capabilities, developing, manufacturing, and commercializing sterile injectable products in a portfolio of proprietary, value-added, glass-free prefilled delivery systems. Aktivs has unique combination product competencies, specifically targeting biopharmaceuticals. The companys facilities in Colorado include device development, chemistry, manufacturing and controls (CMC), and manufacturing equipment labs, assembly rooms operated under Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP), and sterile fill-finish suites. Aktiv can be contacted at https://aktivpharmagroup.com/contact.

[1] The funding is provided by the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs, through the U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command under Award No. W81XWH-22-1-0225. The U.S. Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity, 820 Chandler Street, Fort Detrick MD 21702-5014 is the awarding and administering acquisition office. In conducting research using animals, the investigator(s) adheres to the laws of the United States and regulations of the Department of Agriculture.

[2] Eastridge, Brian J et al. Outcomes of traumatic hemorrhagic shock and the epidemiology of preventable death from injury. Transfusion vol. 59,S2 (2019): 1423-1428.

[3] Spinella, Philip Charles. Zero preventable deaths after traumatic injury: An achievable goal. The journal of trauma and acute care surgery vol. 82,6S Suppl 1 (2017): S2-S8.
Throughout the history of Revit, landscape architects and urban planners have been unable to successfully transition from CAD to BIM workflows. The Environment tool finally allows the integration of landscaping and urban designers to work effectively within a BIM environment.

MG is now the premier North American Arch-Intelligence partner, providing support and software connecting site design within Autodesk Revit and landscaping. Partnering with Arch-Intelligence combines MG's AECO industry and Autodesk Revit expertise with Arch-Intelligence's cutting-edge landscaping technology, Environment. This technology was developed by practicing landscape architects and has evolved beyond plant placement into accurate grading plans, retaining wall designs, and real-world collaboration.

Throughout the history of Revit, landscape architects and urban planners have been unable to successfully transition from CAD to BIM workflows. The Environment tool finally allows the integration of landscaping and urban designers to work effectively within a BIM environment.  Brian D. Juge, AIA RA, Senior Digital Practice Technician Building/Construction at MG

As landscape architects and site design professionals, we are closely familiar, on the one hand, with the dire need for our discipline to transfer to BIM, and on the other hand, with the gaps in current BIM platforms that make such a transition difficult, if not impossible. Coupling our outdoor design expertise with extensive Revit experience, we developed Environment for Revit and have finally leveled the playing field for our fellow professionals, allowing them to design landscapes and plan sites with the same, if not greater ease and efficiency as the rest of the AEC world. - Ilya Volokin, CEO of Arch-Intelligence

Outdoor spaces are becoming more vital to reconnecting with nature after two years of pandemic measures. Landscaping design trends are becoming more organic and environmentally sustainable. Arch-Intelligence's Environment plugin for Autodesk Revit is changing the way architects design and view outdoor spaces, offering the ability to design topographies and hardscapes, use architectural walls in site design, and analyze topography within Autodesk Revit and collaborate with CAD files in site design.

The partnership between MG and Arch-Intelligence will allow landscape architects to collaborate like never before using Environment in Autodesk Revit. MG is building customized templates, onboard training support, and supplemental content to ensure a successful transition to Autodesk Revit. MG will begin offering a free trial of Environment starting August 2022 with unparalleled support from tech experts in the field. Contact us at marketing@teamd3.com to learn more.

About MG: MG AEC Technology Partners is a premier provider of AECO technologies and services. MG combines broad expertise in AECO industry professional best practices and the technology solutions that help their clients create world-class projects.

MG believes that a well-informed environment leads to the development of intelligent, sustainable, and effective projects for tomorrow's world.

About Arch-Intelligence: Arch-Intelligence develops and offers Environment for Revit, the worlds leading platform for BIM-based landscape and site design.

In a world where conventional architectural projects are conducted almost exclusively in BIM environments, and in which Revit is the most advanced and most popular BIM software in the AEC industry, Arch-Intelligence has made it its mission to transform Revit into the software of choice for landscape architects and outdoor design professionals.

The company has made good on this promise through Its Revit plugin, Environment for Revit, that includes a rich toolset offering more efficient and effective landscape workflows and streamlining and simplifying dozens, if not hundreds of tedious, repetitive, and time-consuming tasks in Revit.

With its face to the future, Arch-intelligence continues to develop ways to improve, optimize, and expand BIM-based design and construction processes, extending Environment to serve the needs of professionals of additional AEC disciplines, as well.
Rallyware and AMSOIL have partnered for higher AMSOIL workforce results and company KPIs. A historic innovator in the development and distribution of synthetic lubricants, AMSOIL wields Rallywares platform to onboard new dealers, train them on items such as compliance and customer service protocols, and optimize their sales of AMSOIL products.

Rallyware, a performance enablement platform for the modern distributed workforce, is proud to announce their partnership with AMSOIL  a major developer of synthetic lubricants for automotive vehicles  providing a complete training, learning, and sales enablement app for the AMSOIL network of independent dealers.

At a moment of retrenchment for direct selling, particularly in terms of retention  the industry experienced a 5.2% decrease in workforce last year  Rallyware has helped AMSOIL stay in front of competitors and grow in defiance of todays headwinds. So far, AMSOIL has built its robust dealer learning and certification program on the firm basis of Rallywares technology, delivering to dealers nationwide the all-in-one digital experience they need and deserve.

A historic innovator in the development and distribution of synthetic lubricants, AMSOIL wields Rallywares platform to onboard new dealers, train them on items such as compliance and customer service protocols, and optimize their sales of AMSOIL products.

With respect to the companys specific needs and aims, Rallywares field enablement suite guides the distributed AMSOIL independent Dealer network to success with: personalized learning about the most efficient selling practices; smart notifications around new product launches; leaderboards that compare and visualize sales progress for multiple dealers; educational content on how to talk about different types of lubricants; and more  all enriched by robust data integrations to constantly re-engage dealer attention with the activities most relevant to each individual.

In terms of core metrics, one of the chief KPIs for AMSOIL is the customer certification process for dealers. In becoming customer certified, AMSOIL dealers obtain the basic knowledge necessary to provide good customer service and, ideally, sell more AMSOIL products.

With this in mind, AMSOIL has been able to design their Rallyware-based app to optimize and speed up the achievement of this most vital metric  the customer certification pipeline. In terms of dealer experience, AMSOIL hears wide-ranging praise for the training and learning made possible by Rallywares technology. According to AMSOIL leadership, dealers state that Rallyware is addictive, and that they cant stop training until theyre done.

With Rallywares platform, weve been able to craft a highly personalized and automated digital experience for onboarding, learning, and selling that our dealers enjoy using, says Dan Peterson, SVP Marketing and Sales at AMSOIL. This is exactly what we imagined when we were looking for technology that would enable us for the challenges of the 2020s: technology thats at once highly effective for us as a business  in terms of our KPIs  and extremely usable for our dealers day to day.

Rallywares leadership agrees. Were immensely proud of what weve done so far with AMSOIL, and were excited about whats to come in the near future, says George Elfond, Rallywares CEO and Co-Founder. AMSOIL uses Rallywares data-driven technology to make sure that their dealers are fully engaged with the companys high-performing and highly reliable motor oil family of products. Were very impressed with what weve seen so far  AMSOIL has been able to use Rallyware to create a more educated and engaged workforce, shaping success one customer-certified dealer at a time.

About Rallyware:

Rallywares end-to-end performance enablement platform (PEP) provides each member of a distributed workforce a unique, personalized growth journey based on their goals and skills. Rallyware transforms the workforce experience into a sleek, highly automated journey from onboarding to digital L&D, from incentives and recognition programs to opportunity management, using cross-system integrations and data-rich analytics to develop and reward the ideal behaviors in the workforce. https://www.rallyware.com/
We want our HR brand to reflect the unity of the diverse parts of our organization. We made this decision with respect to all those that have had relationships with BlueFire HR while stepping into the future through our new cohesive messaging. Jim Finkelstein, President and CEO, FutureSense.

FutureSense, LLC, a human capital consulting firm, announced that effective today, BlueFire HR would be known as FutureSense HR, according to FutureSense, LLC.

Headquartered in Denver, Colorado, Stephanie Nelson, MBA, CHHR, CMC, launched BlueFire HR in 2015 to make HR accessible for all businesses by enhancing productivity, advancing cultures, and lowering business costs. Stephanie has worked in the industry for more than 20 years in healthcare, technology, manufacturing, non-profit, and various professional industries. FutureSense acquired BlueFire HR in 2019, and its HR business has grown by more than 386% in the past few years.

FutureSense's status as a rapidly expanding boutique human capital consulting organization is reflected in the rebranding. This action further establishes its standing as a comprehensive service provider specializing in Thoughtful. Responsive. Authentic. solutions for businesses searching for innovative and insightful people solutions. FutureSense HR provides HR services in the areas of employee relations, company culture, organizational growth, training, change management, harassment investigations and training, expert advice, and witness testimony.

The official inclusion of BlueFire HR under the parent company's FutureSense brand highlights their transformational growth over the past few years and their long-term goal of establishing a unified center of excellence for human capital.

Jim Finkelstein, the Founder and CEO of FutureSense said, "We want our HR brand to reflect the unity of the diverse parts of our organization and all our associates. As we updated our branding, we made a conscious decision to respect the hundreds of companies who have had relationships with BlueFire HR while at the same time stepping into the future through our new cohesive messaging."

"Transitioning to FutureSense HR was the next step as we have incorporated our legacy BlueFire HR clients into the FutureSense family." Stephanie Nelson said, "This final phase in our journey as a unified brand will enable clients to easily access all of the solutions FutureSense offers."

People are at the center of everything, according to the principle behind the FutureSense brand. Across the board, businesses have varying needs for human capital. Each solution that FutureSense offers excels at addressing our clients' particular needs. The FutureSense brand emphasizes organizational improvement and demonstrates its dedication to reliability, excellence, thought leadership, and effectiveness.

About FutureSense, LLC

FutureSense, LLC provides integrated solutions to build and sustain human capacity and optimize organizational performance. FutureSense specializes in people, organization, and strategy, offering unique and comprehensive services to create solutions that make a difference. FutureSense, an EDG company for The Innovation Institute, provides integrated solutions to build and sustain human capacity and optimize organizational performance. FutureSense specializes in people, organization, and strategy, offering unique and comprehensive services to create solutions that make a difference. For more information, visit http://www.futuresense.com.
We scored these brokerages utilizing sophisticated, industry-first algorithms, and we applaud the winners demonstrated commitment to service, quality, and positive employer feedback.

Mployer Advisor, the leading independent platform for employers to research, review, and evaluate insurance brokers is pleased to announce the winners of its Top Employee Benefits Consultant Awards based in Arizona. Mployer Advisor has named more than 600 winners in over 50 regions as part of its second annual 2022 awards. The class of 2022 winners account for less than 5% of all brokerages nationwide.

Mployer Advisors Top Employee Benefits Consultant Awards Program evaluates brokerages based on the breadth and depth of their experience across employer industries, sizes, insurance products, and employer reviews. We recognize esteemed brokers that demonstrate market-leading competencies and a proven track record of success among employers, insurance providers, and peers.

The team at Mployer Advisor is proud to honor this group of top insurance consultants as part of the 2022 class for our second annual Top Employee Benefits Consultant Awards, said Brian Freeman, the Founder and CEO of Mployer Advisor. Employer-sponsored healthcare and benefits cover over 150M Americans. Who an employer selects as their benefits advisor has more impact on cost and quality than who they choose as the insurance carrier. We scored these brokerages utilizing sophisticated, industry-first algorithms, and we applaud the winners demonstrated commitment to service, quality, and positive employer feedback.

Mployer Advisor determined the winners of the second annual Top Employee Benefits Consultant Awards by analyzing each brokerage based on historical data, online reviews, their M Score rating, and demonstrated business experience.

The Arizona job market is one of the most competitive in the U.S. Western region, employing close to 3.5 million people. Offering competitive employee benefits is a critical factor in hiring top talent for the regions employers. Finding and partnering with a highly rated insurance consultant is imperative to retaining talent in any market.

The recipients of the 2022 Top Employee Benefits Consultant Awards for Arizona are as follows:



The above winners are a snapshot of Mployer Advisors matrices and proprietary M Score on June 1, 2022. To view a full list of consultants in Arizona, visit MployerAdvisor.com.

To view a complete list of the 2022 recipients of Mployer Advisors Top Employee Benefits Consultant Awards, visit https://mployeradvisor.com/best-insurance-brokers.

About Mployer Advisor:

Mployer Advisor is changing the way employers search, evaluate, and select insurance advisors. The intuitive platform connects employers and employees to great benefits and insurance plans by providing employers with actionable data to easily evaluate and select the best advisor for a companys specific needs. Most brokerages have a profile on Mployer Advisor, which provides independent ratings of insurance advisors to support employers. Insurance brokers cannot pay to influence their Mployer Advisor rating. Only highly rated brokerages are allowed to advertise on the platform. To learn more about Mployer Advisor, visit https://mployeradvisor.com and follow us on LinkedIn.

Disclaimer: Rankings are dynamic, and this report may not reflect the rankings currently listed on Mployer Advisors website. Because Mployer Advisors research is ongoing, interested companies that want to join next years list are encouraged to claim their free profile on Mployer Advisor.

Media Contact:

Abbey Dean (Head of Content)

Abbey.dean@mployeradvisor.com
We scored these brokerages utilizing sophisticated, industry-first algorithms, and we applaud the winners demonstrated commitment to service, quality, and positive employer feedback.

Mployer Advisor, the leading independent platform for employers to research, review, and evaluate insurance brokers is pleased to announce the winners of its Top Employee Benefits Consultant Awards based in Mississippi. Mployer Advisor has named more than 600 winners in over 50 regions as part of its second annual 2022 awards. The class of 2022 winners account for less than 5% of all brokerages nationwide.

Mployer Advisors Top Employee Benefits Consultant Awards Program evaluates brokerages based on the breadth and depth of their experience across employer industries, sizes, insurance products, and employer reviews. We recognize esteemed brokers that demonstrate market-leading competencies and a proven track record of success among employers, insurance providers, and peers.

The team at Mployer Advisor is proud to honor this group of top insurance consultants as part of the 2022 class for our second annual Top Employee Benefits Consultant Awards, said Brian Freeman, the Founder, and CEO of Mployer Advisor. Employer-sponsored healthcare and benefits cover over 150M Americans. Who an employer selects as their benefits advisor has more impact on cost and quality than who they choose as the insurance carrier. We scored these brokerages utilizing sophisticated, industry-first algorithms, and we applaud the winners demonstrated commitment to service, quality, and positive employer feedback.

Mployer Advisor determined the winners of the second annual Top Employee Benefits Consultant Awards by analyzing each brokerage based on historical data, online reviews, their M Score rating, and demonstrated business experience.

The Mississippi job market is competitive in the U.S. Southeast, employing over 1.2 million people. Offering competitive employee benefits is a critical factor in hiring top talent for the regions employers. Finding and partnering with a highly rated insurance consultant is imperative to retaining talent in any market.

The recipients of the 2022 Top Employee Benefits Consultant Awards for Mississippi are as follows:



The above winners are a snapshot of Mployer Advisors matrices and proprietary M Score on June 1, 2022. To view a full list of consultants in Mississippi, visit MployerAdvisor.com.

To view a complete list of the 2022 recipients of Mployer Advisors Top Employee Benefits Consultant Awards, visit https://mployeradvisor.com/best-insurance-brokers.

About Mployer Advisor:

Mployer Advisor is changing the way employers search, evaluate, and select insurance advisors. The intuitive platform connects employers and employees to great benefits and insurance plans by providing employers with actionable data to easily evaluate and select the best advisor for a companys specific needs. Most brokerages have a profile on Mployer Advisor, which provides independent ratings of insurance advisors to support employers. Insurance brokers cannot pay to influence their Mployer Advisor rating. Only highly rated brokerages are allowed to advertise on the platform. To learn more about Mployer Advisor, visit https://myployeradvisor.com/ and follow us on LinkedIn.

Disclaimer: Rankings are dynamic, and this report may not reflect the rankings currently listed on Mployer Advisors website. Because Mployer Advisors research is ongoing, interested companies that want to join next years list are encouraged to claim their free profile on Mployer Advisor.

Media Contact:

Abbey Dean (Head of Content)

Abbey.dean@mployeradvisor.com

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We scored these brokerages utilizing sophisticated, industry-first algorithms, and we applaud the winners demonstrated commitment to service, quality, and positive employer feedback.

Mployer Advisor, the leading independent platform for employers to research, review, and evaluate insurance brokers is pleased to announce the winners of its Top Employee Benefits Consultant Awards based in Oklahoma. Mployer Advisor has named more than 600 winners in over 50 regions as part of its second annual 2022 awards. The class of 2022 winners account for less than 5% of all brokerages nationwide.

Mployer Advisors Top Employee Benefits Consultant Awards Program evaluates brokerages based on the breadth and depth of their experience across employer industries, sizes, insurance products, and employer reviews. We recognize esteemed brokers that demonstrate market-leading competencies and a proven track record of success among employers, insurance providers, and peers.

The team at Mployer Advisor is proud to honor this group of top insurance consultants as part of the 2022 class for our second annual Top Employee Benefits Consultant Awards, said Brian Freeman, the Founder and CEO of Mployer Advisor. Employer-sponsored healthcare and benefits cover over 150M Americans. Who an employer selects as their benefits advisor has more impact on cost and quality than who they choose as the insurance carrier. We scored these brokerages utilizing sophisticated, industry-first algorithms, and we applaud the winners demonstrated commitment to service, quality, and positive employer feedback.

Mployer Advisor determined the winners of the second annual Top Employee Benefits Consultant Awards by analyzing each brokerage based on historical data, online reviews, their M Score rating, and demonstrated business experience.

The Oklahoma job market is competitive in the U.S. Southwest, employing over 1.8 million people. Offering competitive employee benefits is a critical factor in hiring top talent for the regions employers. Finding and partnering with a highly rated insurance consultant is imperative to retaining talent in any market.

The recipients of the 2022 Top Employee Benefits Consultant Awards for Oklahoma are as follows:



The above winners are a snapshot of Mployer Advisors matrices and proprietary M Score on June 1, 2022. To view a full list of consultants in Oklahoma, visit MployerAdvisor.com.

To view a complete list of the 2022 recipients of Mployer Advisors Top Employee Benefits Consultant Awards, visit https://mployeradvisor.com/best-insurance-brokers.

About Mployer Advisor:

Mployer Advisor is changing the way employers search, evaluate, and select insurance advisors. The intuitive platform connects employers and employees to great benefits and insurance plans by providing employers with actionable data to easily evaluate and select the best advisor for a companys specific needs. Most brokerages have a profile on Mployer Advisor, which provides independent ratings of insurance advisors to support employers. Insurance brokers cannot pay to influence their Mployer Advisor rating. Only highly rated brokerages are allowed to advertise on the platform. To learn more about Mployer Advisor, visit https://myployeradvisor.com/https://mployeradvisor.com and follow us on LinkedIn.

Disclaimer: Rankings are dynamic, and this report may not reflect the rankings currently listed on Mployer Advisors website. Because Mployer Advisors research is ongoing, interested companies that want to join next years list are encouraged to claim their free profile on Mployer Advisor.

Media Contact:

Abbey Dean (Head of Content)

mailto:Abbey.dean@mployeradvisor.com [Abbey.dean@mployeradvisor.com __title__ null]

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"The inefficiencies of our legacy system were becoming roadblocks to our growth. We chose Ivy to help us manage this massive change, which worked more than well for us. Now our field force has complete accessibility on the go and works efficiently," said Youssef Ezzikhe, CEO of Oman Refco.

Oman Refreshment Company (ORC), a leading soft-drinks and beverages player in the Sultanate of Oman, has been using Ivy Mobility's intelligent Route-to-Market (i-RTM) solution since 2018 and has experienced significant improvement in sales and operations efficiencies. The company was previously on a legacy on-premise solution and moved to lvy Direct Store Delivery (DSD) and Cloud Distribution Management System (DMS) to support business expansion.

In addition to owning franchise rights to produce, fill and distribute PepsiCo in the Sultanate, ORC manufactures beverages under its own brand Topfruit. Moving to the cloud solution by Ivy Mobility provided the company with complete accessibility, scalability, and customization capabilities on top of the cost savings over the legacy solution.

The field force of ORC now seamlessly conducts about 33,000 visits on lvy i-RTM solution and processes 30,000 orders in a month on average.

Ivy Mobility also helped Oman Refreshments Company overcome one of its biggest challenges of approval management. ORC now has 70+ levels of approvals flowing through different departments in almost no time and fully automated way.

"The inefficiencies of our legacy system were becoming roadblocks to our growth, compelling us to move to a cloud-based solution. We chose Ivy to help us manage this massive change, which worked more than well for us. Now our field force has complete accessibility on the go and works efficiently," said Youssef Ezzikhe, Chief Executive Officer at Oman Refreshment Company.

"We are glad that we could address the challenges faced by ORC. Our expertise in consumer goods and cloud platforms gave us an edge. ORC and their teams have been super supportive throughout the process, and we are happy to be a part of their aggressive growth plan. Long way to go from here," said Rajiv Prabhakar, Founder & CEO of Ivy Mobility.

Oman Refreshments Company also runs hundreds of trade promotions on the Ivy i-RTM solution all year round. The company's field force serves 49,000 stores across the sultanate of Oman on the solution.

Disclaimer: The contents hereinabove are based on private experience and feedback of Oman Refreshment Company (ORC), with no promises, statements, inducements, declarations, or representation(s) being made, oral or written, regarding the subject matter, nor any warranty nor guarantee as to the facts, figures or accuracy and ORC expressly disclaims any and all liabilities, whatsoever, be it under law or otherwise, including those related, special, exemplary and/or incidental thereto.

About Ivy Mobility

Ivy Mobility is a global leader in cloud-based software for the consumer goods industry. Since 2012, the company's outcome-driven, highly scalable, configurable, and intelligent route-to-market solution has been helping thousands of manufacturers, distributors, wholesalers, and merchandising agencies grow faster. The company has its head offices in Singapore and operations in North America, Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America.

About Oman Refreshment Company

Oman Refreshments (ORC), or Pepsi Oman, started in 1974, is a leading franchised distributor of PepsiCo products in the Sultanate of Oman. ORC has seven production lines packing beverages into Cans, PET bottles, Non-returnable Glass Bottles, and Tetra Pack juices. They also trade in snacks, which include Lays potato chips, Doritos, etc., and the Quaker range of food products.
Vengreso Appoints Jack Wells as Its Chief Operating Officer To Round Out C-Suite Its an honor to be appointed as Vengresos COO. Vengreso from day 1 caught my attention because of the vision the leadership painted for its growth plans with its cloud-based platform, FlyMSG, said Wells.

Vengreso, the creator of FlyMSG, the text expander and personal writing assistant for individuals and teams, today announced that Jack Wells has been appointed as its Chief Operating Officer (COO), reporting to CEO and Founder, Mario Martinez Jr. Wells is a veteran operations leader who has spent his career scaling global operations for global businesses and ushering them through exponential growth. He brings a decade of operational and strategic experience to his new role as Vengreso experiences major growth of its flagship cloud-based platform, FlyMSG.io.

In his new position, Wells will be responsible for fueling Vengresos operations strategy, supporting both internal and external customers, as it grows the SaaS-based business with its text expansion and personal writing assistant software, FlyMSG. He will lead Vengresos Global Business Operations, Customer Support and Success, Revenue Enablement, Human Resources, Recruitment, and Legal efforts.

Since joining the company in January 2020, Wells has served in four different leadership roles prior to his appointment as COO, spanning everything from Human Resources and IT Operations to Product Development and Revenue Enablement. He has dominated every aspect of each role and proven to be the firepower Vengreso needs as it focuses its growth plans on FlyMSG.

Wells has over 10 years of leadership, strategy consulting, and operations management experience with Training, BPO, SaaS, and other service-based companies across EMEA, APAC, and the Americas. He has previously launched sites and managed teams of up to 4,000 FTEs, developed and implemented operational strategies to match culture and performance with objectives, and managed metrics to ensure a competitive edge. His focus on customer satisfaction directly boosted performance and profitability, ensuring alignment with projected income and demand.

In his 2.5 years at Vengreso, Jacks precise and diligent application of monitoring, analysis, collaboration, strategizing, relationship-building, project management, and problem-solving skills has propelled Vengresos growth to new heights, resulting in vast gains in productivity, efficiency, and effectiveness, said Mario Martinez Jr., Founder and CEO of Vengreso. His experience not only gives him the unique insights to help us reshape our company for SaaS success but also makes him the perfect leader to help drive Vengreso into a product-led growth company.

Since being handpicked to join the company, Wells quickly become the glue needed to grow and manage the existing business of Vengreso, working his way up to the C-Suite of the company, and winning Employee of the Year in 2020.

Its an honor to be appointed as Vengresos COO, said Wells. Vengreso from day 1 caught my attention because of the vision the leadership painted for its growth plans with its cloud-based platform, FlyMSG. As we look into the future, our model is a unique business model, combining product-led growth and sales-led growth. The trajectory of both the business and product is beyond amazing. I look forward to working with the team as we look to further penetrate the soon to be $122 billion productivity management software market.

About Vengreso, Inc.

Vengreso is the creator of FlyMSG, the text expander and personal writing assistant. FlyMSG helps individuals and teams automate the written word by removing the time drain it takes to find, copy, paste or write messages. Vengresos cloud-based productivity platform saves users 1-hour+ a day by expanding text of any length - anywhere online - with just a few short keystrokes. Today, users around the globe, in companies like Uber, Google, and Netflix use FlyMSG to communicate more effectively, simplify writing and drive better personal and business outcomes.

Learn more at https://vengreso.com/.
"We are thrilled to offer Solas boutique salon concept in Westminster, Maryland. There are incredible possibilities for salon professionals with an entrepreneurial spirit to expand their businesses here." - Jeremy Tebo, VP of Corporate Operations

Sola Salons, the premier salon studios concept for established salon professionals, celebrates the grand opening of its newest salon in Westminster, Maryland, conveniently located inside Cranberry Square Shopping Center. The new Sola location features a collection of 45 boutique, move-in-ready salon studios with floor-to-ceiling walls and glass doors that fully close. This unique layout and intentional design allows stylists to operate their individual businesses in the safety of a completely private one-on-one space.

"We are thrilled to offer Solas boutique salon concept in Westminster, Maryland. There are incredible possibilities for salon professionals with an entrepreneurial spirit to expand their businesses here, while ensuring the upmost safety standards for their clients," said Jeremy Tebo, VP of Corporate Operations for Sola Salons. Were excited to welcome so many skilled professionals into our salon to serve the Westminster community.

Sola provides a turnkey environment for experienced hairdressers, estheticians, nail technicians, massage therapists and makeup artists. Studios are equipped with:



Private space with oversized sliding/locking door

Floor-to-ceiling sound-insulated walls

High-end hydraulic chair and modern custom cabinetry

Full spectrum lighting to emulate natural daylight

Utilities and WiFi included in weekly rental fee

On-site laundry facilities and other shared amenities

Since its inception in 2004, Sola has grown to more than 600 locations throughout the U.S., Canada, and Brazil. Sola also launched BeautyHive, an e-commerce platform providing a convenient, economical way for Sola independent beauty professionals to get their backbar supplies without the hassle of distributors or store visits. BeautyHive is the latest platform that Sola has created for its stylists with the goal of making their lives easier and helping their businesses grow. Sola has remained committed to technology and innovation to better support its rapidly growing community of more than 18,000 independent beauty professionals. With proprietary tools like its SolaGenius application and BookNow website feature, the brand continues to be regarded as the leading franchise concept in the salon studios sector.

As the most dominant brand in the salon studios segment, we have created a turnkey solution for hundreds of thousands of beauty professionals to explore a better life as an entrepreneur. We are driven by our desire to use real estate to help aspiring business owners achieve their dreams and live their best lives, said Christina Russell, CEO of Sola Salons. With a wide variety of proprietary resources and tools, such as state-of-the-art technology and integrated marketing features, we ensure that our Sola beauty professionals are set up for long-term success from the very beginning.

The Sola Salons located at 405 Center St. Ste. 13, Westminster, MD 21157 offers 45 studios and 7,995 square feet of first-class amenities for salon professionals and their clients. Private studios are still available for rent. For more information or to take a tour, visit https://www.solasalonstudios.com/locations/cranberry-square, call our leasing manager Portia Weems at (443) 952-2904 or email: portia.weems@solasalonstudios.com.

ABOUT SOLA SALONS

In 2004, Sola Salons was established with the opening of its first location in Denver, Colorado. Now with more than 600 locations open in the U.S., Canada and Brazil, Sola is proud to offer 18,000+ independent beauty professionals the freedom and benefits of salon ownership without the risk and overhead of opening a traditional salon. Its innovative salon model empowers hairdressers, estheticians, nail techs, massage therapists and other like-minded professionals to take control of their lives and their careers. Sola provides beauty professionals with beautiful, fully-equipped salon studios alongside the support and tools they need to launch their salon business in no time. For more information, please visit http://www.solasalons.com.
Climate change, the COVID-19 pandemic and the invasion of Ukraine have demonstrated that investors are in uncharted waters when it comes to managing the social and environmental challenges of today." -- William Burckart

The Investment Integration Project (TIIP), a consulting services and applied research firm focused on system-level investing, and the Surdna Foundation announced a collaborative partnership to help investors deliberately address systemic risks like climate change and income inequality and seize opportunities inherent in increased social justice and resilient ecosystems. Central to the collaborative is TIIPs Systems Aware Investing Launchpad (SAIL), an all-encompassing investment information platform for investors seeking to better address social and environmental risks and achieve greater impact.

Previously, investors could find ways to insulate their portfolios from certain global events. Today, even seemingly local events can immediately and adversely affect all portfolios. The largest, most influential investors are recognizing this trend and considering the interconnection between planetary and societal systems under stress and adverse portfolio performance. These investors are pioneering policies and practices that are additive to traditional investment scrutiny at the security and portfolio levels, helping them to confront global environmental and social systemic challenges in a way that makes financial sense. These pension funds, foundations and endowments, family offices and others are charting the next, critical shift in the evolution of investment, and SAIL helps other investors join them.

SAIL leverages the deep expertise of TIIPs Founder, Steve Lydenberg, who co-wrote the book 21st Century Investing with TIIP CEO William Burckart. The platform grew out of TIIPs comprehensive industry needs assessment released in June 2022, which surveyed close to 100 investors, financial advisers and other stakeholders. SAIL is a one-stop shop that guides investors in developing, implementing, and refining their system-level investment strategies. It consists of two unique components: a plug-and-play solution investors can use to chart their course, and a community of practice to exchange ideas, share lessons, and drive broader industry transformation.

Surdnas support is a critical stake in the ground validating the need for this kind of industry infrastructure, said Burckart. Climate change, the COVID-19 pandemic and the invasion of Ukraine have demonstrated that investors are in uncharted waters when it comes to managing the social and environmental challenges of today. They need help integrating system-level investing into RFPs, Statements of Investment Beliefs, investment and engagement activities, manager due diligence, and impact measurement. SAIL does that, and it guides investors on how to achieve influence at a system-level.

TIIP will leverage Surdnas funding to expand SAIL with a focus on racial justice, develop partnerships with key industry associations in order to educate and train more investors on how to integrate system-level investing into their policies, programs and practices, and generate a series of case studies based on the experiences of a cohort of investors that are putting system-level investing into action.

TIIP pioneered system-level investing and is leading the investment industry toward long-term strategies that are good for people, the planet, and shared global prosperity, said Adam Connaker, Director of Impact Investing at the Surdna Foundation. We are proud to support the TIIP team as they help investors, asset owners, asset managers, and other industry stakeholders tackle global systemic challenges, establish best practices, and transform the broader industry.

Surdnas grant will anchor a broader collaborative of foundations and serve as a proof of concept for educating, empowering, and engaging investors in addressing racial justice, social inequality, and other social issues within their portfolios. The partnership will create actionable steps for these investors to enact organizational and cultural change more aligned to improving the well-being of communities that unfairly bear the brunt of climate change, systemic racism, and growing inequality in the US and around the world.

Issues like social and racial justice are becoming more salient for investors and their stakeholders, said Renaye Manley, Deputy Director, Strategic Initiatives, Service Employees International Union, and a TIIP Advisory Council member. SAIL will develop and provide the support investors need to better navigate these issues and authentically integrate them into their overall organization strategy as well as portfolios.

To learn more about supporting this initiative as well as applying to join the investor cohort, please contact TIIP at SetSAIL@TIIProject.com.

The Investment Integration Project (TIIP)

TIIPs mission is to help investors understand how healthy social, environmental, and financial systems can benefit their portfolios. TIIP provides consulting services, applied research, and a turnkey solution that supports investors pursuit of system-level investing, an advanced approach to ESG integration and impact investing that focuses on managing systemic risks and investing in solutions to systemic problems. For more information, visit https://www.tiiproject.com

The Surdna Foundation

The Surdna Foundation seeks to foster sustainable communities in the United States -- communities guided by principles of social justice and distinguished by healthy environments, inclusive economies, and thriving cultures. For over five generations, Surdna has been governed largely by descendants of John Andrus and has developed a tradition of innovative service for those in need of help or opportunity. Learn more at http://www.surdna.org.
DriveSavers Data Recovery The expertise of DriveSavers data recovery engineers are unmatched, explains Dir. of Engineering Mike Cobb. Add our enormous inventory of donor devices, including the latest MacBook Pro, that we can use for parts. DriveSavers is hands-down the most capable at recovering data from these devices.

DriveSavers Data Recovery continues to be the global leader in the advancement of data recovery services, including Apples most advanced and secure devices featuring the M1, M2, and T2 SoCs (system-on-a-chip).

The data recovery engineers at DriveSavers have identified the critical components necessary to access data from Apple computers using M1, M2, and T2 SoCs. They have successfully transplanted the critical microchips from severely damaged Apple logic boards to functional boards, enabling them to access the data.

The talent and expertise of DriveSavers data recovery engineers are unmatched, explains Director of Engineering Mike Cobb. Add to that the companys enormous inventory of donor devices, including the latest MacBook Pro, that were able to strip for parts at a moments notice. DriveSavers is hands-down the most capable at recovering data from these ultra-advanced, ultra-secure devices.

DriveSavers data recovery engineers specialize in advanced microsoldering techniques that are utilized to recover data from embedded flash memory devices. This includes iPhones, iPads, and Apple computers using M1, M2, and T2 technology.

These devices employ high-security protocols in which specific components need to remain connected to each other via the logic board for data to be accessible. There are thousands of surface-mounted micro-components on a logic board, and Apple has done their best to obfuscate what is necessary to gain access to the encrypted data. Without that knowledge, data recovery from a failedfailed logic board is impossible.

In addition, microchips must be handled with the utmost care. If components are mishandled, microscopic damage may occur, rendering the data unrecoverable. Through dedicated research and development, DriveSavers Data Recovery engineers have determined the optimal techniques for safe and effective data recovery, minimizing the risk of data loss.

These advancements allow DriveSavers to continuously recover data that others didn't know could be recovered, or had been deemed as lost forever.

About DriveSavers Data Recovery

800-440-1904

DriveSavers Data Recovery, worldwide leader in data recovery since 1985, provides the industrys fastest, most reliable and only certified secure data recovery service. All of the companys services meet security protocols for financial, legal, corporate and healthcare industries and it is the only company that posts proof of its annual SOC 2 Type II audit report and HIPAA data security and privacy compliance.

DriveSavers Data Recovery adheres to U.S. Government security protocols, the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act Data Security Rule (GLBA), the Data at Rest mandate (DAR) and the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX). DriveSavers Data Recovery engineers are trained and certified in all leading encryption and forensic technologies and operate a Certified ISO Class 5 Cleanroom. Satisfied customers include Bank of America, Google, Lucasfilm, NASA, Harvard University, St. Jude Childrens Research Hospital, U.S. Army and Sandia National Laboratories.
Kanbar Digital, LLC Opening two new offices is a great sign of the success we have had so far and the success still to come.

Kanbar Digital LLC is excited to announce the opening of two new offices. In one year, Kanbar Digital has grown from a new marketing start-up to an established digital marketing agency that serves a wide range of clients, having generated over $1,000,000 in revenue in its first year alone. As the brand opens two new offices in San Diego, CA and Las Vegas, NV, it is clear that Kanbar Digital plans to continue its upward trend. The two new offices are located at:



Regarding the expansion, Khalil Kanbar, founder and CEO of Kanbar Digital, said, Its exciting to see the growth we have had in just our first year. Opening two new offices is a great sign of the success we have had so far and the success still to come. This expansion will allow us to provide even more services for more clients and help them evolve their digital marketing. We cannot wait to see what the future holds.

This expansion comes at the same time that the agency celebrates its one-year anniversary, proving that there is a bright future ahead. As Kanbar Digital continues to grow, the agency is looking to add more talent to appropriately serve clients. With the ambition to open additional offices across the country and work with even more brands, the agency is currently looking to hire more individuals to join its talented and experienced team.

Kanbar Digital helps connect brands with their customers in the moments that matter. The agency has worked with dozens of clients, from established companies like Experian and iBUYPOWER to smaller, growing brands. Brands of any size and industry can benefit from the strategy and expertise that Kanbar Digital has to offer. Kanbar Digital provides a long list of services, including search engine optimization, local marketing, social media marketing, and conversion rate optimization. Altogether, Kanbar Digital promotes a comprehensive digital marketing approach that helps brands expand their reach and generate conversions.

To learn more about the services offered and how your brand can benefit, contact Kanbar Digital directly. Email the agency at contact@kanbardigital.com or call (619) 764-6163 and schedule an SEO audit.
A long-standing landmark and music venue, Nectars has new owners. Concert promoter, talent buyer and ElmThree Productions founder, Edward Maier along with an investor group with a passion for music, have purchased the Burlingtons legendary music venue Nectars and Metronome.

Nectars is a restaurant, bar and music venue located at 188 Main Street in Burlington, VT best known for launching Phishs career back in the 1980s. It has been and continues to be a vessel for some of the top performing musical acts since 1975 and a pivotal venue for Grace Potter and Twiddle. Under the new ownership, Nectars and its connecting space Metronome will maintain its reputation for booking local, regional, and national musical acts while adding some cosmetic changes and technology upgrades to include new lighting, 4K streaming capabilities and a podcast studio partnering with Osiris Media.

ElmThree Productions is the creator of the "Jams on The Sand for Asbury Parks Convention Hall and has established itself as an independent promoter for venues such as Asbury Park, NJs The Stone Pony, Wonder Bar, The Saint and Atlantic Citys Bourbon Room (Formerly House of Blues Atlantic City).

Today, ElmThree Productions has joined forces with Matt Kolinski founder and agent at Omni Arts Group. Matt has an extensive history in the jam world, having worked with several notable artists including Goose, Spafford, and Spiritual Rex. The merger will reestablish the Nectars Presents entity and bring in their talent buying, promotions, and management clients. Nectars Presents will now expand into a talent buying and management branch focused on emerging musicians as well as promoting musical acts in venues throughout the region. To date, Nectars Presents has talent buying accounts with venues such as The Bearsville Theater (Woodstock, NY), White Eagle Hall (Jersey City, NJ), Madison Theater & Madison Live (Covington, KY) on behalf of Essential Productions, Lark Hall (Albany, NY) and The Double EE Performance Center at The Essex Experience (Essex Junction, VT). The final piece of the branch will be the addition of Brett Fairbrother, former manager or Strangefolk, RAQ and guest service director of the Capitol Theater (Port Chester, NY) and talent buyer for Garcias bar. Brett will also oversee the talent buying for Nectars and Metronome.

As a huge supporter of live music and Phish fan, I couldnt think of a better venue to co-own, while leveraging the name for a new talent management agency with Matt Kolinski. Nectars and Metronome have been a staple in my life for catching a show and discovering artists, it was also catalyst in launching my nearly 25-year career in the music industry. I look forward to maintaining the venues as a cornerstone of the Burlington music scene, while discovering and growing new acts, said Ed Maier, managing partner for Nectars and Nectars Presents.

The talent management arm under the Nectars Presents umbrella will be called APON Artists and includes musicians from both the Omni Arts Group and A.F.T Artist rosters as well as A.F.T Artist owner Ian Miller. With this merger, acts such as The Werks, Mystic Bowies Talking Dreads, Funk You, Joe Samba, Hippie Death Cult, Crooked Coast and others will now be represented by

APON Artists.

Im looking forward to not only booking live music at some of the most beloved venues on the east coast but working with new and established musicians under the Nectars Present entity, says Matt Kolinski, director of Nectars Presents.

Under the Nectars Presents umbrella, the team will be able to offer more live music across the country while developing new acts along the way.

Nectars remains open under the new ownership. For the latest updates visit LiveAtNectars.com, NectarsPresents.com and APONartists.com.

About: Nectars, Metronome and Nectars Presents encompasses music venues, talent buying, and management agency based out of Burlington, VT. Its co-owned by concert promoter and ElmThree Productions founder Ed Maier and investors. Their goal is to preserve the history of Burlington, Vermonts landmark nightclubs and restaurant, while updating the capabilities of the venue to current technology standards.
John Watters Joins the Apollo Information Systems Board of Directors Ive invested in a vision that instills hope for our future. Middle market customers need turnkey security solutions from a company committed to doing whatever is necessary to protect what matters most to its clients.

Apollo Information Systems, a leader in the cybersecurity and network solutions sectors, announced today that top industry veteran John Watters has made a meaningful investment in the company and has agreed to serve on the Apollo Board of Directors. Watters is currently President and COO of Mandiant and has more than twenty years of experience managing innovative growth companies ranging from startups to $1B+ companies. His experience and expertise will help shape the future of Apollo.

Watters has a history of making successful investments, and his portfolio companies have grown to become leaders in their field, ranging from IDEFENSE, iSIGHT Partners, Tipping Point, Archer Technologies, and NetWitness. He has scaled businesses from the start-up phase through significant growth and exits and is uniquely suited to help take Apollo to the next level.

Apollo is already in a rapid growth phase and on a trajectory to make widespread changes in the cybersecurity industry, said Dave Tyson, President of Apollo. The fact that John is willing to invest in Apollo and serve on the board is a testament to a shared vision focused on delivering services and solutions that make our clients, country, and world safer. John has helped shape the industry with his focus on intelligence-led security and has driven innovation across many aspects of the cybersecurity industry.

The industry needs companies like Apollo, said Watters. Ive invested in a vision that instills hope for our future. Middle market customers need turnkey security solutions from a company committed to doing whatever is necessary to protect what matters most to its clients. I am excited to contribute to the future of Apollo and set a course for a solutions-oriented approach."

In addition to his work in cybersecurity, Watters is also the founder and President of the STAIRS Program, a non-profit organization supporting inner-city education. During his career, Watters has served on dozens of corporate and non-profit boards of directors.

About Apollo

Apollo Information Systems, Corp., operating in the USA and Canada, is a leading cybersecurity and IT services solution provider founded in 2002. Apollos mission is to provide the executive advice needed for organizations to develop effective security strategies to have the resilience, preparedness, and response capabilities necessary to defend against cyber threats. Apollo is led by battle-tested security professionals with real-world operational experience across multiple industry verticals and government branches. Apollos broad range of services includes world-class penetration testing, cyber threat intelligence, managed IT services, strategy, assessment, security monitoring, incident response, training, executive oversight, and essential security technologies from industry leaders. Apollo operates a SOC2 Certified and CMMC Compliant Security Operations Center, has Facility Security Clearance and employs many professionals with Secret and Top Secret clearances. For more information, visit apollo-is.com and cyberdefenses.com.
SPOTIO Ribbon Cutting with the Metrocrest Chamber of Commerce Despite all the challenges in recent years, it's been exciting to witness our perseverance and massive growth - none of which would be possible without the support of our fantastic team and customers.

Since they began operations in Dallas in 2014, SPOTIO has been focused on being a leading software-as-a-service platform provider that enables field sales teams to become more efficient and productive.

"Since the beginning, SPOTIO's focus has been to help field sales achieve more and weve been fortunate enough to be successful in that mission, said SPOTIO CEO and Founder Trey Gibson. Despite all the challenges in recent years, it's been exciting to witness our perseverance and massive growth - none of which would be possible without the support of our fantastic team and customers.

SPOTIO received their Series A investment just before the impact of COVID in January of 2020. While many companies were struggling to survive the global pandemic, SPOTIO has achieved significant revenue growth and doubled headcount in Dallas over that period. The company also states that they have exceeded their forecasted goals this year and are on pace for another record-breaking year in 2022.

SPOTIOs value proposition to our customers has continued to gain traction and we hope that this space marks a new chapter of continued growth for our company, said Raki Shah, SPOTIOs CFO. This office is a significant investment but one we hope will provide a better environment for our talented team and ultimately help us attract new talent to help us grow in the future.

To help support their growth, the company has reported that they are looking to expand their team significantly in the coming weeks. Those that may be interested in joining SPOTIO in their new office can apply at https://spotio.com/careers/.

About SPOTIO

SPOTIO is the leading field sales engagement platform built for field sales teams to grow pipelines, improve productivity, and close more deals. SPOTIO centralizes field sales team activities and provides sales organizations with the visibility and insight needed to drive revenue. Thousands of customers worldwide rely on SPOTIO to accelerate growth with their field sales teams. SPOTIO is a privately held company based in Addison, Texas.
Kristen DeAngeles, Director of Education, Becoming accredited means we are committed to continuous quality improvement, and we are proud to be among this elite group of providers."

Children of America (COA), the nations leader in educational childcare, announced today that 17 schools (30 percent) in the COA portfolio have earned accreditation from the Council on Accreditation.

According to Kristen DeAngeles, Director of Education at COA, it takes a lot of hard work and dedication to navigate the accreditation process. She says her team understood the importance of accreditation, what it represents in terms of quality educational childcare, and worked hard to make this happen. Their efforts are well worth the effort to ensure that the children in COAs care get the best head start possible. Despite the challenges we have faced over the past few years, our commitment to quality educational childcare for our families and to the field of early childhood education remains our primary focus, said Ms. DeAngeles. We are proud of this accreditation group and will continue the COA standard of high-quality programming where children, families, and staff work together to build a community of learners.

Accredited programs have met the Council of Accreditations standards for high-quality care in early childhood education. These programs have demonstrated that they provide a safe and healthy environment for children, have teachers who are well-trained, have access to excellent teaching materials, and work with a curriculum that is appropriately challenging and developmentally sound. Nearly as important, the Council of Accreditation also evaluates COAs business practices evaluating them as compared to industry standards and their commitment to consistency.

Nationally accredited programs ensure parents find the best possible early childhood experience for their children. Additionally, accredited programs are often eligible for higher reimbursement rates for subsidy. This allows us to offer more affordable childcare options to working families.

Accredited programs must:

 Promote positive relationships for all children and adults to encourage each childs sense of individual worth

 Implement a curriculum that fosters all areas of child development  cognitive, emotional, language, physical, and social

 Use developmentally, culturally, and linguistically appropriate and effective teaching approaches

 Provide ongoing assessments of each childs learning and development and communicate the childs progress to the family

 Promote the nutrition and health of children and protect children and staff from illness and injury

 Employ and support a teaching staff that has the educational qualifications, knowledge, and professional commitment necessary to promote childrens learning and development and to support families diverse interests and needs

 Establish and maintain collaborative relationships with each childs family

 Establish relationships with and use the resources of the community to support achievement of program goals

 Provide a safe and healthy physical environment

 Implement strong personnel, fiscal, and program management policies so that all children, families, and staff have high-quality experiences

 Deliver programming consistent with brand promises operationally and educationally

For almost 25 years, COA has been synonymous with the highest standards in early childhood education. Ms. DeAngeles continues, becoming accredited means we are committed to continuous quality improvement, and we are proud to be among this elite group of providers. We congratulate each one of our schools on their achievement and are confident we will successfully have all COA schools accredited by the end of 2023.

For more information about COA centers and programs, please visit childrenofamerica.com.

About Children of America

Children of America operates facilities throughout Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia, and Wisconsin. The company expansion plans include several locations in the AZ, GA, SC, TN and TX areas over the next two years. COA offers the highest level of childcare for children ages six weeks to twelve years. The premier programs include infant care, toddler care, nationally renowned preschool and pre-kindergarten programs, before-and-after school care, and summer camp. An industry pioneer, Children of America is a subsidiary of World Wide Child Care Corp. Visit childrenofamerica.com for more information or interact with COA on YouTube, Instagram and Facebook.
The Ladd Robbins teams extensive experience with specialized healthcare providers makes this merger the perfect fit."

Today Aprio, LLP, a top 35 business advisory and CPA firm, announced that North Carolina-based Ladd Robbins CPAs and Consultants (Ladd Robbins) will join Aprio on October 1, 2022.

For more than 20 years Ladd Robbins has served clients in 20+ states across the U.S., focusing on healthcare practices including dental and optometry. As part of Aprio, Ladd Robbins clients will have access to greater specialty service offerings to help them achieve increased profitability, including R&D, Cost Segregation, State & Local Tax, Transaction Advisory Services, Valuation, Forensics and Wealth Management.

The Ladd Robbins teams extensive experience with specialized healthcare providers makes this merger the perfect fit, said John Bly, Aprio South Atlantic Regional Leader. The combination will strengthen and expand Aprios existing practices and industry expertise, and together well create innovative and growth-centric opportunities for our clients.

Mike Ladd and Greg Robbins will join Aprio as Partners. With Aprio, were a part of a team who shares our commitment to exceptional client service, said Robbins. Were thrilled to now be able to serve as the single-source provider for our clients, bringing vital services to their businesses that will ensure their success and longevity. Alongside Ladd and Robbins, 17 team members will join Aprio in October.

Aprio, in its 70th year, has grown to a top-35 firm through expanded services and capabilities and has completed more than 15 strategic mergers and acquisitions in the last five years. For more information about Aprio, visit http://www.aprio.com.

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About Aprio

Aprio is a premier, full-service business advisory and certified public accounting firm that advises clients and associates on how to achieve whats next. Aprios associates work as integrated teams across advisory, assurance, tax, outsourcing, talent solutions and private client services, bringing the best thinking and personal commitment to each client. Across practices, Aprio brings together proven expertise, deep understanding and strategic foresight for industries including Manufacturing and Distribution; Non-Profit and Education; Professional Services; Real Estate and Construction; Retail, Franchise and Hospitality; and Technology and Blockchain. Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, Aprio has grown to over 1,000 team members internationally. To serve clients wherever life or business may take them, Aprios teams speak more than 30 languages and work with clients in over 50 countries. For more, visit https://www.aprio.com.
Cecilia Johansen, co-founder of the Hawaii Writers Guild and co-editor of its newsletter, has completed her new book The Captain and the Lady: the gripping story of Sally Waitt, a young woman whos journey to self-discovery and a life of fulfillment after the passing of her mother takes a turn when she is introduced to a dashingly handsome young sea captain.

Johansen begins her tale, I had long desired to set my foot on one of Fathers ships, but being female, I was not allowed. It was considered bad luck. Rebel was my middle name, Father said, so he was not surprised when I begged him repeatedly. A vehement No! was all he saidno discussions, no reasonshe just knew I understood.

Mother, on the other hand, did not understand at all. Why would I disdain wearing societies silk and satin fashions of the day for young girls as a mark of femininity in order to do a distasteful thing like being a sailor. I was pretty and blond but desired to wear a sailors uniform and perform shipboard tasks, not cinch in my waist over shift, petticoat, and gown. Id rather wear shirt and breeches with my lower legs free of constraints. Often I helped myself to one of my brothers beaver-felt cocked hats preferring it to the imported English straw with ribbons, covering one of Mothers fancy caps on my head. When caught, I got a stern lecture. As an only daughter with four brothers, she made sure my attire was presentably beautiful, manners fitting any occasion, and my ribbons tied. Being only ten years old, I gave in after a curt conversation with Father. Get your education first, he admonished, placating my mother and putting me off, or so he thought. I vowed to read and learn all I couldespecially about the sea!

Published by Page Publishing, Cecilia Johansens spellbinding tale is a fascinating narrative that follows Sally as her life unfolds and she discovers where she fits into the world around her. Expertly paced and populated with fully realized characters, The Captain and the Lady will captivate the hearts and minds of readers from all backgrounds as Sally experiences romance, heartbreak, and challenges of growing up in colonial America.

Readers who wish to experience this mesmerizing work can purchase The Captain and the Lady at bookstores everywhere, or online at the Apple iTunes Store, Amazon, Google Play, or Barnes and Noble.

For additional information or media inquiries, contact Page Publishing at 866-315-2708.

About Page Publishing:

Page Publishing is a traditional, full-service publishing house that handles all the intricacies involved in publishing its authors books, including distribution in the worlds largest retail outlets and royalty generation. Page Publishing knows that authors need to be free to create, not mired in logistics like eBook conversion, establishing wholesale accounts, insurance, shipping, taxes, and so on. Pages accomplished writers and publishing professionals allow authors to leave behind these complex and time-consuming issues and focus on their passion: writing and creating. Learn more at http://www.pagepublishing.com.
Elon Martin, who lives in the rural farmlands of Northern Indiana, has completed his new book Legend of the Woodcutter's Son: a gripping and potent novel that introduces a family that lives in a small village among the massive virgin trees only about two days journey from the sea. The family consists of a woodcutter, his wife, and his son.

Author Elon Martin describes the woodcutter, writing, He was a powerful man who lived in a small cabin near the edge of the forest at the outer edge of the village. It was his job to supply the villagers with firewood. Every day he went into the forest with his cart and team of mules and cut up dead trees and then chopped the wood into firewood for the villagers to burn in their fireplaces to cook their food and stay warm in the winter. Every day he returned with his cart piled high with dry wood and ranked it neatly behind the sheriffs general store where the villagers could come and buy as needed. The sheriff paid the woodcutter, of course, for his hard labor and then sold the firewood to the village.

Published by Page Publishing, Elon Martins engrossing tale takes readers through a mesmerizing story centered in nature and simpler times.

Readers who wish to experience this creative work can purchase Legend of the Woodcutter's Son at bookstores everywhere, or online at the Apple iTunes Store, Amazon, Google Play, or Barnes and Noble.

For additional information or media inquiries, contact Page Publishing at 866-315-2708.

About Page Publishing:

Page Publishing is a traditional, full-service publishing house that handles all the intricacies involved in publishing its authors books, including distribution in the worlds largest retail outlets and royalty generation. Page Publishing knows that authors need to be free to create, not mired in logistics like eBook conversion, establishing wholesale accounts, insurance, shipping, taxes, and so on. Pages accomplished writers and publishing professionals allow authors to leave behind these complex and time-consuming issues and focus on their passion: writing and creating. Learn more at http://www.pagepublishing.com.
Corservs program provides competitive products without adding staff, infrastructure, and internal cost that previously made owning our own credit card program cost prohibitive.

Corserv, a company that empowers banks and fintechs with payment programs, has implemented an innovative credit card program with Swansea, MA-based BayCoast Bank, to serve their consumer, business and commercial customers.

BayCoast Bank has an incredible history of providing exceptional financial services and solutions to communities on the South Coast of Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Corservs innovative program enables BayCoast to continue community-focused service through credit card products which offer a variety of APRs and rewards to customers.

This comprehensive credit card program now gives BayCoast the unique opportunity to participate in all credit decisions which impact its community banking customers.

BayCoast Bank is dedicated to supporting the neighborhoods where we live and work. We want to help our local businesses and communities thrive. The ability to participate in the credit decisions for our customers was incredibly important for us as we sought to upgrade our credit card program, said Kevin Briggs, VP Strategic Initiatives at BayCoast Bank. Corservs program provides competitive products without adding staff, infrastructure, and internal cost that previously made owning our own credit card program cost prohibitive.

With innovative features such as virtual card support for businesses ePayables, automated credit-decisioning, sales and servicing portals, transparent and robust reporting, as well as hosted and secure PCI compliant software, Corserv provides a competitive, full-featured credit card program for community banks to serve their customers, based on their specific needs.

We are proud to enable banks like BayCoast with robust features to compete with the largest banks, while doing what community banks do best  serve the specific needs of their community, said Jerry Craft, CEO at Corserv. Our turnkey card issuing program minimizes the disruption, cost and resources needed for typical card programs, while enabling our bank partners to average over 6% Return on Assets on the program.

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About BayCoast Bank

BayCoast Bank is a long-standing community bank providing financial products and services to the people and businesses of Southeastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island through 25 branches and loan production offices, with more locations coming soon. The Bank offers a family of complete financial services through its subsidiaries: BayCoast Mortgage Company, LLC, BayCoast Financial Services, Plimoth Investment Advisors, Partners Insurance Group, LLC, and Priority Funding, LLC. For more information, visit https://baycoast.bank/ or call 508-678-7641.

About Corserv

Corserv provides payment services including a turnkey issuing program for credit cards, P-cards, and virtual cards that enables Banks and Fintechs to deliver competitive, branded payment services to their customers. Corservs secure hosted programs combine our credit, compliance and marketing expertise with our modern online solution and open APIs  everything clients need to quickly build a successful card-issuing business. Our Bank and Fintech clients increase their earnings per share by benefitting from loan interest, interchange, fee income and economies of scale from Corservs client base. Most importantly, they deepen their customer relationships. For more information, please visit http://www.corservsolutions.com
Chapters Health System President/CEO Andrew Molosky When fully operational in all licensed counties, Chapters Health will be the largest, not-for-profit community-based provider from a geographical perspective in the state," said Andrew Molosky, president/CEO, Chapters Health System

Chapters Health System, the nations largest not-for-profit, chronic illness management and end-of-life organization headquartered in Temple Terrace, today announced its expansion plan for Pinellas County. The health system was awarded the certificate of need (CON) for Service Area 5B by the Florida Agency for Healthcare Administration (AHCA).

At Chapters Health, we are always looking for opportunities to increase and expand access to quality healthcare for a greater number of individuals in our communities who are faced with advancing age, complex medical conditions and end-of-life issues, said Andrew Molosky, MBA, FACHE, CHPCA, president and chief executive officer at Chapters Health. With this mission in mind and the knowledge that there was an unmet need, we applied and were awarded the CON for Pinellas County or Service Area 5B. We already offered home care services through Chapters Health Home Care, and hospice was a natural extension of our portfolio for the residents of Pinellas County.

At the beginning of 2020, Chapters Health provided services in 11 Florida counties in west central Florida. Today with the recent affiliation of Cornerstone Hospice & Palliative Care, Chapters Health expanded its licensed footprint in Florida to 30 counties as well as eight counties in Georgia around the Atlanta area.

When fully operational in all licensed counties, Chapters Health will be the largest, not-for-profit community-based provider from a geographical perspective in the state  from the Florida/Georgia border almost contiguous to the southern tip of the Sunshine State, added Molosky.

Chapters Health and its family of affiliates combine to also make the organization number six overall in the country by size with more than 2,500 team members and more than 1,600 volunteers.

About Chapters Health System

As a progressive leader and premier health system, Chapters Health System is dedicated to delivering innovative home health, palliative and hospice care along with durable medical equipment and pharmacy services. Since 1983 as a community-based, not-for-profit organization, Chapters Health has provided choices, education and guidance through its managed affiliates. All offerings are provided in order to improve the patient/family experience well in advance of end-of-life needs. In 2022, Chapters Health is certified for the fifth consecutive year as a great workplace in the Aging Services category by the independent analysts at the Great Place to Work Institute and in 2021, Chapters Health was named a Top Workplace by the Tampa Bay Times. To learn more, visit http://www.chaptershealth.org, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.

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Clearinghouse Community Development Financial Institution As a company with roots in Southern Californiaone of the most expensive places to live in the worldwe understand just how important affordable housing is to alleviating poverty and bettering lives, said Douglas Bystry, President/CEO of Clearinghouse CDFI.

Clearinghouse Community Development Financial Institution (Clearinghouse CDFI) announced today that it was awarded $4 million from the United States Treasury Community Development Financial Institution Fund (CDFI Fund). Clearinghouse CDFI will use the assistance to finance the development of affordable housing, targeting projects which benefit homeless and other disenfranchised populations in California, Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, and Texas. At least 10% of the award will benefit rural areas. Clearinghouse CDFI will leverage the award up to ten times its value to create or preserve over 400 affordable rental housing units serving low- and very low-income individuals and families.

As a company with roots in Southern Californiaone of the most expensive places to live in the worldwe understand just how important affordable housing is to alleviating poverty and bettering lives, said Douglas Bystry, President/CEO of Clearinghouse CDFI. We are very grateful to the CDFI Fund for entrusting us with these funds to support the communities we serve.

The award was part of a larger CDFI Fund award of $336.4 million to 59 organizations for the development of affordable housing and community facilities serving low-income individuals, families, and communities. These awards were made through the fiscal year (FY) 2021 round of the Capital Magnet Fund, and will support financing for the preservation, rehabilitation, development, or purchase of affordable housing, as well as related economic development and community service facilities such as day care centers, workforce development centers, and health care clinics. This is the largest award round since the creation of the Capital Magnet Fund and a 23% increase in the number of awardees compared to the FY 2020 award round.

I am proud to announce the recipients of the FY 2021 Capital Magnet Fund awards, our largest award round ever, said CDFI Fund Director Jodie Harris. The lack of affordable housing is a persistent problem for our country. Expanding the reach of the Capital Magnet Fund to more organizationsone-third of which are first-time Capital Magnet Fund awardeeswill support vital financing for affordable housing and related economic development and community service facilities that our communities urgently need.

The awardees are required to leverage their awards with other private and public investment by at least 10 to 1, guaranteeing that a minimum of $3.36 billion will be invested in eligible projects across the United States. For the FY 2021 round the awardees anticipate that nearly $12.8 billion will be invested in total, including more than $9.8 billion in private investment.

The 59 awardees will collectively serve 47 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. Thirty awardees (or 51% of the total awardees) plan to invest a portion of their award dollars in Rural Areas, with nine of those awardees planning to invest at least half of their award dollars in Rural Areas. Of the 59 total awardees, 32 are Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) and 27 are non-profit housing organizations. The 59 awardees were selected pursuant to a merit-based competitive review of applications submitted from 146 organizations that requested more than $991.8 million from the FY 2021 Capital Magnet Fund round.

About the CDFI Fund

Since its creation in 1994, the CDFI Fund has awarded more than $5.5 billion to CDFIs, community development organizations, and financial institutions through: the Bank Enterprise Award Program; the Capital Magnet Fund; the CDFI Rapid Response Program; the Community Development Financial Institutions Program, including the Healthy Food Financing Initiative; the Economic Mobility Corps; the Financial Education and Counseling Pilot Program; the Native American CDFI Assistance Program; and the Small Dollar Loan Program. In addition, the CDFI Fund has allocated $66 billion in tax credit allocation authority to Community Development Entities through the New Markets Tax Credit Program and closed guaranteed bonds for more than $1.8 billion through the CDFI Bond Guarantee Program.

About Clearinghouse Community Development Financial Institution (Clearinghouse CDFI):

Clearinghouse CDFI addresses unmet credit needs throughout the U.S. and in Indian Country through direct lending, equity investments, and financial assistance. For 25 years, Clearinghouse CDFI has helped bridge the gap between conventional lending standards and the needs of low-income, distressed, and communities of color. Clearinghouse CDFI is also a B Corpa certification received from the nonprofit B Lab. B Corps are companies who meet rigorous standards of social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability, and use business as a force for good.

Clearinghouse CDFI has funded $2.1 billion in total loans for over 2,546 community projects over the past 25 years. These projects have created or retained more than 38,866 jobs and benefit over 3.24 million individuals. Clearinghouse CDFI loans have also created/retained 24,329 student spaces and 10,100 units of affordable, student, and shelter housing since inception. In 2021, Clearinghouse CDFI lending included $45.7 million for 24 projects with environmental efforts and $38.6 million for 185 minority/women-owned or controlled businesses. Clearinghouse CDFI loans created 619 total housing units, with 62% designated as affordable. Clearinghouse CDFI also provided $472,000 to Native American-owned enterprises in 2021.

More information is available at http://www.ccdfi.com.


Words of Encouragement: Volume 2: a heartfelt message of Gods promise found within engaging verse. Words of Encouragement: Volume 2 is the creation of published author Florence Peterson, a dedicated daughter, sister, mother, and grandmother who grew up in a small city called Chester, Pennsylvania, with nine sisters and two hardworking, loving parents.

Peterson shares, Words of Encouragement is a melody of poems, which were written to remind us that life is not all about gloom and doom. I am here to tell you that there is a way, and his name is Jesus Christ, our Lord and savior. He is the light in this dark world that we presently live in.

My words are written to tell us it is time to awaken to his many grace, mercies, and blessings we are receiving. And for those who have received, they should be the most grateful. Our lives will always be about the uncertainties, which keeps us oftentimes in fear.

Let us find a rejoicing heart, a quiet soul, and the peace of mind that is given by our Lord. Come out from under the darkness. Are we not tired of our lifeless bodies? What are we hiding from? Where we are hiding from? What is holding you back? Our Lord can fix it all.

These are questions we need to take time to ponder upon. So if you believe that by faith you are being called, take the challenge and answer the call. Our Lord is He who saves us. Remember the many times he has saved us even from ourselves.

So again I am asking you to answer the wake-up call. Our time is now, while hope is alive. While grace and mercies abound. Our Lord is the light at the beginning and the end of that tunnel you are lost in.

Seek that everlasting love, peace, and joy by believing that God is your only source and resource.

I hope you enjoy the book and wish to encourage you, to make changes where changes need to be made. May God bless you all.

Published by Christian Faith Publishing, Florence Petersons new book will encourage and empower as readers consider the messages layered within.

Peterson shares in hopes of helping others to find their path and reconnect with the Lord.

Consumers can purchase Words of Encouragement: Volume 2 at traditional brick & mortar bookstores, or online at Amazon.com, Apple iTunes store, or Barnes and Noble.

For additional information or inquiries about Words of Encouragement: Volume 2, contact the Christian Faith Publishing media department at 866-554-0919.
Former New York State Senator Todd Kaminsky Joins Greenberg Traurigs Government Law & Policy Practice Todd brings to bear significant experience as a leader in state government to our team here in Albany. Adding him to our bench is yet another sign of strength for our growing government capabilities not only here in Albany, but around the country, said Harold N. Iselin and Demetrius G. McDaniel.

Global law firm Greenberg Traurig, LLP has added former New York State Senator Todd Kaminsky to its Government Law & Policy Practice in the Albany office. Kaminsky will advise a broad swath of regulated companies with complex issues involving New York state government with a particular focus on Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) issues.

Todd brings to bear significant experience as a leader in state government to our team here in Albany. Adding him to our bench is yet another sign of strength for our growing government capabilities not only here in Albany, but around the country, said the Co-Chairs of the firms Government Law & Policy Practice Harold N. Iselin and Demetrius G. McDaniel.

I am thrilled that after nearly two decades of public service, I can start my next chapter supporting Greenberg Traurigs clients who deal with New Yorks state government, Kaminsky said. As a state senator I learned that in Albany, Greenberg Traurig has a well-deserved reputation of working across both sides of the aisle at an incredibly high level. I am proud to join this team of first-rate attorneys and policy professionals.

As a state senator, Kaminsky served as chair of the Environmental Conservation Committee and in the Leadership team of the Senate Majority Conference. He was one of the authors of the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act and was a leader on various issues including environmental protection, cryptocurrency, health care, real estate and more. Kaminsky also served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York for six years, and an Assistant District Attorney for Queens County for four years.

About Greenberg Traurigs Government Law & Policy Practice: Greenberg Traurigs Government Law & Policy Practice combines the capabilities of its Federal Practice in Washington D.C. with its state and local practices across the country. The firms national team of governmental affairs professionals and attorneys spans major political and commercial capitals throughout the United States, including: Albany, Austin, Denver, Las Vegas, New York City, Philadelphia, Sacramento, Tallahassee, and Washington, D.C. Most recently, Greenberg Traurigs Government Law & Policy team was Top Listed for Government Relations in Best Lawyers in Americas 2018 edition. The team was also named Law Firm of the Year for Government Relations by the U.S. News-Best Lawyers 2014 edition of "Best Law Firms." The practice also received the most first-tier Government Relations rankings in the U.S.

About Greenberg Traurig: Greenberg Traurig, LLP has more than 2400 attorneys in 43 locations in the United States, Europe, Latin America, Asia, and the Middle East. The firm, often recognized for its focus on philanthropic giving, innovation, diversity, and pro bono, reported gross revenue of over $2 Billion for FY 2021. The firm is consistently among the top firms on the Am Law 100, Am Law Global 100, NLJ 250, and Law360 (US) 400. On the debut 2022 Law360 Pulse Leaderboard, it is a Top 15 firm. Greenberg Traurig is Mansfield Rule 4.0 Certified Plus by The Diversity Lab and net carbon neutral with respect to its office energy usage. Web: http://www.gtlaw.com.
Global law firm Greenberg Traurig, LLP Health Care & FDA Practice Shareholder Mark L. Mattioli and Of Counsel Andrew Tsui will co-present on common compliance and enforcement issues at the 2022 Philadelphia Regional Healthcare Compliance Conference through the Health Care Compliance Association (HCCA).

Mattioli and Tsuis presentation, How to Keep Compliance Issues from Becoming Enforcement Nightmares, will take place Aug. 5 at 1 p.m. They will discuss strategies and best practices when responding to regulators as well as frequent reporting errors insights on enforcement actions encountered by health care compliance professionals.

HCCA supports more than 12,000 compliance professionals working with or in health care organizations through continued educational and development opportunities.

Based in the firms Philadelphia office, Mattioli advises hospitals and health care systems on medical staff issues, privacy and security under HIPAA, and government payment programs and audits. With more than 20 years of experience in the health care industry, he provides transactional, regulatory, and compliance guidance in areas concerning health care reform, reimbursement, licensing, and managed care contracting. Beyond Greater Philadelphia, Mattioli has litigated cases across the country including Kansas, New Hampshire, Missouri, and Vermont.

A member of the firms Washington, D.C. office, Tsui spent over a decade of his career as litigation counsel for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Division and a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Department of Justice. His experience defending federal health care programs and regulations in courts nationwide ranged from tri-departmental challenges under the Administrative Procedure Act (APA) to highly technical Medicare payment and enforcement determinations by CMS and its contractors. He focuses on assisting clients in the health care, medical technology, and life sciences industries as they anticipate and reach Medicare coding, coverage, and reimbursement milestones that are critical to successful operations. Tsui also maintains a practice before the U.S. Supreme Court and other federal courts.

About Greenberg Traurigs Philadelphia Office: Now celebrating its 25th anniversary, Greenberg Traurigs Philadelphia office has grown from an initial three-attorney Public Finance Practice to include more than 60 attorneys whose practices include Real Estate; Litigation; Intellectual Property; Labor & Employment; Environmental; Government Law & Policy; Restructuring & Bankruptcy; White Collar Defense & Special Investigations; Corporate; Investment Management & Regulation; Immigration & Compliance; Health Care & FDA; and Tax. The Philadelphia office represents a broad range of clients in real estate, manufacturing, health care, financial, and insurance industries, as well as state and local governments, professional services, and energy firms. The office also is known for its pro bono work and community service/social action initiatives in the Philadelphia region.

About Greenberg Traurigs Health Care & FDA Practice: Greenberg Traurigs multidisciplinary Health Care & FDA Practice provides strategic counsel to a diverse group of companies and other organizations, helping them to respond proactively to the rapidly changing health care marketplace. The group combines dedicated experience in health care regulatory compliance and operational matters with the firms capabilities in corporate & securities, finance, tax, antitrust, ERISA, commercial and governmental litigation, restructuring, intellectual property and biotechnology, in order to provide a wide range of legal services.

About Greenberg Traurig: Greenberg Traurig, LLP has more than 2500 attorneys in 43 locations in the United States, Europe, Latin America, Asia, and the Middle East. The firm reported gross revenue of over $2 Billion for FY 2021 and is consistently among the top firms on the Am Law 100, Am Law Global 100, and NLJ 250. On the debut 2022 Law360 Pulse Leaderboard, it is a Top 15 firm. Greenberg Traurig is Mansfield Rule 4.0 Certified Plus by The Diversity Lab and the Center for Resource Solutions Green-e Energy program certifies that the firms U.S. offices are 100% powered by renewable energy. The firm is often recognized for its focus on philanthropic giving, innovation, diversity, and pro bono. Web: http://www.gtlaw.com.
Its a privilege to join the illustrious honorees in this long-running, respected competition.

Atlanta-based HealthLink Dimensions, which has built the largest audited database of healthcare provider data in the nation, announced it won the Sales and Marketing Technology Award, also known as a Sammy, in the Business Intelligence Groups 2022 national competition. The Sammys honor innovative organizations and products that advance collaboration and connections between companies and their prospects and customers. HealthLink Dimensions was one of 12 companies awarded Company of the Year in its category.

Its a privilege to join the illustrious honorees in this long-running, respected competition, stated Amar Duggasani, president of HealthLink Dimensions. After more than two decades of helping our clients engage digitally with healthcare providers, we continue to expand our companys depth and breadth of products and services to better connect with physicians and other caregivers. Receiving a Sammy Award demonstrates our efforts to create customer-centric, advanced solutions that truly keep our industry moving forward.

During the Sales and Marketing Technology Award nomination process, HealthLink Dimensions provided extensive quantitative and qualitative data about their recent clients successes. In one case study about overcoming adversity, the company described a series of public health campaigns using its SMS communications network solution, MobileZen, which resulted in a 38.7% increase in members and click-through rates of up to 59.8%. Additional case studies detailed HealthLinks work with healthcare systems and healthcare marketing agencies, in which their campaign results far exceeded client expectations and industry norms.

We are proud to reward and recognize HealthLink Dimensions for their innovation and dedication to helping both the organizations using their technology and the ultimate consumer, said Maria Jimenez, Chief Nominations Officer, Business Intelligence Group. It was clear to our judges that their efforts will improve how we all connect with the brands we love for years to come.

HealthLink Dimensions is well-known in the provider master data and list space. Its core business focuses on licensing its 5.2 million provider records for use by companies seeking to digitally engage with doctors and other healthcare providers. The company also works with insurance companies that must maintain accurate online and offline directories of in-network providers to comply with government regulations. The company recently expanded its product offerings in the physician recruitment space.

The Sales and Marketing Technology Awards, or The Sammys, recognizes the global leaders, technologies, and organizations that help companies connect with prospects and customers. The Business Intelligence Group was founded in 2012 and has recognized and rewarded hundreds of business owners, executives, managers, and other industry leaders for their innovation and leadership.

To learn more about HealthLink Dimensions, please contact Meieli Sawyer at (305) 668-0070 or msawyer@weinbachgroup.com.

About HealthLink Dimensions

HealthLink Dimensions is the nations top choice for healthcare provider data used by hospitals, life sciences, and health insurers, including 11 of the 15 largest pharmaceutical companies. The company helps clients connect and digitally engage with healthcare providers using the nations largest database of its kind  sourced from multiple resources and audited by third-party verifier, BPA Worldwide. Founded in 2000 and headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, the company has been recognized as one of Americas fastest-growing private companies on the Inc. 5000 list for five consecutive years. http://www.healthlinkdimensions.com
Multi-brand home services franchisor Threshold Brands has officially launched its newest franchise concept. Formerly known as FlyFoe, Patio Patrol is an emerging outdoor pest control franchise. The brand has been refreshed, the operations refined, and now, Patio Patrol is looking toward substantial growth in coming years.

"We are thrilled to announce the re-launch of Patio Patrol, said Hagan Kappler, CEO of Threshold Brands. Our new name and branding sends a more clear message to consumers who are spending more time with their families and pets outside and don't want to be bothered by pesky, and potentially dangerous, mosquitos and ticks."

FlyFoe was originally established in Boston after its founder became frustrated with the local availability of mosquito and tick control companies. In 2020, the brand was acquired by Threshold Brands. The multi-brand home services franchisor was impressed by FlyFoes early organic growth, and it chose to rebrand the concept in order to position Patio Patrol to lead the pest control space.

To supplement the core services of mosquito, flea and tick management, franchisees will also offer value-added services such as leaf pickup, gutter cleaning, and screen repair.

While there is a year-round need for pest control and complementary services, the demand often spikes during warmer months. As Patio Patrol seeks new franchisees, the brand sits within a market niche that is attractive to entrepreneurs searching for seasonal business opportunities. Whether this is an educator who has summers off or an existing business owner who is involved in an industry that peaks in cooler months, Patio Patrol is targeting franchisees who will have additional free time during the busiest seasons of the year.

An additional draw to the brand is how franchise owners and technicians interface with clients. Many pest control services arrive at a clients home, apply a chemical cocktail spray - which can be harmful to plants, animals, and even people in the area - and leave. Patio Patrol does things differently.

With Patio Patrol, our technicians show up, discuss the problem with the customer, and then create a customized plan that treats not only the source of the infestation, but all of the underlying conditions that allowed that source to emerge, explained Kieran Scott, president of Patio Patrol. This level of quality service allows passionate franchise owners to provide services with thoughtfulness and intention and promotes a relationship with the client that will ultimately lead to referrals and repeat revenue.

To support existing franchisees through the transition, Patio Patrol and Threshold Brands are absorbing the majority of the costs associated with the rebrand, including refreshed marketing, printed materials and rebranding of vehicles.

Threshold Brands has continued providing the financial support we need as we launch, and it really shows the level of commitment they have for the brand, Scott said. The rebranding is a reinvestment, and it will support us in having even more successful franchisees, which is always the goal.

As the brand continues along its ambitious growth trajectory, it is seeking passionate franchisees in Dallas, Houston, Atlanta, Charlotte and other markets throughout the country.

Now is the time to join Patio Patrol because we are on the precipice of major growth. Most brands that can compete with the resources we have from our partnership with Threshold Brands have very little territory available, and the territories that are available are far from prime markets. That puts Patio Patrol in a unique position, Scott explained. We have the resources and support of a massive franchise brand, but we still have a wealth of lucrative white space available. But we are growing quickly, and that white space will not last forever.

For more information about Patio Patrol, visit: https://franchise.patiopatrol.com/

ABOUT PATIO PATROL:

Patio Patrol is a premium residential outdoor pest control company focused on mosquitoes, fleas, and ticks. Founded in 2017 and acquired by Threshold Brands in 2020, Patio Patrol offers outdoor pest control, focused on eliminating mosquitoes, fleas, and ticks with additional services offered such as leaf collection, gutter cleaning and screen repair. The brands mission is to provide customers with full-circle coverage so they can enjoy their yard to the fullest. For more information about franchising with Patio Patrol, visit: https://franchise.patiopatrol.com/
The Summits elevated growth has accelerated through the years and so too has the valuable insights it delivers; we are eager to be back in-person with an incredible line-up of speakers and sessions, said Mark Gorman, CEO, Matrix.

Matrix, the developers of the only global ad sales platform built for media, announces its 5th annual Media Ad Sales Summit has officially been rescheduled to November 9-11, 2022 at the Conrad Hotel in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. This will be a new location for the event, originally scheduled to be held in Miami Beach, FL., in January 2022. The content and speakers lined up for the original event has remained intact, including the opening keynote session which will include speakers, Catherine Badalamente, President & CEO, Graham Media Group, Michael Hayes, COO, Hearst Television, Pat LaPlatney, Co-CEO & President, Gray Television, and Steven J. Pruett, Executive Chairman, Cox Media Group. The senior broadcast executives will share their insights into the current state of the US media industry, as well as what opportunities and challenges lie ahead.

The annual Media Ad Sales Summit brings together executives from across the media advertising ecosystem to discuss and advance the development of a prosperous marketplace that promotes industry-wide automation, data consistency, and transparency. Additionally, the sessions will delve into reducing the friction between the buy and sell sides when delivering advertising inventory across multiple platforms.

The Summits elevated growth has accelerated through the years and so too has the valuable insights it delivers; we are eager to be back in-person with an incredible line-up of speakers and sessions ready to tackle some of the industrys biggest opportunities and challenges, such as alternative currency and automation, said Mark Gorman, CEO, Matrix. We are also very excited and honored to have Catherine, Michael, Pat, and Steve joining us to kick off the Summit with what will be a candid opening conversation that sets the stage for the rest of the event.

In addition to the Opening Keynote, the Summit will also host a Media Ad Sales Council (MASC) Roundtable session featuring members of the Matrix-founded council as they discuss their efforts to-date and vision for 2023. The council focuses on identifying solutions that will advance the media marketplace; including the adoption of a standard unit of measurement for all advertising, pinpointing manual buy-sell transactions that can be automated, and unifying the business rules in the monetization of advertising inventory. In addition to its founders, Mark Gorman, CEO, Matrix, and Brenda Hetrick, President, Matrix, MASC members include Peter Jones, Head of Local Sales/Director, Strategic Partnerships, Premion, Melanie Webb, Vice President, Sales Operations, TEGNA, Joe Lampert, Senior Program Manager, CNOmniMedia, Becky Meyer, SVP, National Sales, Gray Television, Jen Scilabro, SVP Digital Sales, Nexstar, Michael Barbetta, Senior Director, Revenue & Strategy, E.W. Scripps, Al Lustgarten, SVP, Hearst Television, Susie Meehan, VP Advanced Advertising & Operations, AMC Networks, and Barbara Bekkedahl, President, Weather Group Ad Sales & Client Partnerships, The Weather Channel.

Additional key topics include:



Ad Sales Automation & AI

Programmatic Ad Sales

Data-enabled Linear & Cross-Platform Sales

Addressable Advertising

Fast, OTT, CTV & AVOD

Local TV Advertising in a Digital World

Local Media Outlook 2023 with dentsu and Magna/IPG

The 2022 Media Ad Sales Summit, hosted and produced by Matrix, is being sponsored by Revenue Analytics, CNOmniMedia, and Marketron. To register, view the agenda, or get more information on the 2022 Media Ad Sales Summit, visit https://www.matrixformedia.com/summit2022.

About Matrix Solutions

Matrix Solutions is a forward-thinking technology company that empowers the media ad sales world with intelligence, technology, and expertise. It provides the technology back bone for the end-to-end workflow for sales organizations, transacting in the media marketplace. Its flagship solution, Monarch, is the only global ad sales platform built specifically for media, delivering the CRM and business intelligence necessary to optimize inventory, while the Matrix Sales Gateway, serving as a sell-side dedicated platform allows for the ingestion and dissemination of data from all providers in the ecosystem that participate in the negotiation and execution process. Matrix manages more than $13 billion annually in media ad revenue, has over 10K users, maintains over 95% renewal rate, and has founded the annual Media Ad Sales Summit and Media Ad Sales Council (MASC)  both of which bring together industry leaders to advance the future of media ad sales. For more information, please visit matrixformedia.com.
Sustainable Glass Hoop Earrings

Ladybug Glass Hoop Earrings launched its website in early 2022. The vision was to create a stylish glass jewelry company and support others in the process. Ladybug does this by using sustainable resources for all their products to keep the world preserved for the future.

Ladybug Glass designs and manufactures glass hoop earrings that are beautiful and can be worn with any outfit. They make a perfect gift for any jewelry lover. Customers who purchase from Ladybug will feel good knowing that they are supporting a family-owned and run business with eco-friendly values.

What sets Ladybug glass earrings apart from other glass jewelry is the company's dedication to sustainable living. All of their materials are sourced from eco-friendly small businesses in the United States.

Everything that Ladybug does is done by leaving the smallest carbon footprint and reducing its environmental impact as much as possible. This includes the materials for the earrings such as glass, metal findings, earring backs, and gemstones. The metals that Ladybug uses are hypoallergenic and include sterling silver, titanium, and gold. On top of this list is the fact that Ladybug uses only recycled materials for its packaging and shipping.

The glass hoop earrings are manufactured in a small glass shop located in Highland Park New Jersey. The glass is cut, heated to the melting point, shaped, kiln annealed, then finally assembled into beautiful glass hoop earrings. Manufacturing handmade glass is a delicate process that requires years of glassblowing training.

Since Ladybug is a privately owned small business, it gives them the flexibility to have complete control over all the products that they manufacture. This makes it easy to design custom jewelry with personalized colors and designs. Ladybug is also able to make quick changes to its supply chain and manufacturing processes without any of the corporate run around.

The owners of Ladybug Glass Hoop Earrings are Sim and Nechama Woitovich. Sim is the glassblower and Nechama is the jewelry designer. The husband-wife team is committed to providing high-quality glass hoop earrings and supporting other small companies.

The glass hoop earrings come in a wide variety of colors and designs to match any outfit. They are perfect for any occasion whether it be a casual day out or a night on the town. No matter what, Ladybug Glass Hoop Earrings add that special touch of elegance.

In this day and age, it is a breath of fresh air to see small companies out there that are making products right here in the United States. Ladybug Glass Hoop Earrings is one of those companies and people need to support these types of companies so the US economy can thrive.

Visit glasshoopearrings.com today for more information.
Mercedes-Benz of Scottsdale in Scottsdale, Arizona, Offers Maintenance Special Service Package

Customers looking for maintenance services in Scottsdale, Arizona, can now benefit from the advantage of reserving top-notch services in a fantastic deal. Mercedes-Benz of Scottsdale is now offering a Special Service Package for $25.00 OFF for the maintenance of Mercedes vehicles in Scottsdale, Arizona. This offer includes a comprehensive list of services in one plan, allowing customers to know all aspects of their vehicle and identify preventive maintenance needs.

The main objective of the dealership is to provide safe, top-tier vehicle maintenance services. Moreover, at Mercedes-Benz of Scottsdale, licensed technicians are dedicated to ensuring the car is in excellent condition.

To encourage buyers of Scottsdale, the dealer offers a variety of offers and incentives. Interested people can schedule an appointment by contacting the dealership at 480-409-040. All components required by the factory are included in the advertised price for Service A/Service B. Service A's services, and pricing may vary depending on the customers driving habits, mileage, and local environmental conditions. For more information, customers are encouraged to consult their vehicle's maintenance booklet for guidelines specific to their car's make and model year.

Detailed information regarding the customers vehicle service intervals and factory-required services are mentioned in the maintenance booklet. It is mandatory to bring the coupon at the time of service. This coupon is valid till Aug. 9, 2022, only at Mercedes-Benz of Scottsdale, 4725 North Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale, AZ 85251.
We feel like we got the best deal possible for our family business, and we couldn't have done it without the Performance Brokerage Services team.

Performance Brokerage Services, North Americas highest volume dealership brokerage firm, is pleased to announce the sale of Volvo Trucks of Palm Beach, Florida from the DeSanti family to Nacarato Truck Centers.

Volvo Trucks of Palm Beach has been owned and operated by the DeSanti family for over 62 years. Established as a full-line GMC dealership in 1960, the business was awarded the Volvo Truck franchise in 1988, followed by AutoCar in 1998. The dealership moved to a newly built facility in 2002 where it resides today.

Leonard DeSanti, President of Volvo Trucks of Palm Beach, shared, After decades of operating as a family business, we started to look towards retirement, and wanted a new family to take over and grow the business. We chose Mike Nacarato and the Nacarato Truck Centers team because we felt like they were going to be the best fit for our employees and customers. My brothers and I met with Mike personally just as the process began. Mike and his team have built a great company, and we know our community will benefit from Nacarato Truck Centers as its newest business. Lloyd Baldridge, CFO of Nacarato Truck Centers, has been instrumental in working with our team to ensure a smooth transition. There are many good days ahead for the customers in our area.

Over the last 5 years, Performance Brokerage Services has advised on the sale of over 300 dealerships, making it the highest volume dealership brokerage firm in North America. In 2021, the company consummated 72 transactions, marking a record-breaking year. This transaction was exclusively facilitated by Dan Argiro and Patrick Albero, the Commercial Truck & Equipment Partners for Performance Brokerage Services. Argiro commented, It was a pleasure for our team to help the DeSanti family with this transaction. We met Leonard, Robin, and Ted DeSanti late last year to discuss the process of selling their dealership. We worked diligently with them to maximize the value of their dealership and allow them to choose the best buyer to continue the legacy of their family business. Nacarato Truck Centers was the chosen buyer, and we know they will do a great job in the future. The satisfaction we get from this transaction comes from the fact that we were able to help the DeSanti family with their personal and business goals, while protecting the future of their employees with an honorable buyer who will continue their legacy.

Following the sale, DeSanti commented, From the first time we met Dan Argiro, Pat Albero, and Alex Argiro from Performance Brokerage Services, we knew we were in good hands. In addition to finding the right buyer, confidentiality was our top concern. Dan and the team worked tirelessly to advise our family on the best steps to take and when to take them. We considered selling the dealership ourselves, but without Performance Brokerage we would not have been able to maximize the value of our dealership, find the right buyer, and run our business, all while protecting confidentiality. We feel like we got the best deal possible for our family business, and we couldn't have done it without the Performance team. We are elated with the outcome of this transaction and excited to welcome the Nacarato team to Palm Beach. If you are thinking about exploring a sale, my brothers and I would highly recommend calling Dan Argiro and the Performance Brokerage Services team.

Nacarato Truck Centers is a group of authorized Volvo Truck, Tico Terminal Tractor, Strick Trailers, Dorsey Trailer, and used truck dealerships and Service Centers, serving the Tennessee, Virginia, Southern Kentucky, Maryland, Illinois, and Georgia areas. The company began as a single dealership in Nashville, Tennessee and has expanded to 12 locations, operating under the same moral principles that the group was founded upon. With 46 years in the trucking industry, the company has been led by three generations of the Nacarato family.

Mike Nacarato, President of Nacarato Centers, commented, The addition of the Palm Beach dealership is a great fit for our company. We look forward to working with the excellent employees at the dealership and know that each of them will play a big part in its continued success. We want to support and enhance our relationships with existing customers and have every intention of introducing ourselves to as many new potential customers as possible in the days ahead. The Nacarato team looks forward to making a positive impact in the Palm Beach community for many years to come. We would like to thank Dan Argiro and his team at Performance Brokerage Services for helping us with this transaction.

The dealership will remain at its current location at 360 South Military Trail in West Palm Beach, Florida.

About Performance Brokerage Services

Performance Brokerage Services, Inc. is North Americas highest volume dealership brokerage firm, specializing in buy-sell activity for automotive, RV, commercial truck, powersports, and equipment dealerships.

With over 25 years of experience, 700 dealerships sold, and a 90% closing rate, the companys reputation is unmatched and governed by the utmost ethical conduct and integrity.

The company offers a unique approach by providing complimentary estimates of value with no upfront fees or retainer, no reimbursement of costs, and paid a success fee only after the transaction closes.

Headquartered in Irvine, California, and supported by 7 regional offices in Utah, Texas, Florida, Virginia, Ohio, New Jersey, and Canada, clients benefit from national exposure with local representation.

As trusted and respected experts in the field, the company utilizes an extensive network of industry related attorneys, accountants, hundreds of registered buyers, and longstanding relationships with various vehicle manufacturers.

For more information about the services offered by Performance Brokerage Services, visit https://performancebrokerageservices.com.


Jordan Lewis Jordans considerable experience in employment litigation and class action lawsuits will be a significant asset to our clients, said Managing Partner Deborah R. Willig. We look forward to working together to improve the lives of working people nationwide.

Pennsylvania labor, employment, and workers compensation law firm Willig, Williams & Davidson is pleased to announce that Jordan Lewis has joined the firm as Of Counsel to focus on large-scale employment matters.

Lewis focuses much of his practice on class-action suits against the misclassification of workers as independent contractors in the gig economy. A litigator for more than 30 years, he has secured significant victories for his class-action clients. Cases in which he has acted as either lead or supporting counsel have returned more than $100 million to class members over the years.

Jordans considerable experience in employment litigation and class action lawsuits will be a significant asset to our clients, said Managing Partner Deborah R. Willig. We look forward to working together to improve the lives of working people nationwide.

Lewis has represented thousands of FedEx drivers challenging their status as independent contractors and several thousand Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) drivers in wage disputes. He also has litigated employee benefits class-action cases involving health insurance, pioneering cases involving claims for insurance coverage under the federal Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act.

The explosive growth in the gig economy has affected workers nationwide, often eliminating the stability and benefits offered by traditional full-time jobs and leaving self-employed workers with low pay, uncertain work schedules, and few rights, Jordan said. The team at Willig, Williams & Davidson and I will continue to fight for fair treatment for our clients and a fairer workplace for all.

Lewis earned his law degree from the University of Minnesota Law School and a bachelors degree from Williams College.

About Willig, Williams & Davidson  Willig, Williams & Davidson (http://www.wwdlaw.com) is one of the largest and most respected union-side labor law firms in the United States. The firm has offices in Philadelphia, Harrisburg, and Jenkintown Pa., as well as Haddonfield, N.J., and Chicago, Ill. Founded in 1979, Willig, Williams & Davidson focuses on representing labor unions, employee benefit funds and individual working people and their families on a variety of legal fronts, including national, regional and local contract negotiations; election and campaign finance; dispute resolution through mediation, arbitration and litigation; family law matters; benefits law design and compliance issues; discrimination, overtime and unpaid wages, and other employment matters; prepaid legal services for union members; social security disability; and workers compensation matters in Philadelphia and beyond. Workers inspire us.
"It has become increasingly clear that the marketing sector will inevitably be defined by conversations and conflicts over privacy. This lawsuit is just the latest in a long chain, and one which is inevitably reshaping the face of the industry."

Terry Cane, COO of global SSL service domain registration and SEO hosting provider SEOHost.net (https://www.seohost.net), today spoke on the outcome of a recent class-action lawsuit against Google.

Tied to Google's Photos app, the suit alleged that the company violated the Biometric Information Privacy Act, which prohibits the use and collection of biometric data without full transparency and explicit, written consent. According to the lawsuit, Google collected biometric identifiers from the faces of its users without fulfilling any of the BIPA requirements. The case reached a $100 million settlement, roughly $40 million of which will go to the prosecuting law firm.

Approximately 1.4 million people may choose to submit a claim until September 24, 2022, for a projected maximum payout of $400 each.

"Realistically, this BIPA case was little more than a slap on the wrist for Google, even though it was one of the largest BIPA payouts to date," muses Cane. "I suspect it's more of a symbolic victory  proof that no one is above accountability in cases like this. It also speaks to a growing trend I've noticed in recent years. "

"It has become increasingly clear that the marketing sector will inevitably be defined by conversations and conflicts over privacy," she continues. "This lawsuit is just the latest in a long chain, and one which is inevitably reshaping the face of the industry. As marketing professionals, we can no longer afford to simply ignore privacy or willfully violate it in an effort to gain more information about an audiencewe need to connect with our target audience without being invasive about it."

Cane points to Google's decision to retire tracking cookies by 2023 as further evidence of this.

"There is little doubt in my mind that Google sees the writing on the wall, as it were," Cane continues. "There was a time when privacy wasn't front-of-mind for most. But whether as a consequence of the pandemic or of recent scandals involving social media, those days are long behind us."

"It is imperative that we as marketing professionals adjust to this shift," she concludes. "Content may still be king, but its crown means nothing without trust."

About SEOHost.net:

Located in Orlando, Florida, with locations worldwide, SEOHost.Net provides a wide range of services in both the U.S. and the E.U., including domain registration, SSL Hosting for SEO, as well as VPS, dedicated, and A-Class IP hosting. The company offers exceptional service with a strong service level agreement, multiple geographic locations, and free migration. For more information, visit https://www.seohost.net.
2022 American Eagle One Ounce Silver Proof Coin (S)

he United States Mint (Mint) will accept orders for the 2022 American Eagle Silver Proof Coins from its San Francisco facility beginning on August 9 at noon EDT. Production is limited to 200,000, with orders limited to three coins per household for the first 24 hours of sale, subject to availability.

Due to overwhelming demand, the full production inventory for the 2022 American Eagle One Ounce Silver Proof (S) Coin (22EM) was previously accounted for through enrollments. However, as a result of cancellations, inventory may become available on the scheduled launch date of August 9, 2022.

Customers may still have an opportunity to purchase the products, subject to availability, after enrollment orders are reconciled. All inventory resulting from cancellations, invalid and/or fraudulent orders will be made available to the general public via Remind Me messages.

The American Eagle Silver Proof Coins are collector versions of the official United States Mint American Eagle Silver Bullion Coins. Minted since 1986, these coins were updated in 2021 with a refreshed obverse (heads) and a completely redesigned reverse (tails) to mark the 35th anniversary of the American Eagle Coin Program.

Like its West Pointminted counterpart, the San Francisco-minted coins obverse (heads) features a refreshed depiction of Adolph A. Weinmans full-length figure of Liberty in full stride, enveloped in folds of the flag, with her right hand extended and branches of laurel and oak in her left. The Mint has employed technological advancements that resulted in a design that is now a closer reflection of Weinmans original vision and includes the addition of his traditional artist mark. Inscriptions are LIBERTY, IN GOD WE TRUST, and 2022.

The reverse depicts an eagle as it prepares to land, carrying an oak branch, as if to add it to a nest. Inscriptions are UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, E PLURIBUS UNUM, 1 OZ. FINE SILVER, and ONE DOLLAR. United States Mint Artistic Infusion Program Designer Emily Damstra created the design that retired United States Mint Medallic Artist Michael Gaudioso sculpted.

In addition to the redesigned reverse and enhanced design details on the obverse, the American Eagle Silver Coins are minted in high detail using new technology and include a reed pattern variation. The Mint benchmarked its efforts against anti-counterfeiting programs implemented by major mints around the world. These features will make the coins more difficult to counterfeit.

The 2022 American Eagle One Ounce Silver Proof (S) is priced at $73. To set up a Remind Me alert, visit https://catalog.usmint.gov/american-eagle-2022-one-ounce-silver-proof-coin-22EM.html (product code 22EM). This product is included in the Mints Numismatic Bulk Purchase Program, as well as the Authorized Bulk Purchase Program.

Additional coins in the American Eagle Coin Program are available at: https://catalog.usmint.gov/coins/coin-programs/american-eagle-coins/.

About the United States Mint

Congress created the United States Mint in 1792, and the Mint became part of the Department of the Treasury in 1873. As the Nations sole manufacturer of legal tender coinage, the Mint is responsible for producing circulating coinage for the Nation to conduct its trade and commerce. The Mint also produces numismatic products, including proof, uncirculated, and commemorative coins; Congressional Gold Medals; silver and bronze medals; and silver and gold bullion coins. Its numismatic programs are self-sustaining and operate at no cost to taxpayers.

Note: To ensure that all members of the public have fair and equal access to United States Mint products, the United States Mint will not accept and will not honor orders placed prior to the official on-sale date and time of August 9, 2022, at noon EDT.

The 2022 American Eagle One Ounce Silver Proof (S) is also available at the Mints sales centers at the Philadelphia Mint, 151 N. Independence Mall East, Philadelphia, PA 19106 (on 5th Street between Arch Street and Race Street); at the Denver Mint, 320 West Colfax Avenue, Denver, CO 80204 (on Cherokee Street, between West Colfax Avenue and West 14th Avenue); and from the U.S. Mint Headquarters Coin Store in Washington, D.C., 801 9th St. NW, Washington, DC 20220. Please visit the Denver or Philadelphia websites because sales centers will be closed when the COVID-19 community level is HIGH to ensure the health and safety of our employees and the public.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:



Visit https://catalog.usmint.gov/coins/coin-programs/american-eagle-coins/ for more information about the American Eagle Coin Program.

Watch our flagship video honoring the American Eagle Coin Program: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rs6_FTgIX8Y.

Visit usmint.gov/about for information about the United States Mint.

Visit https://catalog.usmint.gov/email-signup to subscribe to United States Mint electronic product notifications, news releases, public statements, and our monthly educational newsletter, Lessons That Make Cents.

Visit and subscribe to the United States Mints YouTube channel to view videos about the United States Mint.

Sign up for RSS Feeds from the United States Mint and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram.

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United States Mint  Connecting America through Coins
Kinetic Visions new 51,400 sf Innovation Center The Innovation Center is designed to provide the tools and environments to foster teamwork, creativity, and innovation - and that translates to success for our valued clients

"When we say were built to solve your toughest challenges, we mean it. This month, were excited to be moving into our new Innovation Center home," said Rick Schweet, Founder and Board Chairperson of Kinetic Vision. The new custom-built facility combines all the resources of the company's current three-building campus into one state-of-the-art, 51,400 sf facility that is designed to foster innovation at unprecedented speeds.

From the moment you walk into the Innovation Center, youll sense that something powerful is going on. Our customers bring us complex problems in all phases of the product life cycle, and Kinetic Vision is unique in our ability to deploy collaborative, multidisciplinary development teams to tackle them, said Schweet.

Built in collaboration with the Village of Evendale, the facility is part of the AeroHub Innovation District, a new industry/education partnership for Industry 4.0 workforce development in additive manufacturing, robotics, industrial scanning, and artificial intelligence. This facility will supercharge those synergies and enable us to rapidly develop both digital and physical solutions utilizing our industry-leading Digital Twin technology, said Schweet.

With ample space for both digital and physical development, Kinetic Vision's Innovation Center optimizes synergies between the company's eight areas of expertise: Industrial Design, Engineering, Simulation, Metrology, Artificial Intelligence, Software, Interactive, and Visualization. In addition, the facility will also bring new upgrades to the companys rapid prototyping capabilities, which include CNC machining, injection molding, laser cutting, advanced 3D printing, vacuum forming, blow molding, in-house PCB production, and more.

Weve invested in the tools and technologies to give our clients an edge over their competition. But what really sets us apart is our people, and this facility empowers them to do their best work, said Jeremy Jarrett, President of Kinetic Vision.

The new facility, located at 10651 Aerohub Boulevard, is already operational to ensure that the move does not disrupt ongoing client projects and new requests. We arent missing a beat when it comes to servicing our clients, and we cant wait to show them around the new place! said Jarrett.

About Kinetic Vision:

Kinetic Vision integrates advanced technologies to accelerate innovation within a broad array of industries including healthcare, food and beverage, transportation, aerospace, and consumer packaged goods. The company serves over 50 of the Fortune 500 and is based in Cincinnati, Ohio. For more information about Kinetic Vision, please visit https://kinetic-vision.com, or click here to Contact Us.
VIA Candidates together with VIA Team and Faculty Sarah Heller at the VIA Agile Edition Course in London London student Richard Taylor summed up his experience, Taking the VIA Italian Wine Ambassador course moved me such a long way on in my Italian wine journey, and it is such a joy to be part of this community over the last few weeks and heading into the future."

The Course

July 2022 marked an exciting foray into the UK and Europe for VIA. The July course was held in London and Austria for the very first time, bringing Italian wine education to two new countries. In London, the course was taught live by VIA Faculty member Sarah Heller MW at the Institute of Masters of Wine, with the satellite venue in Austria was the Weinakademie in Rust participating by live link. Managing Director of Vinitaly International, Stevie Kim, remarked, I was delighted to be able to host our first UK edition of VIA at the Institute of Masters of Wine, a location that represents the pinnacle of wine education. Likewise, the Weinakademie in Rust presents the largest WSET program available in Europe.

Students participated for 3 days, tasting 38 Italian wines and taking a difficult 2.5 hour exam. The result? Seven students became newly certified Italian Wine Ambassadors. London student Richard Taylor summed up his experience, Taking the VIA Italian Wine Ambassador course moved me such a long way on in my Italian wine journey, and it is such a joy to be part of this community over the last few weeks and heading into the future."

What is VIA

The Vinitaly International Academy certification course is recognised as the gold standard of Italian wine education. The VIA community comprises over 1000 candidates, of whom 307 have now achieved the title Italian Wine Ambassador and 15 of those are qualified as Italian Wine Experts. All elements of the course are carefully curated by the VIA Faculty team, made up of Sarah Heller MW and Henry Davar IWE, assisted and advised by scientific advisor Professor Attilio Scienza. The ethos behind the course is a sound scientific focus on the native grapes of Italy and on the characteristics of the 20 regions biodiversity, history, culture, and business.

The VIA Community, composed of all students who have ever studied the program since its inception in 2017, welcomes wine professionals and wine enthusiasts from all over the world, forming a supportive and professional network that extends far beyond the limits of the classroom and includes lasting friendships, an open forum for sharing wine information, and career opportunities. Members continue to participate throughout the year in events such as Academic Field Trips all across Italy, gathering in Verona to judge at 5StarWines and Wine Without Walls, attending OperaWine and wine2wine Business Forum, and continually increasing their knowledge and growing their connections across the wine sector.

Students who take the VIA course come from every aspect of the wine sector, including educators, journalists, importers, hospitality, retailers, and beyond. Faculty member Sarah Heller MW reflected on the impact of VIA, We invite students to join a profound and up to the minute conversation about Italian wines and what makes them so unique in the world, giving them new tools to communicate these wines and the solid foundation to become true Ambassadors, promoting Italian wines around the world.

Upcoming VIA Italian Wine Ambassador Courses

VIA holds satellite courses at various times during the year. The Flagship Course is held annually in Verona in the days leading up to Vinitaly International Wine and Spirits Exhibition. The next Flagship course will be held 24-27 March 2023. Applications will open in January 2023. Satellite courses in other locations around the world will be announced later in the year, through VIA social media and on the VIA website.

For more information, please visit our website at:

https://vinitalyinternational.com/vinitaly-international-academy/

Instagram: vinitaly international

To Apply: https://eventi.vinitalytour.com/en/sign-up-via/

Send us an email at: via@justdothework.it if you have further question

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About: Vinitaly International Academy (VIA) aims to be the gold standard of Italian wine education. It offers a complete educational path with standardized courses that will teach professionals and educators to master the diversity of Italian wine in a rigorous, organized manner. VIAs main objective is to foster a global network of highly qualified professionals such as Italian Wine Ambassadors and Italian Wine Experts: in turn, they will support and promote Italian wine throughout the world. VIA was founded by Stevie Kim, Managing Director of Vinitaly International. The new VIA ecosystem avails of the guidance of Italian trade associations Federdoc, Federvini, Vignaioli Indipendenti FIVI, and Unione Italiana Vini as members of the Institutional Advisory Board. Italian vine genetics scholar, Prof. Attilio Scienza, oversees VIAs scientific and educational direction as the Chief Scientist. VIA Faculty Sarah Heller MW and Henry Davar teach the flagship Italian Wine Ambassador course. To date, there are 307 Certified Italian Wine Ambassadors of which 15 are also Italian Wine Experts.
Trinity University Press of San Antonio, Tex., has launched two new imprints: Tinta Books, which will focus on the culture, history and current affairs of Mexico and Mexican American life, and Terra Firma whose titles will explore the relationship between humans and their physical environment, from nature and wilderness to architecture and urban studies.

Yvette Benavides, a Texas-based professor of creative writing, radio host and journalist, has joined Trinity as editor-at large and will oversee the launch of Tinta Books.

As a mission-driven organization that has grown considerably over the past ten years, were excited to see this evolution in our publishing program and the audiences we serve, said Tom Payton, publisher and director of the press. We feel that there is a profound interest in and need for expanded book publishing focused on Mexico, and Trinity is perfectly suited to do that."

Benavides added, "One of our main goals in publishing is to help readers move to a more profound understanding and appreciation of the rest of the world. For us, the connection to Mexico is something we already admire and value. Were excited about strengthening that connection and our mission to bring works by and about Mexicans and Mexican Americans to more and more readers.

Trinity University Press celebrates its 60th anniversary this year. The press publishes under its general imprint, as well as two additional imprints: Maverick, which offers books about Texas, and ArteKids, which offers bilingual Spanish-English early reader board books. imprints
Novelist Elaine Castillos brilliant and passionate new essay collection, How to Read Now, argues that the publishing industry is designed to suit white readers and that changing the way one reads can change the way one sees the world. Among other insights, Castillo warns against seeing stories by writers of color as a kind of ethical protein shake to teach white readers how to be better people and critiques white authors appropriation of narratives about oppression, including Margaret Atwoods The Handmaids Tale, which was partly inspired by dissidents in the Philippines during the regime of Ferdinand Marcos. Castillos knowledge, along with her firebrand style and generous humor, result in a dynamic and necessary look at the state of storytelling.

Overlooked is a category as imprecise as invisible, in the spirit of Toni Morrisons deft analysis of the Ralph Ellisons novel Invisible Man: Invisible to whom? Overlooked by whom? Most of these writers arent overlooked at all, not to the readers who love them or the contexts they both spring from and resist. So, for the purposes of this piece, when I say overlooked, I mean it in the narrowest, and most American sense: books that are perhaps less glimpsed here on our mainstream syllabi and reading lists, yet whose force reverberates across all sorts of borders, in ways indelible, unforgettable, and yes, essential.

1. L'homme qui rit/The Man Who Laughs by Victor Hugo Victor Hugo? Overlooked? Surely not. And youre right. Hes not remotely overlooked, except in the way that sometimes monuments loom so large that you forget what they actually look like. Most of us know of Hugo via the adaptions of Les Miserables and The Hunchback of Notre-Dame, but my personal fave is Lhomme qui rit, or The Man Who Laughs, which I went on a long digression about in the Works Cited of How to Read Now. Its about cruelty, aristocracy (it contains one of my all-time favorite excoriating takes on the English aristocracy), childhood, poverty, inequity, torture, chance, desire, lust, bad choices, and long consequences. And as a helicopter dog mom, Im constitutionally required to say that it features one of my favorite dog characters, a wolf dog hybrid named Homo.

2. Windward Heights by Maryse Conde In How to Read Now, I talk about some of my experiences in a pretty terrible writing program I attended while living in London. But I regretted that I wasnt able to fit in a section about one of the few true joys of my time at that institution, which was the Caribbean Womens Writing class I audited, along with two other women of color. Taught by Prof. Joan Anim-Addo, its where I first read and loved the work of writers like Maryse Conde, Velma Pollard, Olive Senior, and Beryl Gilroy. Of course, writers like Cesaire, Senghor, Glissant, and Walcott are some of the best-known luminaries of Caribbean literature. Conde, a writer from Guadeloupe, is perhaps lesser known in the States than her male peers, a point she doesnt shy away from discussing in her interviews. Windward Heights is a bravura reimagining of Wuthering Heights, written in a blend of French and Guadeloup creole; in an interview, Conde said: "There is no French. There is the French of Proust, of Chateaubriand, of Maryse Conde I write neither in French nor in Creole, I write in Maryse Conde.

3. Morenga by Uwe Timm I first read an excerpt of this in Terrestrial Intelligence, a New Directions anthology of writing in translation that I bought in San Franciscos City Lights when I was still in college. I remember being utterly struck by the translation of Timms prose, the terse clarity and historicity of it, yet also its material aliveness, how its attention to the concrete felt so intense as to be transformative. Its also one of the few German novels I know of (also of note to me because my partner is French German and grew up mainly in Germany, so Ive spent a lot of time in France and Germany, and read a lot of literature in French and German, which comes up in How to Read Now) that speaks about the German colonial project in South West Africa, now Namibia, and particularly the Herero and Namaqua genocide. Timms book soberly draws parallels between the German colonial enterprise in South West Africa and the dehumanizing ideologies around racial superiority and ethnic cleansingits concentration camps, its forms of torturethat anticipated the rise of Nazism.

4. Sisters of No Mercy by Vincent Silk I first met the brilliant trans Australian writer Vincent Silk at the Sydney Writers Festival, for what I think was the festivals Queer NightI still remember how struck and moved I was by the luminous, devastating piece he shared that evening, which I wont do him the disservice of clumsily summarizing. Not long after the festival ended I read his gorgeous novel Sisters of No Mercy, and it remains one of my favorite books on the joys and discontents of organizing (anyone who has been in any type of leftist or anarchist household/squat/organizing project will recognize so much in this book; there were moments I had to put it down for a minute, either because I was laughing too hard, or because it was getting Too Real, or both), on gentrification, on the dystopian urban residues of settler colonialism, on grief and family, and most of all on the tenuous tenderness of solidarity and community.

5. Betrayed by Rita Hayworth by Manuel Puig Manuel Puig, like Victor Hugo, obviously isnt an overlooked writer, either, what with being a titan of Latin American literature (though still, probably, overshadowed by his Argentinian compatriot Borges). Puigs best known novel is Kiss of the Spider Woman (another fave)but I have a soft spot for this one, his first novel, which treads much of the same ground as Kiss (queerness, femininity, the utopian dream presented by the cinema, the reality of heteropatriarchal machismo, leftist militancy and resistance and its fraught relationship to the queer), but sets it all in a small town in the Pampas of Argentina, a place the young protagonist Toto both grows up in and tries to escape, through the magic portal of cinema. Puigs work is often described as camp; I also love his nimble skewering of class norms (as well as gender norms), aspiration, and self-delusion. The book veers from the comic to the harrowing on the same page, sometimes the same breath.

6. An Arab Melancholia by Abdellah Taia I think I read Abdellah Taiawho has been described as the first openly gay Moroccan writerfirst in French, but some of his books have been translated into English and are available in the States: namely Une melancholie arabe (An Arab Melancholia) and Larmee du salut (Salvation Army). An Arab Melancholia is a short, devastating work, partially an epistolary novel about a passionate and doomed romance (in my personal canon, it rivals one of my favorite films and another essay subject in How to Read Now, Wong Kar Wais Happy Together)while also being a rumination on the narrators childhood in Sale, Morocco and his adulthood in France, with paeans to the actress Isabelle Adjani and descriptions of perfume so evocative they made me start collecting Serge Lutens fragrances. The way Taia writes in Frenchthe way he writes himself into French, both invites and invents himself into Frenchnever ceases to thrill and inspire me. And for some reason, his writing also started to make me reflect on the way Samuel Beckett chose to write in French: In French, its easier to write with no style, Beckett once said, and thereafter it seemed like most critics framed his adoption of French as a kind of aesthetic purificationa stripping-away of things. Taias writing in French is full of style (so, in truth, is Becketts), not at all a stripping-away; his prose is by turns breathless, romantic, effusive, dramatic, harsh, melodramatic, recriminating, self-recriminating, honest, evasivea writing that shuns some of the more boring Academie Francaise-esque elitism around what constitutes good bourgeois French literature. Its also a writing that confronts head-on the inevitable colonial echoes of a North African writer choosing to write in French. Its in this oblique way, in the end, that Taias writing illuminated Beckett for me; it made me realize that for Beckett, as an Irish writer, the refusal of English would have been both a fraught aesthetic choice and a fraught, colonially inflected onenot unlike Taias.

7. Unexplained Presence by Tisa Bryant This isnt a novel, exactly, but its one of my longtime favorite books of experimental literary and cultural criticism, and much of it is written in prose so lively, characterful, and embodied it often feels novelistic. Bryants project is extending and expanding on the work of Toni Morrisons Playing in the Dark, by locating the unexpected presences of Blackness in works of art, film, and literature. It prowls the background of classic films, rustles at the margins of novels, peers into the storage room of museums, cataloguing the ways blackness persists in culture: as curio, as enabler, as counter-example, as temptation, as nightmare. The virtuosic final essay on Regency House Party, a British Regency-themed reality show, has been one of my favorite essays for years, and Ive thought about it often since the rise of Bridgerton (we wont even talk about the most recent Persuasion adaptation except to say it is Earth sign erasure.)

8. The Drone Outside by Kristine Ong Muslim Id been a fan of Kristines science fiction and fantasy short stories for a long time before I met her at the Philippine International Literary Festival in 2018; I remember her joking/not joking about Manila being an imperial city (shes from Mindanao, in the South; my family is from the provinces in the North, Ilocos Sur and Pangasinan). She is a prolific writer, and The Drone Outside is just one of her many masterpieces, a collection of spare dystopian stories that terrify, clarify, and renew all at once. Her prose is crisp and lucid yet shot through with wonder and dread in equal measure, and like the best science fiction and fantasy, the politics of her fiction feels inextricable from its ethics and aesthetics; she has a gift for showing us unreal worlds and alien situations that nevertheless begin to ring intimately, hauntingly, familiar.

9. Hawaiis Story by Hawaiis Queen by Queen Liliuokalani One of the essays in How to Read Now is called Main Character Syndrome, a critique of the cult of Joan Didion, and in particular the settler colonial politics of her writing, especially about the West. One of the Didion pieces I talk about is an essay she wrote about her wealthy family connections to Hawaii, and in the course of writing and researching that essay, I came across this book, Queen Liliuokalanis memoir/record of history that preceded the U.S. overthrow of the sovereign kingdom of Hawaii. In school, I dont think we read any novels by Hawaiian or Pacific Islander authors (Ive recently been reading Kiana Davenports 1994 novel Shark Dialogues and Craig Santos Perezs Navigating CHamoru Poetry, and am excited to start Kristiana Kahakauwilas This is Paradise); at least in my education there was no substantial reckoning with the colonial annexing of Hawaii and how it came to be part of America (its also been an ongoing frustration of mine that often lists dedicated to AAPI Authors You Should Read Now often seem to feature only Asian American authors, no Pacific Islander authors). This book in particular feels like a time capsule, containing an essential American origin storythe one not told by its victors.
Ambassador Andrew Young is a civil rights legend, who was a close friend and advisor of Martin Luther King Jr. In 1972, when he was elected to Congress in Atlanta, he was the first African American representative from the deep South since Reconstruction to hold such a position. He later served as the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, also the first African American to hold that position. Ambassador Young also served two terms as Mayor of Atlanta, where he played a pivotal role in bringing the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games to his city. Paula Young Shelton, Ambassador Youngs daughter, is an early childhood educator and the author of the picture book Child of the Civil Rights Movement, illustrated by Raul Colon. As a child Paula heard the many stories her father told her about growing up in segregated New Orleans, and how racism shaped his world view, and inspired him to become a civil right activist and humanitarian. Now, the Youngs have collaborated on a picture book, illustrated by Caldecott Honor artist Gordon C. James, that presents a pivotal moment from Ambassador Youngs childhood. Here, the father-daughter team talk to each other about their collaborative work on the book, and their personal connections to its message.

Paula: First, of all, Daddy, thank you for trusting me with telling this story of the racial tensions you experienced as a child, living in the same neighborhood as a local chapter of the Nazi party. You know this is a story I grew up hearing you tell over and over. At some point I really felt like it was my story, because your telling of it impacted my understanding of racism as a child.

Andrew: Well, it is your story. Im really happy that you decided to share it with young readers in a book, because, when you have ideas at four years old, you dont tend to think of them as significant, you dont realize the lessons that you are learning. But the blessing for me is that these stories have stayed with me until now, when Im 90 years old. I understand how important the stories of my childhood are, which is why I keep telling them. And storytelling has worked at every stage of my life. I mean, not everybody grows up with an Irish grocery store on one corner, an Italian bar on the other, and the Nazi party office somewhere between. And there I am as a kid, right in the middle of it all. Back then, there were other Black families in our neighborhood, but no other Black children, except me and my younger brother, Walter. And the lady we called Aunt Delia, who wasnt really my aunt.

Paula: You mean your babysitter, right?

Andrew: Right. She lived two doors down from the Nazi party. As kids, Walter and I could look out the window into the Nazi party office. We didnt know what their funny-looking swastika flag was, and we didnt know why they were heiling Hitler. I remember it was 1936, when I was four years old, and my daddy had the wisdom to take me to the local movie house to see a newsreel of track star Jesse Owens, racing toward Olympic gold. Daddy used Jesse Owens as a way to show me why it is valuable to stay cool under pressure. To drive home this message, Daddy often said, Dont get mad, get smart. He cautioned me, Dont ever lose your temper in a fight, because youll come out the loser. Daddy reminded me that your mind is the most powerful thing youve got. And if you can stay cool in a fight, its an emotional advantage.

 The blessing for me is that these stories have stayed with me until now, when Im 90 years old. I understand how important the stories of my childhood are, which is why I keep telling them. 

Paula: So it was Andrea Pinkney, the amazing childrens author and Scholastic editor, who heard you tell this story, and she asked you to write the book. Why didnt you just write it yourself?

Andrew: Frankly, only now, at 90, am I realizing what a special childhood I had. Almost everything was ordained for me before I went to school, see, and it was the teachers in my church nursery school who believed in me and convinced me that I could learn anything and could do anything. Paula, I knew that you, as a teacher, would know how to write this story so that children would really understand and get the lesson I was trying to conveythe lesson my daddy taught me. You were teaching in a school that wasnt not quite like my public school. Your school was filled with students and families who were more open-minded to learning about racism, and talking about it. The school I attended had a nickname because of so much bullyingthey called it the Bucket of Blood.

Paula: Oh my!

Andrew: And there are other stories there.

Paula: Oh yes, I remember hearing a lot of stories from your childhood. I just need to write a collection of short stories about how you, Andrew Young, got to be the man you are today. Daddy, youve accomplished so muchcivil rights leader, congressman, ambassador, mayor, international businessman, philanthropist. Its not too shabby a resume for a little colored boy from New Or-leens.

Andrew: Yeah, I dont know about the teachers at the Bucket of Blood, but the church nursery was filled with people who loved me and made me feel that I was something special. They made every child there feel like they were something special. I realized that when my daddy said, God created from one blood all the nations of the earth, and he would ask me, Didnt you learn that in Sunday school? Back then, he told me, Not everyone believes that. The people in this town are white supremacists, and white supremacy is a sickness. And you dont get mad with sick people.

My dad was a dentist. I remember him telling me, White people dont want to come see me because Im a colored dentist. But at night when their teeth start really hurting theyll call me up and ask if they can come over. They knew hed be there because the office was in our house. And he said, My business is to serve everybody. I cant be bothered by their racism sickness. I was trained to deal with the sickness of their teeth. He didnt say this, but its almost as if by being born in the midst of all this, I was being trained to deal with the sickness in their minds and in their spirit.

Paula: And you have dealt with a lot of sick minds like the Bull Connors and the Jim Clarks of the world. I remember you telling us the story of the Klan visiting you in Thomasville, Georgia, when Andrea (my oldest sister) was just a baby. You tried to get Mama to sit up in the window with a rifle, cause she was a country girl who knew how to shoot, but she wouldnt do it. She said she would never aim a gun at a human being.

Andrew: Yeah, those folks could have taken our old house out with one match and your mama said to me, Dont you believe in the power of the cross? She had a powerful faith. She knew you couldnt let fear take over, that you had to have courage in the face of fear and ignorance. These kinds of stories are important to develop courage in future generations. Maya Angelou said, Courage is the most important virtue, because without courage, none of the other virtues can be applied.

You know when I was in the United Nations, Jimmy Carter sent me to Africa to meet with as many African leaders as I could, to see what they expected of his administration and how he could help. Well, the State Department didnt want me to meet with any white South Africans, even though they were running the country. They told me to leave the white South Africans alone.

I said, Well you can leave them alone but I cant. 

The State Department said, You dont want to deal with them.

I said, Well, theyre not any worse than the kids I grew up with. I had Nazis on my block and Ive been dealing with them since I was four years old. Finally I said, Who is the meanest SOB you know?

They said, PW Botha, who was the Prime Minister of South Africa then.

I said, Thats the one I need to talk to.

They said, What are you going to say?

I said, Im going to listen.

Paula: Listening is so key. I think thats the major problem we have today. People dont listen to folks who have a different opinion. But you learned from Daddie Boo (which is what I called your dad, my grandfather) how important it is to listen to everybody, keep your emotions in check, and use your mind.

Andrew: Right! This lesson has lasted all my life. The hardest place for it to work is with the women Ive been married to! [Laughs]

Paula: Daddy, were not going to get into that. Youve been blessed to be married to two incredible women so you just need to learn to listen to them. But, talking can also be important.

Andrew: Yeah, I learned that in St. Augustine, Florida, when they really beat me up pretty badly and all I remember is that I couldnt stop. I wasnt afraid of these people who were threatening my life. If I had been fighting back or running away they would have just beaten up more people. When those racists got through beating me, I got up and said to the marchers who were there with me, We got to go down to the next corner and try again. And when they tried to beat me the second time, I ducked, I was bobbing and weaving and they couldnt hit me and they tried to kick me and I turned to the side but I kept talking

Paula: You kept talking? I think thats a significant part of it too.

Andrew: I kept talking. I never got angry, I never got frustrated with them.

Paula: Your fathers message and the Jesse Owens story had been instilled in you.

Andrew: Yes, because everybody was mad at Hitler, for trying to block Jesses success as a runner by insisting that Black athletes were inferior. But Jesse didnt pay no attention to Hitler. His problem was breaking records.

Paula: Right. He came there to win.

Andrew: And he broke his records. To hell with Hitler!

Paula: Gordon Jamess paintings bring such importance and vibrancy to your story. I love the cover illustration of Jesse winning, with you racing beside him.

Andrew: I tell you, the way Jesse leans at the start of a race is classic. Because most people, when the racing gun pops, they jump up. But Jesse was running as close to the ground as he could for as long as he could. When he straightened up, he was way ahead.

Paula: Gordon really captured that, and so vividly. His illustrations are just so dynamic.

Andrew: Yeah, thats really good artwork. You know, as part of his research, Gordon called me up and we talked about the neighborhood where I grew up, and the theater where my dad took me to see the Jesse Owens newsreel.

I told Gordon to look through my adult book, The Many Lives of Andrew Young by Ernie Suggs. And I instructed him to not just look at the picturesI told him to read the words.

Paula: I have to tell you, Daddy, one of the best things about collaborating on this book has been spending the time with you. And hearing you tell these stories in such vivid detail.

Andrew: You are a wonderful young lady, Paula, and you are very much loved. Always remember to keep your mind calm and your heart calm.

My daddy said, Dont get mad, get smart, I say, dont get upset. Dont get emotional, think your way through it, take your time.

Paula: Alright, Daddy, love you.

Andrew: I love you, too.
Xiaoping Bao, a Purdue University assistant professor from the Davidson School of Chemical Engineering, has improved upon traditional methods to create human immune cells from human pluripotent stem cells. The research was published in the peer-reviewed journal Cell Reports. (Syahrir Maulana/iStock photo)

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind.  A Purdue University chemical engineer has improved upon traditional methods to produce off-the-shelf human immune cells that show strong antitumor activity, according to a paper published in the peer-reviewed journal Cell Reports.

Xiaoping Bao, a Purdue University assistant professor from the Davidson School of Chemical Engineering, said CAR-neutrophils, or chimeric antigen receptor neutrophils, and engraftable HSCs, or hematopoietic stem cells, are effective types of therapies for blood diseases and cancer. Neutrophils are the most abundant white cell blood type and effectively cross physiological barriers to infiltrate solid tumors. HSCs are specific progenitor cells that will replenish all blood lineages, including neutrophils, throughout life.

These cells are not readily available for broad clinical or research use because of the difficulty to expand ex vivo to a sufficient number required for infusion after isolation from donors, Bao said. Primary neutrophils especially are resistant to genetic modification and have a short half-life.

Bao has developed a patent-pending method to mass-produce CAR-neutrophils from human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs), that is, cells that self-renew and are able to become any type of human cell. The chimeric antigen receptor constructs were engineered to express on the surface of the hPSCs, which were directed into functional CAR-neutrophils through a novel, chemically defined protocol.

The method was created in collaboration with Qing Deng at Purdue's Department of Biological Sciences, Hal E. Broxmeyer, now deceased, at Indiana University School of Medicine, and Xiaojun Lian at the Pennsylvania State University.

We developed a robust protocol for massive production of de novo neutrophils from human pluripotent stem cells, Bao said. These hPSC-derived neutrophils displayed superior and specific antitumor activities against glioblastoma after engineering with chimeric antigen receptors.

Bao disclosed the innovation to the Purdue Research Foundation Office of Technology Commercialization, which has applied for an international patent under the Patent Cooperation Treaty system of the World Intellectual Property Organization. The innovation has been optioned to an Indiana-headquartered life sciences company.

We will also work with Dr. Timothy Bentley, professor of neurology and neurosurgery,and his team at the Purdue College of Veterinary Medicine to run clinical trials in pet dogs with spontaneous glioma, Bao said.

This research project was partially supported by the Davidson School of Chemical Engineering and College of Engineering Startup Funds, Purdue Center for Cancer Research, Showalter Research Trust and federal grants from the National Science Foundation and National Institute of General Medical Sciences.

About Purdue University

Purdue University is a top public research institution developing practical solutions to todays toughest challenges. Ranked in each of the last four years as one of the 10 Most Innovative universities in the United States by U.S. News & World Report, Purdue delivers world-changing research and out-of-this-world discovery. Committed to hands-on and online, real-world learning, Purdue offers a transformative education to all. Committed to affordability and accessibility, Purdue has frozen tuition and most fees at 2012-13 levels, enabling more students than ever to graduate debt-free. See how Purdue never stops in the persistent pursuit of the next giant leap at https://stories.purdue.edu.

About Purdue Research Foundation Office of Technology Commercialization

The Purdue Research Foundation Office of Technology Commercialization operates one of the most comprehensive technology transfer programs among leading research universities in the U.S. Services provided by this office support the economic development initiatives of Purdue University and benefit the universitys academic activities through commercializing, licensing and protecting Purdue intellectual property. The office is housed in the Convergence Center for Innovation and Collaboration in Discovery Park District at Purdue, adjacent to the Purdue campus. In fiscal year 2021, the office reported 159 deals finalized with 236 technologies signed, 394 disclosures received and 187 issued U.S. patents. The office is managed by the Purdue Research Foundation, which received the 2019 Innovation and Economic Prosperity Universities Award for Place from the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities. In 2020, IPWatchdog Institute ranked Purdue third nationally in startup creation and in the top 20 for patents. The Purdue Research Foundation is a private, nonprofit foundation created to advance the mission of Purdue University. Contact otcip@prf.org for more information.

Writer: Steve Martin, sgmartin@prf.org

Source: Xiaoping Bao, bao61@purdue.edu

ABSTRACT

Engineering chimeric antigen receptor neutrophils from human pluripotent stem cells for targeted cancer immunotherapy

Yun Chang, Ramizah Syahirah, Xuepeng Wang, Gyuhyung Jin, Sandra Torregrosa-Allen, Bennett D. Elzey, Sydney N. Hummel, Tianqi Wang, Can Li, Xiaojun Lian, Qing Deng, Hal E. Broxmeyer, Xiaoping Bao

Neutrophils, the most abundant white blood cells in circulation, are closely related to cancer development and progression. Healthy primary neutrophils present potent cytotoxicity against various cancer cell lines through direct contact and via generation of reactive oxygen species. However, due to their short half-life and resistance to genetic modification, neutrophils have not yet been engineered with chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) to enhance their antitumor cytotoxicity for targeted immunotherapy. Here, we genetically engineered human pluripotent stem cells with synthetic CARs and differentiated them into functional neutrophils by implementing a chemically-defined platform. The resulting CAR-neutrophils presented superior and specific cytotoxicity against tumor cells both in vitro and in vivo. Collectively, we established a robust platform for massive production of CAR-neutrophils, paving the way to myeloid cell-based therapeutic strategies that would boost current cancer treatment approaches.
Energy isn't sexy until the lights go out, and it looks like Germany is in for a late-autumn un-robing. A bit nippy.

Can Pennsylvania help keep at least a couple Germanys lights on and plants running? Why does it matter?

Yes, Pennsylvania can contribute to a country that imports about 95% of the nearly 100 billion cubic meters of natural gas it consumes annually? How? Liquified natural gas (LNG).

When the gas is cooled to about -260 F, liquefying it. This decreases the volume by 600 times and allows for more to be transported.

We are already extracting nearly 8 trillion cubic feet of natural gas from beneath our feet per year.

Only Texas exceeds that total, with over 9 trillion cubic feet.

Even with our own consumption, we can make a noticeable in Germanys gap caused by Russian oil and gas embargos.

Aside from some logistical challenges, our primary competition in this market: United Arab Emirates. The challenge here is competing with Middle Eastern gas producers, because the gas produced at virtually no cost as a byproduct of petroleum production. Advantage: cultural ties dating back to the first Germans arriving at Jamestown in 1608. For Pennsylvania specifically, the ties began in 1683, when Franz Pastorius and others settled what is now known as Germantown near Philadelphia.

Why does culture and history matter here? As in most cases, people generally tend to trust and be more comfortable doing business with those with those with which we have some cultural connection. When that connection dates back hundreds of years, the bond is strong. A nation like UAE, which is 50 years old, will be hard-pressed to compete with that long an established relationship.

Here are some important numbers.

Europe was already expecting to import 86 million tons of LNG annually by 2050, that number will increase with the embargos against Russia.

Pennsylvania natural gas production stems from two sources: Utica and Marcellus Shale deposits. From 2026 and 2030, Marcellus and Utica Shale LNG production should reach about 1.2 million cubic meters daily. These rich reserves span across about two-thirds of our Commonwealth. Pennsylvania, a 2017 industry report maintains, has a major competitive advantage is access to an expanding supply of low-cost natural gas.

As with many western nations, Germany has been charging towards renewable energy sources for a few decades now, with Russian natural gas as a bridge fuel in the that transition. The country was also using nuclear fuel to meet need until biofuels, wind, and solar were more developed. However, the Merkel administration pushed through a nuclear plant ban in the wake of the March 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster. The last German plant went offline this year. By July 2011, the Pennsylvania Governors' Marcellus Shale Advisory Commission issued a report. The stars of transatlantic energy trade did not align here though. Instead, the PA report argued that conditions made it unlikely Pennsylvania would enter the global LNG market.

My, how things have changed.

Concerns remain, however, not the least being why America should send its natural gas halfway around the world. Well, there is profit. But Germany has banned fracking not only because of watershed issues, but also because of the high risk of earthquakes, according to Norbert Brackmann, the German government's coordinator for the maritime industry.

Can seeing things through green-tinted lenses not see natural gas a fuel bridging us towards biofuels and renewables? Or, are the graver concerns at play? Indeed, just this month there were additional reports out of New Mexico and West Texas claiming that earthquakes were caused by drillers, though the causes of these incidents are debated.

Then there is the argument that shipping LNG across the Atlantic dirties more air than it is worth. Recent data tells us that shipping is not as dirty as one might think, at least comparatively. According to 2018 data, shipping only contributes about 3% of CO2 emissions globally. Although shipping and its residual greenhouse gas emissions are growing faster than other modes of transportation, it appears to be far less damaging than others.

Though just a sliver of the global energy industry picture, this German-American relationship is one that we need to bear in mind.

Christopher Brooks is is a history professor at East Stroudsburg University. Among other topics, he teaches about transatlantic trade history.
UFC icon Conor McGregor will make his acting debut alongside Jake Gyllenhaal and Daniela Melchior in the upcoming Road House remake, Amazon Prime Studios said Wednesday.

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A former featherweight and lightweight champion, McGregor, 34, has joined the cast of the film in an undisclosed role.

The news was first reported by Deadline, and soon after confirmed in a tweet from the studio.

"Conor McGregor is very excited to expand his storied career to Hollywood and join with Jake Gyllenhaal in this reimagining of Road House, a beloved classic," McGregor's spokesperson Karen J. Kessler said in a statement. "While fighting remains his top focus, this is the beginning of another successful venture in the McGregor empire. He is eager to get started filming."

Production on the film was officially announced Tuesday, with the project slated to begin filming in the Dominican Republic in August.

Gyllenhaal has been attached to the project since last year, but had never been officially confirmed prior to Amazon's announcement.

The co-starring Melchior is coming off of a breakout year as Ratcatcher 2 in 2021's smash hit DC film The Suicide Squad.

Billy Magnussen and Lukas Gage have also been cast, among other names.

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Road House will be a remake of the classic 1989 film starring Patrick Swayze , and will be directed by Doug Liman.

Original producer Joel Silver will also be returning in the same role.

"I'm thrilled to put my own spin on the beloved Road House legacy, and I can't wait to show audiences what Jake [Gyllenhaal] and I are going to do with this iconic role," Liman said.

For McGregor, the film will mark another endeavor for the Dublin, Ireland native, who, beyond UFC fighting, has made a name for himself through a number of other businesses and endorsements.

His ventures made him the world's highest-paid athlete in 2021, according to Forbes, with estimated earnings of $180 million.

According to Deadline's report, the fighter has been attempting to break into Hollywood for a while, but "didn't want to just jump into anything and wanted the project he made his debut in to be the right fit."

While Road House will be McGregor's first feature film, it will not be his first time in front of a camera -- he had shot many commercials and advertisements for his various endorsement deals.

This includes ads for Beats by Dr. Dre, Budweiser and Proper 12 Irish Whiskey.

McGregor had previously announced his retirement from fighting in 2020, but would return to the ring in January 2021.

Road House is set to stream on Prime Video, though a release date has not been announced.
By Elizabeth Kwiatkowski, 08/03/2022



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Elizabeth Kwiatkowski is Associate Editor of Reality TV World and has been covering the reality TV genre for more than a decade.

star Nate Barnes has dished about that steamy shower scene with Stacia Karcher in Mexico and hinted about what happened next.experts Dr. Pepper Schwartz and Pastor Calvin Roberson matched Stacia, a 37-year-old accountant, and Nate, a 34-year-old day trader, who are both from San Diego, CA, to wed on the Lifetime reality series' fifteenth season.During the July 27 episode of Afterparty, Nate watched back a Season 15 clip of Stacia pointing out how their hotel shower in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico was big enough for two people."We can save water," Nate jokes during their honeymoon in the footage."He wants to take a shower and save water together. I'm not opposed to it," Stacia tells the cameras. "It's probably not to save water though."The clip proceeds to show Nate and Stacia making out in the shower together and putting their hands all over each other."Looks hot!" star Alexis blurted out on Afterparty."I am speechless!" added the show's host Keshia Knight Pulliam . "You didn't know the cameras were there?"Nate replied, "We [were] flowing in the moment, had a couple drinks, and yeah, we just wanted to save some water... and shower together."Nate proceeded to hint about what happened once the cameras turned off that night."I can't really say nothing right now," Nate admitted. "But we definitely got to know each other a little bit more. Uh huh."Nate, however, confessed that the steamy shower scene "looked way more hot" on TV than it was "in the moment.""I was more so, like, we were exploring each other," Nate noted. "We were starting to get more comfortable around each other, and it was just a hot makeout sesh and then it got a little more steamy, of course."Nate confirmed that the cameras "left" once things really started heating up.Stacia said on a previous episode of Afterparty how she felt in total "bliss" on her wedding day and she viewed Nate's good looks as being at least a 10 on a scale of 1-10.When the pair first met at the altar on their wedding day, Nate told Stacia that she's "beautiful," and it quickly became apparent they were attracted to each other.Stacia learned from Nate's friends and family that Nate is a caring and attentive "deep thinker" who also enjoys hiking, biking and adventure. But they also called him "a freak in the sheets" as well as a "diva."Stacia's loved ones told Nate that she's an independent and hardworking woman with two school degrees and multiple sources of income. Stacia wanted to be a power couple with her husband and build wealth.During their first conversation after the ceremony, Nate said he got exactly what he had asked for -- an attractive boss. He said Stacia "embodies everything" he's ever wanted in a wife and so he needed to give this relationship all of his effort."I feel like I haven't felt this happy in a really, really long time," Stacia said in a confessional.Stacia gushed about how she had all the "romantic feels" and "butterflies" for Nate, which was something she hadn't experienced in a long time.The pair connected immediately, and Nate was confident the "freaky stuff" would come with time, "for sure."The next morning, Nate and Stacia bonded over growing up mixed race and feeling ostracized and bullied as children. They also agreed having children someday is very important to them.Once Nate and Stacia arrived at their honeymoon in Mexico, they shared with the other cast members how they were discovering they're so much alike -- to the point where they finished each other's sentences. Stacia thought she was actually Nate in the female form.Nate was hopeful he and Stacia would consummate their marriage during the honeymoon, but Stacia told Nate that she wanted their sex to "mean something."'s fifteenth season currently airs on Wednesday nights at 8PM ET/PT on Lifetime and also stars Alexis and Justin, Krysten and Mitch, Morgan and Binh, and Lindy and Miguel.Interested in more news? Join our Married at First Sight Facebook Group or click here to view our newspage!And click here for more updates on former cast members and info on where they are now!
As the temperature rose on Saturday afternoon, so did the voices of hundreds of people in the heart of downtown Athens. Following the June 24 Supreme Court decision, hundreds of people packed into College Square to show their dissatisfaction and disgust with the ruling.
As the University of Georgia prepares to welcome all students back to campus, many organizations within the university are pouring their efforts into welcoming the Class of 2026 into the traditions and lifestyle of UGA.
A federal judge in Vermont has ruled that the man charged with killing his mother at sea during a 2016 fishing trip off the coast of New England in a plot to inherit millions of dollars will remain detained pending trial
The Brattleboro Reformer and Fulflex rubber products supplier sponsored the 6th annual Backpack Giveaway at the Brattleboro Auto Mall on Tuesday. The event gave away around 200 backpacks filled with back-to-school supplies. Children also were able to get a free haircut by Shear Designs Hair 
DOVER  Groups involved in bringing access to a big backcountry zone are getting a clearer picture of their roles and responsibilities after some rocky interactions.

Town officials, Southern Vermont Trails Association (SoVTA) leaders and representatives from the U.S. Forest Service held a site visit Tuesday. They met on Handle Road and walked into the woods from an opening where a trailhead will lead to a section of Forest Service land between ski resorts at Mount Snow and Haystack Mountain known as the Deerfield Ridge.

Casey Merritt, recreation program manager for the Green Mountain National Forest Service Manchester Ranger District, said she wants to ensure everyone is on the same page regarding how the project will move forward.

A Select Board meeting in June became contentious between the town and SoVTA over project ownership issues and SoVTA suggesting the possibility of expanding the number of parking spaces proposed to meet demand with the increased interest in backcountry access since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Last month, the groups met with the Forest Service and started ironing out their differences. Tuesdays site visit continued that process.

Groups recalibrate on Deerfield Ridge project DOVER  Southern Vermont Trails Association and the Select Board are mapping out the next st

With the parking lot area being on municipal property, Merritt suggested it is best for the town to work on that separately. For the trail system, Merritt expects to work with the local Vermont Mountain Bike Association chapter SoVTA on finding the appropriate builder by issuing a request for proposals (RFP).

Merritt and SoVTA President Tim Shannon said the town could kick in funds for constructing trails. Merritt suggested that also would allow the town some oversight of the project, which is anticipated to be built in phases with the first one including an ascending trail connecting to a beginner trail at the bottom of the backcountry zone and a backcountry zone with a track to skin up on cross-country skis or splitboards.

The Forest Service will consider allowing the town to construct the parking area before public access is encouraged. Initially, Merritt did not like the idea. However, Select Board member Joe Mahon suggested the 13-space area could be blocked off with boulders or a gate with signage explaining the project is underway.

We just have a very good time right now to put in the parking, he said, referring to dry ground conditions, and we have the availability to have it done.

Dover Road Commissioner Travis Briggs said he would not want to build the parking lot any later than October.

Quarterly meetings with stakeholders are planned to keep communication flowing. A Select Board member will act as a liaison.

Shannon said his group will be submitting a final proposed plan to the Forest Service before going out to bid then seeking funds. Its unclear how much the project will cost or when the trails will be built.

Even if the RFP were to get rolled out this fall, realistically, were not going to get our specialists out until next spring, District Ranger Martina Barnes said. Even if a miracle happens, I would honestly say, because of the fact that we have so many other ongoing projects, this maybe could be constructed next summer, I mean, at the very soonest, because we would need the specialist review to happen first.
Peter Fish Case is a man with an opinion. He offers up a weekly podcast discussion that can be heard at www.theearspoon.com. Questions, compliments and complaints can be sent to him at fish@theearspoon.com. The opinions expressed by columnists do not necessarily reflect the views of the Brattleboro Reformer.
cases nos. 202106573/1 and 202105784/1

Publisher Netherlands, The: Council of State (Raad van State) Publication Date 6 July 2022 Cite as cases nos. 202106573/1 and 202105784/1, Netherlands, The: Council of State (Raad van State), 6 July 2022, available at: https://www.refworld.org/cases,NTL_COS,62ea36cc4.html [accessed 17 August 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

The Netherlands: Council of State halted Dublin transfers of Syrian asylum applicants to Denmark

On 6 July 2022, the Dutch Council of State upheld two appeals regarding the refusal of Dublin transfers to Denmark (cases nos. 202106573/1 and 202105784/1). Both cases concern Syrian asylum applicants that had previously applied for international protection in Denmark and whose asylum requests had been denied. For this reason, the State Secretary decided not to process the asylum applications and transfer them to Denmark. According to the asylum applicants, in case of transfer, they would face a real risk of inhuman treatment because the Danish authorities would deport them to Syria. The Council of State decision clarified the circumstances in which the Netherlands could not transfer third-country nationals due to different protection policies between member states that result in a real risk of indirect refoulement.



The Council of State acknowledged that there is a presumption of equal protection of fundamental rights across member states; however, there is an exception when the protection policy in another state differs manifestly and fundamentally from the protection policy offered by the Netherlands. The Council referred to the case in which a foreign national would receive international protection in the Netherlands, while not in the other member state. The burden of proof of this plausible difference in protection is, in accordance with the ruling, on the foreign national that aims at halting the transfer.



Furthermore, the Council of State ruled that in the cases at hand the State Secretary should have given further justification of whether the prohibition of inhuman treatment is being complied with by the Danish authorities as the applicants had submitted sufficient evidence to make plausible an obvious and fundamental difference in the protection policy between the Netherlands and Denmark. One of the reasons for this clear divergence is that Denmark considers the Syrian capital Damascus to be a safe area and could return the applicants there, while the Netherlands does not consider it as such and continues to provide international protection.



In conclusion, the Dutch Council of State asserted that a Dublin transfer decision needs to be justified particularly when the protection policy in another member state is manifestly and fundamentally different from the protection policy of the Netherlands. According to the Council, the State Secretary is obliged to prevent direct and indirect risks of refoulement and thus the decision relating to the transfer to Denmark should provide more details on whether Denmark would comply with its human rights obligations.



Based on an unofficial translation of the EWLU team.

ELENA Weekly Legal Update - 29 July 2022
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EAST HARTFORD  In the days since the drowning of 16-year-old Tresor Boroze at Terry Pool, police are still working to piece together what led to his death.

Boroze and a group of friends entered the pool area after hours last Thursday. Police said they have no plans of opening a criminal investigation into the incident, calling it a tragic accident.

However, East Hartford Police Sgt. Richard Dube said he and other officers have been in contact with Borozes family as well as the peers he was with the night of his death to determine what happened.

Terry Pool does not have security cameras. Dube said he was not aware of any videos taken by the teens the night of the incident.

Dube said security footage from nearby homes did not provide any insight to what led Boroze, who could not swim, to leap off the diving board into the deep end of the pool.

The kids said they were encouraging him to stay to the side of the pool and then it was described that he got out and decided to do something completely out of the norm  jump off the diving board, Dube said.

All witness interviews indicate that Borozes friends were aware that he was not a strong swimmer, Dube said.

When East Hartford Police arrived, Boroze was already removed from the water by a peer, Dube said. Witnesses reported he was submerged for a couple minutes, Dube said. He was pronounced dead at Connecticut Childrens Medical Center.

Witnesses in the area, the houses across the street that we had spoken to, described a situation that was very jovial, Dube said. It sounded like kids having a really good time until it wasnt anymore. Then they heard screaming and people panicking and thats when they notified police.

Boroze was going to enter his junior year at East Hartford High School.

Our deepest condolences go out to Tresors family, friends and the entire East Hartford High School Hornet community during this difficult time, the school district said in a statement. As we all process this loss, we are asking East Hartford parents to speak to their children about this unfortunate news and let us know how we can help.

The Boroze family did not respond to requests for comment.

In 2022 so far, there have been 13 fatal drownings in Connecticut compared with 18 in all of 2021.
A New Haven official said the city has spoken to FBI officials about the impact a training drill in late July had on residents along the regions coastline.

New Haven Emergency Management Director Rick Fontana said the city discovered the FBI was running a hazardous device training drill in West Haven that day and made the explosions. A spokesman for the FBIs New Haven division did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

On July 21, West Haven residents near a fenced-off property owned by Indianapolis-based developer Simon Property Group were startled by four explosions. Residents near the property, slated to become the site of a high-end outlet mall to be called The Haven, reported they felt the explosions in their homes, with things falling off walls. Local police, as well as police from two cities with bomb teams  New Haven and Stamford  denied involvement. Multiple requests to the FBIs New Haven division were not returned at the time.

Fontana said the site is popular for law enforcement conducting trainings because it is a fenced-off, residential environment.

We were told the property owner had given blanket authority for emergency services to use their buildings, and if they did anything to just resecure them: if they cut a hole in the roof, they put a piece of plywood over it to resecure it. Its all about keeping that area safe while its undergoing construction, Fontana said.

West Haven Corporation Counsel Lee Tiernan said the property owners allow for drills to happen at the site.

The property owners allow various law enforcement to use the site for training purposes, he said. Not just West Haven, but area agencies and the federal government. Its private property, but we need to make sure our Police Department is alerted in advance and approves of the training exercise.

Tiernan said West Haven is putting that change in place. City Council member Sarah Ackbarali, D-3, said in July she would advocate for the residents in her district in the streets adjacent to The Haven to increase the requirements for public notification before the site is used for training purposes.

Residents said one of the vacant buildings at The Haven site had a newly-installed piece of plywood in a wall following the explosions. Simon Property Group did not respond to a request for comment Monday.

Fontana said New Haven practices diligence in informing residents of planned public safety drills. He said that, had New Haven officials been notified of the plan to conduct a drill across the water from New Haven, New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker would have sent out a notice to residents.

If youre going to use explosive devices or have multiple police units over there or SWAT teams or long rifles without notice, people may see that and get nervous, he said.

Nancy Shemrah Fallon, a resident of New Havens East Shore neighborhood, said she was jolted awake by the sound around 8:30 a.m.

I knew it wasnt a thundercloud, I knew it wasnt a firework, I knew it wasnt a gunshot, I knew it didnt come from Tweed Airport. It sounded like a bomb had fallen in our area, she said.

Fallon, who is on a task force in her neighborhood to address noise pollution, said she began calling around to police and elected officials to get some answers. She found that it was impossible to get details. She said New Haven officials told her that the first they knew about any noisy training was when they began to receive 911 calls from concerned residents.

My concern is it couldve caused some kind of hearing loss, it couldve caused an accident on the highway with someone slamming on their brakes, it couldve caused cardiac arrest or impacted people with PTSD, she said. This cannot happen again. City officials shouldve known in advance.

West Haven Police Chief Joseph Perno did not respond to a request for comment Monday.

West Haven officials have reported that communication with Simon Property Group is inconsistent. They have said months have passed without hearing from the developer before, and when developers do meet with city officials they believe the developers lack urgency to move the project forward. West Havens state delegation successfully advocated in 2021 for the site of The Haven to be named a special taxation district so the developer could borrow at a lower rate for construction, but Tiernan said Monday that the developers have not yet been signed an interlocal agreement with the city.

brian.zahn@hearstmediact.com
Baggio Leung, Yuan Gong-yi and Ho Leung-mao are now under police investigation for 'subversion of state power.'

Victor Ho (L) and Elmer Yuen in a screen grab of a video of a news conference by the exile "Hong Kong Parliament," July 27, 2022.

Authorities in Hong Kong said on Wednesday they will pursue three Canada-based activists who recently announced they would set up a Hong Kong parliament-in-exile under a draconian national security law that applies anywhere in the world.

The city's security bureau said it "severely condemns Yuan Gong-yi, Ho Leung-mau and Leung Chung-hang and others for forming a so-called 'Hong Kong Parliament' overseas."

It said the activists are now suspects under Article 22 of the law, which bans "subversion of state power."

Forty-seven former opposition lawmakers and democracy activists are currently behind bars awaiting trial on the same charge for their involvement in a 2020 democratic primary election aimed at maximizing the number of opposition seats in LegCo.

Soon after the primary, the government postponed the LegCo elections and rewrote the rules to force candidates to undergo vetting by a committee overseen by the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and national security police, effectively barring any pro-democracy candidates from running.

"The Security Bureau appeals to the public to dissociate themselves from individuals contravening the Hong Kong National Security Law, and the illegal activities those individuals organized, so as to avoid bearing any unnecessary legal risks," a spokesman said in a statement.

Yuan, Ho and Leung are part of a group that announced the parliament-in-exile plan in Canada on July 27, along with plans to hold the first election under universal suffrage in late 2023.

Leung, who is also known by the English names Baggio and Sixtus, was expelled along with five other newly elected Legislative Council (LegCo) members after China's National People's Congress ruled their oaths of allegiance invalid in 2016.

Ho is a journalist and political talk-show host, while Yuen is a current affairs commentator.

Security guards block pro-independence legislator-elect Baggio Leung from retaking his oath inside the Legislative Council in Hong Kong, China, Nov. 2, 2016. Credit: Reuters Wider immigration eligibility

The announcement came after the British government said it would broaden eligibility for Hongkongers seeking to flee the current crackdown on dissent and settle in the U.K., allowing younger people more likely to be targeted for taking part in the 2019 protest movement to apply under the British National Overseas (BNO) visa scheme.

"The U.K. has a historic and moral commitment the people of Hong Kong," home secretary Priti Patel said via her official Twitter account on Aug. 1.

"Thats why I am extending our BN(O) route to allow young people born after the handover of Hong Kong with at least one BN(O) parent to live, work, study and build their lives in the U.K.," the tweet said.

The changes will take effect in November 2022, and are expected to benefit around 10,000 younger Hongkongers.

Ngan Hei-yin, 19, is currently seeking political asylum in the U.K., a far more difficult route to settlement that risks deportation if the claim is denied.

He told RFA that he will be eligible for the BNO route instead, and won't need to wait for his asylum application to be approved.

But he said many who do apply for asylum wouldn't meet the financial requirements of the visa, so could still be excluded for that reason.

"Some people applying for political asylum are receiving government subsidies and don't have much in the way of assets," Ngan said. "So there would need to be some supporting measures to help them, if they are going to apply for the BNO route."

"I hope the government will provide them with support, and also support to make it easier for young Hongkongers to integrate and develop in the U.K.," he said.

Red tape in Taiwan

The BNO route requires applicants to show that they can meet their own living expenses for at least six months, but few younger applicants would be able to do this.

Authorities on the democratic island of Taiwan have adopted measures that will allow Hong Kong pro-democracy activists to apply for citizenship five years after seeking asylum in the country, the island's official Central News Agency (CNA) reported on July 30.

Under the scheme, Hongkongers who entered Taiwan under the government-run 'Hong Kong Humanitarian Aid Project' since June 2020 can obtain Taiwan citizenship after a five-year stay, the agency cited sources as saying.

Taiwan's safe-haven scheme has been criticized by Hongkongers on the ground as opaque and mired in bureaucratic dead-ends, with departments failing to act together to ensure the scheme works for individual applicants.

Some applications from former government employees have been denied amid growing fear of CCP infiltration of the island.

Some 11,000 Hong Kongers got residence permits in Taiwan last year, according to Taiwans National Immigration Agency, and 1,600 were granted permanent residency.

By contrast, the U.K. approved 97,000 applications under the BNO route last year.

Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie.
U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (L) standing with Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen at the Presidential Office in Taipei, Taiwan, Aug. 3, 2022 .

Southeast Asian governments on Wednesday urged China and rival superpower the United States to hold back from provocative actions that could inflame tensions, saying they were watching the situation around Taiwan after U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosis controversial visit.

From Manila to Jakarta, Bangkok, Hanoi and other capitals, governments across the region reiterated their support for the One China Policy, under which Beijing is recognized as the sole government of China.

The United States also holds this policy, but maintains close unofficial ties with Taiwan and is obligated to provide defense support. Washington only acknowledges Chinas sovereignty claim over Taiwan rather than endorsing it.

The foreign ministry of Indonesia, Southeast Asias largest country, expressed grave concern about the increasing rivalry among major powers, without naming the U.S. and China.

If not managed well, it may lead to open conflict and disrupt peace and stability, including in the Taiwan [S]trait, Jakarta said in a statement as it called on all parties to refrain from provocative actions that may worsen the situation.

The world is in dire need of wisdom and responsibilities of all leaders to ensure peace and stability are maintained, said Indonesia, which has faced its own territorial tensions with China in waters around the Natuna Islands in the far southwestern reaches of the South China Sea.

In Bangkok, Thailands Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed similar concern in the wake of Pelosis visit to Taiwan.

We do not wish to see any actions that would aggravate tensions and undermine peace and stability in the region, ministry spokesman Tanee Sangrat said.

We hope that all parties concerned exercise utmost restraint, abide by international law and principles of respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity and resolve their differences through peaceful means.

As the military jet carrying Pelosi and her delegation touched down in Taipei on Tuesday evening after a flight from their previous stop in Kuala Lumpur, Chinas Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) announced live-fire drills at six locations around Taiwan, some overlapping the islands sovereign territorial waters.

In addition, 21 Chinese military aircraft, including 10 J-16 fighter-jets and two reconnaissance airplanes, flew into Taiwans air defense identification zone (ADIZ).

While in Taipei, Pelosi visited Taiwans parliament before meeting with President Tsai Ing-wen who called her one of Taiwans most devoted friends.

During a brief speech following their meeting, Pelosi praised Taiwan for its resilience.

Americas determination to preserve democracy here in Taiwan and around the world remains ironclad, the house speaker said, adding that the U.S. will not abandon our commitment to Taiwan.

Pelosi was the first senior-most American official to visit Taiwan in 25 years. In the days leading up to her visit, Beijing had issued stern warnings against it, claiming that the trip would encroach on Chinese sovereignty.

The Philippines, which has also had confrontations with China in the South China Sea and maintains a Mutual Defense Treaty with the United States, said it was tracking Pelosis visit over concerns that it could escalate tensions with Beijing. The Pelosi-led U.S. delegation left Taiwan Wednesday evening and traveled on to South Korea.

Our military and our DFA (Department of Foreign Affairs) are closely monitoring the situation as they would in any other similar circumstance, said Trixie Cruz-Angeles, spokeswoman for President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

On matters of international relations, reactions are studied. We dont make knee-jerk reactions because they could adversely affect international relations, she said, stressing that loose words could impact Philippine-China relations.

Cruz-Angeles said Chinas envoy to Manila, Huang Xilian, had reminded officials to adhere to the One China Policy.

There is only one China in the world. Taiwan is an inalienable part of Chinas territory, Huang said Tuesday ahead of Pelosis visit.

The Chinese ambassador said he hoped the Philippines would handle all Taiwan-related issues with prudence to ensure sound and steady development of China-Philippines relations.

Malaysias foreign minister, meanwhile, said his government wanted to ensure peace, stability and prosperity in the region as officials in Kuala Lumpur seek to maintain good relations with their counterparts in Beijing and Washington.

[W]e want everyone concerned to look at the situation and address it in the best way because we appreciate and weve put a lot of value in both the U.S. and China when it comes to trade and technology in the region and want to be friends to both, Minister Saifuddin Abdullah said from Phnom Penh, where foreign ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations were assembling for the ASEAN Regional Forum Meeting and meetings this week with the top Chinese, American and Russian diplomats, among others.

A pro-Beijing protester stamps on an image of U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi during a protest outside the U.S. Consulate in Hong Kong, Aug. 3, 2022. Credit: AFP Maximum restraint

Late on Wednesday, the foreign ministers of the 10 ASEAN members-states prepared a collective statement about the cross strait development.

The bloc, it said, was concerned with the international and regional volatility, especially in the recent development [] adjacent with the ASEAN region.

That situation could destabilize the region and eventually could lead to miscalculation, serious confrontation, open conflicts and unpredictable consequences among majors powers, the top ASEAN diplomats said.

Elsewhere, officials in Cambodia, the Lao Peoples Democratic Republic, Myanmar and Vietnam reaffirmed support for One China policy while also calling for peace and stability in the region.

The Lao PDR reiterates its support for the policy of the government of the Peoples Republic of China on the national reunification by peaceful means, it said in a Facebook post.

The military government in Myanmar, for its part, reaffirmed its belief that Taiwan is an integral part of the Peoples Republic of China while expressing concern over Pelosis visit, which is causing escalation of tensions on the Taiwan Straits.

Myanmar calls all concerned parties to deescalate the tensions through constructive dialogue and peaceful negotiation for peace and stability across the Taiwan Straits, the junta said in a Facebook post.

China has become the largest source of foreign investment in Myanmar since Western businesses pulled out after the February 2021 military coup.

Like a frontline soldier

In northern Thailand, an analyst at Chiang Mai University lauded Pelosi while casting doubt on some media reports suggesting that her Taiwan visit could have ignited a new cold war.

As the U.S.s third most influential figure after President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, Pelosi could have laid a milestone on the U.S.s new approach in Asia. Her trip to Taiwan is a strong political gesture and is vitally important for the relationship of the U.S. and East Asia in the future, Isa Gharti told BenarNews. She is like the first U.S. soldier who lays milestones to locate flash points.

By reading some analysis lately, I am surprised that they think this is the start of a new cold war, he said. I dont think so because the superpowers have yet to get their economies recovered and cannot afford to lose any partners.

Tria Dianti in Jakarta, Jason Gutierrez in Manila, Nani Yosef in Washington, Nontarat Phaicharoen and Wilawan Watcharasakwet in Bangkok, Kunnawut Boonreak in Chiang Mai, Thailand, and RFA contributed to this report by BenarNews, an RFA-affiliated online news service.
Nancy Pelosi's visit came as the Chinese military announced live-fire drills off Taiwans coast.

UPDATED at 9:10 a.m. EDT on 2022-08-03

U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi departed Taiwan Wednesday after meeting its president and praising the democratic island's "resilience" as China voiced anger and state media trumpeted an unprecedented missile barrage and blockade.

Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen presented Pelosi with a special award on Wednesday, calling her one of Taiwan's most devoted friends" who helped strengthen Taiwan-U.S. relations.

Tsai met Pelosi in the morning after the U.S. House Speaker visited the Legislative Yuan, or Taiwans parliament. Pelosi praised the island for its success in battling the COVID pandemic and called Taiwan one of the freest societies in the world.

Taiwan has been an island of resilience, Pelosi said in a brief speech during her meeting with President Tsai.

America's determination to preserve democracy here in Taiwan and around the world remains ironclad, the U.S. House Speaker stated, adding that her visit made it unequivocally clear that the U.S. will not abandon our commitment to Taiwan.

In response, Tsai said Taiwan will firmly uphold our nation's sovereignty and continue to hold the line of defense for democracy."

"Facing deliberately heightened military threats, Taiwan will not back down," Tsai said, referring to the latest developments across the Taiwan Strait.

Locations of Chinese live-fire military drills around Taiwan on Aug. 4-7. CREDIT: Xinhua





As Pelosi touched down on Tuesday evening in Taipei, Chinas Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) announced unprecedented live-fire drills at six locations around Taiwan, some overlapping the islands sovereign territorial waters as defined in the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea.

On the same day, 21 Chinese military aircraft, including 10 J-16 fighter jets and two reconnaissance airplanes, flew into Taiwans air defense identification zone (ADIZ).

Unprecedented military drills

The PLAs Eastern Theater Command is to conduct a series of joint military operations around the Taiwan Island from the evening of Aug. 2," said Sr. Col. Shi Yi, the Commands spokesperson.

Naval and air joint drills will be carried out in the northern, southwestern and southeastern waters and airspace off Taiwan, while long-range combat fire live shooting will be conducted in the Taiwan Strait and conventional missile firepower test-launched in the waters off Eastern Taiwan, according to Shi Yi.

The Communist Party tabloid Global Times said ongoing exercises are "unprecedented as the PLA conventional missiles are expected to fly over the island of Taiwan for the first time, the PLA forces will enter area within 12 nautical miles of the island and that the so-called median line will cease to exist."

"If the conventional missiles of the PLA were to be launched from the mainland toward the west of Taiwan and hit targets to its east, this means that the missiles would fly over the island, which is unprecedented," the Gobal Times quoted Chinese military expert Zhang Xuefeng as saying.

Taiwans Ministry of National Defense on Wednesday condemned what it calls the reckless behavior by Communist China of conducting live fire drills in waters and skies close to Taiwan, some of which are in the neighboring waters.

The drills will essentially seal off Taiwans airspace and violate its territorial waters, the ministry said.

The Ministrys spokesperson Sun Li-Fang said China threatens international aviation routes, challenges the international order, damages the status quo in the Taiwan Strait and destroys regional security.

Activities around Taiwans territory are closely monitored, the Defense Ministry said, vowing appropriate responses when needed.

China dismissed Taiwans criticism of the military drills.

Foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told reporters in Beijing on Wednesday Chinese military actions were legitimate and meant as a deterrent to Taiwan.

Taiwans Ministry of Transportation and Communications is coordinating with Japan and the Philippines to plan alternative cargo flight routes for goods as the Chinese planned drills amount to an air blockade, the official Central News Agency (CNA) reported.

Washington officials said Chinas announced military drills were an overreaction.

"There's no reason ... for Beijing to turn this visit, which is consistent with longstanding U.S. policy into some sort of crisis or use it as a pretext to increase aggressiveness and military activity in or around the Taiwan Strait now or beyond her travel," national security council spokesman John Kirby said.

Grant Newsham, a retired U.S. Marine colonel turned political analyst, said prior to Nancy Pelosis visit he did not expect China to launch attacks on the U.S. or Pelosi herself. But, he said, they could lash out at Taiwan.

"The Chinese Communists are now willing to apply serious pressureincluding possible military forceagainst America's friends and partners, and dare the United States to respond," he told RFA.

"That's what I think we are most likely to see and most likely directed against Taiwan. In other words, making the Americans have to take the 'first shot' against the PRC," added Newsham.

Taiwans government needs to do what is necessary to ensure Taiwan can defend itself, said the analyst.

It needs to increase defense spending, show its military some respect and improve terms of service, re-institute national service, create an effective reserve defense force and create an effective civil defense scheme.

Taiwanese fighter jets at Taipei Songshan Airport on the last day of Han Kuang military exercise, July 29, 2022.. CREDIT: Taiwan Defense Ministry

A new crisis?

Beijing considers Taiwan an inalienable part of China that must be reunited with the mainland at all costs.

Analysts say, however, despite the noisy saber-rattling by Beijing, a new crisis may not happen as nobody wants war.

While China has said Pelosis visit would challenge its red line for Sino-U.S. relations, its unlikely that Beijing will do something risky in the Taiwan Strait during her visit, said Baohui Zhang, Professor of Political Science at Lingnan University in Hong Kong.

Beijing has no interest in triggering scenarios that may lead to miscalculations by all sides and inadvertent military conflicts, Zhang said, adding: As a rising power, war is the last thing China wants now.

During the most recent virtual meeting between Xi and Biden, the two leaders both confirmed the need for bilateral efforts to contain and manage crises.

In Zhangs opinion, Pelosis visit will have little practical implications for U.S.-China relations, as its trajectory of strategic rivalry has already been set.

The Taipei-based China Times cited leaked diplomatic cables from Taiwans representative office in Washington DC, saying they showed both the White House and the Pentagon sought to discourage the House Speaker from visiting Taiwan.

The Biden administration is not in favor of the visit and China knows that, said Baohui Zhang.

So the visit is largely a symbolic event showing rising Congressional support for Taiwan. It will not redefine U.S.-China relations.

Nancy Pelosi is set to meet with Taiwanese human rights and democracy activists before flying out on Wednesday afternoon to continue her Indo-Pacific tour.

UPDATED with Pelosi departing, China threat to fire missiles over the island.
Pelosi's trip set an important precedent and raised Taiwan's profile in the international community, analysts say.

U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi talks with Taiwan Foreign Minister Joseph Wu before boarding a plane at Taipei Songshan Airport in Taipei, Taiwan August 3, 2022.

As U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi left Taiwan Wednesday after a stopover that angered China, authorities in the eastern Chinese province of Zhejiang announced the arrest of a Taiwanese man under its national security law, accusing him of engaging in "separatist" activities and supporting formal independence for the democratic island.

Yang Chih-yuen was arrested by state security police in Zhejiang's Wenzhou city, state broadcaster CCTV cited a police statement as saying, accusing Yang of having founded the pro-independence Taiwan National Party, with the aim of "promoting Taiwan to join the United Nations as a sovereign and independent country."

"For some time, a very small number of 'Taiwan independence' die-hards have colluded with external forces, tried to split the country ... [and] tried their best to incite cross-strait confrontation," the report said.

"State security police will make resolute use of legal weapons like the Anti-Secession Law and the National Security Law to severely punish 'Taiwan independence' separatists ... [who] reject unification," it said.

Chinese Communist Party (CCP) leader Xi Jinping has repeatedly said that Taiwan must be "unified" with China, and refused to rule out the use of military force to annex the island. Taiwan has never been ruled by the CCP, nor formed part of the 72-year-old People's Republic of China.

But Taiwan president Tsai Ing-wen, who was re-elected in a 2020 landslide after vowing to stand up to China on the issue, has repeatedly said that Taiwan's 23 million population have no wish to give up their sovereignty, a view that is borne out by repeated opinion polls.

Beijing has a track record in making political arrests as a form of diplomatic statement, in what has been termed "hostage diplomacy," and Yang's arrest appears to be a way for China to register its displeasure with Pelosi's trip, during which she reaffirmed U.S. support for Taiwan's "flourishing democracy."

Taiwanese democracy activist Lee Ming-cheh, who served a five-year sentence in China for "incitement to subvert state power," said during a meeting with Pelosi that the Chinese government shouldn't use "national security" as an excuse to jail political prisoners.

Lee, who may not have read the news of Yang's arrest at the time of speaking, called for an end to "residential surveillance at a designated location," which enables the authorities to deny visits from lawyers or family members for six months where the person has been accused of a "national security" offense.

A man watches a CCTV news broadcast about joint military operations near Taiwan by the Chinese People's Liberation Army's (PLA) Eastern Theatre Command, at a shopping center in Beijing, China, August 3, 2022. Credit: Reuters 'Unnecessary' China reaction

Pelosi said during her meeting with Tsai on Wednesday that Taiwan, which made a transition to full democracy in the 1990s from authoritarian rule under the Kuomintang (KMT), that the island had "created a flourishing democracy" out of its challenging history.

"Now more than ever, America's solidarity with Taiwan is crucial," Pelosi said. "America's determination to preserve democracy here in #Taiwan and around the world remains ironclad."

China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) stepped up military exercises in the vicinity of Taiwan ahead of and during Pelosi's trip, a move that both Pelosi and Tsai termed "unnecessary."

"Facing deliberately heightened military threats, Taiwan will not back down. We will... continue to hold the line of defense for democracy," Tsai said during the meeting.

"Military drills are unnecessary responses. Taiwan has always been open to constructive dialogue," she said.

Tsai also presented Pelosi with a Taiwanese honor: the Order of Propitious Clouds.

Pelosi said she wasn't sure why Beijing "made a big fuss" over her Taipei trip, though she speculated it may have been because she was the House speaker, Taiwan's Central News Agency (CNA) reported.

The military drills could also be the result of "certain insecurities on the part of the president of China as to his own political situation that he's rattling the saber," the agency quoted her as saying.

Pelosi said in an official statement that her trip in no way represented a shift in U.S. policy on Taiwan, which involves not offering the island formal diplomatic recognition while pledging to help it defend itself from the CCP.

"Our visit is one of several Congressional delegations to Taiwan  and it in no way contradicts longstanding United States policy, guided by the Taiwan Relations Act of 1979, U.S.-China Joint Communiques and the Six Assurances," the statement said. "The United States continues to oppose unilateral efforts to change the status quo."

But it added: "Americas solidarity with the 23 million people of Taiwan is more important today than ever, as the world faces a choice between autocracy and democracy."

Pro-China supporters tear a U.S. flag during a protest against U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan outside the Consulate General of the United States in Hong Kong, China, August 3, 2022. Credit: Reuters Important regional message

Lo Chih-cheng, a member of the foreign affairs and defense committee at Taiwan's Legislative Yuan, said the meaning of Pelosi's trip was largely symbolic.

Coming as it did under pressure of Chinese threats and warnings, Pelosi's trip sent an important message to the entire Asia-Pacific and Indo-Pacific region that "the United States and democracies will not yield to Chinese threats and pressure," Lo told RFA.

Taiwanese military analyst Chieh Chung said the PLA exercises had made deep incursions into Taiwan's territorial waters during Pelosi's visit.

The exercises are taking place east of the central line of the Taiwan Strait, further diluting the tacit understanding of the median line formed by the military on both sides of the strait since 1999, Chieh told RFA.

Soong Kuo-cheng, a researcher in international relations at Taiwan's National Chengchi University, said China's response had made the international community more aware of the island's importance of Taiwan, and placed it in the international spotlight.

"The CCP displayed a highly violent and irrational reaction to this visit by Pelosi, which has woken the rest of the world up to Taiwan's significance," Soong told RFA.

"Right now everyone is slowly realizing that what is happening to Taiwan is actually happening all over the world," he said. "The crucial thing is this global boost to Taiwan's visibility and [international] importance."

"Pelosi's visit to Taiwan will set a precedent for other countries ... especially democratic countries, who may take a more open approach ... to Taiwan's participation in all fields other than as a sovereign [diplomatic partner]," Soong said.

Yang Haiying, a professor at Japan's Shizuoka University, said the visit will likely further consolidate the relationship between Japan, Taiwan, and the United States.

"[Pelosi] went to Taiwan to represent the United States, to stand with Taiwan, and Japan will decide on its relationship with the United States based on this," Yang said. "It could be said that the destinies of Taiwan and Japan have been tied together by this ... visit, further consolidating the relationship."

Yang Chih-yuen was arrested by state security police in Zhejiang's Wenzhou city, state broadcaster CCTV cited a police statement as accusing Yang of having founded the pro-independence Taiwan National Party, with the aim of "promoting Taiwan to join the United Nations as a sovereign and independent country." Credit: CCTV Stop the threats

Mainland Affairs Council spokesman Chiu Chui-cheng called on Beijing to cease its "threatening and provocative actions."

"We must seriously urge the CCP authorities to immediately cease their threatening and provocative actions, and not to misjudge the situation, giving rise to unbearable and serious consequences," Chiu said.

"The fact that there is no affiliation between [Taiwan and China] is an objective reality, and the status quo," he said. "No amount of extreme pressure from Beijing can change this fact."

He said Taiwan's government, which still uses the name of the 1911 Republic of China founded by Sun Yat-sen, would never surrender its sovereignty despite the threat of military force.

Foreign ministry spokeswoman Joanne Ou said Taiwan insists on being treated as an equal partner with China, an idea that is anathema to Beijing.

"The Republic of China on Taiwan is a sovereign and independent country," Ou said. "Neither the Republic of China nor the People's Republic of China is subordinate to the other ... this is the status quo that has been maintained across the Taiwan Strait for many years."

Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie.
As the countrys economic crisis worsens, sources say young women are turning to sex work to support themselves.

Cyclists pass along a road on the outskirts of the industrial city of Chongjin on North Korea's northeast coast, Nov. 19, 2017.

North Korean authorities are scrambling to deter a rapid rise in prostitution in the countrys major cities as a dire economy pushes more women into the sex trade, sources inside the country said.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un ordered authorities to act to prevent prostitution from spreading in the reclusive and impoverished nation, a resident of the northeastern city of Chongjin in North Hamgyong province told RFA on Monday.

The Ministry of Social Security and the Socialist Patriotic Youth League, which is the countrys main youth organization under the direct control of the Central Committee of the Workers Party of North Korea, are moving in cities such as Chongjin and Hamhung to stop young women from selling themselves.

The crackdown began when a central official in Pyongyang submitted a proposal after he saw some women propositioning men on the street for prostitution at night, said the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity for safety reasons.

Kim Jong Un signed onto the proposal of the official and ordered the Social Security Department and the Socialist Patriotic Youth League to take action, he said.

Though illegal, prostitution is generally tolerated in North Korea, with occasional crackdowns by local authorities looking to extract bribes from those they catch.

But North Koreas economic paralysis due to the authoritarian regime's extreme measures to battle the COVID-19 virus and the effects of ongoing international economic sanctions have left ordinary citizens under extreme financial distress.

The Ministry of Social Security and the Socialist Patriotic Youth League are jointly conducting intensive crackdowns on prostitution and providing ideological education for young people to ensure they adhere to socialist mores, the Chongjin resident said. The two organizations have mobilized day and night patrols to surveil places where the crime occurs, such as train stations and parks.

Additionally, the Socialist Patriotic Youth League is increasing its ideological education for young people in an effort to deter them from selling their bodies for money, the resident said.

On July 30, district-level organizations divided league members into groups and gathered them together for lectures, he said.

Kim Jong Uns message to reject decadent reactionary thought and culture and not get involved in antisocialism was delivered, the source said.

Also on July 30, the Socialist Patriotic Youth League held a meeting in Chingjins Sunam district to publicly criticize several young female prostitutes.

The meeting was a form of public shaming, with each of the eight women on the stage revealing their names, ages, home addresses, and their jobs, and forcing them to criticize themselves.

More than half of the women caught in several intensive crackdowns are reportedly from other regions. It seems that women, whose lives have become difficult due to lockdown measures and movement control for three years, have been forced to engage in prostitution for themselves and their families, he said.

Doing anything for money

A resident of the city of Hamhung in the eastern province of South Hamgyong told RFA on Monday that local officials from the Ministry of Social Security and the Socialist Patriotic Youth League were searching train stations, parks and streets for suspected prostitutes.

About 30 women were arrested on the first day of the crackdown around Hamhung Station, held jointly by the Ministry of Social Security and the Youth League last week, said the source who declined to be named for safety reasons.

Most of the women were in their 20s, but several were teenagers who were recent high school graduates, she said.

Many women have become prostitutes due to financial hardship, and more and more of them are begging men to pay for sex as they wait for the train at Hamhung Station at night, the woman said. Some men arrange to use the services of prostitutes under the pretext of staying overnight while waiting for a train, she added.

Prostitutes in Hamhung usually are paid 80,000-50,000 won (U.S. $11.40-$21.40) for their services, though some women at the train station get as little as 30,000 won (U.S. $4.30), she said.

Even during daylight, I often see women roaming around crowded places like train stations for prostitution, the second source said.

Most of the women who go into prostitution are people in need, but there are cases where this is not the case, the resident said.

As our society gradually transforms into a society where anything is possible with money, the interest in earning money is growing, she added. I am worried that there is a growing tendency among residents who do not hesitate to do anything for money.

In August 2020, RFA reported that more than 50 female students of two prominent Pyongyang performing arts colleges were sent to a labor camp for their alleged involvement in a prostitution ring that catered to the capital citys elites.

Many of the young women were driven into prostitution by poverty brought on by endless demands from their highly selective schools for fees, North Korean sources said.

Translated by Claire Shinyoung Oh Lee and Leejin J. Chung for RFA Korean. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin.
The attack comes amid renewed fighting between junta forces and the Arakan Army in Myanmar's Chin state.

Taron Ai village in Paletwa township by the Kalatan River in a photograph from Nov. 2010.

Two children were killed and three other people injured when junta troops opened fire on a boat carrying schoolchildren near Toe Ma Wa village in Paletwa township.

Residents said two of the injured were also schoolchildren. They were all students from Toemawa Middle School in Paletwas Remawa village who take the boat along the Kalatan river every day.

About 10 students boarded the boat at 3 p.m. on Tuesday after lessons had ended. The Kalatan River is the only way to commute between Toemawa and Remawa villages. The boat came under fire between Reemawa and the students home village.

They were studying in Toemawa and this happened on their way back from school," a local resident told RFA on condition of anonymity for safety reasons.

They were shot by junta troops deployed between Toemawa and Remawa villages. More than 10 students were on the motor boat.

Fifth-grade students Nay Min Tun and Aung Than Myint, both 12, were killed. The injured were identified as female student Khin Si, male student Aung Lin Win and Padu, a general worker at the school.

Aung Than Myint was shot in the head and Nay Min Tun was shot in his abdomen and shoulder.

Residents told RFA that since Tuesday morning, the Arakan Army (AA) and Military Council troops have been fighting near Namada village. Troops from the Ka La Ya 289 battalion fired heavy artillery during Tuesday's fighting.

Calls seeking comment made by RFA to Thant Zin, the Military Council-appointed Social Affairs Minister in Chin State went unanswered.

Junta troops and the AA have fought twice since July 18. Some border police forces and 14 junta troops were killed. A police chief was snatched by the AA along with weapons and ammunition.
The festival had been shut down by China following the arrest in 2002 of Tulku Tenzin Delek.

A Tibetan community festival, banned for 20 years after the arrest of a popular religious leader, has been allowed by Chinese authorities to resume with no explanation given for the sudden lifting of control, Tibetan sources say.

The annual event held in Nyagchuka (in Chinese, Yajiang) county in Sichuans Kardze (Ganzi) Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, formerly a part of historic Tibet, features horse races and picnics, a Tibetan living exile told RFA, citing local sources.

But since 2002, the year when Tulku Tenzin Delek was arrested on a charge of bombing a public square, the Chinese authorities had barred Tibetans in the region from celebrating the annual event, RFAs source said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

We dont know why the authorities have suddenly allowed the festival to be held again, the source said. Authorities had hoisted Chinese flags around the festival grounds before allowing the event to be held, though, he added.

In earlier years, when Tulku Tenzin Delek was there, people were forbidden to indulge in alcohol, smoking or taking drugs at the picnic, but this year everything was allowed, the source said.

The annual festival was a major gathering in the region even before the Chinese invasion of Tibet in 1950, the source said. But it became even grander after Tulku Tenzin Delek lived there. During the picnic, religious teachings were given and plays were performed on the life of the Tibetan yogi and poet Milarepa.

There was so much respect for Tulku Tenzin Delek.

Mysterious death in prison

Tulku Tenzin Delek, 65, died under mysterious circumstances on July 12, 2015, 13 years into a 22-year sentence following what rights groups and supporters called a wrongful conviction on a charge of bombing a public square in Sichuans provincial capital Chengdu in April 2002.

Widely respected among Tibetans for his efforts to protect Tibetan culture and the environment, he was initially sentenced to death, but his sentence was later commuted to life imprisonment. An assistant, Lobsang Dondrub, was executed almost immediately, prompting an outcry from rights activists who questioned the fairness of the trial.

Chinese authorities now remove all references to Tulku Tenzin Delek from official histories of the region and in January seized a life-size statue of the religious leader that was being taken into Tibet, arresting those involved in the statues manufacture and transport, sources told RFA in earlier reports.

Formerly an independent country, Tibet was invaded and incorporated into China by force more than 70 years ago. Chinese authorities maintain a tight grip on Tibetan areas of western China, restricting Tibetans political activities and peaceful expression of cultural and religious identity, sources say.

Translated by Tenzin Dickyi for RFA Tibetan. Written in English by Richard Finney.
A prominent Uyghur poet and associate professor at a teachers college was detained in 2017 as a threat to social stability and sentenced to 13 years in prison on a separatism charge, a local police officer and Uyghur source told RFA.

Ablet Abdureshid Berqi is serving time in Tumshuq Prison, a detention facility located in Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps (XPCC), a state-owned economic and paramilitary organization in northwest China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR).

Since its founding in 1954, the XPCC, which is also known as Bingtuan, has built and administered several urban centers in Xinjiang, mainly to resettle Han Chinese from other parts of the country as part of a campaign of Sinicization. The Bingtuan also operates prisons and publicly traded companies.

An RFA investigation confirmed that Berqi, which is a pseudonym, was arrested two years ago amid a purge of Uyghur intellectuals, educators and cultural leaders  one of a set of Chinese government policies that have been determined by the United States and the parliaments of some Western countries as constituting genocide.

The abuses also include forced labor at factories and farms, forced birth control and the detention of up to 1.8 million Uyghurs in a network of internment camps.

A Chinese official at the Xinjiang Education Institute, a university for teacher education in the XUARs capital Urumqi (in Chinese, Wulumuqi) where Berqi worked, told RFA that he was not authorized to disclose information about Berqi and suggested the reporter contact the school administration office.

I dont know this person, the official said. I havent heard of this person. We have more than 1,000 employees at the school. Let me give you a phone number. You ask the school administration office.

Other officials at the institute refused to provide information about Berqi, however.

Later, officials at the directorate of school education told RFA that the institute did not employ an instructor named Berqi.

RFA also contacted a police officer in the poets hometown of Sampul village in southern Xinjiangs Hotan (Hetian) prefecture, who confirmed that he was serving a 13-year term in Tumshuq Prison.

He is in prison now, the police officer said. The reasons were threats to social stability and going abroad. He was detained in 2017, and after three months he was sentenced to prison for 13 years and is now serving his term in Tumshuq Prison.

The officer also pointed to mistakes he made while teaching at school, including articles Berqi wrote and lectures he gave.

Berqis parents live in the villages Aydingkol hamlet, the officer said.

A top target

In an article published in the 2000s, Berqi said he used a pseudonym because his real name was the same as the XUAR chairman, Ablet Abdureshid, which led to a number of misunderstandings, particularly after the poets writings were published in newspapers and magazines.

He also said the pseudonym, which means flourishing in the Uyghur language, reflected the greater success he hoped to achieve in his creative career.

Berqi wrote his doctoral dissertation on Abduhalik Uyghur, a prominent Uyghur revolutionary poet in the early 20th century who was killed by Sheng Shicai, a Chinese militarist who ruled Xinjiang from 1933 to 1944.

Berqi also studied at Haifa University in Israel between 2014 and 2016, said Nimrod Baranovitch, a lecturer in Chinese culture and society at the university, who met the poet in Urumqi a decade earlier and later applied for a postdoctoral fellowship for him.

[W]e kept in contact for many years, and then we decided we should try to bring him over to study and research here, Baranovitch told RFA. We had tried that once in the past, but it didnt work. And then we tried it again, and it worked.

Two years ago, authorities charged Berqi with separatism and sentenced him to 13 years in prison because of articles he wrote on economic awareness and development in the XUAR, which were published in the CCP-controlled Xinjiang Civilization magazine, according to information from an RFA listener.

The last official mention of his name was on Jan. 5, 2017, in a notice issued by the Xinjiang Education Institutes publicity department. It said that the research topics officially approved by the Chinese government included a project by Berqi relating to the stability of Xinjiang.

At the end of 2017, Berqis name was on a list of Uyghur intellectuals who had been imprisoned, but due to the Chinese government's tight control over information, it was only five years later, in July 2022, RFA learned about his sentencing.

Husenjan, one of the Berqis colleagues who now resides abroad, said he received was told by sources in Urumqi that Berqi had been sentenced to prison but did not know the length of his term.

I recently received official news that he was, in fact, detained, but I wasnt able to get information on whether or how long he was sentenced to prison, he said.

As a writer and intellectual, Berqi would have been a top target for authorities amid the ongoing repression of Uyghurs in Xinjiang, Husenjan said.

Translated by RFA Uyghur. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin.
Angry residents of an apartment building in Vietnams Ho Chi Minh city have been ordered to take down banners accusing the owners of neglecting the buildings upkeep while profiting from years of management fees.

Residents of the Khang Gia apartment block in the citys Tan Phu district are concerned about the structural quality of the building and its fire resistance. They have petitioned authorities to make improvements for eight years but say nothing has been done.

Frustrated at the authorities inaction, many residents hung banners from their balconies saying Our petitions have been binned, Return our maintenance fees, Eight years of inaction on fixing our problems, and Give residents the title deeds to their apartments.

Rather than answering their complaints or discussing them with residents, the Secretary of the Party Committee of Tan Quy ward came to the apartment, backed by police and militia, and ordered residents to take the banners down.

Tenants hung banners with words that do not offend the government and are not intended as incitement, said Nguyen Manh Hung, who heads the management board at the apartment block.

But when residents hung them up many local officials came with police and militia as well as ward and district civil officers. They tried to storm the apartments that put up banners. When I asked what they were going to do, they said they would order the residents to take the banners down.

Hung said the government should have worked with the apartment blocks investors to solve the problems but instead sent a mob to try to get the banners removed. He said that when officials ordered residents to take down the banners, they were asked when they would address the issues. He said the officers remained silent and left.

RFA called the People's Committee of Tan Quy ward and Tan Phu district to verify the information provided by Nguyen Manh Hung, but none of the calls was answered.

According to documents written by the Department of Construction of Ho Chi Minh City and the People's Committee of Tan Phu district, Khang Gia Real Estate Development and Investment Company was given permission to build and rent out a 232 apartment block.

The company built almost twice as many apartments, which residents say has made the building structurally unstable.

The local government said it had decided to forcibly dismantle 72 apartments and commercial units but nothing has happened in the eight years since it made the pledge.

Hung said about 1,500 residents have said they feel insecure due to the illegal construction on the ground floor and mezzanine levels.

He added that the extra apartments and commercial units have no fire prevention facilities and therefore pose a threat to the entire building.

The maintenance fee, which is 2% of the buildings valuation, has been kept by the Khang Gia company, rather than handed over to the apartments management board to fix elevators, fill in cracks and perform other repairs.

Local authorities must investigate the investor's appropriation of the maintenance fund, Hung said. However, they have not done that for years. Now the investor has disappeared after being probed for wrongdoings in other projects. I dont know why they didnt investigate. Maybe they have covered-up the case for some reason but doing nothing is not in line with the law.

The Lao Dong Online news site wrote in December 2020 that Khang Gia Company general director and legal representative Trinh Minh Thanh had gone into hiding. It said he was wanted for the crime of "financial fraud for taking millions of Vietnamese dong from people for apartments they did not receive. The company office is no longer at its registered business address.

RFA called Khang Gia Real Estates hotline, listed on its website, but the person who answered denied working for the company and said it was a wrong number.
Armenia has called on the international community to help stop Azerbaijan's "aggressive actions" after a flare-up in violence in which the two sides accused each other of violating a cease-fire in the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh.

Armenia "calls on the international community to take measures to stop the aggressive actions and attitude of Azerbaijan and to activate the necessary mechanisms to do so," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement on August 3.

The Russian Defense Ministry also issued a statement in response to the fresh violence in the region, while the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry demanded the disarmament of what it called "illegal Armenian formations" around Nagorno-Karabakh.

The Russian Defense Ministry statement, which was quoted by Interfax, said that Azerbaijan violated the cease-fire and its peacekeeping contingent "is taking measures to stabilize the situation together with representatives of the Azerbaijani and Armenian sides."

The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry said Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov had a telephone call with Toivo Klaar, the special representative of the European Union for the South Caucasus.

"It was emphasized that the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan implemented adequate response measures to military provocations in their sovereign territories," the ministry said.

According to the statement, Bayramov said that the provocations of the Armenian side undermine mediation efforts.

Both sides claimed casualties after the hostilities broke out.

Azerbaijan's Defense Ministry said in a statement on August 3 that Armenian troops opened fire on Azerbaijani Army positions in the district of Lacin, which has been under the control of Russian peacekeepers since November 2020, killing an Azerbaijani conscript Anar Kazimov.

De facto ethnic Armenian military authorities in Nagorno-Karabakh, in turn, accused Azerbaijan of a major cease-fire violation with the use of grenade launchers and drones, claiming that two ethnic-Armenian soldiers were killed, and 14 others wounded in separate attacks.

The breakaway region's separatist leader, Arayik Haratiunian, signed a decree on partial mobilization.

Russia accused Azerbaijan of breaking the cease-fire.

The developments prompted EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell to call for an immediate cessation of hostilities, his spokesman said.

Nagorno-Karabakhs Defense Army said later on August 3 that the situation was "relatively stable" as of 6 p.m. local time after working with Russian peacekeepers, who have been stationed in the region since the 2020 cease-fire following a deadly six-week war between Azerbaijan and Armenia over the region.

The Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said the region's ethnic Armenian forces had tried to seize a hill on a mountain range overlooking Lacin and Kalbacar to establish a new position.

It said Azerbaijani forces conducted a "revenge" operation and took back the positions along with others, destroying Armenian armed elements in the process.

It also issued videos showing what appear to be military vehicles catching fire after being hit by air strikes.

Armenia lost control over parts of the breakaway region and seven adjacent districts as part of the Russian-brokered cease-fire. An estimated 2,000 Russian troops have been deployed to monitor the situation.

Nagorno-Karabakh, which had been under ethnic Armenian control for nearly three decades, is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan.
Welcome back to the China In Eurasia briefing, an RFE/RL newsletter tracking Chinas resurgent influence from Eastern Europe to Central Asia.

Im RFE/RL correspondent Reid Standish and heres what Im following right now.

U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosis visit to Taiwan has already sparked a strong response from Beijing, with Chinese live-fire military exercises near the self-governing island under way, and a slew of sanctions targeting Taipei.

But the visit has also been a boon for Chinese propagandists, whose aggressive rhetoric accusing Pelosi of reckless behavior and warnings of a tough Chinese response are also being echoed by their Russian counterparts.

Finding Perspective: Even before Pelosi touched down in Taipei, an intensified Chinese campaign was under way -- the latest phase of a long-standing information war waged against Taiwan.

Rumors and false stories have spread quickly around Chinese language online spaces, with claims of Chinese fighter jets crossing into Taiwanese airspace (that were quickly dismissed by Taipei). Online attacks dominated Taiwanese websites, while Taipeis government sites were hit by a series of cyberattacks.

While Chinese disinformation and propaganda campaigns are meant to target a domestic audience and Taiwan itself in hopes of paving the way for reunification between Beijing and Taipei, Russia has been targeting a different audience.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the Kremlin -- which is engaged in a deepening partnership with Beijing and is increasingly reliant on it after its invasion of Ukraine -- has been outspoken against the visit, with Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova calling it a provocation aimed at pressuring Beijing and expressing full solidarity with China.

Russian media, meanwhile, have copied these Chinese narratives, with state TVs Yevgeny Popov saying that Pelosi intended to use the visit to turn the planet into dust.

Why It Matters: While Ukraine war coverage is still the big-ticket item for Russian propaganda, the Taiwan visit highlights how state-run outlets in both countries are increasingly laundering each others talking points.

A new phase of this was observed in the early days of Russias invasion, when Chinese media echoed the Kremlin's justification for the war and often parroted false claims about events while ignoring commentary from Kyiv.

In the case of Pelosi's trip, the development is noteworthy due to the broad reach to other countries in the former Soviet Union where Russian is still widely spoken, but where Chinese state outlets have minimal reach.

Even despite concerns from local governments set off by the invasion of Ukraine, Russian propaganda outlets still have a broad following in many areas, with my colleagues from RFE/RLs Central Asian services telling me that Russian state-run media have been eagerly spreading alarm about Pelosi in their broadcasts and amplifying Beijings narrative to regional audiences.

Read More

 Why did Pelosi decide to go to Taiwan? As Politicos Andrew Desiderio writes in this profile, its the latest move in the speakers long career of challenging Beijing.

 As Beijing reacts loudly to Pelosis visit, Bonny Lin and Jude Blanchette argue in Foreign Affairs that Chinese foreign policy in the coming years will increasingly be defined by a more bellicose assertion of its interests and the exploration of new pathways to global power that circumvent chokepoints controlled by the West.

 For more on Taipeis precarious place in the world, read my interview with Taiwanese Foreign Minister Joseph Wu from October where we discussed the islands outreach to Europe and rising pressure against it from Beijing.

Expert Corner: Theorizing On BRI 2.0

Here are excerpts from a conversation I had with Bradley Parks, executive director of the AidData Lab at the College of William and Mary in Virginia, which has extensively researched Chinas lending practices abroad, about whats next for the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and how Beijing could look to streamline it in the future.

As originally conceived, BRI cannot sustain itself according to its original vision, but we shouldnt underestimate the Chinese. They are quite strong at learning and adapting to their past mistakes and weve heard from our contacts in Beijing that they have used the COVID lockdown period as an opportunity to do some introspection about what BRI 2.0 is going to look like.

They currently face a big problem in their risk profile. They dont have strong safeguards for dealing with debt, governance, and environmental concerns, so one of the ideas is to start co-financing with multilateral institutions and outsource some of the due diligence to those that can better follow best practices and international standards.

The next [idea] is Public-Private Partnerships (PPP). The era of BRI projects via sovereign debt is very quickly coming to an end. Governments can only take on so much debt before it becomes unsustainable. So one thing that is being considered is what if instead of lending to the sovereign [government], they set up project companies and then lend to those Special Purpose Vehicles and use them to repay the loans. There are certainly questions about whether this all could work and nothing appears to be decided yet, but these are some of the discussions happening.

Do you have a question about Chinas growing footprint in Eurasia? Send it to me at StandishR@rferl.org or reply directly to this e-mail and Ill get it answered by leading experts and policymakers.

Three More Stories From Eurasia

1. Welcome To The New BRI

China is currently navigating the countrys first overseas debt crisis sparked by a mountain of nonperforming loans handed out over the last 10 years that risks sparking a series of defaults that could test the future of Beijings signature foreign policy project, I reported here.

What It Means: Launched in 2013, the BRI paved the way for China to become the worlds largest source of development credit and saw a rapid expansion of loans issued from Chinese institutions for large-scale infrastructure projects.

Now, the BRI faces new headwinds. According to data collected by Rhodium Group, a New York-based research consultancy, the total value of loans from Chinese institutions that required renegotiation in 2020 and 2021 surged to $52 billion -- a threefold increase from the previous two years.

The debt crisis continues to spread, with the World Bank warning it could trigger a series of defaults not seen since the 1980s. Currently along the BRI, 60 percent of Chinese loans are to countries that are now in financial distress, compared to only 5 percent of Chinese lending back in 2010.

The current debt pressure is accelerating a rethink in Beijing that was already under way about how China should lend in the future and avoid similar blowback.

A new report from the Green Finance and Development Center at Fudan University in Shanghai found that China is increasingly investing in oil and gas, making up about 80 percent of Chinese overseas energy investments for the first half of 2022 and 66 percent of Chinese construction contracts.

Christoph Nedopil Wang, the centers director, told me that this is because energy investments are far less risky than other big infrastructure projects that have tended to make up the majority of BRI spending.

There is a more straightforward way for you to get your money back, which is not the case with other big infrastructure projects that have much longer payback periods with much higher uncertainty, he said.

2. What's On Georgia's Mind

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili met with President Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev in Kazakhstan where the two discussed boosting trade and how to expand the Middle Corridor of the BRI that bypasses Russia as it moves goods between Europe and China, RFE/RLs Kazakh Service reported.

What You Need To Know: Georgia, along with other countries, is looking to capitalize on the fallout from Moscows invasion of Ukraine that has seen freight traffic dwindle through Russia, which was previously the main route bringing goods by rail between China and Europe.

The rising alternative has been the roughly 6,500-kilometer network of roads, railroads, and ports stretching across Kazakhstan, the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkey, and into Europe known as the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route or Middle Corridor.

The trade route is expected to see a sixfold increase in traffic in 2022 due to freight diversions from the war. Governments along the path, with Georgia leading the charge, are searching for new opportunities to attract investments as global transport companies turn away from Russia.

3. How Hungary Sees China

A July poll shows that support for China in Hungary is growing, with a majority of voters saying they approve of rising Chinese influence in the country, RFE/RLs Hungarian Services Balint Szalai and I reported.

The Details: The survey by the Budapest-based Central and Eastern European Center for Asian Studies (CEECAS) found that China generally has a positive image among the Hungarian public and that most voters in the country share views on important political issues that are favorable to Chinese standpoints.

Among some notable findings, 51 percent of Hungarian voters said they felt optimistic about Chinas expanding footprint in the country and a majority of respondents said they saw Beijing as having a high degree of influence in the country.

The favorable views of China skewed further toward voters of Prime Minister Viktor Orbans Fidesz party in Hungarys polarized political system, but interestingly, when it came to views of Beijing and Moscows deepening partnership, 48 percent of voters had an unfavorable view of it.

According to the survey, This was the only question in which a majority did not [hold] a positive perception [toward] Chinas role.

Across The Supercontinent

Regional Tour: Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi recently wrapped up a regional tour of Central Asia where he reaffirmed Chinese support amid economic and political problems, RFE/RLs Kazakh Service reports.

Bishkek To Beijing: In interesting comments that point to how the region is viewing China these days, Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov said he sees Beijing as his country's main economic partner in the world, not Moscow, Kyrgyzstans traditional patron.

A Kyrgyz Wish List: Despite the warm words, Bishkek had a growing wish list of issues that it wants to resolve with Beijing and were discussed during Wangs visit. Chief among them, as Yrysbek Ulukbek from RFE/RLs Kyrgyz Service reported, was trying to revive cross-border trade to pre-pandemic levels.

Russian Rail Looks East: Getting the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway fully off the ground is another wish list item, a project that the Russian-led Eurasion Union recently endorsed.

Having Moscows blessing gives the Chinese-backed project more momentum and also lines up with Russian Ministry of Transportation plans to potentially invest $30 billion in rail construction across Central Asia and Mongolia between now and 2030.

One Thing To Watch

Pakistan is facing an economic default and could be the next Sri Lanka as the world faces a wave of debt crises, but Islamabad says that it sees a solution.

Pakistani Finance Minister Miftah Ismail told Bloomberg recently that progress had been made on a stalled International Monetary Fund (IMF) loan to Islamabad, which could stave off a worst-case scenario.

Pakistans economic problems have worsened in recent months, and a consortium of Chinese state banks lent $2.3 billion to Pakistan to help the country stave off a foreign payments crisis in late June. But while China gave the loan, its chief concern was to avoid a Pakistani bankruptcy, and Beijing has urged Islamabad to repair ties with the IMF and revive a $6 billion loan program.

How this gets solved will have implications for other struggling economies with large debts to China and will also impact Beijing and Islamabads close but increasingly frayed relationship.

Thats all from me for now. Dont forget to send me any questions, comments, or tips that you might have.

Until next time,

Reid Standish

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In an interview with RFE/RL's Georgian Service, Gerard Biard, the editor in chief of the controversial French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, talks about the difficulties in creating satire in times of war, especially in Russia's ravaged media landscape.

After his magazine was targeted by gunmen in a 2015 attack that left 12 people dead and 11 injured, Biard understands better than many the huge risks that come with the publication of material deemed by some to be problematic.

The Islamic extremists who carried out the attack said they were acting in revenge for the publication of cartoons that mocked the Prophet Muhammad. And with the proliferation of social media, Biard says that the risks have increased, making everyone -- not just journalists and activists -- potential targets.

RFE/RL: What is your and Charlie Hebdo's take on the war in Ukraine and its main architect, Russian President Vladimir Putin?

Gerard Biard: Of course, we stand [with] the Ukrainian people. The main fear with the war is that it will degenerate into a Third World War. But I think that a Third World War has already begun; it's a war between countries with democratic values and democratic systems and institutions on one side and those who don't have them on the other.

It's not only about Russia -- there is China, Iran, and some others even in Europe, such as Turkey. Countries who don't have a culture of democracy. The main problem with Russia -- and you have the same problem with China -- is that there is no culture of democracy, no foundation for it. And war is easy for dictators.For example, with [former U.S. President Donald] Trump, he tried to [carry out] a coup. He tried to [hold on to] power and, as we know, he failed.Because in the United States, you do have this political culture of democracy, you have institutions, you have something to defend. [But] there are no such things in Russia. It never was a democracy. The same for China.How do you sell democracy in a country where no one is buying it?

RFE/RL: What is it like to look at this war through the prism of political satire?

Biard: The problem when you are [talking] about looking at a war through satire is that you have to deal with civilian deaths, and that's one of the major taboos. You have to be very precise, very accurate in what your message is, as satire is usually open for many interpretations.

You have to choose very carefully the way you treat this subject. On the war in Ukraine in particular, looking at the front-page cartoons we've published, most of the time we use the war in Ukraine to also deal with French political realities. For example, right now I'm looking at this cartoon that we made a few weeks ago, before the French elections: On it, there is Putin playing with a drone, but this is not just a regular drone; it has the face of [French far-right leader Marine] Le Pen and the text says: "Putin's Drone. Can It Win?".

And then we have various cartoons dealing with the character of Putin himself. He is so easy to [work with because] he is a dictator, and dictators are the easiest to draw for a caricaturist -- although by far not the safest. But for better or worse, we're used to being threatened, not only by dictators but by almost anyone who is on social media nowadays. And not just cartoonists; anyone can be threatened by anyone these days.

RFE/RL: Out of the many cartoons Charlie Hebdo has done on Putin, which one is your favorite, and which depicts him most accurately?

Biard: There is one where he is made into a gorilla. You don't even need to explain this cartoon. The way Putin is depicted as a gorilla with tiny, tiny, tiny [genitals] over the red nuclear button. You look at this cartoon and you [immediately recognize] Putin.

RFE/RL: On the subject of presidents, let's discuss yours, French President Emmanuel Macron. Quite a few eyebrows were raised at his persistence in continuing to telephone Putin despite the fact that Putin showed no signs of wanting to cooperate. Plus there are Macron's remarks on how we shouldn't humiliate Russia or Putin. What is your take on Macron's position?

Biard: It's a lot to do with the way Macron is politically. His main objective is to lead. Obviously he tried but he failed, because it's not so simple. He tried to lead the "European action" regarding the war in Ukraine. He tried to remain the main interlocutor for Putin in Europe, but the problem that he didn't understand was that Putin doesn't want one.

And he's not the only one who tried. There was [former French President Nicolas] Sarkozy, who in 2008, when Putin attacked Georgia, went to Moscow, to the Kremlin. We didn't know what he said to Putin, but looking at his face at the end of the meeting, we knew at this moment how Putin responded. It was "f*** off." That's the only response Putin knows: "F*** off. I do what I want." Maybe in other words, but he said "F*** off" to Macron, as well.

RFE/RL: The right to mock, to ridicule, is an integral part of artistic license. How symbolic or ironic is it that there are no notable satirical media outlets left in Russia?

Biard: Even in Soviet times, there were [satirical publications.] Putin is a real autocrat. The Soviet Union was a system; you had many people. [But] with Putin, you just have one person who wants to control everything. He doesn't [tolerate] objections or any criticism. Nothing. He managed to cancel all criticism. You can still do it, but you'll go to jail, or you will die. And you won't die in a pleasant way. That's the main problem with Putin.

RFE/RL: I remember the Kremlin spokesperson blasted you and Charlie Hebdo for a 2015 cover on the Russian plane crash in Egypt, which killed 224 people. Was civilian death a sensitive topic back then? Is it not ironic now that your cartoon was called sacrilegious and blasphemous when you look at what Russia is doing in Ukraine?

Biard: Yes, generally speaking, [as I said,] civilian deaths are one of the main taboos. With Ukraine, Putin has no problem [with dead people], no taboo. Regarding the "sacrilegious" and "blasphemous" [accusations], these days with social media every word can be blasphemy.It's very difficult today to be a cartoonist or a satirical artist. You can't be a satirical artist on Facebook. It's impossible.

This interview has been edited for clarity and length.
Amnesty International says several people were killed in May when Iranian security forces used live ammunition to quell protests over the rising cost of living and has called on the international community to hold authorities to account.

The protests over rising food prices erupted in southwestern Khuzestan Province in early May before spreading to neighboring Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari provinces.



In a report published on August 3, Amnesty said video and audio evidence indicated that security forces "fired weapons loaded with live ammunition and birdshot on multiple occasions during the protests."



"The authorities' militarized response laid bare once again their utter disregard for the sanctity of human life and international legal standards on the use of force and firearms," said Amnesty's Diana Eltahawy.



Three people were killed in Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari provinces in connection with the protests between May 14 and 17, it said.



On May 15, a member of parliament also reported the death of another person in Khuzestan Province in connection with the demonstrations.



Protests also took place later in the month after the deadly collapse of a building in the Khuzestan city of Abadan, where authorities fired shots "at crowds of grieving protesters," the report said.

Amnesty said there were "cycles of protest bloodshed" in Iran with an "increasing militarization of the policing of protests."



During the investigation, Amnesty reviewed and analyzed extensive video footage, official statements, and state media reports and spoke to human rights defenders and journalists in contact with affected individuals and communities.



The group said Iranian authorities need to be held accountable for the "torrent of violence" unleashed against the protesters.



"Iran's security forces will continue to feel emboldened to kill and injure protesters if they are not held accountable," said Eltahawy, reaffirming Amnesty's demand for the UN to establish an independent mechanism to investigate such crimes in Iran.

With reporting by AFP
Chief negotiators for Iran and the United States are heading back to Vienna to resume talks on reviving the 2015 nuclear accord between Iran and global powers.

Rob Malley, the U.S. special envoy for Iran, said on August 3 that he was headed to Vienna to resume the negotiations "with expectations in check."

The United States "is prepared for a good faith attempt to reach a deal," adding, "It will shortly be clear if Iran is prepared for the same."

Iran's chief nuclear negotiator, Ali Bagheri Kani, is also heading to Vienna. Iran's Foreign Ministry told state media that the talks would be coordinated by the European Union and that "ideas presented by different sides will be discussed."

Russia's envoy to the talks, Mikhail Ulyanov, also tweeted about the return to negotiations.

"Looks like the #ViennaTalks on restoration of the #JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action) will resume shortly. The delegations plan to come back to Vienna after a break of almost 5 months. The Russian negotiators stand ready for constructive talks in order to finalise the agreement," Ulyanov said on Twitter.

The European Union's lead coordinator for the indirect U.S.-Iranian talks to restore the JCPOA previously said the two sides were close to a deal before talks broke down in March.

Since the unilateral pullout from the deal by the United States under former President Donald Trump, Tehran has gradually broken from compliance with the accord.

Last month, the EU's top diplomat, Josep Borrell, said he had proposed a new draft text to revive the accord under which Iran curbed its nuclear program in return for relief from economic sanctions.

A U.S. State Department spokesperson told RFE/RL's Radio Farda that the United States appreciates Borrell's efforts to bring the talks to a successful conclusion.

We have been prepared to close a deal and immediately begin reimplementation based on the outline on the table since March, the spokesperson said, adding that Borrell's latest proposal is based on the March text.

In order to reach a deal, the spokesperson said Iran will have to drop demands that are "extraneous" to the JCPOA.

"We hope that will be the case, though at this stage our overall expectations remain low," the spokesperson said.

On July 25, Iran said monitoring cameras belonging to the UN's nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, will not be turned back on until an agreement is reached.

U.S. President Joe Biden's administration says it favors a return to the deal, including lifting key sanctions, but has rejected an Iranian demand to reverse the blacklisting of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps as a terrorist organization.

Months of inaction and increased international isolation of Iranian ally Russia since the Kremlin attacked Ukraine in February have lowered hopes for a new deal that slowly emerged after another lull accompanying the election last year of hard-line Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi.

With reporting by Reuters and AFP
NUR-SULTAN -- Kazakh authorities have raised the death toll resulting from January anti-government unrest that rocked the county to 238, adding six more people who died in police custody to the overall tally.

Officials also released a full list of the victims for the first time on August 16.

The updated figure comes as officials continue to investigate the causes of the violence, and its aftermath, as well as the police response.

Thousands were detained during and after the protests, which erupted when a peaceful demonstration in a western district over a fuel-price hike led to nationwide anti-government protests that were violently dispersed by law enforcement and the military.

President Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev blamed the unrest on "20,000 terrorists" from abroad, a claim for which authorities have provided no evidence. Russia briefly sent troops to help protect key government facilities.

In June, prosecutors said the overall death toll stood at 232. Deputy Prosecutor-General Aset Shyndaliev also said at the time that six people had been tortured to death after being arrested for taking part in the January protests.

He also said that an unspecified number of security officers had been arrested in connection with the alleged torture.

Eldos Qilymzhanov, a top official with the Prosecutor-General's Office, said on August 16 that six individuals who were detained during the riots had died as a result of illegal methods of interrogation by law enforcement structures.

The updated overall toll now stands at 238, he said, as the Prosecutor-General's Office for the first time released the names of those killed.

Qilymzhanov also said that 15 law enforcement officers were under investigation.

The Prosecutor-General's Office said earlier that 25 people were officially considered victims of torture, and had been subjected to hot irons used by investigators during interrogations.

Human rights groups say the number of demonstrators killed was much higher than any of the various figures provided by officials. The groups have provided evidence that peaceful demonstrators and people who had nothing to do with the protests were among those slain by law enforcement and military personnel.

The unrest led to the removal of former President Nursultan Nazarbaev and his relatives from Kazakh politics. Some of his relatives have been stripped of their posts, have lost influential positions at companies, or have even been arrested on corruption charges.

Kazakh authorities have rejected calls by Kazakh and global human rights groups for an international probe in the events in January.

With reporting by Kazinform and KazTAG
In the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, active fighting continues on the outskirts of the city as Russian forces try to capture the key area. The city itself is half-empty. RFE/RL correspondent Maryan Kushnir spoke to one of the few residents who refuse to leave despite the fighting.
Manuel Marruenda, the man who turned a garage startup into a multimillion-dollar Mexican tropical drink empire, died of natural causes Sept. 28 in San Diego. He was 81.

Born in Mexico City in 1936, Marruenda is survived by four children, six grandchildren, three great-grandchildren and his business, Fiesta Pacific Products.

If youve had tropical drinks such as horchata, jamaica, or tamarindo in a taco shop, odds are they came from Fiesta Pacifica.

Marruenda introduced those flavors to the San Diego market when he started the company out of his southeast San Diego home in 1980, recalls his sister-in-law and the companys office manager, Laura Escajadillo.

The company started out by selling soda fountains to taco shops. But instead of Pepsi or Sprite, they came with traditional Mexican flavors. Fiesta Pacifics client list is a whos who of San Diego taco shops.

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Its roster includes Lolitas, Robertos, Albertos and Santanas.

As those mom-and-pop taco shops grew into regional chains, Marruendas business grew with them. When Robertos opened a store in Las Vegas, Marruenda began selling tropical drinks throughout Nevada. When another shop, Betos, opened in Utah, Marruenda went with it.

Today, Fiesta Pacific is in 17 states, including Washington, Illinois, Texas, and Iowa. And the company is growing, particularly in non-Hispanic markets.

It used to be only Hispanic people knew what horchata was, said salesman Sean McNaughton. But now its so widespread everybody uses it.

The company prepares drinks in mixable concentrates that restaurants can put into machines.

But lately clients have found interesting uses for the mix.

A chain of doughnut stores uses it to make horchata-flavored coffee and a local distillery, Cutwater, uses it to make horchata vodka, McNaughton said.

Fiesta Pacific makes about $1 million in revenue a month, McNaughton added.

Since Marruendas passing, the companys Otay Mesa headquarters has received flower vases on an almost daily basis.

Employees, many of whom have worked there for decades, remember Marruenda fondly.

It was Marruenda, or El Patron, as his employees called him, who hired David Bernal Salazar 28 years ago.

Salazars first job was to clean the bathrooms. Then he moved on to cleaning offices, then production, working and operating the machines. Today, Salazar prepares the ingredients for each product.

Its a big loss but hes still in our hearts, Salazar said of Marruenda. Hes the one who gave me a chance. I started cleaning bathrooms and never thought Id be where I am now. It seems kind of incredible.

Salazar turned 52 on Oct. 13. But he wasnt celebrating. Thats the same day Marruendas family held a funeral service at the Little Chapel of Roses in Glen Abbey Mortuary in Bonita.

I was going to celebrate but I prefer to spend the day with my boss, he said.

Most employees at Fiesta Pacifica have a story about how Marruenda helped them in one way or another. El Patron had a habit of asking employees about their families and life outside of work. Hed help people fix broken down cars or even tackle bigger projects.

Domingo Hernandez, 30, remembers Marruenda offering money to help Hernandez build his house in Rosarito.

One day he asked me to stop by his house after work, Hernandez said. He gave me an envelope and told me its so I can finish my house. Thats the kind of man he was.

Hernandez, who lives in that house today, declined to say exactly how much money was in the envelope. But the money made a big difference, he said.

Hernandez said Marruenda was special in how much attention he paid his employees.

I think because he started this from nothing he never lost that humility, he said. He knew what it means to fight on.

While Marruenda had a big heart, he had a reputation for being a demanding boss and overseeing every aspect of the business.

He was very strict, Escajadillo said. I remember back in the days before cellphones, he would call each client to see if the salesman went to do their daily visit. He would call the clients and ask if the salesman had stopped by.

Even later in life, after his sons Manny, Paco and Juan began running the day-to-day operations, Marruenda kept his office and asked for monthly financial statements that showed how much they sold and how much money came in.

This was everything to him, McNaughton said.

Contact Gustavo Solis via Email or Twitter
Astronomers from the Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics and elsewhere have analyzed an image taken by the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope of SMACS J0723.3-7327, a massive cluster of galaxies within the southern constellation of Volans.

Galaxy clusters contain thousands of galaxies of all ages, shapes and sizes.

These structures have a mass of about one million billion times the mass of the Sun and form over billions of years as smaller groups of galaxies slowly come together.

Albert Einstein predicted in his theory of general relativity that massive objects will deform the fabric of space itself.

When light passes one of these objects, such as a massive galaxy cluster, its path is changed slightly.

Called gravitational lensing, this effect is only visible in rare cases and only worlds best telescopes can observe the related phenomena.

The magnifying properties of gravitational lensing allow astronomers to study objects that would not be visible otherwise and to directly compare local galaxies with much more remote ones, seen when the Universe was significantly younger.

In the first step towards the road opened by Webb, we used recent data from this brand new telescope to model the lensing effect of the galaxy cluster SMACS J0723.3-7327 (also known as SMACS 0723 or PSZ1 G284.97-23.69) with great accuracy, said Dr. Gabriel Bartosch Caminha, an astronomer at the Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics, the Technical University Munich, and the German Centre for Cosmological Lensing.

In their study, Dr. Bartosch Caminha and colleagues used data from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope and the Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE) instrument on ESOs Very Large Telescope to build a pre-Webb lens model and then refined it with the recently released near-infrared images of SMACS J0723.3-7327.

The Webb imaging is absolutely astounding and beautiful, showing many more multiply lensed background sources, which allowed us to substantially refine our lens mass model, Dr. Bartosch Caminha said.

Before Webb, 19 multiple images of six background sources were known in SMACS J0723.3-7327.

The new Webb data revealed 27 additional multiple images from 10 previously undetcted gravitationally lensed objects.

Many of these new sources do not yet have distance estimates, and we used our mass model to predict how far away these lensed galaxies are most likely to be, the astronomers said.

One of them was found to be probably at the amazing distance of 13 billion years (redshift > 7.5), i.e. its light was emitted during the Universes early stages.

This galaxy is multiply lensed into three images and its luminosity is magnified by a factor of 20 in total.

Our accurate mass model forms the foundation for the exploration of the Webb data, said Dr. Sherry Suyu, an astronomer at the Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics, the Technical University Munich, and the Academia Sinica Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics.

The spectacular Webb images show a great variety of strongly lensed galaxies, which can be studied in detail thanks to our accurate model.

We are very excited about this; we are eagerly awaiting future Webb observations of other strong lensing galaxy clusters.

These will not only allow us to better constrain the mass distributions of galaxy clusters, but also to study high-redshift galaxies.

The teams paper will be published in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics.

_____

G.B. Caminha et al. 2022. First JWST observations of a gravitational lens: Mass model of new multiple images with near-infrared observations of SMACS J0723.3-7327. A&A, in press; arXiv: 2207.07567
A longtime provider of comprehensive in-school mental health services for hundreds of Montana students closed its operations last month, a development that other providers and professionals attribute to broader forces placing stress on the states already fragile mental health infrastructure.

Altacare of Montana, a for-profit provider of Comprehensive School and Community Treatment (CSCT) programs owned by Tennessee-based Acadia Healthcare, announced its intent to close its Butte facility and halt its CSCT services in a May 13 letter to the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services. The letter, shared with Montana Free Press by the Office of Public Instruction, stated Altacares plan to keep staff and resources in place and preserve operational integrity until the end of the 2021-22 school year, and to cease operations no later than June 30. Attempts to contact Altacare and Acadia for comment went unanswered.

While Altacare of Montana will be discontinuing its operations, we are very proud of the work we have accomplished together, Altacare Operations Group Chief Financial Officer Marty Garcia wrote in the letter. During our history, many patients and their families have seen their lives dramatically improved through the hard work of our dedicated staff.

Altacare had been providing CSCT services in Montana for 15 years.

According to OPI spokesperson Autumn Frey, 307 public school students in Montana were receiving CSCT services through Altacare the month prior to the closure. As of January 2022, Frey added, 15 school districts in the state had contracts with Altacare for CSCT services: Arlee, Boulder, Butte, Deer Lodge, Missoulas DeSmet School District, Eureka School District #13, Eureka School District #CO, Kalispells Evergreen and West Valley school districts, Malta, Noxon, Plains, Powell County High School, Seeley Lake and Sheridan.

MTFP is the first to report on the closure, which has been mentioned in recent meetings regarding changes to state education regulations but was not widely publicized.

Altacares departure comes as mental health service providers across the state report increasing difficulty with workforce recruitment and funding challenges related to state-determined Medicaid reimbursement rates, as well as a significant change in the funding structure for CSCT services specifically. Those services, which station teams of mental health professionals in schools to support children diagnosed with serious emotional disturbances, now require districts to provide the state with a cash payment in order to receive Medicaid dollars they can then use to pay third-party CSCT providers. Prior to the change  passed by the Legislature in 2021 and implemented in February  schools were able to cover that match payment using in-kind services such as office space and equipment. The new system also tasks OPI with collecting those payments and submitting them to DPHHS before the latter agency releases Medicaid funds to the schools.

Mary Windecker, executive director of the Montana Behavioral Health Alliance, said Altacare had been clear with others in the industry about its struggles in the new environment. As a result, she wasnt surprised by the companys closure.

Id be surprised if anybody was surprised, Windecker said. We had a change in the [CSCT] model and there was all the confusion when they transferred it to OPI. Its just been a very difficult year for CSCT.

Windecker added that its become a fact of life to see mental health providers cut certain services or even close entirely, which is why her organization and other providers in the field are constantly bobbing and weaving and trying to fill in the gaps.

Thats exactly whats happened in Malta in the wake of Altacares closure. When Fallon Handley, the counselor at Malta Elementary School for the past eight years, first heard the news, she said she began to feel overwhelmed by the prospect of taking on an increased student caseload. She was already seeing 31 students on an individual basis this spring, in addition to her multi-student and classroom counseling duties. Altacares CSCT team was providing one-on-one services to an additional 22 students, Handley said, and she wasnt sure how shed be able to continue offering quality care if the job fell solely to her.

I dont think I could have, said Handley, who worked on Altacares CSCT team in Malta for five years prior to becoming the school counselor. I think I would have been on a road to burnout to try to see that many kids every day, and to provide a quality care service for them would be really difficult.

But the same day the Miles City-based Eastern Montana Community Mental Health Center heard about Altacares departure, it reached out to Handleys district to inquire about continuing CSCT services there. The center already operates 10 CSCT teams in schools throughout eastern Montana, and CEO Brenda Kneeland said her organization desperately wants to keep services operating in its 17-county region. To that end, she said, the center hired Altacare therapist Megan Davis to continue in her CSCT role in Malta.

For Davis, that swift resolution was critical not just for her, but for the students shes served in Malta through Altacare over the past 12 years. One of her central roles was to help students with serious emotional disturbances develop the social and behavioral skills they needed to interact with their peers and successfully navigate the school environment, through one-on-one sessions and regular classroom monitoring. Davis said she was unaware of the closure prior to its announcement, and she briefly contemplated sticking around town to offer outpatient services on her own. The more she thought about the prospect, though, the more she realized that the students shed been serving through the CSCT program were the students least likely to be able to access or afford private treatment  and the ones who are at higher risk for mental health crises and emergencies in the absence of daily in-school services.

Those are the kids that CSCT programs get to help, those kids that need daily check-ins and support so they dont have to go to a higher level of care, Davis said.

Michelle Mitchell chronicled a similar series of events at Evergreen Public Schools near Kalispell, where shes worked as the elementary school counselor for the past eight years and, prior to that, as a fourth-grade teacher for 12 years. Mitchell said her school has had CSCT services for more than a decade, and she was blown away when she heard that Altacare would be halting those services in February, months ahead to the companys actual closure. The district was devastated, she continued, and Mitchells caseload was out of control as she absorbed responsibility for more students with higher-level behavioral health needs.

Im not a therapist, so Im just going to try to keep plugging along and seeing those kiddos, doing those daily check-ins that I need to do, talking with families, just being in the loop so that if something does happen, Im going to be able to help as much as I can, Mitchell said.

According to Mitchell, the nonprofit provider Intermountain ultimately stepped in to help, hiring the former Altacare therapist who was working at Evergreen Elementary and offering once-a-week therapy services for students through the latter half of the spring semester. Retaining that position was an important move for the school, Mitchell said, and one that wasnt financially feasible without Intermountains intervention. But the level of service doesnt come close to the regular, comprehensive support students had under the old CSCT model, she added, and while she hopes to see a return to that level of service, it remains unclear whether that will happen.

It was such a great resource and intervention for these kids, because they didnt have to go anywhere, Mitchell said. They had their daily meeting with the therapist and it just, it was  I loved the model that we had.

The circumstances surrounding Altacares closure underscore a host of ongoing statewide conversations in public health and public education circles. Public health professionals are anxiously awaiting the results of a DPHHS-commissioned study of Medicaid services in Montana that could inform changes to existing provider rates next session. In the public education space, the caseload concerns voiced by Handley and Mitchell speak directly to Montana School Counselor Association Executive Director Renee Schoenings staunch opposition to a recent push by Superintendent Elsie Arntzen to eliminate a state-mandated school counselor ratio. If anything, Schoening told MTFP this week, the loss of Altacare highlights the importance of preserving and enhancing mental health services in public schools.

Without those services, school counselors end up taking responsibility for a lot of those kids because either there isnt a place in the community they can refer them to, or parents arent able to get those kids to therapy, Schoening said.

At Aware, a nonprofit delivering CSCT and other community-based mental health services across the state, CEO Matthew Bugni said his organization is currently evaluating whether it can take on any of the programs left behind by Altacare. The kind of preventative support offered by CSCT and other services is critical, he said, in addressing individual behavioral and mental health issues before they lead to costly and resource-intensive crises. Ultimately, though, the question comes down to funding, and Bugni questioned whether Altacares inability to continue operating is a canary in the coalmine for other mental health services in the state.

Bugni isnt the only one concerned about the broader financial pressures that Altacares closure has brought into sharper focus.

The fact that Altacare was not able to hold on is not surprising, Kneeland said. If we look statewide, you see group homes closing, you see limited access to psychiatric beds for youth and adults. You cant run a program if you cant staff it, and you cant staff it if you cant hire competitively and keep people employed.
L'armee Burkinabee reconnais la mort de civils

L'armee burkinabe a reconnu mercredi la mort de civils lors de frappes aeriennes contre des "groupes terroristes" dans l'est du Burkina Faso, sans en preciser le nombre, des habitants de la region interroges par l'AFP parlant d'une "trentaine" de tues.





"Des actions de ciblage visant des groupes terroristes responsables de plusieurs exactions ont ete effectuees dans plusieurs localites (Djamanga, Djabiga, Mandeni, Bounou, Obiagou, Pognoa-Sankoado) de la region de lEst" lundi, indique l'etat-major de l'armee dans un communique.





"Au cours de ces operations qui ont permis de neutraliser plusieurs dizaines de terroristes, les frappes ont malencontreusement cause des victimes collaterales au sein des populations civiles", ajoute-t-il.





Les victimes, dont le nombre n'a pas ete communique par l'etat-major, "se trouvaient a proximite dun repaire terroriste sur laxe Kompienga-Pognoa" lorsqu'elles "ont malheureusement ete mortellement atteintes par des projectiles", souligne le texte.





Des habitants de la region interroges au telephone par l'AFP depuis Ouagadougou, ont affirme qu' une "trentaine de civils", majoritairement des femmes, ont ete tues lors des frappes de l'armee.





"Elles etaient reunies pour l'inauguration d'un moulin lorsque le drame s'est produit", a explique l'un d'eux sous couvert d'anonymat.





L'etat-major indique qu'une enquete "a immediatement ete ouverte en vue de situer les responsabilites" et presente ses "sinceres condoleances aux familles et aux proches des victimes". Il assure de son "engagement a collaborer pleinement avec les services competents et les populations pour faire toute la lumiere sur cet incident malheureux".





Depuis plusieurs mois, l'armee burkinabe multiple les operations aeriennes contre les groupes armes jihadistes.





Elle a admis avoir accidentellement tue un civil le 11 juin, lors dune "action aerienne" conduite dans la region du Centre-Sud contre un groupe de trafiquants armes. Une enquete avait ete ouverte par le procureur militaire.




Fifty-four faculty members, coaches and other non-management employees at 12 California State University campuses were found to have committed violations of sexual misconduct and discrimination policies in cases resolved between 2017 and 2021, some resulting in firings and resignations, new information released by the university system shows.

The violations included unwanted sexual advances, including requests for sex, unwanted touching and kissing, and discrimination based on gender and race, according to the records. The case summaries were released in the wake of recent controversies over how the 23-campus system, the nations largest four-year public university, has handled sexual harassment complaints and disciplined employees.

The records reveal cases involving 54 employees, six of whom committed two or more offenses. They include 38 people with academic job titles, such as professor or assistant professor, and almost all of them involve complaints by students. Cases from five other CSU campuses will be released later this month. The remaining six campuses had no records of such misconduct, a university official said.

EdSource originally filed a public records request for all case files in May but agreed to receive the summary information after university officials said it could take up to a year to review and redact information identifying victims in the voluminous files.

In at least one case, a professor found to have committed violations of the universitys policies prohibiting sexual and gender harassment and sexual misconduct, resigned from one CSU campus only to later land a teaching job at another. Another professor resigned after San Francisco State University decided to fire him after it found he had an intimate relationship with two students during a time when he had significant academic authority over both. That person now teaches at a university in South Carolina.

For 30 of the employees, the misconduct investigations led to the end of their CSU careers at the campus where the misconduct occurred. Many resigned during the investigations, while others were fired, not reappointed to teaching positions or retired.

Other cases resulted in suspensions for weeks and sometimes semesters, letters of reprimand and counseling for the offending employee, the summaries show. The investigations themselves can take years.

At CSU system headquarters, a spokesman for the Chancellors Office defended the review and disciplinary process.

While the circumstances of each instance outlined in the summaries can vary significantly, after a finding of misconduct or policy violation was substantiated, the respective campuses worked to resolve the issues by taking appropriate action and following necessary procedures, the spokesperson, Michael Uhlenkamp, wrote in a statement Monday.

The new documents did not include any possible court decisions after the CSU actions if the employee filed an appeal.

Faculty and staff are represented by unions and have various additional rights to their employment, including the right to appeal any discipline for review and decision by an outside agency, Uhlenkamp added.

The summaries were released nearly six months after Chancellor Joseph I. Castro resigned in the wake of a revelation that Castro failed to aggressively discipline an underling and personal friend, Frank Lamas, when Castro was president of Fresno State in 2020. Castro agreed to pay Lamas $20,000 in Fresno State funds and write him a letter of recommendation for other jobs in exchange for Lamas resigning after an investigation found he sexually harassed an employee.

Students protested and faculty called for Castros removal when the deal became public. CSU trustees ordered an independent investigation of sexual harassment across the massive system.

Earlier this year, CSU released similar summaries of management employees who committed sexual misconduct, including viewing pornography on university computers and managers who sexually harassed people on their staffs.

The newly released summaries of non-management cases show students were often victims.

A professor at Chico State resigned before he could be disciplined while facing charges of gender harassment of a student and having what was called a prohibited consensual relationship with a student, according to the summaries. The professor, Michael Regan, was then hired to teach in the kinesiology and sociology departments at Cal State East Bay in Hayward where he remains.

A spokesperson for Cal State East Bay said the school was looking into Regans hiring. At Chico State, a spokesman told EdSource by email it could not be immediately determined if the East Bay school requested any information on Regans tenure at Chico.

In an email, Regan told EdSource, I was open about pursuing a consensual relationship and decided to resign at the conclusion of the semester and not to return for my final visiting semester due to policy on conflict of interest on relationships.

In another case, a San Francisco State business professor, Oscar Stewart, engaged in consensual sexual relationships with students when he had significant academic authority over both, according to summary information that was drawn from a misconduct investigation into his actions.

The sustained allegations were not based on formal complaint against (Stewart) but the university investigated after learning of the allegations, the summary states. It does not say how the university learned of the allegations.

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The university officials decided to fire Stewart but then allowed him to resign, the records show. He is now a professor at the College of Charleston in South Carolina.

In an email on Monday, Stewart said that the university released false information about him:

I resigned so as not to deal with a university that never supported me throughout the process of retaliation by a group of conservative students who coordinated to retaliate against my anti-racist pedagogy.

A spokesperson for San Francisco State didnt respond to an email sent late Monday.

An expert in college sexual harassment cases said it is clear that professors should know better than to pursue relationships with their students.

Just having a relationship is a violation of the schools duty of care and a violation of the truth, and the authority a professor has over a student, said Nancy Hogshead-Makar, an attorney and advocate for Champion Women: Advocacy for Girls and Women in Sports.

One out of every 4 women in college have been sexually harassed or assaulted, she said, adding that the CSU complaints show that the victims are willing to speak up.

Hogshead-Makar said it can be difficult to prepare young people, especially women, for what to do when they encounter these incidents. Unfortunately, these incidents can really impact their lives, she said, adding that some choose to change their majors or their professions as a result.

Im just so impressed with this current generation that is speaking out, she said. I just turned 60 in April. In my lifetime, the difference between women stepping out to speak on peer and professional sexual harassment is just night and day.

Thomas Peele is an investigative reporter, Ashley A. Smith covers postsecondary education and Daniel J. Willis is a data journalist at EdSource, where this article first appeared. Email: tpeele@edsource.org, dwillis@edsource.org. Twitter: @thomas_peele, @AshASmithNews, @BayAreaData
UPDATE: S.F. D.A. Brooke Jenkins is officially running to keep her job in November

San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins is pulling back more than 30 plea offers she deemed too lenient for defendants accused of selling fentanyl, marking the most concrete rebuke to date of her offices previous practices under Chesa Boudin.

The Wednesday announcement came as Jenkins laid out a slate of new policies intended to clamp down on a drug epidemic that has decimated the citys Tenderloin neighborhood.

The directives would amend the prosecutors treatment of bail, drug-free school zones and and diversion programming  all potentially boosting the time a defendant remains behind bars.

On my watch, the D.A.s office is going to take these cases seriously, Jenkins said in an interview. We are dealing with a public health crisis with regards to fentanyl, and no longer are we going to be giving a free pass to people who sell (that) drug in San Francisco.

The plea offer withdrawals and new policy guidelines are all but certain to be blasted by public defenders and progressives, many of whom have repeatedly cast Jenkins drug philosophies as retrograde and disproportionately harmful to the poor and people of color.

The district attorneys newly announced policies around drug cases are exactly the type of regressive and carceral practices that have exacerbated the public health crisis of substance abuse, and have only fueled the mass incarceration of impoverished people and disproportionately harmed BIPOC communities for decades, said San Francisco Public Defender Mano Raju in a statement, referring to Black people, Indigenous people and people of color.

Jenkins, who was appointed to the post last month by Mayor London Breed following Boudins recall, has made drug prosecutions the focal point of her new administration  directing prosecutors to review all drug cases with pending but not yet accepted plea offers.

Defense attorneys said at the time they would fight the revocations in court and take their cases to trial.

Under the new policies, defendants arrested with more than 5 grams of drugs on them will no longer be eligible for community courts, and those caught dealing within 1,000 feet of a school could face sentencing enhancements. In some extreme cases, Jenkins said, prosecutors will seek to detain alleged dealers while they await trial.

According to a spokesperson for Jenkins, all of the initial plea offers that are now revoked would have allowed the defendant to plea down a felony drug-dealing charge to a misdemeanor offense. Instead, these defendants will either plead guilty to a new offer  a felony charge  or take the case to trial.

Under Boudins tenure, many defendants prosecuted for drug sales ultimately pleaded guilty to a charge of accessory after the fact  a conviction that is not a deportable offense under federal law.

Boudins office has said that this was in response to a state law that requires prosecutors to consider a persons immigration status when deciding how to resolve cases.

The rationale for the state law is that defendants shouldnt be doubly punished for one crime  a jail sentence plus a deportation to a country where they could face danger of violence or even death.

Jenkins told The Chronicle that her office is still taking immigration status into consideration, and would allow first-time offenders to plead to a felony that carries jail time but spares them from a deportation-eligible conviction.

For repeat offenders, prosecutors may decline to offer a plea designed to protect a defendant from deportation, Jenkins said. Officials on Wednesday said they did not know whether this applied to any of the defendants whose offers were revoked.

Jenkins said that sanctuary city policies like those in San Francisco, which prevent city officials from working with federal immigration agents, are meant to protect law-abiding people.

What its not meant to protect is outright dangerous criminal behavior that people choose to chronically engage in, she said. Were still going to be taking into account offerings that allow people to protect their immigration status, but were not going to be abused.

The office did not immediately provide case numbers or specific details about the individual cases in which plea offers were withdrawn.

In a press statement, Jenkins office said one case involved a defendant arrested carrying more than 100 grams of fentanyl who had previously been referred to a community justice court  a diversion program  five times for separate, open cases. This person was initially offered to plead guilty to a single misdemeanor conviction to settle all six cases, officials said.

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The offices review found that, as of July, there were 156 open drug sale or possession for sale cases that were referred to collaborative courts, and that 57% involved the sale of fentanyl. Of those, 26 defendants had two open cases, nine had three open cases, four had four open cases and one had five open cases, the office said.

Twenty of the cases reviewed included defendants possessing over 100 grams of fentanyl, the office said.

Jenkins new policies will additionally allow prosecutors to seek sentencing enhancements  usually more jail time  for people caught dealing drugs within 1,000 feet of a school. The enhancement could add up to two extra years in prison, Jenkins said, but the length of time would ultimately be decided by a judge.

The office will additionally bring back a policy agreement on drug sale diversion that was created under Boudins immediate predecessor, George Gascon, and former Public Defender Jeff Adachi, who died in 2019.

Under that agreement, people found to be carrying over 5 grams of drugs were not eligible to participate in the Community Justice Center, or CJC, program, which allows defendants to access treatment and services in exchange for a reduced sentence.

Rachel Marshall, who was a communications director and policy adviser under Boudin until she was fired by Jenkins last month alongside other staffers, said the policy changes were deeply troubling, and fail to understand that the point of these programs is to address the root causes that are driving crime.

Jenkins said she will also consider asking judges to hold some defendants in jail as they await trial or another case resolution. This marks another departure from the policies under Boudin, who directed prosecutors only to ask for detentions in cases involving a violent felony.

It us unclear how San Francisco judges will respond to these requests. State law directs courts to consider a defendants ability to pay before setting bail in any amount, allowing for many defendants to be released with the supervision of electronic monitoring or a pretrial case manager.

Judges must find clear and convincing evidence that pretrial jailing is necessary to protect the public or prevent the suspect from skipping town.

Megan Cassidy is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: megan.cassidy@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @meganrcassidy
Upon taking office, President Biden immediately withdrew Donald Trump's ban on U.S. entry of anyone from a group of mostly Muslim countries. But Biden hasn't done much for tens of thousands who applied for visa waivers under former President Trump's program and were denied, and a federal judge in San Francisco says its time to act.

Trumps order, which took effect in December 2017 and was upheld by the Supreme Court in June 2018, purportedly allowed residents of the affected countries to seek admission in order to rejoin close family members or to meet business and professional obligations if they could show that their exclusion was causing undue hardship and their entry was in the national interest. But immigrant advocates say the Trump administration granted fewer than one-third of the requests for visa waivers, and most of those denied entry are still waiting.

On Monday, U.S. District Judge James Donato ordered the Biden administration to meet with representatives of those seeking admission and develop new rules for allowing entry of those whose visa applications were denied under the previous administration.

Plaintiffs in the lawsuit have demonstrated that their visa applications were denied without the opportunity to apply under a properly administered waiver process, Donato wrote. Even if permitted to reapply, they will bear undue transactional costs, financial and otherwise, that they should not be required to bear for a second time.

The ruling was issued in a class-action suit filed in March 2018 by more than a dozen plaintiffs, some living abroad and others in the Bay Area and elsewhere in the U.S. with family members seeking entry. Lawyers for the groups said tens of thousands of people would be affected.

We are thrilled that the court heard the pleas of our plaintiffs and saw through the governments attempts to brush aside the very real harms inflicted by the Muslim ban, which continues even after its rescission, said attorney Shabnam Lotfi, using a common reference to the Trump policy.

The ruling requires the Biden administration to finish what it started and create a real pathway to reuniting the thousands of families who were illegally and cruelly separated, said Chris Godshall-Bennett of Muslim Advocates, who also took part in the case. It should also mean that applicants will not have to pay a new fee when they reapply for a waiver, said another attorney, Eric Evans of the Perkins Coie firm in Palo Alto.

Trump, who vowed as a presidential candidate to halt all Muslim immigration, issued several versions of his travel ban after taking office. The final version barred entry from five predominantly Muslim nations  Iran, Libya, Somalia, Syria and Yemen  as well as North Korea and officials from Venezuela.

In the Supreme Courts 5-4 ruling upholding the ban, Chief Justice John Roberts said Trumps campaign statements had cast some doubt on his objectives. But Roberts noted that the final order said nothing about religion and applied to nations with only 8% of the worlds Muslim population and ruled that it was legal under the presidents authority over immigration and national security. Trump expanded the ban in January 2020 to apply to most travelers from Kyrgyzstan, Myanmar and four African nations, Nigeria, Sudan, Eritrea and Tanzania.

Biden announced an end to the policy on the day he took office in January 2021, saying the exclusions are a stain on our national conscience and are inconsistent with our long history of welcoming people of all faiths and no faith at all.

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But for those who had previously sought visa waivers from the Trump administration, Biden initially allowed only those who had been denied after Jan. 20, 2020, to reapply, according to the suit in Donatos court. The administration lifted that restriction this January but still refused to consider applications from more than 28,000 people who were seeking temporary entry, such as students, visitors and short-term employees, the suit said.

Reapplying for waivers under the current rules will take years and cost the applicants thousands of dollars in fees, travel expenses and costs for required medical exams, the suit said. And Donato said the administration has left in place unduly narrow and restrictive limitations on eligibility for U.S. visas.

He ordered government officials to confer with the plaintiffs organizations on changes to those rules.

Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @BobEgelko
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At an emotional and at times rowdy meeting, the San Francisco school board voted unanimously Tuesday to admonish board member Ann Hsu, publicly condemning her racist statements in a candidate questionnaire about educating marginalized students.

Hsu wrote that unstable family environments and lack of parental encouragement to focus on learning were among the biggest challenges in educating Black and brown students.

She later amended the remarks and has apologized several times, including a statement Tuesday night. Hsu also voted for her own admonishment.

I misspoke while trying to discuss these issues, she said, referring to systemic racism, generational poverty, housing insecurity and other issues facing marginalized students. I am truly sorry. I look forward to getting back to the work I and my colleagues have committed to do.

Prior to the vote, the public meeting escalated into yelling, name calling and accusations of racism among the parents, teachers and community members present. Board President Jenny Lam at one point cleared the building for 15 minutes to restore order, demonstrating the heated emotions connected to the issue.

Stephen Lam/The Chronicle

Lam said she believed the board needed to make a clear statement and denounce the harmful stereotypes, systemic racism and the bias reflected in Hsus words.

Any inability of our students to learn is not the fault of the student, caregivers or community, Lam said. It is our duty and responsibility to provide each and every student the education to be successful academically and in life.

The vote was a stern, firm warning to Hsu, she added.

Board member Mark Sanchez said it wasnt enough to address the hurt and harm caused, and he planned to recommend a vote of no confidence at a future meeting.

The meeting, however, arguably amplified the controversy, drawing vocal supporters of Hsu as well as critics calling for her resignation, who rallied outside the central office prior to the vote and during public comment in the board room.

The debate appeared to exacerbate the ongoing tensions along racial and ethnic lines, particularly between Chinese Americans and the Black and brown communities.

It would seem so obvious to me that what were calling for is the right thing to do, said Rev. Arnold Townsend, vice president of the San Francisco NAACP, who urged Hsu to step down during the rally before the meeting. Our children are not being treated the same, and now theyve made it blatant.

Stephen Lam/The Chronicle

Others vocally supported Hsu, saying she was subject to a cancel culture and that admonishment wont solve the achievement gap.

Its a simple mistake, and we learn from our mistakes, said Toby Lee, a student at Balboa High School. How do we learn if we dont make mistakes?

Board member Kevine Boggess questioned those who said the boards action was political theater.

If you didnt feel hurt by the comments, then you probably dont understand what is happening, he said. This isnt performative. Its about addressing racism and institutional racism.

One parent, who identified herself only as Ellie after the uproar and meeting recess, chastised the board for not focusing on student outcomes.

There is so much work ahead, she said. Stop with the theatrics. Stop with the hypocrisy. I believe Commissioner Hsu has the qualities of a true leader: one who listens, one who learns, one who leads.

Stephen Lam/The Chronicle

Comments in support of Hsu were challenged by others in the crowd who chanted racist, causing rebuttals and outcries from many in the crowd and resulting in the clearing of the room and the recess.

Those supporting Hsu and those calling for her resignation, predominantly Black and brown residents, jostled for more than 20 minutes outside the board meeting room, standing defiantly shoulder to shoulder and at times surging forward before being admitted 10 minutes before the start.

During public comment, some parents tearfully urged Hsu to step down, some saying she should be ashamed of herself.

Im here as a Black mom, said one parent. We do love our babies.

A young student who said his name was Levi stepped up to the microphone to speak against Hsus statement.

I love to learn, he said. I love my ABCs. I love math, he said. Hsu should quit her job.

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The citys teachers union, the San Francisco NAACP, the San Francisco Democratic Party, several supervisors and other organizations have called for her to resign.

Coleman Advocates, a nonprofit which has advocated for the citys Black and brown families for 47 years, also urged her to step down prior to the meeting.

I felt outraged, tagged for being a Latina, said Blanca Catalan, a member of the Parents Making a Change group within the nonprofit organization. She thinks we are unstable and with problems? How does she dare to talk and judge us without knowing? Im a good parent. Im involved in the schools of my three children, and I am committed to their education.

Boggess serves as the senior policy director at Coleman Advocates.

On the other side of the issue, more than 300 people have signed a letter of support for Hsu, saying they do not believe she should resign, including individuals as well as the Chinese American Democratic Club, AsianAmericanVoters.org and the Chinese Parent Advisory Council, among others.

Attorney Christine Linnenbach questioned whether the admonishment violated board policies or violated First Amendment rights, given Hsus comments were made as part of a political campaign for public office and therefore should not face any repercussions.

Stephen Lam/The Chronicle

I might not like what she said, she said, but Ill defend her right to say it.

Mayor London Breed appointed Hsu to the school board, along with two others, following the successful recall vote of three members in February.

Breed has not called for Hsus resignation but has condemned her remarks, saying they perpetuated harmful stereotypes.

Chronicle editors determined that the comment met the publications definition of racist because the remark employed stereotypes of racial or ethnic groups.

The Hsu controversy comes just as the school board vowed to govern more effectively and focus almost exclusively on student needs and outcomes amid low literacy rates and an unmoving achievement gap. The shift follows three years of scandal, massive budget deficits, lawsuits and divisive policies, followed by the successful recall.

Jill Tucker is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jtucker@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @jilltucker
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UPDATE: Firefighters finally gain ground on McKinney Fire as containment grows

For the first time since the McKinney Fire started last week, firefighters reported getting some containment Wednesday  10%.

Cloudy, cooler weather overnight Tuesday prevented the wildfire, burning in the Klamath National Forest off Highway 96, from expanding its perimeter, Cal Fire and U.S. Forest Service officials said.

Thunderstorms also hit the area, bringing heavy rainfall to part of the fire and causing mudslides, including one that blocked a key access road being used by firefighters. The storm dropped as much as 3 inches on the eastern end but almost nothing on the west, said Mike Lindbery, a spokesperson for the U.S. Forest Service.

The sudden drenching will help dampen the parched vegetation in the area, perhaps for the next three or four days, he said. But the skies were expected to clear, and temperatures are expected to rise, creating dangerous conditions that could cause the conflagration to grow in the coming days.

Its looking like theres the potential for critical fire weather, he said.

The McKinney Fire has burned through 57,519 acres and killed four people, two found in a vehicle and two others found in separate residences along Highway 96, according to authorities. Siskiyou County Sheriff Jeremiah LaRue said search and rescue teams are beginning to comb burned areas, but the teams are tasked with searching over 200 structures. Thats a tedious process, he said.

A significant number of residences and other structures were destroyed or damaged, officials said, and they were hoping to start getting an official count on Wednesday.

About 4,576 residences were threatened, a number that authorities warned could grow. More than 5,800 people were under evacuation orders, including on the west side of Yreka, which straddles Interstate 5. Highway 96 remained closed from Scott River Road in Hamburg to State Route 263 junction in Siskiyou County, Caltrans said.

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While weather conditions are changing, for now the fire is hanging along mountain ridges and backing down into lower elevations, Lindbery said. Firefighters took advantage of the reduced fire activity Tuesday night to bulldoze more protective lines between the active blaze and Yreka, Cal Fire said.

Michael Cabanatuan (he/him) is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: mcabanatuan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @ctuan
Californians began paying more attention to their water use as summer arrived, but statewide conservation remains well short of what the governor has requested during the drought.

In June, municipal water consumption dropped 7.6% compared to the same month in 2020, marking a second straight month of savings, according to state data released Tuesday, and parts of the Bay Area did considerably better. The four prior months, however, saw increases in water use, sometimes by double digits.

Gov. Gavin Newsom has asked residents and businesses to voluntarily cut back 15% as many parts of the state grapple with severe water shortages. Since his request in July of last year, the cumulative savings of cities and towns has been just 2.7%.

Its been a year since the governor called for voluntary conservation, said Joaquin Esquivel, chair of the State Water Resources Control Board, Californias water regulator. What is important to see is that (recent) turnaround.

The San Francisco Bay Area generally had the highest level of savings in the state for June, compared to 2020. Rohnert Park was tops for the region, with water use down 24.3% for the month compared to the previous June. Hayward saved 22.5%. San Francisco reduced water use by about 5.7% and residents of the East Bay Municipal Utilities District cut back 12.2%.

California has experienced three extraordinarily dry years, exacerbated by rising temperatures, that have left reservoirs low, groundwater diminished and alternative supplies like desalination pinched.

Summer is a critical time for conservation because its generally a period of high use, meaning theres more opportunity for savings.

A poll conducted last month by the Public Policy Institute of California found that drought and water supply was the top environmental issue for most state residents  above both wildfires and climate change. According to the poll, 68% of adults think the state and local governments are not doing enough to address the issue.

While many local water suppliers have put water restrictions on customers, Newsom has remained opposed to mandatory statewide caps like the ones put in place by his predecessor Jerry Brown during last decades drought.

Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Updated to include drought zones while tracking water shortage status of your area, plus reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts.

The governor has preferred leaving the decision about water rules to local leaders who ostensibly are in a better position to govern supplies.

Newsom, though, has advanced several water-savings measures, including requiring local water retailers to adopt policies to prepare for water shortages of up to 20%, prohibiting the irrigation of office parks and banning several outdoor watering activities, such as washing driveways and filling ornamental fountains.

Agriculture, which is responsible for about 80% of Californias water use, also faces restrictions, often severe, but they generally come through different means. State water regulators have curtailed many of the water rights of farmers, and the giant state and federal water projects have reduced deliveries for irrigation.

We are heading in the right direction, Newsom said in a statement last week after meeting with a handful of urban water suppliers about conservation. But we need local water providers to do more to not only save water, but to help the state manage and increase supply as rain and snowfall become less reliable.

Kurtis Alexander is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: kalexander@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @kurtisalexander
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UPDATE: UC Berkeleys $312 million Peoples Park housing plan halted as court reviews opponents appeal

Several dozen protesters made a last-ditch effort to halt the construction of a controversial student housing development at UC Berkeleys Peoples Park on Wednesday, knocking down security fencing and planting themselves in front of construction vehicles to oppose the project.

Tensions between protesters, police and construction crews ebbed and flowed throughout the day, but they reached a peak shortly after 12:30 p.m. after protesters began tearing down fencing erected around the parks perimeter.

Police, some in riot gear, attempted to clear the park of people Wednesday morning, but protesters had ripped down most of the security fencing, reoccupied the park and halted construction efforts before they began smashing windows and mechanical components on several bulldozers and earthmovers. Multiple vehicles and pieces of equipment had wires clipped, spark plugs removed and unknown materials dumped into gas tanks.

A spokesperson for the university said people were arrested, but further details were not immediately available.

Due to the destruction of construction materials, unlawful protest activity, and violence on the part of some protesters, the university has decided to pause construction work on the Peoples Park housing site, UC Berkeley spokesperson Dan Mogulof said in a statement.

Mogulof also said all construction personnel were withdrawn out of concern for their safety, adding that to avoid further confrontation, law enforcement officers have also now withdrawn from the site.

The campus will, in the days ahead, assess the situation in order to determine how best to proceed with construction of this urgently needed student housing project, Mogulof said.

Read more: The standoff over Peoples Park could be a defining moment for Berkeley

A mellow crowd of more than 200 people gathered at the park in the evening around a stage flanked by tree trunks  all that remained of trees that crews had cut down earlier to prep the site for construction. Musicians strummed tunes and speakers exhorted further action such as a student strike or occupying the remaining redwood tree. Protesters hung banners on the big construction vehicles and sprawled atop the cab of a backhoe.

Construction began just after midnight, several days after an Alameda County Superior Court judge ruled that the university could move forward with its housing plan despite local groups suing to stop it.

Make UC a Good Neighbor, the Peoples Park Historic District Advocacy Group, Berkeley Citizens for a Better Plan and UCs largest union employer had sued the university, challenging its long-range development plan, which calls for building housing for 11,730 students by 2037.

They argued that the plans environmental analysis was inadequate and the university didnt take historic resources, like Peoples Park, into account.

Harvey Smith, from the Peoples Park Historic District Advocacy Group, said they planned to appeal the judges decision Wednesday morning and hoped to get a stay to prevent UC from moving forward with its construction.

Bronte Wittpenn / The Chronicle

Russell Bates, a Berkeley resident, sat in front of a barricade set up at the intersection of Bowditch and Haste streets in an attempt to stop construction trucks from coming through.

Its important that this not be easily done for them. Its been a solace for me, Bates said. They want to get it, but I dont want them to get in. I wont move until Im moved.

Inside the fenced-in park, protesters unveiled a banner reading, Defend Peoples Park, and walked up to the gate to display it in front of officers standing outside.

This park is for the people. It was designed for the people in the community, said Roosevelt Stephens, a supporter of the park. This is our sanctuary.

Police entered the fenced-in area just before 9 a.m. Outside the fence, people on the street attempted to block a construction truck carrying a bulldozer from moving into the area.

Thirty minutes later, crews could be heard cutting down trees inside the park with chainsaws.

Bronte Wittpenn / The Chronicle

The universitys Peoples Park project is a major part of UC Berkeleys plans to help house its students, who struggle to find affordable rentals in the area. Some of the universitys students struggle 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 September, UC Berkeley approved a $312 million plan to build the Peoples Park project, with construction slated to begin this summer. But an appeals court issued an order in July temporarily prohibiting the university from starting construction at the 2.8-acre site.

Opponents argued the university has other property elsewhere in Berkeley and in surrounding cities, like Richmond and Albany, where it could consider building undergraduate student housing. They also argued that Peoples Park should be preserved due to its history and that building on it would destroy its legacy.

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.

Berkeley city officials broadly support the universitys plans for the park. Council Member Rigel Robinson, who represents the district that includes Peoples Park, released a statement Wednesday saying the project would bring desperately needed permanent supportive housing and there is no resource more precious in Berkeley than permanent supportive housing, said Robinson.

Bronte Wittpenn / The Chronicle

Peoples Park has been a powerful symbol of resistance against government oppression, but it has since become a symbol of something else entirely: our failure as a region to respond to the housing crisis, Robinson said. The time has come to turn the page and tackle these challenges head-on.

Construction crews began work just after midnight, closing off the park. Dozens of police officers in riot gear came to block off the area and remained at the park throughout the night.

A handful of homeless residents still remained in the park. Mogulof said the citys homeless response team was at the park to attempt to coax them into city services, but it was unclear whether the people acceded.

The park was previously home to dozens of unhoused residents. About 70 unhoused residents moved to the Rodeway Inn, a motel in Berkeley, as part of a city and university partnership to offer housing to the unhoused residents of Peoples Park. Robinson said several residents at the motel were offered permanent housing.

Bronte Wittpenn / The Chronicle

Lisa Teague, a member of Peoples Park Council, a group that has existed since 1969 to advocate for the park, said she received a text message that the university was towing vehicles around the park late Tuesday.

Peoples Park has a long, controversial history of residents and students opposing housing at the park. In 1969, the land became a battlefield after UC Berkeley tried to build dormitories at the park. Activists fought the university 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.

In recent years, the park became a haven for the homeless.

Peoples Park, to me, is the heart of Berkeley, Teague said.

Chronicle Staff Writer Carolyn Said contributed to this report.

Sarah Ravani (she/her), Jordan Parker (he/him) and Michael Cabanatuan (he/him) are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: sravani@sfchronicle.com, jordan.parker@sfchronicle.com, mcabanatuan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @SarRavani, @jparkerwrites, @ctuan
Bar Agricole opens on Wednesday after two and a half years of closure, and this new, revamped incarnation of the James Beard Award-winning cocktail bar looks very different from the previous one. This time around, said owner Thad Vogler, the bar is intended to be primarily a showcase for a new proprietary line of single-origin spirits, and it may end up feeling more like a third-wave coffee shop or fair-trade chocolate shop than a traditional bar or restaurant.

Just as you might stop at Ritual to buy the coffee beans it sources from artisan growers, then have a cortado on-site while youre there, Vogler wants people to come by, have an old-fashioned made with an organic Grande Champagne Cognac, then buy a bottle to take home. A retail space will open next month next to Bar Agricoles dining room, and Vogler also hopes to build a significant online retail presence.

This is going to be an amazing little bar where you can drink things that are unavailable at any other bar in the world, said Vogler. These Bar Agricole exclusives all come directly from spirits producers who farm responsibly and eschew chemical additions in the distillery  an approach Vogler has long championed. To start, the available bottlings include an Islay single-malt scotch, a 2007 Armagnac and a single-cask bourbon, and there will be a constant trickle of new offerings over time, Vogler said, with 12 to 15 products launching by November.

After more than a decade of opening  and closing  ambitious cocktail bars in San Francisco, Vogler said that this version of Bar Agricole feels more like what Ive always wanted to do. Since the beginning of the pandemic, he closed his bars Nommo, Trou Normand and Obispo, while relocating Bar Agricole from the SoMa spot where it had been since 2010 to its new location at 1540 Mission St. This weeks opening was first reported by Eater SF.

Liz Hafalia/The Chronicle 2018

Courtesy Eric Wolfinger

Vogler, who has spoken openly about the failures of his other businesses, said hes trying to do things differently now. Following accusations by former employees of wage theft and a volatile work environment, reported by The Chronicle last year, he is implementing some radical new management practices at the new venue that he hopes will create a more equitable and pleasant workplace. All decisions are made by consensus among the entire staff, for example, and financial statements will be posted online quarterly, available to the public (the first will go up in October). No employee will earn less than $72,000. Everyone shares duties like dishwashing and taking out the trash, rather than sticking one person with those less desirable tasks.

The goal is to eliminate the sense of hierarchy and autocracy often seen in restaurants, Vogler said. Well see if it works.

The food menu features snacks, small plates, entrees and desserts. Chef Will Napoli remains in charge of the kitchen, and Nick Balla, of Bar Tartine fame, consulted on the menu. Ballas penchant for preserved or fermented ingredients is apparent in dishes like summer melons with house-made vinegar and roast potatoes with miso aioli. For the first month, the dining room will be reservation only, and then Vogler hopes to open bar seating that can accommodate walk-ins.

Courtesy Eric Wolfinger

A 12-item cocktail list displays Voglers longtime ethos of simple recipes that showcase the flavors of single-origin spirits. That includes a single-estate Calvados (apple brandy from Normandy, France) mixed with pineapple and lemon; or a punch made with Rhum Agricole, the Martinique spirit distilled from fresh sugarcane, as opposed to the molasses from which most rum is distilled. (Its also the bars namesake.)

Courtesy Eric Wolfinger

Its so strange how with wine and coffee and chocolate, people want to talk about provenance, Vogler said. But booze is more like clothes  its so branded. His philosophy, which he wrote about in his book By the Smoke and the Smell, is that we should be demanding the same terroir-driven standards for our cocktails.

Food Guide Top 25 Restaurants Where to eat in the Bay Area. Find spots near you, create a dining wishlist, and more.

The closest model for the exclusive spirits line Vogler is creating might be the Scottish tradition of independent bottlers, who buy single casks of whiskey from distilleries, then bottle and sell them under their own label. This means a lot of the spirits will be one-off, limited runs. In the coming months, Vogler said, hell release an amaro from Bordiga, an acclaimed producer in Piedmont, Italy, thats sweetened with alpine honey and has no artificial coloring (a rarity for amaro); a Nebbiolo-based vermouth from Bordiga; a California curacao; and a gin from Alamedas St. George Spirits distilled from biodynamic grapes.

Its a beautiful little bar, Vogler said. I think its going to be very peaceful  a very grown-up place to have a drink and a snack. I dont think theres anything like it.

Bar Agricole. Open by reservation only 5:30-11 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday. 1540 Mission St., San Francisco. 415-341-0101 or baragricole.com

Esther Mobley is The San Francisco Chronicles senior wine critic. Email: emobley@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @Esther_mobley
Up until Wednesday morning, Patrick Combs had not seen Searcy Hughes since the day she was born, June 29, 1988, an occasion noted on the front page of the next mornings Chronicle.

S.F. student delivers baby on sidewalk on his way to work was the headline.

Searcy, Combs called out, as if recognizing her before dashing across Hayes Street to meet Hughes for a long embrace in front of some bewildered tourists looking for the Painted Ladies.

How are you? he asked. Good, she said. How are you?

Combs, 56, flew in from San Diego and Hughes, 34, came from South Dakota just for this extraordinary reunion. They walked arm in arm to 580 Fell St. so Combs could re-enact their prior meeting, the details of which were so astonishing that each of the crucial details earned its own paragraph in the 1988 Chronicle story.

The Chronicle

A funny thing happened to Patrick Combs on his way to work yesterday.

He delivered a baby.

On the sidewalk.

While a crowd of people watched.

Then he fell in love with the little girl he brought into the world, a little girl he worried he would never see again.

Jessica Christian/The Chronicle

That last part turned out to be true on Combs end because he worried about it for 34 years, never knowing the name of the baby he helped deliver.

But Hughes found his name after she tracked down the Chronicle story of her birth and located Combs in San Diego, where he works as a motivational speaker for businesses and executives.

The baby girl, named Crystal by her birth mother, was soon given up for adoption and raised mostly in Virginias Shenandoah Valley.

I vaguely knew that the story of my birth was sort of a big deal, said Hughes, who is a prison guard in Sioux Falls, S.D. So I asked a friend to type the keywords Crystal, baby and born on the street into the Ancestry.com website. The friend got an immediate hit to The Chronicle story, and the mystery was solved.

Suddenly the story I heard my whole life about being born on the street by some random dude, that I didnt even know was true, turned out to be very real, she said. Getting that proof was a huge solidifying moment.

Facebook helped her find him, and that led to a video he had posted, telling the story of her birth. On Thanksgiving of 2019, she sent a Facebook message saying, I keep typing hi Patrick and it just doesnt feel like enough.

Jessica Christian/The Chronicle

Combs saw that first sentence as he was driving in his car and knowing what was coming, he pulled over and broke into tears.

You are the man who caught me when I was born ... I am searching for answers. Combs had been waiting to tell her the story her entire life.

I thought this would be the great mystery of my life that I would never see the answer to. When I realized that she had somehow found me, this huge giant crescendo of a wave rolled through my soul.

Ive waited 31 years hoping for this moment, he messaged her back, two days later. Knowing how emotional it would get, they waited a few weeks before talking on the phone, when she sprung on him her main question: Did he know the name of her birth mother?

He did. Bonnie Bennett. Her subsequent search for her was not as successful. Bennett died just six months after her daughter was born, of a drug overdose in San Francisco, at age 23.

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.

I was deeply wanting to know what happened to that baby who was born on the sidewalk, he said, so when she reached out to me it was just an astonishing miracle that I thought would never happen. It was like an answered prayer.

The prayer played out as he approached his old apartment building and said, OK. Here we go, before he detailed coming out of the building around 7 a.m. and heading down the street toward his job at Levi Strauss & Co. when he saw a woman down on the sidewalk.

Jessica Christian/The Chronicle

She said, Call me an ambulance. Im pregnant, Combs said. He deduced she had crawled up some steps from a light well but made it no farther. Knocking on doors, he finally got into a building to call 911.

By the time he got back to the woman on the sidewalk, you were on your way, he said to Hughes. I told your mother, Dont be afraid, then I moved into position and your mom did the most heroic act.

When the baby landed in his hands, he at first thought she was dead. Then your eyes popped open like the headlights on a Fiat. Then you looked at me and started crying. At which point the medics finally arrived.

I didnt remember what your mother looked like until I saw you, he said to Hughes. Thats how much you look like her.

Reliving that long-ago morning on this morning was overwhelming and Combs and Hughes engaged in a longer and tighter hug than the earlier one.

It definitely hit me super hard, but its not a sad feeling, Hughes said after taking off her shades to wipe her eyes.

Its a feeling that so much awesome humanity happened right here on the sidewalk.

Sam Whiting is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: swhiting@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @SamWhitingSF
The husband of U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi pleaded not guilty Wednesday to misdemeanor driving under the influence charges related to a May crash near Yountville.

Paul Pelosi, 82, did not appear in person at Napa County Superior Court Wednesday. His attorney, Amanda Bevins, entered not guilty pleas on his behalf on charges of driving under the influence of alcohol and a drug causing injury and driving with a .08% blood alcohol level or higher causing injury.

The complaint comes as Speaker Pelosi makes global headlines with a trip to Asia this week, including a controversial visit to Taiwan that heightened tensions with China. The powerful Democrat said the United States will not abandon the self-governing island and will defend democracy around the world.

Paul Pelosi was arrested following a May 28 crash after a DUI test showed he had a blood alcohol content of .082%.

Officers responding to the crash after 10 p.m. near the wine country town of Yountville said they found Pelosi in the drivers seat of a 2021 Porsche Carrera and the other driver standing outside a sport utility vehicle, according to the complaint made public Wednesday.

California Highway Patrol officers reported Pelosi was unsteady on his feet, his speech was slurred, and he had a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage.

Pelosi offered to officers his drivers license along with an 11-99 Foundation card when asked for identification, the complaint says. The 11-99 Foundation supports CHP employees and their families.

Bevins said she believed the reference to a drug in the charge was standard legal language.

Prosecutors filed the case as a misdemeanor because of injuries to the 48-year-old driver of the SUV. They have declined to identify the driver, saying the person has requested privacy.

In an interview with investigators from the district attorneys office, the driver reported pain in his upper right arm, right shoulder and neck the day after the crash. He said he also had headaches.

Pelosi was released on $5,000 bail after his arrest. Speaker Pelosi was in Rhode Island to deliver the commencement address at Brown University at the time. Her office has declined to comment.

If convicted, Paul Pelosi faces up to a minimum of five days in jail and up to five years of probation. He would also be required to complete a drinking driver class and install an ignition interlock device in his vehicle that requires the driver to blow into it to travel, prosecutors said.
Few bands arrived with as much hype and fanfare as Local Natives. The Southern California groups debut album, Gorilla Manor  featuring gorgeous multipart vocal harmonies, shimmering guitars and earnest lyrical pleas for connection  was immediately met with critical acclaim, landing the band on scores of year-end best album lists in 2010.

Along with groups such as Grizzly Bear and Fleet Foxes, Local Natives was celebrated as part of a new cohort of bands that specialized in the art of making indie rock music sound downright beautiful  a somewhat controversial approach for a genre with roots in the unadorned environs of punk.

Now more than a dozen years after its debut, Local Natives has grown from trendsetter to veterans, adapting and thriving in an ever-shifting musical climate. While many of their contemporaries have slid into dormancy or broken up, the members of Local Natives continue to thrive, releasing four albums with equally rewarding and exciting results and earning a loyal fan base.

While the evolution happened over several years, Local Natives guitarist Ryan Hahn said it was only recently he noticed the band has been elevated into elder statesmen status.

Weve been playing some festivals lately, and these new bands will come up to us and tell us how much they love our music and how influential it was to them, said Hahn. Thats been amazing to hear. Although, more than a few told us that they absolutely loved us in junior high. Im not sure I needed to hear that part. Makes me feel old.

Hanh and his bandmates continue their festival circuit Saturday with an appearance at Outside Lands. The group plays at the main venue  the Twin Peaks stage  at 3:40 p.m.

That the band still earns prime billing at a major festival is testament to its almost brazen consistency  a commitment to creating music that stays true to the original foundation of clarity and urgency while also adding unexpected wrinkles to the formula.

Thats evidenced in the latest two singles  Desert Snow and Hourglass  the bands first new music in two years. While Desert Snow starts off sparse and frail, it eventually transitions into a cathartic release of synced harmonies and uplifting guitar crescendos. Similarly, Hourglass has humble, stark beginnings, slowly opening with a hushed whisper from vocalist Taylor Rice before soaring into a comforting cacophony of blended voices and atmospheric sonic underpinnings.

Hourglass in particular showcases the bands trademark sincerity and depth. Written during the height of the COVID-19 outbreak, the song grapples with the struggles of forced isolation and the ever-expanding ideological divide brought on by the pandemic.

That song came about from these very intense disagreements that I was having during that time  either with my family or friends, or just people in our lives, said Hahn, whose band makes its second appearance at Outside Lands after a 2014 appearance. It really made me ask these questions about whether these relationships can be salvaged. It was a difficult time to sit and reflect on what were the most important things in my life.

Along with trying to navigate those fractures in his life, Hahn said he also dealt with bouts of guilt during the pandemic, questioning the inherent privilege in making art at a time when so many people were suffering (and doing so in Los Angeles, which allowed him to easily go outside while millions of others were trapped indoors).

Hahn said he and his bandmates were able to move forward during those troubling times by leaning on each other. Hahn, Rice and multi-instrumentalist Kelcey Ayer went to high school together and they met drummer Matt Frazier in college. Along with bassist Nik Ewing, who joined the group in 2012, the four core members of Local Natives have been together since 2006, a remarkable show of durability in an unforgiving industry.

Hahn said he doubts the band could have survived and endured this long if they werent all best friends with each other.

I mean, these guys were all groomsmen in my wedding last year, said Hahn. Ive toured with bands whose members clearly dont like each other and I just dont know how they do it. I think thats one of the most important dynamics of our band  that we are all still friends. Because of that, I think we still get so excited when we get together to make music.

That devotion seems like a rather simple explanation of the bands enduring longevity. Younger bands at Outside Lands will surely take notice.
Fixes

On the fence at 24th and Mission: A San Francisco case study in hope and despair

Al Saracevic/The Examiner Illegal vendors hawk their wares on Mission Street, just outside the entrance to the 24th Street BART and MUNI, which is now fenced off but still accessible to riders. Al Saracevic/The Examiner Abraham Mohammed, 42, owns the Mi Pueblito market on Mission Street, near the intersection of 24th. He says his customers are intimidated by the open-air market that has sprung up around the BART plazas nearby. Craig Lee/The Examiner People lean against fencing surrounding the 24th Street BART station plaza on Thursday. Al Saracevic/The Examiner Milagros Lopez, 48, has been legally selling jewelry at the southeast corner of 24th and Mission streets for the past eight years. She supports the building of fencing around the plaza for safety reasons. Al Saracevic/The Examiner A crowd of people gather at the northeast corner of Mission and 24th streets, illegally selling merchandise, using drugs and just plain hanging out. Legal vendors complain the area has become unsafe. Al Saracevic/The Examiner A legal vendor on the southwest corner of Mission and 24th streets displays a colorful booth of handmade goods and curios. Al Saracevic/The Examiner A wide assortment of goods, many of them allegedly stolen from drug stores, can be found at the northeast corner of Mission and 24th streets. The proximity to BART trains make it a favorite spot for illegal vendors.

Abraham Mohammed leans up against a delivery truck parked in front of his Mission Street shop with resigned disgust on his face. Visitors to the Mi Pueblito grocery store can barely approach on a sidewalk crammed with vendors and street people. Mohammed emigrated from Yemen 11 years ago to find a better life in San Francisco.

And for a while, he found it. Not so long ago, the corner of 24th and Mission was a community hub for Mohammed and his fellow shopkeepers and neighbors, close to transit and vibrating with city life. Now, the place has devolved into an open-air market that runs on stolen goods, drugs and crime.

We run away from Yemen to try for more safety here, the 42-year-old tells me. But its worse.

Thats a mouthful, considering the situation in the Middle Eastern nation. War. Famine. Strife. And it speaks volumes that todays San Francisco compares in any way.

Its been two weeks since BART built a chain link fence around its station at the Mission District intersection, hoping to calm down a public vending situation that had grown untenable. The plaza that sits atop the stop had become overrun with people selling everything from laundry detergent to underwear to fentanyl.

Simply put, it was an urban mess.

So, did the fences work? Yes and no. The southwest corner of the intersection has become quite civilized, with permitted vendors selling jewelry and knickknacks and handmade curios. Across the way, on the northwest corner, its a free-for-all. People emerging from the BART/Muni stop are met with open drug use and crowded sidewalks packed with people selling what appears to be stolen goods. Soap, shampoo, shoes, socks, power tools, bicycles. You name it, you can find it there for cheap. But you wont find any permits. This is still unfettered commerce, sprinkled with a healthy dose of drugs and violence. Abraham says he has witnessed three stabbings at the site in recent weeks, which is about 100 feet from his storefront. He also says he saw a man with a gun.

The police come in the morning and kick everyone out, said Abraham. Thirty minutes later, everyone comes back. Thats life at 24th and Mission.

Supervisor Hillary Ronen, working with local community group Calle 24, supported the temporary fencing, which is expected to stand for 60 to 90 days. And so did many of the permitted vendors in the area.

Milagros Lopez, a 48-year-old single mother who lives in the neighborhood, has legally sold sterling silver, gold plated and stainless steel jewelry on the southwest corner for the past eight years. She welcomes the fence. Its cut down on the people in the plaza who had made her feel unsafe.

Its wonderful, she told me. But they make it only for three months. They try to stop the illegal vendors. Because many people, you know, they steal items in the stores and they resell it here. All the street vendors that I have here (on the southwest corner of the intersection), most are legal. We are like a small community, and we work together. This fence  its more safe for us for many reasons. Because before that, its a lot of homeless people doing drugs behind me. They did many bad things, and looks very ugly.

Indeed, all you have to do is look across the street and see what her corner used to look like. Shes not happy with the situation over there, and feels for her friends who are the only permitted vendor on the northeast side of the intersection. They sell flowers. Lopez is resentful of the newcomers selling stolen goods.

I paid my taxes. Im legal in this country, she says proudly. I dont need support from this government. If I dont work, I dont eat. I am a single mother. And I love this country. And I appreciate The City. Because they helped me for many years to establish my business.

That process of help is about to change. For years, vendors went through the San Francisco Police Department to obtain permits. Due to a new law, authored by Ronen and passed in April, vendors will now have to petition Public Works for permission to sell on the streets. The law went into effect in June, but the permit process has not been established yet by DPW, so the legal vendors wait. Its expected to be up and running this month, and current vendors have been given a moratorium in the meantime.

I think that what has been great is that we have been able to do education before something has been implemented, said Susana Rojas, executive director of Calle 24. Usually, it just happens and thats it. Im really happy about that. DPW has also been in really strong communication with Calle. I think there will be a protection for those long-standing vendors, those selling jewelry and that sort of thing.

In the meantime, the fence remains. And the wisdom of issuing vending permits through another agency remains to be seen.

We work with the small businesses and the vendors, and we were hearing them loud and clear that they didnt feel safe, said Rojas. They really like the fence. The amount of people on the plaza has reduced. We know its not perfect. We know its not over. But at least we can see people are making a strong effort to make it safe. Make it like it used to be with music and vendors.

Of course, like any situation in San Francisco, there is a dissenting point of view. Local resident Joshua Baltodano feels the fencing is discriminatory, and wrote a scathing editorial in the San Francisco Bay View titled Building the Wall in SF: Ronen and Calle 24 fence off BART plaza vendors, launch exclusionary permit system. In it, he argues the fences alienate and harm our community.

I spoke to Baltodano, and hes coming from a good place. He cares deeply about the neighborhood.

Ultimately, Im just kind of frustrated with the situation, he told me. Im a local here. I was just walking by and I keep seeing that fence. It just kind of pissed me off. It feels like youre an animal. Even when you go to BART, you have to go through an obstacle course. It feels classist; its us against them.

Again, I understand his point of view, and I dont think anyone wants to see fencing surrounding BART plazas. As Rojas told me, she looks forward to a return to the good old days when you could smell food and hear music in the public space. But like many of the blatant quality-of-life issues in San Francisco, this isnt the story of unpermitted vendors. Or discrimination. Or equity. This is a story about drugs. Drug users are crowding 24th and Mission to sell stolen goods and fund their next fix. Thats the bottom line.

Many of them have come from the Tenderloin where a police crackdown is pushing regulars to other neighborhoods. And the proximity to public transit makes it easier for vendors hawking stolen goods to go out on the prowl and return to this newly formed marketplace. They are crowding out and intimidating the long-standing vendors that ply their trade legally in the neighborhood.

Joshua S., a self-described traveling man who recently arrived in San Francisco from New York City, explained the situation in plain English. Speaking on the condition of anonymity to avoid prosecution, he said, The BART system is perfect for this. People just ride around to steal and come back here. The system is set up for it.

He went on to say many vendors are now traveling to the East Bay to pilfer drugstores after Walgreens and CVS stores in San Francisco tightened security. He also couldnt believe how blatant the drug use is in The City. He described a man in a wheelchair asking for help shooting up. Joshua obliged, knowing his way around needles. But when a police car drove by, he started to run. The man in the wheelchair asked him why. They wont do anything.

And thats part of the problem, too. The police seem to be turning a relatively blind eye to the situation at 24th and Mission, giving vendors ample time to understand the permitting process before clearing out the area. They make a pass once or twice a day, according to people I spoke to, but the offenders return quickly. And no one appears to be getting cited or arrested.

SFPD and Ronen did not reply to requests for comment.

Its bad for business. Its bad for us. We pay taxes, said Abraham, the grocer. Police cant do anything about it.

I asked him why. I dont know? he said. Its crazy.
Two anniversaries are in order for San Francisco's cable cars. It's been 149 years since Andrew S. Hallidie successfully tested a car he designed for The City and almost a year since cable cars resumed cascading down San Francisco's steep hills after a 16-month shutdown during the COVID-19 pandemic.

More than mobile icons, these vehicles are the culmination of years-long work where engineers, painters and carpenters join forces to keep these antique vessels humming along city streets.

From their Alaskan cedar ceilings and white oak bodies to the polished bronze bells, each cars component is meticulously made by hand.

None of this can be purchased off a shelf, said Andrew McCarron, the carpenter supervisor of Munis Woods Cable Car division. We do have modern tools now, planers and everything, that make the job a little easier. But the guys have quite a few years of skill and techniques.

Given the varying wear and tear that each car undergoes, car repairs and restorations need to be made periodically or every few days.

Workers follow historic blueprints that have largely gone unchanged since the cable cars inception in 1873. Their last update, which came in the late 1970s, added structural reinforcements to the cars.

Its basically still the same way it was back in (1873), said McCarron.

Before a restoration process begins, each cable car is given an in-depth inspection in which they are checked for safety issues, material quality and loose paneling.

Through the digitization of old photos, crewmates can zoom in on each cars intricate details and replicate them as closely as possible. The desire to stay true to form means that full-blown restorations typically take two to three years to complete.

Crew members involved in their specific cars restoration will, behind the last panel, sign the body and leave hidden Easter eggs, usually pictures of the crew and other trinkets and mementos. Their hope is that other workers will discover these treasures when making future repairs.

This is a product of them and the pride that they take in working on the car, said McCarron.

Cable car construction and restoration starts at Munis Cable Car Carpentry Shop in Dogpatch, on the former site of the old Tubbs Cordage Co. factory. The location also houses the original blueprints for each cable car.

At the shop, cable car beams, panels and slats are formed out of cedar and oak wood, which McCarron says is ordered in big raw form and then carved and whittled into shape.

Finishing touches, such as painting the cars lettering and trimming, are made at the Cable Car Barn, which is housed within the San Francisco Cable Car Museum.

McCarron, a self-described train buff and rail fan, brought his 40 years of carpentry experience to Muni in 2017. Previously he worked for the San Francisco school district, but a lateral transfer fulfilled McCarrons dream of coming here to help out and build cable cars, he said.

For much of his tenure, McCarron has assisted in Munis latest project, the restoration of Powell Street Car 8.

Powell Street Car 8, which was initially built in 1893, had been partially renovated by Muni in 1958. By 2006, the cars deterioration forced it out of service and the age-old car was sent to Dogpatch for rebuilding.

Once rotten wood and rusted metal were removed, only the cars frame remained, but that was soon placed in storage.

Years later, while walking through the Boneyard, a facility that stores retired vehicles, McCarron saw the wooden frame and identified it as Powell Street Car 8.

When Muni needed to replace a cable car years later, McCarron put the restoration of Powell Street Car 8 on the table.

The car was taken out and it was left out in the yard for years, until we were able to get to it back in 2018 and do the full restoration, said McCarron.

Powell Street Car 8 was built from the ground up, with new wheels, slats and other body parts being added. Munis Special Machine Shop forged metal brackets and plates for the vessel.

The cars livery resembles one of the two green and cream designs Muni employed on the Powell cars from 1947 into the early 1960s.

Im proud of the guys and the way the car looks. They did a fabulous job, said McCarron.

Powell Street Car 8 also saw some upgrades, such as the inclusion of a GPS tracking device that allows public transportation apps to log its arrivals and departures.

McCarron said that it is kind of exciting, but also sad to watch cars he has worked on leave the Carpentry Shop and get loaded onto a lowboy trailer heading for the Barn. However, that mixed bag of feelings is replaced with excitement when he sees the cars rumble down the street.

I think thats gold, and I think thats terrific that San Franciscans still support this system, he said.
San Francisco saved Maia Szalavitzs life.

In 1986, when she was a twenty-something injecting cocaine and heroin in New York, a visitor from San Francisco taught her how to clean dirty needles using a bleach solution. Szalavitz credits this simple innovation with protecting her during an AIDS epidemic that killed many drug users.

Despite being a regular reader of two newspapers a day, I had no idea that needle sharing put me at risk for HIV, Szalavitz would later write. At that time, at least half of all intravenous drug users in New York City silently carried the deadly virus.

In San Francisco, cleaning used needles had become an accepted practice thanks to a program known as bleach and teach. The San Franciscan who taught Szalavitz how to sterilize needles had introduced her to the philosophy known as harm reduction. Szalavitz eventually quit drugs and became a journalist who specializes in neuroscience and addiction treatment. Her latest book, Undoing Drugs: The Untold Story of Harm Reduction and the Future of Addiction, traces the history of how we treat  and mistreat  drug users.

Harm reduction, which has deep roots in San Francisco, has come under attack in the midst of a deadly fentanyl and methamphetamine crisis that has killed over 1,500 people since 2020. Senate Bill 57, legislation by state Sen. Scott Wiener that is currently on Gov. Gavin Newsoms desk, would authorize Los Angeles, Oakland and San Francisco to open supervised drug use facilities designed to prevent overdose deaths. Earlier this year, city officials half-heartedly opened an unofficial overdose prevention site at the Tenderloin Center, but it will close by the end of the year.

Such measures, though controversial, have worked elsewhere. Yet critics accuse them of enabling drug use, arguing that addiction  which they depict as a moral failing  must be eradicated through punishment, forced treatment and abstinence. As the myth goes, an addicted person must hit rock bottom in order to gain a moment of clarity that will enable them to quit drugs cold turkey. This clarity is often brought about by a stint behind bars, a shameful consequence of bad choices.

Unfortunately, writes Szalavitz, this goes against what science tells us about treating addiction.

If jail was so effective, we would see poor communities having zero addiction, she said in an interview.

Despite decades of trying to fight drugs through policing, the problem continues to intensify. In contrast, the European countries with the biggest success in reducing drug problems at scale are those that started treating addiction as a health problem instead of a crime.

Szalavitz says the research makes one thing clear: Harm reduction can save lives, reduce public drug use and provide the greatest number of people with the tools needed to survive. Harm reduction, which Szalavitz defines as a form of radical empathy, puts protecting life and health before any other concerns.

The basic idea is that regardless of whether people continue to use illegal drugs or engage in other problematic behaviors, their lives have value, she writes in Undoing Drugs.

Harm reduction encompasses a wide variety of public health protections. Hard hats, seatbelts and sunscreen can all be viewed as harm reduction measures to reduce the severity of construction accidents, car crashes and sun exposure. Condoms are a popular a harm reduction method to counteract unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections.

When it comes to drugs, the approach includes a spectrum of measures: clean syringes and pipes to reduce disease and infection; opioid drug replacements like methadone and buprenorphine; naloxone, a drug that can reverse overdoses; and fentanyl test strips to detect fentanyl contamination in drugs like cocaine.

Despite fierce opposition, these solutions have gained widespread acceptance over time. Szalavitz knows complete abstinence can work for some people, because it worked for her. But she rejects the one-size-fits-all approach that calls for using jail to force people  mostly poor people of color  into abstinence-only recovery.

Show me the data where it shows that jail helps this, said Szalavitz, who noted that drugs are widely available in jail, while treatment programs are scarce. It doesnt exist, because jail makes it worse.

The idea that you can fix this by just doing the same thing that weve done for the last 100 years is just absurd, she added.

To understand what does work, you have to look at how other countries have successfully handled the problem. In Undoing Drugs, Szalavitz details how European countries, including Switzerland, adopted policies that succeeded in shutting down open-air drug scenes and reducing overdose deaths.

Much like the Tenderloin and SOMA today, Platzspitz Park in central Zurich had become a containment zone for heroin use in the 1980s, earning the nickname Needle Park.

Police raids only pushed the drug scene to other locations.

The first time they dealt with it, they cracked down, and it just moved from a park to an abandoned railroad railway station, said Szalavitz. The second time they dealt with it, they began prescribing heroin, and this actually prevented the scene from reconstituting itself somewhere else.

Thats right, prescription heroin. In the 1990s, Switzerland adopted an entirely new four pillar approach to put an end to open-air drug scenes: harm reduction, treatment, prevention and repression (law enforcement). They started providing a safe heroin supply, clean needles and overdose prevention facilities. In addition, they expanded addiction treatment programs to ensure off-ramps for anyone who wished to quit, freeing police to focus on major drug dealers instead of street-level users.

Many predicted this approach would increase crime and overdose deaths, but that didnt happen.

[I]n 1994, Switzerland went on to pass one of the most progressive and controversial drug policies in the world, which included the dispensing of heroin, wrote Taylor Knopf, a reporter with NC Health News who also wrote about Switzerlands efforts in 2019. The nation cut its drug overdose deaths significantly. HIV and Hepatitis C infection rates dropped. And crime rates also dropped.

Drug overdose deaths dropped by 64 percent, wrote Knopf. HIV infections dropped by 84 percent. Home thefts dropped by 98 percent.

Today, Canada is experimenting with the prescription model.

A clinical trial in Vancouver found that providing injectable heroin to patients who had not responded to other forms of treatment helped them reduce their use, stay tied to health care and improve their quality of life, compared with users who were given methadone, wrote Stephanie Nolen of the New York Times on July 26.

Meanwhile, in California, its unclear whether Gov. Newsom will sign SB 57 to allow three cities to open safe consumption sites. Last year, New York City opened a facility thats credited with reversing hundreds of overdoses so far.

If Newsom cared only about data, science and efficacy, he would sign the bill. Its a baby step toward harm reduction that will save lives. But Newsom must also grapple with political realities. While hes busy marketing himself as a future presidential candidate, does he want voters in other states to associate him with this policy? Hes already under attack from harm reduction opponents who know the best way to kill an idea is to make sure it never gets a chance to work.

Of course, the idea has already worked in other places. Thats why a veto also carries risks. As the bodies continue to pile up on the streets where Newsom started his political career, people will start to wonder why California refuses to adopt proven solutions. Gov. Jerry Brown vetoed a similar bill in 2018. The rising death toll testifies to the wisdom of this decision.

If we are going to prevent overdoses and connect people to services and treatment that they badly need to stop using drugs in the first place, we need safe injection sites, said Mayor London Breed, a leading proponent of harm reduction during her time on the Board of Supervisors, in response to Browns veto. If we are going to stop the drug use we see in public every day and get the needles off our streets, we need proven public health solutions.

Republican states have the highest overdose rates, but no one expects Tennessee or West Virginia to lead on public health policy. Tragically, California remains decades behind other countries in addressing the issue. We dont have the housing, treatment programs or jail cells needed to impose the harsh fantasy of total abstinence. Yet our leaders remain too timid to pursue European-style pragmatism, no matter how many lives it saves.

For Szalavitz, the question is simple: If we want to actually have places where people are not shooting up in the street, we need to provide places for them to be.

Her message for leaders like Newsom?

Look at the data  just look at the data on what works, she said. Dont be cowed by these people who dont have any data to support what theyre saying.

Still, she understands that harm reduction supporters face an uphill struggle. Even in San Francisco, a city whose pioneering bleach and teach program helped protect Szalavitz during the AIDS epidemic, some loud voices seem determined to drown out the facts.

There are certainly political forces trying to cause a backlash against harm reduction, she said. The thing is, the data overwhelmingly supports it. By definition, addiction is compulsive drug use that continues despite negative consequences. In other words, the one thing we know doesnt work is punishment.
Vowing to disrupt The Citys open-air drug markets, San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins said she will rescind plea offers made by her predecessor and more aggressively pursue felony charges against alleged dealers.

Jenkins announced Wednesday morning that she would reinstate a narcotics weight threshold that determines when a defendant will face felony charges or be eligible for rehabilitative court.

The threshold  five grams  was used by Boudins predecessors, including George Gascon, but abandoned during Boudins tenure, according to Jenkins.

Under Boudin, that policy led to defendants accused of possessing fentanyl repeatedly being referred to the Community Justice Center  which offers social services in lieu of jail sentences  instead of facing felony charges in Superior Court, according to Jenkins.

We have to be disrupting that business model. We have to be making sure that even though there is demand from those that are addicted, we are cutting off the supply from them, Jenkins told The Examiner.

Jenkins also announced that she may also seek enhanced penalties for drug-related crimes committed within 1,000 feet of a school and, in some cases, will request pretrial detention.

But when asked by The Examiner if this shift is a return to the punitive War on Drugs that many now widely view as a failure, Jenkins said thats not at all whats going on.

We cant have either extremethats basically what weve done for the last twp-and-a-half years is say oh well, were just going to turn a blind eye to it, Jenkins said.

After resigning from her role as a prosecutor and serving as a face of the recall movement that successfully booted Boudin in June, Jenkins was appointed to the position by Mayor London Breed last month. She quickly fired more than a dozen staffers and handpicked her own leadership team.

Jenkins has vowed to be more aggressive than Boudin in prosecuting drug crimes, but maintained that her focus will be on repeat offenders and dealers.

After a review of her offices pending plea deals in drug-related cases that were made under Boudin, Jenkins announced that more than 30 plea offers in misdemeanor cases will be rescinded.

Most prominently, Jenkins office cited a case in which one person had six open cases at once, all related to allegedly dealing fentanyl in the Tenderloin, and was referred to community court more than five times.

Jenkins policies quickly received criticism from San Francisco Public Defender Mano Raju, who described them as regressive.

To use an arbitrary amount of drugs to exclude people from participating in Community Justice Court will prevent meaningful intervention and support for people trying to get out of drug sales and overcome substance abuse, Raju said in a statement.

In justifying her policy changes, Jenkins points to the more than 400 overdose deaths related to fentanyl in San Francisco in 2021.

Boudins office seldom secured convictions for the possession with intent to sell drugs, often allowing defendants to plea to a misdemeanor instead. Under his progressive leadership, Boudin prioritized diversion programs. He also attributed the low rate of felony convictions to the immigration status of defendants, which his office noted it is legally obligated to consider when deciding how to handle a case, since the consequences of deportation are severe.

Her critics, including many attorneys in the San Francisco Public Defenders Office, have warned that San Francisco is slipping back into the same approaches that led to a failed war on drugs.

Enhanced penalties for drug possession in a school zones, for example, are decades old but have come under renewed scrutiny.

In a 2015 report, the Sentencing Project argued that drug-free school zones often lead to stricter penalties for drug crimes that dont involve a school-aged child and dont occur during school hours.

Because protected areas are clustered within urban, high-density population areas, the zones disproportionately affect people of color and economically disadvantaged citizens, the report stated.

No matter how zealous, Jenkins may face constraints due to well-documented the backlog in San Franciscos court system, which has left more than 100 people waiting in jail for a trial longer than the legal deadline.

We can not allow some external factor like that dictate the way that we prosecute. I have a job to do, Jenkins said. I cant make decisions on the appropriateness of a case based on whats going on with the court.
First, Id like to thank my faithful readers for always believing in me. For being there when no one else cared. For supporting this crazy career of mine. And to my parents, who allowed a little kid to dream big, I pledge my sincere gratitude. And, finally, my deepest appreciation goes out to The Academy, which validated a lifelong journey ... to name the greatest movie ever made in San Francisco. ...

Thats right. Its finally happening. In response to my column last month on the S.F. movie scene, which included a poll that allowed you to pick your all-time favorite flick, the readers have spoken. The votes have been cast. The results tallied. The Examiner is prepared to announce the finest film ever produced on our streets. (Sound of envelope tearing.) And the winner is ... Vertigo!

Congratulations, you picked a classic. Alfred Hitchcocks 1958 thriller, starring Jimmy Stewart and Kim Novak, is generally acknowledged as one of the best movies ever made. Its the story of a retired San Francisco detective struggling to overcome a fear of heights developed after witnessing a fellow officer fall to his death. The plot involves a complicated love story that eventually allows Stewarts character, Scottie Ferguson, to overcome his vertigo, but only at the highest cost. The movie was not revered at first, but Hitchcock was eventually recognized for his groundbreaking camera work and direction.

I asked some of San Franciscos top film officials to judge for themselves, and they supported our readers choice but had some thoughts of their own.

Im not surprised. Its gotten a lot of press as the greatest film ever shot in San Francisco, said Jon Rubin, a longtime film commissioner appointed by former Mayor Ed Lee. I would probably go with Bullitt, myself. (Indeed, our readers voted Bullitt No. 2.) Steve McQueen actually lives in San Francisco in the film. Its all shot in San Francisco, even though the chase doesnt make any sense, if you happen to know The City.

I actually watched it recently, and it really captures a very specific time, where the whole hippie thing has yet to happen. It was a very delicate, romantic period in San Francisco. McQueen has a foot in the post-Beatnik era of San Francisco and the obviously other urban, gritty crime situation. It captures San Francisco at a particular time really, really well.

Well said, Mr. Rubin. Lets hear what the executive director of San Franciscos Film Commission has to say.

Im not surprised that they picked Vertigo, said Manijeh Fata, who oversees a small staff with a nearly $500,000 annual budget. Its tied with Mrs. Doubtfire, for me. Im a big Hitchcock fan, and thats a classic. Just a remarkable film that shows San Francisco off in a great way. But its hard to beat Robin Williams.

There you have it. Everyone has an opinion. My personal favorite, Peter Bogdanovichs 1972 comedy Whats Up Doc?, tied with Bullitt, Dirty Harry and The Maltese Falcon as the second-best movie ever made here, according to our poll. It goes to show that we boast a rich and varied film history.

Which brings me to the real purpose of these columns. Beyond picking our favorites of the past, how can we pave the way for the classics of the future? Movie making is a big business that could bring much-needed dollars into our economy. We should be working to attract the worlds top filmmakers to return to San Francisco, using our remarkable canvas to paint their masterpiece.

To get there, we need to work on infrastructure and incentives. And recognize the reward.

To give you some context in terms of economic impact, The Matrix recently paid between $6-7 million in wages to local crew and talent. And they just filmed here for 17 days, said Fata, referring to the popular sequel released in 2020. They were also here for months leading up to filming, and did part of their wrap here. The total spend in San Francisco was over $22 million, which includes hotels, meals, wardrobe, props, camera equipment and more. Its a huge impact on The City when a production of that scale comes to town.

So, how do we get more movies made?

First, we incentivize. Currently, The City has a program that gives filmmakers up to $600,000 if they film between 55-65% of their movies in town. Thats a nice start, but it doesnt compare to the deals offered by places like Vancouver and Atlanta. Fata is working with state officials to improve Californias givebacks to filmmakers, which would benefit San Francisco.

Second, we need to invest in infrastructure. To be specific, San Francisco needs a world-class sound stage. This is usually a large, hangar-type facility where directors can shoot interiors, work on pre- and post-production and basically do the business of moviemaking. That would involve a large area of land, ample parking, electrical access and general quiet. No planes flying overhead.

Absolutely, its imperative, said Fata. We have been working for many years to get a permanent sound stage space. If you want people to shoot more, they need a space to build their sets and other things. People come here to shoot their beauty shots. But we also really need a base here. We need the infrastructure for them to shoot here longer. We need to have that space. Were identifying land right now. Were working with some developers.

Heres an idea: How about the Cow Palace? I asked both Fata and Rubin about that and they were both bullish. The problem lies in the politics, as is usually the case in this town. The property is co-managed by San Francisco and Daly City. Apparently, theres a history of sluggish decision-making and infighting. There are also long-running shows that use the place, such as the rodeo and home improvement. But where theres a will, theres a way, no?

We looked at property in South San Francisco, and all over The City, to see if we could locate the square footage of land and the kind of buildings that were needed and a place that was quiet enough and had enough access, Rubin told me. The problem we kept having, everyone said they could spend X and build Y and the profits were more reliable than some sporadic film facility.

So the key is to make it more than sporadic. Vancouver has succeeded in building the infrastructure that keeps productions coming, month after month. We can do that here.

So, whats ideally needed is space, a facility, quiet and support, in the form of a subsidy or an acquisition by a film-making concern, like a studio, that can carry a facility during fallow times or bring in productions on their own, said Rubin. The reason people go to Vancouver and Atlanta is that theres a tax subsidy thats very beneficial to the production company. And we have tax incentives, and the state has a tax incentive, but you have to jump through a bunch of hoops. The Film Commission is offering a lot of help understanding how you can take advantage of those incentives.

If you want to shoot a film here, the first place you want to go is the Film SF office to understand the incentives, the permitting and how to deal with the police.

Thats the spirit. Lights. Camera. Traction.

Reader poll results And The S.F. Oscar goes to... Following a column on the best movies ever made in San Francisco, and The City's efforts to bring Hollywood back to the Bay Area, Examiner readers voted on their favorite classics filmed here. Here are the top 10 movies you chose (with % of vote received). Vertigo (14.9%)

Maltese Falcon (8.1%)

Bullitt (8.1%)

What's Up Doc? (8.1%)

Dirty Harry (8.1%)

The Last Black Man in San Francisco (5.4%)

The Birds (2.7%)

Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (2.7%)

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2.7%)

Milk (2.7) Note: A large number of respondents (29.7%) wrote in their own favorites, reflecting the massive diversity of choice when it comes to San Francisco classics. Source: Examiner research
A rare outbreak of Legionnaires' disease in the North Bay has resulted in one death and numerous hospitalizations, Napa County health officials said Tuesday.

Since July 11, 12 people in the county have been "sickened and hospitalized" by the deadly form of pneumonia, often linked to a contamination of a warm water supply.

We are deeply saddened by the death of this individual, and our thoughts and condolences go out to the family. We share concern for all impacted by this outbreak, said Napa Countys Public Health Officer Dr. Karen Relucio in a statement.

The location of the outbreak is as yet unclear. The identity of the person who died has also not been released. SFGATE reached out to the county for further details but did not hear back at time of publication.

This is the the first fatality in Napa County from the disease in several years, the county said.

In May, a Legionnaires' outbreak was linked to a luxury Hilton hotel in Waikiki, Hawaii. No deaths were reported in that outbreak.

Legionnaires disease is a type of pneumonia caused by exposure to Legionella bacteria. The disease was named after the first identified outbreak, in 1976 during the American Legion's annual three-day convention at the Bellevue-Stratford Hotel in Philadelphia.

The bacterium can contaminate water tanks, shower heads and hot tubs and is spread by breathing in mist that contains the bacteria. There is no vaccine for Legionaries' disease  cases are usually treated with antibiotics. Flu-like symptoms include coughing, shortness of breath, muscle aches and a high fever.

According to the CDC, one in 10 people who get sick with Legionnaires' die due to high fever and a buildup of fluid in the lungs that can make it hard to breathe.

While there are an estimated 10,000 cases of Legionnaires' disease in the U.S. every year, outbreaks only occur "sporadically" and are investigated to identify the source, which is often a large building's complex water system, says the CDC.
UC Berkeley said Wednesday afternoon that it was pausing construction that started this morning of a student housing project at People's Park due to "the destruction of construction materials, unlawful protest activity, and violence."

Police in riot gear descended on the block-square plot of land just off Telegraph Avenue before sunrise to clear out a small homeless encampment and put fencing around the area. A work crew showed up at the site as soon as the sun came up, bringing in construction equipment and felling trees.

Jungho Kim/Special to SFGATE

"They are currently cutting down trees in the park with chainsaws," said Ramon Mendoza, who is part of a movement to preserve the park. A video posted on Twitter at 9:36 a.m. showed the tree work underway.

KRON posted a video at 9:23 a.m. of protesters blocking construction trucks "to stop them from clearing any trees."

As the day progressed, more protesters descended on the area, pulling down the fence and flooding the park.

Jungho Kim/Special to SFGATE

UC Berkeley said several arrests were made, but couldn't provide detailed information about numbers and charges as of 2 p.m.

The group Defend People's Park said early this morning that several forklifts, large moving vehicles and trucks with fencing were at the park before sunrise.

"They are throwing residents' items away," the group wrote on Twitter.

The university said in a statement that when work began this morning, two or three unhoused people were in the park who had been "previously offered shelter, repeatedly notified that the park was soon to be closed, and informed that overnight camping in the park is not permitted."

"Last night, alternative shelter, transportation, and storage for belongings was offered again to each and every person when the park was closed, an offer that remains available for all who need and want it," the university said.

Jungho Kim/Special to SFGATE

An Alameda County Superior Court judge ruled on Friday that UC Berkeley can start construction on a 16-story building that will house more than 1,100 students.

Activists and student groups stood on the sidelines protesting the park's closure. They have long disputed the university's project and called for keeping the site that's listed on the National Register of Historic Places a public green space.

Jungho Kim/Special to SFGATE

Located in the center of the Bay Area's high-priced and famously tight real estate market, UC Berkeley faces a student housing shortage; according to a 2017 survey, it "has the lowest percentage of beds for its student body of any campus in the UC System." The survey also found that 10% of respondents self-identified as having experienced homelessness at some point while attending UC Berkeley.

In addition to student housing, the Peoples Park housing complex would provide up to 125 apartments offering supportive housing with onsite services for unhoused and low-income residents, as well as open landscaped areas.

Jungho Kim/Special to SFGATE

"More than 60% of the 2.8-acre site will be preserved as open space and revitalized into a renewed park space that reinforces the site's history," the university said. The site will also feature "a memorialization of the parks past and historical significance."

The university's plans also include providing interim housing to individuals living in People's Park, with services to support a transition to permanent housing, a website dedicated to the project says.

This is a developing story and details will be added as they emerge.

Jungho Kim/Special to SFGATE

Jungho Kim/Special to SFGATE

Jungho Kim/Special to SFGATE

Jungho Kim/Special to SFGATE

Jungho Kim/Special to SFGATE
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP)  A ratings agency has withdrawn ratings for two insurance companies and downgraded a third firm in Florida, raising concerns for homeowners who could end up paying more for insurance and further muddying a troubled market.

Demotech, which rates 40 Florida-based insurance companies, withdrew financial-stability ratings Monday for Weston Property & Casualty Insurance Co. and FedNat Insurance Co. and changed United Property & Casualty Insurance Co.s rating from A Exceptional to M Moderate. The changes were first reported by the Insurance Journal.

The moves follow reports last month that Demotech planned to downgrade anywhere from 17 to 27 insurers from an A rating to ratings of either S, for substantial, or M. In response, the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation said the state-created Citizens Property Insurance Corp. would provide reinsurance for companies that Demotech planned to downgrade.

Citizens Property Insurance Corp. was created to provide insurance for property owners who cant find policies through private companies, and it will guarantee that the companies will be able to pay out claims. Otherwise, homeowners with mortgages from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac would have had to seek new policies.

Federal mortgage loan guarantors Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac require borrowers of loans it backs to maintain insurance coverage with A-rated insurers. Borrowers with insurance backed by companies rated below A could find themselves in default of the terms of their home loans. If that were to happen, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac could then order mortgage servicers to get more expensive coverage by acceptable insurers on the home loans they manage.

In a bulletin for insurance agents posted on its website, Citizens said Tuesday that it was ready to assist carriers in the event of a rating downgrade by Demotech."

A spokeswoman for the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation said in an email Wednesday that United Property & Casualty Insurance Co. had qualified to participate in the arrangement with Citizens Property Insurance Corp.

Floridas homeowners insurance market has faced losses over the past several years, and some major carriers have stopped writing homeowners policies in the state. Some industry experts believe legislative reforms enacted over the past two years were not enough to bring the states overall insurance market back to health.
The small, scenic river town of Klamath River in Northern California was left in ashes this week after the almighty McKinney Fire swept through.

For its 200 residents, life and the landscape is forever changed. Photos from the remnants of the community, still under evacuation orders, reveal the devastation.

Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Times via Getty Imag

Its very sad. Its very disheartening, 80-year-old Roger Derry told the Associated Press, Some of our oldest homes, 100-year-old homes, are gone. Its a small community. Good people, good folks, for the most part, live here and in time will rebuild. But its going to take some time now.

The unincorporated community stretches for 11 miles along Highway 96 on the banks of the Klamath River  the second-largest river in California, that runs from Upper Klamath Lake in Oregon some 257 miles to the Pacific coast.

DAVID MCNEW/AFP via Getty Images

Few corners of America can boast the array of wildlife found along the shores of the Klamath. The basin is home to the largest herd of deer in California, alongside black bear, elk, mountain lions and one of the largest concentrations of ducks on the continent. Photojournalists on the scene captured deer among the ruins this week.

DAVID MCNEW/AFP via Getty Images

Once home to several Native American tribes who lived off the bountiful salmon and trout there, during the California Gold Rush white settlers moved in, mined the earth and dammed the river. Several of the structures that date back over a century along Highway 96 were lost in the fire.

The fire has taken four lives, two of which were reportedly found in a burned-out car in the driveway of a home in the Klamath River community.

Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Times via Getty Imag

As of Wednesday morning, what's left of the town of Klamath River is still under an "immediate threat to life" evacuation order. (Find evacuation updates for specific addresses here.) On their return, evacuees will find few structures remaining. The Klamath River Community Hall is gone, as are many of the homes and stores. The post office on Highway 96 is reportedly still standing.

DAVID MCNEW/AFP via Getty Images

The obliteration of small California towns is a now a routine reality, as wildfires exacerbated by climate change frequently sweep through the American West. Last year's Dixie Fire leveled Greenville, the historic Plumas County town. That fire, the largest single wildfire in the state's history, also wiped out the Gold Rush-era settlement of Rich Bar. The Camp Fire destroyed the town of Paradise in Butte County, killing 85 residents and reducing its population by 90%, in 2018.

Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Times via Getty Imag

The McKinney Fire, one of several in the region, is still raging in Siskiyou County just south of the Oregon border. As of Wednesday morning, Cal Fire is reporting 57,000 acres have burned; crews still have no containment. Adding to the devastation, Wednesday morning saw torrential downpours and thunderstorms in the region, slowing the growth of the fire but triggering flooding and mudslides.
MADRID (AP)  Police in Spain are investigating about 50 reported cases of women getting pricked with medical needles while at nightclubs or parties, a trend that previously came to the attention of authorities in other European countries.

So far, Spanish police have not confirmed any cases of sexual assault or robbery related to the mysterious jabs. Police said that 23 of the recently reported needle attacks were in northeast Spain's Catalonia region, which borders France.

Waves of needle pricks at musical events also have confounded authorities in France, Britain, Belgium and the Netherlands. French police have tallied over 400 reports in recent months, and said the motive of the jabs was unclear. In many cases, it also wasn't clear if the victims were injected with a substance.

Spanish police so far have found evidence of drugs in one victim, a 13-year-old girl in the northern city of Gijon who had the party drug ecstasy in her system. Local media reported that the girl was quickly taken to hospital by her parents, who were near her when she felt a prick with something sharp.

In an interview with national public broadcaster TVE that aired Wednesday, Spanish Justice Minister Pilar Llop urged everyone who thinks they received a shot without their consent to go to the police, since being stabbed with a needle is a serious act of violence against women.

Spanish health authorities said they were updating their protocols to improve the ability to detect any substances that were possibly injected into victims. The toxicological screening protocols call for blood or urine tests within 12 hours of a suspected attack, Llop said.

The guidelines advise victims to immediately call emergency services and go to a health center as soon as possible.

In southwest France, a spate of needle attacks were reported during the Bayonne Festival, which about 1.2 million people attended last week in the city near Spain's border.

Bayonne Deputy Prosecutor Caroline Parizel said 124 people received medical examinations after they reported potential needle attacks. They included both women and men. Eleven filed legal complaints.

___

AP writer Sylvie Corbet contributed to this report from Saulieu, France.
Arriving In High Heels announces Top 10 most popular food experiences around the world as per travel app Visited's international users. Visited is a travel app that allows users to check off famous places and experiences, map their travels and get inspired to travel to new destinations. Travel lists are being added on a monthly basis and lists are constantly updated to ensure that any changes in travel destinations are reflected in the top 10 list.

Top 10 culinary experiences around the world are:

1. Crepes in France. Crepes top the list and can be found in France, which is the world's most visited country.

2. Paella in Spain. Paella is a rice dish that travelers can find around Spain, however, Spaniards consider it a Valencia specialty.

3. Parisian Pastries. No visit to Paris is complete without a pastry cafe or shop.

4. Belgium Chocolate. Belgium is considered the capital of chocolate and is one of the leaders in producing fine chocolates, making it the fourth most popular culinary experience.

5. Italian Pasta. Pasta can be found around Italy and each region has its own kind. However, no trip to Italy is complete without experiencing the culinary scene in Tuscany with its famous pasta.

6. Tapas in Madrid. Tapas are a small bite-size snacks that are traditionally served for free with a drink. This tradition dates back to the 13th century.

7. Tzatziki from Greece. Tzatziki is a cold appetizer that is usually used as a side dish or sauce. Based on it being the seventh most popular food experience, no visit to Greece goes without the taste of Tzatziki.

8. Fondue in Switzerland. For those that love cheese, visiting Switzerland is a must. Fondue is melted cheese in which bread or other foods get dipped to create a savory experience.

9. Fish and Chips in Australia. Fish and chips can be found in many if not all Australian pubs and restaurants. It is a perfect meal after a day of surfing.

10. Afternoon Tea in London, United Kingdom. Visitors love afternoon tea time for the post experience, which today can be found around the high-end hotels in London, England.
More than two years after Bar Agricole temporarily closed its doors, owner Thad Vogler is finally ready to debut his celebrated San Francisco bar at its new home in the Mission District.

Bar Agricole, now at 1540 Mission St., opens on Wednesday, Aug. 3, as a tasting room with a drink menu focused on single-origin spirits. A selection of single-origin whiskeys, gins, vermouths and agave spirits, among others, will highlight Bar Agricoles new spirit line thats expected to launch nationally later this year.

We are happy to be a part of the city again, Vogler told SFGATE via email. Its scary but it feels like a privilege not to be taken for granted.

Eric Wolfinger

Tucked inside Bar Agricoles new digs are light-colored wooden booths, wooden floors and a ceiling decorated with wooden panels, with blue light fixtures providing contrast. At the focal point of the tasting room is an aqua-tiled bar where bartenders will work with massive ice blocks for its roster of craft mixed cocktails, from the Agricole rhum punch to the rye gin old-fashioned. The hand-cut ice bar addition inside the venue makes Bar Agricole a rarity in San Francisco.

It will be the only place of its kind, Vogler said. We will serve guests drinks made from spirits and ingredients available nowhere else in the world and simple, delicious things to eat alongside.

Just as before, the bar will host a selection of bar bites and entrees on the food menu, which is run by former Bar Agricole chef Will Napoli and Nick Balla, who hails from Bar Tartine. Flatbreads, grilled chicken and leafy green salads are among some of the food items guests will find on the dinner menu.

Eric Wolfinger

In February 2020, Bar Agricole announced its plans to move to 1540 Mission St. after a 10-year stint at 355 11th St. in the SoMa neighborhood. Vogler initially planned to temporarily close Bar Agricole in April 2020 to relocate and later reopen at the end of the year. But in the aftermath of the pandemic, Bar Agricole announced that it was closing indefinitely in March due to these uncertain times. Then in September 2020, Vogler permanently shuttered his other San Francisco bars Trou Normand, Nommo and Obispo.

At the time of the bar closures, Vogler told the San Francisco Chronicle that operating multiple restaurants in San Francisco was no longer enjoyable and that he hoped to downsize with Bar Agricole so that he could focus on bartending. (SFGATE and the San Francisco Chronicle are both owned by Hearst but operate independently of one another.)

Im not a good restaurateur; Im a bartender, Vogler told the Chronicle in September 2020.

When asked by SFGATE why Bar Agricole endured a lengthy closure, Vogler shared that he didnt want to rush the reopening so that his team could do this right.

We are most excited to be in connection with our people again, to form new relationships and continue old ones, with guests, producers, farmers, distributors, importers and everyone, Vogler said.

Bar Agricole, 1540 Mission St., San Francisco. Open Tuesday through Saturday, 6 p.m.-11 p.m., by reservation only.
Locals don't often go to Hang Ah Tea Room, the oldest dim sum restaurant in America  but they should.

Part of the reason is that its hidden in an obscure alleyway in Chinatown, away from the more familiar streets in the neighborhood. Part of it is that any place that can be called the oldest of its kind is often a tourist trap.

But the restaurant, a legacy business that is more than a century old, has plenty to offer for locals and tourists alike.

Charles Russo/SFGATE

Look for the giant arrow

To find Hang Ah, follow the signage along a small alleyway called Pagoda Place. You wont be able to miss it: Theres a huge sign painted on the side of the first building that lines the corridor, with a giant arrow pointing at the entrance.

The restaurant belies its historic status with its casual, homey atmosphere. Inside the dining room, red vinyl-upholstered chairs and dark wooden tables sit atop cream tiles. There may not be tablecloths, but there is a curated mix of vintage Chinatown and San Francisco memorabilia, with photo collages of Miss Chinatown contestants, and posters for Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan films in the lobby.

Hang Ah Tea Room  the name translates to fragrance in Cantonese  first opened in 1920 as the U.S.s first dim sum parlor. While Nom Wah Tea Parlor in New York City also opened that year, current Hang Ah co-owner Frank Chui, who said he met with Nom Wahs owner, asserted that Nom Wah isnt strictly a dim sum house.

Charles Russo/SFGATE

Ergo, Hang Ah still holds its title. Im happy to accept that answer on behalf of San Francisco.

A familial connection

On a late weekday afternoon, Chui, 49, had plenty to say regarding the restaurants history and present-day operations.

He immigrated to San Francisco from Hong Kong about 35 years ago, attending Mission High School while working a lunch counter gig. That was the extent of his restaurant experience before taking over Hang Ah with college friend Billy Lai in 2014. When the opportunity arose to take over from the previous owners, who had run the place since the 1970s, the stipulation was that Chui and Lai could not change anything.

Charles Russo/SFGATE

Chui had a compelling connection to Hang Ah: He discovered that his distant relatives were owners of the restaurant in the 1950s. Only five families had run Hang Ah since its opening, and it was important to preserve its spirit. Before officially taking over, Chui sat in the restaurant every day for six months, observing what patrons ate and the flow of business. Back then, Hang Ah was only open a few days a week, with one server. Over time, Chui and Lai increased the hours to seven days a week, hired more staff and nearly doubled the menu items from 25 to 40.

Charles Russo Charles Russo Some of the Dim Sum and chili at Hang Ah Tea Room. (Charles Russo/SFGATE) Some of the Dim Sum and chili at Hang Ah Tea Room. (Charles Russo/SFGATE)

Despite the restaurants historical significance, its alleyway location means a lack of foot traffic. Most customers intentionally seek out Hang Ah, rather than stumbling upon it.

During my late afternoon visit, a few large tourist families, indicated by their shorts, steadily filed in and out, as did smaller parties of Chinese American locals.

Charles Russo/SFGATE

The restaurant is also still in pandemic recovery. Chui let go of the majority of his 25-member staff in 2020, though he has since hired some back. It was just him and two kitchen staffers during shelter-in-place, sitting at separate tables with the windows and doors wide open, fulfilling takeout orders.

This is the only dim sum parlor in Chinatown with air flow, he pointed out  something I actually hadnt noticed before.

Hospitality in abundance

I asked Chui to select dumplings he thought Hang Ah does well or differently from other places. He first offered us Hong Kong milk tea, sharing that the restaurant uses different recipes for the hot versus iced versions. He also brought out hot premium tea called Da Hong Pao. It translates to Big Red Coat, and was the same kind of tea Chairman Mao served to President Nixon on his first visit to China.

Charles Russo/SFGATE

Then there were the dumplings. I told Chui it was dealers choice as to what to get, then kept laughing to myself as I heard him ordering more. And more. We didnt get that many dishes. Only 10, said Chui, out of the menu filled with lots of home comfort food. He spoke like a true Chinese host, equating hospitality with an abundance of food. Actually  we ended up with 12 dishes. It was going to be a challenge to tackle all of these, but there are worse jobs out there. All of Hang Ahs dumplings are handmade, and created smaller purposefully so patrons can sample a large variety of items, as is the design of the dim sum experience.

A mixture of expected and interesting dumplings arrived, along with a couple of dishes Chui thought represented Hang Ah well, either in uniqueness or in recipe.

Charles Russo/SFGATE

I knew to expect shrimp-filled har gao to arrive, when Chui then explained that the dough needs to be thin, almost translucent, but also thick enough so the dumplings dont explode in the steamer. Chui also selected shrimp with coriander dumplings for us. The coriander, slightly cooked from being in the steamer, mellowed out in its lemony, peppery herbaceousness, complementing the shrimps sweet flavor.

While steamed char siu bao is another dim sum standard, I didnt know Hang Ahs are from a secret recipe. The smooth, disc-shaped buns take six hours to make and are composed of a secret mix of flours to achieve its consistent texture, one that doesnt get too sticky as it cools down. The ample amount of lean, diced house-made char siu was roasted in a barbecue oven from the mid-20th century; although it requires maintenance, the oven is a point of pride and part of Hang Ahs long history. I wouldnt have appreciated the buns as much if I hadnt known the story behind them.

The wontons were cooked in two ways and were a delight. First, wontons in house-made chili oil. A generous amount of chopped garlic and scallions covered the little globes of pork and shrimp encased in fresh wheat wrappers, coated in the house-made chili oil. What a refreshingly spicy and bold dish compared to Cantonese cuisines usually non-spicy dishes.

Charles Russo

The deep-fried wontons, something that struck me as an appetizer for American-born Chinese (ABCs), tourists or kids, hit the mark with sweet chili sauce. Unlike the thick, bubbly, overly oily fried wonton skins of American Chinese appetizers like crab rangoon, these little wontons had delicately thin, crispy exteriors that shattered with each bite, even after they grew cold.

My personal winner was the XO sauce pan-fried turnip cake, or lo bak goh, with bits of smoky, toothsome lap cheung, flash-sauteed bell peppers and a sprinkling of fresh scallions. Created in Hong Kong during the 1980s, XO sauce is a savory, sweet, spicy and chunky umami bomb that includes dried scallops and shrimp, aged Jinhua ham, soy sauce, aromatics like ginger, rice wine, brown sugar and chiles. Hang Ah makes its own. The dish was a crispy dream come true  turnip cakes cut into cubes so every surface area of the soft cake crisped up, aided by a slight caramelization of the XO sauce.

Charles Russo

We ate a trio of Northern-style dumplings consecutively. With thick, chewy skins, the fillings included chicken with juicy summer corn, pork with chives and a lamb one with a fatty texture and slightly gamey taste made for the standout. Chuis kitchen staff will learn how to make a dish if there is enough customer demand for it, even if its not a Cantonese dish. Hang Ahs vintage sign actually advertises Mandarin cuisine, a holdover from a time when that was seen as a sophisticated offering.

Charles Russo/SFGATE Charles Russo/SFGATE Kitchen staff at Hang Ah Tea Room prepare dim sum. (Charles Russo/SFGATE) Kitchen staff at Hang Ah Tea Room prepare dim sum. (Charles Russo/SFGATE)

Everything was delicious, as evidenced by my empty plate. However, a few items werent my cup of tea, but were still worth trying to see Hang Ahs version, like the xiao long bao. I dont usually order those from Cantonese spots, seeing as how XLB are a Shanghainese and Taiwanese specialty. Due to our flowing conversation, we waited too long to eat the bite-sized dumplings, and the soup had been reabsorbed into the meat and into the skin. Even so, the silky texture of the ground pork with a touch of shaoxing wine still tasted decent, if categorized as a non-XLB dumpling.

Charles Russo/SFGATE

A few other items may be worth trying are ones specific to Hang Ah, or otherwise uncommon at dim sum restaurants. Chui brought us chicken siu mai, and offered to re-steam the dishes since some had gone cold, but I didnt want to impose more. However, my choice yielded a drier chicken meatball that was a bit crumbly, as the lack of fat compared to the typical pork siu mai didnt hold up.

Charles Russo/SFGATE

Curry potstickers were something I hadnt seen before. Hong Kong curry sauce is very mild, liquidy and sweetened with coconut milk thats usually doused over chicken and potatoes, beef brisket or fish balls on a stick. These had the flat side of the exterior perfectly fried, and an interior of ground pork and lots of shredded crunchy cabbage coated in curry sauce, which was more oily than a typical potsticker filling.

Charles Russo/SFGATE

The Purse Dumplings made me curious as to what treasures waited inside. Turns out theyre the Hang Ah version of fun gor (as mentioned in my last column). With the way the dough is pleated at the top, encasing a hefty amount of filling that flares out into a bulge at the bottom, the dumplings looked like purses to Chui and Lai  so they naturally renamed their version. Hang Ahs is a slightly spicy iteration, with the minced pork and pickled radish-laden filling having a chili oil-tinged orange hue.

The soul of Hang Ah

While Hang Ah could easily coast on its historical reputation, Chui tries to balance innovation with keeping the menu consistently comforting. He and Lai offer new menu items every four to six months, with recent experiments being sweet dumplings  one filled with egg custard and another with red bean paste. Customers can buy jars of the house-made chili sauce that has a deep, dark, garlicky, almost smoky flavor.

Charles Russo

Its clear that Chui comprises much of the soul of Hang Ah. He humbly defers to long-time customers to keep the institutions history alive. A customer from the Midwest visited the restaurant because its where his parents had their first date.

Old customers who now live in Truckee or Portland make annual pilgrimages to Hang Ah with their children, buying several orders of char siu bao to store in their freezers for a taste of Hang Ah until their next San Francisco visit.

And this local, at least, will certainly be back.

Hang Ah Tea Room, 1 Pagoda Place, San Francisco. Open daily, 10:30 a.m.-8 p.m.
(Ad) As technology advances, the marketing tools and processes a business uses to reach its target market must also evolve. Today's consumers are spending more and more time in the Metaverse and Web3terms that may still sound like a foreign language to you. To help your business take steps towards the next level of revenues, we're taking a close look at Web3 and Metaverse and what they mean for advertising and sales at your entity.

Web3 and Metaverse Overview

Like most innovations, explaining precisely what these terms mean is a little more complicated than simply giving a dictionary definition. To help you understand what Web3 and the Metaverse are, we look at each technology, its uses, and how business and marketing have changed because of them.

Web3

Currently, most of the internet seen by the public can be described as Web 2.0. Web 1.0 was the old World Wide Web, while Web 2.0 includes social media and an endless stream of user-generated content. Web3, also called Web 3.0, is the third generation of the internet and is focused on decentralization.

In Web 2.0, large, centralized platforms like Facebook and Google allow you to create your own content, but you are limited in where it is stored. Moreover, the general agreement between internet users and service providers is one of exchange: You are essentially trading personal information about yourself for the free use of the platforms, who then monetize your data for advertising purposes.

Web3 is different in that it is hosted on decentralized blockchain networks. This is not only more secure (as there is no single point of failure), but it also means that users have more control over both their content and personal data. This ability to be in control is a driving force behind the popularity of Web3. Internet users want ownership rights over what they create and publish online.

Web3 offers users the ability to own, control, and monetize projects, online material, photography, avatars, digital assets and currency, and online personas. The gaming industry is well ahead of the rest in giving users this type of creation, ownership, and anonymity.

The decentralized technology behind Web3 makes it possible to have a secure internet that is owned and controlled by the users instead of a major tech company monopolizing the web.

Source: Certik

Metaverse

When social media giant Facebook rebranded its enterprise as "Meta," the world had no choice but to notice. Suddenly a more significant mainstream population began discussing the Metaverse, and it became a conversation topic involving how it is currently and projected to impact business, finance, gaming, advertising, and everyday life. But what exactly is the Metaverse, where did it come from, and why should it matter to you?

The Metaverse is an enhanced three-dimensional virtual reality. It is a realistic, digitally created, interactive environment where virtual avatars are used to represent real people. The avatars can interact with each other and the environment. This real-time virtual universe gives those who engage complete control of their avatars and their experience. The metaverse remains active 24 hours a day with or without direction from users.

To oversimplify, you can think of the Metaverse (there are multiple Metaverses, as no one company or network has clear market leadership yet) as an online world where you can create a virtual character. You can then use your virtual character to participate in many of the activities you would in everyday life.

For example, you can attend a business meeting in a virtual conference room sitting at a virtual table, shop for (virtual) name brand sneakers, visit a virtual art gallery and purchase NFT (Non-Fungible Token) art, attend a concert, and more.

At least, these are the things you can do todaythe Metaverse is still in its infancy, and its full capabilities have yet to be unlocked. The term "Metaverse" originally came from science fiction, and perhaps the most famous depiction of a Metaverse-like reality is that which Neo inhabits in the 1999 film, The Matrix.

Source: Pixelplex

How Metaverse Differs From Web3

Because the terminology around the Metaverse and Web3 is still so loose, it can be difficult to pinpoint what these terms mean in popular culture. But they are very different things. While Web3 is a decentralized network that uses blockchain technology, the Metaverse refers to virtual worlds that people can inhabit with avatars.

Marketing Web3

Since it operates on the same Blockchain technology driving Bitcoin, NFTs, and other digital assets, the public is anxious to access Web3. While Blockchain technology is in use every day, consumer use of Web3 for personal gain is still a work in progress. According to Martina Bretous, Web3 is "still very much in its infancy."

All over the world, companies rely on the internet to create brand awareness and market their products and services. However, most of that marketing is done through mobile apps, internet providers, and websites. As the internet evolves, marketing strategies must follow suit. But exactly what does Web3 mean for marketing? It means a greater reliance on the community, increased value given to content creators, and less access to data.

Source: Intuit

Community

Marketing in Web3 means taking a community-based approach. The newest iteration of the internet is all about giving everyday users control and ownership. The power of influence is shifting towards the consumer and away from big platforms. Since users are the driving force behind interaction in Web2, they must become the focus of brands.

The users will now generate advertisements and promotions. In Web3, each user has the power to be a walking advertisement. The key for businesses is redesigning marketing strategies to encourage consumers to promote products on their behalf. To successfully advertise on the internet, businesses will need to build many mini-communities of brand ambassadors.

Content Creators

Currently, with Web 2.0, many brands rely on content creators to market their products. An individual can build a loyal following on TikTok, Instagram, or Pinterest. As they create content, they influence their audience on everything from how to cook bacon to what car to drive.

Many of these creators rely on affiliate marketing to make money. They push products to earn a commission. It's a win-win situation. The creator gets paid, and the company's sales skyrocket. That is not going away. If anything, content creators will have increased influence on their audience.

The major difference will be the increased control of every content creator. In Web2, the platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and Pinterest, are earning most of the revenue from their content. Plus, these platforms have the power to cut off users at any time, for any reason. In Web3, the creators will own their content, increasing their earnings.

Brands will need to secure beneficial relationships with their creators if they expect them to continue to sell their products. Plus, the platforms will not be able to cut the users off.

Data Access

Consumer data is some of the most valuable data being bought and sold in the world. Companies can reach their target market by purchasing alternative data, including information about the websites their potential consumers visit, the product reviews they leave, and which malls they spend their time inWeb3 increases privacy for its users.

Companies will no longer be able to purchase the same data about their customers. Since Web3 gives control to the consumers, each user will be able to determine how much of their data is accessible and how it is used. To reach consumers, companies will need to share their data collection intentions with the consumers and virtually "ask permission" to use data.

Marketing in the Metaverse

The three-dimensional, virtual universe that is the Metaverse (or Metaverses) is already a reality. It is dominating the gaming world and making aggressive moves in the realms of remote work, social relations, and more.

A few innovative brands, like Nike and Vans, have found their place in the Metaverse by offering accessories and creating exclusive events and locations in Metaverse games like Fortnite. According to a recent Forbes article, "brands that are early adopters in realizing the potential of Metaverses are the ones who will see the most return."

The Metaverse has created an opportunity for brands to reach audiences in new and unique ways. Creating a marketing strategy that includes the Metaverse is a must for companies that wish to stay relevant with younger users, including millennials. While ensuring SEO optimization and data analysis is still a top priority, a virtual presence in the Metaverse is becoming equally important.

We've mentioned Metaverses that support games, work, and social interactions. As more applications are developed and more people begin using the Metaverse regularly, brands will have the opportunity to engage fans in more and more places.

For example, some companies host conferences in the Metaverse, which provides opportunities for sponsorship, events, and seminars. Others have brand stores where people can outfit their avatars with branded products. The impact on the consumer often translates to both digital and retail spending. Many of the same companies that turned to Facebook and other social media sites to advertise over the last two decades are now looking to the Metaverse to make the same kind of impact on their customers.

The Future of Web3 and the Metaverse

The future is bright for Web3 and the Metaverse, as the number of users increases daily. When the Metaverse first started appearing in games like Roblox, many large brands were skeptical.

It was natural to have some hesitation about launching expensive marketing campaigns in a virtual universe. But progress has shown us that Web3 and the Metaverse will stick around. Technology continues to advance, and users are pushing for the private, decentralized capabilities of Web3. Brands will shift their marketing budgets to this new virtual world, capturing the attention of millions of new customers.

Marketing Web3 and the Metaverse: Key Takeaways

The Metaverse is a three-dimensional virtual reality that exists in real-time and allows users to interact with each other through avatars.

Web3 is the latest iteration of the internet and is a decentralized network that gives content creators unparalleled control.

Companies will not be able to access the same level of data to drive marketing campaigns in Web3 because Web3 will create a world where users determine what happens to their information.

Advertising and marketing to reach potential consumers will shift to the Metaverse and Web3 by engaging in virtual locations and logos and leveraging influencers and content creators.

How Hearst Bay Area Can Help

At Hearst Bay Area, digital marketing is what we do. New ventures in this space are scaling and looking for marketing partners who:

Have access to 1st party data; Can market to the right consumers who are adopting; and Can build a strategy that aligns with the phase of development of your project.

The experts at Hearst Bay Area are available to share their knowledge about what marketing in the Metaverse and with Web3 will look like for your organization. Talking with a marketing expert is the first step in maximizing your brand's potential in this new digital era.

Contact us now to learn more about three-dimensional marketing to fuel your business's success.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP)  Three Tennessee men have been indicted on federal charges accusing them in the theft of firearms from dealers, authorities said.

Tyler Cunningham, 22, Ryan Dillard, 36, and Corey Summers, 23, also were charged Monday with possession of stolen firearms, while Dillard was charged with being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm, U.S. Attorney Mark H. Wildasin said in a news release.
BOISE, Idaho (AP)  Its likely that virtually all abortions will be banned eventually in deeply conservative Idaho, along with most other Republican-dominated states, but there are still battles to play out in court and maybe the legislature as abortion rights advocates continue to try to resist what could be inevitable.

Wednesday, lawyers for a doctor, a regional Planned Parenthood affiliate and the state government went before the Idaho's state Supreme Court for arguments over whether a series of bans can be enforced this month. Even if the advocates prevail, state lawmakers could adopt new bans.

The legal and political landscape has shifted almost daily since the June 24 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that overturned the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision and allowed states to determine whether abortion should be allowed.

Abortion rights groups had perhaps their biggest victory since the June 24 ruling on Tuesday, when Kansas voters decisively defeated an amendment to the state constitution that would have allowed lawmakers to impose restrictions on abortion  or even a ban. The conservative state was the first in the nation to have a ballot question on abortion since Roe v. Wade was overturned.

And Wednesday, a Michigan judge extended an order that bars county prosecutors from enforcing a 1931 abortion ban in that state until at least Aug. 17.

Bans on abortion at any point in pregnancy are being enforced in eight states and as soon as fetal cardiac activity can be detected  generally around six weeks gestation  in another five. And most or all clinics have stopped offering abortion services in a handful of additional states because of legal uncertainty.

Abortion rights groups, which have spent decades in courts trying to preserve access, are continuing the fight even in places such as Idaho, where theyre unlikely to prevail in the long run.

In several cases, judges have paused enforcement of bans, allowing at least some abortions to continue, at least for a time.

In Kentucky, where enforcement of a ban has stopped and started multiple times since June, enforcement was allowed to resume with a ruling Monday.

And in Louisiana, there were about 610 abortions per month in 2021. With the shifting status, 249 were reported from June 24 through July 29. While thats far fewer than normal in that period, the legal fight did allow some patients access.

Rachel Sussman, vice president of state policy and advocacy for Planned Parenthood, said that the goal is to remove all barriers to abortion access, but that partial victories can help women, too. Whatever access we are able to maintain, we are going to fight for it, she said.

In the Idaho cases, Dr. Caitlin Gustafson and Planned Parenthood Great Northwest, Hawaii, Alaska, Indiana, Kentucky are suing the state over three laws. One that would take effect on Aug. 25 would effectively ban all abortions. Another, which is not yet in place because of a court-issued stay, allows potential relatives of a fetus or embryo to sue medical providers who perform an abortion. A third law expected to take effect on Aug. 19 would ban abortions for pregnancies beyond six weeks of gestation and was not scheduled to be part of Wednesday's hearing.

It quickly became clear that the three laws are intertwined. Justice Robin Brody noted that the laws refer to one another and even have language to make clear which would take precedent if all three were in effect.

Though the six-week abortion ban both contain exceptions for procedures done to save the life of the pregnant person or in cases of rape or incest, the exceptions set a very high bar that experts say will be difficult to meet. For instance, people using the rape or incest exception will have to report the crime to law enforcement and then show that report to the abortion provider  but it often takes weeks or months to obtain a copy of a newly filed police report under Idahos public record laws.

The total abortion ban would allow health care providers to be charged with a crime even if the abortion is the only way to save their patients life  but the health care providers could then try to defend themselves in court with evidence that the procedure was necessary because of an immediate medical emergency.

That language gives no indication of how imminent, or substantial, the risk of death must be in order for a provider to feel confident performing the abortion, said Alan Schoenfeld, the attorney representing the plaintiffs told the justices Wednesday. Suppose a patient with pulmonary hypertension has a 30 to 50% risk of dying  is that enough?

The doctor and abortion rights group argue that the law allowing potential relatives of an embryo or fetus to sue abortion providers wrongly takes enforcement of a state law and puts it in the hands of individuals instead of state entities, a violation of the separation of government powers. The law allows the father, grandparents, siblings, aunts and uncles of a preborn child to each sue an abortion provider for a minimum of $20,000 in damages within four years after the abortion. Rapists cant file a lawsuit under the law, but relatives of rapists could.

In court Wednesday, Monte Neil Stewart, a lawyer representing the Legislature, urged the state's justices to end a stay preventing enforcement of the laws.

Because of that stay, preborn children are being killed in Idaho, contrary to duly enacted and wholly valid statutes, he said.

Deputy Attorney General Megan Larrondo, representing the state, noted that abortion has been a crime since Idaho was a territory. There is no way that the framers, the drafters of the Idaho Constitution, were thinking that they were enshrining something as a fundamental right that was criminally prohibited at the time that they were drafting the document, she said.

But Schoenfeld reminded the court that women werent allowed to vote when the state constitution was drafted, and many things that were considered crimes at the time have since been found to be unconstitutional under the document.

A written opinion is expected in coming weeks  perhaps before the bans are to take effect later this month.

The court is expected to decide in the coming days or weeks whether the abortion bans will go into effect or remain on hold while the lawsuits proceed.

Lawmakers have made it clear that they want a ban in place. And the Idaho GOP during its annual convention last month passed a resolution opposing abortion in all instances  even if it is done to save the life of the mother.

Still, abortion rights advocates have become galvanized in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Courts ruling, including in Idaho.

Abortion rights protests have garnered big crowds in Boise. And the Boise City Council last month passed a resolution that limits the funding for investigating abortions and stating that investigations for the purpose of prosecuting abortion providers will not be prioritized.

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This story has been updated to correct the name of the attorney quoted in the 17th paragraph to Monte Neil Stewart. Stewart is representing the Idaho Legislature with fellow attorney Daniel Bower.

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Mulvihill reported from Cherry Hill, New Jersey. AP writer Sara Cline in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, contributed to this article.

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Follow APs coverage of abortion at https://apnews.com/hub/abortion.
In one of the most astonishing courtroom scenes in recent memory, Infowars host Alex Jones was surprised on the stand Wednesday with the revelation that his own lawyers allegedly mistakenly turned over years worth of his personal text messages to the opposition.

Wednesdays trial marks the winding down of a long, tortuous legal battle between several parents of children who died in the Sandy Hook school shooting and Jones, one of Americas most influential and destructive conspiracy theorists. In 2018, the parents of Noah Pozner and Jesse Lewis, two of the 20 children killed at Sandy Hook Elementary in 2012, filed suit against Jones for defamation. Over the years, Jones has used his platform on Infowars to repeatedly spread lies about the Sandy Hook shooting, including suggesting both children and families were hired actors, claiming the school was not operating during the time of the shooting and referring to the tragedy as a hoax.

In September 2021, Jones lost the trial by default. Although he and his lawyers were given years to turn over documents in discovery  such as emails and cellphone records  they refused to fully comply. As a result, Texas district court Judge Maya Guerra Gamble handed down the rare ruling, deciding that due to Jones noncompliance with court orders, he had lost the case even though it was never tried before a jury.

Now, a Travis County jury is determining how much Jones owes to the plaintiffs; the families are seeking at least $150 million in damages.

This week, Jones attorneys made the potentially ill-advised decision to allow their client to take the stand. Under cross-examination by plaintiffs attorney Mark Bankston, Jones admitted multiple times that sworn statements he gave in deposition and on the stand were in direct conflict with statements he has made on his show, prompting Bankston to ask Jones on Wednesday, Do you know what perjury is?

Then, Bankston shocked the courtroom  and Jones  by producing private text messages from Jones phone.

So you did get my text messages, and you said you didnt, Jones said on the stand. Nice trick.

After letting out a sharp laugh, Bankston replied, Yes, Mr. Jones, indeed. You didnt give this text message to me. You dont know where this came from. Do you know where I got this?

When Jones replied he didnt, Bankston continued, Mr. Jones, did you know that 12 days ago, your attorneys messed up and sent me an entire digital copy of your entire cellphone with every text message youve sent for the past two years? And when informed, did not take any steps to identify it as privileged or protected in any way. As of two days ago, it fell free and clear into my possession, and that is how I know you lied to me when you said that you didnt have text messages about Sandy Hook.

Clearly flummoxed, Jones conceded to Bankston, This is your Perry Mason moment.

Among the texts shared with the jury, Bankston read messages that claimed Infowars sometimes made up to $800,000 a day; Jones previously claimed on the stand that Infowars lost money due to its coverage of Sandy Hook. Jones company, Free Speech Systems, filed for bankruptcy recently, a move plaintiffs attorneys have claimed is a way for Jones to protect his assets before damages are assessed in the trial.

BRIANA SANCHEZ/AP

The release of Jones private messages may have bigger implications for the conspiracy theorist. The date range cited by Bankston could include messages sent before, during and after the Jan. 6 insurrection. Jones was present in Washington, D.C., on the day of the riot and frequently hosted Oath Keepers leader Stewart Rhodes, who is facing charges of seditious conspiracy, as a guest on Infowars.

While the court was on a break, Bankston could be heard talking to his fellow attorneys. You know what nobodys thought about yet? Bankston said. What happens when that phone goes to law enforcement.

Its not clear whether Jones will face additional legal ramifications for his actions at the trial, although plaintiffs attorneys have signaled to the judge they already proved Jones lied repeatedly on the stand. Jones conduct has earned him the disdain of Gamble, who on Tuesday told Jones multiple times that he had to stop rambling on the stand and answer questions directly.

This is not your show, Gamble said. Your beliefs do not make something true. You are under oath.

Jurors also heard wrenching testimony yesterday from Neil Heslin and Scarlett Lewis, parents of 6-year-old Jesse Lewis, who was killed after warning his classmates to run when the shooter stopped to reload. At one point, Scarlett Lewis looked directly at Jones, who was sitting with his attorneys, and said, I am a mother first and foremost and I know you are a father. My son existed. I am not deep state ... I know you know that ... and yet youre going to leave this courthouse and say it again on your show.

BRIANA SANCHEZ /AP

Lewis and Heslin testified they have experienced fear for their lives after being targeted by Infowars broadcasts.

I cant even describe the last nine and a half years, the living hell that I and others have had to endure because of the recklessness and negligence of Alex Jones, Heslin said.

Both parents expressed that an apology from Jones was not sufficient given the damage he has done.

Alex started this fight, Heslin testified, and Ill finish this fight.

The jury is currently deliberating. The plaintiffs' attorneys told the media that they have already been contacted by several law enforcement agencies and intend to hand over Jones' phone records unless Gamble bars them from doing so.
CANBERRA, Australia (AP)  The Australian government said Wednesday it is confident its greenhouse gas reduction target will be enshrined in law after negotiating amendments with senators from outside the new administrations ranks.

A bill to enshrine the center-left Labor Partys election pledge to reduce Australias greenhouse gas emissions by 43% below 2005 levels by 2030 was the first piece of legislation introduced to the Parliament when it sat last week for the first time since the May 21 elections.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said his government had negotiated sufficient support for the bill to pass the Senate without changing the 43% commitment.

I am very confident that it will be passed through the House of Representatives and through the Senate, Albanese told reporters.

All 12 senators of the minor Greens party, which wants a 75% emissions reduction by the end of the decade, had agreed to support the amended bill, Greens leader Adam Bandt said.

The Greens have improved a weak climate bill and we will pass it," Bandt told the National Press Club.

"But the fight to stop Labors new coal and gas mines continues and, in this Parliament, the only obstacle to stronger climate action is Labor, Bandt added.

With the Greens backing, the bill only needs the support of one of the six remaining unaligned senators to achieve a majority in the 76-seat chamber.

Albanese did not say which senator or senators had promised support or what his government had conceded. But he said senators outside government did not get a whole lot of things that they want.

We made our position very clear. There will be some amendments passed in the House of Representatives that are sensible, that are consistent with our position, Albanese said.

Labor has a narrow majority in the House of Representatives.

Climate Change Minister Chris Bowen said a legally enforced target would instill confidence in business to invest in clean energy.

Its now very clear that our legislation will pass the Parliament, Bowen said.

The conservative coalition that ruled for nine years until the election wont budge from its 2015 Paris commitment to reduce emissions by between 26% and 28%.

When Labor was last in power between 2007 and 2013, its climate plans were rejected as too ambitious by the conservatives and not ambitious enough by the Greens.

Environmentalists criticized the Greens for rejecting a Labor bill in 2009 that would have made polluters pay for their greenhouse gas emissions through an emissions trading scheme because the Greens wanted deeper reductions.

Labor and the Greens agreed on legislation that imposed a carbon tax on 350 of Australias biggest polluters from 2012, but a conservative government removed the tax two years later.
BOSTON (AP)  Transit officials are taking what they are describing as the "unprecedented" step of shuttering one of Boston's four major subway lines for 30 days to allow for track and signal work  the latest in a string of frustrating developments for Boston-area commuters who have suffered through fires, stalled trains and subway slowdowns.

The Orange Line shutdown will begin Aug. 19 at 9 p.m. with service resuming at 5 a.m. Sept. 19. The announcement comes as the Federal Transit Administration has stepped up oversight of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority.

Gov. Charlie Baker said Wednesday that the work will result in long-term benefits on a much shorter time frame for riders.

These 30 days will also provide the T with the opportunity to accomplish a large amount of work that will result in substantially improved service for riders, fewer delays and faster Orange Line trips," he said. At the end of those 30 days, we also anticipate that the entire Orange Line will be a fleet made up primarily of new cars.

The Orange Line provides riders with access to popular tourist destinations in the city including Faneuil Hall Marketplace, the birthplace of Benjamin Franklin, the Paul Revere House, the Old North Church, the Old State House and the site of the Boston Massacre.

MBTA General Manager Steve Poftak called the decision to shut down an entire subway line for a month unprecedented but said it will give workers access to the tracks 24/7, rather than trying to squeeze repairs in during overnight hours and weekend shutdowns.

He said improvements  including work replacing 3,500 feet of 38-year-old Orange Line tracks that could take five years to finish using overnight and weekend hours  will be accomplished during the 30 days.

When completed, Poftak said the repairs will let the MBTA lift some current speed restrictions, allowing for quicker trips.

We acknowledge that this will be disruptive, Poftak said at an afternoon press conference, adding that riders will benefit from safer and improved service when the Orange Line reopens.

During the shutdown, the T will be providing shuttle buses between stations. Poftak also urged riders to consider alternative bus, subway and commuter rail routes.

We've taken the time to listen to riders, sympathize with their frustrations, and we've heard them loud and clear that they want bold action to improve the MBTA at the pace they deserve, he said.

Many of the actions being taken to improve the transit system have been spurred on by the federal oversight, he said.

The decision comes just weeks after flames and smoke were spotted coming from an inbound Orange Line train as it was crossing the Mystic River just north of Boston, prompting some riders to flee through windows with one passenger jumping into the river.

There were about 100,000 daily trips on the Orange Line in 2021.
LOS ANGELES (AP)  The charred body of an 81-year-old woman was found at her Los Angeles home and police said that the house had been ransacked.

A relative found Ok Ja Kim unresponsive Tuesday evening in the bedroom of the house in the Woodland Hills neighborhood and called 911, the Los Angeles Police Department said in a statement.
VERNON  A Connecticut State Police trooper accused of hitting a woman in the face has been charged again, this time in connection with past assaults and threats, police said.

Jaime Solis, 29, turned himself in to the Vernon Police Department on Wednesday after learning there was a warrant for his arrest. He was charged additionally with two counts of disorderly conduct, two counts of third-degree assault, two counts of second-degree threatening and risk of injury to a minor, police said in a news release.

Solis was released on $50,000 bond. He is scheduled to appear in state Superior Court in the Rockville section of Vernon on Thursday.

Police previously charged Solis on Monday with second-degree assault, disorderly conduct and risk of injury to a minor.

After the first charges, state police suspended Solis police powers and placed him on administrative duty until criminal and internal affairs investigations conclude. State police said on Wednesday that Solis powers remain suspended and he will stay on administrative duties pending the active investigations.

The new charges stem from incidents of past assaults and threats. The woman estimated Solis assaulted her at least 40 times in the past year, including shoving her, punching her in the stomach and hitting her with a belt. She provided video and photographic evidence to police as well, according to Solis arrest warrant Wednesday.

Police first arrested Solis on Monday after a domestic violence assault that evening. Police allege Solis hit a woman in the face while she was holding a baby, causing a severe laceration above her left eye that will likely require stitches.

Police later said the woman received 13 stitches at the hospital to close the wound.

The woman went to police Tuesday evening to report past domestic violence incidents. She told police that Solis has physically assaulted her dozens of times.

Many of the incidents occurred when I attempted to stick up for myself, which started verbal arguments, she told police, according to the warrant. The verbal arguments would then escalate and Jaime [Solis] would often punch, slap, or strike me with objects including his belt.

Jaime also has threatened to kill me and assault me numerous times in the past, she said, according to the warrant.

In an incident from June 2022, Solis and the woman were arguing about money. When Solis became angry, the woman started to discreetly record on her cellphone in her back pocket. In the video, the woman said she can be heard screaming just after Solis shoved her backward, according to the warrant.

Meanwhile, a child was crawling on the floor. The woman told police that, when Solis shoved her, she stumbled backward and accidentally stepped on the childs fingers, the warrant said.

Solis then slapped her in the face, punched her in the stomach and continued to slap, shove and punch her numerous times, according to the warrant.

When police watched the video, they said they couldnt see anything, but the sounds matched up with the womans recount. Police said in the warrant that they could also hear a child crying in the background.

The woman also recalled an incident that took place around Christmas 2020. When she tried to stick up for herself, Solis started to verbally disrespect her and pushed her backward into a washing machine, the warrant said.

When the woman tried to stand up, Solis allegedly backhanded the woman in the face, striking her near her left eye. The strike caused an open wound that bled out. Solis later went to the store to buy butterfly bandages to close the wound, according to the warrant.

The woman told police she still has a scar from the injury, the warrant said.

In another incident, the two were in an argument and hit her with a belt, brushing her arms, back, buttocks and leg. The woman also detailed how Solis has threatened, both verbally and through text, to beat her.

The Vernon Police Department is continuing to investigate Solis. Anyone with information is asked to call the police department at 860-872-9126.
The educational campus serving East St. Louis for more than 20 years is being renamed in tribute to one of the areas longest-serving advocates.

The East St. Louis Higher Education Campus (ESLHEC) will now be known as the Wyvetter H. Younge Higher Education Campus in honor of the East St. Louis native and longtime state representative who, for years, worked to better the lives of the people of St. Clair County.

The ESLHEC first opened in January 1999, on the former campus of Metropolitan Community College. The campus is owned by the Illinois Community College Board (ICCB) and co-managed by ICCB and Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE).

On April 23, 2021, the Illinois House of Representatives adopted House Resolution 50 (HR 50), sponsored by Representative Greenwood, asking the General Assembly to change the name of the East St. Louis Higher Education Campus to the Wyvetter H. Younge Higher Education Campus.

I filed HR 50 to honor and recognize the Honorable Wyvetter Younge and the impact that she made on the community of East St. Louis, said State Representative LaToya Greenwood. It was because of her advocacy that we have the Higher Education Campus in East St. Louis and I felt it was overdue that the campus be named in her honor.

I had the privilege of working with Wyvetter for a number of years, and I have met few people who cared so deeply for the residents they served, State Representative Jay Hoffman said. Her passion and dedication to the people she represented was unmatched, and I think its wonderful that this campus is being renamed in honor of her. Connecting her name with an institution that creates opportunity for people in her community is a perfect way to remember her."

The renaming of the East St Louis Higher Education Campus to the Wyvetter H. Younge Higher Education Campus, is a befitting way to pay homage and reverence to a woman who gave her all to uplift the citizens and institutions of her beloved city of East St. Louis, said State Senator Christopher Belt.

Younge was one of the longest serving state representatives, first elected in 1975, spending the bulk of her career working on issues for vulnerable populations, including substance abuse prevention, services for the homeless, and economic development in East St. Louis until her death in 2008.

The East St. Louis Higher Education Campus was important to my mother. She considered it a great asset for the community. Our family is honored to have the campus bear her name, said Margaret Hewitt, daughter of the late Representative Younge. "Since 1999, through community college partnerships, the ICCBs East St. Louis Community College Center (ESLCC) has provided East St. Louis area residents with access to college course offerings, workforce training, and adult education.

A variety of programs including the Workforce Equity Program, Adult Education Program, Highway Construction Careers and Trades Program, and Welding and HVAC programs are offered at the ESLCC.

The ICCB is committed to enhancing the programs offered through ESLCC and has plans to expand course offering in areas such as health care programs, computer programming as well as dual credit opportunities. The community college services provided are essential in meeting the needs of the students as well as the local and regional workforce

Connecting this campus to Wyvetter Younges name and her legacy in the metro-east and East St. Louis makes perfect sense. She spent a lifetime trying to improve peoples lives, which is the mission of this higher education campusto better peoples lives through education, said ICCB Executive Director Brian Durham.

Located on the Wyvetter H. Younge Higher Education Campus, SIUEs East St. Louis Center (ESLC) provides dynamic programming for all ages, fostering personal development, increasing access to educational opportunities and making social mobility possible for entire families. The ESLC offers a variety of services that contribute to the health and vitality of the historic and resilient community through healthcare clinics, workforce development programming, and more.

SIUE realizes human potential, amplifies access to education for all individuals with a focus on equity, and makes outsized contributions to not only the region, but also the state and nation, said SIUE Chancellor James T. Minor, PhD. The SIUE East St. Louis Center is a critical contributor to that promise and purpose.

Our service to the historic and resilient community of East St. Louis and surrounding communities is important. We are honored to provide educational programming at the Wyvetter H. Younge Higher Education Campus. Our East St. Louis Center educational programs and community outreach initiatives align with the late representatives action-oriented mission to better peoples lives, and we are proud to honor her legacy in this way.

In the coming months, signs throughout the campus will be formally changed to reflect the new name, and a new digital message board will be added.
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP)  Former Oregon gubernatorial candidate Nick Kristof said Monday he is getting back into journalism.

The longtime New York Times columnist left his job last year to try a run at the states highest elected office. But with the campaign cut short by residency requirements in Oregons constitution, Kristof said hes headed back to the newspaper, Oregon Public Broadcasting reported.

State records show he handed off nearly $1 million in unspent political cash, then deactivated his campaign committee.

After reimbursing himself for a little more than $2,000 for personal expenses, Kristof donated $990,000 to a new political action committee called Oregon Strong, which is directed by Kristofs wife, Sheryl WuDunn, and his former campaign bookkeeper, Elizabeth Wilson.

Kristof said the financial shift would distance himself from the money while he continued working on his plan for spending it. He wants to create a loan program to help Oregonians pay for job training.

Since Im headed back to journalism I thought it best to end the Nick for Oregon PAC and separate myself from its Oregon Strong successor, Kristof said in an email Tuesday. But I continue to be in planning for the job training programs.

Kristof hasnt shared precise details but in a June email to donors said he hopes to leverage the money to start a program that will front Oregonians the money for job training programs, and only require repayment if they find gainful employment.

Such systems, sometimes called pay it forward funds, have emerged in states including Ohio and New Jersey. One program fronts money for diesel mechanic training in Ohio, then bases the amount a participant pays back on what they earn once they graduate.

Kristof says his program would be the first of its kind on the West Coast. Hes been in discussions with a national nonprofit that runs the Ohio financing program. The Oregon Secretary of States Office has said charitable donations are a valid use of unspent campaign funds.

Kristof, who grew up in rural Yamhill, emerged as a surprising and formidable Democratic candidate for governor last year. His decades at The New York Times had led to deep-pocketed connections, and a donor list that included Angelina Jolie, Melinda French Gates and Lawrence Summers.

But Kristof owned a home and voted in New York state. Though he moved back to run his family farm in Yamhill, state elections officials and the Oregon Supreme Court determined he hadn't done that in time to satisfy the three-year residency requirement for governor.

Kristof spent much of the $2.7 million he raised on campaign payroll and attorneys who tried to save his candidacy. Hes also dolled out money to other Democrats including $10,000 to Tina Kotek, his former political rival and now the Democratic nominee for governor. He also given to Democratic legislative candidates, and candidates for the Yamhill County Commission.

Kristof said recently he has no plans to run for political office again.
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP)  Police on Wednesday identified five family members who died in a murder-suicide at a central Florida home.

The Orlando Police Department said in a news release that the suspect was identified as the family's 45-year-old father. The victims included his 39-year-old wife, and three daughters, ages 22, 11, and 7. A firearm was found in the home, but the medical examiner will evaluate the cause of the death, according to the police department.

At this time, it appears this is a domestic violence related incident," the news release said.

Officers were called to the home in an affluent neighborhood of Orlando on Tuesday to conduct a well-being check.
PARIS (AP)  An explosion Wednesday at a French plant that produces a component of gunpowder injured eight people, one of them seriously, local officials in southwest France said.

The plant located in the town of Bergerac specializes in making nitrocellulose, a highly flammable chemical compound.
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TOKYO (AP)  Friends of Toru Kubota, a Japanese journalist detained in military-ruled Myanmar while covering a protest, called for his immediate release Wednesday and an online petition has collected more than 41,000 signatures.

The documentary filmmaker was arrested Saturday in Yangon by plainclothes security forces while taking photos of about a dozen protesters, according to his supporters and a witness who spoke with The Associated Press.

The Japanese government, which has condemned human rights violations in Myanmar, confirmed a Japanese in his 20s was detained. It says its working for his release.

A report by Japanese public broadcaster NHK quoted a spokesman for the military government as confirming Kubota was in custody and under investigation, while saying his release remains uncertain.

Myanmars army seized power in February last year by ousting the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi, and has cracked down on dissent, killing and arresting thousands of people. Most of the more than 50 journalists detained in Myanmar face charges of causing fear, spreading false news or agitating against a government employee, which carry penalties of up to three years in prison.

Kubotas films focused on giving a voice to the downtrodden, such as the plight of Rohingya refugees and the poor in Tokyo amid the coronavirus pandemic.

A graduate of the prestigious Keio University with a masters from the University of the Arts London, Kubota, 26, also did work for Yahoo! News Japan, Vice Japan and Al Jazeera English.

I want to be as free as possible, and thats why I make documentary films, he says on his Twitter profile.

In his last tweet, sent late last month from Myanmar, he says: How insensitive and ignorant I am not to really know that person on the other side of my camera until the tears start to flow. And the tears keep coming.

His friends said he had gone alone and was working on a documentary film about that individual. Other details were not disclosed for safety concerns.

Nikki Tsukamoto Kininmouth, who worked with Kubota on a film, said he had tried to document everyday peoples lives.

Hes simply really a nice guy, she told reporters at the Japan Press Club in Tokyo. He is loved by so many people.

Earlier this week, PEN International and the Japan PEN Club called for Kubotas immediate and unconditional release, along with others unjustly detained.

We call for freedom of expression and the protection of journalists in Myanmar and abroad. And we urge the Japanese government and the international community to take immediate action to ensure the safety of Mr. Kubota, Japan PEN President Natsuo Kirino said in a statement.

Kubota is the fifth foreign journalist detained in Myanmar, after U.S. citizens Nathan Maung and Danny Fenster, who worked for local publications, and freelancers Robert Bociaga of Poland and Yuki Kitazumi of Japan. They were eventually expelled.

Kitazumi, who was among those calling for Kubotas release, said he was worried about his safety because he felt the situation in Myanmar had worsened. Kitazumi was set free after a month.

He knew about the risks. But he decided to go, Kitazumi said.

___

Yuri Kageyama is on Twitter https://twitter.com/yurikageyama

___

Associated Press writer Grant Peck in Bangkok contributed to this report.
MAUPIN, Ore. (AP)  Oregon Gov. Kate Brown has invoked the Emergency Conflagration Act in order to get resources to a fire burning south of The Dalles in Wasco County.

The Miller Road/Dodge Fire sparked Tuesday afternoon near the community of Juniper Flats and is burning in grass, brush, and juniper. It was estimated to have burned about 1.5 square mile.
Family, classmates and professors are mourning the death of a Navy veteran and UC Davis medical student.



Thirty-year-old Joshua Brandon Crane, a five-year Navy veteran, disappeared under the water Friday at a social event he organized for his medical school colleagues.



"He saw some women in distress in the San Juan Rapids," his sister Jessica Crane told sister station KCRA. "No hesitation, he jumped off his board and he got in the water and got them out."

Sacramento Metro Fire and the Sacramento County Sheriff's Office recovered his body in the American River on Saturday.

"In every sense of the word, he was a hero," his sister said. "He was a hero to a lot of people, everyone views him that way. He's my biggest hero."

Crane was born in Chico and raised with his sister by their single mother.



Their father died 29 years ago Monday.



He went to Chico High School, then joined the navy at the age of 18.

He served for five years and was stationed at Camp Pendleton and in Okinawa, Japan.



When he returned, he enrolled at Chico State for undergraduate classes, with dreams of going to medical school.

"He was holding out for Davis," his sister said. "That was the big one."

Fast forward to this summer, Joshua was a fourth-year student at the UC Davis School of Medicine.

The associate dean of students, Dr. Sharad Jain, told KCRA he was working toward a residency in internal medicine. He dreamed of doing that at UC Davis, as well.

During his time in medical school, Dr. Jain said Joshua volunteered with people experiencing homelessness, refugees who were new to the Sacramento area, and vulnerable and marginalized communities.



Dr. Jain and Joshua met on Thursday, the day before he disappeared under the American River. The two had a special bond.



"We talked about his hopes, his dreams, and his ideas for a career ahead," he reflected. "I felt like he was at a really good place at the time, so I think that made this loss even more tragic."

Right now, the medical school is working with Joshua's family to arrange a memorial service.

His classmates have put together a GoFundMe to help his family in the meantime. If you would like to help, click here.




THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP)  The Dutch government declared a national water shortage Wednesday caused by the hot, dry summer that is parching much of Europe, and formed a national team to draw up measures to manage supplies, while asking the public to also chip in with savings.

The water shortage is already having a negative effect on shipping and agriculture in particular, said Minister of Infrastructure and Water Management Mark Harbers.

He urged people to think carefully about whether they should wash their car or completely fill their inflatable swimming pool. The Netherlands is a water country, but our water is precious here too.

Very little rain has fallen in the Netherlands over the summer, and dry conditions further north and east in Europe mean less water is streaming into the country in rivers.

The government said that drinking water supplies are not threatened and said new measures are not yet necessary, but could be in coming weeks.

Water authorities in parts of the country already have put restrictions on farmers spraying crops with water, and several small ferries crossing rivers have been forced out of service because of low water levels. The drought conditions also are hindering freight-carrying barges that ply the country's rivers.

Amid soaring temperatures last month, authorities in Amsterdam were forced to spray water on mechanical bridges to stop them expanding and jamming shut.

The Netherlands is the latest country to feel the effects of the dry conditions. The European Unions executive warned last month that the continent is facing one of its toughest years when it comes to natural disasters like droughts and wildfires because of increasing climate change.
Kentucky was hit with another round of rainstorms last week as the death toll rose to 37, and hundreds of others remain unaccounted for.

Rescue efforts are underway to save people trapped in homes, and shelters are popping up to help those displaced.

Gov. Andy Beshear says the state is prioritizing monetary donations, cleaning supplies and bottled water.

People are asked not to travel to the affected area unless they have contacted search and rescue groups and plan to help them. Beshear said he'll give clearance for when it's safe to travel there.

Here's where you can donate money:

Team Eastern Kentucky Flooding Relief Fund

This was set up Thursday by the state to directly help families. Beshear announced it during an afternoon Team Kentucky update.

Click here to donate

If you would like to mail in a donation, make your check out to Kentucky State Treasurer. In the memo line, note the donation is for the "Team Eastern Kentucky Flood Relief Fund." Send the check to Public Protection Cabinet, 500 Mero Street, 218 NC, Frankfort, KY 40601.

This fund is similar to the one set up after western Kentucky's tornadoes in December 2021. People raised $52 million through more than 150,000 donations.

Red Cross partners with WLKY

Sister station WLKY has partnered with the American Red Cross to collect monetary donations for flood victims.

Click here to donate

Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky

This foundation is collecting money in its crisis fund.

Click here to donate | Learn more about the foundation

GoFundMe

GoFundMe has verified the following campaigns to help individuals, families, and communities:

Save the Children

Save the Children, the national leader in protecting children in emergencies, has been helping Americas children recover from major disasters since Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The nonprofit organization has also been working in Kentuckys rural communities since 1932, providing support to children and families most impacted by poverty and inequality.

Click here to donate

Here's where you can donate goods:

Appalachians4Appalchia

This group has started an interactive Google Doc for people to share where to donate and what to donate.

"This is a living document with information on how and where you can send and receive aid. This document is open source for local authorities, nonprofit partners, and the public to use and add additional information to as the needs of communities shift in the coming days and weeks. Appalachians for Appalachia will continue to oversee and manage this page. Specific inquiries can be sent to appalachians4appalachia@gmail.com."

Click here to access it
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP)  Unsanitary conditions and staff negligence caused the death of a 27-year-old man in a South Carolina jail earlier this year, a federal lawsuit filed Wednesday alleges.

Richland County officials sent Lason Butler  who displayed erratic behavior  to a room at the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center where he frequently lay naked with an unflushed toilet and was placed on suicide watch  even though they knew the unit was unfit for inmates with mental health issues, according to the lawsuit.

After a two-week period during which Butler lost more than 40 pounds (18 kilograms) and was assessed to be floridly psychotic, he was found dead on Feb. 12 with fresh rat bites and no running water, the lawsuit alleges.

An autopsy report showed Butler died of dehydration. The Richland County coroner ruled Butlers death a homicide, noting a lack of action by the jail staff. At the time of his death, Butler was the third detainee to die this year, the coroner said.

The lawsuit, filed on behalf of Butler's mother, Lakeshia Butler, alleges that staff were deliberately indifferent to Butler's serious medical needs, violating his due process rights under the 14th Amendment. The suit names Richland County and six jail employees.

The defendants failure to provide sanitary conditions, access to health care, and relief from solitary confinement was unreasonable, was done intentionally, willfully, maliciously, and with deliberate indifference and/or reckless disregard for (Butlers) basic human needs, and caused death, the lawsuit argues.

Butler's family joined civil rights attorneys Audia Jones and Bakari Sellers, the former Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor, at a news conference Wednesday. There, lawyers walked through a series of witness accounts, medical reports and graphic images to highlight their case.

We dont know how much a Black mans life is worth, but were damn sure going to find out, Sellers said.

Blood tests showed Butler's sodium levels to be 184 milliequivalents per liter  far above the normal range and indicative of dehydration, according to Sellers. Other inmates submitted written reports that Butler cried several nights for help to keep the rats away. The lawyers presented security videos that showed jail officials dropping his motionless body from a gurney to the floor.

Lakeshia Butler said she attempted several times to pay her son's $1,500 bond and was told he had been placed on hold. Butler had been a few months away from completing trucking school, she said.

I worked hard to keep my son alive, to make him a man. He was a human being. It didn't matter what he did. Everybody makes mistakes. That's what he made: a mistake," she said, tears falling down her face. "But he shouldn't have had to pay with his life. His life is priceless.

Police arrested Butler on Jan. 31 on charges of reckless driving, failure to stop for blue lights and driving with a suspended license.

The litigation is not the first to allege poor and dangerous conditions at the jail. A federal lawsuit brought by Disability Rights South Carolina in April alleges unsafe and unsanitary cells where detainees with disabilities are held for up to 24 hours a day. Detainees with disabilities are also left naked in cells without monitoring while on suicide watch, according to that complaint.

Burnette Shutt & McDaniel attorney Stuart Andrews, who is representing Disability Rights in the other case, said the conditions described are flatly unconstitutional" and inhumane.

No one, particularly not folks with serious mental illness, should be exposed to conditions that have been as bad as those at the jail, he said. "We believe they're driven largely by chronic, severe staffing shortages that the jail officials have reported consistently to the county for an extended period of time.

Staffing issues at the jail have been well documented. According to a Richland County Council meeting agenda last summer, there were about 141 detention officer vacancies as of June 4, 2021, a number the council noted was higher than normal.

To draw more job applicants, the council unanimously voted in July 2021 to recommend increasing detention officers starting salary to $36,500, effective August 2021. The facility, according to one council member, could operate effectively with fewer than 264 budgeted detention officers. To help pay for the wage hike, 50 positions  which had been vacant for quite some time, according to a council member  would be frozen.

The family's lawyers said the issues at the jail and the conditions that led to Butler's death go beyond staffing issues. Sellers reiterated his push for the jail to stop housing those with mental health problems in the unit.

This is a humanity problem, Jones said.
SEATTLE (AP)  A Seattle man charged with felony stalking for allegedly standing outside U.S. Rep. Pramila Jayapals home and yelling expletives while armed with a pistol has pleaded not guilty.

King County Superior Court judge on Tuesday set Brett Forsells bail at $150,000 during Forsells arraignment hearing, KING-TV reported.

The King County Prosecutors Office requested $500,000 bail, arguing Forsell is likely to commit a violent offense if free in the community. Forsell allegedly told investigators he would return to Jayapals home as soon as he was released.

Forsell, 49, was arrested July 9 after yelling obscenities and threats outside Jayapals Seattle home late at night and booked into jail. He was released when prosecutors said there wasnt enough evidence for a hate crime charge, though authorities noted the investigation would continue.

Police later forwarded the stalking case for consideration, prosecutors said.

In 2016, Jayapal became the first Indian American woman elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. The Democrat heads the Congressional Progressive Caucus.

As part of the felony stalking charge, prosecutors noted Forsell was armed with a deadly weapon and that Jayapal was stalked in connection with her elected position.

Forsell told police he drove by Jayapals house yelling obscenities multiple times since late June and on July 9 drove by, stopped, got out of the car and directed profanities at Jayapal, according to a probable cause statement.

A neighbor told police she heard a man threaten to kill Jayapal and believed the statements were made by the man arrested that night.

Forsell will have to meet several conditions including GPS monitoring, alcohol monitoring, stalking protection order and home monitoring if he posts bail.
LOS ANGELES (AP)  A man who allegedly opened fire near the popular Hollywood Farmers' Market over the weekend has been charged with several firearms offenses, prosecutors said Tuesday.

Officers responded around 7:30 a.m. to reports of gunfire on a residential block near the farmers market where vendors set up stalls every Sunday morning.

Joseph DeLaCruz had allegedly threatened a woman with a gun and then started shooting from his apartment's balcony, prosecutors said Tuesday. The bullets damaged buildings and a vehicle, but no one was hit. He also allegedly broke through the wall of his apartment into his neighbor's unit.

DeLaCruz, 42, is charged with shooting at an inhabited dwelling, as well as first-degree burglary with a person present, and other offenses. It was not immediately clear whether he had an attorney who could speak on his behalf.

DeLaCruz was taken into custody following an hourslong standoff with police.

We cannot tolerate the indiscriminate firing of a weapon into an area frequented by so many innocent members of our community," District Attorney George Gascon said in a news release. "Everyone should be able to enjoy a Sunday morning without being worried about being struck by a random bullet.

The Hollywood Farmers' Market is reviewing its safety plan following the violence, according to a statement posted Monday to Facebook.

We have been operating the Hollywood Farmers' Market at the same intersection for 30 years and have thankfully never experienced anything like this and hope to never have to again, the statement said.
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ROCHESTER, N.Y. (AP)  The suspect in the killing of an upstate New York police officer in July was released from prison two months earlier, and could face a life sentence without parole based on new charges a prosecutor announced Wednesday.

Kelvin Vickers, 21, is charged in an eight-count indictment with aggravated murder, attempted murder, assault and weapons counts for the July 21 attack that killed Rochester Police Officer Anthony Mazurkiewicz, 54, and wounded Officer Sino Seng as the two sat in an unmarked vehicle. A funeral for the fallen officer was held Monday.

Investigators said the shooter, unprovoked, approached from behind and fired at least 17 rounds, including one that penetrated a nearby house and injured a 15-year-old girl inside.

Vickers, who is from Boston, has a long criminal record dating to when he was 12 years old and accused of assault and battery on a police officer, said Monroe County District Attorney Sandra Doorley.

At a news conference with other officials Wednesday, Doorley said Vickers juvenile record includes burglary, strangulation with a deadly weapon, assault with a deadly weapon, and two firearms offenses. As an adult, he served a prison sentence of 2 1/2 to 3 years for unlicensed weapons possession and was released by the Massachusetts Department of Corrections on May 24.

The aggravated murder charge carries with it a mandatory life sentence without the possibility of parole. It is supported by evidence suggesting the shooter knew or should have known that Mazurkiewicz and Seng were police officers, Doorley said.

She declined to discuss a possible motive for the July attack. Authorities have said the two officers were part of a plainclothes unit and were investigating a murder.

This is not only a nightmare for (police) and the Mazurkiewicz family, its a nightmare for our city, Mayor Malik Evans said at the news conference.

The killing happened on the same day that Evans declared a state of emergency over gun violence in the mid-sized city.

An hour after the shooting, Vickers was found in a nearby vacant house. He pleaded not guilty to initial charges of second-degree murder, attempted murder, assault and weapons counts and has been held without bail.

He was not a Rochester resident. He was just released from prison. He was here and now hes accused of killing a police officer, Doorley said.
VIRGINIA  CassComm founder and board chairman Gerald E. Gill died July 23 in Whitehall, Michigan. He was 91.

He is credited with recognizing the importance of an emerging cable television technology in the 1960s, when he was managing the family business, Cass County Telephone Co., in Virginia. Gill created Cass Community Antenna Television in 1965 to serve Beardstown with what would eventually become cable television service.

Over the years, the companies grew into CassComm and became a provider of telephone, television, long distance and internet service to more than 30 central Illinois communities.

"Mr. Gill was a true pioneer in the telecommunications industry, with success in building, purchasing, upgrading and selling cable television systems nationwide, along with his many other business investments and ventures," the company said in a statement. "Gerald actively participated in every aspect of the business until his passing."

He is survived by his wife, Mary; a son, Gerald; a sister, Wendy; and a number of grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews.

A memorial service is being planned for the fall. Beacon Cremation & Funeral Service, White Lake (Michigan) Chapel, is handling arrangements.
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WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP)  New Zealand's government on Wednesday released its first-ever climate adaptation plan, which includes the possibility of moving some communities to higher ground.

But the six-year plan, which runs nearly 200 pages, comes up short on some important details, including how much the changes will cost and who will pay.

Climate Change Minister James Shaw told reporters that about 70,000 coastal homes in New Zealand were at risk from rising seas, and many more inland homes were at risk from flooding rivers. He said New Zealand had been slow to adapt to climate change, which would end up costing more money over time.

I am frustrated that for the last three decades, successive governments have not paid any attention in any real form to the challenges that we face from the effects of climate change, Shaw said. We had to start somewhere.

The National Adaptation Plan includes the possible relocation of low-lying homes and assets as rising seas and increased storms make flooding more common.

In some highly exposed areas, the risk from natural hazard and climate impacts may become intolerable, the report says. Inundation of buildings and infrastructure will start to occur, leading to direct damage and loss of some facilities like roads or other lifeline services, and public open space.

The report says that a managed retreat from such areas will often be considered a last resort, to be used in conjunction with other adaptations such as installing seawalls and raising houses on stilts.

Shaw said the costs for adaptation will be borne by a combination of homeowners, insurers, banks, local councils and central government. He said the government was taking hardship into account, and would target help to those least able to pay for changes themselves.

The plan also aims to make granular climate-change data more widely accessible, which in some cases could impact insurance rates and property prices.

Luke Harrington, a senior lecturer in climate change at the University of Waikato, said in a statement the report was a timely reminder that New Zealand needed to contend not only with rising seas, but also with other climate impacts such as more severe droughts and extreme rainfall.

This National Adaptation Plan is a great first step towards addressing some of these challenges, though paucity remains in some of the details," he said.

The adaptation plan comes two months after the government released a plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, which includes a trial program to help lower-income people scrap their old gas guzzlers and replace them with cleaner hybrid or electric cars.

The National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research said that the first six months of 2022 were the second-hottest ever recorded in New Zealand, with temperatures averaging 15 Celsius (59 Fahrenheit), about 1.2 C (2.2 F) above normal.
BISMARCK, N.D. (AP)  A major spending initiative aimed at infrastructure projects outside western North Dakotas oil patch is on pace to be fully funded for the first time since the Legislature approved it three years ago, due to strong oil prices and steady production, officials said Wednesday.

Operation Prairie Dog, named for the industrious burrowing mammal, was passed by the 2019 Legislature to provide $250 million in every two-year budget cycle for counties, cities and airports in non-oil producing areas for such things as roads, bridges and airport projects.

The bill, which won wide legislative support, assumed oil production and prices would hold though the two-year budget cycle.

But due to the pandemic-related collapse in global oil price and the resulting drop in North Dakota oil production, oil tax revenue was only $3.6 billion, or 25% lower than had been projected for the last budget period, said Joe Morrissette, the states top budget writer.

That meant only $29.9 million was distributed for the 2019-2021 budget period, based on the legislations funding formula that puts municipalities with higher populations at the head of the line.

Still, the Legislature distributed more than $300 million in federal coronavirus relief funds for statewide infrastructure projects during its special session in November, Morrissette said.

Oil revenues during the budget cycle that ends next year already are over $730 million more than forecast due to greater-than-expected oil prices and steady production, state budget data show.

Morrissette said if oil revenue continues at the current rate, Prairie Dog would be fully funded and distributed early next year.

The legislation was the brainchild of Republican Senate Majority Leader Rich Wardner, who crafted the plan after much grumbling by lawmakers outside the oil patch that their oil-rich colleagues were getting too large a share of money for their infrastructure needs.

I was hearing: When are we gonna get ours, when is it our turn? Wardner said.

The longtime lawmaker, who is retiring this year, said he was confident Prairie Dog would get the entire $250 million this year.

Its going to fill, he said.

All but the eight oil-producing counties are eligible for the funds. The bulk of the money, $169.2 million, is to be shared between municipalities and counties and townships for infrastructure. Counties and townships get an additional $30.4 million, as do municipalities. Another $20 million is set aside for airport infrastructure to be used mainly to match federal funds for projects, Wardner said.

Every incorporated city in non-oil counties will get something, Wardner said. They will be able to do things they havent done before.

The allocations will range from a few thousand dollars for small communities to several million dollars for the larger, higher-population cities, he said.
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP)  A member of the far-right group Patriot Prayer caught on camera throwing a pepper spray can and slapping a woman after a protest in Northeast Portland has been sentenced to three days in jail.

Multnomah County Circuit Judge Benjamin Souede on Monday also sentenced 32-year-old Mackenzie Lewis to three years of probation, The Oregonian/OregonLive reported.

A jury last month found Lewis guilty of felony riot in the incident outside the former Cider Riot bar on May 1, 2019.

Lewis was one of six men with far-right ties who were indicted by a grand jury reviewing the clash, which started after Lewis and the Patriot Prayer group approached anti-fascists who were gathered at the bar.

Three of the men plead guilty to riot charges before trial. Souede acquitted Patriot Prayer leader Joey Gibson and compatriot Russell Schultz during their trial, finding that neither man had committed violent conduct.

Deputy District Attorney Brad Kalbaugh called for a 30-day jail sentence for Lewis, noting that the incident caused significant alarm, including from 19 people who dialed 911 that day.

Defense attorney Kelly Doyle asked for the crime to be treated as a misdemeanor so it could be removed from Lewis record. Lewis said time behind bars would ruin his life."

The judge said Lewis could serve the three days in jail on a schedule of Lewis choosing.

Gibson founded the Vancouver, Washington, based Patriot Prayer in 2016. He has held rallies supporting former President Donald Trump and supported other demonstrations organized by the Proud Boys  a group thats been designated as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center.
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BEIJING (AP)  A few Chinese old-timers read the pages of a newspaper on Wednesday hung up behind glass on an outdoor display board in a relic of pre-smartphone days, when that's how people in China got the news.

Wang Junzhong, 70, peered at an editorial in the Global Times, an outspoken, fiercely nationalistic voice of the ruling Communist Party. The headline read, To safeguard national sovereignty and security, the Chinese military dares to show the spirit of the sword."

After weeks of threatening rhetoric, China showed the spirit but stopped short of any direct military confrontation with the U.S. over the visit to Taiwan of a senior American politician, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Instead, it opted for military drills as a show of force, sending fighter jets into the air and scrambling crews on navy ships in simulated emergencies after Pelosi defied Chinese warnings and flew into Taiwan on a U.S. government plane on Tuesday night.

The failure to stop Pelosi from visiting Taiwan  a self-governing island that China claims as its territory  disappointed some Chinese who had been riled up by the government's tough words ahead of her trip. But Wang, in long sleeves and long pants despite the muggy weather, expressed understanding.

If China didn't care about its people, it could just go ahead and use force," Wang said. "If China cares about its people, its fine to tolerate for now. There is not much we can do. I think the leaders are facing a dilemma.

Bringing Taiwan, an island of 23 million people just 160 kilometers (100 miles) off China's east coast, under Chinese control is a longstanding goal of the Communist Party. Its leaders say that Taiwan is part of China and that the U.S. and other countries have no right to meddle in what it considers a domestic issue.

The U.S., under a one-China policy, doesn't recognize Taiwan as a nation but maintains informal relations and defense ties with its government  to China's displeasure. But China is loath to get into a war with the United States, even as it adds aircraft carriers and high-tech weaponry to its forces.

This is for sure because China and the U.S. need each other in trade and other aspects," said Song Ao, a 21-year-old university student. "I think we must exert pressure in response to Pelosis Taiwan visit, but not fight.

The Chinese military drills concerned both officials and some residents in Taipei, the Taiwanese capital. China said it had launched live-fire exercises on Tuesday night and announced drills starting Thursday in six offshore areas that a Taiwanese military official described as sealing off Taiwan by air and sea.

The drills may be routine but they are too close to Taiwan, said David Hong, a retired Taiwanese American financial consultant who was outside the legislature on Wednesday to try to catch a glimpse of Pelosi.

It shows their ambitions, he said. "We need to stop them. No more invasion.

Crowds waited for Pelosi's arrival outside her hotel on Tuesday night, and some applauded as her motorcade, escorted by police cars with flashing lights, zipped by and entered an underground parking area.

Pan Kuan, a 30-year-old English teacher, said the U.S. House speaker showed courage by going ahead with her trip.

Although there was a great pressure from China, she still chose the camp with democracy and freedom, and courageously came to Taiwan, he said. "She is like a hero. She courageously fought Chinas pressure. I think that takes some courage to do so.

An almost equal-sized crowd of pro-Beijing protesters also gathered outside the Grand Hyatt hotel, cursing Pelosi and telling her to leave.

Supporters of Beijing also protested outside the U.S. Consulate in Hong Kong on Wednesday, holding up signs and ripping American flags in groups of four to abide by COVID-19 restrictions on public gatherings.

They shouted Pelosi, get out of Taiwan, Destroying China-US relations and other slogans and threw eggs at a photo of Pelosi.

There were no public protests in Beijing, where both plainclothes and uniformed security personnel were posted around the U.S. Embassy and the Foreign Ministry.

After seeing Pelosi's plane land, shown live by some Chinese digital news outlets, many in China rushed to the social media account of Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian  who had been issuing threats for days  to express disappointment that no strong action was taken to stop her. Others expressed support for the government's approach.

They shouldnt have talked big in the beginning, Wang said. "If they had played it down, people wouldnt feel repulsed. Because they gave away too much, it became difficult to wind up. After all, we didnt want to use force when she came to visit.

___

Associated Press video producer Olivia Zhang in Beijing and video journalists Taijing Wu in Taipei, Taiwan, and Katie Tam in Hong Kong contributed to this report.
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PEWAUKEE, Wis. (AP)  Former Vice President Mike Pence campaigned Wednesday with his pick in battleground Wisconsins Republican gubernatorial primary, calling Rebecca Kleefisch a proven conservative as she faces an opponent endorsed by Donald Trump.

Trump plans to hold a rally Friday for Tim Michels just miles from where Pence appeared for Kleefisch in conservative Waukesha County, a Milwaukee suburb that's long been key to Republicans.

Pence, a potential 2024 presidential candidate, appeared with former Gov. Scott Walker. Kleefisch served as Walker's lieutenant governor for eight years, and Pence and Walker have been close political allies for years.

There is no candidate for governor in America who is more capable, more experienced, or a more proven conservative than Rebecca Kleefisch," Pence said. Your next governor needs to be a proven conservative who has stood in the pocket for Wisconsin in the past and that's Rebecca Kleefisch.

The Pence visit comes during a sprint leading up to Tuesday's primary. The winner will advance to face Democratic Gov. Tony Evers, in what is expected to be one of the most hotly contested governor's races in the country this year.

The most recent Marquette Law School poll, released in late June, showed Kleefisch and Michels running about even, with state Rep. Tim Ramthun trailing by more than 20 points. Ramthun's central issue is decertifying President Joe Biden's 2020 victory in Wisconsin, which is unconstitutional.

Both Kleefisch and Michels are running as tough-on-crime candidates. Kleefisch is endorsed by most of the states sheriffs, the Fraternal Order of Police and the Milwaukee Police Association. She is calling for hiring 1,000 more police, instituting minimum bail amounts for violent criminals and adding more police to schools. Both she and Michels have pledged to fire Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm, a target for Republican criticism, on their first day in office.

Kleefisch told the police gathered Wednesday that she was committed to ensuring they had the funding necessary to do their jobs.

I will back the badge, she said to applause from many law enforcement officers and others.

Wisconsin is the third state where Pence and Trump have supported different candidates in Republican gubernatorial primaries. As in Georgia and Arizona, the race in battleground Wisconsin highlights deep divisions among Republicans and the future of the party.

Trump won Wisconsin in 2016 before losing in 2020 by a nearly identical number of votes. He has repeatedly called for those results to be decertified, and on Tuesday endorsed a little-known primary challenger to state Assembly Speaker Robin Vos. That challenger, Adam Steen, supports decertification while Vos does not.

Michels has been inconsistent on his views on decertification. He said during a debate last week that it wasnt a priority, but then on Monday at a town hall said that everything will be on the table. Kleefisch said she opposes decertification because its not constitutionally possible.

Michels also wouldnt commit to supporting a Trump presidential run in 2024, but then reversed himself less than 24 hours later.
While he is not new to his position with the Edwardsville Police Department, Chaplain John Roberts was introduced Tuesday at city council.

"The chaplain has been with the police department since around mid-2019," said Police Chief Michael Fillback. "He has been a great resource to our officers and to the community. Police don't always want to tell their boss about things going on in their personal lives."

"I have a heart for our law enforcement officers," Roberts said Tuesday night. "They do a lot of work. I know I've talked to them often and they are trying to help people who are in crisis find resources to support them. It's not all traffic tickets and investigating crime. It's serving with a lot of heart for the least of these. I appreciate the opportunity to serve them."

Fillback said the police department has had other chaplains over the years.

"Sometimes he helps deliver messages to citizens [and next-of-kin]," Fillback said. "I believe the mayor just wanted to introduce him as a resource for our police personnel and our citizens."

Roberts said he served as another resource for both residents and police personnel in the wake of the tornado that struck Edwardsville on Dec. 10, 2021. Fillback said Roberts helped out any way he could that night and over the following days.

"I worked with a group of chaplains to do death notices for the victims and I talked to staff members afterward," he said.

Roberts said he has helped pay for one night's lodging for a homeless man and recently, he and the church reimbursed another person who had paid for a bus ticket for a homeless man to return to his family in the Chicago area.

"I was there when a family found out their adult son died of a drug overdose," he said.

He said he has had to go to homes to deliver difficult messages to parents or other family members, then act as an immediate supporter to start to help them cope with the loss.

Roberts said before COVID, he went on ride-alongs with the officers and got to visit the department during shift changes and get to know some of the officers.

Roberts graduated from Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina in 1992 with a bachelor of science degree in physics. In 1995, he received his master's of divinity degree from Eden Theological Seminary in St. Louis.

Born in North Carolina, Roberts was raised in his parents hometown of Landis. He graduated from high school and entered the USMC Reserves and Appalachian State University with dreams of a military service career.

During college, Roberts felt Gods call to Christian ministry and moved to St. Louis to attend Eden. After graduation, he returned to North Carolina. He was ordained at his home church and began serving at Hedricks Grove UCC in Lexington, North Carolina. While serving there, John met his wife, Jami. They have three children.

Roberts began serving Eden Church as its senior pastor in September 2007.

Roberts noted that the fire department is looking to add a chaplain to its crew, too.
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LEDYARD  Two New York men have been charged with stealing cooking oil from a pizza restaurant in Gales Ferry early Wednesday, according to police.

Officers were called to Village Pizza on Route 12 just before 2 a.m. for a possible burglary. Police discovered that two men had stolen the restaurants cooking oil out of a locked storage tank, the Ledyard Police Department said in a news release Wednesday.
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GONZALES, La. (AP)  A Louisiana judge has refused to set any bond for rapper Mystikal, who is accused of raping and choking a woman at his home outside Baton Rouge.

State District Judge Steven Tureau ruled on Tuesday that evidence against 51-year-old Michael Tyler, his past history and the victims fears met the standard for holding him without bail, The Advocate reported.

Tyler served six years in prison after pleading guilty in 2003 to sexual battery. In December 2020, prosecutors in Caddo Parish, in northwest Louisiana, dropped rape and kidnapping charges that had kept him jailed for 18 months.

He was not convicted of other charges, including marijuana possession and misdemeanor domestic violence, that had been brought against him since the mid-1990s, the newspaper reported.

Defense attorney Roy Maughan Jr., who had asked for $250,000 bond, maintained that Tyler is innocent of the most recent charges, including rape and domestic abuse battery by strangulation. But he told the newspaper after the hearing that Tyler probably wont appeal the bond ruling.

Maughan tried unsuccessfully to get the court record to reflect that Tyler made all of his court dates in those cases and, as a celebrity, would have a hard time evading capture if he fled. He had been released on $3 million bond in February 2019, nearly two years before the Caddo Parish charges were dropped.

Mystikal, who grew up in New Orleans and now lives in Prairieville, is accused of attacking the woman, taking her keys and holding her against her will, according to an arrest warrant.

Sheriff's Detective Garrett Keith testified Tuesday that the woman went to Tyler's home about 8 p.m. Saturday to talk about alleged financial commitments he had made to her.

He said the woman reported that Tyler's behavior changed abruptly after he went into the bathroom and returned: He accused her of stealing cash, choked her and pulled out her hair, Keith testified.

Tyler later apologized, prayed with her and threw rubbing alcohol on her to cleanse her bad spirits before raping her, Keith testified.

Maughan's cross-examination tried to show that the prayer and apology indicated that things were calmer and the woman wasn't afraid, the newspaper reported.

Keith later told prosecutors that the woman was praying for her safety and didnt know what Tyler said.

The woman was cut and bruised, and deputies found some of her braids, an earring and a broken nail in the house, the detective said. Some wounds were consistent with rape, he said.

Maughan also cross-examined Keith about whether and how the woman had objected to sex. Keith quoted her as saying Tyler's threats had made her afraid to object at first, but she later clearly told him no.
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MOSCOW (AP)  A Russian court ruled Wednesday to transfer a university rector from jail to house arrest in an embezzlement case that has been seen by some observers as part of authorities' efforts to target members of the country's liberal elite.

Sergei Zuyev, the rector of the Moscow School of Social and Economic Sciences, has been behind bars since November. The school is one of Russia's leading non-state universities.
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BANGKOK (AP)  Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov arrived Wednesday in Myanmar for an official visit that Moscow said will include discussions with the military government on security and economic issues, the Russian news agency TASS reported.

Russia is a major supporter of Myanmars military government, which came to power in February last year when it ousted the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi.

Lavrov met with his counterpart, Wunna Maung Lwin, and other top Myanmar officials shortly after his arrival in the capital, Naypyitaw, Russia's Foreign Ministry wrote on Twitter. He showed no signs of any change to Moscows stance, saying the two countries have a very solid foundation for building up cooperation in a wide range of areas.

We appreciate the traditionally friendly nature of our partnership, which is not affected by any opportunistic processes, Lavrov said.

Western nations have ostracized Myanmar's ruling generals and maintain economic and political sanctions against them because of their takeover and violent repression of opposition.

Lavrovs visit, his first to Myanmar, comes ahead of his attendance at a meeting of foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, hosted by Cambodia this week.

Myanmar has been in a state of increasing turmoil since the army takeover last year, and its military regularly carries out attacks on armed pro-democracy militants and their supporters and ethnic minority militias that have long battled for greater political autonomy. United Nations experts have described the country as being in a civil war.

Russia is Myanmars top arms supplier, despite calls from many other nations for an arms embargo. Russian-made fighter jets are used in attacks on territory under the control of ethnic minority groups.

Russia and China, the ruling militarys other major ally, have been able to stymie coordinated international sanctions because of the veto power they hold as members of the U.N. Security Council.

The failure of Myanmars generals to make efforts to restore peace and democracy in their country is expected to be a major issue at this weeks ASEAN meeting. Myanmar is one of ASEAN's 10 members but has failed to implement the group's plan to ease the crisis.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said the two sides will discuss the prospects for the entire complex of Russia-Myanmar relations: political dialogue, trade and economic cooperation, defense and security, and humanitarian ties.

Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, who heads Myanmar's ruling military council, has visited Russia twice since taking power. There have also been exchanges of defense delegations of both countries.
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AUSTIN, Texas (AP)  For years, bombastic far-right conspiracy theorist Alex Jones ranted to his millions of followers that the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting was a hoax, that children werent killed and that parents were crisis actors in an elaborate ruse to force gun control.

Under oath and facing a jury that could hit him with $150 million or more in damages for his false claims, Jones said Wednesday he now realizes that was irresponsible and believes that what happened in the deadliest school shooting in American history was 100% real.

Jones public contrition came on the final day of testimony in a two-week defamation lawsuit against him and his Austin-based media company, Free Speech Systems, brought by Neil Heslin and Scarlett Lewis, the parents of 6-year-old Jesse Lewis. Their son was a first grader who was among the 20 students and six teachers killed at the school in Newtown, Connecticut, on Dec. 14, 2012.

I unintentionally took part in things that did hurt these peoples feelings, said Jones, who also acknowledged raising conspiracy claims about other mass tragedies, from the Oklahoma City and Boston Marathon bombings to the mass shootings in Las Vegas and Parkland, Florida, and Im sorry for that.

But an apology isnt enough for Heslin and Lewis. They said Jones and the media empire he controls and used to spread his false assertions must be held accountable.

Alex started this fight, Heslin said, and Ill finish this fight.

The parents testified Tuesday about a decade of trauma, inflicted first by the murder of their son and what followed: gun shots fired at a home, online and telephone threats, and harassment on the street by strangers, all fueled by Jones and his conspiracy theory spread to his followers via his website Infowars.

A forensic psychiatrist testified the parents suffer from complex post-traumatic stress disorder inflicted by ongoing trauma, similar to what might be experienced by a soldier at war or a child abuse victim.

At one point in her testimony, Lewis looked directly at Jones, who was sitting barely 10 feet away.

It seems so incredible to me that we have to do this  that we have to implore you, to punish you  to get you to stop lying, Lewis told Jones.

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.

Now, Heslin and Lewis are asking the jury in Austin for $150 million in compensation for defamation and intentional infliction of emotional distress. They will also ask the jury to assess additional punitive damages.

Jurors began considering damages Wednesday. Once they determine whether Jones should pay the parents compensation for defamation and emotional distress, it must then decide if he must also pay punitive damages. That portion will involve a separate mini-trial with Jones and economists testifying to his and his companys net worth.

Jones attorney asked the jury to limit damages to $8  one dollar for each of the compensation charges they are considering  and Jones himself said any award over $2 million would sink us.

At the end of Jones testimony, Mark Bankston, an attorney for the family, pulled a crumpled dollar bill out of his pocket, showed it to Jones, and put it down in front of the parents.

The day Sandy Hook happened, Alex Jones planted a seed of misinformation that lasted a decade, parents attorney Kyle Farrar told the jury in closing arguments. And he just watered that seed over and over until it bore fruit: cruelty and money.

During his testimony, Jones said hes tried in the past to back off the hoax claims, but they (the media) wont let me take it back.

Jones  who has been banned from major social media platforms for hate speech and abusive behavior  has portrayed the lawsuit as an attack on his First Amendment rights and complained that hes been typecast as someone that runs around talking about Sandy Hook, makes money off Sandy Hook, is obsessed by Sandy Hook.

Eight days of testimony included videos of Jones and Infowars employees talking about the Sandy Hook conspiracy and even mocking Heslins description in a 2017 television interview that hed held his dead son Jesses body with a bullet hole through his head. Heslin described that moment with his dead son to the jury.

Jones was the only witness to testify in his defense. And he came under withering attack from the plaintiffs attorneys under cross examination, as they reviewed Jones own video claims about Sandy Hook over the years, and accused him of lying and trying to hide evidence, including text messages and emails about Sandy Hook. It also included internal emails sent by an Infowars employee that said this Sandy Hook stuff is killing us.

At one point, Jones was told that his attorneys had mistakenly sent Bankston the last two years worth of texts from Jones cellphone.

And shortly after Jones declared I dont use email, Jones was shown one that came from his address, and another one from an Infowars business officer telling Jones that the company had earned $800,000 gross in selling its products in a single day, which would amount to nearly $300 million in a year.

Jones has already tried to protect Free Speech Systems financially. The company filed for federal bankruptcy protection last week. Sandy Hook families have separately sued Jones over his financial claims, arguing that the company is trying to protect millions owned by Jones and his family through shell entities.

___

Associated Press writer Paul J. Weber contributed to this report.

___

For more of the APs coverage of school shootings: https://apnews.com/hub/school-shootings
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AUSTIN, Texas  In more than 90 minutes of often heart-wrenching and halting testimony Tuesday, Neil Heslin spoke of his 6-year-old Jesse, killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, and the pain he says Alex Jones has caused by repeating lies that the murders didnt occur.

Alex was the person with a match who started the fire, Heslin told a jury in a Texas courtroom. People are bringing wood to throw on the fire.

But it was Jesses mother, Scarlett Lewis, who was able to confront Jones after he finally showed up at the courthouse Tuesday afternoon.

I wanted you to know that I am a mother and my son existed, she said.

Heslin and Lewis won their defamation lawsuit against Jones, who promoted the Sandy Hook shootings that killed their son Jesse as a hoax staged with crisis actors.

Lewis spoke to Jones directly during her testimony.

Do you think Im an actress? she asked Jones.

No, I dont think youre an actress, Jones replied.

The judge quickly cut him off and told Jones he does not get to speak during her testimony.

In some way, you've impacted every day of my life, negatively, almost since Jesses murder, Lewis said later to Jones, her hands folding together to get her point across. I'm so glad this day is here, I'm relieved actually.

Jones attorney Andino Reynal unsuccessfully attempted to get Judge Maya Guerra Gamble to end the proceedings before his client testified.

Jones, wearing a white shirt and blue suit jacket, told the jury that he felt good about testifying. I actually feel good because for the first time I get to say whats really going on, Jones said.

He apologized and said he never intentionally meant to hurt you, I never even said your name until this case. He claimed that the few times we covered it (Sandy Hook), he and his staff had questions about what happened and were seeking answers.

I've made a lot of mistakes and I've learned a lot in that process, Jones said, adding that he is shifting the focus of his show toward Christianity and self-help than discussing news and politics. Jones will continue his testimony on Wednesday.

Attorney Mark Bankston, representing Lewis and Heslin, asked the judge once the jury left the room for the day to sanction Jones after he slipped in that he was bankrupt when Reynal asked a question about how many employees he would need to respond to the emails Infowars receives.

Bankston also accused Reynal of trying to solicit testimony from Jones that the judge has barred from being discussed in front of the jury. Gamble said she would address sanctions after the trial.

You may not tell this jury you are bankrupt, that is not true, you may have filed for bankruptcy but that doesnt make you bankrupt, Gamble told Jones.

It seems absurd for me to tell you, you must tell the truth while you testify, Gamble said before instructing him to answer the exact question he was asked. The judge also accused Jones of breaking his oath to tell the truth twice while on the stand.

Soon after the judge left the courtroom, Lewis approached Jones, and then Heslin walked over.

I let your son down and I apologize about everything, Jones said, shaking Heslins hand.

The parents attorney, Mark Bankston, asked if Jones would apologize for calling Heslin slow. This led to shouting between the attorney and Jones.

Attorney Wesley Todd Ball, representing the parents, stepped in and separated the two sides, saying, that's not what's going to happen right now...Thats not the way this goes.

Jones coughed heavily throughout his testimony, blaming it a torn larynx. When he spoke to reporters outside the courtroom later, his cough had gone away. He told reporters the cough flares up, but then goes away.

Grieving

Earlier, Lewis argued that Jones and his followers have hindered her grieving process, describing losing her child as like losing a limb.

When you lose a limb, you feel it, she said in her midday testimony. Its like its always there but its not. He should be here, but hes not, she said of her son.

The trial is focusing on how much the jury will award the parents, who are claiming Jones lies are causing fear, anxiety and post-traumatic stress, on top of the grief that comes with losing a child.

I wish it was true, Heslin said of Jones claims. I wish that Jesse was alive. But that's not the case.

Before arriving in the courtroom, Jones insulted Heslin on his Infowars show  calling him slow and saying he thought he was on the spectrum, which makes me feel like an even bigger jerk, according to a clip from the show that was played to the jury.

Jones arrived at the courthouse during the courts lunch break on Tuesday afternoon and refused to answer questions from reporters as to why he wasnt in the courtroom in the morning.

Earlier in the day Heslin began to choke up as he spoke, before regaining composure. Lewis, who was in the courtroom waiting to testify next, nodded along with him whenever he stumbled. But neither were able to look Jones in the eye until he finally arrived after a lunch break.

I wouldn't wish upon Alex or anybody the loss that I sustained, the loss of a child, Heslin said.

He has anxiety attacks in the middle of the night and recently went to the hospital with chest pains, he said.

Memories of Jesse

Jesse was a tornado whose force was felt every time he walked into a room, his father said. He was proud that he was learning to add numbers and loved animals, including his dog who he worshiped, his father said. One of his sons biggest joys was returning bottles to collect coins, he said. Jesse loved collecting scrap metal and taking it to the scrapyard for money, Heslin said.

Heslin smiled when his attorney Wesley Todd Ball published Jesses class photo  one of his last  which the family received after his funeral, Heslin said. He died two weeks after it was taken, Jesses father said.

Heslin stopped to wipe his tears often and at some points was so unintelligible the judge had to tell him to speak up.

Jesse was 11 pounds at birth, she recalled. The first time she saw him, she had walked to the nursery at the hospital to find a crowd of nurses taking photos, Lewis said. When I asked what was going on they said they were taking pictures of a large baby that was trying to crawl out, she said.

The day the shootings occurred, Lewis and Heslin were supposed to be at the school for 2 p.m. to build gingerbread houses with his class, she said. Heslin took him to school but she ran outside to give him a hug. It was then that she discovered he had written I love you in the frost on her car and drew hearts on her windows, she said.

She ran inside to get her phone to take a photo with Jesse and his artwork  it would be his last, she said. He was given a heroes funeral because he had told classmates to run while the shooter reloaded his gun, she said.

Almost every member of the jury stared at Heslin as he described seeing his sons body with a grazing bullet wound on the side of his head, along with the fatal shot to his forehead.

It shattered his skull, Heslin said. The exit wound was about the size of a softball.

Infowars questioning of this account from Heslin had sparked the lawsuit, and the father said that he is forced to replay those images every time his story about holding his sons body is doubted by Jones followers. He called Jones decision to not attend his testimony Tuesday morning, disrespectful and cowardly.

Fear due to Sandy Hook deniers

Lewis said she owns a gun because as a single mother, she said she feels she needs to protect her sons. I was not able to keep one of them safe, she said.

Lewis said she has been aware since the day Jesse died that there are some people who deny the Sandy Hook shootings. A contingent from the Hells Angels motorcycle group showed up at his wake, she said. She later discovered they were there to prevent any disturbances.

She finds it surreal and unsettling that people dont believe the shooting happened, Lewis said. Ball read aloud excerpts from an email she received questioning whether she could produce a birth certificate for Jesse. In another case, Ball played for the jury a phone message received by another Sandy Hook family who alerted Lewis to death threats.

The woman on the message could be heard swearing and threatening the family.

Encounters with Sandy Hook deniers cause her great fear, Lewis said. Its not only fear for myself, she said. Its fear for my surviving son, its fear for the other people brought into this, family and friends, she said.

The loss of a child is a lifelong journey but it can be processed, she said. But you cant make sense of nonsense, she said referring to the followers of Alex Jones who continue to harass her.

Heslin and Lewis have been under heavy security after run-ins in Austin, Bankston said.

Its a rough day, its not an easy one obviously, their attorney said. Theyve been in isolation in Austin, theyve had some run-ins. Its scary to get up on that stand but they know its bigger than them.

The only avenue Heslin had to stop Jones and his followers who have harassed the family was to file a lawsuit, he said.

Alex Jones apologies are worthless at this point, Heslin said. An apology wouldnt be sincere, its way too late.

The parents are asking for $150 million  $1 in compensation and $1 in punishment for the estimated 75 million Americans who experts claim dont believe or doubt the shooting occurred. Their goal, they said, is to punish Jones for his lies in the hope that hell think twice about promoting conspiracy theories on Infowars.

Jones faces a similar but separate trial in Connecticut that began with jury selection on Tuesday. Jury selection was halted however when Jones attorney asked that the case be moved to federal bankruptcy court in Connecticut after Jones parent company filed for bankruptcy last week.

Jones called the shooting of 26 first graders and educators at Sandy Hook Elementary School staged, synthetic, manufactured, a giant hoax, and completely fake with actors. As a result, the parents argue, 75 million Americans doubt or disbelieve the shooting happened on Dec. 14, 2012.

Staff writers John Moritz and Rob Ryser contributed to this story.
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP)  A return to in-person learning is a factor in a small rebound in standardized test scores for Louisiana students, the state Education Department said Wednesday.

The percentage of students in grades 3 through 8 who achieved levels of mastery or proficient on overall subject matter reached 31%. Thats up 1 percentage point from the year before on the exams, which are known as the LEAP 2025 tests.

Although the overall percentage was up, a review of scores by The Advocate shows that its still down from 34% in 2019. Thats the last year the tests were given before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Math and English mastery-or-better scores rose 3 percentage points over the last year  to 30% and 42%, respectively. Science was up 2 percentage points to 27% over last year, while social studies mastery was the same as last year at 25%.

K-12 education is on the rise in Louisiana because we kept schools open, strategically allocated resources, and developed innovative solutions to recover and accelerate student learning, state Superintendent of Education Cade Brumley said in a news release.

Brumley told The Advocate he was not surprised by the social studies scores, blaming the stagnant scores on an outdated curriculum, which is being replaced by the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education.

Achievement levels fall into one of five categories: unsatisfactory, approaching basic, basic, mastery and proficient. Students who score mastery or proficient are ready for the next grade level, officials said.

Statistics on LEAP 2025 results for this year and past years can be seen on the state Department of Education's website.
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SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP)  A South Dakota government ethics board on Wednesday pressed forward with its investigation of two complaints against Gov. Kristi Noem, resisting an effort from the Republican governor to see them dismissed and extending the time it has to examine the allegations.

Noem, a potential 2024 White House contender, is under scrutiny from the state's Government Accountability Board for allegations that she misused the powers of her office by interfering in her daughters application for a real estate appraiser license and flying on state-owned airplanes to political events. She has denied any wrongdoing.

As attorney general, Jason Ravnsborg last year filed the complaints against Noem. Ravnsborg, a fellow Republican, was removed from office through impeachment in June for his conduct surrounding an unrelated car crash in which he killed a pedestrian. He has continued to bring the complaints as a private citizen.

After meeting in a closed-door executive session for roughly one hour, the board's three retired judges who are evaluating the complaints voted unanimously to deny the governor's requests to dismiss the complaints. They then voted to give themselves a 60-day extension for further investigation" to evaluate the merits of the complaints.

Ravnsborg said he was pleased the board had continued with its investigation, adding that the people of South Dakota deserve to know the truth of these two matters."

Noem's office said it would be a violation of state law to comment on the board's actions, referring to a statute that holds the board's files are confidential unless the board decides to hold a contested case hearing.

The governor's requests to the board, as well as the presence of an attorney for Noem for the first time, showed a willingness to take action to see the allegations dismissed. The board has broad powers, and if it decides the complaints have merit, could refer them for criminal investigation, subpoena evidence and witnesses or eventually hold a contested case hearing.

The Government Accountability Board has taken steps to insulate itself from conflicts of interest while it takes up an issue that involves the state's most powerful political figures. Noem's appointee to the board, former state Supreme Court Chief Justice David Gilbertson, recused himself from evaluating the complaints. The board's attorney, Katie Mallery, was recused from advising the board because she works in the attorney general's office.

If the board decides laws may have been violated, state law calls for it to refer a criminal investigation to the Division of Criminal Investigation. That would put the investigation under the oversight of the interim attorney general, Mark Vargo, who was appointed by Noem after Ravnsborg was removed. The board could also choose to subpoena witnesses or hold a contested case hearing if it instead finds possible misconduct rather than criminality.

Vargo said in a statement, Decisions regarding recusal, either of DCI or the office in general, will be made when the issue squarely presents itself, not in advance of a possible, hypothetical situation.

It's not always the case that a prosecutor should recuse themselves from an investigation into someone who appointed them, said Kathleen Clark, a law professor who specializes in government ethics at Washington University in St. Louis. But, she said, the timing of Vargo's appointment  while the board's investigation was already underway  added an additional reason for recusal.

It seems to me that failure to recuse would undermine the credibility of any decision in Noems favor, particularly because she appointed this attorney general after this investigation already started, Clark said.

Noem has also forged a political partnership with the likely next attorney general, Republican Marty Jackley, with the pair exchanging endorsements earlier this year.

Ravnsborg showed an increasing willingness to bring the complaints against Noem after they fell out over his fatal car crash and she pushed hard for his impeachment.

Ravnsborg's first complaint came after The Associated Press reported that the governor took a hands-on role in a state agency soon after it had moved to deny her daughter, Kassidy Peters, an appraiser license in 2020. A Republican-controlled legislative committee concluded that Peters' application received special treatment, but did not say whether Noems actions were appropriate.

The director of the Appraisal Certification Program, Sherry Bren, was pressured to retire soon after Peters received her license and eventually received a $200,000 settlement from the state to withdraw an age discrimination complaint.

The former attorney generals other complaint was sparked after news website Raw Story found that Noem in 2019 used a state airplane to travel to events hosted by political organizations including the National Rifle Association and the Republican Jewish Coalition. South Dakota law bars state airplanes from being used for anything other than state business.

Noem has said she was traveling to the events as an ambassador for the state.
Midland Daily News

Michigan State Police are investigating a felonious assault that occurred during the 67th annual Munger Potato Festival, in which proceeds go toward recreation and park projects in Munger and Merritt Townships in Bay County.

Just after midnight on Sunday, July 31, a 27-year-old Birch Run man attending the festival in Merritt Township reportedly suffered a stab wound during a fight with another male attendee, MSP said in a press release issued Monday.
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (AP)  A former southwest Missouri high school teacher has been sentenced to 30 years in federal prison for enticing children nationwide to send him sexually suggestive images and then threatening to distribute them.

Brandon Lane McCullough, 31, of Branson, was sentenced Tuesday. He pleaded guilty in August 2021 to three counts of the sexual exploitation of a minor and two counts of coercing and enticing a minor to engage in illicit sexual activity.
Jacquelyn Martin/AP

NEW YORK (AP)  The Justice Department filed suit Wednesday against Peter Navarro, claiming the former adviser to Donald Trump used an unofficial email account while working in the White House and wrongfully retained presidential records.

The lawsuit in federal court in Washington claims Navarro used at least one non-official" email account  a ProtonMail account  to send and receive emails. The legal action comes just weeks after Navarro was indicted on criminal charges after refusing to cooperate with a congressional investigation into the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol.
MADISON, Wis. (AP)  Former President Donald Trump on Tuesday endorsed a little-known Republican challenging Wisconsin Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, accusing Vos of doing too little to overturn 2020 election results in the swing state.

Trump called Adam Steen a rising patriotic candidate ahead of Wisconsin's Aug. 9 primary, in which Vos, the state's most powerful Republican, is heavily favored.

Also on Tuesday, the Trump-backed candidate for Wisconsin governor said he would back Trump for president in 2024, less than 24 hours after he wouldn't commit to supporting a Trump presidential run. Trump is hosting a rally for gubernatorial candidate Tim Michels in Wisconsin on Friday.

If President Trump runs again in 2024, I will proudly endorse him, Michels said on Twitter in a message promoting his rally with Trump on Friday in suburban Milwaukee.

Thats a change from what he said Monday at a televised town hall when Michels was asked whether he would endorse Trump should he run for president in 2024.

2024? Im focused on this election right now, Michels said. I have made no commitment to any candidates in 2024. What I am focused on is beating Tony Evers.

Michels, co-owner of the states largest construction company, faces former Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch in the Aug. 9 primary. Kleefisch is endorsed by former Vice President Mike Pence who will be campaigning with her on Wednesday, two days before Trump arrives.

The winner of the primary will face Democratic Gov. Tony Evers in November in what is expected to one of the most hotly contested governors races nationwide. The winner will be in place in battleground Wisconsin for the 2024 presidential election and will be able to enact, or reject, voting law changes passed by the Republican-controlled Legislature.

Vos has supported a wide array of election law changes that Evers vetoed. But he hasn't gotten behind decertification of Wisconsin's 10 Electoral College votes that went to President Joe Biden. Trump has repeatedly pushed for decertification.

But Vos has refused calls to decertify Bidens win, saying it isn't possible, even as Trump targeted him on social media earlier this month. Steen has said one reason he decided to challenge Vos was because he wouldn't take up a resolution to decertify Biden's win, which has been confirmed by multiple reviews and court decisions.

Vos said in a statement Tuesday that he won't try to decertify the election results because he believes in upholding the Constitution. He didn't say if he was referring to the Wisconsin Constitution or the U.S. Constitution. He said Trump's decision to endorse Steen changes nothing and his constituents are focused on the future, not a past election.

I will continue to knock on doors and discuss the issues they care about, he said.

Vos has been Assembly speaker since 2013, spearheading almost every major Republican initiative since then. But hes still drawn fire from Trump for not doing enough to overturn Bidens victory. He tried to appease Trump last year by hiring a former state Supreme Court justice to investigate the 2020 election and shepherded a package of election reform proposals through the Legislature, though Evers vetoed them.

Trump dubbed Vos a RINO  a pejorative for Republican in Name Only."

The Democrats haven't even bothered to put up a candidate to run against Vos because he does everything they say  he is their dream candidate  a Republican who does the job of a Democrat," Trump said in announcing his endorsement.

The Steen endorsement comes as primary voters in Arizona prepared Tuesday to choose between Republican candidates who support Trump's election fraud lies and those who feel it's time to move on. Trump has endorsed a slate of contenders in that state who support his falsehoods and the primary results promise to illustrate how much influence Trump still exerts on the party.
Two physicians have joined Memorial Care in Jacksonville, providing pediatric and family medicine care.

Family medicine physician Dr. Drake Gashkoff received his medical degree from Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee in 2016. He completed his residency in family medicine at Saint Joseph Regional Medical Center in Mishawaka, Indiana. He earned his bachelors degree in chemistry from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2011.

Gashkoff most recently served as a family physician with Duly Health and Care, previously known as DuPage Medical Group, in Illinois.

Dr. Hasan Othman is a pediatric medicine physician.

Othman attended medical school at Alexandria University School of Medicine in Alexandria, Egypt. In 2022, he completed his residency in pediatrics at Michigan State Universitys Sparrow Hospital in Lansing, Michigan, where he also served as a member of the clinical faculty in the Department of Pediatrics. Prior to that, he was a research fellow at the Cleveland Clinic Childrens Hospital in Cleveland, Ohio; and a visiting physician at Rainbow Babies and Childrens Hospital in Cleveland.
UNITED NATIONS (AP)  The U.N. nuclear chief warned that Europes largest nuclear power plant in Ukraine is completely out of control and issued an urgent plea to Russia and Ukraine to quickly allow experts to visit the sprawling complex to stabilize the situation and avoid a nuclear accident.

Rafael Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, said in an interview Tuesday with The Associated Press that the situation is getting more perilous every day at the Zaporizhzhia plant in the southeastern city of Enerhodar, which Russian troops seized in early March, soon after their Feb. 24. invasion of Ukraine.

Every principle of nuclear safety has been violated at the plant, he said. What is at stake is extremely serious and extremely grave and dangerous.

Grossi cited many violations of the plants safety, adding that it is in a place where active war is ongoing, near Russian-controlled territory.

The physical integrity of the plant hasnt been respected, he said, citing shelling at the beginning of the war when it was taken over and continuing information from Ukraine and Russia accusing each other of attacks at Zaporizhzhia.

There is a paradoxical situation in which the plant is controlled by Russia, but its Ukrainian staff continues to run its nuclear operations, leading to inevitable moments of friction and alleged violence, he said. While the IAEA has some contacts with staff, they are faulty and patchy, he said.

Grossi said the supply chain of equipment and spare parts has been interrupted, so we are not sure the plant is getting all it needs. The IAEA also needs to perform very important inspections to ensure that nuclear material is being safeguarded, and there is a lot of nuclear material there to be inspected, he said.

When you put this together, you have a catalog of things that should never be happening in any nuclear facility, Grossi said. And this is why I have been insisting from day one that we have to be able to go there to perform this safety and security evaluation, to do the repairs and to assist as we already did in Chernobyl.

The Russian capture of Zaporizhzhia renewed fears that the largest of Ukraines 15 nuclear reactors could be damaged, setting off another emergency like the 1986 Chernobyl accident, the worlds worst nuclear disaster, which happened about 110 kilometers (65 miles) north of the capital Kyiv.

Russian forces occupied the heavily contaminated site soon after the invasion but handed control back to the Ukrainians at the end of March. Grossi visited Chernobyl on April 27 and tweeted that the level of safety was like a `red light blinking. But he said Tuesday that the IAEA set up an assistance mission at Chernobyl at that time that has been very, very successful so far.

The IAEA needs to go to Zaporizhzhia, as it did to Chernobyl, to ascertain the facts of what is actually happening there, to carry out repairs and inspections, and to prevent a nuclear accident from happening, Grossi said.

The IAEA chief said he and his team need protection to get to the plant and the urgent cooperation of Russia and Ukraine.

Each side wants this international mission to go from different sites, which is understandable in light of territorial integrity and political considerations, he said, but theres something more urgent and that is getting the IAEA team to Zaporizhzhia.

The IAEA, by its presence, will be a deterrent to any act of violence against this nuclear power plant, Grossi said. So Im pleading as an international civil servant, as the head of an international organization, Im pleading to both sides to let this mission proceed.

Grossi was in New York to deliver a keynote speech at Mondays opening of the long-delayed high-level meeting to review the landmark 50-year-old Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty aimed at preventing the spread of nuclear weapons and eventually achieving a nuclear-free world.

In the interview, the IAEA chief also spoke about efforts to revive the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and major powers that the Trump administration abandoned in 2018 and the Biden administration has been working to renew.

Grossi said there is an ongoing effort to try to go for yet another meeting or round to explore possibilities to come to an agreement. He said he heard the meeting could be soon.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken told the NPT review conference on Monday that Iran has either been unwilling or unable to accept a deal to return to the 2015 agreement aimed at reining in its nuclear program.

Grossi said there are important differences among the negotiating parties and important verification issues related to past activities that Iran needs to address. Its not impossible, its complex, he said.

If the nuclear agreement, known as the JCPOA, is not extended, he said some IAEA inspections will continue. But the JCPOA provides for additional transparency and inspections which I deem as extremely important, very necessary, because of the breadth and depth of the nuclear program in Iran, he said.

Grossi stressed that cooperating with the IAEA, answering its questions, allowing its inspectors to go wherever they need to be, is essential for Iran to build trust and confidence. Promises and good words will not do, he said.

On another issue, Grossi said last September's deal in which the United States and Britain will provide Australia with nuclear reactors to power its submarines requires an agreement with the IAEA to ensure that the amount of nuclear material in the vessel when it leaves port is there when it returns.

He said Australia hasnt decided what type of vessel it will be getting, so while there have been preparatory talks, substantive talks cant begin.

Because its a military vessel, Grossi said, there are lots of confidential and protection of information measures that need to be embedded into any such agreement, so its very complex technologically."
A Utah-based resort company that owns several ski areas has made a bid to buy Jay Peak Resort, the Vermont ski resort that was rocked by a massive fraud case involving its former owner and president.

The court appointed receiver who has been overseeing Jay Peak for more than six years is seeking court approval to sell it for $58 million to Pacific Group Resorts, Inc., which owns Ragged Mountain Resort in New Hampshire, Powderhorn Mountain Resort in Colorado, and Mount Washington Alpine Resort in Vancouver Island, British Columbia.
MILWAUKEE (AP)  A Wisconsin school district's decision to tell bar employees from displaying gay pride flags in classrooms or from putting their preferred pronouns in email signatures prompted pushback from students, alumni and others, while the superintendent said it was just reaffirming a policy that was already in place.

Kettle Moraine School District Superintendent Stephen Plum recently told the school board the district's interpretation of a policy that prohibits staff from using their positions to promote partisan politics, religious views and propaganda for personal, monetary or nonmonetary gain changed following a legal analysis, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported.

Plum said teachers and administrators are prohibited from displaying political or religious messages in their classrooms or on their person, including gay pride flags and Black Lives Matter and We Back the Badge signs. Staff also may not say in emails what their preferred pronouns are.

The district posted about the decision on its Facebook page July 27, drawing hundreds of comments, most in opposition to the move.

Trey Korte, who is gay and taught English at Kettle Moraine High School from 2009 to 2019, said he was angry and sad about the policy disallowing pride flags.

"When you remove something that had been there awhile that represented a marginalized group, when you take that away, it does make people feel unwelcome, Korte told The Associated Press Wednesday.

Critics said the ban conflicts with the school district's motto Learning Without Boundaries, as promoted on its website.

We live in a world where politics are highlighted, and it puts people in uncomfortable positions. I feel the staff can fully support students. I feel that every staff member, custodian and teacher ought to know that its really in the best interest of the students to look out for them and to have strong, healthy relationships that develop therefrom, Plum told the school board at a July 26 meeting.

Kettle Moraine School Board President Gary Vose backed the decision.

This isnt a case where were trying to discriminate against any group or groups for that matter, but rather just to bring clarity to allow staff to know where the line is drawn on these various things. Its not a popularity contest. Regardless what we do here, were going to have some that are going to love it, some that are going to hate it. Regardless of that, I think its the right thing to do. Im fully behind it, Vose said.

Two students at Kettle Moraine High School, Bethany Provan and Brit Farrar started an online petition opposing the ban, which had generated nearly 1,400 signatures by Wednesday.

The petition said that pride flags can help students feel safe and supported and that instead of barring teachers from using their preferred pronouns in email signatures, schools should teach students what pronouns are.

You use them in everyday life. So is it a crime for our teachers to say what they would like to be referred by? the petition said.
CLEVELAND (AP)  A woman was convicted Wednesday of murder in the shooting of an off-duty Cleveland police officer during a carjacking on New Year's Eve.

Tamara McLoyd, 19, of Garfield Heights, faces a potential life term with no chance for parole when she is sentenced later this year. She had confessed to shooting Shane Bartek, 25, but said she did not intend to do it.
Pesticides, the loss of food sources and the loss of habitat are a triple threat for monarchs, the state insect of Illinois.

Not long ago, the dazzling migrations of exquisite monarch butterflies were a welcome and dependable sign of the changing seasons in Illinois.

These days, though, its harder to get a glimpse of the popular insect as their numbers plunge. As a state and as a nation, we can help the butterflies by expanding connected habitat pathways, reducing the use of pesticides where monarchs migrate and planting more milkweed, the only food for monarch caterpillars. Adults feed on the nectar of flowers.

On July 21, the International Union for Conservation of Nature, a global conservation organization, placed the striking orange-and-black monarch on its red list of threatened species and listed it as endangered, which is just two steps above extinct.

That should set off alarm bells. But the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has yet to put the monarch on the federal endangered list, which it should do promptly. The Illinois Legislature, where monarch-friendly legislation has tended to splat like a butterfly hitting a windshield on the highway, should act as well.

The loss of food sources, the loss of habitat and pesticides are a triple threat for monarchs, Jennifer Walling, executive director of the Illinois Environmental Council, told us.

Because Illinois is an important state for migrating monarchs, Illinois should do more than the federal government, Walling said.

The number of Eastern monarchs, the ones you see in the Chicago area and that account for most of the population in North America, dropped by 84% from 1996 to 2014. Western monarchs have declined by 99.9%.

In the longest known insect migration, Eastern monarchs, the state insect of Illinois, travel huge distances from Mexico to as far north as Canada. Western monarchs travel between western California and other states west of the Rocky Mountains.

Illinois farm owners  which often now are foreign companies that have bought up agricultural acreage  have taken to spraying glyphosate, which kills milkweed, widely on their fields. They also often use seeds that are bred to contain neonicotinoids, also called neonics, which make entire plants toxic to insects.

Its not just monarch butterflies that are struggling. A healthier environment for monarchs also would help other insect species, including pollinators, and birds. A healthier population of pollinators would help Illinois economy.

To help, many Illinois residents are now planting milkweed. And, since 2020, the Illinois Department of Transportation has tried to protect as much milkweed as it can as it mows along highways.

But the numbers show those efforts arent enough. The state and federal governments need to crawl out of their chrysalises and do more to help.
A Republican political action committee based in Florida is running a digital ad in California that parodies the cable ad Gov. Gavin Newsom ran in the Sunshine State last month.

The new ad, paid for by a PAC called VOTE THE R, is a direct response to the Newsom ad that ran on Fox News in Florida last month. In that 30-second spot, Newsom criticizes Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for several policies he's championed, and encourages Florida residents who are dissatisfied with the state's direction to move to California, where, according to Newsom, "we still believe in freedom."

The 59-second parody ad begins with the same opening shot seen in the Newsom ad. It shows Newsom wearing a white dress shirt while standing in front of some out-of-focus greenery, except this time, the ad's narrator isn't Newsom  it's someone pretending to be Newsom.

"Freedom is under attack in your state," the narrator says. "Dictator Ron DeSantis, incredibly, lets you walk around without masks? That tyrant lets your kids go to school during the pandemic? ... I urge you in Florida to join the fight, or join us in California, where we'll take the money you earn and give it to people who don't work."

From there, the narrator  again, pretending to be Newsom  specifically urges people to visit San Francisco or Los Angeles.

"Visit San Francisco, where you can walk through human feces. If you're lucky, you might step on a syringe," the narrator says. "Check out Los Angeles, where gas is so expensive [that] your kids only need to skip a meal, or two, or 10, to afford it."

The ad also mocks Newsom for his vacationing habits, and ends with a faux call-to-action.

"California, where freedom means lockdowns for you while I go to the places you can't afford," the narrator says. "Don't let them take your freedom. Come to California, where we'll take it, along with your money."

A news release from VOTE THE R said the PAC is paying $25,000 to run the digital ad, but doesn't specify where or when it will air. The release does, however, specify who the ad is meant for.

"The ad will target Californians throughout the state, exposing Governor Gavin Newsom's ridiculous hypocrisy while giving its despondent citizens hope," the release says. "It will also target lawmakers in the states capitol of Sacramento, reconvening from summer recess on August 1st. Gavin Newsom will see this ad unless hes vacationing in Montana or one of the other 21 states he banned state-funded travel."
Alexander Spatari/Getty Images

If your fall travel schedule involves time on the coasts or in Mexico, youre going to want to tune into this deal: Right now  and literally right now, as the deal is just good through 11:59 p.m. EST Wednesday  you can get $25 off one way per person with JetBlue Airlines.

Heres how to take advantage of the deal: Head to the airlines website, jetblue.com, select your flight, and use the code FALLSALE when prompted to get the discount off. As a reminder, JetBlue flies direct to LAX, Boston, Cancun, NYC and Fort Lauderdale, so there are some great destinations included in this discount.
WFO MEDFORD Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Tuesday, August 2, 2022

_____

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING

The National Weather Service in Medford has issued a

* Severe Thunderstorm Warning for...

Central Siskiyou County in northern California...

* Until 615 PM PDT.

* At 541 PM PDT, a severe thunderstorm was located near Grenada, or 9

miles south of Yreka, moving northeast at 10 mph.

HAZARD...Quarter size hail.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Damage to vehicles is expected. Torrential rainfall is

also occurring with this storm and may lead to localized

flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded

roadways.

* Locations impacted include...

Montague, Gazelle and Grenada.

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 this storm. 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.

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Copyright 2022 AccuWeather
WFO MEDFORD Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Tuesday, August 2, 2022

_____

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING

The National Weather Service in Medford has issued a

* Severe Thunderstorm Warning for...

North central Siskiyou County in northern California...

* Until 745 PM PDT.

* At 720 PM PDT, a severe thunderstorm was located near Tree Of

Heaven Campground, or near Yreka, moving northeast at 10 mph.

HAZARD...Quarter size hail.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Damage to vehicles is expected.

* Locations impacted include...

Yreka, Montague and Tree Of Heaven Campground.

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 this storm. 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 this storm, and may lead to

flash flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded roadways.

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Copyright 2022 AccuWeather
WFO MEDFORD Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Tuesday, August 2, 2022

_____

FLASH FLOOD WARNING

The National Weather Service in Medford has issued a

* Flash Flood Warning for...

North Central Siskiyou County in northern California...

* Until 900 PM PDT.

* At 732 PM PDT, Doppler radar indicated thunderstorms producing

heavy rain across the McKinney Fire Fire area. The heaviest rain

will be across the eastern half of the fire area. Flash flooding

is ongoing or expected to begin shortly.

HAZARD...Flash flooding and mudflows/debris flows caused by

heavy rain.

SOURCE...Radar.

IMPACT...Flash flooding, mudflows or debris flows in the burn

area.

* Areas generally south and east of Klamath River in the McKinney

Fire burn area.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Turn around, don't drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood

deaths occur in vehicles. Beware of debris and mud flows coming down

off higher slopes and in drainages.

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Copyright 2022 AccuWeather
WFO ALBANY Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Thursday, August 4, 2022

_____

HEAT ADVISORY

URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE

National Weather Service Albany NY

418 AM EDT Wed Aug 3 2022

...HEAT ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 11 AM TO 8 PM EDT

THURSDAY...

...HEAT ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM NOON TO 8 PM EDT FRIDAY...

* WHAT...Heat index values in the mid 90s to lower 100s expected

both Thursday and Friday afternoon.

* WHERE...In Connecticut, Litchfield County. In New York,

Dutchess and eastern Ulster County.

* WHEN...11 AM to 8 PM EDT Thursday and noon to 8 PM EDT Friday.

* IMPACTS...Hot temperatures and high humidity may cause heat

illnesses to occur.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out

of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors. Young

children and pets should never be left unattended in vehicles

under any circumstances.

Take extra precautions if you work or spend time outside. When

possible reschedule strenuous activities to early morning or

evening. Know the signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat

stroke. Wear lightweight and loose fitting clothing when

possible. To reduce risk during outdoor work, the Occupational

Safety and Health Administration recommends scheduling frequent

rest breaks in shaded or air conditioned environments. Anyone

overcome by heat should be moved to a cool and shaded location.

Heat stroke is an emergency! Call 9 1 1.

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Copyright 2022 AccuWeather
WFO BOSTON Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Friday, August 5, 2022

_____

HEAT ADVISORY

URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE

National Weather Service Boston/Norton MA

243 AM EDT Wed Aug 3 2022

...HEAT ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 11 AM THURSDAY TO 8 PM

EDT FRIDAY...

* WHAT...Heat index values up to 105 expected.

* WHERE...Portions of northern Connecticut, all of Massachusetts

east of the Berkshires except for the Cape and islands, as well

as all of Rhode Island except for Block Island.

* WHEN...From 11 AM Thursday to 8 PM EDT Friday.

* IMPACTS...Hot temperatures and high humidity may cause heat

illnesses to occur.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out

of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors. Young

children and pets should never be left unattended in vehicles

under any circumstances.

Take extra precautions if you work or spend time outside. When

possible reschedule strenuous activities to early morning or

evening. Know the signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat

stroke. Wear lightweight and loose fitting clothing when

possible. To reduce risk during outdoor work, the Occupational

Safety and Health Administration recommends scheduling frequent

rest breaks in shaded or air conditioned environments. Anyone

overcome by heat should be moved to a cool and shaded location.

Heat stroke is an emergency! Call 9 1 1.

_____

Copyright 2022 AccuWeather
WFO NEW YORK CITY Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Friday, August 5, 2022

_____

HEAT ADVISORY

URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE

National Weather Service New York NY

454 AM EDT Wed Aug 3 2022

...HEAT ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 11 AM THURSDAY TO 8 PM

EDT FRIDAY...

* WHAT...Heat index values between 95 to 104 expected on

Thursday, and 95 to 100 on Friday.

* WHERE...New York City.

* WHEN...From 11 AM Thursday to 8 PM EDT Friday.

* IMPACTS...The combination of heat and humidity may cause heat

related illnesses to occur.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

New York City residents should call 3 1 1 to identify cooling

center locations and obtain 'Beat the Heat' safety tips.

A Heat Advisory is issued when the combination of heat and

humidity is expected to make it feel like it is 95 to 99 degrees

for two or more consecutive days, or 100 to 104 degrees for any

length of time.

Seniors and those with chronic health problems or mental health

conditions are at an increased risk. Homes without air

conditioning can be much hotter than outdoor temperatures.

Use air conditioning to stay cool at home or go to a place that

has air conditioning. Check on vulnerable friends, family members

and neighbors.

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! In cases of heat stroke call 9 1 1.

* WHERE...Northeast New Jersey, interior southern Connecticut,

and the lower Hudson Valley in southeast New York.

* WHAT...Heat index values 95 to 100 expected.

* WHERE...Coastal Connecticut and Long Island.

_____

Copyright 2022 AccuWeather
WFO DALLAS / FT. WORTH Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Thursday, August 4, 2022

_____

HEAT ADVISORY

URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE

National Weather Service Fort Worth TX

1151 AM CDT Wed Aug 3 2022

...HEAT ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM CDT THURSDAY...

* WHAT...Temperatures between 103 and 106 and or Heat index

values up to 107 expected.

* WHERE...North central, northeast and south central Texas.

* WHEN...From noon Wednesday to 8 PM CDT Thursday.

* IMPACTS...Hot temperatures and high humidity will increase the

risk for heat-related illnesses to occur, particularly for

those working or participating in outdoor activities.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out

of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors. Young

children and pets should never be left unattended in vehicles

under any circumstances.

Take extra precautions if you work or spend time outside. When

possible reschedule strenuous activities to early morning or

evening. Know the signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat

stroke. Wear lightweight and loose fitting clothing when

possible. To reduce risk during outdoor work, the Occupational

Safety and Health Administration recommends scheduling frequent

rest breaks in shaded or air conditioned environments. Anyone

overcome by heat should be moved to a cool and shaded location.

Heat stroke is an emergency! Call 9 1 1.

...HEAT ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM CDT THURSDAY...

* WHERE...Mills and Lampasas Counties.

risk for heat-related illnesses to occur, particularly for those

working or participating in outdoor activities.

...WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM CDT THIS EVENING...

* WHAT...Southeast winds 20 to 30 mph with gusts up to 40 mph

expected.

* WHERE...Inland Kenedy, Southern Hidalgo, Inland Willacy,

Inland Cameron, Coastal Kenedy, Coastal Willacy and Coastal

Cameron Counties.

* WHEN...Until 8 PM CDT this evening.

* IMPACTS...Gusty winds could blow around unsecured objects. Tree

limbs could be blown down and a few power outages may result.

Use extra caution when driving, especially if operating a high

profile vehicle. Secure outdoor objects.

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Copyright 2022 AccuWeather
WFO EL PASO Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Wednesday, August 3, 2022

_____

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT

Special Weather Statement

National Weather Service El Paso TX

427 PM MDT Wed Aug 3 2022

...A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of central Hudspeth

County through 500 PM MDT...

At 427 PM MDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm 7

miles northwest of Sierra Blanca, moving west at 10 mph.

HAZARD...Winds in excess of 40 mph and nickel 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...

Finlay, Sunset Ranches and Round Top Mountain.

This includes Interstate 10 in Texas between mile markers 91 and 100.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.

LAT...LON 3135 10540 3124 10533 3117 10560 3139 10567

TIME...MOT...LOC 2227Z 075DEG 9KT 3128 10542

MAX HAIL SIZE...0.88 IN

MAX WIND GUST...40 MPH

...A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of central San Jacinto

and southwestern Polk Counties through 600 PM CDT...

At 527 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm over

Lake Livingston State Park, or near Livingston, moving north at 10

to 15 mph.

HAZARD...Winds in excess of 40 mph.

unsecured objects.

Livingston, Onalaska, Coldspring, Goodrich, Lake Livingston State

Park, West Livingston and Leggett.

If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building. Heavy

rainfall is also occurring with this storm and may lead to localized

flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded roadways.

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.

This storm may intensify, so be certain to monitor local radio

stations and available television stations for additional information

and possible warnings from the National Weather Service.

To report severe weather, contact your nearest law enforcement

agency. They will relay your report to the National Weather Service

office in League City.

LAT...LON 3053 9486 3055 9512 3082 9520 3083 9483

TIME...MOT...LOC 2227Z 187DEG 19KT 3063 9500

MAX HAIL SIZE...0.00 IN

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Copyright 2022 AccuWeather
WFO HOUSTON/GALVESTON Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Wednesday, August 3, 2022

_____

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT

Special Weather Statement

National Weather Service Houston/Galveston TX

517 PM CDT Wed Aug 3 2022

...A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of northeastern

Montgomery, southwestern San Jacinto and west central Liberty

Counties through 545 PM CDT...

At 516 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm near

Splendora, or 8 miles west of Cleveland, moving north at 5 TO 10 mph.

HAZARD...Winds in excess of 40 mph.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around

unsecured objects.

Locations impacted include...

Cleveland, Splendora, Cut And Shoot and North Cleveland.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.

Heavy rainfall is also occurring with this storm and may lead to

localized flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded

roadways.

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.

This storm may intensify, so be certain to monitor local radio

stations and available television stations for additional information

and possible warnings from the National Weather Service.

LAT...LON 3023 9511 3023 9531 3050 9536 3050 9505

TIME...MOT...LOC 2216Z 180DEG 12KT 3031 9521

MAX HAIL SIZE...0.00 IN

MAX WIND GUST...40 MPH

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Copyright 2022 AccuWeather
WFO SAN ANGELO Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Wednesday, August 3, 2022

_____

HEAT ADVISORY

URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE

National Weather Service San Angelo TX

256 PM CDT Wed Aug 3 2022

...HEAT ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM CDT THIS EVENING...

...HEAT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 1 PM TO 8 PM CDT THURSDAY...

* WHAT...Very hot temperatures of between 103 and 105 degrees this

afternoon and evening, and Thursday afternoon and evening.

* WHERE...Portions of west central Texas.

* WHEN...Until 8 PM CDT this evening. For Thursday, from 1 PM to

8 PM CDT Thursday.

* IMPACTS...Hot temperatures and high humidity may cause heat

illnesses to occur.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out

of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors. Young

children and pets should never be left unattended in vehicles

under any circumstances.

Take extra precautions if you work or spend time outside. When

possible reschedule strenuous activities to early morning or

evening. Know the signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat

stroke. Wear lightweight and loose fitting clothing when

possible. To reduce risk during outdoor work, the Occupational

Safety and Health Administration recommends scheduling frequent

rest breaks in shaded or air conditioned environments. Anyone

overcome by heat should be moved to a cool and shaded location.

Heat stroke is an emergency! Call 9 1 1.

* WHAT...Very hot temperatures between 103 and 105.

* WHERE...McCulloch and San Saba Counties.

* WHEN...From 1 PM to 8 PM CDT Thursday.

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Copyright 2022 AccuWeather
WFO SHREVEPORT Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Wednesday, August 3, 2022

_____

HEAT ADVISORY

URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE

National Weather Service Shreveport LA

310 AM CDT Wed Aug 3 2022

...HEAT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 1 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 7 PM CDT

THIS EVENING...

* WHAT...Heat index values between 105 and 109 degrees expected.

* WHERE...Portions of north central and northwest Louisiana,

southeast Oklahoma, south central and southwest Arkansas and

east and northeast Texas.

* WHEN...From 1 PM this afternoon to 7 PM CDT this evening.

* IMPACTS...Hot temperatures and high humidity may cause heat

illnesses to occur.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out

of the sun, and check up on your elderly relatives and neighbors.

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 whenever

possible. To reduce risk during outdoor work, the Occupational

Safety and Health Administration recommends scheduling frequent

rest breaks in shaded or air conditioned environments. Anyone

overcome by heat should be moved to a cool and shaded location.

Heat stroke is an emergency! Call 9 1 1.

...HEAT ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO 8 PM CDT

* WHAT...Mountains...Temperatures up to 99 expected. Central

Brewster County...Temperatures up to 104 expected.

* WHERE...Guadalupe and Delaware Mountains, Chinati, Davis,

Central Brewster, Chisos Basin, and Lower Brewster.

* WHEN...From noon to 8 PM CDT Wednesday.

* IMPACTS...Hot temperatures may cause heat illnesses to occur.

of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors. Young

children and pets should never be left unattended in vehicles

stroke. Wear lightweight and loose fitting clothing when

...HEAT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO 8 PM CDT THIS

EVENING...

* WHAT...Temperatures up to 106 expected.

* WHERE...In New Mexico, Eddy County Plains. In Texas, Scurry

and Mitchell Counties.

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Copyright 2022 AccuWeather
Page Content

When law firm Levitt Sheikh recalled its employees to the office in June 2020, there was initially some resistance. It was early in the pandemic, and many law firms in the Toronto area were still functioning remotely. But in the end, many employees not only returned to the office, but also liked the return of in-person interactions and workflow. Because its return to office happened early on, Levitt Sheikh didn't have to worry about an issue that many employers currently face: employees who have moved far away from the workplace during the pandemic.

"It's up to the employer: If the employer wants them back at work, they better go back or they're going to lose their jobs," said Howard Levitt, an attorney with Levitt Sheikh in Toronto. "If you don't come back, you've resigned."

Possible Mandatory Return

As more and more Canadian companies recall their employees to the workplace, there is growing tension between the workers who moved far away while working remotely and the employers that want them to return to the office. The circumstances of the pandemic allowed for remote work in situations that were not initially envisioned as remote-work jobs, and now that pandemic restrictions have eased, both employers and employees have to navigate a return to in-person work.

"There are more employers that were able to have room to allow for remote work during the pandemic who are now asking employees to return to a physical workspace than was the case during most of the last two years," said Catherine Coulter, counsel at Dentons in Ottawa.

"We're at a tipping point right now," Levitt said. "Everyone has been legally able to work from the offices for a very long time. What I recommend to employer clients is either order everybody back now or, if you're prepared to let them continue working from home, make them sign contracts agreeing to return on one month's notice at any time in the future. Then they've got nothing to worry about."



SHRM Resource Hub Page

Return to Work



How to Remain Remote

There are a few specific circumstances that employees can claim to avoid returning to the office, but they are limited.

"The first instance would be where the employee has some sort of a disability that precludes them from coming into work due to COVID-related concerns," said Coulter, noting that this includes the employee being immunocompromised and more at-risk if they were to catch COVID-19. However, the employee might be required to prove this to their employer with documentation from a doctor or from a doctor of the company's choosing.

"The employer can say, 'I don't believe you, I don't believe your doctor, I want you to see our doctor, we have a specialist,' " Levitt said. "Then it'll be a challenge to the doctors before the courtroom to see which doctor had more-credible evidence of whether this person genuinely cannot come and work at the office."

The second scenario that would allow an employee to remain remote is if the employee is the main caretaker for a defined immunocompromised family member. "In that particular case, the employee is going to need to be able to demonstrate that there is a legitimate reason why they need to care for the immediate family member," Coulter said.

Even then, there are ways the employer can compel the employee to return to the office. "The employer can say, 'Well, let's try and find day care' [or] 'Let's try and find some other form of care,' " Levitt said. "And if they can find that care for the employee, the employee has to take it. They can't say, 'No, I'd rather look after them myself.' They don't have that option."

Another option is that an employee can try to prove that working remotely was a term of their employment. "For example, before COVID, some people worked from home," Levitt said. "And I would have cases in which employers said, 'This isn't working for me, come back to the office,' and the employee would successfully sue for constructive dismissal, because that was a term of their employment."

What Options Are There?

If an employee has moved out of the province or out of the country during the pandemic, they should have broached that with their employer at the time, as there are few options to remain away if the employer wants to call them back to the office at this point in the pandemic.

"Hopefully that's in writing, or they at least e-mailed their employer confirming that; that would have been an option. That's what they should have done prudently at the time," Levitt said. "If that wasn't the deal, the employer only has to allow them enough reasonable time to move back to Canada."

There are also potential tax liabilities for companies if their employees have relocated. "If you permanently move outside of the jurisdiction, your employment contract is no longer valid. Employees are employed in the jurisdiction in which they perform most of their services," Coulter said. So an employee who moved to Quebec from Ontario would still be under an Ontario contract and taxed as an Ontario employee, which can cause problems. Employees moving between countries can cause even more problems for companies, which might appear in those cases to have business in the countries where their employees have relocated.

"It is, in fact, a very big deal when you change countries. And it's somewhat of a big deal when you change provinces," Coulter said. "And so at the end of the day, when an employee has been hired to work in a certain jurisdiction, the employer has the ability to demand that the employee return to that jurisdiction."

Katie Nadworny is a freelance writer in Istanbul.


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A provision in the enacted state budget for fiscal year 2023 would have amended the Massachusetts Paid Family and Medical Leave Act (PFMLA) to provide employers and employees more flexibility to use other accrued benefits to supplement paid benefits received from the state.

The governor initially returned the legislation to the legislature with a recommendation, rather than accepting the change. The legislature then passed the bill again and returned it to the governor. The governor has not acted on the returned bill. The bill, therefore, has not been amended.

Beginning in 2021, nearly all Massachusetts employees are entitled to receive up to 12 weeks of paid family leave to care for a family member or to bond with a new child, and up to 20 weeks of paid medical leave to address their own serious medical issues. Contributions from employers, employees, and the self-employed are collected to finance this paid leave benefit.

Currently, the maximum weekly benefit provided by the state for individuals on PFMLA leave is $1,084.31. Individuals who earn more than this amount on a weekly basis wishing to supplement this state-paid benefit may use funds from an employer's disability policy paid family or an employer's medical leave policy, such as a paid parental leave.

If the employer participated in the state program, the Department of Family and Medical Leave did not allow employers to supplement the PFMLA benefits with payments from sick leave policies, vacation policies, or general paid time off policies. Employers with private plans were not impacted by this policy. Further, if an employee received payments from any of those paid time off policies, the state took the position that it would not pay any PFMLA benefits during the leave.

Under the original amendment in the Massachusetts state budget, employers and employees could supplement the PFMLA benefit payments with "any accrued sick or vacation pay or other paid leave provided under an employer policy." Accordingly, employers participating in the state plan would be able to supplement the PFMLA benefit with accrued sick, vacation, or other paid leave.

Vetoing the provision, the governor stated concerns about the cost and implementation of the amendment and asked for a study on the costs. After receiving the governor's rejection of the amendment, the Massachusetts legislature voted to override the governor's amendment veto and returned it to the governor for signature.

The governor can sign the returned legislation or veto it. At this time, the governor has not acted.

Accordingly, the Massachusetts PFMLA has not been amended. Employers are still prohibited from supplementing PFMLA benefits with accrued sick, vacation, or other paid leave.

Brian E. Lewis is an attorney with Jackson Lewis in Boston. All rights reserved. Reprinted with permission.
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Michigan's Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act (ELCRA), prohibits sex-based discrimination, which includes discrimination based on sexual orientation, the Michigan Supreme Court recently held in Rouch World v. Department of Civil Rights.

This opinion, with two justices dissenting, comes approximately two years after the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Bostock v. Clayton County, which held that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits discrimination in employment based on sexual orientation and gender identity. The ELCRA applies to Michigan employers of all sizes, as well as to housing, education facilities, and places of public accommodation and service.

Enacted in 1976, the ELCRA prohibits discrimination based on religion, race, color, national origin, age, sex, height, weight, familial status, or marital status in employment, housing, education, and places of public accommodation and service.

Rouch World arises out of two investigations by the Michigan Department of Civil Rights (MDCR), the agency charged with enforcing the ELCRA, related to complaints made against plaintiffs Rouch World and Uprooted Electrolysis.

In the first investigation, Natalie Johnson and Megan Oswalt approached Rouch World in April 2019 to host their same-sex wedding. Rouch World declined, claiming that hosting a same-sex wedding ceremony would violate its owners' religious beliefs regarding marriage.

In the second investigation, Marissa Wolfe, a transgender woman, sought hair-removal services at Uprooted Electrolysis in May 2019. Uprooted Electrolysis denied services to Wolfe, claiming her request would violate the owner's religious beliefs pertaining to sex identity, because Wolfe's request was perceived as "centrally connected" to her transgender identity.

After being denied services, Johnson/Oswalt and Wolfe filed separate complaints with the MDCR, alleging the denials constituted sex discrimination under the ELCRA. The MDCR's investigation was stayed when Rouch World and Uprooted Electrolysis sued the MDCR and its then-director in the Michigan Court of Claims, seeking a declaratory judgment that sexual orientation and gender identity are not encompassed in the ELCRA's prohibition against sex discrimination.



Court Action



Relying on Barbour v. Department of Social Services, the Michigan Court of Claims granted Rouch World's motion for summary disposition, holding the ELCRA's prohibition of sex-based discrimination did not encompass sexual orientation. However, the Court of Claims held the ELCRA, in fact, prohibited sex discrimination based on gender identity.

The Michigan Supreme Court granted the MDCR defendants' application to address whether the prohibition on discrimination because of sex in the ELCRA applies to discrimination based on sexual orientation. The MDCR defendants did not appeal the ruling that the ELCRA prohibited sex-based discrimination on the basis of gender identity.



The Michigan Supreme Court began its analysis by looking to Michigan Court of Appeals precedent. Although the Michigan Court of Appeals had held in Barbour that the ELCRA did not prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation, the court noted Barbour looked only to federal circuit decisions regarding Congress' intent in enacting Title VII, rather than analyzing the issue under the ELCRA.

Importantly, the court noted that many of the federal cases relied upon by Barbour were overturned in Bostock v. Clayton County. Accordingly, the Michigan Supreme Court overruled Barbour.

The Michigan Supreme Court relied upon the U.S. Supreme Court's analysis of Title VII in Bostock, particularly that sex referred only to biological distinctions between male and female, "because of" established a broad, "but-for" causation standard, and the relevant inquiry is whether a specific employee was treated differently, not whether the employer treats different groups of persons differently.

Ultimately, the Michigan Supreme Court adopted the reasoning in Bostock. The court held that sexual orientation is "inextricably bound up with sex" because a person's sexual orientation is determined by reference to their own sex.

Further, it held discrimination based on sexual orientation also requires the discriminator to intentionally treat individuals differently because of their sex. Accordingly, the court held that, because discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation inherently involves discrimination on the basis of sex, the prohibition of discrimination "because of sex" under the ELCRA includes sexual orientation.

Significantly, the court stated that its decision does not alter any of the steps in a discrimination analysis under the ELCRA, and its opinion did not address constitutional religious liberty protections. Accordingly, the practical effect of Rouch World is simply to include a prohibition against discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation under the ELCRA's prohibition of sex-based discrimination.

Michigan employers should review their policies and ensure they reflect protections against sexual orientation and gender identity discrimination.

Marlo Johnson Roebuck, Elyse K. Culberson and Benjamin D. Wu are lawyers with Jackson Lewis in Detroit.  2022. All rights reserved. Reprinted with permission.
Twid, an Indian startup operating a rewards-based payment platform, has raised $12 million to scale its network of merchants and issuers and expand its solution in the South Asian market.

Rakuten Capital led the startups Series A round, which also saw participation from Google and existing investors including Sequoia Surge and Beenext.

Twid allows customers to pay at offline and online stores using their existing loyalty and reward points from banks, fintech platforms and e-commerce websites. The Bengaluru-based startups partners include online grocer JioMart, pharmacy NetMeds, ticketing platform Yatra and music streamer Gaana.

The problem has been very simple and quite large across the globe, that people have got rewards from multiple places, but they have primarily been very much like a locked asset, said Amit Koshal, founder and chief executive of Twid, in an interview with TechCrunch.

Koshal founded Twid with Rishi Batra and Amit Sharma in 2020 to build a network effect platform for the masses. The company claims to have amassed more than 40 million registered users.

Twid brings a Pay with Rewards option that is available on the checkout page of an online store or at a retailer to let customers redeem their reward points for their purchases. The reward points, in this case, can come from a list of issuers, and users can pick which loyalty program or reward points they wish to redeem.

IndusInd Bank, Payback and InterMiles are some of the key reward point issuers for Twid users. The platform also fetches reward points from Flipkart to let users make payments using their SuperCoins  the term the e-commerce firm uses for its loyalty points.

Twid claims that through its issuer partners, it provides access to more than $1 billion in reward points pool and has presence across over 50,000 merchants.

Koshal told TechCrunch that Twid controlled more than 5-8% of the total digital transactions of its merchant partners. The startup has also integrated its platform with payment gateways including PayU, RazorPay and CCAvenue to offer the rewards point-based payment option on several online stores.

The idea is that we can control 80% of all the redemption that happens in the country, Koshal said. The executive also claimed that merchants are actively integrating Twids platform as it is helping them acquire customers at a low cost  instead of luring them into making purchases after giving discounts or cashbacks.

We give a lot of intelligence back to our partners; what are the kinds of categories that are doing good, what is the average order value that we have increased for you, how many transactions per customer that we are increasing for you, Koshal said. Similarly, from an issuer perspective, the issuer has good clarity because its their points getting used.

Twid also helps its issuer partners fine-tune their offerings by sharing which reward points are making fast inroads with customers.

When we are integrated with all these issuers, we have access to over 300 million customers from them, he said.

Twid shows a Pay with Rewards option to let users pay using their reward points. Image Credits: Twid

Twid plans to use the fresh funds to grow its network and go deeper into the business, Koshal told TechCrunch. The second one is that we want to build a great moonshot talent team. So, we are growing in all departments, he said. The company currently has a headcount of 42 people.

The executive noted that there are plans to bolster the technology and invest a lot in data science. Rakuten India CEO Sunil Gopinath is joining the Twid board of directors on behalf of Rakuten Capital.

Rakuten Capital sees tremendous potential and future synergies in this investment. Given our global membership products are developed here in Bengaluru by Rakuten India, Im thrilled to join the Twid board of directors and look forward to working with Amit Koshal, Rishi Batra, Amit Sharma and their very capable team to transform the way reward points are viewed and used in India, Gopinath said in a prepared statement.

Twid plans to leverage Rakutens expertise in reward points to enhance its platform.

Whatever their [Rakutens] expertise is, from the kind of products, platforms etc., they have built, the skill that they have achieved, those are the learnings that we would be inculcating from them to build a very strong business in India to begin with, Koshal told TechCrunch.

In a statement to TechCrunch, Rakuten Capital said that it saw a huge market potential for Indian-based rewards business opportunities, and Twid was well-positioned to take advantage of this opportunity to build and scale its business model.

We are also looking forward to make available our tech talent at Rakuten India who has been building Rakuten Groups global reward program platforms to support Twid with developing best-in-class solutions for India, the corporate venture capital arm of the Japanese company said.

In parallel with Rakuten, Googles addition is expected to help Twid expand its model of enabling customers to make purchases using their multiple reward points.

Google has a long history of investing in early-stage startups across a variety of industries. And we are very excited to collaborate with credible players like them in the journey, Koshal said.

In July last year, Twid raised $2.5 million in funding led by Beenext and Sequoias Surge. What we liked when we met the team and what stood out to us is that rather than building out a closed-loop system, they tried to make this thing fungible and create an open-loop system, Hero Choudhary, managing partner, Beenext, told TechCrunch, while describing what made the Singaporean venture capital firm support Twid since its early stage.
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Over the last four decades, the financial circumstances into which children have been born have increasingly determined where they have ended up as adults. But an expansive new study, based on billions of social media connections, has uncovered a powerful exception to that pattern that helps explain why certain places offer a path out of poverty.

For poor children, living in an area where people have more friendships that cut across class lines significantly increases how much they earn in adulthood, the new research found.

The study, published this week in Nature, analysed the Facebook friendships of 72 million people, amounting to 84 per cent of US adults aged 25 to 44.

Cross-class friendships have a stronger impact on future incomes than school quality, family structure and job availability, the study has found. Credit:Age archive

Previously, it was clear that some suburbs were much better than others at removing barriers to climbing the income ladder, but it wasnt clear why. The new analysis  the biggest of its kind  found the degree to which the rich and poor were connected explained why a suburbs children did better later in life, more than any other factor.
Acclaimed TV series Borgen, about a fictional first female prime minister of Denmark, has just dropped its fourth season, arguably the best yet. I devoured the box-set of seasons one to three a decade ago. Never had I imagined becoming so utterly caught up in a show about politics, set in a country about which I knew precious little.

Half the appeal lies in the performance of Sidse Babett Knudsen, who plays the titular role of Danish prime minister Birgitte Nyborg. I could watch the captivating Knudsen reading a phone book of bewildering (to this ignorant Anglo) Danish names.

Half the appeal of Borgen lies in the performance of Sidse Babett Knudsen who plays the Danish prime minister.

The thing that sold me utterly on season four, however, was its startlingly realistic portrayal of a menopausal woman, without pandering to stereotypes. Sure, the ever-ambitious Nyborg is crankier than she used to be, but this is revealed to be less due to her hormones than her essential loneliness.

In one profoundly moving scene, where her adult son challenges her as to why power has recently become the most important thing in her life, she says, simply: But back then, I had you guys.
Historically, oaths of allegiance were meant to distinguish between friends and foes, securing allies and unmasking enemies who refused to swear. Oaths were always intended to be more than words. They bound the persons conscience, and many oaths accordingly included a promise that the oath was taken without mental reservation or purpose of evasion.

Debate between monarchists and republicans over the appropriateness of swearing allegiance to the Queen has, in particular, been stirred. But the issue of oath-swearing is wider and more complex than this. Thorpes act invites us to think more deeply about the purpose of an oath, and not merely its object.

Lidia Thorpes act of protest on Monday, adding words to the oath of allegiance during her swearing-in as a senator, has been greeted with both outrage and sympathy.

This principle was famously enforced in the 1880s against British secularist leader Charles Bradlaugh, who was elected several times to the House of Commons but was prevented from swearing the oath of office and thus taking his seat. Why? Because he was known to be an atheist and the oath at that time included a reference to God with no alternative of a secular affirmation.

Any departure from the precise wording of an oath also rendered it ineffective, and this principle still holds. We are reminded of US president Obamas first inauguration, where the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, John Roberts, got a single word out of order in reciting the oath for the president-elect to repeat. Obama later took the correct oath in the presidents office, to be certain of its validity.

Changing or adding words as a form of protest is also not new. In 2016, several pro-democracy members of the Legislative Council of Hong Kong were disqualified from taking their seat for deliberately mispronouncing or altering words in the oath, in protest at being required to swear allegiance to Hong Kong as a constitutive part of China.

Should incoming politicians be permitted to personalise their oath in this manner?

For some, perhaps many, both in the parliament and the wider public, the wording of the Australian oath is incompatible with the democratic idea that our members of parliament represent the Australian people and not the monarch. But, short of changing the Australian Constitution by referendum, there is no way of getting around the fact that the Constitution requires every parliamentarian to take the oath of office before taking his or her seat.
Keen to do a sticker run Well before neo-Nazi propaganda began appearing this year at sites around the city of Wollongong and in Sydneys CBD, the man calling himself Underland had started networking online across Australias extremist scene. Records of his communications obtained by this masthead reveal Telegram served as the perfect platform. It allowed him to mask his identity as he sought counsel and new introductions from entrenched extremist figures. After Underland had been directed towards the Melbourne-based European Australian Movement on a Telegram-hosted neo-Nazi channel, Underland began communicating. His contact uses the alias Aussie Meditations. In February, The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald identified the user of this alias as Stefan Eracleous, a former young Liberal member turned neo-Nazi from Victoria. Eracleous was responsible for a January 19 propaganda video depicting three masked neo-Nazis burning an Aboriginal flag, reciting a white supremacist manifesto and attacking Greens senator Lidia Thorpe. In May, Underland asked Eracleous what stickers have you got an [sic] how much are they ... Me and a few of the boys are keen to do a sticker run. Eracleous responded swiftly, offering extremist stickers and posters that were very cheap and good designs.

It is unclear if Eracleous helped Underland obtain neo-Nazi material, but it seems likely. After the pairs exchange of messages, Underland embarked on a propaganda campaign around Wollongong, placing stickers and posters up at several sites. One of Underlands aims appears to have been recruitment. Posters encouraged people to connect with his new neo-Nazi cell, the Illawarra Active, via its dedicated Telegram page. Young Australians were particular targets, with graffiti, stickers and posters placed on walls and signs at the University of Wollongong. Underland and a small number of others also targeted local migrant communities. One Telegram post uploaded by the group shows it placing Islamists not welcome posters at Wollongongs Omar mosque. The message exchange in which Underland asks for neo-Nazi material from a Melbourne-based extremist. Budding racists who responded to the request to follow Illawarra Actives Telegram account were confronted online with material that became increasingly disturbing. On May 21, the account shared a video promoting the European Australia Movement and urged supporters to help free one of its leaders. The man is on bail in Melbourne while facing charges relating to an assault allegation. His case has been turned into a rallying point by neo-Nazi groups across Australia. On June 2, the Illawarra Active account shared material created by a group that is proscribed as a terrorist organisation in Australia, the overseas-based National Socialist Order. It included a video outlining the core beliefs set out in a white supremacist book, Siege, which has been used as inspiration by terrorist actors across the world and which champions violent conflict with mainstream society.

Terrorgram The New Zealand Royal Commission called after the Christchurch massacre noted the Australian terrorist who committed the atrocity was an adherent to the views espoused in Siege, particularly the idea that violent action should be embraced to accelerate the reach and power of white nationalism. An image on the Illawarra Active social media site. The number of Australians who responded to the propaganda drive by following the Illawarra Actives Telegram account appears to have been no more than about 50 at any time, even after the group gained a publicity bounce from an Illawarra Mercury story on June 6 headlined Police investigate the white supremacy, neo-Nazi flyers found at University of Wollongong campus. But while the group remains small, its Telegram channel reveals devoted followers using the encrypted platform to communicate, publicise events and liaise with other neo-Nazi cells across Australia.

Researchers from the USs Centre on Terrorism, Extremism and Counterterrorism recently described how Telegram had enabled the formation of a so-called Terrorgram community, which uses the encrypted platform as the principal point of online organising, identity building, propaganda distribution, and more. The researchers analysed thousands of Telegram messages from two new militant neo-Nazi networks to form insights into their diffuse networks and how they relate to the threats of real-world violence they pose. The report warns that even small online cells may pose a tangible terror risk, citing the June 2021 thwarting of a terror plot in Texas by a member of one of the two networks analysed in the report. Telegram is in many ways an ideal platform for dangerous actors. It has good functionality, communications are encrypted, its user base is expanding and content moderation is practically non-existent, says Lydia Khalil, a Lowy Institute research fellow and author of the upcoming book Rise of the Extreme Right. Evident in Underlands Telegram history is a hunger to move off the internet and into the real world. In one message thread with the Adelaide terror suspect, Eracleous and several EAM members, Underland discusses buying a large block of land to set up a decent community and creating a White Australia political party. Political or racist violence is a deliberate theme in many posts.

Unintended consequences But Underlands online activity also has an unintended consequence, revealing a series of clues about his true identity. Three years of his internet posting, reviewed by anti-fascist researchers from The White Rose Society, reveals a job (arborist), a first name (Adrian) and a middle initial (J), all pointing to a 34-year-old Wollongong man called Adrian John Carr. Adrian John Carr claims his social media sites have been hacked. More online digging shows that Carr used his real email and name to set up a Skype account. Its profile photo displays the name Underland. An archived Twitter account reveals a similar link between Carr and the alias Underland. When called by this masthead, Carr denied he was Underland, claiming his various social media accounts had been hacked. I got defrauded, my identity got stolen, he said. He did confirm, however, that he was the author of a since-deleted post from his Facebook page that described Jews as scum.

Carrs fellow cell members include Wollongong man Ben Thomas, 36, whose identity is given away by the distinctive hand tattoos that appear both on his Facebook page and on the Illawarra Actives Telegram page. Thomass hands can be seen on some of the cells propaganda videos plastering neo-Nazi propaganda around Wollongong. He could not be reached for comment. Ben Thomas. Another cell member, a 30-year-old Wollongong tradesman (who this masthead is not naming for legal reasons), shares with Carr and Thomas a history of police attention for alleged criminal activity, having spent years in jail. A NSW man who had been approached to join the group described Carr as its key actor and noted its members had nearly all experienced family and mental instability and trauma as younger men. The man, who asked to remain confidential, blamed people on the internet for radicalising Carr. I dont like what AJ [Adrian] is doing. I dont like the hate that is being spread. But you need to ask, why is Adrian the way he is? What is causing these young men in the regions to slip through the cracks?

A global challenge The young men in Illawarra Active appear to relish the brotherhood formed first in the Telegram neo-Nazi community and then in person, as they urge each other on to become more radical. As researchers overseas have observed of European and American Telegram neo-Nazi and white supremacist groups, the Australian terrorgram community is also notable not only for its extremist camaraderie, but its resilience. The chats involving Carr and his fellow cell members appear to observe the recent arrest of like-minded Australians by the federal police counter-terror teams as reason to continue their fight, rather than to rethink their views. It also shows how quickly a small band of disorganised and disillusioned men from regional Australia can fall into the orbit of highly organised international extremist groups. The National Socialist Order is banned in Australia as a terror group, but Illawarra Active has freely shared its propaganda online.
First published in The Sydney Morning Herald, August 5, 1987.

A National Australia Bank branch in Hornsby was held up at 8.30 am yesterday when a masked robber drove a stolen Toyota four-wheel-drive station wagon straight into the bank through the plate-glass doors.

The robber, armed with a high-powered weapon, possibly an Ml6 semi-automatic carbine, demanded the bags from the night deposit safe, which was being cleared for the first time since Friday.

Crime scene ... bank staff look on at where the Toyota came to rest. Credit:Barry Gilmour

He grabbed the bags, abandoned his vehicle and fled from the bank, which is on the corner of Hunter and Florence Streets, to another stolen vehicle - a Ford LTD - driven by an accomplice.
Charges against the former boss of Queenslands biggest public hospital service, accused of using his position to get his daughter Katy a job, could be dropped.

Former Queensland Health Metro North Hospital and Health Service chief executive Malcolm Frederick Stamp faced a committal hearing on charges of corruptly soliciting valuable consideration to influence favour, fraud, and falsifying records.

Malcolm Stamp leaves Brisbane Magistrates Court. Credit:Toby Crockford

It is alleged the job, arranged through a contractor and which Katy took up for several months in 2014, had an annual salary of $80,000.

Stamp, now 69, was suspended in September 2014 and sacked in January 2015, after a Crime and Corruption Commission investigation.
Just three months ago, they were the NSW Liberal Partys premier power couple. But its been a swift fall from grace for Senator Marise Payne and her partner, former NSW deputy Liberal leader Stuart Ayres.

Yesterday, Ayres quit as deputy leader and stepped down from cabinet over his role in appointing former deputy premier John Barilaro to a cushy trade posting in New York.

Marise Payne and Stuart Ayres photographed in 2015. Credit:Tim Bauer

Paynes party was battered at the federal election, and as one of the few moderates left standing, shes gone from foreign minister to a regular senator sidelined from Peter Duttons shadow cabinet  unless the consolation prize of a shadow cabinet secretary appointment counts for anything.

With that comes a dramatic fall in their joint salary. Almost overnight, Ayres earnings have tumbled from $333,072 to $172,576. Payne also loses her $364,410 ministerial salary, and is now on a humble $217,060  at least the federal pollies just got a pay bump.
Detectives say one of two gunmen who crashed into a fire hydrant after shooting ex-Mongols bikie Suleiman Sam Abdulrahim also tried to hide in a restaurant garbage bin when fleeing the crime scene.

Police have released CCTV footage of two men they say were in a Mazda SUV when they ambushed and shot Abdulrahim, 30, multiple times as he left a funeral at Fawkner cemetery in June.

The Mazda sped away from the scene before crashing into a fire hydrant and a pole on Box Forest Road, near Sydney Road, where the pair ran from the damaged vehicle.

The footage shows one of the alleged offenders, dressed in black and attempting to hide his face with an item of clothing, climbing into a bin filled with cardboard boxes near a fast food restaurant on Sydney Road.
A former executive at Ambulance Victoria has brought landmark legal action against the emergency service, claiming her life was tipped upside down and her career shattered because of sexist and discriminatory treatment by its senior management.

As director of complex care, Tracey Tobias was the only woman among Ambulance Victorias seven clinical operations directors when appointed in 2018. She said the impact of the sexism she had experienced was so severe, it destroyed her mental health, self-confidence and professional self-esteem.

Former Ambulance Victoria senior manager Tracey Tobias. Credit:Jason South

Tobias told The Age her very fulfilling and wonderful career as a health services manager, which included time as a chief executive in the private hospital system and as a director in the public system, had largely ended because of the destructive toll of her time at Ambulance Victoria.

Tobias lawyers, Maurice Blackburn, have lodged a Federal Circuit Court statement of claim alleging she was systematically discriminated against, denied the conditions given to her male colleagues and forced out of the organisation after complaining about sexism.
Federal parliament will hammer out key details of what an Indigenous Voice to parliament will look like and when a national vote is held, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says, in a shift from his position that much of the detail would happen after a referendum.

He has indicated the model for the Voice outlined by Professors Marcia Langton and Tom Calma in a 2021 report to the former Morrison government will be central to the debate and design.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese during a press conference at Parliament House in Canberra Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

Last Saturday, Albanese announced Australians would be asked whether they supported or opposed enshrining an Indigenous Voice in the constitution, and the three sentences that would be added to what he dubbed Australias birth certificate.

On Sunday, the prime minister said much of the detail about the structure of the Voice would not be known until after the referendum was held as he wanted to avoid a repeat of the failed republic referendum in 1999 when opponents were looking at the detail of the proposal and saying, well, if you disagree with these 50 clauses, if you disagree with one out of the 50 but 49 are okay, vote no. Were not doing that.
Former prime minister Paul Keating has savaged Greens leader Adam Bandt for branding Labor a neoliberal party in a row over the environment after Labor secured the numbers to legislate its 43 per cent cut to greenhouse gas emissions.

Hours after the Greens said they would vote for the governments landmark climate bill, Keating launched a spirited defence of the Labor legacy on climate and the environment to reject the need to make concessions to Bandt on the policy.

Adam Bandt says he will keep fighting new coal and gas projects. Credit:James Brickwood

But a new test looms in Parliament after the Greens leader said the agreement on the climate bill was only round one because he would keep pushing to halt new coal and gas projects and to include tougher rules in environment law to reduce carbon emissions.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese welcomed the Greens support for the Labor bill as a sign the climate wars could be over, but he bluntly rejected a proposal from Bandt to use the government scheme to curb emissions as a way to halt new coal and gas projects.
The former Defence Force chief leading Australias snap review of defence says global security conditions are the worst in his lifetime.

However, there are reservations about the governments decision to appoint former Labor defence minister Stephen Smith as one of the two lead reviewers.

Former defence minister Stephen Smith will lead the review with Sir Angus Houston. Pictured with Defence Minister Richard Marles. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Defence Minister Richard Marles have tasked Smith and former Chief of the Defence Force Angus Houston to conduct a defence strategic review and report back in early 2023. The intention is to have their advice around the same time as a report of a working group into the new submarine fleet.

Underpinning the new report will be the advice from a 2020 strategic update that attacks on Australia could come with short notice  a big change from the assumption over the past 30 years that there would be at least 10 years warning of any attack.
NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet has struggled to assert control over the governments agenda in the seven weeks since the state budget but he has now taken decisive action on two fronts.

After weeks of scandal, Perrottet on Wednesday forced the resignation of Liberal deputy leader and trade minister Stuart Ayres for his role in the disgraceful John Barilaro trade post affair.

He has simultaneously decided to call the bluff of Australian Rugby League Commission chairman Peter Vlandys in the battle over government funding for suburban stadiums.

Although both decisions should have been taken sooner, they are a big step in the right direction.

At the very least, Ayres deserved to be fired because he has been less than truthful with the public and premier about the process by which Barilaro was handed a $500,000-a-year job as trade commissioner in New York.
NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet has conceded the appointment of former deputy premier John Barilaro to a controversial US trade post was not conducted at arms length, forcing the resignation of Stuart Ayres from cabinet over his role in the ongoing scandal.

Ayres informed the premier of his decision to resign from cabinet and his role as deputy Liberal leader after a draft review into the trade job saga raised questions about whether he breached the ministerial code of conduct.

NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet and former trade minister Stuart Ayres. Credit:Rhett Wyman

The premier said an excerpt of the independent review he received late on Tuesday raised a concern about Ayres conduct in the recruitment of Barilaro to the plum New York trade post.

Information that has come to light in the review clearly demonstrates the process was not at arms length, he said.
Police have used spit hoods on 20 young people in Queensland watchhouses since 2015  up to as recently as six months ago.

The hoods, which are made of fabric and placed over a detainees head to stop them spitting or biting, carry suffocation risks if not used properly.

This image of Dylan Voller in a spit hood and mechanical restraint chair at the Don Dale Youth Detention Centre helped trigger a royal commission. Credit:ABC

The revelations refreshed calls by the Greens for a ban on the hoods, which came to broad public attention during a 2016 Four Corners report into the Northern Territorys Don Dale Youth Detention Centre and were labelled torture devices by the United Nations.

Asked by the Greens Maiwar MP, Michael Berkman, during an estimates hearing on Wednesday about their use on 10 to 17-year-olds, Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll said this had not occurred in the past six or seven months.
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Coach Dave Rennie says Samu Kerevi remains a big part of Australias World Cup plans despite a season-ending knee injury, which will see the star centre enter the 2023 tournament having played less than a third of the Wallabies games in the four-year build-up.

The Wallabies confirmed Kerevi would miss the rest of the year after injuring his right knee playing for the Australian sevens team in a clash against Kenya at the Commonwealth Games.

It was initially downplayed as not serious and Kerevi expressed confidence he would be back on the field soon. But scans painted a far bleaker picture, with the 29-year-old having torn an ACL and requiring surgery. Kerevi told Rennie he was shattered by the news.

Speaking in Buenos Aires, Rennie said Kerevis absence would leave a big hole in the Wallabies.
PHILIPSBURG (DCOMM):--- The Collective Prevention Services (CPS) Youth Health Care (YHC) from the Ministry of Public Health, Social Development and Labor (Ministry VSA), plays a very important role where youth health is concerned.



This week YHC is celebrating World Breastfeeding Week (August 1-7). Exclusive breastfeeding for six months has many benefits for the infant and mother and YHC is currently sharing this information with the Sint Maarten community.



Section YHC fully understands that mothers need support to get started and sustain breastfeeding. YHC nurses give guidance during consultation in person at the Baby Wellness Clinic or via telephone. With this approach, confidence is built.



YHC nurses help build confidence by providing counseling and guidance surrounding breastfeeding. The nurses are here to ensure that the mothers feel comfortable and assure them that, everyone can breastfeed their infant.



Breastfeeding is a natural process. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), being a parent is the most important job in the world, and it is important to give parents all the support they need to give their children the best start in life. #Breastfeeding is one of them.



Breast milk is also an important source of energy and nutrients in children aged six to 24 months. It can provide half or more of a childs energy needs between the ages of six and 12 months, and one-third of energy needs between 12 and 24 months.



Breast milk is also a critical source of energy and nutrients during illness and reduces mortality among children who are malnourished.



Children and adolescents who were breastfed as babies are less likely to be overweight or obese. Additionally, they perform better on intelligence tests and have higher school attendance.



Breastfeeding is associated with higher income in adult life. Improving child development and reducing health costs results in economic gains for individual families as well as at the national level. (1) Reference: The Lancet Breastfeeding Series papers. data-sf-ec-immutable="">



Longer durations of breastfeeding also contribute to the health and well-being of mothers: it reduces the risk of ovarian and breast cancer and helps space pregnanciesexclusive breastfeeding of babies under 6 months has a hormonal effect which often induces a lack of menstruation. This is a natural (though not fail-safe) method of birth control known as the Lactation Amenorrhoea Method. - WHO



To learn more about breastfeeding, interested persons can call or email: 721-520-4163; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
~Airport of the Future loading~

SIMPSON BAY:--- The Honorable Prime Minister and Minister of General Affairs, Silveria Jacobs participated in an invited tour which further apprised her of an update on the Airport Terminal Reconstruction Project on August 2, 2022. Spearheading the walkthrough tour of the terminal building were members of the PJIAE Management Board, CEO, Brian Mingo, CFO, Ben van der Klift, and the Project Management Unit (PMU).

The Prime Minister was guided through the former Check-In, Arrival, and Departure Halls of the airport to gain more insight into the themed Airport of the Future project. The Management Board also gave a clear timeline of the reconstruction project. I was happy to see some development despite the challenges faced with adapting to some night work due to the excessive noise. Its good to see the interior taking shape, seeing the material on the ground ready for install. Im looking forward to the official update and progress report. However, getting a first-hand look from time to time, is always more comprehensive than a written report. said Prime Minister Jacobs of the construction.

According to the CEO, Brian Mingo, It is significant to note that the Honorable Prime Minister has always prioritized the Airport Terminal Reconstruction Project and todays tour was no different as she took a hands-on approach to view the construction site first-hand. Our team will continue to be transparent with the phased-plan project and deliver the much anticipated Airport of the Future.

The Airport Terminal Reconstruction Project is an essential development that will modernize the 15-year-old terminal building, that encountered catastrophic damage by hurricane Irma in 2017. The Princess Juliana International Airport Operating Company N.V. (PJIAE) and the National Recovery Program Bureau (NRPB) implemented the reconstruction project. Subsidization of the project is by the St. Maarten Trust Fund, managed by the World Bank, and the European Investment Bank (EIB), through a loan from the Government of St. Maarten to PJIAE N.V. Noteworthy is the project is also funded through the Princess Juliana International Airport.

For further insight into the development of the St. Maarten Airport Terminal Reconstruction Project, web users may visit our web page at www.sxmairport.com and click the construction tab.
PHILIPSBURG:--- Aviation Authorities of the Dominican Republic and St. Maarten have resolved the issues affecting airlifts between the two countries following the intervention of Acting Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transportation & Telecommunication (TEATT) Omar Ottley on Tuesday. Based on the resolution Ottley has given the approval for the Director of St. Maarten Civil Aviation Authority Mr. Luis Halley to recall the letter he sent banning flights from the Dominican Republic as of August 5.



Minister Ottley held an emergency meeting on Tuesday with Foreign Affairs representatives for the Government of St. Maarten, the Secretary General of the Ministry of TEATT, the head of the Tourism Bureau, and the Director of Civil Aviation. The goal was to ascertain what resulted in the St. Maarten Civil Aviation Authority issuing the ban on flights from the Dominican Republic and to find a more amicable solution that does not leave thousands of passengers stranded for the summer.



A letter sent by the Director of St. Maarten's Civil Aviation Authority sparked significant concern within the community as he decided to suspend flights between the Dominican Republic and St. Maarten. His action was in response to a decision by the Civil Aviation Authority of the Dominican Republic to stop local airline WINAIR from flying to and selling airline tickets in the Dominican Republic.



During the emergency meeting, Minister Ottley suggested that Mr. Halley contacted the Civil Aviation Authority in the Dominican Republic to learn more about their decision (Resolution 172-2022) to deny St. Maarten flagship carrier WINAIR traffic rights between St. Maarten and the Dominican Republic.

Based on information gathered and the agreements reached, Ottley and his team advised the Director of Civil Aviation in St. Maarten to recall the initial ban on airlifts from the Dominican Republic. A letter will be sent to the Civil Aviation Authority in the Dominican Republic informing them of the decision to rescind the letter banning airlifts effective August 5 and thanking them for allowing WINAIR to resume airlifts between the two countries.

"It must be clear that we are equally interested in the airlifts between the Dominican Republic and St. Maarten and will defend our goal to have our local carriers branch out to these islands to offer services reciprocally," said Ottley. He said the two countries now have a mutual understanding, and it was agreed that WINAIR would continue its charter services to the Dominican Republic and sell tickets there throughout August.

Airlines from the Dominican Republic can also fly to St. Maarten if their airlift agreement has not expired.



Based on this agreement, Ottley said WINAIR would also be allowed to apply for a Commercial airline service license in the Dominican Republic, which it will receive once the airline complies with the required regulations.

"It is important that we understand the need to protect our own, which I believe was the premise of the letter sent in the first instance. However, we must also recognize that at times our actions can harm more than help, and therefore diplomacy is sometimes a better avenue of travel," said Ottley.

Ottley said the same reciprocity goes for airlines from the Dominican Republic whose service agreements are still valid for St. Maarten or are requesting new service dates.

Click here to view the confirmation letter from the SXM to reverse the ban.
PHILIPSBURG:--- Under the theme 'Together we are stronger, the first collective meeting took place on July 27 and 28, 2022, in St. Maarten between employers and unions to arrive at a joint Collective Labor Agreement (CLA) for the health care organizations on Bonaire, St. Eustatius, and Saba. A first for the BES region!

Employers and employees have wanted to come to this joint CLA for years. In the CLA of the healthcare organizations on Saba and St. Eustatius and the CLA of Fundashon Mariadal (FM), parties have agreed to work towards a joint CLA for which the employment conditions level of FMs CLA is an important starting point.

In the meeting, the employers and the unions discussed this joint CLA for the first time under the guidance of FWG Progressional People. The employers are Saba Cares Foundation, St. Eustatius Health Care Foundation, St. Eustatius Auxiliary Home Foundation, Fundashon Mariadal, and Mental Health Caribbean. The workers affiliated with the unions are represented by Saba United People's Labor Union and Association (SUPLUA), All for 1 Union Sint Eustatius, and the General Federation of Boneriaanse Werknemers (AFBW). During the meeting, the employers and the trade unions shared what they each want to achieve with this joint CLA, what the common interest is, and what they consider important to successfully complete this process together.

One joint collective labor agreement

All parties see the joint CLA as an important instrument for a properly functioning labor market and for addressing major current HR issues together. Parties have established that these issues can only be addressed effectively if they work together.

Continuing to provide high-quality care to citizens of Bonaire, St. Eustatius, and Saba is a top priority for all care organizations and unions. This is not possible without sufficient staff who are well trained and motivated. A joint CLA with a good employment conditions package that is the same for all employers is a precondition for preventing competition on employment conditions with all the negative labor market and financial consequences. In addition, this gives the employers the opportunity to better work together to attract qualified personnel.

Efforts

Reaching the joint framework collective labor agreement requires a great deal from the parties. The framework collective labor agreement contributes to ensuring that high-quality care can continue to be provided to the citizens of Bonaire, St. Eustatius, and Saba in an effective and efficient manner. It also contributes to improving the income position of employees and thus reducing poverty on the BES. Last but not least, all parties have expressed their strong support that the current differences in salaries between the islands for the same functions are no longer justifiable.




~ Ball is in WINAIR court, following procedures to obtain a commercial license.~

PHILIPSBURG:--- Acting Minister of TEATT Omar Ottley confirmed on Wednesday that the government of St. Maarten was not officially informed of the decision taken by Civil Aviation St. Maarten to ban all carries from the Dominican Republic on Monday.

Ottley said that the director of Civil Aviation is mandated to take such decisions, but he should have informed then cooler heads would have prevailed because he would have intervened prior to the matter escalating.

Ottley said WINAIR has an agreement with the Dominican Republic for chartered flights, however, there were some miscommunications with the parties involved, he said in the first letter sent out by Civil Aviation, he as the Acting Minister of TEATT and Foreign Affairs was copied, however that letter has nothing to do with the ban. He further explained that in the letter that was circulated by social media he was not officially informed, however, the Civil Aviation Director does have that mandate that was issued before he took office.

Ottley said since the ban was issued, he did hold discussions with the director of Civil Aviation because he is ultimately responsible for the decisions taken by the country. He said after having that discussion he opted to place his focus on resolving the issues between the two countries.

Ottley said that once all information was gathered, they came to realize that WINAIR applied for a license for commercial flights since they already have an agreement for chartered flights. Ottley said the Dominican Republic has its guidelines and procedures, criteria, and regulations that applicants must follow to obtain such permits. He said after the discussions were held WINAIR was able to resume its chartered flights and is even allowed to sell tickets in the Dominican Republic which the bilateral agreement covers.

He said since the discussions the Dominican Republic has given both written and verbal guarantees that WINAIR will obtain the commercial licenses as long as they fully comply with the requirements based on the laws of the Dominican Republic.  I want the general public to know that the ball is in WINAIRs court to do what they need to do in order to obtain a license for regular commercial flights.

Ottley said the letter sent to the Dominican Republic sent by the Director of Civil Aviation was sent with good intentions and for him since no longer about the problems but in fact, it's about finding solutions.

Prime Minister Silveria Jacobs said that since the problem escalated on Monday, she received an update from the countrys national airline while she is apprised by the Acting Minister of TEATT. Jacobs said while the government was not officially informed she believed the right effect because it brought everyone around the table.
Uranium Energy Corp Submits Offer to the U.S. Government to Supply the Strategic Uranium Reserve and Applauds the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Hearing

Uranium Energy Corp. (NYSE American: UEC, the aCompanya or aUECa  https://www.commodity-tv.com/ondemand/companies/profil/uranium-energy-corp/ ) is pleased to announce it has submitted an offer to supply the U.S. Department of Energy  National Nuclear Security Administration (aNNSAa) in response to the U.S. government uranium tender to launch the national Uranium Reserve. The program was designed as a 10 year, $10 billion plan with $75 million authorized to date for the purchase of uranium and conversion services.

Amir Adnani, President and CEO stated: aThe NNSA initial purchase goal for one million pounds marks an important milestone for the beginning of this program. The NNSA purchases will help jump start our industry and reduce the countrya?s reliance on uranium from jurisdictions that expose America to precarious supply risks. Today, those risks include uranium from Russia, its allies and increasingly China. Clearly, domestic supply is critical for U.S. energy and national security. This was in fact one of the primary drivers behind UECa?s acquisition of Russiaa?s Uranium One Americas, repatriating this important asset back to U.S. ownership and control.A The acquisition was not only a highly accretive business transaction, it also increased domestic capability in the nationa?s nuclear fuel supply chain. We are looking forward to the continued improvement in the nuclear fuel markets and UECa?s production to help supply Americaa?s uranium needs.a

UEC Chairman and former U.S. Energy Secretary, Spencer Abraham, commented: aWe applaud Senator Barrassoa?s bill that was discussed in the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources hearing last week.A His legislation would prohibit the importation of uranium from the Russian Federation. While the U.S. has banned the imports of other Russian energy sources it has not included nuclear fuel. To ban some energy imports and not others sends a mixed message, especially considering that import revenues from Russian uranium sales are helping fund Russiaa?s war in Ukraine.a

Secretary Abraham continued: aWhile Russiaa?s invasion of Ukraine has garnered outrage from the international community, many nations find themselves handcuffed in terms of their ability to respond, due to their reliance on Russian energy imports.A It would be naive to think that what Russia has done to the Western European community on gas supplies would not apply to its exportation of nuclear fuel and uranium. Banning Russian uranium imports and supporting our domestic nuclear fuel supply capabilities are solid steps towards bolstering our energy independence and protecting our national security.a

About Uranium Energy Corp

Uranium Energy Corp is Americaa?s leading, fastest growing, uranium mining company listed on the NYSE American. UEC is a pure play uranium company and is advancing the next generation of low-cost, environmentally friendly In-Situ Recovery (ISR) mining uranium projects. The Company has two production ready ISR hub and spoke platforms in South Texas and Wyoming, anchored by fully licensed and operational processing capacity at the Hobson and Irigaray plants. UEC also has seven U.S. ISR uranium projects with all of their major permits in place.A Additionally, the Company has other diversified holdings of uranium assets, including: (1) one of the largest physical uranium portfolios of U.S. warehoused U3O8; (2) a major equity stake in the only royalty company in the sector, Uranium Royalty Corp.; and (3) a pipeline of resource-stage uranium projects in Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Paraguay.A The Companya?s operations are managed by professionals with a recognized profile for excellence in their industry, a profile based on many decades of hands-on experience in the key facets of uranium exploration, development and mining.

Safe Harbor Statement

Except for the statements of historical fact contained herein, the information presented in this news release constitutes aforward-looking statementsa as such term is used in applicable United States and Canadian laws.A These statements relate to analyses and other information that are based on forecasts of future results, estimates of amounts not yet determinable and assumptions of management. Any other statements that express or involve discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance (often, but not always, using words or phrases such as aexpectsa or adoes not expecta, ais expecteda, aanticipatesa or adoes not anticipatea, aplans, aestimatesa or aintendsa, or stating that certain actions, events or results amaya, acoulda, awoulda, amighta or awilla be taken, occur or be achieved) are not statements of historical fact and should be viewed as aforward-looking statementsa. Such forward looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such risks and other factors include, among others, market and other conditions, the actual results of exploration activities, variations in the underlying assumptions associated with the estimation or realization of mineral resources, the availability of capital to fund programs and the resulting dilution caused by the raising of capital through the sale of shares, accidents, labor disputes and other risks of the mining industry including, without limitation, those associated with the environment, delays in obtaining governmental approvals, permits or financing or in the completion of development or construction activities, title disputes or claims limitations on insurance coverage. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements contained in this news release and in any document referred to in this news release. Certain matters discussed in this news release and oral statements made from time to time by representatives of the Company may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and the Federal securities laws. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are based upon reasonable assumptions, it can give no assurance that its expectations will be achieved.A Forward-looking information is subject to certain risks, trends and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected. Many of these factors are beyond the Company\-s ability to control or predict. Important factors that may cause actual results to differ materially and that could impact the Company and the statements contained in this news release can be found in the Company\-s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. For forward-looking statements in this news release, the Company claims the protection of the safe harbor for forward-looking statements contained in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.A The Company assumes no obligation to update or supplement any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. This news release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy securities.
Kouri sale additional update

West African gold explorer Golden Rim Resources Ltd (ASX: GMR; Golden Rim or Company  https://www.commodity-tv.com/ondemand/companies/profil/golden-rim-resources-ltd/ ) advises the following update regarding receipt of payments for the sale of its Burkina Faso assets.

At the request of the buyer, BAOR SARL, Golden Rim has granted BAOR SARL a two-week extension to complete financing arrangements. The first and second payments totalling US$6,000,000 are now due to be paid by Monday 15 August. The Share Sale Agreement provides that simple interest of 8% is payable on outstanding amounts.

Contact Information:

Golden Rim Resources Ltd

ABN 39 006 710 774

Craig Mackay

Managing Director

+61 3 8677 0829

In Europe:

Swiss Resource Capital AG

Jochen Staiger

info@resource-capital.ch

www.resource-capital.ch

This announcement was authorised for release by the Board of Golden Rim Resources Ltd.
Commencement of DFS at Taronga

First Tin Plc (aFirst Tina a https://www.commodity-tv.com/ondemand/companies/profil/first-tin-ltd/ ), a tin development company with advanced, low capex projects in Germany and Australia, is pleased to announce that it has commenced the Definitive Feasibility Study (aDFSa) at the Taronga tin deposit in Australia.

The DFS is being delivered by a consortium of Australian companies led by Mincore Pty Ltd (aMincorea), which will undertake the project management and mineral processing. The consortium also includes:

Australian Mine Design and Development Pty Ltd (aAMDADa)  mining studies & reserve estimation

H&S Consultants Pty Ltd (aH&Sa)  resource estimation

Pells Sullivan Meynink (aPSMa)  geotechnical and hydrological

ATC Williams  waste facility design

Mincore and its associates have undertaken feasibility studies throughout Australia, Southeast Asia, Papua New Guinea and the Democratic Republic of Congo, and have designed and built processing facilities for several tin projects worldwide.A It is expected that the study will be completed by mid-late 2023.

This work is being undertaken in conjunction with the ongoing environmental and permitting work being managed by RW Corkery Pty Ltd, designed to obtain all necessary statutory approvals by the end of 2023.

First Tin CEO Thomas Buenger said, aThe DFS is a key workstream for First Tin, as we aim to rapidly bring the world-class Taronga project into production to provide provenance of supply. Mincore and its associates have extensive experience in the tin space. We look forward to providing updates as we deliver the DFS, ahead of completion next year. In tandem, we are also undertaking extensive drill programmes in both Australia and Germany, designed to define additional tin mineralisation in both countries, and we are fully funded to deliver all these value-enhancing workstreams.a

Notes to Editors

First Tin is an ethical, reliable, and sustainable tin production company led by a team of renowned tin specialists. The Company is focused on becoming a tin supplier in conflict-free, low political risk jurisdictions through the rapid development of high value, low capex tin assets in Germany and Australia.

Tin is a critical metal, vital in any plan to decarbonise and electrify the world, yet Europe has very little supply. Rising demand, together with shortages, is expected to lead tin to experience sustained deficit markets for the foreseeable future. Its assets have been de-risked significantly, with extensive work undertaken to date.

First Tin\-s goal is to use best-in-class environmental standards to bring two tin mines into production in three years, providing provenance of supply to support the current global clean energy and technological revolutions.
Based on Sheri Fink's 2013 book Five Days at Memorial: Life and Death in a Storm-Ravaged Hospital, Five Days at Memorial depicts what happened at a New Orleans hospital after Hurricane Katrina made landfall in Louisiana in 2005. It plays a little like a documentary in that real footage is interspersed with the fictionalization of the story, and the series follows the aftermath as investigators try to determine how 45 people ended up dying in the hospital.



As a non-American, I have to disclose that I only have a few memories of Hurricane Katrina's impact back in 2005. I remember the scale of the disaster from afar, but without social media or regular internet access at the time, I have to admit I didn't follow what happened very closely. Listening to Floodlines a couple of years ago helped me get a better idea of what happened, but when Five Days at Memorial was announced, I still had no idea the hospitals had been this badly affected, much less how some of them had dealt with what happened. So please forgive any gaucheness on my part about this, since I know how sensitive a subject it is.

When Hurricane Katrina was first announced, Memorial Hospital and its staff prepared as it always had when hurricanes were forecast. It was also regularly used as a shelter for nearby families whose houses weren't as likely to resist the heavy winds and rain, meaning it transformed into a rallying point for the staff's close ones, pets, and non patients, as well as Memorial patients, and LifeCare patients. LifeCare acted and operated as a separate entity with a different overall owner, with seemingly little contact made with Memorial, as the show illustrates later on. While the hospital seems to be able to deal with the regular consequences of a hurricane (broken glass, falling trees, etc.), it's made apparent quite soon that in case of heavy flooding, nothing suitable is in place, least of all an evacuation plan. At the time, it seems like more focus was put on biohazards than environmental threats, and no one anticipated the level of destruction that could, and would, be brought on by New Orleans's sheer unpreparedness. Dr Anna Pou's (Vera Farmiga) little cans of tuna seem even more ridiculous in hindsight, as do Susan Mulderick's (Cherry Jones) piles of increasingly useless folders, all depicting plans that won't help anyone.After the hospital succeeds in weathering the storm's initial impact, moral is good at Memorial since while there is damage, most of it is reparable and the worst seems over. Unfortunately, this respite doesn't last long since it quickly becomes obvious that the water, far from receding, is coming back. As worried staff gathers from the news, the city's pumps don't seem to be working, and the leevees have collapsed. The hospital's generators are (as is the case for almost all New Orleans hospitals apparently) situated low enough that if the water rises, they won't be able to work anymore. The AC's already off, but if they lose power completely, it'll be chaos. A hospital can only remain a hospital if it can provide care to its patients, many of which need ventilation and other crucial systems dependant on power, which is no longer available.The rest of the series depicts exactly what went down, day by day, when choices had to be made: who to evacuate first, the sickest patients, or those estimated most likely to survive? Much debate exists about the legitimacy of triage "rules" and they often are as varied as the number of health professionnals that are asked about how they'd proceed. With no existing rulebook in place, Memorial's decisions quickly descend into complete chaos and inequality, with gutwrenching scenes and baffling decision making. It's also illuminating to observe how little was done by the U.S. disaster relief to organize the rescue, even though people were willing and ready to help, as well as how much bureaucracy can stifle any attempt at efficiency, often completely omitting the very real, very human aspect of the situation.The cast is very much an ensemble, and is great as such, but Vera Farmiga and Cherry Jones definitely deserve special mentions here. Vera Farmiga succeeds in making you root for Dr Anna Pou during the first five days of the disaster, as she tries her best but ultimately unravels when faced with impossible decisions, all while becoming a villainish figure in the end when she faces the consequences of what she decided to do to the patients. Cherry Jones is fantastic as Susan Mulderick, displaying both her toughness as she suddenly finds herself having to make an evacuation plan out of thin air, and her vulnerability when it all becomes too much, especially in the scenes with her own mother.The show does a great job to show how the hospital was failed at every single level, from its inherent structure, to its lack of organization, and to the government's utterly infuriating response (or lack thereof). By the end, especially since it took place so recently, it's impossible not to feel disgusted and angry over what happened, and why it happened. The show is also an hommage to the victims and their families, and especially at a time when we're still in the throws of a worldwide crisis, asks that something like this enver happens again.
Gaborone (Botswana) 03 August 2022 (SPS)- The Secretary General of Botswana Peoples Party (BPP), Mrs Nono Kgafela-Mokoka, reaffirmed her partys firm stand in solidarity with the legitimate right of the people of Western Sahara to freedom and independence, during her visit Today to the Saharawi Embassy in Gaborone.

Mrs Kgafela-Mokoka, who was received at the Embassy by Saharawi Ambassador to Botswana, H.E. Mr. Malainin Mohamed, conveyed a personal message from the President of the BPP, Mr. Motlatsi Molapisi, in which he stressed BPPs firm support to the total independence and freedom of Western Sahara, she said.

She added that Morocco, the occupying force, must understand that we cannot, as advocates of pan Africanist principles, accept the persistence of the illegal occupation of an African country by another sister African Country. This occupation should simply end, now.

On his side the Saharawi Ambassador thanked his guest for the visit and expressed the gratitude of the Saharawi Republic to the Government and people of Botswana for the principled position their country have always granted the Saharawi Republic for decades.

He also thanked BPP for the historical and principled position, and recalled that support to the Saharawi peoples legitimate struggle for freedom is indeed a Pan Africanist duty for all Africans, and should not be considered as the responsibility of governments alone.

The Saharawi legitimate struggle for freedom and independence is a struggle for a fundamental human and peoples right that all peoples should normally support and identify with regardless their nationalities, political affiliation or any other reason, Ambassador Malainin said.

The two parties exchanged views on the best ways to develop and support stronger pan Africanist relations among African nations in order to contribute to the realization of the African Unions agenda in the whole continent.

The Botswana People's Party, was formed in December 1960 during the colonial era to become the first mass party to push for full independence of the country. It is a social democratic and Pan Africanist party, and is now a member of the main opposition coalition, the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC). (SPS)

090/500/60 (SPS)
A Canton man and former state employee has been sentenced to nine years in prison after distributing numerous sexually explicit photos and videos of children online, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office.

Robert Eccleston, 58, previously pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of child pornography, federal prosecutors said.

Eccleston, who was employed at the time as a victim services advocate in Hartford Superior Court, caught the attention of law enforcement in 2020 as covert FBI personnel in two different field offices outside of Connecticut were monitoring various public groups on the social medial application Kik, federal prosecutors said.

In August and September 2020, Eccleston distributed numerous pornographic images and videos of children on the platform, including images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of toddlers and prepubescent children, prosecutors said.

As an administrator of the social media groups, Eccleston also required prospective members to send him videos of child sexual abuse for group access, prosecutors said.

In a statement, U.S. Attorney Vanessa Roberts Avery said the case is a harsh reminder that the sexual exploitation of children occurs across all segments of our community.

Based on the position this defendant held while engaging in such reprehensible conduct, this case represents a tremendous violation of trust on multiple levels, Avery said. We thank the FBI and our other law enforcement partners for investigating and rooting out these crimes wherever they exist, and we further thank the dedicated professionals of the Office of Victim Services of the Judicial Branch of the State of Connecticut for their assistance and continued service to victims throughout Connecticut.

David Sundberg, special agent in charge of the New Haven division of the FBI, noted that such crimes against children will always be a top priority for the bureau.

This case shines a light on why we in law enforcement exhaust all means available to protect our most vulnerable population, Sundberg said in a statement.

In their sentencing memorandum, Avery and Assistant U.S. Attorney Angel M. Krull sought a sentence of 120 to 156 months, describing his conduct as obscene and perverse and offensive in the highest degree possible.

They noted Eccleston had served as a victim advocate for the state for 23 years, entrusted to assist victims, some of whom suffered from traumatic and violent crimes, including child sexual abuse, and yet trafficked in images and videos of child rape, making a a conscious decision to engage in this horrific conduct and exacerbate the pain of these victims.

As a victim advocate, the defendant was acutely aware of the added suffering his conduct would cause to his victims by spreading that material across the internet for the sexual satisfaction of himself and others, Avery and Krull said in a statement. As a victim advocate, he knew better and he abused the sacred trust that the victims he worked with had given him.

In a statement to the court, Eccleston said his conduct was a manifestation of struggles with addiction and addictive behavior.

As a young man, he said he abused drugs and alcohol, bringing denial, progression, intolerance, dishonestly, deceit, manipulation, justification, self-pity, obsessive thinking patterns and compulsive self-destructive behavioral patterns to the fore in his life, according to his statement to the court.

After decades in recovery, he said, child pornography demonstrated that he still suffers from a self-destructive, anti-social, diseased pattern of mal-adaptive coping skills, court documents stated.

Eccleston said he had betrayed his colleagues and caused damage that is undoubtedly catastrophic to the individual victims and their capacity to feel love, safety and security when they fully deserve to have ability to experience the goodness of life.

To deprive a child of their core sense of worth is a heinous crime and I am permanently scarred from the realization that my conduct has contributed to so much severe injury and damage to many children and their loved ones and caregivers, Eccleston said.

After the conclusion of his prison sentence, Eccleston will be on supervised release for 10 years.

Eccleston was also ordered to pay a total of $25,000 to four victims, $35,000 to the child Pornography Victims Reserve, $5,000 to the Domestic Trafficking Victims Fund and a $30,000 fine, officials said.

Cases of child exploitation can be reported at www.cybertipline.com.

william.lambert@hearstmediact.com
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP)  Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt won the Republican primary for U.S. Senate on Tuesday with surprising ease, ending months of worry among GOP leaders that scandal-scarred former Gov. Eric Greitens might win the primary and jeopardize what should be a reliably red seat in November.

In November, Schmitt will be opposed by Anheuser-Busch beer heiress Trudy Busch Valentine, who defeated Marine veteran Lucas Kunce and nine others in the Democratic primary. Both also face a challenge from a well-funded independent, John Wood, who has the financial backing of former Sen. John Danforth.

With nearly 90% of results in, Schmitt had more votes than his nearest two competitors  U.S. Rep. Vicky Hartzler and Greitens  combined, turning what was expected to be a tight race into a blowout.

Im proud of my working-class roots, and Im going to Washington to fight for working families, defeating socialism, and leading the fight to save America, Schmitt said in his victory speech in suburban St. Louis.

Greitens told a downcast crowd in another St. Louis suburb to go home with strength and pride.

"God has a plan, Greitens said. It doesnt always work on our timeline, but it does work on his. Sometimes we have to practice patience.

Greitens resigned four years ago following a sex scandal, two criminal charges that were eventually dropped and a legislative investigation that could have led to impeachment hearings. This year, his ex-wife accused him of abuse.

Republican Sen. Roy Blunts announcement last year that he would not seek a third term set off a frenzy for his job, with nearly three dozen people in the two major parties filing to run.

Schmitt defeated a field that also included Hartzler, U.S. Rep. Billy Long and Mark McCloskey, who gained notoriety in 2020 when he and his wife pointed guns at racial injustice protesters outside their home.

Voter Darrel Durham, a 63-year-old heavy equipment operator from Columbia, said he thinks Schmitt can bring a new voice to Washington.

I like all of his positions on draining the swamp, Durham said.

On Monday, former President Donald Trump expressed support for ERIC, presumably meaning either Schmitt or Greitens, without picking between them. Comedian and Navy veteran Eric McElroy was also on the ballot in the GOP primary.

I trust the Great People of Missouri, on this one, to make up their own minds, much as they did when they gave me landslide victories in the 2016 and 2020 Elections, and I am therefore proud to announce that ERIC has my Complete and Total Endorsement! Trump wrote.

Voter Richard Greenup, a 66-year-old computer programmer from Columbia, said he wants somebody thats going to support Trump and that he chose Schmitt over Greitens because, good or bad, Schmitt, I dont think, has that baggage.

Greitens, a former Navy SEAL officer and Rhodes scholar, had been governor for a year when in January 2018 he confirmed a TV report about a 2015 extramarital affair. He was subsequently charged with felony invasion of privacy for allegedly taking a nude photo of the woman and using it to keep her quiet. That charge was dropped months later amid allegations that the chief investigator and local prosecutor mishandled the investigation.

Greitens, 48, says he was the victim of a political hit.

He faced a second charge accusing him of illegally using a donor list from a charity he founded to raise money for his campaign. That was dropped when he resigned in June 2018 after the Missouri House began an impeachment investigation.

Greitens has denied the abuse allegations from his ex-wife that she made in an affidavit in a child custody case. She cited one instance where he allegedly slapped their then-3-year-old son's face and yanked him by the hair. In another, she accused him of pushing her to the ground.

Greitens also drew criticism for a June campaign video showing him brandishing a shotgun and declaring hes hunting RINOs, or Republicans in name only.

Schmitt, 47, has gained attention for lawsuits that critics contend are politically motivated. He sued China over the coronavirus; school districts over mask mandates; and the city of St. Louis over its plan to provide $1 million for women to travel out of state for abortions.

Ive always been a fighter and as your attorney general I have fought in court to protect our those liberties, Schmitt said in his victory speech, citing mask and vaccine mandates, among other things.

Valentine, 65, is the daughter of August Gussie Busch Jr., the longtime chair and CEO of Anheuser-Busch who built the St. Louis-based company into the worlds largest beermaker. The brewery was sold to InBev in 2008. Valentine said she entered the race after witnessing the division in our country and the vitriol in our politics.

After hundreds of career politicians, its time for a nurse in the Senate," Valentine said in a victory speech.

Bob Westlake, 67, and his wife, Mary Jo, 69, both voted for Valentine. The Chesterfield couple liked her push for better health care coverage.

Health care is a big deal to us, Bob Westlake said, adding that they have a daughter with a chronic illness and that he and his wife are on Medicare.

Kunce, 39, lost despite the endorsement of Sen. Bernie Sanders. Kunce served tours of duty in Afghanistan and Iraq. Like Senate candidate John Fetterman in Pennsylvania, Kunce fashioned himself as a populist.

Wood's entry into the race created new drama. Wood, 52, is a lifelong Republican, former U.S. attorney and most recently a top investigator for the U.S. House committee examining the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection. Danforth's PAC has pledged to spend up to $20 million in support of Wood's campaign.

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Salter reported from O'Fallon, Missouri. Associated Press writer David A. Lieb contributed from Jefferson City, Missouri.
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BERLIN (AP)  German Chancellor Olaf Scholz inspected a turbine at the center of a natural gas dispute and declared Wednesday that there are no problems blocking the part's return to Russia besides missing information from Russias state-controlled gas company.

The Kremlin insisted more assurances were needed.

Russian energy giant Gazprom last week halved the amount of natural gas flowing through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline to 20% of capacity, the latest reduction it blamed on delays to the turbine's delivery due to Western sanctions.

German partner Siemens Energy sent the turbine to Canada for overhaul, which was a routine process before Russia invaded Ukraine and was subjected to Western sanctions.

The German government says the turbine was meant to be installed in September and wasn't needed to make the pipeline function now; it says Moscow is using spurious technical explanations as cover for a political move to create uncertainty and to push up gas prices.

The turbine is now stored at a Siemens Energy facility in Mulheim an der Ruhr, in western Germany.

This turbine is usable any time, Scholz said, standing next to the 18-ton piece of machinery. There is nothing standing in the way of its transport on to Russia  other than that the Russian recipients have to say that they want to have the turbine, and give the necessary information for the customs transport to Russia."

All other permits are there  that goes for the permit from Germany, the permit from the European Union, from the United Kingdom, from Canada, the chancellor added. "There are no problems.

Gazproms repeated reductions of gas deliveries to various countries have raised fears that Russia may cut off supplies altogether to try to gain political leverage over Europe.

German officials say Gazprom needs to specify where exactly the turbine needs to be sent. Scholz said he was checking out the turbine publicly to demystify it.

The chancellor reiterated Germany's insistence that there are no technical reasons for the reduction of gas deliveries through Nord Stream 1.

He said sanctions don't apply to the gas used to power industry, heat homes and generate electricity.

Gazprom has repeatedly said it pressed Siemens Energy for documents and clarification. The company specifically wants documents from Siemens Energy proving that the turbine isn't subject to Western sanctions, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

We need to be sure that its not under sanctions. We need to be sure that Siemens British subsidiary in charge of it wont switch it off remotely in the future as part of sanctions, Peskov told reporters during a conference call.

Peskov said former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder asked Russian President Vladimir Putin during a recent meeting in Moscow if the completed but not-yet-functioning Nord Stream 2 pipeline could be put into service in an emergency to meet Europe's energy needs.

Scholzs government suspended the certification process for the new pipeline in February just before the invasion of Ukraine.

Putin said Nord Stream 2 could start operating but only at half-capacity because Gazprom is now using the other half for Russia's domestic market, Peskov said.

Schroeders longstanding ties to the Russian energy sector  including the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines  and refusal to distance himself personally from Putin after the invasion of Ukraine have left his political standing at home in tatters.

In an interview with Stern magazine and RTL television that appeared Wednesday, Schroeder argued that using Nord Stream 2 would be the simplest solution in case of gas shortages.

Turning to Nord Stream 2 is a political non-starter for Scholz, who said that we ended the approval process for good reason. He added that there is enough capacity in Nord Stream 1," and that two other pipelines  one running through Ukraine and another through Belarus and Poland  are also available.

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Kirsten Grieshaber in Berlin contributed to this report.

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Follow AP's coverage of the Russia-Ukraine war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
INDIANAPOLIS (AP)  Doctors fear they could face criminal charges when they provide emergency treatment for pregnant women if a proposal aimed at banning nearly all abortions in Indiana becomes law, several physicians told state lawmakers Tuesday.

That testimony came after an Indiana House committee changed the abortion ban proposal narrowly approved over the weekend by the Republican-dominated state Senate. The committee broadened the language to include an exception allowing abortions to protect the health of the mother and adjusted the time frame when abortions would be permitted in cases of rape and incest.

Republican Rep. Wendy McNamara of Evansville, who is sponsoring the bill, outlined the exceptions to protect the physical health and life of the mother, a frequent request among doctors and others testifying before a Senate committee last week. The amendment also would allow abortions if a fetus is diagnosed with a lethal anomaly.

It additionally removes the Senate-approved time frames based on age for abortions in cases of rape or incest  up to 12 weeks for those under 16 and eight weeks for those 16 and older. The House version, instead, would create a blanket ban after 10 weeks post-fertilization on abortions in cases of rape and incest. Victims would also no longer be required to sign a notarized affidavit attesting to an attack.

Several dozen people on both sides of the abortion debate filled a Statehouse corridor outside the committee's meeting that lasted about nine hours, during which chants such as safe and legal from abortion-rights supporters could be heard inside as more than 100 people testified.

The House committee voted 8-5 to advance the bill to the full House for action later this week. Republicans who control the House indicated a divide similar to the Senate, as one committee member who voted in favor said he was reluctant to support rape and incest exceptions. GOP Rep. Cindy Ziemke of Batesville joined Democrats in voting against the bill, saying she believe most residents didn't support an abortion ban and that allowing first trimester abortions would be a more measured approach.

Dr. Daniel Elliott, representing the Indiana chapter of the American College of Emergency Physicians, told the committee that the group worried that a broad abortion ban could allow prosecutors to second-guess the emergency decisions of doctors, leaving them exposed to criminal charges.

The House proposal would require the state medical board to revoke the licenses of doctors found to have performed illegal abortions, along with retaining current provisions in state law under which doctors could face felony criminal charges and up to six years in prison for performing an illegal abortion.

In emergency situations, physicians often work with a lack of complete information and must make quick decisions in the best interests of our patients, Elliott said. Overall, we feel like licensure and going to the medical licensing board is where the gray areas within medicine should lie.

The Indiana proposal followed a political firestorm over a 10-year-old rape victim who traveled to the state from neighboring Ohio to end a pregnancy. The case gained wide attention when an Indianapolis doctor said the child had to travel to Indiana because a new Ohio law bans abortions if cardiac activity can be detected in an embryo or fetus, usually around six weeks of pregnancy.

Anti-abortion activists said they were offended that women from Ohio and Kentucky were coming to Indiana for abortions after strict laws took effect in those states following the U.S. Supreme Courts decision overturning Roe v. Wade. They said Indiana shouldnt allow any exceptions, arguing all abortions are murder and evil and that the state law declaring life begins at fertilization should be strictly enforced.

Jodi Smith, a lobbyist for the anti-abortion group Indiana Right to Life, said the organization remained opposed to the proposal because it is too lax. Smith said a signed affidavit should still be required for rape or incest exceptions and criticized the proposals language allowing abortions to protect the mothers health as very vague and poorly defined.

The concern is that will either open carte blanche of opportunity for abortion-minded doctors, or it could ensure that good doctors that need more clarity dont know what the allowable procedures are, and they will hesitate, Smith said. Either option, it ends poorly for women.

House Republicans are facing similar disagreements over how strict the abortion ban should be after the bill cleared the Senate on Saturday in a 26-20 vote, the minimum number of votes needed to pass. A few Republican senators said they opposed the bill as written but wanted the bill to stay alive for consideration during the special legislative session, which must adjourn by Aug. 14.

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Arleigh Rodgers 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 at https://twitter.com/arleighrodgers

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Find APs full coverage of the overturning of Roe v. Wade at: https://apnews.com/hub/abortion
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP)  New Mexicos state forester on Monday lifted fire restrictions that had been imposed in the spring due to extreme wildfire danger, saying summer rains were bringing relief.

Still, State Forester Laura McCarthy warned that some parts of New Mexico remain dry and that people should be cautious with any use of fire and fireworks.

"New Mexicans are living through historic climate change that is becoming our new normal, she said in a statement.

The state restrictions prohibiting campfires, smoking and other opening burning were put in place in late April as hot, dry and windy conditions fueled multiple large fires. That included two planned burns by federal land managers that became the largest wildfire in New Mexicos recorded history.

Thousands of people were forced to evacuate and hundreds of homes in the Sangre de Cristo mountain range were destroyed as a result of the massive blaze. Now, surrounding communities are dealing with deadly flooding as storm runoff flows from barren mountainsides within the burn scar.

Three people died last week when they were swept away by fast-moving floodwaters northwest of the community of Las Vegas.

Residents say they are getting pounded daily by storms.

Ive never seen so much water in my life up here, and theres nothing to hold the water back. Theres nothing, Isidro Archuleta, 58, told the Santa Fe New Mexican.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency last week granted the governor's request to include flooding impacts in New Mexicos disaster declaration for counties affected by wildfires.

Forest officials said Monday that areas across the fire still were experiencing dangerous conditions, such as flooding and debris flows and that as weather allows, crews will continue repairing culverts, mending fences and doing other work to control erosion.
STAMFORD  A Norwalk man accepted 90 days in jail in exchange for getting felony charges against him dropped.

Braulio Gonzalez, 24, accepted the nearly three-month jail sentence as a part of an offer made by Judge Gary White at the state Superior Court in Stamford on Wednesday.

Under the offer, Gonzalez entered a conditional guilty plea for third-degree robbery and agreed to the 90 days in jail in return for acceptance into accelerated rehabilitation, a pretrial probation program that could see all the charges against him being dropped.

If Gonzalez can go two years without facing any criminal charges or infractions, the conditional guilty plea and the case against him will be dismissed. If he is arrested in that time, though, the guilty plea will stick against him.

Gonzalez was facing first-degree robbery, third-degree larceny and conspiracy to commit first-degree robbery charges stemming from an armed robbery in Norwalk on May 22, 2019.

The robbery occurred in the area of School Street around 5 p.m. that day during a drug deal, according to a police report. The incident began when an unidentified 22-year-old Norwalk man agreed to meet with his childhood friend, later identified as then-21-year-old Braulio Gonzalez, in the hopes of buying a half-pound of marijuana, according to the report.

The two hung out and smoked, the report said, but things took a turn when the friend tried to drop off Gonzalez at a School Street apartment.

The friend told police a man later identified as Isaac Jackson, then 20, entered his car and pressed a gun against the back of his head as Gonzalez allegedly pulled another gun from an ankle holster, according to the police report.

Jackson then allegedly choked the friend and told him to give them everything he had, according to an affidavit. The affidavit said Gonzalez and Jackson threatened to kill the man, his girlfriend and his family if he told police anything.

The report said Gonzalez and Jackson robbed the driver of $2,000 in cash and his wallet, a cell phone, a social security card, a debit card, 24 grams of marijuana, a folding knife and a gray and black stun gun.

Jackson, now 22, was sentenced to four years in prison in April after he pleaded guilty to first-degree robbery as a part of a plea agreement with state prosecutors. In return, the state dropped additional charges, including conspiracy to commit first-degree robbery, third-degree larceny, carrying a dangerous weapon and resisting arrest.

Gonzalez is next scheduled to appear in court on Oct. 26, following his release from jail.
BOSTON (AP)  A suburban Boston police officer who was pursuing a white suspect pinned a 20-year-old Black man to the ground as he was walking home and placed a knee on the man's neck despite having no evidence that he was involved in any crime, according to a federal civil rights lawsuit filed Wednesday.

Donovan Johnson was minutes away from home after leaving work in February 2021 when a white officer who had been chasing the white suspect ran up to Johnson, drew his gun and threw him to the snow-covered ground face first, the lawsuit filed against the town of Arlington, Massachusetts, and three of its officers alleges.

The lawsuit says that the officer at one point pinned Johnson to the ground by placing a knee on Johnson's neck. The complaint says Johnson yelled I can't breathe!, but the officer continued to pin Mr. Johnson to the ground with his knee, while the white suspect police had been pursuing was left unattended.

The lawsuit filed in Boston federal court alleges that police violated Johnson's constitutional rights when they stopped him, searched him, handcuffed him and placed him in the back of a cruiser before releasing him with no charges.

Johnson said in an interview that the incident took such an emotional toll on him that he struggled to manage his daily life to the point that he almost lost his job as a grants administrator for a hospital.

I was wrongfully arrested and wrongfully searched just because of the fact that he thought I was the person that he was chasing down, Johnson said.

Arlington Police Chief Julie Flaherty said in an email that police couldn't comment as neither police nor the town had yet been served the lawsuit.

Johnson's lawyers say an internal investigation found that the officers violated several department policies and procedures. One of Johnson's attorneys, Mirian Albert of Lawyers for Civil Rights, said they hope the case brings systematic changes to eradicate racial profiling practices in the department.

All people should feel safe in their own communities. Mr. Johnson's rights were violated within view of his home and this is exactly the type of police misconduct that fuels the mistrust between communities of color and law enforcement, she said.

Police were were initially called to an Arlington hotel about a man seen there who the staff believed was previously involved in the theft of televisions, the lawsuit says. The white man was known to police for prior criminal acts and when officers arrived at the hotel, officer Steven Conroy showed a photo of the man to the front desk clerk, who said it appeared to be the same person.

Police went to the room to investigate, but the man escaped and they began to chase him, according to the lawsuit. Johnson, who was almost to his Somerville home, saw the man jog past him before Conroy approached and yelled at both men to get the (expletive) on the floor.

The white suspect got on his knees, but Johnson stayed standing, the lawsuit says. After that, Johnson says Conroy drew his gun, threw him to the ground and pinned him down with a knee on his neck.

Another officer who arrived in a cruiser recognized the white man and put him in handcuffs, and the suspect told the officer he didn't know Johnson, according to the lawsuit. A third officer who arrived immediately jumped on Johnson to help Conroy hold him down, according to the complaint.

Lawyers for Johnson say the officers had no reason to believe Johnson was involved in any crime: Police had a photo of the white suspect they were looking for, Johnson and the other man both told officers they didnt know each other and nothing in the investigation indicated that there was more than one male suspect involved, the lawsuit says.

The complaint says Johnson was released at the hotel after its staff told officers they had never seen him before. Police left him to find his own way home, the lawsuit says.
One by one, speakers lined up at a New Haven Board of Education meeting last fall to support a policy ensuring the safety, comfort, and healthy development of LGBTQ youths in school. Parents, teachers, advocates and students came forward, most with an anecdote and a plea: to protect children in New Haven schools who are bullied, unable to find safe bathrooms, and are referred to by the wrong pronouns  all because of their gender identity.

Following the testimony, the school board unanimously approved the Transgender and Gender Non-Conforming Youth policy. Among other things, it grants students the right to change their name and gender identity on school records without parental permission; the right to be called by their preferred name and pronoun in school; the right to keep this information private without school staff telling parents or peers; access to gender-neutral bathrooms and more.

By the end of the school year, what changes had the policy affected?

Not many, some students said.

Look closer, said the school staff.

Some of this is intangible; you wouldnt be able to see it, said Typhanie Jackson, the executive director of student services for New Haven Public Schools and a lead writer of the policy.

The next step, they all agreed, is to build on whats working when August rolls around.

A matter of life or death

From the moment little ones are told at school to line up by gender or are directed to a particular bathroom by gender or greeted by a well-meaning teacher with Good morning, boys and girls, versus, say, Good morning, everyone, school can be an emotional and physical minefield for someone whose gender identity differs from the one assigned at birth, reports Tony Ferraiolo of New Haven, a transgender man, educator and trainer.

Im working with kids who are 6, 7, 8 who have suicidal ideations and are doing self-harm, Ferraiolo said. How can we expect a child to give 100 percent at school if they cant be 100 percent of who they are?

Ferraiolo has trained educators in gender awareness for nearly two decades. Such enlightenment can be a matter of life or death. LGBTQ youths in gender-affirming schools report lower rates of attempting suicide than their peers, according to The Trevor Project 2022 National Survey on LGBTQ Youth Mental Health

New Havens policy calls for all stafffrom teachers to custodians to cafeteria workersto be trained in gender sensitivity, but the training is voluntary. Only six of New Havens 44 public schools have requested training, which is paid for with a grant from the Yale Medicine Pediatric Gender Program.

When you start using words like mandate and accountability, those are four-letter words. That makes it polarizing, in a way, Jackson said. Better to have a voluntary conversation about a schools goals and objectives, about addressing the whole child, and making sure we have equity across any kind of spectrum. For some staff members, a little more information might change their minds and heart.

That change didnt happen for Tahnee Cookson Muhammad. As her son was coming to terms with his gender identity at Betsy Ross Arts Magnet School, he asked his teachers and classmates to refer to him using the gender-neutral pronouns they and them. Instead of deepening understanding, though, the pronouns became derisive. While some teachers obliged, one refused, thinking the youngster believed he was more than one person. Some students were purposely using wrong words to bully, 100 percent, Cookson Muhammad said. When incidents occurred, she or her son would report them, only to have things happen again, she said.

Cookson Muhammad wondered how a child could be emotionally able to learn in school if they were privately wondering, When I go to the bathroom, if I go to this one, will I get picked on? If I go to that one, will someone do something to me?

She spoke from her home in Branford, where her family moved when the bullying and harassment became too much. My son has grown a lot, but the experience was very damaging, she said. Her son now attends a private school in New Haven that is very consciously aware.

Bathroom pass

Nationwide, nearly 60 percent of LGBTQ students feel unsafe at school, and about a third miss classes as a result, the GLSEN 2019 National School Climate Survey reports. Many avoid gender-segregated spaces, such as bathrooms, altogether.

In many Connecticut schools, LGBTQ students can use the bathroom in the nurses office, but whats the message there? Im walking into an environment where people are sick, Ferraiolo said.

New Havens policy calls for single-user restrooms, but that is a long-term facilities question, Jackson said, and a longer-term goal.

Alex Lopes, 16, is a rising junior at High School in the Community and a transgender teen. In middle school, he avoided the bathroom at all costs. Was he allowed to use the bathroom of the gender he identified with? Would he be safe in there? He didnt know. I had to wait until I got home, he said.

At HSC, a single-user bathroom for students exists, but it is on a far side of the second floor, difficult to reach between classes and often locked, with the key in the main office. Fortunately, the teacher who advises the schools Gender Sexuality Alliance (GSA) allows all students to use a bathroom in her classroom when needed.

Lopes, who founded and leads his schools GSA, has proposed in a letter to the school board enclosing all toilets and urinals from floor to ceiling, so that each student has their own privacy and feels comfortable. In addition, he is lobbying to remove hall doors to bathrooms to reduce the risk of harassment and bullying, he said, and to help students feel safer. Lopes cited a survey in 2017 by the Human Rights Campaign and the University of Connecticut that found that 51 percent of transgender youths can never use the restrooms or locker rooms that match their gender identity.

Lopes and other students have met with administrators to discuss gender-neutral bathrooms since the beginning of the school year, but nothing has happened. A lot of students just dont feel heard, Lopes said. Im transgender and pansexual. I want to create a safe place for people like me.

Lopes has had a lifetime of not feeling heard. In foster care since age 6, he has lived in more than a dozen foster homes, all the while trying to come to terms with his gender identity. In one conservative Christian home, the mother forbade him to cut his hair short because it wasnt feminine. He was told to participate with the girls in elementary school because he was designated female at birth. In eighth grade, he finally met a transgender student who explained everything. I was likewait!thats what Ive been feeling!

Lopes came out as transgender and adopted a new first name, Alex, which his new foster family at the time supported. But he said his school and caseworker refused to acknowledge the change. During a hospital stay at Yale in 2019, he mustered up some courage and asked hospital workers to call him by his chosen name versus the name on his birth certificate, and they obliged. I finally felt validated, he said.

Buoyed by his experience at the hospital, Lopes emailed his teachers at HSC at the beginning of his first year, explained that he was transgender, and asked that teachers call him by his preferred name, not the name on his record. While many of them did, getting his record corrected still hasnt happened. His current foster family calls Lopes by his preferred name, but he knows peers who are too afraid to reveal themselves to their families.

He supports the school board policys promise to keep gender identity private. All kids want to be validated by the people who are in charge of caring for them, whether theyre teachers or parents or foster parents or biological parents or whatever, Lopes said, but some parents are very against this. They may tell their kids, No, youre not this, youre this. Some parents may even physically hurt kids or will throw their child out of their home. Indeed, 40 percent of homeless youths are LGBTQ, according to the advocacy group True Colors United. Teachers outing a student overrides a students ability to assess danger at home and act accordingly.

While Lopes welcomes the new policy, hes surprised that the school board never notified students. I would think it should have been a cause for celebration, Lopes said, but there wasnt much publicity about it.

The lack of a launch was deliberate, Jackson said. This kind of work I wouldnt perceive as having a big rollout. She said that the policy simply extends the school board's work to make schools inclusive for all without singling out a group. Plus, some of the guidelines have to be unpacked further, she said. A rollout could lead to a scorecard tallying whats been done and what hasnt. At the end of the day, its very hard to quantify, she said.

Staying ahead of the curve

The new policy was crafted from recommendations by the non-partisan Connecticut Association of Boards of Education (CABE). When Connecticut outlawed discrimination based on gender identity or expression, the model CABE policy, Accommodating Transgender or Gender Non-Conforming Students, followed, with a revision in 2017. We try to stay ahead of the curve, said CABEs Executive Director Bob Rader.

While the intersection of gender identity and school is a new concept for many people, Rader said that is not the case for him. About 15 years ago, Raders son Dustin came out as transgender while attending Glastonbury High School. It helps when the school is supportive. It enables everybody to be who they are without suffering consequences from something over which they have no control, like the color of their skin, Rader said.

Only seven out of 48 school districts in Connecticut have adopted transgender and gender-non-conforming policies, Rader said. Some of our members are conservative, and some are liberal. Maybe some feel its not appropriate for their district. We have to strike a balance. Our job is to recommend; their job is to decide whats best for their district. They have a choice.

The New Haven school board didnt act when CABE first released its recommendations, said David Weinreb, a teacher at Elm City Montessori School and member of the citys LGBTQ+ Youth Task Force. Instead, the board was publicly quiet about LGBTQ issues. There is such inertia around fixing these things. The Task Force formed in 2018 has been lobbying the school board ever since to help LGBTQ students feel safe. We want to make sure that student preference and safety are prioritized, Weinreb said.

He is encouraged by the move to include LGBTQ-related questions in the annual School Climate and Wellbeing Survey. We know LGBTQ students are suffering, but we dont have the data. We hope the survey substantiates the anecdotal. Theres something backward about creating a policy based on no data.

Hoping for a shared culture

Dave John Cruz-Bustamante is a rising junior at Wilbur Cross High School who identifies as gay and genderqueer. He serves on the Citywide Youth Coalition and was elected in June as the student representative on the New Haven Board of Education. While the school boards new policy is a step in the right direction, he said, he would like to see consequences for failing to abide by the policy and would rather they repair than punish.

Take homophobic remarks on the bus or bullying in the hallways, each of which he has experienced. Theres a systemic element in that, yet theres no way now to address that harm without the offending student getting kicked out of school, Cruz-Bustamante said. While consequence is important, consequences should mean repairing that harm. In my opinion, New Haven Public Schools are against restorative justice initiatives that work. They preach this, but they dont put the concrete systems in place. In practice, you see a lot of scapegoating and a lot of punitive consequences.

Cruz-Bustamante said only one teacher in the 16 classes hes taken at Cross has asked students for preferred pronouns. Sometimes its arrogance and outright hostility, and sometimes its ignorance; people are less likely to hurt each other if they know each other, he said.

He envisions schools in which teachers, students and staff celebrate a shared culture without forcing students to assimilate into an identity theyre not familiar with. Trying to fit everybody into gender binary ends up erasing somebodys identity. You end up cutting up pieces of persons personality.

Cruz-Bustamante said that while he didnt notice any changes at Cross following the policys passage, he appreciates the effort. Even if it doesnt have a huge effect, you can at least point to it and say this is your duty.

Alas, Jackson said she wishes that people would pay more attention to whats been accomplished: more GSAs, more inclusive language around the buildings, pathways to deal with bullying behavior  versus focusing on what hasnt been done. Were looking at how to continue to protect rights and to do better.

This story was reported under a partnership with the Connecticut Health I-Team , a nonprofit news organization dedicated to health reporting.
More than 94% of Romanias area under wheat has been harvested so far, Agriculture Minister Petre Daea informed on Wednesday, adding that that this year's yields will meet Romania's domestic demand and there will also be export availability.

He said at the beginning of a government meeting that harvesting was sped up to prevent the loss of crops due to shattering.

"The natural phenomena of storms and over-ripeness could cause yield decreases. We still have almost four percent to harvest inside the Carpathian arc, the counties of Mures, Covasna and Brasov. (...) The gratifying thing is that there are good crops. ( ...) The yields are between three tonnes and 8,500 kilograms of wheat, which guarantees that, on the one hand, the demand for consumption in a given area is met and there are possibilities of exchanges between counties. All in all, we can say, and I will you tell you precisely when we have the last harvested area, that we have the entire amount of wheat to meet the domestic demand and then some for export," said Daea.

According to the minister, 200,000 hectares under corn and sunflower are damaged, but there are not and there will not be problems in the irrigated areas, Agerpres.

"Regarding the crops that create problems for us or the weather creates problems, corn and sunflowers are affected. Control teams that are established by order of the prefect move to the field, they determine in each area the degree of damage, what the losses are, they draw up the proper documentations (...) and promptly submit a centralised report to the Ministry of Agriculture. (...) We are now at over 200,000 ha that would be affected to various degrees. Various degrees mean both fully damaged and 30%-40%-50% damaged. There are no problems and there will be no problems in the irrigated areas, although in the southern part of the country we have pumping stations outside the possibility of sucking water due to the low level of the Danube," said Daea.

He added that together with the Ministry of the Environment a way of working was established as need may be.

"The warning that is given for a certain portion of the Danube should be interpreted on the ground, so that we do not plan a restriction that would affect the continuity or continuation of the irrigation activity in the field. (...) It means that today, although we have low levels in the last part of the Danube's course, the levels at the site still ensure the required suction capacity and level of exploitation. There, therefore, the irrigation systems work. In the irrigated perimeter, crops are not affected," explained Daea.

He added that he had meetings with processors and producers in order to put in place a concrete plan, based on a piece of legislation, to boost produce processing.
The border authorities in Arad caught 21 migrants who, in the last 24 hours, tried to leave the country illegally, hiding in trucks or walking o n the field towards the territory of Hungary.

On Wednesday morning, while a van was being checked at the Nadlac II Border Crossing Point (PTF), driven by a 32-year-old Romanian, six foreigners were discovered hiding in the driver's bed, Agerpres.

"The persons in question were taken to the headquarters of the border police sector for further investigations. During the checks, our colleagues established that the persons are citizens of Syria and intended to arrive illegally in a state in Western Europe," informed the Arad Border Police.

Also, at the Varsand border crossing point, the border policemen checked a truck also driven by a Romanian, which was transporting wood pellets for a commercial company from Austria. Five migrants from India and Afghanistan, asylum seekers in our country, were found in the trailer.

Also in the last 24 hours, the border police carried out surveillance actions on the state border in the Nadlac area, during which ten people were caught who were moving on foot, on the field, towards the neighbouring country. These are migrants from Nepal, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan, aged between 19 and 36 years old.

In all cases, the border police are investigating.
The first SmartLab laboratory in the Republic of Moldova was inaugurated on Wednesday in Durlesti, Chisinau, according to a press release sent to AGERPRES on Wednesday.

"The innovative educational project awarded at the biggest fair in the world (BETT London) was implemented within the Hyperion Theoretical High School by the INACO Association - Initiative for Competitiveness in Romania," reads the press release.

The first INACO SmartLab was finalized in Romania in 2019. Currently, there are 16 SmartLabs in Romania and another 1,100 smart labs are funded by the Ministry of Education through the National Recovery and Resilience (PNRR) until 2025.

SmartLab INACO is an intelligent digital laboratory, an advanced technological ecosystem, equipped with educational software and essential work materials in the STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math) teaching-learning process. SmartLab comes with interactive solutions for all study subjects aiming to develop in students digital skills essential for the jobs of the future.

With the help of state-of-the-art equipment, such as VR/AR equipment, multifunctional robots, 3D printers, touch screen computers, 3D scanners and 3D pens, theoretical notions become tangible, and lessons become fascinating, memorable experiences for children.

"Through the technologies brought to the Hyperion Theoretical High School in Durlesti, Moldova makes a major educational leap in the future, even ahead of many other European states. I even hope that in the shortest time we will be able to take the step from 1 to 100 SmartLabs in the Republic of Moldova, with the support of the authorities and the local community. The investment we can make through a joint effort in the education of the young generations is certainly the best decision we can make for our future, for all of us," said Andreea Paul, the founder of INACO.

Present at the event, the Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Moldova for Digitalization, Iurie Turcanu, announced that the Republic of Moldova has prioritized digitalization, digital transformation, and the use of technology in all branches of society.

Moreover, through an online intervention, the Minister of Education from Romania, Sorin Cimpeanu, pointed out: "the future of education will be much more digital than before.

According to the Romanian Minister of Research, Innovation and Digitalization, Sebastian Burduja, "creating a common digital space between Romania and the Republic of Moldova does not only mean concrete bridges over the Prut, it also means digital bridges, joint projects and initiatives.

The first SmartLab in the Republic of Moldova was created through a donation of approximately 90,000 euros made by the INACO Association, with the support of the Danish company Shape Robotics. The laboratory has hardware and software equipment intended for study at the secondary and high school level.

The laboratory also integrates solutions for children with special needs, offering a safe and friendly work environment. Laboratory equipment and related software can be used in the teaching of any subject and the integration of different educational curriculum elements. The INACO team, together with the teachers and the management of the high school, can adapt the solutions from the laboratory so that they correspond to the needs of the educational unit.
Prosecutor General Gabriela Scutea on Wednesday announced the resending to the Supreme Court of the Revolution file, in which former President Ion Iliescu, former Deputy Prime Minister Gelu Voican Voiculescu and Iosif Rus, former head of the Military Aviation, are accused of committing crimes against humanity, Agepres.

Initially, the case was sent to court in April 2019, but the Supreme Court returned it to the Military Prosecutor's Office to fix several problems in the indictment.
The NuScale type reactor passed the last test of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission and will practically be the first small modular reactor (SMR) in the world fully authorized, including from the point of view of operational safety, so that Romania will have access to the newest technology, Minister of Energy Virgil Popescu announced on Wednesday.

"Practically, Romania will have access to the latest technology, both from the point of view of the fact that it is small and modular and from the point of view of operational safety and security," said the relevant minister in the podcast moderated by Ionut Cristache.

In March 2019, Nuclearelectrica and NuScale signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to evaluate the development, licensing and construction of a NuScale SMR in Romania, and on October 9, 2020, Romania signed an Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) with the USA in the field nuclear energy projects, which was also ratified by the Romanian Parliament, by Law no. 199/2021, having broad support and being adopted with a majority of votes.

Moreover, in October 2020, EXIM Bank expressed, through an MOU with the Ministry of Energy, its interest in financing large investment projects in Romania, including nuclear ones, in a total amount of 7 billion USD.

On November 4, 2021, at COP26, NuScale and Nuclearelectrica signed a collaboration agreement to advance the implementation of the first small modular reactor in Europe and at the beginning of 2021 Nuclearelectrica received USTDA funds in the amount of 1.2 million USD to identify and evaluate potential sites for small modular reactors.

On May 24, 2022, Nuclearelectrica, NuScale and E-Infra (the owner of the site) signed a Memorandum of Understanding to analyze the development of the first SMR in Romania on the site of the former thermal power plant at Doicessti, Dambovita County.

Nuclearelectrica S.A. is the national company in Romania that produces electricity, heat and nuclear fuel, which operates under the authority of the Romanian Ministry of Energy, the state owning 82.49% of the shares and other shareholders 17.50%, after the company was listed on the Bucharest Stock Exchange in 2013.

Nuclearelectrica has a major role at the national level, contributing over 18% of nuclear energy to total energy production and 33% to carbon-free energy production in Romania.AGERPRES
The PNL (National Liberal Party) leader, Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca, on Tuesday evening said that he is waiting for a meeting of the governing coalition to clarify the entire issue related to the speech of the Prime Minister of Hungary, Viktor Orban.

The journalists asked PM Nicolae Ciuca to comment on the statements made by the president of the UDMR (Democratic Union of Hungarians of Romania), Kelemen Hunor, in response to President Klaus Iohannis' demand for for clarifications from the Union.

"None of us should give applause for such explanations. (...) I reiterate that Romania is known for its openness to everything that cultural, religious, ethnic tolerance means. Until this moment, we have built our country in such a manner that allows us to enjoy the values of the European Union mean," said Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca.

He also stated that he did not meet with Kelemen Hunor to discuss this topic.

"I haven't manage to meet Mr. Chairman Kelemen Hunor. And this is not the kind of topic that I would discuss over the phone. As we discussed with the other members of the coalition, we are waiting now to have a coalition meeting to clarify on this topic," said Nicolae Ciuca, at the headquarters of the PNL, after a meeting of the leadership of the Liberals.

At the same time, the PNL leader was asked by journalists if there was a possibility to determine UDMR to leave the government because of these statements made by Kelemen Hunor. "Please allow this meeting to take place, to have clarifications. It is clear that such rhetorical and even ideological slippages are wrong in such a sensitive context," Nicolae Ciuca replied.

President Klaus Iohannis stated on Friday that there is a need for public clarifications from the UDMR in the context of the speech given in Romania by the Prime Minister of Hungary, Viktor Orban, but also for a clarifying discussion within the coalition.

"I think that there is a need for public clarifications from the UDMR, because a significant part of the leadership and membership of the UDMR was present at that event. They will have to explain if they agreed with the content of that speech that they applauded, which would be extremely complicated, or if they didn't understand what they were talking about and just generically applauded the person who gave a speech. Whatever the explanation, we need to hear it, and I think there has to be a clarifying discussion including in the governing coalition," said the head of state, at the Cotroceni Palace, at the joint press conference he had with his counterpart from the Republic of Moldova, Maia Sandu.

According to Iohannis, "no one in Romania wants to cause a governmental crisis because a high-ranking foreign dignitary gave an erroneous speech.

The Chairman of UDMR (Democratic Union of Hungarians of Romania), Deputy Prime Minister Kelemen Hunor, on Friday told AGERPRES that there should be no discussion about a crisis facing the governing coalition, because the Union has fulfilled all its obligations so far assumed with its partners, adding that the Prime Minister of Hungary, Viktor Orban, did not speak at all in Tusnad about Romania and the authorities in Bucharest, Agerpres.

Kelemen Hunor reiterated the "extremely clear" position of the UDMR condemning Russia's aggression against Ukraine.

According to the leader of the UDMR, there have been and there will probably be in the future, too, disputes in the European Union, but this does not concern the governing coalition, its cohesion.

"I saw that many said: "UDMR must be removed from the government." But why? If we were talking about our own statements, our action or inaction in the Government, about how we observed the governing programme, the agreement the coalition is based on and the interests of the Government and of the country, yes, ok. We can look for sanctions, we can look for all sorts of issues related to the functioning, to the improvement of the coalition, but this is not the case. Yes, let's have a discussion, we have nothing against it, when someone brings up the topic at a future meeting of the coalition, we can discuss this. It is an important topic, I understand, but no one can say at this points that the UDMR or the leaders of the Union failed to respect the partners in the coalition, failed to respect the agreement in the coalition, the governing programme or acted against the general and specific interests of Romania. That cannot be said," claimed Kelemen Hunor.

Kelemen Hunor mentioned that "Viktor Orban brought some additional clarifications, in Vienna, to his speech in Tusnad, specifying that he condemns racism and that his statement was presented in a different way than intended, and that probably that wrong sentence, interpretable, was taken out of context and it was reinterpreted."

Regarding the applause received by Orban, the UDMR leader said that no one could prevent those present at the event in Baile Tusnad, many of whom came out of curiosity, to applaud out of respect, politeness or for other reasons.
Police unionists will be picketing between August 9 - 11 the headquarters of the Finance Ministry in Bucharest, mainly over grievances referring to the enforcement of the Public Pay Framework Law, the grant of bonuses provided for by law, the updating and recalculation of public service military pensions, the National Police and Contractual Personnel Trade Unions Federation (FSNPPC) informs.

"If we don't get a positive response from the government, we will legally expand demonstrations nationwide, resorting to original protest forms. (...). The political and government decision-makers are further defying the rights of police, contractual personnel and reserve/retired military personnel (Interior Ministry retirees), which is why we are kicking off a string of street protests. We tried various forms of negotiation: we sent everybody written demands, we had direct meetings and social dialogue sessions with the Prime Minister of the Government of Romania, with all the coalition parties, with the heads of the Chambers of Parliament and with MPs sitting on the select committees, with the Interior Ministers and other relevant Ministers, but all of them permanently passed our legitimate demands and the solutions thereto from one to another," the statement reads.

According to the cited source, the main grievances include the application of the Public Pay Framework Law No. 153/2017 - Annexes VI and VIII (referring to military personnel, police and contractual personnel), which fully concern the budgetary occupational family Defense, Public Order and National Security.

"In fact, the law was circumvented in recent years by government emergency ordinances which defied the economic, social and professional rights/interests of us all," the trade unionists claim.

The list of grievances also includes the grant of certain bonuses provided for by law but left at the (subjective) discretion of the credit release authorities. According to the trade unionists, a relevant example is the stress bonus intended to render the Judicial Police more efficient, and which "is applied in a discretionary manner in the structures of the Interior Ministry, at a minimal level, although Framework Law No. 153/2017 authorizes the Minister to raise it to 25 percent."

The Police unionists also demand that public service military pensions be updated and recalculated according to Law No. 223/2015, as they have also been frozen in recent years, again through OUG, and "even overtaxed by the government, in a discretionary manner, starting from 2022." AGERPRES
The REPER party is officially established, after receiving the final decision of the Bucharest Court, two months after the documents were submitted, the representatives of this political entity inform on Wednesday.

The five founders - Ramona Strugariu, Dragos Pislaru, Dacian Ciolos, Dragos Tudorache and Alin Mituta - state that they are about to start the debates on the party's operating documents, Agerpres.

"It is an important day for us and we hope it will be an important day for democracy and political pluralism in Romania. REPER is today officially a political party that will campaign for a prosperous, European and fair Romania for all its citizens. It will be a Liberal, open party, pro-European, a party that will come up with solutions for those exposed to poverty who cannot face the increase in food, energy, fuel, transport prices, but also with a plan for entrepreneurs, for those who create or develop a business in Romania. It will also be a party for which equality of gender and opportunities will be a rule. A party for which the rule of law is not negotiable. A party that understands and supports children and young people, but that also thinks of programmes for seniors to have an active and dignified life," said REPER co-chairpersons, MEPs Ramona Strugariu and Dragos Pislaru.

According to them, REPER is, at the same time, "a party that focuses on concrete solutions for education, health and the environment, on a more efficient and responsible administration," as well as "a party for both Romanians who stayed home and those who were forced to go abroad," "a party with long-term solutions for Romanian farmers."
National Probation Directorate within the Ministry of Justice and the National Administration of Penitentiaries have signed a cooperation agreement with the Correctional Service of Canada for information exchange and expertise in the correctional field.

According to a press release sent to AGERPRES on Wednesday, the 5-year signed document ensures the formal framework for continuing bilateral collaboration in this area for the transfer of knowledge in the area of programs and correctional policies, organizing work meetings with experts, based on mutual vocational education.

The Ministry of Justice, through the National Probation Directorate, as well as the Correctional Services of Canada, have held a bilateral collaboration since 2011, in order to develop the evaluation instrument of risk of recidivism for convicted persons, who are registered in the Romanian probation system.

In the over 11 years of bilateral collaboration, a Scale of Evaluating Risk and Needs was developed, which is used nationwide by all Romanian probation services, four integrated work programs were made available to Romanian specialists, which are used in the Canadian Correctional Services, in order to integrate them in the practice of Romanian probation services.

Furthermore, the Romanian specialists were presented the policies used in Canada regarding recruitment, selection, guidance and support for the correctional services' staff in order to develop and consolidate similar practices in our country.AGERPRES
Romanian specialists will contribute to the building of one of the most sophisticated and advanced space robots - a robotic arm that will be used to gather rock and dust samples on Mars and send them to Earth.

"The Romanian team will develop three sets of electronic ground support equipment (EGSE). Two of them will be used in Italy at the Leonardo headquarters and one will be delivered directly to NASA JPL, in the USA, for the last checks before launch," the Romanian Space Association (ASR) reported on Wednesday.

The mission to return Martian samples back to Earth will see a European 2.5 metre-long robotic arm pick up tubes filled with precious soil from Mars and transfer them to a rocket for an historic interplanetary delivery.

The sophisticated robot, known as the Sample Transfer Arm or STA, will play a crucial role in the success of the Mars Sample Return campaign. The joint endeavour between NASA and ESA aims to bring back Martian samples to the best labs in our planet by 2033. The robotic arm will land on Mars to retrieve the sample tubes NASA's Perseverance rover is currently collecting from the surface. Able to "see", "feel" and take autonomous decisions, the Sample Transfer Arm will identify, pick up and transfer the tubes into the first rocket fired off another planet - the Mars Launch System, Agerpres.

GMV Romania also contributes to the Perception Unit whose development is coordinated by GMV Spain - an electronic unit that plays an important role in the handling of the robotic arm. In this unit there are cameras that provide information for the arm's algorithms so that it can recognise and pick up the samples safely.

GMV Romania contributes to the mechanical and structural design for the Perception Unit, carried out by a group of sub-contractors from several countries. The Romanian team also offers support to colleagues in Spain for the development of algorithms that help the arm to "see" its surroundings.

"The contribution of the Romanian industry and research community to this pioneering NASA-ESA mission is the concrete result of ASR's efforts to promote the development in the country of relevant capabilities for planetary exploration missions. We have supported Romania's participation in the optional programme of the European Space Agency robotic and manned exploration precisely to give Romanian space players a chance to participate in ESA projects, to increase their degree of technological maturity and to have an exchange of knowledge between Romanian and European specialists and even the United States of America," says Marius-Ioan Piso, Chairman of the Romanian Space Agency (ASR).

As a result, on the Mars Sample Return mission, equipment fully developed in Romania will fly to Mars, playing an important role in the mission's success.

The European industrial consortium involved in the construction of the arm brings together companies from Spain, France, Romania, Denmark, Greece, Switzerland and the Czech Republic, under the leadership of the Leonardo company. They will design, manufacture, integrate and test the robotic arm.
The Emergency Medical System in Romania currently counts for 978 physicians specialized in emergency medicine, while its real needs would be over 2,000 such doctors, the Emergency Situations Department (DSU) head, Raed Arafat, said on Wednesday in northern Botosani.

According to him, the work schedule of the higher education medical staff in the emergency reception units (UPU) is overloaded due to the shortage of personnel, which determines the current staff to perform a very large number of overtime hours.

"The solution to having an attractive UPU is to have enough staff and that I think is something that we have to keep up with. (...) and there's another thing: the generations that were hired 20 to 30 years ago are already retiring. We now need not only to supplement, but to replace those who retire," Arafat said.

On Wednesday, the DSU head made a visit to the UPU of the Mavromati Emergency County Hospital of Botosani, which was modernized and extended based on a project co-financed from European funds worth 12.5 million RON.AGERPRES
As many as 9,106 new cases of people infected with SARS-CoV-2 were recorded in the last 24 hours in Romania, down 2,590 from the previous day, with over 28,000 RT-PCR and rapid antigenic tests performed, the Health Ministry informed on Wednesday.

Of the new cases, 1,757 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 - 1,801, and in the counties of Brasov - 605, Cluj - 558, Timis - 486, and Dolj - 409, Agerpres.

The highest rates are in Bucharest City - 9.67, followed by the counties of Cluj - 8.9, Ilfov - 6.89, Constanta - 6.4, Sibiu -6.75, Brasov - 6.15, and Timis - 5.95.

As of Tuesday, 3,089,651 cases of people infected with the novel coronavirus were confirmed in Romania.

- Hospitalisations -

As many as 3,995 people with COVID-19, down 37 from the previous reporting, including 552 minors, are hospitalised in Romania at specialist care facilities.

Out of the total number of hospitalised patients, 284 patients, up seven, including five minors, are in intensive care.

Of the 284 patients admitted to ICU, 247 are unvaccinated against COVID-19.

- Deaths -

According to the ministry, 41 Romanians, 20 men and 21 women, infected with SARS-CoV-2 are reported dead in the last 24 hours.

Of the 41 deaths, three were recorded in the age group 50-59 years, six in the age group 60-69 years, 12 in the age group 70-79 years, and 20 in the age group over 80 years.

As many as 40 deaths were in patients with comorbidities, and 14 deaths were in unvaccinated patients.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, 66,090 people diagnosed with the SARS-CoV-2 infection have died in Romania.
Acting President of the Senate Alina Gorghiu received, on Wednesday, the Ambassador of Japan, Hiroshi Ueda, on a courtesy visit, a meeting during which she expressed her condolences for the assassination of the former prime minister Shinzo Abe, noting that the Japanese leader will remain in the memory of the Romanian nation as the initiator of the bilateral strategic partnership between the two countries, launched in 2018 together with President Klaus Iohannis, informs a Senate press release sent to AGERPRES.

Gorghiu emphasized the importance of Romanian-Japanese cooperation in the line of parliamentary diplomacy, through the boosting of the activity of the Romania-Japan Parliamentary Friendship Group, but also the organization of events aimed at promoting the cultures of the two states.

At the same time, the high-ranking Romanian official specified that the invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation represents a catalyst for the intensification of cooperation between Romania and Japan, expressing his support for the acceleration of negotiations and the signing of the bilateral Strategic Partnership Agreement, which will strengthen political cooperation between the two states in the field of security, economy, research and culture.

During the dialogue, the two officials hailed the 100th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Romania and Japan last year. In this context, they expressed their common interest in boosting high-level bilateral political contacts and exchanges at the level of specialized parliamentary committees, as well as stimulating economic, commercial and investment relations.

Alina Gorghiu mentioned the opportunity of a visit to Romania soon by Vice-President of the House of Councillors, Hidehisa Otsuji.AGERPRES
The Senate's acting president, Alina Gorghiu, received the ambassador of the Republic of Azerbaijan to Romania, Najafov Huseyn Nizami, on Wednesday, for a curtesy visit, the two addressing the stage and development perspectives of the relations between Romania and the Republic of Azerbaijan, as well as the contacts agenda of this year, in the context of the 30-year anniversary of diplomatic relations.

Alina Gorghiu praised the good level of bilateral political dialogue, pointing out that strengthening strategic partnership and boosting cooperation on a Parliamentary level between the two countries must represent a priority in the following period, according to a Senate press release.

The Senate's president also highlighted the role of the Republic of Azerbaijan in consolidating European energy security and in developing transport corridors linking the region to Europe, reiterating the Romanian state's interest for the import of natural gas, so that Romanian energy needs are met, as well as those of the Republic of Moldova. Furthermore, Alina Gorghiu also talked about Romania's support for the development of Azerbaijan's relations with the European Union, as well as the EU's increased role towards security and stability in South Caucasus, saying that Romania was the first EU member state that signed a strategic partnership declaration with Baku.AGERPRES
Three Indian nationals and one Romanian are being investigated by the Timisoara Border Police for fraudulent crossing of the state border and migrant smuggling after the foreigners were spotted in a car driven by a Romanian in the city Jimbolia.

As part of a mission to combat illegal migration, the border guards of the Jimbolia area on Tuesday evening on the DN 59C road detected three Indian citizens who illegally crossed the border from Serbia in a vehicle driven by a Romanian citizen, the Press Office of the Timisoara Border Police reported on Wednesday, Agerpres.

After checks carried out by the border police, it was established that the three foreign passengers are citizens of India, aged between 23 and 28 years, and they illegally crossed the border from Serbia into Romania by foot through the green border. The driver was identified as a 47-year-old Romanian.
CLAYTON  Centene Corp. Chairman James Dallas plans to step down from his role as board chair, but stay on as a director, the company said Monday in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Dallas informed the board that he will step down from his role as chairman by the 2023 stockholder meeting, amid other changes to the Clayton-based health insurers governance structure.

Dallas was named acting chair in February, when former chairman and CEO Michael Neidorff took a medical leave of absence.

We are very grateful to James Dallas for guiding the Centene Board of Directors through a significant evolution of the Companys governance structure over the course of 2022, CEO Sarah London said in a statement.

The company also announced new amendments on Monday, that shareholders will soon vote on. One would add annual elections for directors, and another would allow owners of 10% or more of the companys stock to call special meetings.
ST. LOUIS  A Silicon Valley artificial intelligence company has opened an office in downtown St. Louis and has plans to more than double its local workforce.

Scale AI, which already employs 215 people locally, moved from its office near the St. Louis Lambert International Airport to 1227 Washington Avenue to better connect with the regions growing geospatial industry, said Mark Valentine, who leads Scale AIs federal government business.

Scale AI works in aggregating and annotating data, key steps in creating and improving AI technology. It has its fingerprint on much of the autonomous vehicle technology. It counts the U.S. Department of Defense, plus the Army and Air Force research labs as clients, among others, said Valentine.

The downtown location is prime, Valentine said, due to its proximity to geospatial hot spots like the Globe Building, 710 North Tucker Boulevard, Moonshot Labs at tech incubator T-REX, 911 Washington Avenue, and the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agencys under-construction headquarters in nearby north St. Louis.

The company also plans to open an office at the Globe Building , he added.

Many of our customers aspire or do work in or near the St. Louis area, Valentine said. St. Louis has become the geospatial capital of the world in many ways.

Scale AI was founded in 2016 by Alexandr Wang, then 19 years old, who serves as CEO.

The company has raised over $600 million in venture capital funds, according to a 2021 Wall Street Journal report, and has a $7.3 billion valuation.
BERKELEY  St. Louis-area Boeing workers approved the companys latest contract offer on Wednesday, sparing the aerospace giant a strike at three regional facilities.

The vote ended a weekslong saga over the next three-year contract for Boeings 2,500 local, unionized workers. Had the union voted down the contract on Wednesday, a strike would have begun within hours, at 12:01 a.m. on Thursday.

We have delivered an equitable contract that will secure the future for the members, their families and future generations, the local union chapter president, Tom Boelling, said in a statement.

The workers, represented by the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers District 837, make defense aircraft for Boeing at sites in St. Louis County, St. Charles and Mascoutah. The products made there include the F-15, F-18, T-7A trainer and MQ-25 refueling drone.

Negotiations began early last month, and union members rejected the companys first contract offer in a vote on July 24. A strike was scheduled to begin on Aug. 1, but after an overnight bargaining session the company reached the new contract proposal.

The workers retirement benefits have been one of the main sticking points in negotiations. The second contract offer withdrew some of the changes to the retirement plan from the previous draft, and added an $8,000 lump-sum payment, which employees can choose to defer into their 401(k) plans.

A Boeing spokesman said in a statement Wednesday that the company is pleased with the outcome of the vote.

We look forward to our future here in the St. Louis area, the statement said.

Strikes at Boeings area sites have been uncommon. The most recent was in 1996, against McDonnell Douglas, a year before it merged with Boeing. Before that, workers went on strike in 1975.
Are you a bargain hunter when it comes to wine? If so, be sure to sign up for retailers e-newsletters that announce sales, new arrivals and tastings. Thats how I learned that Starrs was offering a Saint-Emilion Grand Cru at $15.99 for a limited time. Considering that wines from this prestigious Bordeaux Right Bank appellation can be quite pricey, I immediately visited the shop. The mature Saint-Emilion, which is almost 10 years old, turned out to be a terrific find along with a red from Fronsac, a lesser-known Bordeaux Right Bank appellation. Both wines received 90 points from Wine Enthusiast and would go well with steak and other grilled meats.

Lady Laroze 2012 Saint-Emilion Grand Cru, France

Bought  Starrs, 1135 South Big Bend, in July for $15.99 (regular price $22.99)

Description  The well-regarded Chateau Laroze created the Lady Laroze label to honor two of its important women: Nelly Gurchy, who founded the estate in 1882 and her granddaughter Andree Meslin, who worked hard to ensure its continuation. A blend of 70% merlot and 30% cabernet franc, this is an elegant, soft red with silky tannins. Its a complex, ready-to-drink blend that has a subtle earthiness and tastes of ripe dark fruit with hints of spice and leather. It ends with a long, smooth finish.

Chateau Mayne-Vieil 2016 Fronsac, France

Bought  Starrs, 1135 South Big Bend, in July for $13.99

Description  Although Fronsac is not as famous or prestigious as Saint-Emilion, it is considered an underrated appellation that produces high-quality, great value wines that are full of character. This full-bodied red is an excellent example. It comes from Chateau Mayne Vieil, which has belonged to the Seze family since 1918. Made from 100% merlot, this is a rich and fruity red thats more tannic than the Lady Laroze and tastes of ripe blackberries and plums with notes of smoke, spice and vanilla.
TALINN, Estonia (AP)  A court in Belarus on Wednesday sentenced yet another independent journalist to a lengthy prison term, part of a continued government crackdown on opposition activists, critical media outlets and independent reporters.

Iryna Slaunikava, 52-year-old journalist with the Poland-based TV channel Belsat, was convicted of forming an extremist organization and participating in protests and sentenced to five years in prison. The sentence handed to Slaunikava by a judge in Gomel, a city in southeastern Belarus, is one year longer than what the prosecution had sought for her, according to the Belarusian Association of Journalists.

Slaunikava is the third Belsat journalist imprisoned in Belarus. Belsat, a Belarusian-language TV channel funded by the Polish government, has been declared extremist by Belarus' authorities. It has been a source of news for hundreds of thousands of Belarusians ever since it started broadcasting in 2007. Belsat's YouTube channel currently has 474,000 subscribers.

Belarusian authorities have conducted a relentless, multi-pronged crackdown on dissent following the massive anti-government protests that erupted after President Alexander Lukashenko was handed a sixth term after an August 2020 presidential vote that was denounced as rigged by the opposition and the West.

A wave of repression saw more than 35,000 people arrested and thousands beaten by police. The country's largest independent media outlets have been shut down, and the majority of independent journalists have left the country. A total of 29 journalists are currently behind bars, either awaiting trials or serving lengthy sentences.

Last month, another Belsat journalist Katsiaryna Bakhvalava, who also goes by the last name of Andreyeva, was sentenced to eight years in prison on the charges of high treason  on top of a two-year sentence she was already serving. Her colleague, Darya Chultsova, is currently serving a two-year sentence from 2021.

Slaunikava spent the last 10 months in detention. She was detained in October last year at the Minsk airport upon returning from vacation. Initially, she was jailed for 15 days for posting what the authorities deemed to be extremist content on Facebook.

In Warsaw on Tuesday and Wednesday, demonstrations took place in support of the journalist, with protesters demanding sanctions to be imposed on those who persecute journalists in Belarus.

Journalists are not extremists, and dissent is not a crime, the Belarusian Association of Journalists said in a statement Wednesday. Belarusian authorities continue to persecute journalists for exercising their right to free speech.

The Committee to Project Journalists on Wednesday condemned the sentence handed out to Slaunikava as another example of the deeply cynical and vindictive nature of the Belarusian government.
WASHINGTON  The Environmental Protection Agency is warning residents who live near medical sterilizing plants in 13 states, including Missouri, and Puerto Rico about potential health risks from emissions of ethylene oxide, a chemical widely used in their operations.

Jackson, Missouri; Laredo, Texas; Ardmore, Oklahoma; and Lakewood, Colorado, are among the communities facing the highest risk from ethylene oxide emissions, EPA said.

The agency has notified 23 commercial sterilizers  19 in the continental U.S. and four in Puerto Rico  that their operations pose an elevated risk of cancer and other ailments. The notice follows a recent survey of emissions data from almost 100 commercial sterilizers nationwide.

Ethylene oxide is used to clean everything from catheters to syringes, pacemakers and plastic surgical gowns.

While short-term or infrequent exposure to ethylene oxide does not appear to pose a health risk, EPA said long-term or lifetime exposure to the chemical could lead to a variety of health impacts, including lymphoma and breast cancer. EPA said it is working with commercial sterilizers to take appropriate steps to reduce emissions.

Today, EPA is taking action to ensure communities are informed and engaged in our efforts to address ethylene oxide, a potent air toxic posing serious health risks with long-term exposure, EPA Administrator Michael Regan said in a statement Wednesday.

EPA will conduct public outreach campaigns in each of the communities where elevated risks have been found, including an Aug. 10 webinar.

Laredo, one of the communities targeted by the EPA notice, is a border city where the vast majority of residents are Latino and more than a quarter live in poverty. Missouri-based Midwest Sterilization Corp. operates a sterilization plant in Laredo. The company also owns the Jackson plant, near Cape Girardeau, that is on EPAs watch list.

More than 40% of Laredos nearly 70,000 schoolchildren attend campuses in areas with an elevated risk of cancer due to ethylene oxide emissions from the Midwest plant, according to an analysis by ProPublica and the Texas Tribune.

A spokesperson for Midwest declined immediate comment. But the company told ProPublica and the Tribune last December that cancer risk from its Laredo plant is overstated. Emissions it reported to the EPA are worst case scenarios, rather than specific pollution levels, the company said.

The Ethylene Oxide Sterilization Association, an industry group, said in a statement that ethylene oxide has been used for decades by the health care community to sterilize a wide variety of medical devices and equipment. More than 20 billion health care products are sterilized each year in the U.S. alone.

In many cases. there are no practical alternatives currently available to ethylene oxide, the group said, adding that use of less effective cleaning methods "could introduce the real risks of increased morbidity and mortality at hospitals throughout the country.

EPA called medical sterilization a critical function that ensures a safe supply of medical devices for patients and hospitals. The agency said it is committed to addressing pollution concerns associated with EO, sometimes called EtO, in a comprehensive way that ensures facilities can operate safely in communities while also providing sterilized medical supplies.

Proposed rules to update control of air toxic emissions from commercial sterilizers and facilities that manufacture EtO are expected by the end of the year, with final rules likely next year, EPA said.

Besides medical cleaners, EtO is used in a range of products, including antifreeze, textiles, plastics, detergents and adhesives. It also used to decontaminate some food products and spices. Two of the 23 facilities targeted by EPA  in Hanover and Jessup, Maryland  are used to sterilize spices. Both are operated by Jessup-based Elite Spice.

Other commercial sterilizers cited by EPA are located in Groveland, Fla.; Salisbury, Md.; Taunton Mass.; Columbus, Nebraska; Linden and Franklin, New Jersey; Erie and Zelienople, Pa.; Memphis and New Tazewell, Tenn.; Athens, Texas; Sandy Utah; and Richmond Virginia.

Four plants are Puerto Rico: Anasco, Fajardo, Salinas and Villalba.
TUESDAY, Aug. 2, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- A Minnesota jury is expected to decide by the end of this week whether a woman's human rights were violated when a pharmacist denied her request to fill a prescription for emergency contraception, sometimes called the morning-after pill.

Though the case dates back to 2019, the issue is at the center of political debate in the United States ever since the U.S. Supreme Court removed a woman's constitutional right to an abortion in June. Concerns about whether contraception rights might also be limited by the conservative court in the future prompted the U.S. House of Representatives last week to pass a bill to guarantee the right.

In Minnesota, Andrea Anderson sued pharmacist George Badeaux under the state's Human Rights Act, CBS News reported. Minnesota law prohibits discrimination based on sex. This includes issues related to pregnancy and childbirth.

Anderson had tried to fill her prescription for the morning-after pill in January 2019 at the Thrifty White pharmacy in the small city of McGregor, the Star Tribune reported. Badeaux told her he could not fill it because of his religious beliefs but that she could fill it the next day with another pharmacist if a snowstorm did not stop that pharmacist from getting to work. The mother of five then drove 100 miles roundtrip in wintry weather to fill her prescription in Brainerd, Minnesota.

Badeaux can explain his religious beliefs to the jury, "but not in such a manner as to confuse the jury into thinking this is a religious freedom contest," according to a judge's ruling in the case. He cannot raise federal constitutional issues such as freedom of religion because the case is filed under the state's Human Rights Act, said Aitkin County District Judge David Hermerding, CBS News reported.

"The issue for the jury is not [the] defendant's constitutional rights," the judge wrote. "It is whether he deliberately misled, obfuscated, and blocked Ms. Anderson's path to obtaining" emergency contraception.
WEDNESDAY, Aug. 3, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Babies who are white appear to get diagnostic appointments for cystic fibrosis earlier than babies of several other races and ethnicities, new research shows.

This can cause gaps in care and outcomes.

While it is recommended that infants who have an initial positive screening for cystic fibrosis be further evaluated by 28 days of age, those who were Black, American Indian/Native Alaskan, Asian, and/or Hispanic received diagnostic follow-up at a median age of 31 days, the study found. That compared to 22 days for white babies. Median means half got screening sooner, half later.

Babies from minority groups also had more symptoms, putting them greater risk of complications.

"Prompt evaluation is critical for all infants with out-of-range newborn screening test for cystic fibrosis," said lead study author Dr. Susanna McColley, a pulmonologist from Ann & Robert H. Lurie Childrens Hospital of Chicago and a professor of pediatrics at Northwestern University.

"Because pre-symptomatic treatment of cystic fibrosis is the overarching goal of newborn screening, we advocate for quality improvement activities that lead to timely diagnosis of all infants," McColley said in a hospital news release. "We absolutely must achieve equity in diagnostic evaluation and initiation of care for cystic fibrosis. Children's lives depend on it."

Cystic fibrosis is a genetic disease that damages multiple organs, including the lungs and pancreas.

It causes insufficient flow of salt and water in and out of cells, creating a buildup of thick, sticky mucus in the lungs. It can lead to chronic lung infections and severe lung disease.

The study found that the delay in diagnosis and treatment was associated with worse early nutritional outcomes.

Early nutritional deficits for infants with cystic fibrosis have been linked to lower lung function, and higher childhood death rates.

McColley noted that people from minority groups have more rare gene variants. As a result, newborn screening may raise less concern and delay an evaluation for diagnosis, she said.

"Also, medical literature often describes cystic fibrosis as mainly affecting white people, specifically those of northern European ancestry, which may result in bias when interpreting newborn screening results for infants of other racial and ethnic backgrounds, leading to delays in evaluation and initiation of treatment," McColley added.

The findings were recently published in the Journal of Cystic Fibrosis.

More information

The U.S. National Heart Lung and Blood Institute has more on cystic fibrosis.

SOURCE: Ann & Robert Lurie Childrens Hospital of Chicago, news release, July 27, 2022

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OSAGE BEACH, Mo.  Authorities on Wednesday arrested a Missouri man accused of bringing a gun to the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.

Investigators say Jerod Thomas Bargar, 36, of Centralia, Missouri, illegally brought a 9 mm semi-automatic pistol across state lines and into the District of Columbia, where he is not licensed to carry a gun, and lost it during the Jan. 6, 2021, attack.

He is charged with entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds with a deadly or dangerous weapon and unlawful possession of a firearm on Capitol grounds or buildings, according to court records. He also is charged with multiple misdemeanor offenses.

Police found the gun on the ground around 2:30 p.m. during the riot, and later linked it to Bargar.

The gun was in a distinctive holster that displayed an image of the American flag and the words, We The People written on it, according to charging documents. It had one 9 mm cartridge in the chamber and about 15 more cartridges in the magazine.

In court documents, investigators included several screen shots of Bargars social media featuring pictures of him at what appears to be the Jan. 6 riot, including one with a caption that read There are patriots and traitors, where do you stand?

It was unclear Wednesday afternoon if Bargar was still in custody. Osage Beach police said around 5 p.m. there were no detainees in the departments jail.

Bargar made his first court appearance Wednesday in the Western District of Missouri and is one of several Missouri residents charged in connection to the storming of the Capitol.

Several others in Missouri, including some in the St. Louis area, have already been charged in the riot.

Nicholas Burton Reimler, 29, of Valley Park, pleaded guilty in September to joining a crowd who broke through police lines and into the U.S. Capitol and was sentenced in federal court in Washington to three years probation.

In April, a federal judge sentenced Emily Hernandez, who appeared in one of the iconic photos of the day holding a piece of the nameplate that had been torn off the door of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, to 30 days behind bars. Her uncle, William Bill Merry, got 45 days, as did his friend Paul Scott Westover.

Mathew Wade Capsel, 27, of Illinois, is accused of attacking National Guard soldiers during the riot.

And about two weeks after the riot, Zachary Martin was taken into custody in Springfield, Missouri, on federal charges of unlawful activities on Capitol Grounds, disorderly conduct and demonstrating in the Capitol building.

Since Jan. 6, 2021, the Justice Department said more than 850 individuals have been arrested in nearly all 50 states in connection to the breach of the U.S. Capitol.
ST. LOUIS  A New York man was sentenced Tuesday to serve 40 days in jail, 100 hours of community service and pay $8,000 in restitution for lunging at a flight attendant while en route to Las Vegas and causing the plane to divert to St. Louis.

James Maloney, 37, of Honeoye, in the Finger Lakes region of upstate New York, pleaded guilty in April in federal court in St. Louis to one count of interference with crew members by assault. He was sentenced by U.S. District Judge John A. Ross based on Maloney's agreement with prosecutors.

Maloney had been charged with lunging at a crew member during a Sept. 12, 2020, American Airlines flight from Charlotte, North Carolina, to Las Vegas. An airline spokesperson said Maloney was "unruly" and forced the flight's diversion to St. Louis Lambert International Airport, where Maloney was removed from the airplane.

A flight attendant told Maloney to close an overhead bin and sit down, his plea agreement said. A half-hour later, Maloney was drinking a beer he hadn't bought on the plane and ignored the flight attendant's warnings to wear a face mask. Maloney also said "(expletive) Black lives matter," called the flight attendant a racial slur and lunged at a flight attendant during an argument.
ST. LOUIS  Two area county executives handily turned back challengers in Republican primaries Tuesday. Voters also approved several bond issues, including one that would fund new pools in Florissant. And voters gave a pink slip to a St. Louis lawmaker who had been censured by his colleagues in 2021.

Among races of note:

 Jefferson County Executive Dennis Gannon of De Soto defeated his Republican primary opponent Paul Wieland, a term-limited state senator from Imperial. Gannon received 56% of the vote; Wieland, 44%.

 Rep. Mary Elizabeth Coleman of Arnold won the four-way battle for Wielands 22nd District seat in Jefferson County. Coleman received 35% of the vote. Former Rep. Jeff Roorda, a former Democrat and police union business manager, came in second, with 24%, followed by Rep. Dan Shaul, 23%, and Rep. Shane Roden, 18%.

 St. Charles County Executive Steve Ehlmann of St. Charles trounced Arnie Dienoff of OFallon, a frequent candidate for various offices over the years, in the Republican primary. Ehlmann took 82.5% of the vote; Dienoff, 17.5%.

 Rep. Raychel Proudie defeated Rep. Michael Person in the new 73rd House district in north St. Louis County. Proudie won with 62% of the vote; Person, 38%.

Another North County incumbent legislator also was defeated in the Democratic primary  Rep. Neil Smith, who lost to Chantelle Nickson-Clark in the 67th District.

 Rep. Nick Schroer of St. Charles County defeated Rep. John Wiemann of OFallon in the GOP primary to succeed term-limited state Sen. Bob Onder, R-Lake Saint Louis, in the countys 2nd District. Schroer received nearly 58%; Wiemann, 42%.

 Rep. Wiley Price was defeated by challenger Del Taylor in Democratic contest in St. Louis 84th district. Price was censured by fellow lawmakers in early 2021 and stripped of committee assignments following a probe into alleged threats he made to cover up a relationship with a Capitol intern. Taylor, who received 57% of the vote, is unopposed in the general election.

 George Hruza, a dermatologist from Huntleigh, defeated Brett Schenck, an attorney from Creve Coeur, in the Republican battle to represent the 24th Senate district.

 Two veteran St. Charles County Council members, Joe Cronin and John White, were defeated in GOP primary races. Cronin, of St. Paul, lost to former Wentzville Alderman Matt Swanson. White lost to Tim Baker; both live in the St. Charles area.

 In the city of St. Louis, Democratic nominee Laura Keys defeated three other candidates, all independents, running to succeed John Collins-Muhammad, who resigned before being indicted on federal corruption charges. Keys, who received 57% of the vote in the 21st Ward special election, will serve the final eight months of Collins-Muhammads term.

 St. Louis voters also approved a charter amendment to increase the maximum fine for illegal dumping to $1,000 from $500 and passed a measure creating the Holly Hills special business district.

 Florissant voters approved a ballot measure to support rebuilding two new outdoor pools, one in both Bangert and Koch parks, along with helping maintain the citys indoor pool in the James J. Eagan Community Center. The measure received 61% of the vote.
ST. LOUIS  A local businessmans bid for president of the Board of Aldermen ended Tuesday.

Earlier in the day, entrepreneur Mark Kummer asked a state appeals court to reverse a city judges decision removing him from the September ballot because he hadnt lived in St. Louis long enough.

But the state appeals court said no on Tuesday afternoon. Kummers attorney said further appeals would be useless.

The city charter says candidates for aldermanic president must live here for five years and be an assessed taxpayer for two years next before their election. Kummer, who moved back to St. Louis from Boston last year, said he qualified because he lived here from 1985 to 1997 and the assessed taxpayer part was unconstitutional.

But Alderman Jack Coatar, who is a candidate in the race, disagreed and sued. Kummer accused Coatar of carrying water for developers seeking tax incentives. But a city judge agreed with Coatar, ruling that a candidates years must be immediately prior to the election.

Then, Tuesday, Kummer said he was terminating his campaign, leaving Coatar and fellow Alderman Megan Green on the Sept. 13 ballot.

Kummer said he would endorse Coatar.

Coatar, he said, had more business experience and would do more for north St. Louis.
JEFFERSON CITY  The Missouri Senate will have a new look in the wake of Tuesdays balloting, but the divisions that have marked the Republican supermajority are unlikely to change when the new General Assembly begins in January.

After a 2022 legislative session defined by a bitter GOP rift over hot-button election issues, a number of the incoming freshmen are expected to join with members of the Conservative Caucus, the band of Republican hardliners who held up action in the upper chamber for months this spring.

The victories are notable because of the ability of senators to individually filibuster legislation, forcing negotiations and compromise among the 34 members.

Among the newcomers is restaurateur Ben Brown, a Washington Republican who entered the race amid anger over pandemic restrictions that forced the temporary closures of businesses.

I imagine I will be joining the caucus, said Brown, who won a five-way primary for a Franklin County-based seat with 39% of the vote in the heavily GOP district.

He said with others joining the splinter group, leaders in the chamber may relent in their opposition to certain issues being pushed by the conservatives.

My hope is that we can start bridging that gap, Brown said. Youve seen escalation on both sides of this conflict and at some point we have to come together.

A top Democrat, however, said the ongoing GOP split puts the 10-member minority in a positive position.

It definitely means that they are going to have to engage us more, unless they are going to go along with their conspiracy theories and outrageous policy ideas, said Senate Minority Leader John Rizzo, D-Independence. Democrats in the Missouri Senate are the most relevant theyve been in the last 20 years.

Rizzo said members who side with Senate leaders who won reelection on Tuesday also will be more emboldened to face off against the splinter group now that the election is over.

They dont have to parse their words. They dont have to worry about their next primary, Rizzo said.

Among contests for open seats in the St. Louis region, Rep. Mary Elizabeth Coleman, R-Arnold, scored a victory in the race to replace term-limited Sen. Paul Wieland, R-Imperial, in the heavily Republican 22nd district.

Coleman, who has gained national attention for her staunchly anti-abortion beliefs, garnered 34% in a four-way primary that included former Democrat Jeff Roorda, a St. Louis police union leader, as well as term-limited state Reps. Dan Shaul and Shane Roden.

Rep. Nick Schroer, a St. Charles County Republican, easily beat Rep. John Wiemann, R-OFallon, by a 57-42 margin.

Coleman, Schroer and Brown each had the support of a political action committee seeking to expand the membership in the Senates so-called Conservative Caucus, which has pushed Senate GOP leaders to move further to the right on issues like abortion, education and taxes.

The 100 PAC, which is helmed by former Sen. Jim Lembke, also helped bankroll the defeat of Sen. Bill White, a Joplin Republican who narrowly lost to political newcomer Jill Carter, who is expected to align herself with the splinter faction.

That could raise the groups membership from seven to nine, with 15 senators siding with the leadership team of Majority Leader Caleb Rowden, R-Columbia.

Democrats currently have 10 members and are closely watching Rep. Tracy McCreerys bid to replace term-limited Jill Schupp in a redrawn St. Louis County district. McCreery, D-Olivette, faces Republican businessman George Hruza of Huntleigh in November.

In other Senate contests, Rep. Travis Fitzwater, R-Holts Summit, won a five-way primary by a 32-29 margin over Mike Carter of Wentzville in a newly drawn district that stretches from the western edge of St. Charles County nearly to Jefferson City.

Fitzwater is expected to stand on the leadership side of the Senate GOP.

The conservative group also will be bolstered by the return of incumbents who lost their bids for Congress Tuesday, but can stay in the Senate because they have two more years left in their terms.

Among them is Sen. Mike Moon, R-Ash Grove, who spent much of the last session feuding with leadership. At one point, he was temporarily stripped of his committee assignments for wearing bib overalls on the Senate floor.

Moon said hed been cooking pancakes for constituents in the morning and forgot to change before the days session began.

Posted at 1:15 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 3.
JEFFERSON CITY  Republican Attorney General Eric Schmitt and Democrat Trudy Busch Valentine will face off in the November general election contest for U.S. Senate, Missouri voters decided Tuesday.

Schmitt handily won Missouris Republican primary for U.S. Senate on Tuesday, defeating a scandal-plagued former governor and a six-term congresswoman on his way to the nomination.

Schmitt was winning about 46% of the Republican primary vote in the race to succeed U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt. His closest competitors, former Gov. Eric Greitens and U.S. Rep. Vicky Hartzler, were trailing, with Hartzler taking 22% and Greitens winning 19% of the vote with 77% of the expected vote in, according to Politico.

The Associated Press called the race for Schmitt at about 9 p.m.

About 300 people had come out to Schmitts election watch party at the Westport Plaza in Maryland Heights on Tuesday night. Schmitt declared victory shortly before 9:30 p.m.

I dont come from billions; I come from Bridgeton, the Bridgeton native said, shooting a verbal jab at Valentine, who won the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate. She is the daughter of beer baron August Gussie Busch.

Schmitt labeled himself as a fighter and promised he would square off against Democrats, especially the radical progressives ... because the Democrats arent playing small ball, theyre playing for keeps.

Watch Now: Eric Schmitt wins Republican primary for U.S. Senate Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt addresses a crowd of supporters at his campaign party where he announced his victory in the Republican 

Valentine, who had secured the backing of many in the Democratic Party establishment, was leading her closest rival, Marine veteran Lucas Kunce, who on Monday received the endorsement of Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt.

With nearly 90% of expected votes in, Valentine was winning 43% of the Democratic vote while Kunce had captured 38%, according to Politico.

Valentine, in her acceptance speech to supporters gathered at the Sheet Metal Workers Local 36 union hall, focused on bridging political divides in the general election.

I'm going to approach politics the same way I approach nursing and my life, she said late Tuesday. I'm going to treat everyone with compassion, respect and integrity. I'm going to put our differences aside and embrace what unites us.

While Valentine held a large advantage in St. Louis, St. Louis County and in surrounding metro counties, Kunce was leading in parts of mid-Missouri, including Boone and Cole counties, as well as in parts of southeast and northeast Missouri.

Schmitt, the 47-year-old attorney general, portrayed himself as the electable alternative to Greitens in the closing hours of the race, after former President Donald Trump endorsed them both late Monday.

Greitens, after sharing the Trump endorsement with Schmitt, characterized his rival as a RINO, or Republican in name only, and a career politician.

In brief remarks to supporters in Chesterfield on Tuesday, after results showed him losing by a wide margin, an upbeat Greitens thanked them and said, God has a plan. It doesnt always work on our timeline.

Greitens resigned in 2018 after admitting to an affair with his hairdresser and being indicted on an invasion of privacy charge in St. Louis. He also faced a felony charge connected to a charity donor list his 2016 campaign received. Both cases were eventually dropped.

Schmitt, who dismissed Greitens as a quitter, cast himself as a conservative fighter, pointing to his list of lawsuits against President Joe Bidens administration and actions against local governments and school districts.

The attorney generals actions appealed to Joel Gilson, 40, of Jefferson City, who said he voted for Schmitt in the primary. He actually is doing his job, Gilson said. He went against the mask mandates.

At 7:30 p.m. at the EPIC Empowerment campus in Chesterfield, Greitens supporters were gathered amid a slew of reporters and cameramen awaiting results.

Even though Greitens has lost key supporters  including his wife and former campaign manager  during his years of scandal, at least one former cabinet member from his administration showed up at the ex-governors watch party.

Hes the same Eric I went to work for, said Drew Juden, 65, who served as director of the Department of Public Safety under Greitens. What you see is what you get. Its a shame that some people have chosen to attack him unjustly.

Steve Nickel, 67, of the Sappington area of south St. Louis County, was among the crowd who showed up Tuesday for Greitens election night party.

I think hes going to take it, Nickel said. I am really not worried.

Nickel, a retired small business owner and Eagle Scout who voted for Barack Obama and Donald Trump, said he volunteered for the Greitens campaign, the first time hed put his own shoulder to the political wheel since Ross Perot ran for president.

Grassroots, Nickel said from under a black cowboy hat. I dont care for these politicians who are in it for themselves.

On the Democratic side, Zachary Stickann, 43, of Jefferson City, cast his vote for Lucas Kunce, about a mile away from where Kunce grew up in a forgotten house that has featured in his campaign. His wife, Laura Stickann, 43, voted for Spencer Toder.

Im not going to vote for an heiress if thats one of their main claims to fame, he said, referring to Valentine.

She also didnt do hardly any campaigning, said Laura Stickann, also 43.

I think hes a breath of fresh air, Stickann said of Toder. It would be wonderful if he would win the primary; I dont know if he will. I dont know that enough people know about him.
ST. LOUIS COUNTY  Incumbent County Executive Sam Page secured a commanding win in the Democratic primary Tuesday over challenger Jane Dueker.

Page won 63% of the vote. Dueker garnered 37%.

Page declared victory in a speech shortly after 9:30 p.m.

Weve accomplished a great deal. Our economy is stronger and growing, he said. Our municipalities and neighborhoods are safer. Our government employees are better compensated and more appreciated.

Dueker, an attorney and lobbyist for the county police officers union, conceded her loss at about the same time.

I will continue to be an advocate for issues of crime, economic development and everything thats important to the voters, Dueker said.

The winner of the Democratic primary is favored in the November general election in the heavily Democratic county.

But in an upset to conventional expectations, GOP candidate state Rep. Shamed Dogan will not represent the party; he lost to challenger Katherine Pinner, 44% to 56%, according to full tallies.

Dueker said she didnt regret running and will continue to advocate for St. Louis County.

Page said Tuesday night that he got a lot of positive feedback from talking to voters at the polls.

People thought I was doing a good job and the county was going in the right direction, and they want that to continue, Page said.

Dueker, 56, an attorney and lobbyist for the county police officers union, voted Tuesday morning at Highcroft Ridge Elementary school in Chesterfield then spent the day talking to voters at roughly 20 polling places across the county. She said she felt optimistic after the polls closed.

A lot (of voters) were like, We want a woman, so I was really heartened by that, Dueker said at her results watch party at the St. Louis County Police Association hall in Manchester. I was seven months pregnant when I became the first woman general counsel to the governor. It has been almost 20 years since we broke another ceiling and Im really hoping to break this one.

A victory for Page would give the incumbent his first full, four-year term in the office.

Page, 57, an anesthesiologist and former state representative from Creve Coeur, chaired a bipartisan council coalition against former County Executive Steve Stenger and was elected by the council to fill in after Stengers indictment in 2019.

Page then was elected in 2020 to serve the remainder of Stengers term, after facing headwinds over his administrations response to the COVID-19 pandemic, racial division in the police department and conflicts with former council allies. On the campaign trail, Page said he led the county through tough decisions that put county government on good footing for the next four years.

Dueker, a former Stenger adviser and longtime critic of Page, had raised many of the same criticisms in her campaign to unseat Page.

Dueker entered the primary just before the deadline and drew significant financial support in recent weeks from right-leaning donors, including several business owners and police boosters and the Missouri Restaurant Association, which had challenged county COVID-19 restriction and occupancy orders.
ST. LOUIS COUNTY  St. Louis County Councilwoman Rita Heard Days resoundingly secured her seat on the County Council on Tuesday.

Days had 65% of the votes with all precincts reporting. Her challenger, Jennings Councilman Terry Wilson, had 35%.

Days will be unopposed in the November general election in the overwhelmingly Democratic district, which includes all or parts of Ferguson, Jennings, Pagedale, St. John, Bellefontaine Neighbors and Berkeley.

The win gives Days, 71 of Bel-Nor, her first four-year term in office after she won a special election in 2019 to complete a term vacated by her predecessor Hazel Erby.

A former longtime state legislator, Days campaigned as an experienced fighter for North County, touting a $40 million county commitment to build a recreation center in her district. Since 2021, Days has led the council as chair, part of a bipartisan majority that has clashed with County Executive Sam Page over pandemic spending, political appointments and public health orders, among other things.

Wilson, 40, a Beyond Housing manager and former school teacher, argued he could better deliver for the district by working collaboratively with Page and council members. Page had endorsed Wilson in May.

Voters widely approve propositions

 Proposition A, which aims to strengthen whistleblower protections for county employees reporting allegations of wrongdoing by updating the county's 25-year-old law, had grabbed 81% of the votes.

 Proposition V, which would require a County Council majority vote of approval for any of the county executive's appointees to county offices, boards and commissions, had 76% approval.
JEFFERSON CITY  State Treasurer Scott Fitzpatrick held a commanding lead Tuesday in the Republican nomination in the race to succeed Democrat Nicole Galloway as Missouri Auditor.

Unofficial returns show Fitzpatrick, 34, hovering at about 63% of the vote with a third of the precincts counted in his bid against Rep. David Gregory, a Sunset Hills Republican.

Obviously, things look good right now, but there are still a lot of votes to be counted, said Fitzpatrick, who was watching election results in Kansas City.

If the trend continues, he will face former Democratic state Rep. Alan Green of Florissant and Libertarian John A. Hartwig Jr. of St. Charles in the November general election. Neither had opponents on Tuesday.

Despite the auditors post being viewed as a potential springboard to higher office, the race was overshadowed throughout the election cycle by the high-stakes competition to replace retiring U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt.

Galloway has been in office since 2015 but opted not to seek a second full term after losing a bid for governor in 2018.

The auditors office conducts formal checks for financial improprieties by state agencies, boards, commissions, statewide elected officials, the Legislature and local government and taxing entities.

Fitzpatrick, 34, of Cassville, was appointed treasurer in 2018 and won a full, four-year term in 2020. He is a former member of the House and served as the top budget writer in the Legislatures lower chamber during his tenure there.

As a high school student, Fitzpatrick founded a company in Shell Knob in southwest Missouri that builds and repairs marinas and docks.

On the campaign trail, Fitzpatrick said one of his main priorities would be to boost oversight of how federal pandemic relief money has been spent. He also plans to increase scrutiny of school district finances and curriculum.

Gregory, 37, from south St. Louis County, is an attorney who won election to the House in 2016.

He represents a swath of South County communities including parts of Valley Park, Mehlville and Fenton. He served as chairman of the special committee on government accountability and is a member of the House budget panel.
ST. LOUIS  Trudy Busch Valentine took a commanding lead for the Democratic nomination to the U.S. Senate late into the night on Tuesday.

Valentine was up 43% to Lucas Kunce's 38% with 90% of Missouri reporting, according to a compilation by the New York Times.

Valentine jumped to a commanding lead early in the evening. But Kunce made steady progress throughout the night, and by 10:30 p.m. was just 5 percentage points behind Valentine.

The next closest candidate was Olivette businessman Spencer Toder, with just less than 5% of the vote. A first-time candidate, Toder funneled more than $800,000 of his own money into his campaign, which has focused on connecting voters with government services.

Valentine, a retired nurse and heir to the Busch beer brewing fortune, and Kunce, a marine veteran and nonprofit policy staffer, led a pack of 11 vying for the Democratic nomination in an effort to flip the U.S. Senate seat held by retiring Republican Roy Blunt.

Valentine supporters gathered in the Sheet Metal Local 36 Union Hall in St. Louis to watch results come in.

Sharon Boitano, of south St. Louis County, was among the first supporters to arrive, where a bar equipped with Anheuser Busch products and a stage dotted with flags was prepared for the night.

I knew right away I would support her, said Boitano, who spent five hours campaigning for Valentine on Tuesday. I think she's a kind-hearted, honest person that would turn the states politics around.

St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones arrived just after 8 p.m. "Missouri, they say, is a red state. But we have two blue cities on either side in St. Louis and Kansas City," she said. "So it's important to have someone representing our interests."

Jones has scuffled on Twitter for months with Republican Attorney General Eric Schmitt, who, by then had already been declared the winner of the GOP nomination for senate.

"Do you want to send someone to the U.S. Senate who actually believes in what they say or somebody playing a game? Jones said.

Still, the general election is expected to be an uphill battle for the Democratic nominee in the state where Donald Trump won the 2020 presidential election by a more than 15% margin.

Valentine, 65, of Clayton, is a first-time candidate, but longtime funder of democratic politics. With a net worth estimated between $69.4 million and $219.4 million, she mostly self-funded her campaign.

Valentine has emphasized health care issues through both her personal and professional experience as a nurse in the race. Another focus of the campaign is combating the opioid epidemic. Her son, Matt Valentine, died of an overdose in 2020.

Valentine is the daughter of August Gussie Busch Jr., who died in 1989. Her mother, Gertrude Busch, was Buschs third wife.

In 2019, her alma mater, the St. Louis University School of Nursing, was named for Valentine after she contributed $4 million to the school.

Im going to come at this differently than people with their guns and their blowtorches, she told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch editorial board in a July interview, referring to the Republican candidates use of military props and fighting stances. Im not a politician. I never thought Id run for political office.

A long list of Misouri Democrats endorsed Valentine, including Jones, U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver of Kansas City, state Sen. Jill Schupp of Creve Coeur and former U.S. Rep. Dick Gephardt.

Kunce, however, was the campaign's top fundraiser, with $4.4 million raised through June.

Kunce, a Jefferson City native, attended Yale University, graduated from law school at the University of Missouri-Columbia and then joined the Marine Corps. He spent 13 years in the military, deploying to Iraq and Afghanistan, before becoming a policy staffer at the American Economic Liberties Project, a nonprofit opposed to monopolies and concentrated corporate power.

He ran as a populist focused on economic issues, advocating for curbing corporate influence in Congress.

Independent U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders endorsed Kunce on the eve of the election Monday.

In all, 11 candidates sought the Democratic nomination. Others were Lewis Rolen of St. Louis, Gena Ross of Platte City, Carla Coffee Wright of St. Louis, Josh Shipp of St. Louis, Jewel Kelly of Festus, Clarence Taylor of St. Louis, Pat Kelly of St. Louis and Ronald William Harris of Kansas City.
PHOENIX (AP)  Vote counting continued Wednesday in the close race to determine the Republican nominee for governor in Arizona, with former television news anchor Kari Lake narrowly leading lawyer Karrin Taylor Robson.

The contest is seen as a barometer of Donald Trump's enduring influence after establishment Republicans came out in force behind Robson. Lake is closely aligned with the former president, who could gain allies with influence over how elections are run as he considers a 2024 White House campaign.

The winner will advance to the November general election to take on Secretary of State Katie Hobbs, who defeated Marco Lopez, a former mayor of Nogales and border enforcement official during Obamas administration, in Tuesday's primary.

Trump endorsed and campaigned for a group of candidates who supported his falsehoods about the 2020 election, including Lake, who says she would have refused to certify President Joe Biden's narrow Arizona victory. Robson said the GOP should focus on the future despite the election from two years ago that she called unfair.

Trump-backed state lawmaker Mark Finchem won the Republican primary to oversee elections as secretary of state  Hobbs' current job. Finchem was at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021  the day of the riot  and claims Trump was cheated out of a second term. Trump-backed candidates for attorney general and legislative races also were leading.

Mail ballots favored Robson, but Lake overwhelmingly won polling place votes. Ballots left to count are mainly mail ballots turned in at the polls on Tuesday, including 125,000 from Maricopa County, which includes Phoenix.

Arizona, a longtime Republican stronghold, has become more favorable to Democrats in recent years because of explosive growth in and around Phoenix. The primary and the fall election will provide insight into whether Biden's success in 2020 was a onetime event or the onset of a long-term shift away from the GOP in the state.

With such high stakes, Arizona has been central to efforts by Trump and his allies to cast doubt on Biden's victory.

Federal and state election officials and Trumps own attorney general have said there is no credible evidence the 2020 election was tainted. Trump's allegations of fraud were also roundly rejected by courts, including by judges he appointed. A hand recount led by Trump supporters in Maricopa County, Arizona's largest, found no proof of a stolen election and concluded Biden's margin of victory was larger than the official count.

Though Trump is still the most popular figure inside the GOP, his efforts to influence primary elections this year have yielded mixed results. His preferred candidates in states such as Ohio and Pennsylvania prevailed in their primaries.

But in Georgia, also central to Trump's election lies, his handpicked candidate for governor was defeated by more than 50 percentage points, and the GOP secretary of state was also renominated over a Trump-backed primary rival.

Trump hoped for more success in Arizona, where Republican Gov. Doug Ducey could not run for reelection.

Lake is well known in much of the state after anchoring the evening news in Phoenix for more than two decades. She ran as a fierce critic of the mainstream media, which she says is unfair to Republicans, and of those who oppose Trump's Make America Great Again movement, including the family of the late Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz.

Lake claimed her campaign was already detecting some stealing going on" in her own race, but she repeatedly refused to provide any evidence for the claim. She said Tuesday night that changing election laws was her top priority.

This is why were in this race, Lake said. This is why we have this movement right here.

Robson, whose housing developer husband is one of the state's richest men, mostly self-financed her campaign. The GOP establishment, growing increasingly comfortable creating distance from Trump, rallied around her over the past month with a series of endorsements from Ducey, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and former Vice President Mike Pence.

You have entrusted me with your most sacred possession in a constitutional republic  your vote, Robson told supporters Tuesday night as she awaited election results.

Robson ran a largely old-school Republican campaign focused on cutting taxes and regulations, securing the border and advancing school choice. She also emphasized Lake's prior support for Democrats, including a $350 contribution to the last Democratic president.

I cant vote for someone who supported Barack Obama, said Travis Fillmore, 36, a firearms instructor from Tempe who planned to vote for Robson. He said he remains a Trump backer and believes the 2020 election was stolen from him, but Lake's support for Obama was disqualifying.

Democratic nominee Hobbs, as Arizonas top elections official, endeared herself to party voters with an impassioned defense of the integrity of the 2020 election, a stance that has drawn death threats. But she has been weighed down by a discrimination case won by a Black policy adviser from Hobbs time in the Legislature.

In the Senate race, Trump-backed Blake Masters emerged as the Republican nominee, The 35-year-old first-time candidate has spent most of his career working for billionaire Peter Thiel, who is bankrolling his campaign. Masters emphasized cultural grievances that animate the right, including critical race theory and allegations of big tech censorship.

Until Trump's endorsement, the race had no clear front-runner among Masters, businessman Jim Lamon and Attorney General Mark Brnovich, all of whom jockeyed for his support.

Masters will take on Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly in the fall.
TOKYO (AP)  The United States is working with Japan and other likeminded countries to counter China's efforts to use its economic might to force political change around the world, the U.S. ambassador to Japan said Tuesday in an interview with The Associated Press.

Rahm Emanuel, who was previously mayor of Chicago and chief of staff for President Barack Obama, is pushing what he calls commercial diplomacy, the idea that the United States and Japan will be more eager to do business with each other and with similar secure and stable countries amid worries caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine and Chinese economic coercion.

From intellectual property theft to coercion to debt dependency that China creates, the idea that they could actually honestly say, We dont coerce, and then you have not one, not two, not three  many worldwide examples where they use their economic market access to force a political change in a country ... I think everybodys woken up to that, Emanuel said in the interview at his residence in the heart of downtown Tokyo.

Emanuel, who arrived in Japan in January, laid out a number of examples of Chinese coercion, including with Japan, which saw Chinese shipments of rare earth metals blocked over a territorial dispute; South Korea, which suffered Chinese business boycotts when it installed a U.S. missile defense system; Australia; and countries in Europe and Southeast Asia.

Chinas growing economic importance and spending abroad have rattled those countries, which worry that Beijing is increasing its strategic and political influence in their traditional spheres of influence.

China has become one of the biggest lenders to developing countries through its Belt and Road Initiative to expand trade by building ports, railways and other infrastructure across Asia, Africa and the Middle East to Europe. This has prompted accusations Beijing is using debt to gain political leverage, but Chinese officials deny that.

China has been more assertive about pressing other governments to embrace Chinese-led initiatives including a trade group, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership.

Emanuel said that finding ways for Japan and the United States to stand up to Chinese economic coercion was one of the first issues he raised with Japans foreign minister.

Japan has expressed deep worry about increased Chinese activities in regional seas, including near a Japanese-controlled island claimed by Beijing, and has pushed for peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.

Emanuel praised Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishidas pledge of a significant increase in both the countrys defense budget and its military capabilities.

Kishidas attempts to revise Japans national security strategy and basic defense guidelines are a legacy of his hawkish mentor, former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who was assassinated in July.

Kishida has also said he is open to the development of possible preemptive strike capabilities, which opponents say would go far beyond Japans war-renouncing constitution, which restricts the use of force to self-defense. Kishida also has proposed significantly increasing Japans defense budget  possibly doubling to 2% of GDP, a NATO standard  over the next five years.

Much to the prime ministers credit, he looked around the corner and realized what was happening in this region and the world  Japan needed to step up in ways it hadnt in the past, Emanuel said.

Emanuel also mentioned economic opportunities for Japan and the United States in electric vehicle batteries, energy, new research and technology in small modular nuclear reactors, aviation technology and semiconductors.

The business leaders whom he has met with as ambassador to Japan would have evaluated a capital expenditure decision in the past purely by considering cost, logistics and efficiency, he said, but they are now willing to pay more to avoid sanctions and instability.

That is a major change in thinking, he said.

For the last 20 or 30 years, cost and efficiency were the driving factors. They drove public policy, and they drove corporate decisions. Today cost and efficiency are being replaced, supplanted by stability and sustainability," Emanuel said.

AP writer Joe McDonald in Beijing contributed to this report.
COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP)  Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt won the Republican primary for U.S. Senate on Tuesday with surprising ease, ending months of worry among GOP leaders that scandal-scarred former Gov. Eric Greitens might win the primary and jeopardize what should be a reliably red seat in November.

In November, Schmitt will be opposed by Anheuser-Busch beer heiress Trudy Busch Valentine, who defeated Marine veteran Lucas Kunce and nine others in the Democratic primary. Both also face a challenge from a well-funded independent, John Wood, who has the financial backing of former Sen. John Danforth.

With nearly 90% of results in, Schmitt had more votes than his nearest two competitors  U.S. Rep. Vicky Hartzler and Greitens  combined, turning what was expected to be a tight race into a blowout.

Im proud of my working-class roots, and Im going to Washington to fight for working families, defeating socialism, and leading the fight to save America, Schmitt said in his victory speech in suburban St. Louis.

Greitens told a downcast crowd in another St. Louis suburb to go home with strength and pride.

"God has a plan, Greitens said. It doesnt always work on our timeline, but it does work on his. Sometimes we have to practice patience.

Greitens resigned four years ago following a sex scandal, two criminal charges that were eventually dropped and a legislative investigation that could have led to impeachment hearings. This year, his ex-wife accused him of abuse.

Republican Sen. Roy Blunts announcement last year that he would not seek a third term set off a frenzy for his job, with nearly three dozen people in the two major parties filing to run.

Schmitt defeated a field that also included Hartzler, U.S. Rep. Billy Long and Mark McCloskey, who gained notoriety in 2020 when he and his wife pointed guns at racial injustice protesters outside their home.

Voter Darrel Durham, a 63-year-old heavy equipment operator from Columbia, said he thinks Schmitt can bring a new voice to Washington.

I like all of his positions on draining the swamp, Durham said.

On Monday, former President Donald Trump expressed support for ERIC, presumably meaning either Schmitt or Greitens, without picking between them. Comedian and Navy veteran Eric McElroy was also on the ballot in the GOP primary.

I trust the Great People of Missouri, on this one, to make up their own minds, much as they did when they gave me landslide victories in the 2016 and 2020 Elections, and I am therefore proud to announce that ERIC has my Complete and Total Endorsement! Trump wrote.

Voter Richard Greenup, a 66-year-old computer programmer from Columbia, said he wants somebody thats going to support Trump and that he chose Schmitt over Greitens because, good or bad, Schmitt, I dont think, has that baggage.

Greitens, a former Navy SEAL officer and Rhodes scholar, had been governor for a year when in January 2018 he confirmed a TV report about a 2015 extramarital affair. He was subsequently charged with felony invasion of privacy for allegedly taking a nude photo of the woman and using it to keep her quiet. That charge was dropped months later amid allegations that the chief investigator and local prosecutor mishandled the investigation.

Greitens, 48, says he was the victim of a political hit.

He faced a second charge accusing him of illegally using a donor list from a charity he founded to raise money for his campaign. That was dropped when he resigned in June 2018 after the Missouri House began an impeachment investigation.

Greitens has denied the abuse allegations from his ex-wife that she made in an affidavit in a child custody case. She cited one instance where he allegedly slapped their then-3-year-old son's face and yanked him by the hair. In another, she accused him of pushing her to the ground.

Greitens also drew criticism for a June campaign video showing him brandishing a shotgun and declaring hes hunting RINOs, or Republicans in name only.

Schmitt, 47, has gained attention for lawsuits that critics contend are politically motivated. He sued China over the coronavirus; school districts over mask mandates; and the city of St. Louis over its plan to provide $1 million for women to travel out of state for abortions.

Ive always been a fighter and as your attorney general I have fought in court to protect our those liberties, Schmitt said in his victory speech, citing mask and vaccine mandates, among other things.

Valentine, 65, is the daughter of August Gussie Busch Jr., the longtime chair and CEO of Anheuser-Busch who built the St. Louis-based company into the worlds largest beermaker. The brewery was sold to InBev in 2008. Valentine said she entered the race after witnessing the division in our country and the vitriol in our politics.

After hundreds of career politicians, its time for a nurse in the Senate," Valentine said in a victory speech.

Bob Westlake, 67, and his wife, Mary Jo, 69, both voted for Valentine. The Chesterfield couple liked her push for better health care coverage.

Health care is a big deal to us, Bob Westlake said, adding that they have a daughter with a chronic illness and that he and his wife are on Medicare.

Kunce, 39, lost despite the endorsement of Sen. Bernie Sanders. Kunce served tours of duty in Afghanistan and Iraq. Like Senate candidate John Fetterman in Pennsylvania, Kunce fashioned himself as a populist.

Wood's entry into the race created new drama. Wood, 52, is a lifelong Republican, former U.S. attorney and most recently a top investigator for the U.S. House committee examining the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection. Danforth's PAC has pledged to spend up to $20 million in support of Wood's campaign.
HINDMAN, Ky. (AP)  For days, a search-and-rescue team led by Phillip Dix has combed debris-clogged creekbanks looking for survivors in flood-ravaged eastern Kentucky. His crew is used to the stifling heat and humidity but is laboring under the grind of 12-hour shifts spent pulling people from danger.

The scope of the devastation and the conversations with people who lost everything keeps the rescuers going, said Dix, who leads the Memphis, Tennessee-based team.

Its a job to us, but talking to the local people, that kind of brings it down to the human level, which our guys have to deal with, Dix said Wednesday. You cant just turn that switch off when youre talking to someone whos lost everything they had.

Nearly a week since floodwaters consumed parts of Appalachia, rescue missions were winding down while supplies poured into what looms as a massive relief effort. Floodwaters wrecked homes and businesses, and some escaped the surging waters with only the clothes they wore.

Initial expenditures from a relief fund opened by Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear were being distributed to pay funeral expenses of flood victims. The statewide death toll is 37, Beshear said.

Temperatures surged as people continued shoveling out from the wreckage. The rising heat and humidity meant heat index values were near 100 Wednesday, a steam bath that will continue through Thursday evening, the National Weather Service said.

The guys are tired, Dix said from Knott County, where his crew resumed their mission on foot and boats. "So youve got to watch them, make sure theyre hydrated more than usual.

That included tending to the dogs assisting the crews. The K-9s were being rotated to keep them from overheating, said Deborah Burnett, a K-9 coordinator.

Were splashing some water on the dogs ... just to keep them nice and hydrated, she said.

Dix's team rescued 16 people during a two-day stretch, he said. The rescued had no cell service, no electricity, no way out due to damaged roads and bridges and some were running short of food. The team reunited families, but also found two bodies.

The area that we were in, the houses were just gone, Dix said. "These people that have lost everything theyve got, they still make it a point to thank us for being up here.

Cooling centers were opened after forecasters warned of the risk of heat-related illnesses.

In Breathitt County, plans were made to deliver supplies by foot in areas where roads were washed out, said county Judge-Executive Jeff Noble.

It just devastates me to see what pain people are going through, he said. My staff and workers, theyve worked nonstop and theyre still working nonstop, and well continue to do that until every holler is open and every road is open.

More than 1,300 people were rescued and crews were still trying to reach some people cut off by floods or mudslides. About 5,000 customers still lacked electricity in eastern Kentucky, the governor said. Emergency shelters and area state parks housed hundreds of residents who fled homes that were destroyed or badly damaged. Many more are staying with relatives and friends.

More than 400 National Guardsmen have been deployed across the disaster area, delivering water and other relief. Beshear said water stations are set up every few miles along some roadways.

Our goal is to provide so much water they (local officials) say stop sending us water, he said.

Infrastructure also took a pounding from flooding. Water systems sustained heavy damage, and some roads and bridges were eaten away by floodwaters, the governor said.

Its going to take significant time and significant dollars to restore what was destroyed, he said.

Beshear said a special legislative session will likely be needed to devise a relief package for the flood-stricken region. The governor holds the power to reconvene lawmakers for a special session.

The outpouring of support was evident across the area. Volunteers helped remove debris from homes, while others served up meals. Beshear said it's a time for people to lean on each other and urged them to seek help in dealing with the trauma.

Remember, its OK not to be OK," the Democratic governor said. "I dont think our brains or hearts are designed to deal with trauma and loss at this level.

Robyn Casey Caldwell joined the relief effort while coping with her own grief. The elementary school kindergarten aide has spent long days delivering water, medication, bedding, baby food and tools in flood-torn Knott County.

Weighing heavily has been the loss of her cousin Jay Edward Bush, a 57-year-old Army veteran who died Wednesday, just hours before the flood came. The next day, his wifes home was washed away. She lost everything.

I dont think there has been time to even think  we just do what needs to be done, she said. But Im sure there have been many people that just find a quiet place and break down and cry. When I find time, I will surely cry.

The governor said the magnitude of the losses takes your breath away. Many people are left with absolutely nothing, with every single possession wiped out, he said.

Imagine scratching and clawing for 10, 15 years to be able to have something you call a home," the governor said. "But its not insured and its wiped out, as is every other thing that you own.

Repairing these lives is going to be challenging, but were up for it, he added.

President Joe Biden declared a federal disaster to direct relief money to counties flooded after 8 to 10 1/2 inches (20 to 27 centimeters) of rain fell in just 48 hours last week in the Appalachian mountain region.

The flooding also hit areas just across the state line in Virginia and West Virginia.

Schreiner reported from Frankfort, Kentucky. Associated Press Writers Rebecca Reynolds in Louisville, Kentucky, and Leah Willingham in Charleston, West Virginia, contributed to this report.
The husband of former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley and brother of U.S. Rep. Jim Clyburn were given shares of a company that leased slot machines to a North Carolina tribal casino that needed political help to open last year, The Wall Street Journal reported.

Clyburn's brother and a spokesperson for Michael Haley both said the men provided services for the South Carolina-based Catawba Indian Nation's casino in Kings Mountain, North Carolina, the newspaper reported.

The tribe's leader said they met with dozens of federal officials in a transparent and public process over more than a decade as they sought to secure permission to build the casino.

The newspaper said it reviewed documents from Kings Mountain Equipment Supply LLC, which gets 20 cents for every $1 in profits the new Catawba Two Kings Casino generates from its hundreds of slot machines.

One stake in the supply company is held by John B. Clyburn, a brother of Rep. Clyburn. The high-ranking Democratic congressman introduced a bill that helped eliminate one of the final hurdles to get federal permission to build the casino.

Another stake is held by Michael Haley, husband of the former Republican governor who joined plenty of South Carolina politicians to fight against the Catawbas being able to open a casino in South Carolina. That led the tribe to its ultimately successful effort in North Carolina.

The documents reviewed by the newspaper show both men hold less than a 1% claim in the company.

Michael Haley was given his share as payment for his company doing physical and cybersecurity consulting for the project in 2018, a statement from his company said.

Nikki Haley was U.N. Ambassador for the U.S. at that time after leaving the governor's office a year earlier before her term ended.

As governor, Haley was against the Catawbas opening a South Carolina casino. She attended the 2021 groundbreaking in North Carolina, but her office said she was only acting as her husband's guest and never advocated to get federal approval for the North Carolina site.

John Clyburn told the newspaper he consulted on the project on and off for a decade introducing backers to people he knew, adding I doubt that I discussed the project with his brother.

John Clyburn received his share from the slot machine leasing company in September 2013, about a week after the Catawbas first asked for federal approval for the casino, the newspaper reported. He said he was surprised once the casino opened to get seven or eight payments from the company ranging from $600 to $1,300.

Rep. James Clyburn said he did not know about his brother's financial interest in the casino and the two never talked about the project.

The congressman said his sponsorship of the bill that cleared the path for the casino was to help the tribe which has been long neglected.

If his brother is profiting from a bill he helped get enacted, Rep. Clyburn told The Wall Street Journal, I dont care. He gets to make a living. I dont get his permission, and I dont give him mine.

The Catawba Indian Nation has about 3,600 members and a 1,000-acre reservation near Rock Hill, South Carolina.

The 1993 National Indian Gaming Act exempted the Catawbas from a list of tribes that could open casinos in states like South Carolina that dont normally allow gambling.

The Catawbas spent decades trying to work around the law and after years of resistance from South Carolina lawmakers, switched their efforts in 2013 to opening in North Carolina, where they said their ancestors held land before Europeans came to North America.

The Kings Mountain, North Carolina, casino has about 1,000 slot machines in temporary buildings and doubled its floor plan after being open less than six months. The Catawbas plan a permanent facility with a 29-story hotel that could triple the number of slot machines.

Catawba Chief Bill Harris said the tribe is working with the National Indian Gaming Commission about unspecified problems that have held up the start of construction on the permanent casino.

The stakes held by Michael Haley and John Clyburn aren't with Kings Mountain Equipment Supply LLC itself, but instead with a different company called AGS of North Carolina LLC that itself had a 10.1% stake in Kings Mountain Equipment Supply, according to the documents reviewed by The Wall Street Journal.
NEW YORK (AP)  The crypto division of the online brokerage Robinhood will pay a $30 million penalty to New York state for failing to comply with regulations governing money laundering and cybersecurity, the state's Department of Financial Services announced Tuesday.

The department said an examination of Robinhood Crypto's operations from Jan. 24, 2019, through Sept. 30, 2019, found that the company's compliance with banking regulations had not kept up with its growth.

As its business grew, Robinhood Crypto failed to invest the proper resources and attention to develop and maintain a culture of compliancea failure that resulted in significant violations of the Departments anti-money laundering and cybersecurity regulations, Adrienne A. Harris, superintendent of the state's Department of Financial Services, said in a news release.

Department of Financial Services officials said Robinhood Crypto improperly certified to the state that it was in compliance with transaction-monitoring and cybersecurity regulations despite its deficiencies in those areas. Additionally, the officials said, the company failed to provide a dedicated phone number for consumer complaints on its website, as is required.

In addition to paying the $30 million penalty, Robinhood Crypto will be required to retain an independent consultant who will evaluate the company's regulatory compliance, the officials said.

Cheryl Crumpton, associate general counsel for Robinhood Markets Inc., said in a statement, We are pleased the settlement in principle reached last year and previously disclosed in our public filings is now final. We have made significant progress building industry-leading legal, compliance, and cybersecurity programs, and will continue to prioritize this work to best serve our customers.
In the middle of a glorious family vacation to Greece earlier this month, I was tempted to extend our stay  our first big trip since COVID-19. So I Googled the customer service number for the airline and clicked on the number at the top of the search results.

Attempting to make flight changes while admiring the sun setting over Mount Athos and keeping an eye on your small children swimming in the Aegean turns out to be ill-advised. The chaotic summer of 2022 is proving to be a great one for travel scammers, as I was about to discover.

A representative answered at once (which alone should have made me realize something was amiss). He took some personal information, along with my booking confirmation number, and said it would cost about $150 per ticket to change our flights. I knew I had booked a ticket that allowed for changes, but he insisted I had to pay a fare difference.

I decided it was worth it, and gave him my credit card information. Seconds after hanging up, I had a sinking feeling. My fears were confirmed when I received a typo-filled email from "Phill Brook" at "support@ticketsupportdesk" a few minutes later. I called my credit card company immediately  fortunately, they had already declined the charge.

Scams like these, where third parties pose as airlines or hotels and charge bogus fees, are nothing new. But this summer is particularly advantageous for bad actors.

First, theres pent-up demand. That means lots of travelers to target, many of whom havent gone anywhere in a while and may be a little less savvy than they once were. In addition, airline delays and cancellations for US carriers are the highest theyve been since 2014 (excluding 2020), according to data from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics. So its easy to prey on travelers who need to make flight changes. And airlines call centers are overwhelmed, with some wait times stretching to 10 hours or more (if consumers can get through at all).

Even if you catch on quickly, a scam can be a pain.

While I didnt lose any money, Phill Brook still had vital information: my name and confirmation code, which is all you really need to make changes to a flight. He actually went ahead and booked us on the departure date I wanted  but was trying to charge me for something the airline later confirmed shouldnt have cost a dime.

And after my card company declined the charge, I kept getting calls and emails from the scammer saying he was going to change my flight back to the original date. And he did, several times  when I would move our flight to the new date, he would change it back to the original.

Contacting the airline was a dead end. The line either just rang and rang, or an automated recording would say call volume was very high and to call back later. The one time I got through, an agent said he couldnt give me a new confirmation code without canceling my booking and charging me for a new one; when I asked to speak to a supervisor, he told me they were all busy.

The day before we were scheduled to return home on the later flight, I received an email from another representative at support@ticketsupportdesk.com saying that they would be forced to cancel my return flight entirely if I didnt approve the charge.

When we arrived at the airport, I went directly to the ticket counter to explain the situation. But the counter was closed. As a last-ditch effort, I checked us in online for our return trip and crossed my fingers nothing would change. Somehow, thankfully, it didnt  the fraudsters had likely moved on to new targets.

Heres what I wished Id known about how to avoid a travel scam, or mitigate the damage of falling for one.

It may seem like common sense, but always check the web address to make sure it actually belongs to the airline. Scammers may transpose two letters or add a phrase like low cost before the airline name in the web address. When I googled the airlines customer service number as a test after getting back home to the U.S., legitimate phone numbers were at the top of my search results. That wasnt the case in Greece, so beware that search results could differ abroad. Christopher Elliott, a travel advocate for consumers, says he uses a VPN, or virtual private network, when traveling to ensure a more secure connection to the internet.

Another option is to download the airlines app, according to Zach Griff at The Points Guy. That allows travelers to access bona fide customer service numbers or chat with a representative directly within the app. (He also said checking into our flight could have stopped the madness; it may be harder, though not impossible, for a scammer to mess with a flight after the traveler has checked in.)

Flyers who have any status with the airline can usually use a priority phone number to get in touch. If thats not an option, try the number listed for the airlines office in a smaller country for a potentially shorter wait time. You can also try the number for non-English speakers; most of the agents who staff those lines are bilingual and almost always speak English.

Its also helpful to remember the terms of your booking. If like me, youre the one requesting the change, youre generally responsible for fare differences. Rebooking fees vary by airline, but most US carriers started waiving flight change fees during the pandemic (unless you purchased the most budget class of ticket). If the airline is responsible for making the flight change (say, because of mechanical issues or weather), then travelers typically wont have to pay anything for rebooking.
Russia has expanded its territorial claims beyond Ukraine to includes what it calls Greater Russia. This is not quite the rebuilding the tsarist or communist empires because Russia does not want the expensive (to rule) Central Asian states, but rather more lucrative territories Russian once ruled. This includes portions of Poland, the Baltic States, Finland and parts of Alaska. There are some serious legal and practical problems with these claims. The United States has a larger military and nukes with which to dispute any Russian claims on Alaska. Russia is making claims on several Eastern European NATO members who are protected by the mutual defense clause of the NATO treaty.

Russia and all the nations involved are members of the United Nations. Article 51 of the UN charter demands that members refrain from the use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state. Russia says this does not apply because Ukraine is a breakaway part of Russia and Russian troops are seeking to liberate Ukraine from foreign (NATO) oppression. Ukraine is also a UN member and protests Russian claims as well as the UN tolerating the Russian use of its Security Council veto to block any serious UN opposition to the Russian aggression.

What really blocks Russian annexation efforts is the Ukrainian determination to regain all territory currently occupied by Russia no matter what the cost. Russia is using classic police state tactics to prepare the occupied Ukrainian territories for a vote that will vote to join Russia no matter what the original occupants want. Russia will not allow the UN or any other foreign observers. The theory behind this is that if Ukraine does regain control of these areas Russia is justified as declaring itself the official victim of foreign aggression. This might encourage more Russians to back the war effort. If there is no such increase in support, Russia can double down by claiming most Russians do indeed back Russian claims that these occupied areas are now part of Russia.

All this is a major gamble by the current Russian leader (Vladimir Putin) who has been facing more domestic opposition the longer the Ukraine operation continues. Putin sees his main effective weapons as threats and disinformation used against his many opponents to cause uncertainty and indecisiveness. If NATO can be persuaded to break ranks on its support of Ukraine Russia has a chance to succeed. Its that prospect that is the key to maintaining NATO unity and growing UN opposition to Russia. Its still an endurance contest and will remain so until one side backs down.

The main propaganda problem for the Putin strategy is the growing opposition of civilians in Russian occupied Ukraine. Currently Russia is trying to find enough local collaborators to allow convincing propaganda videos. This effort is disrupted by the widespread and often violent resistance to the occupation, local collaborators and efforts to stage a fake election. Russian efforts to cut occupied areas off from the outside world have been energetic but not enough. Replacing Ukrainian cell phone service with Russian based service is not enough. Civilians will risk arrest and worse by keeping their Ukrainian cell phones to collect and smuggle out videos of what is really going on. This includes threats, sometimes carried out, to cut electrical service and access to clean water. Threats were made to tank children from families and send the kids to Russia as hostages. The Ukrainians realize that if they can get video evidence of such threats or actions out, the Russians will be forced to back down. For many people inside Russia these tactics are not acceptable, especially when so many Ukrainians obviously see the Russian troops as invaders, not liberators. This has turned many Russians against their own government. This is nothing new as it happened in 1991 and several other times in the last century. Bad behavior by aggressive Russian governments is the main reason NATO exists and Ukraine wants to join it.
U.S. Naval Special Warfare Combatant-Craft Crewmen with Special Boat Team. TWELVE, U.S. Naval Special Warfare Group FOUR operate a combat craft assault while carrying Swedish Marines with 4th Marine Regiment, Swedish Amphibious Corps during exercise TYR 22 at the NATO Maritime Interdiction Operational Training Centre in Souda bay, Greece, July 21, 2022. TYR 22 is a maritime interdiction operations exercise held at NMIOTC, bringing together Swedish Marines, U.S. Marines, U.S. Navy Special warfare combatant-craft crewmen to improve US and NATO Partner operational capacity, capability, and interoperability. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. William

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The major threat to the Philippines remains the high levels of corruption that prevent the Philippines from having the same levels of prosperity and economic development as its neighbors. Corruption was always seen as a problem but in the last few decades it became obvious that the Philippines was a special case, and not in a good way. Gaining general agreement that something must be done was the easy part. Coming up with a solution requires extraordinary efforts and leadership. That high standard has not been achieved yet, but progress is being made. China hoped to exploit the high degree of corruption in the Philippines and made some progress before most Filipinos realized what was going on and acted accordingly. Other nations in the regions had similar experiences and responses but the Filipinos were slower in dealing with this so the Chinese were able to enlist some corrupt Filipino leaders.

Yet China itself is now seen as the second most dangerous threat to the Philippines, displacing the separatist violence in the Moslem south and the communist rebels throughout the country. These threats have been much diminished in the last decade. In part this was because of some progress in curing corruption, which was long the reason that the Moslem and leftist violence thrived.

Efforts to reduce the Chinese threat includes reducing corrupt Chinese influence in the Philippines. That is the main reason why the new Filipino government is canceling three Chinese financed railroad construction projects worth nine billion dollars. This was part of a $24 billion Chinese proposal for projects that improved Filipino ports and transportation networks. Cancelation of these projects has been under consideration for over a year because of vague loan terms and Chinese failure to perform. The Chinese are believed to be using the loan program as a weapon to coerce the Philippines into making concessions in the South China Sea.

A national opinion survey conducted at the end of June found that Filipinos trusted the United States, Australia and Japan the most while trusting China and Russia the least. Respondents were asked to rank a list of ten nations in terms of trustworthiness. The results of the survey were, in order of trust; the United States, Australia, Japan, Germany, South Korea, Britain, Indonesia, India, Russia and China. There was some support for China but the U.S. had more than three times as much support. This meant the Americans had the support of most Filipinos while China had only a small minority. Only Russia and China had the majority of Filipinos mistrusting them. Trust of Russia used to be positive but the February invasion of Ukraine and Chinese support for it made Russia nearly as untrustworthy as China to most Filipinos. Until China expanded its lost territory claims to the South China Sea nearly two decades ago. China was seen as a potential ally of, and investor in, the Philippines. Despite numerous Filipino diplomatic efforts, China refused to compromise on its claims. At this point China is seen as the greatest threat to the Philippines, especially since the Chinese appear to have additional claims on Filipino territory and independence as a nation.

Students Of Sun Tsu

The Chinese strategy in the South China Sea is the result of once more applying ancient Chinese methods that have always worked, but required lots of patience and persistence to make that happen. This ancient wisdom was first codified in print 2,500 years ago by Sun Tzu. He was an experienced and successful military commander as well as an able communicator. He put his experiences on paper and his Art of War became a classic in China. Often dismissed as impractical or out of date, the Art of War proved to be correct but required strong leadership and persistence to use. So far it is working in the South China Sea. Chinese claims have no standing when it comes to existing international law and agreements. Yet China is slowly seeking control over the entire South China Sea and is willing to spend as much time as it requires to achieve recognition as the undisputed owner of the South China Sea.

This is also seen as the ancient death of a thousand cuts' ' strategy China has used for centuries and is being blatantly applied, for the first time, on vast maritime areas. The fishing resources alone are enormously valuable and, based on past Chinese performance, likely to be exploited to the point where there are not many fish left to catch. There is also offshore oil and gas and much else on the bottom of the shallow waters of the South China Sea. So far, the Chinese threat has proved immune to accommodation. China wants it all and the only question now is will China risk war over their territorial claims. Sun Tsu pointed out that the most valuable victories are those achieved without actually fighting. This requires brinkmanship and intimidation without lethal force. That describes a lot of Chinese diplomacy and military policies.

July 30, 2022: In the south (Sultan Kudarat province) Ian de la Rama, a regional commander of the NPA communist rebels was killed, along with two of his subordinates during their attempt to evade the soldiers tracking them. It is unclear how many NPA gunmen were in the group. Soldiers caught up with the NPA group four times and there was an exchange of fire. During the final gunbattle the bodies of de la Rama and two of his subordinates were found, along with a large quantity of weapons and equipment. There may have been other men in the group but the troops were unable to track them further. The army often hires local men as trackers because they know the local terrain better, often better than any NPA groups operating in the area. The army responds quickly to tips, often called in via cell phone, about the presence of known or unknown gunmen.

Currently there is cell phone coverage in about 95 percent of the Philippines. As a poor country, cell phones were a major and affordable development because without cell phones most rural areas were never going to get landline phone service, which was much more expensive to extend to sparsely populated rural areas. In contrast it is cheaper to establish cell phone towers in any rural area where there are enough people who can afford a cheap cell phone and monthly service or prepaid service for those who cannot afford monthly service. The cell phones are a major boost to the rural economies and often provide banking services for the first time. These banking services include the ability for expatriates to inexpensively send money home to family members who have cell phones with a banking service app installed. Rural farmers and merchants have better information about markets for local products and items locals need or want to purchase.

Many rural families have kin living abroad and sending money back to their family. This is a major economic factor for many Filipinos. Ten million Filipinos work overseas and send money home. These remittances are currently about $33 billion a year, which is about nine percent of national GDP. In effect, a fifth of the Filipino workforce is employed outside the Philippines and twelve percent of households in the Philippines depend on remittance income. Filipinos are very popular overseas workers because of their energy, skills and ability to speak English well. There are no jobs at home for all this talent because of the corruption that stifles economic growth.

Worldwide Filipino remittances income has the greatest impact on the home country. Two other nations (China and India) receive more remittance income ($60-70 billion each) but both these nations have far larger populations and GDP. One of the side effects of those remittances is the ability of many Filipinos to own cell phones, which made it economically practical to extend cell service to remote areas. This is a common pattern in many poor nations that depend on a lot of remittance income and cell phone companies feature these very real benefits when they expand into a new nation or a region in a nation. The demand is already there because even in nations with limited cell phone service there are a few people in unserved rural areas who own a cell phone and will use it when they visit a nearby town or city of service. Cell phones have been a curse of Islamic terrorists, bandits and unpopular rebels like the NPA.

July 26, 2022: In the south (Negros Oriental province) soldiers, acting on a tip, confronted ten armed NPA rebels. In a brief gun battle troops killed three of them while the others fled. Soldiers seized a 9mm submachine gun and three pistols (two .45 pistols and a .38 revolver). So far this month the NPA has lost eight members in Negros and last month 19 armed NPA members surrendered to the army. There are two groups (or fronts' ') active in the area and both have suffered heavy losses since 2019 and gained few new recruits.

The NPA has been suffering a massive decline in popular and communist party support. Increasingly most NPA units depended on extortion, theft and other criminal activity to survive. This was causing much anger and protest in areas where the NPA still operates for the good of the people. Yet the NPA can no longer do much political work when their very survival is at risk.

The government is trying, without much success, to negotiate a peace deal with the NPA. The leadership, as well as the commanders of various armed factions, are split on which peace terms are acceptable and most are continuing to operate (fighting and stealing). The NPA, to most Filipinos, have become bandits with a veneer of communist ideology to justify their crimes. The banditry option is not working well enough to assure long-term survival. This can also be seen when factions run short of money. Those actions begin to suffer from desertions. The army will grant amnesty to NPA members who surrender, especially if they bring their weapons and some useful information with them. Information on the location of NPA camps or weapons storage sites is considered useful and the fact that more NPA camps are being attacked and weapons storage sites seized indicates that the NPA is losing secrets as well as people and popular support. Some NPA leaders feel this is all a temporary setback and that a peace deal would enable a revitalized Philippines Communist Party to become a major political power. These delusions make negotiating a peace deal more difficult. Meanwhile the NPA has maintained its status as a major source of criminal (as opposed to Islamic terrorist) activity in the country. Most of the NPA senior leadership live in Europe and are considered somewhat out of touch with the reality of what the NPA has become in the Philippines.

A major blow to NPA personnel was the members in general was the Islamic terrorist and Moslem separatist violence in the south sharply declined after the 2014 vote by the majority of Moslems and Christians in the Philippines to establish an autonomous Moslem region. This consisted of the southwest coast of the large southern island Mindanao and the string of smaller islands, mainly Sulu, Basilan, Tawi-Tawi extending from southwestern Mindanao towards Malaysia. The new Moslem entity was called Bangsamoro, and provided more autonomy and responsibility. That meant the Moslems down there were responsible for maintaining the peace. This is no small matter because, more than elsewhere in the Philippines, the Moslem south has long had many more clan militias that believed it was their right to engage in private wars. Not all the clans share the official attitudes about who has the right to make war in Bangsamoro.

Bangsamoro governs the four million Moslems in Mindanao and even more Christian neighbors of those Moslems. Filipino Moslems are outnumbered by Christians who had moved south during the last half century. Nationwide there are about 12 million Moslems and over 95 million Christians. The Christian Filipinos are better organized, more industrious and more economically successful. The Moslem separatists believed they should run Mindanao even if they were the minority, because Mindanao is the local "Islamic homeland." While some in the national government were willing to concede this, the Christian majority in Mindanao and the rest of the Philippines was not. A compromise was finally negotiated and approved by all voters. Diehard separatist groups like BIFF, ISIL (Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant) and Abu Sayyaf are treated as outlaws in Bangsamoro and continually lost support and members since 2014, but are still around but not nearly as active as they were before 2014. Most of the Army JTFs (Joint Task Force) units are now in Bangsamoro where they concentrate, with the help of local civilians and security forces, to track down the eliminate the few remaining Islamic terrorists and communist NPA rebels.

July 16, 2022: The U.S. Navy conducted another FONOP (freedom of navigation operations) by sending a destroyer into the Spratly Islands, an area of the South China Sea that China considers its territorial waters. The Philippines has military detachments on nine of the disputed islands or reefs. These are part of an effort to oppose the illegal Chinese claims. The U.S. carried out a similar FONOP in the area three days earlier. Since 2020 the Americans have taken a stronger stand against Chinese aggression in the South China Sea by declaring Chinese claims to offshore resources across most of the South China Sea are completely unlawful, as is the Chinese campaign of bullying to control these resources. In 2016 an international court ruled against China and stated that occupying uninhabitable rocks and building artificial islands did not confer an EEZ (Exclusive Economic Zone). Ownership of rocks gets, at best, 22 kilometers of territorial waters from the edge of each rock rather than 360 kilometers for EEZ rights. Before this change the U.S. merely called for China to comply with the court ruling, something China said it would not do even before the court completed its deliberations. The Americans did continue to carry out aerial and naval FONOP with warships to assert the right of innocent passage. This annoyed the Chinese, who claimed most of the South China Sea was under Chinese control and no foreign ship or aircraft could enter without permission. China has been claiming areas long recognized as belonging to Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Taiwan and the Philippines. That has caused all these nations, plus the United States, Japan and South Korea to form an alliance to halt Chinese aggression.

July 14, 2022: In the south (Basilan province) an army checkpoint halted and attempted to search two men and the two tried to flee. One was shot dead and found to be carrying a landmine and an assault rifle in a sack. The other man escaped on a motorcycle. The dead man was identified as a bomb builder for several Islamic terrorist factions.

July 12, 2022: The Philippine Army received two Merkava AVLB (Armored Vehicle-Launched Bridge) vehicles from Israeli firm Elbit. The two AVLBs cost $27 million and are needed because the army has spent $172 for thirty Israeli light tanks. Twenty of the tanks are 30 ton tracked vehicles while eight are 15-ton wheeled 8x8 vehicles based on an APC (Armored personnel carrier) that carry a crew of two plus twelve passengers. Both use the same turret, which contains a 105mm cannon and 12.7mm machine-gun as well as a modern fire control system that includes a thermal imager. There are also tracked vehicles based on the tank chassis, one is a command vehicle and the other is a tank recovery vehicle that can tow any of the new armored vehicles that have been damaged. The Merkava AVLB is based on the M1074 AVLB Elbit and an American firm developed for the U.S. Army based on an M1A1 tank chassis. Israeli forces use a similar, but locally produced, Merkava tank. Both AVLBs provide an 18-meter (57 foot) bridge that can be emplaced within minutes and carry vehicles weighing up to 6o tons.

Israeli forces dont need AVLBs because the geography of Israel and potential adversaries dont require it. The Philippines is a tropical nation with lots more rainfall and rivers. The Philippines is an island (or islands, over 7,000 of them) nation whose main threat is China. Until now the Philippines was the only nation in the region threatened by China that had no tanks. Israel doesnt use light tanks but was able to develop the Sabrah, which won a Filipino contract for light tanks. The Philippines, like India and many other southeast Asian nations have found Israel to be a good source of affordable modern weapons and equipment. Israel is a major (number 10 worldwide) exporter of weapons and is the smallest nation in the world to design and build its own tanks. This was the result of the 1973 Arab-Israeli War, which took Israel by surprise and inflicted heavy losses before Israel counter-attacked and defeated Egypt and Syria and their larger number of modern Russian tanks. Israel carefully analyzes the results of each war it fights and makes changes to deal with problems encountered. The 1973 war prompted Israel to start designing and building its own tanks.

July 11, 2022: Since January 2022, (JTF) Central has neutralized a total of 44 communist terrorist group members. Of the 44, five were killed and 39 surrendered. JTFs are specialized organization created to deal with communist rebels and Islamic terrorists.

July 10, 2022: In the south (Sultan Kudarat province) two NPA communist rebels were killed in two separate clashes with JTF (Joint Task Force) soldiers. JTF operations in the province have killed five NPA men since January while another 39 surrendered.

July 7, 2022: Wanted Filipino Islamic terrorist leader Hajar Binadbul Mubin was arrested when he got off a flight from neighboring Malaysia. Mubin fled to Malaysia in 2015 and halted his Islamic terrorism activity with Abu Sayyaf while also assuming a new identity and documents portraying him as just another Malaysian who had a job as a security guard. Mubin did quietly return to his specialty, planning and organizing major operations. Malaysian counterterror forces detected and detained Mubin and discovered his ID was fake. Mubin had not actually committed any other crimes in Malaysia but the Philippines had several outstanding (since 2012) arrest warrants. Malaysia would send him back after he served prison time for his false identity crimes. That was supposed to happen last year but covid10 lockdowns delayed the transfer until now. Now Mubin will stand trial for the decade old charges that include murder and kidnapping while he was a senior leader for Abu Sayyaf.

July 1, 2022: In the south (Negros Oriental province) soldiers, acting on a tip, confronted ten armed NPA rebels. In a brief gun battle troops killed three of them while the others fled. Soldiers seized a 9mm submachine gun and a large quantity of ammunition.

Elsewhere in the south (Sulu Province) two Abu Sayyaf members were killed, So far this year 17 Abu Sayyaf members have surrendered.

June 30, 2022: Rodrigo Duterte, on or before last day as president, cancelled a $227 million deal with Russia for the purchase of 16 Mi-17 transport helicopters because of the U.S. sanctions on Russia. This was done quietly so incoming president Marcos could review the decision. The purchase contract was signed in November 2021 and an initial down payment was made in January of this year, a month before the Russians invaded Ukraine and triggered stronger sanctions that apparently made the Mi-17 deal illegal. Russia was to begin delivering the helicopters in 2023.
NOT FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES OR FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES

VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / August 2, 2022 / Snowline Gold Corp. (CSE:SGD) (the "Company" or "Snowline") is pleased to announce that it has completed the second tranche of its previously announced (July 5, 2022) non-brokered private placement, issuing 2,342,293 units of the Company (the "Units") at a price of C$1.25 per Unit, for aggregate gross proceeds of C$2,927,866. Each Unit is comprised of one common share of the Company and one-half of one common share purchase warrant (each whole common share purchase warrant, a "Warrant"), with each Warrant being exercisable for one common share of the Company at an exercise price of C$2.50 until August 2, 2024 (the "Offering").

Figure 1 - A visual breakdown of the Offering. The Unit component is a "hard dollar" (i.e. non-flow through) raise, and the Warrants are valid for two years. The FT Shares do not involve warrants, and they are supported by strong back-end Snowline investors who do not receive the flow-through benefits.

The gross proceeds from the issue and sale of Units will be used to support advancement of exploration on the Company's Yukon Territory mineral properties and for general and working capital purposes.

All securities issued in connection with the second tranche of the Offering are subject to a hold period of four months and one day from the closing of the second tranche of the Offering, in accordance with applicable Canadian securities laws, expiring on December 3, 2022.

Crescat Capital LLC ("Crescat") subscribed to the Offering to maintain its pro-rata interest pursuant to its pre-emptive right granted under the terms of an investment agreement with Snowline, to participate in certain equity offerings undertaken by the Company. Crescat has beneficial ownership of, control or direction over, directly or indirectly, more than 10% of the issued and outstanding common shares of the Company. Accordingly, the Offering and the issuance of the Units insofar as they involve Crescat constitutes a related party transaction for the purposes of Multilateral Instrument 61-101 - Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions ("MI 61-101"). The Company is not required to obtain a formal valuation for the Offering by virtue of section 5.4 of MI 61-101. In addition, the Company is relying on the exemption from the formal valuation and minority approval requirements of MI 61-101 set out in section 5.5(a) and section 5.7(a) of MI 61-101 as the fair market value of the Offering is not more than 25% of market capitalization. A material change report will be filed in connection with the Offering less than 21 days in advance of the closing of the Offering, which the Company deems reasonable in the circumstances so as to be able complete the Offering in an expeditious manner.

No finder's fees have been nor will be paid in connection with the Offering.

The securities issued under the Offering have not been and will not be registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and were not to be offered or sold in the United States absentregistration or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements. This news release shall notconstitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of the securitiesin the United States or in any other jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful.

ABOUT SNOWLINE GOLD CORP.

Snowline Gold Corp. is a Yukon Territory focused gold exploration company with a seven-project portfolio covering >127,000 ha. The Company is exploring its flagship >85,000 ha Rogue and Einarson gold projects in the highly prospective yet underexplored Selwyn Basin. Snowline's project portfolio sits within the prolific Tintina Gold Province, host to multiple million-ounce-plus gold mines and deposits including Kinross' Fort Knox mine, Newmont's Coffee deposit, and Victoria Gold's Eagle Mine. The Company's first-mover land position and extensive database provide a unique opportunity for investors to be part of multiple discoveries and the creation of a new gold district.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

Scott Berdahl, MSc, MBA, PGeo

CEO & Director

For further information, please contact:

Snowline Gold Corp.

+1 778 650 5485

[email protected]

CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This news release contains certain forward-looking statements, including statements regarding the anticipated use of proceeds from the Offering, the intention to file a material change report and the Company's future plans and intentions. Wherever possible, words such as "may", "will", "should", "could", "expect", "plan", "intend", "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "predict" or "potential" or the negative or other variations of these words, or similar words or phrases, have been used to identify these forward-looking statements. These statements reflect management's current beliefs and are based on information currently available to management as at the date hereof. Forward-looking statements involve significant risk, uncertainties and assumptions. Many factors could cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from the results discussed or implied in the forward-looking statements. Such factors include, among other things, risks associated with executing the Company's plans and intentions. These factors should be considered carefully and readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements. Although the forward-looking statements contained in this news release are based upon what management believes to be reasonable assumptions, the Company cannot assure readers that actual results will be consistent with these forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release, and the Company assumes no obligation to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances, except as required by law.

SOURCE: Snowline Gold Corp.

View source version on accesswire.com:
PARIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Regulatory News:

ACTICOR BIOTECH (ISIN : FR0014005OJ5  ALACT) (Paris: ALACT), a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the development of innovative treatments for cardiovascular emergencies, today discloses the total number of voting rights and shares as of July 31, 2022 (pursuant to Article L. 233-8 II of the French Commercial Code and Article 223-16 of the General Regulation of the French Financial Markets Authority).

Listing Place : Euronext Growth Paris

ISIN Code : FR0014005OJ5

Web site: acticor-biotech.com

Date Number of shares

making up the share capital Theoretical number

of voting rights (1) Number of voting rights

excluding shares stripped

of voting rights (2) July 31, 2022 10.545.776 10.545.776 10.494.770

In accordance with Article 223-111 of the AMFs General Regulation, this number of shares is calculated based on all shares carrying the right to vote, including those stripped of voting rights. The actual voting rights correspond to the total number of voting rights that can be exercised in a general meeting. They are calculated on the basis of the total number of voting rights attached to the total number of shares minus the shares without voting rights.

About ACTICOR BIOTECH

Acticor Biotech is a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company, a spin-off from INSERM (the French National Institute of Health and Medical Research), that is developing an innovative treatment for acute thrombotic diseases, including ischemic strokes.

Acticor Biotech is developing glenzocimab (ACT017), a humanized monoclonal antibody fragment (Fab) directed against a novel target of major interest, platelet glycoprotein VI (GPVI). Glenzocimab inhibits platelet binding to the thrombus without affecting physiological hemostasis, thereby limiting the risk of bleeding, particularly intracerebral hemorrhage.

In May 2022, Acticor Biotech presented positive results from its Phase 1b/2a study, ACTIMIS, at the European Stroke Organisation Conference (ESOC 2022), confirming the safety profile and showing a reduction in mortality and intracerebral hemorrhage in the glenzocimab-treated group in patients with stroke. The efficacy of glenzocimab is now being evaluated in an international Phase 2/3 study, ACTISAVE, which will include 1,000 patients.

Acticor Biotech is supported by a panel of European and International Investors (Karista, Go Capital, Newton Biocapital, CMS Medical Venture Investment (HK) Limited, A&B (HK) Limited, Anaxago, Mediolanum farmaceutici and the Armesa foundation). Acticor Biotech is listed on Euronext Growth Paris, since November 2021 (ISIN: FR0014005OJ5  ALACT).

For further information, please go to www.acticor-biotech.com

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220803005799/en/

ACTICOR BIOTECH

Gilles AVENARD, MD

CEO and Founder

[email protected]

T. : +33 (0)6 76 23 38 13

Sophie BINAY, PhD

General Manager and CSO

[email protected]

T. : +33 (0)6 76 23 38 13

NewCap

Mathilde BOHIN / Olivier BRICAUD

Investor Relations

[email protected]

T. : +33 (0)1 44 71 94 95

Source: ACTICOR BIOTECH
CALGARY, Canada--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Blackline Safety Corp. (TSX: BLN), a global leader in connected safety technology, today announced its upcoming participation in the 42nd Annual Canaccord Genuity Growth Conference being held August 8-11, 2022, in Boston, Massachusetts.

The Company is scheduled to present on Wednesday, August 10, 2022, at 4:00pm Eastern Time and will be hosting one-on-one meetings with investors. The presentation will be broadcast live and available for replay here and via the investor relations section of the Companys website at investors.blacklinesafety.com.

To receive additional information, request an invitation or to schedule a one-on-one meeting, please contact Blackline Safetys investor relations team at [email protected].

About Blackline Safety

Blackline Safety is a technology leader driving innovation in the industrial workforce through IoT (Internet of Things). With connected safety devices and predictive analytics, Blackline enables companies to drive towards zero safety incidents and improved operational performance. Blackline provides wearable devices, personal and area gas monitoring, cloud-connected software and data analytics to meet demanding safety challenges and enhance overall productivity for organizations with coverage in more than 100 countries. Armed with cellular and satellite connectivity, Blackline provides a lifeline to tens of thousands of people, having reported over 180 billion data-points and initiated over five million emergency responses. For more information, visit BlacklineSafety.com and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220803005231/en/

INVESTOR AND ANALYST CONTACTS:

Matt Glover or Jeff Grampp, CFA

Gateway Group, Inc.

[email protected]

Telephone: +1 949 574 3860



MEDIA CONTACT

Christine Gillies, CMO

[email protected]

Telephone: +1 403 629 9434

Source: Blackline Safety Corp.
TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Caary Capital today announced a joint effort with Ceridian, a global leader in human capital management (HCM) technology, to extend its value to Ceridians Powerpay customers.

Powerpay, a cloud-based payroll and HR solution, is designed to meet the needs of Canadas small business segment. Together with Caary Capitals credit and spend management platform, the two companies will better meet the needs of Canadian small and medium-sized businesses by offering enhanced services.

Ceridian is a global software leader and champion for Canadian businesses, said John MacKinlay, CEO of Caary Capital. Shared values are an integral component of any partnership, and we are pleased to join forces with Ceridian to continue to offer solutions for the small business community, a long-underserved segment.

According to recent research from Caary Capital, the Canadian Lenders Association and Xero, Canadian small and medium-sized enterprises struggle with access to corporate credit and financial products and services, often having to rely on a personal guarantee or a personal credit card. This is compounded by the administrative aspects of payroll that take small business owners focus away from business growth.

At Ceridian, were driven to extend our Makes Work Life Better brand promise to our customers and their employees. Todays announcement marks the start of a meaningful collaboration with Caary Capital and will deliver benefits for small and medium-sized business in Canada, said Ettan Romm, Director of Product Management at Ceridian.

By delivering corporate credit without the usual required personal guarantees and credit checks, Caary Capital is enabling greater access to financial services. Caary Capital looks at a business cash flow and assets to assess risk and make corporate credit an option for small and medium-sized businesses. The fintech platform provides no-fee credit cards, 1.5 per cent cash back on all spend and administrator-managed virtual cards to streamline employee and supplier expenses.

The new partnership with Ceridian will provide access to Caary Capitals product and services to Ceridians Powerpay customers, giving easier access to joint products, discounts for customers and continued collaboration.

For more information visit caary.com or ceridian.ca.

About Caary Capital Ltd.

Caary is a fintech platform for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) led by the Caary Business Mastercard. With Caary, SMEs can better control their spending and automate expense management. The Caary platform comes with 1.5% cash back on all spend, no fees, no foreign exchange fees and self-directed employee and supplier cards. 98% of Canadian businesses are SMEs. Accessible credit cards, capital and fintech products are the tools to help them compete, grow and thrive. Visit caary.com for more information.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220803005187/en/

Tricia Weagant

T: 613.806.5168

E: [email protected]

Source: Caary Capital
Xenith IGs conduit and fiber assets will serve key Asia-Pacific markets

Clement Goh appointed as CEO of Xenith IG

BOCA RATON, Fla. & ALEXANDRIA, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- DigitalBridge Investment Management (DigitalBridge), the investment management arm of DigitalBridge Group, Inc., and funds affiliated with Columbia Capital have formed Xenith Infrastructure Group (Xenith IG), a new fiber platform serving hyperscalers, data center operators, carriers and enterprises in the Asia-Pacific region. Xenith IGs initial assets comprise conduit and fiber assets in Singapore and Hong Kong, which it acquired from Superloop (ASX: SLC).

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220802006196/en/

Xenith IG will be led by Clement Goh, who was appointed Chief Executive Officer, effective August 1, 2022. Mr. Goh brings more than 20 years of digital infrastructure and technology sector experience in the Asia-Pacific market to Xenith IG.

Mr. Goh said, I am honored to serve as Xenith IGs CEO and look forward to working with the entire team to address the increased demand for reliable and high-performance fiber connectivity as digitalization continues to grow in this region. DigitalBridge and Columbia Capital are global leaders in building digital infrastructure businesses, and I am excited to partner with them to deliver dense and high-quality fiber networks serving the current and future requirements of our customers.

We believe Xenith IG is ideally positioned to capitalize on the significant growth of network demand observed in Asia-Pacific, said Justin Chang, Managing Director and Head of Asia at DigitalBridge. We are also thrilled to welcome Clement in his role as CEO. Clement brings a deep understanding of the connectivity and data center businesses in this region, and we look forward to working with him to grow the Xenith IG platform into a premier fiber infrastructure provider in this region.

John Siegel, Partner at Columbia Capital, said, Growth in data center capacity in Asia Pacific is creating meaningful demand for resilient fiber infrastructure. We look forward to working with Clement, a leading executive with significant expertise in the regional data center and connectivity markets, to build a best-in-class infrastructure platform.

Over the course of his career, Mr. Goh has held senior executive and operational positions at several digital infrastructure and technology firms in the Asia-Pacific markets. He joins Xenith IG from ST Telemedia Global Data Centres (STT GDC), where he served as the CEO for Southeast Asia and was responsible for leading the firms growth initiatives in that region. Before STT GDC, Mr. Goh served as Managing Director for Equinix South Asia, where he was responsible for the overall performance of the companys Singapore IBX centers and channel partnership in Indonesia, in addition to playing an instrumental role in setting up the Equinix sales office in India. Earlier in his career, Mr. Goh held business development positions at Dell, Oracle and Hewlett Packard. Mr. Goh holds a Bachelor of Engineering from National University of Singapore with concentrations in electrics and electronics engineering, and an MBA from National University of Singapore and UCLA Anderson School of Management.

About DigitalBridge

DigitalBridge (NYSE: DBRG) is a leading global digital infrastructure investment firm. With a heritage of over 25 years investing in and operating businesses across the digital ecosystem including cell towers, data centres, fiber, small cells, and edge infrastructure, the DigitalBridge team manages a US$47 billion portfolio of digital infrastructure assets on behalf of its limited partners and shareholders. Headquartered in Boca Raton, DigitalBridge has key offices in New York, Los Angeles, London, and Singapore. For more information visit www.digitalbridge.com.

About Columbia Capital

Columbia Capital is a leading venture capital firm, focused on partnering with top operators to build companies in the digital infrastructure, enterprise IT, and mobility sectors. Since its inception in 1989, Columbia Capital has invested in over 175 companies across its sectors of focus. To date, Columbia Capital has raised approximately US$5 billion of fund commitments. Columbia Capital is headquartered in Alexandria, VA, United States. For more information visit www.colcap.com.

About Xenith IG

Xenith IG is a dark fiber network infrastructure owner and operator serving the APAC region. Hyperscalers, data center operators, content providers, carriers, and enterprises rely on Xenith IG to provide reliable, robust, and high-bandwidth connectivity solutions. Xenith IGs leadership consists of fiber connectivity professionals with proven success building and maintaining large-scale data networks around the world. Learn more by visiting www.xenithig.com.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This release may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. Forward-looking statements relate to expectations, beliefs, projections, future plans and strategies, anticipated events or trends and similar expressions concerning matters that are not historical facts. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by the use of forward-looking terminology such as may, will, should, expects, intends, plans, anticipates, believes, estimates, predicts, or potential or the negative of these words and phrases or similar words or phrases which are predictions of or indicate future events or trends and which do not relate solely to historical matters. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and contingencies, many of which are beyond our control, and may cause actual results to differ significantly from those expressed in any forward-looking statement. Factors that might cause such a difference include risks and uncertainties detailed in the Companys Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021, Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2022, and its other reports filed from time to time with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). All forward-looking statements reflect the Companys good faith beliefs, assumptions and expectations, but they are not guarantees of future performance. The Company cautions investors not to unduly rely on any forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this current report. The Company is under no duty to update any of these forward-looking statements after the date of this release, nor to conform prior statements to actual results or revised expectations, and the Company does not intend to do so.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220802006196/en/

Investors:

Severin White

Managing Director, Head of Public Investor Relations

(212) 547-2777

[email protected]

Media:

Joele Frank, Wilkinson Brimmer Katcher

Jon Keehner / Aura Reinhard

(212) 355-4449

[email protected]

Source: DigitalBridge
OSAKA, Japan--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Daigas Gas and Power Solution Co., Ltd. (DGPS), a 100% subsidiary of Osaka Gas Co., Ltd. (TOKYO: 9532), has established an expanded business collaboration for onsite hydrogen generator technology with Hyundai Rotem Company (HRC), an affiliate of Hyundai Motor Group, allowing HRC to sell the generators outside South Korea.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220802005489/en/

HYSERVE -300 (Photo: Business Wire)

Daigas Group (formerly Osaka Gas Group) launched the first model of HYSERVE (*1), onsite hydrogen generator, in 2003 by adopting its accumulated knowledge on catalyst. DGPS introduced a new model HYSERVE-300 with hourly hydrogen production capacity of 300 Nm3 in 2013. DGPS, as manufacturer of HYSERVE-300, has sold the units mainly to hydrogen fueling stations.

Then in 2019, DGPS granted HRC to manufacture and sell Hy-Green, hydrogen generator utilizing the technology of HYSERVE-300, enabling HRC to meet the increasing demand for hydrogen fueling stations in South Korea.

After confirming HRCs successful launch of Hy-Green, DGPS has decided to globally deploy its HYSERVE technology through enabling HRC to sell Hy-Green outside of South Korea. DGPS believes this will contribute the prompt buildup of distributed hydrogen supply infrastructure which is necessary for the decarbonization in transportation sector.

Hy-Green will be sold by HRC for the on-site hydrogen fueling station for various hydrogen mobilities (small vehicles, buses, trucks, construction equipment, train, ships, drones and etc), fuel cell power plant, and biogas production facilities (to produce hydrogen) in order to expand the hydrogen supply chain.

HRC has already developed mass production capacity of Hy-Green and is ready for receiving inquiries from the world including those through Daigas Group.

Daigas Group including DGPS is going to expand its overseas energy business from upstream to downstream by fully utilizing its experiences in and out of Japan and its existing overseas business platforms.

(*1) Onsite hydrogen generator developed and sold by Daigas Group. 36 units have been sold in Japan so far. [Press Release on the launch of HYSERVE-300 (in Japanese)] https://www.osakagas.co.jp/company/press/pr_2013/1206060_7831.html

[Corporate Profile] Osaka Gas Co., Ltd. Head Office: 4-1-2 Hiranocho, Chuo-ward, Osaka-city, Osaka Representative: Masataka Fujiwara (President & Representative Director) Amount of Capital: 132,166,660,000 JPY Date of Establishment: April 10, 1897 Business Outline: Natural gas distribution and supply; power generation and supply, etc. Daigas Gas and Power Solution Co., Ltd. Head Office: 3-5- 11 Doshomachi, Chuo-ward, Osaka-city, Osaka Representative: Nobushige Goto (President & Representative Director) Amount of Capital: 100,000,000 JPY Date of Establishment: October 1, 2019 Business Outline: Operation and maintenance of gas and power plants; power generation and supply; and engineering Hyundai Rotem Company Head Office: 37, Cheoldobangmulgwan-ro, Uiwang-si, Gyeonggi-do, 16082, Korea Representative: Yong-Bae, Lee (CEO) Amount of Capital: 545,711,465,000 KRW Date of Establishment: July 1, 1977 Business Outline: Total railway systems supply, Ground weapon systems supply, Steel, automobile production and hydrogen infrastructures supply, etc. Contact Detail: Duseop Lee / [email protected] / +82-10-2648-5039

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220802005489/en/

Media Inquiries:

Media Team, Public Relations Department, Osaka Gas Co., Ltd.

[Phone] +81-6-6205-4515

Source: Osaka Gas Co., Ltd.
PARIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Regulatory News:

Veolia (Paris: VIE) announced today that it has signed a merger agreement concerning the merger of Vigie SA (formerly known as Suez SA) into Veolia. The purpose of this merger is to simplify and rationalize the legal structure of the Veolia group.

Following the broad success of the cash tender offer initiated by Veolia, which allowed for the implementation of a mandatory squeeze-out procedure on February 18, 2022, Veolia holds, and will hold until the final completion of the merger, all the shares representing the entire capital of Vigie SA.

The merger will therefore be carried out under the simplified merger regime, without the need for a meeting of the general meetings of Veolia1 or Vigie SA, without the issue or exchange of Veolia shares, and without the intervention of an independent expert (expert independant), a merger auditor (commissaire a la fusion) or a contribution auditor (commissaire aux apports), in accordance with the applicable laws and regulations.

The final completion of the merger is scheduled for October 31, 2022, and remains subject to the fulfillment of the conditions precedent stipulated in the merger agreement. From an accounting and tax point of view, the merger will have a retroactive effect as from January 1, 2022.

The merger agreement will be filed and published with the clerk of the Paris Commercial Court and published in the Bulletin officiel des annonces civiles et commerciales (BODACC) and the Bulletin des Annonces Legales Obligatoires (BALO) as well as on the websites of Veolia and the Company (www.veolia.com). In addition, all documents and information to be made available will be made available in accordance with applicable laws and regulations.

About Veolia

Veolia Group aims to become the benchmark company for ecological transformation. With nearly 220,000 employees worldwide, the Group designs and deploys game-changing solutions that are both useful and practical for water, waste and energy management. Through its three complementary activities, Veolia helps to develop access to resources, preserve available resources and renew them. In 2021, Veolia supplied 79 million people with drinking water and 61 million people with wastewater services, produced nearly 48 million megawatt hours of energy and treated 48 million metric tons of waste. Veolia Environnement (Paris Euronext: VIE) achieved consolidated revenue of 28.508 billion euros in 2021. www.veolia.com

1 Subject to the application of Article L. 236-11 paragraph 2 of the French Commercial Code, in which case the completion of the merger would be subject to the approval of Veolia's General Meeting.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220802006231/en/

Group press relations

Laurent Obadia - Evgeniya Mazalova

Mathilde Bouchoux

Tel : + 33 (0)6 27 45 11 38 / + 33 (0)6 18 24 51 00

[email protected]

Analysts & Investors

Ronald Wasylec - Ariane de Lamaze

Tel. + 33 (0)1 85 57 84 76 / 84 80

[email protected]

Source: Veolia
Continuing growth throughout the Twin Cities region

TUCSON, Ariz.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Mister Car Wash, Inc. (the "Company" or "Mister"; NYSE: MCW) today announced the successful acquisition of Top Wash, three express exterior locations in Anoka, Fridley and Champlin, Minnesota.

The Twin Cities are one of our legacy markets and we are excited to see new growth in the area with the addition of these three stores and the recent opening of our Brooklyn Park location, said Casey Lindsay, Vice President Corporate Development of Mister Car Wash. The Top Wash locations expand our presence in the northern suburbs of Minneapolis that are continuing to grow and develop.

Customers of Top Wash can expect the business to continue operating as normal in the near term. Throughout the coming months, Mister will be working with the team to rebrand the store and optimize service and product offerings as they fully integrate into the brand.

For information about services and career opportunities with Mister Car Wash, please visit www.mistercarwash.com.

About Mister Car Wash | Inspiring People to Shine

Headquartered in Tucson, AZ, Mister Car Wash, Inc. (NYSE: MCW) operates more than 400 car washes nationwide and has the largest car wash subscription program in North America. With over 25 years of car wash experience, the Mister team is focused on operational excellence and delivering a memorable customer experience through elevated hospitality. The Mister brand is anchored in quality, friendliness and a commitment to the communities we serve as good stewards of the environment and the resources we use. We believe that when you take care of your people, they will take care of your customers. To learn more visit: https://mistercarwash.com

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release includes "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements in this press release include but are not limited to Mister Car Wash's expansion efforts and branding initiatives. Words including "anticipate," "believe," "continue," "could," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "may," "might," "plan," "potential," "predict," "seek," or "should," or the negative thereof or other variations thereon or comparable terminology are intended to identify forward-looking statements. In addition, any statements or information that refer to expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, performance, or other characterizations of future events or circumstances, including any underlying assumptions, are forward-looking.

These forward-looking statements are based on management's current expectations and beliefs. These statements are neither promises nor guarantees, but involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors that may cause the Company's actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to: developments involving the Company's competitors and its industry; the Company's ability to attract new customers, retain existing customers and maintain or grow its number of subscription members; potential future impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic; the Company's ability to open and operate new locations in a timely and cost-effective manner; the Company's ability to identify suitable acquisition targets and consummate such acquisitions on attractive terms; the Company's ability to maintain and enhance its brand reputation; the Company's reliance on and relationships with third-party suppliers; risk related to the Company's indebtedness and capital requirements; risk related to governmental laws and regulations applicable to the Company and its business; the Company's ability to maintain security and prevent unauthorized access to electronic and other confidential information; and the other important factors discussed under the caption "Risk Factors" in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021, as such factors may be updated from time to time in its other filings with the SEC, which are accessible on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov and Investor Relations section of the Company's website at https://ir.mistercarwash.com/.

These and other important factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated by the forward-looking statements made in this press release. Any forward-looking statement that the Company makes in this press release speaks only as of the date of such statement. Except as required by law, the Company does not undertake any obligation to update or revise or to publicly announce any update or revision to, any of the forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220803005394/en/

Media

Hailee Tavoian

[email protected]



Investor Relations

Farah Soi/John Rouleau

[email protected]

Source: Mister Car Wash, Inc.
The milestone exhibits OwnBackups continued commitment to being the leader in data protection for public sector organizations

ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- OwnBackup, the leading SaaS data protection platform, today announced that they have achieved the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Programs (FedRAMP) In Process designation under the sponsorship of the US Department of Agriculture, and are working toward full authorization by the end of the calendar year.

FedRAMP is a government-wide program that provides a standardized approach to security assessment, authorization and monitoring for cloud products and services. Its certification process includes an in-depth examination of a solution's data security and data governance capabilities, as well as the security practices of its cloud services.

Public sector organizations provide essential services that require available and accurate data at all times. However, the value of this data also makes these organizations more susceptible to cyberattacks and other nefarious threats. Globally, government organizations are now some of the most popular targets for bad actors, second only to those in the education and research sectors. Once full certification is achieved, OwnBackups FedRAMP solutions will enable U.S. government agencies to avoid disruption to critical services, ensure a continuity of operations, and maintain trust with their customers.

Our FedRAMP In Process designation is significant and demonstrates OwnBackups commitment to cloud security and data protection, said Sam Gutmann, CEO at OwnBackup. With this designation, we can better help public sector organizations accelerate their digital transformation goals, especially when it comes to large development projects where data is at higher risk of corruption or loss.

OwnBackups data protection platform, which is used by over 4,700 customers across three different SaaS platforms, was designed from the beginning with security in mind. Their solutions are architected with a variety of security controls across multiple tiers to address a range of security risks. Most recently, OwnBackup achieved ISO 27001 certification, which requires adherence to a documented management system that demonstrates a commitment to protect information assets' confidentiality, availability, and integrity from threats and vulnerabilities.

To learn more, visit ownbackup.com.

About OwnBackup

OwnBackup is a leading SaaS data protection platform for some of the largest SaaS ecosystems in the world, including Salesforce, Microsoft Dynamics 365, and ServiceNow. Through capabilities like data security, backup and recovery, archiving, and sandbox seeding, OwnBackup empowers thousands of organizations worldwide to manage and protect the mission-critical data that drives their business.

Co-founded by seasoned data recovery, data protection, and information security experts, OwnBackup is a trusted independent software vendor (ISV) partner on the Salesforce AppExchange, AWS Marketplace, and Microsoft Marketplace. Headquartered in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, with research and development (R&D), support, and other functions in Israel, EMEA and APAC, OwnBackup is the partner of choice for some of the worlds largest users of SaaS applications.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220803005155/en/

Media:

Colin Snell

[email protected]

Source: OwnBackup
Novel medical imaging system to assist surgeons with real-time margin visualization in the OR

ORANGE, Calif. & DALLAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Pavilion Surgery Center, an affiliate of St. Joseph Hospital, along with Perimeter Medical Imaging AI, Inc. (TSX-V: PINK)(OTC: PYNKF) (FSE: 4PC) (Perimeter or the Company)  a medical technology company driven to transform cancer surgery with ultra-high-resolution, real-time, advanced imaging tools to address high unmet medical needs  today jointly announced the first commercial placement of the Perimeter S-Series OCT system in the state of California at Pavilion Surgery Center in Orange, CA. The new medical imaging technology will be used under the direction of Michele Carpenter, MD, a breast surgeon who performs breast conservation and other surgeries at Pavilion Surgery Center.

Perimeter S-Series OCT received FDA 510(k) clearance in 2021 and is a medical imaging tool that uses Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) to provide clinicians with cross-sectional, real-time margin visualization (1-2 mm below the surface) of an excised tissue specimen.

Michele Carpenter, MD, FACS, Breast Program Director, The Center for Cancer Prevention and Treatment, St. Joseph Hospital, Orange, CA, commented, For years, breast surgeons have worried about not getting clean margins the first time they do a lumpectomy for breast cancer. With the Perimeter S-Series OCT system, we have a much better chance of doing that the first time.

Alejandro Ramirez, MD, Medical Director, Chief of Medical Staff, Pavilion Surgery Center, said, As part of Pavilions commitment to clinical excellence and innovation, we highly value the Perimeter S-Series OCT system to ensure the best outcome for our patients.

Steve Sapot, Perimeters Chief Commercial Officer, stated, This placement of the Perimeter S-Series OCT system is another successful outcome of our many market development activities underway across the U.S. Our sales team continues to connect with leading healthcare institutions to train and support innovative physicians who see the true benefits of using Perimeters technology in their surgical practices. We remain laser-focused on bringing Perimeters transformative ultra-high resolution medical imaging technology directly into the OR to assist the surgeon with real-time intraoperative margin visualization  with the aim of improving patient outcomes and reducing healthcare costs.

About Perimeter S-Series OCT

Cleared by the FDA as an imaging tool in the evaluation of excised tissue microstructure, the company is bringing the Perimeter S-Series Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) system to leading surgeons in hospitals across the U.S. Perimeter S-Series OCT gives physicians the ability to visualize microscopic tissue structures at the point-of-care  during the primary surgery compared to days later when pathology reports are available. This novel technology provides cross-sectional images of tissues down to 2mm depth, with 10x higher image resolution than standard x-ray and ultrasound. Giving physicians the ability to visualize microscopic tissue structures real-time in the operating room has the potential to result in better long-term outcomes for patients and lower costs to the healthcare system.

About Pavilion Surgery Center

Pavilion Surgery Center is one of Orange Countys premier healthcare facilities and one of the most technologically advanced outpatient surgical facilities in the greater Orange area. Affiliated with Providence St. Joseph Hospital, the center is physician-run and home to the latest advances in technology and equipment, many of the areas most reputable physicians and surgeons, and a hand-picked team of experienced and highly trained nurses and technicians. Pavilion Surgery Center is a multi-specialty surgical center, with 12 ORs and 4 GI suites.

About Perimeter Medical Imaging AI, Inc.

Based in Toronto, Canada and Dallas, Texas, Perimeter Medical Imaging AI (TSX-V: PINK) (OTC: PYNKF) (FSE: 4PC) is a medical technology company driven to transform cancer surgery with ultra-high-resolution, real-time, advanced imaging tools to address areas of high unmet medical need. Available across the U.S., our FDA-cleared Perimeter S-Series OCT system provides real-time, cross-sectional visualization of excised tissues at the cellular level. The breakthrough-device-designated investigational Perimeter B-Series OCT with ImgAssist AI represents our next-generation, artificial intelligence technology that is currently under clinical development. The companys ticker symbol PINK is a reference to the pink ribbons used during Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains statements that constitute forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. In this news release, words such as may, would, could, will, likely, believe, expect, anticipate, intend, plan, estimate, and similar words and the negative form thereof are used to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking information may relate to managements future outlook and anticipated events or results and may include statements or information regarding the future financial position, business strategy and strategic goals, competitive conditions, research and development activities, projected costs and capital expenditures, research and clinical testing outcomes, taxes and plans and objectives of, or involving, Perimeter. Without limitation, information regarding the potential benefits of Perimeter S-Series OCT, Perimeter B-Series OCT, and Perimeter ImgAssist are forward-looking information. Forward-looking statements should not be read as guarantees of future performance or results, and will not necessarily be accurate indications of whether, or the times at or by which, any particular result will be achieved. No assurance can be given that any events anticipated by the forward-looking information will transpire or occur. Forward-looking information is based on information available at the time and/or managements good-faith belief with respect to future events and are subject to known or unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions, and other unpredictable factors, many of which are beyond Perimeters control. Such forward-looking statements reflect Perimeters current view with respect to future events, but are inherently subject to significant medical, scientific, business, economic, competitive, political, and social uncertainties and contingencies. In making forward-looking statements, Perimeter may make various material assumptions, including but not limited to (i) the accuracy of Perimeters financial projections; (ii) obtaining positive results from trials; (iii) obtaining necessary regulatory approvals; and (iv) general business, market, and economic conditions. Further risks, uncertainties and assumptions include, but are not limited to, those applicable to Perimeter and described in Perimeters Management Discussion and Analysis for the year ended December 31, 2021, which is available on Perimeters SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com, and could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those projected in any forward-looking statements. Perimeter does not intend, nor does Perimeter undertake any obligation, to update or revise any forward-looking information contained in this news release to reflect subsequent information, events, or circumstances or otherwise, except if required by applicable laws.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220803005270/en/

Jodi Regts

Perimeter Medical Imaging AI, Inc.

Direct: 469-743-1834

Toll-free: 888-988-7465 (PINK)

Investors: [email protected]

Media: [email protected]

Source: Perimeter Medical Imaging AI, Inc.
Artificial intelligence technologies such as machine learning and data analytics could transform the claims value chain and improve customer outcomes

NEW YORK, LONDON & HONG KONG--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Up to $170 billion of insurance premiums could be at risk in the next five years due to poor claims experiences, with process inefficiencies in underwriting potentially costing the industry another $160 billion over the same period, according to a new report from Accenture (NYSE: ACN).

The report, Why AI in Insurance Claims and Underwriting?, is based on surveys of more than 6,700 policyholders across 25 countries; more than 120 claims executives in 12 countries; and more than 900 US-based underwriters. It explores how the insurance industry is responding to the latest market dynamics, pressure from new competitors, challenges facing underwriters, and the growing demand for seamless customer experiences  as well as how artificial intelligence (AI) technologies can be applied to satisfy and retain customers and transform the underwriting function.

The report found that one-third (31%) of the claimants were not fully satisfied with their home and auto insurance claims-handling experiences over the past two years. Of this 31%, six in 10 (60%) cited settlement speed issues and 45% cited issues with the closing process.

Dissatisfaction around the claims experience is a key reason driving customers to switch insurers. Nearly one-third (30%) of dissatisfied claimants said they had switched carriers in the past two years, and another 47% said they were considering doing so. Overall, the consumers who reported not being fully satisfied could represent up to $34 billion in premiums annually, or up to $170 billion over the next five years.

The report states that AI technologies could improve the claims process. For instance, four in five (79%) of the claims executives surveyed said they believe that automation, AI and data analytics based on machine learning can bring value across the entire claims value chain  from flagging fraudulent claims, to damage assessment and loss estimation, reserving, adjusting, processing optimization, and subrogation. However, the adoption of these technologies has been slow to date, with only about one-third (35%) of claims executives reporting that their organizations are advanced in their use of these technologies. This could change, though, as nearly two-thirds (65%) of insurance companies plan to invest $10 million or more in these technologies over the next three years, prioritizing AI-based applications and automation technologies, according to the claims executives surveyed.

The report also found that insurers could reduce underwriting operating costs through the adoption of AI technologies, making up to $160 billion in efficiency gains by 2027. As underwriters currently grapple with ageing systems and inefficient processes, the research found that up to 40% of their time is spent on non-core and administrative activities  an annual efficiency loss of between $17 billion and $32 billion. More than half (60%) of the underwriters surveyed believe that improvements could be made to the quality of their organizations processes and tools.

AI is no longer a technology of the future, but an established capability that many insurance innovators are already putting to work to deliver better customer experiences and empower their workforce, said Kenneth Saldanha, who leads Accentures Insurance industry group globally. As humans and AI collaborate ever more closely in insurance, companies will be able to reshape how they operate, becoming more efficient, fluid and adaptive. Those that are already moving to leverage AI will be able to create sustained competitive advantage.

Read the full report, Why AI in Insurance Claims and Underwriting? to understand how to drive AI at scale in insurance.

Methodology

The report is based on four surveys across insurance claims and underwriting, analyzing both customer and employee experiences and how insurers are responding:

A survey of 6,754 insurance policyholders in 25 countries on their most recent experiences in filing auto and property insurance claims;

A survey of 128 insurance claims executives in 12 countries regarding the strategies of their claims organizations;

A survey of 434 US-based property and casualty insurance underwriters, conducted in conjunction with The Institutes, a provider of insurance education; and

A survey of 500 US-based life insurance underwriters regarding technology adoption.

To arrive at the $170 billion premiums-at-risk figure, Accenture used modelling in conjunction with survey data of 6,700 insurance claimants, analyzing the global personal auto and property insurance market to calculate the yearly premium volume and the percentage of people who make a claim annually. This was used in conjunction with the consumer survey data pertaining to the percentage of people who reported that they were not fully satisfied with their claims experience and those who said they have, as a result of their dissatisfaction, changed carriers or will do so over the next five years. Accenture used a similar approach to calculate the $160 billion efficiency gains in underwriting figure  taking into account personal, commercial and life yearly premium volumes and costs spent on underwriting employees to determine an underwriting expense ratio. Efficiency gains were calculated to be 0.5-1 percentage points of the expense ratio, representing between $9 billion and $15 billion globally per year.

About Accenture

Accenture is a global professional services company with leading capabilities in digital, cloud and security. Combining unmatched experience and specialized skills across more than 40 industries, we offer Strategy and Consulting, Technology and Operations services and Accenture Song  all powered by the worlds largest network of Advanced Technology and Intelligent Operations centers. Our 710,000 people deliver on the promise of technology and human ingenuity every day, serving clients in more than 120 countries. We embrace the power of change to create value and shared success for our clients, people, shareholders, partners and communities. Visit us at accenture.com.

Copyright  2022 Accenture. All rights reserved. Accenture and its logo are trademarks of Accenture.

This content is provided for general information purposes and is not intended to be used in place of consultation with our professional advisors. This document refers to marks owned by third parties. All such third-party marks are the property of their respective owners. No sponsorship, endorsement or approval of this content by the owners of such marks is intended, expressed or implied.

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Victoria Ancell

Accenture

+44 7446 27759

[email protected]

Source: Accenture
Research Evaluates Effects of Against the Tumor Microenvironment

MELBOURNE, Australia--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Propanc Biopharma, Inc. (OTCQB: PPCB) (Propanc or the Company), a biopharmaceutical company developing novel cancer treatments for patients suffering from recurring and metastatic cancer, today announced that a Joint Research Collaboration Agreement has been established with the Universities of Jaen and Granada, Spain. Since late 2020, Mrs. Belen Toledo Cutillas MSc, has been investigating an important experimental thesis on the effects of proenzyme therapy and the impact on the tumor microenvironment, which is key to the development, invasion, metastatic spread and recurrence of solid tumors. The work is being conducted at the laboratory of Professor Macarena Peran PhD, who is the lead researcher on the project and is the second Joint Research Collaboration Agreement currently in progress with the two Spanish Universities.

To date, encouraging results demonstrates that proenzymes have specific effects on tumor cells and CSCs, but also other tumor elements in the tumor microenvironment. However, the most significant conclusion is that proenzymes cause a reversal of the malignant phenotype (observable characteristics) towards a normal, or benign state. This process of reversing the tumor phenotype, called differentiation, is how proenzymes exert anti-tumor, anti-cancer and anti-metastatic effects. Therefore, proenzyme treatment may be considered differentiation therapy, which exerts these effects on malignant cells, but leaves healthy cells alone. To achieve these results, Mrs. Cutillas used integrated 3-dimensional bio-impressions of tumor cells from patients with advanced solid tumors, developed at the Centre for Biomedical Research, University of Granada, led by Professor Juan Marchal MD.

Along with lead researcher, Professor Peran, and Mrs. Cutillas, additional research team members from the University of Jaen are assisting on the project, as well as Professor Marchal and Dr Maria Angel Garcia, from the University of Granada. Propanc will own any intellectual property developed during the research, and publishing rights, in exchange for any net future royalties from intellectual property rights.

Dr Julian Kenyon, Md, MB, ChB, Propancs Chief Scientific Officer said, Evaluating the effects of proenzyme therapy in the tumor microenvironment is of scientific interest, as it demonstrates whether proenzymes penetrate into this target area and exert its effects. At the same time, it confirms the selectivity of the drug on solid tumors, by targeting cancer cells and leaving healthy cells alone. The clinical implications are also potentially significant, which may result in novel discoveries and lead to exciting new ways to treat cancer patients suffering from solid tumors without the toxicity normally associated with standard treatment regimens.

Continuing to expand our research efforts in the use of proenzymes and cancer leading to the identification of further discoveries can provide additional patentable subject matter and expand our intellectual property portfolio, which covers the invention relating to our lead product candidate, PRP. I look forward to working closely with Professor Peran and her team on this exciting project, said Mr. James Nathanielsz, Propancs Chief Executive Officer.

PRP is a mixture of two proenzymes, trypsinogen and chymotrypsinogen from bovine pancreas administered by intravenous injection. A synergistic ratio of 1:6 inhibits growth of most tumor cells. Examples include kidney, ovarian, breast, brain, prostate, colorectal, lung, liver, uterine and skin cancers.

About Propanc Biopharma, Inc.

Propanc Biopharma, Inc. (the Company) is developing a novel approach to prevent recurrence and metastasis of solid tumors by using pancreatic proenzymes that target and eradicate cancer stem cells in patients suffering from pancreatic, ovarian and colorectal cancers. For more information, please visit www.propanc.com.

The Companys novel proenzyme therapy is based on the science that enzymes stimulate biological reactions in the body, especially enzymes secreted by the pancreas. These pancreatic enzymes could represent the bodys primary defense against cancer.

To view the Companys Mechanism of Action video on its anti-cancer lead product candidate, PRP, please click on the following link: http://www.propanc.com/news-media/video

Forward-Looking Statements

All statements other than statements of historical facts contained in this press release are forward-looking statements, which may often, but not always, be identified by the use of such words as may, might, will, will likely result, would, should, estimate, plan, project, forecast, intend, expect, anticipate, believe, seek, continue, target or the negative of such terms or other similar expressions. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements. These factors include uncertainties as to the Companys ability to continue as a going concern absent new debt or equity financings; the Companys current reliance on substantial debt financing that it is unable to repay in cash; the Companys ability to successfully remediate material weaknesses in its internal controls; the Companys ability to reach research and development milestones as planned and within proposed budgets; the Companys ability to control costs; the Companys ability to obtain adequate new financing on reasonable terms; the Companys ability to successfully initiate and complete clinical trials and its ability to successful develop PRP, its lead product candidate; the Companys ability to obtain and maintain patent protection; the Companys ability to recruit employees and directors with accounting and finance expertise; the Companys dependence on third parties for services; the Companys dependence on key executives; the impact of government regulations, including FDA regulations; the impact of any future litigation; the availability of capital; changes in economic conditions, competition; and other risks, including, but not limited to, those described in the Companys periodic reports that are filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and available on its website at http://www.sec.gov. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date hereof and the Company disclaims any obligations to update these statements except as may be required by law.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220803005047/en/

Investor Relations and Media:

Mr. James Nathanielsz

Propanc Biopharma, Inc.

[email protected]

+61-3-9882-0780

Source: Propanc Biopharma, Inc.
PALO ALTO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Ribbit LEAP, Ltd. (the Company) (NYSE: LEAP.U, LEAP, LEAP.WS), a special purpose acquisition company, today announced that it will redeem all of its outstanding Class A ordinary shares, par value $0.0001 (the Public Shares), effective as of the close of business on August 15, 2022, as the Company will not consummate an initial business combination within the time period required by its Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association (the Articles).

The Company has shared a Letter to Investors with details on this decision that can be found at www.ribbitleap.com/corporate-information/letter-to-our-partners. The Company concluded it would be unable to meet it expectations for quality and long-term return potential by completing an initial business combination by September 10, 2022 (twenty four months from the closing of the Companys initial public offering).

As such, in accordance with the Companys Articles, the Company will:

cease all operations as of August 15, 2022, except those required to wind up the Companys business;

as promptly as reasonably possible, redeem the Public Shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Companys trust account (the Trust Account), including interest earned on the funds held in the Trust Account and not previously released to the Company to pay the Companys income taxes, if any (less $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of the then-outstanding Public Shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public shareholders rights as shareholders of the Company (including the right to receive further liquidation distributions, if any); and

as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of the Companys remaining shareholders and the Companys board of directors, liquidate and dissolve, subject to the Companys obligations under Cayman Islands law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law.

The per-share redemption price for the public shares will be approximately $10.02 (the Redemption Amount). The balance of the Trust Account as of July 30, 2022 was approximately $403,645,315.57, which includes approximately $1,145,315.57 in interest and dividend income (excess of cash over $402,500,000, the funds deposited into the Trust Account). In accordance with the terms of the related trust agreement, the Company expects to retain $100,000 of the interest and dividend income from the Trust Account to pay dissolution expenses.

As of the close of business on August 15, 2022, the Public Shares will be deemed cancelled and will represent only the right to receive the Redemption Amount.

The Redemption Amount will be payable to the holders of the Public Shares upon presentation of their respective stock or unit certificates or other delivery of their shares or units to the Companys transfer agent, Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company. Beneficial owners of public shares held in street name, however, will not need to take any action in order to receive the Redemption Amount.

There will be no redemption rights or liquidating distributions with respect to the Companys warrants, which will expire worthless.

The Companys sponsor has waived its redemption rights with respect to the outstanding Class A ordinary shares, held by the sponsor, and the Class B ordinary shares and Class L ordinary shares. After August 15, 2022, the Company shall cease all operations except for those required to wind up the Companys business.

The Company expects that New York Stock Exchange will file a Form 25 with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the Commission) to delist its securities. The Company thereafter expects to file a Form 15 with the Commission to terminate the registration of its securities under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. When used in this press release, the words could, should, will, may, believe, anticipate, intend, estimate, expect, project, the negative of such terms and other similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain such identifying words. Such forward-looking statements are based on current information and expectations, forecasts and assumptions, and involve a number of judgments, risks and uncertainties. Accordingly, forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing the Companys views as of any subsequent date, and the Company does not undertake any obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date they were made, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required under applicable securities laws. You should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. As a result of a number of known and unknown risks and uncertainties, actual results or performance may be materially different from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are subject to numerous conditions, many of which are beyond the control of the Company, including those set forth in the Risk Factors in the Companys registration statement on Form S-1 (Registration No. 333-248415), as amended, initially filed with the Commission on August 25, 2020, relating to its initial public offering, annual, quarterly reports and subsequent reports filed with the Commission, as amended from time to time. Copies of such filings are available on the Commissions website, www.sec.gov. The Company undertakes no obligation to update these statements for revisions or changes after the date of this release, except as required by law.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220802006210/en/

Cynthia McAdam, COO

(650) 485-3758

Source: Ribbit LEAP, Ltd.
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Kevin R. Greene, Chairman and CEO of Tassat Group Inc., the leading provider of private blockchain-based business-to-business (B2B) real-time payments and financial services solutions to banks, will speak at the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphias Sixth Annual Fintech Conference scheduled for today and tomorrow.

Greene will participate in the panel Bank Partnership with Fintech Crypto Platforms, at 9:30 AM EDT on August 4 moderated by Brian Allen, Senior Vice President, Technology & Cybersecurity Risk Management BITS, Bank Policy Institute. Other speakers include: Sam Sidhu, Vice Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Customers Bancorp; Ben Reynolds, Chief Strategy Officer of Silvergate Bank; Robert Morgan, CEO of the USDF Consortium; and Patrick Murck, President & Chief Legal Officer of Transparent Financial Systems.

One of the most critical issues in financial technology is the partnership between banks and fintech companies, said Greene. We dont seek to replace or disintermediate banks. Instead, we want to provide commercial banks with the best tools and technologies that enable them to deliver to their B2B customers the latest in blockchain-based technologies.

TassatPay, the only private permissioned blockchain-based B2B payments platform fully deployed within the U.S. banking regulatory system, provides secure, real-time payment capabilities 24/7/365. It also provides banks with comprehensive Smart Contract capabilities and fully integrated Fedwire functionality. To date, TassatPay has processed more than $500 billion in transactions.

Unlike other digital asset solutions, TassatPay does not create cryptocurrencies or stablecoins. Instead, TassatPay tokenizes existing bank deposits, which remain within a bank, with all transactions backed one-to-one by U.S. dollars held by the bank. TassatPay operates without the risks of public blockchain-based digital currencies, stablecoins or applications built upon them.

Among the banks that have adopted TassatPay to date are Western Alliance Bank, Signature Bank, Customers Bank, Axos Bank and Cogent Bank.

About Kevin R. Greene

In addition to serving as Tassats Chairman and CEO, Kevin Greene serves as a Managing Partner of James Alpha Management, an investor in Tassat.

Prior to joining James Alpha, Greene served as Chairman and CEO of Capital Resource Holdings, LLC, the holding company parent of CRA RogersCasey, one of the nations leading pension consulting firms. He previously founded Bryant Park Capital, a privately held investment bank specializing in private equity financing and mergers and acquisitions for both private and public companies in the U.S. and Europe. Since 1991, Greene has served as the Chairman and CEO of KR Group, an international consulting and investment banking firm, which he founded. His early career included positions as a Senior Consultant with McKinsey & Co., and as a Senior Commodities Analyst with E.F. Hutton.

Greene holds a B.A. degree in Economics (with distinction) from Georgetown University, a masters degree in Public Policy (Kennedy Scholar) from Harvard University and an MBA in Finance from New York University. Greene is a former Chairman of the Young Presidents Organizations Manhattan chapter, and has served on many public and private boards.

About Tassat Group

Tassat Group Inc. is a NY-based technology company that is the leading provider of private blockchain-based, real-time solutions for commercial banks including TassatPay, which enables banks to provide their customers with instantaneous, secure, real-time payments 24/7/365. TassatPay has become the most trusted blockchain-based platform for the banking industry and its B2B customers with more than $500 billion in secure, real-time transactions to date. Tassat has added Smart Contracts and Fedwire functionality to make TassatPay a one-stop shop for B2B Payments. Tassat was honored with a 2021 Google Cloud Customer Award for innovation in financial services. For more information, visit us at www.tassatpay.com, on Twitter or on LinkedIn.

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Media:

Loretta Healy

The Hubbell Group, Inc.

1-781-718-1117

[email protected]

Source: Tassat Group Inc.
FRAMINGHAM, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- The TJX Companies, Inc. (NYSE: TJX) today announced that it plans to release its second quarter Fiscal 2023 sales and earnings results on Wednesday, August 17, 2022, before 9:30 a.m. ET.

At 11:00 a.m. ET that day, Ernie Herrman, TJXs Chief Executive Officer and President, will hold a conference call to discuss the Companys second quarter Fiscal 2023 results, operations, and business trends. A real-time webcast of the call will be available to the public at TJX.com. A replay of the call will also be available by dialing (866) 367-5577 (toll free) or (203) 369-0233 through Tuesday, August 23, 2022, or at TJX.com.

About The TJX Companies, Inc.

The TJX Companies, Inc. is the leading off-price retailer of apparel and home fashions in the U.S. and worldwide. As of April 30, 2022, the end of the Companys first quarter Fiscal 2023, the Company operated a total of 4,715 stores in nine countries, the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany, Poland, Austria, the Netherlands, and Australia, and five e-commerce sites. These include 1,285 T.J. Maxx, 1,155 Marshalls, 859 HomeGoods, 60 Sierra, and 39 Homesense stores, as well as tjmaxx.com, marshalls.com, homegoods.com, and sierra.com, in the United States; 293 Winners, 148 HomeSense, and 106 Marshalls stores in Canada; 623 T.K. Maxx and 77 Homesense stores, as well as tkmaxx.com, in Europe; and 70 T.K. Maxx stores in Australia. TJXs press releases and financial information are available at TJX.com.

Important Information at Website

Archived versions of the Companys conference calls are available in the Investors section of TJX.com after they are no longer available by telephone as are reconciliations of non-GAAP financial measures to GAAP financial measures for applicable periods and other financial information. The Company routinely posts information that may be important to investors in the Investors section at TJX.com. The Company encourages investors to consult that section of its website regularly.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220803005702/en/

The TJX Companies, Inc.

Debra McConnell

Global Communications

(508) 390-2323

Source: The TJX Companies, Inc.
BERLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Regulatory News:

TME Pharma N.V., (Euronext Growth Paris: ALTME) (Paris: ALTME), a biotechnology company focused on developing novel therapies for treatment of cancer by targeting the tumor microenvironment (TME), announced today that the first patient was enrolled and has received their first week of treatment in the GLORIA Phase 1/2 clinical trial expansion arm with NOXA12 combined with radiotherapy and the PD-1 immune checkpoint inhibitor pembrolizumab.

Once this first patient of this expansion arm has received a four-week treatment of NOX-A12, radiotherapy, and pembrolizumab, the Data Safety Monitoring Board will convene to determine whether it is safe to recruit the remaining five patients into the arm.

"We are very pleased to have dosed our first patient in this GLORIA expansion arm combining NOX-A12 with radiotherapy and pembrolizumab in brain cancer patients," said Aram Mangasarian, CEO of TME Pharma. "We continue to make progress in our clinical evaluation of NOX-A12 in glioblastoma in multiple combination approaches, which have so far yielded exciting and very promising results. We aim to demonstrate the potential of NOX-A12 in this challenging and aggressive cancer to support our strategic focus on bringing NOX-A12 to market as soon as possible, for the benefit of patients, physicians, and our shareholders."

The expansion arms of the GLORIA trial will each enroll 6 patients with recruitment ongoing at 6 clinical sites. The clinical sites are now focused on patient recruitment into the second expansion arm with pembrolizumab after having completed recruitment of patients in the expansion arm with bevacizumab.

Initial data from the bevacizumab expansion arm exploring the triple combination of NOX-A12, radiotherapy and bevacizumab reported by the company on June 23, 2022, showed reduced tumor size and radiographic partial response (defined as tumor size reduction of more than 50%) in 100% of evaluable patients, with tumor size reductions ranging from -54.7% to -94.7%.

Data from the NOX-A12 dose-escalation part of the clinical trial were reported at ASCO 2022 in June and showed that 90% of patients who received NOX-A12 and radiotherapy achieved tumor size reductions and 40% of patients achieved partial response. TME Pharma aims to disclose more detailed data, including longer follow-up at a scientific conference later this year.

The data generated from the GLORIA trial dose-escalation and expansion arms will form the basis of discussions with the US FDA and European regulators on the optimal regulatory path, which are expected to take place in Q4 2022.

About TME Pharma

TME Pharma is a clinical-stage company focused on developing novel therapies for treatment of the most aggressive cancers. The companys oncology-focused pipeline is designed to act on the tumor microenvironment (TME) and the cancer immunity cycle by breaking tumor protection barriers against the immune system and blocking tumor repair. By neutralizing chemokines in the TME, TME Pharmas approach works in combination with other forms of treatment to weaken tumor defenses and enable greater therapeutic impact. In the GLORIA clinical trial, TME Pharma is studying its lead drug candidate NOX-A12 in newly diagnosed brain cancer patients who will not benefit clinically from standard chemotherapy. TME Pharma has delivered top-line data from the NOX-A12 three dose-escalation cohorts combined with radiotherapy of the GLORIA clinical trial, observing consistent tumor reductions and objective tumor responses. Additionally, GLORIA expansion arms evaluate safety and efficacy of NOX-A12 in other combinations where the interim results from the triple combination of NOX-A12, radiotherapy and bevacizumab suggest even deeper and more durable responses. NOX-A12 in combination with radiotherapy has received orphan drug designation for glioblastoma in the United States and glioma in Europe. TME Pharma has delivered final top-line data with encouraging overall survival and safety profile from its NOX-A12 combination trial with Keytruda in metastatic colorectal and pancreatic cancer patients, which was published in the Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer in October 2021. The company has entered in its second collaboration with MSD/Merck for its Phase 2 study, OPTIMUS, to further evaluate safety and efficacy of NOX-A12 in combination with Mercks Keytruda and two different chemotherapy regimens as second-line therapy in patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer. The design of the trial is in discussion with regulatory authorities in the United States and Europe. The companys second clinical-stage drug candidate, NOX-E36, is designed to target the innate immune system. TME Pharma is considering several solid tumors for further clinical development. Further information can be found at: www.tmepharma.com.

Keytruda is a registered trademark of Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp.

Visit TME Pharma on LinkedIn and Twitter.

About the GLORIA Study

GLORIA (NCT04121455) is TME Pharmas dose-escalation, Phase 1/2 study of NOX-A12 in combination with radiotherapy in first-line partially resected or unresected glioblastoma (brain cancer) patients with unmethylated MGMT promoter (resistant to standard chemotherapy). GLORIA further evaluates safety and efficacy of NOX-A12 three additional arms combining NOX-A12 with: A. radiotherapy in patients with complete tumor resection; B. radiotherapy and bevacizumab; and C. radiotherapy and pembrolizumab.

About the OPTIMUS Study

OPTIMUS (NCT04901741) is TME Pharmas planned open-label two-arm Phase 2 study of NOX-A12 combined with pembrolizumab and nanoliposomal irinotecan/5-FU/leucovorin or gemcitabine/nab-paclitaxel in microsatellite-stable metastatic pancreatic cancer patients.

Disclaimer

Translations of any press release into languages other than English are intended solely as a convenience to the non-English-reading audience. The company has attempted to provide an accurate translation of the original text in English, but due to the nuances in translating into another language, slight differences may exist. This press release includes certain disclosures that contain "forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on TME Pharmas current expectations and are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Factors that could cause actual results to differ include, but are not limited to, the risks inherent in oncology drug development, including clinical trials and the timing of and TME Pharmas ability to obtain regulatory approvals for NOX-A12 as well as any other drug candidates. Forward-looking statements contained in this announcement are made as of this date, and TME Pharma undertakes no duty to update such information except as required under applicable law.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220802005864/en/

For more information, please contact:

TME Pharma N.V.

Aram Mangasarian, Ph.D., CEO

Bryan Jennings, CFO

Tel. +49 (0) 30 726247 0

[email protected]

Investor and Media Relations:

LifeSci Advisors

Guillaume van Renterghem

Tel. +41 (0) 76 735 01 31

[email protected]

NewCap

Arthur Rouille

Tel. +33 (0) 1 44 71 00 15

[email protected]

Source: TME Pharma
Report Highlights Companys Progress on Industry-Leading Sustainability and Social Impact Goals

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE: WSM), the worlds largest digital-first, design-led and sustainable home retailer, announced today that the company has published its 2021 Impact Report highlighting progress and fulfillment of industry-leading sustainability and social impact goals. This years Impact Report showcases Williams-Sonoma, Inc.s commitment to the prioritization of sustainability, diversity, philanthropy and worker wellbeing as key differentiators for the companys business.

In 2021, Williams-Sonoma, Inc. became one of the first home furnishings retailers to set a Science-Based Target pledge to reduce emissions across its value chain by 2030 with a goal of carbon neutrality in the companys own operations by 2025. The Impact Report details progress made in 2021 towards these environmental impact goals by highlighting achievements across the companys value chain emissions inclusive of a 24% decrease in carbon intensity while revenue has grown by almost 40% since 2019.

This years Impact Report also provides insights into the companys tree-planting initiatives which were launched in 2021 when the Pottery Barn brand announced a commitment to plant 3 million trees by 2023. Customers responded positively to the commitment and helped Pottery Barn make positive progress on the goal at a pace that inspired Williams-Sonoma, Inc. to double-down on the commitment and increase the goal to plant 6 million trees within the same timeframe. To accomplish the new tree-planting goal, Williams-Sonoma, Inc. added all brands within the portfolio to participate in the customer-facing campaign. The company pledges to plant one tree for every indoor wood furniture product purchased. The Impact Report outlines the progress made on the tree planting goal in 2021 as the company has planted over 1.5 million trees to date. Many of these trees were planted as part of efforts to restore wildfire damage in California where the company is headquartered.

Sustainability has always been core to our business strategy and were proud to have established a reputation for offering an industry-leading assortment of responsibly-made products, said Laura Alber, President and CEO of Williams-Sonoma, Inc. We plan to continue to set goals and make progress on those goals in a way that inspires our customers and our entire industry.

The Impact Report also shares insights into how the company has engaged the Williams-Sonoma, Inc. vendor community to have 75% of products sourced from suppliers who offer worker wellbeing programs by 2030. This includes a commitment to paying an additional $10M in Fair Trade Premiums and an investment of $50M in Nest Certified products by 2025.

To read more on Williams-Sonoma, Inc.s commitments and progress, please view the Annual Impact Report.

ABOUT WILLIAMS-SONOMA, INC.

Williams-Sonoma, Inc. is the worlds largest digital-first, design-led and sustainable home retailer. The companys products, representing distinct merchandise strategies  Williams Sonoma, Pottery Barn, Pottery Barn Kids, Pottery Barn Teen, West Elm, Williams Sonoma Home, Rejuvenation, and Mark and Graham  are marketed through e-commerce websites, direct-mail catalogs and retail stores. These brands are also part of The Key Rewards, our loyalty and credit card program that offers members exclusive benefits across the Williams-Sonoma family of brands. We operate in the U.S., Puerto Rico, Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom, offer international shipping to customers worldwide, and have unaffiliated franchisees that operate stores in the Middle East, the Philippines, Mexico, South Korea and India, as well as e-commerce websites in certain locations. We are also proud to be a leader in our industry with our Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) efforts. Our company is Good By Design  weve deeply ingrained sustainability into our business. From our factories to your home, were united in a shared purpose to care for our people and our planet.

For more information on our ESG efforts, please visit: https://sustainability.williams-sonomainc.com/

WSM-PR

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220803005241/en/

Kendall Coleman

Williams-Sonoma, Inc.

[email protected]

415-616-7926



Olivia Jones

Williams-Sonoma, Inc.

[email protected]

415-733-3136

Source: Williams-Sonoma, Inc.
- Earnings Call Scheduled for 8:00 a.m. ET on August 23, 2022 -

GUANGZHOU, China--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- XPeng Inc. (XPeng or the Company, NYSE: XPEV and HKEX: 9868), a leading Chinese smart electric vehicle (Smart EV) company, today announced that it will report its second quarter 2022 unaudited financial results on Tuesday, August 23, 2022, before the open of U.S. markets.

The Companys management will host an earnings conference call at 8:00 AM U.S. Eastern Time on August 23, 2022 (8:00 PM Beijing/Hong Kong time on August 23, 2022).

For participants who wish to join the call by phone, please access the link provided below to complete the pre-registration and dial in 5 minutes prior to the scheduled call start time. Upon registration, each participant will receive dial-in details to join the conference call.

Event Title XPeng Inc. Second Quarter 2022 Earnings Conference Call Pre-registration link: https://s1.c-conf.com/diamondpass/10023834-ne2m8a.html

Additionally, a live and archived webcast of the conference call will be available on the Companys investor relations website at http://ir.xiaopeng.com.

A replay of the conference call will be accessible approximately an hour after the conclusion of the call until August 30, 2022, by dialing the following telephone numbers:

United States: +1-855-883-1031 International: +61-7-3107-6325 Hong Kong, China: 800-930-639 China Mainland: 400-120-9216 Replay PIN: 10023834

About XPeng

XPeng is a leading Chinese Smart EV company that designs, develops, manufactures, and markets Smart EVs that appeal to the large and growing base of technology-savvy middle-class consumers in China. Its mission is to drive Smart EV transformation with technology and data, shaping the mobility experience of the future. In order to optimize its customers mobility experience, XPeng develops in-house its full-stack advanced driver-assistance system technology and in-car intelligent operating system, as well as core vehicle systems including powertrain and the electrical/electronic architecture. XPeng is headquartered in Guangzhou, China, with main offices in Beijing, Shanghai, Silicon Valley, San Diego and Amsterdam. The Companys Smart EVs are mainly manufactured at its plant in Zhaoqing, Guangdong province. For more information, please visit https://heyxpeng.com/.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220803005415/en/

For investor and media inquiries:

For Investor Enquiries:

IR Department

XPeng Inc.

E-mail: [email protected]

Jenny Cai

The Piacente Group

Tel: +1-212-481-2050 or +86-10-6508-0677

E-mail: [email protected]

For Media Enquiries:

Marie Cheung

XPeng Inc.

Tel: +852 9750 5170 / +86 1550 7577 546

E-mail: [email protected]

Source: XPeng Inc.
Ampio Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NYSE American: AMPE), today released the following letter to stockholders from its Chairman, Kevin Buchi and Chief Executive Officer, Mike Martino.

Dear Fellow Stockholders,

On behalf of the Board and management team, we are writing to provide an update on the previously announced internal investigations, the clinical development of Ampion and how this impacts our strategic alternatives process, and near-term strategic business alternatives. Finally, we would like to take this opportunity to address the importance of your vote at the 2022 Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be held on Wednesday, August 10, 2022, at 11 am MT.

As we announced on May 16, 2022, an independent special committee of the Ampio Board of Directors (the "Special Committee") has been conducting internal investigations focused primarily on (1) the statistical analysis of Ampio's AP-013 clinical trial and (2) unauthorized provision of Ampion, an investigational drug that is not approved by the Food and Drug Administration ("FDA"), for use by individuals not participating in clinical trials ("unauthorized use"). These investigations are now completed and the investigations are summarized below.

Through outside counsel, the Special Committee has engaged in extensive fact finding, including interviewing numerous individuals and reviewing documents and emails relating to the AP-013 clinical trial. In connection with the unauthorized use investigation, the Special Committee also reviewed documents, conducted interviews, and reviewed other information regarding the provision and unauthorized use of Ampion. The Special Committee committed significant resources to these endeavors and did not impose material limitations on the investigations' scope, timing, or access to information.

As it relates to the AP-013 clinical trial, the Special Committee's primary findings include that certain former Ampio executive officers and senior staff were aware, at the time of the per-protocol interim analysis in March 2020, that the AP-013 trial did not demonstrate efficacy for Ampion on its co-primary endpoints of pain and function; and that these former Ampio executive officers and senior staff did not fully report the results of the AP-013 trial and the timing of unblinding of data from the AP-013 trial. The Special Committee has determined that the Company's current executive officers were not made aware of the unblinding events in March 2020. Through counsel, the Company and the Special Committee have informed the Securities and Exchange Commission of the investigations. The Company and the Special Committee also have contacted the FDA regarding this investigation.

As it relates to the unauthorized use of Ampion, the Special Committee's primary finding is that certain Ampio personnel, including a former executive officer and certain former directors, facilitated the provision of Ampion for unauthorized use. Ampio has worked to resolve this issue, including through the conduct of safety surveillance activities relating to the provision of Ampion for unauthorized use, implementation of appropriate mitigation measures (described below), and self-reporting to FDA. The results of the safety surveillance activities have not changed the Company's view of the safety profile of Ampion. The Special Committee has determined that the Company's current executive officers were not involved in the provision of Ampion for unauthorized use.

The Company has taken the following actions based in part upon the investigations and the findings of the Special Committee:

Terminated the employment of two executive officers;

Restructured the Board of Directors through resignation of certain directors;

Separated the role of Chair of the Board and Chief Executive Officer;

Re-constituted the Company's Disclosure Committee with additional subject-matter experts;

Enhanced Company policies and procedures including those related to inventory management and distribution; and

Conducted company-wide training regarding appropriate use of Ampion while in the clinical trial stage.

When we launched the strategic alternatives process in May 2022, one of our first areas of focus was the viability of continued dev elopment and advancement of Ampion in order to generate value for the Ampio stockholders.

Regarding the status of Ampion development, in total, we have conducted seven Phase 2/3 trials, comprising more than 1,500 Ampion-treated patients and more than 1,400 saline-treated patients. Ampion has consistently demonstrated a 30 percent reduction in pain and a 30 percent improvement in function across these trials. Unfortunately, so has the control element, saline. The saline response in our trials is consistent with the response in other published materials on osteoarthritis of the knee ("OAK") trials. As illustrated in the graphs below, Ampion has simply not demonstrated a sufficient therapeutic benefit versus saline to support another superiority trial and a noninferiority trial versus saline would not be commercially competitive.

Over the past several months we have undertaken an extensive meta-analysis of a merged database containing all clinical, laboratory and outcome data from all Ampion trials. This analysis has not identified either a sub-population of patients or combination of inclusion/exclusion factors that predicts a trial design where there would be a reasonable expectation for Ampion to outperform saline control.

Additionally, we evaluated trial designs, techniques, and tools that might provide an opportunity to highlight the differential benefits of Ampion vs a saline control given our current knowledge, including the following:

Using a centralized reading of images/data to include/exclude patients from the trial;

Education of investigators and the use of pain and function evaluation tools to reduce placebo effect; and

Using joint imaging as a primary endpoint.

In addition, we evaluated the data from AP-008 (n = 342), in which patients were dosed with Ampion every two weeks for up to three doses versus a single dose of saline and confirmed this trial did not yield statistically significant results.

Finally, we evaluated conducting trials with alternative controls, such as hyaluronic acid and corticosteroids and concluded that these trials are not feasible or advisable for several reasons. This includes the diminishing use of hyaluronic acid in clinical practice and the magnitude of the corticosteroid efficacy signal.

In addition to evaluating the continued development of Ampion, we have also been developing a new and improved formulation of Ampion. While the in vitro and preclinical data are encouraging, we do not believe that redefining Ampio as a preclinical company is in the best interests of stockholders.

Based on this extensive analysis, we do not believe that conducting an eighth, and likely a confirmatory ninth, pivotal trial for Ampion is a good use of the Company's cash and resources.

With this context in mind, we have been pursuing other strategic alternatives for Ampio with the goal of maximizing value for Ampio stockholders. This exercise includes the potential for Ampio to acquire a product/pipeline and/or execute a reverse merger with a company that is seeking an NYSE American listing and has a development candidate and/or pipeline that we believe would represent a better value proposition for Ampio stockholders.

With the assistance of a financial advisor, we have identified several potential acquisition and reverse merger candidates, as well as received inbound interest from potential counterparties for several transformative transactions. We are diligently evaluating all opportunities in terms of value returned to the Ampio stockholders, but this selection process takes time.

With that fact in mind, we wish to emphasize the importance of the upcoming vote at the 2022 Annual Meeting of Stockholders and, specifically Proposal No. 3 regarding the reverse stock split. Our goal is to maximize stockholder value through the process we have just outlined. A key component of maximizing stockholder value is maintaining the listing of our stock on the NYSE American. De-listing would likely result in one or more of the following:

Negatively impact Ampio's attractiveness as a counterparty for a strategic transaction since listed companies would be at a competitive advantage in stock-based transactions and for future capital raising.

Eliminate potential transactions that may otherwise be high value for Ampio stockholders. For example, Ampio would not be a viable counterparty for a private company's go-public reverse merger transaction as the stock exchange listing would be one of the key assets that the private company is seeking to acquire.

Decrease the prospect of additional institutional ownership and likely result in reduced ownership by existing institutional shareholders.

Produce lower trading volume, higher proportionate transaction costs and wider bid-ask spreads for investors. Ultimately, liquidity in the stock would be limited.

We believe it is important to position Ampio for maximum attractiveness as a counterparty and to permit maximum flexibility in the structure of a transaction that we believe will provide maximum value to stockholders.

As we reported, Ampio is not currently in compliance with NYSE American listing requirements due to its low stock price. NYSE American requires Ampio to regain compliance with their listing requirements relating to share price by December 23, 2022. A reverse stock split is a means to regain compliance with the NYSE American listing requirements.

We want to be clear, stockholder approval of Proposal No. 3 only permits but does not require the Ampio Board to effect a reverse stock split. This proposal gives us the ability to act in a timely manner to regain compliance with the NYSE American requirements, if need be. Stockholder approval at the 2022 annual meeting on August 10, 2022, will give the Board the ability to eliminate the uncertainty regarding future delisting action and help preserve value for the Ampio stockholders in the stock exchange listing.

We urge Ampio stockholders to approve Proposal No. 3.

Sincerely, J. Kevin Buchi Chairman of the Board

Michael A. MartinoChief Executive Officer

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements that are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Any statements contained in this press release that are not statements of historical fact may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. Without limiting the foregoing, words such as "may," "will," "expect," "believe," "anticipate," or "estimate" or comparable terminology are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements include, for example, statements about the potential outcomes or timing of the strategic alternatives process being led by the Ampio board of directors.

Forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in such statements including, among others:

the risk that the stockholders will not approve the reverse stock split proposal and that Ampio's stock will be delisted from the NYSE American, limiting the prospects for a successful strategic alternatives process;

the challenges in identifying one or more attractive, strategic businesses to transform Ampio through one or more strategic transactions and the risk that no strategic transaction will be considered by the Ampio board to be in the best interests of its stockholders;

the strategic alternatives process will consume our cash resources and reduce cash available to be used in a strategic transaction or cash available for the post-closing business;

the strategic alternatives process and any strategic transaction may involve unexpected costs, liabilities or delays;

the expense and risk associated with any strategic transaction, including the risk that the expected benefits of the transaction may not be realized in the time frames expected or at all;

Ampio's stock price may suffer as a result of uncertainty surrounding the strategic alternatives process and any resulting strategic transaction; and

the risk factors described in the Ampio's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021, and other factors set forth in Ampio's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including Ampio's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2022.

The forward-looking statements in this press release speak only as of the date of this press release. Except as required by law, Ampio assumes no obligation to update or revise these forward-looking statements for any reason, except as required by law.

Media Contact:Nic Johnson, [email protected]

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SOURCE Ampio Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Boeing (NYSE: BA) and the Directorate for Air Armaments and Airworthiness (DAAA) have signed an order for the company to continue providing full Performance Based Logistics (PBL) support to the Italian Air Force (ItAF) four KC-767A tankers through December 2025.

Under the contract, Boeing will deliver tip to tail support for the four ItAF refueling tankers, including line and heavy maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO), supply chain, engineering support, publications revisions, and flight and maintenance training.

These aircraft are truly a strategic and highly visible Italian national asset, said Lt. Gen. Giuseppe Lupoli, Director of DAAA in Rome. Through the partnership with Boeing, the Italian Air Force aims at having continued high mission readiness and success throughout the 41-month extended PBL agreement period of performance.

Boeing has provided integrated fleet support for the ItAFs refueling tankers since 2011. The sustainment and training have enabled high utilization, including more than 9,000 missions, over 36,000 flight hours, and more than 123 million pounds of fuel offloaded. On average, ItAF KC-767s operate at twice the utilization rate per aircraft of legacy military tankers.

Boeing is committed to strengthening the more than 70-year partnership with the Italian Armed Forces and industry, said Indra Duivenvoorde, Senior Director, Boeing Government Services Europe & Israel. We have exceeded our KC-767 strategic partnership requirements to date and will continue to support Italian industry under this new contract. And Boeing remains committed to continuing our excellent relationship with the Italian defence forces and industry.

In recent years, Boeings sustainment and training have assisted critical missions including Operation Inherent Resolve, the Operation Aquila Omnia evacuation missions from Kabul, and COVID-related missions to repatriate Italian citizens and transport vital supplies.
FILE PHOTO: Syringes with needles are seen in front of a displayed Moderna logo in this illustration taken November 27, 2021. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo

By Michael Erman and Manas Mishra

(Reuters) - Moderna Inc on Wednesday maintained its full-year COVID-19 vaccine sales forecast of $21 billion as canceled orders from low- and middle-income nations through the COVAX program offset gains from new booster dose orders.

Moderna shares jumped nearly 17% in morning trading after the company also announced a $3 billion share buyback plan.

Moderna has begun producing a redesigned booster shot targeting both the original coronavirus as well as the BA.4 and BA.5 Omicron subvariants.

It signed a $1.74 billion deal with the U.S. government last week for 66 million doses to be available this fall and winter, if cleared by health regulators.

Despite the contract, Moderna kept its sales forecast unchanged as doses earmarked for the COVAX vaccine sharing program remain unallocated due to low demand.

"It's because of COVAX," Chief Executive Stephane Bancel said in an interview. "COVAX does not want the doses that they have ordered."

Moderna and rival Pfizer Inc have been banking on recurring booster doses, including an Omicron-tailored version, to garner more vaccine contracts with higher-income countries.

"We do believe the majority of the market demand is captured in this $21 billion. That being said, we continue to work with countries around the world on potential additional orders," said Chief Commercial Officer Arpa Garay.

Other countries are considering an earlier version of the booster shot designed to target the BA.1 Omicron variant that led to a record surge in infections last winter, rather than the currently dominant BA.5 or related BA.4.

Those shots had been in production already and would be available sooner, Bancel said.

"There are plenty of countries around the world that would rather start early - as early as August," he added.

"Some of those countries have said they would rather start with the BA.1 now and then go to BA.4 later versus just waiting and hoping."

Some countries could authorize the retooled BA.1 boosters within the next few weeks, the CEO said.

Moderna reported $4.5 billion in COVID vaccine sales in the second quarter. It took a $499 million charge related to vaccines that have expired.

Moderna shares were up 16.7% at $187.60 but are off about 30% for the year to date.

(Reporting by Manas Mishra in Bengaluru and Michael Erman in New Jersey; Editing by Arun Koyyur and Bill Berkrot)
Traders work on the trading floor at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in Manhattan, New York City, U.S., August 2, 2022. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly

By Bansari Mayur Kamdar and Medha Singh

(Reuters) - Shares of AMTD Digital plunged 40% on Wednesday to snap an eye-popping rally fueled by retail investors this week that briefly took the Hong Kong-based fintech's market value past that of Facebook-owner Meta Platforms.

The company's market capitalization closed above $300 billion in a 128% jump on Tuesday, reminding investors of the meme stock mania last year that drove record rallies in shares of companies such as GameStop and AMC.

The stock has risen about 21,000% since its July IPO, when it listed at a price of $7.80. It was trading at $1014.98 on Wednesday.

"It sure looks a lot like a pump-and-dump," Nate Anderson, founder of Hindenburg Research, said, adding that it does not have a position in AMTD Digital. "It seems to have caught on among retail investors, which is often the fuel for these situations."

In a typical pump-and-dump scheme, investors create artificial demand to boost companies' stock prices and then sell their own shares at a profit causing prices to fall, saddling others investors with losses.

AMTD Digital was also the most-mentioned stock on Reddit.com, the social media platform central to the meme stock craze of 2021.

The company said on Tuesday there was no material change or event related to the company's business and operating activities since the IPO date and that it was monitoring the share volatility.

The fintech firm, which provides loans and services to startups in exchange for fees, has a low float and is tightly controlled by parent company AMTD Idea.

AMTD Idea's shares also slid 4% after closing Tuesday with a market value of $2.6 billion.

"(AMTD Digital) is clearly the newest meme stock with bands of retail traders purchasing the stock at the same time, pushing the price sharply higher," said Victoria Scholar, head of investment at Interactive Investor.

There has been a similar, but smaller, surge in some other recently listed U.S. companies, including Getty Images which jumped over 200% since its debut on July 25.

"Should this market rebound have more legs, we expect retail investors' appetite for speculative stocks to continue, as they seek the opportunity to further scratch back the losses theyve accumulated through the year," said Lucas Mantle, a data science analyst at Vanda Research.

GRAPHIC: Retail investors snap up shares of AMTD and others (https://fingfx.thomsonreuters.com/gfx/mkt/znpnerezovl/Pasted%20image%201659539063394.png)

(Reporting by Bansari Mayur Kamdar and Medha Singh in Bengaluru; Editing by Saumyadeb Chakrabarty)
TORONTO, Aug. 03, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Acerus Pharmaceuticals Corporation (TSX:ASP; OTCQB: ASPCF) will announce its second quarter 2022 financial and operating results on Tuesday, August 9, 2022 before the market opens. The company will also host a conference call on Tuesday, August 9, 2022 at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time.

To access the call live, please dial 416-340-2217 or 1-800-806-5484 and use access code 2534277#. Listeners are encouraged to dial in 10 minutes before the call begins to avoid delays. A replay of the conference call will be available until 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on Tuesday, August 16, 2022 by dialing 905-694-9451 or 1-800-408-3053, using access code: 4369989#

About Acerus

Acerus Pharmaceuticals Corporation is a Canadian-based specialty pharmaceutical company focused on the commercialization and development of innovative prescription products that improve patient experience, with a primary focus in the field of mens health. The Company commercializes its products via its own salesforce in the United States and Canada, and through a global network of licensed distributors in other territories.

Acerus shares trade on TSX under the symbol ASP and on OTCQB under the symbol ASPCF. For more information, visit www.aceruspharma.com and follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Company Contact[email protected]

Investor Relations ContactChris WittyAcerus Investor Relations (646) 438-9385[email protected]

Source: Acerus Pharmaceuticals Corporation
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Aug. 03, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Algernon Pharmaceuticals Inc. (the Company or Algernon) (CSE: AGN) (FRANKFURT: AGW0) (OTCQB: AGNPF) a clinical stage Canadian pharmaceutical development company, is pleased to announce it has been invited to present the results from its Phase 2a Study of NP-120 (Ifenprodil) for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and Chronic Cough, at the 9th American Cough Conference in June, 2023.

The American Cough Conference is the worlds leading educational meeting for health care professionals involved in the research and management of patients with cough and is held every two years.

I am pleased that Algernon has accepted our invitation to present at the American Cough Conference, said Dr. Peter Dicpinigaitis, Professor of Medicine at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Editor-in-Chief of LUNG, and conference chair. The NMDA receptor is a fascinating target, and Ifenprodil, if successful, would be a first-in-class treatment. I am excited about the drugs potential not only for cough in IPF, but also for the wider refractory chronic cough population.

About Ifenprodil

Ifenprodil is an N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist specifically targeting the NMDA-type subunit 2B (GluN2B), which prevents glutamate signalling. Ifenprodil represents a novel first in class treatment for both IPF and chronic cough.

About Algernon Pharmaceuticals Inc.

Algernon is a drug re-purposing company that investigates safe, already approved drugs for new disease applications, moving them efficiently and safely into new human trials, developing new formulations and seeking new regulatory approvals in global markets. Algernon specifically investigates compounds that have never been approved in the U.S. or Europe to avoid off label prescription writing.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Christopher J. MoreauCEOAlgernon Pharmaceuticals Inc.604.398.4175 ext 701[email protected][email protected]www.algernonpharmaceuticals.com

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Market Regulator (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

CAUTIONARY DISCLAIMER STATEMENT: No Securities Exchange has reviewed nor accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of the content of this news release. This news release contains forward-looking statements relating to product development, licensing, commercialization and regulatory compliance issues and other statements that are not historical facts. Forward-looking statements are often identified by terms such as will, may, should, anticipate, expects and similar expressions. All statements other than statements of historical fact, included in this release are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. 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. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Companys expectations include the failure to satisfy the conditions of the relevant securities exchange(s) and other risks detailed from time to time in the filings made by the Company with securities regulators. The reader is cautioned that assumptions used in the preparation of any forward-looking information may prove to be incorrect. Events or circumstances may cause actual results to differ materially from those predicted, as a result of numerous known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of the Company. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking information. Such information, although considered reasonable by management at the time of preparation, may prove to be incorrect and actual results may differ materially from those anticipated. Forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as of the date of this news release and the Company will update or revise publicly any of the included forward-looking statements as expressly required by applicable law.

Source: Algernon Pharmaceuticals
Company Announcement No. 975



Pursuant to section 38 of the Danish Capital Markets Act and Section 55 of the Danish Companies Act, we hereby announce that:

Morgan Stanley has informed DSV that Morgan Stanley Investment Management Company as of 27 July 2022 directly or indirectly holds 11,687,256 shares in DSV A/S, corresponding to 4.99 % of the entire share capital and voting rights in DSV.

Contacts

Investor Relations: Flemming Ole Nielsen, tel. +45 43 20 33 92, [email protected]

Yours sincerely,

DSV A/S





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TORONTO, Aug. 03, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Galane Gold Ltd. (Galane Gold or the Company) (TSX-V: GG; OTCQB: GGGOF) today announces that it has signed a new gold concentrate offtake agreement dated August 3, 2022 (the Offtake Agreement) for its Galaxy project with Ocean Partners UK Limited (Ocean Partners). In addition, Ocean Partners has provided the Company with an unsecured US$3 million revolving finance facility (the Facility) to help it advance the Galaxy project.

We are excited to start a new partnership with Ocean Partners, who brings a wealth of experience in the industry and will assist us in reaching our objective to ramp up production at Galaxy. The new Offtake Agreement provides a higher payable percentage for the contained gold in the concentrate, which will result in increased positive cash flows for Galaxy.

Ocean Partners is also providing the Facility which will be instrumental in helping us finance our expansion plans for Galaxy, and in particular the requirement to expand the mining fleet.

These are two very positive steps for Galane Gold and its Galaxy operations and reflects our commitment to create a low-cost, long-life operation to create long term value for all of our stakeholders said Nick Brodie, Chief Executive Officer.

Pursuant to the terms of the Offtake Agreement, the Company will sell a total of 125,000 wet metric tons (wmt) of gold concentrate to Ocean Partners. The price for each shipment of gold concentrate will be calculated with reference to the daily US$ London Bullion Market Association morning and afternoon quotations for gold as published in the London Metal Bulletin (or such other mutually agreed information source which may replace it), averaged over a quotational period but subject to adjustment in accordance with the terms of the Offtake Agreement.

Interest and principal for the Facility will be repaid against deliveries of gold concentrate or cash by the Company to Ocean Partners under the Offtake Agreement. The Company can elect to repay the full principal amount outstanding under the Facility and any accrued interest without any penalty with two weeks of advanced notice. Once a drawdown under the Facility is repaid, such amount can subsequently be redrawn.

About Galane Gold

Galane Gold is an un-hedged gold producer and explorer with mining operations and exploration tenements in South Africa and New Mexico. Galane Gold is a public company and its shares are quoted on the TSX Venture Exchange (TSXV) under the symbol GG and the OTCQB under the symbol GGGOF. Galane Golds management team is comprised of senior mining professionals with extensive experience in managing mining and processing operations and large-scale exploration programmes. Galane Gold is committed to operating at world-class standards and is focused on the safety of its employees, respecting the environment, and contributing to the communities in which it operates.

About Ocean Partners

Ocean Partners specializes in the trading of precious metal concentrates, copper, zinc and lead, as well as related by-products and secondary materials. Ocean Partners also provides tolling and toll blending solutions to complex concentrates on a large scale. The Ocean Partners team has spent over 25 years providing successful trading services to miners, smelters, and refiners, and has a strong global network of relationships and contacts in the base and precious metal mining and smelting sector.

Cautionary Notes

Certain statements contained in this press release constitute forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements of historical fact contained in this press release, including, without limitation, those regarding the impact of the terms of the Offtake Agreement to the Galaxy project and the Company, ramp up of production at the Galaxy project, increased positive cash flows for the Company, the impact of the Facility on the Company and its expansion plans, creation of long term value for stakeholders, future financial position and results of operations, strategy, proposed acquisitions, plans, objectives, goals and targets, and any statements preceded by, followed by or that include the words believe, expect, aim, intend, plan, continue, will, may, would, anticipate, estimate, forecast, predict, project, seek, should or similar expressions or the negative thereof, are forward-looking statements. These statements are not historical facts but instead represent only the Companys expectations, estimates and projections regarding future events. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve assumptions, risks and uncertainties that are difficult to predict. Therefore, actual results may differ materially from what is expressed, implied or forecasted in such forward-looking statements.

Additional factors that could cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially include, but are not limited to: the Companys dependence on two mineral projects; gold price volatility; risks associated with the conduct of the Companys mining activities in South Africa and New Mexico; regulatory, consent or permitting delays; risks relating to the Companys exploration, development and mining activities being situated in South Africa and New Mexico; risks relating to reliance on the Companys management team and outside contractors; risks regarding mineral resources and reserves; the Companys inability to obtain insurance to cover all risks, on a commercially reasonable basis or at all; currency fluctuations; risks regarding the failure to generate sufficient cash flow from operations; risks relating to project financing and equity issuances; risks arising from the Companys fair value estimates with respect to the carrying amount of mineral interests; mining tax regimes; risks arising from holding derivative instruments; the Companys need to replace reserves depleted by production; risks and unknowns inherent in all mining projects, including the inaccuracy of reserves and resources, metallurgical recoveries and capital and operating costs of such projects; contests over title to properties, particularly title to undeveloped properties; laws and regulations governing the environment, health and safety; the ability of the communities in which the Company operates to manage and cope with the implications of COVID-19; the economic and financial implications of COVID-19 to the Company; operating or technical difficulties in connection with mining or development activities; lack of infrastructure; employee relations, labour unrest or unavailability; health risks in Africa; the Companys interactions with surrounding communities and artisanal miners; the Companys ability to successfully integrate acquired assets; risks related to restarting production; the speculative nature of exploration and development, including the risks of diminishing quantities or grades of reserves; development of the Companys exploration properties into commercially viable mines; stock market volatility; conflicts of interest among certain directors and officers; lack of liquidity for shareholders of the Company; risks related to the market perception of junior gold companies; and litigation risk. Management provides forward-looking statements because it believes they provide useful information to investors when considering their investment objectives and cautions investors not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Consequently, all of the forward-looking statements made in this press release are qualified by these cautionary statements and other cautionary statements or factors contained herein, and there can be no assurance that the actual results or developments will be realized or, even if substantially realized, that they will have the expected consequences to, or effects on, the Company. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this press release and the Company assumes no obligation to update or revise them to reflect subsequent information, events or circumstances or otherwise, except as required by law.

Neither the TSXV nor its regulation services provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

For further information please contact:Nick BrodieCEO, Galane Gold Ltd.+ 44 7905 089878[email protected]www.GalaneGold.com

Source: Galane Gold Ltd
CHICAGO, Aug. 03, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Intellihot, a clean technology manufacturer that creates innovative, sustainable solutions for the built environment, today announced that the company's founder and CEO, Sridhar Deivasigamani, will deliver the keynote address to an Entrepreneur Workshop at The Clean Energy Test Beds at Washington University in Seattle, Wash., on August 9.

The Clean Energy Entrepreneur Workshop is designed to bring together entrepreneurs, investors, university faculty, researchers, and students working on clean energy technologies, with industry members, think tanks, and investment groups from across the Western U.S. The Workshop is a program of the Clean Energy Institute (CEI), whose goal is to accelerate the adoption of a scalable and equitable clean energy future that will improve the health and economy of the State of Washington, the nation, and the world.

"Clean Energy Institute's efforts in advancing next-generation solar energy, battery materials and devices, and helping to bring them to market, are inspiring," said Mr. Deivasigamani. "Intellihot's work in clean energy and sustainability for the built environment is a shared vision with CEI, and I look forward to presenting my insights."

With Mr. Deivasigamani other event participants include Professor Dan Schwartz, director of UW's Clean Energy Institute and Professor Devin MacKenzie, technical director of the Washington Clean Energy Testbeds. Three sessions of talks will cover cleantech business resources, hot trends in climate tech innovation, and the entrepreneur experience.

The event is Aug. 9, 2022, from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Washington Clean Energy Testbeds, 4625 Union Bay Place Northeast, Seattle, Wash. 98105. Tickets may be purchased here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2022-clean-energy-entrepreneur-workshop-tickets-374384503127

Tickets for in-person attendees include lunch and a networking happy hour. In-person attendance is encouraged for the best experience; however, a virtual attendance option is available.

About Intellihot

Founded in 2009, Intellihot creates transformative, next-generation technology solutions to transform the built environment, providing customers with increased efficiency, reliability, safety, and sustainability. Purpose-built for commercial applications, Intellihot's advanced technology solutions are carefully engineered to provide decades of reliable and predictable service, reducing water and energy waste as well as capital and operating costs for customers. To learn more about Intellihot, please visit www.intellihot.com and follow the company on Twitter and LinkedIn.

About The Clean Energy Institute

The Clean Energy Institute (CEI) at the University of Washington was founded in 2013 with funds from the state of Washington. Our mission is to accelerate the adoption of a scalable and equitable clean energy future that will improve the health and economy of our state, nation, and world. To accomplish this, CEI supports the advancement of next-generation solar energy and battery materials and devices, as well as their integration with systems and the grid. The Institute creates the ideas and educates the people needed to generate these innovations, while facilitating the pathways to bring them to market.

CONTACT:

Amy Turner

Director of Marketing - Intellihot

[email protected]

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Clean energy workshop Clean energy workshop

Source: Intellihot
ANN ARBOR, MI, Aug. 03, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Associa Kramer-Triad Management Group, a leading provider of community management services throughout the Novi, Ann Arbor, and Troy areas, is pleased to announce that team member Alexandria Miller, CMCA has earned the Certified Manager of Community Associations (CMCA) designation from the Community Association Managers International Certification Board (CAMICB).

The CMCA is the only international certification program designed exclusively for managers of homeowner and condominium associations and cooperatives. It recognizes individuals who demonstrate the fundamental knowledge required to effectively manage community associations. Established by the Community Associations Institute (CAI) in 1995, CAMICB is the professional accreditation body for more than 20,000 community association managers worldwide.

Miller joined Kramer-Triad in 2021 with more than 10 years experience in the multi-family and community association management sector. As a community manager, she works with board members, homeowners, and fellow team members to maintain positive relationships and maximize livability for the communities she oversees. Miller previously managed a 244-home property with seven employees, which she successfully returned to profitability.

Kramer-Triad is extremely proud of Alexandria Miller for obtaining her CMCA certification, said Rachael DeTar, CMCA, AMS, Kramer-Triad branch president. It will strengthen her demonstrated industry expertise and further enhance the value we bring to all our clients.

About Associa

With more than 225 branch offices across North America, Associa is building the future of community for nearly five million residents worldwide. Our 11,000+ team members lead the industry with unrivaled education, expertise, and trailblazing innovation. For more than 43 years, Associa has brought positive impact and meaningful value to communities. To learn more, visit www.associaonline.com.

Stay Connected

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Join us on LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/associa

Attachment

Tom Womack Associa 214-272-4107 [email protected]

Source: Associa
BANGOR, MAINE, Aug. 03, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Helping brands and organizations grow and innovate takes a specialized skill set grounded in communications. In an effort to help busy professionals obtain the skill sets they need to succeed, Husson University Online announced today that they have launched two new marketing/communications degrees.\

According to Investopedia, marketing refers to the activities a company or organization undertakes to promote the buying or selling of a product or service. Marketing includes advertising, selling, and delivering products to consumers or other businesses,[1] To gain expertise in this area, professionals need to have an in-depth understanding of digital marketing, social media, advertising and public relations, said Dr. David Rogers, the director of online and distance education at Husson University Online. Our online Bachelor of Science in marketing degree can provide students with the knowledge they need to be successful in this career field.

This degree can be tailored to fit students specific interests, said Nancy Roberts, APR, a program coordinator and marketing instructor at Husson Universitys New England School of Communications. By selecting core and elective courses in subjects such as English, journalism, crisis management, public relations and creative writing, students can customize this degree so it focuses on their areas of interest.\

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook, a bachelors degree is required for most advertising, promotions, and marketing management positions. These managers typically have work experience in advertising, marketing, promotions, or sales.[2] Overall employment of advertising, promotions, and marketing managers is projected to grow 10 percent from 2020 to 2030.[3] The median annual wage for advertising and promotion managers was $127,150 in May 2021, while the median annual wage for marketing managers was $135,030 at the same point in time.[4]

Hussons fully online undergraduate degree program in marketing can help students become well-rounded, cross-functional marketing professionals. As part of the degree program, students will learn about graphic design, website design and development, writing, photography, market research, video production and more. To learn more about Husson University Onlines Bachelor of Science in marketing program, visit https://www.husson.edu/online/online-degrees/bachelor-of-science-in-marketing.

Husson has also launched a new online Bachelor of Science in professional communications degree. This degree is designed to provide students with the skills and confidence they need to convey information and ideas creatively, persuasively and ethically in a professional environment. The curriculum focuses on public relations, social media and advertising. Students will learn from experts how to write professionally, create effective messages and distribute them to target audiences.

This degree program is designed to work in concert with our online certificate programs, said Dr. Adam Crowley, a professor in Husson Universitys College of Science and Humanities. After taking core and elective courses in English, journalism, crisis management, public relations and creative writing, students can enhance their degrees by completing certificates in diversity, equity and inclusion; business, or sales.

To learn more about Husson University Onlines Bachelor of Science in professional communications degree, go to https://www.husson.edu/online/online-degrees/bachelor-of-science-in-professional-communications.

Students will find that the curriculum in these two programs are relevant and apply to communication challenges found in every industry and organization, said Dr. Amy Arnett, Husson Universitys associate provost for online and distance education. And because these programs are online, students will have the flexibility needed to balance full-time professional and family obligations as they gain the skills they need to take their careers to the next level.

In an effort to assist students during their educational journey, Husson University has instituted a one-stop advisor system. This system provides students with a personal advisor from the moment they enroll. These advisors are available to help students with every part of the online education process including billing, financial aid and academic support. Students who use this system like it. Instead of being serviced by multiple individuals, students receive the personalized service that comes from working with just one person for all of their needs.

At Husson University Online, we put students first, continued Arnett. We prioritize their efforts to advance their careers through education and want to do everything we can to help them reach and exceed their goals. Our online culture is dedicated to doing our best so that students can do their best."

Husson University Online offers career-focused certificate and degree programs for business, nursing, public health, psychology, technology and more. Theyre dedicated to providing students with the education they need to achieve their personal and professional goals. Ninety-six percent of Husson students are employed or in graduate school within a year of graduation. Husson students and graduates also receive lifelong job placement support at no charge. One of the best things about getting an education at Husson is that it has one of the lowest tuition rates in New England. In addition to being affordable, Husson University Online is regionally and professionally accredited. This combination of affordability and quality makes Husson an exceptional value. To learn more about online certificates, bachelors and masters programs offered by Husson University Online, visit https://online.husson.edu.

For more than 120 years, Husson University has shown its adaptability and strength in delivering educational programs that prepare future leaders to handle the challenges of tomorrow through innovative undergraduate and graduate degrees. With a commitment to delivering affordable classroom, online and experiential learning opportunities, Husson University has come to represent a superior value in higher education. The hallmarks of a Husson education include advanced knowledge delivered through quality educational programs in business; health and education; pharmacy studies; science and humanities; as well as communication. According to a recent analysis of tuition and fees by U.S. News & World Report, Husson University is one of the most affordable private colleges in New England. For more information about educational opportunities that can lead to personal and professional success, visit Husson.edu.

# # #

[1] Investopedia, Marketing, https://www.investopedia.com/terms/m/marketing.asp, Accessed, August 1, 2022.

[2] Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Advertising, Promotions, and Marketing Managers, https://www.bls.gov/ooh/management/advertising-promotions-and-marketing-managers.htm, Accessed July 27, 2022.

[3] Ibid

[4] Ibid

Attachments

Eric B. Gordon Husson University 207.649.4647 [email protected]

Source: Husson University
TAMPA, Fla., Aug. 03, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Real Time Technologies, Inc (RT), a leading enterprise software platform company delivering retail activation, point-of-sale (POS), business intelligence and inventory management solutions to the wireless industry, has completed the strategic acquisition of InComm Agent Solutions, Inc (IAS), a subsidiary of InComm Payments, an innovative global payments technology provider.

IAS, formerly Qpay, originally launched in 2002 specializing in customizable payment and technology solutions. It quickly became the payment processor of choice for retailers, master agents and wireless carriers before being acquired by InComm Payments in 2010 and rebranded as IAS in 2015. IAS joins RT having improved the prepaid and payment landscape for three very important groups over many years  retailers and agents, wireless carriers, and consumers. IAS is set to be elevated as a core pillar in RTs value proposition, augmenting its existing flagship POS, business intelligence, and inventory management solutions to bring innovation, choice, and certainty to wireless carriers, retailers and agents, and consumers in more places.

Real Time Technologies (RT)

RT started in 2001 as a proprietary POS solution for a national wireless retailer who sold all four U.S. National Carriers (AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon). This national multi-carrier retailer faced unique challenges managing all of the different business rules and commissions reconciliation for each carrier. RT was able to customize a solution that would later set the stage for its flagship POS product. Fast forward to the end of 2021 and RT was ranked No. 1,981 by Inc. magazine on its annual Inc. 5000 list, the most prestigious ranking of the nations fastest-growing private companies.

With the addition of IAS, RT solutions will be provided in over 13,000 wireless retailer locations nationwide where $10 billion of commerce is done each year, making RT the largest wireless retail management provider in the U.S. The purchase of IAS immediately expands RTs geographic serviceable areas with their technology solutions beyond the U.S. into Canada and Puerto Rico. This transaction catapults RT into the leading position to deliver a fully integrated, real-time, software-defined solution for the thousands of wireless retailers and agents looking for an edge on operational efficiency and customer experience.

We are both excited and grateful to have the opportunity to bring these two critical technologies together under the one roof. We now have end-to-end visibility of the customer transaction, closing an important gap in the market, said Omar Azrag, CEO of RT. This deal allows RT to be a one-stop enterprise commerce solution for carriers, retailers and distributors alike, helping them productively ignite new business. One of our core commitments to customers is to enable them, through best-in-class real-time software solutions, to spend more time in their business than on their business. Adding this critical FinTech platform via IAS takes that commitment to a new level that we are excited to deliver.

Azrag went on to say, We would also like to welcome the team from IAS, who are joining us on the next part of their professional journey. RT prides itself on having the strongest team in the business, and the IAS team is no different. Id like to sincerely thank InComm Payments for their trust, support, and cooperation throughout this deal and I look forward to continuing our friendship well into the future.

"This transaction brings us one step closer on our path to ubiquity in the wireless industry," said Ali Koumaiha, Founder of RT.

As we develop the next generation of financial technology solutions and grow our payments platforms into new industries, we sought a business that would enable IAS to continue delivering quality service and expertise to wireless carriers, agents and consumers, said Stefan Happ, President of InComm Payments. We thank the IAS team for their dedication and look forward to seeing them grow under RT2.

The terms of the deal were not disclosed by either party at this time and will remain confidential.

Advisors

Third Comma are the Deal Advisors and Gora LLC is legal counsel to RT on the transaction. Tobin Reyes, P.A. is legal counsel to InComm Payments and InComm Agent Solutions for the transaction.

About Real Time Technologies (RT) RT offers the most flexible cutting-edge Retail Management Solutions that encompass sales, inventory management, frontline employee management & engagement, business intelligence, and digital automation tools for the wireless space. We support Fortune 500 companies unify their customer experience and remove pain points across multiple retail touch points. RT prides itself on fostering a family culture and a dynamic work environment where team members are set up to make meaningful contributions across the organization. Learn more at www.rt2.com.

About InComm PaymentsInComm Payments is an innovative global payments technology provider. Leveraging dynamic technology and proven expertise, InComm Payments delivers enhanced end-to-end payment platforms and emerging financial technology solutions through a single integration, helping businesses grow across a wide range of industries including retail, healthcare, tolling & transit, incentives, mobile payments, digital currencies and financial services. By enabling omnichannel connections and alternative payment options to an ever-expanding consumer base in an increasingly digital ecosystem, InComm Payments creates seamless and valuable commerce experiences across the globe. With three decades of experience, over 525,000 points of retail and online distribution, 420 global patents and a presence in more than 30 countries, InComm Payments leads the payments industry from its headquarters in Atlanta, Ga. Learn more at www.InCommPayments.com.

MEDIA CONTACTS

InComm PaymentsAnthony PopielCommunications Manager, Corporate MarketingE: [email protected]P: 314-592-3149

Real Time Technologies Media RelationsE: [email protected]P: 813-548-3800

Source: Real Time Technologies, Inc
TORONTO, Aug. 03, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Stack Capital Group Inc., (Stack Capital or the Company) (TSX: STCK and STCK.WT) today announced its financial results for the three and six months ended June 30, 2022. Stack Capital reports all amounts in Canadian Dollars unless otherwise stated.

Company Commentary:

As at June 30, 2022, Book Value per Share of the Company was $11.80 as compared with $11.25 as at June 30, 2021, a 5% increase.

The Companys cash position as at June 30, 2022, was $44.9 million or $4.94 per share.

To date, the Company has completed seven investments totalling $62.6 million or $6.88 per share as at June 30, 2022, into the following: SpaceX (space exploration & communications) Hopper, Inc. (travel & leisure) Bolt Financial, Inc. (e-commerce) GoEuro Corp. (Omio) (travel & leisure) Prove Identity, Inc. (cyber-security) Newfront Insurance, Inc. (insurance & benefits) Varo Money, Inc. (neo-banking)



Recent dislocations across the financial markets have created attractive private equity investment opportunities that the Company believes offer strong risk/reward profiles. Stack Capital will look to capitalize on the current market weakness through both primary issuances and secondary transactions

Despite the challenging market environment, were quite pleased to report that several of our existing portfolio companies have continued to generate growth, said Jeff Parks, CEO of Stack Capital. With roughly 42% of the portfolio in cash, were in excellent position to take advantage of opportunities born out of the recent market weakness. As with our previous investments, we will focus our efforts in targeting preferred shares of leading private companies  which provide an additional margin of safety for our shareholders.

Q2-2022 Highlights

As at June 30, 2022, the Book Value of the Company was $107.2 million, and the Book Value per Share was $11.80. A detailed summary of Book Value per Share is as follows:

Breakdown of Book Value per Share as at June 30, 2022: Cash $ 4.94 Investment  Varo Money, Inc. 0.37 Investment  FNEX Ventures LLC  Series 103 (SpaceX) 0.98 Investment  Bolt Financial, Inc. 1.72 Investment  Prove Identity Inc. 0.83 Investment  Hopper Inc. 0.85 Investment  Newfront Insurance, Inc. 1.14 Investment  Omio 0.99 Net other assets (0.02 ) Book Value per Share $ 11.80

In May 2022, Stack Capital invested US$8 million in Newfront Insurance, Inc. (Newfront). Newfront is a provider of insurance, retirement solutions, and employee benefits; its innovative software-driven platform is modernizing the insurance brokerage business, delivering a better experience for customers, and providing insurance professionals with the tools to enhance productivity. Already profitable, Newfront is growing at a rate that significantly exceeds the industry average; meanwhile, its established client base, made up of some of silicon valleys top companies, offers attractive organic growth potential.

In May 2022, Stack Capital invested US$7 million in GoEuro Corp. (Omio). Omio is a leading multi-modal travel booking platform that allows consumers to easily book trains, buses, ferries, and flights  saving them both time and money. Omio initially began as an app to book trains throughout Europe with an easy-to-use solution but has since expanded into multiple business lines and geographies that have strengthened both revenue and scalability.

In June 2022, Stack Capital invested an additional US$2.1 million in Prove Identity Inc. (Prove). As a result of this investment at a lower share price, the Company has revised the common share fair value of previously held common shares resulting in an unrealized loss on this investment of $0.2 million on the Statements of Income (Loss) and Comprehensive Income (Loss).

During Q2 2022, Stack management recognized an unrealized loss on its position in Varo Money, Inc. (Varo). Given the drawdown in valuations across public FinTech companies, the Company concluded that the current fair market value estimate for Varo had changed and, as such, recognized an unrealized loss on the investment of $3.3 million on the Statements of Income (Loss) and Comprehensive Income (Loss).

During Q2 2022, Stack management increased the value of its position in SpaceX (FNEX Ventures LLC  Series 103) by $1.3 million, reflecting a recent financing completed in May 2022 that valued the business at $127 billion. SpaceX was previously valued at $100 billion, following a stock sale in October 2021. The increase in value was recognized as an unrealized gain on the Statements of Income (Loss) and Comprehensive Income (Loss).

Intellectual Property Licensing Agreement

During Q2 2022, the Company entered into a Licensing Agreement with the Manager with an indefinite term pursuant to which the Manager has granted a non-exclusive, royalty-free license to use the name Stack, Stack Capital, and the Stack brand logo. Other than under this limited license, the Company does not have a legal right to Stack, the Stack Capital name, and the Stack brand.

About Stack Capital

Stack Capital is an investment holding company and its business objective is to invest in equity, debt and/or other securities of growth-to-late-stage private businesses. Through Stack Capital, shareholders have the opportunity to gain exposure to a diversified private investment portfolio; participate in the private market; and have liquidity due to the listing of the Common Shares and Warrants on the TSX. At the same time, the public structure also allows the Company to focus its efforts on maximizing long-term performance through a portfolio of high growth businesses, which are not widely available to most Canadian investors. SC Partners Ltd. (the Manager) has taken the initiative in creating the Company and acts as the Company's administrator and is responsible to source and advise with respect to all investments for the Company.

For more information, please visit our website at www.stackcapitalgroup.com or contact:Brian ViveirosVP, Corporate Development and Investor Relations647.280.3307[email protected]

Non-IFRS Financial Measures

This press release may make reference to the following financial measures which are not recognized under International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), and which do not have a standard meaning prescribed by IFRS:

Book Value - the aggregate fair value of the assets of the Company on the referenced date, less the aggregate carrying value of the liabilities, excluding any deferred taxes if applicable, of the Company; and

- the aggregate fair value of the assets of the Company on the referenced date, less the aggregate carrying value of the liabilities, excluding any deferred taxes if applicable, of the Company; and Book Value per Share (BVPS) - the Book Value on the referenced day divided by the aggregate number of Common Shares that are outstanding on such day.

The Companys Book Value per Share is a measure of the performance of the Company as a whole. The Companys method of determining this financial measure may differ from other issuers methods and, accordingly, this amount may not be comparable to measures used by other issuers. This financial measure is not a performance measure as defined under IFRS and should not be considered either in isolation of, or as a substitute for, net earnings per share prepared in accordance with IFRS.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information

This press release contains forward-looking information. Such forward-looking statements or information are provided for the purpose of providing information about managements current expectations and plans relating to the future. Readers are cautioned that reliance on such information may not be appropriate for other purposes. Any such forward-looking information may be identified by words such as proposed, expects, intends, may, will, and similar expressions. Forward-looking information contained or referred to in this press release includes, but may not be limited to, the exit conditions of the TSX Sandbox; and the business of Stack Capital and the risks associated therewith, including those identified in the Annual Information Filing under the heading Risk Factors.

Forward-looking statements or information are based on a number of factors and assumptions which have been used to develop such statements and information, but which may prove to be incorrect. Although Stack Capital believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements or information are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements because Stack Capital can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in such forward-looking information include, but are not limited to, the ability to capitalize on investment opportunities. The forward-looking information in this press release reflects the current expectations, assumptions and/or beliefs of Stack Capital based on information currently available to Stack Capital.

Any forward-looking information speaks only as of the date on which it is made and, except as may be required by applicable securities laws, Stack Capital disclaims any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events, or results or otherwise. The forward-looking statements or information contained in this press release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement.

Source: Stack Capital Group Inc.
Surrey, BC/Territories of the Coast Salish (Kwantlen, Katzie, Semiahmoo, Tsawwassen first nations), Aug. 03, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Westland Insurance Group announced today its acquisition of The Winch Group Inc., one of the largest and most respected employee benefits consulting firms in Ontario.

The Winch Group Inc. is a full-service brokerage specializing in employee benefits, financial planning, and estate and retirement planning. With this acquisition, Westland broadens its product offering and further cements its position as a leading full-service Commercial brokerage in Canada.

Expanding in the benefits consulting business with the acquisition of The Winch Group Inc. represents an exciting new chapter for Westland, said Jamie Lyons, Westlands President & COO. Providing employee benefits is a vital part of operating any business, and The Winch Groups reputation and experience in this area is outstanding. Adding their significant expertise and professionalism bolsters our Commercial expertise and were excited to welcome them to our team.

The Winch Group Incs foundations are similar to Westlands as they have a strong commitment to client satisfaction and providing exceptional service and advice, said Donna Barclay, Westlands EVP Commercial & Eastern Canada Operations. Were very excited to welcome Gary Winch and J. Scott Guest and their team to our Westland team.

Westland continues to invest in and grow its business in Canada, both organically and through strategic acquisitions.

Jessica Thiessen Westland Insurance Group Ltd. 7782887894 [email protected]

Source: Westland Insurance Group Ltd.
FILE PHOTO: The logo of Robinhood Markets Inc is seen at a pop-up event on Wall Street after the company's IPO in New York City, U.S., July 29, 2021. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly/File Photo

(Reuters) - Retail trading platform Robinhood Markets Inc disclosed in a filing on Wednesday that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has been probing the company's compliance with short selling rules since October 2021.

Robinhood said it received additional requests from the SEC in the second quarter of this year for information related to the company's compliance with trade reporting requirements in connection with securities and fractional share lending.

(Reporting by Hannah Lang in Washington; Editing by Chris Reese)
By Shariq Khan and David French

(Reuters) -U.S. oil producer APA Corp said on Wednesday it bought West Texas properties for $505 million during the second quarter, bolstering its position in the Delaware portion of the Permian shale basin.

While APA did not name the seller, Reuters earlier reported the assets belong to privately owned Titus Oil & Gas, according to three sources familiar with the matter.

The purchase marks a significant pivot to West Texas for the former Apache Corp after a failed bet on a remote corner of the top U.S. shale basin.

Titus Oil & Gas, backed by private equity firm NGP Energy Capital Management, is among the private oil and gas companies investors have put on the market in recent months hoping higher energy prices would secure bumper valuations.

APA, Titus and NGP did not immediately respond to requests for confirmation on the seller.

Titus and NGP earlier disclosed an agreement to sell New Mexico oil producing assets to Earthstone Energy Inc for $627 million.

The assets APA Corp purchased abut its existing assets in the Delaware portion of the Permian basin and should add production of between 12,000 to 14,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day through the rest of this year, the company said.

When oil prices crashed during lockdowns early in the coronavirus pandemic, APA briefly suspended U.S. drilling and reduced activity in Egypt and the North Sea in favor of developing discoveries off the coast of Suriname.

Through 2021, APA returned to normal operations in the Delaware portion of the Permian Basin in Texas, but began streamlining its Permian assets by selling noncore holdings and allocated most of its 2022 exploration budget towards Suriname.

APA on Wednesday also posted adjusted earnings of $2.37, beating analysts' estimates of $2.33 per share, according to Refinitiv data.

(Reporting by Shariq Khan in Bengaluru and David French in New York; Editing by David Gregorio and Maju Samuel)
New York, New York--(Newsfile Corp. - August 2, 2022) - Through the Billy4Kids foundation, Billy Lerner, his wife, Marcella De Martin and Alexson Roy went on a mission to Roatan, Honduras and donated 140 pairs of shoes to the Greenfield Children's home in Sandy Bay.

The Sandy Bay Lighthouse Ministries



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The Sandy Bay Lighthouse Ministries is a non-profit, non-denominational, Christian organization that exists to aid the needs of the underprivileged in the Honduras region. The Sandy Bay Lighthouse provides a safe shelter for children at risk. They provide a bilingual christian education at the Beacon School for children. This education is provided to children living at the shelter as well as children in the surrounding communities. The goal of this education and environment is to prepare these children for a secure future by providing them with opportunities and comfort.

While Billy Lerner, co-founder of B4K, Marcella De Martin, ambassador of B4K, and Alexson Roy, co-founder of B4K were in Honduras, they aided Sandy Bay in providing a safe shelter for children at risk as well as donated shoes to every child.

Alexson Roy with Children at the The Sandy Bay Lighthouse Ministry



To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

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Having proper footwear is imperative for children living in this region. Chronic hookworm in children leads to impaired physical and intellectual development. The goal and intention behind every B4K mission is to continue to prevent these chronic diseases from being contracted through shoe donations. The cost of treatment is expensive and most infections are recurrent, the focus should be on prevention. Through the efforts of Billy Lerner and his wife as well as Alexson Roy, improvements are being made with every donation and every mission completed.





Billy Lerner and his wife, Marcella De Martin



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Published in partnership with Billy 4 Kids Inc

Email: [email protected] www.https://billy4kids.org/ 1-855-472-7569

SOURCE Billy4Kids Inc.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/132533
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - August 3, 2022) - Cross River Ventures Corp.(CSE: CRVC) (OTCQB: CSRVF) (FSE: C6R)(the "Company")is pleased to announce results from the Altered Zone drill program at the McVicar Project, located 150km northeast of Red Lake Ontario. Highlights include:

Drill Hole AZ-03 contained 14.6 m of 0.55 g/t gold ("Au") including 4.15 m of 1.42 g/t Au

Drill Hole AZ-04 contained 1.0 m at 4.45 g/t Au (Figure 1; See Table 1 for complete results)

Planned follow-up work for the Altered Zone target area includes geophysics and step-out drill holes.

New geologic modelling by Cross River in 2021 utilized historic drilling data and this yielded a new interpretation of the Altered Zone geometry and an orogenic gold targeting framework. Furthermore, the geological evaluation suggests that the high-grade gold bearing structure continues at depth, is coincident with lithologic breaks, and is localized within a broader damage zone corridor characterized by an intense hydrothermal alteration overprint.

The Altered Zone drill program tested the gold grade and continuity along strike, down-dip and down-plunge; is considered open in all directions. The drill program also tested for new gold shoots and domains at several locations along the broader Altered Zone structural trend.

"We are pleased with the progress made during 2021-2022 at McVicar, and in particular with the drill results at the Bear Head and Altered Zones," said CEO, Alex Klenman. "New and extended mineralized zones, and an improved understanding of the geology in the region will create a pathway to further successful drill intercepts going forward. We're expanding known zones and discovering others. There's a lot to like with McVicar and we intend to pursue ounces in the ground. We're formulating follow up plans and will announce those once determined," continued Mr. Klenman.



Figure 1: Altered Zone Drill Locations



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Six diamond drillholes tested the Altered Zone during the winter 2022 program. Notable Drilling Intercepts (>0.5 g/t Au) at Altered Zone include:

AZ-03:

14.0 meters at 0.55 g/t Au from 113 m downhole

Including 4.15 meters at 1.42 g/t Au from 117.04 m downhole

4.15 meters at 1.42 g/t Au from 117.04 m downhole Including 0.56 meters at 4.02 g/t Au from 118.00 m downhole (Picture 2)





Figure 2: AZ-03 intercept of 14.63m grading 0.55 g/t Au (from 113-127.63m), including 4.15m @ 1.42 g/t Au (from 117.04 to 121.9m), and 0.56m @ 4.02 g/t Au (from 118-118.56m), hosted in quartz veins within the "Altered Zone Structure".



To view an enhanced version of Figure 2, please visit:

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Figure 3: Quartz+carb+pyrite+fuchsite veining including 0.56m @ 4.02 g/t Au (from 118 - 118.56m) hosted in sheared, altered gabbro



To view an enhanced version of Figure 3, please visit:

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AZ-04:

1.0 meters at 4.45 g/t Au from 160 m downhole

Notable Copper and Nickel Intercepts at Altered Zone include:

AZ-01:

7.3 meters at 0.20% copper ("Cu") and 0.11% nickel ("Ni") from 209 m downhole

AZ-02:

3.0 meters at 0.12% Cu and 0.19% Ni from 36.22 m downhole

AZ-05:

9.66 meters at 0.08% Cu and 0.09% Ni from 72 m downhole

Summary

Table 1. = Significant gold intercepts (>0.25 g/t) and notable copper and nickel intercepts in each drill hole:

Hole ID From (m) To (m) Length Au (g/t) Cu (ppm) Ni (ppm) AZ-01 209 216.3 7.3 0.03 1977 1115 AZ-01 258 259 1.0 0.34 178.5 43.9 AZ-02 72 75 3.0 0.02 760 915 AZ-03 113 127.63 14.63 0.55 113 130 Incl. 117.04 121.19 4.15 1.42 109 29.7 Incl. 118 118.56 0.56 4.02 24.9 17.7 AZ-04 160 161 1.0 4.45 17.2 2.9 AZ-05 36.22 45.88 9.66 0.02 1210 1852

NOTE: All intervals are core lengths, and true thicknesses are yet to be determined. Mineral resource modeling is required before true thicknesses can be estimated.

Drill Hole Descriptions

AZ-01 (Az: 240, Dip: -70)

AZ-01 is the westernmost hole drilled in the Altered Zone and was designed to test the NW-SE trending, north-east dipping Altered Zone structure, down-plunge of mineralization encountered in 1986-1992 by BHP, including ML-86-02 which intersected 2.75m of 5.0 g/t gold. The hole cut 6.4m of overburden before intersecting interbedded mafic metavolcanic rocks and banded iron formation to 97.32m depth. From 97.32m to EOH at 272m, the drill hole cut gabbro, norite and anorthosite intervals. The Altered Zone structure was intercepted from 102.85-104.90m and contained minor qtz+carb veining in a sheared gabbro, with minor pyrite and minor fuchsite alteration.

AZ-02 (Az: 240, Dip: -70)

AZ-02 was collared south east of AZ-01 and was designed to test the Altered Zone structure down-plunge of mineralization encountered in BHP hole ML-86-04 which intersected 1.2 g/t Au over 1m in the altered zone structure. The hole cut 4m of overburden before intersecting mafic metavolcanic and mafic tuffs down to 70.69m depth. Gabbro and norite were then encountered to EOH at 186m, with the Altered Zone structure observed from 113.78 - 118.89m. This interval consists of sheared, brecciated gabbro with pervasive carbonate, chlorite and fuchsite alteration and fine disseminated magnetite. No significant quartz veining was encountered.

AZ-03 (Az: 240, Dip: -75)

AZ-03 was collared 100m south east of AZ-02 and designed to test the down-plunge extension of the most notable mineralization previously drilled in the area, including BHP hole ML-87-27 which intersected 4.63m of 14.3 g/t gold. AZ-03 was collared 260m NE of ML-87-27. The 2022 hole cut 16.75m of overburden, followed by mafic metavolcanics with minor gabbro intervals down to 64.28m. From 64.28m to EOH at 206m, the hole cut gabbro and norite. The Altered Zone was intersected within the gabbro from 112.05 - 127.63m and contained intensely sheared and altered gabbro wallrock with quartz+carbonate+fuchsite veins up to 1.52m wide. The best gold intercept from the 2022 drill program was in this Altered Zone intersection from 113 - 127.63 which averaged 0.55 g/t gold over 14.63m, including 4.15m of 1.42 g/t gold, and 0.56m of 4.02 g/t gold.

AZ-04 (Az: 240, Dip: -70)

AZ-04 was the easternmost hole of the program and was collared 240m east of AZ-03, designed to test the down-plunge extension of mineralization encountered in 1986-1992 BHP drillholes. The hole cut 6m of overburden before intersecting mafic metavolcanic rocks down to 35.05m depth. A sheared contact then transitions the wallrock into gabbro and norite down to 223.66m, followed by granodiorite to EOH at 240m. The Altered Zone structure was encountered from 141.52 - 155.12m and consisted of intensely sheared and altered gabbroic wallrock with 5-6% quartz+carbonate+fuchsite veining, and an interval of granodiorite footwall from 155.12 - 172.06m. The highest grading sample from AZ-04 was taken from the footwall granodiorite, with 4.45 g/t gold over 1m.

AZ-05 (Az: 240, Dip: -70)

AZ-05 was drilled to the south of the main know Altered Zone drilling and designed to test the along-strike continuity of the zone near surface towards the southeast. The hole cut 8.3m of overburden followed by gabbro, norite, and anorthosite down to 97.2m, and ending in granodiorite down to EOH at 133.2m. The Altered Zone structure was successfully intersected from 45.88 - 61.24m and consists of moderately sheared and altered gabbro with minor to moderate quartz+carbonate veining, locally intense fuchsite and chlorite alteration. The hangingwall and footwall of the Altered Zone shear structure consisted of mineralized norite with up to 5% net-textured sulfides (po>py>cpy). From 36.22 to 45.88m, this interval contained 0.12% copper and 0.19% Nickel mineralization.

AZ-06 (Az: 240, Dip: -70)

AZ-06 was drilled 80m southeast of AZ-05 to continue testing the projected strike extension of the Altered Zone structure to the SSE. The hole cut 5m of overburden before intersecting gabbro, norite and anorthosite down to EOH at 155m. Intermittent intermediate dykes cut the wallrock throughout this interval. The Altered Zone structure was intersected from 32.2 - 45.23m and contained intensely sheared and brecciated wallrock with sericite+carbonate+chlorite+fuchsite alteration and up to 20% calcite+/-quartz veining. The best gold intercept was from 34-35m depth, at 1m of 0.2 g/t gold.

Table 2. Locations of the 2022 drill holes.

Name Easting Northing Azimuth Dip Total Depth AZ-01 611479 5713920 240 -70 272 AZ-02 611707 5713828 240 -70 186 AZ-03 611802 5713803 240 -75 206 AZ-04 612043 5713830 240 -70 240 AZ-05 611716 5713639 240 -70 133.2 AZ-06 611771 5713564 240 -70 155

About the Altered Zone

Shear-hosted gold mineralization in the Altered and North Flexure Zones (Fig. 2) has been drill-tested historically and returned results including 6.46 g/t Au over 10.09m (including 29.86 g/t over 1.86m), 5.5 g/t Au over 3.6m, 11.72 g/t Au over 1.52m, 33 g/t Au over 1.86m, 5.0 g/t Au over 2.74m, and 9.3 g/t Au over 2.02m, among numerous other high-grade intercepts (summary of historic drilling listed in Wildcat Exploration Ltd, 2013 report; Table 2). Structural interpretation along this shear corridor using airborne magnetic data from 2011 has revealed several potential structural splay zones associated with the Altered and North Flexure occurrences, suggesting opportunities for new discoveries along with trends and parallel to these significant previously known occurrences.





Figure 4: McVicar Drill Targets



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The Altered Zone is a complex zone of deformation and intense alteration composed of sheared mafic volcanics, abundant green mica, intermediate intrusive rocks, massive to semi-massive quartz, and a quartz-carbonate-sericite schist.

Table 3Historical drilling results.

Hole ID Interval (meters) Length (meters) Grade (g/t Gold) ML-2 57.00-59.74 2.74 5.0 ML-18 50.05-51.72 1.67 5.4 ML-19 145.0-155.0 10.00 1.5 ML-20 46.94-48.34 1.40 8.6 ML-24 36.27-37.27 1.00 9.9 ML-27 48.13-52.76 4.63 14.3 Including 46.13-50.00 1.87 33.0 ML-27 56.94-58.22 1.28 3.4 ML-32 59.56-60.14 0.58 3.0 ML-34 93.30-94.12 0.82 7.6 ML-37 103.02-104.55 1.53 2.6 ML-03-01 39.64-47.35 7.71 5.7 Including 42.04-42.97 0.75 22.0 Data from: http://www.geologyontario.mndm.gov.on.ca/mndmfiles/afri/data/imaging/52O11SE0080/52O11SE0080.pdf http://www.geologyontario.mndm.gov.on.ca/mndmfiles/afri/data/imaging/52O11SW2004/52O11SW2004.pdf

NOTE: These drill results are historical in nature. Cross River has not undertaken any independent investigation of the sampling, nor has it independently analyzed the results of the historical exploration work in order to verify the results. Cross River Ventures considers these historical drill results relevant as the Company will use this data as a guide to plan future exploration programs. The Company also considers the data to be reliable for these purposes, however, the Company's future exploration work will include verification of the data through drilling.

About The Bear Head Trend

The Bear Head Trend was discovered in summer 2021 by Cross River Ventures field crews. The target is defined by a +700m strike of high-grade surface samples (up to 19.75 g/t Au - see News Release October 5th, 2021) following a prominent WNW trending topographic ridge system with mapped iron formation, sheared mafic meta-volcanics, and mineralized quartz veins. The Bear Head zone is located 600 meters south of the historic Chellow Vein near the southern contact between mafic volcanics and granite along the Bear Head Fault Zone.

The Bear Head Trend is a high-grade gold corridor that is nested within a WNW trending multi-km braided damage zone structure. This geological environment is considered prospective for Archean greenstone gold deposits and contains favorable structural and lithological sites for gold deposition.

About the McVicar Project

Cross River's McVicar gold project is situated in the Superior Province of northern Ontario, Canada. The greenstone belts within the Superior Province contain some of the largest economic gold deposits in the world. McVicar encompasses the geologically significant structural components of the Lang Lake greenstone belt, an underexplored belt located approximately 40 km north of the historic Golden Patricia Mine (619,796 oz at 15.2 g/t Au)*.

The McVicar Gold Project is a district-scale (approximately 12,000 hectares) gold exploration project that contains gold prospective structure and host rocks that transect the entire Lang Lake greenstone belt, located in the Patricia Mining Division, approximately 150 km east of Red Lake, and 80 km west of Pickle Lake, in NW Ontario, Canada (Figure 3).

The property covers all the major fertile structural and lithostratigraphic elements of the greenstone belt, which is bound to the south by the major NW trending Bear Head Fault zone (within which the historic Golden Patricia Mine is situated).

Historic drilling at McVicar Lake in the Altered and North Flexure Zones include:

" 6.46 g/t Au over 10.09 m including 29.86 g/t Au over 1.86 meters[i]

" 5.5 g/t Au over 3.6 m including 12.2 g/t Au over 0.98 meters[ii]

The McVicar property also host the Chellow Vein zone, which is a narrow quartz vein that consists of smoky grey to white quartz mineralized with minor pyrite and visible gold. The vein system yielded high grade gold at surface including grab samples[iii] that assayed 827.4 g/t Au and 578.1 g/t Au[iv].





Figure 5: McVicar Gold Project, location of nearby deposits and historical mines, NW Ontario



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Quality Assessment, Quality Control Protocols

Cross River has deployed an industry-standard quality-assurance/quality-control program during the 2022 drill program. This included the insertion of a sequence of standards, blanks and duplicates into the sample string every tenth sample, in addition to industry standard chain of custody protocols for the samples. Core cutting was completed in Thunder Bay and samples were taken to ALS Global for multi-element analysis in addition to fire-assay of gold using analytical codes ME-MS61 and PGM-ICP24. No QA/QC issues were noted with the results reported.

Qualified Person

Daniel MacNeil, P.Geo., M.Sc., a Qualified Person as defined under National Instrument 43-101, reviewed, and approved the technical content disclosed in this press release. Historical assay results contained in this press release were not verified by the Company. However, the historical reports referenced were authored by experienced geoscientists and copies of laboratory assay sheets were commonly inserted in the reports.

About Cross River Ventures

Cross River is a gold exploration company focused on the development of top tier exploration properties located in emerging Greenstone Districts of NW Ontario, Canada. The Company controls over 20,000-ha within a multiple project portfolio containing highly prospective ground in and among prolific, gold bearing greenstone belts. Cross River's common shares trade in Canada under the symbol "CRVC" on the CSE, and in the US under the symbol "CSRVF" on the OTCQB. Please visit www.crossriverventures.com for more information.

On behalf of the Board of Directors of

CROSS RIVER VENTURES CORP.

Alex Klenman

CEO

604-227-6610

[email protected]

www.crossriverventures.com

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This news release may contain forward-looking statements. These statements are based on current expectations and assumptions that are subject to risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially because of factors discussed in the management discussion and analysis section of our interim and most recent annual financial statement or other reports and filings with the Canadian Securities Exchange and applicable Canadian securities regulations. We do not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, except as required by applicable laws.

*https://www.geologyontario.mndm.gov.on.ca/mndmfiles/mdi/data/records/MDI52O06SE00005.html

[i] McKay D.B, 2004. Report on the 2003 Overburden Stripping, Geologic Mapping and Sampling Program conducted on the McVicar Lake Property: Continuum Resources Ltd and Prospector Consolidated Resources Inc. www.geologyontario.mndm.gov.on.ca/mndmfiles/afri/data/imaging/52O11SW2003/52O11SW2003.pdf

[ii] McKay D.B, 2004. Report on the 2003 Overburden Stripping, Geologic Mapping and Sampling Program conducted on the McVicar Lake Property: Continuum Resources Ltd and Prospector Consolidated Resources Inc. www.geologyontario.mndm.gov.on.ca/mndmfiles/afri/data/imaging/52O11SW2003/52O11SW2003.pdf

[iii] Grab samples are selective by nature and may not represent the true grade or style of mineralization across the property. Dr. Rob Carpenter, P.Geo., Ph.D., a Qualified Person as defined under National Instrument 43-101, reviewed, and approved the technical content disclosed in this press release. Historical assay results contained in this press release were not verified by the Company. However, the historical reports referenced were authored by experienced geoscientists and copies of laboratory assay sheets were commonly inserted in the reports.

[iv] Waldie C.J. Report of Diamond Drilling McVicar Lake Area Patricia Mining Division: BHP Minerals Canada Ltd.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/132608
St. Petersburg, Florida--(Newsfile Corp. - August 3, 2022) - LeisurePay today announces the addition of Mr. Brandon M. Siemion as President of Sales & Marketing. Mr. Siemion has held various executive sales positions throughout his career and has demonstrated a proven ability to generate sales and build and manage an effective sales team. Most recently, during his tenure as Executive Vice President at Lumenpulse Lighting, Mr. Siemion helped grow sales revenue for the company to an excess of $100 Million Dollars.





LeisurePayAnnouncement

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"We are thrilled to add Mr. Siemion to the LeisurePay staff, and we look forward to the experience and leadership he brings to the Company," stated Chad E. Elie Sr., Founder of LeisurePay.

"I am excited to be a part of LeisurePay and to bring my decades of sales experience to this venture and help them continue their amazing growth," stated Mr. Siemion. "Their unique solution, I believe, is well positioned and poised for dramatic adoption, and I look forward to being a part of that driving that growth."

Mr. Siemion will lead the global sales and marketing team. He will be responsible for accelerating revenue growth by expanding the development of new sales channels and developing our sales rep network to sell LPY products and services.

About LeisurePay

LeisurePay is a merchant payment solutions provider powered by the only wholly black-owned bank in America. LeisurePay's architecture brings blockchain and tokenization solutions to merchants who seek fast, safe, and effective payment solutions. LeisurePay's decentralized chargeback protocols are poised to revolutionize the systemic problems in today's chargeback policies. Backed by their token LPY, LeisurePay is dedicated to helping minority-owned merchants access low-cost and no-cost banking and payment solutions.

For more information, visit: www.leisurepay.io

For information about LPY token, visit: www.leisurepay.io/token

Media Contact:

Company name: LeisurePay

Contact Person Name: Leanna Decker

Official Email: [email protected]

City: ST. PETERSBURG

Country: USA

Website:https://www.leisurepay.io/

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/132679
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - August 3, 2022) - Datametrex AI Limited(TSXV: DM) (FSE: D4G) (OTCQB: DTMXF)(the "Company" or "Datametrex'') is pleased to announce that its wholly-owned subsidiary, Nexalogy Environics Inc. ("Nexalogy"), is partnering with Medi-Call Inc. ("Medi-Call"), to battle against the suicide epidemic.

Medi-Call will utilize Nexalogy's AI Social Media Automated Reporting Technologies ("SMART") to filter through and identify patterns from online social media postings to detect those who may be suffering from mental illness and who may need support. Nexalogy's SMART AI tool can gather sets of information within minutes and can filter through hundreds of thousands of social media documents to detect social postings surrounding mental health and suicide.

The government of Canada reports that an average of 10 Canadians die each day by suicide. That's approximately 4,000 deaths by suicide per year and is the second leading cause of death among youth and young adults. Source: (https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/publications/healthy-living/suicide-canada-key-statistics-infographic.html)

There is increasing evidence that supports the idea that social media can influence suicide-related behaviour with cyberbullying and cyber harassment online. Data from a survey given to approximately 2000 children showed that victims of cyberbullying were almost two (2) times more likely to attempt suicide. Cyberbullying can increase the risk of suicide by raising one's feelings of isolation, emotional and psychological distress, and instability. Source: (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3477910/)

In another survey, data suggests that 68 percent of children have gone through online harassment which resulted in mental health issues. Cyberbullying is twice as likely to trigger suicidal thoughts in victims. Over 40 percent of cyberbullying happens through online social media platforms, such as Instagram and 71 percent of those who were surveyed felt like social media platforms aren't doing enough to fight the problem of bullying online. Source: (https://techjury.net/blog/cyberbullying-statistics/#gref)

In addition, Bark, a social media parental control app saw a 25 percent increase in talk of self-harm among teens online. Approximately 75 percent of teenagers were involved in conversations or situations online involving self-harm or suicide. Source: (https://www.foxbusiness.com/technology/social-media-usage-teens-harmful-2021)

With Nexalogy's Smart AI tool, the Company can detect those who are posting and prevent mental harm, suicide and other mental health issues that could lead to suicide by offering Medi-Call's Mental Health services and support.

"The latest data shows that people are dealing with mental health now more than ever. Data from the CMHA suggests 37 per cent of British Columbians' mental health has declined during the pandemic. Together with Medi-Call, our AI solutions, can assist in detecting those who are suffering and help provide a solution," said Marshall Gunter, CEO of the Company

"There is an urgent need for mental health support and healthcare within Canada. The Canadian Institute for Health Information reported that half of Canadians waited up to 1 month for mental health services, while 1 in 10 waited more than 4 months before receiving care. Medi-Call's mission is to fill in that gap so patients can receive the treatment and support they need," said Dr. Omar Sharif, Chief Medical Officer of the Company

About SMART

SMART reduces the time needed to interpret and integrate large sets of data by offering powerful automated analyses. Rather than replacing the human analyst, he/she sets the parameters of the data collection via keywords and other social media information (e.g., usernames and links). This allows for the identification of data needing extraction and analysis. SMART extracts the relevant data and produces automated reports, thus allowing clients to work with a more manageable information set. SMART allows an analyst to deal with hundreds of thousands of social media documents in minutes rather than hours or days.

Analysts can specify filters on the data to get automatic reports on subsets of the data focusing on specific times, entities, social media users, or topics. The resulting reports are delivered either as PDFs, DOCs, or via API for further processing. The report generation can be scheduled to occur either at regular intervals or to be triggered by specific changes in the conversation (e.g., a sudden increase in volume or an increase in mentions of a particular named entity).

Lastly, SMART analysis helps the user to easily access the required information and helps to detect patterns that currently go unrecognized. This is needed in both the context of the 'short game' of crisis reporting and the 'long game' of identifying narratives, as discussed within the BEND (Build Engage Neutralize Distract) framework.

For more information on this project or to learn how Datametrex can assist your organization in social media discovery or cyber security please go to: www.nexalogy.com.

About Medi-Call

Medi-call is a subscription-based software as a service (SaaS) mobile application that connects patients with doctors. It is an integrated grid system that connects patients with providers in real time. Medi-Call solves accessibility issues for patients living in rural or isolated communities and those also have limited mobility while improving coordination and communication of treatment among healthcare team members and their patients. Medi-Call facilitates mobile health care services, including prescriptions and is passionate about building doctor-patient relationships virtually.

Visit Medicallmd.ca to learn more about the Company.

Download the Medi-Call App for Android: https://bit.ly/MCGooglePlay

Download the Medi-Call App for iOS: https://apple.co/3oos9m2

About Datametrex

Datametrex AI Limited is a technology-focused company with exposure to artificial intelligence, machine learning, telehealth and has recently entered the electric vehicle (EV) market. Datametrex's mission is to provide tools and solutions that support companies in fulfilling their operational goals, including health and safety, with predictive and preventive technologies. By working with companies to set a new standard of protocols through artificial intelligence and health diagnostics, the Company provides progressive solutions to support the supply chain. For additional information on Datametrex and other corporate information, please visit the Company's website at www.datametrex.com.

For further information:

Investor Relations & Communications

Priya Monique Atwal, Director of Communications

Email: [email protected]

Tel: 416-901-5611 x 204

Marshall Gunter, CEO

Email: [email protected]

Tel: 514-295-2300

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward-Looking Statements

All statements included in this press release that address activities, events, or developments that the Company expects, believes, or anticipates will or may occur in the future are forward-looking statements, including statements regarding the Bid. These forward-looking statements involve numerous assumptions made by the Company based on its experience, perception of historical trends, current conditions, expected future developments and other factors it believes are appropriate in the circumstances. In addition, these statements involve substantial known and unknown risks and uncertainties that contribute to the possibility that the predictions, forecasts, projections, and other forward-looking statements will prove inaccurate, certain of which are beyond the Company's control. Except as required by law, the Company does not undertake to revise or update these forward-looking statements after the date hereof or revise them to reflect the occurrence of future unanticipated events.

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Alchemy Naturals THC and CBD Gummies Now Available in Colorado

Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - August 3, 2022) - SLANG Worldwide Inc. (CNSX: SLNG) (OTCQB: SLGWF) ("SLANG" or the "Company"), a leading global cannabis consumer packaged goods (CPG) company with a diversified portfolio of popular brands, announced today the launch of its new brand, Alchemy Naturals CBD & THC Gummies, which became available in the Colorado market and national CBD retail locations on August 1, 2022.

The Company will be replacing its current CBD gummy brand, Lunchbox Alchemy, with the Alchemy Naturals brand, to build upon its success by providing an all-natural product line with engaging new flavors in both of the CBD and THC categories. New Alchemy Naturals products include Sleep, Relief, De-Stress, Intimacy, and Daily gummies formulated with THC, CBD and other minor cannabinoids and nutraceuticals which have demonstrated the ability to support the intended effects.

In addition to launching Alchemy Naturals into Colorado's $371 million edibles market, Alchemy Naturals products will be sold in CBD locations located throughout the country. SLANG plans to launch into additional markets throughout the U.S. via its strategic partnership model.

Drew McManigle, Interim CEO and Chairman of SLANG, commented, "We have demonstrated a strong record of success in bringing many of today's top-performing THC and CBD brands to each of our target markets. The launch of Alchemy Naturals is a milestone achievement in our ongoing efforts to create a unique and diverse portfolio of today's most demanded THC and CBD products. It should also be noted that in less than a year, the SLANG team has formulated, developed and rolled out a high-quality edible brand which combines cannabinoids and adaptogens in a unique manner. These all-natural products offer an effective experience for consumers looking for a healthier and better tasting gummy."

McManigle continued, "SLANG has created a distinctive brand and product offering in the Colorado edibles category. With this market continuing to grow at a record pace and increasingly being recognized as the 3rd largest category behind flower and vape, with gummies being the most preferred type of edible, our ability to expand and strengthen our portfolio further build upon our leadership position in the cannabis market. Furthermore, by immediately releasing Alchemy Naturals into two different distribution channels - CBD & THC- we are strongly positioning SLANG to deliver meaningful growth and revenue going forward as we continue to expand into new geographic markets."

BDSA Colorado

About SLANG Worldwide Inc.

SLANG Worldwide Inc. is a global leader in the cannabis CPG sector with a diversified portfolio of popular brands distributed across the United States. SLANG specializes in acquiring and developing market-proven regional brands as well as launching innovative new brands to seize global market opportunities. For more information, please visit www.slangww.com.

To be added to SLANG's email distribution list, please email [email protected] with "SLNG" in the subject.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains statements that constitute "forward-looking statements." Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, performance or achievements, or developments in the industry to differ materially from the anticipated results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects", "plans", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "projects", "potential" and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will", "would", "may", "could" or "should" occur.

Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by management of SLANG at this time, are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive risks, uncertainties and contingencies that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in such statements. Investors are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Applicable risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to regulatory risks, risks related to the COVID-19 global pandemic, changes in laws, resolutions and guidelines, market risks, concentration risks, operating history, competition, the risks associated with international and foreign operations and the other risks identified under the headings "Risk Factors" in SLANG's annual information form dated April 27, 2022 and other disclosure documents available on the Company's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. SLANG is not under any obligation, and expressly disclaims any intention or obligation, to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as expressly required by applicable law.

Third Party Information



This press release includes market and industry data that has been obtained from third party sources, including industry publications. The Company believes that the industry data is accurate and that its estimates and assumptions are reasonable, but there is no assurance as to the accuracy or completeness of this data. Third party sources generally state that the information contained therein has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable, but there is no assurance as to the accuracy or completeness of included information. Although the data is believed to be reliable, the Company has not independently verified any of the data from third party sources referred to in this press release or ascertained the underlying economic assumptions relied upon by such sources.

Media and Investor Inquiries

[email protected]

KCSA Strategic Communications

Phil Carlson

[email protected]

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/132673
Avast scoops 'Top Product' Award by leading independent test institution AV-Test

Online Safety Score and Network Inspector features strengthen digital protection capabilities even further for users at home and on the go

LONDON and EMERYVILLE, Calif., Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Avast One, the all-in-one digital protection service from Avast (LSE: AVST), a global leader in digital security and privacy, has extended its cross-platform support by adding its Online Safety Score feature to both the Mac and iOS platforms of Avast One. Previously available on Windows and Android, Online Safety Score helps people take control of their online safety by providing a simple, easy to read score with regular feedback and tips on how to improve it further. Network Inspector, formally known as WiFi Inspector in Avast Free Antivirus, has also been added to the Mac platform so that networks and devices can be scanned for vulnerabilities. The update follows Avast One's recognition by AV-Test as a 'Top Product' in the industry, achieving full points in malware protection, performance and usability.

Earlier this year, Avast bolstered the free and premium versions of Avast One with new and innovative privacy and scam prevention features across all major platforms, including Email Guardian, Private Mode, Scam Protection for mobile, and a Smart VPN which launches automatically for activities such as online banking. In this latest update, Avast has strengthened its cross-platform support further with Online Safety Score and Network Inspector which provide more guidance and user control over online safety for greater peace of mind no matter the device used. Premium customers can benefit from Avast One's leading protection and performance capabilities for up to 30 computers and mobile phones across PC, Mac, Android and iOS, ensuring families and their devices stay private and secure.

Last year, Avast's Digital Citizenship study of over 16,000 people found that despite the internet's increasing importance day-to-day, heightened online safety and privacy concerns are stopping people from fully engaging in online activities. With this in mind, Avast has enhanced the protection capabilities of Avast One across all platforms, to provide online citizens with greater control and confidence at a time of rising online scams, fraud, and other malicious activity.

"Across the world, safe and free access to digital services is increasingly becoming an everyday requirement. Yet our Avast Digital Citizenship Report found that two out of three people decided not to do something online because of security and privacy concerns," said Vita Santrucek, Chief Product Officer at Avast, in a blog post. "It's a wake-up call for us that many people do not feel confident about using critical online services and are abandoning decisions to shop, bank, or register new accounts because of concerns about security, privacy and identity. We understand that effective protection means protection on our customers' terms, and with Avast One we've made sure it's available on every major platform, wherever and whenever it's needed."

In addition to Online Safety Score, the features available in the latest update of Avast One include:

Network Inspector : automatically scans networks and connected devices for vulnerabilities, and offers recommendations to improve device security when connected to public networks, as well as tips to strengthen the protection of home networks so that intruders are unable to access them and obtain personal data

: automatically scans networks and connected devices for vulnerabilities, and offers recommendations to improve device security when connected to public networks, as well as tips to strengthen the protection of home networks so that intruders are unable to access them and obtain personal data App Lock: locks sensitive apps and photos with a PIN, pattern, or fingerprint that's different to the authentication used to unlock a phone, providing the user with an additional layer of protection. Available on Avast One Individual and Family for Android. For individuals or families with iOS devices, the Photo Vault feature secures photos in an encrypted folder inside the Avast One app, protected by a PIN, Touch ID or Face ID to improve privacy on shared mobile devices.

Avast One is available in Australia, Austria, Canada, France, Germany, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States. It is available for download now at www.avast.com and is compatible with Android, iOS, macOS and Windows.

About Avast:

Avast (LSE: AVST), a FTSE 100 company, is a global leader in digital security and privacy, headquartered in Prague, Czech Republic. With over 435 million users online, Avast offers products under the Avast and AVG brands that protect people from threats on the internet and the evolving IoT threat landscape. The company's threat detection network is among the most advanced in the world, using machine learning and artificial intelligence technologies to detect and stop threats in real time. Avast digital security products for Mobile, PC or Mac are top-ranked and certified by VB100, AV-Comparatives, AV-Test, SE Labs and others. Avast is a member of Coalition Against Stalkerware, No More Ransom and Internet Watch Foundation. Visit: www.avast.com.

Keep in touch with Avast:

For information about Avast One: https://www.avast.com/en-us/avast-one

For security and privacy insights, visit the Avast blog: https://blog.avast.com/

For handy guides, advice and tips, visit Avast Academy: https://www.avast.com/c-academy

For in-depth technical analysis of online threats, visit the Avast Decoded blog: https://decoded.avast.io/

For more information about Avast visit: https://www.avast.com/en-gb/about and https://www.avast.com/company-faqs

Follow us on Twitter: @Avast

Join our LinkedIn community: https://www.linkedin.com/avast

Visit our Facebook group: www.facebook.com/avast

Media Contact:[email protected]

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SOURCE Avast Software, Inc.
JUVEDERM VOLUX XC IS THE FIRST AND ONLY HYALURONIC ACID (HA) FILLER TO RECEIVE U.S. FDA APPROVAL FOR IMPROVING JAWLINE DEFINITION

IRVINE, Calif., Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Allergan Aesthetics, an AbbVie company (NYSE: ABBV), announced the U.S. FDA approval of JUVEDERM VOLUX XC for the improvement of jawline definition in adults over the age of 21 with moderate to severe loss of jawline definition. 1

"The approval of JUVEDERM VOLUX XC represents the largest leap in innovation for our U.S. HA portfolio since the introduction of JUVEDERM VOLUMA XC, 2" said Carrie Strom, President, Global Allergan Aesthetics and Senior Vice President, AbbVie. "JUVEDERM VOLUX XC complements our existing product line to provide even more structure, cohesivity and lift capacity to create an improved jawline that appears more defined in real life and on camera. JUVEDERM VOLUX XC is what our providers have been asking for to deliver the jaw-dropping results their patients are seeking. 1"

As the category leader, the JUVEDERM Collection of Fillers offers the broadest portfolio of specifically designed treatment options, and this latest approval of JUVEDERM VOLUX XC marks the sixth product offering in the lineup alongside JUVEDERM VOLUMA XC, JUVEDERM VOLLURE XC, JUVEDERM Ultra Plus XC, JUVEDERM Ultra XC, and JUVEDERM VOLBELLA XC.1-3,5-7

In the pivotal clinical study, JUVEDERM VOLUX XC was found to effectively improve jawline definition (69.9%, 102/146) at six months. Participants reported satisfaction using the Satisfaction with Lower Face and Jawline module of the FACE-Q questionnaire, most treatment group participants (82.3%, 116/141) reported satisfaction with the appearance of their lower face and jawline through 12 months following treatment with JUVEDERM VOLUX XC. 4 Additionally, 81.5% (119/146) of participants at six months were satisfied with how sculpted (well-defined) their jawline looked compared to 12.2% (19/156) at baseline. At six months, 70.5% (103/146) of participants were satisfied with how smooth their lower face looked (i.e., no jowls or folds of fatty skin) compared to 7.7% (12/156) at baseline and 73.1% (106/145) of participants at six months were satisfied with how nice their lower face looked compared to 9.0% (14/156) at baseline. 4

"Requests for treatment in the lower facial region transcend age, gender, race, and ethnicity in my practice. As people age, many factors can contribute to how the lower face changes, such as genetics and soft tissue loss," says Dr. Jeremy Green, a fellowship-trained board-certified Miami cosmetic dermatologist and pivotal clinical trial investigator. "This can cause reduced definition around the jawline area that may impact and change the shape of the face and lead to the appearance of jowls. Clinical trial participants reported high satisfaction with the results of their treatment. In fact, at six months post-treatment, 89.7% (131/146) of treatment group participants were willing to recommend the treatment to a friend, with the majority continuing to recommend treatment at 12 months (87.2%, 123/141). 4 I am excited to now be able to offer this treatment option to all of my patients seeking an improved jawline."

Commonly reported side effects in the clinical study included tenderness, lumps/bumps, pain, swelling, firmness, bruising, redness, itching, and discoloration at the injection sites, as reported in participants' 30-day daily diaries. These side effects are consistent with HA filler injection and were usually mild (causing little discomfort and no effect on daily activities) or moderate (causing some discomfort and effect on daily activities) in severity. Most of these side effects went away on their own within two weeks. Participants also reported similar side effects after maintenance injection. 1

Allergan Aesthetics is dedicated to training health care providers on safe and effective use of all its products. Allergan Medical Institute will be providing an in-depth product training program for JUVEDERM VOLUX XC, which will include facial anatomy, considerations for safe injection in this area, appropriate patient selection, and aseptic technique. Training will begin in fall of 2022. JUVEDERM VOLUX XC will be more broadly available to consumers in early 2023.

For more information on the JUVEDERM Collection of Fillers, visit Juvederm.com and follow @JUVEDERM on Instagram.

Consumers and new patients who receive an aesthetic treatment with a product from the JUVEDERM Collection of Fillers can also enroll in Alle, Allergan Aesthetics' loyalty rewards program. Consumers can enroll to unlock access to curated content, exclusive offers, and personalized rewards that can be used for savings on the Allergan Aesthetics portfolio of products and redeemed at a participating provider's office, subject to applicable program terms and conditions. Alle is the first and only loyalty program in the aesthetics market to also offer consumers the ability to earn points on over 40 non-Allergan Aesthetics treatments and brands. To learn more about Alle, visit Alle.com.

About Allergan AestheticsAt Allergan Aesthetics, an AbbVie company, we develop, manufacture, and market a portfolio of leading aesthetics brands and products. Our aesthetics portfolio includes facial injectables, body contouring, plastics, skin care, and more. Our goal is to consistently provide our customers with innovation, education, exceptional service, and a commitment to excellence, all with a personal touch. For more information, visit www.AllerganAesthetics.com.

About AbbVieAbbVie's mission is to discover and deliver innovative medicines that solve serious health issues today and address the medical challenges of tomorrow. We strive to have a remarkable impact on people's lives across several key therapeutic areas: immunology, oncology, neuroscience, eye care, virology, women's health and gastroenterology, in addition to products and services across its Allergan Aesthetics portfolio. For more information about AbbVie, please visit us at www.abbvie.com. Follow @abbvie on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn.

JUVEDERM Injectable Gel Fillers Important Information

APPROVED USES

JUVEDERM VOLUX XC injectable gel is for deep injection to improve moderate to severe loss of jawline definition in adults over the age of 21.

JUVEDERM VOLUMA XC injectable gel is for deep injection in the cheek area to correct age-related volume loss and for augmentation of the chin region to improve the chin profile in adults over 21.

JUVEDERM VOLLURE XC, JUVEDERM Ultra Plus XC, and JUVEDERM Ultra XC injectable gels are for injection into the facial tissue for the correction of moderate to severe facial wrinkles and folds, such as nasolabial folds. JUVEDERM VOLLURE XC injectable gel is for adults over 21.

JUVEDERM Ultra XC injectable gel is also for injection into the lips and perioral area for lip augmentation in adults over 21.

JUVEDERM VOLBELLA XC injectable gel is indicated for injection into the lips for lip augmentation and correction of perioral lines, and for injection into the undereye hollows to improve the appearance of undereye hollows in adults over the age of 21.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

Are there any reasons why I should not receive any JUVEDERM formulation?Do not use these products if you have a history of multiple severe allergies or severe allergic reactions (anaphylaxis), or if you are allergic to lidocaine or the Gram-positive bacterial proteins used in these products, or if you have had previous allergic reactions to hyaluronic acid fillers.

What warnings should my doctor advise me about?

One of the risks with using dermal fillers is the unintentional injection into a blood vessel. The chances of this happening are very small, but if it does happen, the complications can be serious and may be permanent. These complications, which have been reported for facial injections, can include vision abnormalities, blindness, stroke, temporary scabs, or permanent scarring of the skin. Most of these events are irreversible.

The use of dermal fillers where skin sores, pimples, rashes, hives, cysts, or infections are present should be postponed, as this may delay healing or make skin problems worse

The effectiveness of removal of any dermal filler has not been studied.

What precautions should my doctor advise me about?

JUVEDERM VOLBELLA XC should only be injected into undereye hollows by doctors who have completed the necessary training for this treatment area. To find a doctor, visit Juvederm.com/find-a-specialist. Doctors who complete the training will be listed with a symbol

The safety of these products for use during pregnancy or while breastfeeding has not been studied

The safety of JUVEDERM VOLUMA XC has not been studied in patients under 35 years or over 65 years for cheek augmentation, or under 22 years and over 80 years for chin augmentation. The safety of JUVEDERM VOLUX XC, JUVEDERM VOLLURE XC and JUVEDERM VOLBELLA XC has not been studied in patients under 22 years, and the safety of JUVEDERM Ultra Plus XC and JUVEDERM Ultra XC has not been studied in patients under 18 years

The safety and effectiveness of treatment with JUVEDERM products in anatomical regions outside of their approved uses have not been established in clinical studies

If you have a history of excessive scarring (thick, hard scars) or pigmentation disorders, treatment in these patients has not been studied and may result in additional scars or changes in pigmentation

If you are planning other procedures including laser treatments or a chemical peel, there is a possible risk of inflammation at the treatment site if these procedures are performed closely before or after JUVEDERM injectable gel treatment

Tell your doctor if you are on therapy used to reduce your body's natural defense system (such as steroids, chemotherapy, and medicines to treat autoimmune diseases, HIV, and AIDs), as these may increase your risk of infection; and medications that can prolong bleeding (such as aspirin, ibuprofen, or other blood thinners), as these may result in increased bruising or bleeding at the injection site

Minimize strenuous exercise, exposure to extensive sun or heat, and alcoholic beverages within the first 24 hours following treatment, as these may cause temporary redness, swelling, and/or itching at the injection site

JUVEDERM VOLUMA XC was not studied in patients with significant loose skin of the chin, neck, or jaw

The effect of JUVEDERM VOLUMA XC injection into the chin on facial hair growth has not been studied

Patients who experience skin injury near the site of JUVEDERM VOLUMA XC injection may be at a higher risk for adverse events

Tell your doctor if you have already been injected with dermal fillers in the same area as the one(s) you are about to be treated for. This information helps your doctor decide when and whether you should get treatment

What are possible side effects of treatment?The most commonly reported side effects with JUVEDERM injectable gels were redness, swelling, pain, tenderness, firmness, lumps/bumps, bruising, discoloration, and itching. For JUVEDERM VOLBELLA XC, dryness was also reported.

These side effects are consistent with other facial injection procedures, and most will resolve with time. Your doctor may choose to treat side effects persisting over 30 days with antibiotics, steroids, or hyaluronidase (an enzyme that breaks down hyaluronic acid).

As with all skin injection procedures, there is a risk of infection.

To report a side effect with any product in the JUVEDERM Collection, please call the Allergan Product Support Department at 18773455372. Please also visit Juvederm.com or talk to your doctor for more information.

Products in the JUVEDERM Collection are available only by a licensed physician or properly licensed practitioner.

References

Allergan Data On File JUVEDERM VOLUX XC Patient Label 2022 Allergan Data On File JUVEDERM VOLUMA XC Patient Label 2020 Allergan Data On File JUVEDERM VOLBELLA XC Patient Label 2020 Allergan Data On File JUVEDERM VOLUX XC Directions For Use 2022 Allergan Data On File JUVEDERM VOLLURE XC Patient Label 2020 Allergan Data On File JUVEDERM Ultra Plus XC Patient Label 2020 Allergan Data On File JUVEDERM Ultra XC Patient Label 2020

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SOURCE AbbVie
Fellows to Use the Centre for Digital Scholarship of the Bodleian Libraries to Access Gale Primary Sources and Gale Digital Scholar Lab to Advance Digital Humanities Research in the Asia-Pacific Region

FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich. and OXFORD, England, Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- To increase access to digital humanities (DH) tools and support emerging research and collaboration amongst scholars, Gale, part of Cengage Group, and Bodleian Libraries at the University of Oxford, announce the recipients of the second cohort of the Gale Scholar Asia Pacific, Digital Humanities Oxford Fellowships. Gale will fund the research of two scholars for three months. The fellowship seeks to support the scholars' research into a DH-related topic at the University of Oxford, using the Centre for Digital Scholarship of the Bodleian Libraries. To help foster emerging scholarship in the Asia-Pacific region, the fellows have access to the Bodleian Libraries' resources including Gale Primary Sources as well as Gale Digital Scholar Lab which provides fellows with invaluable text and data mining tools to advance their work through DH methods.

The goal of the Gale Scholar Asia Pacific, Digital Humanities Oxford Fellowships is to encourage emerging DH scholarship

Gale and the Bodleian Libraries congratulate the following candidates, who were awarded the fellowships in the second year of the program and highlight the projects they are pursuing:

Dr. Xiurong Zhao, Renmin University of China, China

Project: The Use of GIS to Map Infectious Diseases in Victorian England seeks to find new answers about the causes of infectious diseases and their spread, and the social impacts of these diseases. By using tools from Gale Digital Scholar Lab, the project will utilize new research methods to produce disease maps to support new information and resources that are easily accessible to the public.

Dr. Terhi Nurmikko-Fuller, Australian National University, Australia

Project: Transnational Liberalism: A Linked Data Case Study of Australian Political History will leverage data sets to answer questions about the political landscape in colonial Australia, the wider Asia-Pacific region, and the British world more generally during the mid- to late-1800's. The project provides comprehensive insight into the origins of the Liberal party, which has dominated the national government of Australia for 62 years (since WWII) and shaped the Asia-Pacific region for decades.

"I am thrilled to welcome our second group of Gale fellows to the Bodleian Libraries," said Richard Ovenden, Bodley's librarian at the University of Oxford. "We have chosen the finest researchers and academics with the intention of advancing their respective fields through access to our rich holdings and the various forms of digital scholarship employed at the Bodleian. The first group of Gale fellows were able to use Bodleian approaches and collections to significantly advance understanding of the humanities in their research areas, and we are so excited to see what we can achieve together this year."

The goal of the Gale Scholar Asia Pacific, Digital Humanities Oxford Fellowships is to encourage emerging DH scholarship in the Asia-Pacific region and progress the contribution of non-Western and regional perspectives in the field of DH research. The program increases opportunities for collaboration with other scholars to share new ideas, while providing access to critical tools to support their work. Fellows will become short-term visiting fellows at the University's Jesus College to allow them access to a range of facilities and resources during their stay.

"We are pleased to continue sponsoring fellowships at the Bodleian Libraries this year. We hope the second-year cohort derives as much value from their stay at Oxford as the first-year cohort," said Terry Robinson, senior vice president for Gale Global Academic. "Having access to University of Oxford's world-class facilities, resources and people will undoubtedly enrich their understanding and use of digital scholarship in their projects. We also hope that access to Gale Digital Scholar Lab and Gale Primary Sources at the Bodleian will help them push the boundaries of their research and bring it to the attention of a global audience."

The fellows will start the program at the University of Oxford in October 2022 and complete it in June 2023.

Gale has been at the forefront of supporting digital scholarship for many years. Gale Digital Scholar Lab was created to address common challenges researchers and scholars face when analyzing large sets of archives. In offering fellowships to scholars in multiple disciplines, Gale is increasing access to text and data mining tools and furthering opportunities in both research and teaching. In June, Gale also announced fellowships to support emerging LGBTQ+ research.

For more information on Gale Scholar Asia Pacific, Digital Humanities Oxford Fellowships, visit its webpage.

About Cengage Group and Gale

Cengage Group, an education technology company serving millions of learners in 165 countries, advances the way students learn through quality, digital experiences. The company currently serves the K-12, higher education, professional, library, English language teaching and workforce training markets worldwide. Gale, part of Cengage Group, provides libraries with original and curated content, as well as the modern research tools and technology that are crucial in connecting libraries to learning, and learners to libraries. For more than 65 years, Gale has partnered with libraries around the world to empower the discovery of knowledge and insights  where, when and how people need it. Gale has 500 employees globally with its main operations in Farmington Hills, Michigan. For more information, please visit www.gale.com.

Follow Gale on:

About the Bodleian Libraries

The Bodleian Libraries at the University of Oxford is the largest university library system in the United Kingdom. It includes the principal University library  the Bodleian Library  which has been a legal deposit library for 400 years; as well as 26 libraries across Oxford including major research libraries and faculty, department and institute libraries. Together, the Libraries hold more than 13 million printed items, over 80,000 e-journals and outstanding special collections including rare books and manuscripts, classical papyri, maps, music, art and printed ephemera. Members of the public can explore the collections via the Bodleian's online image portal at digital.bodleian.ox.ac.uk or by visiting the exhibition galleries in the Bodleian's Weston Library. For more information, visit www.bodleian.ox.ac.uk. Follow the Bodleian Libraries on Twitter and Instagram: @bodleianlibs.

Media Contacts:Kayla Siefker, Gale, part of Cengage Group248-378-3376[email protected]

Rachel Smith, The Bodleian Libraries, University of Oxford+44 7718 118141[email protected]

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SOURCE Gale, part of Cengage Group
Analyst report highlights many strengths including innovative technology platform, deep expertise, unmatched global network of entities, financial stability, and experienced in-house HR, legal, and tax resources

BOSTON, Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Globalization Partners (G-P), the leading Global Employment Platform that makes it fast, simple, and compliant for companies to hire anyone, anywhere, today announced it has been again named an Employer of Record (EOR) industry leader by research firm, NelsonHall, in its second report.

The industry research was conducted by Principal HR Research Analyst, Jeanine Crane-Thompson, and focuses on market dynamics driving adoption, how technology is shaping and impacting the industry, and includes an evaluation of the growing list of companies providing products and services. It also looks at the projected growth of the global EOR industry as organizations of all sizes continue to formalize remote work policies and want the ability to scale global remote teams as they are increasingly hiring internationally to grow revenue faster.

Jeanine Crane-Thompson, Principal HR Technology & Services Analyst, NelsonHall, said: "This report has grown significantly in terms of the number of vendors evaluated and the momentum around the need for technology-enabled EOR services to hire and onboard global remote talent quickly, while minimizing costs and risk. G-P stands out for its continued technology innovation to meet fast-growing future market needs. This combined with 95 percent of new client onboardings done through their owned legal entities ensures both compliance and security, positioning them as a leader in the market."

The NelsonHall report provides in-depth analysis detailing what can be achieved by leveraging the latest global EOR solutions in the marketplace, and recognized G-P's expertise across many aspects including the following key areas:

Continued technology advancements and international expansion initiatives including the company's commitment to technology-focused R&D, AI integration within G-P Recruit which matches customers with a global network of recruiting specialists based on hiring location, industry sector, functional area, and level of role; and G-P Contractor to hire contractors around the globe to access key talent for fixed-term, highly critical projects and facilitate payment

which matches customers with a global network of recruiting specialists based on hiring location, industry sector, functional area, and level of role; and to hire contractors around the globe to access key talent for fixed-term, highly critical projects and facilitate payment G-P Open API which enables customers to retrieve and eliminate manual data entry between HR systems

which enables customers to retrieve and eliminate manual data entry between HR systems Financial stability as an established provider of AI-enabled and technology-based global Employer of Record solutions

A global infrastructure that comprises a SOC 2-certified full technology stack and in-house HR, tax, and legal resources to support consistent service quality, minimize reliance on third-party in country providers (ICPs), and increase data security

A robust strategic partner roadmap to meet current and anticipated future technology, customer, worker, and strategic growth initiatives

Deep experience with M&A and PE/VC firms globally

98 percent customer satisfaction ratings

Multicurrency payment options, including cryptocurrency

"We are always looking ahead to anticipate how to best support customers. That means investing in our technology and operations to stay ahead of the complexities of international employment including managing the ever-changing rules and regulations to payroll policies and local labor laws," said Bob Cahill, CEO, Globalization Partners. "At the same time, we never forget that behind every hire is a human being, and it is our ultimate goal to always deliver a high-quality employee experience as we continue to scale our Global Employment Platform and make employment opportunities accessible to everyone, everywhere."

The report also noted Globalization Partners continued focus on local market presence to support a consistent customer experience across Asia Pacific, EMEA, North America, and Latin America targeting and supporting talent across all industries.

Please click here to learn more about what sets us apart.

About Globalization Partners Hire international talent quickly and easily. Use our AI-driven, automated, global employment platform powered by our in-house worldwide HR experts. Trust the named industry leader that consistently attains 98 percent customer satisfaction ratings. Globalization Partners: Succeed Faster

To learn more, please visit: globalization-partners.com or connect with us via Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, or check out our Blog.

About NelsonHallNelsonHall is the leading global analyst firm dedicated to helping organizations understand the 'art of possible' in digital operations transformation. With analysts in the U.S., U.K., Continental Europe, and India, NelsonHall provides buy-side organizations with detailed, critical information on markets and vendors (including NEAT assessments) that helps them make fast and highly informed sourcing decisions. And for vendors, NelsonHall provides deep knowledge of market dynamics and user requirements to help them hone their go-to-market strategies. NelsonHall's research is based on rigorous, primary research and is widely respected for the quality, depth and insight of its analysis.

Contact:Globalization PartnersKaren Pantinas[email protected]617-729-4466

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SOURCE Globalization Partners
To Participate in Public Tender of Macau Gaming Concession

Full Confidence in Macau Future Development

HONG KONG, Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- MGM China Holdings Limited ("MGM China" or the "Company"; SEHK Stock Code: 2282) today announced selected unaudited financial data of the Company and its subsidiaries (the "Group") for the second quarter and the first half of 2022.

Macau and Greater China are under the adverse impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2022. We saw customer demand pick up during the Chinese New Year. However, the COVID-19 resurgence first in mainland China started at end-March followed by local outbreak in Macau at end-June, led to safeguard measures as well as enhanced travel and border controls that severely constrained Macau visitation.

Macau total visitor arrivals and the total visitation from mainland China both decreased by 12% for the first six months in 2022 from a year ago.

For the first half of 2022, Macau gross gaming revenue (GGR) was down by 46% from the same period last year. Headline GGR in the second quarter hit the lowest level since the border opened, down 67% year-on-year and 52% quarter-to-quarter MOP8.5 billion or MOP93 million per day, representing 12% of 19Q4 pre-COVID level.

During the first half of the year, MGM China recorded total revenue of approximately HK$3.2 billion, compared to HK$4.7 billion same period a year ago. The Group recorded negative adjusted EBITDA of approximately HK$337 million, compared to adjusted EBITDA of approximately HK$200 million previously. Overall occupancy rate was 37.6%, compared to 61.5% same period last year.

For the second quarter, MGM China posted revenue of HK$1.1 billion (22Q1: HK$2.1 billion). The Group recorded negative adjusted property EBITDA of HK$382 million, compared to adjusted EBTIDA of HK$46 million in the first quarter.

MGM China maintained market share of 13.6% for the first half of the year, up from 11.4% a year ago. Second-quarter market share rose to 14.3% from 13.3% in first quarter with our strength in premium mass business. Our daily GGR in second quarter was 18% of 19Q4 pre-pandemic levels, compared to 12% market levels. Our team is working to control costs while positioning our properties to capture opportunities in premium mass business as demand returns in the longer term.

The Group maintained a healthy financial position. As of June 30, 2022, the Group had total liquidity of approximately HK$10.7 billion, comprised of cash and cash equivalent and undrawn revolver.

The COVID-19 pandemic continued to have significant impacts on Macau and our business during the reporting period. This is an unprecedented global public health crisis and we place high importance on the health and safety of our employees, guests and all Macau citizens as the fight against this pandemic continues.

During the reporting period, Macau has made significant progress over the amendment of gaming law and set preparation for the retendering of gaming concession.

The Macau Government had extended in June the six concession and sub-concession contracts for six months up to December 31, 2022. Earlier in January, the Government announced a bill to amend the gaming law, as a necessary precedent step to the retendering. In June, the new gaming law was approved by the Macau Legislative Assembly and published in the Official Gazette.

On July 1, the Macau Chief Executive approved Administrative Regulation 28/2022 which sets up the rules for the retendering of the Macau gaming concessions, covering details of the bidding for gaming concessions, the qualifications of bidding companies and the criteria for granting. On July 28, the Chief Executive Dispatch was published, announced the opening of the public tender.

The Group intends to submit a bid for a gaming concession and believes we are in position to satisfy the relevant requirements set out by the Macau Government relating to the tender for a gaming concession.

Kenneth Feng, President, Strategic & Chief Financial Officer of MGM China said: "We have full confidence in the future development of the Macau. We are ready and will actively participate in the public tender of Macau gaming concession. MGM will continue to unswervingly support the Macau Government to promote economic diversification, helping Macau further consolidate its position as a World Center of Tourism and Leisure as well as scale new heights for its economic development."

About MGM China Holdings Limited

MGM China Holdings Limited (HKEx: 2282) is a leading developer, owner and operator of gaming and lodging resorts in the Greater China region. We are the holding company of MGM Grand Paradise, SA which holds one of the six gaming concessions/sub-concessions to run casino games in Macau. MGM Grand Paradise, SA owns and operates MGM MACAU, the award-winning premium integrated resort located on the Macau Peninsula and MGM COTAI, a contemporary luxury integrated resort in Cotai, which opened in early 2018 and more than doubles our presence in Macau.

MGM China is majority owned by MGM Resorts International (NYSE: MGM) one of the world's leading global hospitality companies, operating a portfolio of destination resort brands including Bellagio, MGM Grand, Mandalay Bay and The Mirage. For more information about MGM Resorts International, visit the Company's website at www.mgmresorts.com.

For further enquiries, please contact:MGM China Holdings LimitedSidney Luk - Vice President of Investor RelationsTel: (853) 8802 1886 / (852) 2587 8632Email: [email protected]Website: www.mgmchinaholdings.com

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SOURCE MGM China
Company now transfers fully to the hands of Parker Ranch

HONOLULU, Aug. 2, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- After an eight-year collaboration, Parker Ranch and Ulupono Initiative jointly announced that Parker Ranch, Inc. has acquired the equity interest in Paniolo Cattle Company, LLC held by Ulupono Holdings, LLC. The move comes in recognition of the joint-venture's success in demonstrating that a pasture-raised beef operation can work at large scale in Hawai'i.

Paniolo Cattle Company was formed in 2014 as a partnership between Parker Ranch and Ulupono Initiative to foster statewide local beef production. The pasture-to-plate enterprise taps into a growing demand for high-quality, affordable, locally raised beef. Parker Ranch now owns 100 percent of the business entity and its assets, including its brands.

"This joint venture was about demonstrating that local beef is a compelling choice for consumers compared to imports while creating an at-home thriving cattle industry that is viable and sustainable," said Dutch Kuyper, President of Parker Ranch.

"As has always been the intention, Ulupono is divesting from our successful partnership with Parker Ranch in the Paniolo Cattle Company," said Murray Clay, Ulupono Initiative's President. "After more than eight years of statewide sales to local customers, we are extremely pleased by what has been accomplished toward the demonstration that there is a viable market for local beef in the islands. Through Paniolo Cattle Company, residents now have access to quality, pasture-raised beef throughout the state."

The demand for grass-fed beef has grown significantly in recent decades. The healthy attributes of natural, grass-fed beef are attractive to discerning consumers seeking a unique high-quality choice compared to most imported beef from the mainland or elsewhere.

"Over the last 15 years or so, several ranches across the state led efforts to develop the local market for grass-fed beef even before Paniolo Cattle Company, LLC was conceived," said Kuyper. "In fact, we actually supplied some of those programs with cattle when they needed help to fill gaps in their marketing schedules. The Paniolo Cattle Co. brand became the largest in the state over the last few years as consumers demanded more and more local beef. At the same time, we began investing in advertising the brand through television and Hana Hou!  Hawaiian Airlines' inflight magazine  which led to greater brand awareness and market penetration. We are grateful for the support from Ulupono and are looking forward to the next chapter in the development of local beef in our home state of Hawai'i."

For more information about Paniolo Cattle Company, visit paniolocattle.com.

About Parker RanchParker Ranch is one of the largest and oldest cattle ranches in the United States. Parker Ranch, Inc. is owned by Parker Ranch Foundation Trust whose beneficiaries are four non-profits: Queen's North Hawai'i Community Hospital, Hawai'i Preparatory Academy, Parker School and Hawai'i Community Foundation. To learn more, please visit www.parkerranch.com or www.prft.org.

About Ulupono InitiativeA mission-driven venture of The Omidyar Group, Ulupono Initiative was founded in 2009 and strives to improve the quality of life for the people of Hawai'i by working toward sustainable solutions that support and promote locally produced food, renewable energy, clean transportation, and better management of freshwater resources. For more information about Ulupono Initiative, visit ulupono.com or connect with Ulupono on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.

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SOURCE Parker Ranch; Ulupono Initiative; Paniolo Cattle Company
HERNDON, Va., Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Peraton has been awarded a contract by the Department of Defense (DoD) to provide agile analytic platforms and data management solutions. The contract is worth $850 million over five years.

Peraton has a decades-long relationship with the DoD and, more broadly, extensive experience in providing technological solutions across the U.S. intelligence community (IC) and military. This contract continues a legacy of delivering unique analytic and data management solutions and reinforces Peraton's position as the leading mission capability integrator.

"Peraton is proud to continue our longstanding relationship with the DoD supporting the modernization of its data management capabilities," said Tom Afferton, president, Cyber Mission sector. "We are excited and ready to meet the critical mission to effectively and efficiently sustain and evolve development and operations of U.S. intelligence systems."

Peraton's cyber portfolio and capabilities include full spectrum cyber operations, information operations, cyber capability development, and signals intelligence solutions.

"This win, which solidifies our long-standing relationship with the DoD, is the result of years of exceptional performance from our technical teams," said Stu Shea, chairman, president, and CEO. "I am proud that we are continuing Peraton's heritage of driving capabilities for our IC customers to solve their most daunting challenges."

About Peraton

Peraton drives missions of consequence spanning the globe and extending to the farthest reaches of the galaxy. As the world's leading mission capability integrator and transformative enterprise IT provider, we deliver trusted and highly differentiated national security solutions and technologies that keep people safe and secure. Peraton serves as a valued partner to essential government agencies across the intelligence, space, cyber, defense, citizen security, health, and state and local markets. Every day, our employees do the can't be done, solving the most daunting challenges facing our customers. Visit Peraton.com/News and follow @Peraton on LinkedIn for news and updates.

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SOURCE Peraton
The integrated luxury retailer invests in dedicated brand leader with 25 years of experience driving customer-focused innovation

DALLAS, Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Neiman Marcus Group (NMG) today announced the appointment of Ryan Ross as President of Neiman Marcus effective Aug. 15, 2022.

The new dedicated brand role is established to fuel acceleration by strengthening the brand and customer experience. Ross will report to Geoffroy van Raemdonck, Chief Executive Officer, NMG, who remains committed to driving momentum for Neiman Marcus Group, partnering with leaders across the business to Make Life Extraordinary for customers, luxury brand partners and associates.

"Ryan is a values-driven leader with a proven track record of achieving rapid growth and optimizing customer-centric experiences," said van Raemdonck. "This new role represents the next step in our Revolutionizing Luxury Experiences strategy, and we're confident that an esteemed omnichannel retail leader like Ryan further positions Neiman Marcus for sustainable growth."

Ross was previously President of Williams Sonoma, where he was responsible for driving integrated channel strategies, customer growth and evolving the relevancy of the brands. He previously held the position of EVP Marketing and Digital at HSN through the company's acquisition by QVC. He also held leadership positions at Harrods, Pottery Barn and Gap, Inc.

"Neiman Marcus is the pinnacle of luxury and maintains the strongest customer relationships in the industry," said Ross. "I look forward to working with a talented team of integrated luxury retail experts to create exceptional experiences for our customers, brand partners and associates."

Lana Todorovich, President and Chief Merchandising Officer, Neiman Marcus, remains in her current role reporting to Ross. There will be no change to how Neiman Marcus manages the important relationships with brand partners. Todorovich leads merchandising and buying for Neiman Marcus, architecting a best-in-class brand portfolio with fashion at the heart of the business, as well as creating immersive retail-tainment experiences and curated assortments for customers. She and van Raemdonck will continue working together closely to cultivate the industry's leading luxury brand partnerships.

In addition, David Goubert, Chief Customer Officer, Neiman Marcus, will depart the company and pursue personal interests, including his passion for social impact businesses. In his more than three years at NMG, Goubert led Neiman Marcus through tremendous industry changes.

"David has helped lead us through a significant transformation, establishing a strong roadmap and a dynamic team fueling future success," stated van Raemdonck. "His leadership inspired a culture of trust, ambition and respect across teams  all of which reinforced a successful brand strategy with luxury relationships at its core. We're grateful for David's contributions to Neiman Marcus and wish him well in his next chapter."

NMG has experienced continued acceleration and great results from its growth strategy. The Company surpassed pre-COVID benchmarks throughout 2022, and strong performance is attributed, in part, to a committed luxury customer base. The appointment of Ross as President of Neiman Marcus comes after the company recently announced $500 million investments in technology and supply chain.

About Neiman Marcus GroupNeiman Marcus Group is a relationship business that leads with love in everything we do for our customers, associates, brand partners, and communities. Our legacy of innovating and our culture of Belonging guide our roadmap for Revolutionizing Luxury Experiences. As one of the largest multi-brand luxury retailers in the U.S., with the world's most desirable brand partners, we're delivering exceptional products and intelligent services, enabled by our investments in data and technology. Through the expertise of our 10,000+ associates, we deliver and scale a personalized luxury experience across our three channels of in-store, eCommerce, and remote selling. Our NMG|Way culture, powered by our people, combines individual talents into a collective strength to make life extraordinary. Our flagship brands include Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman. For more information, visit neimanmarcusgroup.com.

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SOURCE Neiman Marcus Group
HAMBURG, Germany, Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Vela Diagnostics has announced its appointment by the National Public Health Laboratory of Kenya (NPHL) as their supplier for SARS-CoV-2 genotyping tests, with funding from The Global Fund.

The NPHL operates under Kenya's Ministry of Health and plays an important role in the nation's healthcare by providing reference testing for key diseases and in response to disease outbreaks. It is currently embarking on a program to trace and curb spread of COVID-19 in Kenya, an effort funded by The Global Fund.

The Global Fund is an international financing and partnership organization that aims to attract, leverage and invest additional resources for prevention, treatment and care programs of diseases such as AIDS, TB and malaria.

Vela Diagnostics has an extensive infectious diseases portfolio, with solutions to support COVID-19 testing. These include the ViroKey SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR Test v2.0, a test for the diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infections, and the ViroKey SARS-CoV-2 ID RT-PCR Test, which quickly identifies specific strains and potential variants of concern.

Especially relevant to the Kenyan NPHL's surveillance efforts is the ViroKey SQ FLEX SARS-CoV-2 Genotyping Assay, a next-generation sequencing (NGS)-based test for detecting genomic mutations of the SARS-CoV-2 RNA genome from nasopharyngeal or oropharyngeal swabs. The accompanying reporter software automatically calls out mutations and classifies them by lineage, providing critical insights to the molecular epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2 infections.

Dr Leonard Kingwara, Head of the Genomics and Molecular Surveillance Laboratory Unit in Kenya, attests to the efficiency of Vela Diagnostics' SARS-CoV-2 genotyping assay in results generation, as well as its utility for expanding the scope of pathogen public health surveillance. "Vela Diagnostics' genotyping assay ensures timely results through automation and reduction of hands-on procedures. This has facilitated timely result releases for various research projects," says Dr Kingwara.

"We are very excited to be appointed as the primary supplier for genotyping kits for the Kenyan NPHL," says Dr Andreas Goertz, Managing Director of Vela Diagnostics EMEA. "This grants us an invaluable opportunity to expand our presence in Africa, including South Africa where our HIV genotyping assay is currently undergoing registration for sales in the country."

The Sentosa SQ HIV-1 Genotyping Kit is a US FDA De Novo designated NGS assay for detecting HIV-1 drug resistance mutations (DRMs). "Our HIV-1 genotyping solution is the only commercially available NGS solution authorized by the FDA for sale in the US, and can detect down to 5% mutation frequency; more sensitive than traditional Sanger sequencing-based platforms. It also detects for mutations in the three most common drug target regions in one test, providing comprehensive mutation profiles for clinicians to decide on the optimal antiretroviral therapy to prescribe," says Rachel Yap, Global Product Manager for Vela Diagnostics.

"We believe our HIV-1 genotyping assay can act as a key tool in global efforts to curb the HIV pandemic and help achieve the goal of '90-90-90'," says Sam Dajani, CEO and Chairman of the Board for Vela Diagnostics, referring to the "90-90-90" treatment target originally created by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS). It calls for 90% of HIV-infected individuals to be diagnosed by 2030, 90% of whom will be on antiretroviral therapy and 90% of whom will have achieved sustained virologic suppression.

About Vela Diagnostics

Vela Diagnostics is a leading provider for integrated IVD system solutions, from sample to result. VELA's test solutions utilize the automated Sentosa platform, providing the unique ability to leverage one system for NGS and PCR testing in infectious disease and oncology.

All Sentosa products listed above are by Vela Diagnostics. For more information, visit www.veladx.com.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/vela-diagnostics-supports-covid-19-surveillance-efforts-in-kenya-301598694.html

SOURCE Vela Diagnostics
FILE PHOTO: People walk past the R&D centre of Contemporary Amperex Technology Ltd (CATL) in Ningde, Fujian province, China, December 16, 2016. REUTERS/Jake Spring/File Photo

SHANGHAI (Reuters) - China's CATL, the world's largest battery maker, is pressing ahead with plans to deliver lower-cost lithium iron batteries to Ford Motor Co and with plans for battery production in North America by 2026, a person with knowledge of the matter said on Wednesday.

Bloomberg News reported on Tuesday that CATL was delaying a decision on a North American plant after U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan, saying that an announcement could still come by September or October.

The Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday that before Pelosi's visit, which China sees as a provocation, CATL had been planning to announce its North American investment plans this month.

Reuters could not independently confirm whether CATL had delayed any announcement on its long-anticipated investment in North America, an expansion that has been previously complicated by tensions between the United States and China.

CATL did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The person with knowledge of the company's planning told Reuters CATL had not changed its plan to start local battery production for North America from 2026.

The expansion is expected to provide EV batteries for Ford, BMW and potentially other automakers, including Tesla.

In May, Reuters reported CATL was in the final stage of vetting sites including in South Carolina and Kentucky for battery production.

CATL has been considering building a plant in Mexico that could ship cells for assembly into battery packs at facilities in the United States, the person said. Subsidies and cost-sharing arrangements with automakers for those plants are still being negotiated, the person said.

Last month, Ford announced that it would use imported lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries from CATL for its North American electric pickup trucks and SUVs.

Ford said it expected to be able to secure LFP batteries from a new 40 GWh factory to be built in North America from 2026.

(Reporting by Zhang Yan and Brenda Goh; Editing by Kirsten Donovan)
KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany  Ramstein Air Base leaders are investigating allegations that an airman tried to bribe officials into issuing a passing score on an annual physical fitness test.

A spokesman for the 86th Airlift Wing acknowledged in an email to Stars and Stripes on Tuesday that an investigation is underway but declined to give details while it is active.

Last week, social media users who said they are affiliated with the 86th Security Forces Squadron at Ramstein Air Base anonymously alleged a cover-up of the undisclosed disciplinary infraction and described plummeting morale among the ranks of the military police unit.

"An 86th SFS SNCO here at Ramstein got caught bribing the tester to change pt numbers so they would meet standards and not fail, one commenter said on the popular Amn/NCO/SNCO Facebook page.

Unit members are responsible for security at one of the Defense Departments largest overseas installations and one of the Air Forces busiest air transportation hubs.

Bribery is punishable by court-martial under the Uniform Code of Military Justice.

The anonymous commenter wrote on the Amn/NCO/SNCO Facebook page that following the incident, physical training for the unit was significantly increased, which placed an additional burden on already overworked airmen.

Instead of punishing individual and holding them accountable, the airmen are now required to attend more pt so no one else is in the same situation to fail, the commenter said.

Another post to the Facebook page shared an official memorandum outlining the physical training program for the units operations and training flight.

The July 27 memo establishes physical fitness training three times per week for all those members scoring below 95% on recurring squadron-internal fitness tests. Those meeting the 95% score would have to lead one session per week, according to the memo.

A base spokesman confirmed the memos authenticity Tuesday and said the policy is part of several initiatives designed to ensure compliance with physical stamina and combat readiness requirements. The spokesman added that fitness programs are constantly evaluated.

Another commenter identifying themselves as a member of the 86th Security Forces Squadron said the increased physical training load has lengthened work schedules, keeping security forces members at work from 4:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. on some shifts.

(I dont care) who you are, those make for long days, the anonymous commenter said. "Its tough to convince Airman to stay in (security forces) when they have friends their same rank in other career fields working half the time making the same money.

While security forces units are known for demanding duty schedules that ask them to man mission-essential security posts around the clock, the wing said there is no blanket demand for excessive hours.

No requirement exists for 86 SFS Airmen to remain at work for a 17.5 hour day, a spokesman wrote in an email. Unit leaders maximize schedule flexibility and ensure our Airmen are not working unnecessary hours, the email said.

The last annual inquiry into the units morale and climate was a web-based survey last summer during Operation Allied Refuge, when security airmen worked long hours to help house thousands of Afghan refugees after the U.S.-backed government in Kabul fell to the Taliban.

The feedback reflected the increased operational pace of that specific timeframe, a wing spokesman wrote in an email Tuesday.

Unit leadership and the Security Forces career field continue to pursue quality-of-life improvements for our Defenders and their families, the email statement said.
(Tribune News Service)  Army Sgt. 1st Class James A. Coleman, reported missing in action on April 25, 1951, during the Korean War, has been accounted for, according to an agency of the U.S. Department of Defense.

Coleman will be buried at Oct. 19, 2022, at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va.

His remains were identified May 23, the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency announced Tuesday.

Coleman, a native of Hillsdale, Ind., and later of Clinton, was 22 when he was reported missing in action on April 25, 1951, during the Korean War.

In April 1951, Coleman was a member of Company I, 3rd Battalion, 19th Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division.

He was reported missing in action while fighting against Chinese forces near the Hwacheon Reservoir in what is now South Korea. His status was changed to killed in action on Oct. 3, 1952, based on eyewitness accounts from a soldier in a neighboring foxhole. The battle prevented his body from being recovered.

In May 1953, the American Graves Registration Service Group recovered remains, designated X-5960 Tanggok, near the village of Tumun-gol. Those remains could not be identified and were buried in the United Nations Military Cemetery Tanggok.

After fighting ended in 1953, 848 unidentified sets of remains including X-5960 were were buried at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu in 1956.

In January 2019, 652 Korean War Unknowns were disinterred by the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency and sent to the laboratory at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, for analysis.

To identify Colemans remains, scientists from the agency used dental, anthropological, and chest radiograph analysis, as well as circumstantial evidence. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA analysis.

Colemans name is recorded on the American Battle Monuments Commissions Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, along with the others who are still missing from the Korean War. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.

(c)2022 The Tribune-Star (Terre Haute, Ind.)

Visit at tribstar.com
Rhein-Main Airbase, Germany, Aug. 10, 1950: EUCOM personnel and their dependents debark from the Pan American clipper that brought a record passenger load from New York City to Rhein-Main airport. With the German occupation officially ending with the creation of the Federal Republic of Germany in May 1949, the U.S. military settled in for an extended stay in Europe  expanding base footprints and building more and more housing to accommodate the influx of dependents joining the service members stationed in West Germany.

Looking for Stars and Stripes articles on the Cold War and the buildup of the U.S. military in Europe? Subscribe to Stars and Stripes historic newspaper archive! We have digitized our 1948-1999 European and Pacific editions, as well as several of our WWII editions and made them available online through http://starsandstripes.newspaperarchive.com/
The U.S. drone strike that killed Ayman al-Zawahri, the head of al-Qaida and one of the last remaining architects of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, delivered a measure of justice. It did not deliver resolution in the debates still surrounding U.S. counterterrorism policy.

For President Joe Biden, the strike shows America can still target bad guys even after the controversial withdrawal from Afghanistan. For his critics, it shows that the U.S. pullout allowed al-Qaidas leadership to take up residence in Kabul. There is some truth to both arguments.

Yet the strike is best seen as a testament to Americas creation of a man-hunting machine without parallel in human history  one that is already becoming harder to maintain as Washington turns to things other than counterterrorism.

From what has been publicly disclosed, the al-Zawahri operation was not a minor lift. Biden was heavily engaged with the issue for weeks. The strike surely involved extensive use of surveillance and reconnaissance assets to find al-Zawahri, map his pattern of life and identify options for killing him without also killing innocents.

The strike itself required penetrating unfriendly airspace, probably from a base in the Persian Gulf or perhaps Central Asia. After the attack, U.S. intelligence operatives on the ground in Kabul reportedly confirmed al-Zawahris death.

This investment was undoubtedly justified, if only to show, as Biden remarked, that no matter how long it takes, no matter where you hide, if you are a threat to our people, the United States will find you and take you out. The operation, like the one that killed Osama bin Laden 11 years ago, is also a window into the formidable capabilities the U.S. developed to locate and neutralize enemies in some of the least accessible places on earth.

Following 9/11, the Pentagon vastly expanded its special operations forces, skilled at killing or capturing terrorist leaders and disrupting the networks on which they relied. The intelligence community used human and technological assets, along with partnerships with friendly and not-so-friendly nations, to track down extremists.

The U.S. created a drone fleet that it used to reach into Pakistan, Yemen and other inhospitable areas; it developed weapons, such as the missile that got al-Zawahri, that could kill targets with remarkably little collateral damage. A network of bases, large and small, in the greater Middle East and beyond provided the logistical footprint for these activities.

The results could be very impressive. Sooner or later, the worlds most prominent jihadis  bin Laden, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, Anwar al-Awlaki and others  were, to use the favored euphemism, taken off the battlefield. Lethal strikes eliminated countless bomb-makers, facilitators and planners, frequently forcing those who remained to concentrate on keeping themselves alive.

This capacity for targeted killing became all the more important as Americas objective shifted from transforming societies in the greater Middle East to simply pummeling extremist organizations so that they could not easily operate. Critiques that Washington was simply playing whack-a-mole notwithstanding, progress toward the tactical objective of degrading terror groups translated into progress toward the strategic objective of preventing attacks against the U.S. homeland.

Yet man-hunting on this scale was immensely expensive: It often required paying millions of dollars  and sometimes many multiples of that  to track down a particular quarry. These investments gradually became prohibitive as other pressing geopolitical priorities emerged.

In 2018, Gina Haspel, director of the CIA, announced that her organization was pivoting away from counterterrorism and toward competition with China and Russia. The Defense Department and U.S. special operations forces are making similar shifts.

Each of the last three U.S. presidents sought to reduce the resources and attention devoured by counterterrorism. Finally, the withdrawal from Afghanistan forced Washington to part with some of the military presence that provided ready access to extremists, although U.S. forces remain in Iraq, Syria, Somalia and other danger spots.

The al-Zawahri strike isnt the end of Americas struggle with terrorism, not least because threats persist, from Afghanistan to Africa. Yet it is perhaps more a tribute to a prior era than to the present one.

The successful mission reveals a great deal about the tools the U.S. developed to wage the war on terrorism in the period after 9/11. What it reveals about the efficacy of counterterrorism policy in a moment of competing priorities and fewer resources is harder to say.

Hal Brands is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist. The Henry Kissinger Distinguished Professor at Johns Hopkins Universitys School of Advanced International Studies, he is co-author of Danger Zone: The Coming Conflict with China and a member of the State Departments Foreign Affairs Policy Board.
U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi pledged her commitment to Taiwan on Wednesday as Chinese ships and aircraft ramped up their military activity in response to her visit.

Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen presented Pelosi the Order of Propitious Clouds with Special Grand Cordon award, during a livestreamed ceremony that morning.

Now more than ever Americas solidarity with Taiwan is crucial, said Pelosi, who departed Taiwan on Wednesday evening for South Korea. Today our delegation, of which Im very proud of, came to Taiwan to make it unequivocally clear we will not abandon our commitment to Taiwan, and we are proud of our enduring friendship.

China held live-fire military exercises Saturday off its coast opposite Taiwan after warning Pelosi to cancel her visit. Ahead of her arrival on Tuesday night, Chinese aircraft and warships brushed up against the median line in the Taiwan Strait, an unofficial dividing line, according to Reuters.

Also after her arrival, Chinas Eastern Theater Command announced drills would take place near the Taiwan Strait starting late Tuesday. These included long-range live-fire and conventional missile launches, the official China Military website reported.

Chinese J-20 stealth fighters took off from an airfield that evening to participate in the drills, the official Global Times reported Wednesday.

China also announced a series of naval exercises, to include live-fire drills, slated to run from Thursday to Sunday that will effectively surround the self-governing island, according to a Tuesday report from Chinas state-run Xinhua News Agency.

Chinas planned exercises effectively amount to a sea and air blockade, a Taiwan National Defense Ministry official told reporters after Pelosis ceremony with Tsai, according to the Washington Post.

The drills show that China seeks a cross-strait resolution by force instead of peaceful means, the ministry tweeted Wednesday.

Activities around our territory are closely monitored by [the defense ministry] and will meet our appropriate responses when needed.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Navy positioned the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan with the cruiser USS Antietam and the destroyer USS Higgins as escorts near Taiwan, according to USNI News and Reuters.

Reuters cited an unnamed Navy source; USNI cited unnamed Defense Department sources. An unnamed Pentagon official told USNI that the ships were operating normally in the region.

Meanwhile, the USS Tripoli, an amphibious assault ship that carries F-35B Lightning II stealth fighters, steamed near Okinawa.

U.S. Indo-Pacific Command on Wednesday referred questions about its Western Pacific operations to the Office of the Secretary of Defense, which did not answer a telephone call or immediately respond to an email.

Pelosi, the third-ranking member of the U.S. government, and a five-member congressional delegation arrived in Taipei on Tuesday night. Her highly anticipated visit to Taiwan is part of an Indo-Pacific tour that also includes stops in Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea and Japan.

In the days leading up to Pelosis arrival, Chinese authorities made clear that a military response of some kind could be expected.

We are closely following the itinerary of Speaker Pelosi, China Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told reporters Tuesday. And if the U.S. continues down the wrong path, we will take strong and resolute measures to protect our sovereignty and security interests.

Beijing considers Taiwan a breakaway province that must be reunited with the mainland, by force if necessary. The U.S. government officially abides by the One China policy, which acknowledges Beijings view that it has sovereignty over Taiwan, which split from the mainland in 1949, but considers Taiwans status unsettled.

Assertive Chinese military activity has been taking place beyond Taiwan in the South China Sea, East China Sea and in the Pacific, said Ian Chong, an associate professor of political science at the National University of Singapore.

There has also been a lot of military activity in Taiwans [air defense identification zone] for some time, he told Stars and Stripes in an email Wednesday.

The Pelosi visit did not cause, nor will it change, Chinas coercive military activities, Chong said.

Chinas response to Pelosis visit may ultimately be indirect and deniable, New Zealand-based U.S. security expert Paul Buchanan said in a Wednesday email. China could potentially expel U.S. diplomats and attaches to protest the visit, but wont go to war over it, he said.

That does not mean that there will be no response or even no kinetic response from [China]  perhaps another island seizure or fishing fleet confrontation that may or may not involve the U.S. and Taiwan, he said.
Japanese authorities went by the book handling the case against a Navy officer for the negligent-driving deaths of two Japanese citizens in May 2021, according to a Japanese lawyer whos represented U.S. service members.

Lt. Ridge Alkonis, 34, who was based at Yokosuka, reported July 25 to begin serving his three-year sentence in a Japanese prison. His supporters, including a U.S. senator and a representative, urged President Joe Bidens administration to get Alkonis freed. They allege the father of three was mistreated by Japanese police, who illegally held him nearly a month, and was denied a fair trial by the Japanese courts.

Yasutoshi Murakami, an attorney with the Higashi Koenji Law Firm in Tokyo who has prosecuted and defended cases involving individuals covered by the status of forces agreement between the U.S. and Japan, disagreed.

In the case of Alkonis, he was arrested off-base in flagrante delicto - or immediately following the crime - which means the police saw the need to arrest him because of flight risk and/or danger of destroying evidence, he told Stars and Stripes by phone Friday.

Murakami said the length of Alkonis detainment was also by the books.

Suspects in criminal cases may be held up to 23 days without an opportunity to post a release bond until theyre formally charged, according to information from the Japan Federation of Bar Associations.

Alkonis was charged on June 18, 2021, 20 days after his arrest. The additional six days of detention were legal because they came after the official charges, Murakami said.

A judge in Shizokua District Court convicted Alkonis on Oct. 18 of negligent driving causing death; the Tokyo High Court dismissed Alkonis appeal on July 13. He had pleaded for a suspended sentence.

His family have pinned their last hopes to free him on several U.S. politicians, family spokesman Jonathan Franks told Stars and Stripes by phone on Tuesday.

Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, and Rep. Mike Levin, D-Calif., both allege that prosecutors violated sections of SOFA, the agreement that governs the rights and responsibilities of individuals in Japan with the U.S. military. SOFA covers service members but also Defense Department civilian employees, contractors and their families.

Levin, in a Friday email to Stars and Stripes, argued that Japanese authorities didnt demonstrate adequate cause and necessity to keep Alkonis in custody as required by the agreement.

Alkonis was driving with his family after a hike on Mount Fuji on May 29, 2021, when his car plowed into pedestrians and parked cars outside a restaurant in Fujinomiya, about two hours from Yokosuka.

A woman, 85, died that day; her son-in-law, 54, died June 11, 2021. A second woman, 53, the daughter and wife of the other victims, was injured.

The only reason to keep Alkonis in custody afterward was a fear that he would destroy evidence, which in this case is impossible, Franks said, or evidence that he was a flight risk, which is really not realistic because Japan is an island, and the Navy has his passport.

Alkonis testified Aug. 24 that a case of acute mountain sickness caused him to lose consciousness behind the wheel. The district court and appellate court dismissed his argument.

Franks alleged that a second SOFA violation occurred during Alkonis trial, when a court-appointed translator made several errors, including incorrectly translating the term acute mountain sickness into altitude sickness. He said the two are medically distinct.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defines altitude sickness as a group of three syndromes, the mildest and most common of which is acute mountain sickness.

SOFA requires that a competent interpreter be made available if necessary.

The courts refusal to admit a Navy medical exam as evidence, and Japanese law enforcements failure to conduct its own exam, constitutes an unfair trial and a third possible violation, Franks said.

Lee, during a July 25 speech on the Senate floor, said the Japanese government didnt so much as bother to conduct an adequate investigation and were possibly trying to make an example" of Alkonis.

He also called on the U.S. government to take every step possible to negotiate with Japan and bring Ridge home.

Levin made similar comments and said hes working to ensure that any SOFA violations are addressed.

Murakami said if there were any suspected SOFA violations, Alkonis attorneys and U.S. Forces Japan should have raised those concerns with the court.

The U.S. Embassy in Japan and Naval Forces Japan referred all questions regarding the case or SOFA to USFJ. USFJ acknowledged Stars and Stripes request for comment on Friday, but as of Wednesday had not responded.
(Tribune News Service)  China warned airlines operating in Asia to avoid flying in areas around Taiwan where it is conducting military exercises in response to U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosis visit to the island.

An official notice sent late on Tuesday Hong Kong time designated six areas of airspace as danger zones, according to carriers who received the message and Jang Chang Seog, a Korean transport ministry official. Flights will be restricted from 12 p.m. Aug. 4, to 12 p.m. Aug. 7.

Pelosi flew to Taipei as the highest-ranking American politician to visit Taiwan in 25 years, prompting China to condemn the visit and unveil a series of economic and military responses. China considers the island, a vibrant democracy and a key supplier of semiconductors, as part of the country. Taiwan remains the most sensitive issue between the U.S. and China, with the potential to one day spark a military conflict.

Chinas Xiamen Airlines Co. announced adjustments to several flights, citing flow control in Fujian, just across the Taiwan Strait from the island. Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd. pilots were advised to carry 30 minutes worth of extra fuel for possible rerouting in Taiwan.

Our flights currently avoid going through the designated airspace zones around the Taiwan region, a Cathay spokesperson said. This may potentially lead to more flying time for some flights and we appreciate our customers understanding.

Calls and messages to Chinas civil aviation authority werent immediately returned.

Further north, Korean Air is planning to reroute some of its services to South Asia in order to avoid Taiwans airspace during the period of Chinas military exercises, a spokeswoman said by text message. ANA Holdings Inc. received the notice and is changing its flightpaths to Taiwan, a representative for the Japanese carrier said. ANA and Japan Airlines Co. both said flights to and from Taiwan will continue to operate.

Taiwan is talking to Japan and the Philippines about alternate air-traffic routes, ETtoday reported, citing Wang Kwo-tsai, Minister of Transportation and Communications. Taiwans Maritime Port Bureau also warned ships to avoid the area where drills will take place, Wang was reported as saying.

Local branches of Chinas maritime safety administration also issued multiple warnings for ships traversing certain territories, citing the military exercises and firing practice, according to government statements.

The disruption for airliners came as tensions escalate between the U.S. and China while companies are grappling with global supply chain snags sparked by Russias invasion of Ukraine. Its not clear whether the three-day flight ban would be extended, adding to concerns over soaring commodity prices and supply-chain risks.

At Xiamen Gaoqi International Airport, one of the mainland airports closest to Taiwan, 123 flights were canceled, while 79% of flights were operating as usual, according to data provider Variflight. At Fuzhou Changle International Airport in Fujian, 93 flights were scrapped and 74% flights were operating as normal.

Following up the notice, South Koreas transport ministry issued another notice to local airlines to reaffirm the safety of flights heading toward Taiwan, Jang said. Asiana Airlines, another major Korean airline, has made no changes to operations yet, a spokesman said by phone.

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U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosis visit to Taiwan was an impudent interference in Chinas internal affairs, according to a statement Wednesday from the North Korean Foreign Ministry.

The communist regime vehemently denounces any external interference in Taiwan and supports the Chinese governments just stand to resolutely defend the sovereignty of the country and territorial integrity, according to a statement attributed to an unnamed Foreign Ministry spokesman published by the state-run Korean Central News Agency.

Taiwan is an inseparable part of China, and the issue of Taiwan pertains to the internal affairs of China, according to KCNA.

Pelosi, along with five other members of Congress, landed in Taipei on Tuesday evening as part of a broader trip to Asia. The trip marks the first time in 25 years that a House speaker visited Taiwan; Newt Gingrich visited the country in 1997.

The delegation is scheduled to meet this week with South Korean National Assembly lawmakers. South Korean President Yoon Seok Youl, who is on vacation, hoped the delegations trip wrapped up smoothly as planned, presidential office spokeswoman Kang In-sun told reporters on Wednesday.

Kang said the government will be maintaining close communication with countries concerned in the region about current issues and declined to elaborate.

China denounced Pelosis trip to Taiwan as a serious escalation of regional tensions. Those who play with fire will perish by it, Chinas Foreign Affairs Ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.

It gravely undermines peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and sends a seriously wrong signal to the separatist forces for Taiwan independence, the statement added. China firmly opposes and sternly condemns this and has made serious demarche and strong protest to the United States.

Pelosis office in a news release Tuesday said her visit aimed to honor Americas unwavering commitment to supporting Taiwans vibrant Democracy.

Americas solidarity with the 23 million people of Taiwan is more important today than ever, as the world faces a choice between autocracy and democracy, the release added.

In a joint press conference with Pelosi, Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen thanked Pelosi and the congressional delegation for their commitment to her country.

Taiwan is a reliable and trustworthy, cooperative partner of the United States, Tsai said. We will continue to work with the U.S. Congress, as well as the administration, to strengthen cooperation in areas  so as to further elevate Taiwan-U.S. relations.

Chinese military aircraft tested Taiwans response in the skies and Chinese warships prepared to exercise around Taiwan as Tsai and Pelosi met Wednesday.

Taiwan will not back down, Tsai said. We will firmly uphold our nations sovereignty and continue to hold the line of defense for democracy.

Stars and Stripes reporter Yoo Kyong Chang contributed to this report.
KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany  Army and Air Force Exchange Service stores in Europe will continue to sell Skittles, despite a ban on the popular candy across much of the Continent.

From Sunday, food manufacturers in the European Union will be prohibited from using the color additive titanium dioxide  which is found in the fruit-flavored sweets and other foods  out of fears the substance could damage DNA and lead to cancer.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has not recommended a similar ban.

An AAFES spokesman told Stars and Stripes that the company adheres to FDA recommendations concerning food products, rather than European guidelines. Unless the FDA changes course, Skittles will remain on AAFES store shelves in Europe.

The food additive regulation banning titanium dioxide in the EU does not apply to products sold by the Exchange to the U.S. military community, spokesman Chris Ward said in an emailed statement.

If a product is determined to be unsuitable as to quality, value or other appropriate criteria by medical authorities, it is removed from shelves, Ward added.

Titanium dioxide is used in food manufacturing to add whiteness or boost color. Its also used in paint, adhesives and plastics. U.S. and EU regulators first approved the use of the substance in food in the late 1960s.

However, in 2020, France banned titanium dioxide and an EU-wide ban quickly followed, after the European Food Safety Authority found DNA damage from ingesting the additive "could not be ruled out.

Because there were no immediate health concerns, the ban was slowly introduced.

The ban comes after a California man last month sued the Mars candy company, which makes Skittles, for using titanium dioxide as an ingredient, alleging it could cause various health problems.
STUTTGART, Germany  A sex tape scandal involving a U.S. Army civilian, a soldier and an Air Force reservist is sparking criticisms of unequal consequences for sharing explicit images without a persons consent.

Everyone kind of brushed it off. I believe more action should have been taken, said a Stuttgart-based male soldier who filed a criminal complaint accusing a female Army civilian of sharing their sex recording at a social gathering.

The case involves an October 2020 video between the soldier and civilian, which resulted in two separate military law enforcement probes after allegations emerged that the recordings were passed around, those involved told Stars and Stripes.

While one of the cases resulted in a career-altering reprimand for the Air Force reservist, the Army civilian remains in her Stuttgart job after German prosecutors declined to pursue the allegations referred to them by their U.S. military counterparts.

The cases center on possible violations of the Uniform Code of Military Justice dealing with wrongful distribution of intimate images. But in instances involving both service members and military civilians, different jurisdictions come into play.

The soldier said he learned of the incident after hearing from a friend about an off-base gathering at which attendees were shown the video.

I felt embarrassed and confused, and I feel like this person should not still be in her position, said the soldier, who requested anonymity as a victim in the nearly two-year-old case, which is still being dealt with at the administrative level.

Air Force Senior Master Sgt. Tanja May said the controversy started when she discovered a cache of explicit videos of her boyfriend, the Stuttgart soldier, and the Army civilian during a visit to her boyfriends house.

May said that when she confronted him, the soldier physically assaulted her and pushed her down a staircase, an act that she said resulted in an Army reprimand for the soldier.

May took one of the videos of him and the civilian engaged in sex and shared it in a chat group consisting of all three of them and about three others.

That prompted the Army civilian to file a complaint against May for sharing the images without her consent. May was issued a nonjudicial reprimand, which she said she is appealing.

Although May acknowledges that her actions were wrong, she said the military didnt account for her state of mind after the incident.

May also contends that because the video at issue was later passed around by the civilian at a public gathering, the latters claims of victimhood are moot.

The soldier, who filed the complaint against the civilian in March 2021, said his case received minimal investigation.

A redacted Stuttgart Criminal Investigation Division report sparked by the soldiers complaint states that witnesses confirmed that the civilian showed the video at a social gathering.

Military investigators interviewed witnesses, who said a video depicted her and an identifiable male engaged in sexual acts, the CID report states.

Witnesses also confirmed that during the gathering, the civilian identified the soldier by name as the person in the video, according to the CID report, which was obtained by Stars and Stripes. The report said the civilian declined to provide a statement to the CID.

When contacted by Stars and Stripes, the civilian denied sharing the tape and said she had been cleared of wrongdoing by German prosecutors, who received the case from military authorities. She also said she was the initial victim in the case.

This entire situation was started because (May) shared that video with multiple people, the civilian said. I am being retraumatized over and over again because of this.

However, it doesnt appear that the German prosecutors office in Stuttgart ever conducted its own investigation.

In a statement Tuesday to Stars and Stripes, the office said that the case was terminated in August 2021 because of an unspecified procedural obstacle and that there was no German public interest in pursuing the case involving two Americans.

The soldier said he was never interviewed or even contacted by German authorities.

I feel often times in situations like this, if its a guy who is the victim, these things get blown off, he said.

May, meanwhile, said shes faced extensive career damage because of the events.

I continue to be denied civilian hiring opportunities despite being more than qualified to do so. I have not been allowed to perform reserve duty since November 2020, she said.

But the civilian, she said, continues to be shielded and protected by those within her organization and has not faced justice for committing the same act Im being punished for.

May, who is Black, said the disparities in punishment lead her to believe that the differences come down to race and that the civilian is enjoying the protection of her skin.

I see no other way of painting this picture, May said.

Military officials in Stuttgart said the matter was thoroughly investigated, but that they will conduct another review.

The civilians command is aware of this matter and that it was twice investigated by Army Criminal Investigations Division and was criminally dismissed by German law enforcement, a Stuttgart military official said in a statement. The command is conducting a full review of the matter to determine if the prior investigations were in any way incomplete. DoD policy is to not comment on ongoing reviews.
KABUL, Afghanistan  The U.S. drone strike that killed al-Qaida leader Ayman al-Zawahri here early Sunday morning also struck a humiliating blow to the Taliban regime, which had secretly hosted the aging extremist in the heart of the Afghan capital for months but failed to keep him safe.

Just as the Taliban was preparing to celebrate its first year in power later this month, the attack has sparked a nationalistic backlash against the beleaguered regime at home and taunting comments on social media calling for revenge against the United States.

"If the martyrdom of Zawahiri is confirmed, then shame on you that we could not protect the true hero of Islam," an Afghan named Ehsanullah tweeted in response to a statement early Tuesday by the chief Taliban spokesman that the al-Qaida leader had been killed in a U.S. drone strike.

The assassination of al-Zawahri, a hero to Islamist militant groups but a long-wanted terrorist in the West, has also crystallized the ongoing struggle between moderate and hard-line factions within the Taliban regime. Several leaders of the hard-line Haqqani network, long denounced by U.S. officials for directing high-profile terrorist attacks, hold powerful positions in the regime.

In a pair of tweets Tuesday night, Anas Haqqani, an influential Taliban figure who participated in the Doha peace negotiations, said, "This attack by the United States is a barbaric act, and it will have serious implications." The second tweet showed a video of U.S. forces under attack and said it was "dedicated to the president of the savages. I think the US has forgotten past experiences."

Now, some Afghan and American analysts said, the drone strike may harden Taliban attitudes and push the regime toward an open embrace of the extremist forces it pledged to renounce in its 2020 peace deal with the United States.

"The Taliban are in deep political trouble now, and they are going to face pressure to retaliate. The relationship they have with al-Qaida and other jihadi groups remains very strong," said Asfandyar Mir, an expert on Islamic extremism at the U.S. Institute of Peace in Washington. "I think we should brace for impact."

Mir noted that while Taliban officials have been hoping to gain international recognition and access to $7 billion in assets that were frozen by the Biden administration, the group's supreme religious leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada, declared flatly at a national conclave in May, "We are in a clash of civilizations with the West."

There is deep-seated animosity here toward the United States, which intensified after U.S. troops withdrew last year and the war economy collapsed, leaving millions of Afghans jobless. When Afghan officials belatedly confirmed that a U.S. drone had killed the al-Qaida leader, after first insisting the strike was a harmless rocket attack, many Afghans were infuriated.

"We have so many worries already. For a whole year, there have been no jobs, no business, no activity. But at least the fighting was over. The Taliban was in charge, and there was good security," said a resident of the Sherpur neighborhood, where the drone struck, who gave his name as Hakimullah. "Now, suddenly, this attack happens, and everyone is frightened again."

Many Afghans seem to know little about al-Zawahri or al-Qaida. In part, this is because so many of them were born after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks that U.S. officials said were masterminded by al-Zawahri and his associates, and in part because the al-Qaida fighters who joined forces with the Taliban are Middle Easterners whose presence in Afghanistan has always been low profile.

Until now, people here were far more focused on the threat posed by a different Sunni Muslim extremist movement, known as the Islamic State-Khorasan or ISIS-K. The group has in the past repeatedly bombed mosques, schools and other sites in Kabul, especially during the Shiite Muslim festival of Muharram, which began this week.

Among those most dismayed by the turn of events are Afghan civilians who have tried to form working relationships with the new Taliban authorities, encouraging them to develop moderate and practical governing policies rather than focusing exclusively on religion.

Faiz Zaland, who teaches governance and political science at Kabul University, expressed frustration with the Taliban for failing to anticipate the risks of bringing al-Zawahri to the capital and concern that the U.S. attack had doomed chances for the moderate elements in the regime to compete with the hard line religious figures at the top.

"The Taliban are stuck now, and it's their own fault," he said. "This is going to undercut the achievements of their first year, and people who care feel betrayed and scared."
LOS ANGELES (Tribune News Service)  A fire big enough to make its own lightning used to be as rare as it sounds.

But the McKinney fire, which erupted Friday, generated four separate thunder and lightning storms within its first 24 hours alone. A deadly combination of intense heat, parched vegetation and dry conditions has turned the 55,000-acre blaze in the Klamath National Forest into its own force of nature.

Four separate times, columns of smoke rose from the flames beyond the altitude at which a typical jet flies, penetrating the stratosphere and injecting a plume of soot and ash miles above the Earths surface. Its a phenomenon known as a pyrocumulonimbus cloud, a byproduct of fire that NASA once memorably described as the fire-breathing dragon of clouds.

In Siskiyou County, the water in these clouds returned to Earth as rain, accompanied by thunder, wind and lightning, in a classic example of a wildfire producing its own weather, said David Peterson, a meteorologist at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, which has developed an algorithm to distinguish fire-induced thunderstorms from traditional ones.

Investigators have yet to determine the cause of the McKinney fire, which grew rapidly in hilly, challenging terrain and was uncontained as of Tuesday.

Mike Flannigan, a fire scientist at Thompson Rivers University in western Canada, said he isnt shocked to see fires this powerful. The data have been pointing in this direction for years. He just didnt think theyd be happening this soon.

What were seeing in the western United States and in British Columbia in the last few years, I would not have expected to see until 2040, Flannigan said. The signal is clear: this is due to human-caused climate change. It cant be any clearer than that. Its happening more rapidly than I would have expected. This is my field, and this is surprising how rapidly things are changing.

It isnt just that wildfires are more powerful, more frequent and burning more acreage each year than ever before, he said. The energy generated by these conflagrations is also creating columns of smoke so big that they leave the troposphere, the bottom layer of the atmosphere that wraps the Earth like an apple skin, as Flannigan put it.

The troposphere is where weather happens, and where eye-searing clouds of smoke and soot circulate even from moderately sized fires. But when a smoke column such as those emanating from the McKinney fire shoots through that layer and enters the stratosphere  the higher, more stable layer above  it creates havoc with local weather and seeds the Earths atmosphere with aerosol pollutants whose consequence science is still sorting out.

Days before the McKinney fire broke out, researchers from the University of Utah published a new study in the journal Scientific Reports documenting the growth of smoke plumes in wildfires over most of the last two decades.

The team looked at 4.6 million readings of smoke plumes recorded in the western U.S. and Canada between 2003 and 2020. The data were taken every hour from fires burning in August and September in each of those 18 years.

In four of the geographical regions they examined, maximum smoke plume height increased by an average of 320 feet per year. The most pronounced growth of all was in Californias Sierra Nevada, where maximum plume height ballooned by an average of 750 feet in each year of their study.

If we have climate trends that are encouraging faster fire spread, more intense wildfire activity, greater heat flux off of these fires, we can expect a higher plume top height, said Kai Wilmot, a University of Utah postdoctoral researcher in atmospheric sciences and a co-author of the study.

These smoke columns are not only taller, Wilmot and his colleagues noted, but with each passing year, they also grew more densely packed with microscopic bits of soot and ash. This fine particulate pollution, known as PM2.5, is linked to asthma, cardiovascular problems and premature death.

And some of the nations most intense growth in smoke emissions is coming from the Klamath region. The dataare unclear on how much the height of Klamath smoke is increasing, Wilmot said, but the concentration of harmful particulate pollution coming out of its clouds most definitely is climbing.

A paper that the team published last year looking at fire data from 2000 to 2018 highlighted the Klamath region as a hot spot of emissions, particularly in the month of August.

It just felt like the McKinney fire was like clockwork, Wilmot said. Were right on the cusp of August. Its hot and dry. Its right in the Klamath. And then overnight, boom.

Plume height is a function of both atmospheric conditions, such as higher temperatures and decreased humidity, as well as fire size, which is largely determined by the amount of dry vegetation available to burn. The Klamath area has all those qualities in abundance.

California is in the middle of the worst drought since records began. Average summer temperatures in California are 3 degrees higher now than they were at the end of the 19th century.

The days before the fire were a sweaty mess of triple-digit temperatures and low humidity, which further dried plants already parched from a dry winter. The fire started in an overgrown area previously used for logging, which meant fewer fire-resistant old trees and a lot more smaller and easily flammable younger ones.

When plants burn, the carbon stored in their leaves is released into the atmosphere, adding to the concentration of greenhouse gases. But as the Utah team noted, fires spew tons of fine particulate pollution as well.

Measuring less than 2.5 microns across, these tiny particles of pollution can be inhaled deep into the lungs when breathed down here on the ground. In the stratosphere, they wreak a different kind of havoc that scientists dont yet fully understand.

The more we know about smoke, the more we know its bad for us, Flannigan said.

Before massive, climate-change induced wildfires, volcanos were the primary vehicle that sent soot blasting into the stratosphere.

Scientists studying the aftermath of the massive 2019 and 2020 wildfires in Australia calculated that their emissions were on par with that of a mid-size volcanic eruption.

The Earths geologic record shows that over time, these particles can act as a cooling system, deflecting the suns radiation before it can enter the atmosphere. But its a complicated dance. Separate research from MIT on the Australian fires found that their smoke plumes depleted the ozone layer, which protects the Earth from ultraviolet radiation.

The long-term consequences arent clear. We simply dont have millennia worth of data on the planetary effects of human-aggravated mega-fires, the way we do with volcanoes.

Social media is full of video clips of volcanic-like clouds roiling skyward from the Klamath National Forest. Theyre going to become more common, as are fires powerful enough to generate their own lightning.

The trend is to see more and more of these suckers, Flannigan said. Its horrible, but we have to learn to live with it.

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(Tribune News Service)  Six people have been arrested for looting and stealing in Perry County since flooding struck last week, and Kentucky National Guard military police were headed to at least two counties Wednesday in an effort to curb crime.

Perry County Sheriff Joe Engle said six people had been arrested for looting and stealing since last week.

Keeping people from stealing and looting and tending to the welfare of flood victims were two of the focuses of the sheriffs office on Wednesday, he said.

Weve called and asked for extra law enforcement personnel, Engle said. Kentucky State Police and the Kentucky National Guard are responding.

In a statement, Breathitt County Judge-Executive John Hollan said he had spoken with a Kentucky National Guard representative.

The 223rd Military Police will be patrolling in the county, due to the imposed curfew and looting, Hollan said.

Perry County hasnt yet set a curfew to thwart looting, Engle said.

Breathitt County has joined other counties and towns, including Letcher County and Hindman, in enacting curfews that generally run from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.

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WASHINGTON  The Senate on Wednesday ratified the accession of Finland and Sweden into NATO, approving one of the most significant expansions of the military alliance in decades as the West fortifies Europe against Russian aggression.

Senators voted 95-1 to endorse membership for Finland and Sweden, more than the required two-thirds majority of 67 votes. Most of NATOs 30 members have already signed off on the accession protocols for Finland and Sweden, ushering in a historic end to the many years of neutrality and military nonalignment for the Nordic nations.

The U.S. had hoped to be the first to approve the addition, said Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., but it was the 23rd.

"Today  at a moment when democracy in Europe is under attack, as belligerent autocrats like [Russian President Vladimir] Putin clamor for European dominance  the U.S. Senate is voting in overwhelming bipartisan fashion to approve Finland and Swedens accession to the NATO alliance," said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. "This is important substantively and as a signal to Russia: They cannot intimidate America or Europe."

Schumer invited ambassadors and other diplomats from the two nations to the Senate gallery to witness the debate and vote. Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., described the ratification as a slam dunk for national security and admonished those who opposed it.

There's just no question that admitting these robust democratic countries with modern economies and capable, interoperable militaries will only strengthen the most successful military alliance in human history, McConnell said on the Senate floor. Their accession will make NATO stronger, and America more secure.

Senators on Wednesday also approved an amendment proposed by Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, that reinforced NATO members' defense spending levels. The chamber overwhelmingly shot down an amendment proposed by Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., ensuring that NATO's guarantee to defend its members does not supersede Congress's authority to declare war.

The legislatures of all NATO allies need to agree to admit Finland and Sweden before the countries could be protected by the alliances mutual defense clause, which states an attack on one member is an attack against all members. The process is expected to take a year. In the meantime, Finland and Sweden can attend NATO meetings and have greater access to intelligence.

The two countries applied for membership in May, less than three months after Russian forces stormed Ukraine in late February. The invasion shattered the Nordic regions longstanding sense of stability and spurred a dramatic surge of public support for joining an alliance formed 73 years ago to counter the growing power of the former Soviet Union.

Putin partly blamed Ukraines ambitions to enter NATO for provoking his invasion and Russia has repeatedly warned Finland and Sweden against joining the alliance.

The U.S. and NATO have long partnered with Finland and Sweden on defense and troops from both countries have contributed to missions in Kosovo, Afghanistan and Iraq. But their official inclusion in the alliance is expected to significantly alter the security landscape in Northern Europe, where melting Arctic ice is opening new opportunities for transit and exploration and increasing naval and air activity, experts have said.

With the addition of Finland, NATOs border with Russia will extend by 830 miles.

Finland is an outlier in Europe for holding onto its ground forces after the end of the Cold War and can quickly muster some 300,000 troops within 30 days of a crisis, said William Alberque, director of strategy, technology and arms control at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, a research think tank in London.

The country also has the third largest artillery force in Europe, behind Russia and Ukraine, and is building up one of the largest fleets of F-35 fighter jets on the Continent, he said.

The Finns regularly train for a Russian attack, a lasting effect of the four-month attempt by Soviet troops to seize Finnish territory shortly after the outbreak of World War II, Alberque said. Finland was outmanned and outgunned in the Winter War but repelled the massive invasion and inflicted mass casualties on the Red Army.

Its funny when people say, No one couldve imagined this scenario, Alberque said of Russias invasion of Ukraine. Well, the Finns thought about it all the time.

Army Gen. Christopher Cavoli, NATOs supreme allied commander and leader of U.S. European Command, attested to Finlands military readiness during his confirmation hearing in May, telling senators he was very impressed with patrols along the Russian border.

The Finns are absolutely expert in defending that border, Cavoli said.

Alberque said Finnish people share an affinity for the military that can only be compared to the close relationship between Americans and their armed services. Opinion polls show Finland has the highest concentration of citizens in Europe who are willing to fight and die for their country, he said.

That commitment is reflected in Finlands defense spending, which meets NATOs benchmark of 2% of a countrys gross domestic product. Sweden has pledged to match that target by 2028.

Their participation in NATO would reduce the burden on the United States and the whole military alliance, said Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

The U.S. is by far the largest defense spender in the alliance, accounting for 51% of NATOs combined GDP and 69% of combined defense expenditure, according to a March report by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., said he voted against Finland and Sweden membership because the U.S. needs to divert those dollars to challenging a rising China.

Sweden offers NATO one of the most robust defense industries in Europe with an ability to manufacture its own fighter jets, armored vehicles and artillery, Alberque said. It also has a powerful Navy with five submarines and dozens of smaller ships. The Swedish army is small but growing after a military exercise held in the aftermath of Russias 2014 annexation of Crimea showed Sweden would hold out only two or three days against a Russian invasion, he said.

The countrys naval capabilities alone will give the alliance dominance over the Baltic Sea, a key waterway for Russian vessels traveling to the Atlantic Ocean and home to the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad, headquarters of Russias Baltic fleet, Cavoli said in May. Swedens strategically located Gotland, an island that the country is outfitting with more barracks for troops, sits in the center of the sea and is less than 200 miles from Kaliningrad.

The combined firepower and geographic footprint of Finland and Sweden will force Russia to spread its forces thinner, Alberque said. It also will need to bulk up defenses around St. Petersburg and rush more troops to the crucial Kola Peninsula, a landmass 110 miles east of the Finland-Russia border where Russia bases its nuclear submarine fleet and Arctic navy.

Youve got Swedish and Finnish air radars, anti-aircraft, anti-ship and land attack capabilities. Youve got a massive Finnish army within days of a crisis initiating. Youve got Poland with U.S. forces, Lithuania with German forces, Estonia with more and more NATO forces, Alberque said. Its looking more and more like a nightmare for Russia.
Amanda Grimes (47) struck the man at the city centre shop, leaving him with a mark on his temple

A woman punched a discount store manager in the head when she was detained for shoplifting.

Amanda Grimes (47) struck the man at the city centre shop, leaving him with a mark on his temple.

Judge Bryan Smyth adjourned the case at Dublin District Court for a victim impact report.

Grimes, with an address at Sheriff Street Lower, pleaded guilty to assault at Dealz, Liffey Street, on January 20 last year.

She also admitted theft of 63 worth of food and cosmetics items and other separate offences.

The court heard the accused had been detained shoplifting at Dealz after she punched the store manager to the side of the head.

He had a mark to his temple but suffered no lasting injuries. The property was recovered in a saleable condition.

Separately, gardai were called to Eurogiant on Abbey Street on September 22, 2020, when security activated the panic alarm. The court heard Grimes had gone in, put 36 worth of items in a bag and left without paying.

She was verbally abusive to security staff when stopped.

In another incident, on May 26 this year, gardai found her selling items to members of the public on OConnell Street. She had property in her bag with no receipts.

Grimes had 48 previous convictions, for offences including theft.

The judge said the assault victim should be canvassed as to whether he wanted to make an impact statement.
Coleman allegedly beat and stabbed the man to the point of death because he owed him a 200 drug debt

A leading loyalist allegedly beat and stabbed a man to the point of death because he owed him a 200 drug debt and was stealing his customers, the high court has heard.

David Dee Coleman is also accused of punching and kicking the injured man while forcing him to call himself and his daughter the c-word.

The 36-year-old, who hails from the Shankill estate in Belfast but now lives in Ballymena, is charged with attempted murder, kidnap and possession of a class C drug.

It came after the victim was found severely injured in a field outside the village of Broughshane, Co Antrim, on October 11.

Coleman appeared before the high court via video-link from Maghaberry Prison on Friday seeking to be released on bail.

Belfast High Court

Objecting to Coleman being freed, a barrister for the Crown told Lord Justice McCloskey that the man was found with a stab wound near his heart, a slice wound on his face down to the bone and a fractured skull.

She said the man was in intensive care for a number of weeks before he was able to make a statement to police and is still awaiting further surgery.

The lawyer said on the date of the incident the man had a number of calls from Coleman to come to his flat on Fountain Place in Ballymena to help him bag up cocaine.

The man admitted having met Coleman a number of times in recent years and to having bought cocaine off him in the past. He also admitted owing Coleman a 200 drug debt.

He said while he was there Coleman accused him of stealing clients and hacking his phones before attacking him.

The barrister said that Coleman also heated a kitchen knife on a stove before sticking it into his chest.

Coleman, she said, also forced him to clean up his own blood from the floor and demanded he call himself and his daughter a word colloquially known as the c-word.

The lawyer said the man told police he could hear Coleman asking an unknown person, Where do you go to get rid of someone? before he was forced into the boot of a car. He also claimed he could hear a Ballymena man giving directions to the driver of the vehicle.

The court was told Coleman gave a no comment interview when he was arrested and there were concerns about interference with witnesses and of failure to appear for hearings should he be released.

Colemans barrister said there had been significant delays in the case and there was no evidence that he would flee Northern Ireland if released as he was arrested while on bail for other offences.

He added that Coleman denies all the allegations against him and there was no forensic link to the alleged victim and Colemans flat.

Lord Justice McCloskey said while the application had been put realistically and succinctly it must be refused due to a risk of reoffending and interference with witnesses.

Coleman was taken back into custody to appear in court again on August 18.
The victim did not know the accused before the assault, the court heard.

A young man stabbed a teenager in a supermarket car park, leaving him with a leg wound that needed stitches.

Bailey Martin (23) and the 19-year-old victim were strangers to each other before the attack in west Dublin, a court heard.

Martin, with an address at Johns Wood West, Clondalkin, admitted assault causing harm to the man and producing a knife in the course of a dispute on November 12 last year.

Judge Gerard Jones adjourned sentencing for the production of a victim impact report.

Blanchardstown District Court heard the incident happened at Tesco car park, Convent Road, Clondalkin.

Garda Sergeant Maria Callaghan said a medical report on the vicitms injuries was available and had been submitted to the court.

Garda Alan Lagrue of Clondalkin station gave an outline of the prosecutions evidence so the judge could consider whether to accept jurisdiction.

He said gardai arrived at the supermarket car park in response to a report of an armed incident.

The gardai met the victim who had suffered a stab wound to the right side of his leg.

The man was taken to Tallaght Hospital, where he received three stitches before being discharged shortly after, Gda Lagrue said.

The victim did not know the accused before the assault, the court heard.

There were a number of friends with him at the time but they were not involved.

Gardai made a number of enquiries, obtained CCTV and took witness statements.

The accused was arrested at his home on November 20 and brought to Clondalkin garda station, where he was detained for a number of hours and charged.

He was then taken to the Criminal Courts of Justice, where he was given conditional bail after a hearing, Gda Lagrue added.

Judge Jones accepted jurisdiction after hearing the summary of the case.

Prosecution evidence had been disclosed and handed over to the defence, Sgt Callaghan said.

Martin would like to mark a plea, his lawyer said, asking the judge to adjourn sentencing for reports to be obtained by the defence.

The injured party would also need to be canvassed for a victim impact statement, the court heard.
One of five suspects in the attack is a Kinahan cartel member who was previously arrested by gardai investigating a feud murder

A fifth prisoner is suspected of being involved in the brutal assault on Robert OConnor (34) in Mountjoy Prison who later died from his injuries.

The victim, from Darndale in north Dublin, had been fighting for his life in the Mater Hospital since the incident in his cell last Friday night. His death was confirmed this morning.

OConnor, had been sentenced to six and half years just two days earlier.

One of the five suspects for involvement in the attack is a Kinahan cartel member who was previously arrested by gardai investigating a feud murder.

Sources say he is one of five men believed to have been seen on CCTV coming to and from cells before and after the attack on the prisons C Wing last Friday.

He and three other inmates were singled out as suspects in the aftermath of the horror assault.

However, the Sunday World has since learned that OConnor is thought to have been lured to a cell by a fifth inmate for a straightener to settle a dispute.

Over the weekend OConnor was being kept alive in hospital on a ventilator after sustaining a serious brain injury in the horror assault in Mountjoy.

Senior sources say that such were the horrific injuries that OConnor suffered in the attack on Friday evening that he was never expected to survive.

The ventilator that was keeping him alive at Dublins Mater Hospital was switched off last night and detectives from Mountjoy Garda Station are now preparing to launch a murder investigation.

OConnor had been remanded in custody in Cloverhill Prison since last October but was moved to Mountjoy in February after getting a six-month sentence for a separate offence.

On Wednesday, he pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of a semi-automatic pistol in Finglas on October 13, 2021.

OConnors previous convictions include drugs offences, stealing cars, criminal damage, theft and road traffic offences.

One of the suspects thought to have played a role in the attack is serving a sentence for a similar offence.

The serious criminal was jailed for possession of the gun, which gardai believed was to be used in a planned feud hit.

The criminal, regarded as a key link in Kinahans outfit, was arrested after a surveillance operation by gardai from the Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau.

OConnor was not a major player in any of the prominent criminal gangs but he did suffer from serious drug issues.

Of the suspects identified, one is linked to the cartel while another is serving a lengthy sentence for an aggravated burglary.

All are from the capitals northside and are considered extremely violent criminals.

In a statement this morning, the Irish Prison Service confirmed the news.

The Irish Prison Service can confirm that the prisoner who was seriously injured in an incident in Mountjoy Prison on Friday 29th July 2022 has died.

We extend our deepest sympathies to his family and friends.

The incident continues to be investigated by the IPS and the Gardai.
All four inmates who entered the victims cell on Friday evening before OConnor was savagely beaten were identified on CCTV

Robert OConnor (34) was rushed to the Mater hospital after fellow inmates launched the brutal attack in the man's cell in the Dublin prison.

He was fighting for his life in ICU after sustaining a serious brain injury before his death was confirmed this morning.

Senior sources say that such were the horrific injuries that OConnor suffered in the attack on Friday evening that he was never expected to survive.

The ventilator that was keeping him alive at Dublins Mater Hospital was switched off last night and detectives from Mountjoy Garda Station are now preparing to launch a murder investigation.

All four inmates who entered the victims cell on Friday evening before OConnor was savagely beaten were identified on CCTV and have been separated from all other prisoners.

Gardai have not questioned them yet and they are all expected to be moved to other prisons away from each other.

The investigation team is in no rush in this matter because none of those involved in this are going anywhere soon apart from the prison system and gardai have a lot of time to build up the evidence of what actually happened, a senior source said.

There is a large number of theories being investigated about what happened including whether the victim was targeted over an alleged sexual assault that happened before he got locked up, a row that he got in the jail system, a drugs debt he may owe or whether associates of a Finglas criminal who he was allegedly on the way to target when he was caught with a gun last year are behind it.

This is a long list but every possible motive will be scrutinised and in this case gardai are in no rush whatsoever before the suspects are questioned, the source explained.

O'Connor had only been sentenced two days before the attack for six-and-a-half years after admitting to the possession of a semi-automatic pistol in Finglas, Dublin, last October.

His previous convictions include drug offences, stealing cars, criminal damage, theft and road traffic offences.

The victim was not a major player in any of the prominent criminal gangs but he did suffer from serious drug issues.

Of the suspects identified, one is linked to the Kinahan cartel while another is serving a lengthy sentence for an aggravated burglary.

All are from the capitals northside and are considered extremely violent criminals.

In a statement this morning, the Irish Prison Service confirmed the news.

The Irish Prison Service can confirm that the prisoner who was seriously injured in an incident in Mountjoy Prison on Friday 29th July 2022 has died.

We extend our deepest sympathies to his family and friends.

The incident continues to be investigated by the IPS and the Gardai.
Originally from Somalia, they are just two members of a much wider network making up to 20,000 per person they help traffic

Police and Home Office carry out a number of searches in the south Belfast area on August 3, 2022 (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph)

Police and Home Office carry out a number of searches in the south Belfast area on August 3, 2022 (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph)

On a suburban street in south Belfast, lives a 40-year-old woman anti-trafficking officers believe is one of a network of ruthless criminals profiting from the movement of desperate people.

As the residents of Ravenhill Avenue are preparing to head off to work, the street is swarmed by Home Office officials, aided by the PSNI.

At first there is no answer at the door while the upstairs blinds twitch, as an officer with a battering ram prepares to force entry, the woman opens the door and a search of the property begins before the woman is arrested.

Police and Home Office carry out a number of searches in the south Belfast area on August 3, 2022 (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph)

High on the list of items being sought is mobile phones that will give a fuller picture of the scale of the operation.

This is an investigation that has been ongoing for 10 months and involves a close partnership with the Home Office and their counterpart in the south.

The crackdown on immigration in the rest of the UK has seen traffickers diversify and change routes. Bringing desperate people mainly from the poorer African nations through ports in the south of Ireland before crossing the border, many seeking asylum in Northern Ireland.

Across town and at an apartment complex in Annadale on the banks of the River Lagan, residents watch on with curiosity as a 26-year-old man is brought out in handcuffs, he is an associate of the woman arrested earlier in the day.

Both, originally from Somalia, are naturalised British citizens, just two members of a much wider network making up to 20,000 per person they help traffic to the UK.

More to follow.
Robert OConnor (34) was rushed to the Mater hospital after fellow inmates launched the brutal attack in the man's cell in the Dublin prison

This is the inmate who died following a serious assault in Mountjoy Prison on Friday evening.

Robert OConnor (34) was rushed to the Mater hospital after fellow inmates launched the brutal attack in the man's cell in the Dublin prison.

He was fighting for his life in ICU after sustaining a serious brain injury before his death was confirmed this morning.

The victim, from Darndale in north Dublin had been sentenced to six and half years just two days earlier.

One of the five suspects for involvement in the attack is a Kinahan cartel member who was previously arrested by gardai investigating a feud murder.

Sources say he is one of five men believed to have been seen on CCTV coming to and from cells before and after the attack on the prisons C Wing last Friday.

He and three other inmates were singled out as suspects in the aftermath of the horror assault.

However, the Sunday World has since learned that OConnor is thought to have been lured to a cell by a fifth inmate for a straightener to settle a dispute.

The ventilator that was keeping him alive at Dublins Mater Hospital was switched off last night and detectives from Mountjoy Garda Station are now preparing to launch a murder investigation.

OConnor had been remanded in custody in Cloverhill Prison since last October but was moved to Mountjoy in February after getting a six-month sentence for a separate offence.

On Wednesday, he pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of a semi-automatic pistol in Finglas on October 13, 2021.

OConnors previous convictions include drugs offences, stealing cars, criminal damage, theft and road traffic offences.

One of the suspects thought to have played a role in the attack is serving a sentence for a similar offence.

The serious criminal was jailed for possession of the gun, which gardai believed was to be used in a planned feud hit.

The criminal, regarded as a key link in Kinahans outfit, was arrested after a surveillance operation by gardai from the Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau.

OConnor was not a major player in any of the prominent criminal gangs but he did suffer from serious drug issues.

Of the suspects identified, one is linked to the cartel while another is serving a lengthy sentence for an aggravated burglary.

All are from the capitals northside and are considered extremely violent criminals.

In a statement this morning, the Irish Prison Service confirmed the news.

The Irish Prison Service can confirm that the prisoner who was seriously injured in an incident in Mountjoy Prison on Friday 29th July 2022 has died.

We extend our deepest sympathies to his family and friends.

The incident continues to be investigated by the IPS and the Gardai.
Matthew Isaac Wolfe (40), who helps run the adult website GirlsDoPorn, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Barbara L. Major to Conspiracy to Commit Sex Trafficking by Force, Fraud and Coercion in San Diego on July 26.

A piece of tape covering a laptop's webcam, with a porn search typed into the Google Chrome internet browser   PA

A porn website operator in the US has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to sex trafficking by fraudulently coercing women to appear in online sex videos.

Matthew Isaac Wolfe (40), who helped run the adult website GirlsDoPorn until his arrest in October 2019, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Barbara L. Major to Conspiracy to Commit Sex Trafficking by Force, Fraud and Coercion in San Diego on July 26.

Wolfe, the fourth defendant to plead guilty in connection with the case, moved to the United States in 2011 to work for his friend and co-defendant Michael Pratt, the owner of the GirlsDoPorn website.

While working at the company, Wolfe filmed approximately 100 videos, uploaded finished videos onto the internet, oversaw the companys financial books, and operated various business entities that were used to promote the business.

Wolfe, who is originally from New Zealand, admitted that he persuaded women to appear in the porn videos by telling them that the videos would never be posted online and wouldnt be released in the United States.

He also said that no one who knew the women would find out about the videos.

He admitted to knowing that these claims were false as the videos were exclusively marketed and distributed on the internet.

Wolfe trained co-defendant Theodore Gyi, a cameraman, on how to run video shoots and told Gyi to tell the women that the videos would not be posted on the internet.

Wolfe also admitted that he was aware that some of the women were being identified on pornwikileaks.com, a site controlled by Pratt and dedicated to exposing the true identities of individuals appearing in porn videos, which caused the victims to be subjected to severe harassment.

US Attorney Randy Grossman said that his actions had a devastating impact" on the victims.

We will seek justice for human trafficking victims in hopes that it will help them reclaim their lives and leave the pain of this experience in the past.

Grossman commended the prosecution team as well as FBI agents and members of the San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force for their continuing effort to investigate and prosecute this important case.

Stacey Moy, special agent in charge of the FBI San Diego Field Office, added: Wolfe lied to and preyed on vulnerable young women, subjecting them to years of relentless harassment, fear and mental anguish.

Identifying, investigating, and apprehending sex trafficking offenders is a critical part of our mission. We will continue to work with our partners every day to hold these perpetrators accountable for their crimes.

Wolfe is due to be sentenced by US District Judge Janis L. Sammartino on October 10, 2022, at 9am.

He is facing a maximum sentence of life in prison and a $250,000 fine for his crimes.

The FBI is offering a reward of up to $50,000 for information leading to the arrest of Michael James Pratt.
The erections can pop up at any time, and hes even gotten one when the pair are out at the shops or at the gym.

Vikki Brown (31) and her boyfriend Lucas Martins (39) met while they were both waiting in the queue at UK supermarket Morrisons during lockdown in 2020 and live separately in Stoke-on-Trent.

Vikki said that Lucas erections can pop up at any time, and hes even gotten one when the pair are out at the shops or at the gym, Metro.co.uk reports.

Through the whole relationship hes always had an erection  in shops, restaurants, the gym  theres no rest from it at all and I just wondered if any other couples are the same, she explained.

He can go to sleep with an erection and wake up with one, even though he does night shifts theres no change in it at all.

Its every single place we are  we can be having a perfectly normal everyday conversation like Shall we go and climb this mountain next weekend? and he has an erection.

She only needs to look at me and speak to me and I get hungry for it, he said.

Lucas said that hed never experienced excessive erections before meeting Vikki and even went to a doctor about the embarrassing problem but was told it wasn't a medical issue.

She only needs to look at me and speak to me and I get hungry for it, he said.

If that pheromone and testosterone just link together correctly, I can easily come to bed and look at Vikki and have an erection. I fall asleep with one and wake up with one.

She is basically a forbidden fruit and for that reason I just want to eat it... It just seems to be natural, Ive got a wonderful woman next to me  shes a goddess.

Luca has always believed in good intercourse with his woman and wife-to-be" and Vikki agrees that it brings the couple closer together.

I do believe that too, he just wants me all the time, she said.

Lucas added: After a year when most couples would die down, months and years go by and we get hungrier for each other.

Its how she makes me feel, Ive never experienced before how she makes me feel, our bodies are so connected and that is so easy.
Staff at 10 airports in Portugal are set to stage a three-day walk-out in disagreement over pay and working conditions

Irish tourists set to visit Portugal this month have been warned ahead of potential strike fears.

Staff at Portuguese airports are planning a 3-day walkout over disagreements on pay and working conditions.

The strike, which is expected to include cabin crew, handling staff and other staff at 10 airports across the country including Lison, Faro and Porto.

Portugal's Civil Aviation Workers' Union (SINTAC) and Commercial Aviation Staff Union (SQAC) are planning the strike action from August 19th to 21st, with the potential to disrupt thousands of holidaymakers.

In a statement, the unions said:"Only by doing this (strike) we will be able to achieve what the company has been lacking for a long time: social stability, respect for workers rights and, fundamentally, for people."

Portugal's Civil Aviation Workers' Union (SINTAC) and Commercial Aviation Staff Union (SQAC) are planning the strike from August 19 until August 21.

The unions said in a joint statement: "Only by doing this (strike) we will be able to achieve what the company has been lacking for a long time: social stability, respect for workers rights and, fundamentally, for people."

In response, Airport operator ANA said they will continue to promote conversation between both partners during the ongoing negotiations.

Airport disruption is not the only thing that could hamper holidays to Portugal.

The Portuguese Government have recently extended their Covid-19-related health alert until the end of August as rising infections have caused concerns among health officials.

Everyone aged 10 and over will need to continue wearing masks on public transport, including on airplanes, and on entry to medical facilities.

While these guidelines apply to mainland Portugal, there are separate guidelines in place in Madeira, the Azores and Porto Santo.

On those Islands, anyone aged six and over must wear masks on public transport.

Social distancing guidelines remain in place with Covid-19 testing facilities in operation at all Portuguese airports.

"A resolution was approved that extends the state of the alert throughout the mainland due to the Covid-19 pandemic until August 31, Minister of State Mariana Vieira da Silva said.

"When autumn comes, we might have a worsening of the pandemic that may make it necessary to take additional measures.
The man was walking at the Devils Chimney area of Glencar on Monday evening when he fell.

Gardai told sundayworld.com that officers, along with other emergency personnel had engaged in an operation after a man in his 60s suffered a fall at the Devils Chimney, Glencar, Co Sligo, yesterday evening.

The man was located but was later pronounced dead at the scene.

A major search and rescue operation was launched after the man was reported missing at around 7pm.

The man, who is believed to have been from the Galway area, was holidaying in the area with his wife when the accident happened. Its believed he became disoriented, as he tried to make his way back down the mountain trail.

Henry Doherty, from Sligo Leitrim Mountain Rescue (SLMR), told sundayworld.com: Initially we got the call at 7pm to look for a man whod gone missing.

He was on his way back down the mountain and he got disorientated. We found him approximately 500m from the track itself. Its quite easy to lose your way in the mountains, if youre not familiar or experienced in that environment.

The Devils Chimney. Pic: Tony Pleavin

Some peoples perception may be different from the way they went up to the way down.

Mr Doherty said it was possible the man couldnt find his way back but unfortunately he slipped and tragically fell about 20m.

A local landowner helped the search and rescue team locate the man, and Mr Doherty said this local knowledge was key in locating the man.

The information led to the team finding the man around 40 minutes after arriving at the scene.

Sadly, the man had fallen into a stream, Mr Doherty said. He was found in the base of a gully and the stream had swollen due to bad weather.

He was partially submerged in water. The team located him and after an initial assessment, he was found to have a head injury and having fallen into the stream, he was developing the symptoms of hypothermia.

It can very much affect the vulnerable and elderly people, or people with any circulatory issues. We don't know how long he was in the water.

The rescue operation involved 10 members of the Strandhill-based Irish Coastguard helicopter, the National Ambulance Service and the gardai.

The Irish Coastguard helicopter, Rescue 118, also attended the scene and paramedics performed CPR on the casualty.

The man was pronounced dead at the scene. His body was taken to Sligo University Hospital and a coroner will decide the cause of death.

Mr Doherty said the rescue team had been upset by the loss of the man and they sent their condolences to his family and loved ones.

He asked the general public to always be careful when setting off on a trek up a mountain, due to the uncertainty of the geographical and weather conditions.

Make sure to prepare properly for the day out, he said. The mountains are there to be enjoyed but first check the weather and that you have suitable footwear, clothing and enough food and water for the day and for if any difficulty arises due to weather changes.

Its possible you could be out a lot longer than expected, so prepare for that with food, water and clothing.

Tell someone where you're going, what time you're expected to be back and make sure your mobile is fully charged to dial emergency services if you get into difficulty.

The Devils Chimney is a popular mountain trail walk which is a 130m high ascent. The waterfall is named Sruth in Aghaidh An Aird, meaning stream against the height. This refers to the waterfalls appearance of blowing upwards in certain weather conditions.

The walk is only meant to take around an hour and is classed as moderate according to SligoWalks.ie.
There is no excuse for the type of war crimes that Russia has committed

Mr Martin said he will be meeting President Michael D Higgins as part of normal Constitutional and Government procedures next month - but refused to say if the letter controversy will be brought up.

He confirmed that he had not to date spoken with Mr Higgins about the issue.

The Fianna Fail leader also refused to say whether he would ask for a review of the practice whereby the spouse of the serving President has the capacity to have personal material published on the official Presidents website.

"I think we need to have a sense of perspective. There has been a lot of debate - that is important - we live in a democracy and it is good that we have people's viewpoints articulated," he said.

Sabina and President Higgins

"From all involved, my view is that it is time to move on from it now.

"The key point is that the Irish Government position is rock solid on what should be done here - Russia needs to withdraw at a minimum back to the positions when the war started.

"There is no excuse for the type of war crimes that Russia has committed. The level of violence it has inflicted on the Ukrainian people. It strikes at the heart of the multi-lateral world order."

Mr Martin said Mrs Higgins explained the letter was written in a personal capacity - and the President had also clarified the position.

"The President himself issued a statement, through his spokesperson, and gave his longstanding articulation of his condemnation of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

"I think Sabina Higgins has clarified the situation in terms of her statement," he said.

"The President, to be fair, has also reiterated his strong condemnation of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

"The Irish Government's position has been consistent from the outset and it remains the position that the invasion was both illegal and immoral.

"It was a terrible act against the people of Ukraine.

"We live in a democracy and we are conscious of that and people are entitled to their viewpoints.

"We are all agreed on the need for peace. There is no argument there.

"The Government's view is that Russia has to stop the violence and stop the war and withdraw from the territory of Ukraine."

Mr Martin refused to be drawn on whether lessons needed to be learned from the controversy and the use and oversight of the Presidents website.

"Sabina Higgins has clarified her position. I don't see it that way (that political parties were embarrassed). From the Government point out view, I don't think anyone is in any doubt about the Irish Government's position on the war in Ukraine.

"I don't think the Ukrainian Government is (confused about Irish support).

"I have spoken with President Zelensky so I think we have to keep everything in perspective.

"Clarity has come from the President, clarity has come from Sabina Higgins herself. Everybody accepts there is no equivalence between Vladimir Putin and President Zelensky.

"Ukraine did not want this war, Europe did not want this war and Europe tried everything it could, with President Biden, to prevent this war from occurring.

"Terrible, terrible damage has been done as a result of the war and terrible loss of life has occurred.

"It is needless, it is reprehensible and it should end."

Mr Martin declined to say if the capacity for the spouse of the President to publish material on the official Presidential website might now be reviewed.

"I think the explanation is that it is not the first time...we do know that the spouse of the President, a practice has built up over the years where they may go to a particular opening or adopt a particular cause for the benefit of the community.

"That has been happening for quite some time. I think we need to understand that an informal practice has built up over the years.

"What is clear is that the Government position has not changed nor do I believe that, in terms of the Ukrainian Government or people generally, I think they are well aware of our position as articulated on a consistent basis at the UN Security Council."

The Taoiseach said he had seen for himself the war crimes committed in Ukraine.

"I visited Ukraine myself and went to Bucha and Irpin where I saw at first hand - I met families who were very affected by the terror of the war and by the crimes that were committed in terms of the targeting of innocent civilians.

"The towns I visited were not military installations.

"Our position along with others in the EU is unequivocal - that Russia should withdraw to, at a minimum, the positions it had before the war started.

"In our view, we are clear that many efforts were made by many EU leaders including Chancellor Scholtz, President Macron to get Russian President Vladimir Putin - to deter him from starting the war in the first instance.

"Unfortunately, I think he (Putin) has an imperialist 19th century view of life.

"He resolved to invade Ukraine and he did."
Sicko Bernard McNamee (62) groomed child with sweets and comics before assaulting him in bed

St Theresas church in Sion Mills where McNamee was a Eucharistic Minister.

A former Eucharistic Minister convicted last month of abusing a young boy is living ten metres away from a primary school, we can reveal.

Bernard McNamee is awaiting sentencing for abusing a young boy several times after a jury at Dungannon Crown Court found him guilty of three counts of indecently assaulting the child.

The 62-year-old pervert, from Fyfin Road, Victoria Bridge, Co Tyrone, groomed his child victim with comics, sweets and chocolate before forcing himself on the child during a period of the 1990s.

Steven Moore quizzes McNamee

McNamee, who gave communion to kids at St Theresas Catholic Church in Sion Mills, befriended the childs family but repeatedly got into bed with the young boy and abused him.

Hes pictured here for the first time after we confronted him at the address hes bailed to live at until hes sentenced in September.

Shockingly, the sex beasts home is just a few metres away from an award-winning Catholic primary school, St Eugenes.

A concerned resident told theSunday World: Everyone knows about what he did now after the court case but nobody can understand why hes still allowed to live beside a school.

Hes a stones throw away from the school and dozens of kids walk past his door every morning and afternoon. Bernard is a sad case these days but I still dont think he should be that close to a primary school.

St Theresas church in Sion Mills where McNamee was a Eucharistic Minister.

On Wednesday McNamee  who forced his victim to go through a trial  showed no remorse for his victim when we called at his door.

Instead he had the cheek to bemoan his own situation, feeling sorry for himself.

Creepily, he answered the door wearing a red fleeced top with a local community association badge depicting two young kids playing together.

He also had a statue of the Child Jesus, better known as the Child of Prague, on display in his front window. Pope Benedict XVI said last year of the famous statue that adorns many homes across the world: The figure of the Child Jesus, the tender infant, brings home to us Gods closeness and his love.

We asked McNamee if he had anything to say to his victim now hed been found guilty by a jury but he replied: No comment, I dont want to comment on the case, its not finished.

When asked if he was worried about going to prison when he is sentenced in seven weeks, he replied: No, Im not worried about going to jail because Im already in jail. I cant go out anywhere or do anything.

Im already serving a prison sentence and its not right.

The primary school close to his home

While McNamee seemed happy to talk to us, another man emerged from the property and told us to clear off.

Last month shocking details emerged of McNamees disgusting behaviour during his trial at Dungannon Crown Court.

He had denied three counts of indecently assaulting a boy on dates between August 1991 and January 1993 but was convicted by majority verdict.

In evidence, the victim explained McNamee would visit his parents most weeks and was considered a close friend.

While bringing sweets and biscuits for all the children in the family, the victim felt special as McNamee paid particular attention to him, buying him comics and leaving chocolate bars beside his bed.

McNamee asked the victim to stay overnight at his home, but his mother refused.

Our man with McNamee

However, having been effectively groomed by sweets and comics, the victim believed he would get more if he stayed the night with McNamee and pleaded with his mother to let him go.

After several more refusals, his mother agreed.

McNamee collected the boy in his car and drove him to the home he shared with his mother and brother.

As night fell, boy was taken to a room with both a single and double bed. McNamee told him the victim to sleep in the double and later got in bedside him.

The boy recalled wakening around 2am with an uncomfortable feeling and discovered McNamee was fondling his genitals.

Upset, the victim ran to the bathroom.

McNamees mother heard this and checked on the victim who claimed to have a sore head and wanted to go home. She told him it was too late and sent him back to bed.

McNamee took him home the next day and the boy never returned to the house again.

However, McNamee continued to call as normal to the boys family home, always leaving a bar of chocolate beside the victims bed.

During one Saturday visit, the young vicim noticed that McNamee was drinking alcohol. This was strange as the defendant had always insisted he did not drink.

Unable to drive, he stayed the night, sleeping in a spare bed in the victims room.

During the early hours the boy woke to find McNamee fondling his genitals while kneeling by his bed.

The victim was distressed and went into his parents room, spending the rest of the night with them, but disclosing nothing of what occurred.

The Child of Prague statue on McNamees windowsill

A similar incident took place again except in that instance McNamee slept in a spare room. At some point during the night he made his way into the victims bedroom and again sexually touched him.

The victim spent the rest of the night in with his parents, complaining of a sore head.

McNamee returned to bed the spare room and left the house the following day.

While there were no further incidents, the victim became concerned for other children in his extended family, warning one not to sit on McNamees lap.

After a time the victim disclosed what occurred to a family member, telling them McNamee had touched him where he didnt want to be touched.

Later, he reported the abuse to police and McNamee was arrested.

McNamee denied the allegations during interview and maintained this throughout his trial.

However, after deliberations the jury returned a guilty verdict by majority on all counts.

Agreeing to release McNamee on continuing bail while pre-sentence reports are prepared, Judge Peter Irvine QC warned this was not to be taken as an indication of how he will be dealt with.

Sentencing will take place in September.

steven.moore@sundayworld.com
It remains unknown who McGregor will be playing in the project

Conor McGregor is set to try his hand at acting after landing a role in a major movie.

The UFC star will join Jake Gyllenhaal in a new remake of the classic 1989 action flick Road House, which is being made by Prime Video, Deadline reports.

Road House will follow a former UFC fighter, played by Gyllenhaal, who takes a job as a bouncer at a rough-and-tumble roadhouse in the Florida Keys, but soon discovers that not everything is what it seems in the tropical paradise.

It remains unknown who McGregor will be playing in the project, but sources have made it clear that he would be playing an original character and not himself.

Hollywood has been wanting to see the Dubliner on the big screen for some time now, but McGregor reportedly wanted to make sure that he chose the right project to make his acting debut in.

Insiders say when he heard there was interest for him to join the Road House cast, he watched the original film for the first time and enjoyed it so much he wanted to get in on the action.

Sources add that after a meeting with producer Joel Silver, McGregor was sold on the project and loved the idea where the new story was headed compared to the original.

The Amazon Original Movie is set to go into production in the Dominican Republic this month and will stream on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide when it is released.

In March, Conor offered Jared Leto the opportunity to join him at a fight camp after the House of Gucci star said hed love to play the Dublin fighter in a biopic.

The 50-year-old, who is a big fan of McGregors and has attended several of his fights, told Extra TV: If we do the UFC movie, if I was younger, Id play Conor McGregor. I got the beard.

What Conor does and what these guys and gals do is just extraordinary.

Im too old to do Conor probably, but you never know. We could maybe use some CGI.

McGregor later tweeted: Jared Leto, I invite you to come and practice the part with me! alongside a link to an article about the actors remarks.

Leto who appeared in 'Fight Club' in 1999, also suggested that he would be interested in playing the part of UFC president Dana White.

The cast for the new version of Road House also includes Billy Magnussen, Daniela Melchior, Gbemisola Ikumelo, Lukas Gage, Hannah Love Lanier, Travis Van Winkle, B.K. Cannon, Arturo Castro, Dominique Columbus, Beau Knapp and Bob Menery.

Doug Liman is directing from a script written by Anthony Bagarozzi and Charles Mondry while Joel Silver will produce the film for his company, Silver Pictures.
Two days after the Love Island 2022 final, Dami and his partner Indiyah Polack are ready to go home after spending eight weeks in Mallorca inside the iconic villa.

Two days after the Love Island 2022 final, Dami and his partner Indiyah Polack are ready to go home after spending eight weeks in Mallorca inside the iconic villa.

They met up with winners Ekin-Su Culculoglu and Davide Sanclimenti, as well as fellow finalists Gemma Owen and Luca Bish, and Tasha Ghouri and Andrew Le Page at Palma Airport on Wednesday morning before catching their flight.

Dami took to Instagram to share some snaps of his pals and partner before boarding the plane, while all four couples posed for a photo together as they waited in the terminal.

It is not yet known whether Dami, who lives in Blanchardstown in Dublin, will go home to Ireland or stay in the UK with Indiyah after his Love Island journey.

And as the door closes on Love Island for another year, ITV has released the voting figures that saw Ekin-Su and Davide take the crown during Monday nights final.

The dynamic duo won the public vote by a landslide with a whopping 63.69pc of viewers choosing them as their favourite couple.

Gemma and Luca placed second in the competition with 14.47pc of the vote.

Meanwhile, third place couple Dami and Indiyah got 11.77pc of the public vote, while fourth place couple Tasha and Andrew received 10.07pc of the vote.

The voice of Love Island Iain Stirling said it was bittersweet to see Love Island finish up after another summer of love.

The 34-year-old Scottish comedian and TV star, who is married to Irish host Laura Whitmore, has narrated the ITV2 show since 2015. Laura has presented the show since 2020.

He told Good Morning Britain: I think it is bittersweet from contestant up to, you know, executive producer and everyone in-between, it is that thing of its two months, its every day. Weve had such a nice time. Were all probably ready to go home.

But were very excited for the final and also theres that horrible feeling of then its over? And what do you do? What do you do with your evenings?
Funnyman Rory, who has more than a million followers, said there is a possibility that he is on the autism spectrum.

The dad-of-three young children from Ashbourne, Co Meath, has previously spoken about being dyslexic and suffering from ADHD, and he regularly gives talks in schools about his struggles in life.

In an exclusive interview with the Sunday World, Rory says: Im actually currently smack-bang in the middle of being assessed by a professional for ADHD and potential autistic spectrum.

I always knew there was something in there different. Like a lot of my generation, its only now we are analysing our school days and going, It wasnt that I was a little boll**ks at school. It was the way you were wired. Its only now this is coming to the forefront.

My son is being assessed as well because I just felt its my responsibility not just for me, but for being a parent to learn more about this. So we are both being assessed at the minute.

Rory at Hell and Back

The more you look into the likes of ADHD the more its just fascinating. Its something that now really has my attention. When the doctor is explaining to you certain scenarios its good, but it also makes me kind of sad because youre thinking back to yourself in your younger days where it wasnt your fault.

You werent wired to take in information. The way the education system is, when you were labelled as lazy you werent lazy, its just thats the way you are.

So many people go off track because of it. There was a study done that one in every four prisoners in the UK had ADHD undiagnosed, or diagnosed now.

If the impulsive behaviour that is associated with ADHD is put down a negative road, you are only going one directionaddiction or jail. So many young people end up on the wrong road because they were misunderstood as a result of being undiagnosed back in the 80s and 90s.

The 35-year-old entertainer goes on: It was mainly primary school that wasnt a great experience for me. I remember spending a lot of time facing the wall and a lot of time kicked out of class and in the hall, spending a lot of time by myself as a 10 and 11-year-old.

I think thats a crucial age where self-belief is growing and if youre being told a number of times youre good for nothing, youre stupid, youre a blackguard, youre bold, you tend to believe that.

Back then, 25 years ago in primary school, I was a round peg in a square hole. Even when I tried to read correctly or to spell it just wasnt happening. Then theres that stigma of not wanting people in the class to think youre stupid by asking the teacher would she mind saying that again.

It was just easier to think, well, if I throw a crayon across the class here at Philip the teacher will kick me out and no one will know that Im stupid. Thats what goes through your head when you are that age.

Rory has published three best-selling books about his life

My school journal is just full of easily distracted, distracts othersand thats a common trait of ADHD. But back then we werent ahead enough at the time to understand that. It was just youre bold. And I knew deep down that I wasnt bold. I was a hyper chap, but I knew I wasnt a bad egg. Its only now when Im learning more about the condition that everything is starting to make a bit more sense.

Im lucky that I came out the other side because there are a lot of lads that are maybe strung out on drugs, or are in jail, that just didnt get that opportunity to turn their life around. I do believe it all comes back to the education system.

Rory, who has published three bestselling books about his life and his take on comedy, points out: My belief with the ADHD is that if you put your impulsive behaviour into something that youre passionate about you can achieve anything. I look no further than having a fourth book coming out this autumn. I cant spell and Im going to be a fourth-time bestselling author, and that to me is the real highlight of what people like me can achieve when we put our mind to something.

ADHD people are generally very creative when they are put on the right platform. Me writing all those books is certainly a good example, and an example Im always proud to share with young people. Every time I do a talk in a classroom I know that theres at least one Rory sitting there going, Wow! what hes saying is describing me. Im not a freak.

RORY OConnor is set to perform a September and October tour of Irish theatres. For dates go to: rorysstories.ie
Her salesman beau is celebrating his 33rd birthday today, and former Miss Ireland Holly took to Instagram this morning to pay him tribute.

Holly Carpenter has said that her boyfriend Jamie Hunt is ageing like a fine wine in a sweet birthday post.

Her salesman beau is celebrating his 33rd birthday today, and former Miss Ireland Holly took to Instagram this morning to pay him tribute.

Sharing a series of photos, which included the couple partying at a festival and enjoying a staycation, Holly wrote: Happy Birthday to my [love] @jambomamboo ageing like a fine wine

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Holly and Jamie jetted off to France for a sun-kissed summer holiday in June, with the model sharing some loved-up snaps from the trip with her Instagram followers.

She posted a carousel of pictures from their getaway and said:A mini Francephoto dump featuring my mum scaring the out of Jamie and my happy face when we collected Max & saw some baby swans.

One snap shows the couple as they posed beside a swimming pool, with another showing the pair splashing in the blue waters.

Other pictures show the beauty surrounded by alpacas, as well as another one of adorable baby swans and her dog.

Holly confirmed her relationship with Cork native Jamie last year after meeting online and getting together during lockdown.

She said that shes very happy with him but teased at the time that she wouldnt be giving anything away about him".

Despite everything going on I think in this day and age we are really lucky with dating apps and technology that we can actually meet new people and connect without ever leaving our house, so that's really positive, she told us.

Holly Carpenter shares loved up snaps from French holiday with boyfriend Jamie

Ex Miss Ireland Holly Carpenter is being impersonated on dating app again

Holly Carpenter and James Kavanagh were arrested after getting 'quite lit' on plane

She later took to Twitter during the Covid lockdown to gush about how grateful she is to have her in her life.

She said: I honestly dont know how I coped through the first lockdown living alone before I met my boyfriend and adopted my dog.

"Gained more independence I guess but when I think about how grateful I am for both of them now I could cry.

Guess Im just v emosh today, she added.
The voice of some of reggaes biggest hits, Ali Campbell, will be bringing the sound of UB40 to New Zealand regions this summer.

Ali Campbell, a founding member of the iconic British reggae band UB40, will be headlining his Here I Am tour in New Zealand, with shows scheduled for Palmerston North, Hastings, Hamilton and Whangarei.

He will also join the line-up for Taurangas One Love Festival in 2023.

As the voice behind UB40s world-wide hits such as Red Red Wine, Kingston Town, The Way You Do The Things You Do and Dont Break My Heart to name a few, Ali Campbell is an artist loved across the generations.

Presented by Timeless Group and One Love, Ali Campbell will be supported on tour by Kiwi favourites The Feelers, Three Houses Down ft General Fiyah and the legendary Sir Dave Dobbyn, who will perform at all shows except Tauranga.

Tickets for the Here I Am tour will go on sale at 6pm on Wednesday, August 3 and will be available at ticketspace.nz.

Promoters Glenn Meikle and Matthew Spratt are excited to be bringing Ali Campbell to New Zealand as a staple for a Kiwi summer.

Kiwis have grown up listening to Ali Campbell so its great to be able to provide some nostalgia for fans this summer, says Glenn.

Ali Campbell is the iconic voice behind UB40 and theres nowhere else youll get to hear it live this summer, says Matthew.

Tickets go on sale this week, with a variety of ticket options available. For tickets, go to ticketspace.nz

Ali Campbells Here I Am tour schedule:

Saturday, January 28: Central Energy Trust Arena (Outdoor Field), Palmerston North.

Sunday, January 29: One Love Festival, Tauranga Domain (*Dave Dobbyn not performing this date).

Friday, February 3: Tomoana Showgrounds Hawke's Bay, Hastings.

Saturday, February 4: Claudelands, Hamilton.

Sunday, February 5: Barge Showgrounds, Whangarei


Secondary school principals have told officials to rethink plans for offering online NCEA tests during the year.

Earlier this year, the Ministry of Education suggested as many as 80 NCEA standards could be provided as online tests.

Each would be available for one week during the year and a few would be offered two or three times.

Principals have told RNZ the proposition will make time-tabling extremely difficult and increase teacher workloads.

Epsom Girls Grammar deputy principal Karyn Dempsey says the school has trialled online exams with the Qualifications Authority for five years.

She says despite its familiarity with online assessment, a recent test-run of a supposedly 60-minute numeracy test for Year 10 students disrupted the entire school.

"They're in the classroom for about an hour and 45 minutes, so that's quite a long time and it certainly doesn't fit with our timetable which is approximately one hour per subject, so we had to get two shifts of teachers to take over in that time which means we needed 40 teachers trained up.

"The only way we could really do that was to hold the rest of the school coming in until later in the day."

Dempsey says she's worried how schools will cope if they are running such exams every few weeks.

"This is just one small Year 10 assessment that NZQA are asking us to keep in proportion and in perspective but the logistics behind that mean we had to have 45 teachers by the time you include those with special assessment conditions and we're trying to run the rest of the school and it's just not possible."

The Education Ministry says the external assessments are not formal exams and can be provided in regular timetabled classes, rather than under invigilated exam conditions.

It says students who can't work on a computer, would be able to do paper-based assessments.

"We are committed to designing NCEA assessments that are practicable for schools and the impact of non-exam external assessments on school calendars is something we actively consider and seek feedback on.

"For example, the non-exam externals being piloted can be conducted in timetabled classes and therefore do not require separate accommodation or invigilation.

"The ministry is working closely with stakeholders who represent schools to make sure that pilots and assessments meet the needs to learners and are practical for schools to deliver.

"The pilots also provide us with feedback on assessment and what can be improved. We have already received extensive feedback that we will take on board and consider for future planning."

Principals are expecting the ministry will revise its plans and they hope it will design tests that can be completed in 45 minutes and would therefore fit into a 60-minute school period.

In the meantime, James Cook High School principal Grant McMillan says the suggested scheme falls a long way short of the ideal of offering online assessment whenever students are ready for it.

"There's almost no point having a New Zealand Curriculum refresh or any of those sorts of things happen because the examiners in Wellington are going to determine when they are ready to assess Classics, when they are ready to assess Calculus, when they are ready to assess these other things.

"So in actual fact it's going to be massive centralisation and a narrowing of the curriculum by default."

He says providing about 80 tests in different one-week blocs through the year will make time-tabling difficult.

"There will be hardly any weeks of the school year where there isn't an online high-stakes examination being run within the school for a large number of students.

"That means there'll be no week in the school year or term where we can do a school production, school camps, senior balls, those sorts of things."

Nelson College tumuaki Richard Dykes says the implications of the suggested changes are "a bolt from the blue" for many teachers and principals.

He says teachers will teach standards shortly before they are tested, making lessons more assessment-driven than ever.

Dykes says there are also early indications the change will drive up the number of derived grades which teachers must calculate for students who missed exams, because they clashed with events such as sport tournaments or field trips.

He says that will create even more work for teachers.

-RNZ/John Gerritsen.
New Zealand healthcare workers say the government's new health recruitment service is ignoring the need to keep its existing people.

With better pay and working conditions offered overseas, many are now making the choice to travel.

Taylor, a community mental health nurse, says her case load has been increasing over the last five years - along with her level of burnout.

She has begun exploring different options on offer in Australia, with promises of better pay and working conditions.

"What they are offering is three to four times more than what I am currently getting, but also offering flights, other agencies have offered accommodation for myself and my family, assistance with permanent residence as well."

While she welcomes the government's efforts to attract nurses from overseas to work here, she says Kiwi nurses are feeling overlooked.

Many of her nursing friends have recently left for Australia and she believes many more will follow, with disappointment in Monday's announcement.

"A lot of New Zealand nurses are really feeling let down by the government because there seems to be no attempt made by the government to help retain nurses who are currently working in New Zealand.

"It seems like we always have to fight tooth and nail to get what we ask for."

Another nurse, who did not want to be named, says nursing had changed drastically since she started.

"It's not the same workplace I went into nine years ago, we're so much more underresourced, so people are constantly doing over their FTEs, you're constantly asked to do more."

She says she's also eyeing up other opportunities across the ditch - and while it would be no small move with two children and her partner, she never imagined it would come to this.

"We're just over it, we're really over it. Three years ago when I went on maternity leave, I could take the whole year's leave and we were comfortable. This time around, we've noticed like I'll have to go back to work early.

"I'm just done, I'm done feeling undervalued."

She's also eyeing up other opportunities across the ditch.

Teresa Walsh, a New Zealand registered nurse who has has trained as a midwife overseas, recently decided to return to Aotearoa after being offered a job as a midwife in Central Otago.

As she registered in Australia under the Trans-Tasman agreement, she can practice here too - but she says the process has been far from smooth sailing.

"Working as a registered midwife in Australia and yet I have to go and prove my original documentation.

"Why do I need to do this again? I have to get police clearance for every country I have worked in since I was 18. It put a barrier up."

And it's a barrier that she says had made her second-guess her decision.

"I might not bother at all," she said. "It just makes me want to go back to Australia. They would fly me over, I'd do a three-month contract and I'd earn probably almost twice as much."

-RNZ/Louise Ternouth.
For the first time New Zealand has a long-term strategy to deal with the effects of climate change.

The 200-page National Adaptation Plan shows the priorities for the next six years and pulls together into one place all government efforts to adapt to the warming globe.

A priority is to embed climate resilience in all government strategies and policies, the plan says.

Despite the draft version asking for public input on the toughest questions of all - for example, who will pay for damage and the cost to adapt to climate change; and how to fairly require people to leave their homes - this final version includes no definitive answers.

Instead, it says the massive Resource Management Act reform under way, and expected sometime next year, will be the primary driver in a number of areas including managed retreat.

On managed retreat - getting some communities out of harm's way in places where it is no longer viable to live - the plan says legislation will also be needed.

It reiterates costs will be shared between homeowners, local and central government, insurance companies and banks.

It also wants to make sure homes and infrastructure are built away from harm.

The plan will see Treasury and Waka Kotahi integrate adapting to climate change into decision making.

It also pledges to work with Maaori on climate actions; establish an online one-stop-shop for information on adaptation; a rolling programme of targeted guidance; and a "programme of work to unlock investment in climate resilience".

The plan says no two communities will experience climate change in the same way, and the government has pledged that equity will be at its core.

The first three years of the plan are key for both collecting the data and information and starting long-term programmes.

Other major works to address the impact of climate change already under way include reforming the emergency management system and three waters services, and reviewing the future of local government.

What does the government say?

Climate Change Minister James Shaw says the plan is a joint up approach that will support community-based adaptation with national policies and legislation.

The idea is to have tools to prepare for events before they happen rather than after.

He says the National Adaptation Plan brings together more than 120 actions that provides a blueprint for more resilient communities.

"Climate change is a global challenge, but its impacts are felt in our local communities and in our homes.

"We have already seen what can unfold. Severe weather events that had previously seemed unthinkable, even only a few years ago, are now happening at a pace and intensity we have never experienced before.

"And when they happen, everything from the roads we rely on, to our drains and water supplies, to getting the kids' to school can be severely disrupted.

"Taking action to prepare for these impacts will make our communities safer, protect our environment, and ensure our towns and cities can continue to support people's jobs and livelihoods."

Managed retreat

Managed retreat is the process of abandoning places where the risk from hazards like flooding or erosion make it no longer viable to live.

It includes RMA reform, which will play a major role. It will require local and central government, hapu, iwi and Maori, and communities to plan together how their areas will adapt

Planning tools will be provided to stop developments in high-risk areas and facilitate retreat where risks are intolerable.

Methods and requirements will be set for councils when planning for natural hazards and considering future climate risks through the National Planning Framework.

Integration between land-use planning and investment decisions will be increased. This means decisions on zoning or other planning mechanisms can occur at the same time as investment and infrastructure planning.

It also includes passing legislation to support managed retreat (this means after a decision has been made that managed retreat is the way to go). The Climate Adaptation Bill sets out the managed retreat framework and will be done by the end of 2023.

Building in the right place

Many communities are in places that face increased likelihood of damage from impacts of climate change. Regulatory frameworks and institutions do not always account for changing risks.

Some plans include:

RMA reform - This will be a major driver of what gets built where. In 2023, the Natural and Built Environments Act and the Spatial Planning Act are expected to be passed.

- Integrating adaptation into Treasury and Waka Kotahi decisions (both by 2024)

- Set national direction on natural hazard risk management and climate adaptation through the National Planning Framework. It will be released for consultation after the Natural and Built Environments Act is passed.

- Establish an initiative for resilient public housing

What else is in the plan?

The plan is essentially a guide for local authorities, business and individuals to what the Government sees as the priorities.

It identifies 43 priority risks that Aotearoa faces from climate change as well as the risk to the telecommunications network.

Some plans include:

Look at setting a resilience standard for infrastructure

Finish work on case study exploring "co-investment" of flood resilience

Flood insurance - Continue work on potential government-run home flood insurance (By the end of 2022, the Government will have received advice on flood insurance options and agreed to next steps).

Prioritising nature-based solutions

Improving natural hazard information on Land Information Memoranda - Changes to legal requirements for LIMs to help people make better-informed decisions about natural hazard risk when buying a property.

Designing and developing risk and resilience and climate adaptation information portals - This will give the public natural hazard risk information, and provide access to climate data and information.

Implementing the National Disaster Resilience Strategy

Establishing a platform for Maori climate action

Working with community housing providers to enable effective climate hazard response

On the roles of central and local government

The plan says the government's role is to set regulation, provide information, invest in infrastructure and the environment.

Local government is at the centre of the response because most hazards happen on a local scale, it says.

Local government will maintain its central role in helping communities to understand and respond together.

"Councils have statutory responsibilities to avoid or mitigate natural hazards and to have regard to the effects of climate change when making certain decisions.

"They are also responsible for civil defence and emergency management, and improving community resilience through public education and local planning. "

Councils also own many assets and infrastructure which are vulnerable to climate change.

The plan gives interim advice to councils advice on making decisions about risks to coastal and other vulnerable areas and under specific warming scenarios of warming using just [https://environment.govt.nz/publications/interim-guidance-on-the-use-of-new-sea-level-rise-projections/ released guidance.

This comprehensive guidance will become mandatory by the end of November.

Business and the environment

The plan notes climate change will have a significant impact on native species, ecosystems and the environment.

It will prioritise nature-based solutions, give advice to landowners about how to restore indigenous forests, and help farmers support biodiversity.

The public sector, businesses, property owners and civil society need to take action to reduce the scale of the long-term economic costs, and seize the opportunities of a changing climate, the plan says.

For example, less than 10 per cent of firms have assessed risks to their business from a changing climate, and less than 20 per cent intend to take action to reduce their risks over the next five years.

What next for the plan?

It is the first in a series of national adaptation plans that will be prepared every six years.

Each will respond to a new national climate change risk assessment. All New Zealanders will be able to have their say on each plan.

Every two years, He Pou a Rangi - Climate Change Commission will report to the Minister of Climate Change on the implementation and effectiveness of the national adaptation plan.

A government climate change board of executives is being established to oversee the emissions reduction plan and national adaptation plan.

It will monitor and report on progress each year, while a group of government ministers will oversee the plan and drive progress.

-RNZ/Hamish Cardwell.
Today, The Ministry of Health is reporting 6440 community Covid cases and 704 current hospitalisations.

Of today's numbers, the ministry is reporting 476 reinfections in the last 24 hours.

In the Bay of Plenty, 271 new cases have been reported in the last 24 hours.

There are currently 1867 active cases and 83 deaths recorded in the region.

The seven-day rolling average of community case numbers today is 6355  last Wednesday it was 8111, the ministry says in its daily update.

"There are now a total of 1589 deaths confirmed as attributable to Covid-19, either as the underlying cause of death or as a contributing factor.

"The seven-day rolling average increase in total deaths attributable to Covid-19 is now 22."

Total cases by location

Covid-19 hospitalisations

Covid-19 Cases in hospital: total number 704: Northland: 13; Waitemata: 69; Counties Manukau: 66; Auckland: 88; Waikato: 97; Bay of Plenty: 24; Lakes: 12; Hawkes Bay: 30; MidCentral: 32; Whanganui: 8; Taranaki: 22; Tairawhiti: 3; Wairarapa: 6; Capital & Coast: 25; Hutt Valley: 10; Nelson Marlborough: 18; Canterbury: 118; West Coast: 6; South Canterbury: 21; Southern: 36.

Weekly Covid-19 Hospitalisations - 7 day rolling average: 772 (This time last week it was 782)

Average age of current Covid-19 hospitalisations: 65

Cases in ICU or HDU: 11

Vaccination status of new admissions to hospital*: Unvaccinated or not eligible (54 cases); partially immunised <7 days from second dose or have only received one dose (3 cases); double vaccinated at least 7 days before being reported as a case (65 cases); received booster at least 7 days before being reported as a case (331 cases).

* These are new hospital admissions in the past 7 days prior to yesterday who had Covid at the time of admission or while in hospital, excluding hospitalisations that were admitted and discharged within 24hrs. This data is from Districts with tertiary hospitals: Auckland, Canterbury/West Coast, Southern, Counties Manukau, Waikato, Capital & Coast/Hutt, Waitemata and Northland.

Covid-19 vaccinations administered

Vaccines administered to date: 4,029,296 first doses; 3,982,129 second doses; 34,034 third primary doses; 2,707,593 first booster doses: 335,795 second booster doses: 266,068 paediatric first doses and 145,341 paediatric second doses

Vaccines administered yesterday: 26 first doses; 25 second doses; 27 third primary doses; 584 first booster doses; 10,778 second booster doses; 16 paediatric first doses and 124 paediatric second doses.

More detailed information, including vaccine uptake by District, is available on the Ministrys website.

Tests

Number of PCR tests total (last 24 hours): 3,858

Number of Rapid Antigen Tests reported total (last 24 hours): 12,836

PCR tests rolling average (last 7 days): 4,043

Number of Rapid Antigen Tests dispatched (last seven days as of 2 August 2022): 1.9 million

Covid-19 cases

Total number of new community cases: 6440

Number of new cases that have recently travelled overseas: 270

Seven day rolling average of community cases: 6355

Seven day rolling average of community cases (as at same day last week): 8111

Number of active cases (total): 44,462 (cases identified in the past seven days and not yet classified as recovered)

Confirmed cases (total): 1,622,657

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

There are now a total of 1,589 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, says the ministry.

"In the past seven days there have been an average of 22 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.

"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."

COVID-19 case data

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.
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Rumor mill: Samsung will reveal its next-gen folding phones on August 10 at the company's Unpacked event. We're not expecting to see too many changes this year, especially when it comes to design, but there are rumors that the company is making a minor if significant name change to both devices.

According to leaker SnoopyTech, Samsung will be dropping the 'Z' from the names of the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Galaxy Z Flip 4, a change that will also apply to all future foldables in the series.

Samsung Electronics tries to get rid of the "Z" letter in their folding phone series. Starting with Flip/Fold 4, the letter won't be printed on the boxes anymore. That's because Russian military is using the letter.  SnoopyTech (@_snoopytech_) August 2, 2022

While the majority of consumers tend not to mention the Z part when talking about Galaxy Folds and Galaxy Flips, the reason behind Samsung's purported decision is the negative connotations behind the letter following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Hand-painted Z-shaped letters were spotted on Russian tanks and military trucks on the Ukrainian border days before the invasion took place in February, and it has been used as a symbol of support for Russia ever since. There are several theories about what it stands for, from Zapad (west), which is where the Russian troops were stationed, to Za pobedu ("for victory").

A Russian news presenter in April claimed that the Z was actually two number 7s on top of each other, one of them upside down and reversed, representing the 77 years since Victory Daythe end of World War II.

This clip also explains what the "Z" is supposed to symbolize: two number 7s stacked (one of them upside down), representing 77 years since Victory Day. So, to celebrate the ending of WWII Putin decided to start a WWZ. https://t.co/WOvki2nChj  Julia Davis (@JuliaDavisNews) April 19, 2022

It's still just a rumor that needs to be taken with a dose of salt, but it's a believable one, especially as Samsung already removed the Z from the Flip 3 and Fold 3 in Baltic nations such as Estonia, Lithuania, and Latvia in April. The company is also one of many that stopped doing business in Russia, having banned smartphone shipments to the country in March.

Back in May, Russian DOTA 2 player Ivan 'Pure' Moskalenko got his team disqualified from a tournament and had his contract terminated after displaying what appeared to be the Z symbol during a livestreamed match. He claimed it was an "accident" without apologizing.

'       . -     '. pic.twitter.com/JPpfqiS1GD  ' ' (@KoTHunt) April 29, 2022

We'll find out if Samsung's next phones are called the Galaxy Z Fold/Flip 4 or they drop the Z in exactly one week from now. In the meantime, check out these official leaked renders of both devices, which do show the letter Z.
Weibo's owner, Sina Corporation, shuts down its online platforms in Taiwan. This detail was announced on Monday, July 1.

(Photo : Photo credit should read PETER PARKS/AFP via Getty Images)

China-US-Internet-listing-politics,FOCUS by Bill SAVADOVE This photo illustration taken on March 19, 2014 shows the logo of Chinese microblogging platform Weibo on a smartphone in the Chinese financial city of Shanghai. While Internet giants like Twitter and Google champion free speech.

Sina Corporation is a Chinese tech firm that operates four online platforms. These include Sina Weibo, Sina Online, Sinanet, and Sina Mobile.

As of writing, Taiwan residents can still access the mainland website version of Weibo. But why did the Chinese internet service provider decide to do this?

Weibo's Owner Closes Its Online Platforms

According to the South China Morning Post's latest report, a Sina Corporation representative confirmed that they closed their online platforms as part of their "company strategy."

(Photo : Photo by China Photos/Getty Images)

A Chinese youth plays online game in a net cafe on January 21, 2008 in Chongqing Municipality, China. According to the China Internet Network Information Center (CINIC), China reported 210 million Internet users at the end of 2007 and is set to surpass the U.S.A to become the world's largest at the beginning of this year.

Also Read: Meta's Revenue Decline Affects US News Publishers! Facebook News Tab Fundings Pulled Out

However, they didn't confirm what their new strategy was for. As of press time, experts stated that it might be linked to the ongoing geopolitical issues happening in the country.

Recently, the U.S. government confirmed that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi would arrive in Taiwan. An anonymous senior Taiwanese official said that Pelosi would spend the night during her visit.

Because of this, the topic of Pelosi's visit became viral on Weibo.

Business Insider reported that the topic hashtag "Blinken says Pelosi could visit Taiwan" already garnered more than 600 million views in just six hours.

Under the Pelosi Weibo Topic Hashtag Topic

In this hashtag topic, there are many Weibo users bashing the U.S. lawmaker. Some of them even claimed that the arrival of Nancy Pelosi could spark a major tension between China and the U.S.

One of the comments stated that the expected visit of the American official is definitely a provocation of the United States.

This is just one of the statements made by Weibo users in Taiwan against the visiting U.S. official. You can visit this link to see further details.

Meanwhile, Meta's Instagram TikTok-like features have been pulled out after the Kardashian sisters' criticism.

On the other hand, Canada's online-streaming bill is now concerning the United States.

For more news updates about Weibo and other online platforms, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes.

Related Article: Elon Musk Bashes Wikipedia Recession Page Edit Removal-Saying Site Loses Its Main Objective

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Tesla Europe will soon take orders for Model S and Model X EV units.

(Photo : Photo credit should read VIVEK PRAKASH/AFP via Getty Images)

A Tesla Model S (L) and Model X are displayed at a shopping mall in Hong Kong on March 10, 2019. - Electric carmaker Tesla has won more than 520 million USD in loans from Chinese banks to build its first overseas car plant near Shanghai, the first foreign automaker to wholly own a factory in China (Photo by VIVEK PRAKASH / AFP)

This is a big deal since the giant automaker closed its doors for new electric car orders from European residents.

Consumers were not able to purchase the popular EV models ever since Tesla stopped its production back in January 2021.

The automaker explained that the production halt was needed so that it could update its two flagship electric vehicles.

At first, the EV maker tried taking orders a few months after the production shutdown.

But, because consumers could not get their EVs, the manufacturer decided to take orders in December 2021 completely.

Tesla Europe Sells Model S, Model X After 2021 Shutdown!

According to Electrek's latest report, Tesla fans in Europe can place new orders from December until February 2023.

(Photo : Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)

A general view of the Tesla Assembly plant building which also does vehicle delivery and has a service centre, on March 29, 2021 in Tilburg, Netherlands. In mid-March, a Dutch online news site reported that the Tilburg plant, which assembles the Tesla Model S and Model X, will cease work due to changes in the production process, jeopardizing around 100 jobs.

Also Read: Tesla Stock Jumps Following Recent Three for One Stock Split in Leadup to Cyber Roundup Event

As of writing, the automaker is expected to work through its backlog from December 2021. After the recent orders are completed, new ones will be accepted.

This detail was confirmed after some Tesla Model S Plaid reservation holders in Europe claimed that the automaker started contacting them, as reported by Teslarati.

On the other hand, orders for the new Model S Long Range still remain unavailable. But, the giant EV maker claimed that new purchases will be accepted in 2023.

Europe's EV Sales Decline

Europe's EV sales decline has been recorded, making it the first one ever since April 2020.

JATO Dynamics, a global supplier of automotive business intelligence, announced that only 215,000 electric cars and plug-in hybrid vehicles had were registered in June.

This is an 8% decrease compared to 2021, which saw new EV registrations up to 233,000. You can visit this link to see more details about the latest European EV sales decline.

Previously, the Tesla Mobile Connector was reportedly back after being removed by the EV maker.

On the other hand, the Tesla Giga Press suppliers are allegedly being changed.

For more news updates about Tesla and other giant automakers, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes.

Related Article: Tesla Destination Charging Network's Paid Charging Being Rolled Out! But, Businesses Must Have This First

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There is a new significant threat in the security infrastructure now, and it comes from an unknown group of Chinese Hackers that brings a dangerous attack on the world. The modus of the group remains unknown, and the only information researchers have now is that they have a similar framework to the infamous Cobalt Strike virus in this case.

Chinese Hackers Bring New Threats-Like Cobalt Strike

(Photo : Philipp Katzenberger from Unsplash)

Bleeping Computer reported that a new Chinese hacking group is enacting its virus against the public, and it focuses on a framework called "Manjusaka," which is a dangerous threat for all. Cisco Talos discovered the new threat from the Chinese group, and they said that it resembles the former notorious framework, Cobalt Strike.

Like Cobalt Strike, Manjusaka employs a series of similar remote access trojan (RAT) which brings file access, command execution, network reconnaissance, and more actions against the user. Moreover, it hides in fake COVID-19 notices and reports that mainly center on Golmud City in Tibet, and clicking on it may infect the device.

Manjusaka is written in the cross-platform Rust programming language and uses the GoLang binaries.

Read Also: US Federal Courts Data Breach: Justice Department Investigates Records System Cyberattack

What is Cobalt Strike and How Dangerous Is It?

According to Malwarebytes, Cobalt Strike is a trojan penetration testing tool that threat actors use to infect or victimize a said system and proceed to their vendetta against their prey. It is a dangerous tool as it was an effective one when it was first discovered by researchers, infecting a massive number of users in the public landscape, while masquerading as an important service.

Hackers and the Security Infrastructure Now

Different security measures are in place to help and avoid any breaches or attacks that many threats bring to the world, and these are fulfilled by technology companies available now. There was one update by the Microsoft Office that blocks malware and other security threats, but it did not prevent threat actors from finding new ways to access it for their vendettas.

As the world expands more on technology and focuses on bringing more for the world to experience in the latest tech landscape, hackers and other forms of criminals are getting more clever in the way they attack.

Even getting calls or text messages from wrong numbers or those using random ones to contact different people or insert their links that focus on malware or virus for devices already bring significant threat to all. Agencies like the FCC, FBI, and more are already looking into preventing it in the future.

Hackers come from different nations, and of varying sizes as they may be a guild of threat actors or one individual that is enacting their systems to bait and trap users. These Chinese hackers are something that monitoring agencies focus on, especially when using the significant framework for their attacks, including that of the Cobalt Strike.

Related Article: Android Banking Malware: 17 Google Play Android Apps Could Steal Your Password

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At the Kaskasi offshore wind farm, the first wind turbine in the world with a 100% recyclable blade has been installed, as reported first by Interesting Engineering.

Ironic Disadvantage

The Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) estimates that 94 GW of wind-powered energy output was created last year, bringing the overall amount of wind power capacity to 837 GW, assisting in reducing carbon emissions by 1.2 billion tonnes globally.

But with the rise of demand for wind turbines comes the ironic disadvantage of the waste these turbines will produce at the end of their lifespans.

Siemens Gamesa, a manufacturer of turbines, identified the primary problem with their design and started developing a Recyclable Blade last year. The business states that it has changed the resin it puts on the blade by making it dissolvable through a mild acid solution.

After the blade has served its purpose, the resin can be completely dissolved to salvage turbine parts like fiberglass and wood. After that, it can be used in the circular economy to make new items like bags or flat-screen casings without requiring further raw materials.

"This is impressive and underlines the pace at which we all need to move to provide enough generating capacity to combat the global climate emergency. This milestone marks a significant contribution to Siemens Gamesa's target of having fully recyclable turbines by 2040," CEO of the Siemens Gamesa Offshore Business Unit Marc Becker said.

The company's Aalborg factory in Denmark is where the technology was created, and Hull in the United Kingdom is where the blades were made. Additionally, Germany's Cuxhaven produces the turbine's nacelle.

Read also: Team of Engineers Devise New Offshore Wind Turbine That Can Withstand the Powerful Winds of an Atlantic Hurricane

As Many As 400,000 Homes

Several of the Kaskasi offshore wind farm's turbines will be fitted with individually made, 81-meter-long Siemens Gamesa B81 RecyclableBlades. The project is situated 35 kilometers (km) north of the German North Sea island of Heligoland.

There will be 38 SG 8.0-167 DD wind turbines in it, producing 342 MW of clean, renewable energy for as many as 400,000 German homes, according to Siemens Gamesa.

Becker also claimed that the RecyclableBlade technology would help decrease raw material extraction by opening up secondary markets for recycled materials, with the potential for employment development in local markets as an added advantage.

The 354-foot (108 m) and 377-foot (115 m) long B108 and B115 blades that Siemens Gamesa utilizes for its SG 14-222 DD offshore and SG 14-236 DD turbines are also compatible with the Recyclable Blade technology.

Related Article: Offshore Wind Turbine Farm In Rhode Island Hasn't Harmed The Local Fish Population: Study

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Boots is the first community pharmacy in the UK to use a drone to deliver prescription drugs, as reported by Metro. The drone carried medicine from Baker Barracks on Thorney Island to St. Mary's Hospital on the Isle of Wight. It was then transferred to local pharmacies to be used for patients.

(Photo : by Luke Dray/Getty Images)

KAYONZA, RWANDA - JUNE 30: A nurse processes blood, delivered by a drone, at a local hospital on June 30, 2022 in Rwinkwavu, Rwanda. Zipline, a California-based company that creates drone-based delivery systems, has run projects in Rwanda and Ghana for several years, and recently started operations in Nigeria, where it focuses on areas that are difficult to navigate by road.

The delivery was a part of a trial run using Apian's medical drone. Now, Boots will assess how drones can be useful as an unmanned shipping mechanism.

The Drone

The drones can carry up to 20kg of payload and are based at the Thorney Island barracks at St. Mary's Hospital's helipad. Professional drone pilots will fly them.

They are electric, vertical take-off, and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. Its largest drone has a weight of 85kg and a wingspan of 5m. It was designed and developed by Skylift.

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has granted permission for the drones to fly in segregated airspace between Baker Barracks on Thorney Island and St. Mary's Hospital's helipad. You can watch the video here:

Also read: Drones 2022: Signs its Time to Buy Your Own Drone

The Future of Drones in Medicine

The successful delivery of medicines, it shows that the drone has a huge potential to do more in the future, specifically to remote locations. Boots is assessing how much time they can save and how they can add these drones into their medicines supply chain. The company is now preparing for a wider roll-out of this technology in the future.

NHS England also recently announced that they would use drones to deliver chemotherapy products to the island as it is faster. The Royal Mail also said they would introduce over 200 drones to deliver posts to remote locations in the next three years.

Also, last month, Kwasi Kwarteng, the business secretary, announced that the government has set aside 12m in funding for a 164-mile drone superhighway, which will be called the Skyway.

Drones for Sustainability in Healthcare

As mentioned above, drones may be one of the best ways to deliver medicines in the future, especially in remote locations.

In the Amazon rainforest, for example, there are over 60,000 indigenous people living with no access to medical facilities. When there is a health emergency, it can take hours for the nearest ambulance to arrive. However, medicine, vaccines, and food can now be delivered by drone. It can be used in places that doctors or paramedics can't reach.

Apian chief operating officer Max Coppin said, "While faster and more reliable than ground transportation they bring with them additional environmental benefits and offer a more sustainable solution for delivery."

Related article: Scientists Test Out Drones That Could Help Deliver Medical Samples To Remote Destinations

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Both Russia and Ukraine said that there will be a "major breakthrough" in the war situation, and the "Battle of Donbass" is coming to an end?
Press Release

August 2, 2022 Dela Rosa: new law guarantees protection of private security personnel SENATOR Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa on Tuesday joyfully informed fellow senators that his bill to strengthen the private security industry is one of the measures that lapsed into law. "Mr. President, you just said a while ago that basahin na lang ng ating majority leader (Joel Villanueva) 'yung mga nag-lapse into law but I cannot help but inform you that another happy bill that lapsed into law was RA No. 11917 (Republic Act No. 11917) or the Private Security Services Industry Act," Dela Rosa said in a manifestation addressing Senate President Migz Zubiri. Dela Rosa, the chairperson of the Senate Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs, authored, sponsored, and fought hard for RA 11917, otherwise known as "an Act Strengthening the Regulation of the Private Security Industry, Repealing for the Purpose Republic Act No. 5487, entitled "An Act to Regulate the Organization and Operation of Private Detective, Watchmen or Security Guard Agencies, As Amended," which was passed by the Senate last May. He said, "Pinaghirapan naming ito ni (former) Senator Franklin Drilon." The former top cop said that the new law intensifies the regulation of security agencies, like requiring the agency owner to be one of its licensees when applying for a License to Operate (LTO). "Good news dahil batas na po ang RA11917 o The Private Security Services Industry Act na mangangalaga sa ating mga private security personnel. Sa ilalim ng bagong batas na ito, mas paiigtingin ang regulation ng security agencies dahil required na ang may-ari mismo ng ahensya ang isa sa licensees nito. Ang minimum administrative fees rin na pwedeng i-charge ng ahensya sa mga kliyente nito ay 20% ng kontrata, upang masigurado na maayos ang sahod at benepisyo ng mga security personnel," he posted on his Facebook page. The law also simplifies the qualification requirements for those applying for security personnel positions. "Sila ay dapat nasa legal na edad, Filipino, physically at mentally fit, of good moral character at hindi konbidktado (convicted) ng anumang krimen patungkol sa moral turpitude. Base dito, maari na mag-apply bilang security personnel ang mga estudyanteng nagtapos sa K12 o grade 12," the post on the Senator's page also added. During his sponsorship of the measure in October 2021, Dela Rosa said, "We have witnessed countless changes to the private security industry, enough to convince us that the prevailing law is simply no longer responsive to the signs of the times. Here, then, we see the first reason for the passage of this measure; there is a need to update the law and to ensure that it accounts for the real situation of our private security professionals."
Colby Hebert was just 11 years old when he received a French prayer from his grandmother and officially became a traiteur.

Now, 20 years later, Hebert is on a mission to preserve the Cajun healing tradition for generations to come.

+7 What are Cajun traiteurs? Curious Louisiana explores practice of these Acadiana faith healers New Orleans resident Chuck Blamphin, 75, recently learned about Acadiana faith healers, or traiteurs, while searching for treatments for a fri

"I am extremely passionate about cultural preservation," Hebert said. "When a culture seems to be changing to the point to where some would refer to it as sort of dying out, it's easier to say, 'Well, things kind of aren't the way they were and that means the culture is dying.' It's easier to kind of look at it from that perspective than to consider we actually have the ability to redefine the culture, to choose how this culture is going to change, not just to let it happen in a way that is out of our control."

Traditional traiteurs (male healers) and traiteuses (female healers) treat people with specific prayers that are passed down from one healer to the next. Prayers are often combined with other folk treatments, such as the use of healing touch and medicinal plants.

Hebert, who treats about two people per week, didn't embrace his role as a traiteur until a few years ago.

"I know I've been one of the younger ones for a long time," Hebert said. "But I've seen other younger ones out there. I've seen other traiteurs that are well under 60 just on Facebook. I've seen some that look like they could be in their 20s and 30s. There are most certainly more out there than people realize."

Hebert, 31, estimates that there are several hundred healers who continue to practice in south Louisiana. He was unsure how many young healers have carried on the tradition.

Traiteurs have been known for curing warts, headaches, sunstrokes, sprained ankles, thrush, shingles and other ailments.

Healers are typically not paid or even thanked for their work since the belief is that God is the one who actually heals  traiteurs are just facilitating the treatment.

The transmission of the healing prayers, said to be a sacred gift, traditionally happens orally in French from an older person to a younger person. Some local traiteurs have expressed concern that there aren't enough young healers in Acadiana to keep the tradition alive.

What Hebert describes as the trinity of the Cajun culture  the food, the music and the language  has been well documented. Traitement, however, has been more secretive.

"You have something that is even more rare and in more dire need of preservation because it's more likely to become extinct, and that's the healing culture," Hebert said. "Today, society is moving progressively toward natural, homeopathic, alternative forms of medicine and healing, so it makes perfect sense that people would be more embracive of this practice today in an open way. You once had to be a little hush-hush about it but not today. Everyone is being more progressively open to anything, really, because that's the way the society evolves."

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A century or two ago, people knew their neighbors and who offered what services in a community. With the rise of Western medicine practices and antibiotics, home remedies were seen as suspicious and even dangerous. That, combined with the stigmatization of the Louisiana French language during the early 20th century, resulted in the discouragement of traitement practices.

When south Louisiana's language was in danger of dying out, people began hosting French tables and adding French curriculum to schools. The language may not be spoken as frequently today as it once was, but it is well documented. Likewise, Cajun and Creole cuisine is well documented and continues to evolve.

"It's the perfect time to say the culture is in need of being redefined," Hebert said. "As a traiteur, years ago, I thought, 'How can we make this alternative form of healing more accessible in the modern world?'"

Hebert initially set out to create an online directory of traiteurs and traiteuses that could be sorted and filtered by location and specialty.

Ultimately, Hebert shifted his focus to documenting and preserving Acadiana's traitement practices for public consumption. He's currently wrapping up a book that he hopes to publish within a few months.

"If you can have a Cajun French textbook, then you can have a traiteur textbook," Hebert said. "And this, to me, would be the way to both document the culture of being a traiteur in addition to being a guidebook to coincide with younger, up-and-coming traiteurs who don't necessarily have someone to teach them.

"And that contributes to preservation in an active way. It hit me that this book was even more important than the directory because the directory is just a now thing, but the book is a future thing."

Hebert has conducted several interviews for his book thus far. Although some people have been hesitant to speak with him or share sacred prayers, Hebert said many have been willing to share their knowledge with a fellow traiteur who is interested in documenting the Acadiana tradition.

"Some traiteurs have said 'I can't share my prayers' or even 'I don't necessarily want to do an interview,'" Hebert said. "But even those have said 'But I'm really glad you're doing this. Somebody needs to do this.'"

There are several dozen prayers that are used among Acadiana traiteurs, perhaps about 100 total, Hebert said. He plans to include traitement history, tradition, guidelines, prayers and herbal remedies in the book.

Hebert isn't the only one who is finding creative ways to preserve the local tradition.

There's also a Facebook group called Cajuns Traiteurs of Louisiana with more than 750 members dedicated to the healing practice. People in the group ask for healing prayers for specific ailments, and traiteurs and traiteuses acknowledge their requests in the form of comments.

"Ultimately, at the end of the day, it's about preserving as much of the history as we can in reverence and in respect to this sort of secrecy of it," Hebert said.

"There are younger traiteurs out there. It's definitely not dying out. There are things actively taking place to ensure its survival."
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HSBCs roots lie in the financing of trade between the East and the West, but tensions between the two, coupled with some shareholder discontent, now threaten to tear it apart.

At an informal meeting with shareholders in Hong Kong on Tuesday, the bank was forced to defend its decision to reject a campaign by its biggest shareholder, Chinas Ping An Insurance Group, to split its Asian and Western operations and return its head office to Hong Kong.

That campaign to move its headquarters from London is supported by some shareholders, angry at the banks 2020 cancellation of dividends at the behest of British regulators. UK-based banks were directed to cancel the equivalent of about $14 billion of dividends in order to preserve capital at the height of the pandemic.

Tower of Doom: Theres pressure on HSBC to move its head office from London to Hong Kong. Credit:Simon Dawson

Ping An, HSBCs largest shareholder with a stake of about 9.2 per cent, has argued that the bank should carve up its global business to create an Asian business, headquartered in Hong Kong, distancing itself from the tough banking regulations in the UK to base itself at the centre of its largest and fastest-growing business. The banks Asian operations contribute about two-thirds of its earnings.
But as archival records, oral histories and research by a number of historians have revealed, they had in common an experience of at best concealment and at worst discrimination and victimisation. The Shrine has been at the centre of this experience before. On Anzac Day in 1982 a small group of ex-servicemen tried to lay a wreath as part of the public ceremony. Photographers caught the scene of them mounting the steps with silent dignity, only to be turned away by security, headed by Bruce Ruxton, president of the Victorian Returned Services League. (That a member of this group was able to lay a wreath at Sundays ceremony was a deeply moving experience for many of us.) But the records show evidence, too, of resistance by LGBTI service people, from evasion through to open opposition. There was often an informal dont ask, dont tell policy at work at the local level. A good serviceperson was always valued and sometimes as long as they were discreet, their proclivities might be overlooked. Anzac Day, 1982: Victorian RSL president Bruce Ruxton (centre) confronts members of the Gay Ex-Servicemens Association at the entrance to the Shrine. The group wanted to lay a wreath but they were stopped. Credit:Jay Watchorn The case studies selected by the curators of this exhibition, from a mass of available material, show much of this history. The exhibition is an important step forward for the service and queer community at one of the countrys most important sites of remembrance.

For some, talking about this history is unwarranted, a slur on the good name of the defence forces. But history requires an openness to the reality of the institution and to the part played in this by queer people. As the Shrines CEO, Dean Lee, put it: The horrors of war do not discriminate. If we are to truly honour service and sacrifice, we must openly recognise and embrace the diverse experiences of LGBTQ+ service people and share stories of their remarkable contribution to the defence of Australia. Many of these stories are records of exemplary service, terminated only by the discovery of sexual history at odds with the militarys values and rules. Yvonne Sillett served for 10 years with a very high security clearance. In 1988 she was caught up in an Army witch-hunt, accused of lesbianism and her clearance was revoked. This was a terrible blow  as much for the humiliation as for the loss of her right to do a job that she loved. Yvonne Sillett served for 10 years with a very high security clearance until she was accused of lesbianism and her clearance was revoked in 1988. Credit:Reproduced courtesy of Yvonne Sillett There is a case from the 1960s of an officer discovered to be a homosexual being drummed out of the service in front of the full contingent of his colleagues  an event so terrible that he fainted and had to be carried away. There were purges of both male and female personnel in the 60s and the 80s. But does any of this history matter? Stories are an important part of the telling of history these days  and the history of queer service is full of them. Homosexual sex parties in PNG during World War II. Attempts by radicals during the Vietnam War years to encourage potential conscripts to pretend to be gay as a means of avoiding the draft. Soldiers going AWOL to meet up with their lovers. Drag performances by soldiers to entertain their comrades.

But these histories  and indeed, exhibitions like the Shrines  take us beyond stories. They help us to understand what Australia was, and how it came to be what it is. Lance-Corporal J. C. Robinson adjusting the wig of Private G. J. Buckham during a concert staged by the Australian Army Amenities Service in Bougainville in 1945. Credit:Australian War Memorial It is important to Australia that its real history should be known and talked about. Queer people are not the only ones who have been marginalised, vilified and victimised by the state and society, but by talking about this we create a fuller picture of Australias past. Living in the military exposed servicepeople to violence off the battlefield too. There are stories of rape, harassment, bullying. Some of those who enrolled did not survive the rigours of queer life in a homophobic institution  the brutality inflicted on some broke them. Suicides are not unknown. Opening up about Australias queer past is only part of a broader process of telling the warts-and-all truth about our history. We are a richer society for this. Equally, the history of the militarys encounter with its queer personnel provides a small example of how society was changed by activism. There are few institutions that held out so long against the idea that queer folk ought to be treated as citizens with rights, including new and surprising rights to sexual expression. Social change is never about heroic individuals but rather about collective effort  lobbying, protesting, organising, creating demands and pushing for them. The opening up of the military involved all of these, both in the forces and outside.
A former Vaucluse teacher has been charged with the sexual assault of six primary school students in the 1980s.

Michael Anthony Lunn, 68, was arrested at a home in Bullaburra, in the Blue Mountains, shortly before 10am on Tuesday after a year-long investigation by Sydney eastern suburbs police.

Officers had been investigating reports that six students, aged between five and six, were allegedly sexually assaulted by a teacher at a Vaucluse school four decades ago.

Lunn was taken to Katoomba police station and charged with seven sexual assault offences, one for sexual intercourse without consent of a person under 16 and six relating to the indecent assault of a child.

He was refused police bail and his case came before Penrith Local Court on Wednesday.
The University of New England is under pressure to stand aside its vice chancellor after she was charged with assaulting a 16-year-old girl at an International Womens Day event in Armidale.

Brigid Heywood has been charged with common assault and behaving in an offensive manner at a public place over the incident at the Armidale Services Memorial Club on March 8, where she had taken part in a panel discussion on the theme break the bias.

University of New England vice chancellor Brigid Heywood, pictured in 2020, has been charged with common assault. Credit:Rhett Wyman

Afterwards, she is alleged to have assaulted but not injured the schoolgirl, who was attending the event with other students, although there are many versions of what the vice chancellor said and did and police declined to comment further.

NSW Labors tertiary education spokesman Tim Crakanthorp and local MP Adam Marshall joined the National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) on Wednesday in calling for the university council to stand Heywood down pending the conclusion of the court proceedings.
A section of Batman Park has been formally hived off and renamed in honour of John Batmans main rival for the title of Melbournes founder.

Melbournes longest running debate  the argument over who founded the city  has been reignited after the controversial decision to change the name of a prominent stretch of parkland.

The new area, known as Enterprize Park, was named after the ship commissioned by John Pascoe Fawkner that sailed up the Yarra and dropped anchor in August 1835.

Previously, Batman Park stretched along the north bank of the Yarra from Spencer Street to Queens Bridge. Now it only goes to Kings Way, with the remainder bearing the new name.

The decision to rename the area Enterprize Park was made by the Place Names Committee, part of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment.

The proposed Enterprize Park. Credit:The Age Archives

The Foundation Day Committee, which recognises 30 August 1835 as the date John Lancey and George Evans of the Enterprize set up camp around what is now Flinders Street, had mounted a long campaign for the move. Historian Dr Andrew Brown-May, of Monash University, said Melbourne was caught in a foundation mythology. Every city in the world seems to have a psychological desire to have a founding father, and Melbournes got this really murky contest between Fawkner and Batman. I think to perpetuate that Is pretty ... antiquated.
A Current Affair reporter Seb Costello has been summonsed to appear in court next month over allegations he assaulted a man and a woman in a laneway in Richmond earlier this year.

Costello, who formerly worked as a foreign correspondent in Europe, is accused of being involved in an altercation with the pair, aged in their early 20s, near Boyd Street about 9.30am on February 11.

Seb Costello is listed to appear at Collingwoods Neighbourhood Justice Centre on September 28. Credit:ninevms

In a statement on Wednesday, Victoria Police said the 35-year-old would be charged with two counts of unlawful assault over the alleged incident. The force confirmed no one was injured in the altercation.

Costello is listed to appear at Collingwoods Neighbourhood Justice Centre on September 28 for a mention hearing, where he will be represented by criminal lawyer Sam Norton from Stary Norton Halphen.
The case for a national security strategy has been boosted by a new CSIRO report which makes for eyebrow-raising reading.

The idea of a national security strategy has been kicking around Canberra and academic circles for some time but has been resisted by previous governments. However, the number and size of the human and natural challenges facing Australia now makes this strategy, and its thorough implementation, a necessity. While this weeks announcement by the government of a defence review is necessary and welcome, it only addresses part of the national security dilemma facing Australia.

Hundreds of rescues were performed by everyday citizens as floods stranded the residents of Lismore. Credit: Elise Derwin

Titled Our Future World, the report is a timely document that highlights issues that have a trajectory of change likely to have a substantial and transformative impact on individual, organisations and societies.

It describes seven mega trends  climate change, autonomy, health imperatives, geopolitics, the digital economy, the global push to net zero, and unlocking human potential in decision-making.
The theatre of politics in the first sitting fortnight of the new federal parliament had all the joy and pathos youd expect when power changes hands.

The Albanese government was buoyant. The Coalition opposition, miserable  especially former prime minister Scott Morrison, who didnt turn up until parliaments second week.

Treasurer Jim Chalmers has his work cut out for him. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

Morrison seemed mentally absent during question times, a spent force barely going through the motions as he sat in parliaments back row.

Its going to be a long road back for Opposition Leader Peter Dutton, on a 25 per cent approval rating according to the latest polls.
News Updates

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More than 130 U.S. Coast Guard members filed a class action lawsuit alleging the religious exemptions they filed in response to the Biden administrations COVID-19 vaccine mandate for military service members were unlawfully denied.

The lawsuit, filed July 25 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas  Galveston Division, also challenges the constitutionality of the mandate.

The number of plaintiffs exceeds 130 and will likely end up surpassing 200, according to Dale Saran, one of the attorneys representing the service members.

The suit names four defendants: Alejandro Mayorkas, secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS); Linda L. Fagan, commandant of the Coast Guard; Lloyd Austin, secretary of the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) and Dr. Janet Woodcock, acting commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Plaintiffs are either active-duty or reserve members of the Coast Guard, and all have sincerely held religious beliefs that prohibit them from receiving the COVID-19 vaccine.

According to the complaint, under the August 24, 2021, DOD vaccine mandate, the military theoretically offers medical, administrative, and Religious Accommodation Requests (RARs) to the mandate, while the Coast Guards vaccine mandate, issued two days later, incorporates the provisions of the DOD mandate.

The suit alleges:

In practice, only servicemembers with medical or administrative reasons for an exemption from the mandate are accommodated, and even those sparingly, while RARs are universally denied unless the requester is eligible for administrative separation  i.e. imminently leaving the Service.

This conclusively demonstrates that the Armed Services have systematically and willfully violated service members free exercise rights under RFRA [Religious Freedom Restoration Act] and the First Amendment, the lawsuit states.

The DOD mandate stipulates that service members who do not receive the COVID-19 vaccine will be involuntarily separated. According to the lawsuit, the plaintiffs are currently at risk of involuntary separation, but also are experiencing discrimination because of their vaccination status.

The lawsuit states:

Because of their vaccination status, Plaintiffs have been harassed, treated differently than their peers, singled out publicly by their leaders, had their normal leave and liberty restricted, been removed from senior/leadership positions, been denied promotion, received official discipline, been barred from training, travel, new assignments and permanent change of station (PCS) orders, and face imminent involuntary separation, all while they have continued to perform the mission alongside their vaccinated peers, in many cases, while their vaccinated peers got sick with COVID-19 in large numbers.

The plaintiffs allege the DOD and Coast Guard mandates violate several federal statutes and regulations and the U.S. Constitution.

Moreover, the lawsuit alleges that the plaintiffs RARs and appeals have been summarily dismissed with formulaic language and nearly identical form letters instead of individualized evaluation.

In addition, none of the [original] 122 Plaintiffs who filed an RAR received their response within the required 30-day deadline.

Claims of natural immunity by more than 90 of the plaintiffs with documented previous COVID-19 infections from which they have fully recovered, in many cases, quite recently, have also been rejected across the board.

According to Saran, statistics he and his plaintiffs have access to show that in the Coast Guard, 1,308 RARs were filed, 578 were denied and none were approved. Out of 1,150 appeals, 119 were denied with no approvals.

The DODs vaccine mandate had a June 30 deadline. According to Saran, unvaccinated Coast Guard members are already facing consequences.

Saran told The Defender:

The Coast Guard has just posted a new policy that all those who have not yet taken the shots are to be discharged, and likely without any recourse to administrative proceedings under the Good of the service authority of the Commandant or Secretary concerned.

This is likely because such a high proportion of DOD enlisted AdSep [Administrative Separation] Boards and officer Boards of Inquiry have ended so unfavorably for the DOD leadership  the vast majority finding no substantiation of misconduct by the Respondents.

There will be high numbers who are between 18 and 20 years (or more) [of service] who will not be allowed to retire.

The lawsuit puts forth six causes of action. These include an allegation that the plaintiffs were deprived of their rights to free exercise of religion under the First Amendment and the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.

The plaintiffs rights to due process under the Fifth Amendment pertaining to bodily integrity also were violated, according to the lawsuit, because the mRNA shots being forced on servicemen and women are not vaccines, but instead are (gene-therapy) treatments that meet none of the statutory and historical definitions to be considered vaccines.

According to the complaint, Plaintiffs object to taking the gene therapies because all of the existing vaccines used aborted fetal cell lines either in their manufacturing or development, and the COVID-19 vaccines are critically dependent on, and could not exist but for, the use of aborted fetal cell tissue.

In all, the lawsuit alleges:

Violation of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.

Violation of the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment.

Violation of the Fifth Amendments Due Process clause, pertaining to substantive due process.

Violation of the Fifth Amendments Due Process clause, pertaining to procedural due process.

Violations of informed consent laws and the Public Health Service Act.

Violations of the Administrative Procedure Act.

The lawsuit also questions the DODs claim  which has come under judicial scrutiny  that the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, issued under an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA), is interchangeable with the FDA-licensed Pfizer Comirnaty vaccine.

Arguing that the plaintiffs will suffer concrete and particularized harm from these mandates, including potential involuntary separation, forced retirement, removal from senior or leadership positions, duty and promotion restrictions, PCS restrictions, letters of reprimand or counseling, loss of pay and benefits or other adverse actions, the service members are requesting from the court to:

Declare the DOD and Coast Guard mandates unlawful and unconstitutional and to vacate those orders.

Declare the defendants no accommodation policy is unconstitutional under the First and Fifth Amendments and violates the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.

Enjoin the implementation of the DOD and Coast Guard mandates with respect to the plaintiffs and all service members.

Enjoin any adverse or retaliatory action against the plaintiffs.

Award all legal, court and attorneys fees as well as other relief to the plaintiffs.

Remarking on the recent block placed on the vaccine mandate for the Air Force, Space Force and Air National Guard by a federal judge in Ohio, and the recent $10.3 million settlement awarded to over 500 Illinois healthcare workers over the denial of religious exemptions to a COVID-19 vaccine mandate, Travis Miller, one of the attorneys representing the plaintiffs in the Coast Guard lawsuit, told The Defender:

The latest ruling against the Air Force COVID-19 vaccine mandate is further proof that the military has violated  and continues to violate  the rights of religious service members.

Courts around the country have recognized this fact, and yet President Biden and Secretary Austin continue targeting the faithful for discipline and removal. Its an indictment of leadership.

The $10.3 million class action settlement will hopefully lead the way for other successful challenges to employer COVID-19 vaccine mandates that discriminate against those with sincerely held religious beliefs.

Saran described the Coast Guard as the forgotten branch of the Armed Services, which has been largely overshadowed as mandate-related cases from other branches attained more public prominence.

Saran told The Defender:

They are being treated at least as badly as any of the other Armed Services  arguably worse  in part because they get little to no publicity about what theyre enduring, in part because they number less than 30% of the personnel of the Marine Corps, itself the smallest of the overseas warfighting forces [~45,000 active duty compared to ~175,000 active duty].

These folks represent some of the most dedicated, selfless defenders of American lives here at home  They deserve better, they deserve advocates for their rights and thats why were filing on their behalf.

Service Members Forced to Get Vaccinated Under Duress

The lawsuit includes written testimony from several service members who shared their experiences in attempting to secure religious exemptions from the Coast Guard.

Sabrina Wilder is an operations specialist from Rosharon, Texas, serving at the Coast Guard Vessel Traffic Service in Houston/Galveston, Texas. She first joined the Coast Guard in 2016. In September 2021, she submitted a RAR, and received the following email in response:

For both processes [medical or religious] we were told that you are still likely to be Administratively Separated if you receive either exemption.

The exemption will just permit you to not receive the vaccine before you are  processed. Please do not think you will be allowed to continue to serve if you are exempted.

This was the official communication in the brief today with the Sector Commander, Chaplin, and Medical present.

Wilder proceeded with the RAR. According to Wilder, while the exemption requests of unvaccinated service members were pending, they were required to walk around base with masks on, thus identifying them to the entire command, while their travel was restricted to no more than 50 miles from base. Vaccinated members were under no such restrictions.

Wilders RAR was denied in January 2022, as was her appeal, on June 2, 2022. On June 15, she was ordered to go to the nearest Walgreens to receive the vaccine. When she refused, she received a counseling form and is now at risk of being discharged.

Timothy Jorden is a maritime enforcement specialist stationed in Houston. He has been on active duty in the Coast Guard since 2016, and previously served in the Marine Corps for four years.

His RAR was initially denied on Dec. 3, 2021. On Dec. 9, 2021, he submitted a request for all of the pertinent documentation relating to the denial and on Dec. 17, 2021, he submitted an appeal. He never received a response to his initial request, but received a form denial to his appeal five months later, despite a Coast Guard requirement that a response be granted within 30 days.

According to the lawsuit, the denial he received was identical to those of other Coast Guard members he knows, despite being from different commands.

In the meantime, like Wilder, Jorden was restricted to within 50 miles of his base  in violation of military law, and was required to wear a mask on base while those who were vaccinated were not. His previously approved leave to visit his family was revoked.

Despite these restrictions and initially being told he was non-deployable because of his vaccination status, he was almost immediately notified he would have to be part of a Presidential security detail. As the lawsuit states:

Plaintiff Jorden has his leave and liberty restricted as a general matter, and was told he was non-deployable, but the very next day when his particular expertise was necessary to support missions around the country, including a Presidential protective detail, his threat to others instantly evaporated.

This is just one instance of many showing that the entire framework and claims about the unvaccinated are nothing more than facade.

Michael Bazzrea is a senior chief party officer from Ardmore, Oklahoma, serving in Galveston, Texas. He has been enlisted in the Coast Guard since 1994. He remained on active duty until 1998, and remained part of the Reserve since then.

In July 2021, Bazzrea tested positive for COVID-19 and subsequently submitted a RAR, which was denied, as was his appeal. He was told that once an FDA-approved vaccine was available, he would be ordered to take it regardless of any civil rights complaints he might have.

On July 6, 2022, Bazzrea was ordered to get vaccinated within 10 days. In his own words:

I stated in my appeal that I did not want to take the vaccine and that being forced to do so would put me in duress. However, I was ordered to do so regardless.

An email was sent out from [my] Chief of Staff stating anyone with a denied RA appeal that had not received the vaccination would NOT be eligible for advancement or promotion and that this email would serve as official policy.

I was told I would be facing removal from the advancement eligibility list and the inability to take positions such as silver or gold badge positions as well as separation from the Coast Guard.

The lawsuit states that under great duress, moral conflict, and now with great remorse, Bazzrea took the first shot  against [his] religious and personal beliefs, as it was his last chance at advancement to Master Chief (E-9), a promotion which entailed a large financial difference in retirement to his family.

Aaron Cheatum is a First Class Petty Officer in the Coast Guard Reserve, stationed in Galveston. He first enlisted in the Coast Guard in 2000, and was on active duty for 11 years before joining the Reserve.

Cheatum submitted his RAR on Nov. 29, 2021. It was denied on Jan. 31, 2022, despite stating that the Coast Guard did not question the sincerity of [his] religious belief or whether vaccine requirements would substantially burden [his] religious practice.

His appeal also was denied, even though in the meantime, Cheatum tested positive for COVID-19 on Jan. 28, 2022. In his own words:

On July 8, 2022, facing a loss of earned retirement, loss of VA benefits, inability to advance in rank, loss of medical insurance, being processed for discharge with a less than Honorable discharge after 22 years, and under duress, I violated my own religious conviction by receiving the initial COVID-19 vaccine.

Caleb Wadsworth is a lieutenant in the Coast Guard, assigned to the Coast Guard Sector/Air Station in Corpus Christi, Texas. He has been a member of the Coast Guard since 2013.

Wadsworth submitted his RAR on Sept. 28, 2021. It was denied on Dec. 2, 2021, despite affirming that his religious beliefs were sincere. Despite an appeal submitted on May 17, 2022, he was officially counseled on June 2 and ordered to receive a fully FDA-approved COVID-19 vaccine by June 8, under threat of disciplinary action.

In his own words:

On this form I annotated that taking a COVID-19 vaccine was against my well-documented religious beliefs and that there was no FDA-approved vaccine available for administration, which would negate the legality of the order to vaccinate.

On 03 JUN2022, I reported to the Air Station Corpus Christi Clinic, as ordered, and documented what vaccines were available for administration  I learned that Air Station Corpus Christi did not have any COVID-19 vaccines  [my flight doctor] was unable to locate an FDA Approved vaccine.

On 06-07 June 2022, I visited four separate clinics in our area in an attempt to gain access to an FDA-approved/labeled vaccine. At each clinic I had health care professionals document NDCs [National Drug Code] and lot numbers for the vaccines they had in stock, all of which were labeled as EUA vaccines.

These details were captured in photos, documented in memo format, signed by health care professionals and a witness, and forwarded to my commanding officer.

Wadsworth was told the EUA vaccines could be administered interchangeably. He subsequently received negative counseling on June 8, and has been told that he is now no longer eligible to promote.

As Wadsworth describes it, he was treated poorly by my command and they flagrantly admitted to trying to coerce me into vaccinating, which was against my religious beliefs.

Expert Testimony Questions Myocarditis Risks

The lawsuit also goes into extensive detail about the differences between EUA vaccines and fully approved vaccines, arguing that publicly available information indicates that there are differences in the composition of the EUA and licensed products.

According to the lawsuit, there are significant differences between licensed vaccines and those subject to EUA that render them legally distinct. This includes lower efficacy requirements and minimal safety requirements for EUA products.

According to the lawsuit, EUA products are exempt from certain manufacturing and marketing standards, enjoy broader product liability protections, and cannot be mandated due to informed consent laws and regulations.

And despite the DODs claim that the EUA and fully approved vaccines are interchangeable, the lawsuit argues, the [U.S. Food and Drug Administration] FDA has never asserted that the EUA and licensed versions are legally interchangeable. Instead, the FDA has consistently acknowledged that the two vaccines are legally distinct.

In two appendices containing expert testimony accompanying the lawsuit, cardiologist and immunologist Dr. Peter McCullough stated:

The Pfizer, Moderna, and JNJ [Johnson & Johnson] vaccines are considered genetic vaccines, or vaccines produced from gene therapy molecular platforms, which according to U.S. FDA regulatory guidance are classified as gene delivery therapies and should be under a 15-year regulatory cycle with annual visits for safety evaluation by the research sponsors.

The current COVID-19 vaccines are not sufficiently protective against contracting COVID-19 to support their use beyond the current voluntary participation in the CDC-sponsored program.

McCullough placed particular emphasis on the risk of vaccine-induced myocarditis, especially among young adults:

COVID-19 vaccine-induced myocarditis has a predilection for young males below age 30 years.

Multiple recent studies and news reports detail people aged 18-29 dying from myocarditis after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine.

The FDA found that people 12-24 account for 8.8% of the vaccines administrated, but 52% of the cases of myocarditis and pericarditis were reported.

Active-duty members of the Coast Guard are required to be between the ages of 17-35, and Reservists between the ages of 17-40, placing a significant number of service members within the age range at highest risk for vaccine-induced myocarditis.

McCullough referenced a July 29, 2021 report in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) by the Defense Health Agency, which found that previously healthy service members have developed myocarditis, a severe and life-threatening inflammation of the heart, within an average of just four days of receiving their first shot of either the Pfizer-BioNTech or the Moderna vaccine.

McCullough pointed out that in addition to the superiority of natural immunity conferred by COVID-19 infection, vaccination following infection is dangerous, according to recent research.

In reference to the military context, McCullough concluded:

Vaccination is not the best way to minimize the risk posed by COVID-19 to military readiness. COVID-19 vaccination has led to record fatal and nonfatal organ injury syndromes according to over 1,000 publications in the preprint and PUBMED citation systems.

Because U.S. military readiness depends on the health of our service men and women, and these data suggest the COVID-19 vaccines markedly decrease health and lead to disability and death, COVID-19 vaccination is not the best way to protect our military.

08/02/22 Childrens Health Defense, Inc. This work is reproduced and distributed with the permission of Childrens Health Defense, Inc. Want to learn more from Childrens Health Defense? Sign up for free news and updates from Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and the Childrens Health Defense. Your donation will help to support us in our efforts.

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Falun Gong practitioners march down Pennsylvania Avenue to commemorate the 23rd anniversary of the Chinese Communist Party's persecution of the spiritual practice in China, in Washington on July 21, 2022. (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times)

400 Million Cut Their Ties With the CCP in Defiance of Communist Control

NEW YORKChinese entrepreneur Chen Quanhong had one message he wanted to tell the world: Tuidang.

Its a Chinese phrase that means quit the Party.

The words were emblazoned on a yellow flag Chen held up at a parade in Washington on July 21 to draw attention to the Chinese communist regimes myriad human rights abuses.

Chen is now one of 400 million Chinese people who have renounced their ties to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and its affiliate organizations.

In June, the business owner from Chinas eastern Shandong Province made a statement formally breaking his ties with the Party, participating in a nearly two-decades-long grassroots movement that has sought to expose the communist regimes history of deceit and killing, and to give people an opportunity to disassociate from it.

In China, I was no different from a worm trampled upon by the authoritarian power, not daring to stir a bit, Chen told The Epoch Times. Only when I came to America did I begin to feel like a person, because finally theres no fear from the Communist Party.

The Washington parade was the first Chen had joined in his 50-plus years of life. It came ahead of a major milestone for the Tuidang movement: 400 million people have now renounced their CCP affiliations. The number surpassed that mark on Aug. 3.

Four hundred millionthis number is greater than some countries entire population, Yi Rong, president of the Global Tuidang Center in Queens, New York, told The Epoch Times. With such a large group abandoning the CCP and steering clear from its crimes, it will spur a positive change in Chinese society.

As more people join the quest for freedom, a new China free of communist control appears ever closer to reality, she added.

Dark Memories

The Partys history of killing during its rule over China has left generations of families broken and scarred, including Chens own.

Chens mother was about 21 years old when she lost her mother during the Great Famine, a manmade disaster from 1959 to 1961 resulting from then-CCP leader Mao Zedongs industrial policies that saw tens of millions die of starvation.

Driven by hunger, Chens grandmother and his mothers 17-year-old sister took about half a sack of mung bean pods from the land the regime had collectivized. After their deed was discovered, the authorities publicly denounced the two and beat them. Chens grandmother, who was blindfolded and surrounded by a group of thugs who punched and slapped her, died about 10 days later.

Dark memories like these, either retold by Chens mother in bits and pieces over the years or gleaned through reading into history, helped the businessman see the nature of the Party despite its repeated claim of being the savior of the people, he said.

Falun Gong practitioners take part in a parade commemorating the 23rd anniversary of the persecution of the spiritual discipline in China, in New Yorks Chinatown on July 10, 2022. (Larry Dye/The Epoch Times)

Tuidang Movement

The Tuidang movement began in 2004, spurred by the release of the Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party, a book first published by the Chinese language edition of The Epoch Times detailing the brutality and deception perpetrated under the totalitarian regime.

Since then, millions of copies of the book have made their way into China. Many who helped distribute these copies were adherents of Falun Gong, a spiritual discipline the regime has sought to wipe out with a campaign of arrest, torture, and vilification for the past 23 years and counting.

Falun Gong is a meditation practice consisting of a set of moral beliefs centered around the principles of truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance. The practice became a political target after the Chinese regime deemed its huge popularitywith up to 100 million practicing by 1999a threat to its authoritarian grip on power.

As a restaurant owner in Shandong, Chen once received informational materials about Falun Gong from two adherents who dined at his establishment, who were, he said, incredibly peaceful and kind.

Their persistence despite the relentless state suppression awed him then, and again in Queens in July, when he came across a Falun Gong information booth encouraging people to withdraw from the Party and its affiliates.

I just thought: What kind of people would arrest those who pursue truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance? Definitely not good people, he said.

At the Global Tuidang Center, a volunteer gifted Chen a copy of the Nine Commentaries. He read it three times and knew he no longer wanted to be affiliated with the Party.

A woman joins Falun Gong practitioners in a candlelight vigil at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington on July 20, 2017, to honor those who have died during the persecution in China that the Chinese regime started on July 20, 1999. (The Epoch Times)

Breaking From the Partys Control

The CCP maintains three organizations for different age groups: the Young Pioneers, for children aged 14 and younger; the Communist Youth League, for those between 14 and 28 years old; and Party membership.

While the latter two arent mandatory, Party membership is still considered a necessary credential for anyone aspiring for a career in government or state-owned enterprises. As of 2021, China had about 110.4 million Young Pioneers, 73.7 million Youth League members, and 96.7 million Party members, according to state data. This adds up to a total of 280.8 millionone-fifth of the total Chinese population.

The 400 million figure, representing people who have withdrawn their Party affiliations, covers anyone who was once part of the Party or its affiliated entities, including those whove been automatically unenrolled as theyve grown older. Many from mainland China or who have relations there also choose to use a pseudonym for fear of the regimes retaliation.

In joining each of the Party affiliates, the individual must make a vow to devote their life to the Party. Such a promise essentially binds the person to the regime even if age automatically unenrolls them from the youth groups, Yi said.

To rescind the oath requires a formal statement, she said.

Because you gave your life to the Party, you are no longer a free person. You cant control your own life, Yi said. For this reason, the Communist Party has the free rein to slaughter Chinese people, brainwash, deceive, and persecute them as they please.

At the moment, the Global Tuidang Center each day receives about 50,000 requests from people to quit the Party, according to the centers estimates.

Falun Gong practitioners gather to support the withdrawal of 390 million people from the Chinese Communist Party and its associate groups, in Brooklyn, N.Y., on Feb. 27, 2022. (Chung I Ho/The Epoch Times)

Change of Attitude

In Taiwan, there are about 3,000 volunteers supporting the Tuidang movement. Each month, about 20,000 mainland Chinese agree to renounce their Party affiliations after talking with the volunteers over the phone or in person, according to one coordinator, Bai Dexiong.

Bai recounted a recent case of a man from Shandong who sought out one of the Tuidang centers for assistance. The man looked somewhere between 20 and 30 years old. He described himself as a former nationalist who would be stirred at the slightest criticism of the CCP.

His attitude changed, however, when he tested positive for COVID-19 and authorities sealed the door of his apartment and locked him inside, barring him from basic activities such as buying food. He lost his job during the quarantine period. He spent his new free time on the internet, and by using a virtual private network to bypass the CCPs digital censorship, he read voraciously about the regimes past. He became ashamed of his former ignorance, he told the volunteer, according to Bai.

The regime has only itself to blame for the Tuidang movements growing appeal, Yi said, citing Beijings draconian lockdown policies as the latest demonstration of its disregard for human life.

Globally, the sentiment appears to be tilting against the regime as well. A petition organized by the Global Tuidang Center calling for support to end the CCP has collected more than 2.5 million signatures.

Bystanders sign a petition near a parade supporting the withdrawal of 390 million people from the Chinese Communist Party and its associate groups, in Brooklyn, N.Y., on Feb. 27, 2022. (Chung I Ho/The Epoch Times)

Down With the Communist Party

The movement is also having an impact inside mainland China.

Zeng Hanxiao, a 26-year-old from Sichuan Province in southwestern China, suffered four months of detention after voicing support for a dissident on the Partys wanted list.

He asked to quit the Young Pioneers in April after learning about Tuidang.

Tuidang is a kind of rebirth and redemption, Zeng told The Epoch Times at the time about his decision, adding that his soul was now clean.

Shortly after, Zeng was detained again for shouting slogans such as Down With the Communist Party in front of the U.S. Consulate General in Guangzhou. He was released on bail on July 28 after receiving beatings from police and prolonged solitary confinement.

After his release, Zeng said he was encouraged to learn about Tuidangs continued momentum.

It shows how many people are standing with me against the CCP, he said.

Zhong Yuan and Gu Xiaohua contributed to this report.
Alberta premier Jason Kenney shakes hands with Demetrios Nicolaides, Minister of Advanced Education after being sworn into office, in Edmonton on April 30, 2019. (The Canadian Press/Jason Franson)

Alberta Ups Ante in Mandate Fight With Athabasca University, Threatens Funding Cut

The Alberta government has upped the ante in its fight with Athabasca University, directing the online-oriented school to get busy making sure more staff work in the small northern town or risk losing millions of dollars in funding.

The university must end its pursuit of the near-virtual strategy and must deliver a new strategic plan to Advanced Education for approval by Sept. 30, Advanced Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides said in a statement Tuesday.

Failure to comply will result in reductions to Athabascas future funding.

Nicolaides informed the school of the changes in a letter sent over the weekend.

In it, Nicolaides tells the schools board of directors that it has until the end of August to direct school president Peter Scott to stop implementing what is known as the universitys near-virtual strategy.

Further, writes Nicolaides, the board must then help Scott craft a new strategy that expands and reinforces the universitys physical presence in the town of Athabasca.

That new strategy must be submitted to Nicolaides for approval by the end of September.

Failure to do so, said Nicolaides, would allow the Ministry of Advanced Education to withhold the $3.43-million monthly instalment for Athabasca Universitys base operating grant.

The letter also stipulates that all executive members of the university live in the town by no later than April 2025.

Kristine Williamson, the universitys spokesperson, did not immediately respond to an email request for comment.

The letter escalates a standoff between the province and the university over the schools mandate.

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the university instituted the near-virtual plan to give employees more freedom over where they carried out their work. That plan was accelerated when the pandemic forced people to work from home.

Scott has publicly argued the goal of the school is to provide the best distance education with the highest-quality staffa mandate that would be hampered by a demand that employees work in Athabasca.

Nicolaides says high quality can still be maintained while adhering to the pledge of economic diversification that led to Athabasca being relocated from Edmonton almost 40 years ago.

Nicolaides directed the university in March to deliver by June 30 a plan to resume and expand in-person operations.

In May, the province replaced Nancy Laird as Athabasca University board chair to accelerate the shift. She was replaced by Calgary lawyer Byron Nelson.

Nevertheless, the shift has been rebuffed by Scott.

Scott, in an April email to staff, said ongoing work with our near-virtual workforce will continue.

He also noted the university shuttered satellites in Calgary and Edmonton to concentrate on Athabasca.

Nicolaides said Tuesday that the June 30 response did not pass muster, leading to the need for Albertas government to take substantive action.

Local residents have also taken up the fight.

The advocacy group Keep Athabasca in Athabasca University has argued for more local presence, concerned that a small fraction of about 1,200 staff are left in the town.

The group hired a lobbyist to plead its case and, in March, Premier Jason Kenney himself came to town to promise they would make changes to bring people back.

Athabasca University has about 40,000 students.

By Dean Bennett
Alex Jones of InfoWars talks to reporters in Washington in a file image. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

Alex Jones Says Sandy Hook Mass Shooting Was 100 Percent Real

Television host Alex Jones on Aug. 3 said he believes the mass shooting that took place in Sandy Hook, Connecticut, in 2012 was 100 percent real.

Especially since Ive met the parents. Its 100 percent real, Jones said while on the stand in a courtroom in Austin, Texas.

Neil Heslin and Scarlett Lewis, whose 6-year-old son, Jesse, was among the 26 people killed in the massacre in Newtown, Connecticut, filed a defamation suit in 2018 after a host on Jones network, InfoWars, said that Heslin was lying about holding his sons body after the shooting.

Jones, the suit noted, has described the attack as staged and a giant hoax.

Jones, InfoWars, and another company he runs, Free Speech Systems, were named as defendants, along with the host, Owen Shroyer.

A judge in the area in 2021 entered a default judgment against the defendants because they failed to comply with duties related to discovery.

The trial happening now is to determine how much Jones will have to pay in damages.

Heslin and Lewis said Tuesday that an apology wouldnt suffice and that Jones needed to be held accountable for repeatedly spreading falsehoods about the attack. They are seeking at least $150 million.

Closing arguments were expected to begin later Wednesday after more testimony from Jones, who has portrayed the lawsuit as an attack on his First Amendment rights.

Jones is the only person testifying in his own defense. His attorney asked him if he now understands it was absolutely irresponsible to push the false claims that the massacre didnt happen and no one died.

Jones said he does, but added, They wont let me take it back.

He also complained that hes been typecast as someone that runs around talking about Sandy Hook, makes money off Sandy Hook, is obsessed by Sandy Hook.

Neil Heslin, father of 6-year-old Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting victim Jesse Lewis, holds a picture of him with Jesse during a hearing in Washington in a file image. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Parents Testimony

Heslin testified earlier this week that statements made by Jones were very disturbing.

I just couldnt fathom or understand why people would question such a horrific tragedy and a loss. I still to this day cant fathom it, he said.

Lewis, meanwhile, spoke directly to Jones, telling him: It doesnt exist, that Im deep state. Its just not true. I know you know that.

She wondered why Jones made such statements, questioning whether it was for financial gain.

Jones has been broadcasting as the trial goes on, saying at one point that Heslin is being manipulated by some very bad people and is slow while Lewis is not.

Do you think Im an actor? Lewis asked.

No, I dont think youre an actor, Jones responded before the judge admonished him to be quiet until called to testify.

Also on Tuesday, Jones told the parents, I never intentionally tried to hurt you.

I never even said your name until this case came to court. I didnt even really know who you were until a couple of years ago when all this started up, he said.

Jones said he questions every big event and that a lot of times it turns out that weve not been told the truth.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
US Must Never Conflate CCP With Chinese People Seeking a Communism-Free Future: Congressman

The United States must never conflate the authoritarian regime ruling China with the Chinese people aspiring for a future free from communist control, according to Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.).

Fitzpatrick made the comment in support of the grassroots Tuidang (Quit the Party) movement that calls for the global Chinese community to break ties with Chinas communist regime.

More than 400 million people have asked to withdraw their affiliations with one or all three Party organizations as of Aug. 3, according to statistics from the New York-based Global Tuidang Center, which helps to coordinate the movement.

Collectively, their decision has demonstrated that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) cant represent its populationdespite its claims to the contraryaccording to the congressman, who has sponsored a number of bills aimed at deterring the regimes influence in the United States and its human rights abuses.

As America confronts the national security and economic threats from an increasingly belligerent CCP, we must never conflate the Chinese people with the Communist Party. This is exactly what the CCP tries to do in its party propaganda, he told The Epoch Times, adding that he supports the Tuidang movement and the growing number of Chinese who are pursuing a future free from communism.

The Tuidang movement began in 2004 following the publication of the book Nine Commentaries of the Communist Party. First published in the Chinese-language edition of The Epoch Times, the book expounds on the regimes history of deceit and terror.

Former Virginia governor and Sen. George Allen (L) talks with Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) before the funeral service for former Sen. John Warner (R-Va.) at the National Cathedral in Washington, on June 23, 2021. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

George Allen, former governor of Virginia, said its heartening to learn that so many hundreds of millions of courageous freedom-loving and respecting people have disavowed association with the restrictive, repressive Chinese Communist Party.

This bravery in support of individual natural rights of life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness should encourage people throughout the world to stand strong for freedom and opportunities for all, he told The Epoch Times. Let us in the United States of America cheer this good news and resolve to remember, protect and advance these enduring invigorating principles for liberty and independent personal responsibility in life rather than acquiescence to arrogant, authoritarian dictates and dependency on government controlling our lives.

While the regime has sought to portray itself as inseparable from the Chinese people, Yi Rong, president of the Global Tuidang Center, argued that quitting the Party and its affiliates is in the interest of the country and the world overall.

Rong Yi, president of the Tuidang Center, speaks at a rally commemorating the 20th anniversary of the persecution of Falun Gong in China, on the West lawn of Capitol Hill in Washington on July 18, 2019. (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times)

Tuidang movement is the largest grassroots movement in Chinas history, she said in an Aug. 3 speech celebrating the causes 400 million-mark.

In a China ruled by the totalitarian communist party, seeing 400 million people withdrawing from the Party is a miracle that will encourage more Chinese people to do the same.

She noted that the Soviet Union, the most powerful communist country, suddenly collapsed overnight in 1991.

Just like that, the fall of the CCP could happen at any time, she said.

Terri Wu contributed to this report.
A photo of a shelf with a variety of children's books, taken on Feb. 9, 2017. (Shutterstock)

American Library Association Promotes Secret LGBT Messaging

Librarians should sneak pro-LGBT messages into conservative communities, according to a post on the American Library Associations (ALA) website.

Do you work for a library in a small, rural, conservative community? Are you a frontline staff member there, with no managerial or administrative authority? Do you wish you could do more to make your library more inclusive to the LGBTQIA++ community, but meet with resistance? the post about LGBT book month reads. I hope its not just me!

The posts writer, Tess Goldwasser, goes on to advise librarians without administrative authority on how to put pro-LGBT messaging into libraries.

Goldwasser, a Maryland librarian, originally was named as the author of the post, but the ALA removed her name in 2019.

Some librarians want to introduce more children to LGBT material. (Tatiana Bobkova/Shutterstock)

The ALA is the worlds largest library association. It has more than 58,000 members, including librarians, library workers, library trustees, and others.

If local leaders dont promote LGBT material, librarians should tell kids about it anyway, Goldwasser wrote.

So youre not doing Drag Queen Storytime [yet], but youre probably doing Regular Old Storytime, right? Try to sneak inclusive messages into your current programs, she wrote.

If a book doesnt include LGBT characters, a librarian could add them, Goldwasser suggested. A librarian reading to children could replace Mama Bear and Papa Bear with Papa Bear and Papa Bear. If a characters gender isnt mentioned, librarians should change it up.

Chances are kids and families wont even notice, but for that same-sex family or gender-nonconforming child who does, it will really mean a lot to them to know their librarian has their back, wrote Goldwasser.

Public Meeting Places

If a library resists pro-LGBT programming, librarians should ask every year for a pro-LGBT book display, Goldwasser wrote. Eventually, the library might agree.

If the management doesnt want to run its own pro-LGBT programs, librarians should invite LGBT groups to hold meetings in the librarys public meeting spaces, she added.

Reach out to groups like your local PFLAG chapter, or local schools LGBT student groups, and let them know that they can hold meetings and host programs at your library, Goldwasser suggested.

Librarians should go around management to acquisition specialists to request award-winning pro-LGBT books, she said.

If someone challenges the addition of pro-LGBT books, librarians should firmly defend their choices, Goldwasser advised.

Be ready to listen to the complaint, and respond in a calm matter stating that your library purchases items for all the members of your community, and that youd be happy to help them find other items more to their tastes, she wrote.

Most of the time people who get this response will move on, she added.

Opposition to Censorship

Other parts of the ALAs website also encourage the addition of pro-LGBT books to libraries. One appeal for donations calls opposition to these books censorship.

Never before has ALAs Office for Intellectual Freedom tallied more censorship attempts, nor have libraries experienced such assaults on the freedom to read, the site reads.

Across the country, people are attempting to ban books that address the voices and lived experiences of black, indigenous, and people of color, and LGBTQIA+ individuals.

The ALAs Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Round Table toolkit also suggested that librarians offer pro-LGBT books to children.

School libraries are particularly important; teenagers question their sexuality and identity and need a welcoming place; children and teens need to see themselves represented in books at school as well as at the public library, the toolkit reads.

The same toolkit recommended that librarians provide anonymity to people questioning their sexuality.

People who are in the closet or questioning often need information resources the most, so it is essential to provide safe and anonymous access, without judgment, the toolkits guidelines read.

Good libraries should have LGBT material designed for all ages, the toolkit suggests.

A good library collection will include fiction and non-fiction, informative and entertaining materials, graphic novels, audio books, videos, etc., for GLBT library users of all ages, the toolkit reads.
U.S. Rep. David Schweikert (R-Ariz.) speaks during a markup hearing at Longworth House Office Building, Capitol Hill in Washington on Sept. 14, 2021. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Amid Ethics Rules Violations, Trump-Endorsed US Rep. David Schweikert Is Projected Winner in Arizona Primary

Embattled incumbent U.S. Rep. David Schweikert (R-Ariz.) is the projected winner in a three-way race for the Republican nomination in Arizonas newly created congressional District 1.

With over 74 percent of precincts reporting in the Aug. 2 primary, Trump-endorsed Schweikert currently leads with 44 percent of the vote, while his closest opponent Elijah Norton trails with 34 percent.

On the Democratic side, Jevin Hodge currently leads his rival Adam Metzendorf 62-38 percent.

The winners will advance to the general election on Nov. 8.

Schweikert launched his bid for re-election after he became embroiled in charges of ethics rules violations tied to campaign financing.

In July 2020, he was fined $50,000 by the bipartisan House Ethics Committee after admitting to 11 rules breaches, including misuse of campaign funds.

In January 2022, his campaign agreed to pay a $125,000 fine to the Federal Election Commission for campaign finance violations.

He also faces a lawsuit by an Arizona man who claims he ran homophobic ads targeting Norton, who is pro-life.

Schweikert has served as the U.S. representative for Arizonas congressional Districts 5 and 6 since 2011.

In June, former President Donald Trump endorsed Schweikert, calling him a tireless advocate for Arizona, a principled conservative and America First candidate.
American seamstress Betsy Ross showing the first design of the American flag to George Washington in Philadelphia. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

Ashli Babbitt, Betsy Ross Flag, and Liberty Tree Tied to Violent Extremism in Leaked FBI Bulletin

A leaked FBI internal bulletin on domestic terrorism lists U.S. Capitol shooting victim Ashli Babbitt as someone considered to be a martyr by militia violent extremists (MVE) and the Second Amendment as how militias justify their existence because of a reference to a well-regulated Militia and the right to bear arms.

The Domestic Terrorism Symbols Guide was leaked to Project Veritas, which released images of the bulletin on its website and social media on Aug. 2. It includes such common images as the Gadsden flag, the Betsy Ross flag, and the Liberty Tree.

A portion of a leaked internal FBI bulletin on domestic terrorism released by Project Veritas. (Project Veritas via The Epoch Times)

The document includes terms and symbols that are very familiar in conservative, law enforcement, and military circles. In the introduction, the FBI stressed that simply using the terms or symbols isnt evidence of wrongdoing.

The use or sharing of these symbols alone should not independently be considered evidence of MVE presence or affiliation, or serve as an indicator of illegal activity, as many individuals use these symbols for their original historic meaning or other non-violent purposes, the bulletin reads.

However, many on the right are likely to see the bulletin as further evidence of federal government acrimony for conservatives in the wake of the Jan. 6, 2021, breach at the U.S. Capitol.

Widespread use of symbols and quotes from American history, especially the Revolutionary War, exists within MVE networks, the bulletin reads. Historic and contemporary military themes are common for MVE symbols.

The document is marked unclassified/law enforcement sensitive and for internal use only.

An MVE Martyr?

Babbitts name is included on a list of five people that MVEs consider  to be Martyrs, according to the document. Others include Arizona rancher LaVoy Finicum, shot to death by Oregon state police in 2016; Vicki Weaver, killed by a federal sniper in the 1992 siege at Ruby Ridge, Idaho; and Marvin Heemeyer, a disgruntled muffler shop owner who used an armored killdozer to raze a section of Granby, Colorado, in 2004.

Ashli Babbitts husband, Aaron Babbitt, of San Diego, offered a one-word reaction about her name on the list when contacted by The Epoch Times: Laughable.

Ashli Babbitt on her birthday, three months before she was fatally shot at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. (CapitolPunishmentTheMovie.com/Bark at the Hole Productions)

Ashli Babbitts family has fought a never-ending battle against those who call her a rioter, an extremist, or a terrorist. Such terms have been used despite video evidence showing that she tried to stop rioters from vandalizing doors and windows leading into the Speakers Lobby. Just before she climbed into a broken window and was shot, Babbitt delivered a punch to the nose of the agitator who did much of the damage.

Babbitt, 35, was a 14-year veteran of the U.S. Air Force and the National Guard. She was killed by Capitol Police Lt. Michael Byrd.

According to the FBI bulletin, common phrases associated with militia violent extremists include: When tyranny becomes law, rebellion becomes duty, I will not comply, The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants, and All enemies foreign and domestic.

Threepers and Oath Keepers

Symbols of militia networks listed in the document include that of the Three Percenters, sometimes called Threepers, a group the FBI says is based on the myth that only 3 percent of Americans fought back against the British during the Revolutionary War.

Also included are the Oath Keepers, a group of former military, law enforcement, and first-responders who are the major target of federal prosecutors trying criminal cases against Jan. 6, 2021, defendants.

The bulletin states that figures who inspire MVEs include Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh; Steven Carrillo, convicted of a drive-by shooting at the federal courthouse in Oakland, California; and the medieval Crusaders, soldiers of the Catholic Church who fought to free holy lands from Islamic rule.

The content of the FBI bulletin was immediately panned on social media.

This government would consider all the founding fathers domestic terrorists and thats really all you need to know about who the real terrorists are here, one commenter wrote on Truth Social. Its funny  really  but I dont see any mention of that organized group in all-black who marches the streets with communist flags and chants death to America while burning our flag.

One Twitter user wrote, So basically every symbol or quote used to inspire Americans to defeat the British and throw off the chains of tyranny is now considered extremist?
An Australian Army M777 Howitzer fires at Shoalwater Bay Training Area in Queensland during Exercise Talisman Sabre 2021. Exercise Talisman Sabre 2021 (TS21) is the largest bilateral training activity between Australia and the United States, commencing on July 14, 2021. (Supplied: Australian Department of Defence)

Australia Orders Review of Defence Force to Speed up Military Modernisation

The Australian Labor government is launching its promised review of the defence force to deal with the nations security challenges over the next decade and beyond, according to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.

The latest review will be carried out by the former Labor Defence Minister Stephen Smith and former Chief of the Defence Force Angus Houston, and it comes just two years after the previous governments 2020 Defence Strategic Update, which pivoted the nations military force from a defence-focused posture to an offensive one.

In 2020, the Defence Strategic Update identified that changes in Australias strategic environment are accelerating more rapidly than predicted in the 2012 Force Posture Review, said Richard Marles, the current defence minister.

Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Richard Marles and Japanese Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi (not pictured) attend a joint press conference at the Ministry of Defense in Tokyo on June 15, 2022. (Shuji Kajiyama/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)

This necessitates an immediate analysis of where and how Defence assets and personnel are best positioned to protect Australia and its national interests, he said in a statement. It also requires an assessment of Defences force structure and Integrated Investment Program.

The new Defence Strategic Review will also explore better integration with the United States, United Kingdom, and other allies.

According to the Terms of Reference, Military modernisation, technological disruption and the risk of state-on-state conflict are complicating Australias strategic circumstances.

These strategic changes demand the Australian government re-assess the capabilities and posture of the Australian Defence Force and broader Department of Defence.

Expect Changes to Previous Governments Defence Pledge

Launched in July 2020, the implications of the latest review will place the Morrison governments $270 billion Integrated Investment Program under the microscope and could see programs rejigged or altogether culled.

The Program included refocusing the Australian Defence Forces energies on the countrys immediate Indo-Pacific regioninstead of faraway theatres like the Middle Eastand significant investment in long-range weaponry like drones, space capabilities, hypersonic weapons, and Lockheed Martins Long-Range Anti-Ship Missile. Cybersecurity also received a ten-year $1.35 billion funding commitment.

However, there have been concerns that some programs are simply taking too long to deliver, notably the Hunter-class Frigate program and the cancellation of the French Attack-class submarine.

Both programs consumed billions of taxpayer dollars and have endured extensive delays due to their custom designas opposed to buying existing off-the-shelf vessels that can almost immediately be put to use.

Further, both programs were expected in the water in the 2030s, an untenable situation given the ever-growing threat of conflict with Beijing in the region.

While the Attack class was finally cancelled by former Prime Minister Scott Morrison in 2021 in favour of the acquisition of nuclear-powered submarines from the United States and United Kingdom under the AUKUS agreement, there are still concerns about when these new vessels can be ready for Australias use.
U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) speaks after receiving the Order of Propitious Clouds with Special Grand Cordon, Taiwans highest civilian honor, from Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen (R) at the president's office in Taipei, Taiwan, on Aug. 3, 2022. (Handout/Getty Images)

Australian Foreign Minister Calls for Calm as Beijing Raises Stakes Over Pelosi Visit

Australias Foreign Minister Penny Wong has called for calm as tensions rise following the visit of U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan.

Speaking to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation on Wednesday, Wong called on all nations involved in the Asia-Pacific to push for stability.

I think its really important that we all continue to calmly assert the importance of peace and stability and to urge all parties to contribute to de-escalating tensions. I mean, we do have a situation where we see rhetoric increasing, and we see military hardware being deployed, she said.

What we need to say to all parties is that the region wants peace and stability in the region, across the Taiwan Strait, and all parties should contribute to de-escalating tensions.

Shadow Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong speaks during the Labor Party election campaign launch at Optus Stadium in Perth, Australia, on May 1, 2022. (Paul Kane/Getty Images)

However, the foreign minister also said that the level of engagement between the U.S. and its Taiwanese counterparts was their own matter.

The Biden Administration has continued to be clear that it adheres to previous commitments made between the U.S. and China historically. So my view is we should continue to be asserting that all parties should de-escalate tensions, and we should continue with others in the region to urge the maintenance of peace and stability in the region and, in particular, across the Taiwan Strait, Wong said.

Beijing Ramps Up Tensions

The call for calm from the Australian foreign minister comes after Chinese Communist Party (CCP) leader Xi Jinping threatened U.S. President Joe Biden over the visit during a phone call last week, reportedly telling the president that playing with fire will set you on fire. On Aug. 3, Beijing announced it would be holding live-fire military exercises in the sea around Taiwan.

CCP state-owned media have also taken aim at the visit, most notably the former editor of The Global Times, Hu Xijin, who posted on Twitter accusations that Pelosi was committing an act of war.

A US military aircraft with US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on board prepares to land at Sungshan Airport in Taipei on Aug. 2, 2022. (SAM YEH/AFP via Getty Images)

If U.S. fighter jets escort Pelosis plane into Taiwan, it is invasion, he wrote, also saying the Chinese military had a right to forcibly dispel Pelosis plan and to fire warning shots.

In response, White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said the U.S. was not changing its policies regarding Taiwan.

Put simply, there is no reason for Beijing to turn a simple visit, consistent with long-standing U.S. policy, into some sort of crisis or conflict, or to use it to increase aggressive military activity in or around the Taiwan Strait, Kirby said.

We will not take the bait or engage in saber rattling. At the same time, we will not be intimidated. We will keep operating in the seas and skies of the western Pacific as we have for decades.

Andrew Thornebrooke contributed to this report.
Australias Productivity Growth Drops to Lowest Level in 60 Years

A new study has found that Australias productivity growth has declined markedly in the past two decades and is currently at the lowest level in 60 years.

According to the Productivity Commissions (PC) latest interim report, Australias labour productivity growth fell from around 2.3 percent in 1990-2000 to about 1.2 percent in 2010-2020, which was well below the 60-year average of 1.7 percent.

Although similar situations were also witnessed in other developed countries, Australias labour productivity ranking fell ten places from sixth in the OECD to sixteenth between 1970 and 2020.

The PC said while Australias productivity had dropped to its lowest rate since the mid-20th century, it was possible to improve the performance of the countrys workforce.

However, the commission noted that increasing productivity means Australia had to deal with global issues such as decarbonising the economy, geopolitical tensions, and supply chain disruptions. Additionally, the country was facing challenges brought by its rising services sector.

The report said Australia had a large and growing services industry where it had been hard to boost productivity in the past, especially when compared to the rapid gains in the agriculture, manufacturing and mining sectors.

In 2022, 90 percent of Australian workers are employed in the services sector, Productivity Commission chair Michael Brennan said in a statement.

This has a significant impact on how we think about productivity.

Government Subsidised Industries Have Trouble Improving Performance

The report mentioned that several industries that account for a large proportion of the services sector, including healthcare, aged care, disability support and education, relied significantly on government funding and regulation.

This resulted in a lack of competition and contestability, which, in turn, could limit performance and innovation in the above areas.

Staff are seen inside the Melbourne Exhibition Centre COVID-19 Vaccination Centre in Melbourne, Australia, on May 28, 2021. (Darrian Traynor/Getty Images)

We have to look for new opportunities to drive productivity growth, including reviewing our policy levers and the industries where we concentrate our efforts, Brennan said.

Regarding improving productivity growth, the PC emphasised the importance of the overarching principle of productivity: workers should strike to work smarter, not harder or longer.

It also listed a number of critical factors that could lift Australias productivity in the future, including innovation, data, digital technology and cyber security, a productivity-friendly business environment, and a skilled and educated workforce.

These enablers are relevant to our current context  the rising services sector, the challenge of decarbonisation and continued openness to the best the world can offer, Brennan said.

Productivity growth is essential to address the nations economic challenges, including the rising cost of living pressures, but it is not guaranteed.
Value Them Both amendment supporters line a sidewalk near a polling site in Olathe, Kansas, during the states Aug. 2 special election  the nations first public referendum on abortion since the U.S. Supreme Court in June overturned Roe vs. Wade, kicking regulation back to states. (Courtesy of the Value Them Both coalition)

Kansas Voters Reject Anti-Abortion Constitutional Amendment

A majority of Kansas voters have voted against a ballot measure that would have allowed lawmakers in the state to ban abortion. The Aug. 2 vote drew intense interest as the nations first public referendum on abortion since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade decision in June.

On the Value Them Both proposed amendment to the state constitution, about 59 percent voted no to 41 percent who voted yes, with 99 percent of the expected vote reporting on Aug. 3, ABC News reported.

The proposal had generated more than $13 million in campaign spending by proponents and critics and dramatically boosted turnout for a primary ballot that otherwise featured few competitive races.

The public referendum on the measure is the culmination of years of lobbying by Kansas Right-to-Life organizations that were dealt a blow in 2019, when the states Supreme Court overturned the 2015 Kansas Unborn Child Protection From Dismemberment Abortion Act.

That 2019 decision determined Section 1 of the state Constitutions Bill of Rights protects a womans access to abortion, making Kansas 1 of 10 states where court rulings granted a right to abortion.

The Value Them Both amendment stated it would reserve to the people of Kansas, through their elected state legislators, the right to pass laws to regulate abortion, including, but not limited to, in circumstances of pregnancy resulting from rape or incest, or when necessary to save the life of the mother.

The Value Them Both coalition argued that establishing legislative authority through a constitutional amendment was necessary to ensure the Sunflower State doesnt become a destination state for the abortion industry.

Meanwhile, the coalition and proponents of the measure spent $4.69 million on messaging to stress that adoption of the measure merely returns abortion regulation to state legislators.

The Kansas vote on the Value Them Both amendment follows the U.S. Supreme Courts 63 June 24 decision that overturned the Roe ruling and kicked abortion regulation back to the states.

Voters in as many as six states will also see abortion-related ballot measures in 2022, but not until the November general election.

The five 2022 statewide referendums that have qualified so far 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 in Kansas, voters in Montana and Kentucky will be presented with proposals that curb access to abortion. Sponsors of a proposed restrictive abortion measure in Colorado have until Aug. 8 to collect signatures needed to qualify for a spot on the ballot there.
Biden Signs Executive Order Promoting Abortion

President Joe Biden on Wednesday signed an executive order that he says will allow for more abortion access, coming weeks after the Supreme Courts decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.

Todays Executive Order builds on the first Executive Order that I signed last month to safeguard access to  abortion care, he wrote on Twitter. I told you I wouldnt back down. That hasnt changed.

Bidens executive order directs the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to consider action to advance access to abortion services, including via Medicaid for women who travel out of state to obtain one, according to the White House.

The order also asks HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra to consider all appropriate actions to ensure that health providers follow federal laws so people can receive medically necessary care without delay, referring to abortions.

These actions could include providing technical assistance for health care providers who may be confused or unsure of their obligations in the aftermath of the Supreme Court decision in Dobbs; convening providers to convey information on their obligations and the potential consequences of non-compliance; and issuing additional guidance or taking other appropriate action in response to any complaints or reports of non-compliance with federal non-discrimination laws, the White House statement said.

The president signed the executive order while in isolation after his doctor said Wednesday that he again tested positive for COVID-19 in the morning.

More Actions

Wednesdays executive order comes just a day after the Department of Justice (DOJ) filed a lawsuit targeting an Idaho law that bans most abortions. Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a press briefing that the Idaho law violates the federal Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act that he says allows providers to give medically stabilizing treatment during an emergency.

If a patient comes into the emergency room with a medical emergency jeopardizing the patients life or health, hospitals must provide the treatment necessary to stabilize that patient, Garland said. This includes abortion, and that is the necessary treatment.

The lawsuit appears to be the first of many targeting states that have laws restricting abortions.

That is what we are doing, and that is what we will continue to do, the attorney general added on Tuesday. We will use every tool at our disposal to ensure that pregnant women get the emergency medical treatment to which they are entitled under federal law.

Democrats and the White House have signaled they view abortion as a key issue to promote ahead of the 2022 midterms as Biden faces declining poll numbers. Following the Supreme Courts decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, Biden said in a speech that people who are concerned should vote for candidates who back the procedure, which some religious groups and conservatives say is killing.

In a majority ruling overturning Roe, Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito argued the Constitution doesnt make any reference to abortion. He also argued that it should be up to individual states to decide on whether abortion is legalized or not.

Following the ruling, the Department of Homeland Security warned of increasing violence against government officials and judges. Officials in Maryland arrested a man outside the home of Justice Brett Kavanaugh for plotting to kill the justice days before the decision to overturn Roe was handed down by the high court.
Blood Is on His Hands Rudy Giuliani Fires Back at George Soros After Defense of DAs

Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani responded to left-wing billionaire George Soros opinion article in which he said hell continue to back progressive district attorneys amid a spike in crime nationwide.

I have been involved in efforts to reform the criminal-justice system for the more than 30 years I have been a philanthropist  Yet our system is rife with injustices that make us all less safe, Soros wrote for the Wall Street Journal on July 31.

The controversial billionaire added that in recent years, reform-minded prosecutors and other law-enforcement officials around the country have been coalescing around an agenda that promises to be more effective and just.

This agenda includes prioritizing the resources of the criminal justice system to protect people against violent crime. It urges that we treat drug addiction as a disease, not a crime. And it seeks to end the criminalization of poverty and mental illness, he argued.

But Giuliani, a former federal prosecutor who later built his reputation as a mayor who was tough on crime, said that Soros is a primary reason for the recent U.S.-wide spike in homicides and violent crimes. A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report in May, for example, revealed that the homicide rate via firearms spiked in 2020 to levels not seen in 25 years, saying the rate shot up 35 percent to about 6.1 per 100,000 people.

If there is one single person responsible for the record increases in murder and violence in Americas cities its George Soros, Giuliani wrote in a Monday Twitter post. Major contributor to [Black Lives Matter], Antifa, Democrat Party, Biden, Harris and 40 or so pro Criminal DAs. The blood is on his hands, he said.

Prosecutors and district attorneys who received Soros funding include Los Angeles County DA George Gascon, Philadelphia DA Larry Krasner, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, Chicago prosecutor Kim Foxx, and St. Louis circuit attorney Kim Gardner. Soros also provided funding to now-ousted San Francisco DA Chesa Boudin, although Soros has distanced himself from Boudin, according to the Washington Free Beacon.

Meanwhile, Gascon is himself the subject of a recall election in November. More than 715,000 signatures have been collected to recall him, which is far more than the 566,000 to trigger the initiative.

Prosecutors backed by Soros oversee jurisdictions in which 20 percent of Americans live, and more than 40 percent of U.S. homicides in 2021 occurred in those places, according to the pro-police Law Enforcement Legal Defense Fund.

Most of these prosecutors pursue radical justice policies upon assuming office including eliminating bail, dismissing felony cases, and seeking lenient sentences while creating antagonistic relationships with their public safety partners, especially the police, the group wrote in June.
The logo of the multi-national oil and gas company BP (British Petroleum) at a petrol station in Tonbridge, south east of London on April 30, 2022. (Ben Stansall/AFP via Getty Images)

BP Boosts Dividend After Profit Hits 14-Year High

LONDONBPs second quarter profit soared to $8.45 billion, its highest in 14 years, as strong refining margins and trading prompted it to boost its dividend and spending on new oil and gas production.

The strong performance caps a blowout quarter for the top Western oil and gas companies on the back of soaring energy prices that have increased pressure on governments to impose new taxes on the sector to help consumers.

The company is running well and it continues to strengthen. We have real strategic momentum, Chief Executive Officer Bernard Looney told Reuters.

BP shares were up 4.3 percent by 1:15 p.m. GMT, hitting their highest levels since June and strongly outperforming the European energy index which was up 0.7 percent. BP shares have gained 23 percent this year but are still some 10 percent below pre-pandemic levels.

Looney, who took office in 2020 with a vow to rapidly shift BP away from fossil fuels to renewables, said that the company will increase its spending on new oil and gas by $500 million in response to the global supply crunch.

We will direct more investment towards hydrocarbons to help with energy security in the near term, Looney said. Well probably direct about a half a billion dollars for hydrocarbons.

BP plans to maintain its overall capital expenditure this year in a range of $14 billion to $15 billion.

BP increased its dividend by 10 percent to 6.006 cents per share, more than its previous guidance of a 4 percent annual increase. It halved its dividend to 5.25 cents in July 2020 for the first time in a decade in the wake of the pandemic.

The company also increased its share repurchases plan for the current quarter to $3.5 billion after it bought $4.1 billion in the first half of the year.

The fact it produced its highest quarterly profit in 14 years, even though oil prices were higher during that period than they are now, suggests BP is a more efficient machine than it was previously, AJ Bell investment director Russ Mould said.

The company said it expected crude oil and gas prices as well as refining margins to remain elevated in the third quarter and said it would stick to its target of using 60 percent of its surplus cash on share buybacks.

The surge in revenue also allowed BP to sharply reduce its debt to $22.8 billion from $27.5 billion at the end of March.

Big Oil Bonanza

BP brings the second quarter profit tally for the top Western oil and gas companies to $59 billion after rivals including Exxon Mobil and Shell reported record earnings last week.

Its underlying replacement cost profit, its definition of net earnings, reached $8.45 billion in the second quarter, the highest since 2008 and far exceeding analysts expectations of $6.8 billion.

That was up from $6.25 billion in the first quarter and $2.8 billion a year earlier.

The strong performance was driven by strong refining margins, exceptional oil trading performance as well as higher fuel prices, although gas trading was weaker, BP said.

An outage at a major U.S. Gulf Coast liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant, also weighed on profits.

The Freeport LNG plant supplies BP with 4 million tonnes per year of LNG, out of a total portfolio of 18 million tonnes.

BP is looking at ways to supply customers despite the lost supply though that will come at an elevated cost, Chief Financial Officer Murray Auchincloss told Reuters.

The company has allocated money to cover for the extra costs of LNG supply as a result of the Freeport outage, he said.

Jefferies analysts estimated those extra costs this quarter would total $700 million to $900 million.

By Ron Bousso and Shadia Nasralla
Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly speaks at the House of Commons in Ottawa in a file photo. (The Canadian Press)

Canadas Foreign Affairs Minister Urges China to Deescalate Tensions Over Pelosis Taiwan Visit

Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly is calling on the Chinese communist regime to simmer down as it announced escalated military exercises around Taiwan following U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosis visit to the self-ruled island this week.

What Chinas doing is clearly threatening and theyre using not only threatening actions, but theyre using as well economic coercion which is a really big problem, Joly said during a press conference on Aug 3.

She also said Pelosis visit cannot be used as a pretext for China to justify its increasingly assertive actions against Taiwan, which she said raises tensions and destabilizes the Asia-Pacific region.

Joly noted that she had spoken with her U.S. counterpart, Antony Blinken, on the events in Taiwan and the position that the G7 countries will take, with a joint statement to be released shortly.

She said Canada needs to support Taiwans democracy and continue to engage with it economically, though adding that our position regarding Chinas policy has not changed.

China, which has claimed Taiwan as part of its territory despite the fact that Taiwan is a de facto independent country, was irate at Pelosi for making a stop in Taiwan during her Asia trip that also included Singapore, Malaysia, and South Korea. Chinese state media had suggested that the Chinese military should shoot down Pelosis plane if she decided to travel to the island.

The Chinese military conducted live-fire exercises on July 30 prior to Pelosis trip to Taiwan, and it has more military drills planned for Aug. 4 to Aug. 7, with part of them expected to enter Taiwanese waters, according to local media.

Upon Pelosis arrival in Taiwan on Aug. 2, Chinese customs officials also announced a temporary ban on food imports from more than 100 Taiwanese companies overnight.

While the Chinese embassy in Canada has not commented directly about Pelosis visit, it has reposted on its official Twitter account several statements from a spokesperson for Beijing, which threatens to take retaliatory measures against both the island and the United States.

Frank Fang, Gary Bai, and The Canadian Press contributed to this article.
Capitol Police dressed in riot gear stand guard as activists react to the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in the Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization case that overturns Roe v. Wade, in front of the court in Washington on June 24, 2022. (Nathan Howard/Getty Images)

Capitol Police Hiring Its Own Criminal Prosecutor a Dangerous Precedent: Former Senate Chief Counsel

To oversee threats to Congress, trespassing, and wrongdoing among lawmakers

The Capitol Police is looking to hire its own criminal prosecutor to oversee allegations about individuals who have threatened or been violent toward Members of Congress and their staff.

According to an advertisement for the role, USCP is looking for a Special Assistant United States Attorney located in USCP District Offices in Washington, D.C., who will report to the USCP Deputy and General Counsel.

The candidate will also work under the direct supervision and authority of the co-located District U.S. Attorneys Office, according to the ad.

This position is to represent the United States government primarily prosecuting individuals and/or groups who have engaged in threats and/or acts of violence against Members of Congress, their staffs, United States Capitol Police employees, visitors to the Capitol complex, and facilities and properties within the Capitol Complex, the job advertisement states.

Other job duties include prosecuting federal crimes as and when needed, developing and recommending strategies, and coordinating the preparation of litigation for potentially complex federal cases. The candidate will also work closely with USCP, federal and local law enforcement agents, as well as witnesses, and victims during criminal investigations, trial preparation, and all phases of litigation according to the ad.

The role could potentially see the prosecutor working on cases related to the Jan. 6 breach of the U.S. Capitol, the Daily Wire reports, as well as threats to members of Congress, and wrongdoings by lawmakers.

Work May Involve Problems Of Unusual Delicacy

Work may involve problems of unusual delicacy, such as allegations of wrongdoing against staff or members of Congress, criminal trespass, investigations of threats or crimes against Members of Congress, and arresting or detaining high-profile individuals, the job posting states.

The role pays $145,000 to $186,000 per year and the closing date for the vacancy is Aug. 19.

The vacancy comes after Axios reported that threats against lawmakers increased by 144 percent between 2017 and 2021. That has prompted the House sergeant-at-arms office to offer to pay up to $10,000 for security upgrades to lawmakers homes.

An additional $150 per month stipend would be provided to help them cover fees and maintain new equipment.

Meanwhile, the investigation into the Jan. 6 breach of the U.S. Capitol is still ongoing and has resulted in the arrest of more than 850 individuals, including over 260 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement, according to the Justice Department.

On Monday, a judge sentenced a Texas man who carried a gun onto U.S. Capitol grounds on Jan. 6 to more than seven years in prison.

Following the events of Jan. 6, U.S. Capitol Police Chief Steven Sund resigned, as did former Sergeant at Arms Paul Irving. At the time, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) stated that there was a failure at the top of the Capitol Police with regard to the incident.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) also at the time called for Senate Sergeant at Arms Michael Stenger, to vacate his position, stating that if he did not do so in the immediate future, the lawmaker would fire him as soon as Democrats have a majority in the Senate.

Dangerous Precedent

Speaking of the latest job advertisement on Aug. 2, Mike Davis, former Chief Counsel for Nominations for the Senate Judiciary Committee, said that federal prosecutors can only work for the Executive Branch.

It is clearly unconstitutional for Congress to have federal prosecutors on its payroll and working for them, Davis told The Daily Wire, adding that it violates the separation of powers and that federal prosecutors work for the president and the executive branch, and every prosecution by Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumers army of prosecutors is subject to serious constitutional challenge and reversal by the Supreme Court.

The Epoch Times has contacted the Capitol Police for comment.

Davis added that prosecutors working for the police sets a dangerous precedent, adding: This is a desperate power grab by Pelosi and Schumer to keep their bogus January 6 narrative going forever.

A Capitol Police spokesperson told The Daily Wire that the role of a criminal prosecutor for USCP was not suggested by any member of Congress.

Hiring a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney will give the Department, which has a constitutional duty to protect Congress and the Capitol Complex, a prosecutor who will work for the Department of Justice, but will also be an expert in the way we work and the types of unique threat cases we have.

The Epoch Times has contacted spokespersons for Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Majority Leader Chuck Schumer for comment.
Smoke from a cannabis oil vaporizer is seen as the driver is behind the wheel of a car in North Vancouver, B.C., on Nov. 14, 2018. (Jonathan Hayward/The Canadian Press)

Cases of Drug-Impaired Driving up for Fourth Straight Year: Statistics Canada

Cases of drug-impaired driving continued to rise for the fourth consecutive year since the Liberal government legalized marijuana in October 2018, according to police data collated by Statistics Canada.

Released on Aug. 2, the study, titled Police-Reported Crime Statistics In Canada 2021, found that there were 7,690 cases of drug-impaired driving violations in 2021 compared to 7,621 in 2020.

In 2019, 6,453 such incidents were reporteda 43 percent increase over 2018, the Canadian Centre for Justice and Community Safety Statistics, a department at Statistics Canada, said in its 2019 study released last July.

The latest study, first reported on by Blacklocks Reporter on Aug. 3, also noted that other marijuana crimes increased last year.

Nationally, the total rate of police-reported cannabis offences under the Cannabis Act and Controlled Drugs and Substances Act increased for the first time in 9 years, rising 5 [percent] in 2021, the study said.

The police reported 13,560 cases of cannabis offences in total, with most involving illegal imports and exports of marijuana, the study said.

In April 2017, the Liberal government introduced Bill C-46, an act to amend the Criminal Code that sought to strengthen the criminal response to drug-impaired driving in anticipation of cannabis legalization.

The bill, which received royal assent on June 21, 2018, permits random roadside testing of drivers that carries a maximum fine of $1,000 if they are found to have a blood drug concentration that is equal to or exceeds the blood drug concentration for the drug that is prescribed by regulation within two hours of driving.

Major Contributor

The impact of the legalization of cannabis on impaired driving incidents was probed by Senator Denise Batters, who asked Yvan Clermont, then-director of StatCans Centre for Justice Statistics, if he had any estimates when he testified before the Standing Senate Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs in February 2018.

Depending on how legalization is sorted, in terms of campaigns and everything, I dont know that. And things will differ from one jurisdiction to another. I cannot predict, Clermont said.

Do you have any statistics where youve asked people whether they will use marijuana or whether they will use marijuana more often after its legalized? Batters asked.

We have not asked that, replied Clermont.

In March, Public Safety Canada released a report saying marijuana was a major contributor to people dying in car accidents.

Drug-impaired driving is a major contributor to fatal road crashes, and young people continue to be the largest group of drivers who die in crashes and test positive for drugs, said the report, titled Public Opinion Research On Drug-Impaired Driving.

Among those who have operated a vehicle while under the influence of cannabis, most said they did not recognize their behaviour as risky, with two in five (39 percent) reporting they did not feel impaired and one in five (23 percent) believing they could (still) drive carefully.

The report noted 26 percent of cannabis users have operated a vehicle while under the influence.
John Gibbs is trying to unseat Republican Rep. Peter Meijer in Michigan's 3rd Congressional District Republican primary on August 2. (Courtesy of John Gibbs for MI-3)

Michigan GOP Challenger Wins US House Primary Over Incumbent Who Voted to Impeach Trump

BYRON CENTER, Mich.Republican John Gibbs defeated incumbent Rep. Peter Meijer (R-Mich.) in Michigans 3rd Congressional District primary on Aug. 2.

Meijer was one of 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach then-President Donald Trump after the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol breach. Trump endorsed Gibbs for the GOP nomination.

With 75 percent of the votes reported at 12:24 a.m. on Aug. 3, Gibbs received almost 52 percent of the vote while Meijer registered 48 percent, according to Decision Desk HQ.

Gibbs will face Democrat Hillary Scholten in Novembers general election in a redrawn 3rd District that once favored Republicans, but is now friendlier to Democrats. Scholten ran unopposed.

Gibbs was a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) official during the Trump administration. He was appointed by Trump to lead the Office of Personnel Management but wasnt confirmed by the U.S. Senate.

Gibbs grew up in the Lansing area, and didnt live in western Michigan until last year.

He earned a bachelors degree in computer science from Stanford University and a masters degree in public administration from Harvard University, served as a missionary in Japan, and worked in Silicon Valley as a software engineer before his role at HUD.

Meijer graduated from Columbia University and is the son of Hank Meijer, the executive chairman of the family-owned Meijer grocery chain. He served in the Army Reserves from 2008 to 2016, including a one-year deployment to Iraq.

Meijer voted to impeach Trump three days after the freshman legislator was sworn into the 117th Congress.

On Aug. 1, in a column that appeared on the Substack page Common Sense, Meijer criticized the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) for intervening by spending $435,000 in advertising to bolster Gibbs.

While the spot appeared to attack Gibbs, it also provided airtime for a campaign that didnt have the funds to increase its name recognition on television in the Grand Rapids market, which critics say was the DCCCs ultimate objective.

Meijer wrote that it would seem like the Democrats would look at John Gibbs and see the embodiment of what they say they most fear. That as patriots they would use every tool at their disposal to defeat him and similar candidates that theyve said are an existential threat. Instead, they are funding Gibbs.

Meijer added that the ad purchase was more than Gibbs raised over the entire duration of his campaign and was almost 100 times what Trump provided to Gibbs, which amounted to a single $5,000 contribution from the Save America Super PAC.

In other words, the Democrats are not merely attempting to boost a candidate over the finish line: They are subsidizing his entire campaign, Meijer wrote.

Meijer raised 10 times more money than Gibbs, and had spent $2.1 million on the campaign compared to Gibbss $340,000 as of mid-July.

Meijer was funded by organizations such as a super PAC called Principled Leadership for Michigan, which provided more than $750,000 to his campaign, according to disclosures. He also received $10,000 each from Majority Committee PAC, which is led by House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy; the leadership PACs of Minority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) and Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.); and $5,000 from the leadership PAC of Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.).

On the day of the primary election outside a voting precinct in Grand Rapids, Meijer talked about the homes hed visited across the district while meeting voters face-to-face and acknowledged that some residents questioned his vote to impeach Trump.

Some folks have said they didnt like that vote, but they dont want the seat go to a Democrat, Meijer said. And they said they have liked many of my other decisions.

Meijer is unelectable in November, Gibbs said before casting his vote on Aug. 2 in Byron Center, because the freshman legislator voted to impeach Trump and also voted for the gun control bill.

Those are just two reasons why many Republicans would not support him in November, Gibbs told The Epoch Times.

Gibbs expressed confidence that his grassroots following would help him defeat Meijer.

Money does matteryes, Gibbs told an audience during a campaign stop at a Baptist church in July. You need enough money to get your name out there and pay your staff. But it doesnt quite mean what it used to. People are getting sick of money being able to buy elections.

While a Democrat hasnt represented the 3rd District in Congress since 1993, the redrawing of the district has analysts such as the Cook Political Report, Inside Elections, and Sabatos Crystal Ball rating the general election as a toss-up.
Indonesian tourism workers strike over Komodo park price hike

Tourism businesses in Indonesia's Komodo National Park began a month-long strike on Monday after the government imposed a huge price hike.









A Komodo dragon walks at the Komodo National Park in Komodo island, Indonesia's East Nusa Tenggara province October 4, 2011. REUTERS/Beawiharta/File Photo



Jakarta's 18-fold rise for entry to the park's most popular islands seeks to limit the number of visitors to protect endangered Komodo dragons -- the world's largest lizards -- from overexposure to humans and environmental damage.



The move, which came into force Monday, raised admission fees to Komodo and Padar islands at the World Heritage-listed site in East Nusa Tenggara province from 200,000 rupiah ($13) to 3.75 million rupiah ($252).



But it sparked uproar among locals who rely on tourism, and industry-related businesses in the national park -- still reeling from the Covid-19 pandemic -- were closed on Monday in protest.



"We have no other option, we have conveyed all our rational opinions and arguments but the government didn't listen," said Servianus Setiawan, a tour operator in Labuan Bajo, the town that serves as the entrance to the park.



"We support Komodo conservation but please come up with a sensible number so we can protect Komodo dragons and so people whose livelihood depends on tourism can live."



East Nusa Tenggara Governor Viktor Laiskodat said the new price would be imposed despite the protest.



"We admit that we missed disseminating the information (about the price increase) properly. We will inform the people better while monitoring and evaluating the situation," he told reporters Monday.



At least 700 workers will take part in the strike until the end of August, Servianus said.



Tour organiser Samin told AFP those refusing to join the strike had been threatened with "social sanctions".



One tourism association threatened to burn down businesses that remained open.



Locals said the drastic price hike would deter tourists with a limited budget from visiting the national park, which was almost deserted at the peak of the pandemic.



"We are slowly recovering, if people cancel their reservations, we will fall apart again," Matheus Siagian, a hotel and restaurant owner told AFP.



"Please let us heal first."



Komodo dragons are found only in the national park and neighbouring Flores island, and just 3,458 adult and baby Komodo dragons are left in the wild, according to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature.
LEGARDA LAUDS PASSAGE OF REPUBLIC ACT NO. 11904 OR "THE PHILIPPINE CREATIVE INDUSTRIES DEVELOPMENT ACT"

Senator Loren Legarda welcomed the passage of RA 11904, or the Philippine Creative Industries Development Act, which supports Filipino excellence in creative industries.

The law, which Legarda co-authored in the last Congress, is a significant milestone for creative industries. The law recognizes and protects individuals whose skills and ingenuity are being offered for the creative expression of the arts and for helping the country achieve a stronger economy.

"The Philippine creative industry is appreciated and recognized globally. It is prudent for the government to see how it can protect and nurture the excellence of the movers of this industry," Legarda said.

Creative industries are defined in the law as trades involving persons that produce cultural, artistic, and innovative goods and services originating in human creativity, skill, and talent and having a potential to create wealth and livelihood through the general and utilization of intellectual property.

The law requires the creation of the Philippine Creative Industries Development Council, which is mandated to implement a long-term plan for the development and promotion of the country's creative industries through programs that create opportunities and employment, financial-enabling mechanisms, and incentives.

The Council is tasked to formulate the Philippine Creative Industries Development Plan that shall include a ten-, six- and three-year development timeline with a list of specific activities in the industry. The law also grants the creative industries the necessary legal protection they deserve.

"We should provide adequate support and protect the artistic brilliance of this industry. The new law is a triumph for all Filipinos, recognizing the competitive edge of talents in our country and the strategic potential of the creative industry to the Philippine economy," Legarda added.

Legarda is known for promoting laws and policies that bring tangible benefits.
A health worker takes a swab sample from a man to test for COVID-19 in the Jing'an district of Shanghai, China on July 31, 2022. (Hector Retamal/AFP via Getty Images)

China Locks Down 1.6 Million People After Finding 1 Case of COVID-19

Yongcheng city in central Henan Province went under lockdown on Monday after one local was diagnosed with COVID-19 the day before.

As part of the lockdown, City authorities ordered all the 1.6 million residents must take at least one nucleic acid test from Monday to Wednesday and that only one person per household was allowed to leave home daily to run errands.

Also under lockdown rules, no public transportation is allowed to run, and all shops, companies, restaurants, and conference centers must be closed.

Only grocery stores, pharmacies, and hospitals are allowed to operate, but pharmacies arent allowed to sell medicines to treat a fever or cough, nor antivirus and antibiotics drugs.

The authorities also set up checkpoints in the city to monitor peoples movement and stop those without passes.

Yongcheng is located in the far east of Henan and borders Shandong, Jiangsu, and Anhui provinces, and has two cross-country highways passing by.

Locking down the whole city after one person was diagnosed, is the current policy that the ruling communist regime adopts.

Residents queue to undergo nucleic acid tests for COVID-19 at a swab collection site in Guangzhou, in Chinas southern Guangdong Province on July 31, 2022. (STR/AFP via Getty Images)

Coastal City

The city of Sanya, the so-called Hawaii of China, is facing the same challenge as Yongcheng with it going into lockdown on Tuesday after a resident was diagnosed with COVID-19 the day earlier.

The patient has a low-grade fever and is treated at Sanya Central Hospital, the state-run CCTV reported on Tuesday. The variant that the patient infected was tested to be BA.5.1.3.

Sanya is at the southern end of Chinas Hainan Island and lockdown measures have also affected boats and ships.

In its approach to attempting to curb outbreaks, Beijing has separated the country into three different regions: high-risk, medium-risk, and low-risk, and has adopted different lockdown methods in these regions.

China has 473 high-risk regions and 636 medium-risk regions located in 18 provinces at 13:00 p.m. on Tuesday, according to the state-run Beijing Daily.
U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) (center L), poses for photographs after receiving the Order of Propitious Clouds with Special Grand Cordon, Taiwans highest civilian honor, from Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen (center R) at the president's office in Taipei, Taiwan, on Aug. 3, 2022. (Chien Chih-Hung/Office of The President via Getty Images)

Chinese Regime Is a Paper Tiger, Taiwan Official Says in Response to Beijings Threats Amid Pelosi Visit

Taiwan official Dr. Twu Shiing-jer called the Chinese regime a paper tiger on Aug. 2 in an exclusive interview with The Epoch Times following U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosis arrival in Taiwan.

Pelosi had arrived for a 19-hour visit, despite threats from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), and met with Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen and Vice President Lai Ching-te. She has now departed the self-ruled island for South Korea, the next stop on her trip to Asia.

Twu, chairman of Taiwans Development Center for Biotechnology and former Taiwan Health Minister, told The Epoch Times that Pelosis visit was a very happy occasion and very encouraging to the Taiwanese people.

He said of Pelosis visit, This shows that China is only a paper tiger. All it can do is talk big, and doesnt dare to do anything to the United States.

He described threats of retaliation by the Peoples Republic of China [PRC] for the visit as the behavior of a little hooligan who cant do anything about it, and expressed the view that if [China] wants to move on Taiwan or change the status quo, the United States will act.

During the interview, Twu, who is also a former Taiwan legislator and mayor of Chiayi, one of Taiwans largest cities, strongly advocated for a formal change in the United States One China policy, which is strategically ambiguous about Taiwans status as a nation.

Taiwan is Taiwan, and China is China, he said. Taiwan and China, one country on each respective side. I hope that the United States clearly hears this voice of the Taiwanese people and definitively changes the One China policy to a One Taiwan, One China policy.

Chinas Threats Against the US, Taiwan Are Internal Propaganda

Twu told The Epoch Times that Chinas threats against the United States and Taiwan surrounding Pelosis Taiwan visit are internal propaganda by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) intended to appease and distract the Chinese people in the midst of political and economic instability.

Its not pleasant [for China] to hear this, but in actuality, [the CCPs threats] are most importantly internal propaganda, and not primarily intended for external consumption beyond China, Twu said. Because abroad, other nations distrust China more and more.

He added that Chinas threats, intended to portray CCP strength to the Chinese people, reveal weakness to other nations.

[The PRC] doesnt have courage, and doesnt have ability [to stop Pelosis visit], so all it can do is raise a ruckus, he said. Its raising a ruckus like a little hooligan. It doesnt even rise to the level of a big hooligan.

When asked about the PRCs ongoing threats of retaliation, Twu said, [The PRC] will retaliate, but it will be the retaliation of a little hooligan, not like that of a big country, pointing to Chinese restrictions on the importation of Taiwanese fruits and agricultural products as an example.

China Showing a Strong Front With a Hollow Core

Twu described the PRC as showing a strong front with a hollow core.

Chinas internal politics are very unstable, Twu said. Its economy has been impacted negatively, and economic problems have caused everyone to lose confidence in Xi Jinping.

He said of the PRC dictator, I think Xi Jinping is in a very, very difficult situation  I know that many, including those in China, hope that Xi Jinping steps down as soon as possible, noting that Chinas entire economy is on its way down.

Twu elaborated on Chinas mounting problems, including with respect to COVID-related lockdowns, a real estate bubble, and crises in the financial sector, saying, I am confident that China will become more and more chaotic, especially economically and financially. Many [banks in China] are insolvent, even to the point that banks are going bankrupt.

Actually, the PRC is showing a strong front when its core is hollow, he said. Its fast-approaching bankruptcy. Im referring to political bankruptcy and economic bankruptcy.

One Taiwan, One China Policy

During the interview, Twu strongly advocated for a change in the United States One China policy, proposing that the United States adopt a One Taiwan, One China policy based on the will of the Taiwanese people. He emphasized the United States victory in World War II as a key point regarding the weight of Americas voice with respect to Taiwans international status. World War II resulted in Japan relinquishing Taiwan, which it had governed for 50 years, and took place years before the PRCs 1949 founding.

The organizational awareness of the Taiwanese people is becoming stronger and stronger, Twu said. I think Americas One China policy should be changed. Based on the thinking of the Taiwanese people, it should be a One China, One Taiwan policy.

He added, According to polls of Taiwanese public opinion, now, most Taiwanese people already think that Taiwan is Taiwan [and not China]. So policy should change to a One China, One Taiwan policy  Taiwan is Taiwan, and China is China.

Twu said that although Taiwans formal international status is undecided in forums like the United Nations, Just because Taiwans status is undecided doesnt mean that it just becomes a part of China. Taiwan is Taiwan.

Twu described a vision of formal independence for Taiwan.

Looking at the international situation and the votes of the Taiwanese people expressing their will, everyone will move in the direction of independence, he said. It will definitely not go in the direction of joining China  China is just out of its mind.
San Bernardino County Sheriffs Department arrested man after discovering 42 pounds of cocaine in car in San Bernadino county, California, on July 29, 2022. (San Bernardino County Sheriffs Department/Supplied)

Deputies Uncover 42 Pounds of Cocaine While Investigating Drug Dealer in California

An investigation by San Bernardino county deputies uncovered 19 bricks of cocaine weighing 42 pounds with a street value of $700,000 stashed in a vehicle.

While investigating a report of suspected hand-to-hand narcotic sales at around 6:17 p.m. on July 29, the deputies from Central Station, who are assigned to Grand Terrace city in San Bernadino county, were led to the suspect, Ulises Solis Diaz.

Diaz, who was subsequently arrested, had active warrants and was in possession of illegal drug paraphernalia, the San Bernardino County Sheriffs Department said in a statement.

During a search of Diazs vehicle, deputies observed a bag containing a large quantity of suspected fentanyl pills, ammunition, and a Slim Jim burglary tool, commonly used in the commission of vehicle burglaries, the sheriffs department said.

The deputies investigation led them to a secondary vehicle in the area used by Diaz, who was found to be in possession of a key belonging to the secondary vehicle.

A search warrant was authored and served on the related vehicle. Through the service of the search warrant, deputies located approximately 19 brick shaped packages containing a white powdery substance suspected to be cocaine, and multiple scales indicative to the sales of narcotics, the sheriffs department said.

The amount of narcotics located was estimated to be 19 kilograms (42 pounds), with an estimated street value of approximately $700,000.

A residence related to the investigation was also identified by the San Bernardino County Sheriffs Department Narcotics Division, which took over the investigation.

Diaz was subsequently arrested and charged with possession of narcotics for sales and booked into the Central Detention Center, where he is being held on $2,050,000 bail.
A file image of the U.S. Department of Defense seal is seen on the lectern in the media briefing room at the Pentagon in Washington on Dec. 12, 2013. (Paul J. Richards/AFP/Getty Images)

DOD Wiped Phones of Senior Trump OfficialsJan. 6 Communications No Longer Accessible

Some senior Trump administration officials had their phones wiped by the Department of Defense (DOD) and the U.S. Army after the former president left office, meaning messages that were sent around the time of the Jan. 6 Capitol breach are no longer accessible, court filings show.

The DOD acknowledged that the phones belonging to former Pentagon officials had been wiped as part of a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit filed by American Oversight, a non-profit watchdog organization.

American Oversight had sought the communications that those officials had with Trump, former Vice President Pence, Trump White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, or anyone communicating on their behalf on Jan. 6.

The watchdog group submitted the FOIA requests pertaining to the records on Jan. 12, 2021, six days after the breach of the Capitol building.

Specifically, FOIA requests sought communications from former acting Secretary of Defense Chris Miller, former chief of staff Kash Patel, and former Secretary of the Army Ryan McCarthy, Paul Ney, the Defense Departments general counsel; and James E. McPherson, the Armys general counsel.

However, in a court filing roughly a year after the request, the Army stated that when an employee separates from DOD or Army he or she turns in the government issued phone, and the phone is wiped and that for those custodians no longer with the agency, the text messages were not preserved and therefore could not be searched.

The court filing noted, however, that it is possible that particular text messages could have been saved into other records systems such as email.

Secret Service Swipe

The DODs admission in the filings creates further transparency issues regarding the Jan. 6 select committees investigation into the events of that day in 2021 and how the government responded.

It also comes shortly after it was revealed that U.S. Secret Service text messages sent on the day the breach had also been deleted.

A number of texts from secret service members from Jan. 5 and Jan. 6, were erased as part of a device-replacement program, Joseph Cuffari, the Department of Homeland Securitys inspector general, told lawmakers in a July letter.

Last week, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) wrote to Attorney General Merrick Garland and asked him to take control of the investigation into the missing DHS and Secret Service messages.

Its just astounding to believe that the agency did not understand the importance of preserving its recordsparticularly [with regards] to the top officials that might have captured: what they were doing when they were doing it, why they were doing, it on that day, Heather Sawyer, executive director of American Oversight, told CNN.

The U.S. Army Public Affairs media relations chief, Col. Cathy Wilkinson, said in a statement to the news outlet: It is our policy not to comment on ongoing litigation.

In a statement to The Epoch Times, the Defense Department also declined to comment on pending litigation.

American Oversight is now calling for an investigation into the DODs failure to preserve text messages and other communications from Jan. 6.

Cross-Agency Investigation Needed

In a letter (pdf) sent to Attorney General Garland on Tuesday, Sawyer said the alleged deletion of the records of communication by multiple agencies bolsters the need for a cross-agency investigation into the possible destruction of federal records adding that the communications could have shed light on the actions of top Trump administration officials on the day of the failed insurrection.

The letter also stated that Patel, Ney, and Miller had all departed from their roles after American Oversight had submitted FOIA requests specifically seeking text messages and requesting that the agencies take steps to prevent the deletion of potentially responsive records.

American Oversight accordingly urges you to investigate DODs actions in allowing the destruction of records potentially relevant to this significant matter of national attention and historical importance, the letter said.

Additionally, American Oversight has also requested the communications of Army Chief of Staff Gen. James McConville and Director of Army Staff Lt. Gen. Walter E. Piatt.

The Army told the watchdog group that it has initiated a search for records held by McConville and Piatt, and estimates that the search will be completed by the end of September.

The Epoch Times has contacted the DOD and the Justice Department for comment.
Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, speaks in Washington on June 16, 2022. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

EXCLUSIVE: CDC Claims Link Between Heart Inflammation and COVID-19 Vaccines Wasnt Known for Most of 2021

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has claimed that there was no known association between heart inflammation and COVID-19 vaccines as late as October 2021.

CDC officials made the claim, which is false, in response to a Freedom of Information Act request for reports from a CDC team that is focused on analyzing the risk of post-vaccination myocarditis and pericarditis, two forms of heart inflammation. Both began to be detected at higher-than-expected rates after COVID-19 vaccination in the spring of 2021.

The team focuses on studying data from the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS), a passive surveillance system co-run by the CDC and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

The date range for the search was April 2, 2021, to Oct. 2, 2021.

The National Center for Emerging Zoonotic Infectious Diseases performed a search of our records that failed to reveal any documents pertaining to your request, Roger Andoh, a CDC records officer, told The Epoch Times. The center is part of the CDC.

No abstractions or reports were available because an association between myocarditis and mRNA COVID-19 vaccination was not known at that time, Andoh added.

Both the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines are built on messenger RNA (mRNA) technology.

Earliest Myocarditis Reports

Reports of heart inflammation after COVID-19 vaccination were first made public in April 2021 by the U.S. military, which detected the issue along with Israeli authorities well before the CDC.

While Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the CDCs director, said that month that the agency had looked for a safety signal in its data and found none, by the end of June CDC researchers were saying that the available data suggest an association with immunization, and in August described (pdf) the issue as a harm from vaccination.

The claim that the link wasnt known is provably false, Barbara Loe Fisher, co-founder and president of the National Vaccine Information Center, told The Epoch Times via email. Either the right hand does not know what the left hand is doing at CDC, or federal health officials are disseminating misinformation about what they knew about myocarditis following mRNA COVID vaccines and when they knew it.

Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) said that the FOIA response raises even more questions about the agencys honesty, transparency, and use, or lack thereof, of its safety surveillance systems, such as VAERS, to detect COVID-19 vaccine adverse events.

I have sent two letters to the CDC about the agencys inability to find records demonstrating its use of the vaccine surveillance systems. To date, the CDC has failed to respond to my letters, he added.

A nurse prepares the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine in Southfield, Mich., on Nov. 5, 2021. (Jeff Kowalsky/AFP via Getty Images)

Correction

Apparently CDC needs to make a correction! a spokeswoman for the agency told The Epoch Times in an email.

The agency is acknowledging that by June 2021, data began to indicate a link between the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines and heart inflammation, outlined that month in two presentations made to government vaccine advisory panels.

Additional data accumulated in subsequent months, ultimately leading to the conclusion that a causative association did indeed exist. However, such a conclusion required time to accumulate and analyze data, the spokeswoman said.

It remains unclear how the CDC looked for a signal in April 2021. The CDC has declined to provide any details.

The CDCs records office did not respond to a request for comment.

The correction is the second time in recent weeks that the agency has backtracked on a claim.

Andoh in June told the nonprofit Childrens Health Defense that staff from the agencys Immunization and Safety Office informed him that the agency would not perform data mining on VAERS, even though several CDC documents said the agency would perform the analyses.

Questioned about the matter, Dr. John Su, a CDC official, told The Epoch Times that the agency started performing the data mining in February 2021.

Noting the conflicting statements, Johnson wrote to Walensky asking her for answers. CDCs assertion and Dr. Sus statement cannot both be true, he said.
Justices of the Supreme Court pose for a group photo at the Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., on April 23, 2021. (Seated) Samuel Alito (L), Clarence Thomas (2L), Chief Justice John Roberts (C), Stephen Breyer (2R) and Sonia Sotomayor (R).(Standing) Brett Kavanaugh (L), Elena Kagan (2L), Neil Gorsuch (2R), and Amy Coney Barrett (R). (Erin Schaff/Getty Images)

Expert Says Vote Dilution a Danger in Briefing on Supreme Court Redistricting Case

On Aug. 2, 2022, special counsel for the New York Legislature, Jeffery Wice, briefed National Council of State Legislators (NCSL) attendees on Merrill v. Milligan, a case before the Supreme Court that could upend state redistricting as soon as Oct. 2.

Wice said that in 2013, the Supreme Court struck down Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act (VRA), but left Section 2 in place.

That prohibits vote dilution, according to Wice, which is the practice of dispersing minorities into many districts where they will make up an ineffective minority voting group.

If a state practices vote dilution redistricting, voters can challenge the state as long as three factors are met.

First, it must be shown that a minority group consists of 50 percent of the voters in a specific district that was diluted.

Second, that the minority group votes cohesively and is like-minded in the type of candidates and laws it wants to be enacted.

And thirdand most important according to Wiceit must be must shown racially polarized voting where the white voters consistently defeat the minority voters preferred candidates of choice.

Wice continued by stating that Alabamas population is one-quarter black and that for decades, there was only one majority black district.

In November 2021, Alabama enacted congressional redistricting plans with on majority black district. Following the release of the new districts, three groups of plaintiffs filed suits against Secretary of State John Merrill, and the House and Senate redistricting chairman.

Specifically, the plaintiffs argued that the congressional maps violated Section 2 of the VRA because they concentrated black voters in the 7th Congressional District, and split up the remaining black voters into three separate districts.

The plaintiffs then asked the court to strike down the congressional maps and draw new districts with a second majority black district.

On Jan. 24, a three-judge district court unanimously agreed that Alabamas plan violated the plaintiffs rights under Section 2 of the VRA, but Alabama appealed the ruling to the Supreme Court arguing that that map drawing process was race-neutral, and that there was no obligation to create an additional majority-minority district.

Throughout the proceedings, one undisputed fact stood out. Millions of illustrative maps generated by some of the plaintiffs own experts-using algorithms programmed not to consider race, never resulted in a plan with two majority-minority black districts, Wice reported of Alabamas filing.

Alabama further argued that under the Equal Protection clause of the Constitution, race-based redistricting is constitutionally suspect. Therefore, VRA cannot require the creation of an additional majority-minority district if the only way to get there is by prioritizing race over other traditional redistricting criteria.

Plus, Alabama said that they were race-neutral when drawing the maps, and only by using race-based criteria would two minority districts be formed.

Thus, as there was no intent to dilute minority voting rights, Alabama didnt violate the VRA.

On Feb. 2, the Supreme Court stayed the preliminary injunction granted by the three-judge panel and agreed to hear the case during its next term, which starts in October.

Wice concluded that after the court agreed to hear the case, voting rights groups expressed outrage, and accused the high court of trying to weaken the VRA further.

And, Wice said that if the Supreme Court agrees with Alabamas interpretation of Section 2 of the VRA, future plaintiffs would have a more difficult time succeeding on vote dilution claims.

Wice concluded that the courts decision on the future of redistricting, specifically regarding race, would address and possibly change how states practice redistricting in the future.
The P4 laboratory on the campus of the Wuhan Institute of Virology in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China, on May 13, 2020. (Hector Retamal/AFP via Getty Images)

Experts Call on Congress to Quickly Implement New Gain of Function Oversight System After NIH Failure

Experts urged Congress on Aug. 3 to implement a new oversight system over risky research conducted in or funded by the United States, saying that the present system is ill-equipped to identify problematic experiments.

Two Department of Health and Human Services agencies, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are currently required to analyze whether proposed projects meet the definition of research involving enhanced potential pandemic pathogens, or pathogens that could lead to a pandemic.

Projects that meet the definition are referred to a committee made up of members appointed by the health secretary, with the panel deciding whether the projects can move forward.

The current system, known as the PC3O framework, isnt working, experts say.

Richard Ebright, a laboratory director at the Waksman Institute of Microbiology, said the system in principle provides for adequate oversight, but in practice largely has existed only on paper.

In the 4 1/2 years since the policy was announced, only three projects have been approved, while a number of othersincluding work done in Wuhan, China, that was funded by the NIHwerent flagged due to a failure by the NIH to identify and flag all covered projects, according to Ebright.

He was testifying before the Senate during the first congressional hearing on risky biological research, known formally as gain-of-function research, since the COVID-19 pandemic began.

Another witness, Massachusetts Institute of Technology biologist Kevin Esvelt, said the NIH has a long history of funding projects that are aimed at enhancing the transmissibility of viruses, including lethal pathogens, but that many of the projects werent flagged by the agency.

Its been a failure, I think at this point in time, Dr. Steven Quay, CEO of Atossa Therapeutics, told the panel.

The Department of Health and Human Services, the NIH, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention didnt respond to requests for comment.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, a top NIH director, said in June that the agency wouldnt stop funding research in China.

Solutions

Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), who was leading the hearing, said he sees the need for additional hearings and legislation dealing with the matter. He hoped for bipartisan support for a measure improving oversight.

The experts had different ideas for solutions, but all agreed that the NIH should no longer oversee grants that the agency itself hands out.

Ebright said the oversight should be tasked to a single, independent federal agency that doesnt perform or fund research and that regulations governing the oversight should be codified. Those regulations should include mandatory oversight and enforcement provisions.

The risky research was performed because its fast, easy, fundable, and publishable in the academic research ecosystem, he said. Because of these incentives, self-regulation from within the community is insufficient. The scientific research community will follow the incentives; it will never effectively self-regulate on these issues.

Esvelt suggested that Congress stop funding what he called pandemic virus identification experiments, which refers to experiments that could substantially increase our confidence that a virus would cause a pandemic if repeatedly introduced.

When it comes to identifying pandemic-capable viruses that could kill millions of people and will necessarily be shared with scientists worldwide who will be able to access them, I do not think that we should be doing it. I do not think that China should be doing it. I do not think that anyone should be doing it because it is expected to kill 100 times as many people as it might save, even if we could perfectly prevent an identified natural virus from spilling over, he said.

Quay proposed having institutional review boards oversee the risky experiments. The board system is used for human clinical trials.

Cathy He contributed to this report.
Homeless people sit on the sidewalk by the nonprofit Midnight Mission's headquarters, in the Skid Row neighborhood of downtown Los Angeles on Nov. 25, 2021. (APU GOMES/AFP via Getty Images)

What Life Is Really Like on Los Angeless Skid Row

Rats and poverty for some, but for others, flat-screen TVs, air conditioning, and a stocked fridge

LOS ANGELESThe homeless tent city known as Skid Row in downtown Los Angeles is where people end up when the bottom drops out of their lives.

Sometimes, its where they dieone final insult added to injury.

For Cuban-born Fernando Sanchez, Skid Row has been his home for a decade and a half.

He didnt plan it that way. Lifes uppercuts just came after losing his job in the Great Recession.

When his family gave up on him, he realized hed lost everything except his will to live.

Fernando Sanchez shows off the contents of his tent enclosure set up on Skid Row in downtown Los Angeles on July 26, 2022. (Allan Stein/The Epoch Times)

To be honest, Ive been homeless for the last 15 years, Sanchez told The Epoch Times.

I lost my job, [had] problems with my family. You know how a family is sometimes. When you have no job, they think you [are lazy]. No support. I used to have a good job. I used to be a truck driver.

At 64, Sanchez is close to retirement age.

He admits life on Skid Row could be much worse if it werent for the kindness of strangers. Each day he sees them bringing food, clothing, and other essentials.

Even luxuries.

How do I survive? They donate foodbreakfast in the morning. Over here, they give a lot of food, Sanchez said, pointing at the sidewalk area where the supplies get dropped off.

I dont get anything from the government. Ive never been in the militarynothing like that.

Through networking and charity, Sanchez has been lucky to accumulate the things he needs to make life in this urban wasteland bearableeven comfortable.

His moveable tent dwelling seems palatial by homeless standards.

Pitched against a concrete wall is the main tent where he sleeps. It has a large flat-screen television, an air conditioner to stay cool in the summer, and a gas generator for power.

He has a full-size bed made with fresh linen and a pink throw rug he keeps clean with an electric vacuum.

In an adjoining tent, he has a small refrigerator, a deep freezer stocked with beef and chicken, and a wine rack with bottles of merlot and other vintages.

He recently acquired a kitten and a puppy to keep him company. He has a BMX-style bicycle to get around and trusted friends to watch over his property when hes out and about.

Yes, life could be worse but for a bit of ingenuity and the goodness of strangers.

On this sunny morning, a young woman stopped in front of Sanchezs tent, pulling a cart filled with brand-new shoes and T-shirts.

She asked Sanchez which ones he wanted.

Sanchez wasnt too fussy. He picked the best red T-shirt that fit him.

Fernando Sanchez of Cuba has been living on the streets of Skid Row in downtown Los Angeles since the Great Recession after losing his job as a truck driver. Photo taken on July 26, 2022. (Allan Stein/The Epoch Times)

Over the years, religious and other charitable groups have formed missions to help the homeless of Skid Row, like Sanchez, who now number more than 11,000.

Drive-By Do-Gooders, for example, is a volunteer organization serving 240 poor adults each week, mainly those on Skid Row who have difficulty reaching services.

Charitable donations take place from a car window, much like an ice-cream truck, according to the organizations website.

We offer basic human needs with no agenda, just pure giving, it states.

Among the most vital necessities they provide is drinking water, handing out nearly 1,000 bottles every month, as well as sanitary wipes, socks, tarps, clothing, and portable protein foods such as cold string cheese.

Food lines and pop-up buffets are in the heart of Skid Row. Drive-By Do-Gooders travel to the outskirts of the area, where hundreds of the disabled, elderly, and mentally challenged reside.

The city has launched programs, such as Homeless Health Care Los Angeles, to mitigate the suffering of the poor and disadvantaged living on Skid Row.

Evans Clark is the project manager of the ReFresh Spot on Towne Avenue, located directly across from Sanchezs tent enclosure.

The facility offers amenities most people might take for granted: toilets, showers, a safe, clean, shady place to hang out, and a laundry facility.

Theyre doing pretty good. I dont hear any complaints, Clark told The Epoch Times. We treat everyone with respect and dignity, let them know they can come back any time and get the services we provide.

At the corner of Town Avenue and Fifth Street, a station wagon pulled up next to the curb cut where a man who goes by the name Soul Brother sat in a chair.

The driver then held out a shopping bag filled with groceries.

Soul Brother walked over to the driver, receiving the donation of perishable food with a heartfelt thank-you.

You could say Soul Brother is the gatekeeper of this dilapidated stretch of Skid Row, wary of newcomers who might wish to steal or exploit the homeless in some wayas they have.

There have been murders on Skid Row over the years, as its history is as long as it is tragic.

The corner of Town Avenue and Fifth Street in the section of downtown Los Angeles known as Skid Row has been expanding in recent months due to an increase in homelessness. (Allan Stein/The Epoch Times)

Between 1900 and 1920, it was known as Hobo Corner, hosting thousands of migrant workers and men left homeless after the Civil War.

In time, the police grew tired of the violence, mental illness, and alcoholism that plagued the location. Some men didnt want to leave, so the police forced them out with periodic hobo sweeps to reduce their numbers.

Dont help this class, the local press reported. Its a crime against the community to do it.

Today, Skid Row spans nearly five square miles50 city blocks. It continues to grow in a worsening California economy with new arrivals each day, including people with myriad problems and people priced out of the market.

Despite the daily misery and squalor, Soul Brother does his part to keep his tent enclosure clean and free of garbage that might attract rats.

Rated one of the most rat-infested cities in the United States, Los Angeles now faces periodic outbreaks of flea-borne typhus, according to the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health.

As of November 2021, the county reported 83 cases of typhus, the Los Angeles Medical Association said.

One of the first things they should have tackled was the rat situation, Soul Brother said. If you dont clean the streets right, the rats will come back.

Operation Healthy Streets, another city program, hasnt done nearly enough to keep Skid Row clean, he said.

While good Samaritans have pitched in with donations of trash cans, those only get hauled away when filled, Soul Brother said.

Youre telling me that the richest country with the richest city in the world has this type of problem? [Sanitation] should be on the top of the list. We need more trash cans. How will one trash can take care of all these people right here? he said.

Through charitable donations, Fernando Sanchez has been able to transform a bad situation on Skid Row into a livable one. Here, he sits inside his secondary storage tent on July 26, 2022. (Allan Stein/The Epoch Times)

Sanchez said that although a cleaning company makes regular visits to Skid Row, everywhere they got a lot of rats.

Rats, roacheseverything. I can prove it to you. Wanna see?

Sanchez points to deep holes in the sidewalk.

Everywhere, you see? They come from these holes over hereday and night. Oh man, theyre big. Dont let them fool you. We have rats all over.

A man who calls himself D, who lives in a tent at the corner of Fifth and Towne, said hes been homeless on Skid Row for the past seven years after being released from prison.

Its been an uphill battle on the streets for him ever since.

You have to deal with society, D told The Epoch Times. People down here are more than happy to understand you than, I guess, anywhere else. But you cant get a job because you dont have a work history. You cant get an apartment because you dont have a rent history.

I know many people who have signed up [for assistance] and got help. In my case, Ive been locked up for too long.

COVID also hit a lot of people on Skid Row, he said.

Mario Fase, who goes by the nickname Guitar Man, has been homeless on Skid Row since his divorce 10 years ago. (Allan Stein/The Epoch Times)

The Los Angeles County health department reported more than 3.4 million COVID-19 cases throughout the county as of August.

In January 2021, Rev. Andy Bales, president and CEO of the Union Rescue Mission on Skid Row, told Fox 11 there had been a 66 percent surge in cases among the homeless.

As Californias COVID-19 economy unraveled, people kept showing up on Skid Row, D said.

I knew a couple of peopleone in particular, he said. Her van was so packed full of stuff she couldnt drive around.

Yeah, she was out here. She was a good person. She was funny. Last I heard, she went out to Santa Monica or was on her way there.

D said he also met a woman with three young girls who visited the ReFresh Spot every day.

Im not exactly sure what her story was, but she was divorced or something like that. There are a lot of people out here for a lot of different reasons. Some have mental health issuessome more severe than others, he said.

Amidst the squalor of Skid Row, people down on their luck struggle to survive. (Allan Stein/The Epoch Times)

Some are having a harder time adjusting or reintegrating [into society]. I find out about some, and when I check up on them, its too late.

Then there are those on Skid Row who choose to stay homeless, fearing being pigeon-holed or, put in a way, restricted, D said.

Theyll give you a room, and it sounds great, but you cant have visitors. So for a single guy thats kind of likeyou know what I mean, he said.

With me, Ive got anxiety. Ive got PTSD. I cant get into a subway without freezing up. Ill have like standing blackouts.

Mario Fase, 54, also known as Guitar Man, said he joined the ranks of the homeless on Skid Row when he became divorced.

That was 10 years ago. Hes been on a waiting list for subsidized housing for months.

Like Sanchez, Fase lived in Florida before moving to California, hoping to create a better life for himself.

Skid Row resident Fernando Sanchez recently acquired a puppy to keep himself company. (Allan Stein/The Epoch Times)

I liked California because I was in the Navy for three yearsSan Diego. [But] they use you, and they forget about you. I feel resentment. They dont care. Its not right. [But] thats another story, he said.

Fase said hes used to many unpleasant things on Skid Rowthe deafening fire alarms blaring nonstop and the rats coming out all day.

All sizes. The bigger they are, the faster they are, he said. Theyre not aggressive.  OKenough, get out of here. Theyre everywhere, man.

As long as you dont leave food around, they dont come around. As soon as I see one, I say, Get out! Get out!

Its worse on 7th and Main. How are you going to get rid of the rats? You cant get rid of the rats.

Ben Burgey counts himself fortunate on Skid Row, having lined up a small apartment.

After being on Skid Row for seven years, Ive had some rats in my apartmentrats all the time, he said.

Do you see those tent rods? When you use them like a club, its like, Smack! Its very humane. I got good at it for a reason. Ive had lots of rats for practice.

A man who goes by the name Soul Brother holds one of his important possessionsan American flagon July 26, 2022. (Allan Stein/The Epoch Times)

Burgey said hes somewhat concerned about typhus, given the recent outbreaks.

I mean, the fleas from rats pass bubonic plague25 million people [dead], he said. Weve had this education before.

Is it getting out of control? Its been out of control. If these rats move slowly, theyd be furniture, but [they] move quickly.

Soul Brother said the conditions could be improved with a few more trash cans.

But for the kindness of strangers.

Correction: This article has been updated to correctly name ReFresh Spot. The Epoch Times regrets the error.
Sens. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.) are leading the first congressional hearing on gain-of-function research as part of his ongoing efforts to investigate the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic. The hearing is scheduled at 2:30 p.m. ET on Aug. 3. Access the livestream on this page.

The hearing comes amid intensifying Republican scrutiny on whether a leak from the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) caused the pandemic, as well as possible U.S. funding ties to the gain-of-function research at the facility. Gain-of-function involves enhancing a virus to make it more potent or transmissible.

Titled Revisiting Gain-of-Function Research: What the Pandemic Taught Us and Where Do We Go From Here, the hearing will be held by the Senate Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs Committees Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Spending Oversight, of which Hassan and Paul are chair and ranking member respectively.

Member Statements

Chair Margaret Wood Hassan (D-N.H.)

Ranking Member Rand Paul (R-Ky.)

Witnesses

Richard H. Ebright, PhD

Laboratory Director, Waksman Institute of Microbiology

Rutgers University

Steven Quay, MD, PhD

Chief Executive Officer

Atossa Therapeutics, Inc.

Kevin M. Esvelt, PhD

Assistant Professor of Media Arts and Sciences

MIT Media Lab

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Florida Christian School Sues Biden and State Ag Commissioner Over Title IX-Lunch Ties

PUNTA GORDA, Fla.A Tampa Christian school filed a lawsuit against the Biden administration and Floridas Agriculture Commissioner, arguing that revised federal regulations on discrimination would force the school to make an untenable choice: violate its religious beliefs or stop providing lunches to children.

A 93-page lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida on July 27. Named as defendants, in addition to Florida Agriculture Commissioner and Democratic gubernatorial hopeful Nikki Fried and President Joe Biden, were Secretary for the U.S. Department of Agriculture Thomas Vilsack, Chief of the Bureau of Child Nutrition Program Lisa Church, and Senior Management Analyst for the Florida Department of Agriculture Nedra Harrington.

The Christian school with a student population of 56, and growing, contends in the lawsuit that the expanded federal anti-discrimination policy regarding sexual orientation and gender identity is threatening its ability to feed hungry children and punishing low-income children by taking away their school lunchessimply because they attend Christian schools.

Alliance Defending Freedom, a conservative group, is representing the school and it maintains that the new policies will result in its students being denied access to free and nutritious lunches.

All the children at Grant Park Christian Academy come from low-income families who fall below the federal poverty threshold and theyre entitled to receive funding for their education, attorney for Alliance Defending Freedom, Erica Steinmiller-Perdomo said in a released statement.

The school is private but participates in the U.S. Department of Agricultures (USDA) National School Lunch Program, which provides federal funding to supply free lunches to families whose annual income falls below the poverty level.

In May, the USDA announced it would require compliance of all schools receiving federal aid for the lunch program to its revised regulations under Title IX, a law enacted in 1972 to prevent discrimination on the basis of sex by educational programs that receive federal dollars.

Thats no problem for Grant Park Christian Academythe school never excludes or discriminates against any student because of sex, the lawsuit states.

However, the lawsuit says the revised regulations expand the definition of sex to include sexual orientation and gender identity, which would prohibit the school from participating in the federal program to feed their underserved students.

The lawsuit also said the new regulations would prevent the school from having sex-specific restrooms, violate dress code policy, and require students to use preferred pronouns.

The Biden administration is ignoring the law and forcing this wonderful school to make an untenable choice: violate its religious beliefs or stop providing lunches to children, Steinmiller-Perdomo, continued in her press release.

In its mission statement, Grant Park Christian Academy seeks to ensure that every child is educated and loved. Part of that mission, according to the school, is feeding its students; all of whom qualify for federal food aid.

The lawsuit goes on to state that the schools curriculum is based on the biblical worldview about marriage, sexuality, and the human person, and defines marriage as being a union between one man and one woman as delineated by Scripture, and deviating from ones biological sex goes against God.

However, Title IX provides an exemption for schools under the auspices of a religious organization if application of the law would be inconsistent with [its] religious tenets.

The lawsuit contends that Frieds office said in an email that the school must comply with all federal program regulations if they want to participate in the lunch program.

In an email from Floridas Bureau of Child Nutrition Programs, sent by Lisa Church to the schools director, she said that in order to receive federal funding all participating schools must comply with all federal regulations in the National School Lunch Program.

Erin Moffet, director of communications for the Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services, told The Epoch Times in an email that We just received the papers on Friday (July 29) so we are still reviewing the litigation and dont have (an) additional comment at this time.

Fried said at a press conference on July 29 that the issue was a federal one and the lawsuit appears to be a politically motivated step by supporters of Gov. Ron DeSantis and his administration.

Im not blindsided because we heard about the lawsuit before we actually got served this morning, Fried said. So, this is definitely a collaborative action from the governors office and what is happening in this lawsuit.

During the question-and-answer session, Fried was pressed to answer if she would withhold school lunch money if schools were out of compliance with the guidance.

In order for us the Department of Agriculture to continue doing our job, we and our providers must continue to adhere to federal laws and regulations, she said. But make no mistake about this, I will do everything possible to ensure that Floridas kids are not victimized by the DeSantis administration and denied their meals.

Grant Park Christian Academy opened in 2015 and educates students from Pre-K to eighth grade. All students families are below the federal poverty level and qualify to receive free lunches, according to the court document.

On its website, Alliance Defending Freedom describes itself as the worlds largest legal organization committed to protecting religious freedom, free speech, the sanctity of life, parental rights, and Gods design.

The group filed the lawsuit on the same day as 22 other state attorneys general filed similar lawsuits.

The Epoch Times contacted the other named defendants, as well as the office of the president, for comment but received no response by press time.
Foreign Homebuyers, Led by China, Spend $59 Billion in the US

Commentary

Foreign buyers poured $59 billion into the U.S. housing market from April 2021 through March 2022, snapping up nearly 100,000 homes across the country amid a severe housing shortage and record-high prices.

Despite the huge dollar amount, non-U.S. citizens accounted for a modest 2.6 percent of the total volume of existing-home sales during that period, dropping from 2.8 percent in the previous 12-month period, according to the latest report on international transactions in the United States by the National Association of Realtors (NAR).

Existing homes refer to properties that are owned and occupied before coming onto the market, as opposed to new homes. A total of $2.3 trillion worth of existing homes changed hands throughout the United States in the 12 months through March 2022, rising from less than $2 trillion in the previous period.

Resident and nonresident foreigners purchased 98,600 homes in the United States during the 12 months through March, the lowest number since NARs records began in 2009, although the $59 billion they spent was higher than the previous years total of $54.5 billion.

Chinese buyersa category that includes buyers from the Peoples Republic of China (PRC), Hong Kong, and Taiwanonce again led the pack among foreign investors by spending $6.1 billion on U.S. homes, topping Canadians, Indians, and Mexicans in terms of dollar volume.

The total amount of Chinese investment grew from $4.8 billion in the previous 12-month period, but the actual number of homes purchased by Chinese investors declined, from 6,700 to 6,100. The reason they bought fewer homes but paid more overall is that the average price they paid per home increased 41 percentfrom $710,400 in the previous period to $1 million during the past 12 months through March.

This trend mirrors the overall pattern of foreign investment in U.S. residential real estate, which grew by 8.5 percent in total dollars, even though the number of homes purchased fell by 7.9 percent. Rapid appreciation of housing prices during this time helped fuel the increase in cross-border spending. Home prices averaged $374,300 during the 12-month period through March 2022, up 10 percent from the prior period.

Despite the outsized role of Chinese capital in driving foreign purchases, the latest figures from NAR confirm a significant Chinese retreat from the U.S. housing market. At the peak of their home-buying spree in 2017, for example, Chinese buyers scooped up 40,600 homes in a single year, for a total of $31.7 billion.

While the U.S. real estate market remains alluring to many buyers from across the Pacific, tight capital controls imposed by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) limit the ability of would-be homebuyers to pull their money out of the PRC, and COVID-19 restrictions continue to put a damper on cross-border travel. China has reportedly stopped issuing passports for non-essential reasons.

Meanwhile, other leading foreign buyers have ramped up their purchases of American homes. Buyers from Canada, Mexico, India, Brazil, and Colombia closed on a combined total of 30,400 homes in the United States, shelling out $14.6 billion, according to NAR data. Florida was the top destination for foreign buyers, claiming 24 percent of total purchases, followed by California and Texas.

Institutional Investors Splash Out

The NAR figures, which are based on an annual survey of the associations members, do not, however, capture foreign capital flowing into the U.S. real estate market through institutional investment. Yield-chasing investors account for a growing share of home sales in the United States, and cross-border buyers are flexing their muscles in this arena, too.

For instance, Partners Group, a global investment firm based in Switzerland, announced in May that it was purchasing a $1 billion portfolio of homes across 17 Sunbelt states, mostly in Texas, Alabama, Georgia, and Oklahoma. Chicago-based property management firm Kairos Living will manage the collection of more than 3,500 homes, 1,000 of which were still under construction when the deal was revealed.

Aerial Austin Texas sunset glowing cityscape over capital city of the second largest state in America.

(Getty Images)

Norways $1.4 trillion sovereign wealth fund offers another example of the role foreign investors play in the U.S. housing market. The funds manager, Norges Bank Investment Management, owns American dwellings through its 4.9 percent stake in Dallas-based Invitation Homes, one of the countrys largest owners of single-family rental properties.

Invitation Homes is a listed real estate investment trust (REIT), valued at more than $23 billion, with a portfolio of roughly 80,000 detached for-rent homes across the United States. Other investors in Invitation Homes include U.S. financial giants Vanguard Group, BlackRock, and State Street, as well as Netherlands-based APG Asset Management and Daiwa Securities Group, Japans second-largest brokerage.

This spring, it was reported that Japanese conglomerate Yamasa Group had spent about $49 million buying 183 single-family rental homes in the Raleigh, N.C., area over a four-year period. In addition to hundreds of homes in Charlotte, N.C., the company is said to own properties in Texas and Arizona.

Foreign investment in single-family rentals in the United States has blossomed over the last few years, though precise figures are hard to pin down. Overseas investors accounted for nearly a third of institutional investment in the sector, the Wall Street Journal reported in April 2021, citing an executive at real estate services firm Newmark.

Taking Aim at Foreign and Corporate Spending

In Canada, where stratospheric home prices are largely driven by sales in Vancouver and Toronto, the government announced a two-year ban on foreign purchases of homes in April. The prohibition, however, comes with huge loopholes, including for foreign students and permanent residents.

A similar ban on foreign investment isnt under discussion in the United States, though corporate ownership of coveted housing is coming under scrutiny, as America faces a historical supply deficit. The House Financial Services Subcommittee on Oversight and investigations, chaired by Rep. Al Green (D-Tex.), held a virtual panel this past June to explore the impact of institutional investors buying up rental homes.

Real estate investors bought a record 20 percent of the homes sold in the United States during the first quarter of 2022, up from 15.3 percent a year earlier, a report by real estate brokerage Redfin found. In Atlanta, Jacksonville, Fla., and Charlotte, that figure approached a staggering one-third of all home purchases.

The median sales price of homes sold in the United States surged to $440,300 in the second quarter of 2022, up nearly 37 percent from two years prior, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. A worsening imbalance of supply and demand is the main engine of price growth. In a research note, Freddie Mac estimated that the United States had a shortage of 3.8 million homes in 2020, up from 2.5 million in 2018.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Iranian, Russian, and Chinese warships conduct a joint military drill in the Indian ocean, seeking to reinforce "common security" on Jan. 21, 2022. (Iranian Army office/AFP via Getty Images)

G7 Calls on China to Stop Threatening Actions Around Taiwan

G7 ministers issued a statement on Aug. 3 in response to the Chinese Communist Partys (CCP) military and diplomatic posturing over Taiwan, calling on the regime to cease its aggressive behavior in the region.

We are concerned by recent and announced threatening actions by the Peoples Republic of China (PRC), particularly live-fire exercises and economic coercion, which risk unnecessary escalation, the statement reads. There is no justification to use a visit as pretext for aggressive military activity in the Taiwan Strait.

We call on the PRC not to unilaterally change the status quo by force in the region, and to resolve cross-Strait differences by peaceful means.

The comments follow U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosis (D-Calif.) highly-publicized visit to Taiwan. The CCP protested the trip by implementing retaliatory import bans on Taiwan, launching live-fire military drills surrounding the island, and sending fighter jets into Taiwans Air Defense Identification Zone.

In the latest such incident, Taiwans military responded to an incursion of 22 Chinese fighter jets that flew across the median line of the Taiwan Strait on Aug. 3, which separates the island and the mainland. Taiwan stated that it dispatched aircraft and deployed missile systems to monitor the Chinese activities.

Pelosi and the White House maintain that the trip was in line with long-standing policies governing SinoAmerican relations and in no way signaled a move away from the traditional U.S. role in the region. The G7 agreed with the U.S. position and stated that the visit in no way meaningfully changed established precedent or policy.

It is normal and routine for legislators from our countries to travel internationally, the G7 statement reads. The PRCs escalatory response risks increasing tensions and destabilizing the region.

We reiterate our shared and steadfast commitment to maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and encourage all parties to remain calm, exercise restraint, act with transparency, and maintain open lines of communication to prevent misunderstanding.

The Group of Seven is an intergovernmental political forum consisting of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK, and the United States.

CCP Blusters Against Unchanged US Policy

The CCP maintains a so-called One China principle, which states that Taiwan is a breakaway province that must be reunited with the mainland. The regime hasnt ruled out the use of force to achieve this goal.

However, Taiwan has been self-governing since 1949 and has never been controlled by the CCP. Moreover, Taiwans democratic government and thriving market economy ensure that it maintains healthy trade relations with many global powers.

U.S. relations with Taiwan are governed by a series of treaties and diplomatic cables from over the years. Notably, the United States adheres to a One China policy, which provides diplomatic recognition, but not an endorsement, of the CCPs One China principle. The policy also mandates extensive unofficial ties with Taiwan. The Taiwan Relations Act of 1979 mandates that the United States will provide the arms to Taiwan necessary for its self-defense.

At the heart of the ongoing tensions between the CCP and the United States is their long-standing agreement that neither side will attempt to unilaterally change this status quo through force or coercion.

CCP authorities maintain that Pelosis visit was intended to unilaterally change that status quo, while U.S. officials say the same of Chinas increased military and economic aggression in the region.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi characterized Pelosis visit as a malicious attack on Chinese sovereignty that would disrupt the entire Indo-Pacific. He said U.S. efforts to support democracy were part of a web of heinous deeds and went so far as to describe Taiwans democratically elected president as a secessionist who betrayed the righteousness of the great national cause.

For its part, the United States took the bombast in stride and reiterated its longstanding commitment to unofficial ties with Taiwan as governed by all the extant precedents.

The speakers visit is totally consistent with our long-standing One China policy, White House National Security Council Communications Coordinator John Kirby said during an Aug. 2 press conference. Weve been very clear that nothing has changed about our One China policy, which is guided y the Taiwan Relations Act, three PRCU.S. Joint Communiques, and the Six Assurances.

Weve said we oppose any unilateral changes to the status quo from either side. Weve said we do not support Taiwan independence.

CCP Aggression Becomes Erratic

Against the stolid response from U.S. officials across the board, CCP leadership, including Wang, appear to be becoming increasingly erratic in their threats and bellicose rhetoric.

Wangs comments that the United States was playing with fire echoed CCP leader Xi Jinpings threats that the United States would be set on fire for its relationship with Taiwan. In another case, Hu Xijin, former editor-in-chief of the CCP-controlled Global Times media outlet, threatened that Pelosis plane should be shot down. In yet another, Chinas assistant minister of foreign affairs, Hua Chunying, said China is the victim of Pelosis trip and that any subsequent military action by the CCP was, therefore, justified.

Numerous current and former officials from the United States have dismissed the CCPs rhetoric as saber-rattling.

Brig. Gen. David Stilwell, former assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, described the CCPs posturing as idle, empty, hollow threats, [meant] to get us to back down for free.

To that end, he said U.S. allies and partners were its greatest strength and that international forums could work together to send new delegations to Taiwan.

The UK has already announced their own high-level visit, Stilwell said. We need the rest of the Quad, AUKUS, and the rest to follow suit.

In a similar vein, a group of 26 Senate Republicans signed a joint statement affirming their support for Pelosi, Taiwan, and the long-standing U.S. maintenance of the status quo.

We support Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosis trip to Taiwan, the statement said.

For decades, members of the United States Congress, including previous Speakers of the House, have traveled to Taiwan. This travel is consistent with the United States One China policy to which we are committed. We are also committed now, more than ever, to all elements of the Taiwan Relations Act.

For its own part, Taiwanese authorities vowed to safeguard their democratic way of life against CCP aggression, no matter what.

We are not eager for a fight, nor will we shy away from one, Taiwans Defense Ministry stated in a video released on social media. We have the capacity and the will to uphold our valued liberty and democracy, and maintain our regions stability.

David Zhang contributed to this report.
Warren Buffett-owned Company Shutters California Branches

Auto-insurance giant GEICO has closed all 38 branches in California, becoming the latest private insurance company to leave or reduce business operations in the state.

Locally owned branch offices were told of the companys decision in a two-minute zoom call, one agent who asked to remain anonymous told The Epoch Times.

Its criminal, the branch office owner said, calling GEICOs famous green gecko mascot heartless and cold-blooded.

The owner was packing up the office Aug. 2 after opening just over a year ago, pouring money and time into the business, and recruiting employees. The owner is seeking legal representation and is waiting for an additional response from the company.

The companys corporate office in Chevy Chase, Maryland, did not respond to several requests for comment about the closures.

The California Department of Insurance is monitoring this situation and encouraged GEICO policyholders to contact the company or the insurance department at 800-927-4357 or online at insurance.ca.gov, a department spokeswoman told The Epoch Times.

What GEICOs business decision will mean for its customers is a question for GEICO to answer, department spokeswoman Jazmin Ortega said. Our top priority is protecting consumers and holding insurance companies accountable for their actions. We are monitoring this situation closely to make sure consumers continue to be protected.

Californias GEICO customers can still buy insurance policies online and will continue to write policies for the more than 2 million customers currently insured, according to a statement by a company spokesperson to the Sacramento Bee Aug. 1.

Despite the companys continued services for residents, the closures would have an impact on customers, former California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones told The Epoch Times.

It makes it more difficult for those customers who want to actually meet in person with an agent, or those that are challenged in terms of using computers or dont want to go through the hassle of holding on a phone call, Jones said.

GEICO is owned by Warren Buffetts Berkshire Hathaway, which reported a 53-percent drop in earnings for the first quarter of 2022. It reported earning $47 million in insurance underwriting in the first quarter of this year, compared to $764 million in the same quarter in 2021.

The company is the latest to scale back on providing insurance policies for Californians.

State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company closed its Irvine office in 2019 and a Bakersfield office last year but continues to serve residents at other state locations, the companys spokesman Sevag Sarkissian told The Epoch Times.

State Farm continues to have a strong local presence in California communities, serving customers through our agents and teams of local employees, Sarkissian said. The decision to exit these facilities was based on efforts to best serve customers by gaining efficiency through streamlining and improving processes, leveraging technology, and concentrating employees [in] larger locations.

At the same time, the states largest high-end insurer, Chubb Ltd., is not renewing policies for some customers in higher wildfire-risk regions.

We are still accepting new customers across the state in areas where we have a fair chance of earning an adequate return, said Paul Krump, vice chairman of the Chubb Groups global underwriting and claims division, in a statement provided to The Epoch Times.

Many insurance companies are deciding in some cases not to renew insurance policies for homes that face substantial wildfire risk, according to Jones, the former insurance commissioner.

Theyre still writing insurance in other parts of California, Jones said. Its just that those homes that face high wildfire risk, insurers are concluding that the risk is too great for them, Jones said.
Pro-life supporters celebrate outside the Supreme Court in Washington on June 24, 2022. (Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images)

Georgia Residents Can Claim Unborn Child as Dependent on State Taxes

Georgia residents can now claim any unborn child with a detectable heartbeat as a dependent on their state income taxes, the states Department of Revenue announced Monday.

Under Georgia House Bill 481, Georgia residents can claim a $3,000 tax credit if they were pregnant with an unborn child (or children) as early as six weeks gestation on or after July 20, and through to Dec. 31, 2022.

The state revenue department said medical records or other supporting documentation may be requested to support the tax deduction claims.

The tax exemption came into effect on July 20 when the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals overturned a lower court order that had blocked the enforcement of Georgias 2019 abortion ban.

The ban is known as the Living Infants Fairness and Equality (LIFE) Act, which a three-judge panel had struck down on the grounds that it violated legal precedent.

The LIFE Act was initially blocked by U.S. District Judge Steve Jones, an Obama appointee. The court ruling noted that the LIFE Act defines a natural person as any human being including an unborn child.

But Jones ruled that it was unconstitutionally vague to include unborn children in the definition of a natural person, citing the Roe v. Wade ruling.

But this was invalidated in June once the U.S. Supreme Court found that the right to an abortion isnt found in the U.S. Constitution. Its ruling in Dobbs v. Jacksons Womens Health Organization subsequently overturned Roe v. Wade, the 1973 ruling that legalized abortion nationwide.

Instructions on how Georgia residents can make a claim will be issued later this year along with other tax changes, the department said in a statement.

States of Play

In the wake of Roe, the power to make laws around abortions has returned to the states, around half of which are expected to ban or restrict the procedure.

Currently, 10 U.S. states have banned abortions and a further four have placed restrictions on the procedure following the Supreme Court decision in June.

Many state abortion laws are currently being determined in the courts.

A number of states had trigger laws that immediately banned abortions once Roe was overturned, leading to legal challenges by abortion providers and others. Some states have stronger restrictions that effectively ban abortion entirely. For example, an Idaho trigger law will from Aug. 25 make it a felony for health care providers to carry out abortions except to save the life of the mother or in instances involving incest or rape that are reported to law enforcement. The Biden administration on Tuesday filed a lawsuit against Idahos law, the first time the administration has directly moved against a state over abortion. The lawsuit was filed by the Department of Justice (DOJ). In announcing the lawsuit (pdf), Attorney General Merrick Garland claimed the ban conflicts with an emergency medical treatment law that allows providers to give medically stabilizing treatment during an emergency. Under the law, Garland argued, such care includes performing an abortion. Garland vowed to work tirelessly to protect abortions in the wake of Roe and to use every tool at our disposal to overturn Idahos ban. Abortion bans are already in place in Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Kentucky, Wisconsin, and South Dakota, while Tennessee, Ohio, Georgia, and South Carolina ban abortions at six weeks gestation.
A container ship leaves the port in front of the famous landmark Philharmonic Hall in Hamburg, Germany, on March 11, 2020. (Fabian Bimmer/Reuters)

German Exports Surge to Record Level in June, Outlook Still Gloomy

BERLINThe value of German exports jumped by 4.5 percent in June to hit a record level, though economists cautioned that much of the increase was likely due to soaring prices.

Exports rose for a third month in a row, beating forecasts for a 1 percent increase and pushing Germanys seasonally adjusted trade surplus to 6.4 billion euros ($6.51 billion) in June, well above consensus for a 2.7 billion euro surplus.

Preliminary data last month had shown Germany posting its first trade deficit in more than 30 years, but the May figure of -1.0 billion euros was revised on Wednesday to a surplus of 0.8 billion euros.

These figures should be taken with a grain of salt, Thomas Gitzel of VP Bank said, saying that price increases could increase nominal export volumes without more goods actually having been exported. Adjusted for prices, little is likely to remain of the export growth.

The German economy stagnated in the second quarter, with the war in Ukraine, the pandemic, and supply disruptions bringing Europes largest economy to the edge of a downturn.

The Association of German Chambers of Industry and Commerce (DIHK) warned that Germanys export-reliant industry faced a difficult second half of the year.

Supply chain disruptions and high costs for energy, raw materials, and imported inputs continue to hamper production, said DIHK foreign trade expert Carolin Herweg.

Also, the cooling of the economies of important export partners, such as the United States, China or the euro zone, is also dampening demand for products Made in Germany.

Exports to the United States, Germanys biggest exports market, rose by 6.2 percent in June compared with May, while those to European Union member states were up by 3.9 percent. Exports to China edged up by 2.4 percent in June.

June imports to Germany increased by 0.2 percent on the previous month in calendar- and seasonally-adjusted terms, the federal statistics office said. Analysts polled by Reuters had pointed to a month-on-month increase of 1.3 percent.

($1 = 0.9833 euros)
Huge queues are seen at the Virgin and Jetstar domestic departure terminal at Sydney Domestic Airport in Sydney, Australia, on April 8, 2022. (AAP Image/Dean Lewins) NO ARCHIVING

Going to Be Pain for Domestic Travellers: Aussie Travellers Warned to Book Christmas Holidays Now

Australians hoping to get away for Christmas need to start booking flights now as last-minute travel is a thing of the past, travel experts have warned.

Aussies should not expect to be able to book a flight within a month to any desired destination at any kind of discount, said Quentin Long, co-founder of Australian Traveller Magazine.

Spontaneous travel where you book it and you travel next month is basically dead in the water for the next two years, Id say, Long told Today on Aug. 1.

What youve got to do is plan, plan, plan, and it is those who plan who will get the holiday that they want.

Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast of Queensland, North Coast and South Coast of New South Wales, and Margaret River of Western Australia will be the most popular domestic Christmas destinations, according to Long, who believes flights to these places will also be booked up quickly.

Chaos at Domestic Airports Will Continue for 6-8 Weeks: Travel Boss

The prediction comes at a time when flight cancellations, delays, and long lines at airports have been common for airlines recently.

On Aug. 1, twenty-one domestic flights from four airlines were cancelled at Sydney Airport.

On July. 31, hundreds of passengers were left waiting on Qantas planes around the country due to delays caused by an IT glitch.

Graham Turner, CEO of Australian travel agency Flight Centre, warned that the domestic chaos would continue for about another six to eight weeks.

A Flight Centre sign is seen on March 26, 2020 in Sydney, Australia. (Jenny Evans/Getty Images)

It is a tough period, Turner told Sky News Australia on Aug. 1, adding that inexperienced staff are contributing to the problems.

It will improve, but it is going to take some time, he said.

I would suggest six or eight weeks before all of this really settles down, and there is going to be pain for domestic travellers in that time.

Domestically, it will improve, and we predict certainly by October/November, assuming the Omicron does settle down, it will be much better off, we think.

With Australias borders re-opening to the world, the countrys airports are gaining international attention.

Aviation analysis firm OAG ranked 665 airports for on-time performance, with Melbourne Airport ranked 631 and Sydney at 597.

Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport has been ranked as one of the worlds 10 worst-performing airports due to delays.

Flight CentreFlight CentreAround 34.2 percent of flights at the airport were late between May 26 and July 19, according to FlightAware data.
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)

Great Barrington Declaration Authors Join Lawsuit Against Alleged Government-Big Tech Collusion

Two doctors and a former Harvard Medical School professor have signed onto the lawsuit that alleges the U.S. government and Big Tech colluded to censor dissenting voices.

Dr. Jay Bhattacharya and Martin Kulldorff, who authored the Great Barrington Declaration, on Aug. 2 joined the states of Missouri and Louisiana in the case, which is moving forward with discovery after a recent ruling.

Dr. Aaron Kheriaty, who was fired for refusing to get a COVID-19 vaccine, also joined the legal action.

All three say they have been affected by Big Tech censorship, and believe the punitive measures have been influenced or directed by government officials.

In April 2021, for instance, Google-owned YouTube deleted a video of Bhattacharya and Kulldorff questioning whether masks were effective in stopping the spread of SARS-CoV-2, which causes COVID-19.

Kulldorff, a former Harvard Medical School professor who now works at the Brownstone Institute, was also suspended by Twitter for several weeks after positing that masks give people a false sense of security, which makes them more likely to expose themselves to the illness. Thats the same theory put forth by top U.S. officials until they pivoted to endorsing widespread mask-wearing months after the pandemic started.

Kheriaty also says he was censored by Twitter.

I have always shared peer-reviewed research findings as well as my own opinions and perspectives on Twitter and LinkedIn. It was not until I began posting information about COVID and our COVID response policies, however, that I encountered censorship on the Twitter platform, he wrote in a declaration filed in the new case.

Multiple platforms, meanwhile, took action against the declaration, which called for focused protection of the elderly while letting the rest of society live their lives normally and was vociferously opposed by top U.S. health officials, including then-National Institutes of Health Director Francis Collins.

Search results on Google initially placed the declarations website near the top but soon ranked it lower than articles that were critical of the document, according to declarations from Bhattacharya and Kulldorff. Reddit removed links to the declaration and Facebook removed a page dedicated to the document, though it later restored it.

Stanford University professor of medicine Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, a founding fellow of Hillsdale Colleges Academy for Science and Freedom, at the Hillsdale College Kirby Center in Washington on March 17, 2022. (Bao Qiu/The Epoch Times)

Self-Censor

The scientists say theyve had to self-censor in order to try to remain on the platforms.

That has sometimes meant not posting at all, and other times posting by using imaginative phrasing, Kulldorff said.

They also say the timing of the censorship decisions support the assertion that the moves were induced by the government, including how censorship of the declaration happened soon after Collins called for a quick and devastating  take-down of the document in private and disparaged it in public.

These are clear indications to me that government is in collaboration with Big Tech to suppress scientific dissent, Bhattacharya told The Epoch Times.

Government officials such as former White House press secretary Jen Psaki have openly admitted to flagging problematic posts for Facebook and raising issues with posts on Twitter, the complaint notes, while some of the platforms have acknowledged consulting with government officials on content moderation.

The governments sweeping campaign to suppress the perspectives of the plaintiffs, and others like them, represents the most severe abrogation of the First Amendment in modern times, and we look forward to seeing this constitutional atrocity rectified in a court of law, Jenin Younes, a lawyer for the New Civil Liberties Alliance, which is representing the new plaintiffs, said in a statement.

The plaintiffs were added in an amended complaint, filed in response to the governments motion to dismiss.

More Defendants

The revised effort drops one defendant, Psaki, who is no longer with the federal government, and adds a number of others.

Carol Crawford with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC); the U.S. Census Bureau; Jennifer Shopkorn, a senior adviser for the bureau; the Department of Commerce; Robert Silvers and Samantha Vinograd, Department of Homeland Security officials; the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency; Jen Easterly, director of the agency; and Gina McCarthy, a White House national climate adviser were named as defendants.

None were named in the original filing.

President Joe Biden, Dr. Anthony Fauci, and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas were among the defendants named in both complaints.

The additions came after new information came to light, including emails between the CDC and top executives at Big Tech companies like Twitter.

The messages show Crawford and colleagues met with and discussed taking action against alleged COVID-19 misinformation.

The Census Bureau was involved in the coordination, according to the missives.

The messages, the amended filing states, confirm the allegations of collusion between [government] officials and social-media platforms to censor disfavored speech, speakers, and viewpoints, as alleged herein.
Health care workers with New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene help people register for the monkeypox vaccine at one of the City's vaccination sites in New York, on July 26, 2022. (Mary Altaffer/AP Photo)

Growing Number of California Cities Declare Monkeypox an Emergency

An increasing number of municipalities are declaring health emergencies over monkeypox, with Los Angeles and San Diego issuing declarations this week.

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved declaring a local emergency (pdf) over monkeypox on Tuesday. It came as health officials in the county said a child in Long Beach contracted the virus.

The proclamation of local emergency is to help our county do all that we can to get ahead and stay ahead of this virus, LA County Board of Supervisors Chair Holly J. Mitchell said.

Also on Tuesday, San Diego County declared a public health emergency for monkeypox, according to a declaration (pdf) signed by the countys director of Public Health Services.

The situation we face with monkeypox is fundamentally very different, San Diego County Supervisor Nathan Fletcher said, referring to the contrasts between monkeypox and COVID-19. We take it very seriously, but as I mentioned earlier it is exponentially less transmissible. We know more about it. We also have a vaccine at the start of it.

Fletcher said that monkeypox is primarily impacting our LGBTQ community, echoing statements made by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and World Health Organization. Both agencies have said that homosexual males are the primary spreaders of the virus, which was mainly confined to west and central Africa before 2022.

But the supervisor also attempted to qualify his statement by saying that we know it can spread to others, according to local reports.

In Long Beach, located in Los Angeles County, officials confirmed a pediatric case of monkeypox. Its not clear how the child contracted the illness.

While news of a pediatric case may cause alarm, please remember that monkeypox is still rare, is much more difficult to get than COVID-19 and other common childhood illnesses, and is rarely dangerous, Dr. Anissa Davis, the citys health officer, said Tuesday.

Both declarations on Tuesday came one day after Democrat Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a public health emergency for the state of California.

Well continue to work with the federal government to secure more vaccines, raise awareness about reducing risk, Newsom said in a statement. California has received more than 61,000 vaccine doses and has distributed more than 25,000 doses.

The type of monkeypox virus identified in this outbreak is rarely fatal, and people usually recover within weeks. But the lesions and blisters caused by the virus are painful.

Mayors in San Francisco and New York City also recently declared emergencies over the virus, coming days after World Health Organization declared the outbreak in more than 70 countries a global emergency.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
DNA profiles can be used in the analysis of genetic diseases, genetic fingerprinting, and genetic genealogy. (Billion Photos/Shutterstock)

Hackers Want Americans DNA Data

Commentary

A DNA database contains profiles that can be used to analyze genetic diseases, help law enforcement to identify fingerprints, and discover ones family history.

DNA databases are everywhere; they are both publicly and privately owned. In the United States, for example, Ancestry.com, a genealogy company based in Lehi, Utah, has more than 20 million DNA tests in its database. Ancestry.com has more than 3 million paying subscribers in the United States alone.

Now, imagine if bad actors were to hack its database and use the stolen data to create very specific, very dangerous bioweapons? The stuff of science fiction, right? Wrong.

Since 2010, the Aspen Strategy Group has hosted the Aspen Security Forum, an annual 3 1/2-day conference that focuses on the most pressing security threats facing the United States. At the most recent event, which ran from July 19 to 22, Rep. Jason Crow (D-Colo.), a member of the House Intelligence Committee, spoke about the dangers of sharing DNA with the likes of Ancestry.com and other prominent genealogy companies.

You can actually take someones DNA, takeyou knowtheir medical profile, Crow said, and you can target a biological weapon that will kill that person or take them off the battlefield or make them inoperable.

Of course, genealogy companies dont make bioweapons, but they possess the ingredients (genetic data) to do so. They could, for example, sell the data to a company or government agency capable of developing bioweapons. Again, this might sound far-fetched, but it really shouldnt.

23andMe, a saliva-based DNA service, has sold millions of testing kits to U.S. citizens. It also sold peoples genetic data to GlaxoSmithKline, a pharmaceutical company. If that isnt bad enough, at least three scientists at the pharmaceutical company have been found guilty of attempting to steal sensitive data to benefit China, the United States No. 1 rival and a country that appears to be extremely interested in developing deadly bioweapons. More on China, later.

Even if companies promise not to sell your data without your explicit permission, are they capable of keeping it safe? The answer appears to be no.

Last year, DNA Diagnostics Center, an Ohio-based DNA testing company, announced that the personal information of some 2 million individuals had been stolen.

What can a hacker do with your DNA?

Author Matt Jancer writes that DNA reveals potentially damaging information, thus making it a prime target for cybercriminals. Hackers who manage to access the highly sensitive data may offer to ransom it back to the owner, at the risk of exposing sensitive information, like medical issues or family secrets, he writes.

Jancer referenced a hack that took place in 2018, when a number of cybercriminals targeted Indiana-based Hancock Health hospitals and got paid four Bitcoinat the time worth about $50,000not to disperse patient information, he writes.

If data are the new oil, then DNA-related data are inarguably the most valuable oil in existence. As cybercriminals become more proficient and hacking more sophisticated, expect DNA raids to become a more regular occurrence.

A technician works in a lab specializing in DNA in Beijing on Aug. 22, 2018. (Greg Baker/AFP/Getty Images)

This brings us back to aforementioned China. Beijing-backed hackers have already stolen the personal data of 80 percent of American adults. In recent times, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has become particularly interested in the use of DNA testingyou know, for security purposes. DNA testing has been used to both identify and track Uyghur Muslims in China, according to NPR. In 2020, The New York Times ran a story documenting the many ways in which Chinese authorities were using DNA testing to monitor the movements of the countrys male populationroughly 700 million individuals. Again, all in the name of security, of course.

What happens in China, sadly, no longer stays there. Not just content with using DNA data to spy on its own citizens, the CCP is looking to collect data on citizens of other countries, especially the United States. As an NPR piece warns, DNA collection by Chinese agencies should be seen as part of a comprehensive effort to vacuum up millions and millions of records on U.S. citizens.

April Falcon Doss, a former member of the National Security Agency and author of the book Cyber Privacy: Who Has Your Data and Why You Should Care, told NPR that most Americans have already had their data compromised by the cyber intelligence units of the Chinese government and Chinese military intelligence.

Now, with DNA-related data, China is interested in collecting even more detailed personal information on a massive scale for multiple reasons, including boosting its economy, advancing its technology, and to support its espionage efforts, she added.

Reality, as they say, is very often far stranger than fiction. This includes science fiction. The idea of having your data stolen sounds completely reasonable. Why? Because data are stolen all the time.

Why, then, should the idea of your DNA-related data being stolen sound ludicrous? For an increasing number of cybercriminals, some of whom are affiliated with nefarious regimes, getting access to our DNA is fast becoming their No. 1 goal.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
The Civil Service Bureau announced the recruitment of 2,000 Assistant Clerical Officers on July 29, 2022. People walk toward HK Gov. offices on Aug. 2, 2022. (Sung Pi-Lung/The Epoch Times)

HKGov Hires 2,000 Political Assistants: All Must Know Basic Law and National Security Law

The Civil Service Bureau (CSB) of the Hong Kong government (HKGov) announced on July 29 that a recruitment exercise for the post of Assistant Clerical Officer (ACO) is now open for applications.

It plans to hire 2,000 political assistants, and the application deadline is Aug. 11.

A passing grade in the Basic Law and National Security Law Test is an entry requirement.

According to the CSB, ACOs will be assigned to work in various decision-making bureaus and departments. The job duties include general administrative support, clerical, and front-line services.

All Hong Kong permanent residents who meet the entry requirements, including the required academic qualifications obtained in this years Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education Examination (HKDSE), can apply for this position.

According to the information provided by the government, the starting salary for the position is HK$15,950 (approx. US$2,000) per month.

Applicants must pass the skills tests to be eligible for an interview.

The skills tests include a Chinese and English word processing speed test and a test in the application of common business software. In addition, a passing grade in the Basic Law and National Security Law written test is required.
Rep. Jim Banks (R-Ind.) speaks to the media with members of the Republican Study Committee about Iran in Washington on April 21, 2021. (Joshua Roberts/Getty Images)

House Republicans Tell State Department to Preserve All Documents on Grants Backing Atheism

Eighteen House Republicans, led by Republican Study Committee Chairman Rep. Jim Banks (R-Ind.), are warning Secretary of State Antony Blinken to preserve all official documents and communications on a grant program promoting atheism overseas.

Their warning came in an Aug. 2 letter made public on Aug. 3 in which the House Republicans told Blinken that his department hasnt responded to the groups June request for information on a competitive grant notice providing up to $500,000 to organizations devoted to promoting and Defending Religious Freedom Inclusive of Atheist, Humanist, Non-Practicing, and Non-Affiliated Individuals in the Middle East and North Africa, as well as South and Central Asia.

Although we asked the State Department to answer a series of questions no later than July 15, 2022, no responses have been provided thus far, suggesting either that the department has chosen to disregard Secretary Blinkens frequent, express instructions for its employees to work closely with Congress, or that it has something to hide, the letter stated.

Since we sent our letter, many of our constituents have reached out with concerns not only about the State Departments promotion of atheism, but also about its apparent promotion of humanisman official belief systemas well as the State Departments promotion of other radical, divisive, and destructive cultural policies.

Americans deserve to know why the State Department is committed to spreading atheism abroad, and which foreign, anti-religious groups are receiving their tax dollars.

A spokesman for the State Department who spoke on background declined to comment on congressional correspondence. When asked if any grant selections have been made under the controversial program, the spokesman said, In accordance with longstanding practice, and to protect the ability of rights advocacy organizations to accomplish their objectives in highly sensitive international settings, the department does not make public the results of these grant awards.

The warning to Blinken to ensure that all documents and communications about the grant program be preserved suggests Banks and the other signers anticipate Novembers congressional elections to restore Republican control of the House, and that the atheism promotion program will receive significant attention when Republicans launch what is expected to be an aggressive, wide-ranging series of legislative oversight investigations of the executive branch.

It is imperative that you remind all employees and officials within the department of their legal responsibility to take appropriate measures to collect, retain, and preserve all documents, communications, and other records in accordance with federal law  We request that you preserve all information that relates to this grant program  including all information connected to oversight requests or demands from Congress, including but not limited to the questions asked in this letter and in our previous letter sent on June 30th, 2022, the signers wrote.

Specifically, this preservation request should be construed as an instruction to preserve all documents, communications, and other information, including electronic information and metadata, that is or may be potentially responsive to a future congressional inquiry, request, investigation, or subpoena.

Besides Banks, signers include Reps. Vicky Hartzler (R-Mo.), Claudia Tenney (R-N.Y.), Greg Steube (R-Fla.), Ralph Norman (R-S.C.), Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas), Ben Cline (R-Va.), Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.), Bob Good (R-Va.), Tim Walberg (R-Mich.), Glenn Grothman (R-Wis.), Mary Miller (R-Ill.), Warren Davidson (R-Ohio), Jeff Duncan (R-S.C.), Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.), Barry Moore (R-Ala.), Alex Mooney (R-W.Va.), and Diana Harshbarger (R-Tenn.).

In their June letter, the signers described their basic objections to the grant program as it being unconstitutional and of no value in protecting or advancing legitimate U.S. interests around the world.

It is one thing for the department to be tolerant and respectful of a wide range of belief systems, and to encourage governments to respect the religious freedom interests of their citizens. It is quite another for the United States government to work actively to empower atheists, humanists, non-practicing, and non-affiliated in public decision-making, the signers wrote.

Any such programfor any religiously-identifiable groupin the United States would be unconstitutional. In addition to its constitutionally dubious legal foundation, we also question how such a grant or cooperative agreement program advances the foreign policy interests of the United States.
Indias Prime Minister Narendra Modi (R) and Maldives' President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih before their meeting at the Hyderabad House in New Delhi on Aug. 2, 2022. (Money Sharma/AFP via Getty Images)

India Inks 6 Agreements With Maldives, Offers New $100 Million Credit Line

India inked six agreements with the Maldives on Tuesday to expand bilateral cooperation and offered an additional $100 million line of credit to support development projects in the island nation.

The six pacts signed in New Delhi between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Maldivian President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih will boost their cooperation in capacity building, cyber security, housing, and disaster management.

Had an excellent meeting with President @ibusolih. We got the opportunity to review the full range of relations between our nations. India cherishes the close friendship with Maldives. We are working closely in areas such as skill development, energy, innovation and more. pic.twitter.com/VVybU9iLDh  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 2, 2022

The two leaders also launched the Greater Male Connectivity Project, a 4.2 miles (6.74-kilometer)-long bridge and causeway funded by India that will connect the island nations capital, Male, to three other islands. It is the largest infrastructure project in the Maldives, costing $500 million.

We also reviewed projects for the construction of 4,000 social housing units in Greater Male today. I am happy to announce that we will additionally provide financial support for 2,000 social housing units, Modi said in a statement.

We have also decided to provide an additional $100 million line of credit so that all projects can be completed in a time-bound manner, he added.

Modi said that close India-Maldives relations are vital for the peace and stability of the Indian Ocean, where the threat of transnational crime, terrorism, and drug trafficking has become serious.

India also aims to bolster defense cooperation with the island nation by supplying 24 vehicles and one naval boat to the Maldives Security Force and assisting in the construction of police facilities on 61 islands of the Maldives.

India has been and will continue to be the first responder in any need or crisis of the Maldives, Modi remarked.

India, China Vie for Influence

Solih arrived in India on Monday on a four-day official visit. He described the relations between the Maldives and India as the highest priority, adding that his country will always remain a true friend of India.

Solih has touted an India-first policy and pledged full support toward deepening ties with India since taking office in 2018, a departure from his predecessor, Abdullah Yameen Abdul Gayoom, who forged close ties with Beijing.

India was concerned by Yameens inclination towards China, which sought to gain more influence in the Indian Ocean. Yameen had pledged support for Beijings Belt and Road Initiative, with China investing in many infrastructure projects in the Maldives.

Yameen ruled the Maldives from 2013 to 2018. He was accused of corruption and stifling dissent and the media during his time in office.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The Grand Aurora vehicle carrier sits moored at Hambantota International Port, operated by China Merchants Group, in Hambantota, Sri Lanka, on March 28, 2018. (Atul Loke/Getty Images)

India Will Take All Necessary Measures Against Chinese Vessel Bound for Sri Lanka: Official

India is on high alert over a Chinese ship en route to Sri Lankas Hambantota International Port, but Sri Lanka has claimed that the vessel will only be stopping for refueling.

Sri Lanka granted clearance to the Chinese vessel weeks before newly-appointed President Ranil Wickremesinghe took office, according to The Sunday Times of Sri Lanka.

The crisis-hit nation has initiated diplomatic talks with both India and China to reach an amicable solution regarding the arrival of the ship to avoid any potential clashes.

Arindam Bagchi, a spokesperson for the Indian foreign ministry, commented on the proposed docking of the Chinese ship, which is expected to be in the port from Aug. 11 to Aug. 17.

Let me just say that government carefully monitors any development having a bearing on Indias security and economic interests and takes all necessary measures to safeguard them, Bagchi told reporters.

China has said the Yuan Wang 5 ship is a research vessel that will conduct satellite control and research tracking of Chinas satellites in the northwestern part of the Indian Ocean region through August and September.

The Sri Lankan government leased the entire Hambantota port to China for 99 years in 2017 after failing to repay $1.4 billion in loans to Beijing, resulting in tens of thousands of protesters rallying against the deal.

Debt Restructuring Talks With China

This came after the International Monetary Fund (IMF) urged cash-strapped Sri Lanka to start debt restructuring talks with its bilateral lender China, while it seeks loan packages from the IMF to offset the countrys economic crisis.

Krishna Srinivasan, director of the IMFs Asia and Pacific department, said that Sri Lanka must engage with its creditors, both private and official bilateral, on a debt workout to ensure debt sustainability is restored.

China is a big creditor, and Sri Lanka has to engage proactively with it on a debt restructuring, Krishna said in an interview with Reuters.

Sri Lanka defaulted on its debt in May. The country has $51 billion in outstanding foreign debt, $6.5 billion of which is owed to China.

The country owes $3.8 billion to India and at least $3.5 billion to Japan, according to the IMF.

Wickremesinghe declared Sri Lanka bankrupt on July 5 and said the government would need to submit its debt restructuring and sustainability plan to the IMF by August.

Reuters contributed to this report.
A man wears a facemask, amid fears over the spread of the COVID-19 novel coronavirus, at Saloma Link Bridge in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on March 12, 2020. (Mohd Rasfan/AFP via Getty Images)

Lessons on Affirmative Action Policies From Malaysia

Commentary

In 1971, following the convulsions of ethnic riots, Malaysia introduced its New Economic Policy (NEP)affirmative action for the countrys Malay Muslim majority.

Malaysia is a country with a diverse population of 32.37 million, comprising three dominant ethnic groups: 70 percent Bumiputera Malays, 22 percent Chinese, seven percent Indians, and one percent others. Bumiputera means sons of the soil the Indigenous people of Malaysia, whereas the Chinese and Indians are deemed to be newcomers who contributed to the economy when the British ruled Malaysia.

According to Professor James Chin, in 1971, when the NEP was adopted, the Malay share of corporate wealth  was estimated to be 2.4 percent, and the Chinese 34 percent, with the remainder, said to rest in foreign hands.

The NEP was aimed at redistributing wealth and radically restructure the society. Quotas were adopted to ensure all groups were represented in positions of influence and power based on their population size.

For example, a quota of 30 percent was introduced for Malays to access to the proportionate share of job positions, grants, and opportunities such as admission to university.

The NEP is compatible with, or inspired by, Article 153 (1) of the Constitution of Malaysia, according to which the King is responsible for safeguarding the special position of the Malays and natives.

In addition, Section 2 specifies that this responsibility is exercised to ensure the reservation for Malays and natives  of positions in the public service  and of scholarships, exhibitions, and other similar educational or training privileges.

Helpful or Destructive?

However, according to Professor Chin, the NEP program went from a redistributionist tool intended to correct a specific set of historical wrongs to becoming a monster with a life of its own.

This is because beneficiaries soon became rent seekers who used the program to enrich themselves without increasing productivity in society.

While affirmative action programs usually aim to improve the socio-economic situation of minorities, the NEP has instead, been used to further the interests of the majority.

Further, the policy is implemented on the basis that the overall gains to society will exceed its losses, or in the utilitarian sense, where the average or collective level of welfare in the community is improved even though the welfare of some individuals fall (pdf).

The problem, however, is how these gains and losses are measured, which is inherently subjective and also highly controversial.

People cross a street in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Oct. 8, 2021. (Mohd Rasfan/AFP via Getty Images)

The NEP has another major problem and that is many Malay job applicants are coming from the top of the Bumiputera group, not the bottomcreating another form of inadvertent discrimination.

It can favour Malays who are already advantaged, but can enrich themselves further through profiting from the system. Unsurprisingly, these people continue to support the NEP because it entrenches their power.

Further, the NEP has irreparably damaged the relationship between ethnic groups in Malaysian society. It has created a culture of dependency and entitlement, which is exploited by Bumiputera rent seekers.

In this context, Chin says that an affirmative action policy based on a single racial criterion inevitably creates tension with other ethnic groups, some of which may have millions of equally poor or otherwise disadvantaged members but cannot access government assistance.

The Blurring of Rights and Privileges

One of the tragic side effects of the policys implementation is its erosion of the distinction between a privilege and a right.

While a privilege, by its very nature, is a transient and temporary benefit and can thus be revoked by governments, a right is a permanent entitlement. The NEP has obliterated this distinction by institutionalising discrimination based on a persons race.

The allocation of benefits based on a persons race is a wrong-headed practice. Indeed, people should only be entitled to benefits that they have earned themselves, regardless of their race.

Malaysian indigenous people stand outside of the prime ministers office during a protest in Putrajaya, Malaysia, on March 17, 2010. (Saeed Khan/AFP via Getty Images)

The tragedy is that this issue of institutionalised privilege and discrimination cannot sensibly be debated anymore in Malaysia because the NEP is so entrenched that it has become part of the DNA of the nation and its youth, who have come to expect it as a birth right.

In my book, Affirmative Action: The New Discrimination, published in 1985, I refer to the prophetic words of Professor B. R. Gross, who argues that privilege is incompatible with the rule of law because it substitutes the rule of law with a rule of men which is no more than a rule of privilege and influence so rightly despised by the founders of liberal democracy.

In such a game, the winners will not be the formerly downtrodden but the new mandarins who have reached power.

Gross comment succinctly encapsulates the chequered story of the NEP in Malaysia. He is undoubtedly right to say that real help for the disadvantaged members of society comes from the principle of equality of opportunity, the only clear and safe way of ruling favouritism out.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
In a letter to the peer-reviewed journal Virology, a Japanese cardiovascular surgeon, Dr. Kenji Yamamoto, has called for the discontinuation of COVID-19 booster shots. As a safety measure, further booster vaccinations should be discontinued, Yamamoto wrote. Among his urgent concerns are the fact that the COVID-19 vaccines have been linked to vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia, which, in some cases, has been lethal to patients.

Yamamoto works at Okamura Memorial Hospital in Shizuoka, Japan. In the letter he explains that he and his colleagues have encountered cases of infections that are difficult to control, including some that occurred after open-heart surgery and were still not under control after several weeks of treatment with multiple antibiotics.

These patients, says Yamamoto, showed signs of being immunocompromised, and some of them died.

Yamamoto believes their suppressed immune function is likely to have been caused by COVID-19 vaccination.

It is rare for a cardiac surgeon to get involved in government vaccination policy. It is even rarer for a practicing medical doctor to express an opinion like this that flies in the face of the medical status quo in a prestigious medical journal, and for the medical journal itself to publish the opinion.

Angelina Farella, MD: Its an All-Out Red Alert

Other clinicians, too, who have never spoken publicly before are also voicing similar concerns.

The signals in the best sources we have currently available, which is our VAERS data, have been screaming, said Dr. Angelina Farella, a pediatrician based in Webster, Texas who has expanded her practice into family medicine and has been treating COVID patients when other doctors in her area refused to see them.

Its an all-out red-alert, about heart disease, deaths, and vaccine injury, said Farella. In over 25 years of practicing medicine, which, Farella said, has included giving vaccinations to children every day, she has never seen such a dangerous vaccine.

In his letter to Virology, Yamamoto cited a Swedish study that quietly reported that eight to nine months after vaccination with two doses, the COVID-19 vaccinated subjects were more likely to get COVID than their unvaccinated controls. The Swedish researchers only included this information in a graph.

But their study lends evidence to the idea that the vaccines may indeed be suppressing immune function.

Vaccine-induced immune disruption is further supported by Israeli and Indian studies that demonstrated an increased likelihood of shingles following COVID vaccination.

Shingles is an extremely painful condition caused by a reactivation of the same virus that causes chickenpox in children. The Israeli study reported a risk ratio of 1.43, meaning that vaccination raised the risk of developing shingles by 43 percent.

People are most susceptible to shingles when their immune systems are suppressed or compromised.

Concerns Over Lipid Nanoparticles

Another Swedish study, published December 2021 in iScience, demonstrated that mRNA encapsulated in lipid nanoparticles, as it is in the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines, is highly inflammatory and can account for the fever and body aches frequently reported by those who receive the vaccines.

According to Pfizers Nonclinical Overview of the BioNTech vaccine, these lipid nanoparticles distribute to the liver as well as to the spleen, adrenal glands, and ovaries, potentially compromising immune function.

I have nightmares about lipid nanoparticles, said Dr. Naomi Wolf during a talk she gave at a conference in Ashland, Oregon on Saturday, July 30.

Spike Protein Damaging Endothelial Tissue

The mRNA vaccines recruit cells in the body to produce the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. Exosomes expressing the spike protein are found circulating in the bloodstream by 14 days after the first dose of vaccine and continue to circulate for more than four months, according to a 2021 research published in the Journal of Immunology, cited by Yamamoto.

Both the spike protein itself and the antibodies produced to neutralize it can damage vascular endothelial tissue.

The endothelium is a thin membrane that lines the inside of blood vessels that carry vital nutrients to all the organs in the body.

Damaging the endothelial cells lining the blood vessels can cause bleeding irregularities with dire consequences.

At the hospital where Dr. Yamamoto practices, they screen people before surgery something called heparin-induced thrombocytopenia antibodies.

Heparin is a drug commonly used to prevent clotting, including during open-heart surgery.

But people exposed to heparin sometimes develop antibodies that attack their own platelets, reducing the available number and, paradoxically, causing platelets to clump together as clots. Thats the exact opposite of the desired effect from using heparin.

One of Yamamotos concerns is that his hospital has seen an unusually high number of positive tests for heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) antibodies since COVID vaccination began.

According to a September 2021 letter published in the journal Thrombosis, heparin exposure isnt the only thing that can cause HIT.

In fact, COVID vaccination can cause heparin-induced thrombocytopenia as well.

When this condition follows COVID vaccination, however, it is known as vaccine-induced thrombotic thrombocytopenia (VITT).

VITT can be very dangerous. It is one of the few adverse events that vaccine compensation review boards in various countries have acknowledged to be caused by COVID-19 vaccines.

Although government officials have insisted that vaccine-induced thrombocytic thrombocytopenia is a rare reaction, many of its victims have died.

According to Yamamoto, Okamura Memorial Hospital in Shizuoka, Japan has seen several waves of VITT cases since COVID-19 vaccination began.

The increased likelihood of thrombosis, as well as of stubborn infections due to suppressed immune function, are two main reasons Yamamoto argues that doctors must record vaccination status prior to doing any surgeries, including gathering information about the dates of vaccination, and that the COVID-19 booster program must be halted.

Dr. Angelina Farella agrees.

I think its absolutely imperative that doctors know when their patients are boosted or vaccinated against COVID-19 using one of the current injections, she said, including finding out which brand a patient has received, as well as the lot number.

Farella said she believes doctors should also be meticulously documenting bad outcomes among their patients and that anecdotal evidence is instructive.

Five-year-olds dying suddenly is not normal, Farella said. Its not normal to see very healthy very fit young people dropping dead on playing fields. These are stories that weve never heard before and theres only been one change: vaccine mandates for students, athletes, and health care workers.

It is possible that some of these unexpected and unexplained deaths may be due to undiagnosed issues caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus itself. But, Farella said, she believes it is more likely that catastrophic heart events and unusual blood clotting among young people are being caused by the vaccines, not the virus.

Farella also insisted that many people are getting vaccinated who do not need to be.

You dont boost against a disease process that a patient has already had. People who have had COVID and been vaccinated, theyre still being encouraged to get another booster shot. It makes zero sense from a medical standpoint.

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.
In trials jurors are told: Don't conduct your own research, don't discuss the case with anyonenot even fellow jurors. (Jim Watson/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)

Juror Ignores Judges Rules and Posts on Facebook During Major Trial

Her activities and interactions with other users fill 29 pages of court records

When empaneled jurors make social media posts during a trial, they risk opening Pandoras boxa recurrent issue in courtrooms throughout the United States and in many foreign countries.

The current case of a woman called Juror X in a Cincinnati federal court illustrates how jurors invite scrutiny and possibly jeopardize a verdict when they choose to make online trial-related statements, in possible violations of court rules that seek to insulate jurors from influences outside the courtroom.

Lawyers for Alexander P.G. Sittenfeld, a former Cincinnati city councilman who was convicted of two corruption-related charges, are asking a federal judge to allow forensic examination of Juror Xs cellphone, other devices, and social media accounts.

They cite concerns over the jurors communication with 29 non-jurors on Facebook throughout Sittenfelds trial in June and July, despite a judges repeated instructions to not communicate with anyone about the case via electronic devices or any other means.

Prosecutors object to the proposed probe, calling it an extraordinary intrusion. But Sittenfelds lawyers call the request sensible.

They say inspection of the jurors devices is the only way to definitively prove whether Sittenfelds right to an impartial jury was violated as a result of extraneous influence that could have resulted from Juror Xs Facebook postings.

As of Aug. 3, both sides were waiting for U.S. District Court Judge Douglas Cole to rule on the request.

Contempt citing possible?

During trials, jurors are routinely told: Dont read, watch or listen to any accounts of the case. Dont conduct your own research. Dont discuss the case with anyone, not even fellow jurors, while evidence is still being presented.

Yet those rules are probably bent or broken frequently, says Thaddeus Hoffmeister, a law professor at the University of Dayton in Ohio.

Legal scholar Thaddeus Hoffmeister, who studies juries. (Photo courtesy of Thaddeus Hoffmeister)

Sometimes thats because prohibitions are somewhat unclear to jurors; other times, its because people must fight a near-irresistible urge to seek or share information.

When [the rules] say dont talk about the case, that includes not talking about it on social media, Hoffmeister said in an interview with The Epoch Times. But I dont believe you can be somewhere for eight hours and not talk about it. It goes against human nature.

Divulging information about a pending case to ones spouse is even prohibited, Hoffmeister said, even though many people probably have a hard time maintaining such secrecy, and they dont see any harm in making a private disclosure.

Still, any reaction from the spouse, whether spoken or just a gesture or facial expression, could sway a jurors opinion.

A bigger concern arises when jurors make seemingly innocuous statements about a pending case to a broader audience, via Facebook or another online platform.

Not only does that increase the likelihood that the jurors will be caught making forbidden remarks, but it also increases the risk that the jurors verdict could be improperly influenced when people post comments and internet links in response, Hoffmeister said.

Laura Temme, a legal writer for FindLaws legal professionals website, wrote in 2019: Social media causes a tug of war between two pillars of trial lawin one corner, the right to a fair trial; in the other, the right to an open trial.

A juror might Google the lawyers involved, the defendant, legal definitions, and evidence excluded from the lawsuit without understanding the ramifications of doing so.

This cellphone screenshot is among the exhibits that lawyers submitted in the case of Alexander P.G. Sittenfeld, an ex-Cincinnati city councilman who was convicted of bribery and attempted extortion. His lawyers say a juror violated court rules by repeatedly making posts such as this one about her jury service, from June 21, 2022. (Janice Hisle/Epoch Times)

While Juror Xs activities didnt go that far, Cincinnati attorney Mike Allen, a former judge and prosecutor, still thinks that the juror should face ramifications. He disagrees with the prosecutors contentions that Juror X misunderstood the rules.

To me, the rules are crystal-clear, Allen told The Epoch Times, adding that he thinks Judge Cole ought to cite Juror X for contempt of court.

This is getting to be a trend with jurors in these high-profile cases, with the jurors just disregarding what the judges say. To completely ignore the instruction, somebody needs to make an example, Allen said.

The message needs to go out: When the judge says dont do something, you dont do it.

Allen doesnt advocate jail time for the Facebooking juror, but he thinks a fine should be levied.

Im not head-hunting this juror, he said. But you listen to these three-week trials and theyre risking having to do it all over again because someone didnt follow the judges orders.

Such conduct can lead to a mistrial if it can be proven that a jurors decision was improperly influenced by factors outside the courtroom.

So far, Allen sees no evidence that happened with Juror X. Still, he said, that could change depending on whether the judge allows examination of the jurors devices.

Its an issue that needs to be fleshed out, he said.

About the Case

The controversy surrounding the Sittenfeld juror dates to July 8. As the trial judge prepared to announce that the jury had reached a verdict, he alerted lawyers on both sides about a concern: Courthouse staff had learned that a juror had repeatedly posted about the case on Facebook.

The posts occurred during jury selection, throughout the trial, and on the night before the verdict was announced, court records show.

As described by Sittenfelds lawyers, Juror Xs posts alleged, among other things, that Juror Y shouldnt be on the jury because Juror Y hates anyone that shares the same profession as our person on trial. Not cool!!'

Because of the posts, Sittenfelds attorneys moved for a mistrial, which the judge denied.

Sittenfeld, 37, was found guilty of bribery and attempted extortion; the jury acquitted him of four other chargesa verdict his lawyer, Charlie Rittgers, called contradictory in an interview with The Epoch Times.

Allen agreed, saying the split verdict seemed to represent a compromise among jurors who wanted to acquit and those who wanted to convict.

Sittenfelds trial, which started June 21, arose from a 2020 indictment, which alleged Sittenfeld stated he would deliver city council votes to move a proposed real-estate development project forward; the statements were made during meetings that undercover FBI agents recorded, court records show.

Prosecutors alleged that Sittenfeld corruptly solicited $40,000 in payments to a political action committee.

Friends Egged Her On

The defense team argued that the allegations were based on inferences; there never was an expressly stated agreement that Sittenfelds vote could be bought with those funds.

Sittenfelds lawyers also argued that their clients actions were based on ordinary campaigning and fundraising practices.

Post-verdict, Judge Cole held an in-chambers hearing with Juror X and Juror Y. Court records reveal limited information about the questioning of Juror Y but extensively discuss Juror Xs statements during the hearing.

Court records say she denied committing any infractions based on her understanding of the rules.

But Sittenfelds lawyers argue that Juror X committed blatant, repeated violations. Exhibits showing the jurors Facebook activities and interactions with other Facebook users during the trial fill 29 pages of court records.

Some of her Facebook friends egged her on, asking for details, which prosecutors said she didnt provide. Juror Xs responses and identifying information are redacted from court records.

Juror Xs Facebook posts were critical of a couple fellow jurors. Besides stating that Juror Y shouldnt be on the jury, she also wrote that Juror Y was on my damn nerves, and stated that Juror Z doesnt know a comfortable silence. Kinda wish her tongue would fall out.

However, Juror X posted that she enjoyed jury duty. Its the bees knees, she wrote, but later posted that she missed her daily routine.

Although Juror X didnt directly state which case she had been assigned to decide, defense lawyers say the juror left a trail of breadcrumbs to the Sittenfeld case.

Juror Xs posts disclosed that she was a juror, that she checked in at Cincinnatis Potter Stewart Courthouse, and that the case was a big one.

Sittenfelds legal team alleges that Juror X gave spurious and inconsistent testimony when questioned about her posts, but no specifics were revealed in court records; several sentences following the accusation are redacted, along with portions of other filings from both the prosecution and defense.

Prosecutors contend that the juror testified credibly at the hearing and even voluntarily displayed her phone to the defense.

No Extraneous Information

Three days after the verdict, the court provided lawyers with additional screenshots of Juror Xs posts, then granted a defense motion to preserve the jurors electronic communications. But by then, Juror X stated there was nothing to preserve; she had deleted her Facebook posts.

In a written declaration to the court, Scott Greene, with Evidence Solutions Inc., in Tucson, Ariz., said that if he were provided with Juror Xs devices as requested, he most likely would be able to recover content that was deleted, modified, or hidden.

He also could see whether any links had been accessed, including a Cincinnati Enquirer article that someone posted in a comment on Juror Xs page.

In a written response to the defenses request, assistant U.S. attorney Megan Gaffney Painter said examining the jurors devices is unwarranted.

The defense has not shownnor could theythat Juror Xs Facebook activity exposed her to extraneous information that may have affected the verdict, Painter wrote.

She called the proposed search an extraordinary intrusion.

She noted that the juror, when questioned under oath, testified she did not read or review any articles about the case and also did not discuss the facts of the case with anyone.

Juror Xs posts functioned more like announcements of her experiences as a juror, and did not include any specific details about the evidence or her opinion of the evidence, Painter wrote.

Further, the juror thought it was OK to post nonspecific information about the case and did not believe there was a prohibition on the use of social media or posting generally, Painter said.

As jurors were dismissed to begin deliberations, jurors were read a page-and-a-half of instructions which stated, in part: During your deliberations, you must not communicate with or provide any information to anyone by any means about this case  you cannot talk to anyone on the phone, correspond with anyone, or electronically communicate with anyone about this case.

Earlier in the trial, the judge also said, You must not communicate with anyone about the case on your phone or computer, through email, text messaging, social media, or any website, or any other means of communication.

Social Media Postings

The defense asserts that Juror X never spoke up when the judge asked jurors to disclose any possible infractions of the courts orders.

She was continually dishonest by commission and omission, Sittenfelds attorneys wrote in court records.

But prosecutors say Juror X had nothing to speak up about, prosecutors wrote, because she only posted generally about her experiences and not about the case itself.

At most, Juror X posted her opinion of two of her other jurors. That is not a violation of the courts instructions such that it warrants her being labeled a liar.

Under the law, the defense is entitled to a meaningful investigation into the circumstances of the jurors social media postings, Sittenfelds lawyers say.

They maintain they did not get the required unhurried and thorough chance to investigate during the post-verdict questioning of Juror X and Juror Y.

It does not get much more hurried and un-thorough than simultaneously learning of both Juror Xs Facebook posts and the fact that there was a verdict, reviewing the posts, asking for a mistrial, taking the verdict  taking intermittent opportunities to research the applicable juror misconduct law on the courts public WiFi, and then questioning Jurors X & Yall in the course of two hours and 24 minutes.

The defense maintains that Juror X was untruthful in her testimony, and her blatant, repeated violations of communications restrictions should subject her to a forensic examination of the tools with which she violated the courts admonishments.

Privacy concerns notwithstanding, this is an outcome that Juror X chose by her conduct.

Overturning Convictions is Rare

Hoffmeister, the law professor, said hard data is lacking to show how often such controversies erupt.

But the problem seems to arise pretty often, he said, quickly rattling off cases that have grabbed headlines over the past decade.

The most remarkable example happened in Arkansas, where a death sentence was overturned because a juror had repeatedly tweeted about the case. The defendant later pleaded guilty and avoided the death penalty.

Hoffmeister said he was unaware of any other convictions being overturned because of jurors social media use. Based on his knowledge of the jurors actions in the Sittenfeld case, Hoffmeister said, It opens up a can of worms, but I dont think what shes saying is sufficient to disturb a verdict.

That could change, he said, if additional information surfaces. Sittenfeld is awaiting sentencing, which will be based on complex federal guidelines.

Meanwhile, Hoffmeister said he sees no easy way to control jurors external communications and prevent possible mistrials. Many different approaches have been attempted in recent years.

In some states, such as California, Michigan, and New York, jurors face fines for using social media during trials; the penalties vary, often within the $1,000-$2,000 range, Hoffmeister said.

Occasionally, jurors are criminally charged with contempt.

Too Wedded to Our Phones

But I dont know if that solves the problem, Hoffmeister said.

He thinks the potential for facing criminal charges would deter more people from serving on a jury.

It just gives you one more reason why you want to get out of jury duty, he said.

Ironically, even though people tend to grouse about jury duty, most people who serve on a jury are very pleased with their experience; most everyone you talk to is happy that they served, Hoffmeister said.

Hoffmeister said a San Francisco judge offered a creative preventative measure in one highly publicized case.

Acknowledging that there would be a lot of news coverage, the judge promised jurors that they would receive a scrapbook containing all the information they missed while barred from viewing news reports.

Hoffmeister outlined other valuable steps, including clarifying instructions, clearly explaining the reasons for the restrictions, and requiring jurors to sign an oath that declares, under penalties of perjury, they will refrain from commenting about the case while it is in progress.

Despite such measures, The problem hasnt gotten better  I dont think there is a panacea; you have to attack it from different angles, he said.

And its complicated because were too wedded to our phones.
LA Council Votes to Ban Homeless Encampments Near Schools

LOS ANGELESThe Los Angeles City Council voted Aug. 2 to ban homeless encampments within 500 feet of schools and daycare centers, following an hour-long disruption by opponents who interrupted the meeting with chants and shouts in the council chamber.

But due to a technicality, the council will have to vote on the matter again next week.

The council voted 113 Tuesday in favor of the measure after returning from the prolonged recess, with Council members Mike Bonin, Nithya Raman, and Marqueece Harris-Dawson dissenting.

The ordinance is an amendment to the citys sweeping law regulating the location of homeless encampments. Municipal Code 41.18 prohibits sitting, sleeping, lying, or otherwise obstructing the public right of way in several areas of the city.

Council President Nury Martinez called the disruption of Tuesdays meeting by activists incredibly disturbing.

What we witnessed here this morning unfortunately was really an attempt to try and keep us from taking a vote, Martinez said. I think people were intent this morning to shut this place down and keep us from doing the very job that we were all elected to do.

The interruption began when Councilman Joe Buscaino, who first proposed the idea of an encampment ban near schools last year, rose to speak. Members of the audience started chanting, Shut it down! and prevented Buscaino from speaking. Martinez then announced a 15-minute recess that ended up lasting around an hour, while more than 50 people remained in the council chamber, chanting and making speeches accusing the council of criminalizing homelessness.

That was the greatest standing ovation Ive ever received in my career, but it also says a lot about a group of people who want to shut down democracy, Buscaino said after the chamber was cleared of protesters and the council returned to take the vote.

The council initially voted 101 in favor of the ordinance last month, with Bonin dissenting. Since that initial vote was not unanimous, a second vote was taken Tuesday. Ordinarily, the second vote would mark the final approval of the ordinance, however, due to a procedural issue involving the motion that was approved Tuesday, the matter will have to return for one more vote next week, city officials said.

Opponents of the ordinance packed the council chamber Tuesday in a spirited public comment session prior to the disruption, heckling the council members, snapping their fingers, and holding signs that read, Repeal 41.18.

The law already bans encampments in the public right of way within 500 feet of sensitive facilities such as schools, daycare facilities, parks, and librariesbut only if each specific location is designated by the council for enforcement.

The new amendment is a blanket ban on encampments within 500 feet of all schools.

Although Buscaino originally proposed the idea last year, it never gained traction. But the issue was revived earlier this year, in part at the urging of Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent Alberto Carvalho, who said teachers, principals, and parents have expressed concerns about homeless encampments near campuses.

Ive seen elementary schools with conditions that none of us as parents would find acceptable for children. Individuals with mental illness, some of them absolutely unclothed, shouting profanities in the listening ear of children, Carvalho told the council previously.

Council members who supported the ordinance pointed to keeping kids safe, with Councilman Mitch OFarrell pushing back against the protesters and claiming it is a false narrative that the homeless have nowhere else to go. He said the city doesnt do sweeps, has various successful and robust programs to serve the homeless, and is ramping up temporary shelters in his district.

Im going to stand up for this council, OFarrell said. Everyone here is compassionate, deeply caring of people who are the most vulnerable among us. Im not going to buy into this rhetoric that were monsters, that were murderers, or anything like that. Its all nonsense. Im just not going to accept that false narrative any longer. We should never accept it at all.

But Bonin argued that the ordinance is based on a false premise that homeless people are refusing to go indoors and that the city has ample space for them. He claimed that 60 percent of people living on the streets of Los Angeles cant find shelter, referring to a lawsuit that the city settled in April.

This is not a question of whether or not you approve of having encampments near schools, Bonin said. Nobody wants encampments near schools or daycares. Nobody wants encampments anywhere.

He called the ordinance a distraction from where our focus needs to be, draining time and energy away from tangible steps to end homelessness. Bonin received a standing ovation following his remarks.

According to the ordinance, people who violate the ordinance face an infraction or citation, but a person who willfully resists, delays or obstructs a city employee from enforcing this section or who willfully refuses to comply after being requested to do so by an authorized city employee can face higher fines and a misdemeanor charge.
Long Live the 1st Amendment, Now and Forever

Commentary

Free speech is under assault.

Yes, The Epoch Times was wrongly censored on Twitter.

But thats only a symptom. The problem goes so much deeper.

This isnt a revelatory statement, nor is it particularly controversial. Any honest individual, regardless of political leanings, will admit as much. The only people who would argue otherwise are either a) the ones who are doing the censoring or b) those who disagree with the viewpoints that are being censored, and, therefore, see no problem.

For the most part, we primarily know the motivations of the people in the first category: They are actively curating the news to support their specific political narrative, which provides a pretext for justifying their own hold on power.

But it is those who fall into the second category that are actually the more worrying ones. They often have been convinced that the views they disagree with arent just a difference in perspective or analysis, but rather that the opposition poses a real and tangible threat to themselves and others.

Once you can get someone to go along with that proposition, theres no limit to where you can lead them.

In reality, though, the two groups are inextricable from one another, and the former is primarily responsible for the existence of the latter.

It isnt enough to make the obvious statement that the majority of news outlets operate from a specific political bias. It needs to be understood that the process of information distribution is in itself a tool of control by those who seek to maintain authority over us.

The Method of Control

What follows is a barebones explanation of how maintaining authority works:

The U.S. government is dominated by an unelected bureaucracy (e.g., the State Department, executive and regulatory agencies, the intelligence bureaus, high-ranking military officers, etc.) that seeks to aggrandize and consolidate their own positions.

At the same time, they are heavily influenced by specific interest groups (e.g., contractors, business conglomerates, nongovernmental organizations, academia, and think tanks). One only needs to look at the revolving door between senior intelligence officials and military leaders with high-level positions at weapons manufacturers, private intelligence groups, and government-affiliated multinational corporations, to get a picture of that cycle of succession.

In addition, Congress works in conjunction with, and is often beholden to, these groups. In this way, legislators are able to secure electoral support and financial backing in return for voting the right way, presenting advantageous policy, and ensuring favorable oversight.

All of the above works both explicitly and implicitly in conjunction with corporate media to present a specific picture of the world thats conducive to a larger political agenda.

Unsurprisingly, that agenda just so happens to accrue substantial benefits, in terms of both money and power, to the various players involved in this process. The entire apparatus is thereby able to create, direct, and alter public support, often for positions or initiatives that the population would otherwise be hesitant to support.

Thats what President Dwight Eisenhower was alluding to in his 1961 farewell address, when he warned Americans of the military-industrial complex. Others may also be familiar with the concept of the iron triangle, which is the policy-making relationship among congressional committees, the bureaucracy, and interest groups.

The Epoch Times has provided one of the most impressive accounts of this phenomenon through its various correspondence with retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynnone of the few who was able to see firsthand into the depths of this anti-American underworld, experience its depravity and corruption, and live to tell the tale. If you watch only one thing this week, watch the Aug. 1 episode of Facts Matter with Roman Balmakov, which does a deep dive into the issue.

There have been many unusual occurrences in the case of Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn. (Jewel Samad/AFP/Getty Images/The Epoch Times)

It should begin to become clear why the rise of Donald Trump, a political outsider reliant on no one and beholden to no one, was such a threat to the American status quo. It also logically implies why the forces of entrenched power that currently pull the strings in places such as Washington, New York, and even Brussels responded as they did to his candidacy, presidency, andshould it come to behis candidacy once again.

The Duped Public

For the entire process of political control to be viable, one necessary condition must be present: an acquiescent population that is either actively in support of a policy agenda or ignorant of what is actually going on. Corporate media and large newspapers in major metropolitan areas previously held a monopoly on information distribution. No more.

The rise of the internet, social media, podcasting, and streaming blew up the old business modelnot only for those who deliver the news but also, more importantly, for those who create it.

For the first time, it became possible to truly understand the moral and ethical bankruptcy of those who wield institutional power over us. We understood that our political ruling class was not, nor previously had been, acting in the interests of the American people.

As it turns out, the exact opposite was often the case.

More than that, it became apparent that those of us who didnt buy into the narrative being professed by our corrupt rulers werent alone. Individuals who had well-articulated viewpoints, but didnt agree with the reigning orthodoxy, suddenly had a way to make our voices heard, and people who it would resonate with.

The increasing hunger for news that wasnt just a propaganda mouthpiece of interest groups in Washington paved the way for outlets such as The Epoch Times. Likewise, so did the desire for politicians who didnt have to live under the yoke of interest groups and pretend to support the radical ideology of the urban elite. We were just waiting for a self-sufficient patriot to walk into the breach.

Enter Trump and the Make America Great Again movement.

President Donald Trump at a campaign rally in the BOK Center in Tulsa, Okla., on June 19, 2020. (Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times)

But if you think that the malicious self-serving power-holders endemic to our system of government were going to simply sit back and allow this to happen, you were wrong.

The constant attack on not only Trump but also anyone who wasnt actively burning an effigy of Trump in their front yard became a staple of the nations political discourse. The intent of all liberal mainstream media coverage became to attack the 45th president as an illegitimate figure motivated by hate.

This has been the story since Day One. We saw it from the moment Trump came down the escalator in Trump Tower, up until now, and on to the indefinite future: through the stolen election lie, the Russian collusion lie, the very fine people lie, the quid-pro-quo lie, the ongoing insurrection lie (manifested in both another impeachment and the present show trial of the Jan. 6 commission), and undoubtedly into countless lies in the future.

Is this article meant to be an ode to Trump? No. Its only to say that Trump clearly was (and is) the most pressing threat to business as usual for the U.S. ruling class. Everything was a deflection on the part of the latter from that they were desperately losing their grip on power and had to subsequently manipulate the American people to maintain narrative control.

Just like with Trump, the attack on particular media that didnt stick to the prescribed script had to be heightened. Dissenting viewpoints became equal to hate speech. Disagreeing with the government approach to the COVID-19 virus or medical treatment options became paramount to killing fellow citizens. The list of censorship is endless, but the point here is only to say that we in America have been blessed, thanks to our rights enshrined in the First Amendment.

The people who are in favor of ceding their rights due to scientific consensus or hate speech unknowingly advance the cause of authoritarianism; they do this under the grounds that, ironically, free speech is actually a threat to freedom. Thats how you get individuals such as Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.) saying that Canada is freer than the United States.

Canada seemingly has become more or less an authoritarian regime in its crackdown on free speech and peaceful protest. This conception of freedom that leftists refer to is defined by a centralized government authority forcefully mandating their accepted radical ideology, while eliminating all contrary viewpoints; the latter is necessarily equated with harming other individuals in order to morally justify the suppression.

Thats obviously contrary to the concept of freedom that the United States was founded upon, in which freedom of conscience is unalienable, even if (perhaps especially if) someone is offended by its expression. And thank God. One only needs to look across the pond and recount a UK veteran being arrested recently by a group of police officers for reposting a meme that poked fun at the ruling classs LGBT ideological orthodoxy.

Anyone in the United States should justifiably be shocked by the scenario. Yet, we should also take solace in the fact that our wise founders foresaw this exact progression. They knew that free speech was so integral to any free society that they made it the most prominently presented, and firmly enshrined, right when laying down the foundations of this society. They also knew that it would, subsequently, be the first target for anyone who would seek to upend that society, and end that God-given freedom.

The First Amendment is absolutely, unequivocally essential and must remain uninfringed upon for this republic to survive.

And that, of course, is why the founders immediately followed it with the Second Amendment.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Man Accused of Stealing Over $500,000 in Merchandise in California Arrested

A suspected serial burglar who allegedly stole items across California worth more than $500,000 was arrested by Brea police July 27.

Detectives located 28-year-old Devon Taylor at a residence in Ontario and arrested him for one of the multiple thefts he has allegedly committed, according to the Brea Police Department.

In Brea alone, Taylor has allegedly stolen thousands of dollars worth of items, including most recently over $70,000 in fragrances, authorities say.

Although he has only been charged by Brea police with one theft, prosecution will be seeking to charge him for more, Brea police Lt. Chris Harvey told The Epoch Times.

Several other unnamed agencies are also investigating Taylor, according to Harvey.

These agencies will be seeking to add charges to the case filed against Taylor through the Superior Court of Orange County or filing new cases, Harvey said.

According to arrest records, Taylor has been arrested 19 times in his life. As a San Francisco resident, most of Taylors arrests were made there.

The first arrest dates back to Feb. 4, 2015, when San Francisco police found him in possession of burglars tools, concealing stolen property, and taking a vehicle without the owners consent.

Since then, his arrests have been linked to domestic abuse charges, petty theft, violation of parole, and using fake identification.

Lt. Harvey said these cases generally rely on accurate and timely reports made by store victims to catch thieves right away.

Store policy can also affect when and how thefts are reported to the police, which can slow down the process of catching criminals, he said.

Taylor is currently being held in the Orange County Jail without bail. His next court date is Aug. 8 at the North Justice Center in Fullerton, according to the jails website.
The Information Services Department released, on Aug. 1, 2022, a photo inside the Coliseum, which suggests the loosening of the lifting eyebolt of the steel cable as a cause of the accident. (Information Services Department, HKGov)

Mirror Concert Horror (Part 4): One Loose High Hanging Steel Cable Eyebolt Suspected

The serious accident of a screen falling during the MIRROR concert drew much attention from the general public. On the evening of August 1, the government released a photo inside the coliseum saying that from initial evidence, one of the steel cables connecting the screen was found to have snapped open.

Combining the photo and other information, people start to speculate that one of the steel cables linking the screen might have first become loose, leading to the other cables not being able to take the extra load, which eventually broke and caused the screen to fall. But at the moment it is still not able to confirm why the cable became loosened in the first place.

The government set up a task force to investigate the cause of the accident. On the evening of August 2, the group released the first photos after its inspection at the Hong Kong Coliseum.

It can be seen that there are black electric wires and a broken silver steel cable on one side of the screen, and the cable and screen are connected by eyebolts. However, it is a pity the status on the other side of the fallen screen cannot be seen. Anyway, there is still a silver cable hanging above the stage.

It is suspected to be the steel cable that was originally connected to the other side of the screen. There was a ring-like component with a linking screw.

After enlargement, it shows that there are circular objects still attached to the steel cable that are suspected to be the eyebolts. (Information Services Department, HKGov)

Steel cable on one side of the fallen screen is not visible. (Online picture)

It is noted that the black wires are used for power supply and signal transmission, while the steel cables are used for supporting the load. It can be seen from the pictures of the scene that the screens still hanging overhead now are connected by two black wires and two steel cables.

It is suspected that at the time of the accident the lifting eyebolt on one steel cable became loose, and the steel wire rope on the other side failed due to the increased loading, resulting in the accident.

Ngai Hok-yan, a registered structural engineer, said in an interview with the media that as the screw trunk could not be seen from the picture, it was suspected that the screw became loose, causing the screen to tilt to one side. And when the other steel cable could not take up the increased load, it snapped open leading to the fall of the screen.

He went on to point out that the screw body is usually inserted with a safety pin to prevent it from coming loose or fixed by welding. Either method is not complicated at all. If there is an accident due to this, he would describe it as a low-level mistake.

He said that the components might have come loose at a high level. For example, the screw cap might have become loose, causing the screw body to separate from the steel frame of the screen; another possibility is that the opening in the steel frame may be too large, and the screw might have just pulled out.

Another report quoted some backstage supporting staff of the concert saying that the screens were made to move up and down and also rotate, to create some real-time visual effect. There had been certain modifications to all such routine movements during the concert. These new requirements, no doubt, would impart much more stress on the whole cable structure, compared with suspension of the device at rest.

The investigation continues.
A man holds a sign directing people to an insurance company where they can sign up for the Affordable Care Act in Miami, Florida, on Feb. 5, 2015. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

More Americans Now Have Health Insurance Than Before

The number of American citizens without health insurance coverage has hit an all-time low, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

In the first quarter of 2020 ended March, the countrys uninsured rate fell to 8 percent, based on data from an Aug. 2 HHS report. Since 2020, around 5.2 million Americans, including 4.1 million adults between the ages of 18 and 64, have gained health coverage. Among children aged up to 17 years, 1 million got coverage.

The report credited the significant gains in health insurance coverage in 2021 and 2022 to the Biden administrations policies. Between late 2020 and early 2022, uninsured rates among adults declined, from 14.5 percent to 11.8 percent, while that for children fell, from 6.4 percent to 3.7 percent.

The gains are concurrent with the implementation of the American Rescue Plans enhanced Marketplace subsidies, the continuous enrollment provision in Medicaid, several recent state Medicaid expansions, and substantial enrollment outreach by the BidenHarris administration in 20212022, the report said.

The $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan implemented last year lowered out-of-pocket costs and premiums for new and returning customers who bought health plans via the Affordable Care Acts private health insurance markets.

Moving forward, the HHS will do everything it can to provide quality, affordable health care for Americans, HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra said in an Aug. 2 press release.

Becerra pushed for extending the Affordable Care Act tax credits and increasing the affordability of prescription drugs for Medicare beneficiaries.

Rising Health Insurance Costs

Though the Biden administration is presenting the increase in health insurance coverage as an achievement, not many experts see it that way.

In an article at The Epoch Times, Sally C. Pipes, president, CEO, and the Thomas W. Smith fellow in health care policy at the Pacific Research Institute, criticized the White Houses decision to increase subsidized coverage for Americans, warning that it could have a significant negative impact on the countrys economy.

Its only the latest attempt to gift more people taxpayer-sponsored health coverage. The result will be rising premiums, fewer coverage options, and ballooning costs for the public, Pipes warned in the article.

The American Rescue Plan removed salary caps, with the result that even families making more than $300,000 can get a subsidy of more than $1,000 in insurance plans.

Health plans used to control costs by allowing people to pick one which suited their budget, lifestyle, health, and age. But after President Barack Obama signed into law the Affordable Care Act in 2010, these options have been removed. Insurance plans now offer people essential services like psychotherapy and maternity leave, which many do not need.

In 2021, Medicare benefit payments came in at $689 billion. The nonprofit Kaiser Foundation calculates that Medicare outlays will rise to $1.6 trillion by 2032.

Between 2000 and 2021, Medicare spending per person jumped, from $5,800 to $15,300. As more American adults live into their 80s and beyond, the aging population will add to higher-per-beneficiary and total Medicare spending, the organization stated.
Michigan Republican Senate candidate John James speaks at a Keep America Great Rally at Kellogg Arena in Battle Creek, Mich., on Dec. 18, 2019. (Jeff Kowalsky/AFP via Getty Images)

Name Recognition Carries the Day for Candidates in Michigans 10th Congressional District

Republican John James and Democrat Carl Marlinga each won Aug. 2s primary and will face off in the Nov. 2 general election.

On the strength of the recognition gained from two unsuccessful runs for the U.S. Senate in 2018 and 2020, and the endorsement of Donald Trump, James was the easy winner over a single GOP rival, software engineer Tony Marcinkewicz.

Marlinga defeated four other lesser-known contestants to win the Democrat primary. He is a household name in Macomb County, which comprises the lions share of the newly redrawn 10th District.

Marlinga is a 75-year-old retired federal judge and former prosecuting attorney who served Macomb County for decades.

Democrats Huwaida Arraf, a civil rights attorney from Macomb township; Rhonda Powell of Mount Clemens, a self-described single mother; Angela Rogensues, a Warren city council member; and Henry Yanez also ran.

A woman holds a ballot at a polling place at Cromie Elementary School in Warren, Mich., on March 10, 2020. (Elaine Cromie/Getty Images)

James is a 41-year-old businessman, He is a West Point graduate who served as an Army Ranger in Iraq. He holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of Michigan and a Masters in supply chain management and information systems from Penn State.

Consisting mostly of Republican-leaning Macomb County and a small portion of neighboring Oakland County, the newly reconfigured 10th District is an open seat, meaning there is no incumbent.

The November matchup between James and Marlinga is considered by most political observers to be competitive, with James seen as having a slight edge due to his strong national connections and effective fundraising.

According to his latest campaign finance report, James has raised more than $3.5 million.

Across Michigan the voter turnout was light to medium.

In Detroit, a problem with a modem resulted in the reporting of the vote count being delayed.
Cyclists ride by Hoover Tower on the Stanford University campus in Stanford, Calif., on March 12, 2019. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

California Private Universities Can Now Punish Trespassers With Fine or Imprisonment

A bill Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law on July 19 grants private universities the same state authority public schools enjoy to punish trespassers with fines or jail time.

The law was enacted as an urgency statute, meaning it took effect immediately.

This bill recognizes that the nonprofit sector of higher education has similar responsibilities and is confronting similar public safety challenges as their public counterparts, Sen. Anthony Portantino (D-Burbank) wrote to the Senate. It will help create safer college campuses by ensuring there is the ability to adequately enforce trespassing at these colleges and universities.

Senate Bill 748, introduced by Portantino, specifies that people who have been instructed to leave campus will be punished for trespassing by a fine of no more than $500, by imprisonment in a county jail for no more than 6 months, or by both.

Public universities already have the legal authority to take such actions under existing law whereas their private counterpartsdefined as accredited, nonpublic higher education institutions that grant undergraduate or graduate degrees, or bothcould only hand out written warnings and escort trespassers off campus previously.

Backers of the law said the intent of increasing the severity of punishment for trespassing is to deter unwanted people from harassing students or disrupting campus life.

The campus of Chapman University in Orange, Calif., on Oct. 14, 2020. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times)

The California College and University Police Chiefs Association and several private institutionsamong them California Baptist University, La Sierra University, Chapman University, and Stanford Universitysupported the law.

This new law gives Chapman University the same ability to keep our campus safe, like a public college or university, Rick Gonzalez, public safety chief at the university, told The Epoch Times.

John Ojeisekhoba Sr., the Chief of Campus Safety at Biola University, told The Epoch Times that each year its private Los Angeles campus deals with hundreds of outside people that trespass onto campus with the intent to commit property crimes against students, staff, and the university.

It is a positive development for our campus, Ojeisekhoba said in an email. This law gives us an extra method to keep away persons who come to our campus to commit crimes or engage in serious misconduct or destructive safety behavior. Even in any of these instances, we will act with care and in a professional manner.

Charlotte McKinley, a 20-year-old senior at Biola University said the law would be positive on her campus, helping studentsespecially female studentsfeel safe and focus on their studies.

I think with this new [law]  the authority to provide real repercussions to trespassers could decrease the amount of intruders on campus, McKinley said.
Identifying and unscrambling the features of autism can prove challenging, like a game of Scrabble, shown here in 2019. (Nick Youngson/Alpha Stock Images)

New Virtual Clinic Helps Diagnose Autistic Children in 5 US States

As the father of an autistic son, Tom Butler says that a new virtual clinicdedicated to diagnosing children with autistic disorderscould prove valuable for frustrated parents.

Theres something to be said for in-person visits. But really, I think you can see a lot more behaviors when the child is in his own environment. So thats where I think an online visit can be a good thing, said Butler, 55, of Monroe, Ohio, told The Epoch Times.

AutismSpeaks.org, a national organization, says the condition affects one out of every 44 children in the United States, causing challenges with social skills, communication, and behavior.

When exposed to an unfamiliar environment such as a doctors office, children with autism can quickly become overstimulated and frightened. Something as quiet as a refrigerator humming can sound like a bullhorn to them, Butler said.

As a father of an autistic child, Tom Butler, 55, of Monroe, Ohio, said he thinks using a virtual clinic for diagnosing autistic children seems like a good idea. (Photo courtesy of Tom Butler)

Because his son reacted so severely to the stimuli in a doctors office, the physician resorted to visiting him in a parking lot for a time, Butler said.

Later, his son adjusted and could go to the doctors office with few issues.

Butler knows some parents who dread even trying to take their children to doctors, so they pretty much just give up.

A program such as the new online telehealth clinic called As You Are could serve as a great alternative for parents facing those situations, Butler said.

His son, who is now 20, was diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in kindergarten. But it took three or four more years for his son to be diagnosed on the autism spectrum, a term used to indicate that there is not one type of autism, but many, AutismSpeaks notes.

Its important to diagnose autistic children early so they can get the specific help they need during their crucial developmental years, Butler said.

When my son finally got his diagnosis, it was an absolute game-changer. It opened up so many more things we could do for him, Butler said.

For example, his sons performance in school improved dramatically when he was permitted to answer test questions verbally rather than in writing.

The new As You Are service launched Aug. 1 with operations in five states where its pediatricians are licensed: Alabama, Kentucky, New Jersey, Ohio, and Pennsylvania.

At the moment, the clinic says that many parents are waiting for more than two years for their child to be evaluated for autism, but through AsYouAre.com the service says most patients can be diagnosed in less than a month.

Considering that more than 80 percent of all U.S. counties lack diagnostic resources for children with autism, there is a significant need across our country for autism diagnoses to be made earlier to help our next generations thrive, Dr Kortney West, medical director for As You Are, said in a news release.

The clinic seeks to diagnose children who are aged 16 months to 10 years.

The As You Are process begins with a parent filling out a self-assessment. If that shows the child seems to meet the criteria for autism, the next step is for the parent to make a series of three telehealth appointments.

After a get-acquainted visit with the doctor observing the childs behaviors during certain activities, the second visit involves the doctor observing more of the childs activities; during the third visit, the doctor will provide evaluation results and next steps.

At the request of The Epoch Times, Butler perused part of the online assessment tool. He noted that the questions are easy to answer and very specific to behaviors and things that parents would see easily. He thinks it will be very helpful for parents.

An Epoch Times reporter did not receive an immediate response to an email seeking further information from an As You Are spokeswoman.

As You Are is managed and operated by Quadrant Biosciences Inc. and its affiliates, based in Syracuse, New York.
White House spokesman John Kirby speaks to reporters in Washington on Aug. 2, 2022. (Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images)

No Public Spat Between White House, Pelosi Over Taiwan Visit: Kirby

White House spokesman John Kirby is denying a rift between the White House and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) over Pelosis trip to Taiwan.

I dont believe that there was a public spat, Kirby said during an appearance on Fox News on Aug. 2.

Pelosi intended to visit Taiwan earlier this year but canceled the trip due to testing positive for COVID-19.

As rumors flew that she was going to Taiwan during the rescheduled trip, President Joe Biden told reporters that the military thinks its not a good idea right now.

But Kirby said later that the speaker of the House has the right to visit Taiwan.

Weve been nothing but consistent here at the White House that we respect her decision to go. This is her decision that we provided her obviously support context analysis that she needed to make her decision, Kirby said on Fox.

He said the White House did not try to talk Pelosi out of going.

(L-R) U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) poses for photographs with Taiwans President Tsai Ing-wen, at the presidents office in Taipei, Taiwan, on Aug. 3, 2022. (Handout/Getty Images)

Pelosi Lands in Taiwan

Pelosi ended up landing in Taiwan, which was not on her original itinerary, on Aug. 2. The visit highlighted Americas commitment to supporting the countrys democracy, which has been self-ruled for decades but is viewed by the Chinese Communist Party as part of China, according to Pelosi.

While in Taiwan, Pelosi met with President Tsai Ing-wen, visited the National Human Rights Museum, and convened with top lawmaker Tsai Chi-chang.

Lawmakers from both parties praised the speaker for going through with the trip.

We cant let China tell us where to go and what to do. So the idea of Speaker Pelosi going to visit Taiwan is a good thing, in my view, because the Chinese Communist Party is no friend of freedom or democracy, Sen Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said in a statement.

Glad to see @SpeakerPelosi standing up for democracy, Rep. Carolyn Bourdeaux (D-Ga.) said. Her trip to Taiwan honors our deep commitment to the Taiwanese people and their democracy. America will always stand up for democracy both at home and abroad.

After Pelosi landed, the Chinese regime announced plans to hold live-fire exercises near Taiwan.

This is exactly what we would expect the Chinese to do in the wake of or even during Speaker Pelosis trip, Kirby said. So this is pretty much the playbook we expect, and well be watching to see how they develop.
NSW Trade, Tourism, and Sport Minister Stuart Ayres speaks to media during a press conference at Allianz Stadium in Sydney, Australia, on Aug. 2, 2022. (AAP Image/Bianca De Marchi)

NSW Trade Minister Stuart Ayres Resigns Following Questions of Breached Code of Conduct

New South Wales (NSW) Trade Minister Stuart Ayres has stepped down from all ministerial positions as well as deputy leader of the state Liberal Party.

It comes after a draft review into how former NSW Deputy Premier John Barilaro landed a high-paying U.S. trade role raised a concern as to whether Ayres breached the ministerial code of conduct.

In my view, no such breach has occurred. However, I agree it is important that this matter is investigated appropriately and support the premiers decision to do so, Ayres said in a statement on Aug. 3.

I have always applied the highest levels of integrity in my conduct as a minister.

To maintain the integrity of the cabinet, I have decided to resign as a minister to allow the investigation to be completed. Accordingly, I will also be resigning as the deputy leader of the Liberal Party.

Ayres will remain as a member for the Western Sydney suburb of Penrith.

Previously, Ayres acknowledged that he should have told his Barilaro not to apply for the job.

I should have told him that even though hes a private citizen, and he can apply for the role  it was probably not in his best interest or the states best interests, Ayres told reporters on Aug. 2.

Given what Mr Barilaro has been through, he too would seriously question whether applying for this job was in his best interests.

Parliamentary Inquiry

The draft report submitted to the parliamentary committee examining the recruitment process also brought into question Ayress role.

NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet said Ayres denied any wrongdoing but that the report no doubt raised questions into any potential breach of ministerial code of conduct.

Perrottet continued to back Ayres throughout the saga, even while pressure continued to mount on the premier to sack his trade minister.

Labor finance spokesman Daniel Mookhey said on Aug. 1 that documents had shown that an independent hiring panel had determined Barliaro was not the best person for the job after interviews with four candidates.

We need to hear a clear and precise explanation from Stuart Ayres as to how it was possible that that report was changed days before the Barilaro announcement, Mookhey said.

On the same day, Ayres had defended Barilaros appointment, saying it was a public service appointment made by Investment NSW CEO Amy Brown.

Brown is scheduled to attend the parliamentary inquiry on Aug. 3 to provide evidence.

In an earlier hearing, former senior public servant Jenny West said she had been formally offered the trade role before it was withdrawn.

Barilaro walked away from the role less than two weeks after his appointment was announced in June, saying it had become untenable.

AAP contributed to this report.
People cross a largely deserted Wellington Street, the major street in front of Parliament Hill in Ottawa, on March 17, 2020. (The Canadian Press/Justin Tang)

One Person in Custody After Vehicle Rams Front Gates of Parliament Hill

An individual was arrested after a vehicle rammed into the front gates of Parliament Hill in the early hours of Aug. 3, police said.

The incident occurred at roughly 3:30 a.m., when an unauthorized vehicle drove into the front gates on Wellington Street. The vehicle was stopped by security infrastructure and did not manage to enter the Hill grounds, the Ottawa Police Service said in a statement. The damage to the gates was minimal.

An Ottawa Police officer was nearby and immediately took the driver into custody without further incident, the statement reads.

Charges are pending as the OPS continues investigations in collaboration with the Parliamentary Protective Service, which oversees security on Parliament Hill.

Investigation into incident at Parliament Hill. One person is in custody after a vehicle rammed the front gates on Wellington Street at approx. 3:30am. The police investigation continues and charges are pending. More: https://t.co/I6cwiGTZZ9 La version francaise suivra pic.twitter.com/gKLaG8p3gr  Ottawa Police (@OttawaPolice) August 3, 2022

In another incident later on the morning of Aug. 3, an amphibious tour bus crashed into the gates outside 24 Sussex Drive, the official residence of the prime minister, which is currently unoccupied.

The two incidents appear to be unrelated.

The Canadian Press contributed to this report.
A health care worker prepares a dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine at a UHN COVID-19 vaccine clinic in Toronto on Jan. 7, 2021. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press)

Ontario Arbitrator Finds Universitys Vaccine Mandates Reasonable, Despite Not Being Required by Health Authority

A labour arbitrator has found it reasonable for Wilfrid Laurier University to impose COVID-19 vaccine mandates and continue to enforce them even when theyre no longer required by the local health authority.

Mark Wright, an arbitrator in Toronto, has ruled that Laurier University has the management rights to mandate vaccine policy for all students, staff, and faculty, and to carry on with it even if the local health authority had revoked the requirement.

Wrights decision comes after appeals by the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) union against the universitys vaccine mandates.

The policy was a reasonable exercise of management rights, Wright wrote in his June 15 ruling, first reported by Blacklocks Reporter,

The arbitrator argued that the pandemic has had a significant impact on the University and its employees and that universities are by nature gathering places that have the potential to create a significant public health risk if that risk is not properly managed.

On Aug. 13, 2021, Laurier University announced that all its students, faculty, and 2,200 employees were to be fully vaccinated or to have plans to be fully vaccinated with an approved COVID-19 vaccine to return in-person in the fall of 2021.

By early September that year, the university followed up with an announcement that all community members would be required to confirm their vaccination status before they could have access to any of its buildings and facilities. On Sept. 22, the university implemented its vaccine mandate university-wide.

Perfectly Entitled

The UFCW, which represents 90 food service employees who work on the universitys campuses, filed grievances on behalf of two members after they received letters from Laurier last October and last December respectively, placing them on unpaid leave of absence due to not complying with the mandates.

They were first placed on three days paid leave of absence, during which they were each mandated to complete a module about COVID-19 vaccination. They were subsequently placed on unpaid leave. Neither of them has been terminated or disciplined.

The grievances sought to challenge the reasonableness of the policy and the alleged failure to accommodate the two employees requests for exemption on the basis of their religious beliefs.

Wright noted that the unions two filings alleged that the collective agreement UFCW has with the university was breached, and the Ontario Human Rights Code and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms were violated.

Wright sided with the university, saying that the policy, considered on its own terms, has a reasonable management response to the extraordinary threat to health and safety posed by the COVID-19 in all its variant forms especially when considered in the context of the University.

In addition, the arbitrator said Laurier was perfectly entitled to continue to enforce its Policy regardless of the provincial health orders.

I also find it was reasonable for the University to extend the operation of the Policy to May 1, 2022, even though the Chief Medical Officer of Health revoked the Instructions to post-secondary institutions on March 1, 2022, Wright wrote.

The Epoch Times contacted UFCW for comment but did not hear back by publication time.
Jacqui Berlinn talks to former city supervisor David Campos while surrounded by media in front of the Tenderloin Linkage Center in San Francisco on Feb. 5, 2022. (Cynthia Cai/The Epoch Times)

Opponents Urge Newsom to Veto Legalized Drug Dens Legislation

A California mom whose fentanyl-addicted son is living on the streets of San Francisco is calling on Gov. Gavin Newsom to veto legislation that would allow the creation of supervised drug consumption sites in Los Angeles and San Francisco counties, as well as the city of Oakland.

Its insanity. Its normalizing drug use, Jacqui Berlinn, co-founder of the California-based organization Mothers Against Drug Deaths, told The Epoch Times. Nearly everything has fentanyl in it, and to open drug dens that are going to allow people to use fentanyl is literally a death sentence to my son and to others. Theres no safe way to use fentanyl.

All state Senate Republicans signed a letter on Aug. 1 asking Newsom for a swift veto of the legislation, Senate Bill (SB) 57, which would allow the operation of drug dens and provide addicts with sterile needles as well as other supplies for pre-obtained drugs.

The Senate voted 21 to 11 along party lines to pass SB 57 on Monday, with all Senate Republicans voting against it and eight Democrats abstaining. The bill is now headed to Newsoms desk for him to either veto it or sign it into law.

An Overdose Prevention Community Space in the Tenderloin Center, a homeless center in San Francisco. (Courtesy of the City of San Francisco)

Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) introduced the bill as an overdose prevention program. He said these supervised consumption services are a necessary intervention to prevent overdose deaths, according to the bills analysis by the Senate Health Committee.

He claimed around 165 such plans in 10 countries have been rigorously researched and shown to reduce health and safety problems associated with drug use, including public drug use, discarded syringes, HIV and hepatitis infections, and overdose deaths.

Wiener referenced a facility called Insite, the first supervised drug injection site in North America. Established in Vancouver, Canada in 2003, the site has recorded more than 3.6 million visits to inject illicit drugs under supervision by nurses, according to the regional health services provider Vancouver Coastal Health. The facility also reported 48,798 clinical treatment visits and 6,440 overdose interventions without any deaths.

Other successful supervised injection facilities are operating in the Netherlands and Sweden, Wiener said.

In these desperate times, this bill provides California with the opportunity to lead by example and to equip itself with another tool that is scientifically proven to help prevent and decrease overdose deaths, he stated in the bills analysis.

Mothers Against Drug Deaths hold a chain of posters in front of the Tenderloin Linkage Center in San Francisco on Feb. 5, 2022. (Cynthia Cai/The Epoch Times)

However, Berlinn argued that supervised consumption services in Canada are failing horribly.

Theyre spending so much more money to keep people addicted than they are to get them help, she said.

Legalized drug dens are just opening the door for non-profits to raise a bunch of money but do little to help addicts get the treatment they need and set them on a road to recovery, Berlinn said.

Opening these facilities in more communities could encourage more drug use by making it seem more socially acceptable, she warned.

Addicts, she said, will also likely get more brazen and try to take bigger doses for a bigger high, if they know someone with NARCANa potentially lifesaving medication designed to help reverse an opioid overdoseis watching over them and can revive them.

California and Canada think that if people come in to use at the drug dens, then they have more of an opportunity to contact them and talk to them about services. But, those connections, as we saw with the San Francisco model arent happening, and especially dont happen with fentanyl.

The Tenderloin Center for the homeless in San Francisco. (Courtesy of the City of San Francisco)

Earlier this year, the Tenderloin Linkage Center, a homeless center in San Francisco, dropped the word linkage from its name after very few people were linked to drug recovery services and other programs, while critics said it was already operating similar to a safe drug consumption site.

State Senate Republican Leader Scott Wilk said in a statement after the vote on SB 57 that the state should instead focus on rehabilitation, counseling, and other alternatives, including treatment protocols.

Instead of focusing on a strategy to help people get their lives back, get off drugs and into treatment, California Democrats focus on giving people free needles and a safe place to shoot up, Wilk said. This is one of the most dangerous pieces of legislation that Ive seen sent to the governor. Leaving people on the streets in squalor, rather than getting them help, shows zero compassion.

The Republicans called the bill a distraction from the real need for long overdue efforts to provide state-funded and operated effective drug treatment programs.

It is not humane, or compassionate, to allow individuals to live, shoot up, or die on the streets without providing them the assistance and help they need to recover and live fulfilling lives, the letter states.

A homeless man sleeps in the shade of a bus stop in Santa Ana, Calif., on May 10, 2022. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times)

While the bill provides immunity for local officials and health care professionals under state law, it cannot and does not do so under federal law, exposing them to potential federal criminal charges, according to the letter.

Newsoms predecessor, former Gov. Jerry Brown, a member of the Democratic Party, vetoed a similar bill in 2018, noting that the U.S. Attorney General had already threatened prosecution.

[E]nabling illegal and destructive drug use will never work, Brown said in his veto message.
U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) talks with Taiwan Foreign Minister Joseph Wu (L) before boarding a plane at Taipei Songshan Airport in Taipei, Taiwan, on Aug. 3, 2022. (Taiwan Ministry of Foreign Affairs/Handout via Reuters)

Pelosi Leaves Taiwan After Meeting With Democracy Activists, TSMC Chairman

TAIPEI, TaiwanHouse Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) has left Taiwan for South Korea after spending about 19 hours on the island. Despite her brief trip, Pelosi became the most senior U.S. official to visit the self-ruled island in 25 years.

Pelosi left at around 6 p.m. local time on Aug. 3. Before she left, she met with Mark Liu, chairman of Taiwan-based semiconductor manufacturer TSMC, according to Ker Chien-ming, a senior ruling party lawmaker.

Ker told local media that Pelosi and Liu spoke on issues related to the CHIPS and Science Act, which is now waiting to be signed by President Joe Biden after Congress passed the legislation in late July. At the time of the writing, neither Pelosi nor TSMC has commented on the meeting.

The centerpiece of the bill provides more than $52 billion in subsidies for the U.S. semiconductor industry. In all, the bill will allocate $280 billion in subsidies, tax breaks, and research grants to boost the domestic semiconductor sector.

The United States views TSMC as a vital supplier, for the worlds largest contract chipmaker is among a few companies in the globe capable of making the most advanced chips, which power everything from cellphones to missile systems.

A factory of Taiwanese semiconductors manufacturer TSMC at Central Taiwan Science Park in Taichung, Taiwan, on March 25, 2021. (Sam Yeh/AFP via Getty Images)

In May 2020, TSMC announced plans to invest $12 billion to build a factory with its 5-nm processing technology in Arizona. In a LinkedIn post last month, the company said its Arizona plant remains on time and on track to begin production in 2024.

Liu, in a recent interview with CNN, said that TSMC plants in Taiwan would become non-operable in the event of an invasion or military attack. As for the reason, he explained that making semiconductors require a real-time connection with different partners around the world.

Beijing claims Taiwan as a part of its territory despite the fact that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has never ruled the island. The communist regime has never ruled out the use of force to bring Taiwan under its fold.

As such, the CCP has reacted angrily to Pelosis visit, believing that such a trip affirms the islands de-facto independent status. Shortly after Pelosi arrived in Taiwan late Tuesday night, the communist regime announced that it will conduct live-fire military drills in six zones around Taiwan from Aug. 4 to 7.

On Aug. 3, Wang Yi, Chinas foreign minister, released a statement accusing Pelosi of making a politically provocative trip. Wang also accused the United States of being the biggest destroyer of peace and regional stability in the Taiwan Strait.

Activists

Just before leaving Taiwan, Pelosi met with several activists at a local memorial park. According to local media, their meeting lasted over an hour.

Among those taking part in the meeting were Wuer Kaixi, a student leader during the 1989 Tiananmen Square pro-democracy protests; Lam Wing-kee, a bookseller who now lives in Taiwan after fleeing Hong Kong; Lee Ming-che, a Taiwanese human rights activist, and Bawa Kelsang Gyaltsen, representative of the Central Tibetan Administration in Taiwan.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Lam said he asked Pelosi whether the United States could do more to help Hongkongers who might wish to leave the city.

Lam Wing-kee, a Hong Kong bookstore owner who fled to Taiwan in 2019, speaks during an interview inside his bookstore in Taipei, Taiwan, on June 8, 2022. (Johnson Lai/AP Photo)

Many people have fled Hong Kong to avoid prosecution by the Hong Kong government for participating in the pro-democracy movement that started in June 2019. Many more have left for reasons such as erosion of freedoms, after Beijing imposed a draconian national security law on the city in 2020 to quell dissent.

Currently, two bills before Congress that aim to ease immigration restrictions on Hongkongers who want to leave their city are Hong Kong Peoples Freedom and Choice Act (H.R.4276) and Hong Kong Safe Harbor Act (S.295/H.R.461).

John Lee, Hong Kongs chief executive, has also criticized Pelosis visit to Taiwan. In a statement released on Aug. 3, Lee said the visit is tantamount to undermining the stability of Taiwan Strait.

Kelsang Gyaltsen said he told Pelosi about deteriorating situations in Tibet, where local culture and religion are being wiped out due to CCP policies in the area.
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Paul Pelosi and Nancy Pelosi attend the TIME 100 Gala 2019 Cocktails at Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York City on April 23, 2019. (Jemal Countess/Getty Images for TIME)

Nancy Pelosis Husband Enters Plea in DUI Case Following Car Crash

House Speaker Nancy Pelosis (D-Calif.) husband, Paul Pelosi, pleaded not guilty Wednesday to DUI charges after allegedly crashing his car in California.

His attorney, Amanda Bevins, entered the plea to two counts related to a May 2022 DUI arrest. Paul Pelosi did not attend the arraignment, according to reporters on the scene.

Amy McLeod, a deputy district attorney in Californias Napa County, was in court for the prosecution, those reporters said.

Paul Pelosi, 82, will remain free on his own recognizance after the arraignment. He is scheduled to appear in court on Aug. 23 at 9 a.m. local time.

A press release issued by the Napa County District Attorneys office said Pelosi, a longtime businessman worth millions of dollars, allegedly had a blood alcohol content of 0.082 percentover the legal limit in Californiaafter he crashed his late-model Porsche. The blood sample, the DAs office said, was obtained two hours after the collision hours later.

Based upon the extent of the injuries suffered by the victim, the District Attorney filed misdemeanor charges. This decision is consistent with how our office handles these cases with similar injuries, the office said in a statement in June.

Weeks before that, the California Highway Patrol said Pelosi was involved in a collision with a Jeep in Napa County. At the time, Speaker Pelosi was not with him, and a spokesperson for her office declined to comment on the matter while saying that the congresswoman was attending an event in Rhode Island that same day.

Under state law, Pelosi could face a short stint in jail and several years probation, according to the DA offices news release.

The punishment for driving under the influence causing injury as a misdemeanor is set by California law. It includes up to five years of probation, a minimum of five days in jail, installation of an ignition interlock device, fines and fees, completion of a court-ordered drinking driver class, and other terms as appropriate, the DAs office said.

After his arrest, Pelosi was released on $5,000 bail.

His plea comes just a day after Speaker Pelosi visited Taiwan amid bombastic threats from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)the first time a House speaker has done so since 1997. She left the self-governing island nation on Wednesday.

Response

A spokesman for Paul Pelosi previously said that reports about the DUI arrest were erroneous but offered few details why.

Mr. Pelosi was attending a dinner party at the home of friends near Oakville, Larry Kramer, the spokesman, told Fox News several days after the alleged incident. He left that party at 10:15 p.m. Saturday, to drive to his home a short distance away. He was alone in his car, he said.

And he added, Mr. Pelosi was fully cooperative with California Highway Patrol officers who arrived a few minutes later.

A prior driving offense erroneously attributed to Mr. Pelosi is untrue and likely refers to an unrelated person with the same name. This error must be corrected, Kramer told the Daily Beast, without elaborating. There are also incorrect reports that misstate the timing of events.
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Newly-elected Philippines President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. delivers a speech during the inauguration ceremony at the National Museum in Manila, Philippines, on June 30, 2022. (Eloisa Lopez/Reuters)

Philippine President Rejects Rejoining ICC Amid Calls to Resume Probe of Drug War Killings

The president of the Philippines has ruled out the prospect of rejoining the International Criminal Court (ICC) amid the courts request to resume its investigation of the previous administrations war against illegal drugs.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who took office on June 30, said the decision was made after consulting with his legal team on the ICCs investigation of then-President Rodrigo Dutertes anti-drug campaign.

What we are saying is it is already being investigated here, and its ongoing, so why would there be a need for it? the president said, according to a state-run news agency.

Marcos said the government is still deciding how to respond to the ICC prosecutors request to reopen investigations into suspected rights abuses during Dutertes drug war.

If we do respond, what will be the response, or possibly we just ignore them because we are no longer part of the ICC, he said. The Philippines has no intention of rejoining the ICC.

The Philippines officially withdrew from the ICC on March 17, 2019, after the then-ICC chief prosecutor Fatou Bensouda began preliminary investigations into Dutertes drug war for suspected human rights abuses.

Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte holding a Galil sniper rifle with outgoing National Police (PNP) chief Ronald dela Rosa (L) during the change of command ceremony at Camp Crame in Manila on April 19, 2018. (Noel Celis/AFP via Getty Images)

Despite the countrys withdrawal, ICC prosecutor Karim Khan said in a statement last year that the ICC retains jurisdiction over alleged crimes that occurred while the Philippines was a party to the court from Nov. 1, 2011, to March 16, 2019.

No Action From Government: ICC

Khan has urged the reopening of investigations into the case, citing the Philippine governments failure to offer any documentation that the investigations were ongoing or complete, as well as information regarding concrete investigations or prosecution actions.

Under the Rome Statutes core principle of complementarity, states always have the first opportunity to investigate allegations of such crimes committed on their territory or by their nationals, he said.

However, when national authorities fail to act, the court must step in, and that is why I have filed todays application.

The ICC probe was suspended in November 2021 after the Philippine government requested a deferral and pledged to investigate the alleged abuses.

Duterte was elected in 2016 on a promise to eradicate illegal drugs in the Philippines. According to Human Rights Watch (HRW), the anti-drug campaign resulted in the deaths of more than 12,000 Filipinos, with the Philippine National Police being responsible for 2,555 of these deaths.

HRW detailed in its 2017 report instances of the Philippine police falsifying evidence to justify unlawful killings and claimed that most victims in drug-related killings were poor people and suspected drug users rather than dealers.
People take part in water sports next to the beach of Llaman, near the city of Himare in southern Albania, on Aug. 6, 2019. (Gent Shkullaku/AFP via Getty Images)

Police Officer Arrested After Speedboat Kills British Girl, 9, in Albania

An off-duty police officer has been arrested on suspicion of negligent homicide after a 9-year-old British girl was killed by a speedboat on a beach in Albania.

Jonada Avdia, who lived in Barking, east London, was on holiday in her parents home country and was swimming in the sea 15 feet from Potami Beach in the town of Himare, not far from the Greek border, on Tuesday when she was struck and fatally injured by the speedboat.

The tragedy unfolded in front of hundreds of people on the crowded beach and photographs were posted on social media of the childs distraught father, Bledar, apparently grappling with the boats driver.

An Albanian police watchdog, the Police Oversight Agency (AMP), said the entire chain of command of the Local Directorate for Border and Migrationwhich is responsible for preventing boating accidentshad been fired following the incident.

The Albanian news agency, Top Channel, said the man in charge of the speedboat was Arjan Tase, an off-duty police officer from the city of Elbasan, who was on holiday in Himare.

The AMP said Tase had been arrested for negligent homicide after the incident, which happened around 2 p.m. on Tuesday.

On its Facebook page, AMP said Tase was driving the boat from Porto Palermo to Potami, with other members of his family on board, when the incident took place.

Police Watchdog Say Speedboat Broke Water Traffic Rules

AMP said, in a statement translated from Albanian: At Potami Beach, contrary to water traffic rules, [he] inserted the float vehicle into the waterspace designated for vacationers. This aquatic area has been surrounded by plastic bowls [sic], according to the provisions in the legal acts that normulate [sic] this activity.

It went on to say that, after dropping his relatives off at Potami Beach, Tase performed careless manouevres as he headed back towards the open sea.

The boat then struck the little girl in the back, killing her instantly.

Police chief Gledis Nano has dismissed 15 officers in the Local Directorate for Border and Migration in the nearby city of Vlora and set up a special group including specialists in migration, public security, and professional standards to work to prevent future incidents with vessels.

Himare, a popular beach resort south of Vlora, is home to an ethnic Greek community and was the home town of Pliny the Elder in ancient Greece.

The Avdia family is believed to have moved to England for work and Jonada was born in London, which has a thriving Albanian and Kosovan community.
Republican candidates for Arizona governor Karrin Taylor Robson (L) and Kari Lake (R) prior to a televised GOP debate in Phoenix, Arizona, on June 29, 2022. (Ross D. Franklin, File/AP Photo)

Lake Pulls Ahead of Robson in Heated Race for Republican Nomination for Arizona Governor

Kari Lake pulled ahead of Karrin Taylor Robson in a heated five-way battle for the Republican nomination for governor of Arizona in the Aug. 2 primary.

With about 80 percent of precincts reporting, Lake currently holds the lead with 46.2 percent of the vote. Robson trails at 44.4 percent.

According to Decision Desk HQ, the long-shots Matt Salmon, Scott Neely, and Paola Tulliani-Zen trail by significant margins with less than 5 percent of the vote each.

Robson and Lake ran high-profile campaigns primarily distinguished by their bitter rivalry and public hostility toward one another.

Each presented herself as the conservative candidate best suited to lead the state through the current border crisis.

Throughout her campaign, America First candidate Lake characterized her opponent as an Establishment RINO, or Republican In Name Only, aligned with Arizona Democrats and establishment Republicans.

Im up against a billionaireactually, her husbands a billionaire, Lake said at a recent campaign rally in Tucson. Shes spending more money than ever in a statewide race in the history of this country to try to defeat us.

Were not going to let her win. Arizona is not for sale and cant be purchased. Were going to send them a message.

Trump Blessing

Robson portrayed Lake as an unknown quantity: an Obama Democrat turned Trump Republican only when she decided to run for office.

Lake, a former Fox10 anchor, quickly gained momentum in the polls with the blessing of former President Donald Trump. His endorsement of Lake proved key in the minds of many of her supporters.

On July 22, Trump appeared at a Save America rally in Prescott Valley, Arizona, to shore up support for Lake and other America First Republican candidates.

Former President Donald Trump and Kari Lake, whom Trump is supporting in Arizonas gubernatorial race, speak during a rally at the Canyon Moon Ranch festival grounds in Florence, Arizona, on Jan. 15, 2022. (Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images)

Former Vice President Mike Pence officially entered Arizonas gubernatorial fray by endorsing Taylor Robson, endorsed by eight past and present state governors, most notably former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie.

While some polls showed Lake ahead by double-digit margins, Robson said both candidates were running neck and neck.

Weve got a lot of momentum. My opponent doesnt like where were are right now. I started this race essentially at zero this year, and now we are tied, and we have all the wind in our sails as we go into [the primary] election, said Robson at a recent Town Hall event in Tempe.

On the Democratic side, Katie Hobbs, Arizonas current secretary of state, is the projected winner by a landslide for her partys nomination for governor.

Hobbs currently leads her two opponents with 73 percent of the vote. Marco Lopez received 22 percent, and Aaron Lieberman 4 percent.

The winners in both races will advance to the general election on Nov. 8.
A member of the Russian National Guard leaves the building of Russia's Supreme Court before a hearing on whether to designate Ukraine's Azov Regiment as a terrorist entity in Moscow on Aug. 2, 2022. (Maxim Shemetov/Reuters)

Russias Supreme Court Designates Ukraines Azov Regiment a Terrorist Group

MOSCOWRussias top court on Tuesday designated Ukraines Azov Regiment as a terrorist group, a Reuters correspondent in the courtroom said, paving the way for captured soldiers to be tried under stringent anti-terror laws and be jailed for up to 20 years.

The Azov Regiment, which has far-right and ultra-nationalist roots, has been one of the most prominent Ukrainian military formations fighting against Russia in eastern Ukraine. Having begun as a paramilitary unit fighting against pro-Russian rebels in 2014, it was later integrated into Ukraines national guard.

Kyiv says it has been reformed away from its radical origins and that it has nothing to do with politics. The regiment itself has also distanced itself from the views of its nationalistic founder.

In a statement posted on Telegram, the Azov Regiment said that Russia was looking for new justifications for war crimes, and urged the U.S. State Department to designate Russia a terrorist state.

After the public execution of prisoners of war from the Azov regiment in Olenivka, Russia is looking for new excuses and explanations for its war crimes, the unit said in the post, referring to last weeks explosion at a site holding Ukrainian POWs, which Moscow says killed over 50. Both Ukraine and Russia have blamed the other for the blast.

Russia has regularly cited Azov in support of its assertion that Ukraine is controlled by fascists. Russian state media has compared Azov fighters to World War Two-era Nazis, whose defeat by the Soviet Union remains a core part of Russian national identity.

Previously based in the eastern Ukrainian port city of Mariupol, many of the regiments personnel were captured by Russian forces when the city fell in May after an almost three-month-long siege.

Officials in the Donetsk Peoples Republic, the Russian-backed entity which claims Mariupol as part of its territory, said in May that captured Azov Regiment fighters could face the death penalty under the self-proclaimed republics laws.

Last week, Russias embassy in London said in a Twitter post that captive Azov personnel should be hung and that they deserve a humiliating death.
Eric Schmitt addresses the crowd at his victory party in St. Louis, Mo. on Aug. 2, 2022. (Nathan Worcester/The Epoch Times)

Schmitt Wins Hotly Contested US Senate Primary in Missouri, Will Face Valentine

Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt won the states Republican Senate primary race on Aug. 2, bringing the expensive, hard-fought race to a conclusion.

Polls closed in the race at 7 p.m. CST. Decision Desk HQ called the race for Schmitt roughly an hour later.

Hell be facing the winner of the Democratic primary, Trudy Busch Valentine, in the general election on Nov. 8. Busch Valentine, an heiress to the Anheuser-Busch brewing fortune, was declared the victor soon after 10 p.m. CST.

The contest for the Republican nomination kicked off after incumbent Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) announced in 2021 that he wouldnt be seeking reelection in 2022.

The race was shaken up by former President Donald Trumps last-minute Aug. 1 endorsement, in which he pledged his support to Eric.

Two of the top contenders in the race are named Eric: Schmitt and former Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens.

In July, Trump issued a definitive non-endorsement of another candidate, Rep. Vicky Hartzler (R-Mo.).

Mark McCloskey, who was also running in the Senate primary, predicted to The Epoch Times in an Aug. 1 interview that a Trump non-endorsement of Greitens would cut the legs out of the Greitens campaign.

Yet others think the result would have been the same regardless of what Trump did or said, in light of recent polling that has shown stronger support for Schmitt.

Both Greitens and Schmitt raised millions of dollars in outside funding from billionaires in and outside of Missouri, including a flood of anti-Greitens spending in the past month.

Greitens had 16.9 percent of the vote as of shortly after 8 p.m. Hartzler was in second with 28.8 percent, and McCloskey had 3.1 percent.

Both Schmitt and Greitens accepted Trumps endorsement, which he publicized on Truth Social as an endorsement for their respective campaigns.

Schmitt also received a last-minute endorsement from anti-critical race theory activist Chris Rufo.

Missouri AG @Eric_Schmitt has been a true warrior in the fight against critical race theory. Hes got what it takes to move public policy in the right direction. I hope my friends in Missouri send him to the Senate.  Christopher F. Rufo  (@realchrisrufo) August 2, 2022

Schmitt has been attorney general in Missouri since 2019, after a stint as state treasurer.

Greitens served as governor of Missouri between 2017 and 2018, when he resigned while under investigation for ethical and sexual misconduct.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) looks on as Rosie Torres, wife of veteran Le Roy Torres who suffers from illnesses related to his exposure to burn pits in Iraq, holds up her husband Le Roy on her phone after the Senate passed the PACT Act at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, on Aug. 2, 2022. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

Senate Passes Bill to Help Veterans Exposed to Toxic Burn Pits

The U.S. Senate on Aug. 2 passed a bill to expand healthcare coverage that would benefit veterans who had been exposed to military toxic burn pits.

The vote to approve the PACT Act was 8611.

The bill now heads to President Joe Bidens desk. In a statement, Biden called the bills passage the biggest expansion of benefits for service-connected health issues in 30 years and the largest single bill ever to comprehensively address exposure to burn pits.

Until the mid-2010s, the U.S. military used burn pits to dispose of various waste on foreign bases, exposing U.S. service members to fumes that resulted from the burning of various substances, from chemical waste, cans, rubber, plastics, as well as ammunitions and human waste.

For the millions of veterans who may have been exposed to harmful toxins, this bill means quicker access to health care services and other benefits, Biden said. This could be the difference between life and death for many suffering from toxic-related illnesses.

For the spouse or child of a servicemember who died from toxic exposure, struggling to put their lives back together, this bill will be a lifeline. It means a monthly stipend for a surviving spouse and kids, and access to tuition benefits to help cover the cost of college. It means access to life insurance, home loan assistance, and help with health care, he added.

The legislation directs the VA to presume that certain respiratory illnesses and cancers were related to burn pit exposure, allowing veterans to obtain disability payments to compensate for their injury without having to prove the illness was a result of their service.

Roughly 70 percent of disability claims related to burn pit exposure are denied by the Veterans Affairs (VA) due to lack of evidence, scientific data, and information from the Department of Defense.

The bill also adds hypertensionhigh blood pressureas a presumptive disease associated with Agent Orange exposure. This provision could benefit hundreds of thousands of Vietnam War-era veterans and survivors.

Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) heads into the Senate chamber at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, on June 23, 2022. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Brief Delay

The Senate had approved the legislation back in June in an 8414 vote that had the support of all 50 Democrats and 34 Republicans. However, that version of the bill needed a do-over for a technical fix that the House quickly corrected.

When the bill was sent back to the Senate for final passage last week, its final approval was expected to be a routine vote. But 25 Senate Republicans made an abrupt and late attempt to change a separate aspect of the bill and blocked a procedural vote to advance the corrected version of the bill. The procedural vote needed the support of 60 senators in the 100-member chamber. Because of Republican opposition, it was four votes short.

The abrupt change came just hours after Democrats announced a deal within their caucus on an unrelated climate and tax bill that would not require bipartisan support.

A group of veterans and their families have been camping out at the Capitol since the vote that had temporarily blocked the bill.

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) was one of 41 Republicans who voted against the corrected version of the PACT bill. He told TMZ in an interview: What the dispute is about is, the Democrats played a budgetary trick, which is, they took $400 billion in discretionary spending and they shifted it to mandatory.

He added: The reason they did that is, they want to spend $400 billion more discretionary funds on completely unrelated matters. So, its just part of the out-of-control spending from the left.

Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) said in a statement on July 26 that the legislation includes a budget gimmick that would allow $400 billion of current law spending to be moved from the discretionary to the mandatory spending category.

This provision is completely unnecessary to achieve the PACT Acts stated goal of expanding health care and other benefits for veterans, he added. However, it would enable an additional $400 billion in future discretionary spending completely unrelated to veterans. By failing to remove this gimmick, Congress would effectively be using an important veterans care bill to hide a massive, unrelated spending binge.

Toomey said on Aug. 1: The oldest trick in Washington is to craft a bill to help vulnerable Americans, and then sneak in an unrelated provision that would never pass on its own. Thats exactly what Democrats are doing with the PACT Act.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said on Aug. 2 that he had reached a deal with Toomey to hold a vote on an amendment that would change how money was allocated within the legislation, clearing the way for a final vote on passage in the evening. Toomeys amendment was defeated before the Senate voted 8611 to approve the bill.

Biden said that he looks forward to signing the bill into law.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Richard Mack, former sheriff of Graham County, Ariz., and founder of the Constitutional Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association (CSPOA), in an interview with The Epoch Times in July 2022. (Crossroads/Screenshot via The Epoch Times).

Sheriff Mack Encourages Other Sheriffs to Investigate Evidence of Election Fraud Depicted in 2000 Mules

The claim made by Dinesh DSouzas documentary 2000 Mules that significant fraud occurred in the 2020 election should be independently investigated by sheriffs in their counties, said former Arizona sheriff Richard Mack.

The first step of any investigation into this allegation is watching the movie, said Mack, founder of the Constitutional Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association (CSPOA).

The 2000 Mules movie finally got us totally on board this issue. And it is our number-one issue now, Mack said.

Every sheriff in the country should be watching that movie, Mack told EpochTVs Crossroads program.

However, the evidence presented in 2000 Mules by two researchers, Catherine Engelbrecht, the founder of the nonpartisan election integrity watchdog True the Vote (TTV), and Gregg Philipps, a cyber investigator for TTV, has been discredited by major media, Mack noted.

Mack advises investigating the reported evidence first. If the report is false, those who produced it should be arrested, Mack said.

We need the sheriffs to investigate this so badly because the federal government wont do it.

Mack said that the federal agencies which should investigate the alleged election fraud are not independent, and they follow orders. [The] sheriff is independent. He doesnt have to ask anybody permission to do this investigation.

Mack encourages people to watch the movie 2000 Mules, then have their sheriff watch it and ask the sheriff to conduct an investigation.

Also, if people witnessed that election fraud has taken place in their county, they should notify their sheriff, Mack said. You should have a relationship with your sheriff. Go volunteer to help your sheriff out. Ask the sheriff to form a posse.

In Arizona, the law stipulates that the sheriff can call out every able-bodied citizen to help him enforce the law or keep the peace, he added.

Election Fraud Investigation

Some officials expressed views echoed by corporate media that the 2020 election was the safest and most secure election ever, Mack said. In November 2020, several federal government officials jointly stated that The November 3rd election was the most secure in American history.

Show me the evidence, Mack said. And there wasnt one single investigation done, except now by county sheriffs across the country. There are currently six sheriffs investigating alleged claims of election fraud, Mack added.

Sheriff Leon Wilmot in Yuma County, Arizona, for example, has already made three arrests for voter fraud, Mack said.

Wilmots team, in cooperation with the county recorders office, identified in May a pattern of fraudulent voter registration in the 2020 election leading up to the 2022 primary election, according to a statement.

Falsifying voter registration done by outreach groups who are paid for each registration form they submit is one form of voter fraud discovered by the sheriffs team, the statement said.

Other fraud patterns identified during the investigation include people voting in multiple locations in the same election, fraudulent voting in the name of legitimate voters, and voting for someone deceased or those who moved away, according to the statement.

There also were cases of requesting absentee ballots on behalf of voters and voting without their knowledge, as well as obtaining the absentee ballot from a voter and either filling it in directly forging the voters signature or illegally telling the voter who to vote for, the statement said.

Sheriff Calvin Hayden in Kansas has been examining an undisclosed number of allegations claiming election fraud in his county, while Sheriff Dar Leaf from Michigan has been investigating the 2020 election fraud in his county for nearly two years, Mack said.

We have an obligation to the people we serve to investigate every reasonable complaint we receive until we reach a successful conclusion, Hayden said, according to CSPOAs website.

In Wisconsin, Sheriff Chris Schmaling and investigative officer Lt. Michael Luell believe that the election laws were broken in their county, the website said. Were not trying to change one election. Were trying to hold the government accountable, Luell said, according to the website.

Constitutional Sheriffs

Mack believes that swearing allegiance to the U.S. Constitution while taking the oath of office obligates sheriffs to uphold and defend the Constitution. During Macks tenure as a sheriff of Graham County, Arizona, he challenged the constitutionality of the Brady Law, a gun control federal bill that imposed on sheriffs a requirement to run background checks at their expense.

He considered the legislation a government overreach that commandeers the office of sheriff for federal bidding, and filed a lawsuit to counter it.

In Macks opinion, sheriffs should work for the people who elected them and pay their salaries. The federal government is not my boss. The federal government is not any public officials boss in any state.

Mack, joined by six other sheriffs, won the lawsuit against the federal government headed at that time by President Bill Clinton, after the three-year legal battle fought all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court.

The Supreme Courts landmark decision was delivered by Justice Antonin Scalia, who wrote in the majority opinion: The Federal Government may neither issue directives requiring the States to address particular problems, nor command the States officers, or those of their political subdivisions, to administer or enforce a federal regulatory program.

Such commands are fundamentally incompatible with our constitutional system of dual sovereignty, Scalia continued.

Separation of Federal and State Governments

Mack lauded Scalias opinion about the separation of the federal government and state governments and recommended reading it.

The Framers rejected the concept of a central government that would act upon and through the States, and instead designed a system in which the state and federal governments would exercise concurrent authority over the people, Scalia wrote.

This separation of the two spheres is one of the Constitutions structural protections of liberty.

Scalia explained it further, quoting James Madison, a Founding Father of the United States, In the compound republic of America, the power surrendered by the people is first divided between two distinct governments.  Hence a double security arises to the rights of the people. The different governments will control each other, at the same time that each will be controlled by itself.

The whole purpose of the Constitution was to limit government, Mack said, stressing the importance of the 10th Amendment.

The 10th Amendment stipulates: The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.

Therefore, people should encourage their sheriffs to watch the film 2000 Mules or even watch it with them and then ask them to investigate the fraud claims shown in the documentary, Mack advised.

Sheriffs are independent and do not need to ask anybody for permission to do this investigation, Mack said. And every one of them should start it right now.

He also urges people to develop relationships with their sheriffs. The county sheriffAmericas last hope, Mack said, quoting the title of the book he wrote 10 years ago.

Ella Kietlinska Reporter Follow Ella Kietlinska is a reporter for The Epoch Times focusing on U.S. and world politics.
Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.)(R) and Paul Pelosi arrive for the Recording Academy and Clive Davis pre-Grammy gala at the Beverly Hilton hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif., on Jan. 25, 2020. (Mark Ralston/AFP via Getty Images)

Speaker Nancy Pelosis Husband Allegedly Slurred Speech Following Car Crash: Court Document

House Speaker Nancy Pelosis (D-Calif.) husband, Paul Pelosi, was allegedly unsteady on his feet and slurring his words after a car crash in California in May, according to a new court document.

Pelosi, 82, allegedly showed signs of impairment during a field sobriety test when he was involved in a car crash in Napa County on May 25, according to court documents published by Fox News.

The document, a DUI report, alleged that California Highway Patrol (CHP) officers observed objective signs and symptoms of alcohol intoxication from Pelosi.

His eyes appeared red/watery, he was unsteady on his feet, his speech was slurred, and he had a strong odor of an alcohol beverage emanating from his breath, according to the complaint.

The court document was published a day before Pelosi pleaded not guilty to two DUI charges. The millionaire didnt attend the arraignment and was represented by his lawyer, Amanda Bevins, according to reporters on the scene.

His arraignment also comes after Speaker Pelosi visited Taiwan amid bombastic threats from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)the first time a House speaker has done so since 1997.

Details

When responding officers arrived at the scene on the night of the crash, they found Pelosi sitting in the drivers seat, according to the document, adding that Pelosi was the only one in his Porsche.

Pelosi handed officers his drivers license and an 11-99 Foundation card when asked for identification, the document alleged. The 11-99 Foundation was a charity to provide assistance to CHP members and scholarships to their children.

At that time, the other driver, identified as John Doe, was standing outside his vehicle, it said.

Medical units also arrived, but both Pelosi and Doe refused treatment. However, Doe reported to prosecutors on June 2 that he had pain in his upper right arm, right shoulder, and neck, according to the complaint. Doe alleged that he felt it difficult to lift things with his right arm and suffered headaches that had been present prior to the collision.

Both vehicles sustained major collision damage after the incident near the intersection of California Route 29 and Oakville Cross Road, according to the document.

Pelosi was later transported to a CHP office in Napa where his blood sample was obtained at 12:32 a.m, the document said. The sample was determined to have an alcohol content of 0.082 percent, which is over the legal limit in California.

Pelosi was arrested for allegedly driving under the influence of alcohol on May 29. Napa County records show he was released about three hours later. The records indicate that his bail was set at $5,000.

In a separate two-charge criminal complaint published by Fox News, Pelosi allegedly crashed his car under the influence of an alcoholic beverage and a drug and under their combined influence.

Bevins told The Epoch Times that I believe that the drug reference is part of the statutory boilerplate language in the complaint.

A spokesperson for Speaker Pelosis office previously declined to comment on the matter while saying that the congresswoman was attending an event in Rhode Island at that time.

She arrived in Korea from Taiwan on Wednesday night.

Jack Phillips contributed to the report.
A member of the U.S. Air Force stands near a Patriot missile battery at Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia, on Feb. 20, 2020. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/Pool via AP, File)

State Department Approves Sale of 300 Patriot Missiles to Saudi Arabia

Senior White House official denies weapons deal is 'quid pro quo' for increased oil production

The State Department has approved the possible sale of 300 Patriot missiles to Saudi Arabia for around $3.05 billion, according to the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA).

DSCA informed Congress of the possible sale on Tuesday, which comes after President Joe Biden visited the Gulf kingdom in July and met with King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

This proposed sale will support the foreign policy goals and national security objectives of the United States by improving the security of a partner country that is a force for political stability and economic progress in the Gulf region, DSCA said in a statement.

The sale will replenish Saudi Arabias dwindling stock of Patriot Guidance Enhanced Missile-Tactical (GEM-T) missiles, increasing the U.S. strategic allys capability to face future threats, according to DSCA.

These missiles are used to defend the Kingdom of Saudi Arabias borders against persistent Houthi cross-border unmanned aerial system and ballistic missile attacks on civilian sites and critical infrastructure in Saudi Arabia, DSCA added.

These attacks threaten the well-being of Saudi, International, and U.S. citizens (approximately 70,000) residing in the Kingdom. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will have no difficulty absorbing these missiles into its armed forces.

President Joe Biden (R) and UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed al-Nahyan (L) attend a bilateral meeting at a hotel in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on July 16, 2022. (Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images)

In addition to 300 Patriot MIM-104E GEM-T missiles, the proposed $3 billion deal will buy Saudi Arabia the necessary training, transportation, spare parts, tools and equipment, field support, quality assurance support, and logistical support services by U.S. government and contractors, and more.

Raytheon Corporation in Massachusetts will be the principal contractor that Saudi Arabia will negotiate with on the terms of the deal, including any offsets the kingdom is expected to request.

DSCA said the proposed deal wont alter the basic military balance in the region nor require the assignment of any additional U.S. Government or contractor representatives to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

There will be no adverse impact on U.S. defense readiness as a result of this proposed sale, DSCA said.

Weapons Deal Announced Day Before OPEC Meeting

A senior Biden administration official has denied that the proposed weapons deal, announced one day before a meeting of the five petroleum exporting gulf countries known as OPEC, is part of a quid pro quo to encourage the Saudis to increase oil production.

When asked by reporters on Tuesday, John Kirby, the White Houses National Security Councils strategic communications coordinator, rejected any presupposition that the weapons deal was part of some sort of a quid pro quo.

National Security Council coordinator for strategic communications John Kirby speaks during the daily briefing at the White House in Washington on Aug. 2, 2022. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)

We provide defense articles like Patriotssell those to Saudi Arabia because they have a legitimate need for air defense, Kirby said. In fact, one of the things they discussed on this trip was the potential or possibility for some sort of integrated air and missile defense throughout the region, and the Patriot batteries would contribute to that.

And, yes, he [Biden] met with the king andand the crown prince and his leadership team, Kirby added, as well as all the leaders of the GCC+3 [Gulf Cooperation Council] when he was out there, because theres a range of issues to talk about.

Energy security was on the agenda, but it wasnt the only agenda, he continued. Im not going to speculate about what OPEC might or might not do.

Crown Prince Controversy

The proposed deal comes on the heals of Bidens visit with King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman last month, which was criticized by some segments of American media.

Biden met with the crown prince, known as MBS, despite saying when he ran for office that he never would. U.S. federal agencies suspect MBS was responsible for the 2018 murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi Embassy in Turkey.

Bidens fist bump upon meeting MBS drew rare criticism from The Washington Post. But Biden defended the meeting, telling reporters on July 15 that he raised the issue of Khashoggi with MBS.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (R) greets President Joe Biden with a fist bump after his arrival in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on July 15, 2022. (Bandar Aljaloud/Saudi Royal Palace via AP)

With respect to the murder of Khashoggi, I raised it at the top of the meeting, making it clear what I thought of it at the time and what I think about it now, Biden said.

He [MBS] basically said that he was not personally responsible for it. I indicated that he was, and he said he was not personally responsible for it and he took action against those who were responsible, Biden added.

This account of the meeting was disputed by Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir, who said he did not recall Khashoggi being raised.

Upon his return to Washington, D.C. Biden refuted al-Jubeirs claim. When asked by reporters if al-Jubeir had told the truth, Biden said, no, then added, Why dont you talk about something that matters?

Prior to visiting Saudi Arabia Biden had said he would discuss security in the region, energy, and a reorienting of relations.
Pilots talk after exiting a Delta Airlines flight at the Ronald Reagan National Airport, in Arlington, Va., on July 22, 2020. (Michael A. McCoy/Getty Images)

Tenfold Increase in Pilots Complaining of Fatigue in June as Airlines Push to Recoup Lost Revenue: Expert

An increasing number of pilots are complaining of fatigue as airlines across the United States work to make up for lost revenue during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Allied Pilots Association Communications Chair Dennis Tajer.

Allied Pilots Association is the labor union representing American Airlines pilots.

Speaking to Fox Business, Tajer said that there was a fourfold increase in the number of fatigue calls from American Airlines pilots in June alone, while on some days, there was a tenfold increase.

The chairman said this was a warning sign that the system is under unnecessary duress.

Tajer said the increase in fatigue calls was prompted by airlines scheduling too many flights compared to the number of trained and current pilots that they have, meaning pilots are either left exhausted or are beyond the legal limit of duty hours.

By law, an airline pilot can fly up to eight hours during any 24-consecutive-hour period or up to 10 hours if the flight has two pilots onboard.

No pilot can fly the aircraft if they have not received a minimum of 10 hours of rest between flights, including eight hours of uninterrupted sleep. For pilots that fly over multi-time zones, the rest time increases to 14 hours. Additionally, the duty periodthe maximum time a pilot can be on dutycan only be up to 14 hours.

Tajer noted that calls from fatigued pilots would result in flights likely being delayed or canceled.

Two airplane pilots pass by a line of passengers while waiting at a security check-in line at OHare International Airport in Chicago, Ill., on July 1, 2021. (Shafkat Anowar/AP Photo)

Ensuring Continued Safety

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) told Fox that it maintains these strict duty and rest regulations for pilots to ensure continued safety.

This reckless utilization decreases reliability and can narrow the margin of safety, Tajer said. We are holding the line on the margin of safety, but a functional safety culture should not have such pressures.

Tajer also noted that there has been a surge in pilots who retired early or took a leave of absence during the COVID-19 pandemic as demand for travel declined amid lockdowns and other restrictions. That is despite airlines receiving over $50 billion in COVID-19 relief aimed at keeping employees at work during the pandemic.

As a result, there is now a shortage of trained and current pilots, Tajer said, while some pilots are flying planes for the maximum number of hours allowed by the FAA on a more regular basis.

But Tajer said that pilots who stick to these legal limits could still be unsafe to fly.

Just because youre legal by the FAA limits does not mean that its safe or smart, Tajer said. The FAA maximums are a barbed wire fence. When you run up against that fence consistently, you are eventually going to get cut.

Just Push Through

Tajers comments come after the CEO of European budget carrier Wizz Air, Jozsef Varadi, came under fire in June after he suggested that airline employees continue to work even when they are feeling exhausted.

We cannot run this business when every fifth person of a base reports sickness, because the person is fatigued, said Varadi at a staff briefing in June in which he cited costs from cancellations. Sometimes it is required to take the extra mile. The damage is huge when we are canceling the flight, its huge.

At the time, a Wiz spokesperson told Fortune in a statement that the video of the briefing had been edited and that the company is not compromising safety, adding that Wizz Air and the airline industry are highly regulated, and safety has, and always will be, our first priority.

American Airlines said in a statement to Fox that the carrier builds pilot schedules well within the federal limits, oftentimes up to several hours under the limit based on our contract and that it has specific policies and procedures in place to ensure pilots receive adequate rest and that pilots can request to be removed from a trip due to fatigue without penalty.

According to consulting firm Oliver Wyman, demand for pilots will outstrip supply in most regions across the world between 2022 and 2024 and the trend will continue to worsen over the next decade, with the company forecasting global aviation to be short nearly 80,000 pilots by 2032.

The Epoch Times has contacted American Airlines for comment.
Most arts have produced miracles, while the art of government has produced nothing but monsters.

The man who spoke those words was one of historys premiere authorities on the subject. He was a monster himself, made so by the toxin we call power. On July 28, 1794, he and a famous cohort departed this earth for whatever reward awaited them.

His name was Louis Antoine de Saint-Just (17671794). His close friend and political ally was Maximilien Robespierre. Together, they engineered The Terror of the French Revolution, a violent spasm of repression and slaughter. Both men rose to supreme power, only to be devoured by the same machine to which they dispatched so many others. A key difference between Saint-Just and Robespierre on the one hand and their numerous victims on the other was that the former earned their grisly conclusions.

In a February 1794 speech, Robespierre (17581794) likened terror to virtue. The end (a virtuous, egalitarian republic) justified whatever means made it possible:

If the basis of popular government in peacetime is virtue, the basis of popular government during a revolution is both virtue and terror; virtue, without which terror is baneful; terror, without which virtue is powerless. Terror is nothing more than speedy, severe and inflexible justice; it is thus an emanation of virtue; it is less a principle in itself, than a consequence of the general principle of democracy, applied to the most pressing needs of the homeland.

To any sane and decent person, virtue doesnt remotely apply to what the revolutionaries were undertaking. But note that even the bloodiest, most radical of the lot employed positive terminology in defense of their evil work: justice, democracy, homeland, popular government, and the like. They butchered thousands of people in the name of liberte, egalite, fraternite!

On Sept. 5, 1793, the National Convention (Frances revolutionary Parliament) voted to declare that terror is the order of the day to safeguard the revolution from its foreign and domestic enemies. Three months later, it conferred vast executive authority on the notorious Committee of Public Safety.

From his perch on the committee, Robespierre relayed the groups judgments to Saint-Just, widely known as the Archangel of Terror, who supervised the seizures of property, the mass arrests, and the subsequent executions. Saint-Justs blood-curdling rhetoric was terrifying in itself:

You have to punish not only the traitors, but even those who are indifferent; you have to punish whoever is passive in the republic, and who does nothing for it.  The vessel of the Revolution can arrive in port only on a sea reddened with torrents of blood.  A nation generates itself only upon heaps of corpses.

Portrait of Maximilien Robespierre, circa 1790, by an unidentified painter. (Public domain)

On June 10, 1794, the National Convention enacted the infamous Law of 22 Prairial. It brought forth an expansive list of public enemies who were to be punished by death with almost no legal recourse. Rivers of blood soaked the streets of Paris for the next six weeks. Then, as the chaos reached a zenith, the revolution suddenly devoured its two most vehement practitioners. Robespierre and Saint-Just were arrested on July 27 and guillotined the following day. The former was 36 years old, the latter only 26.

A close examination of these two men reveals an astonishing, corrosive effect of political power. Nothing else can explain the remarkable change in their personalities. Before the revolution, Robespierre was a mild-mannered opponent of the death penalty. With supreme power in his hands, he became one of the monsters of whom Saint-Just wrote.

Saint-Justs transformation is even more disturbing, as noted by several historians. Described as freewheeling and passionate a few years before, he almost overnight became focused, tyrannical and pitilessly thorough, the ice-cold ideologist of republican purity, and as inaccessible as stone to all the warm passions. He deserted the woman he loved, trashed his friends, abandoned his affection for literature, and metamorphosed into a killer with a single causeto control, torture, or murder to remake society.

If you had run into either Robespierre or Saint-Just on a Paris street before the revolution that began in 1789, you likely would have enjoyed a pleasant conversation. You would have judged them as friendly, intelligent, and articulate up-and-comers. Similarly, if you had sat in the classroom next to Adolf Hitler at Viennas Academy of Fine Arts in 1910, you likely never would have guessed what he would do once he had accumulated power a couple of decades later.

The 20th-century philosopher Eric Hoffer studied fanatics and the power that fanatics crave. He thought that power brings out the worst in any mortal, that few in number are those who can walk away from it or restrain themselves when they gain it:

The corruption inherent in absolute power derives from the fact that such power is never free from the tendency to turn man into a thing.  For the impulse of power is to turn every variable into a constant and give to commands the inexorableness and relentlessness of laws of nature. Hence absolute power corrupts even when exercised for humane purposes. The benevolent despot who sees himself as a shepherd of the people still demands from others the submissiveness of sheep. The taint inherent in absolute power is not its inhumanity but its anti-humanity.

Louis Antoine de Saint-Just, 1793, by Pierre-Paul Prudhon. Saint-Just was known as the Archangel of the Terror. (Public domain)

I can think of no more toxic motivation than powerthe desire to push other people around, seize their possessions, make them your plaything, and stuff them into a box or worse. We should never underestimate what power can do to even the best of people. We should run for our lives when even a best friend claims hell do good things if only he has the power to do them. If history teaches us anything, this is it: Do not concentrate power in the hands of anyone or any group.

Do you think the danger is only national, never local? Then youve never had to deal with the control freaks that all too often take over a local zoning committee or a school board.

If power is a demon, Robespierre and Saint-Just were utterly possessed and warped by it. When the exorcist came for them, his only remedy was their demise.

How will we know if the evil that power promotes is lurking in our midst? What will it say beneath its mask? Ill venture this: It will say things such as Pack the Court! It will seek to silence dissenting opinions. To sow chaos and confusion, it will redefine nature itself or assault any longstanding custom or principle that stands in its way. It will lure us with false promises. It will invent villains and victims and posture as our savior. It will tell us that all sorts of wonderful things will come our way if only we will give the state the power to deliver them.

My advice is this: Dont fall for it. Instead, consider these words of a Frenchman named Frederic Bastiat, who knew how malevolent power can be:

Be responsible for ourselves. Look to the State for nothing beyond law and order. Count on it for no wealth, no enlightenment. No more holding it responsible for our faults, our negligence, our improvidence. Count only on ourselves for our subsistence, our physical, intellectual, and moral progress!

Maybe thats too much to ask. But when the alternative is tyranny, Bastiats warning should at least concentrate the mind.

For Additional Information

Francois-Noel Babeuf: The Marxist Before Marx by Lawrence W. Reed

Olympe de Gouges: Heroine of the French Revolution by Lawrence W. Reed

How Nationalism and Socialism Arose from the French Revolution by Dan Sanchez

Louis Antoine de Saint-Just (Wikipedia)

The Terror: The Merciless War for Freedom in Revolutionary France by David Andress

The French Revolution and What Went Wrong by Stephen Clarke

A Tale of Two Revolutions by Robert A. Peterson

The Wisdom of Eric HofferPart 1 by Lawrence W. Reed

The Wisdom of Eric HofferPart 2 by Lawrence W. Reed
If you have suffered bodily injury due to another persons fault or alleged negligence, you may be due some compensation from the other party. The amount you receiveif you win the casewill largely be based on the detailed information you provide beforehand.

You may feel that an insurance company is not offering nearly enough compensation for what you have been through. Even after debating with them, you may find that they are unwilling to budge. Instead of accepting their offer, you can contact a personal injury attorney and pursue further recovery of losses. People often recover up to three times as much when they use a lawyer to seek better compensation.

Before filing a personal injury claim, there are some things you need to know.

You Have a Limited Time to File

Every state has a statute of limitations law, which means you have a limited amount of time after an injury to file a claim. After that time is over, you will no longer be able to file your claim.

The limitation is different for various types of claims, such as personal injury, debt, crime, or medical malpractice. The time for filing personal injury cases ranges from one (Kentucky, Louisiana, and Tennessee) to six years (North Dakota and Maine), but most states have a two-year limit.

Even if you think its too late to file a personal injury claim, you may want to seek legal advice. There are many factors that can cause the clock on the statute of limitations to be paused in a personal injury case.

Legal Consultations

Most lawyers for personal injury cases will not charge anything to hear your complaint. From the facts and information you provide, they will be able to determine if they think you have a winnable case. Lawyers in this field usually get paid only after winning, and payment comes from the money gained.

Be Patient

Settling a personal injury case takes time to complete. There are several parts to the process, and each one can take months.

Even if you file for a personal injury claim shortly after the incident, you need to know that settlement will not happen quickly. The legal process can take one or two years to complete. At the earliest, it will not occur before your injuries have completely healedor have healed as much as they are going to. Filing too early could mean that your lawyer may be asking for inaccurate amounts for compensation.

Once your personal injury lawyer believes you have reached the point of maximum medical improvement (MMI), the case can proceed. Your lawyer cannot estimate the total amount of compensation that you are due until he or she has received all medical bills.

If a trial is needed, it may take one or two years to come to court. The trial date will be set after your lawyer files a personal injury lawsuit, and that will happen after negotiations have failed.

Provide Details Quickly

You can forget some of the important details of the accident if you wait too long to contact a lawyer. Shortly after the incident, you should write down all details of the event that you can remember. Add more details to your list as you remember them and let your lawyer know about them, too.

The lawyer will need as much evidence as possible before proceeding. Keep detailed records of things such as phone calls to your insurance companywith names, dates, phone numbers, summary details of the conversations, and all medical receipts. Your lawyer will also need all medical records related to the accident.

Detail Your Losses Thoroughly

Your losses as a result of the bodily injury provide the basis of your claim and determine how much you can receive. Losses can be physical, mental, or financial, and may include the disruption of your daily schedule. Financially, they can include your loss of income from an inability to work, and medical bills. Mentally, they can include emotional problems after the event, and an inability to sleep. Pain also needs to be included. Your injury lawyer can help you detail your losses.

Negligence Needs To Be Established

Many personal injury cases center on the theme of negligence. If your case involves negligence, you will need to provide the lawyer with the reasons you believe negligence on the part of the other person (or entity) is involved. Think about things like the following: Was the individual drunk when the accident occurred? Did he or she run a red light? Did a company neglect to shovel a sidewalk?

Insurance Company Recompense

Before you decide to take the matter to trial, consider how much you will receive from insurance companies. Sometimes, your health or auto insurance company may pay enough to reasonably cover your losses.

An insurance company may contact you through an insurance adjuster, who may ask you to sign documents accepting the insurance companys offer as a settlement. This initial amount is apt to be low: remember that a lawyer may be able to obtain much more for you. Avoid signing anything until you talk to a personal injury lawyer.

On the other hand, the negligent party may not have insurance and may have few assetswhich means you would not have anything to gain from a lawsuit.

You May Not Need to Go to Court

Often, cases involving personal injury are never brought to court: many reach a settlement before trial, or are resolved without a lawsuit being filed.

It is not always necessary to file a lawsuit to be compensated for your losses. With the name and policy number of the at-fault party, you can send a notice of claim to the insurance company, providing basic information about the accident and stating that you are making a claim. Avoid being too specific: you will need to provide that information later. You can research the writing of notification and demand letters online, or write them with legal advice.

If the insurance company is cooperative, there will be settlement negotiations.

If the insurance company demonstrates a lack of cooperation, it may be necessary to contact a lawyer and pursue litigation. Keep in mind the statute of limitations.

The Epoch Times Copyright  2022 The views and opinions expressed are those of the authors. They are meant for general informational purposes only and should not be construed or interpreted as a recommendation or solicitation. The Epoch Times does not provide investment, tax, legal, financial planning, estate planning, or any other personal finance advice. The Epoch Times holds no liability for the accuracy or timeliness of the information provided.
The Big Green Lie Almost Everyone Claims to Believe

Commentary

Almost every member of Congress, Democrat or Republican, pays homage to the Big Green Lie. So do all the past and remaining Conservative candidates vying to be prime minister of the UK and every candidate currently vying for the leadership of the Conservative Party of Canada. So does virtually all of the mainstream press.

The Big Green Liethat carbon dioxide is a pollutantis so pervasive that even those considered skepticsincluding right-wing NGOs and punditsgenerally adhere to the orthodoxy, differing not in their stated belief that CO2 is a pollutant but only in how calamitous a pollutant it is.

Because everyone now participates in the CO2 emissions are bad lie, the debate over climate policy hasnt been over whether a CO2 problem exists but over how urgently CO2 needs to be addressed, and how it should be addressed. Do we have eight years left before Armageddon becomes inevitable or decades? Do we get off fossil fuels by building nuclear plants or wind turbines? Should we change our lifestyles to need less of everything? Or should we mitigate this evilthe view of those deemed climate minimalistsby shielding our continents from a rising of the oceans by enclosing them behind sea walls?

With almost everyone across the political spectrum publicly agreeing that curbing CO2 is a good thing, the debate has been between those who want to do good quickly by reaching net-zero in 2040 and sticks in the mud who want to slow down the doing of a good thing. With discourse careening down rabbit holes, almost everyone gets lost pursuing solutions to Alice-in-Wonderland delusionsand wasting trillions of dollars in the process.

Until the 2000s, when climate change was still called global warming and the mainstream media still noticed that none of the myriad predictions of a climate catastrophe were being borne outthe polar caps werent melting, Manhattan wasnt about to be submerged, malaria wasnt infecting the Northern Hemispheremany exposed man-made climate change as a hoax. The leaked Climategate emails revealed how scientists had conspired to hide the decline in temperatures that didnt conform to their models.

The claim that 97 percent of scientists supported the global warming theory was exposed as a fraud, as was the claim that the 4,000 scientists associated with the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) endorsed its reportthose 4,000 hadnt endorsed it, and most hadnt even read it but had merely reviewed parts of the report and often disagreed with what they read.

The claim that the science was settled on climate change never withstood scrutiny. Scientists around the world signed a series of petitions to dispute that claim. The 2008 Oregon Petition, spearheaded by a former president of the National Academy of Science and championed by Freeman Dyson, Albert Einsteins successor at Princeton and one of the worlds most preeminent scientists, was signed by more than 31,000 scientists and experts who agreed that the proposed limits on greenhouse gases would harm the environment, hinder the advance of science and technology, and damage the health and welfare of mankind. Moreover, there is substantial scientific evidence that increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide produce many beneficial effects upon the natural plant and animal environments of the Earth.

COP26 President Alok Sharma (C) speaks during the U.N. Climate Change Conference COP 26 in Glasgow, Scotland, on Nov. 13, 2021. (Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)

What is settled is the abject failure of the three-decade-long attempt by the bureaucracies of the 195 countries of the IPCC to convince anyone other than themselves, a credulous media, and a relatively few gullible people that climate change represents an existential threat. Poll after poll over the decades shows the public gives climate change short shrift when asked to rank its importance.

A Gallup poll released last week that asked Americans, What do you think is the most important problem facing this country today? found that climate change didnt meet its criteria of the many issues worth listing. As Gallup noted: Many parts of the nation have suffered record heat in recent weeks, and other regions have received record flooding. But a low 3% of Americans mention the weather, the environment or climate change as the nations top problem.

So, too, last month, where just 1 percent of voters in a recent New York Times/Siena College poll named climate change as the most important issue facing the country  [and] even among voters under 30, the group thought to be most energized by the issue, that figure was 3 percent.

Although most elites continue to pay lip service to the urgency of curbing carbon dioxide, their actions belie their words, whether judged by their penchant for private jet travel or their disingenuous commitment to climate-related policies. According to an International Energy Agency (IEA) announcement last week, coal is once again king: Global coal demand this year will match the annual record set in 2013, and coal demand is likely to increase further next year to a new all-time high. The IEAs assessment comports with a worldwide embrace of coal that includes the European Union, until recently the worlds most zealous climate scold. The EU is now walking back its net-zero commitments.

In some countries, governments arent so much walking back climate policies as unabashedly kicking them out. Calling wind turbines fans that harm the environment and cause visual pollution without providing much energy, Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said the government will end the subsidies and stop issuing permits for new wind projects. Israel also is set to pull the plug on the countrys wind industry, its environmental protection minister arguing that wind provides a negligible contribution to the countrys power system compared to the potential for harm to nature, which is high.

Recognizing renewables as economic and environmental boondoggles, as Mexico and Israel have done, is a step toward puncturing the lie that a fuel that emits carbon dioxide can be sensibly replaced. The other shoe to drop is the lie that carbon dioxide-emitting fuels should be replaced.

The fantastical claim that CO2 is a pollutant was cut out of whole cloth. The 2008 statement by the 31,000 expertsthat there is no convincing scientific evidence that human release of carbon dioxide, methane, or other greenhouse gases is causing or will, in the foreseeable future, cause catastrophic heating of the Earths atmosphere and disruption of the Earths climate is as true today as it was then, and as it always has been. No scientist anywhere at any time has shown that manmade CO2 emissionsaka natures fertilizerdo any harm to anything.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.

Patricia Adams Follow Patricia Adams is an economist and the President of the Energy Probe Research Foundation and Probe International, an independent think tank in Canada and around the world. She is the publisher of internet news services Three Gorges Probe and Odious Debts Online and the author or editor of numerous books. Her books and articles have been translated into Chinese, Spanish, Bengali, Japanese, and Bahasa Indonesia. She can be reached at patriciaadams@probeinternational.org.
The Importance of Pelosis Visit to Taiwan

Commentary

Speaker Pelosis visit to Taiwan reaffirms U.S. commitment to the island nation and reveals China to be a paper tiger.

China threatened military action if Speaker Pelosi visited Taiwan, but this didnt stop her. This visit represents the highest level U.S. visit in 25 years.

The Trump administration had accelerated weapons sales to Taiwan and also placed uniformed U.S. military personnel on the island for the first time since 1979. President Donald Trump also refurbished the U.S. representative office in Taiwan to the tune of $256 million. After he was no longer in office, it was discovered that Trump had stationed U.S. special forces trainers in Taiwan. Since taking office, the Biden administration has continued weapons sales and increased the number of U.S. troops stationed on the island.

Trump, and later President Joe Biden, convinced NATO to expand their mandate toward countering China. Both administrations also strengthened the Quad, the Five Eyes, and Aukus security pacts aimed at China, eliciting deeper commitment from the United States and its allies: the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and India.

The U.S. Taiwan Relations Act obligates the United States to provide weapons to Taiwan, but it is unclear if it requires the United States to fight for Taiwan. While the U.S. relationship with Taiwan has always been one of strategic ambiguity, under the Biden administration, it has become less ambiguous with Biden stating publicly, several times, that the United States would defend Taiwan. The White House later walked back these statements, but the Pelosi visit to Taipei seems a near-confirmation that the United States is fully committed to Taiwan.

The late Shinzo Abe called for the United States to end strategic ambiguity and state publicly whether the United States would fight for Taiwan or not. Abes request came as Japan increasingly recognized that a threat to Taiwan is a threat to Japanese security. A Chinese invasion of Taiwan would necessitate the PLA violating Japanese sea and air space, which Japan is committed to defend. And, while the terms of the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA) may be vague on whether or not the United States would fight for Taiwan, the United States is treaty-bound to defend any territory controlled by Japan.

12 F-16V fighter jets perform an elephant walk during an annual New Years drill in Chiayi, Taiwan, on Jan. 5, 2022. (Ann Wang/Reuters)

The dominos are stacked like this: If the PLA invades Taiwan, they will violate Japanese territory, and the Japanese Self Defense Force would engage. If Japan fights, the United States is obligated to fight. So, at the very least, a Chinese invasion of Taiwan would pit China against the combined militaries of the United States, Japan, and Taiwan. An invasion requires the PLA-Navy to control the Taiwan Strait. The UK, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Indonesia, and even Holland have participated in U.S. naval operations in the region, making it very likely that those countries would also join in the fight.

With Chinas economy grinding down, and the very real threat of U.S. economic sanctions, China is in no position to fight what could quickly escalate into a world war. At the moment, according to world firepower rankings, the United States is the most powerful nation, Russia second, and China third. The Ukraine war has shown the world that a small country can oppose a world power thanks to weapons and support from the United States, E.U., and NATO. Even without the involvement of foreign troops, Ukraine has achieved the unlikely goal of holding out for months against Russia. The Kremlins humiliation in Ukraine is thought to have already deterred Chinas invasion of Taiwan. In addition to this, the very real likelihood of facing combined western and Japanese forces makes an invasion even less likely.

However, there are other options available to China. China could retaliate by blockading Taiwan, essentially starving them into submission. This is unlikely though because of the U.S. naval dominance in the region. The reason for the U.S. freedom of navigation exercises is that 48 percent of the worlds containerized shipping passes through the Taiwan Strait. By blocking the Strait, China would be choking worldwide shipments. This is something that neither the United States nor its allies would tolerate.

Apart from military action, China could bring economic sanctions against the United States. But banning Chinese exports to the United States would hurt China more than the United States. In fact, terminating exports to the United States would be a Godsend for those who want the United States to cut its supply-chain dependence on China and re-shore its manufacturing. About 20 percent of Chinas GDP is dependent on exports, with nearly 17 percent of those exports going to the United States. The cessation of exports to the United States would cause a direct loss of about 3.5 percent of Chinas GDP while the knock-on effect across the rest of the economy would be even greater.

Speaker Pelosis visit to Taiwan sends a clear message that U.S. foreign policy is determined in Washington, not Beijing. The CCP is now left with no better options than issuing strongly-worded protests and more idle threats, transforming them from a want-to-be world power to a mouse that roared.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
German Chancellor OIaf Scholz stands next to a gas turbine meant to be transported to the compressor station of the Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline in Russia during his visit to Siemens Energy's site in Muelheim an der Ruhr, Germany, on Aug. 3, 2022. (Wolfgang Rattay/Reuters)

The Turbine Works: Germanys Scholz Points Finger at Russia in Energy Row

MUELHEIM AN DER RUHR, GermanyGerman Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Wednesday said Russia had no reason to hold up the return of a gas turbine for the Nord Stream 1 pipeline that had been serviced in Canada but has since been stranded in Germany in an escalating energy standoff.

Standing next to the turbine on a factory visit to Siemens Energy in Muelheim an der Ruhr, Scholz said it was fully operational and could be shipped back to Russia at any timeprovided Moscow was willing to take it back.

The fate of the 12 metres (13 yard) long turbine has been closely watched as European governments accused Russia of throttling gas supplies on spurious pretexts in revenge for Western sanctions after the invasion of Ukraine in February.

Moscow denies doing so and cited issues with the turbine as the reason for lower gas flows through Nord Stream 1, which have been cut to 20 per cent of capacity.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov pushed back against Scholzs remarks on Wednesday, blaming a lack of documentation for holding up the turbines return to Russia.

He also dangled the prospect of Europe receiving gas through the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, a Moscow-led project that was blocked by the West as Russia sent troops into Ukraine.

The turbines movements had been shrouded in secrecy and its whereabouts unknown until Tuesday evening when the chancellors visit to Siemens Energy was announced.

The turbine works, Scholz said, telling reporters that the point of his visit was to show the world that the turbine worked and there was nothing mystical to observe here.

Its quite clear and simple: the turbine is there and can be delivered, but someone needs to say I want to have it.'

Even if Russia took back the turbine, Scholz warned that Germany could face more disruptions further down the line and that supply contracts might not be honoured.

He also said it can make sense for Germany to keep its three remaining nuclear power plants running beyond a planned shutdown at the end of 2022, a policy u-turn that has gained support given the risk of a total Russian gas cut-off in winter.

Standing Together

A senior manager at Kremlin-controlled Gazprom has said the delivery of the turbine after servicing was not in line with the contract and that it had been sent to Germany without Russias consent.

Pipes at the landfall facilities of the Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline in Lubmin, Germany, on July 21, 2022. (Annegret Hilse/Reuters)

Standing next to Scholz, Siemens Energy CEO Christian Bruch confirmed that there were ongoing talks with Gazprom, but no agreement.

Collapsing gas supplies and rocketing prices have sparked recession warnings for the German economy, Europes largest, and raised fears of energy shortages and rationing going into winter.

Scholz has called for Germans to steel themselves for rising bills and his government has urged them to make energy savings wherever possible, such as taking shorter showers.

This is now a moment where we have to stand together as a country. But it is also a moment where we can show what we are capable of, he said.

Former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, said Russia was ready for a negotiated settlement to end the war in an interview published on Wednesday, after travelling to Russia to meet Putin last week.

Putin told Schroeder that Nord Stream 2 could provide 27 billion cubic metres of gas to Europe by the end of the year if allowed to operate, Peskov said.

Putin explained everything in detail, and the former chancellor asked if it was possible to use Nord Stream 2 in a critical situation, Peskov said. Putin was not the initiator, Putin did not offer to turn it on, but Putin said that it is technologically possible, and this complex mechanism is ready for instant use.

Scholz signalled that Nord Stream 2 would not be used as an alternative. We have terminated the approval process, for good reason, Scholz said. There is sufficient capacity at Nord Stream 1, there is no lack.

By Christoph Steitz
NEW YORKThere is a way to be good again is the most telling phrase uttered during the Broadway drama The Kite Runner. Adapted by Matthew Spangler and based on Khaled Hosseinis best-selling novel, the show is an involving, if somewhat flawed, tale of friendship, betrayal, familial relationships and rivalry, and class distinctions.

In 1975, Amir (Amir Arison) is a 12-year-old boy growing up in Kabul, Afghanistan. His father Baba (Faran Tahir) is a rich and powerful merchant. Amirs constant companion, since he can remember, is 11-year-old Hassan (Eric Sirakian), son of Babas long-time servant Ali (Evan Zes). A quiet sort, Amir is happiest when reading a book or trying to write a story, although Baba would prefer that his son instead show more of an interest in sports.

Dariush Kashani (L) and Amir Arison in The Kite Runner. (Joan Marcus)

Even though Amir and Hassan spend most of their time together, the fact they belong to different social classes is always present. Looking back on those times, Amirs adult self recalls that he never really thought of Hassan as a friend. Hassan, meanwhile, is totally devoted to Amir, and is a master with a sling shot. Hasan uses these qualities to save himself and Amir from some local bullies, a trio led by Assef (Amir Malaklou).

One day, after Amir and Hassan take part in Kabuls annual kite flying tournament, Hassan becomes the victim of a brutal attack, an assault Amir witnesses, and does nothing to stop.

Although Hassan never speaks of the incident, and may not have been aware of Amirs presence, Amir is consumed by guilt over his inaction, and tries to avoid Hassan whenever possible. Eventually, he accuses Hassan of theft in an attempt to force Ali to leave Babas employment and take Hassan with him. In this Amir succeeds, despite Babas pleas for them to stay.

However, Hassans departure does nothing to ease Amirs conscience, nor does the passage of time. From fleeing Afghanistan with his father in the wake of a Russian invasion to beginning a new life in San Francisco, to finding love with fellow immigrant Soraya (Azita Ghanizada), to achieving success as a writer, the memory of what happened continues to haunt him. It is only when he receives a summons from his fathers former associate (Dariush Kashani) that Amir realizes he must return to his homeland and try to put things right.

(LR) Faran Tahir, Beejan Land, Amir Arison, Danish Farooqui, Azita Ghanizada, Amir Malaklou, and Houshang Touzie in The Kite Runner. (Joan Marcus).

The need for forgiveness, and to be able to forgive oneself, is the central theme in The Kite Runner. Amir suffers not only from what happened with Hassan, but also from the belief that he killed his mother (she died in childbirth), and that his father has never forgiven him. Amir is not alone in trying to atone for his mistakes. Soraya, for example, reveals things in her past she is not proud of, and Baba is afraid to reveal his own secret for fear of how his people will react.

Another common theme is the way people from similar circumstances can be perceived quite differently. Amir and Hassan are treated in differently because of their different class status, even though they grew up together.

Amir is also treated differently when, as an adult, he returns home to find his country radically changed and finds himself regarded as little more than a tourist. Other issues explored include doing a clear wrong for a greater good, and how inflexible bureaucracy can be, no matter how extenuating the circumstances.

Too Much, Too Fast

Despite all it has going for it, the show ultimately falters because it tries to cover too much material in the time allotted. This is particularly evident in the final scenes, which feel both overlong. There are several places where the story could actually end. At the same time, it feels rushed. There is no chance to fully explore several important plot points, such as how one character came to possess certain key information, or why some plot points immediately disappear from the story after being revealed.

(LR) Beejan Land, Amir Arison, and Evan Zes in The Kite Runner. (Joan Marcus).

Arison, who is onstage the entire play, is excellent as Amir, although it takes a few minutes for one to believe his portrayal of a 12-year-old. His most powerful moments come when he is vocally silent and unable to tell anyone, including the woman he loves, of his secret shame, even as his expressions and pauses speak volumes.

Sirakian is very good as Hassan, a boy completely loyal to Amir, even in the worst of times, although Sirakians later performance as another character doesnt quite ring true.

Tahir is nicely imposing as Baba, a man with an almost regal bearing, although he can still crumble when the right buttons are pushed. Ghanizada offers just the right note as Soraya. Her initial meeting with Amir and their subsequent courtship comes off as very sweet. Malaklou cuts quite the menacing figure as Assef.

The Kite Runner has a lot to say, but in trying to tell too much, never fully soars to the skies.

The Kite Runner

Helen Hayes Theatre

240 W. 44th St.

Tickets: 212-239-6200 or Telecharge.com

Running Time: 2 hours, 30 minutes (one intermission)

Closes: Oct. 30, 2022
A group of people thought to be illegal immigrants are brought in to Dover, Kent, England, onboard a Border Force vessel on July 18, 2022. (Gareth Fuller/PA Media)

TikTok Reviews Flagged Content Allegedly Advertising Smuggling People to UK

Chinese-owned social media platform TikTok said on Tuesday that its reviewing content that appears to advertise smuggling people into the UK.

It comes after the content was flagged by British media outlet GB News.

The videos, some of which were sent to the broadcaster by an unnamed audience member, appear to target Albanian-speaking migrants who want to go to the UK.

One of the videos shows a sequence of footage starting from a parked Wizz Air flight with the captain saying Rinasan Albanian villageto streets in Brussels and Paris, then to the French coastal city of Dunkirk, before showing a map of the English Channel, complete with the word water, a laughing emoji, and British and Albanian flags.

The video then shows the River Thames in London, and what seem to be rubber boats and other equipment, with a caption that translates as, We are not the only ones but we are the best.

An English caption then appears: Ready for 27/7/2022, 4500, guarantee 100 [percent]. Albanian with Kurdish. Welcome to UK.

Crossings were advertised in the videos for 4,000, 4,500 or 5,500 per person, with one poster labelled summer sale offering to smuggle a person for 3,500.

After GB News contacted TikTok over the videos, a spokesperson for the platform said the content was under review and will likely be banned.

Our policies state that to prevent users from engaging in life-threatening activities or being exploited by others, content depicting, promoting, coordinating, or facilitating human smuggling is not allowed on TikTok, the spokesperson said.

I am currently reviewing the content with the relevant language support, the accounts flagged are likely to be banned as per policy mentioned above.

According to GB News, TikTok had banned four accounts flagged by the broadcaster.

A spokesman for the UKs Home Office said: Posts used by people smugglers to promote lethal crossings are totally unacceptable and requires social media companies to engage in dialogue to prevent their platforms [from] being exploited.

The government is tackling this online disinformation, recently launching our own social media campaign to warn people of the risks of these deadly journeys and expose the lies sold to vulnerable people by inhumane smugglers.

According to official figures, the number of people smuggled into the UK from France in small boats has soared in recent years, with 28,526 people detected in 2021, compared to 8,466 in 2020, 1,843 in 2019, and 299 in 2018.

By Aug. 2, some 17,085 illegal immigrants had arrived in 2022.
La viceministra Ana Cecilia Gervasi, participo, junto a funcionarios de la Republica de Corea en el Dialogo de alto de nivel sobre Politicas en Materia de Origen y el Taller sobre el Informe Final del proyecto de Trazabilidad de Procesos Productivos y Verificacion de Origen. pic.twitter.com/wcMDZc6SxE
Rusty Bowers, Arizona House Speaker, testifies during the fourth hearing on the Jan. 6, 2021, investigation in the Cannon House Office Building in Washington on June 21, 2022. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

Arizona House Speaker Bowers, a Jan. 6 Witness, Loses Primary to Trump-Backed Candidate

Arizona House Speaker Rusty Bowers has lost his Republican primary bid for a state Senate seat to a candidate backed by former President Donald Trump, just weeks after Bowers testified to the House Jan. 6 committee.

State Sen. David Farnsworth, who was endorsed by Trump in June, was projected by The Associated Press and other news outlets to win the GOP primary against Bowers. As of the morning of Aug. 3, Farnsworth held a more than 20-point lead over Bowers.

After providing testimony to the Jan. 6 committee, Bowers acknowledged to NBC News in July that it would be difficult to win reelection.

If I pull this off, its going to be a miracle, he said at the time of the primary.

Bowers has been censured by the Arizona Republican Party for demonstrating he is unfit to serve the platform of the Republican Party of Arizona and going against the will of the voter of the Republican Party in Arizona. The state GOP called on voters to expel him permanently from office during the contest.

Im well aware that Im highly distrusted, Bowers also told The Associated Press before the primary. My district is a very Trump district, and who knows how this is all going to work out?

And if it doesnt work out, great, Id do it all again the same way.

Criticism

Trump criticized Bowers a day before the primary and called on voters to oust him.

Remember Arizona, your so-called Speaker, Rusty (an appropriate name because he is Rusty, just like steel gets rusty and weak) Bowers, is absolutely terrible, he wrote on Truth Social.

In testimony in June before the House committee, Bowers claimed that Trumps lawyer Rudy Giuliani had no evidence of election fraud after the November 2020 election.

My recollection, he said, Weve got lots of theories, we just dont have the evidence, Bowers said. And I dont know if that was a gaffe or maybe he didnt think through what he said, but both myself and others in my group  both remember that specifically, and afterward, we kind of laughed about it.

Meanwhile, Farnsworth said Bowers isnt conservative enough and has become less so since becoming House speaker following the 2018 state elections.

Of course, the big issue, I think, for everybody is the fact that I strongly believe that there was fraud in the 2020 election, Farnsworth told AP last week. And I feel like Rusty failed  to take responsibility as speaker of the House and look into that election.

Also in Arizona, former TV news anchor Kari Lake, a Republican backed by Trump, led real estate developer and Arizona Board of Regents member Karrin Taylor Robson by about 12,000 votes on Aug. 3 to be the Republican nominee for governor, while Trump-backed Blake Masters defeated Attorney General Mark Brnovich in the GOP primary for a U.S. Senate seat, setting up a November battle with incumbent Democrat Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.).
A ground controller works as a WestJet plane sits on the tarmac at Pearson International Airport in Toronto on April 27, 2021. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press)

Travel Vaccine Mandate Backed by Limited Data on In-flight Transmission: Court Documents

A Canadian government epidemiologist in charge of reviewing COVID-19 scientific literature testified in court that there is little information available on the impacts of vaccination on in-flight transmission of the virus.

There are not many studies that look at vaccination status, most of the research thats been done occurred prior to widespread vaccination, said Dr. Lisa Waddell of the Emerging Sciences Group at the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC).

Waddell also said she was not aware whether the Canadian government undertook its own independent study to assess the impacts of vaccination on in-flight transmission.

Waddell testified as a government witness on May 31 in defence of the governments vaccine mandate in travel. The Liberals suspended the travel mandate (barring international arrivals) on June 20, warning it could be brought back depending on circumstances.

Four lawsuits are currently challenging the mandate in federal court and are being processed simultaneously. While the government wants the court to declare the challenge moot, applicants still want the case heard by a judge.

Waddell submitted an affidavit supporting the governments position, highlighting her criticism of experts reports presented by the applicants.

For example, she says one expert report on in-flight transmission did not mention an October 2021 study published in the Journal of Travel Medicine, titled A SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant outbreak on airplane: vaccinated air passengers are more protected than unvaccinated.

Vaccination was suggested to have a protective effect (risk ratio: 0.33, 95% CI: 0.081.43) but was not statistically significant in the multivariate analysis, said the study investigating a June 2021 flight from South Africa to China.

Waddel said most of the studies she reviewed have deficiencies, with a high risk of bias because of their retrospective investigations of in-flight transmission.

We also have a number of simulation type studies that are based obviously on a lot of assumptions of whatever was known at the time, Waddell said.

Report

Waddell and her team were responsible for reviewing and assessing the evidence regarding in-flight transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes COVID-19.

They summarized their findings in the Nov. 25, 2021, report Evidence on the risk of COVID-19 transmission in flight: update 3.

Across reviews, the risk of infection during a flight is low, says the report.

A meta-analysis found that from JanuaryJune 2020, the risk of being infected with SARS-CoV-2 in an airplane cabin was estimated to be 1 case for every 1.7 million travelers.

Waddell testified she considers that to be low risk.

The report also says that in-flight particle numbers in the air in airplanes are lower than that of retail/grocery stores, restaurants, office spaces, homes, and other forms of transport.

The PHAC official confirmed during cross-examination that no subsequent analysis was produced after Nov. 25.

Given the time elapsed between the publication of the report in November and her cross-examination in May, Waddell was asked if any new studies had been published examining the impacts of vaccination on in-flight transmission.

So, we looked to see what had been published since the [report]  And there doesnt seem to be any more statistics on vaccination as a potential protective effect from in-flight transmission, she said.

She was asked if she agreed her report does not identify vaccination as one of the strategies to mitigate in-flight risks.

There wasnt a lot of evidence on that so, as a strategy as a whole, it has not been evaluated in the literature and therefore is not elaborated in the review, Waddell answered.

Waddell also said that the PHAC brief did not recommend vaccination as a requirement to travel by air.

Other Testimonies

The government presented 16 witnesses and experts in court to defend the mandate. The Epoch Times has reviewed the affidavits and cross-examination of four of them that are available.

Jennifer Little, director general of the COVID Recovery Team at Transport Canada, wrote the travel mandate policy and testified on June 9 and 10 that neither PHAC nor its parent department Health Canada had made a recommendation for the mandate.

Another witness, who has sat on an advisory group to chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam since December 2021, said the issue of mandates and COVID-19 in transportation was rarely discussed.

I do not recall any such presentation of data, responded Dr. Eleni Galanis when asked if anyone presented any data or analysis relating to COVID-19 in the transportation sector during meetings with Dr. Tam.
Former President Donald Trump arrives to speak at the America First Policy Institute Agenda Summit in Washington on July 26, 2022. (Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images)

Trump-Backed Primary Candidates Score in Arizona and Michigan, Fall in Washington

Former President Donald Trumps endorsees were on ballots in five Aug. 2 Republican primaries, scoring wins in Arizona and Michigan, dual defeats in Washington state, and a draw, of sorts, in Missouri.

According to a Ballotpedia analysis of the 2022 primary cycle through Aug. 2, 12 of 15 Trump-endorsed gubernatorial candidates have won Republican primaries with four pending; 99 of 104 U.S. House Trump endorsees have advanced with more than 20 pending; and 15 of 16 U.S. Senate candidates with his endorsment have advanced with four pending.

The vast majority are incumbents who faced no or nominal primary challenges.

Of the 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump, four have retired, three survived primary challenges by Trump-backed candidates, two lost their seats to America First inter-party rivals, and oneRep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.)awaits her fate in Wyomings Aug. 16 Republican primary.

Looking ahead, Trump has made several notable endorsements in Wisconsins Aug. 9 Republican primaries, including Tim Michels for governor, incumbent Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), and Derrick van Orden in the Republican primary for the states 3rd Congressional District.

Trump has also issued several prominent endorsements in Aug. 16 primaries.

Most notably: Kelly Tshibaka in her Alaska campaign against moderate three-term incumbent Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and the long-anticipated showdown in Wyomings Republican congressional district primary between Harriet Hageman and Cheney, co-chair of the House January 6 Investigation Committee and an avowed, vocal antagonizer of the former president.

Heres a roundup of how key Trump-endorsed candidates fared in the Aug. 2 primaries:

Arizona Secretary of State

State Rep. Mark Finchem defeated his closest rival, Beau Lane, scoring 38 percent of the vote. Lane received 26 percent with two other hopefuls drawing at least 16 percent in a crowded field.

Finchem has made election integrity a cornerstone of his campaign following the disputed 2020 election and the forensic audit in Maricopa County.

At the end of the day, I stand for the rule of law, that nobody has their thumb on the scale of election integrity and election justice, Finchem told The Epoch Times.

Mark was willing to say what few others had the courage to say, Trump said, complimenting his incredibly powerful stance on the massive voter fraud.

Finchem will face former Maricopa County Recorder Adrian Fontes, a Democrat, in the general election on Nov. 8. Fontes defeated Reginald Bolding 53 percent to 47 percent to win his partys nomination.

Arizona U.S. Senate

Trump-endorsed tech entrepreneur Blake Masters blew past four other Republicans in the Arizona U.S. Senate Republican primary. In the Nov. 8 general election, hell face incumbent Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), who didnt face a primary challenger.

Masters received $15 million in campaign support from venture capitalist and longtime employer Peter Thiel and secured Trumps endorsement in May.

Hes strong on everything needed to keep Arizona first, Trump said in a Masters ad that ran in July. Mark Brnovich and Jim Lamon, on the other hand, will only let you down.

In the last two days before the election, Trump surrogates campaigned for Masters. Stumping for him in Tucson and Phoenix were Richard Grenell, former director of national intelligence under Trump, and Kash Patel, chief of staff to the Trump Administrations Secretary of Defense.

Masters has said that he believes Trump won the 2020 election that put President Joe Biden in the White House. That set him up in stark contrast to the early favorite in the race, Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich.

Arizona Governor

With about 88 percent of the votes counted, Kari Lake had pulled ahead of Karrin Taylor Robson in a five-way battle for the Republican nomination for governor. Lake held the lead with 46.2 percent of the vote. Robson, a real estate developer and Arizona Board of Regents member, trailed at 44.4 percent.

The high-profile race pitted Trump-backed Lake versus Robson, who was endorsed by former vice president Mike Pence and eight past and present Republican governors, most notably former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie.

Lake, a former Fox10 anchor, quickly gained momentum in the polls when Trump endorsed her in June. On July 22, he appeared at a Save America rally in Prescott Valley to support Lake. She characterized Robson as an Establishment RINO aligned with Arizona Democrats and establishment Republicans.

Im up against a billionaireactually, her husbands a billionaire, Lake said at a Tucson campaign rally. Shes spending more money than ever in a statewide race in the history of this country to try to defeat us. Were not going to let her win. Arizona is not for sale and cant be purchased. Were going to send them a message.

Robson portrayed Lake as an unknown quantity: an Obama Democrat turned Trump Republican only when she decided to run for office.

If she hangs on, Lake will face Katie Hobbs, Arizonas current secretary of state, in Novembers general election. Hobbs won the Democratic gubernatorial primary in a landslide.

Bowers Bounced

Arizona House Speaker Rusty Bowers, who delivered testimony to the House January 6 panel, lost his Republican primary bid to Trump-backed state Sen. David Farnsworth by more than 20 percentage points in a resounding rout.

Bowers has been censured by the Arizona Republican Party for [demonstrating] he is unfit to serve the platform of the Republican Party of Arizona and for going against the will of the voter of the Republican Party in Arizona. The state Republican Party called on voters to expel him permanently from office during the contest.

Trump criticized Bowers a day before the primary and called on voters to oust him.

Remember Arizona, your so-called Speaker, Rusty (an appropriate name because he is Rusty, just like steel gets rusty and weak) Bowers, is absolutely terrible, he wrote on Truth Social.

In testimony in June before the House committee, Bowers claimed that Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani had no evidence for election fraud after the November 2020 election.

Farnsworth said Bowers isnt conservative enough and has become less so since becoming House speaker following the 2018 state elections.

Of course, the big issue, I think, for everybody is the fact that I strongly believe that there was fraud in the 2020 election, Farnsworth told the Associated Press last week. And I feel like Rusty failed  to take responsibility as speaker of the House and look into that election.

Missouri U.S. Senator

The race to earn the Republican nod to succeed retiring Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) was shaken up by Trumps last-minute Aug. 1 endorsement in which he pledged his support to Eric.

Two of the top three contenders in the race were named Eric: Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt and former Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens. Both accepted Trumps endorsement, which he publicized on Truth Social as an endorsement for their respective campaigns.

But it was Schmidt who won, resoundingly, with Decision Desk HQ calling the race roughly an hour after polls closed on Aug. 2. He amassed nearly 300,000 votes, almost 46 percent of the tally, to easily cruise to a win. Rep. Vicky Hartzler (R-Mo.), who Trump definitively non-endorsed in July, finished second with 22 percent and Greitens closed with just less than 19 percent of the vote.

Schmitt, a former state treasurer who has served as Missouri attorney general since 2019, will face Democratic primary winner Trudy Busch Valentine, an heiress to the Anheuser-Busch brewing fortune, in the Nov. 8 general election.

Greitens served as governor of Missouri between 2017 and 2018, when he resigned while under investigation for ethical and sexual misconduct.

Michigan Governor

Tudor Dixon, a former steel sales manager and conservative commentator, got a late-campaign endorsement from Trump and cruised to a runaway win in Michigans Aug. 2 Republican gubernatorial primary.

A conservative online news anchor, Dixon founded Lumen News, a pro-America, pro-Constitution morning news program broadcast on Facebook. Shell challenge incumbent Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who didnt face a primary test.

The Michigan Republican Party Committee declared Dixon the primary winner on Twitter shortly after 9 p.m., calling her our gubernatorial candidate and the next governor of our state.

She transitioned from unknown outsider to frontrunner amid the crowded Republican gubernatorial pack when Trump praised herbut none of the other hopefulsat an April rally in Macomb County. However, Trump didnt formally endorse Dixon until July 29.

Michigans 3rd Congressional District

Trump-endorsed John Gibbs defeated incumbent Rep. Peter Meijer (R-Mich.) in Michigans 3rd Congressional District Republican primary on Aug. 2, garnering more than 52 percent of the vote in a 4 percentage point victory.

Meijer was one of 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach then-President Donald Trump after the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol breach. Trump endorsed Gibbs for the Republican nomination.

Gibbs will face Democrat Hillary Scholten in the Nov. 8 general election in a redrawn 3rd Congressional District that once favored Republicans, but is now friendlier to Democrats. Scholten ran unopposed.

Meijer is unelectable in November, Gibbs told The Epoch Times before casting his vote on Aug. 2 in Byron Center, because the freshman legislator voted to impeach Trump and also voted for the gun control bill.

Those are just two reasons why many Republicans would not support him in November, he said.

Gibbs was a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) official during the Trump administration. He was appointed by Trump to lead the Office of Personnel Management but wasnt confirmed by the U.S. Senate.

Meijer voted to impeach Trump three days after the freshman legislator was sworn into the 117th Congress.

On Aug. 1, in a column that appeared on the Substack page Common Sense, Meijer criticized the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) for intervening by spending $435,000 in advertising to bolster Gibbs.

While the spot appeared to attack Gibbs, it also provided airtime for a campaign that didnt have the funds to increase its name recognition on television in the Grand Rapids market, which critics say was the DCCCs ultimate objective.

Meijer wrote that it would seem like the Democrats would look at John Gibbs and see the embodiment of what they say they most fear. That as patriots they would use every tool at their disposal to defeat him and similar candidates that theyve said are an existential threat. Instead, they are funding Gibbs.

He noted that the ad purchase was more than Gibbs raised over the entire duration of his campaign and was almost 100 times what Trump provided to Gibbs, which amounted to a single $5,000 contribution from the Save America Super PAC.

In other words, the Democrats are not merely attempting to boost a candidate over the finish line: They are subsidizing his entire campaign, Meijer wrote.

He raised 10 times more money than Gibbs and had spent $2.1 million on the campaign compared to Gibbss $340,000 as of mid-July.

Four Republican Michigan House Incumbents

Trump-backed incumbent Republican Michigan Reps. John Moolenaar, Tim Walberg, and Lisa McClain all easily won their primaries against nominal opponents, while John James, the former presidents endorsee to take the seat now occupied by retiring Rep. Fred Upton (R-Mich.)among the 10 Republican reps who voted for impeachmentwon his primary.

Washingtons 3rd Congressional District

Trump-backed candidate Joe Kent failed to dislodge Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler (R-Wash.) from receiving the Republican nod in Washington states 3rd Congressional District, finishing third in the states ranked-choice jungle primary system, meaning that he wont appear on the Nov. 8 ballot.

The leading 3rd Congressional District primary vote-getter was actually Democrat Marie Gluesenkamp Perez with 32 percent of the tally. Six-term incumbent Beutler finished in second place with 24.5 percent and Kent finished third with less than 20 percent. Only the top two vote recipients in each primary contest, regardless of party, will advance to the Nov. 8 general election.

Buetler was among the 10 Republican congressional representatives to vote for Trumps impeachment. The former president has called her a RINO and said that she fights for the Washington swamp, not for the Washington state. During a July 25 telephone rally for Kent, the former president called the former U.S. Army Green Beret a tough cookie with a big, fat, beautiful heart.

Washingtons 4th Congressional District

Trump-backed Loren Culp fell short in getting onto the Nov. 8 ballot. Four-term Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-Wash.), among the 10 Republican congressional representatives who voted for impeachment, finished first in the race with 27.3 percent of the vote, Democrat Doug White finished second at 26 percent, and Culp finished third at 21.8 percent.

Finishing third in Washingtons ranked-choice jungle primary system means that you wont appear on the general election ballot.

In June, Culp told The Epoch Times that he obtained Trumps endorsement in February.

I didnt chase anybodys endorsement, so Trumps phone call was a complete surprise, he said. He read the endorsement letter to me and said hes behind me 100 percent. Of course, all the other candidates attack me because they have to get through me first. Were dealing with that.
Tudor Dixon greets supporters on Election Night after being declared the winner of the Aug. 2 Republican primary to earn the partys nod to challenge incumbent Democrat Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in November. (Courtesy of Tudor Dixon for Governor)

Trump Nod Spurs Dixon to Runaway Win in Michigan GOP Gubernatorial Primary

Tudor Dixon, a former steel sales manager and conservative commentator, parlayed a late-campaign endorsement from former President Donald Trump into a runaway win in Michigans Aug. 2 Republican gubernatorial primary.

Dixon will challenge incumbent Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who did not face a primary test and has raised nearly $30 million since her first election in 2018. Dixon enters the three-month run to November having raised $1.2 million and spending $2.3 million.

Dixon, a first-time political candidate, emerged from a field of five contestantsdown from an original 10to score twice the votes second-place Kevin Rinke had collected to be declared the winner about an hour after polls closed.

With more than 439,689 votes countedabout 34 percent of the turnoutDixon had 40 percent of the tally, Rinke 20.9 percent, chiropractor Garrett Soldano 19.3 percent, businessman Ryan Kelley 15.7 percent, and Oakland County pastor Ralph Rebandt 4.2 percent.

Next Governor

The Michigan Republican Party Committee declared Dixon the primary winner in a tweet shortly after 9 p.m., calling her our gubernatorial candidate and the next governor of our state.

A congratulations to Tudor Dixon who won a hard-fought primary race to take on Gretchen Whiter this fall, Michigan Republican Party Chair Ron Weiser said in a statement.

A conservative online news anchor, Dixon founded Lumen News, a pro-America, pro-Constitution morning news program broadcast on Facebook.

She transitioned from unknown outsider to frontrunner amid the crowded GOP gubernatorial pack when Trump praised her, but none of the other hopefuls, at an April rally in Macomb County.

Trump, however, didnt formally endorse Dixon until July 29, although she had been airing for months a TV ad of his April praise for her, which may have proven pivotal in separating herself from a crowded field of also relative little-knowns.

A mid-July Detroit News-WDIV TV poll found 38 percent of likely Republican primary voters were undecided. Of that constituency, 63 percent said Trumps endorsement was very important or somewhat important in deciding who they would vote for on Aug. 2.

Dixons platform includes expanding school choice and empowering parents. Her campaign received a seminal endorsement and campaign support from former Trump U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos.

Other proposals include eliminating the states personal income tax and replacing public school diversity, equity, and inclusion consultants with armed security.
John Gibbs shares a toast with supporters during his victory speech at his watch party in Byron Center, Mich., on Aug. 3, 2022. (Jeff Louderback/The Epoch Times)

Michigan Rep. Meijer, Who Voted to Impeach Trump, Loses in GOP Primary

In a race that received widespread national attention and generated millions of dollars in spending, Donald Trump-endorsed Republican challenger John Gibbs stunned Rep. Peter Meijer in Michigans 3rd Congressional District primary on Aug. 2.

It was another test for the House GOP lawmakers who voted to impeach Trump following the U.S. Capitol breach on Jan. 6, 2021.

Meijer, whose surname is familiar because of his familys national supercenter chain thats based in Michigan, was the only freshman legislator in the group of 10 House Republicans who chose to impeach the president in the final days of his administration.

Rep. Peter Meijer inserts his ballot into the voting machine at a precinct in Grand Rapids, Mich., on August 2. (Jeff Louderback/Epoch Times)

In Washington state, hours after Meijer was defeated, two additional Trump impeachment voters won their respective primaries. Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler and Rep. Dan Newhouse held off their Trump-backed challengers in districts considered moderate.

Among the 10 House Republicans who supported impeachment, four decided not to seek reelection. Of the other, Rep. Tom Rice lost his primary in South Carolina by around 27 percentage points to Trump-endorsed challenger Russell Fry. California Rep. David Valadao prevailed in his primary.

Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) is the final House Republican who voted for Trumps impeachment to face a primary. Cheney is vice chair of the committee investigating the Jan. 6 events at the U.S. Capitol. Wyomings primary is Aug. 16.

Before the results were announced, Roll Call elections analyst Nathan Gonzales told reporters that the Aug. 2 primaries could confirm an emerging trend: Republicans who voted to impeach Trump either dont seek reelection or lose in traditional primaries.

Pro-impeachment Republicans who have the luxury of running in states with nontraditional primaries [and dont have to rely on support from base GOP voters] have a chance to survive, Gonzales said.

Thats good news for Herrera Beutler and Newhouse and bad news for Meijer, and later Cheney.

Many political pundits suggested that Herrera Beutler and Newhouse would benefit from Washingtons open, nonpartisan primary system where the top two finishers, regardless of party affiliation, move on to the general election.

In Michigans 3rd District, Gibbs was a little-known candidate when he entered the race.

He served as a Department of Housing and Urban Development official under Dr. Ben Carson during the Trump administration and was appointed by Trump to lead the Office of Personnel Management but wasnt confirmed by the U.S. Senate.

Meijer embraced his role as the only freshman legislator who, three days after being sworn into office, voted to impeach Trump on Jan. 13, 2021.

Gibbs consistently reminded voters that Meijer not only cast a vote to impeach Trump, but also supported gun control and aligned with House Democrats on other bills.

At his watch party in Byron Center, Gibbs socialized with supporters early and then joined campaign staffers in a separate room as results poured in. He gained an early lead, but then Meijer caught up and led by a percentage point.

Around 11 p.m., the once boisterous party became quieter. Spirits were lifted when Gibbs walked into the room, addressed the crowd, and told them, We like where we are. At that point, the only votes left to be counted were in areas that were favorable for Gibbs.

Gibbs was right. Over the next hour, he regained the lead and won by more than 4 percentage points, according to Decision Desk HQ.

Trump called Gibbs after 1 a.m. to offer congratulations.

Just got a call from President Trump, congratulating me and my team on tonights big win! Thank you, Mr. President for your support! pic.twitter.com/43BZfvqBEo  John Gibbs for MI-3 (@votejohngibbs) August 3, 2022

Ill see you soon. Im very proud of you, John, Trump said.

Trump also celebrated Gibbss victory in a Truth Social post.

Fantastic night in Michigan. Tudor Dixon will be a great governor. John Gibbs won with a big surge in the end. Not a good time for impeachers7 down, 3 to go! Thank you Michigan! he wrote, hours before Herrera Beutler and Newhouse won their primaries in Washington.

Meijer, who graduated from Columbia University and served in Iraq as a member of the Army Reserves, issued a statement after calling Gibbs to concede.

A Constitutional Republic like ours requires leaders who are willing to take on the big challenges, to find common ground when possible, and to put their love of country before partisan advantage, Meijer said in the statement.

Though this was not the outcome we hoped for, I will continue to do everything possible to move the Republican Party, West Michigan, and our country in a positive direction.

I also want to congratulate my opponent, John Gibbs, on his victory tonight. Im proud to have remained true to my principles, even when doing so came at a significant political cost.

In the redrawn 3rd District thats now seen as Democratic-leaning, Gibbs will face Democrat Hillary Scholten in the general election. Scholten ran unopposed.

On Aug. 3, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) issued a statement attacking Gibbs as a far-right extremist who was carried over the finish line in his primary only by the most fringe elements of his party.

Meijer was in the news on Aug. 1 when he blamed the DCCC for funding a $435,000 ad that appeared to attack Gibbs, calling him too conservative for west Michigan and reminding viewers of his ties to Trump.

Critics of the ad purchase, including Meijer, said that it provided airtime for a campaign that hadnt had the money to elevate its name recognition on television in the Grand Rapids market.

As of mid-July, Meijer had spent $2.1 million on the campaign compared to Gibbss $340,000.

Outside groups supplied more than $3 million for backing Meijer and attacking Gibbs.

Principled Leadership for Michigan aired an ad calling Gibbs the Democrats hand-picked candidate for Congress in the Republican primary.

In Meijers Aug. 1 column that appeared on the Substack publication Common Sense, he wrote that it would seem like the Democrats would look at John Gibbs and see the embodiment of what they say they most fear. That as patriots, they would use every tool at their disposal to defeat him and similar candidates that theyve said are an existential threat. Instead, they are funding Gibbs.

Gibbs told The Epoch Times on Aug. 2 that he [Meijer] is making excuses and finding people to blame for when he loses.

Democrats have spent a lot of money attacking me, he said.

Dave Wasserman, senior House editor of The Cook Political Report, said that his organizations rating for the 3rd District is moving from toss-up to leaning Democratic after Gibbss win.

During his victory speech, Gibbs praised the strong grassroots efforts of his supporters.

The fight ahead will require even more of us [than] before, he said.

From here on out, were facing a challenge in November with a Democrat. I think its going to turn out very favorably for us.
UK Conservative Party Delays Ballots on Security Advice

The UKs Conservative Party has delayed sending out leadership contest ballots to its members in order to enhance security around the ballot process, after consulting with the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), the party confirmed on Aug. 3.

The rule was also changed to prevent members from voting for a second time to override their first ballot.

Meanwhile, former Conservative Party treasurer Lord Peter Cruddas continued to call for the suspension of the race, offering to pay for a Boris ballot, which would ask party members to vote on whether or not to accept Prime Minister Boris Johnsons resignation.

Some 160,000 Conservative Party members were expecting to receive their ballot packs this week, which would contain a paper ballot, online voting instructions, and two unique security codes, allowing members to vote for their candidate, Liz Truss or Rishi Sunak, by post or online.

The party previously said on its website that qualifying members could expect to receive their ballots between Aug. 1 and Aug. 5. It now states ballots will arrive between Aug. 1 and Aug. 10. The change was made on Aug. 2.

According to The Telegraph, members received a message on the night of Aug. 2 saying the ballots would arrive with you a little later because the party has taken some time to add some additional security to our ballot process.

Under previous rules, voters were technically allowed to change their minds by voting a second time, but they are now only allowed to vote once.

The party website previously stated, You can only vote once and should a duplicate vote be received by our ballot company, only the last received vote will count.

The line was changed on Aug. 2 to: It is an offence to vote more than once. Any member who attempts to do so will have their membership of the Party withdrawn.

A Conservative Party spokesperson said: We have consulted with the NCSC throughout this process and have decided to enhance security around the ballot process. Eligible members will start receiving ballot packs this week.

An NCSC spokesperson said: Defending UK democratic and electoral processes is a priority for the NCSC and we work closely with all parliamentary political parties, local authorities, and MPs to provide cyber security guidance and support.

As you would expect from the UKs national cyber security authority we provided advice to the Conservative Party on security considerations for online leadership voting.

The NCSC isnt thought to have responded to a specific threat to the contest.

Malicious Cyber Activity

It isnt the first time that concerns about online security have surfaced during elections, with contests around the world subject to attacks.

The Intelligence and Security Committees 2020 report on Russia noted that Moscow has carried out malicious cyber activity including attempting to influence the democratic elections of other countries.

The MPs and peers who scrutinise the work of the UKs intelligence agencies said they had been informed that the mechanics of the UKs voting system are deemed largely sound: the use of a highly dispersed paper-based voting and counting system makes any significant interference difficult.

However the next prime ministereither Liz Truss or Rishi Sunakwill not enter Downing Street as the result of a general election but instead the Conservative leadership contest, with members allowed to vote online.

Sunak has so far consistently trailed behind Truss in polls among Conservative Party members.

According to a YouGov poll of 1,043 party members published on Aug. 2, Truss had a 38-point lead, 14 points up from July 21, and those who intended to vote for her were less likely to say they might change their minds.

Boris Ballot

Cruddas, along with former Conservative MEP David Campbell Bannerman and the Conservative Post outlet, previously published a petition demanding a ballot on Johnsons resignation.

In a letter to the Board of the Conservative Party on Aug. 3, Cruddas said his campaign had sent around 12,000 signatures to the board, with a further 5,000 to be sent by the end of the week.

Cruddas called on the board to suspend the election, reject Johnsons resignation while it fixes any cyber issues, and give party members a Boris ballot, which he offered to pay for.

If party members decide to accept Johnsons resignation, Cruddas said, he will then pay for cybersecurity for the race between Truss and Sunak.

PA Media contributed to this report.
UK Parliament Closes TikTok Account Following Pressure From Lawmakers

The UK Parliament has closed its newly set up TikTok account after lawmakers wrote to the speakers raising security concerns over the Chinese app.

In an email to The Epoch Times, a spokesperson for UK Parliament confirmed that it is closing the pilot account earlier than planned based on member feedback.

The account was a pilot initiative while we tested the platform as a way of reaching younger audiences with relevant content about Parliament, the statement said.

The week-old account has been locked and its content was deleted.

Its 141 followers can see an updated bio that reads This account is now closed. Find us at www.parliament.uk, while others are greeted with No bio yet, and This account is private.

Former Conservative Party leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith, one of the lawmakers who sounded the alarm, said, We are pleased that Parliament, immediately [after] they were told, understood there was a problem and shut it down.

He told the PA news agency that its important for others to look at the issue and that we need to start talking to people about not using TikTok.

A TikTok spokeswoman said: While it is disappointing that Parliament will no longer be able to connect with the millions of people who use TikTok in the UK, we reiterate the offer to reassure those Members of Parliament who raised concerns and clarify any inaccuracies about our platform.

On July 27, Parliament promoted the new TikTok account on Twitter, saying it 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.

On the following day, four lawmakers 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, saying the data security risks associated with the app, owned by Chinese company ByteDance, are considerable.

In the letter, Conservative MPs Nusrat Ghani, Duncan Smith, Tim Loughton, Tom Tugendhat, Crossbench peer Lord David Alton, and Labour peer Baroness Helena Kennedy 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.

The lawmakers said TikTok executives were unable to reassure MPs on the Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy Select Committee that the company could prevent data transfer to ByteDance, should the parent company make a request for it.

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.
Illustration of a victim being forcibly injected with nerve-damaging drugs. Psychiatric abuse is one of the common methods of torture in China to persecute Falun Gong adherents, other religious minorities, and human rights activists. (Minghui.org)

Unknown Drugs Given to Persecuted Citizens in China to Stop Them From Speaking Out

'That pill makes people seem crazy, insane,' says a persecuted Uyghur man

You will no longer shout after I give you a shot, said the director of the Hebei Provincial Brainwashing Center in China, while threatening a Falun Gong adherent who kept saying out loud, Falun Gong is good!

Hua Fengxiang was arrested for his belief in the persecuted spiritual practice of Falun Gong. Yuan Shuqian, who has been serving as the director of the brainwashing center since 2001, ordered his officers to stuff a towel in Huas mouth before forcibly injecting him with an unidentified drug. Shortly after the shot, Huas health deteriorated, his spine became distorted, his neck became stiff, and he had difficulty walking, reported Minghui.org, a U.S.-based nonprofit organization that provides firsthand information on the ongoing persecution of Falun Gong.

Falun Gong (also known as Falun Dafa) is a mind-body practice rooted in the universal principles of truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance. The officially atheist Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has been persecuting the practice since July 20, 1999. Over the past 23 years, tens of thousands of Falun Gong practitioners have been arrested, detained, tortured, and even killed for their organs. Adherents are routinely tortured in detention centers, brainwashing centers, and mental hospitals.

Over a decade ago, the U.S. Department of State expressed concerns over Chinas ankang facilities, or psychiatric hospitals (the Chinese term ironically translates as peace and health facilities), which are under the direct administration of the Ministry of Public Security. The report stated that these high-security psychiatric hospitalsmeant for the criminally insaneeven housed Falun Gong practitioners, other underground religious believers, and political activists together with mentally ill patients. Those detained in these hospitals were allegedly medicated against their will and forcibly subjected to electric shock treatment.

Whether an individual is diagnosed with mental disorders, what medications he is given and how they are administered, and when he is released are all under police control.

Falun Gong practitioners march down Pennsylvania Avenue to commemorate the 23rd anniversary of the Chinese Communist Partys persecution of the spiritual practice in China, in Washington on July 21, 2022. (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times)

In this undated photo, children practice Falun Gong meditation in China before the Chinese Communist Party began its persecution of the spiritual practice in July 1999. (Courtesy of Minghui.org)

Chinas first Mental Health Code that came into effect on May 1, 2013, states that people with severe symptoms and those who present a danger of harming others can be forcibly detained in mental hospitals, according to the Minghui report titled The 20-Year Persecution of Falun Gong in China. The 437-page book, which extensively details the brutality faced by Falun Gong practitioners, says that the code doesnt protect citizens from being arbitrarily labeled as mentally ill, and that there is a huge gray area that police and relevant government agencies have exploited in persecuting Falun Gong while deciding if any person is of any potential threat to the safety and security of others.

There is no third-party oversight of ankang facilities. Police departments both administer ankang hospitals and decide who to take to these facilities. Whether an individual is diagnosed with mental disorders, what medications he is given and how they are administered, and when he is released are all under police control, states the report.

Minghui.org has documented over 100 different torture methods used by the CCP to coerce Falun Gong adherents into renouncing their belief. Forced administration of unknown nerve-damaging drugs is one of the most common tools of persecution.

The side effects from the unidentified drugs include heart problems, stiffness of tongue, memory loss, numbness of body, damaging effects on the central nervous system, loss of speech, and vision problems, as reported in the few selected cases that follow.

Torture reenactment of forced drug injections. (Courtesy of Minghui.org)

Peng Yuxin, 55, from Hefei city, Anhui Province, was injected with toxic medications for a total of six times before his release from prison in 2020. He lost almost all his ability to speak, and could only utter a few words. Moreover, he could not write his own address. He nodded his head when asked if he was injected with drugs.

Liang Zhiqin, a Falun Gong adherent from Tangshan city, Hebei Province, was tied up and injected twice with toxic drugs when she was detained at the Tangshan city Ankang Hospital in 2000. She lost consciousness and had acute cardiac problems and chest pain after the first injection. Her memory became worse after she was released in September 2001. She often gave the wrong change to customers when helping at her familys business. I was on the verge of death, Liang recalled. I was in so much pain that my eyes could not even move. My tongue became rigid, and my mind was unclear.

Yang Baochun, from Handan city, Hebei Province, was arrested in the winter of 2000. The guards at Handan Forced Labor Camp poured hot water on his feet after ordering him to stand barefooted in the snow. The torture resulted in an infection in his blistered leg and his right leg had to be amputated. The authorities covered up the incident saying Yang was insane and his infection was self-inflicted. To back their claims, he was sent to Ankang Mental Hospital in Feixiang County, where he was given food with unidentified drugs mixed in. He was released in 2004, but only to be arrested again in 2005; he was imprisoned and tortured at the Yongkang Mental Hospital, which left him truly insane.

Xu Guiqin, from Taian city, Shandong Province, was arrested in 2001 and sent to No. 1 Female Labor Camp in Jinan city. Two days before her release, she was beaten for several hours and forcibly injected with four bottles of drugs that damage the central nervous system, leading to numbness of the body, swelling of the face, severe memory loss, anorexia, and dizziness. When she was released, the guards told the family, Watch out for her and dont let her go by herself, or her life will be at risk. However, she died nine days later due to failure of her nervous system.

Li Zhongming, from Luzhou vity, Sichuan Province, was saying out loud Falun Dafa is good! Truthfulness, compassion, forbearance is good! when she was arrested from her home in 2011. Her shouts attracted the attention of people, who saw police officers injecting something into Lis arms. Immediately, she could not speak; her mouth and tongue became stiff as saliva dripped from her mouth.

Gao Yumin, a police officer from Fuxin city, Liaoning Province, was previously involved in persecuting Falun Gong practitioners. However, after he learned more about the spiritual system and the CCPs propaganda against it, he started practicing it too; like any other adherent, he too was arrested and severely tortured. Two months before his 3 1/2-year term expired, he was injected with a high dose of nerve-damaging drugs, rendering his intelligence to that of a 3-year-old child. His family later found through the urine sample test that the concentration of the drug in his body was so high that it could poison him.

Read More Psychiatric Torture and the Unspeakable Suffering It Causes

That Pill Makes People Seem Crazy, Insane

Uyghur men and women detained in Xinjiang re-education camps in China are forcibly given drugs that can negatively affect their fertility.

Omir Bekli, a Kazakhstan national born in Xinjiang, told The Epoch Times how Uyghur men, including himself, were forced to take a pill daily to stop their sexual feelings forever. Bekli, who was detained for six months in 2017, said that he survived by hiding the pill under his tongue and spitting it out later.

That pill makes people seem crazy, insane, and as if they dont know what theyre doing. They just do as theyre told. Its as if theyre high. You can see theyre not normal, he said.

Uyghur Omir Bekli, 42, a former detainee in Xinjiang, China. (Courtesy of Omir Bekli)

Gulbakhar Jalilova, a Uyghur and Kazakhstan national who was detained for 15 months in an internment camp in Xinjiang, told The Epoch Times that one fellow inmate died after being injected.

She was injected but her body was still warm, and other girls were ordered to wash her body. She just died like that in front of me, she said.

Gulbakhar added that they were given unknown medicine every day and injected with a drug every month. The injection makes you feel like you have no memory, she said. You dont miss your family, you dont feel like you want to get out. You feel nothingits a very strange feeling.

Businesswoman Gulbakhar Jalilova, 54, a former Uyghur detainee in Xinjiang, China. (Supplied by Gulbakhar Jalilova)

A house Christian from Sichuan Province was detained for 10 months in 2018, after the church was raided. While in detention, he was locked in solitary confinement and became suicidal, leading him to bang himself against the wall.

Once, when he was groggy and couldnt open his eyes, a few police officers grabbed him and pinned him to the ground, he told Radio Free Asia (RFA). They injected me with some drug, and brought me back to consciousness, he said.

Human-rights activists such as lawyers have also been subjected to forced medications.

Jiang Tianyong, a prominent human rights lawyer in China, was forced to take an unidentified medication twice a day while detained in prison in 2018. His wife told RFA that the drugs had caused his memory to deteriorate. ChinaAid reported in its Annual Persecution Report 2020 that Jiangs vision was also affected.

Beijing human-rights lawyer Jiang Tianyong. (The Epoch Times)
Up to 20,000 Students Missing From LA Unified Enrollment Rosters

Between 10,000 and 20,000 students are missing from the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) enrollment rostersjust two weeks before the start of the 202223 school year.

District Superintendent Alberto Carvalho said last week at a press conference the number of students unaccounted for is likely due to obstacles that block them from attending school, such as a lack of transportation, an LAUSD spokesperson confirmed to The Epoch Times.

To re-engage students, Carvalho said he reached out to about 50 chronically-absent students along with his senior staff, cabinet, and Board of Education, after LAUSD officials estimated in April there was about 46 percent of chronically absent studentsor students who missed more than 9 percent of classesin the district.

The superintendent said some of the students he reached out to told him their siblings were not in attendance at school for much of last year too.

Some revealed that they themselves were caring for their younger siblings and that they themselves were working one, two jobs, Carvalho said. And they told me of many other kids who are in the same condition. Thats just not acceptable.

In April, Carvalho said he planned to launch a program next school year that would create a team of counselors tasked with preventing chronic absenteeism.

He said he also planned to work with LA County to connect families to food, housing, legal support, and transportation, as well as social services such as therapy, grief counseling, and substance abuse treatment.

The districts chronic absenteeism last year was also likely exacerbated by its strict COVID-19 protocols, which included a mask mandate for all students and staff, weekly testing for unvaccinated students, which required asymptomatic students in close contact with a confirmed COVID-19 case to quarantine at home for 5 to 10 days.

This year, the district loosens up most of its previous pandemic restrictions. While students and staff must take a COVID-19 test before returning to campus, weekly asymptomatic testing is no longer required. At-home quarantines for close contacts without symptoms is not required, and masking is strongly recommended but not required, according to an update released by the district Aug. 2.

Another reason for the missing enrolled students was that many parents are choosing to enroll their students elsewhere or choosing to homeschool without notifying the LAUSD of their decision, Carvalho said at a July 24 press conference.

Parents are taking their time to file the documents, Carvalho said.

In 2020, the number of California families filing homeschool affidavits rose from 15,000 to 35,000though that number fell last year to about 25,000 as schools reopen.

This comes as the district faces a looming enrollment crisis. Student enrollment in LAUSD has been falling at a rate of about 2.8 percent per year since it hit its enrollment peak with 737,000 students in 2002.

However, a May 17 Board of Education report predicted that after 2022, the districts enrollment will begin to decrease by 3.6 percent annuallydropping 30 percent from about 437,000 in 2022 to 309,000 by 2031 (pdf).
U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel speaks during an interview with The Associated Press at the ambassador's residence in Tokyo on Aug. 2, 2022. (Eugene Hoshiko/AP Photo)

US Ambassador to Japan Warns of Chinese Economic Coercion

TOKYOThe United States is working with Japan and other likeminded countries to counter Chinas efforts to use its economic might to force political change around the world, the U.S. ambassador to Japan said Tuesday in an interview with The Associated Press.

Rahm Emanuel, who was previously mayor of Chicago and chief of staff for President Barack Obama, is pushing what he calls commercial diplomacy, the idea that the United States and Japan will be more eager to do business with each other and with similar secure and stable countries amid worries caused by the COVID pandemic, the war in Ukraine and Chinese economic coercion.

From intellectual property theft to coercion to debt dependency that China creates, the idea that they could actually honestly say, We dont coerce, and then you have not one, not two, not threemany worldwide examples where they use their economic market access to force a political change in a country  I think everybodys woken up to that, Emanuel told AP in an interview in his residence in the heart of downtown Tokyo.

Emanuel, who arrived in Japan in January, laid out a number of examples of Chinese coercion, including with Japan, which saw Chinese shipments of rare earth metals blocked over a territorial dispute; South Korea, which suffered Chinese business boycotts when it installed a U.S. missile defense system; Australia and countries in Europe and Southeast Asia.

He said that finding ways for Japan and the United States to stand up to Chinese economic coercion was one of the first issues he raised with Japans foreign minister.

Emanuel repeatedly declined to speak about an expected visit by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan, the self-governing island that China claims as its own and has threatened to use force to unite with if necessary, referring questions to the White House.

China has in recent days lashed out at the possible trip, which would make Pelosi the highest-ranking elected U.S. official to visit in more than 25 years. Local media in Taiwan reported that Pelosi will arrive Tuesday night.

Japan has expressed deep worry about increased Chinese activities in regional seas, including near a Japanese-controlled island claimed by Beijing, and has pushed for peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.

While avoiding comment on Taiwan, Emanuel praised Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishidas pledge for a significant increase in both the countrys defense budget and its military capabilities.

Kishidas attempts to revise Japans national security strategy and basic defense guidelines are a legacy of his hawkish mentor, former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who was assassinated in July.

Kishida has also said he is open to possible preemptive strike capabilities, which opponents say would go far beyond Japans war-renouncing constitution, which restricts the use of force to self-defense. Kishida also has proposed significantly increasing Japans defense budgetpossibly doubling to 2 percent of GDP, a NATO standardover the next five years.

Much to the prime ministers credit, he looked around the corner and realized what was happening in this region and the worldJapan needed to step up in ways it hadnt in the past, Emanuel said.

Emanuel also mentioned economic opportunities for Japan and the United States in electric vehicle batteries, energy, new research, and technology in small modular nuclear reactors, aviation technology, and semiconductors.

The business leaders who he has met with as ambassador to Japan would have evaluated a capital expenditure decision in the past purely by questions over cost, logistics, and efficiency, he said, but they are now willing to pay more to avoid sanctions and instability.

That is a major change in thinking, he said.

For the last 20 or 30 years, cost and efficiency were the driving factors. They drove public policy, and they drove corporate decisions. Today cost and efficiency are being replaced, supplanted by stability and sustainability, Emanuel said.

By Foster Klug and Mari Yamaguchi
?? El Ministerio de Salud informa que aumento a 324 los casos confirmados de #ViruelaDelMono, que corresponden a 9 regiones del Peru, todos los pacientes vienen recibiendo asistencia medica, se registraron 108 altas medicas y se esta realizando la identificacion de contactos. pic.twitter.com/KLeU3Iq286
(L-R) House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) poses for photographs with Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen at the president's office in Taipei, Taiwan, on Aug. 3, 2022. (Handout/Getty Images)

Pelosi Meets Taiwans President, Says US Will Not Abandon Its Commitment to Island

President Tsai Ing-wen says Taiwan won't back down in the face of 'heightened military threats'

TAIPEI, TaiwanHouse Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) reiterated the U.S. commitment to Taiwan on Aug. 3 while holding a joint press conference with Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen in Taipei.

Today the world faces a choice between democracy and autocracy, Americas determination to preserve democracy here in Taiwan and around the world remains ironclad, said Pelosi, who arrived in Taiwan a day earlier amid threats and military activities by the Chinese communist regime.

She said the bedrock of the bilateral relationship remains with the Taiwan Relations Act, a law that authorizes the United States to provide the island with military equipment for self-defense. The law was signed after Washington ended its diplomatic ties with Taipei in favor of Beijing in 1979.

Today, our delegation, of which Im very proud, came to Taiwan to make unequivocally clearwe will not abandon our commitment to Taiwan, and we are proud of our enduring friendship, Pelosi said. Now more than ever, Americas solidarity with Taiwan is crucial.

Beijing Upset

China is irate at Pelosi for stopping at Taiwan during her Asia trip, which has so far included Singapore and Malaysia. The Chinese regime claims Taiwan as a part of its territory and opposes governments and international organizations interacting or forming ties with Taiwanese officials, as such actions suggest that the island is a de facto nation-state.

The regime in Beijing is so displeased with Pelosis Taiwan visit that Chinas vice foreign minister, Xie Feng, summoned U.S. Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns late on Aug. 2. According to Chinas state-run media outlets, Xie said the United States will pay the price for its mistakes of allowing her to visit the island.

Qin Gang, Chinas ambassador to the United States, accused the United States of playing with fire in a statement. He said he has lodged a strong protest with the White House National Security Council and the U.S. State Department.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) speaks after receiving the Order of Propitious Clouds with Special Grand Cordon, Taiwans highest civilian honor, from Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen at the presidents office, in Taipei, Taiwan, on Aug. 3, 2022. (Chien Chih-Hung/Office of The President via Getty Images)

Speaking at the press conference, Tsai said Pelosis visit comes at a critical moment for the island.

Aggressions against democratic Taiwan would have a tremendous impact on the security of the entire Indo-Pacific, she said, referring to escalating military threats posed by China. Facing deliberately heightened military threats, Taiwan will not back down. We will firmly uphold our nations sovereignty and continue to hold the line of defense for democracy.

At the same time, we wish to cooperate and work in unity with all democracies around the world to jointly safeguard democratic values.

Military Pressure

Beijing has turned up its military pressure on Taiwan. The day before Pelosis arrival, China flew four J-16 fighter jets into Taiwans southwest air defense identification zone (ADIZ). The intrusion was stepped up the day of her arrival when 21 Chinese military planes flew into the zone.

China also announced that it would conduct live-fire military drills in six zones around Taiwan from Aug. 4 to Aug. 7. The announcement was issued minutes after the plane carrying Pelosi and her congressional delegation landed in Taipei on Aug. 2.

Taiwans Ministry of National Defense, in an Aug. 3 statement, condemned China for holding military drills around Taiwan, saying that the moves threaten Taiwans ports and urban areas and undermine regional peace and stability.

Sun Li-fang, spokesperson for Taiwans Ministry of National Defense, said during an Aug. 3 press conference that China is challenging international order and violating Taiwans sovereignty with its drills.

The ministry also disputed Chinese disinformation efforts late on Aug. 2, after Chinas state-run media outlets began reporting that Chinese Su-35 fighter jets had crossed the Taiwan Strait separating the island from mainland China. In a statement, the ministry said the reports were fake news.

About an hour before the joint press conference, Pelosi visited Taiwans Parliament and held a meeting with Deputy Speaker Tsai Chi-chang.

(L-R) U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) attends a meeting at the Legislative Yuan, Taiwans house of parliament, with Tsai Chi-chang, vice president of the Legislative Yuan, in Taipei, Taiwan on Aug. 3, 2022. (Central News Agency via Getty Images)

Potential Trade Pact

Pelosi and Tsai held a closed-door meeting after their joint press conference. Afterward, the congresswoman from California revealed during a media session that the two talked about the possibility of signing a trade agreement.

Hopefully, that is imminent, Pelosi said about the potential trade deal.

Aside from military maneuvers, China has also decided to punish the island economically. On Aug. 2, China announced an import ban on thousands of Taiwanese food products before Pelosi arrived. On Aug. 3, China escalated its economic cohesion by announcing that it will ban the import of citrus fruit and two different types of fish, while also stopping its export of natural sand to Taiwan.

China also announced sanctions against four Taiwanese companies and two organizations on Aug. 3, accusing them of being secessionists.

Taiwan has already paid a cost for your visit and is likely to continue to do so in the coming days and weeks. What concrete tangible benefits can you promise Taiwan to offset the cost of your trip? a reporter asked Pelosi.

In response, she pointed to the CHIPS and Science Actwhich is now waiting to be signed by President Joe Biden after the House approved the legislation on July 28and how Taiwanese tech companies can benefit.

This is something that opens the door for us to, again, have good, better economic exchanges, Pelosi said, noting that she knew some Taiwanese firms already planned on investing in manufacturing in the United States.

She also said the legislation would facilitate an increase in the bilateral relationship.

Pelosi ended the media session by saying that democracy is Taiwans greatest strength with regard to the possibility of China invading Taiwan.

We dont want anything to happen to Taiwan by force, she said.

Pelosi left Taiwan at roughly 6 p.m. local time on Aug. 3 and is scheduled to travel to South Korea.
A petrol pump model is seen in front of U.S. and Iranian flag colors in this illustration taken on March 25, 2022. (Dado Ruvic/Reuters)

US Targets Chinese, UAE Firms in New Iran Oil Sanctions

WASHINGTONThe United States on Monday imposed sanctions on Chinese and other firms it said helped to sell tens of millions of dollars in Iranian oil and petrochemical products to East Asia as it seeks to raise pressure on Tehran to curb its nuclear program.

The U.S. Treasury and the U.S. State Departments imposed sanctions on a total of six companies, four based in Hong Kong, one in Singapore, and one in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in actions that were announced in separate statements.

The Treasury accused Persian Gulf Petrochemical Industry Commercial Co. (PGPICC), one of Irans largest petrochemical brokers, of using the firms to facilitate the sale of Iranian petroleum and petrochemical products to East Asia.

The Treasury targeted UAE-based Blue Cactus Heavy Equipment and Machinery Spare Parts Trading L.L.C., which it said helped sell millions of dollars of Iranian-origin petroleum products to Hong Kong-based Triliance Petrochemical Co. Ltd., which has previously been sanctioned by the United States.

It also targeted Hong Kong-based Farwell Canyon HK Limited and Shekufei International Trading Co. Limited for facilitating such sales for onward shipment to buyers in East Asia.

The Treasury accused PGPICC of using the firms bank accounts, along with those of Hong Kong and Malaysia-based PZNFR Trading Limited, to collect millions of dollars in proceeds.

Separately, the State Department sanctioned Singapore-based Pioneer Ship Management PTE LTD for allegedly managing a vessel that carried Iranian petroleum products and Hong Kong-based Golden Warrior Shipping Co. Ltd., for alleged transactions related to Iranian oil and petroleum products.

The actions freeze U.S.-based assets and generally bar Americans from dealing with them. Others that engage in certain transactions with the targeted firms also risk being sanctioned.

The steps represent the third round of U.S. Iran-related sanctions against Chinese firms in the last two months.

Since taking office in 2021, U.S. President Joe Biden has been loath to sanction Chinese entities engaged in oil trade with Iran due to hopes of securing an agreement to revive the 2015 Iran nuclear deal.

Efforts to resurrect the dealunder which Iran had curbed its nuclear program in exchange for relief from U.S. and other sanctionshave so far failed, leading Washington to look for other ways to increase pressure on Tehran.

The United States continues to pursue the path of diplomacy to achieve a mutual return to full implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, the Treasurys Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, Brian Nelson, said in the statement, referring to the 2015 deal by its formal name.

Until such time as Iran is ready to return to full implementation of its commitments, we will continue to enforce sanctions on the illicit sale of Iranian petroleum and petrochemicals.

Reacting to the new sanctions, Irans Foreign Ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani said in a statement that Iran will respond decisively and firmly to the White Houses continuation of sanctions.

By Daphne Psaledakis and Arshad Mohammed
At an April 25, 2022 press conference in Spring Hill, Florida, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signs bill into law that establishes the nation's first Office of Election Crimes and Security at the Department of State specifically to investigate voter fraud. (Patricia Tolson/The Epoch Times)

Voter Fraud Cases Stem From Jailhouse Voter Registration Drive in Florida

Deep-blue Alachua County refers nine new potential cases from 2020 election

Nine Florida sex offenders face potential voter fraud charges stemming from a voter registration drive held at the Alachua County jail in 2020.

Darry Lloyd, public information officer for the Eighth Judicial Circuit State Attorneys Office, told The Epoch Times the latest nine cases were referred in July by Kim Barton, a Democrat who holds the position of Alachua County elections supervisor.

The registration drive triggered a series of complaints lodged by Gainesville database researcher Mark Glaeser, who used his computer skills to identify potentially hundreds of illegal ballots cast by inmates around the state.

So far, 10 of the initial 34 inmates identified by Glaeser have been charged with voter fraud in connection with the 2020 jail registration drive held by the Supervisor of Elections Office in deep-blue Alachua County.

Leonel Frage, 60, who hasnt been able to vote in more than 15 years due to a felony conviction, poses proudly holding a paper restoring his right to vote during a special court hearing in a Miami-Dade County courtroom in Florida on Nov. 8, 2019. (Zak Bennett/AFP via Getty Images)

Glaeser also filed a complaint with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement against Barton and Thomas TJ Pyche, who was director of outreach at the elections office before resigning in 2021. Glaeser alleged the officials facilitated illegal voter registration of convicted felons at the jail.

The departments investigation criticized how the elections office handled the jailhouse registration drive but did not press charges against the election officials.

According to the FDLE report obtained by The Epoch Times, the elections office showed a haphazard registration of inmates and could compromise the integrity of the Florida Voter Registration System.

The report showed the Alachua election office conducted its voter registration drive differently than other third-party organizations.

Then-elections office outreach director Pyche would arrange visits to each of the jails housing unitsincluding units with medium-maximum security inmates.

Barton, who was outreach director for some 10 years before being elected in 2017, said she would only leave educational materials and paperwork at the front desk to be posted throughout the facility, according to the report.

The investigation found that Barton was aware of Pyches methods and did not fault his conduct nor advise him to make adjustments.

The Epoch Times called and emailed Bartons office for comment.

Florida secretary of state Laurel Lee delivers at a press conference in Spring Hill, Fla., on April 25, 2022. (Patricia Tolson/The Epoch Times)

The latest group of sex offenders facing voter fraud charges would not fall under the states Amendment 4, which was approved in 2018 by Florida voters. The amendment restores voting rights to those with felony convictions, except those convicted of murder or sexual offenses who completed their sentences.

However, subsequent changes to the meaning of the amendment required felons to pay all legal financial obligations, including unpaid fines and restitution, as well as completing their prison sentence before their voting rights could be restored.

Glaeser, a semi-retired computer programmer, told The Epoch Times he spent his time and money investigating potential corruption in Alachua County and across the state because no one else seemed interested.

The outrageous anomalies he witnessed on election night 2020 were a factor in his motivation, he said.

I had the time; I had the skill set; I had the track record, he said.

Glaeser blamed former Florida secretary of state Laurel Leea Republican now running for Congressfor not standing strong for election integrity. Glaeser said neither Democrats nor Republicans seemed interested in looking for voter fraud.

If they cant find this low-hanging fruit, what can they find? he asked. Nobody wants to hear this story.

Glaeser noted that the Alachua Supervisor of Elections Office had received a $707,000 grant from the Center for Tech and Civic Life, a Chicago nonprofit funded by billionaire Mark Zuckerberg during the pandemic.

The 2020 grant document obtained by The Epoch Times said the money was to help with non-partisan voter education and vote by mail/absentee voting equipment, supplies, or other approved applications in Alachua County.

Using his computer skills once again, Glaeser tagged some 2,000 sex offenders so far on the voter rolls, with some 500 apparently casting votes. He expects voter fraud charges will be forthcoming.

Its big, and its getting legs right now, he said of the investigation.
Voters to Decide If Los Angeles Supervisors Can Remove Sheriff

The Los Angeles Board of Supervisors voted Aug. 2 without discussion to pass a measure for the November ballot that will let voters decide if it can remove a publicly elected county sheriff from office.

The measure passed in a 41 vote, with Supervisor Kathryn Barger dissenting.

Giving the Board of Supervisors the authority to remove an elected Sheriff unequivocally takes away power from the public, Barger said in a statement. Its a move that has the potential to disenfranchise voters.

She added the measure overlooks the recall process for elected officials who fail to uphold their duties.

If passed in the general election, it would allow the board to remove a county sheriff for cause by a four-fifths vote.

The cause is defined in the measure as a violation of law related to a Sheriffs duties, flagrant or repeated neglect of duties, misappropriation of funds, willful falsification of documents, or obstructing an investigation.

The measure comes as the board has clashed several times with Sheriff Alex Villanueva over his law enforcement tactics and not requiring his deputies to be vaccinated against COVID-19.

The board also imposed a hiring freeze in February on his department while voting to terminate unvaccinated county employees, including sheriffs deputies.

Villanueva refused to attend the countys Civilian Oversight Committee meetings over lawsuits alleging deputy gangs and excessive use of force under his leadership and accused the board of threatening public safety by defunding his department.

In a letter to the board last month, Villanueva said the motion is an effort to sabotage his election campaign and a recipe for public corruption, particularly when cause remains so broad and undefined.

The motion was modeled after San Bernardino Countys 2002 ordinance that gave its Board of Supervisors the power to remove not only its sheriff but all other elected officials in the county government for cause by a four-fifths vote.

At a previous board meeting, supervisors who supported the motion said it is not targeting Villanueva in a political attempt but is a way to hold a county sheriff accountable for his or her actions.

The voters deserve an opportunity to decide whether this is the right way to enhance the accountability of the Sheriff and protect the lives and liberties of County residents, Board of Supervisors Chair Holly Mitchell said in a July 12 statement.

Villanueva will go head-to-head with former Long Beach police Chief Robert Luna, who has been endorsed by all county supervisors, in the General Election.
Is there a connection between motivation and hope? And do we need to know about it?

Lets immediately dismiss ideas like that found in a Russian proverb: In the kingdom of hope there is no winter. We neednt talk about hope as being mere wishful thinking. Lets talk about something much more powerful and essential. The Greek myth of Pandora had it just about right: When Pandora disobeyed and opened the box (or jar) letting out all the evils of the world, onlyafter she had shut the boxdid hope remain.

The word that the ancient Greek poet Hesiod uses for hope is elpis, which can mean hope but is often also translated as expectation. We will come back to this point.

Pandora, 1873, by Alexandre Cabanel. Oil on canvas. Walters Art Museum, Baltimore. (Public Domain)

Hope

Hope is something essential to human life according to this myth, for without it we would be lost in despair and depression; we would give up on life. This scenario is not merely fanciful. The world expert on optimism, American psychologist Martin Seligman, who is the Zellerbach Family Professor of Psychology at the University of Pennsylvania, said in his book Authentic Happiness: Optimism and hope cause better resistance to depression when bad events strike, better performance at work, particularly in challenging jobs, and better physical health.

Vaclav Havel, former president of the Czech Republic observed that hope is not the conviction that something will turn out well, but the certainty that something makes sense, regardless of how it turns out. In other words, meaning is central to having hope, for if there is not meaning, then what do we hope for?

Also, hope is positive, as even the left-wing political philosopher Ernst Bloch noted in his book The Principle of Hope (1959, 1986): Hope is in love with success rather than failure.

And if we consider fiction (keeping in mind the astute observation of professor Charles Singleton, an expert on Dante, that the greatest fiction of Dantes Divine Comedy is that it is not fiction), we recall that the gate to hell has a sign above it that includes the following message: Abandon hope all ye who enter here. Hell is a place where there is no hope.

If we have read the whole of the Inferno and met all the characters that Dante encounters there, we see that the damned have no meaning to their lives and no motivation, either. Instead, each person is locked in self-destructive and repetitive behaviors. These behaviors reflect how they lived, only now without the possibility of change. Their existence is robotic in the extreme: All possible human joy has been completely lost to them.

St. Paul describes the three greatest virtues as faith, hope, and love. Love is the greatest of these, but we notice that in describing the qualities of love, he says that love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things (1 Corinthians 13.7). In other words, hope is an integral aspect or facet of love itself.

Motivation is not mentioned by St. Paul, and the word is not used elsewhere in the Bible either, but I think it is pretty clear that if there is hope, then there is motivation, too.

Allegories of Faith, Hope, and Charity, 1819, by Heinrich Maria von Hess. Graphite, pen and brown ink, brush and brown wash heightened with white (partly oxidized), in an inscribed arch on brown paper. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. (Public Domain)

Motivation

But why isnt the word motivation used in the Bible? Hope is an ancient Anglo-Saxon word (Old English: hopian, which suggests the basic idea of a leaping, or to leap, with expectation). As a concept, it goes further back still to the Greek language and the Bible.

Motivation, as a word, is a relatively recent phenomenon, first occurring in the early 20th century in 1904. This is astonishing, if you think about it, given its ubiquity now. A Google search for the word produces about 1,380,000,000 resultsthats over a billion! But lest we think hope has been superseded, that word produces over 2 billion hits on Google. Both words, then, are highly active in our language. The creation of the word motivation so recently suggests some new focus of meaning that the word hope itself does not denote.

What that denotation might be is possibly indicated by the time frame in which it occurs. What was significant that happened around the time of 1904 that was different and about to change how human beings thought forever?

Well, perhaps the most obvious thing is that Sigmund Freud had started publishing his works some 13 years earlier, and his book The Interpretation of Dreams came out in 1899. And lo, educators today find that dreams and hope are closely related. In an article titled Hope as a Factor in Teachers Thinking and Classroom Practice, authors Collinson, Killeavy, and Stephenson claim, Not only does hope make life meaningful, it allows us to dream.

While these authors are using the word dream in a laymans sense of the word (as opposed to the specialist usage of Freud), we might conclude that both senses are related. Consider Freuds view in The Interpretation of Dreams: The dream is the liberation of the spirit from the pressure of external nature, a detachment of the soul from the fetters of matter. Dreaming, even daydreaming, surely is exactly that: a liberation of pressure from the external world, which is why we like to indulge in it.

Mercys Dream, 1858, by Daniel Huntington. Oil on canvas. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City. (Public Domain)

But as the authors also observe, citing the pedagogic expert Freema Elbaz (1992): Hope seems to be a disposition which lies outside of the technological rationality of modern culture. And they further add, Hope also appears to lie outside the disillusionment of the postmodern era.

In short, we have a situation where hope is avoided in the 20th century as a serious topic: Its far too positive, has too many theological connotations, and so is notor more accurately, perhaps, cannot bescientific. Motivation, on the other hand, can comfortably fill the gap, since it hasnt acquired all the historical connotations of hope.

While positive in itself, motivation can also manifest in the negative as with the word demotivation. There is no word like de-hope, only hopelessness, which implies the absence of hope; we dont have it. We register a zero value for it, and so it is not a negative number (or positive aversion) as in demotivation.

The importance of this point is, of course, that since there is no negative number for hope, then clearly we all should have it; it has a value and its absence therefore means a deficit in us. But a deficit in us would be, in modern thinking, judgmental, and we cant have that.

Whereas, if we have a negative number for the word motivation, then being motivation negative about any thing, topic, or value can be just the way things are. No judgment need be implied (although we understand that being motivated generally is better than not being so).

With these preliminary thoughts in mind, then, what is the further difference between motivation and hope and how else are they connected? Part 2 of this article will explore these ideas further.
Woman, 81, Killed in Her Woodland Hills Home

WOODLAND HILLS, Calif.An 81-year-old woman who had suffered burns was found dead in her home in Woodland Hills, and police sought the publics help Aug. 3 to find whoever killed her.

A family member of the victim called police at 7:48 p.m. Aug. 2, and officers went to the 208000 block of Martha Street, north of Burbank Boulevard, and found the woman in a bedroom, Officer Annie Hernandez of the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) told City News Service.

Ok Ja Kim was pronounced dead at the scene, she said.

Upon arrival, the officers observed evidence of forced entry and of a possible burglary, she said in a statement. Officers located the victim in her bedroom, laying on the ground, and half her body under her bed. She was semi-charred, unconscious, and not breathing.

Detectives were advised that a family member went to the victims residence, found her deceased in her bedroom, and saw evidence of a fire, she said. Her family member then called 911.

Detectives canvassed the neighborhood for surveillance cameras, possible witnesses, and evidence.

The exact cause of death at the moment is unknown, she said. There is no suspect information.

Police earlier said the home had been ransacked and the victim had been set on fire.

Its generally a quiet neighborhood, LAPD Detective Sharon Kim told Fox 11. [Its] upper middle class, so a crime like this thats violent is pretty unusual for this neighborhood.

I have noticed that there is a large transient population in this neighborhood, and were not sure if that might be related, but thats something we all have to be aware of when were coming from and going to our homes, Kim said.

Anyone with information on the case was urged to call LAPD Valley Bureau homicide detectives at 818-374-9550, or Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS.
Jaha Cummings takes time out of his day at a Punta Gorda, Fla., coffee shop and speak to his constituents about issues important to them as he campaigns for a county commission seat on Aug. 1, 2022. (Jann Falkenstern/The Epoch Times)

World Traveler Comes Home to Florida to Make a Difference

PUNTA GORDA, Fla.Jaha Cummings traveled and lived around the world, but he came home to his roots to make a difference in a community that served him well growing up.

Jaha means Glory of God in Swahili, Cummings explained when asked during an interview with The Epoch Times about the origins of his name.

Cummings roots are well-grounded in the history of the small southwest Florida city that seems to grow exponentially year after year as more and more people are attracted to the state and decide to call it home.

One of my ancestors was one of the first people to come to this area in 1885 and was one of 15 surveyors responsible for bringing the railroad to the area, which completely changed the look and history of what would become Punta Gorda, he explained.

Tom Satchel a member of the Harbor Sunset Rotary Club in Punta Gorda, Fla., speaks with county commission hopeful Jaha Cummings during an Aug. 2 Rotary Club meeting in 2022. (Jann Falkenstern/The Epoch Times)

My great-grandmother was here at a time when you had to take a boat from Punta Gorda to Gasparilla Island because there was no other way to get there.

However, Cummings had dreams of traveling and seeing the world. After graduating high school he found himself immersed in Asian studies at Dartmouth University and after graduating college, he would go on to live in different parts of Asia where he opened markets for American companies and stayed for 20 years until he came home on vacation.

I came back to visit my family and, well, when you grow up here you like it of course, Cummings laughed as he recalled the day he decided to give up his Asian way of living and come home.

But being back, being on the water, seeing all the beautiful plant lifeits such a vibrant, natural, tranquil environment. Its idyllic.

It would not be long before Cummings wanted to do more with his time and help transform a community that he loved.

He ran for a seat on the Punta Gorda City Council and wonnow, after six years of serving on the city council, he realizes that he can be more service to his constituents on a broader level, which led him to run as a Republican for a Charlotte County commissioner seat.

What I found was that many of the solutions to constituents problems were actually under the purview of the county, he said. I just came to feel that in order to advocate for residents better, this was a better ability to do that.

While in Japan, Cummings served as an adviser for a senator and was involved in a legislative council for tourism between Japan and other Asian countries that prepared him for a career in government.

So, I knew about working in government and the importance of tourism; especially its economic impact on an area, he said.

I really see my role in the Punta Gorda City Council as an opportunity to do whats best for the entire county. Charlotte County is unique in that Punta Gorda is our only city, and therefore this is the only city council in the county.

But I want to eliminate the dichotomy between city and county and bring everyone together for the best interests of the area as a whole.

However, Cummings has a philosophical approach to politics, especially local elections and said people should pay more attention to them and tune out national noise that detracts from what is going on locally.

What I found in life is that a good 90 percent of our life comes from decisions of local government, he said.

Cummings went on to say that he feels that people get distracted by national issues and apply those issues to themselves without realizing that within the mechanisms of local government, we have solutions to everything.

Although Cummings is focused on winning the upcoming county commission electionwhatever the outcome, he said he has a plan for his life and the community he loves.

In the event that I do not win the commission seat, I will continue in many of my current county, regional, and state roles, because they are not contingent upon me being an elected official, he said.

My plans are to continue serving the people.

Even though he has a desire to serve locally, where he feels he can do the most good, he has future aspirations.

Though I desire to serve at the local level now because this is where I feel I can be of most use to our citizens, he said. I do have plans to run for a state role in the future.

Whether he is called Councilman Cummings, Commissioner Cummings, or even one day, perhaps Governor Cummings, he sees life as a progression of steps to get to a higher goal in life. He compared life to the ripple effect when throwing a stone into a pond.

First you have your circles, they take care of you and your family, then if you wish to become a greater man, you expand it.

But in order to serveits all localall politics is local, and I totally believe that.
P.F. Chang's will open a new restaurant next year at Milford's Connecticut Post Mall, the mall announced Wednesday.

The Asian restaurant concept will join another Connecticut location at the Westfarms mall in Farmington. The Milford P.F. Chang's will replace the former Bar Louie, which closed in early 2020.

We are thrilled to bring P.F. Changs to the CT Post Mall and our Milford-area community, said Ken Sterba, general manager of Connecticut Post Mall, in a news release. The immersive Asian dining experience P.F. Changs offers will be a hit with our guests, and the restaurant is sure to become a go-to spot to celebrate with friends and family on any occasion."

"The addition of P.F. Changs also complements our larger vision for the property, as we continue to actively transform The Post into a vibrant destination the community will enjoy for years to come," Sterba said.

P.F. Chang's scratch-made modern Asian food features options like dim sum (including wontons, spring rolls and dumplings); lettuce wraps, Mongolian beef, salt and pepper prawns, oolong Chilean sea bass and assorted noodle and rice dishes. A full bar includes beer, wine, sake and specialty cocktails.

The global chain, with more than 300 restaurants, previously had a location at the Stamford Town Center. The Stamford P.F. Chang's was replaced by a Cheesecake Factory, which ultimately closed in 2020.
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NEW YORK (AP)  Two powerful House Democrats from New York each declined Tuesday to say that President Joe Biden should run for the White House again in 2024.

Reps. Jerry Nadler and Carolyn Maloney, two of the party's establishment liberals who chair powerful committees and are competing for a Manhattan-area House seat, shied away from supporting the president when they were asked in a televised debate whether Biden should seek a second term.

Nadler, who chairs the House Judiciary committee, said: Too early to say. Doesnt serve the purpose of the Democratic Party to, to deal with that until after the midterms.

Maloney, who chairs the Oversight committee, said, I dont believe hes running for reelection.

Their comments follow West Virginia moderate Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin, who declined Sunday to endorse the president for a second term, saying he wouldnt get into it.

New York Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who is more progressive than Nadler, Maloney and Manchin, also demurred when asked in a June CNN interview to say whether she would support Biden running in 2024.

Last month, Minnesota Democratic Rep. Dean Phillips said in a radio interview that he didn't believe Biden should run again and that "the country would be well-served by a new generation of compelling, well-prepared, dynamic Democrats who step up.

His Minnesota colleague, Rep. Angie Craig, earlier Tuesday told MinnPost that Democrats need new leaders in Washington up and down the ballot when asked if she would support Biden if he runs.

Biden, 79, has said he plans to seek reelection. But as the oldest person to have ever assumed the presidency, Biden has faced persistent questions about whether he will run for a second term.

While Maloney and Nadler each declined to encourage a Biden reelection bid, the third candidate in their primary, 38-year-old attorney Suraj Patel, backed the president. Patel, who has cast his campaign around a need for fresh voices in politics, said simply, Yes, when asked if Biden should run again.
Courtesy of Madison County State's Attorney

On Friday, Larry Thompson, 36, pled guilty in two cases against him regarding numerous residential burglaries and stolen vehicles in the metro area.

These convictions resulted from the joint investigative work among several metro communities. Thompson was among multiple suspects in a string of local car and home burglaries committed in Madison, Jersey and Macoupin counties.




"I am pleased to address you to present my resignation from the position of Third Vice-Chairman of Congress of the Republic, to which I was lawfully elected in parliamentary elections on July 26 this year," he stated in a letter addressed to Congress Chairwoman Lady Camones





The lawmaker remarked that he does not agree with or accept the sentence that the Judiciary imposed on him. Consequently, he will challenge the decision in accordance with the provisions of the country's Constitution.





"In the exercise of my right to plurality of instances provided under Article 139, paragraph 6 of the Political Constitution of Peru I will be challenged at the appropriate time, sure and confident that a second instance with a better understanding of the facts and the evidence provided will absolve me of all responsibility," Elera stated.





Likewise, he emphasized that the sentence issued against him is not final and that he will approach the Supreme Court of Justice of the Republic and the Constitutional Court seeking protection of his fundamental rights.





Sentence





Judge Ronald Soto Cortez, of the Seventh Unipersonal Criminal Court Specialized in Corruption Crimes of Officials, sentenced Congressman Wilmar Elera to six years in prison for the crime of aggravated collusion.





In advance of the ruling, Judge Soto sentenced Elera for facts that date back to 2012 and that have to do with his participation as supervisor of the public work "Improvement and Expansion of the Potable Water and Sewage System of Pacaipampa, Ayabaca, Piura."





The full reading of the sentence will take place on August 11. On said date, the judge will present the arguments supporting his decision.





(END) GSR/JCR/RMB/MVB
WASHINGTON (AP)  For a year, U.S. officials have been saying that taking out a terrorist threat in Afghanistan with no American troops on the ground would be difficult but not impossible. Last weekend, the U.S. did just that  killing al-Qaida leader Ayman al-Zawahri with a CIA drone strike.

Other high-profile airstrikes in the past had inadvertently killed innocent civilians. In this case, the U.S. carefully chose to use a type of Hellfire missile that greatly minimized the chance of other casualties. Although U.S. officials have not publicly confirmed which variant of the Hellfire was used, experts and others familiar with counterterrorism operations said a likely option was the highly secretive Hellfire R9X  know by various nicknames, including the knife bomb or the "flying Ginsu."

That potential use of the R9X, said Klon Kitchen, senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and a former intelligence analyst, suggests the U.S. wanted to kill al-Zawahri with limited likelihood of collateral death and destruction and for other relevant political reasons.

A look at the Hellfire, and how al-Zawahri likely was killed:

WHAT IS A HELLFIRE MISSILE?

Originally designed as an anti-tank missile in the 1980s, the Hellfire has been used by military and intelligence agencies over the last two decades to strike targets in Iraq, Afghanistan, Yemen and elsewhere.

The precision-guided missiles can be mounted on helicopters and unmanned drones and are used widely in combat around the world. More than 100,000 Hellfire missiles have been sold to the U.S. and other countries, according to Ryan Brobst, an analyst at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, a Washington think tank.

It can do enough damage to destroy most targets such as vehicles and buildings while not doing enough damage to level city blocks and cause significant civilian casualties, Brobst said.

The U.S. military has routinely used Hellfire missiles to kill high-value targets, including a senior al-Qaida leader in Syria last year, and al-Qaida propagandist Anwar al-Awlaki in Yemen in 2011.

WHAT KILLED AL-ZAWAHRI?

The U.S. had multiple options for the attack. It could have used a traditional Hellfire, a bomb dropped from an manned aircraft, or a far more risky assault by ground forces. U.S. Navy SEALs, for example, flew into Pakistan on helicopters and took out Osama bin Laden in a raid.

In this case, the CIA opted for a drone strike. And while the CIA generally doesnt confirm its counterterrorism missions and closely guards information about strikes it conducts, U.S. government officials have said that two Hellfire missiles were fired at the balcony of the building where al-Zawahri was living in Kabul.

Online images of the building show damage to the balcony, where the U.S. says al-Zawahri was, but the rest of the house is standing and not badly damaged.

Unlike other models of the Hellfire, the R9X doesnt carry an explosive payload. Instead, it has a series of six rotating blades that emerge on its final approach to a target, Kitchen said. One of their utilities is in opening up vehicles and other obstructions to get to the target without having to use an explosive warhead, he said.

AVOIDING CIVILIAN CASUALTIES

U.S. officials and experts made clear this week that avoiding civilian casualties was a crucial element in the choice of weapon.

Less than a year ago, a U.S. drone strike  using a more conventional Hellfire missile  struck a white Toyota Corolla sedan in a Kabul neighborhood and killed 10 civilians around and near the car, including seven children. In the midst of the chaotic U.S. military withdrawal from Afghanistan, American forces believed there were explosives in the car and that it posed an imminent threat to troops on the ground. It was, military leaders said, a tragic mistake

One former U.S. official said the likely choice of an R9X is an example of the administration's effort to find ways to minimize collateral damage and prevent the loss of innocent life. That missile is a very accurate weapon that strikes in a very small area, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss counterterrorism operations.

An administration official said Monday that the U.S. investigated the construction of the house where al-Zawahri was staying in order to ensure that the operation could be done without threatening the structural integrity of the building and also minimizing the risks of killing civilians, including members of his family who were in other parts of the house.

The choice of missile is ultimately one part of reducing the possibility of killing civilians or causing other collateral damage.

I would say this is by far a lower-risk option, said Tom Karako, an expert on missile defense at the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies. Using the Hellfire, he said, "reflects a high degree of caution as opposed to a riskiness.

IS THE US PROVIDING UKRAINE WITH DRONES THAT CAN FIRE HELLFIRE MISSILES?

No. While the U.S. has delivered billions of dollars in military assistance to help Ukraine fight the invading Russian troops, it is wary of providing weapons that could fire deep into Russia, potentially escalating the conflict or drawing the U.S. into the war.

As a result, the U.S. so far has not provided Hellfire missiles or drones that could fire them. Instead, the U.S. has delivered smaller, so-called kamikaze drones, such as the Switchblade and Phoenix Ghost, which instead of firing missiles, explode when they hit a target.
A Granite City man indicted for armed violence along with drug and weapons charges was one of several issued last week by a Madison County grand jury.

George H. Narup, 26 of Granite City, was indicted July 28 on July 5 with armed violence, unlawful possession of methamphetamine with intent to deliver and being an armed habitual criminal, all Class X felonies, and unlawful possession of weapons by a felon, a Class 2 felony.

The case was originally presented by the Madison County Sheriffs Department and charges were filed July 5.

According to court documents, on July 1, Narup allegedly had 15-100 grams of methamphetamine with the intent to deliver as well as a Taurus 9 mm handgun.

The armed violence count stems from possession of a weapon during a drug-related offense. The armed habitual criminal charge stems from his possession of a weapon after multiple felony convictions, including burglary and offenses relating to motor vehicles in 2013, aggravated battery in 2016, and possession of weapons by a felon in 2018, all out of Madison County.

Other indictments issued July 28 include:

 Derek D. Brooks, 52, of Pontoon Beach, was indicted for aggravated discharge of a firearm, a Class 1 felony, and two counts of domestic battery, a Class A misdemeanor. The domestic battery charges were added after the original charge was filed. The case was originally presented by the Pontoon Beach Police Department. According to court documents, on July 4, Brooks allegedly discharged a firearm in the direction of two people, one being a 15-year-old boy. Both were household or family members who were also pushed to the ground by Brooks.

 Reginald D. Curry, 32, of Granite City, was indicted for aggravated battery, a Class 2 felony; electronic harassment, a Class 4 felony, and resisting a peace officer, a Class A misdemeanor. The case was originally presented by the Granite City Police Department. According to court documents, on July 5, Curry allegedly struck an officer of the Granite City Police Department in the chest and scratched their face. Curry also allegedly threatened injury to another through electronic communications.

 Colyn K. Cantrell, 25, of Quincy, was indicted for domestic battery (second subsequent offense), a Class 4 felony. The case was originally presented by the Granite City Police Department. On May 14 Cantrell allegedly hit a household or family member in the face with his hand. It was noted he has a prior conviction for domestic battery out of Adams County, Illinois.
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HONOLULU (AP)  In Hawaii, there's a common question posed in the pidgin language of the islands: Where you went grad?

Knowing where someone went to high school has long been an important identity marker for Hawaii residents and helps connect people in the state's close-knit communities. It's an affiliation that goes far deeper than rooting for a certain team or cross-town rivalries.

It's how you understand your place in Hawaii and your belonging, said Ty P. Kawika Tengan, a professor in the Departments of Ethnic Studies and Anthropology at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. "It tells all these stories about race, class and other things that are kind of implied by the school and the communities that you imagine go there.

But for some, answering that question gets complicated when the school bears the name of President William McKinley, who many Native Hawaiians disdain for his role in the annexation of the Hawaiian Kingdom to the United States. And now a proposal to change the name of Honolulu's McKinley High School has sharply divided graduates, often along generational lines.

Sautia Tanoa, a 2005 graduate, said changing the name to Honolulu High  the name the school bore before it was changed to McKinley in 1907  is appropriate and would help rekindle his pride in the school.

As I grew up and I got more educated about the history ... all of these names that were chosen or celebrated were the very ones that overtook the place, he said. In the sense of historical justice, if I can be one of the many voices asking to restore the name, I can be a little bit more proud of being part of the effort and also being part of that school.

But even talking about changing the schools name makes 1979 graduate Suzanne Chun Oakland cry.

It was like stabbing me in the heart, the former state lawmaker said of hearing about the effort. Its like going into your family and saying you have to change your family name.

The debate comes amid a growing movement across the islands to restore traditional Hawaiian place names to honor and respect Native Hawaiian culture and history.

What used to be known as Barbers Point in west Oahu is now Kalaeloa. On Kauai, Fort Elisabeth State Historical Park was renamed to Paulaula. Iconic Diamond Head is increasingly being called Leahi and some people prefer to say Puuloa instead of Pearl Harbor.

The movement to return to traditional names stretches beyond Hawaii, with efforts afoot across the United States. One of the most high-profile name changes also involved McKinley: North Americas tallest mountain, which was named after the former president for more than a century, was returned to its previous name, Denali, in 2015 to honor Alaska Natives.

But the attachment many in Hawaii feel toward their high school is proving to be an unlikely stumbling block in the growing quest for authenticity in the islands, where some public schools are named for their locations and some are named after people, including the businessmen who dominated during Hawaiis sugar plantation past.

Less than 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) from McKinley High, Central Middle School changed its name to Princess Ruth Keelikolani Middle School  a change some say was easy because Where you went grad always refers to high school.

Hawaiis statewide public school teachers union has backed plans to change McKinley High's name.

The schools name glorifies a man who illegally annexed a country against the will of her queen and people, the union wrote last year urging members to support a legislative resolution on the matter.

The resolution stalled in the last legislative session, as did another calling for the Big Island community of Captain Cook to be restored to its original name of Kaawaloa.

I think were in this time period where people are really starting to recognize just the changes that need to be made, the historical wrongdoings that have been done towards Native and Indigenous peoples, and the importance of restoring place names, said state Rep. Jeanne Kapela, who introduced the name change resolutions.

Kapela said she understands people may resist changing names of places they feel connected to.

I have my own affinity to my own alma mater, but the reality is that no matter what the school is named, that school sits on a place, said Kapela, who graduated from Konawaena High School, which means central Kona, where its located. Its the community that built us. And that community is based on a place name. In order to honor that community, we have to honor the place its standing on.

In arguing to keep the name, McKinley High's principal, Ron Okamura, also cited the connection between identity and high school, saying it goes deep into the make up of who we are."

We are often asked Where you grad from? and the answer is always the name of our high school, he wrote in testimony opposing the change. It is not about who the school is named after, but the branding' of the schools culture that is attached to that school.

Keeping the name also ensures history is learned from and not erased, he said.

Still efforts to change the school's name continue.

Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu, a Hawaiian cultural practitioner who did not attend McKinley, said it's insulting to keep a name honoring a man who was no friend to Hawaiians."

It would be one thing if you were to say, get rid of the school, she said. But to change the name is about the dignity of a people.

The importance of the Where you went grad question has roots in Polynesian culture, which places an emphasis on knowing where someone is from, but it's also been co-opted by foreign colonizers who became Hawaii locals, she said.

Because when you say, Oh, where are you from, they cannot claim the land itself because they know that's not where their family originated," Wong-Kalu said. But you can claim the school.

Nanette Kaiwi, a Native Hawaiian graduate of the class of 1967 said she meets weekly with some of her classmates and they discuss plans for their upcoming 55th reunion and their strong feelings against the name change.

Kaiwi said she and her classmates worry how they would answer when asked, Where you went grad, a question Kaiwi faced numerous times at a recent family gathering. They even worry how their descendants will remember them.

It was not wanting our grandchildren, great-grandchildren to say, What school did Tutu go? Oh McKinley, wheres that? Kaiwi said using a Hawaiian term of endearment for grandparent. It was the thought of losing the identity of the school we went to.

Kaiwi said she also wants to keep the name and a statue of McKinley that stands on campus so the injustices of the past are not forgotten.

I want it to stay because I dont want people to forget that book he is holding is not a treaty," she said of the statue. "That its all a lie and that our lands were stolen.

Catherine Anderson Orlans, a 2005 graduate, said she learned McKinley's true place in Hawaii's history not from school but from her kupuna, or elders.

It's kind of like that awkward elephant in the room, she said of attending McKinley. As a Hawaiian student, you always kind of know the real meaning of who he is ... but it really wasn't taught at the school.

While she's still proud to have graduated from the school, she believes changing its name will help heal a more profound identity loss for fellow Native Hawaiians.

I have no problem saying in the future, I graduated from Honolulu High School, formerly McKinley High School,'" she said.
Presidente @PedroCastilloTe:"En este primer ano de gobierno hemos trabajado en la reconstruccion de las relaciones bilaterales, regionales y multilaterales que se habian suspendido por los efectos de la pandemia y sucesivos cambios presidenciales durante al quinquenio anterior". pic.twitter.com/nkT5JDG1oK
Residents of communities in the South-south region have been enlivened by a recent hint dropped by President Muhammadu Buhari that a substantive board for the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, will soon be inaugurated.

On Thursday, July 28, Buhari had at a two-day retreat organised for management staff of the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs and the NDDC, gave an indication that a board for the interventionist agency was in the offing.

Barely one week after, its a mixed bag of joy, suspense and anger for stakeholders in the oil-rich region including traditional rulers, community and youth leaders amidst reports on intrigues by some top politicians of Niger Delta extraction desirous of throwing a spanner in the wheels allegedly for their political interests.

The Stakeholders are piqued over reports that the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva, immediate past Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi and the Deputy Senate President, Senator Ovie Omo-agege are entangled in a battle with a former Minister for Niger Delta Affairs, Chief Godswill Akpabio and his successor, Umana Umana for control of the NDDC board for which nominations had been made since 2021 with Elder Denyanbofa Dimaro as managing director, among others.

Sylvas alleged move to replace Dimaros nomination with his kinsman, Maxwell Oko, according to reports, is said to be facing strong resentment among stakeholders especially in his home State, Bayelsa, who accuse him of creeping nepotism, as the recently appointed substantive Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Simbi Kesiye Wabote, is said to be his cousin, while Dr Edmund Daukoru, chairman of Nigeria Liquified Natural Gas, NLNG, board appointed in July 2020, is widely acclaimed to be his mentor and boss during the Chief Olusegun Obasanjo administration.

This is besides reports that Oko is battling to extricate himself of allegations in a petition written against him which raised questions over his academic records.

Reports further indicated that in the face of mounting opposition to Oko, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources is believed to have worked out a Plan B by seeking an alliance with Omo-Agege, who hails from Delta State. The alleged plan by Sylva is for Oko to be nominated Executive Director, Finance for the agency while Sam Mgbuku, an aide to the Deputy Senate President would be nominated in the place of Dimaro as managing director, despite a legal albatross allegedly hanging on Mgbukus neck.

In an apparent desperation for the soul of the NDDC, some of the gladiators have allegedly resorted to making mischief by portraying Dimaro as being 76 years old and  too old for the rigours of office and should be retiring by now. However, investigations revealed that he would clock 67 years by August 7, 2022.

Worried by the development, stakeholders have warned Sylva, Omo-agege and Amaechi to desist from engaging in intrigues over the NDDC board which they described as antithetical to the interest of the Niger Delta people. They also accused Amaechi, a former Transport Minister of having monopolized the NDDC board at the inception of Buharis administration,

Reports of Dimaros nomination as managing director of the NDDC and Buharis recent hint on a substantive board for the agency seem to have rekindled hope in the Niger Delta as stakeholders in the region gear up for a showdown with those perceived to be playing spoilers.

This is coming after traditional rulers in Bayelsa State had last year warned on fresh danger of youth restiveness as the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva, locked horns with the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs at the time, Godswill Akpabio, over control of the NDDC.

Specifically, they had expressed fears on looming crises over reports that Sylva was battling to upturn a nominee already forwarded for approval by Akpabio, the erstwhile supervising minister of the NDDC, for the position of managing director in the yet-to-be constituted board of the Commission.

In a letter to President Muhammadu Buhari dated June 4, 2021, the traditional had rulers urged him to ensure that any act capable of triggering further agitations in the Niger Delta be avoided as the region and the polity was already over-heated.

What has however heightened tension amongst the youths and citizenry is the growing rumour that the Honorable Minister of State for Petroleum, Chief Timipre Sylva is thwarting this laudable effort of the Honorable Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Chief Godswill Akpabio.

In our opinion, the polity and the region are already over heated and anything that will bring about further agitations should be avoided, part of the letter read.

It was signed by seven traditional rulers and copies sent to the Commissioner of Police and Director, Department of State Services (DSS) in Bayelsa State, as well as the President of the Ijaw National Congress, INC.

The South-South Elders Progressive Forum, SSEPF, with a membership comprising elders cutting across states in the Niger Delta, had also warned top politicians from the region against acts inimical to a seamless inauguration of a substantive board for the NDDC while contending that its Establishment Act had no provision for an interim contraption in the running of its affairs.
An Abuja court has ordered the arrest of Wema Bank MD, Adebise over alleged forgery, issuance of dud cheques.

A Chief Magistrates Court in Wuse, Abuja, has ordered the immediate arrest of the Managing Director of Wema Bank Plc, Mr Ademola Adebisi, over alleged forgery and issuance of defective cheques.

A warrant for the arrest of the Managing Director was issued yesterday, following his continued refusal to honour the courts invitation to appear before it.

The Chief Magistrate Elizabeth Jones made the pronouncement for the immediate arrest of Adebise by the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies in the country wherever he is found.

The arrest warrant read in part You are hereby directed to arrest Ademola Adebisi and produce him before me.

Before the court issued the warrant of arrest, the complainant in the matter, Barrister George Halliday, had informed the court that the issue began after a High Court of the FCT made a garnishee order absolute against Wema Bank Plc, directing them to pay him the sum of N50 million.

The lawyer claimed that Wema Bank complied by issuing five bank drafts of N10m each, totalling the judgment debt sum as directed by the high court and as payable by Bayelsa State Government, the judgment-debtor.

Halliday told the court that few days later, the drafts were returned by First Bank Plc as dishonoured with a letter attached stating that the drafts were twice presented for clearing and were twice rejected.

He added that Wema Bank, while trying to justify the failed drafts, forged the Internally Generated Revenue Statement of Account of Bayelsa State Government to show that the drafts were dishonoured because there was no money in the account.

He said in the affidavit to the suit: That they further forged an affidavit which filing fees were paid in 2017 but commissioned in 2007.

That the bank also forged a motion on notice that bears the same motion number with that of the judgment creditor.

Halliday said it was against this background that the court summoned the Managing Director of Wema Bank Plc to appear before it and explain the forgery of the above said High Court processes.

A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Adekola Mustapha had objected to theAdebisis appearance but the court overruled same and issued the warrant of arrest having refused to appear on five adjournments.
Pelosi says Taiwan trip in peace as furious China vows strong response

TAIPEI: US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said today (Aug 3) that her delegation had come to Taiwan in peace for the region, after the visit enraged Beijing and set off a diplomatic firestorm.

Chinesepoliticsmilitary

By AFP

Wednesday 3 August 2022, 10:59AM

US Speaker of the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, arrives in Taiwan in a visit that has angered Beijing and stirred up a new crisis in US-China relations. Photo: AFP

She defied a string of increasingly stark warnings and threats from China, which views Taiwan as its territory and had warned it would consider her visit a major provocation.

Today, our delegation... came to Taiwan to make unequivocally clear we will not abandon our commitment to Taiwan and we are proud of our enduring friendship, Pelosi said during an event with the islands President Tsai Ing-wen.

Pelosi, second in line to the presidency, is the highest-profile elected US official to visit Taiwan in 25 years.

We come in friendship to Taiwan, we come in peace to the region, she said during a meeting with Tsai Chi-chang, the deputy speaker of Taiwans parliament.

As Pelosi - who is on a tour of Asia - touched down last night in a military aircraft after days of feverish speculation about her plans, the reaction from Beijing was swift.

US Ambassador Nicholas Burns was summoned by the Chinese foreign ministry and told that Washington shall pay the price.

The move is extremely egregious in nature and the consequences are extremely serious, Chinas Vice Foreign Minister Xie Feng was quoted as saying by state news agency Xinhua.

China will not sit idly by.

The Chinese military said it was on high alert and would launch a series of targeted military actions in response to the visit.

It promptly announced plans for a series of military exercises this week in waters around the island, straddling vital shipping lanes.

The drills will include long-range live ammunition shooting in the Taiwan Strait, which separates the island from mainland China.

The zone of Chinese exercises will be within 20 kilometres (12 miles) of Taiwans shoreline at some points, according to coordinates released by the Chinese military.

Taiwans defence ministry said more than 21 Chinese military aircraft had flown into the islands air defence identification zone yesterday - an area wider than its territorial airspace that overlaps with part of Chinas own air defence zone.

The ministry described the Chinese drills as an attempt to threaten our important ports and urban areas, and unilaterally undermine regional peace and stability.

We shouldnt be too worried

Outside the Taiwanese parliament, 31-year-old computer programmer Frank Chen shrugged off the Chinese warnings against Pelosis visit.

Im not too worried about Chinas intimidation, he told AFP.

I think China will take more threatening actions and ban more Taiwanese products, but we shouldnt be too worried.

There was a small group of pro-China demonstrators outside parliament as well.

The United States uses Taiwan as a pawn in its confrontation with China, to try to drag China down so (it) can dominate the world, Lee Kai-dee, a 71-year-old retired researcher, told AFP.

If the United States continues to act this way, Taiwan will end up like Ukraine.

China has vowed to seize self-ruled, democratic Taiwan one day, by force if necessary.

Russias invasion of Ukraine in February heightened fears in Taiwan that China may similarly follow through on its threats to annex the island.

Beijing tries to keep the island isolated on the world stage and opposes countries having official exchanges with Taipei.

In a call with US President Joe Biden last week, Chinese President Xi Jinping warned Washington against "playing with fire on Taiwan.

While the Biden administration is understood to be opposed to Pelosis Taiwan stop, White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said she was entitled to go where she pleased.

The United States has said, however, that its policy was unchanged towards Taiwan.

This means support for its government while diplomatically recognising Beijing over Taipei, and opposing a formal independence declaration by Taiwan or a forceful takeover by China.
Sailing and Motor Yacht Rally

Start From: Saturday 20 August 2022, 08:00AM to Sunday 21 August 2022, 08:00PM Mon. Tue. Wed. Thu. Fri. Sat. Sun.

Phuket Yacht Club Ao Po club race, all welcome. The Phuket Yacht Club is heading north for a weekend of fun sailing to encourage more yachts to get out on the water. Notice of race and more information can be found at phuketyachtclub.com
YEREVAN, AUGUST 3, ARMENPRESS. President of Armenia Vahagn Khachaturyan received Member of Parliament of Sweden, Chairman of the Sweden-Armenia Friendship Group Arin Karapet, the Presidential Office said.

The lawmaker introduced the President on the development of the Armenian-Swedish mutual partnership and the opportunities of Swedens support to Armenias ongoing reforms. Expanding mutual cooperation particularly in tourism and culture sectors was highlighted.

Views were exchanged on Armenias democratic development, regional developments and prospects.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern joined us on the show this morning.

Rog made the PM sweat a little when he asked her about how $7 million was paid to Kiwis living overseas.

The cost of living payment, which has been paid, but over $7 million to people paid overseas. That's a headache you're gonna have to deal with in the next few days, surely?

Have a watch of the moment up top.

Bryce also yarned about Brendan, a listener who has to raise $50,000 to get his life saving drug for bowel cancer (which you legends did.)

So Bryce posed the question:

"Why are kiwis continually having to ask our show The Morning Rumble for help?"

Have a watch of that video here.
YEREVAN, AUGUST 3, ARMENPRESS. The first edition of the Symphonic Yerevan International Music Festival will take place in the Armenian capital of Yerevan between the 12th and 25th of August 2022.

Organised by the European Foundation for Support of Culture, in collaboration with the Armenian State Symphony Orchestra, and in partnership with the Armenian State Philharmonia and Arno Babajanyan Concert Hall, the Municipality of Yerevan and the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport of the Republic of Armenia, this inaugural edition will see no fewer than 17 internationally-acclaimed soloists and ensembles from around the world taking to the stage of three of Armenias most illustrious venues  the Aram Khachaturian Concert Hall, Arno Babajanyan Concert Hall and Komitas Museum-Institute. Together with the Armenian State Symphony Orchestra  the festivals Orchestra-in-Residence  who shall be led by a number of distinguished international conductors, they will be interpreting works from a variety of historic and contemporary European and international composers, including various pieces from the pens of Armenian masters.

This first edition of Symphonic Yerevan shall boast no fewer than 14 recitals and symphonic and chamber concerts, which shall be held in three of the citys most celebrated venues  the Aram Khachaturian Concert Hall, the Komitas Museum-Institute, and the Arno Babajanyan Concert Hall.

The first of these concerts shall be taking place on the 12th of the month, and will present a duo recital by bassoonist Nikolay Poghosyan (Armenia) and pianist Anahit Dilbaryan (Armenia). This will be followed by a second duo recital on the 13th featuring another two pianists  Armine Grigoryan (Armenia) and Sona Barseghyan (Armenia)  which will in turn precede a third duo recital, this time showcasing the talents of flautist Gevorg Avetisyan (Armenia) and pianist Anahit Dilbaryan (Armenia).

For the fourth concert of the festival, the Armenian State Symphony Orchestra shall be taking to the stage, led by Dutch conductor Daniel Raiskin, and accompanied by the Italian violinist Giovanni Zanon. Then, for the 16th of August, Raiskin will be making an appearance once again, this time to conduct the string section of the ASSO in a chamber concert featuring the clarinettist Fabrizio Meloni (Italy). The 17th will witness another duo recital with cellist Sevak Avanesyan (Armenia) and pianist Sona Barseghyan (Armenia), before the ASSO takes centrestage under Raiskins baton once more in a symphonic concert alongside Saleem Ashkar (Israel/Palestine).

Symphonic Yerevans 8th concert on the 19th of August shall be a special affair, headlined by the acclaimed Aram Khachaturian Trio, while the following entry on the 20th shall see the ASSO, this time led by Hungarian maestro Gergely Madaras, accompanying cellist Brannon Cho (USA) and flautist Noemi Gyori (Hungary). Raiskin and the string section of the ASSO shall return once again on the 21st, in a chamber concert with Belgian violinist Marc Bouchkov, before Madaras takes the reins of the orchestra once more for a symphonic concert with Italian pianist Vanessa Benelli Mosell on the 22nd.

The final three concerts of Symphonic Yerevan will kick off with a chamber concert featuring Raiskin and the string section of the ASSO in a special collaboration with Chinese guitarist Xuefei Yang, which will be followed by Russian pianist Nikita Mndoyants in a solo recital. Finally, for the festivals closing concert, the ASSOs Founder, Artistic Director and Principal Conductor Sergey Smbatyan will be leading the orchestra himself, which will team up with Chinese-US violinist Nancy Zhou in a grand event at the Aram Khachaturian Concert Hall.
Montreal, CA (H4T1V6)

Today

Overcast. Slight chance of a rain shower. High 26C. Winds NE at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Cloudy with occasional light rain late. Low 17C. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%.
NED BRISTOL is a retired editor of The Sun Chronicle. He can be reached at nedbristol@msn.com .
Washington will face serious retaliation due to US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan, the Chinese Foreign Ministrys Arms Control Department Director-General Fu Cong told TASS on Tuesday.

August 3, 2022, 11:03 Pelosis Taiwan visit to have serious consequences, says Chinese diplomat

STEPANAKERT, AUGUST 3, ARTSAKHPRESS: "Those actions of the US will lead to serious negative consequences. Serious retaliation measures will be taken against the US," he said, adding that the situation is very serious, concerning Chinas sovereignty and territorial integrity.

"As far as Taiwan and Chinas uniting are regarded, our position suggests that we are doing everything possible for uniting the country peacefully, though we do not give up the military option," the diplomat said. "The reason is that we need sufficient control of potential separatists," he noted.

That said, Chinas official sees no risks of using nuclear weapons in the current situation.
What's good for one party, is good for the other
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PEORIA  An Alton born author is working to honor the first feed slave.

Carl Adams has been a lifelong Abraham Lincoln scholar, dedicating the last 25 years to research into Nance Legins-Costley, born Nance Legins Cox, who was freed as a slave by Lincoln in 1841  20 years before the start Civil War.

Next week historical markers will be placed at her gravesite in Moffatt Cemetery in Peoria. According to Adams, funds are also being collected to erect a permanent memorial in her honor.

Adams grew up near the Alton monument to abolitionist publisher Elijah Parish Lovejoy who was killed by a mob during an anti-abolition riot in his hometown.

"I sat there and wondered about that monument and what it meant," he said.

He earned a bachelors degree in broadcast journalism from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville in 1979 and worked more than 20 years on public radio documentaries and network television news. In the 1970s and 1980s, Adams provided communications and military history lessons as a training officer for both the Marines and the Army.

For his project,Trials of Nance, Adams had to dig deep into Lincoln and Illinois history to recover the story of Legins-Costley, a story that for more than a hundred years was lost to history. In 2014 the project was compiled into a book titled "Trials of the First Slave Freed by Abraham Lincoln: A True Story of Nance Legins-Costley."
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RICHMOND, Va. (AP)  A judge dismissed state gun charges Wednesday against two men who police said planned a Fourth of July mass shooting in Virginia's capital after charges were filed against the men in federal court.

Neither man has been charged specifically with planning a mass shooting.

Julio Alvarado-Dubon and Rolman Balcarcel-Bavagas, both Guatemalan immigrants, were charged in state court last month with possession of a firearm by a non-U.S. citizen. Richmond police held a news conference to announce that they had thwarted a July Fourth mass shooting planned by the men. The news conference was held just two days after a deadly mass shooting on the holiday in a Chicago suburb.

Chief Gerald Smith said then that a hero citizen" contacted police after overhearing a conversation indicating there was an attack being planned on an Independence Day celebration in Richmond. The caller said the attack was planned for the Dogwood Dell Amphitheater, where an annual fireworks show is held, Smith said.

Richmond Commonwealth's Attorney Colette McEachin said Wednesday that her office asked federal authorities to take over the case.

These are two illegal aliens with guns so we wanted them prosecuted at the highest level possible, McEachin said.

Alvarado-Dubon was charged Tuesday in federal court with possession of a firearm by a non-U.S. citizen. An affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint against Alvarado-Dubon said he last entered the U.S. in 2014 and had overstayed his visa by more than seven years. His attorney, Jose Aponte, said he is scheduled to be arraigned Friday in U.S. District Court. Aponte declined to comment on the case.

Balcarcel-Bavagas was charged in a federal criminal complaint with entering the U.S. illegally. His attorney, Samuel Simpson V, did not immediately respond to a call seeking comment. An affidavit written by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent said Balcarcel-Bavagas was deported twice previously  in 2013 and 2014  and re-entered the U.S. illegally.

During a hearing in Richmond General District Court Wednesday, Judge David Hicks asked a state prosecutor if there was any evidence that the mass shooting was planned for Dogwood Dell, the location Smith had cited.

Assistant Commonwealths Attorney Clint Seal said there was evidence of a planned shooting, but not at a specific location.

Hicks said he raised the issue because two of his sons were at Dogwood Dell on July Fourth. He said if there was evidence the shooting was planned for that location, he would have a conflict of interest and would need to recuse himself from the case.

No details about the alleged shooting plot have been included in documents filed in state or federal court, and police have not revealed any motive.

Richmond police issued a statement Wednesday saying Smith stands behind the investigative work done by Richmond Police Detectives to stop a mass shooting planned for July 4th."

A search warrant affidavit filed in state court said that after police received the tip, they contacted Homeland Security, then went to a home in Richmond, where police said both men lived. Officers seized two assault rifles, a handgun and hundreds of rounds of ammunition.
WOOD RIVER  Riverbend residents have another reason to get excited about the local food scene in Illinois.

The Good River Collective, a new commissary kitchen and base of operations for food trucks, plans to open later this year at 11 W. Ferguson Ave. in Wood River, the former Old Glory Antiques building.

The kitchen will aid food trucks, caterers, food entrepreneurs and other related businesses. It plans to help food entrepreneurs create, grow and establish their businesses in a certified kitchen space alongside fellow food professionals.

Amy and Matt Herren have already built up a reputation through a string of other hospitality ventures in the area: Chef and Baker Co., Goshen Coffee, Fond, 222 Bakery, Township Grocer, 1929 Pizza and Wine and C&B Boiled Bagels.

Amy Herren said Wood River venture began with a desire to open a storefront for C&B Boiled Bagels, currently an online business. The couple spoke with Wood River Police Chief Brad Wells who first directed them to a building on 7 N. Wood River Ave. which had a devastating fire in March 2021. That space will become 1929 Pizza and Wine this fall.

Amy Herren said she told Wells about the need for to do something with food trucks in Wood River, especially with the opening of the Flock food truck park in Alton and Edwardsville lifting its zero tolerance policy on food trucks.

"They (food trucks) need to operate out of somewhere," Herren said. "It's the least glamorous part, but someone's got to create a safe space for food production."

Her husband agreed.

We have seen the popularity of farmers markets and food trucks grow in this area and saw a need to provide these small businesses with an equitable, safe, and supportive environment where they can create, process, grow and expand their businesses," he said. "We hope to be an incubator of ideas and food that go on to thrive and be integral to our food community.

The couple plans to spend about $400,000 renovating the building.

The plan is to provide a space where food entrepreneurs can work and create without the overhead of a brick and mortar location, as well as an environment where food professionals can collaborate and support each," Amy Herren said.

Once the kitchen is complete, clients will be able to book the 2,500-square-foot space by the hour, 24 hours a day and seven days a week. The space will include a full kitchen with professional cooking equipment, hot and cold prep spaces, a large walk-in refrigerator, a full dish room, and dry and refrigerated storage for members. Food trucks also will have garbage, grease collection and grey water facilities.

Space rentals will range from $10-$25 an hour, depending on the accommodations needed. The Good River Collective will begin booking memberships in early fall.

For dates, pricing and contact information, visit www.thegoodrivercollective.com.
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NEW YORK (AP)  Michigan Rep. Peter Meijer, who witnessed the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection days after taking office and then cast one of the 10 Republican votes to impeach Donald Trump over it, has lost his reelection bid.

Meijer was defeated in a primary Tuesday by Trump-endorsed John Gibbs, a businessman and missionary who served in the Trump administration under Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson.

Two Republicans in Washington state who incurred Trump's wrath by voting for impeachment also went before voters. Races involving Reps. Jaime Herrera Beutler and Dan Newhouse were too early to call by Wednesday morning.

Trump vowed revenge against the 10 who crossed party lines on the impeachment vote, and he endorsed party challengers to them in the midterm elections.

In other races, Rep. Haley Stevens ousted Rep. Andy Levin in their Democratic primary in Michigan. Democratic Reps. Cori Bush of Missouri and Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, both members of the progressive Squad in Congress, sailed through. In Arizona, a leading figure in the QAnon conspiracy movement fell way short.

Some of the top elections:

FACING VOTERS AFTER IMPEACHMENT VOTES

Gibbs defeated Meijer despite the first-term incumbent having a large fundraising advantage. Gibbs cast Meijer as not a true Republican because of the impeachment vote. He also chastised Meijer for supporting bipartisan gun control legislation that President Joe Biden signed into law in June.

Meijer, a member of the Army Reserves who served in Iraq, had criticized Biden over the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, as well as his handling of the economy.

A Constitutional Republic like ours requires leaders who are willing to take on the big challenges, to find common ground when possible, and to put their love of country before partisan advantage, Meijer said in a statement. Though this was not the outcome we hoped for, I will continue to do everything possible to move the Republican Party, West Michigan, and our country in a positive direction.

Gibbs will face Democrat Hillary Scholten in November in the Democratic-leaning 3rd Congressional District.

Herrera Beutler and Newhouse had an advantage over Meijer because their primaries are nonpartisan, and the top two vote-getters, regardless of party, will move on to the general election in November. Each incumbent faced multiple Republican candidates.

Herrera Beutler, who has been in Congress since 2011, was in second place in early returns in the 3rd Congressional District, trailing Democrat Marie Gluesenkamp Perez but slightly ahead of fellow Republican Joe Kent. Kent, a former Green Beret whose wife was killed by a suicide bomber in 2019 in Syria, was endorsed by Trump. He heavily promoted the former presidents lies that the 2020 election was stolen.

In a Zoom call with reporters after early returns posted, Herrera Beutler said she was cautiously optimistic about the results that indicate she could advance.

If I get through this, Im not going to change, Im not going to be a different person, she said. No one will work harder for this district than I will.

Newhouse had a narrow lead over Democrat Doug White in the 4th Congressional District, which Newhouse has represented since 2015. Republican Loren Culp, a former small-town police chief endorsed by Trump, was in third place in early returns.

Of the 10 House Republicans who voted for impeachment, four opted not to run for reelection. Rep. Tom Rice of South Carolina lost to a Trump-endorsed challenger in June and Rep. David Valadao of California survived a primary challenge. Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming is bracing for defeat in her Aug. 16 primary against a Trump-backed rival.

___

CANDIDATE LINKED TO QANON

Ron Watkins, one of the most prominent figures in the QAnon conspiracy movement, will not be heading to Congress this year.

Watkins was last in early returns in his Republican primary for Arizona's sprawling 2nd Congressional District. He served as the longtime administrator of online message boards that helped seed the conspiracy movement whose adherents believe a group of satanic, cannibalistic child molesters secretly runs the globe.

Watkins no longer runs the message boards and has denied fueling the QAnon movement. He said he was running for Congress because he hopes to fix the machine from the inside.

He was considered a long shot in the crowded GOP field, having been outpaced in campaign fundraising by the other candidates.

State Rep. Walter Blackman and Eli Crane, a former Navy SEAL who owns a bottle opener business and was endorsed by Trump, were at the top of the field. The winner will take on Democratic Rep. Tom OHalleran in November in a district that favors Republicans.

___

FROM COLLEAGUES TO COMPETITORS

Stevens' victory over Levin came in a newly drawn 11th Congressional District in suburban Detroit that favors Democrats, which means Stevens will likely win the seat in November.

Stevens got a financial boost from the United Democracy Project, a super PAC launched by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, commonly called AIPAC. Levin, a progressive member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, has been highly critical of Israels record on human rights.

The congresswoman flipped a district in 2018 that was long held by Republicans. Before running for office, she led the auto bailout under President Barack Obama.

___

CHALLENGING THE SQUAD

Tlaib defeated three Democratic challengers in her quest for a third term. Because of redistricting, she is running in the newly drawn Detroit-area 12th Congressional District that favors Democrats and is expected to prevail in November. Tlaibs main competition came from longtime Detroit City Clerk Janice Winfrey, who had strong name recognition in the city.

Bush's win in the 1st Congressional District was against state Sen. Steve Roberts, who hedged his campaign on the idea that Bush, a vocal advocate for defunding the police and moving money to social services and mental health programs, was too liberal even for heavily Democratic St. Louis.

Bush promoted her accomplishments, including persuading the Environmental Protection Agency to clean up radioactive waste near a St. Louis County creek, pushing for climate change action and standing against evictions during the COVID-19 pandemic.

___

10 YEARS AFTER TUCSON SHOOTING, INTERN SEEKS GIFFORDS' SEAT

Daniel Hernandez Jr., the intern credited with saving then-Rep. Gabrielle Giffords' life after an attempted assassination in 2011, lost in the Democrat primary for her former seat.

Hernandez was a 20-year-old college student in his first week interning for Giffords when he went to her Congress on your corner constituent event. A gunman there opened fire, killing six and injuring 13. Hernandez kept the Democratic congresswoman conscious and applied pressure to her head wound until paramedics arrived.

___

Associated Press writers Sara Burnett in Chicago, Felicia Fonseca in Flagstaff, Arizona, Joey Cappelletti in Lansing, Michigan, Jonathan J. Cooper in Phoenix, Rachel La Corte in Olympia, Washington, and Jim Salter in St. Louis contributed to this report.

___

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.

___
The US authorities support the status quo in the Taiwan situation, US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi said on Wednesday during her visit to the island, TASS reports.

August 3, 2022, 12:24 Pelosi assures US supports status quo in Taiwan situation

STEPANAKERT, AUGUST 3, ARTSAKHPRESS: "We are supporters of the status quo, we dont want anything to happen to Taiwan by force," she said after a meeting with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-we.

According to Pelosi, the US respects the one-China policy. At the same time, the speaker stressed that "solidarity [of US] with Taiwan is more important than ever".

Pelosi arrived in Taiwan on Tuesday night, despite protests from Beijing. This is the first visit of an American politician of such rank in 25 years. Beijing has repeatedly warned the American side that if the visit takes place, it will not go without consequences, and China will take tough measures.

Taiwan has been governed by its own administration since 1949, when the remnants of the Kuomintang forces led by Chiang Kai-shek (1887-1975) fled there after their defeat in the Chinese Civil War. Since then it retains the flag and some other attributes of the former Republic of China, which existed on the mainland before the Communists came to power. According to Chinas official position, supported by most countries, including Russia, the island is one of the Chinese provinces.
AP

ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan (AP)  The Central Asian nation of Turkmenistan says if youre trying to smuggle its prized native dog breed out of the country, youre barking up the wrong tree.

The government is now requiring that its celebrated Alabay dogs receive a passport before they can leave the country.
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WOOD RIVER  A non-profit organization in Wood River is in need of help.

Riverbend Family Ministries, located at 144 E. Ferguson Ave. in Wood River, suffered major flooding damage last week due to the heavy rainfall. According to Hannah Sabolo, a member of the organization, members of the group walked in standing water inside the basement of the building, which is where most of their services operate.

"It damaged about 14 offices, a conference room, the kitchen, a break area and all three bathrooms," Sabolo said.

Riverbend Family Ministries Executive Director Tammy Iskarous noted the group had only moved into the building in November.

"We just completed Phase 1 of renovations downstairs and they were just getting ready to start Phase 2 upstairs," Iskarous said. "We've all been displaced."

For the time being, Riverbend Family Ministries' services have been move to various buildings around the community. Iskarous said that has been a challenge because most of the services require confidentiality.

"Our community has been good to offer different spaces, and we continue to look for more spaces in order to do the work that needs to be done," she said. "We don't want to stop serving our families of crisis."

The Riverbend Family Ministries building is still open, but only to accept donations to help with the cost of repair; insurance will not cover the damages, according to Iskarous. People can donate by visiting Riverbend Family Ministries in Wood River or by going online to https://riverbendfamilyministries.com/.

The organization opened its doors in August 2007 in at 131 E. Ferguson Ave. in Wood River. About a year later, they held their grand opening and ribbon cutting to celebrate the completion of construction. The vision at Riverbend Family Ministries is to provide resources for smaller non-profit organizations to work together under one roof, providing families and individuals the tools they need to be self-sufficient.
When BP makes stunning profits  as the oil and gas giant has done between April and June this year  investors are rewarded with juicy dividends. That's only fair, and the basis of a publicly listed company which is owned by its shareholders.

But when BP dives into the red  as it did a few years ago in the middle of the Covid pandemic when demand slumped  investors saw their payments slashed by half. That's only fair too, they shared in the risk.

Yet chief executive Bernard Looney did not go begging to the Government for a bail-out, as so many other corporations did.

'The outcry over BP's sparkling profits of 6.9billion is so childish, if not disingenuous'

Instead, he embarked on a self-help drive, cutting costs, paying down debt, investing more in renewables and generally got the house in order.

It's partly why the company has managed to do so well, triggering a rare 4 per cent lift in the share price. Which is why the outcry over BP's sparkling profits of 6.9billion is so childish, if not disingenuous.

BP's profits have soared because over the last year the price of oil has risen by 40 per cent while natural gas has rocketed by 100 per cent.

It is worth reminding those in Westminster, and green campaigners who are criticising BP's 'eye-watering profits' and it's outrageous 'unfettered profiteering', that BP is a price-taker, and not a price-giver.

The oil and gas giant  along with other energy giants such as Shell and Centrica have benefited from the disruptions in the energy market caused first by renewed demand in the post-lockdown period and then the disastrous impact of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Yet the nature of their volatile markets means that these companies will always swing from extreme loss to profit, and no doubt back to losses again.

Indeed, the oil price is highly sensitive to even the smallest changes in demand, and is already falling fast as oil-producing countries, Opec members, attempt to bring more of the black stuff out of the ground.

It's also worth recalling that only a few years ago BP and Shell were the pariahs, shunned by the banks, the insurers and asset managers as dirty fossil fuel dinosaurs, which forced them to sell many of their finest oil and gas fields in the drive to go green.

Today they are the saviours, pumping out oil and gas as fast as they can to make up for Russia choking gas supplies to Europe in retaliation for penal sanctions.

Of course, the optics are not great with household energy bills rocketing towards 3,600 a year, or more.

It's time the politicians squared up with their citizens  that we are caught in a dichotomy of complex choices.

There are enough fossil fuels to keep us going for centuries to come, which are cheap and efficient. But the pressures of net zero targets mean that governments have opted for energy sources which are expensive and not so efficient.

There are no easy fixes, only tough choices, such as cutting green levies on fuel and electricity until this crisis is over.

Or even more unpalatable ones. As Russ Mould of broker AJ Bell says, leaders could go on bended knees to Caracas, Tehran and Moscow and plead for the oil taps to be turned on in return for ending sanctions. That's not going to happen anytime soon.

Buying shares in BP and Shell is a better bet. Whether we like it or not, hydrocarbons are here to stay until cleaner and cheaper technologies are developed.

Higher rates are working

Early days, but house prices in July rose just 0.1 per cent, according to Nationwide. Over the last year, the rise was 11 per cent. So July's figure suggests the market is cooling down and is likely to continue if the Bank of England goes ahead with its 0.5 percentage-point rise tomorrow.

Yet house prices  the average is now 271,000  remain remarkably resilient because of the continuing shift to work from home, the tight employment market and a shortage of properties.

More than ever we need the next PM to establish a joined up housing policy. He or she should follow Churchill's order to his housing minister Harold MacMillan after the former narrowly won the 1951 election: 'Build the houses for the people'.

Crisis? What crisis?

Ferrari is selling more of its flashy cars than ever in its history, with 3,445 of them shipped around the world in the last quarter. Sales more than doubled to China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and rose by 60 per cent in the US.

The rich are different from you and me.
I have two SIM-only contracts with EE costing about 28 per month for unlimited calls, texts and limited data. Since one of the phones is for my teenage daughter, a 5 monthly spending cap was agreed.

In June, she and my wife went to the Philippines for three weeks to see family. Ten days later I received a text from my bank, Barclays, asking me to transfer 3,329 into my account so my EE direct debit payment did not bounce. When I logged in I saw that EE was trying to take 9,226.

Shocked and confused, I called EE and spoke with a woman who said she couldn't see anything on the account, so thought it must be fraud. She asked me to contact my bank immediately, which I did and Barclays cancelled the direct debit.

Eye watering bills: Our reader received a 9,226 bill from EE and was told the spending cap did not apply to data - only calls and texts

Surprised to hear nothing from EE over the following days, I tried to ring numerous times. Eventually I managed to speak to someone, who told me the sickening news that the bill was correct.

I contacted EE's executive office, which said the bill was for numerous data bundles used in the Philippines.

When I asked about the 5 spending cap I was told this did not apply to data  only calls and texts.

I was asked to pay 500 to prevent the debt being sent to a collection agency. As I did not want debt collectors at my door I reluctantly paid the sum.

N.H, Lancashire.

Sally Hamilton replies: You suffered the kind of post-holiday tummy bug many travellers dread  that sick feeling when a mobile phone bill comes back to bite.

Data roaming is when a device connects to the internet via a local network and not the customer's usual provider. This means anyone sending emails, streaming films or checking Facebook while abroad can be landed with additional charges.

Such costs are back with a vengeance even for those travelling to European destinations. After a five-year respite from the risk of horror bills, travellers need to be wary of using their devices on the Continent again. Rules introduced in 2017 meant UK travellers paid no extra for using their mobiles abroad but this no longer applies.

I can understand how queasy you must have felt when the 9,226 demand came. So, I asked EE, which is part of BT, to look again at your case, find out what went wrong and see if it could reduce your monster bill.

It seems your daughter, aged 14, had agreed the purchase of data passes through a link on the EE website and confirmed these via verification text messages. In total she bought 164 packages costing 57.10 a pop.

Even though she (without you knowing) had consented to these purchases, EE agreed to reduce the bill by 8,500  more than 90 per cent  'given the ongoing cost-of-living crisis, and as a gesture of goodwill'. Although I asked, EE did not explain how you had been misinformed about the 5 cap on your daughter's phone.

Still, you were relieved to have the majority of the bill waived. You have lectured your daughter and downgraded her to a pay-as-you-go phone but plan to complain to the communications ombudsman.

EE says it offers customers tools to manage spending on services not included in their usual spending caps, which can prevent add-ons being charged.

Ernest Doku, at mobile comparison service Uswitch, says providers should do more to warn customers of lurking data dangers, but recommends they check contracts before travel and consider buying data passes or add-ons to help reduce costs.

Other steps include downloading maps, films and music before leaving home and switching off voicemail as this can incur high charges for playing back.

Using a hotel or cafe wi-fi means being able to use data and make WhatsApp calls for free. But be aware these connections might not be secure, so avoid banking online in these places.

The only sure-fire way to stop data bills putting a damper on a holiday is to switch a phone to flight mode  or leave it at home.

What happened to our family's life policies?

My dad died in January and, while organising his affairs, I found a paid-up premium insurance book for four life policies with Liverpool Victoria  two for my dad and one each for myself and my brother. I contacted the firm  now called LV=  and was asked to send a copy of the book.

In May, after much chasing, I received a letter stating the policies are 'not in force' and if I required more information, I would need to send a copy of dad's death certificate. I'm willing to do this but only if it confirms the policies have actually been found. In any case, why can't they tell me about my policy and that of my brother, as we are very much alive?

M. O., Bromley.

LV= told our reader that their policies were not 'not in force' and would need to send a copy of their dad's death certificate if they wanted more information

Sally Hamilton replies: The policies you unearthed were the kind where insurance salesmen once went door to door to collect premiums of often just a few pennies.

Many thousands have now been forgotten. You hoped that there might be some value in the ones you had stumbled across but felt baffled by LV='s explanation.

I asked LV= to explain. It said all four plans, which dated from 1965, had been traced and that its team was waiting for your father's death certificate before sharing information. A spokesman apologised for not giving you details about your own policy.

He says: 'We are sorry that this was poorly communicated and caused confusion during a difficult time. When we confirmed that the policies were 'no longer in force', this means that the policies were no longer active as they were already paid out.'

It said your father's policies, worth about 1,000, were paid out in the 1980s, as was the one in your name, in 1982, for 158. It would not comment on your brother's without his permission. Although disappointed there was no windfall, you were pleased to have cleared up the puzzle.

It is always worth asking, as a few years ago LV= mounted a campaign that reunited 900 customers with lost policies worth between 50 and 500 each.

Visit lv.com/reconnect or phone 0800 023 4139.

Write to Sally Hamilton at Sally Sorts It, Money Mail, Northcliffe House, 2 Derry Street, London W8 5TT or email sally@dailymail.co.uk  include phone number, address and a note addressed to the offending organisation giving them permission to talk to Sally Hamilton. Please do not send original documents as we cannot take responsibility for them. No legal responsibility can be accepted by the Daily Mail for answers given.
BP shareholders are in line for a mammoth 2.9billion windfall as it launched another share buyback after delivering its highest quarterly profit in 14 years.

The sum, announced alongside the company's results for the second quarter, follows a 2billion ($2.5billion) buyback unveiled earlier this year.

While the results have caused outrage among motorists, energy bill payers and politicians, they are good news for shareholders  many of whom have been long-term investors.

BP shareholders are in line for a 2.9bn windfall as it launched another share buyback

The buybacks will boost the nation's pension coffers as well as retail investors and institutional backers including Legal & General and Royal London Asset Management.

They are popular among investors as they reduce the number of shares in a company available for trading, boosting the value of the remaining stock.

BP also raised its quarterly dividend by 10 per cent to $0.06 per share, taking the payout to just around 820million.

The bumper payments came as the energy giant reported profits for the three months to the end of June had tripled to 6.9billion from 2.3billion last year.

It is a hefty reward for investors in the oil giant, which saw its shares crash to a 26-year low in 2020 as lockdown measures caused energy demand to plunge.

The stock has since regained most of its lost ground and rose another 2.8 per cent, or 11p, to 403.35p following the quarterly results.

But Chris Beauchamp, chief market analyst at IG, said the buyback and dividend hike could serve as a 'high water mark' for the company.

BP has cashed in on soaring oil and gas prices

BP has cashed in on soaring oil and gas prices that have been fuelled by supply disruption caused by the war in Ukraine, as well as a rebound in demand as the global economy recovers from the Covid-19 pandemic.

In recent months, Russia has cut back supplies of natural gas to Europe, raising fears that it could turn off the taps altogether as winter approaches and sending prices soaring on international energy markets.

The crisis has also caused energy bills in the UK to skyrocket, with the average household expected to be paying over 3,600 per year at the start of 2023. Last year, BP boss Bernard Looney described the energy market as a 'cash machine.'

But the enormous profits across the industry have attracted outrage from politicians and campaigners, who have argued that the companies are profiting off the cost of living squeeze.

In a bid to ease growing popular anger, Looney, 52, and BP finance boss Murray Auchincloss have also said they will donate their 400 energy bill discount from the Government to charity.

But the gesture is unlikely to cause much financial pain for Looney, who was paid nearly 4.5million by BP last year.

He is on course to receive 11.4million this year if bonus targets are met.
HSBC faced a grilling from investors at a chaotic shareholder meeting in Hong Kong.

The bank's chairman Mark Tucker hit back at growing calls for it to split its eastern and western operations, insisting 'the best structure is our existing structure'.

The meeting, attended by around 1,000 retail investors, began in disarray as several were denied access to the Kowloon Bay International Trade and Exhibition Centre due to Covid restrictions.

HSBC faced a grilling from investors at a chaotic shareholder meeting in Hong Kong

Many who did get in were keen to back a proposal launched earlier this year by Chinese insurer Ping An, which wants to hive off HSBC's western operations and keep it as an Asia-focused bank.

Some held placards, which read: 'Spin off Asia business, relocate back to Hong Kong, appoint shareholder Ping An to the board.'

HSBC's large retail investor base in Hong Kong was angered when the Bank of England banned lenders from paying out dividends during the pandemic.

They have now latched on to the break-up proposals suggested by Ping An, which claims the bank's western operations are dragging down its value.

On Monday, as it unveiled its half-year results, HSBC brushed off these claims.

It said its shake-up plan was on course, and that dividends would soon be back to their pre-pandemic level.

Ken Lui, a shareholder and founder of the Hong Kong Investor and Entrepreneur Institute, is trying to gather a group of investors to push for a break-up  and has even stuck billboards to lorries which read: 'Spin off HSBC Asia now.'

Tucker hit back at investors' demands, warning that a split of HSBC would damage Hong Kong's status as a global financial hub.

'I think it would negatively impact the ability of Hong Kong to remain a vibrant dynamic international financial centre.'
Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan held a meeting with the new World Health Organization (WHO) Representative to Armenia Jihane Tawilah on the occasion of the presentation of credentials.

August 3, 2022, 13:44 Foreign Minister Mirzoyan, WHO Representative discuss ongoing Armenia healthcare reforms

STEPANAKERT, AUGUST 3, ARTSAKHPRESS-ARMENPRESS: FM Mirzoyan praised the WHO activities in Armenia and thanked for the organizations support in the COVID-19 response and overcoming the consequences of the pandemic, the foreign ministry said in a press release.

Views were exchanged over the ongoing healthcare reforms in Armenia and cooperation with the WHO in this regard. FM Mirzoyan underscored that the Armenian Government is taking concrete steps in the direction of continuously improving the quality of life in Armenia, including in the direction of increasing the quality of healthcare.

During the meeting FM Mirzoyan also presented to Jihane Tawilah the humanitarian challenges caused by the 44-day war, namely attaching importance to the involvement of international specialized organizations in the context of solving healthcare issues.
Azerbaijani Armed Forces grossly violated the ceasefire.

August 3, 2022, 15:28 Azerbaijan grossly violated the ceasefire. 7 Artsakh soldiers wounded

STEPANAKERT, AUGUST 3, ARTSAKHPRESS: They opened mortar and drone fire at Artsakh Defense Army positions since 09:00 August 3.

The Artsakh Defense Ministry said that 7 Artsakh Defense Army soldiers were wounded. One of the wounded soldiers is seriously injured. The other 6 are out of danger.

The Artsakh authorities take measures jointly with the Russian peacekeeping contingent to stabilize the situation.
China furiously condemned the highest-level U.S. visit to Taiwan in 25 years as House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi hailed the self-ruled island as one of the freest societies in the world and pledged American solidarity.

Beijing demonstrated its anger with Pelosis presence on an island that it says is part of China with a burst of military activity in surrounding waters, summoning the U.S. ambassador in Beijing and halting several agricultural imports from Taiwan.

Some of Chinas planned military exercises will take place within Taiwans 12 nautical mile sea and air territory, according to Taiwans defence ministry, an unprecedented move a senior defence official described to reporters as amounting to a sea and air blockade of Taiwan.

Pelosi arrived with a congressional delegation on an unannounced visit late on Tuesday, defying Chinas repeated warnings, in what she said shows unwavering U.S. commitment to Taiwans democracy.

Our delegation came to Taiwan to make unequivocally clear that we will not abandon Taiwan, Pelosi told Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen.

Now, more than ever, Americas solidarity with Taiwan is crucial, and thats the message we are bringing here, today.

Addressing parliament, Pelosi said new U.S. legislation aimed at strengthening the American chip industry to compete with China offers greater opportunity for U.S.-Taiwan economic cooperation.

We thank you for your leadership. We want the world to recognise that, Pelosi told Tsai, who Beijing suspects of pushing for formal independence  a red line for China.

A long-time China critic, especially on human rights, Pelosi was set to meet later on Wednesday with a former Tiananmen activist, a Hong Kong bookseller who had been detained by China and a Taiwanese activist recently released by China, people familiar with the matter said.

The last U.S. house speaker to go to Taiwan was Newt Gingrich, in 1997. But Pelosis visit comes amid sharply deteriorating Sino-U.S. relations, and China has emerged as a far more powerful economic, military and geopolitical force during the past quarter century.

China considers Taiwan part of its territory and has never renounced using force to bring it under its control. The United States warned China against using the visit as a pretext for military action against Taiwan.

In retaliation, Chinas customs department announced a suspension of imports of citrus fruits, chilled white striped hairtail and frozen horse mackerel from Taiwan, while its commerce ministry banned export of natural sand to Taiwan.

MILITARY DRILLS

Pelosis visit, which has been blasted in official Chinese news outlets, was the dominant topic on Chinas heavily censored social media, with many users urging Beijing to invade the island in retaliation and expressing dismay that military action had not been taken to block her arrival. A live-tracker of her plane on Chinas WeChat was watched by 22 million.

Chinas Twitter-like Weibo platform crashed just before Pelosis landing, which Weibo blamed on overstretched broadband capacity, without mentioning Taiwan.

Shortly after Pelosis arrival, Chinas military announced joint air and sea drills near Taiwan and test launches of conventional missiles in the sea east of the island, with Chinese state news agency Xinhua describing live-fire drills and other exercises around Taiwan from Thursday to Sunday.

Chinas foreign ministry said Pelosis visit seriously damages peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, has a severe impact on the political foundation of China-U.S. relations, and seriously infringes upon Chinas sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Before Pelosis arrival, Chinese warplanes buzzed the line dividing the Taiwan Strait. The Chinese military said it was on high alert and will launch targeted military operations in response to Pelosis visit.

White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said on Tuesday after Pelosis arrival that the United States is not going to be intimidated by Chinas threats or bellicose rhetoric and that there is no reason her visit should precipitate a crisis or conflict.

Kirby said China might engage in economic coercion toward Taiwan, adding that the impact on U.S.-China relations will depend on Beijings actions in coming days and weeks.

CHINAS AMBITION

The United States has no official diplomatic relations with Taiwan but is bound by American law to provide it with the means to defend itself. China views visits by U.S. officials to Taiwan as sending an encouraging signal to the pro-independence camp on the island. Taiwan rejects Chinas sovereignty claims, saying only the Taiwanese people can decide the islands future.

Taiwans cabinet on Wednesday said the military has increased its alertness level. The islands defence ministry said 21 Chinese aircraft entered its air defence identification zone on Tuesday, and that China was attempting to threaten key ports and cities with drills in the surrounding waters.

The so-called drill areas are falling within the busiest international channels in the Indo-Pacific region, a senior Taiwan official familiar with its security planning told Reuters on Wednesday.

We can see Chinas ambition: to make the Taiwan Strait non-international waters, as well as making the entire area west of the first island chain in the western pacific its sphere of influence, the person said.

SOURCE: REUTERS
When you live in the sort of rural place where doors go routinely unlocked, having strangers stop by unannounced can be unsettling. This was the case for Melissa Neely in High Falls.

Earlier this summer, Neely heard a knock on the door of her small cottage. Sometimes a political canvasser or a Jehovahs Witness stops by uninvited, but its rare. Neely was in her pajamas and had a house guest. She wasnt expecting anyone. She said to her friend, who happened to be male, Can you do me a favor and step out on the porch and see whats going on?

The male friend obliged, then was outside for so long that Neely got dressed to join him. In front of her home, she met a clean-cut young man in his 20s explaining that he was paving a driveway around the corner, had extra supply he needed to get rid of, and wanted to bring it to her house at a low cost.

Neely rents, but the house could use a new driveway. She asked how much the job would cost. The answer? Between two and three thousand dollars

I laughed, she said. The last driveway dropped here was $800.

She told him  and his friend waiting in a white pick-up truck with no professional lettering on it  to move on down the road.

Just outside New Paltz, Jessica Bernstein was also approached by would-be pavers recently, but not the same ones. Her early morning knock on the door was also courtesy of a clean-cut young man in his 20s, but he drove a dark truck. My dogs are going bonkers and its 7:30 a.m. I open my window and lean out: Can I help you?

She saw a guy wearing a hat with the words black top on it in cursive and the sort of reflective vest that screams town highway department. He said, We are in the neighborhood doing driveways and are wondering if you are interested, Bernstein recalled. She declined and asked him to leave.

Bernstein, like Neely, lives in a house thats easy to see from the road. So does Denise Fryburg, in Marbletown. Earlier this summer she was doing yardwork when two young men backed their truck into her driveway. They told her they had just finished a big paving job in Rosendale and had leftover asphalt. Could they pave her driveway?

The guy said it would be a good price, then under his breath added it was $5 a square foot. Thats $3,000! said Fryberg, appalled by an unannounced visitor who thought she wouldnt do this quick math. She asked him for his card, but he didnt have one. I said, Well, put one in the mailbox. I never heard from them again.

Spotting the scam

These experiences were likely whats referred to as an asphalt paving or seal coat scam. Summer is high season for it, and its exactly what Neely, Fryburg and Bernstein describe: Workers show up at homes visible from the road with driveways that arent in great shape. They say they are doing a job nearby and have extra material to sell at a good price. What happens next could be that the product isnt what is promised, that the workers take cash and flee, or that homes are being cased for a burglary.

Paving scams are not just a local phenomenon. They are on the Better Business Bureaus radar, and the New York Attorney Generals office took legal action against someone running an asphalt paving scam in Binghamton in 2020. Ulster County Consumer Affairs, a division of the District Attorneys Office, put out an alert on the scams in April.

We try to put that out every spring and fall, said Patrick Long, senior consumer advocate. Its an ongoing issue. We try to warn people ahead of time. They do the job and when they are done they ask for a lot more money. Sometimes the material is cheap and it washes away.

Long has handled complaints where a homeowner balked at paying extra. They said, I dont have that much money on hand, and the worker offers to drive them to the bank. That has happened.

To avoid being scammed, Longs general rule of thumb is to not do business with anyone who randomly shows up  for paving, tree removal, roof repair, anything. He urges consumers to always get a job scope in writing. This written document must include the name, phone number, and address of the business you are hiring. Without it, its one persons word against the other and there isnt any price cap.

If you wind up taking this person to small claims court, you have to have their address, he said.

The Ulster County Sheriffs Office did not return interview requests, and the New Paltz police didnt take the issue seriously when Bernstein called them to report her driveway visitor. They were like, Why are you telling us this? she said.

She just wanted the police to be aware in case it started happening all over town. I am a single woman. I live alone. Clearly, this is some kind of scam, but what kind? Is he scoping my house so he can rob me? It was very disconcerting.

Long said Bernstein  and any consumer who feels someone is trying to scam them  is welcome to call him. (He has not fielded a lot of paving scam complaints this season.) Hes also happy to help advise consumers on hiring legitimate businesses. You can call us and say I am thinking about hiring ABC Paving. We will let you know about their complaint history.

Bernstein never saw her driveway visitor again, either, but Neely did. A week after the initial visit, the white pick-up truck went creeping slowly past her house. It was memorable because it had Massachusetts plates. Up in Sullivan or Greene county, you have a lot of crossover. But down here? Not as much. This is strange, she remembered feeling.

She also felt nervous. This time, she was alone. She thought, Are these guys casing me to rob me? She turned on her security cameras.

When one of the guys knocked on her door and started the blacktop spiel again, Neely cut him off, reminding him she had already turned them down. He apologized and quickly took off, but she was left with a lingering sense that something wasnt right. I didnt feel like he was dangerous per se, but it didnt add up to me.

When posts about the same guys  white truck, Massachusetts plates  surfaced on a neighborhood message board, she felt edified. They had gone as far as Ellenville. I knew there was something off about this. No way are they doing a job around the corner for everyone from High Falls to Ellenville, she said.

The thing that sticks with Fryburg is that she still isnt even certain what was being offered. $5 a square foot, but for what? None of that was explained. I could see someone unsuspecting getting really hoodwinked, she said.

The shadiness of the operation haunts Neely. What was the end game? I have been here for 12 years, and this is one of the only times I have felt unsafe.
A rising jazz star with an incredible backstory will headline the Shermans JazzFest on Saturday at the renowned Shermans Amusement Park off Route 10 in Caroga Lake.

The event, under the umbrella of the Caroga Music Festivals Summer Season, is the first daylong jazz event to be held at the facility. The parent organization, Caroga Arts Collective, has been holding individual concerts in recent years, as well as daylong events in other genres.

Matthew Whitaker, a budding international star at the age of 20, will close the day with his band and the music is bound to be scintillating if his appearance in June at Freihofers Saratoga Jazz Festival is any indication. The pianist, organist, keyboardist, composer and arranger wowed the audience that day with his virtuoso playing and eclectic tastes (his songs came from Chick Corea, Dave Brubeck, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye and his own fertile imagination). His superb band played with a sharp intensity that also exuded pure joy.

There will be six other bands on the bill, including Laurin Talese, the 2018 winner of the seventh annual Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition, and Tomoko Omura, a Japanese violinist named top rising star violinist in Downbeat magazines critics poll in 2021. It will be Whitakers third visit to Caroga Lake, the first in 2018 at the age of 16.

The Caroga Lake Music Festival is in its 11th year and is growing every year, Kyle Price, its founder and musical director, said. He said he hopes JazzFest can become an annual jazz festival day. People can reserve inside seating or sit on the lawn for free.

Whitaker said his set will consist of songs from his Connections album, released this year (Resilience Music Alliance), as well as from his previous Outta The Box ( Jazz Foundation of America, 2017) and Now Hear This (Resilience Music Alliance, 2019) recordings.

Connections is about connections I have with other artists and their connections with me. It can be also viewed as, you know, everyone just being connected together and having a really positive vibe, he said from his New Jersey home. His compositions "Stop Fighting" and "It Will Be Okay on the record deal with healing the violence and social disarray in todays world.

Whitaker has a special perspective on not just harsh issues in these times, but the joy, beauty and wonder of the world.

He was born premature and had severe life-threatening conditions. At 3months old, the oxygen that was keeping me alive damaged my eyes. I was doing a lot of surgery on the stuff. The doctors gave me less than 50 percent chance of survival, he said. If he survived, doctors said, he may not walk. He may not speak. After several procedures, Whitaker's parents couldnt take much more, he said. They stopped further procedures, even if it meant blindness.

Though frail, Whitaker always reacted to music. At the age of 3 he started playing nursery rhymes on a small keyboard he was given. The songs were simple, but he played with both hands, chords and melody.

A few memories here and there, he said of that early time. But, Definitely, I do have memories of when I started taking piano lessons at 5 years old. Learning a lot of songs. And eventually getting into jazz and other instruments and a lot of other things. And I'm grateful and blessed that I'm still here doing my thing.

If you go Sherman's JazzFest Where: Sherman's Park, Route 10, Caroga Lake When: 3-10 p.m. Saturday ,Information: carogaarts.org or 518-832-2041



Line up



3 p.m. Tomoko Omura Quintet 4 p.m. Rich Saunders 5 p.m. David Cook Trio 6 p.m. Mr. Chair 7 p.m. J-Music Ensemble 8 p.m. Laurin Talese 9 p.m. Matthew Whitfield Quintet See More Collapse

Those classical piano lessons started at the Filomen M. DAgostino Greenberg Music School in New York City. Whitaker said his teacher Dalia Sakas would often play things and he would immediately repeat them.

Even though I can read braille music and learn songs off of that, I prefer to learn by ear," Whitaker said. "It's faster. But if I need to reference anything, or make sure I'm playing everything correctly, I visit the braille music.

He gravitated to jazz while listening to music with his father. We were in the car driving and it was a song that played on the radio. And ever since then, ever since I first heard that at 7years old, it's been my favorite genre to play and listen to. But I love all styles of music.

At age 9, Whitaker taught himself to play the Hammond B3 organ. Four years later, he became the youngest artist to be endorsed by Hammond in its long history. At age 15, he was also named a Yamaha artist endorser.

He has continued his studies  now at Juilliard in New York City  but has toured the world, playing festivals, theaters, concert halls and sharing the stage with myriad stars. In 2020, 60 Minutes did a piece on his inspiring story.

A few years ago, Dr. Charles Limb, a musician and neuroscientist, wanted to examine Whitaker using MRI brain scans try to understand how exceptionally creative people do what they do. It was done at the University of California, San Francisco.

When we first got the call on that, we were like, 'Really? An MRI scan? What's going on?' he said in a jovial fashion. But once we figured out what he really wanted to do, it was like, 'OK.' And when we got the results back I was shocked. The fact that I used something that sighted people use, like the visual cortex. I didn't even know I use that to process music. And my whole brain lights up too, which is crazy.

What does it mean to him? It means I love music, he quipped.

It's a lot of practicing and developing that ear and getting used to things like that, Whitaker says of his continued journey in music. I've been doing it for a while. I know other people who are older than me that do it as well. The age doesn't matter. As long as you are putting the work in and having fun. That's what it's all about.

It's great. We actually just finished a European tour and we're about to continue with the U.S. tour that we started recently as well. Next stop is Caroga Lake. We're really excited about it. It's always fun touring with the band and getting to see other cultures and just have fun.
Families who have never before qualified for child care assistance can now get help paying the bills for summer camp, after-school care and day care.

Starting Aug. 1, New York state expanded the child care subsidy to those who make 300 percent of the national poverty level, up from 200 percent.

That means a family of four, with a household income of $83,250, can get help paying for child care. Income cutoffs for this year are $69,090 for a family of three and $54,930 for a family of two.

For a family of four, the income limit used to be $55,400. That change alone has made nearly 400,000 additional children financially eligible, the state said.

Residents must apply at their local Department of Social Services. The state issued instructions to each DSS saying that they must fund every eligible family as quickly as possible. By Oct. 1, they must have cleared their wait lists, and no eligible family that applies now can be wait listed, the instructions said.

They were also encouraged to increase child care subsidies to families who already receive help, and reduce the required copayment from the families.

The state has set aside $2 billion for the initiative, partly by using unspent funds from the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act and American Rescue Plan Act money from the federal government.

In addition, the state is spending $343 million in grants for licensed or registered child care programs. The money can be used on raises, bonuses, contributions towards health insurance costs that reduce these costs for staff, and similar expenses. The goal is to stabilize existing child care programs and help them to recruit more employees so that there is enough childcare for those who need it.

The Empire State Campaign for Child Care celebrated the news with Facebook posts urging people to apply for help.

This is a big deal, said Jamaica Miles, speaking for the Empire State Campaign. Child care is one of the greatest expenses any household faces. Now New York state is moving forward to support its workforce in being actually able to go to work.

She noted that the influx of funds will also help many people who were already eligible but have been waiting for funding.

What weve heard from providers in New York City is that the New York City version of the Department of Social Services is still working on applications from July of 2021, she said.
State health officials aren't doing enough to ensure local health departments are implementing air quality education, outreach and services in communities with high levels of asthma, according to a new audit from the state Comptroller's Office.

Under the state's Healthy Neighborhoods Program, local health departments are supposed to provide education on asthma for high-risk populations and assistance in improving indoor air quality for those who have asthma.

But the audit noted that local health departments that received hundreds of thousands of dollars in assistance, including in Rensselaer, Albany, Schenectady and Columbia counties, did not provide documentation of follow-ups with people who live in the highest-risk areas for asthma.

The program is particularly important as COVID-19, a respiratory disease, continues to pose a threat, state Comptroller Tom DiNapoli said.

The COVID pandemic has put people, especially those with pre-existing conditions, at increased risk of hospitalization," DiNapoli said in a statement. "My latest audit found that local health departments that received grants to raise asthma awareness, and to help New Yorkers increase the air quality in their homes, have not always provided the appropriate services. The state Department of Health needs to improve its monitoring efforts to ensure effective oversight of funding intended to address the challenge of asthma in our communities.

People with moderate to severe asthma are more than three times more likely than people without asthma to be hospitalized if they get COVID-19, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. There is no cure for asthma, but steps can be taken to manage and prevent asthma attacks. In New York, an estimated 1.4 million adults and 400,000 children have asthma.

The Department of Health's Healthy Neighborhood Program is designed to target areas with environmental risks that tend to lead to higher rates of asthma with the goal of reducing hospitalizations.

County health departments are contracted to go into homes and help identify pollutants that can trigger asthma and help families limit exposures to indoor air pollutants like dust and cigarette smoke, according to DiNapoli's report. The outreach may include referrals to medical professionals and products that could mitigate these hazards.

Public health agencies in Rensselaer, Albany, Schenectady and Columbia counties were among 19 county health departments that received hundreds of thousands of dollars in Healthy Neighborhood grants annually, but did not adequately document follow-up visits to ensure that households continued receiving services, according to the audit, which covers Oct. 31, 2016, to Jan. 19, 2021.

When health departments identified target areas, which were often communities of color with high poverty rates, the DOH also did not check whether services were already provided in those areas, the audit states.

"This lack of oversight by the department means it cannot properly determine whether (local health departments) are using HNP funds to raise asthma awareness and help families to manage asthma in areas specifically chosen because of existing environmental and population risk factors," DiNapoli's report states.

The Department of Health in its response to the report agreed that additional process evaluations of the HNP program would be helpful, but it disagreed with the audit's finding that HNP does not provide adequate oversight of the program.

During the review period, county health officials statewide visited 31,302 households, consisting of 77,353 individuals. Of the total households visited, 5,643, or 18 percent, had at least one individual with asthma. But in many cases, health officials did not follow up with those households to ensure services were provided or failed to document the required one-year follow-up visit.

The contracts require county health departments to conduct three types of home visits: initial visits, 90-day revisits to at least 25 percent of the initial visits, and 1-year follow-up visits for all households where individuals with asthma were identified.

In most of the participating counties, county staff reported that just a handful of households with asthmatic residents received the 1-year follow-up, according to the audit.

It's unclear to what extent the follow-up visits were actually performed due to problems with the state's e-reporting form, the audit indicates.

Separate from the Healthy Neighborhoods Program, the DOH has a public-facing asthma dashboard, which is supposed to be updated annually. But during the course of the audit, the dashboard was significantly outdated  with emergency department visits and hospitalizations displaying information from 20122014, and deaths displaying information from 20142016, DiNapoli said.

The department should make use of existing data to evaluate the effectiveness of the program, the audit recommends.

DOH officials said in response to the audit that the Healthy Neighborhood Program is not limited to monitoring households with a person with asthma, that that is just one component in a range of services to improve community health and safety. The program also raises community awareness on things like lead poisoning, mold, pests and fire safety, for example.

While the majority of HNP work is focused in the approved target area, the DOH allows some efforts to be focused outside of those areas at the discretion of county staff overseeing the program where need is warranted, and with the approval of state-level program staff, the state health department said.

For example, permission was granted to Rensselaer County to canvass a town outside of their target area after a devastating fire.

Asthma by county The state's Healthy Neighborhood Program contracted with 19 county health departments to identify households with a person who has asthma. The breakdown for the Capital Region: Albany - 192 households Rensselaer - 265 households Schenectady - 171 households Columbia - 85 households See More Collapse

Local HNP staff felt their services could bring attention to fire safety in the aftermath of the tragedy to help prevent future incidents.

"Had it not been for the diligence of local HNP staff and flexibility to adjust target areas, the opportunity to intervene at a time when the local community was receptive would have been missed," state health officials wrote.

Department officials, in an email to the Times Union, pointed to a 2017 peer-reviewed article that showed the HNP program has been successful in providing education and intervention on a host of indoor environmental health risks that impact asthma and other health outcomes in vulnerable communities.

"The HNP identifies and helps mitigate environmental conditions that can lead to new asthma cases and so is preventive in a way that is not captured in the Comptrollers audit," department spokesman Jeffrey W. Hammond said.

Department officials also sought to clarify the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on local health departments, which were "all hands on deck" through the summer of 2021, establishing testing and vaccination sites, contact tracing and responding to complaints of non-compliance with COVID-19 protocols.

"The report recognizes that during the early days of the pandemic the delay in report submission was understandable, but goes on to state that due to the potential impact of COVID-19 on asthmatics, the reports should have been submitted," state health officials wrote. "This statement illustrates a fundamental misunderstanding of the ongoing burden of the COVID-19 pandemic on (local health departments) LHDs."

The state health department said in the most recent contract period spanning 2014 to 2022, HNP funds were used in 19 counties to make over 100,000 home visits and said with the effectiveness of these visits on asthma and other issues was "carefully tracked at the local and state levels.

Cornell Cooperative Extension, which operates Albany County's Healthy Neighborhood Program, said in an email that their initial home visit data is similar to the figures reported in the Comptroller's audit. The email didn't mention 1-year follow-up visits.

CCE said it complained to DOH about the faulty reporting form multiple times. CCE stopped doing home visits in March 2020 because of the pandemic.

Other county health officials did not immediately respond to requests from the Times Union for more information on the lack of documented home visit data alleged in the audit.
On August 3, Foreign Minister of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan received the personal representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office Andrzej Kasprzyk, the Foreign Ministry said.

August 3, 2022, 16:51 At meeting with Personal Representative of OSCE CiO, Armenian FM condemns Azeri attempts to destabilize situation

STEPANAKERT, AUGUST 3, ARTSAKHPRESS: Ararat Mirzoyan presented to Andrzej Kasprzyk the security situation that unfolded in the region during the last few days.

Minister Mirzoyan condemned the arbitrary interpretation of trilateral statements and attempts to destabilize the situation by Azerbaijan, stressing the importance of the targeted assessments of the situation by the international community and, particularly, by the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairing countries.

The constructive position of the Armenian side aimed at the normalization of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan and the peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict was reiterated.
A trial to determine how much Alex Jones will pay in defamation damages to the parents of a slain Sandy Hook boy will begin in Texas with jury selection on July 25 and opening statements the following day. This is the first of three such trials for Sandy Hook families who won defamation lawsuits against Jones in 2021 after he called the massacre of 26 first graders and educators at Sandy Hook Elementary school staged, synthetic, manufactured, a giant hoax, and completely fake with actors. Here is what to expect.

1. Damages evidence

There will be no arguing of the case against Jones that was closed last year when a Texas judge defaulted Jones for abusing the pretrial process of evidence exchange known as discovery and found Jones liable for damages. The only evidence the jury will hear is the extent of emotional distress suffered by Neil Heslin and Scarlett Lewis, and how much Jones should pay in compensatory damages and punitive damages. The jury will additionally decide how much money to award Neil Heslin for damage to reputation and mental anguish.

2. Jones testimony

Youll have to tune in to the trial to find out if Jones will take the witness stand. The parents attorneys are not saying whether they will ask him to testify in person or show the jury excerpts from Jones deposition. If the past is any indication, Jones may provide his own commentary about the trial on his Infowars platform. On Thursday, for example, Jones posted a rebuttal about limits being placed on evidence at the jury trial, calling it, an unprecedented assault on due process and the rule of law.

3. Neil Heslins testimony

Heslin is the father of Jesse Lewis, one of the first graders slain in the Sandy Hook massacre. Heslin went on national television with newswoman Megyn Kelly in 2018 to explain how Jones had claimed on his Infowars program that Heslin was lying about the circumstances of his sons tragic death for a nefarious and criminal purpose. Heslin told Kelly, To say that Sandy Hook was a hoax and it never happened is an outright lie - its a total disrespect to myself, my son, and the individuals who lost their lives that day.

4. Scarlett Lewis testimony

Lewis is the mother of Jesse Lewis. She founded the nonprofit Jesse Lewis Choose Love Movement to offer free social and emotional learning programs to schools. Jones claims that the massacre never happened not only harmed her efforts to advance the nonprofits goal but burdened her surviving son with more trauma, she said.

5. Jones finances

Expect to hear more about the state of Alex Jones finances and that of his parent company, Free Speech Systems. Some of Jones finances were revealed when he sought federal bankruptcy protection for three shell companies, but did not file for bankruptcy protection for himself or for Free Speech systems. His representatives revealed that the three shell companies  which included the merchandizing and conspiracy platform Infowars  had a combined monthly income of $38,000. In contrast, Jones himself made at least $76 million in 2019, his representative said. Jones has also spent at least $10 million on legal fees and has lost $20 million as a result of the Sandy Hook defamation cases, his representatives said.

rryser@newstimes.com 203-731-3342
ATHENS, Greece (AP)  Greeces coast guard says more than two dozen people have been picked up from a sailboat in distress far off the southwestern coast of the Greek mainland and have been transported to the southern city of Kalamata.

The coast guard said on Wednesday that its search and rescue center was notified Monday night about a boat in trouble with 29 people on board, 84 nautical miles (about 96 miles, 155 kilometers) southwest of the town of Pilos, in Greeces southern Peloponnese region.
EAST GREENBUSH  A mixed-use project first proposed five years ago has begun construction and will, in its first phase, bring 78 apartments and 20,000 square feet of commercial, retail and restaurant spaces to three buildings near the southern terminus of Route 4 at Columbia Turnpike. The first tenants are projected to move in next spring.

Called Town Center and located at 578 and 580 Columbia Turnpike, the development will include two four-story buildings and a three-story companion unit. The smaller building has been approved for an approximately 4,000-square-foot restaurant space with 1,000 square feet of outdoor dining at one end, while the other end has already been leased for an unnamed business with a drive-through window, said Tyler Culberson of NAI Platform, who is leasing the commercial spaces for the developer, 580 Columbia LLC.

"This is the first significant construction in that area in 20 years, and we think it will reinvigorate the Columbia Turnpike corridor," Culberson said Wednesday. Future phases of the development call for six to eight more residential buildings, on what is now wooded land south of the new buildings, for a total of up to the 275 apartments approved by the town, though those phases are several years in the future, he said.

Facing the road will be the first phase's four- and three-story buildings, at 578 and 580 Columbia Turnpike, respectively, with construction already underway. They will have a combined six to eight commercial tenants, depending on the business' space needs, with rental apartments upstairs, Culberson said. The third building, behind 578 Columbia Turnpike, will be four stories, all residential, he said. An unrelated self-storage facility that previously was a racquetball club sits behind the properties, according to Culberson.

The developer believes Town Center's commercial spaces will be of most interest to service businesses geared to residents in what are being described as luxury apartments that are intended to be of interest to employees of the quickly expanding Regeneron Pharmaceuticals. Though headquartered in Tarrytown, the company has manufacturing facilities in Rensselaer County projected to total 4,500 employees, including most working less than 3 miles down Columbia Turnpike from Town Center.

Likely business tenants include banks, gyms, salons, pharmacies and cafes, Culberson said. While most of the commercial space was undesignated, developers included the 4,000-square-foot restaurant and its outdoor dining area in the original plan.

"We think the restaurant will set the tone" for Town Center, Culberson said, citing the popularity of the quality restaurants Chez Mike and Nic's Trattoria, both nearby on Columbia Turnpike.

"They've shown there's a market for that kind of dining," he said. "Fast-food restaurants aren't the only ones that can survive there."

The Town Center name connects the project to a comprehensive plan the town of East Greebush adopted last year to create a sense of place for Rensselaer County's most populous community, stretching from the Rensselaer city line in the west to Schodack 4 miles east along the part of routes 9 and 20 known as Columbia Turnpike. The plan envisions a town center at the Route 4/Columbia Turnpike intersection, now dominated by shopping plazas and expansive parking lots. The Town Center buildings' hundreds of apartments would bring a residential component to a strip largely lacking it.

The project was first proposed in 2017 as Town Center Planned Development District. Calling for four buildings on the property once occupied by the deteriorating former Weathervane Restaurant, razed in 2016, it drew opposition from some neighbors concerned about its size.

Since taking office in 2016, Town Supervisor Jack Conway has repeatedly emphasized the need to connect the different parts of the suburban town of more than 16,000 residents, from the older neighborhoods west of Route 4 to the more sprawling developments and rural countryside eastward toward Schodack. The $2 million the town has spent over the past six years on improvements to parks and recreation have been complemented by state-funded sidewalk upgrades along Columbia Turnpike and the construction of the 36-mile-long Albany Hudson Electric Trail, Conway has said.

The New York State Recreation and Parks Society honored Conway as its elected official of the year for 2021, citing the town's increased investment in East Greenbush Town Park.

"Our sense of the town is there's no center. You don't have a town center," Conway told the Times Union last year.

Describing East Greenbush as being connected by "distinct neighborhoods, nodes of commercial activity, abundant natural resources, residents and business owners," the comprehensive plan said its goal is to "enhance those connections and create a sustainable and inclusive community with major employers, quality housing options, successful activity nodes and a high quality of life."
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SARATOGA SPRINGS  Howyabud, a winner of his last race in Ireland and his first race in the U.S., overcame some of the difficulties facing a horse starting for just the fifth time over jumps and then prevailed in Saratogas $75,000 Jonathan Kisor Stakes on Wednesday.

Racing in the colors of retired public utilities executive Irvin S. Naylor of Monkton, Md., the 5-year-old Howyabud defeated five rivals in the race limited to novice horses. Bill Gallo, the National Steeplechase Associations director of racing, defines novices as horses which have not won over fences prior to March 1 of last year or horses that have not won three races.

Despite their novice status, Kisor competitors raced over the Spas steeplechase course for 2 1/16 miles and jumped over eight four-foot tall simulated brush fences.

Howyabud jumped the five obstacles in good form until he and jockey Barry Foley were bumped by Decisive Triumph to a point inside the beacons that define the inside of the steeplechase course.

After getting back in stride, Howyabud put in a big jump at the seventh fence and then brushed with a rival going to the eighth.

Once the jumping was done and the sprinting to the finish had begun, the match race for the Kisor Trophy was joined.

Howyabud took the lead around the Union Avenue turn with Decisive Triumph and jockey Jamie Bargary in hot pursuit. At the wire, Howyabud was the winner by a 1 1/2 lengths over Decisive Triumph with Going Country and Parker Hendriks another 2 1/2 lengths back in third place.

Howyabud and Foley finished in 3 minutes, 48.04 seconds. Under the conditions of the race, Foley, his saddle and weight pad had to tip the scale at 153 pounds, an impost some 30 pounds heavier than most of their flat racing brethren.

Weight and distance, the factors that make the difference in racing over jumps, according to Gallo, were not a factor in the Kisor. Foley, speaking through the brogue he brought from his native Ireland, said, We were equal weights. And, we know (Howyabud) is an Irish-bred stayer.

When asked if Howyabud was game in the home stretch, Foley said, Oh yes. He responded willingly. It was all hands and heels. I never had to hit him.

Keri Brion, the Maryland-based trainer who conditions Howyabud for Naylor, was very quick to point out the horse was bought to be a Saratoga horseand hopefully a Grade I horse.

The trainer observed, You could see him trying to lay on the other horse in the stretch. He still doesnt quite know what hes doing yet. But she was happy Foley had things under control when she said, I was worried if Barry had to hit him, he would veer into that other horse and our number would come down.

On racing Irish-bred horses at Saratoga, Brion said, I find training Irish horses to get ready for Saratoga a little more difficult. Saratoga is firmer and much faster than (the footing) theyre used to.

Howyabuds Kisor win was his third in five lifetime starts. After breaking his maiden at third asking at Leopardstown in Ireland, he won an allowance race on the Virginia Gold Cup undercard in May.

At Saratoga, Howyabud was favored at 13-10. His backers collected $7.40 for a $2 win wager. He paid $4.10 and $2.40 in the place and show pools, respectively. Decisive Triumph paid $5.80 to place and $3.10 to show. Going Country paid $2.70 to show.
ALBANY  It was a sleepy Tuesday afternoon in the doldrums of August. And then it wasn't.

The pivot point was a morning news release from state Attorney General Letitia James' office giving notice of a "major announcement" to be livecast at 11 a.m. When the session began, James was joined by attorneys Joon Kim and Anne Clark to unveil the results of a five-month investigation into multiple allegations of workplace misconduct against New York's governor  ranging from inappropriate remarks to an Executive Chamber aide's claim that the state's most politically powerful individual had groped her breast in a sexually aggressive manner.

The investigation, James said, "has concluded that Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo sexually harassed multiple women and in doing so violated federal and state law."

The attorney general called it a "deeply disturbing" pattern of behavior by Cuomo of sexually harassing women, including young women. James added that top aides in his administration helped foster a "toxic workplace" where staff members were afraid to come forward. She referred to the alleged victims who came forward as "heroic ... brave women."

As reporters and the public dove into the details of the 168-page report, the Executive Chamber responded with a prerecorded 14-minute message in which Cuomo apologized for behavior he had come to recognize as inappropriate  including kissing and hugging female aides  while forcefully denying others, including the groping allegation.

"I now understand that there are generational or culture perspectives that, frankly, I hadnt fully appreciated and I have learned from this," he said in a statement that veered from contrition to defense of what he called an unfair assault by the media and his political opponents. "I never touched anyone inappropriately or made inappropriate sexual advances. That is just not who I am."

Related: 11 women, 7 years of sexual harassment: explore the timeline of Cuomos alleged misconduct

The extent to which the governor's team was unaware of the scope of the report was revealed by the fact that Cuomo didn't mention or reference the previously unacknowledged account of the female member of the governor's State Police detail who had told investigators the governor had made inappropriate remarks to her, touched and even kissed her on the cheek. The report revealed as well that Cuomo had pushed to have her added to his detail despite the trooper's lacking the necessary years of service  and that spokespeople for the Executive Chamber and State Police had provided the Times Union with misleading information about that process.

A few hours later, the Times Union's editorial board  which had initially called for Cuomo to resign five months earlier due to his administration's stonewalling over COVID-19 deaths of nursing home patients  demanded the Legislature move with dispatch to impeach the governor if he failed to resign.

Related: Andrew Cuomo's rise and fall (and rise and fall)

A week later, battered by renewed calls for his exit or impeachment, Cuomo announced he would resign midway through his third term in another video statement that repeated many of the same defenses.

His decision was announced two days after news broke that his top aide, Melissa DeRosa, planned to resign and a day after CBS News and the Times Union posted interviews in which Brittany Commisso, the aide who had accused Cuomo of groping her, publicly revealed her identity for the first time and added her voice to those calling for him to step down.

It was a stunning fall for the most powerful New York politician of his generation, and one that continues to reverberate through state government as Gov. Kathy Hochul seeks a full term.

In the year since his exit, Cuomo has largely maintained a low profile, emerging only for a handful of speeches in front of churches led by ministers who remain supportive. He also had waged a spirited effort through his attorneys and others to discredit the attorney general's investigation, clear his name and push back on the allegations that led him to resign.

The attorney general's office and multiple district attorneys who subsequently investigated many of the women's allegations found their accounts credible. But under New York's statutes, three of the district attorneys said, the allegations could not be successfully prosecuted as crimes. An investigation by the state Assembly's Judiciary Committee also concluded that many of the allegations were valid and that the governor had engaged in sexual harassment and inappropriate behavior.

Cuomo's former aides contend prosecutors did not pursue charges because his conduct was not criminal. They also note that some of the allegations could not be affirmed or there was conflicting information that called some of the accounts into question.

The female trooper has since filed a lawsuit against Cuomo. In her testimony to the attorney general's investigators, she described Cuomo as "creepy" and "flirtatious."

She recounted in her testimony the incident of the governor kissing her on the cheek  which he does not dispute  as she was on a post outside his former residence in Mount Kisco.

"And he just goes, 'Can I kiss you?' And I remember just freezing ... I'm like, 'Oh, how do I say no politely because in my head if I said no, he's going to take it out on the detail. And now I'm on the bad list," she testified. "So, I kind of like froze and just said sure and hesitated. He kissed me on the cheek and just said after, 'Oh, I'm not supposed to do that or unless that's against the rules or something.'"

Another time, the trooper testified, Cuomo approached her and again asked if he could give her a kiss. On the advice of a colleague, she told him "no" because she was not feeling well.

"And he looked at me, almost in disgust that I had denied him," the trooper said.

His former staff members as well as political consultants and public relations specialists were left to repair their personal career damage as the attorney general's office periodically released deposition transcripts, documents and videos that detailed the efforts of Cuomo's aides to defend him  and attack the credibility of some of his accusers  in the months leading up to the release of the Aug. 3 report. Some of that material led to CNN's decision to fire his brother, Chris Cuomo, in December and in turn led to the February ouster of the news network's president, Jeff Zucker.
PITTSFIELD, Mass.  A celebrated theater director and administrator from the nation's capital has been named the next artistic director of Barrington Stage Company, succeeding founder Julianne Boyd, who is stepping down at the end of the current season after 27 years.

Alan Paul, associate artistic director of the Tony Award-winning Shakespeare Theatre Company in Washington, was announced Wednesday morning as the new head of Barrington Stage. His first programming decisions will be for the 2023 season.

He is an enormous talent, a successful director, a collaborative leader, invested in community and a champion of diversity and inclusion," BSC board of trustees President Marita Glodt said in a statement included with the hiring announcement.

I am excited to build on BSCs legacy as an incubator for new plays and musicals from a broad variety of voices," Paul said in a statement. "Musicals are my first love, and I plan to make the advancement of musical theater a cornerstone of my vision."

Barrington Stage associate artist Debra Jo Rupp, familiar to local audiences for many roles, including as sex expert Ruth Westheimer in the company's 2012 "Dr. Ruth, All the Way," and nationally the mom on the Fox sitcom "That '70s Show" for eight years, lauded the choice of Paul.

After undergoing a rigorous process far worse than any audition I have ever experienced, I am very confident that he will champion our artists and hardworking staff," she said in a statement. "Alan is an acclaimed director of both new works and musicals, and I look forward to seeing his artistry on our stages next season and beyond.

Paul, 37, joined Shakespeare Theatre Company in 2007. Of his production a few years later of "I Am My Own Wife," the Talkin' Broadway website raved, Director Alan Paul is only 25, but he shows maturity and control in his vision of this complex work.

In 2018, Paul directed a Shakespeare Theatre Company production of "Camelot" that enraptured Washington Post theater critic Peter Marks, who found it a blessed relief from the turmoil of Donald Trump-dominated Washington.

Marks started his review this way: "If youre able to maintain your composure during the finale ... I commend you for your overdeveloped sense of restraint. When I realized where director Alan Paul was taking us with the stirring reprise of the title song, ... well, I kind of lost it."

Michael Kahn, the artistic director of Shakespeare Theatre Company from 1986 to 2019, said of Paul in a statement, He connected well to the community and was a great spokesman for the mission of the theater, and our audiences looked forward to his work."

In addition to his directing and administrative duties for Shakespeare Theatre, where he was a lead producer on more than 75 productions, Paul has directed plays and musicals at theaters around Washington, including the Kennedy Center, as well as in Chicago and Seattle, and opera for multiple companies and venues nationwide.

Said Paul, "The Berkshires are a magical place for theater, and I look forward to becoming an active member of the community."
WFO RENO Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Wednesday, August 3, 2022

_____

FLASH FLOOD WARNING

The National Weather Service in Reno has issued a

* Flash Flood Warning for...

Alpine County in northern California...

Northern Mono County in northern California...

Douglas County in western Nevada...

* Until 500 PM PDT.

* At 303 PM PDT, Doppler radar indicated thunderstorms producing

heavy rain across the warned area. The expected rainfall rate is

0.25 inches in 15 minutes. Flash flooding is ongoing or expected

to begin shortly.

Excessive rainfall over the burn scar will result in debris flow

moving through the Tamarack burn scar. The debris flow can consist

of rock, mud, vegetation and other loose materials.

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...

Topaz Lake, Alpine Village, Woodfords, Grover Hot Springs, Mesa

Vista, Alpine County Airport, Indian Creek Reservoir, Junction CA

89 And CA 4, Indian Creek Campground, Turtle Rock Campground,

Markleeville and Holbrook Junction.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A Flash Flood Warning for a recent burn area means that flooding

and/or debris flows are imminent or occurring. Residents living in

or immediately downstream should take immediate precautions to

protect life. Quickly move away from the burn area only if it is

safe to do so, otherwise shelter in place and move to a second story

or the highest location in your home to stay out of the path of

fast-moving water and debris flows.

Turn around, don't drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood

deaths occur in vehicles.

Stay away or be swept away. River banks and culverts can become

unstable and unsafe.

Please report observed flooding to local emergency services or law

enforcement and request they pass this information to the National

Weather Service when you can do so safely.

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ReportLinker

Global E-commerce Logistics Market In Southeast Asia 2022-2026 The analyst has been monitoring the e-commerce logistics market in southeast Asia and it is poised to grow by $ 58.

New York, Aug. 01, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report "E-commerce logistics Market in Southeast Asia 2022-2026" - https://www.reportlinker.com/p06310895/?utm_source=GNW

93 bn during 2022-2026, accelerating at a CAGR of 20.16% during the forecast period. Our report on the e-commerce logistics market in southeast Asia provides a holistic analysis, market size and forecast, trends, growth drivers, and challenges, as well as vendor analysis covering around 25 vendors.

The report offers an up-to-date analysis of the current regional market scenario, the latest trends and drivers, and the overall market environment. The market is driven by rising in social commerce, an increase in cross-border e-commerce activities, and the growth of e-commerce startups.

The e-commerce logistics market in southeast Asia analysis includes the service segment.



The e-commerce logistics market in southeast Asia is segmented as below:

By Service

 Transportation

 Warehousing

 Others



This study identifies the technological advances in e-commerce logistics as one of the prime reasons driving the e-commerce logistics market in southeast Asia growth during the next few years. Also, recent development and strategic alliances and automation of e-commerce logistics will lead to sizable demand in the market.



The analyst presents a detailed picture of the market by the way of study, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources by an analysis of key parameters. Our report on the e-commerce logistics market in southeast Asia covers the following areas:

 E-commerce logistics market in southeast Asia sizing

 E-commerce logistics market in southeast Asia forecast

 E-commerce logistics market in southeast Asia industry analysis



This robust vendor analysis is designed to help clients improve their market position, and in line with this, this report provides a detailed analysis of several leading e-commerce logistics market in Southeast Asia vendors that include BSA Logistics Indonesia, Deutsche Post DHL Group, DRB HICOM Berhad, FedEx Corp., Flexport Inc., GDEX Berhad, GOGOX Holdings Ltd., Grab Holdings Ltd., Kuehne Nagel International AG, Magsaysay Shipping and Logistics Group, Ninja Logistics Sdn Bhd, PT Dakota Buana Semesta, PT IDEXPRESS LOGISTIK INDONESIA, PT Wahana Prestasi Logistik, PT. Global Jet Express, PT. SiCepat Ekspres Indonesia, PT. Tiki Jalur Nugraha Ekakurir, PT. Tri Adi Bersama, and SF Express Co. Ltd. Also, the e-commerce logistics market in southeast Asia analysis report includes information on upcoming trends and challenges that will influence market growth. This is to help companies strategize and leverage all forthcoming growth opportunities.

The study was conducted using an objective combination of primary and secondary information including inputs from key participants in the industry. The report contains a comprehensive market and vendor landscape in addition to an analysis of the key vendors.



The analyst presents a detailed picture of the market by the way of study, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources by an analysis of key parameters such as profit, pricing, competition, and promotions. It presents various market facets by identifying the key industry influencers. The data presented is comprehensive, reliable, and a result of extensive research - both primary and secondary. Technavios market research reports provide a complete competitive landscape and an in-depth vendor selection methodology and analysis using qualitative and quantitative research to forecast accurate market growth.

Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p06310895/?utm_source=GNW



About Reportlinker

ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place.



__________________________

Story continues

CONTACT: Clare: clare@reportlinker.com US: (339)-368-6001 Intl: +1 339-368-6001




Tonight we witness history for Jackson County, Missouri.

FREEDOM, INC. HAS LIKELY EARNED A MAJORITY ON THE JACKSON COUNTY LEGISLATURE WITH A STRING OF ENDORSEMENT VICTORIES TONIGHT!!!



Voting aftermath and an off-the-record quote from insiders . . .



"Freedom, Inc. has a majority on the courthouse. Jackson County now hosts the first majority minority legislature."



And so . . .

People of color will soon comprise more than half of the elected officials in Jackson County.



This is significant given that the latest census shows us that whites total 70% of the county's racial makeup.

And so, no matter your politics . . . This is a very real sign of progress for the voters of Jackson County.



A few other key facts to note on with this post . . .

- Former Marine Megan Marshall absolutely TROUNCED incumbent Tony Miller - The property tax crisis and a lack of a base likely precipitated his downfall.

- Daron McGee proved that grassroots political connections were far more important than social media or MSM mentions.



- Donna Peyton's win is notable because she was up against a much younger opponent who has experience in politics and some financial support . . . Also, Zac Sweets is the best name in all of KC politics and we hope that he keeps up his involvement. Still . . . More than anyone else, Freedom, Inc. carried Ms. Peyton to the finish line.

The postscript and something that can't be denied . . .

Having recently celebrated their 60th anniversary, Freedom, Inc. stands as the most influential political organization in Kansas City.



Developing . . .
Across the nation there's celebration over an election outcome that allows women the freedom to commit what's often a tragic and dismal decision.



Here's the mainstream takeaway that'll be rebroadcast ad infinitum until the midterms are complete:



"As Republican-controlled state legislatures around the country race to outlaw the procedure in the aftermath of the Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade, traditionally conservative Kansas, given the chance to directly respond at the ballot box, denied their own elected leaders' the chance to revoke a right that has broad support across swaths of independent polling."

Meanwhile . . .

In most cases abortions aren't really an expression of freedom, autonomy or equality.

By and large, abortion is nothing more or less than a disconsolate choice suffered by women who are often mired in circumstances without hope.

Researchers are working diligently to deny the mental health impact endured by women who have undergone abortions and juxtapose any reports of adverse affects with data highlighting the hardships inflicted upon those who have been denied the controversial procedure.

Meanwhile, back in the real world . . .

Simply talking with a woman who has undergone an abortion would reveal that, despite the data collected by agenda-driven clinicians, "relief" is likely the last thing most women feel in this unfortunate circumstance and "the science" on the topic is becoming as hopelessly rigged as everything else amid midterm election season.



The untold punchline is that the abortion "choice" is just another bleak catch-22 confronted by women who will likely encounter untold suffering no matter what path they accept.



BUT LET'S NOT DWELL ON THE DECAYING STATE OF MENTAL HEALTH IN THE U.S. EXPLOITED BY PARTISAN OPPORTUNISTS!!!

Instead . . . I'll finish this post with a cruel joke that I like to play on all my lady friends which seems relevant in this situation . . .

In November of 1997 Ben Folds Five released what might be a hopeless Gen-X anthem that helps to explain why most Americans between the ages of 40-60 don't really believe in ANYTHING.

The song is an emotional yet disconnected meditation on abortion choice that's worth a listen on this "historic" day . . .

Backstory:

On the album Ben Folds Live, Folds explained:



"People ask me what this song's about... I was asked about it a lot, and I didn't really wanna make a big hairy deal out of it, because I just wanted the song to speak for itself. But the song is about when I was in high school, me and my girlfriend had to get an abortion, and it was a very sad thing. And, I didn't really want to write this song from any kind of political standpoint, or make a statement. I just wanted to reflect what it feels like. So, anyone who's gone through that before, then you'll know what the song's about."

A bit of background . . . When a lady friend is feeling exceptionally lost in their feelings. TKC will typically pull up this hopeless little tune and giggle.

Laughing at misery probably represents some other kind of dysfunction but also could be a remarkably underrated skill and something that we hope this dump of a blog has taught our readers over the course of nearly two decades.

And with that . . .



We share some news highlights via www.TonysKansasCity.com links . . .

Thunderclap ballot box victory on abortion rights in Kansas gives Democrats a potent midterm issue | CNN Politics The wording of the question was convoluted, but the answer was crystal clear: No. Voters in Kansas on Tuesday, in dramatic numbers and by an overwhelming margin, rejected a ballot measure that would have allowed lawmakers to ban abortion in the state.

Kansas voters defeat abortion amendment in unexpected landslide The ballot measure was failing by a 63-37 margin at 9:45 p.m. as voters responded to an intense and costly campaign marked by dubious claims by amendment supporters and the unraveling of protections by the U.S. Supreme Court. // Noah Taborda/Kansas Reflector Voters in a landslide Tuesday defeated a proposed amendment to the Kansas constitution that would have stripped residents...

Sorry, Kansas voters: The crusade to revoke your abortion rights will never, ever end OPINION AND COMMENTARY It's not over, you know. Yes, Kansas shocked the nation Tuesday night by delivering an unexpectedly resounding no vote to a state constitutional amendment that would've paved the way for an abortion ban.

Kansas Votes to Preserve Abortion Rights Protections in Its Constitution Aug. 2, 2022, 10:44 p.m. ET OVERLAND PARK, Kan. - Kansas voters resoundingly decided against removing the right to abortion from the State Constitution, according to The Associated Press, a major victory for the abortion rights movement in one of America's reliably conservative states.

Kansans vote to uphold abortion rights in their state Kansas voters on Tuesday overwhelmingly struck down a proposed constitutional amendment that would remove language enshrining reproductive rights in their state, in a move widely seen as a victory for abortion rights activists. The proposed amendment was the first time anywhere in the U.S.

Kansas voters uphold right to abortion For the first time since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, leaving it to states to determineabortion access, the issue appeared on a state ballot. In Kansas, CBS News projects that a proposed amendment to the state constitution that would eliminate the constitutional right to an abortion has been defeated.

Kansas votes to protect abortion rights in state constitution Kansans secured a huge win for abortion rights in the US on Tuesday night when they voted to continue to protect abortion in the state constitution. The race was called by a host of US groups including NBC News, the New York Times and Decision Desk HQ.

Developing . . .
In this quick post we run through local police reports, alleged misdeeds and a glimpse at worsening violence.

Check TKC news gathering . . .

Man in serious condition after shooting near Wyandotte Street KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department responded to a shooting early Wednesday morning. At around 2:30 a.m. police located a man with injuries from gunfire in the 10000 block of Wyandotte Street. Police say the man is in serious condition. This story will be updated as additional information is available.

Car running red light t-boned in deadly KCMO crash, police say KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - A driver is dead after police say they ran a red light before getting t-boned and ejected Tuesday night in Kansas City. Police and emergency crews responded at 9:50 p.m. to Linwood Boulevard and Van Brunt Boulevard in reference to a rollover crash.

Lawrence police arrest woman on 111 counts of identity fraud LAWRENCE, Kan. - The Lawrence Police Department announced Wednesday morning an arrest of a local woman connected to a months-long investigation. Police allege Billie Jean Peterson, 25, stole personal information and fraudulently charged thousands of dollars to friends, co-workers and a neighbor.

Olathe teenager charged with 1st degree murder in Saturday shooting KANSAS CITY, Mo. - A 15-year-old male from Olathe, Kansas, has been charged with one count first-degree murder and one count juvenile possession of a firearm Tuesday after a fatal shooting Saturday in Olathe. Prosecutors are seeking to try the suspect as an adult, according to Johnson County Court documents.

Johnson County rolls out $3,000 bonuses to support sheriff's office OLATHE, Kan. - In an effort to retain employees, Johnson County will offer up to $3,000 in bonuses to staff in the corrections department and in the sheriff's office. Thursday morning, the Johnson County Board of Commissioners (BOCC) unanimously approved plans to provide a one-time retention bonus for county departments with a vacancy rate of 20% or more.

It's proving increasingly hard to hire cops in Kansas - and to avoid losing them to other jobs TOPEKA, Kansas - The Dodge City Police Department struggles to keep officers. Stress, in an era where police complain they've become pariahs, only makes it harder to hire and keep officers on patrol. All that turnover means more work for the officers that remain, which could bring on more burnout.

Raytown police looking for missing 11-year-old last seen getting into an SUV Tuesday night Raytown police are looking for an 11-year-old that has not been seen since early Tuesday night. Police say they are seeking information regarding the whereabouts of Jackson Nimley. Authorities say he was last seen around the 8800 block of 80th Terrace on Aug. 2, around 7:30 p.m.

Jackson County honors slain North Kansas City police officer's life KANSAS CITY, Mo. - A fallen North Kansas City police officer is honored two weeks after he was shot and killed during a traffic stop. The Jackson County Legislature adopted a resolution recognizing 32-year-old officer Daniel Vasquez during the legislature's meeting Monday morning.

Developing . . .
The dust has settled and now our blog community must consider the implication of this historic vote.



We want to leave plenty of space and time for blog community comments so we'll hurry up and get to the basics . . .

The overriding theme . . .

Democracy still works for those of the cash.

Allow us to explain . . .



The Winners

The Establishment GOP Reestablishes Themselves



In Missouri AG Eric Schmitt didn't need MAGA to pull ahead in the silliest Republican primary we've seen in quite some time.

Sure . . . Kris Kobach & Mark Alford have flirted with the MAGA base but they're on the periphery of their party . . . More than anything we noticed Republicans acting like Republicans again . . . Which is a strangely comforting sign.



Freedom, Inc. Inspires Historic Courthouse Shift



We covered most of this last night but the basics are clear . . . Freedom is the last great old school political organization in Kansas City and their effectiveness was impressive last night.

Newbie protest groups haven't proven any staying power . . . And both the Citizens Association and the County Committee for Progress have faded.

Meanwhile . . .

Freedom is changing the demographics of local politics in a way KCMO hasn't seen in our history.



Big Money Donors & Special Interests Rule Our Politics



Nothing gets accomplished without BIG MONEY in statewide & local politics. This is an obvious fact but readers would be surprised how often people forget this truism and fail to realize that corporate donors, fabulously wealthy people, unions and PACs really run this process . . . The rest of us just watch from the sidelines.





The Losers

Show-Me Effort To Forget Greitens



More than any other candidate last night . . . The former Guv was wholeheartedly REJECTED by the Missouri electorate.

His campaign was desperate, angry and just a bit sad. The opposition against him was ruthless and unafraid to put his sordid personal life front & center.

Still . . . The end result was a stunning defeat AND widespread relief at the rejection.



Politically Motivated Catholics Shunned



Holy mother church proves an effective foil and their pedantic leadership mostly serves to inspire more acrimony.

Thank Heaven . . . American Catholics are horrible at politics and last night offered evidence of their election incompetence despite the prayers of the faithful.



Kansas City Demands Submission From Upstart Campaigners



We don't take any pleasure in noting this but it's a reality that this cowtown needs to confront . . .

Kansas City is typically hostile to political newcomers.



Justice Horn found this out the hard way and his friend 4th District Council Contend Crissy Dastrup confronted an equally hard time after all of her political picks faltered.

An insider asks: "Does Crissy Want to be a political boss or a candidate?"



It's a relevant question and also speaks to the fact that voters in this town demand that new faces on the political scene prove themselves over the course of years if not decades . . . It's a lot to ask but remains a part of this cowtown's provincial politics.



And so . . .

We invite our readers to share election insights, smart-ass remarks and other perspectives as we slouch toward Midterms.



You decide . . .
New fire hall in Downsview built with 'future growth in mind'

New fire station is the first one built since 2016 in Toronto, next one planned for downtown
The Girl Scouts of NYPENN Pathways (GSNYPENN) Council, serving Cayuga and Onondaga counties (in addition to 24 others across New York and northern Pennsylvania), recognized 237 GSNYPENN members who graduated from high school during the 2021-22 membership year. Girls in grades 11-12 are known as Girl Scout ambassadors at that level of the leadership program.

Our graduating ambassadors embrace everything theyve learned through our movement, honor how they are forever part of Girl Scouting and enter the world as true leaders. Were proud of these courageous and confident individuals whose character and leadership skills will continue to make the world a better place well into the future, GSNYPENN CEO Julie Dale said.

Ambassadors bridge to adult. Bridging is an important transition in a Girl Scouts life as both a defining moment to recognize achievements and a signal of new adventures and responsibilities at the next level. Bridging is an activity recognized as a transition through the Girl Scout Leadership Experience and designed to emphasize continuity in the program.

Girl Scouts who bridge to adult join approximately 750,000 members across the country and around the world working primarily as volunteers who give their time and inspire girls to become leaders. They are also linked to an astounding network of 50 million Girl Scout alums in the U.S. and 10 million girls and adults across 152 countries through the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts.

Local class of 2022 Girl Scout graduates include:

 Kirstin Burke, Cato-Meridian Central, from Cato

 Jamilyn Casbarro, Central Square Central, from Auburn

 Breanna Combes, Cato-Meridian Central, from Cato

 Madison Gannon, Union Springs Central, from Cayuga

 Madeline Higgins, Weedsport Central, from Weedsport

 Katelyn Johnson, Cato-Meridian Central, from Weedsport

 Reilly Montreal, Weedsport Central, from Weedsport

 Addison Moore, Moravia Central, from Locke

 Hailey Satter, Marcellus Central, from Marietta

 Adrianna Schwartz, Union Springs Central, from Auburn

 Rachel Sheets, Weedsport Central, from Weedsport

 Hailey Sherman, Red Creek Central, from Sterling

 Emily Slater, Groton Central, from Locke

 Holly Southern, Marcellus Central, from Marietta

 Angelie Sperling, Red Creek Central, from Martville

 Alexandra Stafford, Port Byron Central, from Port Byron

 Ashley Todd, Port Byron Central, from Auburn

(While every effort has been made to verify local class of 2022 high school graduates who are current members of the GSNYPENN Council and ensure the accuracy and completeness of the information presented, no guarantee is given for inadvertent errors or omissions.)

Local Girl Scout activities

Troop 60311 from Auburn attended Fanny Seward Girl Scout Day on July 9 at the Seward House Museum. An opportunity for Girl Scouts at all levels to experience hands-on history and earn badge requirements, the immersive program taught them about 19th century America through several fun, participatory activities. Staff from the museum and Seymour Library drew on events and memories from Fannys life to inspire attendees on how girls can change the world. Each Girl Scout also received a unique Seward House Museum patch.

GSNYPENN team members will attend upcoming free Monday Movie Mania events presented by the City of Auburn Parks & Recreation Department on the evenings of Aug. 8 at Osborne Park and Aug. 15 at Hoopes Park. Stop by their table from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. to make a craft to take home and learn more about how to join Girl Scouts as a girl member or adult volunteer. (The crafts are DIY dog toys on the 8th and build your own robots on the 15th.) Council staff will also have an activity table at a city event on Saturday, Aug. 20, at Falcon Park from 1 to 3:30 p.m. Families can participate in fun health and wellness-themed games and learn about Girl Scouts! For further information, send an email to info@gsnypenn.org or call (315) 698-9400 for assistance.

Girl Scouts serves girls in K-12. Annual membership is just $25 and financial assistance is available. To start her adventure, visit gsnypenn.org/join. To become an adult volunteer, learn more at gsnypenn.org/volunteer. To help make Girl Scouting possible for girls in your community, visit gsnypenn.org/donate.
With three months left to make a final a decision, a state official overseeing the review of a proposed 1,900-acre solar facility in Conquest is scheduled to tour the area this week.

Gregg Sayre, an administrative law judge, will join officials from developer Next Era Energy, the town of Conquest and a concerned citizens group on Thursday to see the proposed site for the 200-megawatt solar power generating facility.

Sayre is one of three administrative law judges who are coordinating the project application review for the state Board on Electric Generation Siting and the Environment, which has the final say on whether the project can be built.

Stops on the tour were proposed by the company, the town and the Rural Preservation and Net Conservation Benefit Coalition, which is a group of local residents opposing the project.

The siting board has a Nov. 1 deadline to make its final decision.

The NextEra project, called Garnet Energy Center, would be among the largest solar farms in the state. In addition to installing hundreds of acres of solar arrays, NextEra would construct access roads, electric collection lines, a collection substation and electrical interconnection facilities, including a 345 kilovolt (kV) switchyard connecting its generated power to the nearby New York Power Authority Clay to Pannell transmission line.

The scheduled tour of the site comes after local officials raised concerns that state officials might not see the area in person before the siting board made a final decision.

Cayuga County Legislature Chairman David Gould wrote to the siting board in June to request an in-person visit by the administrative law judges. He sent the letter after a May 6 siting board evidentiary hearing in which one of the judge's indicated that they may not visit due to busy schedules.

"While Cayuga County maintains its neutral position on the outcome of the case, a decision by the judges absent a site visit would be deeply concerning given the magnitude of the land use change proposed in the application," Gould wrote, noting the project area takes up about 10% of the entire town.

"This scale of development has never been seen in Conquest before and its impacts will change a significant portion of the Towns landscape for a generation or more," he wrote.

The administrative law judges will make a recommendation to the siting board, which is supposed to have seven members. Five members are state officials or their designees: the chair of the Department of Public Service, the commissioner of the Department of Environmental Conservation, the commissioner of the Department of Health, the chair of the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority and the Commissioner of Economic Development.

The other two slots are reserved for residents in the municipality where the project is located and are referred to as the board's "ad hoc" members. Under the law, the Assembly speaker and the Senate majority leader are supposed to each make an appointment from the list of nominees submitted, but if they fail to do this within 30 days, the responsibility goes to the governor. If the governor does not take action within 15 days, then the siting board can move forward with its work without any local representatives on board.

After outcry from state and local officials late last year about the failure to have any ad hoc appointments established for the Conquest project, the Senate appointment was made in January when resident Ed Cook was accepted for one of the slots. The other slot has not been filled.
In the south of Ukraine, the invaders started creating a strike grouping in the Kryvyi Rih direction. The enemy is likely preparing a counteroffensive, planning to advance to the administrative border of Kherson region.

Thats according to Operational Command South, Ukrinform reports.

"The enemy continues to wage hostilities along the occupied defense line. They started to set up a strike grouping in the Kryvyi Rih direction. It is quite likely that the enemy is preparing a counteroffensive with further plans to advance to the administrative border of Kherson region," the report says.

At the Sukhy Stavok  Biloghirka frontier, the invaders tried to conduct reconnaissance by force with the support of two tanks. The attempt saw no success as the enemy retreated, having suffered losses.

Throughout the day, the Russians launched two air strikes and two missile strikes on the positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The enemy helicopters and Smerch MLR systems fired from the temporarily occupied territories of Kherson region and Mykolaiv region, along the contact line.

As noted, three Kh-101 cruise missiles were shot down by the anti-aircraft missile unit in the Bashtanka district, Mykolaiv region.

The Ukrainian air force carried out three strikes on strongholds and one  on the equipment cluster in the Berislav and Bashtanka districts.

Rocket and artillery units hit Chornobayivka, where the base of the occupying forces is located.

Confirmed losses of the enemy stand at 20 servicemen, two T-72 tanks, a Msta-B howitzer, four trucks and armored vehicles. The enemy losses are still being verified.

"The formation of Russias Black Sea Fleet consists of 13 warships and cutters sheltering in missile-proof areas. Among them are two carriers of 16 Kalibr cruise missiles and three large landing craft," the Command added.

As reported, over the past day, the Ukrainian military in the Southern direction eliminated 32 invaders, while the Air Force struck three enemy strongholds.
The Pentagon on Tuesday denied Russian claims that the country had destroyed six U.S.-made HIMARS missile systems since the beginning of the conflict in Ukraine.

Thats according to Reuters, Ukrinform reports.

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, according to Interfax, said on Tuesday that Russia had destroyed the HIMARS after Moscow deployed tens of thousands of troops to Ukraine on February 24.

"We are aware of these latest claims by Minister Shoigu and they are again patently false," Todd Breasseale, the Pentagon's acting spokesman, said.

Read also: Zelensky calls on Stoltenberg to provide heavy weapons for counteroffensive as soon as possible

According to the official, every HIMARS missile system supplied is in active use against Russias brutal invasion with devastating accuracy and efficiency.

As reported earlier, the Russian military has repeatedly stated that their forces allegedly succeed in shooting down HIMARS missiles, but no evidence has been provided to back the claim.

It should be recalled that the commander of Operational Command South, Major General Andriy Kovalchuk, said that the Ukrainian forces had very quickly mastered the HIMARS multiple rocket launcher system and proved they could effectively employ it on the battlefield against the Russians.
The former commander of the Ukrainian National Guards Azov Regiment, Maksym Zhorin, said that a number of Ukrainian prisoners of war who died in the explosion at the Olenivka colony in the occupied area of Donetsk region have already been identified.

Thats according to the Suspilne public broadcaster, Ukrinform reports.

"There are partial lists that were made public. At the moment, theyve been partially confirmed. But we can also say with confidence that these arent full lists," said the ex-commander.

He emphasized that there are no complete and verified lists of the dead: "Unfortunately, we dont have verified lists of the dead and wounded at the moment. It is extremely difficult for families and friends who are waiting for their loved ones to return home. They are now in limbo. But Russia has not handed over any official lists".

Read also: Zelensky discusses terrorist attack in Olenivka with Stoltenberg and Rau

Zhorin said that he was one of the first to learn about the tragedy. He is convinced that the explosion was a premeditated murder.

"Most likely, the building was blown up by means prepared in advance. It was not a missile strike for sure. Now, even satellite imagery makes it very clear that there are no traces of arrivals and artillery engaging the premises. From what the damage to the building looks like, its clear it was blown up from the inside," the serviceman explained.

According to Zhorin, the UN and the ICRC, as guarantors of the health and lives of Ukrainian defenders of the Azovstal plant in Mariupol, who were taken prisoner by the Russian forces, must find an opportunity to talk to the witnesses of the tragedy as soon as possible.

Read also: Russia labels Azov Regiment as terrorist organization

"I remember very well how, during the exit from Azovstal, the ICRC and the UN talked about being ready to take up responsibility, that they were ready to monitor the conditions of detention. But throughout all this time, the Red Cross was just once allowed to visit Olenivka, on the first day, when they withdrew from Azovstal. We have, in the literal sense, as a country, to force international organizations, the UN and the ICRC, whose duties involve this  to deal with this situation, to seek and demand from Russia access to the crime scene. And it is very important not just to get to the scene of the crime, but also to get the opportunity to talk with witnesses who survived in that building," Zhorin said.

He also confirmed that the Azov Regiment is launching its own search and identification of everyone who had anything to do with the incident in Olenivka.

As reported, Andrii Yusov, a representative of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, said that there is no reason to trust the lists of dead and wounded Ukrainian POWs from the temporarily captured Olenivka that were published by the Russians.

Photo: InformNapalm
The Armed Forces of Ukraine killed about 41,350 Russian soldiers between February 24 and August 3, including 180 in the past day alone.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said this in a Facebook post, according to Ukrinform.

Ukrainian defenders also destroyed 1,774 (+6) tanks, 4,022 (+8) armored fighting vehicles, 939 (+3) artillery systems, 259 (+0) multiple launch rocket systems, 118 (+1) anti-aircraft warfare systems, 223 (+0) warplanes, 191 (+1) helicopters, 740 (+1) operational and tactical level UAVs, 180 (+6) cruise missiles, 15 (+0) warships/cutters, 2,922 (+8) other vehicles and tanker trucks, and 83 (+1) pieces of special equipment.

The enemy suffered the greatest losses in the past day in the Bakhmut and Donetsk directions, the General Staff said.
Security Service operatives have exposed and detained members of the FSB-run human intelligence network, which had been providing the enemy with information on military and strategic objects throughout Ukraine.

Thats according to a report by the SBU press service, seen by Ukrinform.

According to law enforcers, the ring was headed by an Odesa resident, codename Professor, recruited by the Russian Federal Security Service.

"To fulfill the tasks of the Russian government, he set up an extensive network of assets, hiring residents of multiple regions. The Russian special service was interested in information about the exact location of decision-making centers and critical infrastructure objects," the SBU notes.

It is noted that the security operatives detained Professor during a purge raid outside the Odesa Military Administration HQ.

One of the agents employed by the network was nabbed in Ukraines western region of Ivano-Frankivsk.

The persons detained are yet to be formally charged with treason.

Photo: SBU
In cooperation with the 112th Territorial Defense Brigade, Ukrainian artillerymen have destroyed Russias self-propelled mine clearing vehicle UR-77 in Kharkiv Region.

The relevant statement was made by the 112th Territorial Defense Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Facebook, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

Amidst the wild forest in Kharkiv Region, the 112th Brigade of the Territorial Defense Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine tracked and, together with the artillerymen of the 92nd Separate Mechanized Brigade named after Ivan Sirko, destroyed Russias self-propelled mine clearing vehicle UR-77. A rare catch. Delicate work, the report states.

A reminder that, between February 24, 2022 and August 3, 2022, Russias total combat losses in Ukraine reached about 41,350 troops.

mk
The reconstruction of schools and kindergartens in Ukraine began during a visit by Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Reinsalu to Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said this in a Telegram post, Ukrinform reports.

"Estonia supports our sovereignty and territorial integrity not with words, but with real steps. I am grateful to Minister of Foreign Affairs of Estonia Urmas Reinsalu for this visit, during which we started the rebuilding of the most important infrastructure: schools and kindergartens," he wrote.

He said that on August 2, in the border town of Ovruch in the Zhytomyr region, a capsule was laid on the occasion of the start of construction of a kindergarten. In this context, Zelensky added: "Full reconstruction will take a lot of time and money, but the start has already taken place."

According to the presidential press service, the newly appointed Estonian foreign minister is in Ukraine on his first foreign visit. Zelensky thanked the minister for such a signal of solidarity with Ukraine. At the same time, he noted that there is no need to prove support from Estonia, as Ukrainians know about it and appreciate it.

Zelensky said that during the visit by Reinsalu, a capsule was laid in the border town of Ovruch in the Zhytomyr region on the occasion of the start of the construction of the first kindergarten within the Fast Recovery Plan. This is the first of 15 objects of general infrastructure that the Zhytomyr Regional State Administration submitted for consideration by the Estonian government for assistance in the reconstruction of the region.

"All the reconstruction - we understand that it is a large amount of money, a lot of work and a long time, and the main work will be held after the end of the war. But there is emergency help that is needed now, before the beginning of the school year, the educational process. This is the construction and restoration of schools and kindergartens, universities, as well as homes for forcibly displaced persons," Zelensky said.

He added that Ukraine had received confirmation of participation in the implementation of the reconstruction plan from many states, but Estonia was the first to start implementing the project.

"I want to thank you for starting this process. This is the first occasion for us. We are grateful your country started this work. I am grateful to the government of Estonia and Estonians," Zelensky said.

He noted that this is not the only case when Estonia is the first to provide support to Ukraine. It was one of the first states to support Ukraine in the matter of providing weapons.

"This is the most important priority on the battlefield today. And this was especially tangible at the very beginning of the war, when the world was not yet united by its help. But there were several countries that helped from the first day," he said.

In addition, Zelensky stressed the importance for Ukraine of Estonia's consistent support for the sanctions policy against the aggressor country, as well as for the country's European integration course.
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U.S. Rep. Claudia Tenney has won the support of several Republican elected officials, including the top two GOP leaders in the state Legislature, ahead of the primary election in the 24th Congressional District.

State Senate Republican Leader Rob Ortt and Assembly Minority Leader Will Barclay have endorsed Tenney, R-New Hartford, for reelection. Other lawmakers supporting the GOP congressman include Assembly members Ken Blankenbush, David DiPietro, Angelo Morinello, Mike Norris and Mark Walczyk.

Oswego County Sheriff Don Hilton is also backing Tenney in the GOP primary.

Barclay, R-Pulaski, called Tenney "a friend, colleague and outstanding representative for Oswego County in Congress." Tenney's current district includes a portion of Oswego County. Nearly the entire county is in the new 24th district.

"She is a strong voice for our law enforcement officers, Second Amendment rights and small businesses," said Barclay, who served with Tenney in the state Assembly. "Claudia understands the needs and concerns of upstate New Yorkers and has always fought on behalf of our communities."

Ortt, R-North Tonawanda, represents a state Senate district that includes all of Niagara and Orleans counties. Portions of both counties are in the newly drawn congressional district.

"We need strong, conservative leaders in Washington who will put the needs of America and their community first," Ortt said. "That's why I am proud to announce my full support for Congresswoman Claudia Tenney. I look forward to working with her on behalf of the great people of Niagara and Orleans counties."

In a statement, Tenney welcomed the support from the state legislators and elected leaders who represent parts of the new congressional district.

"Our Republican team is unified and ready to take the fight to Joe Biden, Kathy Hochul and the Democrats this November," she said. "I look forward to working with all Republican elected officials in New York 24 to ensure we fire Nancy Pelosi, save New York and win up and down the ballot."

The endorsements were announced less than three weeks before the Aug. 23 primary election. Tenney, who is serving her second nonconsecutive term in Congress, decided to run for reelection in the new 24th district instead of the 22nd district, where she resides. Former President Donald Trump, who has endorsed Tenney, won the new 24th with 59% of the vote in 2020.

Tenney's primary opponents are Mario Fratto, a Geneva attorney who operates his family's granite manufacturing business, and George Phillips, a former Broome County legislator.

The winner of the GOP primary will be the heavy favorite to win the general election. Republicans outnumber Democrats by 75,000 voters in the 24th district.

The 24th district is comprised of all of Cayuga, Genesee, Livingston, Ontario, Seneca, Wayne, Wyoming and Yates counties, plus parts of Jefferson, Niagara, Orleans and Oswego counties.
Ukraine's military personnel guarding the border with Belarus in the Zhytomyr region have strong positions and are ready to meet the enemy.

Deputy Head of the Ukrainian President's Office Kyrylo Tymoshenko said this in a Telegram post after his visit to the Zhytomyr region, Ukrinform reports.

"We worked in the Zhytomyr region. We met with the military guarding the border of the region [with Belarus]. They are ready to meet the enemy. They have reliable and strong positions, and most importantly, they have a great motivation to defend Ukraine," Tymoshenko said.

According to him, the destroyed homes of civilians and infrastructure are reminiscent of hostilities that took place in the Zhytomyr region.
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has launched a new $40 million Canada-funded project to further address grain storage shortages in Ukraine.

The press service of the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine said this in a statement, Ukrinform reports.

According to the statement, the initiative will allow storage of an additional 2.4 million tonnes of grain between 2022-2023 along with related technical support and equipment. This complements the support of $17 million recently provided by the Government of Japan to cover 1 million tonnes of grain storage.

This season, with the harvest of winter crops starting in July and spring crops beginning later in the year, Ukraine is expecting to harvest up to 51.1 million tonnes of cereal. Out of a total storage capacity of 75 million tonnes, 14 percent of storage facilities are damaged or destroyed, 10 percent are located in Russian-occupied territories and around 30 percent remain filled with 22 million tonnes of last years harvest awaiting export  according to the Government of Ukraine.

"Given the unprecedented storage challenges this year, innovative solutions are required at scale. For this reason support to the sector will remain in high demand, likely into 2023," said Rein Paulsen, Director of the FAO Office of Emergencies and Resilience.

The recently developed Grain Storage Support Strategy  an extension to the FAO Ukraine Rapid Response Plan (RRP)  aims to support the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine to cover 4.07 million tonnes, or 25 percent, of the total estimated national storage deficit of 16 million tons in 2022-23. The strategy also includes the support of the State Service of Ukraine on Food Safety and Consumer Protection to process and export agricultural products from Ukraine, by strengthening government capacity for food commodity testing and certifications necessary for export at border facilities.

The immediate impact of the strategy will be an expansion and immediate availability of storage capacity at this critical harvest time for Ukrainian producers of grain and oil seeds, while the longer-term impact will be in sustaining global food supplies. This, in turn, will strengthen food security and protect livelihoods at the household and national levels in Ukraine, and ensure other grain import-dependent countries retain access to adequate supplies of grain, at a manageable cost.

"Thanks to the funding provided by Global Affairs Canada, FAO will deliver temporary and fixed grain storage solutions including polyethylene grain sleeves, loading and unloading machinery, and longer-term modular storage units, targeting small and medium-sized farms in 15 oblasts," said Pierre Vauthier, Head of FAO's Ukraine Country Office.

"In addition, FAO will procure up to $2 million worth of laboratory equipment to support six strategic laboratory facilities in surveillance for animal diseases in accordance with the World Organization for Animal Healths safe trade rules," he added.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has signed a motion to President Volodymyr Zelensky for the appointment of former Prosecutor General Iryna Venediktova as Ukraine's ambassador to Switzerland.

He said this in an interview with Ukrinform.

"Yes, I signed the motion for the appointment of Ms. Venediktova as ambassador to Switzerland," he said.

Kuleba said that the practice of appointing politicians to diplomatic posts has always existed in all countries, as "an influx of fresh blood, fresh thoughts and views is needed."

The Verkhovna Rada on July 19 voted to dismiss Venediktova as Ukraine's prosecutor general.

David Arakhamia, the head of the Servant of the People faction in the Verkhovna Rada, said that Venediktova could be appointed to a diplomatic post in the near future.

Media outlets earlier reported that Venediktova could become Ukraine's ambassador to Switzerland.
Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal held a meeting with Minister of Foreign Affairs of Estonia Urmas Reinsalu, at which the parties discussed strengthening the intergovernmental dialogue, support, and post-war recovery of Ukraine.

As Ukrinform reports with reference to the Government portal, Shmyhal thanked the Estonian government and people for the great support and assistance they provide to our country in all areas.

"Estonia has transferred arms to Ukraine worth a third of its budget. And in terms of the ratio of the country's GDP to the amount of assistance, Estonia is a leader in supporting our country, and Ukrainians appreciate it greatly," the Prime Minister of Ukraine emphasized.

The Head of the Government of Ukraine also expressed gratitude to the Estonian side for humanitarian aid and support for Ukraine on the path towards European integration, in particular, in the issue of obtaining the EU candidate status.

"It is essential now to establish bilateral intergovernmental work, inter alia in terms of cooperation with the EU and NATO partners, to ensure priority needs allowing us to win the war with Russia. We make every effort for this purpose, and I am sure that Estonia will support that," Shmyhal said.

The Prime Minister of Ukraine and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Estonia also discussed the Ukraine Recovery Plan. Minister Reinsalu said that Estonia would help to reconstruct Zhytomyr region.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Estonia also noted that the new composition of the Government of Estonia continued its comprehensive support for Ukraine. In particular, a new assistance package will be approved in the near future and will include weapons, ammunition, and training for the Ukrainian military.

According to Reinsalu, Estonia keeps insisting that Russia must be held to account for the aggression at an international tribunal.

On August 2, newly appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs of Estonia Urmas Reinsalu began his first foreign visit to Ukraine. He visited Zhytomyr region as Estonia will help restore it after the end of the war in Ukraine.

On August 3, Reinsalu held a meeting with Verkhovna Rada Chairman Ruslan Stefanchuk, during which the parties discussed a number of topical issues.

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It is no coincidence that Russia launched a missile attack on Lviv regions Chervonohrad district, near the border with Poland, on the day the minister of foreign affairs, Zbigniew Rau, was visiting Kyiv.

Polands Deputy Foreign Minister Pawe Jabonski expressed the opinion while speaking with Radio Poland, Ukrinform reports.

"I think that the shelling during this visit was not completely accidental," said Jabonski.

The senior diplomat noted that, since the full-scale invasion, Russia has been engaging various targets in Ukraine, most of which are civilian objects. In addition, according to him, Russias arsenal of high-precision weapons is running out.

Read also: Ukraine downs seven of eight Russian missiles launched from Caspian Sea Aug 2

"Therefore, Russia is forced to wage this war using methods of non-precise shelling, which often occurs at the expense of civilian objects. They are fully aware that they could hit civilian objects, and they are still going for it," the Polish diplomat emphasized.

He drew attention to the fact that the shelling of Lviv region took place during the visit of Foreign Minister Rau to Ukraine. According to Jablonski, during the visit, the head of Polish diplomacy once again emphasized the consistency of Warsaw's policy of supporting Ukraine and mobilizing the international community to provide assistance to Kyiv.

As Ukrinform reported earlier, as a result of a missile strike at the Chervonohrad district, Lviv region, on August 2, one of the buildings at a military facility near the town of Radekhiv was damaged. No casualties were reported.

That night the invaders fired a total of eight missiles from the Caspian Sea, of which six were shot down by anti-aircraft missile forces, and one - by a fighter jet.

The day before, the OSCE Chairman-in-Ofice, head of Polish diplomacy Zbigniew Rau visited Kyiv. During the visit, he stated that the OSCE is launching a major program to support Ukraine in tackling war-related challenges. The program will be implemented even without the consent of Russia, which is also an OSCE member state, despite the fact that the consensus principle is applied.
Estonia will continue to deliver the next tranches of military equipment and military assistance to Ukraine and will provide comprehensive support for Ukraine on its way to NATO membership.

The relevant statement was made by Estonian Foreign Affairs Minister Urmas Reinsalu during a joint briefing with Ukrainian Foreign Affairs Minister Dmytro Kuleba in Kyiv, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

According to Reinsalu, it is necessary to step up pressure on the aggressor state, namely to increase sanctions and ensure Russias isolation as the aggressor state committing genocide against the Ukrainian people and making continuous attempts to destroy the Ukrainian statehood.

Reinsalu also emphasized that Estonia as a country is interested in establishing cooperation with Ukraine in relation to the legal responsibility of those involved in the organization of aggression.

A reminder that, on August 2, 2022, Estonian Foreign Affairs Minister Urmas Reinsalu started his first foreign visit to Ukraine. Reinsalu came to Zhytomyr Region, as Estonia is planning to help with its post-war reconstruction.

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SYRACUSE  It wasn't a typical setting for a political debate, but it may be one of the only times the two Republicans running in the 22nd Congressional District appear together at the same forum.

The Rotary Club of Eastwood in Syracuse hosted Steve Wells and Brandon Williams at the organization's weekly meeting at Collegian Hotel and Suites. The Rotarians were outnumbered by the candidates' supporters and others who were interested in what the two Republicans had to say.

After each candidate had 10 minutes to introduce themselves, they fielded questions submitted by audience members. The first highlighted differences between Wells and Williams. They were asked whether they support a woman's right an abortion and if the Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade decision, which was recently overturned, should be codified into law.

Williams, who has the state Conservative Party's endorsement, said he is the pro-life candidate in the race. Wells did not reveal his personal stance on abortion. Instead, he said the issue should be left up to the states to decide.

They also offered different responses to a question about what they believe is the number one threat to the United States. Wells believes there are multiple threats, but singled out China as "the most prolific strategic threat" the country faces. Williams focused on a domestic issue  what he views as "the growing influence of socialist ideology" in politics and schools.

"I've had countless people across the political spectrum who are concerned about this rising Marxist ideology and socialism that we find pervasive in our culture," he said.

Wells and Williams were also asked about whether they think the 2020 presidential election was stolen  a claim made by former President Donald Trump, who was defeated by current President Joe Biden.

Williams thinks there were "a lot of irregularities" with that election, but added that he doesn't dispute Biden was elected president. However, he does believe there are "very serious election integrity issues."

Wells agreed that election integrity is important. He compared it to when he was a criminal prosecutor and individuals were brought in to serve on juries. If they thought the system was rigged, he said, then the system doesn't work.

"We have to make sure that people believe in the system," Wells said. "If people don't believe in the fundamental integrity of the system, then we've got a problem."

The candidates also faced individual questions. Williams was quizzed about his residence. He lives in Cayuga County, which is outside of the 22nd district. (The 22nd includes all of Onondaga, Madison and Oneida counties, plus a portion of Oswego County.) While members of Congress are not required to live in the districts they represent, he said he would look at whether to move into the district after the general election.

A question for Wells was about his refusal to debate Williams. He has declined invitations from multiple Syracuse media outlets to participate in pre-primary debates.

"I'm here right now," Wells said.

The primary election will be held on Aug. 23. The GOP nominee will face the winner of the four-way Democratic primary between Francis Conole, Sarah Klee Hood, Chol Majok and Sam Roberts.
Beijing (Gasgoo)- AVATR Technology, the auto startup backed by Changan Automobile, CATL, and Huawei, announced the completion of its Series A financing round on August 2nd.

Photo credit: AVATR

The round was led by Chinas National Green Development Fund and participated by many institutional investors such as China Merchants Jintai Capital and CITIC New Future Investment. AVATRs existing shareholders Changan Automobile and China Southern Capital also increased their investment in the auto startup.

Upon completion of the A round, Changan Automobile and CATL will remain the respective first and second largest shareholders of AVATR.

Along with the capital increase, AVATR Technology will also sign agreements with the newly joined investors for long-term strategic cooperation in sales network support, automotive chip supply, visual image perception, intelligent cockpit development, etc., further strengthening the companys resource advantages across the industrial chain.

After the completion of the A round capital increase, AVATR Technology has raised nearly RMB5 billion ($740.72 million) in entirety with a post-investment valuation closing in on RMB10 billion ($1.48 billion).

Currently, AVATR is carrying out the works for its second production model. Meanwhile, its first model, the AVATR 11, will officially hit the market on August 8th.
Shanghai (Gasgoo)- Honda Motor announced today its monthly China sales reached 133,556 units in July 2022, jumping 23.5% from a year earlier, while sliding 5.4% from the previous month.

The Japanese automaker said it had achieved a year-on-year increase in sales for two straight months in China.

As for the sales of the two joint ventures, GAC Honda saw its July sales rise 10.2% over a year ago to 68,337 units, while Dongfeng Honda scored a remarkable 41.4% year-on-year increase by selling 65,219 vehicles last month.

For the first seven months of 2022, Honda Motor sold 812,784 vehicles across China, reflecting a 9.2% year-on-year decrease due to the impact of the coronavirus resurgence and the supply constraints of auto parts.

The year-to-date sales of vehicles armed with the hybrid powertrain system Sport Hybrid added up to 120,961 units, sliding 10.8% compared to the same span of 2021.

With 419,541 vehicles sold in total, GAC Honda posted a 1.7% year-on-year decline in its Jan.-Jul. sales. Meanwhile, a two-digit dip of 16% confronted Dongfeng Honda's year-to-date sales, which stood at 393,243 units.

In August, the all-new XR-V from Dongfeng Honda will go on sale to further enrich and update Honda's China product lineup.
For over 30 years the City of Austin has welcomed the tradition of Blues on the Green. Produ Read more
August 3 2022

John O'Groats Mill Trust has won planning consent to proceed with the alteration and extension of a B-listed Caithness mill to serve as a tourism destination.

The Highland Council green light clears the way for McGregorBowes to proceed with a major programme of renovations and additions to the 18th-century threshing and corn mill, notable for having retained its kiln and inner workings in near working order.

Adopting a 'conserve as found' ethos to the project the works will adopt a hands-off approach to the main mill standing above the Burn of Duncansby with interventions limited to improving access. Working with conservation architect Ian Parsons the team will leave surviving machinery unaltered and in good working order, retaining all plastered walls, timber and stored equipment.

Interventions will be limited to the demolition of a mid-20th century shed and concessions to the interior fabric to permit the installation of an interior lift. This will be joined by a detached cafe extension dug into the landscape under a green roof.

Considered to be the last water-powered grain mill to be built in Scotland the conservation-led effort dovetails with moves to introduce a cafe, craft workshop and events space to give the mill a new lease of life as a community asset.

The project team includes Bright as interpretation designers as well as the Torrance Partnership, David Narro Associates and Rybka.
August 3 2022

Legal firm Pinsent Masons have set up shop in a new Edinburgh office following an extensive refit by Cundall to connect occupants with the natural environment.

The 25,000sq/ft Capital Square office, home to over 200 staff, has been refitted according to standards governing access to air, water, nourishment, light, fitness, comfort and mind as set out by the International WELL Building Institute.

Tony Centola, building services partner at Cundall, said: Achieving the first WELL accredited office fit-out in Scotland demonstrates Pinsent Masons commitment to their staffs health and wellbeing by creating an inspiring and welcoming workplace for all. Our team faced and overcame many challenges including a base build not specifically designed for WELL, a pandemic, and a key supplier going into administration in the final phases of the project.

Sophie Simpson, associate sustainability engineer at Cundall Edinburgh adds:There is plenty of evidence that offices that are designed to promote the physical and mental wellbeing of occupants are far more productive and happier than those that are not, and we expect this trend to continue as the world moves towards more environmentally conscious design.

Embracing biophilic design through the use of natural materials and indoor plants the overhaul emphasises health and wellbeing through natural light, air filtration and circadian lighting to work with the ingrained 24-hour cycle of the human body.

The fit-out was delivered in collaboration with Form Design Consultants, CBRE UK, AECOM and Overbury.
PHNOM PENH, Aug 3 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 3rd Aug, 2022 ) :Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Cambodian People's Party's Permanent Committee member and Prime Minister candidate Hun Manet here on Wednesday.

The two sides had an in-depth exchange of views on China-Cambodia relations, international and regional issues of common concern, stressing that both countries will actively promote the building of the China-Cambodia community of a shared future and carry forward, maintain and develop the cause of China-Cambodia solidarity and friendship.
Barneveld, Netherlands, Aug 3 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 3rd Aug, 2022 ) :Dutch farmers' rowdy protests against government climate plans have caused a stir at home and abroad, with populists worldwide jumping on the bandwagon and even former US president Donald Trump backing them.

"We take all the support that we can get," says Jaap Kok, a 62-year-old cattle farmer standing in a meadow full of cows near Barneveld in the central Netherlands' farming belt.

The farmers have wreaked havoc for weeks, dumping manure and garbage on highways, blockading supermarket warehouses with tractors and rallying noisily outside politicians' houses.

They oppose plans to cut emissions of nitrogen in the Netherlands -- the world's second-biggest agricultural exporter after the United States -- by reducing livestock and closing some farms.

While a small group has been blamed for much of the unrest, there have also been large protests involving thousands of tractors.

With the protests garnering global headlines, right-wing figures have been quick to voice support. As well as Trump, they include French far-right leader Marine Le Pen, and Dutch far-right politicians Geert Wilders and Thierry Baudet.

"I would have preferred that the support came from the left but from the right is fine too," said Kok, whose own farm risks closure.

The tiny Netherlands produces huge amounts of food thanks to industrialised farming -- but at the cost of being one of Europe's largest greenhouse gas emitters.

That is especially true of nitrogen, with much of this blamed on ammonia-based fertiliser and cattle-produced manure. Agriculture is responsible for 16 percent of all Dutch emissions.

Nitrogenous gases play an important role in global climate change. Nitrous oxide is a particularly potent greenhouse gas as it is over 300 times more effective at trapping heat in the atmosphere than carbon dioxide.

The Netherlands' flat landscape sitting just above sea level makes it vulnerable to extreme weather.

In July the Netherlands recorded its third-highest temperature since records began -- 39.4C in the southern city of Maastricht.

Nitrogen-containing substances are also blamed for damage to plant and animal habitats.

Following a 2019 court ruling that the Netherlands was not doing enough to protect its natural areas from nitrogen pollution, the Dutch government said in June that the only way to meet climate goals by 2030 was "radical" cuts to farming.

This would involve a reduction in particular of around 30 percent to the Netherlands' herd of some four million cows.

The government has offered some 25 billion Euros to help farmers adapt -- but has also warned that some closures are possible.

"The farmers are very angry," said Jos Ubels, vice president of the Farmers Defence Force (FDF), one of the groups coordinating the demonstrations.

"In history, every time there is a problem with a minority they have to shout really hard to be heard, so this is what we are doing."Ubels said his group was not responsible for the roadblocks, saying that it was "just organised by local farmers -- they are very angry because they are played with."Prime Minister Mark Rutte recently called the protests "life-threatening", yet there is a groundswell of support.
(@FahadShabbir)

HONG KONG, Aug 3 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 3rd Aug, 2022 ) :China's, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government on Tuesday expressed firm opposition to and strongly condemned the visit to China's Taiwan region by Nancy Pelosi, speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives.

KSAR Chief Executive John Lee strongly condemned Pelosi's visit which flagrantly challenges the one-China principle, seriously undermines China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, greatly threatens the peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, and gravely violates the basic norms governing international relations.

The HKSAR government has firm determination in and a clear stance on opposing "Taiwan independence," and fully supports the central government's resolute determination in safeguarding national sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Pelosi's visit encourages "Taiwan independence" and blatantly challenges the one-China principle, undermining the stability in the Taiwan Strait, Lee said.

Such a move, gambling on and showing contempt for the well-being of more than 20 million people in Taiwan, is extremely selfish, he said.

He stressed that the HKSAR government firmly opposes any external forces interfering in the internal affairs of China, and will fully support all necessary measures taken by the central government to resolutely safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Principal officials of the HKSAR government, including Chief Secretary for Administration Chan Kwok-ki, Financial Secretary Paul Chan, and Secretary for Justice Paul Lam, also expressed firm opposition to and strong condemnation of the visit by Pelosi, who overtly ignored the serious concern and solemn position that the Chinese government has repeatedly made clear.
Former UFC champion Conor McGregor is heading to the big screen.

On Wednesday, Deadline reported and ESPN confirmed (through McGregors spokesperson) that the former featherweight and lightweight champion would have a role in the upcoming remake of Road House, starring Jake Gyllenhaal.

Jake Gyllenhaal will star in the movie, which is a new take on the classic 1980s cult hit that starred Patrick Swayze. Amazon Prime Video is the movie studio. Deadline was first to report the news Wednesday of McGregors involvement. Conor McGregor is very excited to expand his storied career to Hollywood and join with Jake Gyllenhaal in this reimagining of Road House, a beloved classic, Kessler said in a statement. While fighting remains his top focus, this is the beginning of another successful venture in the McGregor empire. He is eager to get started filming.

This is McGregors first appearance in a feature film, though he was the subject of a 2017 documentary Conor McGregor: Notorious.

Heres the plot of the film, which will be on Prime Video as an Amazon original.

The new take follows a former UFC fighter (Gyllenhaal) who takes a job as a bouncer at a rough-and-tumble roadhouse in the Florida Keys, but soon discovers that not everything is what it seems in this tropical paradise. While exact details behind who McGregor will be playing are unknown, sources made it clear he would be playing an original character and not himself in the project. The Amazon Original Movie is set to go into production in the Dominican Republic this month and will stream on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide at release.

McGregor hasnt fought since July of 2021, when he lost to Dustin Poirier and broke his leg.

I feel like adding McGregor to the films cast is a shrewd move, because hell probably draw more interest and eyeballs to the project just because of who he is. And hey, if hes good, that will set him up nicely in his post-fighting career.

[Deadline]
Yangon, Aug 3 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 3rd Aug, 2022 ) :Russia backs the Myanmar junta's efforts to "stabilise" the crisis-wracked country, its foreign minister said on Wednesday during talks with top generals, according to Russian state media.

The Southeast Asian nation has been in chaos since the military's power grab last year, with more than 2,100 people killed in a crackdown on dissent, according to a local monitor.

"We are in solidarity with the efforts (by the junta) aimed at stabilising the situation in the country," Sergei Lavrov said during talks in Myanmar's capital Naypyidaw, according to the TASS news agency.

Russia is a major ally and arms supplier of the isolated junta, and has been accused by rights groups of arming the military with weapons used to attack civilians since last year's coup.

"Next year, you will hold legislative elections and we wish you success in making your country even stronger and more prosperous," Lavrov added, referring to proposed August 2023 elections that opponents of the coup have said will be neither free nor fair.

Lavrov is scheduled to travel on to an Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) foreign ministers' meeting in Cambodia from which the junta's top diplomat has been excluded over its refusal to engage in dialogue with its opponents.

His visit comes after the junta sparked renewed international outrage last week when it announced it had executed four prisoners, including a former lawmaker and a democracy activist, in the country's first use of capital punishment in decades.

- 'Disappointed and disturbed' - ASEAN has been growing increasingly frustrated at Myanmar's lack of progress on a five-point peace plan agreed last year.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen -- the current ASEAN chair -- on Wednesday warned Myanmar against further hangings.

He said the regional bloc was "disappointed and disturbed" by last month's executions, and that the further use of capital punishment would mean a "rethink" of the five-point peace plan.

The junta has yet to comment on Lavrov's visit.

With Western governments imposing sanctions following the coup and violent crackdown on dissent, the junta has turned increasingly to allies including China and Russia.

Junta chief Min Aung Hlaing was in Moscow on a "private" visit in July and reportedly met with officials from Moscow's space and nuclear agencies.

The army has justified its power grab by alleging massive fraud during the 2020 elections, in which Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) trounced a military-backed party.

Last year, it cancelled the results of the polls, saying it had uncovered more than 11 million instances of voter fraud.

International observers said the voting was largely free and fair.
(@FahadShabbir)

LONDON, Aug 3 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 3rd Aug, 2022 ) :Rishi Sunak, one of the main contenders to become the British prime minister and the Conservative Party leader, has been criticized over his proposals to strengthen the government's anti-terror strategy.

Sunak's plans, which include expanding the definition of extremism and vilifying individuals who are critical of the UK foreign policy, has been described by a former senior police chief as damaging to the country's national security as well as its democratic and liberal credentials.

"The widening of Prevent could damage its credibility and reputation. It makes it more about people's thoughts and opinions. It is straying into thought crimes and political opinions," Peter Fahy, Britain's former police chief, said in a statement.

"Political opposition is not where police should be, it is those who pose a serious threat and risk of violence, not those opposed to political systems," Fahy added.

During a Tuesday night hustings event, Sunak vowed to refocus Prevent, the government's anti-terrorism strategy, to tackle radical Muslim extremism, describing the latter as the UK's most significant terror threat.

The leadership hopeful also promised to broaden this definition to include the vilification of the UK, arguing that "those with an extreme hatred of our country that leads them to pose a risk to national security can be identified and diverted away from a destructive path.

" The government's Prevent program is highly controversial and has come under repeated criticism by rights groups over suppression of free speech and thought, often imprisoning innocent people on false accusations of extremism.

It relies on information given to authorities by the public sector. Teachers, doctors and work place managers have a duty under the program to report any instances of radicalism to the authorities.

Fahy argued that the danger in this strategy as well as in the new proposals put forward by Sunak are the perceptions it creates of the public sector as a government tool to spy on the public and who would define extremism and vilification.

"The danger is the perception it creates that teachers and health workers are involved in state surveillance," Fahy said.

"What does vilification mean? Vilification would have to be carefully defined," he added. Other security proposals from Sunak include classifying extremists in a separate category from the general prison population through a new bill of rights, and monitoring and auditing charities to prevent extremist groups from receiving funds.
An explosion on Wednesday in a French factory producing a compound used in gunpowder injured eight people, one of them seriously, officials said

Bordeaux, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 3rd Aug, 2022 ) :An explosion on Wednesday in a French factory producing a compound used in gunpowder injured eight people, one of them seriously, officials said.

The blast occurred in a building at the Manuco factory in Bergerac, in the southwestern Dordogne region, which makes nitrocellulose, a highly flammable compound used for ammunition.

The factory is qualified as "high threshold" under the EU Seveso classifications for chemical sites, a category considered high-risk in the event of an industrial accident.

The cause of the blast was not yet known, factory owners Eurenco said, adding that it had occurred during a maintenance operation at the plant.

The situation was "under control", according to Eurenco, a leading European manufacturer of propellants and explosives for the military that took over Manuco last year.

In a statement, the company added that there was no impact from the blast on the area surrounding the site.

Local official Jean-Charles Jobart said the building where the explosion happened contained around two tonnes of nitrocellulose.

Around 40 people were present in the factory at the time.

Authorities reported fire and smoke at the building, which was quickly cordoned off.

Five ambulances, two helicopters and around 50 firefighters were dispatched to the site, and the local hospital put on alert.
Since the Flagstaff Initiative Against Trafficking (FIAT) started collecting data in 2017, it has documented more than 600 cases of sexual- and labor-based exploitation in northern Arizona.

The number comes from Kate Wyatt, director of Human Trafficking Services and a founder of FIAT, which is housed at Northland Family Help Center.

Wyatt shared the standout statistic during a livestreamed event that addressed sex trafficking in the area. The event was hosted in part by Flagstaff City Councilmember Adam Shimoni and Stacey Southerland (of Training and Resources United to Stop Trafficking [TRUST] AZ) to bring public awareness to the issue of exploitation.

Its happening here. Its happening every day, Wyatt said during last Tuesday evening's event.

She founded FIAT after working at Northland Family Help Center for a number of years. The lived experiences of survivors, she said, are what prompted her to try and educate the community more broadly.

Both with my experience with the domestic violence shelter and the youth shelter, clients would talk about experiences of abuse and exploitation, but we didnt really know what it was called, Wyatt said. It was sexual violence that they were experiencing. I remember hearing them [survivors] talk about having to exchange sex for shelter or for drugs and alcohol. That was something they thought was normal, and they didnt think of it as exploitation.

Part of the problem with identifying cases of sex trafficking or human trafficking, Wyatt said, is that people have a lot of misconceptions about this form of violence.

Its not going to be like the movie Taken where theyre snatched under the bed. Theres a much longer grooming process thats involved, Wyatt said.

She also referenced conspiracy theories about missing children being transported to buyers via the furniture and decor company Wayfair, a story that gained traction in 2020. According to Wyatt, untruths cause more than confusion around trafficking -- they cause real harm.

Many survivors speak to this. They were in the life when those things were going on, and untruths or myths were being shared and they say, Thats not what Im experiencing. I must not be experiencing human trafficking, Wyatt said.

Its a very complicated issue," Stacey Southerland said. "Theres a lot of nuance, but what it comes down to is vulnerability. No two cases of human trafficking look alike. Often a trafficker or abuser will give a victim ways to fulfill their basic needs  a phone, transportation, money, shelter, food, drugs or alcohol. Then, theyll use those gifts to manipulate a victim into performing commercial sex acts or forced labor. Generally, a trafficker is someone the victim knows and trusts. Sometimes that person can be a family member, babysitter or peer."

To better understand the local scope of sex trafficking, FIAT gathers survivor data. It has determined that 78.2% of adult victims are female, and more than half were sexually exploited and/or a part of commercial sex trades. The largest segment of the population is between the ages of 32 and 38. Roughly half are Caucasian; nearly a quarter are Native American.

Driving down demand

According to Wyatt, Flagstaff doesnt see the kind of street-level prostitution other cities might -- which leads some people to think that the community doesnt have a problem.

A lot of what we see is online," she said. While the internet is really great, its also provided an opportunity for exploiters to connect with minors and people they are looking to exploit. It could be as simple as someone posting on their social media about being sad or being misunderstood or even saying, I just need to get out of my house. The exploiter might reach out to the person and say, Why dont I just take you for a ride and chat.' Theyre going to do this several times to gain trust.

A lot of the time, traffickers connect with clients online via dedicated websites that act as bulletin boards for commercial sex advertisements.

Stacey [from TRUST AZ] was talking about the other day that there are several websites that she has been monitoring for what our numbers look like in Flagstaff. The lowest number that she saw was five ads a day; the highest was 50-plus. That tells us that theres a lot of demand here. If there wasnt a market for people purchasing sex in our community these websites would not exist," Wyatt said.

According to data shared by TRUST AZ last week, one in 20 men in Arizona buys sex underground.

Victim-centered advocacy groups like FIAT stress that buyer accountability is the key to driving down demand.

Thats our huge focus," Wyatt said. "We know that our local law enforcement agencies are very invested in and interested in doing buyer sting operations. Then also hopefully implementing some ordinances that hold buyers accountable.

The organization argues that victims who fear legal repercussions for their role in forced prostitution may not seek to escape their traffickers. Those who face criminal charges might not be eligible for sustainable employment or stable housing, leaving them vulnerable to revictimization.

There are a lot of people who may have gotten out of the life and used to participate in sex work, and theyll say, If you had had a conversation with me when I was actively in the life, I would have said I was absolutely there by choice. Thats because they felt there was no other option, that there was no way for them to make money any other way. So they make money by escorting or selling their bodies. We want to support law enforcement so their actions dont provide negative legal repercussions for survivors, Wyatt said.

For now, FIAT continues to support survivors as a branch of Northland Family Help Center.

If they dont want to involve law enforcement, we just go the social service route. If they want to stay in this community, if they just need a place to be safe, people can stay with us for up to 120 days. We have groups, legal advocacy and support, Wyatt said.

If you or someone you know might be experiencing sexual or labor exploitation, call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888. To learn more about FIAT and local support services, visit northlandfamily.org/flagstaff-initiative-trafficking.
Many images captured Pope Francis' Penitential Pilgrimage to the land of the indigenous people, and offered a window onto the moments that put the focus on the path of healing and reconciliation of peoples who have greatly suffered and who today encounter a new face of the Church.

By Massimiliano Menichetti

In today's society, there are images that go around the world in a matter of seconds, shared on social media thanks to phones and PCs: thousands, millions, if not billions of people often unwittingly find themselves looking at the same snapshot. There are lines, colors and shapes that vanish in the swirl of sharing, others remain etched in the memory forever, and still others are kept exclusively in the heart.

In Pope Francis' trip to Canada (24-30 July), there are many of these snapshots that tell much more than an event: they open spaces, show silences, pain, and suffering, but also show belonging, acknowledgement, encounter, hope.

The Pope, as he himself pointed out, made a penitential pilgrimage to a land that has witnessed the martyrdom of indigenous peoples whose children were torn from them at the time of the policies of assimilation and enfranchisement. Pope Francis set out, bearing the light of Christ, of the Church that sees, that is not afraid of the truth and of asking for forgiveness, that embraces, listens, loves. A Church that is close to every needy person, without hesitation, without doubt, without hesitation, without obstacles.

In six days the Pope traveled across Canada touching the peripheries of the heart as well as the geographical ones, reaching as far as the edge of the Arctic Circle where the largest Inuit community on the planet lives. In Iqaluit he met with residential school alumni at one of the four elementary schools - the dreadful institution created to re-educate indigenous people torn from their families, sites of atrocities and violence. Pope Francis entered a room in this structure, which resembles a large white box, with portholes distributed on the faceted and protruding walls.

He entered in silence; a few dozen people were waiting for him, arranged in several rows, in a circle. Most of them were elderly, dressed simply, some in traditional clothes. Hands creased by years went to their faces. Tears slowly flowed down their motionless, almost expressionless faces, with gazes fixed on the Pope. In that snapshot - repeated many times during the journey - there is much more than a single life. There is the stifled cry of a people. Men and women who, also because of Catholics, have experienced horrors, and who in that encounter saw themselves recognized, touched, embraced and loved. Tears that expressed chasms, sufferings, hopes before which one can only be silent, open one's arms and welcome.

In the days of the Apostolic Visit, the Pope pointed to a path of reconciliation and healing, as he did in recent months at the Vatican when he received representatives of First Nations, Inuit and Metis indigenous peoples. He initiated a process, a horizon that must be reached, that must be built and nurtured.

The Pope and Chief Littlechild

The Pope's presence was a "blessing and a gift," said Chief Wilton Littlechild, stressing that now "the work begins." Littlechild is the indigenous chief survivor of the residential schools, now 78 years old, who gave the Pope an Indian headdress at the meeting at Bear Park Pow-Wow Grounds in Maskwacis.

It was an extraordinary photograph, that of the pontiff with the eagle feathers, but the heartfelt snapshot is several frames earlier - when this gesture of sharing was made possible. And to understand it, one must completely review the scene. It led to that gift that indicates recognition - which cost Chief Littlechild considerable physical effort, since he ordinarily walks with the aid of crutches or moves in a wheelchair - instead, he walked a few meters by himself, climbing the stairs to get to the stage where the Pope was - because the Indigenous peoples reopened their hearts and ears to the Gospel, to the reality of a living Church, different from the one that humiliated and crushed them.

Also shown to the Pope was a long red banner with the names of the victims of the residential schools written on it, as the sound of drums went through the bodies and merged with the heartbeat of each one. Unforgettable also, was the image of grief, emotion and anger of Si Pih Ko, standing straight in front of the Pope with the admiring crowd around her, and the indecision of the security men as she sang, in an unscheduled manner, a song that in its sounds, recalled the Canadian anthem.

The indigenous woman crying as she sang before the Pope in Maskwacis

Then, the Pope sat in a wheelchair before the silence of Lac Ste. Anne, a place dear to the indigenous people, where thousands go on pilgrimage each year. And there, as Pope Francis spoke, the hands of the grandparents clasped those of the younger ones to mutually support each other.

Images of suffering, pride, passion, identity, dances, silence, prayer, and tears thus accompanied this penitential pilgrimage, which begins a new perspective and assigns tasks and goals to individuals and institutions, but which also represents an opportunity for all of humanity, for all of us, to follow paths of sharing and fraternity, to listen and set our gaze on humanity and Creation, realizing that we are all children of God.
Kosovo's government has postponed for a month new border rules after clashes in the north of the country where ethnic Serbs blocked roads and gunmen fired on police.

By Stefan J. Bos

Kosovo's government postponed controversial border measures after the NATO-led peacekeepers in Kosovo, known as KFOR, labeled the security situation in the north "as tense."

Under the new rules, people entering Kosovo with Serbian identity documents would have to replace them with a temporary document during their stay in the country.

Pristina also said that ethnic Serbs with vehicle registration plates issued by neighboring Serbia must change them for Kosovo license plates within two months.

Despite Serbia having the same requirements as Kosovo, the attempts to impose Pristina's authority in Northern Kosovo did not go well. Witnesses said shots were fired at police on Sunday, and several Albanians reported being assaulted and their cars attacked in the tense northern region.

Air raid sirens wailed for more than three hours in Mitrovica, a majority Serb town. And Serbs blocked roads near two border crossing points, using trucks, tankers, and other heavy transport vehicles.

Large crowds of local Serbs also gathered around the barricades intending to remain there. Police said they closed two border crossings with Serbia after the incident, during which no one was injured.

The clashes underscored long-simmering tensions in the region. Kosovo proclaimed independence from Serbia in 2008, but ethnic Serbs, who comprise the majority in the northern part, do not recognize Pristina's authority.

Serbian license plates

Some 50,000 Serbs living there still use license plates and documents issued by Serbian authorities, refusing to recognize Kosovo's central leadership. The Serbian community remains loyal to Serbia which still provides financial support.

However, there is concern within NATO and the European Union that their standoff could lead to a broader conflict between Kosovo and neighboring Serbia. That's why Kosovo's leadership said that after talking with U.S. and EU officials, it decided to postpone the documents requirement, which was due Monday, until 1 September.

Pristina also said it would give Serbs a transitional period of 60 days to get Kosovo license plates, a year after giving up trying to impose them due to similar protests.

Belgrade views Kosovo as its province and refuses to recognize its independence. Serbia's nationalist President Aleksandar Vucic said in remarks that the "atmosphere has been brought to a boil" and warned that in his words, "Serbia will win" if Serbs are attacked in mainly Albanian Kosovo.

He said: "There is less and less readiness to hear our pleas. And my request today to everyone is to try to preserve the peace at almost any cost. So I am making one more attempt to ask everyone, once again, the Albanians, to come up to their senses. To ask the Serbs not to fall for provocations and not to do anything that could lead to conflict." President Vucic added: "I also ask the representatives of the powerful and big countries that have recognized Kosovo's independence to pay little attention to international law. To pay little attention to the reality on the ground. And not to allow their protegees to cause a conflict."

But Kosovo's Prime Minister Albin Kurti accused President Vucic of igniting "unrest." Those words reflected his remarks in an earlier interview. "We are progressing in the rule of law, fighting corruption and social and economic development despite the problems with Serbia. And that is why the president of Serbia is in panic," he said.

Both countries have held talks on membership of the European Union, but with tensions rising, there seems no appetite in Brussels to let them join the bloc anytime soon.
When images beamed back to Earth by NASAs largest, most powerful space telescope were released earlier this month, U.S. Senator Marco Rubio shared one of them on Twitter accompanied by a Bible verse: The heavens declare the glory of God.

The Webb telescope is orbiting the sun nearly two million kilometers from Earth. The observatory is on a mission to locate the universes first galaxies using extremely sensitive infrared cameras. The initial images released to the public provided the first-ever glimpse of ancient galaxies lighting up the sky.



The reaction to Rubios post was inundated with remarks like, You do realize you can only see that due to science? And, If only you were scientifically literate enough to understand all of the ways that this image disproves your mythology.

Reason versus superstition?

The skeptical comments are emblematic of the long-standing, ongoing debate about whether science and religion can be reconciled.

There are a gazillion religions, each one making a different set of claims about reality, not just about the nature of God, but about history, about miracles, about what happened. And they're all different, so they cant all be true, says Jerry A. Coyne, an evolutionary biologist and professor emeritus at the University of Chicago.

Coyne, who likens religion to superstition, wrote a book called, Faith Versus Fact: Why Science and Religion are Incompatible.

The incompatibility is that both science and religion make statements about what is true in the universe, Coyne says. Science has a way of verifying them and religion doesn't. So, science is based on this sort of science toolkit of empirical reasoning or duplicating experiments, whereas religion is based on faith.

Coyne says he was raised a secular Jew and became an atheist as a teenager.

Scientists are, in general, much less religious than the general public. And the more accomplished you get as a scientist, the less religious you become, he says.

A 1998 survey found that 93% of the members of the National Academy of Sciences, one of the most prestigious scientific organizations in the U.S., dont believe in God.

I personally think there's a couple of reasons for that, says Kenneth Miller, a devout Roman Catholic and professor of molecular biology, cell biology and biochemistry at Brown University in Rhode Island. One of them, to be perfectly honest, is the out-and-out hostility that many religious institutions or many religious groups display towards science. And I think that tends to drive people with deep religious faith away from science.

Mixing science and faith

Some of the worlds foremost scientists have been people of faith, however.

The Big Bang theory, which explains the origins of the universe, was first proposed by a Catholic priest who was also an astronomer and physics professor.

Frances Collins, the former head of the National Institutes of Health who headed the international effort that first mapped the entire human genome, is a one-time atheist who now identifies as an evangelical Christian.

Farouk El-Baz, a professor in the departments of archaeology and electrical and computer engineering at Boston University, says most of his scientific colleagues see no conflict between science and religion. For El-Baz, the son of an Islamic scholar, the marvel of the Webb telescopes discoveries deepens both.

Science actually underlines the importance of religion because God told us that He created the Earth and the heavens, says El-Baz, who is also director of the Center for Remote Sensing at Boston University. And the heavens, there are supposed to be all kinds of things out there. And scientific investigations have actually proved that, yes, there are all kinds of things out there.

Evolution, creationism or both

For many, the conflict between science and religion is often rooted in the perceived incongruity between creationism  which suggests that a divine being created Earth and the heavens  and evolution, which holds that living organisms developed over 4.5 billion years.

Miller accepts the theory of evolution and says much of scripture is metaphorical, an explanation of the relationship between Creator and His creation in language that could be understood by people living in a prescientific age.

[The book of] Genesis, taken literally, is a recent product of certain religious interpretations of scripture, Miller says. In particular, it's an interpretation that became quite influential in the latter part of the 19th century among Christian fundamentalists in the United States. And the reality is that much of scripture is figurative rather than literal.

Jewish tradition also accepts evolution, according to intellectual historian Hava Tirosh-Samuelson, who suggests that the rise of the religious Christian right in the United States also influenced more observant Jews to harden their position against evolution.

Medieval Jewish philosophy basically followed the Muslim paradigm, says Tirosh-Samuelson, a professor of history and director of the Center for Jewish Studies at Arizona State University. The Muslim theologians and the Muslim scholars showed Jews how you can integrate a monotheistic tradition together with Greek and Hellenistic science  and showed how scientific knowledge is always a tool that enables you to understand the divinely created world better.

Vision of God

In Millers view, the concept of God as a designer who worked out every intricate detail of every single living thing is too narrow a vision of the Creator.

The God that is revealed by evolution is not a God who has to literally tinker with every little piece of trivia in every living organism, but rather a God who created a universe in a world where the very physical conditions of matter and energy were sufficient to accomplish his ends, Miller says. And to me, that conception of God creating this extraordinary process that nature itself allows to come about is a much grander vision than a God who has to concern himself with every little detail.

El-Baz says some people fear that science will reduce their religiosity, but the reverse is true for him.

We understood through God's guidance that humans evolved from other creatures, and evolution is still going on, and theres absolutely no conflict between what science and religion are informing us, he says. It's very easy to consider that a creator, or a force of creation  God or whatever faith you have  that it's a force that put all of these things together, that created all of this.

Tirosh-Samuelson says Judaism is not a literalist tradition but rather favors open ended interpretation, which is in keeping with her reaction to the Webb discoveries.

The grandeur of the universe. The grandeur of God. The grandeur of the human. And in my view, there's no contradiction between those three. On the contrary, there's a lot of complementarity between the three, she says.

Jewish culture is really pretty much open to discussion and debate about practically every topic. So, there's something very much in accord with the scientific spirit of inquiry, questioning, uncertainty, skepticism. That's exactly the opposite of a position that is about certainty and rigidity and closed-mindedness.
Russia backs the Myanmar junta's efforts to "stabilise" the crisis-wracked country and hold elections next year, its foreign minister said in talks with top generals on Wednesday, according to Russian state media.

The Southeast Asian nation has been in turmoil since the putsch last year, with the junta accused by rights groups of committing war crimes as it struggles to crush resistance to its rule.

Isolated internationally and with Western governments imposing sanctions, the military government has sought to deepen ties with major ally and arms supplier Russia -- whose invasion of Ukraine it has said was "justified".

"We are in solidarity with the efforts (by the junta) aimed at stabilising the situation in the country," Sergei Lavrov said during talks in Myanmar's capital Naypyidaw, according to the TASS news agency.

"Next year, you will hold legislative elections and we wish you success," Lavrov added, referring to proposed August 2023 elections that opponents of the coup have said will be neither free nor fair.

On Monday junta chief Min Aung Hlaing -- who travelled to Moscow last month -- said polls could only take place when the conflict-wracked country was "stable and peaceful".

The putsch has sparked renewed fighting with established ethnic rebel groups in border areas, while dozens of civilian "People's Defence Force" militias have also sprung up to battle the military.

Lavrov and his counterpart Wunna Maung Lwin also discussed the "further advancement of bilateral relations and cooperation" between the countries' armed forces, the junta's foreign affairs ministry said in a statement.

Russia -- along with ally China -- has been accused by rights groups and a UN expert of arming Myanmar's military with weapons used to attack civilians.

Lavrov and junta chief Min Aung Hlaing also discussed opening new consulates "to promote an increase in travel" between their two countries, TASS said.

Lavrov later travelled on to Cambodia, Russia's foreign affairs ministry said, where he will attend an Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) foreign ministers' meeting.

The junta's top diplomat has been excluded from the meet over its failure to engage in dialogue with its opponents.

ASEAN joined a chorus of international outrage after the junta announced last month it had executed four prisoners, including a former lawmaker and a democracy activist, in the country's first use of capital punishment in decades.

'Disappointed and disturbed'

ASEAN has been growing increasingly frustrated at Myanmar's lack of progress on a five-point peace plan agreed last year.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen -- the current ASEAN chair -- on Wednesday warned Myanmar against further hangings.

He said the regional bloc was "disappointed and disturbed" by last month's executions, and that the further use of capital punishment would mean a "rethink" of the five-point peace plan.

Isolated on the international stage, the junta has turned increasingly to allies including China and Russia.

Junta chief Min Aung Hlaing was in Moscow on a "private" visit in July and reportedly met with officials from Moscow's space agency Roscosmos and nuclear agencies.

In Naypyidaw, Lavrov said Roscosmos would build "new infrastructure" in Myanmar in cooperation with the junta.

The army has justified its power grab by alleging massive fraud during the 2020 elections, in which Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) trounced a military-backed party.

Last year, it cancelled the results of the polls, saying it had uncovered more than 11 million instances of voter fraud.

International observers said the voting was largely free and fair.

More than 2,100 people have been killed in a military crackdown on dissent, according to a local monitor.
Top Southeast Asian diplomats meeting in Cambodia's capital intensified efforts Wednesday to stop the escalating violence in Myanmar and to address other pressing  and often divisive  regional issues.

It is the first in-person meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations foreign ministers since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has weakened economies and complicated diplomacy, and comes at a time of increased tensions between the United States and China, as well as global increases in food and energy prices following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

ASEAN has to deal with challenges of different types and levels but never before, never like this year, have we been confronted at the same time with so many perils for the region and the world at large, Cambodian Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn told the delegates ahead of the meetings.

Cambodia currently holds the rotating chairmanship of ASEAN, which also includes the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Laos, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam and Brunei in addition to Myanmar.

Myanmar's military ousted the democratically elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in February 2021, and the country was asked not to send any political representative to the ASEAN meetings in response to the violence that has ensued.

In protest of that decision, Myanmar's military government said it would send no delegate at all, so is unrepresented in the talks, complicating efforts to push the country to comply with an ASEAN five-point plan for peace, which it has largely been ignoring.

You're trying to solve the problem in Myanmar without talking to them, conceded Cambodia's spokesperson for the meetings, Kung Phoak, a Foreign Ministry official who also serves as the group's special envoy to Myanmar.

We are trying to talk to them, trying to explain to them, trying to express our frustration," he said. "But at the same time we also want to hear from them, what they think, how they can do more, so that we can make sure that the implementation of the five-point consensus is moving forward as fast as possible.

Suu Kyis ouster triggered widespread peaceful protests that were violently suppressed. They have evolved into an armed resistance and the country has slipped into what some U.N. experts characterize as a civil war.

Among other things, the five-point consensus calls for dialogue between all concerned parties and an immediate end to violence.

The military-led government has shown little interest in following the plan, however, and last week announced that it had resumed judicial executions, hanging four political prisoners. That prompted a global outcry, including from ASEAN countries, with Malaysian Foreign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah condemning the act as a crime against humanity.

New sanctions are being considered and Saifuddin said ahead of the meetings that the group should think about scrapping or revising its five-point consensus. He said ASEANs special envoy also needs to meet with the National Unity Government, a shadow civilian administration established outside Myanmar, to help develop a new political framework.

In his opening remarks, however, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen seemed to suggest a slower approach, saying that member states were deeply disappointed and disturbed by the execution of those opposition activists, but going on to say if more prisoners are to be executed we will be forced to rethink our role vis-a-vis ASEAN's five-point consensus.

In a draft copy of the final communique, which was obtained by The Associated Press and could change by the end of the meetings, the ministers say they remain committed to accelerate the implementation of the five-point consensus and again called for the immediate cessation of violence.

More than 2,100 people have been killed by the military government since it took power and nearly 15,000 have been arrested, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, a non-governmental organization that tracks killings and arrests.

Following the day's meetings, Saifuddin said he had brought up proposals on strengthening the implementation of the five-point consensus and including talks with opposition groups, but that the future of the plan would have to be decided later in the year when ASEAN leaders hold their summit.

The five-point consensus was decided by the leaders of ASEAN and only the leaders can decide what we do, he told reporters.

The foreign ministers of China and Russia, both of which have supported Myanmar's military regime, will be attending the ASEAN meetings and could be pressed by the group for assistance in implementing the plan. China, however, has strongly stuck by a principal of non-intervention while Russia is Myanmar's top arms supplier.

During a stop in Myanmar en route to Phnom Penh, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov showed no sign of any change to Moscow's stance, saying the two countries have a very solid foundation for building up cooperation in a wide range of areas.

We appreciate the traditionally friendly nature of our partnership, which is not affected by any opportunistic processes, Lavrov said.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who has criticized ASEAN for not doing enough to stop the violence in Myanmar, will also be in attendance in Phnom Penh.

There are currently no plans for Blinken to meet one-on-one with either Wang or Lavrov, but all three major powers are expected to take part Friday in an expanded meeting called the East Asia Summit. They are also to attend the ASEAN Regional Forum, a platform for security talks where North Korea is also a member.

That could be the first time Blinken and his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, would meet in the wake of House Speaker Nancy Pelosis visit to Taiwan, which provoked an angry response and threats from China, and might coincide with Chinese military exercises around the island.

Combined efforts to help the region in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic's devastating impacts on tourism and other industries is another issue the ASEAN ministers set out to tackle, as well as ongoing territorial disputes in the South China Sea.

In 2016, an arbitration tribunal set up in The Hague under the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea invalidated Beijing's vast territorial claims after the Philippine government complained in 2013 about Chinas increasingly aggressive actions in the disputed waters.

China did not participate in the arbitration, rejected its ruling as a sham and continues to defy it.

In addition to China and the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan and Brunei have had overlapping claims in the busy waterway, where an estimated $5 trillion in goods passes each year and which is believed to be rich in undersea gas and oil deposits.

In the draft final communique, the group says concerns remained on the land reclamations, activities, and serious incidents in the area, which have eroded trust and confidence, increased tensions, and may undermine peace, security, and stability in the region.

At the same time, they welcomed the continuously improving cooperation between ASEAN and China and said they were encouraged by the positive progress of the substantive negotiations toward agreement on a code of conduct in the South China Sea.
U.S. President Joe Biden continues to test positive for COVID-19, but he feels well and remains fever-free, according to a statement from his physician, Dr. Kevin O'Connor.

O'Connor said in a statement that Biden enjoyed a light workout prior to his Wednesday morning exam. He added that the president is dealing with an occasional cough, but not as frequently as the previous day. Biden's temperature, blood pressure, pulse, respiratory rate, and oxygen saturation remain normal and his lungs are still clear.

The U.S. president will continue to remain in strict isolation as he recovers from this rebound case, which was detected July 30.

The White House says despite testing positive for COVID-19, Biden continues to work from his executive residence. He also continues to be cautious to protect any staff of the Executive Residence, Secret Service, or White House whose jobs require them to be close in proximity to him.

Biden tested positive for COVID-19 for the first time in late July and was cleared from isolation July 27.

Since testing positive again, Biden has canceled a trip to Michigan and one to his home in Delaware. On the evening of August 1, he addressed a small pool of reporters from a distance on the killing of al-Qaida leader Ayman al-Zawahiri.


Voting by Britain's Conservative Party members to pick the next prime minister has been delayed after a British spy agency warned that cyber hackers could change people's ballots, The Telegraph reported on Tuesday.

There was no specific threat from a hostile state, and the advice was more general and about the voting process and its vulnerabilities, report added.

As a result of the concerns, the Conservative Party has been forced to abandon plans to allow members to change their vote for the next leader later in the contest, according to The Telegraph.

Postal ballots are also yet to be issued to the around 160,000 party members who have now been warned they could arrive as late as Aug. 11, the report added. The ballots were earlier due to be sent out from Monday, The Telegraph reported.

Former Finance Minister Rishi Sunak and Foreign Secretary Liz Truss are competing in the leadership contest to succeed Boris Johnson as the next British prime minister.

Truss leads in opinion polls among Conservative Party members, who will decide who becomes the next prime minister on Sept. 5 after weeks of voting.

The Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) gathers communications from around the world to identify and disrupt threats to Britain. A spokesperson for the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), which is a part of the GCHQ, said that it provided advice to the Conservative Party.

"Defending UK democratic and electoral processes is a priority for the NCSC and we work closely with all Parliamentary political parties, local authorities and MPs to provide cyber security guidance and support," an NCSC spokesperson told Reuters.

"As you would expect from the UK's national cyber security authority we provided advice to the Conservative Party on security considerations for online leadership voting," the spokesperson added.
British bank and financial services giant HSBC, a longtime presence in East Asia, has become the first foreign lender to install a Chinese Communist Party committee in its investment banking subsidiary in China.

HSBC's China investment bank, HSBC Qianhai Securities, established a CCP committee after the lender increased its stake in the joint venture from 51% to 90% in April.

Some experts are concerned that the move might expose HSBC to increased influence from Beijing. But other analysts told VOA Mandarin that the development isn't a big deal, saying there is little evidence that these party committees exert substantial influence in privately owned companies.

"The establishment of a party committee at HSBC may be super important, or it may be entirely irrelevant and not worth the attention it's getting," Scott Kennedy, a senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, told VOA Mandarin in an interview.

"The vast majority, as far as I can tell, really don't do anything. They haven't affected the normal procedures for corporate governance," he said. "But in Xi Jinping's China, nothing is impossible."

Founded during a growth phase

Founded as the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation, Ltd., HSBC was established in Hong Kong in March 1865, and opened its doors in Shanghai one month later. It launched at a time of burgeoning trade among China, India and Europe.

China's legal requirement that all companies with more than three party members must establish a party committee dates back to the 1993 PRC Company Law, according to Gabriel Wildau, a managing director at the consulting company Teneo. But before Xi became the CCP's general secretary in 2012, this requirement was lightly enforced, especially for private and foreign companies.

"Under Xi Jinping, enforcement has intensified, and the share of private companies with party cells has increased," Wildau wrote in an email to VOA Mandarin, referring to China's president since 2013. Xi has expanded the party's influence over the economy in many ways, apparently based on his sense that both state-owned and private companies were often operating business models that undermined the party's political, economic and social objectives, Wildau said.

Seven international banks control investment banking operations in mainland China, including HSBC, Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan, Credit Suisse, Morgan Stanley, UBS and Deutsche Bank, according to the Financial Times. So far, only HSBC has set up a CCP committee, according to the report.

Dennis Kwok, a partner at Elliott, Kwok, Levine & Jaroslaw, a New York City law firm, thinks establishing a party committee risks exposing HSBC to increased party reach.

"What China is doing is that it is opening its financial market to foreign firms, and you see a lot of investment banks and other financial institutions have shown great interest in going into the China market. But at the same time, China is also using these party cells to increase their control and influence of these financial institutions," Kwok said in an interview with VOA Mandarin.

After a lengthy period of political and economic isolation under Mao Zedong, Deng Xiaoping began opening China to foreign companies with the launch of his reform and opening policy in 1978.

Following the establishment of this HSBC committee, foreign companies should reevaluate the risks associated with doing business in China, Kwok said.

"This is the time to reassess your risk exposure. This is the time to do a stress test on your operations on the ground to see if you are managing the legal and political risk in the right way," said Kwok. "And if things don't go your way, can your international operation handle any political or legal crises that emerge from China?"

The development also drew the attention of some high-level U.S. politicians.

Florida Republican Senator Marco Rubio, long known for his anti-Beijing stance, criticized the move. "Communist party committees are not just for show. They exist to influence, monitor, and ultimately control the company," he said on July 21. "Investors need to be aware."

But multiple China analysts with whom VOA Mandarin spoke were less concerned.

One reason is because these committees are relatively common in China, and they don't appear to do much in practice, according to Teneo's Wildau, a former Shanghai bureau chief for the Financial Times.

"My sense from Chinese corporate executives and investors is that party organizations rarely intervene in substantive decision making and are often quite irrelevant in practice. Often they do little more than organize occasional ideological study sessions," Wildau wrote.

Still, he recognizes that foreign business leaders and investors are concerned that party cells may grow more assertive and influential. "But I don't think we're at that point yet," Wildau said.

The Chinese embassy in Washington did not respond to VOA's request for comment.

In a statement, HSBC told the Financial Times that "[e]mployees of private firms in China are able to form a Party branch. These branches are common and can be set up by as few as three employees. It is important to note that management has no role in establishing such groups, they do not influence the direction of the business, and have no formal role in the day-to-day activities of the business."

What distinguishes this particular party committee from others is the fact that HSBC is such a significant stakeholder in HSBC Qianhai Securities, according to Wildau.

Up until now, party committees have usually been in companies that are more equally Sino-foreign joint ventures, Wildau said. The fact that HSBC now owns a 90% stake in HSBC Qianhai Securities and still established a party committee makes it look "like a milestone," he said.

Hoping for 'business as usual'

"Still, HSBC and foreign banks probably hope that establishing the committee will be a box-ticking exercise that doesn't disrupt business as usual," Wildau wrote. "That a party committee has been established tells us very little about what influence it will have, if any."

Victor Shih, a professor at the University of California, San Diego, agrees that some responses to the development have been "a bit of an over-reaction," but says it's still something people should be aware of.

"Most of the time it is for show, but in an emergency situation, when the party would like to mobilize all resources, these committees potentially serve as the links between the party and resources in society," Shih wrote in an email to VOA Mandarin.

Political developments in Hong Kong, like the controversial 2020 National Security Law, also inform this move, Shih said, since HSBC makes almost all of its profit in that city.

"The bank has had to walk a tight line in the run-up to the Hong Kong national security law and in the aftermath of its passage," Shih wrote. "HSBC's eagerness to announce the formation of a party committee might be related to its desire to score points with the Chinese government."
Coconino Community College announced its selection for an interim president Tuesday.

Christal Albrecht will serve in the interim role while the search is still underway for a president.

CCCs current president, Colleen Smith, announced her retirement in March. She held to position since 2016. Albrecht was selected by the colleges district governing board after a review of four candidates for the role suggested by CCCs search consultant, the Association of Community College Trustees.

The board found her experience, educational philosophy and enthusiasm met our exceptionally high expectations set by the legacy of Dr. Colleen Smith, board Chair Nat White said in the announcement.

According to the announcement, Albrecht will be on CCC's campus for the next two weeks and is in the process of establishing a temporary residence in Flagstaff with her husband.

She recently retired after seven years as president of Alvin Community College in Texas, and her previous experience includes being campus president at Florida State College and Pima Community College.

Albrecht's degrees include a doctorate in Allied Health Education and Administration, a masters degree in Medical Technology and Laboratory Science and a bachelors in Medical Technology, as well as an associates degree from SUNY Jefferson Community College in New York.

I am honored to be selected as the interim president at CCC, Albrecht said. I cant wait to get started. Although I will be with the college only a few months, my goals are to exceed the boards expectations and to ensure a smooth transition for the next president.

The announcement also said CCCs search for a full-time president is progressing, with the plan to declare its next president in early November.

The board is accepting applications through Aug. 19 for the president position and will select seven to nine semifinalists in late August, narrowing to three or four finalists by mid-September. Finalists will visit the campus and meet with the college and community in the first week of October, with the final selection announced by early November.

The new president would then be expected to start in January 2023.

Please know our highest priority is to select the very best president with the help of the college and members of the communities CCC serves, White said. If the board senses the selection process needs more time to accomplish this, then we will make that happen.

More about CCCs presidential search can be found at coconino.edu/president-search.
When House Speaker Nancy Pelosi flew into Taiwan on an Air Force passenger jet Tuesday, she became the highest-ranking American official in 25 years to visit the self-ruled island. China announced military maneuvers in retaliation, even as Taiwanese officials welcomed her and she headed to her hotel.



The reason her visit ratcheted up tension between China and the United States: China claims Taiwan as part of its territory, and it views visits by foreign government officials as them recognizing the island's sovereignty.



President Joe Biden has sought to calm that complaint, insisting there's no change in America's longstanding "one-China policy," which recognizes Beijing but allows informal relations and defense ties with Taipei.



Pelosi portrays her high-profile trip as part of a U.S. obligation to stand with democracies against autocratic countries, and with democratic Taiwan against China.



A look at some of the issues at play:



Why did Pelosi go to Taiwan?



Pelosi has made a mission over decades of showing support for embattled democracy movements. Those include a trip in 1991 to Tiananmen Square, where she and other lawmakers unrolled a small banner supporting democracy, as frowning Chinese security officers tried to shut them down. Chinese forces had crushed a homegrown democracy movement at the same spot two years earlier.



The speaker is framing her Taiwan trip as part of a broader mission at a time when "the world faces a choice between autocracy and democracy." She led a congressional delegation to the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv in the spring, and her latest effort serves as a capstone to her years of promoting democracy abroad.

"We must stand by Taiwan," she said in an opinion piece published by The Washington Post on her arrival in Taiwan. She cited the commitment that the U.S. made to a democratic Taiwan under a 1979 law.



"It is essential that America and our allies make clear that we never give in to autocrats," she wrote.



What is the U.S. stand on Taiwan?



The Biden administration, and Pelosi, say the United States remains committed to its "one-China policy."



Taiwan and mainland China split during a civil war in 1949. But China claims the island as its own territory and has not ruled out using military force to take it.



China has been increasing both diplomatic and military pressure in recent years. It cut off all contact with Taiwan's government in 2016 after President Tsai Ing-wen refused to endorse its claim that the island and mainland together make up a single Chinese nation, with Communist Beijing the sole legitimate government.



Beijing sees official American contact with Taiwan as encouragement to make the island's decades-old de facto independence permanent, a step U.S. leaders say they don't support.



How is the Chinese military handling the tension-raising trip?



Soon after Pelosi's arrival, China announced a series of military operations and drills, which followed its promises of "resolute and strong measures" if Pelosi went through with her visit.



China's People's Liberation Army said the maneuvers would take place in the waters and skies near Taiwan and include the firing of long-range ammunition in the Taiwan Strait.

China's official Xinhua News said the army planned to conduct live-fire drills from Thursday to Sunday across multiple locations. An image released by the news agency indicated that the drills were to take place in six different areas in the waters surrounding Taiwan.



Taiwan's Defense Ministry said early Wednesday that China had sent 21 planes flying toward Taiwan, 18 of them fighter jets. The rest included an early warning plane and an electronic warfare plane.



How has the United States responded?



While Biden has expressed some wariness about Pelosi's trip, the administration has not openly opposed it and said it is up to Pelosi to decide whether to go.



Ahead of Pelosi's visit, the American military increased its movements in the Indo-Pacific region. The aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan and its strike group were in the Philippine Sea on Monday, according to officials who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss military operations.



The Reagan, the cruiser USS Antietam and the destroyer USS Higgins left Singapore after a port visit and moved north toward their home port in Japan. The carrier has an array of aircraft, including F/A-18 fighter jets and helicopters, as well as sophisticated radar systems and other weapons.



Is armed conflict a risk?



Chinese President Xi Jinping and Biden both have made clear they don't want that. In a call with Biden last week, Xi echoed a theme of Biden's  their countries should cooperate on areas where they can.



The biggest risk is likely an accident if China tries the kind of provocative maneuver it's increasingly been executing with other militaries around the South China Sea. Those include close fly-bys of other aircraft or confronting vessels at sea.



However, when it comes to the United States, with the world's strongest military, "despite a chorus of nationalistic rhetoric, China will be careful not to stumble into a conflict with colossal damages on all fronts," said Yu Jie, a senior research fellow at the Chatham House think tank.



For China, the best approach is patience and time, Jie said  building toward the day when its economy and military could be too big for the U.S. to challenge.
Two invasive species  the brown tree snake and the American bullfrog  cost the world more than $16 billion between 1986 and 2020, according to a study.

Researchers say the already-hefty price tag should be seen as a lower limit on the true cost of invasive reptiles and amphibians, especially in under-studied regions such as Africa and South America. The study results were published in the online journal Scientific Reports.

Invasive species are animals, plants or other living things that aren't native to the places where they live and damage their new environments. Humans spread many of the more than 340 invasive reptile and amphibian species  as stowaways in cargo or through the exotic pet trade, for instance.

Invasive reptiles and amphibians can damage crops, destroy infrastructure, spread disease and upset ecosystems. The damage is costly, but scientists still don't fully understand the extent of the economic impact wrought by invasive species.

For the study, biologist and study author Ismael Soto of the University of South Bohemia, and Ceske Budejovice in the Czech Republic, and his colleagues, estimated the global cost of invasive reptiles and amphibians using a database called InvaCost. The database collects the results of thousands of studies, reports and other documents produced by scientists, governments and non-governmental organizations.

The data revealed that invasive reptiles and amphibians have cost at least $17 billion worldwide between 1986 and 2020.

"But this cost mostly focused on two species  the brown tree snake [and] the American bullfrog," Soto told VOA in an interview via Zoom. "But there are almost 300 invasive species of reptiles [and] amphibians. So, this means that our cost is really underestimated."

The two species have received a disproportionate amount of attention from researchers, said economist Shana McDermott of Trinity University, who was not involved in the study.

"When you talk about invasives, people immediately will probably say, 'Oh, the brown tree snake,' just because its impacts are so wide-ranging," she said via Zoom. "It's got ecosystem biodiversity impacts. It's got impacts to human health  it sends people to the hospital every year with bites. It takes down energy infrastructure.  And so, of course, people are like, 'Oh God! That's an incredibly dangerous invasive! Let's understand it better.'"

The research bias toward a few well-known species also skews the distribution of costs worldwide. For instance, 99.6% of the $10.4 billion in costs from reptile invasions were in Oceania and the Pacific Islands, largely reflecting damage dealt by the brown tree snake in Hawaii, Guam and Northern Mariana Islands. Likewise, most damage from amphibians was in Europe.

But that doesn't mean invasive reptiles and amphibians aren't problematic elsewhere. Soto said there are many invasive amphibians in Africa, but their costs probably haven't been quantified.

"There's not enough research in these countries [to] detect the economic costs," he said.

Soto also noted that the current cost estimate only includes costs that are easily quantified. Destroyed crops or property are easier to count than reduced quality of life or indirect damage to human health and assigning dollar values to ecological damage is trickier still, McDermott said.

"We're still in this very early stage of trying to understand the economic costs, and trying to understand how invasive species impact ecosystems, how they impact people's quality of life," she said, adding that she wants to include the price of biodiversity losses in future cost estimates.

Soto and McDermott agreed that future studies should not only quantify the costs of more species in more regions but also project how the costs will evolve with time, especially as climate change continues to facilitate the spread of more invasive species.

"There is a lot still left to be determined.  I do think that quantifying it is the first step, though," said McDermott. "Unless you can put a dollar value on it, unfortunately, you don't get [policymakers'] attention for policy. So, this is an incredibly important topic.  We really shouldn't be waiting on more studies to act."


DUBAI - Iran's top nuclear negotiator Ali Bagheri Kani is traveling to Vienna on Wednesday to hold talks for the revival of the 2015 nuclear pact, Iran's foreign ministry spokesperson said, adding that Tehran is ready to reach a deal that guarantees its rights.



"Bagheri Kani will leave Tehran in a few hours ... In this round of talks, which will be held as usual with the coordination of the European Union, ideas presented by different sides will be discussed," said Nasser Kanaani, according to state media.

Last month, top European Union diplomat Josep Borrell said he had proposed a new draft text to revive the accord under which Iran curbed its nuclear program in return for relief from economic sanctions.



In 2018, then-U.S. President Donald Trump abandoned the deal, calling it too soft on Iran, and reimposed harsh U.S. sanctions, spurring Tehran to begin breaching the nuclear limits set in the pact.



The deal seemed near revival in March after 11 months of indirect talks between Tehran and President Joe Biden's administration in Vienna.



But an impasse over various issues such as Tehran's insistence that Washington remove the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) from the U.S. Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTO) list has stalled progress.



The EU-mediated, indirect talks between Bagheri Kani and Washington's special Iran envoy Rob Malley aimed at breaking an impasse over how to salvage the 2015 nuclear pact ended in June in Qatar without the progress.



"Iran is determined to reach a stable agreement that guarantees the rights and interests of the Iranian nation," Kanaani said, calling on Washington to "provide the conditions for the effective progress of the talks by taking the necessary decisions."



An Iranian official told Reuters that the talks in Vienna will be "in the format of the Doha meeting," where EU's envoy Enrique Mora shuttled between Iran's Bagheri Kani and Washington's Malley because Tehran refused to hold direct talks with Washington.



Earlier on Wednesday, Mora tweeted: "On my way to Vienna to discuss #JCPOA back to full implementation on the basis of the coordinator's text tabled on 20 July."
From the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Jewish community in Russia has not explicitly supported the military actions of the Kremlin, thus undermining President Vladimir Putins claim that Russian forces are on a mission to denazify Ukraine. Russian Jews avoid talking about this issue, and many have chosen to leave the country. Marcus Harton narrates this report from VOA's Moscow Bureau.
The U.S. Justice Department is investigating more than 100 cases of threats made against local election officials over the past year, most of them in states that former President Donald Trump lost to President Joe Biden during the 2020 election.



The disclosure was made Monday by the Justice Departments Election Threats Task Force during a briefing for a bipartisan group of about 750 election officials and workers.



The task force has reviewed more than 1,000 contacts reported as hostile or harassing by election workers, determining that 11% of the contacts  made by phone, email, social media, or in person  met the Justice Departments threshold to open a federal criminal investigation.



That amounts to roughly 110 threats under investigation. But because many of the cases under investigation involved more than one threat, the actual number of ongoing probes is far less than 110, a department spokesman explained.



The task force was set up in June 2021 in response to growing threats against election workers in the aftermath of the contentious 2020 presidential election. Its members review threats reported to the FBI, which has appointed an election crime coordinator at each of its 56 field offices.



The 1,000-plus harassing and hostile contacts made to election officials covered the period from June 2021 to June 2022. The trend continued in July, the task force told the election officials, according to Sylvia Albert, director of voting and elections for Common Cause, who attended the briefing.



Fifty-eight percent of the potentially criminal threats reported during the 12 months were made in states where Trump challenged his electoral loss or where officials held post-election recounts and audits. These were Arizona, Georgia, Colorado, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Nevada and Wisconsin.

In total, 89% of the contacts made to election officials were deemed protected speech and could not be investigated.



A lot of the questions were aimed at Wait. Really? You can only investigate 11% of cases? And them saying, Yes, I'm sorry but we can only investigate things not protected by First Amendment, Albert said.



Since its inception last year, the task force has faced criticism for not aggressively investigating and prosecuting threats against election officials.



To date, the group has filed charges in four federal cases and said it expects additional prosecutions in the near future.



In the first conviction secured by the unit, a Nebraska man pleaded guilty in June to threatening an election worker on an Instagram page associated with the official.



Do you feel safe? You shouldnt, Travis Ford allegedly wrote. Do you think Soros will/can protect you? and Your security detail is far too thin and incompetent to protect you. This world is unpredictable these days  anything can happen to anyone.



Barb Byrum, the Ingham County Clerk in Michigan, said while her office has not received any threats, she knows of other election officials in Michigan who have been the target of vile messages.



One of the email responses that I heard was, if you send me any more emails about this election, I'm going to slit your throat, Byrum said in an interview with VOA.



The Ingham County Clerks office continues to receive messages from people who are convinced that elections are not safe and secure.



And it is very concerning that these same individuals are grocery shopping right next door to election administrators, she said. They are in the same school pickup line as me.



Byrum said the DOJ election threats task force can have a mitigating effect on threats against election workers.



When people are finally being held accountable, I think the attacks and harassment will decrease, Byrum said.
Malawi's nurses' union is urging President Lazarus Chakwera to allow about 2,000 nurses to work in the United States and Saudi Arabia, after the government ordered the plan be stopped.

The National Organization of Nurses and Midwives of Malawi (NONM) announced the plan a month ago, saying the nurses were forced to take jobs abroad due to high unemployment in Malawi. The health care brain drain raised concerns, and the Ministry of Labor on August 2 ordered the plan canceled, saying the union has no legal mandate on labor migration.

Malawi's Minister of Labor Vera Kantukule told VOA on August 2 that the decision to suspend the plans was made after considering that NONM is just a union of medical workers.

"What we told them is that if you want to be doing this thing, then you probably have to register a separate identity that will be doing the recruitment but you, the way you are, your mandate does not allow you to engage yourself in labor migration," Kantukule said.

Kantukule said there was also a need for a memorandum of understanding between the countries where the nurses are going to work and the Malawi government, before the nurses' organization can proceed with its plans.

The labor minister said Malawi is among the countries where the World Health Organization has put restrictions on medical workers' migration.

"Last time, we had an inquiry from Scotland. One of the hospitals in Scotland wanted to do this," Kantukule said. "And the Scottish government got a response from the WHO saying 'Malawi is on the list of those countries that you cannot take their health personnel.'"

Shouts Simeza, president of the nurses' organization in Malawi, said he is surprised by the ministry's position.

"The minister cannot cancel this thing. The minister has no mandate all together to tell us we don't have the mandate, that's being rude, in fact," Simeza said. "And it is the government that has identified us as NONM to facilitate this. And the government has often said that it is not the only entity to recruit, that's what the head of state Lazarus Chakwera says, 'job creation campaign.' And that's exactly what we are doing."

Simeza said the decision to seek jobs for nurses abroad came because 3,000 trained nurses in Malawi are unemployed.

Simeza said the earlier arrangement was that the first group of 1,000 nurses was expected to leave for Saudi Arabia this month. The plan is to send 1,000 each year for a five-year project.

But he said there was a delay because they were waiting for guidelines from various ministries including the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Labor on how to move forward.

"The team that we are sending out are our members, our members," Simeza said. "They are not employed by a government ministry. So they don't belong to any ministry, they don't. So we went seeking guidance from the Ministry of Labor on the safety and security of the membership that are going to the U.S. [and] Saudi Arabia."

The Malawi government said recently that it cannot recruit more nurses now, because of financial constraints.

In a statement August 2, a group of Malawi's nurses and midwives urged Chakwera to intervene and prevent the Ministry of Labor from halting the plan to send some of them abroad to work.

There was no immediate response from Chakwera on the matter.


The World Health Organization warns a lack of humanitarian aid is driving millions of hungry people in the Horn of Africa to engage in desperate measures to survive.

Conditions in the Horn of Africa are worsening. Conflict, climate change, and the COVID-19 pandemic have turned the region into a hunger hotspot. That is having disastrous consequences for the health and lives of millions of people.

A recent U.N. analysis of the food situation in the region found 37 to 50 million people as being in what is classified as IPC phase 3. The World Health Organization explains that level of food insecurity forces people to sell their possessions to feed themselves and their families. At that stage of crisis, it says malnutrition is rife and special nutritional treatment is needed.

Sophie Maes is the WHO incident manager for drought and food insecurity in the greater Horn of Africa. Speaking from the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, she says the WHO and other aid agencies are unable to provide the help needed to stave off hunger and ill health because of a severe funding shortage.

Normally what you do in this kind of situation is you do blanket supplementary feeding so that people do not slide further into malnutrition," said Maes. "This is not being well funded at the moment due to the competing crises that are going on.

She notes the World Food Program ran out of money and had to cut rations for many beneficiaries to be able to support those most in need. She says health risks have been compounded by four years of consecutive drought. She says the hoped-for reprieve is unlikely to come as forecasts indicate the upcoming rainy season is expected to fail.

She says growing numbers of people are engaging in risky behavior just to get something to eat and support their families.

People are desperate to get money. So, there is survival sex going on. There is more violence, fighting for the meager resources. And, also, gender-based violence going up with women having to go farther to find food and water," said Maes. "So, as they are further away from where they live, they are more prone to be attacked.

The WHO says it needs nearly $124 million to spend through the end of the year to protect lives in the fragile region. It says the money will provide millions of people with the aid they need to fight disease outbreaks, provide life-saving nutritional feeding for severely malnourished children, and ensure they have access to health services.
New Zealand released its first national plan Wednesday for dealing with the impact of global warming. The government in Wellington has warned that some communities could be abandoned as climate change triggers more intense storms and flooding.

New Zealands Climate Change minister, James Shaw, said severe weather events that had previously seemed unthinkable were now happening at a pace and intensity we have never experienced before.

He announced Wednesday the first long-term strategy to help New Zealand become more resilient and adaptable to a shifting climate. One possibility is that some homes near the coast could eventually be abandoned because of rising sea-levels. A guiding principle of the 200-page report was to prepare for adverse events before they occur, rather than after.

Lifting properties above flood-prone land or boosting flood defenses are among dozens of potential options. Property developments in high-risk areas would not be permitted.

Shaw told reporters near Wellington that New Zealand had to prepare for a warmer future.

Over the course of the last year or so there have been New Zealanders all over the country who have experienced first-hand the increasing impact of climate change in their communities. So, people are now experiencing with increasing severity and increasing frequency the floods, the droughts and the storms that are associated with a changing climate, he said.

Shaw said communities across the South Pacific country of about 5 million people had in the past year or so been hit by serious floods, droughts and storms.

The year 2021 was New Zealands warmest on record.

The plan also noted that rising temperatures would have a significant impact on native species and the environment.

The national climate strategy is the first in a series of adaptation plans that will be prepared every six years.

The cost of adapting to global warming will be shared between property owners, New Zealands central and local governments, insurance companies and banks.
Nigerian police have increased security around the capital of Abuja after last weeks ambush of presidential guards in a suburb and a deadly attack on a military checkpoint.

Nigerian media reported two soldiers were killed in the July 28 attack and others were injured. The attack came just weeks after a brazen jailbreak in Abuja that freed hundreds, including high profile terrorism convicts.

The reinforcement was announced Tuesday by national police spokesperson Muyiwa Adejobi, following a national security management team meeting held in Abuja.



Adejobi said the police have ordered a massive deployment of operatives and operational assets around the capital but did disclose how many more officers will be deployed.



Adejobi did not respond to VOA's request for more details on Wednesday. But Abuja police spokesperson Josephine Adeh told VOA the decision to withhold operational details was in the interest of security.



"Crimes have taken a new trend and we too are strategizing, that's all, Adeh said. We are doing more deployment, that is the strategy we're taking. You'll see more visibility policing."



The massive deployment comes amid rising security threats in the Nigerian capital, even though authorities have told citizens not to worry.



Local media reported two soldiers were killed during an attack on a military checkpoint in Niger state near Abuja last Thursday.



It was the second recent attack in Abuja blamed on the militant group Islamic State West Africa Province. An attack last month on an Abuja prison freed about 440 inmates, including many alleged terrorists.



The American non-profit SITE intelligence group said Fridays attack was an indication that the Islamic State group has drawn too close to the Nigerian capital.



Police spokesperson Adeh said residents should trust the security forces.



"We've always been assuring the residents that everything is under control but they choose to believe fake news and whatever they see on social media, she said. There's no cause for alarm. People should go about their lawful businesses.



Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari has condemned latest attacks in the country and said he had "given security forces full freedom to bring an end to this madness."



But security analyst Senator Ireogbu said authorities have failed to deliver on its promise to make the country safe.



"Though we have a very faulty security architecture, the security apparatus can effectively deal with the problem arising from these terrorists, Ireogbu said. The challenge we're having is that the political will is not there, especially from the presidency, they keep on pushing, outsourcing the blames to others, not taking responsibility.

Nigeria faces growing insecurity, especially in its northern states.



Last week, an Abuja-based security and risk management firm, Beacon Security Consulting, said violent attacks in Nigeria increased by 47% in the first half of the year compared to 2021.
U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Wednesday her delegation of lawmakers was visiting Taiwan to make unequivocally clear that we will not abandon Taiwan.



Now, more than ever, Americas solidarity with Taiwan is crucial, and thats the message we are bringing here, today, Pelosi said.



She highlighted a newly passed U.S. bill aimed at boosting domestic semiconductor production and helping U.S. companies compete with China. Pelosi told Taiwans parliament the bill offers greater opportunity for U.S.-Taiwan economic cooperation.



China expressed sharp opposition to Pelosis visit, warning it would be an unacceptable violation of what it sees as its sovereignty over the self-ruled island.



Shortly after Pelosi arrived late Tuesday, China summoned the U.S. ambassador and announced live-fire military drills near Taiwan, including "long-range live ammunition shooting" in the Taiwan Strait, which separates the island from mainland China and straddles vital shipping lanes.



Beijing on Wednesday also imposed curbs on the import of fruit and fish from Taiwan.

More explicit U.S. support

Taiwan and China split in 1949 after a civil war, with the defeated nationalist forces fleeing to Taiwan and setting up a government that later grew into a vibrant democracy.

Since then, Chinas Communist Party has vowed to take Taiwan, using force if necessary, even though the island has never been ruled by the Communist Party.

The United States formally cut official relations with Taiwan in 1979 when it switched diplomatic recognition to China. However, the United States continued to maintain unofficial relations with Taiwan and supplies it with defensive weapons as mandated by the U.S. Congress.

For decades, that balancing act helped preserve cross-strait peace, but in recent years Chinese leaders have grown concerned that Washington may be shifting toward more explicit support for Taiwan.

On three separate occasions, President Joe Biden has indicated the United States would defend Taiwan militarily if China invaded.

Though U.S. officials deny there has been any change in policy, Bidens comments differed from those of many of his predecessors, who maintained a carefully calibrated strategic ambiguity when it comes to Taiwans defense.

In this context, Pelosis visit appears even more concerning to China, according to Amanda Hsiao, a senior Taiwan-based analyst at the International Crisis Group.

We've seen very clear messages coming out of Beijing that China intends on responding forcefully if the visit goes through. And I think those signals should be taken quite seriously, Hsiao told VOA.

Hsiao expects a significant increase in Chinese military activities around Taiwan during and after Pelosis visit. China has already flown a record high number of warplanes around Taiwans Air Defense Identification Zone in recent months.

China: Bolder and more powerful

This is the highest-level U.S. visit to Taiwan since 1997, when former House Speaker Newt Gingrich led a congressional delegation there.

In an interview with VOAs Mandarin Service, Gingrich expressed support for Pelosis trip, which he said will likely only amount to an irritation to U.S.-China ties. I think this is at one level a lot of noise about nothing, Gingrich said.

But many analysts warn that China has grown much more powerful and bold since the late 1990s, when Gingrich visited.

I think the China were dealing with now, under [President] Xi Jinping, is more assertive, more ambitious, and more concerned, I think, with appearing weak in these sorts of moments, Hsiao said.

Another factor: An upcoming Communist Party Congress, where Xi is expected to secure a controversial third term as Chinas top leader. Its unclear, though, how the meeting will affect Chinas response.

They would still prefer to have a relatively stable external environment while they're undergoing this key transition, Hsiao said. But on the other hand because it is on the eve of the 20th Party Congress, the leadership is under some pressure to demonstrate that it won't be taken advantage of.
With 100% of Coconino County precincts reporting, the unofficial results of the primary elections are in for a low-turnout election that saw only 24% of the countys registered voters casting ballots.

For many in the Flagstaff area, most pressing was the Flagstaff mayoral race, where incumbent Paul Deasy and former Vice Mayor Becky Daggett pulled ahead of Daniel Williamson to earn spots on the Nov. 8 general election ballot.

Daggett took a commanding lead at the polls, earning 4,418 (50.69%) of the votes cast in the race. Deasy came in second with 2,342 (26.87%), getting onto the ballot less than 400 votes ahead of the 1,955 (22.43%) earned by newcomer Daniel Williamson. Numbers have displayed a stark reversal of the strong 57% majority that elected Deasy in 2020 when he ran as a political outsider against established local politicians.

But Deasy is not concerned. While he is grateful for the support that allowed him to continue onto the general election, he considered the low primary turnout a shocking historic low that likely skewed results.

A 24% voter turnout is not representative of the general public, and is weighted towards partisan politics and partisan candidates, Deasy said. Independents are often not aware that they can request a ballot to vote in primaries. In 2020 we had a 39% voter turnout in the primary. In 2018 it was 35%. I look forward to seeing greater representation in the general.

When it comes to the campaign ahead, Deasy said he will continue to focus on people over politics to get real results for the Flagstaff community.

As for Daggetts success in the primaries, she said, I'm honored by the trust that voters have shown me. I'm grateful to all the volunteers and campaign donors who helped me get here.

She feels confident that when it comes time for the general election, the math will work out similar to how it did in the primary. Moving ahead, her plan is to continue with what has worked so far.

I'm going to talk to even more voters, hear their concerns and find ways that we can work together, she said.

While Williamson was disappointed he fell short of reaching the general election ballot, he said he would figure out how I can best serve our city still, the city that I love and that I want to see thrive.

While the mayoral race is technically nonpartisan, Williamson, who has largely garnered a Christian conservative base, thought his loss had to do with a lack of conservative turnout at the polling booths.

I think we saw just by the sheer low numbers that far too many conservatives chose to sit on the sidelines, he said.

In the days ahead, Williamson hopes to sit down with both Daggett and Deasy to learn more about their thought process and policy. He has refrained from endorsing either candidate, but he did note that if the primary numbers were indicative of anything at all, its that Daggett did a drop-dead amazing job with her campaign.

What it boils down to for me is serving Flagstaff, Williamson said.

Along with choosing a new mayor, Flagstaff will also elect four new members for city council -- at least two of which will be write-in candidates, at the time of the general election. Austin Aslan and Lori Matthews are officially on the ballot.

Other notable results from the Arizona primaries include the selection of Jeronimo Vasquez over Tomas Tommy Hernandez for the run at the Coconino County Board of Supervisors District 2 seat. In the City of Sedona mayoral race, Scott Jablow and Samaire Armstrong earned places on the ballot.

For CD2, Republican Eli Crane advanced to face Democrat Tom O'Halleran, who was unopposed in the primary, fending off Walt Blackman, Williams Mayor John Moore and four other candidates.

In LD7, Wendy Rogers outlasted the primary challenge from Kelly Townsend to earn the right to face Democrat Kyle Nitschke -- who was unopposed in the primary.

For justice of the peace, Democrat Howard Grodman was running unopposed in Flagstaff, as was Republican Serena Cutchen in Fredonia, Democrat Don Roberts in Page and Republican Rob Krombeen in Williams. Constable positions were similarly unopposed, with Democrat Danny Thomas running in Flagstaff and Republican Gregory King in Williams.

Some other unofficial results from other northern Arizona races, all with 100% of precincts reporting:

-- Christy Riddle has 30 more votes for Fredonia mayor than Kimley Purvis, 116-86.

-- Incumbent Bill Diak has about a 17% lead over Rick Yanke for Page mayor, 545-383.

-- Clarinda Vail leads for Tusayan mayor, with 42 votes to Brady Harris' 33.

Information about elections in Coconino County is available at coconino.az.gov/195/Elections.
In 1998, I joined a group of journalists traveling to Afghanistans Khost province to meet the leaders of a militant group who'd already logged a string of attacks and were announcing a new terrorism conglomerate. As we arrived, Arab fighters fired into the air to welcome their leader, Ayman al-Zawahiri, and his patron-in-chief, Osama bin Laden, at their makeshift headquarters in the eastern Afghan province, not far from the Pakistan border.

The sky lit up with tracer rounds and the tall mountains echoed gunfire and jihadist chants of camouflaged bodyguards as the two white-robed men disembarked from their Toyota trucks. At the time, bin Laden was already a known figure in the region; al-Zawahiris name was then confined mostly to Egyptian media, but the cleric brought with him an air of seriousness and international focus for the cluster of Arab, Afghan, Punjabi, Kashmiri and Bengali fighters congregating in Afghanistan.

Despite his years in an Egyptian prison, al-Zawahiri, who had studied medicine as a younger man, left his mark on militant Islamist movements in his home country, including an alleged role in the 1981 assassination of Egyptian President Anwar Sadat, a leadership role in the Islamic Jihad, and the 1995 attack on the Egyptian Embassy in Islamabad. He also popularized the writings of Egyptian radical Sayyid Qutb, making him well-known among his extremist contemporaries.

Both in their 40s, al-Zawahiri and bin Laden had contrasting physiques. The former was significantly shorter (hardly 5 feet or 152 centimeters tall) and rounder than the tall and slim bin Laden, who was five years his junior  an age gap the slender Saudi appeared to respect.

It was May 26, 1998, and the two men, along with another Saudi radical, Sheikh Taseer, sat in a hall before 13 journalists to announce the merger of a new terror conglomerate, the International Islamic Front. None of them then used the title al-Qaida for the joint venture.

Al-Zawahiri was then leader of the Egypt-based Jamaat-ul-Jehad (Islamic Jihad) and bin Laden told the reporters that the newly formed front had won the support of al-Zawahiris organization. The two had a common goal: taking out infidels from the Arabian Peninsula.

That much was announced by bin Laden during the presser, but al-Zawahiri explained the purpose of their new group in a more informal discussion during a break for tea, during which he spun stories promoting their cause. Bin Laden opted to watch, letting the articulate al-Zawahiri indulge reporters curiosity about the groups plans, life in Afghanistan under Taliban rule, and his doctrine of revenge.

Throughout the discussion, al-Zawahiri's embrace of Islamist fundamentalism at age 15 and his deep dive into radicalism was evident.

He introduced us to loyalists, including Muhammad Showqi al-Islambuli, brother of Khalid Islambuli, the main assailant in Sadat's murder. He appeared to take special pride announcing that he was also hosting the three sons of Sheikh Omar Abdel Rahman, the radical Egyptian cleric with ties to the 1993 bombing at New York's World Trade Center.

Foreshadowing of larger war

Calling himself a staunch enemy of the U.S. and its allies in the Arab world, he recited a litany of complaints against the West while referencing attacks on U.S. bases and personnel in Saudi Arabia and Somalia, foreshadowing the war that his followers would soon expand. In August that year, terrorists backed by bin Laden and al-Zawahiri attacked U.S. embassies in Tanzania, and Kenya. Around 200 people, including 12 Americans, were killed in the August 7 attacks. The U.S. retaliated weeks later, firing cruise missiles at a training camp in Khost, near where journalists had interviewed the men about two months before.

While al-Zawahiri at the time was already an ideological leader in his movement with bin Laden, the August attacks expanded his public profile.

It was al-Zawahiri who was talking on a satellite phone with a journalist in Peshawar about the terrorist attack in eastern Africa that was traced by the U.S. and used to train Tomahawk missiles on the compound. The two men survived the attack, but the compound crumbled as about 20 Pakistani radicals were killed in an instant.

But that was not the last time that the U.S. missed al-Zawahiri. Intel communities later said he also survived the U.S.-led bombing of the cave complex at Tora Bora, a mountainous range on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border in December 2001.

When they were both alive, bin Laden and al-Zawahiri were believed to be living together in Afghanistan under the Talibans first reign, from 1996 to 2001. Some videotapes showed them walking together along rocky mountain slopes after the 9/11 attacks. Al-Zawahiri was lucky again in May 2011 when U.S. Navy SEALs killed bin Laden in a compound in Abbottabad, a garrison city in Pakistan. Analysts believed al-Zawahiri was probably hiding somewhere else along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, or perhaps somewhere closer to bin Laden inside Pakistan.

Afghanistan was then not a desirable location for al-Qaida leaders, in part because U.S.-led forces had the ability to strike anywhere within the country. Following the Talibans takeover of Afghanistan last August, media reports said the al-Qaida leader felt comfortable moving to a house in central Kabul, where on Sunday a U.S. drone strike killed him while he stood on a balcony.
The partial collapse of the northern block of the Port of Beiruts huge grain silos on Sunday painfully reminded Lebanese citizens of the massive 2020 explosion that killed many of their loved ones, destroyed homes and businesses, and forever changed their sense of security in the capital. Improperly stored ammonium nitrate at the port caused the blast on August 4, 2020, which has been recorded as one of the largest non-nuclear explosions in history.



Grains stored in the silos since that time fermented and ignited in Beiruts blistering summer heat, smoking for weeks. Activists had urged authorities to put out the fires to preserve the silos as a memorial to those who had tragically lost their lives two years ago. But that did not happen.



As with the port explosion, people in Beirut blame the silo collapse on political and security officials for failing to enforce safety regulations. The government said it wanted to bring down the silos, but held off after victims families and survivors protested, saying the sites may have evidence needed for the investigation.



Dr. Najat Saliba, a member of parliament and an environmental expert at the American University of Beirut, told VOA that she and others have urged the government since 2020 to clear the grain from the silo ruins. The government told the experts it had cleaned the area as much as it could, but that the silos might fall. But Saliba says equipment from Belgium may have made the cleaning job easier.



The health concerns are what we are experiencing right now  combustion of the grains and the accumulation of fungi and mold in grains left open. It became very risky to get close to the silos. Nothing is done. Were just watching the silos fall down. As we speak, there is a high chance that another two silos are going to collapse.



Two years on, no one has been held accountable for the port explosion, and victims families are still fighting for justice.



Dania Koleilat Khatib and other observers blame Lebanese officials for constantly recusing judges, such as Tarek Bitar, from investigating the explosion and for stopping procedures when summoned for questioning, thus impeding the course of justice. Khatib is an analyst and co-founder of the Research Center for Cooperation and Peace Building, a Lebanese NGO. She spoke to VOA about the probe.



The thing is stagnating. What should have happened is to have the investigation by Tarek Bitar, but they blocked it. We dont hear about him in the news anymore. He was supposed to subpoena many people. Now, its not even part of the discourse. The second anniversary of the Beirut blast. Lets see how much there will be a movement around it. The people wanted justice, but the investigation is going nowhere.



The collapse of part of the port's silos will not erase from the memory of the Lebanese that a major crime was committed two years ago, lawmaker Ziad al-Hawat tweeted this week. We will seek till the end to reveal the whole truth, he said, adding that a law he proposed, if approved, will re-establish the judicial investigations.
President Joe Biden's nominee to become the first U.S. ambassador at large for cyberspace and digital policy faces a Senate confirmation hearing Wednesday as the administration pushes forward with an effort to assert U.S. leadership in the development of global standards and best practices for the modern internet.

Nate Fick, a technology company executive and former U.S. Marine, is in line to fill the position, which will place him in charge of the recently created bureau within the State Department.

In announcing the formation of the new bureau last year, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the U.S. has "a major stake in shaping the digital revolution that's happening around us and making sure that it serves our people, protects our interests, boosts our competitiveness, and upholds our values."

That includes developing policies meant to deter countries such as China, Russia and North Korea, which the U.S. has accused of financing malign online activity, including hacking private businesses and meddling in U.S. elections.

Necessary step

Experts say the creation of the new bureau and the placement of Fick at its head, should he be confirmed, will help establish certainty about U.S. policy related to the internet. The bureau combines three pre-existing policy units within the State Department: International Cyberspace Security, International Information and Communications Policy, and Digital Freedom.

Adam Segal, director of the Digital and Cyberspace Policy program at the Council on Foreign Relations, said U.S. efforts to focus its approach to digital diplomacy have been haphazard, starting strong at the end of the Obama administration, but fizzling in later years.

"We kind of dropped the ball on it," Segal told VOA. "And in that time, lots of other countries developed their own cyber ambassadors. The U.S. efforts on the international stage have been somewhat uncoordinated and kind of coming from many different angles. It also meant that many people just had no idea who to talk to."

Major opportunity

James A. Lewis, senior vice president and director of the Strategic Technologies Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told VOA that if Fick is confirmed, he will come to the job at a moment where American leadership could be critical to the way policies shaping the modern internet evolve around the world.

"There's a real opportunity here for the U.S. to think about how we shape the rules and institutions that will govern technology that will govern cyberspace," he said.

"Challenge 1 for the U.S. is to work with other democracies to come up with rules, and maybe institutions, for security and digital policy," he said. "Challenge 2  is to come up with the right kind of diplomatic strategies, the right kind of international policies to deal with some very aggressive opponents. And it's not just hacking. It's not election interference. It's a battle over who controls the digital environment."

Arguing against authoritarianism

Lewis said that, globally, there are two leading approaches to regulating activity in cyberspace. In North America, Europe and among many American allies in the Pacific, the tendency is toward lighter regulation biased in favor of the free flow of information. At the same time, countries such as Russia, China and Iran sharply limit the flow of information to and among their citizens.

"But then there's everyone else, mainly in the developing world," Lewis said. "And they're kind of fence-sitters. Their thing is, 'Tell me what works best for my economy. Tell me what works best for my national sovereignty.'"

Lewis said the task facing the Bureau of Cyberspace and Digital Policy is to make the case for developing countries to incorporate openness and freedom into their regulation of the internet rather than authoritarian control.

"That's where the new bureau has a challenge, but also an opportunity," he said.

Former marine

A native of the U.S. state of Maryland, Fick graduated from Dartmouth College with a bachelor's degree in classics and immediately joined the Marine Corps as a second lieutenant in 1999. He was still in the Marines when the 9/11 attacks ushered in the global war on terror, and he ended up serving combat tours of duty in Afghanistan and Iraq.

During his time in Iraq, Fick's platoon was accompanied by Rolling Stone magazine journalist Evan Wright for several months. Wright's subsequent book, "Generation Kill," won several awards for its unflinching description of the reaclities of modern combat and was turned into a miniseries by HBO. Fick is a featured character in the story.

Fick is also an accomplished writer. His memoir, "One Bullet Away: The Making of a Marine Officer," was a New York Times bestseller.

After leaving the Marines, Fick earned an MBA from Harvard Business School and a masters degree in public administration from Harvard Kennedy School. He was CEO of the Center for a New American Security, a Washington-based national security think tank, before becoming CEO of Endgame, a cybersecurity software firm that was acquired by the cloud computing firm Elastic in 2019.

Having worked with Fick in the past, Segal of the Council on Foreign Relations said he is "very familiar with all the issues that the ambassador is going to have to deal with."

He described Fick as "extremely straightforward, very open and friendly. He's got a pretty good sense of humor."

Segal said he expects Fick's background with technology companies will be a major asset if he is confirmed.
Afghanistans Taliban on Wednesday condemned the U.S. drone strike that killed fugitive al-Qaida chief Ayman al-Zawahiri in Kabul over the weekend but said they still had no information about the intended target and renewed their resolve to combat terrorism.



Abdul Salam Hanafi, the second deputy Taliban prime minister, made the remarks to reporters in the Afghan capital in what was the first official reaction by the Islamist rulers to the killing of the terror mastermind following confirmation by U.S. President Joe Biden late Monday.



Zawahiris presence in a posh Kabul neighborhood is seen as a humiliating blow to the Taliban, who seized power nearly a year ago and have been seeking international legitimacy for their rule.



We still are not aware of these details. All that we know is that an aerial attack has taken place here and our Islamic Emirate strongly condemns it, Hanafi said when asked to comment on the killing of al-Zawahiri in the U.S. drone attack.



The Taliban call their government Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA).

Hanafi denounced the U.S. attack as a violation of his countrys "sovereignty, international laws and the Doha agreement. He referred to the February 2020 deal the Taliban and Washington sealed in Doha, Qatar, which called for U.S.-led foreign troops to withdraw from Afghanistan and the then-insurgent group to prevent transnational terrorists from operating in the country.



The Islamic Emirate has repeatedly said [to the world] that it is our policy not to allow anyone to use our territory against neighboring and other countries. The Islamic Emirate firmly stands by this policy, Hanafi said.



Washington, however, blames the Taliban for violating the 2020 pact.

"By hosting and sheltering the leader of al-Qaida in Kabul, the Taliban grossly violated the Doha Agreement and repeated assurances to the world that they would not allow Afghan territory to be used by terrorists to threaten the security of other countries, according to a U.S. State Department official.



A senior U.S. official said Monday that al-Zawahiri, the 71-year-old Egyptian jihadist leader, was on the balcony of a three-story house in the Sherpur area of the Afghan capital when two Hellfire missiles fired from an unmanned aircraft struck him.

'Broader effort to cover up'



The Haqqani Taliban members acted quickly to remove Zawahiris wife, his daughter and her children to another location, consistent with a broader effort to cover up that they had been living in the safe house, stated the U.S. official.

Suhail Shaheen, head of the Talibans political office in Doha, said that an investigation was still ongoing to determine whether or not al-Zawahiri was living in Kabul and died in the U.S. drone attack.

The government and the leadership wasnt aware of what is being claimed, nor any trace there, he said in a message he shared with journalists late on Wednesday.

IEA is committed to Doha Agreement. Investigation is underway now to find out about veracity of the claim. The leadership is in constant meeting in this regard. Findings will be shared with all, Shaheen added.

The weekend drone strike came just days after Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi reassured an international conference hosted by neighboring Uzbekistan that his government would not allow any groups, including al-Qaida, to use Afghanistan for terrorism against any country. He cited the specific counterterrorism clause in the pact.



Last week in Tashkent we heard the Taliban trying to convince countries and organizations committed to supporting the Afghan people that they had full control over Afghan territory. They repeated their commitment that Afghanistan would not become a safe haven for terrorists, Tomas Niklasson, the European Unions special envoy for Afghanistan, said Wednesday on Twitter.



The killing of Mr. al-Zawahiri by the U.S. in central Kabul reinforces previous doubts about such claims. Were the Taliban unaware, unable or unwilling to take action against the AQ leader? the envoy asked.



Niklasson went on to question whether the Taliban would be able to deliver on their commitments that they would rule the country through an objectively inclusive government and respect human rights. Are they more capable of delivering on these promises to the Afghan people?



U.S. officials have said that al-Zawahiri was hosted in Kabul by senior members of the so-called Haqqani Network, a powerful militant faction within the Taliban with deep al-Qaida ties and links to the Pakistani spy agency. Sirajuddin Haqqani, the leader of the network, is the powerful interior minister in the Taliban government and carries a $10 million U.S. bounty on his head.



Washington and the world at large have declined to give legitimacy to the Taliban rule, linking such a move to easing of restrictions the hardline group has placed on women's access to work and education, and upholding counterterrorism pledges. The U.S. has imposed strict financial sanctions on the Taliban and has withheld from them about $7 billion of Afghanistan's foreign financial reserves.



Pakistan under scrutiny

Meanwhile, questions are being raised about whether neighboring Pakistan played a role in enabling the U.S. to conduct the fatal drone strike against al-Zawahiri in landlocked Afghanistan.

The Pakistani Foreign Ministry on Tuesday cautiously responded to opposition allegations and skepticism about Islamabads participation in the U.S. airstrike.

Pakistan condemns terrorism in all its forms and manifestations  Pakistan stands by countering terrorism in accordance with international law and relevant U.N. resolutions, said the brief ministry statement.

A major non-NATO ally, Pakistan allowed the U.S. allied troops to use its ground and air routes to invade Afghanistan 20 years ago.



The military intervention dislodged the then-Taliban government in Kabul for permitting al-Qaida leaders Osama bin Laden and al-Zawahiri to plot the September 2001 deadly terrorist strikes against America. Bin Laden, the founder of the al-Qaida network, was later located and killed by U.S. forces in his hideout in Abbottabad, Pakistan, in 2011.



Shireen Mazari, a key opposition politician and former federal minister, in a tweet asked Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharifs coalition government to explain whether it covertly had provided the U.S. with a military base to conduct Sundays airstrike.



Puzzling question: a U.S. drone flew into Afghanistan from direction of [the] Gulf region  assuming Pakistan hasn't given bases yet (unless this govt has done so covertly)  but flew over which country's airspace? Iran does not give any airspace rights to U.S. military so was Pakistan airspace used? Mazari asked on Twitter.

Michael Kugelman, a South Asian affairs expert at the Wilson Center in Washington, also asserted that Pakistan was the only country that could have facilitated the U.S. raid if at all it did so.

The geography doesn't lie. If this drone was launched from a U.S. base in the Gulf, it wouldn't be able to fly over Iran, Kugelman said.



Flying over Central Asia is circuitous and hard to pull off if you're undertaking a rapid operation. This leaves Pakistani airspace as most desirable option, he added.
The first cargo ship carrying grain exports from Ukraine since Russia launched its invasion in late February cleared inspection Wednesday in Istanbul and will continue to its destination of Lebanon.

A joint civilian inspection team of officials from Russia, Ukraine, Turkey and the United Nations spent about three hours aboard the commercial vessel Razoni.

The team is part of the Joint Coordination Center (JCC), set up in Istanbul under the Black Sea Grain Initiative signed on July 22. It will oversee implementation of the deal.

The JCC said the team confirmed that all was in order with the crew and cargo. This marked the end of an initial proof of concept operation for executing the agreement, the center said.

Kyivs Ministry of Infrastructure said there were 17 more vessels loaded and awaiting permission to depart from the southern ports of Odesa, Chornomorsk and Yuzhny.

The Razoni is carrying more than 26,000 tons of corn bound for Tripoli. With an estimated 20 million tons of grain stuck in Ukraine because of the war, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told Australian students in a video meeting Wednesday that the first shipment was still nothing, but that he hoped they would continue.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken welcomed the development but cautioned that it was only a first step and urged Russia to abide by the agreement.

Russia must meet its commitments, including by facilitating unimpeded exports of agricultural products from Black Sea ports, Blinken said in a statement. Russia must also end its attacks that are rendering farmland in Ukraine unusable and destroying agricultural infrastructure. As long as Russia continues its aggression, the Ukrainian people and the worlds most vulnerable will continue to suffer its effects.

Energy crisis

In New York, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told reporters the organization was looking at ways to ease the global energy crisis caused by the war  in essence, seeking the energy equivalent of the Black Sea Grain Initiative.

Guterres said that when those negotiations started to gain traction, prices of wheat and fertilizer began to drop. They are now at roughly pre-invasion levels, he said.

But that doesnt mean that bread in the bakery is at the same price as before the war, he cautioned, noting global inflation rates.

Guterres said he hoped to get energy markets to relax in anticipation that an understanding can be reached in which supply will exceed demand.

For that, there are two things that are essential, he said. One is, reduce consumption as much as possible. And second is, bet on a strong investment in renewable energy.

The U.N, chief criticized what he said was the grotesque greed of oil and gas companies whose profits have been exploding with the energy crisis.

It is immoral for oil and gas companies to be making record profits from this energy crisis on the back of the poorest people and communities, and at a massive cost to the climate, he said, urging governments to tax these profits and use the revenue for social safety nets.

Hostilities

Britain's Defense Ministry said Wednesday that it was "likely we will see an increase in civilians attempting to flee Kherson [region] and the surrounding area as hostilities continue and food shortages worsen. This will create pressure on transport nodes and routes, likely resulting in measures to control movement being implemented."

Ukraines General Staff reported heavy Russian shelling in the area around Kharkiv, Ukraines second-largest city, while Russia said it carried out missile strikes in Lviv in the western part of the country against a depot of weapons provided by Poland.

Some information for this report came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters.
Voters in multiple U.S. states cast ballots Tuesday in primary elections ahead of the November general elections that will decide control of the U.S. congress.

In the state of Arizona, Karrin Taylor Robson and Kari Lake were about even in the Republican race for governor with three-quarters of the ballots counted early Wednesday. Lake has the backing of former U.S. President Donald Trump, whose support is being closely watched ahead of the November vote.

The winner will advance to face Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs, a Democrat, in the general election.

A U.S. Senate seat will also be on the November ballot in Arizona with incumbent Democrat Mark Kelly facing reelection. Trump-backed Blake Masters defeated Army veteran Jim Lamon.

The race for Arizona secretary of state featured Mark Finchem, another Trump-backed candidate who was at the January 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. He defeated three other Republicans to advance.

Voters in the U.S. state of Kansas rejected a constitutional amendment that would have removed abortion protections.

It was the first time U.S. voters decided an abortion-related matter since the U.S. Supreme Courts June decision overturning a longstanding constitutional right to end a pregnancy.

In another Kansas vote, state Attorney General Derek Schmidt won the Republican nomination for governor. Trump supported Schmidt, who will go up against Democratic Governor Laura Kelly in the November election.

In the state of Michigan, Republican Tudor Dixon won the partys nomination to face Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer. Dixon is among a group of Republican candidates who have supported Trumps false claims that he won the 2020 presidential election.

Democratic Congresswoman Rashida Talib won her primary election by a wide margin.

Two other Michigan lawmakers, Congresswoman Haley Stevens and Congressman Andy Levin faced off against each other in a Democratic primary due to the fact that the state lost one of its seats in the House of Representatives in the latest round of redistricting. Stevens prevailed and will face Republican Mark Ambrose in the general election.

In Missouri, Democratic Congresswoman Cori Bush also handily won a spot on the November ballot.

Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt won the Republican race to oppose Democrat Trudy Busch Valentine, an heiress to the Anheuser-Busch beer fortune, in a November election for a seat in the U.S. Senate.

Some information for this report came from The Associated Press and Reuters.
Turkey said the first shipment of Ukrainian grain since Russia launched its invasion has arrived off Turkeys coast.

The Sierra Leone-flagged cargo ship Razoni is on its way from the Ukrainian port of Odesa to Lebanon with more than 26,000 tons of corn on board.

But its first stop is Istanbul, where personnel from a special joint coordination center will inspect the ship to make sure it is not carrying weapons or other non-food items under the terms of an agreement reached in late July to resume Ukrainian grain exports amid a global food crisis.

The center includes officials from Ukraine, Russia, Turkey and the United Nations, the four parties involved in brokering the deal.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Monday the Razoni was loaded with two commodities in short supply: corn and hope. Hope for millions of people around the world who depend on the smooth running of Ukraines ports to feed their families.

He added, What weve witnessed today in Odesa is an important starting point. It must be the first of many commercial ships bringing relief and stability to global food markets.

Guterres said that ensuring that grain, fertilizers, and other food-related items are available at reasonable prices to developing countries is a humanitarian imperative. People on the verge of famine need these agreements to work, in order to survive.

As part of the renewed shipments, Guterres said the U.N.s World Food Program plans to soon buy 30,000 metric tons of Ukrainian wheat and ship it out of the country on a U.N.-chartered vessel.

The shipping agreement calls for safe passage of cargo ships traveling from ports in southern Ukraine through waters of the Black Sea that Russia has controlled since its invasion of Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in his daily video address on Monday evening that the first shipment is "the first positive signal that there is a chance to stop the development of a world food crisis."

However, he cautioned that Russia must be monitored to ensure its compliance with the deal.

"We cannot be under the illusion that Russia will simply refrain from trying to disrupt Ukrainian exports," he said.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters Monday the departure of the first ship is very positive and would help test the mechanisms that were agreed to during the talks in Istanbul.

Also Monday, Ukraine Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov said Kyiv had received more precision rocket systems from the United States. Ukraine has credited the U.S.-made HIMARS rocket systems with helping to slow Russias advance in the countrys east.

Reznikov called the military aid another investment in the security of NATOs eastern flank and support for democracy in Europe. He tweeted thanks to U.S. President Joe Biden, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and the American people.

Some information for this report came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters.
John Muchenje leader of 4H Zimbabwe, one of the organisations representing youths in the country, says they are engaging youths from all political parties to stop the spread of hate speech. A Zanu PF activist recently called for the killing of Nelson Chamisa, his family and supporters. (VOA)
(The Center Square)  U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Florida, has introduced a bill to ban the Internal Revenue Service from acquiring ammunition.

The Disarm the IRS act would ban the agency responsible for tax enforcement from purchasing ammunition after the agency already has stockpiled more than 5 million rounds.

This year alone, the IRS has purchased $725,000 worth of ammunition, Gaetz said.

Im not against stockpiling ammunition, but you shouldnt have to be a D.C. accountant to do it; you ought to be a mechanic in Pensacola, he told Fox News. The Biden administration wants to disarm Americans, open the border, empty the prisons, and still collect your taxes with $725,000 worth of ammunition to do it, he said.

The bill would need to pass the House Ways and Means Committee before its considered by the full House. Republican Reps. Jeff Duncan of S.C., Paul Gosar of Arizona, and Marjorie Taylor Green of Georgia cosponsored the bill.

Why is Biden trying to weaponize the IRS? Duncan tweeted. Rep. Gosar tweeted they needed to disarm this band of highwaymen and stop them from taking our money under the threat of violence.

According to a Government Accountability Office report, in 2018, there were 2,148 law enforcement officers working for the IRSs Criminal Investigation Division. They were armed with 4,461 weapons, including 15 fully automatic weapons and more than 5 million rounds of ammunition.

The division investigates potential criminal violations of the Internal Revenue Code and related financial crimes in a manner that fosters confidence in the tax system and compliance with the law.

The American system of taxation is based on the premise that all income is taxable (which includes illegally earned income), the IRS states. In many instances, proving that a taxpayer willfully attempted to hide income from the Federal Government is an integral part of proving other criminal activity including fraud, money laundering or Bank Secrecy Act violations. Criminal Investigation continues to fulfill the important role of helping to ensure the integrity and fairness of our nations' tax system.

Two years later, the 2018 stockpile increased more. According to a 2020 OpenTheBooks.com report, The militarization of the U.S. Executive Agencies included the IRS having 2,159 special agents, the spending of $21.3 million on guns, ammunition and military-style equipment between fiscal years 2006 and 2019, which included a stockpile of more than 4,500 guns.

Adam Andrzejewski, Open the Books CEO and founder, told The Center Square, "After grabbing legal power, bureaucrats are amassing firepower. It's time to scale back the federal arsenal. Just who are the federal agencies preparing to battle?

According to the report, 103 federal agencies outside of the Department of Defense and 76 administrative agencies spent $2.7 billion and $110.6 million, respectively, on guns, ammunition and military-style equipment between fiscal years 2015 and 2019.

The report notes that there are more federal officers with arrest and firearm authority with the IRS (200,000) than U.S. Marines (182,000).

"Our data shows that the federal government has become a gun show that never adjourns. Taxpayers need to tell Washington that police powers belong primarily to cities and states, not the feds, Andrzejewski said.
7:30 a.m. update: The unofficial results barely budged from last night's update, meaning that with 100% of precincts now reporting, Becky Daggett and incumbent Paul Deasy will move on to the general election in November for the mayor position.

Only five more votes were added in the last Board of Supervisors update of the evening, four of them going to Jeronimo Vasquez, further solidifying the results of that race.

Some results from other northern Arizona races, all with 100% of precincts reporting:

-- Christy Riddle has 30 more votes for Fredonia mayor than Kimley Purvis, 116-86

-- Incumbent Bill Diak has about a 17% lead over Rick Yanke for Page mayor, 545-383

-- Scott Jablow has separated himself from a pack of three other candidates for Sedona mayor, with 39.2% of the vote

-- Clarinda Vail leads for Tusayan mayor, with 42 votes to Brady Harris' 33

10:30 p.m. update: For Flagstaff mayor, we're up to 85% of precincts reporting, and Becky Daggett's lead has mostly stayed the same. She has 4,414 votes (50.7%), leading Paul Deasy (2,337, 26.9%) and Daniel Williamson (1,953, 22.4%). The top two candidates will advance to November's general election.

For Board of Supes, Jeronimo Vasquez has 1,118 votes, while Tomas Hernandez has 558.

9 p.m. update: With 72% of precincts reporting, Becky Daggett is still holding a comfortable lead for Flagstaff mayor with 4,243 votes (52.2%), while Paul Deasy is in second with 2,207 votes and Daniel Williamson had 1,684 votes. The top two advance to the general election in November.

For the county Board of Supervisors, District 2, Jeronimo Vasquez had 1,094 votes (67%) and a big advantage over Tomas Hernandez with 538 votes.

8 p.m. update: Coconino County posted results of 16,190 tabulated early voting ballots -- about 17% of registered voters in the county. In the Flagstaff mayoral race, Becky Daggett had a strong lead of 3,941 votes (53.98%) followed by incumbent Paul Deasy with 1,993 votes (27.30%) and Daniel Williamson with 1,367 votes (18.72%).

In the county board of supervisors race for District 2, Jeronimo Vasquez was leading with 1,021 votes (67.39%) against Tomas "Tommy" Hernandez with 494 votes (32.61%).

The City of Sedona mayoral race showed a strong lead from Scott Jablow with 310 votes (45.52%) followed by Samaire Armstron with 138 votes (20.26%), Sandra J Moriarty with 12 votes (17.62%) and Kurt Gehlbach with 113 votes (16.59%).

The Arizona primary elections got off to a slow start in Flagstaff as voters trickled in to polling places to select candidates who will proceed to the Nov. 8 general election.

According to the county recorders office, as of last Friday, about 17,000 (18%) of the 93,000 registered voters in Coconino County had returned early ballots. The lower-than-usual early ballot return could have been balanced by robust in-person turnout on election, but initial on-the-ground observations did not suggest this would be the case.

The Northern Arizona University voting center, one of three major voting centers in Coconino County, was fully staffed and running smoothly, but less than a dozen voters showed up during the peak hours of 7 and 8 a.m.

It's a little disappointing to walk in there and not see very many people, said Brittany Montague, who came to vote on her way to work. And not a lot of young people either -- which is important.

Montague, who has served as a poll worker in the past, vouched for increasing voting accessibility by allowing people to register at polling sites on election day. With her personal vote, Montague was most interested in selecting Flagstaffs mayor.

Change happens at the local level, she said.

While she did not share who she voted for, Montagues top priority was protection for our forests.

Thats near and dear, she said.

Dylan Rust also stopped by the NAU voting center on his way to work. He said he was interested in supporting candidates with a sense of decorum, who would spend money well and work across the aisle.

I'm looking for candidates who are patriotic, not for party but for country, Rust said.

To that end, he did not mind sharing how he voted in the Flagstaff mayoral election.

I voted for Becky Daggett, Rust said.

Turnout rates were similar, if not marginally better, at the Flagstaff Mall voting center between the hours of 8 and 9 a.m. On his way out, Regnar Billie said the voting center operation seemed to disprove the accusations of election mismanagement that plagued the 2020 elections.

It looks like its well organized, properly staffed, Billie said. I dont see anything that can go wrong.

Billie was happy to share that he voted for Daniel Williamson in the Flagstaff mayoral race, but lamented that he did not feel he was sufficiently educated about the candidates.

I wish I had known more, he said. Hopefully I chose the best out of all of them.

Angela Bercu also shared that she voted for Williamson, saying she had come to trust him through his work in the faith community.

He's a pastor, Bercu said. I used to attend his church and I did some ministry with him in the past.

Justice system reform was a priority for Bercu, as she feels that a family member had been wrongfully sentenced for crimes surrounding an addiction that was the result of a medical prescription.

Because of his background experience in drug courts and rehabilitation programs such as Teen Challenge, Williamson was an attractive candidate for Bercu.

I think he would do a great job as far as that's concerned, as well as the other things needed in our community, she said.

The upside of low turnouts was that they made for a quick and super easy voting experience, said Jesse Hornbeck, who voted at the Shepherd of the Hills Church polling location. To her, the most important reason to participate in the primaries was making sure her voice was heard.

Hornbeck shared that she had voted for Daggett in the Flagstaff mayoral race. Influential to her decision had been recent experiences helping residents of Stevanna Way cope with post-fire flooding.

I saw a lot of local politicians come by and ask questions and then not follow through by the end of the day, Hornbeck said.

She wants a mayor who represents everyone and not just hot button places or popular places.

While the she was pleased that her voting experience was 10 minutes in and out, Hornbeck did express some dismay that there werent more voters present at the polling locations.

I just wish everyone would vote, she said. If they dont vote, I dont think they should complain.
Biden says China wants to become the most wealthy, powerful country but its not gonna happen on his watch. Bidens remark is very troublesome. If a man is created equal and has the right to pursue happiness, China will pass the US as the most powerful economy even if the GDP per capita is only one-fourth of the US. Do China has the right to develop? Why does the development of China upset the US? Morally speaking, Bidens remark is imperialist. He cannot tolerate the Chinese in China having a decent modern life.

The US is still the richest country with military and financial monopoly. The US controls many resources around the world as it has military bases all over the world. The US also has most of the top talents. With brain drain, talents of the world migrate to the US. Why not the US use its advantage to compete with China instead of trying to stop the development of China? This kind of mindset of the US should not exist if human civilization is progressing.

The US uses all its resources to make rules, intemperate the rules, enforce the rules, breach the rules, and modify the rules of the world order. This is the character of the sea power.

France had been a continental power in the middle age for a thousand years. In the last five hundred years, sea power rules the world. Continental power is good at the creation of wealth. Seapower is good at the distribution of wealth. Continental power is strong if it creates more wealth than other countries. Seapower is strong if it can profit more from the trade.

In its five thousand years of economics, China has always emphasized agriculture, the production of wealth. The economics of the west today emphasizes trade other than production. The difference between the two economies reflects the different mindsets of continental power and sea power.

China is a continental power as it creates wealth for the world. Go to Walmart, and you know what I mean. The US is a sea power that profits from world trade with its dollar supremacy. The US is so powerful in distributing wealth that it can live on by transferring most of the manufacturing to China. China is so powerful that it can manufacture not only for itself but also for the world.

The power to distribute wealth can accomplish nothing if the world does not create wealth. Biden said the US is back. What it means is that the US will make rules again so that under the new rules, the US will have a larger slice of the world economy so that China will create more wealth for the US than for China itself so that China will stay in a middle-income trap that Chinese people can never richer than one-fourth of the living standard of American.

Why is the US always engaging in wars? A sea power as a hegemony always uses divide-and-conquer to control continent power. When the British, a sea power, as an empire, played the strategy of the balance of power so that France and Germany were always enemies. It worked for its divide-and-conquer strategy. The US is keeping Europe rival Russia, keeping Arab in a conflict between Sunni and Shia. For the US to maintain its hegemony, it will not allow the Eurasia continent in peace. It has to split the continent according to its divide-and-conquer strategy.

China, as a continent power and power of creating wealth, needs an environment of peace. BRI needs peace.

China rising is peaceful, and China is a continental power, and its power is vested in peace. When Bident declares that he will never let China pass the US, its foreign policies will provoke many conflicts and wars in the Eurasia Continent.

Europe is a continental power. Europe should embrace BRI so the continents power can rise again after submission to sea powers for the last five hundred years.
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From Day One, President Joe Bidens immigration policy has been largely incoherent. Its now verging on a crisis. In June, authorities recorded 191,898 apprehensions at the border, following more than 222,000 the previous month. Would-be migrants have been processed after crossing the southwestern border more than 1.7 million times so far this year, already exceeding last years record-setting tally. Distinctive catastrophes  such as the deaths of 53 migrants in an abandoned tractor-trailer in San Antonio in June  have only punctuated these grim figures.

With this influx has come a host of related problems. Human trafficking has surged. Huge amounts of illegal weapons and drugs  in particular, fentanyl  have turned up at the border. So far this year, 56 migrants have been flagged by the Terrorist Screening Database, up from 15 last year. More than 15,000 unaccompanied children were picked up in June alone. Border-state governors have been sending busloads of asylum seekers to Washington, where social-safety nets are fraying as a result.

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These trends are very unlikely to improve without bold action.

During his four years in office, President Donald Trump attempted to reduce migrant flows using two programs. The first, known as Remain in Mexico, required most asylum seekers to remain south of the border while their cases were processed. In response to legal challenges and the start of the pandemic, that policy was set aside in favor of another measure, Title 42, which allowed for widespread expulsions on public-health grounds. Though implemented haphazardly  in keeping with Trumps generally cruel and incompetent approach to the border  both policies had the effect of significantly slowing unauthorized entries.

As for Biden? Hes been trying to shut down both programs since the start of his presidency, without specifying plausible alternatives. He has proposed a funding cut for border apprehensions and removals. He published an ill-conceived reform structure that seemed to act as an invitation for further migration without laying the necessary groundwork. Vice President Kamala Harris  deputized by Biden to head up a response to the crisis  has spent just three days in Latin America over 16 months.

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Such inattention has allowed obvious problems at the border to fester, while giving unauthorized migrants the false hope that theyll be allowed entry to the US.

The bottom line is that all asylum seekers have a right to have their claims heard in court, yet the US must ensure the system doesnt get completely overwhelmed. Of the imperfect options available, Remain in Mexico (formally, the Migrant Protection Protocols) makes the most sense. The Biden administration has been begrudgingly working with the Mexican government to improve this program, including by expanding the hiring of immigration judges to speed case reviews and providing migrants with more lawyers. It should also work to ensure they have safe housing and job opportunities and to reduce the distances they have to travel for court appearances. With such improvements in place, and buy-in from Mexico, the policy should help restore order to the asylum process while addressing humanitarian concerns.

Longer-term, the US needs comprehensive reforms that would pair increased funding for law enforcement and immigration courts with an expanded guest-worker program, which would relieve pressure on the border and ease labor shortages in the agriculture and food-producing industries. Meanwhile, added investment, public and private, in northern Central America could help stem the violence and poverty that have caused so many to flee in the first place.

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The problems at the southern border are complex but not unsolvable. They should never have reached this point of near-crisis. Whats most needed now is leadership.

More From Other Writers at Bloomberg Opinion:

 The Solution to US Border Woes Is No Secret: Eduardo Porter

 Supreme Court Makes Immigration Lockup Harder to Escape: Noah Feldman

 Give Me Your Educated Migrant Workers, Not More Relatives: Allison Schrager

The Editors are members of the Bloomberg Opinion editorial board.

More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com/opinion

2022 Bloomberg L.P.

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The US credit-card market is the oldest and largest in the world. Its also the least regulated and most expensive. In other countries, policy makers keep card companies in check by setting price caps or by funding public sector alternatives. The result is lower prices. In the US, credit-card fees stand at between 1.3% and 2.7% of transaction value; in Europe, they are as low as 0.3%.

Dick Durbin, the senior senator from Illinois, wants to change that. Last week, alongside Kansas Republican Roger Marshall, he unveiled the Credit Card Competition Act of 2022. Its time to inject real competition into the credit card network market, which is dominated by the Visa-Mastercard duopoly, he said.

Whatever its merits, Durbin is likely to find passage of his bill tough. Swiping a card may look simple enough at checkout, but in the background, the interests of multiple parties -- consumers, merchants, banks and network companies  must be reconciled. Over the years, bonds have formed among these parties, making the model hard to change.

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Initially, the closest alliance was between the network companies and the banks. Before their initial public offerings in the mid-2000s, network companies were owned by banks. Visas founder, Dee Hock, who died last month, was an employee of National Bank of Commerce in Seattle, when he was charged with bringing together the interests of card-issuing banks. The fees banks charge are set by the card networks at a level that encourages them to invest in payments technology.

Increasingly, the stronger ties have been forged between the card companies and consumers. Although they invest heavily in marketing, its not Visa or Mastercard advertising that cements the relationship. Rather its rewards, funded by card-issuing banks fromthe fees they capture from merchants.

Ever since Diners Club introduced an airline miles program in 1984, rewards have been a powerful mechanism to drive card usage  and Americans love them. For many, they represent a tax-free source of income. Card companies now direct about two-thirds of their gross fees back to customers via rewards. One of the largest card issuers, Capital One, paid out $6.4 billion  almost 20% of total revenue  in 2021. And the rate has been going up. Discovers reward rate has increased from less than 1% of sales volume in 2013 to 1.38% in 2021.

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Rewards are not without controversy. In 2020, economists at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston concluded that because merchants dont differentiate prices at checkout, more expensive transactions are subsidized by cheaper debit and cash payments. With higher-income consumers more likely to hold rewards cards, such subsidies become a transfer from lower-income to higher-income groups.

Yet so entrenched is the reward culture that its hard to unwind. Durbin likely knows this, which is why his bill doesnt propose price caps, unlike his debit card reforms of 2011 and similar price controls introduced in Europe, Australia and elsewhere.

Indeed, Durbins foray into the debit-card market underscored the complexities and unintended consequences built into this opaque space.

Debit fees fell dramatically. In his 2021 shareholder letter, Jamie Dimon, chairman and chief executive officer of JP Morgan Chase & Co., estimated that the impact on his bank was about $17 billion over 10 years. But according to researchers who reviewed the impact in 2019, banks offset their losses by charging higher fees on other products, leaving consumers no better off.

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In the credit-card proposal, large banks would have to offer merchants an alternative network over which the transactions could be routed  one thats not Visa or Mastercard.

The problem is that no credible alternative exists. And the investment required to build one is vast. In Europe, 31 banks signed up last year to an initiative to create an alternative to Visa and Mastercard but banks have since been loath to put up the 1.5 billion euros ($1.53 billion) of initial funding.

Public funding would be nice, said the projects chief executive, Martina Weimert. Lets not hide it, its going to be a massive investment. Its expensive.

Given their 77% market share of US credit-card volume, its no surprise Visa and Mastercard arent keen on the tinkering. Its an attempt by the government to get involved in pricing in private markets, Al Kelly, chairman and CEO of Visa told investors recently. Thats not the job of the government. Markets should determine price, not governments. And I feel very strongly about that, and thats something we will continue to make our case for.

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Kelly may not have to worry  he has the American consumer on side, and there are fewer allies as strong.

More From Bloomberg Opinion:

 Buy Now Pay Later Joins Subprime Losers Club: Marc Rubinstein

 Is $695 AmEx Platinum Card Really Worth It?: Alexis Leondis

 Visas Amazon Blues to Shape Digital Cash Debate: Andy Mukherjee

This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.

Marc Rubinstein is a former hedge fund manager. He is author of the weekly finance newsletter Net Interest.

More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com/opinion

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We would be in position to propose you A1 certified pellets from Polish factory.

The product is produced in the European Union, has all certificates, etc.

We would be in position to propose you 1 truck (23 tones) with tansportation to Zelezniki, Slovenia for 520 EUR per tone. In case of the regular deliveries and larger amounts the price can be obviously negotiated.
Beatrice police are investigating after shots were fired at a residence early Wednesday morning in Beatrice.

Police Capt. Dan Moss said the department received reports of shots being fired at approximately 2:30 a.m. Wednesday in the 1300 block of Lincoln Street.

Basically there were shots fired and a house was hit, he said. Nobody was injured. At this time, we dont have any specific suspects.

Moss said the residence was occupied at the time of the incident.

He added shell casing were found at the scene, and officers believe multiple firearms were involved.

The investigation is ongoing, and police are seeking any video recordings that could help authorities identify the vehicle involved.
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US freight railroads are in a bit of a predicament, and its not just because they are going down to the wire on labor contract negotiations with their 115,000 workers. Large railroads, including Union Pacific Corp. and Warren Buffetts BNSF Railway Co., have juiced their profits so high by increasing efficiency and paring their workforces over the last several years that they have boxed themselves into a corner with no catalyst to keep attracting investors. Adjusted operating margins(1) for the five largest US railroads were 41% last year, compared with 29% 10 years ago and 15% less than a couple of decades ago. Those margins are off the charts when compared with other transportation companies, including trucking, parcel, air freight, maritime shipping, airlines, you name it.

In pushing those margins over the past five years to a level that analysts most likely would have thought were unobtainable, the railroads have angered their customers with high prices and poor service and have alienated their workers, who complain theyre being overworked after the railroads cut their ranks as much as possible.

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Profit margins cant rise further without inflicting even more damage on customers and workers, and the railroads have drawn the scrutiny of regulators. The Surface Transportation Board, the independent rail regulator, is on the warpath over the railroads shoddy service and is now listening favorably to customers who want more nimble mechanisms to dispute rates, especially when theyre captive to one railroad. The STB held hearings in April in which shippers and workers teed off on the railroads, and the regulators new chairman, Martin Oberman, got in on the action, saying service problems originated from the companies shedding 45,000 workers over the past six years. The only outlet for growth for the railroads, beyond the utility-like rate of US industrial production, is to take long-haul freight away from trucks. This is impossible with the current poor service, of course. But even when railroads eventually improve their on-time delivery statistics, most of the cargo they win from trucks would dilute their margins. Although railroads can be 10% to 15% cheaper than trucks just because a mile-long train is inherently more efficient than hauling the freight in 100 18-wheelers, railroads are much slower and notoriously unreliable on delivery times when compared with trucks.

To win truck traffic, railroads will have to go after more cargo that doesnt pay as much as hauling automobiles and coal, such as maritime containers. In other words, theres no lucrative, low-hanging fruit for the railroads to take from trucks.Railroads will also have to improve service drastically and demonstrate consistent reliability with on-time pickup and delivery times, even during floods or blizzards. With more consistent service, customers wouldnt complain as loudly to the regulator and would likely be more open to the railroads argument of why they pay so much for rail service. A lot of shippers would be willing to take the trains slower but more economical option over faster trucks if they could count on the delivery times. That most likely means railroads would need to keep their operations more staffed up and more locomotives ready to deploy. All that implies more cost and will drag down profit margins.

Bolstering staff has a double benefit. It gives the railroads more of a cushion to inclement weather and other unforeseen disruptions, and it also would help repair the relationship with employees by addressing their complaints of being overworked, which go beyond the normal ones from a workforce. Railroad workers are quitting, and the companies are having a hard time hiring enough replacements, which is highly unusual for the industrys well-paid union jobs.

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But far from looking to improve those relationships with customers and workers, the railroads still seem fixated on operating margins. Even as negotiations with the labor unions have dragged on for more than two years and have frozen rail workers salaries at 2019 levels, the railroads are asking union members to pay more out of pocket for health care.

And no one can argue the railroads cant afford their workers. In one example, Union Pacific, the largest publicly traded US railroad, paid investors more than $41 billion in dividends and share buybacks over five years through 2021. In the first six months of this year, the Omaha, Nebraska-based company heaped an additional $5 billion on shareholders.

While the rail companies have been attentive to their investors, they were caught off guard at the beginning of the pandemic with the mood of their workforce. When freight momentarily slowed to a crawl in March and April 2020 because of the US lockdowns to stem the spread of Covid-19, the railroads furloughed workers to match the decline in their operations. They were somewhat taken aback when they couldnt easily bring back those workers as they had been able to for decades after furloughs.

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All the rail companies are struggling to hire workers despite the pay and benefits. This should be a wake-up call for everyone, including rail investors. Instead of looking at the labor contract as an opportunity to win over their employees and work together to improve service  again, the key to any strategy to take truck traffic  the railroads seem to be more concerned about protecting their profit margin gains.

The railroads are offering a 17% compounded raise over five years; the unions want 31% while keeping medical benefits the same and easing some work rules. Three professional arbiters appointed by President Joe Biden will now devise a proposal that the railroads and labor unions can accept. If that plan is rejected, Congress will have to step in to avoid a strike.

Dont hold you breath for the railroads to stand up to Wall Street and tell analysts and investors that the only way to grow faster than industrial production is to take steps that will cause margins to slip back to a less historical level, say 40% or even 35%. If a railroad announced this strategy, its shares would likely get hammered.

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In the meantime, the railroads will still be boxed in, and investors will soon lose interest when revenue and profit-margin growth stalls.

More From Other Writers at Bloomberg Opinion:

 Customer Demand Is There. Supply Still Isnt: Brooke Sutherland

 UK Rail Strike Is Cautionary Tale for US Labor: Clive Crook

 Pandemic Is Writing a New Labor Market Playbook: Conor Sen

(1) If you follow railroads, you may notice Im discussing operating profit margin instead of the industry term, operating ratio. No other sector, outside of transportation, uses operating ratio, which is just the mirror opposite of what every other industry uses. Its only confusing, and until someone can explain why the industry had to adopt the operating ratio term, Im going to continue thinking it was precisely to obfuscate and cover up the terrible operating margins of decades ago.

This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.

Thomas Black is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering logistics and manufacturing. Previously, he covered U.S. industrial and transportation companies and Mexicos industry, economy and government.

More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com/opinion

2022 Bloomberg L.P.

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In the world of the movie Bullet Train, opening in US theaters this weekend, Brad Pitt is an assassin in a hyper-stylized, neon-tinged Japan; Sandra Bullock and Puerto Rican pop sensation Bad Bunny also appear. Wp Get the full experience. Choose your plan ArrowRight But forget them: The real star should be the train. A staple set for any movie that takes place in Japan, from Lost In Translation to Inception, its about time the Shinkansen itself got top billing. Based on a novel by Japanese mystery writer Kotaro Isaka, Bullet Train shows the enduring obsession with Japans ultra-efficient and super-fast trains, nearly 60 years since their introduction.

Famously, there has never been a fatal accident  not even when a shinkansen derailed earlier this year after a magnitude 7.4 earthquake. But these are tricky times for what is perhaps the worlds most famous train. The pandemic has altered lifestyles in Japan in a way that might be permanent; Zoom calls are increasingly taking the place of the business day-trips that are the backbone of bullet-train revenues, and foreign tourists remain largely absent.

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East Japan Railway Co. says revenue from its bullet trains, which includes the Tohoku Shinkansen route between Tokyo and Moriroka used in Isakas original novel, is less than 60% of pre-Covid times, and expects that figure will still be 10% below 2019 levels at the end of its fiscal year next March. On the more famous Tokyo-Osaka route, operated by JR Central and featured in the movie version of Bullet Train, ridership remains at just 70% of pre-pandemic levels.

This problem comes just five years before JR Central is supposed to open a brand new, 500 kilometer-per-hour line using magnetic-levitation technology that will connect Tokyo and the industrial heartland of Nagoya in just 40 minutes at a cost of more than $50 billion. And its far from the only issue the trains are facing.

The maglev project itself seems highly unlikely to make its 2027 opening date, with work halted in Shizuoka prefecture over an environmental dispute. Cynics suspect the opposition might have more to do with the fact that while the train will pass through the prefecture, it wasnt deemed important enough to merit a lucrative stop.

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Set to be the fastest in the world when it begins service, the train will also generate higher energy costs. At a time when Japan is facing the prospect of blackouts due to an energy supply squeeze, the maglev will use several times the power of a regular bullet train for its superconducting magnetic lines.

In Japans southernmost island, JR Kyushu will next month open whats being referred to as the countrys shortest bullet train. The new route will join Nagasaki with Takeo Onsen in Saga prefecture  but the track, just 67 kilometers long, isnt linked to the rest of the Shinkansen network. A dispute between national and local authorities means work to link to lines serving elsewhere in Kyushu hasnt even begun.

And further north, the Hokkaido Shinkansen is still losing money, $111 million last fiscal year alone, with an average of just 1,700 people riding the train each day. The extension that will link it to Sapporo in 2030  the city that may host the Winter Olympics that year  as well as the ski paradise of Niseko cant come fast enough.

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But the issue attracting most discussion among Japans train lovers involves decidedly slower lines. The sustainability of local routes that are the lifelines criss-crossing much of the rural countryside has become a topic of debate. Ridership on some lines in JR Wests area has fallen to 10% of the level when the firm was privatized in the late 1980s, with more adults owning cars and fewer young people to take their place on the train. Thats led management to talk for the first time about potentially shutting some of these lines, something opposed by the elderly.

The impact of changing times can be felt on Tokyos trains, too: Rail operators including JR East have brought forward the last train by 30 minutes, with fewer people staying out late due to the growing acceptance of remote work and a lingering reluctance to go to potentially Covid-spreading drinking parties.

All of these highlight problems that will only increase as Japans population ages and shrinks; the pandemic has merely put these long-standing issues in focus. The bullet trains have long been profit-drivers for the JR companies, which were privatized in such a way that gave each of them a piece of the pie, in return for maintaining money-losing rural routes.

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But this is also the beauty of Japans trains: while being private, dividend-paying enterprises, they also operate partly as a public service, whether its maintaining old train lines with dwindling ridership or moving ahead with ambitious projects like the maglev. With the UK hemming and hawing over its High Speed 2 rail link for northern England and the US permanently vacillating over the merits of high-speed rail, its good to have a first-world nation that still appreciates the role of infrastructure ahead of the relentless pursuit of profit.

Skepticism over the maglev is understandable. Still, its worth keeping in mind that the original Tokyo-Osaka Shinkansen itself was derided as being as expensive and functionally useless as the Pyramids, the Great Wall of China and the ill-fated World War II battleship Yamato. Now its the star of a movie, highlighting the international envy a forward-thinking infrastructure project can bring. Who knows, perhaps Brad Pitt can even star in a maglev-set sequel.

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This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.

Gearoid Reidy is a Bloomberg News senior editor covering Japan. He previously led the breaking news team in North Asia and was the Tokyo deputy bureau chief.

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Tuesday saw some of the last remaining major party primaries of 2022. The headline event of the night wasnt a primary, however: It was a ballot measure in Kansas, and it was a big victory for abortion rights. Wp Get the full experience. Choose your plan ArrowRight Elections can be important because of their immediate effects, or because of how political actors will interpret them  or both. This was both. The immediate substantive effect is straightforward: Kansas voters refused to change the state constitution to say there is no right to an abortion, so the state will remain a haven for abortion rights.

And what about the votes effects on political actors? Its likely that Democrats, already energized by the US Supreme Courts decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, will now be even more likely to make reproductive rights a high-profile campaign theme this fall. Its less clear whether Republicans will back off some of their hard-line positions. Republicans who oppose abortion under all circumstances have had the upper hand within the party so far this year. It will be interesting to see whether those with more moderate anti-abortion positions go on the offensive.

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Its also hard to say whether the Kansas result predicts much about November. Democrats will point to the size of the victory  close to 20 percentage points  and the huge turnout, especially among Democrats, in a Republican state. What that means for candidate elections, however, is by no means obvious. Its fair to say that the abortion issue is more likely to help than hurt Democrats this fall, but anything more than that is just guesswork.

Meanwhile, there were plenty of party primaries between candidates on Tuesday. Political scientist Jake Grumbach tweeted a reminder of why these are so important: Pressure in primaries (not just voting but also $, endorsements, etc.), in large part, is the mechanism by which party position change happens. Its part of the reason for recent party position change with respect to democracy itself. Moreover, given the importance of political parties to governing, primary elections are where a lot of democracy actually happens.

Here are a few observations about those elections:

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Trumps influence over Republican politics is by now clear. The former presidents power over the partys voters is nothing extraordinary, but his sway over its candidates is strong. Tuesdays wins and losses filled in some more details.

In general, some of Trumps endorsed candidates in contested races win, especially when the conditions are good for any high-profile endorsement to matter  multicandidate primaries with little to differentiate the candidates. (Trump also helps his win percentage by endorsing a lot of incumbents who dont have significant challengers, and has also taken to last-minute endorsements for solid leaders in polls.) Yet candidates continue to beg for his endorsement, and in practical terms, that means that a lot of Republican candidates are repeating Trumps false claims about the 2020 election. Some just refuse to admit that President Joe Biden was legitimately elected, while others are basically campaigning against free and fair elections.

Among Republicans, a vote for impeachment remains controversial. Ten House Republicans voted for Trumps second impeachment a year and a half ago, and three were on the ballot Tuesday. Representative Peter Meijer of Michigan was defeated for renomination, while two in Washington state appear so far to be surviving, though the vote-counting is slow. Of the remaining seven, four have chosen to retire, one won, one lost and one  perhaps the most prominent, Representative Liz Cheney of Wyoming  faces Republican voters later this month.

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Republicans had a mixed record with some potentially terrible candidates. Most notably, disgraced former Governor Eric Greitens lost his bid to become the nominee for US Senate in Missouri. State Attorney General Eric Schmitt defeated Greitens, who might have lost even in that solidly Republican state, which will now be considered safe for the party. The Trump-endorsed candidate for US Senate in Arizona, Blake Masters, did win, so incumbent Senator Mark Kelly will have an edge in that toss-up state, even in what looks like a good Republican year. The Republican contest for Arizona governor, featuring the Trump-backed former news anchor Kari Lake, remains too close to call.

Democrats continue not to be in disarray. Democrats havent been able to clear the field everywhere, but they have done so in many high-profile races, and theyre generally making pragmatic choices in highly contested seats. For governor in Arizona, for instance, they nominated current Secretary of State Katie Hobbs by a more than 3-to-1 margin. Theres no guarantee any Democrat will win in Arizona this year, even if Republicans put up a weak candidate. But Democrats are successfully avoiding intense nomination fights and emerging united, usually behind well-regarded candidates. Thats not always been the case, and it remains to be seen whether it makes any difference. But it is certainly a major theme of this cycle for the party.

This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.

Jonathan Bernstein is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering politics and policy. A former professor of political science at the University of Texas at San Antonio and DePauw University, he wrote A Plain Blog About Politics.

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After a year of democratic backsliding, Tunisia went over the edge last week when President Kais Saied institutionalized his autocratic rule with a referendum on a new constitution that gives him near absolute power. The outcome of the vote was never in doubt: Having already suspended parliament and secured the support of the military, Saied had further tilted the playing field by appointing his own election commission and judicial council, jailing opponents, and muzzling the media.

Since approval of the constitution was preordained, most Tunisians demonstrated their disapproval by turning their backs on the process: More than two-thirds of those eligible opted not to vote.

This is almost exactly how democracy withered in Egypt, the only other country where the seeds planted in the Arab Spring  the popular protests that toppled several dictators in the Middle East and North Africa in the early 2010s  had taken root. Like his counterpart in Cairo, General Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi, Saied represents the triumphant return of the old order.

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Theres plenty of blame to go around for these failures.

Start with the revolutionaries. In Tunisia as in Egypt, the young, mostly liberal and secular-minded protesters who toppled the tyrants neglected the nitty-gritty of democracy  forming political parties, building policy platforms, contesting elections. This initially allowed conservative Islamist parties, which were better organized to win votes, to form governments.

The protesters also had unrealistic expectations of instant economic dividends from democracy: When the jobs and opportunities they wanted did not immediately materialize, they lost faith in the new political system.

In response, the overturned establishment regrouped around retrogressive figures like Sisi and Saied, who tapped into the popular discontent with the democratic new order to acquire power  and then to rewrite constitutions to complete the restoration of autocracy.

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Some blame also goes to the leaders of the free world, who rejoiced in the flowering of Arab liberty, but then let the saplings shrivel in the elements. There was a pronounced Western squeamishness about working with Islamist-led governments in Cairo and Tunis, which undermined their ability to repair the damage left by decades of dictatorship.

Like his two immediate predecessors, President Joe Biden expended little effort to help the Tunisian government rescue the countrys stricken economy. His administration has offered only cursory criticism of Saieds power grab. It may be too late to turn the clock back, but Biden and other democratic leaders must learn from their recent failures and resolve to do better next time.

And there will almost certainly be a next time. Young Arabs will soon discover that their new autocrats have no solutions to the economic problems at the root of their discontent. Saied has shown no greater grasp of his countrys economic challenges than the government he sacked. Under Sisi, Egypts economy has grown, but so too has the proportion of the population living in poverty.

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As economic conditions worsen with the worldwide slowdown, Saied and Sisi can expect no more patience from young Tunisians and Egyptians than the governments they overthrew. The next political upheaval may not be long in coming.

When the wheel does turn, the democratic world must be prepared to act swiftly. The first priority will be to fully embrace elected governments, regardless of their orientation. Next, wealthy Western nations must ready a package of foreign aid and debt forgiveness as well as favorable trade terms, all designed to allow the elected governments to deliver economic dividends for an impatient populace.

Just as important, there must be careful vigilance for signs of democratic backsliding. Any leader showing an authoritarian streak must face real consequences. The military elites, in particular, should understand that their access to Western resources is contingent on a commitment to defending democratic institutions.

Arabs will try again for democracy. The next time, the world must not fail them.

The Editors are members of the Bloomberg Opinion editorial board.

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How many patents on a single drug is too many? Scholars, activists, and politicians have debated the question for decades. This week, a panel of the US Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit gave a firm answer. As long as the owner doesnt use whats known as the patent estate in a way that violates the antitrust law, wrote Judge Frank Easterbrook, the patent laws do not set a cap.

Hes right.

The litigation involved AbbVie Inc. and its wildly successful arthritis drug adalimumab, marketed in the US as Humira. The principal patent on Humira expired in 2016, but AbbVie has obtained some 132 more, of which the great majority were granted in 2014 or later. Most of these newer patents relate to the medications formulation or manufacturing process. The last of them expires in 2034.

The practice of adding new patents to an old drug, though common in the pharmaceutical industry, is often derided for creating what critics call a patent thicket  which in turn is claimed to have anticompetitive effects. And Humira, with annual sales in excess of $20 billion, has been labeled the poster child for patent thicketing. Even the then-acting commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration was moved to complain last year about Humiras vast patent estate.

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The case decided by the 7th Circuit was filed by a group of health plans who argued that by obtaining so many patents, and asserting them in litigation against would-be market entrants, AbbVie violated the Sherman Act. The trial court dismissed the suit and, this week, the 7th Circuit agreed that the dismissal was proper.

The simplest way to understand the plaintiffs contention is this: The 132 patents are so daunting that no generic manufacturer has dared enter the market. Even if some of patents might turn out to be declared invalid, no pharmaceutical company wants to spend resources hacking through the thicket they create. (See how the metaphor works?) As a result, even though Humiras original patent has expired, the drug has no competitors.

Sounds impressive. But Judge Easterbrook, who has long been one of the nations most renowned antitrust scholars, makes short work of the plaintiffs claims.

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In the first place, the thicket might be less daunting than plaintiffs seem to think. Most drugs are what are known as synthetics, and the Food and Drug Administration is required to suspend the approval process if a patent infringement suit is filed against the applicant. But Humira is a biologic, isolated from natural sources. Since 2007, federal law has allowed the FDA to approve biologic applications even if an infringement suit has been filed. Moreover, once the agency gives its blessing to the biosimilar drug, the maker has the right to launch at risk  that is, to market the biosimilar even as the suit moves forward.

So why havent any competitors launched? The plaintiffs assert that other companies have been frightened off by the thicket created by all those patents.

Judge Easterbrook is unpersuaded: But whats wrong with having lots of patents? If AbbVie made 132 inventions, why cant it hold 132 patents? As long as your patents are valid, he reasons, asserting them in litigation cant be a violation of antitrust law. Are they valid here? All 132 were approved by the Patent Office, and, as the court reminds us, every patent comes with a presumption of validity.

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True, a defendant in an infringement suit can challenge the validity of the underlying patents. Why hasnt that happened here? After all, when each potential competitor approached federal regulators, AbbVie sued immediately. Shouldnt the defendants have responded by trying to invalidate some or all of those 132 patents?

Maybe. But the lawsuits never reached that point. Instead, AbbVie agreed to settle each of its lawsuits under terms that allow the biosimilars into the market in 2023  well ahead of the expiration of the last of the patents on Humira.

Such acceleration clauses have long been common in settlements of pharmaceutical infringement cases. Often the patent owner will allow entry before the patent expires but pay the generic maker to delay entry for a few more years. Critics contend that such agreements are illegal under the antitrust law, a question the US Supreme Court has left open. Here, however, no money has changed hands. As Easterbrook puts the point, 0 + 0 = 0.(1)

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The 7th Circuits reasoning is sufficiently crisp and clear that one is moved to wonder why the lawsuit was filed at all. True, the litigation began before the pandemic, meaning that Big Pharma hadnt yet developed the Covid vaccines and become a hero.

Or maybe the suit was an effort to lower drug prices by proxy. That would be easy to understand. The prices are often high. But one study after another has found that the social benefits of a successful new drug, even a relatively expensive one, almost always far outweigh the costs.

Even if one is unpersuaded, lets not forget that Humiras biosimilar substitutes will be available next year. The short of it is that the federal scheme works. The law promotes competition among drug companies, and theres no more efficient tool for moderating price.

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(1) Most of the litigation over the so-called reverse payment settlements involves synthetics, not biologics. The difference matters because the law governing synthetics allows the first generic approved 180 days of market exclusivity, meaning that to delay the first generic is to delay all generics. No such exclusivity is available for biologics.

This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.

Stephen L. Carter is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist. A professor of law at Yale University, he is author, most recently, of Invisible: The Story of the Black Woman Lawyer Who Took Down Americas Most Powerful Mobster.

More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com/opinion

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The global eradication of smallpox more than 40 years ago was one of the greatest achievements in public-health history, vanquishing a cause of death, blindness and disfigurement that had plagued humanity for at least 3,000 years. On the downside, it also led to the end of a global vaccination program that provided protection against other pox viruses. That includes monkeypox, which has been spilling over from its animal hosts to infect humans in West and Central Africa with increasing frequency since the 1970s. Now monkeypox has sparked unprecedented outbreaks in Europe, the US and elsewhere, demonstrating again how readily an infectious agent in one region can mushroom into a global emergency.

1. Whats monkeypox?

Monkeypox is a misnomer that results from the fact that it was discovered at the Statens Serum Institut in Copenhagen in 1958, when outbreaks of a pox-like disease occurred in monkeys kept for research. While monkeys are susceptible to it, just like humans are, they arent the source. The virus belongs to the Orthopoxvirus genus, which includes the variola virus, the cause of smallpox; and cowpox virus, also called vaccinia, which is used in the smallpox vaccine. Monkeypox is less contagious than smallpox and the symptoms are generally milder. About 30% of smallpox patients died, while the fatality rate for monkeypox in recent years is about 3% to 6%, according to the World Health Organization.

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2. What does monkeypox do?

After an incubation period of usually one to two weeks, the disease typically starts with fever, muscle aches, fatigue and other flu-like symptoms. Unlike smallpox, monkeypox also causes swelling of the lymph nodes. Within a few days of fever onset, patients develop a rash, often beginning on the face then spreading to other parts of the body. The lesions grow into fluid-containing pustules that form a scab. If a lesion forms on the eye, it can cause blindness. The illness typically lasts two to four weeks, according to the WHO. The patient is infectious from the time symptoms start until the scabs fall off and the sores heal. Mortality is higher among children and young adults, while people whose immune systems are compromised are especially at risk of severe disease. Pregnancy also carries a high risk of severe congenital infection, pregnancy loss, and maternal morbidity and mortality. Inflammation of the brain and seizures are rare neurological complications.

3. How is it transmitted?

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Monkeypox doesnt usually spread easily between people. Close contact with the virus from an infected animal, human or contaminated object is the main pathway. Most reported cases in the 2022 outbreaks have been linked to skin-to-skin contact with someone infected with this virus, such as during sex. Clubs, raves, saunas, sex parties and other activities where there is close contact with many people may increase the risk of exposure, especially if people are wearing less clothing. The pathogen enters the body through broken skin, the respiratory tract or the mucous membranes in the eyes, nose, mouth, rectum and anus. Tests on various patient specimens, including saliva, rectal swabs and semen, have found traces of the virus.

 Detailed analysis of semen from a 39-year-old man in Italy found infectious virus in a specimen collected six days after his symptoms began. The findings, published Aug. 2 in Lancet Infectious Diseases, suggest genital fluids might be a source of infection.

 Infectious virus also was found in air samples collected during a bed linen change in rooms used to isolate patients, UK researchers reported in a study released in July, ahead of peer-review. That suggests monkeypox may be present in aerosols -- suspended skin particles or dust -- and not only in larger respiratory droplets, such as from a cough, which fall to the ground close to an infected individual.

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 High concentrations of virus particles were also detected on toilets, sinks and other objects used by hospitalized patients, though its not yet known whether they could be a source of infection, a study from Germany found.

 Transmission from mother-to-unborn baby has also been documented. It can also happen indirectly through contact with contaminated clothing or linens.

 Common household disinfectants can kill it.

4. Whats unusual this time?

There have been multiple chains of human-to-human transmission occurring, including in sexual networks.

 Cases dont involve recent travel to places in Africa, where the disease is endemic.

 Although anyone can get monkeypox, most cases occur in men. In endemic areas of Africa, it was thought that was related to hunting practices, whereas in the current outbreak, most individuals are men aged 21 to 40 years who have sex with men, people with multiple sexual partners, or people who practice condom-less sex. Close skin-to-skin contact during sex is the primary mode of transmission in such cases.

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 Flu-like symptoms havent always preceded the rash, and some patients first sought medical care for lesions in the genital and perianal region.

 Some patients experience complications, such as tonsillitis and inflammation of the rectum.

 In some cases, the lesions are mostly located at these sites, making them hard to distinguish from syphilis, herpes simplex virus, shingles and other more common infections, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

5. Is monkeypox a sexually transmitted disease?

No. Although its one of many pathogens capable of being transmitted during sex, its not considered an STD because it also uses other transmission pathways.

6. How fast is it spreading?

From just a handful of cases in Europe in early May, more than 24,000 cases, mostly in men, were reported across dozens of countries by early August, according to data collated by global.health. Five fatal cases have been reported in Africa and several outside the continent, in Spain, Brazil, India and Peru. The virus has probably been circulating undetected in Europe since at least April. In the US, caseloads tripled in July, with the virus reported in more than 40 states. Preliminary research estimates that among cases who identify as men who have sex with men, the virus has a reproduction number greater than 1, which means more than one new infection is estimated to stem from a single case. A UK study found anonymous sex has proved to be a barrier to effective contact tracing. Data from outbreaks in Canada, Spain, Portugal, and the UK suggest venues where men have sex with multiple partners are helping to drive spread.

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7. How is it treated?

The illness is usually mild and most patients will recover within a few weeks; treatment is mainly aimed at relieving symptoms. About 10% to 15% of cases have been hospitalized, mostly for pain and bacterial infections that can occur as a result of monkeypox lesions. The CDC says smallpox vaccine, antivirals, and vaccinia immune globulin can be used to treat monkeypox as well as control it. Tecovirimat, also known as Tpoxx, was approved by the European Medical Association for monkeypox in 2022, but isnt yet widely available, according to the WHO. In the US, its available through the Strategic National Stockpile, though some physicians have said lengthy delays for test results and the very daunting task of completing the necessary paperwork have frustrated efforts to prescribe the medication for infected patients. The UK Health Security Agency (HSA) also lists cidofovir as an antiviral that can be used.

8. What about prevention?

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Limiting spread will require a comprehensive, international vaccination strategy and adequate supplies, public health experts Michael Osterholm and Bruce Gellin wrote in a July 19 editorial in the journal Science. Vaccination against smallpox can be used for both pre- and post-exposure and is as much as 85% effective in preventing monkeypox, according to the UK health agency, which is offering the Imvanex smallpox vaccine from Bavarian Nordic A/S to close contacts. Its a newer vaccine based on non-replicating versions of the vaccinia virus thats sold as Jynneos in the US and Imamune in Canada. Supply is limited, according to Osterholm and Gellin, who said more research is needed to determine whether intradermal, as opposed to intramuscular, administration and other dose-sparing approaches can provide adequate immune protection. Bavarian Nordic will provide the US with almost 7 million doses of Jynneos by mid-2023, according to the Department of Health and Human Services, which said on July 15 that more than 300,000 shots had been made available to states and jurisdictions since late May. (Bavarian Nordic said July 18 that it also has signed supply contracts with other, unspecified countries.) Immunization requires two injections administered four weeks apart. Otherwise, the main way to prevent infection is by isolating patients with the infection, monitoring their contacts, and ensuring health staff wear appropriate personal protective equipment.

9. Is monkeypox a pandemic threat?

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus declared the outbreak a so-called public health emergency of international concern, or PHEIC (pronounced fake), on July 23. The step will empower the agency to invoke new measures to curb the viruss spread. He last declared a PHEIC in January 2020, during the early stages of the Covid-19 pandemic. Monkeypox is concentrated among gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, especially those who have had multiple, recent sexual partners, Tedros said. That fact means the contagion can be stopped with the right strategies in the right groups. On the flip side in some countries, the communities affected face life-threatening discrimination, he said. There is a very real concern that men who have sex with men could be stigmatized or blamed for the outbreak, making the outbreak much harder to track, and to stop, Tedros said on July 21.

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10. Can it be stopped?

Former Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Scott Gottlieb said in mid-July that the window for controlling the US outbreak has probably closed and that only a small fraction of the cases in the country have been reported, with infections now occurring across the broader population. A case in a pregnant woman was reported in the US, where pediatric infections have also occurred. In the Netherlands, doctors reported a case in a boy under 10 with an immune impairment. Unable to identify how he was infected, they speculate that the virus may be present in the general population and that respiratory transmission may have played a role.

11. Do all infections cause disease?

Possibly not. Retrospective testing of 224 clinical samples collected in May for sexually transmitted infection screening found evidence of asymptomatic monkeypox infection in three men. The finding, by researchers at the Institute of Tropical Medicine in Antwerp, Belgium, was reported in a study released July 5 before it was peer-reviewed and published. Asymptomatic carriership was previously thought to play a negligible role in the spread of orthopoxviruses, the authors said. The existence of asymptomatic infections indicates that the virus might be transmitted to close contacts in the absence of symptoms, which suggests that identifying and isolating only symptomatic patients wont be enough to contain the outbreak, and that vaccinating high-risk individuals is needed. Interestingly, one of the asymptomatic men in the study predated the first detected symptomatic case in Belgium by several days, wasnt linked to other known cases and hadnt traveled abroad or attended any mass gatherings. The authors said that might suggest that the virus circulated in Belgium before the outbreak was detected.

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12. Where does monkeypox come from?

The reservoir host or main carrier of monkeypox disease hasnt yet been identified, although rodents are suspected of playing a part in transmission. It was first diagnosed in humans in 1970 in Congo in a 9-year-old boy. Since then, most cases in humans have occurred in rainforest areas of West and Central Africa. In 2003, the first outbreak outside of Africa occurred in the US and was linked to animals imported from Ghana to Texas, which then infected pet prairie dogs. Dozens of cases were recorded in that outbreak.

13. Has the monkeypox virus mutated?

The monkeypox virus might be undergoing adaptive changes to make it better suited to the human host. Analysis of the genetic sequence of the virus collected from patients in Europe indicates that the current outbreak in non-endemic countries is caused by a strain that likely diverged from the monkeypox virus that sparked a 2018-19 Nigerian outbreak, according to a June 24 study in Nature Medicine. The authors, from Portugals National Institute of Health in Lisbon, identified some 50 genetic changes or differences compared with the original strain, including several mutations the authors associate with increased transmissibility. The changes are roughly 6-to-12 times more than scientists would expect based on the observed evolution of orthopoxviruses, they said. The strain belongs to the West African clade, or branch on the evolutionary tree, that usually has a case-fatality rate of less than 1%. (That compares with 10% for a second clade called Congo Basin, which appears on the US governments bioterrorism agent list as having the potential to pose a severe threat.)

(Updates to add potential role of seminal fluid in transmission in section 3, and updates number of cases and deaths in section 6.)

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Chinas industrial policy seems to have fans across the Pacific. The USs $280 billion Chips and Science Act is a direct response from the Biden administration to Beijings spending to help key industries. But just as the likes of Intel Corp. and Micron Technology Inc. jostle for a slice of US government support, the perils of relying upon public money are sending shock waves through Chinas chip industry.

In recent days, corruption investigations have engulfed top officials in a sector that is integral to President Xi Jinpings Made in China 2025 ambitions. At least three senior executives from a $20 billion state-owned private equity fund, set up in 2014 to invest mainly in chip manufacturing, were detained; so was Xiao Yaqing, the head of the agency in charge of the nations industrial policy and the most senior sitting cabinet official ensnared in a disciplinary probe in almost four years.

Its intriguing that the anti-corruption agency is looking into a top venture capital fund that has yielded substantial results. Phase 1 of the National Integrated Circuit Industry Investment Fund raised billions from the Ministry of Finance and China Development Bank Capital. Between 2014 and 2019, the so-called Big Fund invested in 23 chip companies, churning out one national champion after another. It backed Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp., whose advanced chipmaking abilities may put it ahead of its US peers. It also seeded Tsinghua Unigroup Co. subsidiary Yangtze Memory Technologies Co., Chinas best bet in NAND flash memory manufacturing.

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Does this mean the state-run venture capital model, which flourished during Xis reign, no longer works? Government-owned venture capital funds raised about 6.2 trillion yuan ($920 billion), almost all in the eight years through 2021. These funds have emerged as a key funding source for private companies, contributing about 10% of total capital raised last year.

The Big Fund and thousands of so-called government guidance funds are designed to mimic venture capital. The ultimate investors  for instance, the Ministry of Finance in the case of the Big Fund  are not involved in daily fund operations or investment decisions. And the funds themselves are largely passive stakeholders in the companies they seed.

The Big Funds involvement in the flash memory maker YMTC is a good example. It contributed 49% of the initial capital, much more than the 13% from parent Unigroup. But it didnt control YMTC.

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This model was intended to encourage best practices in corporate governance. After all, what do bureaucrats know about running companies? However, with government investment  and the prestige that comes with it  the portfolio companies can easily go haywire. That guidance funds prestige opens doors to loans but can lead to excessive borrowing.

Big Funds entanglement with Unigroup ended in tears. At its peak, Unigroups empire had close to 300 billion yuan in assets and 286 consolidated subsidiaries. But it also touted a net debt-to-equity ratio of 125%, defaulted in 2020 and then went into a bankruptcy restructuring. Its long-time chairman Zhao Weiguo was detained in mid-July, possibly for investigations into related-party transactions, reported financial media outlet Caixin.

Guidance funds are known for the use of their reputation as leverage. An initial contribution from the government - often seen as a stamp of approval - can attract many multiples of the sum from other investors, the thinking goes.

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Gavekal Research gave a good example: the massive Yangtze River Industry Fund that Hubei province established in 2015. The provincial government initially injected 40 billion yuan into the parent fund, with the aim of raising 200 billion for a group of sub-funds. These sub-funds, in turn, aspired to catalyze 1 trillion yuan of additional capital, the equivalent of almost one-third of Hubeis annual economic output.

But who are the co-investors? A sizeable chunk came from banks wealth-management products, a form of shadow financing. Local governments financing vehicles, which are largely shell companies funded by loans, are big participants, too.

In other words, these state-sponsored venture capital funds enabled Chinas already indebted corporates to borrow even more. Guidance funds investments, including those in strategic emerging sectors, are expected to slow this year, according to Fitch Ratings.

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Upon the passage of the Chips act, theres still nagging debate as to whether the US government is doing enough. The legislation includes $52 billion of grants to support advanced chip manufacturing as well as research and development in the US. Thats not much for cutting-edge manufacturing plants that cost more than $10 billion to build. And its scale matches only the Big Fund and its co-investors, which collectively expanded Chinas chip manufacturing capacity by $70 billion in the five years between 2014 and 2019. There were thousands of other Chinese guidance funds out there, propping up nascent industrial technology firms.

But that debate is misguided once we dig deeper into Chinas state-directed industrial model. Yes, China has leapfrogged competitors in some strategic technologies. But behind every success are many more stories of waste, broken promises, corruption scandals and misuse of capital  while adding to a troublesome pile of corporate debt. Is the US willing to borrow billions more for projects that can easily go sour, just to reclaim its manufacturing glory back from China?

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This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.

Shuli Ren is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering Asian markets. A former investment banker, she was a markets reporter for Barrons. She is a CFA charterholder.

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The US drone strike that killed Ayman al-Zawahiri in Kabul on Sunday caught the Taliban leadership both red-handed and flat-footed. Their promises to prevent the country from once again becoming a terrorist haven have been exposed as lies: The al-Qaeda leader was living in the Afghan capital, reportedly in a house belonging to a top Taliban leader.

Three days after the killing, the Taliban was still struggling to formulate a response. That might be because Haibatullah Akhundzada, the Talibans supreme commander, and his leadership team, recognize both the opportunity and the challenge presented by Zawahiris killing.

As the militant group prepares to celebrate the first anniversary of its return to power after the US military pullout last summer, its goal of securing international recognition as Afghanistans legitimate rulers remains unfulfilled. Their pariah status makes it nearly impossible for the Taliban government to manage the countrys economy, which was propped up by foreign aid until the US withdrawal last summer.

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The economic crisis has only deepened in recent months. Afghanistan is reeling from the effects of its worst drought in two decades. A recent report by the US Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction reckons 70% of households are unable to cover basic food and non-food needs.

If Akhundzada can now restrain his own fighters, as well as al-Qaeda operatives in the country, from responding with violence, it might strengthen the leaderships claim that that they arent the Taliban of old. In turn, this would make it easier for the international community to do business with Afghanistan, smoothing the way for much-needed humanitarian aid and some support for the shattered economy.

But many in the Taliban will view the killing of Zawahiri as a national affront, and the clamor for revenge will likely grow louder in the days ahead. Akhundzada will be especially watchful of Sirajuddin Haqqani, the most powerful of his deputies and al-Qaedas main Afghan patron  and owner of the house in which Zawahiri was hiding out.

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Probably the most anti-American of all the Talibans leaders, Haqqani is designated a terrorist by the US; the Federal Bureau of Investigation has a longstanding $10 million reward for information leading directly to his arrest. (The price on Zawahiris head was $25 million.) His eponymous network of fighters, the most powerful cohort within the Taliban, is more loyal to him than to the supreme commander.

Reining in his most ferocious attack dogs wont be easy for Akhundzada. Haqqani may argue that, as Zawahiris host, he is obliged to avenge the killing of his guest. (The Taliban leadership puts much store in ancient tribal rules of hospitality: For years, the group cited those traditions when rejecting calls for the expulsion of Osama bin Laden.)

But Akhundzada could counter that custom obliges guests to leave before they become too much of a burden on their hosts. He might even be able to use that argument to serve notice on other al-Qaeda figures currently enjoying his hospitality. He can count on the support of the relatively moderate faction of the Taliban, led by Abdul Ghani Baradar, which has been chafing since being sidelined by Haqqani and his hardliners.

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It should be easy enough for Akhundzada to make the case that retaliating for Zawahiris killing would be against the interests of Afghanistan. But that is assuming the Talibans supreme commander places the welfare of his own people above that of his guests. He and his leadership team must know that Afghan eyes, as well those of the world, are on them.

More From Bloomberg Opinion:



Zawahiri Killing Was a Great Success of a Bygone Era: Hal Brands



Elimination of al-Qaeda Leader Is a Moment to Celebrate: Editorial



Joe Bidens $7 Billion Betrayal of Afghanistan: Ruth Pollard

This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.

Bobby Ghosh is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering foreign affairs. Previously, he was editor in chief at Hindustan Times, managing editor at Quartz and international editor at Time.

More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com/opinion

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During an hour-long, wide-ranging interview with The Washington Post at the presidential office in Kyiv, Zelensky discussed U.S. warnings about Russia preparing to launch a full-scale invasion  and if he believed them.

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Additional flood assistance centers became available across Yellowstone County this week to assist homeowners, renters, and business owners affected by Junes severe flooding.

A Disaster Recovery Center, jointly operated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and Montana Disaster and Emergency Services (DES), opened Wednesday at United Way of Yellowstone County and will operate from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. The office will be staffed by representatives from FEMA, the Small Business Administration (SBA) and DES to explain the different disaster assistance programs and help eligible residents apply for aid. Previously opened centers in Carbon and Park counties are still available to flood victims.

Two Mobile Registration Intake Centers also opened this week in Yellowstone County and will have Disaster Survivor Assistance teams onsite helping with applications, inquiries, updates, and referrals. One center is located at the Laurel Fire Department, and the other at the Worden Fire Station. Both will be open for four days a week from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. with the Laurel Center open Monday through Thursday and the Worden center open Friday through Tuesday, but closed on Sunday.

"The Individual Assistance declaration for Yellowstone County is just over a week old and everyone who was affected in the county may not have heard they could be eligible for assistance through FEMA and the SBA," said FEMA Public Affairs Specialist Anthony Mayne That is why we have those short term MRICs in area, to facilitate registration for those in the area."

After the aid was approved for Yellowstone County Disaster and Emergency Services and Public Works departments conducted damage assessments of 62 homes that ranged from minor damage to completely destroyed under FEMA's Preliminary Damage Assessment Guide. Despite some properties getting classified as having "significant enough damage that the home is deemed a total loss," the overall damage in Yellowstone was minimal when compared to neighboring counties like Carbon and Stillwater. Yellowstone County Floodplain Manager Darin Swenson said most of the homes they inspected had flooded basements and crawlspaces along with a few first floor levels.

A lot of bank, fences, irrigation systems got damaged but structure-wise, we didnt notice that much significant damage, he said. Im not saying that didnt happen, but generally thats what we saw.

Yellowstone County DES Director KC Williams said that of the 63 homes they inspected, 36 already have valid Individual Assistance registrations for disaster relief. Further inspections will be done by FEMA workers rather than the county, but he is encouraging residents to reach out to them now that the resources are available.

"They shouldn't wait for someone to contact them," he said. "They should contact FEMA directly."

It's not necessary to go to one of the centers in-person to apply for assistance. FEMA teams at the mobile centers estimate that roughly 25% of applications have been from door-to-door inspections with the rest being done predominately over the phone or online. Additionally, a FEMA mobile app is available on Android or Apple smartphones.

The Individual Assistance designation means uninsured and underinsured residents, households and business owners may qualify for financial assistance and direct services. Services include the Crisis Counseling Assistance and Training Program, Disaster Unemployment Assistance, Disaster Legal Services, and financial assistance through the Individuals and Households Program.

According to Mayne, there have been 736 valid Individual Assistance registrations with FEMA disbursing more than $2 million in assistance to Montanans and the SBA has approved more than $5 million in disaster loans for homeowners, renters, and businesses as of August 3. FEMAs National Flood Insurance Program has assisted a total of 499 survivors and paid out more than $2.8 million as of August 1. Despite the minimal damage compared to other areas in Montana or what residents might think is minimal, they are still encouraged by FEMA to apply for as much relief as they can. Mayne added that applicants oftentimes get approved for relief funding that they assume they wouldnt qualify for or that they were unaware of.

Call us, we're here, let the agency tell you no, he said. It doesnt cost anything but a little time.

The deadline to apply for Individual Assistance is August 29.

To apply online, visit disasterassistance.gov, or call 800-621-3362.
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The world, apparently, has a new financial giant.

AMTD Digital, a Hong Kong-based company that listed in New York less than three weeks ago, has surged so much that the combined market value of its Class A and Class B shares hit more than $US310 billion ($446 billion) this week. That means the firm  which develops digital businesses, including financial services  is worth more than Bank of America, Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs, despite reporting just $US25 million in revenue for the year ended April 2021.

At least on paper, that makes it the third-biggest financial company in the world, trailing just investment banking giant JPMorgan and billionaire Warren Buffetts company Berkshire Hathaway.

The world, apparently, has a new financial giant, surpassing Wall Street giants in market value. But it may be short-lived. Credit:AP Photo/Mark Lennihan

While those firms have a long list of shareholders, AMTD Digital has a convoluted ownership structure that ultimately leads to one key name: Calvin Choi, an ex-UBS banker, whos currently fighting an industry ban in Hong Kong for failing to disclose conflicts of interest.
Theres a discussion familiar to crime writers in The Woman in the Library. Australian recipient of the prestigious (fictional) Sinclair Scholarship, Winifred (people call me Freddie) Kincaid admits that she is a pantser. In other words, an author who flies by the seat of their pants when it comes to devising an intriguing plot.

In fact, Freddie thinks of herself as more of a bus driver when it comes to plotting: theres a route of sorts, but who hops on and who gets off is determined by the balance of habit and timing and random chance. The Handsome Man to whom she is explaining her approach is also a writer, but a meticulous planner who has devised an intricate flowchart with radiating themes and subplots: its like a spiders web spun to catch a story, Freddie reflects appreciatively.

Sulari Gentills latest novel, The Woman in the Library, is both metafiction and mystery. Credit:Fiona D'Alessandro

Whichever Sulari Gentill herself may be, a plotter or a pantser, The Woman in the Library is both a compelling narrative trip and a complex web that captures the heart as well as the head. This is a book about writing fiction that plays with the form of the classic crime novel while also involving a love story, a serial killer, and a nod towards that 18th-century favourite, the epistolary novel.

It begins with an email from Leo (an aspiring American author) to Hannah (a successful Australian crime writer) describing how he has spent the day being distracted by the magnificent ceiling in the reading room of the Boston Public Library. In chapter one we meet Hannahs character Freddie sitting in that same library admiring the ceiling while quietly observing the people sitting around her. They include the Handsome Man, Freud Girl and Heroic Chin, all of whom will eventually receive names.
Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size August doldrums: too early for summer releases, too late for wintry pleasures. This time of year often sees distributors clearing out the cupboards, getting ready for the big releases of summer, but COVID-19 and new release platforms have scrambled the eggs. There are one or two big movies this month, such as Bullet Train - a Brad Pitt action-comedy - but much more that is quirky and oddball. David Cronenberg and Jordan Peele are both back in the ring, so anything can happen. Let the winds of August guide you. Or just read on. Find out the next TV, streaming series and movies to add to your must-sees. Get The Watchlist delivered every Thursday. Bullet Train Brad Pitt and four other hired killers board the same train from Tokyo to Kyoto, gunning for the same briefcase. This promises silly fun, loads of action, cartoonish violence and some laughs. Brad wants to get out of the life; Sandra Bullock plays his handler. Its directed by David Leitch, who made Deadpool 2 and used to be Pitts stunt double. Opens August 4.

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Juniper Juniper as in gin. The luminous and ever-surprising Charlotte Rampling plays a once-famous photographer, now a committed lush with a gammy leg. Her wayward nephew (George Ferrier) is sent to take care of her. Written and directed by Matthew Saville, this British film looks interesting. Rampling is never disappointing. Opens August 4. Nope Jordan Peeles new film has split American critics down the middle. Either its brilliant and original, or an incoherent mess. A brother and sister (Daniel Kaluuya and Keke Palmer) take up their fathers ranch in the desert after his mysterious death. Pretty soon they are pointing cameras at the sky, trying to get proof of visitors from another world. These aliens dont look friendly. Opens August 11. The Conference

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It is hard to imagine how you could make a satisfying film about the Wannsee Conference, where key Nazis meet in a villa outside Berlin to plan the extermination of the Jews, but East German-born director Matti Geschonneck has given it a shot. This looks to be rigorous and unsentimental, a reckoning with the uncomfortable truth that it took a great deal of planning to kill so many people. Opens August 11. The Princess Some critics are already calling this the definitive documentary on Princess Diana. Ed Perkins uses the currently popular technique of pastiche, pasting it all together using only actuality, which has its strengths and weaknesses. Absolutely certain is that it will be compelling viewing. Media types may experience discomfort. Opens August 11. Bosch & Rockit

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An Australian film, shot around Byron Bay, with Luke Hemsworth as a surfer on the run for dope dealing. Rasmus King plays Rockit, his son. The lovely Isabel Lucas is part of the attraction; she chooses interesting scripts. Director Tyler Atkins is on debut. Worth a look. Opens August 18. Crimes of the Future Lea Seydoux, Viggo Mortensen and Kristen Stewart in Crimes of the Future. Credit:Nikos Nikolopoulos/Neon After an eight year break, David Cronenberg returns with a sensational cast: Viggo Mortensen, Lea Seydoux and Kristen Stewart. There will be blood and probably entrails, piercing, body parts, plus a wealth of ideas to keep us guessing. Cronenberg is often disgusting, but never boring. Bring a paper bag. Opens August 18. Good luck to you, Leo Grande This one stars Emma Thompson - what more do you need to know? Oh alright, she hires a beautiful sex worker (Daryl McCormack) to refloat her boat. Be warned: Thompson goes full frontal here, which she says was one of the hardest things she has ever done in her professional life. Should be funny. Opens August 18.

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Security concerns are expected to delay the return of Comanchero bikie gang leader Mark Buddle to Victoria following his deportation from Turkey over a $40 million cocaine seizure.

The fugitive bikie boss, who was arrested at Darwin airport on Wednesday following his deportation from the Middle East, faced Darwin Local Court on Wednesday six years after leaving the country.

Comanchero boss Mark Buddle was taken into custody at Darwin on Wednesday. Credit:AFP

There, Chief Judge Elizabeth Morris signed off on his extradition to Melbourne, where 160 kilograms of cocaine were seized as part of an international Australian Federal Police investigation in May 2021.

The 37-year-old listened to the hearing via phone call from the nearby Palmerston police station. The court was told his extradition to Victoria could be delayed until August 10 to allow for security arrangements to be made for his transfer south.
The push to overturn a 25-year ban on the ACT and NT legalising assisted dying has cleared its first hurdle, passing the House of Representatives 99 votes to 37 on Wednesday morning.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Opposition leader Peter Dutton joined the majority of MPs in supporting the passage of the Restoring Territory Rights Bill, following a brief debate this week that pitted the issue of territory rights against moral views on voluntary euthanasia.

Both Labor and Coalition MPs were granted a conscience vote on the private members bill, which repealed Howard-era laws that prevented territory parliaments from enacting assisted dying laws.

Employment Minister Tony Burke, who in the 1990s backed the campaign by former Liberal MP Kevin Andrews to bar the territories from legalising euthanasia, and Veterans Affairs Minister Matt Keough were among the five Labor members who voted against the bill.
Two women accused of stealing liquor at gunpoint from a Billings Heights casino, firing a warning shot while fleeing and ultimately discarding two loaded firearms on elementary school property, admitted robbery and firearms charges, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.

Taliah Jeneane Ramirez, 22, of Billings, pleaded guilty today to charges of robbery affecting commerce, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence and possession of a firearm in a school zone. Co-defendant Makyla Shayd Fetter, 28, of Harlem, pleaded guilty on July 28 to the same charges.

Ramirez and Fetter each face a maximum of 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release on the robbery crime and a mandatory minimum seven years to life in prison, consecutive to any other sentence, a $250,000 fine and five years of supervised release on the crime of possessing a firearm in a crime of violence. In addition, the defendants face a maximum of five years in prison, not to be run concurrent to any other sentence, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release, on the crime of possession of a firearm in a school zone.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Cavan presided. A sentencing date will be set before U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters.

On March 20, Fetter and Ramirez entered the Magic Diamond Casino in the Billings Heights, and Fetter removed five bottles of Southern Comfort liquor from a shelf. When an employee approached Fetter and asked to see her identification, Fetter pulled out a pistol, pointed it at the clerk and said, heres your (obscenity) ID.

Meanwhile, another employee had moved to block the doors. Fetter then pointed the firearm at the second employee, who moved away from the doors. The defendants got into a Buick and before leaving, Ramirez took out another pistol and fired a round into the air. In a statement later, Ramirez said that Fetter told her to fire a round to prevent people from following them or identifying the vehicle.

The Billings Police Department responded to the robbery and attempted to stop of the Buick. The car fled at more than 80 mph, and the officer stopped a pursuit after a few blocks to avoid risks to civilians. The vehicle crashed a short time later after going through a fence at Ponderosa Elementary School.

Officers found the car abandoned with multiple bottles of Southern Comfort on the front passenger floorboard. During a search of the area, officers found Fetter, who was hiding in grass next to a fence. Ramirez had run away. Officers searched Fetter but did not find a firearm. However, officers found a loaded gun that had been dropped in the middle of the playground. The next day, the school principal contacted the Billings Police Department about a second firearm that had been found on the school grounds by a student, who summoned a faculty member. A police officer determined that the second firearm also was loaded. Both firearms were stolen.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Colin M. Rubich is prosecuting the case, which was investigated by the FBI, Billings Police Department, Yellowstone County Sheriffs Office and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a U.S. Department of Justice initiative to reduce violent crime. Through PSN, federal, tribal, state and local law enforcement partners in Montana focus on violent crime driven by meth trafficking, armed robbers, firearms offenses and violent offenders with outstanding warrants.
Jakarta has outlined major concerns in a working paper presented to this weeks United Nations nuclear non-proliferation review conference and revealed by The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.

Indonesias protests against Australias submarine aspirations, however, present a long-term challenge for the relationship that will not be easily overcome.

Albanese committed to attending the G20 leaders summit in November  which Indonesia is hosting in Bali this year  even though Russias Vladimir Putin has also been invited.

When Anthony Albanese and Joko Widodo r ode bamboo bikes together at the Indonesian presidential palace in June, it reflected a shoring up of ties between Australias new government and one of its most important neighbours.

It is seeking to close a loophole in the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, known as the NPT, that clears the way for the AUKUS submarines deal to take place, saying new regulations in the treaty are required. Indonesia is adamant that the transfer of highly enriched uranium for military purposes poses great risks and nuclear energy for submarines should be monitored tightly by the UN watchdog.

The working paper does not specifically mention Australia or AUKUS, but there is no doubt about the intended target, according to Muhadi Sugiono, an academic who has advised Indonesias foreign ministry on its response to Australias submarine plans.

Officials in Jakarta were deeply wounded by the AUKUS announcement last September and their last-minute notice of the deal. Widodo was unavailable to see then leader Scott Morrison when he planned to stop over on the way back from Washington DC having announced the deal. The Indonesia leader reportedly refused to receive him.

Making such an important decision, which will undoubtedly affect Indonesia as well as the geopolitical landscape of the region, without consulting or informing its closest neighbours was seen as a betrayal of the serious efforts which have been made to improve bilateral relations between Indonesia and Australia, Sugiono, who is based at Gadjah Mada University in Yogyakarta wrote in a paper for the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) published last month.

Malaysia is backing Indonesias submission to the UN conference and Jakarta is also endeavouring to win the support of fellow states in the Non-Aligned Movement, a Cold War-era grouping of 120 mostly African, Asian and Latin American countries that has been a voice for developing nations.
US officials had also sought to reassure China  which views Taiwan as its territory and had demanded Pelosi stay away  that such a visit was not the first of its kind, nor would it represent any change in US policy. The Taipei 101 skyscraper displays a welcome message ahead of US Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. Credit:Getty Not surprisingly, Beijing was not convinced, which is partly a mess of President Joe Bidens own making. After all, the White House has been sending conflicting signals on Taiwan for some time. Biden, for example, has repeatedly said that America has a commitment to defend Taiwan, sometimes referencing the Taiwan Relations Act, which sets the framework for the economic and diplomatic relationship between the US and the island nation.

No explicit commitment exists. In November, after a virtual summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Biden also remarked that Taiwan was independent. This was yet another presidential gaffe. A billboard welcoming US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, in Taipei, Taiwan. Credit:AP And as recently as May, during a visit to Japan with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, Biden declared that the US would intervene militarily if China attacked Taiwan, only to have the White House once again walk back his remarks. China-relations expert Bonnie Glaser, the director of the Asia Program at the German Marshall Fund, a Washington-based think tank, says Americas long-standing tactic of strategic ambiguity has given way to strategic confusion, which is partly the reason why China is now testing the US.

But she adds that while the messaging needs to be clearer, the relationship between the two countries had reached such an unprecedented level of acrimony that even greater consistency might not have been enough to convince China that Pelosis visit wasnt a big deal. Loading From my perspective, the reason this is so sensitive to China is the run-up to the 20th National Party Congress, where Xi Jinping is supposed to get his third five-year term in power, Glaser says. He cannot be seen as soft on the United States. He has to demonstrate his determination to defend Chinas sovereignty and territorial integrity. To that end, the next 24 hours will be critical. With Pelosi preparing to meet Taiwans first female president Tsai Ing-wen on Wednesday morning, the stand-off over her visit has exacerbated tensions on both sides of the Pacific at a time when the US is already consumed with two other anti-American aggressors: Russia, which continues to wage war against Ukraine, and Iran, which has so far refused to re-enter the nuclear pact that Donald Trump cancelled and could soon take steps to build a nuclear weapon.

Meanwhile, China, in response to Pelosis trip, has now announced six exclusion zones encircling Taiwan to facilitate live-fire military drills from Thursday to Sunday, with some of the areas crossing into the islands territorial waters. Taiwans president Tsai Ing-wen Credit:Bloomberg Separately, the Peoples Liberation Army said exercises could begin as soon as Tuesday, leaving open the possibility of military activities around Taiwan while Pelosi was visiting. And Beijing has also accused the US of violating the One China policy, in which the United States recognises the Peoples Republic of China as the sole legal government of China but only acknowledges the Chinese position that Taiwan is part of China. Just dont expect the US House Speaker to waver.
A few months ago, I was fortunate to join a group of fellow Montanans on a trip to Washington, DC to meet with our congressional delegation about the Montana Headwaters Legacy Act (MHLA).

The MHLA is a made-in-Montana bill that would add 20 rivers and streams in the upper Missouri and Yellowstone river systems to the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System. Wild and Scenic designation is the highest level of protection rivers can get in the US. It protects rivers from any federally permitted projects that would harm their free-flow, clean water, and outstandingly remarkable values. The idea for the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act was born right here in Montana, and we currently have five Wild and Scenic Rivers totaling about 388 river miles.

Among the waterways that the MHLA would protect are the Gallatin River and the Taylor Fork, both of which are heavily used and loved by members of the Big Sky community who fish, paddle and hike along them. Other notable rivers that would gain protection include the Boulder, West Boulder, Madison, Smith, Stillwater, and Yellowstone.

One of the highlights of our trip to the nations capital was meeting with Senator Steve Daines, who is a frequent visitor to Big Sky. During our meeting, Senator Daines listened to us as we talked about why we support the MHLA and how we think its good for business. And we listened to him as he told us why he thinks any new conservation designations should be balanced with measures that will make it easier to log, mine and conduct other extractive activities in appropriate places on our federal public lands.

At the conclusion of our meeting, we all felt that Senator Daines got the message that protecting our most valuable rivers by passing the MHLA is both immensely popular among residents of southwest Montana and greatly needed to maintain our thriving outdoor recreation economy and our equally vibrant agricultural economy.

Thats why I was caught off guard when Senator Daines said during a June 7 Senate subcommittee hearing that the MHLA was not thoroughly vetted or widely supported by local communities. My experience in Big Sky is that the MHLA enjoys virtually unanimous support among a wide array of stakeholders including fishing and whitewater guides and outfitters, outdoor shops, hotels, restaurants, and major development interests who understand the connection between healthy rivers and a thriving local economy.

I also have some personal experience living along and working on Wild and Scenic Rivers, having been an outfitter on the Wild and Scenic Rogue River in southern Oregon prior to moving to southwest Montana to take the helm at the Big Sky Chamber of Commerce. What that experience taught me is that protecting rivers and clean water isnt just compatible with promoting thriving businesses in rural western communities; its a prerequisite.

The bottom line is the MHLA is thoroughly vetted, deeply supported by nearly eight out of ten Montanans, community driven, and it strikes an elegant balance between conserving our most prized rivers while still allowing everyone to use and enjoy them. For those reasons, I strongly urge Senator Daines to join Senator Tester in pushing the MHLA across the finish line by the end of the current Congress.
Klaus Stern came to Northwest Montana 20 years ago to remind my students of the lure and dangers of fascism. Klaus was a dear friend and a Holocaust survivor. He reinforced in me the importance of history and my responsibility to teach its lessons. In my classroom, in my community, in the towns of Lincoln and Flathead counties his message haunts me to this day. His camp number 1-1-7-0-3-3 on his forearm brought deathly silence and tears to those present. A stark reminder of fascism. He talked about cruelty and how neighbors became enemies of each other. About how a fascist cult leader promised to restore the nation to its former greatness by preventing immigrants, liberals, minorities, homosexuals, and women from taking over cultural institutions. His country, Germany, was enamored with a macho leader that promised to solve the countrys problems. Klaus emphasized how Hitler was legally elected. History tells us that fascist governments start out democratic, but over time become ultra-nationalistic.

Hitler constantly reminded people of the countrys mythic past when a dominant group ruled over women and minorities. Klaus explained his plan for Germany to return to greatness. His Brown Shirts flooded the body politic with propaganda by capturing newspapers and holding extravagant mass rallies organized by Josef Geobbels to convince people of the oppressive threat. Anti-intellectualism was important because science can ONLY help the leader, not disagree with him. Truth becomes a threat, as Goebbels states, the enemy of the state.

Fascist governments, like Hitlers, constantly perpetuate the idea that there is one religion (Christian), one gender (male), and one race (white) superior to others. It becomes easy to convince people. In Germany, Brown Shirts propagandize the campaign Ein Reich, ein volk, ein fuhrer. One nation, one people, one leader. Once people are convinced they are superior, its easy to convince them they are victims of equality. For example, German Christians were victims of Jews, white Americans are victims of black equality, men are victims of feminism, children are victims of homosexuals. The prominent groups are law abiding, while minority groups are not. Since the leader is supreme, he cant violate the constitution because he IS the constitution. Order doesnt mean justice. It means maintaining the social order defined by the leader and the dominant group.

Sexual anxiety is prevalent because women and children are perceived to be under threat and only a strong male leader can protect them. This anxiety creates a fear of homosexuality and transgender who are perceived to be a threat trying to destroy lives while coming for your children. Often fascist systems create a divide between urban and rural areas. City dwellers are perceived to be lawless, corrupt, and decadent, full of minorities and migrants. The real hardworking people live in rural areas. As Klaus entered the gates of Auschwitz he read a sign, arbeit macht frei, or work makes you free. Since liberals and minorities are lazy and labor unions are controlled by communists, Klaus learned firsthand that detainees were forced to work to death because they have no value.

Taken individually, each characteristic does not define fascism, but put together, when honest conservatives are lured into fascism, they are convinced that their families are under threat without the ruling party. Unfortunately for Klaus and his wife Paula (also a survivor), they endured horrific treatment in Auschwitz because they were not Christian. I wonder what he would say about today's Republican party? Are they part of a personality cult? Are they loyal to the party over country? Do they advocate policies that disproportionately affect women, poor or people of color? Has the Republican party supported banning books or criticized science-recommended masking or vaccinations? Do they attack homosexuals, transgender youth or migrants? Do Republicans believe they are victims of sinister liberal attacks? And finally does the Republican Party support democracy or the peaceful transition of power? Im confident what Klaus would say.
A man who pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the shooting death of a Watford City man a year ago has been sentenced to 7  years in prison.

Carlos Mendivil-Beltran, 29, originally was charged with murder in the July 2021 death of Brian Rowe, 43. He pleaded guilty in April to the lesser charge and one count of felony criminal mischief.

Mendivil-Beltrans guilty plea to a lesser charge came about through plea negotiations that are part of handling any case, Dunn County States Attorney Stephenie Davis said.

If acceptable agreement is reached, it is presented to the court. That is what occurred in this case, she said.

Mendivil-Beltran, who had been living in Arizona, is not a U.S. citizen and will go into federal custody after completing his sentence. Federal authorities will decide the proper course of action at that point, Davis said.

Southwest District Judge Dann Greenwood suspended 2  years of a 10-year prison term on the manslaughter charge. He further ordered Mendivil-Beltran to spend 10 years on supervised probation following his prison time, and pay fines, fees and restitution totaling more than $23,000. The judge suspended a 10-year prison term on the criminal mischief charge.

Police said Mendivil-Beltran, Rowe, and Jessica Saueressig, 28, of Cascade, Wisconsin, were traveling on a rural Dunn County road in Rowes pickup when an altercation started between Mendivil-Beltran and Rowe. Mendivil-Beltran shot Rowe several times, pushed him out of the vehicle and left him in the roadway, according to an affidavit.

Mendivil-Beltran later allegedly crashed the pickup into a ravine, where he and Saueressig abandoned it. The two were arrested in Moorhead, Minnesota, a few days after the July incident. Mendivil-Beltran was arrested without incident when police found him under the stairwell of an apartment building. A handgun was found in the area, police said.

Saueressig in April pleaded guilty to a felony charge of hindering law enforcement. She was sentenced to three years on probation, and had agreed to testify against Mendivil-Beltran.
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.
WASHINGTON (AP)  After 13 years, at least three crashes, dozens of scams and Ponzi schemes and hundreds of billions of dollars made and evaporated, cryptocurrencies finally have the full attention of Congress, whose lawmakers and lobbyists have papered Capitol Hill with proposals on how to regulate the industry.

The latest bipartisan proposal came Wednesday from Sens. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., and John Boozman, R-Ark. It would hand the regulatory authority over Bitcoin and Ether to the Commodities Futures Trading Commission. Stabenow and Boozman lead the Senate Agriculture Committee, which has authority over CTFC.

Bills proposed by other members of Congress and consumer advocates have suggested giving the authority to the Securities and Exchange Commission.

This year, crypto investors have seen prices plunge and companies crater with fortunes and jobs disappearing overnight, and some firms have been accused by federal regulators of running an illegal securities exchange. Bitcoin, the largest digital asset, trades at a fraction of its all-time high, down from more than $68,000 in November 2021 to about $23,000 on Wednesday.

While cryptocurrencies have had crashes before, most recently in 2018, this crash has been broader and more systemic. A major hedge fund filed for bankruptcy earlier this summer, which in turn has caused other cryptocurrency brokers to collapse as well. Some crypto brokers have falsely claimed that their customers' deposits are backed by deposit insurance, like banks are.

Lawmakers, who have run out of patience with the cryptocurrency industry's attempts to live out an unregulated Libertarian, bank-free world, are now desperate to implement stringent oversight. The industry spent $9 million in 2021 on lobbying fees, according to a report by Public Citizen, a figure that is certain to be higher with all the Congressional proposals this year.

The Stabenow-Boozman bill would be a win for the cryptocurrency industry, which sees the CFTC as more industry-friendly regulator than the SEC. The CFTC, which had a budget last year of $304 million with roughly 666 employees, is a fraction of the size of the SEC, which had a budget of nearly $2 billion and 4,500 full-time employees.

(The cryptocurrency industry is) trying to get anyone other than the SEC to regulate them, said Cory Klippsten, CEO of Swan Bitcoin. While an advocate for Bitcoin, Klippsten is deeply skeptical of much of broader crypto industry, which has produced a myriad of tokens and other coins that he considers to be nothing more than scams.

Cryptocurrency billionaire Sam Bankman-Fried, who has donated millions of dollars to mostly Democratic-leaning candidates and super PACs, tweeted his support for the Stabenow-Boozman bill.

Boozman, in a call with reporters, said the industrys preferred choice to regulate crypto is the CFTC.

They are fairly united on this, he said.

In a press conference, Stabenow and Boozman both acknowledged that while they have faith that the CFTC is up to the task of regulating cryptocurrencies, the agency would need support. The CFTC already oversees futures contracts for Bitcoin and Etherium, and the bill attempts to alleviate issues about staffing by imposing user fees on the crypto industry. Those funds in turn would fund more robust supervision of the industry by the CFTC. The bill would leave crypto-like products, like tokens or non-fungible tokens (NFTs), for the SEC to potentially assert its regulative authority.

Obviously if the CTFC is to move aggressively in this area, they are going to need more resources, Stabenow said.

Marlon Cumberbatch, who conducts consumer research on cryptocurrency and other digital assets for the National Research Group, says despite the crashes, consumers are still interested in putting their money in digital assets. "Some people believe this is the beginning of the end for crypto, Cumberbatch said, but we believe this is the end of the beginning in terms of investment interest.

There has been a growing list of proposals out of Congress this year that in various ways are trying to address the problems in the cryptocurrency industry. Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., in April introduced legislation, called the Stablecoin TRUST Act, that would create a framework to regulate stablecoins, which have seen massive losses this year. Stablecoins are a type of cryptocurrency pegged to a specific value, usually the U.S. dollar, another currency or gold.

In June, Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., and Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo., proposed a wide-ranging bill called the Responsible Financial Innovation Act. That bill proposed legal definitions of digital assets and virtual currencies; would require the IRS to adopt guidance on merchant acceptance of digital assets and charitable contributions; and would make a distinction between digital assets that are commodities and those that are securities, which has not been done.

Sens. Cory Booker, D-N.J., and John Thune, R-S.D., are also co-sponsors of the Stabenow-Boozman bill. Along with the Toomey legislation and the Lummis-Gillibrand legislation, a proposal is being worked out in the House Financial Services Committee, though those negotiations have stalled.

Committee chair Maxine Waters, D-Calif., said last month that while she, top Republican member Patrick McHenry of North Carolina and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen had made considerable progress toward an agreement on the legislation, "we are unfortunately not there yet, and will therefore continue our negotiations over the August recess.

President Joe Biden's working group on financial markets last November issued a report calling on Congress to pass legislation that would regulate stablecoins, and Biden earlier this year issued an executive order calling on a variety of agencies to look at ways to regulate digital assets.

Follow AP's coverage of the cryptocurrency industry at https://apnews.com/hub/cryptocurrency.
READING, Pa.  At Reading's National Night Out event on Penn Street in center city, the Berks County district attorney's victim/witness assistance unit met with dozens of people.

"Just basically gives them a little bit of information about our unit and what we do to serve victims of crime," said Charlene Hartzog, lead victim/witness coordinator for the district attorney's office.

Hartzog said the unit helps victims and their families with financial assistance and guides them through the criminal justice system. Tuesday's National Night Out came on the heels of a violent 24-hour stretch in Reading, during which three shootings left three people dead.

"Homicides are everywhere, not only in the city of Reading," said David Rodriguez of Reading. "It's in New York, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania."

"I think it's unfortunate, not just for the victims, but for the families," said Christian Gutierrez of Reading.

"In those situations, what we end up doing is we reach out to the families of the victims, and then we'll provide information to them about our unit," Hartzog said.

Gutierrez stopped by the table on Penn Street.

"I think it's useful, because it helps the community at once and probably people that are in need of help," he said.

The Berks County Children's Alliance Center was also on hand. It helps investigators interview children who may be victims of crime.

"Mostly if a kid discloses abuse, make sure that you report it," said Laura Kemp of the Children's Alliance Center. "If you notice any signs, warning signs, taking them to counseling offices, so that way they have the opportunity to disclose abuse."

"We're grateful that the police department is doing everything to keep safe, but they can only do so much," said Gutierrez, "and we thank them for that."
ST. LAWRENCE, Pa.  The Exeter Township School District could be going solar.

Doug Neidich, the CEO of GreenWorks Development, Harrisburg, gave a second presentation of his company's proposal for a solar energy project that would offset 65% of the district's electric usage.

During Tuesday night's school board meeting, Neidich said that after his first presentation, the board was more interested in looking at a 110% offset  the maximum that can be offered to any district. In return, the district would get full retail credit for any electricity it sells back to the electric grid, up to the 110% maximum.

"We are the largest commercial solar power developer in Pennsylvania," Neidich pointed out. He used an example of a project he said GreenWorks is doing for the Tamaqua Area School District in neighboring Schuylkill County.

"At $0.87 per kilowatt hour from PPL, their savings were over $150,000 per year for five years," he said. "After they buy their system out in year six, the savings go from $150,000 to $280,000."

"Their total estimated 40-year savings is over $11 million," Neidich said. "And they are locked in at $.038 per kilowatt hour the 40 years."

He told the directors that the district did not need to put up any money upfront, as the starting costs would be covered in the first year by the investors.

After the first year, the district would begin to earn cash from the price differential between solar and electric. After five years, the district would purchase the solar arrays, using bonds or other financing that can be obtained with the help of GreenWorks. The financing rate, however, can not be locked in now. The district must wait until the actual financing takes place in five years.

One school board member asked about the source of the company's solar panels.

"Our panels come from Vietnam and Malaysia," Neidich responded. "We don't use Chinese panels. We would love to use American-made panels, but that takes the cost up 30% to 40%."

The board discussed several possible locations for solar arrays at the district's Owatin Creek Elementary School and decided to move the project to the next voting meeting on Aug. 16.
The National Weather Service says severe weather so far this year in South Dakota has been an anomaly. The weather service issued 561 severe thunderstorm warnings in the state as of July 5. Thats 131 more than 2007, when the previous record for that timeframe was set. While there does appear to be an increasing trend in the number of severe thunderstorms, the National Weather Service says its important to note that the way storms are predicted has become more precise and that the standards have changed over time. State climatologist Laura Edwards says there's no distinct tie between severe weather in South Dakota and climate change.
The Allentown Art Museum will stop charging admission effective Aug. 27.



The museum at 31 N. Fifth St. announced the new policy in a letter to members.



"Thanks to a generous legacy gift from the Century Fund and your continued membership, we will be able to institute free admission to all, in perpetuity," according to the letter from Max Weintraub, chief executive officer and president.



The cost to visit now, according to the museum's website, varies from $10 for senior citizens and children 6 and over to 12 for adults. Admission is already free on Sundays, and from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. on the third Thursday of each month.



Now, everybody will be able to enjoy the museum's collection, according to Weintraub's letter.



"Becoming an admission-free museum is the most important step in our years-long journey toward eliminating barriers to entry and ensuring that our entire community has access to the museum and our programs," he said.



Also Aug. 27, the museum will open its New American Galleries.



Painter, teacher and critic Walter Baum led the grassroots effort that resulted in the founding of the museum in 1934, according to the museum's website. Then in 1960 and 1961, philanthropist Samuel H, Kress donated 53 Baroque and Renaissance paintings and sculptures.



The museum's collection includes works by Rembrandt van Rijn, Frans Hals and Gilbert Stuart, along with more modern painters Baum and Franz Kline. It also has a Frank Lloyd Wright room and space for rotating exhibits.
BETHLEHEM, Pa.  By a 5-2 vote, Bethlehem City Council on Tuesday night overturned the decision of the Bethlehem Historic Conservation Commission, granting a certificate of appropriateness to ArtsQuest and allowing it to raze its Banana Factory Arts Center site and build a new cultural center in its place.

In a split decision last month, the Bethlehem Historic Conservation Commission rejected ArtsQuest's plans to demolish the six buildings at its Banana Factory site at Northampton Street between Second and Third streets in South Bethlehem and erect in their place a single, five-story, 73,485-square-foot cultural center costing about $22.1 million.

ArtsQuest pursued a redesign of the project, which was first introduced in 2018, because of rising construction costs. The six buildings are no "longer adequate to serve the arts programming needs of ArtsQuest and therefore must be replaced," the organization noted in its certificate of appropriateness application to the commission.

ArtsQuest had already acquired approval to demolish four of the buildings from its previous application. The commission voted against granting the removal of the other two buildings needed to implement ArtsQuest's latest plan, with some members saying that financial hardships should not play a role in how they vote.

During the public comment portion of council's agenda, ArtsQuest staff, board members and advocates urged council to approve the certificate of appropriateness, the last action item on the busy agenda.

Others in attendance, including members of the South Bethlehem Historical Society, tried to convince council to support the commission's vote recommending the certificate be denied.

Vicki Doule', who chairs the ArtsQuest Board of Trustees, told council that the redesign required all six buildings to come down for the cultural center to be economically feasible and for ArtsQuest to deliver on its mission to increase access to the arts for everyone at a time when the arts are most needed.

Maureen Dresen, president of the South Bethlehem Historical Society's board of directors, said her organization supports the historical commission and noted that council has too often overridden its recommendations when developers challenge the citys regulations.

Dresen also said she understands that ArtsQuest is not a developer and does good things for the city, including the historical society, but asked for some other solution to integrate ArtsQuest's economic requirements and the commission's recommendations.

Kassie Hilgert, ArtsQuest president and CEO, said ArtsQuest has honored Bethlehem's history for 39 years but said sometimes change is inevitable, noting the irony that in an area with a preponderance of unpopular warehouses, there's a call to save one  a reference to the building's original use as headquarters of D. Theodoredis & Sons, a banana and produce wholesaler and distributor.

Louis James, a member of the South Bethlehem Historical Society board, said ArtsQuest should look to repurpose buildings on former Bethlehem Steel Corp. property, adding that South Bethlehem's skyline has been altered by the city's acquiescence to developers instead of repurposing historic properties.

The majority of council supported ArtsQuest's financial hardship position, while Councilmembers Rachel Leon and Wandalyn Enix supported the Historic Conservation Commission's denial of the certificate of appropriateness.

Enix suggested that ArtsQuest look to land near the Wind Creek casino, to consider residents of Southside Bethlehem by providing them access to employment and transportation.

Mayor J. William Reynolds scolded council for not moving the ArtsQuest item higher on the agenda, noting that it forced ArtsQuest officials, who are preparing for Musikfest this week, to stay late into the night waiting for the vote.
Northampton County Council may delay a vote on a tax break proposed for the redevelopment of the old Dixie Cup plant in Wilson Borough.



Council's agenda for Thursday says the ordinance is due for a public hearing, but President Lori Vargo Heffner said Wednesday that faulty language may push the vote back.



"I think the LERTA language may need to be reviewed and made sure it's appropriate before we move forward with a vote," she said. LERTA, the acronym for Pennsylvania's Long Term Economic Revitalization Act, provides a tax break for development. The benefit declines over 10 years.



LERTAs are designed to jump-start development of difficult properties, and the old cup plant off 25th Street, little-used for almost 40 years, qualifies by that standard. Wilson Borough and the Wilson Area School District have already agreed to the tax break, but New Jersey-based developer Nick Tsapatsaris said the county's approval is essential.



The county rarely has a direct say in development, which is mainly a local issue. However, it can seek higher assessments on properties, and that could wipe out the benefits of a tax break.



Meanwhile, even if council approved a LERTA for Dixie Cup, County Executive Lamont McClure has vowed to veto it. The Dixie plan will bring traffic and pollution to the 25th Street corridor, which is already congested, he has said. McClure said passing a LERTA means taxpayers will subsidize an industry, warehousing, that many oppose.



Council needs five of nine members to approve a LERTA ordinance. Six votes are needed to override a veto. McClure has noted that the use is allowed at the old plant, but said the subsidy is not appropriate.



Councilman Kevin Lott, who leads the economic development committee, has questioned whether a booming industry needs tax breaks.



Wilson borough officials, including Mayor Donald Barrett, have implored council to approve the LERTA.



The Dixie Cup plan is not just a warehouse, they said. However, Tsapatsaris got that conversation off on the wrong foot May 5, when he showed up unannounced at a council committee meeting and described his plan as a "last-mile logistics facility."



Vargo Heffner said the language is not the only potential problem with the Dixie Cup LERTA.



"I think we will give it a fair hearing but there are still many unanswered questions," she said. The LERTA, as discussed earlier, includes more generous terms than tax breaks approved earlier.



"I personally am not in favor of granting exceptions to one project when we have several coming before us," she said.
Since 1949, China and Taiwan have been separate, with China being a Communist country, and Taiwan a democratic territory.

But there have always been three ideas on what should eventually happen with the two areas: Two sides say there should be "One China," but one side wants it communist, the other democratic.

A third side believes Taiwan and China should be separate countries: one communist, the other democratic.

The ongoing argument has had some in Taiwan on edge. Will China ever invade and try to regain control altogether?

Samuel Chen is a political science professor and happens to be the son of two Taiwan natives. He says the idea of China invading Taiwan is not new.

"From the time they were young, there's always been this tension of when/if the Communists will come across the strait and invade Taiwan," said Chen.

On Tuesday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited the island, telling Taiwanese officials that the United States would "not abandon" them if China were to invade.

Some argue that her visit was supportive. Others feel she stirred the pot.

"A direct visit from a high-ranked U.S. official is only going to make that tension a little bit tighter," said Chen.

Chen says one of the issues with this whole thing is if/when an invasion happens, will the United States deploy troops?

"Traditionally, our country said no," said Chen.

"A few months ago, President Biden, in a slip up, said we would. This has caused a lot of concern in the political world," said Chen.

At this point, China has responded to Pelosi's visit like it warned it would, announcing a series of live-firing drills beginning on Thursday in the Taiwan Strait.
"I thought we were friends and he started shooting me" is what Gerard Carpinello reportedly told New Jersey police officers just after 3 a.m. on July 10.

At the time, Carpinello of Portland, Northampton County, was lying in a pool of his own blood inside the Monmouth County home of 71-year-old David Bulk.

The 49-year-old was shot twice in the side. He was taken to an area hospital, where he died July 29.

The father of two young girls had worked for Mount Bethel Realtor Faith Sarisky, who says his death is being felt deeply by the tight-knit community.

"It's violating and the fact that it's him. You know, he is not the type of person that would have been involved in anything to put himself in that kind of danger," she said.

The affidavit indicates Bulk, who's charged with first-degree murder, says he was drunk at the time, and has no memory of what happened.

When police arrived, they say Bulk was sitting in his living room recliner, a revolver was on the table, with Carpinello lying bleeding on the floor. The pair were long-time acquaintances. Carpinello was spending the night on July 10. After being shot, police paperwork shows troopers heard Carpinello use a series of expletives in describing being shot.

"He cared about the kids. He cared about the kids of the Bangor Area School District," said Upper Mount Bethel Supervisor John Bermingham.

By taking his son to school, Bermingham spoke with the Bangor Area School District security officer often.

Carpinello was also active in his church and worked on the front desk at the Tuscarora Inn and Conference Center. Those there say he was a great employee and his death brings a great loss.

A GoFundMe site hopes to raise $20,000 for his wife and kids.

"Just a shock. Life is precious. One day you're here and the next day you are gone," Birmingham said.

Bulk's attorney declined to comment. If convicted, Bulk could be sentenced to life in prison.
ASHLAND, Pa.  What does the small town of Ashland in Schuylkill County have to do with the U.S. Supreme Court's recent overturning of Roe v. Wade?

"It kinda took me back almost 30 years, when Dr. Spencer had passed away," said Vincent Genovese.

Who was Dr. Robert Spencer?

"Back then, if you wanted an abortion, he was the man, OK, because he was an absolute expert in abortion," Genovese explained. "[He] pioneered many techniques that are used today."

Author Vincent Genovese penned a book about Spencer, titled "The Angel of Ashland." Genovese said Spencer helped many people, including cancer patients, through his general practice, but when it came to performing abortions pre-Roe v. Wade, he had patients from around the globe, including Hollywood stars.

"She's a very famous movie star and she got pregnant, and I could tell you who she got pregnant by, but she's still alive," Genovese explained.

With Roe v. Wade being overturned, abortion remains one of the most polarizing issues of our time, and the town of Ashland speaks to that split in a symbolic way.

"The dichotomy, this is the only statute in the entire nation devoted solely to motherhood, and four blocks from this statue, Dr. Spencer was taking away motherhood from women," Genovese said.

Remnants of this controversial history, now being revisited, still remain as this was where Dr. Spencer's office once stood.

"His office is right on the Main Street, about four blocks up, and they just recently, unfortunately, tore it down," Genovese said.

Genovese said he doesn't know what Spencer would think of the reversal, but will this current climate create more like him?

"I don't foresee another Dr. Spencer, because times have changed so much," said Genovese.

Genovese said his publisher is trying to option the book for a major motion picture as this long-standing debate rages on.
Two North Dakota funds that support agriculture-related businesses are providing nearly $1 million in grants to nine projects this quarter, including one in Steele.

Nodak Meats is getting $45,000 for equipment in its custom meat plant in Steele through the Agricultural Diversification and Development Fund, according to the state Agriculture Department.

South 40 Beef in Mott is getting $200,000 for expansion through that fund, which supports value-added agriculture businesses. The Tharaldson Ethanol Plant in Casselton is receiving $250,000 for technology to increase production.

Meanwhile, North Dakota's Agricultural Products Utilization Commission is providing grants totaling more than $445,000 to six projects, Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring announced.

The group better known as APUC funds developers of North Dakota farm-related products. The money typically is used for research, marketing, farm diversification, agriculture tourism and technology.

Valley Fiber Processing of Fargo is getting the largest grant this quarter -- $101,000 to help develop its industrial hemp business. St. Paul, Minnesota-based Prototype Garage is getting $100,000 for carbon dioxide extraction work.

Lesser grants are going to an Upham meat business; an Alexandria, Minnesota-based hydroponic farm; North Dakota State University, for work on using soy and corn derivatives to make adhesives; and the state Agriculture Department, for a trade show and trade mission reimbursement program.

Both funds will hold their next grant application hearings Nov. 16-17 in Wahpeton. Applications for both must be received by Oct. 1. For more information, go to https://www.nd.gov/ndda/apuc and https://bnd.nd.gov/ag/agriculture-diversification-and-development-fund/.
DOYLESTOWN, Pa.  At their Wednesday morning meeting, the Bucks County Commissioners approved the plan for spending $61,017,041, about one-half of the total allocation, from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.

County Chief Operating Officer, Margie McKevitt, presented the plan and said that it is a fluid document and a fluid budget that could change in some of the details. She said it will be posted on the county website by the end of the week.

McKevitt gave a breakdown of the plan in its largest component parts. Public health is allocated 10% of the funds; public health  negative economic impact on public sector capacity receives 37% of the money; other negative impacts on public sector capacities receives gets slightly more than 34%; premium pay will receive 10% of the funding; revenue replacement is 8%; and infrastructure receives 0.25% of the money.

According to McKevitt, the public health portion includes the countys vaccination program that will finish in September, plus funds provided for medical care in prisons and co-respondent programs and the construction of a crisis center for the treatment of mental health and drug and alcohol patients.

Under the other negative economic impacts category, McKessick noted, there will be direct assistance to households; job training through the work force and economic development program, working with Career Link: funds for the court system to provide a mental health recovery house for women; funds for affordable housing projects and assistance to the homeless, and funds for the Bucks United renovation assistance and mold remediation program.

In the public health, negative economic impacts, McKessick said funds will go to salaries and benefits of public health employees, and it will also include an incentive for the countys vaccine program.

Also, it will provide funding for the old nursing home and the future construction of the mental health forensic center.

In assistance to businesses, the plan provides grants to small businesses throughout the county in partnership with the countys economic development office. In addition, assistance to non-profits provides funds to various human services agencies, to senior centers and emergency medical services. Funds will also be provided to Visit Bucks County, the Farm Fresh Foods program and a veterans program in cooperation with the Bucks County Community College.

Financing Guarantee

The commissioners approved a financing by the Bucks County Community College Authority for the purpose of providing funds for a capital project for Community College purposes. Commission chair Robert J. Harvis pointed out that the county was not borrowing the money, instead it was guaranteeing payment by the community college.

The sale of the 2022 bonds will be done at a private sale by negotiation pursuant to an assignable bond purchase proposal and subsequent addendum. The commissioners approved the incurrence of lease rental debt of the county in an aggregate principal amount not to exceed $15 million; and approved the issuance by the Bucks County Community College Authority of its guaranteed college building revenue bonds, series of 2022 in an aggregate principal amount not to exceed $15 million for its capital project.

In addition, the commissioners authorized the execution of a guaranty agreement in which the county guarantees the payment of debt service on the 2022 bonds; authorized and approved a sixth supplemental lease and sublease; authorized the preparation of a debt statement and other documentation, the filing of said debt statement and other documentation and a transcript of proceedings with the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development.

Also, the commissioners approved an official statement for use in connection with the sale of the 2022 bonds; authorized the execution of a continuing disclosure agreement or supplement to an existing continuing disclosure agreement; and authorized other necessary action.

Board appointments

Joyce A. Hadley, Keith Pacheco, and Robert Wilson were re-appointed to the Human Relations Council while Barbara Hoffman and Mary Jane Leonard were appointed as new members. Also, Kathleen Moeller-Peiffer was appointed to the Library Board and Brian Servis was named to the Redevelopment Authority.

In major purchases, the commissioners approved a contract to Luftus Construction, Cinnaminson, N.J., in the amount of $1,524,000 for the rehabilitation of Bridge #183 on Farm School Road over Tohickon Creek in Bedminster township.
The Supreme Courts decision in Korematsu v. United States (1944), upholding the forced evacuation of American citizens of Japanese descent from their homes for no reason other than their ancestry was, as scholars have characterized it, a national disaster, one that will live in infamy.

For the first time in our nations history the court, in one swift blow, significantly undermined the writ of habeas corpus, a civil right fundamental to American constitutionalism. President Franklin D. Roosevelts Executive Order No. 9066, issued on Feb. 19, 1942, and the congressional enactment of an authorizing statute a month later, utilized ethnic differences of Japanese Americans as a basis for racial discrimination. The government did not similarly force German Americans or Italian Americans from their homes, even though Congress had declared war on Germany and Italy, as it had on Japan.

The Supreme Courts decision to uphold a military policy devoid of a factual record demonstrating any acts of sabotage or espionage by Japanese Americans converted the racial prejudices of a few officers into a doctrine of law. It altered the relationship between the military and civilian government, a sensitive matter for a democracy. It provided a precedent for attacks on the civil rights of ethnic groups and, overall, the unequal treatment of citizens and aliens in times of crises, real or imagined.

In a dissenting opinion, Justice Robert H. Jackson captured the essence of the threat of the Korematsu principle when he wrote that it lies about like a loaded weapon ready for the hand of any authority that can bring forward a plausible claim of an urgent need. The ruling was based less on the assertion of military necessity--for there was no evidence of disloyalty among this group of citizens but rather on what Dean Rostow of the Yale Law School described as ignorant race prejudice.

The Korematsu case has lived on in American law, politics and morality. It has been the object of enduring condemnation. In 1976, as part of the Bicentennial celebration of the Declaration of Independence, rightly stated that we need to recognize our national mistakes as well as our national achievements. Feb. 19, 1942, he added, is the anniversary of a sad day in American history. The evacuation and internment of Japanese Americans, he said, was wrong.

In 1983, the Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians to review Executive Order No. 9066 declared that the internment decision reflected race prejudice, war hysteria and a failure of political leadership, and not military necessity. The Commission recommended passage by Congress of a resolution, signed by the president, apologizing for the grave injustice inflicted on Japanese Americans.

In 1984, a U.S. Federal District Judge Marilyn Patel, granted Fred Korematsus petition for a rarely sought and rarely granted writ of error coram nobis to set aside his conviction for manifest injustice. Judge Patel wrote in her opinion that the government had knowingly and intentionally failed to disclose information and details that directly contradicted the military report, grounded in racial prejudice, on which the Supreme Court had relied. Patel wrote that Korematsu stands as a constant caution that in times of war or declared military necessity our institutions must be vigilant in protecting constitutional guarantees. The assertion of military necessity should not avoid rigorous judicial scrutiny and the court must be prepared to exercise its authority to protect all citizens from petty fears and prejudices that are so easily aroused.

In 1988, America finally formally apologized for the grave injustice the government had inflicted on Japanese Americans. Congress enacted and President Ronald Reagan signed, The Civil Liberties Act of 1988, which declared that the internment program had been motivated largely by racial prejudice and wartime hysteria. In addition to the apology, the act provided for reparations -- $20,000 -- to each of the internees for the governments deprivation of their liberty and property, and the humiliation they suffered.

Two distinguished public servants led the charge for passage of the legislation: the widely admired former Wyoming Senator, Alan Simpson, and his childhood friend, Norman Mineta. Mineta had been interned in the Heart Mountain relocation camp near Cody, Wyoming, and later was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives and appointed to cabinet posts by two presidents -- Bill Clinton and George W. Bush -- provided the critical energy and leadership necessary to secure passage of the historic act. Simpson and Mineta were boy scouts and became lifelong friends. A form of justice for Korematsu and the other 120,000 Japanese American citizens, long denied, was finally delivered, not by the Supreme Court, but ironically by the two elective branches.

The courts ruling in Korematsu serves as a reminder that Americans cannot always depend on the judiciary to protect the rights and liberties of the citizenry. The court, as Justice William O. Douglas, wrote, is vulnerable to the state of public opinion, which will often make the court cautious when it should be bold. Douglas, like several members of the Korematsu Court, regretted in later life that they had not boldly defended the rights and liberties of Japanese Americans whose very freedom depended on the Justices. On those occasions when governmental officials lose their compass, it is of paramount importance that we citizens do not lose ours.
The Munich Airports microcosm consists of flights, shopping centers, medical facilities, a fire department, and many other amenities. The IT systems' robustness is critical for all these units to function without hiccups.

But the airports IT infrastructure was inherently complex, with websites, passenger guidance systems, over 2,000 monitors, check-in systems, and more. The lack of integration between all assets made the management process complex.

This case study details how the Munich Airport used Infobloxs DDI solution to unify DNS, DHCP, and IP address management into one platform. With DDI, the airport was able to provide both customers and the IT teams with smoother processes.
For the first time since the start of the pandemic, Visit Winona was able to bring community members together Tuesday evening for its annual Tourism Award ceremony at the Minnesota Marine Art Museum.

People from around the country with a variety of connections to Winona chose winners for two of the 2021-22 awards: Peoples Choice Award and the Hidden Gem Award.

Bloedow Bakery won the Peoples Choice Award for 2021-22, while voters chose the Winona Public Library for the Hidden Gem Award.

Visit Winonas marketing specialist Cynthya Porter shared that there were about 700 nominations and over 1,000 votes for these awards, with the Hidden Gem being the most competitive.

The difference between the two awards, Porter shared, is that the Peoples Choice Award is for an entity in the community that would be a destination for people to want to come to Winona, while the Hidden Gem Award is for an entity that people likely didnt know about and didnt have a full appreciation of until they visited Winona and experienced it.

The third award, the Partnership Excellence Award, was chosen by Visit Winonas partnership committee and presented to the Winona County Historical Society.

Kate Carlson, Visit Winonas partnership director, said the winner was chosen because of their commitment to working with Visit Winona and their contributions to the citys hospitality industry.

Carlson said WCHS especially stood out under these award requirements because of their work to welcome cruise ships to Winona, offer tours and provide other programs to the community, while also creating a gallery and community space for visitors to enjoy.

All three winners expressed their gratitude for the honors.

For more information about Visit Winona, go to visitwinona.com.
JUNEAU  A 17-year-old boy from Beaver Dam faces a felony charge of theft after allegedly taking a disposable vapes from a gas station on Park Avenue in Beaver Dam on Monday after the cashier refused to sell him cigarettes.

Sharief Williams faces a felony count of theft from a person along with misdemeanor counts of retail theft and disorderly conduct. If found guilty of the felony, he could face up to five years in prison and five years of extended supervision.

Williams appeared before Dodge County Court Commissioner Steven Seim for his initial appearance in court on Tuesday. He was placed on a $1,000 signature bond. He may not have any direct or indirect contact with the victims business.

According to the criminal complaint:

Beaver Dam Police were called to the gas station on Monday around 3 p.m. for a possible robbery. They soon learned that the three suspects left on bikes and were seen near Chill Zone and were able to stop them about two blocks from the gas station. The three teens cooperated with officers and stopped and also admitted to being in the gas station. The other two said that they were with Williams but were not with him the entire time. They said that they went in to buy cigarettes but did not have an ID. Williams originally denied being with the other teens.

The victim who worked at the gas station identified the clothes Wiliams was wearing as belonging to the person who shoved her. She said she attempted to prevent Willams from getting behind the counter. He was allegedly able to take two vaping devices. The value of the vapes was $70.

The vapes were found in Williams shorts pocket. Williams allegedly eventually admitted that taking the items was a spur-of-the-minute decision but denied pushing the employee. The items were returned to the store employee.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled on Sept. 8.
The agriculture program at Mauston High School is receiving extra funding for its work with hydroponics and plant lighting.

As part of its renovation project, the school is replacing its greenhouse. Because of this, the agriculture department in the school sought funding to make additions to enable year-round vegetable growth and improve food sustainability instruction for area students.

I think its extremely valuable, said Mauston High School principal Jim Dillin of education on food sustainability and growth. Its the sustainability of our foods using greenhouse technologies, but also the ability to respect and appreciate what people in agriculture, especially our local farm families, do in order to produce the healthy food that we need. Its one of those areas that should be more emphasized because of the constant evolution of it.

Compeer Financial, a member-owned farm credit cooperative based in Sun Prairie, awarded just under $230,000 in grants to 65 schools in Illinois, Minnesota, and Wisconsin for their work in agriculture with students. Mauston received the $4,000 in funding for its hydroponic system and LED grow lights.

Dillin lauded the efforts of Elizabeth Babcock, an agriculture and horticulture instructor who teaches classes at Olson Middle School along with the high school. Babcock, who submitted the Compeer application, also submitted a grant application for funding from National FFA Organization, which was approved for $3,700.

Shes going to have this equipment so kids can kind of run their own experiment, said Dillin of Babcock. The aquaponics class, the horticulture class are all going to be involved in it. The horticulture class is going to manage the hydroponic system.

Babcock described the hydroponic system as a small ebb-and-flow system in which water will run through two to three times each day. She said that the water will run through the soil and plant roots before running out.

The goal will be to use it to help grow the vegetables for our Farm to School program and to try new things with it, said Babcock.

Dillin and Babcock both said that the system will be meant as an educational means to teach students a new, sustainable way to grow food plants. The school already has used an aquaponics system to raise fish for food and the waste from that fish has been used to help grow lettuce, according to Babcock.

She used a different hydroponic system to grow the lettuce, but said that the upcoming one will be used to grow fruiting plants, such as tomatoes and cucumbers.

A tomato right off the vine tastes way better than a tomato from the grocery store, especially in January, said Babcock. It allows us to be able to grow all year.

She added that the system can be used for a variety of different classes that she teaches, as well as independent studies.

Compeer Financial public relations and communications specialist Nora Nolden provided Maustons grant application, which allocates $800 for the hydroponic system that will include growing media and a variety of nutrients. The other $3,200 will be used for four lights at $800 apiece.

The funded items will be used in the schools agriculture, horticulture, and farming courses. Grow lights will enable year-round plant and vegetable growth, while the hydroponic system will introduce students to a new plant growth technology.

Showing students new ways to grow things allows them to be prepared for raising enough food to feed our increasing world population, Babcock wrote in her application. The ebb and flow hydroponic system and grow lights are easy to use and will allow students to manipulate them for different experiments they choose to conduct through class or FFA (Future Farmers of America).

Mauston was one of 25 Wisconsin schools to receive grants from Compeer. Many of the schools to receive funding were from the southcentral and southwest regions of Wisconsin.
Wits innovation changing the world for good

Wits University is home to a wellspring of talent from multiple disciplines where life-changing innovation is incubated.

This two-part series features some of the solutions from students and academics as they respond to real issues facing people, communities and economies.

Professor Barry Dwolatzky, the Director of Innovation Strategy at Wits, describes innovation as the successful deployment of new ideas, inventions, or methods, that benefit society, with a strong emphasis on collaboration and multi-disciplinarity, across sectors. By breaking down silos, we can work across disciplines to find solutions to the major challenges that confront humanity, he says.

One of the standout solutions is Pelebox, an invention to cut down the time that patients spend waiting for medication in hospitals. Wits innovator, Neo Hutiri, invented digital lockers to reduce the time that patients spend waiting for repeat chronic medication from three hours to less than two minutes. His work fixes a problem that he experienced, as a patient himself, who was needing regular TB medication in South Africa.

In complex countries like South Africa, riddled with limitations and constraints, disruption alone is not enough, says Hutiri. Designing technology without paying attention to our local context will result in failure. The Pelebox induces creativity and shapes our frugal, relevant and context driven innovations in a highly local approach that our team calls the "Think Inside" principle.

Also in the medical field, a solution known as SmartSpot consistently improves the accuracy of TB testing. Used on all 289 GeneXpert testing instruments in the national TB programme since 2011, over the duration of a year, it showed that 2.6% of the TB tests were inaccurate, and that test modules needed replacing. Their inventions are approved by the World Health Organization and are used in many countries around the world.

The SmartSpot innovation was developed by a team of scientists from Wits, led by Professor Wendy Stevens and Professor Lesley Scott in the Department of Molecular Medicine and Haematology, in collaboration with Professor Bavesh Kana from the Department of Science and Technology/National Research Foundation Centre of Excellence for Biomedical TB Research.

PeCo Power is a third example of innovation sparked at Wits that is positively changing the lives of people daily. This homegrown electrical off-grid solar solution for local communities enables the easy integration of renewable energy sources, along with batteries and appliances, for the electrification of households in Africa.

Originated and developed in the Wits School of Electrical and Information Engineering, this innovation is finding its way into rural and un-serviced communities, with the promise of deep social impact. PeCo Power is also a prime example of the commercial viability and realisation of innovation - in the form of operational enterprises  being unearthed at the University.

These are all multidisciplinary projects with research impact which span multiple sectors, involve elements of entrepreneurship and commercialisation and advance the public good, adds Dwolatzky. He adds that collaboration is key to finding such solutions.

He points out that the climate crisis is a case in point. We need the scientists and climatologists to help us better understand how our natural environment is changing and to model future scenarios, we need the social scientists to explain the effect of climate change on people and how behaviour can be changed. We need the ethicists, governors, policy- and lawmakers to guide communities and to keep climate offenders in check. By working together, we can develop innovative solutions that benefit both people and our planet.

Another example is the Universitys holistic response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which to date has included medical researchers, social scientists, engineers, data scientists, legal experts, ethicists, teaching and learning specialists and community leaders. All these contributors played an important role in leading societys response to the pandemic both locally and globally, he says.

To develop a culture of innovation, we need to develop a problem-solving mindset and run activities such as challenges and hackathons that allow people to find solutions to specific problems. We need to form communities of practice and create opportunities for people to discuss complex social and other problems, with the objective of finding innovative solutions, concludes Dwolatzky.

Go to https://www.wits.ac.za/innovation/ to find out more about the Wits Innovation Centre (WIC) and the brilliant solutions being generated at Wits University.
Had U.S. baby formula producers not been protected from foreign competition, there would have been many more options available to parents when one lab became contaminated. And a 70-year-old wartime act would have remained a trivia question.

The world is an economics classroom if we allow ourselves to learn from it. Every day were bombarded with puzzles that the economic way of thinking can help solve. One of the more recent examples of this is the infant-formula shortagethat plagued an industry already confounded by pandemic-related supply chain issues. An investigation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of Abbott Laboratories discovered traces of a carcinogen in the powdered baby formula produced in Abbotts Sturgis, Michigan, plant. This led the FDA to recall several brands of powdered formula, including Similac, Alimentum, and Elecare, all of which rely on the formula produced in that same plant.

In response to the resulting shortage, the FDA called for greater flexibility in the importation of infant formula. This brings us to the economic puzzle. The stated point of regulation in many cases is to protect public health and consumer safety. The assumption driving these regulations is that the market cannot or will not regulate itself, or perhaps wont regulate itself enough. This generates calls for the state to use its regulatory apparatus to get the right level of regulation. But how do we know what the right level of testing and, in this case, labeling guidelines are the correct ones? Bureaucrats and regulators face the same knowledge constraints as anyone else, whether civilians or entrepreneurs.

Regulators must balance different types of errors. Type I errors occur when a drug or product has been introduced that is unsafe or ineffective. Type II errors occur when safe drugs and products have been either prevented from entering the market or delayed because of too much testing. The FDA needs to have the appropriate incentives to ensure that, ideally, we dont commit either type of error. What were seeing with the infant formula shortage is an example of a Type II error.

The U.S. typically produces 98% of the formula it consumes, with formula it does import coming mainly from Mexico, Ireland, and the Netherlands. A 2019 medical study reported that most European formulas do not meet FDA labeling requirements. Lets think about that for a moment. The formula is clearly safe, as millions of European mothers feed it to their babies daily, and Europe is the worlds largest formula producer and exporter, and just not to the U.S. Yet the labels do not satisfy the FDA guidelines in part because the ingredients are not listed in the order designated by the FDA and the instructions for how to use the formula are not approved. If that werent bad enough, the FDA maintains a red list of items subject to immediate seizure upon importation, and some brands of European formula are on that list.

This is a clear case of a Type II error. Stringent labeling requirements imposed by the FDA exacerbated the crisis caused by the contamination, and the formula market couldnt easily adapt. The beauty of markets is their adaptability, which is precisely what is needed in a crisis. Without these stringent labeling requirements, there would have been more formula imports and a more competitive market. Yet these regulations were put into place to help insulate U.S. manufacturers from European competitors, and thats bad news for consumers any day but especially during a crisis.

The FDAs recent decision to relax labeling guidelines raises another puzzle: If the regulations arent needed in a crisis, were they ever truly useful?

Today four U.S. companies control 90% of the American formula market. That would not necessarily be the case if it were easier to produce and import formula. Adding to the problem are high tariffs, up to 17.5% on formula, which also acts to insulate U.S. producers from foreign competition. Regulations tend to have that effectprotecting insiders by creating a system of winners and losers. They also have the unintended consequence of generating hyperbolic reactions to crises.

For example, the Biden administration invoked the Defense Production Act to help U.S. formula makers be first in line to receive the ingredients they need to increase production. The administration also appealed to the Defense Department to use its contacts with commercial airlines to bring in more formula. The Defense Production Act was enacted in 1950 in response to the Korean War and allows the president to alter patterns of production and commerce in the name of security. It is far more reasonable to deregulate these markets than to respond with wartime measures.

We should both eliminate tariffs and encourage freer trade in infant formula. We should relax stringent labeling guidelines that dont help but, in this case, do great harm. This would open the formula market and reduce industry concentrationfree the market to solve the shortage. These Type II errors harm families and, in some cases, create an illicit market for formulasomething we clearly dont want for genuine safety reasons. Freeing the market may not be the politically viable alternative but its the one that actually solves the problem and helps consumers. And as should be clear, this economic way of thinking is applicable far beyond the current infant-formula crisis.
Coal mining by-product may offer building solution

Recipient of the DAAD grant scholarship is currently in Germany testing engineering ideas behind his research.

Coal is the primary source of energy in South Africa and is also used in the chemical and steel industries. However useful it maybe, coal mining companies and related sectors have to deal with the disposal problem of coal waste, an uneconomic by-product.

A Wits PhD chemical engineering candidate is investigating how coal waste combined with preceramic polymer resin can be used to produce conventional building materials like roof tiles.

Orevaoghene Eterigho-Ikelegbe, who is in his second year of PhD studies says that the environmental concerns of coal waste and the exciting and interdisciplinary nature of the research led to the selection this area of research.

According to a report by the Department of Energy, coal constitutes approximately 72% of the countrys energy supply, and is mostly used for power generation. Thus, the waste generated during this process is significant and holds great potential.

Local and International supervision

Eterigho-Ikelegbe is currently in Germany to research polymer resin material, an important product which can be used to bind and harness coal waste to produce conventional building material.

The aim of his research is to find a suitable ratio of coal waste and preceramic polymer resin to produce structural/building composites that maintains the strength and durability of conventional building materials.

If this research is successful, it could significantly impact the SA coal industry and society as using coal waste in place of virgin raw materials would lead to energy savings, job creation, and resource conservation, he says.

Eterigho-Ikelegbes academic sojourn is courtesy of the Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst (DAAD) grant scholarship, also known as the German Academic Exchange Service. The scholarship provides grant support for outstanding students, globally, to conduct their research in collaboration with a state-recognised institution of higher education or a non-university research institute in Germany. Applications for 2022 are now open.

He is currently a visiting student in the Materials and Earth Sciences Department at the Technische Universitat Darmstadt (TUD) a public research university in Darmstadt.

International exchanges are the way to go

TUD is a perfect fit as preceramic polymer resins is well researched in the country, says Eterigho-Ikelegbe.

I believe that my supervisors [at TUD] extensive experience in the area of my research will no doubt have a profound effect on the robustness of my doctoral thesis, he says.

Eterigho-Ikelegbe also believes that this research opportunity will propel his career in the future, saying that during his time at TUD, he is expected to publish his findings in peer-reviewed journals and present at a conference.

Apart from advancing his research career, Eterigho-Ikelegbe has a passion for helping his peers excel in their postgraduate studies. On my return [to South Africa], I hope to facilitate DAAD bootcamps to assist other researchers and scholars secure DAAD scholarship grant. I am [also] keen on building solid collaborations with other researchers locally and internationally.

More than anything, Eterigho-Ikelegbe is proud to represent Wits University internationally.

I consider myself a proud Witsie because of the opportunities that enrolling for a research degree at Wits has exposed me to, he says. I have received invaluable training and mentorship from my Wits supervisors, past and present.

He also encourages students to take the leap and apply for the DAAD scholarship grant programmes. He says that a major benefit to the DAAD scholarship grant is that one can apply for it at any stage of ones research career (masters, PhD, and postdoctoral), giving students ample time and opportunity to prepare their application.

My advice for students is to seek such opportunities to advance themselves.

A key message that Eterigho-Ikelegbe wants to leave students is to never let fear keep them from doing anything.

Never be afraid to take on global opportunities, he says. Do not sell yourself short, just go for it.

Wits University has a variety of student exchange agreements with international partner institutions. Students are encouraged to spend part of their studies and/or research abroad as this is essential in producing competitive graduates and the internationalisation of education. The University, as a top ranked University globally, also plays host to hundreds of inbound students from other universities, attracted to the University by its academic and research profile. Both outbound and inbound exchanges are facilitated by the Wits International Students Office.
A pharmacist fulfills a Chinese Traditional Medicine (TCM) prescription at Gansu Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) in Lanzhou, northwest China's Gansu Province, Oct. 23, 2021. [Xinhua/Chen Bin]

LANZHOU, July 29 (Xinhua)  Putri Ayunitha Ajeng Tryas Prihardinni, from the Indonesian city of Surabaya, is amazed at how traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has continued to evolve since she began studying it a year ago.

The 20-year-old arrived in China in 2019 and initially studied Chinese in the eastern Chinese city of Wuxi. She is currently a freshman at the Gansu University of Chinese Medicine, the only university in northwest China authorized to grant a doctorate degree in TCM, a medical system with thousands of years of history and widespread international popularity.

Located in Gansu Province, a key TCM production base in China, the university has so far trained students from 22 countries, including the Republic of Korea, Kazakhstan and Laos.

When Prihardinni was 10 years old, she suffered from persistent headaches. So, her mother took her to see a TCM doctor near their home. "I still remember the strong, refreshing scent of herbs in his clinic," Prihardinni said.

The doctor checked her pulse, examined her face and tongue, and wrote down a prescription. After several weeks of consuming the bitter herbal remedy, her symptoms diminished, and she found comfort.

"His medical skills were like magic," Prihardinni recalled. The memory of being cured by TCM was etched in Prihardinni's heart and it encouraged her to pursue TCM study majoring in the clinical science of Chinese and Western medicines.

Hailing from the island of Java in Indonesia, 21-year-old Banon Putri Nilam Sayekti is one of Prihardinni's classmates. As she has never been exposed to TCM therapy before, Sayekti found it hard to understand this branch of medicine at the beginning of her first semester.

"Chinese people, for instance, believe that good health requires a balance of 'yin' and 'yang,' and TCM practitioners not only pay attention to a patient's ailment, but also to his or her overall physical condition," Sayekti said. "It appears that healing a patient is both a medical and a philosophical challenge."

"TCM is becoming increasingly popular worldwide and has become an important cultural symbol for China," said Zhao Zhongting, associate professor at the Gansu University of Chinese Medicine.

"Many overseas students, however, face difficulties in fully understanding the meaning and function of TCM medical terms due to cultural and language barriers," Zhao said, adding that in order to help them, the university offers various training courses for freshmen, including biochemistry, language study, and Chinese medicine culture and diagnostics.

Exchange activities between local and international students, lectures and study tours are also provided to help students better comprehend the academic course.

"Our professor also invited us to spend the Spring Festival together with his family. I ate handmade dumplings and enjoyed a beautiful firework show that night," Sayekti said, adding that studying TCM involves learning a different culture and demands an open mind and consistent effort over time.

The two girls are currently enjoying their summer holidays. During this fall semester, they will take some practical TCM courses together with Chinese students. Despite the rising strain of coursework, they are nevertheless highly motivated.

"People in my country are becoming increasingly interested in TCM. Numerous social media vloggers are documenting their experiences with Chinese medicine," Sayekti said, adding that she plans to return to her hometown after graduation and open a TCM clinic. "I want to tell my parents and friends that Chinese medicine is also a good and trustworthy choice."

As for Prihardinni, she wishes to pursue a post-graduate degree. "TCM study is a lifelong endeavor. I know that it is not easy to persist, but I would like to give it a try because I like TCM and my life here in China."

(Source: Xinhua)
Snake oil grifter Mehmet Oz, a Turkish citizen living in New Jersey who is running for Senate in Pennsylvania, is attempting to scare people away from voting for Democratic candidate John Fetterman because Fetterman advocates for releasing prisoners, particularly people of color, who pose no threat to public safety. Black people are imprisoned at a much higher rate than white people. Reasons include police planting drugs in people, giving false testimony, filling up prisons with drug addicts to make money, and simply arresting people for being black. The fact that Fetterman seeks to correct this systematic injustice greatly offends Oz.

John Fetterman's criminals-first progressive policies have made our streets less safe. We need change. https://t.co/q4xktUfWts  Dr. Mehmet Oz (@DrOz) August 2, 2022

In a tweet, Oz linked to a pearl-clutching Daily Caller article that falsely claimed that Fetterman "sought To empty prisons while in power."

"John Fetterman's criminals-first progressive policies have made our streets less safe," tweeted the wealthy nostrum peddler. "We need change."

The Daily Caller's evidence of Fetterman seeking to "empty prisons" is as weak as the fake medicines Dr. Oz endorses on his daytime television program. It linked to one tweet in which Fetterman said, "PA's Correction Secretary has said: We could reduce our prison population by 1/3 and not make anyone less safe.' 2/3 of those condemned to die in PA's prison are African American. We have the power to rectify this now + we absolutely must," and another that said, "Thank you, @PATreasury. Our Corrections Secretary has said we could relaxes [sic] 1/3 of our inmates and not make anyone less safe. What if we directed those savings into our state schools?"

If this is all Oz can muster up in way of a smear, he must be really desperate. Oz is the classic charlatan, promoting bogus "medicines" like green coffee beans and apple cider vinegar, and also endorsing hydroxychloroquine as a treatment for Covid. He has no business running for anything, let alone the Senate.
Panguitch Lake is situated in the south-central portion of the US State of Utah. Although Panguitch Lake is most renowned for its outstanding fishing opportunities, it is also a mountain hamlet with lodging, eating, and room for mountain biking, hiking, ATV riding, and other recreational activities. The word "Panguitch" means "Big Fish" in the native Paiute language. Several top tourist destinations, including Bryce Canyon National Park, Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument, Cedar Breaks National Monument, and Zion National Park, are located not far from Panguitch Lake.

Geography Of Panguitch Lake

Panguitch Lake, Utah.

Panguitch Lake is situated on the Markagunt Plateau between the city of Panguitch and Cedar Breaks National Monument. The Panguitch Lake, which covers a surface area of 1,248 acres, empties into the Sevier River. The lake is situated in the Dixie National Forest, close to three national parks and one national monument, in an area with significant tourist traffic. This unique lake located at an elevation of 8,212 feet is surrounded by Ponderosa pines, aspens, cedar trees, and numerous meadows. Panguitch Lake's original size was 777 acres until the first dam was built on its outlet at Panguitch Creek's head in 1885. After the construction of the dam, the lake at present covers a surface area of 1,248 acres. The Panguitch Lake is approximately 57 feet deep when full, with about 35 feet of that depth being in the natural lake and 22 feet being controlled by the dam.

Brief History Of Panguitch Lake

Sunny view of the landscape of Panguitch Lake Resort at Utah.

The huge native mountain trout drew the local Native Americans to Panguitch Lake. Brigham Young, the founder of the Mormon religion, transported fifty-four pioneer families to the nearby town of Panguitch to establish it. Four Mormon families braved the untamed south central canyon regions of Utah in March 1864 and established the tiny settlement of Panguitch. Men were sent to the town of Parowan over the west mountains when supplies for the Panguitch population ran low during the first winter. The men walked through the snow from where their wagons and teams had arrived at the foot of the mountains. In 1873, the region around the lake was populated. The region's economy was based on farming and livestock. To expand the lake's capacity to hold water and supply agricultural water, a dam was built on Panguitch Lake. Fish and dairy products (cheese and butter) were traded for or sold in nearby settlements. In the late 1800s, as southern Utah expanded, the Panguitch Lake area turned into a popular getaway. The lake and its surrounding area offered horse races, fishing, dancing, and other recreational events. These traditions have persisted, and today one can discover a variety of amenities, including dining establishments, boat rentals, general stores, lodges and cabins for rent, ATV and equestrian riding, horseback riding, and mountain biking, hiking, and much more.

Fishing In Panguitch Lake

Fishing has historically been difficult in Panguitch Lake when there have been significant populations of Utah chubs, which has been a problem in the past. This problem was resolved when the waterbody was treated with rotenone in 2006, and several predator species, including the Bear Lake cutthroat trout, were successfully introduced. The lake is now one of Utah's most well-liked fishing locations, and some of the biggest trout in the state are caught here. The lake is also considered to be among the best fishing locations in southern Utah, and with rainbow, brook, cutthroat, and brown trout thriving in its chilly waters, the lake is a well-known fishing spot. Fish in the 12- to 25-pound range are frequently taken from shore, in boats, and through the ice. This unique lake is fished all year long and provides good trout in all seasons.
The Kanawha or Great Kanawha River is West Virginias largest inland waterway, flowing for 156 km. The river serves as a tributary of the Ohio River and, through it, drains into the Mississippi River drainage basin. The word Kanawha comes from the Iroquois term Kaihnawha, which roughly means waterway or way for the canoe. The river has a drainage area of 8,450 square miles and is the fourth largest tributary of the Ohio River. With its deposits of coal and natural gas, the area around the Kanawha River Valley has been critical to local settlement and development. In the 1800s, the Valley and drainage basin began to be developed for the mining industry, an activity that continues into the modern era.

Geography And Geology Of Kanawha River

A close view of the Kanawha Falls in Glen Ferris, West Virginia.

Rivers and creeks in the mountains of North Carolina create the New River, which flows downhill into Virginia and then West Virginia. To the northeast, on Gauley Mountain in West Virginia, three streams converge to form the Gauley River, which flows 105 miles west-southwest to the town of Gauley Bridge. There, it converges with the New River to form the Kanawha Falls, and the Kanawha River begins its flow to the Ohio River. The Kanawha Falls span the whole width of the flow and drop from a height of about 15 feet. A dam just above the falls diverts water into a hydroelectric power generation facility.

The confluence of the Kanawha and Ohio Rivers at Point Pleasant, West Virginia. Image Credit: Charles Johnson, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

The river flows largely from southeast to northwest, entering the Ohio River at Point Pleasant in Mason County. The river creates a winding course through the Allegheny Plateau, a geological feature that stretches in a kind of arc from southeastern Ohio through West Virginia and into western Pennsylvania and New York State. It is characterized as a dissected plateau consisting of sandstone and shale, with seams of coal running between them. Within the Plateau, the Kanawha River Valley was created by a continental ice sheet, which dammed a prehistoric version of the river in the last Ice Age. It formed a huge lake, which deposited silt and organic material in the Valley. The Kanawha River and its tributaries started to form after the ice receded. The mountainous area ranges from elevations exceeding 4,000 feet above sea level down to roughly 560 feet at the river's mouth in Point Pleasant.

Charleston, West Virginia, downtown skyline on the Kanawha River at dusk.

The Elk River converges with the Kanawha at Charleston. The Elk River, originating in Pocahontas County, is important to the timber industry. Logs were sent down the Elk to mills that sprang up around Charleston. The Coal River is another major tributary of the Kanawha, flowing 59 miles north from Boone County to St Albans, West Virginia. Some geologists believe that the New River is actually one of the oldest in North America and perhaps the world. They believe that it was once a much larger river, diverted into the Ohio and Kanawha Rivers by glacial ice during the Pleistocene era.

Climate Of Kanawha River

Autumn reflections in Kanawha River, West Virginia.

The climate of the Kanawha River Valley and region is classified as a humid subtropical climate, as per the Koppen Climate Classification. Summers are humid, with temperatures warm to hot, and winters are cold. Average daily temperatures range from 38 F to 24 F in January and from 87 to 62 F in July. At higher elevations, the climate can become humid continental, with cold winters and cool summers that average daytime highs of 72 F in July. Average precipitation in Kanawha County ranges from 3.6 inches in November to 7.4 inches in July and May, with rain days ranging from 10 in July to 5 in November. The average daily discharge of the river is 7,040 cubic feet per second, based on 81 years of record keeping. The maximum discharge was measured in 1958 at 43,900 cubic feet per second.

Ecology Of Kanawha River

The river's strong connection to local industry, including the many coal mines located in the Valley, means that there is significant industrial pollution in the river and its many tributary creeks and streams. Despite the concerns over pollution and contaminants, 118 different species of fish have been identified in the river downstream of Kanawha Fall. They include the Appalachia darter, bigmouth chub, bluestone sculpin, candy darter, Kanawha darter, Kanawha minnow, and New River shiner. Several species of bass thrive in the river, along with catfish, walleye, sunfish, carp, sturgeon, and skipjack herring. The river is home to the sheep nose mussel, listed as an endangered species.

The Kanawha State Forest, located just south of Charleston, is home to many species of birds, including thrushes, redstarts, warblers, Acadian flycatchers, several species of swallows, and red-shouldered hawks. The area around Kanawha Falls is part-time home to many seasonal waterfowl, including mallard ducks, buffleheads, mergansers, and goldeneye ducks. The woods of the Valley are home to various animals often hunted as game, including bears, boars, deer, and turkey. Beaver, fisher, and river otters were once hunted to extinction but have been reintroduced to the region. Most of the vegetation consists of old-growth forests, with hardwood oaks and poplars, along with hickory and black gum trees and eastern hemlocks. Minks and muskrats also live along the river banks and in shallow areas, together with several species of salamanders and other amphibians. In the forest, there are copperhead snakes, black rat snakes, and snapping turtles, along with lizards and skinks.

Brief History

West Virginia State Capitol on the Kanawha River in Charleston, West Virginia.

Evidence such as hunting tools and weapons show that Paleo-Indians lived in the area from about 12,500 years ago, just after the last Ice Age, for about 2,500 years. They evolved or were replaced by the Archaic Indians, who left stone and flint tools. For about 3,000 years, they lived in the area and began to grow their own food instead of relying on hunting and gathering. The earliest Woodland Indians of the Kanawha Valley and region were the Adena People, who began to make themselves known about 2,500 years ago. They are also called the Mound Builders for the hundreds of stone and earth mounds they constructed throughout the Valley. Their civilization developed into a system of fortified villages, and they lived in the Valley until about the 18th century, when the Iroquois drove them out.

When the first European settlers arrived, the area was used as hunting territory for the Iroquois, Shawnee, and Cherokee nations. They looked at the New River and Kanawha River as being a single flow, and some early white settlers agreed. The first white settler arrived in the present-day Point Pleasant in 1764. The Treaty of Fort Stanwix of 1768 established the boundaries between Native American lands and the Thirteen Colonies. In April 1774, documents show that 2,000 acres (or 8.1 km2) of land was surveyed for Col. Washington in the area of St. Albans, West Virginia. Washington later secured additional lands that had been originally granted to French and Native war veterans. He eventually claimed four tracts totaling 23,216 acres, which he still owned at his death.

Winfield Lock and Dam on the Kanawha River at Winfield, West Virginia. Image Credit: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Great fluctuations through the rivers course prevented large-scale navigation for some time. From Point Pleasant to Kanawha Falls, the river was navigable from the early 19th century, although water levels still fluctuated significantly, and there were often rocks and other hazards to tackle in low water areas. There was a concerted effort to remove these, and by 1840, the river could be used to transport flatboats with cargo such as salt, timber, and coal. The first locks and dams were constructed in 1875 to stabilize the rivers water levels. As flooding became an issue in low-lying areas, more locks and dams were constructed over the ensuing decades. Locks and dams at London, Marmet, and Winfield create an even flow for 90 miles of the river from Deepwater (just north of Charleston) to Point Pleasant. In 1937, 6,705 acres of land were purchased from the mining and logging companies by the West Virginia Conservation Commission to create the Kanawha State Forest. A small lake was created with a dam over Davis Creek, and another 2,500 acres were acquired in 1942.
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. &&
Using strategy from the Claire McCaskill playbook, the Democrat Party helped Michigan's Trump-backed congressional candidate John Gibbs beat incumbent Rep. Peter Meijer  one of 10 Republicans who voted to impeach Donald Trump. Although the move  gaming the system by supporting the more extreme Republican  has worked in the past, it's risky, not to mention sleazy.

"I'm proud to have remained true to my principles, even when doing so came at a significant political cost," Meijer said.

If the far-right Gibbs happens to win in November, we'll have yet another Big Lying conspiracy theorist in congress, thanks in part to the Democrats who invested more than $400,000 into his campaign. This is the same Q-infused former missionary who in 2016 claimed Hillary Clinton's campaign chair "participated in a satanic ritual involving bodily fluids," according to The Guardian. And whichever way the vote goes, the few remaining moderate Republicans in Washington will be less apt to step across party lines in future votes.

From The Guardian:
Some Betsi Cadwaladr vascular patients to be sent to two hospitals in England

Some vascular patients in North Wales will receive their treatment at the Royal Liverpool University Hospital  or the Royal Stoke University Hospital  expanding on a similar move earlier this year.

It comes after a series of meetings between Betsi Cadwaladr University Health, Welsh Government officials and the national leadership team in NHS England to develop options for alternative vascular service provision with English provider trust.

The North Wales health board is described as facing immediate operational pressures due to consultant availability and nurse staffing in the department.

Yesterday: Highly concerning report into North Wales vascular services shows frontline staff and patients are being let down, says Plaid MS

Vascular services in Ysbyty Glan Clwyd have been under Targeted Intervention Measures since the start of June amid ongoing concerns about vascular services and the hospitals emergency department.

Yesterday Wrexham.com reported that a new report into vascular services in the region highlighted concerns in relation to the management of aortic patients following the completion of a review of 11 patients notes.

It found that on On 8 July 2022 the Chair of the VQP raised safety concerns in relation to the management of aortic patients following the completion of a review of 11 patients notes.

The EMD received 3 recommendations for immediate implementation. These were the reintroduction of dual consultant operating (for aortic patients only), involvement of a specialist centre in the multidisciplinary Team (MDT) meetings for all aortic cases and the recruitment of a vascular surgeon with aortic experience.

There have also been two Never Events in the service and other concerns relating to safety and sustainability which have resulted in Healthcare Inspectorate Wales (HIW) designating the service a Service Requiring Significant Improvement in March 2022.

In a written update released yesterday, Health Minister Eluned Morgan said that some changes are necessary to ensure a sustainable and safe service provision in particular in relation to vascular services in North Wales.

She addresses a number of patient safety quality concerns have been raised by the Vascular Quality Panel in relation to the management of aortic patients.

These were escalated to the Board and a number of additional safety measures have been reinstated for aortic patients from 8 July.

Ms Morgan, said: In addition, there are immediate operational pressures due to consultant availability and nurse staffing in vascular services within the Health Board.

The fragility of the service led to the Health Board to consider contingency plans should the service not be able to be delivered as currently configured with the primary concern being the ability to provide a safe service for the population of North Wales.

As a result, meetings have taken place with the Health Board, Welsh Government officials and the national leadership team in NHS England to develop options for alternative service provision with English provider trusts.

BCUHB has established an operational planning group, which meets three times a day to ensure oversight of these arrangements and to ensure that any patients that may need care delivered in a different way are managed safely and in a timely fashion.

As a result of the immediate service challenges and following wider discussion with English providers, an agreement has been reached that, during August, some patients may be transferred to Royal Liverpool University Hospital or, as already happens for North Wales residents with major trauma injuries, Royal Stoke University Hospital.

Commenting on the ministers statement, Dr Nick Lyons, Executive Medical Director at Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board said: In response to feedback received from external reviews and our continual focus on patient safety, we have again reviewed the way we deliver care to patients on some of our vascular pathways.

This includes contingency planning to ensure that there is no interruption of care for those needing aortic surgery.

As a result, a very small number of patients each week may receive their surgery at the Royal Liverpool University Hospital  or the Royal Stoke University Hospital, as already happens for North Wales residents with major trauma injuries. Each patient will be contacted to discuss their care and will be supported as required.

Very specialised care for some patients is already provided by specialist vascular centres in England and we work in partnership with them to manage complex cases. We are grateful for their continued support.

These contingency plans recognise the operational challenges we are experiencing due to staff sickness absence combined with recruitment difficulties.

We also have concerns about a small number of vascular surgical cases. This follows independent scrutiny by the Vascular Quality Panel, which the Health Board commissioned and established in response to the findings of the invited review by the Royal College of Surgeons, the second part of which was published in February this year.

We expect these arrangements to remain in place until we are assured that the service is deliverable, robust and sustainable. The service will be kept under review and updates will be provided as appropriate.

We remain committed to the model of a networked vascular service for North Wales and continue to work to secure its sustainability and deliverability.
Those most at risk in areas with localised outbreaks prioritised for monkeypox vaccination, health minister confirms

People in Wales most at risk of contracting monkeypox will be contacted directly by their health board, the Welsh Government has confirmed.

This includes those living in areas with localised outbreaks.

As of last week there had been 30 confirmed cases of monkeypox in Wales, however across the UK the figure is 2,759 in total.

The World Health Organisation has declared the spread of the infection to be a public health emergency of international concern, its highest alert level.

NHS Wales has already been vaccinating some of those eligible for the monkeypox vaccine, who are:

Gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM)

Frontline healthcare staff who are at greatest risk of exposure

Those who have been in close contact with a confirmed case, in line with the UKHSA (UK Health Security Agency) advice

There has already been accelerated rollout of the vaccine in London where most of the cases of the infection have been identified. NHS teams in the London area will receive additional doses from the existing supply in an effort to break the chains of transmission as quickly as possible.

As a result only those most at risk in areas with localised outbreaks are being prioritised for vaccination in the rest of the UK.

People who fall within this category in Wales will be contacted directly by their health board.

In a written statement, Eluned Morgan MS, Minister for Health and Social Services and Hannah Blythyn MS, Deputy Minister for Social Partnerships, said: The monkeypox vaccines are not produced to be routinely used in any country, so global supplies have been limited.

Because of the limit on supply, the four UK Chief Medical Officers have agreed, in the short term, to the UK wide outbreak management approach, proposed by UKHSA. This means vaccine deployment will be prioritised where there are localised outbreaks.

For Wales, like the rest of the UK, this means in the short term, only those most at risk in areas with localised outbreaks are being prioritised for vaccination. People who fall within this category in Wales will be contacted directly by their health board.

This is a temporary measure until more vaccine is delivered.

Last week, the UKHSA announced that they had procured more than 100,000 additional vaccine doses with the first 20,000 set to be delivered for use by the NHS in August. We are working closely with the UKHSA to ensure Wales share of the vaccine is available for deployment as soon as possible.

Those next in line will be offered the vaccine as soon as it becomes available and we urge all those who are eligible for the vaccine to take it up when invited by health boards to a vaccination appointment. It will help protect yourself and others you have had close contact with.

We are seeing the majority of monkeypox cases in the current outbreak experienced by gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men. We want to reassure this community that their interests are our priority.

Everyone is being asked to be aware of the symptoms of monkeypox, regardless of sexuality, however it is clear that some groups are at increased risk. We are keen to avoid a situation where fear of stigma prevents individuals from accessing health care services or asking for help. It is important that we do not allow stigma or misinformation do more harm than the virus itself.

Last week the UKHSA announced that in light of clinical experience during this outbreak it is updating the case definition for monkeypox.

The expanded symptom list includes a single lesion or lesions on the genitals, anus and surrounding area, lesions in the mouth, and symptoms of proctitis (anal or rectal pain or bleeding), especially if the individual has had a new sexual partner recently.

If you get infected with monkeypox, it usually takes between five and 21 days for the first symptoms to appear.

The first symptoms of monkeypox include:

Fever

Headache

Muscle aches

Backache

Swollen glands

Shivering (chills)

Exhaustion

A rash usually appears 1 to 5 days after the appearance of fever, often beginning on the face, then spreading to other parts of the body including the genitals, hands and feet. The rash changes and goes through different stages, and can look like chickenpox, before finally forming a scab, which later falls off.

The symptoms usually clear up in two to four weeks.

Monkeypox can be spread when a person comes into close contact with a person infected with the virus or contaminated items the infected person has touched.

The virus enters the body through broken skin (even if not visible), respiratory tract, or the mucous membranes (eyes, nose, or mouth).

Person-to-person spread is uncommon, but may occur through touching clothing, bedding or towels used by an infected person, touching monkeypox skin lesions or scabs, particularly if your own skin has sores or cuts and the coughs or sneezes of an infected person.

The majority of people with monkeypox can safely manage their symptoms. Most people experience mild disease but it can cause a significant illness in some, requiring hospitalisation, including for severe pain.

The ministers added: We should all be aware of the risks and symptoms of monkeypox and be careful when attending events and situations where close contact may occur.

People concerned about symptoms should contact NHS 111 or a sexual health service. Further information is available on the Public Health Wales website.

While the World Health Organisation has now declared the monkeypox outbreak a public health emergency of international concern, and although more people have been diagnosed with monkeypox recently, the number of people affected overall in Wales, and the UK, remains low and the risk of catching monkeypox is extremely low.

It is important also to be aware that evidence shows that the virus is treatable, and whilst there are specific antiviral treatments available for monkeypox, the illness is usually mild. Most of those infected will not require treatment and will recover by themselves within a few weeks.

However, Public Health Wales and partners continue to monitor the situation in Wales on an ongoing basis and work with UKHSA on the response.

If you think you have monkeypox symptoms  however mild you should contact NHS 111 or call a sexual health clinic immediately  and avoid close personal or sexual contact with others until youve consulted a medical professional.
Wrexhams Inspector Luke Hughes has given the now usual detailed breakdown of an unusual night in town.

The ever popular update from the local policing team covers a sample of the calls for service over the previous police day 24 hour period.

Todays update references 53 incidents reported  and a call to police to let them know someone would be walking around in a chicken costume.

Last night also saw police called to a local hotel just after 7pm, and then extra officers brought in from outside the area to attend a call later in the evening.

As always, the full update is below

In for 05:30hrs today, I still maintain its the best time of the day, I find an empty police station which is a worry as it usually the time of night that officers are back in and typing up the nights events. Its a apparent that they are out looking for a wanted male, a number of early morning address checks, not located, but we will in time. It was also apparent that they had a very busy night dealing with a significant incident of disorder at a local hotel, but more on that later

Wrexham is hosting a play day today and the sun is shining so if you are free pop along, a great opportunity to meet some of the local NPT who will be out and about. Which leads onto the Engagement Hub  not sure I like that name so Im trying to think of something less corporate you may have seen in the press yesterday that we have identified an unused shop to occupy during the summer months, I think its perfectly placed for seeing and being seen, I just need to roll my sleeves up and give it a tidy and move some furniture in, hopefully up and running in the next few days.

In the last 24hrs officers have dealt with a variety of incidents as some outlined below, I must add that your staff are amongst the busiest in the force, they work 12 hours shifts and always get on with business without compliant, I am incredibly proud of what we do day in and day out, sometimes we get it right sometimes maybe you think we could have done it better, but ultimately it is always done with the best intention.

There is a facility to provide feedback via the NWP website and I was really pleased to read a review of one of our officers who helped a member of the public who had taken a fall, people are quick to complain at times and the officers and I certainly take it to heart. So to see someone going out of their way to provide positive feedback was really fantastic.

So onto the review, 53 incidents reported, the usual variety, missing personal, concerns, mental health issues, property etc but also..

08:50hrs  Call from member of the public advising his friend would be walking around in a chicken costume ok

09:57hrs  report of two Irish registered vehicles deliberately not paying for fuel at a town centre petrol station. Details circulated to local officers.

12:07hrs  parcel potentially stolen from doorstep of property, occurred on the 1st August  please try and specify a safe place / neighbour rather than simply leaving things on your doorstep, just in case.

A few incidents reported during this time, including a low level shoplifting that requires follow up, female detained.

19:22hrs  first report to local hotel, reporting that a number of people have travelled into the area for a wedding, that there is the potential for issues as a result, officers attend and confirm a large wedding reception taking place and around 200 people present.

19:46hrs  reports of a male begging in Plas Coch  I have mentioned this male before, he portrays himself as homeless, he is not, he has conditions not to be present at the location due to abuse he has given people, he has also been seen to throw away food he has been given by kind members of the public as he wants money.

Please dont encourage this behaviour; he has a significant support network available to him.

21:08hrs  Report of a small group of youths causing issues near a bowling alley, if your children state they are going to this location please hold them to account as on occasion some of their behaviour is questionable.

23:12hrs  officers are inevitably called back to what is now serious disorder at the aforementioned hotel. As stated a significant number, circa 200 have travelled into the area to attend a wedding, sadly they do not conduct themselves well, there are far too many younger persons present, emotions run high and boil over, officers attend and deal with sporadic fighting over a period of two hours, it necessitates officers from outside the area travelling in to deal with and resolve issues. I find it embarrassing that people behave like this, that they cant conduct themselves appropriately and waste officers time dealing with this nonsense on a random Tuesday evening two female officers receive superficial injuries as a result  totally disgraceful behaviour.

No arrests have been made yet but I can assure those in attendance that we are reviewing body worn video and CCTV, I suspect we will be in touch.
Austrian medical doctor Lisa-Maria Kellermayr was found dead in her local practice last Friday. She apparently committed suicide after receiving numerous threats from right-wing anti-vaxxers.

At the end of June, the family doctor had announced the closure of her practice in Seewalchen. She had been receiving death threats for no less than seven months. After the police and authorities did nothing, Dr. Kellermayr had to take security measures herself.

She hired a security service, which assigned an employee to the practice during office hours. A panic room was set up in the practice and several video cameras installed. She had spent around 100,000 on this.

In mid-July, she declared that she could no longer afford the enormous costs and that her employees were no longer able to work under normal circumstances. Therefore, she closed the practice at that time. Just one day before her death, she conducted an interview with Der Spiegel. There she explained how important the practice was to her and how much the loss hurt her.

Dr. Kellermayr had treated patients who had become infected right after the pandemic began. She always relied on the latest scientific evidence, advocated for extensive and rapid vaccinations and for necessary protective measures such as masks and social distancing. On social media, she warned of the dangers of infection.

Opponents of the coronavirus measures protest with torches in Vienna, Austria, Nov. 20, 2021 (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda, file)

This brought coronavirus deniers and anti-vaxxers from the far-right milieu to the scene. They deluged the doctor with a flood of hate messages. As the weekly magazine Falter reported, she was insulted as a system sheep and a stupid sow, among other things. But it went much further. A certain Claas, the killer threatened to slaughter her after painting the walls of the practice with the brains of your employees. Other threats are so foul and violent that we will not reproduce them here.

The physician turned to the police and security authorities, but received no help. On the contrary, the Upper Austria police played a decisive role in making the doctor a target of the attacks.

Last year, Dr. Kellermayr tweeted about a demonstration by coronavirus deniers who, under the eyes of the police, had left the planned route and blocked the entrance to a hospital and the access road for emergency services.

Police responded by publicly calling the tweet a false report, demonstratively standing behind the far-right coronavirus deniers and asserting there had been no obstruction or other criminal acts.

Coronavirus deniers then published Dr. Kellermayrs address on the internet and openly called for the doctor to be terrorised. A request to the police to remove the comment that had mobilized the right-wingers was ignored.

In the further course of events, it soon became apparent that this was not an oversight. The Upper Austrian police press spokesman told the O1 midday TV news journal that Dr. Kellermayr only wanted to promote her own career and push herself into the public eye by criticizing the police.

As the incidents reported became more and more brutal, the police investigated for a short time, only to halt all efforts again. There were no recognizable indications of danger or suspicion, they claimed. Even when Dr. Kellermayr asked political representatives from all Austrias parliamentary parties for help, she did not receive it.

She received a similar response from the German authorities. A man from Bavaria, whose identity was known, tweeted that the doctor would be brought before a peoples tribunala thinly veiled death threat. Dr. Kellermayr took legal action against him. The German authorities, however, saw the statement as covered by freedom of expression and took no action.

In fact, it very quickly became clear that the far-right scene in Germany and Austria was behind the terror. Nella Al-Lami, an IT expert and hacker from Germany, came across the case and was able to find out the identity of Claas the Killer within a few hours. The person in question is a neo-Nazi known to the police in Germany.

The reaction of the Austrian authorities to Al-Lamis success in exposing the perpetrator was significant. The spokesman for the Wels public prosecutors office, Christoph Weber, criticized the hacker. He said her research was technically and substantively incomprehensible. It was not known, he said, whether she might not have researched the darknet for her conclusions.

The scandalous behaviour of the security authorities, which in Germany and Austria are themselves known to be riddled with far-right forces, played a central role in the tragic death of the self-sacrificing 36-year-old doctor.

But political responsibility lies with Austrias government, a coalition of Christian Democrats and Greens. The few crocodile tears shed by Viennese government officials after Dr. Kellermayrs death cannot hide this fact. It has de facto adopted the program of the extreme right in the pandemic and removed all protective measures. In doing so, it has strengthened and emboldened the forces that incited Dr. Kellermayr to her death.

Like all other governments worldwide, the Peoples Party (OVP) and the Greens are pursuing a herd immunity policy allowing the virus to spread throughout the population. Austria has played a pioneering role in this since the beginning of the pandemiclockdown measures were lifted early on. As a result, the number of infections and deaths has kept reaching new records.

Most recently, the previously agreed upon mandatory vaccination programme was also abolished. Although this measure alone would not have prevented the spread of coronavirus, it would have contributed to the significantly better protection of large parts of the population against a severe illness following infection.

The Austrian government bears responsibility for the thousands of illnesses and deaths that have been accepted in order to ensure that the profit interests of a narrow elite went unthreatened since the beginning of the pandemic. So far, nearly 4.8 million people in Austria have been infected, and more than 20,000 have died from COVID-19.

Currently, the numbers are rising again: 1,600 people are currently undergoing treatment in hospital, 88 of whom are receiving intensive care. On Sunday, 5,714 new infections were reported. However, the infection figures do not reflect the actual situation by a long shot. Since testing facilities are hardly available anymore, experts assume infection figures are many times higher.

With the lifting of all quarantine regulations, which came into force on Monday, Chancellor Karl Nehammer (OVP) and Health Minister Johannes Rauch (Greens) have now fully adopted the demands of the far-right Austrian Freedom Party (FPO). Only a few days earlier, the FPOs health spokesman Gerhard Kaniak had described a continuation of the quarantine measures as obsolete.

It is this inhuman policy that strengthens right-wing extremist forces and encourages them to take action against anyone who calls for measures to contain the pandemic on a rational, scientific basis. In enforcing the brutal profits-before-lives policy, all the establishment parties are relying on the fascistic dregs of society.
One year ago, on July 27, 2021, one of the German chemical industrys worst industrial accidents in recent history occurred at Chempark Leverkusen, north of Cologne. Seven workers died in the explosion of a tank farm for the disposal of chemical waste. The bodies of two workers killed in the accident were recovered immediately. Five were initially considered missing. The seventh fatality was only discovered several days later.

Extinguishing efforts after the explosion in Chempark Leverkusen on July 27, 2021 (Photo: Currenta)

The bereaved families, the wives and children of the workers who lost their lives, have suffered greatly, exacerbated by the fact that the cause of the accident has still not been fully clarified and responsible parties at the company have not been held accountable.

One woman widowed in the previous years catastrophe told the Rheinische Post, I feel a part of me has been amputated. Her husband was working the early shift the day of the accident. The couple, with a young daughter, had been happy. They had bought a house and had dreams and plans. The disaster at the chemical park operator Correnta plunged them and other families into an abyss.

The question torments those affected as well as workers in the Chempark: how could the disaster have happened, and who is to blame? I sincerely hope that those responsible are held accountable. Even if it doesn't bring our loved ones back, the widowed mother told the Rheinische Post. But she is only put off by the company and told that it will still take time. Moreover, her lawyer, she says, had not yet been given access to relevant files.

Chempark, with sites in Leverkusen, Dormagen and Krefeld, is one of the largest chemical parks in Europe. At the end of 2016, around 48,000 people were employed by some 70 companies and service providers located there. These include the Bayer chemical group and many of its spinoffs. Currenta is the company operating the Chempark. The company belonged to Bayer as the Industry Services division until 2007. Bayer held a majority stake in Currenta until three years ago. Then the Australian financial investor Macquarie took over the majority of the company.

The explosion occurred in the tank farm of the Chempark waste disposal center in Leverkusen-Burrig. This is where the chemical waste from all Chempark companies is recycled and disposed of, as well as hazardous waste from external companies. Affected by the explosion, which caused a fire in the tank farm, were three tanks containing organic solvents. Each tank was filled with 200,000 to 300,000 liters. All were completely or partially destroyed, as the head of Chempark, Lars Friedrich, announced after the explosion.

It was clear shortly after the explosion that chemical reactions had occurred in these tanks. However, the operator Currenta only ever released information it was forced by the authorities to provide. As such it took exceedingly long before a clear picture of the course of the accident and its cause emerged.

Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR) reported on June 17, 2022, that both Currenta and temporary workers killed or injured in the explosion had been given insufficient information about the hazardous nature of the waste: In the case of the large explosion at the Leverkusen Chempark, the employees of the hazardous waste facility apparently did not have the necessary information about the hazardous nature of the waste. This emerged from a report to the state parliament from the state of North Rhine-Westphalias Ministry of the Environment. Among other important details, information about the heat sensitivity of the waste was determined to be missing.

The report states: From the investigations into the cause of the accident carried out so far, it has emerged that for the temperature-sensitive waste delivered from Denmark, not all the necessary information was available about the hazardousness of the waste, such as its tendency to decompose with simultaneous self-heating and volume expansion.

The report continues, The deficiencies of information about the overall process, from waste generation to transportation to incineration, resulted in the waste being handled and stored in tank number 3 above the self-heating temperature, heating up more and more as the pressure increased, and eventually causing the tank to explode.

In other words, the workers killed by the explosion were knowingly sent to their death. Currenta's management had not informed itself and accordingly made no warnings and took no safety measures to prevent the explosion. Here again the maxim profits before lives applied in the truest sense.

And this is no exaggeration! In March of this year, WDR reported that Currenta had failed to meet essential conditions required for the operation of such a dangerous plant. Ever more new details are coming to light about the explosion at the Leverkusen Chempark. They raise the question of whether financial interests were more important than quality and safety. In other words, the question of whether profits were deemed more important than the lives of the workers. It is apparent that the answer to this question is yes.

The WDR report proved that Currenta's hazardous waste incineration plant had not met essential conditions imposed on it by the Cologne district government. As early as spring 2021, several months before the fatal explosion in July, the safety control centers at Currentas Dormagen, Krefeld and Leverkusen sites had been given unapproved status. In order to save on personnel, the control centers were no longer manned around the clock. Additionally, Currenta had switched to a new software system without authorization.

Reporting by the WDR magazine Westpol uncovered safety deficiencies at Currenta at the end of February. In an internal paper, employees reported frequent crashes of the complex technical systems in the security center, including on the day of the explosion. Currenta management, on the other hand, spoke only of occasional partial crashes that had no relevance to operations on the day of the accident.

This non-exhaustive list continues: On February 9 of this year there was another explosion at the Leverkusen Chempark that caused a gas leak. Only nine days earlier, there had been a deflagration on the site in which four workers were injured.

In June of this year, Currenta partially restarted the waste incineration plant.

The Cologne public prosecutors office is now investigating four employees of the operator of the waste disposal plant, among other things for negligent homicide and negligently causing an explosion. They are suspected of having neglected their duty to take precautions in connection with the storage and handling of the waste, thus causing the accident.

The initiative Coordination gegen Bayer-Gefahren (Coordination against Bayer-Danger, CBG) pointed out months ago that the first three suspects were workers and not those actually responsible for Bayer or Currenta, who had merely shifted their own responsibility downwards.

With this approach, the public prosecutors office is going after the little people while letting the big ones go. Not the workers, rather the management of Currenta and Bayer need be targeted! said Marius Stelzmann of CBG.

He added, As is now known, this is about organizational failure, and those who planned, built and operated the plant are liable for this, i.e., the management of the current operator Currenta and those responsible at Bayer who built and operated the plant. Last but not least, an economic approach at Currenta oriented solely to the profit principle contributed to the neglect of safety requirements and thus to the disaster.

CBG also points to the responsibility of politics and administration. Authorities did not carry out regular safety checks. The last time, before the accident, that officials from the district government had visited the Chempark in Leverkusen was in 2018. Stricter safety requirements were omitted so as not to interfere with the profit interests of the corporations.

One must not omit the role and responsibility of the works council and trade union at Currenta. These organizations understand their primary task to be protecting Currenta from critical questions.

One month after the explosion, Currenta Works Council Chairman Artur Oblong made this clear during a council meeting in Leverkusen. In response to critical questions about the company's lack of transparency, he said that uncertaintyincluding among the general publicarose primarily because supposed experts are quoted from wherever.

There is indeed a great deal of uncertainty among the population. There is justified fear that new explosions and accidents at the nearby Chempark and hazardous waste incinerator could affect and endanger everyone.

One resident, Gisela Kronenberg, who lives less than 2 kilometers from the Leverkusen hazardous waste incinerator, remembers the day she heard the loud bang of the explosion.

I immediately went to the terrace and took a video of the huge cloud. Probably every person in Leverkusen knows where they were that day. Its comparable to September 11, she told WDR on the anniversary of the accident. Since then, many in the immediate vicinity have lived with constant fear of further serious accidents at the Currenta site.

After the terrible explosion, Currenta refused to immediately release information about the exact chemical composition of the toxic substances that were contained in the huge cloud that went to ground in the surrounding area in the form of black soot. Similarly, Currenta initially denied that groundwater or the Rhine were contaminated. It later became known that a defective valve in a wastewater pipe had caused contaminated water from firefighting efforts to flow for months into a sewage treatment plant and then into the Rhine.
New York State will begin paying health care workers bonuses of up to $3,000 as part of the governor's plan to bolster the state's health care industry after many left the profession due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Health care jobs have been difficult to fill, and there are 9,300 job openings for health care workers in New York, Gov. Kathy Hochul said. The state is facing a "severe shortage" of workers in hospitals, nursing homes, long-term care facilities and for in-home care, she said.

To combat the shortage, Hochul has allocated $20 billion in the state budget to support health care workers, raise their wages and upgrade aging infrastructure and equipment. The $1.3 billion New York State Health Care and Mental Hygiene Worker Bonus Program is part of that.

Employers can now apply for the bonuses for their eligible employees through the state's online portal at nysworkerbonus.com, Hochul announced Wednesday.

NY budget finalized, with multiyear, $20B plan for health care In January, Gov. Kathy Hochul unveiled her budget proposal, calling particular attention to her $10 billion multiyear plan to bolster the state's health care industry. She called it the "largest investment in health care in state history." Fast forward three months, and that $10 billion swelled to $20 billion.

Workers who make less than $125,000 a year, not including other bonuses or overtime pay, and have been in their positions for at least six months are eligible for the bonuses.

"They're the foundation of our medical system," Hochul said of health care workers during a press conference. "They got us through the last two-and-a-half years. There's no doubt about it  thank God for them  but it did come at a physical cost and emotional cost, and they're overworked and underpaid."

Staffing was a major issue during the nearly six-week strike at Mercy Hospital in South Buffalo last year, and it is a main issue during the ongoing negotiations between Kaleida Health and unions representing about 6,300 of its workers.

Kaleida alone has hundreds of local job openings, and the health system has turned to high-priced travel workers to fill staffing gaps. Kaleida Chief Administrative Officer Mike Hughes said last month that the system is on track to spend $97 million this year on travel workers, nearly seven times more than the $14.5 million it spent in 2021.

With workers hard to find, especially at the low end of the wage scale, the state's more than 600 nursing homes also are scrambling to comply with a New York staffing law that took effect April 1 and requires each facility to provide 3.5 hours of nursing care per resident per day.

With the bonus program, employers will receive the bonus money from the government and must pay their employees within 30 days, according to the state.

Eligible employees are those who "provide hands-on health care services," ranging from counselors and therapists to dental assistants, nurses and pharmacists. Dozens of positions are eligible, according to the state.

Employees will be paid based on the number of hours they work. Those who work at least 35 hours a week can get up to $3,000 over two payments, while those who work fewer hours are eligible for bonuses between $500 and $2,000, according to the state.

"We still have to keep these health care workers," Hochul said, adding many nurses have left the state for more lucrative travel contracts. "(This is) a sign of our gratitude, but also just to lift their financial burden."

A road increasingly traveled: Fed-up nurses turn to lucrative travel work. But how long can it last? Perhaps no current issue looms larger for WNY's hospitals, paying huge costs to travel agencies amid a staffing pinch and desperately searching for permanent employees to lessen their reliance on high-priced temporary workers.

The bonus program is one part of Hochul's plan to combat the worker shortage and grow the state's health care workforce by 20% over the next five years. The state budget includes $20 million for more programs and initiatives to bolster the industry, including:

 1,000 full-tuition scholarships for nursing students. The Nurses for Our Future Scholarship covers tuition for students studying nursing at SUNY or CUNY schools who remain in the state for two years after graduation. The state saw 63,000 applicants for the 1,000 slots, Hochul said. The scholarship recipients were chosen by a lottery system.

 $7.7 billion to increase wages for home health care aides by $3 an hour over the next 18 months.

 $2.4 billion to upgrade antiquated health care infrastructure and lab capacity.

 $4 billion in aid to hospitals struggling as a result of the pandemic. Many hospitals took a "huge financial hit" during the pandemic when they canceled elective surgeries and other services to focus on caring for Covid-19 patients, Hochul said.
Workers held a two-day unofficial strike over pay and working conditions at the Cranswick Continental Foods processing plant in Pilsworth, Bury last week.

Workers in two shifts were involved and put forward demands based around seven points, including an increase in the number of staff on each production line; increased overtime pay to 50 percent of the hourly rate; increased pay in line with the national minimum wage increase; a 1 an hour increase for everyone in Cranswick; a stop to increasing production rates; and improved working conditions.

The Cranswick plant in Bury [Photo: WSWS]

A similar strike took place at Cranswicks Preston, Hull site in December 2018, when 200 workers walked out over poor pay and working conditions. That strike was in defiance of the GMB trade union which the company said it had been working with for a number of months prior to the wildcat action.

Staff at the Bury plant told World Socialist Web Site reporters that they had a 30 minute break during a shift and two further ten-minute breaks in which they are able to go to the canteen and get a drink. An indication of the exploitative practises being deployed by the firm is that it describes these breaks, which are not in workers contracts, as comfort breaks.

Due to the production targets workers are expected to meet, staff were frequently taking breaks longer than 10 minutes to recover. They were extended to 15 minutes with the agreement of the company. One worker told the Manchester Evening News, A lot of people feel that because of the targets they have to meet during that break time they need to rest, have a coffee. Generally they have marshals now in the canteen and they send you back on the line.

Another said, People are tired, exhausted, and just want to have proper breaks - drink, rest. If you want to go to the toilet you can go, if you want a sip of water you have that but there is no proper break.

A worker told the WSWS that it was the company cancelling the 15-minute breaks which sparked the walkout. Staff only went back to work having been told by management that the breaks would stay in place, but only for one month, before they are cut back to 10 minutes. A worker told the WSWS that would mean we will be out [on strike] again.

Other grievances included low pay and staff cuts. A worker told our reporter, We got a new director one year ago and now its horrible. Its a hard job, hard working in the cold. This was the same director, they explained, who had been at the Hull plant in 2018 when conditions led to a walkout there.

Another worker complained about staff shortages: There are only two people on the line when there should be double that. One said, for example, that in one non-production department workers now have double the work and have to do everything, work for two people.

A production worker said that some staff did 37.5 hours a week, some 40 hours and others up to 47 hours. Everyone should be on decent pay and the same hours, he said.

Another grievance was that agency staff working alongside full-time contracted workers, and doing the same job, were paid less. A worker said that on a line there could be six or seven people and five could be on 11.05 and hour and the next person on only 10.85. Workers could be kept on agency wages for a year before being taken on as contracted staff, the employee explained.

A young agency worker told the WSWS about inadequate breaks: Im on line 3 for eight hours, with half an hour for dinner and one break. The worker said that after an allotted break had been taken, If you need the toilet they say no.

Cranswick employs 7,000 workers across 16 sites in the UK, producing fresh pork, gourmet sausages, cooked meat, air-dried bacon, cooked poultry, charcuterie, sandwiches and pastry products.

The 28 million purpose-built plant in Bury began operations at the Roach Bank Road site in 2018, employing around 600 workers from 52 different nationalities, including many from Eastern Europe.

Profits have grown at the company, with Cranswick posting a pre-tax profit rise of 5.6 percent to March 26 this year, up to 136.9 million. Revenues rose 5.8 percent to just over 2 billion, for the first time in the corporations history.

Workers explained that during the lockdown the Bury factory had remained open and some employees contracted COVID.

In 2020, three workers at Cranswicks Wombwell processing plant outside Barnsley in South Yorkshire died following a COVID-19 outbreak. Seven workers ended up being hospitalised.

At the time the Guardian reported comments from a family member about the working conditions in the Wombwell plant. Speaking anonymously, she said that employees had initially been told that social distancing was not possible and masks would not be available because they were needed by the National Health Service.

Unlike in meat processing plants in Northern Ireland, where COVID cases had occurred, no deep cleaning had taken place and social distancing had only been implemented in the canteen area after the outbreak.

Due to their only receiving statutory sick pay (at the time 98.85 a week), many workers at the Barnsley plant went into work unwell as they could not afford to take time off. Workers families were worried that those having to go into work would bring COVID back home, infecting their families.

Cranswick has a record of safety breaches and dangerous working conditions that have led to workers protesting.

In May 2007, cleaner Lynda Trebilock died horrifically when her head was cut off in a giant meat blending machine at a DeliCo Ltd plant in Buckinghamshire. DeliCo had been bought by Cranswick Convenience Foods the previous year. DeliCo were fined 160,000 over the incident after being found guilty of breaching the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.

In December 2009, James Hardcastle, a worker at the Wombwell plant, lost his hand when his arm became trapped in a machine. Investigations later showed that a supervisor had overridden a safety device and Hardcastle, who had been feeding meat into the machine, got his arm caught, leading to his hand having to be amputated.

Three months later another worker, Liam Hodgson, lost two of his fingers on his right hand when feeding plastic film used to wrap meats into a machine.

The conditions revealed in the Bury plant walkoutlow pay, long hours and exhausted staff working in cold conditions being monitored by marshals and refused toilet breaksare reminiscent of the brutal conditions in the dozens of textile factories which existed in the town in Victorian England. They underscore the offensive being carried out by the corporations who are ramping up their profits after declaring the pandemic overat the expense of the pay and conditions of their workforce.

Workers everywhere are confronting the same attacks, combined with spiralling price rises making it impossible to live. The trade unions have allowed conditions such as those which exist at Cranswick to become part of normal working life. They offer no programme for a fightback today.

The Socialist Equality Party encourages workers at Cranswick to form a rank-and-file committee to take their struggle forward, in alliance with other workers across the company and in the wider food industry. The SEP offers every assistance and urges workers to contact us.
The German Historical Museum (Deutsches Historisches Museum, DHM) in central Berlin is currently home to a remarkable exhibition, Karl Marx and Capitalism. It opened in early February and runs through August 21.

Karl Marx in London in 1861 [Photo by International Institute of Social History, Amsterdam]

Twenty years ago, if someone had said that the German Historical Museum would soon be showing an exhibition entitled Karl Marx and Capitalism, it would probably have provoked incredulous astonishment, explained curator Sabine Kritter at the exhibitions opening.

After the failure of real socialism (the misleading term applied to the former Stalinist East Germany, the German Democratic Republic), Marxism and Marx himself were seemingly finished and the word capitalism had been discredited as a combative polemical term, Kritter asserted. But against the backdrop of the financial and economic crisis of 2007-2008, increasing social inequalities and the enormous concentration of wealth, there is a lively debate about Marxs theories in the public sphere, but also in the social sciences, in philosophy and in the cultural sphere.

For many today, Kritter said, the question was whether capitalism was capable of finding answers to these pressing social problems. And that brings Marx, who was the first to try to figure out the mechanisms and interconnections of capitalism, back to the forefront as a social ... critic.

Polls registering opinions about Karl Marx, displayed at the entrance to the exhibition, attest to the high level of interest. Some 43 percent of respondents and 60 percent of 16-to-22-year-olds are convinced that Marxs critique of capitalism can help them better understand the problems of modern economic life. Visiting the exhibition, one is struck by how many young people are present.

The exhibition organizers have set themselves the task of considering Marx in his era and understanding his work first in its 19th-century context, as the preface to the catalogue states. From this, they hope to gain a better understanding of his impact on the 20th and 21st centuries. They succeed in the former, but not in the latterfor reasons we will discuss in the second half of this review.

Although the exhibition is confined to one large space, it provides a comprehensive look at Marxs life, his political and theoretical work, his role as a revolutionary and the dramatic changes of his time.

Those responsible have taken great pains and care to bring the subject to a wide audience. They use numerous means to do so: from short texts in German and English to portraits, sketches, paintings, interactive installations and reproductions of objectssuch as an early version of the Spinning Mule, a spinning machine that multiplied labour productivityto a board game called Strikes that the Marx family used to play.

Numerous video and audio presentations reinforce the themes. Those who have the time can rent an audio guide, which features more detailed commentary as well as original quotes from Marxs works.

The exhibition is divided into seven thematic areas, framed by a prologue on the stages of Marxs life and an epilogue on his reception and historical influence.

From the Critique of Religion to the Critique of Society deals with the 1840s, when Marx, working closely with Friedrich Engels, broke with the critical idealism of the Young Hegelians and the mechanical materialism of Ludwig Feuerbach, developing his materialist conception of history and the perspective of proletarian revolution, which found their brilliant summing up in the Communist Manifesto of 1848.

On display here, among other things, is a handwritten page from Marxs Theses on Feuerbach (1845), the eleventh of which reads: Philosophers have hitherto only interpreted the world in various ways; the point is to change it.

Jewish Emancipation and Anti-Semitism deals with the anti-Semitism of his day. The exhibition proves that Marx, who occasionally used anti-Jewish stereotypes in his early writing On the Jewish Question and in private letters about Ferdinand Lassalle, was not an anti-Semite, but, on the contrary, consistently advocated the political emancipation of the Jews.

Revolution and Violence focuses on the two revolutions in which Marx himself participatedthe bourgeois revolution of 1848, which spread throughout France and Germany to numerous European countries, and the Paris Commune of 1871. As editor-in-chief of the daily Neue Rheinische Zeitung, Marx played a leading role on the left wing of the 1848 revolution. In 1871, he supported and defended the Paris Commune as a leading figure of the International Workingmens Association.

This thematic area is one of the most interesting in the exhibition, as it gives a sense of the tremendous momentum that the intervention of the masses into politics produced and the extent of the counterrevolutionary violence with which the rulers responded.

Marx extracted critical lessons from each revolution. From the revolutions of 1848-49, which resulted in defeat because of the cowardice of the petty-bourgeois democrats, he concluded that it was essential for the working class to organize independently of them and to make the revolution permanent until all the more or less possessing classes were ousted from power. From the defeat of the Paris Commune, he concluded that the working class could not simply take over the bourgeois state apparatus, but had to build its own apparatus of rule. Both conclusions are hardly addressed in the DHM exhibition.

Exhibition view with historical Spinning Mule [Photo by Deutsches Historisches Museum/Yves Sucksdorff]

The thematic area New Technologies provides an insight into the dynamics of technological and economic upheaval in the 19th century, whichstarting in Englanddrove millions of peasants off the land and transformed them into proletarians.

Marx was aware that capitalism, as a system of exploitation, also destroys the natural foundations or, as he wrote at the end of the first volume of Capital, the original sources of all wealth: the soil and the labourer. This is shown in the theme Nature and Economy.

Economy and Crisis looks at Marxs magnum opus, Das Kapital in German, and highlights economic developments, especially the Great Depression of 1857, which Marx studied in depth while working on Capital.

Struggles and Movements looks at Marxs role as an active politician, particularly his work at the head of the International Workingmens Association, which was founded in 1864 and dissolved in 1876. Against a backdrop of rapid growth in the workers movement, the First International played an important role in clarifying political perspectives and distinguishing the socialist workers movement from Mikhail Bakunins anarchism and other petty-bourgeois currents.

Visitors listen to the debate between Marx, Bakunin and Lassalle [Photo by Deutsches Historisches Museum/Yves Sucksdorff]

Among the most important exhibits here are debates between Marx, Bakunin and Lassalle, mounted from original quotes. Lassalle regarded himself as a socialist, but, unlike Marx, was prepared to support the bourgeois state and even met with Germanys chancellor Otto von Bismarck for secret talks. Unfortunately, these arguments can only be heard through one headphone at a time.

Marxs Reception and Impact

At this point, the exhibition falls off abruptly. The epilogue on Marxs Reception and Impact feels like a cold shower. A few pictures and posters hang in a small room, without explanation or context.

Images of Marxs original grave and a large memorial erected later are meant to document the difference between the historical and the idealized, monumentalized Marx of the 20th century, according to the catalogue. Anti-communist posters produced by Hitlers NSDAP (Nazi Party) and the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) represent the hostility to Marxism.

Reception and Impact exhibition room [Photo by Deutsches Historisches Museum/Yves Sucksdorff]

Other photographs show images of Marx and Engels at demonstrations in Angola, Cuba and China. Former Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is also shown with a picture of Marx, as is a gathering of Pol Pots Khmer Rouge leadership with portraits of Marx and Engels in the backgroundas if the mass murderer Pol Pot, who pushed Maoist-style Stalinism to its ultimate conclusion and incited backward peasants against the working class and intelligentsia of the cities, had anything to do with Marx or Marxism.

Not present, on the other hand, is the most important event of the 20th century based on Marxs teachings, the 1917 October Revolution in Russia. And, as was the case in the Stalinist Soviet Union, there is a deathly silence about the most outstanding Marxist of the 20th century, Leon Trotsky. He apparently does not belong to the history of Marxisms impact from the DHMs point of view.

While the exhibitions Epilogue is as scanty as it is vacuous, the exhibition catalogue deals more intensively with Marxs impact. It contains a cacophony of individual contributions, ranging from interesting observations to clumsy anti-communism and postmodernist nonsense that one forgets as quickly as one reads it.

Literary scholar Patrick Eiden-Offe, for example, claims that Marxs conception of the one proletariat that could be proclaimed the world-moving power was a monumental fantasy. This is despite the fact that the international working class today numbers in the billions and is intimately bound together by the global division of labour and digital communications, and that international wealth is concentrated in the hands of a few thousand billionaires!

Princeton historian Harold James calls the so-called collapse theory [of Marx] a relic of the revolutionary aspirations of the 1840s that demonstrated no connection to the rest of Capital. And this in the face of capitalisms deepest crisis since the 1930s and the 2008 financial market meltdown!

The unavoidable Gerd Koenen is not absent from the catalogue either. Koenen, who like a number of German historians, journalists and politicians has seamlessly evolved from a Maoist-style Stalinist into a rabid anti-communist, contributes an attack on Vladimir Lenin, whom he accuses of having unjustly usurped Marx and of being responsible for Stalinism.

On the other hand, there are also contributions such as that of Serbian-American economist Branko Milanovic, who pays tribute to Marx anddespite many inconsistenciesobserves that the irreducible revolutionary core in his thinking would always appeal to those people who want to change the existing order of things. Milanovic writes: No amount of photoshopping can transform the revolutionary Marx into a law-abiding, cautious and moderate leftist of today. As long as capitalism exists, he says, Marx will be read as its most astute analyst.

Those responsible for the exhibition attempt to justify this cacophony by blaming Marx himself for it. Like Marxs work itself, the history of his impact was and is ambivalent, write curator Kritter and academic advisor Jurgen Herres in the Introduction to the Exhibitionan assertion that runs like a thread through the catalogue and exhibition.

This is doubly wrong.

First, there is hardly any other thinker who developed and deepened his worldview as clearly, straightforwardly and consistently as Marx. His thought underwent an evolution, but that is something entirely different from ambivalence.

Marxs thinking shifted most sharply and rapidly in the years 1843 to 1848, whenin close collaboration with Engelshe broke with Hegelian idealism and developed the basic features of the world view to which he adhered throughout his life. He extended philosophical materialism to history and social relations and proved that socialism of necessity results from the law-governed unfolding of the inner contradictions of the capitalist system.

Marx did not limit himself to recognizing that history was a history of class struggle. This had been discovered by others before him. Marx proved that the existence of classes was tied to certain historical phases in the development of production, that the class struggle necessarily led to the rule of the proletariat and that this itself formed only the transition to the abolition of all classes and to a classless society.

Throughout his life Marx remained true to his maxim, developed in the debate with Feuerbach, that it was not enough to interpret the world in various ways, but the point was to change it. He saw in science a great lever of history, a revolutionary force in the truest sense of the word, as Engels pointed out at Marxs gravesite. The struggle for the liberation of the class of wage laborers from the fetters of the modern capitalist system of production was his true vocation.

It is in the nature of Marxs revolutionary worldview, which sees society in constant flux and scientific knowledge as an unending process of penetrating the objective world, to be continually evolving. There is hardly a political or social event, an economic development or a scientific discovery that Marx did not follow closely and use as the basis for further deepening his views. This, too, is made clear in the exhibition.

One of the better contributions in the catalogue, written by American historian James M. Brophy, defends Marx against the charge of Eurocentrism. He describes the interest with which Marx studied the history of the American Revolution, followed US political and economic developments, hailed the abolition of slavery as a world event and foresaw the rise of the United States as the leading capitalist power at a very early date.

The progressive recognition of a changing world, as already noted, is something quite different from equivocal ambiguity. To claim that Marxs ambivalent impact on historythat is, the fact that political figures as diverse and sometimes deeply reactionary as Stalin, Mao, Pol Pot and Chavez adorned themselves with his quotations and imagesis due to the alleged ambivalence of Marxs work is the height of falsification. Instead of pursuing the question as to whether these figures correctly invoked Marx or whether they twisted and abused him, the great originator and pioneer is blamed for all the later falsifications of his work.

Lenin, Stalin, and Trotsky

This historical lie culminates in the claim, also made by Herres and Kritter, that Lenin and later Stalin transformed Marx into the founder of a coherent systemscientific socialism. It is the familiar and utterly false attempt to equate Lenin, the leader of the first victorious proletarian revolution in world history, with its subsequent gravedigger, Stalin.

Leninalong with Trotsky, Rosa Luxemburg and a few otherscounted among Marxs most creative students, defending the revolutionary spirit of his teachings against an older generation that made its peace with capitalism and openly switched sides in the First World War. Those who read his works are always surprised by the meticulous care with which he drew on the writings of Marx and Engels.

Article on Karl Marx and the Paris Commune in Leipzig's Illustrirte Zeitung (Illustrated Newspaper) in 1871 [Photo by Deutsches Historisches Museum]

Drawing on the lessons Marx had drawn from the defeat of the Paris Commune, Lenin understood more acutely than any other contemporary the importance of the subjective factor, of perspective and leadership in socialist revolution. That is why he insisted on a party in which opportunist currentsunlike the practice of German Social Democracy, for examplehad no place.

Lenins analysis of imperialism was an ingenious deepening of Marxs analysis of capitalism. The Bolshevik leader conceived of World War I as the form of the very collapse which Marx had long predicted. Imperialism embodied the highest stage of capitalism in which many tendencies that Marx analyzed had reached their conclusion. Monopolies had replaced free competition, finance capital dominated over industrial capital, the world was divided among the great powers and could only be redivided by force.

Lenin audaciously concluded that the war had simultaneously created the objective conditions for the proletarian revolution. On this, he based the outlook and perspective of the Bolshevik Party, which proved their correctness only three years later by leading the working class to power in Russia.

Here, Lenins genius encountered that of Trotskys, who, also drawing on Marx, was the first to recognize that the Russian Revolution in the 20th century could not simply follow the pattern of the European revolutions of the 19th century: first a bourgeois-democratic revolution and then, decades later, a socialist one.

Given the advanced nature of capitalism on a world scale and the weakness of the Russian bourgeoisie, which feared the working class far more than tsarist reaction, the democratic tasks of the revolution could only be resolved by a workers government supported by the peasantry. Once in power, however, the working class would have to move to socialist measures to secure its rule. Socialism, in turn, could only be accomplished on a world scale. The revolution thus had a permanent character.

Stalin attacked head-on these foundations of the October Revolution developed by Lenin and Trotsky. In 1924, shortly after Lenins death, he promulgated the nationalist doctrine of building socialism in one country, which was irreconcilably opposed to the theory of permanent revolution and contradicted everything Marx, Engels and Lenin had ever said or written.

Stalin spoke for a Soviet bureaucracy growing stronger in the state and party, which saw nationalized property as the basis of its privileges and was increasingly hostile to revolution. In the years that followed, the Stalin regime expelled Trotskys supporters from the party and exiled them. Finally, in the Great Terror of 1937-38, it murdered all but a few of Lenins and Trotskys comrades-in-arms. Hundreds of thousands fell victim to the terror. Stalin had more communists killed than Hitler. In 1940, Trotsky himself was murdered by a Stalinist agent.

Internationally, the policies Stalin imposed on the Communist Parties led to devastating defeats that further isolated the Soviet Union and thus strengthened the bureaucracyin China in 1927, in Germany in 1933 and in Spain in 1936-38, to name only the most important. In 1943, Stalin dissolved the Communist International.

If Stalin and the bureaucracy nevertheless invoked Marx and Engels, built monuments to them and elevated Marxism to the level of a state ideology, they did so because, as a parasitic canker on the workers state, they had no ideology of their own. Just as they had usurped power in the workers state, they also usurped Marxism, purged it of its revolutionary content and transformed it into an ideology of rule. For this reason, Marx would have fought them with all his might.

The exhibition organizers avoid these questions since they would have led them into potentially explosive terrain and brought them into conflict with authorities today.

In part, they have simply declared Marx to be a 19th century thinker with little contemporary relevance. That is the viewpoint of US historian Jonathan Sperber, who developed the initial concept for the exhibition. In the preface to his 2013 biography of Marx, Sperber contended that the view of Marx as a contemporary whose ideas shaped the modern world was outdated. It was perhaps more useful to understand Marx as a backwards-looking figure projecting the circumstances of the first half of the 19th century into the future, rather than as a sure and prescient interpreter of historical trends.

Others, like curator Kritter, acknowledge the relevance of Marxs work, but do not understand it as a coherent worldview, a socialist perspective, or guide to political action, but rather a collection of isolated remarks, observations and insights on various topics that are still of present-day interest.

Trotsky explodes and refutes this interpretation. That is why his name cannot be mentioned in the exhibition or the catalogue. But anyone who wants to understand Marxs reception and impact in the 20th century cannot avoid the figure of Trotsky. His masterpiece, The Revolution Betrayed (1936), remains to this day the finest Marxist analysis of Stalinism. Trotskys writings on Britain, China, Germany, France and Spain in particular provide deep insight into the problems of the labour movement, the treacherous role of the Comintern under Stalin and the causes of Hitlers and Francos victory.

Like Marx, Trotsky did not leave it at interpreting the world in various ways. The Left Opposition to Stalinism, which he led politically, and the Fourth International, which he helped found in 1938, continued the struggle of the First, Second and Third Internationals for world socialist revolution and built on their vast heritage.

Today, the International Committee of the Fourth International (ICFI) and its sections, the Socialist Equality Parties, embody the continuity of the Marxist movement. The World Socialist Web Site, published by the ICFI, is the only publication on the planet that daily examines political events from a Marxist viewpoint, draws political conclusions from them and fights for a socialist perspective in the international working class.

The perspective of the world socialist revolution, which Marx established, has a burning relevance today. Capitalism has nothing left to offer except social inequality, authoritarian forms of rule, war and environmental destruction. Workers everywhere are beginning to rebel against it.

We recommend that anyone interested in Marxism and seeking a socialist way out of the capitalist crisis visit the exhibition at the German Historical Museum. It provides a valuable insight into the historical emergence of Marxism. But a visit to the exhibition should only be an introduction to a deeper study of Marxismthe strategic lessons of the 20th century as analyzed in the writings of Trotsky and the ICFIa regular reading of the WSWS and active participation in the work of the Socialist Equality Party.
After more than 60 years, Israels Defence Ministry has released most of the transcripts and primary documents submitted during the trial of officers responsible for the Kafr Qasem massacre of 50 Palestinian citizens in 1956. The documents have been released after years-long efforts by historian Adam Raz of the Akevot Institute for Israeli-Palestinian Conflict Research to expose the truth.

The Kafr Qasem massacre was one of scores of killings of defenceless Palestinians by Israeli forces, aimed at establishing the State of Israel via the systematic expulsion of the Palestinian people that continues to this day. Such a policy, now called ethnic cleansing, involves horrific mass killings and atrocities.

Memorial on the mosque of Kafr Qasim (Kfar Qassem) marking the Kafr Qasim massacre

While the massacre is well known, the transcripts reveal the governments plan to exploit Israels planned invasion of Egypt as the pretext to drive out Israels Palestinian residents. Israel, Britain and France invaded Egypt in October-November 1956 to overthrow the regime of President Gamal Abdul Nasser who had nationalized the Suez Canal.

The silence of the worlds media over the release of such explosive military and court documents is testimony to the backing Israel receives from the major imperialist powers and their own disdain for and flagrant violation of international humanitarian law.

On October 29, 1956, Israel decided to bring forward a night time curfew from 9pm to 5pm with immediate effect across Israels Arab towns situated in the Northern Triangle area, close to its then border with Jordan.

Long considered a hostile population, the residents had been subject to military rule that would continue until 1966. While Israeli authorities feared a Palestinian insurgency against the Suez campaignthe first of a series of wars with Israels Arab neighboursIsraeli Palestinians never participated in any action against Israel, either in 1956 or in subsequent wars. Israels murderous assault last year on Gaza provoked the first ever protests by Israels Palestinian citizens.

Despite being warned by the mayor that 400 residents working in agriculture would be unaware of the new curfew, Israeli troops fired on the returning villagers, killing 50 workers, including six women and 13 children under 15.

Israeli commander Colonel Yissachar Shadmi had ordered Major Shmuel Malinki, chief of the border police responsible for Kafr Qasem, to shoot on sight anyone who was found outside their home. Malinki said that Shadmi had told him it would be a good example if, early on, the soldiers were to shoot some Arab citizens. Shadmi reportedly said, During the hours of the curfew, they can be in their homes and do as they desire but whomever is seen outside, who violates curfew, will be shot. Better that a few go down, and then they will learn for the next time.

The press was subject to a gag order preventing all reporting on the massacre. Even after it was lifted two months later, journalists were not allowed to go to the village. It was only after sustained pressure that the perpetrators of the massacre were charged. The trials were a sham. One third of the evidence was heard in secret. The court convicted eight of the eleven IDF officers and soldiers, sentencing them to short terms of imprisonment that were later commuted by the president and chief of staff. All were released by 1960.

Shadmi, the highest-ranking officer prosecuted, was cleared of murder and convicted on a minor charge. He received a derisory 10 prutot fine, less than one cent, symbolising the value of Palestinian lives under David Ben-Gurions Labour government. Ben Gurion had promised Shadmi the best legal team and no prison sentence if he cooperated. The trials shielded Israels security and political chiefs from any responsibilityin the face of calls for more senior officials to be prosecutedand appeased international public opinion. The Israeli state wanted to prevent the case from reaching the International Court of Justice, established by the United Nations following World War II.

Crucially, some of the defendants had tried to argue they were only implementing Operation Hafeperet (Mole), but were silenced when they explained that this involved imprisoning Palestinians and then forcing them to escape to Jordan amid the chaos of a war. The newly released transcripts confirm the existence of such a plan, first revealed in outline by the journalist and author Ruvik Rosenthal, providing further details.

Some of the witnesses statements refer to an evacuation notice to village elders, understood to mean a plan to deport some or all of the Arabs in the Triangle if war escalated to the West Bank, then ruled by Jordan. Others suggested they would be transferred to other parts of Israel.

According to Chaim Levy, who commanded the Border Polices southern company overseeing Kafr Qasem, the order to drive out the Arabs was not a written but a verbal one. The company commander said that the eastern side [to the West Bank and Jordan] should be open. When they want to leave, theyll leave I understood that it would be no great calamity if they took this opportunity to go away.

Levy referred to two other aspects of the plan, Creating enclosures and transporting people, meaning the internment of Israeli Arabs in camps and expulsion from their homes. The curfew and the shooting of violators were aimed at scaring the Arabs and encouraging them to flee. Shadmi confirmed this, saying, It may encourage that thought that the killing of a few people as an intimidation measure can encourage movement eastward, as long as we hint to them [the Arabs] about the movement eastward.

The transcripts indicate that soldiers understood the purpose of the curfew was to terrify residents or encourage them to flee to Jordan, with one soldier saying, The immediate goal is to keep them in their houses, and the second goal is to not need to intimidate them in the future, as well as to require less manpower because they will eventually be like innocent sheep.

When one soldier was asked whether Shadmi had explained to his platoon the intention of leaving several people dead in each village, he responded in the affirmative, adding the major general said that it would be desirable to have a few casualties, meaning dead I said it would be best to knock out a few people so that in the future there would be quiet, and we would not need to have this much manpower overseeing these villages.

This was confirmed by another soldier.

Today, Israel has a host of laws and regulations aimed at intimidating, suppressing and ultimately forcing both its Arab citizens and residents to leave Israel/Palestine. These include:

Around 200 emergency regulations that enable the government to declare any part of the country a closed military area, exercise administrative arrest and detention without trial, expel and even execute citizens.

The designation of the 12 villages in the South Hebron Hills, in Area C in the occupied West Bank, as a military zone and the demolition of homes around Masafer Yatta as part of a plan to drive the 100,000 Palestinians from Area C and thus pave the way for Area Cs annexation into the State of Israel.

Last months decision of Israels Supreme Court that it was legal for the government to revoke the citizenship of those who committed an act that constitutes a breach of loyalty in the State of Israel, even though they would be rendered stateless in contravention of international law. Human rights organisations say this ruling will be used to target Israels Palestinian citizens.

The gradual expansion of the criteria for revoking Palestinian residency rights in East Jerusalem, considered a war crime, that has led to the revocation of nearly 15,000 Palestinians residency rights since 1967.

The introduction last March of a law denying naturalization to Palestinians from the occupied West Bank or Gaza married to Israeli citizens, forcing thousands of Palestinian families to either emigrate or live apart.

In 2007, President Shimon Peres issued a meaningless apology for the Kafr Qasem massacre and in 2014, President Reuven Rivlin attended annual commemorations for those killed. Last October, Israels parliament rejected a bill to officially recognize the massacre.
Last month, Spains PSOE (Socialist Party) Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez issued a joint statement with US President Joe Biden pledging to increase the number of US warships and soldiers stationed on Spanish territory. The declaration outlining the military plans was adopted at an hour-long meeting between the two leaders on June 28, during the NATO summit in Madrid at the end of that month.

Prime Minister of Spain Pedro Sanchez speaks to Spanish troops during his visit to Adazi Military base in Kadaga, Latvia, Tuesday, March. 8, 2022. (AP Photo/Roman Koksarov)

The agreement will increase the number of US destroyers stationed at the southern Spanish naval base of Rota in Cadiz by 50 percent, from four to six destroyers. It also provides for the garrisoning of an additional 600 American Marines at this base, taking the total number up to 1,800. The four destroyers currently stationed at Rota are part of NATOs antimissile shield, as well as taking part in unilateral US missions, and regularly patrol the Black Sea.

The meeting between Biden and Sanchez comes amid the US-led proxy war against Russia in Ukraine. Having goaded Russia into an invasion of its Eastern European neighbour, the NATO powers seek to use the conflict to escalate tensions with Moscow and to push for regime change and the dismemberment of Russias vast landmass.

Sanchezs coalition government of the PSOE and the pseudo-left Podemos has fully signed up to the warmongering of the NATO alliance in Ukraine, sending warships, jet fighters and soldiers to Eastern Europe and funnelling tanks, ammunition and rocket launchers to NATOs Ukrainian proxies for use against Russia. The BidenSanchez pact signals the Spanish governments intention to continue and escalate its imperialist aggression in conjunction with the US.

Speaking to the press after his meeting with Biden, Sanchez declared: Spain and the United States are allies, we share the will to promote democracy, freedom, human rights. Biden, for his part, told Sanchez: I want to thank you for your leadership, Pedro.

He continued: We are together with Ukraine giving it everything it needs to defend itself.  This makes us strong allies. The United States and Spain are also working in Latin America to strengthen democracies and strengthen our immigration policies. The joint statement reflects the great breadth of our cooperation.

The document also lays out plans to escalate the campaign of violence and intimidation against migrants and refugees seeking to enter the European Union through Spain and the US from Latin America by promoting safe, ordered and regular migration.

Both countries intend to collaborate in a comprehensive approach to manage the flow of irregular migration that guarantees a fair and humane treatment of migrants, the document dishonestly claims. Both countries plan to coordinate efforts to tackle the root causes of irregular migration and work to strengthen the legal routes, with particular emphasis on the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean.

Spain and the United States also recognise the importance of a permanent cooperation with respect to the challenges of irregular migration in the region of North Africa, it adds.

This comes in response to the PSOE-Podemos governments demand at the end of June that NATO consider migration as well as food insecurity and terrorism to be hybrid threats, a reference to NATO denunciations of Russian hybrid warfare before the war in Ukraine. NATO must strengthen its southern flanki.e., the Sahel and MaghrebPSOE Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares had also told Reuters.

Not coincidentally, the PSOE-Podemos governments demands came just days after at least 37 migrants were killed and 150 more injured on the border between Spains North African enclave of Melilla and Morocco. Spanish and Moroccan police collaborated to systematically entrap, beat and tear gas refugees as they tried to climb the border fence, causing many to be suffocated or crushed to death.

On June 30, Spains Congress also voted in favour of doubling its military spending to 2 percent of GDP, reaffirming a pledge made by the PSOE-Podemos government to this effect in February. The motion on military spending, brought by the conservative Peoples Party (PP), was passed in parliament with the votes of the PSOE, PP, the right-wing Citizens and a number of other deputies. Podemos, the pseudo-left junior partner in the Spanish government, voted against the bill, knowing full well that it would win a majority regardless of its support.

In an interview with TV talk show La Hora de La 1, Prime Minister Sanchez defended plans to increase the defense budget, stating, NATO is an alliance of democracies in defence of democracy, and we must defend democracy by increasing our dissuasive capabilities.

He continued, We have to be very conscious of the fact that, beyond Europe and NATO, the world is very complicated, very difficult, its getting cold and it is important to defend our way of life and situate ourselves on the basis of an internal order.

Podemos tried to distance itself from the warmongering of the Biden administration and the Spanish government, issuing mild criticisms of the Spain-US military agreement.

We dont like this pact, Jaume Asens, president of Podemos parliamentary group, told the media inside Spains Congress building. It means more soldiers, more North American destroyers and, therefore, a greater dependence on or submission to the USA when at times our interests are not the same.

We defend European autonomy in terms of security, and this [the pact] goes in the opposite direction, Asens added. But asked explicitly whether Podemos would vote against the military agreement when it reaches the Spanish Congress, Asens refused to commit his party to opposing it.

We still have to decide about the vote, but it is evident that our position is different, Asens declared. We have always insisted that the solution is not greater military investment.

Podemos criticisms of the policies of a government of which it is itself a part of have nothing to do with principled opposition to imperialist war. Podemos is aligning itself with a faction of the European bourgeoisie that wishes to develop greater military autonomy under the aegis of the EU. These calls aim to arm and prepare the European powers to pursue their own imperialist interests around the world, independently of or even in opposition to the military policies of the United States.

As the war in Ukraine progresses, the tensions between the countries that make up the NATO bloc will only increase, as each imperialist power seeks to pursue its own aggressive interests in dividing up the worlds resources and territories.

No faction of the governing Spanish bourgeoisie or the European ruling class has anything to offer workers other than continued imperialist war abroad, crackdowns on refugees at their borders and repression against workers opposition at home. The decisive issue is to build an anti-war movement in the working class, in irreconcilable opposition to pseudo-left parties like Podemos, to end the drive towards catastrophic imperialist conflict and defend migrants, as part of the struggle for socialism in Spain and internationally.
In a reckless provocation that deliberately heightens war tensions with China, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi landed in Taiwan late last night aboard a military aircraft accompanied by her congressional delegation.

US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, center, walks with Taiwans Foreign Minister Joseph Wu, left, as she arrives in Taipei, Taiwan, Tuesday, Aug. 2, 2022. [AP Photo/Taiwan Ministry of Foreign Affairs via AP]

Despite concerns over the potential for a military clash or conflict with China, the Biden administration came together with the entire US political and military establishment in backing Pelosis trip. As Pelosi landed in Taipei, an aircraft carrier strike group led by the USS Ronald Reagan, with its full complement of fighter aircraft, attack helicopters and other weapons systems, was positioned in waters off Taiwans east coast.

The USS Ronald Reagan was accompanied by a guided missile cruiser USS Antietam and a destroyer USS Higgins. The US Navy also reported that the amphibious assault ship, the USS Tripoli, was also operating in the area. Two US Air Force planes were reportedly sent to Malaysia, where Pelosi held talks yesterday as part of the military preparations for her trip to Taiwan.

US officials, the American media and Pelosi herself promoted the lie that her trip and the accompanying military operation was routine, and her presence in Taipei did not deviate from decades of American policy and diplomacy.

Pelosis trip is anything but routine. She is the highest-ranking US official to visit Taiwan in more than a quarter century. Her visit is just the latest in calculated steps taken by the Trump and Biden administrations to undermine the One China policy that has been the foundation of political relations between the US and China since formal diplomatic ties were established in 1979.

Under the One China policy, Washington de facto recognised that Beijing as the legitimate government of all China, including the island of Taiwan. It broke off diplomatic relations with the military dictatorship in Taipei and withdrew its military forces from the island. At the same time, the US Congress passed the Taiwan Relations Act to allow unofficial, low-level contact with Taipei and the sale of so-called defensive weapons to Taiwan.

Over the past six years, all that has dramatically changed. Top-level talks and visits have been openly resumed; the US has for the first time publicly acknowledged the presence of American troops on the island; and arms sales, including of manifestly offensive weaponry, has escalated along with the frequency of US warships passing through the narrow Taiwan Strait.

Biden has deliberately ignored repeated Chinese warnings that US actions were jeopardising the relations between the worlds two largest economies and profoundly destabilising the Indo-Pacific region. In a phone conversation with Biden last week, Chinese President Xi Jinping warned that the US was playing with fire, if it allowed the Pelosis trip to take place.

Shortly after Pelosi landed in Taipei, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi again warned that the actions of American politicians were incendiary over the issue of Taiwan. This will definitely not have a good outcome. The exposure of Americas bullying face again shows it as the world's biggest saboteur of peace, he said.

Chinas Defence Ministry told the media that its military was now on high alert and would launch targeted military operations in response to Pelosis visit to Taiwan. Chinese military drills, including live-fire exercises, have already taken place in the South China Sea and in the Taiwan Strait separating Taiwan from the Chinese mainland. Chinese warplanes reportedly flew close to the median line in the Taiwan Strait.

The Chinese side has stated on many occasions the serious consequences of visiting Taiwan, but Pelosi knowingly made a malicious provocation to create a crisis, the Defence Ministry said.

In response to Pelosis visit, China has retaliated economically with the announcement yesterday of a ban on imports from more than 100 Taiwanese food companies.

Pelosis visit to Taiwan and the escalating confrontation with China take place as the US and NATO accelerate their proxy war with Russia in Ukraine. Driven by an unprecedented economic and political crisis at home, US imperialism is recklessly risking nuclear war in its drive to undermine, destabilise and break up what it regards as the two chief threats to its global hegemonyRussia and China.

Just as the US through the encroachment of NATO goaded Russia into invading Ukraine, so Washington calculates that it can provoke China into a debilitating war over Taiwan by ending the ambiguous status of the island and drawing it into the US camp. Taiwan is not only critical strategically immediately adjacent to the Chinese mainland, but is pivotal in the international production of semi-conductors. The Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company produces more than 90 percent of the worlds most advanced chips used broadly in commercial and military applications.

As US imperialism prepares for conflict against China, it is winding up the same cynical and hypocritical human rights propaganda used as the pretext for all its criminal interventions and wars of the past three decades. Pelosi, who has a long record as an anti-China hawk, tweeted on her arrival in Taipei that her visit was to honour unwavering commitment to supporting Taiwans vibrant democracy.

In an op-ed comment for the Washington Post, Pelosi declared that the Taiwan Relations Act was one of the most important pillars of US policy in the Asia Pacific that set out Americas commitment to a democratic Taiwan  [and] fostered a deep friendship rooted in shared interests and values.

In reality, the US had not the slightest interest in democratic values in Taiwan in 1979, nor does it today. Even as it forged a de facto alliance with Beijing against the Soviet Union, Washington sought to protect the brutal military dictatorship on Taiwan that it had helped create when Chiang Kai-shek and his Kuomintang (KMT) fled the mainland in the wake of the 1949 Chinese Revolution. Taiwan in 1979 was under martial law and remained so until 1987. While Taiwan today has the trappings of elections, its police state apparatus remains in place.

The Taiwanese administration has rolled out the red carpet for Pelosi. She was met at Taipei airport by Taiwans Foreign Minister Joseph Wu and the US representative in Taiwan, Sandra Oudkirk. She has addressed Taiwans National Assembly and has met with President Tsai Ing-wen today.

However, outside the Grand Hyatt Hotel where Pelosi stayed last night, according to a Guardian report, she was greeted not only by supporters but opponents of her visit. Hundreds of people gathered outside the hotel and across the road, with supporters and protesters separated by a wide cordon and dozens of police officers. Protesters shouted Yankee, go home and carried signs calling the speaker a warmonger, the reported stated.

Separated by the Chinese mainland by a narrow strip of water, there are widespread fears among the Taiwanese population of the dangers of conflict. As is the case in Ukraine, US imperialism is willing to plunge the island into a disastrous war and sacrifice countless lives as it pursues its criminal ambitions for global domination.
Sri Lankan government of President Ranil Wickremesinghe intensified its witch hunting of anti-government protesters last week with police raids on the head office of the Frontline Socialist Party (FSP) in Nugegoda in suburban Colombo.

Riot police block students at Sri Jayawardanapura University, during previous protest on 3 April 2022 [WSWS Media]

According to FSP education secretary Pubudu Jayagoda, a team of police, including 10 officers in civilian clothes and one other in uniform, raided the partys office on Friday at about 7.30 am. Party members present opposed any search of the premises and asked for a search warrant. The police did not respond or even identify which police station they were from but forcibly entered the premises, searched party material, ransacked bookshelves and left.

At 8.10 am, a second police team of about 30 uniformed officers arrived at the FSP office. They claimed to be from the nearby Mirihana police station and said they were searching for Wasantha Mudalige, convener of the Inter-University Student Federation (IUSF).

When party members asked for a search warrant, police showed a magistrates court arrest warrant for Mudalige who was active amongst the anti-government protesters occupying the Galle Face Green. Again, the police ignored the opposition of FSP members, searched the premises and then left.

The police raids are a blatant violation of democratic rights of the FSP and a warning to the Sri Lankan working class as a whole. They are part of an intensifying wave of repression unleashed by President Wickremesinghes government aimed at crushing all anti-government opposition.

The Socialist Equality Party (SEP), notwithstanding its fundamental and well-known political differences with the pseudo-left FSP, opposes and condemns Wickremesinghes anti-democratic and repressive police raids against this organisation.



On being appointed acting president, Wickremesinghe, a right-wing, pro-US stooge, formally declared a state of emergency on July 17, giving himself the power to deploy the military to arbitrarily arrest and detain people, suppress protests, proscribe organisations, search private property and impose censorship.

His first act after being undemocratically installed as president by the discredited Sri Lanka parliament, was to sanction a violent police-military operation on July 22 to evict anti-government protesters from the Presidential Secretariat. The security forces attacked and injured many protesters and arrested nine. Those arrested were bailed out by a magistrate that evening amid widespread popular outrage.

These attacks have continued with the arrest of about two dozen people, including some of those who led the months of protests at Galle Face Green demanding former President Gotabhaya Rajapakse and his government to resign. After Rajapakse fled the country, demonstrators changed their slogan to Ranil go home.

The police are now collecting evidenceCCTV footage, photos and fingerprints at locations occupied by protesters, including the Presidential Palace, Prime Ministers Official Residence and the Presidential Secretariatin preparation for mass arrests. Fingerprints have been sent to the international airport to arrest anyone attempting to leave the country. Photos of suspects have been published in the media with calls for more information to be given to the police.

Last weekend, the Sunday Times quoted an unnamed senior government official, who said that the government is considering the proscription of any groups, organisations or political parties that engage in acts of violence, use of undemocratic methods to try to seize power or take control of state buildings.

The newspaper also reported that the ministry of public security had sought legal advice on the possibility of proscribing any organisation or political party that aids or abets such activities.

In order to justify its escalating repression, Wickremesinghe and government members have stepped up their vile slanders against anti-government protesters.

Addressing government MPs and supporters in Kandy on Saturday, Wickremesinghe declared: We are dealing with fascist terrorism at the moment. Under the guise of a protest, many groups of people set fire to houses and vehicles and destroyed or stole state property.

What a filthy insinuation! It is Wickremesinghe and his government, along with the former Rajapakse regime, which have unleashed police-military attacks on protesting workers, youth and the rural poor demanding essentialsfood, medicine and fueland other basic requirements of life.

As he steps up state repression, Wickremesinghe is attempting to finalise an International Monetary Fund (IMF) bailout deal and its associated austerity measures, including wage and pension cuts and mass public sector job destruction.

In an effort to garner political legitimacy for these draconian measures, Wickremesinghe is seeking to establish an all-party government. On Friday, he wrote to all opposition parliamentarians, declaring that a program needs to be implemented with the participation of all political parties represented in parliament, expert groups, civil society organisations and all related parties to successfully overcome the challenges before us.

Several opposition parties, including the Sri Lanka Freedom Party, have responded favourably. The Tamil National Alliance and Samagi Jana Balavegaya have signalled they are ready to negotiate on the formation of an all-party interim government. The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna has called for a snap general election to impose political stability and a regime to revive the economy.

Irrespective of their tactical differences, these parties all agree on the implementation of the IMF austerity program and the restoration of political stabilityi.e., the suppression of all mass social opposition to the catastrophic, and worsening, social conditions facing the Sri Lankan masses.

While condemning the police raids on the FSP, the SEP warns that the pseudo-left party has no fundamental differences with the call for all-party interim government and has close ties with the various opposition parties.

Pubudu Jayagoda addressing press conference earlier this year [Facebook Image]

Addressing a press conference following the police raids, FSP leader Pubudu Jayagoda declared that no major country or institution had assisted Sri Lanka because the Wickremesinghe government was not a legitimate government[and] has no plan and is trying to use military power to stay in.

In other words, the FSP is opposed to the Wickremesinghe government but not its regressive economic and social program that will greatly intensify the hardships facing workers and the masses. Its opposition to Wickremesinghe is that it lacks the legitimacy and international standing to implement the austerity program required to get the assistance of the IMF and major powers.

FSP fosters the illusion that a capitalist interim government formed with the opposition parties and without the widely detested Wickremesinghe can be pressured for concessions.

No amount of protests or appeals to the Wickremesinghe regime, or any future interim government, will resolve life and death issues facing the working class and rural masses, let alone defend democratic rights.

What is urgently required is the independent mobilisation of the working class rallying the support of the rural poor on a revolutionary socialist program. This is outlined in the SEPs July 20 statement, For a Democratic and Socialist Congress of Workers and Rural Masses! Such a congress, it says, is a revolutionary political alternative to the reactionary capitalist interim government being set up by the discredited parliamentary cronies of Gotabhaya Rajapakse and Ranil Wickremesinghe.

In order to build support for such a congress, we call on workers and rural masses to build their own action committees, independent of all capitalist parties and trade unions, in every workplace, plantation, neighbourhood and rural area to fight for their class interests. Such action committees will provide means to defend the democratic rights of the masses.

At the same time, we say that genuine democratic rights can only be won by fighting for socialist demands, including the nationalisation of banks, major companies and plantations under democratic control of workers, and the seizure of power from the corrupt and venal ruling elites.

The fight for a Democratic and Socialist Congress of Workers and Rural Masses will provide the basis to take forward the struggle for a workers and peasants government. The SEP calls upon workers and youth to take up this political battle as part of the broader fight for socialism in South Asia and internationally.
Britain is standing squarely behind US imperialisms naked aggression against China, threatening to drag the population into a catastrophic war.

Pursuing an anti-China foreign policy has been one of the central themes of the Conservative leadership contest to replace Boris Johnson, with candidates Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak competing over who is the most hawkish.

Sunak opened his campaign with a press release declaring that China and the Chinese Communist Party represent the largest threat to Britain and the worlds security and prosperity this century. Truss responded that it was her Foreign Office and not Sunaks Treasury that had taken the toughest stance against China.

The Conservative Party leadership candidates: Foreign Secretary Liz Truss and former Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak [AP Photo/AP Photo, File]

During last weeks debate, Sunak castigated Truss for previously saying that Britain was entering a golden era in its relationship with China. Truss disowned her statement, saying, I think that was almost a decade ago.

It was six years ago, and it was the policy of David Camerons Tory government. Despite warnings from the US, Britain became a founding member of Beijings Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, hoping to position itself as a key player in Chinas access to European markets. A series of high-level meetings culminated in the 2015 state visit of President Xi to Britain, hosted by the queen.

The shift in policy was breakneck, with the government seeking to replace its role as a key US intermediary within the European Union, jettisoned by Brexit in 2016, with an even more slavish support for US imperialism. Washingtons price for a close partnership and the promise of a trade deal included an immediate halt to Britains orientation to Chinaits main global competitor.

In a piece published in The Atlantic Tuesday, Why Britain Changed Its China Stance, author Tom McTague commented that from 2020 onward Britain transformed itself from Chinas best partner in Europe to its harshest critic, sweeping away decades of foreign-policy consensus in the most drastic such shift in the Western world.

He noted, to look at British foreign policy now is to see almost a complete overlap with the US, whether on the Iranian nuclear deal, climate change, the importance of spending more on defense, NATO, the threat posed by Russia, ornowChina.

Britains close involvement in US war plans against China was highlighted this week by the provocative visit to Taiwan staged by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. With Chinas military on high alert, the Guardian reported that a delegation from the UKs House of Commons foreign affairs select committee would make the same trip in November or early December. The committee is headed by Tory MP and former army lieutenant colonelTom Tugendhat, expected to be handed a top position in a Truss cabinet.

Behind the diplomatic provocations are extensive military preparations. By March 2021, the governments Ministry of Defence (MoD) had published its Integrated Review of foreign and defence policy and a further strategy document, Defence in a Competitive Age, directly targeting both Russia and China.

In May that year, at the behest of NATO, the UK launched its largest Carrier Strike Group since the 1982 Falklands/Malvinas war, centred on the HMS Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier. It played a critical role in inflaming tensions with Russia in the Black Sea before doing the same against Beijing in the South China Sea in September 2021. HMS Richmond, a Type 23 frigate warship deployed with the carrier strike group, sailed through the Taiwan Straitthe first time a UK frigate had done so in more than a decade.

That same month, the United States, Britain and Australia announced the formation of the AUKUS anti-China military pact, focussed on the deployment of nuclear-powered submarines.

HMS Richmond (bottom of image) in Portsmouth naval yard in March 2022 with the UK's two aircraft carriers, Prince of Wales (middle) Queen Elizabeth (top). [Photo: WSWS]

The Taiwan Strait provocation was authorised by head of the Royal Navy Admiral Sir Tony Radakin on the same day he was interviewed by Johnson for the position of Head of the Armed Forces. It was announced soon after that Radakin would be appointed Chief of the Defence Staff, a post he took up in November 2021.

Within the top ranks of the military, the drumbeat for war with China is relentless. Last month, the new head of the Royal Navy Admiral Sir Ben Key told the Council on Geostrategy, Focusing solely on the Russian bear risks missing the tiger. He warned, The risk of focusing solely on Russia is that you miss the long-term strategic challenge posed by China.

Keys speech came 10 days after US Republican Representative Steve Chabot, a ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Asia-Pacific Subcommittee, intervened in the pages of the Telegraph to insist that Americas allies in Europe, particularly the British, step up the arming of Taiwan.

This is now the de facto policy of the UK government, despite Britain having no formal diplomatic ties with Taipei due to its abiding by the historic One China policy. In her role as foreign secretary, Truss gave a speech in April rejecting the false choice between Euro-Atlantic security and Indo-Pacific security and calling for a global NATO.

She continued, We need to pre-empt threats in the Indo-Pacific, working with our allies like Japan and Australia to ensure the Pacific is protected. And we must ensure that democracies like Taiwan are able to defend themselves. All of this will require resources. We are correcting a generation of underinvestment.

Given Britain has already sold 338 million worth of military equipment to Taiwan since 2017, Truss is writing a massive cheque to be picked up by the working class through pay and spending cuts.

The foreign secretary told the House of Commons Select Committee on June 29 that Britain and its NATO allies would seek to improve on the script used for their proxy war against Russia in Ukraine: We should have been supplying defensive weapons into Ukraine earlier. We need to learn that lesson for Taiwan. Every piece of equipment we have sent takes months of training, so the sooner we do it the better.

The bellicose threats and provocations of British imperialism against nuclear armed China could not be more reckless or deluded. Dominic Nicholls, the Telegraphs defence and security correspondent, noted on Radakins appointment, Since 2014, China has launched more submarines, warships, principal amphibious vessels and auxiliaries than the total number of ships currently serving in the navies of the UK, Germany, India, Spain and Taiwan, according to the International Institute for Strategic Studies.

In terms of tonnage, China is launching the equivalent of the entire Royal Navy every four years.

Beijing warned in the Global Times after HMS Queen Elizabeths deployment that it would not hesitate to make an example out of Britain, to execute one as a warning to a hundred.

On Tuesday, after the UK Foreign Select Committee trip to Taiwan was revealed, Chinese ambassador Zheng Zeguang told British MPs in a press conference that the UK should not dance to the tune of the United States. Vowing that if any MP set foot in Taiwan there would be severe consequences, he warned, those who play with fire will get burnt.

Such is the crisis wracking British imperialism in a period of severe declineits dependence on the US and desperate effort to redirect unprecedented social tensions outward to a foreign foethat it is set on forcing a confrontation.

The danger of a catastrophic conflict can only be averted by taking power out of the hands of the maniacs in parliament. Responding to the fall of Johnson and the Tory leadership contest, the Socialist Equality Party has demanded an immediate general election to expose the Tory-Labour conspiracy to drag Britain into World War III, rouse opposition to the war policies of the government and to agitate for mass action by the working class to defeat the savage assault on living standards and democratic rights.

In the emerging struggles of the working class, the fight against war must be made a central issue, based on a socialist programme for the unification of the working class across the globe in a struggle against its war-mad governments.
On Monday evening, President Biden announced that, under his direction, a US drone strike was launched on Saturday that killed the emir of al Qaeda, Ayman al-Zawahiri, in Kabul, Afghanistan.

President Joe Biden being briefed on July 1 about the plan to assassinate Ayman al-Zawahiri

Biden said that al-Zawahiri was the number-two man and Osama bin Ladens deputy at the time of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. He also said the assassination of the 71-year-old Egyptian-born physician was necessary because he was deeply involved in the planning of 9/11 and was a mastermind behind the bombings of the USS Cole in 2000 and the US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania in 1998.

As has been the case in every CIA targeted drone strike, no details or proof of the allegations made by the president were presented. According to news reports, US intelligence tracked al-Zawahiri down and found him living in a safe house in a densely populated section of Kabul.

The reports said that Biden approved the attack a week ago and that the CIA fired two Hellfire missiles and killed al-Zawahiri on a balcony of the house. The press cited intelligence officials as saying no one else was killed, including members of al-Zawahiris family or any nearby civilians.

Speaking from the White House Blue Room balcony, the President justified the act of US imperialist military violence, saying, Now justice has been delivered, and this terrorist leader is no more. He added, People around the world no longer need to fear the vicious and determined killer.

Biden also made it clear the assassination of al-Zawahiri was a warning to anyone deemed an enemy by the US government. He said: You know, wewe make it clear again tonight that no matter how long it takes, no matter where you hide, if you are a threat to our people, the United States will find you and take you out.

Coming in the midst of the escalating US-led war against Russia in Ukraine, and on the eve of House Speaker Nancy Pelosis provocative visit to Taiwan, Bidens thuggish words could only be taken as an implicit threat against Russian President Putin and Chinese leader Xi.

A statement from the Taliban, the Islamist political organization that took control of Afghanistan after the US withdrawal last summer, condemned the drone attack in somewhat muted language, declaring: It is an act against the interests of Afghanistan and the region. Repeating such actions will damage the available opportunities.

The New York Times reported, The CIA missiles hit a house in Kabuls Sherpur area, a wealthy downtown enclave within what is considered the citys diplomatic quarters, which once housed dozens of Western embassies and now is home to some high-ranking Taliban officials. The strike took place at 9:48 p.m. on Saturday East Coast time, or 6:18 a.m. on Sunday in Kabul time, officials said.

Yahoo News reported, A senior administration official said that the president was first briefed on intelligence relating to al-Zawahiris whereabouts on July 1. The official described Biden as immersed in intelligence, wanting to know about the layout of the safe house, the impact of a strike on other residents and on civilians living nearby.

The Times also reported, Two top aides to Mr. BidenJonathan Finer, his deputy national security adviser, and Elizabeth Sherwood-Randall, his homeland security adviserwere first briefed on the intelligence in April. Later other officials were brought in, including Jake Sullivan, the national security adviser, who briefed the president.

The weapon used to kill al-Zawahiri, the AGM-114R9X (air to ground missile), is a modified Hellfire missile. It does not employ explosives, and instead uses kinetic energy and six blades to eviscerate the target.

It is a highly secretive weapon that has been employed by the US Air Force and the CIA against high value targets, not all of whom have been identified. It has been used in at least five countries, including Libya, Somalia, Yemen, Syria and Afghanistan, to supposedly combat terrorism by dicing up enemies of US imperialism.

The Times called the grisly strike a major victory for Biden at a time of domestic political trouble.

Among the concerns of the Democratic administration is the likelihood that the party will lose its majority in one or both houses of Congress in the November midterm elections. It is significant that the strike took place on the eve of significant primary elections in Arizona, Kansas, Michigan, Missouri and Washington.

Biden said that the action was proof that the administration would continue to conduct effective counterterrorism operations in Afghanistan after the US military withdrawal from the country one year ago.

However, while the Republicans did not challenge the decision to assassinate al-Zawahiri, Senator James Inhofe of Oklahoma said the strike on al-Zawahiri reflects the total failure of the Biden administrations policy towards that country. Republican Representative Michael McCaul of Texas said the strike serves as a reminder the American people were lied to by President Biden. Al Qaeda is not gone from Afghanistan as Biden falsely claimed a year ago.

Drone assassinations became standard military practice during the first term of the Obama administration and were continued by the Trump White House. As with his predecessors, Bidens targeted assassination was carried out in violation of international law.

Assurances from the CIA that no one else was killed cannot be uncritically accepted. According to research by Airwars, over the last 20 years and after more the 91,000 strikes in seven war zones, at least 22,679, and potentially as many as 48,308 civilians, have been likely killed by US strikes.
Four people from Rochester were arrested Tuesday after a chase from Lockport into Orleans County, the Niagara County Sheriff's Office said.

Deputies responding to a larceny report at a Runnings store, 5789 S. Transit Road, at 5:05 p.m. began pursuing a black Jeep Wrangler, the driver of which failed to pull over, according to the Sheriff's Office.

The pursuit continued from Lockport to Royalton and into Orleans County, with several law enforcement agencies joining the chase.

One agency deployed spike strips, which damaged the front passenger-side tire. The vehicle drove into an open field and two people got out and ran into the woods. They were later found by police.

Police identified the driver as Kelly Simons, 46. Charges against her include unlawfully fleeing a police officer, as well as criminal mischief for allegedly damaging a farmer's field in the chase.

The other arrested parties were identified as Cory DuBois, 34; Robert Ball, 30; and Tyrone Graham, 46.
An investigator for the U.S. Office of Special Counsel telephoned Emin Eddie Egriu about a month ago as part of a Hatch Act probe into the role some City of Buffalo employees played in last years mayoral race.

Egriu, who is not a city employee, said he told the investigator of an episode outside the Broadway Market on Oct. 11, where he announced that the Muslim Alliance of Western New York was endorsing India Walton for mayor over incumbent Byron W. Brown.

There were four officers patrolling back and forth, going in and out of the Broadway Market, Egriu told The Buffalo News as he relayed what he told the investigator. After Walton accepted the endorsement and made her remarks, Egriu found himself in a conversation with the officers, who were all in uniform.

Why are you endorsing her? one of the officers asked Egriu, he said.

Law enforcement was a hot topic during last years race. Brown claimed his opponent would risk public safety by slashing the police budget when Walton proposed a trim of less than 10% as some police duties were transferred elsewhere. Driving home Brown's point, 18 officers appeared in a Brown campaign ad, not in uniform, to say they and many more would be laid off and could no longer keep the city safe if Walton became mayor.

Egriu, who describes himself as a supporter of police, said he told the officers patrolling the market on Oct. 11 that they were misstating Waltons plans by saying she would "defund the police."

Later, one of the officers told Egriu to write down Byron Brown, Egriu said. Thats the campaign slogan the four-term mayor adopted when Walton beat him in the Democratic primary and left him with no line on the November ballot.

The U.S. Office of Special Counsel investigates violations of the Hatch Act, which limits partisan political activity by federal employees and employees at other levels of government whose jobs rely on federal funds. Buffalo receives millions in federal dollars each year. The Hatch Act also prohibits federal and state employees from using their authority or influence to affect elections.

Egriu said the federal investigator wanted to know if the officers were on duty, and Egriu said they were. The investigator also wanted to know if Egriu could recognize the officers. Egriu said he might recognize one or two who played larger roles in the conversation. The investigator has not yet called back to ask Egriu to look at some pictures, he said.

Still, Egriu told The News he found nothing threatening in the officers comment to write down Byron Brown. It wasnt threatening, to me, at all, he said.

A Brown spokesman did not immediately comment for this article but told WKBW-TV that the mayors office has not been contacted about the matter.

Hatch Act violations have been alleged in the local election scene, and the Brown administration has been accused of violating the Hatch Act in other years. Violators can be fined, suspended, demoted or removed from their jobs. Penalties are meted out after a case is referred to the Merit Systems Protection Board.

Egriu said the complaint to the Office of Special Counsel was filed by a volunteer with the India Walton campaign who had talked with Egriu about his interaction with the officers on Oct. 11. Egriu, who has been politically active for years, said he met the volunteer during earlier races. Egriu is now challenging Rep. Brian Higgins in a Democratic primary for New Yorks 26th Congressional District.

The complaint was first revealed by Investigative Post, which reported that the complaint is supported by video of on-duty city employees playing roles in the Brown effort.

However, it is not the first complaint to spring from the mayors race, which Brown won in November. In a case that's still open, Buffalo attorney Stephanie A. Adams and 138 other people signed a complaint to the city's Board of Ethics in September saying the pro-Brown television ad featuring police officers violated a host of rules and regulations.
It is hard to imagine when would be a good time to bring to the Buffalo area a performer lugging not only his guitar, but a history of overtly racist baggage that makes a mockery of all that the region of "good neighbors" is trying to achieve in the wake of mass tragedy.

But this clearly is not that time.

Not with efforts continuing to help individuals and a community deal with the devastating effects of the May 14 racist massacre at the Tops supermarket. Not with an apparent newfound willingness to face up to the underlying issues of race-based inequity that the gunmans screed laid bare. Not with the growing recognition that it is not just individual attitudes but systems that have led to lower Black standards of living by almost any conceivable metric.

Now is not the time to bring in a septuagenarian rock star with a megaphone who doesnt even believe systemic racism exists and who, in fact, has never seen any racism at all in America while making a habit of vilely denigrating Black leaders and victims  all while insisting hes not racist.

That is the history guitarist Ted Nugent will bring with him to North Tonawandas Riviera Theatre on Aug. 14 and 15.

It is not a one-off with Nugent that can be excused as a slip of the tongue. His racist expressions go way back and continue to the present.

In a 1990 profile, the metro Detroit native  an avid hunter who managed a bow-hunting ranch in South Africa  told the Detroit Free Press that apartheid isnt all that cut and dried. All men are not created equal.

He was just getting warmed up, going on to describe Black South Africans thusly: They still put bones in their noses, they still walk around naked, they wipe their butts with their hands.

Of course, this was only after giving himself permission to be racist by declaring that he loved them because Im one of them.

Fast-forward 30 years to a Christmas day 2020 Facebook video in which he hid behind Santas traditional salutation to allude to newly elected Vice President Kamala Harris as a whore, claimed George Floyd killed himself by using drugs and asserted that theres no such thing as systemic racism in America.

Systemic racism exists only in the Black Lives Matter movement or in some African nations, he said. In fact, there is almost no racism at all in America. Youve got to really look hard to find it. I havent seen any.

The following year, he posted another video invoking the usual excuses  Blacks use it, he admires Black artists, etc.  to explain why his habitual use of societys most vulgar slur for African Americans is not racist.

In between those comments spanning three decades, he was kicked out of the lineup for a 2012 concert at a Fort Knox military base after threatening then-President Barack Obama and had to apologize two years later for calling the nations first Black president a sub-human mongrel.

That same year he got paid $16,000  half his appearance fee  to not show up at a Longview, Texas, Fourth of July festival, and earned another $45,000 after being booted from a county fair in Washington state, though fair officials insisted it was strictly a contractual dispute having nothing to do with his repugnant views.

This is the man the Riviera Theatre will host as the community still grieves the lives lost in the racist supermarket attack and tries to chart a way forward based on inclusion, equity and respect for all.

Meanwhile, Nugent will get paid and the theater will look forward to a tidy profit  just months after racism left blood all over those supermarket aisles and left a community traumatized by an attack based simply on who the victims were.

After an exchange of voicemails and a request that I email him questions about Nugents appearance, Riviera Executive Director David Fillenwarth declined to respond to those questions. No doubt, he realized there are no good answers.

But that brings to mind a rule of thumb officials in all sectors should take to heart: If you cant publicly justify what you and your institution are doing, maybe you shouldnt be doing it.

Even though it appears the shows will go on, it would say a lot about Western New York if residents  even those whove already bought tickets  decide this is not who and what they want to embrace as the region tries to move forward from May 14.

On the other hand, it also will say a lot if Western New Yorkers fill the theater and give someone like Ted Nugent a standing ovation.
A former landlord who once owned or controlled 22 Buffalo homes where 29 children suffered lead poisoning should pay more than $5 million in penalties, restitution and forfeited rent, the state Attorney General's Office told a judge Wednesday.

The amount appears to be the largest ever sought from a landlord in a lead-paint violation case in Western New York.

Angel Elliot Dalfin, until recently a fugitive, is considered by government officials to have been among the worst  if not the worst  rental housing operators in Buffalo. He surrendered at the federal courthouse last month to face criminal charges related to lead-paint violations.

The penalties sought by the state stem from 126 instances of deceptive acts and practices that State Supreme Court Justice Catherine Nugent Panepinto, in a default judgment in the state's civil lawsuit, found Dalfin and his entities engaged in.

At least 63 of the Dalfin properties were cited for chipping, peeling or deteriorating paint and other conditions conducive to lead poisoning between 2013 and 2020.

"They did not try to prevent lead poisoning," said Assistant Attorney General Patrick Omilian at a hearing before Panepinto. "Instead, they cut corners. They lied to tenants. They lied to authorities."

For them, Omilian said, ignoring the perils of childhood lead poisoning was an "intentional business practice."

Dr. Melinda S. Cameron, a pediatrician and medical director of the WNY Lead Poisoning Prevention Resource Center, testified that the prevalence of lead poisoning among children in Buffalo, particularly in impoverished Black neighborhoods, "is still terrible," although some progress has been made.

The judge said granting the state's request is a step she is "very inclined to do because I see no reason not to."

Panepinto reserved decision, in part because of Cameron's testimony, to investigate if the money  if any is collected from Dalfin and his entities  can be spent on the ongoing public health crisis involving lead poisoning locally rather than just be deposited into government budgets.

Over the years, Dalfin repeatedly violated laws by failing to maintain the properties, allowing lead paint to deteriorate, and he also provided deficient and false lead disclosures  or no disclosures at all  to tenants and purchasers of his properties, according to the state Attorney General's Office.

"The totality of the evidence in the record established the callous, egregious nature of (his) deceptive acts," Omilian said in court papers.

The judge banned him from renting out or managing residential properties in New York State as part of the default judgment in April.

At the height of his operation, Dalfin owned or controlled more than 150 single- and two-family homes in Buffalo, rented mostly to low-income people of color on the city's East Side.

Dalfin operated using a web of 19 companies incorporated in the states of Wyoming, Maryland, Delaware and New York, and he shuffled the properties among them, according to court records. Dalfin never appeared at a civil hearing in state court. He stopped replying to court orders, although a lawyer representing him watched Wednesday's proceeding.

Court papers submitted by Omilian reveal offenses in the Dalfin case that go beyond lead paint violations.

Only two of the seven entities named as defendants in the state's civil case were ever authorized to do business in New York. So none of the other entities were authorized to initiate court proceedings, including evictions in housing court. But they initiated eviction actions against their tenants in violation of New York law. Between 2015 and 2020, Buffalo Housing Court records show that Dalfin and the defendant entities initiated at least 192 eviction actions on behalf of themselves and other entity-defendants that were not authorized to do business in New York, according to Omilian.

"Such evictions were not simply illegal, they also imposed very real hardship and stress on tenants who were already living in difficult circumstances," Omilian wrote. "Tenants who were low-income, dealing with poor housing conditions and all the accompanying stresses were forced to confront the stress, strains and uncertainty that accompany involuntary eviction.

"Such illegality, although not directly related to lead hazards, exacerbated the negative impacts imposed by defendants on their tenants and the broader community," he said.

The state cited other illegal actions Dalfin took to obscure his identity and whereabouts, making it difficult for tenants and authorities to hold him responsible, according to court papers filed by the state.

He and his entities used a UPS Store drop box as their purported place of business and for correspondence with tenants and health inspectors, according to the state.

Dalfin and his accomplices also concocted a fictional person, Lisa Peck, to manage the properties and interact with tenants. Dalfin used Lisa Peck to confuse and defraud tenants, local authorities and housing agencies, according to court papers. The fictitious name was used to sign leases, property management agreements, Section 8 housing contracts and lead remediation work plans submitted to the Erie County Department of Health, according to court papers.

Lisa Peck had her own email address that Dalfin used to communicate with others.

He also obfuscated his whereabouts by obtaining a New York State drivers license, but the residential address on it was never used by him as a residence. He used the drivers license for business purposes, according to the state.

Here's a breakdown of the amounts the Attorney General's Office asked Panepinto to levy:

 $630,000 for 126 violations based on false lead disclosures or no disclosures at all to tenants and property purchasers; the maximum $5,000 penalty for each violation;

 $3.1 million in restitution for county code violations related to lead poisoning; $100 per violation per day over 877 days from November 2019 through April 12, 2022;

 $60,050 in restitution for Buffalo property management licensing violations; $50 per violation per day over 1,201 days through Jan. 1, 2021;

 $21,590 in restitution for unpaid Buffalo rental registration fees;

 $1.26 million in disgorgement of rents received for the 63 homes cited for lead paint violations, for the time period starting when each of the properties was first cited;

 $17,000 in allowances, costs and disbursements.
Williamsville's director of community development said he had no advance warning trustees wanted to eliminate his job in a move that, again, highlights the deep division on the Village Board.

Keaton DePriest's reappointment was on the agenda for the board's July 25 reorganizational meeting. Instead, trustees voted 4-1 to get rid of the $67,000-a-year post.

"Although this is a difficult decision to make, because it does involve people that we know, the director of community development was created at the inception of Picture Main Street for that project. And during a downturn in business at the Main Street storefronts. Rentals were down. Things were vacant. It was not considered a permanent position. That is why it is an annual appointment," Trustee Christine Hunt said that night.

Mayor Deb Rogers heatedly objected to the timing of the decision and questioned who would handle DePriest's workload. But Hunt and her allies on the board's new four-person majority said remaining village employees could take on his duties.

DePriest left the meeting moments after the vote and cleared out his office the next day.

"Honestly, that night, I was  I was really hurt. You know, I took them at their word that they just didn't want the position and they wanted to save money," he said Tuesday.

Williamsville mayor, new trustees at odds over procedure but seek to work together The reorganizational board and council sessions that follow elections in villages, towns and cities typically are straightforward affairs. Not so in Williamsville.

Former Mayor Brian J. Kulpa had created the community development position in 2013, when the village hired Charlie Specht, who left and later returned to The Buffalo News.

Kulpa and village trustees in 2016 hired Maggie Hamilton Winship for the post.

She moved with Kulpa after he took office as Amherst supervisor in January 2018. This created the vacancy filled by DePriest, who previously worked for the Amherst Bee.

DePriest applies for grants, acts as a liaison with community groups, writes news releases and social media posts and makes sure live-streaming technology at Village Board meetings runs smoothly, among other responsibilities.

He's a mayoral appointee, but his appointment, and the budgeted salary for the position, are subject to Village Board approval.

Rogers and two former trustees  Dave Sherman and Matt Carson  formed a three-member board majority earlier this year that strongly opposed Covid-19 rules and a state emergency health order. This spurred controversy and led to tense discussions with Hunt and another trustee, Eileen Torre, at Village Board meetings.

DePriest found himself being asked to issue statements on village letterhead that, at varying times, reflected the views of one faction or the other.

"I always tried to walk that line and, you know, appease both sides," he told The News.

After mask fight, what comes next for Williamsville Mayor Deb Rogers? Elected officials past and present say it appears Rogers is trying to position herself for a run for higher office.

Following the June election, Hunt and Torre were joined by former Williamsville Mayors Dan DeLano and Mary Lowther in a new, 4-1 board majority.

On July 25, as Rogers got to the third item on the agenda, DePriest's reappointment, Hunt interjected with a resolution eliminating the job.

A surprised Rogers criticized the proposal, wondering about the logistics of it.

Hunt said other village employees, notably Judith Kindron, the village clerk and administrator, previously carried out DePriest's duties and could do so again.

"The clerical duties can be returned to staff if needed. And we can hire a part-time person, or an intern, to take care of the rest. As a cost savings to the taxpayer, in benefits and salary, it'll be over $100,000," said Hunt, who didn't raise concerns about DePriest's job performance.

Kindron, however, said she was busy enough already and she had little to no expertise in social media and in recording and posting meeting videos.

Rogers said the abrupt move was unfair to DePriest.

"You're going to come in and blindside him on the evening of a reorganization meeting, publicly, without any prior conversation with him?" Rogers said.

Buffalo Jewish groups decry link of quarantine rule to Holocaust Local Jewish organizations say it was wildly inappropriate for a Williamsville official to link a state health emergency rule to the Nazis' relocation, imprisonment and slaughter of Jews. Leaders from the groups said Deputy Mayor Dave Sherman's description of the regulation at Monday's Village Board meeting minimized the atrocities committed by Nazi Germany during World War II.

But Hunt said the meeting was the appropriate time to make this decision  "This is reorg. This is where we do things."

After the vote, Hunt directed Kindron to take DePriest's keys and to figure out when he could return to pick up his personal effects.

Rogers said this was an offensive way to treat a longstanding employee, but DeLano  who was mayor when DePriest was hired  said the village had an obligation to residents to secure public records and other materials.

"It's a little different in government," DeLano said. He and Hunt did not respond to messages Tuesday seeking further comment.

"It was done, just, in a very cold-hearted manner. And it lacked professionalism in every way," Rogers said one week later.

DePriest won't receive severance but will be paid $3,200 for unused vacation and personal time, Kindron said.

DePriest said it still stings to have lost his job so suddenly, and in such a public manner, but he appreciated the opportunity to serve village residents.

"I understand that they felt that they had to do something. I just don't like the way that they did it," said DePriest. "There had to be a better way."
NEW YORK (AP)  Former Vice President Mike Pence is becoming increasingly brazen in his willingness to counter former President Donald Trump.

The two will hold dueling rallies in Arizona on Friday as they stump for rival candidates who offer dramatically different visions of the Republican Party in a critical battleground state. Days later, they will once again cross paths as they deliver major speeches on the same day in Washington.

The encounters mark a more confrontational phase in the fraught relationship between the former running mates and once close confidantes who could soon find themselves competing against one another in the 2024 GOP presidential primary if they both ultimately choose to run.

Keep scrolling for a ranking of possible Republican presidential candidates in 2024

"I think this is a continuation of the larger message that Pence is trying to embody here, which is the Republican Party should look to the future," said Scott Jennings, a longtime party strategist. "This is going to be the existential question for the Republican Party: Are we going to listen to a slightly different view than Donald Trump's? Right now, the standard-bearer for this is Mike Pence."

That description marks a striking turnaround for Pence, who spent his four years in the White House as Trump's most loyal defender. But Trump turned on his vice president when Pence refused to go along with his unconstitutional efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election, putting Pence in the crosshairs of a violent mob on Jan. 6.

Now Pence, who has repeatedly defended his actions that day, is taking a more active effort to shape the future of the party. This week, Pence endorsed Karrin Taylor Robson in Arizona's Republican gubernatorial primary, pitting himself against Trump, who has endorsed Kari Lake, a former newscaster who has embraced Trump's election lies.

"As Arizona Democrats pursue the reckless Biden-Harris agenda, Karrin Taylor Robson is the only candidate for Governor that will keep Arizona's border secure and streets safe, empower parents and create great schools, and promote conservative values," Pence said in a statement announcing his decision.

Pence backed Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, a top Trump target who easily defeated the former president's hand-picked challenger this spring. But Pence's Arizona move showed a willingness to weigh in on a closer and open race in alliance with the state's outgoing GOP governor, Doug Ducey, who also rebuffed Trump's efforts to overturn the election.

Pence is planning to campaign with Robson in Phoenix and southern Arizona Friday  the same day that Trump is set to headline a rally for Lake that was rescheduled after the death of his first wife, Ivana Trump.

A Trump spokesperson did not respond to requests for comment on the events.

Trump and Pence will again cross paths next week as the former president returns to the nation's capital for the first time since leaving the White House. Pence will address the conservative Heritage Foundation on Monday evening and will speak at the Young America's Foundation's annual National Conservative Student Conference on Tuesday morning. That afternoon, Trump will headline a two-day summit organized by the America First Policy Institute.

Pence will use his speech before the Heritage Foundation to highlight the policy agenda he released earlier and talk about the future of the party, according to aides. The remarks are expected to offer an implicit contrast with Trump, who has spent much of his energy since leaving office on relitigating the 2020 election.

Pence has urged Republicans to move on, even as he continues to tout the accomplishments of what he often describes as the Trump-Pence administration.

Pence's efforts come as Trump is preparing to launch a third campaign for the White House as soon as this summer while he faces a flurry of investigations into his efforts to cling to power. That includes the House Jan. 6 committee, which on Thursday will hold another prime-time hearing, this time spotlighting Trump's refusal to call off the angry mob that stormed the Capitol and sent Pence and other lawmakers into hiding.

While polls show Trump remains the overwhelming favorite in a hypothetical GOP primary, Marc Short, Pence's former chief of staff and a top adviser, argued that even if Trump does announce a run, that doesn't necessarily mean he'll be on the ballot two years from now.

"As the committee winds down, I'm sure he's looking for a reset that brings attention back on him. And an announcement does not necessarily mean a commitment at the end of that process to continue forward," said Short. "I don't think there's any doubt that the president enjoys being the center of attention. And the announcement puts even additional media focus on him."

Trump, meanwhile, has continued to slam Pence for refusing to go along with his scheme to remain in power. At a gathering of Evangelical Christians in Nashville, Tennessee, last month, Trump again said Pence "did not have the courage to act," drawing applause.

When it comes to a potential race, Trump does not see Pence as a threat, according to allies, who are much more consumed with Ron DeSantis. The Florida governor is increasingly seen by conservatives as a natural and younger successor to Trump's MAGA movement who can channel the same anger, but with less baggage.

Jennings, meanwhile, praised Pence for being willing to stand up to Trump when so many others in the party still refuse to cross him.

"What Mike Pence is doing is extremely valuable. And whether he is a viable candidate for present, I don't know. But he's certainly earned the right to make the case for a post-Trump future," said Jennings.

"He may end up being John the Baptist to someone else," he added. "Headless but remembered well."
Rebecca Noble/Reuters

Venture capitalist turned upstart Senate candidate Blake Masters easily won the Arizona Republican primary on Tuesday, racking up another victory for candidates backed by former President Donald Trump and tech billionaire Peter Thiel.

Masters, a 35-year-old Bitcoin hawk with no political experience, rode Trumps late-game support to a come-from-behind win, after failing for months to woo swing state conservatives with a steady stream of radical and at times dystopian right-wing rhetoric threaded with anti-immigrant and racist tropes.

In the end, Masters outperformed runner-up Arizona energy mogul Jim Lamon. Masters will now face incumbent Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) in the general election.

Peter Thiel Invests Big in Firms His Favorite Candidates Love to Hate

For months, the Arizona race showed no clear frontrunner, but after escalating his election denialism to score Trumps endorsement in June, Masters surged. By primary time, he was resting on a double-digit lead.

By contrast, JD Vanceanother Trump-Thiel pickclaimed less than one in three Ohio Republicans in May. Missouri attorney general Eric Schmitt, a Senate candidate who received Thiel money and an ambiguous endorsement from Trump, also won his GOP Senate nomination Tuesday night, though Trump was less than clear about who he was actually endorsing in the race.

Masters, who grew up in Arizona, had recently returned to the state after years in the Bay Area, where he worked under Thiels wing as COO of Thiel Capital. He entered the race rating relatively low in name recognition, especially compared to Arizona Attorney General turned Trump nemesis Mark Brnovich. But Masters adopted a native advertising approach to publicity, and quickly began accumulating earned media as a polarizing provocateur.

His success, however, came as a surprise to many. At the beginning, Masters outsider platform appeared like a strange fit for Arizonans. He leaned heavily on abstract new right political theory, anti-immigrant fear bait, longform podcast interviews, and niche, largely untested policy proposals (like a strategic reserve of Bitcoin)an odd match for the swing states typical voter profile.

Story continues

Still, thanks in large part to Trump, the tech investor was able to lock up enough votes to offset, or possibly win over, his stiffest competition: Arizonas sizable population of suburban moderates and retirees.

Blake Masters Views on Gay Marriage May Surprise His Political Master Peter Thiel

While Mastersa thirtysomething Bitcoin millionaire and Silicon Valley transplant who was dogged throughout his campaign by allegations of racism, hypocritical corporate and technocratic cronyism, and veiled anti-semitismmight seem an unlikely flagbearer for that all-important demographic, those voters will only become more critical as the general election approaches. There, Masters must overcome a popular Democratic moderate in Kelly, an effort that may force Masters to soften his rhetoric.

Hell have to balance that against the Trump brand if he wants to energize the grassroots, because if fundraising is any measure of enthusiasm, Masters has a steep hill to climb. Almost all of his financial firepower has come from a group entirely separate from his campaigna super PAC mainly fueled by Thiels whopping $15 million investment. The bulk of the super PACs other high-dollar contributions come from executives in tech and financial sectors, most of them bearing some connection to the crypto world.

But Arizonans have simply not opened their pocketbooks. Exactly four of the super PACs fifty-plus donors hail from Arizona, according to FEC data. And of his campaigns $5 million, more than 90 percent comes from out-of-state, with Californians accounting for about one in every five dollars. In fact, Masters has given more money to his campaign than Arizona citizens havehis $680,000 in personal loans outweigh his total in-state contributions by about $200,000. His latest loan, in Julymore than four months after he claimed to resign from Thiels companystill lists his employer as Thiel Capital.

But Masters received loads of free airtime from another powerful allythe most influential media figure in conservative politics, Fox News entertainer Tucker Carlson. The late-night host quickly recognized a fellow traveler in Masters nationalist agenda, offering full-throated support and numerous appearances on his program, the most watched show in cable news history. (Brnovich, by contrast, got the support of Carlsons late-night colleague Sean Hannity.)

Blake Masters Blames Gun Violence on Black People, Frankly

But the same nationalist rhetoric that appealed to the Carlson crowdresounding with the false Great Replacement conspiracy theory embraced by white supremacistsattracted more controversial supporters, including Andrew Anglin, founder of the neo-Nazi publication The Daily Stormer.

Anglin gave Masters his forceful endorsement in June, following a viral incident at a campaign event where Masters appeared to grab a 73-year-old protester by the neck and push him out of the room. Last month, Masters rejected Anglins support, saying he had never heard of Anglin and dismissing news reports of the endorsement as part of an effort to smear anybody who believes in common sense border security as some kind of Nazi.

Ultimately, Masters media savvy overcame the substantive support that top immigration officials threw behind his top competitor, Lamon, who received endorsements from former Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Chad Wolf, along with the former Acting Director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the former Chief of the Border Patrol.

Masters reaped endorsements from TV officials like Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), Matt Gaetz (R-FL), and Madison Cawthorn (R-NC), and Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO).

But despite staking out positions on immigration, guns, abortion, and gay marriage that poll well outside the main, the tech entrepreneur has made a guarantee that he will beat Kelly, a former Navy pilot and astronaut, by five points.

Oh, Im an astronaut. Have you heard Im an astronaut? Masters said at an event in April, as reported by Mother Jones. You know, when Im on the space station and I look at that big blue ball I realize were all in it together. And its like, Shut up, Mark.

But Masters will also have to overcome his own baseless theory that Democrats are using immigration policy to stack the electoral deck.

Obviously, the Democrats, they hope to just change the demographics of our country, he said in an April podcast interview. They hope to import an entirely new electorate. Then they call you a racist and a bigot.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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Dr. Mehmet Oz believes the American Dream is in crisis.

The heart surgeon turned TV celebrity, who's now the Republican Party's nominee for the U.S. Senate seat in Pennsylvania, made his case to veterans Wednesday at the American Legion Post 571 in Wesleyville.

"The American Dream, to me, is not being passed along as effectively as we should be sharing it," Oz said to an audience of about 15 residents, mostly military veterans.

"Part of the reason I'm running to be a U.S. senator is to show  as somebody who came from 'not a lot' and who has accomplished a fair amount  that that dream is available to all."

Republican U.S. Senate nominee Dr. Mehmet Oz, far right, talks to residents at the American Legion Post 571 in Wesleyville on Aug. 8, 2022. To Oz's right, at center, is Erie County Executive Brenton Davis.

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Oz, 62, said restoring that dream requires leaders who can educate and empower, and whose values are more in line with Pennsylvania voters. That's not the case, he said, with Democrat John Fetterman, his opponent, who Oz described as a "radical."

"He's the most radical person running for Senate in the Democratic Party, of any close race  and that's a reality," Oz said.

Fetterman's campaign pushed back on the "radical" claim when asked by the Erie Times-News.

"Unlike Dr. Oz, who is an ultra-millionaire scam artist who lives in New Jersey and has made a fortune peddling fake medical advice and hawking scam products, John actually lives in Pennsylvania and understands the struggles people here are going through daily," stated Joe Calvello, communications director for the Fetterman campaign, in an email.

On health care, energy

In a quick run-through of some key issues, Oz said he supported telemedicine as a way to expedite care for veterans suffering from mental health issues. He also spoke favorably of the PACT Act, or the Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act, which provides benefits to veterans suffering from ailments caused by toxic burn pit exposure.

Last week, 41 Republican senators blocked the bipartisan bill, insisting it would have allowed $400 billion in unrelated spending. Following an immediate backlash, the Senate passed the bill Tuesday.

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"Veterans risked everything to serve our nation and when you send a message back to them  and the rest of the country  that you're not going to reward that confidence, that bravery, in defending that flag, then you're actually hurting the nation," Oz said.

The Republican nominee also voiced his support for more secure borders, school choice and an "all-of-the-above" energy strategy that included fracking, both to help local communities and as way to achieve energy independence.

"Natural gas in Pennsylvania, which could power the country for hundreds of years, is clean enough to help the environment while we build up other green sources," he said. "It's plentiful. We can get it out of the ground. Pipe it to places and even ship it overseas. We make money for people here in Pennsylvania, create wonderful job opportunities, make national security a priority by making us energy independent and help our allies overseas who are struggling."

On Fetterman

During his stop, Oz claimed Fetterman "disrespects the police" and would over-regulate fracking and abolish the private health care industry.

He added that Fetterman would not secure the nation's borders.

"The election comes down to one question: are you happy where America is headed? If you're happy with that, you got a far-left radical," Oz said of Fetterman. "The vast majority of people in Pennsylvania are not happy with where we're headed and those folks are going to want me because I'm for change."

Calvello called Oz a "serial liar."

Fetterman suffers stroke:Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, Pa. Democrat running for Senate, suffered stroke

"John is and has always been a pro-police Democrat who has always supported law enforcement," he stated in his email. "As Braddocks mayor, John was the towns chief law enforcement officer and went above and beyond to support police officers, securing funding to bolster the departments budget and working to ensure their service was widely recognized."

Calvello added that Fetterman "does not support a fracking moratorium or ban."

"He believes that we have to preserve the union way of life for the thousands of workers currently employed or supported by the natural gas industry in Pennsylvania and the communities where they live. In fact, John was attacked in the Democratic primary by his opponents over his support for fracking."

Calvello also said Fetterman is in favor of expanding access to quality affordable health care in pursuit of universal health coverage, as well as "common-sense immigration reform" that will strengthen and secure borders.

Fetterman trolling Oz:How John Fetterman is using Snooki, Twitter and his online campaign to overshadow Dr. Oz

Davis holds off on endorsement, reactions

Erie County Executive Brenton Davis, who welcomed Oz on Wednesday, said his appearance next to the Republican Senate nominee did not represent any "particular endorsement."

Davis said he'd like to see all candidates come to Erie County to address veterans' issues and that the Oz campaign was the first to reach out.

"I appreciate seeing a Senate candidate that really comes and spends time here in Erie County and in northwest Pennsylvania and doesn't forget about the rural areas," Davis said.

Republican County Council Chairman Brian Shank, who also attended the event, was more vocal in his support.

"I think we need a little bit of balance in the Senate, and I think this will bring that balance that we need," he told the Erie Times-News. "I don't always agree with (Oz). And that's okay. We're not supposed to always agree with the people we support. We're here to ask the questions and challenge them and see their direction. But I think he's a breath of fresh air."

Dennis Hanlin, an Army veteran who attended the event, said he didn't vote for Oz in the primary but liked the nominee's remarks and said it's time to "close ranks."

"You don't really get to know somebody in 10, 20, or 30 minutes, but you do get a feel whether they're genuine or not," Hanlin said. "And he came off to me as very genuine. I think he cares and that matters to me."

Following the campaign stop at the American Legion, Oz took a tour of Tesco Tools, at 8106 Hawthorne Drive.

Oz squeaked past David McCormick by fewer than 1,000 votes in a GOP primary in May that was so close it triggered an automatic recount. He enters the general election contest against Fetterman with the hope of retaining the Senate seat for his party. Incumbent Sen. Pat Toomey announced last year that he would not seek re-election.

A.J. Rao can be reached at arao@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @ETNRao.

This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Dr. Mehmet Oz, GOP Senate nominee, visits veterans in Wesleyville
Congressman Neal Dunn, shown in middle with black hat, wrote in a letter to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security that he worries Austal Limited's ties to China might threaten U.S. national security.

PANAMA CITY  Congressman Neal Dunn is following through on a promise to do everything in his power to challenge the U.S. Coast Guard's decision to award a massive shipbuilding contract to Austal USA.

In his second letter to the United States Department of Homeland Security in about a month, Dunn on Tuesday wrote that he worries a partnership between Austal Limited and a Chinese shipbuilding company poses a threat to U.S. national security. Dunn's letter was sent to The News Herald by members of his staff.

Australian-based Austal Limited is the parent company of Austal USA, an Alabama shipbuilder that was selected over Eastern Shipbuilding in June for a more than $3 billion contract with the Coast Guard to build up to 11 ships.

"Given the United States' current tension with China, Austal's deep ties to the People's Republic of China are extremely concerning," Dunn wrote in an email to The News Herald on Wednesday. "It is unclear whether the Coast Guard was even aware of this business relationship when they conducted the bidding process.

"However, national security should have been prioritized when they considered who would be trusted with their largest shipbuilding contract."

In Eastern's corner: Rep. Dunn vows to fight Coast Guard's decision to ditch Eastern Shipbuilding

Investigation sought: Rep. Dunn requests Homeland Security probe into 'deeply troubling' Coast Guard allegations

The contract given to Austal USA includes the rights to ships five through 15 in the Coast Guard's 25-ship Offshore Patrol Cutter Program. Eastern was commissioned to build the first four ships in the program, three of which are under construction.

The Panama City company also was given the rights to the first 11 cutters in 2016, but that contract was reduced to four after Hurricane Michael destroyed much of Bay County in October 2018.

In Tuesday's letter, Dunn wrote that Austal Limited began discussions in 2016 with Jianglong Shipbuilding in Guangdong, China, on a "joint venture to construct ships in Jianglong's shipyard in China." The Chinese company produces tourist, leisure and law enforcement boats.

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The joint venture then registered in 2016 as Aulong Shipbuilding, of which Austal Limited owned 40% and Jianglong Shipbuilding owned 60%.

"The Aulong joint venture operated at a loss for two years before Austal started negotiations for the sale of its minority stake," Dunn wrote in his letter. "The final sale took place in December 2021 with Jianglong purchasing all of Austal's 40% interest.

"I believe the threat that proprietary U.S. national security information may have been acquired by the Chinese government through this partnership is high, (and) I am gravely concerned as to why the U.S. Coast Guard awarded its largest and most vital maritime shipbuilding contract to a foreign company with clear ties to the People's Republic of China."

His letter to Homeland Security included the following information requests:

An explanation of Homeland Security's oversight and review of the award process for the Coast Guard contract as it pertains to the national security risk assessment of each bid.

An explanation of whether Homeland Security believed Austal Limited's ties to China posed a risk to national security.

An explanation of whether Homeland Security formally summitted concerns as to Austal Limited's ties to China posing a risk to national security.

The number of attorneys, support staff and other personnel assigned to investigate and review the Coast Guard's contracting process.

The number of people tasked with reviewing bids submitted to the Coast Guard for China-related ties.

An explanation of the Coast Guard's oversight and review of the award process for its contract as it pertains to the national security risk assessment of each bid.

An explanation of whether the Coast Guard believed Austal Limited's ties to China posed a risk to national security.

An explanation of whether the Coast Guard formally submitted concerns as to whether Austal Limited's ties to China posed a risk to national security.

An explanation whether Homeland Security believes American tax money appropriated for U.S. defense contracts with Austal USA between 2015 to 2021 were used by Austal Limited to enter any joint ventures with Chinese maritime companies.

"The threat from China is real and growing," Dunn wrote in his letter. "Jeopardizing vital national security programs by unnecessarily partnering with foreign companies exposes the United States to potential threats from China. The (Coast Guard) contract should be fulfilled by U.S. companies with proven track records of delivering for the American people."

This article originally appeared on The News Herald: Rep. Dunn warns Homeland Security about Austal Limited's ties to China
The city of Las Vegas, New Mexico is facing a severe water crisis, with less than 50 days of water left.

The citys water sources have become contaminated with detritus and dirt from the Calf Canyon/Hermits Peak fire, which raged perilously close to the community in May. Las Vegas Mayor Louie Trujillo says the federal government is to blame.

"The government is 100% responsible for this disaster, Mr Trujillo told ABC News on Monday.

The Calf Canyon/Hermits Peak Fire stemmed from two prescribed burns set by the US Forest Service, an agency of the federal government, and that got out of control. Ideally, prescribed burns can help reduce wildfire risk by thinning out vegetation that could ignite larger wildfires.

However these two prescribed burns exploded, and destroyed 340,000 acres  larger than the city of Los Angeles and became the biggest fire on record in New Mexico. The blaze is now 98 per cent contained.

Areas that have recently burned can be especially susceptible to erosion and flooding. Floods in the area burned by the Calf Canyon/Hermits Peak Fire have washed contaminants into the Gallinas River watershed, where the city of Las Vegas gets their drinking water.

The city now has less than a 50-day supply of water from their usual sources, ABC News reports.

Mayor Trujillo told ABC that Las Vegas will make the federal government pay for every expense and discomfort that the citizens are suffering right now.

Last week, New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham declared a state of emergency in response to the water shortage, opening up $2.25million to help the city.

The destruction that continues to befall New Mexico communities affected by the U.S. Forest Service planned burns from earlier this year is unfathomable, Governor Lujan Grisham said in a press release announcing the emergency declaration.

While these two prescribed burns got out of hand, many wildfire experts believe they are necessary to prevent even more destructive wildfires. Many landscapes, including forests in the western US, naturally burn every so often, keeping wildfires at a steady but moderate presence.

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But decades of fire suppression have led to a massive build-up of potential wildfire fuel like downed trees and low vegetation in many US forests. Now, when flames do spark, they can quickly rage out of control.

These conditions are catalysed by the intense drought and heat brought on by the climate crisis. The western US is currently in the midst of a decades-long megadrought fuelled by the warming planet  leaving forests dry and primed to burn.

US Forest Service Chief Randy Moore even noted the impact of the climate crisis in a June statement on the Hermits Peak fire.

Drought, extreme weather, wind conditions and unpredictable weather changes are challenging our ability to use prescribed fire as a tool to combat destructive fires, Mr Moore wrote.

Despite the heavy monsoon season rains that have caused the flooding and erosion around Las Vegas, the region is still facing punishing drought.

Over 75 per cent of New Mexico is currently experiencing severe drought conditions, according to the US governments drought monitor.
Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) was the only senator to vote against a resolution on Wednesday backing Finlands and Swedens entry to NATO.

The Senate approved the resolution in a 95-1 vote. One senator, Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), voted present.

The resolution backs Finland and Sweden joining NATO. The House approved a resolution in a bipartisan 394-18 vote last month that formally supported the two Nordic countries joining the military alliance. All opposition in the House came from the Republican Party.

Hawleys vote against the resolution did not come as a surprise. He had announced his intent to vote against the resolution earlier this week, outlining his opposition in an op-ed published by The National Interest.

He said he does not believe the U.S. should expand its security commitments in Europe, because Americas greatest foreign adversary is China.

Hawley argued that growing the countrys security commitments in Europe would make Americans less safe.

Finland and Sweden want to join the Atlantic Alliance to head off further Russian aggression in Europe. That is entirely understandable given their location and security needs. But Americas greatest foreign adversary doesnt loom over Europe. It looms in Asia, Hawley wrote.

I am talking of course about the Peoples Republic of China. And when it comes to Chinese imperialism, the American people should know the truth: the United States is not ready to resist it. Expanding American security commitments in Europe now would only make that problem worseand America, less safe, he added.

The Missouri Republican elaborated on his stance in remarks on the Senate floor Wednesday, arguing that adding Finland and Sweden to NATO is not in the national security interest of the U.S.

Finland and Sweden want to expand NATO because it is in their national security interest to do so, and fair enough. The question that should properly be before us, however, is, is it in the United Statess interests to do so? Because thats what American foreign policy is supposed to be about, I thought, Hawley said.

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Expanding NATO will require more United States forces in Europe, more manpower, more firepower, more resources, more spending. And not just now but over the long haul. But our greatest foreign adversary is not in Europe. Our greatest foreign adversary is in Asia. And when it comes to countering that adversary, we are behind the game. Im talking, of course, about China. The communist government of Beijing has adopted a policy of imperialism, he added.

Paul voted present on the resolution shortly after the Senate defeated his amendment to the measure in a 10-87 vote. Nine Republicans joined him in supporting the addition.

The amendment sought to emphasize that Article 5 of the NATO treaty does not supersede Congresss control over declaring war.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) on Wednesday delivered remarks in support of the resolution and wished those opposed to the measure good luck in finding a defensible excuse for their no votes.

If any senator is looking for a defensible excuse to vote no, I wish them good luck. This is a slam dunk for national security that deserves unanimous bipartisan support, McConnell said.

Theres just no question that admitting these robust democratic countries with modern economies and capable interoperable militaries will only strengthen the most successful military alliance in human history, he added.

This story was updated at 7:04 p.m.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Producer Janet Yang has been elected president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the Academys Board of Governors announced on Tuesday.

She was elected at a virtual meeting of the 54-member board, which was selecting a successor to casting director David Rubin. While presidents can serve four consecutive one-year terms, Rubin had to leave the board because of term limits after serving three terms.

Yang is a member of the Academys Producers Branch and for the past year had served as a vice president of the board and chair of the Membership Committee.

Yang is a producer of The Joy Luck Club, The People vs. Larry Flynt and the recent Oscar-nominated animated feature Over the Moon. Born in New York City, she will be the Academys first president of Asian descent, and the fourth woman after Bette Davis (who resigned after two months in 1941), Fay Kanin (1979-1983) and Cheryl Boone Isaacs (2013-2017). Thirty-one men have served in the position.

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Yang is also the first Academy president who was not elected to the board by the members of her branch. In the wake of the #OscarsSoWhite outcry in 2016, the Academy added three Governors at Large positions to its board, to be appointed by the AMPAS president and filled by people of color. Yang, DeVon Franklin and Rodrigo Garcia were appointed to the board in 2019 by then-president John Bailey and reappointed by Rubin this year. Her fellow at-large governor Franklin was considered her chief challenger in the presidential election.

(The fact that she is now in the first year of her second three-year term means that Yang can only serve three one-year terms as Academy president before term limits will force her, too, off the board.)

Yang has had lengthy working relationships with Steven Spielberg, for whom she served as a representative in China on Empire of the Sun, and Oliver Stone. She helped reintroduce Chinese cinema to the American marketplace in the 1980s and is a co-founder of Gold House, a nonprofit collective of Asian cultural leaders.

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Six weeks before being elected president, Yang was honored by the Academy Museum with the unveiling of one of the museums pillars in her honor. Others who have been recognized on the pillars include Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson, Barbra Streisand, Bob Iger and Willow Bay and Christopher Nolan and Emma Thomas.

Yang is also taking the position at a time when Asian cinema has been embraced by the Academy in a way unseen since the success of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon in 2000. The South Korean film Parasite became the first film not in English to win Best Picture in 2020, and since then Minari and Drive My Car have scored multiple nominations and won Oscars. The main way in which the Academy has become more diverse since 2016 is by becoming significantly more international, making a president with strong ties to non-English cinema a sensible choice for todays Academy.

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Will Smith Posts Emotional Apology About Chris Rock Slap: Its Been a Minute (Video)

Other officers were also chosen by the board on Tuesday:

Teri E. Dorman, Vice President (chair, Membership Committee)

Donna Gigliotti, Vice President/Secretary (chair, Governance Committee)

Lynette Howell Taylor, Vice President (chair, Awards Committee)

Larry Karaszewski, Vice President (chair, History and Preservation Committee)

David Linde, Vice President/Treasurer (chair, Finance Committee)

Isis Mussenden, Vice President (chair, Museum Committee)

Kim Taylor-Coleman, Vice President (chair, Equity and Inclusion Committee)

Wynn P. Thomas, Vice President (chair, Education and Outreach Committee)

Tightened term limits helped made this years presidential election an unpredictable one. With the limits forcing obvious candidates like Laura Dern and Nancy Utley off the board, Yang and Franklin emerged as the two top contenders at a stormy time for the Academy.

Between declining Oscar ratings and the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on theatrical exhibition, the Academy is facing significant challenges. The organization is also trying to recover from a widely-panned Oscar show that was marred by Will Smiths onstage assault on Chris Rock, and then by the perceived inaction of David Rubin and then-CEO Dawn Hudson afterwards. Hudson has since been replaced by Bill Kramer well in advance of her contract expiration in May 2023, while Rubin couldnt remain in his position regardless of what happened at the Oscars.
Jason Momoa made a very special trip this week from Los Angeles to Hawaii on Hawaiian Airlines to celebrate the airline's partnership with his water company Mananalu.

The 42-year-old actor surprised unsuspecting passengers by personally handing out aluminum bottles filled with the purified water.

TikTok user @livinglikekylee posted a video their aunt sent of Momoa handing out the bottles. The video had the caption, "When Jason Momoa is your flight attendant."

The Aquaman actor also documented the special occasion on his Instagram page with his own video footage.

"Bright and early. It should be a good day. I'm going home to Hawaii with the babies, and we're doing something really cool, very cool, something like how it all started," he said as he headed to his Hawaiian Airlines flight.

The "babies" Momoa was referring to are his daughter Lola Iolani, 14, and son Nakoa-Wolf, 13.

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Jason Momoa on Hawaiian airlines

@livinglikekylee

Of his inspiration for the activation, he explained that he questioned why he would always see plastic single-use water bottles on flights. "It's a dream come true...why can't we have aluminum? There's sparkling water, there's sparkling beer, there's soda, soft drinks. Why do I have to have this little single tiny water? So this is my first time being able to do this. So I'm going to make the announcement on Hawaiian Airlines...I'm excited I'm going home."

RELATED: Jason Momoa Continues to Plead with Fans to Become Donors to Be the Match Registry: 'Be a Hero'

In his caption, Momoa further described his ultimate goal, and wrote, "My idea to create @Mananalu.water came to me while on a flight. I'm grateful for your support and it's an honor to have Hawaiian Airlines be the first airline to partner with Mananalu. We're on a mission to end single-use plastic. Drink one, remove one - For every bottle of Mananalu sold, we remove one plastic bottle from the ocean. We have removed 3 MILLION plastic bottles from the ocean this year. Don't stop making waves to save our beautiful planet. aloha j."

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RELATED: Jason Momoa's Kids Support Him as He's Named UNEP Advocate for Life Below Water: 'Papa Loves You'

In June, Momoa was named the UN Environment Programme's (UNEP) Advocate for Life Below Water at the UN Ocean Conference in Lisbon, Portugal.

Jason Momoa

Mainei Kinimaka/UN Environment Programme

The actor posted a series of photos on Instagram that showed his kids intently listening to his discussion at the conference.

"With great respect, admiration, and humility, I join the UN family and commit to the critically important work: to manage, protect and preserve the Ocean and all living creatures on our beautiful, BLUE planet," Momoa wrote in his caption. "We must seek to right the wrongs we have done against our children and grandchildren, turn the tide on our irresponsible stewardship, and build momentum for a future where humanity can once again live in harmony with nature."

Momoa concluded by giving a shout-out to his children, who he shares with ex Lisa Bonet. "Papa loves you babies, mahalo for standing by my side."
I served in the State Senate when New York States bail reform laws were passed. I was amazed by how my Democratic colleagues ignored pleas from law enforcement, judges and even Democratic district attorneys that what they were passing would undermine the rule of law.

On July 21, a man attacked New York gubernatorial candidate Lee Zeldin, with a sharp and pointed self-defense instrument at a campaign event. The assailant went for Zeldins neck with the weapon. A military veteran, Zeldin reacted deftly to defend himself. But for his quick reaction, Zeldin could have easily suffered a deadly strike to his neck.

This attack on a candidate for our states highest office is outrageous and unacceptable. As outrageous and unacceptable is the fact that this attacker was back out on the street within hours. This man was clearly dangerous and likely mentally unstable. Due to New Yorks so-called criminal justice reforms, this deranged man was immediately released without a cooling-off period of incarceration overnight or even some sort of bail to make sure he returns to a later court date. This does not serve the public good, public safety or even the safety of this likely mentally ill veteran.

Under New Yorks bail reform laws, those arrested for nearly all crimes but the most heinous must be released without a judge being able to set bail. In most cases, a person arrested for possession of a handgun must be released immediately. Further, its next to impossible for a judge to do anything if the assailant is under 18; regrettably, we know those under 18 can do some very terrible things to innocent citizens.

Some have argued that bail reform has not contributed to an increase in crime, but those deniers fail to look deep enough into the data. When you do, you see that the repeat offender is a major contributor to the significant increase in crime, and the repeat offender who is right back on the street to commit again is a direct result of bail reform. New York Citys Democratic mayor, a bail reform critic, coined it catch, release  repeat.

Our legislators and governor must scrap these laws, and start over with reasonable and responsible laws, so citizens again feel safe in their communities. Reforms should return discretion back to judges on determining bail and allow judges to weigh the dangerousness, flight risk, past criminal record and the seriousness of the offense to impose bail.

A fundamental responsibility of our elected officials is to keep our citizens safe, New Yorks bail laws are failing in this responsibility.

Chris Jacobs represents New Yorks 27th Congressional District.
Migrants housed at the Otero County Processing Center walk through the yard in a 2020 file photo.

A recently updated agreement with Immigration and Customs Enforcement guarantees more than $2.3 million will flow monthly to the private operator of the Otero County Processing Facility in Chaparral, where migrant detainees are held in federal custody.

This summer, the facility also began holding women in custody as well as men.

The ACLU of New Mexico, which obtained the new agreement through public records requests, expressed concern over continued detention of migrants for profit and over living conditions, particularly for women and transgender detainees, at the detention center. OCPC has been among several ICE facilities subject to complaints about food and drinking water, retaliatory solitary confinement, mistreatment of LGBTQ detainees and other violations of detention standards.

The detention center is located in a remote area of Chaparral immediately next to the Otero County Prison Facility, also managed by MTC on properties owned by the county and built in 2008.

The new intergovernmental service agreement modifies terms of a 2014 agreement and expires on March 31, 2025.

Previously, ICE paid MTC at a daily rate of $93.01 per bed with no guaranteed minimum. Under terms beginning April 1, the company will be paid a guaranteed monthly rate of $2,317,141.67 in addition to a "bed day rate" of $7.55 per detainee up to 500 detainees and $58.81 for each detainee beyond 500.

Demonstrators gather outside the ICE Otero County Processing Center in Chaparral, New Mexico, in protest of prisoner treatment in Chaparral on Thursday, Jan. 23, 2020.

It also provides for reimbursements for some expenses and includes language requiring MTC to adhere to a staffing plan, with ICE agreeing to pay wages and overtime for additional guards.

The staffing plan requires 12 guards to be on duty per shift, or 14 if the detainee population exceeds 500, with ICE reimbursing Otero County at $28.70 per hour or $34.80 for hourly overtime pay. MTC would also be paid for providing extra transportation officers at similar rates.

In 2020, MTC told the county it might terminate its agreement altogether due to decreases in detainees  and revenue  over the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic. In a letter obtained by NM Political Report, the company suggested strategies to increase occupancy "and make MTCs continued operation of the facility financially viable.

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Housing female detainees could help bolster the billable population. ICE agreed to cover the costs of facility improvements, such as modifications to shower and toilet facilities, to accommodate the change. Detention statistics for the current fiscal year, published by ICE on its website, indicate the facility has begun detaining women, and a spokesman for MTC confirmed that it began receiving women on June 4.

There is also language requiring MTC to adhere to certain standards for transgender care including individualized detention plans for each. Currently, the center has no transgender detainees, MTC stated.

The positions of warden and deputy warden are classified as "key personnel" under the agreement, meaning MTC would need to share candidates' resumes with ICE before making any offer when filling a vacancy.

Migrants housed at the Otero County Processing Center walk through the yard in a 2020 file photo.

The agreement also allows MTC access to satellite law libraries and provide for virtual attorney visitation through internet video conferencing.

ICE spokesperson Leticia Zamarripa said ICE detainees facing deportation are provided with information on free legal resources and pro bono services, in addition to virtual access to attorneys at 17 detention centers. She also said all detainees in ICE custody have telephone access to the American Bar Association Detention and Legal Orientation Program information line.

The agency also pointed to the pandemic, which hit the Otero County facility hard, as reason for alternatives to in-person visitation, while allowing legal visitation.

Rebecca Sheff, a senior staff attorney at ACLU of New Mexico, said in an interview the expansion of eligible detainees in Otero County raised concerns about ICE's ability to deliver on its promises of humane confinement and access to counsel.

"This modification of the Otero contract really was done without any meaningful public input  and these are significant changes," Sheff said.

ICE detainee Ariel Guzman-Acosta is seen during a video interview with the El Paso Times in 2020, when he said had not yet seen an immigration judge after three months at Otero County Processing Center.

Zamarripa wrote in an email that her agency "uses a variety of detention models to meet agency needs and maintain detention standards, while achieving the most cost-effective use of taxpayer funds."

ACLU: ICE contract of 'minimal' benefit to county

While MTC is guaranteed millions of dollars each month regardless of how many people are detained at the processing center, Otero County collects just $1.50 to $1.55 per inmate per day, per its updated contract with MTC.

"The benefit that goes to the county is very minimal ... compared to the benefit that's going to this private prison corporation," Sheff remarked.

Otero County Manager Pamela Heltner did not respond to repeated requests for an interview for this story.

MTC has bolstered its community standing and won praise from local leaders for several local initiatives. Last month, the Gadsden Independent School District board presented MTC with an award, received by wardens Dora Castro and Hector Rios, for programs involving both the prison facility and processing center, providing Thanksgiving meal boxes for families, Christmas gifts and food baskets and donations of school uniforms.

The company has also announced other actions in the community, including donations of crafted items to the El Paso Children's Hospital, assistance to local families in need, scholarships and other outreach.

Yet Sheff said the arrangements between the county, MTC and ICE have been kept out of public discussion, including an accounting of how the county benefits financially or economically, or meaningful opportunities for residents to weigh in on how these public facilities are used.

Health and safety concerns at Otero County Processing Center

MTC spokesman David Martinson said, "The health and safety of detainees at Otero County Processing Center is a top priority," adding that accommodations for women have been completed and that a safety plan is in place if and when OCPC receives transgender detainees.

Sheff cited previous incidents involving ICE facilities operated by CoreCivic, another private contractor, including the death in New Mexico of transgender woman Roxsana Hernandez, a detainee from Honduras, while in ICE custody in 2018. Hernandez was held at the Cibola County Correctional Center in Milan, managed by CoreCivic.

"ICE, writ large, has not proven that they can detain trans people safely and humanely," Sheff said. "It's not just this facility; it's the entire ICE detention system."

Transgender migrants from Central America Roxsana Hernandez, in center, in buses headed for Mexico City on April 9, 2018. Hernandez, 33, died in the custody of (ICE) at a hospital in Albuquerque, New Mexico. (Via OlyDrop)

Zamarripa said the agency was "committed to ensuring that all those (in) its custody reside in safe, secure, and human environments under appropriate conditions of confinement."

She added, "ICE regularly reviews each case involving a self-identified transgender noncitizen and makes the discretionary decision as to whether the use of detention resources is warranted for that individual."

ICE leadership and rationale for detention

ICE detention statistics indicate that 97 percent of both male and female detainees held at Otero during the current fiscal year, which began in October, did not have criminal records. Sheff questioned the public safety benefit of detaining people while their immigration cases are in process and the financial incentive to keep them.

"They could decide tomorrow to release each of these folks to families, to sponsors within the United States," she said, "so that they could have access to their support networks  to their loved ones, to legal counsel, to nonprofits providing humanitarian services; and instead of that, ICE is making the affirmative choice to detain them and continue to funnel $2.3 million a month to this corporation to run this facility, when there are much better alternatives available."

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security issued a directive to ICE last year seeking to limit migrant arrests to those posing public safety or national security risks, enacting a Biden Administration policy that simply being in the United States without authorization should not be the sole grounds for arrest or deportation.

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas visits El Paso for a border briefing Thursday, Jan. 27, 2022.

The policy has ended, at least temporarily, after legal challenges in more than one state. The Supreme Court will hear a challenge to the policy later this year after a Texas court issued an injunction. In July, the high court denied a request from the administration to lift the injunction while the case is in process, effectively blocking it from limiting immigration arrests.

While the administration may have lost that battle, Sheff suggested the administration could do more to govern ICE and its contractors, beginning with revolving door leadership of ICE since 2020. Acting director Tae Johnson is the fourth acting director of the agency since August 2020. ICE has not had a Senate-confirmed leader since 2019.

"ICE, at the field office level, continues to do what it does," Sheff continued.

"This administration has said some admirable things about wanting to reduce reliance on detention writ large, and has made some moves to reduce detention populations or to close certain facilities," she said, but then referred to ICE's latest agreement with MTC and Otero County.

"When we see a contract like this ... it calls into question the government's commitment to those principles," she argued.

Algernon D'Ammassa can be reached at 575-541-5451, adammassa@lcsun-news.com or @AlgernonWrites on Twitter.

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This article originally appeared on Las Cruces Sun-News: ICE increases budget for Otero County Processing Center, detains women
A US-made M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), a weapon that Ukraine has been using to great effect against Russian forces. US Air Force photo by Senior Airman Beaux Hebert

The US has a veto on targets for US-supplied HIMARS, a military official hinted.

Maj. Gen.Vadym Skibitsky made the remarks to British newspaper The Telegraph on Monday.

A Pentagon spokesman confirmed data-sharing with Ukraine but did not comment on any veto.

The US has an effective veto on Russian targets hit by HIMARS artillery, a Ukrainian general suggested.

Major General Vadym Skibitsky, Ukraine's acting deputy head of military intelligence, described the target-selection process in an interview wth the UK's Daily Telegraph newspaper.

The Telegraph, paraphrasing Skibitsky's comments, reported that he suggested there were discussions before a launch "that would allow Washington to stop any potential attacks if they were unhappy with the intended target."

He did not go into further detail.

Asked to comment on this, Pentagon spokesman Robert L. Ditchey II gave a general statement, without confirming or pushing back on the veto claim.

"We provide the Ukrainians with detailed, time-sensitive information to help them understand the threats they face and defend their country against Russian aggression," he said.

The US has supplied a total of 16 HIMARS units, with the latest four having arrived on Monday.

In the early months of the war, the US resisted giving any HIMARS to Ukraine, fearing that adding longer-range weaponry to Ukraine's arsenal could be seen as an escalation.

The initial donation, which came after hard Ukrainian lobbying, was on the condition that Ukraine use them only to strike targets in Ukraine, and not anything over the border with Russia.

The mobile artillery units have been hailed as a game-changer in the war. The high-precision units can fire around 50 miles, depending on ammunition used, with Ukraine saying they have used them to kill one Russian general, knock out a crucial bridge, and destroy 50 ammunition depots.

A Wall Street Journal review of Ukrainian use of US intelligence in May described the relationship broadly as the US giving information and leaving Ukraine to decide what to hit and when.

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Skibitsky's suggestion, made months later, was of a more involved exchange. Skibitsky did say the US was not providing direct targeting information  an act that could undermine the US position that it is not taking part in the war.

Nonetheless, Skibitsky's comments prompted an angry reaction from Russia, Reuters reported on Wednesday, with a spokesperson for its foreign ministry characterizing his words as "confirmation of the direct involvement of the United States in the hostilities."

Read the original article on Business Insider
A 52-year-old Minnesota man was ordered on Monday to be held on a $1 million cash bail after homicide charges were filed against him stemming from a weekend stabbing incident on a Wisconsin river that left a 17-year-old boy dead and four other people seriously injured.

The suspect, Nicolae Miu of Prior Lake, Minnesota, made his first court appearance Monday afternoon via Zoom from the St. Croix County, Wisconsin, jail. He was arraigned on one count of first-degree intentional homicide and four counts of attempted first-degree intentional homicide.

A prosecutor had asked Judge R. Michael Waterman to set Miu's bail at $500,000 cash, but the judge doubled that, citing the serious nature of the crimes and concern for the safety of the community.

"Upon conviction, you face a sentence of life imprisonment," Waterman told Miu, referring to the charge of first-degree intentional homicide.

Miu was represented at the hearing by a public defender, who told the judge the defendant did not financially qualify to be represented by his office. Assistant State Public Defender Jeremiah Harrelson informed Waterman that Miu is married, owns his own home and has a full-time job as a mechanical engineer who designs residential, commercial and automotive ventilation and cooling systems. He said Miu has no previous criminal record.

Harrelson said Miu didn't know any of the alleged victims.

PHOTO: The St. Croix Sheriff's Office in Wisconsin released a booking photo of Nicolae Miu, 52, the suspect in a July 30, 2022, stabbing rampage on the Apple River in Somerset, Wisconsin, that left a 17-year-old boy dead and four other people wounded. (St. Croix Sheriff's Office )

"This appears to have been a completely chance encounter on the river, a very unfortunate one," Harrelson said in court.

The judge denied Harrelson's request that Miu be granted $50,000 cash bail along with an order to wear an electronic monitoring ankle bracelet.

Miu did not enter a plea to the charges and the judge informed him that he can hire his own attorney or request the court to appoint one to represent him.

He was ordered to return to court on Friday for a status conference to update the court on his legal representation. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Aug. 12.

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Miu was arrested on Saturday after fleeing the scene of the stabbing attack on the Apple River in Somerset, Wisconsin, according to the St. Croix County Sheriff's Office.

A motive for the attack remains under investigation.

MORE: Suspect in deadly stabbing spree facing 51 charges, including murder

"We're still interviewing people. We have yet to interview one of the victims. So that's all still a work in progress," St. Croix County Sheriff Scott Knudson told ABC News on Monday.

The five victims were stabbed while tubing on the winding Apple River in Somerset Saturday afternoon, the sheriff said.

According to a criminal complaint filed in the case, Miu, his wife and friends were floating down the river on inner tubes when one of his friends accidentally dropped a cellphone in the water and Miu went back to look for it. While using goggles and a snorkel to search the water, he encountered the alleged victims, who were also tubing on the river and accused him of bothering young girls.

PHOTO: Water Recovery authorities comb the Apple River with metal detectors after five people were stabbed while tubing down the river in Somerset, Wis., July 30, 2022. (Alex Kormann/AP)

"Witnesses described Nicolae as punching or slapping a female that was in the group confronting him. Nicolae was then punched by a male and fell into the river," according to the complaint.

Witnesses told investigators that Miu then pulled out a knife and began stabbing people, according to the complaint.

But Miu's wife told investigators she witnessed part of the fatal confrontation from a distance and saw several men take the knife away from Miu and attack him, according to the complaint.

Miu's wife claimed her husband told her right after the encounter that at least one of the men "swung the knife at him and that he grabbed it and moved it away," according to the complaint. She said the encounter lasted for about five minutes, according to the complaint.

Citing video taken of the incident, investigators said it appeared that several people converged on Miu and yelled at him several times to leave. But as the situation escalated, at least one person touched Miu on the shoulder, according to the complaint.

"From the video, it does appear to show people on three sides of Nicolae at different distances. The video and elapsed time shows opportunity for Nicolae to leave the confrontation," the criminal complaint alleges.

As the confrontation grew more heated, Miu was allegedly seen in the video pulling out a folding knife and holding it at his side, according to the criminal complaint. As the confrontation grew physical, the video showed Miu falling backward into the water, getting back on his feet and allegedly stabbing a man in yellow swimming trunks who had pushed him in the back.

After allegedly stabbing five people, Miu was seen on the video climbing out of the water and running away, according to the complaint. He was later tracked down at a nearby campground, where he had parked his car, and was arrested, according to the complaint.

Investigators recovered the black-handled folding knife discarded on the river bank, according to the complaint.

A teenager slain in the episode is from Stillwater, Minnesota. Authorities are withholding his name pending an autopsy.

The four other victims, three men and a woman, were taken to area hospitals with injuries ranging from serious to critical, according to the sheriff's office. Two were released from hospitals on Monday, Knudson told ABC News.

MORE: Man who went on stabbing spree in home is shot and killed by one of his victims

The wounded victims, whose names were not released, ranged in age from 20 to 24, the sheriff's office said.

PHOTO: Water Recovery authorities comb the Apple River with metal detectors after five people were stabbed while tubing down the river in Somerset, Wis., July 30, 2022. (Alex Kormann/AP)

All of the victims suffered stab wounds to the chest and torso, according to the sheriff's office.

Two of the male victims, a 20-year-old and a 22-year-old, are from Luck, Wisconsin. The other two victims are a 24-year-old woman from Burnsville, Minnesota, and a 22-year-old man from Elk River, Minnesota, the sheriff's office said.

The attack unfolded just before 4 p.m. Saturday on a part of the river in Somerset on the Wisconsin-Minnesota border about 35 miles east of Minneapolis.

MORE: Man arrested after 8 wounded in stabbing spree in Colorado Springs, police say

Sheriff's deputies responding to reports of people being stabbed arrived at the scene to find good Samaritans, who had also been tubing, providing medical aid to those injured, according to the sheriff's office.

ABC News' Meredith Deliso contributed to this report.

Suspect in Wisconsin river stabbing rampage that killed teen, injured 4 others held on $1M bail originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
Photo credit: Kent Nishimura - Getty Images

Good news, ARMY.K-pop idols BTS might be able to perform while completing their mandatory military service. On Monday, South Korea's Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup explored the option of the group being able to perform during their service in a statement obtained by Reuters. South Korean law states that all "able-bodied men between 18 and 28" must serve in the military.

The group was first granted an exemption in 2019 when a law revision allowed BTS to put off their service until 30. The group's oldest member, Jin, turns 30 next year, largely influencing the push to decide on the length of the band's service.

"Even if they join the military, there would be a way to give them a chance to practice and perform together if there are scheduled concerts abroad," Jong-sup said. "As many people highly value (artists serving) in the military, that may help boost their popularity even more."

According to Reuters, the country has been embroiled in debates about possibly shortening BTS's military service from "about two years to three weeks." The Bangtag Boys aren't the first to face this situation. Other influential South Koreans, including Olympic and Asian Game medal winners, classical musicians, and dancers who have won top prizes at various competitions, have been granted exemptions that allowed them to either put off service or complete a shorter sentence, Reuters reports.

BTS is currently on a hiatus, but the group is slated to appear on producer Benny Blanco's "Bad Decisions" single with Snoop Dogg on August 5.

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August 3...Corn prices are reacting to the opening of grain exports from the Ukraine (a shipment of corn was allowed to leave a port yesterday bound for Lebanon), an upcoming August 12 crop report, and the weather forecast. Throw in the uncertainty of China's reaction to Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan, and you have quite a mix.

Corn and bean prices went up last week, but have tumbled this week. It reminds me of the see-saw in a park...up, down, up, down. It will likely be that way until "someone" gets off one end, and it either goes way high or way low.

I called Scott Sims yesterday at Western Illinois Grain shuttle at the nine mile Y, and asked him how much storage capacity they have for a wonderful looking corn crop. He said they have about 7 million bushels of storage, and there is still about 550,000 bushels of old crop in storage. There will be one more grain train to go out that will hold about 460,000 bushels of corn. He estimated that they will have shipped about 23 million bushels of corn on 50 trains over the last fiscal year...half shipped to Mexico, and half staying in the U.S.

When we were talking about the importance of the grain shuttle to this area, I asked him when it all started. He said the year 2009 was the first crop year for the shuttle to take corn. I remember when it was proposed and then built. Whoever had the vision for such a facility to be needed and used deserves a blue ribbon and a pat on the back.

The old elevator on East Grant Street only takes soybeans, and the shuttle only takes corn. Both have a purpose.

If you're driving in the country and pass a field of corn and see where some cornstalks are bent at an angle, you can bet raccoons have been at work. They pull it down to get to an ear that might be just right to eat. Between them and the deer who like to eat the tops of the stalk (maybe more than that), the countryside is plentiful with wild animals.

I had set a live trap in the back yard where I could see raccoon activity. I baited it with marshmallows, licorice, and some sweet corn cobs. The next morning I didn't have any raccoon, but I sure had a scared cat in the trap!

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Kids will soon be back in school. It was interesting to visit with a fella who said a lot of college students are already moving in, and some of them have been here all summer.

One more thing...I don't know if you remember a song with the words chicory, chick, cha la, cha la, but I surely don't like the chicory that looks so pretty with a blue bloom alongside the edge of the road. It blooms early in the morning and closes by mid-day. It may be fine by the side of the road, but it has mysteriously appeared in a small pasture near the house, and it is an invading pest. Watch out for it! I may have to put it in the same category of creeping charlie in the yard.

It spreads by seeds, will not survive under cultivation, and my "weed" book says it is grown as a hay crop in Europe. The roots can be dried, roasted and used as a coffee substitute but is a little bitter and does not have caffeine. So much for that idea!

I leave you with this: Be yourself if other folk can put up with it.

This article originally appeared on The McDonough County Voice: Life on the farm
Joy Behar reveals she had an ectopic pregnancy in 1979 and almost died

Joy Behar has revealed that she had an ectopic pregnancy back in 1979 and almost died because of it.

On Wednesdays episode of The View, the 79-year-old television host discussed abortion rights following the overturn of Roe v Wade in June with her co-hosts. During the conversation, Behar brought up her experience with an ectopic pregnancy, which occurred over 40 years ago, and how it affected her.

I almost died, she said, before explaining how an ectopic pregnancy occurs when the foetus is growing in the fallopian tube and there is nowhere to go from that, since the foetus will not grow to full term.

Itll grow just enough to make the tube burst, she continued. You bleed internally, and then you die.

She went on to detail how she was rushed to the hospital.

The doctor the next day said, we almost lost you, she added. Because I was in the situation where I could go to Beth Israel hospital and they took care of it there.

When guest and former View host Elisabeth Hasselbeck asked Behar to clarify if she had an abortion or an ectopic pregnancy, the formerJoy Behar: Say Anything! host said that she did not have an abortion or a miscarriage.

During an ectopic pregnancy, the fertilised egg cant survive in a fallopian tube, so if it isnt treated, the growing tissue may cause life-threatening bleeding, notes the the Mayo Clinic.

Nearly ten years after her ectopic pregnancy, Behar welcomed her first child, Eve, now 51-years-old.

Also during the episode, Behar criticised Georgia Republican senate candidate Herschel Walker for supporting the Supreme Courts decision to eliminate the constitutional right to get an abortion.

What are these people thinking about when they talk about the health of the mother? she asked. Herschel Walker, people like that, they cannot be in positions of power.

Along with Behar, multiple celebrities have spoken out against the overturn of Roe v Wade, some of which including Michelle Obama, Taylor Swift, Taraji P. Henson, and Selena Gomez.

Multiples stars have also shared their personal experiences with abortion, including Phoebe Bridgers, who said that she went to Planned Parenthood in October 2021 and received the abortion pill.
The author at the entrance to Iosepa. Monica Humphries/Insider

In 1889, 46 Hawaiians moved to Salt Lake City to join The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

After facing discrimination, the settlers relocated to the desert, building a town called Iosepa.

It was abandoned 30 years later. I toured the area and was amazed by the Hawaiians' resilience.

Ghost towns fascinate me. I've wandered through one in Colorado that was once home to a historic Black agricultural community, and I've trekked to the desert in Moab, Utah, to explore an abandoned religious colony built to withstand the apocalypse.

The Home of Truth ghost town outside Moab, Utah. Monica Humphries/Insider

(You can take a tour of the crumbling ghost town that was once home to one of America's most successful Black farming communities here or explore the ghost town that was once a religious colony for a post-apocalyptic world.)

So when I read about a ghost town outside Salt Lake City built to be an oasis for Hawaiian followers of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, widely known as Mormons, I was intrigued.

A pinpoint shows Iosepa on a map. Google Maps

Source: Atlas Obscura

In the 1880s, 46 Hawaiians left their homes to travel to Utah for religious reasons, according to Atlas Obscura. They were converts of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and relocated to be near the church's Salt Lake City temple.

One of the buildings for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Salt Lake City. Monica Humphries/Insider

Source: Atlas Obscura

But they found Salt Lake City was not a welcoming place at the time. They faced discrimination over "cultural differences and unwarranted fear of leprosy" from the white majority, according to an article in the Utah Historical Quarterly. The group was pushed out of Salt Lake and into the desert.

An image of Salt Lake City from 1895. The Print Collector/Getty Images

Source: Utah Historical Quarterly

The settlers relocated to the desert, Atlas Obscura reported, where they built roads with names like "Honolulu" and "Kula," planted trees, and created a reservoir in the middle of their arid environment.

The Iosepa ghost town outside Salt Lake City. Monica Humphries/Insider

Source: Atlas Obscura

Less than 30 years later, a Latter-day Saints temple was being built in Oahu, Hawaii. The majority of the group abandoned Iosepa to return home to help complete the temple, Atlas Obscura said.

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The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Laie Hawaii Temple on Oahu, Hawaii. Molly NZ/Shutterstock

Source: Atlas Obscura

Earlier this year, I visited Salt Lake and spent one morning driving 60 miles southwest to discover the abandoned town and the story behind it.

The author at the entrance to Iosepa. Monica Humphries/Insider

Read more: From funeral potatoes to fry sauce, I ate my way through Utah on my first visit to the state. The food was so good, I'll be back for seconds.

I exited I-80 and hopped on a two-lane state highway heading into what's known as Skull Valley. There, a rusty sign was the only indicator that I was heading to the right place.

A small, rusty sign indicates visitors are on the right path to Iosepa. Monica Humphries/Insider

About 15 miles later, I started to understand why church leaders chose this area. It felt surprisingly tropical for Utah, with the sun glittering off the lush, green mountains. For a moment, I forgot I was in a place named Skull Valley.

The view from the state highway heading to Iosepa. Monica Humphries/Insider

Finally, "Aloha Iosepa" in bright-orange letters on a cobalt-blue sign came into view.

The sign for the entrance to Iosepa. Monica Humphries/Insider

The name Iosepa is Hawaiian for Joseph, which was a reference to Joseph F. Smith, who was the then-president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

The sixth president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Joseph F. Smith, circa 1918. Paul Thompson/FPG/Getty Images

Source: Atlas Obscura

I passed through a yellow gate and caught my first glimpse of Iosepa. Forty-six Polynesians formed the original community, according to the Utah Division of State History, though it wasn't their ideal location.

The view of Iosepa from a nearby hill. Monica Humphries/Insider

Source: Utah Division of State History

The settlers originally moved to Salt Lake City, where they were discriminated against. In 1889, church leaders purchased a 1,920-acre remote ranch for the group and relocated them by wagon to Skull Valley, Utah Historical Quarterly reported.

Latter-Day Saints travel by wagon to Echo Canyon, Utah, in 1870. (Iosepa settlers not pictured.) Sepia Times/Universal Images Group/Getty Images

Source: Utah Historical Quarterly

Once in the settlement, the group maintained its Hawaiian language, culture, and traditions as best they could in the desert, Utah Historical Quarterly reported. The settlers harvested algae from a nearby lake, which served as a substitute for seaweed in traditional dishes, and spoke their native language at church services.

Rusty cooking woks at Iosepa. Monica Humphries/Insider

Source: Utah Historical Quarterly

According to Utah Humanities, they built streets, constructed homes, and grew to 228 people. While they were largely successful, desert life wasn't easy. Disease and crop failure set them back, and when the first Mormon temple was planned in Hawaii, the majority of the settlers returned home, abandoning Iosepa by 1917.

A rusting sign at the Iosepa settlement. Monica Humphries/Insider

Source: Utah Humanities

Today, there isn't much left of the community that once lived there. A cemetery remains, with graves dated decades later than when the town was abandoned.

The Iosepa cemetery. Monica Humphries/Insider

At the front of the cemetery is a historical memorial for Iosepa.

A historical memorial is at the front of the ghost town's cemetery. Monica Humphries/Insider

I wandered through the cemetery and spotted headstones dating as far back as 1900 and up until 2019.

Side-by-side images of a more recent and older headstone at the Iosepa cemetery. Monica Humphries/Insider

Also on the property is a modern pavilion with a stage, picnic tables, and a basketball court, which Iosepa's descendants use for celebrations and reunions.

The main structure in Iosepa is a modern pavilion. Monica Humphries/Insider

Walking around the property felt like an Easter-egg hunt as I discovered relics from the settlement.

An old oven on the property. Monica Humphries/Insider

And while the mountains seemed lush from a distance, up close, I realized it was dry and hot. I couldn't imagine surviving Utah's hot summers and brutal winters in Skull Valley.

The cemetery was dry. Monica Humphries/Insider

While there are no permanent residents, hundreds of native Pacific Islanders visit Iosepa on Memorial Day weekend for a three-day luau in the desert to celebrate and commemorate their ancestors, according to the Utah Division of State History.

A bulletin with old photos from previous luaus. Monica Humphries/Insider

Source: Utah Division of State History

From leis and kukui-nut necklaces on gravestones to sun-bleached photos from past reunions, life and love for Iosepa are still present across the entire property.

A decorated gravesite at Iosepa. Monica Humphries/Insider

I reflected on the story of the 46 settlers and was amazed that a group believed in something strongly enough to leave their home and families in exchange for a new life in the desert. Their commitment and dedication, I thought, were admirable.

The Iosepa cemetery. Monica Humphries/Insider

Read more: I hiked 8 miles to an eerie ghost town filled with crumbling homes and felt like I'd traveled back in time

Read the original article on Insider
Former Olympic gymnast and Russian president Vladimir Putin's rumoured girlfriend Alina Kabaeva was hit by a fresh bout of sanctions by the US amid the ongoing Ukraine invasion.

The US treasury department in a statement said it has frozen the visa of Ms Kabaeva and imposed other property restrictions.

The department said she heads the National Media Group, a pro-Moscow media organisation that promotes Russias months-long invasion of Ukraine.

Although it has been claimed that the 39-year-old former Russian Vogue cover model and two-time Olympic medalist is in a romantic relationship with the Russian president, Mr Putin has never publically acknowledged their relationship.

Kremlin critics have been calling on the US to impose sanctions against Ms Kabaeva over her news outlet's portrayal of western commentary on the invasion as a disinformation campaign.

She was earlier sanctioned by the UK in May and the EU imposed travel and asset restrictions on her in June.

In 2008, Russian newspaper Moskovsky Korrespondent reported that Mr Putin had secretly divorced his wife Lyudmila and become engaged to the then 24-year-old gymnast.

The media outlet was shut down just hours after a journalist asked Mr Putin about his secret engagement at a news conference.

In their latest round of sanctions, the US also targetted Publichnoe Aktsionernoe Obschestvo Magnitogorskiy Metallurgicheskiy Kombinat (MMK), one of the world's largest steel producers, as well as the chairman of the board of directors, Viktor Rashnikov.

A crane lifts the corpse of a man from a mass grave to be identified in a morgue in Bucha (AP)

The Treasury department also sanctioned Andrey Grigoryevich Guryev, a Russian oligarch who owns the Witanhurst estate  a 25-bedroom mansion that is the second-largest estate in London. His $120m yacht  the Alfa Nero  was also identified as blocked property.

His son Andrey Andreevich Guryev and his Russian investment firm also made it to the sanction list.

As innocent people suffer from Russias illegal war of aggression, Putins allies have enriched themselves and funded opulent lifestyles, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said in a statement.

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Together with our allies, the United States will also continue to choke off revenue and equipment underpinning Russias unprovoked war in Ukraine.

The State Department on Tuesday said it was placing visa restrictions on 893 Russian officials and members of the military for playing a part in Moscows aggression. The list also added 31 officials from unnamed nations over support for Russias annexation of Crimea.

The department was also imposing sanctions on 24 Russian defence and technology companies in an effort to further isolate Russias defence and high-technology industries and limit their contributions to Moscows war machine, US secretary of state Antony Blinken said.

The US also targeted three Russian businessmen for being Putin enablers.

The US will not waver in its support for the brave people of Ukraine and will continue to promote accountability for president Putin and his cronies whose actions have caused so much suffering and destruction in Ukraine, Mr Blinken said.

Mr Putins adult daughters Katerina Vladimirovna Tikhonova and Maria Vladimirovna Vorontsova were sanctioned by the US in April.
Aug. 2A Florida man who conspired to steal identities to fraudulently obtain credit and COVID-19 relief funds, including residents of southern Ohio, was sentenced in downtown Cincinnati to eight years in prison.

Adesh Alvin Bissoon, 43, of Miami Beach, Fla., defrauded several victims who resided in the Southern District of Ohio, which serves more than 5 million citizens in 48 of Ohio's 88 counties. Bissoon caused at least $3.5 million in losses, including more than $1 million in COVID-19 disaster relief funds.

Bissoon, and his co-conspirators, Michael Jacques Joseph, 39, of Miami Beach, Fla., and Victor Torres, 40, of Apollo Beach, Fla., defrauded at least 11 banks, authorities said. Joseph and Torres are pending sentencing and have pled guilty.

Federal agents searched one of Bissoon's residences and found multiple driver's licenses, approximately 200 credit and/or debit cards, and more than 10 checkbooks. All of the items were in other people's names.

Agents also found hundreds of documents containing victims' personal identification information, about $70,000 in cash; tens of thousands of dollars worth of precious metals; and seven cellphones. Each of the cell phones was labeled with a victim's name.

Court documents show that from 2012 through August 2020, Bissoon and co-conspirators used the Dark Web to obtain victims' personal information. They also created fraudulent Social Security cards and driver's licenses, which they then used to open financial accounts in the victims' names.

Convenience checks in high dollar amounts were requested by Bissoon, and then money was drawn against the victims' lines of credit.

He also registered LLCs with states and the IRS to obtain business credit cards with higher credit limits.

Bissoon then separately applied for Economic Injury Disaster Loans from the Small Business Association using LLCs he established, again using individual victims' personal information, claiming that those businesses were experiencing temporary difficulties and loss of revenue due to COVID-19.

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Bissoon was charged in August 2020 and released on a bond in Florida. His pre-trial release was revoked when he attempted to steal another $150,000 from a bank, falsely claiming to be the victim of unauthorized bank transfers, authorities said.

A grand jury indicted Bissoon in September 2020, along with Joseph and Torres, on charges of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and mail fraud affecting a financial institution, as well as aggravated identity theft.

Bissoon had faced decades in prison as conspiracy to commit bank fraud and fraud affecting a financial institution each comes with a maximum 30-year federal prison sentence. Aggravated identity theft would have added two more years for each count.
WASHINGTON  The U.S. Senate on Wednesday overwhelmingly passed a resolution approving Finland and Sweden's request to join the NATO, a pivotal step toward expanding the 30-member transatlantic military alliance.

The bipartisan show of support for Finland and Sweden's accession to NATO is a direct response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, an act of aggression that has alarmed U.S. and European officials. The vote was 95-1.

Finland and Sweden's bid to join NATO will need to win approval from all other NATO countries, a process that could take months and that, when completed, would grant Article Five protection to the two historically neutral countries.

In the meantime, the countries are considered NATO partners and have been participating in military exercises with the U.S. and other NATO nations.

Finland's Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto, left, Sweden's Foreign Minister Ann Linde, right, and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg attend a media conference after the signature of the NATO Accession Protocols for Finland and Sweden in the NATO headquarters in Brussels, July 5, 2022.

The latest:

What senators passed: A resolution approving Sweden and Finlands accession to NATO. Lawmakers approved one amendment stating that all NATO members should spend at least 2% of their gross domestic product on defense and 20% of their defense budgets on major equipment, including research and development.

Who voted against it: Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo.

When it will take effect: Membership will not take full effect until all 30 NATO member nations ratify the accession protocols.

Stumbling block: Turkey initially opposed Sweden and Finland's bid to join the alliance, and its parliament has not yet approved their membership.

What Turkey sought: Turkey had insisted the two Nordic nations renounce support for a Kurdish militant group in Syria, demanded they extradite people that Ankara suspects of terrorist activity and pushed for them to lift an embargo on arms exports to Turkey.

Potential problems: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said last month that Turkey could "freeze" the process if Sweden and Finland do not adhere to a June deal the three countries struck in Madrid at a NATO summit.

Defense spending: NATO nations have agreed to put 2% of their GDP toward defense spending. Sweden is currently on track to reach the full amount by 2028, but that timeline could shift depending on the outcome of the nation's upcoming elections. Finland's defense spending currently exceeds 2% GDP.

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What's about to happen

The document now heads to President Joe Biden's desk. He must sign the resolution twice before the State Department can affix the U.S. seal to make it official. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will also sign the document.

Top takeaways

Washington had promised swift ratification of the resolution, and the U.S. hoped to lead NATO nations in welcoming the European countries to the alliance. But partisan fights over unrelated spending bills drew out the process. The United States is currently on track to become the 22nd nation to complete the process.

What they are saying

"I think it sends a very strong statement of our support of these countries to join NATO, and our continuing position of leadership in NATO and in the world. When we do this, we lead by example," Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Menendez, D-N.Y., said prior to the vote.

Sen. John Barrasso, a member of GOP leadership in the Senate who sits on the committee, said ahead of the vote, "We want to send a strong message the United States is committed to this to get the other countries lined up."

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., offered a "shoutout" to Russian leader Vladimir Putin, saying he made Wednesdays vote possible. Without you we wouldnt be here. Youve done more to strengthen NATO than any speech I could ever hope to give.

Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., warned that granting NATO membership to Sweden and Finland would come at a cost because Russia would not tolerate an expansion of weapons systems into Finland. Is it worth the risk? he asked.

Hawley said the U.S. should focus on deterring China instead of expanding NATO, which he said would mean committing additional military forces and firepower in Europe over the long run.

"This isn't over until it's over," said Kathleen McInnis, a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. "Turkey is already starting to throw red cards into the mix."

Karin Olofsdotter, Sweden's ambassador to the U.S., said in an interview with USA TODAY that without Sweden and Finland, it makes it "much more difficult to plan for the security" of the Baltic region.

Why it matters

Olofsdotter said the expansion would augment security across the NATO alliance. "We make it easier, or less burdensome, for the United States or any other NATO member to come to the defense of northern Europe because we add security," she said.

Want to know more? Here's what you missed

'A KICK IN THE GUT':Finland's, Sweden's drive to join NATO a defeat for Putin, a win for the West

'A CRITICAL MOMENT FOR OUR SECURITY': Finland, Sweden submit NATO membership application, driven by security fears over Russia

Contributing: Michael Collins

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Senate approves Sweden and Finland's bid to join NATO amid Russian war
FILE PHOTO: A customer exits the lobby of JPMorgan Chase & Co. headquarters in New York

(Reuters) - L'ATTITUDE Ventures on Wednesday closed its first institutional fund raising over $100 million with an anchor investment from Wall Street giant JPMorgan Chase and initial investments from Trujillo Group and Bank of America.

The fund which intends to invest in early-stage U.S. companies that are either founded or run by Latino entrepreneurs also had investments from Barclays, Royal Bank of Canada and Cisco, among others.

"Latino-led businesses are critical to the U.S. economy but often lack access to capital and resources for growth," said Jamie Dimon, chief executive officer, JPMorgan.

The investment is intended to build on the largest U.S. bank's broader commitment to supporting Latino entrepreneurs and small businesses in the country, Dimon added.

High-growth companies, particularly in the technology and healthcare sector have boomed since the start of the pandemic, with several large venture capital and private equity firms betting on the potential of the startups.

Several large financial firms have looked to increase their diversity footprint and support minority communities since 2021 as impact investing gains momentum. Companies are becoming more conscious of backing businesses and startups from traditionally underrepresented socio-cultural backgrounds.

"(The investment) reinforces our ongoing efforts to address the persistent gap in access to growth capital and open more doors for emerging companies led by diverse entrepreneurs," said Bank of America's Chief Executive Brian Moynihan.

(Reporting by Manya Saini in Bengaluru; Editing by Krishna Chandra Eluri)
A father accused of murdering his two teenage daughters before evading arrest for 12 years was obsessed with possession and control, prosecutors said in the opening arguments of his capital murder trial in Texas.

Yaser Said, 65, allegedly shot Amina Said, 18, and 17-year-old Sarah Said and left their bodies in his taxi outside of a hotel in Irving on New Years Day 2008 in a so-called honour killing.

Prosecutor Lauren Black told the court that the sisters and their mother fled their Dallas home about a week before the killings after Mr Said put a gun to Aminas head and threatened to kill her, the Associated Press reported.

But Mr Said lured them back by convincing them he had changed, in what Ms Black described as another act of control and manipulation.

Amina, left, and Sarah Said were shot multiple times by their father, prosecutors say (The Price of Honor)

Yaser Said was placed on the FBIs most wanted list after going on the run for 12 years (Irving Police Department)

The court heard that Mr Said was a domineering, violent and manipulative father who disapproved of her daughters dating habits.

He controlled what they did, who they talked to, who they could be friends with, if they and who they could date, Ms Black said, according to the Associated Press. And he controlled everything in his household.

Prosecutors read an email sent by Amina Said to her high school history teacher a few days before she and her sister were killed in which she said they did not want to live by their fathers culture and marry men we dont know or love.

I know that he will search until he finds us, and he will without any drama nor doubt kill us, the email read.

The prosecutor told the court Mr Said drove the girls to a hotel parking lot in Irving, Texas, and shot them multiple times inside his taxicab. Before she died, Sarah called 911 to say: Help, my dad shot me! Im dying, Im dying!

Ms Black said Sarah was shot nine times and Amina was shot twice.

Mr Said remained on the run for 12 years after the killings, and was placed on the FBIs Most Wanted List in 2014. The fugitive was finally arrested in August 2020 in Justin, about 35 miles (60 kms) northwest of Dallas.

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Mr Saids son Islam Said and brother Yassim Said were later convicted of helping him evade arrest.

Defence attorney Joseph Patton said in opening statements that the police had been too quick to focus on the Egyptian-born Said and suggested that anti-Muslim sentiment was a factor.

He claimed that Sarah Said may have been hallucinating due to extreme trauma when she told police her father had shot her.
Chef Akwasi Brenya-Mensa has opened Tatale in The Africa Centre (Almass Badat)

Chef Akwasi Brenya-Mensa is tucking into his lunch at 4.20pm on a Monday afternoon when we meet at his restaurant in Southwark, half a mile from the Thames in south London. His newest venture, Tatale, has been open and fully booked for just over three weeks now, as interest in the pan-African eatery reaches a fever pitch. Hes feeling the pressure, but today is a rest day and calls for a bowl of comfort.

At first glance, his lunch appears unassuming  it looks like a simple linguine with prawns in a tomato sauce. But its the aroma of the dish that intrigues me most. It is reminiscent of belacan (also known as balachong), a pungent fermented shrimp paste commonly used in Southeast Asian cooking. The dish is a work in progress and Brenya-Mensa is using a common Ghanaian ingredient called shito, which is a chili oil with dried fish powder.

The 40-year-old chef lights up when I mention that it reminds me of belacan. He had spent several weeks in the first quarter of 2022 taking Tatale on tour as a pop-up in the Caribbean. When I was touring in March, I did a festival in Puerto Rico and I couldnt find the fish powder I needed for this dish anywhere, he recalls. I went to an Asian cash-and-carry and found a block of belacan, and it was amazing! I made this dish using that instead of the powder and it was really, really good.

Its these little twists on traditional African cuisine that are emblematic of Brenya-Mensas menu at Tatale, located in The Africa Centre, a 15-minute walk from Waterloo station. From his signature omo tuo and nkate nkwan (rice dumpling with groundnut soup) to his chichinga chicken that is served with palm wine pickles and a dollop of Japanese Kewpie mayonnaise, this is how Brenya-Mensa imagines the future of African food to be.

The second-generation Ghanaian-British chef, a former mentee of The Great British Menus James Cochran at Restaurant 1251, started out like most great chefs  in his mothers kitchen. As the eldest of four boys growing up in south London under the watchful eye of first-generation Ghanaian parents, it fell on Brenya-Mensa to help with meal preparations, or as he describes it, meal alchemy.

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Omo Tuo and Nkate Nkwan (Tatale)

You take this group of things as they are, and then you do some magic, and a meal comes out the other end, he says. I always wanted to know more, Ive always been inquisitive so I always asked questions. It wasnt always so magical though, as he recalls being terrified of live crabs his mother would bring home to cook. I would not want to go into the kitchen if they were there. But they would taste delicious.

That curiosity around the alchemy of food followed him to Sheffield, where he first launched a street food burger business while studying for a degree in criminology and social policy. It eventually expanded into an on-site restaurant in Sheffield city centre called The Juicy Kitchen, which operated from 2015 to 2017.

How we will achieve the goal of being a pan-African restaurant is bigger than just the menu at Tatale

Akwasi Brenya-Mensa

Brenya-Mensa later became a music producer and tour manager, working with musicians such as Gaika, but continued to pursue his love for food. He launched his supper club Mensa, Plates & Friends in London in 2019. In the same year, the idea for Tatale was born during a trip back to Ghana, as he began tasting more food and speaking to more people about African cuisine, he began picturing what the future of African food could be.

Brenya-Mensa sees Tatale as a collaborative space. From September, he plans to invite other chefs to put their mark on the menu and showcase other African cuisines, as well as open the space to be used by others for supper clubs, activities and other types of community programming.

This is how the chef sees the restaurant living up to its pan-African branding. The idea that anything can be pan-African is an amorphous one, as Africans reside in every corner of the globe. It is usually used in the context of a movement that aims to bring together African people from the continent and in the diaspora. But using pan before a region or continent  such as pan-Asian, which has its own set of issues  can attract accusations of trying to lump different cultures and cuisines together.

In terms of the scale of what were trying to achieve here, its important to highlight that I am from Ghana in West Africa, and our initial menus will be West African-leaning because thats what I know, Brenya-Mensa explains.

(Felix Speller)

Ive done my best to incorporate dishes and ingredients from other places, but I think that how we will achieve the goal of being a pan-African restaurant is bigger than just the menu at Tatale. Its a whole concept rather than me saying that Tatale is 110 per cent pan-African, because how can I represent 50 countries in one menu?

People in Ghana dont even do things the same from one state to the other, so I think thats an important distinction to make. Were ready to start inviting collaborators from September onwards and that is not just limited to pan-African collaboration. All my work has been about partnerships so Im looking forward to inviting anybody and everybody to come and use this space to hold events.

His other vision of the culinary future involves less meat, as more people lean towards plant-based or flexitarian diets. Weve got a limited menu with only one meat option. And thats because Im much more interested in what the future of food looks like than the present day. My work is definitely about what African cuisine will look like in 30 to 50 years rather than what it looks like today.

Its really only in the diaspora that you have room to change things

Akwasi Brenya-Mensa

If were talking about the environment and sustainability, the statistics point to the fact that people will consume less meat in the future. [Tatales menu] might be what a restaurant menu looks like 50 years from now. Brenya-Mensa also emphasises the importance of knowing where ones food comes from, harking back to the live crabs waving their spindly legs in his mothers kitchen sink.

Even though I was scared [of the crabs], I think thats really dope, because were so far removed from where our food comes from. I read somewhere once that, if you couldnt kill the animal yourself, then you shouldnt be able to eat it. I think thats very poignant. Its not just another piece of meat in the supermarket.

His decision to include more plant-based dishes in his menu hasnt gone unchallenged. Nkate nkwan is traditionally served with chicken or fish, but Brenya-Mensas version is served without meat. One of his Ghanaian aunts point blank refuses to eat it. In another instance, a customer asked him why no meat was served with the dish.

Back home, theres no reason to do anything differently, he says. But its really only in the diaspora that you have room to change things. If you learn how to cook traditional dishes as the children of immigrants, youre actually learning a remixed version because your parents wouldnt have been able to get all the ingredients they can get back home. Theyre already making do.

(Cyrille Sokpor)

That recipe that they knew back home, youre learning a 70 per cent complete version of it. I think that for all children of immigrants, the parents are more flexible because theyve had to make adjustments. So when people here eat my food, theres a bit less of, You shouldnt do that.

Brenya-Mensa does want customers to ask questions and challenge him on his culinary decisions for Tatales menu. He points towards the customer who questioned the lack of meat in his signature dish. After I explained it, she was like, You know what, when you put it like that, I get it. And thats what I mean when I speak about this place being a place for telling stories and conversation. For me, that was an amazing exchange.

The response to Tatale so far has been almost overwhelmingly positive, Brenya-Mensa says gratefully, but the restaurants next four to six weeks are crucial for its development. We have to deliver, because I think this restaurant is really, really important, he adds. If we get it right, I think that this restaurant can change the perception of African cuisine in London, in the UK, and further afield.

At the same time, Brenya-Mensa knows Tatale wont suit everybodys tastes  and thats OK. We have people around to keep us grounded. At the same time, everything is not for everybody, so I have to do the best job that I can do and release that to the world, and the feedback will be the feedback. Obviously, you want it to be good. So fingers crossed.
Fred Everitt of Tupelo, Miss., is all smiles after his cat, "Bandit", alerted him in the middle of the night that two men were trying to break into the back door of his home, July 29, 2022, in Tupelo, Miss.

Thomas Wells/Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal via AP

A house cat in Mississippi may have helped save her owner's life by alerting him to an attempted break-in at their home.

On July 25, Fred Everitt of Belden, Mississippi, heard his 20-pound calico cat Bandit making "loud guttural meows in the kitchen" sometime between 2:30 and 3 a.m. before she jumped onto his bed and scratched at him, according to the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal.

Everitt, 68, told the Daily Journal that he quickly grew alarmed because the cat "had never done that before."

"I went, 'What in the world is wrong with you?'" Everitt told the Daily Journal.

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When Everitt left his bedroom to figure out what Bandit wanted and turned on the lights in his kitchen, he saw two men outside his home attempting to open a back door  one armed with a handgun and one trying to pry Everitt's door open with a crowbar, according to the Daily Journal.

Everitt's appearance in his kitchen, prompted by Bandit, reportedly scared the men away, the cat owner told the Daily Journal.

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"It did not turn into a confrontational situation, thank goodness," Everitt told the paper. "But I think it's only because of the cat."

"You hear of guard dogs," he added. "This is a guard cat."

Everitt told the Daily Journal that he adopted Bandit from the Tupelo-Lee Humane Society in Tulepo, Mississippi, in 2018 after he asked the shelter about available kittens while writing the organization a donation check. In response, the shelter introduced him to Bandit.

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Everitt told the Daily Journal that this recent incident shows how rescue pets can save their owners too.

"I want to let people know that you not only save a life when you adopt a pet or rescue one," Everitt told the Daily Journal. "The tides could be turned. You never know when you save an animal if they're going to save you."
Ive found my silver lining in this special session about abortion legislation.

As I listened to debates, discussions and testimonies, I heard renewed attention on the symbiotic issues of maternal mortality and infant mortality.

Ever since I learned of Indianas abysmal track record of keeping people alive after delivery, Ive made it my mission to illuminate the issue whenever I can.

High death rates for pregnant people and babies have plagued Indiana for years. Indianas mortality rate is about 52 deaths per 100,000 births on average from 2015-2019, keeping Indiana ranked near the bottom when compared to other states. The maternal mortality rates include deaths of up to one year after birth for ages 10-60.

Stephanie Trendowksi sits at her desk in her Crown Point, Indiana home on Wednesday, Aug. 4, 2021. Trendowski has become a maternal health ambassador, advocate and activist. During pregnancy, she suffered preeclampsia, leading to an emergency c-section at 30 weeks. After giving birth, Trendowski's worsening complications were repeatedly dismissed by medical providers and she nearly died. I was just sick to my stomach, she said. I just came home with a mission, picked up the phone and started dropping into offices, sending emails, calling all over the state to whoever would talk to me.  Im determined. I cant lose that determination and purpose."

In rural areas, Indiana has whats known as obstetric deserts, meaning there are locations in our state where women dont have access to obstetrics care. Many providers have closed health care facilities in Indiana's rural areas, and the lack of convenient access to doctors and hospitals during pregnancy, bumps the maternal mortality rate to 76 deaths per 100,000 births.

More:'More urgent than ever': Indiana lawmaker to propose maternal mortality legislation

Though the experience may be different from their rural counterparts, pregnant people in cities also face access issues, resulting in the same outcome: dead moms and babies.

When you look at race, youll see another glaring example of disparity for Black people as Black women accounted for about 18% of maternal deaths in 2018, according to Indianas first Maternal Mortality Report released by the Maternal Mortality Review Committee (MMRC) in December 2020. MMRC was established after legislation passed the Indiana General Assembly in 2017. This is a positive step in the right direction. We need hard data. The first year reviewed was 2018. The committee found 87% of pregnancy-related deaths couldve been prevented.

Anthony Wallace (left) shares memories of his wife, Dr. Chaniece Wallace, during a celebration of life held on Saturday, August 21, 2021, in downtown Indianapolis. Chaniece died shortly after giving birth to their daughter Charlotte in October 2020, due to complications of preeclampsia. Chaniece was a beloved chief resident physician at Riley Hospital for Children at IU Health.

That's startling. Not just startling but heartbreaking. What arent we doing in Indiana to prevent this? Apparently, a lot.

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Thats just the maternal mortality.

Infant mortality paints another stark picture.

According to the Indiana Department of Health report Indiana Infant Mortality and Birth Outcomes, 522 babies died before they turned 1 in 2020. Thats about 44 babies a month and 10 babies every week. It includes a particularly graphic image, but one that clearly illustrates what were dealing with here: We lost 2,800 babies in the last five years. That number could fill 39 school buses.

More:Indiana sees slight infant mortality rate increase

Again, racial disparities are painfully obvious in the data. The infant mortality rate is 5.5 per 1,000 live births for white babies; 6.0 for Hispanic babies; and 13.2 for Black babies. Indianas overall infant mortality rate is 6.6 deaths per 1,000 live births. Marion County has the distinction of having six ZIP codes with the highest infant mortality rate, with 46222 being the highest with 31 deaths. Gov. Eric Holcomb has a goal of making Indianas infant mortality rate the lowest in the nation by 2024.

If you didnt know these numbers are so depressing, youre not alone. If youre like me, you probably based your views on your experience and the experiences of those around you. I and the women I know havent had life-threatening complications after birth and our babies were healthy. I assumed thats how it is for most women, especially when you get prenatal care. Unfortunately, thats not the case, especially for Black women. Black women across all socioeconomic groups are in danger of death or a near-death experience as weve seen in high profile cases involving Black mothers.

More:Chaniece was a young, healthy doctor who died giving birth. Her Blackness raised her risk.

Pregnancy is exciting. Its also scary. Any number of complications can arise. And, lets keep it real: Death is a risk for the mom, baby or both  especially in Indiana.

Now, that these issues have some renewed attention, lets hope legislation will pass to address these issues of saving lives after birth with the same fervor they have for saving lives before birth. Senate Bill 2 earmarks $45 million for the Hoosier Families First Fund to help state agencies offer supportive services for pregnant people and children. A grant program to reduce infant mortality is included in the $58.5 million set aside in House Bill 1001, which also offers supportive services for Hoosier families. The timing is suspect, but I applaud these efforts no matter how suspicious I am of the motive.

More:As second week of Indianas special session begins, heres what we know

These numbers scream that action must be taken now.

Contact IndyStar Public Engagement Editor Oseye Boyd at oboyd@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @oseyetboyd.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indiana General Assembly should act now to save lives of babies, moms
China has relaunched talks with the Philippines on funding billions of US dollars worth of infrastructure in the relatively impoverished Southeast Asian country, after its president called out Beijing for falling short of old pledges.

Chinese institutions pledged a combined US$24 billion in loans and investment in 2016, when former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte visited Beijing to improve political relations.

The Philippines had won a case against China in the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague that year over competing sovereignty claims in the South China Sea. Beijing rejected the tribunal's decision but welcomed Duterte's overture.

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As of 2020, the net loan commitment by China had reached US$493.1 million, according to the National Economic and Development Authority in the Philippines. And China's total approved investments from 2017 to 2021 were worth US$3.2 billion, Philippines Statistics Authority data shows.

Loan agreements for three landmark Philippine railway projects are effectively "withdrawn" because the Chinese government "failed to act on the funding requests", the government-run Philippine News Agency reported on Friday.

The two sides have been negotiating "technical issues" on infrastructure projects and made "positive progress to move projects forward", the Chinese embassy in Manila said in a statement on July 17.

Philippine President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jnr had indicated a day earlier that he wanted stronger investment ties with China and told his transport department to secure loans for the railway projects.

China hopes to maintain the friendship initiated by Duterte by pressing ahead with investments, analysts said.

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The Philippines is a treaty ally of the United States, a strategic and economic rival of China, and looks to Washington for military aid in defending its maritime claims against the Chinese coastguard and fishing fleets. Incidents in the sea over the past four years have eroded Sino-Philippine relations.

"The fact that the current administration released information to show that Chinese investments that were promised did not deliver forced them to try to make things right," said Jay Batongbacal, a University of the Philippines law professor in Quezon City.

Otherwise, he said, "it doesn't look good to the public. China has to do something to remedy that".

Pledges in 2016 included US$5.5 billion for transport and infrastructure, US$1 billion for a hydroelectric power plant, US$700 million for a steel mill, and US$780 million for a port-linked project in the southern city Davao, Philippine news outlet ABS-CBN reported.

An 83-billion-peso (US$1.5 billion) segment of a planned railway line on the southern Philippine island of Mindanao fell through after China could not submit a shortlist of contractors, Philippine News Agency said last month.

The withdrawn transport loans would have funded construction of the 51-billion-peso Subic-Clark Railway northwest of Manila, and of a 142-billion-peso railway project for the Bicol Peninsula southeast of the capital.

China Harbour Engineering had been awarded the Subic project, and the other had gone to a venture involving China Railway Group, China Railway No 3 Engineering Group and China Railway Engineering Consulting Group.

Exim Bank of China failed to act on a loan agreement for the three projects, a Philippine transport official said.

Chinese contractors may have run into trouble navigating public-private partnership schemes that anchor some of the Philippines' major infrastructure projects, said Jonathan Ravelas, former BDO Unibank chief market strategist in Metro Manila and current managing director of a financial consultancy. "It's a question of how the Chinese government wants to get involved," he said.

Border closures in 2020 and 2021 made it hard for technical specialists such as civil engineers to travel as needed for construction projects, said Rajiv Biswas, Asia-Pacific chief economist with S&P Global Market Intelligence in Singapore.

"This has severely delayed project development," Biswas said. "With some parts of China still being impacted by pandemic restrictions during 2022, the situation is still not normalised."

Two Chinese-invested bridges costing a combined 4.8 billion pesos were completed over the past year. The Philippines still needs Chinese investment, Ravelas said, especially in healthcare and infrastructure, which can help bring in foreign-operated factories.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said during his July 6 visit to the Philippines that China was ready to enter a "golden era" in bilateral relations.

Marcos Jnr shows signs of handling China smoothly, Ravelas said. Under his father, ex-president Ferdinand Marcos, Ravelas said, the former first lady had "very good ties with China", and the current president should be able to "cash in".

The embassy in Manila said it had renewed support for infrastructure under Marcos.

"China will tap its own advantage and support the Philippines to improve its infrastructure," the embassy's July 17 statement said.

"China is open for technical discussions over our government-to-government projects, and is ready to carry our cooperation forward, in close communication with the Philippine new administration."

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.
PANAMA CITY  The nations largest Italian quick service restaurant brand will open its newest eatery Tuesday in Panama City.

Fazolis is bringing more of its iconic Italian flavors to the Sunshine State and will open its newest restaurant at 2219 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. in the Bay City Point shopping center. Hours will be Sunday through Thursday from 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Friday and Saturday from 10:30 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Panama City's Fazoli's restaurant will open Tuesday in the Bay City Point shopping center.

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We cant wait to bring Panama City its go-to spot for Fast. Fresh. Italian, franchisee Bob Amin said in a Monday press release. The Bay City Point shopping center is a great hub for the community, and Fazolis delicious Italian recipes and famous breadsticks will be the perfect fuel up after a day out shopping or hitting the beach. We cant wait to open our doors.

The Panama City restaurant will continue to live up to its brand, serving its Italian dishes and signature hot, fresh breadsticks, Amin said. Menu offerings include freshly prepared pasta entrees, sub sandwiches, salads, pizza and desserts.

Founded in 1988 in Lexington, Kentucky, Fazoli's owns and operates almost 220 restaurants in 27 states, making it the largest premium quick service restaurant Italian chain in America.

Panama Citys Fazolis will mark the fifth location in Florida. For more information about Fazolis, visit: fazolis.com.

This article originally appeared on The News Herald: Fazoli's opening Italian restaurant in Panama City at Bay City Point
(Bloomberg) -- German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Russia is to blame for a delay in shipping a turbine for the key Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline, and signaled extending the life of Germanys three remaining nuclear power plants remains a potential option to help ease an energy crunch.

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The turbine, which Gazprom PJSC has cited as a reason for the reduced deliveries that are stoking Europes gas crisis, is ready to be reinstalled following maintenance in Canada, and there are no hurdles on Germanys side, Scholz said Wednesday at a news conference. He was standing next to the component and alongside the chief executive officer of its manufacturer, Siemens Energy AG, in Muelheim an der Ruhr in western Germany.

Whats important to me is to make it clear that this turbine is ready for action at any time, Scholz said. There is nothing preventing it from being transported to Russia.

The German chancellor traveled to the facility in the Ruhr region, the countrys industrial heartland, amid growing tensions with Russia over sanctions and the war in Ukraine. As Moscow reduces flows through Nord Stream, Europes largest economy faces an energy crisis this winter that could trigger a recession and prompt the state to ration gas.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov responded to Scholzs comments by saying that the turbine lacks documentation proving it isnt subject to sanctions. Gazprom also needs papers on its technological condition, Peskov said on a conference call with reporters.

Wolfgang Buechner, a deputy German government spokesman, dismissed Peskovs assertion, saying no such documentation on sanctions is required. Speaking at the same regular news conference, economy ministry spokesman Stephan Haufe added that the turbines are not included in European Union sanctions.

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Asked about the governments efforts to reduce reliance on Russian gas, Scholz said Germany continues to evaluate options for the countrys three nuclear reactors that havent yet been shuttered as part of the exit from atomic power. He said the plants, which are due to go offline at the end of this year, wont be able to replace gas completely in the economy as they only generate electricity. But this can still make sense, Scholz said.

The government has commissioned another stress test of the countrys energy security and potential extension of nuclear power and Scholz said the results will be published soon. The economy ministry has indicated it could be in coming weeks.

The whereabouts of the Nord Stream turbine stoked political controversy in recent weeks as Russia claimed the component is needed to sustain gas exports to Europe, while Germany described their argument as a bluff and accused Russia of weaponizing energy.

The turbine had been sent to Canada for maintenance work at the Siemens Energy factory where it was built. It got temporarily stranded because of sanctions imposed after Russias invasion of Ukraine, before Canada decided to allow transport to Germany.

The turbine arrived at Germanys Cologne-Bonn airport a fortnight ago before being trucked to a Siemens Energy warehouse in the Ruhr. The turbine is based on the Rolls-Royce Plc jet engines used in the Boeing Co. 777 jet.

Gazprom has gradually reduced flows through Nord Stream, citing technical issues and missing documents for the turbine. The most recent reduction leaves the link into Germanys north coast operating at about 20% of capacity.

Turbines installed at the Portovaya station on the Baltic coast power compressors, allowing gas to flow through the 1,200-kilometer (745-mile) subsea conduit to Germany. Each one is about 20 feet (6.1 meters) high and 15 feet wide.

When all are fully operational, Nord Stream can pump at least 55 billion cubic meters of gas a year to European consumers. In 2021, when actual volumes were even higher, it was enough to cover about 15% of the EUs total gas needs.

There are no technical reasons for reducing Nord Stream flows, Scholz said. This turbine works.

(Updates with Russian, German government comments starting in fifth paragraph)

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Children pick a free backpack filled with school supplies during the Back 2 School Backpack Giveaway at DACC East Mesa on Saturday, July 16, 2022.

LAS CRUCES  Its time for the annual Back-to-School tax holiday weekend  even if Las Cruces, Gadsden and other surrounding school district students are already in the classroom.

Tax-free shopping is set for Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 6-7, in both New Mexico and Texas. The weekend, recognized annually, gives shoppers a break from paying taxes on common back-to-school items, such as clothes and electronics.

In New Mexico, shoppers don't have to pay gross receipts taxes, which can be anywhere from 5% to about 9% of purchases, depending on location, according to a news release from the New Mexico Taxation and Revenue Department. In Texas, the weekend is a waiver of the states sales tax.

Items that qualify for the tax holiday in New Mexico include clothes and shoes priced less than $100 per unit, computers under $1,000, related computer hardware under $500 and school supplies under $30 per unit. School supplies count if they are used in general education classrooms.

In Texas, clothing, footwear and school supplies must be priced below $100. Cloth and disposable facemasks are among the items that are exempt from the tax.

The New Mexico Tax and Revenue Department stated that, many merchants also absorb the tax on non-qualifying items," though they are not required to do so.

Purchases of qualifying items made online will also benefit from the tax holiday.

At a time when many New Mexicans are struggling with higher prices, this is a great opportunity for New Mexicans to save some money on clothes and other things they need for their families, said Stephanie Schardin Clarke, the state's tax and revenue secretary.

The department estimated that New Mexico shoppers save roughly $4 million each year due to tax-free weekend. Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts noted in a news release that shoppers will save an estimated $112 million in state and local sales over the weekend.

Whether you head to Las Cruces or El Paso stores, tax-free weekend begins at 12:01 a.m. Aug. 5 and ends at midnight Aug. 7. Comprehensive lists of exempt and taxable items are available online at www.tax.newmexico.gov/news-alerts/tax-holiday and comptroller.texas.gov/taxes.

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Leah Romero is the trending reporter at the Las Cruces Sun-News and can be reached at 575-418-3442, lromero@lcsun-news.com or @rromero_leah on Twitter.

This article originally appeared on Las Cruces Sun-News: Here's what you need to know about this Back-to-School Tax-Free weekend
Louisiana is in the midst of a marijuana evolution that began accelerating with the first dispensing of legal medical cannabis to patients in 2019. It has continued with expansions to the medical program and new reforms to the state's criminal laws.

The Legislature was particularly active with marijuana bills during its 2022 Regular Session with many of them becoming law this week.

Among the new cannabis laws enacted Aug. 1 are an expansion of approved marijuana pharmacies designed to improve access and affordability for patients, barring police from searching someone's home based only on the smell of weed and making it illegal to drive while consuming cannabis.

Paul Armentano of National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) called most of the new laws "common sense reforms providing further and sorely needed protections and freedoms for patients and others."

Here's a rundown of Louisiana's new marijuana laws:

Good Day Farm, LSU AgCenters medical marijuana grower, is ramping up cannabis production at its new 225,000-square-foot facility in Ruston. -- Wednesday, Jan. 19, 2022

 Act 473 (House Bill 629) by Rep. Marcus Bryant, DNew Iberia, bars law enforcement from using marijuana odor as a pretext for searching someones home without a warrant.

Bryant said searching a home because an officer claims to smell marijuana is a violation of the Fourth Amendment preventing unreasonable searches.

Hopefully this law will bring peace of mind to medical marijuana patients, especially our military veterans, who will now know they are safer from police intrusions into their homes, Bryant said.

Peter Robins-Brown, executive director of the left-leaning Louisiana Progress, said the new law will "protect people from being victimized by the state."

More: Meet Louisiana's longest working civil servant Roland Babin, who may set Guinness record

 Act 651 (House Bill 988) by Rep. Mandie Landry, D-New Orleans, prevents state workers from being discriminated against based solely on a positive drug test for marijuana if they are state-registered medical marijuana patients.

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 Act 499 (House Bill 775) by Rep. Cedric Glover, D-Shreveport, legalizes equipment or devices used for the inhalation of marijuana for state-registered medical marijuana patients.

 Act 438 (House bill 135) by Rep. Joe Marino, I-Gretna, authorizes the dispensing of medical marijuana to visiting patients who are currently in another state's medical marijuana program.

Read this: Will Congress pass bill to remove Social Security penalty for government retirees?

 Act 439 (House Bill 137) by Marino provides immunity from criminal prosecution to qualifying out-of-state medical cannabis patients.

 Act 444 (House Bill 190) by Rep. Travis Johnson, D-Vidalia, adds nurse practitioners to those medical professionals who can recommend medical cannabis use.

Republican House Health and Welfare Committee Chair Larry Bagley of Stonewall praised Johnson's bill, saying, "We have no doctors in DeSoto Parish. We see nurse practitioners."

 Act 478 (House Bill 234) by Rep. Laurie Schlegel, R-Metairie, makes it illegal for a driver or passengers in a motor vehicle to smoke or vape any form of marijuana. Violators are subject to a $100 fine, but police may only enforce the provisions of this section as a secondary action when the law enforcement officer detains a driver for another violation.

 Act 491 (House Bill 697) by Republican Speaker Pro Tem Tanner Magee of Houma keeps the current number of medical marijuana pharmacists, but allows them to open satellite dispensaries within their regions when their patient count hits certain thresholds.

"This program has finally taken off," Magee said. "I'm just trying to work with all the stakeholders to increase access."

The number of medical marijuana patients increased 62% from 18,000 to 29,000 in the first quarter of this year when the raw, smokable product was added as an option for patients.

Magee's bill also shifts regulation of the state's medical marijuana program from the Louisiana Department of Agriculture to the Louisiana Department of Health, a change advocated by the industry.

It also adds the University of Louisiana Monroe to the institutions allowed to conduct research on the medicine's benefits.

Greg Hilburn covers state politics for the USA TODAY Network of Louisiana. Follow him on Twitter @GregHilburn1

This article originally appeared on Lafayette Daily Advertiser: Louisiana marijuana laws changed August 1: Heres whats new, legal
Many Turkey Trot participants add to the festive nature of the event by dressing in costume. The Lower Cape Outreach Council, which has been the race's beneficiary for its 17-year history, will take over its operation this November. FILE PHOTO

CHATHAM  Thanksgiving is a day to celebrate families and the things we are grateful for. For many, it's also an opportunity to give something back to the community and have a little fun before the heavy cooking  and feasting  begins.

For the past 17 years, hundreds, sometimes thousands of local residents have gathered downtown for the 5K Thanksgiving Turkey Trot, which raised money and collected food for the Lower Cape Outreach Council (LCOC). It's always been a festive event, with many people dressing in holiday-appropriate costumes and trotting along in a race that's always stressed fun over competition.

That won't change, even with race founders Linda Redding and Mary Parsons retiring. Operation of the event is being taken over by the LCOC, which doesn't plan to change what's worked so well all these years, said Executive Director Katie Wibby.

We certainly intend to keep the same fun, family friendly atmosphere as in years past, she said in an email.

We consider ourselves very lucky, Redding said. It was a long run.

The duo began the event in 2005, inspired by the We Gather Together Run-Walk that was held in Sandwich on Thanksgiving Day. In 2016, the same year the Chatham Turkey Trot secured non-profit status, they added a board to help with the many tasks that go into organizing the event.

Most of the board members were ready to move on, Redding said, so she and Parsons approached the LCOC, which has been the event's beneficiary since it began. Larry Marsland, LCOC director at the time, was thrilled, and Wibby maintained that enthusiasm when she recently replaced Marsland after his retirement.

For the past decade or so, more than 2,000 people have turned out on Thanksgiving morning for the Turkey Trot, quite an increase from the 200 or so who attended the first event.

It's just a fun, family thing, Redding said when asked why she thought the race grew so much. Nothing is sold, nobody's got any agenda except doing good for somebody, and Thanksgiving is the time that people want to do that.

Before it went virtual in 2020, the Turkey Trot raised about $40,000 a year for LCOC. Plus all the food, noted Redding. Along with the entry fee, participants were asked to bring a bag of nonperishable food items, which often ended up nearly filling a large truck.

They really got a boost from that, she said of the funds and food that went to LCOC, which runs financial support programs for Lower Cape residents and also maintains food pantries in individual towns. Even the virtual race raised a significant amount, with 450 participants donating $21,000 in 2020. In 2009, Redding and Parsons were given LCOCs Hope Award, which honors people who have made a difference in the lives of residents of the Lower Cape.

Wibby said the organization will make a few minor changes, such as no longer asking people to donate food.

The greatest need in our pantries is fresh produce and proteins, as opposed to the non-perishable items we would typically receive from a food drive, she said. Therefore, to better meet the needs of our pantries, in lieu of the food donations we will be increasing the cost of registration, but it will still be an affordable family friendly event as in years past.

Wibby is also investigating bringing in a timing company to give the race a bit more organization, which could attract more serious runners. I think it would be a great addition to the race, but the emphasis will remain on maintaining the family friendly, fun ambiance, she said.

Redding is happy the organization will keep the event going and isn't bothered by any changes. When we handed it over, we said do whatever you want. None of us really wanted to be looking over their shoulder, she said.

The community has been very supportive of the event over the years, not only turning out to participate but with businesses contributing to raffles. Redding said she often runs into people who tell her how they were helped by LCOC. They really help a lot of people, she said. It's really a good organization.

This year's Turkey Trot will begin at 8 a.m. on Nov. 24, and will follow the same 5K (3.1 mile) route as in the past, beginning and ending on Old Harbor Road near Oyster Pond. Last week the select board approved use of town roads for the event.

Chair Jeffrey Dykens recognized the contribution of the Turkey Trot founders. They've done such a great job over the years. We thank them, he said.

Turning over the operation of the Turkey Trot is bittersweet, Redding acknowledged.

We never expected it to ever become what it became, she said. It's something we're both proud of.
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP)  The Oglala Sioux Tribe is requiring churches and missionaries to register with the tribe before entering the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota after an evangelist was banned from entering the reservation for distributing a pamphlet that disparaged traditional Lakota spirituality.

The tribal ordinance, which does not apply to local churches and ministries run by tribal members, was passed in late July amid concern from some tribal council members over Christian ministries evangelizing on the reservation, working with children as well as a history of abuse against Native Americans by some churches. The tribe's leadership has insisted it remains open to all religions, in keeping with its Bill of Rights, but the action showed significant pushback against some Christian missionary groups.

The history of abuses by the churches on Indigenous peoples has caused generational trauma to Indigenous peoples across the world, the tribal council stated in its ordinance.

The council's actions were prompted by a South Dakota group called Jesus is King Missions creating a pamphlet that called Tunkasila a false god or demon, South Dakota Public Broadcasting reported. It also claimed that the late Lakota medicine man Nicholas Black Elk, who converted to Catholicism and continued to practice Lakota ceremonies, had a racist vision.

According to the Bible, Jesus is the way, the truth and the life and no one comes to the Father but by him, said Michael Monfore, a missionary with the group. I know that may not be considered politically correct, or it might be considered intolerant or bigoted, but thats what Christ said.

The tribe has banned Monfore from entering the reservation.
Janet Yang, the Queens-born daughter of Chinese immigrants, has been elected the 36th president in the 95-year history of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

The 66-year-old, who broke into showbiz by connecting key players in the Chinese and Hollywood film industries to make possible films like Empire of the Sun before becoming a producer of films including The Joy Luck Club and The People vs. Larry Flynt, is just the fourth female (after Bette Davis, Fay Kanin and Cheryl Boone Isaacs) and second person of color (after Boone Isaacs) ever tapped by the Academys board to hold the boards top job.

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A member of the producers branch since 2002, Yang defeated DeVon Franklin, a member of the executives branch since 2016. Both candidates have served on the Academys board of governors since 2019 as governors-at-large. Three seats for governors-at-large were added to the board in the aftermath of the #OscarsSoWhite scandal, intended for non-white and non-male individuals who would be tasked with advocating for inclusion in the boards activities. They are the only governors who are not elected by the members of their branch, but are instead appointed by the president and approved by the board. And Yang is the first governor-at-large to ascend to the presidency.

Yang succeeds David Rubin, a casting director who had served as president since first being elected in 2019, but who was forced by term limits to depart from the board (and therefore also the presidency) for at least two years, after which he will be eligible for one final three-year term on the board (and, potentially, as president  officers are elected to one-year terms) before reaching the lifetime maximum of 12 years of board service.

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Given that the position of Academy president is not a full-time or paying gig (unlike the position of Academy CEO, which was recently filled by Bill Kramer), Yang will presumably continue as the head of Janet Yang Productions, which develops screen projects with Asian themes, such as the animated feature Over the Moon, which was Oscar-nominated in 2021. Her prior work also brought her Golden Globe and Emmy awards.

Janet is a tremendously dedicated and strategic leader who has an incredible record of service at the Academy, Kramer said in a statement. She has been instrumental in launching and elevating several Academy initiatives on membership recruitment, governance, equity, diversity and inclusion. I am thrilled that she is taking on the esteemed role of Academy president and look forward to working closely with her on our shared vision to serve our membership, celebrate the collaborative arts and sciences of motion pictures and inspire the next generation of filmmakers.

Known in Hollywood as the godmother of Asian-Americans in the industry, Yang, who earned a B.A. from Brown University and an M.B.A. from Columbia University, has long devoted much of her extracurricular time to helping Asians and Asian-Americans break into and advance in the business. She became particularly active in the Academy after Chris Rock made Asian children the butt of a joke on the 2016 Oscars telecast, bringing together Academy members of Asian descent to lean on the organizations leadership to do better. Yang now chairs the boards Asian and Asian-American Affinity Group.

Over the past year, Yang  like Franklin  served on the executive committee of her branch and as one of the boards eight vice presidents. She oversaw the the boards membership and governance committee, which reviews new member applications and issues that arise with current members. In the past, she was also involved with the Academys Nicholl Fellowships initiative and served on the boards governance task force.

In June, she was feted at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, where a pillar was dedicated and a dinner was held in her honor. It was widely speculated, given the impressive nature of the evening (which included a multimedia presentation and numerous speakers about her life and career), that a presidential run might be in her sights  and, given the high turnout of fellow Academy board members and other industry power-players, that a win might be attainable.

Also elected on Tuesday to serve as officers of the board:

Teri E. Dorman , Vice President (chair, Membership Committee)

Donna Gigliotti , Vice President/Secretary (chair, Governance Committee)

Lynette Howell Taylor , Vice President (chair, Awards Committee)

Larry Karaszewski , Vice President (chair, History and Preservation Committee)

David Linde , Vice President/Treasurer (chair, Finance Committee)

Isis Mussenden , Vice President (chair, Museum Committee)

Kim Taylor-Coleman , Vice President (chair, Equity and Inclusion Committee)

Wynn P. Thomas, Vice President (chair, Education and Outreach Committee)

This will be Dorman, Howell Taylor and Taylor-Colemans first stints as officers.

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GAINES TWP.  Three West Michigan universities and one community college are partnering with Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services for a new program to support nursing students and address employee shortages.

Grand Valley State University, Cornerstone University, Calvin University and Montcalm Community College are partnering with Pine Rest to establish Pine Rest Academy.

Grand Valley's five-story, 166,000-square-foot DeVos Center for Interprofessional Health opened in June 2021.

Students accepted into the program can receive up to $40,000 in tuition assistance from Pine Rest  $10,000 per semester for four semesters  while in nursing school. In return, the students will commit to work at Pine Rest during nursing school and for two years following graduation.

The Pine Rest Academy will not only remove financial barriers for college students seeking a nursing degree, it will also provide hands-on behavioral health training and create a smoother path to employment, stated Pine Rest Chief Nurse Executive Gretchen Johnson.

We are thrilled to build partnerships with so many local schools for the academy program, offering students both academic excellence and in-person experience in the behavioral health field, stated Bob Nykamp, vice president and chief operating officer of Pine Rest. The impact that this program will have on our current and future patients, as well as our community, will be instrumental in meeting the growing need for behavioral health care in Michigan.

More: Grand Valley, BSHS partner to increase access to nursing programs

More: Grand Valley's 'flagship' medical building opens in Grand Rapids

The partnership is intended to help address the national need for more mental health professionals and nurses amid burnout from the COVID-19 pandemic and retirements in the industry.

We know our nursing graduates will enter the workforce well prepared for patient-centered care. This partnership will positively impact the care of patients for years to come. I'm grateful to the teams that recognized a problem and found a solution, GVSU President Philomena Mantella stated.

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Students accepted into Pine Rest Academy can receive up to $40,000 in tuition assistance from Pine Rest  $10,000 per semester for four semesters  while in nursing school. In return, the students will commit to work at Pine Rest during nursing school and for two years following graduation.

Adejoke Ayoola, dean for Calvin Universitys School of Health, said Pine Rest Academy will help address the increase in mental health issues that have arisen in recent years.

The pandemic has caused increased emotional vulnerability and a lot of people are struggling with mental health, so we need more mental health nurses, Ayoola stated. This collaboration creates a pathway to help meet this need, while also providing an opportunity for our nursing students to gain invaluable experience and receive the financial resources that will help them pay for their education.

Calvin University is one of four institutions participating in Pine Rest Academy at the launch of the program.

Students must first be accepted to a nursing program at one of the four participating colleges, then apply for Pine Rest Academy. Current employees of Pine Rest who are seeking a nursing degree at one of the four schools will automatically receive tuition assistance.

Calvin University said the program will provide tuition assistance for at least six undergraduate students at the school, with that number expected to increase.

Pine Rest, the single largest behavioral health provider in Michigan, employs more than 240 registered nurses specializing in psychiatric nursing and 20 psychiatric nurse practitioners. In addition to its primary location in Gaines Township, it also has 21 outpatient locations throughout West and Northern Michigan.

 Contact reporter Mitchell Boatman at mboatman@hollandsentinel.com. Follow him on Twitter @SentinelMitch.

This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: GVSU nursing students can get $40K from Pine Rest in new partnership
Democrats can see glimmers of new midterm life, after the stunning defeat of an anti-abortion measure in Kansas. Eric Greitens is the big loser in Missouri  which means the Republican Party as a whole won. And in Michigan, Rep. Peter Meijer has conceded in a primary fueled by his vote to impeach former President Donald Trump.

Votes are still being counted in some of the most important races. But as the multi-state primary made its return on Tuesday after a summer hiatus, the shape of the general election landscape fell more clearly into view.

Here are five takeaways from the first primary night of August:

The Roe earthquake is real

It would have been a victory for Democrats and abortion rights activists if theyd even kept it close in Kansas.

Instead, as the heavily Republican state rejected an anti-abortion constitutional amendment, it marked a political earthquake with the potential to reshape the entire midterm campaign.

In the first test of abortion politics since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, turnout soared in Kansas despite a heat advisory and little else to draw Democrats to the polls. Yet in a state where Trump beat President Joe Biden by nearly 15 percentage points in 2020, the amendment was failing badly  in a brushback to Republican legislators who were preparing to move legislation restricting abortion.



And if the politics of Roe proved fraught for Republicans in Kansas, its going to be even more treacherous for the GOP in swing-ier, more moderate swaths of the country.

I think it should indicate both in Kansas and nationally that people can be energized around the notion that the Republicans are determined to have government mandates about womens healthcare decisions, and that is something that doesnt sit well with lots of people, said former Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, who served as Health and Human Services secretary in the Obama administration.



The Roe decision, she said, has lit people on fire.

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In a bleak midterm election landscape for Democrats, Roe almost certainly wont be enough to keep Republicans from winning the House. And the result in Kansas isnt a perfect indicator of how voters will treat abortion in candidate races. The question voters were deciding there was a state constitutional amendment that would have cleared a path for the state legislature to ban abortion, not a candidate race where multiple issues and personalities are at play.

Still, the outcome in Kansas was the first real evidence supporting a near-universal consensus among Democratic and Republican political operatives alike: That Roe will likely help Democrats at the margins in November, energizing base Democrats and improving the partys standing with independents and suburban women.



The challenge for Democrats now will be to attach their candidates to abortion rights  and to hammer Republicans on the issue in the fall  while Republicans will labor to keep the focus on rising prices and talk about anything other than Roe.

Republicans make it easier on themselves

Republicans dodged two bullets on Tuesday. In Missouri, Eric Greitens, the disgraced former governor, finished far behind in his Senate primary bid. And in Michigan, Tudor Dixon emerged from a gubernatorial primary full of more hard-line contenders many Republicans feared would be a drag on the party in November.

Thats good news for the GOP. And its a departure from where the party appeared to be heading in many of its early primaries  picking candidates who seem dangerously prone to getting in the way of the good political environment for Republicans.

In Pennsylvania, physician Mehmet Oz, the Republican nominee for Senate, has been polling so poorly Republicans are discussing alternative paths to the Senate majority. Republicans all but conceded the gubernatorial race in heavily-Democratic Maryland after nominating Dan Cox, the Trump-endorsed state lawmaker who organized buses to Washington for the rally preceding the riot at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

It's possible the early results on Tuesday will turn out to be a blip. In Arizona, Mark Finchem, an election denier running for secretary of state with Trumps endorsement, was running ahead. And overall in this years primaries, said Jason Roe, the former executive director of the state Republican Party in Michigan, I think in a lot of cases we have nominated our weakest general election candidates, so the primaries have not served us well.

But for the traditionalist wing of the Republican Party, the early indications on Tuesday were mostly positive. An exception: Kari Lake, the Trump-endorsed candidate for governor who still insists, falsely, that Trump won the 2020 election, pulled ahead of Karrin Taylor Robson, the establishment-backed candidate, as vote-counting continued through Wednesday morning.



But in a House district in the state, Ron Watkins, a celebrity in the QAnon conspiracy world, was barely even registering.

And then there were the three House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump. One of them, Meijer, lost in Michigan. But in Washington, Reps. Jaime Herrera Beutler and Dan Newhouse were both in position to survive their primaries if early returns hold.

The Meijer name wasn't enough to overcome political gravity in West Michigan

Eighteen months ago, days after casting one of his first votes in Congress for the impeachment of Donald Trump, Meijer purchased a flak jacket to protect himself from mortal danger. The political danger, though, has hung over him ever since.

West Michigan Republicans unleashed their wrath Tuesday on the first-term congressman and scion of the Midwestern supermarket chain that shares his last name. They never forgave the 34-year-old combat vet for that vote  and its particularly notable that someone with that last name, in this place, couldnt outrun it, even though Meijers legislative record has him on track to pass more laws than any House Republican freshman in decades.

Meijer has now become the second pro-impeachment Republican to lose a primary, falling to Trump-backed John Gibbs, the former Trump administration Housing and Urban Development official and software engineer who moved to the district to challenge the congressman.

The former president still [has] a very, very strong following with very reliable Republican voters, a source close to the Meijer campaign told POLITICO Tuesday evening. And I think John Gibbs spent pretty much the entirety of the campaign preaching to the Trump faithful.

Early Wednesday, Meijer had fallen behind Gibbs by more than a thousand votes. After midnight, the Gibbs campaign was already celebrating. We are toasting, AnneMarie Schieber, Gibbs spokesperson said. And praising God. The peoples voice is heard.



Meanwhile, the House Democratic campaign arms decision to bankroll Gibbs campaign to the tune of $425,000 down the homestretch looked all the more consequentialcomparable to what Gibbs raised the entire cycle. The Democrats decision meant they were seeing something that spooked them, the Meijer source said, and that was the prospect of Peter Meijer winning and going into a rematch versus [Democratic nominee] Hillary Scholten.

Meijer ran a tactically sound campaign, spent enormous money relative to Gibbs, and its hard to gauge the built-in value of the Meijer last name in Michigan, said Jeff Timmer, the former executive director of the Michigan Republican Party and a senior adviser to the anti-Trump Lincoln Project.

But in this case, even the Meijer name wasnt enough to overcome political gravity of a party that still orbits Trump. Gibbs had no money and ran a shitty amateurish campaign, Timmer said. But he didnt vote for impeachment and Gibbs will win.

Election denialism is still flourishing

Mark Finchem has captured the Republican secretary of state nomination in Arizona. But the notorious election denier is just the tip of the iceberg.

Finchem, a state lawmaker, built a decisive lead over a splintered field in Arizona for secretary of state. Now, he is joining a growing cohort of diehard Trump loyalists who will be in competitive general elections to be their states next chief election officer.

Republicans have, in some cases, avoided the most extreme candidate for other statewide battleground offices. But in many swing states, Republican voters have done the opposite in secretary of state contests, rewarding candidates who have done the most to undermine trust in the electoral system.



Their elevation to the statewide ticket could hamper other Republican candidates  who would have to answer for a running mates election denialism, as many try to dance around the question in front of a general election audience. And their presence would ensure that, instead of moving past the lies about the 2020 election, they would remain center stage well into 2022.

That class of conspiracy theorists includes Nevadas Jim Marchant and Michigans Kristina Karamo, alongside Pennsylvania gubernatorial nominee Doug Mastriano, who would appoint the states leading election official if he wins in November.

Just one of them winning in November could set up an unprecedented  and dangerous  situation in which an election officials first priority is not running a fair election, but trying to vindicate the fantasies of a former president.

And yet  Trump takes a hit

Finchem may have won in Arizona and Meijer lost his seat in Michigan. But two other House Republicans who, like Meijer, voted to impeach Trump were in far better shape on Tuesday in early returns.

If Reps. Jaime Herrera Beutler and Dan Newhouse of Washington survive their primaries, impeachment backers will go 2-for-3.

And if the results shift and they dont make it? The fact that the outcome in any race hinging on impeachment is even close is indicative of a gradual weakening of Trumps hold on the GOP. Impeachment for Trump-ists was not a minor offense, after all, but the gravest sin.

The standard  and fair  knock on Trumps midterm endorsement record is that its padded, with the former president going in for any number of Republicans who face nominal or no opposition at all. His farcical endorsement in Tuesdays Missouri Senate primary of Eric  in a race featuring both Eric Greitens and eventual winner Eric Schmitt  underscored the point.

But the real evolution in Trumps endorsement record may be its diminishing significance. Yes, he can still pull a Republican across the finish line, and he may be the most dominant force in the party. But he isnt the only one anymore.

John Thomas, a Republican strategist who works on House campaigns across the country, said late Tuesday that Republicans playing for keeps in November may have started by nominating some of the more electable candidates tonight.

Republicans, he said, were willing to buck Trump in certain circumstances to protect their chances of victory in November.
Weather Alert

...HEAT ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 11 AM THIS MORNING TO 11 PM PDT FRIDAY... * WHAT...Temperatures up to 102 expected. * WHERE...In Washington, Eastern Columbia River Gorge of Washington, Simcoe Highlands, Kittitas Valley and Yakima Valley. In Oregon, Eastern Columbia River Gorge of Oregon. * WHEN...From 11 AM Today to 11 PM PDT Friday. * 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. &&
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Partly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 106F. Winds S at 10 to 15 mph.

Tonight

Clear to partly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low around 85F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph.

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He emphasized that the Belarusian side has not presented any convincing arguments to contradict the claim that the situation at the border is largely the result of deliberate actions by the Belarusian authorities. Since last year, Brussels recognizes the migrant crisis - generated by Alexander Lukashenko's regime - as a form of hybrid attack on the EU.

- The situation of migrants at the border reflects the geopolitical crisis in the region. Migrants should not be used or sacrificed- said the UN envoy.

He stressed that on the Polish side, children or pregnant women are detained in closed migrant facilities.

REKLAMA

- I have asked the Polish authorities to use detention centers as means of last resort- Gonzalez Morales said.

While putting migrants in temporary detention centers falls within the scope of international law principles, in the case of children, pregnant women, and other vulnerable groups it is not the case.

- I urge relevant authorities to immediately release unaccompanied children, children with their families, pregnant women and individuals with mental conditions into open facilities- Mr. Felipe Gonzalez Morales said.

Poland has "legalized" pushbacks

In the wake of the border crisis, last year, Poland changed its border protection regulations. Although the European Commission signaled that the changes were incompatible with EU and international law, due in part to the war in Ukraine, the topic has become largely marginalized.

REKLAMA

However, last Thursday, Gonzalez Morales called on the Polish government to roll back the legal framework allowing for pushbacks. He explained that the regulations result in sanctioning the controversial practice of pushing migrants across the border without considering their right to have their asylum applications processed.

The amended regulations allow the Polish Border Guard to immediately push back migrants who are apprehended while trying to cross the Polish border outside official crossings.

In addition, the 2021 legal changes restricted the ability of those apprehended in the border zone to apply for asylum. A return order has immediate effect, and while it can be appealed, an appeal has no suspensive effect.

REKLAMA

 We received information indicating that migrants do not have access to legal aid in this process said the UN expert.

Deaths at the border

In practice, migrants who are detected while crossing the border outside official points are taken to the Border Guard posts, and the officers  the UN envoy pointed out  can issue a return order that is immediately executable.

 Most migrants are provided with a "survival package" containing food, water and a thermic blanket and pushed back to the Belarusian side of the border. I learned from the Polish Border Guards that these returns are conducted at the most convenient moment to avoid detection by Belarusian Border Guards, regardless of the time and weather conditions. Sometimes returns are conducted during the night.  Mr. Gonzalez Morales said.

And although many people have been repeatedly pushed back and forth across the border, only the first expulsion is recorded and carried out in accordance with official procedures.

Both the Polish and Belarusian authorities officially deny using violence during the repeated pushbacks, but the UN envoy argued that he had gathered corroborating testimony and evidence.

He stressed that conditions at the border violate the rights of migrants which are granted by international conventions.

 The Belarusian authorities have documented 4 death cases, while the Polish authorities have investigated 10 deaths. Each case requires an independent, transparent and thorough investigation.

In the meantime, the total number of deaths as recognized by the authorities of both countries does not correspond to the information I gathered. According to public sources, at least 19 migrants died in the forest in 2021 and many remain missing- Gonzalez Morales said.

At the beginning of July, Poland abolished a special restricted-access zone along the border with Belarus. In practice, it banned media and humanitarian organizations from entering the area. Mr. Gonzalez Morales stressed the special role of the media, whose freedom to report on the situation at the border helps monitor whether migrants' rights are respected.

-I fear the establishment of the fence will not deter people from trying to cross but simply increase the level of danger and potentially exacerbate the humanitarian situation of migrants stranded between the two bordersthe UN expert argued.

Access to legal abortion for rape victims

The UN expert spoke highly of Poland's reception of Ukrainian refugees, but at the same time called for equal treatment for non-Ukrainian citizens fleeing the war. He expressed his concern about the "very limited access to legal abortion for refugee women who have been raped".

 Understanding that the abortion law is applicable to all women in Poland, in the current context of the armed conflict in Ukraine, refugee women, particularly refugee victims of rape, may be particularly affected by the limitations in law and in practice. I urge Poland to address obstacles faced by refugee women to legal abortion said Mr. Gonzalez Morales.

***

Every day, 400 journalists at Gazeta Wyborcza write verified, fact-checked stories about Polish politics and society, keeping a critical eye on the ruling camps persistent assault on democratic values and the rule of law; the growing cultural tension between religious fundamentalism and human rights; and the ongoing Russian invasion in Ukraine. Our journalists are on the front lines in 32 Polish cities, reporting from the streets, hospitals, and courtrooms about issues that move public opinion.

We decided to make our service available to everyone free of charge in order to provide access to high quality journalism for expats and English speakers interested in Polish affairs.

The access to information should be equal for all.
The international community should use every means to prevent the further spread and use of nuclear weapons, the foreign minister said in New York late on Monday.

In his address to a review conference of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), Peter Szijjarto noted Hungarys security, economic and energy challenges due to the war in Ukraine, according to a foreign ministry statement. Hungary, he added, has so far received 870,000 refugees from Ukraine.



He called on the international community to focus their efforts on achieving peace in Ukraine as the only solution to the problems arising from the conflict.



The Ukraine war makes it even more important to prevent nuclear arms from being further deployed in the world, Szijjarto said, and warned that the conflict posed an increased threat of nuclear escalation.



Hungarys interests would be severely undermined if the world were again divided into blocs, he said, stressing the importance of maintaining a dialogue between East and West, especially on strategic issues.



The breakdown of dialogue between the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council was, he said, regrettable, and he called on the P5 to resume talks to avoid possible further tensions.



Szijjarto said the peaceful uses of nuclear energy were more crucial than ever before. He said nuclear energy production was cost-effective, climate-friendly, secure and stable, and could reduce Hungarys vulnerability to fluctuations on the global energy markets.



Possible sanctions concerning nuclear energy must be avoided, he said, adding that such measures would curb sovereign powers to define countries energy mix. The minister called for full commitment to the NPT, and said Hungary would assume its share of related joint efforts.



Szijjarto met his Argentinian and Bangladeshi counterparts, as well as the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Grossi, after the conference.



The minister said several international organisations and countries shared Hungarys standpoint, adding that cooperation between Hungary and the IAEA was excellent.



He said the IAEA had an ever growing role in protecting the peaceful, civilian use of nuclear energy. He said a deal was reached with Argentina, Bangladesh and the IAEA to join forces to ensure that nuclear energy does not at all fall prey to the political crisis  taking place in the world.



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Born in Budapest, Robert Kramer left Hungary as a small child in the wake of the 1956 Hungarian Revolution. In 1975, he moved to Washington, DC from New York City, and worked in increasingly senior positions in the US Government for over 25 years.

In the late 1990s, Robert was for two years on the staff of Vice President Al Gore, helping Gore design leadership development programs for senior executives in the US government. Robert returned to Budapest in 2015 to become the Inaugural Chair of Leadership at a Budapest university. He stepped down from his Chair in 2016 and switched careers to go into the practice of psychoanalysis.



Author of three books on psychotherapy, he now teaches psychoanalysis at ELTE and is a practicing Rankian therapist. Otto Rank was Freud's closest associate in Vienna for two decades. Rank broke with Freud over the master's misogyny and ineffective therapeutic practices. Rank invented "relationship therapy," now the dominant form of therapy worldwide.



1. What do you do professionally?

I am Professor of Psychoanalysis at Eotvos Lorand University in Budapest, teaching courses to MA and doctoral students on existential and humanistic psychology, and a practicing psychotherapist.



2. As a psychoanalyst, what is it exactly that you do?

I listen deeply to clients struggling with issues like low self-esteem, anxiety, depression, loneliness and relationship problems. They come to me because they may already have tried cognitive-behavioral therapy, but found it too superficial.



I go deeper to the underlying unconscious feelings and desires that are roiling around in their unconscious. CBT, while very effective for some issues, does not touch the unconscious. Most clients come to to me because their relationships are not working or have failed.



3. What are you listening for?

I listen with my "third ear" -- my own unconscious -- to the unconscious of my clients. I am listening for the music underneath the words. I listen to clues emanating from their unconscious and help them try to make sense of their conflicting desires, thoughts and feelings.



For example, many women say consciously that they want a happy relationship with just one man, but somehow manage to sabotage every single one by having affairs or choosing unsuitable partners. This is called the "repetition compulsion" and can be helped with psychoanalysis.



4. How do you help clients with relationship problems?

I practice what is called "relationship therapy." I listen with total attention and respect to what they say, and help them find the words to describe their conflicts, many of which go back to their original relationship to their fathers, which may have been very unsatisfactory.



I published a book about how I do this. It's called The Birth of Relationship Therapy, and it came out this year. All told, I have published three books on psychoanalysis and am now working on a fourth one, which will appear with Oxford University Press in 2023.



5. Do you give public lectures on psychoanalysis as well as conduct psychotherapy?

Yes, I lecture at the American Psychological Association; the International Psychoanalytic Association; the Freud Museum in Vienna; the University of Athens Medical School in Greece; Bar Ilan University in Tel Aviv; the International Institute of Existential and Humanistic Psychology in Beijing; the William Alanson White Institute in New York; the Indiana Society for Psychoanalytic Thought in Indianapolis; the Existential-Humanistic Institute in San Francisco; and the University of Pennsylvania School of Social Work in Philadelphia.



6. That's impressive! But do you do any popular writing in addition to your professional books and lectures?

Yes, I have published popular articles on psychoanalysis in The Los Angeles Review of Books, The Times of Israel (Tel Aviv), and The New European (London). I am happy to share these articles with anyone who wants to read them. Just send me an email at robertkramer@gwu.edu and I will send them to you.



7. What do you do for fun?

I swim three times a week at the Rudas Baths, which, in my opinion, is the best bath in Budapest. And I read at least two books a week, not only on psychology, but also on art, culture, religion, spirituality, history and politics.



8. Any hobbies?

When I have the time, I work on my half-completed movie screenplay about how Freud actually practiced therapy. People are shocked when I tell them that Freud was an awful therapist, and did not like doing therapy, He wrote five famous case histories, claiming success in each case, but they were all disasters. I am hoping to sell my screenplay to Netflix and make a 5-part series.



9. What do you like most about Budapest?

The moon shining above the Danube on a clear night, the Szababsag Bridge lighting up in a spectacular green color, and makos (poppy seed) cakes.



10. What did you do before you moved to Budapest?

As a psychoanalyst, I consulted on leader development to corporate, government and civil society organizations around the world. My clients included Pfizer Corporation; Boeing Corporation; the World Bank; the European Commission in Brussels and Luxembourg; the European Environmental Agency in Copenhagen; the Prime Ministers Office in Tallinn, Estonia; the National Research Universitys Higher School of Economics in Moscow and St. Petersburg; the Moscow State University of Pedagogy; the University of Haifa; the Philippine Academy of Development; almost all agencies of the US Government, including the intelligence community; and the Department of Human Services in the City of Alexandria in the US.
Two people have been arrested after being accused of breaking into a Jackson County tavern on Monday and barricading themselves inside once police arrived.

Jacob A. Ruetten, 27, Elroy, and Joseph B. Hodge, 36, Wonewoc, are being held in the Jackson County Jail on burglary charges.

According to the Jackson County Sheriffs Office, police responded around 5:30 a.m. to a burglary in progress at the Buck Stops Here Saloon and Grill on Highway 12 in the town of Millston.

When police arrived, two people were observed inside and appeared to be barricading the entrances. Police attempted to negotiate with the men but were rebuffed.

Five hours into the standoff, the Jackson County Emergency Response Team and K9 unit entered the building and determined the suspects were hiding in the attic. Police deployed chemical munitions against the suspects and took them into custody.

Police suspect the incident is connected to other burglaries in the area.

Jackson County was assisted at the scene by the Monroe County Sheriffs Office, La Crosse County Emergency Response Team and Wisconsin State Patrol.
YORK  The York County Commissioners budget committee has been meeting with department heads and elected officials to discuss preliminary budget ideas and get their hands around what will be necessary this year for expenditures and tax asking.

And it will likely be more.

Thanks to new state legislation, taxing entities now have to send out postcards to taxpayers, if they are raising tax asking by 2%. This will likely be the case for York County, the commissioners have said.

Yes, we have been working on the budget and the numbers are big this year, said Commissioner Chairman Randy Obermier. We will have to figure out what we are going to do and we will probably have more than one budget workshop, for sure.

He said raises for employees are being discussed on a regular basis, and they are definitely on the forefront of our budget discussions.

During their meeting this past week, the commissioners recognized how the state continues to raise pay for workers in certain fields  such as law enforcement, corrections and road maintenance  which then creates an enticement for county workers to leave their positions to work on a state level.

These types of things continue to create issues with keeping people, said Commissioner Bill Bamesberger.

As an example, the countys road department (after months of vacancies) employee roster was actually recently full.

We were full, had all the positions hired, for one week, said Commissioner Daniel Grotz, speaking for York County Highway Superintendent Harvey Keim who was not able to attend the meeting. But now, we are down two. One very good, long-term employee left for a position that had better pay and benefits  so they are feeling the pain on that one.

Obermier said in working with the county clerks office, they were able to gauge the countys rate of employee turnover this past year.

We are at a 12% turnover rate, Obermier said. That sounds bad, but then I talked with a local business and they are at 25%. So ours isnt as bad for the county, but it still has been challenging. I just think we dont see people having loyalty to institutions any longer  like there was maybe when our parents were in the workforce  its just a different world and people leave their places of employment more than we used to see.

Obermier said further that the budget process will be very interesting and unless we see a miracle, there will be a 2% increase, we are pretty sure.
YORK  York County Assessor Ann Charlton called the moment unusual because it is frankly rare when otherwise municipal-held land is sold and put on the tax rolls.

But thats exactly what was recognized this past week when the York County Commissioners convened as the York County Board of Equalization.

During the tax roll corrections portion of the meeting, Charlton said six otherwise tax exempt properties had been sold to taxed entities and they are now on the tax rolls and included in the countys total valuation.

She said a parcel of land in Waco, which had been owned by the village, was purchased by someone who will be putting up storage units.

The same happened in Gresham, where a city lot was purchased for the exact same purpose.

A village-owned lot in Bradshaw was purchased by a private owner.

And three lots in what had been Yorks second industrial park (east of the Nebraska Public Power District) were sold to private owners in the last month or so  for private businesses  so all of that land will now be on the tax rolls as well.
There are 78 plaques hanging in the antique tractor display building at the Wessels Living History Farm.

They each have a picture and a story about a person (or a couple, or a group of brothers in several cases) who was instrumental in the field of agriculture in York County.

The large display is called the York Area Ag Hall of Fame.

We, at the York News-Times, started the Ag Hall of Fame in 1999  23 years ago. We accepted nominations from the public and after each years inductees were chosen, we did stories about their lives and contributions. The plaques were created and the inductees were honored.

Seven years ago, we moved the plaques from the basement of the courthouse to Wessels so they can be seen by more people and appreciated for many years to come.

During that process in 2016, I had the joy of reading these amazing stories again. Even if I was the original writer of many of them, I felt as if I was reading them for the first time . . . and the stories of these people, how they lived, what they overcame . . . wow.

What people went through in their lifetimes . . . to homestead land, create farms from nothing but barren ground, embark on then-innovative ways of thinking that included irrigation, invention and conservation. It was simply incredible.

For example, take the story of the Sandall brothers. Jonas, John, Charles and Andrew were born in Sweden and came to America with their parents. Charles and Andrew settled in York County in the spring of 1871, with the two unmarried guys living in a dugout 2  miles west of York. In the fall, Charles told Andrew he was going to go back to Iowa, get married . . . and hed be back in the spring. So Andrew stayed in York County, alone, that winter . . . to watch their land, take care of the livestock, etc. The story is that Andrew spent a lonely winter in the dugout, completely alone with his only reading material being his Bible and the Almanac. He made it through the winter . . . and the next spring his brother returned with a bride, and six other Swedish families following, which began a substantial settlement of this county that grew to 25 just a few years later. Jonas and John followed . . . they organized the Swedish Lutheran Church Society, were prolific farmers and some family members became state representatives.

Then theres the story of Russell Nettleton who is credited as the countys first conservationist. He was one of the first farmers in the area to adopt contour terracing, use grass waterways and plant shelterbelts. The lengths to which he went for planting his first row of trees is incredible  he and his family hoed, by hand, half-mile rows of young trees until they outgrew the weeds. And theres the story of how he built a dam to prevent soil erosion  he insisted that it include an overflow drainpipe although the builder argued that was only necessary if there was a 100-year flood. Wouldnt you know it, but three years later, a record 13-inch rain washed out dams throughout York County, but not his.

Then there was Clinton Kirkpatrick, a livestock producer who specialized in Spotted Poland China hogs, Shorthorn cattle and Percheron horses. He was a major player in the statewide livestock industry  but did you know that this man who was born in 1893 was also instrumental in starting the countys blacktop road system?

Oh, and the story about George Ehlers who was also born in 1893, on a farm near Thayer. He consistently tried new, innovative ideas as he strived to farm as much land as he could physically handle. In 1955, he embarked on a project that only one other farmer in the area had tried before  an irrigation well. Many more followed . . . and the rest, they say, is obvious history.

An amazing story about marketing is that of Harry Rogers, the owner of Boxcar No. 15, which has been called an important address in Yorks agricultural growth. At that location  tucked among a cluster of hog pens and the railroad, he ran Rogers Hog Market. Historical accounts say that the business eventually handled as many as $4.5 million worth of hogs in a year. Pretty incredible, considering he was born in 1886 and died in 1958. It was his trustworthiness and integrity that drove his business, documents reveal, as it was written, So solid was his business and his customers were so sure of his honesty that hogs coming into market were often not accompanied by their owners, who knew they were get a fair price.

Another market-driven story is that of Roy Tucker who began his auctioneering career in York in the early 1920s. At that time, all livestock was transported by railroad and producers came to the sales in wagons, on horseback and in Model Ts. Ranchers in western Nebraska were not satisfied with existing market prices and were looking for other outlets in which to sell their stock. He received so many letters from western ranchers, asking him to sell their livestock for them, that eventually rail cars full of livestock would arrive at the York Livestock Commission for him to sell to local feeders, breeders and dairymen. In that, York became a central point in the states early livestock industry.

Did you know that E.C. Bishop, a teacher near Bradshaw in 1898, was credited for helping to start the institution we call 4-H?

And theres the legend of Lige Levitt who was born in the Ukraine in 1885 and arrived in York County with just a few dollars in his pocket. He eventually became the father of banking in this area, a strong supporter of agriculture and a major contributor to many large projects that literally formed York. Besides all of his accolades, Levitt was most known for being humble.

There were 68 plaques moved to Wessels and we have since inducted 10 more people and their lives have been celebrated.

All that said, we will be doing the same this year with an induction ceremony at the historical church at Wessels.

Thats where I need your help. We are asking for the public to send us nominations so deserving folks can be considered for this great honor.

Simply send me an email (melanie.wilkinson@yorknewstimes.com) or a physical letter (to the York News-Times offices at Fourth and Platte), detailing the person (or persons) being nominated. Tell me all about them and their contributions to agriculture as well as their community. Include your personal information  and contact information  so I can contact you with questions and more information, should they be chosen. Also include a photo (headshot) of the person (or people).

You can send me as much information as you want  the more the better, so we can properly chronicle their lives and contributions.

The people being nominated can be alive or deceased  we have honored many people posthumously in the past.

Im planning to close out the nominations by Sept. 10, so please send me your nominations soon!

There are 78 stories, hanging on that wall at Wessels  and we are excited to tell two more. All of the existing plaques tell the stories of York County people who made an impact in the agricultural arena  as well as in their communities as a whole. With York County being an agricultural powerhouse, there are and have been many remarkable people doing remarkable things. Help me honor two more.
Tata Motors has extended the Tata Tiago lineup with the launch of the new XT variant. To be specific the new Tata Tiago NRG XT variant has been launched in the Indian market as part of the one-year anniversary celebration of the model in the country. The new NRG XT variant of the car has been priced at Rs 6.42 lakh (ex-showroom). The new model comes with its perks in the form of cosmetic upgrades that surround the model along with a few other changes in the body. It is to be noted that the changes have been made to appeal to a younger audience for the company. With the addition of the newly launched variant, the Tiago NRG will now be available in two trims - the Tiago XT NRG and the Tiago XZ NRG.

Talking about the features, the new Tiago NRG XT variant maintains the NRG design cues like the High Ground Clearance of 181 mm, Rugged Claddings, Infinity Black Roof with Roof Rails & Charcoal Black Interiors in addition to offering new 14" Hyperstyle Wheels, 3.5" Infotainment System by HarmanTM, Steering Mounted Controls, Height Adjustable Driver Seat, Front Fog Lamps and many other features.

Tata Motors also announced the upgrade of its current Tiago XT variant with the addition of new features to make it a more attractive proposition. These include the height-adjustable driver's seat, the rear parcel shelf, and the 14" Hyperstyle Wheels. These functions will be included on all XT models, including the Tiago XT, XTA, and XT iCNG. For the Tiago XT petrol variant, the business has also released the optional Rhythm pack, which comes with features like a 7" touchscreen infotainment system, a rear camera, and 4 tweeters. In addition to the new XT trim, the Rhythm bundle will cost you INR 30,000 more. Furthermore, the new XT trim features get a new colour in the form of Midnight Plum color along with the existing Opal White, Daytona Grey, Arizona Blue, and Flame Red colour options.

Also read: New Toyota Land Cruiser Prado Matte Black Edition introduced in Japan - Check here

Commenting on the occasion, Rajan Amba, Vice President, Sales, Marketing, and Customer Care, Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles Ltd. said, The Tiago NRG has been captivating the imaginations of our customers since its launch and has become a preferred hatchback that offers tough terrain performance for the go-getters and those who live life on the edge. Kick starting the festive season, we are elated to introduce our customers to the Tiago XT NRG. Priced attractively, this variant is well-packaged and aims at enhancing the drive experience. We are confident that the addition of this feature-rich XT variant will further strengthen the NRG and the overall Tiago portfolio, propelling their sales performance ahead.
Tata-SIA carrier, Vistara inaugurated non-stop flights between Saudi Arabias Jeddah and Mumbai. The inaugural flight between Maharashtra's capital and the Saudi Arabian city departed at 6.05 PM on August 2 at 1805 Hours (IST) and landed in Jeddah at 2050 Hours (AST). The airline now flies thrice a week between the two cities on its Airbus A320neo aircraft.

Commenting on the launch of the new international route, Vinod Kannan, Chief Executive Officer, Vistara, said, We are delighted to launch services to Jeddah, and to add Saudi Arabia to our growing international network. Given the multitude of upcoming futuristic projects in Saudi Arabia, strong trade ties with India and presence of a large Indian diaspora, there is growing traffic between the two countries. We are confident that travellers will appreciate having the choice of flying Indias best airline on this route.

Also read: Nancy Pelosi in Taiwan: Air Force plane carrying US House Speaker becomes most tracked flight ever, know WHY?

Also Vistara announced the expansion of its network with introducing five weekly flights starting between Mumbai and Bangkok. These new flights will begin starting from August 5, 2022. The airline will enhance its current connection between India and Thailand by operating its three-class Airbus A320neo aircraft on the route. The number of flights between Delhi and Bangkok has lately increased by the airline to daily service.
The Lockheed Martin-made F-35 II Lightning is unarguably one of the most advanced fighter jets in the world and can give any other Gen 5 fighter jets a run for its money. The F-35 is also the only operational fighter jet with vertical take off and landing (VTOL) capabilities, making it extremely useful for naval operations, having short deck ocean carriers. The worlds most advanced fighter jet has run into some technical issues forcing the United States to ground some of the jets. As per reports, the F-35 is facing problems with Martin-Baker ejection seats, which has led the US Air Force (USAF), Navy (USN) and Marine Corps (USMC) to ground their F-35s.

As per reports, the first issue with the fighter jets was reported back in April 2022, however the scale of the problem couldnt be analysed. Its only in recent days that the problem became apparent. The US Air Combat Command (ACC) started inspecting its F-35s for faulty ejection seat cartridges on July 19 and within the next 15 days, AAC and the Air Education and Training Command temporarily grounded their F-35s to expedite the process of inspections.

By the end of the month, 2,700 ejection seat cartridges were checked and problems were found in three of them. The department has informed the manufacturer Martin-Baker and provided all necessary data to help with the inspections.

The United States also provides the F-35 II to several other NATO countries, including Turkey and Japan and the countries operating the F-35 announced that they had performed their own inspections on the aircraft.

The report further states that the Israeli Air Force has stopped operating its F-35s on July 30, while Norwegian and Dutch air forces are investigating the issue. They continue to fly the fighter jets for training ops.
New Delhi: Mobile companies Oppo India, Xiaomi India and Vivo India have been served notices by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) for duty evasion, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman informed the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday.

A show-cause notice demanding Rs 4,403.88 crore has been served to Oppo Mobiles India Ltd based on an investigation conducted by the DRI, while five cases of Customs duty evasion have been registered against Xiaomi Technology India, Sitharaman said in a written reply.

The reply also noted that investigation by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) revealed that Vivo Mobiles India Pvt Ltd has remitted an amount of Rs 0.62 lakh crore mainly to China and its controlled territories, out of their total sales of Rs 1.25 lakh crore during the period between July 2017 and March 2021, which works out to 49.91 per cent.

From 2019 to 2022, in respect of Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC), cases against 43 other such companies have been booked.

As regards to Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), probe agencies have undertaken search and seizure actions against five groups pertaining to the telecom sector, in which tax evasion has been detected, the minister said.
AP 10th Supplementary Results 2022: AP 10th Supplementary Results 2022 has been declared today August 3 2022 by the Directorate of Government Examinations Andhra Pradesh, or BSE AP. The result is published on the official website, bse.ap.gov.in, manabadi, today, August 3, 2022, at 10 am. To verify their results, students will require their AP SSC Supplementary hall tickets.

Results for the AP SSC Supplementary Exams were held from July 6 to July 15, 2022, will be released today August 3. According to historical patterns, BSE AP typically makes these results available within 1520 days of the exam's conclusion. This is due to the fact that fewer students are taking these tests than are doing AP SSC Exams.

Manabadi AP SSC 10th Supplementary Results 2022: Here is how to check the results

Step 1: Visit the official website bse.ap.gov.in to access the score.

Step 2: Select AP SSC Results 2022 Check Online Link from the drop-down menu.

Step 3: In the appropriate field, enter a students roll number.

Step 4: To save it, click the submit button.

Step 5: On the screen, the online AP 10th results 2022 marks memo will show.

Step 6: Take a printout or a screenshot of the page so that you may refer to it later

This year, a total of 2,01,627 students appeared for the AP SSC supplementary exam. On 6th June, the board announced AP SSC result 2022. A total of 4,14,281 students were declared pass.
AP 10th Supplementary Results 2022: According to the media reports, AP 10th Supplementary Results 2022 date has been announced by the Directorate of Government Examinations Andhra Pradesh, or BSE AP. According to updates on Manabadi, the BSE AP SSC Supply results will be published on the official website, bse.ap.gov.in, manabadi, today, August 3, 2022, at 10 am. To verify their results, students will require their AP SSC Supplementary hall tickets.

ALSO READ: AP SSC Supplementary results DECLARED

Results for the AP SSC Supplementary Exams held from July 6 to July 15, 2022, will be released today August 3. According to historical patterns, BSE AP typically makes these results available within 1520 days of the exam's conclusion. This is due to the fact that fewer students are taking these tests than are doing AP SSC Exams.

AP 10th Supplementary Results 2022: Date and time

Title Details AP SSC Supply Results 2022 date Likley on August 3, 2022 (Tomorrow) AP 10th Supplementary Results time 10:00 AM Official website bse.ap.gov.in, manabadi

Students are reminded that an official announcement regarding the AP 10th Supplementary Results date is awaiting publication on bse.ap.gov.in. Also, students are advised to keep a tab on the official website for all the latest updates.
Kolkata: Former West Bengal education minister Partha Chatterjee and his aide Arpita Mukherjee were sent to three more days in the custody of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) by a special court in Kolkata in the SSC scam case. The ED had sought four days of custody for Chatterjee and three days for Mukherjee, from whose apartments crores of rupees in cash and other valuables were recovered last month. They are facing charges under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

Hearing the arguments, special PMLA judge Jibon Kumar Sadhu granted three days' ED custody to both the accused.

They will be produced before the court again on August 5, he directed.

The investigating officer was directed to arrange for the medical examinations of both the accused persons every 48 hours of their stay in ED custody.

The former minister's lawyer prayed for his bail, while Mukherjee's cousel submitted that there was no requirement for any further ED custody of his client.

Appearing for the ED, Additional Solicitor General (ASG) SV Raju submitted that several companies and properties in the joint holding of Chatterjee and Mukherjee were unearthed, and they were needed to be questioned on these.

Both the accused were produced before the court in person.

The ED counsel claimed before the court that Chatterjee has not been cooperating in the investigation, while Mukherjee is comparatively cooperative.

Judge Sadhu also allowed 15 minutes of consultation by the lawyers of each accused with their clients on one day in the presence of ED officials.

Chatterjee was arrested in the SSC scam case on July 23 after crores of rupees in cash, gold believed to be in kilograms and documents of properties were found at the apartments of his aide Mukherjee.

The ASG submitted that a total of Rs 49.80 crore in cash was seized from two flats of Mukherjee.

He further claimed that Chatterjee and Mukherjee were found involved in money laundering as they indulged in a criminal conspiracy for illegally giving jobs for the post of assistant teachers in state-sponsored and aided schools.

The alleged irregularities in the recruitment drives by the School Service Commission (SSC) took place when Chatterjee was the education minister of the state
Imagine hearing the jarring squeal of sirens and the shriek of children and smiling instead of bracing for the worst. That was the scene at National Night Out which took place at the Northern Wisconsin State Fairgrounds on Tuesday evening.

In Chippewa Falls, National Night Out 2022 included free ice cream and root beer, candy, a demonstration of EMS, police and SWAT vehicles, fire trucks and hoses and a demonstration of police K9 Leo and his handler Sergeant Stephen McMahon.

Kids played in the spraying water of fire trucks. Attendees got to hold fire hoses and dunk local police in the dunk tank. There were a number of first-responder vehicles on site that children could climb into and even hit the siren or the horn inside of.

Children of all ages giggled and jumped for joy at the flashing lights, uniformed officers and demonstrations that took place.

It was entertaining and delightful for families, especially those with small children who oohed and aahed at the sirens of first responder vehicles, and mingled with police, firefighters, EMS, SWAT, the Sheriffs Department and others in law enforcement and rescue.

National Night Out is an annual community-building campaign that promotes police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie to make neighborhoods safer and more caring places to live.

National Night Out enhances the relationship between neighborhoods and law enforcement. It provides a great opportunity to bring police and neighbors together under positive circumstances.

Millions of Americans take part in National Night Out across thousands of communities from all 50 states, U.S. territories and military bases worldwide on the first Tuesday in August (Texas and select areas celebrate on the first Tuesday in October).
New Delhi: India will celebrate its 75th anniversary of Independence this year on August 15. For this freedom, which we achieved after fighting British rule for 200 years, innumerable heroes and revolutionaries have made sacrifices. This independence was celebrated by hoisting the tricolor as our national flag and taking down the Britishs Union Jack.

In todays DNA, Zee News Rohit Ranjan decoded the politics that has ensued on the tricolour ahead of Indias Independence day. For any country, its national flag is not just a combination of a few colors, but a reflection of the totality of that nation, its specialty, and its sentiments. The three colors we see in the national flag, with the Ashoka Chakra in the middle, represent the integrity of India, our indomitable courage and our peace-loving nature.

Unfortunately, politics has started on the tricolor to the point that attempts to claim "copyright" on the national flag are happening. The politics of 'my tricolor is better than yours', 'your tricolor is fake, and the real tricolor is mine' has cropped up. It is India's misfortune that the colors of the national flag are seen being divided and seen from different glasses.

A 'Har Ghar Tiranga' motorcycle rally of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha MPs was organized in Delhi today as part of the Centres Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav. This program was not of any political party but was organized by the Ministry of Culture. Not a single Opposition MP, however, attended this bike rally. This ideological conflict over the tricolor was seen again today. Several ministers of the government including Prime Minister Narendra Modi had changed their profile picture on their Twitter handles to replace it with the national flag a day back, in response to which, many Congress leaders, including MP Rahul Gandhi, updated their display photograph on social media to an image of India's first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru holding the national flag. With this, Congress tried to remind that if the national flag is being hosted today, it is the contribution of the party and Pandit Nehru.
MUMBAI: Hitting out at Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, Maharashtra Chief Minister and rebel camp leader Eknath Shinde has said if he and his supporters had been traitors, they would not have received enormous support from the state's people. Speaking at a rally at Saswad in the Pune district, Shinde said the stand taken by him and other Shiv Sena MLAs supporting him "to save Balasaheb Thackeray's Shiv Sena" was vindicated by people's support.

Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, whose coalition government collapsed in June after Shinde's rebellion, has been lambasting Shinde and others, calling them "gaddar" or traitors. Despite being in power, the Sena was consigned to the fourth spot in local body elections in the state (when Thackeray was chief minister), said Shinde.

The Nationalist Congress Party and Congress, who were supposed to be out of power after losing the 2019 Assembly election, received a "sanjivani butee" (new lease of life) due to their alliance with the Sena, he said.

"Had the Shiv Sena-BJP government been formed (in 2019), NCP and Congress would not have survived," said Shinde, who became chief minister on June 30 with the BJP's support. "Not only people from the state but people across the country took note of this development," he said, referring to his and other Sena legislators' rebellion against Thackeray.

It was a "historic event and even the world took note, asking who are these 50 people, who is Eknath Shinde," he said. The chief minister then asked the gathering if he and other MLAs were rebels ("Band-khor").

"Are we rebels, traitors? If we were rebels or traitors, would we get support from the common people of the state? Would you come (to the rally) in such a large number? It means our stand of saving Balasaheb Thackeray's Shiv Sena was accepted by the people of the state," he said.

Shinde also said he doesn`t need an election symbol to get elected by the people asserting that they only forged a natural alliance of Shiv Sena once again. "Who betrayed whom? We or someone else? We just forged the natural alliance of Shiv Sena once again and this Govt is a govt of the people," he said.

(With ANI Inputs)
Lucknow: Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati has announced that her party will support NDA`s Vice-Presidential candidate Jagdeep Dhankhar in the election. "It is well known that due to the lack of consensus between the government and the opposition in the election for the post of the president, the country`s highest post, the election for it was finally held. Now, due to the same situation, the election for the post of Vice-President is also going to be held on 6th August," Mayawati tweeted in Hindi.

"In view of the larger public interest and its own movement, the BSP has decided to extend its support to Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar in the election for the post of Vice President, which I am also formally announcing today," she added in another tweet.

The election for the Vice President`s post will be held on August 6. This comes just as the tenure of Vice President Venkaiah Naidu comes to an end on August 10, 2022.

The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has announced Jagdeep Dhankhar as its vice-presidential candidate while opposition parties have announced Margaret Alva as their candidate.

Dhankhar, who is a lawyer by profession, entered into politics in 1989. He became the governor of West Bengal in July 2019 and has made headlines since then over his tumultuous relations with the Mamata Banerjee government.

He tendered his resignation as the Governor of West Bengal on Sunday. The vice president of India, which is the second-highest constitutional post in the country, is elected through an electoral college consisting of members of the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha.

Earlier, Biju Janta Dal (BJD) announced its support for NDA`s Vice Presidential candidate Jagdeep Dhankar in the upcoming election. Meanwhile, Trinamool Congress said that the party will abstain from voting in the upcoming Vice Presidential poll.

In 2017, the NDA had nominated Venkaiah Naidu as its candidate for the vice-presidential election and he went on to become India`s 15th vice president. His term ends on August 10, 2022.
'Rahul Gandhi will become the Prime Minister', said a Mahant of a Lingayat Math in Karnataka on Wednesday (August 3). But as soon as these words came out from his mouth, he was stopped by the head of the Math, Mahant. He also blessed Rahul, but added a warning. Assembly elections will be held in Karnataka by May next year. Before that, Congress is struggling because of internal rift. In this situation, Rahul Gandhi visited the southern state. Apart from establishing unity in the party, he is also doing public relations work keeping the elections in mind.

For that purpose he went to Sri Jagadguru Murugharajendra Math in Chitradurg district. There, a Mahant named Haveri Hosamath Swami blessed Rahul Gandhi and said, "Rahul Gandhi will become the Prime Minister." According to sources, as soon as he said this, he was stopped by the head of the Math, Mahant Sri Shivamurthy Murugha Sharanaru. Then Chief Mahant said, "Please don't say this... This is not the platform. People will decide."

It is an absolute honour to visit Sri Jagadguru Murugharajendra Vidyapeetha and receive the 'Ishtalinga Deekshe' from Dr. Sri Shivamurthy Murugha Sharanaru.



The teachings of Guru Basavanna are eternal and I am humbled to learn more about it from the Sharanaru of the Math. pic.twitter.com/5Dgj53roSp  Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) August 3, 2022

Lingayats play a major role in Karnataka politics. 18 percent of the state's population belong to this community. Generally, BJP gets votes from this community. In 2019, the BJP came to power after overthrowing the Congress-JDS government. Initially, BS Yeddyurappa was made the Chief Minister. He belonged to the Lingayat community. In 2021, he was replaced by Basbaraj Bommai as Chief Minister. He also belongs to the Lingayat community. Rahul Gandhi is trying to build the land of Congress within these Lingayats.

#WATCH | Karnataka: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi visits Sri Murugha Math in Chitradurga along with party leaders DK Shivakumar & KC Venugopal pic.twitter.com/nxmwiHeRfI August 3, 2022

However, within the state Congress, there is now a strong rift. Return to power is a long way off. But, who will be the chief minister face, there is tension already. Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly Siddaramaiah and State Congress President DK Sivakumar both want to be the chief ministerial candidates. Rahul Gandhi held a meeting with party leaders on Tuesday night. He ordered both parties to work together. He also warned that no one should make any comments in public, no matter how many disputes are there within.

The general secretary of the party, DK Sivakumar, also wanted to cover up the conflict over the leadership. He claimed that there is no conflict in the leadership of the party. He also said that no one's personal opinion matters. After the election, the new MLAs will be elected and the Congress High Command will decide on the leadership. He also said that Rahul Gandhi has appealed to Congress leaders to campaign aggressively against the BJP's misrule in Karnataka and at the Centre.
Bhopal: The Madhya Pradesh police's Economic Offences Wing (EOW), probing a disproportionate assets complaint, recovered more than Rs 85 lakh in cash from the Bhopal home of a state government clerk who consumed some liquid that was suspected to be poisonous during a search on Wednesday, an official said. During the search at the residence of upper division clerk Hero Keswani, currently drawing a salary of around Rs 50,000 per month, an EOW team also recovered documents pertaining to several properties worth crores of rupees, he said.

The search operation continued till late on Wednesday night and a note counting machine was brought to compute the exact value of the pile of cash found at his home located in the Bairagarh area, the official said.

The upper division clerk, attached to the state Medical Education Department, claimed to have consumed bathroom cleaner when the EOW team reached his house, Superintendent of Police (EOW) Rajesh Mishra told PTI.

#WATCH | MP:Around Rs 80 Lakhs cash, property documents & gold-silver recovered from residence of Hero Keswani, sr clerk of Medical Education Dept in Bhopal. Economic Offences Wing conducted a raid at his residenc. He was hospitalised after his health deteriorated when raid began pic.twitter.com/FgK73jBMQx  ANI MP/CG/Rajasthan (@ANI_MP_CG_RJ) August 3, 2022

Keswani also tried to stop officials from searching his home and pushed them, he said.

"He was rushed to the state-run Hamidia Hospital. His condition is stable and he is undergoing treatment for blood pressure-related problems," the SP said.

By the evening, more than Rs 85 lakh in cash had been found beside the documents related to immovable properties and other assets worth crores of rupees at Keswani's residence, said Mishra.

MP govt clerk owns properties worth Rs 4 crore

It is estimated that he owns properties worth Rs four crore, he said.

Keswani's plush residence, where costly decorative items were found, itself was worth around Rs 1.5 crore, the EOW official said.

The SP said the clerk had started his job at a salary of about Rs 4,000 a month and was currently drawing around Rs 50,000 per month. Amounts running into lakhs of rupees were found deposited in the bank accounts of Keswani's family members.

He had purchased most of the properties in the name of his wife, a homemaker with no source of income, the official said.

The overall value of the assets unearthed during the search will be known only after the completion of valuation work and verification of documents, Mishra said.
New Delhi: Days after the Supreme Court backed the Enforcement Directorate's powers under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), several Opposition parties on Tuesday (August 2, 2022) issued a joint statement and expressed apprehensions about the long-term implications of the top court's verdict. In a joint statement, leaders of as many as 17 parties said that the judgment will "strengthen" the hands of a government that "indulges in political vendetta" to target its opponents. They expressed hope that this "dangerous verdict will be short-lived" and called for a review.

"We place on record our deep apprehension on the long-term implications of the recent Supreme Court judgment upholding, in entirety, the amendments to the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002, without examining whether some of these amendments could have been enacted by way of Finance Act," they said in the statement.

The parties added that they hold and will always hold the Supreme Court in the highest respect.

"Yet, we are compelled to point out that the judgment should have awaited the verdict of a larger Bench for examining the constitutionality of the Finance Act route to carry out amendments.

"These far-reaching amendments strengthened the hands of a government, indulging in the political vendetta of the worst kind, by using these very amended laws relating to money laundering and investigation agencies, to target its political opponents in a mischievous and malicious manner," the opposition parties alleged.

"We are also very disappointed that the highest judicial authority, invited to give an independent verdict on the lack of checks and balances in the Act, has virtually reproduced arguments given by the executive in support of draconian amendments. We hope that the dangerous verdict will be short-lived and constitutional provisions will prevail soon," the opposition leaders said in their joint statement.

17 Opposition parties, including TMC & AAP, plus one independent Rajya Sabha MP, have signed a joint statement expressing deep apprehensions on long-term implications of the recent Supreme Court judgement upholding amendments to PMLA,2002 and called for its review. The statement: pic.twitter.com/vmhtxRHAnl  Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) August 3, 2022

Congress, Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress, DMK, AAP, NCP, Shiv Sena, CPI-M, CPI, IUML, RSP, MDMK, RJD, and RLD were among the parties that signed the joint statement.

Earlier on July 27, the apex court had backed the ED's powers under PMLA and had said that Section 19, which deals with the power to arrest, does not suffer from the "vice of arbitrariness". Upholding the validity of some provisions of the PMLA, a bench headed by Justice AM Khanwilkar had also said that Section 5 of the Act relating to the attachment of property of those involved in money laundering is constitutionally valid.

The Supreme Court said the supply of Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) in every case to the person concerned is not mandatory. The ECIR is the ED's equivalent of a police FIR.
Pune: Police have arrested Shiv Sena's Pune city unit president and four others in connection with the alleged attack on the party's rebel MLA and former Maharashtra minister Uday Samant's car here, an official said on Wednesday.

A group of unidentified persons had attacked Samant's car at a signal in Katraj area of the city around 9 pm on Tuesday. A video of a mob trying to surround Samant's vehicle and shouting slogans circulated on social media.

A case had been registered against over 15 persons under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including attempt to murder, at the Bharti Vidyapeeth police station late Tuesday night.

Samant, one of the 40 Sena MLAs who support Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, was here to attend Shinde's programmes in the district, a source close to him had said.

"Shiv Sena's city unit president Sanjay More is among the five persons arrested in connection with the attack on Samant's car," assistant commissioner of police (Swargate division), Sushama Chavan, said.

"We have registered an offence against more than 15 people under IPC sections 307 (attempt to murder ), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty) and sections related to rioting," she added.

Saman't close aide had said that a windowpane of the car, in which the former minister was travelling, was damaged in the incident.

Shiv Sena leader Aaditya Thackeray's public meeting was held in the vicinity around the same time on Tuesday. Samant had later told the reporters that the attack on his car was done in a pre-meditated manner.
Colombo: President Ranil Wickremesinghe on Wednesday thanked India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi for giving Sri Lanka "a breath of life" by providing timely economic assistance to his country as it faced the worst economic crisis in decades. President Wickremesinghe made the remarks while addressing a ceremonial sitting of Parliament which reconvened on Wednesday after a seven-day adjournment.

"I wish to specially mention the assistance provided by India, our closest neighbour, in our efforts of economic revitalisation," he said.

"The government of India under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi has given us a breath of life. On behalf of my people and that of my own, I convey our gratitude to Prime Minister Modi, the Government and people of India," Wickremesinghe added.

Last week, Modi congratulated President Wickremesinghe and said that India will continue to be supportive of the quest of the people of the island nation for stability and economic recovery, through established democratic means.

The new Sri Lankan government faces the task of leading the country out of its economic collapse and restoring order after months of mass protests that forced President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to flee the country and resign.

The Indian government's assistance to Sri Lanka has reached almost USD 4 billion since January this year.

Sri Lanka needs about USD 5 billion in the next six months to cover basic necessities for its 22 million people, who have been struggling with long queues, worsening shortages and power cuts.

The country is currently holding talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and other foreign countries on financial aid to tide over the current economic crisis.

Sri Lanka must move towards 'long-term solutions' to set economy right

In his speech, Wickremesinghe said Sri Lanka must move towards long-term solutions to set the economy right.

He said the debt restructuring plan is in its final stages of being prepared and added that the economic restructuring plan would be outlined in the interim budget to be presented soon.

Sri Lanka seeks a 4-year programme with the IMF. The work to finalise the debt restructuring plan is ongoing and would be presented soon to the IMF.

Wickremesinghe said the Sri Lankan economy was hit by opposition to foreign investment projects.

"When we tried to develop the oil tank complex in Trincomalee together with India, it was stated that it would be a sell-out to India, and the project was halted. If at that time we were allowed to develop the oil tank complex, today people would not have to spend many days in queues for fuel," he said.

Will not allow violence and terrorism: Ranil Wickremesinghe

Wickremesinghe said that he would establish an office to protect the peaceful protesters and support them.

"I will not allow any kind of prejudice to the peaceful activists," he said, while noting that some groups are trying to spread propaganda through social media that he is hunting down the protesters, which is not true.

He said he will not allow violence and terrorism. However, will protect non-violence and democracy.

"The peaceful struggle is a fundamental right. I accept those rights," he asserted.

He said all countries are Sri Lanka's friends. "We have no enemies. We do not belong to any group".

Wickremesinghe was elected President by lawmakers on July 20 - the first such occasion since 1978.

The 73-year-old President was appointed for the rest of the term of Rajapaksa who fled the country and resigned on July 13 in the face of a popular uprising against his government for mismanaging the island nation's economy. The worst economic crisis since 1948 has led to severe shortages of fuel and other essentials.

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.
New Delhi: President Droupadi Murmu on Wednesday (August 3) administered the Oath of Office to the Central Vigilance Commissioner (CVC) Suresh N Patel at Rashtrapati Bhavan in Delhi, according to a communique issued by the Rashtrapati Bhavan. "At a ceremony held today at 1000 hrs at Rashtrapati Bhavan, Shri Suresh N Patel was sworn in as the Central Vigilance Commissioner. He made and subscribed the oath of his office before the President," the communique said.

The ceremony was also attended by the Prime Minister and Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu. Patel's appointment as the CVC was cleared by a selection committee headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, said a PTI report.

President Droupadi Murmu today administered the Oath of Office to the Central Vigilance Commissioner (CVC) Suresh N Patel at Rashtrapati Bhavan in Delhi pic.twitter.com/KPCOpEJyau  ANI (@ANI) August 3, 2022

A three-member selection panel headed by the prime minister had met in July to decide on the CVC and vigilance commissioners. The other two members on the panel are Union home minister and the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha.

During the meeting, the panel approved Patel's appointment as the CVC, besides approving the appointments of former Intelligence Bureau chief Arvind Kumar and ex-bureaucrat Praveen Kumar Srivastava as the vigilance commissioners. "Both Kumar and Srivastava will be sworn in as vigilance commissioners by CVC Patel on Wednesday," an official told PTI.

Arvind Kumar completed his term as the chief of the internal security intelligence agency on June 30 this year.

Former managing director and chief executive officer of Andhra Bank, Patel was appointed as the vigilance commissioner in April 2020. Former Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer Sanjay Kothari had completed his term as the CVC on June 24 last year. Patel has been working as the acting Central Vigilance Commissioner (CVC) since June this year.

(With PTI Inputs)
Anakapalle: About 100 people reportedly fell sick and some of them were admitted to hospital after they fell ill due to suspected gas leakage from an adjacent chemical company in Andhra Pradesh`s Anakapalle district late on Tuesday. The gas leak affected the staff of Seeds Apparel India in the Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in Atchutapuram area. The women complained of vomiting, nausea, and breathlessness. Some of them fainted.

About 50 women were shifted to hospitals in ambulances while others were being provided first aid within the factory premises. Seeds Apparel India, which employs only women is located on the 1,000 acres campus of Brandix, which is located next to Porus Labs, the chemical company.

Industries Minister Gudivada Amarnath spoke to the district Collector over the phone and directed officials to provide the best possible treatment to the affected.

This is the second incident of gas leak from the same company in two months. On July 3, more than 200 women employees were affected. Seeds Apparel and Porus Labs were shut down for a week. The government had ordered an inquiry after closing down the factory.
After saying he had no reason to oppose legislation recognizing same-sex marriage at the federal level, U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson now says he may not vote in favor of the measure, according to a new report.

Ive never said I would support it, the Oshkosh Republican told Axios. I said I didnt see a reason to oppose it.

Besides voting for or against the bill, Johnson can also vote present or not show up to vote.

Johnsons comments came as senators consider amending the bill to provide more clarity that the legislation would not take away any religious liberty or conscience protections, Sen. Tammy Baldwins office told Axios.

The bill would need 60 votes to clear the Senate, and the chamber is equally divided between Democrats and Republicans. One of the bills conservative supporters, Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., told Axios he didnt think the Senate could pass the measure in its current form.

You can never trust @SenRonJohnson, U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Black Earth, who is gay, said on Twitter. He plays games by supporting things and then opposing, playing semantical games and in general, representing the most extreme elements of his party as well as the wealthy and special interests.

The bill would require the federal government to recognize marriages that are valid in the state where it was performed. The measure would also repeal the so-called Defense of Marriage Act, which defined marriage as between one man and one woman and allowed states to ban same-sex marriages. The Supreme Court struck down that law, which was signed in 1996 by Democratic President Bill Clinton, but it remains on the books.

The legislation already passed the House of Representatives with all of Wisconsins Democratic representatives, as well as Republican Bryan Steil, of Janesville, voting in favor. But an amended bill would have to return to the House for approval.

Democrats introduced the bill in fear that the Supreme Court, which overturned Roe v. Wade in June, could overturn other precedential cases that rely on the right to privacy found in the U.S. Constitution. Democrats also introduced a bill to protect access to contraceptives, which is currently protected under another Supreme Court decision that Justice Clarence Thomas signaled his desire to review.

Baldwin, D-Madison, has largely driven the Senate effort to bring Republicans on board to pass the legislation. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, have signed onto the measure as co-sponsors.

A spokesperson for Baldwin, the first openly gay person elected to the Senate, said in July that her office had reached out to Johnsons office, along with other Republicans, to get support for the bill.

Plain and simple: if it doesnt support his own self-interests and his bottom line, you cant count on Ron Johnson to support it, said Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, who became the presumptive Democratic U.S. Senate nominee after his top Democratic opponents dropped out last week.
Chennai (Tamil Nadu): State governments have limited resources and not enough opportunities to raise revenues so it is the Centre that should reduce taxes, Tamil Nadu Finance Minister Palanivel Thiagarajan said responding to Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman`s question as to why states did not reduce cess on fuel even as they talked about price rise.

Sitharaman had said in the Parliament that state governments did not reduce taxes on petrol and diesel while the Centre had done so on its part. Responding to Sitharaman, Thiagarajan said the government of Tamil Nadu had already reduced taxes on petrol by Rs 4.95.

The Union government`s levies on petrol on the other hand have gone up substantially in the last 7 years, he claimed." Though the revenue of the Union Government has increased by several lakh crores, there has not been a matching increase in the revenues of the states.

Also Read: Mayawatis BIG move  BSP to support NDA's V-P candidate Jagdeep Dhankar

This is because the Union government has increased the cess and surcharge on petrol and diesel while reducing the basic excise duty that is shareable with the states," Thiagarajan said. Over the last seven years, the Union government has increased the taxes on petrol by Rs 23.42 per litre and Rs 28.23 per litre on diesel.

The Union government`s reduction in taxes in November 2021 and May 2022 together was Rs 13 on petrol and Rs 16 on diesel.

Though the Union government has reduced the taxes, it is still higher than the 2014 rates by as much as Rs 10.42 per litre for petrol and Rs 12.23 per litre for diesel, he added.

Therefore, there is a need for the Union government to further reduce its taxes on fuels, he said." The Union Government`s reduction in taxes that was announced on 03.11.2021 will cause an additional loss of about Rs 1,050 crores in annual revenue to Tamil Nadu.

The reduction in May 2022 will cause a further loss of Rs 800 crores in annual revenue to the State. "On the latest revision in GST on some essential articles, he said it will adversely affect the common man and Tamil Nadu had sent its objections through a letter.

From July 18, pre-packaged and labelled pulses, and cereals like rice, wheat, and flour (atta) will attract 5 per cent GST when branded and packed in a unit container, whereas curd, lassi, and puffed rice would attract 5 per cent tax cent when pre-packaged and labelled.

The recommendations on these GST rates were made during the 47th GST Council meeting held in June," After the introduction of GST, the state`s power to levy taxes has been reduced greatly. There are not enough avenues for the state to augment its revenues," the minister said. Therefore, it is the Union government which has the resources to help the common man by reducing the taxes, he added.
Tamil Nadu: Tamil Nadu Rains have caused a havoc in several parts of the state. Ahead of the heavy to very heavy rain alert in some parts, a holiday has been declared today, on August 3, 2022 for schools, colleges in Nilgiris. With this, all educational institutions in Nilgiris have been asked to stay closed today. A 40-member NDRF team arrived here on Tuesday to meet any eventualities and carry out rescue operations, following heavy rains being experienced in Nilgiris district. The district administration declared holidays to educational institutions on August 3 in anticipation of more rains forecast by the Met department.

The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) team was rushed to the district from Arakonam early Tuesday and will be deployed to Coonoor, Gudalur and Kothagiri in batches, official sources said.

Anticipating landslides and falling of trees due to incessant rains, district Collector S P Amrit declared holiday to all the schools and colleges Wednesday, they said. Fire and Rescue personnel and police departments were put on alert to meet the challenges of the rains, even as 243 areas prone to landslide are under strict surveillance, they said.

All the 14 reservoirs are brimming to full and the administration may release the surplus water any time and alerted the people living in low lying areas and banks of rivers to move to safer places.
Yadadri Bhuvanagiri (Telangana): Telangana's Bharatiya Janata Party leader (BJP) Natcharaju Venkata Subhash has claimed that numerous MLAs from the ruling TRS and Opposition Congress will join the BJP. Subhash also expressed confidence that the people of the state will give a chance to the BJP in the upcoming Assembly elections scheduled next year. Subhash told ANI on Tuesday, "TRS MLAs are unable to go to their respective constituencies because of the false promises which KCR made, as they cannot face the public ire. They have decided that around 15 to 18 TRS MLAs will join the BJP. Not only from TRS, but around five MLAs from Congress have also given their consent. According to their time, they are going to join."

"In this connection, it is very clear and evident that BJP where Praja Sangrama yatra of Bandi Sanjay, where huge crowd joined shows that people are very confident that only BJP will fulfil the aspirations of Telangana people and many people have decided to because there is a double engine government at the centre," ANI quoted him as saying.

According to him, "In the upcoming days the people of Telangana have decided to vote for the Bharatiya Janata party because they have given chance to all the political parties except BJP, under the leadership of Bandi Sanjay and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the people of Telangana have decided that BJP is the only party that will fulfil the aspirations of Telangana."

Praja Sangrama Yatra

BJP Telangana unit chief Bandi Sanjay Kumar on Tuesday embarked on phase three of Praja Sangrama Yatra to "expose the misdeeds and corrupt rule" of the state government, said party leader P Sudhakar Reddy while speaking to ANI.

"In Telangana, the TRS government totally failed under the leadership of CM KCR. They are busy with selfish political games. He was there in Delhi for seven days and nobody knows for what he went to Delhi, he only met a couple of leaders like Akhilesh Yadav," Reddy said, adding "Every section of people is facing problems, one side IIIT students in Basara and other side food poisoning incidents are also reported. People are still facing hardships in Bhadrachalam with recent floods."

Calling the TRS government a "total failure", the BJP state chief alleged that KCR made false promises. "The TRS government is a total failure government and farmers are not getting loans and it is very unfortunate as many false promises were given. They also allege that the Centre is not giving any money, instead of accepting their failures, they want to throw mud at the central government," he further said.

Telangana Congress MLA Rajagopal Reddy quits party, post

Ahead of next year's Assembly elections, Telangana Congress MLA Komatireddy Rajagopal Reddy on Tuesday announced his resignation from the party and also his post, saying he would seek time from Legislative Assembly Speaker to submit his resignation.

Attacking the ruling TRS for its alleged anti-people rule, the legislator from Munugode near Nalgonda said that he is quitting as MLA to open the eyes of the government as it has not ensured development of constituencies of opposition MLAs.

KR Reddy said he would consult his followers, well-wishers and family members to decide which party to join and whether to contest the by-poll following his resignation. Reddy, who maintained that he had respect for the Congress and party chief Sonia Gandhi, however, said that only the BJP, under the leadership of Narendra Modi and Amit Shah, can end the atrocious rule of TRS.

Rajagopal Reddy's announcement put an end to protracted speculation that he would quit the Congress and as MLA and join the BJP. Media reports say that he recently met Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi and that victory in the inevitable by-poll would give a boost to BJP in the state.

An influential leader from Nalgonda district who had served as MP and MLC earlier, Rajagopal Reddy's elder brother Venkata Reddy is a sitting Congress Lok Sabha member.

Meanwhile, state Congress president and MP A Revanth Reddy alleged that Rajagopal Reddy is switching sides out of business considerations. He said Congress convened a meeting on August 5 at Munugode to gear up the party for by-elections.

Union Minister Shekhawat slams TRS govt over corruption

Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat hit out at Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao for not fulfilling his promises like making a Dalit the chief minister and also over alleged corruption in the Kaleswaram project.

"The promise that KCR Saab made, he had said we will have a Dalit Chief Minister in Telangana. There is about 14-15 per cent Dalit population in Telangana. About 10 per cent Adivasi population lives in Telangana. KCR Saab did not find any capable person who can become the Chief Minister among that population," a PTI report quoted him as saying in Hyderabad on Tuesday.

Addressing a public meeting, organised to mark the beginning of the third phase of the 'padayatra' of state BJP president and MP Bandi Sanjay Kumar, at the temple town of Yadadri, the Union Minister claimed that the pump houses of three dams of the project are sunk under water now following recent heavy rains in view of its allegedly wrong design.

There were engineering-related shortcomings in the project and neither was it planned properly nor its investment cleared, he alleged, adding that environment clearance was also not carried out. Shekhawat further said, "They installed the Kaleswaram project in Telangana illegally, only as a cow that gives milk and as a machine that earns money."

The TRS government wants to blame the Centre now to hide its failures vis-a-vis the project, he charged, adding that Telangana was a surplus state when it was formed in 2014 but the debt burden has mounted now.

Sanjay Kumar, who will take up the 'padayatra' for 24 days from Tuesday, attacked the TRS government for not fulfilling his promises, including a farm loan waiver for Rs one lakh, distribution of free urea to farmers, "one job in every household," dole to unemployed youth and three acres of land to Dalits.

The 'padayatra' would be held for 24 days covering 328 km and conclude at Warangal. Kumar will reportedly be visiting 12 Assembly constituencies in five districts during the foot march. Known for his strong Hindutva views, Kumar launched the first phase of 'padayatra' last year from the Bhagya Lakshmi temple at Charminar here. The second phase of the 'yatra' was held in April this year.

(With ANI/PTI Inputs)
New Delhi: Ambassador Ruchira Kamboj, who assumed charge as India's first woman Permanent Representative to the UN, says she looks forward to a "productive tenure" that weaves New Delhi's national priorities into the multilateral framework during the country's remaining Security Council tenure and beyond. Kamboj, 58, presented her credentials to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday.

A 1987-batch Indian Foreign Service officer, Kamboj was previously Ambassador of India to Bhutan and was in June appointed India's Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York, succeeding Ambassador T S Tirumurti.

She assumes charge as India is half-way through the second year of its two-year term as non-permanent member of the 15-nation UN Security Council. India's tenure at the Council will end in December when the country will also preside as President of the powerful UN organ for the month.

"I am deeply honoured to assume office as the Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations, the more so, in this significant year when we celebrate the 75th anniversary of India's independence," Kamboj said in a brief statement to PTI.

Kamboj hit the ground running as she participated in an informal meeting of the Security Council on Monday, a day before she presented her credentials to the Secretary General.

"I look forward to a productive tenure weaving our national priorities into the multilateral framework over the course of the rest of our tenure in the Security Council and beyond," she said.

After her meeting with Guterres, she tweeted, "Today, (I) have presented my credentials to the Secretary General of the United Nations @antonioguterres as Permanent Representative/Ambassador to the @UN.

"A privilege to be the first Indian woman to be given the honour to hold this position. To the girls out there,we all can make it!"

Today,have presented my credentials to the Secretary General of the United Nations @antonioguterres as Permanent Representative/Ambassador to the @UN. A privilege to be the first Indian woman to be given the honour to hold this position



To the girls out there,we all can make it! pic.twitter.com/i1D7Qof2tc  Ruchira Kamboj (@RuchiraKamboj) August 2, 2022

Kamboj is back in familiar territory as from 2002-2005 she had served as Counsellor at India's Permanent Mission to the UN in New York, which she now returns to helm.

Former UN Assistant Secretary-General and Deputy Executive Director at UN Women Lakshmi Puri, who is among the highest ranking Indian diplomats in the UN system, described Kamboj's appointment as "landmark" and a "new milestone" for women's leadership at the UN.

"Setting a new milestone for India in women's leadership @UN! Heartiest congrats to @RuchiraKamboj for becoming 1st woman PR of @IndiaUNNewYork. Landmark #HerStory moment after Smt Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit's #UNGA Presidency. Inspiring @indiandiplomats & aspiring ones as a beacon!"

Puri said in a tweet, making a reference to Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit.

Setting a new milestone for in womens leadership @UN!



Heartiest congrats to @RuchiraKamboj for becoming 1st woman PR of @IndiaUNNewYork.



Landmark #HerStory moment after Smt Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit's #UNGA Presidency



Inspiring @indiandiplomats & aspiring ones as a beacon!  Lakshmi M Puri (@lakshmiunwomen) August 1, 2022

The veteran Indian diplomat and sister of former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru was the first woman to be elected President of the UN General Assembly in as early as 1953. The 193-member General Assembly has had only four female presidents in its nearly 76-year history.

Who is Ruchira Kamboj, India's first woman UN envoy?

Kamboj was the all India women's topper of the 1987 Civil Services batch and the topper of the foreign service batch of that year. She began her diplomatic journey in Paris, France where she was posted as the Third Secretary in the Indian Embassy to France from 1989-1991.

From Paris, she returned to Delhi where she worked as under secretary in the Europe West Division of the Ministry of External Affairs from 1991-96. From 1996-1999, she served in Mauritius as First Secretary (Economic and Commercial) and Head of Chancery at the Indian High Commission in Port Louis.

Kamboj served as the high commissioner of India to South Africa, with concurrent accreditation to the Kingdom of Lesotho from July, 2017 to March, 2019. She assumed charge as Indian envoy to Bhutan on 17 May, 2019. She has also served as India's Ambassador to UNESCO, Paris.
New Delhi: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) on Wednesday (August 3) announced their support for Oppositions vice-presidential election pick Margaret Alva. JMM supremo Shibu Soren, who had extended support to NDA candidate Droupadi Murmu for the July 18 Presidential polls, asked its parliamentarians to vote in favour of Congress veteran Alva during the August 6 Vice presidential elections. JMM has 3 MPs 2 in the Rajya Sabha and 1 in the Lok Sabha.

AAP MP Sanjay Singh also announced today that they will support Opposition candidate Margaret Alva in the upcoming Vice Presidential polls.

We will support Opposition's candidate Margaret Alva in the upcoming Vice Presidential polls: AAP MP Sanjay Singh pic.twitter.com/onguAKQQYB August 3, 2022

BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has fielded former West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar as its vice presidential nominee.

On Monday, former union minister Alva had written to all members of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, who form the electoral college, asking for their support and said if elected Vice President, I commit myself to work tirelessly to uphold the Constitution and to strengthen our parliamentary democracy. As Chairperson of the Rajya Sabha, I will work to build bridges between different political parties, forge consensus on issues of national importance, and help restore the glory of Parliament.

The Opposition nominee has often urged West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to reconsider the decision of TMC abstaining from the upcoming Veep polls. She had also reached out to AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal to seek his support for her candidature.

Meanwhile, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati has announced support for NDA's Vice-Presidential candidate Dhankhar."It is well known that due to the lack of consensus between the government and the opposition in the election for the post of president, the country`s highest post, the election for it was finally held. Now, due to the same situation, the election for the post of Vice-President is also going to be held on 6th August," Mayawati tweeted in Hindi.

"In view of the larger public interest and its own movement, the BSP has decided to extend its support to Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar in the election for the post of Vice President, which I am also formally announcing today," the former Uttar Pradesh CM added.

(With agency inputs)
By Dilli Bhatta

New Delhi: According to a recent news report, over 14,600 student visas (F1 type) were issued between January and May 14 in 2022, across the five US consulates in India. A record intake of Indian students is also expected in the near future and this alone should tell us, the abiding allure that the US continues to hold for academic aspirants. The United States offers diverse academic streams in some of the world's best universities and offers opportunities to become an economically empowered and accomplished global citizen.

Such dreams however remain distant and elusive till your visa is stamped. So let us begin deconstructing the process to make it simpler for anyone hoping to study in the US.

There are three types of student visas to the US and I will try and summarize what each one represents.

1. F1 Student Visa You need an F1 visa if you are applying to a course that requires more than 18 hours of study in a week. This includes undergraduate programs as well as graduate programs like MS, MBA, etc. Spouses or children accompanying F-1 visa recipients can travel on an F-2 visa but spouses won't be able to work. They may apply for their own visa to be able to work and study. 2. J1 Exchange Visitor Visa Students, visiting scholars or lecturers pursuing an exchange program will need a J-1 Exchange Visitor Visa. Fulbright scholars and even students on short-term study abroad programs from Indian universities come under the category. A J1 visa is also required by a working professional who goes to America on an exchange program, has been offered a research fellowship or wants to pursue vocational training.

3. M-1 Vocational/ Non-Academic Student Visa The M1 visa is reserved for vocational and technical schools even though the process for applying is similar to the F1 visa. The crucial point of difference is that M1 visas are time-stamped and students cannot overstay their visit.

Take one step at a time

The first step is of course to fill up a visa application form upon receiving an I-120 from a SEVP-approved U.S. university. And what exactly is I-120? It is the Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant Student Status. Once you are accepted into a Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP)-certified school, you will receive a form (depending on your F or M student visa status) from your designated school official (DSO).

Important things to remember

Your check list should include completing your visa form accurately. Answer all the questions, provide precise information and prepare a binder with all your documentation and certificates to bring to your visa interview.

At the interview, be polite but confident and be very well-prepared with details so that you can answer any question about your study course, scholarship, finances, sponsorship, SAT, GRE, TOEFL scores, university or school rank, and living arrangements, plans to return to India etc.

The interviewer will be interested in knowing whether you can pay your fee and afford your expenses in the US so answer such queries satisfactorily without feeling defensive.

I repeat, be precise because officers have limited time to spend with each applicant. Very often, a visa interview does not go as planned because applicants are not well-prepared, do carry original documents to the interview, cannot convincingly answer the questions that the officer asks about their grades, school and course of study. Or they come across as overconfident or evasive and unclear about their educational purpose in the U.S.

What if you do not get a student visa?

Students who have obtained I-120 and are eligible for the F-1 visa interview many not always get a visa. If your visa is denied, do not be disheartened. Re-apply after consulting with your university. You may obtain a letter from the university addressed to the consulate. Or, you can reapply for the next session with the same or a different university with a new I-20. However, if you have received a scholarship (preferably full or covering most of your tuition fee), your chances of getting a visa are pretty high. The same holds true if you have been admitted to a reputed university or if you are a consistent academic achiever. Your TOEFL, SAT, GRE scores also play a role in you getting a visa.

Basic facts you should know

For US Student Visa age limit is between 14 to 79 years. Applicants below or above are taken as special cases. Anyone who is accepted into a university is eligible for an F-1 visa. However, if there is a huge gap between your last degree and the future degree, you will be questioned about it. If you can account for the gap by sharing your employment record and convincingly explain the need for a future degree, you will do just fine.

(Disclaimer: Dilli Bhatta is the co-founder and lead attorney at Applyusavisa.com. The views expressed in this article are those of the author and Zee News does not confirm this.)
New Delhi: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted heavy rainfall in three southern states Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu and light to moderate showers in Telangana in the coming days. Karnatakas Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts are expected to experience heavy rainfall till August 5, prompting the IMD to declare a red alert for three days. An orange alert has been issued after Friday in the coastal districts in the southern state and a wind speed of 40-50 km per hour has been predicted.

The district administration has also warned fishers against venturing into the sea amid the heavy downpour forecast.

Orange alert in Kerala

The weather department on Wednesday (August 3) notified orange alert in 11 districts of Kerala and withdrew red alert from the state. The orange alert was issued for all the districts for Thursday except Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam and Kasaragod where yellow alerts have been notified.

The Kerala government apprised that the water in six dams -- Ponmudi, Lower Periyar, Kallarkutty, Erattayar and Kundala in Idukki and Moozhiyar in Pathanamthitta districts  have swelled to red alert storage levels.

The state government said that the water in Idukki and Peringalkuthu dams has reached blue and yellow storage alert levels, respectively.

13 people have died in rain-related incidents between July 31 to August 2 in the state, as per Kerala State Emergency Operations Centre (KSEOC).

Heavy rainfall likely in Tamil Nadu

Heavy showers in the interior areas of Tamil Nadu while light to moderate rainfall is expected in Chennai till August 5."There will be a light to moderate rain till August 5 in most parts of Tamil Nadu and Southwest monsoon has intensified and that there is an upper circulation in the atmosphere over coastal Tamil Nadu. There was a shear zone where the easterlies and the westerlies meet over the central region and this zone is likely to move towards the north direction in the next few days, a senior IMD official told IANS.

The officer said that this would lead to heavy rain in Theni, Dindigul, Coimbatore, and Tirupur districts and very heavy rain in Coimbatore and The Nilgiris.

Telangana to receive light rainfall

Telangana is likely to have light to moderate showers over most places. At times, there could be heavy to very heavy rains in isolated regions across western districts. Its adjoining areas are expected to receive light to moderate spells, Dr Nagaratna, Director, IMD Hyderabad told ANI.

(With agency inputs)
Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will effect a reshuffle of her cabinet on Wednesday, which is likely to be one of the biggest since the party came to power in the state in 2011. The cabinet reshuffle, the first since the TMC returned to power for the third consecutive term last year, comes amid the party facing the heat over the arrest of senior minister Partha Chatterjee by the ED over the school jobs scam.

Banerjee had on Monday carried out a major overhaul in her party and announced that a cabinet reshuffle will take place on Wednesday. She had said that four-five new faces would be inducted into the new cabinet, while a similar number of members of the present cabinet would be utilised for party work. Some portfolios might also be reshuffled among the existing cabinet ministers.

"In the last 11 years, there have been very few instances of a cabinet reshuffle, and those too were minor ones. This time though, the situation is different. "Never before have been plans to induct four-five new faces and drop a similar number from the cabinet. So, this is likely to be one of the biggest reshuffles since our party came to power in the state," a senior TMC MLA said.

Who are the frontrunners for ministerial berths?

Babul Supriyo, Tapas Ray, Partha Bhowmick, Snehasis Chakraborty and Udayan Guha are some of the names that are doing the rounds for induction into the cabinet, TMC sources said. Supriyo, a former Union minister and BJP MP who quit the saffron party and joined the TMC after being dropped from the Union cabinet last year, is presently a TMC MLA from the Ballygunge assembly constituency in Kolkata.

Ray, a former minister of state for parliamentary affairs, has been with the TMC since its formation in 1998. He was made the MoS, parliamentary affairs after the 2019 Lok Sabha elections but was not inducted into the cabinet after TMC came to power for the third consecutive term last year. Ray was relieved of his organisational responsibilities in Kolkata North organisational district.

Bhowmick and Chakraborty, considered close to TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee in the party circles, have been relieved of their organisational responsibilities in North 24 Parganas and Hooghly districts respectively.

Guha, a former Forward Bloc leader who had joined TMC after the 2016 assembly polls, is a frontrunner for induction into the cabinet from north Bengal. Son of former Left Front minister Kamal Guha, he is presently one of the tallest TMC leaders in Cooch Behar district.

Partha Chatterjee, who has been relieved of ministerial duties, was in charge of five key departments including industry, commerce and enterprises and parliamentary affairs. For a brief period, Banerjee supervised the panchayat and PHE departments as well as consumer affairs and self-help group and self-employment departments following the death of in-charge ministers Subrata Mukherjee and Sadhan Pandey respectively. At present, these departments are being held by other ministers.

Meanwhile, a party leader said that MoS in the education department, Paresh Adhikary, whose name had also cropped up in the school jobs scam, is likely to face the axe. Minister Saumen Mahapatra, who has been assigned organisational responsibilities in Purba Medinipur district, is also likely to be relieved of his ministerial duties. The TMC underwent a major organisational overhaul on Monday as the leadership of 16 out of the 35 organisational districts was changed.

The imprint of Abhishek Banerjee was evident in the reshuffle in which several "non-performers" were axed, and some were relieved of organisational duties, paving their way for ministerial berths.
Mumbai: In yet another setback for Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, a party leader appointed by him recently has been accused of intimidation in a rape FIR. According to reports, the Mumbai Police on Tuesday registered an FIR for rape which names Shiv Sena leader Kedar Dighe for alleged intimidation.

Kedar, the nephew of late Sena leader Anand Dighe, was appointed as the party's Thane unit chief by Sena president Uddhav Thackeray recently. According to an official of N M Joshi Marg here, a woman has filed a complaint that Kedar Dighe's friend Rohit Kapoor raped her. Dighe warned her not to disclose the incident to anyone, the woman alleged.

The case was registered at N M Joshi Marg Police Station against Dighe and his friend Rohit Kapoor. "We received a complaint and have registered a case against Dighe. We are yet to arrest the accused," a senior IPS officer said.

The incident allegedly took place late on July 28 at a five-star hotel in Lower Parel. The police said that the woman works as a sales executive in the hotel and she approached Kapoor to sell a club membership while he was eating there.

Later, the woman alleged, that Kapoor raped her when she went to his room to collect the cheque.
New Delhi: Equity benchmark Sensex declined nearly 70 points in opening trade on Wednesday, tracking losses in index majors Maruti, M&M, and Kotak Mahindra Bank amid a positive trend in Asian markets. The 30-share BSE benchmark fell 69.26 points to 58,067.10 in early trade. The broader NSE Nifty slipped 37.45 points to 17,308. Among the Sensex constituents, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Mahindra & Mahindra, Maruti Suzuki, ITC, and Nestle were among the laggards in early deals.

On the other hand, Infosys, HCL Technologies, Tech Mahindra, Hindustan Unilever, Bajaj Finserv, Bharti Airtel, and Axis Bank were the major gainers. In Asia, markets in Seoul, Shanghai, Tokyo, and Hong Kong were trading higher. The US markets had ended lower on Tuesday. (Also Read: 7th Pay Commission: BIG NEWS on DA hike coming today? Cabinet meeting likely, know how much salary will increase)

"Strong Asian market cues are expected to help key benchmarks advance further in early trade Wednesday, despite a fall in the US markets in overnight trades. "Nifty is likely to trade on the front foot amidst renewed optimism in the backdrop of the return of foreign investors in Indian equities, with FIIs buying equities to the tune of Rs 825 crore on Tuesday," said Prashanth Tapse - Research Analyst, Senior VP (Research), Mehta Equities Ltd. (Also Read: GST Update: E-invoice to be mandatory for B2B deals for biz with turnover of Rs 10 crore from October 1)

The BSE benchmark had ended 20.86 points or 0.04 percent higher at 58,136.36 on Tuesday. The Nifty ended at 17,345.45, up 5.40 points or 0.03 percent. Meanwhile, international oil benchmark Brent crude dipped 0.30 percent to USD 100.24 per barrel.

Foreign institutional investors remained net buyers in the capital markets as they bought shares worth Rs 825.18 crore on Tuesday, as per exchange data.
[August 03, 2022] Integrity Expands Comprehensive Life, Health and Wealth Platform with Monumental Agreement to Acquire Gladstone Wealth Partners

Combination of Gladstone's wealth management expertise and Integrity's strength in insurance will empower agents and advisors to deliver more holistic solutions for life, health and wealth DALLAS, Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Integrity Marketing Group, LLC ("Integrity"), a leading distributor of life and health insurance, and provider of wealth management and retirement planning solutions, today announced it has entered into an agreement to acquire Gladstone Wealth Partners, LLC ("Gladstone"), a pioneering wealth management firm and registered independent advisor (RIA) with over $13 billion in assets under management. As part of the acquisition, Robert Hudson, Founder and Chairman of Gladstone Wealth Partners, and Richard Frick, CEO of Gladstone Wealth Partners, will become Managing Partners in Integrity. Financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed, and the transaction is scheduled to close upon regulatory approval. In 2012, Hudson founded Gladstone Wealth Partners to fill critical gaps in service and support he had personally encountered as an independent financial advisor. Today, Gladstone is a respected hybrid wealth-management platform offering an open architecture, multi-custodial RIA platform and access to a full-service broker-dealer offering. Guided by executives with unmatched experience from wirehouses, independent enterprises and leading financial institutions, Gladstone advisors stay closely connected to senior leadership while building and growing their own firms. Advisors are empowered to develop and execute financial plans designed to build long-term wealth for clients. In turn, Gladstone helps mitigate advisor risk and simplifies the transition to independence by centralizing business functions, such as compliance, marketing and operations. Having experienced impressive and consistent growth, Gladstone advisors now oversee more than $13 billion in assets under management. Additionally, they have achieved steady and significant expansion in their assets, resulting in a remarkable 108% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) over the past three years. "Successful financial planning should holistically include life, health and wealth solutions, to help clients pursue their lifelong financial goals," shared Bryan W. Adams, Co-Founder and CEO of Integrity. "The addition of Gladstone Wealth Partners to the Integrity family means that we can serve the life, health and wealth needs of Americans better than ever before as we help them plan for the good days ahead. Rob Hudson and Rick Frick are dynamic and forward-thinking leaders who recognize the power of comprehensive planning like few others. Their spirit of innovation will fit in perfectly at Integrity, and we're honored to welcome them into our expanding network of partners. Gladstone's wealth management expertise combined with Integrity's strength in marketing, technology and product distribution will give rise to far-reaching new solutions. The impact we'll make together will change our clients' lives for the better." "Just like Integrity, we understand that advisors need specialized support as independent advocates for their clients  and we're dedicated to ensuring their success," explained Hudson. "Through this partnership, we can deliver enhanced technology and a full suite of products and services to our advisors in order to meet the spectrum of clients' needs now and well into the future. Integrity and Gladstone are building a life, health and wealth offering that is unique in themarket. I believe we will fundamentally transform many core aspects of financial planning, and I can't wait to get started."



Through Integrity's insurtech platform, Gladstone will have access to robust technology optimized by deep data insights and constant product development. The Integrity platform includes proprietary resources, such as actionable lead generation systems, real-time quoting and enrollment solutions, and powerful software solutions for everyday and nuanced challenges. Gladstone advisors can leverage the scale of a larger organization by utilizing Integrity's business infrastructure to further streamline business services and administration. Centralized offerings include People & Culture, Technology & Innovation, Legal & Compliance, and access to a world-class advertising and marketing platform. "At Gladstone, we empower advisors to grow from a practice into a firm and ultimately, to be part of an enterprise that brings the full resources of Wall Street to Main Street," explained Frick. "The true power of this partnership is in how it will enhance our ability to deliver comprehensive planning to more Americans faster than we ever could on our own. Gladstone is growing by over 100% a year, and by partnering with Integrity, we believe our growth will accelerate even faster as more advisors catch the vision of serving the full scope of client needs  from life and health insurance to protecting assets and planning for a secure retirement. Through this transaction, many of our existing Gladstone advisors will become equity owners in Integrity, which will enable them to participate in the future appreciation of our combined business. Recruiting and serving the industry's premier financial advisors has always been a core strength of ours and I have never been more excited about the future of our business, our partners, our advisors and their clients than I am today."

Gladstone's leadership team is a welcome addition to Integrity's extensive and diverse partner network. Hudson and Frick join the elite ranks of fellow industry icons who are deeply committed to innovating insurance and wealth management through data insights and experience-based collaboration. Their commitment has refined best practices and shaped strategies that streamline and improve processes for agents and advisors, and more holistically protect the life, health and wealth of consumers. "At Integrity, our goal is to help all Americans make the most of what life brings," said Tom Dempsey, Chief Distribution Officer at Integrity. "Rob and Rick have built an incredible platform that provides their advisors with the resources and support they need to help clients make the most of their assets and fund the retirement they deserve. Bringing Gladstone into the Integrity family gives us the opportunity to serve more advisors and their clients. There is a huge need for comprehensive wealth management and financial planning in America today, and Integrity and Gladstone are well positioned to meet it together." Through this partnership, Gladstone employees also receive the remarkable benefit of meaningful company ownership through Integrity's Employee Ownership Plan. "Though we started in different market segments, the business models and missions of Gladstone and Integrity are very similar  providing Americans with peace of mind by supporting the agents and advisors who serve them," continued Bryan W. Adams. "This partnership will be a powerful catalyst for incredible collaboration among agents and advisors from both organizations as we work to address comprehensive life, health and wealth protection. We've arrived at a historic moment where two essential industries come together as one, and we are thrilled that Gladstone is joining Integrity to better serve all Americans with holistic planning." Ardea Partners served as exclusive financial advisor to Gladstone. For more information about Gladstone Wealth Partners' decision to partner with Integrity, please view a video at www.integritymarketing.com/Gladstone. About Integrity Marketing Group Integrity, headquartered in Dallas, Texas, is a leading distributor of life and health insurance, and provider of innovative solutions for wealth management and retirement planning. Through its partner network, Integrity helps millions of Americans protect their life, health and wealth with a commitment to meet them wherever they are  in person, over the phone and online. Integrity's cutting-edge technology helps streamline the insurance and financial planning experience for all stakeholders. In addition, Integrity develops products with carrier partners and markets them through its nationwide distribution network. Integrity's nearly 6,000 employees work with approximately 500,000 agents and advisors who serve more than 11 million clients annually. In 2022, Integrity will help carriers place almost $20 billion in new sales and oversee more than $30 billion of assets under management and advisement through its RIA and broker-dealer platforms. For more information, visit www.integritymarketing.com . About Gladstone Wealth Partners Gladstone Wealth Partners was founded in 2012 and launched its RIA in 2015. It has expanded to now oversee more than $13 billion in assets under management, led by their leadership team consisting of Robert Hudson, Richard Frick, Keith Brothers, Kristopher Bonocore and Phil Marchetti. As one of the fastest growing hybrid RIAs in the wealth management industry, Gladstone is known for assisting advisors as they set up and establish their own independent advisory practice. This includes helping advisors better serve their clients, run their businesses more profitably, grow faster and enhance their enterprise value. For more information, visit www.gladstonewealth.com. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/integrity-expands-comprehensive-life-health-and-wealth-platform-with-monumental-agreement-to-acquire-gladstone-wealth-partners-301598759.html SOURCE Integrity Marketing Group, LLC

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The pastor is at his pulpit, eulogizing his 10-year-old through tears.

But his sons classmates, parishioners, friends, family are laughing at the memories of Ben Prince. Theyd been given permission to laugh, and to cry, at the start of the funeral on July 11.

Tim Prince is reading from a list he started the family's first night home from Nebraska, when he pulled out a piece of paper and started writing down all he could remember about Ben.

His wife and two other sons joined him, and they filled five pages.

Ben woke consistently at 6:30 a.m., except Saturdays, when the boys had free rein of the TV, so Ben would wake his brothers at 5:30 a.m.  or earlier  to play video games.

Ben had just mastered the Rubiks cube and was teaching himself to juggle.

Bens favorite place was grandpa and grandmas farm. In June, he helped fix a fuel line on a machine. He was right in there, he wanted to get it right. He was eager to grow up.

Ben was a good thinker but an average student who believed handing in homework was optional.

Ben didnt like biking, but he loved swimming. He was learning to play the piano, he was going to be a school crossing guard in the fall, he loved reading maps and he loved Calvin and Hobbes  and wore a smirk like Calvin.

He was a good-looking kid, a really good-looking kid, his father says now, tears returning. When they retrieved his body on Sunday, I got to just sit with him in the ambulance and hold his hand. He has the most beautiful hands, a boys hands, but you could see they were already getting bigger and stronger.

The incredible weight of the debris

They were on vacation.

Tim Prince had delivered the service at Faith Community Church in Hudson, Wisconsin, the morning of July 3, and then he and his family  wife Darcy and sons Caleb, Ben and Jordan  headed southwest for a trip to Colorado.

They were traveling with two other pastors from the church and their families, and they all made it as far as York that first day. The Princes checked into the Hampton Inn, 500 miles from home.

The 911 calls started pouring in just after 9 that night.

Multiple calls, people screaming, York Police Sgt. Ben Rodenborg wrote the next day in his report, one of six officer accounts obtained by the Journal Star through a public records request.

The ceiling above the swimming pool at the Hampton Inn  a 13-year-old hotel just north of Interstate 80  had collapsed, the callers told dispatchers. And people may be trapped.

Officer Zac Milliken arrived before Rodenborg. Inside the pool area, he found a father holding his sons hand.

The boys head and chest were on the deck, his legs were still in the water, and he was pinned by a large piece of the ceiling. He was not moving.

The man was also pushing against the slab, trying to free the boy. York Police officers and York County Sheriffs deputies tried to lift the debris, too, but were unable to.

These attempts were impeded by falling water from the ceiling and the incredible weight of the debris, Milliken wrote.

When it fell, the ceiling brought with it the 2-by-4 framing, ductwork, lights and wiring, and had torn open a pipe, and water was gushing into the pool room.

The first responders feared more of the ceiling could fall, so they evacuated, one of the officers taking the man by the arm and walking him out.

Rodenborg arrived, saw the boys body and the gushing water, and found the hotels maintenance man at the front desk.

We need to shut off the water and power immediately, he said.

The control rooms in the pool area, the maintenance man told him.

Together, they pushed through several inches of water and forced the control room door open enough to get inside. The manager joined them, and Rodenborg told her to check the hotels cameras, to make sure nobody else was trapped.

At about the same time, Officer Bricen Bates was searching for the utility shut-offs, too, and slipped on the wet tile, wedging his right foot beneath a door and falling.

He stood, felt the pain in his ankle, but kept working, he wrote.

Just outside the pool, Bates found two adults and two boys, crying. He was guiding them to a safer place to wait when the older boy asked him to promise: Dont let my brother die.

I told the juvenile that he needed to be a strong big brother and help his little brother and mom.

Rodenborg told Bates to confirm nobody else was beneath the debris, so he found the manager and reviewed the surveillance footage.

On it, he saw just the three boys in the pool, and their mother watching from the deck. He saw the ceiling sag in the center, the mother helping her sons get out. And then he saw the ceiling collapse, and he couldnt see anything after that.

Bates joined other officers  and two jail employees  who were evacuating hotel guests, ushering them across the street to Runza. Most of them complied, but the front desk told Bates that people in three rooms were refusing to leave.

He got a master key, and he and the other officers canvassed the hotel, checking room after room, ensuring they were empty.

They found two locked with security latches, so he and Sgt. Jeffrey Brown used their body weight to force the doors open. They escorted the guests out of the building.

Officers obtained that nights hotel guest list and conducted a roll call at the Runza. Eventually, everybody was accounted for, and the Hampton Inn manager found them rooms at the Best Western.

Only then did Bates go to the hospital for his ankle.

Back in the pool room, the York Fire Department was trying to retrieve the boys body. The debris was too heavy to lift by hand, so tow trucks from Hitz Towing and Mogul Towing were called to stabilize part of it while firefighters used airbags, lifting the debris enough so they could pull him out.

But almost all of the pool was covered by the ceiling, and they wanted to be sure nobody else was under it, Fire Chief Tony Bestwick said. That night, they called Lincoln Fire and Rescues Urban Search and Rescue team, to see if it had an underwater camera. It didnt, Bestwick said.

Then, at about midnight, they checked with the Grand Island Dive Rescue Team, which did, and made arrangements for the team to be in York early the next morning.

The fire chief didnt really want us in the water, said rescue team secretary Jack Welch. So I had my underwater camera and I had it on a pole that I could put down in the water.

He added dive lights, and they spent about 45 minutes recording beneath the ceiling and reviewing the footage. They were able to access most of the pool, but not all of it, Welch said.

The fire department called a plumber, who drained the pool. Firefighters were finally able to climb down into it and move the drywall and other debris around enough to determine it was empty.

No authority to investigate

A month later, its not clear what caused the ceiling to collapse.

Theres been no investigation by authorities, and none appears to be planned.

The day after the collapse, news outlets reported the Nebraska State Fire Marshal's Agency was investigating. But it isnt, said spokeswoman Regina Shields. The fire marshal investigates fires and explosions, not structural failures.

It did dispatch an inspector to the hotel to look for any fire code concerns with the rest of the hotel, because the sprinkler system is connected throughout the building.

York Police officers documented what they saw  and what they did  that night, but they arent investigating further because its not a criminal case, said city administrator Sue Crawford.

And the citys building inspectors arent looking into the collapse, either, she said. Their authority is to make sure a new structure meets the citys building codes and is safe for occupation  and remains safe after a renovation.

They dont investigate problems after a building is issued an occupancy permit.

I was hoping the fire marshals office had that authority, but it turns out they dont, Crawford said. Our job, in terms of safety, is to ensure the buildings structurally safe when built and remains structurally safe when occupied.

When it was built in 2009, the Hampton Inn  like other buildings in York  went through a 28-step process before it could earn an occupancy permit, with multiple inspections, including a final sign-off by an engineer.

But all of that is proactive, ensuring the building is structurally sound. When there is a tragedy and no one knows for sure what the cause is, that is unsettling to me, Crawford said.

She predicted the collapse will, ultimately, be investigated and litigated civilly  in court.

When someone is harmed, terribly harmed, that is another way the law works, that there is a civil investigation to identify responsibility and accountability.

If something similar happened in Lincoln, the citys Building and Safety Department wouldnt necessarily investigate to determine the cause of the failure, but it would make sure the rest of the building was safe, said director Chad Blahak.

Wed show up and do an investigation to ascertain what kind of repairs are needed, and do we have to condemn the area? If there was a collapse like that, wed get involved.

The hotels management isnt talking. A woman who came to the phone in York said she was authorized to answer questions but: Were not answering questions at this time.

And a corporate spokeswoman for Hilton  Hampton Inns parent company  declined to reply to questions, saying the York hotel is independently owned and operated, and shed forward the Journal Stars inquiry to the property owner.

A banner at the top of the website for Yorks Hampton Inn said the pool was closed for renovations.

So hard and dark

Eight days later, at the start of his sons funeral, Tim Prince gave thanks.

He thanked the two pastors and their families who had been traveling with them to Colorado. They sat and cried with the Prince family that night in York, drove them home to Hudson, stayed at their house with them until relatives arrived.

One of our family mottos is, well have what we need when we need it. You were what we needed on July 3.

He thanked Yorks first responders. Who worked so hard to retrieve Bens body and treated it with such dignity. And sat with us while we waited for the worst. Words cannot express our gratitude.

And he thanked his family.

After narrowly escaping the room with their own lives, all three rushed back into a collapsing building to rescue their brother and pushed and pulled and fought with a collapsing ceiling until their backs and knees and hands were raw and bleeding.

Near the end of his sons eulogy, Prince talked about the pain of the family's loss.

Over and over through the boys' school years, he and his wife have prayed for their sons, he said. God, prepare them for good work in your kingdom.

We could not wait to see what he would become. That is what has made this last week so incomprehensible to us, so hard and dark. Not just that Ben is gone, but that he left in such an awful way.
NEW DELHI: Bollywood 'controversy queen' Kangana Ranaut, who is known to not mince her words when it comes to express her opinions, has once again targetted Mr perfectionist Aamir Khan for his upcoming film 'Laal Singh Chaddha'. As per Kangana, Aamir is the 'mastermind' for skillfully creating negativity around his upcoming release 'Laal Singh Chaddha', and he made the 'Hinduphobic' film 'PK'.

Kangana lashed out at the 'Taare Zameen Par' actor as she asked him to stop 'making it about religion or ideology'. She took to Instagram and shared a story writing, "I think all the negativity around upcoming release 'Laal Singh Chadda' is skillfully curated by mastermind Aamir Khan Ji himself."

"Only south films deeply rooted in Indian culture or with local flavour have worked, a Hollywood remake would have not worked anyway." She added, "But now they will call India intolerant, Hindi films need to understand the pulse of audiences it`s not about being a Hindu or Muslim."

"Even after Aamir Khan ji made Hinduphobic 'PK' or called India intolerant he gave biggest hits of his life please stop making it about religion or ideology, it's takes away from their bad acting and bad films."

This is not the first time Kangana has attacked Aamir Khan publicly. Last year, the actress openly took a dig at the actor and insinuated that Aamir Khan, who is a 'divorce expert' and 'agony aunt' is the reason behind the separation of Samantha Ruth Prabhu and Naga Chaitanya.

BOYCOTT LAAL SINGH CHADDHA TRENDS ON TWITTER

Directed by Advait Chandan, 'Laal Singh Chaddha' has run into controversy ahead of the film release in theatres on August 11. Internet users are trending #BoycottLaalSinghChaddha on Twitter, urging everyone to not watch the movie. Reason? Aamir Khan's controversial "India's growing intolerance" statement he made in the past is being circulated while a few of Kareena's controversial statements from the past too have been dug up by haters.

Aamir Khan in his 2015 interview said, "Our country is very tolerant, but there are people who spread ill-will". His wife Kiran Rao also made headlines for saying that she considered leaving the country for the safety of their children.

Reacting to the 'BoycottLaalSinghChaddha' trend, Aamir Khan at a promotional event urged his fans to watch the films in theatres. "Yes, I feel sad. Also, I feel sad that some of the people who are saying this, in their hearts, they believe that I am someone who doesn't like India. In their hearts, they believe, but it is untrue. I really love the country... That's how I am. It is rather unfortunate that some people feel that way," he was quoted as saying.

Kareena Kapoor, who plays the female lead in the film, reacted to the boycott trend and told India Today, "There are different platforms. Everyone has an opinion. So now, if that is going to be there, then you have to learn to ignore certain things. Otherwise, it will just become impossible to live your life. And that's why I don't take any of this like seriously."

Starring Aamir Khan, Kareena Kapoor Khan and Mona Singh, 'Laal Singh Chaddha' is the official Hindi adaptation of Tom Hanks' iconic movie 'Forrest Gump'. It is scheduled to hit the screens on August 11, 2022.
New Delhi: National crush Rashmika Mandanna recently took to her social media handle sharing a picture from the sets of 'Animal' for which she is currently shooting in Mumbai.

In the post that Rashmika shared, Ranbir Kapoor can be seen greeting people in Rashmika's style, 'The Korean heart' which she usually sees going around with the media.

So we saw that even Ranbir is copying Rashmika's style and greeting people. The picture also had the director Sandeep Reddy Vanga in the frame and seems like all of them are having a fun time on the sets and we can't wait to see the fresh pairing of Rashmika and Ranbir on the screen in 'Animal'. The actress wrote on the picture - "@sandeepreddy.vanga and RK Both say hi."

The Bollywood debut of Rashmika is eagerly awaited with the family entertainer 'Goodbye' starring Amitabh Bachchan. The film is scheduled to release on October 6, 2022.

On the work front, apart from Animal and 'Goodbye', Rashmika has the sequel of 'Pushpa' 2 under her kitty along with Mission Majnu opposite Sidharth Malhotra, and Varisu with Vijay Thalapatty.
New Delhi: Actress Sara Ali Khantook to Instagram and piqued her fans curiosity by sharing a fun BTS photo from her shoot diaries with directors Collin D'Culha and Punit Malhotra. In the picture, Sara has donned upon a latex co-ord set, paired with a blue jacket. She poses in front of the camera with the directors, hinting of a fun collaboration coming up.

Sara keeps her fans updated on the day to day happenings of her life - from shoot days, to fitness videos to family photos to travel diaries on her Instagram.

Few days earlier the actress had turned a showstopper for designer Falguni and Shane Peacock. Sharing photos from her ramp walk, Sara captioned her post, Flash lights and Starry nights.

Before that, the star kid had shared photos of her vacation in Italy with mommy Amrita Singh and wrote, And the voices in the waves are always whispering to Florence, in their ceaseless murmuring, of love  of love, eternal and illimitable, not bounded by the confines of this world, or by the end of time, but ranging still, beyond the sea, beyond the sky, to the invisible country far away! -Charles Dickens.

Meanwhile, on the work front, Sara will be next seen in producer Dinesh Vijan and director Laxman Utekars next yet-to-be-titled film alongside Vicky Kaushal. Apart from that she also has Gaslight with Vikrant Massey and Chitrangada Singh.
New Delhi: Siddhant Chaturvedi has given some unprecedented performances with his vibrant filmography. While the actor is flying high on the success of his past releases, he went down memory lane from where he started his journey.

Taking to his social media, Siddhant shared a creative picture where he is looking down at his character from his debut web series, Inside Edge as he travels back to the time from where he started his journey. He wrote the caption - "Looking back at where it all started." Fans have showered love on his post and have flooded it with heart emojis and comments. The actor keeps on sharing glimpses from his personal and professional life on social media.

Siddhant made his debut with the Amazon Prime Video web series Inside Edge after which he went on to deliver hits like Gully Boy, Bunty Aur Babli 2, and Gehraiyaan. Being an outsider, Siddhant Chaturvedi got his first major break in Zoya Akhtars Gully Boy where he played the role of MC Sher, a rapper. The actor had also received critical acclaim for his performance in the film. The handsome hunk is amongst the top actors of Bollywood today and is eyeing some great releases in the future.

Talking about his future lineups, Siddhant will next be seen in 'Phone Bhoot' opposite Katrina Kaif and Ishaan Khatter. Apart from this, action film 'Yudhra' and comedy-drama 'Kho Gaye Hum Kahan', a coming-of-age story penned by Arjun Varain Singh, Reema Kagti and Zoya Akhtar are also in the pipeline. The actor was last seen in Shakun Batras Gehraiyaan opposite Deepika Padukone and Ananya Panday. The film had generated a lot of buzz around intimate scenes even before its release. Director Shakun Batra had also hired intimacy director Dar Gai for the film. The film received mixed reviews from the critics and the audience.
New Delhi: 7th Pay Commission DA hike Latest update-- The centre may today give respite to lakhs of central government employees who have been waiting for announcement on hike in Dearness Allowance (DA). Media reports are suggesting that the big announcement might come today. An important cabinet meeting might take place today, i.e August, during which the government might take up DA hike issue for discussion and deliberation. Reports are suggesting that the big announcement on DA hike might come after the cabinet meeting deliberates on the quantum of DA hike.

The Dearness Allowance of central government employees is revised twice a year. The first is given from January to June, while the second comes from July to December. Media reports say that DA might by hiked by 4 percent to 38 percent. The reason behind this brighter hope is the recent All-India CPI-IW data for the month of May.

The AICP Index, crucial factor in determining the DA, for the month of May points at the probability of increase in the DA of the central government. Government may bring in some more good news for the employees in the month of July. Now, if latest media reports are to be believed, Dearness Allowance of the employees could by hiked by 4 percent. This means the total DA could reach upo 38 percent.

The All-India CPI-IW for April, 2022 increased by 1.7 points and stood at 127.7 (one hundred twenty seven point seven). On 1-month percentage change, it increased by 1.35 per cent with respect to previous month compared to an increase of 0.42 per cent recorded between corresponding months a year ago, showed a Ministry of Labour & Employment data. As per latest ministry reports, the AICPI figures for May is at 129, which is hinting at certainity that the DA would be higher than expected, i.e 6 percent, several media websites are saying.

The first increase in dearness allowance for the year 2022 was announced in March. In December 2021, the AICPI figure stood at 125.4. But, in January 2022, it declined by 0.3 points and fell to 125.1. The All-India CPI-IW for February, 2022 decreased by 0.1 points and stood at 125.0 (one hundred twenty five). On 1-month percentage change, it decreased by 0.08 per cent with respect to previous month compared to increase of 0.68 per cent recorded between corresponding months a year ago. For the month of March, there was a jump of 1 point. The AICPI index figures for March stands at 126.

It may be recalled that the Union Cabinet had on March 30 hiked Dearness Allowance (DA) and Dearness Relief (DR) by 3 per cent to 34 per cent to compensate for the price rise, benefitting over 1.16 crore central government employees and pensioners.

The additional instalment is effective from January 1, 2022. The increase is in accordance with the accepted formula, which is based on the recommendations of the 7th Central Pay Commission.
To manage the passenger rush and for the convenience of rail passengers, Indian Railways has commenced services of many trains in the recent past. Having said that, the Railway authorities have taken another decision in order to give rail passengers the comfort of the journey. North Western Railway has announced to commence the weekly train services from Rajasthan, West Bengal and Gujarat. These weekly train services will operate between Okha-Nathdwara and Ajmer-Santragachi.

Check full schedule of weekly train services from Okha-Nathdwara and Ajmer-Santragachi HERE:

Train No. 19575/19576 Okha-Nathdwara-Okha

Train No. 19575 Okha-Nathdwara train will leave from Gujarats Okha station at 8:20 am every Wednesday from August 10 onwards and will reach Rajasthans Nathdwara station at 6:30 am the next day.

Train No. 19576 Nathdwara-Okha train will leave from Nathdwara at 8:30 pm every Thursday, from August 11 onwards, and will reach Okha at 6:55 pm the next day.

Also read: Rajasthans luxury-train Palace on Wheels likely to resume services from September 2022, details HERE

Train No. 18009/18010 Santragachi-Ajmer-Santragachi

Train No. 18009 Santragachi-Ajmer weekly train will depart from West Bengals Santragachi at 1:00 pm every Friday from August 5 onwards, and will reach Ajmer at 4:55 am the next day.

Meanwhile, train No. 18010 Ajmer-Santragachi train will depart from Ajmer every Sunday at 11:30 pm from August 7 onwards, and will reach Santragachi at 2:30 pm on the following Tuesday.
New Delhi: Garena Free Fire releases redeem codes on everyday basis. The 12-digit redeem code consists of alphabets and numbers. Players can get rewards such as skins for in-game weapons and characters to improve their gaming experience.

Garena Free fire is banned in India. However, if you are located outside India, you can access the reward codes and redeem them. For that you will be required to visit official Garena Free Fire reward site and log in to your Facebook, Google, Twitter IDs to access the Free Fire redemption page. (Also read: iPhone 12 gets massive price cut on Flipkart Big Saving Days Sale, offer details here)

Check out the Garena Free Fire Redeem Codes for August 3, 2022

FF1164XNJZ2V

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MCPTFNXZF4TA

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FFAC2YXE6RF2

WLSGJXS5KFYR

FF11NJN5YS3E

FF11HHGCGK3B

FF10GCGXRNHY

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(Also read: Shocking! Ex-Amazon Web Services engineer hacked data of 10 crore customers)

How to Redeem Garena Free Fire codes for today, August 3, 2022

Step 1: Go to the official Garena Free Fire redemption portal



Step 2: Log in on the portal with either your Facebook, Twitter, Apple, Google, VK, or Huawei ID.



Step 3: Enter a redeem code in the designated text box.



Step 4: Click on the Ok button to get free rewards in your game account.

(Disclaimer: Garena Free fire is banned in India. Hence we advise people to adhere to government rules)
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday hailed the achievement of Unified Payments Interface (UPI) transactions crossing 6 billion in July -- the highest ever since its launch six years back. According to data released by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), UPI reported 6.28 billion transactions worth Rs 10.62 trillion in July -- an increase of 7 percent over June.

"This is an outstanding accomplishment. It indicates the collective resolve of the people of India to embrace new technologies and make the economy cleaner. Digital payments were particularly helpful during the COVID-19 pandemic," Modi said in a tweet. (Also Read: Garena Free Fire redeem codes for today, 3 August: Check website, steps to redeem)

In FY22, UPI processed more than 46 billion transactions amounting to over Rs 84.17 trillion, thus breaching the $1 trillion mark. UPI's target is to process a billion transactions a day in the next five years. (Also Read: Quora user gets brutally trolled over question of earning Rs 13 crore in India)
New Delhi: South Korean tech giant Samsung`s upcoming flagship smartphone -- Galaxy S23 Ultra -- is likely to feature a 200MP primary camera with the unannounced ISOCELL HP2 camera sensor. According to prominent tipster Ice universe, he is very sure that the Galaxy S23 Ultra will feature the unreleased HP2 sensor, reports GizmoChina.

The South Korean company has already launched 200MP ISOCELL HP1 and HP3 sensors. (ALSO READ: Swiggy Moonlighting Policy: Company allows employees to work with other firms to make more moolah)

However, the detailed specifications of the HP2 sensor are not known yet. (ALSO READ: Microfinance borrowers' resilience behind MFI industry's turnaround post-COVID: Muthoot Microfin CEO)

Meanwhile, another tipster said that Samsung will only use the HP2 sensor on its Ultra-branded flagships. He added that the HP1 and HP3 camera sensors will be available on the Galaxy A-series and on smartphones by Chinese brands.

The company has confirmed to have its next Galaxy Unpacked event on August 10.

Recently, Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon said the Galaxy S23 series will use the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 exclusively. Another report mentioned that the South Korean tech giant is planning to ship three million Galaxy S23 FE units next year. By comparison, Samsung is tipped to ship 8.5 million Galaxy S23 units, 6.5 million S23 Plus models, and 13 million Galaxy S23 Ultra units.
Ghaziabad: Uttar Pradesh Police has lodged an FIR against the man who allegedly attacked actor Priyank Sharma of 'Bigg Boss 11' fame, an official said Wednesday.

Priyanka Sharma, who had filed a complaint at the Kaushambi police station, had claimed he was hit by 'an unknown person' at a hospital here following which he sustained a few scratches on his body. The FIR was registered under Section 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) of the Indian Penal Code.

ACTOR PRIYANK SHARMA ATTACKED IN GHAZIABAD

Indirapuram circle officer Abhay Mishra told PTI the attacker was not 'unknown' and was later identified as Priyank Sharma's brother-in-law. The actor and his brother-in-law were not on good terms, the officer added. "After the check-up, the actor and his brother-in-law had some altercation. In a rush of anger, his relative slapped him at the hospital," Mishra said.

Priyank, along with his father, had visited the hospital on July 30 for his mother's check-up, said Mishra. The actor was attacked when he was making an exit from the hospital premises.

Talking about the incident, Priyank told ETimes in an interview, "Suddenly out of nowhere, this man attacked me and started hitting me. I managed to hold his hand and push him back. There was a lot of commotion. Two men from the hospital administration came to my rescue and I am really grateful to them. The guy who tried to attack me ran away. It was a scary situation."

Three days later, Priyank celebrated his birthday on August 2. He shared a video, originally shared by an NGO, featuring young kids being distributed cake on the occasion.

Priyank shot to fame after participating in dating reality show 'MTV Splitsvilla' and later appeared in 'Bigg Boss 11'. He has starred in web-series like 'Puncch Beat Season 2' and 'Mum Bhai'.
New Delhi: With August 15, Independence Day, falling on a Monday, it is providing a perfect opportunity for people looking to take a short trip. If you are living in Delhi-NCR, there are a bunch of options that you can choose from, apart from the ever-popular Dehradun, Mussoorie, Shimla and the likes. So what are you waiting for? Choose a destination from the list below and head out for a road trip on this Independence Day weekend. If you can club a day or two with the extended weekend, even better!



Harsil

This is one of Uttarakhand's hidden gems. Situated on the banks of river Bhagirath, this beautiful hamlet has started attracting tourists in recent times. From yoga and meditation to treks, Harsil has a lot of options for tourists.

Pangot

It is around 310 km from Delhi by road and is a great place for quick hiking trails. A great choice for those looking for a quick adventure, a lot of fresh air, and a picturesque view. It's also a paradise for birdwatchers.

Shoghi

A small suburban town in the Solan region in Himachal Pradesh, Shogi is 332 km by road from Delhi. It's a suburb of Shimla and houses gorgeous trees and flowers, it's ideal for travellers looking to stay at an off-beat place. Jakhoo Hills near Shoghi is another place where travellers visit.

Dausa

Around 55 km from Jaipur and 250 km from Delhi, this Rajasthan village is a unique choice for those looking for an authentic, rural Rajasthan experience. Like most places in Rajasthan, the city has lots of history attached to it. It was the first headquarter of the former Kachhawaha Dynasty.

Nahan

The cantonment town in the Sirmaur district of Himachal Pradesh is located at a distance of 248 km from Delhi. Nahan boasts of many beautiful temples and is a picturesque town. It has an agricultural heritage.
TAIPEI/WASHINGTON: Digital attacks against Taiwanese government websites ahead of U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosis arrival in Tapei on Tuesday were likely launched by Chinese activist hackers rather than the Chinese government, a cybersecurity research organisation said.

The website of Taiwans presidential office was targeted by a distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack on Tuesday and was at one point malfunctioning, the office said in a statement.

Access to the website was restored within about 20 minutes of the attack, the statement said. Taiwanese government agencies were monitoring the situation in the face of "information warfare," a spokesperson later added. A government portal website and Taiwans foreign ministry website were also temporarily taken offline on Tuesday.

In a statement, the foreign ministry said both websites had been hit with up to 8.5 million traffic requests a minute from a "large number of IPs from China, Russia and other places". The attacks were ongoing, the statement added.

Also Read: 'Don't want anything to happen to Taiwan by force': US speaker Nancy Pelosi at meet - Top points

DDoS attacks work by directing high volumes of internet traffic towards targeted servers in a relatively unsophisticated bid by so-called "hacktivists" to knock them offline.

"These are uncoordinated, random, moral-less attacks against websites that Chinese hacktivists use to get their message across," said Johannes Ullrich, Dean of Research at the SANS Technology Institute, cybersecurity education and research organisation.

"Usually it continues for a few days, but they often lose interest within a week. Many of the attacks are motivated by what is written in the Chinese press," Ullrich added.

The disruptive digital blitz came from hundreds of thousands of IP addresses, tied to devices registered within Chinese commercial internet space, Ullrich said.

A similar cohort of Chinese IP addresses had been scanning the internet for low-level, easily exploitable vulnerabilities since Friday, he added and did not match the usual activity carried out by Chinese government hackers.
New York: Al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri liked to read alone on the balcony of his Kabul safe house early in the morning, a "pattern-of-life intelligence" that eventually gave the American intelligence agency CIA the chance to carry out a precision strike that killed one of the world's most wanted terrorists, a report said. Zawahiri, who played a key role in the 9/11 attacks and later formed Al-Qaeda's regional affiliate in the Indian subcontinent, was killed in a US drone strike on Saturday evening.

"Intelligence officers made a crucial discovery this spring after tracking Ayman al-Zawahri, the leader of Al Qaeda, to Kabul, Afghanistan: He liked to read alone on the balcony of his safe house early in the morning," The New York Times (NYT) said in a report titled 'How the CIA Tracked the Leader of Al Qaeda'.

The report said that analysts search for "pattern-of-life intelligence", which means any habit the CIA can exploit to hunt down and target terrorists. "In al-Zawahri's case, his long balcony visits gave the agency an opportunity for a clear missile shot that could avoid collateral damage," it said.

Once intelligence agencies confirmed the location of Zawahiri's safe house, "the CIA followed the playbook it wrote during the hunt for (Osama) Bin Laden. The agency built a model of the site and sought to learn everything about it." "Analysts eventually identified a figure who lingered on the balcony reading, but never left the house, as al-Zawahiri," the NYT report said.

On July 25, Biden authorised the CIA to conduct the airstrike "when the opportunity presented itself". "Sunday morning in Kabul, it did. A drone flown by the CIA found al-Zawahri on his balcony. The agency operatives fired the missile, ending a more than two-decade-long hunt," the report said.

US President Joe Biden announced on Monday that Zawahiri, who took over the reins of Al-Qaeda after the killing of Osama bin Laden 11 years ago, was killed in an American drone strike. Biden said "justice has been delivered and this terrorist leader is no more."

The NYT report said that on April 1, top intelligence officials briefed national security officials at the White House about the safe house and how they had tracked Zawahiri.

A "key insight" that had emerged about Zawahiri's pattern of life was that "he was never seen leaving the house and only seemed to get fresh air by standing on a balcony on an upper floor. He remained on the balcony for extended periods, which gave the CIA a good chance to target him."

The Al-Qaeda leader was killed by a Hellfire missile, which is "designed to kill a single person." Biden was briefed by CIA director William Burns and other intelligence officials on July 1 and he was shown a model of the safe house, the report said.

Biden "asked about the possibility of collateral damage, prodding" Burns to take him "through the steps of how officers had found al-Zawahri and confirmed his information, and their plans to kill him."

During June and July, discussions focussed on intelligence and examining the potential ramifications of the strike. The report added that the "safe house" where Zawahiri stayed was owned by "an aide to senior officials in the Haqqani network" in an area in the Afghan capital controlled by the terror group.

"Senior Taliban leaders occasionally met at the house, but American officials do not know how many knew that the Haqqanis were hiding al-Zawahri. If some senior Taliban officials did not know that the Haqqanis had allowed al-Zawahri to return, his killing could drive a wedge between the groups," the report said citing independent analysts.

It added that Zawahiri's ties to leaders of the Haqqani network "led US intelligence officials to the safe house" where he was hiding. For many years, it was believed that Zawahiri was hiding in the border area of Pakistan and it remains unclear why he returned to Afghanistan, the report said. Following the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan, it is believed that Zawahiri's family returned to a safe house in Kabul.

The NYT report said that while his family tried to ensure they were not being watched and keep Zawahiri's location secret, "intelligence agencies soon learned he too had returned to Afghanistan.

"There was a renewed effort to figure out where he was," the report quoted former CIA officer Mick Mulroy as saying. "The one good thing that might have come out of withdrawing from Afghanistan is that certain high-level terrorist figures would then think it is safe for them to be there."
New York: The US State Department has issued a worldwide alert after the death of Al-Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahiri in a precision drone strike in Kabul. President Joe Biden on Tuesday announced that the most wanted terrorist Ayman al-Zawahiri was killed in a drone strike in Kabul and added that "Justice has been delivered."

"On July 31, 2022, the United States conducted a precision counter-terrorism strike in Afghanistan that killed Ayman al-Zawahiri, Osama bin Laden`s deputy and successor as leader of al-Qa`ida. Al- Zawahiri was one of the masterminds of the attacks against the United States on September 11, 2001, and had continued to urge his followers to attack the United States," the US State Department alert on Tuesday (local time) said.

"Following al-Zawahiri`s death, supporters of al- Qa`ida, or its affiliated terrorist organizations, may seek to attack U.S. facilities, personnel, or citizens. As terrorist attacks often occur without warning, U.S. citizens are strongly encouraged to maintain a high level of vigilance and practice good situational awareness when travelling abroad," it further said.

The US cautions its citizens to maintain a high level of vigilance and practice good situational awareness when traveling abroad in the backdrop of a counterterrorism strike in Afghanistan that killed Al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri pic.twitter.com/VABvn3LKS7  ANI (@ANI) August 3, 2022

Zawahiri, who was one of the world`s most wanted terrorists and a mastermind of the September 11, 2001 attacks, was killed in a drone strike carried out by the US in the Afghan capital Kabul on Saturday. Zawahiri, an Egyptian surgeon, was deeply involved in the planning of 9/11 and he also acted as Osama Bin Laden's personal physician.

The strike was conducted by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and was carried out by an Air Force drone. An official claimed that al-Zawahiri was the only person killed in the strike and that none of his family members was injured.

Meanwhile, the Taliban confirmed the killing of Zawahiri and condemned the drone strike carried out by the United States in Kabul over the weekend. In a statement, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said that a strike took place on a residence in the capital and called it a violation of "international principles."

A loud explosion echoed through Kabul early Sunday morning, according to Tolo News. "A house was hit by a rocket in Sherpoor. There were no casualties as the house was empty," Abdul Nafi Takor a spokesman of the Interior Ministry had claimed earlier.

US secretary of state Antony Blinken said that the Taliban had grossly violated the Doha Agreement by hosting and sheltering the Al-Qaeda chief. "By hosting and sheltering the leader of al Qa`ida in Kabul, the Taliban grossly violated the Doha Agreement and repeated assurances to the world that they would not allow Afghan territory to be used by terrorists to threaten the security of other countries," Blinken said in a statement.

The US and the Taliban signed a peace agreement in February 2020 under the Presidency of former US President Donald Trump. The deal stated the withdrawal of the US troops from Afghan soil and that the Taliban would abate violence and guarantee that its soil will not be a safe haven for terrorists.

In the statement, Blinken said the Taliban also betrayed the Afghan people and their own stated desire for recognition from the international community and normalisation of ties. Zawahiri`s targeted killing comes a year after the US military withdrawal from Afghanistan and the Taliban`s takeover of the country. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) added a "deceased" caption under the profile image of Al Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahiri on its website.
New Delhi: Serum Institute of India CEO Adar Poonawalla on Tuesday informed research on developing a vaccine against Monkeypox is on-going. He had met with the Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Tuesday and briefed him on the issue.

According to a report by ANI, after meeting with Union Health Min Mansukh Mandaviya, SII CEO Adar Poonawalla said, "my meeting went well like always. All preparations for the vaccine are being done; I briefed the minister on this. We are researching on the vaccine for Monkeypox & if there's a need for it."

India records 8 Monkeypox cases

A 35-year-old man of African origin with no recent history of foreign travel had tested positive for monkeypox in Delhi, making it the country's eighth case and the city's third, official sources said on Tuesday.

Also Read: Monkeypox virus outbreak: India confirms its first death due to viral disease

Meanwhile, the total number of confirmed Monkeypox cases reached 8 on Tuesday. Mandaviya has said in the Rajya Sabha that out of total 8 cases reported in the country so far, five have the history of travelling abroad.

Does everyone need to get Monkeypox vaccine?

According to information on the Indian Council of Medical Research EOI, there is no specific vaccine against Monkeypox but a smallpox vaccine was shown to be protective against Monkeypox in the past. The current data on effectiveness of novel Monkeypox/smallpox vaccines in in clinical practice and in field settings are limited.

The Health Minister said studies are still being conducted to find proper vaccination for the disease. Only contact tracing and vaccinating people who were in close contact with a disease carrier required to be vaccinated and there is no need for a country-wide vaccination for this disease.

(With agency inputs)
TAIPEI: U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi left Taiwan on Wednesday after pledging solidarity and hailing its democracy, leaving a trail of Chinese anger over her brief visit to the self-ruled island that Beijing claims as its own. China demonstrated its outrage over the highest-level U.S. visit to the island in 25 years with a burst of military activity in surrounding waters, summoning the U.S. ambassador in Beijing and halting several agricultural imports from Taiwan.

Some of China`s planned military exercises were to take place within Taiwan`s 12 nautical mile sea and air territory, according to Taiwan`s defence ministry, an unprecedented move a senior defence official described to reporters as "amounting to a sea and air blockade of Taiwan".

Pelosi arrived with a congressional delegation on her unannounced but closely watched visit late on Tuesday, defying China`s repeated warnings, in what she said shows unwavering U.S. commitment to Taiwan`s democracy.

"Our delegation came to Taiwan to make unequivocally clear that we will not abandon Taiwan, Pelosi told Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen, who Beijing suspects of pushing for formal independence - a red line for China.

It was also my high honor to receive from President @iingwen of Taiwan the Order of Propitious Clouds with Special Grand Cordon: a symbol of our treasured friendship. Make no mistake: America remains unwavering in our commitment to the people of Taiwan now & for decades to come. pic.twitter.com/yFcVQil4TT  Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) August 3, 2022

Now, more than ever, Americas solidarity with Taiwan is crucial, and thats the message we are bringing here, today," she said during her roughly 19-hour visit.

A long-time China critic, especially on human rights, Pelosi met with a former Tiananmen activist, a Hong Kong bookseller who had been detained by China, and a Taiwanese activist recently released by China.

Fury on the mainland over the 82-year-old Democrat`s defiance of Beijing was evident all over Chinese social media, with one blogger railing: "this old she-devil, she actually dares to come!"

The last U.S. house speaker to go to Taiwan was Newt Gingrich, in 1997. But Pelosi`s visit comes amid sharply deteriorating Sino-U.S. relations, and during the past quarter century China has emerged as a far more powerful economic, military and geopolitical force.

China considers Taiwan part of its territory and has never renounced using force to bring it under its control. The United States warned China against using the visit as a pretext for military action against Taiwan.

In retaliation, China`s customs department announced a suspension of imports of citrus fruits, chilled white striped hairtail and frozen horse mackerel from Taiwan, while its commerce ministry banned export of natural sand to Taiwan.

While there was little sign of protest against U.S. targets or consumer goods, there was a significant police presence outside the U.S. consulate in Shanghai and what appeared to be more security than usual outside the embassy in Beijing.

CHINA'S MILITARY DRILLS AMID NANCY PELOSI'S TAIWAN VISIT

Shortly after Pelosi`s arrival, China`s military announced joint air and sea drills near Taiwan and test launches of conventional missiles in the sea east of the island, with Chinese state news agency Xinhua describing live-fire drills and other exercises around Taiwan from Thursday to Sunday.

China`s foreign ministry said Pelosi`s visit seriously damages peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, "has a severe impact on the political foundation of China-U.S. relations, and seriously infringes upon China`s sovereignty and territorial integrity."

Statement by China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Pelosi's visit to Taiwan https://t.co/s7cH9TuKHj  Hua Chunying  (@SpokespersonCHN) August 2, 2022

Before Pelosi`s arrival, Chinese warplanes buzzed the line dividing the Taiwan Strait. The Chinese military said it was on high alert and would launch "targeted military operations" in response to Pelosi`s visit.

White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said after Pelosi`s arrival in Taiwan that the United States "is not going to be intimidated" by China`s threats or bellicose rhetoric and that there is no reason her visit should precipitate a crisis or conflict.

Kirby said China might engage in "economic coercion" toward Taiwan, adding that the impact on U.S.-China relations will depend on Beijing`s actions in coming days and weeks.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken discussed the potential for Pelosi`s visit with counterpart Wang Yi during a G20 meeting in Bali last month, and said any such trip would be entirely Pelosi`s decision and independent of the U.S. government, a senior U.S. official said on Wednesday.

`CHINA`S AMBITION`

The United States has no official diplomatic relations with Taiwan but is bound by American law to provide it with the means to defend itself. China views visits by U.S. officials to Taiwan as sending an encouraging signal to the pro-independence camp on the island. Taiwan rejects China`s sovereignty claims, saying only the Taiwanese people can decide the island`s future.

Taiwan`s military increased its alertness level. Its defence ministry said 21 Chinese aircraft entered its air defence identification zone on Tuesday, and that China was attempting to threaten key ports and cities with drills in the surrounding waters.

"The so-called drill areas are falling within the busiest international channels in the Indo-Pacific region," a senior Taiwan official familiar with its security planning told Reuters on Wednesday.

"We can see China`s ambition: to make the Taiwan Strait non-international waters, as well as making the entire area west of the first island chain in the western pacific its sphere of influence," the person said.

China`s foreign ministry said it has not seen its military drills around Taiwan causing any freedom of navigation issues.
Washington: The United States has sanctioned Russian President Vladimir Putin`s rumoured girlfriend Alina Maratovna Kabaeva in a fresh round of sanctions targeting Russian elites over Moscow`s actions in Ukraine. According to the Treasury Department, the 39-year-old Kabaeva was in a "close relationship to Putin. "She is a former member of the State Duma and is the current head of the National Media Group, a pro-Kremlin empire of television, radio, and print organizations."

"Kabaeva was designated today pursuant to E.O. 14024 for being or having been a leader, official, senior executive officer, or member of the board of directors of the government of the Russian Federation. Kabaeva has a close relationship with Putin and is the current head of the National Media Group, a pro-Kremlin empire of television, radio, and print organizations. She has also been sanctioned by the EU and the UK," a Treasury Department statement said on Tuesday (local time).

Also read: Russian strikes kill Ukrainian grain tycoon; drone hits Russian naval base

Citing the Wall Street Journal, CNN reported that sanctioning Kabaeva was under consideration by the US, but there was concern that such a move would inflame tensions given her close proximity to Putin. Earlier in May, Kabaeva was blacklisted by the European Union and the United Kingdom.

Also read: Ukraine President Zelensky, wife pose for magazine cover amid war with Russia, netizens react

Supporters of jailed Russian human rights campaigner Alexey Navalny have been calling for sanctions against Kabaeva for her campaign against Ukraine. In April, the US had also imposed sanctions on Putin`s daughters Katerina Vladimirovna Tikhonova and Maria Vladimirovna Vorontsova.

Moreover, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced sanctions on three oligarchs, a Russian state-owned company overseen by the Ministry of Transportation, "four individuals and one entity illegitimately operating in Ukraine`s territory in collaboration with Russia," and 24 Russian defence and technology-related entities.

The US is also imposing visa restrictions on 893 Russian Federation officials and "31 foreign government officials who have acted to support Russia`s purported annexation of the Crimea region of Ukraine and thereby threatened or violated Ukraine`s sovereignty," Blinken said. Since the start of Russia`s `military operation`, the UK has sanctioned over 1,000 individuals and 100 entities, including hitting oligarchs with a net global worth of over 117 billion.
Bangkok: Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov arrived on Wednesday in Myanmar for an official visit that Moscow said will include discussions with the military government on security and economic issues, the Russian news agency TASS reported.

Russia is a major supporter of Myanmar's military government, which came to power in February last year when it ousted the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi. Lavrov met with his counterpart, Wunna Maung Lwin, and other top Myanmar officials shortly after his arrival in the capital, Naypyitaw, Russia's Foreign Ministry wrote on Twitter.

Western nations have ostracized Myanmar's ruling generals and maintained economic and political sanctions against them because of their takeover and violent repression of opposition.

Also Read:'Don't want anything to happen to Taiwan by force': US speaker Nancy Pelosi at meet - Top points

Lavrov's visit, his first to Myanmar, comes ahead of his attendance at a meeting of foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, hosted by Cambodia this week.

Myanmar has been in a state of increasing turmoil since the army takeover last year, and its military regularly carries out attacks on armed pro-democracy militants and their supporters and ethnic minority militias that have long battled for greater political autonomy.

UN experts have described the country as being in a civil war.

Russia is Myanmar's top arms supplier, despite calls from many other nations for an arms embargo. Russian-made fighter jets are used in attacks on territory under the control of ethnic minority groups.

Russia and China, the ruling military's other major ally, have been able to stymie coordinated international sanctions because of the veto power they hold as members of the UN Security Council.

The failure of Myanmar's generals to make efforts to restore peace and democracy in their country is expected to be a major issue at this week's ASEAN meeting.

Myanmar is one of ASEAN's 10 members but has failed to implement the group's plan to ease the crisis. Russia's foreign ministry announced Tuesday that Lavrov would meet with his counterpart, Wunna Maung Lwin, and other members of Myanmar's leadership.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said the two sides will discuss the prospects for the entire complex of Russia-Myanmar relations, political dialogue, trade, and economic cooperation, defence and security, and humanitarian ties. Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, who heads Myanmar's ruling military council, has visited Russia twice since taking power.
Beijing: China's Vice Foreign Minister Xie Feng on Wednesday summoned US Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns to protest against US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi`s visit to Taiwan island on Tuesday, stressing that the nature of her visit is extremely vicious and the consequence is very grave. Xie said the Chinese side will not sit idly by. The US must pay the price for its own mistake.

China will take necessary and resolute countermeasures and "we mean what we say", Global Times reported. He maintained that the US government should have restrained Pelosi`s unscrupulous move and prevented her from going against the historical trend but instead indulged her and colluded with her, which exacerbates the tension in the Taiwan Straits and seriously damages China-US ties.

Also Read: Nancy Pelosi visits Taiwan voicing 'America's solidarity'; China hits back, warns of 'targeted' military operations

Minutes after US House Speaker Pelosi`s aircraft landed in Taipei, the Chinese People`s Liberation Army (PLA) announced that it would hold six live-fire military drills in waters around Taiwan, scheduled to take place from Thursday to Sunday.

Taiwan`s Ministry of National Defense (MND) confirmed that on Tuesday late evening, 21 Chinese military aircraft flew into the southwestern part of Taiwan`s air defence identification zone (ADIZ). According to Chinese media reports, China announced to carry out the drills in waters north, northeast, northwest, east, south and southwest of the nation in the Taiwan Strait, the Bashi Channel, the East China Sea and the Pacific.

It further said that one of the locations of the planned drills is less than 20 kilometres from Kaohsiung in southern Taiwan.Angered by Pelosi`s visit despite Beijing`s strong opposition, China said, "This is a very dangerous act of playing with fire, and those who play with fire will set themselves on fire."

China says Taiwan is inalienable part of its territory

China reiterated that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China`s territory, and the government of the People`s Republic of China is the only legitimate government representing the whole of China, and Nancy Pelosi, disregarded China`s strong opposition and solemn representations and visited Taiwan, China.

The Chinese officials and experts warned that all the consequences of this highly dangerous and provocative move will be borne by Washington, and such a visit will also forever change the cross-Straits situation and deliver a destructive impact on the already-difficult China-US relations.
Washington: US House Speaker Nancy Pelosis arrival in Taiwan has enraged China, which has announced military manoeuvres in retaliation, even as Taiwanese officials welcomed her to the country. With this, Pelosi has also become the highest-ranking American official in 25 years to visit the self-ruled island nation, which China claims as part of its own territory.

The reason her visit ratcheted up tension between China and the United States: China claims Taiwan as part of its territory, and it views visits by foreign government officials as them recognising the island's sovereignty. President Joe Biden has sought to calm that complaint, insisting there's no change in America's longstanding "one-China policy," which recognises Beijing but allows informal relations and defence ties with Taipei.

Pelosi portrays her high-profile trip as part of a US obligation to stand with democracies against autocratic countries, and with democratic Taiwan against China. A look at some of the issues at play:

WHY DID PELOSI GO TO TAIWAN?

Pelosi has made a mission over decades of showing support for embattled democracy movements. Those include a trip in 1991 to Tiananmen Square, where she and other lawmakers unrolled a small banner supporting democracy, as frowning Chinese security officers tried to shut them down. Chinese forces had crushed a homegrown democracy movement at the same spot two years earlier.

The speaker is framing her Taiwan trip as part of a broader mission at a time when "the world faces a choice between autocracy and democracy." She led a congressional delegation to the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv in the spring, and her latest effort serves as a capstone to her years of promoting democracy abroad.

"We must stand by Taiwan," she said in an opinion piece published by The Washington Post on her arrival in Taiwan. She cited the commitment that the US made to a democratic Taiwan under a 1979 law. "It is essential that America and our allies make clear that we never give in to autocrats," she wrote.

WHAT IS THE US STAND ON TAIWAN?

The Biden administration, and Pelosi, say the United States remains committed to its "one-China policy." Taiwan and mainland China split during a civil war in 1949. But China claims the island as its own territory and has not ruled out using military force to take it.

China has been increasing both diplomatic and military pressure in recent years. It cut off all contact with Taiwan's government in 2016 after President Tsai Ing-wen refused to endorse its claim that the island and mainland together make up a single Chinese nation, with Communist Beijing the sole legitimate government.

Beijing sees official American contact with Taiwan as an encouragement to make the island's decades-old de facto independence permanent, a step US leaders say they don't support.

HOW IS THE CHINESE MILITARY HANDLING THE TENSION-RAISING TRIP?

Soon after Pelosi's arrival, China announced a series of military operations and drills, which followed its promises of "resolute and strong measures" if Pelosi went through with her visit. China's People's Liberation Army said the manoeuvres would take place in the waters and skies near Taiwan and include the firing of long-range ammunition in the Taiwan Strait. China's official Xinhua News said the army planned to conduct live-fire drills from Thursday to Sunday across multiple locations. An image released by the news agency indicated that the drills were to take place in six different areas in the waters surrounding Taiwan.

Taiwan's Defence Ministry said early Wednesday that China had sent 21 planes flying toward Taiwan, 18 of their fighter jets. The rest included an early warning plane and an electronic warfare plane.

HOW HAS THE UNITED STATES RESPONDED?

While Biden has expressed some wariness about Pelosi's trip, the administration has not openly opposed it and said it is up to Pelosi to decide whether to go. Ahead of Pelosi's visit, the American military increased its movements in the Indo-Pacific region. The aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan and its strike group were in the Philippine Sea on Monday, according to officials who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss military operations.

The Reagan, the cruiser USS Antietam and the destroyer USS Higgins left Singapore after a port visit and moved north toward their home port in Japan. The carrier has an array of aircraft, including F/A-18 fighter jets and helicopters, as well as sophisticated radar systems and other weapons.

IS ARMED CONFLICT A RISK?

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Biden both have made clear they don't want that. In a call with Biden last week, Xi echoed a theme of Biden's their countries should cooperate on areas where they can. The biggest risk is likely an accident if China tries the kind of provocative manoeuvre it's increasingly been executing with other militaries around the South China Sea. Those include close fly-bys of other aircraft or confronting vessels at sea.

However, when it comes to the United States, with the world's strongest military, "despite a chorus of nationalistic rhetoric, China will be careful not to stumble into a conflict with colossal damages on all fronts," said Yu Lie, a senior research fellow at the Chatham House think tank.

For China, the best approach is patience and time, Jie said, building toward the day when its economy and military could be too big for the US to challenge.
The Sentinel

Instead, crews responded for Carlisle and North Middleton Township Police Departments National Night Out, an event held across the United States on the first Tuesday in August. Its intended to build connections between law enforcement and the community. Festivities include food, music, inflatables, face painting and other demonstrations and activities.

The two police departments teamed up as they have in previous years, though Tuesdays event marked National Night Outs first celebration in Carlisle since 2019.

Were neighbors ... and in law enforcement we work together all the time, so its not much different having us all work together for this night than it would be for our regular calls, Carlisle Police Chief Taro Landis said.

But the two departments were far from the only agencies in attendance.

Oh my goodness I cant even begin to tell you, we have the military police, we have Homeland Security ... the Sheriffs Department, of course North Middleton and different fire departments are here, so a whole bunch of folks, Landis said.

Also in attendance were representatives from Cumberland Goodwill EMS.

Assistant Chief Nathan Harig gave a CPR presentation that outlined three steps: dial (911), push (perform CPR), and shock (with an AED). He also offered suggestions for songs other than the well known Stayin Alive to think of while performing CPR that allow people to administer 100 compressions per minute. These included the Imperial March from Star Wars and Baby Shark.

It seems that presentations like Harigs struck a chord with Elizabeth Ford, 9, who said Tuesday night was her first time attending National Night Out.

[I learned] to call 911 if theres something creepy going on, Ford said.

But her favorite part of National Night Out was getting to pet the dog.

The dog was K-9 Jackson with the Carlisle Police Department who greeted adults and children throughout the event. Carlisle Police Departments Cpl. Jeffrey Kurtz did a demonstration with K-9 Chaos as well.

Another attraction at Carlisle and North Middleton Townships National Night Out Tuesday evening was the helicopter that flew in from Fort Indiantown Gap. After it landed, crew members spent the evening showing off the inside of what Staff Sgt. Jay Rocourt described as the Armys latest and greatest aircraft.

He said he and his team made the trip, that usually takes about 45 minutes to an hour to drive, in just 20 minutes.

As much as we can we try to do these events in different parts of the state, Rocourt said. Its good for the community to see the outreach from the law enforcement and we kind of play a part in that being the National Guard in the state. We also like to get out there in the community so that were not just out there making noise, we can actually tell them a little bit about what we do and what our mission is and what our capabilities are.

A variety of local fire departments participated in the event as well, including Carlisle Fire & Rescue, Union Fire Company and North Middleton Fire Company.

Everybodys in a good atmosphere, its safe, you dont have to worry about all the trouble going on in the world at this point, said David Glasser, a firefighter and driver for North Middleton.

He believes it also allows the community to gain an inside look at the work of first responders.

It gets the community to see what we do, especially EMS and fire, not everybody gets to see, Glasser said. Theyre all running out while were running in, so they see fear and were going in to alleviate that fear. They get to see a lot of the equipment we use and stuff to protect us so we can go in.

He encouraged people to get involved with their local fire departments in any way they can.

It was Ally Ryans husbands involvement that brought her to National Night Out in the first place, along with their two-year-old daughter, Eleanor. Ryan said her husband volunteers for Carlisle Fire & Rescue Services, who performed a car extraction demonstration Tuesday night at the event.

Ryans favorite part about the event was seeing the fire trucks and meeting police officers.

My daughter is really into all the first responders, which [is] no surprise considering where she gets it from, so its really awesome, she said.

She said its nice to see connections forming between first responders and the community.

To Landis, forming these connections is what National Night Out is all about.

The reality here is that this gives us a chance to show the kids who we are and what we do and all come together so its a great time for us and for the community, he said.

It also gives people the opportunity to come up and talk to the police, and officers have a chance to speak with people in a casual setting rather than from a position of authority, he said.

I think [this event] always directly impacts our work, you know people will come up and talk to us and they get to know who you are and theyll come up and talk to you and tell you things, he said. You know, the community is us and we are the community, we have to blend together. We cant do it without them, they cant do it without us.

Other local National Night Out events took place in South Middleton Township, Newville, Camp Hill, Lower Allen Township, Mechanicsburg, East Pennsboro Township, the West Shore and Shiremanstown, to name a few.
The Adams County Coroners Office identified the person killed in a commercial building collapse at Hillandale Farms in Adams County Friday.

Jose Rojas-Flores, 53, of Harrisburg, died of traumatic asphyxiation when a chicken house collapsed while he was inside, ABC27 reported Monday. The coroners officer ruled the cause of death as accidental.

A Pennsylvania State Police report said Rojas-Flores was one of eight people in the building at the time of the collapse; the other seven were able to free themselves. Rojas-Flores was discovered dead at the scene by search and rescue teams, police said.

Everyone in the building when it collapsed worked for a private contractor that Hillandale Farms hired to demolish several buildings on the property on the 300 block of Spicer Road in Tyrone Township, police said. ABC27 reported that there were no chickens inside the building when it collapsed.

Emergency crews from six counties including York, Cumberland and Adams counties, responded to the scene Friday morning, ABC27 said.

Trooper Megan Frazer tweeted Friday that the seven people who escaped from the building were taken to area hospitals, but their conditions remain unknown.
The remains of a Shippensburg woman who was reported missing in February have been located in Florida, and officials believe her death is a homicide, State Police at Carlisle reported Wednesday.

Police reported on Feb. 23 that they were looking for Jasmine Forbes, 31, of Shippensburg, who was last seen in Shippensburg that day. At the time, police said they believed Forbes may be in danger and asked for assistance in locating her.

Though police hadnt mentioned it in their news release on her disappearance, Forbes was the source of obsession of Larry Burns, 59, of Chambersburg, who would later be charged in a double homicide that occurred the day she went missing. According to court documents that were unsealed in May, Larry Burns had gone looking for Forbes, who was in a relationship with the man who owned the Southampton Township home where two people  Eddie Shaw and Frankie Thomas  were killed.

Though the shooting deaths had happened on Feb. 23, Larry Burns and Cordaryl Burns, also charged in the deaths, werent arrested until a month later on March 22 in separate states  Larry Burns in North Carolina and Cordaryl Burns in Michigan.

Police on Wednesday did not release any further details about Forbes death or remains, but said the investigation is ongoing.

Police said their initial search indicated Forbes may have traveled to Florida, which prompted assistance from the Pasco Sheriffs Offices Major Case Unit. Police said the sheriffs office conducted an investigation that led them to a property where they believed Forbes may have been harmed.

The Pasco Sheriffs Office reported it searched the property on June 14, and remains were discovered. The remains were later identified as Forbes.

State Police said it is working with the Pasco Sheriffs Office on the investigation and ask anyone with information to contact the Pasco Sheriff Crime Tips Line at 1-800-706-2488 or PascoSheriff.com/tips.
The Carlisle Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors announced in a news release Wednesday that Nicole Deary has been selected as the organization's new president and CEO.

Deary, who has served as the executive director of Leadership Cumberland for the last five years, replaces longtime chamber president Michelle Crowley. Crowley stepped down June 1 to become an independent sales representative for the mid-Atlantic region for Free Spirit Fabrics after nearly 24 years in the position.

Deary starts her new role Aug. 22. Chamber officials said she has over 18 years of fundraising, marketing and community leadership experience, and five of those years were spent at the Carlisle Area Chamber of Commerce as its events and marketing director. Deary also held positions with the Shippensburg University Foundation and Project SHARE.

"Nicoles experience paired with her drive and creativity will set the chamber up for success in the near and distant future," said Ashleigh Goss, Carlisle Area Chamber of Commerce Board chairperson. "She has fantastic ideas that will build upon the chambers strong relationships to assist in the communitys growth as a whole."

The chamber also announced that Leadership Cumberland will now be facilitated by both the Carlisle Area Chamber of Commerce as well as the West Shore Chamber of Commerce. The joint venture allows both chambers to work together alongside Leadership Cumberland to cultivate Cumberland Countys present and future leaders.

A sense of community and service has always been a core value of mine. Leadership Cumberland has given me the opportunity to develop community leaders into stronger versions of themselves," Deary said. "To inspire them to advocate, collaborate, and serve the great communities where we live, work and play.

"My plan is to increase the Chambers vision and work with our members to be the catalyst for growth in our business community and within Cumberland County. Im excited for the opportunity to bring Leadership Cumberland along with me as well as partner with the West Shore Chamber to continue to serve the county in developing effective leaders for the workplace and community.
An influx of Bhutanese refugees is prompting the South Middleton School District to double its number of English Language Learner teachers in the lead-up to the start of the new school year.

The school board Monday gave Superintendent James Estep the go-ahead to advertise two ELL teacher positions to reinforce the two positions already hired and included in the budget for 2022-23.

The board could formalize the two new positions at its next meeting scheduled for Aug. 15. Estep said he wanted an early start on posting the openings to head off the anticipated demand.

We have jumped from 55 [ELL] students at the beginning of summer to 82 students, he told board members Monday. That number is expected to climb substantially further. We are seeing a tremendous influx of students from Nepal moving into the district.

Bhutan and Nepal are nations in south Asia within the Himalayan mountain range. Refugees from Bhutan were displaced by ethnic cleansing to camps in Nepal, said Truong Phuong, executive director of the International Service Center in Harrisburg.

With help from assistance programs, the first wave of Bhutanese refugees emigrated to the U.S. about 10 years ago and found that the Harrisburg area offered good jobs and the opportunity to eventually establish their own businesses, Phuong said. The Bhutanese set up a support network and a strong community within south-central Pennsylvania, he said.

Over the years, friends and relatives have encouraged other families to resettle from the refugee camps to the Harrisburg area, Phuong said. It appears that trend is catching on in South Middleton Township.

Its happening as parents are enrolling their kids and talking to my staff, Estep said. Families are telling district personnel that more Bhutanese refugees plan to move into the township, he said.

Word is they are landing jobs at one of the local distribution centers, Estep said.

As of Tuesday, one-third to three-quarters of the 82 ELL students are Bhutanese refugees speaking the Nepali language, Estep said. The next largest group is Spanish speaking students.

There are 19 ELL students registered for the W.G. Rice Elementary School, 28 students for the Iron Forge Elementary School, 12 students for Yellow Breeches Middle School and 23 students for Boiling Springs High School, Estep said. The additional positions would allow for one ELL teacher to be stationed at each school building, he said.

The number of ELL students in the district could easily top 100 within the first couple months of the school year, Estep said. Knowing how many instructional hours these students are required to receive its probably in our best interests to be proactive and fill two more positions.

But neither position is included in the district budget for 2022-23. Estep said one position could be paid for using money allocated for a fifth grade teacher position that will not be filled. About one-third of the salary of the second position could be offset by federal funds, he said.

There are compliance issues we have to contend with to meet our Title III guidelines, Estep said, referring to the federal requirement to provide English language instruction.

Obviously, we are morally and ethically responsible for making sure that we are providing opportunities for these students to be successful, he said.

The amount of time needed to help each ELL student depends on his or her command of the English language at the time they are enrolled.

There was no objection among board members to put the two more ELL teacher positions on the agenda for the Aug. 15 meeting. Nor did board members object to the suggestion by Estep to go ahead and advertise the positions before formal approval.

I can get the process started, Estep said, adding that the closer the district gets to the start of the academic year, the harder its going to be to find qualified applicants.
Arizona Republican candidate for governor Kari Lake gives a thumbs-up to the crowd as former President Donald Trump speaks at a Save America rally on July 22, 2022, in Prescott.

WASHINGTON  As they have throughout the year, Donald Trump and his allies spent another primary night demonstrating that they remain a powerful force in the Republican Party, with some limits.

As in primaries past, the Trump movement took a few losses Tuesday, but it also won nominations for many of their partisans and defeated other Republicans who have been critical of the former president.

A Trump candidate defeated Rep. Peter Meijer, R-Mich., a House Republican who voted to impeach him over the insurrection of Jan. 6, 2021. Another Trumper defeated an Arizona legislative leader who testified before the special congressional committee investigating Jan. 6.

Trump's Tuesday:Primary recap: Kansas voters uphold abortion rights, Trump-backed candidates win in Arizona

What happened?:Primary takeaways: Abortion rights backers notch Kansas win; Trump's candidates find success

Acolytes of Trump, who is pondering another run of his own in 2024, also won or led hard-fought gubernatorial, Senate and secretary of state primaries in Arizona, a pivotal state in congressional and presidential elections.

It was not a perfect set of primaries, however, as Trump appears to have failed to dislodge two House members from the state of Washington who also voted for his impeachment over Jan. 6.

"Trump had an OK night," said Henry Olsen, a polling analyst and senior fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center in Washington, D.C. "Losing both Washington races hurts him, but he did very well in Arizona and beating Meijer was important for him."

Olsen also called Trump "'a' big power broker, not 'the' big one. His backing is important but clearly is not decisive."

'The forces he unleashed'

Trump, of course, took full credit for wins, while ignoring setbacks.

"Endorsements dont get any more powerful or conclusive than the Endorsements of last night," he said in a Truth Social post.

Others noted that Trump candidates face tough races in the fall, especially in contests for control of the U.S. Senate  and the former president's influence could be a drag on the GOP in close contests.

Story continues

Trump's numbers among Republicans are slipping somewhat, but political analyst Sarah Longwell said that misses the point.

"Trump the man can lose altitude," said Longwell, founder of an organization called the Republican Accountability Project. "But the forces he unleashed have overtaken the whole party. Trump can go away, but a GOP full of cranks and conspiracists will be his enduring legacy."

The impeachers

The Tuesday set of primaries featured some of Trump's top political targets for the year: Three of the 10 House Republicans who voted for impeachment right after the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection designed to block President Joe Biden's victory in the Electoral College.

Meijer, a first-term Republican from western Michigan, lost his reelection bid to challenger John Gibbs, a former official with the Department of Housing and Urban Development in the Trump administration.

In addition to Trump, Gibbs received help from a unique source: The Democrats.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee financed an ad that described Gibbs as too conservative and a tool of the former president, items that appealed to Trump-friendly voters in Meijer's district. Democrats across the country have lent tacit support for Trump-style candidates, believing they will be easier to beat in fall elections.

Trump, who vowed revenge on the 10 House Republican impeachers shortly after he left office, seems to have fallen short on two targets in Washington state, where mail-in votes are still being counted.

Rep. Dan Newhouse, R-Wash., is on the track to survive an open primary in Washington, defeating a host of candidates that included Trump-supported Loren Culp.

Under the Washington primary system, the top two finishers move on to the general election, regardless of party  and that's what is also happening to another Republican impeacher, Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler, whose list of opponents included the Trump-endorsed Joe Kent.

Herrera Beutler played a prominent role in the Jan. 6 impeachment of Trump. During the Senate trial, she released a statement saying that House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy reported Trump seemed unconcerned that a mob of his supporters had attacked the U.S. Capitol.

Trump's top 10 targets

Few if any of the 10 House Republicans who supported Trump's second impeachment will return to the Congress next year.

Four opted not to seek re-election: Reps. Anthony Gonzalez of Ohio, Fred Upton of Michigan, John Katko of New York, and Adam Kinzinger of Illinois, a member of the Jan. 6 committee.

A Trump candidate defeated another impeachment voter, Rep. Tom Rice of South Carolina, during a primary in June.

Another impeacher, Rep. David Valadao of California, survived an open primary in a race where Trump did not endorse anyone. He faces a tough general election against the Democratic nominee.

The last Republican impeacher to face primary voters: Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., a co-chair of the Jan. 6 commission and perhaps the most outspoken GOP critic of Trump's conduct in seeking to overturn the election.

Cheney is an underdog in an Aug. 16 Wyoming Republican primary against Trump-backed attorney Harriet Hageman.

Impeachers:The 10 Republicans who voted to impeach Donald Trump: 'There has never been a greater betrayal by a president'

Trump critics:Tuesday's primaries, election conspiracies and Donald Trump's long trail of broken brains

In the run-up to Tuesday's primary, Trump laid bare his hard feelings to the 10 House Republican impeachers.

"Knock out Impeachment Slime Jaime Herrera Beutler, Dan Newhouse, Peter Meijer, TODAY," Trump said in a Truth Social Post. "The rest, including the now disgraced RINO, Liz Cheney, are either gone, or soon will be. Five are already quitters because they were so far behind. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!"

Trump wins in Arizona

Trump's success in Arizona revolved around his ongoing protests of his election loss to Biden.

In the gubernatorial race, Trump backed former television newscaster Kari Lake, an outspoken election denier. Early Wednesday, Lake led Karrin Taylor Robson, a lawyer who had the backing of former Trump Vice President Mike Pence as well as Gov. Doug Ducey and other prominent Republicans in Arizona.

Former President Donald Trump and Arizona gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake Kari Lake at a Republican campaign rally on July 22, 2022, in Prescott Valley.

In a legislative race, a Trumper candidate easily defeated Rusty Bowers, the Arizona House speaker who testified before the Jan. 6 congressional committee in June. Bowers criticized Trump for trying to pressure state officials into somehow overturning his loss to Biden in Arizona.

Trump also propelled Mark Finchem, another election denier who won the Republican nomination for secretary of state  an office that helps supervise the conduct of elections statewide. Public interest groups say Trump and his allies are trying to place proxies in election administration offices across the country, seeking the power to possibly steal future elections if necessary.

Trump and election offices: 'Rig the system': GOP candidates for secretary of state run on Trump's election denial platform

Election subversion:Voter 'subversion': Trump Republicans push laws to make it easier to change elections, per report

The Tuesday primaries also featured Trump endorsee Blake Masters, who won nomination for the U.S. Senate. Masters, another election denier, faces a tough fall race against incumbent Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly  as do other Trump candidates across the country.

Trump's record is mixed so far

Throughout the year, Trump has scored a number of victories in congressional and legislative races, though he often picks front-runners who were likely to win anyway.

This week's slate of primaries included a bizarre scene in Missouri, where Trump endorsed only "Eric" in a Senate primary, but didn't specify whether he meant Attorney General Eric Schmitt and former Gov. Eric Greitens.

Schmitt, the favorite  and less Trumpy candidate  won handily.

Backing 'Eric:'Donald Trump endorses 'Eric' in Missouri Senate race - but doesn't say which one

A previous reversal:Trump called Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp a 'turncoat' and fought to defeat him. Here's why he won anyway.

The former Republican president has also suffered setbacks.

In Georgia, Gov. Brian Kemp and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger survived Trump's revenge tour, as did Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina. Trump candidates could not get over the top in gubernatorial primaries in Nebraska and Idaho.

Week after week, primary after primary, Trump has achieved a mixed record  and these are in Republican primaries.

Trump's support will be a major issue in the fall, and Democrats believe he will be a net negative for Republicans.

In Georgia, Trump-backed Herschel Walker is in a tight race with incumbent Democrat Raphael Warnock. Polls show the Trump-backed Senate candidate in Pennsylvania, Dr. Mehmet Oz, trailing his Democratic opponent, Lt. Gov. John Fetterman.

Masters and Ohio Senate candidate J.D. Vance also face tough races.

Any of these contests could decide the fate of a Senate split 50-50 between the parties. Democrats control the chamber because of the tie-breaking vote by Vice President Kamala Harris.

"I think Trump gave the Democrats a gift backing Walker, Oz, Masters and Vance," said Ron Filipkowski, a Florida Democrat who tracks the former president and his political movement. "Those seats should all be R wins this cycle, but his choices could sink the ship."

Trump and the Republicans say issues like inflation, gas prices, and Biden's performance in office will power them to victories across the country, just as on Tuesday.

"Ran the entire board!" Trump said.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump: Primaries show ex-president retains control over Republicans
The contentious race for Republican Central Committee Chairperson for St. Francois Township concluded Tuesday nights primary election with incumbent Chuck Dodson unofficially declared the winner.

Dodson received 1,362 votes, 46% of the total votes for the countys Republican Central Committee, compared to challenger Ben Bradleys 986 votes (33.3%) and challenger Kyle Smiths 584 votes (19.7%). The write-in candidate or candidates garnered 29 votes, or 1% of the total votes cast in the race.

According to one of the candidates who was interviewed prior to election night, this was the first time since the 1980s that the Republican Central Committee has held a contested race, and the campaigns took on a decidedly passionate, often negative tone.

Dodson has been active in the RCC since 2016 and said he plans to continue helping the fight to keep St. Francois County  and Missouri in general  a red state.

I guess the only thing I've got to add is that I think honesty, integrity and hard work are rewarded and that's what people in St. Francois County are looking for, he said. My goal is to help get the U.S. Senate candidate elected.

St. Francois County voters who chose the Republican ballot overwhelmingly elected Eric Schmitt with almost 50% of the vote from a field of 21 Republican candidates for U.S. Senate. Dodson indicated Tuesday night he thought that might be the trend for Missouri. The Missouri attorney general attended a rally in Engler Park on Saturday, welcomed by County Clerk Kevin Engler and State Rep. Mike Henderson.

Resigned Missouri governor Eric Greitens came away with 23.3% of St. Francois County votes on the Republican ballot for U.S. Senate. Vicky Hartzler received 12.08% of the vote and Mark McCloskey received 6.66% of the vote on the Republican ticket.

Members of the St. Francois County Republican Central Committee are elected to two-year term, to serve as the local tier of the Missouri Republican Party. Each of St. Francois Countys eight townships is represented by a committeeperson, and all eight members are charged with facilitating Republican placement in political positions on the county and state level.

The committee makes recommendations when elected seats become vacant mid-term, such as when Associate Circuit Court Judge Joe Goff resigned last year to pursue private practice. The Republican Central Committee interviewed candidates for the governor at the county level and put Brice Sechrests name forward. The governor approved the appointment in August.

The committee also serves as an election campaign headquarters, which it staffs and finds locations to promote the Republican statewide candidates with election materials. They purchase signs for Republican candidates on the federal level, as well.

Circuit Clerk

Kristina Bone will be the next St. Francois County Circuit Clerk.

Bone, with 3,795 votes or 53.69%, won against Elaine Easter, who received 3,273 votes or 46.31%. The Republican candidates were not facing an opponent in the November election.

Current Circuit Clerk Vicki Weible was not seeking another term.

Bone has resided in Farmington for the last 33 years, and is married to Clifton Bone, a Farmington Police sergeant. Together the couple has three children and four grandchildren.

During her time at the courthouse of more than 19 years, she has worked in the civic department of the circuit clerks office, and for the past few years has been a supervisor. Having worked under Weible her entire carrier and having been mentored by Weible, Bone feels as though she is ready to take the lead at the courthouse.

Bone aims for a smooth transition when the time comes, especially since a new program is currently being learned.

We are learning a new program, and theres a lot to learn that isnt processed yet, said Bone.

Another important issue Bone hopes to tackle is adding the ability to get passports at the courthouse. It used to be possible to get a passport at the courthouse, but the pandemic put a stop to the service.

I know how essential  how much it is needed for the community, its been difficult for them and I hope to look into the passports, Bone explained.

Bone cited her husband as her biggest fan, and had help throughout the election time from her family and friends.

This is exciting, and were all here tickled to death," she said Tuesday night.
JEFFERSON CITY  Republican Attorney General Eric Schmitt and Democrat Trudy Busch Valentine took early leads in their party primaries for U.S. Senate on Tuesday as elections officials began reporting results.

Schmitt had amassed about 43% of the Republican primary vote in the race to succeed U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt. His closest competitors, former Gov. Eric Greitens and U.S. Rep. Vicky Hartzler, were trailing, with Hartzler taking 27% and Greitens winning 18% of the vote with 12% of the expected vote in, according to Politico.

On the Democratic side, Trudy Busch Valentine, who had secured the backing of many in the Democratic Party establishment, was leading her closest rival, Marine veteran Lucas Kunce, who on Monday received the endorsement of Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vermont.

With 7% of expected votes in, Valentine was winning 47% of the Democratic vote while Kunce had captured 32%, according to Politico.

Schmitt, the 47-year-old attorney general, portrayed himself as the electable alternative to Greitens in the closing hours of the race, after former President Donald Trump endorsed them both late Monday.

Greitens, after sharing the Trump endorsement with Schmitt, characterized his rival as a RINO, or Republican in Name Only, and a career politician.

Greitens resigned in 2018 after admitting to an affair with his hairdresser and being accused of invasion of primary by the St. Louis circuit attorney. He also faced felony charges connected to a charity donor list his 2016 campaign received.

Schmitt, who dismissed Greitens as a quitter, has cast himself as a conservative fighter, pointing to his list of lawsuits against President Joe Bidens administration and actions against local governments and school districts.

The attorney generals actions appealed to Joel Gilson, 40, of Jefferson City, who said he voted for Schmitt in the primary. He actually is doing his job, Gilson said. He went against the mask mandates.

At 7:30 p.m. at the EPIC Empowerment campus in Chesterfield, Greitens supporters were gathered amid a slew of reporters and cameramen awaiting results.

Even though Greitens has lost key supporters  including his wife and former campaign manager  during his years of scandal, at least one former cabinet member from his administration showed up at the ex-governor's watch party.

Hes the same Eric I went to work for, said Drew Juden, 65, who served as director of the Department of Public Safety under Greitens. What you see is what you get. It's a shame that some people have chosen to attack him unjustly.

Theres a need for him, to have a true military person that would help get the funding for things we need, and know what we need to keep us safe, said Ralph Turney, 85, of St. Charles, chairman of a global holding company.

Steve Nickel, 67, of the Sappington area of south St. Louis County, was among the crowd who showed up Tuesday for Greitens election night party.

I think hes going to take it, Nickel said. I am really not worried.

Nickel, a retired small business owner and Eagle Scout who voted for Barack Obama and Donald Trump, said he volunteered for the Greitens campaign, the first time hed put his own shoulder to the political wheel since Ross Perot ran for president.

Grassroots, Nickel said from under a black cowboy hat. I dont care for these politicians who are in it for themselves.

On the Democratic side, Zachary Stickann, 43, of Jefferson City, cast his vote for Lucas Kunce, about a mile away from where Kunce grew up in a forgotten house that has featured in his campaign. His wife, Laura Stickann, 43, voted for Spencer Toder.

Im not going to vote for an heiress if thats one of their main claims to fame, he said, referring to Valentine, daughter of beer baron August Gussie Busch, who died in 1989.

She also didnt do hardly any campaigning, said Laura Stickann, also 43.

I think hes a breath of fresh air, Stickann said of Toder. It would be wonderful if he would win the primary; I dont know if he will. I dont know that enough people know about him.
CGTN: US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in a statement on the night of August 2 that Our congressional delegations visit to Taiwan honors Americas unwavering commitment to supporting Taiwans vibrant democracy. Americas solidarity with the 23 million people of Taiwan is more important today than ever, as the world faces a choice between autocracy and democracy. Do you have any comment?

Hua Chunying: The issue of her visit is not about democracy, but Chinas sovereignty and territorial integrity. What she has done is definitely not about upholding or defending democracy, but a provocation and infringement on Chinas sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Many people have hit the nail in their comments about the visit. They pointed out that Pelosis dangerous provocation is all about making personal political gains. It is a sheer ugly political farce. In this ugly stunt, democracy has been reduced to nothing more than a cheap tool and a pretext constantly used by the US. While Pelosi is the one staging this grandstanding act, it is the China-US relationship and the peace and stability in the region that are taking the toll.

The kind of democracy Pelosi refers to is like nothing but an ornate robe with lice crawling all over it. It might look magnificent from a distance, but couldnt stand up to close scrutiny. From the Capitol riot, the death of George Floyd, the Robb Elementary School shooting and Americas over a million COVID deaths, we see the hypocrisy and cold-bloodedness of the kind of democracy Pelosi refers to. We see the empty pledge and so-called strength of this type of democracy from what the US military has done in Iraq and Syria and from its retreat from Kabul.

Being the number three figure in the US government, Pelosi has been spending taxpayer money and flying to Taiwan on US military aircraft to pull a political stunt, while problems with US democracy keep piling up. Her behavior of violating the international law and basic norm in international relations and jeopardizing other countries internal affairs, sovereignty and territorial integrity would only open up peoples eyes about the hypocrisy and ugliness of the US and further bankrupt the USs credibility as a country. As US Republican Congresswoman Majorie Greene has tweeted, Pelosi is not staying in America and solving problems afflicting our people and she is obsessed with her own power shes held for decades while our entire country crumbles ... enough with this fake courage defending democracy.

I would also like to remind Pelosi that she is pitting herself against a nation with one-fifth of the worlds population and making a provocation to the more than 1.4 billion Chinese people. People will not be fooled. Public opinion cannot be defied. Will Pelosi go down in history with a favorable or foul reputation for her stunt? Im sure history will give a fair answer.

AFP: State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said today that China will punish those who provoke China. Can you tell us what further punishment is planned?

Hua Chunying: China will do everything necessary to firmly uphold its sovereignty and territorial integrity. All consequences arising therefrom shall be borne by the US side and the Taiwan independence separatist forces. We mean what we say. I would like to kindly ask you for some additional patience and confidence.

Phoenix TV: We have seen a Washington Post Op-Ed by Speaker Nancy Pelosi, saying that the US cannot stand by in the face of violation of the rights of ethnic minorities in Xinjiang and Tibet. Do you have any comment?

Hua Chunying: Pelosi says that the US cannot stand by. Then why has she been standing by when it comes to the domestic problems in her own country?

She is being oblivious to the plethora of problems within her country. She does not care about the livelihoods and wellbeing of her fellow Americans. But she has been pulling political stunts and repeating what has been proven countless times to be the lie of the century. This is a typical example of you cant wake a person who is pretending to be asleep. It puts the hypocrisy and ugliness of some US politicians on full display and reveals their sinister motive of using human rights as a pretext to interfere in other countries internal affairs, undermine Chinas stability and contain Chinas development.

Global Times: On Pelosis visit to Taiwan, US officials now try to justify it and even to shift blame. For example, White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said that China tries to turn what is in the historical norm into a crisis and is the one whod be escalating. National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications at the White House John Kirby said that this visit doesnt violate the USs one-China policy. Whats your comment?

Hua Chunying: I think you summed it up quite well. The US officials are simply trying to say anything to explain the visit away. They have even put the blame on us like a thief crying Stop thief! This reflects the lack of credibility, knowledge about history and self-reflection on the part of the US government. As an old Chinese saying goes, A mans troubles lie in reading too little about history. It is high time that the US officials caught up on the history of the Taiwan question.

There is only one China in the world, and Taiwan is part of China. The Government of the Peoples Republic of China is the sole legal government representing the entire China. This is at the heart of the one-China principle and also a universal consensus of the international community and a basic norm in international relations. In October 1971, the 26th Session of the United Nations General Assembly adopted Resolution 2758, which decides to restore all its rights to the Peoples Republic of China and to recognize the representatives of its Government as the only legitimate representatives of China to the United Nations, and to expel forthwith the representatives of Chiang Kai-shek from the place which they unlawfully occupy at the United Nations and in all the organizations related to it. A total of 181 countries, including the US, have established diplomatic ties with China on the basis of the one-China principle.

Historically, the Taiwan question once represented the main roadblock to the normalization of China-US relations. China stood firm on the one-China principle and would not make any compromise or concession on that issue. In 1971, the US affirmed to China the new principles that it would follow with regard to the Taiwan question. They include, the US would acknowledge that there is only one China in the world and Taiwan is a part of China; the US would not repeat the phrase that the status of Taiwan is undetermined; the US had not supported, and would not support movements for Taiwan independence. When President Nixon visited China in 1972, he reaffirmed those principles to Premier Zhou Enlai, and hence the Shanghai Communique.

And in that Communique, the US made it very clear that the United States acknowledges that all Chinese on either side of the Taiwan Strait maintain there is but one China and that Taiwan is a part of China. The United States Government does not challenge that position. These US commitments led to the start of the process toward normalization of China-US relations. According to the Joint Communique on the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations between the United States of America and the Peoples Republic of China released in 1978, the US recognizes the Government of the Peoples Republic of China as the sole legal Government of China and acknowledges the Chinese position that there is but one China and Taiwan is part of China. And in the August 17 Joint Communique of 1982, the US side made it clear that the United States of America recognized the Government of the Peoples Republic of China as the sole legal Government of China, and it acknowledged the Chinese position that there is but one China and Taiwan is part of China. Also in that communique, the US reiterates that it has no intention of infringing on Chinese sovereignty and territorial integrity, or interfering in Chinas internal affairs, or pursuing a policy of two Chinas or one China, one Taiwan. It is based on those three Joint Communiques that our ties with the US have generally achieved stable development in the past 40-plus years.

However, in recent years, the US has not matched its words with deeds. It has been distorting, altering, obscuring, and hollowing out the one-China principle and trying to cross red lines and pushing the boundaries. It has used all means to play the Taiwan cardand mischaracterized the one-China policy by claiming that the unilaterally concocted Taiwan Relations Act and Six Assurancesare also part of what guides the policy. The US has even at one point dropped key formulations such as Taiwan is part of China from the website of the State Department. The US has also brazenly sought to upgrade US-Taiwan exchanges, intensify arms sales to Taiwan and embolden the Taiwan independence separatist activities.

The US government was supposed to rein in the attempt to visit Taiwan by its third highest-ranking member. However, the US government has connived at her provocation. This is the root cause and truth behind the tensions in the Taiwan Strait.

The historical ins and outs of the Taiwan question are crystal-clear, so are the facts and status quo that the two sides of the Taiwan Strait belong to one and the same China. The international community knows it too. Over the past few days, many leaders around the world and people from different walks of life have voiced their opposition to the visit. The spokesperson of the UN Secretary-General has just said that the policy of the UN on this issue is guided by General Assembly Resolution 2758 from 1971 on one China. Clearly, people with a sense of justice can easily tell right from wrong.

The position of the Chinese government and Chinese people on the Taiwan question is consistent. Resolutely safeguarding Chinas sovereignty and territorial integrity is the firm will of the more than 1.4 billion Chinese people. To achieve Chinas full reunification is the shared aspiration and sacred duty of all Chinese people. Public opinion will not be defied, and the trend of the times cannot be reversed. No country, force or individual shall misestimate the firm resolve, strong will and great capability of the Chinese Government and people to defend state sovereignty and territorial integrity and to achieve national reunification and rejuvenation.

Bloomberg: Just to follow up on the possible countermeasures that you mentioned. Can you elaborate a little bit on whether there will be sanctions directly on Taiwan? Will there be sanctions on Nancy Pelosi as an individual and on other US officials?

Hua Chunying: In disregard of Chinas strong opposition and serious representations, Speaker Pelosi visited Chinas Taiwan region. This is a serious violation of the one-China principle and the provisions of the three China-US Joint Communiques. It has a severe impact on the political foundation of China-US relations, and seriously infringes upon Chinas sovereignty and territorial integrity. It gravely undermines peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, and sends a seriously wrong signal to the separatist forces for Taiwan independence. Last night, Chinas Foreign Ministry, the National Peoples Congress, the Chinese Peoples Political Consultative Conference, the Taiwan Work Office of the CPC Central Committee and the Ministry of National Defense immediately issued statements or remarks to condemn the visit. Vice Foreign Minister Xie Feng summoned US Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns at once. Chinese Ambassador to the US Qin Gang immediately made serious representations to the White House National Security Council and also the State Department. This morning, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi issued remarks on this.

China will do everything necessary to firmly defend our sovereignty and territorial integrity. All consequences arising therefrom shall be borne by the US side and Taiwan independence separatist forces. We mean what we say. As for the specific countermeasures that you are interested to know, what I can say is that what needs to be done will be done and these measures will be resolute, strong and effective. They will be continuously felt by the US side and Taiwan independence forces.

And also, I wish to stress that if we look back at each provocation the US has made against China, we can see that they have invariably disgraced and backfired on the US itself. The most recent example is when Pelosi and some others incited riots and violence in Hong Kong, calling them a beautiful sight to behold. That, however, gave more reason to expeditiously end chaos, and restore order and prosperity in Hong Kong. The city, known as the Pearl of the Orient, regained its vigor and charm. This visit by Pelosi to Taiwan is no exception. For people like Pelosi, their futile attempt to collude with the Taiwan independence forces and use the Taiwan question to contain China and undermine Chinas sovereignty and territorial integrity will not stop, but only accelerate the historic process of Chinas reunification.

As State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi has said, the US has reneged on its commitments on the Taiwan question, openly played with fire and pitted itself against the 1.4 billion Chinese people. None of this will end well.

CCTV: In response to a question concerning US House Speaker Pelosis visit to Taiwan, Stephane Dujarric, Spokesman for the UN Secretary-General, said that the policy of the United Nations on this issue is that we are guided by General Assembly Resolution 2758 from 1971 on one China. At the same time, we also see that many countries and fair-minded people in the US have voiced support for China, including the renowned American columnist Thomas L. Friedman, who called Pelosis visit utterly reckless and irresponsible. He noted that Taiwan will not be more secure or more prosperous as a result of this purely symbolic visit, and a lot of bad things could happen. Whats your comment?

Hua Chunying: Following the visit by Speaker Pelosi to the Taiwan region, within less than a day, people of different ranks and backgrounds from more than 100 countries and international organizations have spoken up in various ways to condemn her wrong, foolish and insane decision and express their support for the one-China principle and for Chinas legitimate efforts to uphold its sovereignty and territorial integrity. Their voice for justice has truly touched us.

Let me just give you a few examples. The Press Secretary of the President of Russia, the Spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry, the Russian Foreign Ministry, Deputy Chairman of Russias Security Council, and Deputy Chairman for the Federal Assembly of Russia have stated that Russia firmly adheres to the one-China principle, opposes any form of Taiwan independence, supports Chinas right to do everything necessary to defend Chinas sovereignty and territorial integrity on the Taiwan question. The statement of the Foreign Ministry of Belarus said that Speaker Pelosis visit to Taiwan is an obdurate and irresponsible act of the US; that Belarus fully understands Chinas concerns about the USs interference in Chinas internal affairs and the escalated tensions across the Taiwan Strait as a result of it; and that Belarus supports Chinas measures to realize national reunification. The Spokesperson for the DPRK Foreign Ministry said that the USs interference in others internal affairs is contemptible, and constitutes deliberate political and military provocations and the root cause for the disruption to peace and security in the region; that the DPRK strongly condemns any foreign interference in the Taiwan question, which is Chinas internal affair; that the DPRK fully supports the just position of the Chinese government to resolutely defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity; and that the USs attempt to hold back Chinas development and reunification will surely be resolutely thwarted. Irans Foreign Ministry Spokesperson said in a statement that the US is interfering in Chinas internal affairs and undermining Chinas sovereignty and territorial integrity; and that the visit is another example of the USs policy of interfering in other countries internal affairs and the way the US conducts its foreign policy, which will only further undermine regional peace and stability. The Syrian Foreign Ministrys statement said that Syria condemns in the strongest language the USs unprecedented ratcheted-up actions and provocation policy against China; that Pelosis visit to Taiwan is against international law; and that this irresponsible behavior reflects the USs commitment to disrupting peace and stability of the region and the world and serious harm to world peace and security. The Palestinian Presidency released a statement calling for halting any actions that run contrary to the one-China principle while affirming Chinas right to defend its sovereign, security and development interests. Nicaraguas President Daniel Ortega has issued a statement saying that when Speaker Pelosi flies on a military aircraft into the Taiwan region, it constitutes an invasion; and that such provocations will only make China stronger. Nicaraguas Foreign Ministry also released a statement saying that Nicaragua supports Chinas efforts to uphold sovereignty and territorial integrity and the government of Nicaragua urges the US to stop provocations. The Foreign Minister of Trinidad and Tobago openly reaffirmed commitment to the one-China principle. The Foreign Ministry of the Laos issued a statement that said it reaffirms its support for the one-China principle, opposition to any intention aiming at creating a situation for two Chinas or one China, one Taiwan and support for Chinas reunification by peaceful means. The royal family of Cambodia said on social media that there is only one China and Taiwan is a province of China. The Spokesperson of the UN Secretary-General reiterated the UNs commitment to the one-China principle, which was laid down in Resolution 2758 adopted by the 26th General Assembly in 1971. The office of the leading Assistant Secretary-General of the League of Arab States (LAS) put out a statement on the official LAS website stressing that the one-China principle should be complied with, that it opposes actions that violate relevant UN resolutions and undermine regional peace and stability, and that the Arab League supports Chinas sovereignty and territorial integrity and firmly upholds the one-China principle. Main political parties in Tunisia said on social media platforms that no country has the right to interfere in Chinas internal affairs and Pelosis visit will only further damage the image of the US. It also believes that the US has made its fortune by plundering other countries. When it cannot win through fair competition, it would play disgraceful gambits like this. This is nothing surprising.

In addition to that, we have seen statements from government officials including former political leaders and people from all walks of life in many countries. For instance, Max Baucus, who used to be the US Ambassador to China, said that We are playing with fire when we get pretty close to the line, and Pelosi is pushing us much, much closer to recognizing Taiwan as an independent country. And once we get there, were going to pay a price. People from Egypt, South Africa, Madagascar, and All-Africa China Association for Peaceful Reunification of China have also spoken up on this. And also Suddeutsche Zeitung from Germany, Neue Zurcher Zeitung from Switzerland, Al Arabiya in Saudi Arabia, Prensa Latina, and other news agencies from many countries including the Bahamas have said that Speaker Pelosis visit will trigger regional instability; the USs claim of not changing the status-quo across the Taiwan Strait is not convincing at all. The USs provocative activities are intended to create tension at Chinas doorstep and hinder Chinas development. This will only worsen the turbulent international situation, which is already suffering from the Ukraine crisis and the COVID pandemic. Also, , a news outlet in Uzbekistan noted in a commentary that the visit by Speaker Pelosi is about provoking China against the backdrop of a downward economy in the US, which is very unwise. A survey conducted by the online newspaper udn.com in Taiwan found more than two thirds of the people in Taiwan not supportive of Speaker Pelosis visit to Taiwan, saying that it will only undermine peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.

The fact that so many have spoken up for justice is a clear indication that people in the international community are clear-eyed about the nature and intention of the visit. The visit is an ugly political stunt. It will not change the historical and legal reality that Taiwan belongs to China. It will not stop the reunification course of China and will not change the fact that 181 countries in the world recognize and support the one-China principle.

Shenzhen TV: According to reports, the Kosovo authorities recently decided to issue RKS license plates for Serbs in Kosovo, and to grant temporary documents to people entering Kosovo holding Serbian IDs. This move has ramped up regional tension. What is Chinas comment?

Hua Chunying: On the Kosovo issue, our consistent view is that the best way is for parties concerned to have dialogue and reach a mutually acceptable political solution within the framework of the UN Security Council Resolutions. The sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Serbia should be fully respected, and the parties concerned should continue with practical and constructive dialogue to actively seek a lasting solution to the Kosovo issue.

Reuters: Chinese military said it will carry out targeted military operations in a few areas around Taiwan. Some of these areas encroached into the internal waters of Taiwan, which according to UNCLOS is not allowed. Taiwan said that this endangers their national security and hinders the freedom of navigation protected under international law. Whats your comment on this?

Hua Chunying: On the actions taken by the Chinese military, Im sure you have seen the statements made by the spokespersons of the Ministry of National Defense and the PLA Eastern Theater Command. The actions are aimed at deterring the Taiwan independence forces, so they are legitimate and necessary.

We have never seen any problems with the freedom of navigation in relevant waters. I think what truly needs our attention is how the US military vessels and aircraft would fly thousands of miles all the way from their homeland just to flex muscles at the doorstep of China. And also for the US side, maybe it is better not to mention UNCLOS. If the US wants to mention it, please join UNCLOS now first. Taiwan, being a part of China, has no right to claim internal waters.

CNR: According to reports, with regard to the disposal of nuclear-contaminated water from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said in his speech at the General Debate at the Tenth Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) that, In close cooperation with the international community, including the IAEA, Japan will continue to advance its efforts in a transparent manner in accordance with domestic and international safety standards. Whats your comment?

Hua Chunying: I have noticed relevant reports on this issue. China has made its position very clear many times. We are seriously concerned and firmly opposed to the unilateral decision of the Japanese government to discharge nuclear-contaminated water into the ocean. The Chinese delegation made this position abundantly clear again at the Review Conference of the NPT.

Since that wrong decision of the Japanese government was made in April last year, the international community, including people within Japan, have been questioning and opposing that decision. The international community has a widespread concern that the nuclear-contaminated water could have a negative impact on the marine environment and public health in the countries along the coasts of the Pacific Ocean. They have also been questioning the legitimacy of the discharge plan, the reliability of Japans data, the effectiveness of the purification equipment and the uncertainties about the environmental impact. The IAEA has sent a technical task force twice to Japan. And so far, there has been no conclusive opinion on Japans proposal. They have also made many requests for clarification and recommendations for improvement. Japan is being extremely irresponsible by ignoring the concerns of relevant parties and pushing forward its proposal. We urge Japan to seriously respond to the legitimate concerns of its people and international community, fully honor its due international obligations to have full consultation with stakeholders and relevant international agencies, and find a proper way to treat the nuclear-contaminated water in a scientific, open, transparent and safe way. Until then, Japan should not unilaterally go ahead with the discharge plan.

The Wall Street Journal: Earlier today Speaker Pelosi met with Tsai Chi-chang, who is the Vice President of Taiwans legislature. She spoke about how the US could learn from Taiwan on COVID response. There she said how you address the COVID crisis, how we advance respect for all of the people in our countries as we go forward, appearing to refer to Taiwan as a country. Does China have any response on that?

Hua Chunying: I think you knew full well what the answer would be. Taiwan has never been a country. Both historically and legally, Taiwan has always been a province of China.

AFP: Another question on Chinas military exercises around Taiwan. Japan has said that some of the military drills are taking place in the Japanese exclusive economic zone (EEZ). In holding these exercises so close to Taiwan, including to the east of Taiwan, is China prepared for the situation to escalate if theres a misfiring or a close encounter with other vessels or aircraft?

Hua Chunying: The Chinese military drills in the waters off Chinas Taiwan island are necessary and legitimate both as a response to the major provocation of the US side and the Taiwan independence separatist forces and as a step to firmly uphold Chinas sovereignty and territorial integrity. The relevant Chinese authorities issued safety alerts and navigation warnings before the start of the drills. Since China and Japan have not yet carried out maritime delimitation in relevant waters, China does not accept the notion of so-called Japanese EEZ. The Chinese side urges Japan to uphold the one-China principle and the spirit of the four political documents between the two countries and be prudent on the Taiwan question.

Just now, some of you just mentioned the actions taken by Chinas military, and weve also noted the remarks of the US side on these drills. Id like to say a bit more about this.

Over the past few days, through multiple channels and at various levels, China has been making clear time and again our firm opposition to Pelosis visit to the US side, but apparently the US side and the Taiwan independence separatist forces have not taken the message to heart. In that case, the Chinese side is left with one option only, which is to speak to them in a way that they can understand.

The important thing is, while expressing our serious opposition to Pelosis visit, we need to be absolutely clear that it is the US who is the provocateur, and China the victim. The US side colluded with those in Taiwan and made provocations first, whereas China has been compelled to act in self-defense. The root cause of the tensions in the Taiwan Strait is that the Taiwan authorities have been soliciting US support to seek Taiwan independence, and certain individuals in the US intend to use the Taiwan question to contain China. History and reality have proved time and again that the one-China principle is what underpins peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. When the one-China principle is fully recognized and earnestly followed, the Taiwan Strait would remain calm and tranquil. However, when the one-China principle is willfully challenged or even sabotaged, there would be dark clouds or even violent storms across the Taiwan Strait.

If people truly care about peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, particularly friends from the press, it would be critical for you to send a clear message to the US officials and to Taiwan independence forces about the need to strictly abide by the one-China principle in both words and deeds. That is how we can truly see the peace and stability that people want in the Taiwan Strait.

Reuters: Many Chinese people were disappointed when China did not and could not take more concrete actions to prevent Pelosi from making this visit to Taiwan. On hindsight, should China have done more to guide the public to understand more rationally what is best for the development of US-China relations?

Hua Chunying: The Chinese side has made its serious position clear through statements and actions. Once again, people have seen that certain US politicians would pull self-serving political stunts at the expense of regional peace and stability and the overall interest of China-US relations, whereas Chinas behavior shows its commitment to regional peace and stability as well as its resoluteness in upholding its sovereignty and security interests.

The Chinese side has unwavering resolve and will to uphold Chinas sovereignty, security and territorial integrity. There should be no questions about our strong capability to do so. Our countermeasures will be strong, effective and resolute, which will be felt steadily and continuously by the US side and the Taiwan independence separatists.

The Chinese people are rational patriots. We have full confidence in the ability of our country and our government to firmly defend our sovereignty and territorial integrity. I recommend that you take some time to learn about the century-long history of the Communist Party of China. We have been through all kinds of challenges, havent we? And look how far we have come. We are fully confident in the future ahead of us.

Associated Press of Pakistan: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in a recent meeting with the Chinese Ambassador to Islamabad said his government was committed to unlock full economic and connectivity potential of CPEC. What is your response?

Hua Chunying: We highly appreciate Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharifs statements. He values Pakistans relations with China. And he has reaffirmed many times that Pakistan will push ahead the building of CPEC with new Pakistan speed. After he took office, he has been to the Gwadar port twice, and he has personally chaired meetings with Chinese companies. He has done so much for our practical cooperation. With the guidance of the leaders of both countries and with our concerted efforts, CPEC has taken on a fresh look and many positive progress has been made in advancing the various working groups and projects. China is ready to further implement the understandings between the leaders of our two countries and building on what we have achieved in building and running current projects. We will further focus on industrial development, peoples livelihoods, agriculture, science and technology, and information technology, et cetera, to build CPEC into a demonstration project for high-quality Belt and Road cooperation. This will go a long way in strengthening China-Pakistan relations, building the China-Pakistan community with a shared future, and bringing benefits to the people of the two countries.

O Globo: You just mentioned that the one-China principle is at the very basis of US-China relations. Now that you see this visit of Ms. Pelosi to Taiwan as a serious violation of this principle, do you see the need of seeking fundamental changes in this relation between the US and China?

Hua Chunying: The one-China principle is the most important political prerequisite and foundation for establishing and developing diplomatic relations with all countries, including the US. The one-China principle is what has underpinned the overall stable development of the relationship between China and US over the past 40-plus years. And I think that the overwhelming majority of people in the US and elsewhere hope to see a sound and stable China-US relationship. Any responsible government would be willing to follow the trend of history and to listen to the will of the people.

What the US needs to do is stop trying to hollow out and obscure the one-China principle and not continue down the wrong path.

China always follows the principles of mutual respect and win-win cooperation in developing friendly relations with the US and other countries. Nevertheless, on the one-China principle and issues about sovereignty and territorial integrity, which are Chinas core interests, there is no room for us to concede or compromise. We hope the US side would clearly get that.

AFP: Chinas Customs Administration said today that it would suspend certain imports from Taiwan over health and safety issues. A number of other Taiwan imports were also blocked earlier this week despite having the required documentation. Can you clarify if these suspensions are intended also to punish Taiwan for Pelosis visit?

Hua Chunying: I would like to refer you to the competent authorities about your specific questions. But one thing is for sure: the US side and the Taiwan independence separatist forces must take the responsibility and pay the price for their wrong actions.

CCTV: Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune said in an interview that his country could join BRICS and it meets a good part of the criteria for joining the bloc. Do you have any comment?

Hua Chunying: Since the inception of the BRICS mechanism, it has been closely tied with the future of the emerging markets and developing countries. Today, as the world faces a complex situation, including once-in-a-century changes, an ongoing pandemic and international hotspots, it is important for BRICS countries to strengthen cooperation with other emerging markets and developing countries so that we can be united and work together to address the difficulties and challenges that we face. And this will help us achieve development and prosperity together.

In recent years, Algeria and some other countries have expressed their willingness to join BRICS. China is this years BRICS chair and we actively support the launch of the expansion process of BRICS countries and efforts to expand BRICS-plus cooperation. At the 14th BRICS Summit held at the end of June, the leaders of the five BRICS countries unanimously spoke on this issue and expressed support for discussions on expansion criteria and procedures. We will work with other BRICS countries to steadily advance this process so that more partners can join in the BRICS family at an early date.

TASS: Germanys Foreign Minister reportedly said at a UN meeting that if the mainland invades Taiwan, Germany will give support to Taiwan. Does the foreign ministry have any comment on this?

Hua Chunying: I assume you are referring to the remarks made by the German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock at the Review Conference of the NPT. Her indication that China broke international law and attacked its smaller neighbor lacks basic knowledge of history and does not square with facts.

The historical ins and outs and legal facts about the Taiwan question are crystal clear. No individual or force can deny or distort them. I do not have to go far back into history to find an example. Around the end of the Second World War, the Cairo Declaration of 1943 and the Potsdam Proclamation of 1945 were very clear about Chinas rights over Taiwan. All the territories Japan has stolen from the Chinese, including Taiwan and Penghu Islands, shall be restored to China. The UNGA Resolution 2758 of 1971 decided to restore all these rights to the PRC and reaffirmed the one-China principle.

The Taiwan question is Chinas internal affair. Some people compare Ukraine to Taiwan in order to twist the logic and mislead public perceptions. This constitutes interference in Chinas domestic affair and we will definitely not accept that.

The one-China principle is a universally recognized norm in international relations and the political foundation and fundamental prerequisite for Chinas relations with other countries. Violating that principle will undermine bilateral relations. We hope Germany will have an objective and accurate understanding of the Taiwan question and be careful with getting swayed by the US. We hope Germany will keep its commitment to the one-China policy with concrete action and act prudently on Taiwan-related issues.
Republican voters in St. Francois County who cast their ballots in Tuesday's primary election selected incumbent Judge Patrick L. King as the party's candidate for Associate Circuit Judge Division 4.

In the upcoming general election on Nov. 8, King will be the only Associate Circuit Judge Division 4, candidate appearing on the ballot and so he has captured the seat, since no other candidates from other parties are seeking the office.

King secured the election with 5,229 votes (69.86%), defeating his challenger Julie McCarver, who received 2,256 votes (30.14%).

King expressed appreciation for all the voters who supported him in this election.

"I am extremely grateful to the people of St. Francois County," he said. "I told them that I had kept their faith and I'd earned their trust, and they put their faith in me for another four years. And I am extremely grateful, and I will work every day to continue to deserve their trust."

King said he could not have won the election without the efforts of the many people around him.

"So many people worked on this," he noted. "It's just been fantastic. I'm thrilled with the results, and I am proud and pleased for my team that worked so hard.

"I think about all the friends and all the folks that we met throughout this campaign and how wonderful everybody was. It was just wonderful. I'm just so grateful. I'm grateful to everyone for their vote and for their confidence."
A solo rollover crash north of Albany left a Marion County man dead on Tuesday afternoon, Aug. 2.

Jay Ward, 46, of Salem, was driving a white box truck northbound on Interstate 5. His vehicle left the roadway onto the median shoulder "for unknown reasons" and rolled several times before coming to rest, according to an Oregon State Police news release.

Oregon State Police, assisted by Albany Fire Department and the Oregon Department of Transportation, responded to the crash around 1:15 p.m. and pronounced Ward dead at the scene.

A passenger, identified as Davis Ward, 20, of Salem, was taken to the hospital in critical condition.
Disappointed by a lack of support from council members for hiring retirees, Corvallis City Manager Mark Shepard warned that staff has a breaking point. The city is short-staffed and looking for solutions.

You have excellent staff, Shepard said at the City Council meeting Monday, Aug. 1. This was an easy opportunity to show support for your staff.

He councilors didn't, and it almost brought him to tears.

Corvallis and other Oregon cities were asked to pick five priorities for the League of Oregon Cities, which represents cities in Salem, to focus on in 2023. The League of Oregon Cities provides advocacy, training and information to city governments.

Among the priorities is an item known as return to work, which would allow retired employees to continue to rejoin the public sector without compromising their pensions.

Public Employees Retirement System retirees are currently allowed to return to work without suffering a tax or pension penalty until 2024.

Hiring retirees allows employers to fill government vacancies while not paying pension and other costs in times of both fiscal hardships and workforce scarcity, according to the League of Oregon Cities. The sunset on the current setup was established as part of a compromise PERS reform package passed in 2017.

At some time, this organization will break, Shephard said, his voice cracking with emotion. And we will not be able to respond, not only to requests from the council but to deliver basic services. I feel very badly for our staff.

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The council voted unanimously on four of the five priorities determined by the city legislative committee: local funding to address homelessness; addressing shortcomings of Measure 110; building decarbonization, efficiency and modernization; and marijuana taxes.

When it came to the fifth choice there were three options: return to work, continue investments in renewable energy, and economic development incentives. Citing a community survey ranking safety as the top concern, Shepard recommended return to work make the council's Top 5 priorities, according to a city document.

Return to work legislation would help keep vital city operations functioning, Shepard wrote in the document, adding that recruitment and retention of employees is extremely difficult across all sectors as the city is seeing firsthand. The labor market is tight, and it is anticipated to remain so, he wrote.

The city currently has 56 vacancies, and several departments currently rely upon retirees to fill vacant positions to facilitate base city functions, Shepard wrote.

There was no motion from the council regarding return to work.

A vote for continuing investments in renewable energy failed 3-5, supported by Councilors Charlyn Ellis, Gabe Shepherd and Charles Maughan. A subsequent vote for economic development incentives passed 7-1, opposed by Councilor Jan Napack. Councilor Andrew Struthers was absent.

Speaking by phone, Shepard said there was little to no support from the council for prioritizing return to work. Only Councilor Jan Napack spoke out in favor of the legislative recommendation. Shepard said hes concerned about the long-term health and viability of city services.

Were not going to be able to do our daily tasks of running the city if we continue to chase every idea and desire out there, Shepard said.

Perhaps adding insult to injury, the council added to staffs workload with requests related to a Green New Deal resolution and mixed-use zoning. Shepard said hes been talking with the council about staffs capacity to support day-to-day business; hes worried about additional work requests from the council and community.

Its a continuing issue where engaged and well-meaning community members seek additional action and services from the city, and there is no more capacity, he said. My desire is to educate the council on those stressors, so they can be an ally with staff in managing those expectations.

Retirees are a good option to fill staffing holes, Shepard added, noting theyre familiar with the organization and the work. While some comments were made at the meeting about double-dipping (earning retirement income while working), he said its no different than hiring someone who retired from the military or another state.

Shepard said: Theres no additional cost to the city, so it really is just a matter of being able to continue to function and provide service to the community.

The League of Oregon Cities likely will pursue right to work just the same, but where it lands on the priority list for the lobbying organization will be based on how other cities weigh in on the matter.
Sweet Homes population is growing and speculated to reach 10,000 people, as residents search for affordability and a small town atmosphere.

Bordering the Willamette National Forest and Foster Lake, Sweet Homes basin-like valley has a history tied to logging. But with the closure of the saw mills, and jobs lost, a lot of residents left in the 1980s, according to records provided by the Sweet Home genealogical society.

Since then, people are coming back to Sweet Home, and forecasters predict it will reach 10,000 people sometime in 2025.

Ninety-one-year-old Carla Healy remembers what Sweet Home was like when she was a teenager in the 1940s. She and her friends would bike and walk everywhere they went, read together at the library and sat up on high stools drinking milkshakes at the local drug store.

I always just loved it here, she said with a smile as she ran her hands across old black and white photographs of her town. Nestled between the shelves of the Sweet Home Genealogical Societys books and records, she sits down in a room named after her  a nod to her work as a librarian.

But a lot has changed since she first arrived at 15 years old: more cars, more houses and more people, she said. But Healy doesnt mind.

I think its a good thing, people are friendly here, she said. She believes having a place where people know each other has drawn people to Sweet Home.

That small town atmosphere is only part of the reason, according to Community and Economic Development Director Blair Larsen.

Most Oregon cities are growing, he said, but what makes Sweet Home particularly attractive is its affordable housing and nearby amenities, like Foster Lake and the Willamette National Forest.

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During the pandemic, many people transitioned to remote work, and there was a desire to live in more rural areas, Larsen said.

Forecasters at Portland State Population Research Center predict Sweet Home will reach 10,000 residents by 2025. Predictions are formed by looking at birth and death rates as well as migration at the county level and survey responses to determine housing, according to Ethan Sharygin, director of the Population Research Center.

When it comes to the significance of reaching 10,000 people, Sharygin said, you have to think about the infrastructure and development to support a growing population.

Population growth can change how a city was planned, compared to the last 20-30 years, Cindy Chen, a population forecast manager at Portland State, said.

Despite what academicians prognosticate, Larsen believes Sweet Home already has reached the five digits.

In 2020, the census reported 9,828 people in Sweet Home, and since then, theres been a lot of development, he said. Apartment complexes and subdivisions for single family housing have been approved, and some are already housing tenants.

Theres no slowdown on building permits, he said.

Twisting the cinematic theme of "Field of Dreams," Sweet Home is proof that if people come, developers will build the amenities, Larsen said. Plans are underway for more health care services, including, memory care, assisted living facilities, clinics and a Samaritan care facility.

And when it comes to basic needs, like water, Larsen isnt worried. Its just a matter of connecting new development to existing development, he added.

Once that water is consumed, however, is another matter. There is some concern about wastewater overflowing during storm events, Larsen acknowledged. He hopes to finish the water equalization project in the next couple years to accommodate for the citys next 20 years of growth.

There are also plans to make Sweet Home a more walkable city, Larsen said. He hopes to increase bike and pedestrian access.

For Angela Thoma, president of the Sweet Home Genealogical Society, it will need more infrastructure to draw people to Sweet Home.

The best thing that can happen to Sweet Home is to have the businesses filled, Thoma said.

Buildings need to be open to renters to support the towns economy, she said.

Larsen is optimistic this will happen.

I am very positive about meeting the needs and demands, Larsen said.

Larsen believes Sweet Home has the infrastructure to support its growing population, and that there is a desire for growth.

And for Carla Healy, shes happy to welcome newcomers to the town she has called home for over 75 years.

Editor's note: This article has been edited to correct the attribution of a quote.

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As members of a House committee visited Portland and Oregon on Tuesday, Aug. 2, they hoped to take back some ideas for Congress to advance the growing political momentum for national action on climate change.

The three members, including Oregon's Suzanne Bonamici, got a look at battery-powered heavy trucks and buses. They also saw the supercharging station known as Electric Island, set up last year by Portland General Electric near the Daimler Trucks North America plant in North Portland.

They also stopped at Marine Terminal 2 at the Port of Portland, which with the Oregon Mass Timber Coalition hopes to convert to a modular production facility for mass timber for use in multifamily housing and commercial buildings.

The House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis scheduled a hearing Aug. 3 in Astoria, part of the 1st District that Bonamici, a Democrat from Beaverton, represents in northwest Oregon.

Chairwoman Kathy Castor said it was only coincidental that the visit took place just days after record-high heat affected much of Oregon, 13 months after a similar four-day siege resulted in around 100 deaths.

"This is a place we've been wanting to come for well over a year," said Castor, an eight-term Democrat from Florida who represents Tampa.

"We have seen the innovative future. It is right here in Portland. It is a model for what is going to happen across America in these partnerships between electric utilities, automobile and truck manufacturers, school districts and local communities to help electrify everything we do in transportation, clean the air and tackle the climate crisis."

Transportation is the largest sector that generates the greenhouse gases responsible for climate change. In addition to an electric tractor and tractor-trailer from Daimler Trucks, on display were electric buses to be used by TriMet and the Beaverton School District.

"We have got to lower our greenhouse gas emissions going into the atmosphere," Castor said. "We think about the cars we drive, but we need to focus especially on fleet vehicles and heavy trucks."

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Bonamici also sits on the Science, Space and Technology Committee and the Education and Labor Committee, where she has advocated for more education and job training to go hand in hand with climate change.

"There are a lot of good jobs involved in this work," she said. "I want to make those jobs available to people who historically have been left behind."

Who spoke?

Castor, Bonamici and Republican Rep. Buddy Carter of Georgia heard from several people:

 Maria Pope, chief executive of PGE, which helped set up Oregon's first supercharging station that allows quicker recharging of batteries used in buses and heavy trucks. Though it's across from Daimler Trucks headquarters, it's also used by others. "You can have many people from across the communities we serve charging here regularly."

 Andy Macklin, who is in charge of PGE's Smart Cities initiative, said it offers lessons for how other such supercharging stations should be built and operated  and how they will fit into demands from regional power grids that connect much of the West.

 Rakesh Aneja, vice president and chief of eMobility for Daimler Trucks, who said, "Portland has become a hub for our electrification activities" with headquarters, engineering, manufacturing and Electric Island all on Swan Island.

He said his company has projected how much power a vastly expanded fleet of battery-powered trucks will need  and where charging stations should be built without overloading the local power grids. "This is too big of a challenge for anyone to do by themselves," he said. "It takes a global village to raise this decarbonization child."

 Sam Desue Jr., general manager of TriMet, whose board in April ordered 24 electric buses from a California manufacturer after having tested five buses, purchased in 2019 with the help of a federal grant and PGE, on Route 62 on Beaverton's Murray Boulevard. Desue said the buses can be recharged overnight, when demand for power is relatively low. "It's critical that we continue that" momentum.

 Craig Beaver, transportation administrator for the Beaverton School District, first in Oregon to use electric buses. Two are in service now, PGE has kicked in money for a third, and six are on order. Beaver said he hopes that 30 will be in service in three years.

"They go out in the morning, come back for a few hours, and then go in the afternoon. Then with an overnight charge, the rates are a lot lower and we are perfectly suited for it," he said. Daily bus routes average about 75 miles; current capacity is about 100 to 150 miles. "We are looking forward to technology getting to the point where we can get 250 to 300 miles out of a (single charge) battery."

What members said

Buddy Carter is one of the seven GOP members of the select committee, which was re-established in 2019 after Democrats reclaimed a majority in the House. (Republicans did away with an earlier committee in 2011). The panel cannot initiate legislation on its own, but in mid-2020, it issued a long list of recommendations for action by Congress.

Carter, a four-term member whose district includes the Georgia coast where he grew up, said he is not among those who deny climate change. He said he associates with the Theodore Roosevelt Caucus, named after the Republican president and conservation champion of the early 20th century.

"I've always said that first of all, climate change is real and we have to address it" through adaptation, mitigation and innovation, Carter said after a tour of Electric Island. "The part I am looking forward to seeing is the innovation that is going on right here. This is a testament to what we can do when we all work together and face an issue."

Most recent public attention has focused on the off-again, on-again talks in the evenly divided Senate over what a pending budget reconciliation measure should include in grants and tax incentives for carbon-free energy and climate change. It's likely to be less than what the Democratic majority in the House passed last year.

"It is an important bill and we are looking forward to watching it progress in the Senate and get to the House in the near future," Bonamici said.

But Bonamici, who has been in the House for more than 10 years, managed to get some of her climate priorities into a larger semiconductor-support measure (HR 4346, known as the CHIPS and Science Act) awaiting the signature of President Joe Biden. Among them: Ocean acidification, regional energy innovation, and enhanced education for science, technology, engineering, the arts and math (STEAM).

Castor said Bonamici has been instrumental in helping secure some of the 750 recommendations that the panel made in 2020. About 400 have been included in bills passed by the House, she said, and 200 passed by both chambers.

Money for climate-change projects was tucked away in a 2020 omnibus measure that Donald Trump signed weeks before he left the presidency, and also in the $2 trillion American Rescue Plan Act and $1 trillion Infrastructure and Jobs Act that Biden signed last year, plus military budgets in the past two years.

"Now we are poised to take another historic step in the most historic investment ever in climate change and energy innovation, if we can get that through the Senate and back through the House," Castor said.

Mass timber

The trio stopped later at the Port of Portland's Marine Terminal 2, where raw logs used to be shipped for manufacturing outside the United States. Now the port and the Oregon Mass Timber Coalition hope to parlay $5 million from the Oregon Legislature, and $500,000 in planning from the U.S. Economic Development Administration, into a federal grant of $100 million to equip a modular manufacturing plant in the terminal. It is among 20 to 30 finalists seeking money under the American Rescue Plan Act.

The new roof for the main terminal at Portland International Airport, which is run by the port, will use 3.3 million board feet of mass timber. That is wood glued together and put under pressure to make a strong building material, similar to (but larger than) cross-laminated timber.

Among the speakers were Curtis Robinhold, the port's executive director; William Silva, operations manager for mass timber at Swinerton, a construction company that used mass timber in building the First Tech Federal Credit Union in Hillsboro in 2018; and Ernesto Fonseca, chief executive of Hacienda Community Development Corp., which has developed housing in North and Northeast Portland and Molalla; plus experts from the Oregon Department of Forestry, Oregon State University and the University of Oregon.

Advocates hope that the use of mass timber will put people back to work in struggling timber-dependent communities, thin Oregon forests in danger of devastating wildfires linked to climate change, and provide a way via modular design to reduce building costs for housing and other projects.
Lebanons fire department has unveiled plans for the building that will replace its nearly 50-year-old headquarters station by early 2024.

Renderings shared by Lebanon Fire District in a July 29 news release show six spacious bays for firetrucks, adjoined offices and a contemporary corrugated metal-and-exposed timbers exterior emblazoned with Station 31 in bright red paint.

Battalion Chief Ken Savage said the district is finalizing building plans and a project timeline, so he couldnt provide a specific estimated cost or start date. But the current station house that provides training, administration and bunks for five or six frontline firefighters will be gone by mid-October, he said.

It was time, Savage said.

The district in 2019 estimated it would need $13.6 million to replace Station 31. Voters narrowly passed a $16-million, 26-year general obligation bond to fund construction.

Savage described the existing station as an amalgam of 13 additions and expansions made in succession as the technology and mission of the district evolved.

Constructed in 1974, the station house lacks accommodations for people with disabilities and likely wouldnt survive an earthquake, Savage said. The district estimated it would cost $2.2 million to retrofit the building and bring it in line with seismic standards.

We didnt even have females in the fire service, Savage said. Thats how long ago it was.

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He said the stations planned replacement doesnt add room for equipment, but adds firefighter bunks and space for administrators. The design improves flow of people through a building that can be a fast-paced environment.

It provides us room for growth, Savage said.

Firefighters will live in modular buildings  removable manufactured housing  and trucks and ambulances will be stationed in a storage building during construction, he said.

The district expects to break ground on the improved Station 31 in late September or early October, Savage said. Cost of construction will depend on how building plans look by the fall.

The more detailed the drawings, the more you can dial in what the exact costs are, he said.

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The Ghanaian National Communications Authority (NCA) has denied media reports claiming it blocked Vodafones proposed sale of its Ghana unit to rival Telecel Group, however it has not approved the transaction either.

The European operator confirmed earlier this week intended to sell off its 70% share in its unit which was originally acquired from the state in 2006 for US$900 million.

The regulator said in a press release it @wishes to state and clarify that the statement is false and should be disregarded as such.

The NCA revealed that it received an application for the transfer of 70% majority shares in Vodafone Ghana to Telecel in January this year, but it did not meet the standards required for approval, reported Comms Update.

After critical regulatory review and evaluation, the NCA concluded that the request did not meet the regulatory threshold for approval to be granted, the NCA said in the statement but did not reveal what criteria Vodafone needed to hit.

Vodafone declined to comment when Developing Telecoms reached out for comment.
Omnichannel messaging services provider Mitto has now attained direct connectivity with all mobile network operators in Argentina following the announcement of its partnership with CATELs MVNO imowi.

By expanding its strategic relationship with operators, Mitto seeks to support companies' omnichannel marketing and growth strategies through fast and efficient message routing. The expansion of Mitto's relationship with operators in Argentina builds on the company's growing ecosystem of operator partners, which drives comprehensive, high-quality customer engagement through omnichannel communications for global brands.

According to the Argentine Chamber of Electronic Commerce (CACE), 77% of Argentine companies saw a 20% increase in online sales in 2021, and it is expected that by the end of 2022, there will be an increase in online demand for products and services. This boom has shown that Argentine companies have the opportunity to reinvent their customer experience strategies to retain current customers, overcome the economic difficulties the region is facing, and achieve continued growth.

Mitto seeks to support the omnichannel growth strategies of companies through messaging routing (social networks, SMS, and WhatsApp) in Argentina, with guaranteed coverage from 100% of operators in the region, where more than 80% of citizens, equivalent to 36 million people own a cell phone.

"Thanks to the continued expansion of our direct connectivity in Argentina, we have never been in a better position to help companies reach their customers in the right way. In such a saturated market, a strong commitment to the customer becomes imperative to achieving success, whether as a local or international company," said Carlos Losada, Mitto's Regional Director for LATAM.

A statement from CATEL noted: imowi is the first national cooperative mobile phone provider with nationwide reach, the fourth carrier in Argentina With Mitto as a partner, international brands will be able to successfully and positively connect with their customers and offer them a reliable and optimal A2P experience.
Two of the partners in what is described as the first subsea cable connecting Latin America with APAC and Oceania have issued a request for proposals (RFP) to begin construction of the estimated 15,000-kilometre Humboldt Cable.

The two companies are Desarrollo Pais, a state-run infrastructure fund majority owned by the Chilean Government, and H2 Cable, a subsidiary of Singapore-based BW Digital, itself an affiliate of global maritime conglomerate BW Group.

The Humboldt was originally announced in late 2021. It will provide end-to-end connectivity between Valparaiso, Chile, and Sydney, Australia, where it will also interconnect with cable systems across Asia. Additional branching stubs will allow for connection to other countries and territories, including Juan Fernandez and Easter Island, as well as New Zealand.

The partners in the enterprise say that the Humboldt Cable will be the most significant piece of subsea infrastructure connecting South America, paving the way for the deployment of essential data centres, AI and other data-driven technologies to help to put Chile on the digital map. Or as, Patricio Rey Sommer, CEO of Desarrollo Pais, puts it: We have set an ambitious goal to transform Chile into a digital hub for Latin America.

Desarrollo Pais and H2 Cable are now looking to partner with the worlds best suppliers for turnkey implementation of transoceanic submarine cable systems.

Technical definition of the route and schedules for execution of the project are being set. Desarrollo Pais and H2 Cable have asked that suppliers proposals be based on an Open Cable System model.

International Connectivity Services Ltd, the service company of cable system operator the Hawaiki Group (now wholly owned by leading global maritime company BW Digital), has been engaged to finalize the system design of the cable, launch the procurement process and engage with prospective anchor customers.
NK 108 Empreendimentos e Participacoes (NK 108) has made a binding offer to acquire 8,000 fixed telecoms infrastructure sites from Brazils Oi.

In a statement to its shareholders, Oi stressed that the offer was irrevocable and irreversible. Under the agreement, NK 108  an affiliate of Highline  will acquire 100% of the capital of a special purpose vehicle (SPE) created to hold the infrastructure in question.

NK 108 will pay a total of BRL1.697 billion (US$324.9 million) for the acquisition, with BRL1.088 billion to be paid as soon as the deal has closed. The firm then has until 2026 to pay the remainder, although the timeframe may be altered depending on how it has used the infrastructure.

TeleGeography reports that the acquisition will require regulatory approval from Antel (Agencia Nacional de Telecomunicacoes / National Telecommunications Agency) as well as CADE (Conselho Administrativo de Defesa Economica / Administrative Council for Economic Defence).

In a separate purchase agreement, Boca Raton-based SBA Communications Corporation is spending US$725 million to acquire 2,600 cell sites across Brazil from Grupo TorreSur (GTS). The firms expect the deal to close in Q4 2022. In the second quarter of this year, SBA bought up 210 telecom sites across Brazil, along with one data centre, for US$127.3 million.
U.S. Department of Justice Sues the State of Idaho to Block Trigger Law

NEWS PROVIDED BY

Stanton Public Policy Center/Purple Sash Revolution

Aug. 2, 2022



WASHINGTON, Aug. 2, 2022 /Standard Newswire/ -- This marks the first time the U.S. Department of Justice has initiated action against a state's trigger law to ban abortions since Roe v. Wade was overturned in June.



Stanton Public Policy Center/Purple Sash Revolution is a women's advocacy and educational group that works on issues of human rights and justice which empower and inspire women. It is affiliated with Stanton Healthcare which has life-affirming women's health clinics in America and internationally.



Brandi Swindell, CEO and Founder of Stanton Public Policy Center/Purple Sash Revolution, states:

"It is deeply troubling that the Biden administration and the U.S. Department of Justice have chosen to ignore the citizens of Idaho by filing this federal lawsuit against Idaho's abortion trigger law.



"This trigger law was passed by the Idaho legislature and signed by the governor who represent the people of Idaho.



"With this lawsuit, the Department of Justice is trampling on Idaho's citizens, the state legislature, and the governor. It is clearly an attempt to circumvent the Dobbs decision and force their will on the people by deciding Idaho's abortion laws and ignoring abortion violence."

Linda Thomas, Director of Community Outreach with Stanton Healthcare, adds:

"This is a gross overreach by the federal government into a state issue. The overturning of Roe unquestionably placed decisions about abortion laws into the hands of citizens in each state. So why is the federal government attempting to override the will of the people of Idaho?



"I meet every day with the citizens of Idaho, and their voices are clear when it comes to abortion. Women and children deserve better than abortion. In 2020, our legislature fulfilled their role by listening to the voices of their constituents and passing S.B. 1385. The federal government has no business interfering with the will of Idahoans."

For more information or interviews call:

Rev. Patrick Mahoney at 540.538.4741



SOURCE Stanton Public Policy Center/Purple Sash Revolution



CONTACT: Rev. Patrick Mahoney, 540-538-4741


The Baptist College of Florida (BCF) will continue to provide its No-Cost Student Housing Scholarship program on the Graceville campus through the next academic year (Fall 2022 and Spring 2023), according to BCF President Thomas A. Kinchen.

We still need a few thousand dollars to cover the cost of the Spring 2023 semester. But that has come because we have had higher than expected enrollment in summer school, Kinchen said in a press release, adding that hes confident donors will step forward to fill the need.

The scholarship, which was a fundraising campaign to help families with the expenses of attending college during the financial hardships caused by the pandemic, covers the cost of the dorm for single students living on-campus and covers the housing cost, except utilities, for married students living on-campus.

In order to help students afford to live on the Graceville campus, Kinchen introduced the housing scholarship program in the Fall 2020 semester.

My desire was to raise enough financial support for the scholarship that students would be able to enjoy the unique campus experiences without undue economic hardship, Kinchen said.

For more information visit baptistcollege.edu.
ENTERPRISEEnterprise police are searching for a suspect in Tuesday morning homicide.

At about 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, officers responded to a report of a person with a gunshot wound at a residence in the 600 block of Tartan Way.

Upon arrival, officers found an unresponsive juvenile male who was pronounced dead at the scene.

The death is being characterized as a homicide, and the investigation by Enterprise detectives is ongoing.

The name of the victim had not been released as of Tuesday evening.
The Dothan City Commission has entered a contract with AMS Planning and Research Corporation to do a market assessment for a proposed events arena and a hotel that are part of City Center project in downtown Dothan.

Under the contract  which totals $198,700  planning consultants will assess how many seats should be included in the new multi-purpose events center as well as whether there is a market for a boutique hotel downtown.

The City Center is a long-term project that re-envisions downtown Dothan. It includes infrastructure projects like the events arena, an arts and innovation center, renovations, and an addition to the Dothan Opera House, new roads, a parking deck, an outdoor events plaza, green space, and pedestrian-friendly access that connects North St. Andrews Street to North Foster Street.

The market assessment to be done by AMS, which has offices in Connecticut and California, should take about six months, Dothan City Manager Kevin Cowper said following Tuesdays commission meeting.

In their assessment, theyll tell us how many people we can really expect to come to shows and that will help us determine the actual number of seats we can do, what kind of events we can hold, Cowper said.

Projections for the events arena have been for about 6,500 seats.

This is just the latest assessment to be done as the City Center project moves ahead. There is a traffic study, an engineering survey, and a needs assessment for the Wiregrass Museum of Art all being performed.

Cowper said once all the assessments are completed, the city will have solid information to move forward and to know if the planned facilities like the arena and hotel will be utilized as the city intends.

Its just more information for us that I refer to as foundational information to make sure that were doing everything that we can to, in the long term, make this project successful and the investment were making successful, Cowper said.

Everything were doing, we want to make sure that were on the right track. We want to test it, make sure that theres market demand for it and that were doing things that people want to come and see, whether thats a museum, a theater, sporting events, concert events, art festivals, staying at a hotel, shopping  all of those things. We just want to make sure that we get this right from the beginning.
Spokeswoman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Le Thi Thu Hang. Photo courtesy of Vietnam Government Portal

Vietnam continues to follow a "One-China policy" and calls on all parties to not escalate tension in the Taiwan Strait, the foreign ministry said Wednesday.

"Vietnam wishes for all relevant parties to restrain themselves, not escalate tension in the Taiwan Strait, positively contribute to the maintenance of peace and stability, and strengthen cooperation and development in the region and the world," Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Le Thi Thu Hang said Wednesday.

She said Vietnam resolutely follows the "One-China policy," which recognizes Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan as part of China.

Her statement came as the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, is visiting Taiwan, the highest-ranking U.S. official to do so in 25 years.

The visit escalated tension between the U.S. and China, with Beijing considering the act as provocative and Washington's betrayal of its "One-China policy."

China said Pelosi's visit seriously damages peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, "has a severe impact on the political foundation of China-U.S. relations, and seriously infringes upon China's sovereignty and territorial integrity," Reuters reported.

Pelosi said in a statement shortly after landing: "Our congressional delegation's visit to Taiwan honors America's unwavering commitment to supporting Taiwan's vibrant democracy."

"America's solidarity with the 23 million people of Taiwan is more important today than ever, as the world faces a choice between autocracy and democracy."

The Chinese military has been put on high alert and will launch "targeted military operations" in response to Pelosi's visit, the defence ministry said.
Vietnamese carriers have been asked to avoid flying in areas near Taiwan for the next two days as China conducts military exercises in tense situation.

China's exercises are taking place following U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan.

Dinh Viet Thang, head of the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam, said that they has received an official notice from Chinese authorities asking airlines operating in Asia to avoid flying near the island of Taiwan from 11 a.m. Thursday until Friday.

Accordingly, CAAV has informed Vietnamese airlines to adjust their flight routes.

"Airlines can still operate flights to Taiwan normally and can decide on their own to postpone or cancel flights if necessary," Thang said.

Vietnamese carriers that operate flights from Hanoi, HCMC to some cities in Taiwan have not announced any cancellation or delays.

On Wednesday, China warned airlines operating in Asia to avoid flying in areas around Taiwan, prompting several Asian airlines to start adjusting their flight routes.

Chinas Xiamen Airlines announced adjustments to several flights, citing "flow control" in Fujian.

Korean Airlines is planning to re-route some routes to South Asia in order to avoid Taiwanese airspace while Cathay Pacific Airways pilots have been advised to carry 30 minutes worth of extra fuel for possible rerouting in Taiwan, Bloomberg reported.

Shortly after Pelosi landed in Taiwan Tuesday night, China announced that the Chinese military will hold live-fire drills in six maritime areas surrounding Taiwan and their respective airspace from August 4-7, the state-run Xinhua News Agency reported.

Pelosis visit escalated tensions between the U.S. and China, with Beijing considering the act as provocative and Washington's betrayal of its "One-China policy."

China has slammed Pelosi's visit saying it seriously damages peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. It "has a severe impact on the political foundation of China-U.S. relations, and seriously infringes upon China's sovereignty and territorial integrity," Reuters reported.

Vietnam's foreign ministry said Wednesday that the country continues to follow a "One-China policy" and calls on all parties to not escalate tensions in the Taiwan Strait.
August third marks the 8th anniversary of the assault by ISIS terrorists on the Yezidi community in northern Iraq, during which they sought to destroy these people and their culture. The brutality of the events marked both a disaster for the Yezidi community, and a turning point in the fight against ISIS.



On August 3, 2014, ISIS terrorists overran the city of Sinjar in northern Iraq. The town had a population of 90,000 people, most of them Yezidis, with a small Shia minority.



Yezidis are a non-Muslim religious and ethnic minority. They have been viciously targeted and persecuted by ISIS for their beliefs, and have been frequently attacked throughout their history by others.



When ISIS seized control of Sinjar and the surrounding countryside, they immediately began to destroy Yezidi shrines, and to slaughter Yezidi civilians. Thousands of people, particularly men and boys, were executed, while thousands more, especially women and girls, were abducted and raped as sex slaves by ISIS fighters.



Of the 200,000 people who fled from their homes in the city and the surrounding villages, some 50,000 took refuge on Mount Sinjar. There they were surrounded and trapped by ISIS fighters. Within three days, dozens of Yezidis, nearly all of them children, began to die of dehydration. They called family around the world, including in the United States, begging for help to escape the siege.



On August 4, 2014, the Emir of the Yezidi called on world leaders for assistance. The United States responded, conducting airstrikes against ISIS militants, supporting the delivery of humanitarian assistance through air drops of food and water, and working with Iraqi and other partners.



This was the first action that led to the formation of the international coalition to defeat ISIS, and the beginning of the end for ISIS. By mid-December of 2014 Kurdish forces launched the first phase of the campaign to expel ISIS from Sinjar, liberating part of Sinjar city before the years end. On November 13, 2015, a day after launching a second offensive, Kurdish and Yezidi forces, backed by coalition airstrikes, fully regained control of Sinjar from ISIS.



ISIS has been defeated in Iraq and Syria, but not destroyed. The battle continues. It is a fight of civilization against barbarism. Nowhere was this more clearly demonstrated then in Sinjar.
Ioneer Ltd. has finalized another agreement with a company which plans to use lithium from its Rhyolite Ridge project once the mine begins producing. On July 31 ioneer announced a binding offtake supply agreement with the Prime Planet Energy & Solutions.

PPES is a battery production company which started operations in April 2020 through a joint investment between Toyota, the worlds largest automotive manufacturer by revenue, and Panasonic, a leading battery manufacturer.

Under the agreement, ioneer will deliver 4,000 tons per annum of lithium carbonate to PPES over a five-year term. PPES will utilize ioneers lithium carbonate to produce batteries for use in U.S. electric vehicles.

In support of an end-to-end U.S. electrified vehicle supply chain and delivering on ioneers initiatives, lithium supplied by ioneer will be produced, refined and incorporated into lithium-ion batteries by PPES, which will promote electrification in the U.S. market, the announcement from ioneer said.

Ioneer anticipates beginning production of lithium from Rhyolite Ridge in 2025. A potential slowdown for the project is the Tiehms buckwheat plant, a wildflower which apparently grows nowhere else in the world except on a 10-acre patch of land on the Rhyolite Ridge property.

Rhyolite Ridge is about 40 miles southwest of Tonopah, Nevada, in Esmeralda County.

On July 21 ioneer announced a binding offtake agreement to supply 7,000 tons per annum of lithium carbonate to Ford Motor Company for five years. Ford intends to use the lithium to produce batteries for use in its electric vehicles.

In February ioneer announced a binding offtake agreement with EcoPro Innovation, a cathode supplier for battery manufacturers, to supply EcoPro with 7,000 tons of lithium for the first three years of Rhyolite Ridges operation.

The three binding agreements for Rhyolite Ridge lithium add up to 18,000 tons per year, which is about 87% of the mines projected annual production of 20,600 tons of lithium.

The announcement from ioneer said the agreement with PPES is the final lithium carbonate supply commitment the company currently intends to make for Rhyolite Ridge.

Ioneer Managing Director Bernard Rowe said in an April interview with Mining the West magazine that he believes Rhyolite Ridge has the potential to produce much more lithium than the current estimate of 20,600 tons per year.

The mine is also expected to produce about 174,400 metric tons of boric acid per year over the Rhyolite Ridge projects 26-year life.

Ioneer is grateful to announce another key milestone for our company with a lithium carbonate offtake agreement with PPES, said ioneer Executive Chairman James Calaway. PPES is a world-class organization and we look forward to being their trusted partner. This and the previously announced Ford and EcoPro agreements solidify ioneers focus on the U.S. electric vehicle supply chain infrastructure.

I am delighted to have a great partnership with ioneer in the battery supply chain, that can promote vehicle electrification toward realizing a carbon-neutral society, said PPES President Hiroaki Koda. Having an agreement with ioneer provides PPES a first step in securing a U.S. supply of lithium, one of the most important parts for corresponding with the fast-growing electrified vehicle industry.

We have confidence in ioneers technology of refining sedimentary sourced lithium and their competitiveness, and are expecting it to strengthen the PPES supply chain.

A Reuters story said that PPES, which is based in Japan, has reportedly been considering building a battery plant in western North Carolina.

At least two companies are working toward producing lithium in North Carolina. Albemarle Corp., which has the only producing lithium mine in North America, the Silver Peak mine about 14 miles east of the Rhyolite Ridge site, is working toward reopening its Kings Mountain lithium mine in North Carolina, which could reopen as soon as 2027. Piedmont Lithium Inc. is also working toward developing a lithium mine and processing complex in North Carolina.
Authorities in Northern California released a frame from surveillance video showing a missing 16-year-old at a store before she disappeared over the weekend and asked Wednesday for anyone with information to contact officials, saying they are not getting any new leads. Kiely Rodni, of Truckee, was last seen Saturday near the Prosser Family Campground in Truckee at a party attended by hundreds of juveniles and young adults. But despite all those in attendance and hundreds of tips, officials have no new information. Rodnis phone has been out of service since the party, and her car, a 2013 silver Honda CRV, has not been found. Placer County Sheriff Sgt. Josh Barnhart said Wednesday that not having any new leads has been very frustrating.
55th ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting opens in Cambodia

Vietnamese Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son attended the 55th ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting (AMM-55) which opened in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on August 3 morning.













The opening ceremony of the 55th ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting. (Photo: VNA)

Addressing the opening ceremony, Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen recalled the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)s 55-year history and its beyond-expected achievements, making Southeast Asia a region of cooperation, development and trust.



He underscored the regional and global uncertainties caused by multidimensional impacts of COVID-19, tensions among major countries and crises in Myanmar and Ukraine. Non-traditional challenges, such as climate change, natural disasters, energy security and food security, have put ASEAN and the region at large through such an ordeal, according to the PM.



More than ever, ASEAN needs to unite, promote its centrality, and strive to build a cohesive, inclusive and cooperative community with the spirit of Unity in Diversity, Hun Sen urged.



With the motto ASEAN: Addressing Challenges Together, the bloc must show commitment to surmounting hardships together, particularly boosting post-pandemic recovery, implementing the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and finalising a Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC) that is effective and consistent with international laws, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), he said.



He called on ASEAN to strengthen coordination in responding to climate change and environmental degradation, consider the establishment of a ASEAN Green Deal, and bringing the RCEP into full play.



Shortly prior to the opening ceremony, Son and FMs of other ASEAN nations paid a courtesy call to PM Hun Sen.



He also had a meeting with Prak Sokhonn, Cambodia Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, during which the officials discussed how the two sides can coordinate to successfully organise the event.



Talking on how to step up the long-standing friendship and partnership between the two countries, they agreed to further reinforce the ties by maintaining and increasing the exchange of high-level delegations and meetings, as well as comprehensive cooperation mechanisms. Vietnam and Cambodia are aiming to achieve more than 10 billion in two-way trade this year.



The two countries plan to host a variety of activities during the Vietnam  Cambodia Friendship Year 2022 to mark the 55th founding anniversary of diplomatic ties and beef up partnership in defence-security, agriculture, education and training, tourism and people-to-people exchange.
By Azernews

By Ayya Lmahamad

Azerbaijan and Turkiye have discussed the opportunities of exporting electricity to Turkiye and Europe via the Zangazur corridor, Azernews reports.

The discussion occurred during a meeting between Azerbaijans Energy Deputy Minister Elnur Soltanov and the delegation led by Turkiyes Energy and Natural Resources Deputy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar.

During the meeting, the parties touched upon the issue of the electricity swap between Azerbaijan and Turkiye. They discussed the possibility of transit and export of electricity through Turkiye, as well as the Azerbaijan-Georgia-Romania Black Sea submarine cable project. In this regard, they underlined the importance of increasing efforts to contribute to regional cooperation in the field of electricity to strengthen the energy supply security of the region.

Touching upon the bilateral and regional benefits of energy cooperation between the two countries, the sides discussed global energy projects such as the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline and the Trans-Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline (TANAP).

They emphasized that TANAP, a joint project of Azerbaijan and Turkiye, plays an important role in ensuring the energy security of Europe as one of the main energy sources along with meeting Turkiyes natural gas demand. In the context of growing gas demand in the region, the parties also discussed the steps taken to supply additional gas volumes.

Moreover, the sides briefed on the projects implemented in the direction of transformation of Karabakh and East Zangazur into green energy zone, stressing that there are wide opportunities for participation of Turkish investors in these processes.

The parties also exchanged views on holding the next Azerbaijan-Turkiye Energy Forum and other issues of mutual interest.

Azerbaijan and Turkiye collaborate in a variety of economic sectors and have completed major energy and infrastructure projects, such as Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan, Baku-Tbilisi-Kars, and TANAP. Turkiye imports Azerbaijani natural gas through the South Caucasus Gas Pipeline (Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum) and TANAP. Azerbaijan supplies gas to Turkiye only from the offshore Shah Deniz field.

In 2021, Azerbaijan and Turkiye signed the Shusha Declaration on Allied Relations, which focuses on defense cooperation, promoting regional stability and prosperity, and establishing new transport routes.

The two countries set up a goal to bring the mutual trade turnover to $15 billion in 2023. As of 2021, the trade turnover between the two countries amounted to $4.6 billion. So far, Turkiye is Azerbaijans second-largest investor followed by the UK.

Additionally, Turkiye was one of the first countries that expressed its interest and readiness to participate in the restoration of Azerbaijans liberated territories.
Overseas scholars and officials strongly rebuked U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan on Tuesday, saying that the move severely undermines China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, seriously threatens peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, and gravely violates international law and basic norms governing international relations.

The move is unpopular with the international community and is futile, they said.

CHINA'S SOVEREIGNTY &TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY ALLOW NO VIOLATION

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Russia is in solidarity with China on the Taiwan question, Tass reported.

"We respect China's sovereignty and territorial integrity and think that no country in the world should have the right to question (it) or undertake any steps of instigative or other nature," he said.

The United States lacks respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of other countries, and acts willfully for its own geopolitical interests, said Ghassan Youssef, a Syrian political expert and analyst.

China will take strong countermeasures to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity, he said.

Hassan Aslam Shad, a Pakistani international lawfare specialist, said the United States is trying to make Taiwan a bridgehead against China, and has repeatedly tested China's red line and challenged China's core interests with an essential aim to contain China's peaceful development.

The United States is not trustworthy at all as its actions do not match its words on the Taiwan question, he said, adding that Washington is responsible for all the problems created by Pelosi's trip to Taiwan, and the U.S. side should take the complete blame for this.

China had issued a serious warning previously and will "defend the Chinese national sovereignty and territorial integrity no matter the costs," said Noha Bakir, a professor in political science with American University in Cairo.

Mustafa Noyan Rona, a former Turkish diplomat to China, said that he hopes the United States will stop provocations against China, and that Pelosi's so-called "visit" will not bring any benefits to Taiwan.

CHALLENGING ONE-CHINA PRINCIPLE IS FUTILE

The United States has repeatedly stated that it will not change its adherence to the one-China policy, but some politicians are trying to challenge the one-China principle and break through this political bottom line, which shows that some in the United States are paying lip service to their political commitments, said Wilson Lee Flores, a columnist for The Philippine Star, an English daily newspaper.

Shad, the Pakistani international lawfare specialist, views Pelosi's visit as a blatant provocation and a clear violation. He said that the one-China principle is a norm universally recognized by the international community, adding that Taiwan is a part of China, which is an undeniable fact, and the one-China principle has to be adhered to by the U.S. side.

U.S. officials' visits to Taiwan seriously violate the one-China principle and endanger peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, said Bambang Suryono, chairman of Indonesian think tank Asia Innovation Study Center, adding that the United States talks about abiding by the one-China policy, but acts with double-dealing and gross interference in China's internal affairs, which should be strongly condemned.

The world has strongly supported the one-China principle for decades, said Joseph Matthews, a senior professor at the BELTEI International University in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

Pelosi's "illegal, futile and unscrupulous visit" to Taiwan will undermine the credibility of the United States, and has violated the one-China principle, he said.

William Jones, Washington bureau chief of the U.S. publication Executive Intelligence Review, described Pelosi's Taiwan visit as her "final act of folly."

He said that "we will experience the 'deluge,' which will no doubt affect the lives and livelihoods of all Americans."

"Some politicians of the U.S. want to challenge Chinese people" on the Taiwan question, Rangarirai Shoko, editor-in-chief of New Zimbabwe Inter-Africa News Agency (New Ziana), said. "The attempts will definitely fail."

INT'L LAW &BASIC NORMS GOVERNING INT'L RELATIONS BROOK NO INFRINGEMENT

Jose Luis Centella, president of the Communist Party of Spain, said Pelosi's visit to Taiwan is a serious provocation against the one-China principle.

The U.S. government is "on an irresponsible path of increasing tension with China," he told Xinhua.

He said the Communist Party of Spain believes that the visit "will not only affect relations between the United States and China, but creates a tension that will negatively affect the entire planet."

Pelosi's visit shows that the United States totally disregards principles and international law, said Zivadin Jovanovic, former minister of foreign affairs of Yugoslavia and current president of the think-tank Belgrade Forum for a World of Equals, adding that such a policy is dangerous.

Shad, the Pakistani expert, said that Pelosi's visit to Taiwan is a breach of certain principles of international law and China has all the rights under international law to respond accordingly.

Flores, the columnist for The Philippine Star, said the world is facing many uncertainties, yet the United States is trying to play with fire on the Taiwan question, which may raise tensions in the region, undermine regional stability and hinder recovery and development.

Kin Phea, director-general of the International Relations Institute at the Royal Academy of Cambodia, told Xinhua that Pelosi's visit to the Taiwan region is a provocation.

This visit would damage bilateral relations between China and the United States, and destabilize regional and global peace and security, he said.

The United States should work with China to keep global industrial and supply chains stable, fight the pandemic and contribute to economic recovery rather than inflaming regional and global instability, he added.

Selcuk Colakoglu, director of the Turkish Center of Asia Pacific Studies, said Pelosi's visit to Taiwan has escalated tensions between Beijing and Washington.

He said the visit has triggered a very unnecessary crisis between the two largest economies of the world -- the United States and China, and there may be disastrous results for the world economy and global supply chains.

Taiwan has always been Chinese territory, said Suleimane Cassama, Bissau-Guinean political scientist, noting Pelosi's visit to Taiwan can prove once again that the United States is a problem for the world.
Politburo member and permanent member of the Secretariat of the Party Central Committee Vo Van Thuong (L) and RoK Prime Minister Han Duck-soo (Photo: baoquocte.vn)

At the meeting, Vo Van Thuong expressed his pleasure to visit the RoK on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries, and discussed achievements in Vietnam after 35 years of renewal, COVID-19 prevention, socio-economic development and recovery over the past time.

He highly appreciated the comprehensive and effective development of the two countries' relations, affirming that the Party and State of Vietnam attach great importance to continuing to develop the two countries' relations to a new height.

He made proposals to strengthen the two countries' relations, including enhancing the exchange of high-level delegations, developing relations between the Communist Party of Vietnam and Korean political parties, and expanding cooperation between the two countries ministries, branches and localities as well as people-to-people exchanges, promoting investment of Korean enterprises in Vietnam, paying attention to technology transfer and developing supporting industries, developing bilateral trade in the direction of balance, expanding labour cooperation, and paying attention to Vietnamese citizens.

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo assessed the visit to the RoK of the Vietnamese delegation on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries as showing the profound and comprehensive development of the two countries' relations.

Appreciating Vietnam's development achievements, affirming that the RoK considers Vietnam the focus of the RoK's policy towards ASEAN, the Korean Prime Minister agreed with the proposals raised by Mr. Vo Van Thuong, and emphasized that cooperation with Vietnam has become a model in cooperation with developing countries, and expressed the wish that the two sides continue to further promote bilateral relations.

On the same day, the Vietnamese official also received and held working sessions with representatives from the Korea Foundation (KF), the Vietnam-Korea Eminent Persons Group (EPG), and the Korea-Vietnam Parliamentary Friendship Group, during which participants discussed directions to promote cooperation between Vietnam and the RoK, and relations between people's organisations of the two sides.

The Vietnamese delegation also visited the Vietnamese Embassy in the RoK, and met representatives of the Vietnamese community in the country./.
At the event (Photo: USAID)

The Partnership for Higher Education Reform, announced by Vice President Kamala Harris last fall in Hanoi, will collaborate with universities, key government officials, and industry partners to strengthen higher education in Vietnam.

U.S. partner Indiana University will work with Vietnams three largest universities; Vietnam National University - Ho Chi Minh (VNU-HCM), Vietnam National University - Hanoi (VNU-HN), and the University of Danang (UD), to improve their academic quality, enhance institutional governance, and enable them to serve as models of modern higher education across Vietnam. The partnership will drive socio-economic development by benefitting more than 200,000 students, equipping them to thrive in an increasingly competitive global market.

The U.S. is a committed partner in supporting the success and long-term sustainability of Vietnams higher education institutions, said U.S. Ambassador Marc Knapper during remarks delivered at the event. Through this partnership, together, we will collectively improve the quality and market relevance of higher education to drive lasting growth.

The partnership will work to achieve three objectives for the universities: increase sustainability and autonomy; improve academic quality; and strengthen research and innovation capacity. Core activities will strengthen university governance and financial systems, provide faculty training in the design of state-of-the-art courses, facilitate research collaborations, expand research capacity, and develop guidelines and incentives for prosperous partnerships between universities and the private sector.

The Partnership for Higher Education Reform is the product of an extensive consultation process between USAID and the three largest Vietnamese universities, with numerous relevant entities such as the Ministry of Education and Training, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Planning and Investment, the Ministry of Science and Technology, Indiana University, and the World Bank. Industry partners during implementation will include Purdue University, Amazon Web Services, and the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry, among others. The partnership helps advance higher education reforms that were called for under Vietnams 2018 Revised Law on Higher Education./.
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), with the financial support of Canada, has launched a new $40 million project to address the shortage of granaries in Ukraine; support and equipment.

As reported on the website of the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food on Wednesday, this project will supplement the $17 million previously provided by Japan, which is designed to ensure the storage of 1 million tonnes of Ukrainian grain.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Canada will finance the FAO purchase of funds for temporary and permanent storage of grain in 15 regions of Ukraine, including polyethylene bags for grain storage, handling equipment and long-term modular storage. In addition, FAO will procure up to $2 million worth of laboratory equipment to support six strategic laboratories for testing for animal diseases.

According to the ministry, this season Ukraine is expected to harvest up to 51.1 million tonnes of grain. Of the total grain storage capacity in the country of 75 million tonnes, 14% of the silos are damaged or destroyed, 10% are located in the territory occupied by Russia, and about 30% remain filled with 22 million tonnes of last year's crop, ready for export.

The Ministry of Agrarian Policy said that the recently developed FAO strategy to support grain storage provides for the provision of 4.07 million tonnes of grain storage facilities to Ukraine in 2022-2023, which is 25% of the nationwide storage deficit of 16 million tonnes. The strategy also provides support to the State Service on Food Safety and Consumer Protection of Ukraine by strengthening the state capacity for testing and certification of food products needed for export at border facilities.

"Given the unprecedented crop storage challenges this year, large-scale innovative solutions are needed. For this reason, sector support will be required until 2023. FAO is responding quickly to this situation with a long-term perspective and is committed to investing in long-term solutions based on sectoral potential, in coordination with the government of Ukraine at the national and local levels," Rein Paulsen, Director of the FAO Office of Emergencies and Resilience, was quoted as saying.
Energoatom and American Westinghouse are launching an internship program for Ukrainian nuclear scientists in the United States, within which more than 60 specialists and graduates of nuclear specialties will study AP1000 technology.

"Westinghouse Electric and Energoatom announced today a partnership, thanks to which more than 60 Ukrainian nuclear scientists and senior students will be able to take internships and get opportunities for development," the company said on the Telegram channel on Wednesday.

The multi-year hands-on AP1000 technology training program will begin in the fall of 2022 at Westinghouse's US headquarters. Upon completion of the training course, newly minted AP1000 technology technicians will have numerous opportunities to apply their engineering, technical and process support skills to new unit construction projects using this technology in Ukraine, in particular at the newly established Westinghouse Engineering and Technology Center in Kyiv, Energoatom said.

Specialists will also be trained to provide critical support for future decommissioning programs at Ukrainian nuclear power plants, the company added.

According to Oleh Boyaryntsev, Executive Director for Human Resources at Energoatom, the most talented and promising young professionals and graduates of leading Ukrainian universities will be selected for the internship.

"Thanks to the Westinghouse training program, Ukrainian specialists and students will receive a unique experience for development in the nuclear industry as we begin to implement AP1000 projects throughout Ukraine," David Durham, president of Westinghouse Energy Systems, is quoted in the message.

He stressed that the opening of Westinghouse facilities for current and future Ukrainian nuclear scientists strengthens the company's close partnership with Energoatom and Ukraine.

As reported, in June 2022, Westinghouse and Energoatom expanded agreements for the supply of nuclear fuel for all operating Ukrainian nuclear power plants and construction of nine AP1000 power units.
By Azernews

By Ayya Lmahamad

Economy Minister Mikayil Jabbarov has said that the Tashkent Declaration, signed within the first trilateral meeting of the foreign, economy, and transport ministers of Azerbaijan, Turkiye, and Uzbekistan, is a significant contribution to the further deepening and enhancement of the partnership among the countries, Azernews reports.

The minister noted that the meeting focused on strengthening cooperation, promoting joint investment projects, and utilizing the transport-logistics opportunities.

"It is a pleasure to participate in the first trilateral meeting of the Azerbaijani, Uzbek, and Turkish Foreign, Economy, and Transport Ministers. Todays meeting facilitated fruitful discussions on strengthening the cooperation between our friendly and brotherly countries promoting the joint #investment projects and utilizing the #transport-#logistics opportunities. The #TashkentDeclaration, signed within the first trilateral meeting between the Foreign, Economy, and Transport Ministers of Azerbaijan, #Turkiye and #Uzbekistan is a significant contribution to the further deepening and enhancement of the partnership and friendly ties between our countries," Jabbarov wrote on his official Twitter page.

To recall, on August 2, Azerbaijan, Turkiye, and Uzbekistan signed the Tashkent Declaration. The declaration on the results of the trilateral UzbekistanAzerbaijanTurkiye Dialogue was signed by Turkish and Azerbaijani Foreign Ministers Mevlut Cavu?o?lu and Jeyhun Bayramov as well as Acting Uzbek Foreign Minister Vladimir Norov. The declaration is aimed at strengthening relations between the three countries.
The first vessel with Ukrainian grain reached the entrance to Bosporus on Tuesday, according to data from the Marine Traffic portal.

According to it, Razoni bulk carrier has been at the anchorage of Bosphorus N Anch for about 40 minutes.

Earlier, Interfax-Ukraine said the ship left the port of Odesa on Monday.

It was noted that after arriving at the port, representatives of Turkey, Russia, Ukraine and the UN will inspect the dry cargo ship, then it will continue moving along the intended route.
The terrorist attack in Olenivka (Donetsk region) should become a decisive argument for all civilized countries of the world to officially recognize Russia as a terrorist state, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky said in a traditional video statement on Tuesday evening.

"What else is needed for this? Is not this a brutal and obvious terrorist act not enough for the key capitals of the world to make appropriate decisions to recognize Russia as a terrorist state?" the president said.

He said "the occupiers receive a principled response to all their crimes on the battlefield."

"In this context, I want to thank the President of the United States today. Biden and the entire American people for a new defense support package for Ukraine. The word 'HIMARS' has become almost synonymous with the word 'justice' for our country, and Ukrainian defenders will do everything to make the occupiers feel more and more painful losses due to these very efficient systems every week," he said.

According to him, "we still cannot completely break the advantage of the Russian army in artillery and manpower, and this is very felt in the battles, especially in Donbas  Pisky, Avdiyivka, and other areas. It is just hell. It cannot even be described in words."

"Every Ukrainian should always be grateful to our soldiers who defend Ukrainian positions there, despite the tangible firepower of the terrorists," the president said.
MP of the Holos faction Yaroslav Zhelezniak announced that there was a proposal to the president for the appointment of former Prosecutor General Iryna Venediktova as Ukraine's Ambassador to Switzerland, but there is no official information about the decree yet.

"Now there is an ambassador to Switzerland  Iryna Venediktova," Zhelezniak said in Telegram on Wednesday.

Citing Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, media said he signed a submission to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on the appointment of Venediktova as Ambassador to Switzerland.

Zhelezniak later said in Telegram that "officially it is still unknown whether the president signed, but there is already a submission from the Foreign Ministry."

The agency does not currently have official information about the appointment of Venediktova as the head of the diplomatic mission of Ukraine in Switzerland.
The Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine announced the purchase of 118 drones for the funds raised for the Army of Drones through the UNITED24 platform.

As reported in the Telegram channel of the Ministry of Digital Development on Wednesday, the first control complex and four Fly Eye drones have already been delivered to Ukraine, today they will go to the frontline to strengthen the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

"In total, over 751 million hryvnias were collected for the Army of Drones through the UNITED24 platform. For the first UAH 260 million of this amount, contracts were signed for the purchase of two control stations and 20 Fly Eye drones, some 78 Matrice multicopters, as well as two ground systems for 20 kamikaze drone strikes," the ministry said in a statement.

By the end of August, the ministry plans to complete the first task, to purchase 200 reconnaissance drones.

The Ministry of Digital Transformation also said they are negotiating with Ukrainian manufacturers of drones, such as SKIF, Skyton and Ukrjet, whose products can potentially also be purchased for the Army of Drones.

"Ukrjet is one of the largest Ukrainian UAVs with serial production. It spends about ten hours in the air and can fly 150 kilometers from the control station. SKIF has a camera that works offline. Skyton can fly up to 20 hours in the sky," Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Digital Transformation of Ukraine Mykhailo Fedorov said.
The training of Ukrainian servicemen in the UK is taking place according to a scenario prepared by specialists from the host country, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) has said.

"The trainings of Ukrainian servicemen are taking place according to a scenario specially prescribed by British specialists, including instructors from the Rifles regiment [an infantry regiment of the British Army]. All attention is focused on shooting and defensive actions, psychological resilience, correct actions to evacuate the wounded," the General Staff said in a Facebook post on Wednesday.

The realism of the training is enhanced by the use of various combat simulation techniques, including combat simulation, smokescreen and fire from above.

AFU Deputy Commander-in-Chief Yevhen Moysiuk and Commander of the Joint Forces of the Office of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Eduard Moskaliov got familiar with the training of Ukrainian servicemen during a visit to the UK and Northern Ireland.

Moysiuk and Moskaliov attended combat training classes for Ukrainian units, where servicemen master small arms fire and tactical training, practice shooting skills as part of a unit and tactics of moving on the battlefield, fighting in urban and forest areas.

As reported, the first group of Ukrainian troops to the UK is participating in a new UK-led military program that will train up to 10,000 Ukrainians in the coming months.
The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine has ordered a mandatory evacuation of the population of Donetsk region to safe areas of Vinnytsia, Volyn, Zhytomyr, Zakarpattia, Ivano-Frankivsk, Kirovograd, Lviv, Poltava, Rivne, Ternopil, Khmelnytsky, Cherkasy and Chernivtsi regions.

According to decree No. 679 of August 2, the government instructed the heads of regional state administrations, together with the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Development of Communities and Territories, the Ministry of Infrastructure, the Ministry for the Reintegration of Temporarily Occupied Territories, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the National Police, the Emergency Situations Service and with the participation of the State Security Service, JSC Ukrzalyznytsia organize and conduct mandatory evacuation under the procedure for conducting evacuation in the event of a threat or occurrence of emergency situations.
After all crimes in Ukraine, Russia no longer be able to 'save face'  Zelensky, speaking to Australian students

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia would not be able to "save face" after the crimes committed in Ukraine.

"Many are worried about not being sensitive enough to irritate Russia, so that Russia can save face," he said on Wednesday, speaking via video link to students and members of the community at 20 Australian universities.

"Today it does not matter. It is impossible to anger those who have gone mad," the president said, adding: "It is impossible to save face for those who do not want it themselves."

Zelensky said those who want to save face "do not hit houses every day and every night, do not hit with cruise missiles, do not fire at residential premises with cluster munitions and phosphorus bombs, do not launch missiles at Kramatorsk railway station, for example, do not launch missiles shopping centers, does not drop bombs on maternity hospitals and hospitals, kindergartens, schools and universities or museums, theaters and temples, does not aim artillery at cemeteries and does not fire missiles at the memorial complex of the victims of the Holocaust."

"He who wants to save his face does not commit thousands of military crimes and crimes against humanity, does not organize mass executions of civilians, does not put handcuffs on civilians, does not put them on their knees and does not kill them with a shot in the back, does not rape wives in front of their own children and children in front of their mothers... Those who want to save their face do not seize nuclear power plants, do not shoot at power units from tanks, do not threaten the world with a nuclear strike and nuclear war. free passage of ships does not shell the port the day after the signing," he said.

Zelensky said the world is facing a choice. "For many countries, the time has come when self-interest must give way to the interests of the planet. Trade with Russia now brings benefits to some and death to others," he said.

Zelensky urged "to take an important step  to recognize Russia as a country sponsoring this terrorism."

He also urged the Australians to "continue to help us further, to help Ukraine, including standing up for the truth and debunking the myths that are so skillfully fabricated by the Russian propaganda mechanism."

He thanked the Australian government for its systemic support to Ukraine, including the provision of coal for energy, military assistance.

"The war is not over and today we need your support more than ever," the president said.
Ambassador of Ukraine to Lebanon Ihor Ostash reported receiving confirmation that the Syrian vessel Laodicea, detained by the Lebanese authorities, was carrying flour made in the occupied Crimea from wheat stolen in the town of Berdiansk, Zaporizhia region, occupied by Russia.

"We have just received unconditional evidence that the flour that Laodicea was carrying was not from Russia, but from the occupied Crimea. This is Krasnohvardiyske [Krasnohvardiyske village in Crimea]. And the second photo is transportation of wheat from occupied Berdiansk to Krasnohvardiyske," Ostash wrote on Facebook on Wednesday.

At the same time, he published a photo of bags of flour, on which Krasnohvardiysky elevator was indicated as the manufacturer", as well as a document with information indicating the supply of wheat from Berdiansk to Krasnohvardiyske by road.

As reported, the ship Laodicea, carrying agricultural products stolen in the occupied territories of Ukraine by the Russian Federation, was detained in the port of Tripoli (Lebanon) on July 31 after an appeal from the Embassy of Ukraine in Lebanon, as reported by the International Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation (LBCI), as well as Ambassador Ihor Ostash.

On the same day, the Lebanese ezine An-Nahar reported that "during the Russian occupation, more than 500,000 tonnes of grain were stolen from the occupied Kherson, Zaporizhia and Mykolaiv regions," adding that "there were attempts to ship most of this grain to the Middle East, including Egypt, Turkey and Syria, and attempts to transfer to Lebanon were recorded."

The embassy statement said that Ukrainian law enforcement officers proved the involvement of 78 vessels in the illegal transportation of stolen Ukrainian grain, and this list is constantly updated. The same applies to Laodicea, which was arrested by the decision of the Ukrainian court and is under U.S. sanctions.
The Main Intelligence Agency of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine reports that the Russian Federation did not intend to exchange prisoners of the Ukrainian military who defended the Azovstal metallurgical plant in Mariupol, therefore deliberately committed the murder of prisoners of war (POWs) in the temporarily occupied Olenivka.

At the moment, some circumstances of what happened in the colony in Olenivka, in which there were Ukrainian prisoners of war, including from the Azov regiment, have already been established, the press service of the Main Intelligence Agency of the Defense Ministry of Ukraine said on Wednesday.

"Interrogations of prisoners were conducted by investigators of the so-called MGB DPR together with representatives of the PMC Wagner and the FSB of the Russian Federation. During the interrogations, physical torture and beatings were actively used," the report says.

It clarifies that such events, first of all, were "aimed not at obtaining certain confidential information, but at bullying, physical humiliation, psychological demoralization in order to break the moral and psychological qualities of Ukrainian soldiers."

"In the case of the implementation of this plan, representatives of the FSB planned to attract Ukrainian prisoners to shoot in pro-Russian reports. The purpose of the broadcast was to highlight the prisoners admission in "crimes committed by them, atrocities against the local population, the renunciation of fighters from their views, as well as condemnation of the actions of the leadership of Ukraine," the Agency emphasizes.

The agency clarifies that the interrogations were carried out on a regular basis, but were not successful. "The Ukrainian prisoners showed exceptional courage and indestructible willpower," the Ukrainian intelligence officers note.

They add that the Russian side had "no intention of exchanging prisoners of war and, in order to conceal improper conditions of detention and forms of interrogation of Ukrainian servicemen (which could serve as an evidence base in The Hague Court), deliberately killed the prisoners."

"According to available data, the mining of the place of detention of Ukrainian fighters was carried out by the fighters of the Wagner PMC using a flammable substance, which led to the rapid spread of a fire in the room," the Agency said.

On July 28, Ukrainian prisoners of war were killed as a result of deliberate actions of the Russian occupiers on the territory not controlled by Ukraine in the correctional facility in Olenivka. According to the Prosecutor General's Office, about 40 people were killed and 130 were injured.

Ukraine demanded 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 in which the captured Ukrainian servicemen were held.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 3. According to official sources, three people, two of whom were civilians, got injured as a result of landmine and unexploded ordnance explosions during three incidents in Khojavand, Jabrayil and Kalbajar districts of Azerbaijan in July 2022, Chairman of the Azerbaijan Mine Ban Campaign Hafiz Safikhanov told Trend.

According to him, two cases were related to the anti-tank mine blowing up.

In the first seven months of 2022, a total of 35 people got injured, three people were killed, two of whom  from cluster munitions. During the period between November 10, 2020 and August 1, 2022, 102 civilians suffered, 32 people were killed, and 70 were injured," Safikhanov said.

He noted despite regular appeals from public agencies and civil society institutions, illegal visits to the liberated territories still take place, which poses a mine threat to their lives.
By Azernews

By Laman Ismayilova

The Azerbaijan Culture Ministry has organized outdoor film screenings timed to the National Cinema Day, Azernews reports, citing Azertac.

The films named best as a result of the "Great Return" short film project competition, were screened outside the Heydar Aliyev Center.

Culture Minister Anar Karimov attended the event. He got acquainted with photo stands installed as part of the event as well as film production equipment used in the past.

Next, Director of the State Film Fund Honored Art Worker Jamil Guliyev provided insight into the history of the Azerbaijani cinema.

"The history of Azerbaijani cinema can be divided into three parts. The initial stage is the silent era of Azerbaijani cinema, covering 1898-1923. Then the Soviet period - from 1923 to 1991. During these years, the first sound film was shot in Azerbaijan. Moreover, the first color Azerbaijani film was also shot at that time. Finally, Azerbaijan's independent cinema started its activity in 1991. Over the past years, Azerbaijani cinematography has achieved great success. Our films have won awards at many international festivals, and many talented young men successfully implemented a number of projects in the field of cinema," said Jamil Guliyev.

Culture Minister Anar Karimov highlighted the history of film production in Azerbaijan.

"Cinema plays a huge role in the development of society. It takes a special place in the cultures of developed nations. If we trace the history of the national cinema, it is obvious that the 124 years have not been in vain. This is a sign of the love and commitment of our people to cinema and the strive for the most basic progressive values ??and development. Looking around the exhibition organized here, one can clearly see the rich traditions and progressive achievements of domestic cinema. Azerbaijan's first color film "If Not That One, Then This One" took third place among the first color films in the world thanks to its technical parameters. This achievement is a source of national pride," said Karimov.

The culture minister praised the state attention to the domestic cinema. He stressed the role of Azerbaijan's national leader Heydar Aliyev in the development of the Azerbaijani cinema. Today this tradition is continued by President Ilham Aliyev.

"One of the brightest pages of our cinema is the initiative of President Ilham Aliyev on the creation of the Film Agency. It can be said with confidence that with the start of its activities, the Film Agency will contribute to the development of the Azerbaijani national cinematography and its successful integration into the world arena," said Karimov.

Furthermore, the audience watched films shot by Gulay Babayeva (Rear), Leylakhanum Ganbarli (Big Red House), Gulu Askarov (Fence) as well as short films "Two Roads" and "Orizuru".

Filmed by Saddam Mehdiyev and Murad Huseynov, "Two Roads" was named best at Tashkent International Film Festival.

The film "Orizuru" was produced by Nihad J and Elgun Guliyev.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 3. President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has signed a Decree on construction of AliabadKhirmandaliBaydili highway of Bilasuvar district, Trend reports.

According to the decree, the State Agency of Azerbaijan Automobile Roads has been allocated 5.2 million manat ($3.05 million) for constructing AliabadKhirmandaliBaydili highway, linking three settlements with a population of 19,000 inhabitants, in accordance with subparagraph 1.26.18 - "Allocating funds envisaged for state capital investments in the state budget of the Republic of Azerbaijan for 2022".

Azerbaijan's Ministry of Finance was tasked with providing relevant funds, whereas the Cabinet of Ministers  with resolving issues stemming from the order.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 3. NATO fully supports current efforts to normalize relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia, NATO Deputy Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs and Security Policy, Special Representative for the Caucasus and Central Asia Javier Colomina tweeted, Trend reports.

The normalization talks between the two countries will contribute to the stability and prosperity of the South Caucasus, a region of strategic importance for the North Atlantic Alliance, he wrote.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 3. Azerbaijan's Baku and Ganja cities have sent humanitarian assistance to Ukraine in response to the appeals received from Ukrainian cities, Trend reports.

The aid with a total weight of 101 tons (66 tons from Baku and 35 tons from Ganja) included food products with a long shelf life (canned food, tea, dry food, etc.).

The humanitarian cargo was transported by air to Poland's Warsaw Chopin Airport from the Heydar Aliyev International Airport at 16:30 (GMT+4).

The Azerbaijani government, as well as Baku and Sumgayit cities, have earlier sent 807 tons of humanitarian aid to Ukraine, consisting of medicines, medical supplies, as well as food products.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 3. The presentation meant for supporting Azerbaijan's humanitarian de-mining activities has been held with the participation of the Azerbaijan National Agency for Mine Action (ANAMA) and the French Embassy in the country, the agency told Trend.

During the event held in ANAMA's Horadiz regional center, French Embassy handed over 130 landmine detectors to Azerbaijan in accordance with the declaration of intent dated February 25, 2022.

Chairman of the ANAMA Board Vugar Suleymanov and Ambassador of France to the country Zacharie Gross delivered speeches during the presentation.

Suleymanov noted that the detectors provided by the embassy will ensure much safer environment through contributing to the mine and UXO clearance activities carried out in Azerbaijan.

Afterwards, the event participants viewed the detectors, as well as exhibition of landmines and unexploded ordnance organized by the agency.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 3. President Ilham Aliyev signed a decree on amending the decree of the President of Azerbaijan dated July 16, 2018 "On measures to improve the use of subsoil, mechanisms for their protection and management, and strengthen state control in this area.", Trend reports.

According to the amendment, the Ministry of Economy should ensure the prevention of cases of violation of the tax law by individuals and legal entities engaged in the field of subsurface use, jointly with the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources to strengthen the control over the implementation of the State Fund for the Restoration of the Mineral Resources.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 3. Engineering work on the construction of new Azerbaijani Army positions is being carried out within reasonable limits, deputy head of the press service of the Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan Anar Eyvazov said during a briefing, Trend reports.

According to him, members of illegal Armenian armed formations on the territory of Azerbaijan, where the Russian peacekeeping contingent is temporarily stationed, in gross violation of the provisions of the statement dated November 10, 2020, committed a sabotage and terrorist act against units of the Azerbaijani army on August 3. As a result, Azerbaijani soldier Anar Kazimov died.

"In addition, members of the illegal Armenian armed groups attempted to capture the Gyrkhgyz height, located on a mountain range covering the territory of the Kalbajar and Lachin regions, and create new combat positions there. As a result of the counter-terrorist operation carried out by the units of the Azerbaijani army, the Girkhgyz heights, as well as Sarybaba along the Karabakh ridge of the Lesser Caucasus and a number of other important dominant heights were taken under control. At present, engineering work is being carried out by Azerbaijani units to create new positions and lay support routes at advantageous frontiers.

During the operation, several combat positions of illegal Armenian armed formations were destroyed, an air strike was carried out on a military unit in the settlement of Yukhara Oratagh of the former Aghdere region. Manpower of illegal Armenian armed formations, as well as several D-30 howitzers, military vehicles and a large amount of ammunition were destroyed.

Azerbaijan has repeatedly stated that the presence, contrary to the tripartite statement, of the Armenian armed forces and illegal Armenian armed formations in the territories of Azerbaijan, where Russian peacekeepers are temporarily stationed, remains a source of danger. The demilitarization of these territories, the complete withdrawal of Armenian troops from there and the disarmament of illegal Armenian armed formations are necessary," Eyvazov said.

He added that any terror and provocations committed in the sovereign territories of the country will be resolutely suppressed, guided by the Constitution of the Republic of Azerbaijan, and the response will be even more crushing.

Anar Eyvazov, on behalf of the leadership of the Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan, expressed condolences to the families of the soldier who died as a result of the Armenian provocation.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 3. Azerbaijani Ombudsman Sabina Aliyeva sent an appeal to international organizations in connection with another terrorist act committed by Armenia, which caused human casualties, Trend reports.

"On August 3, 2022, members of illegal Armenian armed groups in the territory of Azerbaijan, where the Russian peacekeeping contingent is temporarily stationed, in gross violation of the provisions of the statement of November 10, 2020, committed a sabotage and terrorist act against units of the Azerbaijani army. As a result, Azerbaijani serviceman Anar Kazimov died.

At the same time, illegal Armenian armed formations tried to seize the heights located on the mountain range covering the territory of the Kalbajar and Lachin districts and create new combat positions there.

Since the signing of the tripartite statement dated November 10, 2020, and to the present, Armenia has been constantly committing terrorist provocations, leading to the death of innocent people and the aggravation of the situation again.

While reconstruction and construction work continues in the liberated territories of Azerbaijan in order to ensure peace and security in the region, we are extremely concerned about such actions by the Armenian side, which pose a serious threat to the peacebuilding process," stated the appeal.

It is also noted that by another terrorist act committed by illegal Armenian armed groups, Armenia once again demonstrates a gross violation of the provisions of the tripartite statement, damaging peace and stability in the region, as well as unwillingness to normalize relations between the two states and disrespect for the norms and principles of international law.

"Addressing international organizations active in the field of human rights protection, we condemn the ongoing terrorist provocations of Armenia, which lead to the death of innocent people and pose a serious threat to peace in the region, and call for taking legal measures to stop such criminal acts and fulfill the obligations arising from international law," noted the appeal of the Ombudsman.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 3. A serviceman of the Azerbaijani army died as result of Armenian shelling, Trend reports citing Azerbaijani Defense Ministry.

On the morning of August 3, members of the illegal Armenian armed formations on the territory of Azerbaijan, where the Russian peacekeeping contingent is temporarily deployed, were intensively shelling the positions of the Azerbaijani army units stationed in the direction of the Lachin region.

As a result of the shelling, an active military serviceman Anar Kazimov received a deadly bullet wound, thus becoming a martyr.

The leadership of the Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan expresses deep condolences to the family and relatives of the deceased serviceman.

The units of the Azerbaijani army took adequate response measures, the Defense Ministry said in a statement.
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BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 3. The value of trade turnover between Kazakhstan and Georgia amounted to $119.2 million over the period from January through May 2022, compared to $24.02 million during the same months of 2021, Trend reports with reference to Kazakhstans Statistics Committee.

The share of Georgia in the total value of Kazakhstans trade turnover stood at 0.2 percent during the reporting period, compared to 0.1 percent during the same period of 2021.

Kazakhstans exports to Georgia amounted to $90.1 million over the period from January through May 2022, compared to $12.6 million during the same period of 2021.

Georgias share in the total volume of Kazakhstans exports amounted to 0.3 percent during the reporting period of 2022, compared to 0.1 percent during the same period of 2021.

In turn, Kazakhstans imports from Georgia amounted to nearly $29.1 million over the reporting period, compared to $11.4 million during the same period of 2021.

Georgias share in the total volume of Kazakhstans imports amounted to 0.2 percent during the reporting period of 2022, compared to 0.1 percent during the same period of 2021.

Kazakhstans foreign trade turnover amounted to $51.3 billion over the period from January through May 2022, which indicates an increase of 40.7 percent as compared to $36.4 billion during the same period last year.

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By Azernews

By Laman Ismayilova

Fikrat Amirov's ballet "One Thousand and One Nights" has been successfully staged at Mariinsky II, Azernews reports.

The "Arabian Nights" was demonstrated to the Russian audience within the ballet troupe's tour of St. Petersburg.

The ballet production brought together artists from the Primorsky Stage of the Mariinsky Theatre, as well as soloists from the Sofia Opera House and the Mariinsky Theater (main stage) including Renata Shakirova, Nikita Korneyev, Marta Petkova, Tsetso Ivanov, Guilherme Junio, Erlan Suyunbek and many others.

The Mariinsky Theater's Symphony Orchestra performed under the baton of the principal conductor of the Azerbaijan State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater, Honored Artist Ayyub Guliyev.

The legendary ballet was highly appreciated by the audience.

Recall that the ballet's new version was premiered as part of the 5th Mariinsky International Far East Festival in 2020.

Over 300 costumes with hand embroidery were made for the ballet show directed by Honored Art Worker of Russia, Eldar Aliyev.

Some of them were made at the workshop, while most were by experienced craftsmen in St. Petersburg.

Azerbaijan's traditional music instruments - tar and naghara were presented to the theater on behalf of the national musicians.

The long-necked music instrument featured in the score of Fikrat Amirov. The eminent composer started his musical journey as a tar performer.

The idea to add tar performance came from Eldar Aliyev. Ramin Azimov, the soloist of the Azerbaijan State Opera and Ballet Theater, performed on tar during the premiere.

Fikrat Amirov's ballet will also close the 239th season of the Mariinsky Theater.
Kazakhstans bitumen producers are planning to increase the annual production by 300,000 tons, Minister of Energy Bolat Akchulakov said Wednesday, Trend reports citing Kazinform.

Speaking at an online briefing of the Central Communications Service, Minister Akchulakov said the Head of State gave an instruction to prevent bitumen shortages in the country.

To this end, Kazakhstan will increase imports of tar from Russia and step up production of bitumen at a plant in Aktau. This will allow domestic producers to increase the bitumen production by 300,000 tons.

The plants capacity is set to reach up to 1,2-1,3 million tons of bitumen per year to meet the demand on domestic road construction market .
Minister of Transport of the Republic of Uzbekistan Ilhom Makhkamov met with the chairman of Pakistans largest transport and logistics company TCS Khalid Awan, Trend reports citing Kabar.

During the meeting, the parties discussed issues of developing cooperation in the transport and logistics sector, establishing sustainable freight traffic along the transport corridor leading from Uzbekistan through Pakistan to international seaports.

The Pakistani side highly appreciated the efforts of the Republic of Uzbekistan to diversify international transport corridors, improve the regions transit potential and establish safe and sustainable freight traffic to / from Pakistan along the southern route.

Khalid Avan announced his intention to open a representative office of TCS in Uzbekistan in order to establish permanent activities in Uzbekistan and organize cargo transportation from the Central Asian region.

At the same time, Khalid Avan noted that within the framework of cooperation, TCS will provide financial assistance in organizing the training of Uzbek students in the field of transport and logistics in higher educational institutions of Pakistan.

Following the meeting, the parties agreed to continue practical efforts aimed at strengthening bilateral ties between Uzbekistan and Pakistan and improving the conditions for cargo transportation.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 3. As many as 8,540 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, 75 people have died from the coronavirus over the past day.

At the same time, the condition of 1,372 people remains critical.

So far, more than 53.2 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 64.8 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 7.41 million people have been infected, and 142,209 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.

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Egypt and Greece have held a joint naval exercise in the Mediterranean Sea, the Egyptian Armed Forces said on Tuesday, Trend reports citing Xinhua.

"Under the framework of armed forces leadership plan to promote the level of training and exchange of expertise with the other armies, the two countries' forces have carried out naval training in the northern fleet zone (of Egypt)," the statement said.

Egypt's "al-Moaz" corvette and Greece's "HS Ikaria" landing ship participated in the drill, it noted.

The training allowed the two navies to exchange experiences and learn from each other's capabilities to achieve common interests, thus maintaining maritime security and stability in the region, the statement added.

The military activities covered various training programs, including protection of a vital target in the sea against potential threats, and destroying marine mines, it added.

Egypt regularly holds joint military exercises with other countries to boost military collaboration and exchange military expertise.

In November last year, Greece, Egypt, Cyprus and the United Arab Emirates held a joint air and maritime exercise in Greece.
Ministers of OPEC+ member states will hold another meeting in the videoconference format on Wednesday to define oil production levels for September. This OPEC+ meeting will be the first for new OPEC Secretary General Haitham al-Ghais, who took office on August 1. On the previous day he participated in the meeting of the technical part of the alliance, a source in one of the delegations told TASS, Trend reports.

OPEC+ nations have been gradually increasing output by 400,000 barrels per day since August 2021, reconfirming this plan each month separately due to high market uncertainty. That said, the plan was slightly revised at a ministerial meeting on March 31 as from May to June 2022 OPEC states increased production by 432,000 barrels per day due to new basic production levels for certain countries. The member states were to fully quit production cuts stipulated by the agreement by the end of this September.

However, at the meeting in June OPEC+ nations decided to speed up the rates of production growth to 648,000 barrels per day in July and August, redistributing equally the September quota, amid the projected summer increase in oil demand due to recovery of the global economy after the coronavirus pandemic. Consequently, the alliance members are to fully restore production to pre-pandemic levels by the end of August.

According to Reuters sources, OPEC+ states will discuss either the option to slightly increase production for September or keep the current targeted output volume (43.854 mln barrels per day) on Wednesday.

The production parameters will be traditionally discussed in two stages. First, the meeting of the OPEC+ monitoring committee will be held in the videoconference format where representatives of eight participating states will be present. The work of the committee is administered by Russia and Saudi Arabia, the largest participants of the deal in terms of production volumes. The meeting is scheduled for 2:00 pm Moscow time.

After the meeting of the monitoring committee the decision on production levels for the next month will be approved by all 23 OPEC members at a ministerial meeting scheduled for 2:30 pm Moscow time.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 2. China is committed to a nuclear self-defense strategy and will not be the first to use nuclear weapons, no matter the circumstances, Director of the Arms Control Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China Fu Cong said during a speech at the UN Headquarters in New York at a conference of countries participating in the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), Trend reports citing TASS.

"China is committed to the path of peaceful development and the nuclear strategy of self-defense, and is committed to never being the first to use nuclear weapons under any circumstances," he said.

Fu Cong added that the return to the JCPOA should not be accompanied by the threat of sanctions. The United States must withdraw its nuclear weapons from Europe and not deploy them in other parts of the world, said the head of the department of the Chinese Foreign Ministry.
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar is set to visit Cambodia from August 3-4 to attend the ASEAN-India ministerial meeting in Phnom Penh during which he will take stock of the ASEAN-India partnership, Trend reports citing The Print.

"External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar will be visiting Cambodia from August 3-4, 2022," the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement.

"During the visit, EAM will attend the ASEAN-India Ministerial Meeting in Phnom Penh, an annual event that takes stock of the ASEAN-India partnership," the ministry added.

This visit comes more than a month after India hosted ASEAN Foreign Ministers and Secretary General for a Special ASEAN-India Foreign Ministers Meeting (SAIFMM) on 16-17 June to commemorate 30 years of ASEAN-India Dialogue Relations.

In recognition of this milestone, the year 2022 is being celebrated as the ASEAN-India Friendship Year as announced by ASEAN and Indian leaders at the 18th ASEAN-India Summit in October 2021.

The SAIFMM was co-chaired by Jaishankar and Singapore Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan.

The meeting was also attended by Foreign Ministers of Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Vietnam and representatives of Foreign Ministers from Laos, Philippines, and Thailand along with the Secretary General of ASEAN.

The ministers reviewed the status of the ASEAN-India Partnership and set out the path for the coming decade. The discussions included key focus areas of Covid-19 and Health, Trade and Commerce, and Connectivity as well as the implementation of the ASEAN-India Joint Statement on Cooperation on the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP).

The ministers also exchanged views on important regional and international developments and post-pandemic economic recovery. The Meeting unanimously adopted the Co-Chairs Statement. The ASEAN Foreign Ministers and ASEAN Secretary-General also called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) will provide Egypts Ministry of Health and Population with a grant worth $11.2 million to support patients suffering from HIV and tuberculosis as well as to mitigate the impacts of COVID-19.
In 2010, a Japanese expert working on plans for Cairo told Prime Minister Mustafa Madbouli, housing minister at the time, that the growth rate of the citys population and road network indicated that cars would soon not be able to go at more than 10 km an hour because of congestion. He would not want to live in Cairo in 10 years time, he said.

The solutions will cost hundreds of billions, and in the light of the capabilities of Egypt [at the time] I am not sure the country will be able to do them, the Japanese expert told Madbouli, proposing a series of dream projects to be done over 20 years.

However, he said the projects were an impossible mission.==

Madbouli said recently that the proposed projects included the expansion of the road network, the development of mass transportation, and the introduction of the monorail and electric trains.

In a timeframe of just seven years, we have been able to establish those dream projects that the Japanese expert said would need 20 years, Madbouli said.

Last week, President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi inspected construction work on roads and axes connecting east and west Cairo. He inspected work on the Omar Al-Mokhtar axis in the Mostorod area and the extension of the Adli Mansour axis, and toured phase two of the upgrading of the Joseph Tito axis, which extends from Al-Herafyin bridge to the Ring Road, with five lanes in each direction.

He also inspected developments on the Shinzo Abe axis, which links the Al-Shahid axis to the New Administrative Capital through the Suez Road and the Ring Road and extends for 15 km, with five lanes in each direction. The axis includes 10 flyovers.

The work comes within the framework of the National Road Project launched by Al-Sisi in 2014 with the goal of developing and extending Egypts 23,500 km road network. Egypt has constructed and/or upgraded 7,000 km of highways as part of the project.

When it was launched, Egypt had ranked 118th in terms of the quality of its road infrastructure in the World Economic Forums Global Competitiveness Report. By 2019, it had climbed to 28th place.

During the inauguration of several national projects last week, Al-Sisi stressed that the state has been implementing the road projects to resolve traffic congestion, facilitate peoples daily movements, and reduce wasted time and fuel consumption. They also serve the economy and commercial movements, the president added.

Ali Al-Biali, a professor of urban planning at Al-Azhar University in Cairo, said there can be no real development without an efficient road network.

One of the major aims behind the National Road Project is to relieve pressure on the Delta by constructing new desert roads that allow goods to be transported between the north and the south of the country by-passing Cairo. The network links the eastern and western regions of Egypt through crosswise axes, which will allow development in the desert.

Al-Sisi has repeatedly drawn attention to road development as a form of economic empowerment that will link the governorates.

The National Road Project will not only improve internal trade but also increase foreign trade and movement since it will link the domestic road network with international ones. Economic growth will be boosted, Al-Biali said.

In response to questions about why the state is focusing on constructing roads, Al-Sisi said that we are not. The state is doing the same thing in other fields like healthcare, education, agriculture and industry, but because roads are connected to peoples lives, they are more noticeable.

Al-Sisi also referred to the new cities the country has been building since he took office in 2014. People criticised us when we started constructing the new cities and said that we were spending too much money with no real benefit, Al-Sisi said, adding that if population growth rates had been taken into account 40 years ago, we would not need such new cities now.

Until mid-2020, in the housing sector alone Egypt had completed 1,426 projects over the previous six years at an estimated cost of LE175 billion.

The Ministry of Housing, in conjunction with the New Urban Communities Authority, is constructing 14 fourth-generation cities, among which are the New Administrative Capital, New Alamein, New Mansoura, East Port Said, Nasser City in western Assiut, and New Ismailia.

According to Hassan Al-Mahdi, a professor of transportation at Ain Shams University in Cairo, the state is currently building 32 new cities nationwide and also carrying out desert reclamation. This would not have happened without the newly built road network, Al-Mahdi said.

Regarding the development of roads in eastern Cairo, he said that the area is the capitals gate to new urban communities like the New Administrative Capital, AShorouk, and Badr City, and hence it was necessary to develop and expand the roads to link these new communities.

The priority for someone moving to the new communities will be the length of the commute. Thus, wider roads and newly-constructed ones were a must, in addition to having new mass transportation like the monorail and the Light Rail train, he added.

The New Administrative Capital will be connected to Greater Cairo by Egypts first monorail and its first Light Rail Transit (LRT) system. Until they go into operation, workers relocated to the New Administrative Capital will rely on a network of shuttle buses.

The monorail will consist of two lines. The first 56.5 km line will be served by 22 stations and connect the New Administrative Capital with the east of Cairo and Nasr City. The second, covering 42 km and served by 12 stations, will begin from 6 October City. They are being constructed at a cost of 2.7 billion euros. The two lines will connect with Cairos underground network.

When complete, a commuter from 6 October City will be able to take the monorail to Mohandessin, change to the third metro line and travel to Nasr Citys Cairo Stadium, and then take the second monorail east to the New Administrative Capital.

The first phase of the Nasr City monorail is scheduled to be operational in June 2022. The LRT system is scheduled to operate later in 2022 and will connect with the third line of the Cairo underground network at Salam Citys Adli Mansour Station.

It will link Cairo, Obour, Shorouk, Mostaqbal, Badr, and 10 Ramadan City with the New Administrative Capital and have a length of 90 km and 16 stations and cost LE35 billion.

*A version of this article appears in print in the 17 March, 2022 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly.

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By Azernews

By Ayya Lmahamad

Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan have discussed the expansion of the cooperation in the industrial and agricultural sectors, Azernews reports.

The discussion took place during a meeting between Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Azerbaijani economy, foreign, digital development and transport ministers in Tashkent.

During the meeting, they highlighted the importance of the strategic partnership, as well as economic and trade relations between the two countries. They also underlined the significance of the joint investment fund in attracting mutual investments.

"We have been received by President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev (@president_uz), and have conveyed the greetings of President Ilham Aliyev (@azpresident). During the meeting, we highlighted the importance of the strategic partnership, #economic-#trade relations between the two countries, discussed the expansion of the cooperation in the fields of #industry and #agriculture, as well as the significance of the #JointInvestmentFund in the attraction of mutual investments. The political will and friendly ties between the #Azerbaijani and #Uzbek Presidents lay strong foundation for the development of our cooperation," Jabbarov wrote on his official Twitter page.

To recall, on August 1, the 11th meeting of the Azerbaijani-Uzbek intergovernmental commission was held.

The volume of trade turnover between Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan amounted to $111.9 million in 2021.
As Ethiopia proceeds with the third filling of GERD, Egypt turns once again to the United Nations Security Council.

As US Special Envoy to the Horn of Africa Mike Hammer finished his regional tour to promote a diplomatic resolution to the ongoing dispute over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), Egypt sent a letter to the UN Security Council (UNSC) expressing its opposition to Ethiopias unilateral filling of the dams reservoir for the third year in a row.

The letter, sent by Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukri to the president of the UNSC last week, serves two purposes, says Rakha Hassan, a member of the Egyptian Council for Foreign Affairs. It asserts Egypts objection to the third filling, and underlines Egypts right  under the UN Charter  to take all the necessary measures to protect its national security against Ethiopias unilateral actions.

According to Deputy Foreign Minister Mohamed Hegazi, the letter also underlined, in a clear, balanced language, the importance of abiding by international law while stressing that Egypt cannot accept any infringement on its water security.

In the letter, Shoukri characterised the filling as a clear violation of the 2015 Declaration of Principles Agreement and of international laws regulating transboundary rivers.

Egypts top diplomat stressed that while Cairo remains committed to reaching an agreement on GERD that achieves the common interests of Egypt, Sudan, and Ethiopia, it will not tolerate any encroachment on its water security or threat to the Egyptian people.

He called on the UNSC to assume its responsibilities and intervene to ensure the implementation of the presidential statement issued last year by the council calling on Egypt, Sudan, and Ethiopia to reach an agreement as early as possible.

Shoukri also called on Addis Ababa to comply with international law and the principles governing transnational waterways, pointing out that Egypt holds Addis Ababa fully responsible for any significant harm to Egyptian interests that may result from violations of its obligations.

Egypts letter came in response to a letter from Ethiopia on 26 July in which it stated that it would continue filling the reservoir during the current flood season.

Both letters were sent during Hammers visit to Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, and Ethiopia.

One aim of Hammers visit, according to a statement issued by the US State Department, was to promote a diplomatic resolution to disagreements over GERD that achieves the interests of all parties. The tour started last week, and concluded on Monday.

As envoy to the Horn of Africa, Hammer, explained Hassan, must deal with developments across the region, including in Somalia, South Sudan, and Sudan, as well as ongoing conflict in Ethiopia. The question is, now that the third filling is a reality, will the US press for holding the fresh negotiations, and will they lead to a legally binding agreement or a unilateral statement that Ethiopia can change or amend at any time?

It all depends on whether the US administration is ready to take a stronger stand.

In Cairo, Hammer said his visit was an opportunity to hear from our Egyptian partners about the critical issues posed by the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam and to better understand Egypts water needs, and said Washington is actively engaged in supporting a diplomatic way forward under the African Unions auspices that arrives at an agreement that provides for the long-term needs of every citizen along the Nile.

Commenting on the outcome of the visit, a diplomat close to the negotiations said Hammers statements were non-committal and suggested the dam issue is not a priority for the US administration.

Ethiopian domestic issues took precedence during his visit to Addis Ababa. The dam was hardly mentioned there.

In Ethiopia, Hammer held talks with Ethiopian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Demeke Mekonnen. They discussed the need for continued progress on ensuring unfettered humanitarian assistance delivery, human rights accountability, and political talks to end the conflict and achieve a lasting peace, said the US Embassy.

Egypt has already referred the GERD case to the UN twice. In 2021, Egypt and Sudan petitioned the UN Security Council over the dam file. During a meeting last July Tunisia  the only Arab (non-permanent) member of the Council  submitted a draft resolution calling on Ethiopia to negotiate in good faith and setting a timetable of six months to reach an agreement under the umbrella of the AU. The session concluded without a vote.

The Security Council did, however, issue a presidential statement two months later urging Ethiopia, Sudan, and Egypt to resume negotiations under the auspices of the AU and finalise the text of a mutually acceptable agreement on filling and operating the dam within a reasonable time frame.

Egypt first sent a letter to the UNSC in June 2020 objecting to the first filling and calling for the resumption of tripartite negotiations.

Hegazi believes that raising the issue in international meetings, including during President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisis recent trip to France, Germany, and Serbia, may contribute to finding a peaceful resolution to the dam issue.

*A version of this article appears in print in the 4 August, 2022 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly.

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More political activists are expected to be pardoned soon in an attempt to create a favourable climate for the success of the national dialogue

On 29 July, President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi granted presidential pardons to seven detainees  journalist Hisham Fouad, researcher Ahmed Samir, actor Tarek Al-Nahri, and political activists Qassem Ashraf Qassem, Abdel-Raouf Khattab, Tarek Al-Mahdi and Khaled Abdel-Moneim Saber  who had received final jail sentences.

Press Syndicate head Diaa Rashwan said on 30 July that more than 700 prisoners had been pardoned since Al-Sisi called for a national dialogue in April to draw up a new political roadmap.

The pardons mean the dialogue will take place in a more conducive atmosphere and illustrate the state is sincere about achieving greater political openness, he said.

Hisham Fouad was sentenced to four years in prison on charges of spreading false news on social media in a case known as the Hope Cell Plot.

Following the release of Fouad, 14 journalists are serving jail sentences. Seven are members of the Press Syndicate and seven were working as freelancers, said Rashwan.

MP Mohamed Abdel-Aziz, a member of the Presidential Pardon Committee, said in a TV interview on 29 April that the pardon decree will not be the last.

I expect that another batch of prisoners with final jail sentences will be released very soon. President Al-Sisis decision to invoke his constitutional powers demonstrates that the political leadership is committed to giving young activists implicated in publication offences or violations of the protest law a second chance.

According to Abdel-Aziz, the Presidential Pardon Committee will consider the cases of detainees who have received final jail sentences or are in custody pending trial as long as they are not implicated in terrorism or other forms of violence.

The pardons, he added, show that Egypt is a strong and stable country that has defeated the forces of terrorism and is now ready to create a more politically inclusive climate.

Tarek Al-Khouli, MP and a member of the Presidential Pardon Committee, said on 30 June that by pardoning political prisoners, President Al-Sisi wants to create a positive atmosphere before the national dialogue starts.

There is no doubt that the presidential pardons build confidence between opposition forces and activists on one hand, and the ruling regime on the other, says Senator Farid Zahran, chairman of the Egyptian Socialist Democratic Party.

The pardon of Fouad has sparked hopes that Ziad Al-Oleimi, a lawyer and one of the founders of the Egyptian Socialist Democratic Party, will be also released.

Al-Oleimi was also a member of the Hope Cell Plot and is currently serving a three-year sentence.

The Arab Network for Digital Media and Human Rights (ANDMHR) welcomed the latest pardons.

The succession of presidential pardons reflects the seriousness with which political reform and the implementation of the national human rights strategy is being taken, it said.

ANDMHR called for more presidential pardons and noted that the Presidential Pardon Committee had established clear criteria for dealing with such cases, including the exclusion from consideration for pardon of any detainee proven to have incited violence or violated the right to life.

Gamila Ismail, recently elected head of the Dostour Party, said that while she welcomed the invitation to participate in the national dialogue, in order for the dialogue to succeed we would recommend all political activists be pardoned and released.

Tayseer Matar, spokesperson of the 42-member Alliance of Egyptian Political Parties and a member of the Senate, said President Al-Sisis pardon on 29 July continues the political leaderships efforts to release more prisoners who do not have blood on their hands.

Such efforts have created a favourable climate for the national dialogue proposed by President Al-Sisi last April and are not just a tactic as some who seek to politicise the dialogue and impose pre-conditions before sitting down on the table claim, said Mattar.

Mattar also argued that President Al-Sisis pardon underlines the political leaderships commitment to implementing the Human Rights Strategy released last year.

*A version of this article appears in print in the 4 August, 2022 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly.

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If youre not planning to travel this year, hearing about other peoples vacations might give you a twinge of FOMO: fear of missing out.

Views from a tower in Portugal, gondolas in Venice, beaches in the Bahamas  as you scroll through your social media feeds, it seems like everyone youve ever met is on a picturesque vacation this summer. Compared to the last two years, 2022 is seeing a steep increase in travel, especially international, and it may feel impossible to keep up.

The number of outbound international U.S. flights increased about 97% year-over-year from April 2021 to April 2022, according to U.S. International Air Travel Statistics. Airbnb data from May 2022 also showed an all-time high in long-term stay bookings, with U.S. travelers gravitating toward Italy, Mexico, Costa Rica and the Bahamas as well as domestic beach destinations.

If youre not planning to travel this year, hearing about other peoples vacations might give you a twinge of FOMO: fear of missing out. But dont let comparisons pressure you into panic-booking a trip that could upend your finances. Even with time and budget constraints, its possible to have a fun-filled summer.

HOW ARE PEOPLE AFFORDING THIS?

For many travelers, this summer is an opportunity to travel for the first time in two years, and the anticipation makes it worth the cost. Some are likely even willing to overextend their budgets or go into debt to be able to take their dream vacation.

Its pent-up demand, says George Hobica, founder of Airfarewatchdog.com. People saved up a lot of money over the past two years and can afford the price increases.

For many, the shift to remote work has also made travel more accessible. Yaslynn Rivera, a Los Angeles-based executive assistant at a video-streaming company, makes the most of working remotely by taking opportunities she would have otherwise been unable to pre-COVID-19.

I have friends from childhood and college who live all over the country now, she said. If Im going somewhere, its because I know someone there, she added, explaining her near-constant location changes. She stays with friends instead of booking hotel rooms and Airbnbs, and when she does book a room, she sticks to a tight budget.

I dont mind being inconvenienced to have the experience, she says, citing motel rooms, red-eye flights and working from the road.

Though some travelers are in a position this summer to afford luxurious trips, travelers like Rivera make the most of the opportunities and connections they have, even if it means sacrificing convenience. If you work remotely and have a flexible schedule, trying Riveras approach could be a good way to add more travel to your summer.

THE SOCIAL MEDIA INFLUENCE

Despite the realities, social media can still make travel look like a Pinterest-worthy paradise.

Theres definitely a fear of missing out, says Giacomo Moriondo, a Chicago-based client services manager at an aviation services company, referring to seeing friends post from scenic destinations. Im jealous; I would love to have the freedom to visit my family in Italy and Argentina, but its not financially possible for me this summer.

Moriondo has felt the pressure to travel this summer, but with an in-office job, limited time off and out-of-budget airfares, his options are restricted.

When you see some people posting lavish vacations, you cant compare yourself, Rivera notes. They might be from a wealthy family, or taking a sponsored trip; theyre not on the same playing field.

Consider limiting your social media intake if such posts are bumming you out. Or if youre curious, ask consistent travelers how they make their trips happen. People can be refreshingly honest about their circumstances, and the answers might surprise you.

THE PERKS OF STAYING HOME

U.S. travelers are flocking to vacation destinations in record numbers, but this summer may not be the best time to take the trip youve been waiting for.

I personally think this is a bad year to travel, Hobica says. With rising airfares, strikes in the travel sector and price increases in every category, an international trip  especially with kids  may be more trouble than its worth.

Resisting the temptation to join the travel rush this summer can help you take advantage of milder weather and crowds in the fall or even next year.

I would wait until things settle down, Hobica says. Too many people are traveling, and there arent enough workers to support them; its not reliable right now to get where you want to go.

Meanwhile, if you dont have a trip planned this summer, plan adventures closer to home.

I turn myself into a tourist in my own city, says Moriondo. It doesnt feel like youre missing out when youre doing something yourself.

Exploring your own city or state, visiting family and friends domestically and seeking low-cost outdoor experiences can enrich your summer and satisfy your travel cravings without overextending your budget.

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Switzerland, a key refiner and manufacturer of gold bars, is banning imports of the precious metal from Russia, the government said Wednesday.

The central government aligned itself with EU sanctions which, on July 21, added a ban on gold imports of Russian origin to the list of restrictions following Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.

The ban comes into effect at 6:00 pm (1600 GMT) on Wednesday, Switzerland's Federal Council said in a statement.

Under the new sanctions, Switzerland forbids "buying, importing or transporting gold and gold products from Russia", the statement said, adding that "services in connection with these goods are also prohibited".

Traditionally neutral, Switzerland broke with its usual stance in the days after the start of the war in Ukraine by aligning itself with European Union economic sanctions.

In May, three tons of gold from Russia were imported from Britain, but it was not clear which company was responsible for bringing it to Switzerland, Bloomberg News reported.

The Swiss Association of Manufacturers and Traders in Precious Metals (ASFCMP), which represents the country's largest refineries, contacted its members and said none of them were responsible for the imports.

The association insisted that "doubtful gold" had "no place in Switzerland" and urged its members to act "with the utmost caution".

Swiss customs said at the time they were examining the imports in light of the sanctions, but insisted that gold imports from Russia were not banned.

While gold exports were already subject to sanctions, imports were not banned under the sanctions order, customs officials said.

The fourth package of sanctions imposed by the EU included luxury goods, banning the sale, supply, transfer or export of luxury goods to Russia, including gold, silver, pearls and diamonds.

But on July 21, the EU also explicitly added a ban on importing gold from Russia, including in the form of powder, debris or gold coins.

Switzerland has several refineries to recycle gold and melt ingots.

The sector employs 1,500 people, according to ASFCMP.

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Egypts President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi ordered on Wednesday allocating an additional EGP 1 billion in government support to the National Alliance for Civil Development Work (NACDW), raising the total funding provided by the state to the alliance to EGP 10 billion.

This coincides with declaring 2022 as the year of civil society and in pursuance of the ongoing efforts to promote social protection of citizens in most need, by providing all possible forms of support, Egyptian Presidential Spokesman Bassam Rady said in a statement.

NACDW was launched in March to ensure effective engagement of civil society institutions in developing communities and meeting their legitimate needs in service, health, education, awareness, and urban fields.

The alliance comprises 24 associations, civil society organisations, and service and developmental entities.

El-Sisi announced the contribution during a meeting today with Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouly, Chief of the General Intelligence Service (GIS) Abbas Kamel, and heads of the member institutions of the NACDW.

The president also urged the charity and development efforts of the alliance so as to expand activities regarding creating jobs and increasing production, thus having a positive economic impact.

The president voiced appreciation for the alliance's social activities.

In July, NACDW announced in a statement allocating EGP 2.4 billion to support 400,000 impoverished families on a monthly basis for one year amid the current global crisis.

The NACDW will continue its social protection, Wasl El-Khair initiative, to provide nutritional, medical, and social care as well as economic empowerment opportunities to around five million families in 2022.

The alliances decision came to ease the current global economic impasse and expand the number of beneficiaries from the social protection programmes as per President El-Sisis directives, the statement explained.

Focus on social protection

Amid the current global economic crisis, El-Sisi has urged the government to focus on the enhancement of social protection programmes in the coming period.

In a cabinet meeting late last month, El-Sisi instructed the addition of one million new families to the Takaful and Karama (Solidarity and Dignity) cash support programmes, thus increasing the number of beneficiaries to more than 20 million citizens nationwide.

El-Sisi also directed the government to disburse a total of EGP 1 billion per month for the next six months as exceptional aid to nine million families.

Recipients will include the neediest families and pensioners who receive less than EGP 2,500 per month as well as state employees whose monthly salaries are less than EGP 2,700.

In addition, two million subsidised food boxes will be made available each month at half their price from the Egyptian Armed Forces food markets. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Endowment in cooperation with the Ministry of Social Solidarity will distribute Eid Al-Adha meat throughout the year.

Earlier in July, Minister of Finance Mohamed Maait said that EGP 356 billion of the fiscal year (FY) 2022/23 budget have been allocated for social protection and subsidisidies, while another EGP 400 billion will go towards improving the conditions of public sector employees, including wages and compensations.

Out of the EGP 356 billion allocated by Egypts FY 2022/23 budget for social protection and subsidies, Maait said EGP 90 billion went for subsidising food commodities and bread to ensure their availability for about 71 million citizens.

Some EGP 22 billion are allocated for Takaful and Karama (Solidarity and Dignity) programmes that provide aid for four million families, Maait said.

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The trial of Egyptian-American father Yasser Said, 65, who is accused of fatally shooting his two teenage daughters in New Year's Day in 2008, began on Tuesday in Taxes, with the defendant facing a life sentence if convicted.

Amina Said, 18, and Sarah Said, 17, were found dead in a taxi parked near a Dallas-area hotel nearly a week after they and their mother, Said's ex-wife, fled their home in the Dallas suburb of Lewisville to Oklahoma to get away from Said's threats, the prosecutor said Tuesday during his opening statements at the capital murder trial.

The sisters had become very scared for their lives, and the decision to leave was made after Said put a gun to Amina's head and threatened to kill her, prosecutor Lauren Black added, reported the AP.

The Egyptian-born cab driver came to the US on a student visa in 1983 and lived with his family just north of Dallas, Texas, and evaded arrest for more than 12 years, according to news agencies.

Said spent six years on the FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list before he was arrested in 2020, nearly 12 years after the accident.

AP reported that Said wrote in a letter to the judge overseeing the case that he was not happy with his kids dating activity but denied killing his daughters, while prosecutor Black said that he was obsessed with possession and control.

He controlled what they did, who they talked to, who they could be friends with, if they and who they could date," the prosecutor added. "And he controlled everything in his household."

Following his capture, Patricia Owens, mother of the victims and Saids former wife, said that she does not know the motive behind the murder. "All I can say is theres going to be justice, Owens said in remarks to The Dallas Morning News.

In a previous statement reported in 2011 by the same outlet, Owens, who divorced Said in 2009, said that she does not know what drove Said to kill.

Owens said her ex-husband was not religious and that Islam does not condone the killing of innocents, however, she said that he was obsessed with his daughters becoming what he considered "too westernized . "

Sarah Said had called 911 the night she was killed and told the operator "I'm dying, I'm dying" A short time later, the authorities received another call from a man reporting two women unconscious in a car in the parking lot of the Omni Mandalay Hotel in Irving, Texas.

With multiple gunshot wounds each, the police found the girls dead inside the taxi that their father had driven for the past 10 days as per the taxi's registered owner.

Defense attorney Joseph Patton said in opening statements that the evidence would not support a conviction, explaining that in moments of extreme trauma like being shot multiple times, people can have hallucinations.

The police were too quick to focus on Said, Patton said, suggesting that anti-Muslim sentiments played into that focus, AP's report noted.

The report also cited an email sent from Amina Said to her Lewisville High School history teacher a few days before the crime. The prosecutor read the email in which Amina stated that she and her sister Sarah did not want to live by their fathers culture and marry men from the Middle East, especially men we dont know or love.

I know that he will search until he finds us, and he will without any drama nor doubt kill us, the email added.

In 2020, the defendant was found hiding in Justin, Texas, barely 30 miles (48 kilometres) from the scene of the murder.

He had reportedly been sheltered by his son Islam Said, and his brother Yassein Said. The pair were arrested and are serving sentences in federal prison.

Said became a permanent American resident after gaining citizenship in 1997.

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The Permanent Mission of the United Arab Emirates to the United Nations said on Tuesday that the UAE believes a successful conclusion of the African Union- (AU) sponsored negotiations on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) is possible, stressing the 2015 Declaration of Principles remains a basic reference."





The UAE believes in the possibility of concluding the negotiations on the GERD in a successful way and recognizes the valuable opportunity this presents to enhance and accelerate regional integration while bolstering cooperation and sustainable developments in the region and beyond in the spirit of finding African solution for an African problem, a statement by the mission of the UAE, the only Arab nonpermanent member of the UN Security Council, read.

The UAE highlighted the important role of the AU, and welcomed the commitment of Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia to the negotiations led by the union, encouraging them to continue negotiating in good faith.

The AU had been mediating the GERD talks for nearly a yearlong, in the presence of representatives from the European Union (EU), the US, and the AUs legal and technical experts as observers.

The AU-brokered negotiations had been led by South African  the 2020s AU chair  from June 2020 until January 2021, and by the successor AU chair, DR Congo, until April 2021 without reaching an agreement due to Addis Ababas intransigence, according to the two downstream countries Egypt and Sudan.

The AU, which is currently chaired by Senegal, has not brokered any negotiations for the $4.8 billion Ethiopian hydropower project since then.

Abu Dhabi, however, hosted two rounds of technical talks on GERD in May and June 2022, according to the Sudanese News Agency (SUNA).

The UAE believes the 2015 Declaration of Principles on the GERD remains a basic reference [for negotiations], the Emirati mission said on Tuesday, affirming the UAEs support for the objectives of the parties to agree and resolve their differences to maximize the benefits to them and to their peoples.

On 26 July, Egypt received a message from the Ethiopian side stating that Addis Ababa would start the third filling of the GERD reservoir during the current flood season, which lasts from July till September, a measure that Egypt rejects and considers a violation of the obligations imposed by international law on Ethiopia, according to a foreign ministry statement.

On Friday 30 July, Egypts Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry described the Ethiopian unilateral actions as a clear violation of the 2015 Declaration of Principles Agreement and a grave violation of the applicable rules of international law that oblige Ethiopia, as an upstream country, to not harm the rights of downstream countries.

Throughout the 11-year-long GERD talks, Egypt and Sudan have been seeking a legally binding deal on the filling and operation of the GERD.

Ethiopia, on the other hand, has been evading a legal deal, preferring instead a set of guidelines that can be modified any time at its discretion. It also opposed a proposed AU-led quartet international mediation.

The quartet mediation, first proposed by Khartoum and later adopted by Egypt, aimed to add the UN to the then three existed observers  the AU, the EU, and the US  and turn them into mediators rather than mere observers to break the deadlock, but Ethiopia balks at such a step.

Shoukrys remarks came in a letter sent to the President of the UN Security Council (UNSC) to register Egypts utter objection and rejection of Ethiopias continual unilateral filling of GERD without agreeing with the downstream countries on the means of filling and operating the dam.

The Egyptian foreign minister called on the Security Council in the sent letter to assume its responsibilities in this regard, including by intervening to ensure the implementation of the presidential statement issued by the UNSC, which obligates the three countries to negotiate to reach an agreement on the GERD as early as possible.

Egypt also reserves its legitimate right guaranteed in the Charter of the United Nations to take all necessary measures to ensure and protect its national security, including against any risks that Ethiopian unilateral measures may cause in the future, the statement read.

Ethiopia unilaterally completed the first and second filling of the dam and started earlier this year operating the first turbine of the GERD to generate power in the absence of a deal.

The two downstream countries have expressed concerns about their water rights and peoples lives, especially in times of drought, in case the GERD was filled without a binding deal, and have earlier accused Addis Ababa of attempting to prolong the negotiations to impose a fait accompli.

On the other hand, Ethiopia says the project  which will generate 5,250 megawatts of electricity when completed  is essential for producing electricity and economic development, repeatedly downplaying the concerns of Cairo and Khartoum.

Egypt has frequently stated that it has no objections to Ethiopia using the dam to generate the electricity it needs for its development plans. However, Cairo says it opposes any action that compromises its already inadequate share of Nile water.

Egypt, which is considered one of the most water-scarce countries in the world, receives around 60 bcm annually  mainly from the Blue Nile  while its needs stand at around 114 bcm, placing the over 103-million country well below the international threshold for water scarcity, at 560 cubic metres per person annually.

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UN Climate Change High Level Champion for Egypt Mahmoud Mohieldin has urged pushing forward the climate action agenda in Africa by increasing climate-related projects and investments.

Mohieldin made his remarks while addressing the opening session of the "Road to COP27: The Africa Regional Forum on Climate Initiatives to Finance Climate Action and the SDGs," which kicked off in Addis Ababa on Tuesday and lasts until Thursday.

The forum is one of five regional roundtables Egypt will be holding over the coming two months in its role as president of the 2022 UN Climate Change Conference (COP27) in an unprecedented initiative to catalyse investments in different climate sectors.

The Egyptian initiative will put climate projects, investors, companies, international financing entities, development banks and other stakeholders at one table with the aim of actually implementing projects that help achieve climate action goals, according to a previous statement by Mohieldins office.

During his speech, Mohieldin said that Africa remains the continent most vulnerable to climate changes effects despite its low contribution to greenhouse gas emissions. Africa produces no more than three percent of the worlds total, according to experts.

Although Africa has contributed little to global emissions, it is already being disproportionately affected by impacts of climate change, stressing the importance of adopting a climate action-oriented path that can deliver on both Africa's development and climate goals, a statement by Mohieldins media office cited him as saying.

He also emphasised the need to focus on building low-emission climate-resilient societies, and creating further green job opportunities.

According to UN figures, Africa's gross domestic product (GDP) is expected to shrink by 2.25 percent, Mohieldin said, warning about the risks posed by extreme climate events in Africa where most economies depend on natural resources, such as minerals, agriculture and wildlife.

Mohieldin also underlined the need to stimulate private investments in clean energy in Africa, which is in great need of further efforts to push the climate change agenda.

He also shed light on some potential clean energy ventures that might contribute to addressing the climate crisis, such as the African Green Hydrogen Alliance whose founding members include: Egypt, Mauritania, Namibia, Kenya and South Africa.

Mohieldin also touched upon the need for mobilising climate finance and dedicating climate funds to priority projects in the continent.

He stated that energy poverty is a stark problem in Africa as the continents energy systems are particularly vulnerable to climate shocks. An estimated annual investment of $25 billion would deliver universal energy access in Africa by the end of decade, according to the International Energy Agency.

With the right energy policies and financial support, Africa can achieve a significant level of sustainable and much cleaner energy, Moheildin added. He also stressed the need to ensure a just and equitable transition with affordable clean and renewable technologies.

Egypt will host COP27 in the Red Sea city of Sharm El-Sheikh between 7-18 November.

Egypt and the African Union are seeking to develop a unified vision for energy transformation in the continent ahead of COP27.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry, the president-designate of COP27, had said Egypt will speak up for Africa's aspirations to cope with climate change during the conference.

Hopes are pinned on COP27 to turn climate-related pledges into action to help facilitate the move to green energy in order to reduce harmful gas emissions and adapt to climate change as per the Paris Agreement.

The Paris Agreement  adopted at COP21 and signed by over 190 states including Egypt  came into effect in 2016 with the aim of limiting the rise in temperature to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

Climate finance has been debated at every COP meeting since as developed countries have failed to meet their promise to mobilise $100 billion annually by 2020 to help developing nations with mitigation and adaptation measures.

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The Egyptian Armed Forces announced on Wednesday the evacuation of dozens of Libyan people injured in a recent fuel truck explosion in Bint Bayyah town in the neighbouring country to a hospital in Cairo to be treated from burns.

Nine people were killed and 76 others were injured as a fuel tanker truck overturned and caught fire on Monday in the central Libyan town. The injured were residents of the area who rushed to the scene before the truck exploded, according to Libyan reports.

The injured Libyans were evacuated by an Egyptian military plane from the Benina Military Base in Benghazi to East Cairo military base, where they were moved to EL-Helmeya Military Hospital for Bones and Overlay in the Egyptian capital, a video statement posted by the Armed Forces spokesman Gharib Abdel-Hafez said.

The Helmeya hospital, which raised the state of preparedness, has provided the injured people with the required care and administered the injured people to the ICU and MICU for treatment, according to health professionals at the hospital who spoke during the video.

The injured are suffering from severe burns. However, their health conditions are stable as they do not suffer from any life-threatening injuries, one of the doctors said.

The evacuation came as per the directives of President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi, the supreme commander of the Armed Forces, and confirms Egypts pivotal role and support for the Libyan states efforts to overcome the crises it faces, the video statement said.

The Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has earlier expressed heartfelt condolences to the Libyan people in the wake of the explosion, saying that it is following up on the repercussions of the tragic accident.

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Egypt reported a 55 percent drop in coronavirus infections and a 20 percent decrease in related deaths this week on the week before, acting Health Minister Khaled Abdel-Ghaffar stated on Wednesday.

During an online meeting of health ministry officials, Abdel-Ghaffar was apprised that Covid hospitalisation rates fell nationwide by 60 percent in the last week of July, compared to the third week of the same month.

Between 19 and 27 July, Egypt recorded a daily average of 177 coronavirus infections and a total of 12 deaths, the health ministry had earlier reported.

During the meeting, Abdel-Ghaffar said up to 75 percent of the coronavirus cases admitted to isolation hospitals in June and July were unvaccinated.

The minister appealed to citizens to receive the booster doses to maintain public health, the statement added.

Until late July, Egypt fully vaccinated more than 38 million people, and administered booster shots to six million people.

Over 49 million Egyptians received the first dose, meeting 98.7 percent of the countrys vaccination target, and over 38 million received the second dose, meeting 76.7 percent of the target, Abdel-Ghaffar said in a previous statement.

The drop comes nearly a month after a surge in Covid cases in Egypt, especially during the vacation of Eid Al-Adha, from 9 to 16 July.

In early July, the Ministry of Health reported an increase of 6.9 percent in coronavirus infections following a long period of a major decline in infection tolls nationwide.

Hossam Abdel-Ghaffar, spokesperson for the health ministry, attributed the rise in infections to the emergence of some sub-variants of the Omicron strain of the virus, especially the BA.5 variant, which he said are more transmissible, but do not cause severe infections.

He also shed light on the citizens laxity in adhering to the precautions, as well as the waning of COVID-19 vaccine or infection-induced immunity after the passage of the six-month period following vaccination or infection.

The country has recently eased many of the coronavirus-related restrictions it had imposed since March 2020. This included allowing mosques and shrines nationwide to revert to normal operation hours after two years of limited service, as well as allowing weddings and celebrations at indoor hotel halls as long as they followed the precautionary measures.

In mid-June, Egypt announced the lifting of all COVID-related entry restrictions for all travellers.

To date, no monkeypox cases were detected in Egypt, the acting health minister said.

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By Azernews

By Sabina Mammadli

Russia is making considerable contributions to the drafting of the Azerbaijani-Armenia peace agreement, Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said at a weekly briefing.

According to her, Special Representative of Russia's Foreign Ministry for the normalization of the Azerbaijani-Armenia relations Igor Khovayev holds regular consultations with the sides to find common ground, and reach mutually acceptable basic principles and parameters of a peace agreement.

She added that these engagements took place on July 22 in Baku and July 28 in Yerevan.

Further, Zakharova noted that the delimitation of the Azerbaijani - Armenian border is an important part of Russian mediators' efforts to improve the dialogue between the two countries.

"Moscow's advisory role in this process is documented in the Sochi trilateral summit statement of November 26, 2021. A corresponding bilateral commission was established and the first introductory meeting of representatives of Azerbaijan and Armenia took place on the Azerbaijan-Armenia border," she stated.

The speaker emphasized Russia's readiness to receive "Azerbaijani and Armenian friends".

"We believe that the unique, professional capabilities and competence of our country in terms of delimitation and demarcation in the post-Soviet space can significantly strengthen security on the Azerbaijani-Armenian border and in the region as a whole," she said.

About 2,000 Russian peacekeepers have been deployed for five years in Karabakh under the trilateral cease-fire deal signed by Baku, Moscow, and Yerevan on November 10, 2020. The signed agreement obliged Armenia to withdraw all its troops from the Azerbaijani lands that it had occupied since the early 1990s.

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 the Armenian armed forces in the war in the early 1990s.

The deal also stipulated the return of Azerbaijan's Kalbajar, Aghdam and Lachin districts. 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.
Saudi Arabia has welcomed the two-month extension of the truce in Yemen.

In a statement carried out Wednesday by the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), the Saudi Foreign Ministry hailed the efforts exerted by UN Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg.

"The Kingdom reaffirms its support of all UN-led efforts to reach a permanent political solution to the crisis in Yemen and to end the suffering of the Yemeni people," the ministry said.

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Three people were detained from the Hebron district in the south of the West Bank, one of them from Arroub refugee camp, north of Hebron city and the other two were detained at a checkpoint in the Hebron city center at an area under the Israeli army control, Palestinian news agency (WAFA) reported Wednesday.



One Palestinian was detained at the town of Biddo, northeast of Jerusalem, three former prisoners from three different Ramallah-area villages, two from villages in the Nablus district, one of them a former prisoner, and three from various towns in the Jenin district, one of them a minor.

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US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi arrived in Taiwan on Tuesday night despite threats from Beijing of serious consequences, becoming the highest-ranking American official in 25 years to visit the self-ruled island claimed by China.

Pelosi's visit has triggered increased tension between China and the United States. China claims Taiwan as part of its territory, to be annexed by force if necessary, and views visits by foreign government officials as recognition of the island's sovereignty.

China had warned of ``resolute and strong measures'' if Pelosi went ahead with the trip. China's Defense Ministry said Tuesday night it will conduct a series of targeted military operations to ``safeguard national sovereignty'' in response to Pelosi's visit. It vowed to ``resolutely thwart external interference and `Taiwan independence' separatist attempts.``

The Biden administration did not explicitly urge Pelosi to call off the visit, while seeking to assure Beijing it would not signal any change in U.S. policy on Taiwan.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Washington's betrayal ``on the Taiwan issue is bankrupting its national credibility.``

``Some American politicians are playing with fire on the issue of Taiwan,`` Wang said in a statement. ``This will definitely not have a good outcome ... the exposure of America's bullying face again shows it as the world's biggest saboteur of peace.``

Pelosi said in a statement just after her arrival that the U.S. delegation's visit ``honors America's unwavering commitment to supporting Taiwan's vibrant democracy.''

``Our visit is one of several Congressional delegations to Taiwan -- and it in no way contradicts longstanding United States policy,'' she said.

The plane carrying Pelosi and her delegation left Malaysia earlier Tuesday after a brief stop that included a working lunch with Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob.

Taiwan's Foreign Ministry had declined to comment on whether Pelosi would visit. The trip was not officially announced ahead of time.

Barricades were erected outside the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Taipei where Pelosi was expected to stay amid heightened security. Two buildings in the capital lit up LED displays with words of welcome, including the iconic Taipei 101 building, which said ``Welcome to Taiwan, Speaker Pelosi.''

China, which regards Taiwan as a renegade province to be annexed by force if necessary, has repeatedly warned of retaliation for Pelosi's visit, saying its military will ``never sit idly by.''

``The U.S. and Taiwan have colluded to make provocations first, and China has only been compelled to act out of self-defense,'' Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying told reporters Tuesday in Beijing.

Hua said China has been in constant communication with the U.S. and made clear ``how dangerous it would be if the visit actually happens.'' Any countermeasures China take will be ``justified and necessary`` in the face of Washington's ``unscrupulous behavior,`` she said.

Shortly after Pelosi's arrival, a representative of the Chinese legislature's Standing Committee issued a statement saying the trip ``severely violated'' the ``One China principle,'' which is Beijing's claim to be the sole government of both mainland China and Taiwan.

Before her arrival, unspecified hackers launched a cyberattack on the Taiwanese Presidential Office's website, making it temporarily unavailable Tuesday evening. The Presidential Office said the website was restored shortly after the attack, which overwhelmed it with traffic.

``China thinks by launching a multi-domain pressure campaign against Taiwan, the people of Taiwan will be be intimidated. But they are wrong,'' Wang Ting-yu, a legislator with the Democratic Progressive Party, said on Twitter in response to the attack.

China's military threats have driven concerns of a new crisis in the 100-mile (140-kilometer) -wide Taiwan Strait that could roil global markets and supply chains.

The White House on Monday decried Beijing's rhetoric, saying the U.S. has no interest in deepening tensions with China and ``will not take the bait or engage in saber rattling.''

White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby underscored that the decision whether to visit Taiwan was ultimately Pelosi's. He noted that members of Congress have routinely visited the island over the years.

Kirby said administration officials are concerned that Beijing could use the visit as an excuse to take provocative retaliatory steps, including military action such as firing missiles in the Taiwan Strait or around Taiwan, or flying sorties into the island's airspace and carrying out large-scale naval exercises in the strait.

``Put simply, there is no reason for Beijing to turn a potential visit consistent with long-standing U.S. policy into some sort of crisis or use it as a pretext to increase aggressive military activity in or around the Taiwan Strait,'' Kirby said.

U.S. officials have said the U.S. military would increase its movement of forces and assets in the Indo-Pacific region during Pelosi's visit. U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan and its strike group were in the Philippine Sea on Monday, according to officials who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss military operations.

The Reagan, the cruiser USS Antietam and the destroyer USS Higgins left Singapore after a port visit and moved north to their homeport in Japan. The carrier has an array of aircraft, including F/A-18 fighter jets and helicopters, on board as well as sophisticated radar systems and other weapons.

Taiwan and China split in 1949 after the Communists won a civil war on the mainland. The U.S. maintains informal relations and defense ties with Taiwan even as it recognizes Beijing as the government of China.

Beijing sees official American contact with Taiwan as encouragement to make the island's decades-old de facto independence permanent, a step U.S. leaders say they don't support. Pelosi, head of one of three branches of the U.S. government, is the highest-ranking elected American official to visit Taiwan since then-Speaker Newt Gingrich in 1997.

The flight tracking site Flightradar24 said Pelosi's aircraft, a U.S. Air Force Boeing C-40C, was the most tracked in the world on Tuesday evening with 300,000 viewers. The plane took a roundabout route, flying east over Indonesia rather than directly over the South China Sea.

Pelosi has used her position in the U.S. Congress as an emissary for the U.S. on the global stage. She has long challenged China on human rights, including in 2009 when she hand-delivered a letter to then-President Hu Jintao calling for the release of political prisoners. She had sought to visit Taiwan's island democracy earlier this year before testing positive for COVID-19.

Pelosi kicked off her Asian tour in Singapore on Monday as her possible visit to Taiwan sparked jitters in the region.

Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong ``highlighted the importance of stable U.S.-China relations for regional peace and security'' during talks with Pelosi, the city-state's Foreign Ministry said. This was echoed by Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi in Tokyo, who said stable ties between the two rival powers ``are extremely important for the international community as well.''

The Philippines urged the U.S. and China to be ``responsible actors`` in the region. ``It is important for the U.S. and China to ensure continuing communication to avoid any miscalculation and further escalation of tensions,`` said Foreign Affairs spokesperson Teresita Daza.

China has been steadily ratcheting up diplomatic and military pressure on Taiwan. China cut off all contact with Taiwan's government in 2016 after President Tsai Ing-wen refused to endorse its claim that the island and mainland together make up a single Chinese nation, with the Communist regime in Beijing being the sole legitimate government.

Pelosi is to travel to Japan and South Korea later this week.

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Arab League Assistant Secretary General Hossam Zaki received a phone call on Tuesday from Chinas Ambassador in Cairo Liao Liqiang, who briefed him on Chinas stance on the latest developments of Taiwan issue.

The ambassador underscored the need to avoid taking any actions that do not support peace and stability in the region.

For his part, Zaki reaffirmed the Arab Leagues stance on backing the sovereignty and territorial integrity of China and supporting the One China policy, calling for defusing the tension and reaching a settlement for Taiwan issue rapidly.

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Minister of International Cooperation Rania Al-Mashat discussed with Heike Harmgart, the Managing Director for the Southern and Eastern Mediterranean (SEMED) region at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), boosting bilateral cooperation at the UN Climate Change Conference 2022 (COP27).

During a meeting Wednesday with the EBRD official, the minister tackled the possibility of promoting developmental cooperation ventures including financing green projects and incentivising green public investments in the energy, food and water sectors, as part of Egypts National Climate Change Strategy 2050 (NCCS).

COP27 is set to take place at the Red Sea resort city of Sharm El-Sheikh in November.

According to Al-Mashat, the efforts are directed at realising sustainable development goals.

The future will see further cooperation between Egypt and the EBRD, within the framework of their new 2022-2027 strategy, that aim to meet the state's developmental needs and support the overhaul the various state sectors, the minister said.

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Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Tarek El-Molla discussed with a delegation from ExxonMobil upping the international companys investments and activities of marketing and distributing fuel in Egypt.

In statements on Wednesday, El-Molla asserted that ExxonMobil is an important global partner to Egypt and contributes to marketing and distributing fuel in the domestic market in accordance with global standards.

The minister commended efforts exerted by the company to promote its activities and investments in Egypt, in addition to constant development to meet needs of consumers.

El-Molla followed up on ongoing cooperation with the company to provide cars with natural gas in Mobil filling stations in cooperation with GASTEC and CARGAS.

In turn, ExxonMobils regional chairman for marketing and fuel sales affirmed Egypt is an important market for the company.

The company said it is ready to probe joint cooperation with Egypt during the UN Climate Change Conference 2022 (COP27), slated for November in Sharm El-Sheikh.

ExxonMobil is the one of the world's largest publicly traded international oil and gas companies.

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Rise in remittances

REMITTANCES sent by Egyptian expats went up 2.1 per cent in the first 11 months of the fiscal year 2021/2022, recording $29.1 billion, the Central Bank of Egypt (CBE) announced on Sunday. Remittances declined in May to $2.4 billion compared to $2.6 billion in May 2021, according to the CBE. Remittances are one of Egypts key sources of foreign currency, along with exports, tourism and the Suez Canal. In 2021, remittances from Egyptians working abroad reached $31.5 billion, an increase of nearly $1.9 billion and at a rate of 6.4 per cent compared to $29.6 billion in 2020.

On a global level, a report issued by the World Bank in May projected remittance flow to low-and middle-income countries to grow by 4.2 per cent in 2022, reaching $630 billion following a recovery of 8.6 per cent in 2021.

Back home

EGYPT has brought home a citizen who disappeared in Libya for 18 months, the Ministry of Emigration and Expatriate Affairs said in a statement on Saturday. The missing person was working for a Libyan company when he was arrested for unexplained reasons, the statement noted. After conducting negotiations with Libyan authorities, the person was released. The ministry said the individuals case will be followed up on a regular basis until his safe return to Egypt. The ministrys efforts came in response to a request by the mans brother who had reported him missing. The statement urged Egyptian expats to stay safe by avoiding areas of tension, stressing the countrys keenness to help Egyptian nationals abroad and guarantee their safety. The number of Egyptian workers in Libya, estimated at around two million before 2011, has sharply declined to 50,000 due to instability in the country.

Green hydrogen deal

EGYPT signed a memorandum of understanding with an Indian company to build a green hydrogen factory in the Suez Canal Economic Zone, according to a statement by the cabinet. The factory, worth $8 billion, will produce 20,000 tonnes of green hydrogen a year in the first phase. The second phase will see an expansion in production reaching 200,000 tonnes. Minister of Electricity Mohamed Shaker said Egypt is a promising market to become a key global player in the green energy value chain. Shaker previously announced 2022 as the year of green hydrogen, viewing it as the fuel of the future. Indian investments in Egypt currently stand at $3.15 billion, according to Indian Ambassador to Egypt Ajit Gupte, who noted that additional investments are expected to be pumped in the coming few years. Indian companies are currently implementing a variety of projects in Egypt.

Jet skis banned

THE RED Sea governorate announced on Monday the banning of jet skis to prevent what it described as disastrous accidents. The decision aims to protect the lives of citizens and tourists visiting the governorates cities, Red Sea Governor Amr Hanafi said in a statement. The governor urged the concerned authorities to deal decisively with violators. Hanafi noted that violators face a penalty that includes having their jet skis confiscated. Campaigns will be launched on beaches to inspect water games and review maritime safety.



*A version of this article appears in print in the 4 August, 2022 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly.

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The government and pharmaceutical companies are discussing ways of giving the private sector a larger stake in the industry.

The government is engaged in consultations with the private sector on the recently published State Ownership Policy Document that sets out ways of partnering further with the private sector across a range of economic activities, including in the pharmaceuticals sector.

As a result of the impacts of the Russian-Ukrainian war on the Egyptian economy, with some putting overall economic losses since the conflict at LE465 billion, the governments decision to give a wider role to the private sector is part of its support for the national economy.

The document sets out ways of increasing the private-sector contribution to the economy to 65 per cent, up from the current 30 per cent.

Multifaceted discussions took place last week between government representatives and 60 experts from the healthcare and pharmaceutical sectors with a view to developing them and enhancing the role of private players.

Main proposals include plans to ensure the equitable distribution of private-sector investment in the healthcare sector across different governorates, supporting the public-private partnership (PPP) model in integrated and university hospitals as well as in Egypts Universal Health Insurance System, and widening the states contribution to the provision of pharmaceutical raw materials and antibiotics production.

Speaking to Al-Ahram Weekly, chairman of the Pharmaceuticals, Cosmetics, and Appliances Chamber at the Federation of Egyptian Industries (FEI) Gamal Al-Laithi said that increasing the share of the private sector in the healthcare and pharmaceuticals industry was important amid the ongoing challenges.

He noted that while public companies dominate 72 per cent of healthcare and pharmaceuticals activity, private players currently represent only 28 per cent. This is unlike the situation in other countries where the private sector has the lions share of activity due to its expertise as well as financial capabilities, Al-Laithi said.

Al-Laithi is participating in the consultations with the government on the future of the sector. He told the Weekly that the proposals and recommendations needed clear mechanisms if they were to be implemented.

The proposals include expanding the PPP model, pushing for privatisation in the sector, and merging medical products companies to help them to tackle losses.

He said that the recommendations revolve around three main types of partnership with the private sector, namely selling a number of state-owned medical production companies to the private sector, implementing a PPP model, or privatising company management.

The State Ownership Policy Document would boost the role the private sector plays in health and pharmaceuticals fields capitalising on the latters extensive experience and huge financing capacity, Hatem Al-Wardani, executive manager of AstraZeneca told the Weekly.

Egypt has good potentials that qualify it to implement a successful localisation of the pharma industry and also to transform the country to a regional hub for pharmaceuticals, he added.

This includes its unique geographical location, the high rate of population growth, the presence of a robust private sector, as well as the current political will that prioritises giving the private sector a wider role in the economy, according to Al-Wardani.

He also added that Egypt has the infrastructure and human capital that enable it to succeed in its mission, in addition to the digital transformation policy which represents an effective element for the pharma industry in the market.

In light with the efforts the state is doing to boost this industry, AstraZeneca plans to raise its investments and local production by 50 per cent over the coming three years, Al-Wardani told the Weekly.

The State Ownership Policy Document sets out nine types of partnership with the private sector in various economic activities. They include concession contracts, build, operate, and transform (BOT) contracts, design, build, and operate (DBO) contracts, build, finance, operate, and transform (BFOT) contracts, build, own, operate, and transform (BOOT) contracts, build, own, and operate (BOO) contracts, performance contracts, management contracts, and the possible privatisation of a number of state-owned assets.

Al-Laithi said that the state should invest in producing drugs that need extensive investments in partnership with the private sector, including cancer and immunity treatments.

During the consultation, head of the FEI Private Sector Healthcare Chamber Alaa Abdel-Magid explained that expanding the role private companies play in the sector would require reassessing quality control measures applied on them in order to pave the way for new establishments to join the Universal Health Insurance System.

He called for redeploying public investments in the sector to focus on preventive medicine, emergency care, and reproductive health, while underlining the need for public investment in the healthcare sector.

Head of the commercial department at Zeta Pharma, a pharmaceutical production company operating in the Egyptian market, Mohsen Hassan told the Weekly that establishing real partnerships with the private sector in the healthcare and pharmaceuticals industry was necessary for the state, investors, and patients.

The private sector enjoys many points of strength, starting with large financial capabilities, flexibility, fast decision-making, and the efficient management of both finances and resources. The private sector also has the ability to attract foreign investment and experiences, Hassan said.

He said that Egypt lacked capacity for producing medical raw materials, causing it to rely on imports.

The private sector can play a significant role in establishing such capacity and providing the required experience to manage it. This will also help to localise the pharmaceuticals industry, which will boost the national economy by saving hard currency, lowering the demand for the US dollar, and reducing the countrys imports bill, Hassan said.

He called for listing such companies on the Egyptian Stock Exchange (EGX) to provide greater liquidity and to improve management models.

He stressed that the Egyptian pharmaceuticals market has significant experience that could be utilised in improving the sector. The pharmaceuticals market in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries draws heavily on Egyptian managers, for example.

According to the State Ownership Policy Document, the government should incrementally disassociate from a number of economic activities in favour of the private sector, while taking into account the strategic and security dimensions involved.

It favours upgrading the mechanisms for allocating assets to various economic activities, as well as designing plans to deal with the impacts of state withdrawal, especially in terms of the workforce and revenues, and implementing packages of macroeconomic policies that would help to stimulate the private sector.

*A version of this article appears in print in the 4 August, 2022 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly.

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There are growing signs that Iran is showing weak spots in its influence in Iraq, though decoupling may be the last thing on its leaders minds.

For nearly two decades Iran has been consolidating its influence in Iraq, if not outright capturing the neighbouring country, by exploiting the turmoil triggered by the US-led invasion in 2003 and the fall of the Saddam regime.

To make its inroads into Iraq, Iran has pursued a fundamental political goal: to unite the countrys Shia groups and help empower the co-religious community by translating their demographic weight into political influence.

In addition to its political presence, the Islamic Republic has also used Iraq as a platform to expand its influence throughout the region and to forge ahead in building a favourable political and regional security order.

But in order to gauge Irans present influence in Iraq, its footprint on Iraqs lingering political impasse has to be considered and how the Islamic Republic is positioning itself, as it always has, as an influential external power-broker in forming governments in post-invasion Iraq.

This month marks the longest post-election deadlock in Iraq as infighting among Shia groups in particular has prevented agreement on a new prime minister and hampered efforts to form a new government following the October parliamentary elections.

The bloc of cleric Muqtada Al-Sadr was the largest vote-getter in the elections, winning some 73 seats in the 329-member assembly. But Al-Sadr refused to forge an alliance with rival Shia factions in order to create a majority bloc that would allow them to form a government as they did in all previous parliaments.

Meanwhile, Al-Sadr failed to create an alliance with Iraqs Sunni groups and Kurdish parties that would have given him the two-thirds majority required to pick a new president for Iraq, an important step before the prime minister can be nominated.

In a surprise move, Al-Sadr withdrew his bloc from parliament and announced that he was exiting talks on forming a government. Instead, he mobilised his supporters, who stormed the parliament to prevent his rivals from convening and endorsing their candidate Mohamed Shayyah Al-Sudani as the new prime minister.

In response, his Shia opponents in the Iran-backed parties known as the Coordination Framework alliance reiterated their nomination of Al-Sudani and held their own rally in Baghdad on Friday signalling their readiness to take the dispute to the streets.

Al-Sadrs followers retaliated on Saturday by storming the heavily fortified Green Zone in Baghdad, reoccupying the parliament, and declaring an open-ended sit-in until a set of demands are met including writing a new constitution and dissolving Iraqs judiciary which they accuse of bias.

The Coordination Framework staged tit-for-tat protests outside the Green Zone in a show of strength and defiance, further escalating the Shia-Shia power struggle.

While the standoff has deepened the divide between the Shia groups and plunged Iraq into one of its worst crises since 2003, it has also underlined Irans shrinking leverage over its long-time allies and threatened its influence in the battered country.

Iran has gone a long way towards consolidating its influence in Iraq to the extent that the connections between the two countries have become so intertwined that it would now be impossible to fully separate Iraq and Iran.

Through allied Shia politicians and paramilitary groups in Iraq, Iran has emerged as the dominant force in the country, expanding its influence and its role beyond the political and security realms to commercial, business, and cultural ties.

Many Iraqis have been outraged at what they see as encroachment on their sovereignty by a former enemy that shares a 1,400 km border with their country and have accused the Islamic Republic of turning Iraq into a client state.

The turning point in the anti-Iran sentiment came with the 2019 uprising in the mostly Shia-dominated provinces of Iraq that called for an overhaul of the political system established after the collapse of the regime of former dictator Saddam Hussein.

Yet, the uprising was also about the rise of Iraqi nationalism, demonstrated by the protesters demands to end the hegemony of the Islamic Republic in their country and its interference in its domestic politics.

It is hard to imagine the circumstances under which Tehran could have escaped the political impact of the overwhelmingly anti-Iranian sentiments and the increasing calls by the protesters to free Iraq from Iranian hegemony.

Even Al-Sadr, who once sought refuge in Iran fleeing US threats of arrest, emerged after the uprising as a nationalist leader resisting Irans influence in Iraq.

Iranian leaders and the countrys media were quick to condemn the uprising as a foreign conspiracy and to label the protesters as the stooges of Irans main foes, the US, Israel, and Saudi Arabia.

Irans Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei even urged the Iraqi authorities to give priority to dealing with the riots and the instability, which was widely seen as giving the green light to Iran-backed militias in Iraq to smash the protests.

Iran has also turned to online campaigning in Arabic, English, and Farsi to discredit the Iraqi protesters and to paint them as disruptive. Some of the posts have appeared with hashtags such as we will not leave Iraq, Iraq and Iran wont be separated, and Iraq wont be burned.

One of the major consequences of the uprising has been the waning influence of Iran in Iraq, however, especially after a US-directed drone attack killed Qassem Suleimani in January 2020. He was Irans point man in Iraq who worked as the lynchpin to bring the countrys Shia forces together.

Despite making hectic efforts with Shia groups and other Iraqi factions, Suleimanis successor Esmail Qaani has repeatedly failed to make headway in coordinating Irans proxies in the country and shoring up Irans influence in Iraq.

A series of developments since Suleimanis killing has showed that Irans network of influence in Iraq has weakened, largely because Qaani has not been able to fill in the gaps left in the absence of his predecessor.

In the latest elections in October 2021, the Iran-backed groups that have dominated Iraqi politics since Saddams fall lost significant ground for the first time in years when Al-Sadrs followers dominated the poll.

Leaked conversations among Shia leaders have suggested that Iranian-aligned Iraqi Shia groups have been asserting a degree of independence from Iran and sometimes even showing signs of disobeying Tehran.

Audio recordings by Al-Maliki leaked last month showed the increasing mistrust by Iraqi Shia factions of Iran and their complaints about Irans mishandling of the internal Shia rift in Iraq and its failure to push the groups into line and resolve the disputes among them.

All these actions and this rhetoric raise questions about whether Iran has been backed into a corner, as its mission to take control of Iraq has been challenged by the countrys worst crisis since it became enmeshed in its western neighbour.

Irans activities in Iraq have been under the radar of key Middle Eastern powers, which want to see if the Islamic regime succeeds in taking over Iraq and transforming it into a satellite state under its influence.

Irans regional foes have hoped that a new regime in Baghdad led by a converted Al-Sadr in alliance with the Kurds and Sunni Arabs would reduce Tehrans influence in Iraq and challenge its power in the region.

But there are still few indications that Iran has strategically lost in Iraq or that it is ready to concede that its influence in the neighbouring country is swayed by geopolitical winds or rising Iraqi nationalism.

Instead, many signs suggest that Iran still maintains enormous assets in Iraq, and after a tactical setback caused by Qaanis weakness Tehran is once again consolidating its control over key areas of Iraqs feeble politics including power-broking

To many observers, the latest standoff shows that the pro-Iran camp in Iraqs Shia community is still powerful enough to outmanoeuvre Al-Sadr and even use Irans influence to corner the powerful cleric as the government crisis drags on.

Reports that Iran has succeeded in convincing the leaders of the self-ruled Kurdistan Region of Iraq to end their dispute over the election of a new president of the country that would then pave the way for ending the government stalemate suggests a major win for Tehran.

This is why the betting that Irans influence in Iraq is in decline based on Al-Sadrs ability to block the parliaments sessions may be far-fetched or wishful thinking. All that can be assumed, at least for now, is that it seems unlikely Iran will change its calculations in Iraq and let its determination to influence politics in the country diminish.

*A version of this article appears in print in the 4 August, 2022 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly.

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A new stop on Egypts Holy Family Trail was inaugurated last week in the Minya governorate after development and restoration, reports Nevine El-Aref

The serenity of the Virgin Mary Monastery standing on top of the Gabal Al-Teir cliffs in the city of Samalout, Minya governorate, was disturbed late last week when the ministers of tourism and antiquities and local development arrived to inaugurate a new stop on the Holy Family Trail after restoration and development work.

The Holy Family travelled in Egypt at the beginning of the first century CE, and the stops they made are being linked together on a trail that presents their movement through the country.

After four years of restoration and development work, the monastery and its authentic church are now once again welcoming worshippers and visitors who will be able to enjoy not only the serenity of the area but also the distinguished architecture and wonderful view out across the Nile Valley with its carefully cultivated fields and lush palm groves.

The Holy Family visited the site and stayed there for three days during their journey in Egypt.

Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Khaled El-Enany expressed his happiness at opening a new point on the Holy Family Trail less than two months after the inauguration of a previous one in Wadi Al-Natroun in the Beheira governorate.

He said that various points on the trail had been restored and developed in Old Cairo, Sammanud, Tel Basta, Sakha and Wadi Al-Natroun, and now the Virgin Mary Monastery and Church in Minya.

The Holy Familys visit to Egypt bestowed on the country a unique honour and blessing and made Egypt one of the most sacred Christian centres in the world. The Holy Familys sojourn in Egypt has great historical and religious significance for Egyptians. It has given the Egyptian Coptic Church a special position among other Christian churches, El-Enany said.

He added that the Holy Family Trail is a tourist attraction that is unique to Egypt, and the ministry has allocated LE60 million for the development of stops on it and the restoration of monuments.

At Gabal Al-Teir, the ministry has allocated LE7.5 million for the development, which upgraded facilities and infrastructure installed to assist visitors following the route of the Holy Familys sojourn in Egypt.

The goal of the project is also to develop poorer areas and communities in the Delta and Upper Egypt, restore archaeological sites, and create suitable services for visitors at sites along the trail. This is part of developing spiritual tourism that can appeal throughout the year and not just during special seasons.

At Gabal Al-Teir, roads leading to it have been extended and paved, sunshades, seats, and signage have been installed, and landscaping work has been done on the area surrounding the monastery.

Mahmoud Shaarawi, minister of local development, announced the completion of the development of 25 points on the path of the Holy Familys sojourn in Egypt in eight governorates in cooperation with the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities and the Egyptian Coptic Church, with the support of the president, the follow-up of the prime minister, and the patronage of Pope Tawadros II, pope of Alexandria and patriarch of the See of St Mark.

He said that further stops in four governorates on the Holy Family Trail had been completed and there was more to come at four others in order to present the trail to the Egyptian public and the world as one of humanitys most important heritage landmarks.

He described the opening of the Gabal Al-Teir stop on the Holy Familys sojourn in Egypt as a further success to be added to other efforts to develop the trail. More stops would soon be added to underline Egypts readiness to welcome pilgrims and tourists from all over the globe wanting to seek blessings from these holy places, he added.

Osama Talaat, head of the Islamic, Coptic, and Jewish Antiquities Sector at the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, said that the Church of the Virgin Mary at Gabal Al-Teir was built in 328 CE by the Byzantine empress Helena, mother of the emperor Constantine, in memory of the passage of the Holy Family in Egypt.

In 1938, Severus, the bishop of Minya, restored the church and removed the original stone roof in order to enlarge it.

The church consists of a nave with three sanctuaries and two side aisles and a western return aisle separated from each other by 10 rock-cut columns. On the south side of the church, the baptismal font is carved out of a column. The area in front of the middle sanctuary serves as a choir.

Hisham Samir, assistant to the minister of tourism and antiquities for archaeological projects, said that work on the restoration project at the monastery and church had begun in 2018 after the approval of the Permanent Committee of Islamic, Coptic, and Jewish Antiquities.

The work was carried out in two phases, the first phase covering the western corridor and now being completely finished. The second phase includes the southern corridor.

The work has included the restoration of the walls and ceiling of the church, removing cracks, consolidating the walls, and repairing the bell in the tower and the buildings four arcades and domes.

The facades of the church have been mechanically cleaned, and the modern mosaic set up in 1987 on the eastern wall of its southern entrance has been replaced with another mosaic showing the journey of the Holy Family.

*A version of this article appears in print in the 4 August, 2022 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly.

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A military expert in Baku has ruled out fresh hostilities between Azerbaijan and Armenia, Azernews reports, citing a Day.az report by Abdul Karimxanov.

By Azernews

Despite the increased skirmishes in Karabakh and on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border over recent days, one should not expect fresh hostilities between Azerbaijan and Armenia. For this, the opposite side must have the potential for resistance. Armenia currently has about 50 percent of its pre-war potential. While the potential of the Azerbaijani army is twice as high as before the Second Karabakh War. Therefore, Armenia does not have the possibility of conducting military operations, military expert Adalat Verdiyev said.

At the same time, the military expert advised Armenia against testing Azerbaijan's patience and stressed that Baku supports regional peace.

"However, Armenia should not test Azerbaijan's patience. Delaying the process of delimitation and demarcation of the borders is fraught with serious risks for Yerevan. If Armenia wants peace, then its leadership must fulfill its obligations. That is, the withdrawal of Armenian illegal armed formations from the territory of Karabakh, the opening of the Zangazur corridor, as well as facilitating the return of Azerbaijani citizens to the territories under the temporary control of the Russian peacekeepers. But so far, Armenia has not fulfilled its obligations," he said.

According to the military expert, if Yerevan continues to escalate the situation, Baku reserves the right to conduct an anti-terrorist operation on its territory.

"It is time for Armenia to come to its senses and realize that Azerbaijan does not intend to wait for many more years. Either Yerevan will properly fulfill its obligations, or Baku will force Yerevan to peace on its own," Adalat Verdiyev summed up.
Russia on Wednesday said it had destroyed a depot of foreign arms near the city of Lviv, in a rare strike on western Ukraine.

"Air-launched high-precision long-range missiles near the city of Radekhiv in Lviv region destroyed a storage base with foreign-made weapons and ammunition delivered to the Kyiv regime from Poland," the defence ministry said in a statement.

The statement did not specify what types of weapons were destroyed in the attack on Radekhiv, some 60 kilometres (37 miles) northeast of the regional capital Lviv.

The ministry said it also destroyed four warehouses containing rockets, artillery weapons and ammunition in the southern region of Mykolaiv and the eastern region of Donetsk.

President Vladimir Putin sent troops into Ukraine on February 24, sparking a conflict that has killed thousands, displaced millions and fulled fears of a global food crisis over blocked grain exports.

After abandoning efforts to take Ukraine's capital Kyiv, Russian troops have instead focussed on capturing the eastern region of Donbas.

In recent weeks the Ukrainian army, bolstered by deliveries of Western-supplied long-range artillery, has sought to stage a counter-offensive to retake the southern region of Kherson.

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The Senate is set to ratify NATO membership for Finland and Sweden, a crucial step toward swiftly expanding the Western military alliance with a show of U.S. support in response to Russia's war with Ukraine.

Senators have invited the ambassadors of the countries to witness Wednesday's historic debate and vote, which would open a new era for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. President Joe Biden has sought quick entry for the two previously non-militarily aligned northern European allies, and approval of the ratification resolution has vast bipartisan support in Congress.

``Our NATO alliance is the bedrock that has guaranteed democracy in the Western world since the end of World War II,'' said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.

Schumer said he and Republican leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., had committed to the country's leaders that the Senate would approve the ratification resolution ``as fast as we could'' to bolster the alliance ``in light of recent Russian aggression.''

NATO's 30 member countries are in the process of considering the addition after Sweden and Finland set aside their longstanding stance of military nonalignment. It was a major shift of security arrangements for the two countries after neighboring Russia launched its war on Ukraine earlier this year.

The U.S. and its European allies have rallied with newfound partnership in the face of Russian President Vladimir Putin's aggression, strengthening the NATO alliance first formed after World War II.

Biden sent the protocols to the Senate for review in July, launching a notably speedy process in the typically divided and slower-moving Congress.

Each member country in NATO needs to approve the accession of new members. The process ran into trouble when Turkey raised concerns over adding Sweden and Finland, in part because it views the two countries as soft on banned Turkish Kurdish exile groups. But the process has continued to move forward despite those early reservations.

On Wednesday, the Senate is expected launch several hours of debate, including on two amendments, before the final vote.

One amendment from Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., would ensure that NATO's guarantee to defend its members does not replace a formal role for Congress in authorizing the use of military force. Another from Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, would declare that all NATO members should spend a minimum of 2% of their gross domestic product on defense and 20 percent of their defense budgets on ``major equipment, including research and development.''

Funding for NATO sparked as a top concern during the Trump era, including among some Republicans, but those issues have slid from prominence in the face of Russia's war in Ukraine.

McConnell has taken a lead role urging GOP support for NATO and vowing during Sweden and Finland would be quickly approved for membership during his own visit to Kyiv and the region earlier this year.

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The first grain ship to depart Ukraine under a wartime deal was poised to cross through the Bosporus Strait and sail to Lebanon after its cargo was checked and approved Wednesday, Turkish and Ukrainian authorities said.

An inspection team spent about 90 minutes conducting checks aboard the Sierra Leone-flagged Razoni, which was carrying Ukrainian corn and anchored off Istanbul, Turkey's defense ministry said.

The team included officials from Ukraine, Russia, Turkey and the United Nations. The Razoni's horn rang out as the inspectors left the ship.

Pictures tweeted by the Turkish Ministry of Defense showed an inspector reaching into an open container on the Razoni and touching the grain.

The Razoni, which the United Nations says is carrying 26,527 tons of corn, set sail Monday from Odesa on Ukraine's Black Sea coast. It is bound for Lebanon, its final destination.

Ukraine's Ministry of Infrastructure confirmed the ship had passed the inspection and said 17 other vessels ``are loaded and are awaiting permission to leave.''

Inspectors, some wearing white helmets, headed out to the Razoni under rain in two boats, escorted by the Turkish coast guard. Turkish media said there were about 20 inspectors.

The checks aim to ensure that incoming vessels are not carrying weapons and that outgoing ones are bearing only grain, fertilizer or related food items, not any other commodities.

More ships from Ukraine are expected to set out in the coming days, raising hope that world food shortages can be alleviated. Some 27 vessels have been waiting in three Ukrainian ports with cargo and signed contracts, ready to go, according to U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric.

An estimated 20 million tons of grain have been stuck in Ukraine since the start of war. The U.N.-brokered agreement last month to release the grain calls for the establishment of safe corridors through the mined waters outside Ukraine's ports.

The holdup of shipments because of the war has worsened rising food prices worldwide and threatened hunger and political instability in developing nations.

Most of the grain stuck in Ukraine is to feed livestock, according to David Laborde, an expert at the International Food Policy Research Institute in Washington. Only 6 million tons is wheat, and just half of that is for human consumption, Laborde said. He said the Razoni is loaded with chicken feed.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says the resumption of grain exports will reduce Russian authorities' ability to extract concessions from the West. ``They are losing one of the opportunities to terrorize the world,'' he said in his nightly video address late Tuesday.

Russia's war against Ukraine has also disrupted energy supplies in western Europe, with Moscow drastically cutting how much it sends amid fears it could stop sending any at all.

Meanwhile, the U.N. nuclear chief warned that Europe's largest nuclear power plant in Ukraine ``is completely out of control'' and urgent steps are needed to avoid a nuclear accident.

Rafael Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, said in an interview Tuesday with The Associated Press that the situation is getting more perilous every day at the Zaporizhzhia plant in the southeastern city of Enerhodar, which Russian troops seized in early March, soon after their Feb. 24. invasion of Ukraine.

``Every principle of nuclear safety has been violated'' at the plant, he said. ``What is at stake is extremely serious and extremely grave and dangerous.''

He issued an urgent plea to Russia and Ukraine to quickly allow experts to visit the sprawling complex.

Meanwhile, Russian forces kept up their bombardment of the southern Ukrainian city of Mykolaiv, hitting it with shells twice over the past 24 hours _ around 9 p.m. on Tuesday and 5 a.m. on Wednesday, governor of the Mykolaiv region Vitaliy Kim reported.

The shelling damaged a pier, an industrial enterprise, residential buildings, a garage cooperative, a supermarket and a pharmacy, Kim said. It wasn't immediately clear if there were any casualties.

Mykolaiv is a southern port city, somewhat on par with Odesa, and is located on the Black Sea. The Russians have said in April they want control over not just eastern, but southern Ukraine, too. Taking over Odesa and Mykolaiv in the south will give them control over the entire Black Sea coast and a land corridor to the breakaway Moldovan region of Transnistria.

Amid the relentless onslaught by Moscow's forces, Zelenskyy issued an order to all those remaining in the country's embattled Donetsk region to evacuate as soon as possible.

The compulsory evacuation effort aims to take 200,000-220,000 people out of the eastern province by fall, officials say.

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Fanning out like urban guerrillas through Paris' darkened streets well after midnight, the anti-waste activists shinny up walls and drain pipes, reaching for switches to turn off the lights.

Click. Click. Click.

One by one, the outdoor lights that stores had left on are extinguished. It's one small but symbolic step in a giant leap of energy saving that Europe is trying to make as it rushes to wean itself off natural gas and oil from Russia so factories aren't forced to close and homes stay heated and powered.

Engineer Kevin Ha and his equally nimble friends had been acting against wasteful businesses in Paris long before Russia started cutting energy supplies to Europe in a battle of wills over Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. As such, the campaigners were precursors of the energy economy drive becoming all the rage in France, Germany and elsewhere. Their message _ that everyone can contribute _ is almost word-for-word what public officials from cabinet ministers to mayors are saying now, too.

``Everyone can have a positive impact at their own level, by adopting good practices, by doing the right things to reduce their overall energy footprint,`` the 30-year-old Ha said on a recent night of light-extinguishing on the Champs-Elysees boulevard.

The stakes are high. If Russia severs the supplies of gas it has already drastically reduced, authorities fear Europe risks becoming a colder, darker and less-productive place this winter. It's imperative to economize gas now so it can be squirreled away for burning later in homes, factories and power plants, officials say.

``Europe needs to be ready,`` said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. ``To make it through the winter, assuming that there is a full disruption of Russian gas, we need to save gas to fill our gas storages faster. And to do so, we have to reduce our gas consumption. I know that this is a big ask for the whole of the European Union, but it is necessary to protect us.''

And although Europe is scrambling to get energy from elsewhere, any difficulties this winter could be a harbinger of worse to come if Russian gas supplies are completely severed and stay off through 2023, said France's minister overseeing energy, Agnes Pannier-Runacher.

``If gas deliveries are cut by the end of the year, that will mean we'll have a full year without Russian gas, so the following winter could be even harder,'' Pannier-Runacher told French senators.

Hence the mounting appeals _ already familiar to exasperated parents of wasteful teenagers everywhere _ for Europeans to take shorter showers, switch off power sockets and otherwise do what they can.

Germany had been getting about a third of its gas from Russia, making the EU's biggest economy and most populous nation conspicuously vulnerable. Energy saving is in full swing, with lights going off, public pools becoming chillier and thermostats being adjusted.

The glass dome of the Reichstag, the parliament building in Berlin, is going dark after it closes to visitors at midnight, and two facades will no longer be lit. Legislators' office temperatures will drop by 2 degrees to 20 Celsius (68 Fahrenheit) this winter. Berlin City Hall, the Jewish Museum, two opera houses and the landmark Victory Column with panoramic views are among about 200 sites in the German capital that will no longer be lit at night.

Saunas are closing in Munich's municipal swimming pools, which have chillier water now, too. There'll only be cold showers at public pools in Hannover, part of a plan by the northern city to cut its energy use by 15%.

``The sum of all the contributions will help us get through this winter and be prepared for the next one,'' said Robert Habeck, Germany's vice chancellor and economy minister. He also told news weekly Der Spiegel he has slashed the time he spends showering.

``It will be a demanding, stony road, but we can manage it,'' he said.

With a campaign dubbed ``Flip the Switch,'' the Netherlands' government is urging showers of no more than five minutes, using sun shades and fans instead of air conditioning, and air-drying laundry.

Under a law passed Monday in often-sweltering Spain, offices, stores and hospitality venues will no longer be allowed to set their thermostats below 27 degrees Celsius (81 degrees Fahrenheit) in summer, nor raise them above 19 degrees Celsius in winter.

Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez asked office workers to ditch neckties, presumably to lessen the temptation to use air conditioning. He led by example, appearing at a news conference in an open-necked shirt.

The Italian government also is recommending limits on heating and cooling in public buildings.

In France, the government is targeting a 10% reduction in energy use by 2024, with an ``energy sobriety`` drive. Mayors are also waging their own war on waste, with fines introduced for air-conditioned or heated stores that leave front doors open; others are working to limit the pain of soaring energy prices.

The 8,000 residents of Aureilhan, in the foothills of the Pyrenees in southwestern France, have been adjusting to nights without street lights since July 11. Extinguishing all 1,770 of them from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. will save money that Mayor Yannick Boubee would rather spend on roads and other maintenance. Otherwise, he said, the town's 84,000-euro ($86,000) lighting bill in 2021 was on course to nearly triple next year.

``When it comes down to it, there's no reason to keep the lights on at night,'' he said by phone. ``It is shaking up our way of thinking.''

Next will be convincing townspeople to agree to less-heated classrooms when schools reopen.

``We're going to ask parents to put a pullover on their children, all measures that don't cost anything,'' he said. ``We have no choice, unfortunately.''

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The accident took place near Juhaynah county on the Western Desert Road between Assiut and Sohag, according to security authorities.

Ambulances were dispatched to the site of the accident and transferred the bodies of the deceased to the morgue and the injured to Sohag university hospital to receive treatment.

Governor of Sohag Tariq El-Fiqi offered his sincere condolences to the families of the victims, ordering medical care to be provided to the injured.

Egypt has witnessed a steady decline in the number of road accidents over the past years in parallel with national efforts to improve the countrys road network through the National Road Project that was launched in 2014.

The project has successfully developed and widened Egypts 23-000 kilometre road network and has constructed or upgraded 7,000 kilometres.

By 2019, Egypt climbed to 28th place in the World Economic Forums Global Competitiveness Report in terms of the quality of its road infrastructure - compared to 118th in 2014.

The country recorded a 9.3 percent drop in traffic injuries in 2021 compared to 2020, according to a recent report released by the countrys Central Agency for Public Mobilisation and Statistics (CAPMAS) in July 2022.

Traffic injuries across Egypt in 2021 recorded 51,511, down from 2020s 56,789, the CAPMAS report said.

The report added that 7,101 people died in road mishaps, up from the 6,164 deaths recorded a year prior  a 15.2 percent increase.
When you stroll through the old streets of Haikou, the elegantly detailed sculptures and the Southern-style rides must have amazed the people of the old days who brought back from overseas the baroque flavour of architecture.

Driving through the new Jiangdong New Area in Haikou with the windows open, a modern high-rise building rises into view and it is like travelling through.

As one of the 11 key parks in Hainan's free trade port, Jiangdong New District is being developed into an innovation zone for a comprehensive deepening reform pilot area, an experience zone for an international tourism consumption centre, a demonstration zone for servicing and guaranteeing major national strategies, and a showcase zone for a national ecological civilisation pilot area.

The latest news shows that the Jiangdong New Area Park will achieve a business income of 227.2 billion yuan in 2021, an average annual growth of 105%; tax revenue of 4.45 billion yuan, an average annual growth of 186.7%; and the introduction of foreign investment of 1.269 billion dollars, an average annual growth of 56.5%, ranking first in the province's key parks for two consecutive years. Up to now, a total of 21,149 enterprises have been registered in Jiangdong New Area.

Jiangdong is not to be underestimated when it rises again.

Haikou, a southern tropical city with stunning seaside scenery, has built up a huge potential with thousands of years of cultural history since the opening of the port in the Northern Song Dynasty.

The new Haikou exudes boundless youthful energy everywhere. Photo by Xu Ersheng

After generations of exploration and hard work, it has been awarded the titles of China's charming city, China's most happy city, China's top ten cities with good living, China's city with the most investment potential, China's excellent tourist city, national historical and cultural city, national civilized city, national model city of double support, etc.

The coastline of Haikou is approximately 136.23 kilometres long. There is no cold in winter, no heat in summer, and the four seasons are evergreen and warm. Photo by Xu Ersheng

Sharing the opportunities of openness, creating a better life together. From 26 to 30 July this year, the 2nd China International Consumer Goods Fair (hereinafter referred to as "the 2nd Consumer Goods Fair") will be held in Haikou, focusing on consumer goods and debuting new products and promoting a high level of openness to the outside world, which has once again raised the emotions of the islanders in Haikou wearing ribbons.

With the successful maiden voyage of the Consumer Expo-themed painted aircraft, people opened their arms and embraced their friends from all over the world with enthusiasm.

As the pivot city of the national "One Belt, One Road" strategy and the core city of Hainan's free trade port, Haikou carries the weight of development in a new era, and with a very gifted eye, seizes the opportunity to create a new benchmark for reform and opening up in South China.

How much talent

2022 is a key year in preparation for the island-wide closure and operation of Hainan's free trade port.

Improving quality and efficiency in tourism consumption and industrial investment, and extending the life cycle of the provincial economy, requires us to quickly seize the window of time.

As the second edition of the Consumer Expo is about to open, what is the talent of Haikou, known as the Coconut City, to rise to the occasion?
The hot sun shines in the sky, the construction site no flowers smiling at me, only the roar of machines, busy figures everywhere ...... in the construction of a free trade port with Chinese characteristics journey, Haikou rolled up their sleeves to live up to the spring, 2021 since the grasp of the project, expand investment, to promote more than 1,000 projects completed, to "sign The city's high quality development is being pushed forward with the aggressive attitude of "signing a batch, starting a batch, completing a batch and putting a batch into operation".

A key project in Haikou, Landmark Oriental Plaza HFC Hudson Financial Centre is a 268-metre high office building. Photo by Xu Ersheng

The following set of data shows the extraordinary dynamism of Haikou's performance.

Up to now, the total import and export trade volume of Haikou Jiangdong New Area is 5.702 billion RMB, and the offshore trade volume is 2.047 billion USD. 19 "first" business breakthroughs have been achieved in the FTZ, of which 15 have been expanded. By the end of June this year, Jiangdong New Area had registered a total of 21,149 enterprises and attracted 183 landed enterprises, of which 35 of the world's top 500 and 9 of China's top 500 have landed.

More than 6,200 new market entities were added to the Haikou National Hi-Tech Industrial Development Zone, 88 new projects were signed with a total investment of 16.4 billion yuan, and a number of Fortune 500 companies, domestic and foreign head enterprises, and scientific and technological innovation enterprises settled in the zone, becoming an engine to support industrial upgrading.

With the influence of the Consumer Expo, Haikou is making every effort to build first-class quality projects with the "embroidery spirit" + "craftsmanship", and to continue to strengthen the foundation for the free trade port.

Haikou has given full play to the advantages of Jiangdong New Area, National Hi-tech Industrial Development Zone (including Mission Hills Tourism Park), Comprehensive Free Trade Zone, Renaissance City Internet Information Industrial Park and Future Industrial Park to promote the construction of a modern and internationalized New Haikou, and to run the acceleration of Coconut City on China's urban construction track.

Project progress



On January 6 this year, the first batch of concentrated groundbreaking activities of Hainan Free Trade Port Construction Project 2022 were held, and the Haikou branch activities were located at the site of Xinqiong Primary School Project and Meilan District Youth Activity Centre Project. Among them, Haikou concentrated on the construction of 12 projects with a total investment of 4,019.7 million yuan.

On March 18, the second batch of major projects of 2022 in Haikou City was held at the site of Haikou National High-tech Zone Mei'an Ecological Science and Technology New City Haiping International - Haikou High-tech Zone Medical Device Industry Project. A total of 9 projects with a total investment of 10.1 billion yuan and a planned investment of 1.86 billion yuan in 2022, covering industrial development, "five networks" infrastructure, livelihood and public services, ecological and environmental protection.

The largest investment projects in Haikou were the Shengtai Shijia housing project and the Haikou Surf Lane Hotel and Office project, both with a total investment of 2.5 billion yuan.

This year is the year of the construction of Hainan's free trade port and the key year of preparation for the closure of the operation, how can Haikou attack the breakthrough?
A similar trend is happening in Korea. Private consumption grew 4.3 percent on average from 2000 to 2007 but has slowed to 2.2 percent. It increased 2.6 percent in 2017, but that falls to 1.6 percent excluding the amount of money Koreans spent overseas.

The first indicator of Japan's slump was a sharp decline in private consumption. The average 3.6-percent growth during the 1980s dropped to 1.9 percent in the 1990s.

The forecast is based on economic indicators that resemble Japan's when in the early stages of the doldrums, with the difference that Korea's youth unemployment and household debt are even worse.

Korea is at risk of a drawn-out economic slump that is worse than Japan's "lost decade" in the 1990s, according to some projections.

 Youth Unemployment

The crisis facing Korea is most apparent in two different age groups: youth and the elderly. Last year, Korea's youth unemployment rate stood at 9.5 percent and last month it rose even further to 10.5 percent, a record for the month of May.

Japan's youth unemployment in the 1990s stood at five to six percent. In 1994, when Japan officially became a graying society, youth unemployment stood at only 4.8 percent.

Sung Tae-yoon at Yonsei University said, "Youth employment marks the start of a cycle of consumption like car purchases, marriage and buying a home, but many young Koreans are not even able to start this process."

Low-price stores like Uniqlo and 100-yen shops were all the rage in Japan in the 1990s, and the same trend is now happening here. One-price shop Daiso saw its revenues surge 26 percent to W1.65 trillion (US$1=W1,118). Most customers are young people.

Yukiko Fukagawa, an economist at Waseda University, said, "The fact that young Koreans are buying cheap products instead of cars or homes is a sure-fire signal of a drawn-out economic slump. The sharp increase in minimum wage resulted in a drop in the number of part-time jobs on offer, making the situation worse."

 Low Cash Reserves of Elderly

The situation is also dire for senior citizens, with a large number of the burgeoning elderly population falling into poverty. The average age of Koreans in the bottom 20 percent of the income bracket in the first quarter of this year was 62.6, just 10 years older than the average age of the breadwinners. And the amount of their spending money is vanishingly small.

The proportion of cash and money deposits they hold is just 18.8 percent, less than half of the 41.5 percent in Japan in 2014.

The Bank of Korea pointed out that private consumption in Japan is currently led by the elderly population, but in Korea they have no money to spend. At a time when assets are primarily focused on real estate, a sharp decline in property values could deal a fatal blow to Korea's economy.

 Household Debt

The debt problem is also alarming. In 1990s, Japan saw the amount of debt shouldered by businesses reach 140 percent of GDP. In Korea, as of the third quarter of 2017 corporate debt reached 99.4 percent of GDP.

But the real problem is household debt, which stood at 94.4 percent of GDP in the third quarter of last year. In Japan, household debt never surpassed 70 percent of GDP.

Lee Ji-pyeong at LG Economic Research Institute said, "In Japan, the high corporate debt posed a threat aggravated by the property bubble, while corporate insolvencies ended up impacting households. But Korea already suffers from astronomical household debt, and if the property bubble bursts, households will face an instant crisis, resulting in a slowdown in private consumption, so the threat is even bigger here."
The U.S. imposed new sanctions Tuesday targeting Russian elites, including oligarchs and a woman -- one-time Olympic rhythmic gymnast champion Alina Kabaeva -- often named in news reports as Russian President Vladimir Putin's lover and mother of four of his children.

The Treasury Department froze the visa of Kabaeva, 39, and imposed other property restrictions on her. She is a former member of the Russian Duma, the country's legislative body, and is also head of a Russian national media company that has promoted Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.

Kremlin opponents and Putin critic Alexey Navalny have called for sanctions against Kabaeva, contending that her news outlet had taken the lead in portraying Western commentary on the invasion as a disinformation campaign. Britain sanctioned Kabaeva in May, and the European Union imposed travel and asset restrictions on her in June.
The Turkish defense ministry said it expects the first shipment of Ukrainian grain since Russia launched its invasion to arrive off Turkey's coast early Wednesday. The Sierra Leone-flagged cargo ship Razoni is on its way from the Ukrainian port of Odesa to Lebanon with more than 26,000 tons of corn on board.

It will first make its stop in Istanbul where personnel from a special joint coordination center will inspect the ship to make sure it is not carrying weapons or other non-food items under the terms of an agreement reached in late July to resume Ukrainian grain exports amid a global food crisis. The center includes officials from Ukraine, Russia, Turkey and the United Nations, the four parties involved in brokering the deal.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Monday the Razoni was "loaded with two commodities in short supply: corn and hope. Hope for millions of people around the world who depend on the smooth running of Ukraine's ports to feed their families."

He added, "What we've witnessed today in Odesa is an important starting point. It must be the first of many commercial ships bringing relief and stability to global food markets."

Guterres said that "ensuring that grain, fertilizers, and other food-related items are available at reasonable prices to developing countries is a humanitarian imperative. People on the verge of famine need these agreements to work, in order to survive."
Military non-governmental organizations have sent a letter of thanks to President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, Azernews reports.

The full text of the letter (in Azerbaijani) can be found here.
Hyundai has signed a deal to sell 27 hydrogen-fueled trucks to Germany.

The automaker said Tuesday that it will supply seven German logistics and manufacturing companies with 42-ton XCIENT hydrogen trucks.

They are equipped with 350-kW motors and can travel up to 400 km on a single charge.
In a meeting with parent representatives on Tuesday, Education Minister Park Soon-ae hinted at the U-turn, saying, "How could we proceed with a policy that people don't want?"

The Education Ministry has backed down from a controversial plan to lower the elementary school age by one year to 5.

The reversal came just four days after she suddenly briefed President Yoon Suk-yeol on her ministry's plan to lower the school age from six to five in what she said was a bid to reduce the gap in academic achievements among schoolchildren and help young people enter the workforce earlier.

The presidential office also stressed the need to listen to public opinion. Senior presidential secretary for social affairs Ahn Sang-hoon said "Yoon asked the ministry to swiftly put its plan to public debate." Asked by reporters if the plan could be scrapped, he said, "No policy can go against public opinion, no matter how good it is."
Ko Ah-sung stars in the new film "Because I Hate Korea" which began shooting last week.

Ko has steadily built up her filmography since her debut in "The Host," director Bong Joon-ho's 2006 blockbuster.

Three of her films -- "The Host," "A Brand New Life" (2009) and "Office" (2014) -- have been invited to the Cannes Film Festival. In another one of Bong's movies -- "Snowpiercer" -- she worked with Hollywood stars like Chris Evans, Tilda Swinton, John Hurt and Ed Harris.

"Because I Hate Korea" is her first film in two years since "Samjin Company English Class."

Based on the bestselling novel of the same title by Chang Kang-myoung, the film revolves around a woman in her late 20s who moves to New Zealand in search of happiness, leaving her job, family and boyfriend behind.

The release date has not yet been decided.
Renovations on the new presidential residence in Hannam-dong, Seoul are expected to be completed in the middle of this month. President Yoon Suk-yeol plans to move in after his summer vacation this week.

Remodeling work on the elegant modernist villa, formerly the official residence of the foreign minister, began on Yoon's inauguration day on May 10 and was originally to be finished in the middle of last month but was delayed by heavy rains.
By Siti Rahil and Puy Kea, KYODO NEWS - Aug 4, 2022 - 01:24 | All, World

Foreign Ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations on Wednesday extensively discussed Myanmar, with Cambodia, this year's chair of the 10-nation bloc, saying that all member states are "deeply disappointed" over its military regime's recent execution of pro-democracy activists.

The top diplomats held an annual meeting in Phnom Penh, their first in person since the global outbreak of the coronavirus more than two years ago, but with no delegation from Myanmar.

"All ASEAN member states are deeply disappointed and disturbed by the execution of those opposition activists despite the appeals from me and others for the death sentence to be reconsidered for the sake of political dialogue, peace and reconciliation," Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said in his opening remarks at the meeting.

ASEAN will have to take a new approach toward the Myanmar crisis if the military junta continues to execute opposition activists, he said.

Myanmar, which has been ruled by the military since a coup in February 2021, put to death four people including two pro-democracy activists last week, just days before the start of a series of meetings involving foreign ministers from ASEAN and its partners, including China, Japan and the United States.

"We had a very extensive discussion this afternoon" on Myanmar, Malaysian Foreign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah told reporters, adding that there will be at least one paragraph on the country in their joint communique.

The ministers also discussed the negative impact of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, especially on energy and food prices, and rising tensions in the Taiwan Strait, according to Singapore's Foreign Ministry.

"Stable U.S.-China relations are vital for regional peace and prosperity," the ministry said in a statement as U.S. House Speaker Nancy' high-profile visit to Taiwan prompted Beijing to warn of serious consequences.

Before the four were executed, Cambodia had called for other member nations to allow Myanmar's top diplomat to attend the meeting, according to a report written by the host country's Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn, circulated among the delegates and seen by Kyodo News.

ASEAN has excluded Myanmar's foreign minister and the chief of its military government from meetings of the group since October last year, in a response to the coup that ousted the elected government led by Aung San Suu Kyi and the junta's subsequent violent suppression of pro-democracy protests.

ASEAN, including Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand, has continued discussions with Myanmar and called for a cessation of violence, adopted as part of a five-point consensus of the group.

But amid a lack of progress by the junta in implementing the consensus, which referred primarily to ending violence against the junta's political opponents and civilian protesters, the association may need to change tack in dealing with Myanmar, an ASEAN source said on condition of anonymity.

According to a draft of the communique, some countries have suggested stating that "ASEAN condemns and was strongly disappointed by the execution."

On Tuesday, ASEAN officials told Kyodo News the draft may also state that the capital punishment was "highly reprehensible" and has "created a serious setback" to expediting the implementation of the consensus.

However, Myanmar officials who attended a gathering before the ministerial meeting protested over the strong language, according to the source.

Malaysia is among the members that have taken a critical stance on Myanmar, with its foreign minister lamenting Sunday the lack of real progress on the consensus, tweeting "the violence continues, and (has) in fact gotten worse" and the junta has been monopolizing and politicizing humanitarian aid from ASEAN.

Saifuddin, who has met with members of the National Unity Government set up by pro-democracy forces as a shadow Myanmar government, and other factions in the country, said that the ASEAN foreign ministers should introduce a framework for the junta to implement the five-point consensus.

The consensus was reached by the leaders of ASEAN, including Myanmar junta chief Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, at a special summit in April 2021.

But Prak Sokhonn, serving as an ASEAN special envoy, could not meet with Suu Kyi, who has been detained since the coup, and other leaders of the National League for Democracy party she led, during his recent visit to Myanmar.

While Min Aung Hlaing said in a televised speech Monday that some points of the consensus will be implemented this year, it is not known whether the junta will take any action.

The meeting took place ahead of a series of ASEAN-related talks until Friday, with Cambodia having invited Russia, one of the group's partners, to attend some. ASEAN sources confirmed that Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will attend.

A senior ASEAN official who declined to be identified said its member states have different opinions regarding the situation in Ukraine, with Singapore, which views the war as an invasion by Russia, having imposed sanctions.

(Chananthorn Kamjan and Christine Tjandraningsih contributed to this story)

Related coverage:

Myanmar junta to implement 5-point consensus with ASEAN this year

ASEAN denounces execution of Myanmar democracy leaders

2 Myanmar pro-democracy activists, 2 others executed: junta
KYODO NEWS - Aug 3, 2022 - 19:40 | World, All

The Philippine Coast Guard said Wednesday it has retrieved debris from a Chinese rocket launched last month, over which the United States has criticized Beijing for not sharing its trajectory information.

But the Philippine Space Agency said the debris is not part of the Long March 5B rocket's components that re-entered the atmosphere early Sunday. Rather, it was identified to be part of the payload fairing that detached from the rocket as it entered outer space during launch.

The debris, a torn metal sheet that bears the Chinese flag and some characters, was found floating by Filipino fishermen off the western Philippine island of Mindoro on Tuesday, the coast guard said. It measures about 3 meters long and 2 meters wide, weighing about 100 kilograms.

China launched the rocket on July 24, carrying a module to the country's space station under construction. The U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration had criticized Beijing for not sharing information on its specific trajectory.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry has denied that debris from the rocket uncontrollably fell into the ocean, saying most of the wreckage burned up during the re-entry process and that there was no danger to aviation.
KYODO NEWS - Aug 3, 2022 - 08:15 | All, Japan, Coronavirus

Resurging COVID-19 has hit many close aides to Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, raising concern about day-to-day operations and the risk of him getting infected.

With Japan grappling with its seventh wave of coronavirus infections, top government spokesman Hirokazu Matsuno, the public face of the administration who is responsible for crisis management, tested positive for COVID-19 on July 23 and isolated at home until he resumed in-person work on Tuesday.

Three of the eight executive secretaries to Kishida, who are in charge of the prime minister's daily schedule and policy coordination on key issues, have also tested positive in recent days.

Hirotaka Unami, who is responsible for the government's COVID-19 response, was the first to take isolation steps among the eight.

Then another secretary, Takashi Shimada, gave up accompanying Kishida on his trip to New York from Sunday to attend a review conference on a nuclear nonproliferation treaty due to COVID-19.

The third aide among the Japanese delegation, Takayoshi Yamamoto, has been forced to stay longer than initially planned in the United States for isolation. Neither Kishida nor officials traveling with him to the U.N. headquarters are considered close contacts.

When staff at the prime minister's office test positive, they work from home and their colleagues fill in for them when necessary, so that daily operations can go without a hitch, according to officials.

Still, one close aide to Kishida raised the alarm, saying, "Things would have become unmanageable had there been a budget committee session." The committee deals with a range of issues critical to the government and often requires the attendance of the prime minister to answer questions from lawmakers.

After about a week of being away, government spokesman Matsuno said he had received reports and requests for advice from his staff while making necessary decisions even during his isolation period.

"I had received three vaccine shots and took basic anti-infection steps daily. From my experience, I can say anyone can get infected," he told a regular press briefing on Tuesday.

In the United States, President Joe Biden continued to carry out his duties while in isolation after testing positive in late July.

Kishida, who returned to Japan on Tuesday from his U.S. trip, has made a point of wearing a mask and taking precautionary steps against the coronavirus. But the risk of infection still remains as daily counts of COVID-19 are at record highs in Japan, fueled by the highly transmissible BA.5 strain.

Key events await Kishida, a lawmaker from the western Japanese city of Hiroshima that suffered the 1945 U.S. atomic bombing. He is expected to attend a ceremony marking the 77th anniversary on Saturday and another on Aug. 9 for Nagasaki, also devastated by a U.S. atomic bomb.

"What's important now is to prevent the prime minister from getting infected," a person close to him said.

Related coverage:

Japan health experts urge gov't to speed up review of COVID measures

Japan mulls changing COVID-19 measures amid hospital strain

Japan PM says restrictions unnecessary despite record COVID-19 cases
KYODO NEWS - Aug 3, 2022 - 10:51 | All, World

The United States does not want to see House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan spiral into a crisis with China, White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said Tuesday, asserting there is no reason for Beijing to make it a source of conflict.

While China has reacted angrily to the first visit by a sitting U.S. House speaker to the island in 25 years, including with increased military activity, Kirby emphasized that U.S. policy on Taiwan has not changed and that the trip was not unprecedented and should not be seen by Beijing as a violation of its sovereignty.

"No reason for China to take what is a perfectly legitimate and consistent travel by the speaker of the House and turn it into some pretext for amping up the tensions or creating some sort of crisis or conflict," Kirby said. "There's just simply no reason for that."

The United States, for its part, has no intention to engage in saber-rattling and would like to see tensions "come down," he said.

But he also said the United States is "prepared to manage what Beijing chooses to do" and that the administration of President Joe Biden will continue to support Taiwan and defend "a free and open Indo-Pacific" while seeking to maintain communication with Beijing.

Tensions ratcheted up as Pelosi, leading a congressional delegation on a trip to Asia, arrived on the island late Tuesday despite repeated warnings from Beijing. She is second in the line of succession to the U.S. presidency after Vice President Kamala Harris.

Pelosi said in a statement that the visit is "one of several congressional delegations to Taiwan" and was meant to honor "America's unwavering commitment to supporting Taiwan's vibrant democracy."

In an opinion piece for The Washington Post, she said the visit should be seen as "an unequivocal statement that America stands with Taiwan, our democratic partner, as it defends itself and its freedom" in the face of China's "accelerating aggression."

China, which views Taiwan as a renegade province awaiting reunification with the mainland, by force if necessary, has been stepping up military and other pressure on the island.

Pelosi's trip has ignited controversy ever since the plan was reported in the media in mid-July, with fears that it could risk provoking Beijing and even put Taipei in a more difficult position.

Shortly after the reports emerged, Biden had told reporters that the U.S. military believes that a visit by Pelosi was "not a good idea."

Chinese President Xi Jinping is seen as facing a sensitive time with a twice-a-decade Communist Party congress expected in the fall.

The United States changed its diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing in 1979, but has kept up unofficial relations with the island and supplies it with arms and spare military parts to help it maintain sufficient self-defense capabilities.

Kirby reiterated during the press conference the U.S. position that it opposes any unilateral changes to the status quo from either side, and that it does not support Taiwan independence.

Meanwhile, at the White House on Tuesday, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan met with his Japanese counterpart Takeo Akiba and reaffirmed the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, among other issues.

They agreed that a unilateral change in the status quo by force would be a serious challenge to the international order and that actions similar to Russia's invasion of Ukraine should not be allowed to happen in other regions, according to a Japanese government official.

Related coverage:

U.S. House Speaker Pelosi arrives in Taiwan, angering China

U.S. reiterates "strategic ambiguity" over Taiwan has not changed

U.S. OKs $108 mil. sale of tank parts, other aid to Taiwan
KYODO NEWS - Aug 4, 2022 - 02:41 | All, Japan

Japan expressed concern Wednesday about Chinese military activity around Taiwan in the wake of U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to the island, stressing the need for a peaceful resolution of cross-strait issues amid heightened tensions.

Similar concerns were echoed by foreign ministers of the Group of Seven industrialized nations, which includes Japan, the United States, Britain and France. They reaffirmed in a statement their "shared commitment to maintaining the rules-based international order, peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and beyond."

In Tokyo, Japan's top government spokesman Hiroakazu Matsuno said peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait is important not only for the security of Japan but also the world.

"We hope issues concerning Taiwan will be resolved peacefully through dialogue," Matsuno told a press briefing.

Tokyo conveyed its concern to China over the planned military drills near the self-ruled island, which Beijing views as its own, saying the affected area overlaps with Japan's exclusive economic zone.

The military exercises, including live-fire drills, are expected to take place in six locations around Taiwan from Thursday to Sunday.

Japan has been closely watching the U.S. House speaker's Taiwan visit, the first by the holder of the powerful congressional post in 25 years, to gauge its impact on regional security.

Asked if Japan supports Pelosi's visit to Taiwan, Matsuno said, "We are not in a position to comment."

The high-profile visit has led to a spike in tensions between China and the United States. Beijing had warned that the Chinese military would "never sit idly by," while Washington said the visit would not signal a change in its policy on Taiwan.

Beijing regards Taiwan as a renegade province to be reunified with the mainland, by force if necessary.

Japan has maintained close economic ties with Taiwan since severing diplomatic relations with Taipei and establishing them with Beijing in 1972.

Heightened cross-strait tensions -- and the risk of a contingency -- are a concern for Japan due to its proximity to Taiwan. Japan and China are at loggerheads over the Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea, uninhabited islets that are administered by Japan but claimed by China.

"It's in our neighborhood. We should avoid a situation in which (the drills) would affect Japan in any way," a senior government official said.

The G-7 foreign ministers said in their statement that they are "concerned by recent and announced threatening actions" by China, particularly live-fire exercises and economic coercion.

"There is no justification to use a visit as pretext for aggressive military activity in the Taiwan Strait," they said, warning that Beijing's "escalatory response risks increasing tensions and destabilizing the region."

"We call on the PRC not to unilaterally change the status quo by force in the region," the G-7 said, referring to the acronym of the People's Republic of China, the country's official name.

The other G-7 members are Canada, Germany and Italy, plus the European Union.

As part of her tour of Asia, Pelosi is scheduled to visit Japan later this week and could meet with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.

Matsuno said the government "welcomes" her first visit to Japan in seven years as an opportunity to promote bilateral exchanges.

Related coverage:

U.S. House Speaker Pelosi arrives in Taiwan, angering China

U.S. doesn't want crisis with China over Pelosi Taiwan trip: official
Video: China is a firm supporter of the United Nations in its role in addressing global challenges, upholding peace and security, and promoting common development, said Zhang Jun, China's permanent representative to the United Nations, on Aug. 1, 2022. (Xinhua)



China is committed to practicing true multilateralism, says Zhang Jun, China's permanent representative to the United Nation.

UNITED NATIONS, Aug. 2 (Xinhua) -- China is a firm supporter of the United Nations in its role in addressing global challenges, upholding peace and security, and promoting common development, said Zhang Jun, China's permanent representative to the United Nations, on Monday.

In a press briefing on China's Security Council presidency for the month of August, Zhang said that the United Nations is a banner of multilateralism and a symbol of collective strength and that its role will remain irreplaceable no matter how the international situation may change.

However, he said, the United Nations does not exist in a vacuum. The strength of the world body originates from the support and contribution of its member states. In this regard, major countries, in particular, should take the lead in carrying out their obligations and playing a responsible role, he said.

He said China is committed to practicing true multilateralism.

One fundamental goal of China's approach to international affairs is to safeguard the international system with the United Nations at the center, and to support its central role in international affairs, he said.

Zhang Jun, China's permanent representative to the United Nations, speaks at a press briefing on China's Security Council presidency for the month of August at UN Headquarters in New York on Aug. 1, 2022. (Xinhua/Xie E)

As UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has said, the partnership with China is an important pillar of the United Nations and multilateralism. China is committed to safeguarding world peace and security. China firmly champions the basic norms of international relations based on the purposes and principles of the UN Charter. China believes that hotspot issues must be solved politically, and fully supports the mediation efforts of the UN secretary-general, he said.

China has been making unremitting efforts in advancing the UN development agenda. China has achieved the poverty reduction goal in the 2030 Agenda 10 years ahead of schedule. China's Global Development Initiative injects fresh impetus to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, addressing the global food crisis and inequality and imbalance in global development, thus making China's contribution in this regard, he said.

China is taking concrete climate action. As the largest developing country, China strives to achieve carbon peak before 2030, and carbon neutrality before 2060. This will be the world's fastest transition from carbon peak to neutrality, said Zhang.

"We know this will be a huge task and requires enormous sacrifices, but we will honor our commitment," he said.

Noting that China has been actively carrying out its financial obligations to the United Nations, he said China is the second-largest contributor to the UN regular budget and peacekeeping assessments.

Despite arduous tasks at home in addressing the pandemic, developing the economy and improving people's livelihood, China still manages to overcome these difficulties and pays its dues and assessments in full and on time, offering strong resource support for the UN's work and its peacekeeping efforts, he said.

Last year, China and the United Nations celebrated the 50th anniversary of the restoration of the lawful seat of the People's Republic of China at the United Nations. As China continues its development, it will make even greater contributions to the cause of the United Nations, and peace and development of the world, said Zhang. 
By Azernews

If there are any ways the international community can help Azerbaijan with the demining in the liberated territories, those able to do so certainly should, Azernews reports former US Ambassador to Azerbaijan Robert Cekuta as telling Trend.

He expressed concerns for those injured as a result of mine explosions and hoped for their rehabilitation and quick recovery.

It is both very dangerous and very important work, but I know from my time in Azerbaijan that there is a great degree of professional competence in Azerbaijan there when it comes to demining. I remember meeting with ANAMA [now Azerbaijans Mine Action Agency] on my first trip to Ganja after arriving as ambassador, said Cekuta.

He pointed out that mines and other unexploded ordinances are a problem in many countries around the world -- in Egypt, for example, which is perhaps the most mined country in the world, in the western Balkans, and even in parts of Western Europe.

The authorities and experts dealing with the dangers of the unexploded ordinance left after a conflict absolutely need to share knowledge and experience with each other so everyone can better address the threats these deadly materials pose, noted Cekuta.

Richard Hoagland, the former co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group from the US, believes its time for the international community to establish a convention banning the use of landmines.

The sad truth is that demining after a conflict is a long and inevitably imprecise operation, and people and their animals will continue to be killed. Even the most accurate landmine maps do not perfectly pinpoint every landmine. There are exceptionally skilled demining groups like the Halo Trust, but even they dont always find every single mine. Perhaps its time for the international community to establish a convention banning the use of landmines. This would be an uphill battle, but its certainly worth considering, he added.
People celebrate Midsummer eve at Kaivopuisto Park in Helsinki, Finland, June 24, 2022. (Photo by Matti Matikainen/Xinhua)

Under the reform, both parents will be given 160 days of parental allowance, and one can choose to transfer up to 63 parental allowance days to the other.

HELSINKI, Aug. 1 (Xinhua) -- Reforms to Finnish law on family leave entered into force on Monday, for the first time giving both parents the same amount of time off with the birth of a child.

Hanna Sarkkinen, Minister for Social Affairs, said on Monday that the reform would improve the position of women in the labor market, and give fathers more time with their newborn children as well.

Under the reform, both parents will be given 160 days of parental allowance. One of the parents can choose to transfer up to 63 parental allowance days to the other, and for the final stage of pregnancy, there will be an allowance period of 40 days.

People celebrate Midsummer eve on a boat in Helsinki, Finland, June 24, 2022. (Photo by Matti Matikainen/Xinhua)

There will be six daily allowance days per week, with total allowance days for parents amounting to more than 14 months.

Parents can use their parental allowance days until the child reaches the age of two. Daily allowance days can be used in several parts, and parents in employment relationships will be entitled to split the leave up into four parts. Only pregnancy allowance days will have to be used in a single continuous period, and started 14-30 days before the estimated date of birth.

These new types of parental leave will mainly apply to parents expecting a child on or after 4 September 2022.

Previously, family leave consisted of the mother's maternal allowance period of 105 working days, which started before the child's estimated date of birth. Fathers had a paternal allowance period of 54 working days, while the parental allowance period of 158 working days could be taken by one of the parents, or shared between the parents.

People bask in the sun at the stairs of the Helsinki Cathedral in Helsinki, Finland, March 16, 2022. (Photo by Matti Matikainen/Xinhua)
BEIJING, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) -- The State Council, China's cabinet, announced the appointment and removal of several officials on Wednesday.

Zhang Chunsheng was appointed vice minister of civil affairs, while Li Wentang was appointed provost of the National Academy of Governance (vice-minister level).

Gao Zhidan replaced Gou Zhongwen as director of China's General Administration of Sport.

Zhang Zuqiang replaced Yu Yong as deputy director of the China Meteorological Administration.

Zhu Jianping was named head of the National Civil Service Administration, while Zhao Sujing was named vice chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of the China Disabled Persons' Federation.

Song Demin was removed from the post of vice minister of education, while Liu Zhao was removed from the post of vice minister of justice.

Wei Shanzhong is no longer vice minister of water resources, while Li Jianming will no longer serve as deputy director of China's General Administration of Sport.

Liu Junchuan was removed from the post of deputy head of the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council.

Wang Meimei and Xiang Zicheng are no longer vice chairpersons of the Board of Executive Directors of the China Disabled Persons' Federation. 
HONG KONG, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) -- The sixth-term government of China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), inaugurated on July 1, has taken new measures to earnestly address local people's concerns and solve problems.

Over the past month, HKSAR Chief Executive John Lee has led officials to work for promoting good governance. Measures were swiftly adopted to tackle issues such as housing, COVID-19 control, poverty alleviation and technological innovation.

On his first day in office, Lee launched social media accounts to strengthen communication with the public. To date, he has paid multiple visits to communities and attended many events organized by various associations and organizations, in efforts to strengthen ties with various sectors of the Hong Kong society and listen to voices from the grassroots.

During a Q&A session at the Legislative Council (LegCo) on July 6, Lee announced that the HKSAR government will be pragmatic and proactive in addressing the needs of the public, and the setting up of four working groups focusing on lifting underprivileged students out of intergenerational poverty and easing housing strain, among others.

On July 12, the steering committee on land and housing supply and task force on public housing projects convened their first meetings to discuss programs such as enhancing the supply of public housing in five years.

The public housing task force is required to submit preliminary proposals for accelerating the construction of public housing within 100 days of the new government taking office, in a bid to ensure earlier and easier access for Hong Kong residents to public housing.

Lee also suggested holding monthly meetings at the LegCo aimed at enhancing the communication between HKSAR government officials and legislators. The chief executive attended the first antechamber exchange session on July 13 together with six secretaries and deputy secretaries of the HKSAR government, setting a new precedent in the executive-legislature interactions.

Chan Yung, a LegCo member, said the new-term HKSAR government has performed its duties in a targeted, pragmatic and efficient manner, and the relevant measures have responded better to the concerns of the people.

Chan said he is confident that the executive authorities and the legislature will work closely together to bring more benefits to the Hong Kong people.

The HKSAR government has also taken the LegCo Subcommittee on Promoting Development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) as a platform to enhance its efforts in introducing to lawmakers and the public how Hong Kong can take an active part in the development of the GBA, so as to better seize development opportunities from it and provide guidance for the Hong Kong people to live and the enterprises to grow in other GBA cities.

Building Hong Kong into an international innovation and technology center is one important policy direction of the new-term HKSAR government. Lee attended at least three related events in the first 15 days in office.

Lee said he attaches great importance to and will support the development of innovation and technology in Hong Kong, and that the HKSAR government will make every effort to boost the development of innovation and technology in Hong Kong at full speed, and promote the integration and complementarity of the industrial chains of Hong Kong and other cities in the GBA to build a more flourishing innovation and technology ecosystem.

With the chief executive taking the lead, HKSAR government officials have been working at full tilt to solve major problems, improve governance and enhance development momentum for Hong Kong.

Alice Mak, secretary for home and youth affairs of the HKSAR government, has kept herself busy on youth work and will launch a blueprint for youth development to strengthen Hong Kong young people's sense of belonging to the country and create upward mobility opportunities for them.

In early July, in response to a surge in the number of north-bound passengers at the Shenzhen Bay Port, the HKSAR government promptly increased the rapid nucleic acid testing capacity at the port to facilitate testing and clearance for the passengers.

Lo Chung-mau, health secretary of the HKSAR government, visited Shenzhen Bay Control Point to learn about the testing procedure, and called for strengthening efforts to avoid prolonged waiting arising from clustering of travelers.

"We shall respond to the needs of the citizens as far as possible," Lo said. 
BEIJING, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) -- China's lithium-ion battery industry logged rapid growth in the first half of 2022 as the country stepped up efforts to achieve its carbon peak and carbon neutrality goals, and the demand from downstream sectors remained strong.

It is estimated that country's output of lithium-ion batteries in the January-June period exceeded 280 gigawatt-hours, registering a year-on-year increase of 150 percent, data from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology showed on Wednesday.

The whole sector raked in over 480 billion yuan (about 70.78 billion U.S. dollars), the ministry estimated.

China's robust lithium-ion battery output echoes the country's booming production of new energy vehicles, which soared 120 percent in the first half of this year.

Exports of lithium-ion battery products spiked 75 percent year on year during the period, according to the ministry. 
Lu Fuying (1st R), an inheritor of the well-known Su Xiu (Suzhou Embroidery), instructs Kazak embroiderer Hatma Enedu (2nd R) during an exhibition on the intangible cultural heritage held in Urumqi, capital of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, July 31, 2022. (Xinhua/Zhou Ye)

URUMQI, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) -- A few days ago, Hatma Enedu immersed herself in the world of embroidery with her teacher Lu Fuying, in spite of the intangible cultural heritage exhibition bustling and being very noisy.

Hatma Enedu, 45, is a Kazak embroiderer from northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, while Lu is an inheritor of the well-known Su Xiu (Suzhou Embroidery) which originates from east China's Jiangsu Province.

Their story started in 2019 when Hatma Enedu took part in an embroidery training course in Jiangsu and met Lu. Two years later, Hatma Enedu made contact with the embroidery master and came under Lu's tutorship.

"Su Xiu Embroidery is complex and its techniques are diverse, and the selection of materials is exquisite. The differences between the two handicrafts, Kazak embroidery and Suzhou embroidery, inspire me and help me improve my traditional Kazak embroidery works," Hatma Enedu said.

Hatma Enedu said her teacher always helped her solve any problems she had and gave her helpful advice.

"Lu told me to make more small and elegant embroideries featuring characteristics of ethnic groups. This can help the local embroidery become more well-known to more people," she added.

At the end of July, an exhibition on the intangible cultural heritage was held in Urumqi, capital of Xinjiang, in which Lu was invited to participate.

Learning of Lu's arrival, Hatma Enedu and her family took part in the exhibition. Her twin daughters created embroideries on the site under the guidance of Lu.

"The two girls have been influenced by their mother. They love embroidery and are very talented and skillful. I really like to communicate with them," Lu said.

"I found that Kazak embroideries are closely related to life, with strong practicability, unique patterns and bold and bright colors, which also broaden my horizons," she added.

Hatma Enedu noted that she is striving to become an inheritor of Kazak embroidery, and hopes to contribute to the industry of the traditional stitchwork.

In recent years, Xinjiang has rolled out a number of measures to protect and inherit its intangible cultural heritage, including various training and exchanging activities. 

Lu Fuying (1st R, front), an inheritor of the well-known Su Xiu (Suzhou Embroidery), displays Su Xiu techniques to daughters of Kazak embroiderer Hatma Enedu (2nd L, front) during an exhibition on the intangible cultural heritage held in Urumqi, capital of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, July 31, 2022. (Xinhua/Zhou Ye)
Staff members work at Sunripe factory in Limuru Town, Kiambu County, Kenya, on Aug. 2, 2022. The first batch of fresh avocados grown in Kenya and destined for the Chinese market was flagged off Tuesday at a ceremony attended by senior government officials, diplomats, and industry executives. Kenya became the first African country to export fresh avocados to China in a move set to further boost the economic ties between the two countries. (Xinhua/Dong Jianghui)

NAIROBI, Aug. 2 (Xinhua) -- The first batch of fresh avocados grown in Kenya and destined for the Chinese market was flagged off Tuesday at a ceremony attended by senior government officials, diplomats, and industry executives.

Kenya became the first African country to export fresh avocados to China in a move set to further boost the economic ties between the two countries.

David Osiany, the Chief Administrative Secretary for the Ministry of Industrialization, Trade and Enterprise Development said that by exporting fresh avocados to China, Kenya's foreign exchange earnings were set to spike and unleash economic vitality in the country.

"The export of fresh avocados to China is a monumental feat that will boost our economy and benefit key players across the avocado value chain including farmers," said Osiany.

Other dignitaries who attended the flagging-off ceremony included Zhang Yijun, Minister Counsellor at the Chinese Embassy in Kenya.

"We believe that Kenya's fresh avocados export to China has huge potential," Zhang said.

Senior officials drawn from regulatory agencies, industry leaders, and farmers' representatives graced the ceremony which set the stage for the bulk export of fresh avocados to China.

Chinese firm Greechain has inked a deal with its Kenyan counterpart, Sunripe to facilitate the shipment of fresh avocados. This has come after the two countries in January signed two protocols to foster bilateral trade in avocados and aquatic products.

Under the two protocols, Kenya received a green light to commence the export of avocados that meet phytosanitary standards set by Chinese regulators.

The General Administration of Customs of China in partnership with the Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service has been involved in certifying the safety and quality standards of avocados grown by local farmers before their export to the Asian country.

Garry Du, the Managing Director of Greechain said that thorough inspection combined with investment in advanced cold chain technology paved way for the export of Kenya's fresh avocado to China.

Kenya is among the world's top avocado producers, ranking number one last year in Africa in the export of the fruit valued for its nutritional and medicinal properties.

Benjamin Tito, the Director of the Horticultural Crops Directorate, said that in July, the country exported 11.2 million kilograms of avocado, earning 1.5 billion shillings (12.6 million U.S. dollars) to the exchequer. 

Staff members make final preparations for the departure of the first batch of fresh avocados grown in Kenya and destined for the Chinese market at Sunripe factory in Limuru Town, Kiambu County, Kenya, on Aug. 2, 2022. The first batch of fresh avocados grown in Kenya and destined for the Chinese market was flagged off Tuesday at a ceremony attended by senior government officials, diplomats, and industry executives. Kenya became the first African country to export fresh avocados to China in a move set to further boost the economic ties between the two countries. (Xinhua/Dong Jianghui)

A staff member arranges boxes of fresh avocados at Sunripe factory in Limuru Town, Kiambu County, Kenya, on Aug. 2, 2022. The first batch of fresh avocados grown in Kenya and destined for the Chinese market was flagged off Tuesday at a ceremony attended by senior government officials, diplomats, and industry executives. Kenya became the first African country to export fresh avocados to China in a move set to further boost the economic ties between the two countries. (Xinhua/Dong Jianghui)

A staff member stamps the label on a box with fresh avocados at Sunripe factory in Limuru Town, Kiambu County, Kenya, on Aug. 2, 2022. The first batch of fresh avocados grown in Kenya and destined for the Chinese market was flagged off Tuesday at a ceremony attended by senior government officials, diplomats, and industry executives. Kenya became the first African country to export fresh avocados to China in a move set to further boost the economic ties between the two countries. (Xinhua/Dong Jianghui)

A truck, with the first batch of fresh avocados grown in Kenya and destined for the Chinese market, departs from Sunripe factory in Limuru Town, Kiambu County, Kenya, on Aug. 2, 2022. The first batch of fresh avocados grown in Kenya and destined for the Chinese market was flagged off Tuesday at a ceremony attended by senior government officials, diplomats, and industry executives. Kenya became the first African country to export fresh avocados to China in a move set to further boost the economic ties between the two countries. (Xinhua/Dong Jianghui)

Staff members put fresh avocados into boxes at Sunripe factory in Limuru Town, Kiambu County, Kenya, on Aug. 2, 2022. The first batch of fresh avocados grown in Kenya and destined for the Chinese market was flagged off Tuesday at a ceremony attended by senior government officials, diplomats, and industry executives. Kenya became the first African country to export fresh avocados to China in a move set to further boost the economic ties between the two countries. (Xinhua/Dong Jianghui)
JERUSALEM, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) -- National monitoring carried out by Israel found deterioration in the state of the sensitive ecosystem at the Gulf of Aqaba in the northern Red Sea, Israel's Ministry of Environmental Protection said on Wednesday.

A monitoring report said that coral reef of the gulf, known in Israel as the Gulf of Eilat, did not recover from the 2020 winter storm that caused the breaking of the coral colonies and covered them with sand.

The monitoring, carried out by the Interuniversity Institute for Marine Sciences in Eilat, found a five percent decrease in the area covered by live corals since the storm.

In addition, the biological diversity in the gulf was seriously harmed, including a sharp decrease in the number of sea urchins, which play an important role in cleaning the reef from algae that compete with the corals for settlement sites.

Also, seagrass disappeared at a depth of 10 meters, severely affecting the habitat for young fish and invertebrate creatures.

Since 1988 there has been an increase the deep water's temperature in the gulf, at an average rate of about 0.045 degrees Celsius per year, the report noted.

The report also found high turbidity in the water, due to changes in water currents, which made it difficult for the corals to photosynthesize.

The authors of the report forecast further damage to natural values as a result of the construction activity on the beaches.

"Eilat's reef is not only the main attraction in the resort city, but also a natural treasure of global importance, and it is the responsibility of all relevant parties to preserve it," said Israel's Minister of Environmental Protection Tamar Zandberg. 
PHNOM PENH, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) -- In disregard of China's solemn representations, U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi brazenly went ahead with her visit to China's Taiwan region, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said.

This move seriously violates the one-China principle, maliciously infringes on China's sovereignty and blatantly engages in political provocations, which has aroused strong indignation among the Chinese people and widespread opposition from the international community.

It proves once again that some U.S. politicians have become "troublemakers" of China-U.S. relations, and that the United States has become the "biggest destroyer" of peace across the Taiwan Strait and for regional stability.

The United States should not dream of obstructing China's reunification. Taiwan is a part of China. The complete reunification of China is the trend of the times and an inevitability of history. We will leave no room for the "Taiwan independence" forces and external interference.

No matter how the United States supports or connives at the "Taiwan independence" forces, it will be all in vain. The United States will only leave more ugly records of gross meddling in other countries' internal affairs in history. The Taiwan question arose when the country was weak and chaotic at the time, and will surely end with national rejuvenation.

The United States should not fantasize about undermining China's development and revitalization. China has found a correct development path in line with its own national conditions. Under the leadership of the Communist Party of China, 1.4 billion Chinese people are striding towards the Chinese-style modernization.

We put the development of our country and nation on the basis of our own strength, and are willing to coexist peacefully and develop together with other countries. But we will never allow any country to undermine China's stability and development.

Provoking trouble on the Taiwan question in an attempt to delay China's development and undermine China's peaceful rise will be totally futile and will surely lead to total failure.

The United States should not fantasize about manipulating geopolitical games. Seeking peace, stability, development and win-win cooperation are the common aspirations of regional countries.

The introduction of the Taiwan question into the regional strategy by the United States, which inflates tensions and stokes confrontation, is against the trend of regional development and goes against the expectations of the people in the Asia-Pacific. This is very dangerous and stupid.

The one-China principle has become a basic norm governing international relations and an integral part of the post-Second World War international order.

What the United States should do is to immediately stop violating the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and stop playing the "Taiwan card" to disrupt the Asia-Pacific region.

The United States should not fantasize about distorting facts at will. The U.S. side claimed that China is escalating the situation, but the basic facts are that the United States first provoked China on the Taiwan question and blatantly violated China's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The U.S. side claimed that there was a precedent of the U.S. House speaker visiting Taiwan. Yet the basic truth is that past mistakes cannot be used as an excuse to repeat them today.

The U.S. side claimed that it cannot restrain the Congress due to the separation of powers. But the basic norm of international law is that the United States must fulfill its international obligations, and key politicians should not misbehave.

It also claimed that China's pursuit of reunification is a "threat" to Taiwan, but the basic logic is that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory and the Taiwan question is purely an internal affair of China. It is lawful and justified that China upholds territorial integrity and opposes secession.

I want to stress that the one-China principle is the key stabilizing force for peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, and the three China-U.S. joint communiques are the real "guardrails" for peaceful coexistence between China and the United States.

Clinging to the United States to seek "independence" is a dead end, and attempts to use the Taiwan question to contain China are doomed to failure.

In the face of the great cause of national reunification, the Chinese people have the gut not to be misled by fallacies or scared by evils, the ambition to never be intimidated or crushed, the determination to unite as one, and the ability to resolutely safeguard national sovereignty and national dignity. 
People walk through automated gateways in the hall of Macao Immigration Inspection in Macao, south China, Aug. 3, 2022. (Xinhua/Cheong Kam Ka)

MACAO, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) -- China's Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) on Wednesday loosened land border restrictions with the mainland's Zhuhai city, Guangdong Province, as the latest wave of COVID-19 outbreak is under control.

Starting 6:00 p.m. Wednesday, those leaving Macao to enter Zhuhai via the land borders need to present negative nucleic acid test results effective within 24 hours. No quarantine is required anymore, according to the Zhuhai-Macao joint work group overseeing the pandemic control.

After entering Zhuhai, visitors from Macao need to go through nucleic acid test twice within three days, said the work group. They are advised to avoid taking public transport, dining or getting together.

As of Tuesday, Macao has reported no new community COVID-19 cases for 11 consecutive days. 

People walk in the hall of Macao Immigration Inspection in Macao, south China, Aug. 3, 2022. (Xinhua/Cheong Kam Ka)
Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi (R) meets with Cambodian People's Party's Permanent Committee member and Prime Minister candidate Hun Manet in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Aug. 3, 2022. (Xinhua/Wu Changwei)

PHNOM PENH, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Cambodian People's Party's Permanent Committee member and Prime Minister candidate Hun Manet here on Wednesday.

The two sides had an in-depth exchange of views on China-Cambodia relations and international and regional issues of common concern, stressing that both countries will actively promote the building of the China-Cambodia community of a shared future and carry forward, maintain and develop the cause of China-Cambodia solidarity and friendship. 
By Azernews

The first trilateral meeting between the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Trade, Economy and Transport of Azerbaijan, Turkiye and Uzbekistan was held today in Tashkent, Azernews reports per the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry.

Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov, Economy Minister Mikayil Jabbarov, Transport, Communications and High Technologies Minister Rashad Nabiyev attended the meeting.

The parties exchanged views on issues of foreign policy and possibilities of regional cooperation, activities to realize the full potential of cooperation between the three countries in the fields of economy, trade, investment and transport. The possibilities of cooperation in the energy field, particularly, in the field of renewable energy sources were also discussed.

The sides discussed the opportunities of further strengthening cooperation on the development of international transport corridors in order to make better use of the high transit potential of the three countries. In particular, the importance of the Trans-Caspian International East-West Corridor and the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway as part of this corridor was emphasized. The opening of all communications in the region, including the Zangazur corridor, will contribute to the expansion of international transport links.

Following the meeting, the ministers of the three countries responsible for the relevant areas signed the Tashkent Declaration. The foreign ministers made press statements following the results of the trilateral meeting.

Trilateral cooperation between Azerbaijan, Turkiye and Uzbekistan is based on common history, culture and values. It also relies on strong bilateral ties and existing strategic partnership relations between the countries. The new trilateral format, the foundation of which was laid with the participation of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Economy and Transport, will contribute to the development and promotion of joint projects in relevant areas. It will also strengthen cooperation on regional and international issues of mutual interest.
BEIJING, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) -- Overseas scholars and officials strongly rebuked U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan on Tuesday, saying that the move severely undermines China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, seriously threatens peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, and gravely violates international law and basic norms governing international relations.

The move is unpopular with the international community and is futile, they said.

CHINA'S SOVEREIGNTY & TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY ALLOW NO VIOLATION

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Russia is in solidarity with China on the Taiwan question, Tass reported.

"We respect China's sovereignty and territorial integrity and think that no country in the world should have the right to question (it) or undertake any steps of instigative or other nature," he said.

The United States lacks respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of other countries, and acts willfully for its own geopolitical interests, said Ghassan Youssef, a Syrian political expert and analyst.

China will take strong countermeasures to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity, he said.

Hassan Aslam Shad, a Pakistani international lawfare specialist, said the United States is trying to make Taiwan a bridgehead against China, and has repeatedly tested China's red line and challenged China's core interests with an essential aim to contain China's peaceful development.

The United States is not trustworthy at all as its actions do not match its words on the Taiwan question, he said, adding that Washington is responsible for all the problems created by Pelosi's trip to Taiwan, and the U.S. side should take the complete blame for this.

China had issued a serious warning previously and will "defend the Chinese national sovereignty and territorial integrity no matter the costs," said Noha Bakir, a professor in political science with American University in Cairo.

Mustafa Noyan Rona, a former Turkish diplomat to China, said that he hopes the United States will stop provocations against China, and that Pelosi's so-called "visit" will not bring any benefits to Taiwan.

CHALLENGING ONE-CHINA PRINCIPLE IS FUTILE

The United States has repeatedly stated that it will not change its adherence to the one-China policy, but some politicians are trying to challenge the one-China principle and break through this political bottom line, which shows that some in the United States are paying lip service to their political commitments, said Wilson Lee Flores, a columnist for The Philippine Star, an English daily newspaper.

Shad, the Pakistani international lawfare specialist, views Pelosi's visit as a blatant provocation and a clear violation. He said that the one-China principle is a norm universally recognized by the international community, adding that Taiwan is a part of China, which is an undeniable fact, and the one-China principle has to be adhered to by the U.S. side.

U.S. officials' visits to Taiwan seriously violate the one-China principle and endanger peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, said Bambang Suryono, chairman of Indonesian think tank Asia Innovation Study Center, adding that the United States talks about abiding by the one-China policy, but acts with double-dealing and gross interference in China's internal affairs, which should be strongly condemned.

The world has strongly supported the one-China principle for decades, said Joseph Matthews, a senior professor at the BELTEI International University in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

Pelosi's "illegal, futile and unscrupulous visit" to Taiwan will undermine the credibility of the United States, and has violated the one-China principle, he said.

William Jones, Washington bureau chief of the U.S. publication Executive Intelligence Review, described Pelosi's Taiwan visit as her "final act of folly."

He said that "we will experience the 'deluge,' which will no doubt affect the lives and livelihoods of all Americans."

"Some politicians of the U.S. want to challenge Chinese people" on the Taiwan question, Rangarirai Shoko, editor-in-chief of New Zimbabwe Inter-Africa News Agency (New Ziana), said. "The attempts will definitely fail."

INT'L LAW & BASIC NORMS GOVERNING INT'L RELATIONS BROOK NO INFRINGEMENT

Jose Luis Centella, president of the Communist Party of Spain, said Pelosi's visit to Taiwan is a serious provocation against the one-China principle.

The U.S. government is "on an irresponsible path of increasing tension with China," he told Xinhua.

He said the Communist Party of Spain believes that the visit "will not only affect relations between the United States and China, but creates a tension that will negatively affect the entire planet."

Pelosi's visit shows that the United States totally disregards principles and international law, said Zivadin Jovanovic, former minister of foreign affairs of Yugoslavia and current president of the think-tank Belgrade Forum for a World of Equals, adding that such a policy is dangerous.

Shad, the Pakistani expert, said that Pelosi's visit to Taiwan is a breach of certain principles of international law and China has all the rights under international law to respond accordingly.

Flores, the columnist for The Philippine Star, said the world is facing many uncertainties, yet the United States is trying to play with fire on the Taiwan question, which may raise tensions in the region, undermine regional stability and hinder recovery and development.

Kin Phea, director-general of the International Relations Institute at the Royal Academy of Cambodia, told Xinhua that Pelosi's visit to the Taiwan region is a provocation.

This visit would damage bilateral relations between China and the United States, and destabilize regional and global peace and security, he said.

The United States should work with China to keep global industrial and supply chains stable, fight the pandemic and contribute to economic recovery rather than inflaming regional and global instability, he added.

Selcuk Colakoglu, director of the Turkish Center of Asia Pacific Studies, said Pelosi's visit to Taiwan has escalated tensions between Beijing and Washington.

He said the visit has triggered a very unnecessary crisis between the two largest economies of the world -- the United States and China, and there may be disastrous results for the world economy and global supply chains.

Taiwan has always been Chinese territory, said Suleimane Cassama, Bissau-Guinean political scientist, noting Pelosi's visit to Taiwan can prove once again that the United States is a problem for the world. 
BEIJING, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) -- A spokesperson for the Taiwan Work Office of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee on Wednesday made remarks on punishing die-hard "Taiwan independence" elements in accordance with the law. The following is the full text of the remarks:

The separatist attempt to seek "Taiwan independence" is the biggest obstacle to the reunification of the motherland, and a serious potential danger to China's national rejuvenation. A handful of die-hard "Taiwan independence" elements have recklessly carried out separatist activities, served as pawns for external anti-China forces, and gone to great lengths to create the false impressions of "two Chinas," "one China, one Taiwan" or "Taiwan independence." Their separatist acts and remarks are flagrant provocations against China's national sovereignty, territorial integrity, and the sanctity of China's law. They have also severely jeopardized the peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, and seriously undermined the common interests of the compatriots on both sides of the Strait and the fundamental interests of the Chinese nation. Such acts and remarks must be severely punished in accordance with the law.

There exists clear legal basis for China to hold the die-hard elements seeking "Taiwan independence" criminally accountable. The Constitution explicitly stipulates that Taiwan is part of the sacred territory of the People's Republic of China. According to the Anti-Secession Law and the National Security Law, China's sovereignty and territorial integrity brook no division. Safeguarding China's national sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity is the common obligation of all Chinese people, including Taiwan compatriots. Any individual or organization that fails to fulfill statutory duties or engages in activities jeopardizing national security shall be investigated for legal responsibility in accordance with the law. Under the Criminal Law, those who organize, plot or carry out the scheme of splitting the country or undermining unity of the country shall be convicted and punished for secession. Whoever incites others to split the country or undermine unity of the country shall be convicted and punished for inciting secession. Whoever commits the crimes mentioned above in collusion with foreign agencies, organizations or individuals shall be subject to a heavier punishment in accordance with the law.

Anyone who breaks the law will be brought to book. We will take criminal punishment measures against those die-hard "Taiwan independence" elements who deliberately challenge the law, punish them strictly in accordance with the law, and hold them accountable throughout their lifetime. No individual or force should underestimate our strong resolve, will and ability to defend our national sovereignty and territorial integrity. 
UNITED NATIONS, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) -- The international community should reject double standards in nuclear non-proliferation, and countries with the largest nuclear arsenals should take the lead in nuclear disarmament, a Chinese diplomat said Tuesday.

The nuclear-powered submarine cooperation among the United States, Britain and Australia poses severe nuclear proliferation risks, Fu Cong, head of the Chinese delegation, told the 10th Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT).

"The so-called 'nuclear sharing' arrangements run counter to the provisions of the NPT and increase the risks of nuclear proliferation and nuclear conflicts," said Fu, also director general of the Department of Arms Control of the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

"The United States should withdraw all its nuclear weapons from Europe and refrain from deploying nuclear weapons in any other region," he said.

Any attempt to replicate the so-called "nuclear sharing" model in Asia-Pacific would undermine regional strategic stability, be firmly opposed by the countries in the region, and face severe countermeasures when necessary, he added.

On the Iran nuclear deal, Fu said all parties concerned should stay committed to bringing the deal back on track at an early date through diplomatic negotiations.

The United States should completely lift its relevant illegal sanctions on Iran and long-arm jurisdiction measures on third parties, and on that basis, Iran should return to full compliance with its nuclear commitments, he said.

Fu said there is a need to follow the dual-track approach and the principle of phased and synchronized actions in advancing the process toward the establishment of a peace mechanism and the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

Noting that the peaceful use of nuclear energy should not come at the expense of the natural environment and human health, Fu said Japan should seriously respond to the legitimate concerns of its neighboring countries and the international community at large regarding the disposal of nuclear-contaminated water from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant accident, fully consult with the stakeholders and the relevant international agencies. 
A job seeker interacts with a potential employer at a job fair in Harare, Zimbabwe, on Aug. 2, 2022. The two-day Zimbabwe Job Fair opened Tuesday. Hosted by the China Africa Economic and Culture Exchange Research Center and Victory Milestone Recruitment, the event lived up to its billing as scores of job seekers exchanged notes with potential employers and left the curriculum vitae (CV) for possible placements. (Xinhua/Tafara Mugwara)

by Tichaona Chifamba

HARARE, Aug. 2 (Xinhua) -- The inaugural two-day Zimbabwe Job Fair opened Tuesday.

Fifty companies, 25 of them Chinese-run enterprises, exhibited at the fair which also attracted high school pupils seeking career guidance ahead of tertiary education.

Hosted by the China Africa Economic and Culture Exchange Research Center and Victory Milestone Recruitment, the event lived up to its billing as scores of job seekers exchanged notes with potential employers and left the curriculum vitae (CV) for possible placements.

Victory Milestone Recruitment marketing director Donal Rushambwa said the fair presented employers with a platform through which they could tap into the vast human resources that the country offered.

"The Zimbabwe Job Fair is an exhibition whereby we have companies coming to recruit job-seekers in all the fields. We've got mining, construction, agriculture, general administration jobs and even general hand jobs," he said in an interview with Xinhua.

"We have about 600 jobs that are being exhibited today. There are 50 companies that are involved. There are local and Chinese companies -- 25 local companies and 25 Chinese," he said.

Rushambwa said the organizers were trying to create a culture whereby people could wake up in the morning and go to look for jobs, while also allowing companies to employ the best talent on the market.

"Nowadays because of nepotism companies haven't been trying to get the best in terms of recruitment because they are short-changed when nepotism comes into play," he said.

The job fair would, therefore, push aside the hurdle of nepotism and corruption, thus allowing companies to recruit the best talent on the market, he added.

"But today we're saying come through without knowing anyone, without paying anything for corruption reasons, with your experience and your talent, to show the companies out there what you're capable of and what you've been doing and try to get a chance at your dream job," he said.

Rushambwa said the exhibiting companies were grateful for the event since they had come across talent that they did not know existed in the country.

Administrator of Richmark Zimbabwe (Private) Limited Luna Zhao said they were happy with the fair as it had presented them with an opportunity to recruit drivers for their enterprise.

She said she had received more than 10 CVs from potential employees by end of Tuesday morning and was hoping to get more applications through recommendations.

"The jobs we're are offering are mostly for truck drivers because we're into mining. The response, I think, has been quite good because we received many CVs and they are also recommending their friends to me," she said.

Among the job seekers was Given Kahwa, a Master in Business Administration (Innovation Management) graduate from China, who said he was hoping to land a job at the fair.

"I recently came back from China, so, it's more like I'm looking for a job. I have talked to three or four companies and I have left my details, hoping they will call me soon," he said.

He commended the organizers of the job fair, saying that it exposed job seekers to opportunities and helped school children prepare for the future.

Takunda Manhuwa from a city school said although he was not yet looking for a job, the fair gave him focus on what he wanted to do in the future.

"We came as a commercial class expecting to learn more about career guidance and what careers we may want to take as an individual," he said.

His colleague, Oduho Ihude, who is from South Sudan, said the job fair "was fair" as it had presented him with a vision of what he wanted to do after high school. 

Job seekers communicate with potential employers at a job fair in Harare, Zimbabwe, on Aug. 2, 2022. The two-day Zimbabwe Job Fair opened Tuesday. Hosted by the China Africa Economic and Culture Exchange Research Center and Victory Milestone Recruitment, the event lived up to its billing as scores of job seekers exchanged notes with potential employers and left the curriculum vitae (CV) for possible placements. (Xinhua/Tafara Mugwara)

A job seeker leaves her details to a potential employer at a job fair in Harare, Zimbabwe, on Aug. 2, 2022. The two-day Zimbabwe Job Fair opened Tuesday. Hosted by the China Africa Economic and Culture Exchange Research Center and Victory Milestone Recruitment, the event lived up to its billing as scores of job seekers exchanged notes with potential employers and left the curriculum vitae (CV) for possible placements. (Xinhua/Tafara Mugwara)

High school students seeking career guidance arrive to attend a job fair in Harare, Zimbabwe, on Aug. 2, 2022. The two-day Zimbabwe Job Fair opened Tuesday. Hosted by the China Africa Economic and Culture Exchange Research Center and Victory Milestone Recruitment, the event lived up to its billing as scores of job seekers exchanged notes with potential employers and left the curriculum vitae (CV) for possible placements. (Xinhua/Tafara Mugwara)
TEHRAN, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) -- A Sukhoi Su-22 fighter jet went off the runway at Shiraz airport in southern Iran on Wednesday morning, the semi-official Fars news agency reported.

The fighter belonged to the Aerospace Force of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps and faced the accident while taking off due to a technical defect, said the report.

The two pilots on board had to use the ejection seat and are in good health condition, it added.

Other media reported that the pilots had been transferred to the hospital after using the ejection system. 
HONG KONG, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) -- The Office of the Commissioner of the Chinese Foreign Ministry in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) on Wednesday voiced strong opposition and condemnation to Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi's visit to China's Taiwan region in disregard of China's repeated warnings.

The visit has sent a very wrong signal to the separatist forces for "Taiwan independence," and seriously violated the one-China principle and the stipulations in the three China-U.S. joint communiques. It has severely impacted the political foundation of China-U.S. relations, and gravely infringed on China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, said a spokesperson for the office.

The spokesperson urged the U.S. side to immediately stop playing the "Taiwan card" to "use Taiwan to contain China," stop playing with fire on the Taiwan question, stop creating tensions across the Taiwan Strait, and stop acting in bad faith any longer.

The spokesperson said that the one-China principle is a widely recognized norm of international relations and a consensus accepted by the international community, and the political foundation for China's exchanges with other countries, including the United States. It is at the very core of China's interests and a red line that must not be crossed.

Driven by its strategy to "contain China with Taiwan," the United States has been supporting and conniving at the separatist forces seeking "Taiwan independence," and provoking China on the Taiwan question, the spokesperson said.

"Some U.S. politicians make themselves enemies of the more than 1.4 billion Chinese people for selfish gains, and they will never come to a good end," the spokesperson said, adding that the farce staged by the United States to "use Taiwan to contain China" is doomed to fail.

The spokesperson pointed out that Pelosi's visit to China's Taiwan region as a leader of the U.S. Congress is "by no means unofficial."

The visit precisely shows that the United States has long been pursuing "strategic ambiguity" and playing "salami-slicing" tactics on the Taiwan question, and is trying to obscure and hollow out the one-China principle, the spokesperson said.

The U.S. side has made solemn commitments to China on the one-China principle in the three China-U.S. joint communiques. But over the years it has been backpedaling on its commitments, the common understandings between the two sides and its original position on Taiwan, the spokesperson said.

The spokesperson stressed that the Taiwan question is the most important and most sensitive issue at the very heart of China-U.S. relations.

Noting that the position of the Chinese government and the Chinese people on the Taiwan question has been consistent, the spokesperson said it is the firm commitment of the more than 1.4 billion Chinese people to resolutely safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity.

"No country, no force and no individual should underestimate the strong resolve, will and ability of the Chinese government and people to defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity, and to achieve national reunification and rejuvenation," the spokesperson said. 
YAOUNDE, Aug. 2 (Xinhua) -- Four people were killed on Tuesday in a road accident in Cameroon's Centre region where the capital, Yaounde is located, according to local police.

Police said in a statement that the tragedy happened along the Obala-Batchenga highway.

The accident occurred after a truck collided head-on with a bus carrying workers of a company, a police officer told Xinhua by phone.

Several others were injured and rushed to the hospital to receive medical treatment, the officer who preferred not to be named said.

According to the police, fatal accidents are common in Cameroon due to reckless driving, dangerous overtaking, drunk driving, and poor state of road.

The Ministry of Transport estimates that 1,500 people die in road accidents each year in the central African nation. 
PHNOM PENH, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Wednesday made clear here China's solemn position on Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi's visit to China's Taiwan region.

Wang, who is attending meetings on East Asia cooperation and on a visit to Cambodia, told reporters that Pelosi's tour is a complete farce.

Wang said the U.S. side, under the guise of so-called "democracy," is doing the heinous deeds of violating China's sovereignty.

Such "Taiwan independence" secessionist forces represented by Tsai Ing-wen, riding the U.S. coattails, have betrayed the righteousness of the great national cause, said Wang.

These perverse practices will not change the international consensus that there is only one China, nor will they change the historical trend that Taiwan will return to the motherland, Wang said.

Those who play with fire will not end up well, and those who violate China's sovereignty will certainly be penalized, he added. 
The first grain-laden ship leaving Ukraine receives inspection by a team of representatives from the Joint Coordination Center (JCC) on the northwestern entrance of the Bosphorus Strait in Istanbul, Turkiye, Aug. 3, 2022. (Xinhua/Shadati)

ISTANBUL, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) -- The first grain-laden ship leaving Ukraine passed through Istanbul's Bosphorus Strait on Wednesday and continued to its destination after the inspection team gave the green light.

Sierra-leone flagged vessel Razoni, which sailed off from Ukraine's Odesa port, exited the Bosphorus Strait around 4:00 p.m. local time (1300 GMT). It took nearly two hours to pass through the 31-km long strait, which connects the Black Sea with the Marmara Sea.

The vessel, which was inspected by a joint team of specialists in the morning before it could pass, was then escorted by boats belonging to the Turkish Coastal Guard through its entire passage.

The captain of Razoni received the inspection team on board. Following a short welcoming speech, the team started to explore the load, as the video released by the Turkish Defence Ministry showed.

Razoni is expected to arrive at its destination in Lebanon on Sunday, with a cargo of over 26,000 tonnes of corn.

The ship's passage marks the first successful large shipment of Ukrainian grain to international markets as a part of the United Nations-backed deal between Turkiye, Russia and Ukraine signed on July 22.

The agreement aims to resume food and fertilizer exports from the Ukrainian ports in the Black Sea. Some 20 million tonnes of grain still reside in Ukrainian silos, waiting to be exported, according to Turkiye's state-run Anadolu agency.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu commented on the passage after he met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Cambodia on Wednesday, saying more efforts aimed at easing the export of certain items are being undertaken by Russia and Turkiye.

During the meeting with his Russian counterpart, the probability of the dialogue starting with the grain agreement leading to a cease-fire was also discussed, Cavusoglu noted.

Speaking in the Turkish capital of Ankara after a food security meeting on Wednesday, Turkish Minister of Finance and Treasury Nureddin Nebati said that the UN-brokered agreement was already starting to positively reflect on the global food prices.

Turkish experts predict in the case of more successful shipments, soaring global food prices might at least stabilize, if not decrease. 

The first grain-laden ship leaving Ukraine receives inspection by a team of representatives from the Joint Coordination Center (JCC) on the northwestern entrance of the Bosphorus Strait in Istanbul, Turkiye, Aug. 3, 2022. (Xinhua/Shadati)

A team of representatives from the Joint Coordination Center (JCC) get on the first grain-laden ship leaving Ukraine for inspection on the northwestern entrance of the Bosphorus Strait in Istanbul, Turkiye, Aug. 3, 2022. (Xinhua/Shadati)

A team of representatives from the Joint Coordination Center (JCC) inspects on the first grain-laden ship leaving Ukraine on the northwestern entrance of the Bosphorus Strait in Istanbul, Turkiye, Aug. 3, 2022. (Turkish Defense Ministry/Handout via Xinhua)
BEIJING, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) -- U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi arrived in China's Taiwan on Tuesday evening for a visit, drawing strong condemnation from overseas Chinese.

They believed that Taiwan has been a part of the Chinese territory since ancient times and the Taiwan question is purely China's internal affair, which brooks no external interference.

Realizing China's complete reunification is the common aspiration of all the Chinese at home and abroad, which is an irresistible and unstoppable trend of the times, they said, expressing full support for all the countermeasures China takes to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity.

INALIENABLE PART OF CHINA

"Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory, and no one or any force can change it," said Yuan Yi, executive vice president of the China Council for the Promotion of Peaceful National Reunification in Russia.

Pelosi's visit to Taiwan severely violated China's sovereignty and territorial integrity and seriously undermined peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, Yuan said, adding that all the Chinese people strongly condemn and resolutely oppose it.

Wang Haijun, president of the Association of Overseas Chinese in South Korea, said that Taiwan has been an inalienable part of China since ancient times and that there is only one China in the world, and both sides of the Taiwan Strait belong to one and the same China.

The Taiwan question is purely China's internal affair, and brooks no external interference, Wang said.

There is only one China in the world, and Taiwan is an inalienable part of China, which is an unquestionable historical fact with legal basis and is generally recognized by the international community, the China Council for the Promotion of Peaceful National Reunification in Ghana said in a statement, adding that safeguarding national sovereignty and territorial integrity is the common responsibility of the Chinese people all over the world.

Hu Lanbo, director of Cina in Italia magazine, said that China has repeatedly expressed its firm opposition to Pelosi's visit to Taiwan.

China's position on the Taiwan question has been consistent, Hu said, adding that it is the firm will of the 1.4 billion Chinese people to resolutely safeguard China's national sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Yu Hua, president of the China Council for the Promotion of Peaceful National Reunification in Georgia, said that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory, which is a historical fact and has been recognized by the international community.

Pelosi's visit to the Taiwan region severely violated the one-China principle and the three China-U.S. joint communiques, damaged China-U.S. relations and seriously undermined peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, Yu said.

NEVER ALLOW EXTERNAL INTERFERENCE

"We will never allow the United States to provoke China and interfere in China's internal affairs," said Han Jun, head of the China Council for the Promotion of Peaceful National Reunification in East Africa.

"Pelosi's visit has seriously hurt the feelings of all the Chinese people around the world. Any attempt to use the Taiwan question to interfere in China's internal affairs or undermine China's peaceful reunification process is playing with fire," Han said.

The China Council for the Promotion of Peaceful National Reunification in Zambia said in a statement that Pelosi's visit to the Taiwan region sent a serious wrong signal to the "Taiwan independence" forces, which is extremely dangerous and provocative.

The visit grossly interfered in China's internal affairs, seriously undermined China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and trampled on the one-China principle, the council said, adding that it will also severely undermine peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and damage China-U.S. relations.

"Using the Taiwan question to interfere in and suppress China will never end well!" said Wang Zhimin, head of the China Council for the Promotion of Peaceful National Reunification in Thailand, noting the council strongly condemns and protests Pelosi's visit to Taiwan, which seriously violated the one-China principle and the three joint communiques between China and the United States.

Zhu Jianrong, professor at Toyo Gakuen University of Japan, said the one-China principle is the political foundation of China-U.S. relations and any attempt to challenge it will be firmly countered by the Chinese people.

The "Taiwan independence" elements who seek independence by relying on the United States and creating secession will surely be spurned by history, he said.

Chen Zhixiang, president of the China Council for the Promotion of Peaceful National Reunification in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), said, "The overseas Chinese living in the UAE stand side by side with the Chinese government and people, and are determined to safeguard national sovereignty and security interests."

COMMON ASPIRATION FOR NATIONAL REUNIFICATION

"China must and will be reunified; this is an unstoppable trend of history, and also a common aspiration of all overseas Chinese," said Yu, noting that "the tricks played by the U.S. politicians and 'Taiwan independence' separatists get no support, will surely be opposed by people who love peace and uphold justice, and are doomed to fail."

Sha Quan, an overseas Chinese from Jordan, stressed that realizing the complete reunification of the motherland is the common aspiration of all the Chinese people.

"No matter where we are, we will firmly support the motherland's will and actions to safeguard national unity and territorial integrity, and firmly oppose separatist activities for 'Taiwan independence' and interference by external forces including U.S. politicians," Sha said.

"No force can stop the great cause of the reunification of the motherland, and all attempts to split the motherland will eventually be judged by history!" the China Council for the Promotion of Peaceful National Reunification in Switzerland said in a statement, saying that no force can contain China's development and that the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation will surely be realized.

The reunification of the motherland is a historical inevitability as well as the common aspiration and determination of all the Chinese people, Wang said, adding that overseas Chinese in South Korea firmly oppose Pelosi's visit to Taiwan, resolutely reject external interference in China's internal affairs, and will continue to take concrete actions to promote China's complete reunification at an early date, so as to contribute to the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. 
China summons U.S. ambassador over Pelosi's visit to Taiwan

Xinhua) 08:10, August 03, 2022

BEIJING, Aug. 2 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Xie Feng urgently summoned the U.S. Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns late Tuesday night and lodged stern representations and strong protests over Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi's visit to China's Taiwan region.

Noting that Pelosi risks universal condemnation to deliberately provoke and play with fire, Xie said that this is a serious violation of the one-China principle and the three China-U.S. joint communiques.

It has a severe impact on the political foundation of China-U.S. relations, and seriously infringes on China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, Xie said, adding that it gravely undermines peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, and sends a seriously wrong signal to the separatist forces for "Taiwan independence."

"The move is extremely egregious in nature and the consequences are extremely serious. China will not sit idly by," Xie noted.

Xie said the U.S. government must be held accountable. For a while, the U.S. has said one thing and done another thing, constantly distorted and hollowed out the one-China principle.

It deleted the key expressions such as Taiwan is part of China from the U.S. State Department website, put Taiwan in its so-called "Indo-Pacific strategy", openly upgraded its ties with Taiwan and increased arms sales to the region and supported separatist activities for "Taiwan independence," according to Xie.

He said the U.S. government has indulged rather than restrained Pelosi's willful act, leading to the escalation of tensions across the Taiwan Strait and seriously undermined the China-U.S. relations.

Noting that the U.S. side shall pay the price for its own mistakes, Xie urged the U.S. to immediately address its wrongdoings, take practical measures to undo the adverse effects caused by Pelosi's visit to Taiwan.

The United States must not go further down the wrong path, escalating tensions and making the situation across the Taiwan Strait and China-U.S. relations irreparable, Xie said.

He added that the United States should stop playing the "Taiwan card", stop using Taiwan to contain China in any form, and stop interfering in China's internal affairs.

The United States must take concrete actions to observe the one-China principle and the provisions of the three China-U.S. joint communiques, deliver on the "five noes" commitment made by the U.S. leadership (i.e. not seek a "new Cold War"; not seek to change China's system; the revitalization of its alliances is not against China; not support "Taiwan independence"; not look for conflict with China), and not go further down the wrong and dangerous path, Xie noted.

Xie stressed that the trend of the times cannot be reversed, the will of the people is not to be defied, and those who play with fire will perish by it.

"Taiwan is China's Taiwan, and Taiwan will eventually return to the embrace of the motherland. Chinese people are not afraid of ghosts, pressure and the evil," Xie said.

In the minds of the Chinese people, nothing is more sacred than to protect China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and nothing is more important than safeguarding and realizing national reunification, Xie noted.

He added that no country, no force and no individual should ever underestimate the firm resolve, strong will and great capability of the Chinese government and people to defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity and to achieve national reunification and rejuvenation.

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun)
By Azernews

A serviceman of the Azerbaijani army was killed in an Armenian shelling, Azernews reports, citing Azerbaijani Defense Ministry.

On the morning of August 3, members of the illegal Armenian armed formations on the territory of Azerbaijan, where the Russian peacekeeping contingent is temporarily deployed, were intensively shelling the positions of the Azerbaijani army units stationed in the direction of Lacin District.

As a result of the shelling, an active military serviceman, Anar Kazimov, received a deadly bullet wound, thus becoming a martyr.

The leadership of the Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan expresses deep condolences to the family and relatives of the deceased serviceman.

The units of the Azerbaijani army took adequate response measures, the Defense Ministry said in a statement.
BERLIN, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) -- BMW's net profit in the first half (H1) of this year soared by 73.6 percent year-on-year to a record 13.2 billion euros (13.5 billion U.S. dollars), the German carmaker said on Wednesday.

The full consolidation of BMW's joint venture (JV) with Brilliance China Automotive Holdings Ltd. has had a positive one-time effect of around 7.7 billion euros, according to the company.

Back in February, the German carmaker increased its stake in BMW Brilliance Automotive Ltd. (BBA) from 50 to 75 percent.

The revaluation of the previously held equity interests in BBA was a "major driver" of the company's financial result in the first six months of the year, said Chief Financial Officer Nicolas Peter.

Revenues in H1 rose by 19.1 percent year-on-year to 65.9 billion euros. The consolidation of BBA also had a positive effect on this development. According to BMW, the new Chinese subsidiary contributed around 11 billion euros in revenues.

At the same time, unit sales declined to 1.16 million vehicles, down by 13.4 percent compared to the record level of the prior-year period. Production and deliveries were impacted by "ongoing semiconductor supply issues and supply chain disruptions," the carmaker said.

Due to the sales slump in the first six months, BMW has lowered its expectations for full year deliveries and its CEO Oliver Zipse has warned of an "increasing economic headwind coming up in addition to the ongoing supply shortages."

However, BMW confirmed its financial outlook for fiscal 2022, expecting "significantly higher Group pre-tax earnings" than last year due to the full consolidation of BBA.

"Especially under unfavorable conditions, the BMW Group is characterized by a high degree of resilience," Zipse said. (1 euro = 1.02 U.S. dollars) 
DAR ES SALAAM, Aug. 2 (Xinhua) -- Tanzanian immigration authorities said Tuesday that at least 2,940 illegal immigrants were arrested in the country's northwestern region of Kagera between January and June this year.

Thomas Fussy, the Kagera region head of the Tanzania Immigration Services, said the illegal immigrants were arrested during a special crackdown that lasted six months.

Fussy said the arrested illegal immigrants were from different countries, including Rwanda, Kenya, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, Somalia, Burundi, Uganda, and Zambia.

He said 2,735 of the arrested illegal immigrants have been repatriated to their home countries, 183 have been charged in courts for illegal stay and 22 have been given residence permits.

The official said most of the illegal immigrants were engaged in farming activities and livestock keeping.

Fussy warned residents in the region against hosting illegal immigrants saying those implicated in doing so will be prosecuted. 
DAR ES SALAAM, Aug. 2 (Xinhua) -- Tanzania and Zambia on Tuesday agreed to mobilize resources to revive the TAZARA railway to make it modern and vibrant.

Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan said the agreement to revive TAZARA was reached when she held talks with visiting Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema at State House in the commercial capital Dar es Salaam.

TAZARA was constructed as a turnkey project between 1970 and 1975 through an interest-free loan from China, with commercial operations starting in July 1976, covering 1,860 kilometers from Dar es Salaam in Tanzania to New Kapiri Mposhi in Zambia.

President Hassan added that the two leaders have also agreed to work closely in promoting trade and investment through the revival and renovation of key joint post-independence infrastructure projects that were built to link the two nations, including the Tanzania-Zambia Crude Oil Pipeline (TAZAMA).

"Tanzania and Zambia are long-time friends. We have agreed to further promote these relations which now should be translated into economic and trade relations to improve the lives of our people," said President Hassan.

For his part, Zambian President Hichilema said the relations between Tanzania and Zambia were a heritage inherited from founding fathers Julius Nyerere and Kenneth Kaunda who understood the importance of connecting the two nations.

"We need to work together because our relationship and co-existence is historical, we were together in the struggle for independence, since then we have worked together and our people have been one," he said. 
ADEN, Yemen, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) -- Yemen's internationally-recognized government and the Houthi militia have welcomed the renewal of the ongoing nationwide truce in the war-ravaged Arab country.

United Nations Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg on Tuesday announced a two-month renewal of the ceasefire in Yemen. The warring parties in Yemen had agreed to extend the truce, under the same terms, for an additional two months, from Aug. 2 until Oct. 2, Grundberg said in a statement.

Following Grundberg's announcement, Yemen's government based in Aden welcomed the extension of the UN-brokered truce. "The prime objective of the truce is stopping Yemeni bloodshed over Houthi militia's triggered war, easing freedom of movement of civilians and transporting of goods and humanitarian services across Yemen," the Yemeni government said in a statement posted on the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates late Tuesday.

The government stressed the "significance of full implementation of the truce, stopping all Houthi militia's violations and accomplishing what has not been accomplished during the past period and commencing immediately of ending the siege on Taiz and opening roads to other provinces."

On the other side, a senior leader from the Iran-backed Houthi militia called for prompt action to solve humanitarian issues and move into more stable phases.

Mohammed Abdul-Salam, head of the Houthi negotiating delegation, wrote on his Twitter account late on Tuesday night that "the truce was renewed following the efforts exerted by bothers in the Sultanate of Oman."

Last week, the Houthi group announced the arrival of a delegation from Oman to the Yemeni capital of Sanaa, which is under the group's control, to hold consultations on the UN-brokered truce in Yemen.

"We reiterate the importance of the United Nations' intensive work on disbursing salaries, opening the airport and port, and ending the blockade, since humanitarian issues are the natural rights of the Yemeni people," he added.

The UN-mediated truce initially took effect on April 2 and was extended on June 2. During the ceasefire, the Yemeni government accused the Houthi militia of launching attacks.

Last month, Yemen's government said that 81 people were killed and 331 others injured in the sporadic attacks carried out by the Houthi militia since the beginning of the UN-brokered truce.

The government said in a previous press statement that the average number of sporadic attacks launched by the Houthi militia since April 2 reached 50 per day.

"The Houthis didn't fully implement the terms of the UN-brokered truce during the past months and continued their sporadic military operations across the country," a Yemeni government official, who asked to remain anonymous, told Xinhua.

"The Houthis used the ceasefire in fighting to their advantage as they continued to create military sites in the country's northern provinces and they moved forward with developing their missile systems," the official added.

Yemen has been mired in a civil war since late 2014 when the Iran-backed Houthi militia seized control of several northern provinces and forced the Saudi-backed Yemeni government out of the capital Sanaa. The war has killed tens of thousands of people, displaced 4 million, and pushed the poorest Arab country to the brink of starvation. 
BERLIN, Aug. 2 (Xinhua) -- Wheat yields in Germany is below average this year due to drought, the German Farmers' Association (DBV) said on Tuesday.

With an expected 21 million tons, yields were slightly above last year's level, but still 10 to 12 percent below the previous years' average, DBV said.

"Even in those regions where harvest volumes were a positive surprise, the findings are mixed," the farmers' association said, adding that the crude protein content, which also determines prices, was noticeably lower than in previous years. This was caused by weather conditions, but also by a reduction in nitrogen applications as a result of fertilizer regulations.

The northeast of Germany in particular has suffered from drought, DBV said. In July, temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius were recorded across the country.

The national average temperature in July reached 19.2 degrees, 2.3 degrees above the internationally valid reference period 1961 to 1990, according to DWD.

Germany's lower wheat yields come at a time when the supply situation on international markets is already tense. However, for the first time since the beginning of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, a cargo ship loaded with grain left the port of Odessa on Monday. 
CAIRO, Aug. 2 (Xinhua) -- Egypt and Greece have held a joint naval exercise in the Mediterranean Sea, the Egyptian Armed Forces said on Tuesday.

"Under the framework of armed forces leadership plan to promote the level of training and exchange of expertise with the other armies, the two countries' forces have carried out naval training in the northern fleet zone (of Egypt)," the statement said.

Egypt's "al-Moaz" corvette and Greece's "HS Ikaria" landing ship participated in the drill, it noted.

The training allowed the two navies to exchange experiences and learn from each other's capabilities to achieve common interests, thus maintaining maritime security and stability in the region, the statement added.

The military activities covered various training programs, including protection of a vital target in the sea against potential threats, and destroying marine mines, it added.

Egypt regularly holds joint military exercises with other countries to boost military collaboration and exchange military expertise.

In November last year, Greece, Egypt, Cyprus and the United Arab Emirates held a joint air and maritime exercise in Greece. 
Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni (2nd R) meets with visiting Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on Aug. 3, 2022. (Xinhua/Wu Changwei)

PHNOM PENH, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) -- China and Cambodia pledged on Wednesday to carry forward their traditional friendship and actively build the China-Cambodia community with a shared future.

When meeting with visiting Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni thanked the Chinese government and its people for their valuable help and assistance to the kingdom's socio-economic development and its fight against COVID-19.

Noting that the Cambodia-China relations have reached a historical high, the king said both countries are actively building the China-Cambodia community with a shared future and deepening mutually beneficial cooperation under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative, which will bring tangible benefits to the two peoples.

The Cambodian side fully supports the Global Development Initiative and the Global Security Initiative proposed by China, he said, adding that Cambodia will continue its adherence to the one-China policy and stand firmly with China.

For his part, Wang said that for more than half a century, China and Cambodia have always respected and trusted each other, treated each other as equals and pursued win-win cooperation, setting a good example for state-to-state relations.

The China-Cambodia friendship has not only brought tangible benefits to the people of both countries and become the most valuable asset to each other, but also contributed to international and regional peace and stability, he said.

Facts have fully demonstrated that China, as a country that advocates sovereign equality, is a helpful friend and a partner of Cambodia for common development, Wang said, adding that China is willing to continue its traditional friendship and promote the community with a shared future with Cambodia, so as to inject greater vitality into China-Cambodia friendship in the new era.

He appreciated Cambodia for its firm adherence to the one-China policy and stressed that any words or deeds that violate the one-China principle are a challenge to international consensus.

China speaks highly of late Cambodian King Norodom Sihanouk's historic contribution to the cultivation of China-Cambodia friendship, and will work with Cambodia to hold the commemorative events for the 100th anniversary of Sihanouk's birth this year, Wang said.

He also pledged that China will continue to provide support and assistance within its capacity for Cambodia's socio-economic development according to Cambodia's needs.

Wang is here to attend the ASEAN (the Association of Southeast Asian Nations) foreign ministers' related meetings and he will also pay a visit to Cambodia. 
Tola Beriso, head of the Oromia Education Bureau, speaks during the opening ceremony of summer training for Ethiopian Chinese language teachers in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on July 29, 2022. (Xinhua/Wang Ping)

ADDIS ABABA, Aug. 2 (Xinhua) -- Ayele Tadesse, a teacher at the Nedjo special boarding school in Oromia regional state of Ethiopia, spoke highly of exposing students to Chinese language studies at an early age.

Tadesse, who studied the Chinese language at the Hawassa University in southern Ethiopia, has been teaching the Chinese language to some 88 students across three classes at the Nedjo special boarding school for the past close to eight months.

"Teaching the Chinese language to school children is really an interesting thing. They are unbelievably fast in learning the language while also very active in the classroom," Tadesse told Xinhua recently.

The school is one of nine special boarding secondary schools in the Oromia region of Ethiopia, where students are given the chance to voluntarily choose from Chinese, Arabic and French.

Tola Beriso, head of the Oromia Education Bureau, said in line with China's growing global power, teaching the Chinese language to school children would further propel their future opportunities.

"In these nine boarding schools, we enrolled high-caliber students. In addition to other subjects, students are taking Arabic, Chinese and French languages based on their preferences. We have about 1,522 students, of whom 305 have already selected the Chinese language," Beriso told Xinhua.

Given that Chinese language education has been mostly available for students at the university level in Ethiopia, Tadesse believed that the rare opportunity would enable secondary school students to learn the language easily at a younger age.

"Teaching the Chinese language at secondary school level is such a rare opportunity not just to let students learn the language but also to have the opportunities that are presented in having learned the Chinese language. It is a very good opportunity for these students," Tadesse said.

Milky Tolemariam, a Chinese language teacher from the Bishoftu secondary special boarding school, also emphasized the crucial role of exposing secondary school students to the Chinese language.

"Over the past seven months, I have noticed that the students are very active as they start learning the Chinese language earlier than how we started learning the language late at the university level," Tolemariam said. "It is a very good initiative because these young children will grow to become the future of this nation. Hence, teaching them the Chinese language at this age would further enable them toward becoming the connecting bridges between our two peoples."

Tolemariam is now undertaking a summer camp of Chinese language training for Ethiopian teachers in Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian capital, along with eight other local Chinese language teachers including Ayele Tadesse. The summer camp is organized by the Oromia Education Bureau in partnership with the Confucius Institute at Addis Ababa University (AAU). Tolemariam said such opportunities enable both teachers and students to deepen their understanding of the language.

"Summer camp and other similar opportunities are greatly contributing to active learning of the language. Similar summer camp opportunities had been also previously organized, enabling students and teachers to go to China for a few weeks to learn the language," Tolemariam said.

Che Zhaoguang, the cultural counselor at the Chinese Embassy in Ethiopia, said at the opening of the week-long summer camp Friday that educational cooperation is playing an important role in promoting the understanding and friendship between the two countries.

"Learning the language of each other will have a positive impact for deepening cooperation in education, culture, tourism, societies, economics and other aspects of the two brotherly countries," said Che.

According to Beriso, as language contributes to deepening the people-to-people relations between the two countries, teaching the Chinese language would further strengthen the already blossoming people-to-people ties between the two countries. "I think teaching our children the Chinese language is very important. We are also sending students to China for (study with) scholarships. So, I think it is important to strengthen the people-to-people relationship in this regard."

In addition to the AAU in the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa, the Chinese language is now provided as a general interest course or an academic major in many other public universities across Ethiopia, including the federal Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Institute, Bahir Dar University in Ethiopia's northwestern Amhara regional state, Hawassa University in Southern Ethiopia as well as Arsi University in Ethiopia's largest Oromia regional state.

The Confucius Institute in AAU, which started operation in Ethiopia in 2012, has so far registered more than 10,000 students who passed through various levels of Chinese language studies. Among them, more than 100 were able to get their bachelor's degrees in the Chinese language, according to figures from the institute.

As a growing number of Ethiopians opt to study the Chinese language, AAU has recently announced that it has finalized preparations to launch its first-ever program, titled Master of Teaching Chinese to Speakers of Other Languages (MTCSOL), in the East African country.

According to the Confucius Institute at the AAU, the MTCSOL is a two-year, full-time program, in which students study core lessons based at the AAU in the first year, and qualified students will receive further education in Chinese language teaching at Tianjin University of Technology and Education in China. 

Local Chinese language teachers attend the opening ceremony of summer training for Ethiopian Chinese language teachers in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on July 29, 2022. (Xinhua/Wang Ping)
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)



During Wang's visit to Central Asia, the Chinese side exchanged views with his colleagues from Central Asian countries on how to deepen and consolidate cooperation between China and the five Central Asian countries.



DUSHANBE, Aug. 2 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Tuesday had an interview with media after concluding his visit to Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.

During his visit, Wang attended the meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, during which he reached broad consensus with foreign ministers of SCO member states and achieved the expected goals.

Wang said this year marks the 20th anniversary of the signing of the SCO Charter and the 15th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty on Long-Term Good-Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation of the SCO Member States, which is of great significance to the organization.

During the meeting, Wang said he had in-depth exchanges with his counterparts regarding how to enhance the organizational building of the SCO under new circumstances, better cope with major international and regional challenges, and reached broad consensus on fostering unity, seeking cooperation, boosting development and maintaining stability.

The foreign ministers agreed to make the best efforts to prepare for the summit scheduled for September, to strengthen unity and mutual trust, to firmly build safety protection, to strengthen development and cooperation, to push forward organizational building, and to safeguard fairness and justice in the international community.

This year marks the 30th anniversary of the establishment of China-Uzbekistan diplomatic ties.

Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev meets with visiting Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, July 28, 2022. (China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs/Handout via Xinhua)

During Wang's visit to Uzbekistan, both sides agreed to take the consensus reached by the two heads of state as a guide to deepen political mutual trust, strengthen the alignment of development strategies, and make joint efforts towards the vision and goal of building a China-Uzbekistan community with a shared future so that bilateral relations could build on past achievements and strive for new progress.

The two sides agreed to promote high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, realize as soon as possible the annual trade volume of 10 billion U.S. dollars and put forward new goals.

Wang also expressed China's support for Uzbekistan's WTO accession.

Both sides stressed that they will continue to deepen cooperation in connectivity, poverty alleviation, as well as healthcare.

Kyrgyz President Sadyr Zhaparov meets with Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Cholpon-Ata, Kyrgyzstan, July 30, 2022. (Xinhua)



Wang said during his visit to Kyrgyzstan, he had full communication with Kyrgyz President Sadyr Zhaparov and Kyrgyz Foreign Minister Jeenbek Kulubaev and reached broad agreement on deepening mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries.

The two sides agreed to promote China-Kyrgyzstan relations to a higher level, focus on the development of bilateral relations in the next 30 years and build a China-Kyrgyzstan community with a shared future, so as to better plan long-term and comprehensive bilateral cooperation in various fields, and lead the China-Kyrgyzstan comprehensive strategic partnership to a new stage, he said.

The two sides look forward to the implementation of the Global Development Initiative and the Global Security Initiative proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping and agreed to continue high-quality Belt and Road cooperation.

Tajik President Emomali Rahmon meets with visiting Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, Aug. 1, 2022. (Photo by Kalizhan Ospanov/Xinhua)



Since the establishment of China-Tajikistan diplomatic ties 30 years ago, bilateral relations have withstood the test of international and regional situation, achieved leapfrog development and reached a high level of comprehensive strategic partnership, said Wang.

The two sides agreed to speed up the implementation of the important consensus reached between Xi and Tajik President Emomali Rahmon, and plan the long-term development of China-Tajikistan relations in accordance with the strategic guidance of the two heads of state.

The two sides are ready to cooperate in implementing the Global Development Initiative and the Global Security Initiative proposed by Xi. They will also continue to support each other on issues concerning each other's core interests and continue to advance the Belt and Road cooperation.

The two sides attach great importance to and are willing to deepen security cooperation.

According to Wang, during the visit to Central Asia, the Chinese side exchanged views with his colleagues from Central Asian countries on how to deepen and consolidate cooperation between China and the five Central Asian countries.

As for the Afghan issue, Wang said all participating parties recognize that a peaceful, stable, inclusive and developing Afghanistan is in their common interest, adding that the final settlement of the Afghan issue should respect Afghanistan's independence and sovereignty and implement the principle of "Afghan-led and Afghan-owned."

As a friendly neighbor of Afghanistan, China is ready to strengthen communication and coordination with all parties and continue to play a constructive role in Afghanistan's reconstruction and development, Wang said. 
Photo taken on Sept. 14, 2020 shows the outside view of the United Nations headquarters in New York, the United States. (Xinhua/Wang Ying)

Ukraine and Russia accused each other of carrying out the fatal attack on the prison in Olenivka.

UNITED NATIONS, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Wednesday that he will set up a fact-finding mission to look into Friday's attack on a Donetsk prison in Ukraine that reportedly killed dozens of prisoners of war.

He has received requests from both Russia and Ukraine for an investigation into the shelling of the prison in Olenivka, Guterres told reporters. "I decided, in line with my own competencies and powers, to launch a fact-finding mission -- I have not the authority to do criminal investigations, but (have the authority) to launch a fact-finding mission."

The terms of reference for that fact-finding mission are being prepared at the moment. They will be shared with the governments of Russia and Ukraine, he said. "I hope we will be able to have an agreement on the terms of reference of that mission."

At the same time, the world body is recruiting "competent, independent people" for the fact-finding mission and is engaged in heavy coordination work, he said.

"We hope to have the facilities from both sides for access and for the obtention of all data that is necessary to be able to clarify the truth about what has happened," said Guterres. "This is a matter that we took very seriously and we are working hard for that."

Ukraine and Russia accused each other of carrying out the fatal attack on the prison in Olenivka. 
President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva got acquainted with the activities of Grand-Agro Invitro LLC and participated in the opening of Azbadam LLC almond producer's office.

Minister of Economy Mikayil Jabbarov and Executive Director of Grand-Agro Invitro LLC Taleh Zeynalov informed the President and the First Lady about the activities of the enterprise.

The diversification of the economy, in particular the priorities for the development of the non-oil sector, are being successfully implemented. The share of agricultural products in the non-oil sector is also increasing, which contributes to food security and eliminates the dependence on imports.

Grand-Agro Invitro Limited Liability Company and Azbadam Limited Liability Company, the companies President Ilham Aliyev and First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva have reviewed and opened, are products of the successful development concept of the non-oil sector and agriculture.

President Ilham Aliyev: Hazelnut growing has been extensively developing in Azerbaijan in recent years. We have more than doubled the area of hazelnut plantations. We are currently the third largest exporter of hazelnuts in the world. Unfortunately, almond production in Azerbaijan was very low and did not meet the domestic demand. It is therefore necessary to undertake the production of almonds now. Are these fruits local or foreign?

Taleh Zeynalov: We have both foreign and local varieties. Our goal is to select productive and natural varieties among the local ones and achieve their increase through selection.

President Ilham Aliyev: A very important issue here is that, of course, intensive horticulture is aimed at increasing the crops. But our advantage is  this has always been and still is the case now  that the fruits and vegetables grown here are natural. In other words, they are organic and have a special taste. Preference should be given to local varieties here. Because if we pursue quantitative goals, we may end up losing the fruits that have a special taste. So do pay special attention to that. Because whether we are talking about pomegranates, apples, tomatoes or dates, they all have a special taste here. We must not lose them.

x x x

It should be noted that Grand-Agro Invitro LLC, which started operating in 2017, is engaged in growing productive fruit and other plant seedlings. Thanks to the advanced technologies applied by the company, it has the opportunities to cultivate high-quality products that cannot be reproduced by conventional methods. The companys products are competitive in both local and foreign markets. The selection of varieties is determined according to the market demand and customer requests.

The total amount of investment in the Invitro project is 21 million manats.

Greenhouses are irrigated using the advanced drip method and misting system. The companys laboratory is fully aligned with international standards and equipped with cutting-edge technologies. Thanks to the large capacity of its incubation rooms, the laboratory has the ability to breed 4 million different varieties each year.

A total of 84 people are permanently employed in the enterprise.

x x x

The almond processing factory inaugurated by President Ilham Aliyev and First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva is a production enterprise of Azbadam Limited Liability Company.

Minister of Economy Mikayil Jabbarov and Executive Director of Azbadam LLC Anar Aghayev informed the President and the First Lady about the factory.

It was noted that the project was to be implemented in two stages. In the first phase, in 2017-2019, almond plantations consisting of trees of the Mediterranean almond varieties Guara (160 hectares), Belona (95 hectares), Avijor (138 hectares) and Soleta (34 hectares) were established in Gala and Bilgah settlements of Absheron district. The total amount invested in the plantations is 17 million manats.

The factory established as part of the second stage is the first almond processing enterprise in the country. The total investment value of the factory is 13.5 million manats. Its construction was completed in September 2021. Of this amount, 10 million manats is a low-interest loan allocated by the Entrepreneurship Development Fund and 3.5 million manats is the charter capital.

Mikayil Jabbarov: While 90-95 percent of refined almonds consumed in the country were imported in 2015-2019, we can already see encouraging dynamics in the results of 2021.

Anar Aghayev: We have reduced imports by 50 percent. In 2024, our plantation will be able to fully meet the domestic demand in Azerbaijan. We will also process and export the almonds we will receive from other plantations.

President Ilham Aliyev: Very good. You should also expand the area of your own plantations. Because the land of Absheron is very fertile for growing almonds. There are a lot of empty spaces here. On our way here, we saw olive groves on both sides of the road. This area used to be empty and was only planted recently. This creates great opportunities. Absheron lands are the most fertile lands for growing olives and almonds. There are still vacant lands here, and they must be used because we will export almonds just like nuts in the future.

President Ilham Aliyev launched the plant.

It was reported that preliminary processing, crushing, drying and sorting of the product is planned at the factory. The enterprise is fitted with Jose Borrell S.A. equipment of Spain. The annual processing capacity of the factory is 2,000 tons of almond kernels.

It is also worth noting that Azbadam LLC has saved 1 million manats on its expenses by benefiting from the investment promotion initiative. The annual domestic consumption of almond kernels is 750-800 tons. In 2015-2019, 90-95 percent of almond kernels consumed in the country were imported. For this purpose, foreign currency in the amount of 6 million US dollars went out of the country every year. As a result of the commissioning of the enterprise, Azbadam LLC will not only fully meet the domestic demand by 2024, but will also export its products to the countries of the European Union, Turkiye, the CIS and Central Asian republics, India, the United Arab Emirates and other countries under the Made in Azerbaijan brand name.

The enterprise has also contributed to reducing unemployment. A total of 130 people are provided with permanent jobs here.




BEIJING, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) -- China's countermeasures against Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan will be resolute, strong, and effective, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on Wednesday.

Spokesperson Hua Chunying told a daily press briefing in response to relevant queries that China will take all necessary measures to safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity. All consequences arising therefrom shall be borne by the U.S. side and "Taiwan independence" separatist forces.

Looking back on the past, the spokesperson stressed that every provocation the United States made against China embarrassed itself.

Hua said the latest example is that Pelosi and others incited violence in Hong Kong and advocated the so-called "beautiful scenery." However, they just accelerated Hong Kong's transition from chaos to stability and prosperity and made the Oriental Pearl shine again.

When asked for comment about U.S. officials trying to justify Pelosi's visit to Taiwan and even to shift blame, Hua pointed out that those officials are trying their best to make excuses and accusations. It reflects the lack of credibility, knowledge about history, and self-reflection on the part of the U.S. government.

In history, the Taiwan question was once the biggest obstacle in normalizing China-U.S. relations, Hua said, noting that's because China firmly adheres to the one-China principle and makes no compromise or concession on the Taiwan question.

She said that in 1971, the United States affirmed to China the new principles it would follow regarding the Taiwan question. They include: the United States would acknowledge that there is only one China in the world and Taiwan is a part of China; the United States would not repeat the phrase that the status of Taiwan is undetermined; the United States did not support and would not support movements for "Taiwan independence."

The U.S. side explicitly declared in the Shanghai Communique released in 1972 that "the United States acknowledges that all Chinese on either side of the Taiwan Strait maintain there is but one China and that Taiwan is a part of China. The United States Government does not challenge that position." The afore-mentioned commitments made by the U.S. side started the process toward normalization of China-U.S. relations, Hua said.

She also mentioned the Joint Communique on the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations between the United States of America and the People's Republic of China released in 1978 and the August 17 Joint Communique of 1982, demonstrating the commitments made by the U.S. side is clear and inked in the documents.

However, in recent years, the U.S. side constantly distorts, obscures, and hollows out the one-China principle. It also brazenly seeks to upgrade U.S.-Taiwan relations and emboldens "Taiwan independence" separatist activities, Hua said.

She noted that the U.S. government was supposed to rein in the attempt to visit Taiwan by the third highest ranking member of the U.S. government. However, the U.S. government has connived at this provocation. This is the root cause and truth behind the tensions in the Taiwan Strait.

Over the past few days, many leaders around the world and people from different walks of life have voiced their opposition to the visit. The spokesperson of the UN Secretary-General has just said that the UN will continue to adhere to the UNGA Resolution 2758 and uphold the one-China principle, which shows that justice prevails among the people, said Hua.

The position of the Chinese government and people on the Taiwan question has been consistent. Resolutely safeguarding China's sovereignty and territorial integrity is the firm will of the more than 1.4 billion Chinese people. No country, force or individual shall misestimate the firm resolve, strong will and great capability of the Chinese government and people to defend state sovereignty and territorial integrity and to achieve national reunification and rejuvenation, said the spokesperson. 
Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi (R) meets with Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias on the sidelines of the East Asia Summit Foreign Ministers' meeting in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Aug. 3, 2022. (Xinhua/Wu Changwei)

China is willing to work with Greece to promote mutual appreciation, mutual learning, mutual reference and common progress among different civilizations, so as to contribute their wisdom and strength to peace and development of the world, said Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi while meeting with Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias.

PHNOM PENH, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- China and Greece pledged here on Wednesday to further deepen mutually beneficial cooperation and jointly work for better bilateral relations for the next 50 years.

While meeting with Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias on the sidelines of the East Asia Summit Foreign Ministers' meeting, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said it has been 50 years since China and Greece established diplomatic relations between the two countries.

As the friends of mutual respect and mutual trust and the partners of win-win cooperation, both China and Greece have demonstrated their responsibility of ancient civilizations, pushed for further and solid development of their comprehensive strategic partnership, and contributed to the building of a community with a shared future for mankind, Wang said.

Wang hoped that the two countries should continue to promote strategic mutual trust, support each other's legitimate demands and consolidate the political foundation for the development of bilateral ties, so as to work for better bilateral relations for the next 50 years.

Both China and Greece stand for upholding the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations, safeguarding the international order based on international law, and putting true multilateralism into practice, said Wang.

China is willing to work with Greece to promote mutual appreciation, mutual learning, mutual reference and common progress among different civilizations, so as to contribute their wisdom and strength to peace and development of the world, he said.

China appreciates Greece for taking an objective and friendly view of China's development and revitalization and for upholding justice in international affairs, hoping that Greece will continue to play a constructive role in promoting the healthy and stable development of China-Europe relations, he said.

For his part, Dendias said that with mutual respect and understanding, Greece and China have successfully established a comprehensive strategic partnership and witnessed sustained development of pragmatic cooperation in various fields.

Greece attaches great importance to China's important influence in international affairs, speaks highly of China's contribution to global economic recovery and human civilization, sees great opportunities brought by China's development, and appreciates China's firm support in its time of difficulty, Dendias noted.

Greece is willing to continue to deepen mutually beneficial cooperation with China, expand exports to China and welcome investment by Chinese companies, he said, adding his country will remain committed to pushing for the sound and steady development of Europe-China relations.

Wang said China is ready to work with Greece to advance a three-year cooperation plan, expand cooperation in such areas as transportation, energy, communications, finance, green and digital economy, advance the key Belt and Road projects, produce high-level achievements of cooperation among civilizations, and increase more direct flights between the two countries in an orderly manner.

China stands ready to share development and market opportunities and encourage Chinese companies to invest in Greece, and hopes the Greek side will provide a sound business environment, he added.

Wang also elaborated on China's firm position on the Taiwan question.
Sudanese citizens demonstrate on the street in Khartoum, Sudan, Dec. 30, 2021. (Xinhua/Mohamed Khidir)

KHARTOUM, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations on Wednesday renewed its warnings over possible food shortage in Sudan amid continued lack of international funding.

"The humanitarian situation in Sudan continued to be a major concern, with a steady increase in food insecurity levels, more civilian displacement and the arrival of more refugees from neighbouring countries, mainly South Sudan, Ethiopia and Eritrea," the UN Office for the Coordination and Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in a report.

"Almost a quarter of the country's population (11.7 million people) are estimated to be facing acute hunger from June to September, an increase by nearly 2 million people compared with the same period last year," OCHA said, citing latest analysis by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) on food security in Sudan.

A farmer works in his farm in Khartoum, Sudan, May 22, 2022. (Photo by Mohamed Khidir/Xinhua)

Meanwhile, the World Food Programme (WFP) in Sudan has announced that it has been forced to cut rations for refugees across the country since June because of severe funding shortfalls, OCHA said in its report.

The WFP regularly assists over 550,000 refugees in Sudan, including among those forcibly displaced, the report said, adding these cuts could exacerbate protection risks as refugees may resort to negative coping mechanisms, including school drop-out, child labour, early marriage, and sexual and gender-based violence.

The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) attributed the increase in the number of people facing hunger to Sudan's fragile economy, prolonged dry spells, reduced cultivated area, and erratic rainfall, said the report.

FAO has launched a new project which aims to restore the food security and nutrition of resource-poor farming and pastoral communities through the provision of emergency agriculture and livestock supplies, the report said.

Photo taken on May 22, 2022 shows a grain shop at a local market in Khartoum, Sudan. (Photo by Mohamed Khidir/Xinhua)

Sudan has been witnessing continued rise in prices of bread made of wheat flour, with one loaf now reaching 50 Sudanese pounds (0.11 U.S. dollars).

The gap between wheat production and consumption in Sudan ranges between 60 to 70 percent. The annual consumption is about 2.4 million tons, while the local production stands at about 700,000 tons, according to official statistics.

Sudan has been plagued by an economic crisis since the secession of South Sudan in 2011, which costs Sudan 75 percent of its oil revenues.

A vendor sells bananas at a transport station in Bahri town, north of Khartoum, Sudan, Dec. 22, 2021. (Xinhua/Mohamed Khidir)

The crisis was exacerbated when the United States and international agencies suspended aid after Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, general commander of the Sudanese armed forces, declared a state of emergency on Oct. 25, 2021 and dissolved the Sovereign Council.

The United States has suspended 700 million dollars in economic aid to Sudan, while the World Bank failed to offer Sudan the 500 million dollars due in November 2021. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) also halted 150 million dollars in special drawing rights for Sudan.

Sudan's debt relief process under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Initiative of the IMF has also been suspended. 
BEIJING, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) -- The meeting between Nancy Pelosi, speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, and so-called human rights activists is just another farce, said a Chinese mainland spokesperson on Wednesday.

Ma Xiaoguang, spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, made the remarks in response to a media inquiry on Pelosi's visit to a human rights-themed venue in China's Taiwan region and her meeting with so-called "human rights and democracy activists."

These arrangements are just another farce staged by Pelosi based on her consistent anti-China, anti-Communist stance and ideological bias, with the cooperation of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities, said Ma, noting that the activists she met and bolstered on Wednesday are long-known tools and puppets of U.S. anti-China forces.

Highlighting the guise of so-called "human rights" and "democracy" on the Taiwan question, Pelosi is simply seeking her own personal gain, said Ma, adding that the U.S. mid-term elections are approaching and there have been scandals around the Pelosi family.

Ma also warned the DPP authorities that the agenda of roping in anti-China forces, inciting cross-Strait confrontation and engaging in secessionist acts under the guise of democracy and human rights will never succeed. 
KINSHASA, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) -- The government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) officially requested the departure of Mathias Gillmann, spokesperson for the UN Stabilization Mission in the DRC (MONUSCO), from its territory, amid tensions running high amid protests against the UN mission in the eastern part of the country since last week.

In an official letter from Congolese Foreign Minister Christophe Lutundula dated July 28, which was published Wednesday morning, the DRC authorities asked the MONUSCO to make the necessary arrangements for Mathias Gillmann to leave the national territory "as soon as possible," given Gillmann's "insensitive and inopportune remarks."

"The government considers that the presence of this official (Gillmann) on the national territory is not likely to promote a climate of mutual trust and serenity so essential between the Congolese institutions and MONUSCO with a view, not only to the better fulfillment of the mandate entrusted by the UN Security Council but also to complete the transition plan for the purposes of its definitive withdrawal by 2024 as agreed," read the letter.

The DRC government asked the MONUSCO to process its request as a matter of urgency, without specifying the content of these "indelicate and inopportune statements."

In an interview on the sidelines of the weekly MONUSCO press conference in Kinshasa, the capital of DRC, on July 13, Mathias Gillmann asserted that the deployment of a large part of the resources of MONUSCO and the Congolese army in the fight against the rebels of the Mouvement du 23 Mars (M23) has "negative implications" on other regions where other armed groups operate.

Thirty-six people have been killed, including three members of the MONUSCO, and about 170 others were injured during the protests, said the government spokesperson Patrick Muyaya at a press conference late Tuesday, adding that the government decided to reassess the agreement on the withdrawal of the MONUSCO amid escalating protests against the MONUSCO in the eastern part of the country. 
Vera Songwe, executive secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), speaks during the African Regional Forum on Climate Initiatives to Finance Climate Action and the SDGs in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on Aug. 2, 2022. Vera Songwe, executive secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), has called for urgent and increased funding to mitigate impacts of climate change in Africa. (Xinhua/Michael Tewelde)

ADDIS ABABA, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) -- Vera Songwe, executive secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), has called for urgent and increased funding to mitigate impacts of climate change in Africa.

"Urgent development funds need to flow to Africa for climate change adaptation and resilience-building across the continent," Songwe told a climate-themed event held under the theme "Toward COP 27: African Regional Forum on Climate Initiatives to Finance Climate Action and the SDGs" on Tuesday in Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian capital.

Noting that Africa emits the lowest amount of greenhouse gases, Songwe called for a transparent and fair carbon pricing mechanism so that Africa would be able to receive about 180 billion U.S. dollars a year to mitigate the effects of climate change.

The UNECA chief urged African countries to build food self-sufficiency by making use of their fertile lands and boosting their capacity for production of fertilizers in the continent.

She said at least 23 African countries have seen their currencies depreciate by over 15 percent owing to the recent disruption of food supply to the continent.

"The Ukraine crisis highly affects Africa's capacity to be able to afford the already escalating food, fuel and fertilizer prices," Songwe said, noting that the continent is highly dependent on food imports from Russia and Ukraine.

Songwe urged countries in the continent, especially South Africa, Zimbabwe and Zambia, to enhance their agricultural productivity by making use of their fertile lands and fertilizers produced in other parts of the continent.

"Africa exports more volume of fertilizer than it consumes," she said, urging countries such as Morocco, Egypt, Nigeria, Tanzania to produce high quality and cleaner fertilizer to meet demands in the continent.

"On average, in Africa, we use about 15 kilograms of fertilizer per hectare, compared to about 171 kilograms in Ukraine and Russia. That is why we are importing food from them," Songwe said. 

Vera Songwe (C), executive secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), speaks during the African Regional Forum on Climate Initiatives to Finance Climate Action and the SDGs in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on Aug. 2, 2022. Vera Songwe, executive secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), has called for urgent and increased funding to mitigate impacts of climate change in Africa. (Xinhua/Michael Tewelde)

Photo taken on Aug. 2, 2022 shows the African Regional Forum on Climate Initiatives to Finance Climate Action and the SDGs in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Vera Songwe, executive secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), has called for urgent and increased funding to mitigate impacts of climate change in Africa. (Xinhua/Michael Tewelde)
KINSHASA, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) -- The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) decided late Tuesday to reassess the agreement on the withdrawal of the United Nations stabilization mission in the DRC (MONUSCO) amid escalating protests against the MONUSCO in the eastern part of the country, government spokesman Patrick Muyaya said.

Thirty-six people have been killed, including three members of the MONUSCO, and about 170 others were injured during the protests, said Muyaya at a press conference.

The DRC government will convene a meeting with MONUSCO to reassess the plan for its withdrawal as agreed under a UN Security Council Resolution, which is due in December, he said, suggesting the Congolese side may ask MONUSCO to leave earlier.

Minister of Industry Julien Paluku, who just finished an assessment mission in the northeastern province of North Kivu, said it was clear that "the local people no longer want this UN mission," which has been in the country for more than 20 years.

"We believe that we must take action. The population made a clear request of seeing MONUSCO leave the DRC," he said alongside Muyaya.

Muyaya said Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi talked on Monday with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and expressed his "total disapproval" of the behavior of MONUSCO's blue helmets, including in Kasindi, North Kivu province, where MONUSCO military personnel opened fire at residents on Sunday.

Since July 25, thousands of people have been protesting against MONUSCO in several towns across the country for seeing little improvement in security despite the presence of the UN mission for over two decades. Outrage at MONUSCO grew on Sunday after the UN troops killed two civilians in the town of Kasindi on the border with Uganda.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres had expressed outrage at Sunday's incident and apologized to the Congolese president, saying the United Nations is totally committed to peace and to coordinating and working with the Congolese armed forces. He also stressed the need to establish accountability for these events.

There are more than 12,000 peacekeepers in the DRC from more than 10 countries. Mission chief Bitou Keita had ordered to detain the peacekeepers involved in Sunday's shooting incident and to open an investigation. 
SYDNEY, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) -- Australian researchers believe that they may have found a reason why children generally do much better than adults throughout the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, and it is all to do with their young noses.

A study published in the journal PLOS Biology suggests the lining of nostrils, known as the nasal epithelium, in children has protective qualities which somehow ward off many of "ancestral" strains of the virus including Delta but not Omicron, which is now the most prevalent form of the disease.

Microbiologist Dr. Kirsty Short from the University of Queensland (UQ) told Xinhua on Wednesday that the findings were made by comparing nasal epithelium cells samples from 23 healthy children aged from two to 11 along with 15 healthy adults aged from 19 to 66.

"The data strongly suggest that the nasal epithelium of children is distinct and that it may afford children some level of protection from ancestral SARS-CoV-2," Short said.

Although there was a clear difference between the younger and older nasal epithelium cells, Short can still only speculate as to why that may be.

"It is possible that increased antigenic exposure in childhood 'trains' nasal epithelium in children to mount a stronger pro-inflammatory response to any antigenic challenge," she said.

To have a better chance of unlocking the mysteries of the nasal epithelium cells would ideally require a larger sampling of cells, Short said, adding that her team was keen to do such a study, "especially in light of the emergence of the new BA.4 and BA.5 Omicron variants."

"We have provided the first experimental evidence that the paediatric nasal epithelium may play an important role in reducing the susceptibility of children to SARS-CoV-2," she said. 
An Afghan security force member stands guard near the site of an attack in Kabul, Afghanistan, Aug. 3, 2022.

Gunshots were heard in the Karta-e-Sakhi locality on the western edge of Afghanistan's capital city of Kabul on Wednesday, local television channel Tolonews reported. (Photo by Saifurahman Safi/Xinhua)

KABUL, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) -- Gunshots were heard in the Karta-e-Sakhi locality on the western edge of Afghanistan's capital city of Kabul on Wednesday, local television channel Tolonews reported.

Kabul police spokesman Khalid Zadran said on social media that after the gunshots, security forces surrounded a suspected house in Karta-e-Sakhi area of Police District 3 and the cleanup operation has continued.

On Monday, Western media reported that U.S. President Joe Biden ordered a drone strike on the suspected residence of the al-Qaida chief Ayman al-Zawahiri in Kabul, killing him on the spot.

The Taliban administration has confirmed the drone attack but didn't say if there was any victim or who was killed in the incident. 

An Afghan security force member stands guard near the site of an attack in Kabul, Afghanistan, Aug. 3, 2022.

Gunshots were heard in the Karta-e-Sakhi locality on the western edge of Afghanistan's capital city of Kabul on Wednesday, local television channel Tolonews reported. (Photo by Saifurahman Safi/Xinhua)

An Afghan security force member stands guard near the site of an attack in Kabul, Afghanistan, Aug. 3, 2022.

Gunshots were heard in the Karta-e-Sakhi locality on the western edge of Afghanistan's capital city of Kabul on Wednesday, local television channel Tolonews reported. (Photo by Saifurahman Safi/Xinhua)
WELLINGTON, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) -- New Zealand launched its first National Adaptation Plan on Wednesday, which will ensure communities have the information and support they need to prepare for the impacts of the rising seas, increasing heat and extreme weather that are predicted to come with a changing climate.

The plan will enable people to have tools to prepare through a combination of community-based initiatives and national-level policies and legislation, so that when climate events occur their lives can continue, Minister of Climate Change James Shaw said in a statement.

Outlining the steps the government will take over the next six years to respond to climate risks, it brings together more than 120 actions that provide a blueprint for more resilient communities, Shaw said, adding, "The sooner we act, the more effective that action will be."

The plan will provide better information for home-buyers, with a consistent approach to recording natural hazards on the government's Land Information Memorandums, he added.

The impacts of climate change are felt in New Zealand's local communities. Taking action to prepare for them will make communities safer, protecting lives, livelihoods, homes, businesses and infrastructure, said the minister.

"New Zealand was one of the first countries in the world to put into law the globally agreed target to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees," Shaw said, adding the Emissions Reduction Plan published in May was backed by a record investment of 2.9 billion NZ dollars (1.8 billion U.S. dollars).

Nick Cradock-Henry, senior scientist at Landcare Research, said the release of the country's first National Adaptation Plan is overdue, but a welcome action on climate change.

"With increasing evidence of unprecedented and severe heat waves, extreme rainfall events, and increased variability -- around the world -- we are already witnessing the limits of existing infrastructure, health care, productive agriculture and other critical aspects of society to withstand these impacts," Cradock-Henry said. 
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has decreed the construction of the AliabadKhirmandaliBaydili road in Bilasuvar District, Azernews reports.

According to the decree, the State Agency of Azerbaijan Automobile Roads has been allocated 5.2 million manats ($3.05 million) for constructing AliabadKhirmandaliBaydili highway, linking three settlements with a population of 19,000 inhabitants, in accordance with subparagraph 1.26.18 - "Allocating funds envisaged for state capital investments in the state budget of the Republic of Azerbaijan for 2022".

The Azerbaijani Ministry of Finance was tasked with providing relevant funds, whereas the Cabinet of Ministers  with resolving issues stemming from the order.
TOKYO, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) -- The mayors of two towns hosting the crisis-hit Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant on Wednesday urged the central government to take steps to protect the reputation of the region's marine products amid plans to release radioactive wastewater from the plant into the Pacific Ocean.

The request was made by Fukushima Governor Masao Uchibori and Okuma Mayor Jun Yoshida to Japan's Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Koichi Hagiuda.

"The plan has not earned enough understanding from Japanese people and residents of the prefecture, as there are still various opinions including concerns over renewed reputational damage," Uchibori told Hagiuda during talks in Tokyo.

Yoshida, fearing that the already maligned region will once again have its reputation damaged by harmful rumors, also urged the central government to take steps to prevent damage to the northeast region's reputation.

"We hope people in the disaster-stricken area will no longer suffer from reputational damage," Yoshida said.

The petition hand-given to Hagiuda emphasized that the contentious plan to release radioactive wastewater from the plant is "not only a problem for Fukushima Prefecture but for all Japan."

For the fisheries industry that faces the risk of damage caused by harmful rumors, it is important to create an environment where their products are traded at fair prices so young people can continue to operate their businesses without worries, it also read.

While Yoshida and Shiro Izawa, the mayor of the town of Futaba also in Fukushima Prefecture, consented a day earlier to the nuclear plant's operator Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc. (TEPCO) constructing facilities for discharging the tainted water into the sea, serious concerns remain.

Japan's fisheries industry, for instance, has maintained its ardent opposition to the plan, as it will almost certainly cause further damage to the industry's reputation in the region.

Under the plan, the water, which contains hard-to-remove radioactive tritium as a result of being used to cool down melted nuclear fuel at the stricken plant, will be discharged through an underwater tunnel 1 kilometer off the Pacific coast into the ocean after being treated.

The plant had its key cooling functions knocked out after being battered by a massive earthquake-triggered tsunami just over a decade ago, resulting in the worst nuclear crisis since the Chernobyl disaster in 1986.

The tainted water being stored in tanks at the plant is expected to reach capacity next year and the lengthy process of then dumping the radioactive water into the ocean is projected by TEPCO to take several decades, beginning next spring.

After Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) approved TEPCO's draft plan in May, opinions from the public were supposed to be sought.

A number of countries and regions continue to impose restrictions on Japanese agricultural and fishery products as a result of the initial Fukushima crisis amid continued concerns about the safety of the produce.

Residents took to the streets in Tokyo last month to voice their objections when the controversial plan was approved, echoing concerns from the international community, including Japan's closest neighbors, over radioactive wastewater being discharged into the Pacific Ocean. 
PHNOM PENH, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) -- Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen on Wednesday proposed the establishment of a standalone secretariat for coordinating implementation of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) free trade agreement, which entered into force in January.

Speaking at the opening session of the 55th ASEAN (the Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Foreign Ministers' Meeting held here, Hun Sen said the initiative is aimed at maximizing the potential of the RCEP.

"I believe we do need to have a standalone Secretariat as soon as possible, to coordinate effective implementation of the RCEP that came into force last January," he said. "Cambodia is ready to host this RCEP Secretariat. We have even thought of where in Phnom Penh, the Secretariat should be located, while we are working to formulate our detailed proposal."

"I hope Cambodia can win the support of fellow ASEAN member states, as well as all RCEP participating countries when we submit our proposal officially," he added.

The RCEP comprises 15 Asia-Pacific economies including 10 ASEAN member states and their five trading partners, namely China, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand.

Hun Sen said the RCEP taking effect on Jan. 1, 2022 was a milestone in the trade and investment relations among its members, as the region and the world are struggling to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Being the world's largest trade bloc, the RCEP establishes a market of 2.2 billion people or 30 percent of the world population with a combined gross domestic product (GDP) of 26.2 trillion U.S. dollars, which represents around 30 percent of global GDP and 28 percent of global trade.

Cambodian Ministry of Commerce's undersecretary of state and spokesperson Penn Sovicheat said the RCEP would inject new impetus into regional and global economic growth in the long term.

"The RCEP will give a big boost to our economy in the post-pandemic era," he told Xinhua. "Under this mega pact, Cambodia is expected to see a year's export growth between 9.4 percent and 18 percent, which will contribute to the national economic growth between 2 percent and 3.8 percent."

Senior economist Ky Sereyvath, director-general of the Institute of China Studies at the Royal Academy of Cambodia, said the RCEP has served as a driving force for regional and global economic growth.

"It will help Cambodia and other member countries quicken their economic recovery from the pandemic," he told Xinhua. "I believe that this trade pact will become a new center of gravity for global trade in the future." 
ISTANBUL, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) -- A team of representatives from the recently established Joint Coordination Center (JCC) wrapped up their inspection of a ship carrying Ukrainian grain off Istanbul's coast on Wednesday.

Two boats carrying the inspectors, accompanied by two escort vessels from the Turkish Coast Guard, approached the ship anchored on the northwestern entrance of the Bosphorus Strait.

Representatives of Ukraine, Russia, Turkiye, and the United Nations under the umbrella of JCC boarded the ship around 10:30 a.m. local time (0730 GMT) to conduct examinations to ensure the ship transported no cargo unaccounted for.

The Sierra Leone-flagged ship Razoni, which left the Odesa port in Ukraine early on Monday with 26,527 tons of corn for Lebanon, reached the entrance of the Bosphorus Strait on Tuesday evening. It is the first successful large-volume grain shipment in almost half a year from Ukraine to international markets via the Black Sea.

The inspection took around one and a half hours, and Turkiye's Defence Ministry announced that Razoni would start its passage from the Bosphorus Strait in the afternoon.

Russia and Ukraine signed the deal on July 22 with Turkiye and the United Nations, aiming to resume food and fertilizer exports from the Ukrainian ports in the Black Sea, namely Odesa, Chornomorsk, and Pivdennyi. Last week, the JCC was inaugurated in Istanbul with a total of 20 representatives from Ukraine, Russia, the United Nations, and Turkiye to monitor the implementation of the grain shipment process.

According to the state-run Anadolu agency, 20 million tonnes of grain are still in Ukraine, waiting to be shipped. 
WASHINGTON, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) -- More than a dozen major news organizations have sued the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) for public records on the Uvalde school shooting, CNN reported Tuesday.

The coalition, which includes CNN, the Texas Tribune, and many of the state and the country's biggest news outlets, has been fighting for weeks to obtain information on behalf of the public amid serial falsehoods and stonewalling from Texas officials following the mass shooting, the report said.

Officials have "been stonewalling us" and changing their stories, Nicole Carroll, the editor in chief of Gannett's USA Today, was quoted as saying. "We've been misled, documents have been withheld."

The department has offered inconsistent accounts of how law enforcement responded to the Uvalde tragedy, and its lack of transparency has stirred suspicion and frustration, Laura Lee Prather, a lawyer who represents the plaintiffs, has said. 
HOUSTON, Aug. 2 (Xinhua) -- The American Petroleum Institute (API) on Tuesday reported an increase of 2.165 million barrels of crude oil in U.S. inventories for the week ending Friday.

Analysts had expected a drop of about 0.467 million barrels for this week, while the API reported a decline of 4.037 million barrels in the previous week.

Oil prices increased modestly on Tuesday ahead of a key meeting by major oil producers.

The West Texas Intermediate for September delivery added 53 cents, or 0.6 percent, to settle at 94.42 U.S. dollars a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Brent crude for October delivery increased 51 cents, or 0.5 percent, to close at 100.54 dollars a barrel on the London ICE Futures Exchange.

Traders looked to the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies, collectively known as OPEC+, as the group is expected to meet on Wednesday to discuss future output strategy. 
Jaipur: The havoc of Lumpy Skin Disease in cattle is continuously increasing in Rajasthan. The disease has spread to a total of 11 districts of western Rajasthan including Jaisalmer, Jalore, Barmer, Sirohi, Jodhpur, and Nagaur. According to media reports, more than 50,000 animals have succumbed to the infection so far. 3,000 animals have lost their lives. Meanwhile, Animal Husbandry Minister Lal Chand Kataria has held a district-level meeting.

According to media reports, the disease has spread to 11 districts of the state. More than 50,000 animals have been infected. More than 3,000 cows have lost their lives due to this disease. However, these figures are not considered to be completely correct. At the same time, a spokesman of the government has informed that in view of the increasing outbreak of the disease in animals, Kataria has held an online meeting with all the district level officials on August 3, in which the prevention of the disease has been brainstormed.

According to the spokesman, the state government is on alert about the spread of the disease in the bovine animals in Jaisalmer, Jalore, Barmer, Sirohi, Jodhpur, and Nagaur and Bikaner districts of western Rajasthan. Earlier on Monday, state Animal Husbandry Minister Kataria visited Phalodi and adjoining areas in the Jodhpur district to take stock of the situation. Kataria had said that Rs 1 lakh each has already been released to each of the affected districts to purchase essential medicines and Rs 50,000 each to polyclinics. Apart from this, some additional amounts will be given to the districts. It is being told that this disease has reached India from Pakistan across the border. Every year, a group of locusts used to come to India from Pakistan, but this year the virus has come.

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Germany: Germany's controversial former chancellor Gerhard Schroeder confirmed that he held a meeting with Vladimir Putin in Moscow last week and insisted the Kremlin was ready for talks to end the conflict in Ukraine.



"The good news is that the Kremlin wants a negotiated solution," Schroeder said in an interview with the German magazine Stern, published on Wednesday. The former leader of the Social Democratic Party claimed that despite being a "mistake", Russia's invasion of its neighbor could be solved.

He referred to a UN-mediated agreement between Moscow and Kyiv to unblock Ukrainian grain exports, saying "the first success is the grain deal, perhaps it can be gradually extended to a ceasefire."

From 1998 to 2005, Schroeder oversaw Europe's largest economy. She has faced criticism at home and abroad for maintaining a close personal relationship with Putin and working lucrative jobs for state-owned energy companies in Russia.

Many of Moscow's demands from the conflict were echoed in the former leader's plan for a settlement. Schroeder argued that Ukraine's claim to the Crimean peninsula, which Russia annexed in 2014, and its aspirations to join NATO, should be abandoned.



The solution to the Crimean crisis, according to Schroeder, "cannot be found in 99 years, as in Hong Kong, but in the next generation."

Although the Russian minorities there should be given special rights, the eastern Donbass should remain part of Ukraine.

Schroeder suggested that both sides should make concessions and suggested that Turkey could act as a mediator.



Schroeder, who attempted to speak to Putin a few weeks into the conflict, reiterated that he would stay with Putin, saying he could be "useful".

The Kremlin threatened to break diplomatic ties with Washington if the US called it a state sponsor of terrorism at the time of Schroeder's interview.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova called the proposed designation "stupid" and against international law.



She announced on Tuesday that "the logical consequence of such a move becomes a break in diplomatic relations." Washington runs the risk of eventually crossing the point of no return, which will be followed by all consequences. Washington should fully understand this.

A non-binding resolution urging Secretary of State Antony Blinken to designate Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism was approved by the Senate last week. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky has urged the US to use the designation.

However, Blinken objected to the plan, claiming that the proposed restrictions were similar to existing restrictions.

The US is reportedly directly involved in the conflict in Ukraine, along with arming Kyiv, according to accusations made by Russia.



According to the Russian Defense Ministry, Vadim Skbitsky, deputy head of Ukraine's military intelligence, told Britain's Telegraph newspaper that Washington was involved in the conflict, which is run by Putin's ally.

Skibitsky told the newspaper that although US officials were not directly providing information on the targeting, US and Ukrainian intelligence officials had consulted prior to the attacks and that Washington had effectively vetoed the targets.



The Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement on Tuesday that all this "indisputably proves that Washington, contrary to the claims of the White House and the Pentagon, is directly involved in the conflict in Ukraine."



"All Kyiv-sanctioned rocket attacks on civilian infrastructure and residential areas in populated areas of the Donbass and other regions, resulting in mass killings of civilians, are directly attributable to the Biden administration," the statement said.

The White House and the Pentagon did not immediately respond to the ministry's claims.



The Pentagon denied Moscow's claim that Russia had destroyed six US-made HIMARS missile systems since the start of the Ukraine war. Russia often claims that it has killed HIMARS but has never provided evidence.



Ukraine and the West regularly accuse Russia of carrying out destructive missile attacks on civilian targets. Both sides argue that civilians were deliberately targeted.

According to Ukraine's Zelensky, despite receiving weapons from the West, his nation's forces are still unable to overcome Russian advantages in heavy weapons and manpower.

This is especially noticeable in the Donbass during the war. There, it's just hell. It is beyond description.

Some of the fiercest fighting in the war has taken place in the Donbass, Ukraine's traditional industrial stronghold in the east.



On 24 February, as part of what it refers to as a "special military operation", Russia sent thousands of troops to Ukraine. It is depicted as an indiscriminate war of invasion by Kyiv and the West.



Igor Vishnevsky, deputy director of the Russian Foreign Ministry's Department of Non-Proliferation and Arms Control, denied all claims. "unprovoked aggression" at a UN conference on Tuesday. Moscow, he continued, was of the opinion that nuclear war "must never be fought."

Alexander Trofimov, a Russian diplomat, told the UN that Moscow would only use nuclear weapons in response to a conventional or weapons of mass destruction attack that endangered the survival of the Russian state.



According to Trofimov, a senior diplomat in the Russian foreign ministry's non-proliferation and arms control division, "neither of these two hypothetical scenarios is relevant to the situation in Ukraine."

First shipment from Ukraine carrying 'corn and hope' en route Lebanon

Oil Crisis: India steps up diplomacy to buy oil from Russian Far East

Alina Kabaeva Vladimir Putin's rumored girlfriend is subject to US sanctions because of the conflict in Ukraine
United States: After al-Qaeda was killed in a US missile strike, the State Department on Tuesday issued a warning to Americans traveling abroad about possible retaliation by the group and its supporters.

The department said it felt the worldwide caution update "has a high potential for anti-American violence given the death of Ayman al-Zawahiri on July 31, 2022".

The latest information points to the fact that terrorist groups are still preparing terrorist attacks against US targets around the world.

The department said in the update that US citizens are urged to maintain a high level of alertness and practice good situational awareness when traveling abroad because terrorist attacks often occur without warning.

According to a senior administration official, Zawahiri was killed on Sunday in Kabul, the Afghan capital, after he came out of his balcony and a drone fired a Hellfire missile at his home. The official said there were no other casualties.

According to National Security Council spokesman John Kirby, the US operation required several months of intelligence work to track down his family in Kabul and identify the target.

During the last six or seven months, this mission really came into focus. As the president noted, we first learned that Mr. Zawahiri entered Afghanistan earlier this year, according to Kirby, who spoke to CNN on Tuesday.

Zawahiri, a 71-year-old Egyptian, took over the leadership of al-Qaeda after the terrorist group's founder Osama bin Laden was killed by US forces in Pakistan in 2011.

Zawahiri was referred to as the "mastermind" of several attacks against Americans, including the 1998 bombings of US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania and the 2000 attack on the USS Cole, remarks made by President Joe Biden on Monday night at the White House was involved during

A year after the disorderly withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan, Biden said the strike demonstrates America's commitment to preventing Afghanistan from becoming a haven for terrorist organizations once again. Kirby echoed Biden's remarks on Tuesday.

Saif al-Adl a potential successor to Ayman al-Zawahiri, is feared by the US and West

High alert in India after al-Zawahiri's death, terrorists may carry out attacks

Chinese ambassador issues a warning to UK lawmakers about visiting Taiwan during Nancy Pelosi's visit
Inspection of the first ship with Ukrainian grain starts in Turkey 3 August, 05:21 PM Inspection of the first ship with Ukrainian grain started in Turkey (Photo:Turkish Defense Ministry)

The Razoni has become the first cargo ship with Ukrainian grain to be inspected in a Turkish port since Ukraine, Turkey, the UN and Russia signed the Istanbul Agreements on unblocking Ukrainian ports, the Turkish Ministry of Defense reported on Twitter on Aug 3.

Read also: First shipment of Ukrainian grain leaves Odesa

The Ministry published photos showing representatives of Ukraine, Turkey, Russia, and the UN boarding the ship, which was carrying 26,000 tons of corn.

After the inspection, the ship is to sail to Lebanon.

At this moment, 27 cargo ships are waiting to leave Ukrainian ports. At the same time, the Turkey has said it is ready to receive approximately one vessel per day.

 

Ukraine's sea ports, which had been blocked by Russian forces since the start of a full-scale invasion on Feb. 24, resumed work after the signing of the humanitarian corridor agreement in Istanbul.

The agreement was reached between Ukraine, Turkey, and the UN. At the same time, the Russian side also signed a mirror agreement.

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Home  Society  Covid Nepal: New variants infection is on the rise. Its time to follow protocols again

Covid is spreading at an alarming rate in Nepal as the country recorded its first death in 73 days recently. Thanks to the new variants, the positivity rate, which stood at 0.64 per cent on June 15, increased 10 folds as the positivity rate was 6.15 per cent on July 15. With this, many are wondering if the fourth wave of Covid-19 is about to hit Nepal.

According to the Ministry of Health and Population, new variants of the coronavirusBA.5 and BA.2.75have been found in Nepal. Both of these variants are high contagious, says the ministry.

A week ago, the National Public Health Laboratory found two cases of BA.5 out of the 32 it tested. Four other cases of BA.5 were found when Dhulikhel Hospital tested 16 positive cases. This is a concern for public health experts as BA.5 is the most contagious coronavirus variant to date. And, since it is already spreading within communities, they argue that it might spread rapidly in the coming few weeks.

Concerns about the open border

File: The Nepal-India crossing point in Gauriphanta

The Epidemiology and Disease Control Division (EDCD) says a lot of people coming from India to Nepal are testing positive for coronavirus, suggesting most of these cases might have been infected by the new variants.

Around 35 per cent of coronavirus cases are from the border point between Nepal and India, says EDCD Director Dr Chuman Lal Das. The fourth wave is upon us. The new variant has already spread.

Public Health experts say the country needed to take this seriously. Dr Anup Subedee, an infectious disease expert, also says the virus has already spread within the community.

One and a half months ago, the positive rate was 0.2 per cent, but that has reached 6.15 per cent. This is scary and we will see its result in the coming two weeks, says Subedee.

Dr Sher Bahadur Pun, the chief of the Clinical Research Unit at Sukraraj Tropical and Infectious Disease Hospital in Teku, also says the new variants, in particular, BA.5, had already spread in the community.

When we asked those who had contracted the virus, they told us a lot of people in their homes had similar symptoms, says Pun. This had happened during the Omicron wave too.

Vaccinated getting infected too

Representational image: Covid-19 vaccines

Public health experts say that the new variant is affecting even those who were vaccinated. According to recent research, the infection rate of Omicron was 12. The infection rate for BA.5 is 18. This means one person with BA.5 can infect up to 18 people.

This will affect people who are vaccinated and those who contracted the virus, says Pun. We fear the number of cases will rise exponentially.

Subedee agrees with Pun and says even those who had taken the booster dose will be affected. But, I dont think it will be as dangerous as the past three waves.

Hospitals on stand by

ICU at Nepalgunj Medical College during the second wave in 2021. Photo: Chandra Bahadur Ale

With a rise in Covid cases due to the new variants, the number of people being admitted to the hospitals is increasing. According to the Health Ministry, of the 1,439 active cases in the country, 69 people have been admitted to the hospitals; 18 of them are in the ICU and one is on a ventilator.

A month ago, TU Teaching Hospital had zero cases; on Friday, it had three. The hospitals focal person Dr Niraj Bam says people with Covid are being admitted to the hospitals.

The number of people coming to test themselves has increased in the past two weeks along with those being admitted, says Bam. Weve been giving them oxygen support to help with breathing.

Doctors say the number is expected to rise soon as a lot of people who have Covid-like symptoms have not tested themselves along with those who are asymptomatic.

We need to increase testing and not the number will rise, says Bam.

Patan Hospitals Dr Ravi Shakya says that the spread of new variants will mostly affect those with chronic diseases who have poor immunity.

We, once again, have a challenge on our hands, says Shakya.

Other public health experts feel the number of people being admitted to hospitals will increase in the coming two weeks.

Covid has only entered the community. Like in the past, we will have to wait two weeks to see what happens. Its highly likely hospitalisation will increase in that time, says researcher Dr Santosh Dulal.

But, there are positives. According to data from other countries, the hospitalisation rate for BA.5 is 50 per cent lower than Omicron.

There is a feeling that this virus will affect a lot of people, then disappear, says Dulal. We feel itll be over in two months.

Relatives of people getting treatment waiting on the corridor of Bir Hospital

Nonetheless, if doctors and public health experts are correct, the spread of new variants will affect a lot of people.

What preparations have been made to deal with this? Do hospitals have enough beds, human resources and oxygen? Public health experts say it was time the government took this seriously.

Former director at the EDCD, Dr Babu Ram Marasini says the recent rise in cases is leaning towards a big disaster which the state might not be able to handle.

The big hospitals will have beds, but what about the smaller hospitals? Do they have a bed? Are they ready? Do they have enough people? questions Marasini. We are in a new wave of Covid; the government is least prepared.

Marasini says in the wake of the new variants, the government should increase PCR tests, especially in the border areas.

We should not allow people to enter Nepal without PCR tests, says Marasini.

Time to follow public health protocols

File: Lab workers testing swab samples for coronavirus.

Former director at the Sukraraj Tropical and Infectious Disease Hospital, Dr Anup Bastola says people should stop being careless and start following public health protocols that the government put in place during the first three waves.

People take Covid very lightly. But, now, with the new variants, its time they took it seriously. We need to mask up and maintain distance. The government should start raising awareness, says Bastola.

This story was translated from the original Nepali version and edited for clarity and length.
By Azernews

All responsibility for the incident that happened on the territory of Azerbaijan is on the leadership of Armenia, which has not yet withdrawn its illegal armed units from Azerbaijan's territory, Azernews reports.

"The Azerbaijan army positions stationed in the Lachin direction were subjected to intensive fire by illegal Armenian armed detachments on the territory of temporary deployment of the Russian peacekeeping contingent, on the morning of August 3. As a result, serviceman Anar Kazimov was killed.

Azerbaijan has repeatedly claimed that Armenia doesn't fulfill its obligations under the trilateral statement of November 10, 2020, and the illegal Armenian armed units have not yet been withdrawn from the territory of Azerbaijan. The latest incident once again shows Armenia's infringing upon the trilateral agreement and undermining efforts to normalize relations between the two countries. It also testifies to Armenia's disrespect for the efforts of international mediators.

"We will continue to take all necessary measures to resolutely ensure Azerbaijan's territorial security and integrity," said the statement.
Zulauf, C., G. Schnitkey, K. Swanson, J. Coppess, N. Paulson and J. Baltz. " Corn and Soybean Prevent Plant and the Dakotas ."Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign,

Since 2007, North and South Dakota have accounted for roughly 35% of US corn and soybean prevent plant acres vs. 9% and 12%, respectively, of acres planted to corn and soybeans. Compared with other states in the North Central US, average planting progress on the first date that prevent plant can be taken is notably slower in these two states. This finding implies that, as a group, farmers in North and South Dakota have more of an opportunity to opt for prevent plant, prompting an insurance policy question, Should prevent plant first decision day be set so that on prevent plant first decision day the normal planting progress rate is the same for all areas?

Prevent Plant Overview

Prevent plant is a provision of publically subsidized individual farm revenue and yield insurance. Specifically, if an insured cause of loss delays planting to or after a date set by USDA, RMA (US Department of Agriculture, Risk Management Agency), a farmer has the decision to plant a crop or not plant a crop and take a prevent plant payment. Prevent plant is, in effect, a conditional land set aside decision for a farmer triggered when an insured cause of loss delays planting until the RMA set date. Prevent plant was first offered in 1995, following a provision in the Federal Crop Insurance Reform and Department of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994 that RMA offer prevent plant as a basic part of crop insurance (USDA, Office of Inspector General). For additional discussion of prevent plant, see the farmdoc daily articles of May 3, 2022, May 4, 2022, and May 13, 2022.

Analysis

Figure 1 contains prevent plants first decision day for corn and soybeans for North Central US states. It is not clear the dates align with the way planting usually progresses in the US. A south-to-north progression toward a later prevent plant first decision day is not clearly evident. In contrast, a west-to-east progression toward a later prevent plant first decision day is clearly evident, especially for corn.

A state in Figure 1 is included in this study if all or a large majority of its counties have a single prevent plant first decision date. The states included in the corn analysis grouped by their first prevent plant decision day are: May 25 (Kansas, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota); May 31 (Iowa, Kentucky, Minnesota, Wisconsin); and June 5 (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio). A second criteria is added for soybeans: less than 5% of total soybean acres are double cropped (share is from USDA, NASS (National Agricultural Statistical Service), Quick Stats). Double cropped soybeans have a different first prevent plant decision date. The states included in the soybean analysis grouped by their first prevent plant decision day are: June 10 (Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota); June 15 (Iowa, Michigan); and June 20 (Indiana, Ohio).

Prevent plant and planted acres are available electronically from USDA, FSA (Farm Service Agency) starting with the 2007 crop year (see Data Note 1). Average planting progress is computed for a state as an Olympic average of planting progress as of the weekly report date closest to prevent plants first decision day. Also computed is an Olympic average of prevent plants share of planted plus prevent plant acres for 2007-2021. An Olympic average removes the lowest and highest values, which for these variables is likely due to extreme weather. An Olympic average is thus likely a more accurate measure of the underlying, normal rate of planting progress and prevent plants normal role in acreage.

Findings

North and South Dakota clearly differ from the other states in this analysis. As of prevent plants first decision day, planting progress is notably slower and share of acres in prevent plant is notably higher (see Figure 2 for corn and Figure 3 for soybeans).

Planting progress is approximately equal to that of the average planting progress for other state-crop combinations in this analysis one week later for South Dakota corn and North and South Dakota soybeans, and two weeks later for North Dakota corn. Planting progress on June 1 for South Dakota corn was 95%, on June 7 for North Dakota corn was 96%, on June 17 for North Dakota soybeans was 98%, and on June 17 for South Dakota soybeans was 96%. Equivalent planting progress rates do not mean that the share of acres in prevent plant would be the same but Figures 2 and 3 do suggest fewer acres are likely to be in prevent plant in North and South Dakota if its planting progress was the same as that of other states on prevent plants first decision day.

The planting progress difference pre-dates crop insurances offering of prevent plant coverage in 1995. Using available data in Quick Stats, Olympic average planting progress on the first prevent plant date was 76% for South Dakota corn vs. 93% for the other corn states during 1979-1994 and 88% for South Dakota soybeans vs. 96% for the other soybean states during 1985-1994. North Dakota corn and soybean planting progress are not available until 1998.

Summary Observations

Since 2007, North and South Dakota have accounted for over a third of US corn and soybean prevent plant acres.

Average planting progress on the first date that corn and soybean prevent plant can be claimed is notably less for these two states than for the other North Central US states in this analysis.

This difference suggests that the current set of prevent plant first decision days provides differential opportunities across states to make the prevent plant decision.

The preceding point prompts an insurance policy question, Should prevent plant first decision day be set so that on prevent plant first decision day the normal planting progress rate is the same for all areas?, thus providing each area an equal opportunity to use prevent plant from the perspective of observed farmer planting progress behavior.

Equivalent normal planting progress rates for areas do not mean that their share of acres in prevent plant would be the same since other factors affect the prevent plant decision.

The evidence in this analysis does suggest prevent plant acres in North and South Dakota would likely be less if their prevent plant first decision day was later.

Moving prevent plants first decision date later raises a trade-off of increased indemnities for freeze and frost damage. To gain perspective on this trade-off, indemnities were calculated using RMAs Cause of Loss data file for freeze and frost and for prevent planting for the 2007-2021 North Dakota and South Dakota corn and soybean crops. Indemnities totaled $4.5 billion for prevent plant and $91 million for freeze and frost.

Data Note

USDA, FSA prevent plant and planted acres are internally consistent. USDA, RMA also reports prevent plant acres and USDA, NASS also reports planted acres. Farms are told to report the same acres to insurance and FSA, but not all farms are in commodity programs or buy insurance. FSA and RMA classify prevent plant acres somewhat differently while FSA and NASS use slightly different definitions of planted acres.

References and Data Sources

Schnitkey, G., K. Swanson, C. Zulauf, N. Paulson and J. Baltz. Review of Prevented Plant Decisions for 2022. farmdoc daily (12):62, Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, May 3, 2022.

US Department of Agriculture, Farm Service Agency. May 2022. Crop Acreage Data. https://www.fsa.usda.gov/news-room/efoia/electronic-reading-room/frequently-requested-information/crop-acreage-data/index

US Department of Agriculture, National Agricultural Statistical Service. July 2022. Quick Stats. https://quickstats.nass.usda.gov/

US Department of Agriculture, Office of Inspector General. September 2013. RMA: Controls over Prevented Planting. Audit Report 05601-0001-31. https://www.agri-pulse.com/ext/resources/pdfs/05601-0001-31.pdf?iframe=1

US Department of Agriculture, Risk Management Agency. July 2022a. Cause of Loss. https://www.rma.usda.gov/en/Information-Tools/Summary-of-Business/Cause-of-Loss

Zulauf, C., G. Schnitkey, K. Swanson and N. Paulson. Prevent Plant and 2022 Acres: A Looming Issue. farmdoc daily (12):63, Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, May 4, 2022.

Zulauf, C., G. Schnitkey, K. Swanson, N. Paulson and J. Coppess. Prevent Plant Policy Options. farmdoc daily (12):69, Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, May 13, 2022.
* Pelosi trip should not be excuse for escalation - official

* No plan for Blinken to meet Russia, China counterparts

* U.S. hopes for sustained and increased pressure on Myanmar

* 27 countries to meet this week at ASEAN forum (Adds ASEAN discussions on Myanmar, Taiwan in paragraphs 12, 14)

By David Brunnstrom

TOKYO, Aug 3 (Reuters) - The prospect of U.S. house speaker Nancy Pelosi visiting Taiwan was raised with the Chinese government's top diplomat recently and there are no plans for the U.S. and Chinese foreign ministers to meet this week in Cambodia, a senior U.S. official said on Wednesday.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken discussed the potential for Pelosi's visit with counterpart Wang Yi during a G20 meeting in Bali that lasted more than five hours, and said any such trip would be entirely Pelosi's decision and independent of the Biden administration.

"The question is whether Beijing will try to use the trip as some kind of excuse to take steps that could be escalatory or that could somehow produce conflict," the senior State Department official told reporters in Tokyo, adding that Beijing should not overreact to a trip that was neither unusual nor unprecedented.

"China should not use this as a pretext to continue what it's been doing, which is seeking to change the status quo with regard to Taiwan," the official said.

"And if any escalation or crisis were to somehow follow her visit, it would be on Beijing."

The Chinese foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

China vented its fury on Wednesday over what was the highest-level U.S. visit to Taiwan in a quarter of a century, stepping up military activity in surrounding waters and suspending imports of some products from Taiwan.

China considers Taiwan part of its territory and has never renounced using force to bring it under its control.

Blinken was en route to Cambodia for a series of meetings that will culminate in Friday's ASEAN Regional Forum, a security-focused gathering of 27 countries including China, Japan, Russia, Britain and Australia.

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The official said he would not meet Wang Yi and also that there would be no direct meeting in Phnom Penh with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. Russian-U.S. relations have been severely strained by Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

"If we actually saw any kind of meaningful diplomatic opening to help end the aggression, we would, of course, engage, but we've not seen that," the official said.

The 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which is hosting this week's gathering, on Wednesday expressed concern about the Taiwan situation adding, "we hope that all sides will try their best to de-escalate tensions".

ASEAN members also sharply criticised Myanmar's ruling junta on Wednesday for failure to advance a peace plan agreed last year. The generals are barred from ASEAN meetings.

The official said United States hoped it can discuss in Cambodia how to "both sustain and increase pressure" on the military in Myanmar to stop its crackdown on opponents. (Reporting by David Brunnstrom; Writing by Martin Petty; Editing by Kanupriya Kapoor and Philippa Fletcher)
UPDATE: Juror deliberations have begun to determine damages over by Alex Jones after he was found liable for defamation for claiming that the Sandy Hook shooting massacre was a hoax.

In closing arguments, one of the parents attorneys, Kyle Farrar, said, Speech is free, but you have to pay for your lies.

More from Deadline

PREVIOUSLY: Closing arguments are scheduled to begin on Wednesday afternoon in the trial in Texas in which a jury is to determine the amount of damages that the Infowars host owes to parents of children killed in the Sandy Hook school shooting massacre.

Jones has said that he now believes that the 2012 horrific shootings, in which 26 people were killed, including 20 children, was 100% real. The parents, Neil Heslin and Scarlett Lewis, previously won a defamation judgment against him for his earlier claims that the tragedy was a hoax.

Since he first took the stand on Tuesday, Jones has been repeatedly admonished by the Travis County judge in the proceedings, Maya Guerra Gamble, and he faced a rigorous cross examination from Mark Bankston, who is representing Heslin and Lewis. Their six-year-old son Jesse was among the victims in the massacre.

Bankston showed an image from an Infowars segment in which flames appear over the judges face. In the five-second segment itself, a narrator claims that Gamble comes from Child Protective Services, which has been exposed for human trafficking and working with pedophiles.

You are telling the world, not to believe what has happened in this trial, because this judge is involved with CPS, who is working with child traffickers and pedophilia? Bankston asked.

No, that is not what I am saying, Jones responded.

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Then Bankston ran the clip, and then asked Jones, That is what you mean when you say you are taking [the trial] seriously?

I take this as serious as cancer, Jones said. You showed somebody elses clip. They are always a few seconds long. Why dont you play the whole thing.

Mr. Jones, that isnt somebody elses clip, Bankston replied.

Well I didnt direct or produce it, Jones said.

You certainly published it.

I am not standing behind it. i have to see the whole thing, Jones said.

But Bankston later asked Jones, Is there anything before and after that that would make it great to show pictures of our judge on fire and telling the world that she is involved in pedophile? Can you tell me the context that would occur before or after?

Jones said, If you are only willing to go off five seconds, the judge is the fire burning lady liberty. Its not of the judge. The judge is consuming freedom.

Bankston then said, I sure hope that some of your viewers are able to make that distinction from the clip.

The lawyer went on to confront Jones about other claims. You are telling the jury that you are taking this trial seriously, but you are telling the world that someone inside Travis County government rigged the jury summons and picked these jurors specifically who dont know what planet they are on. That is what you are telling the world.

Im saying that that can potentially be a danger if they dont know what is going on, Jones said.

Bankston then played another clip of Jones from his show last week, in which he groused about the recently selected jury in the trial. In the segment, Jones said, there are experts in leftist jurisdictions, who are experts in sending out jury summons and hitting, lets just say this, extremely blue collar folks. Half that jury panel does not know who I am. They said that. He said that when jurors were asked if they ever got anything wrong about him, they said no.

People do live in all these different bubbles, and there are bubbles that are awake and there are bubbles that are questioning, but then theres the blue city bubbles where people dont know what planet they are on, Jones said in the clip.

In the courtroom, Bankston asked, Mr. Jones, you dont like that this jury is made up of blue collar folk, you think thats wrong?

No, I dont think that, Jones said.

Bankston then referred to Jones comment about people who dont know what planet they are on.

Jones replied, We all live in bubbles, and the people who live in a mainstream media bubble, they might have not have even seen or said what I have done.

The parents are asking for damages of $150 million for defamation and infliction of emotional distress. They said that after Jones claimed Sandy Hook was a hoax, they faced death threats and harassment.

Bankston also revealed that Joness legal team messed up and accidentally sent him the entire digital file of his cell phone, including every text message you sent for the past two years. He said that Jones lawyers did not take steps to try to portect the contents as privileged, giving him the ability to introduce the messages in court.

Bankston said the text messages fell free and clear into my possession, and that is how I know you lied to me when you said you didnt have text messages about Sandy Hook.

See, I told you the truth, this is your Perry Mason moment, Jones said.

Bankston said that in discovery, Jones was asked if he had text message referring to Sandy Hook on his phone, and he said no.

Jones suggested that he made a mistake.

You know what perjury is, right? Bankston said.

Bankston also revealed that, based on financial documents recovered from the text messages, Infowars was making $800,000 per day for one period in 2018, according to NBC News. Jones said that they were higher returns because the shows took place during CPAC, the Conservative Political Action Conference.

Rolling Stone reported that the January 6th Committee plans to request the text messages, following the disclosure in court.

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Disciplined underwriting and reinsurance program distinguish Centauri, as many coastal carriers face significant financial stress and downgrades

OMAHA, Neb., Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- As insurers and consumers in Florida and all along the coasts face insurance availability and pricing problems as hurricane season looms, at least one insurer has strengthened its operations and management to weather the marketplace's financial stability storm.

Applied Underwriters (PRNewsfoto/Applied Underwriters)

Mr. Steve Menzies, Chairman of Applied Underwriters, speaking on behalf of its sister companies, Centauri Specialty Insurance Co. and Centauri National Insurance Co., leading property insurers in Hawaii with additional writings along many of the coastal states, including Florida and Louisiana, today announced that the Centauri companies have had their 'A' (Exceptional) rating affirmed by Demotech, the ratings organization that is central to homeowners insurers in hurricane exposed areas, their agents and consumers: "We are committed to sustaining our profitable position in the coastal states, including the Florida market, where we have managed to do better than the weather, including Hurricane Ida and other serious loss events."

Mr. Menzies further announced that Centauri had completed the transition of its operations to Omaha, Nebraska, while maintaining a local office in Sarasota: "Our restructuring and relocating of Centauri operations in Omaha adds another advantage to our agents and their customers: should a catastrophic event take place in any coastal state where we have a presence, our desk adjusters and claims staff are safely out of the fray and able to communicate with on the ground service resources with little stress on the central operations group." Mr. Menzies noted that Applied's national operations platforms based in Omaha are among the most sophisticated in the world: "Applied's approach in supporting all of our insurance programs across the globe, including Centauri, is bolstered by our operational expertise and technical capabilities."

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Mr. Rick Espino, CEO of Centauri, indicated that "Agents are advised to submit renewals and policy applications as early as possible. We are meeting our quarterly new premium targets very quickly. As the marketplace suffers disruption and lack of availability, we find ourselves receiving a very large increase in submissions." He continued, "While our business in Florida is mostly in the commercial BOP sector, having moved gradually away from the troubled homeowners market there, we nonetheless continue to grow our core homeowners business on the coasts and remain ready to serve our agents and their clients' needs."

Commenting on the condition of the market in Florida and some other coastal states, Mr. Menzies stated that the market is beset by three basic problems: first, there is now limited commercial reinsurance available to insurers for hurricane risk; second, an aggressive, legislatively enabled trial bar has "played" the laws and the legal system using incredibly unfair and unreasonable mechanisms for their exploitation, such as public adjusters and the assignment of benefits; and third, given all of this, inadequate retail rates have persisted for many years, mispricing the actual risks underwritten.

Mr. Menzies continued, "Many insurers, especially the smaller, monoline property carriers, face off in lopsided, almost rigged battles against a trial bar which has become monstrously sophisticated in its use of data technology and unduly influential in creating manipulated legislation. This has placed Demotech, the primary rating agency for property insurers in the coastal regions, in a difficult position of having to report an inconvenient financial truth and has dragged it unwittingly into being a protagonist for an unlikely reform process in the Florida legislature and in other states."

Mr. Menzies concluded: "Demotech as scorekeeper is not the problem in Florida, Louisiana, or elsewhere; it is the trial bar's hegemony over state legislatures and the claims process in general, all leading to a now broken system with untenable economics."

For further information contact: Ryan Gerding, Public Relations, at +1 (913) 602-8531 or at press@auw.com.

About Centauri Insurance (www.centauriinsurance.com)

Centauri Specialty Insurance Company and Centauri National Insurance Company are rated 'A' (Exceptional) by Demotech. Formed in 2006 and based in Sarasota, FL, Centauri Insurance is a property and casualty insurance company licensed to serve policyholders in 10 states including Alabama, Florida, Hawaii, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Texas. Centauri is well known for providing catastrophe coverage and for its ability to provide financial protection to its policyholders through innovative solutions and personalized service.

About Applied Underwriters (www.auw.com)

Applied Underwriters is a global risk services firm that helps businesses and people manage uncertainty through its business services, insurance and reinsurance solutions. As a company, Applied Underwriters has been distinguished by its innovative approaches to client care and by its strong financial strength. Applied Underwriters operates widely throughout the US, UK, EU and Middle East. Its operational headquarters is located in Omaha, Nebraska.

About Demotech, Inc. (www.demotech.com)

Demotech, Inc. is a financial analysis firm specializing in evaluating the financial stability of regional and specialty insurers. Since 1985, Demotech has served the insurance industry by assigning accurate, reliable and proven Financial Stability Ratings (FSRs) for Property & Casualty insurers and Title underwriters. FSRs are a leading indicator of financial stability, providing an objective baseline of the future solvency of an insurer. Demotech's philosophy is to review and evaluate insurers based on their area of focus and execution of their business model rather than solely on financial size. Demotech was the first to review and rate independent regional and specialty insurers. Demotech's consistently increasing list of accreditations and acceptances has resulted in rating and reviewing more than 400 insurers operating in the US.

Cision

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SOURCE Applied Underwriters
A McDonald's employee adds pickles to a burger bun at a restaurant in London, U.K., on Monday, Feb. 1, 2010. McDonald's Corp., the world's largest restaurant company, plans to increase its number of Russian outlets by 20 percent this year to capitalize on its fastest growing market in Europe.

Jason Alden/Bloomberg via Getty

While a McDonald's cheeseburger might seem like a meal to some, to one artist, it's the inspiration for a recent work of art.

Matthew Griffin debuted his work titled "Pickle" on July 7, which is made up of a pickle he plucked off of a McDonald's cheeseburger and flung to the ceiling of an art gallery space, TODAY reported. The cheeseburger topping apparently stuck to the ceiling quite well and did not fall from its spot.

The work was recently shown at Michael Lett, an art gallery in New Zealand, during its show titled "Hosting Fine Arts, Sydney," TODAY said.

The outlet explained that Griffin likes to use comedy as a jumping off point to discuss more serious topics. Ryan Moore, the director of Fine Arts, Sydney, which represents Griffin told The Guardian that "a humorous response to the work is not invalid  it's OK, because it is funny."

RELATED: Passenger Traveling to Australia Fined $1,874 for Bringing Undeclared McMuffins Into the Country

Moore said the question of whether or not this piece is "art" is not really up to Griffin but rather those who see and react to it.

"Generally speaking, artists aren't the ones deciding whether something is art is not  they are the ones who make and do things. Whether something is valuable and meaningful as artwork is the way that we collectively, as a society choose to use it or talk about it," he said.

He continued, "As much as this looks like a pickle attached to the ceiling  and there is no artifice there, that is exactly what it is  there is something in the encounter with that as a sculpture or a sculptural gesture."

RELATED: McDonald's, Dairy Queen and More Businesses Entertain Missouri Locals with Humorous Road Sign War

Fine Arts, Sydney did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment.

While the show closed on July 30, TODAY noted that the work was listed with a hefty price tag of about $10,000 Australian dollars  which equals about $6,916 in U.S. currency. TODAY said it's not clear if the work sold, but if it did, the purchaser would not receive the actual pickle that was on display in the gallery but rather "instructions on how to recreate the art in their own space."

Fine Arts, Sydney shared images of the piece on their Instagram page and included a list of the materials used in the piece  which appears to be all the ingredients in a McDonald's burger, from wheat flour to a beef patty and of course, pickles.
CHENNAI, India, Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Ashok Leyland's authorized distributors, Deluxe Trucks and Buses in Kenya have signed a partnership with Kenya Commercial Bank to jointly promote the Ashok Leyland Brand of Vehicles. Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB) is one of the largest financial institutions in the region offering an array of services.

Mr. Robert Mburu (Head Asset Finance- KCB) Ms. Esther Waititu (Director Corporate Banking- KCB), Mr. Ameet Shroff (Managing Director- Deluxe Trucks and Buses), Mr. Balachandran R (Regional Head East Africa- Ashok Leyland)

Ashok Leyland customers will now be able to access flexible financing options in a deal from Kenya Commercial Bank. The partnership will see customers enjoy up to 95% financing with an extended repayment period of 72 months as well as a comfortable 60-day payment holiday.

In addition, customers will have the privilege to access an embedded tracking and insurance package and access to unsecured working capital of up to KES 3 million among other bank products available at the bank.

Also catered for are KCB SAHL Banking customers who under the Shariah-compliant banking model, will be able to purchase trucks from Deluxe Trucks & Buses at affordable rates.

Mr. Amandeep Singh, Head International Operations for Ashok Leyland expressed his pleasure at the tie up and noted that, "Ashok Leyland Trucks and Buses has a wide future ready portfolio in commercial vehicle categories ranging from 2.55 Ton GVW to 55 Ton GVW and buses suited for all applications. The Ashok Leyland range of vehicles offers the best-in-class mileage in all these categories. This partnership with KCB will enable customers to avail financing options to purchase Ashok Leyland commercial vehicles at industry best terms and conditions."

Speaking during the event, KCB Bank Director of Corporate Banking, Esther Waititu said, "We are delighted to partner with Deluxe Trucks & Buses, for financing Ashok Leyland products. It is a reflection of our commitment to supporting key customers to derive value from their long-standing loyalty."

On his part, Deluxe Trucks & Buses E.A. Managing Director, Mr. Ameet Shroff said, "The partnership targets individuals, Small Medium Size companies, and large commercial businesses for flexible financing of up to 95% of the vehicle cost. Delivering uptime to customers is our key objective and we will ensure that our customers are continuously served with complete satisfaction."

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Deluxe Trucks & Buses E.A. Ltd, which is wholly owned by Simba Corp, was appointed the sole authorized distributor of the full range of Ashok Leyland brand of trucks and buses. The vehicles are locally assembled at Associated Vehicle Assemblers (AVA) which is also owned by Simba Corp. The firm recently opened a modern sale, service equipment center at Xylon Complex, located along ICD Road, Off Mombasa Road, Nairobi, in a move that will ensure that customers get access to specialized services post-purchase, given the rising demand for vehicles used by SMEs and MSMEs. Deluxe Trucks and Buses' current network includes dealerships in Nairobi, Nakuru, Mombasa and Thika, and plans to appoint dealers in other major towns countrywide.

About Ashok Leyland

Headquartered in Chennai, and a footprint that extends across 50 countries, Ashok Leyland, flagship of the Hinduja group, is one of the largest manufacturers of commercial vehicles in India, the 4th largest manufacturer of buses in the world, and the 19th largest manufacturer of trucks.

Website: www.ashokleyland.com, Write to us international@ashokleyland.com

About KCB Bank Kenya Ltd

KCB Bank Kenya Limited is one of the largest commercial banks in the country. A subsidiary of KCB Group Plc, the Bank has one of the largest branch networks, with over 200 branches, 367 ATMs, and 16,000 agents offering banking services on a 24/7 basis in East Africa. This is complemented by mobile banking and internet banking services with 24-hour contact center services for our customers to get in touch with the Bank. KCB Group Plc - which also has a presence in Uganda, Tanzania, South Sudan, Burundi, Rwanda, and a representative office in Ethiopia also boasts of a wide network of correspondent relationships totaling over 200 banks across the globe and our customers are assured of seamless facilitation of their international trade requirements wherever they are.

For further information, please contact Rosalind Gichuru, Group Director Marketing Corporate Affairs and Citizenship; email: rgichuru@kcbgroup.com

About Deluxe Motors

Deluxe Trucks & Buses E.A. Ltd is the official authorized Ashok Leyland distributor in the Kenyan market for the full range of Ashok Leyland Trucks and Buses. Deluxe Trucks & Buses E.A. Ltd is located at the Xylon Complex, ICD Road, off Mombasa Road, Nairobi.

For more details, please email: info@deluxemotors.co.ke, Call: 0703 046 777 or visit our website on www.deluxetrucks.co.ke.

Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1871715/Ashok_Leyland_Limited.jpg

Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1826065/Ashok_Leyland_Limited_Logo.jpg

(PRNewsfoto/Ashok Leyland Limited)

Cision

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SOURCE Ashok Leyland Limited
These Best Buy back-to-school deals help you save big on kitchen appliances, tablets and TVs.

 Recommendations are independently chosen by Revieweds editors. Purchases you make through our links may earn us a commission.

August is here, which means it's almost time to head back to school. For the new school year, you'll need a lot more than pens and pencils to survive the long days of lectures and sleepless nights of homework. That's where Best Buy comes in with some of the best back-to-school deals to shop before the class bell rings.

Shop Best Buy back-to-school deals

Theres more where this deal came from. Sign up for Revieweds Perks and Rec newsletter and well keep deals coming every Sunday through Friday.

The tech retailer is offering a collection of back-to-school deals that feature savings on a wide range of devices. These include feature-stocked laptops, eye-catching TVs and even small kitchen appliances.

Backcountry Semi-Annual sale: Save up to 60% on Patagonia and Smartwool

Nintendo Switch: Digital codes are up to 60% off nowshop Amazon, Best Buy and Walmart

Disney+ news: Andor is coming to the Star Wars universefind out how to watch it on Disney+

We've found five amazing deals on top-rated devices you can score today, along with a plethora of other essentials to help make the next school year more fun. Check them out below!

The best back-to-school deals at Best Buy

The Keurig K-Slim has been a popular coffee maker for people with limited counter space.

TV deals at Best Buy

The LG C1 OLED TV is one of the best TVs we've ever tested and Best Buy has it for $300 off.

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Laptop and tablet deals at Best Buy

Credit: Reviewed / Matthew S. Smith Nearly everything about Apple's MacBook Pro 16 M1 Max blew us away.

Headphone deals at Best Buy

The Samsung Galaxy Buds Live are one of the most stylish earbuds on the market and Best Buy has them for less than $100.

Small appliance deals at Best Buy

Make your own smoothies and dip with the Ninja Professional Plus blender on sale for $20 off at Best Buy.

When do back-to-school sales start?

In the United States, schools typically reopen their doors for the start of the school year in August and September. As such, many of the best back-to-school sales take place during that time frame. Tons of early back-to-school deals just dropped and we expect to see even more sales in the days and weeks ahead. Right now, you can shop stellar sales at Amazon, Best Buy, Target and more.

When is back-to-school season?

In the United States, back-to-school season takes place in August and September. Depending on location, some schools open their doors in early August while others reopen around Labor Day, which falls on Monday, September 5.

What stores have the best back-to-school sales?

Tons of our favorite retailers offer back-to-school discounts. Right now, we're especially thrilled about back-to-school sales at Best Buy, Amazon and Walmart.

What should I shop for during back-to-school season?

Back-to-school season sees incredible discounts on office and school supplies as well as laptops, headphones and other tech essentials. If you're in need of some new gadgets, you may want to consider shopping deals on laptops and tablets from Best Buy.

Meanwhile, after checking off everything on your back-to-school list, look for discounts on furniture and home goods. Some back-to-school sales coincide with Labor Day deals, so you can often find stellar sales to give your home a fall refresh for less.

Shop Best Buy back-to-school deals

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The product experts at Reviewed have all your shopping needs covered. Follow Reviewed on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok or Flipboard for the latest deals, product reviews and more.

Prices were accurate at the time this article was published but may change over time.

This article originally appeared on Reviewed: Back-to-school deals: Save on TVs, tablets and more at Best Buy
A bipartisan group of senators sent a letter last week to United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urging him to use the organizations tools to liberate women and girls in Afghanistan.

We urge you to ensure the UN response in Afghanistan protects and advances the human rights of women and girls now under attack, wrote Sens. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), James Risch (R-Idaho), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) and Joni Ernst (R-Iowa).

The senators, all members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, wrote as the first anniversary of the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan approaches.

As we approach the one-year anniversary of the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan, the Taliban continues to commit grave human rights abuses against the Afghan people and has launched an assault on Afghan womens fundamental human rights, they wrote.

The Taliban rushed to overtake Kabul in May of last year as U.S. forces were withdrawing from Afghanistan under President Biden.

The United Nations must remain steadfast in denying the illegitimate Taliban authorities the international recognition they so desperately seek, especially as they continue to abuse the human rights of Afghans, the four lawmakers wrote in their letter, calling on Guterres to deny Taliban leadership a seat at the United Nations.

They referenced the meeting of the United Nations Credentials Committee taking place in September, which will decide on diplomatic representation for Afghanistan.

The four American leaders also asked Guterres to ensure that Afghan women are involved in all sectors of aid receipt in the country as well as political dialogue and negotiations.

We must not stand by as the Taliban seeks to erase the human rights of Afghan women and girls, they stated.

A report released on Saturday by the U.S. special inspector general for Afghanistan reconstruction found that the Taliban continue to hinder girls and women from receiving education and have placed additional restrictions on their freedoms.

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In conjunction with the mandate to cover, the Taliban are limiting womens freedom of movement. In March, the group banned women from air and long-distance travel without the accompaniment of a male guardian, the report found.

The report urged the international community to provide aid to women and girls in Afghanistan and apply political pressure on the Taliban to change discriminatory policies.

The Foreign Relations Committee members petitioned the United Nations Security Council to bar members of the Taliban from traveling internationally, reimposing a 1988 ban.

Members of the Taliban have been allowed to travel under international law since a 2019 exemption was put in place so that leaders could attend peace talks, but those talks are no longer taking place.

The United Nations is uniquely positioned to influence the Taliban, without harming ordinary Afghans, and we urge you to use the tools already available to do so, the senators wrote.

We strongly urge the United Nations to prioritize and advance the human rights of women and girls through all aspects of its work in Afghanistan, they added.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
SALT LAKE CITY, August 02, 2022--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Career Academy of Utah (CAU), a newly-established virtual charter school for students throughout the state, has announced the hiring of Dr. Bonita Teasley as Head of School.

Dr. Teasley, a native of Texas, is a former teacher, campus administrator, and central office administrator, and college professor with a passion for educational leadership. Dr. Teasley has 20 years of public-school experience and has proven track record of leading improvement required schools out of turn around status.

In addition, Dr. Teasley worked for the University of Utah at the Sorenson Impact Center in a role that helped evaluate post-secondary outcomes for rural schools in Utah and Idaho.

Dr. Teasleys leadership is centered around four pillars:

Student learning comes first

Equipping school staff and leadership with the skills to improve student outcomes

Fostering collaborative relationships with students families, communities, and industry stakeholders, and

Ensuring state and federal compliance

CAU is part of the Stride Career Prep program, offering students in their middle- and high-school years ideas and options for where they want to go and how they want to get there. Students who attend CAU can take career-prep classes in areas such as Health Sciences, Manufacturing Production, and Industrial Construction.

Whether their path leads them directly into the workplace or to higher education, Stride Career Prep provides students with the skills they need to get there. Eligible students can also earn college credits while still in high school, gaining a head start on higher education and potentially saving thousands of dollars in college tuition costs.

"With enrollment now open, Im excited to pioneer this career-focused opportunity for Utah parents and students," said Dr. Teasley, who earned a PhD in Education from the University of Texas at Austin in Education Policy and Planning. "CAU is NOT emergency education as we experienced during the pandemic. Our students can expect high standards with an interactive curriculum delivered by Utah teachers. In addition, students can pair a solid academic foundation with hands-on learning experiences in career exploration."

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Enrollment in CAUs tuition-free public school is currently open to Utah students in grades K-9 with expansion through 12th grade expected in subsequent years. For more information about CAU, visit https://cau.k12.com/.

About Career Academy of Utah

Career Academy of Utah (CAU) is a full-time online learning program for students statewide in grades K-9. CAU is tuition-free to Utah students and gives families the choice to access the curriculum provided by K12, a Stride, Inc. company (NYSE: LRN). Stride Career Prep offers learners of all ages an effective way to learn and build their skills for the future. For more information about CAU, visit https://cau.k12.com/.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220802005202/en/

Contacts

Ken Schwartz

Senior Manager, Corporate Communications

kschwartz@k12.com
(Bloomberg) -- China halted some trade with Taiwan in retaliation to the high-profile visit of US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to the island, with more disruptions likely as political tensions intensify.

Most Read from Bloomberg

China suspended some fish and fruit imports from Taiwan, citing excessive pesticide residue detected on products since last year and some frozen fish packages that tested positive for coronavirus in June. Exports of natural sand, used in construction, were also banned.

With Taiwans agricultural exports accounting for only 0.6% of total exports last year, according to DBS Group Holdings Ltd., and Chinas sand exports to the island amounting to just over $1 million last year, the trade bans imposed so far are likely to have only a marginal impact on Taiwans economy. However, the bigger risk is if Beijing widens the restrictions or shipments are disrupted as China conducts military exercises around the island.

What needs to be watched is whether Beijing will broaden the trade bans into the manufacturing sector, particularly semiconductors/electronics going forward, said Ma Tieying, senior economist at DBS.

Chinese customs data show Beijing has also blocked the imports of over 2,000 food items from Taiwan out of about 3,200, spanning products from tea to biscuits to fish. Its unclear when the imports were suspended though. On Monday, Taiwan media reported that China banned food imports from more than 100 of the islands suppliers.

Beijing has often targeted Taiwans agricultural industry for punishment over political issues. Many of southern Taiwans fruit-producing regions are typically bastions of political support for President Tsai Ing-wens Democratic Progressive Party, which advocates for Taiwans formal independence.

China is Taiwans largest trading partner, with bilateral trade rising 26% on year to $328.3 billion last year. Taiwan held a sizable surplus against China, with exports from the island exceeding imports by $172 billion, according to Chinese customs data. While Beijing could leverage that advantage by sanctioning exporters, China also relies on Taiwan for semiconductor supplies.

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About a fifth of Taiwans total agricultural exports, or $1.12 billion, was shipped to China last year.

Shipping Disruptions

Even Pay, an analyst at consultancy Trivium China in Beijing, said more trade disruptions can be expected between China and Taiwan while tensions remain high. She said it was common practice for Beijing to identify minor compliance issues and enforce rules very strictly with trade partners, citing the example of Canadian canola after Meng Wanzhou, chief financial officer of Huawei Technologies Co., was detained.

It looks like stepped up military exercises announced Tuesday night may disrupt shipping in the region through Sunday at least, particularly into ports in Taiwan and Fujian, but also for any cargoes that might typically pass through the area around Taiwan, said Pay.

The disruptions, especially on the western coast of Taiwan facing the straits, however, may deal a heavy blow to the islands commodity imports. Taiwan accounts for 5% of global coal imports, 5% of global LNG imports, 2% of global crude oil imports, 2% of global clean oil products, and 1% of global LPG imports, according to Banchero Costa & Co.

For energy, Taiwan is almost entirely reliant on imports, hence a potential blockade on imports would be a disaster for the Taiwanese economy, said Ralph Leszczynski, head of research at the shipbroker.

China caught Taiwan off guard last year when it suddenly blocked pineapple imports from there. Beijing later halted imports of wax and sugar apples last September. While most fruit produced in Taiwan is consumed domestically, the vast majority of exports go to China.

Taiwan downplayed the sand export ban on Wednesday, with the Ministry of Economic Affairs saying in a statement that the impact will be limited.

With grains about 5 millimeters wide or less, natural sand is typically used to produce things like concrete and asphalt. Sands used in Taiwans construction industry, though, are mostly from the island, its Finance Minister Su Jain-rong said. Taiwan imported about 20,000 metric tons of natural sand from China in the first half of this year, according to the economic affairs ministry.

China previously halted natural sand exports to Taiwan in March 2007, citing environmental concerns, and lifted the ban about one year later. Taiwan activated a contingency plan at the time, including importing materials from the Philippines and using local river sand to close the gap.

Taiwan imported 5.67 million metric tons of sand and gravel in 2020, with natural sand constituting about 8% of total, according to a report from Taiwans Ministry of Economic Affairs. More than 90% of Taiwans imported sand and gravel is from China, due to much higher transportation costs from other countries like Vietnam, the report said.

(Updates with an analyst quote and additional details.)

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2022 Bloomberg L.P.
By Azernews

By Sabina Mammadli

Azerbaijan's Baku and Ganja cities have sent humanitarian aid to Ukraine in response to the appeals received from Ukrainian cities, Azernews reports.

According to the information, the aid with a total weight of 101 tons (66 tons from Baku and 35 tons from Ganja) included food products with a long shelf life, such as canned food, tea, dry food, etc.

The humanitarian cargo will be transported by air to Poland's Warsaw Chopin Airport from the Heydar Aliyev International Airport at 1630 (GMT+4).

Separately, Ambassador of Ukraine to Azerbaijan Vladislav Kanevsky expressed gratitude to Azerbaijan not just for its support, but for its systematic, planned assistance, that it provides to thousands of citizens in Ukraine.

"Today is the tenth-anniversary flight of Azerbaijan's large humanitarian aid to Ukraine. More than 100 tons of necessary products will be sent to various cities in Ukraine. The geography of the cities that support Ukrainian people is expanding. Today Azerbaijan's Ganja has joined to help. We express our gratitude to Azerbaijan," Kanevsky said.

The Azerbaijani government, as well as Baku and Sumgayit cities, have earlier sent 807 tons of humanitarian aid to Ukraine, consisting of medicines, medical supplies, as well as food products.

On July 5, at the Heydar Aliyev International Airport, Ukrainian ambassador to Azerbaijan Vladislav Kanevsky told the media that Azerbaijan had supplied over 1,500 tons of humanitarian aid to Ukraine.

Another 20 tons of humanitarian aid were dispatched to Ukraine's Dnieper back in May.

On February 27 and March 12, 2022, a total of nearly 520 tons of humanitarian aid consisting of medicines, medical supplies, instruments, and equipment, as well as food products, with a total amount of AZN21.5 million (more than 11.5 million) was sent to Ukraine on the orders of Azerbaijan's leadership.

On April 21, another humanitarian aid with a total weight of more than 170 tons was sent to Ukraine. The aid included medicines and medical supplies worth AZN3.37 million ($1.98 million), as well as food products worth AZN1million ($590,000).
Cohen & Company Inc.

Board Declares Quarterly Dividend of $0.25 per Share

PHILADELPHIA and NEW YORK, Aug. 03, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Cohen & Company Inc. (NYSE American: COHN), a financial services firm specializing in fixed income and SPAC markets, today reported financial results for its second quarter ended June 30, 2022.



Summary Operating Results

Three Months Ended Six Months Ended ($ in thousands) 6/30/22 3/31/22 6/30/21 6/30/22 6/30/21 Net trading $ 10,377 $ 12,022 $ 18,399 $ 22,399 $ 37,582 Asset management 1,898 1,889 1,838 3,787 3,931 New issue and advisory 3,481 3,770 850 7,251 2,689 Principal transactions and other revenue (6,602 ) (18,363 ) (11,021 ) (24,965 ) 68,540 Total revenues 9,154 (682 ) 10,066 8,472 112,742 Compensation and benefits 12,214 13,879 14,190 26,093 40,837 Non-compensation operating expenses 5,102 5,317 4,949 10,419 10,533 Operating income (8,162 ) (19,878 ) (9,073 ) (28,040 ) 61,372 Interest expense, net (1,106 ) (1,351 ) (1,782 ) (2,457 ) (3,796 ) Other non-operating income - - 2,127 - 2,127 Income (loss) from equity method affiliates (3,044 ) (12,104 ) 5,490 (15,148 ) 4,655 Income (loss) before income tax expense (benefit) (12,312 ) (33,333 ) (3,238 ) (45,645 ) 64,358 Income tax expense (benefit) (60 ) 1,833 (43 ) 1,773 825 Net income (loss) (12,252 ) (35,166 ) (3,195 ) (47,418 ) 63,533 Less: Net income (loss) attributable to the non-convertible non-controlling interest (4,167 ) (14,704 ) (9,039 ) (18,871 ) 20,931 Enterprise net income (loss) (8,085 ) (20,462 ) 5,844 (28,547 ) 42,602 Less: Net income (loss) attributable to the convertible non-controlling interest (6,228 ) (12,850 ) 4,119 (19,078 ) 31,522 Net income (loss) attributable to Cohen & Company Inc. $ (1,857 ) $ (7,612 ) $ 1,725 $ (9,469 ) $ 11,080 Fully diluted net income (loss) per share $ (1.53 ) $ (5.46 ) $ 1.21 $ (6.71 ) $ 8.12 Adjusted pre-tax income (loss) $ (8,145 ) $ (18,629 ) $ 3,674 $ (26,774 ) $ 41,300 Fully diluted adjusted pre-tax income (loss) per share $ (1.51 ) $ (3.35 ) $ 0.78 $ (4.87 ) $ 8.20





Lester Brafman, Chief Executive Officer of Cohen & Company, said, Amid challenging market conditions, our financial results continued to be impacted by unrealized negative mark-to-market adjustments and equity method losses from our principal investing portfolio. Reduced capital markets activity in general has also impacted our ability to generate net trading and investment banking revenues. We remain focused on our strategic objectives, and we are pleased that our gestation repo business continues to perform well. Further, we are confident that our robust investment banking pipeline will translate into growing new issue and advisory revenues in the future. As we move forward, we are committed to enhancing stockholder value, and in the second quarter we continued to pay our quarterly dividend.



Financial Highlights

Net loss attributable to Cohen & Company Inc. was $1.9 million, or $1.53 per diluted share, for the three months ended June 30, 2022, compared to net loss of $7.6 million, or $5.46 per diluted share, for the three months ended March 31, 2022, and net income of $1.7 million, or $1.21 per diluted share, for the three months ended June 30, 2021. Adjusted pre-tax loss was $8.1 million, or $1.51 per diluted share, for the three months ended June 30, 2022, compared to adjusted pre-tax loss of $18.6 million, or $3.35 per diluted share, for the three months ended March 31, 2022, and adjusted pre-tax income of $3.7 million, or $0.78 per diluted share, for the three months ended June 30, 2021. Adjusted pre-tax income (loss) and adjusted pre-tax income (loss) per diluted share are not measures recognized under U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). See Note 1 below.





Revenues were $9.2 million for the three months ended June 30, 2022, compared to negative $0.7 million for the prior quarter and $10.1 million for the prior year quarter.



Net trading revenue was $10.4 million for the three months ended June 30, 2022, down $1.6 million from the prior quarter and $8.0 million from the prior year quarter. The decrease from the prior quarter was primarily due to lower trading revenue from the Companys gestation repo group, and the decrease from the prior year quarter was primarily due to lower trading revenue from the Companys gestation repo, agencies, municipals, and corporate groups.



Asset management revenue was $1.9 million for the three months ended June 30, 2022, comparable to both the prior quarters.



New issue and advisory revenue was $3.5 million for the three months ended June 30, 2022, down $0.3 million from the prior quarter and up $2.6 million from the prior year quarter. In the current quarter, the Cohen & Company Capital Markets investment banking team generated $2.0 million, the CRE origination team generated $0.7 million, and the US insurance origination team generated $0.8 million of the new issue and advisory revenue.



Principal transactions and other revenue was negative $6.6 million for the three months ended June 30, 2022, compared to negative $18.4 million in the prior quarter and negative $11.0 million in the prior year quarter. In all quarters presented, the negative principal transactions and other revenue was primarily due to mark-to-market adjustments on the Companys principal investments related to the Companys involvement in the SPAC market as a sponsor, asset manager, and investor, which has resulted in increased holdings of public equity positions in post-business combination companies, often restricted, which are subject to market adjustments, both up and down. Note that the $6.6 million of negative principal transactions and other revenue in the current quarter is offset by a $4.0 million credit recorded in the net income (loss) attributable to the non-convertible non-controlling interest line item.





Compensation and benefits expense during the three months ended June 30, 2022 decreased $1.7 million from the prior quarter and $2.0 million from the prior year quarter. The number of Company employees was 121 as of June 30, 2022, compared to 115 as of March 31, 2022, and 108 as of June 30, 2021.





Interest expense during the three months ended June 30, 2022 decreased $0.2 million from the prior quarter and $0.7 million from the prior year quarter.





Loss from equity method affiliates for the three months ended June 30, 2022 was $3.0 million, compared to loss from equity method affiliates of $12.1 million for the three months ended March 31, 2022 and income from equity method affiliates of $5.5 million for the three months ended June 30, 2021. Income (loss) from equity method affiliates fluctuates primarily depending on the timing of the closing of the business combinations by the Companys equity method investees that are sponsors of SPACs, which typically result in increased value of founder shares allocable to the Company by the sponsors. However, during the current and prior quarters, a reduction in the value of the founder shares held by the Companys equity method affiliates and allocable to the Company resulted in a corresponding loss on the Companys investments in equity method affiliates. Note that the $3.0 million of loss from equity method affiliates in the current quarter is offset by a $0.2 million credit recorded in the net income (loss) attributable to the non-convertible non-controlling interest line item.





Income tax benefit for the three months ended June 30, 2022 was $60 thousand, compared to income tax expense of $1.8 million in the prior quarter, and income tax benefit of $43 thousand in the prior year quarter. The Company will continue to evaluate its operations on a quarterly basis and may make adjustments to the valuation allowance applied against the Company's net operating loss and net capital loss tax assets. Future adjustments could be material and may result in additional tax benefit or tax expense.



Total Equity and Dividend Declaration

As of June 30, 2022, total equity was $106.0 million, compared to $151.4 million as of December 31, 2021; the non-convertible non-controlling interest component of total equity was $4.7 million as of June 30, 2022 and $31.8 million as of December 31, 2021. Thus, the total equity excluding the non-convertible non-controlling interest component was $101.3 million as of June 30, 2022, an $18.2 million decrease from $119.5 million as of December 31, 2021.





The Companys Board of Directors has declared a quarterly dividend of $0.25 per share, payable on September 1, 2022, to stockholders of record as of August 18, 2022. The Board of Directors will continue to evaluate the dividend policy each quarter, and future decisions regarding dividends may be impacted by quarterly operating results and the Companys capital needs.



Conference Call

The Company will host a conference call at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time (ET), today, August 3, 2022, to discuss these results. The conference call will be available via webcast. Interested parties can access the webcast by clicking the webcast link on the Companys homepage at www.cohenandcompany.com. Those wishing to listen to the conference call with operator assistance can dial (877) 524-8416 (domestic) or (412) 902-1028 (international). A replay of the call will be available for three days following the call by dialing (877) 660-6853 or (201) 612-7415.

About Cohen & Company

Cohen & Company is a financial services company specializing in fixed income markets and SPAC markets. It was founded in 1999 as an investment firm focused on small-cap banking institutions but has grown to provide an expanding range of capital markets and asset management services. Cohen & Companys operating segments are Capital Markets, Asset Management, and Principal Investing. The Capital Markets segment consists of fixed income sales, trading, and matched book repo financing as well as new issue placements in corporate and securitized products, and advisory services, operating primarily through Cohen & Companys subsidiaries, J.V.B. Financial Group, LLC in the United States and Cohen & Company Financial Europe Limited S.A. in Europe. A division of JVB, Cohen & Company Capital Markets is the Companys full-service boutique investment banking platform focusing on SPAC advisory, capital markets advisory, and M&A advisory, with clients primarily in the financial technology (commonly referred to as "fintech") and SPAC spaces. The Asset Management segment manages assets through collateralized debt obligations, managed accounts, and investment funds. As of June 30, 2022, the Company managed approximately $2.2 billion in primarily fixed income assets in a variety of asset classes including US and European trust preferred securities, subordinated debt, and corporate loans. As of June 30, 2022, 52.8% of the Companys assets under management were in collateralized debt obligations that Cohen & Company manages, which were all securitized prior to 2008. The Principal Investing segment is comprised primarily of investments the Company holds related to its SPAC franchise and other investments the Company has made for the purpose of earning an investment return rather than investments made to support its trading, matched book repo, or other capital markets business activity. For more information, please visit www.cohenandcompany.com.

Note 1: Adjusted pre-tax income (loss) and adjusted pre-tax income (loss) per share are non-GAAP measures of performance. Please see the discussion under Non-GAAP Measures below. Also see the tables below for the reconciliations of non-GAAP measures of performance to their corresponding GAAP measures of performance.

Forward-looking Statements

This communication contains certain statements, estimates, and forecasts with respect to future performance and events. These statements, estimates, and forecasts are forward-looking statements. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as may, might, will, should, expect, plan, anticipate, believe, estimate, predict, potential, seek, or continue or the negatives thereof or variations thereon or similar terminology. All statements other than statements of historical fact included in this communication are forward-looking statements and are based on various underlying assumptions and expectations and are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and assumptions, and may include projections of our future financial performance based on our growth strategies and anticipated trends in our business. These statements are based on our current expectations and projections about future events. There are important factors that could cause our actual results, level of activity, performance, or achievements to differ materially from the results, level of activity, performance, or achievements expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements including, but not limited to, those discussed under the heading Risk Factors and Managements Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), which are available at the SECs website at www.sec.gov and our website at www.cohenandcompany.com/investor-relations/sec-filings. Such risk factors include the following: (a) a decline in general economic conditions or the global financial markets, including those caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine, (b) losses caused by financial or other problems experienced by third parties, (c) losses due to unidentified or unanticipated risks, (d) a lack of liquidity, i.e., ready access to funds for use in our businesses, (e) the ability to attract and retain personnel, (f) litigation and regulatory issues, (g) competitive pressure, (h) an inability to generate incremental income from new or expanded businesses, (i) unanticipated market closures or effects due to inclement weather or other disasters, (j) losses (whether realized or unrealized) on our principal investments, (k) the possibility that payments to the Company of subordinated management fees from its CDOs will continue to be deferred or will be discontinued, (l) the possibility that the stockholder rights plan may fail to preserve the value of the Companys deferred tax assets, whether as a result of the acquisition by a person of 5% of the Companys common stock or otherwise, (m) the possibility that the Companys third sponsored insurance SPAC, INSU Acquisition Corp. III, does not successfully consummate a business combination, (n) a reduction in the volume of investments into SPACs, (o) the difficulty in identifying potential business combinations as a result of increased competition in the SPAC market, (p) the value of our holdings of founders shares in Shift Technologies, Inc., Metromile Inc., and other post-business combination companies is volatile and may decline and the possibility that significant portions of the founder shares may remain restricted for a long period of time, (q) the possibility that the Company will stop paying quarterly dividends to its stockholders, (r) the possibility that the Company will be unable to collect its outstanding reverse repo balance from First Guaranty Mortgage Corporation, and (s) the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, there can be no assurance that the forward-looking statements included in this communication will prove to be accurate or correct. In light of these risks, uncertainties, and assumptions, the future performance or events described in the forward-looking statements in this communication might not occur. Accordingly, you should not rely upon forward-looking statements as a prediction of actual results and we do not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.

Cautionary Note Regarding Quarterly Financial Results

Due to the nature of our business, our revenue and operating results may fluctuate materially from quarter to quarter. Accordingly, revenue and net income in any particular quarter may not be indicative of future results. Further, our employee compensation arrangements are in large part incentive-based and, therefore, will fluctuate with revenue. The amount of compensation expense recognized in any one quarter may not be indicative of such expense in future periods. As a result, we suggest that annual results may be the most meaningful gauge for investors in evaluating our business performance.





COHEN & COMPANY INC. CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS (unaudited) (in thousands, except per share data) Three Months Ended Six Months Ended 6/30/22 3/31/22 6/30/21 6/30/22 6/30/21 Revenues Net trading $ 10,377 $ 12,022 $ 18,399 $ 22,399 $ 37,582 Asset management 1,898 1,889 1,838 3,787 3,931 New issue and advisory 3,481 3,770 850 7,251 2,689 Principal transactions and other revenue (6,602 ) (18,363 ) (11,021 ) (24,965 ) 68,540 Total revenues 9,154 (682 ) 10,066 8,472 112,742 Operating expenses Compensation and benefits 12,214 13,879 14,190 26,093 40,837 Business development, occupancy, equipment 1,295 1,248 787 2,543 1,506 Subscriptions, clearing, and execution 1,972 1,941 2,374 3,913 5,164 Professional services and other operating 1,692 1,996 1,701 3,688 3,695 Depreciation and amortization 143 132 87 275 168 Total operating expenses 17,316 19,196 19,139 36,512 51,370 Operating income (loss) (8,162 ) (19,878 ) (9,073 ) (28,040 ) 61,372 Non-operating income (expense) Interest expense, net (1,106 ) (1,351 ) (1,782 ) (2,457 ) (3,796 ) Other non-operating income (expense) - - 2,127 - 2,127 Income (loss) from equity method affiliates (3,044 ) (12,104 ) 5,490 (15,148 ) 4,655 Income (loss) before income tax expense (benefit) (12,312 ) (33,333 ) (3,238 ) (45,645 ) 64,358 Income tax expense (benefit) (60 ) 1,833 (43 ) 1,773 825 Net income (loss) (12,252 ) (35,166 ) (3,195 ) (47,418 ) 63,533 Less: Net income (loss) attributable to the non-convertible non-controlling interest (4,167 ) (14,704 ) (9,039 ) (18,871 ) 20,931 Enterprise net income (loss) (8,085 ) (20,462 ) 5,844 (28,547 ) 42,602 Less: Net income (loss) attributable to the convertible non-controlling interest (6,228 ) (12,850 ) 4,119 (19,078 ) 31,522 Net income (loss) attributable to Cohen & Company Inc. $ (1,857 ) $ (7,612 ) $ 1,725 $ (9,469 ) $ 11,080 Earnings per share Basic Net income (loss) attributable to Cohen & Company Inc. $ (1,857 ) $ (7,612 ) $ 1,725 $ (9,469 ) $ 11,080 Basic shares outstanding 1,428 1,395 1,072 1,412 1,053 Net income (loss) attributable to Cohen & Company Inc. per share $ (1.30 ) $ (5.46 ) $ 1.61 $ (6.71 ) $ 10.52 Fully Diluted Net income (loss) attributable to Cohen & Company Inc. $ (1,857 ) $ (7,612 ) $ 1,725 $ (9,469 ) $ 11,080 Net income (loss) attributable to the convertible non-controlling interest (6,228 ) - 4,119 - 31,522 Net interest attributable to convertible debt, net of taxes - - 294 - 583 Income tax and conversion adjustment (172 ) - 141 - (1,575 ) Net income (loss) attributable to Cohen & Company Inc. for fully diluted net income (loss) per share calculation $ (8,257 ) $ (7,612 ) $ 6,279 $ (9,469 ) $ 41,610 Basic shares outstanding 1,428 1,395 1,072 1,412 1,053 Unrestricted Operating LLC membership units exchangeable into COHN shares 3,966 - 2,856 - 2,847 Additional dilutive shares - - 1,271 - 1,226 Fully diluted shares outstanding 5,394 1,395 5,199 1,412 5,126 Fully diluted net income (loss) per share $ (1.53 ) $ (5.46 ) $ 1.21 $ (6.71 ) $ 8.12 Reconciliation of adjusted pre-tax income (loss) to net income (loss) attributable to Cohen & Company Inc. and calculations of per share amounts Net income (loss) attributable to Cohen & Company Inc. $ (1,857 ) $ (7,612 ) $ 1,725 $ (9,469 ) $ 11,080 Addback (deduct): Other non-operating income - - (2,127 ) - (2,127 ) Addback (deduct): Income tax expense (benefit) (60 ) 1,833 (43 ) 1,773 825 Addback (deduct): Net income (loss) attributable to the convertible non-controlling interest (6,228 ) (12,850 ) 4,119 (19,078 ) 31,522 Adjusted pre-tax income (loss) (8,145 ) (18,629 ) 3,674 (26,774 ) 41,300 Net interest attributable to convertible debt - 327 381 327 756 Enterprise pre-tax income (loss) for fully diluted adjusted pre-tax income (loss) per share calculation $ (8,145 ) $ (18,302 ) $ 4,055 $ (26,447 ) $ 42,056 Adjusted fully diluted shares outstanding (1) 5,394 5,461 5,199 5,428 5,126 Fully diluted adjusted pre-tax income (loss) per share $ (1.51 ) $ (3.35 ) $ 0.78 $ (4.87 ) $ 8.20 (1) Adjusted fully diluted shares outstanding includes unrestricted Operating LLC units exchangeable into COHN shares at all times; even during periods when the corresponding GAAP calculation of fully diluted shares outstanding above does not include them. The Operating LLC units are always included because the non-GAAP measure of performance, adjusted pre-tax income (loss), always includes net income (loss) attributable to the corresponding convertible non-controlling interest.







COHEN & COMPANY INC. CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (in thousands) June 30, 2022 (unaudited) December 31, 2021 Assets Cash and cash equivalents $ 50,068 $ 50,567 Receivables from brokers, dealers, and clearing agencies 141,798 68,392 Due from related parties 1,834 4,581 Other receivables 6,643 3,203 Investments - trading 201,924 223,865 Other investments, at fair value 37,558 56,033 Receivables under resale agreements 1,792,325 3,175,645 Investment in equity method affiliates 14,369 48,238 Deferred income taxes 10,151 11,513 Goodwill 109 109 Right-of-use asset - operating leases 10,534 10,273 Other assets 3,782 3,885 Total assets $ 2,271,095 $ 3,656,304 Liabilities Payables to brokers, dealers, and clearing agencies $ 137,877 $ 160,896 Accounts payable and other liabilities 33,477 22,819 Accrued compensation 13,678 22,577 Trading securities sold, not yet purchased 141,549 62,512 Other investments sold, not yet purchased 128 2,488 Securities sold under agreements to repurchase 1,790,469 3,171,415 Operating lease liability 11,190 10,813 Redeemable Financial Instruments 7,957 7,957 Debt 28,737 43,394 Total liabilities 2,165,062 3,504,871 Equity Voting nonconvertible preferred stock 27 27 Common stock 17 17 Additional paid-in capital 72,174 72,006 Accumulated other comprehensive loss (972 ) (905 ) Accumulated deficit (20,516 ) (9,204 ) Total stockholders' equity 50,730 61,941 Noncontrolling interest 55,303 89,492 Total equity 106,033 151,433 Total liabilities and equity $ 2,271,095 $ 3,656,304

Non-GAAP Measures

Adjusted pre-tax income (loss) and adjusted pre-tax income (loss) per diluted share

Adjusted pre-tax income (loss) is not a financial measure recognized by GAAP. Adjusted pre-tax income (loss) represents net income (loss) attributable to Cohen & Company Inc., computed in accordance with GAAP, excluding other non-operating income and income tax expense (benefit), plus the net income (loss) attributable to the convertible non-controlling interest. Other non-operating income, representing the forgiveness of our PPP loan, has been excluded because it is a non-recurring item. Income tax expense (benefit) has been excluded because a pre-tax measurement of enterprise earnings that includes net income (loss) attributable to the convertible non-controlling interest is a useful and appropriate measure of performance. Furthermore, our income tax expense (benefit) has been, and we expect it will continue to be, a substantially non-cash item for the foreseeable future, generated from adjustments in our valuation allowance applied to the Companys gross deferred tax assets. Convertible non-controlling interest is added back to adjusted pre-tax income because the underlying Cohen & Company, LLC equity units are convertible into Cohen & Company Inc. shares. Adjusted pre-tax income (loss) per diluted share is calculated, by dividing adjusted pre-tax income (loss) by diluted shares outstanding, both of which include adjustments used in the corresponding calculation in accordance with GAAP.

We present adjusted pre-tax income (loss) and related per diluted share amounts in this release because we consider them to be useful and appropriate supplemental measures of our performance. Adjusted pre-tax income (loss) and related per diluted share amounts help us to evaluate our performance without the effects of certain GAAP calculations that may not have a direct cash or recurring impact on our current operating performance. In addition, our management uses adjusted pre-tax income (loss) and related per diluted share amounts to evaluate the performance of our enterprise operations. Adjusted pre-tax income (loss) and related per diluted share amounts, as we define them, are not necessarily comparable to similarly named measures of other companies and may not be appropriate measures for performance relative to other companies. Adjusted pre-tax income (loss) should not be assessed in isolation from or construed as a substitute for net income (loss) attributable to Cohen & Company Inc. prepared in accordance with GAAP. Adjusted pre-tax income (loss) is not intended to represent and should not be considered to be a more meaningful measure than, or an alternative to, measures of operating performance as determined in accordance with GAAP.

Contact:

Investors - Media - Cohen & Company Inc. Joele Frank, Wilkinson Brimmer Katcher Joseph W. Pooler, Jr. James Golden or Andrew Squire Executive Vice President and 212-355-4449 Chief Financial Officer jgolden@joelefrank.com or asquire@joelefrank.com 215-701-8952 investorrelations@cohenandcompany.com




(Bloomberg) -- Michigan Democratic Senator Debbie Stabenow is pushing for last-minute changes to stringent new electric-vehicle tax-credit limits in her partys tax and spending deal amid a pressure campaign from the auto industry.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Stabenows efforts to tweak the bills language risks creating a new wrinkle for Senate Democrats still struggling to get all 50 members of their caucus to support the $433 billion measure and pass it in the coming days.

Stabenow, who called the provision a serious concern, said the EV tax credit, worth billions of dollars, wouldnt be usable for years under the deal forged by West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin and Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.

Once these are implemented, none of the auto companies will able to offer that credit to consumers, Stabenow, a staunch advocate of her home states auto industry, said of the changes to the credit Wednesday. You would need multiple years down the road before that can happen.

Read: Carmakers Blitz Congress to Fix EV Tax Credit They Cant Use

The bill is the product of more than a year of negotiations, and changing it at this point is unlikely. Manchin, who walked away from a more expansive tax-and-spending bill in December, has railed against the $7,500 vehicle tax credit for months, and even dismissed it as ludicrous.

But Stabenows resistance shows the power any one Democrat holds in the evenly divided Senate -- particularly for legislation the party plans to push through on a simple majority, using special budget rules amid unified Republican opposition.

Major automakers including Ford Motor Co., General Motors Co. and Toyota Motor Corp. have launched a lobbying blitz seeking to blunt Manchins limits to the credit. Those limits include prohibitions on batteries and critical minerals that are processed in China and other foreign entities of concern, which could render the credit useless.

Story continues

Other limits include new caps on vehicle price and consumer income that have drawn opposition from newer automakers like Rivian Automotive LLC.

Further complicating matters for Democrats, electric vehicle maker Lucid Motors Inc., which has a production facility in Arizona, is reaching out to homestate Senator Kyrsten Sinema, a person familiar with the matter said.

Sinema is the key Democratic holdout on the bill and has been speaking with Republicans and industry groups like the Arizona Chamber of Commerce about its provisions.

Sinema Gets an Earful From GOP, Business in Bid to Halt Tax Plan

Other home-state energy interests are making direct appeals to Sinema, underscoring not only her decisive role but also the stakes of the bills climate provisions for alternate-energy businesses.

The Senates top rules official this week is considering whether the provisions in the Manchin-Schumer deal comply with the budgetary rules that Democrats are using to bypass Republican filibuster. The domestic-content provisions are especially vulnerable to being stricken, since they may be ruled as not strictly related to the federal budget.

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2022 Bloomberg L.P.
You had a pretty good feeling former Ohio State sharpshooter Duane Washington would find another NBA suitor before too long. Thats exactly what happened on Tuesday when the Phoenix Suns reportedly inked the former Buckeye start to a two-way deal. The news was first reported by ESPNs Adrian Wojnarowski.

Washington declared for the 2020 NBA draft a year early but had to settle for a two-way deal with the Indiana Pacers as an undrafted free agent. He found some success with the Pacers and even did enough to sign a real, live, multiple-year deal with the team before being waved in mid-July because of business decisions with cap space.

Now, after averaging 9.9 points per contest with the Pacers, Washington will get another shot with a Suns team that could use his hot outside shooting to bolster the offense.

Former Ohio State guard Duane Washington waived by Pacers

Apr 10, 2022; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Indiana Pacers guard Duane Washington Jr. (4) at Barclays Center. Credit: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

We wish nothing but the best for Washington and will follow the next step in his NBA career closely here at Buckeyes Wire.

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Contact/Follow us @BuckeyesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes, and opinion. Follow Phil Harrison on Twitter.

Let us know your thoughts, and comment on this story below. Join the conversation today.

Story originally appeared on Buckeye Wire
By Markus Wacket

BERLIN (Reuters) - The German government will have to amend its energy security law again in September as its gas levy cannot yet be imposed on all consumers, including those with fixed prices contracts, government and parliamentary sources told Reuters on Wednesday.

A gas levy, which had been set to come into force from October, was envisaged as a tool to collect funds from all gas consumers to support ailing gas importers that are struggling with soaring prices due to falling Russian gas export flows.

Industry sources told Reuters that around one quarter of gas consumer contracts have clauses that would guarantee fixed prices, which would make adding on a levy difficult.

The economy ministry declined to comment.

Further details on the levy were to be announced in August, but according to a draft law seen by Reuters on Wednesday, the government plans to adjust the surcharge at least every three months to reflect changes in gas prices.

"A gas scarcity situation" is the perquisite to impose the levy, which the government has already determined with falling Russian gas flows, the draft law showed.

The levy was seen as a fairer fund-collecting mechanism than a general price adjustment clause that would allow suppliers themselves to pass price increases on to customers, which experts see as legally contestable.

After the government raised its gas storage targets for winter last month, additional costs will arise and also be partially passed on to final consumers, probably from November, industry sources told Reuters.

(Reporting by Markus Wacket; Writing by Riham Alkousaa and Vera Eckert; Editing by Miranda Murray and Louise Heavens)
Current rules require airlines to pay passengers refunds and flight vouchers for cancellations and "significant changes" to flight schedules but do not clearly define "significant changes." (Associated Press)

Responding to a "flood of air travel service complaints" during the pandemic, the U.S. Department of Transportation proposed rule changes Wednesday to make it easier for airline passengers to collect refunds for canceled or delayed flights.

As travel demand has surged to near pre-pandemic levels, airlines have conceded that they often don't have the staff needed to operate the flights, causing a surge in cancellations and delays  and in complaints from travelers who say airlines have been slow to offer refunds.

Current rules require U.S. airlines to pay refunds and flight vouchers for cancellations and "significant changes" to flight schedules but do not clearly define "significant changes." As a result, refund policies vary among the airlines, according to consumer advocates.

"This proposed rule would protect the rights of travelers and help ensure they get the timely refunds they deserve from the airlines," U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a statement.

Under the proposed rule, a "significant change" can mean a change to the departure and/or arrival time by three hours or more for a domestic flight or six hours or more for an international flight. The definition of "significant" also includes a change to the departure or arrival airport, an increase in the number of connections and a change to the type of aircraft if it means the passenger's experience is downgraded.

Under the new rule, flight credits or vouchers would be valid indefinitely when passengers can't fly for pandemic-related reasons, such as a government-mandated ban on travel or border closures. The rule also requires that airlines pay refunds, rather than travel credits or vouchers, if the company "received significant government assistance related to a pandemic." Most of the nation's largest carriers received funding in 2020 and 2021 under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act to avoid mass layoffs.

"I'm happy with the fact that the Department of Transportation is now looking at this," said Charles Leocha, president of Travelers United, an airline consumer advocacy group. But Leocha would like the agency to go further by shortening the three-hour window for changing domestic flights to 90 minutes.

Story continues

The Department of Transportation issued more than $2 million in fines against Air Canada in November 2021 over what the agency described as "extreme delays" in providing refunds to thousands of consumers for flights to or from the U.S. that were canceled. The agency says it is pursuing fines against 10 other airlines for similar delays in paying out refunds.

A spokesperson for a trade group that represents that nation's largest carriers declined to comment on the proposed rule but said the airlines "provide the highest level of customer service and are committed to working with travelers to address their individual circumstances."

U.S. airlines issued nearly $13 billion in cash refunds in 2020 and more than $8 billion in 2021, according to the trade group Airlines for America. Complaints about refunds among airline passengers have been dropping since May 2020, according to the group.

The airline trade group last month posted a statement conceding that the carriers are still struggling to overcome pandemic-related problems.

"The learning curve to our nations 'new normal' is steep, and U.S. airlines are adapting and implementing long-term solutions as quickly as possible to ensure smooth operations. We acknowledge that our work is not done which is exactly why we will continue listening to our customers and acting to show our commitment to safety, service and you," the post said.

Despite the increase in demand, airlines are struggling to return to the financially rosy period before the pandemic, when most carriers reported record profits. In the first quarter of 2022, U.S. airlines reported a net loss of $5.1 billion, according to the U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics.

The Aviation Consumer Protection Advisory Committee, a panel that advises the Department of Transportation, will hold its first hearing on the proposed rule Aug. 22 in Washington, D.C., but anyone interested can attend the meeting via Zoom after registering online. Members of the public can submit comments on the proposed rules at www.regulations.gov, docket number DOT-OST-2022-0089.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
ReportLinker

High-Integrity Pressure Protection System Market Research Report by Offering (Components and Services), Industry, Region (Americas, Asia-Pacific, and Europe, Middle East & Africa) - Global Forecast to 2027 - Cumulative Impact of COVID-19

New York, Aug. 03, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report "High-Integrity Pressure Protection System Market Research Report by Offering, Industry, Region - Global Forecast to 2027 - Cumulative Impact of COVID-19" - https://www.reportlinker.com/p06303601/?utm_source=GNW



The Global High-Integrity Pressure Protection System Market size was estimated at USD 493.35 million in 2021 and expected to reach USD 533.16 million in 2022, and is projected to grow at a CAGR 8.32% to reach USD 797.12 million by 2027.



Market Statistics:

The report provides market sizing and forecast across 7 major currencies - USD, EUR, JPY, GBP, AUD, CAD, and CHF. It helps organization leaders make better decisions when currency exchange data is readily available. In this report, the years 2019 and 2020 are considered historical years, 2021 as the base year, 2022 as the estimated year, and years from 2023 to 2027 are considered the forecast period.



Market Segmentation & Coverage:

This research report categorizes the High-Integrity Pressure Protection System to forecast the revenues and analyze the trends in each of the following sub-markets:



Based on Offering, the market was studied across Components and Services. The Components is further studied across Field Initiators, Final Control Elements, and Logic Solvers. The Final Control Elements is further studied across Actuators and Valves. The Services is further studied across Maintenance, Testing, Inspection, & Certification, and Training & Consulting.



Based on Industry, the market was studied across Chemicals, Food & Beverages, Metals & Mining, Oil & Gas, Pharmaceuticals, Power Generation, and Water & Wastewater. The Oil & Gas is further studied across Downstream, Midstream, and Upstream.



Based on Region, the market was studied across Americas, Asia-Pacific, and Europe, Middle East & Africa. The Americas is further studied across Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, and United States. The United States is further studied across California, Florida, Illinois, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Texas. The Asia-Pacific is further studied across Australia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, and Thailand. The Europe, Middle East & Africa is further studied across France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Spain, United Arab Emirates, and United Kingdom.



Cumulative Impact of COVID-19:

COVID-19 is an incomparable global public health emergency that has affected almost every industry, and the long-term effects are projected to impact the industry growth during the forecast period. Our ongoing research amplifies our research framework to ensure the inclusion of underlying COVID-19 issues and potential paths forward. The report delivers insights on COVID-19 considering the changes in consumer behavior and demand, purchasing patterns, re-routing of the supply chain, dynamics of current market forces, and the significant interventions of governments. The updated study provides insights, analysis, estimations, and forecasts, considering the COVID-19 impact on the market.



Cumulative Impact of 2022 Russia Ukraine Conflict:

We continuously monitor and update reports on political and economic uncertainty due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Negative impacts are significantly foreseen globally, especially across Eastern Europe, European Union, Eastern & Central Asia, and the United States. This contention has severely affected lives and livelihoods and represents far-reaching disruptions in trade dynamics. The potential effects of ongoing war and uncertainty in Eastern Europe are expected to have an adverse impact on the world economy, with especially long-term harsh effects on Russia.This report uncovers the impact of demand & supply, pricing variants, strategic uptake of vendors, and recommendations for High-Integrity Pressure Protection System market considering the current update on the conflict and its global response.



Competitive Strategic Window:

The Competitive Strategic Window analyses the competitive landscape in terms of markets, applications, and geographies to help the vendor define an alignment or fit between their capabilities and opportunities for future growth prospects. It describes the optimal or favorable fit for the vendors to adopt successive merger and acquisition strategies, geography expansion, research & development, and new product introduction strategies to execute further business expansion and growth during a forecast period.



FPNV Positioning Matrix:

The FPNV Positioning Matrix evaluates and categorizes the vendors in the High-Integrity Pressure Protection System Market based on Business Strategy (Business Growth, Industry Coverage, Financial Viability, and Channel Support) and Product Satisfaction (Value for Money, Ease of Use, Product Features, and Customer Support) that aids businesses in better decision making and understanding the competitive landscape.



Market Share Analysis:

The Market Share Analysis offers the analysis of vendors considering their contribution to the overall market. It provides the idea of its revenue generation into the overall market compared to other vendors in the space. It provides insights into how vendors are performing in terms of revenue generation and customer base compared to others. Knowing market share offers an idea of the size and competitiveness of the vendors for the base year. It reveals the market characteristics in terms of accumulation, fragmentation, dominance, and amalgamation traits.



Competitive Scenario:

The Competitive Scenario provides an outlook analysis of the various business growth strategies adopted by the vendors. The news covered in this section deliver valuable thoughts at the different stage while keeping up-to-date with the business and engage stakeholders in the economic debate. The competitive scenario represents press releases or news of the companies categorized into Merger & Acquisition, Agreement, Collaboration, & Partnership, New Product Launch & Enhancement, Investment & Funding, and Award, Recognition, & Expansion. All the news collected help vendor to understand the gaps in the marketplace and competitors strength and weakness thereby, providing insights to enhance product and service.



Company Usability Profiles:

The report profoundly explores the recent significant developments by the leading vendors and innovation profiles in the Global High-Integrity Pressure Protection System Market, including ABB Ltd., British Engines Limited, Dafram S.p.a, Emerson Electric Co., Frames Group, General Electric Company, HIMA Paul Hildebrandt GmbH, Honeywell International Inc., IMI PLC, Larsen & Toubro Ltd., Mogas Industries, Inc., Paladon Systems Ltd., Pietro Fiorentini S.p.a., Rockwell Automation, Inc., Samson Group, Schlumberger Limited, Schneider Electric SE, Siemens AG, Velan Inc., and Yokogawa Electric Corporation.



The report provides insights on the following pointers:

1. Market Penetration: Provides comprehensive information on the market offered by the key players

2. Market Development: Provides in-depth information about lucrative emerging markets and analyze penetration across mature segments of the markets

3. Market Diversification: Provides detailed information about new product launches, untapped geographies, recent developments, and investments

4. Competitive Assessment & Intelligence: Provides an exhaustive assessment of market shares, strategies, products, certification, regulatory approvals, patent landscape, and manufacturing capabilities of the leading players

5. Product Development & Innovation: Provides intelligent insights on future technologies, R&D activities, and breakthrough product developments



The report answers questions such as:

1. What is the market size and forecast of the Global High-Integrity Pressure Protection System Market?

2. What are the inhibiting factors and impact of COVID-19 shaping the Global High-Integrity Pressure Protection System Market during the forecast period?

3. Which are the products/segments/applications/areas to invest in over the forecast period in the Global High-Integrity Pressure Protection System Market?

4. What is the competitive strategic window for opportunities in the Global High-Integrity Pressure Protection System Market?

5. What are the technology trends and regulatory frameworks in the Global High-Integrity Pressure Protection System Market?

6. What is the market share of the leading vendors in the Global High-Integrity Pressure Protection System Market?

7. What modes and strategic moves are considered suitable for entering the Global High-Integrity Pressure Protection System Market?

Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p06303601/?utm_source=GNW



About Reportlinker

ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place.



__________________________

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CONTACT: Clare: clare@reportlinker.com US: (339)-368-6001 Intl: +1 339-368-6001




ReportLinker

Hollow Fiber Filtration Market Research Report by Material (Ceramic, Other polymeric materials, and Polymeric), Application, Technique, End Users, Region (Americas, Asia-Pacific, and Europe, Middle East & Africa) - Global Forecast to 2027 - Cumulative Impact of COVID-19

New York, Aug. 03, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report "Hollow Fiber Filtration Market Research Report by Material, Application, Technique, End Users, Region - Global Forecast to 2027 - Cumulative Impact of COVID-19" - https://www.reportlinker.com/p06303597/?utm_source=GNW



The Global Hollow Fiber Filtration Market size was estimated at USD 354.25 million in 2021 and expected to reach USD 443.16 million in 2022, and is projected to grow at a CAGR 25.35% to reach USD 1,374.54 million by 2027.



Market Statistics:

The report provides market sizing and forecast across 7 major currencies - USD, EUR, JPY, GBP, AUD, CAD, and CHF. It helps organization leaders make better decisions when currency exchange data is readily available. In this report, the years 2019 and 2020 are considered historical years, 2021 as the base year, 2022 as the estimated year, and years from 2023 to 2027 are considered the forecast period.



Market Segmentation & Coverage:

This research report categorizes the Hollow Fiber Filtration to forecast the revenues and analyze the trends in each of the following sub-markets:



Based on Material, the market was studied across Ceramic, Other polymeric materials, Polymeric, Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), and PS/PES.



Based on Application, the market was studied across Concentration & Diafiltration, Continuous Cell Perfusion, and Harvest & Clarification.



Based on Technique, the market was studied across Microfiltration and Ultrafiltration. The Microfiltration is further studied across <0.2 Micron Meter and >0.2 Micron Meter and <0.7 Micron Meter. The Ultrafiltration is further studied across <10,000 kDa, >10,000 kDa and <50,000 kDa, and >50,000 kDa.



Based on End Users, the market was studied across Contract Research Organization & Contract Manufacturing Organization (CROs & CMOs), Other, and Pharmaceutical & Biotechnology Manufacturers.



Based on Region, the market was studied across Americas, Asia-Pacific, and Europe, Middle East & Africa. The Americas is further studied across Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, and United States. The United States is further studied across California, Florida, Illinois, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Texas. The Asia-Pacific is further studied across Australia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, and Thailand. The Europe, Middle East & Africa is further studied across France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Spain, United Arab Emirates, and United Kingdom.



Cumulative Impact of COVID-19:

COVID-19 is an incomparable global public health emergency that has affected almost every industry, and the long-term effects are projected to impact the industry growth during the forecast period. Our ongoing research amplifies our research framework to ensure the inclusion of underlying COVID-19 issues and potential paths forward. The report delivers insights on COVID-19 considering the changes in consumer behavior and demand, purchasing patterns, re-routing of the supply chain, dynamics of current market forces, and the significant interventions of governments. The updated study provides insights, analysis, estimations, and forecasts, considering the COVID-19 impact on the market.



Cumulative Impact of 2022 Russia Ukraine Conflict:

We continuously monitor and update reports on political and economic uncertainty due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Negative impacts are significantly foreseen globally, especially across Eastern Europe, European Union, Eastern & Central Asia, and the United States. This contention has severely affected lives and livelihoods and represents far-reaching disruptions in trade dynamics. The potential effects of ongoing war and uncertainty in Eastern Europe are expected to have an adverse impact on the world economy, with especially long-term harsh effects on Russia.This report uncovers the impact of demand & supply, pricing variants, strategic uptake of vendors, and recommendations for Hollow Fiber Filtration market considering the current update on the conflict and its global response.



Competitive Strategic Window:

The Competitive Strategic Window analyses the competitive landscape in terms of markets, applications, and geographies to help the vendor define an alignment or fit between their capabilities and opportunities for future growth prospects. It describes the optimal or favorable fit for the vendors to adopt successive merger and acquisition strategies, geography expansion, research & development, and new product introduction strategies to execute further business expansion and growth during a forecast period.



FPNV Positioning Matrix:

The FPNV Positioning Matrix evaluates and categorizes the vendors in the Hollow Fiber Filtration Market based on Business Strategy (Business Growth, Industry Coverage, Financial Viability, and Channel Support) and Product Satisfaction (Value for Money, Ease of Use, Product Features, and Customer Support) that aids businesses in better decision making and understanding the competitive landscape.



Market Share Analysis:

The Market Share Analysis offers the analysis of vendors considering their contribution to the overall market. It provides the idea of its revenue generation into the overall market compared to other vendors in the space. It provides insights into how vendors are performing in terms of revenue generation and customer base compared to others. Knowing market share offers an idea of the size and competitiveness of the vendors for the base year. It reveals the market characteristics in terms of accumulation, fragmentation, dominance, and amalgamation traits.



Competitive Scenario:

The Competitive Scenario provides an outlook analysis of the various business growth strategies adopted by the vendors. The news covered in this section deliver valuable thoughts at the different stage while keeping up-to-date with the business and engage stakeholders in the economic debate. The competitive scenario represents press releases or news of the companies categorized into Merger & Acquisition, Agreement, Collaboration, & Partnership, New Product Launch & Enhancement, Investment & Funding, and Award, Recognition, & Expansion. All the news collected help vendor to understand the gaps in the marketplace and competitors strength and weakness thereby, providing insights to enhance product and service.



Company Usability Profiles:

The report profoundly explores the recent significant developments by the leading vendors and innovation profiles in the Global Hollow Fiber Filtration Market, including Alpha Plan GmbH, Asahi Kasei Corporation, Biotree, BiOZEEN Bangalore Biotech Pvt. Ltd., Cantel Medical, Cole-Parmer Instrument Company, CoorsTek, Inc., Danaher Corporation, GE Healthcare, Koch Separation Solutions, Kuraray Co., Ltd., MANN+HUMMEL Holding GmbH, Meissner Filtration Products, Inc, MMS Membrane Systems, Parker-Hannifin Corp, Repligen Corporation, Sartorius AG, TOYOBO CO., LTD, and WaterSep BioSeparations Corporation.



The report provides insights on the following pointers:

1. Market Penetration: Provides comprehensive information on the market offered by the key players

2. Market Development: Provides in-depth information about lucrative emerging markets and analyze penetration across mature segments of the markets

3. Market Diversification: Provides detailed information about new product launches, untapped geographies, recent developments, and investments

4. Competitive Assessment & Intelligence: Provides an exhaustive assessment of market shares, strategies, products, certification, regulatory approvals, patent landscape, and manufacturing capabilities of the leading players

5. Product Development & Innovation: Provides intelligent insights on future technologies, R&D activities, and breakthrough product developments



The report answers questions such as:

1. What is the market size and forecast of the Global Hollow Fiber Filtration Market?

2. What are the inhibiting factors and impact of COVID-19 shaping the Global Hollow Fiber Filtration Market during the forecast period?

3. Which are the products/segments/applications/areas to invest in over the forecast period in the Global Hollow Fiber Filtration Market?

4. What is the competitive strategic window for opportunities in the Global Hollow Fiber Filtration Market?

5. What are the technology trends and regulatory frameworks in the Global Hollow Fiber Filtration Market?

6. What is the market share of the leading vendors in the Global Hollow Fiber Filtration Market?

7. What modes and strategic moves are considered suitable for entering the Global Hollow Fiber Filtration Market?

Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p06303597/?utm_source=GNW



About Reportlinker

ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place.



__________________________

Story continues

CONTACT: Clare: clare@reportlinker.com US: (339)-368-6001 Intl: +1 339-368-6001




SOUTHFIELD, Mich., Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Lear Corporation (NYSE: LEA), a global automotive technology leader in Seating and E-Systems, today announced it has joined Climate Group's RE100, a global renewable electricity initiative that includes over 370 major companies.

Lear Corporation (NYSE: LEA), a global automotive technology leader in Seating and E-Systems, announced it has joined Climate Groups RE100, a global renewable electricity initiative that includes over 370 major companies.

RE100 members commit to sourcing 100% of the electricity used across their global operations with electricity produced from renewable sources.

By integrating its Energy Efficiency Playbook and renewable energy strategy across the company, Lear plans to achieve 100% renewable energy for electric power consumed at its global sites by 2030.

Lear's operations in Germany, Poland and the United Kingdom currently meet the goal. In addition, the company is operating six on-site solar installations in Europe, South America, and Asia, with a seventh installation planned to be announced later this year.

Lear will use a combination of methods to procure and generate renewable electricity for its remaining global sites. The type of power source will depend on geographical location, applicable legislation and government regulations.

"Lear's strategy, aligned with RE100 and the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals, illustrates our commitment to industry collaboration and building a more sustainable global economy," said Lear Vice President of Renewable Energy and Sustainability Jozef Chrzanowski. "We are excited to become a member of RE100 and take another step towards a carbon neutral future."

"Lear's commitment to 100% renewable electricity globally by 2030 demonstrates its leadership in energy transition," said the Director of Energy at Climate Group Sam Kimmins. "Together, our RE100 members represent a powerful force for positive change, and we encourage all large-scale businesses to join us."

RE100 is focused on accelerating change towards zero carbon grids by 2040.

To learn more about Lear's Climate Goals and sustainability strategy see our 2021 sustainability report here.

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About Lear Corporation

Lear, a global automotive technology leader in Seating and E-Systems, enables superior in-vehicle experiences for consumers around the world. Lear's diverse team of talented employees in 38 countries is driven by a commitment to innovation, operational excellence, and sustainability. Lear is Making every drive better by providing the technology for safer, smarter, and more comfortable journeys. Lear, headquartered in Southfield, Michigan, serves every major automaker in the world and ranks 186 on the Fortune 500. Further information about Lear is available at lear.com or on Twitter @LearCorporation

About RE100

RE100 is a global initiative bringing together the world's most influential businesses committed to 100% renewable electricity. Led by Climate Group, in partnership with CDP, our mission is to drive change towards 100% renewable grids, both through the direct investments of our members, and by working with policymakers to accelerate the transition to a clean economy. The initiative has over 370 members, ranging from household brands to critical infrastructure and heavy industry suppliers. With a total revenue of over US$6.6 trillion, our members represent 1.5% of global electricity consumption, an annual electricity demand higher than that of the UK.

Lear Corporation Logo. (PRNewsFoto/Lear Corporation) (PRNewsfoto/Lear Corporation)

Cision

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/lear-joins-climate-groups-re100-initiative-committing-to-100-renewable-electricity-for-its-global-sites-by-2030-301598917.html

SOURCE Lear Corporation
The landmark signing is part of a continued effort to develop the tourism sector and the creative economy in the country

DENPASAR, Indonesia, Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Marriott International Inc. in Indonesia signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with The Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy of The Republic of Indonesia to develop the tourism sector and the creative economy in Indonesia.

Landmark signing between The Ministry Of Tourism And Creative Economy of The Republic of Indonesia and Marriott International in Indonesia

The landmark signing was attended by Ni Wayan Giri Adnyani, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy / Permanent Secretary of the Tourism and Creative Agency; Agustini Rahayu, Director of Tourism Marketing for Europe, Middle East, America, and Africa; and Ramesh Jackson, Area Vice President Indonesia, Marriott International.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) includes collaborations encompassing tourism destination and tourism marketing; the institutional field including the development of talent and human resource competencies in the tourism sector; the field of creative economic development, as well as other forms of collaborations beneficial for the tourism and hospitality industry within a period of three years from the signing.

Ramesh Jackson, Indonesia's Area Vice President for Marriot International, said that Marriott International is committed to supporting Indonesian tourism. "Collectively we aim to improve the experience for travelers to get closer to the beauty of Indonesia, its natural wonders, its rich history, and its people," he said.

"We look forward to establishing a long-term relationship with the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy, which has been working tirelessly around the clock to stimulate tourism," said Ramesh.

In his statement, Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy of the Republic of Indonesia, Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno, conveyed that this MoU is a concrete step towards a commitment between the public and private sector, in line with President Joko Widodo's instructions to develop a more inclusive tourism.

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"Marriott International, as one of the largest hospitality companies in the world and a major player as one of the top accommodation providers in Indonesia and across the archipelago, is the right partner for this strategic collaboration. I look forward to this fruitful cooperation and see the positive results in the near future," said Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno.

This opportune collaboration supports Marriott International's efforts to empower and equip local talents, providing opportunities for students or graduates of 6 Tourism Polytechnics (Poltekpar), to have practical experiences and training within the company's portfolio of hotels and resorts.

"The Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy of The Republic of Indonesia is looking forward to establishing partnerships with the hospitality industry as it is one of the industries that greatly contributes to the tourism sector. This memorandum of understanding is a strategic step in efforts to develop tourism and the creative economy in Indonesia," said Ni Wayan Giri.

"In addition to supporting each other through various events in the tourism sector and the creative economy in the future, it is our hope that this collaboration will increase human resource competencies in the Indonesian tourism sector," said Ni Wayan Giri further.

This groundbreaking union marries the very best of both worlds  tourism and hospitality, culture and society. Through this alliance and together with esteemed owners, Marriott International's portfolio of hotels and resorts in Indonesia remain committed to continuously elevate the country to the rest of the world by expanding the breadth and depth of its offerings and experiences.

With upcoming additions in Jakarta, Labuan Bajo and Manado, Marriott International currently operates 60 hotels and resorts in Indonesia across 19 of its 30 global brands.

About Marriott International, Inc.

Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ: MAR) is based in Bethesda, Maryland, USA, and encompasses a portfolio of more than 8,000 properties under 30 leading brands spanning 139 countries and territories. Marriott operates and franchises hotels and licenses vacation ownership resorts all around the world. The company offers Marriott Bonvoy, its highly awarded travel program. For more information, please visit our website at www.marriott.com . and for the latest company news, visit www.marriottnewscenter.com . In addition, connect with us on Facebook and @MarriottIntl on Twitter and Instagram .

SOURCE Marriott International
By Azernews

By Sabina Mammadli

Social media users have expressed concern over the possibility of another war in the region following the heightened tension inside the separatist-controlled part of Karabakh and on the Azerbaijani-Armenian border.

Over the recent days, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry has repeatedly reported on shootings in Karabakh by the Armenian separatists under the temporary control of the Russian peacekeepers and on response measures taken by the Azerbaijani army units in the area.

On August 3, a private of the Azerbaijani army was killed in a truce violation by the Armenian troops in Karabakh, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said.

In a similar vein, the Russian Defense Ministry claimed the violations of the ceasefire regime three times by the Azerbaijani Armed Forces in the zone of responsibility of the Russian peacekeeping contingent, as a result of which a soldier of the armed formations of Nagorno-Karabakh was injured.

However, Azerbaijan has flatly denied the allegations.

The answer to what caused the latest aggravation in the region remains unclear; however, local media linked the tension to the construction of an alternative communication road between Karabakh Armenians and the Republic of Armenia and the alleged claims that official Baku urged ethnic Armenians to use the new road in days to come.

Azerbaijan, through Russian peacekeepers, demanded that Armenia organized the movement of transport from Karabakh to Armenia along the new route shortly, the report says with reference to a meeting of the Karabakh separatists.

Azerbaijan is completing the construction of an alternative road that will be used by Armenians to communicate with Armenia. Therefore, the Armenians must finally liberate the city of Lacin and the village of Zabux, stop driving along the Lacin corridor and use the new route, the report says, adding that Yerevan failed to get support in Moscow and if Armenians continue to delay the implementation of the agreements, the situation in Karabakh may seriously escalate.

Meanwhile, contacts at various levels among Armenian and Azerbaijani officials with Russian and western officials are continuing to hammer out a peace deal between Baku and Yerevan as stipulated by November 10, 2020, and other documents.

As Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stated earlier, Russia is making considerable efforts to the drafting of the Azerbaijani-Armenia peace agreement. In a similar move, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu called his Azerbaijani counterpart Zakir Hasanov to discuss the current situation in Karabakh.

On the same day, President Vladimir Putin and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan discussed the implementation of the agreements on Karabakh.

Some practical aspects of the implementation of the trilateral agreements between the leaders of Russia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan on Nagorno-Karabakh dated November 10, 2020, January 11, and November 26, 2021, were discussed, the message said.

It was also noted that Putin and Pashinyan agreed to continue contact at various levels.

Commenting on the heightened tension, the secretary of the parliamentary faction Armenia, former Minister of Defense Seyran Ohanyan stated that as long as the strategic situation is fragile, the risk of war is always there.

The former minister noted that the war could happen at any moment. Further, he called the normalization policy fake, further pushing the war agenda.

As for the international response, the situation has received growing concern from official parties.

Thus, EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus and the Crisis in Georgia Toivo Klaar stated that the EU is committed to deepening its involvement in the peace process.

I am concerned about reports of growing tensions in the Armenian-Azerbaijani context in recent days. The EU is committed to deepening its involvement in the peace process; we are participating in it on several levels, Klaar wrote on Twitter.

He emphasized the importance to achieve de-escalation and seize the historic opportunity to turn the page on decades of strife.
More than half (56%) of employers share that their organisation needs help to train employees with relevant skills, with 24% 'very open' and 69% 'somewhat open' to sending their employees for training on sustainability

The top three sustainability-related skills employers find helpful for their organisation are Environment and Social Governance (44%), Carbon Footprint Management (40%) and Sustainable Business Strategies (39%)

The top three in-demand Critical Core Skills that supplement sustainability initiatives regardless of sector and job roles include Problem Solving (52%), Creative thinking (44%) and Collaboration (44%)

SINGAPORE, Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- With the increasing emphasis on integrating sustainability into business models and operations, demand for talent in sustainability is set to intensify. According to NTUC LearningHub, more than seven in ten employers (77%) reveal that they are looking to hire talent for sustainability-related initiatives in the next two years, with the demand for specialised talent in the environmental space outpacing that of the social and governance arms of sustainability.

In fact, employers are 'very open' (24%) and 'somewhat open' (69%) to sending their employees for sustainability training. However, more than half (56%) of business leaders surveyed share that their organisation needs help to train employees with relevant skills in sustainability.

More than 7 in 10 employers are looking to hire talent for sustainability-related initiatives in the next two years

These are some of the key findings from NTUC LearningHub's recently launched Special Report 2022 on Sustainability, which aims to uncover the importance of implementing sustainable business practices, the demand for sustainability-related talent, and the priority skills required of employees by companies embarking on their sustainability journey.

The report is based on a survey of 200 business leaders across different industries in Singapore, and interviews with industry practitioners and experts from NTUC LearningHub. It also offers recommendations on key areas businesses can focus on in implementing sustainability initiatives.

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The top three skills related to sustainability that employers say would be useful for their organisation are Environment and Social Governance (44%), followed by Carbon Footprint Management (40%) and Sustainable Business Strategies (39%). In addition to domain knowledge in sustainability, business leaders also consider the value Critical Core Skills can bring in the development of sustainability initiatives, regardless of sector or job roles. The top three Critical Core Skills include Problem Solving (52%), Creative thinking (44%) and Collaboration (44%).

In driving change, two in five employers (39%) say that the C-suite Management team should be the key stakeholder responsible for driving and overseeing sustainability strategies. As for implementing sustainability initiatives, 59% of business leaders believe that a dedicated sustainability committee should be responsible for implementing sustainability initiatives in their organisation.

Commenting on the report findings, Tay Ee Learn, NTUC LearningHub's Director of Technical Skills Product Division, says, "Sustainability is a very new concept for many companies. With the growing call to integrate sustainable practices into business models, companies will inevitably be looking for talents to help them develop products or adopt new technologies to support their sustainable initiatives. Employers could consider recruiting new talents or developing their current workforce by equipping them with the right skills. For jobseekers, they can ride on this emerging trend and enrol in relevant training courses to equip themselves with the necessary skills as companies embarking on their sustainability journey will be starting to look for talents in this space."

To download the Special Report 2022 on Sustainability, please visit https://www.ntuclearninghub.com/sustainability-2022. To find out more about the courses, training, and grants, please contact NTUC LearningHub at www.ntuclearninghub.com.

About NTUC LearningHub

NTUC LearningHub is the leading Continuing Education and Training provider in Singapore which aims to transform the lifelong employability of working people. Since our corporatisation in 2004, we have been working with employers and individual learners to provide learning solutions in areas such as Cloud, Infocomm Technology, Healthcare, Employability & Literacy, Business Excellence, Workplace Safety & Health, Security, Human Resources and Foreign Worker Training.

To date, NTUC LearningHub has helped over 26,000 organisations and achieved more than 2.6 million training places across more than 2,900 courses with a pool of about 900 certified trainers. As a Total Learning Solutions provider to organisations, we also forge partnerships to offer a wide range of relevant end-to-end training. Besides in-person training, we also offer instructor-led virtual live classes (VLCs) and asynchronous online learning. The NTUC LearningHub Learning eXperience Platform (LXP)  a one-stop online learning mobile application  offers timely, bite-sized and quality content for learners to upskill anytime and anywhere. Beyond learning, LXP also serves as a platform for jobs and skills development for both workers and companies.

For more information, visit www.ntuclearninghub.com.

Press Contact

Zulaikha Zulkiflee

Assistant Manager, Brand & Communications

Email: zulaikha@ntuclearninghub.com

Mobile: +65 9026 9143

Gabriel J. Tan

Senior Executive, Public Relations

Email: gabriel.tan@ntuclearninghub.com

Mobile: +65 9841 4206

(PRNewsfoto/NTUC LEARNING HUB)

SOURCE NTUC LearningHub
Nancy Pelosi Says China 'Made a Big Fuss' About Taiwan Visit but Didn't 'Say Anything When the Men Came'

Nancy Pelosi met with Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen Wednesday as part of her defiant visit to the island that China claims as part of its territory.

China's strong objection to the House speaker's trip, which made her the highest-ranking U.S. official to visit Taiwan in a quarter century, came with warnings and ignited concerns among the American military as well as inside President Joe Biden's White House.

"We have repeatedly made clear our firm opposition to Speaker Pelosi's potential visit to Taiwan. If the U.S. side insists on making the visit and challenges China's red line, it will be met with resolute countermeasures," China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijiang said last week. "The U.S. must assume full responsibility for any serious consequence arising thereof."

China's Ministry of National Defense added last week that Pelosi should cancel the trip or the country's military will "resolutely defend national sovereignty."

RELATED: Why the Pentagon Fears for Nancy Pelosi's Safety If She Visits Taiwan, as China Promises Strong Response

Undeterred, Pelosi touched down in Taipei late Tuesday and was welcomed by Taiwanese leaders.

"Today the world faces a choice between democracy and autocracy," Pelosi said Wednesday during a meeting with President Tsai. "America's determination to preserve democracy, here in Taiwan and around the world, remains ironclad."

Speaker of the U.S. House Of Representatives Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), left, poses for photographs with Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen, right, at the president's office on August 03, 2022 in Taipei, Taiwan. Pelosi arrived in Taiwan on Tuesday as part of a tour of Asia aimed at reassuring allies in the region, as China made it clear that her visit to Taiwan would be seen in a negative light.

Getty

She also dismissed China's tough comments about her visit as possibly an "excuse" for their bluster.

"It's important to note that members of Congress, several of them had made trips just earlier this year," Pelosi said, according to video published by CNN. "They made a big fuss because I'm Speaker, I guess  I don't know if that's a reason or an excuse because they didn't say anything when the men came."

RELATED: Adam Schiff Is Making Moves to Replace Nancy Pelosi as House Speaker If She Steps Back After Midterms: Report

One of the men she referred to is Republican Sen. Tommy Tuberville, who told Newsmax earlier this week that he made the trip "5, 6 months ago" with "three or four other senators" despite similar warnings from China.

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Speaker of the U.S. House Of Representatives Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), speaks after receiving the Order of Propitious Clouds with Special Grand Cordon, Taiwans highest civilian honour, from Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen, at the president's office on August 03, 2022 in Taipei, Taiwan. Pelosi arrived in Taiwan on Tuesday as part of a tour of Asia aimed at reassuring allies in the region, as China made it clear that her visit to Taiwan would be seen in a negative light.

Getty

"Taiwan needs us to come. We need to show our support," Tuberville said in the interview. "China's not stupid enough to do something crazy. They talk a big game but we need to stand up for the American people, we need to stand up for our allies, we need to stand up for Taiwan. We need to show strength."

During the visit, President Tsai presented Pelosi with Taiwan's highest civilian honor, the Order of the Propitious Clouds.

RELATED: Nancy Pelosi Visits Ukraine, Receives Medal from President Zelenskyy: 'There for You Until the Fight Is Done'

"Speaker Pelosi is truly one of Taiwan's most devoted friends," Tsai said during a ceremony after Pelosi addressed Taiwan's parliament, NBC News reports. "We are truly grateful to you for making this visit to Taiwan to showcase the U.S. Congress's staunch support for Taiwan."

Speaker of the U.S. House Of Representatives Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), left, receives the Order of Propitious Clouds with Special Grand Cordon, Taiwans highest civilian honour, from Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen, right, at the president's office on August 03, 2022 in Taipei, Taiwan. Pelosi arrived in Taiwan on Tuesday as part of a tour of Asia aimed at reassuring allies in the region, as China made it clear that her visit to Taiwan would be seen in a negative light.

Getty

China, as expected, condemned Pelosi's trip, which she made with five other House Democratic lawmakers: Reps. Gregory Meeks of New York, Mark Takano of California, who also led a delegation to Taiwan last year, Suzan DelBene of Washington, Raja Krishnamoorthi of Illinois and Andy Kim of New Jersey.

"Those who play with fire will perish by it," the Chinese Foreign Ministry said in a statement Tuesday after Pelosi arrived in Taipei.

In an op-ed published by The Washington Post, Pelosi wrote that her visit "in no way contradicts the long-standing one-China policy," noting that hers is "one of several congressional delegations to the island."
Netflix filed a lawsuit this weekend against two TikTok stars in their early twenties, Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear, alleging that their Grammy-winning "Unofficial Bridgerton Musical" project infringed on the copyright of Netflix's original series "Bridgerton."

Early last year, the songwriting duo started penning impressive ballads about the popular Netflix show for fun, posting them on TikTok. Their videos were so popular that Barlow and Bear released an entire musical soundtrack based on "Bridgerton," then beat out legends like Andrew Lloyd Webber to win the 2022 Grammy Award for Best Musical Album. The moment was a milestone, demonstrating the impact of social media on pop culture.

If this project has been gaining steam for over a year, why would Netflix sue now? On July 26, the duo staged a sold-out performance at the Kennedy Center in New York City, featuring The National Symphony Orchestra and a collection of Broadway guest stars. With tickets ranging between $29 and $149, plus VIP upgrades, Netflix put its foot down after "repeated objections," demanding an end to these for-profit performances.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DVmelpRU92I?version=3&rel=1&showsearch=0&showinfo=1&iv_load_policy=1&fs=1&hl=en-US&autohide=2&wmode=transparent&w=640&h=360]

Based on novels by Julia Quinn, "Bridgerton" has shattered viewership records for Netflix originals. In a time of financial strain and subscriber loss for the streamer, the Regency-era romance is important IP.

Barlow and Bear's lawyers first approached Netflix in March 2021, asking for the streaming giant's blessing of a recorded album and a charity show. Netflix, according to its own characterization in its lawsuit, said that it wouldn't authorize the activity, but also wouldn't "[stand] in the way."

For Netflix, the Kennedy Center performance was a step too far. Barlow and Bear did not have permission from Netflix to stage their ticketed event, but according to legal experts, Netflix's permission is irrelevant to the question of copyright infringement.

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"It's a very interesting fair use case," said Casey Fiesler, an assistant professor at the University of Colorado Boulder who studies internet law and fandom. "This is what law school exams are made of."

Is the 'Bridgerton Musical' legal? It's complicated.

"Barlow & Bears conduct began on social media, but stretches 'fan fiction' well past its breaking point," Netflix's lawsuit reads. "It is blatant infringement of intellectual property rights."

But the legal reality isn't as cut-and-dry as Netflix's complaint makes it out to be.

Historically, fan works have sometimes been deemed legal under the fair use doctrine, which states that some copyrighted material can be used without explicit permission.

"Ive seen a lot of people implying that because [Barlow and Bear] are commercializing it, that means its not fair use," Fiesler told TechCrunch. "Whether something is commercial or non-commerical is part of a fair use analysis, but its part of only one factor."

Fair use analysis looks at the purpose of a work (is it for-profit?), the amount of copyrighted material it uses, the nature of the work (how transformative is it?) and how the work might economically impact the original.

Fiesler told TechCrunch that there have been many examples of commercial fan works that were determined in court to be fair use, though there isn't as much case law and precedent, since these disputes are often settled before they reach a judge.

In 2015, a federal judge in New York ruled in favor of "3C," an off-Broadway play that offered a dark, more adult spin on the '70s television show "Three's Company." The "Three's Company" copyright holder alleged that the production qualified as infringement, but the judge wrote in a lengthy ruling that the play was a "highly transformative parody," so it didn't pose a market threat to the original show.

But some commercial fan works didn't fare as well in court. "Prelude to Axanar," a short film based on "Star Trek," premiered at San Diego Comic-Con in 2014 after raising more than $100,000 from fans on Kickstarter. The short film was so successful that its creators decided to make a feature-length film called "Axanar," which raised over a million dollars from fans. The filmmakers assumed that they were protected by fair use, but when Paramount sued them, the judge sided with the copyright holders.

"Copyright law only used to be relevant to professional artists [...] and lawyers," said Fiesler. "Before the internet, why would you have to know anything about copyright law?"

But as fan communities emerged online, even teenage fan fiction writers have had to navigate the tricky territory of sharing derivative art. It's not uncommon to see copy-pasted diatribes on fan fiction websites in which the author states that they "do not own" characters like Dean Winchester, but, from a legal standpoint, these disclaimers don't accomplish much. Though it's not inherently illegal to monetize fan works, the popular fan fiction website Archive of Our Own (AO3) prohibits its writers from soliciting monetary tips from readers to avoid murky legal situations.

Theres a very strong non-commercialization norm in many fan communities," said Rebecca Tushnet, a Harvard Law School professor who is on the legal team at the Organization for Transformative Works (OTW), which runs AO3 (Fiesler also works with OTW, but neither she nor Tushnet speak on behalf of the group).

With some notable exceptions (looking at you, Anne Rice), fan works have generally slid under the radar, so long as they're not monetized. But once a fan creator starts making money, the copyright holder might start paying closer attention.

"When a work is commercial, it has to do a lot more in terms of adding something new -- criticizing, parodying or shedding new light on the original," said Tushnet. "Your average work of fan fiction is not commercial."

"Bridgerton" isn't the first media property to inspire a collaborative musical on TikTok. Stemming from a serendipitous viral moment, "Ratatouille: The TikTok Musical" premiered as a one-night charity livestream for the Actors Fund in January 2021. For that production, the question of fair use wasn't relevant, as the copyright holder Disney did not sue.

Although we do not have development plans for the title, we love when our fans engage with Disney stories, Disney said in a statement to the Los Angeles Times. We applaud and thank all of the online theater makers for helping to benefit the Actors Fund in this unprecedented time of need.

In 2009, students at the University of Michigan wrote and performed "A Very Potter Musical," a parody of the "Harry Potter" books (which starred a then-unknown Darren Criss, who is now an Emmy and Golden Globe winner). When the young theater troupe uploaded the performance to YouTube under the name Team Starkid, it went viral enough for Warner Brothers to notice. Though the "Harry Potter" copyright holder never sued Starkid, its members have stated that they reached an agreement with Warner Brothers to not charge admission for any "Harry Potter"-related performances.

Similarly, as soon as Barlow and Bear began to profit off of their "Bridgerton"-inspired songs, their work became a target for Netflix. Is turning a TV show into a musical transformative enough to be considered fair use? That's up to a judge to decide, but Tushnet doesn't think it's a particularly strong argument.

"Whether it's parodic or not, you want to do something noticeably different from [the original], other than just translating it into a new medium," Tushnet told TechCrunch.

What's next for the TikTok musical

Barlow and Bear's legal team has not yet responded to Netflix's complaint. They could settle with Netflix, or they could possibly take the case to court (Barlow and Bear did not respond to TechCrunch's request for comment).

"The only argument I can imagine them making is a fair use argument," Fiesler said.

Netflix's complaint doesn't argue against a fair use case, since Barlow and Bear haven't made that claim yet. But Netflix does nod to a potential economic loss from the unauthorized musical, which could become relevant in a case against fair use.

To capitalize on the popularity of the series, Netflix produced an event in March 2022 called the "The Queen's Ball: A Bridgerton Experience" in six cities, hosting a Regency-era ball. According to Netflix, the unofficial musical "undermines" the company's ability to host in-person, immersive "Bridgerton" events.

TikTok is making way for new fandom communities that are growing independent of decades-old fan networks like AO3, Tumblr or even LiveJournal (RIP). The downside is, though, that fans lose the institutional knowledge of long-time fandom denizens who have fought to protect non-commercial fan works for so long.

"I personally kind of hope that [the case] settles," said Fiesler. "If this went to court and Netflix won, I might worry a little bit about precedent-setting for future fan works."
Of nearly 18,000 consumers surveyed in U.S., U.K., and Australia, 67% do not want to work from the office, and 18% would take a pay cut to work remotely

LONDON & NEW YORK, August 03, 2022--(BUSINESS WIRE)--LoopMe, a leading brand-focused mobile advertising platform, today announced the release of its latest research report, "Adjusting to the New Economic Climate and Working Environment." The report unveils findings from a mobile survey of 17,861 respondents across the U.S., U.K., and Australia in Q2 2022 to understand consumer sentiment of the current state of the economy. The survey data was non-incentivized and normalized for population and gender splits by country.

Findings reveal that 47% of consumers are consciously spending less due to cost-of-living price increases and that more than two thirds (67%) of professionals in office-based roles prefer working from home full-time, with nearly 1 in 5 opting for a salary cut to do so.

"Consumers worldwide are watching their wallets right now, and brands are left adjusting to these trends from a business perspective. Marketing agility in the current economic environment is paramount," said Stephen Upstone, CEO and co-founder of LoopMe. "Leveraging technology and AI to effectively personalize advertising content is one way brands can quickly adhere to changing consumer needs and preferences, whether thats showcasing new deals or highlighting products that do better when purse strings are tight. Brands are also paying close attention to hybrid work preferences, as less time driving to the office extends time online browsing content."

Additional findings from the study include:

52% of consumers felt their company could offer higher wages to help with rising cost of living

21% of consumers are incentivized to come to the office for a salary increase and 7% choose to work from the office more to save on utility bills at home

11% of consumers have increased the number of days they work from home to save on travel costs

8% of consumers revealed their companies offer cycle to work plans to help with transport costs

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To view the full research report please visit https://info.loopme.com/purchaseloop-research-economic-climate-working-environment.

About LoopMe

LoopMe, a leading outcomes-based platform, closes the loop on digital advertising. By leveraging AI to optimize media delivery in real-time, we drive measurable uplift for business outcomes and more effective advertising across online and offline marketing goals, including brand lift, purchase intent, consideration, foot traffic and sales. LoopMe was founded in 2012 with the mission to create better consumer experiences through innovation, powered by data, in order to bring people and brands together. The Company is headquartered in the UK, with global offices across New York, Boston, Atlanta, Chicago, Detroit, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Toronto, Singapore, Dnipro (Ukraine), Krakow (Poland), Japan and Hong Kong. For more information, please visit loopme.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220803005124/en/

Contacts

Rachel Conforti

rachelc@loopme.com
The integrated luxury retailer invests in dedicated brand leader with 25 years of experience driving customer-focused innovation

DALLAS, Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Neiman Marcus Group (NMG) today announced the appointment of Ryan Ross as President of Neiman Marcus effective Aug. 15, 2022.

Ryan Ross, President of Neiman Marcus

The new dedicated brand role is established to fuel acceleration by strengthening the brand and customer experience. Ross will report to Geoffroy van Raemdonck, Chief Executive Officer, NMG, who remains committed to driving momentum for Neiman Marcus Group, partnering with leaders across the business to Make Life Extraordinary for customers, luxury brand partners and associates.

"Ryan is a values-driven leader with a proven track record of achieving rapid growth and optimizing customer-centric experiences," said van Raemdonck. "This new role represents the next step in our Revolutionizing Luxury Experiences strategy, and we're confident that an esteemed omnichannel retail leader like Ryan further positions Neiman Marcus for sustainable growth."

Ross was previously President of Williams Sonoma, where he was responsible for driving integrated channel strategies, customer growth and evolving the relevancy of the brands. He previously held the position of EVP Marketing and Digital at HSN through the company's acquisition by QVC. He also held leadership positions at Harrods, Pottery Barn and Gap, Inc.

"Neiman Marcus is the pinnacle of luxury and maintains the strongest customer relationships in the industry," said Ross. "I look forward to working with a talented team of integrated luxury retail experts to create exceptional experiences for our customers, brand partners and associates."

Lana Todorovich, President and Chief Merchandising Officer, Neiman Marcus, remains in her current role reporting to Ross. There will be no change to how Neiman Marcus manages the important relationships with brand partners. Todorovich leads merchandising and buying for Neiman Marcus, architecting a best-in-class brand portfolio with fashion at the heart of the business, as well as creating immersive retail-tainment experiences and curated assortments for customers. She and van Raemdonck will continue working together closely to cultivate the industry's leading luxury brand partnerships.

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In addition, David Goubert, Chief Customer Officer, Neiman Marcus, will depart the company and pursue personal interests, including his passion for social impact businesses. In his more than three years at NMG, Goubert led Neiman Marcus through tremendous industry changes.

"David has helped lead us through a significant transformation, establishing a strong roadmap and a dynamic team fueling future success," stated van Raemdonck. "His leadership inspired a culture of trust, ambition and respect across teams  all of which reinforced a successful brand strategy with luxury relationships at its core. We're grateful for David's contributions to Neiman Marcus and wish him well in his next chapter."

NMG has experienced continued acceleration and great results from its growth strategy. The Company surpassed pre-COVID benchmarks throughout 2022, and strong performance is attributed, in part, to a committed luxury customer base. The appointment of Ross as President of Neiman Marcus comes after the company recently announced $500 million investments in technology and supply chain.

About Neiman Marcus Group

Neiman Marcus Group is a relationship business that leads with love in everything we do for our customers, associates, brand partners, and communities. Our legacy of innovating and our culture of Belonging guide our roadmap for Revolutionizing Luxury Experiences. As one of the largest multi-brand luxury retailers in the U.S., with the world's most desirable brand partners, we're delivering exceptional products and intelligent services, enabled by our investments in data and technology. Through the expertise of our 10,000+ associates, we deliver and scale a personalized luxury experience across our three channels of in-store, eCommerce, and remote selling. Our NMG|Way culture, powered by our people, combines individual talents into a collective strength to make life extraordinary. Our flagship brands include Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman. For more information, visit neimanmarcusgroup.com.





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SOURCE Neiman Marcus Group
NEW YORK, Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Sony Corporation of America, on behalf of Sony Group Corporation ("Sony") and its affiliates in the Americas, announced today a $1 million donation to support UNICEF's Learning Passport, helping millions of children and their families affected by the crisis in Ukraine and neighboring countries access education.

UNICEF's Learning Passport provides children, young people and teachers with online and offline quality, portable educational resources. The program first launched in Ukraine in 2020 and rapidly expanded in February 2022 in response to the crisis and its impact on children's learning.

Sony's funds will help ensure children and teachers have access to educational and supplemental content, including curated and localized mental health content and social-emotional learning via the Learning Passport. These resources help children, young people and their families cope with stress and trauma caused by emergencies.

"More countries are gripped by conflict today than at any time in the past thirty years," said Karen Kelso, Vice President, Corporate Social Responsibility and Social Impact, Sony Corporation of America. "We are proud to further support UNICEF and the Learning Passport, which provides crucial support to children and young people impacted by emergencies that threaten or destroy access to food, shelter, social support, health care and education."

"UNICEF is on the frontlines to ensure children whose education has been disrupted by conflict, natural disasters and other humanitarian emergencies can continue to learn," said Mac Glovinsky, UNICEF Learning Passport Global Program Chief. "Thanks to our continued partnership with Sony, we will be able to provide innovative digital solutions like the Learning Passport to respond to the immediate educational needs of those impacted by the war in Ukraine."

The crisis in Ukraine is having a dramatic impact on the lives and futures of Ukraine's 5.7 million school-aged children. The estimated 2.2 million Ukrainian children who have sought refuge in neighboring countries require support to integrate into new education systems to continue their education. Access to digitally-enabled learning solutions has been one of the key interventions to ensure continuous access to formal and non-formal education, enabling students in Ukraine and refugee children in neighboring countries to continue and complete their education based on the Ukrainian curriculum, while facilitating integration into education systems of hosting countries.

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"Getting children back to learning is a critical step in restoring normalcy in their lives  and in recovering their learning after months of war and years of COVID-19 disruption," said Alberto Biancoli, UNICEF's interim Regional Chief of Education for Europe and Central Asia. "For some children, this may mean a traditional classroom. For many others, it may mean online learning at home, or non-formal learning centers. Reaching every child, assessing their learning gaps, and ensuring they can catch up on lost learning is one of UNICEF's top priorities for Ukraine's children."

The impacts of school closures, compounded with the challenges of adapting to new school environments, are likely to affect the learning outcomes of Ukraine's children and force countless students out of education. It is urgent to act now and ensure a rapid education response through the Learning Passport ahead of the upcoming school year 2022-2023.

Launched in 2018, the Learning Passport currently reaches more than 2.3 million learners in 26 countries and territories including Costa Rica, Mexico, Honduras, Egypt, Jordan, Kosovo, Nigeria, Ukraine, and Zimbabwe. Plans to roll the program out in an additional 25 countries and territories are currently underway. The platform underwent significant expansion in 2020 to respond to the disruption to children's learning caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

In October 2020, Sony Corporation of America, on behalf of Sony's affiliates in the Americas, supported the rollout of the Learning Passport in Latin America and the Caribbean to ensure access to high-quality education, both online and offline, for children and young people across the region.

In November 2020, the Learning Passport was recognized as one of the 50 Most Influential Projects of 2020 by The Project Management Institute, and in 2021 TIME named the Learning Passport one of the best 100 inventions of the year.

About Sony Corporation of America



Sony Corporation of America, located in New York, NY, is the U.S. headquarters of Sony Group Corporation, based in Tokyo, Japan. Sony's principal U.S. businesses include Sony Electronics Inc., Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC, Sony Music Entertainment, Sony Music Publishing LLC and Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc. With some 900 million Sony devices in hands and homes worldwide today, a vast array of Sony movies, television shows and music, and the PlayStation Network, Sony creates and delivers more entertainment experiences to more people than anyone else on earth. To learn more: www.sony.com/en .

About UNICEF



UNICEF works in some of the world's toughest places, to reach the world's most disadvantaged children. Across more than 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, to build a better world for everyone.

Follow UNICEF on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube

UNICEF USA advances the global mission of UNICEF by rallying the American public to support the world's most vulnerable children. Together, we are working toward a world that upholds the rights of all children and helps every child thrive. For more information, visit www.unicefusa.org.

UNICEF does not endorse any company, brand, product or service.

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SOURCE Sony Corporation of America
Stop and Shop

100% of Donations Raised Will Benefit 12 Regional Food Banks Across Stop & Shops Five State Footprint



Unilevers Knorr Brand Generously Donates Product in New York

QUINCY, Mass., Aug. 03, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today Stop & Shop, together with Unilevers Knorr brand, announced that its 32nd annual Food for Friends campaign raised more than $1.2 million for its 12 regional food bank partners to combat summer hunger in the communities it serves.

Summer can be the hungriest time of year for kids, and Stop & Shop recognizes the importance of raising awareness around childhood hunger during this time of year. While families are able to rely on free or reduced-priced meals for children during the school year, when school is out and children are at home, families have to buy more food, resulting in a rise in child hunger. According to Feeding America, the nations largest hunger relief network, 22 million kids across the United States rely on school meals. When schools close for the summer, school meal programs often close, too.

Stop & Shops annual Food for Friends donation campaign is tackling summer hunger this year by allowing customers at the grocers 400+ stores throughout Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York and New Jersey to donate at checkout to support food insecure families across the Northeast, with 100% of donations going directly to Stop & Shops 12 regional food bank partners.

This month-long campaign serves to renew hope for so many families that are currently struggling allowing kids can enjoy a fun and healthy summer of play and time outdoors rather than worrying about where their next meal will come from, said Gordon Reid, President of Stop & Shop. This program also shows the value of communities coming together to support one another, and Stop & Shops steadfast commitment to helping our food bank partners provide nutritious food to families in need.

Throughout the month of June, customers who shopped in stores were asked if they would like to round up their total to the nearest dollar or donate an additional $1, $3, or $5, and Stop & Shop donated 100% of the funds raised to regional food banks across its footprint. Knorr also donated $10,000 and 5,000 rice and pasta sides to Feeding Westchester as part of their annual support of this campaign.

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Unilevers Knorr brand believes that wholesome, nutritious food should be accessible and affordable to all, said Christina DiPietro, Unilever Team Lead. We are proud to be Stop & Shops first manufacturer partner for their annual Food For Friends campaign helping to raise over $1 million to benefit local food banks helping to fight food insecurity in our communities.

Funds raised during Stop & Shops Food for Friends campaign will benefit the following food banks:

The Greater Boston Food Bank

Worcester County Food Bank

The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts

Rhode Island Community Food Bank

Connecticut Foodshare

Feeding Westchester

Food Bank of the Hudson Valley

Food Bank for New York City

Community Foodbank of New Jersey

Fulfill

Island Harvest

Long Island Cares

For more information on Stop & Shops programs to support local communities, visit https://stopandshop.com/community/.

About Stop & Shop:

A neighborhood grocer for more than 100 years, Stop & Shop offers a wide assortment with a focus on fresh, healthy options at a great value. Stop & Shop's GO Rewards loyalty program delivers personalized offers and allows customers to earn points that can be redeemed for gas or groceries every time they shop. Stop & Shop customers can choose how and where they want to shop - whether in-store or online for delivery or same day pickup. The company is committed to making an impact in its communities by fighting hunger, supporting our troops, and investing in pediatric cancer research to help find a cure. The Stop & Shop Supermarket Company LLC is an Ahold Delhaize USA Company and employs 58,000 associates and operates more than 400 stores throughout Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York and New Jersey. To learn more about Stop & Shop, visit the website

About Knorr:

Knorr believes that wholesome, nutritious food should be accessible and affordable to all. That's not a reality for everyone in today's America. That's why we're on a journey to ensure all Americans can create healthy meals they feel good about. Whether it's creating high-quality products, offering simple chef-developed recipes, or supporting organizations and initiatives that provide access to healthy foods, Knorr remains committed to its long history of making good food available to everyone. The business was formed in 1838, when founder Carl Heinrich Knorr pioneered experiments in drying seasonings and vegetables to preserve their flavor and nutritional value. Since then, Knorr has become an international brand offering a wide range of bouillons, soups, seasonings, sauces, soupy snacks, dressings, and frozen and ready-made meals.

CONTACT: caroline.medeiros@stopandshop.com




Tactical Resources Corp.

- QP for Peak Project 43-101 Report Appointed -

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Aug. 03, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Tactical Resources Corp. (CSE: RARE) (OTC: USREF) (Tactical Resources or the Company), a mineral exploration and development company focused on the rare earth elements (REEs) that drive the critical technologies of the future, is pleased to announce the appointment of Norman Chow, P. ENG as Qualified Person (QP) as defined in NI 43-101, with respect to the disclosure of metallurgical scientific and technical reporting regarding the Peak Project in Texas.



Company CEO, Ranjeet Sundher, notes, We continue to grow and build our team with a strong focus on diligence, disclosure, and technical excellence. The potential ability to fast-track the transformation of an existing tailings operation into a rare earths mineral producer comes at a critical juncture for domestic production demand. We aim to advance our Peak Project as quickly as possible, and we look forward to working with Norman, and to providing him with all necessary resources he may require in his efforts. The resulting NI 43-101 technical report will consequently serve as a solid foundation for our path forward and we are excited by the impact his work will have on the future success of our venture.

Mr. Chow is the President & Director of Kemetco Research Inc., which he founded to provide contract research and development specializing in extractive metallurgy, chemical processing, and specialty chemical analysis. Kemetco provides laboratory analysis and testing, field work, bench scale studies, pilot plant investigations, consulting services, applied research and development and intellectual property management. Kemetco offers a 20,000 sq ft. state-of-the-art research facility and is one of Canadas largest privately held contract R&D firms servicing environmental, chemical, and mining companies.

Mr. Chow also serves as co-founder and director of Process Manufacturing Inc. a specialty manufacturer of industrial processing equipment. Operating out of a 30,000 sq. ft. facility in Surrey, BC, Process Manufacturing provides electrical and mechanical design, engineering, project management and construction services. He also served as Executive Director, Industry and Government, for Cantest Ltd. (following their acquisition of Vizon Scitec), and as Group Director, Chemical and Electrochemical Processes at Vizon Scitec (formerly BC Research Inc.), and as President at DynaPower Inc. after a period as Technical Sales Manager at DynaPower (a subsidiary of DynaMotive), where he had previously served as R&D Manager at DynaMotive Technologies Corp. after a stint as a Corrosion Research Scientist at the Shell Canada Ltd. Research Centre.

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Mr. Chow is a PhD Candidate (2020), and earned a M.A.Sc., Metals and Materials Engineering (1997) and a B.A.Sc., Metals and Materials Engineering all from the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC. He received a 2004 Business in Vancouver 40 under 40 Award  Awarded to British Columbias Top Business Achievers Under the Age of 40, and a 2002 Horace Pops Award  Awarded for Top Paper Presented at the Wire Association Internationals 71st Annual Convention and a 1996 Financial Post Technology Gold Award  Top Environmental Technology in Canada. He is a NI 43-101 Qualified Person and a Professional Engineer registered in the Province of British Columbia.

Tactical Resources is committed to becoming a premier North American developer of REE products to meet domestic supply chain needs. The Companys Peak Project is a tailings offtake venture based upon active cut rock operations of the Sierra Blanca Quarry, LLC located in Hudspeth County, Texas located 68 miles southeast of El Paso, and two miles southeast of the Round Top Rare Earth Element project owned by Texas Minerals Resources Corporation & USA Rare Earth. For more information on the Peak Project, watch this video here, or visit the Tactical Resources website.

On Behalf of The Board of Directors,

Sincerely,

~Ranjeet Sundher~

Ranjeet Sundher

Chief Executive Officer & Director

Tactical Resources Corp.

www.tacticalresources.com

About Tactical Resources Corp. (CSE: RARE) (OTC: USREF)

Tactical Resources is a mineral exploration and development company focused on rare earth elements based in Vancouver, British Columbia, and holds interests at the Peak Project in western Texas, the Lac Ducharme property located in Quebec, and the SAM property in Northern Saskatchewan. The Company is also actively involved in the development of innovative metallurgical processing techniques to further unlock REE development potential. Find out more at: www.tacticalresources.com and follow us on Twitter.

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, statements with respect to the preparation of an NI 43-101 technical report for the Peak Project.

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 long form prospectus dated February 28, 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 news release. Neither the CSE nor its Market Regulator (as that term is defined in the policies of the CSE) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Tactical Resources Corp.

Investor Relations

Email: investors@tacticalresources.com

Telephone: +1 (778) 588-5483

Matt Chatterton, Director

Tel: +1 (778) 613-2068

Email: info@tacticalresources.com

Media Inquiries

media@tacticalresources.com




U.S. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi landed in Taiwan Tuesday, a move that faced heavy opposition from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), and observers worldwide have been assessing the significance of the highest-level U.S. visit in twenty five years.

I think a lot of it is trying to burnish her legacy," David Sacks, Council on Foreign Relations research fellow, told Yahoo Finance Live (video above). "You know if the polling that we see is correct, she won't remain the speaker after the midterm elections."

In terms of midterms, polls do not look good for Democrats. According to the latest CBS News/YouGov polling data, House Republicans are expected to gain 16 seats, giving them the majority over House Democrats. The Senate race looks more unpredictable as 5 seats are anticipated to be a toss-up.

Outlook for upcoming elections aside, Pelosi's position on China "has been consistent," Sachs added, "and she's considered quite hawkish on China going back to when she unfurled a pro-democracy banner at Tiananmen Square decades ago. And so this is largely consistent with her criticism of China and support for Taiwan over the years."

Pelosi has made her mark as an outspoken critic of China. She has called out the Chinese government for their treatment of Uyghur Muslims and boycotted the 2008 Beijing Olympics over human rights violations in Tibet.

Speaker of the U.S. House Of Representatives Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), speaks after receiving the Order of Propitious Clouds with Special Grand Cordon, Taiwans highest civilian honour, from Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen, at the president's office on August 03, 2022 in Taipei, Taiwan. (Photo by Handout/Getty Images)

Sacks also mentioned that China is going to have a response to Pelosis visit before Chinese President Xi Jinping is up for his third term.

A lack of a Chinese response right now is not really in the cards because Xi Jinping doesn't want to risk looking weak," Sacks explained. "And so I think China will err on the side of overreacting to Pelosi's visit, rather than underreacting just for domestic political considerations."

Sacks noted that Chinas Zero-Covid policy  an approach endorsing mass isolation, frequent testing, and border enclosures  has received pushback from the public. Experts also attribute Chinas lower economic output to strict measures to tamp down the spread of COVID-19. Chinese GDP fell by 2.6% last quarter compared to Q1 2022, missing expectations by 0.6%.

Story continues

Theres pushback to Xi Jinpings signature zero-Covid policy, so he could also find it useful to kind of rally the Chinese people around the flag around a shared threat, or a shared challenge to China by the United States and Taiwan, Sacks added.

US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her 5-member congress delegation depart Taipei Songshan Airport to South Korea after Pelosi's visit within her Pacific tour in Taipei, Taiwan on August 3, 2022. (Photo by Taiwanese Foreign Ministry/Handout/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

Xi Jinpings regime has responded to Pelosis visit.

Taiwan is bearing the brunt of that response. The PRC announced overnight that it is barring over 100 Taiwanese exports to the Agricultural and Food space. They also announced significant military exercises opposite Taiwan, and are challenging the median line and a line in the middle of the Taiwan Strait where, generally speaking, China and Taiwan do not operate militarily over that line, Sacks said.

Sacks also mentioned that these measures could impact the semiconductor industry, which is a huge Taiwanese export to the U.S.

If the PRC does significant missile tests, for instance, in the Taiwan Strait, it essentially closes down the Taiwan Strait to international shipping because of military exercises, then, of course, that will ripple through global supply chains, given how reliant companies around the world are, or Taiwanese inputs above all semiconductors.

Taiwan is the worlds largest semiconductor producer, and the United States receives more than $19 billion annually worth of electrical machinery from the island nation. While the CHIPS Act of 2022 cleared the House and Senate last week, time will tell if the legislation can fill in for Taiwanese supply of semiconductors.

Yaseen Shah is a writer at Yahoo Finance. Follow him on Twitter @yaseennshah22

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OMAHA  Pilot Travel Centers has agreed to pay a $121,469 civil penalty to resolve alleged violations of the federal Clean Water Act at its truck stops, including the one near Gretna.

According to the EPA, Pilot "for years" has violated the terms of its water discharge permit for 17 facilities in Nebraska, Iowa and Missouri.

The Gretna truck stop and one in Warrenton, Missouri, were the sites of the "most serious pattern of violations," according to a statement issued by the EPA Wednesday afternoon.

According to the EPA, discharge water at the two sites contained high levels of E. coli, ammonia and other pollutants.

A representative of Pilot was not immediately available for comment. However, the EPA said the company has taken steps at all 17 facilities to come back into compliance.

The settlement is part of a nationwide effort by EPA to address alleged violation of the Clean Water Act by Pilot. The Tennessee-based company describes itself as the largest operator of truck stops in North America.
Azerbaijan has launched counter-terrorist operation following the death of its soldier as a result of Armenian shelling, Trend reports.

The armed forces of Azerbaijan launched a counter-terrorist operation in response to the death of Azerbaijani serviceman as a result of the shelling of the positions of the Azerbaijani army in the Lachin direction by Armenian armed forces on the morning of August 3.

As a result of the military operation carried out by the Azerbaijani Armed Forces, an artillery battalion and one post of the Armenian armed formations were destroyed. There are dead and wounded among the Armenian servicemen.
Both COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations were up in Nebraska last week, with the number of Nebraskans hospitalized with the virus hitting a five-month high.

Nebraska recorded 4,120 new virus cases for the week ending Friday, up about 14% from 3,599 the previous week, according to an analysis of data from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The increased case count continued the pattern the state has seen since early June, with cases yo-yoing between roughly 3,000 and 4,000 cases a week. But some of those ups and downs could be due to inconsistencies in testing and reporting, because hospitalizations have been consistently trending up since April.

Not all COVID cases are being counted because some ill people are not getting tested and many are using at-home tests that arent added to official tallies.

Locally, Douglas County has moved into the high community level based on a CDC formula that determines the impact of the virus on communities. Its based on new cases, the number of people hospitalized with the virus in an area and overall hospital capacity. A handful of counties in northeast, south-central and west-central Nebraska also are considered to be at the high level.

An average of 206 Nebraskans were in hospitals with COVID in the past week, up 10% over the previous week. Hospitalizations last were that high in early March.

The good news is that hospitalized patients now are much less likely to die than they were in previous COVID surges. The mortality rate for hospitalized patients nationally has fallen in the past year from more than 12% to roughly 3%.

Thats because the vaccines, while not protecting against every infection caused by wilier new variants, still do a great job of protecting against the worst outcomes of the disease  hospitalization and death.

To maintain that protection, health officials stress the need for people to get booster shots when they become eligible.

Those over 50 and some immunocompromised people 12 and older currently are eligible for two boosters in addition to their original shots. Healthy people between 5 and 50 are eligible for one booster in addition to their original series. A CDC tool helps people determine when they can get boosters.

Some health officials have called for making booster shots available for otherwise healthy people under 50. But federal health officials instead have focused on making new shots geared toward the new omicron subvariants BA.4 and BA.5 available this fall, reportedly as early as September. Those who already have gotten a fourth shot still will be eligible for the reformulated boosters.

Nebraska recorded three more COVID deaths in the past week, bringing its death toll for the pandemic to 4,366.

The state has recorded more than half a million confirmed COVID cases.
Archbishop Bergan Catholic Schools has hired three new staff members for the 2022-2023 school year.

Staffers include one who will oversee STEM curriculum and two science teachers.

The new staffers are:

Brett Meyer

Brett Meyer is the learning enhancement interventionist for Bergan Elementary and Bergan Middle and High school.

In a prepared statement, the school said it will receive a sizable amount of funding through the Emergency Aid to Non Public Schools Grants.

These grants were created by the federal government to help schools recover learning loss from the pandemic.

Bergan has aimed these funds at hiring a learning enhancement interventionist and a learning enhancement para educator for the next two school years.

In his role, Meyer will oversee development of engaging classroom projects with each teacher in grades K-12.

Meyer also will oversee Project Lead the Way Science Technology Engineering and Math (STEM) curriculum. He will assist with technology initiatives and troubleshooting.

For the last five years, Meyer has served as the STEM education and community outreach coordinator for Trinity Lutheran School in Fremont.

While at Trinity, Meyer formed the Trinity/Bergan STEM Club, which was an afterschool program that served both schools.

Before Trinity, Brett worked at University of Nebraska-Omaha, Creighton University and Midland University.

He and his wife, Casey, have three children Sydney, Logan and Blake.

We are truly blessed to have the opportunity for Brett Meyer to work with our teachers and students on classroom learning and engagement at Bergan, said Dan Koenig, principal. Bretts unique background in student engagement and instructional technology will bring an expert into our school that will continue to ignite a passion in our students for learning.

Katlin Vampola

Katlin Vampola will teach fifth and sixth grade science and theology.

Vampola is a recent graduate of Midland University and a St. Patrick Catholic Church parishioner.

Last semester, Vampola finished her student teaching experience at Bergan elementary with first grade teacher Patti Bowman.

Vampola has had practicum and teaching experiences in numerous area schools, spending time in Douglas County West, Blair and Fremont public schools.

She and her husband, Joe, have a daughter, Grace.

We are excited to welcome Mrs. Katlin Vampola as our new fifth and sixth grade teacher, said Dan Koenig, principal. Katlins passion for her faith as well as her desire to make a difference at Bergan Elementary is very evident. She made an impact on our students during her student teaching experience and we are ready to see her carry that over to her fifth and sixth grade students this year.

Koenig said he believes Vampola will be a great advocate for our students in the classroom.

Deb Erpelding

Deb Erpelding is a new science teacher for grades 7-12.

She will teach middle school science along with high school chemistry, physics and earth science.

Erpelding previously taught at Fremont High School after a lengthy career in corporate industry as an engineer.

Koenig is pleased to find a teacher with Debs experiences.

We at Archbishop Bergan Catholic are excited to announce the hiring of Mrs. Deb Erpelding, Koenig said. Deb brings an energetic personality, experiences of using science and engineering in her previous vocation, and a work ethic that will serve Bergan middle and high school students well.

Erpelding and her husband, Mike, live in North Bend.

In addition, Steven Faulkner has been appointed to serve as the physical education teacher for the 2022-2023 school year.

Faulkner previously taught physical education at Ferris Independent School District in Texas along with Skinner Magnet and Monroe Middle School in the Omaha Public Schools system. Faulkner and his wife, Ericka, live in Elkhorn with their four children Brayden, Emma, Noah and Harper.

Wyatt Morse, Bergans the physical education teacher for grades kindergarten through six, has accepted a position with the Nebraska Department of Education as a physical and health education specialist in the teaching, learning and assessment department.

Bergan elementary will have a physical teaching opening for the 2023-2024 school year.

Koenig appreciates Faulkner filling the role until that time.

In our time of need, we were blessed to have a qualified physical education teacher ready to fill in on a moments notice, Koenig said. Mr. Steven Faulkner is no stranger to Bergan classrooms and activities and our students will be happy to see a familiar face in the elementary gym.
A Colorado man accused of defrauding thousands from customers via his business pleaded guilty to one count of felony theft in El Paso County court last week.

Richard Reynolds, of the Black Forest Retreat, was accused of taking over $260,000 from customers for his all-inclusive wedding service business but providing none of those services to his customers and keeping the money, the Sheriff's Office alleged at the time.

Reynolds, who was arrested in October, pleaded guilty to one of 14 charges, class 4 felony theft between $20,000 and $100,000. For the remaining 13 charges Reynolds' faces, his plea remains not guilty. But court records show a plea agreement was submitted to the court the day of Reynolds' guilty plea on July 27, which could lead to the remaining charges being dismissed.

Class 4 felony theft between $20,000 and $100,000 carries a maximum prison sentence of six years and between $2,000 and $500,000 in fines in the state of Colorado.

A sentencing hearing for Reynolds is scheduled for Sept. 20 in the 4th Judicial District Court.

He is currently being held in El Paso County jail on a $30,000 bond.
The city of Manitou Springs will offer up to $500 in rebates for certain energy-efficiency upgrades residents make, with the funding coming out of $10,000 provided to the housing advisory board.

Those interested in receiving a rebate from the grant must apply for a Manitou Springs property-improvement permit and have the receipts of eligible purchases. The program will continue through the end of the year, or until all the $10,000 is used.

According to Hannah Van Nimwegen-McGuire, Manitou Springs' planning director, the city also will allow retroactive applications for a property-improvement permits for those seeking rebates.

"[Rebates are] done through our property-improvement permit," she said. "That's where we review the work that was done and for just this program, we're allowing people to retroactively apply."

The program goes back two years, when the city had a partnership with Brothers Redevelopment. The partnership was not renewed, but the city wanted to keep providing the benefits to residents and reimagined how that could work.

"And so we've kind of revamped it, relaunched it with the incredible support of the planning department," Alea German, the city's vice chair of the housing advisory board.

The program also can be combined with certain rebates from Colorado Springs Utilities. However, only Manitou Springs residents can take advantage of water rebates from their city, as CSU water does not find its way into Manitou.

While there is not much crossover, an example of two rebates potentially being available can be seen with furnaces and air pumps. Utilities will offer a rebate of $200, provided the furnace or pump meets certain standards. Manitou Springs will do the same up to $200.

To get a rebate from both, the heat pump or furnace has to meet the same requirements of a Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnerships standard. Manitou Springs will only accept a NEEP-certified heat pump, whereas CSU will accept NEEP or Energy Star ratings.

"We will encourage residents to apply for incentives through Colorado Springs Utilities if they're eligible, as well as through through our program," German said. "We wanted to provide some additional support to manage residents. ... And it can be really challenging for people to upgrade their homes."

Manitou Springs has a lot of "really old buildings" that are not as energy-efficient as newer ones . Rebates from Manitou Springs also extend to installing insulation, which some old buildings lack.

Manitou Springs will offer up to $400 to improve insulation, provided requirements are met.

All rebates the city is providing are part of the overall goal of becoming more energy-efficient but also fit into the lens of larger climate-change goals and actions taken by state and federal organizations.

"Encouraging people to participate in this type of program, even if the savings from their individual home are going to be small, it still does help contribute to where we need to get to address some of these larger issues," German said.

Water savings are especially important as the West grapples with a megadrought.

The energy-efficient rebate programs are among the few that Manitou Springs has to specifically address water conservation.

"So we do have a shower-head exchange program as well, where Manitou residents can stop by city hall and exchange an old shower head for a water-efficient one," said Alex Trefry, the city public information officer.

The city also will offer rebates on other shower heads.

To review the list of rebates offered by Manitou Springs, the list can be found on the city's website. A list of rebates available to Colorado Springs Utilities customers can be found at https://bit.ly/3QwNvd9.

Residents in Monument are also eligible for certain rebates. Fountain did not appear to offer rebates to individuals, but does have incentives for businesses.
A group of Republican candidates who sought a recount after losing their primary races went to Denver court on Tuesday to stop the recount and compel the Secretary of State's Office to conduct it instead, alleging the recount "has not been conducted in a fair, impartial and uniform manner."

Specifically, the group, who included Tina Peters, accused El Paso County of using "improperly tested and unreliable electronic voting systems."

"The candidates reasonably believe that the administration of the recount has not been conducted in a fair, impartial and uniform manner," they said in the suit that named El Paso County Clerk and Recorder Chuck Broerman and Secretary of State Jena Griswold as defendants.

The group said Broerman should give Griswold's office access to the election records and let the latter conduct the recount.

In a separate action, some of the group's members who failed to produce the cash for the recount asked the district court in El Paso County to allow them to pay an "adjusted amount," alleging the estimated cost of the recounts included "unreasonable, arbitrary and capricious" charges.

In the lawsuit filed in Denver, Peters and others argued that a canvass board failed to follow statutory requirements to compare, during an accuracy test, the manual count of ballots with the machine count. Specifically, the plaintiffs said election officials were supposed to "compare the manual count of those ballots with the results of machine count that was tabulated by each of the chosen voting devices in the primary election."

That didn't happen, they alleged.

They also alleged election officials used "improperly tested and unreliable electronic voting systems," making the recount "unfair, partial and not in a uniform manner."

As evidence, the candidates cited the work of a "computer science expert," who "identified catastrophic failures in the Dominion electronic voting systems used in 16 states, including Colorado."

The candidates reiterated their request that the recount be conducted manually.

Joining Peters in the Denver case are El Paso County coroner candidate Dr. Rae Ann Weber, county clerk and recorder candidate Peter Lupia, sheriff candidate Todd Watkins, county commission candidates Lindsay Moore and David Winney, House District 18 candidate Summer Groubert and Senate District 9 candidate Lynda Zamora Wilson.

Of the group, only Peters, Weber, Lupia and Zamora Wilson provided sufficient funds to move forward with their recounts by the July 28 deadline.

In an interview with The Gazette Wednesday, Broerman said the lawsuit filed in Denver was "categorically false in every way imaginable."

The Secretary of State's Office sets the criteria for the tests completed on the ballot tabulating machines ahead of an election and recounts, Broerman said.

"And we follow that (criteria) to the letter. It's unfortunate that the plaintiffs and their attorney don't fully understand election law," he said.

The Secretary of State's Office also said the Denver lawsuit was "without merit."

"The recount has been conducted under Colorado election law and rule. The Secretary of States Office looks forward to proving once again in court that Colorado elections are safe and secure," the office said.

The candidates  minus Peters  asked in a separate lawsuit filed in a district court in El Paso County to order Griswold and Broerman to remove the costs for vendor programming and support and allow the candidates who failed to shell out the full amount to pay the adjusted, presumably lower cost of the recount.

Broerman said last week the total cost to conduct the two recounts for the county clerk and recorder and coroner's races was about $20,800.

The candidates accused Broerman and Griswold of including "exorbitant" additional costs for vendor programming and support, calculated at a rate of $250 per hour for an estimated 40 hours, for a total amount of $10,000.

"As such, these additional costs practically doubled the estimated costs of approximately $10,819 for election judges, staff overtime and other costs," the lawsuit said. "The involvement of a vendor is unnecessary and the additional expense is cost prohibitive."

Peters, who was also granted a recount but was not named as a petitioner in the El Paso County district court lawsuit, submitted $255,912.33 for the statewide recount of her 14.2-percentage-point loss to former Jefferson County Clerk and Recorder Pam Anderson for the GOP nomination for secretary of state, Colorado Politics reported.

Wilson submitted $20,819.87 for a recount of the GOP primary bid for the Senate District 9 seat to Sen. Paul Lundeen of Monument.

In an email, Broerman called the lawsuit filed in El Paso County "groundless."

"We have provided a good-faith cost estimate to the candidates and are conducting this recount according to Colorado law. Any assertion to the contrary is not accurate," he said in a statement. "The estimated cost of the requested recount is customary and should not be a burden to the taxpayers, especially when these races did not meet, by a very large margin, the threshold set in Colorado law to trigger a mandatory recount."

Since the final results for all races did not meet the threshold set by Colorado law to trigger an automatic recount, that cost is paid by the candidates who requested them, not by taxpayers. State election rules require races within a margin less than or equal to 0.5% of the winners vote receive mandatory recounts, paid for by the state.

Editor's note: This article has been corrected to reflect that the $250 per-hour rate was charged for an estimated 40 hours. It has also been updated to include additional comments from El Paso County Clerk Chuck Broerman and the Secretary of State's Office.
By Trend

There can be no winners in a nuclear war, and such war must never begin, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in his greeting to the Tenth Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, Trend reports citing TASS.

"We believe that there can be no winners in a nuclear war, and it must never be fought; we advocate equal and inseparable security for all members of the international community," he underscored in a message of greeting uploaded to the Kremlins website.

Putin said that Russia as signatory to the NPT consistently followed its letter and spirit. "Our obligations under bilateral agreements with the United States on the reduction and limitation of relevant weapons have also been fulfilled," he recalled.

The Russian leader stressed that over the more than half of a century of its existence, the NPT had become one of the key elements of the international system of security and strategic stability. The commitments that it stipulates in the spheres of non-proliferation, disarmament and the peaceful uses of the nuclear powerfully meet the interests of both nuclear and non-nuclear states.
FILE PHOTO: Alex Jones walks into the courtroom in front of Scarlett Lewis and Neil Heslin, the parents of 6-year-old Sand Hook shooting victim Jesse Lewis, at the Travis County Courthouse in Austin, Texas, U.S. July 28, 2022. Briana Sanchez/Pool via REUTERS
FILE PHOTO: Syringes with needles are seen in front of a displayed Moderna logo in this illustration taken November 27, 2021. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
Firefighters work at a site of a professional college that was heavily damaged by a Russian missile strike, as Russia's attack on Ukraine continues, in Kharkiv, Ukraine July 30, 2022. REUTERS/Sofiia Gatilova
By Trend

Turkmenistan's Turkmenenergo State Electric Power Corporation, Turkish Chalik Holding and Afghan Da Afghanistan Breshna Sherkat (DABS) energy company discussed issues related to the implementation of projects for the export of electricity to Afghanistan, Trend reports via "Business Turkmenistan" news agency.

During the meeting, the parties discussed the progress of work on the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan (TAP) and Andkhoy-Sheberghan-Puli-Khumri power transmission lines, as well as the construction of the Noor al-Jihad substation.

Furthermore, representatives of DABS informed the participants of the meeting about the progress of transportation to the destination of equipment for the Noor al-Jihad substation. According to them, the substation will be put into operation within a week, after which the import of Turkmen electricity to Afghanistan will begin.

Following the meeting, a joint protocol was signed between the companies aimed at continuing cooperation on energy projects
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By Trend

The Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council on Wednesday announced punishments on organizations related to die-hard elements seeking "Taiwan independence," Trend reports citing Xinhua.

Under the guise of "democracy" and "cooperation and development," "Taiwan Foundation for Democracy" and "International Cooperation and Development Fund" have wantonly carried out "Taiwan independence" separatist activities in the international arena. They have gone all out to ingratiate themselves with external anti-China forces, said Ma Xiaoguang, spokesperson for the office.

They have also attacked and smeared the mainland, and used money and other means as bait to expand the so-called "international space" of Taiwan, attempting to undermine the international support for the one-China principle, Ma said.

The mainland has decided to take punitive measures against the above-mentioned foundations, banning them from cooperating with mainland organizations, enterprises or individuals.

The mainland will also punish, in accordance with the law, organizations, enterprises or individuals that offer funds or services to the foundations, and take other necessary measures, Ma said.

The mainland will prohibit mainland organizations, enterprises or individuals from any transaction or cooperation with Speedtech Energy, Hyweb Technology, Skyla, SkyEyes GPS Technology and other enterprises that have donated money to the foundations. Heads of relevant enterprises will be banned from entering the mainland, Ma said.
Spokesperson of Ministry of National Defense makes remarks on Pelosi's visit to Taiwan

Xinhua) 08:13, August 03, 2022

BEIJING, Aug. 2 (Xinhua) -- Spokesperson of the Ministry of National Defense Wu Qian on Tuesday released a statement in response to the visit to China's Taiwan region by Nancy Pelosi, speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives. The following is the full text of the remarks:

On Aug. 2, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi visited China's Taiwan region. The Chinese side strongly condemns and firmly opposes this visit. Despite the Chinese side's repeated warnings of the serious consequences this visit would cause, Pelosi insisted on making the wrong move, maliciously provoking and creating the crisis, which seriously violated the one-China principle and the provisions of the three China-U.S. joint communiques, seriously eroded the political foundation of the China-U.S. relations, and seriously undermined China-U.S. state-to-state and military-to-military relations. This act of the U.S. side has sent a seriously wrong signal to the separatists for "Taiwan independence" and further escalated tensions across the Taiwan Strait.

Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party authorities have solicited foreign support, colluded with external forces to stir up troubles and been bent on inviting Pelosi to visit Taiwan. Such acts are very dangerous and will inevitably lead to serious consequences. The Chinese People's Liberation Army is on high alert and will take a series of targeted military operations in response to resolutely safeguard China's sovereignty and territorial integrity and resolutely thwart the interference by external forces and the separatist schemes for "Taiwan independence."

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun)
By Azernews

By Sabina Mammadli

The Azerbaijani armys rocket and artillery units have conducted new classes in keeping with the new training period under the annual combat training plan, Azernews reports, citing the Defense Ministry.

According to the plan, the units were put on alert and withdrawn from the points of permanent deployment to the assembly areas and took firing positions.

The main objectives of the classes are improving the command staff's prompt decision-making abilities, working out fire control in cooperation with other types of troops, and developing servicemens practical skills.

Azerbaijan undertakes drills on a regular basis to strengthen the combat readiness of its military personnel.

The drills also seek to strengthen servicemen's interaction and combat coordination during operations, as well as to improve commanders' military decision-making and unit management skills.
John T. Greenwood

December 14, 1951-July 29, 2022

John T. Greenwood, age 70 peacefully passed away, with his family by his side in the Hospice unit at Hancock County Memorial Hospital on Friday, July 29th at 11:15am, after a courageous 8 month battle with brain cancer.

A public visitation will be held at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Forest City, Iowa on Monday, August 15th from 1:00 - 3:00 PM with a family service to follow at 3:00.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made on behalf of John to the family.
After meeting with overwhelming opposition from affected landowners, a rezoning proposal on Clear Lake's South Shore Drive has been withdrawn.

Schlotfeldt Engineering Inc. submitted a proposal to rezone 2605 South Shore Drive from residential to commercial zoning to become the site of Lake Time RV Sanctuary. The developer was unable to gain the required 50% of affected landowners' signatures for rezoning, so the proposal was brought to Clear Lake City Council on July 18.

The council sent the proposal to the planning and zoning commission for a recommendation and set a public hearing date for the next meeting, which was Monday night.

Members of the public rallied against the proposal, collecting signatures and letters from landowners affected by the potential development. After a large turnout at the public hearing, the panel unanimously denied the proposal. Schlotfeldt Engineering Inc. subsequently removed its rezoning request from consideration.

We felt that it was important to honor the deeper principle of citizens having the opportunity to petition their government and to speak freely on a potential zoning change, Councilman Bennett Smith said.

We appreciated the ability to present the project to the city planning and zoning commission, but with respect to your time, we are not going to pursue the rezoning matter further, said a statement signed by Wayne Schlotfeldt.

Still, more than 20 people showed up at the council meeting Monday, 15 to share their disapproval for the rezoning proposal. Diane Wills, whose land is adjacent to the proposed site, said 70% of impacted landowners signed a petition against the rezoning. Wills shared her reasoning against the rezoning:

"The RV park would be directly adjacent to our backyard.  When we purchased our home in 1992, we did so based on the quiet residential neighborhood.  It is our understanding that the city of Clear Lake needs more single family homes, so developing the property of 2605 South Shore Drive according to its current zoning would meet those needs. Maintaining the current zoning would be compatible with adjacent land use and further the objectives of the comprehensive development plan of the city of Clear Lake."

Smith said any potential future rezoning of the land in question should not be considered by the council unless the required signatures are attained.
Facing increasing pressure from Democrats and veterans advocacy organizations, the U.S. Senate passed a bill late Tuesday expanding health care and disability benefits for millions of veterans exposed to toxic burn pits.

The Senate passed the measure, 86-11, with Iowa Republican U.S. Sens. Joni Ernst and Chuck Grassley voting in favor. Ernst, a combat veteran, had previously objected with some other Republicans to a budget provision in the bill, which briefly blocked its passage.

Democratic President Joe Biden has pushed for the legislation and is expected to sign the bill into law.

Tuesdays vote ended a brief stalemate when the process derailed after some Senate Republicans including Ernst made a late attempt last week to change a budget provision in the bill and blocked it from advancing, infuriating veterans advocacy groups. A key voting bloc in the Nov. midterm elections, the advocacy groups ramped up the political pressure over the last five days on GOP lawmakers to act.

The Honoring Our PACT Act first passed the Senate in June, 84-14, and by a 342-88 vote in the House. But technical corrections sent the measure back to the Senate for another procedural vote July 27. Twenty-five Republicans who supported the previous version of the bill -- including Ernst  changed their votes over how the government accounts for spending slated for veterans programs.

The bill is projected to increase federal deficits by about $277 billion over 10 years and does not include offsetting spending cuts or tax increases. When the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office scored the bill, it projected that nearly $400 billion slated to be spent on health services would move from discretionary spending to mandatory spending.

The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, a nonpartisan fiscal watchdog, said a reclassification of the $390 billion from discretionary to mandatory would both reduce the pressure to keep those costs under control and make it easier for appropriators to spend more elsewhere in the budget without offsets.

Those dynamics, however, also applied to the bill when Senate Republicans had overwhelmingly approved the measure in June.

But more than two dozen Republicans who voted for the bill in June voted this time against advancing the measure, raising questions about why Republicans blocked a do-over to pass the bill.

Ernst blamed Democrats for not allowing the chance to offer amendments to strengthen the bill, and sided with Pennsylvania Republican U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey, who sought a vote on an amendment he said would not reduce spending on veterans but would limit the ability of Congress to increase spending on unrelated, nondefense programs down the road.

The amendment, which Ernst supported, would have kept the $400 billion in spending in the discretionary budget. Senate Republicans claim doing so will save Americans significant costs in the long run without sacrificing a dollar for veterans.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer struck a deal Tuesday with Republicans to let the Senate vote on the Toomey amendment as well as two others, with 60 votes needed for passage, the same number that was needed to advance the bill itself.

After voting for the Toomey amendment, which failed, Ernst voted with Grassley and others Tuesday to pass the PACT Act.

Our veterans, who have sacrificed so much and continue to pay the price for their service, deserve the life-saving benefits in this bill, Ernst said in a statement. The PACT Act works to fulfill our duty to care for those who put on the uniform in the name of protecting our freedom, both past and present.

Grassley has consistently supported the PACT Act and voted in favor of advancing the bill last week.

Veterans who served in the post Sept. 11, 2001, era and were exposed to toxic burn pits will get 10 years  rather than five  of enhanced health care coverage through the Department of Veterans Affairs upon their separation from the military.

The PACT Act also adds 23 illnesses to the VAs list of toxic-exposure-related ailments presumed to be connected to military service, ending the need for veterans with those conditions to prove to the VA their illnesses were linked to their deployments. And it would expand care for veterans who were exposed to Agent Orange during the Vietnam War.

Since 9/11, over 3.5 million veterans have suffered from toxic exposure, and many more have faced other adverse health effects from their selfless service, Grassley said in a statement. The bipartisan Honoring Our PACT Act is a critical investment in our veterans, who deserve the best care possible. By making much-needed improvements to the VA, including strengthening its workforce and health care facilities, this bill will help ensure veterans who have sacrificed so much to defend freedom, peace and prosperity will be well taken care of.

Weve promised to care for our military men and women who sacrificed for our freedoms. This bill helps to keep that promise.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Lamenting last weeks back-to-back homicides in the city and calling the perpetrators thugs, Danville city councilmen implored residents to be more active in helping to put a stop to the killings in the community.

Its time to speak out, City Councilman Barry Mayo said during communications from council members at the end of Tuesday nights meeting.

He also criticized the oath some may take not to snitch on anyone who commits a crime.

Guess what, it is the thing to do, Mayo said, encouraging residents to contact the police after a crime has occurred.

Mayo was referring to two homicides that occurred in Danville last week.

In the most recent incident, a Danville teenager was killed and a 24-year-old woman injured in an early Saturday morning drive-by shooting on Stokes Street.

Officers found JaQuise DeJuan Beard, 19, on the sidewalk with a gunshot wound. Beard was treated at the scene and taken to Sovah Health-Danville where he was later pronounced dead.

The 24-year-old woman suffered injuries that werent life threatening and was transported for medical treatment.

The suspects in this incident approached the victims in a vehicle and shot multiple rounds from the vehicle toward the victims as they were at the front of a residence in the 700 block of Stokes Street, police wrote in a news release. This appeared to be a targeted incident and not a random act.

Also, police are still investigating the July 27 night shooting death of 23-year-old Darick Lamont Richardson II at Woodside Village Apartment complex.

At about 10:50 p.m., officers responded to a call of shots fired at the apartment complex at 1321 Piney Forest Road.

Police found Richardson, of Danville, in the parking lot with multiple gunshot wounds. He was airlifted to Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital where he died early Thursday morning, police said.

Danville Police Capt. Steve Richardson told the Danville Register & Bee on Wednesday there have been no arrests in either case.

But they [investigators] are working around the clock, Richardson said.

Saturday nights homicide is the sixth in the city so far this year. However, one of those was cleared by a grand jury and ruled justifiable due to self-defense, and will not be reported to the Virginia State Police and the FBI as a homicide, Richardson said.

During a news conference in February, the Danville Police Department reported that the average number of crimes per year over the past three years from 2019-21 is still much lower than those from 2016-18.

Also, the citys clearance rates for cases, or arrests, far exceeded those of the FBI when it came to crimes across the board, according to the report.

Homicides increased slightly in Danville from 5 in 2020 to 7 in 2021, but that was still far below the 17 homicides the city saw in 2016.

All seven 2021 cases have been solved, as well as all five from 2020, according to the figures presented in February by Capt. Steve Richardson.

During 2019-21, the number of homicides was at an average of 6.67 per year  a 51% drop from an average of 13.7 per year the previous three years.

Mayo reiterated during Tuesday nights City Council meeting that if a resident doesnt feel safe in the community, you need to speak up, he added.

Weve got to look at ourselves when things happen, he said, encouraging citizens to contact City Council members as well. Its easy to get in touch with us council members.

As for violent crime its not going to go away unless we put those individuals away, Mayo said, urging parents to get to know your child to prevent them from getting into a life of crime.

Its going to keep happening until we stop these thugs, Mayo said.

Vice Mayor Gary Miller, a cardiologist, pointed out that he was no stranger to witnessing death, but when a 19-year-old dies, that just tears at my heartstrings. The victim never had a chance to be a success in life, he added.

If a witness to a homicide doesnt tell anyone about the incident, youre just giving a blank check to the thugs to do it the next time, Miller said.

Youre hurting the community if you dont talk to the police, he said, adding that residents can inform police about incidents anonymously.
Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., has introduced new legislation aimed at federally protecting abortion access after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. The Reproductive Freedom For All Act has some bipartisan support.

But some advocates for abortion rights are skeptical about the latest attempt at federal abortion protections because proponents don't have the 60 votes they need to get around Senate filibuster rules.

Republican Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine co-sponsored the measure, along with Sen. Kristen Sinema, D-Ariz.

The Supreme Court's June 24 decision returned authority over abortion laws and regulations to the states.

If passed, the Senate measure would create a federal right to abortions up until viability. It also would require states to allow for later-term abortions when needed to protect the health of the woman. However, it does not define at what point a pregnancy becomes viable to carry to term.

Virginia law allows for abortions under any circumstances until the end of the second trimester, or within the first 26 weeks of pregnancy. Abortion in the third trimester is legal only if three physicians attest that it is necessary to save the womans life or if continuing the pregnancy would irremediably impair her physical or mental health.

Gov. Glenn Youngkin has said he will seek legislation to bar most abortions after 15 weeks, with exceptions for rape, incest and when the womans life is in jeopardy.

The U.S. senators are introducing the legislation after similar legislation failed earlier this summer. Collins and Murkowski  who have signed onto this bill  voted against the previous measure, the Womens Health Protection Act.

An issue Collins and Murkowski raised about the previous bill was that it didn't include conscience provisions that would exempt health care providers with religious objections from performing the procedure. The Reproductive Freedom For All Act includes that provision.

"We have worked for months to try to come up with a federal statutory guarantee that would neither expand nor restrict the rights that were available before the Dobbs decision was passed," Kaine said, referring to the Mississippi case in which the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.

The latest attempt at federal abortion protection has some advocates skeptical.

This bill is just another political stunt that would not actually address the abortion rights and access crisis that has pushed care out of reach for millions of people already, said Mini Timmaraju, president of NARAL Pro-Choice America in a recent statement.

Some states surrounding Virginia and across the country have abortion bans in place or are taking actions to enforce new restrictions since Roe has been overturned.

Unless these senators are willing to end the filibuster to pass this measure, theres no reason to take it seriously, Timmaraju said.

Under the U.S. Senate's filibuster rules it requires 60 votes to close debate on most issues, which is a key step in order to get bills passed.

Kaine said in a press call on Tuesday that he is optimistic and thinks the bill can send a signal.

I wanted to show that we don't have 60 votes to pass this right now. But that should be no barrier to introducing legislation, Kaine said. Much legislation gets introduced before you have 60 votes to pass.

Kaine recalled Congress passage of gun safety legislation this past June. He said that despite previous inaction, constituents' advocacy moved Congress to act following the mass shootings in Buffalo, N.Y. and Uvalde, Texas.

The American public demanded that we stop our thoughts and prayers, followed by inaction and actually do something to keep our community safer, Kaine said.

He added that the tragedies drove the Senate to drop its complacency and finally take action.

Though abortion is not a purely partisan issue, it often falls along partisan lines.

In Virginia, Republicans have a 52-48 edge in the House of Delegates and Youngkin opposes abortion in most cases. Democrats have a 21-19 edge in the Senate and the chamber's Democratic leaders say they are poised to block abortion restrictions that the House might pass.

Both chambers will be up for election in 2023. But before elections, there is a legislative session where abortion-related bills are expected to surface.
Update: Performances scheduled for this weekend, Aug. 5 and 6, have been canceled because a team member tested positive for COVID-19.

GREENSBORO  Duane Cyrus has spent much of his nearly 40-year career as a dancer and dance teacher.

Now, he will bid farewell to the city where he spent the last 17 years, creating and teaching as a dance professor at UNCG.

Cyrus is headed to Arizona, to direct the School of Dance at the University of Arizona in Tucson. With 160 students, its a little larger than UNCGs program.

Before he leaves, Cyrus will use his performing and visual artistic talents in a four-night, multi-disciplinary performance art installation and community discussion, as a type of living autobiography.

He calls it Time: Liminal.

Its the focus of his two-week residency at Stephen D. Hyers Theatre, the 88-seat venue in the downtown Greensboro Cultural Center at 200 N. Davie St.

I wanted to share what feels to me like a love letter to Greensboro and North Carolina, for some amazing experiences, incredible growth and lasting relationships, Cyrus said.

He also wants to show his appreciation for UNCG, where he learned and grew while teaching and mentoring others.

Dont expect four nights of dance concerts.

I would appreciate the grace of the audience to realize that at 56, I shouldnt be rolling on the floor, Cyrus said.

He will show past photos and videos from his dancing career, as well as his own visual art and that of others. Cyrus will perform as a type of theatrical docent using his movement, vocal and acting ability.

Through that, he will examine issues of age, race and gender as he has observed them.

Its about understanding our position in the present moment, our connection to history and how we can have an impact in the future  as that relates to performing arts, Cyrus said.

The four sessions will be on July 29 and 30 and Aug. 5 and 6.

The free sessions will allow the public to experience and learn more about how artists and scholars make work and contribute to society and the legacies that they create and leave behind.

My hope is to share some of the things that maybe the audience in Greensboro hasnt seen me regularly do, Cyrus said.

Many likely have seen his dancing talent.

Now 56, he danced in the original London cast of The Lion King in 1999 and 2000, toured with the musical Carousel and performed with the famed Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre and Martha Graham Dance Company.

He has taught and choreographed in the U.S. and abroad.

He has produced and curated film and photography since he co-authored the 1999 book, Vital Grace: The Black Male Dancer.

He arrived at UNCGs dance department in 2005 with a bachelors degree from The Juilliard School and with a newly-acquired masters degree from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

He formed the dance company Cyrus Art Production.

Recently, in addition to his professorial role, he has directed Theatre of Movement, a performing and visual art collective that explores Black American and Afro-Caribbean identities in its works.

Among his honors are the 2021 Jan Van Dyke Legacy Award from the N.C. Dance Festival.

But Cyrus also has created visual art, curated art exhibits, studied acting and practiced his vocal work.

Although age now prevents him from performing certain dance moves, Im continuing to find ways to be present as a performer, Cyrus said.

Cyrus is one of 10 artists chosen for this years residency at the Hyers.

Creative Greensboro, the citys office of arts and culture, runs the program. It provides residencies of up to six weeks for dance, theater, music, film and poetry projects led by Guilford County-based creative individuals and organizations.

The artists receive rent-free access for rehearsals and performances and are also are offered support with materials, equipment and the marketing of residency activities.

Cyrus already had been awarded the residency before the job offer arrived from the University of Arizona.

He shortened his residency from four weeks to two.

But he didnt change his residency theme. He had thought about it for years.

Dance is ephemeral, he said. The art itself is fleeting. After years of performing, I kept asking the question, Where is the evidence of what I have done?

Although a few dancers such as Mikhail Baryshnikov and Misty Copeland receive attention, tens of thousands of dancers dont, Cyrus said.

As he reflects on his own life in dance, he wants to give more recognition to dancers in general.

What we celebrate in dance is not the dancer, he added. We celebrate the choreographer, the controller of movement ... I wish for our culture to celebrate dancers more.

Time: Liminal will be divided into four sessions, about 90 minutes each.

They will follow the format of his previous Evening With the Creative Class sessions. In those, artists in dance, theater, music, visual arts and spoken word talked about their process and shared examples of their work.

The audience will have time to look at the displays. Presentations or performances will follow, then discussions and engagement.

Each night, he will pose a question about the process of making work, of recognizing legacy, of using voice.

He has a goal for Time: Liminal. I want to see this work in a museum, a gallery  the performance and the visual art, Cyrus said.

Although Time: Liminal is a one-man show, fellow artists have helped.

Actress Cassandra Lowe Williams serves as dramaturg, an expert in the study of plays, musicals or operas.

Billy James Hawkains III, who studied with Cyrus at UNCG, serves as choreographer.

Mandy Moore of Moore Media Works and Jurne Smith work with Cyrus on administration. Smith also will perform Aug. 5 with The Resistance Project, a collective of African American women artists.

Steven Cozart will create an art exhibition from his sketches of Cyrus work. Hassan Pitts will provide video. Others featured will be film artist Robbin Ka and photographer Devin Newkirk.

No dance happens without a team of people, he said. There is a whole team of people behind me.

Cyrus plans to maintain his contacts in Greensboro. He will retain his house here.

Theatre of Movement will remain a North Carolina collective. Its art education program will be offered in the fall through Guilford County Schools. Cyrus will stay on its executive team but not solely responsible.

Cyrus sees his work-in-progress as a bridge.

This residency is a point in the development of the work, he said. So it gives me something to carry forward into Arizona.

Its allowing me to reflect on what has been, before I head into what will be, he said.
Another major roadblock  a lawsuit filed July 28 by the city of Asheville and Buncombe County  has been placed in front of Mission Hospital Inc.s attempt to open a 67-bed community hospital in western North Carolina.

The lawsuit could improve the odds for the bids of Novant Health Inc. and AdventHealth opening a similar community hospital in the market.

AdventHealth is a Seventh-day Adventist non-profit health-care system headquartered in Altamonte Springs, Fla.

The plaintiffs filed a class-action complaint in federal District Court for Western N.C., requesting damages, injunctive relief and equitable relief under the federal Sherman Antirust Act.

Also sued are Missions parent company HCA Healthcare Inc. and several HCA and Mission affiliates. HCA purchased Mission in January 2019.

Mission is the regions dominant for-profit health care system with a combined 733 beds in the market, including a childrens hospital.

The 2022 state Medical Facilities Plan listed a need for 67 acute-care hospital beds to cover Buncombe, Graham, Madison and Yancey counties, likely by 2024.

Mission, Novant and AdventHealth responded by filing certificate-of-need (CON) applications. State law requires a certificate for major infrastructure and equipment purchase, in large part to avoid duplication of services in a market.

Asheville and Bumcombe provide self-funded health insurance plans for employees. They said they filed their complaint in their respective roles of providing affordable health care insurance plans for working families and governmental employee.

The plaintiffs claimed that Missions conduct, as well as the other defendants, has restricted competition in the (local) health care markets that they defined as also including Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Transylvania and Yancey counties.

The restriction of competition thereby substantially and artificially inflating health care prices paid by plaintiffs and proposed class member health plans for medical, surgical and outpatient services.

The 2022 state Medical Facilities Plan listed a need for 67 acute-care hospital beds to cover Buncombe, Graham, Madison and Yancey counties, likely by 2024.

Mission, Novant and AdventHealth responded by filing certificate-of-need (CON) applications. State law requires a certificate for major infrastructure and equipment purchase, in large part to avoid duplication of services in a market.

Asheville and Bumcombe provide self-funded health insurance plans for employees. They said they filed their complaint in their respective roles of providing affordable health care insurance plans for working families and governmental employee.

The plaintiffs claimed that Missions conduct, as well as the other defendants, has restricted competition in the (local) health care markets that they defined as also including Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Transylvania and Yancey counties.

The restriction of competition thereby substantially and artificially inflating health care prices paid by plaintiffs and proposed class member health plans for medical, surgical and outpatient services.

This proposed class action for unlawful restraint of trade and monopolizations seeks to redress these harms.

Mission and HCA told The Asheville Citizen-Times that we are disappointed in this action and we continue to be proud of the heroic work our team does daily.

Spokeswoman Nancy Lindell said Missions demonstrated contributions to the community included $270 million in charity care and uninsured discounts it provided in 2021, expansion of hospital services, a new pediatric emergency room and a new 120-bed behavioral health hospital.

Chief complaints

The lawsuit cited HCA has been the subject of approximately 20 Federal Trade Commission antitrust proceedings over the past two decades. The plaintiffs claimed HCA purchased Mission because Mission had monopoly power in the market.

Mission has an 89.1% market share in the Asheville region and at least an individual 70% market share in each county in the region. according to the complaint.

Mission and HCA also have been accused of embarking on a continuing, multifaceted coercive scheme designed to foreclose competition from rivals, to maintain or to enhance its monopoly power in the relevant markets, and ultimately to charge prices above their competitive level in the markets.

HCA supercharged the scheme after it acquired Mission, including all-or-nothing tying arrangements requiring health insurance plans to contract with all of Missions services as a bundle.

The defendants also have accused of gag clauses that prevent insurers from communicating with employers and patients about the prices they pay for health care, and thus determine how best to reduce costs.

By tying their services and regions together, defendants coercively rob health plans of the ability to choose which service and providers are in or out of network.

Mission and HCA have been criticized for understaffing as health care workers quit because of working conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to Asheville-based newspaper Mountain Xpress, Asheville Mayor Esther Manheimer, Buncombe commissioners chair Brownie Newman and other elected officials co-signed an opinion column in the Asheville Citizen Times in February 2020 that expressed deep concern regarding the state of Mission Hospital Systems since the purchase by Hospital Corp. of America (HCA) last year.

In June 2022, Buncombe commissioners sent a letter to state regulators expressing their preference for an alternative hospital to Mission.

Mission said in a statement to Asheville TV station WLOS that we are confident we are the best hospital situated to provide this care because of the outstanding, advanced services we are already providing including trauma care, complex medical/surgical services, and specialty pediatric care.

Mission Hospital has experienced capacity constraints for this type of specialized care because it is the regions only tertiary care center, trauma center and pediatric specialty hospital.

Meanwhile, WLOS reported that weve been hearing ... so many people, the consumers, coming to us, saying they want a choice. They want competition, according to Victoria Dunkle, communications and public relations director for AdventHealth Hendersonville.

Theyve pointed out they want choice and options in not-for-profit, they want faith-based, they want whole-person care, which is what AdventHealth is all about.

Hospital proposals

Novant applied June 15 for permission to build a $328.73 million community hospital campus. The health system already has an imaging center in the market.

Novant, with facilities already in the Triad, Charlotte and Wilmington, is pursuing a fourth urban health-care presence in North Carolina.

Mission has proposed a $125.04 million expansion of its existing campus.

AdventHealth has proposed a $252.12 million capital investment. Advents lone North Carolina hospital is in neighboring Hendersonville.

Novant has said it has been interested in expanding our services in western North Carolina for years.

We have a history of serving patients in the area through our managed partnership with Ashe Memorial Hospital in Jefferson and our Asheville-based imaging center, Open MRI.

We believe we can build on these established relationships and provide support for a growing part of the state in need of additional choice.

Novant and Advent plan to provide a dedicated C-section operating room and between three and five procedure rooms.

Stein stance

On July 25, state Attorney General Josh Stein filed a formal objection to Missions certificate-of-need application with the N.C. Division of Health Service Regulation.

The lack of competition is the result of Missions unique history, Stein wrote.

Mission effectively operated as a legislatively authorized monopoly for over 20 years, and no new hospitals have opened even after Missions arrangement with the state ended in 2016.

Stein said residents of western North Carolina have been adversely affected by higher health-care costs and a reduction in quality of care in the region.

Accordingly, the department should deny Missions application and instead approve an application from a qualified competitor, Stein said.

Stein said HCA ownerships has contributed to increased health-care costs for patients in the Asheville market.

Missions application cannot demonstrate that it will enhance competition, lower costs or improve quality, Stein said.

Stein said that the CON process provides a much-needed opportunity to introduce competition into western North Carolinas health care market.

The Department of Health and Human Services should seize that opportunity ... by denying Missions application, Stein said.

State law requires that state health regulators approve a certificate of need before providers can build new health care centers or add certain equipment.

The goal of the CON process is limiting unnecessary duplication of services in a community, although some Republican legislative leaders claims the process limits the ability of independent and for-profit providers to enter markets and lower costs.

Stein said he is taking a neutral position on the Novant and AdventHealth applications.

A public hearing on the three CON applications is set for 9:30 a.m. Aug. 12 on the Asheville campus of Asheville-Buncombe Technical College.

336-727-7376

@rcraverWSJ
WENTWORTH  Rockingham Community College has formed a partnership with WGU North Carolina, an affiliate of online nonprofit Western Governors University, enabling a seamless transfer of course credits for graduates to attend the online university.

RCC President Dr. Mark Kinlaw hosted WGU North Carolina Chancellor Dr. Ben Coulter on the RCC campus for a signing of the collaborative agreement on July 14, according to a news release from RCC.

WGU will now provide to RCC graduates flexible, personalized learning pathways to earn bachelors and masters degrees through WGU, the release said.

Going a step further, the agreement also extends to RCC employees, in support of workforce development and employee development goals.

We are thrilled to partner with RCC to support a shared mission of expanding educational opportunities and enabling career pathways which serve the workforce needs of our communities, especially in rural settings, across North Carolina, Coulter said.

WGU offers more than 60 accredited online degree programs in business, information technology, K-12 teacher education and health professions, including nursing. These programs align perfectly with associates degrees RCC offers, so graduates will be able to transfer right into WGU to earn their bachelors and masters degrees.

One unique feature of WGU is the ability for students to accelerate program completion in our undergraduate and graduate degree offerings, Coulter said. Our programs are intentionally designed to be flexible, especially for adults who may be working, supporting a family, or have other life obligations. And as we are competency-based, students who demonstrate mastery of course content and assessment criteria can progress at their own pace.

Tuition is approximately $3,800 for a six-month term, during which a student can take as many courses as they want.

That means that whether a student completes eight courses or 20 during a term, the tuition doesnt change, so the more courses a student finishes in a term, the quicker they finish, saving them money, Coulter said.

Thats good news for RCC graduates, who already save a lot of money coming to the community college for their first two years, the release said.

In fact, RCC graduate Noah Dorsett is already enrolled at WGU. Dorsett, who holds an Associate in Applied Science degree and works on RCCs Technology Support team as computer support and digital media specialist, is pursuing WGUs Information Technology pathway.

Its wonderful to be able to continue my full-time employment and have a full online education where I can pursue certifications while still being able to gather experience in my professional environment as well, Dorsett told Coulter during the July 14 event.

WGU is a non-profit, fully accredited institution established in 1997. More than 135,000 students are enrolled nationwide, including more than 3,800 in North Carolina, and it boasts nearly 300,000 graduates across the country. WGU North Carolina was established in 2017.

WGU was an early innovator at the dawn of online learning 25 years ago, Coulter said. During that time, we have established best practices and effective teaching methods meeting the needs of different communities of learners that may be underserved, low-income, or currently working but looking to upskill or having a change in careers. We are inclusive of all learners and have a level of portability and flexibility supporting attainment of high-quality, accredited degrees and certifications through the convenience of online learning.

RCC graduates and employees are eligible to apply for the WGU Community College Partner Scholarship in the amount of $2,500, disbursed in increments of $625 per semester for up to four terms based on academic performance, the release said.

To find out more about WGUs transfer pathways, visit https://partners.wgu.edu.
On the afternoon of Friday, July 29, a small plane carrying two licensed pilots took off from a private airport in Raeford and crash-landed in Raleigh about 90 minutes later, with only one pilot onboard.

Heres what we know about the timeline of events that afternoon, based on previous reporting from The News & Observer.

1:10 p.m.: According to FlightAware.com, a small plane  a CASA C-212 Aviocar with Tail No. N497CA  departed from Raeford in Hoke County at 1:10 p.m. The plane was registered to Spore LTD LLC from Colorado Springs, a company managed by Rampart Aviation.

1:30 p.m.: The plane began circling Raeford West Airport and experienced a hard landing, but the landing was aborted. A spokesperson for the privately owned airport said the plane did not use their runway, but rather a dirt military runway nearby. Sometime shortly after that aborted landing, the plane  using the call sign Shady 02  called Fayetteville Air Traffic Control for help rerouting to RDU.

1:50-2 p.m.: The pilots contacted air traffic control at Raleigh-Durham International Airport requesting an emergency landing. They reported that the right wheel of their turboprop plane had fallen off during an attempted landing near a private airport in Raeford.

2:30 p.m.: Around 2:30 or 2:45 Friday afternoon, authorities received reports that a man had exited a small plane mid-flight. A map of the planes flight path from ADS-B Exchange, a flight-tracking service, suggests the plane was at about 3,850 feet during this time, and that it crossed over Hilltop Needmore Road in Fuquay-Varina at about 2:30.

2:49 p.m.: Shortly before 3 p.m., the plane approached RDU and landed on Runway 5R-23L. It veered into the grass, according to the airport. The pilot, the only passenger on the plane when it reached the ground, was taken to a Duke University hospital with minor injuries.

5 p.m.: By 5 p.m., EMS, police and fire departments were searching a large swath of Wake County for a second person who may have exited the plane while it was in air, said Carolyn Roman with the Town of Cary. The search would eventually involve federal authorities.

7 p.m.: The missing co-pilot was found dead behind a house near Sunset Lake and Hilltop Needmore roads in Fuquay-Varina.

11 p.m.: The Fuquay-Varina police department held a news conference to announce the identity of the recovered co-pilot: Charles Hew Crooks of Raleigh. FVPD says the father of the co-pilot, located in Fairfield, Connecticut, had been notified.
Grove Winery, Guilford Countys first and oldest winery, was sold this summer to Haw River Valley Enterprises L.L.C.

Winemaker Max Lloyd, who opened Grove in 2004, will remain as a consultant/adviser for the next year. The 44-acre farm near Gibsonville will remain Grove Winery.

A spokesman for the corporation described new ownership as a family-based business looking at developing more vineyards in the Haw River Valley region.

Immediate plans are underway to add a covered pavilion with stone fireplace and a lakeside dock at Grove. Grounds improvements will include adding three more acres of vine. The corporation plans to double case production.

Grove Winery has long enjoyed a reputation as an innovator, introducing perhaps the largest diversity of grape varietals in North Carolina, including Nebbiolo, Tempranillo, Sangiovese, Traminette, Carmenere, Malbec, Viognier, Norton, Niagara and common French varietals.

***

Wine Spectator magazines Restaurant Wine Awards of Excellence were announced this month and the Triad winners are  pretty much the same restaurants that have consistently earned that annual distinction.

Triad restaurant wine list recognized include Green Valley Grill, Print Works Bistro, and Village Tavern in Greensboro. Other recognitions include Chop House Mendenhall (High Point), Ryans Restaurant (Winston-Salem), Village Tavern (Winston-Salem) and Outwest Steakhouse (Kernersville).

***

JOLO Winery and Vineyard was recently named among Tripadvisors national top Travelers Choice winners. That distinction is tied to guest reviews and recognizes the best in tourism and hospitality.

JOLO, southeast of Mt. Airy, offers an eclectic range of hybrids and blends, has a high-end restaurant on site, and includes spectacular views of Pilot Mountain.

Additionally, the International Critics Challenge competition in San Diego, CA recently awarded a gold medal to JOLOs 2021 Crimson Creek  a 100 percent Chambourcin that drinks like a French Pinot Noir. Crimson Creek, and many JOLO blends, have consistently won awards inside and outside North Carolina.

***

Some signature events:

Aug. 13  Full Moon Festival, RayLen Vineyards, Mocksville

Aug. 17  Vintage Mercedes-Benz Show, Shelton Vineyards, Dobson

Sept. 10  Skull Camp Out, Round Peak Vineyards, Mt. Airy

Sept. 17-18  17th Annual Festa Italiano, Raffaldini Vineyards, Ronda

Sept. 17  Summer Concert featuring The Tams, Shelton Vineyards, Dobson

***

Some recent wines Ive enjoyed and you might too:

2020 Feudi di San Gregario Falanghina ($23)  A refreshing dry white from Italys Campania region near famed Mt. Vesuvius. Bright minerality with pear and honeycrisp apple.

2020 Orfila Classic Malbec ($13)  From Argentinas Mendoza region and a winery dating to 1905, this medium-bodied red is dark black fruits, spice, and tobacco.

2020 La Miranda Secastilla ($15): Crafted from Spains Garnacha Blanca  white Grenache. Intriguing contrasts among the pear, peach, lemon peel, and green herbs. A plump and rounded alternative to Chardonnay.

2018 Arano Ribera del Duero ($27): Spains classic Tempranillo grape. Black cherry, blackberry, plum, black licorice, balsamic with a long finish and short tannins.

2020 Chemistry Pinot Gris ($17): From Oregons Willamette Valley wine region comes this quintessential summer white. This brand is a collaboration of two storied Willamette wineries: Stoller Family Estate and Chehalem Winery. This styledifferent from what Italians feature as Pinot Grigio  is Bartlett pear and granny apple with a velvety texture.
Bahrains Al Salam Bank, in collaboration with 10xDS (Exponential Digital Solutions), has implemented Robotic Process Automation (RPA) solution on Blocked and Unblocked Accounts (BUB) within its compliance framework.

This comes as part of the banks efforts to comply with the regulatory requirements issued by the legislative authorities in Bahrain, represented by the Ministry of Justice, Islamic Affairs and Waqf, and the Central Bank of Bahrain (CBB), with utmost accuracy and efficiency.

The implementation of RPA automates high-volume compliance-driven back-end operations, which were previously performed manually, with this technology, Al Salam Bank can better focus on high-impact strategic tasks by freeing up their back-end operations teams. This comes in line with the banks digitisation strategy, adding to its portfolio of digital banking services and products.

Automated extraction

Abdulkarim Turki, Chief Operating Officer at Al Salam Bank, said: This solution will enable the automated extraction and processing of backend routine tasks in order to more effectively meet the requirements of the Kingdoms local authorities and regulatory bodies. This, in turn, will lead to an increase in efficiency, accuracy, and speed in terms of processing-time. We look forward to the automation of other back-office processes in the near future as part of the banks agile three-year digitisation strategy.

Ali Al Khaja, Head of Compliance and Anti-money Laundering at Al Salam Bank, said: The RPA solution will lead to operational excellence, better cost optimisation, and significantly reduce risk, resulting in achieving better accuracy and transparency in meeting regulatory compliance requirements. In addition, the automation of routine tasks will enable employees to direct their focus towards other strategic initiatives and high-impact work.

Additionally, this step is in parallel with the banks guiding principle Be Digitally Native, which constitutes smart and efficient banking services through adopting a digital, solution-driven mindset in order to provide clients with an enriched banking experience characterised by convenience, simplicity, and efficiency.

IT endorsed environment

10xDS is specialised in delivering RPA solutions that support the continuous development of organisations through the automation of complex, end-to-end operational activities in an IT endorsed environment.

The company also couples traditional consulting with digital solutions, further enhancing the digitisation journey of companies through the provision of advanced technological solutions that enable them to maintain their positions at the forefront of their field.-- TradeArabia News Service
Petri Hawkins Byrd, best known as a bailiff on Judge Judy, is going to be on a new show.

He will be a bailiff on Tribunal, a show on Amazon Freevee.

Tribunal is a court show with three different judges on there, Byrd said.

He asked viewers to look for the series sometime in the fall.

Judge Judy Sheindlin created and is executive producer of the court program, according to a news release from Amazon.

The judges for Tribunal will be Judge Patricia DiMango, a former New York State Supreme Court justice; Judge Tanya Acker, a former judge pro tem in Los Angeles County Superior Court, and Adam Levy, former Putnam County, New York district attorney. Levy is Sheindlins son, according to the news release.

Byrd and Lisa Arrindell are the co-chairs of the 2022 National Black Theatre Festival, which runs through Saturday in Winston-Salem.
ASHEBORO  Reilly, a 23-year-old African lion at the North Carolina Zoo who had been battling renal disease for several years, has died, it was announced Wednesday.

He was so tolerant of his rambunctious offspring and was fiercely devoted to his lady lion, Mekita, said Beth Malott, a zookeeper, in a news release. Reilly was a one-of-a-kind soul, and his morning roars will be greatly missed.

Reilly was the oldest male lion in an Association of Zoos and Aquariums institution. He battled renal disease for several years.

Renal disease is not uncommon for a cat of Reillys advanced age, be it a domestic cat sitting on your chair at home or a lion at the zoo, Dr. Jb Minter, the zoos chief veterinarian, said in the release. We had been extremely fortunate to be able to monitor the advancement of Reillys renal disease over the years using operant conditioning to get blood from his tail, but unfortunately, the progression of the renal disease along with his previously diagnosed spinal disease proved to be too much.

I will surely miss hearing his roar from across the park.

A lions average lifespan in the wild is about 10 to 15 years, while male lions under human care have a median life expectancy of 17 years.

He far exceeded the average lifespan for lions under human care, Animal Management Supervisor Jodi Wiley said in the release. This speaks volumes of the amazing care the keepers have given him over the years.

Reilly was born at Lincoln Park Zoo on Feb. 7, 1999, and came to the North Carolina Zoo in 2001. He fathered nine offspring  three males and six females.

Mekita is now the only lion at the zoo. Decisions about possible mates for her will be based on recommendations from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, the zoo said.

Male African Lions weigh up to 570 pounds while females weigh up to 277 pounds. During peak health, Reilly weighed about 440 pounds, but his weight had dropped to 394 pounds, the zoo said.

African lions are listed as a vulnerable species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, with populations continuing to decrease due to habitat loss and poaching. An estimated 23,000 to 39,000 lions remain in the wild.

Lions are the only big cats that are social, living in prides comprising of a dominant male, several females and their offspring. They may sleep up to 20 hours per day. Lions are native to the savannahs and grasslands of Africa and can reach speeds of up to 50 mph for very short bursts.
GREENSBORO  The U.S. Department of Commerce has awarded N.C. A&T a $23.7 million grant as part of the American Rescue Plans Good Jobs Challenge.

The grant, which will be used to create a clean energy workforce training program, is the single-largest award the university has received for research.

Gov. Roy Cooper was among those gathered on the universitys campus Wednesday to celebrate the achievement.

North Carolina is quickly becoming the center of our countrys emerging clean energy economy, Cooper said. This transformative grant will invest in our states diverse workforce as we continue to create high-paying clean energy jobs and bolster N.C. A&Ts reputation as a national leader preparing students for the economy of the future.

The grant was among 32 awarded from the $500 million jobs challenge administered by the Commerce Departments Economic Development Administration and will enable communities across the country to invest in innovative approaches to workforce development.

U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina M. Raimondo said it was the first job training initiative implemented by the U.S. Commerce Department. She explained that its important everyone have an opportunity to get family-sustaining jobs with the right resources.

A&Ts project, called STEPs4GROWTH, will train workers by using mobile units in certain counties, according to information provided by the university.

The program, which will start in high school and continue through college, will allow participants to earn certificates and build skills all the way to a bachelors degree. It will set up partnerships in four areas  energy efficiency, renewable energy, clean vehicles and grid and storage  while establishing regional training centers.

More than 40 employers  including Duke Energy, Strata Clean Energy and Blue Ridge Power  have committed to hiring 3,000 STEPs4GROWTH trainees over four years, then 1,500 trainees every year afterward, according to A&T.

The program can be a model for providing training for the growing clean energy sector across the U.S., officials said.

Through this important project, North Carolina A&T will play a leading role in preparing well-trained workers to fill the many skilled jobs in Americas rapidly growing clean energy sector, A&T Chancellor Harold L. Martin Sr. said in a statement.

A&T recently celebrated 40 high school and 20 college students completion of the 2022 N.C. Clean Energy pre-apprenticeship and internship program at the university. That program served as the pilot for STEPs4GROWTH.

Business leaders from Duke, Piedmont Services Group and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers attended the announcement Wednesday on the A&T campus.

We are on a mission to make sure that every American  regardless of where they live or the color of their skin, how old they are, whether they are in recovery, formerly incarcerated  has a chance to get a real job, Raimondo said.
GREENSBORO  The public has spoken, and they want to see Anna Vtipil during the North Carolina Folk Festival in September.

The Raleigh performer backed by an ensemble was the top vote getter during the July 5-22 voting period for the 2022 Not Your Average Folk Contest as part of the free annual outdoor festival with multicultural music, dancing, storytelling, crafts and food.

Anna and her ensemble are an innovative voice from the homegrown music scene emerging in North Carolina, and we are honored to host an early step in their bright future as performing artists, Amy Grossmann, the groups president and CEO, said in a news release.

A pianist and vocalist, Vtipil was accompanied on her original songs by Lora Mouna and Clara Lampkin on vocals, Hanna Fishastion on cello and Gracie Zielinski on violin. The group formed at UNCG.

Vtipil, along with the The Zinc Kings from Greensboro, Discount Rothko from Winston-Salem, and The Travis Williams Group from Pfafftown, had all advanced to the public voting phase from a pool of 42 North Carolina-based musicians whose applications were reviewed by a panel of experts from across the state.

Videos of each act were posted online with the top vote getter receiving the chance to perform on one of the main stages at the annual folk festival, which will be held downtown from Sept. 9 to 11.

Lorena Guillen Tango Ensemble of Greensboro won the inaugural contest last year.

Vtipil describes her music as coming from a vast range of styles including traditional Irish jig.

A lot of my personal inspiration this year has come from the song-writing community in Greensboro and witnessing the talent of local artists while at school, music venues, and open mics, Vtipil said in the release.

Vtipil also receives eight hours of recording time at Black Rabbit Audio in Greensboro.
Following days of being in limbo, legislation meant to ensure health care for veterans sickened by toxic exposure from burn pits cleared the U.S. Senate after Republicans ended their opposition to the bill.

Over the last week, Montana U.S. Sen. Jon Tester, who heads the U.S. Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs, was one of the most vocal backers of the legislation, from giving fiery statements about it stalling out to meeting with veterans who camped out in Washington, D.C., in protest of the delay in passage.

The Senate took a historic step today to deliver all eras of veterans their earned support through passage of the Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring Our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act, Tester, a Democrat, said in an emailed statement.

For hundreds of thousands of veterans, generations of our all-volunteer military and their families, this bill is putting us on a path to finally recognizing the toxic wounds of war. This bill was a long time coming to right the wrongs to our toxic-exposed veterans  and its the bill our veterans and their families deserve, are counting on, and cannot wait any longer for," Tester said. "Our men and women in uniform held up their end of the bargain, and Im proud were finally holding up ours.

While Montana's U.S. Sen. Steve Daines initially issued a statement offering support for the bill when it first moved out of the Senate, he flipped to opposing it last week. His staff said he backed the goal of the PACT Act, but wanted an amendment added that would allow Congress to adjust the amount of annual spending in the bill instead of requiring a set amount.

The road to final passage was cleared after Democrats agreed to allow a vote on an amendment from Sen. Patrick J. Toomey, R-Pa., that was designed to foreclose the possibility of what he called a massive unrelated spending binge by Democrats.

Toomey and other conservatives had raised objections to the bill because it would reclassify nearly $400 billion in current-law VA spending from discretionary to mandatory accounts, thereby potentially freeing up more budget authority to increase discretionary spending on domestic programs unrelated to veterans. His amendment would keep current VA spending in discretionary accounts.

Toomey had been pushing for a simple-majority vote on his amendment. But after days of public protests over the delay of passage from veterans groups and comedian Jon Stewart, Toomey tweeted his agreement to a 60-vote threshold for GOP amendments, which is what Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer had offered.

Theres no better message we can send to the ... veterans that have camped out for nights in front of the Capitol that their long wait and the wait of veterans everywhere is finally over, Schumer said in urging swift passage Tuesday before the vote.

Tester met with Stewart and they both addressed the veterans camped out at the Capitol.

The 60-vote threshold appeared designed to ensure that the amendment would be defeated in the 50-50 Senate. Adoption of any amendments would send the bill back to the House for yet another floor vote.

Toomeys amendment was rejected, 47-48, with Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, the sole GOP no vote.

In an emailed statement, Daines explained why he voted for the bill Tuesday.

Today, I was glad to vote for the PACT Act to deliver disability and health benefits earned by Montana veterans suffering from toxic exposure that occurred during their military service, Daines said. In recent days, I worked to ensure the VA is held accountable for meeting the needs of these veterans while also preventing big spenders in Washington from funding unrelated programs. While Im disappointed these improvements did not pass, the PACT Act passed with my full support. I look forward to it becoming law in the very near future.

A Daines spokesperson said later Tuesday evening that Daines' earlier "no" vote was procedural in nature.

More than 3.5 million veterans who were exposed to toxic substances on overseas deployments will gain easier access to health and disability benefits under the bill.

The 86-11 vote ended weeks of delay that began with a constitutional concern over an obscure tax provision that had to be removed. And the holdup grew longer after an eleventh-hour objection from Republican senators last week who pushed for an amendment to change how some Department of Veterans Affairs health care spending is accounted for in the budget.

President Joe Biden is certain to sign the bill into law in the coming days.

The legislation, long sought by veterans groups, means that millions of veterans suffering health problems will no longer have to prove their illnesses were caused by exposure to toxic substances from military deployments. Many served at bases that used open-air burn pits to dispose of trash and hazardous waste.

The bill would make service members who contracted any of 23 conditions  from brain cancer to hypertension  after being deployed to Iraq, Afghanistan and other combat zones automatically eligible for VA benefits. The measure is expected to cost nearly $280 billion over a decade, according to the Congressional Budget Office.
The Montana Supreme Court rejected claims by Missoula and Gallatin county parents who objected to school mask policies, saying school districts had the authority to provide a safe environment.

The justices agreed with rulings made previously by district courts in Gallatin and Missoula counties to deny preliminary injunctions regarding school mask policies in those respective counties.

Local parents in Gallatin and Missoula counties filed their respective suits last year, but were ultimately denied. The two groups eventually joined forces and appealed the district courts decisions to the state Supreme Court.

The opinion of the Montana Supreme Court was delivered Tuesday afternoon by Justice Jim Rice. All justices on the court concurred with the opinion.

The district courts did not manifestly abuse their discretion by denying the preliminary injunctions, and their orders are affirmed, the court wrote in its opinion.

Parents in Missoula County took issue with face-covering policies at Missoula County Public Schools, Target Range School District and the Hellgate Elementary School district. Gallatin County parents sued Bozeman School District, Monforton School District and Big Sky School District.

The parents were represented by Missoula attorney Quentin Rhoades of Rhoades & Erickson PLLC. The school districts were represented by Elizabeth Kaleva, Kevin Twidwell and Elizabeth OHalloran of Kaleva Law Offices of Missoula.

The parents were joined by Stand Up Montana, a nonprofit organization based in Gallatin County. The group provides support for legal action against school districts in Montana that are illegally masking our children, according to its website.

The Montana Supreme Court cited a similar case in Maine where a parent sued the town of Winslow, the school board, district and superintendent arguing that the school mask policy violated his right to make decisions affecting his childs health.

A district court in Maine dismissed the suit filed by Scott Fortuna earlier this summer in June.

Once his child is in school, Mr. Fortunas parental rights must be measured against the equal rights of other parents to control their children and the duty of the school to provide a safe environment for all children, not just Mr. Fortunas child, and for others who work or volunteer in the school, the Maine court wrote.
BOZEMAN  More evening fishing restrictions went into effect on rivers and streams in southwest and western Montana on Tuesday afternoon, as temperatures climbed into the 90s.

The hoot owl restrictions prohibit anglers from fishing between 2 p.m. and midnight daily, and Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks adopts them to reduce stress on fish while water temperatures are high.

Anglers are now subject to hoot owl restrictions on the approximately 25-mile stretch of the Shields River between the Shields River Road bridge and the confluence with the Yellowstone River.

The limits also went into effect on an approximately 45-mile section of the Madison River between the Madison Dam and the Madisons confluence with the Jefferson River near Three Forks.

Hoot owl restrictions also impact a 10-mile section of the Madison River between the Eight Mile Ford Fishing Access Site and Ennis Reservoir, and a 10 mile stretch of the Ruby River between the Duncan District Road crossing and the Rubys confluence with the Beaverhead River.

Officials also ordered the evening fishing restrictions on the East Gallatin River between the confluence of Rocky Creek and Bear Creek and the West Gallatin River confluence.

Farther west, hoot owl restrictions went into effect on the Clark Fork River between the confluence of the Bitterroot River and the Flathead River; on all of Silver Bow Creek; and on the entire main stem of the Bitterroot River, excluding the east and west forks.

Evening fishing restrictions are already in place on many rivers and streams in southwest Montana.

Officials enacted the limits on a stretch of the Gallatin River, two stretches of the Big Hole River, a stretch of the Madison River, a stretch of the Beaverhead River and the entire Jefferson River earlier this summer.

People cant fish between 2 p.m. and midnight on the Gallatin River between its mouth and the Cameron Bridge Fishing Access Site.

On the Big Hole River, the restrictions are in place between Maidenrock Fishing Access Site and the Big Holes confluence with the Jefferson River, and between Saginaw Bridge and Dickie Bridge.

Additional hoot owl restrictions were enacted on the Beaverhead River from its mouth to Selway Park Fishing Access Site.

Montana FWP wrote in a news release that water temperatures have exceeded 73 degrees for three consecutive days in the aforementioned rivers and streams, and that triggered the hoot owl restrictions. The limits will be lifted once the water bodies cool down or until Sept. 15.

Fishing restrictions, such as hoot owl restrictions and full closures, are designed to protect fish that become more susceptible to disease and mortality when conditions, such as low flows and high water temperatures, combine with other stressors, including catch-and-release fishing, the department wrote.

Anglers can help to reduce stress on fish by fishing during the coolest times of the day, landing fish quickly, wetting their hands before handling fish and keeping fish in the water as much as possible. They should try to remove hooks gently and let fish recover before releasing them.
DECATUR  A Decatur man accused of beating his girlfriend staggered into a courtroom Wednesday with the reddened flesh around his right eye swollen shut and cuts and bruises all over his battered body.

Clearly in pain, the 44-year-old defendant could barely walk without assistance and was allowed to sit rather than stand in front of Macon County Circuit Court Judge James Coryell.

The judge, looking down at the slumped man, told him it looked like he had got the short end of the fight. And that is just what happened, according to a sworn Decatur police affidavit.

It describes the man pinning his 52-year-old girlfriend to the ground and repeatedly punching her in the head Tuesday afternoon after chasing the screaming woman from their Decatur motel room.

The girlfriend and several witnesses then described a male stranger intervening and telling the man to leave the woman alone.

(The defendant ) responded You dont know whats going on and then turned his attention from (the girlfriend) to the male, physically attacking the male, according to the affidavit, which was signed by Officer Kara Flannery.

But the good Samaritan who had come to the womans aid had clearly proved more than capable of defending himself, and administered a thorough beating to his would-be assailant before leaving.

Flannery said police had arrived at the motel to find the man still bleeding from the right side of his face, specifically the eye and the nose.

The sobbing girlfriend told police she was left hurting all over her body and said her boyfriend of six months had woken up in a bad mood and attacked her.

The defendant's bail was set at $15,000, requiring him to post a bond of $1,500 to be released. Prosecutors had asked for bail of $25,000. The man faces one preliminary charge of domestic battery and a check of Macon County Jail records Wednesday afternoon showed that he remained in custody.

All preliminary charges are subject to review by the state's attorneys office.
The Saudi British Banks (SABB) net income rose 10% to SR2.08 billion for first half (H1), compared to SR1.89 billion for the corresponding period in 2021, driven mainly by higher net special commission income.

Lubna Sulaiman Olayan, Chair of the Board of Directors of SABB, said the performance in the second quarter of 2022 continued to build upon the achievements of 2021 and the start of 2022.

For the three-month period ended June 30, 2022 the bank generated a net income of SR1.082 billion, compared to a net income of SR919 million for the same period in 2021, an increase of 18%.

Total operating income

She also noted that total operating income reached SR4.40 billion for the six-month period ending June 30, 2022, representing an increase of 12% over the same period in 2021. Net special commission income of SR3.13 billion over that same period represented an 8% increase, with fees from banking services of SR651 million representing a 13% increase. Additionally, exchange income grew by 34%, reaching SR359 million.

We expect to build on this performance through the remainder of 2022, and expect further improvements in our revenue base, considering the current rate environment. Despite an increase in second quarter credit impairment charges, our overall year-to-date cost-of-risk remains within the expected range. All of this combined with continued strong cost management has led to a return on tangible equity of 10% in the second quarter, she said.

The banks Chair further explained that shareholders equity reached SR54 billion, compared to SR53 billion for the same period in 2021, an increase of 2%. Moreover, total assets surpassed SR300 billion for the first time in our history, reaching SR303 billion, an increase of 11%. The bank's net financing portfolio amounted to SR176 million, an increase of 9% compared to the same period in 2021. Customer deposits rose to SR207 billion, an increase of 11%.

Underlying growth

Olayan highlighted that the banks underlying growth continues and sentiment remains strong, evidencing the fact that, despite a turbulent macro-economic backdrop, the Saudi banking sector has weathered the second quarter with remarkable resilience.

Progress on the large-scale projects in the kingdom has continued, including Neom-related activities and those focused on the energy sector. Underlying corporate originations in the quarter remained healthy, while retail performance remained robust with continued growth in our home finance portfolio. We also maintained strong performance in our personal finance and cards products.

During the second quarter, we were named Saudi Arabias Best Bank 2022 by Global Finance Magazine, an award that encompasses a wide range of criteria, including profitability, geographical scope, strategic relations, business development and product innovation  as ever, it is pleasing to receive external recognition for our developments, innovation and financial performance.-- TradeArabia News Service
DECATUR  In an unusual move Wednesday, a judge threw out weapons charges against a Decatur man after deciding that police and prosecutors had failed to produce evidence worthy of a trial.

Macon County Circuit Court Judge James Coryell dismissed charges of the reckless discharge of a firearm and being an armed habitual criminal against Demario D. Reed, 28, after a preliminary hearing. The judge also dismissed a further charge of being a felon in possession of a weapon.

All the charges date to May 15 when police were summoned to the 900 block of East Elmhurst Avenue after a 49-year-old woman said she had seen Reed, a convicted felon who is not allowed to own a gun, firing a blue handgun once into the air.

The woman, a neighbor, said Reed had been standing in the backyard of the home of his niece when the gun was fired. Police said they had found a blue handgun in the house of the niece and she checked out as the legal owner. Only the one witness, however, said they had seen Reed outside firing the weapon and the prosecution case began to falter under cross-examination from defense attorney Robert Wrigley.

Did you check the gun over to determine whether it had been discharged? he asked Officer Corey Blair, who had testified for the police.

No, Blair replied.

You did not check it over to determine it had been discharged? Wrigley asked again.

Correct, said Blair.

The officer also said there was no evidence or witness testimony that Reed had been seen inside the house. A sworn affidavit quotes the niece as confirming her uncle had stopped by but he had stayed outside the entire time and, listening to music, she said she had not heard any gunshot.

Coryell then began questioning Blair and pressed the point about there being any indication Reed had gone inside his nieces home. There is no claim of him being in the house, the officer told the judge.

So this handgun was found in the house that nobody said he had been in? asked Coryell.

Correct, said Blair.

The judge asked more questions and was told there were no other witnesses to the shot being fired outside and the police had recovered no shell casing.

After considering for a moment, Coryell told the court: I find no probable cause.

Reed has been held in the Macon County Jail since his arrest June 14. His jail charge sheet lists the weapons offenses and a further count of violating parole linked to the gun charges.

Macon County Sheriffs Office spokesman Sgt. S.E. Flannery said the jail would have to wait until the Illinois Department of Corrections went through the formal process of dropping their warrant before Reed could be released, but expected that to happen later Wednesday.
DECATUR  Heavy rain and a mix of grass, sticks, bottles, cups and other trash made for an interesting commute Tuesday morning around Decatur.

"I've been here a long time and I've seen it happen many, many times," said Kristy Miller.

Miller is one of the many Decatur Municipal Services workers dispatched Tuesday to unclog the numerous city street drains after heavy rain passed through the area for about an hour, beginning around 8:30 a.m.

"This is one of the reasons you shouldn't mow (grass) clippings into the street," she said after scooping a mix of debris from a drain near the Prairie Avenue underpass. "It's always a mess when you have a rain like this."

By 2 p.m. Tuesday, the National Weather Service in Lincoln reported significant rainfall accumulation in Macon County, with 5 inches falling near Elwin.

The impacts are definitely there, said Meteorologist Ed Shimon.

Reports also showed 3 inches of rain in Sand Creek Conservation Area, prompting the closing of the park, 3.32 inches approximately two miles southeast of Latham, 2.75 inches in Mount Zion, 4.7 inches in Blue Mound, 2.56 inches northwest of Harristown and 2.39 inches near Decatur Airport.

The clogged drains caused the Prairie Avenue underpass to become flooded with water backed up to North Hilton Street. One motorist, undaunted by the rising water, became stalled under the bridge and remained there until the water subsided.

Lindsey Kirk stopped to take a picture of the flooding, one of many pictures and videos she had taken.

We were heading to my grandparents in Belleville, but we couldnt get out of town. All the underpasses were flooded, so we ended up in a parking lot trying to wait it out, watching the cars float through and shut down.

While talking about what she had been witnessing, a driver took his chances, navigating his way through the high water and between the stalled car and the concrete wall to make it to the other side.

What a reliable car, a shocked Kirk said.

At the nearby intersection of Prairie with Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, another stalled vehicle was sitting in more than a foot of water. It was almost hit by another vehicle that came up from behind and floated momentarily before gaining traction again and driving on.

Discussing the conditions Tuesday, various officials warn motorists against driving through standing water.

"If you come across a flooded street underpass, don't drive through it," said Dan Mendenall, Municipal Services manager. "Go around it."

If theres a road thats been barricaded, please heed the warnings that the road is closed, Shimon said. Weve had loss of life because people drive around barricades because they feel they just have to get around that one area. Its not worth it.

In addition to putting themselves at risk, Mendenall said there are other safety issues at play.

Drivers have been unable to move their vehicles from the flooded areas, prompting rescues from city and fire crews. "But their cars are still there," Mendenall said. "That's what really causes the problems. The water goes down in the underpasses and the car's sitting in the middle of the road."

The remnants of the storm remained until 10 a.m., which coincided with the monthly testing of the emergency sirens on the first Tuesday of the month.

According to Meteorologist Alex Erwin, the sirens heard at 10 a.m. on the first Tuesday of the month are the responsibility of each county's Emergency Management Office. "We were told by several that they were postponing it because of the weather," he said.

No tornadoes were reported in Central Illinois, Erwin said. "We did have severe thunderstorms though producing straight-line wind damage across parts of Macon County," he said.

Wednesdays weather is predicted to be significantly different, with the flash flood warning declared for the region Tuesday being replaced by heat advisory in effect from noon to 7 p.m. Heat index values of 104 to 108 are expected across portions of Central Illinois.
DECATUR  Manufacturers in Central Illinois are key to the states economy, according to a new economic report.

The Illinois Manufacturers Association this week released a study on the economic impact of manufacturing on Illinois conducted by independent economists at the University of South Carolina.

The study found that manufacturing in Illinois contributes a total economic input of between $580 billion and $611 billion annually, the largest contributor to the states gross domestic product of any industry.

This new economic study confirms what we have long known  that manufacturing is the key pillar of our state's economy, and its success is vital to our state's success, said Mark Denzler, the associations president and CEO, during an event Wednesday in Decatur.

Denzler spoke at Richland Community College, the first step of what will be a statewide manufacturing matters tour of major manufacturing centers. He pointed to Richland as an example of an institution preparing a higher-skilled workforce for the rapidly-developing industry.

At Richland, we strive daily to deliver the advanced technical and essential skills training that provides the workforce necessary to continue Illinois strong manufacturing history and contribute to its future, Cristobal Valdez, Richland's president, said in a statement released after the event.

Manufacturing is especially important for Macon County as it contributes 50% of the countys annual economy.

Illinois is the epicenter of manufacturing in the United States, Denzler said. Decatur and Macon County are the epicenter of manufacturing in Illinois.

According to the report, counties across Central Illinois generate billions of dollars both directly and indirectly from the manufacturing industry, in addition to creating thousands of jobs.

In Macon County, manufacturing generates $13.4 billion in total annual economic output and supports over 22,000 jobs.

Manufacturing in McLean County generates $2 billion in total annual economic output and supports over 7,000 jobs.

Coles County manufacturers generate $1.1 billion in total annual economic output and support 3,489 jobs.

The state of Illinois is blessed with a strong manufacturing base, said Greg Webb, chair of the IMA Board of Directors and vice president of state government relations for Archer Daniels Midland Co.

ADM is a leading employer in the region and has its North American headquarters in Decatur.

Previous studies have underreported the manufacturing sectors contributions to Illinois economy, according to an economist who conducted the IMA study.

An important takeaway from this study is the sheer size of manufacturings economic presence in Illinois, said Joseph C. Von Nessen, research economist at the Darla Moore School of Business at the University of South Carolina. Every job created by a manufacturer spurs additional hiring and spending across multiple industries in the state.

This so-called multiplier effect, Von Nessen said, is significantly higher for manufacturing than it is for other Illinois industries, meaning economic growth in the manufacturing sector could also lead to significant economic growth in other sectors.

The opportunities within the manufacturing sector are great, Webb said.

Denzler suggested some state level policy changes could expand those opportunities.

Continuing to advocate for workforce preparation and recruitment is necessary, he said, in addition to taking actions toward lowering energy costs for manufacturers.

Manufacturers are innovators and entrepreneurs, builders and producers, dreamers and leaders for solving our challenges and envisioning the future, Denzler said. It's imperative that our elected officials enact policies to continue to allow the manufacturing sector to grow in Illinois.
Here's a solution (compromise) that everyone on both side of the political aisle could embrace, but no "Washington genius" has even offered.

Rather than forgiving student loan debt, why not simply forgive the interest on those loans? It's not the loan principal that is so punishing, but the accumulation of interest on that principle. Just make college loans 100% interest free.

Our fine government that gives away trillions to every foreign country, ethnicity, business group, etc. can surely afford the relatively small dollar drop to assist Americans here at home by cancelling interest. I think most folks would gladly pay their loans back for the education received of they knew the interest were absolved.

Positive relief for millions, money we'll spent for every taxpayer, and a reasonable solution / compromise. Why do those bureaucrats make everything so complicated?

Tom Greenwood, Decatur
Comal County Sheriff's Office says body found in Spring Branch, but won't say if it's missing woman
BRISTOL, Tenn.  Dawn Roller has been an instructor at the YMCA of Bristol for 15 years, but shes never seen the Y like it is today  fresh off an $800,000 renovation that is breathing new life into the Bristol community hub.

I think even the feel and vibe of the whole place is new and different, Roller said. People feel reenergized.

After a year-long renovation, backed entirely by donors at no cost to members, the YMCA of Bristol officially cut the ribbon for its largest renovation to date Wednesday afternoon.

According to Roller, the leadership of CEO Rick Matthews, who has been in the role nearly four years, has been a key in transforming the Y in recent years, which included several upgrades to the facility in his tenure.

He brought a great energy back to the Y, Roller said, who serves as senior program director. He had such a great vision. Hes led us through a renovation of 70% of the building, so not a lot of people can put that on paper, then speak to it and fundraise to it.

A main highlight of the remodel is the installation of more than two dozen private showers and changing rooms to help promote inclusivity and privacy for all members, especially for families and the special needs community.

This is the first of its kind in the entire country in the Y movement, Matthews said. Theres no other Y that has just individual changing rooms and locker rooms.

A flagship of the remodel, which never closed the facility, is the new HIITZone for high-intensity interval training. Other upgrades include an expanded weight room, new social space, sanitizable flooring and new lighting.

Throughout the pandemic, Matthews said membership has stayed strong, due in large part to the environment at the Y.

People have felt clean (and) safe, Matthews said. They knew that their best interest was in our highest priority.

With more than 6,000 members, and plenty of capacity to add to its membership, the YMCA of Bristol is already eyeing a potential phase three renovation that would essentially complete a full renovation of the space  but for now, they are focused on fostering relationships and community bonds in their upgraded facility.

The future of health and wellness for kids and families I think [is] the relationship side of things, Matthews said. The Y is all about small group relationship building.
BRISTOL, Tenn.  Regulars to the hair and nail salons at the Bristol, Tennessee Renaissance Center have been enjoying gluten-free waffles and chicken salad croissants from what may be one of Bristol, Tennessees best-kept secrets, Whimsicals Wandering Waffles and Coffee.

Its so cute in here. I love that the food is homemade and fresh, Chelsea Blevins, a regular customer at Whimsicals Wandering Waffles and Coffee, said. My favorite is the mini waffles. I get strawberries and Nutella on them.

For Amanda Holbrook, the owner, opening Whimsicals Wandering Waffles and Coffee, which replaced Trailblazer Coffee, has been a dream come true, despite some initial challenges.

It has always been a dream of mine to open a coffee shop, Holbrook said. Its been good. We didnt have much traffic, which is why Trailblazers left. I just kind of used my marketing skills that I had acquired from my previous job and started using Facebook and Instagram and just really working it.

Because of Holbrooks social media efforts, as well as word-of-mouth from loyal customers, there is now a steady stream of foot traffic seeking out Holbrooks gluten-free waffles, pastries, chicken salad croissants, and whimsical daily specials.

The support and love that Ive gotten from the community, I have a lot of regulars that have found me that just come in either every day or every other day, and the chicken salad flies off the shelf, Holbrook said. Theres no schedule, as far as what I have, other than the posted stuff, but when I do specials, its just very whimsical.

Most of the pastries offered at the Whimsical Wandering Waffles and Coffee are gluten-free. The lunch specials are also usually offered with a gluten-free option.

Holbrook began making gluten-free waffles and other baked goods after her daughter, Olivia Opper, was diagnosed with celiac disease and wanted her to enjoy breakfast.

My daughter has celiac, she was diagnosed three years ago, and we found that breakfast was kind of like, do you like fruit salad? Holbrook said. As a family, we love waffles.

Once Holbrook incorporated the waffles into her business, she began referring to them as wandering waffles because they serve them in a to-go box.

Instead of saying to-go, I just thought it was fun, you wander in get your waffles, and then you wander out, Holbrook said.

Tiffany Tilley, a regular who works in one of the second-floor offices at the Renaissance Center, recommends new customers should get both the waffles and a chicken salad.

Get the waffle for here. Get the chicken salad to go. You cant go wrong! Tilley said.
BRISTOL, Tenn.  The Bluff City, Tennessee Town Council, accepted the resignations of Mayor Richard Bowling and Alderman Eric Ward during its meeting Tuesday leaving the five-member board two members short.

Bowling, who served in the position for seven months, was at Tuesday's meeting. He explained he was resigning due to health concerns and thanked the Town Council, as well as town officials and citizens for their support, wishing them the best of luck in the future.

"It's been a real privilege to work with city officials and all of you guys on the board, and I have really enjoyed it, but as far as my health goes, it's declining some," he said. "Anytime I can help any of you, just give me a call."

Vice Mayor Jeff Broyles, who became mayor upon Bowling's resignation, acknowledged Bowling's hard work over the past seven months, which have been particularly difficult for Bluff City.

"Richard came on board at a very, very difficult time for the town and stood up when we lost Mayor Wells. He has worked tirelessly for the benefit of the staff, for the city in general," Broyles said, who also serves as Bluff Citys town manager, said.. "There's no way that the board and our fellow citizens can thank Richard enough for leading us from January to July."

Alderman Eric Ward, who has held the position since 2019, was not present at the Town Council meeting. Broyles informed the Town Council and members of the public of Ward's decision to relinquish his position as alderman on the Bluff City Town Council and move to Johnson City with his family.

"Eric came on to the board as an appointed alderman and then was elected in 2019 and has been a strong voice on this board," Broyles said. "It's the desire of his family to move back to their hometown Johnson City."

These resignations mean that there are now two seats open on the Bluff City Town Council.

The council, which currently only has three board members, hopes to fill the vacant positions by September 1. The board will sending out an open invitation to Bluff City residents to apply to help lead the locality of just over 2,000 citizens.

Broyles highlighted that to be considered interested applicants should reach out to members of the Town Council with their resumes and qualifications.

"Then I will schedule in our agendas, in our meetings for those folks to be able to come up to the podium," Broyles said. "The board will hear their presentations and looks at any documents or qualifications that are presented, and then they will make a decision."

Once the two board positions are filled, the Bluff City Town Council will elect a new vice mayor.

The Bluff City Town Council voted to delay the approval of the 2022-2023 Bluff City budget due to concerns surrounding a proposed 4% increase in Bluff City residents' water bills because of emergency repairs to the town's water tank that have left the town with a $99,000 shortfall.
BRISTOL, Tenn.  The Bristol Tennessee City Council voted in favor of authorizing additional financing for the development of 158 single-family residences and townhomes Tuesday.

Landstar Partners, LLC, the developer of The Overlook project, was previously approved $1.7 million in Tax Increment Financing (TIF), but due to escalating costs and material shortages, the company requested an additional $400,000 that would bring the total TIF to $2.1 million.

The developer is preparing build sites for The Overlook development located on Raceday Center Drive across Highway 11E from Bristol Motor Speedway. Those improvements come at a cost of $6,423,500, according to the TIF amendment, which states the developer plans to then sell the lots to a homebuilder for the construction of 96 single-family homes and 62 townhomes.

The total investment by the builder and the developer is estimated at nearly $38 million, according to the amendment. If approved by the county, $2.1 million would be issued by Bristol Housing in tax increment based debt amortized over 20 years. According to the Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury website, tax revenue generated from TIF projects is used to cover the cost of TIF improvements.

There was no discussion from council on the matter. The request now goes to the Sullivan County Commission.
National visions around sustainable development support long-term cable industry growth in Mena despite global uncertainty, according to Mohammad Almutawa, CEO of Ducab Group.

The sole Mena representative at the 2022 CRU Wire & Cable Conference leadership panel in London, Almutawa noted the world continues to rely on wire and cable products to facilitate digital transformation and energy transition.

Almutawa stated that GCC countries, in particular, have set ambitious targets to switch to clean energy as part of their national visions. For example, Dubai in the UAE plans to have 25% of its electricity produced through solar by 2030, while Oman has a 30% renewable energy production target by the same period. By 2030, GCC countries are on track to save the equivalent of 354 million barrels of oil by switching to renewables, Almutawa added.

This shift will result in accelerated demand for cable and wire solutions. "There is currently more than $3.9 trillion worth of projects either planned or yet to be awarded in the MENA region," Almutawa observed. The Group CEO added that a growing population, national strategies around sustainability and energy transition, and energy independence are factors behind the increase in investments in clean energy projects across the region.

As one of the largest manufacturing businesses in the UAE and a strong supporter of the "Made in the Emirates" brand, Ducab has supplied cable solutions to flagship projects in the UAE such as the Burj Khalifa, Dubai Metro, Emirates Palace, and Yas Marina Circuit. The renewed global focus on renewable energy saw Ducab launch a line of cables catering specifically to the solar energy sector. The SolarBICC range was selected for two of the region's largest solar power generation projects, including the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park in Dubai and Shams 1 in Abu Dhabi.

Ducab continuously aims to expand business internationally. Ducab products are today exported to 45 markets across the Gulf, Asia, Oceania, Africa, Europe, and the Americas. Exports cover approximately 60% of overall production, a proportion that has expanded significantly in the last few years.

CRU's Wire & Cable 2022 Conference is the premier meeting place for the world's wire and cable supply chain. This year's conference will explore both energy and communications network developments across the entire value chain for insulated wire and cable products produced from copper, aluminium, optical fibre, and associated materials.over $1.5bn to the UAE economy. Through Senaat, Ducab Group is part of ADQ, one of the region's largest holding companies with a broad portfolio of major enterprises spanning key sectors of Abu Dhabi's diversified economy. Equally, Ducab is owned by the Investment Corporation of Dubai (ICD), which is the strategic investment arm of Dubai managing a broad portfolio of assets across wide spectrum of sectors globally. - TradeArabia News Service
Four Sullivan County Commission seats in two districts will be determined Thursday in a county general election that also includes state and federal primaries.

Commissioner Sam Jones seeks reelection in the two-seat District 7 with opposition from Travis Ward and Lori Love, the sole Democratic nominee on the countys general election ballot. Two seats are also up for grabs in District 9 as Republicans Joe Carr and Joe McMurray vie with Randall Bowers, an independent candidate.

There are just two other contested races in the Sullivan County General Election  mayor and District 1 constable.

Incumbent Mayor Richard Venable faces opposition from independent candidates Val Edwards George and Bobby Weaver. On the ballot for District 1 constable are John Brothers, Dylan Joseph Rice and Michael J. Rutherford Sr.

Republicans and Democrats will also get to cast a primary ballot, which includes two unopposed candidates for Bristol Tennessee School Board on the Republican side  Jennifer Henson (East District) and Debbie Darnell (South District), both of whom will be unopposed in November. Jim Butcher (West District), a current school board member, is uncontested as an independent.

No changes are coming to the Sullivan County Board of Education as all three incumbents seeking reelection are unopposed. There are also no contested races in the Republican state and federal primaries. Democrats will see three candidates seeking the partys nomination for governor.

Sullivan Countys polls are open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday. Registered voters must vote at their assigned voting location and bring a photo ID issued by the state or federal government.

Early voter turnout was low in July, according to Jason Booher, the countys elections administrator, with 4,053 ballots cast. Of those more than 4,000 ballots, 82% of early voters voted in the Republican primary, 612 people voted in the Democratic primary and 120 opted for a general election ballot only.

To see your voting location and more, visit www.scelect.org.
NONFICTION: Erika Sanchez's memoir is a raw and raunchy coming-of-age tale. Believe it or not, it's also uplifting.

"Crying in the Bathroom" by Erika Sanchez; Viking (256 pages, $27)



Erika Sanchez's debut novel for young adults, "I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter," offered a fictional account of the constraints of growing up in a poor immigrant family in Chicago. Sanchez's latest, "Crying in the Bathroom," a memoir in essays, grows out of the same need to address crushing family circumstances of poverty and limiting gender norms. Blazingly honest and gloriously raucous, the memoir is about the author's struggle to forge a life of her choosing without viable role models. It's no surprise that mistakes feature prominently in the book.

The opening essay in the collection titled "The Year My Vagina Broke" is a provocative account of Sanchez's affliction from a vaginal infection in her senior year of college. "Men came and went, but the infection persisted," she writes, with disarming candor. Here is the author, now the Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz Chair in the Latin American and Latin Studies department at DePaul University, being examined by a motley crew of doctors, nurses and acupuncturists, but none has a diagnosis for her aching vulva.

Is Sanchez joking? In the essay titled "Down to Clown," she addresses how humor is a coping mechanism for those who stand on the margins. Sanchez's intention is to tell the truth about difficult experiences, even if it sounds unseemly.

Deeper themes come to the surface as the essays unfurl. The author's reflections cast light on a generation of recent immigrants who have rebelled against their adverse circumstances, their parents and the parents' values. With the rebellion, however, comes a sense of existential malaise, a psychic wound.

At its heart, the memoir is the author's reckoning with trauma: a gaping hole of nothingness. "I've tried to fill it with everything I could: sex, men, cigarettes, alcohol, travel, food, and generally living recklessly, often harming my body in the process, but these selves were only temporary. These selves were not selves at all," she writes.

Sanchez addresses, unapologetically, her sexuality, failed relationships, solo travels, conversion to Nichiren Buddhism, family and other topics. Readers will recognize echoes of Sandra Cisneros' memoir "A House of My Own: Stories From My Life." Yet Sanchez speaks to the reader in bold terms that are her own.

A particularly arresting essay in the collection titled "Difficult Sun" is about an abortion the author underwent and its devastating effect on her mental health. The experience of coming out of the long depression that followed was for her akin to being reborn. The book ends with a moving letter from Sanchez to her newborn daughter, Sojourner.

"Crying in the Bathroom" is also an artist statement. Watching flamenco dancers in Madrid during a yearlong trip on a Fulbright scholarship set Sanchez on the journey to recovery from depression. The anguished look on the dancers' faces taught her that perhaps the wound never healed. The burden was to make beauty out of pain.

There's no quick cauterizing of the wound in this memoir. What Sanchez accomplishes here so well is to offer herself as an uncommon role model for others finding their way. This book is a great gift of hope.


A married couple in Hawaii has been indicted for allegedly living under the identities of dead children from Texas for decades and conspiring against the government, according to unsealed federal court records.

A federal grand jury in Honolulu indicted Walter Glenn Primrose and Gwynn Darle Morrison on conspiracy, aggravated identity theft, and false statements in the application and use of a passport. Morrison is expected to be in court Tuesday, according to the court docket.

An affidavit alleges that in 1987, Primrose and Morrison obtained Texas birth certificate records for deceased American-born infants that "they used to unlawfully assume the identities of 'Bobby Edward Fort' and 'Julie Lyn Montague.'"

Primrose and Morrison are said to "have agreed to assume the identities of deceased American-born infants and have been fully living in these fraudulently assumed identities since 1987," according to an affidavit in the complaint.

The actual Fort was born in 1967 and died the same year from asphyxia and was buried in Texas, the affidavit states. The real Montague was born and died in 1968 and was buried in Texas about 14 miles from where Fort was buried.

Federal prosecutors also say they have pictures of Primrose and Morrison in a KGB jacket which prosecutors entered into court as part of a motion to deny the couple bail.

Morrison's attorney Megan Kau told CNN affiliate Hawaii News Now (HNN) that Morrison is "shocked" by the accusations. "She has nothing to do with Russia," Kau said.

Kau said the KGB jacket didn't belong to Primrose or Morrison. "She tried on a uniform that was at a friend's house one time and they took pictures," Kau told HNN. "She was born and raised in the United States and she wants the world to know that she is not a spy."

A close friend of Morrison told federal agents that Morrison lived in Romania years ago "while that country was within the Communist bloc." No record of a passport in Morrison's name was found by the Department of State that would allow her to travel internationally, the motion states.

CNN has reached out to Morrison's attorney but has not yet heard back.

Meanwhile, a motion to detain Primrose without bond was granted on July 28, a court docket shows.

Prosecutors filed the motion to detain the defendants alleging Primrose and Morrison are a serious flight risk and that Primrose has had secret clearance as a defense contractor with the US Coast Guard (USCG) Air Station at Barbers Point on Oahu for six years.

The motion also claims Primrose had secret clearance as an avionics electrical technician in the USCG before that and was required to report any foreign travel, but an investigation revealed he failed to report several trips to Canada even though he reported other foreign travel.

The motion added that through his work in the USCG, he has "become highly skilled in electronics and would be able to communicate surreptitiously with others if released from pretrial confinement."

Primrose is currently in the custody of the US Marshals Service at the Federal Detention Center in Honolulu, according to minutes from his detention hearing. A telephonic preliminary hearing is also set for August 8.

Dennis K. Thomas, Special Agent for the US Department of State Bureau of Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) alleges in the complaint/affidavit that Primrose and Morrison "unlawfully assumed the identities of deceased United States citizens" to apply for US passports, social security cards, and Department of Defense identity document cards.

Primrose's attorney Max Mizono said in an email to CNN, "I have no comments or statements about his case."
In response to two shootings in Evanston and the mass killing in Highland Park, Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss expressed his concerned that the community is becoming numb to the impact of gun violence in a recent newsletter.

In the span of two weeks, Servando Hamros, 29, and a 13-year-old Evanston girl have been shot within city limits. Hamros was shot and killed while in Isabella Butler Park on the evening of July 14. The unnamed 13-year-old was shot in the neck during a backyard party on July 25 and was listed in critical condition.

Khiyran Monroe, 20, was charged with first-degree murder in the July 14 shooting death of Hamros, who was with his 7-year-old daughter. Monroe was ordered held without bond. No arrests have been made in the July 25 shooting.

In his newsletter, Biss reflected on the shooting in nearby Highland Park on July 4 that left seven dead and dozens wounded, saying how community members stopped what they were doing that day in shock and grief.

We cannot let our nations gun violence epidemic leave us numb (and by the way, once we allow ourselves to head down that path, it wont be long before we also lose our capacity to be shocked by events like what happened in Highland Park on July 4), he said.

When the two more recent tragedies took place, plenty of people felt that same way, and of course many in our community were directly affected and in terrible pain, said Biss. At the same time, I have the impression that for many others, these events were just a horrible piece of news to be consumed, saddened by, and then moved on from.

When asked what has given him the indication that residents are becoming numb, Biss referenced the September 2012 shooting of Dajae Coleman, which spurred community action.

The community rose up in one voice because it was so shocking and so horrifying, said Biss. I think people are just as sad. People know its just as wrong. But the reaction is different I think because of the repetition of these events. What I hope people wont do is react to the repetition by feeling like Hey, theres no point in standing up and coming together and trying to put a stop to it.

Biss said he isnt suggesting that people dont care, but that due to the amount of gun violence experienced by Americans, that our capacity for shock and outrage has been lowered.

Shock and outrage are necessary, said Biss, and the community needs to come together, take care of each other and demand reasonable gun laws that arent limited to assault rifles.

Im asking you to stay engaged, stay outraged, and demand more. The current status quo only becomes inevitable if we decide it has to be, he said.
NORTH WILKESBORO  If his license plate didnt give it away, the mans thick New England accent certainly did.

Mark Jenison came from a long way away to catch Tuesdays Racing Revival at the North Wilkesboro Speedway.

Ma-ahk, a 53-year-old race car driver from Rhode Island, knew the places history from its earliest days as a dirt track scraped out of the hillside in 1946.

He knew, too, that the final NASCAR race was run in September 1996, that the last race period came in 2011 and that it was won by Walkertowns Jason Myers.

So Jenison wasnt about to miss the XR races Tuesday and Wednesday, the first in a series following an overhaul of North Wilkesboro Speedway goosed along by an $18 million injection of public money.

To purists, historians and die-hard race fans, closing North Wilkesboro was near blasphemy  the racing equivalent of the Boston Red Sox letting Fenway Park rot.

Thats a fair analogy, Jenison said. The types of tracks like North Wilkesboro is where NASCAR came from. They should definitely bring racing back.

Shrewd investment

The gates to the old speedway opened at 3 p.m. Tuesday. A few hundred fans flocked in as soon as they could and quickly gathered in the precious shade along the main grandstand on a sweltering early August day.

By early evening, cars and pickup trucks patiently moved along Speedway Road  the only way into and out of the track  as its occupants made ready to celebrate and enjoy the rare spectacle of weeknight racing.

XR Racing and Speedway Motorsports Inc., the owners/operators of North Wilkesboro and 10 other race tracks across the country, planned the Revival that way.

We didnt want to step on Bowman Gray or anyone elses toes since they race on Saturday nights, said Craig Hoffman, the executive director of North Wilkesboro and the Bristol Motor Speedway, last week as he tended to the last-minute details of getting the track ready.

A shrewd decision by Gov. Roy Cooper to ask legislators to spend some of the states $5.7 billion share of federal pandemic relief money on 18 tracks around the state led to racings return.

Cooper initially proposed $30 million to help overhaul North Wilkesboro, Rockingham and the Charlotte Motorspeedway with smaller amounts for 15 other local tracks and drag strips.

Motorsports is big business in North Carolina, worth an estimated $5 billion annually to the states economy, so investing in the tracks as economic relief and stimulus made perfect sense.

By the time the Legislature approved the state budget in November 2021  and local matching funds were factored in  North Wilkesboro wound up with an $18 million investment.

Judging by the turnout Tuesday night, it will be money well spent.

Most of the grandstands along the front straightaway had filled in by 7:30 and a large crowd still filing in the main gate may well have pushed attendance near Hoffmans hoped-for estimate last week of 9,000.

North Wilkesboro .... Are you kidding? I decided I was coming as soon as I heard it was opening, Jenison said.

Very appreciative

Along pit row earlier in the afternoon, drivers, car owners and crew members mostly treated the day like any other race day.

Driver Jason Myers  fans who fill Bowman Gray Stadium every weekend recognize the name  fine-tuned his machine, sweat literally dripping off his nose onto his socket wrench.

Man, this aint a NASCAR track. This is a Modified track, he said. This will be all about tires.

Still, Myers admitted that running at North Wilkesboro would be special. Being as I won the last race up here, I was pretty excited, he said.

Burt Myers, another Bowman Gray crowd favorite and Jasons brother, smiled when asked about the tracks history  while he was waiting for his turn to run two qualifying laps.

Im very appreciative that the powers that be got us back out here, he said. We used to joke about getting back in here every Christmas when we went to Boone to get our Christmas tree.

For all the excitement that came with the XR Series Racing Revival, there is work remaining.

Plumbing hasnt been restored yet; that will come later.

A wall of porta-Johns were brought in to answer the call of nature and vendors lined the concourses sold food and drink to the masses in the absence of concessions.

Those were but temporary inconveniences. And while questions remain for some fans about whether NASCAR might one day return to its roots in North Wilkesboro, those were largely set aside for another time.

Im a big fan of the history of our sport, said Ryan Newman, a past winner of the Daytona 500 who came to race Tuesday night. I dont know that tonight is historic but it is iconic.

Besides, what else would you rather be doing on a Tuesday night?
The University of Nebraska-Lincoln won't require students, faculty and staff to test negative for the coronavirus before they return to campus for the 2022-23 school year.

Nor will the state's largest university campus require masking when the semester starts Aug. 22.

UNL will largely continue the voluntary testing protocol that was in place at the end of last school year and through the summer, the university announced Wednesday.

Students, faculty and staff at UNL will continue to have access to free saliva-based PCR testing Sunday through Friday outside the Nebraska Union as well as the East Union.

Individuals needing to test can walk up to one of the testing locations on either campus, show their NCard, and submit a saliva sample.

The results will be available a day later at UNL's COVID-19 testing portal. Or, members of the campus community can receive a push notification that their results are ready through the Nebraska app, which is currently used by most students.

The change in testing protocol also means UNL will allow students to delete the Safer Community app from their phones.

The app, which went into use in January 2021, was used to schedule COVID-19 tests and send results, and also had a feature allowing students to opt-in to receive alerts if they were potentially exposed to someone who had recently tested positive.

UNL discontinued using most of the features on the app last November.

While UNL has not required students, faculty or staff to get vaccinated against COVID-19, the university is once again encouraging those who will be on campus to get a shot.

Deb Fiddelke, UNL's chief communications officer, said the vaccine registry will continue to be available to individuals to submit details on the date and type of vaccine they received.

In partnership with the Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department, UNL will use the vaccine registry to determine potential exposure rates if a COVID-19 hot spot shows up on campus.

But, nearly two and a half years after the pandemic forced campuses to close, Fiddelke noted UNL and other colleges and universities across the country have become more consistent in their plans for managing COVID-19.

"People have a good sense of what to do to keep themselves safe," she said.

On its COVID-19 dashboard, UNL recorded 38 positive cases out of 314 tests for the week of July 30. The positivity rate is 12.1%, down from 17.4% a week earlier.
Native advocates hope a city zoning appeal will stop a controversial housing development adjacent to Wilderness Park near First Street and Pioneers Boulevard.

Native leaders from the Indian Center and Niskithe Prayer Camp, which set up tipis on the land in opposition to the development, filed an appeal Tuesday with the citys Board of Zoning Appeals asking it to reverse the changes approved by the Lincoln City Council in April.

Sam Manzitto Jr. plans to build 162 single-family homes, 134 town homes and 205 apartments on about 75 acres south of Pioneers Boulevard between First Street and U.S. 77 purchased from the Catholic Diocese.

The ACLU of Nebraska and Big Fire Law and Policy Group, which has offices in Omaha, Washington, D.C., and Winnebago, are supporting the appeal.

In approving the Wilderness Crossing development project, the City of Lincoln has shown a callous indifference to the objections of the citys Native American community, said Nikki Ducheneaux, Big Fire Law & Policy Groups founding partner. This administrative appeal outlines how Mayor Gaylor Bairds recent development approvals have violated her responsibility to fully conduct all administrative work and affairs of the city in a lawful and appropriate manner.

The appeal argues that city planners who recommended approval of the housing development disregarded guidance in the Lincoln-Lancaster County 2050 Comprehensive Plan, ignored environmental concerns of building next to Wilderness Park and dismissed feedback on the sites cultural and religious significance.

The land has been designated in the Comprehensive Plan for future urban residential development since 2002, but environmental advocates opposed the proposed development early on, raising concerns about flooding and the effect of wildlife and native habitat, including destruction of a sandstone ecosystem in the area.

Native advocates later got involved and raised concerns about the developments effects on the citys oldest and most-used sweat lodge located across the street on private land known for years as the Fish Farm.

Last month, Kathleen Danker, who owns the land where the sweat lodge is located, filed an appeal of the City Councils action in Lancaster County District Court. That action is pending.

The zoning board appeal requests a stay of all work on the development while the appeal is pending. The board must hold a public hearing within 45 days, then make a decision, which can be appealed to Lancaster County District Court.

Today we are taking steps to protect our sacred ceremonial grounds and Wilderness Park from the reckless actions of Lincoln developers, city planning staff and elected leaders, said Kevin Abourezk, Niskithe Prayer Camp leader and Indian Center board vice chairman.
Omans Rakiza, a private equity infrastructure fund investing in the Sultanate and Saudi Arabia, and is co-managed by Oman Infrastructure Investment Management (OIM) and Equitix company, said that it has received a capital commitment of RO115 million ($298 million) from the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF).



Rakiza invests in infrastructure projects to generate stable returns, through a combination of exit-driven capital gains, and real income from assets, reported Oman News Agency (ONA).

The fund focuses on investing in various sectors, namely renewables, power and water, social infrastructure, telecommunications, transport and logistics.



Muneer Ali Al Muneeri, CEO of OIM, said: Rakizas investment strategy is to foster capital market growth, foreign direct investment, and privatization. As part of this, the Rakiza Fund is proud to partner with PIF, which greatly enhances strategic value for all stakeholders.



Hugh Crossley, Equitix Co-Founder and CEO, said that this partnership will contribute to the funds commitment to its vision as it continues to invest and develop in essential infrastructure projects.



PIF is considered as one of the largest and most impactful sovereign wealth funds in the world and a major driving factor of economic transformation for Saudi Arabia.


Democratic State Chair Jane Kleeb of Hastings said Wednesday she believes the voters of Kansas sent a clear message on Tuesday to candidates and political parties to protect abortion rights and that the outcome has impacted the election battleground in Nebraska.

"The message is loud and clear to the national (Democratic) party and to national donors that red states (like Nebraska) are worth investing in," Kleeb said during a telephone interview.

And in Nebraska the Democratic nominees for two House seats and for the governorship are state senators who voted to protect abortion rights during the closing days of the 2022 legislative session, she noted.

"People are waking up today shocked by the 60-40 vote in Kansas," Kleeb said, "but I'm confident a similar vote in Nebraska would have the same results."

"Patty's race was the first indicator to Democrats that this issue has the potential to overwhelm predictions of a big red wave" that would favor Republican candidates across most of the nation this election year, she added.

Sen. Patty Pansing Brooks of Lincoln lost a special election in June to Sen. Mike Flood of Norfolk, the Republican nominee, by a narrow 6,234 votes in a race for the 1st District House seat that has not been won by a Democrat in 58 years.

They will meet again in the November general election when voters will determine who represents the eastern Nebraska congressional district for the following two years.

Abortion rights are "a major motivating factor" particularly for women and young voters, Kleeb said.

Sen. Tony Vargas of Omaha, who is challenging Republican Rep. Don Bacon in metropolitan Omaha's competitive 2nd District, has been "very clear" in his support for abortion rights, Kleeb said.

Sen. Carol Blood of Bellevue, the Democratic gubernatorial nominee, joined Pansing Brooks and Vargas in voting during the closing days of the 2022 Legislature against a motion that would have ended a filibuster blocking a bill that would have banned abortions in Nebraska once the U.S. Supreme Court overturned abortion rights that had been guaranteed in its 1973 Roe v. Wade decision.

Since then, opponents of abortion rights in Nebraska have been unable to secure sufficient support to call a special session of the Legislature to act on abortion before Gov. Pete Ricketts completes his second and final term.

Kleeb said she has additional reasons to feel optimistic "when the Republican Party is eating its own" in Nebraska, pointing to the change in GOP state party leadership that wrested control away from traditional Republican leaders during a state party convention in Kearney.

"The reality is the extreme took over the leadership and infrastructure of the party," she said.

The ongoing challenge for her party in being able to win statewide races in Nebraska once again is to reduce the overwhelming 80%-20% Republican advantage in rural counties to 70%-30%, "or ideally 60-40," Kleeb said.

That means showing respect and support for rural concerns, she said.

Nebraskans have not elected a Democratic governor since Ben Nelson was re-elected in 1994 or a Democratic U.S. senator since Nelson was re-elected in 2006.

Looking ahead, Kleeb said President Joe Biden should make his own decision about whether to seek a second term in 2024.

"If he decides to run, we are in full support," she said.

If not, Kleeb said, she sees Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg as top contenders along with Vice President Kamala Harris.
I doubt that many of us think, while grocery shopping, about what it takes to stock shelves with our favorite items, at least not until the shelves are empty, and we cant find what we need.

Recent news has warned of a coming food shortage. Public and government attention is being focused on the people who grow our food and how our food gets to our favorite store. We need to do all we can to guarantee a safe and affordable food supply.

American farmers and ranchers will no doubt be called upon to increase production, even in the face of razor-thin margins and an uncertain market. Many of those farmers rely heavily on advanced technologies to be more efficient, productive and environmentally friendly.

The partnership between high-tech innovation and agriculture will only continue to grow more important. One analysis by McKinsey & Company notes that artificial intelligence, analytics, connected sensors, and other emerging technologies could further increase yields, improve the efficiency of water and other inputs, and build sustainability and resilience across crop cultivation and animal husbandry, and estimates that successfully implemented technological connectivity could mean an additional $500 billion in global GDP produced by the agriculture industry before 2030.

According to the U.S. Department of Agricultures 2021 Farm Computer Usage and Ownership report, 1 in 4 U.S. farms now use precision agriculture techniques like global positioning guidance systems, GPS yield monitoring and soil mapping, and drones for scouting fields and monitoring livestock. Many farmers are encountering new challenges that may more commonly be associated with Silicon Valley than the Heartland.

Among these new problems is dealing with non-practicing entities  often referred to as patent trolls. Patent trolls are shell companies that buy low-quality patents  patents that should never have been issued in the first place  and try to turn a profit through patent infringement lawsuits.

Patent trolls target innovators developing new technologies and those who use modern technologies to do business. These cases often sound absurd  like when a patent troll sued an Oregon farmer for selling products online. But legal defenses are expensive and uncertain, leading many victims to agree to large settlements rather than go to court.

The global AgTech industry  valued at over $20 billion and rapidly growing  is a tempting target for trolls. U.S. food prices have increased over 10% compared to a year ago.

Many are sounding the alarm over a potential global food shortage as a result of Russias invasion of Ukraine  the two countries combine to produce about 25% of the global wheat supply. Research shows that after being forced to pay a patent troll, either in a settlement or because of a court order, companies reduce investments in R&D by hundreds of millions of dollars in the years that follow.

We need to find ways to develop new agricultural technologies and get them into the hands of farmers who can put them to use. To do that, we must prevent patent trolls from preying on farmers who use precision agriculture.

There are steps that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office can take to help protect farmers from being exploited. USPTO Director Kathi Vidal has an opportunity to ensure that victims can ask expert judges at the USPTO to review questionable patents asserted against them. This important protection is provided for under the law but was undermined by her predecessor when he unilaterally imposed a rule that insulates these questionable patents from review.

This vital protection, known as inter partes review, can prevent patent troll victims from being pressured into unjust settlements or entering long, expensive litigation. It should be restored immediately. The directors recent interim guidance is a step in the right direction.

The importance of agriculture and related industries, which contributed more than $1 trillion to U.S. GDP in 2020 alone, cannot be overstated. American farms contributed nearly $135 billion to this total, or 0.6% of GDP. In addition, these industries represent 10.3% of U.S. employment.

We need to do everything we can to help American farmers. This includes patent reform that will remove the threat of meritless lawsuits and unlock additional innovation so that our farmers are equipped with the tools they need to continue providing for us all.
RACINE  A 28-year-old Racine man who was killed Tuesday night was shot by someone who was playing with a gun, police said Wednesday.

The shooting was reported Tuesday around 8:40 p.m. on the 800 block of Yout Street. Upon arrival, Racine Police Department officers located Romelle Miller, 28, of Racine, deceased inside of the residence with an apparent gunshot wound to the head.

Isaiah Martinez Phillips, 21, of Racine, was taken into custody at the scene.

Martinez Phillips was charged Wednesday with first-degree reckless homicide by use of a dangerous weapon and two counts of first-degree recklessly endangering safety.

According to a criminal complaint:

When police arrived, Martinez Phillips said he was sorry and that it was his fault.

Inside the residence, a dark-colored revolver was present on a coffee table, along with at least five live rounds, and what appeared to be one spent cartridge.

Later, in an interview room with law enforcement, Martinez Phillips immediately began to say that the incident was his fault and that he had shot his friend, Miller, in the head accidentally.

Additional interviews were conducted with four people who had been present at the time of the shooting. All four individuals provided statements that were very similar: Martinez Phillips had been playing with the mentioned revolver, and had initially emptied the cylinder of all live rounds.

Martinez Phillips then replaced a single round in the cylinder and began pointing it at individuals inside the residence.

First, Martinez Phillips had pointed the gun at two people and pulled the trigger, without it discharging. Then he pointed the firearm at Millers head. The weapon discharged a bullet and struck Miller in the head.

He died on the scene.

Martinez Phillips was given a $25,000 cash bond in Racine County Circuit Court on Wednesday. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for 9 a.m. Aug. 10, online court records show.

Prior to Tuesday, the City of Racine has seen seven criminal homicides so far in 2022, all of which had been committed with a firearm.
Harry Wait says he is unsurprised he has not been arrested yet.

Am I surprised? No, not really. Investigations take time. Im not afraid of being arrested, he said Tuesday in a phone call.

Wait asserts that elections officials should be scared if he is charged with crimes related to the election fraud he admitted to last week. That is because he plans to open Pandoras Box during the discovery process.

He intends to get access to government documents previously inaccessible to himself and others who question Joe Bidens 2020 election win.

Discovery could yield hundreds of thousands of documents, he said in a text to a reporter.

I do play chess, he said during the phone call Tuesday.

He expects some kind of national fund to come to his defense, thus funding more efforts to fight the Wisconsin Elections Commission in court which could further bog down the understaffed agency.

Wait alleged that WEC officials are guilty of maladministration and malfeasance  neither of which are actual crimes, but are still legal terms referring to misconduct in office.

Wait has long been a virulent and uncompromising fighter for open records. He is often quick to accuse public servants of being corrupt when he doesnt get documents he seeks or is unhappy with documents he is provided with, often getting him on the bad side of just about any elected official or municipal employee he rubs elbows with. He said he has voted for Robin Vos a number of times, but on Tuesday said Vos has an extensive history of being both disingenuous and (a) scofflaw, in an email to Attorney General Josh Kaul Tuesday that was reviewed by The Journal Times.

In a video uploaded to the Rumble.com account of HOT Government, the right-wing watchdog group of which Wait is president, WEC Administrator Meagan Wolfe is referred to as a sexist slur, b-h, because she asserts that Wisconsins elections are safe and secure.

There remains no evidence of widespread illegal voting in Wisconsin. The few-dozen criminal charges for election fraud filed since the 2020 presidential election are in line with the number of cases expected from prior cases. Wait and his supporters still assert the 2020 election was fraudulent and should be overturned, which election law experts and attorneys assert is constitutionally impossible.

Making a big deal on purpose

Wait is giddy right now. The Town of Dover resident is glad there is so much press coverage and public discussions regarding how he apparently committed felony election fraud by illegally requesting absentee ballots by using the names of Assembly Speaker Robin Vos and Racine Mayor Cory Mason.

Once they charge me, I can request discovery on all the internal documents of WEC, Wait said in a phone interview Tuesday afternoon. The only way we could actually fix this is go ahead and make a big deal about it.

What Wait wants to see fixed is Wisconsins elections system, which he believes to be broken despite no evidence of widespread fraud. He, as well as Racine County Sheriff Christopher Schmaling and supporters of Wait, agree that there is a vulnerability within WEC.

The alleged vulnerability, which WEC staffers say does not exist, is that MyVote.Wi.gov allows for absentee ballots to be requested and delivered to any address by only providing the registered voters name and birthdate, so long as the voter has voted by mail previously.

Wait aimed to expose this by requesting ballots by claiming to be Mason and Vos; Masons ballot was mailed to Waits home on Friday, but Vos ballot does not appear to have ever been sent.

What Wait did would not have been possible if the registered voter, under whose name the absentee ballot was being requested, had only voted in person. That is because to request an absentee ballot online without providing photo ID or claiming to be indefinitely confined, WEC needs to have the voters ID on file.

It is unclear why Wait has not been criminally charged yet, as there is video of him requesting Vos and Masons ballot. WEC says it is a felony to request an absentee ballot on behalf of another person, and Wait does not dispute that he did commit a felony.

He requested the ballots July 26.

After 3 a.m. July 27, he sent an email to a number of officials admitting to what he did, with the expectation that he would be arrested. No immediate arrest was made.

The Wisconsin Department of Justice is now leading the investigation. The DOJ has been effectively silent on its investigation other than to confirm there is an investigation ongoing.

Wait said he sent an email Tuesday to Kaul again admitting to his sting operation. In the email, he wrote, I stand ready to help facilitate your investigation.

The email continued: The failure to protect the sanctity of the peoples ballots was beyond stunning  Clearly our elections are compromised to the point of NO CONFIDENCE by the public.

Commission

In a special four-and-a-half-hour meeting Wednesday, two Democratic appointees to the six-person Wisconsin Elections Commission said the best way to address the alleged vulnerability is to criminally charge and jail Wait, thus deterring copycats who may actually try to cast surreptitiously requested ballots.

WEC Chairman Don Millis, a Republican appointee, said he believes others may get more creative and be able to get away with illegally requested ballots; someone actually trying to illegally vote would not be expected to publicly admit to what they did as Wait has.

Millis indicated he wishes Gov. Tony Evers, a Democrat, had not vetoed a Republican-supported bill that would have required voter ID to be presented every time an absentee ballot is requested, not just the first time. That, Millis said, would have addressed the vulnerability.

It is unlikely for the state Legislature to act quickly to address the issue. The Legislature is not due to reconvene until next year. A special session could be called, but theres no indication from legislative leaders that that could happen.

Another Republican appointee to WEC, Bob Spindell, who alleged during a HOT Government meeting in Racine in February that the 2020 election was rigged against Donald Trump, said that WEC should add requirements to request absentee ballots online.

Democratic appointees and WEC staff indicated that may not be possible both because of time constraints and that could run afoul of state law. Under state law, there is no requirement as to what information must be provided for requesting an absentee ballot other than it must include the voters name and be in writing. The birthdate is not required under state statute either, but WEC officials maintain that is necessary to differentiate between multiple voters who may have the same name but different birthdays.
RACINE  A vocal group of activists, primarily from Milwaukee with some from Racine and Kenosha, demonstrated in Downtown Racine Tuesday to demand the Racine County Sheriffs Office arrest the man who admitted to illegally requesting absentee ballots last week to prove it was possible.

However, the investigation is no longer being handled by local law enforcement.

The Racine County Sheriffs Office confirmed Tuesday afternoon that the investigation is being fully handled by the Wisconsin Department of Justice.

The Sheriffs Office requested the Attorney Generals Office investigate this matter because it is a statewide problem with statewide implications. On Friday, July 29, 2022, the Attorney Generals Office agreed to take over the investigation, RSCO Lt. Michael Luell said in an email Tuesday. Therefore, this investigation is being handled by the Wisconsin Department of Justice, Office of the Attorney General, Division of Criminal Investigations and not the Sheriffs Office.

As of press time, the DOJ did not reply to a request for comment on this story.

Disagreeing about integrity

Both sides, the Sheriffs Office and those criticizing the Sheriffs Office, attest they are the ones standing up for election integrity.

 The Sheriffs Office says it is aiming to prevent fraudulent ballots from being submitted, aligning with the suspicions of Harry Wait, the man who admitted to requesting absentee ballots using the names of Racine Mayor Cory Mason and Assembly Speaker Robin Vos.

 Stephanie Johnson, Power to the Polls program director, said Tuesday that the Sheriffs Office is colluding with election deniers.

Wait is among those who question the validity of the 2020 election. He is campaigning in favor of local Republican candidates Jay Stone and Adam Steen who have called for Joe Bidens election win to be overturned; Stone is challenging Republican incumbent state Sen. Van Wanggaard in District 21, and Steen is running against Vos, also a Republican, in District 63.

We are more motivated than ever to make sure every voice is heard, said Johnson. Together we are demanding to fight every attack on our voting rights.

Voting and fears

The pro-voter access activists Tuesday said they fear there is an impression that some election fraud is OK in the eyes of local law enforcement since Wait still has not been arrested a whole week after he publicly admitted to committing felony election fraud.

They also fear that continued criticism of Wisconsins mail-in voting system will have a chilling effect on actual registered voters who may find it difficult to cast ballots in person.

It makes people afraid to come to the polls, said Diana Valencia, a Racine-based organizer with 9to5 Wisconsin. Do you know how many thousands of old people are afraid to send their ballots in, because they say they have to come in person? even though mail-in voting remains fully legal in Wisconsin and there has been no evidence of widespread election fraud being carried out through the mail.

Mail-in voting has been credited for increasing American voter turnout, particularly during the pandemic, while there does not appear to be a correlation if mail-in voting benefitting either political party.

In our data, we confirm important conventional wisdom among election experts: VBM (Voting By Mail) offers voters considerable convenience, increases turnout rates modestly, but has no discernible effect on party vote shares or the partisan share of the electorate, stated a Princeton University study published in May 2020, but based on data collected prior to the onset of the pandemic.

To prevent fraudsters from using the scheme highlighted by Wait, the Sheriffs Office has called for the Wisconsin Elections Commission to remove the functionality of MyVote.Wi.gov that allows absentee ballots be mailed to any address by providing only the voters first name, last name and birthdate, and without having to provide a voter ID or declare the voter indefinitely confined. To request ballots that way, the voter whose name the ballot is being requested under must have voted by mail previously; it would not work if the voter had only voted in person before or if the individual was not an active registered voter.

'Must investigate'

Speakers during Tuesdays protest alleged the Sheriffs Office was failing to condemn lawbreaking and actual election fraud to serve political purposes; allegations the RCSO denies.

The sheriff of Racine County must investigate the breaking of laws, said Pastor Mose Fuller of St. Timothy Community Baptist Church in Milwaukee.

Wait emailed a number of elected officials  at 3:13 a.m. July 27  and admitted what he did. On the morning of July 27, Wait said that Racine County Sheriff Christopher Schmaling called him.

According to the RCSO, Schmaling began the conversation by thanking Wait for bringing light to what they both see as a vulnerability in Wisconsins election system. When Wait asked if he was going to be arrested, Schmaling replied Hell no.

Luell said Tuesday that the Hell no quote has been misunderstood and that rather the Sheriff stated he was not going to make that arrest at that time and place  Wait had told officials he would be at the Racine County Fair and could be arrested there.

In a Facebook post July 29, the Racine County Sheriffs Office said 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 Sheriffs Office has said that, when contacted by Wait, it was already investigating MyVote because there previously had been a complaint brought forward by Adrianne Melby of Burlington, which led the Sheriffs Office on the afternoon of July 27 to publicly demand changes to MyVote.

Request and denial The Racine County Sheriffs Office asserts it should not be possible to request ballots online be sent to any address with the requester providing only the appropriate voters name and birthdate, and has called for the Wisconsin Elections Commission to remove that functionality from MyVote. WEC has refused to make changes. Elections officials say the MyVote system is in accordance with state law and also makes it easier for many, particularly the elderly and those with disabilities, to vote. The same information needed to request a ballot via mail is needed to request a ballot online, according to WEC.

Wait told a reporter Tuesday he is surprised he has not been arrested yet, since he publicly admitted to committing felonies a whole week ago.

Also Tuesday, Wait tried to give Masons blank ballot back to the City Clerks Office, but was told by the clerk that it could not be taken back. According to the city, that ballot has already been canceled and invalidated.

The absentee ballot is inactive and therefore cannot be accepted into WisVote, City Clerk Tara McMenamin said in an email. Mr. Wait was in the clerks office attempting to turn over the deactivated ballot. However, as explained to Mr. Wait in person, clerks office staff may only legally accept ballots from the voter.

Wait said the Clerks Office was negligent and derelict in sending out the ballot in the first place.

He then went to the Racine County Law Enforcement Center and said he refused to leave until somebody took the ballot from him; it was eventually taken by a deputy.

RCSO led prior investigation

The Sheriffs Office spent almost a year, between 2020 and 2021, on an investigation into how special voting deputies were not sent into nursing homes to carry out the vote during the pandemic, as is typically required under Wisconsin law.

WEC commissioners had voted to waive the SVD requirement, which it did not technically have the power to do. Elections officials argued that was necessary in order to protect public safety while also still allowing those living in nursing homes to vote, since the Legislature had made no legal changes to increase access to the polls during the pandemic.

The Sheriffs Office requested charges to be filed against five of six WEC commissioners for saying a law would be waived, a power the commission does not have under state law, but no prosecutors filed charges despite several being contacted by the RCSO. But it was not until after more than half a year of investigation that charges were recommended.

Regarding the similarities and differences between the two investigations of alleged election fraud, Luell wrote: "When the Sheriffs Office investigated the Wisconsin Election Commission for violations of the same laws, we conducted an investigation and requested the Attorney Generals Office take over the investigation. The Attorney Generals Office declined, so we completed our thorough investigation and referred charges to the appropriate prosecutors. No WEC commissioners were ever arrested for their violations of Wisconsin Statute 12.13 because there were no public safety concerns, the commissioners were easy to locate, and there were no flight risks. These cases are being handled in a similar manner, except the Attorney Generals Office decided to take over Harry Waits case."

Sheriff's Office says race isn't a factor

Speakers Tuesday, including NAACP Racine Branch President Dwight Mosby, alleged race is playing a factor in why no one has yet arrested Wait, who is white.

The Sheriffs Office denied that race has anything to do with it.

Despite the comments of the NAACP and others, the decision to physically arrest someone is never based upon race, but rather the nature of the offense, Luell said. Some offenses are handled with a citation and no arrest, some offenses require a mandatory arrest, some offenses require arrests based on public safety concerns or other policy decisions, and some offenses can be handled with a referral to the prosecutors office. Either way, no arrest will be made until a thorough investigation is completed and probable cause, or more, is established.

Kyle Johnson, a Kenosha native who now works for Milwaukee-based Black Leaders Organizing Communities and is black, said We see somebody (Wait) in broad daylight break the law  When they (law enforcement) see somebody who looks like me break the law  they dont hesitate to pull them over.

Added Jai Lue, a Racinian who is a BLOC organizer: If you want to enforce someone stealing diapers from Family Dollar because she cant afford them, why wouldnt you want to prosecute someone who is trying to take down the whole election system?  Prosecute us all the same. Then we can say we have a fair system.
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

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In its new report on the European market for paints and coatings, market research agency Ceresana estimates that a total of 9.23 million tonnes of paints and coatings were consumed in the region.

According to Ceresana forecast, around 58% of these coatings will be consumed by the European construction industry in 2031. The second largest application area for paints and coatings is industrial goods, especially vehicles. The economic situation in the individual European countries varies greatly.

Overall, Ceresana expects demand for paints and coatings in the industrial sector to grow by an average of 1.5% per year.

Manufacturers of paints and coatings are particularly dependent on the construction industry, but benefit less directly from government support programmes than producers of insulation materials, for example. Crises and high construction costs are reducing demand in the current year, notes the report. In the longer term, however, Ceresana analysts continue to expect slight growth.

Construction Industry is the Main Customer

The new report in its fifth edition, examines coating demand in the various application areas. Paints and coatings are primarily sought after by the construction industry: architectural coatings are needed for residential construction, i.e., facade and interior wall paints, but also for commercial construction and infrastructure projects.

Growing Market for Water-Based Paints

Acrylic paints currently account for around 30% of total European paint demand. However, growing interest in sustainability and environmental protection is promoting water-based coatings and other environmentally friendly alternatives. Water-based paints and coatings already account for 58.4% of the total market in Europe. Ceresana's study examines sales by product type: from paints and coatings based on acrylic, vinyl, alkyd, epoxy, polyurethane (PUR) and polyester to products based on other raw materials.

Industry Analysis in Europe

The reports Chapter 1 offers a comprehensive presentation and analysis of the European market for paints and coatings - including forecasts up to 2031: the development of demand, revenues, and production is shown.

The application areas of paints and coatings are considered individually. A distinction is made between: construction; industry; vehicles; wood processing; other applications.

In addition, demand is broken down by product types: vinyl; acrylic; alkyd; epoxy; PUR; polyester; other polymers; other paints and coatings.

Further, the study provides a breakdown of market data into individual technologies: water-based; solvent-based; powder coatings; other technologies.

In Chapter 2,23 European sales markets are considered individually: beside most EU-Countries Norway, Switzerland, Russia, Turkey are addressed as well. Shown in each case are: demand, revenues, trade and production of paints and coatings, as well as demand broken down by individual application areas, product types and technologies.

Chapter 3 offers company profiles of the most important paint and coatings producers in Europe, clearly arranged according to contact details, revenues, profit, product range, production sites and short profile. Detailed profiles are provided by 91 manufacturers of paints and coatings, e.g., AkzoNobel, Altana AG, BASF Coatings GmbH, DAW SE, Hempel AS, Jotun AS, PPG Industries, Sherwin-Williams Sweden AB, Sika AG, and Sto SE & Co KGaA.--TradeArabia News Service
Killeen, TX (76540)

Today

Some sun this morning with increasing clouds this afternoon. High 101F. WSW winds shifting to SE at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 76F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph.
KEARNEY  Two former female patients of Kearney psychiatrist Rey de los Angeles say he had sexual contact with them in the 1990s.

The womens accusations came on the second day of trial in Buffalo County Court for de los Angeles, 77, charged with one count of misdemeanor third-degree sexual assault of a third former female patient at his office on Aug. 25, 2021. The charge alleges he had sexual contact with the woman without consent that didnt cause serious personal injury.

The trial continued today with de los Angeles taking the stand.

de los Angeles is a board certified psychiatrist with certification in addiction and forensic medicine and provides professional psychiatric services, care and treatment, individual and family. He also had a practice in Grand Island; however, its unclear if that office is still open.

State law allowed both womens testimony into record because it was evidence of other sexual misconduct in similar sexual assault crimes.

Tuesday, a Sarpy County woman said she was a client of de los Angeles and a female counselor in their Grand Island office for several years until 1999. The woman met with de los Angeles monthly, and the other counselor once or twice a week.

On occasion she said de los Angeles made inappropriate comments to her during their sessions about her hair, clothing and appearance. Once, he asked her if she were sexually assaulted and got pregnant, if she would keep the baby.

During one evening session when she was 19, the woman was in de los Angeles office and twice he tried to kiss and grope her. The woman claimed he pulled her close into him at his desk and touched her breast.

I was like, no, and pulled away, the woman told jurors.

The woman said de los Angeles took her to a back room of the office, where he again touched her breasts and buttocks over her clothing and kissed her with tongue. The woman quickly left the office and reported the incident to law enforcement.

Later, the woman recorded a phone conversation with de los Angeles where she asked him why he made advances on her. I felt like I was responsible, the woman told jurors. I didnt know why I was feeling guilty about it. I had a lot of internal questions. I asked him why he did what he did.

When the woman questioned de los Angeles about his actions, He mostly apologized for the circumstance.

de los Angeles asked the woman to meet him at his Kearney office to discuss the matter, but she declined.

de los Angeles was never prosecuted in Hall County for the womans allegations. The woman reported the incident to the Nebraska Department of Licensing in 2000, and she gave them a copy of the phone conversation. The investigation was later closed.

A Kearney woman testified she was allegedly sexually assaulted by de los Angeles in the fall of 1991 while she was a nurse at Richard Young Hospital in Kearney. de los Angeles had just started at the facility, and the woman often worked with him.

New to Kearney, the woman said de los Angeles asked her to show him around the town. One night after work he picked her up at her house in his Mercedes. de los Angeles said he had to go to his hotel, where he was living at the time, to change his clothes and retrieve his pager.

The two went to the hotel, where the woman said she would wait for him in the car. de los Angeles convinced her to come to his room. The woman sat in a chair as de los Angeles gave her a glass of wine, put in a movie and went to the bathroom to change his clothes.

I thought we were only going to be there a short period of time, she told jurors.

When de los Angeles came out of the bathroom, the woman said he was only wearing his underwear. The woman claimed de los Angeles invited her over to the bed where he sat. He began touching her inappropriately on her arm, breast, leg and vagina.

I wasnt real comfortable with that, she said, and she told de los Angeles, No.

The woman said de los Angeles told her she was beautiful and said something about his race. He then touched her breasts and vagina under her clothes, and he took her hand and put it on his penis. Again, she claimed to say, No, and pulled away.

The woman said she couldnt remember whether she had sex with de los Angeles, if they went to dinner afterwards or if he took her home. I cant remember a lot of it. I feel like I was traumatized, she said.

Back at Richard Young, the woman told de los Angeles she didnt want to see him anymore after he was rude to her and making sarcastic, gross comments to her in front of others. I felt like dirt on the floor. Like I didnt matter and was nothing.

The woman didnt report the incident to police but filed a sexual harassment complaint with Richard Young human resources. Back then, women, if they went out on any kind of a date, or any kind of a connection, the women were always blamed for being promiscuous. And especially since he was a doctor  she said.

The woman also didnt tell anyone else about the sexual assault because she was embarrassed. It wasnt until she saw media reports about the Aug. 25, 2021, allegations that the woman decided to come forward.

Defense attorney Aaron Bishop of Kearney questioned the woman about a journal she kept in the 1990s and why it didnt mention the alleged sexual assault. He also questioned how many times the woman went out with de los Angeles, what they did and why she went with him to his hotel room if she only wanted to stay in his car.

The woman didnt write about the hotel incident because she didnt want to remember. He was a doctor, he was flashy, had a Mercedes. Maybe I did want to go out with him once as a friend, she said while overexaggerating the word friend. I had never gone out with a doctor before.

Several times the woman couldnt recall the past. Appearing agitated at Bishop, she said, This was 31 years ago.

Kearney Police Department investigator Cody Bolte was given the Aug. 25, 2021, victims case, and on Aug. 30 he went to de los Angeles office. There the psychiatrist showed the officer his file on the woman that said her session on Aug. 25 lasted 1 1/2 hours.

Bolte asked de los Angeles whether he touched the woman inappropriately, with his hands under her shirt. de los Angeles replied, Im not sure. I dont know if Ive ever gotten that far, Bolte said, reading from his reports.

de los Angeles claimed the woman was the one making advances toward him, and when she sat on his lap, it was because she lost her balance as she left the office, and de los Angeles was trying to prevent her from falling. Instead, she fell into his lap.

de los Angeles admitted hugging the woman to Bolte, but he said it was a simple hug. The psychiatrist also told Bolte the woman lifted her shirt in the back to show de los Angeles a scar on her lower back, claiming there was something wrong with her skin.

When Bolte asked de los Angeles if he had put his hands down the womans pants and touched her buttocks, he replied, I dont think anything of that nature happened.

Bolte also asked de los Angeles about a camera the psychiatrist had in his office lobby that was in plain sight. Bolte said he never received a clear answer from de los Angeles if the camera worked, but at one point de los Angeles said he could review it on his cellphone.

During a forensic review of de los Angeles phone, no video records were found of the womans Aug. 25 office visit.

On Sept. 2, 2021, police served a search warrant at de los Angeles office, where they seized the womans medical file and other record. When Bolte read the womans file, he found a progress note and two additional pages of handwritten notes outlining the womans Aug. 25 visit.

Bolte said de los Angeles notes didnt appear in the womans medical file until Sept. 2 when the search warrant was served.

In de los Angeles notes, Bolte read the woman went to his office at 9 a.m. on Aug. 25 and mostly talked about her boyfriend and their relationship. The psychiatrist wrote her a prescription and warned her of the consequences if she didnt take it as directed.

As the woman left, de los Angeles notes said she gave him a tight hug, and she wouldnt let go until he walked to the door. The two then walked outside, where she looked at his pickup. They returned to the office, and de los Angeles penned the woman got close to him and pushed her breasts against him. She then showed him a surgical scar where she had pain, and part of her buttocks was showing.

The woman, de los Angeles wrote, told him to feel her lower back, including her buttocks, where she was having spasms.

de los Angeles wrote the woman didnt tell him to stop with his innocent touches, and he claimed the woman was trying to blackmail him.

In other testimony Tuesday:

- Amy Martin, a Medicap pharmacy technician in Kearney, and Crystle McCarty testified about de los Angeles alleged victim coming into the pharmacy with a prescription on Aug. 25, 2021. Martin said the woman handed her the prescriptions but asked her not to fill them because they werent correct.

I dont want to get in trouble, Martin testified the woman said. Something happened, and I dont want to have these.

Both pharmacy employees said the woman was visibly upset, crying and shaking. The woman left the pharmacy, went outside and got into a vehicle with her mother, who coincidentally was also at the pharmacy at the same time. McCarty followed the woman outside, where she and the womans mother convinced her to report the alleged assault to police.

A jury of six men and one woman are hearing the case. At the end of the trial, one person will be dismissed as the alternate.

The trial is expected to last through today.
RAVENNA  A Ravenna man must pay over $500,000 in restitution for bank fraud.

Brooks Duester, 44, was sentenced Monday in U.S. Federal District Court in Lincoln to five years probation and 10 weeks of intermittent prison time, to be served within one year for defrauding the Ashton State Bank. Judge John Gerrard also ordered Duester to pay full restitution to the bank for $569,332.80.

Duester pled guilty on April 12 to defrauding the bank by misrepresenting the number of sheep in his breeding operation and misrepresenting the number of sheet that sheep died of various natural causes. In reality, a U.S. attorney's office news release said Duester sold the sheep and kept the sale proceeds for himself instead of repaying his bank loans.

The sheep were the collateral for the bank loans. Duester falsely claimed to have up to 4,941 sheep at one point in the scheme, and then he falsely claimed less than six months later that the number had fallen to 3,857 sheep due to them dying from various causes.
Gundersen Tri-State Ambulance was among the EMS providers awarded state funding Tuesday afternoon, with dollars to support the work and necessary equipment for first responders.

During stops in Wausau, Peshtigo and Westby, Gov. Tony Evers and Wisconsin Department of Health Services secretary-designee Karen Timberlake introduced the grants and toured fire departments and municipal buildings, highlighting the importance of investing in EMS services.

Our first responders play an absolutely vital role in the safety and security of our communities, and no matter what the emergency or where we live, we count on EMS providers to be there for us when we need them most, said Evers.

But for too long, EMS providers and our local partners have been doing more with less, having to make tough decisions and even reduce or cut services that keep our communities safe, Evers continued. These folks know their communities best, so were getting them the resources with the flexibility to decide what they need to best serve their communities, keep Wisconsinites safe, and do their important work.

Evers in his 2022 State of the State address announced a $20 million investment to support EMS providers statewide, with $12 million allocated for one-time flexible grants for smaller, under-resourced EMS providers ineligible for certain state grants and the remaining $8 million reserved for Funding Assistance Program grants.

The EMS industry has been in crisis mode for some time and COVID didnt really help at all  it made it a little more difficult for us, Kelly Haines, clinical manager of Ambulance Services & EMS Education at Gundersen, told the Tribune. (EMS providers play) a vital role in the safety and security of our communities  they are out morning, noon and night dedicated to giving the best care possible to those in crisis.

Public ambulance service providers, including volunteer fire departments, nonprofits and county and municipality services, qualified for FAP grants, which can be used for new ambulances, safety upgrades to current vehicles, medical, mobilization and patient transport equipment and more. All recipients were awarded an additional supplemental grant $24,390.

The grants, says Haines, will support the industry immensely. Any financial assistance goes back into taking care of those who take care of our patients and ensuring the quality care in the community. We cant thank Gov. Evers enough for the funding to allow the EMS to grow and expand.

Gundersen will use the funding to purchase specialized equipment and additional PPE, and for recruitment and retention efforts. As we work to educate and draw people into the EMS profession. Its a hard but rewarding profession helping those at their most vulnerable and serious times, Haines said.

When it comes to emergency medical care, Timberlake says, every minute counts, and the investment gives a boost to our states EMS providers who are facing many challenges and risking their lives every day to protect the health and safety of their communities.

Other area EMS providers to receive funding include Arcadia Ambulance Service, Chippewa Falls Fire & Emergency Services, La Farge Area Emergency Medical Service and Tomah Area Ambulance Service.
Commodity malware outpaced ransomware during April, May and June 2022 for the first time in more than a year, comprising 20 percent of the threats observed, said Cisco Talos, a leading private threat intelligence team.



Commodity malware threats were followed by ransomware, phishing, business email compromise (BEC) and advanced persistent threats.



This quarter mainly saw an increase in commodity malware threats, widely available for purchase or download. This type of malware is typically not customized and is used by a variety of actors to deliver additional threats in various stages of their operation and/or to deliver additional threats. Cisco Talos also observed ongoing Qakbot activity, which leverages thread hijacking, allowing threat actors to use compromised email accounts to insert malicious replies into the middle of existing email conversations.



Compared to previous years, ransomware made up a smaller portion, comprising 15 percent of all threats, compared with 25 percent last quarter. The drop is attributed to various factors including the closure of several ransomware groups, whether it be of their own volition or the actions of global law enforcement agencies and governments.



Targeted industries:

The top-targeted industry continues to be telecommunications, following a trend where it was among the top targeted sectors in Q4 2021 and Q1 2022, closely followed by organizations in the education and healthcare sectors.



Other targeted verticals include financial services, local government, food services, retail, automotive, information technology, production and manufacturing. Meanwhile, the United States continues to be the top targeted country followed by Europe, Asia, North America and Middle East.



Commenting on the reports findings, Fady Younes, Cybersecurity Director, EMEA Service Providers and MEA said: Organizations across countries of the Middle East and Africa hold a huge amount of sensitive data that is prone to cyber threats and needs to be secured. With cyberattacks becoming more sophisticated, the demand for comprehensive cybersecurity solutions is increasing.



He added: Cisco is uniquely positioned to support governments and businesses of all sizes and across industries in our region, addressing the cyber security challenges they are facing, and helping them increase their security resilience.



In order to protect from these threats, Cisco highly recommends organizations to implement multi-factor authentication (MFA), such as Cisco Duo, on all critical services. Endpoint detection and response solutions like Cisco Secure Endpoint are also key to detecting malicious activity across machines and networks.



Cisco Secure Firewall can help protect from commodity trojans and malware such as Qakbot, , while Cisco Secure Email and Secure Malware Analytics can help protect users from targeted phishing emails and business email compromise, which adversaries commonly used this quarter.  TradeArabia News Service
U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi left Taiwan on Wednesday after a visit that increased tensions with China.

In a meeting with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, Pelosi said: Americas determination to preserve democracy, here in Taiwan and around the world, remains ironclad. And she added, "Our delegation came to Taiwan to make unequivocally clear that we will not abandon Taiwan.

China, which claims Taiwan as its territory, has repeatedly warned the U.S. lawmaker not to visit the island. The foreign ministry said Pelosi's visit "has a severe impact on the political foundation of China-U.S. relations and seriously damages peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.

Shortly after Pelosi's arrival, China's military announced air and sea military exercises around Taiwan, parts of which will enter Taiwanese waters. Chinese state news agency Xinhua said the exercises and tests will be carried out from Thursday to Sunday.

Captain Jian-chang Yu, a Taiwanese defense official said, Such an act equals to sealing off Taiwan by air and sea, such an act covers our countrys territory and territorial waters, and severely violates our countrys territorial sovereignty.

The Chinese military exercises, including live fire, are to be the largest aimed at Taiwan since 1995. At that time, China fired several missiles to show its displeasure with a visit by then-Taiwanese President Lee Teng-hui to the U.S.

Arthur Zhin-Sheng Wang is a defense studies expert at Taiwans Central Police University. He said using live fire in a countrys territorial airspace or waters is risky. He added that under international rules of engagement, this can possibly be seen as an act of war.

The administration of U.S. President Joe Biden has sought to lower tensions from Pelosis visit, saying there is no change in Americas longstanding one-China policy. Under the policy, the U.S. recognizes the Chinese government in Beijing but keeps informal relations and defense ties with Taipei.

In Washington, John Kirby, spokesperson for the National Security Council, said that the U.S. was expecting more military exercises and other actions from China in the coming days. But he told ABCs Good Morning America, we dont believe were at the brink now, and theres certainly no reason for anybody to be talking about being at the brink going forward. In other words, he does not believe there will be a conflict in the area.

On Wednesday, China also banned some imports from Taiwan, including fruits and fish. But it has not stopped the flow of computer chips and other industrial parts required for its manufacturing economy.

Taiwan produces half the worlds computer processor chips and has technology the mainland cannot match. Its sales to Chinese factories rose 24.4 percent to $104.3 billion last year.

Im Jill Robbins.

Hai Do adapted this report for VOA Learning English based on reporting from Reuters and The Associated Press.

__________________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

abandon n. to stop supporting or helping

impact n. an effect or result of some action

stability n. a state or quality of little change

seal v. to prevent someone from going into or out of a place

sovereignty n. a country's independent power and the right to govern itself

brink n. the edge of a steep cliff; a point very close to something very bad

__________________________________________________________________

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Pushing forward Kuwait's development process and safeguarding its stability are the top priorties for the country's new cabinet, said His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Ahmad Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah at the cabinet's first meeting.

Kuwait's new cabinet held its first meeting under chairmanship of Sheikh Ahmad at Seif Palace on Tuesday, said a KUNA report.

Emerging from the meeting, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Oil and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs Mohammad Al-Fares said the prime minister had thanked the new ministers for shouldering responsibility at this critical juncture.

The Prime Minister underlined the directives of His Highness the Amir and His Highness the Crown Prince, which mainly focused on the necessity to double efforts to speed up development, fulfilling people's expectations, respecting constitution and solving citizens' problems.

During the meeting, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defense and Acting Minister of Interior Sheikh Talal Khaled Al-Ahmad AlSabah, on behalf of the new cabinet ministers, expressed much appreciation and gratitude for the trust of HH the Amir and HH the Crown Prince.

He vowed that he and his colleagues would work together as a single group to put the political leadership's directions in place in order to serve the nation and citizens, achieve development, growth and prosperity, accelerate development, offer high-quality services to the public and wipe out corruption in all its forms.

Furthermore, the cabinet expressed thanks and gratitude to HH Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah for his sincere efforts to serve the nation during his tenure, while commending his great accomplishments.

On the 32nd anniversary of the Iraqi invasion of the State of Kuwait, the cabinet renewed its gratitude to the friendly countries who contributed to liberating the State of Kuwait and restoring its international legitimacy, sovereignty, freedom, and dignity.

The Cabinet also called on the Kuwaiti people, on this painful anniversary, to preserve the security and stability of the homeland, to unite and boost cooperation in serving the country.
American officials announced Monday that U.S. forces had carried out a weekend airstrike in Afghanistan that killed al-Qaida leader Ayman al-Zawahiri.

U.S. officials say al-Zawahiri helped al-Qaidas top leader Osama bin Laden plan the September 11 terrorist attacks on the United States. After the attacks, he is believed to have continued to lead al-Qaida. Al-Zawahiri avoided capture by U.S. forces for 21 years.

Officials in the administration of U.S. President Joe Biden recently provided details about the killing to reporters from the Associated Press (AP) and Reuters. The officials spoke about the operation on the condition that they not be named.

One official said the operation to find and kill al-Zawahiri had been the result of careful and persistent planning. Before the announcement of his killing, al-Zawahiri was believed to have been living either in Pakistans tribal area or inside Afghanistan.

Since the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan about one year ago, officials had been watching for signs of al-Qaidas presence in the country, the officials said.

This year, officials identified that al-Zawahiri's family  his wife, his daughter and her children  had moved into a safe house in Kabul. They later identified al-Zawahiri at the same house.

Several different methods were used to confirm al-Zawahiri's identity. He was often seen on the balcony of the safe house, officials said. This is where he was targeted in the airstrike. The attack was carried out by an unmanned aircraft, called a drone.

Officials said they had fully investigated the building and identified other people who were living there. Investigators wanted to make sure the U.S. could successfully carry out an operation to kill al-Zawahiri without threatening the buildings overall structure. They also sought to reduce the risk to civilians and al-Zawahiri's family, officials said.

In recent weeks, President Biden held meetings with close advisors and cabinet members to examine the available intelligence and come up with the best plan of action. On July 1, Biden was told about a proposed operation in the White House Situation Room. The meeting was attended by top intelligence officials including CIA Director William Burns.

Biden "asked detailed questions about what we knew and how we knew it," one official told Reuters. The U.S. president also closely examined a model of the safe house the intelligence community had built and brought to the meeting.

Biden asked about lighting, weather, building materials and other elements that could affect the success of the operation, the official said. He also requested a report on the expected ramifications of carrying out an airstrike in Kabul.

A group of government lawyers examined the intelligence reporting. They confirmed that al-Zawahiri was a lawful target based on his continuing leadership of al-Qaida.

On July 25, the president gathered his cabinet members and advisors for a final meeting. Officials discussed how killing al-Zawahiri would affect America's relationship with the Taliban, among other issues, the official told Reuters.

After listening to the advice from others in the room, Biden approved "a precise tailored air strike." But the approval was given on the condition that the attack would take measures to reduce the risk of civilian casualties.

The strike was carried out at 0148 UTC on July 30. Officials said a drone fired two so-called "hellfire" missiles at al-Zawahiri while he was on the balcony of the safe house.

The house where al-Zawahiri was living with his family was owned by a top aide to senior Taliban leader Sirajuddin Haqqani, a U.S. intelligence official told the AP.

Experts say they are concerned that the Taliban government may be permitting armed extremist organizations to stay in Afghanistan because no U.S. forces remain in the country.

Im Bryan Lynn.

The Associated Press and Reuters reported on this story. Bryan Lynn adapted the reports for VOA Learning English.

___________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

persistent  adj. continuing over and over again

balcony  n. a small area joined to the wall outside a room on a high level where a person can stand or sit

ramification  n. possible results of an action

precise  adj. exact and accurate

tailored adj. describing something made for a particular person

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LEXINGTON  Joe Richeson was appointed to the planning commission by the Dawson County Commissioners during their Monday, Aug. 1 meeting.

The commissioners were seeking to fill John Frittons position in the group, they had tabled action on appointing an individual in June to allow more time for people to submit applications, they had hoped for more representation from the western parts of the county, including Gothenburg and Farnam.

Applications for the position came from Jeremy Hendricks, Jodi Spencer, Mike Moran and Joe Richeson.

Commissioner Rick Zarek described all of the candidates experience as a wealth of riches, and all are well qualified for the position.

Zarek said he would advocate for Richeson, noting he is the vice-president and secretary of the Gothenburg Improvement Company and hails from the western side of Dawson County, an area that has lacked representation at times on the planning commission.

Zarek did note he hoped the other individuals would keep their applications, in case there are more openings in the group.

The other commissioners concurred and appointed Richeson to the planning commission.

During committee reports, Highway Superintendent Mark Christiansen said the drainage committee had met on July 13 and their next step is to identify culverts along the Union Pacific Railroad that are clogged and could be cleared by UP.

The committee is also waiting for drainage reports from Spring Creek and Buffalo Creek to be published in August. The group also has representation from the Village of Overton and the Weed District.

Christiansen also appeared with a change order for the Roosevelt Avenue project. He said the City of Lexington had requested additional work to be done, which should take around two more weeks. The changes were paid for by the city and would not cost the county.

The last action Christiansen discussed was setting a bid date for the new Road Department building. It was agreed that bids should be opened on Monday, Aug. 29 at 2 p.m. and then presented at the first meeting in September.

Sheriff Ken Moody appeared with the distress warrant report and noted around $41,620.00 was collected and $3,000 couldnt be collected. Moody noted that Lt. Tucker Case felt this was a good year for collections and was a higher amount than years past.

Karla Zlatkovsky, Dawson County Clerk, presented the 2022-2023 county budgets as stipulated by a new state law. It was noted that as presented, the budgets would increase the levy slightly. The commissioners accepted the budgets and took them under advisement.

Zlatkovsky also presented a remittance of inventory from the various county offices.

The commissioners also approved the renewal of the inter-local agreement with the Midwest Nebraska Drug Court. Zlatkovsky said this agreement is renewed every three years and there were no changes, the drug fund does not come at cost to the county.

Dawson County Emergency Manager Brian Woldt appeared with a single bid for a courthouse chiller. The bid was from Rasmussen Mechanical Services in the amount of $105,812.00.

It was noted this chiller helps to cool portions of all three floors of the courthouse and the new unit will feature four compressors, compared to two in the current unit. Woldt said the new unit should be installed sometime next spring.

The commissioners approved the bid and will pay for the unit with their American Rescue Plan funds.

At the end of the regular meeting, the commissioners went into executive session to discuss personnel, there was no action taken after the session was closed.
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Lufkin businessman appointed to state economic development board

HENDERSON

Lufkin businessman Trey Henderson is one of nine people appointed by Gov. Greg Abbott to the Board of Directors of the Texas Economic Development Corporation.

I dont know how I was nominated, or how my name was on any list or anything, Henderson said. I was asked by Robert Allen, who is the CEO of the corporation, if I would have any interest in serving on the board and I said I would.

The EDC partners with the state to market Texas domestically and globally in hopes of attracting new businesses, according to the agencys press release. Henderson was happy to hear the organization wanted to broaden the board of directors to bring in voices from across the state and said, as far as he can tell, they did just that.

Henderson is the manager and owner of Henderson Community Ltd., which invests in economic development projects in the county. Notably, his organization invested in Angelina Forest Products and Angelina Tank, he said.

But he also is known locally for his familys investment in Angelina Hardwood Sales Company that merged with Overseas Hardwood in 2018. Henderson owned Angelina Hardwood, but as his children aged and he realized they werent interested in the family business, he looked for a company  like Overseas  that would provide a soft landing for the business.

He now sits on the Overseas board of directors, he said.

Allen said he is excited to work with the new board members and is grateful the leaders agreed to commit their time and energy to an enterprise that benefits Texas and its citizens through economic development and job creation.

Henderson had met with Allen in the past on behalf of East Texas projects in which he thought the corporation could be involved and benefit the ventures, he said.

I am just thrilled to be one of the members, but even more excited because we have a representative from East Texas on a big state board, Henderson said.

It is easy to sell Texas as a whole from an economic development standpoint, Henderson said. The state already is seeing an influx of companies including Amazon and Tesla but also of those that are a lot smaller. But they cannot all fit in the metro areas, which means they will need to consider rural regions for economic growth.

Hendersons goal is to understand what resources the region has to offer so he can help the corporation better identify when a company would fit within the fabric of the region.

Trey is the ultimate representative of our region, Lufkin Economic Development Corporation director Bob Samford said. His family has been here for generations. Im excited to see what he can bring to the group and add to the discussion.

He views Hendersons appointment as another tool to promote regional prosperity as East Texas builds its reputation in the business world. And he is grateful for the role Henderson will play as an advocate and a voice of reason.

Henderson has begun speaking with members of the community who are heavily involved with economic development, including Samford and Nancy Windham, president and CEO of the Texas Forest Country Partnership.

What we want to do is build a tool chest of what separates us from the different parts of the state that not everybody can offer, Henderson said.

That tool chest also will include Samford and Windham, who can pull together to work regionally. And it includes an understanding of the regional resources, including water and timber, he said.

Henderson is excited to bring the board to the region to show off what the Pineywoods truly has to offer, he said.
Tabby, the Middle East and North Africa's (Mena) leading payments and shopping app, has secured $150 million in debt financing from Atalaya Capital Management and existing investor Partners for Growth (PFG).

In aggregate, this represents the largest credit facility ever secured by a fintech in the GCC.

The investment fortifies Tabbys balance sheet and supports its sustained growth in transaction volumes and product expansion. In the last few months, major brands like H&M, Bath & Body Works, Nike, Swarovski and more have chosen Tabby as their payments partner. Tabby will continue to provide Menas consumers with access to credit otherwise unavailable to them, without charging any interest or other fees.

First deal

Headquartered in New York, this facility marks Atalaya Capital Managements first deal in the Mena region. In addition, San Francisco Bay Area based Partners for Growth (PFG), have upsized their initial $50 million commitment under the new facility. Following Tabbys Series B extension earlier this year, Tabbys total capital raised to date amounts to $275 million.

In May, Tabby announced the launch of Tabby Card, a first-of-its-kind solution in Mena tapping into 90% of the retail opportunity that happens offline.

The BNPL environment in Mena

Menas market dynamics make BNPL highly more relevant compared to developed markets where players continue to face challenges. In Saudi Arabia, the Arab worlds largest economy, less than 20% of the population have a credit card in comparison to over 70% of the population in the US.

The limited access to credit solutions in the kingdom makes Tabby a much-needed solution for consumers to add more flexibility and control over their finances.

Tabby has grown 10x in revenue, 8x in active customers and 3x in active retailer partners in the first half of 2022, compared to the same period last year. Tabby continues to operate with superior economics driven by controlled risk in a market where access to credit is scarce and consumers cannot easily overextend themselves.

Strong track record

Hosam Arab, CEO and Co-Founder of Tabby, said: Debt commitments from two reputable institutions is validation of our strong track record and business model. As we near profitability, were in the fortunate position of not having to raise equity under the current market conditions and as such are thrilled to partner with the like-minded people at PFG and Atalaya.

Justin Burns, Managing Director of Atalaya Capital, said: Atalaya is excited to partner with Tabby in its mission to expand access to credit and payments in markets where there are limited existing options.

Max Penel, Co-Head of Global Fintech at PFG, said: We continue to be impressed by Tabbys on-going rapid growth whilst materially improving its' unit economics and PFG is excited to continue to support Tabby through an upsize of our existing facility."-- TradeArabia News Service
Citing staffing shortages, Dane County Sheriff Kalvin Barrett said Tuesday he will begin closing a portion of the countys jail inside the City-County Building that has for years been described as inhumane.

The east section of the seventh floor of the City-County Building, which is the oldest area of the jail, will be closed and about 65 male and female inmates will be transferred to jails in Rock, Iowa and Oneida counties, Barrett said in a statement. The transfers began Tuesday morning and will cost around $50 to $60 per inmate every day.

A lack of safe and humane jail space, along with ongoing staffing shortages, has brought us to the difficult decision to place some of our jail residents in other counties, Barrett said. I will continue to advocate for a facility to be built in Dane County which reflects our community values.

The dire conditions inside the maximum-security jail in the City-County Building have been documented for years, and Barrett has previously characterized the facility as a lawsuit waiting to happen. But until now, neither Barrett nor his predecessor, Dave Mahoney, had used their authority to close the facility.

About 200 people will remain incarcerated at the City-County Building, said Elise Schaffer, a spokesperson for the Sheriffs Office. As of Tuesday morning, there were 685 inmates across the countys three jail facilities at the City-County Building, the Public Safety Building and the William H. Ferris Center on Madisons South Side.

The closure of part of the City-County Building is but one step the Sheriffs Office has taken in response to a staffing crunch in recent days. On Thursday, deputies were given an indefinite alert status that puts four deputies on call to fill vacancies during each of the days three shifts.

Implementing alert status with no end date is a significant action by our agency to help with our immediate staffing issues, the Sheriffs Office said in an email to employees. The county is currently operating at more than 40 deputy positions under optimal staffing levels, Barrett said in his statement.

Another 24 deputies are either on restricted duty, family leave or workers comp, and staffing shortages definitely compounded the decision to close part of the City-County building jail, Schaffer added.

But this has been something that has also been in our thoughts and conversations for several months, she said of the decision to close the jail.

Opponent responds

Dane County Sheriffs Detective Anthony Hamilton, a Republican who is running against Barrett in the November election, said the Democratic sheriff is to blame for the situation, accusing him of risking the safety of Dane County residents by allowing staff levels to fall to unprecedented lows.

The staffing crisis is poised to get worse without strong leadership, Hamilton said in a statement. With so many Dane County deputies nearing retirement; absent new recruits, the agency roster is poised to drop to below 300 deputies  well short of its 478 authorized positions.

To speed up recruiting, Barrett said, the Sheriffs Office will offer a lateral hiring opportunity for sworn positions, meaning officers or deputies from other law enforcement agencies can be hired without sacrificing their accumulated years of service.

Deputies had previously been put on a temporary alert status in December 2020 during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Schaffer said. She was unsure if deputies had ever been put on an indefinite alert status before.

Rising costs

The decision to close part of the City-County Building comes as the County Board continues to grapple with how to consolidate its existing jail facilities into a single campus consisting of the Public Safety Building and a yet-to-be-built tower. But rising construction costs have prompted supervisors to scale back the scope of the project.

In March, the board appropriated about $16 million to build a $176 million six-story, 825-bed facility that would replace the facility at the City-County Building. Originally, the county wanted to build a seven-story jail with 922 beds.

But costs have pushed that iteration of the jail even further from reality. In May, County Executive Joe Parisi said that plan was about $9.8 million short.

New proposal

To alleviate the funding gap, the Black Caucus of the County Board unveiled a plan on Tuesday to build a five-story tower with 725 beds. The new plan also frees up bed space by calling for the removal of all acute medical housing from the fourth floor of the proposed tower, calling instead for inmates with severe medical needs to be transferred to local hospitals.

In June, Parisi and Barrett called for the rare step of asking voters for approval of a major county building project  specifically to cover the $10 million shortfall.
School districts across Dane County are struggling to fill vacant positions with just a month left before the first day of school.

The effect of a shrinking pool of educators can be felt around the county, as school districts scramble to become fully staffed before September.

Twelve Dane County school districts had roughly 649 teacher, administrative and support staff vacancies, combined, at the end of July. The Madison School District accounted for 323 of those teacher and support staff vacancies, or 6% of its 5,400-person workforce.

The Marshall School District, one of Dane Countys smallest with roughly 950 students enrolled during the 2021-22 school year, had three unfilled positions at the start of August, which Superintendent Dan Grady said isnt out of the ordinary. But, the lack of interested and available candidates to fill those positions is concerning for K-12 education, he said.

Madison School District spokesperson Tim LeMonds attributed Madisons vacant positions to the state Legislatures refusal to appropriately fund schools, combined with historical trends of declining participation in teacher education which, he said, has created unprecedented staffing pressures for school districts in the Badger State.

Between May and July, the Madison School District saw 426 staff departures and 94 hires, according to data presented to the Madison School Board.

Nationally, the ratio of hires to job openings in the education sector reached new lows as the 2021-22 school year started, and stood at 0.57 hires for every open position in February, according to the National Education Association.

About 90% of educators surveyed by the National Education Association in January said they felt that burnout was a serious problem, and 96% said raising educator salaries was the most effective way of combating that burnout.

The Madison School Board in July approved a 3% base wage increase for all staff, two-thirds of what local teachers union Madison Teachers Inc. had asked for in May, at the start of negotiations. Many other large and mid-size districts in the state approved 4.7% increases, the maximum amount allowed under 2011 Act 10s inflationary caps on wage negotiations.

MTI president Mike Jones said he was disappointed by the decision, saying it could affect staffing and hiring for the coming school year.

Were going to be planning for a school year knowing were going to be down staffing-wise with no discernable plan by the district to increase hiring, he told the State Journal in July. Were going to have to make some tough decisions on our end.

Neither Jones nor Board President Ali Muldrow was immediately available for comment this week.

The use of emergency teaching licenses to help fill vacant positions in Wisconsin has increased during the past decade. Those licenses allow people with a bachelors degree who have not completed a teacher training program to teach, or for teachers or staff members to work outside the subject or grade level they were initially licensed to teach.

Across the state, the number of emergency licenses issued nearly tripled from 1,126 in the 2012-13 school year to 3,016 in the 2019-20 school year, and then increased another 30% to 3,942 in the 2020-21 school year amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

District vacancies as of July 28 Belleville (928 students)  two teaching and administrative positions, 2 support positions DeForest (4,039 students)*  four teaching positions, 10 support positions Madison (25,497 students)  199 teaching positions, 124 support positions Marshall (953 students)  three teaching positions McFarland (5,182 students)  six teaching positions, 3 support positions Middleton-Cross Plains (7,252 students)  22 teaching and administrative positions, 42 support positions Monona Grove (3,550 students)  17 teaching positions, 27 support positions Mount Horeb (2,384 students)  21 support positions Oregon (4,159 students)  three teaching and administrative positions, 10 support positions Sun Prairie (8,381 students)  33 teaching and administrative positions, 54 support positions Verona (5,732 students)  five teaching positions, 20 support positions Waunakee (4,388 students)  12 teaching and administrative positions, 30 support positions Note: The Cambridge, Deerfield, Stoughton and Wisconsin Heights school districts did not respond to a request for data. *  Several positions have candidates who have applied and are in the hiring process.
Offering a scathing rebuke of Assembly Speaker Robin Vos for not supporting calls to back the legally impossible decertification of the 2020 election, former President Donald Trump on Tuesday endorsed Vos GOP primary challenger.

Trumps endorsement of Adam Steen, who denies the results of the last presidential election, follows more than a year of repeated pressure applied by the former president on Vos, the states longest serving Assembly speaker and one of the most influential Republicans in the state.

While Vos, R-Rochester, launched the GOP-ordered review into the states 2020 presidential election  headed by former state Supreme Court Justice Michael Gableman  at Trumps behest, the former presidents opinion of Vos has soured due to the speakers refusal to entertain Trumps calls to decertify the election, something experts, nonpartisan lawyers and Vos himself agree cannot be done under state law or the U.S. Constitution.

Although Vos claims to be a Republican, he is constantly fighting America First efforts and policies, Trump wrote in a Tuesday statement. Our great slogan, Make America Great Again, is not exactly high on his list!

Trump also referred to Vos as a RINO, an acronym for Republican in name only, a derogatory term for party members deemed insufficiently loyal.

Adam Steen, on the other hand, is a motivated Patriot, dedicated to making Wisconsin Great Again, Trump added. He has had the courage to stand up strongly against Speaker Vos.

Trumps comments focus far more heavily on Vos than Steen in a statement largely based on the lie that the 2020 election was marred by election-changing fraud. He accused Vos of blocking efforts to secure Wisconsins elections, even though Vos has since 2020 steered through bills seeking to tighten election procedures, which were vetoed by Democratic Gov. Tony Evers.

Speaker Vos had 17 years to prove to Wisconsin residents that he has their best interest in mind, but even in his own campaign efforts, Vos has tried to mislead his constituents, sending out mailers that feature a picture he took with me  trying to make voters believe I am a Vos supporter, which I am not, Trump said. He does not come close to supporting America First policies, and I do not come close to supporting him.

A recount, court decisions and multiple reviews have affirmed that President Joe Biden defeated Trump by about 21,000 votes in the states 2020 presidential election. Only 24 people out of nearly 3.3 million who cast ballots have been charged with election fraud in Wisconsin.

The Republican-led Legislature passed a slew of election-related bills after an October 2021 review of the 2020 election conducted by the nonpartisan Legislative Audit Bureau that found multiple areas in which the administration of elections could be improved but no evidence of widespread fraud. All the bills were ultimately vetoed by Evers, who has vowed to make it easier to vote, rather than harder.

As a conservative, I believe in upholding the constitution, Vos said in a statement. Thats why I wont take the impossible step to overturn the 2020 election. My opponent is singularly focused on winning this primary so he can overturn the 2020 election.

This endorsement changes nothing because the only endorsements that matter are the ones that come from the voters in Racine County, Vos said.

Vos represents the Assemblys 63rd District, which is in southeastern Wisconsin. His primary is Aug. 9.

Recent call

Speaking with WISN last month, Vos said Trump called him recently in another effort to push decertification of the now 20-month-old elections results.

Its very consistent, Vos said of the call. He makes his case, which I respect. He would like us to do something different in Wisconsin. I explained to him that its not allowed under the Constitution. He has a different opinion.

At the beginning of last week, Vos had $223,290 cash on hand compared with Steens $13,185. Up until that point, Vos had raised about $120,500 and Steen had raised about $65,500, according to campaign finance reports filed with the Wisconsin Ethics Commission.

Although he doesnt reference it in his email, Trump has repeatedly called for the decertification of the 2020 presidential election. Trump also said Vos consistently blocked efforts at conducting a full cyber forensic audit of the 2020 Election.

Change of heart

Vos hired Gableman last summer to review how the election was run at a cost of $676,000 after pressure from Trump; it is not an audit. Legal fees and other court costs have pushed the price tag to more than $1.1 million  all of which will ultimately fall on taxpayers. About $230,000 of that cost comes from recent court rulings ordering Vos and Gableman to pay a liberal watchdog groups legal fees in two open records cases related to the election review.

Gableman himself has reversed his position on decertification. In releasing an interim report of his inquiry on March 1, Gableman told state lawmakers they should take a very hard look at decertifying the results of the 2020 presidential election. But just two weeks later, on March 16, the former justice concluded that decertification was a practical impossibility.
A candidate for Wisconsin governor and the chair of the state Assembly's elections commission are among those calling for "decertifying" the state's Nov. 3, 2020, presidential election results that gave the state's 10 electoral votes to Joe Biden.

But decertifying the election is a fantasy, and it will not happen.

There is no provision under state and federal law or the Wisconsin and U.S. constitutions by which the government can wipe out millions of citizens' votes and act as if an election didn't happen. Candidates can challenge election results, but every legal challenge related to the 2020 election has already failed. Even if new objections could be found, the deadlines to make such claims have long since passed.

"'Decertifying' (or any variant, such as 'voiding') a presidential election after the fact is simply not a thing," UW-Madison political science professor Ken Mayer said.

Under state law, which governs the manner in which federal elections are held:

County boards of canvassers were required to meet no later than Nov. 10, 2020, to canvas results and declare them official.

County clerks had to deliver the results to the state Elections Commission by Nov. 17.

The deadline for requesting a recount of the presidential election results was Nov. 18. The campaign of then-President Donald Trump did file such a request, in Dane and Milwaukee counties, which resulted in Biden picking up 74 additional votes.

Candidates had until five business days after the end of a recount to challenge its results in court.



The chair of the Elections Commission was required to certify election results by Dec. 1.

Under federal law:

After Dec. 8, Congress must accept election results from states where those results were challenged but upheld as accurate under state law. This is known as the "safe harbor" deadline.

On Dec. 14, the electors corresponding to the party that won the elections for president and vice president met at the state Capitol to cast their votes for their candidates.

Dec. 23 was the deadline for the vice president to receive election results from the states.

The newly elected Congress counted electoral votes on Jan. 6, 2021. Congressional Republicans made objections to counting some electoral votes and 147 of them  including Rep. Scott Fitzgerald, R-Juneau, and Tom Tiffany, R-Minocqua  voted to uphold objections to Pennsylvania's electoral votes, Arizona's or both. Those electoral votes could only have been excluded if both the full House and Senate voted to accept the objections. That did not occur.

Under the U.S. Constitution:

The new president and vice president were inaugurated on Jan. 20.

"There are processes under state law for determining the winner of an election, and though it can potentially be litigated if there is actual uncertainty about the result (which there was not in 2020), once the Electors have voted, it's over," Mayer said. "The certification is a one-way door."

"The complete absence of any decertification mechanism in either the constitution or federal statutory law is a fundamental point," UW-Madison law school associate professor Robert Yablon said. "That legal silence is glaring given that other aspects of the presidential election process are set out in detail, including in Article II Section 1, the 12th Amendment, and the Electoral Count Act."

Even former state Supreme Court Justice Michael Gableman, who is leading a Republican-backed probe of the 2020 election and once suggested decertification was possible, echoed that point.

After declaring on March 1 that state lawmakers "take a very hard look" at decertifying the results of the 2020 presidential election, Gableman wrote in a memo two weeks later that it is a "practical impossibility."

First, there's the "absence of any statutory process or procedure for its accomplishment," he said. Second, there is the "absence of precedent for the completion of the decertification process in a presidential election.

"And just as the absence of any statutory process or procedure for the act of decertification would  of necessity  require their construction while the proceeding is underway," he said, "similarly, the absence of precedent would require the legislature to 'make it up as it goes along,' as it considers the substantive question."
Mike Pence will travel to Pewaukee on Wednesday to attend a roundtable with former Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch, who the former vice president has endorsed leading up to an Aug. 9 primary against Donald Trump-backed candidate Tim Michels.

Kleefisch announced Tuesday that Pence and former Gov. Scott Walker, who she served under for eight years, will join her for a law enforcement roundtable discussion, which will occur two days before Trump comes to Waukesha County to hold a rally in support of Michels, the millionaire co-owner of Brownsville-based Michels Corp.

Kleefisch is in a sharply contested primary with Michels, who has also been backed by former Gov. Tommy Thompson. Other Republicans in the race include state Rep. Timothy Ramthun, R-Campbellsport, and Adam Fischer.

In addition to Pence, Kleefisch has been endorsed by U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, a fierce Trump rival turned close ally, who won Wisconsins 2016 presidential primary. Shes also been backed by more than 50 Republican state lawmakers, including Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, and Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu, R-Oostburg.

Michels and Kleefisch were leading the race, separated by 1 percentage point, in recent statewide polling. Ramthun, who has been endorsed by MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell, polled more than 20 points behind Michels and Kleefisch in June. Fischer was not included in the poll.

The winner of the primary will go on to face incumbent Democratic Gov. Tony Evers on Nov. 8 in a high-stakes midterm election for both parties that could dramatically shape Wisconsin policy over the next four years.
The bipartisan Wisconsin Elections Commission deadlocked Wednesday on an effort by Republican members to restrict online access to absentee ballots after at least two people admitted to fraudulently ordering ballots belonging to other individuals.

Republicans on the six-member commission said the actions of Harry Wait  who admitted last week to ordering to his home 10 ballots online for people including Republican Assembly Speaker Robin Vos and Democratic Racine Mayor Cory Mason  underscore the need for increased restrictions to the states MyVote system such as requiring the last four digits of a Social Security number or dual authentication, which requires two forms of identification.

MyVote is administered by the state Elections Commission and 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. WEC officials have said there are no vulnerabilities with the MyVote system.

The issue out there. The elephant in the room so to speak, in my opinion, is we have to make it more secure, Republican commissioner Robert Spindell said.

The commissions three Democratic appointees strongly opposed any measures to add restrictions to voting in response to the illegal actions of a few people.

Voting needs to be available to people and we shouldnt make it less available because people are willing to commit crimes, Democratic commissioner Ann Jacobs said, adding that prosecuting those responsible will send the message that doing so is a crime.

The agencys nonpartisan administrator, Meagan Wolfe, noted that adding requirements for the public to access the MyVote system would require legislative approval.

The commission also voted 5-1, with Spindell opposed, to expedite consideration of any formal complaints received by the agency pertaining to Waits actions. Jacobs and fellow Democratic commissioner Mark Thomsen last week sought to pursue criminal referrals against Wait, but the agencys Republican chair, Don Millis, said such referrals would have to wait until a formal complaint is filed with the commission.

Spindell said he did not want to make a decision on referrals for prosecution until he hears both sides of the issue and he disagreed with moving any formal complaints filed against Wait to the front of the line. The Elections Commission had not received a formal complaint as of Wednesday.

With all due respect commissioner Spindell, when we know that there are individuals that are attempting to fraudulently get into our system, using other peoples names to obtain ballots, which are all potentially many, many felonies, when we know this is ongoing, we have an absolute duty to respond to known fraud, Thomsen said. Not fake fraud, but actual fraud. And we have an obligation to move on it quickly.

This is fraud and I think it is very important that we make it a priority, Republican commissioner Marge Bostelmann added.

The commission also voted unanimously to fully cooperate with the investigation launched last week by the state Department of Justice into Waits actions.

False requests

Wait, of Dover, president of the conservative group Honest Open Transparent Government, said he has received fraudulently requested ballots for Vos and Mason. Wait also said he received a ballot for state Rep. Elijah Behnke, R-Oconto, which he claims he did not request.

Waits co-conspirator, Adrianne Melby, of Burlington, told the (Racine) Journal Times that, at her request, a friend successfully had Melbys ballot sent to the friends address.

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.

A recount, court decisions and multiple reviews have affirmed that President Joe Biden defeated Donald 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.

Other action

The commission also deadlocked on a motion supported by the agencys three Republican appointees that would have eliminated the commissions 2016 guidance allowing local clerks to fill in or correct address deficiencies on absentee ballot envelopes. The commissions three Democratic appointees opposed the motion.

The Legislatures Republican-controlled rules committee last month struck down a recently created rule authorizing election clerks to correct or fill in missing information on absentee ballot envelopes before the ballots are accepted. However, the agencys 6-year-old guidance remains in place.

The commission also unanimously approved authorizing staff to draft a letter to send to clerks notifying them of federal laws for providing accommodations to voters with disabilities. Groups like Disability Rights Wisconsin and the League of Women Voters of Wisconsin have raised concern that the Wisconsin Supreme Courts July ruling barring the use of absentee ballot drop boxes and requiring that ballot be mailed or delivered by the voter creates confusion for voters and clerks on what rules now apply.

Despite the state Supreme Courts ruling, federal law protects the right of people with disabilities to receive assistance when mailing their ballot, including having a person of their choice deliver the ballot to a clerk or polling place.

The draft letter will come back to the commission later this week, with hopes of sending it to the states more than 1,800 election clerks before Tuesdays primary.
NEW YORK (AP)  Michigan Rep. Peter Meijer, who witnessed the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection days after taking office and then cast one of the 10 Republican votes to impeach Donald Trump over it, has lost his reelection bid.

Meijer was defeated in a primary Tuesday by Trump-endorsed John Gibbs, a businessman and missionary who served in the Trump administration under Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson.

Two Republicans in Washington state who incurred Trump's wrath by voting for impeachment also went before voters. Races involving Reps. Jaime Herrera Beutler and Dan Newhouse were too early to call by Wednesday morning.

Trump vowed revenge against the 10 who crossed party lines on the impeachment vote, and he endorsed party challengers to them in the midterm elections.

In other races, Rep. Haley Stevens ousted Rep. Andy Levin in their Democratic primary in Michigan. Democratic Reps. Cori Bush of Missouri and Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, both members of the progressive Squad in Congress, sailed through. In Arizona, a leading figure in the QAnon conspiracy movement fell way short.

Some of the top elections:

FACING VOTERS AFTER IMPEACHMENT VOTES

Gibbs defeated Meijer despite the first-term incumbent having a large fundraising advantage. Gibbs cast Meijer as not a true Republican because of the impeachment vote. He also chastised Meijer for supporting bipartisan gun control legislation that President Joe Biden signed into law in June.

Meijer, a member of the Army Reserves who served in Iraq, had criticized Biden over the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, as well as his handling of the economy.

A Constitutional Republic like ours requires leaders who are willing to take on the big challenges, to find common ground when possible, and to put their love of country before partisan advantage, Meijer said in a statement. Though this was not the outcome we hoped for, I will continue to do everything possible to move the Republican Party, West Michigan, and our country in a positive direction.

Gibbs will face Democrat Hillary Scholten in November in the Democratic-leaning 3rd Congressional District.

Herrera Beutler and Newhouse had an advantage over Meijer because their primaries are nonpartisan, and the top two vote-getters, regardless of party, will move on to the general election in November. Each incumbent faced multiple Republican candidates.

Herrera Beutler, who has been in Congress since 2011, was in second place in early returns in the 3rd Congressional District, trailing Democrat Marie Gluesenkamp Perez but slightly ahead of fellow Republican Joe Kent. Kent, a former Green Beret whose wife was killed by a suicide bomber in 2019 in Syria, was endorsed by Trump. He heavily promoted the former presidents lies that the 2020 election was stolen.

In a Zoom call with reporters after early returns posted, Herrera Beutler said she was cautiously optimistic about the results that indicate she could advance.

If I get through this, Im not going to change, Im not going to be a different person, she said. No one will work harder for this district than I will.

Newhouse had a narrow lead over Democrat Doug White in the 4th Congressional District, which Newhouse has represented since 2015. Republican Loren Culp, a former small-town police chief endorsed by Trump, was in third place in early returns.

CANDIDATE LINKED TO QANON

Ron Watkins, one of the most prominent figures in the QAnon conspiracy movement, will not be heading to Congress this year.

Watkins was last in early returns in his Republican primary for Arizona's sprawling 2nd Congressional District. He served as the longtime administrator of online message boards that helped seed the conspiracy movement whose adherents believe a group of satanic, cannibalistic child molesters secretly runs the globe.

Watkins no longer runs the message boards and has denied fueling the QAnon movement. He said he was running for Congress because he hopes to fix the machine from the inside.

He was considered a long shot in the crowded GOP field, having been outpaced in campaign fundraising by the other candidates.

State Rep. Walter Blackman and Eli Crane, a former Navy SEAL who owns a bottle opener business and was endorsed by Trump, were at the top of the field. The winner will take on Democratic Rep. Tom OHalleran in November in a district that favors Republicans.

FROM COLLEAGUES TO COMPETITORS

Stevens' victory over Levin came in a newly drawn 11th Congressional District in suburban Detroit that favors Democrats, which means Stevens will likely win the seat in November.

Stevens got a financial boost from the United Democracy Project, a super PAC launched by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, commonly called AIPAC. Levin, a progressive member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, has been highly critical of Israels record on human rights.

The congresswoman flipped a district in 2018 that was long held by Republicans. Before running for office, she led the auto bailout under President Barack Obama.

CHALLENGING THE SQUAD

Tlaib defeated three Democratic challengers in her quest for a third term. Because of redistricting, she is running in the newly drawn Detroit-area 12th Congressional District that favors Democrats and is expected to prevail in November. Tlaibs main competition came from longtime Detroit City Clerk Janice Winfrey, who had strong name recognition in the city.

Bush's win in the 1st Congressional District was against state Sen. Steve Roberts, who hedged his campaign on the idea that Bush, a vocal advocate for defunding the police and moving money to social services and mental health programs, was too liberal even for heavily Democratic St. Louis.

Bush promoted her accomplishments, including persuading the Environmental Protection Agency to clean up radioactive waste near a St. Louis County creek, pushing for climate change action and standing against evictions during the COVID-19 pandemic.

10 YEARS AFTER TUCSON SHOOTING, INTERN SEEKS GIFFORDS' SEAT

Daniel Hernandez Jr., the intern credited with saving then-Rep. Gabrielle Giffords' life after an attempted assassination in 2011, lost in the Democrat primary for her former seat.

Hernandez was a 20-year-old college student in his first week interning for Giffords when he went to her Congress on your corner constituent event. A gunman there opened fire, killing six and injuring 13. Hernandez kept the Democratic congresswoman conscious and applied pressure to her head wound until paramedics arrived.

Associated Press writers Sara Burnett in Chicago, Felicia Fonseca in Flagstaff, Arizona, Joey Cappelletti in Lansing, Michigan, Jonathan J. Cooper in Phoenix, Rachel La Corte in Olympia, Washington, and Jim Salter in St. Louis contributed to this report.
WASHINGTON (AP)  Republican U.S. Rep. Jackie Walorski was killed Wednesday in a car crash in her northern Indiana district along with two members of her congressional staff and another person, police said.

The crash happened about 12:30 p.m. when an SUV Walorski was riding in crossed the centerline on a state highway and collided head-on with a car, the Elkhart County Sheriffs Office said. Three people in the SUV, including Walorski, 58, were killed, as was a woman driving the other car, authorities said.

The sheriff's department initially reported that the car crossed the centerline, but a news release Thursday corrected that to say it was the SUV.

Walorski, who served on the House Ways and Means Committee, was first elected to represent Indianas 2nd Congressional District in 2012. She previously served six years in the state's Legislature.

She has returned home to be with her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Please keep her family in your thoughts and prayers, Walorskis chief of staff Tim Cummings said in a statement.

Walorski and her husband, Dean Swihart, were previously Christian missionaries in Romania, where they established a foundation that provided food and medical supplies to impoverished children. She worked as a television news reporter in South Bend before turning to politics.

Also killed in the crash were Zachery Potts, 27, of Mishawaka, Indiana; Emma Thomson, 28, of Washington, D.C.; and Edith Schmucker, 56, of Nappanee, Indiana, according to the sheriff's office.

Cummings confirmed that Potts and Thomson were members of Walorskis congressional staff. Thomson was Walorskis communications director, while Potts was her district director and the Republican chairman for northern Indianas St. Joseph County.

Schmucker was driving the other car, according to the sheriff's office. The crash, which occurred in a rural area near the town of Wakarusa, is still under investigation.

Walorski was seeking reelection this year to a sixth term in the solidly Republican district.

She was active on agriculture and food policy in Congress, often working across the aisle on those issues. A co-chair of the House Hunger Caucus, she introduced legislation with Democrats to bring back a Nixon-era White House event on food insecurity.

President Joe Biden pointed to that work in a statement crediting Walorski for years of public service.

We may have represented different parties and disagreed on many issues, but she was respected by members of both parties for her work, Biden said. My team and I appreciated her partnership as we plan for a historic White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health this fall that will be marked by her deep care for the needs of rural America.

Indiana Republican U.S. Sen. Todd Young said he was devastated by Walorskis death.

Jackie loved Hoosiers and devoted her life to fighting for them, Young said in a statement. Ill never forget her spirit, her positive attitude, and most importantly her friendship. All of Indiana mourns her passing, along with the tragic deaths of her staff Emma Thomson and Zach Potts.

Walorski was a reliable Republican vote in Congress, including against accepting the Arizona and Pennsylvania electoral votes for Biden following the Capitol insurrection.

As a member of the Indiana House, Walorski pushed anti-abortion legislation opposed gambling expansion proposals. She became a favorite of the conservative tea party movement.

Walorski lost a close 2010 congressional race to Democrat Joe Donnelly before narrowly winning the seat in 2012 as Donnelly made a successful run for the Senate. She had easily won her reelection campaigns since then.

House Republican Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy called Walorski a no-nonsense, straight shooter."

Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Walorski lived a life of service.

She passionately brought the voices of her north Indiana constituents to the Congress, and she was admired by colleagues on both sides of the aisle for her personal kindness, Pelosi said in a statement.

Pelosi ordered the flags at the U.S. Capitol to be flown at half-staff in Walorskis honor. The White House said its flags would be lowered Wednesday and Thursday, and Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb issued a similar flag directive for the state.

At every level of public service Jackie was known to be a positive force of nature, a patriot, and a relentless policymaker with an unwavering loyalty to her constituents," Holcomb, a Republican, said.

Democratic Rep. Annie Kuster of New Hampshire said she and Walorski bonded as newly elected members of Congress in late 2012 over their husbands shared love of jazz music and became friends.

I was proud to work with her on a variety of critical issues, including legislation to address the addiction crisis, end sexual violence, and help military sexual assault survivors access the care they need, Kuster said.

Davies reported from Indianapolis. Associated Press writer Mary Clare Jalonick contributed from Washington.

This story was first published on August 3, 2022. It was updated on August 4, 2022, to correct details about the crash that killed Warlorski. The sheriffs department now says the the SUV that Walorski was riding in crossed the centerline of a highway and into oncoming traffic crashing into a car driven by Edith Schmucker, 56, of Nappanee, Indiana. The agency previously said it was Shcmuckers car that crossed the centerline.
Hotel Indigo Dubai Downtown, a vibrant lifestyle hotel of the InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has appointed Cecilia Natalia Hage as the new Marketing & Public Relations Manager.



Cecilia will lead the team with a wealth of knowledge she had gained while working with big multinational companies in various industries across the world, including Oculus Meta, Parrot, NBCUniversal, Burberry, L'Oreal, BNP Paribas, Schneider Electric and Intercontinental Hotels Group.



With this new role at Hotel Indigo Dubai Downtown, Cecilia has come full circle since her first internship in 2013 was also at Intercontinental Hotels Group, in one of its most iconic hotels Phoenicia in Beirut. In her new position, Cecilia aims to disrupt the marketing field in the hospitality industry with innovative and bold campaigns. She is looking to boost the hotels business both internationally amongst tourists looking for an exceptional stay, and amongst residents like herself who are eager to live truly unforgettable and shareable experiences.



Cecilia has always had a passion for Marketing and Communications and wanted to use her creativity in that field. Determined to make this a career, Cecilia enrolled in some of the best universities in the world; McGill University (Canada) and Bocconi (Italy) for her Bachelor of Commerce, and ESADE Business School (Spain) for her Masters in Marketing Management. She has also majored in Finance and International Business at university to understand all pillars of a business and eventually launch her own brand one day.



Cecilia can immerse herself in any professional industry. She really believes that understanding the brand itself, its values, and especially why it exists are the most important things. Once shes aligned with these, she lets her creativity and her outgoing personality operate, all the while being in line with the business objectives.



Having travelled and lived in countries all over the world since she was a child, Cecilia is able to draw from different cultures and adapt quickly to new environments. A true multicultural enthusiast, Cecilia learned to speak five languages: French, English, Arabic, Spanish and Italian.  TradeArabia News Service
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.
BURLEY  An 18-year-old Idaho Falls man was injured in a motorcycle crash on Tuesday as he fled from police.

Jordan Scott Fenton was taken to the hospital by ambulance, according to a report released by the Cassia County Sheriffs Office on Wednesday.

At about 9:15 p.m., Cpl. Mason Butikofer of the Cassia County Sheriffs Office was patrolling in the area of Overland Avenue and Bedke Boulevard when he saw Fenton run a red light on a black 2014 Kawasaki motorcycle.

The motorcycle just missed the patrol car. The officer swerved and turned on the overhead lights and estimated the motorcycle to be traveling at 110 mph in a 25 mph zone.

The motorcycle hit the front drivers side bumper of a silver Honda Odyssey, driven by Cathy Anne Leoni, 73, of Burley, according to the Cassia County Sheriffs police blotter.

Leoni was turning left onto Oakley Avenue from Bedke Boulevard.

Fenton was thrown from the motorcycle to the roadway.

The officer witnessed the crash and saw the motorcycle roll multiple times into the field on the south side of the street.

The officer found Fenton lying on his back and complaining that his right leg hurt. He was wearing a helmet.

An Idaho State Police trooper arrived at the scene and told the officer he had attempted to stop the motorcycle for speeding around traffic in a construction zone at the Burley-Heyburn Bridge on U.S. Highway 30.

Fenton did not yield to the trooper and the trooper continued to follow him.

The trooper said Fenton failed to stop at a sign at Fifth Street and Hiland Avenue and due to the motorcycles speed he discontinued the pursuit, turned off his lights and slowed down to the posted speed limits prior to the motorcycle running the red light at Bedke Boulevard and Overland Avenue and causing the crash.

A citation for reckless driving is pending for Fenton.
When weather events devastate a community, there is more work to do beyond rebuilding homes and businesses. There is also a need to repair damage to the ecosystem, specifically lost trees.

Grady McGahan is the director of RETREET at Keep America Beautiful, an organization that focuses on environmental rehabilitation following damage caused by severe storms by replanting lost trees.

He graduated from Georgetown University in 2004 with a BA in English and minors in international business, history and studio art. McGahan worked on the production teams of the 2008 Papal Mass at Yankee Stadium, the Bravo series "Long Way Round," the PBS series "Texas Ranch House," and Michael Moore's documentary film "SiCKO." In April of 2010, he began an 18-month trip around-the-world that took McGahan to 25 countries on 5 continents.

About the Across the Sky podcast

The weekly weather podcast is hosted on a rotation by the Lee Weather team:

Matt Holiner of Lee Enterprises' Midwest group in Chicago, Kirsten Lang of the Tulsa World in Oklahoma, Joe Martucci of the Press of Atlantic City, N.J., and Sean Sublette of the Richmond Times-Dispatch in Virginia.
Ocala, Fla.  The first week of August is World Breastfeeding Week, and to help local parents understand more about the benefits and importance of breastfeeding, the Florida Department of Health in Marion County is hosting a free resource fair.

The event will highlight programs and information available from DOH-Marion and other local agencies that support breastfeeding and early child development.

Breastfeeding is an important component of children-rearing. It provides babies nutrition and boosts their immune system, while also strengthening the bond between mom and child.

But breastfeeding can be a challenge for some families. Some of those challenges can be physical or psychological. But others can stem from a lack of community support or awareness of helpful resources.

DOH-Marions breastfeeding resource seeks to supply answers to both situations.

Staff from several DOH-Marion programs will be on hand to offer information and answer questions about breastfeeding. They include members of the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program, Healthy Start, Health Education and our dental clinic.

Representatives of the Early Learning Coalition of Marion County also will be present.

The event is from 1011:30 a.m. on Aug. 3 at DOH-Marions main office, 1801 SE 32nd Ave., Ocala.

The fair is free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be served, and door prizes will be given away.

For more information, call 352-622-1161.

About the Florida Department of Health

The department, nationally accredited by the Public Health Accreditation Board, works to protect, promote and improve the health of all people in Florida through integrated state, county and community efforts. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter at @HealthyFla. For more information about the Florida Department of Health please visit www.FloridaHealth.gov.
The Congolese Labour Party (PCT) of President Denis Sassou Nguesso won 111 seats out of the 151 in the National Assembly of Congo, after two rounds of legislative elections, according to the results published Tuesday by the Minister of Territorial Administration.

The polls were marked by a low turnout of voters, observers said. The authorities did not give the rate of participation in this legislative election.

In the second round, the former single party PCT added nine seats to the 102 it won in the first round, according to results read out on state television by Interior Minister Guy-Georges Mbaka.

The former president of the Congolese opposition federation Claudine Munari defeated PCT Minister of Small and Medium Enterprises Jacqueline Lydia Mikolo.

The Union of Humanist Democrats (UDH-YUKi) of the late opposition leader Guy-Brice Parfait Kolelas won seven seats in the new National Assembly, the same number of elected members as the Pan-African Union for Social Democracy (UPADS), which had previously been the largest opposition party.

During the electoral process, peace, serenity and national cohesion have been preserved, said Guy-Georges Mbaka, the minister in charge of elections.

The Congolese National Assembly is due to elect a bureau in the next few days, while a technical reshuffle of the government is planned, according to government sources.
China assumes UN Security Council presidency for August

Xinhua) 08:15, August 03, 2022

Zhang Jun, China's permanent representative to the United Nations, speaks at a press briefing on China's Security Council presidency for the month of August at UN Headquarters in New York on Aug. 1, 2022. (Xinhua/Xie E)

Amid a shifting international landscape, the Security Council must revisit the role of dialogue and cooperation for common security, says Zhang Jun, China's permanent representative to the United Nations.

UNITED NATIONS, Aug. 2 (Xinhua) -- China on Monday assumed the rotating presidency of the Security Council for August with the priorities of facilitating dialogue and cooperation for common security and supporting Africa's capacity-building for sustaining peace.

Amid a shifting international landscape, the Security Council must revisit the role of dialogue and cooperation for common security, said Zhang Jun, China's permanent representative to the United Nations.

"The council must reaffirm its mission of maintaining common security and fulfill its due responsibilities. Therefore, China has proposed to hold a briefing on Aug. 22 on the theme of 'Maintenance of international peace and security: promote common security through dialogue and cooperation,'" he told a press briefing on the Security Council's August work program.

"Through such discussions, we hope we can forge some basic consensus on this important issue, and we will understand better that our humanity shares the same future, shares the same world, and any country's security is indivisible from (that of) others, and we are an indivisible security community. We hope that by working together, we can jointly maintain world peace and global security, we can also oppose bloc politics, oppose confrontation and make sure that we are all working toward the same direction," he said.

The second priority will be to support Africa's capacity-building to sustain peace, said Zhang.

He said that many African countries are facing myriad crises, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, war and conflict, climate change, and higher energy and food prices.

"We must go beyond humanitarian aid and focus on economic development. We must go beyond short-term assistance and seek long-term investment and long-term solutions in Africa. And we must go beyond blood transfusion and enhance their own blood-making function," said Zhang.

China has proposed an open briefing on Aug. 8 on the theme of "Peace and security in Africa: capacity-building for sustaining peace." The aim is to help all parties better understand the African continent's difficulties and adopt measures to address their root causes.

The Chinese presidency's third priority is strengthening mediation efforts for the political settlement of hot-spot issues. The fourth priority is to uphold the openness, inclusiveness, solidity and cooperation of the Security Council, said Zhang.

China attaches great importance to its presidency of the Security Council. It will adopt a responsible and constructive approach, uphold genuine multilateralism, strengthen communication and consultation with council members and all other parties, and earnestly perform its presidential duties, he said.

"I hope through our efforts, the council will better meet the expectations of all parties, strengthen solidarity and cooperation, and better play its role in maintaining world peace, safeguarding common security and addressing current challenges."

Replying to questions, Zhang said China is a firm supporter of the United Nations in its role in addressing global challenges, upholding peace and security, and promoting common development.

On nuclear submarine cooperation between the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia (AUKUS), Zhang said that such a move involves the transfer of weapon-grade enriched uranium and related technologies and equipment. Such an act violates the purposes and principles of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. It poses serious risks of nuclear proliferation and may provoke an arms race in the region, threatening regional security and stability.

On many occasions, the United States and the United Kingdom have expressed their concerns over the nuclear issues in Iran and the Korean Peninsula while condoning AUKUS cooperation. This is a pure double standard, he said.

The international community has expressed serious concerns over such cooperation, and the International Atomic Energy Agency has made this issue one of its agenda items. He said that China urges relevant countries to immediately change course and respond to the international community's concerns with concrete actions for the sake of the global nuclear non-proliferation regime and regional peace and stability.

On the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue, Zhang said that with their continued joint military exercises, some countries have increased the risk of military confrontation and tensions on the peninsula.

In recent years, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) had taken some steps to denuclearize, and the previous U.S. administration also took a positive step forward in relations. But dialogue has since stalled. It is hoped that the DPRK and the United States will resume direct dialogue as soon as possible. In particular, the U.S. side should take meaningful and practical actions to respond to the DPRK's concerns, he said.

Parties should remain calm and restrained and avoid any actions that could escalate tensions or lead to miscalculations. They should resume dialogue and engagement as soon as possible, meet each other halfway and promote a political settlement to the nuclear issue, said Zhang.

China last held the rotating Security Council presidency in May 2021.

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun)
Swissotel Al Ghurair, a five-star family destination, along with the renowned Swiss chocolatier brand, Lindt, celebrated their Swiss heritage and individual craftsmanship through a unique Masterclass.



Swissotel pioneered Dubai in 2017 with Swissotel Al Ghurair and Swissotel Living Al Ghurair, offering 428 guestrooms and suites along with 192 serviced hotel apartments.



To celebrate Swiss heritage and in commemoration of Swiss National day, the two eclectic Swiss brands came together for an exclusive tailor made event hosted by Lindt Master Chocolatier, Matthew Muller and Swissotel Al Ghurairs passionate pastry chef, Chef Swapnal.



Participants learnt the nuances of crafting the Swissotel Chocolate Cake, created especially for Swissotel, using gluten-free, premium ingredients of hazelnut and almond flour, that is gently baked into a rich, silky and smooth indulgent cake .



Chef Matthew, an avid traveller, is the Lindt Master Chocolatier for the Middle East, Africa and Indian Subcontinent Region, and has been associated with the brand for over eight years. He uses classic and simple techniques and is a passionate Lindt brand ambassador.



With years of culinary experience, he started off working in world-class hotels and award-winning restaurants, including celebrity Chef Jamie Olivers famous restaurant in London, Fifteen; Chef Matthew has polished and perfected his many skills, with the true passion for the art of chocolate.



Leading the participants through the art of chocolate, Chef Matthew and Chef Swapnali from Swissotel Al Ghurair conducted an exhilarating Masterclass for 60 minutes, showcasing the method of whisking, chocolate folding, and many more tips and tricks of the pastry kitchen.



The Director of Sales and Marketing of Swissotel Al Ghurair, Natalia Zubareva, said: This is a true display of the Swiss culture, and we wish to conduct many more events in future engage with the community and bring together people, interests and passion.  TradeArabia News Service
A former leader of the radical Islamist Shebab turned politician has been appointed Minister of Religious Affairs in the Somali government, announced Tuesday by Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre.

The 53-year-old Muktar Robow, aka Abu Mansour, publicly defected in August 2017 from the movement he helped founded and which has been waging a 15-year insurgency against the internationally backed federal government.

The former Shebab spokesman was once the subject of a $5 million reward offered for his capture by the US government, but in 2013 he broke with the then head of the insurgency, Ahmed Abdi Godane. He took refuge in the Bakool region (south-west), but did not completely break with the Shebab.

In December 2018, he was arrested while running for the presidency of the South West federal state. The government, led by President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed, also known as Farmajo, accused him of having organized a militia and of having never renounced his extremist ideologies.

He has since been under house arrest in the capital Mogadishu.

Appointed on 15 June by the new President Hassan Sheikh Mohamoud, Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre has nominated 75-member cabinet.

He told a press conference that he had selected them on the basis of their academic background, experience and sense of fairness.

I expect (them) to respond to the needs of the country, with the hope that they will pave a new path for Somalia and I am confident that they will implement the presidents grand vision and agenda of a Somalia at peace with itself and the world, he added.

Many challenges lie ahead for the government, which has yet to be approved by a vote in parliament.
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

A major study of children with intellectual disabilities has highlighted the additional challenges that they often face, including a much-increased likelihood of being diagnosed as autistic, as well as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and other mental health difficulties.

With the advent of rapid whole genome sequencing, children presenting with an intellectual disability or developmental delay are recommended to have their DNA sequenced to identify the underlying genetic cause.

To capitalize on this recent NHS development, researchers at the University of Cambridge, University College London and Cardiff University established IMAGINE ID, a national UK cohort study that aims to discover how genetic changes affect children and young people's behavior, in order to inform better care of families and children now and in the future.

Writing in The Lancet Psychiatry today, the researchers have published the results of an analysis of data from almost 2,800 young people with rare genomic variantschanges to their DNAthat are associated with intellectual disability.

Professor Lucy Raymond from the University of Cambridge, the study's senior author, said, "Thanks to all the families that have taken part in our research, we've been able to conduct the largest study to date of the impact of rare genetic variants associated with intellectual disability. What we've found from parents is that these children are extremely likely to develop other neurodevelopmental or mental health conditions, which can present additional challenges both to the children and their families."

All the participants were aged between 4 and 19 years. Just under three-quarters (74%) had an intellectual disability caused by a duplication or deletion of sections of DNAa so-called copy number variant (CNV). The remaining young people had a disability caused by a single "spelling error" in their DNAa change in the A, C, G or T nucleotidesreferred to as a single nucleotide variant (SNV).

Compared to the English national population, children in the study were almost 30 times as likely to have been diagnosed as autistic. In the general population, 1.2% of people are diagnosed with the condition compared to 36% of the study participants. Similarly, 22% of the study population was diagnosed with ADHD, compared to 1.6% of the general population, meaning that they were more than 13 times more likely to have the condition.

Around one in eight children (12%) had been diagnosed with oppositional defiant disorder, in which children are uncooperative, defiant, and hostile toward othersa rate 4.4 times higher than in the general population.

One in ten (11%) had an anxiety disorder, a 1.5 times increased risk. Rates of childhood depression were significantly lower, at just 0.4% compared with 2.1% of the general population, but this may increase over the next few years as some mental health disorders do not start until later adolescence or early adult life. Almost all of the children (94%) were reported to have at least one significant physical health problem, including disturbed sleep (65%), motor or movement disorders (64%) or seizures (30%).

Dr. Jeanne Wolstencroft from Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, said, "Routine genomic testing now allows parents to understand the genetic cause of intellectual disabilities in an increasing number of children, but because so many of these conditions are rare, we still lack information on the impact this has on their children's future mental health.

"We already know that intellectual disabilities tend to be associated with an increased likelihood of neurodevelopmental conditions, as well as emotional and behavioral difficulties, but we found that where there is an identifiable genetic cause, the likelihood is amplified considerably. This suggests that these children should be provided with early assessment and help where appropriate."

The team has also shown for the first time that children with intellectual disability caused by a genetic variant inherited from a family member are more likely to come from a more deprived socioeconomic background. This suggests that some parents or family members with the same variant may also have unrecognized difficulties that placed them at a social and educational disadvantage. These children were more likely to be diagnosed with a neuropsychiatric condition and were also more likely to exhibit behavioral difficulties.

Professor David Skuse from Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, said, "We hope this work helps improve the targeting of assessments and interventions to support families at the earliest opportunity. We'd like to see better training for health care providers about the wider use and utility of genetic testing. We have identified its potential value in terms of prioritizing children with mental health needs for child mental health services, who are currently hugely limited in the UK."

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More information: Neuropsychiatric risk in children with intellectual disability of genetic origin: IMAGINEThe UK National Cohort Study, The Lancet Psychiatry (2022). Journal information: The Lancet Psychiatry Neuropsychiatric risk in children with intellectual disability of genetic origin: IMAGINEThe UK National Cohort Study,(2022). DOI: 10.1016/PIIS2215-0366(22)00207-3
A syringe is prepared at a clinic in Norristown, Pa., Dec. 7, 2021. The Environmental Protection Agency is warning residents in 13 states and Puerto Rico about potential health risks from emissions of ethylene oxide, a chemical widely used to sterilize medical equipment and decontaminate spices. Credit: AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File

The Environmental Protection Agency is warning residents who live near medical sterilizing plants in 13 states and Puerto Rico about potential health risks from emissions of ethylene oxide, a chemical widely used in their operations.

Laredo, Texas; Ardmore, Oklahoma; and Lakewood, Colorado, are among the communities facing the highest risk from ethylene oxide emissions, EPA said.

The agency has notified 23 commercial sterilizers19 in the continental U.S. and four in Puerto Ricothat their operations pose an elevated risk of cancer and other ailments. The notice follows a recent survey of emissions data from almost 100 commercial sterilizers nationwide.

Ethylene oxide is used to clean everything from catheters to syringes, pacemakers and plastic surgical gowns.

While short-term or infrequent exposure to ethylene oxide does not appear to pose a health risk, EPA said long-term or lifetime exposure to the chemical could lead to a variety of health impacts, including lymphoma and breast cancer. EPA said it is working with commercial sterilizers to take appropriate steps to reduce emissions.

"Today, EPA is taking action to ensure communities are informed and engaged in our efforts to address ethylene oxide, a potent air toxic posing serious health risks with long-term exposure," EPA Administrator Michael Regan said in a statement Wednesday.

EPA will conduct public outreach campaigns in each of the communities where elevated risks have been found, including an Aug. 10 webinar. More than half the sites on EPA's watch list are in predominantly minority or low-income communities.

Laredo, one of the communities targeted by the EPA notice, is a border city where the vast majority of residents are Latino and more than a quarter live in poverty. Missouri-based Midwest Sterilization Corp. operates a sterilization plant in Laredo. The company also owns a plant in Jackson, Missouri that is on EPA's watch list.

More than 40% of Laredo's nearly 70,000 schoolchildren attend campuses in areas with an elevated risk of cancer due to ethylene oxide emissions from the Midwest plant, according to an analysis by ProPublica and the Texas Tribune.

A spokesperson for Midwest declined immediate comment. But the company told ProPublica and the Tribune last December that cancer risk from its Laredo plant is overstated. Emissions it reported to the EPA are "worst case scenarios," rather than specific pollution levels, the company said.

The Ethylene Oxide Sterilization Association, an industry group, said in a statement that ethylene oxide has been used for decades by the health care community to sterilize a wide variety of medical devices and equipment. More than 20 billion health care products are sterilized each year in the U.S. alone.

Environmental Protection Agency administrator Michael Regan speaks at a news conference May 5, 2022, at the Department of Justice in Washington. The EPA is warning residents in 13 states and Puerto Rico about potential health risks from emissions of ethylene oxide, a chemical widely used to sterilize medical equipment and decontaminate spices. Credit: AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, File

In many cases, there are no practical alternatives currently available to ethylene oxide, the group said, adding that use of less effective cleaning methods "could introduce the real risks of increased morbidity and mortality'' at hospitals throughout the country.

EPA called medical sterilization "a critical function that ensures a safe supply of medical devices for patients and hospitals.'' The agency said it is committed to addressing pollution concerns associated with EO, sometimes called EtO, "in a comprehensive way that ensures facilities can operate safely in communities while also providing sterilized medical supplies.''

Proposed rules to update control of air toxic emissions from commercial sterilizers and facilities that manufacture EtO are expected by the end of the year, with final rules likely next year, EPA said.

Scott Whitaker, president and CEO of the Advanced Medical Technology Association, another industry group, applauded EPA "for its forthrightness about what it does and doesn't know" about EtO, but added: "It is critical that the EPA get this right.

A potential shutdown of medical-device sterilization facilities "due to misinformed political pressure, as well as uncertainty regarding which regulations the facilities must adhere to .... would be disastrous to public health, Whitaker said in an email.

At least seven sterilizers on EPA's watch list are AdvaMed members, including both Midwest plants and two owned by industry giant Becton, Dickinson and Co., also known as BD.

Besides medical cleansers, EtO is used in a range of products, including antifreeze, textiles, plastics, detergents and adhesives. It also used to decontaminate some food products and spices. Two of the 23 facilities targeted by EPAin Hanover and Jessup, Marylandare used to sterilize spices. Both are operated by Jessup-based Elite Spice.

Other commercial sterilizers cited by EPA are located in Groveland, Fla.; Salisbury, Md.; Taunton, Mass.; Columbus, Nebraska; Linden and Franklin, New Jersey; Erie and Zelienople, Pa.; Memphis and New Tazewell, Tenn.; Athens, Texas; Sandy, Utah; and Richmond, Virginia;

Four plants are Puerto Rico: Anasco, Fajardo, Salinas and Villalba.

EPA's announcement shines a light on health threats that sterilizer facilities pose to millions of Americans, said Raul Garcia of the environmental group Earthjustice.

"Now that EPA has new information on precisely where the worst health threats are, the agency must use its full authority to ... require fenceline monitoring at these facilities (and) issue a strong new rule,'' he said. "No one should get cancer from facilities that are used to sterilize equipment in the treatment of cancer."

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Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

A new study co-authored by Michigan State University economics professor Scott Imberman, Ph.D., and doctoral student Wenjia Cao, found that university vaccine mandates were effective in reducing new COVID-19 cases in communities. Their research, "The Effect of Vaccine Mandates on Disease Spread: Evidence from College COVID-19 Mandates," will be published by the National Bureau of Economic Research, and is the first of its kind to provide direct evidence of the positive impact university and college vaccine mandates have had on community health outcomes.

"While there is evidence that vaccines improve health outcomes for individuals, our analysis showed that college- and university-imposed COVID-19 vaccine mandates also benefited the community beyond the campus," Dr. Imberman said.

In fall 2021, 668 two-year and four-year institutions required their students to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, and many required faculty and staff to also be vaccinated. For their study, the research team brought together data from colleges' vaccination policies, semester start dates and county-level public health outcomes.

The study, which has not yet been peer reviewed, found that over the first 13 weeks of the fall 2021 semester, college vaccine mandates reduced new COVID-19 cases by 339 per 100,000 county residents and new deaths by 5.4 per 100,000, which implies a 5% reduction in total US COVID-19 deaths during that time.

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More information: Riley Acton et al, The Effect of Vaccine Mandates on Disease Spread: Evidence from College COVID-19 Mandates, (2022). Riley Acton et al, The Effect of Vaccine Mandates on Disease Spread: Evidence from College COVID-19 Mandates,(2022). DOI: 10.3386/w30303
Surgeons today still have to manually adjust the lighting in the operating theater while they perform surgery. The partners involved in the SmartOT project are developing an intelligent lighting system that automatically compensates for any shadows. Credit: University of Oldenburg/Michael Stephan

When you enter Operating Theatre 3 of the new central operating department at Pius Hospital Oldenburg, Germany, the first thing you notice is the large, three-part mural on the back wall: a dreamlike landscape of white dunes, a tranquil sea and blue sky. "We believe that an attractive environment significantly improves the workplace atmosphere," says Dirk Weyhe, Professor of Visceral Surgery at the University and director of the University Clinic for Visceral Surgery at Pius Hospital Oldenburg. And that, he stresses, is indispensable for the success of the operations that are performed here on a daily basis.

However, the atmosphere in the operating theater is just one aspect of a comprehensive plan to make internal organ surgery safer for patients. Weyhe and his team are integrating various new technologiesfrom intelligent lighting and voice assistance systems to augmented and virtual reality (AR and VR)to achieve this goal. Several computers and data cables as thick as arms are embedded in the walls of the new operating theater, which also features no less than seven strategically positioned monitors and several cameras, as well as a powerful Wi-Fi connection. "Complex human-machine interactions will be integral to the operating theaters of the future," the surgeon explains. Rather than replacing humans, Weyhe believes, technology should complement and optimize their capabilities. He sees potential for new technologies in both the planning and implementation of surgical procedures, as well as numerous applications in medical training and continuing education, including anatomy courses using VR headsets and realistic organ models for practicing surgical procedures.

Weyhe is working with his colleagues Dr. Verena Uslar, Dr. Daniela Salzmann, and Dr. Timur Cetin to turn these plans into reality. The research team at the University Clinic for Visceral Surgery is a partner in various projects for developing and testing new technologies. In addition, the researchers are examining the impact of the innovations on workload and stress levels in operating room staffa question that has been little researched. "The overarching research topic in our group is patient safety," Weyhe emphasizes. Because for all the top-level expertise, conscientiousness and constant advances in medicine, operations don't always go according to planwith potentially negative consequences for the patient. Reducing the frequency of such adverse events is the department's declared mission.

Poor illumination leads to errors

Another factor that has received little attention is the lighting in operating theaters. "It's clear that poor illumination of the surgical site can lead to errors, but there are hardly any studies on this," says Weyhe. A typical problem is that doctors and nurses move around during an operation, meaning that the lighting conditions are constantly changing. Weyhe and his team are involved in the SmartOT (Smart Lighting in Operating Theaters) project led by the University of Bremen, which is working to find specialized solutions.

With funding from the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), the project partners are jointly developing a lighting system that eliminates shadows autonomously. Conventional surgical lamps are replaced with light arrays on the ceiling that can be controlled via gestures and voice commands. For fine-tuning, individual sections switch on and off automatically. "This allows the system to be operated in a completely sterile manner," explains Timur Cetin, who leads the Oldenburg subproject. A prototype of the system, which is controlled by sensors, depth cameras and artificial intelligence (AI), will be used in the Pius Hospital's new operating theater for surgical training, which is due to open its doors by the end of the year. "We have been tasked with creating a system that works in real-life conditions," Cetin says. The research team at the University of Oldenburg analyzed the requirements for a smart lighting system at the start of the project and is currently evaluating the usability of the prototypes.

Assistant doctors can train to perform a variety of surgical procedures using lifelike organ models produced with 3D printing. Credit: University of Oldenburg/Michael Stephan

Integrating virtual reality into surgical training

The innovations under development in the VIVATOP project (Versatile Immersive Virtual and Augmented Tangible OP project), which is led by Daniela Salzmann, a clinical scientist at the University of Oldenburg, could bring far more radical changes to the operating room. The researchers in this project, which is also funded by the BMBF, are investigating how virtual reality, augmented reality and 3D printing can be integrated into surgical training, surgery planning and day-to-day surgical procedures at hospitals. The project is led by Professor Rainer Malaka from the Digital Media Lab at the University of Bremen. Weyhe's research group as well as other research institutions and partners from industry are also involved.

Weyhe uses a 3D printed liver to demonstrate where the technology is heading. The model is made of transparent hard plastic. A tumor, several metastases and the boundaries between the various segments of the liver and blood vessels are highlighted in different colors. "What makes this special is that the print is patient-specific," Weyhe says. The model was made using data from a patient's computed tomography scan. "This gives you a much better three-dimensional sense of the location of a tumor than you get from a two-dimensional CT image," he explains. So far doctors have had to construct a three-dimensional image of the organ in their minds, on the basis of the sectional images provided by computed tomographysomething that requires a great deal of experience, for example when it comes to detecting abnormalities in blood vessel pathways. In the 3D models produced by the Fraunhofer Institute for Digital Medicine MEVIS in Bremen, abnormalities are apparent immediately. "It is vital to be aware of such vascular variations in preoperative planning," Weyhe emphasizes.

Another technology that doctors aim to use for planning surgical procedures is VR headsets that fully immerse the user in an artificial, three-dimensional world. One of the goals of the VIVATOP project is to enable experts in different locations to come together in a virtual space to view and discuss patient data. The VR headsets used for this purpose feature head-mounted displays and completely cover the eyes. They show an operating room in which wearers can move around and operate various virtual surgical instruments via two remote controls. VR technology can be used for example to simulate the surgical removal of parts of a liver, known as liver resection. The 3D organ model in the virtual world can be rotated and manipulated in real time and also used for detailed planningsuch as going through the individual steps of a surgical procedure. In addition, the tool can be used to determine the diameter and volume of tumors or removed liver tissue.

Rotating organ holograms by hand

Mixed reality or AR glasses can also be used to view 3D images. The difference is that with these devices the normal environment remains visible. With the HoloLens headsets used in the VIVATOP project, the wearer can rotate, move or enlarge the organ holograms projected into their field of view simply by moving their hands. "We can project these images onto the real organ during an operation to get a better idea of the location of a tumor," says Weyhe, who has already tested the method repeatedly. The software developed for this is already being used successfully in liver surgery, he adds.

The project team is currently working on adding sensors and other technology to lifelike, patient-specific organ models created using 3D printing so that they can be transferred to the virtual world. Users hold and touch the soft models with their hands while looking at the organ through the VR headset at the same time. "I would never have believed it, but the haptic impression greatly enhances mental immersion in the virtual world," says Weyhe.

The VIVATOP team plans to integrate the various technologies into a web-based training program which, Weyhe believes, could be hugely beneficial in training future surgeons. The team also plans to use realistic organ models as training objects for residents to practice surgical procedures such as electrocautery or high-frequency surgery later on.

Physicians can use AR headsets to study holograms of organs from all angles, rotate them manually, or move them about. The images can also be viewed on a large screen by medical staff not wearing data headsets. Credit: University of Oldenburg/Michael Stephan

Improving understanding of anatomical relationships

VR technologies could also be useful for improving medical students' understanding of anatomical relationships. This was demonstrated in two studies carried out by the team using a virtual "anatomy atlas" developed at the University of Bremen. "The atlas consists of a virtual operating room and a human body," Verena Uslar explains. Users can dissect the model, cut out organs and expose musclesall in virtual reality.

The researchers selected students from two tenth grade classes with no prior medical knowledge as test subjects. One group was tasked with learning about anatomical relationships in the conventional way, using a textbook, while the other used the VR atlas. "In the first study it was already apparent that the VR group learned faster, made fewer mistakes and had a lot more fun," Weyhe says. In the second study, the team tested how much the students could recall of what they had learned four months earlieragain with significantly better results for the VR group.

In view of all these innovations, Weyhe and his team believe it is also important to consider the impact of human-machine interactions on surgical team. In the case of AI-controlled operating room lighting, the researchers expect the technology to reduce workload and stress. To test whether this is indeed the case, they are using a questionnaire developed by the US space agency NASA known as the TLX score or Task Load Index which measures factors such as mental stress, temporal stress and frustration levels.

Measuring stress with a mobile EEG

The team is also employing neurophysiological methods, for which it is working closely with the University's Department of Neuropsychology headed by Professor Stefan Debener and Dr. Martin Bleichner. The group is among the first one to use a mobile EEG (electroencephalogram) device for measuring brain waves in their daily work. "Together we are establishing a system that can be used to measure the additional stress caused by VR and AR technologies," says Weyhe. Studies using the EEG device are currently in the planning phase. Another project will focus on noise pollution in the operating room"a huge topic", as Weyhe emphasizes. He considers it a happy coincidence that the Oldenburg neuropsychologists are already studying exposure to noise pollution in daily life, which means that thanks to the portable EEG device they will be perfectly equipped to examine its impact in the operating room, too.

The researchers first realized that new technologies can increase stress in operating room personnel in a study investigating minimally invasive procedures in which camera images from inside the body are transferred to a screen and converted into 3D images via 3D glasses. They found that the procedure causes eyestrain because the 3D image appears to be behind the monitor, and the eyes are forced to constantly adjust to different distances, which is very tiring. "The problem can be easily solved by placing the monitor at least two meters away from nursing staff," Weyhe explains.

This insight was immediately put into practice in the new operating theater at Pius Hospitalanother building block in the quest to create an optimal working environment.

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Provided by University of Oldenburg
Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain

For U.S. health systems, valuing diversity and inclusion (D&I) in the workforce is vital to serving the emerging needs of a diverse patient population. The much-aspired patient-centered care is feasible when the approach and focus are shifted to enable health systems to improve care quality and the patient experience of diverse patients.

Published in JMIR Formative Research, the study titled "Valuing Diversity and Inclusion in Health Care to Equip the Workforce: Survey Study and Pathway Analysis" asks the following questions:

Can the health care workforce leverage the educational pipeline to fulfill diversity needs and address workforce shortages?

How do the alternative pathways of improving, recruiting, and collaborating compare in this process?

The study finds that improving the current workforce through upskilling or returnships around diversity and inclusion needs is more effective than recruiting or collaborating with universities to find fresh talent. The most important contribution of this study has been to compare and contrast the three alternative pathways and their associations with benefits. The findings suggest that health systems that value only a D&I strategy may not rely on collaboration with universities to equip their workforces. However, health systems that adopt a recruiting strategy will look externally to find new workers and seek collaboration with universities. Moreover, these pathway effects go hand in hand with a talent-improvement strategy, indicating that talent and diversity strategies must be aligned to achieve the best results for a health system.

The study was authored by Jiban Khuntia, Ph.D., associate professor of information systems and director of the Health Administration Research Consortium (HARC) at the University of Colorado Denver (CU Denver); Xue Ning, Ph.D., assistant professor of management of information systems at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside and HARC research fellow; Rulon Stacey, Ph.D., director of programs in health administration, CU Denver, and chair of the CEO Circle of the International Hospital Federation; and Dr. Wayne Cascio, emeritus distinguished university professor of management at CU Denver.

The recent workforce shortage issue in health care, along with the lack of diversity, is a matter of concern for health systems leadership. Giving voice and committing resources to diversity and inclusion initiatives will fail unless leaders instill a process inside their organizations through education and training. Good intentions will not be enough. Just recognizing or appreciating the concept of diversity is not enough. Leaders need to implement actionable plans within their systems to improve inclusiveness. "Improve" here reflects something like making in contrast to the process of buying through recruiting or collaborating to achieve desired outcomes. Also, the study reveals that diversity and inclusion strategies are essential to accrue business benefits and service benefits, aligning with the concept of patient-centered care envisioned by health systems. To date, approximately 50% of health systems have a sound strategy around diversity and inclusion; others need to catch up, as reflected in the summary statistics of the study.

The 124 health systems represented in this survey varied from 1 to 18 hospitals and from 176 to 75,000 employees. In 2020, the annual revenue of these health systems ranged from US $0.7 million to US $12 billion. The health systems represented US $300 billion in revenue and 1.1 million employees across the United States.

Dr. Wayne Cascio, a coauthor of the paper, has been discussing diversity and inclusion in his books and in the Society for Human Resource Management for the last several decades. He observed the following: "The U. S. will become even more diverse over the next several decades. Asians are projected to become the largest immigrant group, surpassing Hispanics as a percentage of the immigrant population, and organizations are adopting business strategies that require more teamwork. Unless health systems emphasize that diversity is an important part of their business strategies, they are less likely to be able to meet the needs of a more diverse patient population."

Dr. Khuntia believes that investigating health systems' workforce diversity-related research is timely. This study is the first in that direction. Subject to resources, several questions need to be investigated to inform both academics and practice.

Dr. Rulon Stacey was the CEO of health systems earlier and has consulted them as a partner at Guidehouse. He notes: "In my travels across three continents in the past many months, I am convinced that addressing the issues of the workforce remains the #1 issue healthcare administrators are working to solve. While there is no quick solution, incremental improvements can be made, and this research and its conclusions are a very meaningful start to that process."

Dr. Xue Ning, another coauthor of the paper and assistant professor at the University of Wisconsin Parkside, views the opportunity further to promote D&I in education and research. Higher education institutions, including health care education and research institutions, are making efforts to advance diversity and inclusion through collaborative initiatives. Through collaborations with universities, health systems can equip both clinical and nonclinical workforce with D&I for more significant success in health care.

The end of the COVID-19 pandemic will undeniably help mitigate some of the drivers of a declining health care workforce, but it will be challenging to recover what has already been lost. The silver lining lies in the opportunity this creates for the development of initiatives to improve the state of the workforce. Some health systems may attempt to improve workplace culture to increase retention, while others focus on recruiting a new pipeline of health care workers. Whichever way they go, looking inside the organization to instill inclusiveness through training and upskilling remains a top priority. On that note, the study concludes the following:

"A notable point is the importance of professional and executive training programs and further education for instilling a D&I mindset, strategy, and pathways in a health system. This 'improvement' pathway is beneficial; however, diversity and talent-acquisition efforts must be aligned with recruitment to yield multiple benefits for health systems. Following these findings, our recommendations will help health systems establish a more diverse health care workforce and improve outcomes for a diverse population of patients."

More information: Jiban Khuntia et al, Valuing Diversity and Inclusion in Health Care to Equip the Workforce: Survey Study and Pathway Analysis, JMIR Formative Research (2022). Jiban Khuntia et al, Valuing Diversity and Inclusion in Health Care to Equip the Workforce: Survey Study and Pathway Analysis,(2022). DOI: 10.2196/34808

Provided by JMIR Publications
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

Launching the National Integrated Heat Health Information System (NIHHIS) and the heat.gov site on July 26, 2022, the Biden administration cited heat waves and the warming climate as serious health threats. As the new initiative promises a "science informed response" to hotter conditions, five stories from The Conversation's archive explain what researchers know about heat and health.

1. It's the humidity

Heat waves can be deadly in a variety of ways, wrote William Calvin, who teaches physiology and neuroscience at the University of Washington.

"Heat waves can kill via the dehydration caused by heavy sweating; the altered sodium and potassium concentrations in the blood confuse both heart and nerve cells, and so breathing or heartbeat may suddenly stop," he wrote.

Calvin explained that human bodies have not evolved to handle extreme heat with humidity. "Normally, sweat evaporates off your skin and you cool down. But with high humidity, the air is already saturated with water vapor, and so evaporative cooling stops. However, you keep sweating anyway, threatening dehydration."

2. Lower tolerance for higher temps

"That combination of temperature and humidity whereby the person's core temperature starts to rise is called the 'critical environmental limit,'" wrote a group of Penn State University scholars researching the health effects of heat: W. Larry Kenney, Daniel Vecellio, Rachel Cottle and S. Tony Wolf.

In a rare lab test of the human body's heat tolerance, the researchers found that the limit is lower than previously thought. When the air temperature is around 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 Celsius), people can begin to feel ill effects at just 60% humiditya higher temperature and lower humidity than researchers determined in 2010.

"Above those limits, core temperature rises continuously and risk of heat-related illnesses with prolonged exposures is increased," they wrote. "The results of these tests show an even greater cause for concern."

3. Age matters

Extremely hot whether is particularly dangerous for those over 70, according to family physician Dr. Gabriel Neal, who teaches at the Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine.

In his article on avoiding heat stroke, Neal described factors making older adults vulnerable to heat-related illnesses.

"As people age, our bodies' ability to cool declines, and the elderly often take medication that further impairs this ability," Neal wrote. "In addition, the elderly may not be aware of the dangerous heat wave and may not have working air conditioning in their home, nor have anyone to check on them."

4. Wet or dry, hot is hot

It's the heat and the humidity, wrote Mississippi State University exercise physiologist John Eric Smith.

"Hot desert climates are stressful due to extreme temperatures, while humid subtropical climates are stressful because the body has trouble removing heat when sweat doesn't evaporate readily," he wrote.

Smith added that how heat and humidity affect people depends on factors like the weather that's typical where they are, and the cooling systems in local homes and buildings.

5. Warming up food

Tufts University epidemiologist Elena Naumova warns that keeping food safe to eat is becoming more challenging in a warming climate. "That's because warm, wet weather conditions stimulate bacterial growth," she wrote.

Naumova named several climate-related factors in spreading foodborne illnesses. "One growing problem is that heat waves, wildfires and severe storms are increasingly triggering power outages, which in turn affect food storage and food handling practices in stores, production and distribution sites and homes," she wrote.

Explore further Our lab found heat plus humidity gets dangerous faster than many people realize

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
Examples of screenshots extracted from the Drinks:Ration app. Credit: JMIR mHealth and uHealth (2022). DOI: 10.2196/38991

A new smartphone app, which has been made available to the public today, has been found to be successful in helping U.K. veterans to reduce alcohol consumption.

The 28-day brief alcohol intervention app was tested with more than 120 U.K. veterans as part of a trial funded by Forces in Mind Trust.

After using the Drinks:Ration app, veterans consumed 28 fewer units of alcohol (approximately 9 pints of standard U.K. beer) over a week than they had previously, compared with a control group who received only government advice on drinking alcohol, who consumed 10.5 fewer units of alcohol.

The app, developed by researchers at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience (IoPPN) at King's College London, led by Dr. Daniel Leightley, and supported by Lancaster University and national veterans' mental health charity Combat Stress, is designed to help people track their alcohol consumption.

Previous research has shown that alcohol misuse is higher in the U.K. Armed Forces than in the general population, and that this persists after an individual leaves service, particularly for those who are seeking help for a mental health condition. At present, no app exists in the United Kingdom that is designed to support the U.K. Armed Forces community to manage the amount of alcohol that they drink.

The app targets individual users' motivations for drinking and promoting positive changes in behavior by using personalized messaging and data-driven infographics. The app is also designed to target shorter-term impacts of alcohol, such as the impact on relationships or finance and to provide daily personalized messaging. Most users taking part in this study were recruited from Combat Stress and had probable depression, anxiety, or posttraumatic stress disorder.

Following on from this successful trial, the U.K. Ministry of Defence, led by Surgeon Commander Kate King, will be trialing the Drinks:Ration app to assess its use and benefit to the serving community. The trial is due to start later this year.

"Our trial demonstrated that the Drinks:Ration app was effective in reducing alcohol misuse in help-seeking veterans in the medium term. This could make it a valuable tool for the Armed Forces community while they are waiting for treatment and support. This digital intervention could provide a novel, low-cost alternative to conventional help-seeking and be as effective as face-to-interventions. I am pleased that the U.K. Ministry of Defence will be undertaking a trial of the app with the serving community," says Dr. Daniel Leightley, lead Researcher at the IoPPN, King's College London.

"Our research shows that the Drinks:Ration app supported veterans to make positive changes to their patterns of drinking. We look forward to this app being rolled out more widely to support the veteran community," says Prof Dominic Murphy, head of research at Combat Stress.

"We know from our research that veterans with a mental health problem often have co-occurring heavy drinking, yet this group can find it difficult to access the support that they need. This study has highlighted the positive benefits of providing digital support and how this could help to reduce alcohol use in veterans with co-occurring problems," says Dr. Laura Goodwin, senior lecturer in mental health, Lancaster University.

"The team at King's IoPPN have developed an effective short-term tool to lower harmful alcohol use in the Armed Forces Community, and to support veterans' longer term positive mental health. It is important to note that not all veterans who experience problem drinking or mental health issues will seek help, and it is equally important to continue to find ways to reach out to those who could benefit from these kinds of interventions. The evidence is clear that this is an effective and low-cost tool to support veterans, and we look forward to seeing development of its further possibilities," says Tom McBarnet, chief executive (acting), Forces in Mind Trust.

About the research

A "light" version of the Drinks:Ration app has been made available on Apple iOS and Google Android to the public today.

From a sample of 123 candidates, 62 were provided the intervention app and 61 were provided the control app. Both groups were administered a 28-day brief alcohol intervention delivered via their allocated smartphone app, with the objective of reducing self-reported alcohol consumption among U.K. veterans seeking help for mental health difficulties.

The full report is available on Forces in Mind Trust's website.

Explore further Two thirds of serving or ex-service personnel with a current or prior alcohol problem are not seeking help

More information: Daniel Leightley et al, Evaluating the Efficacy of the Drinks:Ration Mobile App to Reduce Alcohol Consumption in a Help-Seeking Military Veteran Population: Randomized Controlled Trial, JMIR mHealth and uHealth (2022). Daniel Leightley et al, Evaluating the Efficacy of the Drinks:Ration Mobile App to Reduce Alcohol Consumption in a Help-Seeking Military Veteran Population: Randomized Controlled Trial,(2022). DOI: 10.2196/38991

Provided by JMIR Publications
Where you live may affect your fertility, a new study suggests.

People who live in economically deprived neighborhoods are about 20% less likely to conceive, compared to people from areas with more resources, researchers said.

Investments in deprived neighborhoods that address economic disparities may improve fertility in those areas, according to the authors, who researched "fecundability," or the probability of becoming pregnant each month.

"There are dozens of studies looking at how your neighborhood environment is associated with adverse birth outcomes, but the pre-conception period is heavily under-studied from a structural standpoint," explained study author Mary Willis, a postdoctoral scholar in Oregon State University's College of Public Health and Human Sciences.

"Turns out, before you're even conceived, there may be things affecting your health," she said in a university news release.

The study used data from an ongoing research project from Boston University known as the Pregnancy Study Online (PRESTO).

The Oregon researchers analyzed 6,356 U.S. individuals in data collected from 2013 through 2019. The participants ranged in age from 21 to 45 and were attempting to conceive without the help of fertility treatment.

Participants answered questions about menstrual cycle characteristics and pregnancy status in online surveys every eight weeks for up to a year. The study documented 3,725 pregnancies during that time period.

The researchers then compared participants based on their "area-deprivation index" score, which measured socioeconomic resources in a neighborhood. The team measured this score at both national and within-state levels.

Based on national rankings, those in the most-deprived neighborhoods had a 19% to 21% lower chance of becoming pregnant compared with those in the least-deprived neighborhoods. Based on the within-state rankings, the reduction was 23% to 25%.

"The fact that we're seeing the same results on the national and state level really shows that neighborhood deprivation can influence reproductive health, including fertility," Willis said. However, the study only found an association between neighborhood income and fertility levels, rather than a cause-and-effect link.

The majority of study participants were white, had completed a four-year college education and earned more than $50,000 a year.

Public health research has highlighted the importance of social determinants of health and the idea that ZIP code is the greatest predictor for overall life expectancy.

"But the concept that your neighborhood affects your fertility hasn't been studied in depth," Willis noted. "In addition, the world of infertility research is largely focused on individual factors, so when I came into this study as an environmental epidemiologist, I was thinking we should look at it as a structural problem."

Approaching fertility research from a structural standpoint might help reduce or prevent infertility overall, Willis said, noting the high cost of fertility treatments make them accessible only to families with significant resources.

The findings were published June 30 in the journal JAMA Network Open.

Explore further Lower fecundability with residence in disadvantaged neighborhood

More information: The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has more on the The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has more on the social determinants of health Mary D. Willis et al, Association Between Neighborhood Disadvantage and Fertility Among Pregnancy Planners in the US, JAMA Network Open (2022). DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.18738 Journal information: JAMA Network Open

Copyright  2022 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Credit: CC0 Public Domain

A new study released in the European Journal of Ageing found that having a partner had a greater impact than having children in helping to stave off loneliness among older adults during the pandemic's first wave. Researchers at the University of Rhode Island, University of Florence, University of Maryland Baltimore County and the SGH Warsaw School of Economics analyzed data on more than 35,000 adults aged 50 and older from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe to examine if unpartnered and childless older adults reported more loneliness and how that changed over the course of the pandemic.

Prior to the pandemic when asked "have you felt lonely recently?" those older adults who lacked one tie but had the other (unpartnered parents or partnered childless) were at greater risk for loneliness. However, during the pandemic, this combined status mattered less. More significant was the independent status of being either without a partner or childless. And specifically, not having a partner had the greatest bearing on loneliness.

During the pandemic's first wave respondents were asked "have you felt lonely recently?" and "have you felt lonelier than before the pandemic?" While those without a partner and those without children were both more likely to experience loneliness, the unpartnered were more likely to undergo a more significant shift in their loneliness.

According to URI Assistant Professor of Health Studies Nekehia Quashie, one of the authors of the study, "what we found is that those without a partner had a higher risk of being lonelyeven if they were not lonely prior to the pandemic. They had a higher risk of moving into lonelinessmore so than those who had no children."

Those who were lonely prior to the pandemic were less likely to exit loneliness, regardless of their status, said Quashie.

In the decade preceding the pandemic academics and public health officials have been increasingly concerned about loneliness, particularly among older adults, for a variety of reasons. With the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic and mitigation efforts centered squarely on measures like "physical distancing" and minimizing social interactions outside one's immediate household, this heightened concernespecially for groups that were already at a greater risk for loneliness, said Quashie on the reason for the study.

Interestingly, "kinless" older adults (unpartnered and childless), while still at risk for loneliness, were not lonelier than the other two groups (unpartnered parents, partnered childless) prior to the pandemic. To researchers' surprise, this held true over the course of the pandemic.

"With those who are 'kinless,' it's possible they have developed a range of resources and different coping strategies to manage a situation where they don't have large networks to rely onwhether that is an immediate personal crisis or, as we saw in the pandemic, a major public health crisis," said Quashie.

She added, "remember that the concept of loneliness is very subjectiveessentially we see loneliness arise when one's desired or expected social interactions don't match with their reality. So people have different thresholds for loneliness."

While the study did not examine well-being outcomes such as anxiety and depression, the results highlight the increased risk for loneliness among certain groupsboth prior to and during the pandemic. As the population of unpartnered and childless older adults grows globally it will be important for public health officials to take into account how measures intended to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, which limited social interaction, affected those groups already at higher risk for loneliness and consider approaches which limit social isolation.

Explore further COVID-19 pandemic led to increase in loneliness around the world

More information: Bruno Arpino et al, Loneliness before and during the COVID-19 pandemicare unpartnered and childless older adults at higher risk?, European Journal of Ageing (2022). Bruno Arpino et al, Loneliness before and during the COVID-19 pandemicare unpartnered and childless older adults at higher risk?,(2022). DOI: 10.1007/s10433-022-00718-x
The activation of NF-B pathway is a complex process where the interaction of different molecular players leads the induction of proinflammatory cytokines. (A) TRIM13 ubiquitinates NSP6, which promotes the recruitment of the IKK/NEMO complex and the activation of NF-B. Next, NEMO is ubiquitinated, which further promotes the recruitment of the IKK/NEMO complex. (B) RNF121 ubiquitinates ORF7a before recruiting TAK1 and the IKK/NEMO complex to the ubiquitin chain. Ubiquitination of NEMO itself is not needed for NF-B activation in the case of ORF7a. Credit: Prof. Takayuki Murata, Fujita Health University School of Medicine

The COVID-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc worldwide. While most infected individuals experience mild symptoms, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) virus may cause severe pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome, and organ damage in some patients, particularly those with comorbidities. Typically, the symptoms are triggered by an extreme immune response that causes elevated levels of cytokines, referred to as the "cytokine storm." However, the detailed mechanisms of proinflammatory cytokine production are not fully understood.

Previous studies have reported that the NF-B family of transcription factors is an integral component of the process. This makes NF-B signaling an important COVID-related therapeutic target. Interestingly, viral nucleocapsid (N) proteins can also interact with transforming growth factor b-activated kinase 1 (TAK1) and IB kinase (IKK) complexes to activate the NF-B pathway. Although there have been speculations to define these interactions, scientists are still trying to determine which viral genes they primarily involve.

To disentangle these mechanisms, a team of researchers, including Professor Takayuki Murata and Dr. Hironiri Nishitisuji from the Fujita Health University School of Medicine in Japan, has conducted a comprehensive study which was recently published in the journal mBio. The team, which also contained Dr. Kunitada Shimotohno from the National Centre for Global Health and Medicine, Japan, screened 22 SARS-CoV-2 proteins to identify the ones that could activate NF-B signaling. In context of the motivation driving the study, Prof. Murata explains that they "tried to identify the modifiers of cell signals, especially those of inflammatory signals, because inflammation is central to the symptoms of COVID-19."

The team found that two central SARS-CoV-2 proteinsnonstructural protein 6 (NSP6) and open reading frame 7a (ORF7a)were essential for activating the NF-B pathway. Consistent with their hypothesis, the expression of NSP6 and ORF7a increased the levels of proinflammatory cytokines such as interleukin 8 (IL-8) and interferon gamma-induced protein 10 (IP-10). This suggests that the viral components may be activating NF-B to cause the cytokine storm in the later stages of the infection, since infected individuals experience extreme symptoms during severe COVID-19.

Using CRISPR-Cas9 knockout studies, the team further discovered that NSP6 and ORF7a act via transforming growth factor b-activated kinase 1 (TAK1) and NF-B essential modulator (NEMO), which are crucial players in the NF-B pathway. Interestingly, the knockdown of TAK1/NEMO significantly reduced SARS-CoV-2-induced NF-B activation, indicating that these proteins could be considered as potential targets for COVID-19 treatment.

The researchers then looked into the ubiquitination of NSP6 and ORF7a, which could be critical for exerting their downstream effects. Prof. Murata and his team found that tripartite motif-containing 13 (TRIM 13) and ring finger protein 121 (RNF121) were required for the ubiquitination of NSP6 and ORF7a, respectively. This process seemed to be essential for recruiting NEMO to the NSP6-TAK1 complex and activating NF-B.

Since the suppression of cytokine production and SARS-CoV-2 replication are both halted by blocking NF-B signaling, it is possible that the virus hijacks the pathway for its replication. "We propose that NF-B suppression of proinflammatory cytokine responses while maintaining adequate immunity for viral clearance may be a good strategy to stop the virus," adds Prof. Murata.

Optimistic about the significance of their research, the team anticipates that the study may add to the tool box of existing approaches and treatment ideas for COVID-19. "Our findings offer a better understanding of SARS-CoV-2 pathogenesis and host immune response to the infection", says Prof. Murata. "Inhibitors of the molecules that mediate NF-B activation may be used to reduce the severity of COVID-19 symptoms," he concludes.

Explore further Antiviral gene known to block HIV also shows potent activity against SARS-CoV-2

More information: Hironori Nishitsuji et al, Ubiquitination of SARS-CoV-2 NSP6 and ORF7a Facilitates NF-B Activation, mBio (2022). Journal information: mBio Hironori Nishitsuji et al, Ubiquitination of SARS-CoV-2 NSP6 and ORF7a Facilitates NF-B Activation,(2022). DOI: 10.1128/mbio.00971-22

Provided by Fujita Health University
A Missoula youth was identified as a suspect in a July shooting in Kalispell.

Kalispell police issued an arrest warrant for the juvenile male on Tuesday, according to a Kalispell police press release.

The warrant stems from a July 23 shooting incident in southwest Kalispell. Officers responded to a house around 3:15 a.m. and found several bullet holes in the home, which was occupied by four people.

No one was injured. The suspect fled the scene.

The press release didn't include the suspect's name, but he is in custody on pending assault with a weapon, criminal endangerment and intimidation charges. He's being held at the Missoula jail.
Every summer, hundreds of thousands of riders, locals and tourists, flock to Sturgis, South Dakota, for its famous 10-day motorcycle rally.

Many who attend are white men.

But this year, and for the last two years, there will be at least 200 Indigenous riders, participating in a Medicine Wheel Ride to raise awareness for the missing and murdered Indigenous women epidemic.

The FBIs National Crime Information Center in 2021 reported 5,203 missing Indigenous women, though experts say the numbers are likely higher.

Lorna Cuny, who is Oglala Lakota, co-founded the Medicine Wheel Ride group. Cuny said the organization worked with Sturgis Mayor Mark Carstensen to declare the first Sunday of the rally a missing and murdered Indigenous women awareness day. This year, the Medicine Wheel Ride will begin at 8 a.m. on Sunday, Aug. 7. Riders will travel more than 70 miles from Bear Butte State Park to the Crazy Horse Memorial.

Cuny grew up on the Pine Ridge Reservation and now lives in Rapid City.

For me, being local, growing up around here, and seeing the rally, its like, why shouldnt we be here? she said. We have to be visible. We deserve to take up space at this huge rally. We love motorcycles, too. We want to make sure our women are safe, our communities are safe, and that the Indigenous people who live here are acknowledged.

Each rider pays $40 to register for the Medicine Wheel Ride, and local businesses sponsor the event. The organization uses the funds raised to help Native families search for their loved ones, acquire billboards to raise awareness, pay for funeral expenses or gas money, among other things. The group helped send searchers to the Blackfeet Reservation in June to help look for Arden Pepion, 3, who was last seen in April 2021.

Cuny said Sturgis attendees have been really receptive to the Medicine Wheel Ride and mission.

A lot of people tell us they didnt realize this was a problem, she said. Especially at an event like Sturgis, we have to let people outside our own communities know this is an issue.

Cuny said Sturgis is a great venue to get the word out not just because its a large gathering of people, but also because there have been sex trafficking incidents at past rallies.

Last year, a child sex trafficking sting at the rally resulted in nine arrests, and in 2020, eight men were charged with sex crimes at the rally.

Research from the National Congress of American Indians in 2018 found that more than half of Native American women have experienced sexual violence in their lifetime; Native women are almost twice as likely to have experienced rape compared with white women, and Native women are almost three times as likely to be murdered when compared with their white counterparts.

Cuny said some Native women joined her group after losing a loved one to violence, and some women joined after escaping domestic abuse.

For Cuny, riding motorcycles makes her feel free.

Its empowering to feel like I can do this, she said. Its freeing. Its not something that looking back 10 years ago, I thought Id be doing. Im a mother, Im a wife  but Ive always felt daring.

To learn more or support the Medicine Wheel Ride, visit medicinewheelride.org.
The Montana Historical Society will honor the Sons and Daughters of Montana Pioneers with the prestigious 2022 Heritage Guardian award during a ceremony Friday, Aug. 19, in Butte.

MHS Director Molly Kruckenberg will present the award at a brief ceremony during the groups annual meeting at the Hotel Finlen. The award recognizes the outstanding commitment, effort, and impact in preserving Montanas historical and cultural heritage for current and future generations. Awardees are chosen by the MTHS Board of Trustees.

Montanas history cannot be accurately told without the stories of the early European settlers who came to our state, Kruckenberg said. The Sons and Daughters of Montana Pioneers has worked diligently to ensure those stories are saved and shared. We are pleased to honor their work with the Heritage Guardians Award.

The Sons and Daughters of Montana Pioneers was founded in 1892 and is comprised of sons, daughters, and direct lineal descendants of the men and women who resided in Montana on or prior to Dec. 31, 1868.

Since then, the Sons and Daughters of Montana Pioneers (SDMP) has been protecting, safeguarding, and preserving Montana history. The group stores a historically significant collection of photographs, books, reference works, meeting minutes, correspondence, financial records, digital assets, and artifacts in its office in the Montana Historical Society building in Helena.

Foremost among its accomplishments is the donation of the land on which the Montana Historical Society sits just east of the Montana State Capitol. Along with help from veterans organizations, the Sons and Daughters group was instrumental in establishing a permanent home for the Montana Historical Society.

SDMP also supports the James Kovatch/SDMP history scholarship at the University of Montana-Western, the Montana History Teacher of the Year Award, and a history room at Bannack State Park. Additionally, members perpetuate preservation of Montana history by donating their time, knowledge, family heirlooms, and records to local museums statewide. In 2001, members planned, gathered, and edited Dreams Across the Divide, a collection of 90 Montana pioneer family stories.
The Republican primary for the newly delineated Michigan 5th Congressional District pits two candidates trying to show they are more conservative than the other.

Incumbent Tim Walberg, 71, faces Berrien County resident Dr. Sherry O'Donnell, 59.

As the incumbent from the current 7th District, Walberg, a Tipton Republican, saw his new district expand from Lake Erie across the southern state border to Lake Michigan.

"As Michigan's most conservative Congressman, my top priority will be to combat inflation and get Michigan's economy growing again. Reducing taxes, stopping wasteful spending, making health care affordable, increasing domestic energy production and eliminating bureaucratic red tape are all elements to help grow our economy and help Michigan families," he said in a prepared statement.

O'Donnell

O'Donnell said her goals when elected are "constitutionally-driven decisions, America first; economic stabilization; secure the southern border, balance the budget and fiscal responsibility."

O'Donnell wants federal term limits and will work to "decrease crime and strengthen safety efforts, including school safety, restore parental rights, educational excellence in the basics, provide affordable pharmaceuticals and health care, and revoke current policies that impede our farmers, ranchers, and energy industry."

The first-time politician, O'Donnell has support from Michigan's America First organization according to local supporters of America First, she does not have support of the Michigan GOP.

Walberg's campaign provided Donald Trump's endorsement of Walberg last week.

"Tim Walberg put 'America First' and has my complete and total endorsement for Michigan's 5th Congressional District!" President Donald Trump said in the press release.

The endorsement said, "Tim is fighting to secure the border, hold big tech accountable, and restore American energy independence. He is working hard to deliver education solutions for our children, support our military and veterans, defend the under-siege second amendment, and stop the trafficking of opioids into our communities. Tim is a strong crime fighter who adores our police."

Story continues

O'Donnell graduated from the Oklahoma State University medical school. She is certified by the American Osteopathic Board of Internal Medicine. She is the medical director of Herbie Medical Clinic, housed at Wesley United Methodist Church in Niles.

The doctor claimed the COVID-19 pandemic is a "plandemic." Regarding vaccinations, the doctor believes the risk of getting a COVID-19 vaccination is greater than the disease itself.

As for masking mandates, O'Donnell said that is a personal choice.

"I think that's taking some of our constitutional rights away from us, some of our medical freedom away from us," she said.

Walberg

Walberg was first elected to Michigan House of Representatives. He served from 1983 to 1998. First elected to the U.S. House in 2006, he lost his 2008 re-election bid to Democrat Mark Schauer. Walberg regained his seat in the 2010 election and has been re-elected since.

Prior to his political career, Walberg was a minister. Walberg attended Moody Bible Institute in Chicago. He earned his Bachelor of Science from Fort Wayne Bible College in 1975 and his master of arts from Wheaton College in 1978.

The new 5th District consists of Branch, Cass, Hillsdale, Jackson, Lenawee, Monroe and St. Joseph counties, along with parts of Berrien, Calhoun and Kalamazoo counties.

Bryan Trouten and Elizabeth Ferzst are write-in candidates in the Republican primary.

In November, the winner of the primary faces Democratic attorney Bart Goldberg of New Buffalo. Also on the ballot are Libertarian Norman Peterson, Ethan Hobson of U.S. Taxpayers Party, and independent Ezra Scott.

This article originally appeared on The Daily Reporter: Republican 5th District Congress candidates push conservative ideas
Butte firefighters were called to a structure fire Sunday night at 1816 S. Arizona St. Firefighters arrived at 9:18 p.m. and did not clear the area until 11:38 p.m.

According to Butte-Silver Bow Assistant Fire Chief Kelly Lee, the fire was first detected on the southeast exterior of the house and flames made their way into the attic, with damage to the kitchen as well.

A woman in the house was able to exit the residence without injury. The cause remains under investigation.
The day had barely began Tuesday when a call came into dispatch about an unwanted person refusing to leave the Flying J at 122000 N. Browns Gulch Road.

This was not an isolated incident. In fact, in the past week, officers have headed out to investigate approximately 40 unwanted person complaints throughout Butte-Silver Bow County.

We have received an increased number of calls for unwanted persons over the past few weeks, says B-SB Sheriff Ed Lester. This is common in the summer.

Looking through police logs, sometimes the person in question is in someones yard or out wandering a neighborhood. Others are standing outside a place of business, harassing customers and refusing to leave.

We also get some calls where a business will call about a customer who is irate and causing a disturbance, says the sheriff.

At other times, according to Lester, the person is having a mental health crisis.

We do our best to get these folks the help they need, he says.

The sheriff thinks that since the beginning of the pandemic, a lot of people have become short-tempered and easily offended. Since that time, he notes, what starts out as a little disagreement, has, at times, become something serious.

We would rather deal with it before that happens, he says. Most of the time, we can convince people that leaving is the best option.

More recent reports

While getting gas at the Thriftway, 2401 Continental Drive, a driver hit the screen with the gas nozzle and damaged it.

An unsuccessful attempt was made to break into Butte Catholic Community North, 102 S. Washington St.

A concerned citizen called to report that there was a man with a gun in the alley between Park and Broadway in Uptown Butte. The weapon turned out to be a pellet gun.

A report came in that someone was driving a car on the Montana Tech bike path. When an officer arrived, the car and its driver were nowhere to be found.

A furniture dolly was stolen from a residence in the 600 block of South Jackson Street,

A Missoula man was out hiking near Homestake Lake. When he went to get water, he left his backpack behind. When he returned, the backpack was gone.

Someone broke into an empty house in the 400 block of West Woolman Street and ransacked the interior.

Two men living in the in the 300 block of Blacktail Canyon Road got into an argument about a nearby road. One thought it could be fixed, the other said absolutely not. An officer told the duo to work out their differences.

A theft on Elderberry Lane was reported. Items taken included two flat screen televisions, a PlayStation, and two cell phones.

A wallet was reportedly stolen from a residence in the 3400 block of Quincy Street.

Two neighbors were arguing in the 1900 block of Monroe Avenue. Their verbal encounter got loud enough for another neighbor to call the cops. An officer arrived and told them to try to get along.

A license plate was stolen from a motorcycle parked at the Comfort Inn, 2777 Harrison Ave.

Someone was sitting in their car at the Park Street parking garage playing loud music. When an officer arrived, the music had died down.

A man living in the 2100 block of Walnut Street had just told his girlfriend he did not want her around anymore and an argument ensued. An officer was dispatched, but the woman decided to cut her losses and leave.

A person living in the 8600 block of Continental Drive checked the video footage on the property, which showed a man entering several vehicles. Items taken were sunglasses and cash. There was no damage to the vehicles.

A man left his truck in the parking lot by the Big M. When he returned, someone had shot the trucks windshield several times with a BB gun.

Some cash was taken from a home in the 300 block of Curtis Street.
Montana Western District Congressional Candidate Monica Tranel, a Democrat, spoke about her commitment to veterans on the heels of the passing of the Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring Our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act at the Butte Veterans' Affairs Clinic on Wednesday.

The event was the launch of Veterans on the Trail for Tranel, on which shes talked with veterans from Columbia Falls to Victor, according to a press release.

Tranel said that if elected to the House of Representatives, she will request assignment to the House Veterans Affairs Committee so she can personally provide solutions and work for our hero veterans.

Specifically, she said, she wants to work on seeing through the implementation of the PACT Act, making it permanent and getting veterans access to mental health care.

As your representative in Congress, I will make sure this act has teeth, and that youre actually getting the services you need, because this is now the law, Tranel said.

Right now, there is a sunset provision in the Act, Tranel said, with funding approved through 2031.

Eileen Greb, who served in the Navy from 1968-1972 and again from 1979-1984, spoke at the conference, and said this act is really for our younger vets.

Some of us may be affected by this rule, she said. But this is really and truly for our younger vets. The ones that followed us, and the ones that are now serving in harms way for our country.

We want to be sure that they get the health care, the mental health care, and the addiction health care that they need, without having to jump through five years of hoops like most of us did when we tried to get our claims met, she said.

The bill expands and extends eligibility for VA health care for veterans with toxic exposures and veterans of the Vietnam, Gulf War and post-9/11 eras, like Iraq and Afghanistan, according to the U.S Department of Veterans Affairs website.

Former Navy Aviation Fire Control Technician, Tom Goyette, who began his service in 1967, said it took him 11 years before he got recognition for Agent Orange exposure because he never put his boots on the ground where the exposure was.

This is a not a battle you should ever have to fight again, Tranel said. I will work to make this bill permanent so you dont have to do that again.

About a dozen or so Butte residents attended the conference, many of them veterans.

Tranel criticized Senate Republicans for voting against the PACT Act last week, which would ensure health care for veterans sickened by toxic exposure from burn pits.

The bill passed the Senate Tuesday, with many of the Republicans who blocked the bill opting to pass it, including Montana Republican Sen. Steve Daines.

Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., claimed on the House floor that the bill would create $400 billion in unrelated spending because the funds would be classified as mandatory rather than discretionary.

A press release said that while he was disappointed improvements to keep big spenders in Washington from funding unrelated programs did not pass, he fully supports the PACT Act.

Sen. Jon Tester, who chairs the U.S. Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs, responded by saying that mandatory funding rather than discretionary funding was needed to ensure the program could address future toxic exposure needs by the VA, and celebrated the passing of the act.

A spokesperson for Tranels opponent in the race, Ryan Zinke, a Republican and former Navy SEAL, said in a statement to The Montana Standard that he wouldve supported the PACT Act, but also would have worked with fellow veterans to remove unrelated spending measures that became untenable for some and caused the bills delay.

As the only person in this race who has served our country I will bring that experience, as well as built coalition of Montana veterans voices, to DC once again, the statement said.
For the last 35 years Ive been covering what we call the salmon wars in the Pacific Northwest, writing so many stories about salmon heading toward extinction that Ive lost count.

The decline occurred year by year while we spent $18 billion on whats politely called mitigation. That meant building fish passages around dams without fish ladders or snatching fish from warming rivers and trucking them around dams before they died. Nothing has ever worked.

The truth is that some dams must be removed if salmon are to have a prayer of leaving the ocean and swimming up rivers to spawn.

Now, finally, there is a sign of hope for the fish even as Snake River salmon in the states of Idaho, Oregon and Washington remain close to extinction.

Theres hope because the Biden administration has been in settlement talks with legal plaintiffs the state of Oregon, the Nez Perce tribe, and sporting, fishing and environmental groups. They have sued the federal government five times over its failed attempts to save salmon under the Endangered Species Act, and each time the government has lost.

Meanwhile, spring chinook, sockeye and steelhead trended toward extinction in the Snake River watershed, which includes their best remaining habitat in the lower 48 states.

In 1997, my newspaper, the Idaho Statesman, wrote a series of editorials calling for breaching the four lower Snake dams in Washington to restore salmon abundance. The editorials urged paying for the impacts on dam removal on power supply, grain transportation and irrigation as a more effective and cheaper fix than continuing failed policies. The federal government chose to spend $18 billion on those failed policies.

But now, the Biden administration and others recognize that restoring our rivers is an issue of tribal justice as well as the only real solution. For far too long, say biologists Rick Williams of Idaho and Jim Lichatowich of Oregon, we have treated salmon as an industrial commodity. Our reliance on hatcheries while we continue to fragment and destroy habitat has been at the root of the fishs struggles.

But if we remove the chief obstacles that block the fish from their cool, high elevation-habitat, the biologists say, these wild, adaptable fish will recover themselves. Because of our long reliance on substitute nature, weve almost lost faith in salmon to reproduce itself in quality habitat, Williams says.

It has taken decades, but much of the public has come to understand the folly of our industrial fixes for salmon. In the May Republican primary, U.S. Rep. Mike Simpson won reelection by a landslide after introducing a plan to breach the four dams to save salmon and make impacted communities whole. His losing opponent opposed breaching the dams.

More significant, Washington Democratic Sen. Patty Murray, who has long resisted any salmon recovery plan that included removing the four dams, joined with Washington Democratic Gov. Jay Inslee in endorsing a study of how to replace the services provided by the dams.

The study showed that breaching the four dams was the most promising approach to salmon recovery, though it would require spending from $10.3 billion to $27.2 billion to replace the electricity from the dams hydropower, plus grain shipping and irrigation.

Murray is the most powerful Northwestern senator in Congress. But she will need the rest of the Democratic delegation to join her if she is going to turn the tide.

Most of all, Washington Democratic Sen. Maria Cantwell and Oregon Democratic Rep. Peter DeFazio will need to join Murray, Simpson, Oregon Democratic Rep. Earl Blumenauer, and outgoing Oregon Gov. Kate Brown, if legislation is going to pass this year.

The resilience of the wild Snake salmon and the quality of the high-elevation spawning habitat has led biologists to predict the fish will reverse the 40-year extinction trend if the four dams are removed. This might just be the year that rivers and salmon are set free, ending the salmon wars. Heres hoping.
WEDNESDAY, Aug. 3, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Where you live may affect your fertility, a new study suggests.

People who live in economically deprived neighborhoods are about 20% less likely to conceive, compared to people from areas with more resources, researchers said.

Investments in deprived neighborhoods that address economic disparities may improve fertility in those areas, according to the authors, who researched "fecundability," or the probability of becoming pregnant each month.

"There are dozens of studies looking at how your neighborhood environment is associated with adverse birth outcomes, but the pre-conception period is heavily under-studied from a structural standpoint," explained study author Mary Willis, a postdoctoral scholar in Oregon State University's College of Public Health and Human Sciences.

"Turns out, before you're even conceived, there may be things affecting your health," she said in a university news release.

The study used data from an ongoing research project from Boston University known as the Pregnancy Study Online (PRESTO).

The Oregon researchers analyzed 6,356 U.S. individuals in data collected from 2013 through 2019. The participants ranged in age from 21 to 45 and were attempting to conceive without the help of fertility treatment.

Participants answered questions about menstrual cycle characteristics and pregnancy status in online surveys every eight weeks for up to a year. The study documented 3,725 pregnancies during that time period.

The researchers then compared participants based on their "area-deprivation index" score, which measured socioeconomic resources in a neighborhood. The team measured this score at both national and within-state levels.

Based on national rankings, those in the most-deprived neighborhoods had a 19% to 21% lower chance of becoming pregnant compared with those in the least-deprived neighborhoods. Based on the within-state rankings, the reduction was 23% to 25%.

"The fact that we're seeing the same results on the national and state level really shows that neighborhood deprivation can influence reproductive health, including fertility," Willis said. However, the study only found an association between neighborhood income and fertility levels, rather than a cause-and-effect link.

The majority of study participants were white, had completed a four-year college education and earned more than $50,000 a year.

Public health research has highlighted the importance of social determinants of health and the idea that ZIP code is the greatest predictor for overall life expectancy.

"But the concept that your neighborhood affects your fertility hasn't been studied in depth," Willis noted. "In addition, the world of infertility research is largely focused on individual factors, so when I came into this study as an environmental epidemiologist, I was thinking we should look at it as a structural problem."

Approaching fertility research from a structural standpoint might help reduce or prevent infertility overall, Willis said, noting the high cost of fertility treatments make them accessible only to families with significant resources.

The findings were published June 30 in the journal JAMA Network Open.

More information

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has more on the social determinants of health.

SOURCE: Oregon State University, news release, July 28, 2022

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U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi concluded her visit to Taiwan with a pledge that the American commitment to democracy on the self-governing island and elsewhere remains ironclad. Pelosi was the first U.S. speaker to visit the island in more than 25 years. The trip drew the wrath of China, which swiftly responded by announcing multiple military exercises nearby. The speakers departure for South Korea came a day before China was scheduled to launch its largest maneuvers aimed at Taiwan in more than a quarter of a century. Before leaving, a calm but resolute Pelosi repeated previous remarks about the world facing a choice between democracy and autocracy.
MUSCATINE  After learning that Davenport could receive as much as $10 million from Canadian Pacific Railway, the Muscatine City Council is expected to vote on a resolution supporting a $3 million settlement Thursday evening.

In the fall of 2021, Canadian Pacific Railway Company and Kansas City Southern Railway Company filed an application for merger with the Surface Transportation Board. If approved, the merger will take place late this year.

The merger would create the first single-company rail line connecting the U.S., Mexico, and Canada, valued at roughly $31 billion. Trains travelling intercontinentally would pass through Iowa along the Mississippi.

If approved, the merger would have a significant impact on Muscatine, with a possible three-fold increase to rail use. Because of this, the city staff hopes to enter a Community Investment and Settlement Agreement with the rail line to defray the costs to the city of the increase in train traffic. The city of Bettendorf is receiving a $3 million settlement.

Reports have said the area will experience a 225% increase in trains and a 100% increase in annual gross ton miles.

Mayor Brad Bark declined comment on the resolution, saying it is up to the city council to discuss. The topic is on the agenda for Thursdays meeting, which will be held at 7 p.m. in the council chambers at Muscatine City Hall.

Previously, council member Jeff Osborne expressed concerns about the merger and asked members of the public to comment online. The city also sent an email with 13 areas of concern to Canadian Pacific.

According to the mergers website, Muscatines current rail travel is an average of 4.8 trains per day. With the merger, the number would jump to 14.4 trains per day by 2027. The main railway through Muscatine includes 15 crossings, ranging from one to four tracks. There are also five rail spurs in Muscatine that experience a significant amount of traffic.

If the resolution is approved, documents say $1.6 million of the money will be used as a 20% match for a grant application to construct a grade-separated crossing at Dick Drake Way.

Canadian Pacific has also agreed to provide a grant writer to assist with the application. The city will also add a pedestrian/bike crossing at Oregon Street and close the Day Street crossing. Remaining funds will be used as the city deems appropriate to mitigate the impact of increased train traffic in the city.

Riverfront cities and Canadian Pacific have been in negotiations for months.

In a statement from the Canadian Pacific Railway, the merger was referred to as an economic growth story and promised the merger would provide expanded economic opportunities to area communities and businesses.

The rail line expects the creation of about 1,000 direct rail jobs throughout the system, including positions based in southeastern Iowa. The website also says that the merger will result in the reduction of 1.5 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions yearly.

While the overall impact of the CP-KCS transaction is unambiguously pro-environment and pro-economic growth, we recognize that we will be increasing the number of trains that operate through some communities, the emailed statement from Canadian Pacific said. We will work hard to be a good neighbor and mitigate potential adverse community impacts, and have already met with the city leaders in Muscatine and other southeastern Iowa communities and continue to communicate with them.

"The merger will be subject to an environmental impact process. CP will work closely with the Surface Transportation Boards Office of Environmental Assessment so that these issues are carefully and appropriately analyzed.

The statement also said that the merger is based on creating commercial opportunities and growth for the railway and shippers in local communities.
MUSCATINE  Over 5,000 potential donors across the Midwest now finally have the chance to donate blood if they wish, thanks to new blood donor guidelines.

Following guidance that was issued by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) last month, ImpactLife has recently announced that it has removed its indefinite deferrals for donors that were previously barred from donating due to their travel or residency history.

Its exciting for us to look at 5,126 donors that we have record of who have come to blood drives and donation centers over the years and were deferred under the previous guidance, Kirby Winn, ImpactLife Public Relations Manager said.

The main cause of the original deferral was focused on preventing the theoretical spread of Cruetzfeldt-Jakob Disease, also known as Mad Cow Disease. Because this disease was previously found in the United Kingdom as well as other European Countries such as Ireland and France at that time, those who had traveled to or lived in these countries from 1980 onward or who had received a blood transfusion while visiting/living in these countries were not eligible to donate blood in the U.S.

Its definitely good news, and a little unusual, Winn said. Its not every day that were able to reinstate donors who have been deferred on an indefinite deferral and expand our donor base. We often learn about changes to regulations that narrow the donor base rather than expand it.

With the FDA now determining that these deferral recommendations are no longer required, ImpactLife is now reaching out to approximately 5,126 who previously tried to donate blood but were turned away due to falling under the deferral criteria.

Winn added that there were likely many other residents who, knowing the criteria, did a self-deferral and thus werent in ImpactLifes records, meaning that the number of potential new donors may be even larger than 5,000. This is expected to have a large positive impact on the Midwest blood supply as a whole, considering that ImpactLife serves over 120 across Illinois, Iowa, Missouri and Wisconsin.

Throughout this past summer, ImpactLife has seen several instances of its type O-negative and type O-positive blood supply running low, resulting in only a two-to-three day supply for its users. In addition to allowing previously barred residents to now donate, the team at ImpactLife hope to encourage other residents to donate as well by offering a special e-gift card promotion through September 11.

For more information on all ongoing promotions or to schedule a blood donation session, residents can visit www.bloodcenter.org or call 800-747-5401.Those who previously fell under the ineligible criteria or who have questions about their eligibility stats can also call or can visit www.bloodcenter.org/eligibility.
WAUKEGAN, Ill. (AP)  The man accused of killing seven people and wounding dozens more in a shooting at an Independence Day parade in suburban Chicago pleaded not guilty on Wednesday, a week after prosecutors announced he faces 117 felony counts in the attack.

Robert E. Crimo III appeared for a brief hearing Wednesday in Lake County's circuit court to enter a formal plea to the charges  21 counts of first-degree murder, 48 counts of attempted murder and 48 counts of aggravated battery representing those killed and wounded during the parade in Highland Park.

Crimo wore a COVID-19 face mask throughout the 10-minute arraignment and repeatedly told Judge Victoria Rossetti that he understood the charges and potential penalties he faces, including life imprisonment. As Crimo shuffled into court, chains around his ankles jangling, several relatives and friends of at least one victim turned to look at him from across the room, some keeping their eyes fixed on him throughout hearing.

Lake County prosecutors in late July announced that a grand jury had indicted Crimo on the charges. The prosecutors had previously filed seven murder charges against the 21-year-old in the days following the shooting.

The multiple first-degree murder charges allege Crimo intended to kill, caused death or great bodily harm and took action with a strong probability of causing death or great bodily harm on the seven people who died.

A representative for the county public defenders office, which is representing Crimo, has said the office does not comment publicly on any cases. An attorney with the office entered Crimo's not guilty plea during Wednesday's court appearance.

Prosecutors have said Crimo admitted to the shooting once police arrested him following a hourslong search for the gunman who opened fire from the rooftop of a building along the parade route.

Authorities have said the wounded range in age from 8 to their 80s, including an 8-year-old boy who was paralyzed from the waist down when the shooting severed his spine.

In comments delivered after the hearing, Lake County States Attorney Eric Rinehart declined to say whether Crimo could face additional charges and said he would not comment on whether Crimos parents could be charged.

Some in the community have questioned why Crimo's parents apparently supported his interest in guns only months after he reportedly threatened suicide and violence.

George Gomez, an attorney representing Crimo's parents, said Wednesday that they are not concerned that criminal charges could be filed against them. Both attended Wednesdays hearing where they sat quietly behind their son.

Speaking with reporters afterward, Gomez described his clients as devastated and heartbroken for Highland Park and he said they are cooperating with authorities.

Foody reported from Chicago.
South Africas plan to quickly add power to Eskoms grid has run into its first barrier in the form of a court hearing initiated by climate activists.

GroundWork  a non-profit environmental justice organisation  has asked the high court to halt the authorisation of Eskoms plan to build a 3,000MW gas power plant in Richards Bay.

This came shortly after President Cyril Ramaphosa announced his plan to end load-shedding and rescue Eskom, which involves adding power to the grid from alternative energy sources, including gas.

GroundWork senior climate and energy justice campaigner Avena Jacklin spoke to Cape Talk and said that she agrees South Africa needs additional power added to the grid.

However, she doesnt believe its appropriate to make load-shedding the focus of the court hearing.

She said the hearing is about the need and desirability for such a gas-to-power plant in this day and age while the country is basically on a decarbonisation path.

Yes, we do need energy, but we do not need this type of gas infrastructure, Jacklin stated.

In fact, they also did point to the Rocky Mountain Insitute report, which confirmed that there is no need for this type of gas plant to be built in this decade. Its absolutely not needed.

She also said there were several discrepancies with Eskoms application for the plant, including a failure to include renewable energy in the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process.

Renewable energy has been put forward, and that hasnt been considered within the EIA process. Eskom didnt put that in the EIA,

The applicant did not notify the majority of the people that lived in the area. The majority of the people, well more than 76% of the people living in the area, speak isiZulu, and there were no notices or materials made available in that language.

Even in terms of the climate change impacts, those were not conducted adequately as well, she added.

Jacklin explained that methane emissions are far more powerful  around 84 times more powerful  than carbon dioxide in the long term.

If you look at methane emissions over a long-term period, they can be a lot more devastating than coal plants,

So in terms of climate change, even the assessments that are required for these developments have changed, and it seems that Eskom and its environmental assessment practitioners have not taken that into account and have not done it the right way.

News24 reports that the hearings adjourned a day early, with the court reserving its judgement on the matter.

Eskom first revealed its plans to build the 3,000MW gas power plant in July 2019.
Mecer Inter-Ed is committed to empowering women in tech through its comprehensive range of ICT courses.

These courses are a great way for women to acquire the skills that will enable them to progress and thrive in an industry that has historically been dominated by men.

According to the Global Gender Gap Report 2022, which is published by the World Economic Forum, only 42% of STEM graduates and 38% of ICT graduates in South Africa are women.

What makes this particularly notable is that 63% of all graduates from South Africas tertiary education institutions are female.

This shows that South Africas technology industry has tremendous potential to grow its inclusion of female professionals.

The importance of women in tech

A Council of Foreign Relations report by Ann Mei Chang and Catherine Powell highlights several key reasons why enabling women in the ICT space is particularly important in emerging economies.

They noted the documented ICT skills shortage in countries such as South Africa and argued that encouraging more women to enter the ICT workforce can help bridge the gap between demand for these skills and their availability.

Chang and Powell explained this skills shortage is exacerbated by the fact that ICT skills are also coveted outside of the ICT sector  as technology has become a key part of running almost any business.

The pair also noted that as women become more prominent in the technology industry, they will be able to help make many products and services more relevant to female consumers.

This will help businesses reach new female audiences with their technology-driven products  ultimately resulting in greater business growth and success.

Working together, the public and private sector should address the multiple barriers women and girls face, particularly in low and middle-income countries whose economies stand to gain the most from greater participation of women in vital ICT jobs, said Chang and Powell.

Learn new ICT skills with Mecer Inter-Ed

Leading ICT training certification provider Mecer Inter-Ed offers an extensive range of training courses that will help South African women develop crucial ICT skills.

For example, it recently held a 10-week Data Analyst skills program specifically for 25 women.

This program provided these women with a variety of valuable skills including Business Skills, Advanced Excel, Introduction to SQL Databases, Transact SQL, Microsoft Power BI Data Analyst, and Data Engineering on Microsoft Azure.

The program was highly successful as it boasted a 98% pass rate, and Mecer Inter-Ed is excited to continue supporting women in tech through its great educational tools.

These include its Microsoft Partner Skills Academy, which offers self-paced training and instructor-led training options not only for building skills, but also for driving more certified individuals in South Africa.

The array of additional benefits like Practise Lab access, exams, and practice tests further enables these individuals to be successful in their upskilling journey.

With ICT skills in high demand from businesses, now is a great time for South African women to enter one of the fastest-growing industries in the world.

Visit Mecer Inter-Eds website to view their ICT courses.
Microsoft has launched Outlook Lite, a mobile application aimed at low-end Android smartphones.

Outlook Lite is available in South Africa, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, India, Mexico, Peru, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, and Venezuela.

Outlook Lite has the core experience of Outlook including access to emails, calendar, contacts, and more, Microsoft said.

Outlook Lite supports Outlook.com, Hotmail, Live, MSN, Microsoft 365, and Microsoft Exchange Online accounts.

Microsoft said Outlook Lite is about a 5MB download and uses extremely low storage on your phone.

The tech giant said the application works on slower networks, including 2G and 3G, and consumes less battery.

The lightweight application is responsive on entry-level Android smartphones, with Microsoft mentioning this includes devices with 1GB RAM.

Low-end Android smartphones with under 2GB RAM typically use Android Go as an operating system.

Google released Android Go based on Android 8.1 in late 2017. In the years that followed, the company released updated versions of Android Go, with the latest based on Android 12.

In South Africa, consumers on a budget can choose from several smartphones under R500.

Affordable smartphones are critical to many South Africans who rely on lower-cost devices to stay connected.

Now read: Google Play Store to crack down on copycat apps
Twitter Inc. subpoenaed records from equity investors including a unit of Brookfield Asset Management Inc., and sought information on Marc Andreessen and a host of venture capital figures, over Elon Musks financing of the $44 billion buyout it sued him to complete.

Brookfields new venture capital arm put $250 million into Musks $7.1 billion equity raise for the deal in May.

Twitters lawyers want to know about the terms of that investment and the billionaires efforts to syndicate the package, according to court filings Tuesday in Delaware.

Twitter demanded information from more than a dozen firms besides Brookfield, including DFJ Growth IV Partners, Valor Equity Partners, Fidelity Management & Research and Andreessens AH Capital Management, according to the filings.

The social media company also sought information from investor Key Wealth Advisors on Jason Calacanis, Steve Jurvetson, Joe Lonsdale, Chamath Palihapitiya, Keith Rabois and David Sacks.

The Washington Post on Monday reported that subpoenas had gone out seeking information on those investors, some of whom werent previously known to have been involved in the deal.

Bloomberg LP, which owns Bloomberg News, has invested in Andreessen Horowitz.

As the agreement between Musk and Twitter was coming together, Calacanis had canvassed his network of wealthy investors to solicit backing for the deal.

We are now collecting interest to invest in Twitter, with Elon Musks plan to take it private, he wrote in a May 11 message seen by Bloomberg with the subject Twitter interest.

He asked investors to get back to him that night. Its unclear how much interest he got.

The pretrial request for information seeks a wide range of communications and documents about Musks bid to acquire Twitter for $54.20 a share, which he is seeking to undo over claims the company failed to provide him with information about spam and bot accounts.

Twitter also has hit a list of banks involved in Musks financing package with a round of subpoenas about their involvement.

Some decried the effort as overly broad, with Lonsdale calling it a giant harassing fishing expedition and complaining of a YOU ARE HEREBY COMMANDED notice.

lol, lawyers w/ TWTR are sending subpoenas to friends in the ecosystem around @elonmusk and @pmarca and @DavidSacks et al, a giant harassing fishing expedition. I have nothing to do with this aside from a few snarky comments, but got a YOU ARE HEREBY COMMANDED document notice.  Joe Lonsdale (@JTLonsdale) August 1, 2022

Many of those investors know Musk from his days at PayPal, which he ran until his ouster in 2000. Rabois and Sacks were PayPal executives, and Lonsdale once worked as a PayPal intern.

Jurvetson, who has been friends with Musk for years, holds a board seat at SpaceX and previously held one at Tesla Inc., both run by Musk.

Calacanis is also in Musks orbit, and hosts a podcast called All-In, with Sacks and Palihapitiya among its hosts. At a recent All-In conference in Miami, Musk dialed in to speak and spent some of the time casting doubt on Twitters numbers.

Delaware Chancery Court Judge Kathaleen St. J. McCormick has scheduled a five-day trial starting on Oct. 17 in Wilmington.
Be bold. Be beautiful. Be a bombshell.

Such is the motto Jennifer Smith posted on social media to announce the debut of her second retail store in downtown Napa.

Called Bombshell Vintage, the business opened on July 1 at 933 Coombs St., almost across the street from the Small World restaurant.

This Napa Valley entrepreneur explained that to her, bombshell means many things.

Its a style  classy with a vintage sexy feel, but also an attitude, according to Smith. Its about embracing your vintage style with confidence, no matter what era, and about feeling confident and beautiful while enjoying the beauty from the past, she wrote.

This Napan is a big fan of anything vintage, she said. Her other Napa retail business is Antiques on Second. Located at 1370 Second St., its a collective with dozens of vendors selling items from every era.

Ive always loved vintage clothing, said Smith, but she really got into vintage starting in around eighth or ninth grade.

Back when I was a teenager in Santa Rosa I shopped at Haute Couture, one of Sonoma Countys most well-known and established vintage clothing stores. My dress from my ninth grade dance was from Haute Couture, she recalled.

She usually wears at least one vintage item every day, even if its just a piece of vintage jewelry.

Having been a downtown merchant for many years, Smith also knew Thea Witsil, who had a popular vintage clothing store called Wildcat. Wistil has since moved to Fresno and closed her Napa Wildcat storefront.

When Thea was getting ready to move we talked about me buying her business, said Smith. I knew the expansion of Antiques on Second was coming, so I turned it down. Ever since then Ive kind of been kicking myself.

She was referring to this past March, when Antiques on Second took over a second storefront next door.

Smith said that ever since Wildcat closed, Napas been missing a dedicated vintage clothing business.

And then, Smith saw a for lease notice posted at 933 Coombs St., which just happens to be next to the former Wildcat space, now Fat Tire Bike Rentals.

To Smith it was a sign. OK, lets go, was her response.

After a very fast refresh that included adding pink and white paint, an Instagram flower wall, curtained dressing rooms, an elaborate pink couch, a golden display case/counter and much more, Bombshell Vintage opened for business.

Why open a second store, since she already had Antiques on Second?

I really wanted a separate entity, Smith said. I have clothes at Antiques on Second but its all intermingled, and at the time of the expansion I wasnt really focused on the clothing, I was more about adding more vendors and giving current vendors more space.

For Bombshell Vintage, I wanted it to have a certain feel and look and be its own thing.

The first words used to Smith describe that feel and look were girly and pink  inspired by Hollywoods regency style, which was popular during the Golden Age of the 1930s.

Bombshell Vintage Bombshell Vintage 933 Coombs St., Napa bombshellvintage.co Bombshellvintagenapa@gmail.com Monday, Wednesday, Thursday: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, Saturday, Sunday: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

I just wanted it to feel youre shopping in a glamorous vintage boutique, she said.

It was really fun to put together; we did it in a really short amount of time, but Im really happy with how it turned out, said Smith.

As a mom of five, including three children under 18, this business owner is a very busy person. It is definitely a full plate but I have an amazing team of people. I wouldnt have been able to do it without them, she said.

Antiques on Second gets new owner Jennifer Smith said shes wanted to own her own store since she was a young girl.

One common question Smith gets is where she gets her vintage clothing from.

The answer: so many places, she said. People often contact me and want to sell me stuff. So thats one of my favorite ways because it comes right to me. Otherwise, we do a lot of estate sales; we go to garage sales. Sometimes friends will contact us, or find her by word of mouth.

Bombshell Vintage shoppers will find that about 95% of the store stock is vintage with about 5% vintage inspired, explained Smith.

We have anything from the 1920s to the 1990s, including clothing, shoes, belts, handbags, jewelry, and new and vintage lingerie.

Prices start at a few dollars and can top $200 or more for some items.

Vintage dresses run anywhere from $38 to $150. Vintage T-shirts, which are very popular, can cost from $38 to more than $100.

Smith said so far her customers have been looking for a variety of vintage wear.
Jazz and Hip Hop comes to The Napa Valley: What did we see, hear, and feel this weekend in St Helena? Loud music, a stage filled with F-bombs, the smell of weed wafting through the vineyards, people that look different than most Napa Valley weekend crowds? Yes, maybe.

I was there and here is what I saw; extraordinarily talented musicians sharing their art and heart with their audience, an unprecedented congregation of like-minded culture seekers, and many shapes, sizes, colors, and backgrounds. The Blue Note Jazz Festival assembled a team of 100s of hard-working staff who stood watch in 90-degree heat, keeping tens of thousands of fans safe and well informed.

Congratulations St Helena for hosting such a unifying three-day experiment in the midst of the divided national angst we live with every day.

Walter Nirenberg

St. Helena
Seven years ago, when Tess Gunty began to write her debut novel, "The Rabbit Hutch," she was 23, living in New York and experiencing a constant barrage of catcalls when she walked down the street.

She felt, she says, "like a deer living in hunting grounds." As if her flesh didn't belong to her. To cope, she would dissociate. "I started to feel this sort of alienation from my body," says Gunty, now 29. "I started to feel like I had to leave my body in order to get to my next destination."

"The Rabbit Hutch," opens with the protagonist literally exiting her body. Blandine Watkins, a brilliant and striking 18-year-old fresh out of the foster care system, lies bleeding on the floor of her apartment. "[S]he has spent most of her life wishing for this to happen," the narrator clarifies. "The agony is sweet."

It's a powerful and brutal opening to a powerful and brutal book, brimming with dark and funny lines as it ranges, like Blandine's purgatorial spirit, over the fictional town of Vacca Vale, Ind., along with a bizarre cast of characters who reside in the La Lapiniere Affordable Housing Complex, also known as the Rabbit Hutch.

Entangled in Gunty's kaleidoscopic plot are Hope, a young mother afraid to look into her baby's eyes; middle-aged singleton Joan Kowalski, whose job is to screen online obituary comments; Elsie Blitz, a former child star who publishes her own obituary; Moses, Elsie's traumatized and unstable adult son; and roommates Jack, Todd and Malik, Blandine-obsessed teenage boys who devise a cruel, lethal game in an attempt to woo her. Gunty's true subject, though, is a land of loneliness, squandered potential and exploitation that feels uniquely American  and also the human interconnections and strokes of luck that can help us survive it.

It's hard, at first glance, to square the author of this web of torment, mayhem and ecstatic visions with the calm, humble woman in a white-collared black dress who sits across from me on the patio of Botanica Restaurant in Silver Lake, where she lives with her partner. But then, gradually, existential dread bubbles up in a conversation about her novel, New York, Los Angeles, the Midwest and loneliness. Between interruptions from honking cars and clattering semis, she confesses she is sometimes consumed with crippling anxiety.

When I ask what gets her out of bed every morning, she offers two responses. "My cats begging for food," she says, laughing. She adores Fiona and Tello (short for Donatello). Then she pivots to curiosity and the radical lessons of the French philosopher and mystic Simone Weil.

"I feel most alive when I'm learning, and I feel most alive when I'm immersing myself mentally in something I don't understand or that's very new to me," Gunty says.

She quotes a line from Weil's essay "Attention and Will": "To know that this man who is hungry and thirsty really exists as much as I do  that is enough, the rest follows of itself."

Gunty thinks about that line a lot in relation to the experience of being a human among others, including the creatures of the natural world.

"Every pain they feel is as real as your pain, every joy is as real as yours, and I do think that if you can really, truly believe that of everyone you meet and everyone you don't meet, you are just naturally drawn to kindness," she says.

It's a philosophy at Blandine's core. Orphaned and abused by the people and systems that failed her, she holds almost no structural power but possesses a strong moral force to resist them: She rants about the horrors of capitalism and violence against women, and when an urban revitalization project threatens to destroy a beloved park, she protests a developers' meeting with voodoo dolls and fake blood.

Blandine, who is obsessed with martyred saints, is the heroine Gunty always wanted to see  not just as a child, but now, as an adult.

"I think she's an extremely principled person who is interested in acting on her principles, without performing, and finding ways to make her immediate environment a more just place," Gunty says. "I don't think anything she does is guaranteed to work and she knows that  and yet she resists anyway, and that is extremely hopeful to me."

Vacca Vale is a former epicenter of car manufacturing gone to rot; it feels like a microcosm of American decline  and a victim, to Gunty, of so many of the country's problems: structural racism, housing scarcity, climate change and on and on. "Lately and increasingly I feel a very visceral dread about poorly regulated capitalism," she admits. "I do think that almost every major crisis that America is facing right now is enabled and worsened by the extraction economy."

Floating in and out of the characters' thoughts can make for a dizzying reading experience. Gunty's friend, Crystal Powell, felt a similar way whenever the author spoke up in their New York University master of fine arts program.

"It's an iconic Tess move," Powell said, "the non-sequitur question." Gunty would raise her hand and ask "something completely out of left field"  channeling the conversation in unexpected directions.

"It's one of the things that made me fall in love with her," Powell added. "Whenever I think of Tess, I'm like 'What happens in her mind?' because she sees things other people don't see. She has such a density of thought that I can't even begin to comprehend."



There are two ways of recounting Gunty's life so far. In one version, she is a natural-born storyteller, making up stories as a toddler, emerging by dint of raw talent from a low-income area of postindustrial South Bend, Indiana, to study with some of the most influential writers and editors in New York. The other version of the story is that she was lucky and had a lot of help. This is the one she prefers to tell.

From a young age, Gunty was keenly aware of the socioeconomic disparities of her hometown, one inspiration for Vacca Vale. Because her mother was an art teacher at a Catholic high school, Gunty attended the expensive school for free.

"In the context of my neighborhood, I felt almost embarrassed sometimes by the awareness of the uneven distribution of luck at birth and the fact that everyone is dealt a hand, and it doesn't seem like the same deck of cards produces each hand," she says.

In the novel, Blandine is precocious  tragically so; it makes her a target. As a kid, Gunty was too; before she could spell she enjoyed drawing and narrating stories to her father, who would transcribe them.

But she adds that it was a friend's gift that inspired her to start writing stories as early as age 3 or 4. "She was really incredible at writing, even when we were children," Gunty recalls. "Especially as a child, when you see another child accomplishing something great that you think only adults can do, it's extremely motivating." Her friend's mother would assign the children writing prompts, and her love for the craft flourished.

Gunty was fortunate too to have a father who worked at Notre Dame: Tuition was free. "I never would have chosen to stay in my hometown if I had a choice," she says, laughing. She considered becoming a journalist, but the school didn't offer a program, so she studied creative writing. In some ways, writing fiction "was a fate that was decided by accident."

After graduating, she immediately fled the Midwest to pursue an MFA. It was in New York that she discovered she wasn't really alone. "Obviously you don't want anyone to suffer, but it's a great comfort to be surrounded by people who also find the daily chore of inhabiting a consciousness to be demanding and difficult and sometimes insurmountably hard."

John Freeman, an editor at Knopf who taught a course on building stories at NYU, remembers that Gunty listened in class more than she spoke.

"But when she did say something in class, it had the force of a revelation," he said. "She has the ability to look at both the structure of a book and its meaning at the same time, and I was just really blown away by her narrative intelligence."

Later, when Freeman went on to read "The Rabbit Hutch" and eventually become its editor, he was "dazzled" by Gunty's range of voices and her "ability to write on the spirit level while also writing about urban decay. ... I think it's unusual, to put it mildly, that a book with such dazzling architecture and depth of spiritual insight should come at the very beginning of a writer's life, so I can only imagine what's going to come next for her. It fills me with a great anticipatory happiness."

Jonathan Safran Foer is another admirer. "Tess writes with generosity. Despite the overflowing offerings, it is not anxious, and not out to prove the intelligence of its creator," said the novelist, Gunty's mentor and former NYU professor, in an email.

"It wouldn't fit into the category of 'hysterical fiction' that [critic] James Wood defined a couple decades ago," Foer says. "Rather, it is filled with a kind of infectious life-force. It fills a reader with joy and wonder." (Wood coined "hysterical realism" in 2000 to critique ambitious novels teeming with intertwined, sometimes outlandish plots but inauthentic characters.)

In the years Foer has known Gunty, he has come to seek out her advice. "She is one of three people I go to when I need an idea that I can't come up with on my own, when I am puzzled and seeking clarification about something in the world, when I simply want a wise opinion," he added.

Elsie, the book's former child star, writes in her auto-obituary: "Everything affects everyone." If the novel had a thesis statement, that would be it, Gunty says. For all its dread and isolation, "The Rabbit Hutch" is a story about being simultaneously interconnected and interdependent, one whose ending forges a bond between two characters who believed they were alone.

After four years of toiling in New York, Gunty and her partner, an urban designer, moved to downtown Los Angeles in 2019. When the pandemic shutdown hit in 2020, they relocated to Silver Lake, mostly because she missed trees.

Just as she did that year, Gunty still spends most of her time around the Silver Lake Reservoir, walking along its edges or sitting in the meadow, reading and sketching ideas until either it's too hot or she's starving.

Then she walks home to eat, take care of the administrative tasks that come with publishing a book and, most important, write. And rewrite. She's working on her second novel, "Honeydew," which will be published next year.

She's reluctant to say too much, but it will be structured as three novellas built around three characters, all strangers, who are affected by an event that binds them together.
Paul Pelosi, through his attorney, pleaded not guilty on Wednesday morning to two charges related to a vehicle collision and drunken driving arrest in Napa County.

Attorney Amanda Bevins spoke for Pelosi during an arraignment hearing in Napa County Superior Court that lasted only a couple of minutes. She waived the formal arraignment, which would include a reading of the complaint. Pelosi will be out on his own recognizance, with a hearing scheduled for Aug. 23.

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Pelosi is husband to U.S. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. For that reason, the drunk driving arrest has garnered national attention.

The court did not order Pelosi to appear personally and he chose to appear through his lawyer instead.

At the Aug. 23 hearing, Pelosi may plead guilty or no contest, or the case can be set for a jury trial, said a press release from the Napa County District Attorney's Office.

Pelosi was arrested on May 28 in Oakville after a two-vehicle collision on Highway 29. The office of District Attorney Allison Haley announced on June 23 it would file misdemeanor charges of causing injury by driving under the influence and driving with a blood alcohol level over 0.08%.

While DUI resulting in injury can be prosecuted as a felony or misdemeanor in California, Napa County prosecutors filed the lesser charges consistent with how our office handles these cases with similar injuries, the DAs Office said in an earlier statement.

Punishment for a misdemeanor DUI conviction includes fines, up to five years probation, at least five days in jail, a requirement to install an ignition interlock, and completing a court-ordered class for drunken drivers.
SACRAMENTO  California's governor on Monday declared a state of emergency to speed efforts to combat the monkeypox outbreak, becoming the second state in three days to take the step.

Gov. Gavin Newsom said the declaration will help California coordinate a government-wide response, seek more vaccines, and lead outreach and education efforts on where people can get treatment and vaccination.

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Well continue to work with the federal government to secure more vaccines, raise awareness about reducing risk, and stand with the LGBTQ community fighting stigmatization," Newsom said in a statement announcing his declaration.

Nearly 800 cases of monkeypox have been reported in California, according to state public health officials. Napa County reported its first probable case of the disease July 26.

The monkeypox virus spreads through prolonged and close skin-to-skin contact, which can include hugging, cuddling and kissing, as well as through the sharing of bedding, towels and clothing. People getting sick so far have mainly been men who have sex with men, though health officials note that the virus can infect anyone.

Public health officials are clear: stigma is unacceptable and counterproductive in public health response," Michelle Gibbons, executive director of the County Health Executives Association of California, said in a statement. The fact is that monkeypox is primarily spread by skin to skin contact and sharing objects like bedding or towels, without regard to sexual orientation or gender identity.

The type of monkeypox virus identified in this outbreak is rarely fatal, and people usually recover within weeks. But the lesions and blisters caused by the virus are painful, and they can prevent swallowing or bowel movements if in the throat or anus.

The declaration in California came after a similar one in New York state on Saturday, and in San Francisco on Thursday. Newsom's administration had said as recently as Friday that it was too soon for such a declaration.

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.

After pressing for Newsom to make such a declaration, Democratic state Sen. Scott Wiener of San Francisco hailed the governor's decision. The monkeypox outbreak is an emergency, and we need to use every tool we have to control it, Wiener said.

Newsom's proclamation allows emergency medical personnel to administer monkeypox vaccines that are approved by the federal government.

That's similar to a recent law that allows pharmacists to administer vaccines, Newsom's administration said. It said the state's response is building on the steps developed during the coronavirus pandemic to set up vaccination clinics and make sure there is outreach to vulnerable populations in cooperation with local and community-based organizations.

California has received more than 61,000 vaccine doses and has distributed more than 25,000 doses.

We dont have any time to waste, Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger said in a statement. She said the nation's most populous county must use all available resources to speed the distribution of vaccines and help to those who have been infected.

Newsom's office said Los Angeles County has received a separate allocation of vaccine.

As of last week, the state had expanded its testing capacity to process more than 1,000 tests a week. Critics have said the long wait for test results delayed treatment options.

In San Francisco, Peter Tran was among hundreds who lined up, sometimes for hours, to receive the monkeypox vaccine at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital on Monday, after the clinic was forced to close last week because it did not receive enough doses.

Its horrible. Like this is a vaccine thats been out for such a long time. And like, its not even a deadly disease. Its harder to be transmitted than COVID. But the roll-out of the vaccines throughout this nation is absolutely horrible, Tran said.

I think the science shows that protection is greatly improved with the vaccine. So thats why Im doing it. And I honestly just dont want the lesions on my body. I heard the lesions are painful and leave scarring. So I think thats another motivation to go out and get it.

Before making their own emergency declaration last week, San Francisco city officials were criticized for not responding rapidly enough to the outbreak. They, in turn, faulted the federal government for failing to deliver enough vaccines. The city received about 4,000 doses on Friday, enabling it to restart vaccinations, and hopes to administer them by mid-week, said Dr. Lukejohn Day, chief medical officer at the Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital.

The city had 305 cases as of Monday, he said.

The World Health Organization has declared the monkeypox outbreak in more than 70 countries a global emergency.

What does a monkeypox state of emergency mean?

A government declares a state of emergency because of a crisis or a time of intense difficulty, trouble or danger, according to Cornell Law School Legal information Institute.

The California government will utilize its personnel, equipment and facilities in the state of emergency plan and residents should heed the advice of emergency officials to protect their safety, according to the emergency proclamation. No mask or vaccination mandate has been put in place.

Essentially, the declaration will help the state government speed efforts to curb the outbreak through a statewide effort on vaccinations, testing and education.

The declaration was set to bolster the states vaccination efforts, Newsoms office said in a Monday evening statement declaring a state of emergency in response to monkeypox, allowing emergency medical services to administer the vaccine.

The World Health Organization declared monkeypox a public health emergency of international concern on July 23.

California has discharged more than 25,000 monkeypox vaccines and plans to give out more soon, Newsoms office wrote. Depending on the number of reported monkeypox cases and number of at-risk residents in your area, the state will allocate vaccines to your local health department.

Well continue to work with the federal government to secure more vaccines, raise awareness about reducing risk, and stand with the LGBTQ community fighting stigmatization, Newsom said.

While monkeypox is racking cases daily, California is still feeling the pressure of COVID-19 years after Newsom declared it a state of emergency. The declaration has allowed Newsom to access federal funding and to override state laws while carrying out Californias pandemic response.

How many people have been infected with monkeypox?

Monkeypox isnt new. Before this years outbreak, the first human case of monkeypox was detected in 1970, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The first California monekypox case was discovered on May 24 in a resident who recently returned from international travel.

Roughly 800 cases of monkeypox have been confirmed in California, the second-highest count behind New York (1,390), according to the CDCs monkeypox U.S. cases map, last updated Monday.

The U.S. recorded 5,811 cases, with zero cases detected in Montana and Wyoming, according to the CDC map.

Am I eligible for the vaccine?

Monkeypox vaccines are scarce. And while some people are at higher risk of contracting the disease, anyone can become infected.

Sacramento County Public Health Department recommends men who have sex with men and transgender people who meet one or more of these factors should get vaccinated against monkeypox:

Those who have tested positive for a sexually transmitted infection in the last two months.

Those who have had more than two sexual partners in the past three weeks.

Those who visited or worked at a commercial sex venue in the last three weeks.

Those who have had sex within the last three weeks with others they do not know.

The state Department of Public Health is also committed to reducing stigma among the LGBTQ community, which has been singled out and treated unfairly because of this outbreak, said Dr. Tomas Aragon, the director of the department, according to a previous Bee report.

No single individual or community is to blame for the spread of any virus, said the states public health officer.

The virus spreads through contact with bodily fluids and respiratory droplets, according to Sacramento County Public Health. But its not easily spread, the county wrote, and droplets do not travel more than a few feet.

With reports from Don Thompson of The Associated Press and Brianna Taylor of the Sacramento Bee.
According to information published by the Finnish MoD on August 3, 2022, the United States Navys amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge will arrive in Helsinki, Finland, for a port visit.

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The US Navy's Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge (Picture source: Finnish MoD)

The ship will berth in the Hernesaari harbor. Exercise activity will continue in the Northern Baltic Sea and off the coast of Western Uusimaa. The USS Kearsarge and its crew will continue exercising in the Northern Baltic Sea and the region of Hanko and Upinniemi with the Finnish Navy 8-19 August.

The USS Arlington and USS Gunston Hall as well as components of the US Marine Corps (22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit) will also participate in the exercises.

The exercises consist of several partial entities at sea and in the Hankoniemi and Upinniemi areas. The objective of the training is to develop interoperability and compatibility between the Finnish Navy and the United States Navy and Marine Corps as well as Finlands ability to provide host nation support. The Navy will participate in the exercises with troops and vessels from the Navy Command, Nyland Brigade, Coastal Brigade, and Coastal Fleet.

Utti Jaeger Regiment will support troop transports with NH90 -helicopters together with Chinooks and Blackhawks from the United States. Additionally, troop transports will be supported by AH-1Z Viper and UH-1Y Venom helicopters from USS Kearsarge. The Air Force will take part in the exercises with F/A-18 Hornet multi-role fighters.

The training will involve significant water traffic and air activity and will cause air noise in the Hankoniemi and Upinniemi areas every day during the exercise.

About the Wasp-class USS Kearsarge

USS Kearsarge (LHD-3) is the third Wasp-class amphibious assault ship of the United States Navy. She is the fifth ship to bear that name, but the fourth to serve under it, as the third was renamed Hornet (CV-12) before launching (after the prior Hornet was sunk).

She was launched on 26 March 1992, in a ceremony attended by then-Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Colin Powell. The warship was christened on 16 May 1992, and commissioned on 16 October 1993.

The assault support system on the ship coordinates vertical and horizontal movement of troops, cargo and vehicles. A Monorail system, moving at speeds up to 600 ft/min (3 m/s), transports cargo and supplies from storage and staging areas throughout the ship to a 13,600-square-foot (1,260 m2) well deck, which opens to the sea through huge gates in the ship's stern.

There, the cargo, troops, and vehicles are loaded onto landing craft for transit to the beach. The air cushion landing craft can "fly" out of the dry well deck, or the well deck can be flooded so that conventional landing craft can float out on their way to the beach.

Simultaneously, helicopters can be lifted from the hangar deck to the flight deck by two deck-edge elevators and loaded with supplies from three massive cargo elevators.

Kearsarge's armament suite includes the NATO RIM-7 Sea Sparrow point defense system for anti-aircraft support, RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missiles, 25-mm chain guns, and the Phalanx close-in weapon system to counter threats from low-flying aircraft and close-in small craft. Missile decoy launchers augment the anti-ship missile defenses.
According to information published by Opex 360 on August 2, 2022, the Chinese Type 001 aircraft carrier Liaoning and the second aircraft carrier Shandong set sail before Pelosi's visit to Taiwan.

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The PLA Navy's aircraft carrier Shandong (Picture source: Chinese MoD)

Shandong is a Chinese aircraft carrier that was launched on 26 April 2017 for the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) of the People's Republic of China.

It is the country's first domestically built aircraft carrier and second in PLAN service after the completion and commissioning of Liaoning, from which it is derived.

Shandong's class was initially suspected to be designated Type 001A (as Liaoning received the designation Type 001) but was revealed to be Type 002 at its commissioning ceremony. The class received the NATO reporting name Kuznetsov Mod. ("modified").

The aircraft carrier's design is largely based on China's first carrier Liaoning, which was itself built from the partially-complete hull of the Soviet Kuznetsov-class aircraft carrier Varyag.

It retains the ski-jump takeoff, which limits its air wing to helicopters and Shenyang J-15 fighter jets of the People's Liberation Army Navy Air Force, and the ship is powered by conventional oil-fired boilers driving eight steam turbines derived from the Soviet-designed examples installed on Liaoning. It measures about 305 metres (1,001 ft) long, with a displacement of about 55,000 tonnes (66,00070,000 loaded).

The Shandong is a significant improvement over the Soviet-built Liaoning. For example, the Shandong carrier's ski jump has an angle of 12.0 instead of 14.0 on the Liaoning. This is an ideal angle for launching the Shenyang J-15 fighter.

Together with the enlarged hangar, the island has been made smaller by 10% and extended on sponsons in the aft-starboard quarter. The island includes a second glazed deck which permits the bridge and flight control areas to be separate, creating greater operational efficiency. It also features a faceted upper area of four active electronically scanned arrays (AESAs) for the improved Type 346A S-band radar (Type 346 radar).

Shandong, like its predecessor, uses the simpler "short take-off but arrested recovery" (STOBAR) launch and recovery system.
According to information published by Greek City Times on August 3, 2022, the Egyptian Gowind class corvette El Moez carried out a fleeting naval training with the Greek Jason-class tank landing ship Ikaria within the range of the Northern Fleet.

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Jason class tank landing ship and Egyptian Gowind class corvette El Moez (Picture source: Egypt today)

The Jason-class tank landing ship is a class of tank landing ships (LSTs) designed and built in Greece through a cooperation of the Elefsis Shipyards with the National Technical University of Athens and the Hellenic Navy, which ordered the ships in 1986.

They have a length of 116 m (380 ft 7 in), a beam of 15.3 m (50 ft 7 in), and a draught of 3.4 m (11 ft 2 in). They can reach a top speed of 16 knots (30 km/h; 18 mph).

The tank landing ships have a displacement of 4,470 tons full load and are powered by two Wartsila Nohab 16V25 diesels. They can carry a complement of 120 sailors.

Each ship of the class is armed with one Oto Melara 76 mm/62 Mod 9 compact naval gun, two Breda 40 mm/70 guns, and two smaller Rheinmetall 20 mm guns in twin mounts. A serious drawback of the ships is the lack of a modern CIWS system.

The main radar of the ships is the Thomson-CSF TRS-3030 Triton G which is a G-band, 2D Surface-to-Air & Surface-to-Surface Radar. The ships have installed the Thomson-CSF Vega II command and control system which includes the Pollux TRS3220 fast-scanning radar as a fire control radar system.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry summoned US Ambassador to the PRC Nicholas Burns and protested against his visit to Taiwan by Speaker of the US House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi, RIA Novosti reports.

Pelosi arrived in Taiwan today as part of a tour of Asia. She is expected to hold a videoconference at her hotel Wednesday morning and will also visit the island's legislative assembly, hold talks with Taiwanese Chief of Staff Tsai Ing-wen and participate in a welcoming dinner at the historic government mansion for distinguished guests.

China strongly protested the visit of the president of the US House of Representatives to Taiwan, condemning the move and calling it a serious violation of China's sovereignty and territorial integrity. China's Foreign Ministry called on the United States to stop playing the Taiwan card to control the PRC and pervert the One China principle by indulging in separatism in Taiwan.

Pelosi herself explained in a column for The Washington Post that the United States cannot stand by while China allegedly threatens the island and democracy itself.
Philippines ready to support US in case of war with China

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Mishustin and Pashinyan discuss cooperation in trade and economic sphere

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Garo Paylan appeals to Ankara Prosecutor's Office

Mourning liturgy for victims of explosion and fire at Surmalu will be held in Armenia

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Lithuanian FM calls for cancellation of tourist Schengen visas for Russians

Iran, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan sign agreement on international transit corridor

Management of Surmalu shopping center expresses condolences in connection with explosion

Wildberries denies information about leakage of customer data

1 injured in explosion has been discharged, and four citizens are currently undergoing treatment

Armenia Investigative Committee asks to hand over unused fireworks obtained from Surmalu market to police

Iranian Foreign Ministry aims to expand regional transit routes

Dollar falls, euro rises in Armenia

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Charles Michel expresses his condolences in connection with Surmalu explosion

Israeli President welcomes Turkey's decision to restore diplomatic relations

Turkey decides to restore diplomatic relations with Israel

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President: Armenia underscores development of mutually beneficial cooperation with Indonesia

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Kazakhstan President sends condolence message to Armenia PM

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3 men who strangled Yerevan woman, 47, to death are arrested

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Book of condolences opened at all Armenia diplomatic missions abroad

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Russian embassy upset by reports about Russia organizations participation in Yerevan market tragedy

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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

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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
Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar has threatened Greece to take "preemptive action" if Athens does not comply with demands to demilitarize islands in the eastern Aegean, Keep Talking, Greece reports.

Akar accused Greece of aggressive rhetoric against Ankara, saying that a fivefold increase in its defense budget suggests the country is up to something against Turkey.

According to the Turkish defense minister, Greece is doing everything possible to prevent the sale of weapons and military equipment to Turkey, including American F-16 fighter jets and German submarines.

He also accused Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias of using aggressive rhetoric and aggressive actions to spoil the potential positive climate that could be created between the two countries.

Earlier, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that lately Greece has been deliberately violating the provisions of the Lausanne Peace Treaty, which made it possible to draw the land borders of Turkey, guarantee the rights of the Turkish national minority in Greece, and confirm the demilitarized status of the Greek islands off the coast of Turkey.

According to Erdogan, Greece has recently been deliberately violating the provisions of the Lausanne Peace Treaty, in particular regarding the rights of the Turkish national minorities.

He pointed out that Ankara cannot accept such a situation, which contradicts the principles of good neighborliness and commitment to agreements.

In addition, Erdogan announced Turkey's readiness to make every effort to establish lasting peace and stability in the region, as well as to ensure the rights of the Turkish people.
China has suspended imports of citrus fruits and certain types of frozen fish from Taiwan since Wednesday, according to a notice from China's General Administration of Customs.

A decision has been made to suspend the import of citrus fruits, chilled common sablefish and frozen horse mackerel from Taiwan to the mainland from August 3, 2022, the report said.

This decision was made due to the repeated recent detection of quarantine pests in these products, as well as COVID-19.

On August 2, Speaker of the US House of Representatives Pelosi landed at the Taipei airport. The US administration, which was warned by the Chinese president that playing with fire risks getting burned, assured Beijing of its commitment to the one-China policy, but distanced itself from the visit, saying that the speaker makes decisions herself.

The PRC considers the island its province and always opposes any contact between Taipei representatives and current officials, especially high-ranking officials, or the military from countries with which Beijing has diplomatic relations.
On 2 August, in disregard of Chinas strong opposition and serious representations, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi visited Chinas Taiwan region. This is a serious violation of the one-China principle and the provisions of the three China-U.S. joint communiques, the Chinese MFA said in a statement.

"It has a severe impact on the political foundation of China-U.S. relations, and seriously infringes upon Chinas sovereignty and territorial integrity. It gravely undermines peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, and sends a seriously wrong signal to the separatist forces for Taiwan independence. China firmly opposes and sternly condemns this, and has made serious demarche and strong protest to the United States.

"There is but one China in the world, Taiwan is an inalienable part of Chinas territory, and the Government of the Peoples Republic of China is the sole legal government representing the whole of China. This has been clearly recognized by United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758 of 1971. Since the founding of the Peoples Republic of China in 1949, 181 countries have established diplomatic relations with China on the basis of the one-China principle. The one-China principle is a universal consensus of the international community and a basic norm in international relations.

"In 1979, the United States made a clear commitment in the China-U.S. Joint Communique on the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations  The United States of America recognizes the Government of the Peoples Republic of China as the sole legal Government of China. Within this context, the people of the United States will maintain cultural, commercial, and other unofficial relations with the people of Taiwan. Congress, as a part of the U.S. Government, is inherently obliged to strictly observe the one-China policy of the U.S. Government and refrain from having any official exchanges with Chinas Taiwan region. China is all along opposed to the visit to Taiwan by U.S. congressional members, and the U.S. executive branch has the responsibility to stop such visit. Since Speaker Pelosi is the incumbent leader of the U.S. Congress, her visit to and activities in Taiwan, in whatever form and for whatever reason, is a major political provocation to upgrade U.S. official exchanges with Taiwan. China absolutely does not accept this, and the Chinese people absolutely reject this.

"The Taiwan question is the most important and most sensitive issue at the very heart of China-U.S. relations. The Taiwan Strait is facing a new round of tensions and severe challenges, and the fundamental cause is the repeated moves by the Taiwan authorities and the United States to change the status quo. The Taiwan authorities have kept seeking U.S. support for their independence agenda. They refuse to recognize the 1992 Consensus, go all out to push forward de-sinicization, and promote incremental independence. The United States, for its part, has been attempting to use Taiwan to contain China. It constantly distorts, obscures and hollows out the one-China principle, steps up its official exchanges with Taiwan, and emboldens Taiwan independence separatist activities. These moves, like playing with fire, are extremely dangerous. Those who play with fire will perish by it.

"The position of the Chinese Government and people on the Taiwan question has been consistent. It is the firm commitment of the more than 1.4 billion Chinese people to resolutely safeguard state sovereignty and territorial integrity. It is the common aspiration and sacred responsibility of all Chinese sons and daughters to realize the complete reunification of the motherland. The will of the people is not to be defied, and the trend of the times cannot be reversed. No country, no forces and no individual should ever misestimate the firm resolve, strong will and great capability of the Chinese Government and people to defend state sovereignty and territorial integrity and to achieve national reunification and rejuvenation. China will definitely take all necessary measures to resolutely safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity in response to the U.S. Speakers visit. All the consequences arising therefrom must be borne by the U.S. side and the Taiwan independence separatist forces.

"China and the United States are two major countries. The right way for them to deal with each other lies only in mutual respect, peaceful coexistence, no-confrontation and win-win cooperation. The Taiwan question is purely an internal affair of China, and no other country is entitled to act as a judge on the Taiwan question. China strongly urges the United States to stop playing the Taiwan card and using Taiwan to contain China. It should stop meddling on Taiwan and interfering in Chinas internal affairs. It should stop supporting and conniving at Taiwan independence separatist forces in any form. It should stop its acts of saying one thing but doing the opposite on the Taiwan question. It should stop distorting, obscuring and hollowing out the one-China principle. It must take credible actions to observe strictly the one-China principle and the provisions of the three China-U.S. joint communiques, deliver on the five noes commitment made by the U.S. leadership (i.e. not seek a new Cold War; not seek to change Chinas system; the revitalization of its alliances is not against China; not support Taiwan independence; not look for conflict with China), and not go further down the wrong and dangerous path.
The human rights activist visited the settlements of Vardenis, Kut, Sotk, Norabak, Verin and Nerkin Shorzha, as well as the mountain range of Upper Shorzha. Kristine Grigoryan's familiarization visit began with a meeting with Gegharkunik Governor Karen Sargsyan.

The governor presented to the Defender the problems of the region in the order of priority: the situation on the borders, gasification of the settlements, access to drinking and irrigation water, the existing obstacles for agricultural works, construction works in the region, the implemented and planned programs of subsidizing and other issues, the office of HRD told NEWS.am.

The Advocate noted that he is aware of the existing problems in the region, which exacerbated in 2021. after the Azerbaijani invasion into the sovereign territory of Armenia on May 12-13. Kristin Grigoryan thanked for her cooperation, noting that the HRH staff's familiarization work will continue intensely. "We will be in the communities, we will collect from the residents and get to know the problems, issues that concern the population, and we will be ready to continue discussions together to solve existing problems."

Next, the Defender visited the Gegharkunik Regional Office of the Ministry of Human Rights, where he familiarized himself with the current work of the office, the progress of applications under consideration by the regional office, as well as discussed the work on being done.

Then the Ombudsman and representatives of the Office of the Human Rights Defender visited Vardenis community, where they met with the head of the community Aharon Khachatryan and representatives of the community administration. The challenges, priorities, security and socio-economic problems facing the community were discussed on the spot.

The Human Rights Defender, accompanied by the head of Vardenis community, visited Verin and Nerkin Shorzha settlements and met with residents. People expressed the Defender's concerns mainly about security issues. They noted that they could not use their land, hayfields and pastures because of illegal Azerbaijani settlements. In practice, it has become extremely difficult and in some cases impossible for them to exercise their property rights.

During the meeting with the residents of the border village of Norabak, security issues were raised in the first place.

Residents also prioritized the issue of access to drinking and irrigation water, and noted that due to the reduction in hayfields and pastures, it had become virtually impossible to engage in livestock breeding and the number of livestock had significantly decreased. Problems related to the use of communal arable land by community residents were also raised.

Residents of the border town of Kut brought similar concerns and problems related to security and socio-economic issues to Patpan. Residents of Kut also noted issues of drinking and irrigation water supply, access to intra-village transportation, repair of the village road, and the provision of lighting that need to be resolved as a matter of priority. The issue of compensation for more than 80 cattle belonging to the residents of Kut, who crossed to the territory controlled by the Azerbaijani armed forces last year and haven't been returned, still remains unresolved.

During the monitoring visit to Sotqa, residents expressed to the Defender their concerns about security and employment. In addition, it was noted that due to job cuts at the Sotka gold mine, residents of the settlement faced the risk of being unemployed. Residents reported that after the Azerbaijani invasion, normal life in the settlement has been disrupted, people are unable to provide for their vital needs, they have problems with drinking and irrigation water, and they cannot engage in cattle breeding. farming due to the lack of pastures.

The problems recorded as a result of the familiarization work, as well as the issues raised by the residents, were discussed with representatives of the municipality, who noted that a number of issues are already in the process of being resolved.

In all the communities visited by the protector, residents told of cases where Azerbaijani armed forces were holding community residents in constant fear and causing damage, which was a systematic and uniform action. In particular, the Azerbaijani armed forces burn the grass cuttings of the villagers in large quantities, steal cattle and small cattle, shoot at the inhabitants who do agricultural works near their positions, cultivate the lands belonging to them, shoot at the windows of residential houses. inhabitants' houses with lanterns at night, using flying drones in the airspace of the settlements, day and night.

The described actions prove that these criminal actions of the Azerbaijani armed forces aimed at making life impossible for the communities in their settlements are continuous, coordinated and controlled from one point.

All the recorded problems are under the direct attention of the Human Rights Defender, measures will be taken to solve the problems with full authority.

The Defender will send appropriate letters to the competent agencies, as well as inform the competent international organizations and actors about the criminal actions of the armed forces of Azerbaijan against civilians.
Armenian News - NEWS.am presents the breaking news as of 03.08.22:

Azerbaijani armed forces grossly violated the ceasefire Wednesday, using grenade launchers and unmanned aerial vehicles and targeting the positions of the Karabakh Defense Army. As a result, two Armenian soldier were killed, fifteen others were injured.

The condition of one wounded is assessed as serious. The Defense Ministry of Nagorno Karabakh said that in cooperation with Russian peacekeepers is taking measures are being taken to stabilize the situation with the military contingent carrying out a peacekeeping mission in Artsakh.

Nagorno-Karabakh's military on August 1 accused Azerbaijani forces of launching attacks on its positions in the territorys north and northwest. One soldier has been injured as a result.

The Karabakh Defense Army said that its troops thwarted Azerbaijani "attempts to cross the line of contact."

The statement added that Russian peacekeeping forces in Karabakh received "detailed information" about the situation on the front line.

By the way, the Armenian side said last week that Azerbaijani forces opened fire at two villages in Nagorno-Karabakh and on Armenian Army positions on Armenias border with Azerbaijan.

The Azerbaijani Defense Ministry categorically denied any cease-fire violations in Karabakh.

However, Azerbaijani Defense Minister Zakir Hasanov on July 30 ordered his troops to be ready to "prevent provocation attempts by the enemy with decisive measures."

In the meantime, President of the Artsakh Republic,Arayik Harutyunyan signed a decree on Wednesday, according to which a partial military mobilization was declared in the country from August 3.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Artsakh strongly condemns the new round of Azerbaijan's aggressive actions against Artsakh and qualifies this as another manifestation of Armenian-hatred, a gross attempt to violate peace and stability in the region, as well as to discredit the peacekeeping mission.

In a statement, the Ministry called on the international community to give a targeted assessment of the actions of Azerbaijan and take appropriate steps to curb the destructive policy of Baku.

The Armenians of Artsakh are unshakable and determined to live freely and independently on their land and overcome all difficulties with dignity, the statement read.

Meanwhile, amid the tense situation, Armenian high-ranking officials have been holding a number of talks with their international partners.

Thus, Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday spoke by phone with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. The parties discussed the implementation of the agreements on Nagorno-Karabakh, the Kremlin press service reported.

Later, Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan had a phone talk with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

The sides discussed the current situation on the border and highlighted the importance of the release and return of Armenian prisoners of war. 

Arayik Harutyunyan, the Karabakh president, in turn, held Monday an emergency meeting with Defense Army commander Kamo Vardanyan and other security officials.

After the discussions, President Harutyunyan gave a number of urgent assignments.

Meanwhile, today, Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan received on Wednesday the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office Andrzej Kasprzyk.

Ararat Mirzoyan briefed Andrzej Kasprzyk on the recent security situation in the region.

In turn, EU Special Representative for the crisis in the South Caucasus and Georgia, Toivo Klaar, said he was concerned about reports of rising tensions in the context of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan in recent days.

Important to deescalate & avoid derailing an historic opportunity to turn page on decades of strife," he tweeted.

Ombudsman of Artsakh Gegham Stepanyan told Armenian News-NEWS.am that all this escalation is aimed at fulfilling the requirement to organize traffic between Artsakh and Armenia along a new route.

Before presenting any demand, it escalates the situation, makes impudent threats, and against this background forces the Armenian side to make concessions, he added

In turn, Secretary of Armenian Security Council Armen Grigoryan highlights that Azerbaijan's demand to replace Artsakh's communication with Armenia via the Lachin corridor with another route is unlawful.

However, Grigoryan noted that a plan for the construction of a new transport route through the Lachin corridor, connecting Armenia with Nagorno-Karabakh, with the further deployment of a Russian peacekeeping contingent to protect this route, will be developed in the next three years. Some work has been done in that direction, but there is no agreed-upon plan yet.

But, in any case, Armenia has not agreed to any plan, so Azerbaijan's demand is illegitimate,' he added.

US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi landed in Taiwan Tuesday evening, marking a significant show of support for Taiwan despite China's threats of retaliation over the visit.

Pelosi's stop in Taipei is the first time that a US House speaker has visited Taiwan in 25 years. Her trip comes at a low point in US-China relations and despite warnings from the Biden administration against a stop in Taiwan.

She is leading a congressional delegation on a tour in Asia this week, which includes stops in Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea, and Japan.

In a statement after landing, Pelosi and the congressional delegation that accompanied her said the visit "honors America's unwavering commitment to supporting Taiwan's vibrant democracy."

Pelosi, a forthright critic of Beijing, has previously said it is important for the US to show support for Taiwan.

China has lashed out at the visit. In a statement following Pelosi's arrival, China's Foreign Ministry said the trip would have a "severe impact on the political foundation of China-US relations."

A spokesman for China's Ministry of Defense said the People's Liberation Army was "on high alert" and would launch "a series of targeted military operations to counteract the situation, resolutely defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity, and resolutely thwart the interference of external forces and 'Taiwan independence' secessionist schemes."
British legislator Jeremy Corbyn has criticized the UK and the West for supplying arms to Ukraine, saying injection of arms would only prolong the war, The Guardian reported.

The former Labor leader said that sending weapons to Kyiv would not end the conflict.

Pouring arms in isnt going to bring about a solution, its only going to prolong and exaggerate this war, Corbyn said. We might be in for years and years of a war in Ukraine.

According to him, more, much more efforts are needed to achieve peace. What I find disappointing is that hardly any of the worlds leaders use the word peace; they always use the language of more war, and more bellicose war, he added.

This war is disastrous for the people of Ukraine, for the people of Russia, and for the safety and security of the whole world, and therefore there has to be much more effort put into peace, Corbyn added.

He urged the UN to be much more centre stage, and suggested involving other international bodies such as the African Union or the League of Arab States if the UN were unable to help negotiate a ceasefire.

The Independent MP for Islington North also said that a lot more effort needs to be put in to reach a peace deal, and if the UN can't agree on a ceasefire, it should give way to an organization that can.
The Swiss government has expanded sanctions against Russia in line with the latest European Union measures against gold and gold products, Reuters reports.

The government said it made two new exemptions for transactions related to agricultural products and oil supplies to third countries, which the EU also has, to avoid any disruption in payment channels.

The new measures primarily relate to a ban on the purchase, import or transportation of gold and gold items from Russia. Services in connection with these goods are also prohibited, the government said in a statement.

Switzerland is committed to overcoming the global food and energy crisis, and none of the measures against Russia was directed against trade in agricultural or food products between third countries and Russia.

In order to avoid disrupting payment channels, the Federal Council has made two new exceptions for transactions related to agricultural products and oil supplies to third countries, just like the EU, the report says.

The purchase of Russian offshore oil by EU companies and its export to third countries is allowed, but according to amendments to EU sanctions on Russia that came into force last month, payments related to such supplies will not be prohibited.

The Swiss government noted that Russia's largest bank, Sberbank, has also frozen its assets and is prohibited from providing funds, economic resources or technical services. New exceptions are being introduced to ensure orderly closing of transactions and sale of Sberbank subsidiaries.
The Greek Intelligence Service admitted to spying on the journalist. The head of Greek intelligence told a parliamentary committee that his agency was spying on the journalist, Reuters reported, citing sources.

The committee's closed hearing last week was convened after the leader of the socialist opposition party PASOK filed a complaint with the prosecutor's office about an attempt to eavesdrop on his mobile phone using software.

PASOK leader Nikos Androulakis filed the complaint amid growing concerns from European Union officials about spyware dealers and the use of surveillance software.

At the hearing, Panagiotis Kontoleon, head of the EPM's intelligence service, said his office was spying on Tanasis Koukakis, a financial journalist working for CNN in Greece, two MPs who attended the hearing told Reuters.

Government spokesman Ioannis Oikonomou said the Greek authorities do not use the spyware allegedly used to hack the journalist's phone and do not deal with companies that sell it.

The government has nothing to hide and has called on the justice system to thoroughly investigate these cases, he said.

Without going to the extreme of technophobia, such malware is indeed a threat and needs to be dealt with effectively.

In April, a Greek prosecutor launched an investigation into Koukakis' claim that his smartphone was infected with surveillance software.
Dozens of men detained after eight women were gang-raped while filming a music video in South Africa. The total number of detainees in this case has reached 120 people, The Guardian reported.

However, none of the men and boys arrested were reportedly charged with sexual assault or rape. Police said they hoped DNA tests could link some of the detainees to the gang rape in the coming days.

The detainees are miners working in dangerous abandoned mines in South Africa. They are reportedly facing charges including possession of firearms and illegal mining.

The attack took place at an abandoned mine in Krugersdorp, where a film crew of 22 people, including 12 women, were filming when they were attacked by a group of armed men wrapped in blankets, police said in a statement.

The attack has brought renewed attention to the chronic problem of gender-based violence in South Africa. In the first three months of this year, at least 10,818 cases of rape were reported, up 13.7% from the same period in 2021. Not all such cases are reported, and the real number is believed to be much higher.
One of the soldiers wounded as a result of Azerbaijani shelling in Artsakh is in an extremely serious condition, another one is in a serious condition, and the condition of the rest is assessed as moderate or light, Artsakh Health MinisterMikael Hayriyan told Civilnet.am.

"Almost all the injuries are shrapnel injuries. At the moment there is no problem of any support or medication for the wounded," Hayriyan said.

Earlier, the Artsakh Armed Forces reported two dead and 14 wounded. It is reported that starting from 09:00 a.m. today, the Azerbaijani units, having grossly violated the ceasefire regime, shelled the military positions of the defense forces and the place of permanent deployment of one of the military units, using mortars, grenade launchers and assault rifles of different caliber, as a result of which the contract servicemen Gurgen Gabrielyan and Artur Khachatryan were mortally wounded.

Another 14 soldiers were wounded to varying degrees. According to Artsakh Ministry of Defense statement, measures are being taken to stabilize the situation with the command of Russian servicemen who carry out the peacekeeping mission. As of 18:00, the tactical situation is relatively stable.
A group of leading climate scientists have called for more research into worst-case climate change scenarios, which they call climate endgame.

In a new paper published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 11 researchers from around the world have presented a research agenda on the effects of global warming that reaches an upper bound of plausible scenarios of 3C or more by the end of the century, Axios reports.

According to the paper, the worst-case scenarios have not been sufficiently explored by organizations such as the UN IPCC due to the focus on the goals of the Paris Agreement, as well as due to the inherent caution of climatologists.

The article, which is not a study but a detailed research proposal, reads: "There are enough reasons to suspect that climate change could lead to a global catastrophe."

The authors, including Hans Joachim Schellnhuber, a physicist who advised German Chancellor Angela Merkel on climate science, and renowned researcher Johan Rockstrom, believe that such a study could spur society to act with urgency.

The paper notes that if all countries meet their non-binding long-term commitments to reduce emissions, it could limit warming to 2.1C above pre-industrial levels by 2100.

The authors warn that even this optimistic scenario would make the planet warmer than any other point observed in more than 2.6 million years.

The paper addes how the COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the risks of infrequent global events with significant consequences that are having a domino effect across the global economy.

The researchers argue that the uncertainty associated with catastrophic risks could have specific policy implications. The paper provides an overview of the likely ways in which climate change could tilt societies towards more dangerous, if not catastrophic, consequences, from destabilizing the most vulnerable countries to creating physical and political "risk cascades" that could sweep across the world.

"We are not saying that we are all doomed," lead author Luke Kemp, of the University of Cambridge, told Axios via email.

"This isnt about disaster voyeurism; it is about understanding plausible catastrophic risks so we can prevent them," he said. "The greater the understanding of potential catastrophic risks, the better the potential for developing effective risk reduction strategies," study coauthor Kristie Ebi, a professor at the University of Washington, told Axios via email.
The aim of Azerbaijan's attacks on Artsakh is to obtain the Lachin corridor, Arkady Karapetyan (Ago), the first commander of the NKR Self-Defense Army, told NEWS.am today.

"They aim to evacuate the people of Artsakh, but our government hasn't built a new road yet. If they attack and kill people, it will be difficult to escape because there is no road. Coincidences give rise to doubts. Wrong decisions always lead to tragedy. Didn't the government build the alternate road as a result of faulty calculation or intent? Everyone can comment all they want. You don't have to say big patriotic things, you have to understand what you can do. If we could not build a road and hold our ground, there would be no need to build a road. However, I'm not sure whether we are capable of it or not, especially when our ally is not fulfilling its function," Karapetyan said.
Peace is not properly established in Artsakh, and the Azerbaijani side does not fulfill the obligations undertaken by the declaration, using every opportunity to force concessions on this or that issue, Artsakh human rights defender Gegham Stepanyan wrote on his Facebook page today.

Since August 1, the Azerbaijani side has conducted aggressive military operations in various directions of the Republic of Artsakh, using weapons of various calibers, grenade launchers, and attack drones.

All this is happening in the event that since November 2020, a ceasefire has been established by the agreement of the parties and Russian peacekeeping forces have been deployed in Artsakh to ensure the peace of the people of Artsakh.

This indicates that peace has not been properly established in Artsakh, and the Azerbaijani side does not fulfill the obligations assumed by the declaration, using all kinds of opportunities to force concessions on one or another issue.

Azerbaijan combines any of its demands with the use of force or the threat of use of force, grossly violating the fundamental provisions of international law.

During the negotiations on various issues, the Armenian side is forced to make concessions, as a result of which the most basic rights of people, including the right to life, are violated. Due to the unclear mandate and a limited number of Russian peacekeepers, fragile and relative peace is regularly endangered. And the people of Artsakh are again fighting alone for the protection of their rights.Statements supporting the establishment of peace are regularly made by various international actors. Where is that support? Where are the real steps taken by the OSCE Minsk Group co-chair countries to protect people's rights, save people's lives, and ensure people's peaceful life? Where are the actions of the UN, CoE, or OSCE? Or is everything just at the level of empty words?

The international media is not silent for a minute regarding the conflicts taking place in other parts of the world, the international organizations make statements, they show indescribable amounts of support, but the people of Artsakh, who have been directly fighting against the Azerbaijani dictatorship for tens of years, are ignored.

Is it acceptable to be guided by such explicitly double standards and blinded by political interests, fully ignoring people and their rights?" the statement said.
The Armenian Foreign Ministry issued a statement in connection with another aggressive action by Azerbaijan.

Today, the armed forces of Azerbaijan, having once again violated the tripartite statement of November 9, 2020 of the leaders of Armenia, Russia and Azerbaijan on the ceasefire in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone, carried out aggression in the zone of responsibility of the Russian peacekeeping forces, as a result of which there are victims and wounded.

Despite the steps taken by the Armenian side to achieve stability and peace in the region, Azerbaijan is continuing its pre-planned policy of intimidation of the Nagorno-Karabakh population, its ethnic cleansing and creeping occupation of Nagorno-Karabakh.

We remind that such cases of aggression and violation of ceasefire are the illegal deployment of Azerbaijani armed forces in the direction of Parukh village on March 24 of this year, the attack on Khtsaberd and Hin Tagher villages on December 11, 2020, which are also within the zone of responsibility of the Russian peacekeeping forces in Nagorno-Karabakh.

We consider unacceptable the statements of the Azerbaijani side that attempt to unilaterally change the legal regime in the Lachin corridor determined by paragraph 6 of the trilateral statement, and we confirm that the route through the Lachin corridor can be changed only in accordance with the plan approved by the signatories of the statement.

As the statement of November 9 clearly defines, upon the agreement of the parties (i.e., the Russian Federation, the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan) a plan for the construction of a new route through the Lachin corridor, providing a link between Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia, with the subsequent redeployment of a Russian peacekeeping contingent to protect this route, will be defined within the next three years.

We stress that there is still no plan approved in the trilateral format and call on all parties to the trilateral statement to adhere to their commitments, to make immediate efforts to implement the conditions approved in the statement of November 9, including observing the ceasefire, opening regional communications, returning prisoners of war, hostages and other detainees.

We need to state once again that the Republic of Armenia has fulfilled all its commitments. Azerbaijan's arbitrary interpretations, continued aggressive rhetoric and actions are the reason for non-compliance with a number of points of the tripartite statement of November 9.

The Republic of Armenia, while reiterating its commitment to the peace and stability agenda in the region, calls upon the international community to take measures aimed at curbing Azerbaijan's aggressive behavior and actions and launching the necessary international mechanisms to that end.
The war in Ukraine has changed the direction of energy supplies around the world, and one result is that the United States is now sending more gas to Europe by sea than Russia by pipeline, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing ICIS data.

Since 1967, Gazprom's pipelines in western Siberia and the Yamal Peninsula have delivered massive amounts of gas to Europe, but in recent months that precedent has been turned on its head.

In July, US liquefied natural gas accounted for 13% of total supplies to Europe, compared with 10% from Russian pipelines. Pipelines from Norway have been the main source of gas to the continent, while other sources include North African pipelines and LNG supplies from Qatar, as well as domestic production.

European wholesale gas prices have tripled in the past six months. Gazprom, citing technical problems, reduced Nord Stream 1 natural gas supplies to Germany from 40% to 20%.

The European Commission said 12 member states are experiencing a sharp reduction in flows, with several countries completely cut off. Literally this week Gazprom has suspended deliveries of natural gas to Latvia. Now the continent has begun importing more Russian diesel amid a struggle to cut off other energy supplies from the country.

According to Vortexa, imports of Russian diesel fuel increased by 23% compared to last year. With the war in Ukraine showing no signs of easing and the EU facing a historic energy crisis, the US "stepped in as an emergency energy supplier."
Statement of the "Country to Live" party in connection with Azerbaijani aggression

Azerbaijan continues its destructive policy with the sole purpose to depopulate Artsakh, depriving the people of Artsakh of the inalienable right to live on their land. After the announcement on November 9, 2020, repeatedly violating the ceasefire yesterday and today, Azerbaijan in fact declared a new war on Artsakh.

Presence of victims and wounded as a result of actions, once again confirms that the peaceful coexistence with Azerbaijan for Artsakh is excluded. All this is once again happening by the tacit agreement of the international community, sometimes accompanied by standard appeals for bilateral peace.

However, Azerbaijan's reckless behavior in 2020 and the inadequate response of the international community to the war and subsequent events continue to generate new crimes against Armenians. For the international community, economic interest continues to prevail over universal human values, which are supposedly principles for the same international community.

Despite this, the "Country to Live" party expects the international community to give a clear assessment of Azerbaijan's actions, advocating for peace in the region. The international community must understand that even in 2020.

Turkish-Azerbaijani aggression has not broken the will of the people of Artsakh to live on their land, the people of Artsakh will continue to fight for their right to live on their land, even at the cost of their lives, despite the criminal policy of Azerbaijan and the tacit consent of the international community to it.
The number of soldiers wounded as a result of Azerbaijani shelling in Artsakh is 19 people, Artsakh Health Minister Mikayel Hayriyan told Azatutyun.

"Four injured are in a serious condition, one of them is in an extremely serious condition. The condition of the others is assessed as moderate to light," Mikael Hayriyan said.

The minister answered the question, "Is there a need to move to Yerevan?" "There is a need, we have already moved some of the wounded, they are on their way now."

He noted that the soldiers who received medium and light wounds have been transferred to Yerevan, while the soldier who is in an extremely serious condition continues to stay in the Republican Hospital.

The minister said the servicemen suffered shrapnel wounds. "In other words, this is a consequence of the UAV."
Following an extensive national search, Rashard Johnson has been named chief executive officer for Emory Decatur Hospital, Emory Hillandale Hospital and Emory Long-Term Acute Care Hospital. He will begin his new role on Aug. 22, 2022.

Johnson joins Emory Healthcare from Advocate Aurora Health in Chicago, where he is president of Advocate Trinity and South Suburban Hospitals. In this role, he oversees the strategic direction and operation of Advocate Trinitys 205-bed hospital and provides executive leadership over Advocate South Suburban Hospitals 230-bed hospital and support services, physicians, team members and building facilities. Johnson also leads the development and implementation of market growth strategies, as well as tactical plans to achieve high-quality, cost-effective patient care and operational excellence for both hospitals.

Rashards extensive experience leading hospitals within integrated health care organizations and engaging care teams and the community will be a tremendous asset to Emory Decatur Hospital, Emory Hillandale Hospital and Emory Long-Term Acute Care, says Bryce Gartland, MD, Emory Healthcare Hospital Group President. We look forward to working with him to further Emory Healthcares mission and commitment to improve lives and provide hope to the patients and communities we serve.

At Emory, Johnson will oversee the 451-bed Emory Decatur Hospital located in Decatur as well as the 100-bed Emory Hillandale Hospital located in Lithonia, hospitals well known for their services in maternity/womens health, heart and vascular, cancer, orthopaedics, surgical weight loss, gastroenterology and more. Additionally, he will oversee the 76-bed Emory Long-Term Acute Care Hospital, located in downtown Decatur, a specialty-care hospital designed to care for patients with serious medical conditions that require intense, specialized treatment for an extended period of time.

Emory Healthcare is a world-renowned comprehensive academic health system with a history of delivering unparalleled care to patients and improving the future of health care, says Johnson. I'm humbled and honored to join the Emory Decatur Hospital, Emory Hillandale Hospital and Emory Long-Term Acute Care Hospital leadership teams as we enhance the health of the communities we're so fortunate to serve.

Prior to his stint at Advocate Aurora Health, Johnson served as vice president of operations and chief operating officer for the north Houston market at St. Lukes Health in Houston, a Catholic Health Initiatives affiliate. In this capacity, he provided executive leadership for three hospitals with 276 beds and 12 outpatient care centers. Johnson previously held leadership roles at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, Jackson Health System in Miami and the Miami Veteran Affairs Healthcare System.

Nationally, Johnson is a recognized leader who actively participates in numerous organizations including the National Association of Health Services Executives (NAHSE), the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE), Young Presidents Organization (YPO), the YMCA and the March of Dimes.

Johnson has an M.S. in health services administration and a B.S. in health sciences/health services administration from the University of Central Florida. He has also completed executive education at Cornell University.
ATLANTA  As the nationwide nursing shortage lingers and as nurse staffing challenges grow, the Robert W. Woodruff Foundation hopes to bolster the nursing workforce and advance nursing education at Emory with an $8.5 million grant to Emory Healthcare and the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing of Emory University. The generous gift will be used to expand the nurse residency program at Emory Healthcare and create a nurse fellowship program for continued nursing education at the School of Nursing.

As nursing students are completing their education at Emorys School of Nursing, the nurse residency program at Emory Healthcare provides support of an experienced nurse known as a nurse preceptor to successfully transition the resident into clinical practice at Emory Healthcare. Using a new teaching model for the pilot nurse residency program, students will be clustered into groups of four students per one nurse preceptor to receive additional on-site support in the hospital setting. Emory Healthcares nurse resident program is nationally certified by Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.

The Woodruff Foundation funds will help increase the number of nurse residents at Emory Healthcare to 700 a year, an increase of 165 nurses receiving expert, hands-on development to prepare them to practice independently as a professional nurse. The additional positions will provide continued support for the excellent nursing care for which Emory Healthcare is known.

The Woodruff Foundation gift for this newly-designed pilot nurse residency program will help us prepare nurse graduates to transition into clinical nursing positions upon being hired at Emory Healthcare, says Sharon Pappas, PhD, RN, FAAN, chief nurse executive at Emory Healthcare. As the national nursing shortage continues, having more nurses prepared for employment will better help us care for our patients and their families.

In the School of Nursing pilot program, the grant will fund a nurse fellowship program for continued nursing education for recent Emory School of Nursing graduates who have chosen to work at Emory Healthcare as clinical staff nurses. With a focus on retention and additional learning for new graduates, the four-year post-graduate MSN (master of science in nursing) program will be available to 30 students in the fall of 2022 and 50 additional students in the fall of 2023.

I am extremely thankful for the opportunity to demonstrate another model of how academic and practice leaders can collaborate to address the acute national shortage of nurses, says Linda McCauley, PhD, RN, FAAN, dean of the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing at Emory. This program will help us move the needle in increasing the retention of nurses at Emory Healthcare by enhanced investment into their journey of lifelong learning.

There are no easy or quick answers to the nationwide crisis in nursing, but we hope that our grant will help nurture a new generation of Emory nurses and propel them into satisfying nursing careers, says P. Russell Hardin, president of the Robert W. Woodruff Foundation.

The Robert W. Woodruff Foundation seeks to improve the quality of life in Georgia by investing in health, education, economic opportunity and community vitality.

Robert W. Woodruff, the late legendary leader of The Coca-Cola Company, became a major benefactor of Emory beginning in 1937. In 1979, he and his brother, George Woodruff, gave Emory the then-record sum of $105 million, the first nine-figure gift to an institution of higher education, empowering the university to create, preserve, teach and apply knowledge in the service of humanity. Since then, the Woodruff Foundation has continued to support Emory University and its entities.
Pelosi trip only serves America: CY Leung

CY Leung attends a national security education event organised by RTHK. Photo: RTHK
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has launched a nationwide campaign to check adulteration in edible oils, the presence of trans-fatty acids in hydrogenated oils and to crack down on the sale of loose edible oil across the country. The campaign would continue for two weeks - till August 14. Among others, the sale of multi-source edible oils without the proper labelling will also be checked during the drive, the food safety licensing authority said in a statement. The commissioners of food safety of all States/UTs have been directed to lift surveillance samples of these products in a staggered manner from the markets so that the sample base is wide and representative of all brands being sold are included. The progress of the campaign will be monitored on day-to-day basis and the entire exercise will be completed by August 14 in a mission mode, the statement added. "It has been also emphasized that failure of any surveillance sample will be immediately followed by the drawing of regulatory samples to take legal action against such operators," the statement added. As per the latest reports received from 15 States/UTs, 279 samples of edible oils, vanaspati and the sale of multi-source edible oils have been drawn. Separately, edible oil manufacturers, packers, and importers were recently asked to pack the commodity without mentioning the temperature at which it was packed and advised them to ensure that the quantity declared on the package in volume or mass is correct. Deputy Director (Legal Metrology) under the Department of Consumer Affairs in the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution in a letter to all the States said that the edible oil manufacturers should be advised to correct their labelling net quantity within the next six months. Since temperature and density are inversely proportional, the volume is constant, the consumer may be cheated when the packaging mentions a higher temperature, Legal Metrology said. Edible oil industry body the Solvent Extractors' Association of India had brought the notice of the Legal Metrology about some edible oil companies resorting to an unfair practice by packing 1-litre pack at a higher temperature than room temperature (30 degrees C) thereby offering lesser weight to the consumer. (ANI)
SpiceJet promoter Ajay Singh is mulling the possibility of a partial stake sale in the airline, according to sources. Singh currently reportedly holds a majority 60 per cent in the airline said the company continues to be in discussions with various investors to secure financing. "The company continues to be in discussions with various investors to secure sustainable financing and will make appropriate disclosures in accordance with applicable regulations," a SpiceJet spokesperson said. Reacting to the news of a possible stake sale by the promoter, the shares of the airline rose around 5 per cent to trade at Rs 46.55. Separately, the low-cost carrier on Tuesday entered into a full and final settlement with the Airports Authority of India (AAI) and cleared all outstanding principal dues of the airport operator. With this, SpiceJet will no longer remain on 'cash and carry' at AAI-run airports across the country and will revert to an advance payment mechanism for daily flight operations. SpiceJet's ability to clear the pending dues reflects the airline's improved cash flow in recent times. In another big boost for the airline, AAI will release SpiceJet's Rs 50 crore bank guarantee following the airline clearing all its principal dues. This will result in additional liquidity for the airline, SpiceJet had said in a statement. However, SpiceJet has been going through a highly turbulent phase in recent times on account of several glitches and a non-adherence to mandated guidelines in regards to the training of some pilots. It all started in April 2022 when the aviation watchdog the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had restrained 90 pilots of the airline from operating Boeing 737 Max aircraft, after finding they were not properly trained. Those pilots were trained on a faulty simulator, and the aviation regulator asked the airline to retrain the pilots, besides slapping a fine of Rs 10 lakh. Multiple incidents were reported this year when SpiceJet and other carrier's aircraft either turned back to their originating station or continued landing at the destination with degraded safety margins Civil aviation regulator DGCA has recently ordered SpiceJet to operate a maximum of 50 per cent of its flights for eight weeks after several of its planes reported technical malfunctions. Upon having reported repeated snags, civil aviation regulator Director General of Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) Arun Kumar recently told ANI aircraft systems are reasonably robust and do have multiple redundancies but component failures do not imply that it is compromising the safety of the passengers. (ANI) .
State governments have limited resources and not enough opportunities to raise revenues so it is the Centre that should reduce taxes, Tamil Nadu Finance Minister Palanivel Thiagarajan said responding to Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's question as to why states did not reduce cess on fuel even as they talked about price rise. Sitharaman had said in the Parliament that state governments did not reduce taxes on petrol and diesel while the Centre had done so on its part. Responding to Sitharaman, Thiagarajan said the government of Tamil Nadu had already reduced taxes on petrol by Rs 4.95. The Union government's levies on petrol on the other hand have gone up substantially in the last 7 years, he claimed. "Though the revenue of the Union Government has increased by several lakh crores, there has not been a matching increase in the revenues of the states. This is because the Union government has increased the cess and surcharge on petrol and diesel while reducing the basic excise duty that is shareable with the states," Thiagarajan said. Over the last seven years, the Union government has increased the taxes on petrol by Rs 23.42 per litre and Rs 28.23 per litre on diesel. The Union government's reduction in taxes in November 2021 and May 2022 together was Rs 13 on petrol and Rs 16 on diesel. Though the Union government has reduced the taxes, it is still higher than the 2014 rates by as much as Rs 10.42 per litre for petrol and Rs 12.23 per litre for diesel, he added. Therefore, there is a need for the Union government to further reduce its taxes on fuels, he said. "The Union Government's reduction in taxes that were announced on 03.11.2021 will cause an additional loss of about Rs 1,050 crores in annual revenue to Tamil Nadu. The reduction in May 2022 will cause a further loss of Rs 800 crores in annual revenue to the State." On the latest revision in GST on some essential articles, he said it will adversely affect the common man and Tamil Nadu had sent its objections through a letter. From July 18, pre-packaged and labelled pulses, and cereals like rice, wheat, and flour (atta) will attract 5 per cent GST when branded and packed in a unit container, whereas curd, lassi, and puffed rice would attract 5 per cent tax cent when pre-packaged and labelled. The recommendations on these GST rates were made during the 47th GST Council meeting held in June, "After the introduction of GST, the state's power to levy taxes has been reduced greatly. There are not enough avenues for the state to augment its revenues," the minister said. Therefore, it is the Union government which has the resources to help the common man by reducing the taxes, he added. (ANI)
Vivo India is a subsidiary company of Guangdong, China-based Vivo Communication Technology. The company is engaged in the business of manufacturing, assembling, wholesale trading as well as distribution of mobile handsets and accessories thereof.

During the course of the investigation, searches were conducted by DRI officers at the factory premises of Vivo India, which led to the recovery of incriminating evidence indicating wilful misdeclaration in the description of certain items imported by Vivo India, for use in the manufacture of mobile phones, according to a statement released by the Union Finance Ministry.

This mis-declaration resulted in wrongful availing of ineligible duty exemption benefits by Vivo India, amounting to Rs 2,217 crore, the ministry said.

After completion of the investigation, a Show Cause Notice has been issued to Vivo India demanding Customs duty amounting to Rs 2,217 crore, under the provisions of the Customs Act, 1962, it added.

A sum of Rs 60 crore has been voluntarily deposited by Vivo India, towards the discharge of their differential duty liability.

Recently, in another set of investigations conducted by DRI, Show Cause Notices demanding duty of Rs 4,403.88 crore has been issued to Oppo Mobiles India Private Limited, the Finance Ministry said. (ANI)
Taking to Instagram, the fitness trainer shared the video on his story, which he captioned, "This is what happens when I give Kriti Sanon and Rashmika Mandanna some time off."

In the video, the two actors could be seen discussing something inside a gym, sitting on the floor in a squat position in between their workout sessions.

Rashmika responded to the video and wrote, "Karan Sawhney- Kriti Sanon and I are discussing world problems ya.. don't disturb" followed by laughing emoticons.

Along with her the 'Mimi' actor also shared the video on her Instagram story.

Karan, in the video, could be heard saying "I need to be stricter."

Soon after the video was posted, it got viral on social media and fans are currently praising the bond both the actors share.

Meanwhile, on the work front, Kriti has a massive and one of the best lineups of films ahead including the much-awaited Pan India film, 'Adipurush' opposite Prabhas and Saif Ali Khan, 'Ganapath' alongside Tiger Shroff, which is slated to release on the occasion of Christmas 2022.

Apart from that she also has 'Shehzada' with actor Kartik Aaryan, which is all set to hit the theatres on February 10, 2023, and a horror comedy 'Bhediya' opposite Varun Dhawan, along with Anurag Kashyap's unannounced next.

Rashmika, on the other hand, will be next seen in a Pan-India film 'Sita Ramam' alongside Dulquer Salmaan and Mrunal Thakur. The film is slated to release on August 5, 2022, in Telugu, Hindi, Tamil and Malayalam.

Apart from that, the 'Kirik Party' actor will be also seen in the upcoming Bollywood flix 'Mission Majnu' alongside Sidharth Malhotra, 'Goodbye with Amitabh Bachchan and 'Animal' with Ranbir Kapoor. (ANI)
Hollywood actor John Boyega has finally denied all the rumours which claimed that the 'Star Wars' actor is going to be a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. According to Variety, Boyega in an interview with an American magazine stated, "That's not in the vision for me now. I want to do nuanced things...I want to donate my services to original indie films that come with new, fresh ideas, because I know it's real hard to top 'Iron Man' in that universe." Dating back to 2021, rumours claimed that the 'Detroit' actor is going to be part of the 'Captain Marvel' sequel 'The Marvels', but he has not shut down all the rumours saying he is not interested in the MCU at this time. Boyega's manager Femi Oguns stated, "Boyega's goal as an actor has always been to disrupt the industry and also to make history, for John, it was never about trying to fit into the box. He wants to be the outline of the box." Meanwhile, Boyega will be next seen in a thriller film 'Breaking' alongside Nichole Biharie and Olivia Washington, which is slated to release on August 26, 2022. Apart from that he also has 'The Woman King' alongside Viola Davis, which is all set to hit the theatres on September 16, 2022. (ANI)